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Archive for April 25th, 2013
Top cop gets 4 more years
Cayman News | 25/04/2013 | 75 Comments
(CNS): David Baines, the RCIPS commissioner, has had his contract renewed, giving the senior British cop another four years at the helm of Cayman's police service from 1 June this year. In a release form his office, Governor Duncan Taylor said that Baines had done an excellent job in challenging circumstances over the past four kil society representatives on the National Security Council, Dan Scott and Brigitte Kirconnell-Shaughness. They said, however, that levels of crime in Cayman were unacceptable and more work was needed to build on some prevention and prosecution successes. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
"As representatives of civil society we support the renewal of Commissioner David Baines's contract for another four years. The crime level that the Cayman Islands is experiencing is unacceptable but we believe that the efforts of Commissioner Baines and the RCIPS have led to the successful prevention and prosecution of serious crime, though much work is still to be done," Scott and Kirkconnell said.
Taylor remarked he was delighted that David Baines had accepted the contract.
"He has provided much needed effective leadership to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS), which has led to a welcome and consistent fall in crime rates over the last three years. Yet there is still much to be done to bring crime down to the lowest possible level. I believe that Mr Baines is the right person to build on the foundations he has laid, to ensure that we continue to see falling crime rates in the next four years," he said.
Following the renewal of his contract Baines said it had been a privilege to lead the RCIPS over the past fouryears.
"This has been a challenging time for the service as we have sought to rebuild our numbers and our capability to stem the serious and violent crime which has been threatening law and order in the Cayman Islands," he said. "I am grateful to the government and all members of the Legislative Assembly who, despite budget pressures, unanimously agreed to restore previous numbers and funding to allow the RCIPS to build its capability to confront the threat.'
He said the return of the former budget levels had enabled the RCIPS to stabilise officer numbers and provide much needed training across all branches and ranks, which has proved critical in allowing the police to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
"We have come a long way in four years. Crime rates remain too high and we still have much to do but we have a strong foundation now which will allow us to build on what we have achieved to date," Baines stated. "I would like to express my sincere thanks to all those officers who have played their part in supporting the changes that we have made and in delivering the improved service that we provide to our communities. Their commitment makes a difference every single day and helps us to continue to deliver our objective of making these Islands a safer place to live and work in."
The news comes in the wake of a number of internal issues and question marks around several officers and the internal police procedures, as well as two law suits naming Baines, one from a serving constable over an alleged assault by a senior officer, and one from a police officer who was dismissed by Baines without reason after 26 years in the service.
Check back to CNS Monday for more on the internal trials and tribulations of the RCIPS.
Joey charged with cocaine use
(CNS): In addition to the 29 counts he faces for theft and fraud, 49-year-old Joey Ebanks has also been charged with consumption of cocaine and possession of a drug utensil. The former managing director of the Electricity Regulatory Authority, who is running his political campaign for the North Side seat from his Facebook page and a shock-jock evening radio show, has been bailed to appear back in the courts on Friday 3 May. Ebanks was first arrested at his home in the Pedro area on 6 March in connection for theft and drug offences. He was later charged on 29 counts of theft fraud and abuse of office in relation to misuse of ERA funds. The RCIPS has now added the drug charges as a result of forensic tests.
Ebanks appeared in Summary Court last week and the first of his offences was transmitted to the Grand Gourt, which is where the former ERA boss is expected to be tried.
He has vehemently denied the charges and placed a video on YouTube saying he can refute all of the charges. He has claimed that the charges are a conspiracy against him because of his attempts to expose corruption, including a bribe he claims he was offered by the Dart Group to fix the ERA bid for additional generating power, which has triggered an internal investigation.
Ebanks has also been making many allegations and insulting his political enemies, reporters and local officials on his radio show and Facebook. He has saved most of his vitriolic attacks, however, for his political opponent and North Side incumbent Ezzard Miller, who has filed numerous complaints about Ebanks' evening radio show being broadcast by local radio station VIBE FM.
Related articles on CNS:
ICTA ducks 'Joey' complaint (24 April 2013)
Cops throw book at Joey (10 April 2013)
Chuckie says new MLAs will select the premier
(CNS): Former tourism minister Charles "Chuckie" Clifford said the MLAs will choose Cayman's next premier and believes it is unlikely that either of the two party leaders will be in a position to hold the top job when a coalition government is returned to the Legislative Assembly. While Clifford has stated that he will be more likely to work with the PPM to form a government rather than either the UDP or the PNA, he, like most independents is still hoping for a mixed bag, which will see the 18 members, and not the voters, decide among themselves who should be the third premier of the Cayman Islands.
"I believe that there is going to be a coalition government," Clifford told CNS this week, adding that he would prefer to form a government with the PPM if he was choosing between the parties. "I have worked with them before and I believe that they are an honest and trustworthy party. It is very difficult to say the same for the UDP and its estranged members, who have taken on the PNA label."
Nevertheless, the former Cabinet member believes his old party colleague Alden McLaughlin will not be premier, even if the PPM is returned as the larger party.
"The PPM leader ought to prepare himself for this possibility rather than isolating his party from all of the other candidates through his inappropriate utterances. In a coalition governmentscenario, it is very unlikely that either one of the leaders of the two political parties will become the premier. The premier will be chosen by consensus from the members that will make up the coalition government and I believe that will be in the best interests of the country," Clifford added.
Hoping to be part of that government, Clifford said he would not join any administration that does not support conservation legislation. "I will not be a part of a government that is not prepared to comply with what I consider a constitutional mandate to ensure that we have robust legislation to protect our environment. I would rather sit in opposition to a government that was not prepared to make this step," he said.
Another deal breaker for Clifford is the proposal within the ForCayman Investment Alliance to move the George Town landfill to his district.
"I will not make any compromise with respect to the component of the FCIA agreement which proposes a dump in Bodden Town. The problem must be fixed on the current site is George Town, which is where all of the experts, up until this proposal came along, have said that it can be fixed," Clifford stated.
He added that the next government must check if this really is legally binding, but if it is, as it relates to the Bodden Town dump, government will have to take on that liability to protect its people, Clifford said. "To be clear, there will be no dump or landfill in Bodden Town. We will fix the problem on the current site in George Town."
If Clifford finds himself in opposition or as a backbencher, he said he would still hope to influence major policy and would use a private members motion to persuade government to overhaul immigration and labour policies.
"It is simply unacceptable for a country that has approximately 23,000 work permit holders to have over 3,000 unemployed Caymanians, especially when many of these Caymanians have skills and some have professional university degrees," he said. "If the private sector is not able to achieve the desired result of employing the unemployed Caymanians, then the government will have to act unilaterally in the public interest. But I believe that the private sector should be afforded the opportunity to act first within a specific and reasonable timeframe."
Clifford has produced his own manifesto and will be depending on nine other people in the LA to support his ideas if he is to deliver on any of the promises. The Bodden Town hopeful said that when he was tourism minister in the 2005 – 2009 administration, he delivered on many projects and programmes, but he was then part of a political party with a majority to carry policies through.
Despite losing his seat in 2009 by just a few hundred votes, Clifford said he has never stopped working for the district.
"As a leader of the Coalition to Keep Bodden Town Dump Free, we have been fighting very hard to keep the dump out of our district and to expose the propaganda about this project," he added.
Local activist begins jobs drive initiative
(CNS): The fact that there are now some 23,000 work-permits circulating in the local economy while 2,000 Caymanians remain unemployed continues to frustrate many people in the community. Local activist Sandra Catron said she is launching a new jobs drive using her database of some 6,000 contacts to try and match these local people to the many jobs that there are available in Cayman. Having made several successful efforts over the years to match jobs and people on a case by case basis, the current unemployment crisis calls for more and Catron told CNS that she will use her own database of contacts to try and get as many unemployed Caymanians as possible matched to a real job.
"For many years people have been contacting me to assist them with job placement," Catron stated Thursday. "My sole efforts have been largely successful. However, recently I have had an unusual number and have decided to take more drastic steps to put unemployed persons in contact with potential employers."
She explained that with a contact list of almost 6,000 people, she hopes she can help more and not just those with skills in high demand.
"In the past I've worked closely with CML but they can only assist certain skilled workers and also have a limited number of clients. I figured this could be the most effective means of getting the word out there, in hopes of assisting these persons. There has to be a meeting of the minds with both employers and employees knowing that the other exists."
Catron said she had also been using social media to ask those who are unemployed to get in contact with me and provide me with their resume and to have an job packet ready at all times, including the essential documents an employer would be needing in the recruitment stage.
The local activist said she is also planning a seminar for the unemployed with tips on how to improve their job hunt success, including resume writing tips, presentation and some of the basics that employers are looking. This is scheduled for 4 May at the GT Public Library, 3rd floor conference room, from 12-1:45pm.
Anyone wanting Catron to help them or who is looking for staff can contact her via Facebook or email: info@skills.ky
Two-by-Two, Cayman Style
Guest Writer | 25/04/2013 | 37 Comments
In the year 2013, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in the Cayman Islands, and said: "Behold Noah, once again the earth has become wicked and over-populated, and I see the end of all flesh before me. Build another Ark and save two of every living creature along with a few good humans." God gave Noah the blueprints, saying: "You have 6 months to build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for forty days and forty nights." Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah in his yard with his head in his hands, leaning on the unfinished hulk of Ark Two.
"Noah!" God roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Why have you not finished the Ark as I commanded?"
"Forgive me Lord," begged Noah, "but things have changed since I built Ark One. To start with, Government said I needed a special building permit, which I cannot get because they say You are not qualified to design arks. For weeks I've been arguing with the Fire Inspector about the need for a sprinkler system. I told him it was going to rain for forty days and forty nights and You would be providing the sprinkling in case of fire, but that fell on deaf ears.
"My homeowners association claim that I've violated the subdivision by-laws by building the Ark in my back yard. The Civil Aviation Authority claims that I've exceeding the height limitations under a designated flight path.
"CUC demanded a shed load of money for the costs of moving power lines to clear the passage for the Ark's move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear none of it.
"Getting the wood was another problem, there was a Tree Preservation Order to contend with. And then there was the matter of protection given the Barn Owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists and powers-that-be that I needed the wood to save the owls — but no go!
"When I started gathering the animals, I was arrested for violating the Animals Law. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the accommodations were too restrictive and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space. I was given a fine and suspended sentence.
"As I was trying to heard the animals into the holding area, I made the mistake of including a pair of Blue Iguanas. I ended up in jail, again. This time I was held in jail illegally for a week before being charged. That was months ago and the case still has not proceeded because it keeps getting postponed due to the attorneys continually being absent from court.
"Then the Department of Environment ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until I submitted an environmental impact study on Your proposed flood."
Noah continued, now crying:
'"I am still trying to resolve a dispute with the Immigration Department on how many Caymanians I'm supposed to hire for my building crew. And the Labour Board refused my staffing plan again.
"The Immigration Department rejected the Work Permit applications of all the people who want to work for You because they say You don't have a Trade and Business License. And Lord, You being a non-Caymanian, they say You will need to form a corporation and get a Company Control License before you can get the business license.
"The Department of Family Services says I can't use my sons because it would be child labour. And now the Immigration Board says my ad advertising for workers with ark-building experience is too restrictive against Caymanians."
Through bitter tears Noah went on:
"Central Planning Authority issued several planning violation notices as my yard is not zoned for manufacturing. Then they issued a Stop Work Order.
"To make matters worse, the Customs Department — acting under advice from the Director of the Department of Environment — just seized the Ark, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species.
"All I can get from the Premier is that she says she has been 'praying about it', but I am pretty sure you don't listen to her anymore anyway."
Noah concluded between soft sobs:
"So, forgive me Lord, but it would take me at least 10 years to finish this ark."
Then Noah fell to his face, sobbing uncontrollably.
Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine and a rainbow stretched across the sky!
Noah looked up in wonder and asked, "Lord? You mean you're not going to destroy the world now?"
"No" replied the Almighty. " The Government beat me to it."
CIG claims $50M surplus
(CNS): Government officials are claiming that the public purse will have a surplus of more than $50 million at the fiscal year-end. The pre-election financial report by the financial secretary and his team, which had no input from elected officials, was gazetted last night at the eleventh hour in accordance with the Public Management and Finance Law. According to the report, after four years of fiscal crisis in government, it has finally managed to end a financial year with some cash left over. Although it is more than $30 million short of the budget predictions approved by the UK last year, it at least presents the next administration with hope that Cayman is still capable of earning more than it spends.
The government's administrative officials are obligated to create a pre-election report, which must be published by 24 April, a deadline narrowly made when the report was published on the government's gazette website on Wednesday night around 9pm. The report was shown to Cabinet members on Tuesday and signed off by the premier and deputy premier as an accurate prediction of public finances for this year.
The report is believed to reflect a relatively true position, as government neither collects or spends significant amounts of money during the final quarter of the financial year, which now has just over two months left.
The government's bank balance for the entire public sector is also smaller than forecast in the original budget but officials believe that there will be over $157 million in the bank account by the end of the year. This is more than $21 million short of the predictions in the original budget delivered in July last year, after the former premier struggled in the face of UK pressure to balance the books.
Government debt still remains at around $718 million when statutory authorities are included and, as a result, CIG will still fail to comply with the debt servicing ratio, which has to be less than ten percent of operating revenue.
According to the report, government earned some $31 million less than expected but expenses were also fractionally less than forecasted, at just $600,000 less than planned.
The report also reveals that inflation is higher in Cayman than was forecast for this year, as is the GDP, but unemployment has levelled off at one point less than last year at 6.1, so the statistics state.
See full report below.
Retired cop adds to evidence against ex-governor
(CNS): Former RCIPS chief superintendent John Jones, who retired fromthe local police service last year, has added his voice to the growing evidence against the previous Cayman Islands governor, Stuart Jack (left). Jones has suggested that Jack deliberately concealed his part in an internal cop probe that led to Jones' suspension from office in 2008 and a costly discredited UK police probe into alledged corruption within the RCIPS. In the latest instalment in the ongoing Operation Tempura saga, Jones has given a statement to Scotland Yard about the former governor, who is being accused of criminality by the lead investigator of the bungled probe, Martin Bridger.
In a statement in which Jones recounts the early events that led to the Operation Temupra investigation, he corroborates evidence given by the former RCIPS commissioner, Stuart Kernohan, that Jack knew all about efforts to try and locate evidence of a corrupt relationship between Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis and newspaper boss, the late Desmond Seales.
He states that Jack was fully briefed about the covert but supervised entry of Net News staff into the newspaper offices to look for the sensitive police information that it was believed at the time had been leaked to Seales, in preparation for obtaining a warrant.
Jones' statement was given to the British police in connection with allegations now made by Martin Bridger that Jack had denied any knowledge of the Net News entry and, as a result, caused the $10 million probe.
Although Jones was eventually reinstated and given an apology, he states that it has still had a long term impact on him and has detrimentally affected his employment opportunities since he retired from what had been a long and distinguished career in the police, both here and in the UK.
In the statement Jones reveals that he and Kernohan had met with Stuart Jack, who was the governor at the time, and discussed the plans to try and recover the alleged incrementing documents in the Net News offices that would or would not prove a high security leak in the RCIPS.
"We specifically discussed the option of an entry into the CNN office. The Governor was made very clear about what was planned to take place with the entry into CNN office and was definitely fully aware of all the circumstances. He did not raise any objections, concerns or opposition to the planned entry," Jones writes in the statement, adding that he had always had doubts about the veracity of the claims that were being made.
"Following the arrival of Mr Bridger and his team in the Cayman Islands I assisted them in various ways, including providing him with a tape-recorded comprehensive verbal briefing concerning the covert entry into the CNN office," he recalls in the statement, but it became evident that Bridger viewed the entry into CNN as a crime.
"I met to discuss Operation Tempura with the COP on several occasions. Neither of us could understand the reason for the Governor not coming forward to advise the investigation of his approval and knowledge of the entry into CNN, which was being described by the investigation team as a burglary. It appeared that the Governor, for whatever reason, was content to deliberately conceal his involvement in the process to the absolute detriment of the COP and I," Jones tells the Metropolitan Police.
"Following my suspension from the RCIPS, I found it inconceivable that such action was warranted as in my view I had carried out a legal and legitimate policing operation surrounding the entry into the CNN office. Furthermore, such entry had been authorised directly and with the full knowledge of the Governor."
The entire investigation, which lasted for some two years, cost the local tax payer at least ten million dollars. It saw a high court judge unlawfully arrested and then compensated, two criminal trials that led nowhere, and Stuart Kernohan lost his job and his reputation. It caused untold damage to the morale in the RCIPS and led to speculation and distrust in the local community about the real reasons for the probe.
Despite the current situation and the mounting evidence that the entire fiasco was the result of the former governor keeping quiet about his knowledge of the Net News entry, the governor's office here in Cayman and the FCO in London are still trying to keep other related documents under wraps.
A report on a complaint made by Bridger about the investigation, which was dismissed by the current governor, Duncan Taylor, is now the subject of a judicial review in the local court system. The document in question was ordered to be released by the information commissioner following an appeal by an applicant, who made a request under the Freedom of information law for thereport. The governor is fighting to keep the report secret as it is understood it could prove embarrassing for both UK and local authorities.
Meanwhile, Bridger is also fighting to use and expose other documents he has relating to the probe in his own defence following a legal action filed by Kernohan against him and the local authorities after he was sacked during the Temupra fiasco.
All of legal action in the fallout from the bungled probe continues to be paid for by the local tax payers, who remain as much in the dark about the investigation some six years after it started than they did on the day then governor announced the suspension of most of the then RCIPS management and introduced Bridger and his team to Cayman.


Last Friday disaster struck our partner school in Uganda when the year 1 and boy's dormitory roofs were severely damaged by torrential rain and storms. We are asking for extra support to help them to repair the damage swiftly. Sadly, many books and other resources were also lost.
Help with the fundraising by making and/or buying cakes after school on Friday 7th April @ 3.15pm.


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Q: Help me out by calculating this limit Could someone help me out by calculating this limit:

$\lim_{n \rightarrow \infty} x_n,$ where $$x_n= \left(\frac{n^p+1}{n^q-1}\right)^{rn-\sqrt{n^2-2n}},$$
  and $p,q,r$ are natural numbers, so is $n$ .

I was trying to discuss different cases but it seems that there are too much..is there any trick that I haven't noticed?
Thanks in advance!

A: the usual trick is
$$\left(\frac{n^p+1}{n^q-1}\right)^{rn-\sqrt{n^2-2n}}=e^{\log{\left(\frac{n^p+1}{n^q-1}\right)^{rn-\sqrt{n^2-2n}}}}=e^{(rn-\sqrt{n^2-2n})\log{\left(\frac{n^p+1}{n^q-1}\right)}},$$ and so now you need to study
$$(rn-\sqrt{n^2-2n})\log{\left(\frac{n^p+1}{n^q-1}\right)}.$$
If $r=1$ then $n-\sqrt{n^2-2n}=\frac{2n}{n+\sqrt{n^2-2n}}\to 1$ and so it is enough to study $\log{\left(\frac{n^p+1}{n^q-1}\right)}.$ If $p>q$ you get $\infty$, if $p=q$ you get $\log1=0$ if $p<q$ you get $-\infty$
If $r\ne 1$ and $p>q$, then $rn-\sqrt{n^2-2n}=n\left(r-\sqrt{1-\frac2n}\right)$ and so
$$(rn-\sqrt{n^2-2n})\log{\left(\frac{n^p+1}{n^q-1}\right)}=n\left(r-\sqrt{1-\frac2n}\right)\log{\left(\frac{n^p+1}{n^q-1}\right)}\to(r-1)\infty.$$
If $p<q$ then $\log{\left(\frac{n^p+1}{n^q-1}\right)}\sim-\log n^q+\log n^p$ and so the limit is $-(r-1)\infty$ since $n$ goes to infinity faster that the log.
If $p=q$ then $\log{\left(\frac{n^p+1}{n^p-1}\right)}=\log{\left(1+\frac{2}{n^q-1}\right)}\sim \frac{2}{n^q-1}\sim \frac{2}{n^q}$
and so you need to study the limit $\frac{n}{n^q}$ and distinguish $r<1$, $r=1$ and $r>1$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: How to use CGColorCreate to get white with Swift in iOS Maybe I'm misinterpreting the information out there but in my code I have:
let color = CGColorCreate(CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB(), [1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0])

Which compiles fine but the text is always black no matter what I set the values to. What should the line look like to get white text?

A: I think you are missing out the opacity of the colour space. I was able to get a bright, light orange with opacity with this [1.0, 0.5, 0.5, 0.2]. The opacity of the colour is 0.2 in my example.
let colour = CGColorCreate(CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB(), [1.0, 0.5, 0.5, 0.2])

Set the opacity to 1 for a solid colour.
colour? I'm British old boy!
EDIT: Opps, I think I answered to the wrong question.

A: Did you check your lighting? Try to add the following:
scnView.autoenablesDefaultLighting = true

A: I was having the same problem when trying to draw text onto an image. I now found out that at least on iOS 8
    CGContextSetFillColorWithColor(context, CGColorCreate(CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB(), [1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0]))

doesn't really do anything. To set the color of the text, I rather had to add an attribute to the Dictionary that is in the withFont parameter of
    text.drawInRect(rectText, withFont: font)

Example:
Assuming we already have an UIImage image
    let font = UIFont(name: "Helvetica", size: 18)
    let text: NSString = "String to draw"
    let rect = CGRectMake(0, 0, image.size.width, image.size.height)
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(CGSize(width: rect.width, height: rect.height), true, 0)
    image.drawInRect(rect)
    let attr: NSDictionary = [NSFontAttributeName : font!, NSForegroundColorAttributeName : UIColor.whiteColor() ]
    let size = text.sizeWithAttributes(attr)
    let rectText = CGRectMake(image.size.width-size.width, image.size.height-(size.height+4), image.size.width-(size.width+4), image.size.height)
    text.drawInRect(rectText, withAttributes: attr)
    let newImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

This example borrows heavily from the blog post at http://www.bytearray.org/?p=5416.


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Last edited by Abiah; 05-11-2017 at 10:37 AM.


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Two new bike bills in the California legislature through the process known as "gut and amend," two new bills that may affect cycling in the Golden State are on the legislative agenda for 2013.
By Richard Masoner, April 30, 2013
A poison pill for the 710?
The first is Senator Ricardo Lara's SB 811 to force Caltrans to include public transportation and Complete Streets elements in any changes to Highway 710 in Los Angeles, along with significant requirements for job training, workforce development, and targeted hiring activities.
Explosive growth in cargo volumes at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have resulted in a constant slow parade of trucks on Highway 710, known locally as the Long Beach Freeway. The working class residential neighborhoods that line the 710 are nicknamed "cancer alley" and have the among the highest child asthma rates in the nation. Caltrans and local transportation agencies are in the process of studying ways to "improve" this freeway to more efficiently move more trucks and cars between Pasadena and the railyards of Vernon and East L.A.
SB 811, as currently amended, requires Caltrans to develop and implement a comprehensive public transportation plan for the Highway 710 corridor, and to create and implement comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle improvements in order to help address some adverse affects any freeway expansion would have on the residents who live near this smog-choked freeway.
When I showed the text of SB 811 to Ted, he suggested this might be an attempt to derail the 710 project, which is unpopular with many constituents represented by Lara.
California Greenway Initiative
Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez's AB 735 would establish a statewide Greenway Initiative to promote the development of greenways along rivers in Califonria, including the development of a greenway along the Los Angeles River. A "greenway" is defined in this bill as a "a pedestrian and bicycle, non-motorized vehicle transportation, and recreational travel corridor … that is separated and protected from shared roadways that parallels an urban waterway and incorporates ease of access to adjacent communities … [and] reflects design standards with appropriate widths, clearances, and setbacks from obstructions, and centerlines protecting directional travel."
In other words, Gomez would encourage the development of what the Dutch call "bicycle superhighways." Under AB 735, a local government could declare a river corridor to officially be a "Greenway" and magical things can happen afterwards, though I'm honestly fuzzy on the specifics of how that would happen.
Gut and amend
Gut and amend is the process by which California legislators completely rewrite a bill that was introduced months earlier. SB 811, for example, was introduced as a bill that would make "nonsubstantive changes" to the law that authorizes the California Highway Commission. Stephen Bradford's 3 foot passing law for cyclists started out as a "nonsubstantive change" to the wording of the state law that prohibits a type of business licenses against certain non-profit organizations.
The cynic might interpret these gut and amend procedures as an end-run around the democratic process. People like me who follow such things typically look for bicycle related bills after the deadline to submit bills passes in February. I've learned to monitor things a little more closely after learning of this process a couple of years ago, and I still get caught by surprise as do even professional lobbyists.
It's possible for a bill to be radically amended and pass through both chambers and land on the governor's desk before the amended text of the bill makes it into the online legislative database. A small, bipartisan group of legislators now wants to amend the constitution to prevent such legislative shenanigans. Read more about this process and the proposed amendment at the Capitol Alert blog. Hearings on this amendment begin Tuesday.
On Many Agendas: Goods Movement Projects and Plans
http://sunroomdesk.com/2013/05/02/on-many-agendas-goods-movement-projects-and-plans/
By Editor of Sunroom Desk, May 2, 2013
U.S. Truck Traffic Flows 2007 – Source: USDOT
Goods movement is a hot topic now in Southern California, and at state and national levels. The Los Angeles City Council will vote May 8 on the Southern California International Gateway Project (SCIG), approved by the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners, but now disfavored by the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, which joined with the City of Long Beach in opposing the proposal.
Community advocates are asking for an on-dock, ship-to-rail loading alternative, instead of the SCIG/BNSF near-dock transfer facility that will draw trucks up and down the southern stretch of the I-710. The Transit Coalition is advocating for the GRID Project as an alternative – GRID includes an underground zero-emission freight rail system that would load containers at the ports and take them to warehouses or to outlying facilities that would transfer containers onto heavy rail for further shipment.
A brief tour of agendas:
From the south I-710-adjacent communities who continue to fight a freeway widening plan that will accommodate more trucks, and have succeeded in getting "Community Alternative 7″ added to a recirculated draft I-710 Project EIR — to the north SR-710 communities along a proposed tunnel extension to the 210 who oppose that plan, contending that it will bring more trucks and traffic through northeast LA County and onto the 210 in both directions (they rebut recent assurances from the SR-710 technical team that there won't be many additional trucks using the corridor in part by noting that the south/I-710 is being widened to accommodate more trucks!)…
From the webpages of the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, promoting their respective efforts to reduce pollution related to freight transportation — to the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire, where Alameda Corridor East grade separation projects are underway so that freight trains don't regularly jam vehicular traffic on local arterials causing more idling and pollution…
From the San Joaquin Valley, which suffers from poor air quality due in part to diesel particulates from trucks and trains — to Southern California AQMD headquarters in Diamond Bar which just hosted an April symposium on Transitioning to Zero-Emission Freight Transport Technologies at which Central Valley pollution sources, the I-710, port facilities, and lower or zero emission technologies for trucks and trains were discussed (and at which one audience member said to the panelists he was disappointed that no one was talking about downsizing trains for short-haul trips, and that the group was approaching the question of zero-emission technology with a "business as usual" attitude – big trains, big trucks – instead of smaller, electric freight trains)…
From Palm Desert, where the Southern California Association of Governments 2013 General Assembly is taking place today and tomorrow (the Executive Director's report devotes two paragraphs to freight transportation policy) — to Sacramento where the UC Davis Policy Institute for Energy, Environment and the Economy and the Institute for Transportation Studies together with the Union of Concerned Scientists have convened a three-session forum Delivering the Green: The Future of California's Freight Transportation System (this post's graphic is from one of the presentations) at which panelists will address the role of a cleaner freight system in meeting air quality, climate, economic, and public health and community needs. Sacramento is also where Caltrans has begun to develop a State Freight Plan…
From Southern California, where the multi-county transportation coalition Mobility 21 works to mobilize regional support for transportation funding and legislative priorities at the federal and state levels — to Pennsylvania, whose Congressman Bill Shuster, Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told Mobility 21 2012 summit attendees that goods movement has to be a top national priority (Shuster was breakfast keynote speaker)…
From the coast of Mexico, where planned ports that would compete with San Pedro are looking for capital investment and links to a NAFTA superhighway up through Texas — to New York, which has its own struggles with waterfront modernization and labor issues but where the NY Times just published a feature on the Long Beach/Los Angeles SCIG controversy here!…
From Cal State Long Beach, where its Center for International Trade and Transportation will hold a May 15 Town Hall Meeting on Efficiency and Competitiveness: Securing Cargo and Jobs — to the U.S. House of Representatives, where a 21st Century Panel on Freight Transportation has just been formed and tasked with examining the current state of freight transportation in the United States and improving ways to strengthen the U.S. economy through an efficient intermodal freight network (and which will be holding a field hearing in Los Angeles soon)…
The overarching issues behind all these agendas are jobs, investment, economic efficiency and regional/national competitiveness, the environment, and new technologies for trucks and rail systems.
The SCIG Project promoters stress its benefits in these areas, but while eventual zero-emission trucks may reduce pollution, keeping lots of trucks on the road poses safety and congestion problems. A truck-centered approach to moving goods labeled the SR-710 a "natural goods movement corridor" some years ago, and continues to pose policy, safety, and environmental problems today. Some on-dock rail facilities are already being built at our local ports, and new approaches that put freight from the ports directly onto electrified rail for short trips could greatly mitigate urban congestion while reducing the need for land near the ports and opening it up for other, community-friendly uses.
BYD - first Chinese automaker in US - to open plants in Lancaster
http://www.dailynews.com/business/ci_23150373/byd-first-chinese-automaker-us-open-plants-lancaster
By John Rogers, May 2, 2013
An all-electric bus is seen at the announcement of the opening of an electric bus manufacturing plant by the Chinese firm BYD, in the Southern California city of Lancaster Wednesday, May 1, 2013. BYD, known as Build Your Dream, is a major producer of batteries and electric vehicles in China.
LANCASTER - The first Chinese-owned vehicle manufacturer in the United States unveiled ambitious plans Wednesday to eventually build as many as 1,000 plug-in electric buses a year at a refurbished RV manufacturing plant in a wind-swept, sage-dotted corner of the Mojave Desert.
In a news conference on a patio outside BYD's new energy-efficient production facility, the company's senior vice president, Stella Li, said the first of 10 zero-pollution vehicles, already on order from the city of Long Beach, should roll off the assembly line next year.
Within two years, Li said, BYD Motors expects to be producing 50 buses a year, and it will continue to ramp up production, hoping to reach the plant's capacity of 1,000 buses a year within a decade or two.
All the buses will be powered by the company's own iron-phosphate batteries, which will be manufactured at another plant near the bus factory in Lancaster, 60 miles east of Los Angeles. BYD is the world's largest manufacturer of rechargeable batteries.
"Today is a very special day for us," Li said. "Today marks the first time a Chinese vehicle company opens a vehicle manufacturing plant in the United States."
She said after the news conference that BYD has invested more than $10 million in the two plants, declining to give a more specific figure. When the vehicle plant reaches full production, she said, it could employ as many as 1,000 people.
BYD's North American headquarters in Los Angeles currently employs about 40 people but will also grow as bus production does, Li said. She expects it will add engineers and people employed in marketing, distribution, and research and development.
Since it was founded with 20 employees in 1995, BYD Co. Ltd., has grown to employ 150,000 people across China and in offices in Europe, Japan, South Korea, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong and elsewhere. Among its investors is U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett.
The company, which got into the automobile business 10 years ago, hasbeen looking to expand into the U.S. market for some time.
Although China has surpassed the U.S. as the world's largest auto market, Chinese manufacturers have seen domestic sales inhibited by the popularity of cars from the United States and Japan, and they've been looking to expand elsewhere.
"It's well known that Chinese manufacturers have been eyeing the North American market for years," said U.S. auto industry analyst Michael Robinet, managing director of IHS Automotive in Northville, Mich. "It's probably the most important market from their perspective," he said.
But Robinet said it's not an easy one to crack, thanks to the need to establish a dealership network, fluctuations in international currency and the volatility and competitiveness of the market itself. So it makes sense that BYD would try to gain a foothold by building its vehicles on American soil as a means of controlling price and quality, he said.
At one point, BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, had hoped to introduce its e6 model electric passenger cars to the U.S. by 2010, but has since pushed back those plans. Li said after Wednesday's news conference that the company still hopes to eventually market the cars to taxi fleets in the U.S., but she couldn't provide a timeline.
"My plan is 10-year, 20-year," she said of expansion plans, before adding with a laugh: "My target is as soon as possible. My target is I wish we could do it tomorrow."
BYD says its buses can travel 155 miles between charges with a full load of passengers and with the air conditioning on. They are powered by three battery packs with a life of 20 years, said BYD Vice President Michael Austin. That means they should outlast the vehicle itself.
Each bus has 34 passenger seats but has enough standing room to accommodate 60 riders. BYD hopes to sell them to cities, transit agencies and school districts at a price of $100,000 to $200,000 per bus.
Li said BYD officials settled on Lancaster for their first U.S. production facility largely because of the influence of the city's flamboyant mayor, R. Rex Parris, who visited the company's headquarters in Shenzhen not long after being introduced to BYD executives in 2008.
"Every time we met, he was not talking about, 'Put it here or here or here,'" she said of locating the company's plant. "He was talking about creative technology. I was very impressed."
Parris, better known nationally for opening City Council meetings with a prayer, shutting down a hotel where a motorcycle gang was to meet and requiring pit bulls to be castrated, is also a long-time advocate of green technology and developing local trade relations with China.
He successfully pressed the City Council earlier this year to adopt an ordinance requiring that all new homes come with a solar energy system beginning in 2014.
"It's not just about jobs," Parris said of landing the plant in Lancaster, although he quickly added he was happy to get them. "It's about solving global warming."
In 2010, he brokered a partnership with BYD and Southern California homebuilder KB Home, which produced a prototype home with a solar-energy system that produces more energy than an average family would consume. That same year, he also persuaded the City Council to hire a Hong Kong native as Lancaster's China trade liaison.
HB2Newport Is A Party Bus Connecting Huntington Beach To Newport
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/02/hb2newport-party-bus_n_3201525.html?utm_hp_ref=los-angeles
By Jaimee Lynn Fletcher, May 2, 2013
Andrew Angulo and Chasom Brown launched HB2Newport with a handful of other investors about two months ago.
They call it the idea that everyone had but nobody executed.
Their party shuttle, which takes locals and tourists from downtown Huntington Beach to the Newport Beach peninsula and back again, has been gaining popularity.
The founders, both from Huntington Beach, say the No. 1 reaction they get to their new business is, "How has this not existed before?"
"If I had a dollar for every time someone said, 'That was my idea,'" Brown said, laughing. "We didn't invent the shuttle and we didn't invent the party bus, but I think we're the first to tie the two together."
HB2Newport offers $3 rides between the two nightlife-rich beach communities on Friday and Saturday nights.
On a recent Friday night, HB2Newport was seen, and heard, from a distance as it wound through downtown Huntington Beach.
The hollers of people having a good time were barely audible above the heavy bass and bouncy melody of the dance music.
Alcohol is not served on the bus, but the riders didn't seem to mind. They held giant glow sticks in their hands instead of drinks and drummed them on the vinyl seats to the beat of the music.
"This is a great, great, great idea," said passenger Kelley McDonnell, 23, of Newport Beach. "It's a godsend."
On average, the party bus sees about 200 customers a night, and that number grows by the week, the owners said.
Angulo, who also works as a bartender at the Costa Mesa Yard House, and Brown, a musician, said they target customers who live near downtown Huntington Beach and the Newport Beach peninsula but rarely venture outside their city for a night out.
"We already have regulars," Angulo said. "We have all types of people that come on."
But the bus is not for locals only. Tourists visiting the Orange County beach communities often jump at the chance to check out the neighboring nightlife, Angulo said.
Although the idea behind HB2Newport is fun and flashy, Brown and Angulo said they also want to deter drinking and driving -- a problem prevalent in both areas.
"People drive (on Pacific Coast Highway) when they shouldn't," Brown said. "It's so close, but it's really not that close ... it's too tempting for people."
Dozens of people took the party bus in a two-hour period Friday night. Inside, LED lights spun and flashed, giving the feel of a nightclub. It took only minutes before riders -- men and women -- used the vertical handrails as dance poles.
Several riders said they plan to frequent HB2Newport to experience both cities in a safe and budget-friendly way.
"It's always really expensive to get from Huntington Beach to Newport," said Arielle Severns, 22, of Huntington Beach. "It's really clean, it's fun and we like it a lot. We're out tonight for a friend's birthday and we're coming back tomorrow."
The idea to start the company came from Angulo's mother when she visited from Seattle in July.
Angulo showed her the Huntington Beach scene and then took her to Newport Beach to experience the restaurants.
He told his mom he wished he could make it out to Newport Beach more often.
"It's hard to break out of your bubble when everything is in walking distance and so close," he told her.
"Parking is bad, nobody wants to drive and taking a taxi can be $40 round-trip," he said of the journey from Huntington to Newport Beach.
His mom asked him if a shuttle was available to transport people back and forth.
With that, the seed was planted, and Angulo called Brown to share the idea. Brown suggested making the shuttle a party bus and they worked up a business plan.
By August, they had purchased two shuttle buses that had been used at John Wayne Airport.
Angulo's uncle, who works in the limousine and party bus business, converted the airport shuttles into destruction-proof party machines.
"We told him this thing needed to be built like a tank," Angulo said. "We wanted it to have a luxury look, but we wanted it to be bulletproof from the inside out."
HB2Newport launched in early March, and the founders already have plans to expand.
They said they hope to add a "Sunday Funday" route in the coming weeks and also hope to tack on Thursday nights this summer.
HOURS, LOCATIONS
Huntington Beach: HB2Newport picks up passengers on the hour starting at 6 p.m. The loading zone is just outside 25 Degrees at 412 Walnut Ave.
Newport Beach: Pickups are every hour starting at 6:30 p.m. The loading zone is just across the street from Cassidy's Bar and Grill, 2603 Newport Blvd. The bus runs until 2:30 a.m.
Other info: The cost is $3 one way and the bus holds 30 people. Large groups can make arrangements for a special pickup ahead of time. Visit partybushb.com for more information.
The Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America, and Why It Barely Registers
http://streetsblog.net/2013/05/02/the-epidemic-of-pedestrian-deaths-in-america-and-why-it-barely-registers/
By Angie Schmitt, May 2, 2013
In 2010, 4,280 pedestrians were killed in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and another 70,000 were injured. That's one death every two hours.
If a pedestrian is killed in an intersection like this one, will major media even mention road design as a factor?
It's impossible to quantify the human toll of traffic fatalities, but as David Nelson at Project for Public Spaces points out, AAA estimates that traffic crashes cost America $300 billion annually in the form of medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other factors [PDF]. That works out to three times the annual cost of congestion reported by the Texas Transportation Institute. But while we're spending billions "fighting congestion" with expensive new roads, getting a handle on pedestrian deaths and injuries is almost a non-issue at your average state DOT.
Nelson says the silence about pedestrian fatalities arises from a tendency he calls the "accident axiom" — a set of assumptions that presume no fault, or assign culpability in simplistic and stereotypical terms, when a pedestrian is struck:
Given that all forms of transportation begin and end with walking, this is essentially a right to be a pedestrian—a right severely restricted by expensive and counterproductive high-speed roads that we've built. A key problem in defending this right is that very few laws motivate law enforcement to consider killing a pedestrian as a crime. Involuntary Vehicular Manslaughter is a potential charge, but it's hard to prove constructive manslaughter since a little speeding is rarely seen as a crime, and the threshold for recklessness is hard to meet. Anecdotally, drivers who kill a pedestrian are better off waiting for the police to arrive, because hit and runs really are about the only time the police reliably pursue these drivers with any prejudice. New laws specifically dealing with pedestrian-vehicle crashes are needed.
In my opinion, our local media outlets are exacerbating the problem. Their stories discount the human loss and reinforce widely held misconceptions. First and foremost, underlying all of the poor media coverage is what I call the "Accident Axiom." This is the widely-held (but almost never-question) belief that accidents are an unavoidable and innocent consequence of modern motorized society. The assumption here is that crashes not involving excessive speed, alcohol, or gross negligence are presumably the fault of no one, but an unfortunate systemic fluke.
This axiom has two corollaries: the Inherent Risk Corollary and the Reckless Driver Corollary. The former states that in this world of unavoidable accidents, pedestrians and cyclists are senselessly putting themselves in harm's way by traversing concrete and asphalt. If they get hit, it is a deserved consequence of their poor decision making. And the latter states that those rare instances when a driver is at fault, it is the result of that driver being a reckless and careless individual, a deviant member of society. All blame is attributed to the individuals involved. The road network and driving culture are given immunity.
Draft alternatives released for Los Angeles Union Station Master Plan
http://thesource.metro.net/2013/05/01/draft-alternatives-released-for-los-angeles-union-station-master-plan/
By Steve Hymon, May 1, 2013
The Los Angeles Union Station Master Plan team is releasing its draft alternatives today for improving the venerable station as a transit center. Among some of the proposals (shown above) are replacing the parking lots in front of the station with open space, building a new bus terminal to handle most of the considerable bus traffic at the station and possibly replacing the current transit plaza at the rear of the station with other structures and/or green space.
While all the alternatives will work without high-speed rail, they each offer a variety of ways that high-speed rail could access the station, including configurations in which the tracks are above the current platform, below grade at both the east and west of the current Union Station and running through the current city of Los Angeles Piper Tech facility.
All four of the alternatives and much more will be discussed by Metro officials at a community meeting Thursday (May 2) from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo at the intersection of Central and 1st streets. The meeting will be live streamed at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/lausmp and will be recorded for later viewing.
Here's a Q&A I put together on today's news that covers the basics.
What do all the alternatives have in common?
That the historic Los Angeles Union Station built in 1939 is preserved and remains at the center of transit operations. The idea is to embellish the station so that it works as the region's transit hub for many decades to come while better connecting it to the surrounding neighborhoods — i.e. Chinatown, Little Tokyo, the Arts District, the Civic Center and Boyle Heights. While the details are not developed yet at this stage, all of the alternatives will create improved pedestrian and bike pathways, including a bike lane through the site.
Union Station is already serving about 10 times the number of people it did after opening in 1939. The expansion of Metro Rail, increased bus service and plans for high-speed rail make it extremely likely that Union Station will only get more crowded if nothing is done.
Do the alternatives propose building designs?
No, that comes later. The alternatives released today are concepts about where to put facilities and future development on the 47 acres of land (and in some cases beyond that) that Metro owns.
Of course, the design of any future buildings, open space and bike and pedestrian connections matter a lot — the devil is always in the details. At this point of the master plan process, however, Metro is first trying to determine where to put everything transit-related. In its current configuration, bus and rail operations at Union Station are widely dispersed. For example, there are five different locations where local and regional buses stop, leading to some confusion among riders and a lot of walking.
A view of Union Station and the surrounding area. The graphic below identifies the different buildings on the Union Station grounds. Photo: Steve Hymon/Metro.
Are any of these changes funded yet?
For the most part, no. Funding will come later either from Metro or other sources. It's worth keeping in mind that without a very solid plan in place, there is little chance of getting money from anyone or anywhere.
Quick background. Metro bought Union Station, including about 47 acres of land and the existing development rights, in 2011 for roughly $70 million from the private real estate firm that owned it. The purchase gave Metro direct control over Southern California's busiest transit hub while also ensuring it wasn't tied up in private hands for years to come.
In 2012, Metro hired Gruen Associates in association with Grimshaw Architects of London to develop a master plan for the facility. In March, both a Metro staff report and PowerPoint were released that explained the early findings of the Master Plan process: making Union Station work as a transit hub will be the top priority.
Metro is about halfway through the Master Plan process now.
Is Metro proposing to demolish current structures?
Not yet. But the alternatives have some ambitious suggestions contained in them. The current Patsaouras Transit Plaza and East Portal could be replaced with green space and a new entrance building facing Vignes Street. Another alternative envisions a new bus terminal in place of the current Mozaic Apartments, which are mostly occupied at this time.
And one of the alternatives for high-speed rail envisions replacing the city of Los Angeles' Piper Tech building with train platforms.
Of course, these are all draft alternatives — emphasis on the words "draft" and "alternatives." It will ultimately be up to the Metro Board of Directors which to pursue in the long-term — a decision that won't be made until a final plan is adopted, which is scheduled to happen in 2014. It goes without saying that cost and feasibility will both be major concerns.
The old Harvey House restaurant is currently used for special functions and filming. Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.
What will happen to the old ticketing room and the old Harvey House restaurant building?
I knew someone would ask that!
Again, these alternatives look at the big picture. That said, the master plan team is considering both spaces. One possibility for the old ticketing room is using it for some retail operations — something along the lines of the Ferry Building in San Francisco.
As for the Harvey House, Metro is continuing to seek offers from any private interests who want to restore the space as a restaurant and bar.
The news release about the draft alternatives from Metro is below:
L.A. METRO RELEASES FOUR MASTER PLAN ALTERNATIVES FOR UNION STATION REDESIGN TO BETTER SERVE PASSENGERS AND ACCOMMODATE TRANSIT GROWTH
First major step in planning process that will bring Union Station into 21st Century
LOS ANGELES – May 2, 2013 — The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) today unveiled four draft alternative master plan concepts for the historic Union Station and its surrounding 47 acres in downtown Los Angeles.
The team of Los Angeles-based Gruen Associates and Grimshaw Architects of New
York and London created the schematics as the first step in the re-envisioning of the iconic station to better serve its growing number of passengers and to accommodate greater varieties of transit modes in the coming years. These concepts grew out of seven months of data collection, technical studies and community input.
Following review and feedback from the community and other stakeholders, the team will continue to refine and revise the alternatives. Alternatives will then be brought to the Metro Board of Directors this fall to select a preferred alternative. The design team will further develop the chosen alternative concept so that a final plan can be presented to the public and approved by the Metro Board in spring 2014, in time for the 75th anniversary of Union Station.
"As the new owner of Union Station, Metro is extremely excited to usher America's last great train station into the 21st century," said Arthur T. Leahy, Metro Chief Executive Officer. "Our goal will be to create a more thriving, family-friendly transit destination that will more effectively serve all of the burgeoning demands for transit as Metro works to dramatically increase transit options within L.A. County. Our efforts today will help make the new Union Station one of the premiere transit hubs in the country."
Martha Welborne, Executive Director of Metro's Countywide Planning department, said the Master Plan is still in process, and architecture will come later after the master plan is completed and approved. Pedestrian circulation and connections to neighboring communities have been a priority in all the public meetings that kicked off the design process.
"We want to ensure these linkages happen but they require the cooperation of many entities," Welborne said. In conjunction with the master plan effort we secured a Caltrans grant and are collaborating with the Southern California Association of Governments and a number of Los Angeles City departments on a study of pedestrian and bicycle linkages to and from Union Station. "The study will culminate in a prioritized public improvement plan that will be incorporated into the final Union Station Master Plan," Welborne said.
The alternative concepts currently focus on transit operations, offering options for expanded bus operations, and a larger passenger concourse while leaving open the potential for additional heavy and light rail service. The alternatives satisfy near, medium and long-term goals and allow for the seamless accommodation of the future arrival of high speed rail at Union Station. All of them protect and enhance the historic station. Development opportunities that benefit from transit access and that support a world-class transit facility will be explored more fully for the final draft alternatives, slated to be brought before the Board in the fall.
Transit stations affect the lives of the tens of thousands of people who use them every day and account for some of the most iconic and extraordinary buildings in the world. While still early in the process, the plans for Union Station illustrate the exciting possibilities for the center of transit in Los Angeles.
Is Los Angeles the Tiny Railway Capital of the World?
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2013/05/is_los_angeles_the_tiny_railway_capital_of_the_world.php
By Adrian Glick Kudler, May 2, 2013
Yes, yes, LA's rail system is not the world's greatest--they're working on it!--and the legendary Red and Yellow Cars that criss-crossed SoCal in the early part of the twentieth century had enough faults (crowding, slowness) to make the mid-century autopia seem like a genius solution, but Metro Day Pass points out one rail advantage we do have going for us: tiny little railways. Consider:
Angels Flight: "the world's shortest railway" at 282 feet
The Grove trolley: 1,189 feet long
The Americana at Brand trolley: 1,755 feet long
The Getty Center tram: 3,720 feet long
The Griffith Park and Southern Railroad: 4,387 feet long
The Travel Town Railroad (also in Griffith): 2,169 feet long
The LA Live Steamers Museum (another in Griffith Park): One and a half miles
The San Pedro Waterfront Red Car: Also one and a half miles
Then there are all the little Disney trains, plus what seems to be a regional fondness for private funiculars (like the one at John Lautner's Chemosphere in the Hollywood Hills). So, thank Grove/Americana developer Rick Caruso for helping LA to have a (kind of lame but still fun) rail win, we guess? Now, let's talk Dodger Stadium...
Big LA River Restoration Plans Probably Going to Take Forever
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2013/05/big_la_river_restoration_plans_probably_going_to_take_forever.php
By Eve Bachrach, May 1, 2013
Over at the Architect's Newspaper, Sam Lubell takes a look at the delays holding up the LA River's transformation from concrete-sided flood channel to navigable river. A state bill changed its official designation, but that concrete doesn't look likely to be going anywhere anytime soon. The problem? The Army Corps of Engineers (the genius crew who covered it in concrete in the first place) needs to finish its feasibility study on restoring 11 miles of river before work can begin. Which sounds entirely sensible, but they've been working on the thing since 2006. They've now gotten a cash infusion and say they'll finish it this year, but Carol Armstrong, director of the Los Angeles River Project Office for the city's Bureau of Engineering, is doubtful. She says the LA branch of the Corps is on board, but that there's little support for the project in Washington: "They'd rather add acres to the everglades instead of changing a concrete channel in LA." As for development surrounding the river, well, it's a "bureaucratic nightmare," requiring coordination across eight council districts and 10 area general plans. And then there's the funding...
Two new bike bills in the California legislature t...
On Many Agendas: Goods Movement Projects and Plans...
BYD - first Chinese automaker in US - to open pla...
HB2Newport Is A Party Bus Connecting Huntington Be...
The Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in Ameri...
Draft alternatives released for Los Angeles Union ...
Is Los Angeles the Tiny Railway Capital of the Wor...
Big LA River Restoration Plans Probably Going to T...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Římskokatolická farnost Mory (lat. Mohra) je církevní správní jednotka sdružující římské katolíky na území vesnice Mory a v jejím okolí. Organizačně spadá do lounského vikariátu, který je jedním z 10 vikariátů litoměřické diecéze. Centrem farnosti je kostel Narození Panny Marie v Morech.

Historie farnosti
Farnost existovala již ve 14. století. Nově byla kanonicky zřízena roku 1646. Matriky jsou vedeny od roku 1669.

Duchovní správcové vedoucí farnost
Začátek působnosti jmenovaného v duchovní správě farnosti od:

Kromě kněží stojících v čele farnosti, působili ve farnosti v průběhu její historie i jiní kněží. Většinou pracovali jako farní vikáři, kaplani, katecheté, výpomocní duchovní aj.

Území farnosti
Do farnosti náleží území obce:
 Mory (Mohr)

Římskokatolické sakrální stavby na území farnosti

Ve farnosti se mohou nacházet i další drobné sakrální stavby, místa římskokatolického kultu a pamětihodnosti, které neobsahuje tato tabulka.

Příslušnost k farnímu obvodu
Z důvodu efektivity duchovní správy byl vytvořen farní obvod (kolatura) farnosti – děkanství Podbořany, jehož součástí je i farnost Moy, která je tak spravována excurrendo.

Odkazy

Poznámky

Reference

Související články
 Lounský vikariát
 Seznam obcí v litoměřické diecézi

Externí odkazy
 Profil farnosti v elektronickém katalogu litoměřické diecéze

Mory
Mory
Náboženství v Podbořanech

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual
The Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual takes inspiration from one of the brand's former watches dating back to 1956. The Swiss brand has carefully distilled elements of this vintage model, creating a timepiece relevant for today's sartorially astute gentleman. The watch is endowed with a chronograph with bi-compax layout, large date and an annual calendar. And yet, despite this impressive specification, the watch remains attractively priced.
This detailed review of the Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual includes images, specification details and pricing.
Every couple of years, I visit an array of car showrooms, keen to procure a shiny replacement car. My wife is usually in attendance, eager to rein in my profligate tendencies. When presented with a list of options, I readily tick boxes. The problem with adding features to the specification of a car is that the asking price invariably increases. The same rule can be applied to watches.
Setting aside case materials and gems, the most affordable watches have a tendency to display merely hours and minutes. The addition of complications inevitably inflates the asking price.
However, in recent years I have noticed that the name 'Carl F Bucherer' has become a byword for value. The brand makes high-end timepieces, infused with exquisite detailing and becoming aesthetics. Nevertheless, despite the preponderance of virtues, the Swiss firm chooses to tempt prospective purchasers with notably keen prices.
At Baselworld, the prestigious watch brand unveiled a new model, the Heritage BiCompax Annual. This watch is endowed with a chronograph, annual calendar and large date display. This compendium of complications would normally lead to a high ticket price, however, the steel case version is offered to would-be buyers for the modest sum of CHF 6,900. This is a price one could expect to pay for a good quality chronograph without an annual calendar and sans large date.
The Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual is available in two variants, a steel case model (CHF 6,900) and a bi-metallic option featuring 18-carat rose gold in combination with stainless steel (CHF 10,500). While both watches are marketed as 'Heritage' models, the steel version looks decidedly modern when contrasted with its bi-metallic sibling. Moreover, the steel is paired with a black, embossed rubber strap, heightening the perception of modernity.
While the topography of the dials and the shape of the cases are identical, both watches have a distinct character all of their own. Personally, I would find it difficult to reject one version in preference for the other as they both exhibit notable style and a high quotient of elegance. Perhaps the price differential will help some buyers with the decision making process.
The steel version of the Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual is supplied with a silver toned sunray dial, while the bi-metallic option comes with a rose and champagne hued dial epidermis. Each dial employs syringe-style hands to proclaim the hours and minutes. Carl F Bucherer has employed Arabic numerals to denote the hours, except where the registers assume a dominant role at 3 and 9 o'clock. Interestingly, the typeface used for the indexes is quite modern when viewed in isolation, however, the overall composition of the bi-metallic model remains retro.
As regular readers of ESCAPEMENT can attest, I have repeatedly voiced my preference for bi-compax chronographs. This is because there is something very agreeable about the symmetry conferred with two registers positioned side by side. As its name implies, the Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual subscribes to this design. Each register employs crisp markings and numerals, presented on snailed surfaces. Where the registers on the bi-metallic model seemingly melt into the surrounding dial plane, those on the steel model are presented in a bold shade of black.
Two apertures reside beneath noon. They reveal two discs each displaying white numerals on a black background. A large date display is significantly more complex than a simple date, typically positioned at 3 or 4 o'clock. The large date requires the movement to orchestrate two discs which work in unison in order to impart the prevailing date. Sometimes the two date discs are presented at noticeably different heights, however, the Lucerne-based firm has judged matters to perfection, leading the observer to assume that both elements of the large format date share the same plane. A black border frames the large date display, augmenting readability.
The current month is Positioned between 4 and 5 o'clock. This provides a clue to another desirable complication, an annual calendar. With a simple calendar watch, the wearer has to manually advance the date to '1' for those months containing only 30 days. An annual calendar has the mechanical intelligence to identify those months featuring 30 days and those containing 31 days. By having this mechanical intellect, the date jumps to '1', as applicable, with the exception of the date change at the beginning of March which still necessitates manual correction. For purposes of completeness, the date on a perpetual calendar does not necessitate adjustment except in the years; 2100, 2200, 2300 etc.
Chronographs are often associated with the measurement of speed. The Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual features a tachymeter scale encircling the periphery of the dial. Where an object covers a known distance, the chronograph function can be used to ascertain the speed of said object e.g. a car covering 1 kilometre.
Carl F Bucherer looked to its back catalogue prior to designing the Heritage BiCompax Annual. A model harking back to 1956, sporting elongated chronograph push pieces, provided a wonderful source of inspiration for this latest timepiece. At the time the watch would have been considered contemporary, courtesy of its sporty aesthetics. Measuring 34mm in diameter, the scale of the watch was on-trend in 1956.
The Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual of 2019 is a significantly larger watch, measuring 41mm. There seems a 'fashion' among some watch journalists to wax lyrical about watches with a narrow waist of less than 40mm. Call me a contrarian, but I personally prefer watches a tad larger. The reason for my predilection for watches with case dimensions of 41mm and more, is they occupy a fair proportion of my wrist without feeling cumbersome. Furthermore, and more pertinently, a larger watch usually has a larger dial, improving legibility. The Heritage BiCompax Annual indulges my predilections and, to my eyes, looks superb.
While both versions share the same case design, the addition of gold components changes the character of the Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual. The bi-metallic model appears more luxurious and I suspect its allure will not fade with the onset of years. By comparison, the all-steel version may date owing to the rubber strap, however, this could be easily remedied by fitting a black leather strap. Moreover, panda dials, as per the all-steel version, have been around for many years and their profuse eye-appeal remains undiminished. A strength of the Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual is that it does not pander to fashion, thereby proffering lasting appeal.
The case is beautifully detailed. The bezel and push pieces gleam resplendently, while the lugs and caseband are satin finished. The bevelled edge of the lugs is highly polished, providing a gleaming contradistinction with the adjacent satin finished surfaces. Despite the affordability of this watch, the Swiss firm has not stinted on sumptuous touches.
The Lucerne-based brand has chosen to fit a 'glass box' or 'double-domed' sapphire crystal to the Heritage BiCompax Annual. This detail not only heightens the sense of nostalgia but allows light to flood the dial plane, enhancing read-off.
Unlike many period watches, the Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual is fitted with an exhibition caseback, indulging modern tastes. Personally, I agree with the Swiss firm's decision. Whenever I have purchased a luxury watch, I have always enjoyed seeing the movement.
While Carl F Bucherer is synonymous with the city of Lucerne, its watches are made in a modern facility in Lengnau, just north of Zürich. I have toured this production facility and witnessed an impressive degree of competence. Indeed, the company is a Manufacture, making its own movements.
However, in this instance, the Swiss company has chosen to endow the Heritage BiCompax Annual with an ETA movement in combination with a Dubois Dépraz module. The benefit of taking this approach is that it allows Carl F Bucherer to deliver two impressively specified watches at very keen prices.
Discussions of price should not negate the virtue of using ETA, a company synonymous with reliability, and Dubois Dépraz, a firm renowned for making high quality modules. The movement, the CFB 1972 caliber, is embellished with gold engraved text, perlage and snailed decoration on the ratchet wheel. The oscillating weight is openworked and incorporates the CFB logo. The movement finishing looks a tad industrial and does not share the same exalted execution found on the brand's Manufacture Caliber CFB A1001, but this concession is to be expected at this price point.
The CFB 1972 caliber contains 47 jewels and the power reserve is capable of delivering 42 hours of autonomous operation.
Throughout this feature, I have made reference to 'value' and 'price'. These may seem unusual words to use when discussing a luxury watch, however, the Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual stands out from the crowd in terms of what it offers. Quite simply, this watch delivers much for comparatively little.
Discussions of price may lead some to assume that there is a 'dumbing down' of standards. However, close examination of the watch, save for the movement finishing, shows no signs of cost cutting. Indeed, the case execution would befit a watch costing substantially more. In addition, the dials are eminently refined and stand testament to the Maison's ability to procure high quality components.
In terms of which version to choose, it is easy to argue in favour of both watches as they both exhibit unique qualities. The bi-metallic reference is imbued with a sense of luxury and timelessness. Furthermore, it provides the perfect accompaniment to formal attire. On the other hand, the steel version feels sportier and more contemporary, making it perfect for daily wear. The price differential may provide the key point of differentiation but, then again, walking away from that gorgeous rose and champagne dial would be difficult. Personally, I remain torn between both options.
While Carl F Bucherer's watch facility may be located in Lengnau, its head office is based in Lucerne. This city has been home for the company since 1888 and has provided a picturesque environment which has positively influenced its impressive products. In recent years, the brand has been 'on a roll', crafting some incredible watches equipped with in-house movements. However, by sourcing a movement and a module externally, the Swiss firm has delivered an impressive combination of complications in a notably handsome form for a very attractive price. I see little reason to argue with this philosophy.
https://www.carl-f-bucherer.com
Model: Carl F Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual
Reference: 00.10803.07.42.01 (bi-metallic); 00.10803.08.12.01 (steel)
Case: Stainless steel / 18K rose gold or stainless steel; diameter 41mm; height 14.05mm; water resistance 3 ATM (30 metres); sapphire crystal to the front and caseback
Functions: Hours; minutes; small seconds; chronograph; large date; annual calendar
Movement: CFB 1972 caliber; automatic movement; 47 jewels; power reserve = 42 hours
Strap: Calfskin strap in cognac brown or embossed black rubber
Price – CHF 10,500 (bi-metallic), CHF 6,900 (steel) – (RRP as at 1.5.2019)
Limited Edition: Two versions – 888 pieces each


text:
package iso20022

// Parameters applied to the settlement of a security transfer.
type ReceiveInformation7 struct {

	// Total amount of money paid /to be paid or received in exchange for the financial instrument in the individual order.
	SettlementAmount *ActiveCurrencyAndAmount `xml:"SttlmAmt,omitempty"`

	// Indicates whether the settlement amount includes the stamp duty amount.
	StampDuty *StampDutyType2Code `xml:"StmpDty,omitempty"`

	// Deal amount.
	NetAmount *ActiveCurrencyAndAmount `xml:"NetAmt,omitempty"`

	// Chain of parties involved in the settlement of a transaction.
	SettlementPartiesDetails *ReceivingPartiesAndAccount8 `xml:"SttlmPtiesDtls"`

	// Charge related to the transfer of a financial instrument.
	ChargeDetails []*Charge20 `xml:"ChrgDtls,omitempty"`

	// Commission related to the transfer of a financial instrument.
	CommissionDetails []*Commission12 `xml:"ComssnDtls,omitempty"`

	// Tax related to the transfer of a financial instrument.
	TaxDetails []*Tax15 `xml:"TaxDtls,omitempty"`

	// Indicates whether the financial instrument is to be physically delivered.
	PhysicalTransfer *PhysicalTransferType1Code `xml:"PhysTrf,omitempty"`

	// Parameters of a physical delivery.
	PhysicalTransferDetails *DeliveryParameters4 `xml:"PhysTrfDtls,omitempty"`
}

func (r *ReceiveInformation7) SetSettlementAmount(value, currency string) {
	r.SettlementAmount = NewActiveCurrencyAndAmount(value, currency)
}

func (r *ReceiveInformation7) SetStampDuty(value string) {
	r.StampDuty = (*StampDutyType2Code)(&value)
}

func (r *ReceiveInformation7) SetNetAmount(value, currency string) {
	r.NetAmount = NewActiveCurrencyAndAmount(value, currency)
}

func (r *ReceiveInformation7) AddSettlementPartiesDetails() *ReceivingPartiesAndAccount8 {
	r.SettlementPartiesDetails = new(ReceivingPartiesAndAccount8)
	return r.SettlementPartiesDetails
}

func (r *ReceiveInformation7) AddChargeDetails() *Charge20 {
	newValue := new(Charge20)
	r.ChargeDetails = append(r.ChargeDetails, newValue)
	return newValue
}

func (r *ReceiveInformation7) AddCommissionDetails() *Commission12 {
	newValue := new(Commission12)
	r.CommissionDetails = append(r.CommissionDetails, newValue)
	return newValue
}

func (r *ReceiveInformation7) AddTaxDetails() *Tax15 {
	newValue := new(Tax15)
	r.TaxDetails = append(r.TaxDetails, newValue)
	return newValue
}

func (r *ReceiveInformation7) SetPhysicalTransfer(value string) {
	r.PhysicalTransfer = (*PhysicalTransferType1Code)(&value)
}

func (r *ReceiveInformation7) AddPhysicalTransferDetails() *DeliveryParameters4 {
	r.PhysicalTransferDetails = new(DeliveryParameters4)
	return r.PhysicalTransferDetails
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Broderick & Davenport, PLLC concentrates on particular areas of law to meet the needs of our clients in a diverse economy. The partners and associates of the firm have been engaged in a variety of community endeavors and participate in all levels of professional organizations.
Click below to read more about these areas of law.


Here at HorseDream Canada, we believe that horses are the perfect facilitators for training true leaders. Clearly we are not the only ones!
Have you ever noticed that the person that talks the most, or the loudest, usually isn't the best leader in a room full of people? Leadership is mostly non-verbal! This is why equine assisted leadership training is so effective and is being implemented worldwide.


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I've been tasting for three days solid in Lisbon this week. Today, my horizons widen as I head down south to Alentejo to explore its talha tradition (clay fermentation/maturation pots). One which is undergoing a mini-revival – more on that soon. For now, here are some of this week's eye-catching wines.
This, Luis Seabra's second release, is a cracker from a great year for whites. Wonderful precision and restraint.
Another lip-smacking example of Alvarinho – great line and length.
Three lovely Castelão from Pegos Claros, especially the Grande Reserva. From Palmela's maritime influenced climate and deep sandy soils, they bore a spooky resemblance to some of the McLaren Vale warm climate Pinot Noirs a.k.a. Grenache which have graced these pages recently.
As long and elegant as that feather! Exemplary winemaking from Jorge Moreira.
I first came across this label a couple of years ago and it has proved to be very consistent and very good. Friendly with no loss of character, it's silky in the mouth with nice fruit weight and lively, mineral acidity.
An elegant red from the Douro boys in the (Dão neighbour)hood Messrs Moreira, Ozabal & Borges.
The labels tell it like it is. Sensual Dão reds, one from a parcel of 100+ year old vines. As for the other, couldn't agree more – very moreish!
As for these fugitives, WANTED ought to be stamped all over this photo. This elegant, all new Dão white & red pair from Casa Passarella impressed, as did their O Oenólogo red and white.
Still the most authentic, interesting wines I've encountered from the Algarve – good to taste Guillaume Leroux's white too.
Back to colour for these marvellous Moscatel de Setubal – Cuvee Adriano was particularly stunning – notes to follow!


During the month of February, we will start a program called, "Pennies for Patients." Our service project this month is to raise money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.
Bible - We will begin a three-week study on Daniel. This first week we will focus on Daniel 2.
Reading - We will read a humorous fiction story this week entitled "The Signmaker's Assistant." Our skills will be Point of View and Text and Graphic Features.
Math - We will relate repeated addition to multiplication and write equations, create pictures that demonstrate multiplication, make arrays, and do problem-solving with multiplication.
February 7 - We will travel to the Springdale campus to present our little dribblers at 9:15 in the gym.
February 22 - Our class will travel to the Springdale campus to see the 3rd grade Wax Museum, have lunch, and have a tour of the school. Students and parents may buy lunch for $4 or bring their own lunch. I will let you know what the menu is when I find out.
March 1 - Morning with Mom and Art Fair 7:30-8:00 a.m.
April 1-5 - TN3 Achievement Testing in the morning. Please do not schedule any appointments during this week. We will need everyone here by 8:00 to finish our tests on time for recess.


text:
"Balanced" US-China Relation – Why Competition is a Misfit Characterization?
Kalinga Institute of Indo-Pacific Studies - Scholars' Point - "Balanced" US-China Relation – Why Competition is a Misfit Characterization?
Rahul Jaybhay
Picture Courtesy: Reuters
US-China relations are going through a tumultuous phase, transitioning from a mutually beneficial relationship to a more aggressive one. The two countries have provided benefits to the world and to each other, where China acted as a global manufacturing powerhouse churning out goods and services more efficiently than others, while the US provided necessary conditions to maintain sustainable business environment. Since Beijing is emerging as a peer competitor to the US, each is becoming more cautious about other's intentions. The realist mindset is taking a toll on worsening the relations, as suggested by recent events and its subsequent impact on the relations. Trump's hyper nationalism concluded with making policy choices which compromised the relations beyond repairs. Market access, trade related IP issues, protectionism, forced technology transfers acted as a catalyst which turned competitive relations into hostilities. Recently Biden administration accused Beijing for breaching into Microsoft mail systems, which is used by important organizations like military contractors and corporates to engage in daily conversations. Likewise, there has been talks to set up "NATO for trade" to counter Chinese leverage to gain concession from states by threatening to impose trade barriers. Perhaps, the trends in relations are more hostile than previous decade due to developing geostrategic competition, still the bilateral engagements remain fairly intact, despite periodic hiccups. Interestingly, as interactions between the two are turning hotter and strategic competition deepening, some realist argue that such transition will undermine cooperative relations between the two countries, as highlighted above. But this piece argues that competition still has not reached its extremes to compel drastic cuts in engagements, which have been cemented since previous decade.
Deng Xiaoping's economic reform in 1978 enhanced the prospect for global collaborations in economic goods, by emphasizing the benefits of open markets and free trade instead of a closed economy. The economic trading with the US increased dramatically from over one billion dollars of business when the reforms were initiated in 1970's to around $120 billion dollars at the end of the century. Moreover, China also joined the WTO in 2001, thus enhancing the scope for more collaborations, by reducing the risks and uncertainty in trading. Likewise, China also got membership in major international institutions, which more than doubled within a time span of two decades during 1977-1997. Additionally, China also joined INGO's whose membership spiked from 71 to 1163 during the same period of expansion. Furthermore, regional institutions in Asia like APEC, ASEAN also welcomed Chinese move to affiliate with them. These evidences suggests that China made considerable efforts to get involved within the world order. Such efforts in 1990s to get close to the world and particularly with the US was welcoming, despite facing each other in a tense skirmish over Taiwan. Further evidence of growing engagement can be discerned through Alastair Johnston's paper, where he uses two parameters namely Integrated Crisis Early Warning System (ICEWS) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voting patterns to understand the relations between the US and China. Both these measures weigh cooperative actions on day-to-day issues or general matters concerning the world, at large. Johnston found that both these powers converge on many issues rather than diverge, when compared to decisions taken during the decade of 1990s. This shows that engagement with the US on major issues fairly remains cooperative. Moreover, this also implies that apart from traditional security aspects, China and the US are more willing to work together and cooperatively on non-traditional security domains like climate change, arms control, institution building.
Much optimism for the great power cooperation fades away if undue importance is paid to the domains where the divergences are brewing. Trump's trade war, revolt against Huawei while Xi's persistent efforts towards a more activist global engagement directly contradicts US interests. Likewise, Beijing crackdown in Xinjiang and democratic suppression in Hong Kong is perceived by Washington as the incipient of a new "ideological war". Second the pacifist circumstances created by US-China economic ties and business community is fast losing its reputation. Tariff war resulted in 13% contraction of bilateral trade since 2018, resulting in China dropping to third place behind Canada and Mexico, to be US's third largest business partner. Business community in USA sees Beijing's policy as discriminatory, where state support for local firms gives them unnecessary advantage. Thus, the complete picture is more pessimistic than highlighted above. But these are only economic domain-specific issues where the tussle between the two powers is evident, while in other domains relations have been fairly stable, as highlighted in Alastair's paper.
Moreover, as argued by David Edelstein, time horizons matter to gauge the state relations. And accordingly, a more competitive relationship is developing between the US and China. All the cooperative engagements during the start of this decade namely against global terrorism after 9/11, financial cooperation post-economic crisis of 2008 became redundant, as the US started the "pivot" to Asia program, where it intended to re-engage with the East Asian states to counter-balance the rising China. Taiwan consistently fears takeover from Beijing, while the US opposes a "forceful unification". The missile attack systems directed against Taiwan is also seen as a source of threat by Japan and South Korea, who responded accordingly by introducing theatre missile defense system, which is technically directed against North Korean attacks, but is enough to deter Beijing's aggression. Likewise, Japan and China remain in contest to claim sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands, with rivalry reaching peak when both the countries formed Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), to check on air incursions. South Korea fears Beijing's efforts to nuclearize North Korea and constant support for arms and ammunitions, which creates intense security dilemma. Beijing's relations with the ASEAN countries is complex, with intense security outbreaks observed during the Scarborough Shoal seizure by Chinese naval vessels. China used its economic clout time and again to appease these ASEAN countries mainly Malaysia and Cambodia to compromise on the multilateral solution to the ownership of South China Sea. Economic "bribery" and Beijing's military power discourage these states to form a collective means to oppose China. Unless, a powerful state like the US seriously engages with the region in both economic and security dimension, these states will be troubled by Beijing.
Besides this, recently Beijing was involved in a bloody outbreak with India in its borders, while also creating anxiety for Indian navy in the Indian Ocean region. Beijing's enlargement threatens the security and prosperity of many in the region, hence a more conflicting relationship with Washington. Since the US is a global power that resides in Asia, all countries in the region look towards Washington for ensuring their security. Recent QUAD formation emphasis this reality and also tried to create alternative to China's economic order. Any skirmishes in Asia will mean more of US involvement within the region, hence the possibility of clash between them. On a theoretical level, a rising China is set to overturn the privileges enjoyed by the US, as power transition becomes more acute. Though the war remains a distant reality, the possibility of China becoming a regional hegemon in Asia will surely compromise Washington's security interest. Notwithstanding the distress developing within these states, the security anxieties are still manageable. Thus, even if the cooperation in one domain (traditional security) gets transformed to excessive competition, this won't undermine the stable, if not growing cooperation, in other domains as highlighted. Yet, the economic domain is also getting trapped in zero-sum equations. Whether such tense relations get splattered in other domains needs intelligent forecasting which is beyond the scope of International Relations theories to explain, since theoretical propositions privilege certain interest more than the others, which may not be true in foreign policy behaviour of states. However, the time has not come for such extreme case to actualize.
To conclude, the current trends in US-China relations are not sanguine. Instead, they are burdened by collapsing relations in both economic and security domain. The future will continue to be the same unless both countries try to dampen their insecurities. Thus, it is safe to conclude that both states are "coexisting competitively". Both are trying to unsettle the other, but at a threshold below the level of war. Despite this, the engagements have not been terminated. Quite contrastingly, still the bilateral and global engagement between both the powers remains fairly intact. Some domains have succumbed to realistic thinking, but others will try to maintain their liberal parameters, where conflicts are avoided by inducing cooperative behaviour.
*The author is a Research Intern at the Kalinga Institute of Indo-Pacific Studies
The Views in the Article are of the Author


Bryan has litigated complex civil cases in state and federal courts in California, Delaware, and other courts throughout the U.S., winning cases at both the trial and appellate level. Prior to joining Alto Litigation, Bryan was an associate in the litigation group of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
"10 Pitfalls For Shareholder Derivative Litigants," Law360, November 16, 2018.
"Demand futility in the 9th Circuit," Daily Journal, November 14, 2018.
"Using Financial Information in Business Strategy," Speaker, PLI Pocket MBA 2017, October 19, 2017.
"Using Financial Information in Business Transactions," Speaker, PLI Pocket MBA Summer 2016, June 20, 2016.
Admissions: Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and California's federal district courts.


text:
News of The New World
Australia + New Zealand
Extremism/Middle East/Religion
Iranian Teen Girl Beheaded By Her Father For Eloping
- She had eloped with a 34 year old man
- The father used a sickle
Romina Ashrafi was beheaded by her father. Photo: Twitter
An Iranian 14-year-old girl was beheaded by her father with farming sickle. The incident has sparked the nationwide outcry in Iran.
Reza Ashrafi, beheaded his daughter Romina while she was sleeping. The incident is considered an "honor killing".
Ashrafi expressed outrage as her daughter ran away with a 34-year-old man called Bahamn Khavari to Talesh, some 320 km (198 miles) northwest of the capital, Tehran, according to reports by the AP.
Later, both of the man's family and Ashrafi contacted the authorities. Security forces found the couple after five days.
When Romina was given back to her father from the hands of the police, she reportedly said that she feared for her life, according to the Daily Mail.
He beheaded her that very night. He then surrendered to the authorities and confessed, according to the news article.
"Every year in Iran, women, and girls are killed by their male relatives under the guise of defending their honor, but the nature of Romina Ashrafi's murder is one that has shocked the country and the rest of the world."
Said Fariba Sahraei, the senior editor at Iran International
Man Feeds Elephant Explosive Pineapple; Elephant Dies After Days In Pain
Gang Selling Fake Vaccine To Pig Farmers Are Arrested By China Police
Man Is Told To Wear A Face Mask By Cook. He Shoots Him In Response (Allegedly)
2 Women Kissed An Man On Video. Then Their Families Assassinated Them (Allegedly)
Cop Shot In The Head In One Of Two Police-Involved Shootings During A Protest In Las Vegas
Pastor Who Claimed Christians Are Immune To COVID-19 Catches COVID-19
COVID Dog Feast In China: Different Year, Same Dog Meat Festival
COVID-19 hasn't changed anything: The Chinese city of Yulin still


The Divers Heaven Dive Site is located north-east of Balicasag Island, Bohol, Philippines. It is 10-1/2 km from Belleview Rock Resort, approximately 20min by pump boat or outrigger boat. The dive site is a steep slope with top at 10m.
Panglao is seen in the north direction. This dive site has a rating of 4/5. GPS Coordinates Entry Point: N.09°31.105-E.123°41.273 Exit Point: N.09°31.985-E.123°41.166 Baring: From Alona beach 254°.
This steep slope dive is good for snorkeling and is an easy dive site for PADI Open Water Divers or higher. Visibility is (+) at 12-25M, with a depth of 8-25m and current at 0-3. The dive is most interesting at 15m and not so much below 25m. The area is not affected by dynamite fishing.
Start the dive with the steep slope on the left shoulder going to Cathedral on north-west direction. At the end of the dive the slope becomes steeper in the north. In the other direction, the slope is on your right shoulder going to Black Forest in the south direction, depending on where the current is going.
One will encounter many Gold Band Fusilier (Caesio Caerulaurea), Big-mouth Mackerel (Rastrelliger Kanagurta), Midnight Snapper (Macolor Macularis), Red-tooth Trigger fish (Odonus Niger) and turtles. Between 10 and 15m are great corals like Brown Daisy coral (Tubastrerea Micrantha) and some big Bucket sponges (Xestospongia Testudinaria).