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How to deal with your pregnancy in the workplace
Pregnancy puts a woman's body under huge pressure, often leaving her exhausted. A supportive work environment is essential, says Helen O'Callaghan.
Sat, 26 Mar, 2016 - 00:00
Helen O'Callaghan
CUBICLE door locked, she huddles down on the bathroom floor.
Just a quick cat-nap, just a 10-minute sleep might get her through the next hour in the office.
She's four months pregnant and the fatigue, literally, has her floored.
This real-life anecdote represents one woman's effort to balance her pregnancy and career demands.
And she's not alone. There's the woman who reports that, during pregnancy, she'd sleep in the car before driving home after work.
And the luckier woman, whose employment provided a bed upstairs for when debilitating pregnancy exhaustion set in.
From the first-trimester symptoms of morning sickness, dizziness and an urgent, frequent need to pee, to the later ones of bad backache courtesy of the growing bump and puffy, swollen ankles, pregnancy is no picnic for your body.
Physically, a pregnant woman undergoes massive changes to every body system. Cardiac output increases, temperature increases, digestion changes, blood volume increases by about 50%.
"Her brain is also changing — increase in the hormone oxytocin literally changes her brain structure so she's hardwired to love her baby," says midwife and founder of GentleBirth Tracy Donegan.
And yet the show must go on.
No matter her profession or job type, her attention to detail must be unwavering — she must stay the course.
Along with the physical and mental demands of pregnancy, there are many work-related concerns: What risks does her work pose to her unborn baby? How will her colleagues take the news? What will her employer say?
HR consultant Alex Kotsos has always worked in large multinationals and in the corporate sector.
She says announcing pregnancy can be a major issue for women.
"They reported worrying about 'what my manager would think as I had only just come back from another maternity leave' or 'my manager's face dropped when I told them — you could see they were already worried about how the work would get done when I was away on maternity'."
Kotsos says manager style and experience dictates how they take the news.
"Working fathers as managers are often quite excited and supportive of pregnancy.
"If the manager's a working mother, her own experiences [managing pregnancy and work] really shape how she behaves — if she was sick but struggled on, she expects the same of others.
"Managers with no experience of children often struggle with even knowing how to interact with a pregnant woman."
Orla O'Connor, director, National Women's Council of Ireland, has met women who postponed announcing pregnancy until required to do so (employees must give four weeks written notice of intention to take maternity leave).
"Women try to keep the status quo, particularly if they're in low-paid, precarious work where hours can be changed quickly and without a lot of notice."
The only major Irish research into pregnancy at work was conducted in 2011 by the former Equality Authority and the HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme.
Seventy one percent of women found their employer supportive during pregnancy and 63% were satisfied with their treatment at work.
But three in ten reported unfair treatment — including dismissal, reported by 5% of women.
Other forms of unfavourable treatment included loss of salary/bonus or denial of promotion, being given unsuitable work or workloads (12%) and receiving unpleasant comments from managers/co-workers (8%).
Eight percent of women had been discouraged from attending antenatal appointments during work time.
The research also highlighted the rise in queries about pregnancy-related discrimination and in cases brought to the Equality Tribunal during Ireland's period of austerity.
Even more recently, a sample search of cases before the Tribunal during the March 2015 to March 2016 period returned 24 decisions that referred to pregnancy.
These included a case taken by a dental nurse/receptionist.
She worked for the employer for just under a year — her employment ended soon after she told her employer she was pregnant.
Another case taken by a public sector worker heard about 'undue pressure to take the lead on a [project] despite her reported sick leave and maternity leave' and how she endured 'withdrawal of cordial working relations following disclosure of her second pregnancy'.
The period of pregnancy and maternity leave is a 'specially protected period' under Irish employment legislation and EU law, with women protected under the Employment Equality Acts and the Maternity Protection Acts.
These protections include maternity leave rights, right to time off for pre-natal care and entitlement to return to her job or equivalent post on terms and conditions no less favourable than what she had pre-pregnancy.
Other legislation obliges employers to look to the health and safety of a pregnant employee.
This means assessing the workplace for hazards posing a risk to expectant mum and her unborn child.
If a particular hazard can't be removed, the Maternity Protection Acts provide that the employee may be placed on health and safety leave.
A July 2015 www.eumom.ie survey of more than 300 pregnant women found 80% reporting that their employer doesn't offer opportunities to work remotely and 63% felt their employer doesn't have favourable conditions for working mothers.
Kieran Sludds, senior inspector with the Health and Safety Authority, says the 2007 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work legislation requires employers to ensure pregnant, post-natal and breastfeeding employees are able to lie down to rest in appropriate conditions.
Some jobs are obviously tougher than others for pregnant workers.
Hairdressers and teachers on their feet all day, Gardaí and nurses at the frontline of emergency and crisis situations, have it hard, particularly if their pregnancy isn't smooth sailing physically and emotionally.
Sludds says if a doctor certifies the pregnant employee shouldn't work at night between 11pm-6am, the employer must transfer her to day work or if this isn't possible facilitate her taking health and safety leave.
Phil Ní Sheaghdha, director of industrial relations with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, says 99% of nurses and midwives are female and a large proportion of childbearing age — they make up one-third of the total healthcare workforce.
Within the field there are plenty of risks to pregnant workers and their unborn babies — heavy lifting, exposure to infectious diseases, exposure to anaesthetic gases for theatre nurses or having to wear a very heavy lead apron if you work in x-ray.
"Our members in the main say these big issues are addressed [by employers]," says Ní Sheaghdha.
Of concern though is the regular exposure of pregnant workers to violent, inappropriate behaviour, particularly in A&E.
It has now been agreed (as part of the recently-concluded Emergency Department agreement) that an immediate review of security arrangements be undertaken.
"We'd be placing special emphasis on security arrangements for pregnant workers," says Ní Sheaghdha.
Another big concern is lack of replacement of women on maternity leave.
"In a busy, acute hospital, you'll have at least one or two staff members from each ward on maternity leave or out on maternity-related illness at any one time.
"This has to be factored into workforce planning and to safe staffing numbers. During the moratorium, maternity leave wasn't covered, so everybody was left with the same work volume and less staff."
And bear in mind, says Ní Sheaghdha, that a woman, six months pregnant, who hasn't yet started her maternity leave, could be one of those working to fill the void created by non-replacement of a colleague on maternity leave.
Alex Kotsos has heard from women on the receiving end of negative comments about their maternity leave: 'Oh! You're going to be off for six months? Lucky you, enjoy the break!'
Such lack of understanding packs a big punch when the woman knows she won't be replaced during maternity leave: "They know there's pressure on fewer staff to do their piece of work.
"It can cause huge pressure on them before they take their leave," says O'Connor.
"Women with difficult pregnancies, conscious of taking a longer leave and sick leave, really feel under pressure."
Dr Kara McGann, senior labour market policy executive with Ibec, says sometimes managers may see only a pregnant woman — rather than a competent professional — and try to protect her during the nine months.
"They can look at a pregnant employee's projects and workloads and remove her from difficult client interactions, key decisions or challenging work projects.
"It's well meant but can totally undermine the pregnant employee, she can feel she's being sidelined and view it as discrimination."
McGann says pregnant employees should always be consulted before such decisions are made on their behalf.
"The woman can still have lots to contribute too on projects and decisions that mightn't come to fruition until she's on maternity leave."
Ibec has developed a Maternity & Parenting Toolkit, outlining best practice for employers around positively managing their workforce during pregnancy, maternity leave and return from maternity leave.
It highlights the line manager's role in ensuring the employee is supported through their pregnancy — and that they go on maternity leave feeling valued.
It recommends open, ongoing communication with the woman and advises the manager's first message on hearing the pregnancy news 'should be congratulations, querying how she is feeling, any concerns she might have and how she wishes to communicate the news to [colleagues/clients]'.
It's tricky terrain, especially in multicultural Ireland.
The Toolkit cautions: 'In certain cultures, discussion of pregnancy is considered embarrassing or private — some minority ethnic women aren't comfortable discussing their pregnancy with a male'.
The Toolkit also encourages organisations to provide a buddy for the expectant mum — a colleague who has been through the experience.
Typical conversational topics might include 'coping with morning sickness/tiredness; announcing the news to team/colleagues, where to get best maternity work-wear, tips for travelling while pregnant'.
There's plenty practical stuff expectant mums can do in the workplace to mind body and baby, says Donegan.
Keep healthy snacks and drinks by the desk to prevent blood sugars dropping. In good weather, get out at lunchtime for light exercise or a nap.
Do most challenging tasks first thing or when feeling your best rather than mid-afternoon when you're in a slump.
In later pregnancy, swap chair for a yoga ball a few times daily — great for lower back and helps baby into more favourable position.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes — support tights will help prevent swelling.
As pregnancy progresses, invest in maternity support belt to help redistribute weight and reduce back pain. Sit whenever possible.
With the right supports, balancing work and pregnancy demands mightn't be a doddle — but it will be more doable.
In a small company any disruption is a big deal
Cork woman Sharon O'Donovan, 35, is seven months pregnant with her first child. She is the general manager at publishing company Mercier Press.
"I told the directors just before my 12-week scan. It's a small company — just seven colleagues.
"We're very close and I knew they'd be happy for me. But in a small company, any disruption to the office is a big deal.
"The publishing industry is specialised and it can be hard to cover absence — I'm going to be out for seven months.
"The directors' first concern was for me rather than how the business would fare. It was 'what can we do for you?'
"They said we'd talk the following week about what could be sorted out for the company."
The company plan to fill the gap by hiring full-time an intern already working for them and by splitting Sharon's tasks between the directors.
"I was able to say to my colleagues: 'I'm going to be gone but we have this plan in place — everything's going to be fine'.
"I've had a very good pregnancy, no morning sickness. The first four months, I had extreme tiredness.
"One day, I had to leave work at 10.30am, go home for a nap and return later. A bigger company mightn't have that flexibility.
"I can't understand how women go through it. They just have to stick with it and wait for 5pm to go home.
"I've developed pelvic girdle pain. My pelvis is out of whack, causing pressure and pain in my back. Some days, I'm limping.
"The problem is sitting in the office all day or travelling — I have to go to Dublin often. My back can be very painful the day after.
"My colleagues have been doing a lot of travel for me. The directors allow me work from home.
"I was in Dublin yesterday, my back's sore and I'm working from home today.
"I have friends who do bar work and are on their feet seven hours a day.
"A friend got sciatica and had to go on sick leave two months early. Another friend, a teacher got anaemic and was dizzy — she had to go on sick leave.
"I would have had to [take sick leave] but it hasn't been necessary because my company is supportive."
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Waterford man who killed his father in 'after-hours row' jailed for four years
CourtsHealthandlifeYour HealthPregnancyHealthmaternity leavemercier pressPlace: IrelandPerson: HelenPerson: CallaghanPerson: Tracy DoneganPerson: Alex KotsosPerson: KotsosPerson: Orla O'ConnorOrganisation: GentleBirthOrganisation: National Women's Council of IrelandOrganisation: Equality AuthorityOrganisation: HSE CrisisOrganisation: Equality Tribunal


Why create a blog? Don't you have a lot to say? Perhaps you want to write about alternative medical practices that otherwise have a hard time seeing the light of day. For those not yet "in the know," a blog is a website that allows you to post content in chronological order. The word "blog" comes from the words "Web Log."
I previously wrote about "Blogs and Wikis" for the May 2004 issue of Townsend Letter. There are many different possible blog services. I'm choosing one--blogger.com--for this column to give you sufficient detail that will enable you to get up-and-running.
Until last year, Blogger was a less-than-satisfactory blogging service, but it's matured tremendously and joined the world of the wonderful. It's super-easy, powerful, and also owned by Google, which will likely ensure that your content gets seen. (Of course, the better your blog's content, the more successful it will be.) Please share your blog with me, and I'll cover the ones I like in a future column.
Step 2: Think about these questions. Don't worry if you don't have answers to all of them, but they will be a helpful guide.
Second, third, and fourth choices if these aren't available?
B. Do you want to enable public comments?
D. Do you want to display post categories on your site? If so, think about what categories ("labels") you may use.
E. Do you want a "Blogroll" (a collection of links to other blogs)? If so, prepare a list of websites and their URLs.
F. Do you have a small picture of yourself or the director of your organization to include in the blog profile?
G. Do you want to be able to post to the blog via email?
H. Do you want to be able to post to the blog via the Google toolbar?
I. Do you want to be able to send a picture via your cell phone?
J. Will you want to enable audio blogging (up to five minutes of audio, prepared from a cell phone)?
If you don't already have one, your first step will be to create a Google Account.
Step 5. Post to your blog.
Step 6. You may install an alternative template (appearance) if you want your blog to look different from the others.
Do a web search for Blogger template for many possibilities.
Step 8. Keep a "cheat sheet."
Fill in the blanks as a helpful reference.
Step 9. Post often. Consider keeping a calendar by your desk.
Get in the habit of posting--frequent updates are expected in a good blog. You might use a website such as http://www.myfreecalendarmaker.com/ to post a calendar near your desk. Circle each date you expect to post, and "X" each date you actually do.
Best of luck, and I look forward to seeing your content. By the way, it may be best to send me your blog a few months after you've started it. A blog with just a few posts may not be ready for the world to see. But if you're dedicated and you write well and have interesting ideas, your blog will earn a following.
Marjorie Roswell is a Web Developer at Community IT Innovators (http://www.citidc.com).


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Review of I.C.C. Policies and Practices, Hearings Before the Subcommittee on ...
(공)저: United States. Congress. Senate. Commerce
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was that they would protest rates which the best information available showed were in violation of the Interstate Commerce Act. I trust that the foregoing explanation will prove helpful. Yours truly,
HOWARD FREAS,
Acting Chairman. Senator HARTKE. A carrier files a rate increase. The ICC then decides whether it will investigate that filing. Then if it decides it will investigate, whether it will suspend the rate increase during the period of investigation.
What are the standards in determining whether suspension will be allowed ?
Commissioner WALRATH. In the first instance, when it is before the Board of Suspension, the burden of showing probable unlawfulness, either that it is noncompensatory or destructively competitive or unduly preferential or prejudicial, any one of those factors or combination can be made the basis of a protest.
The burden of showing that initially is on the protestant. That is at the initial stage.
The Board of Suspension in turn has access to our cost analysis section and if costs are at issue they verify the costs at that level.
In most recent cases, in cases of reductions, the real issue has been the charge of noncompensativeness. In some instances destructive competition. That is, too low, and therefore depriving another carrier of the right to share in this.
Now, the Suspension Board acts more or less as a grand jury might. It is not an indictment if they investigate but not suspend; it is in the sense an indictment if they suspend. They find that it is probably unlawful.
If the justification that the carriers put in is confirmed by our cost section as being accurate, that is considered and comparison of this with other rates, for example, moving the same type of traffic either by a different mode or by the same mode, that is also a consideration.
If it is going rate and they are simply trying to meet it that is quite an argument in its favor.
Most of our cases currently are reductions which would be of benefit to shippers and consumers.
Now, whatever the Board does is subject to appeal to Division 2 and in the normal run of the cases Division 2 acts in an appellate capacity either to suspend where the Board didn't or to not suspend—to vacate the suspension if the Board had suspended. We have the same criteria at that point.
Now, if we (or the Board) suspend or investigate prior to the effective date of the tariff, then the burden of proving the validity of those rates against these attacks is upon the respondent or the proponent and that, of course, is when we make a formal record either by modified procedure or a combination of that
Senator HARTKE. Suppose a carrier files and a suspension is not required by ICC, so during the period of investigation the increased rate is in effect. Suppose also the shipper who is protesting the rate prevails. ICC determines the rate filed was unlawful.
Now, suppose this investigation took say several months or years to complete. After ICC found the rate unlawful the carrier files a new
rate which includes the one found to be unlawful plus a higher one. Can you tell me how the shipper won such a case ?
Commissioner WALRATH. Well, it could happen.
Senator HARTKE. How is the consumer protected in such a case?
Commissioner WALRATH. He again has the same right of protest and he could include the very factors that you have included in your question.
I say it not only could happen, it might even be justified. On the other hand it might be completely unjustified. It would have to be based on the facts of any given case.
We haven't included the element of what happened to his net revenues and his expenses in the period intervening not in question. The shipper could be protected by protesting. It would again have to be published on the statutory notice.
Senator HARTKE. If you order a refund
Commissioner WALRATH. We have no power to in motor carrier cases in part 2. In part 1, with rail rates, we do have the legal provision-I don't recall the section but it is very clear—that we can require in rail cases that they refund to the extent that we don't ultimately approve their proposal, even if we let it go in effect, or if it runs beyond the suspension period. The shipper is protected throughout if we impose that condition. But in the motor carrier field we don't have that legal power. It is not part of part 2.
Senator HARTKE. During the suspension period, though, the rates are still charged, are they not?
Commissioner WALRATH. During the suspension period the rates that were in effect before the increases were proposed are the only rates that are lawful.
I hope I made clear that if the proposed increase is suspended then the rates in effect before the suspension continue.
HEARING EXAMINERS
Senator HARTKE. On hearing examiners, do you ever have any complaints about any of them not conducting themselves properly?
Commissioner WALRATH. We have had very rarely, considering we have more than a hundred in the field.
Senator HARTKE. Do you rotate them?
Commissioner WALRATH. They are rotated—in fact, we are functionally complete now. They are all in the Bureau of Proceedings, and they are rotated to the extent that they have capability in an area. The theory is to rotate them and broaden their experience. That is why they were put together in that group.
Senator HARTKE. Here is another area in which I would hope-I don't speak specifically here of the ICC but generally speaking I would hope the Commission would keep themselves in a position of watching this situation because a hearing examiner can be really fair and yet be oppressive.
Commissioner WALRATH. That is true. We have retained specialization only to this extent: That we have a chief hearing examiner in the Bureau of Proceedings who supervises the whole pool of examiners.
Then we have associate chief hearing examiners who are specialists in rates and practices, in finance and operating rights.
It is their responsibility to see that those that are hearing their particular cases have the capability in the rotation system of hearing the various types of cases. Senator HARTKE. I would hope the Commission
would keep its own prerogative quite free so they could take a look. There is always this tendency and possibility that certain people become teachers pets inside the operation and
Commissioner WALRATH. I agree with you in principle. I think we have been very fortunate in that not happening at ICC—perhaps because we have such a large number of them and so many cases to be heard.
Senator HARTKE. All right. Section on household goods movers. Have the household goods carriers been complying with the existing regulations, in your opinion, generally speaking ?
Commissioner WALRATH. Senator, I believe that perhaps the chairman of Division 1 might better answer. Are you talking about ratesif so, I will answer?
Senator HARTKE. Household goods movers. Generally, whether notifications and complaints have been handled properly. We have received some complaints here in the committee.
Commissioner WALRATH. I think perhaps the chairman or others Senator HARTKE. I am just addressing this to the Commission.
I Mrs. Brown. Mr. Chairman, in this field the rules and regulations have been in effect since January 1, 1967, and those were new, all of them, as a result of a rulemaking proceeding.
The Commission, after 1 year, actually sent, not investigators, but we sent checks into our field operation to be concerned with whether or not the implementation of these rules was being carried out. In other words, the first year give them an opportunity to get underway. We carried on a series of those and we found some violations. And we have worked on violations in regard to it. Also during this 2-year period we have undertaken to, shall we say, tighten up the rules and regulations or to make them more workable in areas where we thought they turned out to be weak.
And just very recently we have instituted two rulemaking proceedings in the area. But we have kept close track on it.
Senator HARTKE. I think in view of the fact that we have discussed this rulemaking procedure in connection with the discussion on consumers that we will move on.
CARRIER CONSOLIDATIONS
Section on carrier consolidations. Who do I talk to?
Commissioner WALRATH. Commissioner Tuggle.
Senator HARTKE. In what field are your major merger undertakings occurring at the present time?
Commissioner TUGGLE. The largest cases, of course, are in the railroad industry, but the most cases are in the motor carrier field.
Senator HARTKE. The committee is receiving a lot of complaints, and I am too, and I would imagine you are not being spared.
These complaints allege that the carrier mergers of late result in poorer service, especially to the small shippers and to those who are off the main route points, shippers contend carriers are trying to discourage them to the extent that there would be no service at all. Has ICC looked into this matter?
Commissioner TUGGLE. Are you speaking primarily of motor or rail ? Senator HARTKE. Both.
Commissioner TUGGLE. They are supposed to render better service, and one of the main reasons for permitting these consolidations is to improve the service. By and large, I am quite sure that takes place. There are many complaints filed about service every year regardless of mergers which we investigate and try to rectify.
Senator HARTKE. In the Doyle report, certain recommendations on the mergers were made. These are contained, if you want to look at it, at pages 268 through 272. This report in 1961 recommended that general consolidation of railroads must be approached on a regional or national basis. It predicted that if the piecemeal approach is used by ICC that the results would be much of what has happened today. Why did you not follow the recommendations of the Doyle report?
Commissioner TUGGLE. Well, the Doyle report is not the law of the Congress.
Senator HARTKE. I know that, but it was done under supervision of the Congress. These were recommendations as to how to proceed. Could you not have proceeded that way?
Commissioner TUGGLE. Under the law as it is now written, all mergers are instituted by the parties who desire to merge. We can't start a merger proceeding. We can't cause anybody to do it.
It must move from the parties that are involved. We have no authority to bring in other carriers all over the country that are not interested in it and don't want to become involved in it at all.
Senator HARTKE. But as an opinion, do you think this is a desirable policy to follow?
Commissioner TUGGLE. Well that is a very large question. As a matter of fact, before one of the major railroad consolidations is finally completed, virtually all the railroads in a region or in an area are in it as parties, as their interests might appear.
Senator HARTKE. Well, that doesn't give me the answer to my question. In other words, what I am trying find out is: Do you think the Doyle report made a bad recommendation, or would you recommend that the ICC follow that report? We have another report here, you know, the Department of Transportation. They released a study on western railroad mergers. In that report it was recommended that in the consideration of mergers four issues should be resolved.
First, anticipated cost savings from the merger.
Second, the competitive effects of the merger.
Third, linkages between major partners among the resulting systems.
Fourth, the financial plans of resulting systems and the problems of weak roads.
Is the law such that you could not make consideration of these factors?
Commissioner TUGGLE. We consider those factors and many others.
Senator HARTKE. You do consider them?
Commissioner TUGGLE. Yes, sir. All those factors. Maybe not under the specific name, but they are considered now.
Some of these regional matters being mentioned were tried back in 1920, and they failed. The Congress directed the Commission to make a study of all the railroads of the United States and to set up regional railroad networks or systems. The Commission engaged a most knowledgeable man in that field and they put out a preliminary report. And from that time on the Commission put in a considerable part of its time listening to the complaitns of other carriers, of the shipping public, of labor and of everybody involved. And we recommended that we would be relieved of that responsibility. And after a few years Congress did relieve us of that responsibility. They repealed the law.
Senator HARTKE. Well, do you think they should have? Commissioner TUGGLE. Yes; I think they should have repealed that. Senator HARTKE. We need a viable transportation system in this United States of America. In spite of the fact that some people may contend that when we created a Department of Transportation we did create a national transportation policy, I am somewhat dismayed by the real lack of any cohesive system. Now, we can say the one we have has worked quite well through the years. I suppose that a good case can be made for that. But I think there is a growing concern on the part of a lot of people that a very broad view of the national economy should be given very careful regard before granting these mergers.
Do you view that as your role or do you believe that you are so limited by legislative restrictions that it is not possible for you to give that type of consideration ?
Commissioner TUGGLE. We can't give a single case national consideration. As the law is now, a merger proposal has to be started by the carriers. We have no authority to start that. Until something comes before us, there is nothing we can do.
Senator HARTKE. Do you feel the law should be changed?
Commissioner TUGGLE. No, sir. I see no reason to change it. I think it is adequate now. Let me add just this observation: I don't think you can get together any 11 men in the United States who can sit up here in Washington and draw lines on a map and make a viable, practical, efficient, economical national railroad network. It just couldn't be done. There is not that kind of knowledge. These things have to develop out of the needs of the economy and of the commerce of the country. They emerge from the fact that there are certain deficiencies in transportation and they find out or believe—and must substantiate it before their merger can be approved—that by some kind of consolidation, transportation efficiency is going to be improved. That is the purpose of it.
Senator HARTKE. I understand the purpose. I just wanted to have the results. Is there any possibility, for example, that there could be reciprocity in the use of tracks as an alternative to railroad mergers? Does the law give you such authority?
Commissioner TUGGLE. Yes, sir. It is possible to obtain trackage rights, but it is exceedingly difficult to get two carriers who are arm's length competitors all the time to allow another railroad, in which they don't share its earnings, to operate over their property.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The Church of St Nonna is a redundant church in Bradstone, Devon, England that was built in the 12th century. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.  It was vested in the Trust on 12 November 1996. The church is named after Saint Nonna.

The church has an arcaded north aisle. The west tower was added in the 15th century. The tracery in the south wall of the chancel is believed to date from 1261 when the church was dedicated by Bishop Walter Branscombe.

Outside the tower is a stone dedicated to John Coumbe, said to have lived from 1484 to 1604 - outliving the entire Tudor dynasty.

See also
List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in South West England

References

12th-century church buildings in England
Church of England church buildings in Devon
Grade I listed churches in Devon
Churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
İkitelli Sanayi is an underground rapid transit interchange station on the M3 and M9 lines of the Istanbul Metro. It is located in southern Başakşehir under Bedrettin Dalan Boulevard. It has an island platform serviced by two tracks. It opened on 14 June 2013 and became an interchange station with the M9 on 29 May 2021.

Layout

References

Railway stations opened in 2013
Istanbul metro stations
Başakşehir


I entered the A-to-Z Challenge for the first time three-years-ago to keep myself busy because the month of April is always a sad one at our house. My brother was murdered in a random road rage attack and my husband's seventeen-year-old son died from suicide on the same April date, different years.
This year, in January I lost my father and a good friend and then in February I lost a very dear friend after a seventeen-month battle with cancer.
So this year I am really looking forward to the challenge, to visiting old friends and making new friends and being extremely busy doing what I love, writing.
Friday is the day I link up with Friday Fragments. What are Friday Fragments you ask? Stop over and visit our lovely host, Mrs.4444. You will find everything you need to join in there.
This is a very sad Friday for me. My sweet friend Joelle passed away on Monday surrounded by her family and Tina and I. Her service is tomorrow. I am so sad.


Police accountability is a massive step in the right direction, and much needed reform can greatly improve criminal justice outcomes. What is also needed is more accountability for corrupt prosecutors and judges. We traditionally see these people as immune to scrutiny, a dangerous position as a society.
This type of prosecutor and court corruption is more prevalent than is ever reported in the media, or even uncovered publicly. Leon Torres is in prison 28 years after being falsely convicted- Leon has paid the ultimate price for the corrupt prosecution and courts we as a society condone with our society's lack of accountability for these people.
This needs to change if we are to live in a sane balanced world, where innocent people stay out of prison for starters, and innocent people that slip through the cracks are soon detected and exonerated. It's a symptom of our culture' s mental illness that we need to raise $60,000 to hire a clemency lawyer, as this is now Leon's only recourse, in order to see that justice is served.
Please support our effort to get an innocent man out of jail- we are accepting donations, which will be used for a lawyer, and to further the awareness of Leon's cause.
Posted in Police Corruption and tagged activism, court corruption, prosecutor corruption, social justice.


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National Air Force Museum - Dayton, OH
I've wanted to go to the National Air Force Museum ever since a couple readers of this blog told me that it was quite the place if you're into military history and airplanes. Since I'd been to the Strategic Air Command museum between Lincoln and Omaha a number of times, we recently had the chance to go out to Dayton for tour of the National Air Force Museum located on the Wright-Patterson Air Force base (see map).
We arrived just around 11 a.m. on a warm Sunday in late Spring. The large parking lot was already filled to about a quarter mile from the main entrance. The Air Force Museum is broken into three main buildings along with an IMAX theater and outdoor displays. There's also a part of the museum that is a bus ride away, but I'll get into that later on.
The great thing about the National Air Force Museum is that it's free to get in. They have a rather large gift shop that you have to go through as you enter and exit the museum. Some of the things they have in the shop are pretty interesting - books, DVD's, pictures. But there's certainly a lot of touristy things in there, too.
The first main part of the museum has to do with early flight. There were a lot of interesting planes in there. Of course, I had the wrong focus setting on my camera so none of the pictures I took came out worth a damn. But they had the wind tunnels the Wright Brothers used in early tests of their planes. They also had some World War I planes, as well as post World War I planes and other exhibits of aircraft working up to World War II.
Moving on to the next exhibit, we went to the World War II - or Air Power- gallery. They had a number of planes on display from the World War II era, including this B-29 Superfortress that dropped an Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki, Japan to effectively end the war. (As always, click on the picture for a larger image.) The plane's name was "Bockscar", named after its captain, Frederick Bock.
And speaking of the A-Bomb, here's a replica of the "Fat Man" bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. It weighed just over five tons, was ten and a half feet long and five feet around, and produced the same effect as 21 kilotons of TNT. The Air Force Museum had a pretty interesting array of weapons - mainly bombs and missiles - that had been used for a number of years, including a replica of the "Little Boy" atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima.
Moving on in the National Air Force Museum, we came upon the Modern Flight Gallery, a series of planes that were used in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Included in this area is the B-52 shown at the right. While they look huge in the sky, I'm still amazed that the fuselage of a B-52 is not much more wide than most semi-trucks on the road. But they can sure pack a lot of bombs in those things.
One of the things I like about air museums is seeing enemy planes up close. Here is a MIG-17 jet that was used by the North Vietnamese air force in the Vietnam War. The Egyptian air force gave it to the Americans in the mid-80's. How the Egyptians got their hands on it, I don't know.
One of the more cool things was the story of this plane, a MIG-15bis that was flown from North Korea to South Korea during the Korean War. The U.S. had suffered some pretty heavy air losses due to the advanced nature of the MIG-15's. They offered any North Korean pilot $100,000 dollars to fly a MIG-15 to the south. In September of 1953, a North Korean air force pilot flew this plane to the south and defected. The U.S. took the plane and did a heavy duty inspection of it and then offered to give it back to the North Koreans. They didn't reply to the offer, so the Air Force Museum has been showing this on display since 1957.
This is a MiG-21 plane on display in the same area. Only they sort of cheated on this one. This was actually made in Czechoslovakia and was used by the Czech air force before the fall of the Soviet Union. The Czech government gave it to the Air Force Museum, which, in turn painted on the North Vietnamese numbering and insignia. Still, it was pretty cool to see.
Two planes in one picture on this one - the plane above is a Boeing "Bird of Prey", which was a single seat stealth technology demonstration plane used in the 1990's. And below it is a Lockheed-Martin F-22A Raptor, one of the most dominate - if not THE most dominate - fighter jets in the world today. This is one of nine F-22A's that were built for testing and engineering purposes.
Moving on to the Missile and Space Gallery, this is the area that really got me geeked. Growing up in the early era of the Space Age, I was like millions of other little kids who thought it would be cool to be an astronaut. This is the command capsule for the Apollo 15 mission to the moon. Even at my age, I still said, "Wow!" when I read the sign saying it was Apollo 15.
They also had a Gemini B capsule on display. Although this capsule was worthy of flight, it never flew in a mission. It was used for testing and training. Actually, this craft was designed to be used as a vessel to take astronauts to the first orbiting space station, or Manned Orbital Laboratory, NASA had conceived in the 60's. However, the MOL never got the funding it needed and the project never got off the ground, literally and figuratively.
Of course, they had a Mercury space capsule on display. I saw the Mercury capsule that Gus Grissom had flown at the Strategic Air Command Museum a couple years ago and I was amazed at how small those things really are. A lot of people didn't realize that many of the original astronauts are not tall guys. It would take a pretty small guy to be able to fit in those things without suffering from claustrophobia.
From the outside of the Air Force Museum, you see a rather tall building on the south side of the complex. This is where they display the large rockets and missles. These intercontinental ballistic missles were the main deterrent from Soviet attack, whether it be a fact or perception. Included in this display was the Boeing Peacekeeper missle, a four-stage ICBM that could disperse up to 10 nuclear warheads at a range of over 6,000 miles and flew at 15,000 miles per hour. It was a bad-assed weapon and helped bring on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in the 90's. 50 Peacekeepers were in place until 2003 when the Air Force began to dismantle them, finishing in 2005.
The final inside area had to do with planes from the Cold War and current air force aircraft. This is a picture from the balcony of the missile display area. In the foreground, not fully visible in this shot, is a U-2 spy plane. This area housed the most amount of planes, probably because of the unbounded military spending going on during the height of the Cold War.
This is a Convair B-36 Peacemaker which was the forerunner of the Boeing B-52. It's a tad larger than a B-52 and uses both rear-propeller motors and jet engines to give it bursts of speed. They have a B-36 and a B-52 side-by-side at the Strategic Air Command Museum in Nebraska. They're are two pretty impressive planes to stand next to. This particular B-36 is the last one to ever be flown when it made the trip from an air base in Arizona to the museum in 1969.
This is the Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" high altitude and high speed reconnaissance plane that took the place of the U-2. These bastards were some of the fastest planes ever built. It could fly up to 85,000 feet at speeds of over 2,000 miles an hour. The plane on display is the first operational SR-71, flying it's first mission in 1968 and flew nearly 950 missions in total. It has been on display since 1990 at the Air Force Museum.
Of course, there was a Lockheed F-117A "Nighthawk" stealth fighter plane on display. These have been in operation since the early 90's and are primary attack planes that give the American air force such immeasurable power against their foes. They can fly right in, undetected, drop their bombs, and skedaddle back to the base before anyone knows what hit them. It was pretty neat to see up close.
And this is a Boeing B-1B bomber plane. This plane can fly low level and high level missions dropping up to 84 bombs on a target. It can fly at just over the speed of sound at sea level due to the movable swept back wings on the plane.
It took us just over two hours to go through the entire indoor area of the National Air Force Museum. We could have gone through much more slowly, but we decided we didn't want to devote our whole day to the museum. We knew we missed a lot of stuff, or didn't realize the significance of some of the planes on display. But we still wanted to see some planes they had on display outside.
There's an area just to the east of the museum buildings that had a number of planes on display on a tarmac called the Air Park. The display included this Lockheed C-141 Starlifter that was dubbed the "Hanoi Taxi." This particular plane was the first to transport prisoners of war from Hanoi toward the end of the Viet Nam war. In two missions to North Vietnam, it transported 76 POW's to freedom. Now that was pretty cool to see.
Also on the grounds of the Air Park is a replica of a World War II air corps control center that was used by U.S. forces in England. We went inside and was taken on a short tour by an older gentleman who was serving as a guide for the building. We were talking to him about going through the museum so quickly and how we'd like to come back to really delve into the whole place at sometime in the future. He said, "Did you get a chance to go over and see the Presidential planes?"
I said, "What Presidential planes?"
He explained there was a Presidential plane museum off-site of the main Air Force Museum that housed a number of planes used by Presidents from Franklin Roosevelt up to Bill Clinton. Included in the display was the Boeing VC-137C Air Force One that was the plane used by Presidents Kennedy up thru Clinton. In fact, the plane on display was the one that transported Kennedy's body back to Washington after he was assassinated in Dallas in 1963, and on which Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office. Now, that killed me as I wanted to see that plane so bad.
We walked back to the main museum to see if we could get a ticket on the bus to go see that exhibit, but they had already sold out for the day. Tickets are free, but are issued on a first come-first serve basis. I was truly bummed because we got there early enough to see the exhibit, although we may have had to wait a little while to do so. But that would have given us more time to see more of the planes in the main hall exhibit area. Oh well. Next time...
Before we left, we stopped off and saw some of the memorials at Memorial Park. The park itself is very large with a number of memorials and monuments interspersed throughout the area. It was getting late and we had a drive ahead of us back toward Indianapolis so we didn't dawdle all that much in the park. But it was a beautiful setting and very fitting for recognizing those who served and/or gave their lives in defending America's freedom.
We spent a total of 3 and a half hours at the National Air Force Museum. And I think we could have easily spent a full day in the place. Even though there were a lot of people at the museum, just the vast expanse of the place made it seem like it wasn't crowded at all. I think Cindy had a good time going through the place, but I think she would get tired of it after a while. I'd really like to get back out there sometime and spend more time. And to see the Presidential planes. Now, that would be cool in my book.
July 28, 2008 in Dayton, OH, Destinations | Permalink
I've visited the Air Force museum many times over the years. They turnover some of the exhibit and planes to keep the museum fresh. Yes, it's very tough to see in three hours. When I go with my sons and grandchildren it's a good five to six hour visit. We go maybe once a year or so.
Posted by: Robert Coleman | July 28, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Didn't I tell you it was a cool place to see? Three hours and change? Woo! That's not enough time. I thought I told you about the presidential planes they had off site.
Posted by: Tim Lake | July 28, 2008 at 11:58 AM


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Arnold Schwarzenegger And His Mini-Horses Urge People to Stay Home & Wash Hands
"Listen to the experts, ignore the morons."
Maxim Staff
Never mind "I'll be back"—it looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't even plan on leaving his house anytime soon in light of the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak.
The Terminator icon and former California governor had a message for fans who might be tempted to ignore recent calls to avoid bars clubs, theaters, music venues and dine-in restaurants while the global pandemic rages: "Stay at home as much as possible. Listen to the experts, ignore the morons (foreheads). We will get through this together."
Stay at home as much as possible. Listen to the experts, ignore the morons (foreheads). We will get through this together. pic.twitter.com/FRg41QehuB
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 16, 2020
Schwarzenegger posted the message and a short video to Twitter on Sunday. While it was unclear what he meant by "foreheads," the video featured the actor and his two pets, miniature horse Whiskey and donkey Lulu, which predictably caught fire on the Internet.
"See, the important thing is you stay at home," Schwarzenegger says while feeding carrots to his tiny equine pals, "because there is a curfew now."
"Nobody is allowed out, especially someone that is like 72 years old. After you're 65, you're not allowed out of the house anymore in California. So we eat at home."
"Oh yes that's yummy," Schwarzenegger adds, feeding a carrot to Whiskey. "Lulu loves carrots, Whiskey loves carrots, I just had my little bit of vegan food. Oh yes, that was yummy, huh?"
"No more restaurants, OK?"Ah-nuld adds, patting his mini-horses. "Forget all that. Public gatherings, restaurants, and all this, gymnasiums, out the window. We stay home. Hey Whiskey? Huh?"
The health-obsessed former bodybuilding champion also shared a video in which he shows fans how to properly wash their hands with another self-quarantined pet—this time his Yorkshire terrier Cherry.
I tried to do a hand-washing tutorial for Cherry but I think you guys will pay more attention. Be safe. Wash your hands. Listen to scientists and experts, not foreheads. Together, we can slow this down and protect each other. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/evDxVu6Etb
"Cherry, watch this," he says while showing the pup how he scrubs his hands with soap and water—including the backs of his hands and in between his fingers.
"Everyone should wash their hands at least 20 seconds, and do it as many times as possible," he adds, looking directly into the camera.
"I wash my hands a minimum of 50 times a day. Anything that I do, I wash my hands over and over and over again," says Schwarzenegger, before he smooches his pup on her head.
Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger Coronavirus Donkey horses Maxim Video Pets Twitter


Cheat India a Bollywood crime drama film written and directed by Soumik Sen. The movie released on 18th January 2019 and stars Emraan Hashmi and Shreya Dhanwantary in the lead roles. The story revolves around the education system in India where people buy a better education using bribes. Below you can find Cheat India vs URI Box Office Collection, Cheat India vs URI Review.
Cheat India hit the screens with huge expectations but the movie failed on the big screens and raked low box office collection. Emraan Hashmi's Cheat India started with low revenue and emerged as a flop of 2019.


A project has been launched to restore a church bell in Stonehaven.
The bell was discovered rusting, but in otherwise good condition, at the top of the tower in St James's Episcopal Church.
It was brought down by a steeplejack in a delicate operation and plans are under way to restore it to its rightful place. A crowdfunding scheme to part-fund the work was launched during the church's Mothering Day Service.
Peter Sharp, chairman of the Vestry of St James's, said: "The service was a wonderful welcome to the effort to fund this historic bell, and the whole church enjoyed the occasion.
"It's not often that you get a chance to ring a large bell in the middle of a service.
The bell was used to accompany the congregation in the nursey rhyme 'Oranges and Lemons said the bells of St Clement's'.
There were 15 verses, accompanied by 15 bongs - the last one specially composed for the day - "Playthings and Games" said the bell of St James.
Documents show the bell was originally hung in the belfry of the Episcopal Chapel in the High Street - now demolished - and was moved to the new church when it was built in about 1885. It is hoped to have it in place for Remembrance Day on November 11, which is the 100th anniversary of the Armistice at the end of World War I.
Bell-ringers throughout the UK are planning to replicate the occasion when all the church bells in the land were rung at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This year, the host for the Town Commemoration Parade in Stonehaven is St James's Church, so ringing the bell during the service will be fitting.


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Home/Article/Who is Greta Thunberg and Why Should You Care about Her Contribution towards Climate Change Movement?
Who is Greta Thunberg and Why Should You Care about Her Contribution towards Climate Change Movement?
A Swedish environmental activist on climate change
Winfred Kimathi November 14, 2019
Maybe you are wondering, who is Greta Thunberg, and why is she being mentioned in climate change talks? Also, you may be wondering why it is important to know about her. Isn't she a person like any other? Yes, she is. However, the contributions she is making to change the world at a young age warrant her recognition globally.
Image by Kevin Snyman from Pixabay
Thunberg is a teenager from Sweden. She began a movement geared towards climate change in her home country. Unlike other teenagers who you will find home playing videogames or hanging out at the beach holding their phones when they are not in school, she chose a different kind of hobby. Hers began by sitting and standing around the Swedish parliament making calls for leaders to take action against global warming. She used to hold a placard with the words, "school strike for the climate." Since August 2018 when she started making her calls, Greta's effort has not been in vain. She has achieved much more than you can imagine.
Greta's Achievement on Climate Change So Far
Thunberg's calls for climate change action alone are a major achievement. It is not any day that you will find a teenager missing school to persuade leaders to take action against climate change. Even adults cannot do what she has been doing since 2018. Many would have given up on the way.
Surprisingly, Thunberg's interest in climate change started in early 2018 even before she chose to be an activist. She won a competition that was organized by Svenska Dagbladet. Since the time she won in May 2018, she started taking action to pass her message across the world.
After marching to the Swedish parliament calling for schools to strike for the climate, students started organizing demonstrations in support of her pleas. By the end of 2018, at least 20,000 students had participated in strikes in over 270 cities in support of Greta's appeals for action towards climate change.
Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay
In addition to influencing other students, Greta has won various awards within the short time of being an activist. She won the Children's Climate Prize in 2018, and to the surprise of many, Thunberg declined the award. She refused to acknowledge the award simply because she was required to fly to Stockholm for a conference, yet this is not in her beliefs.
Thunberg already believes that humans should do away with air travel if they want to tackle climate change fast. Have you ever stood by your principles as she did despite all the good things that you give up as a result? Search your soul and you will find that not many people can do that, yet Greta, a mere teenager as some call her, managed to stand firm. Other prizes that she has won include:
Swedish woman of the year award
Special climate protection award
100 most influential people of 2019 by Time magazine and
Geddes environmental medal among many others.
Greta's Message to the United States and the World
In 2019, Greta addressed a crowd at a climate change conference that was held in Carolina on 9th November. Her message to the United States and the globe was simple: to unite behind science and to act on it. This message was for the whole world starting with you and me. According to her, wherever you are, you should push your leaders to participate in the climate change movement that is aimed at saving planet earth.
Her journey to Carolina was via sea, and as she went back, she sailed through the Atlantic on a Catamaran with her father and her favorite YouTube celebrity couple. Therefore, even as she spreads her message to the world, Greta and her family have already started reducing the carbon footprint by avoiding planes. Sources say that she has also influenced her family to quit eating meat to save the animals on the planet.
Image by MyriamZilles from Pixabay
What You Should Learn from Thunberg and Her Contributions towards Climate Change
So, what should you do now that you have heard Greta's message to the world? It is very simple. Start by doing anything you can to avoid polluting the environment. You may think that your actions are insignificant but look at it this way. If you do something, your neighbor does the same, and then the whole community follows, soon, the whole world will be doing the right thing. And the planet will guarantee future generations a place to live comfortably.
Start by recycling that water bottle that you bought yesterday. Or stop disposing polythene on landfills. Even dropping a polythene bag on the subway has a significant impact on the climate. Therefore, do everything that you can to save yourself, your children, and your future generations. Otherwise, the earth is doomed and our time on it is limited.
Climate change Global Warming Greta Thunberg Save Earth school strike for the climate
Winfred Kimathi
Winfred Kimathi is a copywriter and content writer who specializes in ghost blogging, landing pages, and email marketing. Her main goal is to provide creative solutions through her educative blogs. She also focuses on helping clients capture leads and achieve their content marketing objectives.
African Safari Holidays- 9 out of Every 10 People who Have Visited Africa Love these Destinations
"Listen to the Scientists!" Says Greta Thunberg, and she's Right


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Fund Trading Hedge Funds
Quant Fund
Adam Hayes is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Kirsten Rohrs Schmitt
Fact checked by Kirsten Rohrs Schmitt
Kirsten Rohrs Schmitt is an accomplished professional editor, writer, proofreader, and fact-checker. She has expertise in finance, investing, real estate, and world history. Throughout her career, she has written and edited content for numerous consumer magazines and websites, crafted resumes and social media content for business owners, and created collateral for academia and nonprofits. Kirsten is also the founder and director of Your Best Edit; find her on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Guide to Hedge Funds
What Is a Quant Fund?
A quant fund is an investment fund whose securities are chosen based on numerical data compiled through quantitative analysis. These funds are considered non-traditional and passive. They are built with customized models using software programs to determine investments.
Proponents of quant funds believe that choosing investments using inputs and computer programs helps fund companies cut down on the risks and losses associated with management by human fund managers.
A quant fund makes investment decisions based on the use of advanced mathematical models and quantitative analysis.
Managers utilize algorithms and custom-built computer models to pick their investments.
Investors are turning to and sticking with quantitative analysis within funds because of the rising availability of market data.
Although quant funds utilize state-of-the-art technology, the use of quantitative analysis isn't new.
How a Quant Fund Works
Quant funds rely on algorithmic or systematically programmed investment strategies. As such, they don't use the experience, judgment, or opinions of human managers to make investment decisions. They use quantitative analysis rather than fundamental analysis, which is why they're also called quantitative funds. Not only can they be one of many investment offerings supported by asset managers, but they may also be part of the central management focus of specialized investment managers.
Greater access to a broader range of market data fueled the growth of quant funds, not to mention the growing number of solutions surrounding the use of big data. Developments in financial technology and increasing innovation around automation have vastly broadened the data sets quant fund managers can work with, giving them even more robust data feeds for a broader analysis of scenarios and time horizons.
Large asset managers have looked to increase their investment in quantitative strategies as fund managers struggle to beat market benchmarks over time. Smaller hedge fund managers also round out the total quant fund offerings in the investment market. Overall, quant fund managers seek talented individuals with accredited academic degrees and highly technical experience in mathematics and programming.
Quantitative strategies are often referred to as a Black Box due to the high level of secrecy surrounding the algorithms they use.
Quant Fund Performance
Quant fund programming and quantitative algorithms have thousands of trading signals they can rely on, ranging from economic data points to trending global asset values and real-time company news. Quant funds are also known for building sophisticated models around momentum, quality, value, and financial strength using proprietary algorithms developed through advanced software programs.
Quant funds have attracted a considerable amount of interest and investment because of the returns they have generated over the years. However, according to a report by Institutional Investor, they've been underperforming since 2016. In the five years leading up to 2021, the report said the MSCI World index and the equity quant index generated annualized returns of 11.6% and 0.88%, respectively.
Institutional Investor claimed that the equity quant index was up 10.2% in 2010, 15.3% in 2011, 8.8% in 2012, 14.7% in 2013, 10.4% in 2014, and 9.2% in 2015.
A Brief History of Quant Strategies
The basis for quantitative analysis and, therefore, quant funds, has a history that dates back eight decades, with the publishing of a 1934 book called Security Analysis. Written by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd, the book advocated investing based on the rigorous measurement of objective financial metrics related to specific stocks.
Security Analysis has been followed by further publications related to quantitative investment strategies, such as Joel Greenblatt's The Little Book that Beats the Market and James O'Shaughnessy's What Works on Wall Street.
Quant funds are often classified as alternative investments since their management styles differ from more traditional fund managers.
Quant funds typically run on a lower-cost basis because they don't need as many traditional analysts and portfolio managers to run them. However, their trading costs tend to be higher than traditional funds, due to a higher turnover of securities. Their offerings are also generally more complex than standard funds and it is common for some of them to target high-net-worth investors or have high fund entrance requirements.
Some investors consider quant funds to be among the most innovative and highly technical offerings in the investment universe. They encompass a wide range of thematic investment styles and often deploy some of the industry's most groundbreaking technologies.
Successful quant funds keep a close eye on risk control due to the nature of their models. Most strategies start with a universe or benchmark and use sector and industry weightings in their models. This allows the funds to control the diversification to a certain extent without compromising the model itself.
Risks of Quant Fund Strategies
Some have argued that quant funds present a systemic risk and do not embrace the concept of letting a black box run their investments. For all the successful quant funds out there, just as many seem to be unsuccessful. Unfortunately, for the quants' reputation, when they fail, they often fail big time.
Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM) was one of the most famous quant hedge funds, as it was run by some of the most respected academic leaders and two Nobel Memorial Prize-winning economists, Myron S. Scholes and Robert C. Merton. During the 1990s, their team generated above-average returns and attracted capital from all types of investors. They were famous for not only exploiting inefficiencies but using easy access to capital to create enormous leveraged bets on market directions.
The disciplined nature of their strategy actually created the weakness that led to their collapse. LTCM was liquidated and dissolved in early 2000. Its models did not include the possibility that the Russian government could default on some of its own debt. This one event triggered events, and a chain reaction magnified by leverage created havoc. LTCM was so heavily involved with other investment operations that its collapse affected the world markets, triggering dramatic events. In the end, the Federal Reserve (Fed) stepped in to help, and other banks and investment funds supported LTCM to prevent any further damage.
Quant funds can fail as they are largely based on historical events and the past doesn't always repeat itself in the future.
While a strong quant team will be constantly adding new aspects to the models to predict future events, it's impossible to predict the future every time. Quant funds can also become overwhelmed when the economy and markets are experiencing greater than average volatility. The buy and sell signals can come so quickly that high turnover can create high commissions and taxable events.
Quant funds can also pose a danger when they are marketed as bear-proof or are based on short strategies. Predicting downturns using derivatives and combining leverage can be dangerous. One wrong turn can lead to implosions, which often make the news.
Investor.gov. "Smart Beta, Quant Funds, and other Non-Traditional Index Funds." Accessed May 13, 2021.
Morningstar. "What Is a Quantitative Fund?" Accessed May 13, 2021.
Nasdaq. "Quant Fund." Accessed May 13, 2021.
Mergers & Inquisitions. "The Full Guide to Quant Funds: Careers, Salaries, Recruiting, Exits, and More." Accessed May 13, 2021.
Top1000funds.com. "The Future Is Quant." Accessed May 13, 2021.
Pensions & Investments. "BlackRock Reorganizes Active Equity Unit, Turns More to Computer-based Quant Strategies." Accessed May 13, 2021.
Street of Walls. "Role of the Quantitative Analyst." Accessed May 13, 2021.
Institutional Investor. "Quant Funds Have a Problem. So Why Do They Also Have So Many Assets?" Accessed May 13, 2021.
Quantitative Trading Definition
Quantitative trading consists of trading strategies that rely on mathematical computations and number-crunching to identify trading opportunities.
What Is a Hedge Fund?
A hedge fund is an actively managed investment pool whose managers may use risky or esoteric investment choices in search of outsized returns.
What Does an Econometrician Do?
An econometrician uses mathematics and statistics to model, study, and predict economic doctrine and outcome.
A black swan is an event that is rare, very important, and is both difficult to have predicted but is considered obvious in hindsight.
Optimization Definition
Optimization in investing is the process of adjusting a trading system to make it more effective. Read about the pros and cons of trade optimization.
What Is an Algorithm?
Algorithms are sets of rules for solving problems or accomplishing tasks.
Using Quantitative Investment Strategies
Steps to Becoming a Quant Trader
Tools for Fundamental Analysis
What to Know About Quantitative Analysis
What Constitutes a "High Fee" for a Mutual Fund?
Salaries & Compensation
Quantitative Analyst: Job Description and Average Salary
Quants: The Rocket Scientists of Wall Street


Can I trust CMS Social to professionally represent my company?
All our staff are highly trained, native English speakers, and are located in the United States (NOT overseas!). We actively work with customers from a multitude of industries including Attorneys, Doctors, Pest Control, Construction, Restaurants, and more.


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Interlacing lives from diverse cultures
Mir Arif
Published at 10:46 am August 11th, 2018
Review of Arif Anwar's 'The Storm'
Characters living continents apart battle to make sense of their troubled past and present in Arif Anwar's debut novel, The Storm, published simultaneously by reputed publishers in Canada, the US, and India. It's a complex yet spellbinding narrative with a disparate set of people coming from diverse cultures whose lives are threaded together through war, partition, communal riot, and the immigration experience. Sturdy and idiosyncratic, Anwar's characters throb with passion and humanity, and contemplate on the confused notions of divine influence, nationalism, colonialism, and migration.
From the very beginning Anwar resists the temptation to tell his story in a linear fashion, keeping readers' curiosity fairly intense till the end. The novel begins and ends at the onset of a storm, one of the deadliest natural disasters recorded till date: 1970 Bhola Cyclone, which hit an island in the southern region of erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, and "killed a half million people overnight because no one was warned." The following pages leapfrog into post-9/11 America—exploring the life of Shahryar, a Bangladeshi immigrant who has a complicated relationship both with his adopted country and his nine-year-old daughter, Anna—and back into some of the biggest watersheds in the Indian subcontinent's history: the Second World War, the partition, and the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh.
In the opening chapter, we are presented with a few, seemingly random details of Honufa, a mother and converted Muslim woman. As she traverses a murky land riddled with an oncoming storm, the narrative soon becomes dense and poetic. The storm upends her faith, as she enters a temple, knowing "who really waits inside." And in a place "unmoored from time," she "kneels before Kail—the Black One ... [and] places before the dark goddess the offering of flowers she has brought. She prays to her, ignoring the voice inside that reminds her that her new God is a jealous one." To know why she follows her inner voice and makes votive offerings to a Hindu goddess, one has to read the final chapter, where Anwar provides a panoptic view not only of Honufa's life but also of those who are/were associated with it.
Not aware of their actions, each character makes decisions that have repercussions on others. We discover this as soon as we meet Shahriyar; his struggle to extend his visa to stay with his American daughter reminds us of his mother's attempt to save her son on a gusty evening in 1970. It seems, though, that Shahryar's PhD, research work, and later attempts to settle in Bangladesh and his relentless efforts to improve people's lives in the coastal region are primarily drawn from Anwar's own experiences, who was also born in Chittagong, has a PhD, and worked for BRAC and UNICEF Myanmar, on issues of poverty alleviation and public health. However, these similarities provide his character a more intensive background to explore various dimensions of migration crisis in the US, a dreamland for immigrants around the world.
To limn diverse experiences of his characters, Anwar deftly applies his poetic sensibility. He writes some chapters/parts of the book so gracefully that reading becomes almost a physical experience. One such chapter, "Ichiro," describes a distant night during the Second World War when two Japanese soldiers—Ichiro and Tadashi—visit a Burmese temple whose interior is "vast and oblong, dominated by a giant reclining Buddha breathtaking in size, painted a shimmering gold." There they meet "a lone monk sweep[ing] the floor with a long-handled broom, the first living creature they have encountered in this desolate valley." Such painterly quality of Anwar's narrative—followed by a soul-searching discussion with Julian (the lone monk from Austria), amidst a raging war—makes for a great reading experience. At some point Ichiro expresses his deceptive ideas on war and confesses to Julian that he "could hear a thousand tales of heaven, of the afterlife, but deep down the fear of the black void pervades." That Ichiro fears death despite being a solider (the Japanese hold martyrs in high regard) is evident from his confession. But his straightforward confession makes him more humane to us.
Like a great fireside story, Anwar slowly unfolds more and more of his characters' distant pasts than of their looming futures. In the following chapters we meet a new batch of characters: Claire, a British doctor posted in Burma; Rahim and Zahira, a wealthy couple in Calcutta who leave everything behind to move to East Pakistan following the Partition of India; Valerie, a staff at International Students' Office in Washington DC; Jamir, a fisherman who has left for the sea without bidding a goodbye to his wife. Segmented like three parts of a cyclone: Gathering, Eye, and Surging, the novel explores lives of such different kinds of people who become a part of each other's lives through a great natural calamity, when laws of a known world no longer apply. And Anwar speaks of every incident, every character like a poet, as if they were in part a great destiny or a prophetic vision.
The evocation of bomb attacks, dying soldiers, doctors, and nurses—all reminds readers of Ondaatje's masterpiece, The English Patient, whose influence on the author can be subtly recognized throughout the book. However, Anwar is truly original; he fills his pages and sentences with an infinite love for people living in a time and space that is to seal their fates. This is why his description doesn't sound ear-bending. Ideas about gender, race, war, and colonialism do rub off on the characters, but their voices never seem didactic as they are transformed through the specifics of different situations.
There's a sense of things gathering in the dark and looming out at readers, which makes the events unfolding in the book more thrilling. Anwar achieves this effect using motifs and symbols. On many occasions we see a black crow with "curving bill" and "onyx eyes" portending an ominous storm; a heron—with "feathers like chrysanthemum petals"—embossed on a war prisoner's journal revealing the owner's sensitive mind; or hear the cosmic sound aum, "the beginning and end of the universe," whose enigmatic power has a great influence on the reader who knows how to listen to it.
Written with a lyrical narrative, The Storm is an impressive and courageous beginning for the author's journey into an ever-expanding literary world. It's a beautiful book of imagination and profound feeling, intersecting cultures and ideas that are fully relevant to our times. Hopefully, Anwar will row on in his creative endeavor and gift us such impressive works in the days to come.
Mir Arif is a fiction writer. He works with Arts & Letters, Dhaka Tribune.
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Arif Anwar
Debut Novel
Bhola Cyclone


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Dances with Samurai
The Kill Bill fight scene in a snow covered garden in between The Bride and O-Ren Ishii does more to convey the mystique of the Eastern warrior than any amount of heavy-handed explication could have. But it does it without ever coming out and telling you what it's doing. You're expected to be smart enough to draw your own conclusions. The biggest problem with The Last Samurai is that it never assumes you're smart enough to draw your own conclusions.
A great deal of effort goes into romanticizing the Japanese warrior's code, Bushido. But the director apparently feels the need to spell out everything for the audience. There is no attempt to let us draw our own conclusions, or to let us figure stuff out on our own. If a warrior spends time trying to write a poem about Cherry blossoms and then sees them as he dies, he will mention them and what they mean. Apparently the possibility of some poor shlub paying his $8 and not getting the point was just too much for the film-makers to risk. As a result, a movie which would be best served by subtlety has none.
While some of the fight scenes were beautifully choreographed and filmed, the Samurai are not the Plains Indians (as the movie explicitly tries to convince us) and the non-fight scenes are a waste of our time. There was a good movie in here someplace, but it's buried under tired cinematic cliches and the need to accomodate Cruise's stardom.
The Samurai were, as the movie points out over and over, bound by honor in ways the modern man finds unfathomable. They were also, as the movie pointedly ignores, brutally cruel towards the commoners they considered inferior to themselves. A better film might've explored this nuance, that the Samurai were honorable and steadfast at the same time they were arrogant and cruel.
There is a scene in which the peasants making up the new Japanese army harass a young Samurai and cut off his topknot. This is played out simply as an unnecessary indignity heaped on an honorable man, but it could've been used for much more. It could've explored the fact that the soldiers were justified in ther hatred of the Samurai, that a military elite spending 1000 years ruling by the sword is going to provoke hatred and resentment.
The movie could've explore the fact modern industry and military power combined with the cruelty and arrogance of the Samurai could be some scary shit, or that the demands of efficiency in the modern market have their own cruelty and arrogance. Instead, we get handed the simple formula: Samurai good, modernity bad and are expected to swallow it whole. There was a good movie buried in here somplace, but this ain't it.
Hoping everyone is having a good holiday.
Especially want to say hello to all the folks in the Gulf. I know how hard it can be on deployment when you're apart from your families. Stay strong.
The posts from last week finally showed up online!
Only 3-4 days after being published!
More blogging later, now have flu.
Dances with Samurai The Kill Bill fight scene in ...
Merry Christmas Hoping everyone is having a good ...
The posts from last week finally showed up onlin...


There is growing support for the Cook Islands to have a dual name.
It was revealed earlier this month a government backed committee was looking at coming up with a Cook Islands Maori name to replace that given to the 15 islands in the 19th century.
But the paramount chiefs have announced they want the country to use an indigenous Maori name preceding that of the Cook Islands, and this is gaining widespread support.
The House of Ariki president, Travel Tou Ariki, has said they chose this option to calm the nation.
Since it was first mooted the idea of dropping the Cook Islands name entirely for a traditional Maori name has met with considerable resistance and the House of Ariki sees the use of two names as a sensible compromise.
Opposition leader, Tina Browne, told Don Wiseman she is aware of this resistance and her Democratic Party is supportive.


Booha is back in town!!
Get your friends and come to live your life at maximum at the coolest party ever!!
Don't worry about the drinks because gues what?? they are enough and all FREE!!
a few free spots BUT get one now 'cause they are limited!
So we where you thinking you might want to join it.
Contat IEI members for tickets from Monday evening!


These Playside Creations Fuzzy Art Fuzzy Art L.I.O.N. are a fun and colorful arts & crafts project that pack a powerful message too! Kids will love coloring in the 4.75 x 4.62 animated black velvet illustration of a smiling lion peering through a sailors scope and seeing the words "The Lord is Our Navigator." The acronym "L.I.O.N." helps kids remember the encouraging words.
This classroom pack of 27 pictures are ready to use with your kids ages 4 and up. Great for your classroom, homeschool, VBS, children's church, and kids party activity. Add these Playside Creations Fuzzy Art L.I.O.N. to your arts and craft supplies today!
- Playside Creations Fuzzy Art L.I.O.N.
- Artwork of a smiling lion peering through a sailors scope and seeing the words "The Lord is Our Navigator"
Product Size 4-3/4" x 4-5/8"


Max was our first beardie and was the sweet old man in residence. He ruled the house with an iron paw and a firm eye, but he was a benevolent ruler. Together we tackled conformation, agility, obedience, herding, and therapy work for the first time! My first champion, all owner handled, Max also showed such an affinity for agility that we finished his agility championship as well! He brought me into the world of beardies and showed us the joys of the breed. Above and beyond all of that, Max also introduced me to my husband and very forcefully insisted "THIS one."
Bred by Jane Cooper (Alamos Bearded Collies) and co-owned with Beth Tilson (Highlander Bearded Collies), Max was a once-in-a-lifetime beardie! Though he lived to nearly 16 years old, it wasn't long enough and we are heartbroken at his passing.


Class I biological safety cabinets are primary barriers for the investigation of non-volatile materials or samples with unknown biological risk. After entrance of indoor air through front window aperture of the cabinet, air sweeps the work cabinet and surfaces in a non-turbulant way. The internal air exhausted from cabinet after passing through HEPA filter and protects the indoor environment from potentially dangerous particles. Since the Class I BSC does not protect sample/material, further aseptic or sterile analysis of working material is not suitable.


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Searching for the perfect home in Eldorado? Contact VegasOne Realty, your Las Vegas real estate team, at (702) 460-8143. We are Eldorado real estate agents and experts on the newest home listings in Las Vegas.
Homes for sale in Eldorado include architectural styles like Spanish-Revivals, Mediterranean-Revivals, and Traditional single family homes. The average home size in Eldorado is much larger than its surrounding areas at 3,400 square feet and includes stucco walls, a tiled roof, and a one or two car garage. Homes in Eldorado are not only expansive and attractive but are also inexpensive compared to its surrounding areas.
Buying or Selling a Home in Eldorado?
Contact VegasOne Realty to learn more about buyer or seller representation. Planning to sell your Eldorado home? Contact us to learn more about the possible resale value of your Eldorado home!


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Justin Chung
The photographer on meeting Knoll's first designer, Jens Risom
Justin Chung was in graduate school, preparing for a career in public health, when he had a change of heart and packed his bags for New York to pursue photography. Since his relocation and career change, Chung has worked on campaigns for Ovadia & Sons, Bonobos, J.Crew, Club Monaco and shot editorial features for magazines including GQ, Cereal Magazine, Kinfolk, and The Line. While on assignment, Chung has had the opportunity to meet many creative people, who have become subjects in his new self-published book, Faculty Department. One of those individuals is Knoll's first designer Jens Risom, who, at 98, remains alive and well today.
We sat down with Chung to discuss the book and the time he spent with Risom at the designer's house in New Canaan, Connecticut.
Jens Risom at his home in New Canaan, Connecticut. Photograph by Justin Chung.
"My interests in design developed as I continued to take photographs."
KNOLL INSPIRATION: When did you discover your interest in design?
Justin Chung: My interests in design developed as I continued to take photographs. In my photography, my aim is to keep things as natural and honest as possible, and I enjoyed researching environments with designs that complement and reinforce that feeling and approach.
Moodboard for Faculty Department. Photograph by Justin Chung.
Can you briefly explain the concept behind Faculty Department and how the project came to fruition?
Faculty Department started off as a personal diary of my travels and studio visits. I found that the people I'd gotten to meet throughout the world had a deep impact on me and I was often telling their stories to my friends and family back home. As a photographer, I thought that it would just be better to tell their story visually. The name "Faculty Department" came about quite organically, as an homage to the individuals within the book who've become my mentors, my faculty.
"I first came across Jens' work not through his furniture design, but after discovering his summer home on Block Island."
Jens Risom's Block Island House in New Shoreham, Rhode Island. Photograph by Justin Chung.
How did you get the opportunity to meet with Jens Risom?
I first came across Jens' work not through his furniture design, but after discovering his summer home on Block Island. I was completely inspired and thought that he would be the perfect subject for this book. I love his overall aesthetic and the functionality of his designs. After sharing his Block Island home among my friends, I eventually connected with his daughter, Helen, who helped arrange for me to meet with Jens.
Jens Risom shown seated at his home in New Canaan, Connecticut. Photograph by Justin Chung.
Tell us about the time you spent with Risom in New Canaan.
I remember riding the train and jotting down as many questions as I could think of. Ironically, Jens was actually the one who asked all the questions—he was so curious about the book. He asked me why he was being featured in the book, how the book would get published. We spent a lot of time discussing his design process, and he shared some of the sketches that he's worked on over the years. He explained his approach to creating design that lasts and stands the test of time. It was an incredible experience. I left our meeting intending to take a bit of his design philosophy and put it to use in my photography.
"I felt completely immersed in his perspective, from the paintings and ceramics that he's collected over the years to his archive of design works. It was just amazing to see how his approach to design translates to how he lives."
Details from Jens Risom's New Canaan residence. Photograph by Justin Chung.
What struck you about Risom's lived-in environment during your shoot?
Everything about the house impacted me, from seeing the natural light that beamed in throughout the day to sporadic details throughout the house. I suppose I was mostly struck by the rich life he has lived and how that's manifest in his home. I felt completely immersed in his perspective, from the paintings and ceramics that he's collected over the years to his archive of design works. It was just amazing to see how his approach to design translates to how he lives.
Can you explain why you chose Risom's series as the closing chapter of Faculty Department?
Jens is one of my heroes. It was such an honor to include him in the book. He was actually one of the first people I gave the book to. I was very nervous, not only to hear his thoughts about his chapter, but also about the design and tactile feel of the book. It was an amazing experience to look through the entire book with him and see his hands placed over our photographs. He asked for multiple copies to give to his family, so I believe he enjoyed it!
"One of my favorite pieces is the Risom Lounge Chair, which I first saw in Jens' house."
A miniature model of the 650 Line Lounge Chair by Jens Risom. Photograph by Justin Chung.
Of Risom's designs, which is your favorite?
Jens Risom's desk at his home in New Canaan, Connecticut. Photograph by Justin Chung.
Discover The Risom Collection
All images are courtesy of Justin Chung unless otherwise noted.
Jens Risom Design
Justin Chung Studio
Risom Lounge Chair
Risom Stool
Risom Amoeba Coffee Table
Risom Side Table - Round
Risom Side Table - Square
Risom Dining Table
Risom Child's Amoeba Table
Risom Child's Side Chair
Risom Child's Stool


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Ottawa Citizen - Ottawa Catholic school board trustee had Twitter account temporarily suspended after 'outrageous' tweet about Muslims
Posted by Ethan Smith-Johnson on June 24, 2021
When reached by phone for comment, Glen Armstrong hung up before responding. He also blocked Coun. Catherine McKenney on Twitter
By: Sue Sherring
A local Catholic school board trustee saw his Twitter account temporarily suspended earlier this month after posting a tweet that critics decried as insensitive to the Muslim community.
In a post on the social media site, Glen Armstrong dismissed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's attendance at the funeral for a London Muslim family killed in a ramming attack earlier in June as a cynical political gesture.
"Liberal Muslim vote secured," Armstrong posted in reply to a tweet criticizing Trudeau for attending the funeral instead of showing up in-person to Parliament.
Shortly after the post, Armstrong's account was suspended. It has since been restored, though Armstrong has locked his account, meaning his tweets are only visible to those who he approved as followers.
Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney called the post "outrageous" and accused Armstrong of lacking any compassion.
"For him to write that, just days following a brutal murder of a family taking an evening walk because they were Muslim, it's outrageous. They were mowed down brutally in a hate crime. He's stoking fears, that hatred that is out there against an identifiable group of people," McKenney said in an interview last week.
"I was stunned at the inappropriateness, at the lack of any compassion or thought to the family and for the people in our city who are reading who are Muslim, who are afraid to go out, afraid of being targeted. He holds a public office and is trying to hold another public office."
When reached by phone for comment, Armstrong hung up before responding. He also blocked McKenny on Twitter.
On Tuesday, the Ottawa Catholic School Board unanimously passed a motion asking Armstrong to resign and to publicly apologize to the Muslim community for a social media post. The board did not specify which post prompted it to act.
The board ruled that Armstrong breached four sections of the trustee code of conduct and barred him from attending various board meetings for the rest of the year, among other sanctions.
Armstrong had applied to become the federal Conservative nominee for the riding of Nepean, according to riding president Bill Ayyad, however the application was rejected.
Ayyad said the riding association condemned the post.
"What he's saying and how he's behaving is not consistent with our beliefs. We whole-heartedly disagree with his statements."
In a statement released earlier this month, the Ottawa Catholic School Board expressed solidarity with the family and friends of those killed in the London truck attack.
"The Ottawa Catholic School Board stands in solidarity with Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) students and staff as they deal with the death of a TVDSB student and four of their family members. We, like all Ontarians, are horrified by this senseless violence."
"Hate has no place in our schools, community or country. As a Catholic School Board, we deeply respect and support our Muslim community, and we will pray for all who this hatred has impacted. We remain committed to combating racism in all of its forms."
Armstrong is also the only trustee to vote against flying the Pride Flag in a recent debate at the board, which also drew condemnation from McKenny.
"The notion of flying the Pride Flag is actually important to kids in school at that age, and especially in high school that they know their sexuality, gay or bi or trans is accepted. We know that kids who are queer are four times more likely to commit suicide than other kids," McKenny said.
"If you're a school board trustee, you should be educating and flying the flag let's kids know they're okay and accepted. It can go a tremendously long way to them accepting themselves."


For more information about the Rating System we operate see the Rating System FAQ, which uses the European Go Federation (EGF) rating system.
help players perform on equal terms in European tournaments.
All Association approved events which have time limits at or better than the EGF class C limits are submitted for ratings. The main exclusions are Pairgo, and Team events.
Where isolated players cannot get to tournaments frequently enough, they can arrange 'rating games' of tournament standard against other Association rated players to be played outside Association events.
Affiliated clubs may also arrange 'club ladder events', which can be submitted for ratings.
We encourage travel to ensure that these 'extra games' do not lead to frequent pairings within isolated groups.
The rules governing rated games played outside Association tournaments are found in Rated Games.
If you play in a reasonable number of tournaments and are making average progress enter them at a grade equal to the strength listed on the current version of our ratings page, rounded to the nearest whole number. This includes cases where the player's rounded strength is higher than his official grade.
If you are 3 kyu or below and play in many tournaments, and are making very rapid progress consider promoting 1 stone more than you would normally to get at least a 2 stone rating reset.
If you can only get to tournaments infrequently and cannot arrange suitable rating games then contact your club secretary or our ratings officer to discuss an appropriate tournament entry grade when you do next attend.
Strong kyu players can gain a rating reset to 1 dan or a 2 dan in extreme circumstance if this is agreed in advance with us.
A dan player must agree any rating reset in advance with us.
For dan players the grade is also = server grade - 2, but the highest entry grade is 2 dan unless agreed ahead of time by us.
Since November 2003, British Go Association dan certificates have been awarded based on our ratings, which in turn are based on the European rating system. You will be awarded a dan certificate under the following conditions.
You must have played 10 or more rated games in a sequence of tournaments.
Your strength at the end of the last tournament in the sequence must be at least as high as your starting strength in the first tournament of the sequence. You can find your strength in the BGA ratings page.
If your strength reaches X.0 dan at the end of the last tournament in the sequence, you are awarded an X dan certificate.
You must be a member of the British Go Association during the entire qualifying tournament sequence.
The first time you play in a rated tournament, your strength is initialised to your tournament entry grade - which may not be very accurate. Only after you have played in several tournaments does it settle down to a reasonable measure of your playing ability. The conditions above ensure that certificates are not awarded during this initial settling down period.
An instability can also occur after a rating reset, when you already have a rating, but enter at a grade two stones higher than your previous highest grade. In this case your rating may drop below the reset value, but as long as it eventually rises again to reach the next dan level threshold, you gain a certificate when all the above conditions are met.
The anomaly is discussed in Council.
Any decision taken by Council and the tournament director (TD) is communicated to both TD and player.
In most cases the results published on the web will remain unaffected.
The player makes the complaint in writing to the ratings officer.
The complaint is discussed in Council.
The Council decision is communicated to the player(s) involved as appropriate.
Until early 2017 we used a linear regression of player's grades vs rating to calculate the player strength as presented in our rating page. Although this process gave plausible results in the early years of the rating system, the method was degraded by the drop in the average rating of all European players. By early 2017, a nominal shodan (rating 2100) had a strength of 1.7d rather than 1.0d. The procedure was abandoned early in 2017.