What Does a Distribution Supervisor of the USPS Do?
If you already have experience working for the US Postal Service, you can explore areas for advancement. One position that you can apply for is that of becoming a Distribution Supervisor. So what exactly does this federal job entail?
In addition to having a postal job experience, you should also have a driver's license, a high school diploma, and have experienced supervising others. You will need to exhibit knowledge of the mail industry, especially insofar as the regulations that govern the sorting and delivery of mail. Computer literacy and excellent customer service skills are a must. You need to have a driver's license as well.
You must be physically fit to be a distribution supervisor. Part of the job requires lifting of heavy containers and mail packages and being on your feet for hours at a time. Living a healthy lifestyle through a proper diet and regular exercise will help you stay in shape to meet the rigors and demands of this USPS position.
Since distribution supervisors oversee the training of newbies who have just been hired by the USPS, they need to have leadership and interpersonal relationship skills as well. They should have the right mix of patience and discipline to ensure that the new entrants under their wing will listen to them.
The duties of a postal distribution supervisor generally have to do with ensuring that all mail gets delivered. Thus, he or she is responsible for sorting all types of mail, from packages to documents to letters; distributing these to the intended recipients in towns or cities; and collecting outgoing mail. They are also responsible for supervising and training new staff on the technologies and services needed by the postal service and giving fresh and timely information about USPS rules and policies. They also provide customer service.
Distribution supervisors generally receive an annual salary of $50,000 to $65, 000 annually, depending on their qualifications and experience. Other benefits include health and life insurances, overtime pay, paid leaves and holidays, and retirement savings plans, among others.
If you are interested to become a distribution supervisor for the USPS, you need to get into the postal service first. You can apply for job openings via their online employment portal (www.usps.com/employment ). When called to take the postal exam 473, make sure that you at a minimum score of 70—but aim for the highest score so you will be among those called for a job interview.) Show that you are productive in your position and when an opening comes up for a distribution supervisor, you can then apply. The postmaster will certainly give you more consideration if he or she knows that you can be trusted to perform your job well.


text:
Sartor Resartus: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdrockh By Thomas Carlyle
Paperback: List Price: $9.27 $4.64 | You Save: 50%
Hint: You can preview this book by clicking on "Preview" which is located under the cover of this book. About the author: Thomas Carlyle (4 December 1795 – 5 February 1881) was a... More > Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher. Considered one of the most important social commentators of his time, he presented many lectures during his lifetime with certain acclaim in the Victorian era. One of those conferences resulted in his famous work On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and The Heroic in History where he explains that the key role in history lies in the actions of the "Great Man", claiming that "History is nothing but the biography of the Great Man".A respected historian, his 1837 book The French Revolution: A History was the inspiration for Dickens' 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities, and remains popular today. Excerpt from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Carlyle< Less
History of Friedrich II of Prussia -- Volume 12 By Thomas Carlyle
On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History By Thomas Carlyle
On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and The Heroic in History is a book by Thomas Carlyle, published with James Fraser, London, in 1841.It is a collection of six lectures given in May 1840. { goto... More > woking Excerpt from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Heroes,_Hero-Worship,_and_The_Heroic_in_History Hint: You can preview this book by clicking on "Preview" which is located under the cover of this book. About the author: Thomas Carlyle (4 December 1795 – 5 February 1881) was a Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher. Considered one of the most important social commentators of his time, he presented many lectures during his lifetime with certain acclaim in the Victorian era. Excerpt from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Carlyle< Less
Early Kings of Norway By Thomas Carlyle

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


State and local governments play an increasingly important role in infrastructure construction. Each year, they spend at least $250 billion on public infrastructure, including transportation, energy and water/sewer system upgrades. But a recent report by the Emerald Cities Collaborative and PolicyLink shows that infrastructure spending will not automatically "lift all boats," especially in historically marginalized communities.
The report highlights the multi-layered challenges that minority-, women-, disadvantaged- and veteran-owned business enterprises (or MWDVBEs) face in competing for infrastructure contracts. To overcome those challenges, governments must be purposeful about connecting local and underrepresented businesses to economic opportunities. That's where inclusive procurement and contracting comes in.
• Prioritize local procurement, especially for underrepresented businesses. Small and medium-sized local businesses, those with fewer than 500 employees, are major engines of job growth. In fact, nearly half of the nation's private sector is employed at a small business, and small businesses are responsible for two out of three net new jobs. They are the secret sauce for spurring the local economy. But these enterprises are often cut out of infrastructure contracts, which favor large prime contractors. That's doubly true for MWDVBEs, which bear a legacy of discrimination in lending, contracting and business ownership. To level the playing field, states and localities should ensure that infrastructure investments give priority consideration to local contractors, including those historically excluded from public-sector opportunities.
• Adopt accessible project delivery methods. Water, energy, transportation and other climate-resilient infrastructure projects are large-scale, multibillion-dollar, long-term endeavors. The process for bidding on these complex projects has become increasingly difficult for smaller contractors. More than three dozen state legislatures have given local governments authority to use public-private partnerships and other innovative project delivery methods to help cut the time, cost and the complexity of these projects. But P3s can undercut local economic development goals. Because they are designed to maximize efficiency and investment returns, P3s tend to bid out large contracts to national or international firms rather than "unbundling" bids to match the capacity of smaller, local contractors.
• Build a robust small-business ecosystem. Finally, success requires improving support systems to help local businesses effectively compete. This includes streamlining the multitude of local, state and agency certification programs and sharing regional data on MWDVBEs available to collaborate on large projects. It is also critical to increase small businesses' access to bonding, insurance and capital; prime contractors can be awarded extra points for helping their smaller subcontractors obtain these essentials. In addition, a small assessment on an infrastructure project can readily capitalize collateral pools to provide credit enhancements for small contractors.
Of course, these strategies run the risk of modestly increasing program costs. But if the axiom that "you get what you pay for" is true, then-if you want good jobs for local residents-you will have to pay for it. With major new infrastructure investments on the horizon, state and local governments are uniquely positioned to put the jobs-vs.-environment myth to rest.


text:
import functools
import locale
import os
import subprocess
import sys
import tempfile
import yaml
from collections import OrderedDict
import projectconfig_yamllib as pcy

def build_list(prefix, renamelist):
    return map(lambda x: "%s/%s" % (prefix, x), renamelist)

def load_yaml_data(filename):
    data = yaml.load(open(filename)) # TODO raise error if open fails
    return data

class ProjectData:
    def __init__(self, data, gitmoves):
        self.data = data
        self.gitmoves = gitmoves

def build_project_data(stacklist, data):
    gitmoves = {}

    for project in data:
        sproject = project['project']
        oproject = sproject.replace('stackforge','openstack',1)
        if sproject in stacklist:
            project['project'] = oproject
            try:
                old = project['acl-config']
                new = old.replace('stackforge','openstack',1)
                project['acl-config'] = new
                gitmoves[old.replace('/home/gerrit2','gerrit')] = new.replace('/home/gerrit2','gerrit')
            except KeyError:
                aclfile = "gerrit/acls/%s.config" % sproject
                if os.path.isfile(aclfile):
                    gitmoves[aclfile] = aclfile.replace('stackforge','openstack',1)

    # this is mildly disgusting
    sorteddata = sorted(data, key=lambda t: locale.strxfrm(t['project'].lower().replace("_", "}")))
    return ProjectData(sorteddata, gitmoves)

def rename_in_projects_yaml(stacklist, data):

    errors = False # TODO add error checking

    newdata = build_project_data(stacklist,data).data

    with open('gerrit/projects.yaml', 'w') as out: # TODO raise error if open fails
        out.write(yaml.dump(newdata, default_flow_style=False,
                            Dumper=pcy.IndentedDumper, width=80))

    return True

def load_channel_data(filename):
    data = yaml.load(open(filename)) # TODO raise error if open fails
    return data

def build_channel_data(stacklist, data):

    for k,v in data.items():
        newprojects = []
        for i in v['projects']:
            if i in stacklist:
                newprojects.append(i.replace('stackforge','openstack',1))
            else:
                newprojects.append(i)

            v['projects'] = sorted(newprojects)

    return data

def rename_in_channels_yaml(stacklist, ydata):

    errors = False # TODO add error handling

    data = build_channel_data(stacklist, ydata)

    with open('gerritbot/channels.yaml', 'w') as out:
        out.write('# This file is sorted alphabetically by channel name.\n')
        first = True
        for k, v in data.items():
            if not first:
                out.write('\n')
            first = False
            out.write(yaml.dump({k: v}, default_flow_style=False,
                                Dumper=pcy.IndentedDumper, width=80, indent=2))

    return True

def rename_with_sed(zuullayout, targetfile, stacklist, openlist):
    errors = False #TODO add error handling

    h, fn = tempfile.mkstemp()
    with os.fdopen(h, 'w') as out:
        for f,t in zip(stacklist,openlist):
            if zuullayout:
                out.write("s#name: %s[[:space:]]*$#name: %s#;\n" % (f,t))
            else:
                out.write("s#%s\\([ /]\\)#%s\\1#;\n" % (f,t))
                out.write("s#%s$#%s#;\n" % (f,t))
        out.flush()
        subprocess.call(['sed', '-f', fn, '-i', targetfile])
    os.unlink(fn)

    return True

filesToChange = {
        'gerrit/projects.yaml'   :  {   'data': False,
                                        'func': rename_in_projects_yaml
                                    },
        'gerritbot/channels.yaml':  {   'data': False,
                                        'func': rename_in_channels_yaml
                                    },
        'zuul/layout.yaml'       :  {   'data': False,
                                        'func': functools.partial(rename_with_sed, True, 'zuul/layout.yaml')
                                    }
}

def main():
    locale.setlocale(locale.LC_COLLATE, 'C')

    yaml.add_constructor(yaml.resolver.BaseResolver.DEFAULT_MAPPING_TAG,
                         pcy.construct_yaml_map)

    yaml.add_representer(OrderedDict, pcy.project_representer,
                         Dumper=pcy.IndentedDumper)

    if os.isatty(0):
        sys.stderr.write('You appear to be typing in the list of projects by hand rather than\n')
        sys.stderr.write('using file redirection or a pipe.  If this is your intent, send an\n')
        sys.stderr.write('EOF by typing Ctrl-D on a blank line after the complete list has\n')
        sys.stderr.write('been entered.\n\n')
    renamelist = [x.rstrip('\n') for x in sys.stdin.readlines()]
    stacklist = build_list('stackforge', renamelist)
    openlist = build_list('openstack', renamelist)
    pdata = build_project_data(stacklist, load_yaml_data('gerrit/projects.yaml'))

    filesToChange['zuul/layout.yaml']['data'] = openlist

    # because Python isn't lazy
    filesToChange['gerrit/projects.yaml']['data'] = pdata.data
    filesToChange['gerritbot/channels.yaml']['data'] = load_yaml_data('gerritbot/channels.yaml')

    for f in filesToChange:
        sys.stderr.write("working on %s\n" % f)
        filesToChange[f]['func'](stacklist, filesToChange[f]['data'])
        subprocess.call(['git', 'add', f])
        sys.stderr.write("updated %s\n" % f)

    for t in os.listdir('jenkins/jobs'):
        f = os.path.join('jenkins/jobs', t)
        sys.stderr.write("working on %s\n" % f)
        rename_with_sed(False, f, stacklist, openlist)
        subprocess.call(['git', 'add', f])
        sys.stderr.write("updated %s\n" % f)

    for s,o in pdata.gitmoves.items():
        sys.stderr.write("renaming %s to %s\n" % (s, o))
        subprocess.call(['git', 'mv', s, o])

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Brief: what's in a label?
By Shona Murray, Greg Lory • last updated: 12/11/2019
The European Parliament wants consumers to be more aware of the nutritional quality of food and are introducing nutriscore.
This color tool is meant to help consumers when grocery shopping. Green MEPs and civil society groups want to make this label mandatory throughout the European Union in order for the scheme to become fully effective. A Citizens initiative launched a few weeks ago aims to convince the Commission to spread nutriscore across the EU.
"There is a growing interest that is coming to the fore and the Commission is obliged by the 2011 regulations to introduce a review process for nutritional food value, so why not propose the introduction of a mandatory nutri-score at European level? It would mean harmonizing so that all producers are actually subject to the same rules. And that's good for competition, the internal market and it's good for the consumers," says Monique Goyens from European Consumers organisation BEUC.
Some Member States have already adopted nutri-score According to studies, it is successful and producers, distributors and consumers are convinced that this is the way forward.
Climate Strikes around the world are the biggest protest movement this year. The Collins Dictionary has chosen Climate Strike as Word of the Year. And European Commission vice president Frans Timmermans used the occasion to restate his commitment to the fight against Climate change. He is the man tasked with the new Commission signature policy: the European Green Deal, aiming at achieving the first climate-neutral continent.
The EU's top court rejected a decision from the European Parliament against Brexiteer MEP Nigel Farage that demanded a political group linked to him reimburse thousands of euros in EU funds.
The group was instructed in 2016 to repay almost 180 thousand euros after the European Parliament ruled it had misspent EU funds on Mr Farage's national campaign in Britain.
The Parliament said Mr Farage broke EU spending rules but the European Court of Justice has over-ruled this decision.
Greens win mayoral runoffs in Germany's most populous state
France's Green Party: A local phenomenon or an emerging national party?
Five takeaways from France's local elections: Green wave, Macron, far-right, turnout and key divides
Food for fish


text:
class CreateDocumentNumbers < ActiveRecord::Migration
  def change
    create_table :document_numbers do |t|
      t.string   :document
      t.integer  :number, :null => false, :default => 1
      t.datetime :created_at
    end
    add_index :document_numbers, :document, :unique => true
  end
end


In the event that you in like manner need to attempt your fortunes in donning exercises betting like various different swaggerers, at that point you have to perceive the little thoughts and furthermore bearings of web wearing exercises betting. I am endeavoring to comprise of a portion of these thoughts in this article, and furthermore trust this may enable you to out. Select the privilege wearing action the as a matter of first importance feature of donning exercises betting is to pick the best brandishing action. Picking the correct games may raise the triumphant probabilities by 3%. Place your wager contrary to the overall population the successful card sharks pronounce that putting down the wager versus the general population is ordinarily fulfilling.
Get arranged before you put down the wager if you wish to win your wager, the best strategy is to complete a well report before setting your bet. Do your exploration and furthermore care for each feature of net donning exercises betting. People ordinarily overlook this reality, and position the bet in pomposity. Incidentally soccer betting even the bookmakers of brandishing exercises betting commits this error. Eventually one ends up proficient and furthermore calls for less research study and creates a specialty to position the wager. Though it might show up somewhat odd anyway it is suitable measurably. It is always an incredible idea to position the wager on a dark horse in your home. This procedure may help you in expanding the triumphant probabilities moreover.


Wetland Riders chronicles the battle that Louisiana's commercial fishermen have fought to maintain their right to catch and sell fish from their state's coastal waters and to continue a traditional way of life that has sustained Louisiana families for generations. The book chronicles the struggles of the fishermen, almost totally the operators of small, family run businesses, against a powerful, organized recreational fishing lobby intent on forcing them out of business.
Along with a riveting "insiders" view of state-level politics in Louisiana, Mr. Fritchey's book provides an accurate and engaging portrait of the commercial fishermen who are struggling to hold on to a way of life that seems at odds with - and helpless in the face of - modern pressure politics. Contributing significantly to the value and accuracy of Mr. Fritchey's observations is the fact that he is a commercial fisherman himself.
For anyone interested in a detailed description of how resource allocation decisions are being made in the United States, in an intimate introduction to a traditional way of life that is being increasingly threatened in modern America, or in the "public be damned" attitude of some of the sportfishing elite, this book is required reading.
For an opinion of netban legislation by a (non-fishing, we presume) Mississippi editorial writer.


text:
Anitta's Song "Faz Gostoso" With Madonna was Released
The song is on the Queen of Pop's new album, "Madame X" - released this Friday, June 14th. Madonna also sings in Portuguese.
Contributing Reporter
By Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - As a result of Madonna's collaboration with Anitta, the song released this Friday, June 14th, as part of Madonna's album "Madame X" and acclaimed by foreign critics, "Faz Gostoso" is the re-recording of a huge success by Luso-Brazilian singer Blaya which topped the charts in Portugal for months.
The American singer surprises from the start, singing parts in Portuguese, followed by the Brazilian diva with her parts in English.
"All I want to say today . . .
Previous articleBrazil's C-Section Rate is Almost Twice as High as in the U.S.
Next articleInflation in Brazil Slows for all Social Groups, Says Research
Through the years we have had over a hundred freelance reporters and contributors writing for us, and we thank them all for their work.
FIFA Discloses That Brazil Tops World Player Sales Ranking in 2020
Moderna Believes Its Vaccine Will Work Against New Variants
Super-rich Recovered Pandemic Losses in Record Time, Report Says
The Brazilian Livestreams Guide for Saturday, January 23, 2021
In Mexico, Archaeologists Reveal a Story of Cannibalism and Conquest
Neither Company Earnings Nor Data: Vaccines Now Steering Investor Sentiment
Ivermectin May Reduce Risk of Covid-19 Death by Up to 75% – Unverified Meta-analysis
The Brazilian Livestreams Guide for Friday, January 22, 2021
Latest Queer Festival Darling 'The Strong Ones' from Chile Convinces With Unforced Naturalism and Sense of Intimate Authenticity
Tasting Coffee Through Your Ears and Eyes? New Café de Colombia Campaign Shows You How


text:
Q: Use Python for Creating JSON I want to use Python for creating JSON.
Since I found no library which can help me, I want to know if it's possible to inspect the order of the classes in a Python file?
Example
# example.py
class Foo:
    pass

class Bar:
    pass

If I import example, I want to know the order of the classes. In this case it is [Foo, Bar] and not [Bar, Foo].
Is this possible? If "yes", how?
Background
I am not happy with yaml/json. I have the vague idea to create config via Python classes (only classes, not instantiation to objects).
Answers which help me to get to my goal (Create JSON with a tool which is easy and fun to use) are welcome.

A: The inspect module can tell the line numbers of the class declarations:
import inspect

def get_classes(module):
    for name, value in inspect.getmembers(module):
        if inspect.isclass(value):
            _, line = inspect.getsourcelines(value)
            yield line, name

So the following code:
import example

for line, name in sorted(get_classes(example)):
    print line, name

Prints:
2 Foo
5 Bar

A: First up, as I see it, there are 2 things you can do...

*

*Continue pursuing to use Python source files as configuration files. (I won't recommend this. It's analogous to using a bulldozer to strike a nail or converting a shotgun to a wheel)

*Switch to something like TOML, JSON or YAML for configuration files, which are designed for the job.
Nothing in JSON or YAML prevents them from holding "ordered" key-value pairs. Python's dict data type is unordered by default (at least till 3.5) and list data type is ordered. These map directly to object and array in JSON respectively, when using the default loaders. Just use something like Python's OrderedDict when deserializing them and voila, you preserve order!

With that out of the way, if you really want to use Python source files for the configuration, I suggest trying to process the file using the ast module. Abstract Syntax Trees are a powerful tool for syntax level analysis.
I whipped a quick script for extracting class line numbers and names from a file.
You (or anyone really) can use it or extend it to be more extensive and have more checks if you want for whatever you want.
import sys
import ast
import json

class ClassNodeVisitor(ast.NodeVisitor):

    def __init__(self):
        super(ClassNodeVisitor, self).__init__()
        self.class_defs = []

    def visit(self, node):
        super(ClassNodeVisitor, self).visit(node)
        return self.class_defs

    def visit_ClassDef(self, node):
        self.class_defs.append(node)

def read_file(fpath):
    with open(fpath) as f:
        return f.read()

def get_classes_from_text(text):
    try:
        tree = ast.parse(text)
    except Exception as e:
        raise e

    class_extractor = ClassNodeVisitor()

    li = []
    for definition in class_extractor.visit(tree):
        li.append([definition.lineno, definition.name])

    return li

def main():
    fpath = "/tmp/input_file.py"

    try:
        text = read_file(fpath)
    except Exception as e:
        print("Could not load file due to " + repr(e))
        return 1

    print(json.dumps(get_classes_from_text(text), indent=4))

if __name__ == '__main__':
    sys.exit(main())

Here's a sample run on the following file:
input_file.py:
class Foo:
    pass

class Bar:
    pass

Output:
$ py_to_json.py input_file.py
[
    [
        1,
        "Foo"
    ],
    [
        5,
        "Bar"
    ]
]

If I import example,

If you're going to import the module, the example module to be on the import path. Importing means executing any Python code in the example module. This is a pretty big security hole - you're loading a user-editable file in the same context as the rest of the application.

A: (Moving my comments to an answer)
That's a great vague idea. You should give Figura a shot!  It does exactly that.
(Full disclosure: I'm the author of Figura.)
I should point out the order of declarations is not preserved in Figura, and also not in json.
I'm not sure about order-preservation in YAML, but I did find this on wikipedia:

... according to the specification, mapping keys do not have an order

It might be the case that specific YAML parsers maintain the order, though they aren't required to.

A: I'm assuming that since you care about preserving class-definition order, you also care about preserving the order of definitions within each class.
It is worth pointing out that is now the default behavior in python, since python3.6.
Aslo see PEP 520: Preserving Class Attribute Definition Order.

A: You can use a metaclass to record each class's creation time, and later, sort the classes by it.
This works in python2:
class CreationTimeMetaClass(type):
    creation_index = 0
    def __new__(cls, clsname, bases, dct):
        dct['__creation_index__'] = cls.creation_index
        cls.creation_index += 1
        return type.__new__(cls, clsname, bases, dct)

__metaclass__ = CreationTimeMetaClass

class Foo: pass
class Bar: pass

classes = [ cls for cls in globals().values() if hasattr(cls, '__creation_index__') ]
print(sorted(classes, key = lambda cls: cls.__creation_index__))

A: The standard json module is easy to use and works well for reading and writing JSON config files.
Objects are not ordered within JSON structures but lists/arrays are, so put order dependent information into a list.
I have used classes as a configuration tool, the thing I did was to derive them from a base class which was customised by the particular class variables. By using the class like this I did not need a factory class. For example:
from .artifact import Application
class TempLogger(Application): partno='03459'; path='c:/apps/templog.exe'; flag=True
class GUIDisplay(Application): partno='03821'; path='c:/apps/displayer.exe'; flag=False

in the installation script
from .install import Installer
import app_configs

installer = Installer(apps=(TempLogger(), GUIDisplay()))
installer.baseline('1.4.3.3475')
print installer.versions()
print installer.bill_of_materials()

One should use the right tools for the job, so perhaps python classes are not the right tool if you need ordering.
Another python tool I have used to create JSON files is Mako templating system. This is very powerful. We used it to populate variables like IP addresses etc into static JSON files that were then read by C++ programs.

A: I'm not sure if this is answers your question, but it might be relevant. Take a look at the excellent attrs module. It's great for creating classes to use as data types.
Here's an example from glyph's blog (creator of Twisted Python):
import attr
@attr.s
class Point3D(object):
    x = attr.ib()
    y = attr.ib()
    z = attr.ib()

It saves you writing a lot of boilerplate code - you get things like str representation and comparison for free, and the module has a convenient asdict function which you can pass to the json library:
>>> p = Point3D(1, 2, 3)
>>> str(p)
'Point3D(x=1, y=2, z=3)'
>>> p == Point3D(1, 2, 3)
True
>>> json.dumps(attr.asdict(p))
'{"y": 2, "x": 1, "z": 3}'

The module uses a strange naming convention, but read attr.s as "attrs" and attr.ib as "attrib" and you'll be okay.

A: Just touching the point about creating JSON from python. there is an excellent library called jsonpickle which lets you dump python objects to json. (and using this alone or with other methods mentioned here you can probably get what you wanted)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Nature Valley Grand Prix women's race is joining the men's as an invitational in 2009. Both races filled in 2008, with teams being turned away. The men's race had filled for the past five years, but this was a first for the women.
"The popularity of our women's race has grown steadily", said Nature Valley Grand Prix promoter David LaPorte. "We're the third of four stops on the Women's Prestige Cycling Series, a program that we coordinate. We're also the destination event for two national women's programs. The Women's Collegiate All Stars will be selected at the USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships, held May 8 - 10 in Fort Collins, CO. And the Nature Valley Pro Ride is selecting the men's and women's Nature Valley Cycling Teams at regional events around the county."
"Colavita Sutter Home definitely has been planning to do the Nature Valley Grand Prix, invitation notwithstanding!", said Iona Wynter Parks, the women's team's director. "I think it is a good idea to invite, it is an event that seems to have no trouble getting entrants/ numbers."
Applications are now open and can be found on the event web site under NVGP > Racer Technical Info. The application deadline is May 1st and invitations will be issued by May 8. The Nature Valley Grand Prix will be held June 10 - 14.


text:
Home » Currents » Emergency Task Force Honored With Times Square Billboard After Helping Millions During the Pandemic
Emergency Task Force Honored With Times Square Billboard After Helping Millions During the Pandemic
Air date May 28, 2020
Tags: Currents Brooklyn Diocese, Brooklyn, NY, DeSales Media, DeSales Media Group, Faith, Inspiration, Queens, NY, Times Square
By Emily Drooby
On May 27, the DeSales Media Group Emergency Task Force was honored with a billboard in Times Square.
"We've been working straight through for the past two months, non-stop, so we are being thanked," explained Vincent LeVien, Director of Government and External Affairs for DeSales Media Group, who has been running the Task Force.
Under the bright lights, fellow members watched as their name was projected high above the crossroads of the world. They were surrounded by the names of other groups who have also been fighting on the frontlines of the global pandemic.
There was another bright light in Times Square on Wednesday night; tens of thousands of masks, all on the way to churches in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
"We are in this together, we want to help people and we are grateful to be a volunteer in the crisis and to help people with need," said Frank Yao. His group, the Life Preservation Initiative, donated the masks.
They have been working in tandem with the Emergency Task Force during the pandemic, and they were also behind the billboard idea.
They have already given the Diocese of Brooklyn 40,000 masks. Between Wednesday's load at Times Square and a second load the Task Force picked up at the 14th Street Salvation Army, they have given 120,000 masks.
They also gave 120,000 to the Salvation Army. These masks are essential, because they allow churches in Brooklyn and Queens to open their doors.
"I think it will help in bringing people back to our churches and make them feel comfortable when they walk into the church," said LeVien.
Everyone parishioner must wear one during phase one of the Brooklyn Diocese church reopening plan.
Throughout the pandemic, the Task Force has been working on the front lines. They have done everything from bring food to hospitals, to getting the body of beloved Brooklyn priest Jorge Ortiz-Garay back to Mexico.
Getting these masks to the parishes who so desperately need them is the last pandemic task they will tackle as of now.


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Category: newsfeed
Christie: Is Gov. Rick Scott to blame for the worsening red tide, toxic algae blooms?
Lifeguards at Riviera Beach beach wear covering over their faces. The life guards (did not want to give names) said that if asked they would advise people not to risk a beach visit. Many beaches remains open Sunday morning while others remained closed to to Red Tide warnings. (Melanie Bell / The Palm Beach Post)
For years now, coastal Palm Beach County residents has been able to watch the environmental disasters caused by toxic blue-green algae and red tide from afar.
We've watched our neighbors to the north in the Treasure Coast have their lives buffeted; our fellow county residents to the west in the Glades have their way of life threatened; and our fellow coastal residents in Southwest Florida shutter businesses.
RELATED: Beaches remain closed due to 'airborne irritant'
But that was before this weekend. Before the red tide we've all been reading about elsewhere in the state was suspected of making the air so bad here that local health officials in Martin and Palm Beach counties were forced to shut down 27 miles of beaches.
Health officials, on Monday, were still trying to confirm that it is indeed red tide that forced beachgoers — especially those with respiratory issues — to stay away, and had many complaining about burning eyes.
Jill Desplain brings her daughter Quinn in from the surf. She is visiting from Kentucky and and was unaware of the red tide warnings. Riviera Beach beach remains open Sunday morning while other beaches are closed due to Red Tide warnings. (Melanie Bell / The Palm Beach Post)
Apropos that at the center of it all is Gov. Rick Scott and his dismal environmental record of budget cutting and lax regulation. But will county residents blame Scott for if the red tide disaster has indeed made it to our shores?
If it is red tide, this may be a game-changer for Scott — who prides himself among other things on shamelessly promoting our state's all-important tourism industry. The embattled governor, who has already been taking hits for weeks in every coastal community he deigns to visit, usually sees Palm Beach County as a sanctuary for the Scott train. In fact, he was just here a couple weeks ago raising money in Palm Beach with former President George W. Bush.
RELATED: Editorial: Scott must answer for environmental malpractice
That was then. Today, drivers can see signs for "Red Tide Rick" hanging from Florida's Turnpike overpasses in the county. And again, if health officials confirm that red tide is the cause of the current "airborne irritant" at our beaches, Scott may have to scratch another coastal haunt off of his U.S. Senate campaign tour for a while.
Take our poll here, and let us know what you think: Is Scott's handling of the environment to blame for the worse-than-normal red tide and toxic blue-green algae blooms?
Author Rick ChristiePosted on October 1, 2018 October 1, 2018 Categories Environment, Florida, Local, newsfeedTags Beaches, bnblogs, environment, Everglades, Florida's Turnpike, George W. Bush, Glades, Gov. Rick Scott, Martin County, news, newsfeeds, Palm Beach County, Politics, red tide, Southwest Florida, tourism, tourists, toxic algae, Treasure Coast, U.S. SenateLeave a comment on Christie: Is Gov. Rick Scott to blame for the worsening red tide, toxic algae blooms?
Today's poll: What should Rod Rosenstein do?
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. (Stephen Crowley/The New York Times)
President Trump has been on constant attack against Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and potential collusion by the Trump campaign.
On Monday, reports were rife that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Mueller's protector, was on the verge of resigning — or was holding out for being fired.
The tumult followed a shocking New York Times report on Friday that said Rosenstein last year had been so shaken by the firing of FBI Director James Comey that he contemplated wearing a wire when meeting with Trump and invoking the 25th Amendment provisions for Cabinet members removing a president deemed unfit to fulfill his duties.
Rosenstein is scheduled to talk with Trump on Thursday.
At stake is whether the Mueller investigation will be allowed to continue in an independent way, without interference from the president, who potentially has much to lose from the probe's findings.
What should Rosenstein do?
Author Howard GoodmanPosted on September 24, 2018 September 24, 2018 Categories Elections, National, newsfeed, Scandals, trumpTags Donald Trump, Mueller investigation, news, President Donald Trump, Robert Mueller, Rod RosensteinLeave a comment on Today's poll: What should Rod Rosenstein do?
Christie: Sex assault allegations make it tough to have Kavanaugh confirmation vote
Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault is willing to testify about her allegations before Congress, her attorney said Monday. (T.J. Kirkpatrick/The New York Times)
As the old saw goes: "What a difference a day makes."
On Saturday, the sexual assault allegations contained in a leaked confidential letter from U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was being treated like an act of political desperation on the part of Democrats.
In fact, it was being characterized as a joke by many political insiders and even veteran journalists, as this Friday image from editorial cartoonist Signe Wilkinson shows:
CARTOON VIEW SIGNE WILKINSON
By Sunday morning, however, the allegations were no longer joke-worthy. Christine Blasey Ford, a Stanford University research psychologist, told The Washington Post that she is the woman alleging that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her more than three decades ago, when they were high school students in suburban Maryland.
As one might expect, no one's been laughing since. In this age of #MeToo, when powerful men are being taken down all over the place for sexual misconduct going back years, the seriousness of Ford's allegations cannot be understated.
To that end, Wilkinson caught on quick and sent out another cartoon Monday morning:
For the record, Kavanaugh has strenuously denied that the sexual assault recounted by Ford ever happened. A Republican-leaning group is preparing to launch a $1.5 million advertising and marketing campaign in his defense; focusing I'm sure on how desperate Dems timed the release of these allegations to shut down an upcoming vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Well, mission accomplished.
There's really no way, either politically or ethically, that the Republican-controlled Senate can move forward without a complete airing of these accusations. Truth be told, the Kavanaugh confirmation process has been a politically motivated cluster from the beginning. After being rushed by the Republican leadership, tens of thousands of pages of documents were dumped on Democratic committee members hours before the confirmation hearings began. Democrats, knowing they couldn't stop the confirmation, fostered an almost circus-like atmosphere during the hearings.
It's been almost laughable. Which is probably why when Feinstein released Ford's letter, in which Ford had asked to remain anonymous, most saw it as just a last-ditch attempt to stymie the inevitable.
But then Ford, seeing this decided that she wanted to be the one to tell her story. To say that she isn't a joke. That she alone has had to bear this trauma for 35 years; and that despite a successful career, marriage and family, the scars from being held down with a hand over your mouth while your clothes are being pulled at never really go away.
This is what Republican leaders must now navigate. They must somehow re-assure the thousands of American women like Ford. Though highly educated and successful, they carry around the memory of heinous incidents from their youth that they are loathe to discuss, even with those closest to them.
And by the way, here we are again, nearly 30 years after the infamous confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, with a group of old, white men — at least on the GOP side of the judiciary committee — presiding over a woman's virtue.
But this is not the same culture that greeted Anita Hill.
Not taking the claims of woman willing to go public, and on the record with serious allegations of sexual assault allegations would likely carry a steep political price for the party in power.
Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) of the Senate Judiciary Committee during an executive business meeting to consider the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)
Thus, Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley has already offered for both Ford and Kavanaugh (again, who denies the allegations) to testify before the committee. But not in public.
As of Monday, Grassley and the rest of the GOP leadership still seem determined to rush this confirmation through.
That could be a mistake, especially since Ford has offered to testify publicly. Also, at least two GOP senators — Susan Collins of Maine and Jeff Flake of Arizona (a member of the judiciary committee) are no longer solid "yes" votes for Kavanaugh. And that can hardly be afforded with a narrow 51-49 vote margin in the Senate.
To be sure, the margin for error for handling Ford's allegations against Kavanaugh is razor thin. But the GOP also faces a political deadline in that their control of the Senate could be gone on Nov. 6.
The Senate could delay a confirmation vote on Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination to allow for a complete vetting of the sexual assault allegations against him.
But should it?
Take our poll and let us know what you think.
Author Rick ChristiePosted on September 17, 2018 September 17, 2018 Categories National, newsfeed, Politics, Women's issuesTags #MeToo, 2018 elections, Anita Hill, bnblogs, Brett Kavanaugh, Charles Grassley, Christine Blasey Ford, Clarence Thomas, Democratic Party, Jeff Flake, Maryland, news, newsfeeds, Politics, Republican Party, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Stanford University, Susan Collins, U.S. Senate, U.S. Supreme CourtLeave a comment on Christie: Sex assault allegations make it tough to have Kavanaugh confirmation vote
Goodman: Serena's meltdown was thievery, too
Serena Williams of the U.S. and Naomi Osaka of Japan at the trophy ceremony for the U.S. Open after Osaka defeated Williams in the final at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, Sept. 8, 2018. (Chang W. Lee/The New York Times)
Serena Williams put on a deeply disappointing display on Saturday. Her unconstrained anger over an umpire's call ruined the U.S. Open women's tennis singles final and completely deflated the stunning victory of a 20-year-old champion who has idolized the legendary 36-year-old icon all her life.
Yes, the chair umpire robbed Serena of a game, which basically put the uphill match out of reach for her. But Williams robbed the newcomer Naomi Osaka of something irreplaceable, the joy she should have had in winning her first Grand Slam and the clamor and attention that should now be washing over this rising star.
And yes, I know that double standards based on sexism exist in tennis, and that Palm Beach Gardens' most famous resident could be absolutely right that umpire Carlos Ramos was excessively hard on her because of that. That's the view of the incomparable Billie Jean King, who applauded Serena for standing up for women, and of the six-time U.S. Open champ, Boca Raton's Chris Evert. That's how it looked to my wife, watching TV with me as the incredible sequence of events unfolded on Saturday afternoon.
The hard-hitting Washington Post columnist Sally Jenkins laid out that case with blunt authority:
Ramos took what began as a minor infraction and turned it into one of the nastiest and most emotional controversies in the history of tennis, all because he couldn't take a woman speaking sharply to him.
My reaction was different. I was really stunned that Serena exploded — and then wouldn't let go. Ramos did start things off by making a questionable call: that the struggling champ had been getting signals from her coach in the stands. Ramos penalized her with a warning.
But Serena immediately turned it into a judgment of her honor and character. "I don't cheat to win, I'd rather lose," she pleaded.
Never mind that the infraction was no indictment of her behavior, let alone her character. It was against the coach for gesturing. Ramos might have cooled things down right then if he had pointed that out to her.
Then, a little while later, Serena hit a backhand into the net, an unforced error, and smashed her racket in fury. Sorry, that's not championship behavior. I hated it when John McEnroe did it, and I hated to see her do it. And she made it no more palatable by dressing it up as an act of sisterhood: Hey, women should have every right to be as obnoxious as the men!
It so happens that Martina Navritalova, no slouch as a warrior for women's dignity, agrees with me, writing: "We cannot measure ourselves by what we think we should also be able to get away with. In fact, this is the sort of behavior that no one should be engaging in on the court."
For throwing the racket, Ramos properly charged Williams with a penalty. This second infraction cost her a point.
The context: We were in the second set. Williams had lost the first set, soundly, 6-2. She was losing this one. She wasn't moving around the court well. Her serve was failing her. And Osaka had nothing but poise. The young Japanese-American-Haitian who got her training in Fort Lauderdale, now on the Arthur Ashe Stadium stage before a worldwide audience, was firm, focused, fluid and hitting with accuracy.
But Williams couldn't drop it. She approached the chair and demanded an apology — which, c'mon, was never going to happen. Referees don't do that, no matter the sport.
Then she went completely off the rails with a rant about being a mother and raising her daughter to "stand for what's right for her." Serena now seemed to me like someone carrying too heavy a load, not just a tennis champ chasing records for all-time, but a very self-conscious role model out to show that she could bounce back from a maternity leave, be a standard bearer for a new-model kind of strong, black femininity and perform at the highest level of her sport, all at the same time.
Even after the match resumed, and Osaka won another game, to lead 4-3, Williams resumed the argument and called Ramos a "liar" and "a thief."
That was it. Penalty number three. Which meant Serena lost a full game. Just like that, it was Osaka, 5-3, and needing to win just one more game for the championship trophy.
Was that fair? Not really. Ramos could, and should, have played it cooler. But the real problem was that Williams should have got hold of her emotions before that final outburst.
It seems to me that you can't win at anything if you don't put your emotions on hold and focus on the challenge at hand. (Sure, the anger worked for McEnroe, but he is that unusual psychological type, the person who blows up and then feels calm and rejuvenated, no matter how anyone else around them feels.) Most of us can't function well at all when we're clouded by rage.
The fact is, bad calls happen. They even happen to great athletes. The job of the athlete is to compartmentalize it. Put it aside. Put yourself back in the match.
Then, after you've lost or won, complain and campaign all you want.
Is this hard to do? Hell, yes. I doubt that I could banish my anger from my mind if I thought my integrity had been impugned. I would be beside myself with rage. But I'm not a champion. She is. You only get to be a champion of Serena Williams' caliber with very strong mental discipline – which she has had to employ for years, given the umpteen obstacles she was forced to overcome to dominate in such a white person's sport.
Serena, the six-time U.S. Open champion, did not have that discipline on Saturday. In front of a crowd that really, really wanted to see her regain the crown for the first time since 2014.
All this said, I wonder why women's tennis doesn't insist on female umpiring. If pro-male bias is so insidious in this sport, then why not take the decision-making out of men's hands altogether?
Author Howard GoodmanPosted on September 10, 2018 September 10, 2018 Categories National, newsfeed, Sports, Women's issuesTags Billie Jean King, bnblogs, Boca Raton, Carlos Ramos, Chris Evert, feminism, Fort Lauderdale, Martina Navratilova, Naomi Osaka, news, newsfeed, Palm Beach County, Palm Beach Gardens, Serena Williams, tennis, U.S. OpenLeave a comment on Goodman: Serena's meltdown was thievery, too


Does your WHY both excite you and scare you? If it does both, you are on the right track. If not, you are playing small. Think of upping your game and "Go Big or Go Home".
Don't make the mistake that the object of your why is money – it should run much deeper than that.
If you don't know what your big WHY is, think of what your burning desire is. Why do you want it? And keep asking "WHY" several levels deep – that takes you to the core of it all. I'm not going to give it away, but try the exercise and let me know what you come up with.
The core for most people is pretty similar – we just have different ways of getting there.
Your way the the right way for YOU.
You start from wherever you happen to be: decide to put a floor there, below which you will not go. There is no need to hit rock bottom. Once you have decided to put a floor in place, you now know the only way is up. Get moving, and opportunity (in the form of your subconscious seeking solutions to get to your stated goal) will present itself as an inspired idea or intuition. Take it and be fearless. You are not guaranteed success in everything every time, but you will learn from the things that do not work and figure out what does work – that is the road to success.
For more, subscribe to my newsletter – there will be special offers and news, hot off the press.
You want to leverage your time to create a successful online business? CLICK HERE to get started now!


Ok. this is kinda cool. do more.
This is some mildly funny moments I saw while on the chat, and I THOUGHT I might just put it up on here for the people who weren't on. But as they say, you kinda had to be there.
-SirGamealot-: I just injected cowz.
Cowzrock: I choked on my root beer again.
Roo: i really need to pee now..
-SirGamealot-: we want a show.
Cowzrock: ITS A F CKIN' RINGPOP.
Vote in the poll whether I should do more.
Okay, While you guys still vote i'm going to do another, for the ones who like this, (which is the majority,) but it's INCREDIBLY SHORT.
I think everyone should post funny moments here. Melikes.
Booshkah: I've got skittles in my mouth... wanna taste the rainbow?
this is a lie brought upon by the evil liberal agenda.
Except from that, [You have send a link]? The dutch fail at grammar even in the flash chat?


Max Maxworthy was recently interviewed for the Fintech Focus Podcast from Benzinga Staff Writer Spencer White, on how Fintech has transformed since the start of his career, and also the upcoming trends in the Fintech space in 2019. See below for an excerpt of the podcast episode, and to listen, please click here.
"When you do an M&A deal, and a lot of it just doesn't come down to the financials. A lot of it comes down to the strategic vision of the management teams coming together, the personality of the management teams coming together. The three, four, five-year horizon of where each kind of thinks where the combined business could go, that has a huge factor.
To listen to the full podcast episode, please click here.


text:
Earlier today, Griffon announced it entered into a definitive agreement to sell Clopay Plastic Products Company, Inc. ("PPC") to Berry Global Group, Inc. (NYSE:BERY) for $475 million in cash. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2018. Griffon has classified PPC as a discontinued operations and accordingly our continuing operations results include Home and Building Products ("HBP") and Telephonics Corporation ("Telephonics").
On October 2, 2017, Griffon completed the acquisition of ClosetMaid, a market leader of home storage and organization products, for approximately $200 million, or $175 million inclusive of the net present value of tax benefits. ClosetMaid adds to Griffon's HBP segment, complementing and diversifying our portfolio of leading consumer brands and products. ClosetMaid is expected to generate approximately $300 million in revenue in the first twelve months after the acquisition.
Ronald J. Kramer, Chief Executive Officer, commented "2017 has been a transformational year for Griffon. We have significantly grown our HBP segment through the acquisitions of ClosetMaid, Hills, La Hacienda, Tuscan Path and Harper and will unlock value and strengthen our capital position through the divestiture of Clopay Plastics. These strategic initiatives will build on our proven track record of increasing operating margins and improving our financial performance. We are poised to enhance our free cash flow and continue to deliver superior shareholder returns through organic growth and further acquisitions. I am very excited about Griffon's future."
Fourth quarter revenue from continuing operations of $431 million increased 15% compared to the prior year quarter revenue of $374 million. HBP and Telephonics revenue increased 17% and 11%, respectively. Inclusive of PPC, fourth quarter revenue of $550 million increased 10% compared to the prior year quarter of $501 million.
Fourth quarter net loss totaled $12.0 million, or $0.29 per share, compared to net income of $5.5 million, or $0.13 per share, in the prior year quarter. Current quarter results included acquisition costs of $9.6 million ($6.1 million net of tax, or $0.14 per share), Telephonics contract settlement charge of $5.1 million ($3.3 million, net of tax, or $0.08 per share), environmental and warranty reserves totaling $5.7 million ($3.7 million, net of tax, or $0.09 per share) and discrete and certain other tax provisions of $14.5 million or $0.34 per share. The prior year quarter included discrete tax provisions, net of $6.0 million, or $0.14 per share. Excluding these items from both periods, current quarter adjusted net income was $15.7 million, or $0.36 per share increasing 36% from $11.5 million, or $0.27 per share, in the prior year quarter. Income from continuing operations was $4.3 million, or $0.10 per share, compared to $4.1 million, or $0.10 per share, in the prior year quarter. Adjusted income from continuing operations was $12.0 million, or $0.28 per share compared to $6.4 million, or $0.15 per share in the prior year quarter.
Fourth quarter Segment adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations totaled $54 million, increasing 13% from the prior year quarter of $47 million. Inclusive of PPC, Segment adjusted EBITDA totaled $67 million, increasing 11% from the prior year quarter of $60 million. Segment adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income excluding interest income and expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, unallocated amounts (mainly corporate overhead), restructuring charges, loss on debt extinguishment and acquisition related expenses, as well as other items that may affect comparability, as applicable ("Segment adjusted EBITDA", a non-GAAP measure).
For the full year 2017, revenue from continuing operations totaled $1,525 million, increasing 3% from the prior year. HBP increased 7% and Telephonics decreased 6%, all in comparison to the prior year. Revenue inclusive of PPC totaled $1,986 million increasing 1.5% from the prior year.
For the full year 2017, net income totaled $14.9 million, or $0.35 per share, compared to $30.0 million million, or $0.68 per share, in the prior year. Current year results included acquisition costs of $9.6 million ($6.1 million net of tax, or $0.14 per share), Telephonics contract settlement charges of $5.1 million ($3.3 million, net of tax, or $0.08 per share), environmental and warranty reserves totaling $5.7 million ($3.7 million, net of tax, or $0.09 per share) and discrete and certain other tax provisions of $9.4 million or $0.22 per share. The prior year included restructuring costs of $5.9 million ($4.2 million net of tax, or $0.10 per share) and discrete and certain other tax provisions $2.7 million or $0.06 per share. Excluding these items, current year adjusted net income was $37.4 million, or $0.87 per share, compared to $36.9 million, or $0.84 per share, in the prior year. Income from continuing operations was $17.8 million or $0.41 per share compared to $19.8 million or $0.45 per share in the prior year. Adjusted income from continuing operations was $19.0 million or $0.44 per share compared to $18.9 million or $0.43 per share in the prior year.
For the full year 2017, Segment adjusted EBITDA, inclusive of PPC, totaled $225 million, increasing 3% compared to $218 million in the prior year. Segment adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations totaled $173 million, increasing 3% from the prior year of $168 million.
Revenue in the current quarter totaling $287 million increased 17% from the prior year quarter. The AMES Companies, Inc. ("AMES") revenue increased 17% compared to the prior year quarter, due to increased U.S. garden tool and wheelbarrow sales, improved Canadian snow tool sales, UK market expansion and contribution from the La Hacienda and Hills acquisitions. Clopay Building Products Company, Inc. ("CBP") revenue increased 17%, due to increased volume, pricing, and favorable mix.
Fourth quarter Segment adjusted EBITDA was $34 million, increasing 28% from the prior year quarter due to the benefit of increased sales and favorable product mix, partially offset by increased steel and resin costs.
Revenue in 2017 totaled $1,113 million, increasing 7% from the prior year. AMES revenue increased 6%, primarily due to increased UK market expansion and contributions from the La Hacienda and Hills acquisitions, and increased Canadian snow and lawn tools sales. CBP revenue increased 8% from the prior year period, primarily due to increased volume, pricing and favorable mix.
Segment adjusted EBITDA for 2017 was $127 million, increasing 10% compared to the prior year. The increase was primarily due to the benefit from increased revenue and favorable product mix, partially offset by increased steel and resin costs.
On November 6, 2017, AMES acquired Harper Brush Works ("Harper"), a division of Horizon Global, for approximately $5 million. Harper is a leading U.S. manufacturer of cleaning products for professional, home, and industrial use. The acquisition will broaden AMES' long-handle tool offering in North America to include brooms, brushes, and other cleaning tools and accessories. The acquisition is expected to contribute approximately $10 million in revenue in the first twelve months after the acquisition.
On September 29, 2017, AMES Australia completed the acquisition of Tuscan Landscape Group Pty, Ltd. ("Tuscan Path"), a leading Australian provider of pots, planters, pavers, decorative stone, and garden decor products, for approximately $18 million (AUD 22 million). The acquisition of Tuscan Path broadens AMES' outdoor living and lawn and garden business, and will strengthen AMES' industry leading position in Australia. Tuscan Path is expected to generate approximately AUD 25 million of revenue in the first twelve months after the acquisition.
On July 31, 2017, The AMES Companies, Inc. acquired La Hacienda Limited ("La Hacienda"), a leading United Kingdom outdoor living brand of unique heating and garden decor products, for approximately $11 million (GBP 9 million). The acquisition of La Hacienda broadens AMES' global outdoor living and lawn and garden business and supports AMES' UK expansion strategy. La Hacienda is expected to generate approximately GBP 14 million of revenue in the first twelve months after the acquisition.
Revenue in the current quarter totaled $144 million, increasing 11% from the prior year quarter, primarily due to increased revenue from multi-mode radar ("MMR") and dismounted electronic countermeasure systems.
Fourth quarter Segment adjusted EBITDA was $19 million, decreasing 6% from the prior year quarter, primarily driven by program mix.
Revenue in 2017 totaled $412 million, decreasing 6% compared to the prior year due to decreased multi-mode radar revenue and certain ground surveillance systems, partially offset by favorable performance on electronic countermeasure systems revenue.
Segment adjusted EBITDA for 2017 was $46 million, compared to $53 million in the prior year primarily due to the decrease in revenue, program mix and the impact of revised estimates to complete remaining performance obligations on certain radar and communication programs.
Contract backlog totaled $351 million at September 30, 2017, compared to $420 million at September 30, 2016, with approximately 70% expected to be fulfilled within the next twelve months. The decrease in backlog reflects the timing of various U.S. and international contract awards associated with radar and surveillance opportunities.
Revenue in the current quarter totaled $119 million, decreasing 6% compared to the prior year quarter, primarily due to reduced volume across all regions of 10%, partially offset by favorable mix of 1%, resin pricing of $1.9 million or 2%, and foreign currency of 1%. PPC adjusts selling prices based on underlying resin costs on a delayed basis.
Segment adjusted EBITDA was $13 million, increasing 1% from the prior year quarter due to improved operations and resin pricing of $1.2 million, being partially offset by reduce volume and unfavorable mix.
Revenue in 2017 totaled $461 million, decreasing 4% compared to the prior year, primarily due to unfavorable volume of 4% driven by Europe, partially offset by increased volume in North America and Brazil, as well as unfavorable mix of 2%. These decreases were partially offset by a favorable resin impact of $3,600, or 1% and favorable foreign currency of 1%. PPC adjusts selling prices based on underlying resin costs on a delayed basis.
Segment adjusted EBITDA for 2017 was $53 million, increasing 5% from the prior year primarily due to improved operations, partially offset by reduced volume, unfavorable mix and a resin impact of $2.1 million or 4%.
The Company reported pretax income from continuing operations for the years ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 and recognized a tax (benefit) provision of (6.5)% and 38.6%, respectively. The 2017 and 2016 tax rates included $8.3 million and $0.9 million, respectively, of net discrete tax benefits and certain other items. Excluding these tax items and other items that affect comparability, the effective tax rates for the years ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were 39.8% and 41.3%, respectively.
The tax provisions on all pre-tax income inclusive of discontinued operations for the years ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 resulted in tax rates of 61.7% and 43.6%, respectively. These 2017 and 2016 tax rates included $9.4 million and $2.7 million, respectively, of net discrete tax provisions and certain other tax items. Excluding these tax items and other items that affect comparability, the effective tax rates for the year ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were 37.0% and 37.5%, respectively.
At September 30, 2017, the Company had cash and equivalents of $48 million, total debt outstanding of $979 million, net of discounts and deferred costs, and $192 million available for borrowing under its revolving credit facility. Capital expenditures inclusive of PPC, net of equipment sales, in 2017 were $80 million; capital expenditures from continuing operations were $35 million.
In each of July 2015 and August 2016, Griffon's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $50 million of Griffon's outstanding common stock. Under these programs, the Company may purchase shares in the open market, including pursuant to a 10b5-1 plan, or in privately negotiated transactions. During 2017, Griffon purchased an aggregate of 129,000 shares of common stock for a total of $2.2 million or $17.06 per share. At September 30, 2017, $49.4 million in the aggregate remains under the July 2015 and August 2016 Board authorized repurchase programs.
Since August 2011 through September 30, 2017, Griffon repurchased 20,429,298 shares of its common stock, for a total of $262 million or $12.81 per share.
The Company will hold a conference call today, November 16, 2017, at 8:30 AM ET.
The call can be accessed by dialing 1-800-239-9838 (U.S. participants) or 1-323-794-2551 (International participants). Callers should ask to be connected to the Griffon Corporation teleconference or provide conference ID number 3213047.
A replay of the call will be available starting on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 11:30 AM ET by dialing 1-844-512-2921 (U.S.) or 1-412-317-6671 (International), and entering the conference ID number: 3213047. The replay will be available through Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 11:59 PM ET.
"Safe Harbor" Statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: All statements related to, among other things, income (loss), earnings, cash flows, revenue, changes in operations, operating improvements, industries in which Griffon operates and the United States and global economies that are not historical are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements" and may be indicated by words or phrases such as "anticipates," "supports," "plans," "projects," "expects," "believes," "should," "would," "could," "hope," "forecast," "management is of the opinion," "may," "will," "estimates," "intends," "explores," "opportunities," the negative of these expressions, use of the future tense and similar words or phrases. Such forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: current economic conditions and uncertainties in the housing, credit and capital markets; Griffon's ability to achieve expected savings from cost control, integration and disposal initiatives; the ability to identify and successfully consummate and integrate value-adding acquisition opportunities; increasing competition and pricing pressures in the markets served by Griffon's operating companies; the ability of Griffon's operating companies to expand into new geographic and product markets, and to anticipate and meet customer demands for new products and product enhancements and innovations; reduced military spending by the government on projects for which Telephonics Corporation supplies products, including as a result of defense budget cuts or other government actions; the ability of the federal government to fund and conduct its operations; increases in the cost of raw materials such as resin, wood and steel; changes in customer demand or loss of a material customer at one of Griffon's operating companies; the potential impact of seasonal variations and uncertain weather patterns on certain of Griffon's businesses; political events that could impact the worldwide economy; a downgrade in Griffon's credit ratings; changes in international economic conditions including interest rate and currency exchange fluctuations; the reliance by certain of Griffon's businesses on particular third party suppliers and manufacturers to meet customer demands; the relative mix of products and services offered by Griffon's businesses, which could impact margins and operating efficiencies; short-term capacity constraints or prolonged excess capacity; unforeseen developments in contingencies, such as litigation and environmental matters; unfavorable results of government agency contract audits of Telephonics Corporation; Griffon's ability to adequately protect and maintain the validity of patent and other intellectual property rights; the cyclical nature of the businesses of certain of Griffon's operating companies; and possible terrorist threats and actions and their impact on the global economy. Such statements reflect the views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to these and other risks, as previously disclosed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made. Griffon undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Griffon currently conducts its operations through two reportable segments:
Home & Building Products consists of three companies, The AMES Companies, Inc. ("AMES"), Clopay Building Products Company, Inc. ("CBP") and ClosetMaid LLC ("ClosetMaid"):
AMES, founded in 1774, is the leading U.S. manufacturer and a global provider of long-handled tools and landscaping products for homeowners and professionals.
CBP, since 1964, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial garage doors and sells to professional dealers and some of the largest home center retail chains in North America.
ClosetMaid, founded in 1965, is a leading North American manufacturer and marketer of closet organization, home storage, and garage storage products and sells to some of the largest home center retail chains, mass merchandisers, and direct-to-guilder professional installers.
Telephonics, founded in 1933, is recognized globally as a leading provider of highly sophisticated intelligence, surveillance and communications solutions for defense, aerospace and commercial customers.
Classified as a discontinued operation, Clopay Plastic Products Company, Inc., incorporated in 1934, is a global leader in the development and production of embossed, laminated and printed specialty plastic films for hygienic, health-care and industrial products and sells to some of the world's largest consumer products companies.
For more information on Griffon and its operating subsidiaries, please see the Company's website at www.griffon.com.
Griffon evaluates performance and allocates resources based on each segment's operating results from continuing operations before interest income and expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, unallocated amounts (mainly corporate overhead), restructuring charges, loss on debt extinguishment and acquisition related expenses, as well as other items that may affect comparability, as applicable ("Segment adjusted EBITDA", a non-GAAP measure). Griffon believes this information is useful to investors.
The following table provides a reconciliation of Segment adjusted EBITDA to Income before taxes from continuing operations:
For the Three Months Ended September 30, For the Twelve Months Ended September 30,
Home & Building Products 287,070 245,351 1,113,270 1,041,343
Plastics 118,928 126,340 460,914 480,126
Total 549,727 500,705 1,985,911 1,957,161
Less: Plastics (118,928 ) (126,340 ) (460,914 ) (480,126 )
Total revenue $ 430,799 $ 374,365 $ 1,524,997 $ 1,477,035
Home & Building Products $ 34,260 $ 26,700 $ 126,766 $ 114,949
Plastics 13,108 12,925 52,760 50,079
Less: EBITDA from discontinued operations 13,108 12,925 52,760 50,079
Total Segment adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations 53,513 47,172 172,697 168,334
Unallocated amounts (11,019 ) (10,358 ) (42,398 ) (40,393 )
Acquisition costs (9,617 ) — (9,617 ) —
Contract settlement charges (5,137 ) — (5,137 ) —
Income before taxes from continuing operations $ 3,551 $ 11,457 $ 16,698 $ 32,213
Acquisition costs 724 — 724 —
Segment adjusted EBITDA 34,260 26,700 126,766 114,949
Contract settlement charges 5,137 — 5,137 —
All segments including Clopay Plastic Products:
Income from operations - as reported 16,645 31,553 91,308 103,507
Unallocated amounts 24,919 9,889 54,243 38,521
Other, net 354 456 (822 ) 768
Segment operating profit 41,918 41,898 144,729 142,796
FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS
All segments excluding Clopay Plastic Products:
Income from continuing operations - as reported 16,803 24,372 69,027 82,340
Unallocated amounts 11,019 10,358 42,398 40,393
Other, net (459 ) 424 (880 ) (250 )
Corporate acquisition costs 8,893 — 8,893 —
Segment operating profit from continuing operations 36,256 35,154 119,438 122,483
Acquisition costs 724 724
Segment adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations $ 53,513 $ 47,172 $ 172,697 $ 168,334
Three Months Ended September 30, Years Ended September 30,
Selling, general and administrative expenses 97,717 79,938 339,089 318,353
Income from continuing operations 16,803 24,373 69,027 82,340
Interest income 26 8 64 66
Total other income (expense) (13,252 ) (12,916 ) (52,329 ) (50,127 )
Income before taxes from continuing operations 3,551 11,457 16,698 32,213
Provision (benefit) for income taxes (786 ) 7,359 (1,085 ) 12,432
Income from continuing operations $ 4,337 $ 4,098 $ 17,783 $ 19,781
Discontinued operations:
Income from operations of discontinued businesses 637 6,761 22,276 20,952
Provision from income taxes 16,924 5,328 25,147 10,723
Income (loss) from discontinued operations (16,287 ) 1,433 (2,871 ) 10,229
Net income (loss) $ (11,950 ) $ 5,531 $ 14,912 $ 30,010
Income from continuing operations $ 0.10 $ 0.10 $ 0.43 $ 0.48
Income from discontinued operations (0.39 ) 0.04 (0.07 ) 0.25
Basic earnings per common share $ (0.29 ) $ 0.14 $ 0.36 $ 0.73
Diluted earnings per common share $ (0.29 ) $ 0.13 $ 0.35 $ 0.68
Foreign currency translation adjustments 9,323 6,154 10,667 17,284
Pension and other post-retirement plans 7,941 (6,809 ) 9,573 (5,651 )
Gain (loss) on cash flow hedge 89 (309 ) 890 (1,686 )
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes 17,353 (964 ) 21,130 9,947
Comprehensive income (loss), net $ 5,403 $ 4,567 $ 36,042 $ 39,957
At September 30, 2017 At September 30, 2016
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments of $4,407 and $8,001 131,662 126,961
Assets of discontinued operations held for sale 370,724 112,139
Assets of discontinued operations not held for sale 329 219
Total Current Assets 1,098,129 780,957
OTHER ASSETS 16,051 7,569
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS HELD FOR SALE — 250,585
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS NOT HELD FOR SALE 2,960 1,968
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt $ 11,078 $ 13,932
Liabilities of discontinued operations held for sale 84,450 70,458
Liabilities of discontinued operations not held for sale 8,342 1,684
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS HELD FOR SALE — 31,071
Preferred stock, par value $0.25 per share, authorized 3,000 shares, no shares issued — —
Common stock, par value $0.25 per share, authorized 85,000 shares, issued 80,663 shares and 79,966 shares 20,166 19,992
Capital in excess of par value 487,077 529,980
Retained earnings 480,347 475,760
Treasury shares, at cost, 33,557 common shares and 34,797 common shares (489,225 ) (501,866 )
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (60,481 ) (81,241 )
Deferred compensation (39,076 ) (31,678 )
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES - CONTINUING OPERATIONS:
Net income $ 14,912 $ 30,010 $ 34,289
Net (income) from discontinued operations 2,871 (10,229 ) (21,995 )
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations:
Depreciation and amortization 47,878 46,342 45,834
Stock-based compensation 8,090 10,136 11,110
Provision for losses on accounts receivable 271 351 60
Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discounts 4,511 7,321 6,982
Deferred income tax 2,341 6,044 3,674
Gain on sale/disposal of assets and investments (126 ) (319 ) (338 )
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable and contract costs and recognized income not yet billed (19,131 ) (35,933 ) 22,375
(Increase) decrease in inventories (29,299 ) 16,103 (41,604 )
(Increase) decrease in prepaid and other assets (4,781 ) 1,462 (2,019 )
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable, accrued liabilities and income taxes payable 17,541 4,829 (27,071 )
Other changes, net 4,073 4,001 559
Net cash provided by operating activities - continuing operations 49,151 80,118 31,856
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES - CONTINUING OPERATIONS:
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment (34,937 ) (59,276 ) (46,308 )
Acquired business, net of cash acquired (34,719 ) (4,470 ) (2,225 )
Investment sales (purchases) (1,824 ) 715 8,891
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 143 770 203
Net cash used in investing activities - continuing operations (71,337 ) (62,261 ) (39,439 )
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES - CONTINUING OPERATIONS:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock — — 371
Dividends paid (10,325 ) (8,798 ) (7,654 )
Purchase of shares for treasury (15,841 ) (65,307 ) (82,343 )
Proceeds from long-term debt 233,443 302,362 203,216
Payments of long-term debt (170,454 ) (208,514 ) (187,735 )
Share premium payment on settled debt (24,997 ) — —
Financing costs (1,548 ) (4,384 ) (888 )
Purchase of ESOP shares (10,908 ) — —
Tax effect from exercise/vesting of equity awards, net — — 345
Other, net (70 ) 55 347
Net cash provided by (used) in financing activities - continuing operations (700 ) 15,414 (74,341 )
Net cash provided by operating activities 47,193 24,264 43,362
Net cash used in investing activities (45,075 ) (31,343 ) (27,180 )
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (4,268 ) (6,526 ) 29,490
Net cash provided by (used in) discontinued operations (2,150 ) (13,605 ) 45,672
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and equivalents 164 886 (4,152 )
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND EQUIVALENTS (24,872 ) 20,552 (40,404 )
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD 72,553 52,001 92,405
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD $ 47,681 $ 72,553 $ 52,001
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:
Cash paid for interest $ 48,137 $ 43,208 $ 41,269
Cash paid for taxes 20,998 3,431 16,446
Griffon evaluates performance based on Earnings per share and Net income excluding restructuring charges, loss on debt extinguishment, acquisition related expenses, discrete and certain other tax items, as well other items that may affect comparability, as applicable. Griffon believes this information is useful to investors. The following tables provides a reconciliation of Income from continuing operations to Adjusted income from continuing operations and Earnings per common share from continuing operations to Adjusted earnings per common share from continuing operations, as well as, Net income to Adjusted net income and Earnings per common share to Adjusted earnings per common share:
RECONCILIATION OF INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS
TO ADJUSTED INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS
For the Three Months Ended September 30, For the Years Ended September 30,
Acquisition costs 6,145 — 6,145 —
Discrete tax provisions (benefits) (1,769 ) 2,294 (8,274 ) (857 )
Adjusted income from continuing operations $ 12,013 $ 6,392 $ 18,954 $ 18,924
Earnings per common share from continuing operations $ 0.10 $ 0.10 $ 0.41 $ 0.45
Acquisition costs 0.14 — 0.14 —
Contract settlement charges 0.08 — 0.08 —
Discrete tax provisions (benefits) (0.04 ) 0.05 (0.19 ) (0.02 )
Adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations $ 0.28 $ 0.15 $ 0.44 $ 0.43
RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME
TO ADJUSTED NET INCOME
Environmental and warranty reserves 3,703 3,703
Restructuring — — — 4,247
Discrete tax provisions 14,509 5,982 9,385 2,658
Adjusted net income $ 15,707 $ 11,513 $ 37,445 $ 36,915
Earnings (loss) per common share (1)
$ (0.29 ) $ 0.13 $ 0.35 $ 0.68
— 0.14 —
Environmental and warranty reserves 0.09 0.09
Restructuring — — — 0.10
Discrete tax provisions
Adjusted earnings per share $
$ 0.27 $ 0.87 $ 0.84
Weighted-average shares outstanding (in thousands)
(1) On basic weighted average shares outstanding of 41,726.


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Title: [Allergic eczema caused by thioglycerin in depilatory creams. Disadvantages of this substance in cosmetology]. In French.
Authors: Foussereau J, et al.
Journal: Bull Soc Fr Dermatol Syphiligr. 1967;74(6):762-6.