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Wesley Fawcett Creigh asks people what makes them feel like they belong
Wesley Fawcett Creigh grew up in rural Vermont in what she describes as a "very homogenous zone." In high school she got excited about the arts, but she couldn't figure out how to apply that to "real…
Artifacts line the wall of Outpost Winona: handmade art and everyday objects, each labeled with the name of a place: railroad spikes from Lake City, South Carolina; a cookbook from Alliance,…
by Colleen Powers
Connecting Americans to Healthcare
I've said it on this platform before, but artists need access to healthcare. In fact, everyone needs access to healthcare, but artists, who often work non-traditional jobs and have sporadic income,…
by Nikki Hunt
Rural Arts & Culture Summit Videos
The Rural Arts & Culture Summit was held from June 6-8 in Morris, MN, and it was magical. 400 artists, community development professionals, leaders, and advocates from 22 states came to the town of…
Prairie Dreamers: Reflecting on Springboard's 5 years in Fergus Falls
As a child growing up in Dundas, Minnesota, I learned more in school about the rainforest or the oceans than I did about the prairie and lakes that were in my backyard. I had t-shirts pleading to…
by Michele Anderson
Theatre artist Haley Honeman works to break the silence around suicide
Haley Honeman is a theatre artist who grew up rural Fergus Falls, Minnesota. She attended the University of Minnesota Twin Cities where she earned a degree in theatre arts with a minor in Spanish,…
Where to get your rural news
In the current media climate, there is a lot of conversation about urban-rural divide, and plenty of thinkpieces published and pundits willing to go on air and talk about what it means. We're…
Public Transformation hits the road
Two months ago, I had no idea that I was going to buy a school bus and travel across the country interviewing rural-based artists - I had no idea that I would need to learn how to insure a converted…
by Ashley Hanson
Ceramicist Blayze Buseth creates Legacy Vessels to memorialize loved ones
Blayze Buseth has been interested in ceramics since a very young age. The Fergus Falls-based ceramicist says while he had always been interested in drawing and art, it was ceramic materials that he…
Microloans help artists build sustainable careers
Blayze Buseth was ready to launch his career as an artist. As a ceramicist, he had received several requests for commissions, particularly for his "Legacy Vessels," or customized cremation urns. He…
In Fergus Falls, Minnesota, one structure dominates the landscape more than any other. Spanning the length of eight football fields, the 700,000-square foot building with its red-tiled, turreted…


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Theranos President Sunny Balwani Resigns as Federal Investigations Heat Up
AFP/File Franck Fife
On Thursday, medical testing company Theranos announced the departure of its president and chief operations officer, Sunny Balwani, even as a swarm of federal and state regulatory agencies descend upon the company.
The Wall Street Journal describes Balwani's departure as part of "a broader board reorganization announced by the Palo Alto, California firm." The board will reportedly be expanded to include three more members to "beef up its scientific and medical expertise."
Vanity Fair reports one of the new board members as Fabrizio Bonanni, a former biotech executive who "brings some much-needed expertise in health care." The other two are former Centers for Disease Control director William Foege and former Wells Fargo CEO Richard Kovacevich, as reported by CNN.
The board has previously leaned toward star power, including what Vanity Fair calls "political dignitaries like former secretaries of state George Schultz and Henry Kissinger."
Balwani was personally in charge of much Theranos research, even though he had no medical or science background, according to former employees cited by the Wall Street Journal.
The current deficiency of expertise lies at the heart of Theranos' problems, because its products just don't do what the company claimed they would do.
Vanity Fair refers to Theranos as a "$9 billion tech unicorn," viewed by investors as "a miraculous company with a too-good-to-be-true product and a wunderkind Stanford dropout C.E.O. in the mold of a young Steve Jobs (right down to the black turtlenecks)."
That would be Elizabeth Holmes, who was just 19 years old when she founded the company. Her miracle technology was a new system of blood testing that could perform a full panel of lab tests on just a few drops of blood, extracted from the tip of a patient's finger.
In realty, as the WSJ reported last October, Theranos performed "the vast majority of more than 200 tests it offered to consumers on traditional lab machines purchased from other companies." Company employees doubted the accuracy of the few tests performed with genuinely new technology.
The Wall Street Journal's reporting prompted "wider scrutiny" that put Holmes "on the hot seat," as CNN puts it.
"Multiple federal and state regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Francisco, are investigating the company's practices," CNN observes, adding that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service has proposed banning Holmes and Balwani from the laboratory business for two years.
Theranos called that a "worst-case scenario," an assessment few would dispute.
One of the allegations made by former employees to the Wall Street Journal is that Balwani ordered them to "only report to the accrediting organizations results from proficiency tests performed on conventional devices, and not the results of those tests obtained from the company's proprietary Edison machines."
Balwani was also accused of ignoring concerns about quality control for these Edison machines, accusing one perturbed employee of lacking the expertise to properly evaluate Theranos' revolutionary processes. CMS, however, found that 29 percent of quality control checks failed during a single month of evaluation.
Vanity Fair finds Theranos besieged by regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the northeastern district of California, for misleading its investors.
The L.A. Times adds that the Justice Department is involved, but there was a little good news for Theranos last month, as the company announced that "investigations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the state departments of health in Pennsylvania and Arizona had been 'successfully closed out.'"
The company maintains that Balwani's retirement was not a direct result of these investigations. The board of directors thanked him for for his "invaluable contributions to Theranos' technology and business," and said they would "miss him as a board member," extending gratitude for his "extraordinary service."
The San Francisco Chronicle firmly took Theranos' side against federal regulators, arguing "the people most guilty of grandstanding may be the feds themselves."
While conceding that Theranos is "no doubt a hot mess," the Chronicle contends that "hyperbolic pitching of a new technology's potential is not necessarily a crime."
Noting that an SEC investigation of securities fraud at a privately-held startup is extremely rare, and charges of misleading laboratory regulators are even more uncommon, the Chronicle suggests Theranos is mostly guilty of bungling its relationships with the regulatory state, and making some bad management decisions that should not be criminalized
Also, Theranos may find itself on the wrong end of the Obama Administration's hunt for high-profile CEOs to punish – motivated by both a desire for glowing press coverage, and lingering guilt over the regulatory disaster of the housing crisis.
"A criminal probe seems like overkill. If anything, Theranos is guilty of exaggeration and cutting regulatory corners. So let agencies like the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission deal with the company," the Chronicle advises.
HealthLocalTechCMSDOJelizabeth holmesFDAmedical technologySECsecurities fraudTheranos

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How do I add an object to a dyamic array of objects using a getArray(); I use a for loop to assign the proper values to the object so the object is completely ready to be added to the dynamic array (using a dynamic array of objects is required)
My brain just cant really figure out how I use the address that is returned from the getCarArray(); function
I have tried creating pointers to an object, which is assigned to the tempDealer.getCarArray();
(Which I learned through debugging that those terms just aren't assignable in that way)
How would I add the tempCar object to the dynamic array?
add Car Function
{
    Dealer tempDealer;
    Car tempCar;
    Car *carArr; //here is the pointer that I attempted to assign to the address from
                 //tempDealer.getCarArray();
    int newCar;
    std::string newVIN;
    std::string newMake;
    std::string newModel;
    int newYear;
    double newPrice;

    std::cout<<"Which dealer would you like to add the car to? "<<std::endl;
    displayDealers(vec);
    std::cin>>newCar;
    int newCarQuantity;
    std::cout<<"How many cars do you want to add?"<<std::endl;
    std::cin>>newCarQuantity;
    for (int i = 0; i < newCarQuantity; ++i)
    {
        std::cout<<"What are the specs of the this car?"<<std::endl;

        std::cin.ignore();

        std::cout<<"Enter new VIN:";
        getline(std::cin, newVIN);

        std::cout<<"Enter new Make:";
        getline(std::cin, newMake);

        std::cout<<"Enter new Model:";
        getline(std::cin, newModel);

        std::cout<<"Enter new Year:";
        std::cin>>newYear;

        std::cout<<"Enter new Price:";
        std::cin>>newPrice;

        tempCar.setVIN(newVIN);
        tempCar.setMake(newMake);
        tempCar.setModel(newModel);
        tempCar.setYear(newYear);
        tempCar.setPrice(newPrice);
        //as of this point, tempCar is fully created
        //now its a matter of storing tempCar in the dynamic array that was created, but getCarArray()
        //can only return the address,
    }

}

Car and Dealer classes
#define PA3_DEALER_H

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>

class Car {
private:
    std::string VIN;
    std::string MAKE;
    std::string MODEL;
    int YEAR;
    double price;
public:
    Car();
    Car(std::string _VIN, std::string _MAKE, std::string _MODEL, int year, double price);
    std::string getVIN(){return VIN;}
    std::string getMake(){return MAKE;}
    std::string getModel(){return MODEL;}
    int getYear() const{return YEAR;}
    double getPrice() const{return price;}
    void setVIN(std::string _VIN);
    void setMake(std::string _MAKE);
    void setModel(std::string _MODEL);
    void setYear(int _year);
    void setPrice(double _price);
    friend std::ostream& operator << (std::ostream & out, Car _car);

};

class Dealer {

private:
    std::string dealerName;
    int dealerNumber;
    int numberOfCars;
    Car *carArrayPtr;

public:

    Dealer();
    Dealer( std::string _dealerName, int _dealerNumber,int _numberOfCars);
    Car* getCarArray(){return carArrayPtr;}
    void setDealerName (std::string _dealerName);
    void setDealerNumber (int _dealerNumber);
    void setNumberOfCars ( int _numberOfCars);
    void setCarArray(Car *_carArrayPtr);
    std::string getDealerName(){return dealerName;}
    int getDealerNumber() const{return dealerNumber;}
    int getNumberOfCars() const{return numberOfCars;}

    friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const Dealer& _dealer);

};

#endif //PA3_DEALER_H

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
MISS MANNERS RESCUES CIVILIZATION
Barbara Yost, The Arizona Republic
SHARE MISS MANNERS RESCUES CIVILIZATION
Miss Manners has warned you Americans over and over again.
If you don't sit down and behave, she's going to turn this country around and take you right back home.No, wait. That sounds rude. And Miss Manners is not rude - never has been, never will be.
How about this? Miss Manners kindly requests that America get a grip on itself, stop prying into people's personal business (this includes the first family) and return to the civility that once went hand in hand with a democratic, classless society.
Does that sound more polite? Miss Manners is nothing if not polite. It is her stock in trade. It is her nature. It is her crusade.
For almost 20 years, newspaper columnist Judith Martin, under the nom de nag Miss Manners, has been admonishing us to practice proper etiquette. Now she's telling us why.
In her new book, "Miss Manners Rescues Civilization From Sexual Harassment, Frivolous Lawsuits, Dissing and Other Lapses in Civility" (Crown Publishers, $30), she outlines the philosophy underlying our need for universal decorum.
"This is the grown-up approach," she says. "These are the principles."
The principles turn out to be simple: It makes for a nicer world when people treat each other with respect. Polite children are more pleasant to be around. Young people who wear suits are more likely to get jobs. Considerate adults make better neighbors.
And, lawyers beware, we're all less likely to sue when we allow rules of etiquette - not the court system - to guide our lives. Making illegal what used to be considered merely impolite is a perhaps necessary but disturbing trend, Martin says.
"Asking the law to regulate what ought to be private conduct runs the risk of its trespassing on our basic rights - yet allowing individual impulses to go totally unrestrained leads to mayhem," she writes.
Martin is out to rescue America before it legislates every aspect of our lives.
The flow of incivility Miss Manners is trying to stanch began in the 1960s, she says, when freedom-from-etiquette fighters fought a guerrilla war for informality. Martin will not, however, declare rudeness rampant.
"That implies that everyone intends to be mean and nasty," she says from New York. "I don't believe that."
In fact, Miss Manners refuses to believe the worst of anyone.
Reporters who ask personal questions are not boors; they're simply reflecting society's uncertainty about how much it wants - or needs - to know about its public officials.
People who prominently display cellular phones and beepers are not flaunting self-importance but are trying to perform their jobs efficiently.
Modern technology, in fact, may seem to present new challenges for the etiquette police. But Martin argues that traditional rules apply - in new ways.
Just as one would not read a newspaper while entertaining a guest in a restaurant, neither would one conduct a conversation on a cellular phone while the guest languishes.
In the 18th century, mail service was paid for by the recipient, so the letter writer kept correspondence brief and economical. Likewise, today's considerate fax sender does not send reams of documents for which the recipient must pay in reams of fax paper.
Not to speak of the time usurped to fax the missive.
And just as we do not object to people opening their mail when convenient, neither should we be offended when acquaintances screen our calls with a telephone-answering machine.
Martin prides herself on being one of the first to discourage the use of cute answering-machine greetings - the ones that sound like John Wayne, baby's first words or your favorite sonata. The novelty seems to have worn off, and Miss Manners breathes a sigh of relief.
One rule applies to all occasions of etiquette, Martin says: Treat others as you wish to be treated. The golden rule is a moral imperative. If we wish to live together in communities, we have to curb our baser urges.
Etiquette is a set of traffic lights that allow vehicles to interact smoothly and without conflict.
The fainthearted may believe Martin is too late a Galahad to rescue an America in which the mother of the speaker of the House repeats the "b" word on national television and athletes curse officials for unfavorable calls.
Miss Manners is made of sterner stuff.
"I don't think it is too late," she says valiantly. "For one thing, I couldn't get up in the morning!"
The first step is to raise polite children - not an easy task, given the coarse natural instincts of a baby.
"It's difficult because it's counterintuitive, but it's also rewarding," Martin says, reflecting on her own two properly schooled children.
"It's given them an advantage," she says: They are pleasant to befriend and a joy in the workplace.
Nosiness must also be curbed. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the penchant for prying into private lives did not begin with Oprah Winfrey. This is another product of the '60s, Martin says, when "nosiness and bossiness were masquerading as helpfulness and friendliness."
The proper way to thwart a personal question: "It's just not something I care to discuss."
Those being interviewed by overenthusiastic reporters may also choose this response, Martin says.
Martin's book is packaged as letters from her legendary "gentle readers" and interspersed with her essays exploring the principles of etiquette. They are grouped into such pertinent topics as smoking, dress in the workplace, sexual conduct, etiquette in the courtroom, and the care and feeding of vegetarians.
Sprinkled throughout are real-life news accounts of creeping rudeness - a high school girl suing the prom date who stood her up, a driver killed by a motorist he cut off, a youth killed after failing to give a schoolmate the "high five."
Return to your roots, America, Martin pleads. A country founded on democratic principles has its foot in the etiquette door. American etiquette is egalitarian. That makes our rules superior, she says (although she's probably too polite to say that to foreigners).
In theory, she says, Americans have the best manners - they just need to use them.


text:
Prosperity of Cities: State of the World's Cities 2012/2013
English中文Portuguese
prosperity of cities state of the worlds cities 20122013
What this new edition of State of the World's Cities shows is that prosperity for all has been compromised by a narrow focus on economic growth. UN-Habitat suggests a fresh approach to prosperity beyond the solely economic emphasis, including other vital dimensions such as quality of life, adequate infrastructures, equity and environmental sustainability.
The Report proposes a new tool – the City Prosperity Index – together with a conceptual matrix, the Wheel of Prosperity, both of which are meant to assist decision makers to design clear policy interventions. The Report advocates for the need of cities to enhance the public realm, expand public goods and consolidate rights to the 'commons' for all as a way to expand prosperity. This comes in response to the observed trend of enclosing or restricting these goods and commons in enclaves of prosperity, or depleting them through unsustainable use.
Other titles in the State of the World's Cities Series:
Globalization and Urban Culture: 2004/2005
The Millenium Development Goals and Urban Sustainability: 2006/2007
Harmonious Cities: 2008/2009
Cities for All: Bridging the Urban Divide: 2010/2011
State of the World Cities 2012/2013
HS Number
HS/080/12E
978-92-1-132494-5


text:
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Howdy! Several Mays ago, Babs and I amscrayed on Amtrak to the 10th annual radio convention at Massasoit Community College in Brockton, MA, hometown of the Brockton Bomber, Rocky Marciano. I took parts in eight radio re-creations in two days. My favorite job was reading some of the cracker barrel philosophy of my all-time hero,
Will Rogers. Back in the early '30s he commented on the headlines on a weekly NBC radio show—up to the mike ol' Will would amble, and then he'd ramble, no script, just some notes and whatever came to mind. School teachers cringed at his colorful interpretation of the king's English. "Shucks," he responded, "lots of folks that ain't saying ain't, ain't eating." 'Twas the height of the depression—Will taught us there is a glimmer of hope and humor during the worst of times. He showed us the light at the end of the tunnel. He never quite got the hang of radio's time constraints—consequently, the director would set Will's famous alarm clock smack dab in the middle of the stage. When Will's time was up and the alarm sounded, he'd meekly sigh, obligingly stop gabbing and promise to be back next week.
Will once said, "I love being down here in pilgrim country. I bet you when the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and they had the whole of the American continent to themselves, and all they had to do to get another 160 acres was to kill another Indian, you know, well, I bet they kicked at the cost of ammunition. Now, I hope my Cherokee blood is not making me prejudiced, but it was only the generosity of the Indians that allowed the pilgrims to land in the first place. Suppose it was the other way around. Yeah, my ancestors didn't come over on the Mayflower. They met the boat."
Will was born William Penn Adair Rogers November 4, 1879, in Indian Territory near present Oologah, OK. Both parents were about one-quarter Cherokee. Will was proud of his heritage, and during his Wild West, circus and vaudeville days he performed under the moniker of The Cherokee Kid. I reckon his great spirituality came from his Cherokee blood. I reckon Will's the only truly enlightened soul to have ever toiled in the Hollywood dream factory. We all know that human kind is a work in progress. I reckon Will Rogers is the sorta feller God has in mind. No one knows for sure what the origins of the Cherokee Nation are. We do know about the Trail of Tears in the 1830's when the Cherokee were evicted from their ancestral lands in the southeast and forced to emigrate beyond the Mississippi River to an alien land.
Will was not immune to the slings and arrows of outrageous intolerance. When he was sixteen he was sent to Scarritt College, a Methodist School in Neosho, MO. As a Cherokee Indian he was in the minority, a new and strange experience for him. He'd been taught Cherokees were among the best people on earth. When his schoolmates looked down on him, he didn't know why. When he asked pretty Maggie Nay to attend a party with him she refused on orders from her mother. So at sixteen, he penned a half-apologetic, half-sarcastic letter to Miss Maggie, referring to himself as a "wild and bad boy". He wrote, "My dearest friend, if you can't be my sweetheart—I was sorry to hear my fate, but then if your mother does not want you to go with me, why, it is all right. I would hate to do anything contrary to her will." He chided her, "Of course, don't do anything that will get you with a drunkard as I am."
I once read there is little correlation between how one does in school and how one does in life. This sure applies to Wild Will. His dad decided Will needed discipline and sent him off to Kemper Military Academy in Boonville, MO. But Will was a rebel, the demerits piled up, and at 18 he borrowed $20 and bought a railroad ticket to Higgins, TX, where he worked as a cowboy on Old Man Ewing's ranch on the Canadian River. And so one of America's greatest success stories began.
Will Rogers has long been my favorite actor. You might not think of him as an actor. He sure didn't. John Ford considered Will and Harry Carey to be the best actors he ever worked with. Pretty good tribute, eh? Those three good buddies pioneered naturalism in early talkies. You might say Will was only playing himself. Ay dogies, can you think of anyone more interesting for him to play? I mean, the man was a cowboy—star of stage, screen and rodeo—numero uno at the flickers' box office—master of rope and yarn spinnin'—horseman and polo player—front page newspaper columnist with 40 million readers (and that's when our population was 130 million)—after-dinner speaker—emcee at the Oscar show—humorist and comedian—author—champion of air travel—athlete—tap dancer—loud singer—the 'Mayor' of Beverly Hills—world traveler and America's Ambassador of Good Will—pal to presidents and paupers: Sort of a renaissance man par excellence. Do you know of any movie star today who's had such a rich, full life? If you do, I'll plunk down a fast eight fifty and go see him or her—I'll take you with me.
Critic James Agee was unhappy with most movie actors back in the '40s. He said they seemed to be auditioning for their next roles. Walter Brennan said it's okay to act. Just don't get caught at it. I watch most of today's movie actors, and I'm awed by their talent. Marvelous! Bloody marvelous! How skillfully they show us life's underbelly. But where's the humanity? Ol' Will oozed humanity out of every pore. He operated not out of fear but out of love. He showed us all the possibilities of greatness in this our life. He showed us how much fun it is to be the good guy.


text:
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WhiteWave Has Booked a Drop in Third-Quarter Earnings
Release date:2016-11-30 Views:53
Core Tip: WhiteWave Foods has booked a drop in third-quarter earnings as an increase in expenses hit earnings. In the three months to the end of September, WhiteWave,
WhiteWave Foods has booked a drop in third-quarter earnings as an increase in expenses hit earnings.
In the three months to the end of September, WhiteWave, which was spun off from Dean Foods last year, posted a profit of US$26.3m, down from $29.8m a year earlier. Excluding stock-based compensation and other items, earnings rose to 16 cents per share, it said.
Operating profit in the period dropped to $43.3m from $48m last year, while sales rose 13% to $574.9m. The increase in sales reflected "strong" volume growth across its North American segment, particularly in its plant-based foods and beverages and its coffee creamers and beverages platforms.
WhiteWave Foods Reports Strong Third Quarter 2012 Results
The 13% percent increase in pro forma adjusted net sales reflects strong volume growth across the Company's North American segment, particularly in its Plant-based Foods and Beverages and Coffee Creamers and Beverages platforms, each of which delivered over 20% in pro forma adjusted net sales growth. This strong growth, coupled with continued disciplined cost management, resulted in 31% pro forma adjusted diluted earnings per share growth in the third quarter of 2012. At the same time, the Company continued to make significant investments in production capacity, innovation and brand building to drive future growth.
Gregg Engles, Chairman and CEO, said, "Consistent with WhiteWave-Alpro segment results reported by Dean Foods on November 8th as part of its consolidated third quarter financial results, WhiteWave Foods continued to build on its momentum in the third quarter, delivering strong growth across the business. We successfully completed the initial public offering of WhiteWave Foods Class A common stock and have hit the ground running. We are sharply focused on executing our business plans to continue to drive growth and are excited by the prospects ahead."
Product Category Sales
Pro forma adjusted net sales in North American Plant-based Foods and Beverages, which includes Silk® Soymilk, PureAlmond® and PureCoconut®, increased more than 20 percent in the third quarter of 2012 compared to the third quarter of 2011, driven primarily by continued strong growth of Silk PureAlmond®.
Alpro's European Plant-based Foods and Beverages net sales increased high-single digits on a constant currency basis and declined low-single digits on a percentage basis after currency conversion.
Pro forma adjusted net sales in Premium Dairy, which includes Horizon Organic® branded milk and other products, increased mid-single digits on a percentage basis in the third quarter.
Pro forma adjusted net sales in Coffee Creamers and Beverages, which includes coffee creamers under the International Delight®, Land O'Lakes®, Silk® and Horizon Organic® brands, as well as International Delight Iced Coffee®, increased by more than 20 percent in the third quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER 2012 OUTLOOK
Building on its strong third quarter results, the Company expects continued momentum in the fourth quarter of 2012. On a percentage basis, management anticipates pro forma adjusted net sales growth in the low-double digits, pro forma adjusted segment operating income growth in the mid-teens and pro forma adjusted total operating income growth of around twenty percent, resulting in pro forma adjusted diluted EPS of between $0.16 and $0.18 or $0.58 to $0.60 for full year 2012.
CONFERENCE CALL WEBCAST
A webcast to discuss the Company's financial results and outlook will be held on November 30 at 9:30AM ET and may be heard live by visiting the "Webcast" section of the Company's website at http://www.thewhitewavefoodscompany.com/investor_relations/. A slide presentation will accompany the webcast. A webcast replay will be available for approximately 45 days following the event within the Investor Relations section of the Company's website.
INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING, BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
The financial information in this release relates to periods that ended prior to the initial public offering representing 13.3% of the economic interest in the Company in October 2012 (the "IPO") and the separation of our business from Dean Foods' other businesses. As of September 30, 2012, the Company had nominal assets and no liabilities, and had conducted no operations. In October 2012, in connection with the IPO, Dean Foods contributed the capital stock of its wholly owned subsidiary WWF Operating Company ("WWF Opco") to the Company. WWF Opco, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, held substantially all of the assets and liabilities related to the Company's current business. Because a discussion of the Company's historical results would not be meaningful, except as otherwise indicated, historical financial information in this release relates to WWF Opco.
The historical financial results in this release differ from the results of the WhiteWave-Alpro segment for the same periods previously reported by Dean Foods. A reconciliation between the results reported in this release and the WhiteWave-Alpro segment results reported by Dean Foods is included in the tables below.
In addition to the results prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), we have presented certain non-GAAP financial measures, including pro forma adjusted net sales, pro forma adjusted income from continuing operations and pro forma adjusted diluted net income per share. These non-GAAP measures have been presented on a pro forma adjusted basis as if the Company had operated on an independent and stand-alone basis in all periods presented in order to facilitate meaningful evaluation of our operating performance between periods. These adjustments primarily relate to various commercial arrangements with Dean Foods in connection with the separation of the Company's business from the rest of Dean Foods' businesses, increased corporate costs to operate as a stand-alone public company, interest expense, completion of the IPO and the use of proceeds therefrom, non-recurring transaction costs related to the Company's IPO and equity awards to certain of our executive officers, employees and directors. These adjustments are not necessarily indicative of our future performance and do not reflect what our actual financial performance would have been had we been a stand-alone public company during the periods presented. Further detail regarding these adjustments is included in the tables below.
ABOUT THE WHITEWAVE FOODS COMPANY
The WhiteWave Foods Company is a leading consumer packaged food and beverage company that manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells branded Plant-based Foods and Beverages, Coffee Creamers and Beverages, and Premium Dairy products throughout North America and Europe. The Company is focused on providing consumers with innovative, great-tasting food and beverage choices that meet their increasing desires for nutritious, flavorful, convenient, and responsibly produced products. The Company's widely-recognized, leading brands distributed in North America include Silk® Plant-based Foods and Beverages, International Delight® and LAND O LAKES® Coffee Creamers and Beverages, and Horizon Organic® Premium Dairy products. Its popular European brands of Plant-based Foods and Beverages include Alpro® and Provamel®.
Some of the statements in this press release are "forward-looking" and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These "forward-looking" statements include statements relating to, among other things, pro forma adjusted projected sales, pro forma adjusted operating income, pro forma adjusted net income, pro forma adjusted diluted earnings per share, growth of our business and expected financial performance. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from the statements set forth in this press release. The Company's ability to meet targeted financial and operating results, including targeted sales, operating income, net income and earnings per share depends on a variety of economic, competitive and governmental factors, including raw material availability and costs, the demand for the Company's products, and the Company's ability to access capital under its credit facilities or otherwise, many of which are beyond the Company's control and which are described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company's ability to profit from its branding initiatives depends on a number of factors, including consumer acceptance of the Company's products. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this release. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to such statements to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any changes in the events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Keyword: plant-based foods, beverages, coffee creamers, Silk Soymilk
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Millard West JV Jumps Out To Early Lead In Victory Over Papillion-LaVista South: An early lead helped Millard West JV defeat Papillion-LaVista South 13-1 on Thursday. Jada VanAckeren pitched all 4 innings, striking out 4. Anna Billings had a homerun and a single with 4 RBI's. Reese Peterson and Emma Decker each had 3 hits with two RBI's. Anna Billings and Ivy Collins each collected two. Kayla Tims, Nevaeh Phillips, and Nicole Paulsen each had one.


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Michael Pento
Pentoport
Michael Pento produces the weekly podcast "The Mid-week Reality Check", is the President and Founder of Pento Portfolio Strategies and Author of the book "The…
Q3 GDP was Hogwash
By Michael Pento - Nov 07, 2016, 12:38 PM CST
Since most everyone is focused on the upcoming U.S. elections, many investors may not have had the time to peel back the onion on the third quarter U.S. GDP report. So, if you just glanced at the headline GDP number of a 2.9% annualized growth rate, you may have concluded that the U.S. economy was finally on its way to sustainable growth.
That 2.9% read was the biggest in the last two years and it also beat the median forecast of 2.6%. However, to put that number in perspective, average GDP growth over the past four quarters was only 1.5%, and the average for first three-quarters of 2016 is just 1.7%.
So before you get out your party hats and declare this economic malaise over, there were a few notable concerns in that Q3 GDP report.
First off, consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity and just under 70% of GDP growth, fell significantly during the quarter to an annualized rate of 2.1%. That 2.1% is a little bit over half the level of spending posted in the previous quarter. Also, spending on durable goods fell three-fold from Q2 levels.
Third-quarter growth was also flattered by a buildup in business inventories, as re-stocking shelves added 0.61 percentage points to GDP.
And after flatlining in the second quarter, trade contributed an impressive 0.83 percentage points to GDP, as exports surged at a 10% rate.
Was the surge in exports a sign of a U.S. manufacturing renaissance? No. A surge in soybean shipments dispatched to meet the insatiable appetites of Chinese hogs helped to shrink the trade deficit this quarter, as bad weather destroyed crops in Argentina and Brazil (the world's largest exporters) leaving U.S. soybean producers to fill the gap.
Taking out Communist China's dictum to increase the hog herds, and that inventory build-up for a consumer who won't show up due to soaring Obamacare premiums and the incipient recession, GDP growth would have been just 1.4%. Thus, confirming that the languishing growth rates we have grown accustomed to since the Great Recession are taking a further move down.
But if you believe the pundits that think GDP growth is about to accelerate on a worldwide basis, think again. The most import reason why global growth is about to turn even lower is borrowing costs have started to spike worldwide on that enormous mountain of record debt. This is because global central banks have come to a brief—but surely temporary--period of sanity, in their epiphany that there are negative ramifications to endless counterfeiting.
For the past three years, the Bank of Japan has embarked on an unprecedented bond-buying scheme to boost inflation towards 2%. The BOJ now owns more than half of all ETFs and 40% of all outstanding Japanese government bonds. But despite all that manipulation of markets, Japan's central bank has now admitted it will not be able to reach its inflation target until the spring of 2019. The BOJ had originally thought it could achieve 2% inflation during 2015. Most importantly, Japan's central bank has shifted its focus from achieving its inflation target, to just steepening the yield curve. The BOJ is now seeking to boost long-term borrowing costs rather than simply try to push the entire yield curve lower.
Koichi Hamada, an economic adviser to Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, went on record saying that the BOJ is "at the end of the road." Thus, admitting the BOJ has reached its monetary limit for now and that achieving 2% inflation was no longer its immediate mandate.
Likewise, the head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, has admitted achieving 2% inflation will take several more years—conveying the ECB will also be patient in reaching its target.
And of course, the Federal Reserve ended QE in October of 2014 and is now threatening to raise interest rates for the second time in the last ten years come December 14th.
This change in central bank monetary strategy means that although global bond yields have yet to soar, it is also clear they are no longer falling. And perpetually falling interest rates has been the corner stone to this phony economic recovery.
Debt loving governments and inflation enamored central bankers have ironically been able to push yields to zero percent and under, so they were already as low as they can go. And now bankrupt sovereign governments--and the debt that they issue--are running smack into the next recession, which the money printers have nothing to offer other than to implement more QE. That is the road to economic chaos rather than viable GDP growth.
Analyzing Removal of US Sanctions on Myanmar: Implications for US Businesses and Investors
Diving Into the Medical CPI: Are Your Medical Expenses Up Only 5% from Year Ago?


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Q: How to check if a file exists in another folder I have this file in the following path:
A = I:\user\me\count.txt

I want to check whether or not the count.txt exists in another path because I want to tag them as existing in the other folder.
As an example, lets say:
path1 = I:\user\me\personal\
path2 = I:\user\me\work\

A: You can check if file in path:
import os
isFile = os.path.isfile('/your_path/file.txt')

Will return true if file exists in {/your_path}

A: Assuming you are using two variables pointing to the folders, you can do the following:
import os.path

filename = "count.txt"
path1 = "I:/user/me/personal/"
path2 = "I:/user/me/work/"

if path.isfile(path.join(path1, filename)) and path.isfile(path.join(path2, filename)):
    # Do something

This checks if a file count.txt exists in the folder I:/user/me/personal and I:/user/me/work and acts if found in both
If you would like to find files and folders named count.txt, you may substitute path.isfile with path.exists.


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Truth Tests
Truth Test: When there's an attack in a 'clean' campaign
You might have heard about an ad attack ad supporting Cary Kennedy during Monday's televised 9NEWS debate.
Author: Brandon Rittiman
Published: 4:51 PM MDT June 6, 2018
Updated: 8:09 PM MDT June 6, 2018
KUSA — DENVER— Things got testy in Monday's televised debate between the Democrats running for governor when the conversation turned to an attack ad running in heavy rotation on Denver TV.
Some candidates accused Kennedy of violating the clean campaign pledge the Democratic candidates signed to avoid smears in the June 26 primary election.
The ad, complete with unflattering photos of Kennedy's opponents, comes from a group of her supporters called "Teachers for Kennedy."
Here we'll factcheck both the ad itself and Kennedy's problematic response when questioned about it.
Both of the attacks in the ad itself are based in true facts, but ignore important context.
CLAIM: "Jared Polis supported a voucher program to take money out of public schools."
VERDICT: NEEDS CONTEXT
It's true that while a member of the state board of education, Polis wrote in support of a bill that included a limited pilot project that would have provided vouchers to poor students in some of the state's worst-off schools—the ad ignores Polis' track record of voting in opposition to vouchers as a member of Congress.
Polis later said the bill was amended in a way that he no longer supported before it passed.
This claim is not an outright falsehood, but it does ignore important context on Polis' position on the issue.
CLAIM: "Mike Johnston… pushed conservative anti-teacher laws that experts say hurt students."
VERDICT: OPINION
This is really the opinion of the ad's makers dressed up as fact.
The bill in question was intended to beef up teacher evaluations in the state.
The group running the ad considered it to be "anti-teacher," but other teacher groups and left-leaning politicians thought it was good policy.
IS IT A "SMEAR?"
Things got interesting when the issue came up in our debate this week.
Johnston and Polis both accused Kennedy of going against the state party's clean campaign pledge, which she signed.
The Teachers for Kennedy ad oversimplifies issues to make both candidates sound as bad as possible against a bed of ominous music.
Two lines in the pledge could apply in this case:
• I will encourage my supporters or volunteers to refrain from engaging in personal attacks or smears against the other Democrats in this primary race.
• I understand that primary attacks are short-sighted because I will need the support of the other candidates and their supporters to win a General Election, if I am the Primary nominee.
When asked in the debate about this, Kennedy replied that she doesn't like the tactics being used, "but we have to respect [Teachers for Kennedy's] right to communicate with voters."
It's true she can't force this group to stop running this ad on her behalf. But we pointed out (and so did some of the candidates) that she's perfectly free to ask this group to knock it off if she doesn't like the ad.
Kennedy disputed that notion:
CLAIM: "It would violate campaign finance laws to say that."
Kennedy's assertion is wrong. Any candidate is, in fact, free to say they think their supporters went too far and that they should knock it off.
Candidates are given wide latitude to express their views for good reasons: the First Amendment protects free speech and political speech is seen as especially important because we elect people to power in our society.
State campaign finance laws do restrict "coordination" between candidates' campaigns and so-called "Independent Expenditure Groups," which are essentially the state-level version of Super PACs.
Coordination is covered by something called "Rule 21" in the campaign finance rules. (page 144)
The rule does ban candidates from telling a group like this one to spend money. It's considered coordination if:
21.1.1 A person makes an expenditure or engages in spending at the request, suggestion, or direction of, in consultation with, or under the control of that candidate committee or political party
That wouldn't apply if Kennedy were to criticize the Teachers for Kennedy ad. The money has already been spent.
Another part of Rule 21 considers it to be coordination if the group and the candidate discuss things like ad strategy—but only in private.
The rule specifically says that the conversation between the campaign and the group has to be about "non-public information" in order to be considered coordination.
Publicly denouncing the ad wouldn't run afoul of that rule either.
Kennedy's campaign says their lawyer is giving them conservative advice to avoid a possible legal challenge.
But when we asked the Kennedy campaign to show us an example of somebody ever getting in trouble under Colorado law for criticizing an ad or asking it to be pulled down, they sent us none.
IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY
Fun fact:#COgov candidates can only take a max of $1,150 in donations from you in the whole election year.
But the state version of a SuperPAC (called an IEC) can take, well...#HeyNext #9NEWS pic.twitter.com/bpS7BndK1M
— Brandon Rittiman (@BrandonRittiman) June 6, 2018
It's also worth pointing out that the only reason this even matters is to protect the ability of a group like Teachers for Kennedy to collect unlimited donations.
The biggest check you can write a governor candidate is for $1,150 the entire election year.
But you can cut a group like "Teachers for Kennedy" as big of a check as you want, as long as the group doesn't coordinate with her about the ads they run.
That's how the group raised $2 million from just four donors.
The idea of the ban on coordination is to keep these groups independent, so they don't act as the better-funded arm of a candidate's campaign—creating ads tailor made to the campaign's wishes.
In practicality, they tend to end up figuring out how to land some punches in a way that helps candidates all on their own.
BOTTOM LINE: The ad isn't outright false, but it is negative and ignores some important context. And Kennedy made a false claim about campaign finance laws to justify how she's handling it.


It is one of the important herbs for Indian kitchen to make the Indian cuisine tasty. All the parts of this herb have very strong smell; hence it is called Ugragandha in Sanskrit. Ajwain has many health and medicinal values. It is well known seed for Instant Remedy for Stomachache.
Body Aches: Aroma from ajwain oil provides relief in heavy colds and migraine headaches. The oil of Ajwain is used in eardrops for earaches. Lot of body massage oil also contain ajwain oil due to its properties.
Muscle Spasm: Ajwain has anti spasmodic properties, mainly due to presence of thymol, and is used for treating colic and griping pains, asthma, muscle spasms, cramps, rheumatism, arthritis and edema. The seeds are thought to relax the uterus and provide relief from menstrual cramps.
I have very terrible gas problem now and then use to take raw ajwain seeds with warm water but did not make much of a difference.Then searching in google I found the extract of ajwain in the form of oil.It really gives instant relief to my problem and I am a satisfied customer.


Whereas many assume that any chunk-sized piece of food that a baby can choose up and eat by himself qualifies, the nutritional worth and digestibility of the meals merchandise are essential components to consider. When our 6 week outdated was fussy we saw the information introduce float child and we determined to provide it a go. Our stressed baby took a dip and she or he was hooked! Nonetheless, when Child is only a few months outdated (about the time Mommy is seeing hints of her returning waistline) all of it falls out.
When you recognize that there are developmental advantages, there is no such thing as a reason not to include a night mild in your baby nursery. As most infants don't have enamel at this stage, it is necessary that the newborn meals dissolve when chewed between the gums. What I do not remember is anything Matt & I did that contributed to keeping our marriage collectively. It turns out that if it were not for him saving a damsel in distress, I would have never been born. Your son was born in custody, has lived nearly daily of his quick life in jail.
Crying, I just said – Some days it's tough to wonder why God put this obedience on our hearts to get a sterilization reversal, once I cannot carry a child. To get a greater concept on methodology I suggest you go to the Fast Begin Baby Signal Language Information otherwise you purchase the Child Sign Language Equipment which has a in-depth guide. Trickster: Some tales declare that a water child is merely a mischievous trickster that spends the vast majority of its time teasing and abusing the humans that walk near its waters. Jeffrey is a downhearted Giraffe; his neck is simply too brief and he is unable to play together with his peers. A very cute child card, that may be changed around and the animal and different dies can be used for different baby occasions.
I pray that He either gives us a heartbeat earlier than then, OR that He takes this child. A fast historical past for those that don't know; my first son was born inside 3 hours of arriving at the hospital and 20 minutes of pushing (simply 4 hours after my water broke). You may give the baby tiny items of fruits like banana, mango, seedless watermelon, peach, pear, papaya, and many others. Another wonderful card from the shadow field assortment, the child theme is so reduce with all the ending touches. Just like you, I felt led to name my child but haven't felt God divulge to me whether my baby was a boy or girl. While our children were on the celebration I had one other ultrasound followed by one other appointment with my physician to test on the infant.


Animals have always been a big part of our lives. From adopting to finding strays, we have always found it important to help pets in need. We've been lucky enough to have some amazing dogs and cats come into our lives and we are eternally grateful for the love and compassion they have shown us. That's why we support the work of the Oregon Humane Society.
They help with rescuing animals from neglect and abuse, provide them with needed medical care, enrich their lives through behavior and training, and find them loving homes. Over 11,000 pets come through Oregon Humane Society's doors each year. They also work with dozens of other animal shelters across the U.S. that need their help. Whether it's due to overcrowding or a large rescue, OHS coordinates the transfer of thousands of pets that need help into their facility where they are provided with state of the art care.
Each year we participate in the Oregon Humane Society's Doggie Dash on May 13, and we need your help. Doggie Dash is their largest fundraiser of the year and funds raised help to keep the shelter running all year long. As a shelter that receives no tax dollars, OHS is dependent on the generosity and support of individuals like you!
Please, donate on behalf of all the animals that have changed your life. Just click on the Donate button on this page, and help a pet in need.
Lots of love and happiness for you guys and all the pets in your lives.
Rescued kitties are the best!
Rescued is my favorite breed, thank you for my forever friend.
Doggie Dash and a Wedding! So much excitement! Go Stephanie!
sorry I missed your event. Please tell leo and little other dog i love them.
From Abbey - she loves other pups and kitties!
I'm sorry it's belated, but I'm so happy I could make it to your wedding shower! Congratulations and we love you!
We wish you enduring love and happiness!
I love Baby Leo and you!


The Panichi Center For Communication and Learning in Beacon is the Hudson Valley's only hospital-affiliated special needs preschool, welcoming students with medical conditions requiring interventions and therapy to address developmental disabilities and delays.
The Center also features a satellite office for adults as well as children to treat communication disorders such as speech, hearing, and problems with swallowing.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) accredits the program.
Dedicated in 2007, the Panichi Center was substantially funded by the Panichi family, which owns and operates Royal Carting. In the early 2000s, Evelyn Constantino, the daughter of Emil and Emily Panichi, recognized the need to expand the then-Saint Francis Hospital special needs preschool, moving it from worn-down trailers parked on a vacant parcel and into a clean and modern 8,500 square-foot space. Evelyn rallied her family for major initial financial support, later helped endow the future of the Center in 2010, and continues to be personally involved in its operations to this day – down to organizing a partnership with the nearby Dutchess Day School to provide artwork for the Center's walls.


Make sure LOW POWER MODE is off.
older models will have different ranges for what is good and bad.
Sorry, this test will only help you if you are currently using an iPhone.
Please come back on your iPhone.
Basically, Apple added software so certain iPhone models wouldn't unexpectedly shut down when the battery gets too old. But, some people think Apple didn't notify consumers because they wanted to push people to upgrade sooner.
Apple's public response to consumers.
The test only shows if you are being slowed down when the test was run. Because a combination of the devices temperature, battery charge and the battery's impedance (affected by health) triggers the throttling, it is unlikely anyone will be throttled all the time. Devices that are throttled will get fairly inconsistent scores with my tool precisely because the CPU speed is fairly inconsistent. If you want additional verification you can look up your battery's health. There are free apps on the app store which try to guess at your battery health which are probably accurate enough. Here is a good one to get you started.. You can also go into an Apple store and have them run battery diagnostics on your device. I've heard rumors you can get access to some of these diagnostics using the Apple Support App available on the App Store but I haven't tried it myself.


The GT double has the same easy quick fold technology as the other Baby Jogger strollers making them the easiest folding strollers on the market. It has an adjustable handlebar. Complimentary parent console is provided with all rentals. The City Mini GT is not intended for jogging.
Dimensions Unfolded	44" x 29.75" x 30-43.5"
Dimensions Folded	12.5" x 29.75" x 31"


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Home » 2018 April 2018 In Focus
A Family-Owned Firm Marks Over 70 Years in Business
Lester R. Summers, Inc.
Written by Nate Hendley
Lester R. Summers, Inc. (Summers Trucking) of Ephrata, Pennsylvania has hauled everything from giant NASA telescopes to prestressed concrete products, machinery, modular buildings, commercial windows, lumber and construction materials. The premier oversize precast concrete hauler in the northeastern United States is a family-owned operation that was founded just after World War II.
Ephrata is the company's "only branch right now. [Expansion] has been a point of conversation for last two or three years. We just had the two best years in our company history, and we realize to be able to go to the next level, we need to look at a second or third terminal," says John Summers, vice president of customer solutions.
At present, most of the clients with which Summers Trucking works are based in its home state, with Virginia being the firm's "second biggest state, as far as customers," states Summers. Hauling oversized, over-dimensional freight is a company specialty. The firm has a big niche transporting commercial windows and counts parking garages and bridges as key sectors it serves, he adds.
The company was founded in 1946 by John Summers' grandparents Lester and Dorothy Summers. "The early focus was on dump truck hauling [materials such as] sand and stone. Freight you could fit on a regular trailer," says Summers.
During the mid-1960s, the company began transporting precast concrete products, eventually becoming the preeminent precast hauler it is today. At that time, John's father J. Harold Summers began working for the company. Harold and his brother Lester Summers Jr. eventually took over the business in 1977. Along the way, the firm grew, particularly after Harold Summers "saw an opportunity to expand into doing over-dimensional, oversized loads," reports his son.
In 2008, ownership passed to a new generation, comprised of John, his sister Rebecca Summers and Ken Summers, son of Lester Summers Jr. Rebecca is now president while Ken is director of operations.
Harold Summers also started a tradition of company involvement in industry associations. The firm currently belongs to several industry associations including the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA—which Harold chaired at one point) and the American Trucking Association (ATA), among others. Being involved in such groups has helped the company raise its profile, keep abreast of industry trends and give voice to issues of concern to the sector, such as infrastructure spending and driver regulations, says Summers. In 2014, Rebecca Summers served as chair of the PMTA board and was the first woman to occupy that position.
Lester R. Summers' vast fleet of nearly five hundred specialty trailers and roughly seventy-five company tractors gives the firm a competitive edge. "It's something that separates us from our competitors. We're able to put twenty-plus trailers out at a customer's site," states Summers.
Clients do not feel rushed to load the trucks, unlike firms with smaller fleets who "pull in and want you to load them immediately," he explains.
Summers Trucking owns one hundred percent of its fleet. "We have never gotten into leasing equipment. We want to have control of [our trucks] and not worry about someone else dictating terms," says Summers. "We also specify our equipment to match our customer's needs."
These vehicles are equipped with global positioning systems (GPS) and electronic onboard recorders (EOBR). The company installed the recorders three years ago – ahead of mandatory federal regulations. It was decided that EOBRs were a safer way to record work hours and distances traveled than having drivers enter such details in logbooks and mileage sheets while behind the wheel, says Summers.
In addition to boosting record-keeping accuracy and driver safety, EOBRs have made it easier to track vehicles on the road. "Our dispatcher might be managing seventy to eighty trucks. Instead of having to call them and find out where they're at, we have a big-screen TV in our dispatch office where we can see [where they are]. It updates every minute. We can see where the driver is at, so we don't have to bother them during the day for routine check-ins," says Summers.
As well as its own trucks, Lester R. Summers can tap into a pool of over fifty other hauling companies in a pinch if volumes become too great. At present, the firm has ninety-two employees, up from eighty-seven last year at this time.
A safety focus is "probably the number one hiring criteria for our drivers… We have two fill-time safety directors and a full staff of mechanics. They keep trucks running and up to code. We can't afford to cut corners in any way," says Summers. Summers Trucking has, in fact, won several awards for its safety record, from the American Trucking Associations, Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association and others.
The company wants workers who are more than safety-minded. They should have "the initiative to do things without having someone overseeing them. We are fairly lean in our overhead. We need employees that are able to take responsibility to do their job without a lot of oversight," he adds.
Lester R. Summers offers employees medical, vision and dental coverage, paid holidays, paid vacations, 401K plans, profit sharing and more. The company pays drivers hourly wages and grants overtime pay past eight hours.
"A lot of trucking companies will pay a fixed rate for the load you're hauling. What happens then, sometimes you almost are telling the driver, the faster you get this done, you'll be better off. We don't want to send that message. We want to make sure the drivers are delivering in a safe manner. If it takes them longer to secure a load, longer to get through traffic, longer to do the right things [that's fine]," says Summers.
Given its long history and expertise with oversized loads, it is no surprise Lester R. Summers Trucking has undertaken several memorable assignments. The firm recently transported parts for NASA's giant James Webb Space Telescope. An entire tractor and trailer, hauling the telescope parts in a specially-designed shipping container, was eased into a plane at a NASA facility in Houston and then flown to Los Angeles. After landing, the truck was unloaded and drove its unique oversized cargo to a Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems facility in Redondo Beach, California. The company has also delivered commercial windows for Manhattan skyscrapers and precast concrete for facilities at the Statute of Liberty, and it is the sole hauler for Pennsylvania's P3 bridge project, the largest bridge upgrade in the history of the United States.
Lester R. Summers, Inc. is facing some industry-wide challenges, including a driver shortage. Not enough young people are entering the profession. This situation is not helped by regulations that stipulate that truckers can start driving in some states at eighteen but need to be twenty-one to cross state lines. Congestion, made worse by crumbling infrastructure, is another huge issue.
"Ten percent of bridges are structurally obsolete, and congestion of the National Highway System alone cost the trucking industry more than $63 billion in 2015 and wasted nearly one billion hours, equivalent to more than 362,000 drivers sitting idle for a full working year," reads a recent paper from the American Trucking Associations.
Adding to the sense of urgency is the fact an improved economy has meant big opportunities for trucking firms. The recession which struck around 2008 to 2009 has largely lifted, and "right now there's more work out there than I've seen in the past decade," reports Summers.
While the company has a website and does some social media, it does not take part in trade shows or buy ad space on billboards to promote itself. "Our biggest promotional tactic is word-of-mouth from satisfied customers," states Summers.
Being involved in trade associations also keeps the company's name front and center. Lester R. Summers Trucking is also very active in community causes in Ephrata from the food bank and blood drives to the Make-A-Wish organization and foundations to help medical patients. The company is not trying to promote itself through this involvement but wants to give something back to its hometown.
"We live here; our employees live here; our employees' children go to school here. We want to create a vibrant community. We're helping people out because we have the financial ability to do that, and it creates a better environment for employees and families," explains Summers.
In five years, he anticipates the firm will have a second or even a third terminal on the east coast and will have expanded its geographic reach. He wants to remain focused on the company's fundamental abilities and has no intention of offering a slew of new services.
"I don't want to be a standard hauler, where I'm going to haul anything for anybody. I want to concentrate on what we do best," states Summers.
The future is bright; expect Summers Trucking to continue trucking along for many years to come as "we have nearly one hundred people and their families counting on us for employment and we have many loyal customers. We plan to be around," he adds.
Nate Hendley
Elevating the Industry


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Longform links: a slow rolling disaster
Thursdays are now all about longform links on Abnormal Returns. You can check out last week's linkfest including a look at why job interviews don't work.
Why single family homes are increasingly owned by big corporations: an excerpt from "Underwater: How Our American Dream of Homeownership Became a Nightmare" by Ryan Dezember. (wsj.com)
How the lights went out at GE ($GE) under Jeff Immelt, an excerpt from "Lights Out: Pride, Delusion, and the Fall of General Electric" by Thomas Gryta and Ted Mann. (nypost.com)
TweetPocketInstapaperSymbols: $GE
"Heretics make the best writers." A look at Anne Applebaum's "Twilight of Democracy: The Failure of Politics and the Parting of Friends." (theguardian.com)
How we navigate life phase transitions, an excerpt from "Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age" by Bruce Feiler. (wsj.com)
An excerpt from Leslie Kern's new book "Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-made World." (bloomberg.com)
Why the West should be wary of TikTok. (stratechery.com)
The destruction of local news institutions across America is a slow rolling disaster for democracy. (theatlantic.com)
What its like to launch a new tech media site, Protocol, in the face of the pandemic. (digiday.com)
How the Slate Star Codex blog became a touchstone in the battle between Silicon Valley and the media, specifically the New York Times. (newyorker.com)
What it means now that the Texas shale oil boom is in full retreat. (wsj.com)
Austin was poised to be the next Silicon Valley and then the pandemic hit. (marker.medium.com)
The Trump administration has seen a lot of turnover, one stalwart has been Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. (newyorker.com)
A poker champion on why the President exhibits some of the characteristics of the worst poker players. (politico.com)
How the Karolyis took over USA Gymnastics and why bad stuff happened. (espn.com)
How did the Ivy League so thoroughly take over MLB back offices? (espn.com)
Jan Marsalek, the former COO of WireCard, "led multiple lives, with complicated and overlapping commercial and political interests." (ft.com)
Why is a tech executive putting up surveillance cameras all over San Francisco? (nytimes.com)
How the pandemic could change the way we think about architecture. (washingtonpost.com)
Is there a right way to enjoy the outdoors in the age of Instagram? (outsideonline.com)
Wednesday links: the stressful life of short-sellers
Thursday links: previously held views


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Sustainability Report for Domtar Wins CSR Award from PR News
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Domtar's 2015 Sustainability Report,"Our world, connected." received the top recognition in the Sustainability/CSR Report category at the annual PR News CSR Awards held recently at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Eric Mower + Associates worked alongside a core internal team at Domtar to develop and design the new look for the report.
Domtar is using the 2015 report as a primary mechanism to discuss emerging opportunities and risks in the world around them. The document highlights how Domtar's values of agility, caring and innovation come to life. While Domtar has been publishing sustainability reports dating back 10 years, its 2015 report was prepared with a fresh look and voice that reflects its sustainability leadership. Being relevant, readable and memorable were the goals set for making the report a success.
To achieve a fresh look, EMA added more visuals and infographics, organized the report into eight clearly-defined subject areas, and included sustainability stories from suppliers, employees, community members and customers.
Along with designing the report in multiple formats, translating the copy to French, and sharing it across numerous platforms, EMA's contributions on Domtar's 2015 Sustainability Report helped them beat out 10 other finalists for the award—including reports from Nestlé in the United States, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Viacom.
PR News' CSR Awards showcase the industry's most powerful, impactful social responsibility and green campaigns, and finalists in the competition set new standards of excellence for other organizations to follow. A blue chip panel of corporate, agency and academic executives judges CSR Award entries—in conjunction with PR News staff—and evaluates the entries based on creativity, innovation, sound planning, implementation and outcomes.
Ultimately, proven success in aligning strategic objectives with end goals is the most important criterion. Words such as, "authentic," "makes me proud to work for Domtar," "sustainability doesn't have to be so complicated," "easy to read," "conversational" and "inviting" are just some of the terms used by Domtar employees and customers to describe its 2015 report. This feedback and the final report itself, showed judges that Domtar and EMA were truly able to achieve their goals of making the report relevant, readable and memorable.
Domtar's 2015 Sustainability Report: "Our world, connected" was also awarded an Honorable Mention from Ragan Communications PR Daily's 2015 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards for the category: Report (Annual or One-Time) (Print or Electronic). These accolades follow a number of other awards and recognitions EMA earned in 2015 for its work with Domtar, including a Merit Award from The One Show, a bronze CLIO Award and, most notably, a Silver Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
About Mower
Mower is a digitally-integrated independent marketing, advertising and public relations agency. With professionals in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, and Syracuse, Mower delivers strategic insights, digital solutions, smart creative, and award-winning results to clients. Part of two global agency networks — thenetworkone and IPREX — as well as the 4A's.
Christian Gaddis
CGaddis@mower.com


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Rena Kubota- Bio, Record, & MMA
BoxerPlayersWrestler
This article was last updated by on November 15, 2022
There are several talented female wrestlers in the world. One of the renowned female wrestlers known to the world is Rena Kubota.
Rena Kubota is a Japanese professional kickboxer and "shoot wrestler."
She fights in the division of welterweight and middleweight. Known by her ring name Rena she has won several championships throughout her career.
Rena Kubota
Moreover, some of Kubota's significant accomplishments are being Rise Queen champion, 4x Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup winner, 2x Shoot Boxing's Women's Flyweight Championship, etc.
Furthermore, let's get to know more about Kubota's life and career. First, let's look into some of her quick facts.
Rena Kubota | Quick Facts
Full Name Rena Kubota
Birth Date June 29th, 1991
Birth Place Osaka, Japan
Nickname Rena
Religion Not Available
Education Not Disclosed
Father's Name Not Disclosed
Mother's Name Not Disclosed
Siblings Not Disclosed
Height 5'3" (1.60 m)
Weight 50kgs (110 lbs)
Style Shoot boxing
Team Oikawa dojo
Boyfriend None
Profession Shoot wrestler and kickboxer
Career Highlights & Awards Rise Queen champion- 2011
4x Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup winner- 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, etc.
Years active 2007–Present
Merch Autographed Century MMA Globes, Signed Islamic Shooting Boxing Globes, Signed Japanese Art Board
Rena Kubota | Early Life, Family & Education
Rena Kubota was born on June 29th, 1991, in Osaka, Japan.
Besides, Rena has not revealed anything about her early life and family. Thus, none of the sources have any information regarding Rena's parents.
Age, Height & Body Measurements
Rena possesses an athletic body frame and stands at the height of 5'3" (1.60 m) with 50kgs (110 lbs) weight.
Rena Kubota With her Dog
Moreover, Rena turned 31 years old in 2023, and she has dark brown colored hair and eyes.
According to Rena's birthdate, she falls under the sun sign of Cancer.
Rena Kubota | Career and Profession
Rena made her kickboxing debut in the all-female promotion J-Girls at New Heroine Coming! on July 1st, 2007.
Asami Furuya defeated her through a split decision in the flyweight New Heroine tournament semi-finals.
Likewise, Kubota fought once again in J-Girls, World Queen Tournament, and won against Mika Nagai through a decision on November 4th, 2007.
Furthermore, Rena's next bout was her first in the shoot boxing category.
She defeated Kanako Oka through a decision at Shoot Boxing 2007 Mu-So 5th on December 23rd, 2007.
She won her next two fights during the Road to S-Cup series.
On June 1st, 2008, Rena fought with MMA fighter Miku Matsumoto during the Deep promotion in a kickboxing match at ClubDEEP Toyama Barbarian Festival 7 and had a tie.
Rena then returned to the shoot boxing category and won an extra-round decision against Misato Tomita on July 21st, 2008.
Moreover, Rena's next fight, her second professional loss, came during a rematch against Miku Matsumoto at the Shoot Boxing World Tournament 2008 on November 24th, 2008.
Miku won the fight through a unanimous decision.
Furthermore, Rena then debuted K-1 at K-1 Award & MAX Korea 2009 on March 20th, 2009, where she was defeated through an extra-round split decision against Su Jeong Lim.
The bout was Rena's only fight for promotion.
Find more about fellow fighter WWE Carmella- Early Life, Career, Real Name & Net Worth>>
Jewels Promotion
Rena debuted in the Jewels promotion in a shoot boxing match at Jewels 4th Ring on July 11th, 2009, where she defeated Tomoko SP through the decision.
Likewise, Kubota returned to the shoot boxing category and won her first Girls S-Cup title, at only 18 years old, during the 2009 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup on August 23rd, 2009.
Rena defeated Masako Yoshida by decision, Saori Ishioka through TKO, and finally, Mei Yamaguchi won the match through the decision.
Furthermore, after winning the Girls S-Cup, Rena won the fight against Emi Fujino through TKO (doctor stoppage), Australian Christina Jurjevic through decision, and Mika Nagai.
Likewise, Rena had a match against kickboxing and MMA legend Hisae Watanabe on April 11th, 2010, but Rena broke her finger, and Hisae faced a substitute opponent.
The two fought on August 29th, 2010, during the 2010 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup.
Rena stunned everyone, including Hisae, with her speed and aggressiveness. The #2 ranked Hisae was very confident of winning, but Rena shocked everyone with her strong performance and defeated Hisae through TKO.
Rena (left) during a fight
Moreover, Rena presented a devastating knee to the body, which caused Hisae to fall to her knees.
After the move, Hisae was holding her stomach due to severe pain and was unable to continue the match.
Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup
Furthermore, Rena defeated American MMA fighter Kate Martinez through the semi-finals decision, then she defeated Ai Takahashi via decision after two extra rounds and won her second straight Girls S-Cup.
Thus, after her second Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup victory, Rena appeared at the pre-recorded TV program Beautiful women athletes full performance- TV 2011 Athletic Club of Fire on TBS on January 11th, 2011, where she faced and defeated male comedians Koji Imada, Hidetsugu Shibata, and Yu Shinagawa in exhibition bouts.
While the show had an average of 11.8% TV ratings, Rena's appearance had the highest rating, 16.8%, which resulted in her ring name becoming the second-highest searched-for keyword on Google Japan the following day.
Rena Kubota On The Ring
Moreover, Rena fought with South Korean fighter Sun Young Kim on April 23rd, 2011, at Shoot Boxing 2011 Act 2 in Tokyo, but Sun Young withdrew from the bout.
As a result, Rena faced J-Girls rising star Erika Kamimura during an exhibition match, where she was knocked down once in a single three-minute round, which surprised everyone.
Check out Priscila Cachoeira Bio: MMA, ESPN, Drugs & Record>>
Shoot Boxing 2011
Furthermore, Rena faced Ai Takahashi again during a five-round title fight at Shoot Boxing 2011 Act 3 on June 5th, 2011, where she was defeated via unanimous decision.
Moreover, on August 19th, 2011, Rena faced Thai Zaza Sor.
Aree during a non-tournament bout at the 2011 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup.
She trapped Zaza in a standing arm-triangle choke, resulting in Zaza struggling violently to escape. However, Zaza was unable to escape Rena's choke.
Nevertheless, Rena won the match after releasing a devastating punch to Zaza's stomach during round two, which caused her to collapse.
Zaza laid flat on her back and held her stomach in agony. Thus, Zaza could not continue, and Rena won the fight.
This was the second time where Rena's powerful attacks left the opponent in so much pain that they could not get up and continue the match.
The first opponent to collapse in pain, similar to Zaza, was Hisae Watanabe.
Moreover, Rena faced Bellator MMA veteran Jessica Penne during a shoot boxing match at Shoot Boxing 2011 Act 4 on September 10th, 2011, where she lost the match through a majority decision.
Rise Queen Championship
Furthermore, Rena faced Erika Kamimura during a rematch at "Rise 85" on November 23rd, 2011.
She defeated Kamimura through a unanimous decision and became the first Rise Queen champion. Rena vacated the Rise Queen title on July 23rd, 2013.
Kubota as a Rise Queen
Rena entered the 2012 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup on August 25th, 2012, where she defeated Mei Yamaguchi, Kim Townsend, and Seo Hee Ham in succession and became the 2012 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup tournament champion.
Moreover, Rena returned to face Taiwanese fighter Du Peiling at Shoot Boxing 2013- Act 2 on April 20th, 2013. She defeated Du through third-round KO.
The referee stopped the fight as Du was starting to lose consciousness.
On June 23rd, 2013, an announcement was released stating that Rena would be facing Lorena Klijn during the 2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup Japan Midsummer Festival event on August 3rd, 2013.
She defeated Klijn through a majority decision after an extension round.
Moreover, on November 16th, 2013, at Shoot Boxing Battle Summit- Ground Zero Tokyo 2013, Rena defeated late replacement opponent Maylee Won Pomas through a unanimous decision.
Likewise, Rena had a fight with Katie Klimansky-Casimir at Shootboxing 2014- Act 1 on February 23rd, 2014, but the fight was dismissed when the American fighter faced immigration issues.
Rena fought in the Rizin Fighting Federation inaugural event on New Year's Eve 2015 and won through Flying Armbar submission during the second round on December 31st, 2015.
You might be interested in Felicia Spencer Bio: Husband, MMA, Net Worth & Social Media>>
Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix
Since fighting in the Rizin Fighting Federation's inaugural event, she fought in the Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix 2016 and won against Miyuu Yamamoto and Hanna Gujwan.
Similarly, in Rizin 2017, she won against Dora Perjes, Andy Nguyen, and Irene Cabello Rivera and lost while fighting Kanna Asakura.
Rena Kubota on a Fight
Likewise, in 2018 Rena won against Elaine Leal and lost while fighting Kanna Asakura once again.
Moreover, from 2019 to 2020, Rena won against Samantha Jean-Francois, Alexandra Alvarez Carlos, Lindsey VanZandt, and Emi Tomimatsu.
Rena Kubota | Awards and Accomplishments
2x Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup winner- 2019, 2010
Rise Queen champion- 2011
4x Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup winner- 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017
Rizin Women's Super Atomweight (49 kg) Runner-Up- 2017
2x Shoot Boxing's Women's Flyweight Championship- 2015, 2016
Special Award- Jewels: December 20th, 2009
What is Rena Kubota's net worth?
Kubota has not revealed anything about her career earnings. However, reviewing the average salary of several wrestlers, we can assume that-
Thus presumable net worth of Rena Kubota is about $1.5 million.
Rena Kubota | Boyfriend and Relationship
The most frequently asked question about the famous Rena is whether she is single, in a relationship, or married.
Kubota is known for keeping her private matters a secret. The only information available regarding her is about her professional fighting life and career.
Moreover, there are also no sources that state Rena's relationship with anyone currently or in the past. Thus, we can assume that Rena Kubota is most probably single and focusing on her career.
Rena Kubota | Social Media Presence
Kubota is quite active on social media. On Instagram, Rena has around 139 thousand followers. Likewise, on Twitter, she has about 138.8 thousand followers.
Moreover, Rena posts about her work, and moments with her family and pets.
Interesting Facts about Rena Kubota
Kubota is a dog lover and continuously uploads pictures with her dogs on her social media.
Rena is also an anime lover.


Kaara Fankaara Hindi Lyrics from OK Jaanu (2017): It starring Shraddha Kapoor & Aditya Roy Kapoor. The song is sung by Paroma Das Gupta, Shashaa Tirupati & Hard Kaur, music composed by A.R. Rahman and lyrics penned by Gulzar.
Ho o.. fankaara.. Kaab aaye re..
Just the way I am build, aha..
You got tired you fellas..


Those of you that are closest to us know that we have been trying to have a baby for a while (well over a year). So far it hasn't been a part of God's timing and we aren't sure why. I won't go in too many details about that. I'm sure one day we will have a baby naturally…or maybe we won't. We're not sure what God has in mind. What we do know is that he has put it on our hearts to open our hearts and our home up to becoming parents in a different way.
Matt and I have decided to begin the process of becoming Foster Parents. The process takes some time and training and we are very excited to begin this journey. Our hope is that we will have everyone's love, support and prayers while we experience this new chapter in our lives and take things one day at a time. We have already completed the initial orientation process and have been invited to begin the training sessions which start next week and will run for the next 8-10 weeks or so. After the training there are many other steps in the process as well but we are just trying to take it one step at a time so it is not too overwhelming.
To start this journey, we will begin setting up a nursery in our home. Our intended age range is 0-4. We hope to possibly adopt some of the precious angels God brings to us if the opportunity presents itself however we aren't naive to the fact that the ultimate goal of Foster Parenting is reunification of the child to their natural parents or blood relatives.
With that being said, we are hopeful that anyone that has gently used baby or toddler items for both boys and girls, baby/toddler furniture, toys, clothes etc that you were just going to donate anyway might consider donating those items to us.
It feels awkward asking this as we all know I especially hate to ask anyone for anything, but all our friends/family that are parents tell us all the time how soon their kids grow out of things and don't use things anymore. We are starting with nothing and there aren't typically baby showers for people whom aren't pregnant or whom aren't sure when they will be receiving a little one. SO basically we are going to be those people on Facebook that ask for donations (stuff not money) and be proud of it. These items will go toward making little ones happy and cared for and loved. They will go towards the effort of making our home a happy noise filled place full of laughter, love, cries, toys, learning and safety for the little ones that so desperately need it.
Your support is appreciated. Even if you have nothing to donate, simply your kind words of support and love are appreciated and needed as well. This journey is going to be difficult and has potential to be heart breaking as some of the little ones that will come to our home won't be able to stay forever. Say a prayer for us if you don't mind. It is truly appreciated. This is going to be one roller coaster of a ride and we're ready to strap in and take things as they come.
Love and blessings to you all as we enter a new year.


Structural Engineer | Jurutera Perunding Tekadmaju Sdn. Bhd.
We are a well establised consulting company with expertise in civil and structure engineering consultancy services with specialised skills is geotechnical engineering. We are looking for suitable candidates to join us for the company expansion needs.
Assist the Director / Manager to carry out all structural design work.
Ensure that all works carried our are in accordance to the drawings, specifications, project program, procedures, design briefs, etc.
Planning, design, supervision and coordination of projects.
Implement all policies, activities procedures and instructions as relevant and required by the quality management system.
Candidate must possess at least a Bachelor' Degree, in Civil Engineering or equivalent.
At least 5 year(s) of working experience in structural engineering design and consultancy.
Good interpersonal and communication skills in both written and spoken English.
Self-Motivated person and able to work independently.
Possess good team work with all level.
Computer literate preferable on Structural software and AutoCAD. The company provides attractive remuneration, PA, medical and hospitalisation coverage, sports club recreation & sports activities and a 5-day working week among other benefits.


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GamesSport
Why Tiger Woods returning to videogames with 2K is such a big deal
Tiger Woods' long-term deal to join the PGA Tour 2K games is massive for golf, videogames, and fans of both. Let's examine why.
Chris Button March 19, 2021 — 4 minutes read
What a coup for sports games — Tiger Woods is back.
Not since EA Sports' Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 released back in 2013 has the mega golfing star graced the videogame arena.
Since EA stopped making golf games after the tepid Rory McIlroy PGA Tour in 2015, Canadian developer HB Studios has filled the void with The Golf Club series.
The strong quality of HB Studios' work led to 2K — the company publishing the brilliant, if money-hungry, NBA 2K series — distributing subsequent The Golf Club games, culminating in last year's strong PGA Tour 2K21 release, selling nearly two million copies.
Now, 2K outright own HB Studios and has signed Tiger Woods to a long-term deal which will grant exclusive rights for Woods' name and likeness to appear in the PGA Tour 2K series.
Woods will also serve as a consultant on the series through an Executive Director role, which is an exciting prospect for golf game fans worldwide.
Although the timing of the announcement is a little bizarre given Woods' recent accident clouding his immediate playing future, the impact of such a partnership cannot be understated.
It will be so good to have arguably the greatest golfer of all time back in the world of videogames.
The Tiger Woods effect
Tiger Woods is among rare company, being highly recognisable outside the sporting arena. Like basketballer Michael Jordan as seen in the brilliant The Last Dance documentary series, Woods' prominence far exceeds his extraordinary golfing ability.
After a comparatively lean decade throughout the 2010s marred by scandal and riddled with injuries, Woods returned to scintillating form in 2019, cementing his status as one of the greatest athletes of the modern era.
As fate would have it, Australia played a significant role in bookending Woods' fall from grace and subsequent revival.
In late 2009, Woods won the Australian Masters at Melbourne's Kingston Heath Golf Club in slightly controversial circumstances, given the Victorian government paid him over $3 million just to appear — more than what was collectively on offer for the tournament's participants.
This hefty investment paid off handsomely, however, evidenced by the huge crowds and national interest far exceeding what the competition normally would — such is the Tiger Woods effect.
Shortly after this win, the American golfer's infidelity came to light, tarnishing his previously squeaky-clean image and commencing a tumultuous decade on-course, which threatened to end without a major win.
Come 2019, Woods broke through in winning the prestigious US Masters before returning to Australia and leading team USA to victory at the Presidents Cup, reaffirming his legend status.
I was fortunate enough to witness Woods' Presidents Cup greatness first-hand, battling the crowds at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club to get a glimpse of Tiger in his natural habitat.
Aside from his stellar performance and seemingly inhuman composure under pressure, I was astounded by how much Woods' popularity has endured.
Despite the scandals, despite the patchy form, and despite the long injury layoffs, Tiger Woods still generated the most interest from punters by a wide margin.
To even have a chance of witnessing Woods up close, you had to plan several holes ahead — waiting up to an hour-and-a-half before he hit the tee blocks — and assertively defend your spot lest someone ruin your view.
Even though the Aussies, including Adam Scott (not the Parks and Rec variety) and Marc Leishman, garnered decent support, it paled in comparison to the Tiger Woods show.
And what a show it was. Woods' magnetic presence on the fairways — even in between rounds — was quite unlike anything I've seen on a sporting field.
While Woods' appearance in 2K's games won't convert golfing non-believers into disciples, he will add further legitimacy and reignite interest in golf videogames.
Back to golfing games' heyday
Golf's methodical nature translates exceptionally well to videogames, best illustrated by EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour games of the mid-2000s.
Across the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube consoles, golf games hit their peak.
A lot of love, care and fun clearly went into those games, with deep, challenging career modes, robust character customisation, and breakdancing celebrations on the green to licenced songs such as DMX's "Party Up (Up In Here)" — a notable golfing anthem.
Perhaps one reason for these games' success was the blurry line balanced between arcade and simulation gameplay. For example, to circumvent tough course conditions, you could change the ball's spin direction mid-flight.
How every golfer wishes they could achieve such a feat in real life.
Much like Woods' career trajectory of the 2010s, EA's PGA Tour series declined in quality, eventually leading to the company dropping the golf games entirely.
PGA Tour 2K21 is arguably the best golf videogame since EA's mid-2000s efforts, featuring impressive realism, robust course creator options, and regular content updates such as the speed golf-inspired Divot Derby mode.
Even Nintendo's getting back to golf, with Mario Golf Super Rush coming to Nintendo Switch in June.
What PGA Tour 2K21 lacks is star power. A small handful of PGA pros headlined by Justin Thomas appear as in-game opponents in a non-playable capacity.
No disrespect to the likes of Thomas and his cohort of top-20 golfers, but they're not the same drawcard Tiger Woods is.
And while 2K needs to make adding women from the LPGA — whose omission was one of the very few disappointments of PGA Tour 2K21 — a priority for future releases, Woods is the guaranteed lure.
The Sunday specialist himself appeals to PGA fanatics and casual golfers alike, which will be a great selling point for 2K's golfing franchise.
Here's hoping Woods makes a full recovery and gets back to the course. In the meantime, his long-term future involvement with 2K is overwhelmingly positive for both the sport and videogames.
We're about to hit another golden era for golf videogames, and it will be glorious.
Gucci's $14 Virtual 25 shoes are real-life DLC, only wearable in AR
Take sleep more seriously with a Withings Sleep Analyzer


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WA union calls off port industrial action
Pre-Christmas strike for a week ends after a day following Fair Work Australia talks with State Government
Freight transport around Perth has been spared chaos before Christmas.
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) port strike in Western Australia has been called off after State Government assurances on mass redundancies in the event of a privatisation.
The MUA's WA branch had held out the prospect of an eight-day and then a six-day stoppage at Fremantle and Kwinana, which, had if been borne out, would have brought the container and bulk facilities respectively to a standstill.
Fair Work Australia talks between the State Government and the union, which have been ongoing over an enterprise bargaining agreement and continued last night on this issue, appear to have been the catalyst.
The union had blamed WA Transport Minister and Treasurer Troy Buswell for the impass, which had threatened the supply of goods through the ports in the week before Christmas.
Buswell has stated that there are no port privatisation plans, but has argued the need for flexibility.
The union's Assistant WA State Secretary, Will Tracey, says the Government has agreed that any further privatisation-linked job-security concerns will be heard by Fair Work Australia at the first instance.


Perched alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway atop the oldest mountain range in the world, near the quaint town of Blowing Rock, sits Turtle Creek, the finest private enclave in Western North Carolina and home to luxurious new mountain living.
Surrounding this private escape are rugged landscapes, trout-filled rivers and flowing waterfalls offering serenity that only nature can create. At Turtle Creek, enjoy fly fishing for trout in its native ponds, watch geese, ducks and deer at play in their natural surroundings, and listen to crickets harmonize with native birdsong. From stargazing, relaxing with a good book to fly-fishing or just enjoying time with loved ones in front of a crackling fire, make Turtle Creek your home.
Turtle Creek, a place where you'll find what you forgot you lost.


looks like a great snack, and will certainly make them smile when they open the box -- the open-mouthed faces with hats are so funny! love the dragon fruit balls too, such a fascinating and stylish fruit. best of luck to your kids with the test!!
好可爱的小点心!我家的大不点这个星期也是final exam but they still need to carry over their school aft exam..5..5..5!
omg, how did your crabstick cutouts come out so beautifully? Did you use a really sharp cutter or freehand?
@凶妈妈 : All the best for your kid too! Hope our kids will do their best for the final exam. Thanks a lot 凶妈妈!
@Kuusou : I do hope they will remember. Sometimes they know the answer but they don't look the question carefully. Thanks a lot Kuusou!
@anna2003 : Enjoy your 'honeymoon' period. I will be join you soon hehehe ... Thanks a lot Karen!
What is the 3 important points? So the 3 smiley face represent the points?
Hope your kids are doing well in thier exam.
So cool the dragonfruit! I would love the exotic fruit for my bento; perhaps I should try it. The three faces will remind them of the 3 important things... best of everything for the kids to do well in their exams!
@Asfora : The pink dragon fruit sweeter than the white one. I used melon baller to make the ball shapes hehehe ... Hope you can find it and try it. There are very nice :) Thanks a lot Asfora!
@tatabonita : Thanks a lot dear!
i love the babies!! im sure you make your kids friends jealous of their lunches!


Propose and deliver a music strategy for the House of Peroni – a six-week residency in East London celebrating Italian creativity, partnering with M&C Saatchi.
Our approach was to engage a hand-picked selection of Italian musicians/DJs to complement the activations other pillars of Food, Drink and Style.
We secured Italian ambient music icon Gigi Masin, to deliver a soundtrack that would play throughout the activation. Little known for much of his career, Gigi has seen his profile and popularity rise through his Gaussian Curve project with Young Marco and Johnny Nash, released on Dutch imprint Music from Memory.
As well as Gigi, we also confirmed italo-disco pioneer Daniele Baldelli, Italy-via-Berlin duo Discodromo and Horse Meat Disco's Severino amongst the 12-date event programme.
Programmed 22 artists to perform over the six-week residency PR coverage dedicated to the music programme in DJ Magazine, Resident Advisor, Decoded and Nube.
Contributed to helping Peroni assume a genuinely elevated position within the category.
Brand awareness among 'trendsetters' rose to 24% – the highest result for any Peroni activation in Europe.