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Radu Dudau Talks about Romanian Energy Sector Priorities
Home/Interview/Radu Dudau Talks about Romanian Energy Sector Priorities
Massive investment of capital and know how
Lavinia Iancu 4 weeks ago
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The Energy Policy Group (EPG) is a Bucharest-based non-profit, independent think-tank on energy policy, market analytics and energy strategy, established in February 2014. EPG's regional focus is Southeast Europe and the Black Sea Basin, yet it covers the trends and processes at the EU and global levels. EPG promotes a technologically advanced, environmentally friendly and socially acceptable energy system. Its views are self-standing and science-based. EPG's publications are freely available at www.enpg.ro.
In this interview Radu Dudau – EPG's Director, reveals EPG's role in creating a better understanding of policies and processes in the energy sector and proper solutions for the Romanian energy industry and market to function.
Dear Mr. Dudau, your academic career, focused on teaching and research, is grounded in an interest in international relations, foreign policy, and international energy policy. You have been personal adviser to the Energy Minister, in charge with developing a new National Energy Strategy. How did the idea of establishing the Energy Policy Group emerge?
Radu Dudau: Well, I co-founded EPG quite a few years before I became adviser to the Energy Minister. It was back in 2013, when the public uproar over the shale gas issue was still ongoing in Romania, that I felt the need to start a independent think-tank able to provide the public with quality information, based on evidence and validated science, on energy and environment issues. It was obvious that the Romanian citizens were, from then on, going to have their say in a domain that, in our country, had been traditionally kept outside the purview of public consultation.
At the same time though, a certain deficit of confidence in the official sources of information was palpable. Against a backdrop of anxiety and fear about the supposed consequences of shale gas operations, and suspicious of the intentions of their own government, many Romanians did turn, back then, to various other channels of information, many of which were unchecked, distorted or even manipulative. The press itself seemed to be ineffective in conveying lucidity and reasonableness – that is, when it did not itself fan the flames of hostility and suspicion – while the institutions of higher education, inasmuch as they got involved at all in the debate, were only limitedly able to make themselves heard and respected.
Along with my friend Laurentiu Pachiu, we felt the need to create a new, independent and credible voice that would try to elevate the level of public debate on such issues. This is how we started EPG in February 2014, as a non-governmental organization. Other issues have soon followed in the public discourse: The Black Sea gas finds and their development; the oil and gas fiscal framework in Romania; the Nabucco pipeline – and its demise; the optimal energy mix and the energy strategy itself, etc. In all of these, EPG has been a steady source of information, analysis, and policy recommendations.
What are the goals of the EPG platform?
Radu Dudau: Our goals have been largely delineated above: put succinctly, quality public information on all critical issues in the energy sector. At the same time, EPG purports to serve as trusted interface between the government, the business environment and the broader public. Indeed, in this latter respect, we have earned a good reputation for our specialized, solution-oriented events, in which we bring together the authorities and the relevant stakeholders.
What is EPG's role in creating a better understanding of policies and processes in the energy sector?
Radu Dudau: By always trying to produce objective, well-reasoned and solidly documented analyses, EPG purports to provide the public with relevant information on relevant topics. We have come to produce substantive papers and reports in virtually all segments of the energy sector. Then, there are our public events (conferences, workshops and roundtables) and educational programs (courses, seminars, and summer schools). We are always learning and enhancing our analytic skills and understanding, while trying to impart that knowledge with others.
What are the main areas on which the EPG is focused? How about the most important research programs carried out by EPG?
Radu Dudau: We started with the O&G sector, but have since diversified to electricity, energy markets, energy efficiency, EU energy and climate policy, renewables, etc. Apart from this sectoral take, we have strong abilities to do strategic energy planning, thanks to our extensive understanding of the Romanian energy system and our quantitative analysis skills.
We have been for the past few years in several international grants focusing on the energy systems of South-eastern Europe, typically involving modelling and quantitative analysis. An overarching concern is to match EU's ambitious energy and climate goals for the next decades with optimized energy mixes of the region's countries, and to emphasizes the changes that are needed in support of clean, reliable and affordable energy.
As analyst specializing in energy, how do you estimate the energy market and the business environment in Romania compared to the interest area covered by EPG – Southeast Europe and the Black Sea Basin?
Radu Dudau: The Romanian energy sector has come a long way since 1989 in terms of its restructuring, modernisation and competitiveness. However, especially over the past few years, significant investments in the sector have been a rarity. This has mainly to do with a regulatory instability that seems to have been running amok. There is barely any segment or sector in which investors would not feel disincentivised by erratic pieces of legislation – including government ordinances – not to mention their often-dubious quality. To a certain extent, this is understandable, given the major policy challenges ahead (such as the corpus of EU climate legislation). Nonetheless, the institutional capacity of the Romanian state in the energy sector seems to exceeded by the tasks ahead of it, and is barely able to keep up with a vibrant private sector.
More generally, there are two underlying traits consistently displayed in public rhetoric at all levels: a mistrust in the workings of the competitive energy markets (although, in theory, as an EU member state, Romania is committed to building and sustaining them, along with the needed checks) and a deeply entrenched inclination towards self-isolation and autarchy, in a syndrome of fortress besieged, in which the 'goods' are to be zealously guarded from greedy plunderers.
Leaving aside the figurative language, I am not for a moment suggesting that the state should not vigorously guard its interests. My point is that, after three decades of rediscovered market economy and 12 years of EU membership, it is time for the state to really build capacity, bring forward professionals and draw on genuine know-how. I realize this is easier said than done, but there is no other way to really take advantage of our own potential and what the EU has to offer.
You have recently stated that the gas sector was dysfunctional. Please explain extensively what you refer to and what recovery solutions you envisage for the Romanian energy industry and market to function.
Radu Dudau: In a way, the gas sector is the best illustration of what poor and tempestuous law making can cause in the energy market. After several year of increasingly burdensome fiscality, centralized market trading obligation, royalties calculated by reference to the Austrian gas market, an incomplete market liberalization that brought a major burden of cost upon the gas suppliers, here comes GEO 114/2018 on top of it all – a monument of ineptitude and irresponsibility. The gas market liberalization was to be utterly suspended for the coming three years, the upstream sector, already disincentivised by the said factors, was hit with a regulated price for the domestically produced gas, the regulated rate of return (RRR) for the distribution companies was dramatically reduced, to the point where no significant new investment was possible any more, and a 2% turnover 'money contribution' was introduced for every energy company licenced by the national energy regulator, ANRE. In all the panic and disarray thus caused, numerous investment projects were cancelled or mothballed, a lot of value was destroyed, and the reputation of the Romanian business environment was ruined. Add to that the fact that no new block O&G has been put on tender for the last 10 years by the Romanian authorities, that the state-owned energy companies are systematically deprived of capital by the insatiable appetite for money of their owner, thus constantly upending their investment plans, etc.
Now, this is what I call a dysfunctional sector – though not to everybody, in all fairness: the traders of imported gas, which has grown in higher demand, have been blossoming for the past half year or so.
In the Black Sea Basin in particular the developments are quite slow. How do you assess that operations will be carried out in this area?
Radu Dudau: It is hard to understand why such a hugely important project for the Romanian economy, energy security, and political relevance is still stalling, seven years after the discovery of the Black Sea's main gas find. Although, again, the above explanations about the regulatory instability go a long way.
After last year's frantic elaboration of the Offshore Law, the state should now be able to offer the investors the terms for a long-term, win-win deal. And the investors need to know that they will be shielded from aberrations such as GEO 114. Any delay translates into high opportunity costs.
What is your opinion on the heavily debated Ordinance 114 and its impact on the energy sector? It seems that investors are expecting its annulment…
Radu Dudau: Well, I suppose I have not minced my words on GEO 114/2018 so far. Such distortions occur when people disconnected from the true concerns of the energy domain get to act on their own, in narrow circle, driven by self-sufficiency, resentment, and probably group interests, with no accountability. And it is not just about energy, but also about banking, constructions, telekom and others. An all-out assault on the entire economy.
Unfortunately, the chaos thus caused will be hard to get past. The very untenable effects of GEO 114 made it from the outset very difficult to comply with. Some of its most untenable provisions have been already rescinded by means of GEO 19/2019, while other have been sweetened by ANRE. However, quite a few others are still in place. And, in any event, the reputational costs are high and long-term.
What are, in your opinion, the most important assets of Romania as regards its positioning on the regional energy market?
Radu Dudau: Romania is a country with significant energy resources, a well-developed, though rusty, infrastructure, and a well-qualified work force, inheriting a tradition in the energy industry. Its energy mix is diversified and its dependence on energy imports (especially of natural gas) is reasonably low. Moreover, the country has a large potential for renewable energy sources and, again, significant reserves of natural gas, especially in the deep waters of the Black Sea.
How about the chapters in which Romania has weaknesses?
Radu Dudau: The Romanian energy sector needs massive investment of capital and know how. However, the country has a unstable and suboptimal regulatory environment, an insufficiently developed and modernized energy infrastructure, and a sizeable risk of supply security in case the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine is interrupted.
The coal sector, still a sizeable contributor to the country's electricity mix, is on the brink of collapse, while the government has no real mid-term solution and no long-term coal exit strategy. The country needs urgently new electricity production capacities, modern and competitive, yet it is uncertain that the so-called 'projects of national interest' listed in the recent energy strategy will ever come to fruition. Meanwhile, lacking the right regulatory environment, investors find little incentive to finance new projects.
After decades of underinvestment, the district heating systems are inefficient in most of the cities, with Bucharest being the most blatant case. Energy poverty is a widespread social problem, and the vulnerable consumer is, in fact, no more than an ill-defined concept. I will stop here with the list of negatives, lest I skew the picture.
Given the global technological trends, energy markets dynamics, climate effects, energy geopolitics, legislative issues, when and how do you see Romania's transition to a circular economy – Europe's strategy for a clean environment and sustainable development?
Radu Dudau: Climate change is not a genuine concern in the Romanian decision-making circles, and circular economy, as a concept, is still in the eye of the beholder. Investment in renewables has come to a halt in the past three years or so; energy efficiency is more talk than action, in spite of some success stories, and the other trappings of the clean energy transition –digitalization, distribution, prosuming, e-mobility – are either incipient and still marginal, or pushed back in time for many years by the regulatory framework – consider, for instance, the lack of ambition regarding the smart meters in Romania.
On a positive note, though, the state has started subsidizing some salient programs, such as the installation of rooftop PV panels by households, through the Agency of the Environmental Fund, while recent regulation by ANRE has paved the way for prosumers.
In effect, I think that, absent other large-scale, costly energy investments, the renewable energy sources will grow on a small and medium scale, close to the customer. Natural gas will complement them, offering back up and flexibility, while the regulatory framework will have to adapt to a more decentralized and volatile electricity system.
epg Radu Dudau
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Another Device Maker Investigated By DOJ
Home » Medical Device News » Another Device Maker Investigated By DOJ
Earlier this month, cardiovascular device maker Abiomed announced that the US Attorney's Office was investigating the company's marketing and labeling of the Impella 2.5 circulatory support device.
According to Forbes, the announcement confirmed rumors that had been circulating for at least two weeks, though in the press release the company said it had just been informed of the investigation on October 26. No details were disclosed about the investigation.
The company also said that it believed that the FDA would begin a review to possibly reclassify its Impella devices as Class III devices, which would require FDA clearance using the more stringent premarket approval (PMA) process instead of the current, less demanding 510(k) premarket notification process.
This is not the first time Abiomed has run into trouble with the FDA. In June 2011 Abiomed received a warning letter from the FDA about improper marketing of Impella for unapproved indications.
The letter cited various statements and advertisements that according to the letter represented "a major change or modification in the intended use of your firm's device that requires a new premarket notification."
In December 2010 the company issued a press release announcing– and spinning– the results of the PROTECT II trial comparing Impella to the intra-aortic balloon (IAB) in high risk PCI patients. Although the trial was stopped early for futility, the press release downplayed the negative findings and instead emphasized positive trends and encouraging subgroup analyses. Last month, when the trial was finally published in Circulation, the company issued a much more restrained press release, perhaps a reflection of the company's efforts to avoid further problems with the FDA.
Abiomed's press release stated, "On October 26, 2012, Abiomed was informed that the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is conducting an investigation that is focused on the Company's marketing and labeling of the Impella 2.5. On October, 31, 2012, Abiomed accepted service of a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act administrative subpoena related to this investigation. The subpoena seeks documents related to the Impella 2.5 and we understand the investigation focuses primarily on marketing and labeling issues. Abiomed is in the process of responding to the subpoena and intends to cooperate fully."
The press release also stated that the company believes that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 515 Program Initiative will hold an Advisory Panel in early December 2012 to review the classification determination of "intra-aortic balloon and control systems," and "nonroller-type cardiopulmonary bypass blood pumps," which includes Impella products. Since this has not been formally announced by the FDA, this estimated timing is subject to change.
Abiomed is in the process of responding to the subpoena and intend to cooperate fully.
Whether because of the DOJ investigation or the FDA announcement, the stock price of Abiomed dropped 25% with the news.
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Q: Riesz's Lemma for $l^\infty$ and $\alpha = 1$ Riesz's Lemma says the following: Let $X$ be a normed vector space and $Y$ a proper closed subspace of $X$. Pick $\alpha \in (0,1)$. Then $\exists x\in X$ such that $|x|=1$ and $d(x,y) \geq \alpha$ for all $y \in Y$.
I am investigating why we cannot take $\alpha=1$ in general. Wikipedia says "the space $l^\infty$ of all bounded sequences shows that the lemma does not hold for $\alpha = 1$". I believe there's a simple example but I don't see what to take as $Y$... So what exactly is the example (i.e. $Y$)?
Edit: It is unfortunate that Wikipedia states the lemma with the version $>\alpha$. With this version, I do not need the specific space of $l^\infty$ to show that the lemma does not hold for $\alpha = 1$. Let $X$ be any normed vector space, and take any $x$ with $|x|=1$. Then $\inf_{y\in Y} d(x,y) \leq d(x,0) = 1$.
As Bombyx pointed out, $l^\infty$ is not reflexive so there should be an example for the version I have stated Riesz's Lemma. Since Wikipedia raised $l^\infty$, I was thinking that maybe there is a (simple) constructive proof for this example. Hence, I was asking if
anyone has any idea on what $Y$ should be.

A: I think the answer is no, because $l^{\infty}$ is not reflexive. A related discussion can be found at here. The credit should be given to the answerer in the other post.

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Rawhide Braiding: The Art of the Gauchos
By Ryan Bell May 23, 2016
Argentine braiding traditions, an increasing influence north of the equator, were fueled by a need to survive on the South American frontier, where a strand of rawhide was all that separated a gaucho from certain death.
Photographs by Eliseo Miciu
This Daniel Posse bozal and bridle set is an example of gaucho saddlery meant for pageantry rather than daily use.
It's hard to beat the utilitarian perfection of rawhide leather. It's the horseman's duct tape. Use it to fix saddles, mend fence or wrap around your foot to hold on a floppy boot sole. In a crunch, tie a strand in a loop to substitute for an engagement ring. It's no surprise, then, that the versatile Argentine gaucho would make use of this do-it-all material in the trenzas tradition of rawhide braiding.
Home on the Pampa
A strand of rawhide was all that separated a gaucho from certain death on the Argentine frontier. Whether used for securing a rope around a horse or constructing tools for hunting food, the trenza tradition was born of the need to be self-sufficient on an unforgiving continent. It makes sense then that the Spanish immigrants who filled the gaucho's sparse ranks took great care in braiding horse saddlery. In a pair of reins, a gaucho literally held his own life in his hands.
A set of boleadoras served as both a lazo and a weapon for gaucho outlaws skilled in throwing them.
The tribes of Mapuche Indians that inhabited the pampa prairies were the inventors of what's become the signature gaucho trenza, the boleadoras. This piece of equipment is composed of three ropes with weights fastened to the ends and held together at the center like a pinwheel. Holding the boleadoras by one weighted end, a horseman swung them overhead like a lazo to cast at the feet of his prey, tripping it to the ground.
Wild herds of cattle and horses were a relatively recent apparition on the pampa, and the Mapuches hadn't yet mastered making leather from their hides. Gauchos improved on the boleadoras' rudimentary design by using braided trenzas in place of the crude rope the Mapuches made from the tendons and ligaments of wild animals, such as the estrus and guanaco, cousins of the ostrich and llama. Gauchos did heed the Mapuche advice to use the tough, plate-like leather from an armadillo for making the pouches that hold the boleadoras' rock weights.
The author throws a lazo aboard Cesar, a Criollo horse, on Estancia del Cielo in Argentina.
The bosal and lazo ("bosal"and "reata"in North American terminology) are further examples of how gaucho saddlery adapted to the utilitarian needs of life on the Argentine Pampa. The bozal and lazo are constructed from rawhide braids of up to 32 strands, and often incorporate decorative motifs of silver rings, medallions and stitched embroideries. A clever feature is a rawhide button-and-loop used as buckle-and-clasp fastener. This invention allows reins, lead ropes, lazos and bozales to be attached without tying a knot in the rope, which would weaken the braid and cause it to break.
Because no other piece of gaucho saddlery receives as much day-to-day abuse, the lazo's design evolved to allow for the inevitability of breakage. Lazos are constructed with an innovative yapa braided onto the catch end of each rope, similar in design and function to the tapered leader of a fly-fishing line. A lazo will almost certainly break in this expendable four-foot section of rope and can be easily repaired by braiding a new yapa instead of an entire new rope. In addition, the yapa is made of a bulkier braid that makes it stronger and heavier than the rest of the rope, and more durable, facilitating lazo throws over greater distances.
Daniel Posse, a craftsman who's practiced trenza leatherwork for 26 years, explains that today's trenzador (braider) is more artisan than gaucho. Nonetheless, leatherworkers heed the wisdom of Argentina's trenza tradition in the way a lazo is cared for to ensure it a long life.
ArgentinabosalDaniel PossegauchalazoRawhide
Author Ryan Bell
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Live in your own slice of paradise and get to share the experience with friends and loved ones!
You will find the stunning living room off the two story foyer, readily welcoming you into its warmth and comfort. Gaze into the majestic surrounding views right in this very room or walk into the sunroom or porch directly adjacent to it. The sunroom can accommodate a group of people with ease, providing an ultimate view of the surrounding lush greens and mountain views.
The living room also has a fireplace and a bar including a built-in temperature controlled wine storage for 300 bottles – making this space all the more perfect for entertaining visitors over.
With walls of windows and an intricately designed fireplace, the expansive formal dining room exudes sophistication and style. Just like the rest of the rooms in this gorgeous Haddam CT waterfront home for sale, it also leaves you with plenty of room to appreciate the breathtaking views while overlooking the heated gunite pool, cabana and patio areas.
You deserve nothing but top quality, and that's exactly what this gourmet kitchen has in store for you.
Elegance and functionality are seamlessly merged in the gourmet kitchen as it features beautiful wooden cabinets that provides abundance of storage, high end appliances, granite counter tops, an impressive gas stovetop, and a raised bar.
Adjoining the kitchen is a remarkable breakfast nook area with spectacular views. This particular room in the home promises days started beautifully, as you sip your favorite cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea while soaking in the natural scenery.
The panorama in the expansive master suite is a sight to behold.
The features of the master suite in this waterfront home for sale is unrivalled. The wide windows will draw your eyes into the the breathtaking views. Imagine having this kind of million dollar view to end and start your days with!
It also comes with a spacious master bathroom that has a Jacuzzi tub, a circular glass block shower, a lavish marble sink area, a 15'X12' dressing room, and a closet area.
The master suite also houses a tower observatory that you can turn into your private refuge where you can enjoy the solitude while admiring the picturesque views.
Apart from the equally splendid three additional bedrooms and 3 and half spotless bathrooms, this 4 level contemporary home for sale in CT also boasts of a home gym room, a hot tub with sauna area and a huge great room with game room.
The formidable great room overlooks the sprawling pool area. This room can easily become one of your favorite rooms as it presents a relaxing vibe throughout the wide space.
Choose this stunning waterfront home in Haddam CT for your next residence, or your weekend escape.
Right outside the home is the heated gunite pool area and a cabana that has its own bathroom and patio areas. Unwind and relax by the pool area. Swim all your worries away, and let the lush surrounding greens soothe you.
This sanctuary of a home can be yours!
To find out more about this stunning 4 level home with waterfront views, click here 195 Injun Hollow Rd Haddam CT.
Call or text me, Deborah Laemmerhirt, at 203-994-4297 today. Together, you and I can make this home yours. With my years of experience as a preeminent real estate agent and my dedication to providing the finest service, I will help you find your dream home in Connecticut.


Penalty Fever 3D - Score and save goals to win the World Cup trophy!
Penalty Fever 3D, There's so many penalties that it's practically an epidemic. You know what to do though, right?
Penalty Fever 3D World Cup is one of our selected Kizi Games. Score and save goals to win the World Cup trophy! You can play on any of 32 real teams. Choose your favorite country, and lead your teammates to victory. When playing on offense, you must aim carefully to score. Then, take turns blocking shots as the goalkeeper!
It's time for some Penalty Fever, again! Guide your team to the World cup title in this frantic penalty shoot-out challenge. You will take shots, but you will also take a role of a goalkeeper. Timing and fast reflexes are crucial in both situations.
Are you a fan of sport game? Don't forget to rate and share the game. More similar awesome games are waiting for you at http://www.kizi.land such as Ping Pong and Dunk Shot Online.


We drove up to Towada Lake National Park, and camped in cabins right on the water.
We brought out pets...here Rob plays fetch with Kuma.
Rob and Ali. Rob is my fencing instructor, and a good friend.
It was a good weather trip, but the campfire was still very much appreciated!
Sisko did not seem to mind the fire...surprisingly!
We stayed up late and ate too much, and told lots of tall tales.
In the morning while everyone was still sleeping, I took some photos of the always photogenic Sisko!
The lake was mirror smooth that morning. It's a deep lake, and very cold.
We enjoyed a slow and leisurely breakfast.
Kuma is watching while Sadie takes a nap.
Teresa takes my photo with Sisko.
Time to go, and one last look at the lake.
Sisko and Teresa pose for me just below our cabin, and just a few feet from the lake.


Urban Farming Co., Ltd. © Copyright 2015 - 2016. All rights reserved.
To bring the purity, gifts from the nature, and generations of experienced farmers to server the authentic taste to our customer.
Urban Farming is both producer and distributor in agricultural products based in Thailand. Products managed under Urban Farming Co.,Ltd are as follows.
Managed under "Grow Green-Premium Organic Products" has been certified by USDA organic standards and EU organic farming standards.
Such as Thai pumpkin, Bell Pepper, Iceberg Lettuce, Japanese pumpkin, etc.
Urban Farming – is a Thailand based agricultural company founded in 2011 who both works as a grower and distributor in this business. Our goal is to bring the freshest and cleanest vegetables to our customers. We operate three hygienic farms locating in the very central of Bangkok in order to control the delivery time and cost, to make sure that our customer will receive the best quality products in reasonable prices.
In 2014, our company expands our field of interest into the organic products. Focusing on authentic taste, Thai jasmine rice organically grown and cultivated is the great start for the company. Thailand is the homegrown of Jasmine rice and the area called "Thung Kula Rong Hai" is the ideal place for growing. Thanks to its unique geography, the nutrient soil, the coolness and dryness, all together cause the paddy to become stresses and to produce the aromatic substance. This is the miracle gift from the nature on Hom Mali Rice from Thung Kula Rong Hai.
Grow Green is our brand and trademark which already available in leading department stores in Thailand.


I learned about the call command in Windows recently.
Some context – was trying to run a command via HPSA at a customer, but kept getting an error that the program was not a recognized internal or external command.
Then one of the guys I worked with suggested adding a "call" to the front of my script. That worked like a champ. Here's why.
When the HPSA Agent on a Managed Server receives a script to run from the Core, it runs it in a headless terminal session. This means that while environment variables (eg %ProgramFiles%) expand properly, if the first part of the command is NOT a built-in from cmd.exe, it won't execute. Unlike *nix which is designed to run most things headless, Windows never was (and isn't still as of Win2k8R2).
The built-in command 'call' forks the next command to a full session (albeit still headless), and enables cmd.exe to run it properly.


I am thinking about buying a PTP machine to use in conjunction with a beam saw for cabinet parts. I decided on PTP over a router as I want the flexibility to do solid wood tenoning, boring, and etc. They also cost a lot less. What are the pitfalls in buying a machine from 1998 on? Has anyone done this?
There is no problem with purchasing a second hand machine, but make sure you get an engineer to give it a look-over first. I have known people to buy and have a good couple of months then the drying gearbox or spindle gives up the ghost to great expense.
PTP and beam combination work great in a high output, repetitive environment. If you are doing custom one-off stuff then you would be better suited with dedicated manual machinery. If you are doing mainly cabinets then a beam saw and a double line drill will suffice. The PTP is a great machine, but they can be very expensive to maintain and run.
I have bought a used one before and would not do it again without having spent a lot of time watching the machine run before buying. The most important thing I learned the hard way is that it is not so much the brand that you pick rather than the service that you have available locally. If you have to fly someone in every time the machine goes down then you will be paying a lot more for repair and down time.
Are you still using that machine or did you replace it?
I did have manual machines but sold them when I moved. I now get my ply parts from supplier w/a SCMI Router. The delivery and control are sometimes an issue. I switched from dowel construction to dado rabbet.
machine solid wood with tenons or sliding dovetails on the ends. Does this make sense, or am I tilting at windmills?
I have a beam saw and PTP for cabinet manufacturing - both bought used. The saw is a 1999 sigma 90 from ex-factory and has been absolutely perfect for four years now. The PTP is a Masterwood bought through an auction - also excellent performance going on three years now. Knowing the product is the key to used equipment, also a little luck.


Jase & PJ banded together like an arranged marriage on an overseas radio show in 2015. Since then they've gone from awkward acquaintances to awkward, non-biological brother and sister and have brought their quirky energy and fresh approach to Breakfast on Melbourne's KIIS 101.1. You can guarantee things are always awkward when Jase & PJ are involved.


This elegant, open plan 3 level house with 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms offers self catering accommodation for 8 guests. Come and relax by the pool surrounded by a beautiful lush garden. The perfect home for a holiday away from busy city life.
Set in the most exclusive enclave of Upper Constatia this 7 bedroom, 7 bathroom villa has all the charm of a relaxed holiday home while still offereing you the very best in comfort. This stylish villa is an entertainer's paradise.
Broadacres is a private rural cottage which sleeps six people in three double bedrooms each with a bathroom. A lounge/kitchen/dining and outdoor area offers a pretty garden and views of The Constantiaberg.
Lovely holiday home in the Constantia winelands offering sauna, braai/patio area flowing to a large pool. This property also contains a one bedroom chalet which is fully equipped for self catering and fitted with modern fixtures. The house can sleep 4, the chalet 2.
Stunning holiday home with superb mountain views. Four bedrooms, fully equipped kitchen, dining room seating 8, patio with braai or Weber, swimming pool. Security and secure off-street parking. All linen and towels provided. Sleeps 7.
Set in the heart of the Constantia Valley with a beautiful garden and sparkling pool lies Constantia Villa offering self catering accommodation in the main house which sleeps 6 and/or a separate cottage sleeping 2. Close to all amenities.
Upmarket holiday home in the heart of Constantia with 2 en-suite bedrooms. Underfloor heating, heated towel rail and indoor fireplace. Outside deck with furniture. Perfect accommodation for the corporate or leisure guest. Sleeps 4.
Beautiful and comfortable holiday home situated in sought after Constantia with large and lush tropical garden and swimming pool. Sleeps 6.


... while serving our neighbors in Holmes County and around the world!
Wondering where you can donate quality, gently used items? Bring them to our thrift store and meet our stellar volunteers! We are grateful for the generous support of Save & Serve's mission through your donations of good, clean, working items. Donations can be dropped off at our convenient drive-thru center or our three collection barns. Receipts are available upon request. Thank you!


Today is the Emma's and my one year anniversary†. One year ago today, I cycled into Bicester for our first date in Pizza Express, and she saw my blue eyes as they whizzed past. Who'd have thought that one year on, we would be planning our wedding (to be two months and two days after our second anniversary)?
†This also makes it the one year anniversary of my camera and my bicycle.


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The Intolerance of It All
When does our desire for tolerance cross the line into intolerance?
by Rubel Shelly (01/25/2010) | Leading in Hope
To hear most people tell it these days, the ultimate virtue is tolerance. So we are instructed to criticize nothing, to affirm all points of view as equally legitimate, to teach our children there is no absolute moral truth, and to realize that all religious paths lead to the same God. No matter how you dress this animal in politics, education, or religion, it is still a monster!
Tolerance, diversity, pluralism, multiculturalism — all are perfectly good words for very good ideas. But we have allowed them to be taken over in the modern vocabulary to mask not so much a lack of conviction but the very strong conviction that nothing distinctly Christian is tolerable in the public square.
Case in point: Brit Hume's recent comment about Tiger Woods. On "Fox News Sunday" for January 3, Chris Wallace asked his panelists to predict the biggest sports story for the coming year.
"Tiger Woods will recover as a golfer," said Hume. "Whether he can recover as a person I think is a very open question, and it's a tragic situation for him. I think he's lost his family; it's not clear to me if he'll be able to have a relationship with his children. But the Tiger Woods that emerges once the news value dies out of this scandal — the extent to which he can recover — seems to me to depend on his faith. He's said to be a Buddhist; I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. So my message to Tiger would be, 'Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.'"
Well, yes, that would be a dramatic story. Given the spotlight on the man considered the greatest golfer in the world, it is hard to image a story that would be bigger in 2010. And everybody from Dr. Phil to Joe Blow has been offering his or her take on Tiger's issues, prospects, and options. But Brit Hume dared to do the unthinkable. He nodded toward Jesus and recommended Christian faith.
Brit Hume dared to do the unthinkable.
Tom Shales, media critic for the Washington Post, called Hume a "sanctimonious busybody" who dared to be "telling people what religious beliefs they ought to have." MSNBC's David Shuster called Hume's comment "truly embarrassing." Hume has been savaged by talking heads and bloggers.
Would anyone have dared be so scathing toward a psychologist urging therapy? A recovering sex addict suggesting Tiger be evaluated for an addiction program? A Muslim panelist recommending the Pillars of Islam? But, as Hume pointed out later in responding to the firestorm around him, any comment that suggests Jesus will generate an avalanche of criticism and invective.
So who's really being "intolerant" here? A man who found comfort and life transformation through Jesus after his son's death who now offers the option he discovered to another beleaguered soul? Or those who would silence him?
You'd think tolerance and diversity would allow all viewpoints to be heard.
Playing Through the Pain
Big Boys Don't Cry?
Running with Two Cell Phones?
© Used by permission. From Rubel Shelly's "FAX of Life" printed each Tuesday. See Faith Matters for previous issues of the "FAX of Life."
"The Intolerance of It All" by Rubel Shelly is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Heartlight encourages you to share this material with others in church bulletins, personal emails, and other non-commercial uses. Please see our Usage Guidelines for more information.
Rubel Shelly preached for decades, been a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities and a med school. He is currently Professor of Philosophy & Religion at Lipscomb University. He is the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles. (Visit the Author's Website)
Rubel Shelly
media Brit Hume christian Jesus forgiveness Tiger Woods loss brokenness
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Starbucks welcomes the New Year with new beverages (and more) - Hits and Mrs.
Starbucks Philippines always comes up with something amazing to serve its customers. And for its first offering for 2016, it's whipping up 2 new beverages: the Strawberry Red Velvet Mocha and Chestnut White Chocolate Truffle.
Inspired by the elegance of candy confections, these decadent beverages will surely be an instant hit among coffee and chocolate lovers.
The Strawberry Red Velvet Mocha is made of the Starbucks signature espresso with mocha, steamed milk, and a rich red velvet sauce. It is topped with cheesecake whipped cream and sprinkled with real strawberry bits.
On the other hand, the Chestnut White Chocolate Truffle is made with the Starbucks signature espresso and steamed milk, plus white chocolate chestnut sauce. A topping of whipped cream and chestnut drizzle completes this delicious drink.
These beverages are available as hot, iced, and Frappuccino Blended Beverage. Both will be available in all Starbucks stores starting Friday, January 8, 2016.
Complementing these new beverages are these featured food items, which will also be available on January 8.
Top row: Calamansi Cheesecake, Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta. Bottom row: Salted Belgian Chocolate Cookie, Ham and Cheese on French Baguette, Katsu Roll.
On the same day, Starbucks will also launch its new card designs for the Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day.
Starbucks Cards for the Year of the Monkey and Valentine's Day. Available for an initial consumable load amount of PHP 300 each.
Tomorrow's the big day, so drop by a Starbucks store near you to get a glimpse — and taste — of its new menu offerings.


FilmEar Podcast… Now with 100% More Alcohol!
A New FilmEar Podcast is now up at filmear.com and it's a doozy… We have a Danny Elfman Justice League story from Chris and even talk of Blade Runner 2049.
Click here to listen to an episode or go to iTunes and search the words FILM and EAR (two words). While there please rate and/or review the podcast.


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The Tech Submit Campus Life Stories Campus Tips There Is No Weather Machine!
Join The Tech
World and Nation
There Is No Weather Machine!
By Elizabeth Maroon May. 1, 2009
Ever since the gorgeous weather during CPW, I have been receiving more "Nice job with the Weather Machine" comments than ever. As one of the few undergrad meteorologists, I usually just laugh it off. But recently, the rate at which I've been asked "Why did you make it rain all week?" has begun to annoy me. Let me set the score straight: the weather machine is a myth.
"Conspiracy!" you might yell. "What is that giant white golf ball on the roof of the Green Building if it is not a Weather Machine?" That giant sphere is the shell of an old operational radar. The equipment inside was transferred to the Lincoln Laboratory in the late nineties, but it was active, it was something to behold. In 1953, this radar caught evidence of the destructive Worcester tornado that killed 94 and caused $62 million in damage. The shell of that radar is not a weather machine. You're skeptical, I can tell. Well, do you honestly believe that a handful of ambitious meteorology students have the desire to control Cambridge's chaotic weather? Shouldn't we be solving global warming first?
Tonight: Breezy, with a chance for showers remains into the evening. Low near 54˚F (12˚C).
Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a chance for rain showers remaining. High near 64˚F (18˚C)
Saturday night: Overcast, with a slight chance for showers early on. Low in the upper 40s°F.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a chance of rain. Honestly, if we had a weather machine, why would we make campus grey and drizzly all weekend long? We wouldn't do that to the campus, even if it would provide better results for my 12.307 project…
84 Massachusetts Ave, Suite 483
© 2020 The Tech


Definition: The "Boehner Rule" is not a formal rule of the House of Representatives, but rather a procedural technique used by the Speaker of the House to bring legislation to the floor for a vote.
History: The "Hastert Rule," named for former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, is a procedural technique that Republicans have used to bring legislation to floor only if it has the support of the majority of House Republicans. The current Speaker of the House, John Boehner, has at times abandoned the Hastert Rule in order to pass legislation that a majority of his Republican caucus would not support. On at least three occasions (2012 fiscal cliff vote, Hurricane Sandy Relief bill, and the Violence Against Women Act), Speaker Boehner has used a new procedural technique that has been dubbed the "Boehner Rule" which basically allows the Senate to pass their bill first. Once the bill is passed by the Senate, Speaker Boehner calls the bill up for a vote in the House. Usually this technique can muster up the needed votes by both House Democrats and Republicans to pass the measure.
Used in a Sentence: "Mainly, what they seem to want is solved by the `Boehner Rule' that involves having the Senate act first on most things." From "Hastert Rule/Boehner Rule," by Jonathan Bernstein, Washington Post, April 11, 2013.
Why It's Relevant: With the continued fraction within the House Republican Caucus Speaker Boehner may have to use the "Boehner Rule" to pass a clean continuing resolution (CR) to end the government shutdown and/or to raise the debt ceiling set to expire on October 17th.
**The Boehner Rule may also refer to Speaker Boehner's insistence of "at least one dollar in spending cuts for every dollar of debt increase": "As Boehner put it, from now on `any increase debt limit has to be accompanied by spending reductions that meet or exceed it.' It became known as the Boehner Rule." From "Why did the GOP surrender the spending fight?" by Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post, October 7, 2013.
This entry was posted in Dewonkify, House by Jeremy Scott. Bookmark the permalink.


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Raven-Symoné posts wedding photos, 'I love you' to new wife
FILE – In this July 9, 2019 file photo, Raven-Symone arrives at the world premiere of "The Lion King" in Los Angeles. The actor said online she was married this week to Miranda Maday, posting photos that showed the couple embracing. In another post, she offered thanks to those who helped with the wedding and to "those who understand why it was small during this time," an apparent reference to the pandemic that has limited large gatherings. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, FIle)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Raven-Symoné says she's single no longer.
"I got married to a woman who understands me from trigger to joy, from breakfast to midnight snack, from stage to home," Raven-Symoné wrote in a post Thursday that included a photo of her embracing Miranda Maday.
"I love you Mrs. Pearman-Maday!" wrote Raven-Symoné, whose birth name is Raven-Symoné Pearman.
In another post, she offered thanks to those who helped with the wedding and to "those who understand why it was small during this time." The photos indicated the ceremony was held in a home's backyard.
Raven-Symoné gained fame as a child actor in "The Cosby Show" and went on to lead her own series that included "That's So Raven" and "Raven's Home." Her other credits include "black-ish," "The View" and "The Masked Singer."
A LinkedIn profile for Miranda Maday describes her as a social media manager who has worked in the entertainment industry for more than a decade, including as a personal and executive assistant.
An effort to reach Raven-Symoné's legal representative for further details was unsuccessful because the law firm was closed Thursday and not accepting phone messages.
by CHRISTOPHER WEBER and LINDA DEUTSCH, Associated Press / Jan 18, 2021
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Phil Spector, the eccentric and revolutionary music producer who transformed rock music with his "Wall of Sound" method and who later was convicted of murder, has died. He was 81.
Betty White to mark 99th birthday by "feeding ducks"
by Charisse McDaniel / Jan 17, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Hollywood icon Betty White turns 99 today!
This is video from a previous birthday. White says she's planning to celebrate the milestone by, "feeding the two ducks who come to visit me every day."
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (WIAT) — Multi-platinum producer and entrepreneur Dr. Dre is now back at home, after being released from a Los Angeles hospital for a brain aneurysm.
Friend and fellow rapper Ice-T confirmed the good news in a Twitter post Friday afternoon. Dre was rushed to a hospital with a brain bleed on January 4th. He spent more than a week in an ICU before being released. He's now under round-the-clock medical supervision at his home.
Firefighters put out house fire in Jefferson County's Sylvan Springs
Virus, homicides, drugs put strains on funeral homes
'Scotty' McCallum, former UAB president and mayor of Vestavia Hills, dies
I-65 shut down in Cullman County
President-elect Joe Biden's stimulus plan in Alabama
Prosecutors seek death penalty against Birmingham woman charged with killing 5-year-old
Sen. Tommy Tuberville says President Trump's impeachment 'makes no sense'
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Promotional Outfitters - "Stop Buying Stuff"
How bout' promotional products that coordinate with your sales & marketing. No more slapping your logo onto an item.
You need SWAG that can create ROI.
Put me in coach. I am ready to work for your team!


Last November BC's Labour Minister quietly announced his Ministry was conducting a review of employment standards and the minimum wage. There has been virtually no news coverage on this. That's too bad because the results could be important for BC workers. The recommendations could offer a blueprint for BC's new Liberal Premier to be chosen Saturday.
The Liberals made drastic changes to employment standards in the first few years after they were elected in 2001. As a result, BC now has the weakest child labour law in North America. Employers were relieved of the burden of posting a statement of employee rights under employment standards legislation. Enforcement was gutted through closing of offices and cutbacks in staffing. Protections for agricultural workers were cut. The rule that said if you were called into work you had to have four hours work paid for was reduced to a two hour "call in." And of course, the minimum wage was frozen at $8 with a sub minimum wage introduced targeting young people, immigrants and women re-entering the work force.
Basically, the business community got everything it wanted.
No pay for statutory holidays until someone has been employed for 90 days.
Denying stat holiday pay unless the employee has worked both the scheduled day before and after the holiday. Of course, employers are responsible for scheduling.
Reduction in overtime pay for commission workers.
Creating a "flexible" system in which overtime is determined over a multi week period. Work seventy hours one week and possibly receive no overtime pay.
Employers should be free to bargain individually with senior and technical employees on hours of work and compensation packages below the standards of the Act. This could have an enormous impact on workers in the technology and film making sectors. And, of course, there is no equality in bargaining between a corporation and an individual employee.
As recently as last summer the Coalition was still opposing any increase in the minimum wage. Recognizing the inevitable, in its recent brief they grudgingly accepted increases but only if they are delayed and spread out. The first increase would not come until next January and then there would be no increase larger than 50 cents. Minimum wage workers would wait until June 2013 to see their wages rise to $10 an hour.
What have other organizations like the BC Business Council had to say about possible changes to employment standards? We don't know. The "consultation" has been closed and secret.
What we do know is that the last time BC's business community got everything they asked for. Now they want more.


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Superstrata Terra - 1.jpg
Superstrata unveils "world's first custom 3D-printed unibody carbon-fibre bike"
Terra and Ion models showcase new tech and are available to pre-order
Mon, Jul 13, 2020 14:00
California-based Superstrata has unveiled what it calls "the world's first made-to-measure 3D-printed bicycle with an impact-resistant unibody carbon-fibre frame". The Superstrata bikes are made by Arevo, a company that specialises in continuous carbon-fibre products for aerospace.
Superstrata says, "The Superstrata [the name of the bikes as well as the brand] touts a true unibody construction, 3D-printed in a single pass of continuous carbon-fibre thermoplastic composite.
"Unlike other carbon-fibre bikes whose frames are glued and bolted together using dozens of individual parts and fabricated from previous-generation thermoset composite materials, the Superstata frame is constructed without joints or glue for seamless strength. It's also produced using next-generation thermoplastic materials, making it extremely impact resistant, yet remarkably lightweight."
Superstrata says that the fact that it uses thermoplastic rather than thermoset means that the frame is already cured straight off the print bed and it's recyclable too.
Although they're frequently described as monocoque, carbon-fibre frames made in moulds usually have a front triangle and stays that are produced separately, and then bonded together later.
The fact that Superstrata says its bikes are 3D printed is key to the whole thing. We've heard of many 3D printed parts in the bike industry before, such as Specialized's S-Works Power with Mirror Tech saddle, and we've even heard of 3D printed frames. The Urwahn Bikes X Vagabund Studfuchs commuter bike that we covered last year has a steel frame that has been produced using 3D printing technology, for example, but only for the main lugs (bottom bracket, head tube, seat tube cluster and rear dropouts). 3D printed carbon-fibre thermoplastic composite, though, is a new one on us.
"This bike was designed to leverage all the benefits of this new manufacturing technology to get the best of both worlds: strength and lightness," said Bill Stephens, the designer behind the Superstrata bikes.
Stephens is an experienced bike designer with four Eurobike Gold awards to his name thanks to work with brands like Niner and Factor.
On a video presentation for the 2019 Eurobike Academy he said, "[I thought that] so long as 3D printing is the process that I've always known it to be, it's usefulness is going to be limited to prototypes. I've always envisioned 3D printers as being basically large inkjet printers spitting out globs of material that bond with adjacent globs of material to form static volumes.
"And Greg [LeMond, the three-time Tour de France winner who introduced Stephens to Arevo] says, 'A-ha! That's what Arevo is doing differently. They are laying down long continuous fibres around a whole part just like you would with unidirectional carbon-fibre strips'.
"Conventional 3D printing creates parts that are what are called isotropic, meaning their dynamic performance is uniform in all directions, but Arevo's process is made of these long continuous fibres that wrap around the whole part, creating a performance that's anisotropic.
"It means that the parts... can be fine-tuned... and the cool thing is that they're doing this on a production basis and not just for prototypes."
Arevo developed the software and the process and wanted to create a consumer product to showcase it, hence bringing in Stephens to design the bikes.
Superstrata says that the technology allows it to build a lightweight (the claimed frame weigh is 1.3kg, which isn't exceptionally light) and ultra-strong frame quicker than using moulds, and with less manual labour.
It also says that the system allows for identical reproduction when required while permitting a whole lot of customisation which is impossible with a mould-built frame because moulds are incredibly expensive and slow to make (although customisation is easier if the frame is built using tube-to-tube tech).
The frame can be built to suit your height, weight, arm and leg lengths, riding positions and even preferred stiffness levels, says Superstrata, with more than half a million possible combinations.
Two versions of the Superstrata will be available: the Terra drop handlebar bike and the Ion e-bicycle, which has a claimed range of up to 55 miles (depending on terrain, rider weight, and so on) and can be fully charged in two hours.
Both are built for disc brakes and neither comes with a seat tube – well, not in the conventional sense of one that attaches to the bottom bracket shell. As you can see from the pics, there's a whole lot of fresh air in the centre of the frame.
Not having seen the bikes never mind ridden them, we can't tell you how that affects frame stiffness or ride quality. It does mean there's no way of mounting a front derailleur, each of these bikes coming with a single chainring.
The pictured Superstrata Terra is built with a Shimano Metrea chainset and 11-speed rear derailleur (which isn't cabled in the photos, by the way). The brakes are cable operated (and, let's be honest, the handlebar taping isn't good). The saddle is from Fabric and the tyres are Maxxis Velocita AR. Tyre options go up to 40mm in width.
The Superstrata Ion is also built up with Shimano Metrea groupset components and a Fabric saddle. The tyres are WTB Horizon in a 47mm width.
In both cases the wheels are Superstrata's own.
Superstrata says that additional options include different genres (racing, street, gravel, touring), wheel material (metal or carbon fibre), and colourways (light or dark).
The Superstrata Terra Bicycle will retail for $2,799 (around £2,220) and the Ion E-Bicycle for $3,999 (£3,172). Both are available for pre-order now with shipping scheduled for December.
Get more info from www.superstrata.bike and Superstrata's Indiegogo crowd funding page.
Superstrata
Bill Stephens


What is a Single view of the customer?
Till some time back, a single view of customer meant bringing together all data for customer and consolidating into a single record. Driving force behind single view of customer within an organization was usually operational. Marketing was merchandise driven and strictly followed quarterly planned marketing calendars and hence was content with only half updated or even outdated view of a customer. In the present scenario, businesses have become multi-channel. Customers now interact across a range of touch points. Marketing has become customer centric and is not content with an updated view of customer. They need to know each customer interaction and the intent of each interaction to personalize and ensure contextual relevance of each communication. For businesses today, the single view of customer means bringing together all data of customer including interactions, transactions and intent.
Rise of digital commerce has resulted in not just huge data volume but also in new type of data that businesses have to deal with. Visitors can browse through the site, view products, read reviews without providing any personal information. Shoppers can interact with a brand's social media properties, like posts, comment on them or share within their network. Visitors can browse through product catalog on the move through their mobile phones. These all are examples of data that is dynamic and relevant only for a limited time period and hence speed of capture and update is extremely important. Achieving single view of customer should not be looked as a one-time project, but as a continuous process of data persistence, update and correlation. Business use case behind the data types should help define the data capture process and technology.
Context is the key to relevance and personalized experience on e-commerce channels. Context can be geographical region, time of day, items or category you are viewing, brand or the price of item. Businesses that lack contextual personalization will soon risk customer attrition. The foundation for contextual marketing lies in real time integration of contextual data against every customer and having execution systems leverage this foundation to build personalized customer experience across digital channels. Contextual marketing brings along the challenge of real time update of single view of customer.
The path to single view is a long and arduous journey. Here are a few key points: – Manage multiple identifiers: Cookie data, device data, social handles, email ids, loyalty numbers – Maintain interactions per channel: Persist interactions per channel such as browsing details, purchase details, social likes and shares, etc – Continuously correlate data: Continuously look for common identifiers across data and collapse them. For example – use social login on ecommerce to collapse social and cookie data. Collapse cookies data with customer email address during item purchase. Use device id and multiple logins to build household information. – Identify actionable interactions: Identify interactions which are opportunities to provide contextualized marketing. Deploy real time integrations and actionable systems that can combine contextual information with customer past history to provide a highly relevant personalized communication. Businesses are becoming customer centric. A single view of customer, will be the most important asset that a business could hold to be successful in the new digital commerce era.
As a marketer, I've keenly watched the retail and consumer trends for a couple decades. But never has it been more exciting than now. Because everything we used to know about shopping is changing, and fast. As consumers, it's great to be at the center of this technology-led evolution, because it's unfolding in our everyday lives. I'm happy to share my views on related trends and issues. You'll see me writing on the digitally empowered consumer, shopper behavior and marketing, consumerization of retail, internet of things, analytics technologies, cloud computing and digital marketing.


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Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High 56F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..
Brian Smith served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and retired as an assistant chief with the California Highway Patrol. He resides in Bakersfield. If you have a personal "Cop Tale" to share, please contact Smith at bmsmith778@gmail.com.
Cop Tales: Living the values of integrity, gratitude and heroism
By BRIAN SMITH For The Californian
Cop Tales are true stories as told by law enforcement officers from all over the country. The stories are told in the first person. The actual officer's initials follow each story.
I wanted to be a state trooper since I was 5 years old growing up in Pennsylvania. However, the Marine Corps moved me to the West Coast where I became a Highway Patrolman. Besides watching "Adam-12," "The Rookies" and "CHiPs," my father was my greatest inspiration and hero. He was a Pennsylvania game warden and he always looked sharp in his uniform. He was very dedicated as well.
We hunted all the time at our mountain place. I was 12 years old when I hunted deer for the first time. On the last day of doe season, I was on stand and I saw several deer below me in a gully. I fired one shot and they scattered. I couldn't believe I missed. I aimed and fired again. They all ran away.
I was very disappointed until I walked down and saw the doe laying there. I got all excited and yelled for my father and brother. The excitement quickly wore off when I looked over and saw a second dead deer. You were only allowed to shoot one deer. At 12 years old, I just started to cry.
My dad, brother and the neighbor from down the road arrived and saw the two deer laying there. I told my dad how I mistakenly shot both of them. My neighbor had a doe permit and did not get a doe yet, so he asked if he could just take the second one and tag it. It all made sense to us.
However, my father said that I broke the law and had to face the consequences. Since it was accidental, the fine was only $25 back then. My father made me pay the fine (actually he and my brother chipped in one third each). He then delivered the second doe to a poor family, filled out a receipt and turned everything into the Game Commission.
I thought it was pretty harsh at the time, but I sure learned a lot from him. He took his integrity very seriously. I still have the receipt from that citation in a frame somewhere in my belongings. I miss my dad every day.
- BS
SINGING THEIR GRATITUDE
While working as an officer for the Highway Patrol, I stopped to assist a disabled van on the freeway shoulder, far from town. It was a cold evening and there were at least a dozen people of all ages sitting in the van while a man and his son were working on the engine. The man explained that they needed a part, but didn't know if anything would be open or if they could fix the van.
I called my beat partner to stand by with the family while I took the two men to the auto parts store. We arrived just before the store closed and the men presented the part to the salesman. By sheer coincidence, a person had been in earlier for a part, and attached to the old, used part was the exact piece the father and son needed. Through an incredible run of good fortune, we got to the store just in time, got the correct part (at no cost), returned and installed the part and the van started with no problems.
The father announced to family that they should thank my partner and me. Approximately 14 occupants, aged from little children to older adults, formed two rows in a semi-circle on the shoulder of the road. The father clapped his hands and they all began to sing for us. It was amazing. They were a family choir that traveled to churches across the United States to perform. It may not have been the best venue, but it was the most appreciative audience.
- TE
MY DAD WAS MY HERO
It was summer 1994, and I was 8 years old. On this particular day, I got to spend the day with my aunt. Mom and Dad had to go to work and I was on summer break from school. I was excited because I got to go to work with her. On the way to her work, I asked if we could drive a certain way so that I could look down my street and see my house, which we did.
On our drive, we noticed there were tons of police cars everywhere. I was having a field day because we used to play our own version of "Slug Bug," where every time you pointed to a police car, you gained extra points. I was totally going to win. What I didn't know was that the heavy police presence was the result of a perimeter that was set up to search for the man who shot and killed my hero.
My aunt worked at the airport, so I got to help her clean out the airplanes, watch her type on the computer, and play in the break room. I don't know how much help I actually was, but I thought I was the coolest kid around. Not long into her work day, she got a call that she needed to go home. I was very inquisitive and asked, "Why do we have to leave?" She seemed so scared. I didn't understand, but she told me that she must have forgotten to do the dishes. "I hope you don't get in trouble." I said as we drove to my grandma's house.
When we got to the door, my mom answered. I was so excited to see her because she was supposed to be at work. I then realized she had been crying. I asked her why she was home and if she had been fired. She took me upstairs and we both sat on the floor. She then told me that my dad had been hurt. I asked if he was OK. I could then tell by the tears in my mom's eyes that he was not. I don't remember the rest of the conversation.
The next few weeks felt like a bad dream that I couldn't wake up from. I remember everyone taking turns trying to keep me occupied with fun activities, but things just weren't so fun anymore. I also remember many officers coming by and checking on us. Those officers still hold a special place in my heart. They made me feel safe and loved. They also made sure I knew how great my dad really was, and they still do. He was a true hero.
I am now 33 years old, the same age my dad was when he lost his life. That's a new perspective for me. I miss him every day. There are so many things I wish I could talk to him about. I think about how much he taught me in only eight short years. I just imagine what he could've taught me if he was still here. I know my dad will always be with me. My hero, I promise to stay strong, love hard, laugh a lot, and keep your memories alive forever. I miss you, Daddy.


Bolulla village dates back to Moorish times when it was a farmstead. It was re-conquered by the Christian troops of King Jaime 1 in 1254. You can still visit the remains of Gartx castle and this is a popular rest stop on one of our many walks through the area. The castle situated at almost 600mts offers breathtaking views over the surrounding area.
Today the village has approx 350 inhabitants and the locals still rely heavily on traditional farming for the majority of their livelihood. Fiestas are held each year during August when young and old turn out for 3 days to celebrate "Sant Josep" with traditional parades, music, and partying!
Nearby towns worth visiting include Altea, Albir and the world famous Benidorm, where a visit to the beautiful old town provides a stark contrast with the skyscrapers of today's resort.


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HomeCapacity BuildingColombia Launches New Elite Force Against Narcotrafficking and Rebel Groups
Colombia Launches New Elite Force Against Narcotrafficking and Rebel Groups
On February 26 2021, the Colombian government activated the new Command Against Drug Trafficking and Transnational Threats (CONAT, in Spanish) to implement strategies against narco-crime. (Photo: Colombian Army)
BY Julieta Pelcastre/Diálogo
Colombian President Iván Duque launched the Command Against Drug Trafficking and Transnational Threats (CONAT, in Spanish), an elite force of 7,000 Army service members, men and women, to strengthen offensive actions against these scourges, at the Tolemaida Military Fort in Tolima department, the Colombian presidency told the press on February 26, 2021.
"We have to confront narcotrafficking […] by breaking the supply and distribution chain of chemical precursors, dismantling laboratories, conducting targeted interdiction of trafficking, destroying money laundering structures, prosecuting cartel leaders, and swiftly terminating control," Duque said at the CONAT presentation ceremony.
"We have to confront narcotrafficking […] by breaking the supply and distribution chain of chemical precursors, dismantling laboratories, conducting targeted interdiction of trafficking, destroying money laundering structures, prosecuting cartel leaders, and swiftly terminating control," Colombian President Iván Duque.
Colombian President Iván Duque (left) launched the Command Against Drug Trafficking and Transnational Threats, led by Colombian Army General Juan Carlos Correa (center), on February 26, 2021. (Photo: Colombian Military Forces' General Command)
The new command will consist of specialized elite units, including three brigades against narcotrafficking, the Deployment Force Against Transnational Threats, and the Brigade Against Illegal Mining Site Exploitation, General Eduardo Enrique Zapateiro, Colombian Army commander, said on Twitter. "This strategic unit will be the breaking point against narcotrafficking, a cancer that all Colombians have the moral obligation to eradicate," he said.
CONAT will be under the command of Colombian Army General Juan Carlos Correa, "who has the background, the competence, and the knowledge to accomplish the goals set," Duque added.
On February 26, the Colombian Military Forces' General Command said in a statement that CONAT will focus its special capabilities on three key goals: to fight against narcotrafficking groups, to coordinate actions to eradicate illicit crops, and to combat illegal mineral exploitation. It will also combat transnational crime; human, wildlife, and arms trafficking, and all forms of transnational terrorism.
The Colombian State said that they are targeting leaders of fronts of the National Liberation Army (ELN, in Spanish), dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, in Spanish), and the Clan del Golfo, the largest narcotrafficking gang in the country.
CONAT is planning to capture 14 specific criminals in 2021, including Dairo Antonio Úsuga, alias Otoniel, the ELN's top leader; Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista, alias Gabino, head of the Clan del Golfo; and Luciano Marín Arango, alias Iván Márquez, a FARC dissident and former FARC commander, the Presidency said.
An investigation published by the Colombian magazine Semana on February 7 revealed that Iván Márquez lives in a condominium in Venezuela, allegedly under the protection of the Nicolás Maduro dictatorship, from where he operates narcotrafficking routes and plans terrorist acts against Colombia. "Wherever criminals are, they have to face justice, always in partnership with international intelligence organizations," Duque told Radio Nacional.
FARC dissidents, ELN members, and paramilitary narcotrafficking gangs are currently fighting in Colombia over cocaine export routes and proceeds from illegal mining and extortion, the news agency France 24 reported on February 8. Colombia is considered the world's top cocaine producer, it added.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in its 2020 report that Colombia has 154,000 hectares of coca plantations. Most crops are still concentrated in Nariño and Norte de Santander departments, with 50 percent of all the cocaine in the country, the UNODC said.
In 2020, Colombia seized more than 500 tons of drugs, manually eradicated about 130,000 hectares of illicit crops, and destroyed some 830 labs, the Colombian government said on February 26. As of late February 2021, security forces had seized 54 tons of cocaine, a record amount, the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo said on February 24.
Posted in Capacity Building, News, Recent News, Trending Stories
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Hedge Funds-News-We Disagree
Does Seth Klarman Have Any Plans Regarding Viasat Inc (VSAT) At All?
Published on October 5, 2018 at 2:23 pm by Inan Dogan, PhD in Hedge Funds,News,We Disagree
Seth Klarman's Baupost controls more than 23% of Viasat Inc (NASDAQ:VSAT)'s outstanding shares. Baupost has been a decade long investor in this sleepy stock. Viasat Inc's shares trade pretty much at the same price they were trading 5 years ago. This week Seth Klarman filed a 13D and disclosed the following:
"Baupost has been granted observer rights with respect to meetings of the board of directors of the Issuer and the committees of the board of directors of the Issuer; however, such rights do not include the right to vote at any such meetings. Please see the Issuer's press release which is attached to the Form 8-K filed by the Issuer with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 3, 2018. The Reporting Persons do not have, as of the date of this filing, any plans or proposals that relate to or would result in any of the actions or events specified in clauses (a) through (j) of Item 4 of Schedule 13D. As a holder of observer rights, Baupost will engage with management and the board of directors of the Issuer concerning the business, operations, governance, strategy, capitalization, ownership and future plans of the Issuer and the management and board composition of the Issuer. The Reporting Persons intend to review their investment in the Issuer on a continuing basis and may also engage in discussions on the same topics with other holders of the Issuer's Common Stock and other relevant parties. The Reporting Persons may change their plans or proposals in the future. Depending on various factors including, without limitation, the Issuer's financial position, strategic direction, business and prospects, anticipated future developments, existing and anticipated market conditions from time to time, actions taken by the management and board of directors of the Issuer, price levels of the Issuer's Common Stock, general economic conditions and regulatory matters, the Reporting Persons may in the future take such actions with respect to their investment in the Issuer as they deem appropriate including, without limitation, purchasing additional shares of the Issuer's Common Stock or other securities of the Issuer, selling some or all of their shares of the Issuer's Common Stock or engaging in short selling of, or any hedging or similar transaction with respect to, their shares of the Issuer's Common Stock, to the extent permitted under applicable law, or engage, discuss, participate in, negotiate or approve a transaction with the purpose or effect of changing or influencing the control of the Issuer, including by entering into one or more confidentiality agreements, standstill agreements, voting agreements, support agreements or other similar agreements with the purpose or effect of facilitating such a transaction. Any such transactions, if they occur at all, may take place at any time and without prior notice."
Seth Klarman
Baupost Group
A real activist hedge fund would have done much more than getting "observer rights" from a company where it controls nearly a fourth of the outstanding shares. This tells us that Baupost doesn't have a clear idea about what it wants to accomplish at Viasat Inc.
You might consider Seth Klarman as a shrewd value investor. We don't care about the reputations of hedge fund managers, we care about their track records. If you have invested in Seth Klarman's small and mid-cap stock picks between 2008 and 2016, you would have returned an average of 0.45% per month. Too bad that S&P 500 index fund investors returned an average of 0.68% per month during the same period. As you can see Klarman built his reputation based on his returns in the 90s and the first decade of this century. Unfortunately his performance since 2008 is mind boggling. As a result, we don't think it is a good idea to follow Klarman into small and mid-cap stocks.
Every quarter we identify the best performing 100 hedge funds and publish this list on our site. We launched an investment strategy based on the consensus stock picks of these top 100 hedge funds in May 2014. This strategy returned 121% since its inception vs. a gain of 66.7% for the S&P 500 ETF (SPY). As you can see our strategy not only managed to outperform the market by more than 50 percentage points, it also outperformed the returns of most "legendary" investors including Warren Buffett and Seth Klarman.
You can beat the market too if you buy the right stocks or follow the right stock pickers. Currently we run a promotion and you can subscribe to our premium newsletters for a $100 discount when you follow this link. Sign up below to get our free daily email alerts.
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Ramaekers Nutrition is a forerunner in the field of veterinary nutrition and immune enhancement. Through extensive research we have made revolutionary breakthroughs in managing animal health. Ramaekers Nutrition is a privately owned company that formulates and manufactures a full line of veterinary nutrition products. The Ramaekers product line includes customized proprietary formulas for all species, including canine, feline, equine, bovine, porcine, caprine and avian.
Dr. Joseph C. Ramaekers DVM is the founder and CEO of Ramaekers Nutrition. Dr. Ramaekers completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Nebraska and was awarded a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri in 1969. Dr. Ramaekers has been an active small and large animal veterinarian and nutritionist ever since. Well respected and widely renowned, Dr. Ramaekers has traveled worldwide and served as an international consultant on animal nutrition.
From the onset of the opening of his veterinary practice in Santa Cruz, California, Dr. Ramaekers has had a great interest in the nutritional approach to animal health. He began his research in 1969, performing extensive environmental analyses of soil and water, in addition to hair analyses, blood chemistries and nutrient analyses to identify nutritional deficiencies and toxicities. Through balanced nutrition he was able to prevent many of the veterinary problems he encountered in his daily practice. Along the road of preventative medicine, he discovered many nutrients with powerful medicinal value that enabled him to use less allopathic medicine in areas where veterinarians faced significant secondary medical problems from the extensive use of traditional medicine.
Dr. Ramaekers was one of the first in his field to incorporate the use of nutrients such as superoxide dismutase, octacosonol, glucosamine chondroitin, methyl sulfanyl methane, boswellic acid, and glacial montmorillonite. In 1999, Dr. Ramaekers began working with immune enhancement products like Transfer Factors and unique heteropolysaccharides, such as hybrid cordyceps mushrooms. Now specializing in complementary medicine, his current work focuses on providing immune support to "feed the army of natural defense." Through immune modulation, Dr. Ramaekers proprietary formulas facilitate white blood cell function and efficiency – thereby, enhancing the immune system's ability to fight disease.
Dr. Ramaekers also strives to use the highest quality all natural and organic ingredients in his formulas. The superior nutrient density of organic ingredients is well documented. Furthermore, Dr. Ramaekers supports environmentally friendly production practices. When he is not practicing veterinary medicine or consulting on veterinary nutrition, Dr. Ramaekers is working at his privately owned organic kiwi farm – Aptos Farm. Dr. Ramaekers has been an organic farmer for over 30 years. Many of the products offered by Ramaekers Nutrition are certified organic or listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute.
Through ongoing research and development, Ramaekers Nutrition continues to provide the highest quality products for nutritional and immune support. Ramaekers Nutrition has designed products to meet both maintenance and therapeutic needs. The current research has yielded tremendous success in cases with respect to cancers (benign and malignant tumors), autoimmune conditions, hypersensitivity reactions, dermatitis (allergic, bacterial and fungal), Cushing's disease, lenticular sclerosis, arthritis & pain management, weight management, metabolic bone disease, stress & anxiety disorders, EPM, fertility, feed efficiency, and morbidity/mortality.
The development of Veterinary Immune Tabs (Vet I Tabs) for dogs has had a major impact on the veterinary approach to managing canine health. Veterinary Immune Tabs are a proprietary blend of nutrients and immune modulators -- balanced at maintenance and therapeutic levels to address various developmental stages and health issues. Vet I Tabs have been used in thousands of successful cases. Please visit our Case Studies and Products pages for additional information on Vet I Tabs.
All of the products offered by Ramaekers Nutrition reflect a culmination of over 40 years of global research and clinical experience. Dr. Ramaekers is passionate about improving animal welfare and proud to be on the cutting-edge of veterinary medicine and nutrition.
Ramaekers Nutrition products are protected by United States and International Patents as Compositions for Treating Animal Diseases and Syndromes -- including "a method of treating Cushing's syndrome, Cushing's disease, benign tumors, onchoceriasis, hypothyroidism, and equine protozoal myelitis;" pending patents for fertility; and Summary of the Invention including "a method of treating inflammation and ulcers; ... treating flea bite dermatitis, feline leukemia; ... treating strangles, chronic dust allergen cough; ... treating lymphopenia; ... and reducing morbidity...."