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Tiffany & Co Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl Ring
Seahawks Championship Super Bowl Ring 2014. Photo Licensed under Creative Commons 2.0 Generic.
by Angela Magnotti Andrews
On June 19, 2014, a special presentation ceremony took place in downtown Seattle to commemorate the landmark victory attained by the Seahawks at Super Bowl XLVIII. As mentioned in a previous article, these rings are given not only to the playing team members, but also to all the folks behind the scenes that make the season possible, including managers, scouts, financial supporters, and more.
The rings are subsidized to the tune of $5,000 per ring by the NFL, with a limit of 150 distributed at the NFL's expense. Teams can spend more than the allotted NFL budget and have more rings made, but the terms the NFL sets are firm. These rings are specially designed, typically by a high-end designer chosen by the winning team, with the input of the team's owners, coaches, and other key leaders within the team's organizational structure.
These rings are meant to capture the essence, not only of the game but of the team's entire season--no small feat on the canvas of a jewel the size of a small rock. Speaking of rocks, the Seahawks wisely chose to commission Tiffany & Co., the decided leader in the artful display of all manner of rocks, to design their Championship Ring. True to their collaborative nature, the Seahawks have painted a story on each ring that "represents a distinctive tribute to this team, our fans, the Pacific Northwest and the Seahawks victory in Super Bowl XLVIII," said Peter McLoughlin, the team's president {3}. On the face of the ring, 64 round diamonds fill in the white gold outline of the team's bird-head logo. A second outline of blue enamel further distinguishes the logo. A single fancy-cut, prong-set, green tsavorite serves as the bird's eye. Above the bird, a marquise-cut diamond is bezel-set in the form of stylized version of the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and these two iconic symbols are surrounded by an ocean of 107 round diamonds.
The ring's border reads "WORLD CHAMPIONS," and is further framed by two sets of six round brilliant diamonds on either side. In profile, the ring's head is rimmed by a single row of 40 blue sapphires, and from it hang two "12" flags etched in blue enamel. The shanks of the ring tell the story of the season. Etched on the side boasting the player's name is a long view of the south-facing aspect of Century Field. A "12" flag flies in relief against Mt. Rainier in the distance, a solid tribute to the 12th "player" for the Seahawks, the team's loyal fans.
The player's number stands in relief upon the playing field, and just below, their final record of 16-3 is etched just above the 12 feathers engraved into the bottom portion of the band. These feathers are stylized to mimic the feathers featured on the team's uniforms. The opposite shank features a view of Seattle's skyline in the background, with the Space Needle taking prominence. In relief one sees the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the words "Super Bowl XLVIII", and the NFL Logo, etched against the background.
The year 2013 is engraved into the band just above the stylized feathers. The inside of each ring is etched with the following phrases: "LEAVE NO DOUBT", "24/7", "SEA 43-DEN 8", and "WHAT'S NEXT?" Tiffany & Co. expressed their pleasure in working with the team to design their special rings. "Having crafted the Vince Lombardi Trophy since its inception in 1969, we are proud to have now also crafted the first Seattle Seahawks Championship ring--both being the purest symbols of hard work and perseverance," said Tiffany's representative, Victoria Reynolds {3}. In the many images and videos floating about on the Web, the indelible mark of Tiffany's impeccable quality is unparalleled in the structure and design of these rings. They truly are beautiful jewels, and the story they tell is a story well loved by everyone in the Pacific Northwest. We applaud the hard work and dedication set forth by the best football team in the world and the best of the best in diamonds.
Crabtree, Curtis. "Seahawks Get thier Super Bowl Rings," NBC Sports, June 20, 2014. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/20/seahawks-get-their-super-bowl-rings/.
Eaton, Nick. "See the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVII Champs Ring," Seattle PI, June 19, 2014. http://blog.seattlepi.com/football/2014/06/19/see-the-seattle-seahawks-super-bowl-xlviii-championship-ring/#24457101=3.
Seahawks News. "Seahawks Receive Super Bowl Rings," posted June 19, 2014. http://www.seahawks.com/news/articles/article-1/Seahawks-Receive-Super-Bowl-Rings/b40ff317-235c-4f40-aac5-45f255b62c5e.
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All of the attention may be because Jana, which has worked mainly behind the scenes in the past, didn't just up its stake, it also started a review of strategic options for Whole Foods. This includes assembling a slate of industry experts who could be brought on to help run the business. Additionally, Jana aims to "internalize grocery distribution and limit the influence of [Whole Foods'] primary wholesale distribution partner," United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), reported Reuters.
Some analysts, though, believe Jana Partners' plan to have Whole Foods Market reduce its reliance on UNFI could cause issues, as Whole Foods currently lacks the advanced logistics systems some other retailers have and an in-house distribution plan could actually add to costs. The chain sourced nearly 33% of its supplies from UNFI in 2016, reported Reuters. Aside from UNFI, Whole Foods sources goods from local, regional and national producers, specialty wholesalers and direct distributors, which analysts say is a fragmented market where the chain has weaker price leverage than it does with UNFI. Ajay Jain, an analyst at Pivotal Research Group notes, "Even major self distributing chains like Kroger ... also rely on suppliers like UNFI because they can procure products more easily than the retailer."
UNFI has an agreement to continue its supply relationship with Whole Foods through September 2025.
Whole Foods Market has long tried to keep itself at arms length from other supermarkets and be more than just a grocery store. And despite the possible shortcomings with Jana's plans, it may indeed be crucial for Whole Foods to take on more of the conventional grocery store tactics to improve performance. Experts note that when Whole Foods first came on to the scene, it was virtually the only large supermarket selling natural and organic products, especially on such a large scale. However, now that there is more competition in the sector, natural products and sustainability efforts are no longer enough to win over customers.
Aside from the other changes Jana is planning for the chain, it also is looking for Whole Foods to adopt some of the approaches that traditional supermarkets have successfully used for years to keep customers coming back. Some of those initiatives include introducing loyalty cards that would allow it to target shoppers with coupons based on their buying habits; centralizing product purchasing to improve efficiency; and advertising sales and discounts, reported The Wall Street Journal.
The news of Jana's increased stake also led to reports that it is urging a sale of the supermarket chain. Amazon Inc. reportedly considered a takeover bid of Whole Foods last fall but didn't pursue a deal, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Although the discussions never resulted in a plan, Amazon considered whether Whole Foods could help its push into groceries, now a 10-year initiative. Amazon, along with Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos., is now on the list of potential bidders for the chain, reported Bloomberg.


You inherited the "Harem Hotel", a hotel where beautiful women stay! Upgrade your hotel, create friendships with the girls, follow their stories and train your maid. Harem Hotel includes animated and completely obscene obscene scenes, unique characters and fetishes, more than 105 unique scenes, more than 12,000 words, more than 1000 images and more are expected.
Groped On the Train, Go to the the Hotel!


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News for September 2018
Friday, September 21st, 2018
Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire Releases 'Quiet River Of Dust Vol 1' Today
Richard Reed Parry of Grammy-winning rock band Arcade Fire is releasing his first solo album with ANTI- Records today, Quiet River of Dust Vol. 1.
Richard Reed Parry Performs New Song "I Was In The World (Was The World In Me)"
"He engages our senses and then confuses us, gently, leaving us soothed and unsettled," described Pitchfork of the latest solo music by Richard Reed Parry, also a multi-instrumentalist in the Grammy-winning band Arcade Fire.
Tags: richard reed parry, quiet river of dust vol 1
Marc Ribot Releases New Anti-Trump Album 'Songs Of Resistance 1942 - 2018'
With his new album Songs of Resistance 1942 - 2018, New York City's Marc Ribot—one of the world's most accomplished and acclaimed guitar players—set out to assemble a set of songs that spoke to the current political moment with appropriate ambition, passion, and fury.
Doe Paoro Breaks Her "Cage Of Habits" With Sultry New Song + Video
Today, Doe Paoro has released a sultry new song and video "Cage Of Habits," the latest taste from her forthcoming album 'Soft Power, out 10/19 on ANTI- Records.
Tags: doe paoro, soft power
Deafheaven Make Late Night Debut On Last Call With Carson Daly
Deafheaven made their late night television debut on Last Call with Carson Daly. "Honeycomb" live was filmed at Deafheaven's sold-out show at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, CA.
Mothers Release New Album 'Render Another Ugly Method'
Declared "post-punk with a pulse" by Wild Honey Pie, Mothers sophomore effort Render Another Ugly Method is out today.

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Going to trial can be like walking on the brink of a waterfall. I thought of this today as I was climbing boulders in Yosemite National Park to get to the base of a waterfall. It began with a short hike to the viewpoint for Bridal Veil Falls. At that point many people scramble up the boulder strewn creek bed below the falls trying to reach the base of the falls.
Most who begin the climb turn back without finishing. This is because they slip and slide on the water polished surface of the boulders. For hundreds of years the creek's eroding flow has polished the boulders' surface so they have little traction for even rubber bottomed shoes to grip. Imagine trying to ascend an ice-covered slope and you get an idea of the intimidation factor in scrambling over these boulders. I accomplished the climb by choosing a route that offered the greatest traction and because I had spent some of my youth in the Alps rock climbing.
Tragedy taught me to be wary of waterfalls.
When I was eleven years old, and not old enough to be a boy scout, the scoutmaster in my boy scout troop died while on a boy scout hike because he did not appreciate the danger that waterfalls pose. The outing was a typical weekend "overnighter." The scout troop departed the scoutmaster's home Friday in the late afternoon and planned to return Saturday afternoon. The scout master was the only adult, and five scouts crowded into his car with their backpacks. They drove to the mountains above our town, parked the car, and began the planned three mile hike.
The route took the group across a small stream in Farmington Canyon at a point where the stream went over a waterfall of no great consequence. As the scouts were crossing the stream near the brink of the waterfall, the young scoutmaster stood on the verge of the falls to insure that none of the scouts ventured too close to the edge. Unfortunately, the scoutmaster apparently did not understand that the stones at the verge of the falls are polished to a near glass-like smoothness by the water rushing over the falls, and he slipped from his position and fell over the falls, landing in knee-deep water.
The group of scouts rushed to help their scoutmaster. He was still conscious and told them, "Don't move me. I've broken my back." The scouts followed orders so he lay in very cold, snow melt water at the base of the falls.
The scoutmaster gave his car keys to the oldest scout, Larry who was barely 15, and asked him to hike back to the car and drive down the mountain road in the dark to summon help. While Larry was gone, the other scouts, all who were 12 and 13 years old, collected wood and started a fire on the edge of the frigid pool in an attempt to warm their shivering scoutmaster as he lay in submerged in the pool and the cold night air.
Larry made it down the mountain, and stopped at the first home he came to. He awakened the family and asked them to call the Davis County search and rescue team. The rescue team was dispatched to the base of the waterfall. The next morning, the Salt Lake City Tribune carried a front page picture of the rescuers carrying the scoutmaster strapped into a rescue litter.
I wish the end of the story was a happy one — it is not. The young scoutmaster, a father of two, died before the morning edition of the Tribune hit subscribers' front porches. I remember my pain and the fear that gripped me as I saw the picture and realized that in several short months I would join that troop. I remember attending church the following morning. The church sponsored the troop. A heavy sadness for the scoutmaster's wife and children was palpable. I remember the faces of boys only a few years older than me as they sat silent with watery eyes not knowing what to say, or how to respond to people expressing concern for them. I remember it after 50 years as if it were yesterday.
The troop did not fold. It continued, and became stronger and better. The young men who were on the hike that night were changed and grew into strong leaders in part due to that experience. The Boy Scouts, from that and similar experiences, implemented changes such requiring that two adult leaders must attend every activity. There was a lot of learning and growth that followed the tragedy of that troop.
Trial is the same. I always learn more about myself and my approach to trial from the trials I lose, than the trials I win. My latest trial is no exception. I have learned in the quiet moments of the night when sleep evades me and lay pondering what went wrong.
To be a truly self-actualized, anyone who wishes to be a trial lawyer must be willing to stare at the pain of loss, and ask, "Why?" Why did the jury not like my client? How could I have told a more compelling story for my client? Did I do anything that got in the way of my client connecting with the jury? Where did I go wrong? If we realistically assess our approach to trial and examine our personal weaknesses in front of the jury we can grow and learn from experiencing loss.
I never want to get to the point that I am winning every trial (did I really say that?) because it will mean that I playing it safe and swimming in the shallow waters rather than taking the risk on the verge of the waterfall to protect those who I care for. I think often of the scout master I never met who sacrificed so much to assure the safety of his scouts crossing that stream. I hope I use his example as a guide in taking on the powerful and wealthy to protect those least able to protect themselves. That is the truly great lesson for me in the tragedy of the waterfall.


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Economics, Education
Government, Future
Philanthropy, Holidays
Relationships, Law
Society - Law - Park West Galleries Release Date: August 30, 2010
Park West Gallery Vindicated by Recent Court Order
By Park West Galleries
$500,000 Judgment Against Park West Gallery Thrown Out by Judge.
PR9.NET August 30, 2010 - In a recent decision issued by the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan, a $500,000 judgment entered against Park West Gallery for trademark infringement was vacated (Case No. 08-12247), and a new trial was ordered.
Last spring, Park West Gallery sued Fine Art Registry (FAR) for comments and videos posted online by its founder, Theresa Franks that contained defamatory statements. FAR counter-sued, claiming that Park West Gallery used its trademark without permission on a website in violation of the Lanham Act.
The jury found for FAR on the counter-claim for trademark infringement and awarded it $500,000 in damages. However, due to "egregious, frequent and ongoing misconduct" on the part of Franks and her counsel, the presiding judge, Judge Lawrence Zatkoff, threw out the verdict and ordered a new trial.
According to Rodger Young, lead counsel for Park West Gallery, "the Judge's decision overturning the verdict was the correct one. The FAR Defendants offered no evidence at trial to support such an award. As the Court accurately stated, the jury was unable to reach a fair verdict in light of the overwhelming misconduct on the part of FAR, Franks and her counsel."
"We are extremely pleased with the Judge's ruling and are optimistic about the upcoming trial," Young added.
Speaking of the Court's Opinion, Albert Scaglione, founder of Park West Gallery said: "We were not surprised that the Court threw out the improper, alleged trademark violation. Park West Gallery has never engaged in any inappropriate use of trademarks associated with any other company."
Along with vacating the trademark judgment, Judge Zatkoff also set aside the entire jury verdict on the allegations of defamation by the FAR Defendants. The Court has not yet determined the timing of the new trial.
For more information, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
Contact Information of Park West Galleries
Website http://www.parkwestgallery.com
Address 29469 Northwestern Hwy.
About Park West Galleries
About Park West Gallery
Since its founding in 1969, Park West Gallery has brought fine artworks to more than 1.2 million clients around the world through its gallery locations in Michigan and Florida as well as art auctions on cruise ships and in major metropolitan areas. Park West Gallery's mission is to create an educational, entertaining, and welcoming environment that ignites a passion for the arts and creates a collecting experience like no other company in the world. Park West Gallery supports a myriad of artistic talent, engages the widest array of audiences, and advocates genuine artistry while maintaining only the highest of professional standards. To inquire about purchasing artwork from the Park West Gallery Fine Art Collection, please visit http://sales@parkwestgallery.com or call toll-free (800) 521-9654 ext. 4.
Jollibee, a Filipino Lumpia Supplier asks lumpia wrapper solution from ANKO
Online Learning versus Conventional Learning
Alkaline Foods Test Reaches Thousands Searching for Perfect pH Balance
Alkaline Foods Test Provides Free Personalized Report for Consumers to Measure the pH Balance of Their Daily Dietary Choices
Park West Granted New Trial: Jury Verdict Vacated
New Custom PVC Pergola and Custom Vinyl Pergola Price Quote System Launched by Turnkey Millwork
Hit Maker Scott Erickson's Tunes Travel The Globe: From Tokyo To Mexico And Back Home Again His Sounds Top Charts
Law - page 2, page 3, page 4, page 5, page 6


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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated Venezuelan national, Vassyly Kotosky Villarroel Ramirez, as a drug kingpin pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). Villarroel Ramirez, a former Captain in Venezuela's National Guard (Guardia Nacional), was designated for the significant role he plays in international narcotics trafficking in both Colombia and Venezuela. While serving as a Captain in Venezuela's National Guard, Villarroel Ramirez arranged for the transportation of loads of cocaine as well as the U.S. dollar proceeds from the sale of the cocaine, using various airports, seaports, and official government vehicles in Venezuela. Today's action complements a 2011 indictment against Villarroel Ramirez by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) on multiple cocaine trafficking charges.
Villarroel Ramirez provided security and protection when cocaine loads and the proceeds from Mexico were smuggled from or into Venezuela's Maiquetía International Airport via commercial or private aircraft. He facilitated the cocaine loads from Colombia through Venezuela in partnership with known drug traffickers such as Daniel Barrera Barrera (alias "El Loco Barrera"), Javier Antonio Calle Serna (alias "Comba"), and Jose Gerardo Alvarez Vazquez (alias "El Indio") – all of whom have been designated as foreign narcotics traffickers under the Kingpin Act. The cocaine shipments benefited Mexican drug trafficking organizations, specifically the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Zetas, and the Beltran Leyva Organization – all of which have been identified by the President as significant foreign narcotics traffickers under the Kingpin Act.
On March 30, 2011, Villarroel Ramirez and a co-conspirator were indicted in the EDNY on six counts of cocaine trafficking-related charges. According to the indictment, between January 2004 and December 2009 Villarroel Ramirez and the co-conspirator imported thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Venezuela to Mexico, for transportation to and distribution within the United States. Also, Villarroel Ramirez is reportedly charged with narcotics trafficking and money laundering in Venezuela since 2008.
Today's action, taken pursuant to the Kingpin Act, generally prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in any transactions with Villarroel Ramirez and freezes any assets he may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
This action would not have been possible without the support of the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
Since June 2000, the President has identified 103 drug kingpins, and OFAC has designated more than 1,300 businesses and individuals, pursuant to the Kingpin Act. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals face up to 10 years in prison and fines pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the Kingpin Act.
To view a chart about Villarroel Ramirez's activities, click here.


hi! so i have downloaded git but im getting an error saying git' is not installed, or not available in PATH. I am very confused please help!
Have you restarted AMP since installing it?
Using ampinstmgr restartall to restart all your instances.
oh and now its saying Bukget query failed. The Bukget query failed. The bukget service may be unavailable, or you may have connectivity issues. Please try again later.
Oh you're still using McMyAdmin not AMP. BukGet doesn't exist anymore so the plugin search doesn't work. You need to upgrade mcma2 to the newer version.


Generalization, but a good ball park target for someone without a strong background in swim or run. You won't find many sub 10 athletes (except for the ones who draft their arses off) far from the 4w/kg FTP and ~2.8w/kg race power.
FTP around 4w/kg, race around 70% IF, therefore race at about 2.8w/kg. Racing an IM at 4w/kg would be what the strong male Pros ride (I.e. FTP around 5w/kg).
Be a super swimmer and you can get away with a bit less. Be a super runner and 1h swimmer and you could get away with a fair bit less. Be super aerodynamic and you can ge away with a bit less again.
FTP just under 4w/kg. An average aero position.
If I have put in the kms in training, it's cold on race day, then about 73% was my best.
It the training hadn't quite been there, then a couple of % less.
If it was hotter (I didn't do well in heat) then a few percent less again.
We have had 20+ athletes break 10 hours, and each athlete did this in a different fashion, depending upon their strengths/weaknesses etc.
The swim is a pace of 1:30/100m with a wetsuit, no tumble turns, and in the open water.
The run is a pace of 5:00/km.
You would likely need to be around 3.5 watts/kg to ride that time in the Ironman, depending on the course.
If your speed is adequate, then as AP described, the most important aspect of your training will be ensuring that you have the necessary strength and aerobic fitness to hold the above paces for 10 hours. Base your training sets around these goals.
weight has nothing to do with it. in terms of sub 90kgs. power to weight is key. plenty of examples of huge units going fast over long distances.
Gee's that a lot of people of the street going sub 10.... How many were under 90kgs?
Think you're feeding the chooks now.
Maybe, there will be under 100kg guys that will crack 10hrs in the right conditions on the right course, ie melbourne, Busso, the old Forster. I'm saying if you are under 90kgs, train consistently and properly, there are no excuses not to break 10 assuming your race goes right.
Look at Mauros results, too many people not for it to be very possible.
So if you're over 90kgs what's the no excuses cut off?
There's not many people going sub 10hr at 90kg because for most people (not all) who are relatively fit 90kgs == fat.
Basically what you are saying is that there's not many fat people going sub 10, which seems to make sense.
BTW COPPOCK, Xavier is well over 90kgs and just did a lazy 4h12m at Mooloolaba.
He's about your height and his weight doesn't seem to slow him down much, even on the run.
Great athlete. Love the bloke.
Look, guess its a bit like treks sub 13 thing, I just think if you're under 90kgs, train properly, and I don't mean doing the hours, but train properly, there should be no excuses.
I just can't see for the life of me why if someone is under that weight an the stars align its not going to break it. Sure if they are fat 89kgs, they might not, but if their a fat 89kgs they haven't trained properly.
1 - 5 - 4...... If your weak in one discipline, add an subtract between them.
Tyler Hamilton spoke about weight in his book, saying its more important than epo in cycling, that will magnify out with th run as well.
I'm arragant, I admit that but I see so many people doing it in these parts, even hack age groupers in their 50's that have toiled year in year out and got there.
I raced Port at 92kg. At least I know now why I didn't go sub 10.
Thanks for clearing that up Oompa, I thought it had something to do with my training.
Were you coached and had set sessions?
Hour many hours a week were you doing at peak load?
Why did you blow on the run? Too hard on the bike?
Hang on, you know a bloke that went sub 10 at port this year with a double chin..... Think he went sub 9.30.
He is also looking fit as now, though I dunno about the latte sippin thing during the ride.
I think we agree on this, you do the work, the stars align, you get the result.
yes, that bloke was an itu star and is one of the most talented blokes this area has produced. in fact never got to the level that was possible for him.
Wanted to answer this before but had to go to the pub.
Look 90kgs is the rough cut off. You make good point re my size, thats how I get the 90k.... I know if I hit that weight, well 89.9, I will go sub 10 on the right course with the right weather. I figure there are few people bigger than me doing the sport (frame wise) and that's how I get that number. If you smaller than my frame, and you train properly, you will weigh heaps less than sub 90. I youre a fat 87kgs, unless your "special", you arn't going to get it. But if you are a little bloke , say 5'10 or something, when you get fit, you are going to be heaps less than 90 if you're fair dinkum.
Yes, fat or heavy people are going to struggle. I'm saying if you're 6'4" an get under 90kgs, you are going to go sub 10 - therefore anyone smaller than that should also do that.
Ill discipline is a factor for most.
Last time I played darts Coach@, I ended up with a dart sticking out the top of my foot.
n.b. I had consumed quite a lot of Bundy.
So have you gone sub ten before or not?
but you're not coming from a place of experience. your comments are observational, hypothetical and speculative - from your point of view.
No, 10'50 something at 98kgs on running once a week. That's why I know that if I crack 90kgs at 6'4" i break 10, therefore anyone can do it.
Massive load of experience, I understand weight and its effects better than most. Ive seen people go sub 10 that many would say never should. Again, look at the results of the people that go sub 10 and what they weigh. No speculation, its fact.
Same for breaking 28 minutes for running 10k.
That's what I'm saying re courses and weather. I've done Busso in the same year slower than port too. Depends on the day.
You also shouldn't do two or three ironmans in a year.
And Melbourne looks softer than Busso if the weathers right .
And before someone jumps, no ironman is soft.
50 minutes is a long time and 10.50 is your pb on a flat course in busso in good conditions.
No. I've been to 5600mtrs.
Nothing soft about anything over 2500mtrs, 5hrs up without oxygen ain't possible.
I've never been 100kg. I admit its a lifestyle choice. But if I did I know that if was 100 kg and worked a 42/16 operation I could easily do 10:30. Id only run once a fortnight too. Pure speculation of course, but I'm saying if I could be 100kg then 10:30 would be easy and any one could do it.. How come, since you weren't even that heavy, you could only manage 10:50?Wonder what has happened to previous kona qualifiers and participants, who have turned up to busso in the passed weighed in under 90kgs and failed to crack 10?
A. They were not "fit".
B. They had a bad day.
Mate if you were 100kgs, and me 105kgs, I'd smash you to bits on any ironman course in the world, pure speculation of course but you know I'm right.
I'm friggin amazed that you folk are finding excuses for non performance. If you want it, train properly. There endeth the lesson.
Not sure if I'm agreeing with Oompa or not,but on the weight thing.
2. If you're >90kg's you haven't trained properly for a sub 10.
*edit - I think I misread what Coach@ was saying.
Not sure if I'm agreeing with Oompa or not,but on the weight thing.If you're are training properly for a sub 10 then;1. You won't be >90kg'sor2. If you're >90kg's you haven't trained properly for a sub 10.
Hmmm, nothing hard about 2500m.
No what I know is you'd have another excuse.
Plenty of people like you around, always keep hold of a crutch so there's always an excuse not to perform at 'what they could do ' and claim their actual underperformance was still miraculous despite all the things they didn't do.
Good on ya for doing a 10:50. Fair effort I say but at the end if the day that's all you've proven to do.
I've already said its not important enough for me. I don't measure my self worth through triathlon.
No excuses buddy, you're the one trotting out excuses for non performance, for not being your best. I have no idea why the concept of someone training properly, being under 90k and getting a good weather day on a good course is not a recipe for sub 9 isn't just an accepted part of the sport. Ok, if they're 6'6" and 89kgs, they may not make it but I reckon they'd give it a good shot.
. I was 2kgs in front of where I wanted to be in February when I broke my wrist, I would have hit 92k easily and I would have given it a red hot crack. I'll know by January, its just how much work gets in the way but hence entering a few races to overcome that in the best way possible.


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Poudre School District students will resume remote learning when they return from winter break, with a plan to gradually return all students to some in-person learning by the end of January.
Beginning Jan. 5, pre-K students will resume learning in Phase 3, or hybrid learning, where students will learn in-person twice a week and remotely twice a week on alternating days Monday through Thursday. The pre-K students will not have school on Fridays.
Students in kindergarten through 12th grades will resume school Jan. 5 in Phase 1, or remote learning, for the first two weeks of the semester.
On Jan. 19, after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, pre-K through fifth-grade students will shift to full in-person learning, or Phase 4 of the district's planned learning phases. Sixth through eighth grade students will then shift to hybrid learning, where students will learn in-person twice a week and remotely three days a week.
High school students will remain in remote learning until Jan. 25, when they will shift into Phase 2, where students will learn in-person once a week — either on Monday or Tuesday — and remotely the other four days, according to the district.
'We are not ok':Poudre School District parents push back against remote learning shift
Plans for how learning will look in February will be released "as soon as possible," the district told families Tuesday night.
Learning will resume remotely after winter break so the district can monitor community health conditions after the holidays, the district said in Tuesday's message. Staggering the return to in-person learning also helps the district monitor the impact of in-person learning on community health and gives staff time to prepare school buildings for the return of students, according to the district.
The district told families they have been examining school-specific COVID-19 data to help officials reach this decision.
While the district was in hybrid learning from Oct. 5 through Nov. 19, pre-K through fifth-grade students were the least impacted by COVID-19 cases and high schools had the highest percentage of cases, the district said in its email to families. The district's shift to remote learning in November brought a drop in high school-age cases, it added.
Tracking COVID-19:Larimer and state case, death and hospital data for November
The district plans to address class- and school-wide closures on a case-by-case basis moving forward, the district told families, rather than implementing widespread shifts to remote learning. Beginning Jan. 11, the district's leadership and health services staff will consult with school principals to decide if a temporary school closure is necessary when a school's case percentage goes above 1%.
"Students and staff thrive on the relationships they build together," Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools Todd Lambert said in a video statement to families. "Teachers are best able to respond to each student's needs then they are in the same classroom."
Polis unveils 'roadmap to in-person learning'
In its email announcement to district families Tuesday night, the district acknowledged the importance of in-person learning for relationship building, education support, social skills, mental health support and the additional in-person learning benefits for younger students.
"We empathize with the families of our youngest learners, knowing that many of them have faced greater challenges in remote learning related to social skills and mental health," Lambert said in his video statement. "Although our talented staff have been supporting students' mental health throughout the pandemic, they are better able to meet their needs in school."
Leadership change:Sandra Smyser, leader of Poudre School District, to retire
During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Jared Polis announced the state's "roadmap to in-person learning," which was created by the state back-to-school working group formed last month.
The plan provides guidance for how to safely bring back students for in-person learning through the end of this school year, Polis said.
"We know what has been happening this last semester hasn't worked," Polis said.
Polis said on-site rapid testing at schools combined with other safety measures like masks and social distancing will help schools reopen for in-person learning.
The safety measures in schools have proven largely effective, Polis said, and data from different communities in the state where schools remained open for in-person learning show that schools are a relatively safe place to be for students and staff, Polis said.
Polis reiterated that schools are recommended to be open for some in-person learning, especially for younger children, in all but the highest level of the state's COVID-19 risk dial system, Level Purple. No counties are currently in Level Purple. Larimer County is currently in Level Red, or the second-highest restriction level, along with about 30 other counties statewide.
Extracurricular activities, like athletics and other clubs, should not resume until schools are in-person at least partially, Polis said. In-person classes should be prioritized over those activities, even though those activities are important, Polis said.
"Learning loss is a real problem kids are facing, and its even more severe for those who are already at risk," Polis said.
Sady Swanson covers public safety, K-12 education and more throughout Northern Colorado. You can send your story ideas to her at sswanson@coloradoan.com or on Twitter at @sadyswan. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.


…courtesy of mark "indiana jones" jarzombek. these churches are cut. into. the f'ing rock. i mean they are all one solid piece of rockness. and that is just the beginning, there is a crazy water tables story involved. the whole thing is insane. you can read about it here.
ps. people that would have enjoyed this way too much [other than me]: colin rowe, rudolf arnheim. which is odd, if you think of this [sorry—jstor link, login required—link goes to mmj's article on wolfflin in assemblage 23].
also, reminds me of giambattista nolli. speaking of which, check out the interactive nolli map of rome from the university of oregon.


The ceiling of the Divinity School.
Philosophy and Theology brings together some of the most important approaches to understanding and assessing the intellectual claims of religion.
The study of Theology provides an understanding of the intellectual underpinning of religious traditions and of the social and cultural contexts for religious belief and practice. It brings together a wide range of skills and disciplines, historical, textual, linguistic, sociological, literary-critical and philosophical.
Central to this degree is a recognition that parallel study of these related disciplines leads to a deeper understanding of each.
The Philosophy Faculty is the largest in the UK and one of the largest in the world. Many faculty members have a worldwide reputation, and its library and other facilities are acknowledged as among the best in the country. Members of the Faculty of Theology and Religion include more than 100 academics ranging from experts in the ancient languages and literature of the world's religions to historians and systematic theologians. The Faculty's reputation and excellent library facilities attract scholars from all over the world.
Your weekly timetable will be divided usually between one or two tutorials, which may take place at your college or at the college of a specialist tutor. A large part of your week will be spent in independent study preparing essays for tutorials. You will also attend about four to six lectures each week as well as classes for some topics, all of which take place in the faculty or central University buildings.
Tutorials are usually up to three students and a tutor. Class sizes may vary depending on the options you choose. There would usually be no more than around 10 students though classes for some of the more popular papers may be up to 20 students. Most tutorials, classes, and lectures are delivered by staff who are tutors in their subject. Many are world-leading experts with years of experience in teaching and research. Some teaching may also be delivered by postgraduate students who are usually studying at doctorate level.
The options listed above are illustrative and may change. More information about current options is available on the Philosophy and Theology and Religion websites.
Helpful: A subject involving essay writing to A-level, Advanced Higher, Higher Level in the IB or another equivalent can be helpful to students in completing this course, although this is not required for admission.
All candidates must take the Philosophy Test as part of their application. Separate registration for each test is required and it is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that they are registered for these tests. We strongly recommend making the arrangements in plenty of time before the deadline.
Everything you need to know, including guidance on how to prepare, can be found on the Philosophy Test page.
Description: One piece which has been marked in the normal process of school or college work. In place of this essay you may send an examination or test answer to an unseen question, which has been supervised and marked by your school or college. All written work must be in English. Please ensure that work is not overly long (no more than 2,000 words) and conforms as far as possible to the published guidelines on the submission of written work, as tutors want to evaluate the succinctness and pertinence of your work.
If you have any questions, please contact your first choice or allocated college. For more information, and to download a cover sheet, please see our further guidance on the submission of written work.
In interviews, tutors look for interest in the proposed fields of study, a critical and analytical approach to abstract questions and the ability to defend a viewpoint by reasoned argument. You may be asked to consider a philosophical or ethical question or to study a brief text. Whatever the subject of discussion, interviewers are interested in how you think and how you approach questions. Students are not expected to have prior subject knowledge.
For more detail on the selection criteria for this course, please see the Philosophy and Theology and Religion websites.
Philosophy and Theology graduates have secured wide-ranging positions as authors, writers, newspaper and periodical editors, academics and teachers. Recent graduates include a barrister, a member of a political think tank, a student at the Royal Academy of Music and a marketing executive for a philanthropy adviser. Others have entered careers such as commerce, banking, financial services and communications.
For an introduction to philosophy have a look at Myles Burnyeat and Ted Honderich's Philosophy, Martin Hollis' An Invitation to Philosophy and Simon Blackburn's Think.


The Invisible Institute is a journalism production company on the South Side of Chicago. Our mission is to enhance the capacity of citizens to hold public institutions accountable.
Among the tactics we employ are human rights documentation, investigative reporting, civil rights litigation, the curating of public information, conceptual art projects, and the orchestration of difficult public conversations.
The activities of the Invisible Institute cohere around a central principle: we as citizens have co-responsibility with the government for maintaining respect for human rights and, when abuses occur, for demanding they be addressed.
Our name began as a wisecrack. In 2000, writer Jamie Kalven and two collaborators were operating out of a vacant unit in a public housing highrise where the online human rights reporting platform The View From The Ground was born. With tongue in cheek, Kalven wrote that The View was published under the auspices of something called the Invisible Institute. The name stuck. Now, the name represents an unfolding adventure: a process of inquiry, exploration and relationship-building. As many of our projects center on themes of visibility and place, there is another meaning to our name: We seek to keep fellow citizens visible by resisting the forces that disappear certain individuals, populations and places.
We couldn't do what we do without the generous support of our funding partners: the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, the Reva & David Logan Foundation, the Knight Foundation, the Alphawood Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation.


text:
Q: execvp() not working in my shell I am trying to make a tiny shell. My problem is that when I call execvp() - I get errors.
For example, when I type in ls -l it returns ls: invalid option -- '
Can someone, please, help me understand why I am getting this error? For my code, the function command split gets the user input, and splits them up into separate commands. Separate commands are seperated by ; character.
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <sys/wait.h>
#include <unistd.h>

#define MAX_CHARACTERS 512
#define HISTORY_SIZE 10

int commandSplit(char *c, char *a[], int t[]) {

int count = 0;
int total = 0;
char *temp[MAX_CHARACTERS];
char *readCommands = strtok(c, ";");
while(readCommands != NULL) {
    printf("Reading full command: %s\n", readCommands);
    temp[count] = readCommands;
    count++;
    readCommands = strtok(NULL, ";");
}
printf("Done reading full commands\n");
for(int i = 0; i  < count; i++) {
    char *read = strtok(temp[i], " ");
    int track = 0;
    while(read != NULL) {
        printf("Reading individual command: %s\n", read);
        a[total] = read;
        track++;
        total++;
        read = strtok(NULL, " ");
    }
    t[i] = track;
}

return count;
}

int main() {

int exitProgram = 0;
char *args[MAX_CHARACTERS];

while(!exitProgram) {

char *commands = (char *)(malloc(MAX_CHARACTERS*sizeof(char)));
int tracker[MAX_CHARACTERS];
int numOfCommands = 0;
printf("tinyshell> ");
fgets(commands, MAX_CHARACTERS, stdin);

if(strlen(commands) == 0) continue;

numOfCommands = commandSplit(commands, args, tracker);
printf("There are %i commands!\n", numOfCommands);

if(strcmp(args[0], "exit") == 0) {
    printf("Exiting\n");
    exitProgram = 1;
    continue;
}

int l = 0;
for(int i = 0; i < numOfCommands; i++) {
    int status;
    char *holder[tracker[i]+1];
    for(int j = 0; j < tracker[i]; j++) {
        holder[j] = args[l];
        printf("Assiging holder:%s\n", holder[j]);
        l++;
    }
    holder[tracker[i]] = NULL;
    printf("What is holder? \n");
    for(int o = 0; o < tracker[i]; o++) printf("%s", holder[o]);
    pid_t p = fork();
    pid_t waiting;
    if(p == 0) {
    printf("I am in child process\n");
    execvp(holder[0], holder);

    fprintf(stderr, "Child process could not execvp!\n");
    exit(1);
    }
    else {
        if(p < 0) {
            fprintf(stderr, "Fork FAILED!\n");
        }
        else {
            waiting = wait(&status);
            printf("Child %d, status %d\n", waiting, status);
        }
    }
    for(int i = 0; i < numOfCommands; i++) {
        args[i] = NULL;
    }
}

}

return 0;

}

A: Your problem is that fgets() also reads the newline character. As a result, the last argument of execvp() arguments array contains a newline, causing ls complain about an unrecognized argument: what you acctually pass to ls is -l\n; what you need to pass is just -l without the newline.
Try adding this code after the fgets call to trim the input buffer:
int len;
len = strlen(commands);
if (len > 0 && commands[len-1] == '\n') {
    commands[len-1] = '\0';
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
var JSC          = require("jscheck");
var assert       = require("chai").assert;
var _            = require("lodash");
var getTestUtils = require("../TestUtils.js");

module.exports = function(config) {
  var Immutable = config.implementation;
  var TestUtils = getTestUtils(Immutable);
  var check     = TestUtils.check;

  describe("#asObject", function() {
    it("works on arrays of various lengths", function() {
      check(100, [TestUtils.ComplexObjectSpecifier()], function(obj) {
        var keys   = _.keys(obj);
        var values = _.values(obj);
        var array  = Immutable(_.map(obj, function(value, key) {
          return [key, value];
        }));

        var result = Immutable.asObject(array, function(value, index) {
          assert.strictEqual((typeof index), "number");

          // Check that the index argument we receive works as expected.
          TestUtils.assertJsonEqual(value, array[index], "Expected array[" + index + "] to be " + value);

          return [keys[index], values[index]]
        });

        TestUtils.assertJsonEqual(result, obj);
      });
    });

    it("works without an iterator on arrays that are already organized properly", function() {
      check(100, [TestUtils.ComplexObjectSpecifier()], function(obj) {
        var array = Immutable(_.map(obj, function(value, key) {
          return [key, value];
        }));

        var result = Immutable.asObject(array);

        TestUtils.assertJsonEqual(result, obj);
      });
    });

    // Sanity check to make sure our QuickCheck logic isn't off the rails.
    it("passes a basic sanity check on canned input", function() {
      var expected = Immutable({all: "your base", are: {belong: "to us"}});
      var actual   = Immutable([{key: "all", value: "your base"}, {key: "are", value: {belong: "to us"}}]);
      actual = Immutable.asObject(actual, function(elem) {
        return [elem.key, elem.value];
      });

      TestUtils.assertJsonEqual(actual, expected);
    });

    it("supports non-static syntax", function() {
        function dummyUpdater(data) {
          return [data, data + '_updated'];
        }
        var obj = Immutable(['test']);
        obj = obj.asObject(dummyUpdater);
        TestUtils.assertJsonEqual(obj, {test: 'test_updated'});
    });
  });
};


You can't teach an old dog new tricks, but you sure can teach an old comedian new jokes.
on Tuesday's "Tonight Show," Don Rickles proved that even at 89, he can still leave Jimmy Fallon in stitches.
He even pretended to get the NBC host confused with Jimmy Kimmel, and joked that he was leaving to go over to ABC.
"You're here, you might as well get on with it," Fallon advised.
Rickles had been a frequent guest on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and "Late Show with David Letterman" since 1965. More recently, he's become a comic idol of Fallon's and was one of Letterman's final guests before his retirement in May.
While Rickles was already 80 when Twitter launched in 2006, he was trending on Tuesday, with many users grateful to hear that he was still alive.
Don Rickles is trending. @twitter should add a (not dead) note to all trending celebs over 65. When they are not dead of course.
Don Rickles killing it on @FallonTonight … Reminds me of my grandpa.


text:
<?php

namespace CachetHQ\Cachet\Repositories\Metric;

use CachetHQ\Cachet\Facades\Setting as SettingFacade;
use CachetHQ\Cachet\Models\Metric;
use DateInterval;
use Jenssegers\Date\Date;

class MetricRepository
{
    /**
     * Metric repository.
     *
     * @var \CachetHQ\Cachet\Repositories\Metric\MetricInterface
     */
    protected $repository;

    /**
     * The timezone the status page is showing in.
     *
     * @var string
     */
    protected $dateTimeZone;

    /**
     * Create a new metric repository class.
     *
     * @param \CachetHQ\Cachet\Repositories\Metric\MetricInterface $repository
     */
    public function __construct(MetricInterface $repository)
    {
        $this->repository = $repository;
        $this->dateTimeZone = SettingFacade::get('app_timezone');
    }

    /**
     * Returns all points as an array, by x hours.
     *
     * @param \CachetHQ\Cachet\Models\Metric $metric
     * @param int                            $hours
     *
     * @return array
     */
    public function listPointsToday(Metric $metric, $hours = 12)
    {
        $dateTime = (new Date())->setTimezone($this->dateTimeZone);
        $points = [];

        $pointKey = $dateTime->format('H:00');
        for ($i = 0; $i <= $hours; $i++) {
            $points[$pointKey] = $this->repository->getPointsByHour($metric, $i + 1);
            $pointKey = $dateTime->sub(new DateInterval('PT1H'))->format('H:00');
        }

        return array_reverse($points);
    }

    /**
     * Returns all points as an array, in the last week.
     *
     * @param \CachetHQ\Cachet\Models\Metric $metric
     *
     * @return array
     */
    public function listPointsForWeek(Metric $metric)
    {
        $dateTime = (new Date())->setTimezone($this->dateTimeZone);
        $points = [];

        $pointKey = $dateTime->format('jS M');
        for ($i = 0; $i <= 7; $i++) {
            $points[$pointKey] = $this->repository->getPointsForDayInWeek($metric, $i);
            $pointKey = $dateTime->sub(new DateInterval('P1D'))->format('D jS M');
        }

        return array_reverse($points);
    }

    /**
     * Returns all points as an array, in the last month.
     *
     * @param \CachetHQ\Cachet\Models\Metric $metric
     *
     * @return array
     */
    public function listPointsForMonth(Metric $metric)
    {
        $dateTime = (new Date())->setTimezone($this->dateTimeZone);
        $daysInMonth = $dateTime->format('t');
        $points = [];

        $pointKey = $dateTime->format('jS M');
        for ($i = 0; $i <= $daysInMonth; $i++) {
            $points[$pointKey] = $this->repository->getPointsForDayInWeek($metric, $i);
            $pointKey = $dateTime->sub(new DateInterval('P1D'))->format('jS M');
        }

        return array_reverse($points);
    }
}


text:
Why This Former Gucci-Clad Executive Pivoted from a Big Media Job to Cleaning Up After Donkeys
The aha moment that led to days filled with hard work but a happier life for Ron King.
By Stephanie Fairyington
Ethen Vincent Monument TV
With his knee deep in the dirt and surrounded by dung, Ron King starts his day "at the crack of dawn." There's a long list of tasks he must complete before the day ends at Oscar's Place, the animal sanctuary he cofounded in response to the enduring plight of donkeys: Their worldwide population is projected to be cut in half by 2024, as their hides continue to be used for a medicinal Chinese herb called ejiao to treat anemia, insomnia, and blood circulation problems.
Surrounded by four-legged creatures on a sprawling 75-acre property in Mendocino County, California, he is as far from the glitz and glamour of his past life as he could get—and he's never been happier.
A post shared by Oscar's Place Sanctuary (@oscarsplaceofficial)
For two decades, the former Time Inc. media executive's life seemed impossibly good: He'd met and partnered with the man of his dreams, adopted an 11-year-old boy named Shane, and continued ascending the corporate ladder, which afforded him a lifestyle he never dreamed of—world travel, fine dining, and a closet full of Gucci, Versace, and Armani.
But his staggering success belied the hardship and pain he endured in his formative years. Born and raised in Arkansas to Christian missionaries, King never felt that he fit in. "I grew up as the gay son of a Southern Baptist preacher in rural America in the 1970s. The message I received from an early age was that I wasn't good enough and nobody would have my back."
At 17, he moved away for college, but having absorbed the belief that he was unworthy and incapable, he stumbled through the next decade of his life. "For years, I was in a really bad place. I was a drug addict. I was homeless when I was 26. I even turned tricks for shelter," he says.
Courtesy of Ron King
While waiting tables at the Hard Rock Cafe in 1995 in Los Angeles, an angel in the guise of a crotchety old waitress named Mary Ann pulled him aside and said, "When you're ready to clean up your life, I will help you." At first, he rejected her overtures. "I was like, 'Mind your own business, old lady,' because I was a snot-nosed young drug addict."
Then the worst happened: King attempted to take his own life in 1996. He finally accepted help from the "nosy" waitress who regularly checked in on him. "She took me to my first AA meeting," he recalls. "Afterward, she drove me to my dealer's house, where I was sleeping on the floor. She came in, and nobody was home. She poured out all of his liquor and left her tip money on his table for him to buy some more the next day. She said, 'I will be back tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. to take you to your next meeting.' And I have never had another drink or drug."
Ron King as a child in Arkansas.
Over the next year, King cleaned up and stabilized his life. While waiting tables one day, a customer who ran a company that distributed and sold VHS "how-to" fishing videos spotted his charisma and easy way with customers and offered him a job in sales. "He taught me almost everything I know about business," he says. "From there, I was off and running."
By 2002, King began to scale unimaginable heights—from landing a Don Draper–esque role as an account supervisor at advertising agency Grey Global to nabbing the top publisher spot at Southern Living, where he resuscitated the brand, to becoming the visionary senior vice president of seven prominent glossies: InStyle, People StyleWatch, People en Español, Essence, Southern Living, Coastal Living, and Sunset. "Once I started moving in directions that were positive for my life instead of negative, it just started compounding," he says.
Ron King (right) walks the red carpet with Instyle Editor-in-Chief Laura Brown (far left) and Nicole Kidman (center) at a 2016 event.
Ron King (right) and artist Drew Vision (far left) flank Serena Williams at a fashion show.
Wesley Verhoeve
But his tendency toward workaholism put too much strain on his relationship; and then, his career, as he knew it, unraveled when Meredith Corporation, a Midwest magazine publisher, purchased the iconic Time Inc. in early 2018. "I had really run myself into the ground, and I had lost my relationship," says King. "I found myself with plenty of money and plenty of designer clothes, but alone and unhappy." Looking to rest and recalibrate, "I took a package and left," he says.
"I remember sitting front row at the Versace show…thinking, These people have no idea who I am."
Though King yearned for time off, he was open to new opportunities. A successful friend named Phil Selway hired him to manage his real estate portfolio and sell a sprawling 75-acre estate in Mendocino County. While preparing the property to be listed, King moved onto the property, a ranch at the edge of redwood forests in northern California. He watched vapid TikTok videos and worked up shallow sweats on his SoulCycle bike. But a few weeks in, he felt a sweet emotion radiate through his whole being: "I was going on a hike, and I had this very unfamiliar feeling, like, What is it that I'm feeling right now?" he asked himself. "And I realized it was serenity, and I was calm."
Settling into a less frenetic frame of mind and life, King was scrolling through TikTok when he came across a video of an anguished woman pleading for someone to rescue maltreated donkeys at a kill-pen auction in Texas. Moved and upset, King googled more about the plight of donkeys and read an especially alarming headline in the U.K. newspaper The Guardian: "World's donkeys being 'decimated' by demand for Chinese medicine." The more he learned, the more he wondered if maybe he could transform his friend's land into a donkey refuge: Could I do this? Do I want to do this? King asked himself. Why am I having all these feelings?
King mugs for a shot with Lemongrass. She's a "sweet baby girl who thinks she's a lap donkey and tries to climb in my lap every time I sit down."
Co-founder Philip Selway with Viejo at Oscar's Place Donkey Sanctuary. "Phil made all of this possible," says King. "And Viejo is our resident donkey, everyone's favorite."
While trying to determine if he could tackle the challenge of running a donkey farm, he came to a new self-discovery: "I enjoy Gucci suits, and my Mercedes AMG, and eating at the great restaurants and valet parking at the movie theater," he muses. "But they didn't bring me any joy. What brings me joy…[is] either connection or impact," he says. "Connection to someone or something, or having an impact on my world in some way."
Without ever having set eyes on a donkey in real life, he knew with cosmic certainty how he should use Selway's farm.
When he presented the idea to his employer, it didn't go down easy: "He one thousand percent thought that I had gone mad! He was caught completely off guard." But King, a persuasive salesman who still tapped into the basic set of skills he had learned from hawking fisherman videos, convinced Selway, an animal advocate who had always wanted his own legacy to be centered on animal welfare, over a set of omelets and some coffee at Bluebird Café in Hopland, California, near the property. "He humored me in the beginning," says King, "then I went to work."
Oscar's Place, a nonprofit named after Selway's cat who passed away, seeks to rehabilitate and rehome abandoned or abused donkeys. In a short span of time, the organization has saved 78 donkeys, laid to rest three, and delivered six healthy foals.
When the first five donkeys arrived in December 2020, he says, "I fell madly in love with them." King goes into raptures over their standout qualities and achievements—how they've helped build civilization since the beginning of time, how they're incredibly intelligent, and how the part of their brains that processes emotion is the same size as ours. "They're very emotional creatures," he says. "I go out in the morning and call them and they come running to me. They're dog-like." The babies are especially scrumptious: "They love to hug…if you sit down, the babies will jump up in your lap."
None, however, have captured his heart like Viejo. "He'll put his head on my shoulder, and I'm standing there, petting him. And you can tell we're both exhaling because it's calming. Here I am with this 1,100-pound animal who loves me and I love him, and we're here to help each other and enjoy this life," he says.
King recently shared a picture of Viejo on Instagram beside a caption that reads: "One of the strongest connections that I have felt in my life is with this guy right here….I can't believe the love I feel for these guys."
Youthful and handsome at 52, King breaks down the arduous nature of his new life: "It is physically exhausting. I'm throwing bales of hay and carrying 50-pound bags of concrete, and chasing after animals who kick and bite when you're trying to give them injections," he says. After pausing to consider it all, he adds: "It's just a completely different and very hard life, and I've never been happier."
A post shared by Ron King (@ronking_nyc)
Earlier this year, in the middle of the pandemic, King shared his life story in a podcast titled Ron King That Shit, a phrase he developed during his Time Inc. days to express the act of applying sheer determination to bounce back from the many impossible situations he faced. In the podcast, King speaks candidly about the difficult moments in his life and reveals traumatic circumstances that even members of his family were unaware of. "I thought I should make the point that I don't have it all figured out," he says through tears on the podcast. "I'm only sharing my journey in case it's helpful...I had hoped that a drug addiction, and being homeless and cancer and a broken neck was enough, that I had paid my dues. But it never stops coming at you...I am determined to live a life that's worthwhile and meaningful."
As for his donkeys, over the next year, King plans to rehabilitate and rehome 100 donkeys, introduce programming to help educate the public, create videos to help amplify the organization's mission, and collaborate with local schools by offering internships and academic credit. "Oscar's Place—this place, this property, these animals, and this mission—will live long beyond me," he says, marveling at the wonder of it all. "When I look back on this journey, one of the things I will be most proud of is providing a second chance to these deserving animals. I know that I have changed the course of their lives. And their impact on me has been immeasurable."
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text:
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    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".MainActivity"
    tools:ignore="MergeRootFrame">

    <android.support.design.widget.AppBarLayout
        android:id="@+id/app_bar_layout"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_gravity="top"

        >

        <!--Gonna add the toolbar in code -->

    </android.support.design.widget.AppBarLayout>

    <FrameLayout
        android:id="@+id/fragment_container"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        app:layout_behavior="@string/appbar_scrolling_view_behavior" />

        <com.melnykov.fab.FloatingActionButton
            android:id="@+id/fab_done"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_gravity="right|bottom"
            android:layout_margin="@dimen/fab_margin"
            android:clickable="true"
            android:onClick="onClickDone"
            android:src="@drawable/ic_action_done_white"

            />

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Typography and typefaces, without a doubt, are two of the most fascinating aspects of visual design. Great designers can execute great designs with typefaces and nothing else, if required, and certainly if preferred. Design legends Saul Bass and Paula Scher have proved this many times over, and they comprise only a fraction of a very long list of luminaries who can wield type brilliantly.
As I've tried to better grasp typography and designing with it, I've found its ideal for developers looking to improve their visual design skills. You don't need drawing skills and you can work in monochromes until you're ready to try fancy color palettes.
I wish I was better at this, too. I'm working on it. But I'm no pro. We can get better together.


text:
M-86 Bridge
Telegraph Road Bridge
Primary Photographer(s): Nathan Holth
Bridge Documented: 2006 and March 31, 2013
M-86 Over Prairie River
Rural: St. Joseph County, Michigan: United States
Metal 8 Panel Rivet-Connected Camelback Pony Truss, Fixed
1923 By Builder/Contractor: Unknown	and Engineer/Design: Michigan State Highway Department
27 Feet (8.23 Meters)
78178061000B030
This bridge has been relocated. This page and its photos and maps document the former location of the bridge.
This bridge has been relocated and preserved for vehicular use on Crystal Springs Road in Cass County, Michigan. Please also see HistoricBridges.org's page for photos and documentation of the bridge in its current location at Crystal Springs Road.
This bridge is built to the same state standard plan at the bridge in New Boston. Michigan developed a standard plan for pony truss bridges, but never for through truss bridges, likely due to the lack of many large rivers in the state. The bridge was originally built in 1923. The bridge does not retain its original railings, but it does retain a plaque on it. This is not the original plaque, however. It is a plaque that was put on when this bridge was moved from its original location on Telegraph Road over River Rouge in Wayne County, Michigan to M-86 over Prairie River in 1938-1939. Here, the bridge replaced the former Prairie River Bridge which was a six panel Pratt truss bridge. The M-86 Bridge is a camelback pony truss with riveted connections. The outside of the truss has cut rivets, empty rivet holes, evidence of plate that was cut, and remains of brackets. These are all visual indications that in its original 1923 location this bridge had cantilevered sidewalks. Design drawings for the relocation indicate this was removed when the bridge moved to St. Joseph County.
In 2013, MDOT had decided it wanted to replace this historic bridge, but worked an agreement to relocate and reuse the bridge on a county road, specifically Crystal Springs Street over the Dowagiac River south of Dowagiac in neighboring Cass County. This was an outstanding preservation solution, and it makes it the second time this versatile bridge has been relocated! The bridge was dismantled, restored, and reassembled in Cass County by Bach Steel, who restored the bridge using in-kind restoration techniques, replacing individual lacing bars, and using genuine historically correct hot rivets in all repair work, rather than using ugly modern bolts. The project was completed in 2018.
The relocation of this bridge is a great success story. It got this historic bridge off of busy M-86 where it was subjected to heavy truck traffic, and instead located it to a quiet county road that crosses the scenic Dowagiac River. It also marked an unusual but positive event in Cass County history, since Cass County was one of the counties in Michigan with the dubious distinction of being a "truss-less" county, meaning a county that had lost or demolished all of its historic metal truss bridges. Cass County is now no longer a truss-less county!
Information and Findings From Michigan Historic Bridge Inventory
The Michigan State Highway 86 Bridge is eligible for the National Register as a good example of a 1920s camelback pony truss. This structure also exemplifies the movability of a truss bridge.
According to limited records, this bridge was originally built in 1923, and was re-built at the present site in 1938-1939 by contractor L. W. Lamb. Bridge plans dated 1938 indicate that the only alteration to the original design was to eliminate two sidewalks, which had been cantilevered outside the trusses. Work was completed as part of a PWA federal relief work project directed by the Michigan State Highway Department. The previous location of the bridge is unknown. It replaced a pin-connected, 82-foot "low type through-truss span" with a 14.67-foot roadway.
This bridge is tagged with the following special condition(s): Available
Photo Galleries and Videos: M-86 Bridge
Maps and Links: M-86 Bridge
This historic bridge has been relocated and is no longer at this location. See the main bridge page for a link to the new bridge location. This map is shown for reference purposes only.


Gemini will release the Gemini dollar (GUSD), and much has been said during the past days about the stablecoin. Created by the Winklevoss twins and can help regularise cryptocurrencies as a mainstream asset class.
A few days ago it was announced that The Winklevoss twins, the founders of the cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, have now seemingly received approval from New York authorities to launch the "Gemini dollar" stablecoin. The Gemini dollar will be developed on the Ethereum network, will follow the ERC20 token standard, and will be pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. The most important part is that the cryptocurrency is the first regulated stablecoin to launch and has received a green light from the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS).
In an interview with Forbes, one of the twins stated that he hopes that the Gemini dollar will assist in solving issues associated with time delays between around-the-clock cryptocurrency markets and time-restricted fiat currency markets.
It seems like there is much good news around this new asset. However, a discovery by Alex Lebed showed that Gemini could freezy any user account at-will. Alex performed a code review on the smart dollar contract and found that the code for GUSD specified that they could freeze users accounts which is contrary to what the decentralised assets are made for originally. This means that Gemini's dollar I somewhat centralised.
GUSD uses an ERC20Proxy contract that gives Gemini, as the custodian, the ability to upgrade the contract once every 48 hours, giving it among a myriad of other things the power to simultaneously render all tokens non-transferable.
This statement confirms that Gemini wants its token to exist alongside and within mainstream finance, not outside of it.
The Gemini dollar (GUSD) Whitepaper argues that because it is a stablecoin and pegged to the USD, a centralised asset stored in a centralised location, it must have some elements of oversight.
Regardless of the regulatory aspects of the coin, many cryptocurrency enthusiasts may find this arrangement as corrupt, but according to the Twins, a stablecoin needs some regulatory elements.


text:
FCP X: Still Images and Frame Rates
Posted on August 17, 2014 by Larry
Charlie Silverlock sent me an interesting question this week. He writes (in part):
I created a layered Photoshop PSD and imported it into FCPX. I set the project timeline to a frame rate of 25p to match the main footage. When I open the PSD either from Browser or from Primary Storyline, the frame rate shows as 60 fps, not 25 fps. Worse, the clip is 12 seconds in the Primary Storyline, yet when opening the PSD to edit layers it adjusted itself to a 4 second duration. What's going on here?
The answer lies in how Final Cut Pro X handles still images. Let me explain.
Still images do not have a frame rate – because they are only a single frame. (You have to have multiple frames playing sequentially for the concept of frame rate to make sense.)
But, because Final Cut is a video editor, when a still image is imported into FCP X, Final Cut assigns it a default frame rate of 60 fps as a placeholder. Here, the top image is for an imported layered Photoshop document and the bottom image is from a PNG file. Both are assigned a default frame rate of 60 fps. Both are also listed as progressive images because, by definition, stills are not interlaced.
In Final Cut Pro > Preferences, we can set a default duration for all imported still images. The preset is 4:00 seconds. (While this is easy to change, I tend to leave this preference alone and adjust the duration of each still during editing.)
However, frame rates don't become real until a still is edited into the Timeline. Here, for example, is a Project with a 25 fps frame rate.
When a still image is edited into a Project, Final Cut will render (calculate video for) the still to match the frame rate of the project. So, while our still was assigned a 60 fps frame rate during import, Final Cut will render the still at the frame rate that matches the Project.
Charlie also wanted to animate different layers of the still image as part of his project. This also requires a different technique.
When a layered PSD file is imported into FCP X, Final Cut creates a special kind of compound clip – indicated by the layered icon in the top left corner of the Browser image – allowing us to modify each layer.
NOTE: This is only true for layered PSD images, not JPEGs, PNGs, or TIFFs.
If we double-click the PSD file in the Browser, it opens in the Timeline, allowing us to add keyframes, effects, even visibility changes for each layer. But it does so for the duration and at the frame rate of the Browser clip.
For example, in the screen shot above, notice that the duration is 1:00:00, which matches the duration of the Browser clip. But the rules change when a clip is edited into the Timeline.
In this screen shot, I've edited the same still into the Timeline with a 3:00 duration.
To modify a PSD file which is edited into the Timeline, double-click it. This opens the graphic into a special Timeline where we have access to every layer AND at the frame rate and duration that matches the clip in the Timeline.
Make whatever changes you want, then click the small left-pointing arrow in the top left of the Timeline to "Go Back" to the original Project.
FCP X will then render that still image to match the Project settings and incorporate all the changes you made to the PSD file directly.
Don't worry about the initial frame rate assigned when you import a still image.
Don't set keyframes using Open in Timeline once you've edited a clip into a Project
When you need to modify a PSD file in the Browser use Open in Timeline.
When you need to modify a PSD file after it is edited into the Timeline, double-click it.


text:
Eve Kelly
'That's it," said my friend Bernice, exhausted and grumpy after what was supposed to be a relaxing afternoon of shopping. "Customer service is officially a thing of the past. I'm shopping online from here on out. At least that way I won't have to talk to anyone." I knew that getting out of the house to shop was practically therapy for Bernice, so I hated to hear her so despondent. Happily, I had an answer for her. "A little bird just told me about a place where the prices are low and the customer is king -- and the bird was wearing the most darling pendant."
The next day, we headed up to South Sun (858-309-5045; www.southsunproducts.com ), a bead-and-jewelry superstore in Serra Mesa. There, I met with owner Shlomo Gruer and his wife Pnina. "You have to cater to the public," he said. "If you don't like that, you shouldn't be in retail. I like to give my customers lottery tickets, sweets, and water. I try anything I can to make sure the customer leaves here smiling. If a customer leaves not smiling, then we did a lousy job."
After a tour of the mammoth 45,000-square-foot facility (of which the showroom is expanding to occupy 18,000 square feet), Bernice started shopping and I sat down with the couple in their office. "I'm from Zimbabwe," said Gruer. "There, I had 25 stores -- mainly clothing. When I came to San Diego, I went into jewelry, bringing in product from the Far East -- mainly Thailand and Indonesia. Then I started a new system of wholesaling. Everyone was selling by the piece; I started selling by weight, and it changed the whole market."
Things went beautifully until Gruer's competitors started imitating his model. He decided to move one step closer to the customer. "I opened a showroom on Fifth Avenue in New York and started going after department stores and outlets like QVC, Home Shopping Network. That's my main business now. In the beginning, I was just buying jewelry and reselling it, but later, I started manufacturing." This gave Gruer two advantages: "First, I could have my own designs, things nobody else had. Second, I could control delivery times to my customers. If you don't deliver on time, your order will be cancelled. So now, I have my own manufacturing facility."
Gruer's retail jewelry business grew out of his manufacturing and wholesale efforts. "I normally manufacture 10 percent extra on an order from a department store or QVC, just in case there's a quality problem with some of the pieces. After a while, that 10 percent on every order becomes a mountain of jewelry. I thought, 'I could offload this extra jewelry to the public.'" And the same thing had already happened with beads. "In the beginning, I would supply the jewelry stores with just the pendant. Later, I started supplying the whole necklace. When I ordered the stones from China, I would order the same 10 percent extra, and after a few years -- a mountain of extra stones. What happened was, this thing we opened to get rid of our excess stuff became a fantastic business." That's at least partly because the excess stuff comes at a deep discount: South Sun sells department store jewelry at 75 percent below retail price -- a $160 pendant would go for $40 . (Right now, they're running a special on pendants: buy two, get one free; buy five, get three free; buy ten and get ten free.) And it's partly because of the sheer quantity on display. "No jewelry store in America has got as much variety as we have here. Every day, I put out 100 new items, and the majority of them are my designs."
All the stones come from China because that's where they're processed. "It's all hand labor," explained Gruer. "They take the stones, one at a time, cut them, shape them, drill them, polish them, and then string them on a standard 16-inch strand. If it needs to be faceted, the finished bead goes to another factory, one that specializes in faceting." But while they all end up in China, they hail from all over the world. Said Pnina, "They come from Brazil, Africa, and so on. The majority of what we have is natural stone -- things like agate, moonstone, jasper, and turquoise. But we'll also bring in ceramic, metal, silver, glass, wood, and base-metal beads." Prices per strand range from $1 to $125 (the top price applies to things like pearls, emeralds, and rubies).
The department stores and shopping channels tend to get the best of the best, but Gruer says that everything at South Sun runs from at least medium to high quality. "We make sure that there are no cracks in the stones and that the polishing is good." (A pearl might be slightly out of round, but it will be far less expensive as a result.) "And because I work with the department stores," noted Gruer, "I get information from salespeople. So I know what sorts of things will be 'in' in the next three months."
The business continues to grow: with so many supplies, and so many examples to draw from, a beading school seemed a natural development. "We offer about 23 different classes [ $18-$25] . They run about two hours long, with about eight people per class. I draw teachers from my customers here. We supply all the tools and the classroom; you get a list of materials before the class, and you can buy them all in the store. People think you have to be an artist to create something. People come to me and ask, 'What should I do?' I tell them, 'You're the artist. What you like -- that's the right thing.'"
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Take a stroll along the Ohio County Law Library Trail from April 8 to October 22 to win a fabulous prize! Twenty-four Ohio county law libraries have joined together to encourage you to visit not just your county law library, but every county law library in the counties where you practice. If you visit the most participating county law libraries on the trail, you will win a prize made up of a unique donation from each library. Visit http://tinyurl.com/yxctpqsp to view rules and additional information.


text:
Conversion: Fossil Free Endowments
James McRitchie, May 23, 2013 ,
Not sure what year; probably outdated.
About a month ago, I posted a piece aimed at getting students and alumni at Harvard (and hopefully at other universities) to advocate for more democratic endowments. In my zeal to focus on endowment governance, I was far too dismissive of the movement at Harvard and hundreds of universities to divest of fossil fuels. While I still think endowment governance is central, after further examining the issue, I have come to believe divestment of fossil fuel companies is likely to be a very important part of a larger movement to ensure a salubrious planet and one which should also be compatible with more democratically governed endowments.
Perhaps explaining the evolution of my thoughts will help others have a similar conversion.
In reviewing the Investment Policy Statement of the Fair Harvard Fund, I expressed my opinion that their strong emphasis on negative screening reminded me of where SRI funds were 20 years ago (Fair Harvard Fund Makes Progress: Alternative Endowment Should Be Permanent & Democratic):
Although many funds still have some negative screens, they have moved substantially toward an emphasis on engagement and governance. I hope Fair Harvard will do the same. I urge the Coalition and Fund to carefully review examples such as the Global Principles of Accountable Corporate Governance adopted by CalPERS.
In support of my position, I quoted from Robert Monks' brilliant new book, Citizens DisUnited:
Divestiture is tantamount to declaring moral victory, deserting the field of battle, and leaving festering in place whatever was offensive enough to merit the divesting, along with CEOs who frankly don't give a damn who owns the stock as long as someone does.
My thinking was similar to that expressed more recently by M. Todd Henderson on the Huffington Post in Divestment and Financial Illiteracy.
The state of financial literacy in America is rotten. A Dodd-Frank-Act-mandated study of financial literacy recently concluded: "investors have a weak grasp of elementary financial concepts." Or, consider the 2009 National Financial Capability Study finding that only 52 percent of investors understand owning a broad basket of stocks provides a safer return than investing in a single company stock. This is like saying 52 percent of people believe in gravity.
The divestment wave hitting college campuses looks like another example of financial ignorance…
The stock price is merely an estimate of the cash flows that ownership of the stock will produce in the future, and therefore is not determined by a "demand" for the stock. Unless the sale of stock conveys information to the market about the future cash flows, no individual sale can move the price…
And nothing about the decision of a few university endowments to sell the shares provides the market information about how much oil or coal will be sold at what prices tomorrow. This is true even if SJSF succeeds in getting every university to sell all their shares…
Perhaps the real lesson of the divestment wave building on American campuses today is that colleges should devote more time to teaching economics and elementary finance to their students. Armed with some basics, these well-meaning students would be able to make a much bigger impact on our world.
The model divestment that actually worked was, of course, decades ago involving companies with substantial investments directly or indirectly supporting apartheid in South Africa. That worked. One major difference is that campaign was accompanied by boycotts. I don't see a lot of boycotts of fossil fuel companies, even coal companies. Soon after my post about the Fair Harvard Fund went up, I got a thorough and well deserved drubbing from someone much more involved in that and other such efforts than I have been.
He had several lines of rebuttal. It is up to the students and stakeholders to determine how they incorporate their ESG issues in a way that can be consensual among these diverse groups, and there remains a strong interest in getting out of bad businesses.Why engage with Chevron, Philip Morris, or Smith & Wesson, all the while hoping your portfolio reaps benefits from the harmful work they do, as manufacturers of socially and environmentally harmful products and as corporate lobbyists corrupting our political processes?
Exiting companies and sectors is not all the Coalition is doing. They are very interested in proactive investment in sustainability and in more robust conceptions of ESG incorporation and optimization, not to mention active ownership strategies.
The Coalition needs to be very realistic about what one can do with the relatively small amount of seed funding that the Fair Harvard Fund has raised to date — and devote their energies to the places where they can have the highest impact.
Screening is not about withholding capital from companies; it is about profiting, or hoping to profit, from businesses with which you fundamentally disagree — and may be boycotting as a consumer. At the same time, divestment at scale does have financial effects. This is one reason why tobacco companies trade at an intrinsic discount from valuations and why they find themselves obliged to pay higher dividends to investors without scruples related to their fundamentally unhealthy business — heavily shaped by policy and litigation risk.
As it happens, the Coalition is in the process of launching the ownership dimension of their campaigns — focused not just on proxy voting — which Harvard has been doing for four decades, with little impact or success — but also on taking responsibility for their controlling stakes in the billions of dollars of equity they have in various alternative investment funds and private companies, often having deleterious impacts on the communities in which they are operating, in places like Latin America and other offshore locales. It is an accountability agenda for HMC and the Harvard endowment, and I trust the students and members to exercise their best judgment about the demands they are putting forward, which include incorporation of ESG across all asset classes.
After these comments, attending the 2013 Ceres Conference, and doing a little more research I'm almost there.
The Coalition itself has raised less funds than I imagined, so realistically investing in a mutual fund is the most realistic option at this point and one that invests in alternative energy makes sense. As to the question of divesting of fossil fuel companies, one bit of information I found compelling is that in the 2012 World Energy Outlook, the International Energy Agency states that "[n]o more than one-third of proven reserves of fossil fuels can be consumed prior to 2050 if the world is to achieve the 2 degree Celsius goal," generally recognized as the level beyond which global warming will have dire ramifications.
It seems almost certain that a substantial portion of at least the dirtiest fuels, like coal, will become "stranded assets." Oil analyst Paul Spedding and others estimate in an HBC report, Oil and Carbon Revisited: Value at Risk From 'Unburnable' Reserves, that loss of potential value from assets no longer needed in a low-carbon economy would range widely from almost none in the BG Group to 17% of market capitalization at Statoil. "We believe that investors have yet to price in such risk, perhaps because it is so long term."
Unburnable carbon 2013: Wasted capital and stranded assets points out that fossil fuel reserves already far exceed the carbon budget to avoid global warming of 2°C. In spite of this, $674 billion was spent last year to find and develop new potentially stranded assets.
Company valuation and credit ratings methodologies do not typically inform investors about their exposure to these stranded assets, despite these reserves supporting share value of $4 trillion in 2012 and servicing $1.27 trillion in outstanding corporate debt over the same period.
The Carbon Tracker Initiative calls for:
Listed owners of fossil fuel reserves to disclose the embedded CO2 in these reserves
For this number to be reported to a regulator responsible for managing systemic financial risks
For the regulators to publish what metrics they use to measure how and whether climate risk is a systemic financial risk
For asset owners to ask the investment banks to re-run valuation models for the large fossil fuel owners, in a world where they have to write-down/off 70-80% of their reserves. How and when does this impact their EBITDA?
Call for fossil fuel companies to return cash to shareholders in large dividend payouts i.e. no new investments for more resources
It looks to me like it would be foolish for any endowment to hold assets in the dirtiest companies that are probably facing a huge devaluation of assets that has not yet been priced in by the market. It also doesn't make much sense for a university like Harvard to be spending time and money on Sustainability at Harvard when their investments work for and send the opposite message. The safest way to proceed might be to simply divest and render the endowment fossil free.
Another possibility would be to file resolutions at fossil-based energy companies in the endowment similar to that filed by As You Sow at CONSOL Energy, although I think their proposal could it be strengthened by hinting at the possibility of redirecting the company's capital and the skills of its employees to other possible lines of business. According to the WSJ, After Bubbles in Dotcoms and Housing, Here's the Carbon Bubble,
the proposal received 19.7% of the votes cast. That is well short of a majority, but shows that a small but not insignificant minority of institutional shareholders saw some merit in at least looking at the question of how much coal the company will be able to burn.
As You Sow did a great job at CONSOL (CNX). See, for example, their Unburnable Carbon – Stranded Reserves. Almost 20% is fairly high for a first time effort on an issue that many still seem unwilling to contemplate. Selling off the carbon bubble before it bursts might be the most prudent course of action, while filing resolutions might do the most to raise awareness of the issue. The endowment would only need to retain $2,000 worth of stock in each company to file a resolution, so maybe a combination of the two strategies would do the most to further the objectives of the coalition working on the Fair Harvard Fund.
As for my own portfolio, I sold off my only direct holding in an oil company but see I still own stock in a company that does oil and gas exploration. I'll sell that one too and while I'm not boycotting, I'm cutting back.
As You Sow, carbon, carbon bubble, Carbon Tracker, Citizens DisUnited, CONSOL Energy, endowment, Fair Harvard Fund, Harvard, M. Todd Henderson, oil, reserves, Robert Monks, stranded assets, unburnable
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Proposals to Address Fugitive Methane Receive Strong Shareowner Support