You just wrote "The End" on that last page and you're ready to heave a well-deserved sigh of relief. But just as you're ready to fill your lungs with the sweet breath of accomplishment, you're sucker punched with the ragged reality that this isn't the end. No, my friend, it's just the beginning … now you have to figure out what to do with your masterpiece.
Before you consider how to publish and sell your book, remember one proven truth: The number-one way to sell a book is to write a good book—one that people need and want, one they can't put down, one they'll tell all their friends about. If you're not sure if that describes your book just yet, maybe it's time to go back to work or get confirmation from legitimate sources. But if it does, read on—it's time to look at your publishing options.
Never before in the history of publishing have such a staggering range of options been available to authors. But after all is said and done, the decision comes down to one basic choice: should you tie your fortunes to a traditional publisher, or are you ready to brave it on your own by self-publishing? There are many blogs, articles, and claims out there that the publishing industry is (or should be) going in one direction or another—and there's a new one lighting up the Internet almost weekly. But if you think they're clearly illuminating the situation, think again. In truth, countless issues factor in to the decision, including your genre, category, writing skill, platform, budget, goals, and time limitations. And those represent just the tip of the iceberg.
To complicate matters, nothing here is black and white. One isn't the clear winner across the board. As with pretty much everything else in life, there are pros and cons to each option, and finding the one that works best for you takes some deep introspection. To see what I mean, let's take a look at just some of the pros and cons on each side.
You have all the control. You determine when the book is published, how it looks, how much the book sells for, and where it is marketed. In other words, you make all the decisions. A side benefit: it's quick and easy to make changes down the road.
You earn more than a traditional royalty and get paid more frequently—once a month for online sales and almost immediately for the stuff you sell out of the trunk of your car. Most traditional publishers, on the other hand, issue royalty checks two times a year.
Your book is automatically "accepted"—no slogging through rejection letters, then getting an agent just to wait around again while the agent shops it to publishers; and there's no holding your breath while publishers fret and stew over a decision.
There's a price to be paid for all that freedom and control. You pay all the costs a traditional publisher usually covers—content editing, line editing, copyediting, typesetting, proofreading, cover design, jacket copy, printing, binding, shipping, distribution, e-book creation, sales, book trailers, videos, and other promotional efforts. Not to mention all the time and legwork that goes into successfully moving through those steps. Unless you're doing print-on-demand, you also pay to store the books or fill your garage with the financial risk of thousands of printed books.
Outside of doing e-book only, you also have to do all the legwork to get your book into brick-and-mortar stores (very difficult to do for many self-published authors who lack established sales records) and to get it online on all the best sites. Increasingly more stores and sites are resistant to books that don't come through an established distributor (which, of course, costs more money).
Self-publishing, as a rule, isn't the cash cow some make it out to be. Most self-published authors sell very few books because they don't understand what goes into successful self-publishing and what increases their sales—and learning that takes a significant amount of time and requires a steep learning curve.
There's a "gatekeeping" process that comes along with traditional publishing. While that may seem like a con, it's a pro from another perspective. Agents and editors don't take your book unless they think they can help make it really successful. That means a pairs of eyes other than yours will go over every word of your manuscript, and someone in the know will help you make it the best it can be before hitting bookstore shelves.
The publisher pays all the costs of production; many publishers also pay for author websites, endorsements, and book trailers/videos.
If you're one of those folks who likes immediate gratification (and who doesn't?), you're not likely to get it with a traditional publisher. It can take a long time to get your book accepted—and once you do, it generally takes six to eighteen months (and often longer) before your book is actually in print.
You give up much of the control over your book. Editors make changes, the cover design is out of your hands, you don't have any say in how much of the publisher's marketing dollars or time are devoted to your book, and you're generally not involved in many of the decisions regarding your book.
The pay is less frequent and lower than with self-publishing: royalty checks are issued twice a year, and generally range from 6 to 20 percent of sales. Some publishers even base the royalty on the wholesale, not retail, price of your book.
Wait! There Are Lots of Other Pros and Cons!
Yes. There are. As a matter of fact, the consultants at Eschler Editing have pages and pages of pros and cons for their clients, not to mention more than an hour of Q&As on what's best for your individual situation. So why don't I list it all here? Obviously, that would turn this blog into a book! But more importantly, context is critical. I could list something like you get to design your own cover as a pro of self-publishing, but that's only a "pro" if you understand the power of a cover as a marketing tool, you know how to make the cover fulfill that purpose, you have a firm grasp of current trends and competition, and you've got professional training in cover design—all of which require years of training and experience. If you lack any of that, designing your own cover could actually be a "con" in your case. A con that turns off your ideal reader and eliminates potential promotion opportunities.
Here's another example: I might list not having to sign a contract as a "pro" of self-publishing. That would be irresponsible without the context: sign a contract, and you generally have a publisher who works diligently to build your name, establish your brand, and give you a platform—because they have a vested interest in making sure you have good sales numbers so stores and distributors will be interested in carrying all your titles to readers. While contracts might be constrictive in some ways (which is why you should always consider them with your literary-contracts lawyer or agent standing by), they can also help you get advances, foreign translations, and ensure that a publisher is interested in looking at your next book. I could go on … but I hope this helps explain the shortness of my lists.
Don't automatically jump to self-publishing because your first attempt at an agent or traditional publisher wasn't successful. Maybe the competition is too intense, readership is down, your writing lacks finesse, the scope of your book is too broad, or you're chasing a trend that's already on its way out. Get plenty of professional feedback on why your book isn't having success before you try to self-publish.
Don't self-publish to impress a traditional publisher. Few will choose to reprint a book that's already been self-published (if it's not a rare and astounding success), especially if your sales have saturated a niche market. And few, if any, will be impressed if your sales numbers are bleak.
Don't self-publish just because you're impatient and want your work out there. This can be among several more thoughtful reasons to put your work out there, but it needs to be coupled with a professionally produced work and some idea of how to successfully market. There is the rare chance a story will just take off without intelligent marketing strategy, but generally that way is paved by a fresh, compelling, well-written story and a lot of luck. Don't let emotions alone drive your choices—and don't count on chance as your marketing plan.
Don't self-publish because you can't handle rejection. If you're insecure, the last thing you need is bad reviews or abysmal sales, both of which are common with self-published authors who haven't had professional training or help.
Time is of the essence. For example, you might have a pressing media situation coming up where getting coverage now will be critical to sales. Or you might have terminal cancer and want to leave a memoir for your family or the world.
This is a one-time shot. You have no intention of a serious career in writing and you don't want to spend the time and energy trying to get an agent or traditional publisher. Publishers will want you to write multiple books because they are investing in your "brand." If you don't want that hassle, self-publishing is for you.
There is a specific demand for your book. Maybe your blog audience is begging for it, or your speaking/coaching (entrepreneurial) career would benefit if you had a book with which to spread your message.
Why do you want to publish? If you want to start a long-term writing career and have the largest sales reach possible, considering a traditional publisher as part of that plan is probably best. If you want to leave a legacy of your thoughts and advice for loved ones, you need to consider your age, health, or time limitations and consider whether you can wait years for the traditional publishing route.
What genre/category does your book fall into? How hard is it to get published in that genre? What are new-author royalties typically like for that genre? What is the size of your buying audience? (If it's a niche market of only several thousand people, a publisher likely won't be interested, but you could still make money there.) In fiction, genre novels and especially romance typically do better in self-publishing scenarios (children's literature and others, not so much). Nonfiction books, especially business and self-help, are more successful self-published books than fiction because it's easier to target a specific market for them.
How much money can you afford to invest in publishing without putting your family at financial risk? A traditional publisher charges you nothing. On the other hand, professional-level self-publishing can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $35,000, depending on the genre and size of your book, how much editorial help it needs, how many copies you want to print, whether you need to hire professionals in publicity, promotion, or to negotiate foreign rights, and so on. The average book for a business platform costs $5,000 to $20,000 to produce and print. And the right promotion help—which can really produce good ROI—will add to that.
What are your highest priorities and concerns? You might want to go for self-publishing if your priorities are your potential up-front financial gain, the ability to make all your own decisions, the adventure of starting your own small business (which is what self-publishing really is if you do it right), or the sheer delight in learning a craft. You might want to stick with (or plan to include) traditional publishing if your concerns include your personal time, a primary focus on just the writing, avoiding financial risk, the quality of work you present to the world, and your long-term career potential.
Experiment with a pen name in self-publishing so you don't ruin your potential long-term traditional career if sales don't go well.
Self-publish in formats not generally produced in print by traditional publishers—novellas, short stories, contributions to anthologies, or installments—while building your traditional career with books that are selling to publishers.
Take a Plan A/Plan B approach. Write a good book, shop it around to agents/publishers while you write the next, then repeat, and repeat again. If you don't get satisfying results on the traditional path and you know your books are compelling and professionally competitive, then give up on the waiting game and self-publish—knowing that you have more than one offering ready if you develop a fan base. Think synergistically and strategically when planning your career goals, from the production of your works to the marketing.
Self-publish past or hard-to-sell works. If you have/had a traditional career with a few out-of-print books (your backlist) on the shelf, consider buying back your rights and re-releasing them as e-books with new covers or self-publish a couple of your good but hard-to-sell books.
Decide whether you want writing to be a serious, long-term career or whether you're looking at it as a hobby or one-time thing.
Do your research! Find out how much money, time, and effort are required for traditional publishing versus self-publishing in your genre. What's the potential return on investment (of your time or money)? Look at the factors that are the same across the board (such as good-quality writing) and the ones that are different (such as the amount of promotion you have to do yourself). In essence, build your own personal pro-and-con list. Talk through these details with someone who knows the industry or has experience doing what you're considering.
Decide what your goals are. Prioritize them. Winnow them down from the top 10 to the top 5 to the top 3. Force yourself to be realistic about what's most important to you long-term and right now, and assess what resources (in time or money) you have available to pursue different routes.
Compare your in-depth research to your goals. If you've done your research and clearly defined your goals, you should be able to choose the best option for you and then map out a plan with a realistic time frame for each step. Whichever route you go, it all begins with that first step!
If this article has you scribbling notes related to your goals, contact us today for a free strategy consult; we can help you outline the plan most geared toward your genre, platform, and long-term success.
Start your strategy consult today.
If you're not quite ready, click here to see how we can help with fiction. And go here to discover what we offer nonfiction authors.
And now we want to hear from you, dear reader. Have you tried self-publishing? Let us know about your experience—what you loved as well as what you hope never to repeat! Or, what have you found to be the most critical factors for success with either venue? Speak up below.
And if this post was helpful, please share it!
Kate Willoughby has worked in the traditional publishing industry for forty years and has also served as an editor and consultant for clients who have successfully gone the self-publishing route.
Angela Eschler is the founder of Eschler Editing and has worked in publishing for fourteen years, both in house and as a freelance editor for several publishers, as well as with individual authors (both traditionally published and self-published) and businesses and academic organizations.
I'm of the opinion that unless one of the 'big 5' publishing houses picks you up, traditional publishing really isn't that much better than self publishing. I'm working with an author who has dealt with two "traditional publishers" (one in the past and one currently) that have done nothing for him. He still has to do a lot out of pocket, and the supposed marketing from these publishers is really pathetic. So while there is more cost involved in becoming an indie author, i'm personally of the opinion that most authors will have a better shot that way, especially with the rise of the ebook.
That said, I agree with the article 100% that it ultimately comes down to quality writing an professional cover design. You have to start with a good book. If it's poorly written and/or poorly edited, the chances of success rapidly decline. With regards to cover design, generally speaking, it's best to let a professional do it. Remember, first impressions and all!
Self publishing is definitely a lot of work, but the alternative is to sign on with one of the big publishing houses, and even then, I've read about bigger name authors that have opted to go it on their own. So ultimately, as the article points out, it has to be up to you and what your goals are.
I have lots of thoughts on these things: I started working with Angela when she was an editor at a small, niche press and I put out three books with them. Now I have moved on to HarperCollins where I have released three books, and have contracts for two more. I also have my MBA in marketing, so I know a lot about which I speak.
I have one series that has been on submission for nearly a year, because it's admittedly weird. People have urged me to self publish it and the reason I don't can be summed up in one anecdote: I was at LTUE last year, speaking on a panel about marketing (with Jess Smiley and Michaelbrent Collings, both notable self pub guys.) Someone asked the question of how much time you spend marketing, and both Jess and Michaelbrent put the number at somewhere between forty to sixty percent of their time. And me, published with Harper Collins could say that if you include screwing around on Twitter, and attending conventions, I maybe spend 10-15% of my time marketing. I didn't get into publishing because I wanted another marketing day job. I got into publishing because I had stories I wanted to tell. William Morris put it best: don't think of it as self publishing; think of it as starting a micropublisher–a small business. If you want to start a business, then go for it (although you'll find much more lucrative, less risky businesses out there). But if you care about writing above all else, then go traditional.
I appreciate that this post gets to two of the major points that frequently go unmentioned in this debate; namely, that your product and audience are crucially related to the decision of which publishing track to use. If you are writing MG speculative fiction, like myself, then you have to ask yourself, "how do books like mine get to my audience?" My audience are kids and young teens. How do these kids get books? As a junior high English and reading teacher, I can tell that it is primarily parents, librarians, and teachers who are putting books in the hands of this demographic. And I can't emphasize enough that the we are literally placing a hard copy in front of them, not a digital copy. Yes, some of my kids have digital reading devices, but they are still almost entirely reading traditionally published books that their parent has purchased and is all the buzz among teachers, librarians, and classmates. I talk to my kids about books a lot and I have yet to hear a book mentioned that wasn't traditionally published. Consider for a minute their other entertainment tastes in things like film and music. What percentage of kids and young teens consume media from indie-produced sources? They primarily spend their allowances or their parents' money on Hollywood blockbusters and top 40 music. (I can't tell you how many times I've heard kids singing the new Disney song "Let it go" in my classroom in the last few months.) For my genre, the best path to get to my audience is the traditional route. This is among the reasons why I sought after and feel extremely fortunate to have an agent. In addition, I also agree with Rob: I want to write, not take on a part-time job marketing my books. I have a lot of other things I'd like to do with my time.
I definitely agree that you shouldn't self-publish unless you are approaching it from a business angle. You will be taking all the risk and doing all of the work, and that includes making sure your product is marketable and competitive, much like a traditional publisher would make that assessment. I have 2 traditional publishers and I also self-publish. But I still have about 3 books that I'm shopping around for publishing opportunities, some of these I've been doing for 3-4 years. Maybe the time will be right to self-publish them, but I want to seek out other opportunities first. Some of my projects, I start them out knowing I'm going to self-publish them. Others, I write specifically for the traditional route.
Great post! You hit all the major points in a clear and thoughtful way. What I love about publishing right now is that there *are* so many options. Just like no two books are alike, no two paths to publication are alike either. And one isn't necessarily better than the other–you really have to find the path that works best for you. Ask yourself, "What needs to happen for me to feel like my book is a success?" If the answer to that is "It needs to hit the NYT bestseller list," then taking the path of publishing with the Big 5 is a good option. If the answer is "I want to share my story with my close friends and family," then perhaps self-publishing is the way to go.
Thanks for the insights and clarity.
Great article! Rob hit the nail on the head when he said that you're not just self-publishing a book, you're starting a small business. Like many authors, I have a few manuscripts sitting on my hard drive that haven't found a publisher. Yet I don't have a burning desire to get them out there by self-publishing. It's not that I'm lazy or that I think I couldn't learn everything I'd need to know, it's just that I am very pressed for time. I don't want to spend what little time I have marketing. I want to do what I love and know I can do well if I work hard enough, and that's create characters and stories.
This post has lots of great tips — I especially loved the one about adding deep breaths to your list! That was great.
I have done, and hope to do again, traditional publishing. There are many pros to traditional publishing. Basically the author doesn't have to worry about anything but writing–which is the fun part. With self-publishing, the author has to work on EVERYTHING related to publishing, and sometimes that can take time from the craft of writing and the enjoyment of writing.
But I have self-published one title, and plan to do another one this year, because the types of novels I'm writing are "soft" in the traditional market right now. At the same time, I have an agent and I'm writing novels that are commercial enough to sell in the traditional market.
Authors need to write what they love to write, and be willing and brave enough to explore all publishing options if one of them isn't working for the novels they produce.
It's my opinion that to self publish an author has to be a real presence on the web, which takes a dedicated interest and a large amount of time. I'd rather be writing.
As a new author, I found Eschler Editing's help invaluable!! I choose to self publish because of the points mentioned and I wanted to retain control of the message and story. A self-published author needs to be comfortable with asking for the sale. And I am. I thought this was a great read outlining the pros and cons with both formats of publishing.
Thank you for a balanced look at publishing. As an aspiring author, I'm still weighing my options, but I love that this doesn't valorize or demonize either route.
@Leta: For what it's worth, I've now gone through the editing process for four traditionally published books, and I have never been asked to change the message of the story. I've been asked to add a scene here and cut a scene there, but I think the fear that a New York publisher will take control of your book is a big myth. They obviously bought it because they liked it.
I think for a lot of non-fiction authors (Leta's book), the control concern has even more to do with pricing control and sales/marketing control than it does the content of the book. If you can't control the price of the book, where and how you can sell it, where and how you can use the cover image and content, it could impede your business career–especially if your book is for the speaker/coach platform. Many nonfiction authors don't intend to be writers, but just want a book or two out there for marketing reasons and another revenue stream. Of course, your option there with a traditional route would be to have a really good agent negotiate all that with a publisher (your ability to sell to certain markets/venues at certain pricing, but you'd probably have to know what you wanted up front), so, depending on your platform, having the publisher backing you could grow that platform faster. But I think there's a reasonable concern there for those that don't want to be writers but need platform support through a book. And publishers generally don't want you to be a one-hit-wonder author. They're trying to build your brand. So that's something to consider for a mutually fulfilling relationship.


text:
Stefano Colferai's addiction to plasticine conjures up a whole world of playful characters
Armed with "irony and plasticine", Stefano Colferai has a raw talent for bringing charming, whimsical and playful characters to life.
Using a colourful palette of plasticine, he cuts and sculpts his 3D artworks from his studio in Milan, where he lives and works, to create illustrations and stop-motion loops that reflect the things he's interested in: everything from '90s hip-hop and trainers to food from all over the world.
It wasn't always his medium of choice, however. Clay was his preferred material in the early days, as well as a little 2D digital art. But then he discovered the creative possibilities of plasticine: available in every colour imaginable and something that allowed him to "never get bored".
"You can play a lot with forms: stretching, mixing colours, twisting and making flat figures," he tells We Heart, "I find it hard to switch off my ideas, and modelling with my own hands catapults me into a dimension where I can become a child again. It's a kind of magical experience, and that's what I love most about it."
After pursuing a football career and "failing", the Milan-based artist decided to hang up his boots and embrace a more creative profession. Today, after getting attention from many wonderful self-initiated projects, he works for the likes of Nike, The New York Times and Swatch.
It's his loop gifs that make us smile the most. A dog chasing its tail. A poor man seemingly stuck in the sea, being circled by a shark. Even a lady setting light to her farts. Discover more at stefanocolferai.com.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This is a magnificent condominium complex situated near the white sand beach of San Miguel. San Miguel is located on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, between Playa Samara and Montezuma / Mal Pais what makes this a great Real Estate investment.
This area still maintains the unspoiled nature of Costa Rica. This residential provides first class ocean view apartments just 5 blocks from the beach, all carefully build by one of our best constructors in Costa Rica.


Nick Yoho of Parkersburg South High School.
Denise Young of Waterford High School.
Erin Bogard of Warren High School.
This week's honoree is Shay Lee Kirby from Parkersburg High School.
Abby Linton of Belpre High School.
Jenna Pridemore of Williamstown High School.
Louden Haga of Parkersburg South.
David Snider of Parkersburg High School.
Tommy Azinger of Wood County Christian High School.


text:
const router = require('express').Router()
const userService = require('./../services/userService')
const {handleError} = require('./errorHandler')
const {checkPermissions, roles} = require('./../services/accessControl')

router.get('/', checkPermissions([roles.user]), loggedUsername)

function loggedUsername (req, res) {
  userService
    .findById(req.user["_id"])
    .then((user) => res.json({
      email: user.email,
      roles: user.roles
    }))
    .catch((err) => handleError(res, err, 'Getting username'))
}

module.exports = router

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Springfield-based PacificSource Health Plans and Portland-based Legacy Health have signed a Letter of Intent to form a new organization that would bring their complementary capabilities together. The goal of this relationship is to improve health care quality, value and access to the communities served by these organizations.
Under this new partnership, PacificSource and Legacy will have an integrated approach that improves the quality of care to members and patients, as well as improving population health, access to care and making care more affordable. It will also create a strong, community-based, not-for-profit, regional health plan that will result in new products and options for healthcare consumers.
As a part of the agreement, PacificSource will create a new non-profit organization that will have a 50 percent member interest in the current health insurance company. Legacy Health will purchase the remaining 50 percent member interest. The organization will have a Board of Directors made up of an equal combination PacificSource and Legacy board members, as well as three independent members from the community.
Appointees from PacificSource for the new board will include at least two actively licensed physicians and at least three community members. Legacy's board appointees will include at least two actively licensed physicians and no more than two Legacy employees. One of the independent board members will be an actively licensed physician and two will be community members.
The partnership will not have any impact on the current relationships the two organizations already have with other providers and insurance companies. Legacy is committed to working with its current payers and PacificSource is committed to working with its current providers.
Legacy Health will make an initial investment in the partnership, with additional investments over the next five years. The two organizations will continue working on the details of their partnership and expect to have their agreement finalized sometime next year.
The partnership will give PacificSource a provider partner to support health plan growth and access, while providing Legacy with a health plan partner to facilitate health care transformation throughout the region. The complementary strengths of both organizations will come together to create a new company that will be better able to meet the needs of patients and members now and into the future.
Legacy Health is Oregon's only locally-owned nonprofit healthcare organization with over 10,000 employees. Legacy includes Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel, Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center, Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center, Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, Legacy Laboratory Services, and Legacy Research Institute. Legacy also includes over 100 Legacy Medical Group primary care and specialty care clinics.
PacificSource Health Plans is an independent, not-for-profit community health plan serving the Northwest. Founded in 1933, PacificSource is based in Eugene with local offices throughout Oregon, and in Idaho and Montana. The PacificSource family of companies employs 700 people, serves more than 280,000 individuals, and has 3,900 employer clients throughout the Northwest. PacificSource Community Health Plans is a subsidiary of PacificSource Health Plans and markets Medicare Advantage products under the name PacificSource Medicare. PacificSource Community Solutions is a subsidiary of PacificSource Health Plans and provides Medicaid coverage in Oregon through the Oregon Health Plan. For more information visit PacificSource.com.


At long last, this collaboration between American and Zimbabwean musicians comes to fruition! What emerges is a vibrant fusion of traditional and contemporary beats of Zimbabwe, from highly danceable Sungura music to deeply spiritual mbira-inspired tunes.
Ruzivo, derived from the Shona word meaning 'wisdom,' formed in 2004 and has grown over the years under the direction of Paul Mataruse, master marimba player from Zimbabwe. Ruzivo plays a mix of Zimbabwean traditional music and compositions from Mataruse and other band members inspired by the AfroPop sounds from Mataruse's native country. The band features four marimbas (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone), electric bass guitar, mbira, and drum kit. What emerges is an infectious sound that always gets the audiences dancing and singing along.
Our lyrics are part social commentary, part celebration and fully steeped in the traditional Shona repertoire of Zimbabwe. Some songs are direct adaptations of the 1,000 year-old mbira music, while some are more contemporary compositions emergent from the mixing of cultures as the Bantu peoples migrated from Central Africa into modern day Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia and Botswana.
Ruzivo has performed across the US, Canada and Zimbabwe. The band is experienced in teaching workshops in group settings as well as more individual instrument-specific settings. Workshops include live performances at school assemblies, accompanied by a brief history of Zimbabwean music, social and political situations. In addition, small, classroom based 'mini-Ruzivo' sessions with part of the band are also available.
I would love to say thank you for this music and it's cultural significance. Such awesome musican and musical concept of a music evolving into a magnificant sound and enjoyment. You are to be congradulated on your very successful recording of "The Great Zimbabwe" "The Great House of Stone" One of Afrikas greatest Educational and Instititutional not to mention Historical places in Afrika and the world.
Mi se medase O (thank you) for such a great Job.


text:
Zoya Spasovkhodskaya (born March 31, 1949) is a former heptathlete from the Soviet Union, who was born as Zoya Baykalova. A winner of the bronze medal at the 1974 European Championships, she set the first world best year performance in 1980, gaining a total number of 6049 points on July 13, 1980 at a meet in Pyatigorsk.

References
All-Time List

1949 births
Living people
Russian heptathletes
Soviet heptathletes
Place of birth missing (living people)
European Athletics Championships medalists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Wedding Gifts to Solapur Country Oven Offers Best Wedding Gift Packing Ideas to Solapur for your Wonderful Weddings. Check out our wedding gift ideas in Solapur and choose your best favorite Wedding Gift in Solapur without thoughtful gifts. Send Wedding gifts Online to Solapur with Perfect Gift.


text:
package com.github.ykrank.androidtools.util;

import android.app.Application;
import android.app.Dialog;
import android.content.DialogInterface;

import androidx.annotation.NonNull;
import androidx.appcompat.app.AlertDialog;

public class LeaksUtil {

    public static void install(Application application) {

    }

    /**
     * Dialog memory leaks because of Message bug
     * Must call in onDestroy() in DialogFragment because DismissListener call in onDestroyView()
     *
     * @param dialog
     */
    public static void clearDialogLeaks(@NonNull Dialog dialog) {
        dialog.setOnCancelListener(null);
        dialog.setOnDismissListener(null);
        dialog.setOnShowListener(null);
        if (dialog instanceof AlertDialog) {
            AlertDialog alertDialog = (AlertDialog) dialog;
            alertDialog.setButton(DialogInterface.BUTTON_POSITIVE, null, null, null);
            alertDialog.setButton(DialogInterface.BUTTON_NEGATIVE, null, null, null);
            alertDialog.setButton(DialogInterface.BUTTON_NEUTRAL, null, null, null);
        }
    }
}


One man is due to appear in court tomorrow in relation to the drugs seizure.
Missing 14-year-old from Dublin found safe and well.
Jamie Walsh had been missing since last Friday.
Keith Mooney has 26 previous convictions including burglary, assault, criminal damage and public order.
The car was driven by a second woman, also in her 80s, who suffered minor injuries as a result.
Burke had gone missing from his Rathfarnham care home on 15 November 2017.
And a history of being extremely grand.
Brendan has been missing since 15 November.
Brendan Burke was last seen in the Rathmines area of Dublin.
Brendan Burke has been missing from Rathfarnham in south Dublin for a fortnight.
A male cyclist died in Dublin and a woman in her 90s died in Roscommon.
A garda investigation has been launched.
Kieran Green is charged with murdering Patricia O'Connor.
Two assaults on women took place in the Knocklyon area in late June.
Pádraic Carney was involved in an accident in Rathfarnham yesterday morning.
The remains of Patricia O'Connor, who was aged in her 50s, were found at a number of locations.
A social media campaign has being growing in momentum about Cairns' disappearance.
We're getting close to Halloween, and it's all been kicking off tonight.
Woman describes how she went straight to gardaí when she received information from one of Eamon Cooke's victims.
Gardaí believe they may know who killed the 13-year-old schoolboy in 1986.
The 13-year-old schoolboy went missing in Dublin over 30 years ago.
Antonesa Hasani (17) had been missing since the afternoon of 15 May in Rathfarnham in Dublin.
Two men and a teenage boy were set upon by a gang of men and told to "go back to your own country" last week.
Gerard Martin Fulham claimed he was defamed at a community association meeting.
There are no reports of any injuries at this stage but a garda spokesperson said the situation is ongoing.
The incident happened outside the Rathfarnham Shopping Centre late last year.
The woman had claimed she was improperly trained.
A number of houses were evacuated as a bomb disposal team responded.
Gardaí say the theft is under investigation but no arrests have yet been made.
The teen was last seen in Rathfarnham on 26 June.
All members of the Culligan family spoke about the heartbreak of losing their son, brother, best friend and boyfriend.
The car being chased with a Mitubishi and contained four individuals under the age of 18.
Gardaí said they had serious concerns for the welfare of the child.
A small amount of property was stolen.
Josie Cawley has not been seen since 22 December.
Esther Bussy has been missing from Rathfarnham since 22 September.
The incident occurred shortly before 7pm last night on the Old Court Road.


text:
and another week's gone
it's thursday….
Archive for category angels
Beware falling debris
Posted by tonypcollins in 3. Religion, angels, astronomy, The Bible on February 18, 2016
What goes around comes around. So if, as my recently read historian/ author Graham Hancock so convincingly proposed, fragments of a big comet hit earth about 12,800 years ago causing the great Biblical flood, we should be wondering whether there are a few decent-sized remnants of the debris stream still doing the circuit of the solar system and, if so, will they be back?
As already outlined in last week's blog, Hancock's theory is that pre-deluge there was a highly intelligent civilisation living on the planet quite separate from the majority of Homo sapiens who were still hunter-gatherer nomads. It was only post-deluge that archeologists see the emergence of farming and domestication of animals and people. And why would there not be an advanced civilisation 13,000+ years ago? Homo sapiens had been around for around 190,000 years at that time; an advanced intelligence could quite conceivably have emerged. And if we look at the Biblical verses in Genesis 6 immediately preceding the story of Noah and the flood, we read the story that "The Sons of God took the daughters of man for their wives and had children by them. These children were the great men of ancient times. At this time the Nephilim (cast down/ giants) were on the earth." We also note in the Book of Job, that the "Sons of God" were clarified as angels who made up God's Council, and indeed, also according to the Book of Job, Satan was one of these "Sons of God". Genesis also tells us that it was Satan who tempted Eve, a daughter of man, with the gift of intelligence (his 'fruit' from the tree of knowledge). So far from being a wacky conspiracy, Hancock's theory actually has the backing of the Bible in addition to his own archeological and astronomical research.
Gobekli Tepe, Turkey
So let's think about that. A civilisation existed 13,000 years and more ago that was at least as advanced as we are today. According to Hancock's research there was a huge comet impact around 12,800 years ago that caused massive global flooding and plunged the earth back into an ice age, from which it had been recovering, for another 1,000 years. Post-deluge signs of the emergence of 'civilisation' often focus on the megaliths, the pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge in England etc. These have been carbon-dated and aligned with Egyptian records to date them as approximately 4,000 years old. Carbon-dating however is based on dating organic matter, it cannot actually date stone itself. Hancock's analysis of Egyptian history concludes that the Pharaohs to whom the pyramids were credited, were in fact quite probably just repairing or extending older constructions. His study was inspired by the discovery of a huge megalithic monument site, Gobekli Tepe in southern Turkey. This massive construction was, for some reason, back-filled with rocks soon after it was completed and so enables the archeologists to precisely date its original construction to 12,600 years ago which is a couple of hundred years after the impact of the comet. The first discoveries of the agricultural revolution on the planet also come from this archeological site.
The Israelite Bible talks about Noah and his ark taking plants and seeds to Canaan, near Lebanon to repopulate the world. Subsequently, Moses' Israelite army, under the instructions of Yahweh, God, slaughtered the Canaanites who included the 'giants' who were descendants of Ham, son of Noah to claim Canaan for themselves as their promised land. Sumerian clay tablets dating back to as far as 5,000 years ago are the oldest written documents discovered. They pre-date the Bible by over 1,000 years. They also have a tale of the Flood, although their hero of the flood is named Ziusudra not Noah. The cause of the flood in Sumerian texts was not so much the 'evil' of mankind but rather that they were simply too noisy, bothersome and populous for the gods to tolerate any longer. Just too many of us starting to make a bloody nuisance of ourselves. I do get that. Many is the time that I have been surrounded by a crowd of noisy and bothersome people and wished I could just create a flood and flush them all away. In these Sumerian clay tablets is also reference, post-deluge, to the seven sages, the magicians of the Gods, travelling and sailing to different parts of the globe on a mission to re-civilise the world. Egypt was first port of call for the civilising process, Turkey and Babylon not far after. China was also an early starter in the modern civilisation process followed by Japan. South Americans have similar tales about Gods arriving after the flood and teaching them metal-craft, gold-smithing and the engineering skills to build intricately designed irrigation schemes on the sides of mountains and precision pyramids with accurate astronomical references.
Hancock's research led him to the Zoroastrian texts referring to Vara, underground multi storey shelters recorded as having been built to preserve the seeds of the best of homo sapiens, plants and animals, awaiting the post-deluge 'long winter' to pass. Hancock did then visit the Cappadicia region of Turkey where a large number of these multi-level underground constructions have been discovered, as detailed in my previous blog. His conclusion is that an ancient, highly sophisticated civilisation, at least as technologically advanced as we are today, predicted the arrival of the comet and preserved the seeds of man, plants and animals in these underground laboratory-shelters. Then, when the dust settled and the planet was ready for replanting, a handful of the survivors took 'civilisation' including a genetically intelligent species of human, the best plants and animals to distant parts of earth, teaching their technology to the surviving more primitive hunter gatherers, introducing domesticated farming, pottery, metal-smelting, urban development, legal and commercial systems, art and languages. Ten thousand years later, here we are.
Images of proposed Mars base
If intelligent man (homo sapiens) was recovering lost knowledge it was very gradual in the first few thousand years, to be expected I guess. So often our primitive neanderthal and earlier primate genes got in the way. It took 10,000 years to get to the Industrial Revolution but since then our intelligence growth has been exponential, matched by our population growth. In our own lifetime the computer age has provided us with outcomes for our species well beyond the capabilities of our own brains. Today we are even landing crafts on far distant Mars
and planning a human settlement there. You may recall my earlier blog on our mission to Mars. The reason why our global leaders would commit billions to developing a Mars life-support system when we have so many more immediate needs for that funding here on earth is a mystery at this point. Unless, as Hancock speculates, the remnants of that comet may actually be quite close to returning. His reasoning was complex and, to be frank, I turned off. It may well be possible. If there are those influential astrophysicists who have reason to agree with Hancock, then a life support module on Mars could be our generation's version of the underground life support complexes found in Turkey where the seeds of man, plants and animals were preserved awaiting the effects of the comet strike to dissipate. If we had been around 12,800 years ago would we have wanted to survive? Freezing, starving, or being one of the lucky ones living underground for a few hundred years to preserve the species. Never seeing the sun through the dense dust in the atmosphere. If it happened again tomorrow, would we want to be a survivor on earth or even living in a bubble on Mars protecting specimens that someone in a few hundred years might take back to planet earth if / when it recovers?
While I am awfully grateful that the sons of the sons of God did survive in the underground Turkish cities for however long it took and then undertook their re-civilisation mission on earth for however long that took, this time around I am very aware that I have either neither the critical intellect nor the billions of dollars to score a seat on the last rocket out of here to Mars. So I think I will sit quietly pour a brandy and toast those wonderful sages who went to so much effort to ensure that I would be able to do so. For I would not want the gods to think me too noisy and bothersome to deal with and I shall set up a 'lets not make any noise and maybe the comet won't come' movement. Surviving on earth for however many minutes, days, months or years in such post-apocalyptic conditions seems a very dreary prospect.
of angels and devils and mortal men
Posted by tonypcollins in 3. Religion, angels, The Bible on March 5, 2015
Who's that knock, knock, knocking on my door this time?
I open to a smiling young man with his equally smiling young wife and delightful child. Armed only with their Bible they want to know if there is anything they can do to help me share in their joy of life gained through their understanding the good news in the Bible. Actually I quite like these particular young people. "Bible bashers" get a bad rap as a general observation, but I applaud that this young family has dedicated precious time to try to bring good news even to the many closed-minded, self-opinionated people like me who answer door bells (or more often don't bother).
And I am also very open to understanding the Bible which, at the very least, is a very important set of texts on the history of the Hebrew nation that has played a significant role in the civilisation that has emerged some 4,000 years after the birth of Abraham.
Like most, I have been exposed to the Bible during the younger schooling years of my life and I found parts to be a balance between scarcely believable and quite intellectually challenging. Intellectual challenge is of course the consequence of the original transgression against divine law when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge. So when this pleasant young man offered his services in interpreting the Bible, I thought it was a great opportunity. I asked him if he could explain Genesis 6 to me?
His eyes brightened with joy at the challenge and, being unable to recall Genesis 6 off the top of his head, he thumbed vigorously through his Bible to the appropriate page and began speed reading to refresh his memory. To help I said, "it refers to the sons of God taking as many of the daughters of man as they wished for their wives and having children by them; and these children being the heroes of ancient times." His now frozen smile agreed that this was what it said and he paused quite a while to compose his thoughts.
To focus on exactly what my question was, I asked; "so exactly who were these sons of God"? As he scanned the chapter he quickly, albeit a little hesitantly referred me to the line regarding "nephilim who were on the earth at that time" and he also suggested that angels might be involved. I said that I understood the Hebrew translation of nephilim to mean 'the cast-down ones'. There is also an interpretation that the term was associated with giants. And the cast down ones referred to the angels defeated by Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and the other archangels who fought on the side of Yahweh.
So, is identifying the nephilim, the cast down ones and/ or the giants and/ or angels, the key to understanding Genesis 6? At this point the young chap decided he needed to go back to his Church elder and seek advice so that he did not mislead me. I said I would look forward to hearing from him again. I do not even know which Church he represented. I can understand his dilemma; if they were angels, immortal servants of God, either fallen or not, then their interbreeding with hominids and creating a hybrid species was something of a religious challenge.
That was quite a while back. The missionary has not returned. I still did not quite know what Genesis 6 means but, being fairly early on in the first book of the Bible, I cannot have been the first person to have sought clarification on these sons of God, the nephilim and what role they and their heroic offspring played in the creation of modern man. It was not as if it was an obscure notation in the midst of the Bible. This is Genesis. So I thought I would search available texts to see what I could find out.
ancient bronze angel
Starting with the Bible itself, Genesis makes first mention of Satan, the devil, responsible for giving the fruit of intelligence to Adam and Eve, which meant, as Yahweh, God stated "the man has become like one of us with his knowledge of good and evil" Gen. 3:22. Yahweh then interceded to prevent further development of man before he also gained immortality. Gen 4: 22 : he must not be allowed to eat from the tree of life and live forever.
The term ' Sons of God' is clarified in the Bible's Book of Job. In fact Satan was specifically referred to as a 'Son of God'. Job: 1: 6-12. "One the sons of God (explained in a footnote as the angels who make up God's Council) came to attend on Yahweh and among them was Satan. So Yahweh said to Satan, 'where have you been?' 'Round the world' he answered, 'roaming about'. So Yahweh asked hin 'Did you notice my servant Job?' It is clear from this that Satan interacted with humans and was on speaking terms with Yahweh as one of his Council advisors, and this was after the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
The book of Revelation, written by John the beloved, a very close disciple of Jesus, wrote of a conflict within the population of angels and that Satan and his angels rebelled against God and the seven archangels, named in the Book of Enoch as: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Remiel, Reguel and Zadkiel. Rev. 12: 7-10 "And now war broke out in heaven when Michael and his angels attacked the dragon. The dragon fought back with his angels but they were defeated and driven out of heaven. The great dragon, the primeval serpent, known as the devil or Satan, who had deceived the world, was hurled down to the earth and his angels were hurled down with him."
If the nephilim were indeed the cast down ones, and Satan was once an angel within Yahweh's council, then we may very well interpret from the Hebrews' texts that it was Satan and his angels who married human women and sired heroic children by them. Perhaps this explains the need for the great flood? But that is another story for another time.
But the Bible is in its essence the Hebrews' text of their ancient history and passed-down knowledge of Creation there were other nations in these times and earlier who have their own historical texts and Creation legends so perhaps I should seek other ancient historical texts for further clarification.
I do not have to look far to start getting other accounts of the battle between the Gods.
The accepted authoritative texts upon which modern Bible is based date back to the reigns of King David and his son Solomon, the ninth century BC, (although some Biblical scholars believe parts were not written until several centuries later during the period of Babylonian exile for the Israelites, 600-400 BC.) and Revelation was written by John after the death of Jesus. The lessons in first five books of the Bible, the Torah, may well have been given to Moses by Yahweh around 1400 BC during the 40 years in the desert, however the recorded texts themselves can only be traced back to the 9th century BC,
At this same time, 900 BC the Iliad and the Odyssey were being written in Greece, similar to the Hebrew texts they recounted tales of ancient Greece, creation of man and the war of the gods. The Greeks are an old and respected civilisation particularly from an intellectual, political and philosophical viewpoint and these books of the Iliad and the Odyssey therefore deserve a level of respect.
The Greek epic told of three groups of gods: the primordial gods were Gaia (earth) and Uranus (heaven).
The second group of gods were called the Titans, referred to as giants, and the first generation of Titans consisted of the twelve children of the primordial gods.
The third group of gods, the younger gods which included many of the children of the Titans gods were called the Olympians. Among the Olympians there was a hierarchy of twelve senior Olympians and a number of minor deities. The leader of the Olympians, Zeus, was a son of the Titan ruler, Cronus.
There was, according to the Greek texts, a war between the Titans and Olympians; the Biblical battle between Satan and Yahweh is paralleled in Greek mythology as the battle between Zeus and Cronus. In the Greek epic, the battle was won by the Olympians who then ruled the earth and created men. It was the Titans (the giants) who lost this battle.
As for the creation of men, the Greek account is that Prometheus and Epimetheus, even though they were members of the defeated Titans, were given the task of creating man. Prometheus shaped man out of clay, and Athena breathed life into his clay figure. This account resonates with the first book of the Bible, Genesis 2:7," Yahweh God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life".
Prometheus is associated with 'intelligence' and was a protector and benefactor of humans he created. Prometheus decided to make man stand upright just like the gods did and to give them fire. As in Genesis, God created man in his own image. He may be paralleled with Satan who enabled Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge and become like Gods. Prometheus fell out of favour with Zeus because he gave favours to man at the expense of Zeus.
As for sons of Gods breeding with daughters of men, Greek history does not treat this as unusual, but rather as a very normal practice; demigods were quite common throughout the population and long lists were handed down in history. Achilles certainly fits the description of a demigod, his mother a nymph goddess and father a mortal king, and he most certainly was one of Greece's great heroes of in the Trojan war.
But there has been an even earlier accounts of the battle of the gods and creation of man in ancient Babylonian texts.
A large number of clay tablets have been discovered in what was ancient Mesopotamia and were subsequently translated. Mesopotamia is the land where Abraham was born and lived most of his life before migrating to Canaan.
Atra-Hasis (exceptionally wise) is a character of an Akkadian epic that is recorded in various versions on clay tablets. The Atra-Hasis tablets include both an account of the creation of mankind and of the great deluge. This is one of three known Babylonian stories of the great deluge. Atra-Hasis also appears on one of the Sumerian kings lists as king of Shurrupak in the times before a flood. The oldest known copy of the epic tradition concerning Atra Hasis can be dated to the reign of Ammi Saduka (1646–1626 BCE), 200 years before Moses, during the time that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt.
These texts greatly increased knowledge of the epic and were the basis for Lambert and Millard's first English translation of the Atra Hasis epic in something approaching entirety. A further fragment has been recovered in Ugarit. In its most complete surviving version, the Atra Hasis epic is written on three tablets in Akkadian, the language of ancient Babylon.
Tablet I contains a creation myth about the Sumerian gods Anu, Enlil, and Enki, gods of sky, wind, and water, when gods were in the ways of men. Following a casting of lots, sky is ruled by Anu, earth by Enlil, and the freshwater sea by Enki. (This account from Atra-Hasis has a corresponding passage in the Greek poem the Iliad, i.e. the division by lots of the air, underworld and sea among the Gods Zeus, Hades and Poseidon.) Enlil then assigned junior divinities to do farm labor and maintain the rivers and canals,
In this ancient set of tablets, the authors also write of a war between two groups of the gods, the lesser gods against the greater gods. But they give the reason for the war; it was that the lesser gods were required to do all the manual labour on earth and they simply rebelled after forty years.
When the gods were man
they did forced labor, they bore drudgery.
Great indeed was the drudgery of the gods,
the forced labor was heavy, the misery too much:
The seven great Anunna-gods were burdening
the Igigi-gods with forced labor.
The Igigi-gods were digging watercourses
canals they opened, the life of the land.
The Igigi-gods dug the Tigris river
and the Euphrates thereafter.
Springs they opened from the depths,
wells … they established."
Intriguingly the area between the Tigris and Euphrates is where Biblical scholars are convinced that Genesis' garden of Eden was located. And the 7 greater Gods aligns in number with the Bibles reference to seven Archangels.
But after 40 years of hard labour, these lesser gods simply rebelled as described in this tablet:
"Everyone of us gods has declared war;
…We have set … the excavation,
Excessive drudgery has killed us,
our forced labor was heavy, the misery too much!
Now, every one of us gods
has resolved on a reckoning with Enlil."
Sumerian pottery cylinders provide the earliest depiction, 5000 years old, of 'flying beings' commonly referred to as angels.
The outcome of the rebellion in the Akkadian texts was that the seven senior gods agreed to create an intelligent species and humans to take over the manual farm labour (in the Garden of Eden?) from the lesser gods.
In the Greek epic, Zeus' anger against Prometheus for giving man the knowledge of fire caused him to unleash evils on mankind through Pandora's box.
In Genesis, Yahweh's anger against Satan for persuading Eve and Adam to eat from the tree of knowledge (gain intelligence) resulted in mankind being banished from the garden of Eden to suffer the harshness of the wilderness.
Were the angels simply the winners of the war between the Gods and the devils the losers? Is it good and evil that really divides them or just winners and losers of some internal disagreement? In the human conflicts we tend to say one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist; the victor writes the history.
Do these all texts describe how the evolutionary leap from the Hominid ape-man to Homo Sapiens (intelligent man) came about? So now I have referred to the modern study of archeology and the mapping of the development of modern man through analysing skeletal remains.
The brain of the earliest hominid species was about the same size as that of a chimpanzee, although it is speculated that this was the time in which the human SRGAP2 gene doubled, producing a more rapid wiring of the frontal cortex. During the next few hundred thousand years the Homo erectus species (upright walking) became evident with earliest findings dating between 1.5 and 1.9 million years ago. This species began migrating from central Africa through northern Africa into Asia and Europe. The brain of the Homo erectus had doubled from the chimpanzee size to now being 850 cubic centimetres. Archeologists believe that Homo erectus was the first species to use fire and complex tools. The last recorded fossil of Homo erectus is dated about 140,000 years ago. The emergence of the modern species of man, the classic Neanderthal, was relatively recent, between 200-250,000 years ago. The Neanderthal recorded the largest brain of the hominid species at 1500-1600 cm3. A variation of Neanderthal, Homo sapiens (intelligent man, man of knowledge), dates back 200,000 years. So for a period of over 100,000 years, Homo erectus and Neanderthal were both present on earth and for 60,000 years all three: Homo erectus, Neanderthal and Homo sapiens, co-habited on earth. There is evidence of inter-breeding between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens but the Neanderthal became effectively extinct about 30-40,000 years ago in Western Europe. Interestingly our Homo sapiens' brain size has been decreasing over the past 28,000 years to now averaging 1200-1300 cm3. So has the size of my computer over the last 28,000 hours.
Maybe that young missionary who never returned was doing me a favour by forcing me to seek so that I should find? or at least find a whole lot more questions; but very interesting questions. I think the quest will go on.
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News Space
A galaxy far, far, far away
Hubble telescope spies what may be most distant object ever observed
By Ron Cowen
Pushing the Hubble Space Telescope to its limits as a cosmic time machine, astronomers have identified what may be the most distant known object in the universe — a tiny galaxy estimated to lie 13.2 billion light-years from Earth and hail from a time only 480 million years after the Big Bang.
GOING THE DISTANCE This portrait, the deepest infrared image of the universe ever taken, shows a candidate galaxy (inset) that may be the most distant object known in the universe. It is estimated to lie about 13.2 billion light-years from Earth and could have existed just 480 million years after the Big Bang. G. Illingworth, R. Bouwens, the HUDF09 Team, NASA, ESA
Astronomers put the odds at 20 percent that the faint galaxy either lies much closer to Earth than the observations suggest or is merely a spurious light signal, they report in the Jan. 27 Nature. But if the light truly is a glimmer from near the dawn of creation, it could provide new insight about galaxy assembly in the early universe, notes study coauthor Garth Illingworth of the University of California, Santa Cruz.
That insight would stem from how rare such distant galaxies are compared with the 47 galaxies previously found by the team from an era just 170 million years later — some 650 million years after the birth of the universe. Star formation rates must have increased about 10 times during that 170 million years to produce so many additional galaxies in such a short time, says collaborator Rychard Bouwens of Leiden University in the Netherlands.
"The really strong result is the dramatic rise in star formation," says Illingworth. Even if the team finds other galaxies that could be just as distant as the newfound candidate, "they are very faint and very rare, and that alone tells us that there is a large change [in galaxy formation] between 480 and 650 million years" after the birth of the universe, he says.
Although exciting, "it's a bit of stretch to draw so much physical intuition about the early universe from what is, after all, a single detection recorded in a single wavelength band," says galaxy hunter Richard Ellis of Caltech, who was not involved in the new study. The search for extremely distant galaxies has a "checkered history with many claimed detections" that have turned out to be wrong, he adds.
The current confirmed record holder for most distant object is a cosmic explosion known as a gamma-ray burst that erupted in a galaxy 13.035 billion light-years away (SN Online: 4/28/09).
Illingworth and his collaborators used Hubble's sensitive Wide Field Camera 3, which has taken the deepest infrared portrait of the sky, to detect the candidate remote galaxy.
In late 2009, with half as much Hubble data, the team reported finding three other galaxies that might reside some 13.2 billion light-years from Earth (SN: 1/30/10, p. 5). But after analyzing additional Hubble images of the same patch of sky recorded in 2010, the researchers now say those three galaxies aren't so distant after all. Instead, the newly reported galaxy, first seen in the 2009 data but not an obvious standout, has now emerged as the best candidate for the most remote galaxy known.
Using the same Hubble images, a rival team led by Rogier Windhorst of Arizona State University in Tempe has also spotted the newly reported galaxy. Windhorst says there's no doubt the body is a bona fide galaxy and that it's probably as distant as Illingworth and his collaborators suggest.
But he notes that the researchers may have overlooked a larger population of remote galaxies, because the team excluded regions of the sky that are occupied by nearer, brighter galaxies. In the Jan. 13 Nature, Windhorst and his colleagues reported simulations indicating that nearer galaxies can act as signposts for distant galaxies. That connection stems from a cosmic mirage in which the mass of the nearby galaxies gravitationally bends and magnifies the light from bodies farther away.
Astronomers will need the light-gathering power of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to Hubble that won't be launched before 2015, to precisely measure the distance to any of the galaxies estimated to lie so far away, Windhorst says.
J.S.B. Wyithe et al. A distortion of very-high-redshift galaxy number counts by gravitational lensing. Nature. Vol. 469, January 13, 2011, p. 181. doi:10.1038/nature09619
R. J. Bouwens et al. A candidate redshift z~10 galaxy and rapid changes in that population at an age of 500Myr. Nature. Vol. 469, January 27, 2011, p. 504. doi:10.1038/nature09717
How the James Webb telescope's glances back in time are reshaping cosmology
By Lisa Grossman December 16, 2022
New-found galaxies may be farthest back in time and space yet
By Ron Cowen January 3, 2010
All Aglow in the Early Universe
By Ron Cowen January 14, 2002
More Stories from Science News on Space
The James Webb telescope found 'Green Pea' galaxies in the early universe
We could get messages back from spacecraft sent through a wormhole
Humans haven't set foot on the moon in 50 years. That may soon change
By James R. Riordon December 21, 2022


In my opinion, people don't eat enough collard greens, and in my honest opinion, I don't either. This week, I wanted to change that, and it turned out that there were some HUGE, BEAUTIFUL collard greens at Mrs. Greens… score.
I have cooked collard greens in the past, and because I don't like sautéing or steaming my greens for too long, they always turn out pretty tough and fibrous. Traditionally, collard greens are cooked for a long period of time and are a staple in southern cooking. Although delicious, these greens tend to lose a lot of their nutritional content when over-cooked, so I needed a way to incorporate them into a dish, preferably at their highest nutritional content… raw!
Que the collard green wrap; the perfect way to ensure that you are benefitting from all of the awesome nutrition that collards have to offer while replacing a potentially unhealthy flour wrap. Why are collard greens so good for you? Well, let me explain.
Collard greens are known for their cholesterol-lowering capabilities and are shown to be the most successful at doing so compared to all other cruciferous veggies. They also contain many cancer-fighting capabilities, and are loaded with vitamins A, C and K, as well as a ton of minerals and nutrients. They are super detoxifying and help to support our immune system by fighting inflammation throughout the body.
You can put whatever you wish in this fun wrap. Here, I sautéed some tempeh and included some greens, some seeds, and some cooked onions.
Begin by slicing your tempeh into ½ inch pieces, and place them in a pot of boiling water with 2 tablespoons Braggs. They can cook here for up to an hour. This process softens them, keeps them moist, and also infuses some of that wonderful flavor from the Braggs. Here, I cooked them about 20 minutes.
Rinse, dry and dress your arugula. Toss in the sunflower seeds and mix everything together.
When you rinse your collard greens, be very careful, as you don't want them to have many rips. Use a towel to pat them dry, and lay them aside to continue drying.
In a fry pan, sauté the slices of onion in some coconut oil over low heat until they are translucent. Set aside.
Heat some more coconut oil in your fry pan. Remove the tempeh from the boiling water and place the pieces in the pan. Add the last tablespoon of Braggs and sauté on each side over a low flame for about 5 minutes.
While they are cooking, lay your collard leaves on a flat surface, preferably a cutting board, and carefully slice out the stem. It is important to leaf the top part connected.
Where the stem was removed, fold the 2 sides so they are overlapping and begin to add your arugula, seeds and onions. When the tempeh is done cooking, lay the pieces on top and wrap everything.
Start at one end, fold the leaf over all of the goodies, pull everything together with a slight tightening of the fist, and then roll. Cut in half, and they are ready to be enjoyed.
Try replacing your traditional four wraps with these nutritious green wraps at any meal, and let me know what you come up with.
Tags: collard green, tempeh, vegan, wrap. Bookmark the permalink.


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Raman method shows progress of Alzheimer's disease at cell level
Researchers at University of Twente reveal early signs of disease; technique could be adapted for surgical use in vivo.
Raman technique shows AD-affected brain cells.
Scientists at the University of Twente, Netherlands, have produced images of brain tissue affected by Alzheimer's disease. Produced using a Raman optical technique, the images show the areas around the core affected part and reveal healthy tissue starting to undergo transition.
Raman microscopy uses a laser beam for the detection of chemical substances. The researchers led by Cees Otto, of the Medical Cell Biophysics group at UT have studied the brain tissue of four brain donors, three of them with Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease is associated with areas of high protein concentration in brain tissue; form variations called plaques and tangles. Raman imaging can create sharp images of these affected areas. The scientists, whose work has just been published in Nature Scientific Reports, comment, "This is an attractive technique, because it shows more than the specific proteins involved. The presence of water and lipids, influenced by protein presence, can also be detected."
Transition and early stage diagnosis
The team says that the affected area is presented "in a sharp and clear way". After image processing, an area in transition between healthy and affected state can be shown: this capability could give an indication how the disease spreads in the brain. Furthermore, even in the brain tissue of the healthy person, a small area is detected showing "protein activity", which the team says can be the first sign of a neurodegenerative disease.
The Twente technique works as follows: the energy of the reflected and scattered light gives an indication of the substances present in a sample. In each of the four brain samples, 4096 spectra were examined. Otto commented, "In chemical analysis, Raman analysis has proven to be a powerful technique. A major advantage of the Raman approach is that the chemicals don't need a pretreatment, so it is label free."
In vivo potential
So far, this Raman method has been used to examine brain tissue outside the body, but the scientists say it could even be used in vivo for detecting specific areas of interest during surgery. They comment, "Compared to MRI, PET and CT imaging, Raman is able to detect areas, smaller than cells, with very high precision."
"It could be a very valuable extra technique. The Raman images now show protein activity at neural cell level, but the sensitivity is high enough for detecting areas that are even smaller – as is the case with the brain sample of the healthy person."
Raman image showing the core of the affected areas (red) and also transition areas.
Paper conclusions
The paper 'Hyperspectral Raman imaging of neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in brain tissue from Alzheimer's disease patients, by Ralph Michael, Aufried Lenferink, Gijs Vrensen, Ellen Gelpi, Rafael Barraquer en Cees Otto', has the following conclusion:
"The present study showed that hyperspectral Raman imaging combined with hierarchical cluster analysis, is able to identify neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in unstained, label-free slices of human Alzheimer's disease brain tissue. The Raman signals of plaques and tangles strikingly differ from the surrounding tissue.
"A spatial resolution of 0.47 µm and quantification of main tissue components such as proteins, lipids, water and β-sheets conformation allow their co-localization and evaluation of the molecular changes during plaque and tangle formation.
"Our fast hyperspectral Raman imaging with a dwell time of 50 ms/pixel can be considered in general as a valuable tool for identification of lesions in pathological tissues characterized by storage of macromolecules with specific molecular characteristics. The study also revealed that fluorescence emission of unknown endogenous fluorophores correlates with the observable changes at the locations of the plaques and tangles."
Medical Cell Biophysics group
Nature Scientific Reports
Airy LSM sees nerves firing in mouse brain tissue
Edmund Optics announces 2017 Educational Award winners"
Fluorescence technique under evaluation in Alzheimer's trial
M Squared uses Airy LSM to reveal neural interactions
Raman reveals molecular details of degenerative diseases
University of Twente opens Fraunhofer R&D center in Netherlands


Gabriel Hortobagyi, MD, FACP, of the The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, gives a summary of the findings of the MONALEESA-2 clinical trial (NCT01958021).
The MONALEESA-2 study recruited 668 patients who were post-menopausal, had hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer who had received no prior therapy for advanced disease. These patients were randomly assigned to either letrozole (a commonly used endocrine therapy) plus placebo, or letrozole plus ribociclib (a CDK46 inhibitor). Adverse events were commonly seen but were mostly uncomplicated changes and very few patients discontinued treatment on the basis of adverse events. The side effects were managed with dose interruptions and dose reductions.
On the basis of the results, Dr Hortobagyi explains that it was concluded that patients who received ribociclib with letrozole had a statistically significant and a clinically meaningful increase in progression-free survival (PFS) compared with letrozole plus placebo. The treatment benefit was consistent across patient subgroups and for other secondary endpoints. He explains that in conclusion, this combination represents an important advance for patients with metastatic hormone receptor positive breast cancer.


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Horsley spent a decade on the White House beat, covering both the Trump and Obama administrations. Before that, he was a San Diego-based business reporter for NPR, covering fast food, gasoline prices, and the California electricity crunch of 2000. He also reported from the Pentagon during the early phases of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Before joining NPR in 2001, Horsley worked for NPR Member stations in San Diego and Tampa, as well as commercial radio stations in Boston and Concord, New Hampshire. Horsley began his professional career as a production assistant for NPR's Morning Edition.
Horsley earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and an MBA from San Diego State University. He lives in Washington, D.C.


Special FeaturesAs the exhausting volume is large, the temperature of flue gas is high and it is fine ash powder with hydrophilic property.
It is difficult to collect and filter. Along with the development of process in steel and iron industry with ultra high power, strengthening melting and molten iron, and the environment protection, the flue gas filtering is the key section in steelmaking workshop.
During the alloy melting process in submerged arc furnaces, there is large volume of flue gas with high temperature. Also, the composition of flue gas is very complex.
The raw material for melting should be crashed, screening and transporting to the furnace. During these productions, certain dust will be caused. In the products workshop, there is same problem of dust from crashing and screening.


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Mistaken or Messiah?
by TAS Staff
September 8, 2012, 12:00 AM
JOHN DERBYSHIRE HAS A STRANGE WAY of seeing the world, to put it mildly ("Heavens to Betsy!" TAS, June 2012). He dismisses the argument put forward by C.S. Lewis for the existence of God as "feeble," and the final straw for him is this passage:
"[Jesus of Nazareth] either was (and is) just what He said or else a lunatic, or something worse. Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently…I have to accept the view that He was and is God."
To which Derbyshire writes: "My reaction to that passage was: Why couldn't Jesus just have been mistaken? Answer, after a few more pages of bogus analogies and unsubstantiated assertions, came there none, and I never did finish the book."
Jesus was mistaken? How does one mistake himself for God Almighty without being a lunatic?Answer, after laughing out loud, came there none. And I never did finish the article.
L. Brent Bozell III
Founder and President
John Derbyshire replies:
YOU NEED TO EXCERCISE a little historical imagination. In the time and place he lived in, Jesus' claim to divinity was not very extraordinary. From the account of him in the gospels, I don't believe he was crazy. Nor do I think he was a confidence trickster. He believed he was divine; he was mistaken.
What one may or may not plausibly claim is highly variable, even across quite short time spans. A person in 1952 who claimed to have seen a flying saucer would receive much more credence than a person making that claim in 2012. That's a mere 60 years; we're talking here about 2,000 years.
I think Jesus thought he was divine, or divinely inspired. I think he was wrong. I do not think he was crazy. A much lesser possibility is that he was psychotic: i.e., he was crazy, but had terrific socialpresentational skills to mask his craziness.
The smallest possibility of all is that he was related by blood to the creator of the cosmos, who was taking a break from supervising the affairs of the Virgo Supercluster to involve himself in Roman- Palestinian politics. Such a very extraordinary claim requires VERY extraordinary evidence. Where is it?
TOM BETHELL'S RECENT ARTICLE "From 'Happily Ever After' to the Fall" (TAS, June 2012) was up to his usual superlative standards, but I have to take issue with his statement that "[t]he Communist revolution was Russian, but the sexual revolution (I regret to say) is authentically American…"
While the sexual revolution was self-inflicted in the sense that it was implemented by Americans, the underlying ideology has European and Marxist roots which are as old as the Communist Manifesto. In that document, for example, Marx fretted "[w]hat the Communists might possibly be reproached with, is that they desire to introduce…an openly legalized community of women." In the Manifesto, he also predicted that "[t]he bourgeois family will vanish as a matter of course…with the vanishing of capital."
One of the first actions of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution was to promote and facilitate the withering away of the marriage contract.
The Marxist-offshoot think tank known as the Frankfurt School brought cultural Marxism to Columbia University with a vengeance in the 1930s. Let us not overlook such miscreants of the Frankfurt School as Theodor Adorno, who viewed the traditional family as a fascistic and warped institution (The Authoritarian Personality, 1950), protofeminist Erich Fromm, and Wilhelm Reich, who blamed Nazism on monogamy. Above all, the granddaddy of the New Left, Herbert Marcuse, was a Frankfurt School import. Marcuse originated "Critical Theory," or destructive criticism of virtually every Western cultural tradition, especially the family. He also pioneered the politically correct technique of labeling opponents as mentally ill (i.e., homophobes, xenophobes,haters, etc.), spawned "oppression studies" departments, which have twisted most modern colleges into little North Korean pretzels, and advocated "polymorphous perversity" (Eros and Civilization, 1955).
It would be more accurate to say the cultural Marxists set the sexual revolution booby trap for us, and we bumbled into it.
Edward Elmer San Antonio, TX
I'VE BEEN SUBSCRIBING to the Spectator for decades (when it was the Alternative), and I've never written a letter of complaint before. But it seems to me that any semblance of the editorial hand that made reading the Spectator from cover to cover an enjoyable exercise has been thrown overboard.
I am specifically referring to "Fight the Fiat" by Lewis Lehrman and "Murder Allegation Most Foul" by Quin Hillyer (TAS, July-August, 2012). Those articles had all the stylistic panache of a Sunday NY Times Magazine piece, wedded to The Nation and Rolling Stone. With the exception of spell check, doesn't anybody check to see if articles are readable and comprehensible anymore?
Marc Epstein
DEAR MR. TYRRELL: Hi. In your recent online article about Justice Roberts and the decision about health care ("Chief Justice Roberts, You Fox You," July 5), you used "anfractuous." What a wonderful word. What a joy it must have been to use it. Thank you for the pleasure and the exercise.
Best wishes for a great summer.
J. Mesch
Forty-Five Years of Spectator
JOIN THE VAST RIGHT-WING CONSPIRACY for a convivial night hosted by longtime contributor Ben Stein! The American Spectator's 45th Anniversary Bartley Gala will be held November 14th in the presidential ballroom at D.C.'s Capital Hilton, and tickets are available now.
More information: www.spectator.org/gala


Explanation : As you move to the right, double the first number to give the next one, then subtract 5. Repeat this sequence.
Explanation : As you move clockwise, subtract 3 from the first number and multiply by 2 to give the next one round.
Explanation : Numbers in the segments of the upper left hand circle equal the product of the numbers in corresponding segments of the lower 2 circles, and the numbers in the segments of the upper right hand circle equal the sum of the numbers in corresponding segments of the bottom two circles.


text:
Dakota Morton
P.O BOX Victoria, BC, v8p 1a1, Canada
dakotamorton.com
Dakota Morton is a British Columbia based, Vancouver Island film and television editor, and a proud (registered) member of the Métis Nation. For the past 15 years, Dakota has worked and edited many short films, documentaries, reality television projects, and a lengthy list of corporate videos.He possesses the skill and passion to tell a story like a true editor and has strong technical knowledge.
Nice Lady Productions
Belmont Avenue, Victoria (BC), V8R 3Z4, Canada
Broadcasting & Media Production Company, Photographic Service, Film Director
Matt Bourne
1485 Davie Street, Vancouver (BC), Canada
Photographer, Film Director
Knapp Bros. Studios
Seattle (WA), 98225, United States
Symphonic Filmworks
Vancouver (BC), V6J 1L1, Canada
Broadcasting & Media Production Company, Film Director, Writer
THEY Produce & Film
North Vancouver (BC), Canada
Photographic Service, Producer, Film Director
Jon Chiang - Director & Cinematographer
238 East 10th Ave, Richmond (BC), V5t 1z5, Canada
Ruby Sandhu
13861 72nd Ave, Surrey (BC), V3w 2p6, Canada
Kyle James-Patrick
Vancouver (BC), Canada
Asia Youngman
Vancouver (BC), V6C 0B5, Canada
Anthem Jackson Productions
207 W. Hastings St. #506, Vancouver (BC), V6B 1H7, Canada
Film Director, Producer
Intuitive Visual Media
Nanaimo (BC), Canada
TiV Productions
Richmond (BC), V3K 5S3, Canada
Film Director, Movie/Television Studio, Broadcasting & Media Production Company


Find more information about: Charles Bernhoeft, photographer.
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The estimated cost for facilitating procedures for domestic laborers at Kuwait International Airport is more than KD 900,000, reports Al-Rai daily quoting informed sources.
They explained that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sent a letter to the State Audit Bureau regarding Tender No. 4/2017/2018 to provide services for facilitating procedures for domestic laborers at Kuwait International Airport as part of the pre-monitoring procedures of the bureau. The letter sent by DGCA revealed that the estimated cost of the tender is more than KD 903,000.
Meanwhile, another letter sent by DGCA reveals about other projects such as the supervision for construction of the new headquarters, multi-storey car-park building, and central and western buildings of fire stations. The developmental plan of DGCA also includes the project for upgrading Radar station (THALES) based on Contract No. 37/2017/2018 at a cost of about KD 1 million.


text:
Hundreds of Afghans Slam U.N. in Vote Row
by Naharnet Newsdesk 23 August 2011, 10:51
Up to 700 Afghans marched through Kabul on Tuesday to protest against a decision by the country's election commission to throw nine lawmakers out of parliament in a dispute over vote fraud.
The protestors condemned the United Nations, accusing its mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, of interference, an Agence France Presse reporter said.
"Death to UNAMA which supported this evil process," and "Death to those who oppose democracy," the crowd shouted as they marched towards the presidential palace and the main U.N. compound.
The U.N. mission welcomed Sunday's decision by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to dismiss nine lawmakers after last September's parliamentary election, saying a "long institutional impasse" had come to an end.
"The real work must now begin," it added; calling on Afghan politicians and officials to work for "peace, progress and prosperity" in their country.
The IEC was handed authority by President Hamid Karzai to make the final ruling in the nearly year-long row over ballot stuffing.
But the issue is highly controversial in Afghanistan and has prompted a string of angry protests on the streets of Kabul by supporters of rival politicians in recent months.
In June, a special election tribunal backed by Karzai ruled that 62 lawmakers, a quarter of lower house of parliament, should be expelled.
However, the IEC's final ruling fell well short of that figure.
WorldPoliticsSyriaHamid Karzai
Sports Milan winless streak reaches 6 games after loss to Sassuolo 30 January 2023, 14:46


The term system integration describes all the activities required to incorporate components and systems into machines or plants, from the definition of requirements to project planning, commissioning and testing.
Ever since machine functions were first carried out by electronic control systems, machine manufacturers have been confronted with a series of components and systems in the form of electronic control units comprising software, sensor, actuator, mechanical, hydraulic and electrical systems, most of which come from different suppliers and have a major influence on the quality and performance of your machine or plant.
Drawing on our inter-disciplinary expertise, we help you to meet your clients' needs as well as the statutory requirements on machine safety, using solutions that make your company competitive. We have experience in developing machines and plants manufactured both in volume and on a one-off basis.
We carry out risk assessments for your machine according to DIN EN ISO 14121. As stated in Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, risk assessment forms a key part of the development process. In carrying out risk assessment for you, we systematically examine hazards posed by your machine and define measures that reduce residual risks to an acceptable level.
Taking the risk assessment as a basis, we develop manufacturer-independent safety concepts for your machine which provide you with a simple and inexpensive means of developing the required safety functions. In creating these concepts, we draw on our inter-disciplinary expertise in the fields of hydraulic, electrical and control engineering, and we are also able to call on our network of universities, as well as on the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), if particularly complex questions arise.
Using a FMEA, we carry out systematic and detailed tests of the effects that faults in individual components may have on the machine as a whole and assess their influences on reliability and safety. If required, we conduct FMEAs on site, building up valuable knowledge in collaboration with your specialists and devising concrete suggestions for increasing reliability.
We verify the safety functions of your machine as prescribed by the current safety standards for machine controls such as DIN EN ISO 13849-2. We do this by calculating the probability of the entire control chain failing and, where necessary, submitting concrete suggestions for improvements. To make these calculations, we use the SISTEMA calculation software provided by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Employers' Liability Insurance Associations.
CE documentation is the key component of the CE declaration of conformity. We help you to compile all the documents that you really need for your machine's CE declaration of conformity. If necessary, we draw up the required documents such as risk assessments, wiring diagrams, FMEAs, simulation tests and proofs of safety.
The statutory requirements of machine safety are supplemented by a host of directives and standards. Nevertheless, to enable your company to keep track of these rules and efficiently respond to the requirements of the legislative body, you can call on our expertise and experience in implementing procedures and processes.
Agria has collaborated with HYDRIVE Engineering to develop the new 6400 series of two-wheel tractors. Within just three months, HYDRIVE Engineering developed and fine-tuned a control system for the novel electric drive concept. Agria was able to present the prototypes of the 6400 model series at Demopark 2017 in Eisenach.
HYDRIVE Engineering is involved in the research project "Smart Workbench". The company therefore again emphasises on its claim to acitvely push research.
The concrete paver was taken into operation after being successfully developed and commissioned with considerable help from Hydrive. It has now been in use on various construction sites for over six months.
A concept for an electro-hydraulic control was developed for the tools of a grader which considerably simplified the operation of the machine, as well as increasing its performance.
A hydrostatic additional traction drive which has to run synchronously with the traction drive of the machine under all operating conditions was developed from scratch for a grader.


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Sri Lanka industrialists call for China transparency
Aug 15, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has assured its industrialists that the forthcoming China FTA is designed keeping the local industry concerns in mind.
Comprehensive information sessions on the forthcoming FTA will be held, after Lankan industrialists called for better transparency on the process.
"We will not allow local industries and employment to be hit by any Free Trade Agreements," said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen at the ministry offices.
Bathiudeen was speaking with industrialists who gathered for a pre-consultation session for the forthcoming Budget conducted by the ministry. Secretary to Ministry of Industry and Commerce Chinthana Lokuhetti and other officials were also present.
Several industrialists voiced concerns that they are in the dark regarding the FTA progress with regard to sectoral coverage of each industry.
"Sri Lanka – China FTA is cross cutting and many local industries could be affected if proper study on impact of domestic industries is not done before agreeing to terms and conditions of the FTA," said Managing Director of Tantri Motors, Athula Haputantri.
"We came to know that the government may bring down the negative list from proposed 30% to very low 10%. If that happens, many of our domestic industries may close."
"In addition to lowering the negative list, there also appears to be decision to take off the cesses. Cess in the only protection that the local farmers and industrialists have against heavy import competition and if it's removed, there can be a crisis for local industries."
Industrialists from footwear, electrical and electronic products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, rubber, wood, automotive components, boat building, processed food and packaging were present at the session.
Representatives from Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka, Rubber Associations and Food Processors Associations also joined the session.
According to the Department of Commerce, during the period 2012 to 2016, Chinese imports to Sri Lanka have surged by 67%, from $2.56 billion in 2012. Chinese imports increased by 15% to US $4.27 Bn in 2016.
In 2016 Sri Lanka's total bilateral trade with China was $4.4 billion, a 363% increase in comparison with $965 million a decade back.
Among leading imports from China to Sri Lanka in 2016 were mobile phones, light-vessels and dredgers, semi-finished iron / non-alloy steel products, automatic data processing machines, fertilizers, projectors, and net fabrics.
"We also request the government to have only one window-BoI- for incoming FDI rather than multiple doors. We do not know even the new BoI industry investments and we know only after the BoI project starts that there is foreign competition for us," Haputantri said.
Tantri motors is a leading producer of tractor-trailers, tankers (including cement), construction plants & equipment, storage tanks, silos, overhead & gantry cranes and is also involved in exports of them.
Other industrialists agreed with Haputantri's opinion.
"We as Lankan industrialists, want to know which Lankan industry sectors would be opened for China FTA and what duty reductions would be given for imports," said Executive Director of Global Rubber Industries Ananda Caldera.
Bathiudeen assured them that his Ministry, with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CECM) will consult all relevant industries before inking the pact.
"I am immediately directing my officials to conduct a rapid industry assessment of all the industries that want some assurance on the China FTA. I want my officials to produce the assessment results in two weeks. We will also hold comprehensive informational sessions on the forthcoming China FTA for our industrialists so that they are prepared," Bathiudeen said.
"I shall also speak with the Department of Commerce regarding import cess and China FTA and will immediately forward your concerns to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CECM)."
Categories: Economy, Featured, Trade
Tags: China, fta, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka industrialists call for China transparency