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MEDJUGORJE… WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW
November 9, 2017 November 9, 2017 stephen ryan2377 Views
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Posted on November 3, 2017 by Mark Mallett
The six seers of Medjugorje when they were children
AFTER having followed the Medjugorje apparitions for years, and researched and studied the background story, one thing has become clear: there are a lot of people who reject the supernatural character of this apparition site based on the dubious words of a few. A perfect storm of politics, lies, sloppy journalism, manipulation, and a Catholic media mostly cynical of all-things-mystical has fuelled, for years, a narrative that the six visionaries, and a gang of Franciscan thugs, has managed to dupe the world, including the canonized Saint, John Paul II.
Strangely, it doesn't matter to some critics that the fruits of Medjugorje—millions of conversions, thousands of apostolates and religious vocations, and hundreds of documented miracles—are the
most extraordinary that the Church has ever seen since, perhaps, Pentecost. To read the testimonies of people who have actually been there (as opposed to nearly every critic who usually hasn't) is like reading the Acts of the Apostles on steroids (here is mine: A Miracle ofMercy.) The most vocal critics of Medjugorje dismiss these fruits as irrelevant (more evidence in our times of Rationalism, and the Death of Mystery). [1] However, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith does not. It specifically refers to the importance that such a phenomenon…
…bear fruits by which the Church herself might later discern the true nature of the facts…—"Norms Regarding the Manner of Proceeding in the Discernment of Presumed Apparitions or Revelations" n. 2, vatican.va
These evident fruits should move all the faithful, from the bottom to the top, to approach Medjugorje in a spirit of humility and gratitude, regardless of its official status. At the same time, the Vatican continues to investigate and discern what has and is happening there. It is not my place to say this or that apparition is true or false. But what I can do, as a matter of justice, is counter the misinformation that is out there so that the faithful may, at the very least, remain open—as the Vatican is—to the possibility that Medjugorje is a profound grace given to the world at this hour.
Dear children, my real, living presence among you should make you happy because this is the great love of my Son. He is sending me among you so that, with a motherly love, I may grant you safety! —Our Lady of Medjugorje to Mirjana, July 2, 2016
STRANGE TWISTS…
In truth, the apparitions of Medjugorje were initially accepted by the local Bishop of Mostar, the diocese where Medjugorje resides. Speaking of the integrity of the seers, he stated:
No one has forced them or influenced them in any manner. These are six normal children; they are not lying; they express themselves from the depth of their hearts. Are we dealing here with a personal vision or a supernatural occurrence? It is hard to say. However, it is certain that they are not lying. —statement to the press, July 25, 1981; "Medjugorje Deception or Miracle?"; ewtn.com
This favorable position was confirmed by the police who initiated the first psychological examinations of the seers to determine if they were hallucinating or simply trying to cause trouble. The children were taken to the neuro-psychiatric hospital in Mostar where they were subjected to harsh interrogations and exposed to severely demented patients in order to frighten them. After passing every test, Dr. Mulija Dzudza, a Muslim, declared:
I have not seen more normal children. It is the people who brought you here who should be declared insane! —Medjugorje, The First Days, James Mulligan, Ch. 8
Her conclusions were later confirmed by ecclesial psychological examinations, [2] and then again by several teams of international scientists in the ensuing years. In fact, after submitting
the seers to a battery of testswhile they were in ecstasy during apparitions—from poking and prodding, to blasting them with noise and monitoring brain patterns—Dr. Henri Joyeux and his team of doctors from France concluded:
The ecstasies are not pathological, nor is there any element of deceit. No scientific discipline seems able to describe these phenomena. The apparitions at Medjugorje cannot be explained scientifically. In one word, these young people are healthy, and there is no sign of epilepsy, nor is it a sleep, dream, or trance state. It is neither a case of pathological hallucination nor hallucination in the hearing or sight facilities…. —8:201-204; "Science Tests the Visionaries", cf. divinemysteries.info
More recently, in 2006, members of Dr. Joyeux's team again examined some of the seers during
ecstasy and sent the results to Pope Benedict XIV.
After twenty years, our conclusion has not changed. We were not wrong. Our scientific conclusion is clear: the Medjugorje events must be taken seriously. —Dr. Henri Joyeux, Međugorje Tribune, January 2007
However, as Antonio Gaspari, an editorial coordinator for Zenit News Agency notes, shortly after Bishop Zanic's endorsement…
…for reasons still not entirely clear, Bishop Zanic almost immediately changed his attitude, becoming the main critic and opponent of the Medjugorje apparitions. — "Medjugorje Deception or Miracle?"; ewtn.com
A new documentary, From Fatima to Medjugorje, points to pressure from the Communist government and KGB upon Bishop Zanic due to fears that communism would collapse from the religious awakening happening through Medjugorje. Russian documents allegedly reveal that they blackmailed him with documented evidence of a "compromising" situation he was in with a "youth." As a result, and confirmed by the recorded testimony of a Communist agent involved, the Bishop agreed to subvert the apparitions in order to keep his past quiet. [3] The diocese of Mostar, however, has written a scathing response and requested proof of these documents. [4]
Others also point to exploding tensions between the diocese and the Franciscans, under whose care the Medjugorje parish, and thus seers, had been. Apparently, when two Franciscan priests were suspended by the bishop, the seer Vicka allegedly communicated: "Our Lady wants it said to the bishop that he has made a premature decision. Let him reflect again, and listen well to both parties. He must be just and patient. She says that both priests are not guilty." This criticism allegedly from Our Lady is said to have changed Bishop Zanic's position. However, in 1993, the Apostolic Signatura Tribunal determined that the bishop's declaration of 'ad statem laicalem' against the priests was "unjust and illegal". [5]
Perhaps for one or all of the reasons above, Bishop Zanic rejected the results of his first Commission and went on to form a new Commission to investigate the apparitions. But now, it was stacked with skeptics.
Nine of the 14 members of the second (larger) commission were chosen among certain theologians who were known to be skeptical concerning supernatural events. —Antonio Gaspari, "Medjugorje Deception or Miracle?"; ewtn.com
Michael K. Jones (not to be confused with Michael E. Jones, who is arguably Medjugorje's fiercest opponent) confirms what Gaspari reports. Using the Freedom of Information Act, Jones states on his website that he acquired classified documents from the U.S. State Department's own investigation into the apparitions by Ambassador David Anderson under President Ronald Reagan's administration. The classified report, which was forwarded to the Vatican, reveals that Bishop Zanic's Commission was indeed 'tainted', says Jones.
This being the case, it offers one explanation why Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, rejected Zanic's second Commission and transferred the authority over the apparitions to the regional level of the Yugoslav Bishops' Conference where a new Commission was formed. However, Bishop Zanic issued a press release with a much more benign explanation:
During the inquiry these events under investigation have appeared to go much beyond the limits of the diocese. Therefore, on the basis of the said regulations, it became fitting to continue the work at the level of the Bishops' Conference, and thus to form a new Commission for that purpose. —appeared on the front page of Glas Koncila, January 18, 1987; ewtn.com
…AND STRANGE TURNS
Four years later, the new Bishops' Commission issued the now well-known Declaration of Zadar on April 10, 1991, which stated:
On the basis of the investigations so far, it cannot be affirmed that one is dealing with supernatural apparitions and revelations. —cf. Letter to Bishop Gilbert Aubry from the Secretary for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone; ewtn.com
The decision, in Church-speak, was: non constat de supernaturalitate, which means simply that,
"so far", a firm conclusion on the supernatural nature cannot be affirmed. It is not a condemnation but a suspension of judgment.
But what is perhaps less known is that 'by mid-1988, the Commission was reported to have terminated its work with a positive judgment on the apparitions.'
Cardinal Franjo Kuharic, Archbishop of Zaghreb and President of the Yugoslav Bishops' Conference, in an interview with Croatian public television on December 23, 1990, said that the Yugoslav Bishops' Conference, including himself, "has a positive opinion of Medjugorje events."—cf. Antonio Gaspari, "Medjugorje Deception or Miracle?"; ewtn.com
But Bishop Zanic most certainly did not. Archbishop Frane Franic, President of the Doctrinal Commission of the Yugoslav Bishops Conference, stated in an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, [6] that only the ferocious opposition of Bishop Zanic, who
refused to budge from his own verdict, had impeded a positive decision on the Medjugorje apparitions. [7]
The bishops used this ambiguous sentence (non constat de supernaturalitate) because they did not want to humiliate Bishop Pavao Zanic of Mostar who constantly claimed that Our Lady did not appear to the seers. When the Yugoslav Bishops discussed the Medjugorje issue, they told Bishop Zanic that the Church was not giving a final decision on Medjugorje and consequently his opposition was without any foundation. Hearing this, Bishop Zanic began to cry and to shout, and the rest of the bishops then quit any further discussion. —Archbishop Frane Franic in January 6, 1991 issue of Slobodna Dalmacija; cited in "Catholic Media Spreading Fake News on Medjugorje", March 9th, 2017; patheos.com
Bishop Zanic's successor has been no more favorable or less vocal, which may be no surprise. According to Mary TV, Bishop Ratko Peric went on record stating before witnesses that he had never met or spoken to any of the visionaries and that he didn't believe in other apparitions of Our Lady, specifically naming Fatima and Lourdes.
I believe what I am required to believe—that is the dogma of the Immaculate Conception which was issued four years before Bernadette's alleged apparitions. —witnessed in a sworn statement attested to by Fr. John Chisholm and Major General (ret.) Liam Prendergast; the remarks were also published in the February 1, 2001, European newspaper, "The Universe"; cf. patheos.com
Bishop Peric went further than the Yugoslav Commission and their Declaration and outright declared the apparitions to be false. But by this time, the Vatican, confronted with the obvious and overwhelmingly positive fruits of Medjugorje, began the first of a series of clear interventions to
keep the pilgrimage site open to the faithful and any negative declaration from gaining traction. In a letter of clarification to Bishop Gilbert Aubry, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith wrote:
What Bishop Peric said in his letter to the Secretary General of "Famille Chretienne", declaring: "My conviction and my position is not only 'non constat de supernaturalitate,' but likewise, 'constat de non supernaturalitate' [not supernatural] of the apparitions or revelations in Medjugorje", should be considered the expression of the personal conviction of the Bishop of Mostar which he has the right to express as Ordinary of the place, but which is and remains his personal opinion. —May 26, 1998; ewtn.com
And that was that—though it has not stopped the Bishop from continuing to make damning statements. And why, when it's clear that the Vatican continues to investigate? One answer may be the influence of a dark campaign of lies…
A CAMPAIGN OF LIES
In my own travels, I met a renowned journalist (who asked to remain anonymous) who shared with me his first-hand knowledge of events that unfolded in the mid-1990s. An American multi-millionaire from California, whom he personally knew, began a tenacious campaign to discredit Medjugorje and other alleged Marian apparitions because his wife, who was devoted to such, had
left him (for mental abuse). He vowed to destroy Medjugorje if she didn't come back, even though he'd been there numerous times and had believed in it himself. He spent millions doing just that—hiring camera crews from England to make documentaries defaming Medjugorje, sending tens of thousands of letters (to places like The Wanderer), even barging into Cardinal Ratzinger's office! He spread all kinds of trash—stuff we now hear rehashed and rehashed… lies, said the journalist, that apparently influenced the Bishop of Mostar as well. The millionaire caused quite a bit of damage before finally running out of money and finding himself on the wrong side of the law. My source estimated that 90% of the anti-Medjugorje material out there came as a result of this disturbed soul.
At the time, this journalist did not want to identify the millionaire, and perhaps for good reason. The man had already destroyed some pro-Medjugorje ministries through his campaign of lies.
Recently, however, I came across a letter from a woman, Ardath Talley, who was married to the late Phillip Kronzer who passed away in 2016. She made a statement that was dated October 19, 1998 that is a mirror image of the journalist's story to me.
In recent months my former husband, Phillip J. Kronzer, has been orchestrating a campaign to defame the Marian movement and Medjugorje. This campaign, which employs literature and attack videos, has damaged many innocent people with false and slanderous information. Although, as we know, the Vatican remains very open towards Medjugorje, and the official Church continues to investigate it and recently restated this position, Mr. Kronzer and those who work for or with him have sought to portray the apparitions in a negative light and have circulated rumors and innuendoes that are preposterous. —the full letter can be read here
Perhaps this was taken into account when in 2010 the Vatican struck the fourth Commission to investigate Medjugorje under Cardinal Camillo Ruini. The studies of that Commission, which concluded in 2014, have now been passed on to Pope Francis. But not without one last remarkable turn in the story.
The Vatican Insider has leaked the findings of the fifteen member Ruini Commission, and they are significant.
The Commission noted a very clear difference between the beginning of the phenomenon and its following development, and therefore decided to issue two distinct votes on the two different phases: the first seven presumed [apparitions] between June 24 and July 3, 1981, and all that happened later. Members and experts came out with 13 votes in favor of recognizing the supernatural nature of the first visions. —May 16th, 2017; lastampa.it
For the first time in 36 years since the apparitions began, a Commission seems to have "officially" accepted the supernatural origin of what began in 1981: that indeed, the Mother of God appeared in Medjugorje. Moreover, the Commission appears to have affirmed the findings of the psychological examinations of the visionaries and upheld the seers' integrity, which has long been attacked, sometimes ruthlessly, by their detractors.
The committee argues that the six young seers were psychically normal and were caught by surprise by the apparition, and that nothing of what they had seen was influenced by either the Franciscans of the parish or any other subjects. They showed resistance in telling what happened despite the police [arresting] them and death [threats against] them. The Commission also rejected the hypothesis of a demonic origin of the apparitions. —Ibid.
As for the apparitions after the first seven instances, the members of the Commission apparently have both positive outlooks and negative concerns, or have suspended judgment altogether. So, now the Church awaits the final word on the Ruini report, which will come from Pope Francis himself.
PATIENCE, PRUDENCE, OBEDIENCE… AND HUMILITY
In closing, it was the Bishop of Mostar who once said:
While waiting for the results of the Commission's work and the Church's verdict, let the Pastors and the faithful honor the practice of the usual prudence in such circumstances. —from a press release dated January 9, 1987; signed by Cardinal Franjo Kuharic, president of the Yugoslavian Conference of Bishops and by Bishop Pavao Zanic of Mostar
That advice is just as valid today as it was then. Likewise, the advice of Gamaliel would also seem applicable:
If this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God. (Acts 5:38-39)
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We will randomize both the list of customer names and #'s 1-100. Everyone will get 4 numbers #'d 1-100. Whatever number you get is what players you have. You can see which players you have by matching up your numbers with the list below. Some numbers have multiple players. Everyone will get 4 sets of numbers.
Every card in the set in numbered to 36 or less!


The Congress will be held May 1-4, 2015, and the deadline for focused symposia submissions is September 30, 2013. See the Call for Focused Symposia for details. A general call for abstracts for platform and poster presentations will go out January 2014, with a tentative deadline of August 15, 2014.
Please note: WCPT congresses are for all physical therapists in all areas of practice so proposals for focused symposia on any topic are welcome. There is still time to put together your proposal. We hope that you have put the Congress dates in your calendars and are planning your trip to Singapore.


Do you have students who never do their homework? Are you tired of presenting topics only to have less than half the class actually care? Is it a challenge to get students to practice English when not in class? Do you find them usually unprepared for class? Do you hear a collective 'sigh' when you say the term "oral presentation"? Don't fret! All of these problems disappear when you flip your class!
A very good way to pass class time is to spend it "presenting" topics or content to a class of semi-interested ESL learners. Nowadays, the "teaching and learning" of any topic, within any discipline, can be done wholly without direct instruction – and this is a good thing! How many college lectures do you remember? How many oral presentations do you remember giving in college? I believe most of you would remember more presentations than lectures for one simple reason: When giving a presentation, you were engaged. All of your faculties, from the cognitive to the affective, even the psychomotor, were called upon to deliver that presentation. When sitting in a college lecture, you were minimally engaged at best. The result is that lectures often lead to what is called "surface" learning. Once the exam is written, the content is gone from our minds and we are unaltered at course's end. When you are engaged, deep learning occurs. By transforming your "lectures" into at-home readings and asking students to "present" their reading, they will learn content, be engaged, and you can use class time for guided and free practice.
I call this approach "Student Teachers" and it works like a charm. Groups of students are assigned different topics (i.e. – the present perfect, present perfect progressive and the past perfect.) Students must then study up on them, their conjugation, use, and typical examples. When class begins, these groups prepare to "present" their topic and provide the examples to the rest of the class. As their teacher, I interject when necessary, but I spend most of my time asking difficult questions. By having them present the topic, the following usually happens: The entire class has more fun; the presenting students become masters of their topic; they get to practice their English presentation skills, and no time is spent in class on a dull lecture.
Why grade your students at all when they can grade themselves? It may sound crazy, but one of the most effective ways to leverage learning is to develop in students the ability to self-assess and support that assessment. While they may resist at first because they are simply unaccustomed to such an approach, prompting students to not only assess "what" they know, but "how" and "why" can go a long way in getting them to understand the language learning process. It should be the role of any instructor to make herself obsolete. In other words, teaching students how to teach themselves is an attainable goal in any ESL course. By providing students with ample practice on how you would evaluate them, we allow them to continue learning without the need for direct instruction.
The latest buzz-word in Education, "heutagogy" is really nothing new, but it is so hard to put in place for a myriad of reasons. The term heuristic is defined as "enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves". Heutagogy goes one step further and posits that students learn most effectively when they have control over the course, the flow of topics, the assessments, etc. In other words, when students can design and frame their own learning, good results ensue. For example, take your favorite hobby (mine is playing guitar). Would it shock you if I told you I never once took a guitar lesson? Instead, at the ripe age of 12, I asked my parents for a guitar. I bought some tablature books from a local rock shop and with my CD's, I learned to play most of my favorite songs within a year or so, especially since I could practice them with friends. This is heutagogy. I chose the curriculum, the instrument, the songs (i.e. readings), and the assessments (self and peer). While we can't go to this extent in prescribed institutional courses, giving your students autonomy in their learning, provided they are motivated, can lead to life-long change and ability.
What are some ways you have inspired self-learning and self-assessment with your students?


Georg Michalsen was born on 13 September 1906 in Wendrien, under the name of Michalczyk, which he changed to Michalsen in 1941. He was a member of the Höfle 'Einsatz Reinhardt' murder squad. He played a leading role in the mass deportations from the Warsaw and Bialystok ghettos. Michalsen was with Odilo Globocnik, the former head of Aktion Reinhardt and his deputy, in the mass murder programme,Hermann Höfle when Globocnik was captured by the British Army and committed suicide. He was photographed by the British standing with Höfle next to the body of Globocnik in Paternion, Austria, in May 1945.
"On the following day, which was the second day of the Aktion, Stroop commanded that I should refrain from any involvement because it was only a disturbance because of the "stupid firms. On the following day the wire came from Krakow and I was ordered back to Lublin. Stroop initiated this recall. As early as on the second day of the action I telephoned Globocnik and told him that I practically was de-commissioned here, and whether I should come back. Globocnik gave me the order to stay in Warsaw. On the next morning which was the third day of the Aktion, he (Globocnik) came to Warsaw by car and negotiated with Stroop. I was not present during this conference and therefore, do not know what was discussed during that between Stroop and Globocnik. After that I went back to Lublin with Globocnik, but not in the same car, it was the same day, meaning the third day of the Aktion. It is correct that at the beginning of the Stroop Aktion I still took care of a transfer of Toebbens Jews to Poniatowa, which means that one more transfer of the firm of Toebbens to Poniatowa left Warsaw. As far as I remember, this was on the second day of the Aktion, meaning on April 20. If H. states that this transfer to Poniatowa only left on 21 April, this is also possible. It must have been during the morning because in the afternoon of that day I had already driven back to Lublin.I do no longer remember the details about this transport, at the time there was great confusion among the Jews. Many Jews were inspired by the work of the resistance and by the fighting and it was not that simple to get them together.
When H. maintains that I led this action while wearing a steel helmet, with a whip and machine pistol, this is not true. I had left my steel helmet in Lublin and had arrived in Warsaw with my hat. I did not get myself a steel helmet there. At the same time, I only had a pistol, not a machine pistol. More so I did not have any justification for carrying a whip. I do no longer know if the transfer of the Jews went around the Ghetto to a transfer camp. I also cannot state if I accompanied the transport to the transfer place. I don't think I went along to it. I did not take part in further transports from Warsaw. Of special note is the fact that I was not a participant in the transport of Jews of the Schultz firm to Trawniki. If such a transport took place, then possibly SS Oberscharführer Bartetzko was involved." Were you ever at the transfer area during the first three days of the Stroop Aktion?
"During those days everything was so chaotic and I was at so many places in the Ghetto that I don't remember where. As a torture Stroop sent me here and there, especially to the factories with the order to make sure that the Jews of the firm had to line up for roll-calls Real work in that sense was not possible because of the fighting and the large upheaval. When SS-Oberscharfuhrer Slany and I left Warsaw by car on 21 April, we could still see burning buildings and dark clouds over the Ghetto.If Jesuiter says or states his suspicion that the people from Lublin organised the whole transport of the Jews from Warsaw, I cannot make a statement about this. I myself did not have such an order. However, I consider it possible that some people of Globocnik's staff in Lublin had gone to Warsaw with the order to supervise the transport of able Jews and to process it. I know that, besides the Jews who were destined for Poniatowa and Trawniki, a number of Jews were taken to Lublin and there apportioned to various camps. In this way, labour forces for the German armament factories were taken to Lublin.


I've recently started Bruce Schneier's new book, "Liars and Outliers: Enabling Trust that Society Needs to Thrive," and came across an interesting anecdote which demonstrates the evolution of social trust. In order to introduce some key concepts in security, Bruce uses several examples in nature to demonstrate how different species evolved to "socialize" security and survival.
One particularly relevant example related to social trust involved hornworms and tobacco plants. Apparently, when hornworms arrive on the scene and begin feasting, some species of tobacco plants defend themselves by emitting a sort of SOS chemical to notify the other plants in the area which in turn deploy a chemical defense to repel the hornworms. In another example, tobacco plants, when mixed with the saliva of hornworms, can apparently summon another insect that eats the hornworm. An amazing example of nature and the power of evolution.
So what is the business lesson? When another company fails to pay their bill, emit a chemical which attracts the mafia enforcers? Unfortunately, the EPA frowns upon spraying chemicals around so we need another way to warn each other that predators are in the neighborhood.
Like the adaptable tobacco plant, businesses have been using signaling technology (pony express, US Mail, fax, email etc.) to communicate business reputation to each other for a long time. Recently, an experienced CFO explained to me how he and his peers have frequent face to face meetings and exchange index cards with lists of good and bad business partners. Their small group has grown from a handful of local friendly competitors to over fifty businesses who actively share their data on business reputation. This is a great solution but unfortunately it doesn't scale and doesn't take into account the wide geographic reach businesses have today due to the Internet.
In an attempt to help businesses solve this problem, we started Trust Exchange and are making the exchange of this key data as frictionless as possible. Our goal is to leverage social technologies to provide better insight into business reputation. We plan to this by enabling companies to exchange this data free of charge, strengthening the social aspect by engaging business peers and improving the process by focusing on monitoring business reputation over the long term vs. performing spot checks.


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Can I Use a Volume Attenuator in My Effects Loop?
Many folks with big valve amplifiers will often find that their tone never sounds so awesome as when they're cranked really loud. Unfortunately, this can lead to ASBOs, turf wars and anonymous flaming-bag situations (you know what we mean). One solution is to invest in a Power Soak volume attenuator, which goes in between the amp head and the cabinets. These are great, but are often quite expensive, and aren't so easy to find these days.
Another solution is to place a Volume Attenuator in your effects loop. Volume Attenuators work in the same way as the volume knob on your guitar. When done right, this can be as good a solution as a Power Soak, for a fraction of the cost. The Leech Passive Volume Attenuator is a great way to get this done.
One major point to make is that the Leech Volume Attenuator is strictly for your effects loop. NEVER put a Leech between your amp and speaker cabinet. You'll destroy your Leech, and could even damage your amp. Put a Leech in your effects loop, right at the end of the effects chain, to give yourself a master volume control: juiced tone at bedroom levels, for less than the price of a round of drinks!
However, we must give you this heads up: this trick doesn't work with some amps.
You see, there are two different kinds of amp effects loops: parallel and series. There are whole flame wars on forums debating which is better (they're hilarious. Just so you know, we vote series) but the main difference is that a parallel loop will always allow your original pre-amp tone alongside the tone affected by the pedals in your effects loop. Series effects loops are more straightforward: your tone will go through the pre-amp, out through the loop send, through your effects pedals, then into the power amp via the loop return.
Volume Attenuators can act as a master volume control ONLY with series effects loops. Parallel effects loops won't work with a Leech as a master volume control. We hate to disappoint, but we'd rather disappoint you than lie to you. Chin up, though – a Leech still makes your tone awesome put in front of the amp! Just check out this video.
Hopefully this has cleared things up!
n.b.: This article is to be used as a guide only. If you'd like more specific advice, please Contact Us.
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text:
+= HB 287 APPROVE TESORO ROYALTY OIL SALE TELECONFERENCED
Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled
+= HB 89 AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES TELECONFERENCED
Joe Balash, Commissioner Designee, Department of Natural
HB 287    APPROVE TESORO ROYALTY OIL SALE
"An Act approving and ratifying the sale of royalty
oil by the State of Alaska to Tesoro Corporation and
Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company LLC; and
providing for an effective date."
Co-Chair Stoltze discussed the meeting agenda.
Representative Wilson  WITHDREW Amendment  1 (28-GH2862\A.3,
Nauman,  4/9/14) that  had  been moved  in  a prior  meeting
[4/9/14 6:06 pm](copy on file).
Representative Wilson  MOVED to ADOPT  replacement Amendment
1, 28-GH2862\A.5, Nauman, 4/11/14 (copy on file).
Co-Chair Stoltze OBJECTED for discussion.
Representative  Thompson  discussed   that  the  replacement
amendment made three  changes. He pointed to page  3, line 7
of the amendment that changed  the allowable credit from $15
million to $10 million per  refinery. Second, the credit for
investment would  be changed from  10 percent to  40 percent
with  a  maximum of  $10  million  (page 4).  The  amendment
maintained  the  $20 million  maximum  for  the two  credits
combined. Third,  the amendment  would expand  the qualified
infrastructure credit per refinery  to include the transport
of  refined  petroleum   products  or  petroleum-based  feed
stock.  The  third  change  had  been  included  to  address
getting piping  to two of  the refineries, which  could also
be used as part of the refineries' infrastructure.
Representative  Gara asked  for  the location  of the  third
Representative  Thompson  replied   that  the  third  change
appeared on page 5, lines 20 and 21.
Co-Chair Stoltze  asked the Department of  Natural Resources
(DNR) to comment on the amendment.
JOE  BALASH, COMMISSIONER  DESIGNEE,  DEPARTMENT OF  NATURAL
RESOURCES,  discussed that  the amendment  was supported  by
the administration.  The underlying  issue pertained  to the
unhealthy  condition  of  Alaska's  instate  refineries.  He
relayed that  with the upcoming  closure of the  Flint Hills
Refinery  certain costs  would increase  for the  Petro Star
facility  in   North  Pole.   The  department   was  greatly
concerned about  the potential consequences the  state would
face if it  were to lose Petro Star's North  Pole and Valdez
Refineries. He  addressed benefits  provided by  the instate
refineries. He detailed  that the Quality Bank  fees paid by
refineries were reflected back in  increased revenue for the
state; the fees included an  increase in the state's royalty
and a  tax benefit. Estimates  on royalty revenue  were more
precise given  the information  reported in  royalty values;
taxes were  harder to assess due  to the way the  system was
structured. He  communicated that  the royalty value  on the
Quality  Bank  payments  was approximately  $20  million  in
2013; the  tax impact approached an  additional $30 million.
Additionally, when the state sold  its royalty in-kind (RIK)
it  typically sold  it to  instate refineries.  In the  past
three  years  the  state  had achieved  a  higher  value  by
selling in-kind than  it would have received if  the oil had
been left in-value with the  producers. The total difference
for  2011 through  2013 exceeded  $136 million.  He stressed
that the  figures represented real  benefits to  the state's
treasury. He  did not  know exactly  what the  numbers would
look like  if the refineries  shut down. He shared  that the
state would continue  to look for opportunities  to sell its
royalty for some marginal premium;  it was difficult to know
whether it  would be achievable.  He theorized that  if FERC
got the  Quality Bank formula  exactly right, in  theory the
Quality  Bank  adjustment  would   no  longer  be  necessary
because oil  coming out  at the southern  end of  the Trans-
Alaska  Pipeline System  (TAPS) would  be more  valuable. He
did not subscribe to the theory.
Commissioner Balash elaborated that  the issue was currently
being   contested  with   the   Federal  Energy   Regulatory
Commission (FERC);  exactly what it  would look like  in the
end was not known. However,  it was currently known that the
positive  treasury  impacts   from  the  state's  refineries
exceeded  the sticker  price on  the amendment.  He believed
the   amendment  was   warranted  and   that  the   economic
consequences  of  the  refinery   closures  would  be  quite
negative for Alaska in the  long-term (particularly if there
was a normalized ANS Crude  price). He communicated that the
department  had  considered  multiple ways  to  address  the
challenge  including  selling  the   state's  royalty  at  a
discounted   price.   Additionally,   the   department   had
considered Quality  Bank tax credits;  however, each  of the
options  had   created  their  own  problems   including  an
unleveled  playing field  for certain  refineries that  were
not  connected   with  TAPS.   He  believed   the  amendment
represented a solution with the right combination of items.
Commissioner  Balash continued  to discuss  support for  the
amendment.  He   detailed  that  the  package   provided  an
incentive  to  producers to  choose  to  sell their  oil  to
instate   refineries.  Second,   the   40  percent   capital
investment credit  was provided.  Investments could  be made
in the  facilities to increase efficiency  and profitability
in order for the refineries  to compete more effectively for
fuel products  needed for  military and  commercial aviation
and for  home heating, diesel,  and gasline. He  shared that
the  refinery  credit  was  modeled in  part  on  the  small
producer credit  associated with the oil  and gas production
tax.  The  figure  was  a fixed  amount;  a  refinery  would
qualify  if  it  refined  an average  of  more  than  17,500
barrels per  day (over the  course of a year).  He furthered
that  the  credit  should  keep  a  couple  of  North  Slope
operations from  qualifying. The target was  facilities that
produced the products relied on by communities.
Co-Chair Stoltze  noted that the legislature  was faced with
many requests for  money. He referred a  $20 million request
from the  Alaska Railroad Corporation  for the  current year
and millions  more in the  coming years. He  made additional
remarks about  the railroad.  He spoke  to the  benefits the
railroad provided  to the tourism industry.  He believed the
cost   under   replacement   Amendment   1   seemed   modest
comparatively. He  discussed that  the costs  would buttress
opportunities  for the  military. He  acknowledged that  the
amendment  represented  an  economic assist  for  businesses
that  were   healthy  in  many  aspects   of  their  broader
portfolio.  He asked  DNR to  address how  businesses behave
and some  of the underpinnings  of the economy.  He remarked
that no business would request  $80 million in order to earn
$2  million in  a  year.  He continued  that  it  was not  a
business decision that would be  made absent overall concern
for all of the other economic activity.
Commissioner Balash  communicated that DNR  had historically
gone  through  a  fairly  extensive  best  interest  finding
process  to  support  the  sales.   In  the  examination  of
economic  benefits  to   communities  (particularly  in  the
Interior) the department was  able to identify contributions
that the refineries made. He  elaborated that the refineries
supported  dozens  to  hundreds   of  high  paying  jobs  to
families that  participated in the state's  communities. The
department had  considered the potential  effect of  a Petro
Star closure  and had examined what  the facilities produced
and who  the products were  sold to. He detailed  that Petro
Star was the provider of jet  fuel for the state's air force
bases and  to the  Kodiak coast  guard station;  the product
was manufactured  in Alaska and  was distributed  via truck,
barge, and  rail. He addressed  potential consequences  of a
Petro  Star  facility closure.  A  closure  would result  in
increased  cost pressure  for the  military  and a  knock-on
effect  for the  continued  operation of  facilities in  the
Interior  and Southcentral.  He believed  the closure  would
eliminate  the  state's  chances   to  base  the  F-35.  The
department  believed the  opportunity to  base the  military
plane in  Alaska was important  to the state and  nation. He
spoke  to the  upside  down pricing  position  of ANS  Crude
versus  West Texas  International (WTI);  currently the  jet
fuel coming in  through the Port of  Anchorage from external
refineries was  competing against  Alaska produced  jet fuel
rather  effectively;   external  sources  were   getting  an
increasingly larger share of the  jet fuel market at the Ted
Stevens International Airport in Anchorage.
Commissioner Balash relayed that  imported fuel would become
the  "price  maker"  if  the  state  did  not  act  and  the
refineries  shut down  due  to  the cost  of  crude oil.  He
surmised that the  shift would likely cause the  cost of jet
fuel to increase.
Co-Chair  Stoltze discussed  a similar  situation caused  by
the  closure of  the Agrium  closure. He  relayed fertilizer
had increased from $200 per ton to $1,200 per ton.
Commissioner  Balash  shared   that  the  international  jet
traffic in Anchorage drove a  significant amount of economic
activity,  which benefitted  Alaska statewide.  He discussed
that the  air cargo  fleet was generally  made up  of former
passenger planes. Over time, larger  and more fuel efficient
planes would  enter the cargo  fleet. The  department feared
that  incremental  costs added  to  the  jet fuel  price  in
Anchorage  would  make  the state  more  challenged  from  a
competitive  standpoint. He  detailed  that  some signs  had
already occurred  related to  the state's  standing compared
to  other  international air  cargo  hubs.  He believed  the
state would  need to keep  a close eye  on the issue  and to
ensure that it drove as much  competition to the jet fuel as
possible to keep prices at  a reasonable level; the goal was
to prevent companies such as  FedEx and UPS from relocating.
Ultimately  the economic  consequences would  impact Alaskan
residents. He discussed that  the refining industry received
significant blame  and anger directed  its way for  the high
cost of  gasoline and home  heating fuel; however,  the cost
was  the price  realized in  the  market for  fuel that  was
produced locally.  The concern  related to  refinery closure
was that  all of  the fuel products  used in-state  would be
priced on  imported products.  He surmised  that potentially
the Tesoro refinery  at Nikiski could be  maintained, but it
would  put  the state  at  one  refinery instead  of  three.
Additionally,  competition  would  be reduced.  He  believed
that  prices  would  increase  for  gasoline,  diesel,  home
heating fuel, and marine diesel.
Co-Chair Stoltze  remarked that  asphalt was  also included.
He asked  Commissioner Balash to  discuss where  the product
was produced.
Commissioner Balash  replied that  Flint Hills had  been the
state's largest  asphalt producer. He believed  Tesoro would
be  able  to  help,  but  there  would  be  an  impact.  The
department  was concerned  about  the economic  consequences
and the  reduction in the  overall quality of life  in rural
areas including North Pole, Valdez,  and Nikiski, should the
refineries close.  He detailed  that the closures  would put
pressure on  local budgets and  social service  agencies. He
added that stress  in the home led to  domestic violence and
substance abuse.  He remarked  that well-paying  jobs worked
to remedy the  problems. He pointed to  the sticker-shock of
the amendment, but the department  believed something had to
be  done or  the state  would suffer  real consequences.  He
surmised that Petro  Star wanted to remain  in business, but
the  company  was  owned  by  parent  company  Arctic  Slope
Regional Corporation (ASRC) that was  not in the business of
Commissioner    Balash   discussed    that   ASRC    had   a
responsibility  to earn  a return  for its  shareholders. He
believed if  Petro Star closed its  refineries the situation
would be similar to that  of Flint Hills. He elaborated that
Flint Hills  was happy to  sell its North Pole  facility and
infrastructure,  but  he  was  not  aware  of  any  credible
buyers.  He   stated  that   the  underlying   business  was
challenged;  the  cost  of  crude  was  a  real  problem  at
present. Economic  theory suggested that the  problem was an
anomaly  that would  normalize; WTI  and ANS  would converge
back  to historic  norms.  He stated  that  the problem  had
persisted for  the past  three years.  He remarked  that the
first casualty had occurred and  the goal was to prevent two
more from occurring.
Co-Chair Stoltze  noted that the amendment  was sponsored by
the  administration  but  was  carried  by  members  of  the
Interior delegation on the committee.
Representative  Wilson   addressed  whether   Alaska  wanted
instate refineries. She  remarked that if the  answer was no
the state would  be dependent on price. She  did not believe
it   was  the   answer.  She   provided  an   example  about
competition  between large  and small  stores; small  stores
closed because they  did not have the ability  to compete on
the  same  level.  She  provided   the  capital-move  as  an
example;  it   would  devastate  the  Juneau   economy.  She
compared the issue to the  loss of Flint Hills for Fairbanks
and the North Pole. She  stressed that the state royalty oil
contract was $2.15 over the  North Slope price. She detailed
that  the state  had done  very well  buying oil  from Flint
Hills. She believed Tesoro provided  a backup as it received
oil  from  other places  at  a  more affordable  price.  She
discussed that currently the  state refineries provided fuel
to Eielson Air  Force Base, Fort Wainwright,  and Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER). She  discussed that heating oil
had been affordable  in the past; she could  not imagine how
much the  cost would increase  if oil  had to be  trucked to
Fairbanks.
Representative  Wilson continued  to discuss  the amendment.
She  spoke  to the  $50  million  investment requirement  to
receive a  second $10  million. She  believed it  would take
efficiencies  for  the  refineries to  be  competitive.  She
opined that  Petro Star would  have to do upgrades  in order
to  produce  some  of  the  product  that  Flint  Hills  had
produced.  She  had  not heard  of  anyone  considering  the
purchase of  the Flint Hills  Refinery. She had  asked Flint
Hills whether  the amendment would incentivize  it to reopen
the  refinery;  the  answer  had been  no.  She  pointed  to
credits provided  to tourism, fish,  and the  film industry.
She emphasized that the state  would be uneconomical in many
areas until energy  issues were solved for  the Interior and
rural  Alaska.   She  asked  whether   five  years   made  a
difference. She pointed to a  difference of $6 between Lower
48 cost and  North Slope costs. She referred  to the Quality
Bank and  noted that 50  percent of federal taxes  came back
to  the state.  She  acknowledged that  the amendment  would
give  significant money,  but  the  industries were  putting
money in. She understood the amendment was a big ask.
Representative  Wilson  stressed  that losing  the  industry
would have  a significant impact.  She believed that  a loss
of refineries  meant that additional  funds to  the railroad
would only  act as a  band aid.  She stated that  the future
impact  of refinery  closures on  the railroad  was not  yet
known.  She  stressed  that   the  refineries  touched  many
industries.    She   thanked    the   committee    for   its
Representative  Guttenberg asked  about  the  nature of  the
state's  refineries.   He  referred  to  the   Quality  Bank
calculation and wondered if the  state was getting the value
out of  the royalties  or ANS;  if not,  he wondered  if the
administration  had considered  participating  in action  in
front of  FERC. He  wondered about a  lack of  efficiency of
scale. He opined that in some  scenarios it would be part of
the norm to keep refining in  the state. He pointed to large
refineries  out  of  state  that  had  cheaper  product.  He
wondered whether  the instate refineries  were too  small to
do the job the state needed.
Commissioner Balash  replied that  the state  had intervened
in   the  Quality   Bank  dispute   at  FERC.   The  state's
overarching  goal and  position  in the  proceedings was  to
ensure a fair system. The  state had a financial interest in
the royalty produced that was  of higher quality (Alpine was
the  best  quality  crude  produced  on  the  North  Slope);
therefore, the  state did  not want  to take  a side  in the
proceeding that  would harm the state's  other interests. He
relayed that refineries operating  on the TAPS corridor were
not  the most  sophisticated refineries  in existence;  some
refineries in  the Lower  48 were  able to  recover products
and  value  from an  entire  barrel  of  crude. One  of  the
beauties of TAPS and the Quality  Bank was that it did allow
the  refineries  along  the  pipeline  to  take  crude  off,
recover  high-end product,  and  put the  remainder back  in
TAPS. He was  uncertain that a tremendous  difference in the
refinery  operation would  occur  if they  moved  to a  full
barrel  cracking   system.  He  opined  that   it  could  be
difficult. He believed  Tesoro did a much  more complete job
of  recovering  the full  barrel  at  its Nikiski  Refinery;
however,  he  did   not  know  if  the   entire  barrel  was
recovered.  The  administration  was hoping  the  investment
incentive  would  increase   opportunities  to  improve  the
plants for  more complete  barrel recovery.  He communicated
that a  $50 million  investment would  require a  company to
make  the $50  million back  in order  to recover  costs. He
stated that at best Petro  Star was breaking even, but could
be in  the red.  He wondered  how the  company was  going to
recover  its   capital  under  current   circumstances.  The
company  would  have  to  consider  whether  the  investment
improved its profitability enough to make it worthwhile.
Commissioner   Balash   continued   that  the   40   percent
investment  incentive   reduced  the  cost  of   making  the
investment.
Representative  Guttenberg   wondered  how  the   return  on
investment was  measured. He asked  if success was  based on
the refineries remaining  open. Commissioner Balash answered
in the affirmative related to  the short-term. He elaborated
that  in the  long-term  the  state would  like  to see  the
locally produced jet  fuel to earn back more  of the product
market share.
Representative  Thompson thanked  the  commissioner for  his
presentation. He noted that the  impact of losing a refinery
would be felt  statewide. He stated that  the possibility of
losing  Eielson Air  Force Base  and jet  fuel produced  for
JBER  were huge  for the  state. He  informed the  committee
that  Petro Star  also provided  heating oil  to Kodiak  and
propane to Valdez and Kodiak.  The fishing fleet depended on
local  refineries  for  supply.  He  communicated  that  the
Kodiak coast guard base was  supplied from Petro Star Valdez
for diesel and aviation fuel.  He underscored that the issue
was  not limited  to the  Interior; it  impacted the  entire
state. He stressed  that the cost to the  state in increased
prices  and  lost  business  could   not  be  estimated.  He
emphasized  the importance  of the  issue.  He believed  the
credits  would  allow  the refineries  to  streamline  their
businesses.  He  noted  that Petro  Star  was  currently  in
negotiations with  the railroad  to determine what  it could
do  to access  rail. He  surmised that  the amendment  could
potentially help the  railroad as well. He  conceded that it
was  a  large  chunk  of   money  upfront.  He  referred  to
Commissioner Balash's  testimony that  the state  would make
extra money  from the instate  sale of royalty  oil compared
to  shipping  it out;  figures  included  a minimum  of  $20
million  from  the  Quality   Bank  and  approximately  $160
million in  three years. He  reiterated his support  for the
amendment.
Representative  Gara  testified  against the  amendment.  He
agreed that  the state needed  to do  what it could  to keep
the Petro Star  refineries open. He stated  that the company
had  not disclosed  its  losses from  the  current year.  He
remarked that Petro  Star had been profitable  the prior two
years and  before. He stated  that the amendment  would give
the company $10  million per year for five  years whether or
not it  made a profit or  paid taxes. He continued  that the
company  would  receive  an additional  $10  million  if  it
invested $25  million in the  purchase of  transportation or
manufacturing equipment.  He detailed that Petro  Star would
receive $200 million  from the state in five  years (half of
the money for certain and the  other half as long as it made
$25  million   of  investments).   He  believed  it   was  a
significant  amount  of  money  to give  a  company  without
asking the company  what it needed and  without knowing what
the company's financial situation  was. He opined that there
had to be  a better way for the state  to help the business.
He  asserted that  the amendment's  worst  problem was  that
Tesoro did  not want  the $100 million  it would  receive in
the  five years.  He noted  that the  company had  testified
previously that  all it  wanted was the  renewal of  its RIK
contract. He noted  that the state had  been struggling with
money.  He  wondered  why  giving   the  money  away  was  a
responsible decision.
Commissioner Balash replied that  the opportunity to provide
an incentive  for instate refining  was something  the state
needed to weigh  carefully; it wanted to ensure  that it did
not pick  winners and losers.  He detailed that  because the
state  had  so  few  refineries operating,  it  presented  a
challenge. The administration had  considered a Quality Bank
credit. He relayed  that the credit would  have helped Flint
Hills and  Petro Star, but it  would not help Tesoro  in any
way.  He took  exception  to the  characterization that  the
state  did   not  ask  Petro   Star  about  its   need;  the
administration had looked at the  company's need. He was not
going  to share  the  company's tax  information in  public.
Petro  Star  had asked  for  a  volume  of  oil at  a  price
discounted to royalty in-value;  the company was prepared to
take the lower cost for the state's crude.
Commissioner  Balash communicated  that it  could have  been
feasible  if the  state  was confident  it  could limit  the
discount to  the Petro Star contract  only; however, because
of  the likely  constitutional  problem  the solution  would
have  presented  from  an   interstate  commerce  and  equal
protection   perspective,  the   state  was   concerned  the
discount would  have extended to all  80,000-plus barrels of
the  state's  royalty  production.  He stressed  that  a  $5
difference on  all of the  state's royalty  production would
cost  far more  than costs  presented in  the amendment.  He
returned  to the  question of  picking  winners and  losers,
which the state  would do if it selectively sold  its oil to
one company  at a  discounted price. The  administration was
happy  to  consider alternatives,  but  it  felt action  was
necessary due to potential long-term repercussions.
Representative Gara  discussed that  the bill  represented a
$300  million  cost to  the  state  over the  upcoming  five
years. He stated that $100 million  of the total would go to
a  company that  had not  asked for  the money.  He surmised
that there had to be a  better way to approach the issue. He
could live with a low-interest  loan or a loan that provided
Petro  Star with  a  five-year grace  period  on paying  the
state back.  He noted  that the state  would need  the money
more  in  five  years'  time  than it  did  at  present.  He
requested that  the administration  present a  more fiscally
responsible  solution. He  had  never  heard of  legislation
that would give  $20 million per year to a  company that did
not  need  the  funds.  He expressed  ire  at  the  proposed
solution. He agreed  that the state should  take some action
to help  Petro Star  in its  first year  of loss.  He stated
that if the company's first year  of loss was $5 million and
the bill  provided $20  million the  company could  give the
money to  its shareholders  or to ASRC.  He stated  that the
bill guaranteed the company $15  million in profits per year
for  the next  five years  if it  had an  annual loss  of $5
million.  He believed  the  amendment  represented a  sloppy
response   to   an   important   problem.   He   asked   the
administration to  consider a low-interest loan.  He equated
the  amendment to  a $220  Base Student  Allocation increase
that had been denied to schools.
Co-Chair  Austerman  spoke  against the  amendment.  He  was
upset  by the  lateness of  the amendment  that he  felt was
hijacking  Tesoro's royalty.  He agreed  with Representative
Gara that there  was a better way to deal  with the problem.
He  stated that  the  administration  had spent  significant
time on  items such  as the  shipyard in  Ketchikan; through
the  Alaska  Industrial  Development  and  Export  Authority
(AIDEA) the  shipyard had survived  and had become  a viable
business. He  continued that the  state was  investing money
through AIDEA to  expand the shipyard. He  stressed that the
funds were  not just a  giveaway. He  knew for at  least the
past  three years  the administration  had  been working  to
help the refineries.  He stressed that it was  wrong for the
administration  to attach  the amendment  to a  bill at  the
last minute.  He opined that  the strategy should  have been
introduced  at the  beginning  of session  or  in the  prior
year.  He underscored  that the  administration should  have
developed a  business plan for  the refineries to  work with
AIDEA  on their  long-term viability.  He felt  that it  was
unfair to  put the issue  before the legislature at  the end
of session.  He would gladly  work on  a bill with  AIDEA to
help  the  refinery.  He  stated   that  ASRC  had  made  an
investment,  but he  had not  heard  them agree  to put  any
money  forward.  He  was  uncomfortable  being  put  in  the
position. He  knew that Petro  Star was a great  company and
that ASRC  was a great  corporation. He did not  believe the
administration's request was responsible.
Co-Chair  Austerman referred  to the  seafood industry  that
had  plummeted in  2001  when Chilean  and  farmed fish  had
driven the pink  salmon price down to under  $0.05 per pound
in some  locations. Federal dollars had  bailed the industry
out; it  had made a big  difference, but the funds  had been
matching grant  programs. The $50  million provided  had not
been a  giveaway. He noted  that some fishermen  in affected
areas did receive some money in  the form of a grant. He did
not  believe the  state could  just give  the money  away to
refineries without  something. He reiterated  his opposition
to  the amendment.  He hoped  the committee  would not  hold
Tesoro's royalty hostage  because of the issue.  He would be
happy to look  at a bill if the  administration proposed one
that included a  loan program through AIDEA  that would help
refineries become solvent in the long-term.
Representative   Munoz   referred  to   the   commissioner's
testimony that  one of the  reasons instate  refineries were
struggling  was  because the  price  of  ANS crude  had  not
normalized. She asked for further detail.
Commissioner  Balash  answered  that the  department  had  a
graph showing the difference between  ANS West Coast and WTI
on  a  cost per  barrel  basis.  He  detailed that  in  2004
through 2007, ANS had been $2  less than WTI. The prices had
converged and had  been nearly identical from  2007 to 2009.
A price divergence began in 2010  and in 2011 ANS priced out
at  $15  more   per  barrel  than  WTI.   He  detailed  that
conversations  about the  cost  of refining  began with  the
cost of  the raw crude barrel  of oil. The gap  had narrowed
and  was  closer  to  a   $10  difference  at  present.  The
department expected  that in time  the price  would converge
closer to  historic trends;  up until  2007, ANS  had priced
less  than WTI.  He did  not want  to make  a prediction  on
whether it would occur again.  He concluded that because oil
was a fungible product traded  globally it was expected that
the differential would close at some point.
Representative  Munoz referred  to prior  industry testimony
that  Quality Bank  payments had  a profound  effect on  the
business  in a  negative sense.  She asked  how much  of the
funds  went to  the state  and how  the payment  had changed
over the past several years.
Commissioner   Balash  answered   that  numbers   from  2013
provided a good  baseline for the prior couple  of years. He
detailed that  in 2013 payments  into the Quality  Bank from
TAPS   refineries    were   approximately    $112   million.
Approximately $20 million of the  total had been returned to
the state through increased royalty  value. He noted that it
was also necessary  to look at the  production tax equation.
The state was  not able to go through tax  payer by taxpayer
to determine  the total impact,  but because  the production
tax system was  profits-based (it taxed on the  margin at 35
percent)  it  could  be determined  that  after  taking  the
royalty aspect  away, the amount  was close to  $30 million.
Combining the two figures  totaled approximately $50 million
returned to the treasury from refineries.
Representative  Munoz wondered  how the  funds were  used by
the  state. Commissioner  Balash replied  that the  payments
into  the  Quality Bank  were  repairing  or "making  whole"
other parties.  He discussed that there  were many varieties
of crude  produced on  the North Slope;  each oil  field had
its  own  API  [American Petroleum  Institute]  gravity  and
quality  (not all  barrels were  the  same). Originally  the
Quality Bank  had been a  way to equalize the  parties; each
barrel  put into  TAPS may  be different  at the  start, but
once  in the  pipeline  they  were one  blend  of crude.  He
explained that  the parties  providing higher  quality crude
had contributed  value to other  parties with  lower quality
crude. There  were facilities  in North  Pole and  in Valdez
that took  crude off of TAPS  and took the high  quality oil
for  jet  fuel,  diesel,  and   gasoline  and  returned  the
remainder  to the  TAPS  stream;  therefore, the  refineries
made  a payment  to  the  other oil  producers  to keep  the
entities whole.
Representative Wilson understood the  concept of not wanting
to pick  winners and losers,  but she did not  understand it
under  the  given context.  She  clarified  that by  instate
refineries  she  had been  referring  to  refineries in  the
middle of  the state (i.e.  North Pole). She  explained that
there  were  circumstances  occurring   in  the  North  Pole
refineries that were  not happening in the  other areas. She
stated that Petro  Star was under different  stresses due to
costs it had shared with  Flint Hills. She detailed that the
pipe  running   between  the  rail  yard   and  Flint  Hills
represented $3 million to $4  million in additional cost for
Petro Star.  She emphasized that  the system was  not equal.
She discussed  a storage tax  credit bill that had  passed a
few years earlier; Anchorage had  built a large storage tank
with the credits.
Co-Chair Stoltze noted that the  storage tank had been built
south of Anchorage.
Representative  Wilson  agreed   with  the  correction.  She
furthered  that  the  storage   tank  allowed  importing  of
cheaper fuels. She  wondered why the Quality  Bank could not
be used  for the  refinery that needed  it. She  wondered if
the  reason was  legal or  moral. She  wanted to  help Petro
Star  for the  next  several  years to  allow  time for  the
company to upgrade items that  resulted from the loss of its
partner or to  allow time for another party  to purchase the
Flint Hills Refinery.
Commissioner Balash answered  that the hydrocarbon business,
specifically  the gasoline,  diesel,  and  jet fuel  markets
were  unregulated  markets;  the  markets  were  trusted  to
produce a  price that  allowed a  product to  be continually
supplied. Therefore, the administration  had been careful to
not upset the  market balance or to provide  a clear benefit
to one  party, which was  the reason the  administration had
not  focused  solely  on  the   Quality  Bank.  He  did  not
characterize the issue as a question of mortality.
Representative  Wilson pointed  to the  tax credit  that had
been provided  to the storage  facility south  of Anchorage.
She  stressed that  the state  had already  "unbalanced" the
system by providing  a credit to the  facility. She surmised
that the imbalance had caused part of the problem.
Commissioner Balash  replied that  the storage  facility was
for  natural gas.  He detailed  that the  gas was  primarily
utilized by  public utilities, but  there was  an associated
benefit that accrued to Tesoro  because it relied on natural
gas to operate  its facility. He supposed there  could be an
argument that some of the  other credits provided to support
natural gas  deliverability and long-term supply  had been a
benefit realized only by Tesoro.
Representative Wilson  spoke to  the legality of  the issue.
She stated  that it had  been established that life  was not
fair;  Anchorage had  natural gas,  Juneau had  the capital,
and  Fairbanks wanted  its refinery.  She wondered  if there
was any  legal reason why  there could  not be a  credit for
the Quality  Bank. Commissioner  Balash was  not aware  of a
constitutional  challenge  that   the  item  would  present;
however, he had not spoken with legal counsel.
Representative  Wilson communicated  that she  did not  have
plans to hold  Tesoro's bill hostage. She was  looking for a
solution and  wanted to address  the issue further  with the
commissioner. She  stated that it  was not possible  to keep
everything  equal. She  did not  believe her  solution would
disadvantage  other refineries.  Additionally,  she did  not
believe  there was  any indirect  competition. The  refinery
was  using diesel;  affordable  gas may  also  make it  more
economical. She did  think there were some  legal reasons to
help the  refinery under the given  circumstances. She spoke
to avoiding spreading the benefit  unequally to parties that
may not need the help.
Representative Costello  asked about the timing  aspect. She
wondered how  long the  administration had  been considering
the three options  it had identified (two of  which had been
rejected).
Commissioner   Balash  replied   that   normally  when   the
administration pursued legislation or  made proposals to the
legislature the  process began in  August. He  detailed that
the department  advised the governor's office  about certain
topics it  would like to  see addressed by  the legislature.
He elaborated that a round  of internal and external vetting
occurred  in the  process. Under  the current  circumstance,
the department  had not had  a specific proposal in  mind in
August; it had not believed  there was a dire situation that
warranted   action.  He   relayed   that   there  had   been
conversations    about    Quality    Bank    matters;    the
administration had been watching  the spread between WTI and
ANS and  had believed it  could wait the situation  out. The
department had  believed the Quality  Bank issue  could have
been resolved  or settled at  FERC. However, on  February 4,
2014  when the  news about  Flint  Hills had  broken it  had
taken him by surprise.  As the administration considered all
of the components following the  Flint Hills announcement he
had  thought about  the revenue  requirement  for the  lines
running   between  TAPS   and   the   North  Pole   Refinery
facilities. He relayed that the  revenue requirement for the
lines was $4.5  million in 2013. He stated  that the revenue
requirement  had  been  met  by both  refineries  on  an  85
percent  to 15  percent ratio,  the latter  portion paid  by
Petro  Star.  He detailed  that  as  a result  Petro  Star's
payment would  increase from  less than  $1 million  to $4.5
million per year. He understood  that 2012 was a thin margin
for Petro  Star and that 2013  would be a breakeven  year at
best.  He  stated  that  a  Petro  Star  representative  had
confirmed  his  understanding   of  the  cost  consequences.
Subsequently,  he had  asked  Petro Star  if  it planned  to
close its  refinery too. He  relayed that the  company could
not  answer  in  February.  The company  renewed  its  crude
contracts in March; the severity  of the situation prevented
the  company  from  knowing  whether   it  would  renew  its
contract for the following year.
Commissioner  Balash continued  to answer  the question.  He
discussed that  Petro Star had  asked what the state  may be
able  to do  in response  to the  situation. Ultimately  the
administration had  asked Petro Star  what it would  take to
keep  the company  in operation.  The company  had suggested
that the  state could sell  it crude at a  discounted price.
He noted  that the cost of  crude and the Quality  Bank were
the two issues that were  "killing" the company. He informed
the  committee that  there was  not much  the administration
could do about the Quality Bank;  it could try to work out a
settlement between parties, but if  parties did not agree to
a settlement, the issue would be  left in the hands of FERC.
He  did not  know how  long  the agreement  would take.  The
administration  had  considered  selling its  royalty  at  a
discount to  Petro Star, but  due to risks to  the remainder
of   its  royalty   production  from   a  royalty   in-value
perspective,    the   idea    had   been    dismissed.   The
administration  had  begun looking  at  tax  credits in  the
middle   of  March.   Ultimately,  the   process  had   been
compressed into  approximately three weeks. He  believed the
legislature  could  improve  the  option  presented  to  the
Representative Edgmon  understood that there  were statewide
impacts  related to  the refineries.  He  pushed for  taking
some  action  to  address  the  problem.  He  observed  that
sometimes it took more than one try to get things right.
Co-Chair  Stoltze had  hoped to  adopt the  amendment during
the meeting  as a  starting point. He  remarked that  it was
hard to  edit a  blank page.  He had hoped  to begin  with a
plan even if  it was viewed to be flawed.  He believed there
were universal levels of discomfort  even from the sponsors.
He  viewed the  amendment  like a  committee substitute  and
reiterated that it was hard to work off of a blank page.
Representative  Edgmon replied  that  the  response did  not
answer his  question. He  stated that a  plan b  was needed,
but he  did not see it  at the table. He  strongly supported
taking action that worked.
Representative  Gara stated  that Petro  Star had  noted its
profits had not been good in  the past few years. He pointed
to  the high  cost of  ANS  compared to  WTI as  one of  the
problems. He  referred to  the extra cost  to Petro  Star of
approximately  $4 million  due to  the Flint  Hills Refinery
closure.  He referred  to  the hope  that  crude oil  prices
would normalize. He hoped  the administration could consider
some type  of financing provision for  distressed companies.
He noted that the  amendment included language requiring the
commissioner to  make a best  interest finding.  He believed
language  could be  devised  requiring  the commissioner  to
make  a  finding  to  justify  the  low  interest  loan  for
companies  in  need. He  referred  to  prior testimony  that
Petro  Star needed  a few  years  to find  ways to  increase
efficiency in  its operations.  He asked  the administration
to  consider  a  loan  for  companies  that  met  a  certain
standard.  He did  not object  to  the idea  of a  repayment
holiday  to  allow  the  company time  to  get  a  financial
breather.
Representative Holmes  pointed to  the sticker shock  of the
amendment. She  referred to  multiple conversations  she had
had  about  the  amendment.   She  associated  herself  with
comments  made by  Representative  Edgmon.  She did  believe
something needed  to be  done, but  she was  not comfortable
with the amendment.
Co-Chair Austerman  believed that AIDEA was  the appropriate
way address the  problem. He stated that the  agency had the
ability through simple legislation to  bond and take care of
industries. He  did not  believe it would  take long  to sit
down with  the agency to  develop a  plan; it had  been done
Co-Chair Stoltze remarked that the suggestion was good.
Commissioner  Balash was  happy  to discuss  the issue  with
AIDEA.  The  administration  had discussed  with  AIDEA  the
possibility of  refinancing the  pipelines between  TAPS and
the North Pole  refineries, but it had  found that financing
anything without  some surety that the  business was solvent
had raised red flags.
Representative  Wilson  WITHDREW  replacement  Amendment  1.
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
Co-Chair  Stoltze noted  that the  issue would  be discussed
the following day.
Commissioner Balash  appreciated the  latitude given  on the
issue. He  was confident  that the  approval of  the royalty
contract was not controversial. He  did not want to hurt the
bill for Tesoro.
Representative  Gara remarked  that there  was no  reason to
address  Amendment  2.  He looked  forward  to  a  continued
discussion on the issue.
Co-Chair Stoltze  assumed that  Amendment 2  presupposed the
adoption of replacement Amendment 1.
Representative   Gara  replied   that  he   had  presupposed
Amendment 2 would have been given more sideboards.
Co-Chair  Stoltze  thanked  the  committee  for  its  honest
dialogue. He discussed schedule for the following day.
Representative  Gara  clarified  that he  personally  should
have provided more sideboards for Amendment 2.
HB 287 Replacement Amendment #1 Thompson, Wilson.pdf HFIN 4/11/2014 6:30:00 PM
HB 89 Amendment #1 Austerman.pdf HFIN 4/11/2014 6:30:00 PM

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar
Current Context: The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is another name for the Prime Minister National Award for Children. The President of India bestows it. 11 children (six boys and five girls) from 11 different states and union territories will receive this honour in 2023 from the president.
The award is presented to children belonging to the age group 5 to 18 years.
Categories in the award:
Innovation, art and culture, sports, social service, bravery, and scholastic
Award recipients will receive a certificate, a medal, and a cash prize of one lakh rupees
The president presents the award in the Durbar Hall of his residence, the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Bal Kalyan Puraskar: Children of age less than 18 years are awarded in this category
Bal Shakti Puraskar: Children of age between 5 years and 18 years are awarded in this category.
To rescue the life of a 43-year-old woman who had fallen into the Domri river in Rajouri while washing clothes, Rohan Ramachandra Bahir dove in. For his outstanding bravery, he received a prize in the Bravery category.
Aadithya Suresh, who has had a rare bone condition from birth, is an outstanding singer with more than 500 performances. He received recognition in the arts and culture category.
Q.1 How many children were awarded Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar this year?


text:
Lake Gogebic State Park is a public recreation area covering  in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The state park sits on the western shore of Lake Gogebic, the largest inland lake in the Upper Peninsula. The land around the park is sparsely populated, and relatively flat.

History
In 1926, Gogebic County purchased land on Lake Gogebic, which it gave to the State of Michigan. E. J. Stickley and W. Bonafas gave additional land to the state and in 1930 the park opened. Two gravestones discovered in the park in 1962, engraved "1822 JOHN KEY" and "1824 WHITH", are thought by researchers to be those of fur traders or others dealing with Native Americans.

Activities and amenities
The park offers nearly a mile of beach front access, fishing, swimming, boat launch, camping, picnicking, and a  nature trail through the Ottawa National Forest.

References

External links
Lake Gogebic State Park Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Lake Gogebic State Park Map Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Lake Gogebic State Park Protected Planet

State parks of Michigan
Protected areas of Gogebic County, Michigan
Protected areas established in 1930

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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John Phillips is Digital Editor with CNBC.com, covering a range of topics including the global economy, financial markets and corporate news. Before joining CNBC, John was a copy editor at Dow Jones in Tokyo and Singapore, a producer at Timeout in London and a newsreader at Trade the News in New York. John holds an MBA from Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales du Nord and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Pace University.
The Australian economy added more jobs than expected in March easing pressure on the central bank to reduce interest rates further.
Will the Bank of Korea surprise markets again?
The Bank of Korea (BOK) may cut its growth and inflation forecasts at Thursday's policy meeting, but it's likely to hold the line against calls for more interest rate cuts.
Sentiment among Japan's big manufacturers held steady in the first quarter as companies remained pessimistic about the economy, the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey showed on Wednesday.
Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister, passed away at the age of 91 on Monday sparking a wave of social media tributes to the man widely considered the city-state's founding father.
China new home prices registered this sixth straight month of annual decline in February, as tepid demand continued to weigh on sentiment despite the government's efforts to spur buying.
Japan's exports rose at a faster-than-expected pace in February but slowed sharply from the previous month as exports to China waned amid the Lunar New Year holidays.
Japan's economy grew less than previously thought in the fourth quarter of 2014 but still crawled out of recession, revised figures showed on Monday.
New York's subway system, among the busiest in the world, carries more commuters than previously thought: researchers have identified 562 species of bacteria in the city's subway stations.
Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea may be high after the hack attack on Sony Pictures late last year, but the upcoming 28th Pyongyang marathon in April is expected to attract more westerners than ever.
Australia added more jobs than expected in December, lowering expectations for a near-term rate cut from the Reserve Bank of Australia.


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Apple today officially announced that the iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3, for Wi-Fi models and in late April for Wi-Fi + 3G models.
All models will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK at the same time in late April.
The delay to the European roll-out is more likely to do with securing complicated multi-national airtime contracts than rumoured production problems.
Pre orders will begin on March 12th in the US on the devices which range from $500 for the the 16GB wifi-only model up to a 64GB wifi and 3G equipped version for $830.
UK prices have yet to be officially announced.


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text:
Q: UIImageview shadowpath I've noticed that when you set the shadowpath on UIImageView's layer property, it kills the image quality. Can someone tell me why that happens and what the correct way of doing it is?
    imageView.layer.shouldRasterize = YES;
    imageView.layer.shadowPath = [UIBezierPath bezierPathWithRect:imageView.bounds].CGPath;

Update
It was the rasterization scale. You need to set that to your screen's scale. Else it uses the non retina image when creating the bitmap!

A: When you set should rasterize on a layer to yes it causes the layer to draw out its contents into a bitmap. Thats why the image becomes somewhat blurry.
If you omit the first line the graphic quality won't change, but if you have a lot of content it will hurt performance.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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#OTD in 1921 – The IRA ambush a train at Upton believing it is transporting an estimated fifteen British soldiers.
Stair na hÉireannIrish History'The Lonely Woods of Upton' Sean Dunphy, 3rd Cork Brigade, Charlie Hurley, Co. Cork, Irish War of Independence, Memorial at Upton station, Tom Barry, Upton Train Ambush
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) mounted an attack on a train carrying British soldiers at Upton, Co Cork. The action was a disaster for the IRA; three of its volunteers were killed and two wounded. Six British soldiers were wounded, three seriously. Six civilian passengers were killed and ten wounded in the crossfire.
Cork was by far the most violent county in Ireland during the War of Independence and had several active guerrilla brigades. Of these, the Third (west Cork) was one of the most effective and it was a unit from this Brigade that carried out the Upton ambush.
Up until the end of 1920, the British had been unable to move troops by train, due to a nationwide boycott by railway workers of trains carrying the British military. However, this strike was lifted in December 1920. While this helped the British military's mobility, it also gave the IRA a new target: trains carrying soldiers. A week before the Upton ambush, the local IRA had made a successful attack on a train travelling from Killarney to Millstreet near Drishanbeg, killing one sergeant and wounding five more soldiers.
Five days after the Drishanbeg ambush, plans were made for an attack at Upton and Innishannon railway station on a train travelling between Cork city and Bandon. The ambushers, led by Charlie Hurley, were 13 strong but had only 7 rifles, the remainder being equipped only with revolvers or semi-automatic pistols. They took up position at the station ten minutes before the train pulled in, imprisoning the station master, clearing the station and taking cover behind sacks of grain and flour taken from a store.
The train was carrying around 50 British soldiers of the Essex Regiment, who were mingled with civilian passengers throughout the train's carriages. The IRA party was therefore quite heavily outnumbered and out-gunned. However they were not warned of this, as two IRA scouts, who were supposed to have been on the train and signalled to them of British numbers, never turned up. They also wrongly believed that the British troops were all in the central carriage. As a result, when the IRA opened fire on the train, there were many civilian casualties.
The firefight lasted for only ten minutes, but in that time six civilian passengers were killed and ten wounded in the firing between the British and IRA. Six British soldiers were also injured, three of them seriously. Two IRA volunteers were killed outright, another was fatally wounded and two more were badly wounded but survived. Charlie Hurley, who had led the ambush, was among the wounded, his own gun had jammed after the first shot, and as he jumped down from the bridge, he received a bullet wound in the face and also sprained his ankle.
IRA leader Tom Barry later wrote, 'Through some miracle, the nine unwounded and two wounded got away across country, in small parties, with the British following close behind'. Three civilian passengers, one unwounded and two wounded were detained by the British on suspicion of belonging to the ambush party.
The Upton ambush was part of what Tom Barry described as 'twelve dark days' for the 3rd Cork Brigade of the IRA. Between 4–16 February, eleven members of the Brigade were killed. One was shot dead by British troops when they raided a safehouse on the 4th, another died in an accidental shooting on the 7th, two more (the Coffey brothers) were assassinated in their beds on the 14th by Black and Tans, three died at Upton on the 15th and four were killed on the 16th when they were arrested by the Essex Regiment in Kilbrittain while digging a trench and shot dead. Of the eleven dead, only those at Upton were killed in combat.
The Upton attack also highlighted the dangers, and particularly the risk to civilians, of attacking trains carrying troops. Only a month later at the Headford Ambush in neighbouring Co Kerry, an IRA column successfully attacked a train-load of troops, but again, there were civilian casualties alongside the IRA and British Army losses. One of the three men captured by the British at Upton is reported to have given information leading to the Third Cork Brigade's main column of over 100 fighters almost being encircled at the Crossbarry Ambush. Hurley himself was killed in this action.
The Upton ambush was later made famous in a popular 1960s Irish ballad titled 'The Lonely Woods of Upton'.
#OTD in Irish History – 15 February:
#OTD in 1896 – Birth of stage and film actor, Arthur Shields (younger brother of Barry Fitzgerald), in Portobello, Co Dublin.