text:
'Agric technologies, value addition key to achieving food security'
Prioritising Agriculture, value addition and availability of purchasing power have been identified as factors that can boost food security in the country.
The role of the government in providing resources to encourage farmers and processors to scale up production and processing of agricultural products while promoting local contents has also been empasised as imperative.
The foregoing was disclosed during a visit by the TETFUND Committee on Research and Development, Agriculture Thematic Group, to the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO).
Representing the Tetfund committee, Ogugua Aworh said FIIRO had played a role in industrial development in the country with regards to agricultural and food products.
"They have developed very useful products, which, unfortunately, have not been adequately appreciated by the nation. FIIRO has developed products in all aspects of food that can address nutritional problems. In weaning foods for children, FIIRO was the first to develop Soy-Ogi, and big multinationals then took a cue from it," he said.
According to him, research institutes like FIIRO should be given all resources for research on how to build the economy, thereby encouraging the industry and creating the right environment for products to be displayed, produced, and transformed into commodities for the use of the community.
"Until these things are done, the impact of FIIRO cannot be felt," he added.
Acting Director-General, FIIRO, Dr Agnes Asagbra, said the institute is into commercialisastion of new agricultural technologies that could help farmers, processors, and industrialists.
"Food processing companies acquire the technologies produced here and in turn, replicate what we do," she said.
According to her, FIIRO carries out training in the six geopolitical zones, and she also emphasised the need for public-private partnership, which is projected to provide better coverage.
"From TETFUND, we have received some of the working documents which align with our industry. They have come to expose us to how to tap into getting TETFUND funds through collaboration with fellow research institutes and universities," Asagbra added.
Representing Director-General of National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Deputy Director, Emeka Orji, said the country had been faced with challenges in optimising results, caused by lack of synergy in of various agencies.
He lauded the collaboration between FIIRO and TETFUND and said that it would bridge the gap between research, academia, and industry.
On the production of technologies, he said, "We need to upscale these products and ensure they are of global standards so that they can compete with other products in the world."
Non-oil sector is critical to Nigeria's economic recovery in 2021 – Cordros Capital
Nigeria to get five new cassava varieties
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Non-oil sector is critical to Nigeria's economic recovery in 2021 – Cordros Capital Jan 18th, 2021
Nigeria to get five new cassava varieties Jan 18th, 2021
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text:
classdef PolytopicSystem < DrakeSystem
% defines a piecewise smooth system with piecewise segments defined on a
% polytope.
% Note: the current representation using Ax>=b is simple and relatively efficient at
% runtime.  the major inefficiency is that i currently require subsystems
% to be defined even for regions that cannot exist (e.g. for the case where
% the input is saturated on *both* the max and min values.

  properties
    A        % Ax=b defines the boundaries of the polytopic regions.
    b
    subsys  % cell array of smooth systems
  end

  methods
    function obj=PolytopicSystem(A,b,subsys)
      obj=obj@DrakeSystem(0,0,0,0,false,true);

      % make sure all are consistent
      [m,n]=size(A);
      sizecheck(b,[m,1]);
      typecheck(subsys,'cell');
      sizecheck(subsys,2^m);

      typecheck(subsys{1},'SmoothRobotLibSystem');

      % copy properties from subsystem 1

      if (subsys{1}.getNumStates() ~= n) error('subsystem 1 must have the same number of states as A has columns'); end

%      for p = properties('RobotLibSystem')
%        disp(['setting property ', p]);
%        obj = set(obj,p,get(subsys{1},p));
%      end
      obj = obj.setNumContStates(subsys{1}.getNumContStates());
      obj = obj.setNumDiscStates(subsys{1}.getNumDiscStates());
      obj = obj.setNumInputs(subsys{1}.getNumInputs());
      obj = obj.setNumOutputs(subsys{1}.getNumOutputs());

      % make sure all sub systems are smooth, and have the same number of
      % inputs, states, and outputs.
      for i=2:length(subsys)
        typecheck(subsys{i},'DrakeSystem');

%        for p = properties('DrakeSystem')
%          if (get(obj,p)~=get(subsys{i},p))
%            error(['subsystem property ',p,' must match subsystem 1']);
%          end
%        end

        if (getNumContStates(subsys{i}) ~= getNumContStates(obj)) error(['sub_sys ',num2str(i),' must have the same number of continuous states as sub system 1']); end
        if (getNumDiscStates(subsys{i}) ~= getNumDiscStates(obj)) error(['sub_sys ',num2str(i),' must have the same number of discrete states as sub system 1']); end
        if (getNumInputs(subsys{i}) ~= getNumInputs(obj)) error(['sub_sys ',num2str(i),' must have the same number of inputs as sub system 1']); end
        if (getNumOutputs(subsys{i}) ~= getNumOutputs(obj)) error(['sub_sys ',num2str(i),' must have the same number of outputs as sub system 1']); end
      end

      obj.A=A;
      obj.b=b;
      obj.subsys=subsys;
    end

    function x0 = getInitialState(obj)
      x0 = getInitialState(obj.subsys{1});
    end

    function zcs = zeroCrossings(obj,t,x,u)
      zcs = obj.A*x-obj.b;
    end

    function xcdot = dynamics(obj,t,x,u)
      ind = polytopeIndex(obj,x);
      xcdot = obj.subsys{ind}.dynamics(t,x,u);
    end

    function xdn = update(obj,t,x,u)
      ind = polytopeIndex(obj,x);
      xdn = obj.subsys{ind}.update(t,x,u);
    end

    function y = output(obj,t,x,u)
      ind = polytopeIndex(obj,x);
      y = obj.subsys{ind}.output(t,x,u);
    end

    function ind = polytopeIndex(obj,x)
      % get the index of the system which is active in the state x
      bin=obj.A*x>=obj.b;
      ind = 1+bin2dec(sprintf('%d',flipud(bin)));
    end

    function h = plotRegions(obj,x0,plotdims)
      % adds a slice of the polytopic regions to a current plots

      gcf;  % will make a figure if it doesn't exist

      A=obj.A; b=obj.b;
      if (obj.getNumStates()>2)
        % set x(no_plot_dims)=x0
        no_plot_dims=1:length(x0);  no_plot_dims(plot_dims)=[];
        b = b-A(:,no_plot_dims)*x0(no_plot_dims);
        A = A(:,plot_dims);
      end

      v=axis;
      for i=1:size(A,1)  % draw a line for each half-plane
        % find the intersections of each line with the box from the current axes.
        x=[v(1:2),(b(i)-A(i,2)*v(3:4))/A(i,1)];
        y=[(b(i)-A(i,1)*v(1:2))/A(i,2),v(3:4)];
        toplot = (x>=v(1)) & (x<=v(2)) & (y>=v(3)) & (y<=v(4));
        line(x(toplot),y(toplot),'Color','k');
      end

      opt=optimset('Display','off');
      for i=1:length(obj.subsys)
        bb=sscanf(dec2bin(i-1),'%1d');bb=[zeros(length(b)-length(bb),1);bb];
        flip=-diag(2*flipud(bb)-1);
        [xtext,~,flag]=linprog(zeros(2,1),flip*A,flip*b,[],[],v([1;3]),v([2;4]),[],opt);
        if (flag>0)
          text(xtext(1),xtext(2),['$f_',num2str(i),'$'],'Interpreter','latex');
        end
      end

    end
  end

  methods (Static)
    function obj = constructFeedbackWSaturations(sys1,sys2)
      % construct feedback system, or throw error if I can't do it.

      function y=doubleSafe(x)
        y=double(x);
        if (~isa(y,'double')) error('double failed'); end
      end

      A=[]; b=[]; subsys={};

      umin1=sys1.umin; umax1=sys1.umax;
      sys1=setInputLimits(sys1,-inf,inf);

      umin2=sys2.umin; umax2=sys2.umax;
      sys2=setInputLimits(sys2,-inf,inf);

      subsys={FeedbackSystem(sys1,sys2)};
      pt = msspoly('t',1);
      px = msspoly('x',getNumStates(subsys{1}));
      [px1,px2]=subsys{1}.decodeX(px);

      if (any(~isinf([umin1; umax1])))
        % found saturation.  check if the saturation is a linear
        % (or affine) function of the state

        try
          if (~sys1.isDirectFeedthrough()) % have to do sys1 first
            py1=output(sys1,pt,px1);  % doesn't need u
            py2=output(sys2,pt,px2,py1);
          else % do sys2 first
            py2=output(sys2,pt,px2);  % doesn't need u
          end
        catch
          error('Drake:PolytopicSystem:NotSupported','can''t parse through with msspoly');
          % note: this will still trip if there is something non-polynomial
          % on an output which is not saturated.
          % could also fail in sys1.output, even if py2 does not depend py1.
          % i could definitely do it better. but this is good enough for now...
        end
        if (deg(py2,pt)>0 || deg(py2,px)>1)
          error('Drake:PolytopicSystem:NotSupported','output of system 2 must be affine in x and independent of t and u');
        end
        y0=doubleSafe(subs(py2,px,double(0*px)));
        dydx=doubleSafe(diff(py2,px));

        % y0+dydx*x<=umin
        inds=find(umin1~=-inf);
        A = [A;-dydx(inds,:)];
        b = [b;y0(inds)-umin1(inds)];
        for i=inds
          y=nan*umin1;  y(i)=umin1(i);
          c=ConstOrPassthroughSystem(y);
          for j=1:length(subsys)
            subsys={subsys{:},feedback(cascade(c,subsys{j}.sys1),subsys{j}.sys2)};
          end
        end

        % y0+dydx*x>=umax
        inds=find(umax1~=inf);
        A = [A;dydx(inds,:)];
        b = [b;umax1(inds)-y0(inds)];
        for i=inds
          y=nan*umax1;  y(i)=umax1(i);
          c=ConstOrPassthroughSystem(y);
          for j=1:length(subsys)
            subsys={subsys{:},feedback(cascade(c,subsys{j}.sys1),subsys{j}.sys2)};
          end
        end

        % note (again) the inefficiency here, that I am making a subsystem
        % for the case when the input is saturated *both* at umin and umax,
        % which can never happen.
        % specifically, I'm creating 2^(2*m) regions instead of 3^m
        % regions, where m is the number of saturating inputs.
        % ok for now (space is cheap).

      end

      if (any(~isinf([umin2; umax2])))
        try
          if (~sys1.isDirectFeedthrough()) % have to do sys1 first
            py1=output(sys1,pt,px1);  % doesn't need u
          else % do sys2 first
            py2=output(sys2,pt,px2);  % doesn't need u
            py1=output(sys1,pt,px1,py2);
          end
        catch
          error('RobotLib:PolytopicRobotLibSystem:NotSupported','can''t parse through with msspoly');
          % note: this will still trip if there is something non-polynomial
          % on an output which is not saturated.
          % could also fail in sys1.output, even if py2 does not depend py1.
          % i could definitely do it better. but this is good enough for now...
        end
        if (deg(py1,pt)>0 || deg(py1,px)>1)
          error('RobotLib:PolytopicRobotLibSystem:NotSupported','output of system 2 must be affine in x and independent of t and u');
        end
        y0=doubleSafe(subs(py1,px,double(0*px)));
        dydx=doubleSafe(diff(py1,px));

        % y0+dydx*x<=umin
        inds=find(umin2~=-inf);
        A = [A;-dydx(inds,:)];
        b = [b;y0(inds)-umin2(inds)];
        for i=inds
          y=nan*umin2;  y(i)=umin2(i);
          c=ConstOrPassthroughSystem(y);
          for j=1:length(subsys)
            subsys={subsys{:},feedback(subsys{j}.sys1,cascade(c,subsys{j}.sys2))};
          end
        end

        % y0+dydx*x>=umax
        inds=find(umax2~=inf);
        A = [A;dydx(inds,:)];
        b = [b;umax2(inds)-y0(inds)];
        for i=inds
          y=nan*umax2;  y(i)=umax2(i);
          c=ConstOrPassthroughSystem(y);
          for j=1:length(subsys)
            subsys={subsys{:},feedback(subsys{j}.sys1,cascade(c,subsys{j}.sys2))};
          end
        end
      end

      obj = PolytopicSystem(A,b,subsys);
    end
  end

end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Zim men locked up in Bots for possessing dead pangolin
By Silas Nkala | Sep. 4, 2022
File pic : A dead pangolin
BOTSWANA police on Thursday last week arrested three Zimbabweans for illegal possession of a pangolin that was dead.
A pangolin is a classified animal in the neighbouring country and is protected by the law as a special species.
Indications are that the police in Botswana were patrolling using helicopters at the Gerald Estates on Thursday night in search of the gold panners but instead found three men, Johnson Maphosa (37), Mthulisi Sibanda (35) and Raymond Mahlangu (25), all from Zimbabwe in possession of a dead pangolin.
They appeared before a Francistown Magistrates Court last Friday.
The trio was also charged with illegally staying in Botswana.
In opposing their bail, prosecutor Leano Kgalemang told the court that the suspects were a potential flight risk.
"We are to take the exhibit to the forensic laboratory for analysis. The accused persons are illegal immigrants with no place of abode in Botswana. We fear that if granted bail they might flee back to their country," said Kgalemang, adding that the offence was serious and carried a potential custodial sentence.
One of the accused persons, Maphosa, told the court that the pangolin did not belong to them. The other two did not make any submission.
Zim armed robbery suspect breaks down in Bots court
The court remanded the three in custody to September 13, 2022.
Follow Silas on Twitter @silasnkala
Gerald Estates Francistown Magistrates Court Raymond Mahlangu Leano Kgalemang
World Bank slashes global growth forecast to 2.9%, warns of 'stagflation' risk
The war in Ukraine had magnified the slowdown in the global economy, which was now entering what could become "a protracted period of feeble growth and elevated inflation," the World Bank said in its Global Economic Prospects report, warning that the outlook could still grow worse.
Ukraine war accelerates Germany's renewable energy transition
Last month German Foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, a leader of the Green Party, which entered a coalition government last fall with Prime Minister Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, pledged that Germany would stop importing oil from Russia by the end of 2022, and wean itself off Russian natural gas as soon as possible. In the short-term, that may mean finding alternative suppliers for fossil fuels, including the United States.
The end of the American dream?
BY BART STAR-JAMES United States President Joe Biden does not seem to know where he is as history slowly turns its wheels of fortune to the east. A talking head of him or an acolyte frequently appears on our screens spewing out threatening diatribes of vindictiveness and sanctions against Russia completely oblivious of the imminent […]
Renewables steal limelight in French polls
Just 10 days ahead of a runoff that will determine who will lead the European Union's second-largest economy for the next five years, polls show the centrist president is slightly ahead of his far-right rival, but the contest promises to be tight.
By The Standard Jun. 8, 2022
By The Standard May. 14, 2022
By The Standard Apr. 17, 2022

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Fulani herdsmen killed again amidst Osibanjo and Amaechi cry in Benue.
Lai Mohammed dismissed Wike 's assassination alarm.
IPOB gathering momentum again after proscription as they protest in Port Harcourt, Awka, Abakaliliki, others.
According to reports, while vice president, Osinbajo and minister of works and transport, Rotimi Amaechi were busy crying in Benue State, Fulani herdsmen on the other hand, were busy killing Benue indigenes.
I said it clear without fear or favour; I Adamu Donald Dekwagh(AP) that no one should go to sleep as vice president visit and leave Benue State!!!. Just yesterday when 2 priests and 15 worshippers that were killed by herdsmen were buried at Ayati holy mountain 22-05-2018.herdsmen were busy killing us along makurdi Naka Road. These are some of the dead bodies. APC government is a worst government at all levels and in all aspects.
Curfew In Plateau state as Fulani Herdsmen killed 233 in one village.
Herdsmen : 48 died in Kaduna Fulani herdsmen killing.


Last spring, I coordinated moving a client from her country home to an apartment for a short term living arrangement.
Her husband Dan had passed away just 6 weeks prior. They were in the process of deciding where they were moving to. They hadn't chosen a place yet but knew they could no longer remain in their country home.
Over the course of a year we downsized Jen and Dan's country home. They released so much. Rather than an auction that would make them money the saleable items were donated to support their church's garage sale and auction. Craft supplies were provided for the church's summer camp program.
We found Jen an apartment she liked in a convenient location in Barrie. Close to amenities but just for the interim while she figured what her next steps would be.
Her one-bedroom apartment was crammed. She was keeping the things that she used, needed and loved. We even rented a storage locker to keep some of those items. But of course, only for a short -term.
Six months later we started to look at condos in Barrie. I created floor plans to see what would fit of those things she desired to keep. She loved Barrie and her friends were mostly here but now that she was windowed her family wanted her to be near them.
A 2-bedroom condo with a den was found in Pickering that checked most of the boxes important to her. It was close to everything. In fact, she could walk to the mall, library and just across the street to the rec centre. And just a 10-minute drive for family members.
We packed everything else at her request and had the movers load it into the moving truck. We didn't pare down much.
Her freezer and portable dishwasher went to family.
She wanted to see what would fit and would revisit some of those questionable kitchen items once in her new condo.
Note: this is not the norm for my moving services. I work with clients to make decisions on what to keep and what to let go. This saves you money on packing, moving, unpacking and disposing of items later.
So, my team and I went in and unpacked and set up her condo. We left the kitchen to last. This was the room with the majority of those questionable items. We placed everything as she had it in the apartment including all the things she loved.
Questionable kitchen items were placed on dining the table, coffee table and other surfaces for her to see easily. I then asked her to come to see what we had done and what was left.
We added a few items and swapped out a few others. Many boxes were packed and donated to a local charity just a few blocks away. Jen released all of these items easily. She has decided that she doesn't need so much stuff. Jen is looking forward to spending with her time with family, friends and travelling.
Again, I do not recommend this approach of packing it all. But It made Jen happy. And her happiness is important to me.
In this case it reduced her stress of not having to make even more decisions in Barrie. She gave up so many things after Dan passed away and even in the year prior to that.
She was grieving lots of loss so we packed it all.
It all ended well. She was in her new home with a place for everything and everything in its place.
Jen connected with 2 girl friends that she lost touch with when she moved to Barrie. They found her Facebook. And, they live in a nearby neighbourhood. Jen was thrilled to re-connect with them after all these years. And to show off her newly set-up home.
I truly believe the universe has a way of working everything out!
Know someone that this article can help.
Using the sharing buttons above the photo please pass it along.


Scott is a software developer harking from Wirral, England.
He is the lead for the Fonts and Shapes libraries and also the primary developer looking after the ImageSharp.Drawing extensions.
Scott has had a varied professional career. His IT career started in 2005 on a help desk for a niche software product.
After his foot into the IT door he landed his first development job, it was for a web agency where, over the next 7 years, he rose through through ranks from a lowly junior developer all the way up to being their lead/principle developer working on a wide range of web solutions from local web projects all the way up to full national government web applications.
After his agency job he decided to switch things up and looking for a change of pace became a Line of Business developer at a law firm where he rebuilt most of there auxiliary systems from the ground up.
Now along side his work at Six Labors he's working as a senior developer with Warranties companies rebuilding both their internal and external systems.


text:
Q: Loop with function call faster than an empty loop I linked some assembly with some c to test the cost of a function call, with the following assembly and c source (using fasm and gcc respectively)
assembly:
format ELF

public no_call as "_no_call"
public normal_call as "_normal_call"

section '.text' executable

iter equ 100000000

no_call:
    mov ecx, iter
@@:
    push ecx
    pop ecx
    dec ecx
    cmp ecx, 0
    jne @b
    ret

normal_function:
    ret

normal_call:
    mov ecx, iter
@@:
    push ecx
    call normal_function
    pop ecx
    dec ecx
    cmp ecx, 0
    jne @b
    ret

c source:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <time.h>

extern int no_call();
extern int normal_call();

int main()
{
    clock_t ct1, ct2;

    ct1 = clock();
    no_call();
    ct2 = clock();
    printf("\n\n%d\n", ct2 - ct1);

    ct1 = clock();
    normal_call();
    ct2 = clock();
    printf("%d\n", ct2 - ct1);

    return 0;
}

The results I got were suprising. First of all, the speed depended on the order in which I linked mattered. If I linked as gcc intern.o extern.o, a typical output is
162
181

But linking in the opposite order gcc extern.o intern.o, I got an output more like:
162
130

That they are different was very suprising but is not the question I am asking. (relevant question here)
The question I am asking is how is it that in the second run the loop with the function call was faster than the loop without one, how was the cost of calling a function apparently negative.
Edit:
 Just to make mention of some of the things tried in the comments:

*

*In the compiled bytecode the function calls were not optimized away.

*Adjusting the alignment of the functions and loops to be on everything from 4 to 64 byte boundaries did not speed up no_call, though some alignments did slow down normal_call

*Giving the CPU/OS a chance to warm up by calling the functions multiple times rather than just once had no noticable effect of the lengths of times measured, neither does changing the order of the calls or running seperately

*Running for longer times does not affect the ratio, for example running 1000 times longer I got 162.168 and 131.578 seconds for my run times

Additionally, after modifying the assembly code to align on bytes, I tested giving the set of functions an additional offset and came to some more strange conclusions. Here is the updated code:
format ELF

public no_call as "_no_call"
public normal_call as "_normal_call"

section '.text' executable

iter equ 100000000

offset equ 23 ; this is the number I am changing
times offset nop

times 16 nop
no_call:
    mov ecx, iter
no_call.loop_start:
    push ecx
    pop ecx
    dec ecx
    cmp ecx, 0
    jne no_call.loop_start
    ret

times 55 nop
normal_function:
    ret

times 58 nop
normal_call:
    mov ecx, iter
normal_call.loop_start:
    push ecx
    call normal_function
    pop ecx
    dec ecx
    cmp ecx, 0
    jne normal_call.loop_start
    ret

I had to manually (and non portably) force the 64 byte alignment since FASM does not support more than 4 byte alignment for the executable section, at least on my machine. Offsetting the program by offset bytes, here is what I found.
if (20 <= offset mod 128 <= 31) then we get an output of (approximately):

162
131

else

162 (+/- 10)
162 (+/- 10)

Not sure at all what to make of it, but that's what I've discovered so far
Edit 2:
Another thing I noticed is that if you remove push ecx and pop ecx from both functions, the output becomes
30
125

which indicates that that is the most expensive part of it. The stack alignment  is the same both times, so that is not the reason for the discrepency. My best guess is that somehow the hardware is optimized to expect a call after a push or something similar, but I do not know of anything like that

A: Update: Skylake store/reload latency is as low as 3c, but only if the timing is right. Consecutive loads involved in a store-forwarding dependency chain that are naturally spaced out by 3 or more cycles will experience the faster latency (e.g. with 4 imul eax,eax in the loop, mov [rdi], eax / mov eax, [rdi] only takes the cycle count up from 12 to 15 cycles per iteration.) but when the loads are allow to execute more densely than that, some type of contention is suffered and you get about 4.5 cycles per iteration. The non-integer average throughput is also a big clue that there's something unusual.
I saw the same effect for 32B vectors (best case 6.0c, back-to-back 6.2 to 6.9c), but 128b vectors were always around 5.0c.  See details on Agner Fog's forum.
Update2: Adding a redundant assignment speeds up code when compiled without optimization and a 2013 blog post indicate that this effect is present on all Sandybridge-family CPUs.
The back-to-back (worst case) store-forwarding latency on Skylake is 1 cycle better than on previous uarches, but the variability when the load can't execute right away is similar.

With the right (mis-)alignment, the extra call in the loop can actually help Skylake observe lower store-forwarding latency from push to pop.  I was able to reproduce this with perf counters (Linux perf stat -r4), using YASM.  (I've heard it's less convenient to use perf counters on Windows, and I don't have a Windows dev machine anyway.  Fortunately the OS isn't really relevant to the answer; anyone should be able to reproduce my perf-counter results on Windows with VTune or something.)
I saw the faster times at offset = 0..10, 37, 63-74, 101, and 127 following an align 128 at the spot specified in the question.  L1I cache lines are 64B, and the uop-cache is cares about 32B boundaries.  It looks alignment relative to a 64B boundary is all that matters.
The no-call loop is a steady 5 cycles always, but the call loop can get down to 4c per iteration from its usual almost-exactly-5 cycles.  I saw slower-than-usual performance at offset=38 (5.68 +- 8.3% cycles per iteration).  There are small glitches at other points, like 5.17c +- 3.3%, according to perf stat -r4 (which does 4 runs and averaging).
It seems to be an interaction between the front-end not queueing up so many uops ahead, causing the back end to have lower latency for store-forwarding from push to pop.
IDK if reusing the same address repeatedly for store-forwarding makes it slower (with multiple store-address uops already executed ahead of the corresponding store-data uops), or what.

Test code:  bash shell loop to build & profile the asm with every different offset:
(set -x; for off in {0..127};do
    asm-link -m32 -d call-tight-loop.asm -DFUNC=normal_call -DOFFSET=$off &&
    ocperf.py stat -etask-clock,context-switches,cpu-migrations,page-faults:u,cycles,instructions,uops_issued.any,uops_executed.thread,idq.mite_uops,dsb2mite_switches.penalty_cycles -r4 ./call-tight-loop;
done ) |& tee -a call-tight-loop.call.offset-log

(set -x) in a subshell is a handy way to log commands along with their output when redirecting to a log file.
asm-link is a script that runs yasm -felf32 -Worphan-labels -gdwarf2 call-tight-loop.asm "$@" && ld -melf_i386 -o call-tight-loop call-tight-loop.o, then runs objdumps -drwC -Mintel on the result.
NASM / YASM Linux test program (assembles into a complete static binary that runs the loop and then exits, so you can profile the whole program.)  Direct port of the OP's FASM source, with no optimizations to the asm.
CPU p6    ; YASM directive.  For NASM, %use smartalign.
section .text
iter equ 100000000

%ifndef OFFSET
%define OFFSET 0
%endif

align 128
;;offset equ 23 ; this is the number I am changing
times OFFSET nop

times 16 nop
no_call:
    mov ecx, iter
.loop:
    push ecx
    pop ecx
    dec ecx
    cmp ecx, 0
    jne .loop
    ret

times 55 nop
normal_function:
    ret

times 58 nop
normal_call:
    mov ecx, iter
.loop:
    push ecx
    call normal_function
    pop ecx
    dec ecx
    cmp ecx, 0
    jne .loop
    ret

%ifndef FUNC
%define FUNC no_call
%endif

align 64
global _start
_start:
    call FUNC

    mov eax,1             ; __NR_exit from /usr/include/asm/unistd_32.h
    xor ebx,ebx
    int 0x80              ; sys_exit(0), 32-bit ABI

Sample output from a fast call run:
+ asm-link -m32 -d call-tight-loop.asm -DFUNC=normal_call -DOFFSET=3
...

080480d8 <normal_function>:
 80480d8:       c3                      ret
...

08048113 <normal_call>:
 8048113:       b9 00 e1 f5 05          mov    ecx,0x5f5e100
08048118 <normal_call.loop>:
 8048118:       51                      push   ecx
 8048119:       e8 ba ff ff ff          call   80480d8 <normal_function>
 804811e:       59                      pop    ecx
 804811f:       49                      dec    ecx
 8048120:       83 f9 00                cmp    ecx,0x0
 8048123:       75 f3                   jne    8048118 <normal_call.loop>
 8048125:       c3                      ret

 ...

 Performance counter stats for './call-tight-loop' (4 runs):

    100.646932      task-clock (msec)         #    0.998 CPUs utilized            ( +-  0.97% )
             0      context-switches          #    0.002 K/sec                    ( +-100.00% )
             0      cpu-migrations            #    0.000 K/sec
             1      page-faults:u             #    0.010 K/sec
   414,143,323      cycles                    #    4.115 GHz                      ( +-  0.56% )
   700,193,469      instructions              #    1.69  insn per cycle           ( +-  0.00% )
   700,293,232      uops_issued_any           # 6957.919 M/sec                    ( +-  0.00% )
 1,000,299,201      uops_executed_thread      # 9938.695 M/sec                    ( +-  0.00% )
    83,212,779      idq_mite_uops             #  826.779 M/sec                    ( +- 17.02% )
         5,792      dsb2mite_switches_penalty_cycles #    0.058 M/sec                    ( +- 33.07% )

   0.100805233 seconds time elapsed                                          ( +-  0.96% )

Old answer before noticing the variable store-forwarding latency
You push/pop your loop counter, so everything except the call and ret instructions (and the cmp/jcc) are part of the critical path loop-carried dependency chain involving the loop counter.
You'd expect that pop would have to wait for updates to the stack pointer by call/ret, but the stack engine handles those updates with zero latency.  (Intel since Pentium-M, AMD since K10, according to Agner Fog's microarch pdf, so I'm assuming your CPU has one, even though you didn't say anything about what CPU microarchitecture you ran your tests on.)
The extra call/ret still need to execute, but out-of-order execution can keep the critical path instructions running at their max throughput.  Since this includes the latency of a store->load forwarding from push/pop + 1 cycle for dec, this is not high throughput on any CPU, and it's a surprise that the front-end can ever be a bottleneck with any alignment.
push->pop latency is 5 cycles on Skylake, according to Agner Fog, so on that uarch your loop can only run at best one iteration per 6 cycles.
 This is plenty of time for out-of-order-execution to run the call and ret instructions.  Agner lists a max throughput for call of one per 3 cycles, and ret at one per 1 cycle.  Or on AMD Bulldozer, 2 and 2.  His tables don't list anything about the throughput of a call/ret pair, so IDK whether those can overlap or not.  On AMD Bulldozer, store/reload latency with mov is 8 cycles.  I assume it's about the same with push/pop.
It seems that different alignments for the top of the loop (i.e. no_call.loop_start:) are causing front-end bottlenecks.  The call version has 3 branches per iteration: the call, the ret, and the loop-branch.  Note that the ret's branch target is the instruction right after the call.  Each of these potentially disrupts the front-end.  Since you're seeing an actual slow-down in practice, we must be seeing more than 1 cycle delay per branch.  Or for the no_call version, a single fetch/decode bubble worse than about 6 cycles, leading to an actual wasted cycle in issuing uops into the out-of-order part of the core.  That's weird.
It's too complicated to guess about what the actual microarchitectural details are for every possible uarch, so let us know what CPU you tested on.
I will mention though that push/pop inside a loop on Skylake stops it from issuing from the Loop Stream Detector, and has to be re-fetched from the uop cache every time.  Intel's optimization manual says that for Sandybridge, a mismatched push/pop inside a loop stops it from using the LSD.  That implies that it can use the LSD for loops with balanced push/pop.  In my testing, that's not the case on Skylake (using the lsd.uops performance counter), but I haven't seen any mention of whether that was a change, or whether SnB was actually like that, too.
Also, unconditional branches always end a uop-cache line.  It's possible that with normal_function: in the same naturally-aligned 32B chunk of machine code as the call and jne, maybe the block of code doesn't fit in the uop cache.  (Only 3 uop-cache lines can cache decoded uops for a single 32B chunk of x86 code).  But that wouldn't explain the possibility of problems for the no_call loop, so you're probably not running on an Intel SnB-family microarchitecture.
(Update, yes, the loop sometimes runs mostly from legacy decode (idq.mite_uops), but usually not exclusively.  dsb2mite_switches.penalty_cycles is usually ~8k, and probably only happens on timer interrupts.  The runs where the call loop runs faster seem to be correlated with lower idq.mite_uops, but it's still 34M +- 63% for the offset=37 case where the 100M iterations took 401M cycles.)
This is really one of those "don't do that" cases: inline tiny functions instead of calling them from inside very tight loops.

You might see different results if you push/pop a register other than your loop counter.  That would separate the push/pop from the loop counter, so there'd be 2 separate dependency chains.  It should speed up both the call and no_call versions, but maybe no equally.  It could just make a front-end bottleneck more obvious.
You should see a huge speedup if you push edx but pop eax, so the push/pop instructions don't form a loop-carried dependency chain.  Then the extra call/ret would definitely be a bottleneck.

Side-note: dec ecx already sets ZF the way you want, so you could have just used dec ecx / jnz.  Also, cmp ecx,0 is less efficient than test ecx,ecx (larger code size and can't macro-fuse on as many CPUs).  Anyway, totally irrelevant to the question about relative performance of your two loops.  (Your lack of an ALIGN directive between functions means that changing the first one would have changed the alignment of the loop branch in the 2nd, but you already explored different alignments.)

A: The call to normal_function and the return from it will be correctly predicted every time except the first, so I wouldn't expect to see any difference in timing due to the presence of the call. Thus all of the differences in timing that you see (whether faster or slower) are due to other effects (such as those mentioned in the comments) rather than to the difference in code that you're actually trying to measure.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Source: "Water Transportation Occupations". U.S. DOL, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved March 31, 2007.
Note: Of these, 51 are foreign-owned: Australia 2, Canada 4, Denmark 24, Germany 2, Greece 1, Malaysia 4, Netherlands 4, Norway 2, Singapore 2, Sweden 5, Taiwan 1. 700 United States ships are registered in other countries: Antigua and Barbuda 7, Australia 3, Bahamas 121, Belize 5, Bermuda 27, Cambodia 8, Canada 2, Cayman Islands 41, Comoros 2, Cyprus 7, Greece 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 21, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 3, Italy 15, North Korea 3, South Korea 7, Liberia 93, Luxembourg 3, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 143, Netherlands 13, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 13, Panama 94, Peru 1, Philippines 8, Portugal 1, Puerto Rico 3, Qatar 1, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 21, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 7, Spain 7, Sweden 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, United Kingdom 6, Vanuatu 1, Wallis and Futuna 1. 2006 estimates.
As of October 1, 2018, the United States merchant fleet had 181 privately owned, oceangoing, self-propelled vessels of 1,000 gross register tons and above that carry cargo from port to port. Nearly 800 American-owned ships are flagged in other nations.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, various laws fundamentally changed the course of American merchant shipping. These laws put an end to common practices such as flogging and shanghaiing, and increased shipboard safety and living standards. The United States Merchant Marine is also governed by more than 25 (as of February 17, 2017) international conventions to promote safety and prevent pollution.
P.L. 95–202, approved November 23, 1977, granted veteran status to Women Airforce Service Pilots and "any person in any other similarly situated group" with jurisdiction for determination given to the Secretary of Defense who delegated that determination to the Secretary of the Air Force. Although the Merchant Marine suffered a per capita casualty rate greater than those of the US Armed Forces, merchant mariners who served in World War II were denied such veterans recognition until 1988 when a federal court ordered it. The Court held that "the Secretary of the Air Force abused its discretion in denying active military service recognition to American merchant seamen who participated in World War II."
Mates direct a ship's routine operation for the captain during work shifts, which are called watches. Mates stand watch for specified periods, usually in three duty sections, with four hours on watch and eight hours off. When on a navigational watch, mates direct a bridge team by conning, directing courses through the helmsman and speed through the lee helmsman (or directly in open ocean). When more than one mate is necessary aboard a ship, they typically are designated chief mate or first mate, second mate and third mate. In addition to watch standers, mates directly supervise the ship's crew, and are assigned other tasks. The chief mate is usually in charge of cargo, stability and the deck crew, the second mate in charge of navigation plans and updates and the third mate as the safety officer. They also monitor and direct deck crew operations, such as directing line handlers during moorings, and anchorings, monitor cargo operations and supervise crew members engaged in maintenance and the vessel's upkeep.
Engine officers, or engineers, operate, maintain, and repair engines, boilers, generators, pumps, and other machinery. Merchant marine vessels usually have four engine officers: a chief engineer and a first, second, and third assistant engineer. On many ships, Assistant Engineers stand periodic watches, overseeing the safe operation of engines and other machinery. However, most modern ships sailing today utilize Unmanned Machinery Space (UMS) automation technology, and Assistant Engineers are Dayworkers. At night and during meals and breaks, the engine room is unmanned and machinery alarms are answered by the Duty Engineer.
Able seamen and ordinary seamen operate the vessel and its deck equipment under officer supervision and keep their assigned areas in good order. They watch for other vessels and obstructions in the ship's path, as well as for navigational aids such as buoys and lighthouses. They also steer the ship, measure water depth in shallow water, and maintain and operate deck equipment such as lifeboats, anchors, and cargo-handling gear. On tankers, mariners designated as pumpmen hook up hoses, operate pumps, and clean tanks. When arriving at or leaving a dock, they handle the mooring lines. Seamen also perform routine maintenance chores, such as repairing lines, chipping rust, and painting and cleaning decks. On larger vessels, a boatswain — or head seaman — will supervise the work.
Marine oilers and more experienced qualified members of the engine department, or QMEDs, maintain the vessel in proper running order in the engine spaces below decks, under the direction of the ship's engine officers. These workers lubricate gears, shafts, bearings, and other moving parts of engines and motors; read pressure and temperature gauges, record data and sometimes assist with repairs and adjust machinery. Wipers are the entry-level workers in the engine room, holding a position similar to that of ordinary seamen of the deck crew. They clean and paint the engine room and its equipment and assist the others in maintenance and repair work. With more experience, they become oilers and firemen.
As of 2011, a typical deep-sea merchant ship has a captain, three mates, a chief engineer and three assistant engineers, plus six or more unlicensed seamen, such as able seamen, oilers, QMEDs, and cooks or food handlers known as stewards. Other unlicensed positions on a large ship may include electricians and machinery mechanics.
The merchant marine was active in subsequent wars, from the Confederate commerce raiders of the American Civil War, to the assaults on Allied commerce in the First and in the Second World Wars. 3.1 million tons of merchant ships were lost in World War II. Mariners died at a rate of 1 in 26, which was the highest rate of casualties of any service. All told, 733 American cargo ships were lost and 8,651 of the 215,000 who served perished in troubled waters and off enemy shores.
The Military Sealift Command was also involved in the Iraq War, delivering 61,000,000 square feet (5,700,000 m2) of cargo and 1,100,000,000 US gallons (4,200,000 m3) of fuel by the end of that year. Merchant mariners were recognized for their contributions in Iraq. For example, in late 2003, VADM David L. Brewer III, Military Sealift Command commander, awarded the crew of MV Capt. Steven L. Bennett the Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal.
The World War II era was the peak for the U.S. fleet. During the post-war year of 1950, for example, U.S. carriers represented about 43 percent of the world's shipping trade. By 1995, the American market share had plunged to 4 percent, according to a 1997 report by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The report states, "the number of U.S.-flag vessels has dropped precipitously — from more than 2,000 in the 1940s and 850 in 1970 to about 320 in 1996." A diminishing U.S. fleet contrasted with the burgeoning of international sea trade. For example, worldwide demand for natural gas led to the growth of the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker fleet, which reached 370 vessels as of 2007. In 2007 the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) set uniform LNG training standards at U.S. maritime training facilities. While short-term imports are declining, longer term projections signal an eightfold increase in U.S. imported LNG by 2025, the worldwide LNG fleet does not include a single U.S. flagged vessel. Moreover, only five U.S. deepwater LNG ports were operational in 2007, although permits have been issued for four additional ports, according to MARAD.
The Military Sealift Command (MSC) — an arm of the Navy — serves the entire Department of Defense as the ocean carrier of material during peacetime and war. MSC transports equipment, fuel, ammunition, and other goods essential to United States armed forces worldwide. Up to 95% of all supplies needed to sustain the U.S. military can be moved by Military Sealift Command. As of February 2017, MSC operated approximately 120 ships with 100 more in reserve. More than 5,500 civil service or contract merchant mariners staff the ships.
USNS Big Horn, a Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oiler, crewed by United States Merchant Mariners.
Unlimited tonnage deck officers (referred to as mates) and engine officers are trained at maritime academies, or by accumulating sea-time as a rating on an unlimited tonnage ship along with passing certain training courses. Officers hold senior leadership positions aboard vessels, and must train over several years to meet the minimum standards. At the culmination of training, potential deck officers must pass an extensive examination administered by the U.S. Coast Guard that spans five days. Upon meeting all requirements and passing the final license examination, new deck officers are credentialed as third mates or third assistant engineers. To advance in grade, such as to 2nd Mate or 2nd Engineer, sea time in the prior grade and additional endorsements and testing are required. The term "unlimited" indicates that there are no limits that the officer has in relation to the size and power of the vessel or geographic location of operation.
Aerial view of United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Joseph Banks Williams was the first African American to graduate from the Academy, in 1944.
George W. Bush delivering the commencement address at the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
For part of sophomore and junior year, known at the Academy as third class and second class years, midshipmen work as cadets on American-flagged unlimited tonnage merchant ships. Midshipmen are typically paired two to a ship, one engine cadet and one deck cadet. Midshipmen work and function as part of the crew and gain an opportunity for generous amounts of hands-on experience as well as the opportunity to travel abroad to many different foreign ports. The average midshipman travels to 18 countries during this period, which totals a minimum of 300 days. Due to this absence from the Academy, the remaining three academic years span from late July, through mid-June.
Maine Maritime Academy cadets enduring regimental preparatory training.
Like the Federal USMMA, the following six state maritime academies offer the same training and licensing opportunities for future United States Merchant Marine officers, with varying USCG-approved programs. Each academy operates their own training ship, which are owned by the US Government and loaned to the academy. These ships act as training laboratories during the academic year, and are sailed on by the cadets during training cruises for months at a time. One example of a training ship is USTS Golden Bear, at the California Maritime Academy.
Unlicensed personnel (synonymous with ratings) are generally trained through several private programs funded by maritime unions, shipping companies, or by one's own expense. An example training institution would be the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, or better known as "Piney Point." Generally the merchant mariner works their way up through the rates with sea time on the job. Entry level ratings would be ordinary seaman in the deck department and marine wiper in the engine department.
Senator La Follette (center), with maritime labor leader Andrew Furuseth (left) and muckraker Lincoln Steffens, circa 1915.
The Jones Act was sponsored by Senator Wesley Livsey Jones of Washington.
The "Merchant Marine Act of 1920", often called "The Jones Act", required U.S.-flagged vessels to be built in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and documented ("flagged") under the laws of the United States. Documented means "registered, enrolled, or licensed under the laws of the United States". The Act also required that all officers and 75% of the crew be U.S. citizens. Vessels satisfying these requirements comprised the "Jones Act Fleet", and only these vessels were allowed to engage in "cabotage", or carrying passengers or cargo between two U.S. ports. There are countries in which, due to lower labor standards and prevailing wages, are much cheaper to document a vessel than the United States. Critics of the act claim it unfairly restricts the lucrative domestic shipping business. Another important aspect of the Act is that it allowed injured sailors to obtain compensation from their employers for the negligence of the owner, the captain, or fellow members of the crew.
Paul L. Krinsky seen wearing the Navy reserve Merchant Marine insignia and Merchant Marine officer's crest.
John Paul Jones sailed as both third mate and chief mate, then went on to become the "Father of the American Navy".
In 2017, Sadie O. Horton, who spent World War II working aboard a coastwise U.S. Merchant Marine barge, posthumously received official veteran's status for her wartime service, becoming the first recorded female Merchant Marine veteran of World War II. Sadie Horton was one of six from a single family serving on outdated barges to assist in moving bulk war materials to defense plants and coal to the power plants along the eastern coast. This was necessary due the United States losing many ships to enemy U-boat action along the coast faster than they could be replaced.
Writers Richard Henry Dana, Jr., Ralph Ellison, Herman Melville, Louis L'Amour, and Jack Vance were merchant mariners, as were prominent members of the Beat movement: Allen Ginsberg, Herbert Huncke, Bob Kaufman, Jack Kerouac, Hubert Selby Jr. and Dave Van Ronk. Peter Baynham, the coauthor of the film Borat, and Donn Pearce, who wrote the movie Cool Hand Luke, were formerly merchant mariners.
Popeye was a merchant mariner before joining first the U.S. Coast Guard.
On the popular 1960s television sitcom "Leave It To Beaver" Wally's friend Lumpy receives informational book and application for the merchant marines.
^ Many English-speaking countries call their fleet the Merchant Navy. Terms similar to merchant marine are used in, for example, the French Marine Marchande and the Spanish Marina Mercante.
^ Maritime Administration. "Frequently Asked Questions—What does the Maritime Administration do?". Maritime Administration. Retrieved April 20, 2013.
^ "Become a Merchant Marine with America's Navy : Navy.com". www.navy.com. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
^ Office;, Webmaster: David Brown; Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems Directorate; Code N6; phone 202-685-5326 e-mail: webmaster@msc.navy.mil. Approval authority: MSC Public Affairs. "Sealift -- New direction for merchant mariners in Navy Reserve". www.msc.navy.mil. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
^ "Strategic Sealift Officer". Retrieved August 9, 2016.
^ a b "Department of Transportation: Consolidated Fleet Summary" (PDF). www.maritime.dot.gov/sites/marad.dot.gov. US Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration - Office of Policy and Plans. October 1, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
^ a b In 2006, 264 American ships are registered in the Bahamas and the Marshall Islands, widely considered flag of convenience countries.
^ a b "United States". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved March 13, 2007.
^ "Water Transportation Occupations". U.S. DOL, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved March 31, 2007.
^ "Shanghaied!". www.americanheritage.com. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ a b "Conventions". www.imo.org. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ a b "Summary of IMO conventions". www.uscg.mil. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ a b American Merchant Marine at War,. "Mariners' Struggle for Veteran Status". American Merchant Marine at War. Retrieved April 20, 2013.
^ Typical departments include the deck department, engine department, and steward's department.
^ On smaller vessels, there may be only one mate (called a pilot on some inland towing vessels), who alternates watches with the captain. The mate would assume command of the ship if the captain became incapacitated.
^ On river and canal vessels, pilots are usually regular crew members, like mates.
^ On inland waters, able seamen may simply be called "deckhands."
^ The size and service of the ship determine the number of crewmembers for a particular voyage.
^ Small vessels operating in harbors, on rivers, or along the coast may have a crew comprising only a captain and one deckhand. The cooking responsibilities usually fall under the deckhands' duties. On larger coastal ships, the crew may include a captain, a mate or pilot, an engineer, and seven or eight seamen. Some ships may have special unlicensed positions for entry level apprentice trainees.
^ "Leif Eriksson: Return to Greenland and Legacy". www.biography.com. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ "On the Water - Living in the Atlantic World, 1450-1800: Web of Connections". americanhistory.si.edu. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ "On the Water - Maritime Nation, 1800-1850: Enterprise on the Water". americanhistory.si.edu. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ "On the Water - Ocean Crossings, 1870-1969: Liners to America". americanhistory.si.edu. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums (1970). Doris A. Isaacson (ed.). Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc. pp. 280–281.
^ Privately owned, armed merchant ships known as such were outfitted as warships to prey on enemy merchant ships.
^ American Merchant Marine Casualties, USMM, retrieved July 23, 2013 .
^ "U.S. Merchant Marine Flag". U.S. Maritime Administration. Archived from the original on July 15, 2007. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
^ "Military Sea Transportation Service in Korean War (MSTS) by Salvatore R. Mercogliano". www.usmm.org. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) – MARAD". www.marad.dot.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ Bush, George W (May 21, 2002). "National Maritime Day, 2002". White house. Retrieved November 22, 2008.
^ "MSC History". www.msc.navy.mil. Webmaster: David Brown; Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems Directorate; Code N6; phone 202-685-5326 e-mail: webmaster@msc.navy.mil. Approval authority: MSC Public Affairs. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ a b c "Ready Reserve Force (RRF) – MARAD". www.marad.dot.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ a b c d e f "The National Defense Reserve Fleet" (PDF). United States Maritime Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 20, 2007. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
^ "AMO members serve in military operations, exercises". American Maritime Officer magazine. Archived from the original on July 20, 2006. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
^ "USNS Tippecanoe Demonstrates Logistical Flexibility, Conducts Fueling at Sea with Commercial Tanker". www.cpf.navy.mil. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
^ World Merchant Fleet, Table N-1.
^ "Moving U.S. Forces: Options for Strategic Mobility, Chapter 3". U.S. Congressional Budget Office. February 1997.
^ More U.S. Crews for LNG Tankers; "Training Standards Agreement Goes Forward," U.S. Transportation Department Documents and Publications. June 5, 2007.
^ "Short-Term Energy Outlook". Energy Information Administration. February 8, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
^ "Securing Liquefied Natural Gas Tankers," CQ Congressional Testimony. Statement by H. Keith Lesnick Program Director, Deepwater Port Licensing Program U. S. Maritime Administration. Committee on House Homeland Security. March 21, 2007.
^ "House panel hears maritime industry's recruiting woes," Shipping Digest. October 29, 2007.
^ "Merchant Mariner Training to Meet Sealift Requirement," A Report to Congress; U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration. August 2004.
^ "With Julie A. Nelson, Maritime Administration," Journal of Commerce. January 21, 2008.
^ "Shell to Recruit U.S. Seafarers for International LNG Fleet for the First Time," PR Newswire. February 8, 2008.
^ "OSG Signs First-Ever Agreement to Train U.S. Maritime Cadets on International Flag Vessels; OSG and Maritime Administration Form Landmark Partnership to Offer Cadet Sea Service Worldwide," Business Wire. October 15, 2007.
^ Nash, James (March 6, 2015). "Sailors stuck at sea turn to basketball and beer". The Salt Lake Tribune. Bloomberg. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
^ "Military Sealift Command Media Center". Military Sealift Command. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
^ "Employment". www.msc.navy.mil. Webmaster: David Brown; Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems Directorate; Code N6; phone 202-685-5326 e-mail: webmaster@msc.navy.mil. Approval authority: MSC Public Affairs. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
^ "Sealift -- MSC completes annual Antarctic supply run". www.msc.navy.mil. Webmaster: David Brown; Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems Directorate; Code N6; phone 202-685-5326 e-mail: webmaster@msc.navy.mil. Approval authority: MSC Public Affairs. April 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ "Sealift -- MSC's Arctic Resupply Mission to Thule Air Base". www.msc.navy.mil. Webmaster: David Brown; Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems Directorate; Code N6; phone 202-685-5326 e-mail: webmaster@msc.navy.mil. Approval authority: MSC Public Affairs. October 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ The NDRF was established under Section 11 of the Merchant Ship Sales Act of 1946.
^ The NDRF had 251 ships as of August 31, 2006. On January 1, 2003, the number was 274 vessels.
^ NDRF anchorage sites were originally located at Stony Point in New York, Fort Eustis in the James River in Virginia, Wilmington, North Carolina, Mobile, Alabama, Beaumont, Texas; Benicia in Suisun Bay in California, Astoria, Oregon and Olympia, Washington.
^ The Ready Reserve Force was originally known as the Ready Reserve Fleet, and consisted of 6 vessels. As of 2007, the RRF included 58 vessels, and this number has dropped to 46 as of early 2017.
^ Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (October 2, 2015). "Employment by industry, occupation, and percent distribution, 2014 and projected 2024: Occupation Code 53-5000, Water Transportation Workers". www.bls.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ "Federal Civilian Marine Employment with Military Sealift Command". www.msc.navy.mil. Webmaster: David Brown; Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems Directorate; Code N6; phone 202-685-5326 e-mail: webmaster@msc.navy.mil. Approval authority: MSC Public Affairs. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ Maritime academies include the federal United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York; Maine Maritime Academy in Castine; Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzard's Bay; State University of New York Maritime College in the Bronx; Texas Maritime Academy in Galveston; California Maritime Academy in Vallejo; and Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Michigan.
^ a b "Maritime Academies | MARAD". www.marad.dot.gov. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
^ a b "New Hope for Turnaround at Troubled Service Academy". New York Times. August 30, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
^ "J. B. Williams, Judge, New York City Official". The New York Times. April 19, 1992. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
^ Cruikshank, Jeffrey L.; Kline, Chloe G. (2008). In Peace and War: A History of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point. John Wiley & Sons. p. 229.
^ Price, Scott (January 12, 2011). "History: Women at the Coast Guard Academy". COAST GUARD COMPASS, OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE U.S. COAST GUARD. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
^ a b COMMANDANT of MIDSHIPMEN NOTICE 5000, dated 2016-01 (January 2016). "Regimental Calendar for Academic Year 2016–2017, from June 18, 2016 to June 19, 2017" (PDF). UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY KINGS POINT, NEW YORK. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
^ "USMMA's Acceptance Day Weekend Will Celebrate Plebe Accomplishments". U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ a b "10 U.S. Code § 651 - Members: required service". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
^ "46 U.S. Code § 51311 - Midshipman status in the Navy Reserve". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
^ "CSUM | Guest » Cal Maritime Homepage". www.csum.edu. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
^ "Maine Maritime Academy - A COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, MANAGEMENT, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION". mainemaritime.edu. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
^ "Massachusetts Maritime Academy". www.maritime.edu. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
^ "SUNY Maritime College". www.sunymaritime.edu. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
^ "Texas A&M Maritime Academy". www.tamug.edu. October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
^ "Home : Great Lakes Maritime Academy at Northwestern Michigan College". www.nmc.edu. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
^ "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | SUNY Maritime College". www.sunymaritime.edu. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ "Strategic Sealift Officer Program, Frequently Asked Questions" (PDF). SUNY Maritime. December 31, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ Note: Midshipmen are expected to use their $8,000 annual student incentive payments (paid quarterly, up to $32,000 over 4 years) to defray any costs of uniforms, books, and subsistence not covered by the Academy or State. Breach of contract, either before or after graduation, subjects the recipient of at least 2 years of such payments to recoupment, partial recoupment, waiver of indebtedness, or required military service in the Armed Force of the MARAD Administrator's choice (as approved by the Secretary of Defense or Homeland Security) of up to 2 years.
^ Shipping Out; Maria Brooks producer. The United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point also changed its admission policy in 1974, becoming the first national academy (two years ahead of, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard) to enroll women  Archived 2007-03-11 at the Wayback Machine. Historically, women who wanted to ship out encountered prejudice and superstition. Their hands-on seafaring experiences were largely limited to voyages as the captain's wife or daughter. Subsequently, some women chose to ship out by disguising themselves as men.
^ "Basic Limited Tonnage License Requirements" (PDF).
^ The full name of the "Seaman's Act" is "Act to Promote the Welfare of American Seamen in the Merchant Marine of the United States" (Act of March 4, 1915, ch. 153, 38 Stat. 1164).
^ The Seamen's Act specifically applies to vessels in excess of 100 gross tons (GT) but excluding river craft.
^ The Seaman's Act was initially proposed in 1913, but took two years to pass into Law, by which time the war had started.
^ "Adoption of Amendments to the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, 1979" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 20, 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2007.
^ "Jones Jp Chron". www.history.navy.mil. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
^ "Horton first woman to earn veteran status as WWII merchant mariner". Daily Advance. 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
^ a b "O'Hara, Edwin Joseph | Kings Pointers in World War II". kingspointww2.org. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
^ "U.S. Coast Guard History". www.uscg.mil. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
^ Bates, Stephen (November 25, 2011). "Kerouac's 'lost' debut novel is published 70 years after its conception at sea". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
"American Merchant Marine at War". usmm.org. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
"Casualty statistics World War II". usmm.org. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
"GAO-14-93, MILITARY PERSONNEL, Actions Needed to Improve Evaluation and Oversight of Reserve Officers' Training Corps Programs" (PDF). United States Government Accountability Office, Report to Congressional Committees. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
Gibson, E. Kay (2006). Brutality on Trial: Hellfire Pedersen, Fighting Hansen, And the Seaman's Act of 1915. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. p. 225. ISBN 0-8130-2991-0.
"The Merchant Marines in the Korean War". United States Army. Archived from the original on July 16, 2007. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
Herbert, Brian. "review of The Forgotten Heroes: The Heroic Story of the United States Merchant Marine". Retrieved April 1, 2007.
Marvin, Winthrop L. (1919) . "Merchant Marine of the United States". The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge. 18. New York and Chicago: Encyclopedia Americana Corp. pp. 657–664. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
Pro, Joanna (May 30, 2004). "Unsung Heroes of World War II: Seamen of the Merchant Marine still struggle for recognition". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
"Recipients of Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal". usmm.org. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
Thomas, Guy. "A Maritime Traffic-Tracking System: Cornerstone of Maritime Homeland Defense". Naval War College Regiew. Archived from the original on May 17, 2006. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
Thomas, Michelle. "Lost at Sea and Lost at Home: The Predicament of Seafaring Families" (PDF). Seafarers International Research Centre. Cardiff University. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 20, 2007. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
"United States". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved March 13, 2007.
"United States Merchant Marine Served in all Wars Since the Revolutionary War". usmm.org. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
"World Merchant Fleet, 2005" (PDF). U.S. Maritime Administration. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 21, 2007. Retrieved March 13, 2007.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to United States Merchant Marine.
Women and the Sea: The Mariner's Museum.


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Gaylord Kent Conrad (born March 12, 1948) is a former American politician who was a United States Senator from North Dakota. He is a member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, the North Dakota affiliate of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1986, he served as chairman or Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee for 12 years.

On January 18, 2011, Conrad announced that he was retiring from politics and would not run for reelection in 2012. He said in a statement that it was more important that "I spend my time and energy trying to focus on solving the nation's budget woes than be distracted by another campaign." Fellow Democrat Heidi Heitkamp was elected to replace him.

Conrad currently co-chairs the Bipartisan Policy Center's Commission on Retirement Security and Personal Savings. He is also a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One. In addition, he serves on the board of directors of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Early life
Conrad was born in Bismarck, North Dakota, the son of Abigail and Gaylord E. Conrad. He was orphaned at a young age and subsequently raised by his grandparents in Bismarck. He attended Roosevelt Elementary, Hughes Junior High, and Wheelus Air Base high school in Tripoli, Libya, before eventually graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy. He then went to college at Stanford, and received an M.B.A. from The George Washington University.

Personal life
Conrad has been married twice. His first wife, Pam, is the sister of former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer; they have a daughter, Jessamyn. Jessamyn Conrad is the author of What You Should Know About Politics ... But Don't, subtitled a Nonpartisan Guide, which was praised by Barack Obama and Bob Dole.

On February 14, 1987, Conrad married Lucy Calautti, his 1986 Senate campaign manager, who is now a lobbyist for Major League Baseball.

Early political career
After graduating from college, Conrad became a civil servant, working as an assistant to the North Dakota State Tax Commissioner, Byron Dorgan, who later became his colleague in the Senate. Conrad made his first entry into politics when he ran unsuccessfully for the North Dakota Auditor's office in 1976. In 1980 Conrad succeeded Dorgan as Tax Commissioner. Conrad was state tax commissioner until 1986, when he ran for the Senate.

U.S. Senate career

Committee assignments
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Subcommittee on Energy, Science and Technology
Subcommittee on Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant and Animal Health
Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support
Committee on the Budget (chairman)
Committee on Finance
Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, and Long-Term Growth (chairman)
Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth
Committee on Indian Affairs
Joint Committee on Taxation

Political positions

In April 2006 Time named Conrad one of "America's 10 Best Senators". That same year The American commended him for his knowledge of economic issues. Conrad endorsed Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary.

Conrad was a leading member of the "Gang of 10", a conservative group that pushed for much greater offshore drilling in sensitive environmental areas. He was well known for using charts as visual aids when speaking in the Senate, which earned him the nickname "Godfather of Charts."

Health care
In the 2009 negotiations over reforming America's healthcare system, Conrad strongly opposed a "public option." The AFL-CIO announced it would fund a primary challenge to Conrad in 2012 if he continued to oppose a public option.

On September 29, 2009, Conrad voted with Senate Finance Committee Republicans against an amendment to a health care bill that would have provided for a public option. He was supportive of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which places limits on taxpayer-funded abortions in the context of the November 2009 Affordable Health Care for America Act.

Social policies
Conrad is more politically conservative than most Democrats. He voted consistently in favor of banning the partial-birth abortion medical procedure. He also opposes public funding of abortion, but voted in favor of lifting the ban on abortions on military bases. Conrad has a mixed record on gay rights. While he personally opposes gay marriage, he voted against a proposed constitutional ban on it and has supported bills that prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation. On January 31, 2006, Conrad was one of four Democrats to vote in favor of confirming Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.

Fiscal policies
On April 17, 2012, Conrad, a strong supporter of the Simpson-Bowles plan, announced his plan to offer a version of it that he, as a member of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, helped to develop. Lawmakers on the Senate Budget Committee could be forced to vote or modify the plan.

Conrad was known for his deep understanding of monetary policies and budget issues. He identifies as a "deficit hawk", supporting a balanced federal budget, but continues to support farm subsidies. He voted against Republican proposals to repeal the estate and alternative minimum taxes. He supported lower middle-class taxes, but increased taxes for people making more than $1 million per year. In 2010 he supported extending the expiring Bush tax cuts "at least until the economy is clearly recovering."

Conrad was very vocal in his opposition to the spending policies of the George W. Bush administration. He contended that Bush worsened the national debt. Conrad also opposed most free-trade measures and strongly supported subsidies to family farmers.

Foreign policy and national security
In 1991 Conrad voted against approving the use of military force in Iraq. He was one of only 23 senators to vote against the war resolution of 2002. While he initially voted in favor of the USA PATRIOT Act, he has opposed warrantless wiretapping and government's continued use of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.

Countrywide Financial loan scandal

In June 2008 it was reported that Conrad had received mortgages on favorable terms for a second home and an apartment building due to his association with Countrywide Financial CEO Angelo R. Mozilo. Conrad acknowledged that he had spoken with Mozilo by phone. In an April 23, 2004, email about one of Conrad's loans, Mozilo encouraged an employee to "make an exception due to the fact that the borrower is a senator." Conrad denied any prior knowledge of such treatment and gave the mortgage discount to charity. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) called on the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate Conrad. In August 2009, after a yearlong inquiry, the Ethics Committee exonerated Conrad of any unethical behavior in his dealings with Countrywide.

Electoral history

Overview
In the 1986 election, Conrad defeated the Republican incumbent, Mark Andrews, by 2,120 votes. Andrews had represented North Dakota at the federal level since 1963 (he had previously served in the House before moving to the Senate in 1981).

During the campaign, Conrad pledged that he would not run for reelection if the federal budget deficit had not fallen substantially by the end of his term. By 1992 it became obvious that this would not be the case, and although polls showed that the electorate would have welcomed his reneging on that pledge, Conrad considered his promise binding and did not run for reelection. Byron Dorgan won the Democratic primary election.

Conrad received an opportunity to remain in the Senate when North Dakota's other senator, long-serving Dem-NPLer Quentin Burdick, died on September 8, 1992. Burdick's widow, Jocelyn Birch Burdick, was appointed to the seat temporarily, but a special election was needed to fill the rest of the term. Viewing this opportunity as different from running for reelection, Conrad ran for and won the Democratic-NPL's nomination. He went on to win the special election, and was sworn in on December 14, 1992, resigning his original Senate seat the same day. (Conrad's original Senate seat was then filled by Dorgan, via appointment by the governor on December 15, 1992, to fill the seat for the brief period until he would have been sworn in under normal circumstances.)

Despite North Dakota's Republican leanings, Conrad was comfortably reelected in 1994—a year when Republicans won most of the Congressional seats that were not in heavily Democratic-leaning states.

1986

 Kent Conrad (D) 50%
 Mark Andrews (R) (inc.) 49%

1992

 Kent Conrad (D) 63%
 Jack Dalrymple (R) 34%

1994

 Kent Conrad (D) (inc.) 58%
 Ben Clayburgh (R) 42%

2000

 Kent Conrad (D) (inc.) 61%
 Duane Sand (R) 39%

2006

 Kent Conrad (D) (inc.) 69%
 Dwight Grotburg (R) 30%
 Roland Riemers (I) 1%
 James Germalic (I) 0.6%

References

External links
United States Senator Kent Conrad official U.S. Senate website (archived)

FY2010 Budget Resolution
Kent Conrad Told President Obama Not To Publicly Support Bowles-Simpson, Sam Stein, Huffington Post, April 8, 2012

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1948 births
21st-century American politicians
American Unitarian Universalists
Democratic Party United States senators from North Dakota
George Washington University School of Business alumni
Living people
North Dakota Tax Commissioners
Politicians from Bismarck, North Dakota
Phillips Exeter Academy alumni
Stanford University alumni
Members of Congress who became lobbyists

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Home > Cultural Vistas Blog > Participant Experiences > Czech Teacher Brings New Perspective to Connecticut Classrooms
Features · Participant Experiences
Czech Teacher Brings New Perspective to Connecticut Classrooms
Pavel Novak already knew what he wanted to teach at South Kent School a few years before he officially arrived from the Czech Republic. He thought it would be important to tell his students at the all-boys boarding school in western Connecticut about what it was like growing up in communist Central Europe.
"I said I would like to share my first-hand experience with life in a totalitarian regime–propaganda, brainwashing, etcetera. At that time, I didn't know it would be such a hot topic," he said. "I was prepping for it before my arrival here, and then it turned out it was more than a little important to talk about it."
Pavel Novak encourages his students at South Kent School to form their own opinions about contemporary issues. He is one of 36 educators from 11 countries who began teacher exchanges with Cultural Vistas during the 2016-17 school year.
Along with other duties at South Kent, Pavel teaches Current Political Issues. He is currently taking part in Teach USA, an exchange program which brings international teachers to K-12 classrooms in the United States to share their culture and teaching styles. Pavel teaches ESL in the Czech Republic, where classroom education is more traditional and conservative. So, he wanted to use his time at the more experimental South Kent to try teaching something completely different.
According to Pavel, the head of the boarding school wants to ensure his students are fit for the challenges of our changing world. As a result, the school supplements a rigorous academic curriculum with numerous off-campus academic, experiential, and cultural opportunities. For example, students attend the Center for Innovation in the afternoon, where they can take classes in everything from oral history to farming to learning about the environment through hands-on projects, like cleaning a local polluted pond.
Pavel co-taught a farming class at the Center for Innovation. "These guys going to be future leaders of the world. If they're going to make [important] decisions, they need to know how food is produced."
"I try to be innovative [in the Czech Republic], but I'm looking for opportunities to learn new things, and South Kent is a really great place to learn new things."
It's this exchange of teaching methods and cultures that the Teach USA program facilitates every year. In addition to Pavel gaining experience teaching a new subject, South Kent students also benefit from an international perspective. According to Nancy Lyon, the school's COO, "Pavel offers a reality check and a different perspective that we can use to bounce ideas off of to add color to our own perceptions. He will often have a different take on things that we otherwise wouldn't have."
"Being exposed to different cultures is only beneficial for human lives. The earlier you start, the better," Pavel said of the importance of global education. "We should remain flexible in our thinking, because the world is changing so quickly right now…so I think one of most important skills is to be able to learn new things and be ready to accept changes in the world."
This exchange of perspectives has come to define Pavel's history class. He will often pick a contemporary issue for classroom discussion and let students form their own opinions on the event. As the school has a high percentage of international students, many contribute viewpoints from their home countries' newspapers. At the end of the conversation, Pavel encourages his students to try to understand why people from diverse backgrounds might see the same issue differently. Lately, the conversation often centers around "alternative facts" and Russia.
Part of Pavel's curriculum focuses on how to consume news and understand what is a fact so as to not be fooled by propaganda.
"I teach something about Russian history, how they manipulated newspapers and information," said Pavel. "Americans don't realize that [Russia thinks] all of central Europe is their sphere of influence and they want it back. I try to teach about problems in Europe, and that it's important for American to have allies in Europe."
"It's been huge, especially in this political year," Nancy said of Pavel's presence in the classroom. "Many of these things that we're seeing for the first time this year, he saw growing up in the Czech Republic."
Pavel spends time with students outside the classroom in South Kent's Call to Adventure program.
Pavel's exchange program goes beyond introducing American students to a Central European perspective. He hopes to bring back what's he's learned at South Kent to his Czech students, like using a discussion-based curriculum to create a more engaging classroom.
He also plans to continue his relationship with South Kent when he returns home through shared classes via Skype or other exchange programs. Additionally, though public school subjects are very limited in the Czech Republic, the interest his students at South Kent show in contemporary events gives Pavel hope that he could teach the topic as an after-school activity.
"I think they will stay…for one to two hours after school to do this because they will be eager to learn new things," said Pavel. "The guys [at South Kent] are really eager to learn about today's world, but not so eager to learn about 3,000 years ago."
Pavel and his co-teacher speak about differences in farming in the USA and the Czech Republic.
This is only the second time South Kent has hosted an international teacher, but they intend to continue to seek international opportunities for their students. "We just find it enhancing in every aspect of life– from politics to food," said Nancy.
"It's great to see how much we have in common with people who might seem so different from us when we're breaking bread over a table."
Anna Boisseau
Anna Boisseau dreamed of being an ambassador as a child, and working with Cultural Vistas has gotten her pretty close. She enjoys cheering for the Kansas City Royals, cooking farm fresh cuisine, and collecting lps of 1960's one-hit wonders.
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MEXICO - Economy
Clear Mission
CEO, Bancomext
Enrique de la Madrid is a lawyer from Mexico's National Autonomous University (UNAM) and holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is currently the CEO of Bancomext, the Mexican Bank for Foreign Trade. Previously, he served as the Executive Director of Institutional Affairs and Corporate Communication for HSBC Mexico and Latin America. Before that, he was the General Director of Financiera Rural, the government's development agency overlooking Mexico's rural sector. He has also served as the Executive President of the Mexican Council of the Consumer Products Industry (ConMéxico). From 2000 to 2003, he was a member of the Mexican House of Representatives.
/ Mexico
TBY talks to Enrique de la Madrid Cordero, CEO of Bancomext, on trade flows, working with SMEs, and finance sector reform.
Since its foundation, how has Bancomext helped to promote Mexico's foreign trade network?
Bancomext was established in 1937 to promote Mexican exports worldwide. Among development banks, Bancomext has a clear mission, which is to assist Mexico in strengthening its position in the global arena. We constantly work to develop exports, but also to finance imports, predominantly of machinery and equipment, as Mexico needs to increase its productivity through modernization. We are also helping to see a stronger internationalization of Mexican firms. And we need to see the Mexican content of our exports grow, which today is at a ratio of between 30% and 35%. Our goal as a development bank is to strengthen the growth of the country and boost employment. In 2013, our net growth in loans was around 34%. We basically grew at twice the average of other development banks. Bancomext is very much committed to the government's goal of providing additional financing at lower rates.
How are the investment flows between Spain and Mexico developing, and how is Bancomext contributing to this?
We have around 16 firms that are either Spanish firms investing in Mexico or Mexican firms investing abroad. Of those 16 firms, around six are related to tourism, another six are related to sustainable energy, and two are from the auto industry. In the tourism sector, Spanish firms have already been present in Mexico for many years. The economic situation has been difficult in Spain over the past five or six years. Not only in Spain, but also in Europe as a whole, the possibility for these Spanish companies to grow in the local or regional market is not ideal. Mexico needs further investment in tourism, energy, and the automotive sector, and meanwhile there are large Spanish companies with world-class management, cutting-edge technology, and capacity that are keen to explore new markets.
How would you assess your work among SMEs, and how important are they for national growth?
As is the case in most economies, SMEs are the biggest providers of employment, and play a significant role in GDP generation. At Bancomext we are trying to do two things. On the one hand, we need to continue supporting the major exporters, while on the other, we want to see a greater participation of SMEs in global supply chains. For example, the number of SMEs we support grew by 135% over 2013. Last year we increased our agreements and our programs with the private sector from five to 11 banks. What we do is provide them with financing and guarantees, where the latter can represent up to 70%-75% of a loan. What really happens is that these banks are then willing to take on a much higher level of risk. Overall, the SME sector has the most potential for productivity growth. We don't only want to increase the number of firms, we also want to establish a national content target. We really want to participate in an effort that goes well beyond Bancomext's traditional role. This is an initiative that we will be working on with the Ministry of Economy and with ProMéxico.
How will financial sector reform affect the banking sector, and what are your expectations?
The effects of the reforms will manifest themselves gradually but consistently. What will happen at the end of the day is that the volume of loans in the economy will grow. Today private sector loans account for 26% of GDP; the expectation is to arrive at something close to 50% within the next 10 years. If this occurs, it is estimated that GDP growth will rise by at least half a percentage point. If you add to that what is happening in the energy and telecommunications sectors, as well as in other areas, Mexico will be able to grow by at least 4% or 5% per annum. We are working toward an erosion of all obstacles to lending in Mexico. These are good years for development banks because the reforms entail more flexibility and autonomy. Significant reforms took place over 2013, but President Peña Nieto's administration and the political parties are wise enough to recognize that through participation they were helping to advance their own ideas on how to create a better Mexico.
MEXICO - Energy & Mining
Giacomo Bonfanti
CEO, GDI
MEXICO - Telecoms & IT
Country Manager, Workday
MEXICO - Finance
Harry Sacal
CEO, Pluscorp


If there is one word that your diet fears the most, it is almost certainly Thanksgiving! The holiday season is a time where you are actively encouraged to overindulge and treat yourself on a daily basis, and this is fine for lots of people, but not so fine for those of us who are trying to stick to a calorie controlled, healthy lifestyle even though these celebratory periods! Don't fear though, all is not lost! Here are seven ways to stick to your diet at Thanksgiving.
Assign someone in your family or your friendship circle to be your dieting buddy over the Thanksgiving period, having them check in with you to make sure that you are staying on track and not going overboard. When you know that there is someone you need to report to and someone looking over your shoulder, you won't be so quick to fall to temptation at the first hurdle!
A lot of people's diets go west during Thanksgiving because they just can't work up the courage to say no thank you to a second or third helping of Aunt Carol's best casserole! Work on your confidence and just feel content that your polite declining is the best thing for your health in the long run.
Fill your imagination with dreams of your healthier future rather than with all of the unhealthy food choices available at this time of the year! Take the time to put together a Pinterest board of the kinds of fit, lean bodies that you are aiming to get for yourself. The thought of achieving that is better than the taste of any pie!
No matter where you are going to celebrate, make sure that you arrive with a plan already in place. The clearer you are on what you are going to be eating and drinking and at what times, the less likely you will be to succumb to all of the snacking obstacles that being back home presents!
Be super militant and create a no cheat zone in a key space of wherever you are spending Thanksgiving. In this zone, even 99% compliance is seen as failure. This is the area in which you absolutely do not stray from your diet, even by a single bite or sip of something. It can be even more helpful if you get others to enforce the no cheat zone too!
Don't go into the holiday with the mindset of "I don't want to stray too much�, go in instead with the clear thought of "I'm going to lose weight�. The power of clear affirmation should not be underestimated.
Stop making excuses for your cheating, you are the only person that it is going to negatively effect! Don't bring out the same old tired things that you tell yourself every year at this time, because all that they bring are five or six extra pounds that you then have to lose all over again.


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