+ Complimentary Guided Campus Tour of SUTD (Singapore University of Technology and Design). An unforgettable learning experience!
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Say hello to MAKE:IT \ GEAR:IT – the first-of-its-kind holiday camp that introduces Design, Engineering and Robotics concepts with hands-on making and LEGO Mindstorms. The camp ends with a teamwork challenge where every camper is given a task to integrate and apply their knowledge.
MAKE: IT \ GEAR: IT also includes a complimentary guided tour of the Singapore University of Technology and Design – where campers are introduced to the real world of creativity and technology.
This camp is suitable for children 7 to 12 years old, customized to your child's learning ability and experience.
Your child will learn design and prototyping concepts to understand how gears work, followed by building their very own prototype of a fully-functioning Laser Clock. Kids will also learn engineering techniques and mechanical concepts by building a pulley system. Day 1 is about hands-on making, transforming everyday materials with basic hand tools and techniques including usage of the necessary tools.
Explore the boundless world of robotics and engineering with LEGO Mindstorms. Your child will learn visual programming, develop structural design skills as well as program and utilize different sensors. Day 2 is about utilizing software to enhance hardware as your child will build their own Digital Clock and automate the Pulley System.
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"Curious Kits is a home-grown brand, made up of a team of professionally trained architects who used to sit at the office just staring at the computer screen day after day. What the team really wished, was to be able to make more sketches by hand and build models from paper and cardboard.
We started Curious Kits out of a desire to see children's education and entertainment done differently. The sight of children being glued to various mobile and electronic devices made us question if this is indeed the best way for children to develop a sense of curiosity and learn about the world around them.
"We are in the middle of an IT revolution brought about by the modern digital computer. It is nearly impossible for anyone to escape this reach. Even if you are not becoming a computer scientist or IT professional, a good overall understanding of how things work can be very advantageous, because we are IT consumers.
[ MAKE: IT \ GEAR: IT ] Holiday Camp is presented by Today Got Class, in partnership with Curious Kits and The Lab.


SALARY: R697 011 – R821 052 per annum (All inclusive remuneration package). The successful candidate will be required to sign a performance agreement.
REQUIREMENTS: A National Diploma/ Degree in Information System/ Technology/ Computer Science or equivalent qualification at NQF6; 5 years IT security environment experience which includes 3 years IT security management; Relevant IT Security Management certifications (e.g. CISSP, CCNP, CCSE, CISM, CRISC) will be an added advantage; A valid driver's license.
SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES: Toolset knowledge (e.g. CISSP, CCNP, CCSE, CISM or CRISC); Communication skills (written and verbal); Good interpersonal skills; Creative and analytical; Ability to work independently and under pressure; Attention to detail.
KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS: Develop a strategy for the management of the Department's IT Security Operations Centre; Manage IT security risk assessments and report on solutions and ways to minimize and mitigate security threats; Develop strategies to handle security incidents and trigger investigations; Develop and implement a business continuity plan to ensure seamless operations during a security breach or during disaster recovery process; Manage deliverables from vendor/ suppliers and other organizational delivery entities.
NOTE: People with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
APPLICATIONS: Quoting the relevant reference number, direct your application to: Postal Address: The Human Resource: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development; Private Bag X81, Pretoria, 0001. OR Physical Address: Application Box, First Floor, Reception, East Tower, Momentum Building, 329 Pretorius Building, Pretoria, 0001.


text:
Q: FFMpeg joining audio files together, and the last file as the background I would like all audio files to be joined together and I always want the last audio file to be background.
I found an SSH command ready to do this but it only suits 3 audio files.
I wish it would work every time no matter how many audio files I put in.
ffmpeg -i 1.mp3 -i 2.mp3 -i background.mp3 -filter_complex "[0:0][1:0]concat=n=2:v=0:a=1,volume=1dB,aformat=fltp,pan=stereo|c0=c0|c1=c1[a0];[2]volume=0.5dB,aformat=fltp,pan=stereo|c0=c0|c1=c1[a1];[a0][a1]amerge,aformat=fltp[a]" -map "[a]" -strict -2 -y final.mp3

It would be best if it could be done using the php script and some library.
I found a solution to my problem here, but I would also like to make the background audio play to the end and not get cut off.
https://stackoverflow.com/a/57533505/10013762

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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FC Halifax Town v Bromley at The MBI Shay Stadium, Halifax. James Berrett for Halifax.
James Berrett believes there is a lot more to come from him in a Town shirt - and wants to stay at the club to prove it.
The Halifax-born midfielder has made 25 appearances for the club this season having joined during the early weeks of the season.
He would have played more but for a debilitating blood clot in his leg that left him out of action for a large chunk of the campaign.
Reflecting on his season at The Shay, the former Huddersfield and Carlisle man said: "Up and down really. Obviously I came in late, but I was pleased to get back playing again and enjoying it.
"Then I got the injury so that took me out for over three months.
"But I've been happy to get back since then and I think I've done well.
"It's just getting that consistency. I've had a few good games, but I wouldn't say I've been bang on it apart from a couple of games.
Berrett believes loanees Manny Duku and Devante Rodney have made a big impact since joining Halifax in February in what he feels has been a mixed season on the pitch.
"When I came in we were flying and then we dipped down a bit," he said.
"We've had good spells and bad spells, we've not really been off it in many games.
"We've never really not been in games, and if we can turn some of those draws into wins....I think Devante and Manny have given us a real threat up-front and if we'd had that all the way through, we'd have picked up more points.
"There's some big hitters in this league and I'm sure we're not up there in terms of that, but in that respect we've done well.
"As a group, we know we're capable of being better for longer spells.
"I think we've had maybe two or three games where we've been good and then not so good.
The 30-year-old is out of contract in the summer, but is keen to stay at the club.
"I would, yeah. I was born in Halifax, it's a great club," he said.
"I've really enjoyed it. I used to come and watch with my dad years ago so to be playing for them is a nice feeling.
"Living close by helps as well. I've travelled here, there and everywhere in my career so it's nice to be settled here.


The Bisexual Peer Support Group is an open topic group run by a trained facilitator. The group open to all who identify as bisexual or who are questioning their sexuality.
The Bisexual Peer Support Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings of each month from 7:30pm to 9:00pm.
Note: Due to the weather, The LOFT's Bisexual Peer Support Group is CANCELLED on February 12th.
The February 12th showing of "Colette" will now be rescheduled to February 26th.
Pizza & Cookies will also be served!


text:
365 U.S. 320 - Tampa Electric Company v. Nashville Coal Company
365 US 320 Tampa Electric Company v. Nashville Coal Company
5 L.Ed.2d 580
TAMPA ELECTRIC COMPANY, Petitioner,
NASHVILLE COAL COMPANY et al.
No. 87.
Argued Dec. 15, 1960.
Decided Feb. 27, 1961.
Mr. William C. Chanler, New York City, for petitioner.
Mr. Abe Fortas, Washington, D.C., for respondents.
Mr. Justice CLARK delivered the opinion of the Court.
We granted certiorari to review a declaratory judgment holding illegal under § 3 of the Clayton Act1 a requirements contract between the parties providing for the purchase by petitioner of all the coal it would require as boiler fuel at its Gannon Station in Tampa, Florida, over a 20-year period. 363 U.S. 836, 80 S.Ct. 1612, 4 L.Ed.2d 1723. Both the District court, 168 F.Supp. 456, and the Court of Appeals, 276 F.2d 766, Judge Weick dissenting, agreed with respondents that the contract fell within the proscription of § 3 and therefore was illegal and unenforceable. We cannot agree that the contract suffers the claimed anti-trust illegality2 and, therefore, do not find it necessary to consider respondents' additional argument that such illegality is a defense to the action and a bar to enforceability.
Petitioner Tampa Electric Company is a public utility located in Tampa, Florida. It produces and sells electric energy to a service area, including the city, extending from Tampa Bay eastward 60 miles to the center of the State, and some 30 miles in width. As of 1954 petitioner operated two electrical generating plants comprising a total of 11 individual generating units, all of which consumed oil in their burners. In 1955 Tampa Electric decided to expand its facilities by the construction of an additional generating plant to be comprised ultimately of six generating units, and to be known as the 'Francis J. Gannon Station.' Although every electrical generating plant in peninsular Florida burned oil at that time, Tampa Electric decided to try coal as boiler fuel in the first two units constructed at the Gannon Station. Accordingly, it contracted with the respondents3 to furnish the expected coal requirements for the units. The agreement, dated May 23, 1955, embraced Tampa Electric's 'total requirements of fuel * * * for the operation of its first two units to be installed at the Gannon Station * * * not less than 225,000 tons of coal per unit per year,' for a period of 20 years. The contract further provided that 'if during the first 10 years of the term * * * the Buyer constructs additional units (at Gannon) in which coal is used as the fuel, it shall give the Seller notice thereof two years prior to the completion of such unit or units and upon completion of same the fuel requirements thereof shall be added to this contract.' It was understood and agreed, however, that 'the Buyer has the option to be exercised two years prior to completion of said unit or units of determining whether coal or some other fuel shall be used in same.' Tampa Electric had the further option of reducing, up to 15%, the amount of its coal purchases covered by the contract after giving six months' notice of an intention to use as fuel a by-product of any of its local customers. The minimum price was set at $6.40 per ton delivered, subject to an escalation clause based on labor cost and other factors. Deliveries were originally expected to begin in March 1957, for the first unit, and for the second unit at the completion of its construction.
In April 1957, soon before the first coal was actually to be delivered and after Tampa Electric, in order to equip its first two Gannon units for the use of coal, had expended some $3,000,000 more than the cost of constructing oil-burning units, and after respondents had expended approximately $7,500,000 readying themselves to perform the contract, the latter advised petitioner that the contract was illegal under the antitrust laws, would therefore not be performed, and no coal would be delivered. This turn of events required Tampa Electric to look elsewhere for its coal requirements. The first unit at Gannon began operating August 1, 1957, using coal purchased on a temporary basis, but on December 23, 1957, a purchase order contract for the total coal requirements of the Gannon Station was made with Love and Amos Coal Company. It was for an indefinite period cancellable on 12 months' notice by either party, or immediately upon tender of performance by respondents under the contract sued upon here. The maximun price was $8.80 per ton, depending upon the freight rate. In its purchase order to the Love and Amos Company, Tampa estimated that its requirements at the Gannon Station would be 350,000 tons in 1958; 700,000 tons in 1959 and 1960; 1,000,000 tons in 1961; and would increase thereafter, as required, to 'about 2,250,000 tons per year.' The second unit at Gannon Station commenced operation 14 months after the first, i.e., October 1958. Construction of a third unit, the coal for which was to have been provided under the original contract, was also begun.
The record indicates that the total consumption of coal in peninsular Florida, as of 1958, aside from Gannon Station, was approximately 700,000 tons annually. It further shows that there were some 700 coal suppliers in the producing area where respondents operated, and that Tampa Electric's anticipated maximum requirements at Gannon Station, i.e., 2,250 tons annually, would approximate 1% of the total coal of the same type produced and marketed from respondents' producing area.
Petitioner brought this suit in the District Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2201, 28 U.S.C.A. § 2201, for a declaration that its contract with respondents was valid, and for enforcement according to its terms. In addition to its Clayton Act defense, respondents contended that the contract violated both §§ 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act which, it claimed, likewise precluded its enforcement. The District Court, however, granted respondents' motion for summary judgment on the sole ground that the undisputed facts, recited above, showed the contract to be a violation of § 3 of the Clayton Act. The Court of Appeals agreed. Neither court found it necessary to consider the applicability of the Sherman Act.
Decisions of District Court and Court of Appeals.
Both courts admitted that the contract 'does not expressly contain the 'condition" (276 F.2d 771) that Tampa Electric would not use or deal in the coal of respondents' competitors. Nonetheless, they reasoned, the 'total requirements' provision had the same practical effect, for it prevented Tampa Electric for a period of 20 years from buying coal from any other source for use at that station. Each court cast aside as 'irrelevant' arguments citing the use of oil as boiler fuel be Tampa Electric at its other stations, and by other utilities in peninsular Florida, because oil was not in fact used at Gannon Station, and the possibility of exercise by Tampa Electric of the option reserved to it to build oil-burning units at Gannon was too remote. Found to be equally remote was the possibility of Tampa's conversion of existing oil-burning units at its other stations to the use of coal which would not be covered by the contract with respondents. It followed, both courts found, that the 'line of commerce' (168 F.Supp. 460) on which the restraint was to be tested was coal—not boiler fuels. Both courts compared the estimated coal tonnage as to which the contract pre-empted competition for 20 years, namely, 1,000,000 tons a year by 1961, with the previous annual consumption of peninsular Florida, 700,000 tons. Emphasizing that fact as well as the contract value of the coal covered by the 20-year term, i.e., $128,000,000, they held that such volume was not 'insignificant or insubstantial' and that the effect of the contract would 'be to substantially lessen competition,' in violation of the Act. Both courts were of the opinion that in view of the executory nature of the contract, judicial enforcement of any portion of it could not be granted without directing a violation of the Act itself, and enforcement was, therefore, denied.4
In the almost half century since Congress adopted the Clayton Act, this Court has been called upon 10 times,5 including the present, to pass upon questions arising under § 3. Standard Fashion Co. v. Magrane-Houston Co., 1922, 258 U.S. 346, at page 356, 42 S.Ct. 360, at page 362, 66 L.Ed. 653, the first of the cases, held that the Act 'sought to reach the agreements embraced within its sphere in their incipiency, and in the section under consideration to determine their legality by specific tests of its own * * *.' In sum, it was declared, § 3 condemned sales or agreements 'where the effect of such sale or contract * * * would under the circumstances disclosed probably lessen competition, or create an actual tendency to monopoly.' 258 U.S. at pages 356—357, 42 S.Ct. at page 362. This was not to say, the Court emphasized, that the Act was intended to reach every 'remote lessening' of competition only those which were substantial—but the Court did not draw the line where 'remote' ended and 'substantial' began. There in evidence, however, was the fact that the activities of two-fifths of the Nation's 52,000 pattern agencies were affected by the challenged device. Then, one week later, followed United Shoe Machinery Corp. v. United States, 1922, 258 U.S. 451, 42 S.Ct. 363, 66 L.Ed. 708, which held that even though a contract does 'not contain specific agreements not to use the (goods) of a competitor,' if 'the practical effect * * * is to prevent such use,' it comes within the condition of the section as to exclusivity. 258 U.S. at page 457, 42 S.Ct. at page 365. The Court also held, as it had in Standard Fashion, supra, that a finding of domination of the relevant market by the lessor or seller was sufficient to support the inference that competition had or would be substantially lessened by the contracts involved there. As of that time it seemed clear that if 'the practical effect' of the contract was to prevent a lessee or buyer from using the products of a competitor of the lessor or seller and the contract would thereby probably substantially lessen competition in a line of commerce, it was proscribed. A quarter of a century later, in International Salt Co. v. United States, 1947, 332 U.S. 392, 68 S.Ct. 12, 92 L.Ed. 20, the Court held, at least in tying cases, that the necessity of direct proof of the economic impact of such a contract was not necessary where it was established that 'the volume of business affected' was not 'insignificant or insubstantial' and that the effect was 'to foreclose competitors from any substantial market.' 332 U.S. at page 396, 68 S.Ct. at page 15. It was only two years later, in Standard Oil Co. v. United States, 1949, 337 U.S. 293, 69 S.Ct. 1051, 93 L.Ed. 1371, that the Court again considered § 3 and its application to exclusive supply or, as they are commonly known, requirements contracts. It held that such contracts are proscribed by § 3 if their practical effect is to prevent lessees or purchasers from using or dealing in the goods, etc., of a competitor or competitors of the lessor or seller and thereby 'competition has been foreclosed in a substantial share of the line of commerce affected.' 337 U.S. at page 314, 69 S.Ct. at page 1602.
In practical application, even though a contract is found to be an exclusive-dealing arrangement, it does not violate the section unless the court believes it probable that performance of the contract will foreclose competition in a substantial share of the line of commerce affected. Following the guidelines of earlier decisions, certain considerations must be taken. First, the line of commerce, i.e., the type of goods, wares, or merchandise, etc., involved must be determined, where it is in controversy, on the basis of the facts peculiar to the case.6 Second, the area of effective competition in the known line of commerce must be charted by careful selection of the market area in which the seller operates, and to which the purchaser can practicably turn for supplies. In short, the threatened foreclosure of competition must be in relation to the market affected. As was said in Standard Oil Co. v. United States, supra:
'It is clear, of course, that the 'line of commerce' affected need not be nationwide, at least where the purchasers cannot, as a practical matter, turn to suppliers outside their own area. Although the effect on competition will be quantitatively the same if a given volume of the industry's business is assumed to be covered, whether or not the affected sources of supply are those of the industry as a whole or only those of a particular region, a purely quantitative measure of this effect is inadequate because the narrower the area of competition, the greater the comparative effect on the area's competitors. Since it is the preservation of competition which is at stake, the significant proportion of coverage is that within the area of effective competition.' 337 U.S. at page 299, note 5, 69 S.Ct. at page 1055.
In the Standard Oil case, the area of effective competition the relevant market—was found to be where the seller and some 75 of its competitors sold petroleum products. Conveniently identified as the Western Area, it included Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Similarly, in United States v. Columbia Steel Co., 1948, 334 U.S. 495, 68 S.Ct. 1107, 92 L.Ed. 1533, a § 1 Sherman Act case, this Court decided the relevant market to be the competitive area in which Consolidated marketed its products, i.e., 11 Western States. The Court found Consolidated's share of the nationwide market for the relevant line of commerce, rolled steel products, to be less than 1/2 of 1%, an 'insignificant fraction of the total market,' 334 U.S. at page 508, 68 S.Ct. at page 1114; and its share of the more narrow but only relevant market, 3%, was described as 'a small part,' 334 U.S. at page 511, 68 S.Ct. at page 1116, not sufficient to injure any competitor of United States Steel in that area or elsewhere.
Third, and last, the competition foreclosed by the contract must be found to constitute a substantial share of the relevant market. That is to say, the opportunities for other traders to enter into or remain in that market must be significantly limited as was pointed out in Standard Oil Co. v. United States, supra. There the impact of the requirements contracts was studied in the setting of the large number of gasoline stations—5,937 or 16% of the retail outlets in the relevant market—and the large number of contracts, over 8,000, together with the great volume of products involved. This combination dictated a finding that 'Standard's use of the contracts (created) just such a potential clog on competition as it was the purpose of § 3 to remove' where, as there, the affected proportion of retail sales was substantial. 337 U.S. at page 314, 69 S.Ct. at page 1062. As we noted above, in United States v. Columbia Steel Co., supra, substantiality was judged on a comparative basis, i.e., Consolidated's use of rolled steel was 'a small part' when weighed against the total volume of that product in the relevant market.
To determine substantiality in a given case, it is necessary to weigh the probable effect of the contract on the relevant area of effective competition, taking into account the relative strength of the parties, the proportionate volume of commerce involved in relation to the total volume of commerce in the relevant market area, and the probable immediate and future effects which pre-emption of that share of the market might have on effective competition therein. It follows that a mere showing that the contract itself involves a substantial number of dollars is ordinarily of little consequence.
The Application of § 3 Here.
In applying these considerations to the facts of the case before us, it appears clear that both the Court of Appeals and the District Court have not given the required effect to a controlling factor in the case—the relevant competitive market area. This omission, by itself, requires reversal, for, as we have pointed out, the relevant market is the prime factor in relation to which the ultimate question, whether the contract forecloses competition in a substantial share of the line of commerce involved, must be decided. For the purposes of this case, therefore, we need not decide two threshold questions pressed by Tampa Electric. They are whether the contract in fact satisfies the initial requirement of § 3, i.e., whether it is truly an exclusive-dealing one, and, secondly, whether the line of commerce is boiler fuels, including coal, oil and gas, rather than coal alone.7 We, therefore, for the purposes of this case, assume, but do not decide, that the contract is an exclusive-dealing arrangement within the compass of § 3, and that the line of commerce is bituminous coal.
Neither the Court of Appeals nor the District Court considered in detail the question of the relevant market. They do seem, however, to have been satisfied with inquiring only as to competition within 'Peninsular Florida.' It was noted that the total consumption of peninsular Florida was 700,000 tons of coal per year, about equal to the estimated 1959 requirements of Tampa Electric. It was also pointed out that coal accounted for less than 6% of the fuel consumed in the entire State.8 The District Court concluded that though the respondents were only one of 700 coal producers who could serve the same market, peninsular Florida, the contract for a period of 20 years excluded competitors from a substantial amount of trade. Respondents contend that the coal tonnage covered by the contract must be weighed against either the total consumption of coal in peninsular Florida, or all of Florida, or the Bituminous Coal Act area comprising peninsular Florida and the Georgia 'finger,' or, at most, all of Florida and Georgia. If the latter area were considered the relevant market, Tampa Electric's proposed requirements would be 18% of the tonnage sold therein. Tampa Electric says that both courts and respondents are in error, because the '700 coal producers who could serve' it, as recognized by the trial court and admitted by respondents, operated in the Appalachian coal area and that its contract requirements were less than 1% of the total marketed production of these producers; that the relevant effective area of competition was the area in which these producers operated, and in which they were willing to compete for the consumer potential.
We are persuaded that on the record in this case, neither peninsular Florida, nor the entire State of Florida, nor Florida and Georgia combined constituted the relevant market of effective competition. We do not believe that the pie will slice so thinly. By far the bulk of the overwhelming tonnage marketed from the same producing area as serves Tampa is sold outside of Georgia and Florida, and the producers were 'eager' to sell more coal in those States.9 While the relevant competitive market is not ordinarily susceptible to a 'metes and bounds' definition, cf. Times-Picayune Pub. Co. v. United States, 345 U.S. 594, 611, 73 S.Ct. 872, 881, 97 L.Ed. 1277, it is of course the area in which respondents and the other 700 producers effectively compete. Standard Oil Co. v. United States, supra. The record shows that, like the respondents, they sold bituminous coal 'suitable for (Tampa's) requirements,' mined in parts of Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Ohio and Illinois. We take notice of the fact that the approximate total bituminous coal (and lignite) product in the year 1954 from the districts in which these 700 producers are located was 359,289,000 tons, of which some 290,567,000 tons were sold on the open market.10 Of the latter amount some 78,716,000 tons were sold to electric utilities.11 We also note that in 1954 Florida and Georgia combined consumed at least 2,304,000 tons, 1,100,000 of which were used by electric utilities, and the sources of which were mines located in no less than seven States.12 We take further notice that the production and marketing of bituminous coal (and lignite) from the same districts, and assumedly equally available to Tampa on a commercially feasible basis, is currently on a par with prior years.13 In point of statistical fact, coal consumption in the combined Florida-Georgia area has increased significantly since 1954. In 1959 more than 3,775,000 were there consumed, 2,913,000 being used by electric utilities including, presumably, the coal used by the petitioner.14 The coal continued to come from at least seven States.15 From these statistics it clearly appears that the proportionate volume of the total relevant coal product as to which the challenged contract pre-empted competition, less than 1%, is, conservatively speaking, quite insubstantial. A more accurate figure, even assuming pre-emption to the extent of the maximum anticipated total requirements, 2,250,000 tons a year, would be .77%.
It may well be that in the context of antitrust legislation protracted requirements contracts are suspect, but they have not been declared illegal per se. Even though a single contract between single traders may fall within the initial broad proscription of the section, it must also suffer the qualifying disability, tendency to work a substantial—not remote—lessening of competition in the relevant competitive market. It is urged that the present contract pre-empts competition to the extent of purchases worth perhaps $128,000,000,16 and that this 'is, of course, not insignificant or insubstantial.' While $128,000,000 is a considerable sum of money, even in these days, the dollar volume, by itself, is not the test, as we have already pointed out.
The remaining determination, therefore, is whether the pre-emption of competition to the extent of the tonnage involved tends to substantially foreclose competition in the relevant coal market. We think not. That market sees an annual trade in excess of 250,000,000 tons of coal and over a billion dollars—multiplied by 20 years it runs into astronomical figures. There is here neither a seller with a dominant position in the market as in Standard Fashions, supra; nor myriad outlets with substantial sales volume, coupled with an industry-wide practice of relying upon exclusive contracts, as in Standard Oil, supra; nor a plainly restrictive tying arrangement as in International Salt, supra. On the contrary, we seem to have only that type of contract which 'may well be of economic advantage to buyers as well as to sellers.' Standard Oil Co. v. United States, supra, 337 U.S. at page 306, 69 S.Ct. at page 1058. In the case of the buyer it 'may assure supply,' while on the part of the seller it 'may make possible the substantial reduction of selling expenses, give protection against price fluctuations, and * * * offer the possibility of a predictable market.' Id., 337 U.S. at pages 306 307, 69 S.Ct. at page 1058. The 20-year period of the contract is singled out as the principal vice, but at least in the case of public utilities the assurance of a steady and ample supply of fuel is necessary in the public interest. Otherwise consumers are left unprotected against service failures owing to shutdowns; and increasingly unjustified costs might result in more burdensome rate structures eventually to be reflected in the consumer's bill. The compelling validity of such considerations has been recognized fully in the natural gas public utility field. This is not to say that utilities are immunized from Clayton Act proscriptions, but merely that, in judging the term of a requirements contract in relation to the substantiality of the foreclosure of competition, particularized considerations of the parties' operations are not irrelevant. In weighing the various factors, we have decided that in the competitive bituminous coal marketing area involved here the contract sued upon does not tend to foreclose a substantial volume of competition.
We need not discuss the respondents' further contention that the contract also violates § 1 and § 2 of the Sherman Act, for if it does not fall within the broader proscription of § 3 of the Clayton Act it follows that it is not forbidden by those of the former. Times-Picayune Pub. Co. v. United States, supra, 345 U.S. at pages 608—609, 73 S.Ct. at page 880.
The judgment is reversed and the case remanded to the District Court for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.
It is so ordered.
Judgment reversed and case remanded to the District Court for further proceedings.
Mr. Justice BLACK and Mr. Justice DOUGLAS are of the opinion that the District Court and the Court of Appeals correctly decided this case and would therefore affirm their judgments.
'It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in commerce, in the course of such commerce, to lease or make a sale or contract for sale of goods * * * for use, consumption, or resale within the United States * * * on the condition, agreement, or understanding that the lessee or purchaser thereof shall not use or deal in the goods * * * of a competitor or competitors of the * * * seller, where the effect of such lease, sale, or contract for sale or such condition, agreement, or understanding may be to substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly in any line of commerce.' 15 U.S.C. § 14, 15 U.S.C.A. § 14.
In addition to their claim under § 3 of the Clayton Act, respondents argue the contract is illegal under the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1, 2, 15 U.S.C.A. §§ 1, 2.
The Facts.
The original contract was with Potter Towing Company, and by subsequent agreements with Tampa Electric responsibility thereunder was assumed by respondent West Kentucky Coal Company.
Cf. Kelly v. Kosuga, 358 U.S. 516, 79 S.Ct. 429, 3 L.Ed.2d 475.
Application of § 3 of the Clayton Act.
For discussion of previous cases, see Standard Oil Co. v. United States, 337 U.S. 293, 300—305, 69 S.Ct. 1051, 1055—1058, 93 L.Ed. 1371.
See International Boxing Club of New York, Inc. v. United States, 358 U.S. 242, 79 S.Ct. 245, 3 L.Ed.2d 270.
In support of these contentions petitioner urges us to consider that it remains free to convert existing oil-burning units at its other plants to coal-burning units, the fuel for which it would be free to purchase from any seller in the market; also that just as it is permitted to use oil at its other plants, so, too, it may construct all future Gannon units as oil burners; and that in any event it is free to draw a maximum of 15% of its Gannon fuel requirements from by-products of local customers. Petitioner further argues that its novel reliance upon coal in fact created new fuel competition in an area that theretofore relied almost exclusively upon oil and, to a lesser extent, upon natural gas.
Relevant Market of Effective Competition.
Oil and, to a lesser extent, natural gas are the primary fuels consumed in Florida.
Peabody Coal Company offered to supply petitioner with coal from its mines in western Kentucky, for use in the units at another of its Florida stations, and that offer prompted a renegotiation of the price petitioner was paying for the oil then being consumed at that station.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1 U.S. Census of Mineral Industries: 1954, Series: MI-12B, p. 4 (1957).
Id., at 12B—6.
1,569,000 tons from counties in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina; 412,000 tons from counties in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee; the balance was produced in other counties in West Virginia, Virginia and western Kentucky. Id., at 12B—10.
United States Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Mines, II Minerals Yearbook (Fuels), 1959.
United States Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Mines, Mineral Market Report, M.M.S. No. 3035, p. 23 (1960). These statistics were taken from sources cited by respondents.
1,787,000 tons from certain counties in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina; 1,321,000 tons from counties in Alabama, Georgia and elsewhere in Tennessee; 665,000 tons from the western Kentucky fields; 2,000 tons from other counties in West Virginia and Virginia. Ibid.
Effect on Competition in the Relevant Market.
In this connection we note incidentally that in Appalachian Coals, Inc., v. United States, 1933, 288 U.S. 344, 369, 53 S.Ct. 471, 477, 77 L.Ed. 825, cited by respondents, Chief Justice Hughes quoted testimony showing that in 1932 it was nothing those days 'for one interest or one concern to buy several million tons of coal.' At note 7. The findings of the District Court, 1 F.Supp. 339, showed that one utility consumed 2,485,000 tons of coal a year. Other concerns had requirements running from 30,000 to 250,000 tons annually, while a textile manufacturer used 600,000 tons. 288 U.S. at page 370, note 8, 53 S.Ct. at page 478. The Chief Justice also stated in his opinion that, within 24 counties in Kentucky, Tennessee (in both of which respondents operate) and their competitive States of Virginia and West Virginia, 'there are over 1,620,000 acres of coal bearing land, containing approximately 9,000,000,000 net tons of recoverable coal * * *.' 288 U.S. at page 369, 53 S.Ct. at page 477.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It's a Thursday afternoon, we've just arrived in Killarney and I'm standing in front of a really cute clock on the station platform. I'ts only 2:30 p.m and I've already been awake ten and a half hours.
I decide at that moment that 4 a.m is not my hour. In fact, I make a promise to myself that I'm going to spend the rest of my life avoiding it like the plague, only ever making the odd exception for something important like a visit from the Queen.
The air is fresh and clean, the weather is better than expected (grey but no rain in sight) and a taxi driver pulls up out of nowhere, ready to drive us to our B & B, which is coincidentally in the middle of nowhere on an unnamed road. After ten minutes of praying that the taxi driver would be able to find his way on the little information we gave him, we finally make it to the door of our home for the next five days.
Cue abandoned suitcases and a trip to the nearest pub, Jarvey's Rest, in which an Irish barman (whom I shall name John the Legend, purely because I didn't have a chance to catch his name) quoted Homer Simpson at us; '24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a crate'.
Yep, we'd made it to Ireland.
I was not prepared for how far away everything is. Want to quickly pop down to the town and grab a coffee? Want to buy yourself a bottle of wine for the evening? Well get your hiking boots on and get ready for a 40 minute walk. At least.
Maybe we should have done the smart thing and brought the car.
But you live and learn, especially after deciding to just walk the hour and twenty minute walk to Killarney town centre.
The only good thing about that long walk was the amazing views. Example above.
I'd like to say it's sunny and that you'll get a good tan, but that would be dishonest of me. The sun does make an appearance but blink and you'll probably miss it. In fact, you know you've really made it to Ireland when you look out of your window, take in the low lying fog, fast approaching rain clouds and grey skies, ready to start your tour around the Ring of Kerry and your B & B host happily declares "At least you have good weather for it".
But, lack of Mediterranean weather aside, Ireland is everything you thought it would be and more and you'll 100% want to come back because oh my god, rain or shine, fog or clear skies, it is still so beautiful!
Don't believe me? Here are some Polaroids to prove it.
When you're in Ireland, you expect bad weather, but don't consider it a negative. We did our tour of the Ring of Kerry on a wet, foggy day, meaning that when we were high up in the mountains, at times we were unable to see more than a few feet in front of us. Did that matter? No. The scenery was still dreamy, and pictures where still taken.
But if you really can't stomach being out in the bad weather then I'll pass on some wise words from the one and only Shawn O'Sullivan (our amazing driver and tour guide of the Ring of Kerry) who claims that on wet days, 'There are only two things to do in Ireland. Stay in bed or go to the pub. And it costs too much to stay in bed'.
Truly words and pictures will never give this place justice. You could visit the National Park every day for a week, take a picture of Lough Leane (the lake) in the same place every day but just with a different shade of weather in the background and still be able to enjoy it as though you'd seen it for the first time.
Still don't believe me? Then you should really come for yourself.
And don't forget to have a Guinness!
Lovely post, glad you are having a good time!!!


The Land of Enchantment is known for its unbeatable cuisine, gorgeous high desert landscapes and soulful culture.
However, most people do not realize the state of New Mexico is also a mecca for iconic and one-of-a-kind architecture. In fact, it is filled with some of the most important and arresting historical structures in the country.
To celebrate this unique heritage, New Mexico MainStreet created Off the Road in New Mexico, a comprehensive database for historic and cultural tourists interested in extraordinary landmark destinations located in New Mexico MainStreet and Arts & Culture Districts.
So, if you are looking for a new adventure steeped in history and beauty, follow along on our tour of New Mexico's great architectural works of art. What follows is a true adventure guaranteed to feed your soul.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using X3Code.Utilities.Extensions;
using Xunit;

#region Disable Resharper Warnings

// ReSharper disable ArrangeTypeMemberModifiers
// ReSharper disable UnusedMember.Local
// ReSharper disable InconsistentNaming

#endregion

#pragma warning disable 0169

namespace UnitTests.XUnit.UtilitiesTests.Extensions
{
	public class IntExtension_specs
	{
		[Fact]
		public void Falls_ein_bestimmter_Datumswert_benötigt_wird()
		{
			var fünfzehnterJuni = 15.Juni(2015);

			Assert.Equal(fünfzehnterJuni.Day, 15);
			Assert.Equal(fünfzehnterJuni.Month, 6);
			Assert.Equal(fünfzehnterJuni.Year, 2015);
		}

		[Fact]
		public void Falls_bestimmte_Datumswerte_benötigt_werden()
		{
			const int jahr = 2015;

			var datumswerte = new List<DateTime>
			{
				6.Januar(jahr),
				14.Februar(jahr),
				2.März(jahr),
				1.April(jahr),
				3.Mai(jahr),
				17.Juni(jahr),
				8.Juli(jahr),
				7.August(jahr),
				4.September(jahr),
				4.Oktober(jahr),
				9.November(jahr),
				24.Dezember(jahr)
			};

			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 1, 6))), 1);
			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 1, 6))), 1);
			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 2, 14))), 1);
			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 3, 2))), 1);
			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 4, 1))), 1);
			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 5, 3))), 1);
			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 6, 17))), 1);
			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 7, 8))), 1);
			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 8, 7))), 1);
			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 9, 4))), 1);
			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 10, 4))), 1);
			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 11, 9))), 1);
			Assert.Equal(datumswerte.Count(x => x.Equals(new DateTime(jahr, 12, 24))), 1);
		}
	}
}

#pragma warning restore 0169

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Proclamations for the New Age
By Ancient-Wolf Peace-Bringer of the Dran Rashar, through prayer, meditation and spiritual journeys with the Divine.
Many of you know that we entered a new age of humanity on December 21st, 2012. The old Age of approximately 26,500 years ended, and the New Age has begun. Thus, we cleanse away the things of the previous Age with our thanks for their presence, and we step into a new way of being.
Messiahs and Avatars
The Age of Messiahs is over. In the previous Age there were Messiahs for each of the astrological mini-ages contained within every Great Age. Mithras came in the Age of Ares along with Moses (each to different regions) and others, and Yeshua came in the Age of Pisces along with others to other cultures just prior to his arrival. Yeshua, the one many call Jesus, was the final Messiah of the Age, and was also an Avatar, a representation of Divine presence on Earth.
The Messiah's were messengers of the previous Age, to bring humanity back on track. Humanity so often fell away from the teachings of the Divine, and were given many chances to learn again with each Messiah. Along with Messiahs were many prophets, including many great prophets, to many different cultures, but too often the majority of humanity would not learn. So, Yeshua was sent as a final Messiah, to work miracles and to reaffirm the teachings of Love and community. Unfortunately, people still fell away.
All of the Messiahs of the previous Age now walk among us, but you have not recognized them and most of you never will recognize them. They are only here to observe and to gently guide. They will be recognized when the Divine spirit comes upon them in the great reckoning. The Dran Rashar know them.
It was once that there was only one gender, female. Even today there are some creatures which are only female, which reproduce by themselves. The design of the previous age was for male and female, to further expand human consciousness through the balance of the two. The design of the New Age will be multiple genders. Keep in mind that gender is separate from one's physical sex and from one's sexual orientation.
We have already seen, especially towards the end of the previous Age, a diversity in gender growing. Many Native American tribes recognized two-spirit people, those who were completely male and female in spirit regardless of their physical sexual characteristics. In more recent times we've seen the rise of those who feel more androgynous (which literally means being both male and female, though it's often used to mean "without gender) as well as those who are male but more effeminate, or female and more masculine, both among heterosexuals and homosexuals. In addition, we've also seen many people who were born one physical sex yet felt more comfortable with being the other physical sex, those who are transgendered and/or transsexual. All of this was a precursor to the new expression of gender in this New Age.
Eventually, humanity will potentially evolve to contain more than two physical sexes as well; however, whether or not that ever happens, the question of gender will become more of a personal goal, and less something which you care about in others. In other words, gender and gender expression will be very individual, and we will only appreciate that individuality in others, never disdain it.
This individuality will be expressed in mannerisms, style of dress, hair choices, and many other subtle and unique ways.
While we are still a two-gendered species, one can expect to see sexual orientation also be less of a question, as most people will fall in love with whoever they fall in love with, and won't necessarily have a specific sexual orientation. However, we will still have those who lean more towards homosexual or heterosexual. Expect a move more towards the middle of the Kinsey scale, which will soon be obsolete anyway. Another person's sexual orientation will only be a question if one is sexually interested in that person, and it will only be a simple matter without much contention.
I see new phrases popping up, "That's so last Age," and "that's so nac," (nac being short for anachronistic.) The phrases will denote any way of thinking which is stuck in the last Age, especially when it comes to questions of gender and sexual orientation, or style of dress and hairstyle. People will be so into celebrating differences, that anyone who can't adapt to the New Age way of thinking will be met with one of these phrases.
The Youth Will Lead Us
The author of this paper will be turning 40 this year. He is of the first generation of leaders who are here to lead the transition into the New Age. However, children who were born since 1991 are those who will be the leaders of the New Age. They have already begun the new way of thinking for the most part, and the rest of them will soon wake up to it. Listen to their wisdom, and teach them well without telling them how to think. Let them find their own truth with your guidance, and find your own truth with their guidance!
If the New Age has any "Messiahs," it is these youth, and their descendants. Soon, everyone will be in that frame of being, and there will no longer be a need for specific Divine messengers. There will still be those who dedicate more of their lives to spiritual pursuits and who will act as ministers, priests and guides, but a person's spiritual journey will be very individual and we will no longer feel threatened by differences in beliefs between one another.
The author of this paper has been called to bear the sacred tobacco pipe for over 15 years; however, tobacco smoking is a thing of the previous Age, and it will no longer be a part of the daily ceremony. Your prayers with tobacco will still be heard, even if you smoke it, but it is no longer necessary to smoke tobacco.
Towards the end of the last Age, it became more common to use tobacco only in physical offerings, instead of smoking it. They would lay prayer ties, or sprinkle tobacco on the ground at a sacred spot for prayer. However, the world still needed us pipe-bearers to smoke tobacco as well.
The new way of praying with tobacco will be to lay it as an offering, or to burn it in fire without directly smoking it. The most holy way to use it in the New Age is to mix it with cornmeal, especially blue cornmeal or white cornmeal, and throw a small handful of it into a bonfire. When it is laid as an offering it should also be mixed similarly with cornmeal in the New Age.
You should use only natural tobacco, organically grown. It is far better to grow it yourself, but secondarily good to get it from someone you know who grows it. You may also purchase organic tobacco in a store if it is your only option.
There will still be a few pipe bearers, especially of the older generations, during the first part of this New Age, but its use as a smoking herb will be greatly reduced until it is almost never smoked by anyone.
Planting Prayer
In the previous Age, humanity destroyed much of the Earth, and reduced wild plants greatly. Thus, in the New Age, there is a new form of prayer which many people have already begun doing. This is the planting prayer.
It is simple enough. You take a seed or a seedling, if necessary you nurture it until it is able to survive on its own, and then you plant it somewhere. Plant it in your yard, in a nearby park or forest or wherever you can. It almost doesn't matter what kind of plant, other than it should be a plant which is native to that habitat in that region, and not something injurious such as poison oak, ivy or sumac. Even when planting in your yard, choose a plant which is native to your region.
As you plant it say, "with this plant I offer renewal to the Earth so that the Divine (you can say God, or use any name or names for the Divine you normally use) will bless me with renewal in my spirit. As this plant is given to the Earth, may my prayers be heard." Then state your prayers, remember to give thanks, and close in whatever way you feel is appropriate, including watering the plant.
It will be good to keep a stock of seeds and seedlings (some wild plants can just be sewn directly by seed, and don't need you to tend them first) so that you are always ready for such a prayer. Remember when you're traveling to pick up seeds for the locations in which you'll be staying so that you can be ready for prayer there as well.
Remember that many cultures think of this New Age as the "flower" age, so flowering plants will be especially powerful for this prayer, as are trees, especially flowering trees of course. However, again, any native plant is a good choice.
Baptism was a convention of the last part of the last Age. Mithras had a form of it, Moses had the ritual bath, and John the Baptist and Yeshua brought in what we know today as Baptism. The idea of it was to symbolically take us out of selfish animalistic thinking, into a rebirth of the soul into a more spiritually pure way of thinking which is focused on love, charity, kindness, community, and peace. The version brought by the Essenes, John the Baptist, and Yeshua, was for the Age of Pisces, and was a baptism in fresh water.
The first part of the New Age will have a ritual of baptism, which is purely voluntary. Your immortal soul is not at risk for not undertaking the ritual, but it is greatly blessed and you are and feel so much stronger in spirit after you are newly baptized.
The New Age begins with the small age of "Aquarius," another water sign, which is why there is a new water baptism. However, this one must be done in sea water, instead of fresh water, and it is not a full immersion baptism. This new baptism is a symbol of the rebirth of humanity which takes place during the first part of this New Age. It is a sign that one is dedicated to the Divine, and to the global community and spirit of the Earth including all of humanity. The waters of the ocean touch all of the Earth either directly or through weather.
The most sacred place for this new baptism is Morro Rock in Morro Bay, California. The Baptism must be done by a member of the Dran Rashar, or by someone who has been baptized by the Dran Rashar at Morro Rock. There are many other power spots where baptisms can occur, but the first ones should occur at Morro Rock beach.
If one cannot get to the ocean, sea water may be brought in a glass jar (NO PLASTIC) to the person to perform the baptism. Please do not swallow sea water under any circumstances.
While technology will play an important role in the New Age, its biggest role won't occur for a thousand years or more. As this New Age begins, more people will realize the toxic nature of our current technology and demand something far better.
In addition, people will start returning to their connection with the Earth, and seeking non-electronic ways of doing things. Electronic media will be seen as unreliable for a while, and people will start seeking other ways of doing things. Thus, you will have a mix of modern electronic technology and more steam-punk, and earlier era inspired ways of doing things with modern twists.
The greatest inventors and most respected minds of this Age will be those who create the ways of making life work well without electronics, and those who work to make electronics no longer toxic.
I'd like to call this first part of the New Age the "Steam Punk Era," because of the modern Steam Punk movement, and it will be celebrated in history books far into and beyond the new electronic era which will follow it.
The New Age is marked by a much greater care for the environment as well. We spent so much time destroying it, we will no longer tolerate its destruction. The power structures which encourage its destruction will be toppled by their own weight, and we will see the resources of the planet used to the benefit of all without ever being abused or hoarded by any.
This new care for the environment is, of course, what will be part of the biggest drive to the Steam Punk Era, and the technology developed during and following that Era will be far more geared towards environmental friendliness and eliminating its negative effects on human health.
The Reckoning is a time which is inevitable, but of which no prophet whom you can trust will ever predict the date. Only the Divine knows when it is coming, and the Messiah's of the previous Age may be reincarnated several more times before it occurs, or it may happen in the next year. The only thing known about the timing of it is that it will be within this New Age which just began. Only those who have sought after love, wisdom, community, charity, and peace are those who will remain for the future of humanity.
The reckoning is a time of strife, and the Divine will walk the Earth at that time. The Earth will be cleansed, and reborn for the future of humanity and its evolution. It is after that time of reckoning that humanity will begin to physically evolve.
The eras I foresee for this New Age are aside from this time of reckoning, and may only be interrupted by it. However, because of the nature of these eras, I would be lead to believe that the time of reckoning may be sooner rather than later. At the same time, it is just as likely that the Reckoning will occur at the end of the Age, and that it will just be that those who have spiritually evolved in the previous Age are the only ones being born in this Age.
Many cultures around the world have talked about this time of Reckoning. The Christians talk about the Apocalypse. The Norse call it Ragnarok, the war of the gods. The Hindus think of it as the end of the Kali Yuga, when the Earth is destroyed and reborn. The Mayans talk about the gods returning. The Hopi speak of the appearance of the Blue Star Kachina as a mark of a time of reckoning and rebirth for humanity. There are as many ways to phrase it as there are cultures and religions on Earth, perhaps even more. However, it ultimately boils down to the same thing; those who have worked towards the Light, towards Love, towards spiritual growth, those are the chosen and the elect who will move forward to the New Earth when Heaven and Earth are reborn.
Dran Rashar Home


text:
Hartsfield-Jackson's future hangs on lease with Delta
Maria Saporta October 25, 2009 12:15 pm
For decades, Delta Air Lines and the city of Atlanta have played a delicate dance.
Both have proclaimed their eternal love for each other — crediting each other for their own growth.
That partnership has led to Delta becoming the world's largest airline and Hartsfield-Jackson becoming the largest and busiest airport in the world.
And yet both have had to balance that love with their own self-interests.
For Delta, that self-interest is to limit the amount of airline competition that comes to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport by trying to have as much control as it can over the airport.
But for the city and the airport, that self-interest is making sure that there's enough airline competition to keep fares as competitive as possible and that Atlanta residents have multiple travel options. At the same time, the city wants to make sure Delta keeps its headquarters and its major hub in Atlanta along with its well-paying jobs.
The city and Delta are now trying to strike that delicate balance once again with the current negotiations on a master lease agreement between the city and the airline.
The situation is further complicated by several factors.
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin would like to complete the deal while she's still in office (which is less than three months). Plus, she has said she's willing to give Delta a favorable deal in the spirit of the unique history between the city and the airline.
Delta knows of the mayor's desire to do a deal (and it would love to negotiate with Franklin rather than an unknown new mayor), so is taking full advantage of its bargaining position.
But the draft agreement that has been struck between the mayor's office and Delta executives is raising great concern for how it potentially would limit competition at Hartsfield-Jackson.
What makes these negotiations even more troubling is that it's clear that Franklin and her office have taken the lead in these negotiations instead of the professional executives at Hartsfiled-Jackson, specifically Ben DeCosta, the airport's general manager. Earlier this year, Delta CEO Richard Anderson made it clear that he wanted to negotiate directly with Franklin and freeze out DeCosta from the process.
As a result, the draft agreement is now being challenged by the Federal Aviation Administration for having "several potentially anticompetitive provisions" in a letter dated Oct. 9.
Also, AirTran, the second largest airline serving Atlanta, has expressed similar concerns in a letter to DeCosta on Sept. 10.
The agreement is now in the hands of the Atlanta City Council. On Monday, Oct. 26 at 3 p.m., the council's Transportation Committee will hold its second workshop within a week to examine and potentially revise the proposed lease.
For starters, the agreement is merely a proposed extension of the current 30-year master lease between Delta and the city, an agreement set to expire next September. Initially, the hope among airport officials had been to negotiate a totally new agreement from scratch. But in the interest of time, the mayor and Delta decided it would be easier to extend the current lease.
As proposed, the master lease would last for seven years, beginning next September.
But most airports are striking leases for shorter terms because of the fluctuations in the economy and the airline industry.
"The lease agreements that have been negotiated more recently have been for five years," said Debby McElroy, executive vice president for the Airports Council International – North America. "Seven years a little longer than normal, and the fact that it's an extension of an existing lease makes it even more unusual."
So point one, should the new master lease be for five years instead of seven?
Second, Delta and many other airlines have enjoyed "exclusive" use of gates at Hartsfield-Jackson. Because of the exclusivity on gates, there are limited opportunities for other airlines to begin or expand service at Hartsfield-Jackson.
The new agreement eliminates the exclusive gates and converts most to "preferential" gates.
"There is a new provision that I'm quite pleased with, and that is the preferential gate provision," Franklin said at the Transportation Committee's work session last Wednesday. "This gives the city a higher level of competition because it puts airlines on notice that when they are not using the gates, they revert back to the airport."
(When gates are reverted back to the airport, they become common use gates, giving the city and the airport maximum flexibility to lease out those gates as needed).
But there's a big difference of opinion when it comes to "preferential" gates as to what should be the level of use required before they revert back to the airport and become common use gates.
Originally, the draft agreement called for gates to revert to the airport if traffic at a gate was less than 675 seats per day. The FAA expressed concern that such a level could be considered as being "de facto" exclusive, meaning Delta would be able to maintain its hold on all its existing gates.
Since then, the agreement has been further watered down to only 600 seats per gate per day, which would make it even harder for the airport to get back control of gates that weren't being used to their full potential. Airport officials have said that a better number would be between 700 to 750 seats per gate per day.
Going to only 600 seats per gate per day would represent a 20 percent drop in Delta's current traffic.
"Our information indicates that even after 9/11 and the recession it didn't get anywhere close to that," McElroy said. "That means airlines could tie up the gates, and the airport would not have the flexibility and ability to accommodate new competition."
For that reason, McElroy said most airports "moving toward common use" gates and away from exclusive or preferential gates.
What would that mean for Atlanta? McElroy said she was visiting with officials at Southwest Airlines earlier this month. "Atlanta is really the only large airport left where you don't have a Southwest presence," she said.
Although Delta might not want Southwest at Hartsfield-Jackson, people flying in and out of the airport could benefit by having another low-cost carrier.
So point two: should the new agreement call for more gates to be common use rather than preferential?
And point three, should the required usage level for the preferential gates be closer to 700 than 600 seats per day per gate?
Another major area of concern is the "Majority in Interest" {MII) clause. That clause requires that a dominant airline or airlines at an airport approve additional capital expenses at the airport.
For example, if Hartsfield-Jackson wanted to build more common use gates to welcome other airlines to the airport, then Delta could have veto power to prevent such an investment and thereby limit competitors.
The FAA expressed concern that the city is not changing or removing the MII clause in the proposed agreement.
"These MII provisions are disappointing since our best practices have found that MII restrictions, particularly those affecting new capacity construction, can adversely impact competition at airports," the FAA wrote in its letter to DeCosta.
So point four: should the city remove the clause that gives veto power to Delta on new capital expenses at the airport?
Another critical issue is how to make sure the FAA is comfortable with any new master lease agreement the city strikes with Delta.
"I do think the FAA letter is a pretty strong indication of their concern," McElroy said. "Having the FAA weigh in with that letter at this point is significant."
Why does it matter if the FAA doesn't approve of the Atlanta agreement?
"The FAA, at a minimum, could withhold federal funds that go to Atlanta," McElroy said. "The removal of that funding, which is significant for Atlanta, would make it very difficult to meet their safety and security obligations."
The situation is even further complicated by the fact that the Obama administration may take a harder line on anti-competitive provisions in such lease agreements and that both the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Justice could penalize Atlanta.
"We have not seen from the Obama administration an indication of how they might respond," McElroy said. "Atlanta is the first major hub to be going through these negotiations."
So point five: what does the city need to do to make sure the FAA and the federal government endorse a new master lease between Delta and the airport?
As much as the city of Atlanta loves Delta, it also must not forget how important the other airlines are to keeping Hartsfield-Jackson competitive.
No one argues that point better than the letter AirTran's executive vice president of operations, Stephen Kolski, wrote to DeCosta.
"Ben, it is appropriate to again emphasize that continuing the status quo on gate assignments at (Hartsfield-Jackson) after the current lease term expires would not only be a grave disservice to AirTran but also to the traveling public, the community, the city, the region and fair competition," Kolski wrote.
"While AirTran is not the largest airline providing service at (the airport), it is the airline that has brought competitive low fares to (Hartsfield-Jackson) and helped propel it to the busiest and best airport in the nation. It's time that AirTran be permitted to compete on a fair and level playing field…"
So when the Atlanta City Council's Transportation Committee meets on Monday, it must weigh the city's great love for Delta with a desire to keep its options open for future relationship with other airlines.
Park Service gets MLK property
Looking for work in this new age of communications,
Montana October 26, 2009 10:14 am
I heard there's going to be a bill this year for the state to take over the airport from the city. Is that even possible?Report


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This is a premises liability case there was a patron of a grocery store who was injured while she was carrying her groceries out of the store. A personal injury claim was filed attempting to allege there was issues with how the store maintained its premises.
Paulette Haymer and her husband were shopping at a Bravo grocery store. The store that the two were shopping at only had one entrance for its patrons, which served as the exit as well. The two had shopped at this Bravo location previously and remember there being a floor mat at the entrance, but could not recall if one was there on this day that they entered the store. Once the couple made their purchases, Mr. Haymer proceeded to take the cart they had, which was filled with items they bought, to their vehicle. Mrs. Haymer remained in the Bravo grocery store to pick up a few items that they had forgotten to buy.
Mr. Haymer recalled having to wait at the entrance way on his way out to the car because an employee was laying down a mat at the entrance way. As he passed over the mat on his way outside, Mr. Haymer saw that there was parts of the rug that were not entirely flat. In fact, Mr. Haymer stated that he noticed areas of the rug that were "humped" in parts. The mat was not strapped down on the floor and had the ability to move around freely.
As Mrs. Haymer exited the Bravo location with bags of purchased items in her hands, she fell to the ground when she tripped over the rug. Mrs. Haymer claimed that her foot became entangled in the rug once she was walking through the exit door. The fall that she experienced caused her to 'face-plant', injuring her back, neck, elbows, knees, and lacerating her face over her eye.
Following the trip and fall incident, a supervisor of the Bravo store had allegedly explained to Mrs. Haymer that the accident was their fault. Mrs. Haymer filed a lawsuit against Bravo for failing to maintain the premises and allowing a hazardous condition to exist.
In Florida, it is necessary to demonstrate and prove to the jury that; 1) the property owner knew or should have known there was a unsafe condition; 2) they failed to repair the unsafe condition or provide adequate warning of its presence; and 3) you were suffered an injury because of the unsafe condition. The property owner must have knowledge of the unsafe condition on their property which caused the injury in order to be held liable. If the property owner did not have knowledge or notice, or there was no reason for the property owner to have known about the unsafe condition, there is a chance that they will not be held liable for the injuries. It is important to be educated on the fact that when entering a business' property that you yourself are required to use reasonable care for your own safety as well.
If you have been injured in an accident and feel it may have been due to the negligence of the premises, then contact the Fort Lauderdale slip and fall attorneys at Madalon Law and tell us what happened. We will go over your options with you at no cost during your free consultation.


text:
Q: how to create file names from a number plus a suffix in python how to create file names from a number plus a suffix??.
for example I am using two programs in python script for work in a server, the first creates a file x and the second uses the x file, the problem is that this file can not overwrite.
no matter what name is generated from the first program. the second program of be taken  exactly from the path and file name that was assigned to continue the script.
thanks for your help and attention

A: As far as I can understand you, you want to create a file with a unique name in one program and pass the name of that file to another program. I think you should take a look at the tempfile module, http://docs.python.org/library/tempfile.html#module-tempfile.
Here is an example that makes use of NamedTemporaryFile:
import tempfile
import os

def produce(text):
    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(suffix=".txt", delete=False) as f:
        f.write(text)
        return f.name

def consume(filename):
    try:
        with open(filename) as f:
            return f.read()
    finally:
        os.remove(filename)

if __name__ == '__main__':

    filename = produce('Hello, world')
    print('Filename is: {0}'.format(filename))
    text = consume(filename)
    print('Text is: {0}'.format(text))
    assert not os.path.exists(filename)

The output is something like this:
Filename is: /tmp/tmpp_iSrw.txt
Text is: Hello, world


text:
Next D.C. Guessing Game: Who's On The Debt Panel? Congress avoided a federal default this week by raising the debt ceiling in exchange for promised spending reductions, but it ceded the difficult details to a new 12-member "supercommittee." Will the new panel leap the Capitol in a single bound — or, perhaps just as improbably, reach an accord on reducing the nation's deficit?
The Next D.C. Guessing Game: Who's On Debt Panel?
August 5, 201111:57 AM ET
Liz Halloran
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will play a key role in choosing Republicans for the supercommittee. Could he pick himself? J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will play a key role in choosing Republicans for the supercommittee. Could he pick himself?
Congress avoided a federal default this week by raising the debt ceiling in exchange for promised spending reductions, but it ceded the difficult details to a new 12-member "supercommittee."
If reaction to the bipartisan panel of Senate and House members, yet to be appointed, is any measure, its chances of agreeing on ways to reduce the nation's deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next decade are slim — no matter who gets picked to serve.
Liberal Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has called it an "anti-democratic," "honey, I shrunk the Congress" scheme that concentrates too much power in committee members.
Editorialists at the conservative National Review predict it is "almost guaranteed to fail," given how far apart the parties have proven they are.
Analysis: How The Parties Fared In The Debt Debate Aug. 4, 2011
Debt Deal May Erode Independent Support For Obama Aug. 4, 2011
Poll: Most Voters Cool On Debt-Ceiling Deal Aug. 4, 2011
(The Daily Show's Jon Stewart spoofed the supercommittee as "having powers far above those of mortal legislators" but suggested that it might not be "able to save Congress from its archenemy: the disappointed American people.")
Party leaders have been quick to draw lines in the sand about just what they think the committee should do.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says that the committee will "focus on entitlements." His Democratic counterpart, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), says that higher taxes have to be part of any deal.
"It's a committee destined for activity, not necessarily for success," says Republican consultant Ed Rogers, who worked in the Reagan White House and as a top adviser for the George H.W. Bush 1987 presidential campaign.
Why, after all, would a committee named by warring congressional leaders emerge any less divided than Congress as a whole when the issues in play remain tax increases that Republicans oppose and entitlement cuts that are anathema to Democrats?
The answer to that question may lie in the alternative to stalemate: If the supercommittee fails to reach an aggreement, or if Congress fails to enact the panel's recommendtions by Christmas, automatic, across-the-board spending cuts designed to reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion would be triggered.
Those cuts, to be made over 10 years, would be divided equally between domestic and defense spending, with two big caveats: entitlement programs Social Security and Medicaid would be protected from the trigger cuts, as would funding for ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (second from left) will have to choose colleagues for the debt committee. Reps. James Clyburn (left) and Chris Van Hollen (right) have been mentioned as candidates. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP hide caption
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (second from left) will have to choose colleagues for the debt committee. Reps. James Clyburn (left) and Chris Van Hollen (right) have been mentioned as candidates.
And only 2 percent of Medicare can be cut, and only from providers.
Pro-defense legislators, and lobbyists, are alarmed by the alternative path.
Even those on the other side of the debate recognize their concern. "The defense budget is very vulnerable if there's a deadlock," says former Rep. Martin Frost, a Texas Democrat and former president of the progressive advocacy group America Votes. "You really cannot tell right now whether the commission will succeed."
"Some would obviously rather see deadlock than a deal," says Frost, now a Washington lawyer. "But there are countervailing pressures."
Who Gets Picked?
All eyes in Washington, from Capitol Hill to lobbyists' offices, are now on congressional leaders, who have until mid-month to name their committee members.
With a 12-member, evenly divided committee, the looming question is who may be the seventh swing vote who could push through a bipartisan agreement?
Few expect that person to emerge from the deeply partisan House.
Interviews with sources close to congressional leaders in both parties, as well as discussions with informed Hill watchers across the city, painted a picture of how the supercommittee may take shape.
Coming off the deficit debate where Tea Party-fueled GOP House freshmen drove the deal, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) will likely be looking for a lineup that would make that faction happy.
That could likely include Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), perhaps Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, (R-MI), a longtime advocate of tax reform.
With entitlements left largely untouched if the committee fails, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi appears to have little incentive to appoint someone anxious to make a deal with Republicans.
Look to her to possibly tap Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn of South Carolina, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus; and Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee.
Rep. Xavier Becerra, a California Democrat who served on the president's bipartisan deficit reduction commission and is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, may also be a natural pick for Pelosi.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) could land a seat on the debt panel. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) could land a seat on the debt panel.
The real attention is on the Senate, and, in particular, on McConnell.
"The key is who McConnell puts on," Frost says. "There will be pressure on him not to name a 'rogue elephant' " — someone who might compromise too easily with Democrats.
But also pressure to strike a deal to avoid the defense-cut trigger.
Rogers sees McConnell turning to Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl and South Dakota Sen. John Thune, both on the Senate Finance Committee. It is unlikely that he will pick defense hawks Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, or his fellow committeeman Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
One other possible candidate: McConnell himself.
"I would think the leaders would have to appoint themselves," says Rogers. "And McConnell's the only person in Washington who ever has a plan — a beginning, a middle and an end."
Reid would likely turn to Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana. His committee included members of the so-called Gang of Six, the three Democrats and three Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee who unsuccessfully attempted to broker a debt-ceiling deal.
"The people named will clearly be leadership loyalists," Frost says. "No wild cards need apply."
Rogers says that, though it may look unseemly for leaders to choose themselves, it could help them sell the final deal.
"It's going to be a hard sell, and I don't think leaders buy themselves any more authority or credibility by not being on the committee," he says. "At the end of the day, this is going to require a lot of deference and respect from people who are going to have to vote on it."
And, as the debt-ceiling debate proved, there is not a whole lot of deference and respect going around these days on Capitol Hill.


I got called out for writing a cop out of a post yesterday. My reader raised an excellent point. If we were truly dependent on foraging for our survival, we wouldn't let a little snow stand in our way. So here is the post you have gotten to read. Enjoy!
Here we see a photo of my favorite patch of chickweed (Stellaria media) (which you may be sick of hearing about before the winter is over).
As you can see in the photo, the chickweed is thriving despite the cold temperatures. It will continue providing us raw salad greens for some time.
In the below photo, notice the beautiful dandelion greens (Taraxacum officinale).
They are in such good shape, I could harvest half of them for greens, and the other half to roast the roots for a caffeine-free coffee substitute.
And here we see a colony of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata).
I have very mixed feelings about having such a healthy "crop" of garlic mustard, since it is an invasive species that crowds out other native plants. I intended to cull this particular patch by dining on the greens, or making some intensely flavored pesto.
Last but not least, here is a tenacious burdock plant (Arctium minus).
Categories: Foraging, Locavore | Tags: Foraging, four-season harvest, nature's garden, wild edibles, winter harvest | Permalink.
I had a few topics to choose from for this week's post, but they all needed fresh photos. However, we finally got snow, so I am not going anywhere today!
Yay, snow! First snow of 2019.
Luckily, I had a backup post!
I'm technically cheating with today's post – I previously discussed spotting persimmons (Diospyros virginiana) in the winter, once the leaves no longer hide the fruit. However, I recently took a new photo that showed extremely well how a female persimmon tree stands out against a clear winter sky.
At this point, in mid-January, these fruits are inedible. We've had several hard freezes, and the persimmons have turned mushy and sad.
But once you find the female trees, you know where to return next fall for a persimmon harvest!
Categories: Foraging, Locavore | Tags: american persimmon, Foraging, nature's garden, persimmon, wild edibles | Permalink.
Winter foraging is mainly about locating plants to harvest from in a different season. The lack of foliage and undergrowth allows for better visibility of some characteristics.
We start the new year with staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), a short tree or tall shrub I mentioned back in July. The female members of this species produce edible red drupes with a sour coating. The coating is water soluble so the drupes can be soaked in water to produce the base for "sumac-ade". I tried making this myself, but it didn't seem very flavorful, perhaps because the excessively rainy summer had washed the flavor away.
Remember, if the plant has white berries, it may be poison sumac rather than staghorn sumac, and is (surprise, surprise) poisonous!
Once the leaves have fallen, the female sumac shrubs are particularly easy to spot because the drupes cling to their bare branches throughout the entire winter.
Obviously these instructions won't do you much good until later this summer … but by then you will know exactly where all the female staghorn sumacs are.
Except the ones alongside busy, fume-filled, dangerous highways. Leave those for wild birds!
Categories: Foraging, Locavore | Tags: Foraging, Locavore, staghorn sumac, wild edibles | Permalink.
As 2018 draws to a close, I reflected on the past year of foraging in central Maryland. I mean, a "year in review" is a thing people do, right?
The most notable theme for 2018 was "learning" – both learning what plants grew in this area, where they were (or weren't) to be found, when and how to harvest them, and how much I still have to learn about, well, everything!
Another recurring theme from this year was my inability to find and harvest enough of a given wild plant to actually use. Wild grapes, chinkapins, ground cherries, and spring beauties come to mind. This particular challenge closely relates to another theme of the year: accessibility issues. For instance, my two local American persimmon trees had plenty of fruit, but I couldn't get to them easily enough for a bountiful harvest due to the overgrowth that prevented me from gathering fruit that had already fallen to the ground.
Accessibility was also a challenge for cattails, sumac berries, and evening primrose, all of which seemed to grow best along roadsides. Particularly busy highways!
Additionally, my timing still needs a lot of work! Since this was my first year foraging year round, this comes as no surprise. Everything in nature has a rhythm, and matures in its own season. For example, I think my recent failure to harvest nutsedge tubers was mostly an issue of timing. I also missed the mayapples due to my inexperience. To complicate matters, the excessively wet year and late frost probably impacted the timing of harvests in ways I can't yet understand, given how new I am to this field.
Last but not least, 2018 saw me reaching out to the local foraging community (and the overlapping tribes of permaculture and sustainability). Through visiting the Mother Earth News Fair, taking a class at the Fox Haven Learning Center, and attending the Third Annual Pawpaw Festival at Long Creek Homestead (which I apparently forgot to blog about!).
I debated whether to continue my weekly foraging post into the new year. Particularly as it is winter, and cold, and what is there left to say? Then I realized as I was writing this post, that I still have SO much to learn about nature and its bounty, and how humans can live more healthily and sustainably through foraging, and the best way for me to learn is to share my learning process with you, my readers. (All three of you… yes, I am up to three! *waves*) I hope you will continue reading and learning with me in 2019!
Also, if you are interested in more "real time" updates from my world of permaculture, gardening, foraging, and lower-energy-living, you can follow me on Instagram as @lean6life.
Categories: Foraging, Locavore, Sustainable Living | Tags: Foraging, nature, nature's garden, sustainability, wild edibles, year in review | Permalink.
This was the year of hackberry fail.
Unlike my typical "foraging fail" experiences, this time it's not my fault.
I know where the hackberry trees are, and successfully harvested fruit last December. But this year, almost every tree sports bare branches. I blame the late spring frost that also killed most of the wild cherry blossoms in our area.
The common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) is a fairly, um, common tree in central Maryland. This tree is also known as the Northern hackberry. Southern hackberry (Celtis laevigata), or sugarberry, is closely related and produces sweeter fruit; unfortunately its range is further south so I cannot compare the two.
Hackberry trees are so common, in fact, I discovered a cluster of them growing in the wild portion of my yard earlier this summer. While I was thrilled to find them, I was surprised to find they had no fruit. By summer, the fruit has normally set although not yet ripe. Then I realized – none of the hackberry trees on my typical routes had fruit. None.
Hackberry trees are (or should be) easy to spot in the winter, because the tiny berries cling to the branches long after the leaves have fallen. They can remain on the tree throughout the winter season, making the berries a valuable source of food when nothing else is available.
Hackberry fruit is small, crunchy, and sweet. Most of the berry is the seed, which is eaten whole along with fruit. They have almost no moisture at all. The berries are very high in calories for their size, and contain carbohydrates, protein and fat. They are reported to get sweeter the further into winter they go. Most years, the challenge in gathering hackberry fruit is that the trees grow to 30 to 50 feet tall, leaving most of the berries out of human reach.
I finally located ONE singular young tree with berries a week ago, but the fruit tasted rancid rather than sweet.
Hackberry trees also stand out during other seasons due to the distinctive texture of their light gray bark. The best description for it is "warty".
Clean the berries, removing stems and any berries that look bad. (Wrinkly and oxidized are okay; rotten is not okay.) Measure twice as much water as berries by volume, and place together in a blender. A high powered blender would be best; my regular old kitchen model didn't pulverize the fruit nearly as thoroughly as I would have liked. Strain out the solids. Depending on how fine the strainer is, the milk can end up with the consistency of a thin liquid or a puree. Add 1 Tbs of maple syrup at a time, checking for taste. (This step is probably not needed for sugarberries.) The fluid and solids will tend to separate, so stir regularly as you enjoy your drink!
You can also use hackberry milk in cooking, but I haven't tried this yet. Hopefully next year I will get the chance!
Categories: Foraging, Locavore | Tags: common hackberry, Foraging, fruit, hackberries, hackberry, nature, northern hackberry, Recipes, wild edibles | Permalink.


text:
> Executives
> Executive Moves
> Allianz Global Investors Hires Quartet to Fortify Its Emerging Markets Business
Allianz Global Investors Hires Quartet to Fortify Its Emerging Markets Business
Monday, 14/07/2014 | 15:46 GMT by Jeff Patterson
Allianz Global Investors, an asset manager affiliate for Allianz SE has named a four-member team to foster its $1.7 billion Emerging Markets Debt business, through fx, volatility, and hedge strategies.
forex // ToDo refactor when changes on back-end are ready
Allianz Global Investors, an asset manager affiliate for Allianz SE, has named a four-member team to foster its $1.7 billion Emerging Markets Debt (EMD) business, through FX, Volatility Volatility In finance, volatility refers to the amount of change in the rate of a financial instrument, such as commodities, currencies, stocks, over a given time period. Essentially, volatility describes the nature of an instrument's fluctuation; a highly volatile security equates to large fluctuations in price, and a low volatile security equates to timid fluctuations in price. Volatility is an important statistical indicator used by financial traders to assist them in developing trading systems. Traders In finance, volatility refers to the amount of change in the rate of a financial instrument, such as commodities, currencies, stocks, over a given time period. Essentially, volatility describes the nature of an instrument's fluctuation; a highly volatile security equates to large fluctuations in price, and a low volatile security equates to timid fluctuations in price. Volatility is an important statistical indicator used by financial traders to assist them in developing trading systems. Traders Read this Term and macro hedge strategies.
Emerging Markets (EM) was one of the fastest growing realms in a variety of asset classes in recent years, before lingering questions surrounding the impact of quantitative easing and rate cuts curtailed growth across the sector. However, EMD is still a rapidly growing and successful avenue for clients, with Allianz Global Investors bolstering its team with four new hires that will be based out of London.
Recruitment Rundown
Naveen Kunam will join the group as a Senior Portfolio Manager and will be responsible for managing emerging markets rates and Forex Forex Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation's currency into another nation's currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world's largest tradi Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation's currency into another nation's currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world's largest tradi Read this Term strategies – Mr. Kunam brings previous experience from ING Investment Management.
Blueberry Markets Elevates Jack Fung to CFO
In addition, Shahzad Hasan is slated to serve as a Portfolio Manager with Global Investors having come over from Credit Suisse with a specialization in sovereign and volatility strategies.
Vlad Andryushchenko was also tapped as Allianz's newest Senior Research Analyst, given his tenure at Renaissance Capital in Moscow. His focus will entail global EM's financial institutions, given his obvious penchant for capital markets.
Rounding out the other hires is Eoghan McDonagh, the group's newest senior trader. Mr. McDonagh has worked previously at Eclectica Asset Management, a global macro hedge fund specializing in several asset classes.
About the Author: Jeff Patterson