The judicial board shall be made up of one representative of each grade level, as defined by MST, in the chapter (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior+), when applicable, who will be empowered to judge any complaint made by any member against another and to punish said members if found guilty; provided however, that all complaints must be based on one or more of the laws, rules, or regulations of the Fraternity, Constitution or Bylaws of the Fraternity, or the bylaws of the chapter.
The judicial board chairman shall be the Sergeant at Arms. He shall have no vote, except in the case of a tie vote.
The judges shall be selected by the administrative committee within one week of the beginning of the semester. Their selection shall be approved at the next regular meeting.
None of the following officers or committee chairmen shall be able to be a member of the judicial board: President, Vice president, Director of Member Development, Treasurer, Director of Academic Affairs, Food Chairman, and House & Grounds Chairman.
Any member of the chapter shall be able to issue an official complaint against another member (summons). It shall be on a written form provided by the judicial board and must be presented to a member of the judicial board within 72 hours of the occurrence in question. A judicial board member will then, within 24 hours, notify the member against which the complaint was filed of the action against him. Periods when school is not in session or when the people involved are away from Rolla shall not count toward either the 24 hour or 72 hour period.
Level 3 MRG violations may be presented to a member of the judicial board within a week of the occurrence in question and must be acted upon by the judicial board within 72 hours of the violation being reported.
The judicial board will hear all cases and make the decision as to guilt and punishment. A minimum of three votes shall be necessary to find a person guilty.
The judicial board shall have the ability to suspend a member by a majority vote and expel a member by a unanimous vote. A member may appeal their suspension/ expulsion to the chapter at the next chapter meeting. A 2/3 vote of the chapter is required to overturn the verdict of the judicial board.
All cases shall be heard with the defendant present. All punishment shall be set by a three-fourths vote of the judicial board. Failure to appear will result in an automatic decision of guilt unless absence is excused in advance by the chairman, but will in no way change the punishment given.
If the accuser isn't present the witness will be called. If the witness isn't present the judicial board may elect to postpone the case to another date, no later than one month after the summons was given.
Any action of the Judicial Board, outside of suspensions/expulsions (described in Bylaw 14.6.1), may be appealed within one week of the action by filing with the Sergeant at Arms a written request for the Chapter to review his case. The appeal should contain a brief summary of the reason for the appeal. At the next regular chapter meeting, the judicial board chairman shall present the judicial board's reason for the action. The defendant shall then present his reasons for wishing to appeal the decision. Each shall be limited to five minutes. There shall be no debate. A three-fourths vote is necessary for the appeal to be successful.
In the case of the complaint made by a Judicial Board member, the complaint shall be judged by the remaining members. A majority vote shall be necessary for conviction and fine or punishment.
In the event that the Sergeant at Arms makes the complaint, and the remaining four judge's votes cause a tie, the case will then be presented to the Chapter Advisor, who will cast the deciding vote.
No person or group shall have the power to levy fines or punishment except stated in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Fraternity and the bylaws of the chapter.
Any vacancy in the judicial board will be filled in the same manner as in Section 3 of this article and shall be completed within two weeks of the vacancy.
In cases where no judicial board action is feasible, the president of the chapter may fine any member for any violation. Appeal may be made to the chapter as in Section 9 of this article.
The Judicial Board shall meet at least monthly. If any non-Judicial Board members—Sergeant at Arms and the four judges—are expected to attend, they will be given at least 24 hours' notice of the meeting.
The judicial board chairman shall appoint one member to keep full and complete records of all action taken.
All fines will appear on the member's proceeding house bill, except for when martial law is in effect at which time the fine must be paid within 24 hours.
In the case of a level 1 or level 2 violation of chapter responsibility guidelines, the following actions shall be taken: for the first violation–fine of $50, for the second violation–fine of $100, for third violation— suspension proceedings.
All fines shall be at the discretion of the judicial board, except those fines stated in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Fraternity and in the bylaws of the Chapter.
If due process—as described in this article—is not followed, then the case in question is dropped. It can only be reopened with the approval of the Chapter Advisor.
All tasks assigned by the Judicial Board as punishment for being summonsed must be completed by 11:59 PM on the following Friday unless otherwise stated by the Judicial Board.


OPI Who The Shrek Are You? – is an ugly-pretty swampy yellow based green creme polish. First off, I just love the name of this polish, don't you? It was released in OPI Shrek 2010 Collection and I purchased three shades at the time of its release but this was the number one polish on my list out of that collection – I love me some ugly-pretty shades of polish! And as a collector of some sort, when I see 'different', I waste no time – I grab it! Now, this polish is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, you either love it (like myself) or you hate the crap out of it and you would rather wear an unflattering outfit than to be caught dead wearing this! Let me know in the comments below if you like these sorts of shades or not – I would LOVE to know ALL of your thoughts. I definitely see heads turning when I wear this polish and it's funny people actually like it more on the nail than in the bottle. On top of that, you'd be surprise how well this colour can actually compliment an outfit – I like to make a statement with fashion (at times) so it's always good to have an 'ugly-pretty' colour in your arsenal.
The formula was a little runny and it required three coats of polish to make it opaque but it did dry quickly in between coats so I honestly can't complain about that. You might see some bed sheet marks only because I painted it at night and went to sleep shortly after but that's my fault not the polish itself. While it's not a shade I wear often, it's fun to change things up a bit and go against conventional colours. As with all OPI shades on my nail beds, 9/10 times I get tip wear on the second day of my manicure and it can only be that it doesn't agree with my nails because I never have that issue with Essie or Zoya nail polishes.
It was a limited edition release but I am sure you can still find it online or for a discounted price in beauty stores. I have seen a few nail polish companies duplicate the colour as well – MISA Green with Envy is an identical dupe!!
Do you own OPI Who The Shrek Are You? What are your thoughts on this nail polish?
I really like the color 🙂 as long as you don't wear pink or any clashy mix of colors then it's beautiful!


text:
/* Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */
package org.camunda.bpm.engine.impl.cmd;

import java.io.Serializable;

import org.camunda.bpm.engine.ProcessEngineException;
import org.camunda.bpm.engine.impl.interceptor.Command;
import org.camunda.bpm.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandContext;

/**
 * @author Tom Baeyens
 */
public class DeleteMembershipCmd extends AbstractWritableIdentityServiceCmd<Void> implements Command<Void>, Serializable {

  private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
  String userId;
  String groupId;

  public DeleteMembershipCmd(String userId, String groupId) {
    this.userId = userId;
    this.groupId = groupId;
  }

  protected Void executeCmd(CommandContext commandContext) {
    if(userId == null) {
      throw new ProcessEngineException("userId is null");
    }
    if(groupId == null) {
      throw new ProcessEngineException("groupId is null");
    }

    commandContext
      .getWritableIdentityProvider()
      .deleteMembership(userId, groupId);

    return null;
  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Anyone who has even a rudimentary grasp of Greek knows that 'James' did not write the Book of James. Rather, it was Ya'acov, or Jacob. The name wasn't changed to James until the 16th century if I am not mistaken. Typical tampering by scribes, but we've talked about that before.
So, yesterday I was not overly surprised when a friend stated that the Gospel of John was not written by John, but has rather been mis-attributed to him by church fathers. Still, I wanted to look into it deeper, so I asked them to send me a link for consideration.
The following article is long, but I find it compelling and worthy of further study. Understanding a change of authorship in no way undermines the content, however it continues to bring into question the traditions we have been given by our fathers. Please take the time to read and consider this information and then post up comments and thoughts after processing!
This entry was posted in Debate/Discussion and tagged Gospel of john, Lazarus, lost in translation, lying pen of the scribes, resurrection, Yeshua. Bookmark the permalink.
So is he still alive?
LOL. We had that discussion here and don't have the full answer in terms of the Hebrews 'appointed once to die' line. We did note that he would have company… Elijah raised at least one. Elisha raised one after his own death….
That does pose a bit of a riddle.
Wow! This is fascinating. The fact that this is the 4th gospel (think Creation Gospel), and Lazarus' name is related to Eliezer and Eleazar (like Avraham's servant) makes this all the more intriguing because the "ezer" is a helper like the Holy Spirit (again #4). And the Book of John is certainly different than all the others as a "sod" (4th level) teaching. Hmmmm.
I reblogged this one – thanks for bringing it to our attention. It is this sort of thing that helps Christians get out of their rut and begin to let the Holy Spirit lead and teach them, rather than men.
The traditional authorship of every book of the Bible has been questioned or challenged at one point or another, by conservatives and liberals alike. I have no issue, in principle, reevaluation of traditional authorship of Biblical texts. (I certainly do not hold to traditionally attributed authorship for every Biblical book.) I do have an issue, in process, with how articles like the one referenced goes about it. Simply challenging the authorship of a Biblical text via "lying pen of the scribes" logic, is not only not convincing, it not even that ethical from an academic standpoint.
This article referenced contains no reference to where the traditional authorship of the Fourth Gospel as being the Apostle John originates, except for some ambiguous reference to the church fathers, who are just automatically assumed to be wrong. Some quotations from ancient sources, and an evaluation of them, should have been offered. Also to be provided should have least been some references to the Gospel of John as seen in Bible encyclopedias, dictionaries, and New Testament Introductions.
Although I would personally lean heavily toward traditional Johannine authorship, Ben Witherington III is actually one prominent NT scholar who is quite favorable to Lazarus being the author of the Fourth Gospel.
A comparative study of the Greek in the 1-3 Johns and Revelation as compared to the Gospel would be interesting as well. Personally, I am not equipped with the time or background for most of the scholarship demanded of the many open doors. I appreciate the rising scholars in the Messianic, like yourself, who do devote lives to study.
I pray for more such voices, both out of Judaism and out of Christendom, to discuss/debate/re-evaluate traditional positions in light of 'The Way.' Father seems to be building that company as He draws all of us more in line with his ways/Word.


text:
KTNV Channel 13 Las Vegas
Face masks encouraged during sports
The "American Academy of Pediatrics" is encouraging young athletes to wear face masks during competitions. There are some exceptions where it could be a hazard such as cheerleading, gymnastics, wrestling and swimming.
Federal prosecutors in a new court filing reportedly point to "strong evidence" that rioters who stormed the Capitol building last week aimed to "capture and assassinate elected officials."The prosecutors included this assessment while asking a judge to detain Jacob Chansley, one of the men who was arrested and charged following the deadly Capitol riot, Reuters reports."Strong evidence, including Chansley's own words and actions at the Capitol, supports that the intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government," the prosecutors wrote.Supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol building on the day Congress was meeting to certify President-elect Joe Biden's election win, leaving five people dead. Trump was subsequently impeached for a second time for "incitement of insurrection" after delivering a speech calling on his supporters to march to the Capitol building.The prosecutors in the filing reportedly wrote that the charges against Chansley "involve active participation in an insurrection attempting to violently overthrow the United States government," adding that the "insurrection is still in progress." They also revealed that Chansley, who was photographed wearing horns at Vice President Mike Pence's desk, allegedly left a note for Pence that warned, "it's only a matter of time, justice is coming," Reuters reports. The filing, Politico writes, "spells out clearly the government's view of an ongoing 'insurrection movement' that is reaching a potential climax as Biden's inauguration approaches." More stories from theweek.com Trump's vaccine delay is getting suspicious The worst-case scenario for America's immediate future Do Democrats realize the danger they are in?
At virus tipping point, Lebanon imposes all-day curfew
It was a choice between containing a spiraling virus outbreak and resuscitating a dying economy in a country that has been in steady financial and economic meltdown over the past year. Authorities in Lebanon chose the latter. Now, virus patients struggling to breathe wait outside hospitals — hoping for a bed or even a chair to open up.
Column: Get a grip, Angelenos. After months stuck at home, we've all forgotten how to drive
Charles Barkley says professional athletes should get the COVID-19 vaccine early because they pay more in taxes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home Cycling Victoria Cycling Team Seeks Talented Individuals for the 2016 Season
Victoria Cycling Team Seeks Talented Individuals for the 2016 Season
Photo courtesy Kissanya Arbuckle Photography
The Dr. Walker Sports Chiropractor Cycling Team, one of Victoria's top cycling teams, is preparing for the 2016 season by looking for talented individuals to train and compete with the team next year. The team will be focusing on Track and Road Cycling, as well as Triathlon and Para-athletes. The team will continue its partnership with Pacific Cycling Centre under the direction of Houshang Amiri – noted National, Olympic, and UCI Coach.
Team owner, Dr. Wayne Walker and his organization, hope to build on their existing team of 10 talented cyclists between U17 -U23, to compete on Vancouver Island, BC's Lower Mainland and eventually, nationally and internationally.
"The team had several successes this year. From our para program to our youth program, all the way through to having an athlete, Evan Carey competing at the Pan-Am Championships in Team Sprint and winning Gold," said Ryan Arbuckle, Team Manager. "Our youth athletes not only learned how to race and compete at a high level, but they demonstrated great sportsmanship on and off the bike and bonded as a unit. By supporting each other's trials and tribulations of the hardships of racing and getting through it with a smile, made it very easy for us as management to work with everyone. We can't wait for next season to see where it will take us."
Arbuckle stresses that there will always remain a club component affiliated with the team. Club membership will be open to any athlete wishing to join. However, athletes not chosen for the initial team of 10 will not be able to receive funding through the youth program, but they will still be eligible for the same training and sponsorship deals.
Houshang Amiri with Evan Carey. Photo by Duane Swan
"At Pacific Cycling Centre we always strive for excellence, and want to partner with like-minded individuals who are not just interested, but committed and willing to engage in high performance sport and talent development to help build future Olympians. We know without such a committed group of people we can't achieve our goals," said Amiri. "At PCC we are fortunate to work with local cycling organizations, and look forward to partnering with Dr. Walker Sports Chiropractor Cycling again. Our team consists of very talented and young U17-U19 and U23 athletes who are eager to move to the next level, and who are enthusiastic to represent the team and the sponsors during 2016 race season."
The team also announced new sponsors for the upcoming season: Jim Pattison Volvo of Victoria, Cycles West, The Local Restaurant, Westshore 24hr Fitness, and returning sponsors: Code Performance Wear, Hub International Barton Insurance, Kissanya Arbuckle Photography, Marin Bikes California, Mortgage Designers at Mortgage Architects, Kerry J. Blain, Inc. Chartered Accountant, Rumble Supershake, EnergyLab Sports, Infinit Nutrition Canada and Schwalbe North America.
Applicants interested in the U17 – U23 program are invited to send their race resume and a letter of intent by November 30, 2015. The letter should include why they would like to race for the team, their goals for the 2016 season, why they would make a good fit for the team and what they intend to give back to the team. These can be emailed to: Ryan Arbuckle, Team Manager at drwalkercycling@hotmail.ca.
The Dr. Walker Sports Chiropractor Cycling Team was originally formed in 1995 and has included the best track cyclists, road cyclists and triathletes in Canada for nearly two decades. The team has always been an inclusive team – youth development (U15 – U23) and para development has always been promoted. Notable former members of the team have included world land speed record holder Sam Whittingham, Tyler Hansen (National Champion), Keith Bruneau, Murray Solem, Dale Marat, Andre Steinhausen, Michele Voigt (US Olympian), Luca Segato, Mike and Chris Lamb, Tony Zarsadias, Ross Hooker, the Worsfeld twins, Ryan Clarke, Vinko Poldugrovac, Matt Barlee, Matt Chater, Mike Chandler, Chris Anstey, Mike Cooper, James Holtz, Ryan Arbuckle (former Multi Para National Champion), Breanna Loster, and Sarah Kirby. Major accomplishments of the team include being the first and only team to ever sweep the medals in every men's event at the BC Provincial Track Championships and win Gold and Silver in every women's event in 1998; five Para National Championship titles and a 3rd place overall at the 2007 Para Track World Championships. In road racing the team won the Tour of Delta, the Tour of White Rock, the Gastown Grand Prix Criterium (twice), and the Bastion Square Grand Prix several times. https://www.facebook.com/DrWalkerCycling
Pacific Cycling Centre provides coaching and performance services for Elite, Masters, and Junior athletes in road, mountain bike, track, and cyclo-cross. Pacific Cycling Centre's former name, National Cycling Centre was established after the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria. Under Head Coach Houshang Amiri, the Centre created the most successful training environment in Canada. Amiri has coached numerous athletes to World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games in road, mountain bike track and Paralympics disciplines, notably Svein Tuft, Erinne Willock, Roland Green, and Brian Cowie. Amiri has won numerous coaching excellence awards and achieved the highest level of coaching certification in Canada for cycling. He is in high demand as a UCI Coach, in coach education to develop the sport of cycling world-wide. www.pacificcyclingcentre.ca
Pacific Cycling Centre
Previous articleSandeep Sahota vs Jeff McLeod – Kickboxing – November 13, 2015 – Victoria, BC
Next articleGoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon Announces Charity Pledge Program Totals
Victoria's Alex Amiri takes polka dot jersey at San Dimas
Cross-country mountain biking
Catharine Pendrel interview – 2019 Bear Mountain Canada Cup
PSA: RBC Training Ground looking for future Olympians in Greater Victoria
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure announces Active Transportation Strategy for 2019
Victoria cyclists named to Junior Track World's team
Victoria's Adam de Vos win Tour de Delta
Exciting criterium wraps up Cycling Festival
Canadian Masters Cycling Road Race Champs Crowned
Canadian Masters Time Trial Champs Crowned
Victoria hosts Canadian Masters Cycling Championships
Change.org petition: Allow off-road cycling at Haro Woods
Canada third in Commonwealth Games medal table


Heavy rain the night before, snow in the mountains, and a cold, extremely blustery morning did nothing to keep the dedicated volunteers from showing up for the annual Moose Anderson Days clean-up. About 66 volunteers started gathering around eight o'clock in the morning to volunteer for work parties and warm up with a cup of coffee.
Work crews this year were sent out to the Middle Knob area, a beautiful but little-known riding area that was in need of a little love. It's an unfortunate truth that even the most remote desert areas are often used as dumping grounds for household trash by those too lazy to drive it to the dump.
Illegal dumping is a problem across the Mojave and volunteers like those who attended Moose Anderson Days help to not only clean-up the messes left by others, but to raise awareness of the problem and the impact it has on desert recreation.
The Friends of Jawbone wants to wish a heart-felt thank you to each and every volunteer who turned up. It wasn't the best weather, but you gave your all and it is greatly appreciated.
Blustery weather didn't prevent the parking lot from starting to fill up early.
Pre-registered attendees check in inside the visitors center.
Everyone was thankful for hot coffee.
Orientation before work crews are sent out.
Ed Waldheim passes out maps to the worksite.


text:
Everton player ratings vs Liverpool as entire side woeful in dismal defeat
Everton player ratings vs Liverpool following FA Cup exit at Anfield
Adam JonesEverton reporter
Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from Liverpool Echo - Everton FC
Jordan Pickford - 5
Produced a great save towards the end of the first half to deny Divock Origi, although the striker would have been ruled offside anyway. There was nothing he could do about Liverpool's goal, but his distrubtion from the back wasn't good enough.
Seamus Coleman - 3
Was replaced early on by Carlo Ancelotti again after struggling to have any real impact on proceedings at either end of the pitch. Everton's club captain couldn't inspire his side throughout his time on the pitch.
Yerry Mina - 3
Dominated in the air during the first half, but his influence on the match massively dropped by the time the second 45 minutes started. The Colombian international will perhaps be a little disappointed he wasn't out to Curtis Jones quickly enough to stop him scoring.,
Mason Holgate - 3
Was kept a little more busy in terms of defensive work than some might have expected as Liverpool caused Everton a lot of problems. His distribution from defence wasn't good enough and it caused too many problems for his teammates.
Lucas Digne - 3
Harvey Elliot improved as the match went on and caused Lucas Digne a good amount of problems, especially in the second half. That certainly affected the Frenchman's ability to get forward into areas where we know he can be effective.
Jordan Henderson dedicates entire programme notes to Speedo Mick ahead of Liverpool vs Everton
Djibril Sidibe - 3
Wasteful in possession in crucial areas for Everton and didn't manage to have any effect in the final third. When moved into the right-back position he was caused a lot of problems by Liverpool's inexperienced side.
Morgan Schneiderlin - 3
Struggled to get up to the pace of the match on his return to the starting lineup. Liverpool dominated the midfield battle and Schneiderlin couldn't get his foot on the ball enough to get his side up the pitch.
Gylfi Sigurdsson - 2
Didn't get up to the pace of the game and struggled to have any real impact on the game in central midfield. Was too slow to close Liverpool down and not strong enough when in possession to create any chances for his side.
Richarlison - 3
Wasn't involved in the game as much as Everton need him to be from the left flank. He should have converted a great chance when one was presented on a plate by Theo Walcott in the first period and he was hardly involved in the second period.
Theo Walcott - 4
Playing up front alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the first half, the former Arsenal man created a couple of opportunities which teammates really should have done better with. However, by the time the second period came around, his ability to find a blue shirt was severely hampered.
West Ham vs Everton matchday
Everton player ratings
Everton verdict
West Ham vs Everton as it happened
Ancelotti's wants improvement
Dominic Calvert-Lewin - 3
Put himself about in the first half, but wasted a number of opportunities in the first half which eventually came back to haunt him. The striker was chasing shadows for much of the second half as any service to him completely dried up.
Fabian Delph - 4
Couldn't halt the tide of Liverpool pressure from the midfield after being introduced in the second half.
Moise Kean - 4
Got into dangerous areas, but wasn't handed any opportunity to make an impact.
Bernard - 4
Had a quiet evening when introduced and probably came on too late to make a true impact.


text:
CDC algae study shunned by some Lake Okeechobee fishing guides as business-killer
Lake Okeechobee fishing guides worry news of the study will kill off business.
CDC algae study shunned by some Lake Okeechobee fishing guides as business-killer Lake Okeechobee fishing guides worry news of the study will kill off business. Check out this story on tcpalm.com: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/sports/fishing-boating/2019/05/22/cdc-algae-study-lake-okeechobee-fishing-guides/3751564002/
Ed Killer, Treasure Coast Newspapers Published 3:31 p.m. ET May 22, 2019 | Updated 3:33 p.m. ET May 22, 2019
When the Center for Disease Control and Prevention plans to visit your community, it means two things. First, there is a serious health problem where you live. Second, the agency is coming to help you.
The mixed message is still a struggle to deal with. This summer, it will be an especially difficult dilemma for those who live in the communities surrounding Lake Okeechobee.
Participate, and be part of a possible solution for a growing and persistent ecological problem with human health ramifications, or choose not to volunteer and hope that business as usual will be the best option for the economy?
The issue is being debated in Okeechobee, Clewiston, Belle Glade and even Stuart. The latter may not be on the lake's shore, but its anglers certainly feel the lake's impact when wet season begins.
Otto Herrera, of Royal Palm Beach, takes a closer look at the algae from shore at Lake Okeechobee on Friday, June 29, 2018, at Port Mayaca. Herrera, who said he has lived in Florida since he was 12 years old and had never seen the lake, was traveling from Bradenton with a friend who suggested the detour. "I'm surprised about the green stuff," Herrera said. "I was hoping to see a beautiful lake, but the green … it was kind of disappointing, you know." Discharges from the lake to the St. Lucie River were starting to be reduced Friday, with a complete stop for nine consecutive days then resuming in pulses indefinitely, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. (Photo: XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM)
Monday, the Fort Myers News-Press reported that Lorraine Backer, senior scientist and environmental epidemiologist at the National Center for Environmental Health, plans to seek 50 volunteers. The volunteers, primarily fishing guides from Lake Okeechobee, will help with a first-ever study to help scientists understand the long-term health effects of the lake's cyanobacteria blooms.
More: CDC to dedicate funding for responding to algal blooms
Low Lake Okeechobee water level concerns residents, commissioners of fiv...
Douglas Cruz, of West Palm Beach, casts for tilapia in the shallow waters of Lake Okeechobee on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at Port Mayaca. Cruz was spending the day at the lake with partner Angela Rodrigues and her daughter, Daniela Matute, 3. "She's autistic," Rodrigues said of her daughter, adding that being at the lake is more calming for her than the ocean. XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM
An alligator rests near a marker measuring the water level at just shy of 10-feet above sea level at the S-135 J & S Lock on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, in Lake Okeechobee. Terrie Birkett, who owns nearby J & S Fish Camp in Martin County, said they've had to tow stuck boats out of the nearby mud-filled launch. XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM
Okeechobee resident Tracy Campbell, who works in Stuart as director of sales and marketing for River Forest Yachting Centers, speaks during a joint commission meeting at Okeechobee High School on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, while her husband, John Helfrich, manager of River Forest Yachting Centers in LaBelle, stands beside her. Campbell and Helfrich spoke about how every aspect of their life is tied to Lake Okeechobee, and how the lowering water level has negatively affected business. County commissioners from Martin, Palm Beach, Glades, Hendry and Okeechobee attended the meeting, where stakeholders voiced their concerns following statements from the Army Corps of Engineers and Rep. Brian Mast's office. XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM
Okeechobee County Commissioner Terry Burroughs (right) listens as stakeholders talk about the current and future impact of a low Lake Okeechobee water level Tuesday, May 7, 2019, during a joint commission meeting at Okeechobee High School. Hendry County Commissioner Karson Turner (center) and Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District deputy commander Lt. Col. Jennifer Reynolds sit beside Burroughs. Fellow commissioners from Martin, Palm Beach and Glades counties also attended, as well as a representative from Rep. Brian Mast's office. XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM
Janet Taylor, a former Hendry County commissioner and head of Glades Lives Matter, speaks during a joint commission meeting at Okeechobee High School on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, followed by Martin County resident and former South Florida Water Management District governing board member Brandon Tucker. Taylor said "we can solve these problems as brothers and sisters committed to this common cause, but we cannot solve these problems without a little understanding from people in these coastal ivory towers." County commissioners from Martin, Palm Beach, Glades, Hendry and Okeechobee attended the meeting, where stakeholders voiced their concerns following statements from the Army Corps of Engineers and Rep. Brian Mast's office. XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM
A boat sits in shallow water at a canal dock at J & S Fish Camp near the border of Martin and Okeechobee counties Tuesday, May 7, 2019, off Lake Okeechobee. "It's killing our business," said business owner Terrie Birkett. "I've got more cancellations right now than I've ever had because they can't go fishing." XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM
Meandering rows of debris — marking the receding water levels in Lake Okeechobee — are seen Tuesday, May 7, 2019, from the Lock 7/Jaycee Park Fishing & Observation Pier in Okeechobee County. County commissioners from Martin, Palm Beach, Glades, Hendry and Okeechobee were attending a joint commission meeting later at nearby Okeechobee High School, where stakeholders voiced their concerns about the low water level, following statements from the Army Corps of Engineers and Rep. Brian Mast's office. XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM
Reef balls can be seen protruding from the shallow water under the Lock 7/Jaycee Park Fishing & Observation Pier on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, in Okeechobee County. County commissioners from Martin, Palm Beach, Glades, Hendry and Okeechobee were attending a joint commission meeting later at nearby Okeechobee High School, where stakeholders voiced their concerns about the low water level, following statements from the Army Corps of Engineers and Rep. Brian Mast's office. XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM
The low water level of Lake Okeechobee can be seen Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at Port Mayaca, the Rim Canal and the Lock 7/Jaycee Park Fishing & Observation Pier in Okeechobee County. County commissioners from Martin, Palm Beach, Glades, Hendry and Okeechobee attended a joint commission meeting later at Okeechobee High School where stakeholders voiced their concerns following statements from the Army Corps of Engineers and Rep. Brian Mast's office. XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM
Douglas Cruz (left), of West Palm Beach, casts for tilapia in the shallow waters of Lake Okeechobee on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at Port Mayaca. Cruz was spending the day at the lake with partner Angela Rodrigues (right) and her daughter, Daniela Matute, 3. "She's autistic," Rodrigues said of her daughter, adding that being at the lake is more calming for her than the ocean. XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM
The low water level of Lake Okeechobee can be seen Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at Port Mayaca, the Rim Canal and the Lock 7/Jaycee Park Fishing & Observation Pier in Okeechobee County. County commissioners from Martin, Palm Beach, Glades, Hendry and Okeechobee attended a joint commission meeting later at Okeechobee High School, where stakeholders voiced their concerns following statements from the Army Corps of Engineers and Rep. Brian Mast's office. XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM
Terrie Birkett, owner of J & S Fish Camp, said the water level at her docks is normally high enough to meet the mural of a boat on her walls, seen May 7, 2019, off Lake Okeechobee near the border of Martin and Okeechobee counties. "It's killing our business," she said. "I've got more cancellations right now than I've ever had because they can't go fishing." XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM
After interviewing a few of my contacts, I wonder how much participation Backer will receive. She may decide to shift the study's parameters.
"From the other guys I've been talking to, most of us won't volunteer," said Capt. Mike Shellen, a resident of Buckhead Ridge and fishing guide 200 days a year on Lake Okeechobee. "I've been fishing out here since 1977, along with a bunch of other older guides. If the algae was toxic, we'd all be dead by now."
Then Shellen said something that fishing guides on the lake, on the inland waters connected to the lake and even offshore charter boat captains have been saying during the peak of the media's coverage of the algae blooms.
"All this publicity — it does nothing good," he said. "Nothing good comes out of this. There are already negative connotations. It will scare people to death and they won't come over here. They just don't know the facts."
Shellen said the issue of toxic algae on Lake Okeechobee is "scary for the future of tourism on Lake Okeechobee."
Last summer, the west coast of Florida around Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Pine Island and Sanibel Island suffered through a combination of icky green toxic algae smothering its waterways, and an aggressive strain of red tide that wiped out millions of pounds of marine fish and wildlife. There were daily requests from members of the national media for fishing guides to take them out onto waterways to show their viewers images of floating destruction and death.
Shellen said it had to hurt them.
"This is already killing the guys on the west coast," Shellen said. "Why doesn't the CDC go check the saltwater guys on the coasts to see if they are suffering from the same problems?"
Ramon Iglesias, general manager of Roland and Mary Ann Martin's Marina and Resort in Clewiston, said a similar thing.
"I welcome anything the CDC wants to do, but I think it will be hard for them to find 50 volunteers," Iglesias said. "These guys just want to work."
There have been early reports of cyanobacteria blooms starting in some parts of the lake, such as near Port Mayaca in the east part of the lake and the W.P. Franklin Lock on its west side, but Iglesias said, "Our guides don't report any."
Iglesias said the algae never seems to coagulate into the gooey mess it does once it dies in saltwater.
"People don't understand the algae," Iglesias said. "When it's on Lake Okeechobee, never gets like that guacamole thick stuff."
But long term help could come from better management of the water entering Lake Okeechobee.
"Still, 95% of all of Lake Okeechobee's water comes in from the north," said Iglesias, who also co-founded the advocacy group Anglers for Lake Okeechobee and produced the "Make Lake O Great Again" hats. "If you slow the flow and clean the water, the quality of the water in the lake will be much better."
Stuart snook fishing specialist Rob Conner said he believes the repeated outbreaks of toxic algae in the water has already gripped him, and several of his peers. He wonders if algae infection could have exacerbated depression and contributed to the suicides of two fellow snook anglers.
According to Conner, who targets large snook for catch and release in the St. Lucie River, the fish he loves most to catch may be jeopardizing his physical and mental health. Cyanobacteria — like the kind found yearly in Lake Okeechobee and poured into the coastal estuaries by the Army Corps of Engineers in the name of flood control — has been linked by scientists to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ALS disease and liver disease.
Conner said he has only recently been having severe anxiety attacks, which he wonders may be triggered by the cyanobacteria.
"The big snook carry the cyanobacteria on their slime coats, and inside their stomach if they've been in it," Conner said. "When you catch a big snook, you're happy. But you don't realize it has it, and you're holding it. When you give your buddy a high five, now you gave it to him. Plus, you're breathing it into your nasal passages and it gathers in your sinuses and goes right to your brain."
Conner would likely volunteer for the CDC study if he were asked. But for the time being, the algae is blooming again. The only question is whether the toxic scourge will remain confined to the lake this year.
Ed Killer is the outdoors columnist for Treasure Coast Newspapers and TCPalm.com, and this column reflects his opinion. Friend him on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter @tcpalmekiller or email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com or call him at 772-221-4201.
It's name change No. 5 for Mets spring training stadium
Time to vote for the TCPalm.com Athlete of the Week for Jan. 6-12
Vero Beach striker Madelaine Rhodes breaks school's career goals record
Wrapped Up takes Pelican Yacht Club tournament
Officials pay raise could be budget nightmare for area high schools
HS Roundup: Rhodes scores 7 goals to break Vero Beach record


Simplify maximize storage space. Hanging 6 shelf closet organizer. Made of a breathable material. Holds sweaters, purses, shoes & other accessories. Attaches easily and securely to closet rod with Velcro fasteners. Instant shelving to organize your closet. Color: Beige and chocolate. Size: 12" x 12" x 46".
Size: 12" x 12" x 46"


The Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) workforce is an evolving and dynamic environment.
CLICK HERE to watch an engaging and fast-paced webinar led by industry experts.
Whether you're considering changing jobs, getting ready to hire, or pondering becoming an NNP – this webinar hosted by NANN provides a well-rounded perspective and gives an in-depth understanding of the NNP workforce now and into the future.


text:
Bond rout put down to fear, not economic fundamentals
'Some care is in order when interpreting higher oil prices as a sign of easing disinflation
The truism' "don't fight" the Federal Reserve, has morphed into hedge fund manager David Tepper's recent caution against taking on the four Feds: the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, the People's Bank of China and United States's central bank.
Although international debt markets have lost about $433-billion and yields have spiked from the US to Germany, monetary policy makers show no sign of an imminent increase in the price of money, and those in Europe and Japan are still conducting quantitative easing (QE). With the amount of bonds offering negative rates diminishing, the upside for yields is perhaps still capped.
Keeping monetary policy loose is still justified given that economists at JP Morgan Chase reckon global economic growth of 1.2% in the first quarter was the second weakest outside of a recession in the past 25 years and worldwide inflation of 0.4% was the lowest.
This backdrop has Torsten Slok, the chief international economist at Deutsche Bank, declaring to clients that the QE trade is not over and that yields should soon reverse their rise once markets stabilise.
He said what had been seen in markets over the past two weeks was triggered by fear and not by a change in the outlook for economic fundamentals. "I continue to see US rates under downward pressure as a result of money printing abroad."
The call is underpinned by an analysis from Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Gustavo Reis who, like Slok, sees "less change in global fundamentals than recent market moves imply".
Weaker supply
Take oil. Although it is about 45% off its low of January, Reis estimates about 60% of that move is related to weaker supply rather than greater demand, meaning "some care is in order when interpreting higher oil prices as a sign of easing disinflation".
Regarding the outlook for prices, he finds little to no change in markets' inflation expectations in the past two weeks in the US or Europe, and that there are still many in both economies betting inflation will remain below 1%.
"The snap higher in bond yields seems to be lagging, rather than being propelled, by changes in inflation risks," he said.
Therefore, the bond sell-off could ultimately be sowing the seeds of its own demise if it ends up preventing the central banks from withdrawing stimulus. The US Fed and Bank of Japan have previously shown a willingness to keep on expanding policy even after markets initially declared victory.
"Any policy that creates such a high degree of homogeneous positioning will inevitably raise volatility," said Mark Schofield, a strategist at Citigroup. "It will be extremely difficult to exit."
Fixed-income markets
The value of the world's fixed-income markets dropped to $45.07-trillion on Tuesday from $45.51-trillion on April 17, according to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch index.
Record central bank stimulus had sent investors piling into debt at the same time that dealers pulled back from making markets, a combination that saw investors paying a price for holding bonds with yields not far from record lows and the Federal Reserve discussing an increase in US interest rates.
"People fell into a terrible complacency as yields fell to incredibly low levels with central banks pushing on rates," said Christopher Sullivan, who oversees $2.3-billion as the chief investment officer of the United Nations Federal Credit Union in New York.
"They figured they would be able to get out before the tide turned, but the rug has been pulled out, catching a lot of people off guard and exacerbating the move."
Investors in US government debt did get a reprieve on Tuesday. Yields fell after the treasury department's auction of three-year notes demonstrated there's no buyer strike in the bond market.
The benchmark 10-year treasury note was little changed on Wednesday, with the yield at 2.25%. – © Bloomberg
Keep the powerful accountable
Subscribe for R30/mth for the first three months. Cancel anytime.
Subscribers get access to all our best journalism, subscriber-only newsletters, events and a weekly cryptic crossword.
Bloomberg Author
How to keep central banks independent
Tiger Brands may never know how listeria entered its plant
How effective are central banks in Africa?
Chinese stocks rise, paring world's worst quarterly performance
Hong Kong billionaire plans African rival to Netflix
Chinese stocks still overvalued
WELCOME TO YOUR M&G
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
New era of health science for Africa as NantSA launches...
M&G Premium
The first locally manufactured Covid-19 vaccine from the new facility, which is based in Cape Town, is expected within the next year
Eunice Stoltz
SAA to revive Durban route
The beleaguered national carrier resumed flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town last September after exiting business rescue
Sarah Smit
Top Six
'Partygate': A timeline of Boris Johnson's latest scandal
The UK Prime Minister defended some of the events — quickly dubbed "partygate" since they were reported in newspapers from late last year — as work gatherings.
Agence France presse
Freedom of speech wins over right to privacy in court...
The supreme court of appeal says an animal rights activist had the right to 'out' a farmer on Facebook.
sheree bega
Loading latest Press Releases…


text:
Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon to Release Memoir, 'Girl In a Band,' in February
Tim Karan
Tim Karan Published: October 8, 2014
Rachel Murray, Getty Images
Just being in one of the most influential alternative bands of the past 30 years would probably come with a few good stories on its own, but being a female leader in a testosterone-laden scene has provided Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon with enough material to fill a book.
Gordon has announced she'll release her memoir, 'Girl In a Band,' on February 24 by Harper Collins imprint Dey Street Books. According to a press release, the book will follow Gordon's life from childhood to present day, including the decades spent in Sonic Youth and the New York City post-punk scene of the '80s, along with her most recent project, Body/Head.
Check out the cover:
The press release says the focus of the book is an examination of what partnership means and "what happens when it dissolves," referring to Gordon's divorce from Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and the breakup of the band.
It's also said to provide an "atmospheric look at the New York of the '80s and '90s that gave rise to Sonic Youth, as well as the alternative revolution in popular music that Sonic Youth helped usher in, paving the way for Nirvana, Hole, Smashing Pumpkins, and many other acts."
Kim Gordon Performs 'Aneurysm' at Nirvana's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Next: Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon Discusses Split From Thurston Moore
Filed Under: Kim Gordon, Sonic Youth, Thurston Moore


We'd like to help you save money in whatever ways you can. We've teamed up with STA Travel to get you the best flight deals on the market. Not booked your flights yet? STA Travel experts can find you a great deal with their exclusive student/youth discounted airfares. They can also provide flexibility and return flights home with the Multi Flex Pass allowing unlimited flight changes.
Not only that you can secure your flights today with a small deposit and pay the remaining balance 10 weeks before you fly.
To get a quote please fill in the form below and a personal STA Travel Expert will be in touch shortly.


text:
Terrorism and the Threat to Museums' Public Missions: What Trustees Need to Know about the War on Terror and Its Impact on Their Museums
By Matthew Polk, President, The Historic Textile Research Foundation
The Cultural Property Policy Environment
Over the past several years, the debate over how best to protect the World's cultural heritage has taken a turn. Although no evidence of any significant problem has been found, fear of terrorist funding from trade in cultural objects has replaced genuine concern for cultural heritage preservation as the driving force for new regulations. [1] [2] Unsupported claims that trade in objects of cultural heritage, mainly antiquities, is a major source of terrorist funding have prompted a politically driven rush toward legislative imposition of civil and criminal penalties and have encouraged aggressive enforcement. In spite of numerous studies and policy recommendations to the contrary, dissenting voices are being scolded into silence for being soft on terrorism. All methods of fighting terrorism should be considered, but we must not let fear or political agendas drive us to adopt measures that do more harm than good. If policy making continues in the current direction the impact on museums, their staffs, donors, trustees and, ultimately, their ability to serve the public will be permanent and severely damaging. It is time for Museums and their Boards to take action.
Initial claims of billions of dollars in terrorist funding from sales of artifacts have been discredited, but this has not prevented these claims from being used to justify stricter regulation and enforcement such as the new German law and the European Treaty of Nicosia. However, recent evidence and studies [3] suggest revenue to ISIS may be no more than a few hundred thousand from sale of "excavation permits" within their now rapidly shrinking territory. Nevertheless, these exaggerated claims of terrorist funding[4] have now been repeated so often that they are accepted as fact [5], and are having a profound effect on policy making. The US has passed into law new restrictions on Syrian artifacts and created a new investigatory committee.[6] A new EU treaty [7] (Nicosia, May 2017), justified largely by these discredited claims that antiquities sales are providing funding for terrorists, recognizes the laws of source countries as the exclusive means of determining an object's legal status. The treaty provides for enforcement and criminal penalties based on these foreign laws regardless of whether they have been shown to be valid or constitutional within the EU or whether they are even enforced in the source country. Once codified into law it will create substantial legal risks for museums, their staffs and the trade.
Germany has enacted a controversial law[8] [9] requiring export licenses and proof of legal source country exportation and declares anything without proper documentation to be presumptively illegal. The Terrorism Art and Antiquity Revenue Prevention Act of 2016 (S.3449, TAAR Act) introduced in the US Senate, but now tabled, would classify as stolen any cultural property removed in violation of the local laws of the source country and would empower the Dept. of Homeland Security to create a database and labeling system for Syrian and Iraqi artifacts. [10] Trump's Presidential Memos and Executive Orders targeting ISIS and terrorism[11] [12] [13] have encouraged proposals for more regulation, new enforcement initiatives and more criminal prosecutions.
Recent testimony before Congress and Homeland Security[14] [15] also continues to cite sale of artifacts as a major source of terrorist funding claiming that individual objects sell for, "…as much as $1 Million…" and implying that terrorists are directly participating at the highest levels of the antiquities market despite a complete lack of evidence. Since 2015 the US Department of State has offered a $5 million reward for information that disrupts these alleged activities . [16] No one has yet claimed the reward.[17]
Museum's Ability To Serve The Public: At Risk?
Museums should be an essential part of any international effort to protect the world's cultural heritage. But, as the focus of regulators has turned almost solely to defeating terrorism, museums have been marginalized and the goal of actually preserving world cultural heritage for future generations seems to be receding into the background.
The risks are real. By imposing retroactive requirements for source country export documentation, the new EU Treaty and German laws instantly create millions of orphaned objects already in the EU which, after implementation, cannot be legally exported, sold, gifted or, in Germany, owned. What will happen to all those objects? How will museums or families feel about suddenly being deemed criminals simply for owning them? Should the US revive the TAAR Act, the same thing could happen here.
Criminal penalties mandated by the EU Treaty probably sound good to voters worried about terrorism or concerned about cultural heritage preservation but does it really make sense to threaten museum staffers with jail time if they made a mistake in their provenance research? The new EU Treaty requires laws that say it's a crime to make a mistake if you "should have known". [18] Will museums decide to make no accessions at all rather than that take that kind of risk? And, who will be willing to serve as a Trustee when it exposes them to the possibility of criminal prosecution?
In the absence of strong voices from the museum community we are permitting the creation of a world with less transparency, more cultural property abuses, millions of refugee objects and enormous risks for museum staff, trustees and collectors. We are in real danger of permanently damaging the ability of the museum system to serve the public and eliminating the opportunity for our society to view, understand and appreciate the World's many diverse artistic traditions.
In such an environment, no set of internal policies will completely protect an institution from cultural property disputes or accusations. We can, however, operate transparently with clear ethical guidelines that support both the protection of cultural heritage and our ability to pursue our public mission. We must also fight for a seat at the policy making table and become an integral part of the process rather than being victimized by it.
Matthew Polk is a trustee of the Walters Art Museum and a former trustee of the Baltimore Museum of Art. He currently serves on the Collections and Finance Committees of the Walters and on the AAAPI Accessions committee of the BMA. He is also a board member of the Committee for Cultural Policy and a co-founder of the Global Heritage Alliance, organizations dedicated to formulation of cultural property policies which serve both the need for preservation and the public interest. In 2009 he and his wife, Amy Gould FAIA, established the Historic Textile Research Foundation (HTRF), a 501 c(3) dedicated to radiocarbon dating of historically significant textiles for research purposes.
Mr. Polk is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy ('71) and serves on the department's advisory board and executive committee. In 1971 he co-founded Polk Audio and served as Chairman and head of product development until 2006. In 2009 he began developing a new method for high intensity acoustic vibration testing of spacecraft and in 2016 co- founded MSI DFAT Services, LLC, the leading provider of direct field acoustic testing services for aerospace.
Note: The Museum Trustee Association views its mission of enhancing the effectiveness of museum trustees as educational and collaborative. As a group of past and current museum board members, we do not see ourselves as a policy-setting organization but rather as a source of information to equip Museum Trustees as they implement field-wide best practices in all of their governance affairs. The article above is intended to provide an opportunity for open dialogue.
[1] "Legislators seem to be very busy with drafting laws to combat cultural property crimes, combat IS and specifically the ways IS earns money. Legislators seem to be more occupied with the topic than law enforcement, but no unequivocal proof of huge revenues of the illegal trade in cultural property is found that could support such an active legislative role – besides political reasons. Large amounts of plundered items have not surfaced on Western (art) markets" Dutch Survey on Cultural Property War Crimes, Sept. 2016, section 14.2.3 page 65, http://iadaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Cultural-Property-War-crimes-and-Islamic-State-2016.pdf
[2] Excellent discussion in the New Yorker, Dec. 2015 , https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-real-value-of-the-isis-antiquities-trade
[3] Dutch study most comprehensive yet. "Based on this study it can be concluded that the topic is 'hyped'. It is a strategic political topic that is presented bigger than it is in reality." Pg. 6,http://iadaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Cultural-Property-War-crimes-and-Islamic-State-2016.pdf See page 63-65 for summary and conclusions.
[4] Inside ISIS' Looted Antiquities Trade: "…why $7 billion fell to $4 million in public discussions about the ISIS antiquities trade." https://theconversation.com/inside-isis-looted-antiquities-trade-59287
[5] Q&A on proposed EU regulations, http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-17-1954_en.htm "Another study [reference not provided] suggests that the total financial value of the illegal antiquities and art trade is larger than any other area of international crime except arms trafficking and narcotics and has been estimated at €2.5 - €5 billion yearly." For comparison, the 2014 TEFAF market report estimated the entire world-wide antiquities market at $150M to $200M.
[6] H.R.1493 - Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1493
[7] 127th Session of the Committee of Ministers
(Nicosia, 19 May 2017) Council of Europe Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Propertyhttps://search.coe.int/cm/Page/result_details.aspx?ObjectId=0900001680704b30
[8]http://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/germany-act-to-protect-cultural-property-passed/
[9] Note that as of 2008 exports of nearly all cultural property to non-EU countries already require licenses,http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:039:0001:0007:en:PDF
[10] TAAR Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/3449/text
[11] https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/28/plan-defeat-islamic-state-iraq
[12] https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Executive_Order_13773
[13] Comprehensive Strategy to Destroy ISIS Act of 2017 https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1785/text
[14] Hearing: "The Exploitation of Cultural Property: Examining Illicit Activity in the Antiquities and Art Trade" http://docs.house.gov/committee/calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=106166
[15]FOLLOWING THE MONEY: EXAMINING CURRENT TERRORIST FINANCING TRENDS AND THE THREAT TO THE HOMELAND https://homeland.house.gov/hearing/following-money-examining-current-terrorist-financing-trends-threat-homeland/
[16] http://thehill.com/policy/defense/255442-us-offers-5-million-reward-to-stop-isis-from-plundering-antiquities
[17] In spite of a lack of credible evidence of any significant terrorist funding from cultural objects reaching the US, organisations like the "Antiquities Coalition" continue to argue for the elimination of all trade in antiquities as an effective means of fighting terrorism. https://theantiquitiescoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/rsz_1rsz_1rsz_conflictantiquities_170713-01-1.png , As the Dutch study on Cultural Property War Crimes concluded, "It would contribute to effective investigations if "UNESCO, media agencies and other agencies [would] stop 'hyping' cultural property crimes……" section 15.1, page 65, http://iadaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Cultural-Property-War-crimes-and-Islamic-State-2016.pdf
[18] See Chapter II, Article 7-2 and Article 8-2, http://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/rms/0900001680710435
Blue Star Museums
Board Orientation
Cultural Property Policy
Donor Acquisition
From The President Of MTA
Leadership Transitions


The number of Americans age 65 and older is projected to double from 2008 to 2031. The surplus of money paid into the system by boomers will allow it to run into the late 2030s, even though it will begin paying out more than it takes in by 2017. With changes expected in the eligibility and benefits offered by social security, tax and financial planning professionals can expect an increase in retirement planning strategy questions.
As the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age there will be exponential growth in retirement planning concerns and you will need to be aware of the best strategy to deal with them. Here are some tips to help your clients balance living for today, while preparing for tomorrow.
First of all, make sure that your clients (retirement age and younger) know that the concern about social security is that it will have a shortfall by 2033 that will only be able to pay out 75 percent of the scheduled benefits. Social security funds are not going bankrupt; there will still be revenue from payroll taxes and income taxes on benefits paid to higher-income recipients.
The best way to ensure security in retirement is to supplement social security with personal retirement financial investments. Having stable investments and strategic 401(k) plans will help your client to live comfortably in retirement. Developing this strategy may include discussing with your client the possibility of switching their 401(k) to a Roth plan.
If both spouses worked they can receive benefits based on their individual earnings history. But a lower-earning spouse has the option to base their benefit on the higher-earning spouse's. Either way, if your client chooses to claim benefits before full retirement age they will be reduced. Another option for your clients may be to collect a spousal benefit initially and allow your benefit amount to increase by delaying collection.
According to the Social Security Administration, about one-third of individuals receiving social security benefits are required to pay income taxes on those benefits. As a tax professional you will need to be aware of whether or not your client's benefits are taxable, to what extent and how to best prepare for how this will affect their benefit income level.
As an increasing population reaches retirement age you, as a tax professional, will need to know the specific ways to best handle the complicated facets of Social Security benefit management. To learn more about how baby boomers will effect Social Security, sign up for our upcoming webinar Social Security, Medicare, and Prescription Drug Retirement Benefits: What Every Baby Boomer Needs to Know Now (SSRB).


text:
L'IVECO 480 TurboCity est un autobus urbain fabriqué entre 1989 et 1996 par le constructeur italien IVECO division Bus dans son usine de Valle Ufita.

Il succède à l'autobus urbain Fiat 471 U-EffeUno de 1980. IVECO Bus a pris la suite de Fiat Bus en 1975.

Le 480 TurboCity était disponible en trois versions :
 Iveco 480 autobus urbain
 Iveco 580 suburbain / ligne banlieue
 Iveco 680 ligne régulière
en plusieurs longueurs : 9,5-10,5-12 m et articulé de 18 m.

Il existe également une version trolleybus Iveco 2480 dont la partie traction électrique est réalisée par la société italienne spécialisée dans ce domaine, Socimi.

Comme de coutume chez les Italiens, les modèles sont équipés de 2, 3 ou 4 portes latérales d'accès, d'un display de signalisation du trajet à l'avant et latéral, d'une installation audio, et de la climatisation.

C'est le premier bus urbain de la gamme Iveco et un des tout  premiers au monde à disposer d'un plancher plat et surbaissé.

Des véhicules ont également été carrossés par Mauri, Seac-Viberti, Portesi ou De Simon, dans des versions urbaines et de ligne.

Les différents modèles de série
 480.12.21 - 1989/92
 Type : urbain
 Longueur : 12 m
 Nb places : 116
 Nb portes : 3 (4 portes pour le marché italien)
 Moteur : Fiat 8460.21 diesel -  - 210 cv

 580.12.21 - 1989/1991
 Type : suburbain / banlieue
 Longueur : 12 m
 Nb places : 105
 Nb portes : 2
 Moteur : Fiat 8460.21 diesel -  - 210 cv

 480.10.21 - 1990/1992
 Type : urbain
 Longueur : 10,5 m
 Nb places : 92
 Nb portes : 3
 Moteur : Fiat 8460.21 diesel -  - 210 cv

 580.10.21 - 1990
 Type : suburbain / banlieue
 Longueur : 10,5 m
 Nb places : 92
 Nb portes : 2
 Moteur : Fiat 8460.21 diesel -  - 210 cv

 480.9.21 - 1991
 Type : urbain
 Longueur : 9,5 m
 Nb places : 92
 Nb portes : 3
 Moteur : Fiat 8460.21 diesel -  - 210 cv

 480.18.29 - 1992/94
 Type : urbain
 Longueur : 18 m articulé
 Nb places : 181
 Nb portes : 4
 Moteur : Fiat 8460.41B diesel -  - 290 cv

 680.12.24 - 1991/96
 Type : ligne régulière banlieue
 Longueur : 12 m
 Nb places assises : 68
 Nb portes : 2
 Moteur : Fiat 8460 diesel -  - 240 cv

 2480.12/18 - 1991/96
 Autre dénomination : Socimi 8843 / Socimi 8845
 Type : trolleybus
 Longueur : 12,00 / 18,00 m
 Nb places assises : 191 / 131
 Nb portes : 4 / 3
 Moteur : Marelli / Ansaldo

Diffusion

Le modèle TurboCity, produit à plusieurs milliers d'exemplaires, a été l'autobus urbain le plus diffusé en Italie et dans de nombreux pays d'Europe de l'Est. Outre les grandes villes italiennes comme Milan, Rome et Turin où il en avait acquis le monopole, il est encore en service dans des capitales étrangères, de l'Europe de l'Est notamment et en Afrique. Le TurboCity a trouvé de nombreux débouchés à l'étranger : Suisse, Allemagne, Roumanie et ex bloc soviétique et est souvent revendu en Afrique.

Plusieurs dizaines d'exemplaires d'une version spéciale Iveco Turbocity 580.12.21 a été réalisée avec conduite à droite pour la compagnie de service urbain Rapid KL de Kuala Lumpur, en Malaisie.

Le TurboCity a été remplacé en 1997 par le modèle Iveco 490 TurboCity UR Green sans grande évolution notable au niveau carrosserie extérieure si ce ne sont les portes, mais avec une motorisation respectant les sévères critères anti-pollution. Le TurboCity a dû être retiré de la circulation en Italie au plus tard le  à la suite de la Loi italienne qui impose le respect des normes Euro 4 pour tous les bus.

Liens externes

 Site officiel Irisbus - multi langues
 Listing parc autobus GTT - transports publics de Turin - fiches techniques - en italien

Modèle d'autobus
Modèle de trolleybus
Autobus Iveco
Transport en Italie
Poids lourd des années 1980
Poids lourd des années 1990
Iveco
Fiat

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


LAO CAI, Vietnam, March 28 — A hailstorm hit the northern mountainous provinces of Cao Bang, Ha Giang and Lao Cai yesterday, injuring dozens of people while damaging tens of thousands of houses.
Lao Cai was hardest hit with 33 people being injured and 5,700 houses damaged.
More than 10,500 households in total and many schools and health clinics were affected.
Fifteen of the injured were taken to hospital after being hit by massive hailstones that rained down for 15 minutes.
The hailstorm hit Lao Cai at dawn Wednesday, where hailstones had an average diameter of 5-10cm.
Vu Thanh Tuan, a resident in Muong Khuong district, told the Vietnam News Agency it was the heaviest hail fall he had ever seen.
"There were hailstones the size of a person's fist," he said.
Director of the provincial Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development Ma Quang Trung said the storm was unusual.
"It was the heaviest so far in the province, and hit the three districts of Muong Khuong, Bac Ha and Si Ma Cai. Previous hailstorms only occurred on a small scale and were limited to some communes," he said.
Another hailstorm hit the province Wednesday morning, at around 10am but was not so heavy, he added.
Director of the provincial hydro meteorological forecast station Luu Minh Hai said a cold spell had moved into the northern region on Tuesday, and movements of cold and hot air triggered strong winds and the hailstorms.
The cold spell also caused rain across the province with an average rainfall of between 5-10mm, Hai said.
Hailstorms also caused great damage to the property of local people in Cao Bang and Ha Giang.
As many as 341 houses and hundreds of crops in Cao Bang were damaged, according to initial reports from local authorities.
Authorities are taking drastic measures to help local residents deal with the aftermath of the storm.
A cold spell will continue in the northern region with temperatures dropping to 15 degree Celsius, according to the national hydro meteorological Forecast Center.


The #1 online learning program for executives – certified by Deutsche Börse. Attend the program and pass the Eurex Online System Training.
Our Beginner Nanodiploma is your perfect start with Tradimo. We've packed 20+ years of trading experience into our specialised programmes and we offer you to try a full Nanodiploma experience for free.
Whether you have some disposable assets you want to invest and don't know how or you have an interest in investing, the Investor Nanodiploma gives you all the knowledge necessary for you to start investing right now.
Learning how to trade Forex is essential for any trader. In the current situation of common political or economical change, it is priceless to know how to own foreign currencies or assets.
Trading options brings you unlimited possibilities like no other financial instrument. You can make solid returns even if the underlying doesn't move at all or maybe even runs against you.
Daniel F., a full-time trader shares his daytrading strategies in this sophisticated, in-depth programme. You receive close mentorship from one of Tradimo's top instructors.
We've packed over 20 years of experience and knowledge into our original Nanodiplomas™. They are the best product we've ever built and represent the highest quality learning in the financial industry. One of our Nanodiplomas™ has even been certified by Deutsche Börse.
Every Nanodiploma™ contains the best courses in the right order to reach your learning goal.
After each term, you receive practical projects to make sure you can apply what you have learned.
Your personal instructor is part of your learning from the beginning and helps you through constant feedback. He's also here to answer any of your questions.
Some of the Nanodiplomas and all of our Premium packages provide you with access to the Premium Signal Community where we share the trades we make for our $100,000 company account.
You always know where you are in your learning process thanks to our progress tracker. Reach 100% progress in the entire Nanodiploma™ to receive your certificate.
After you successfully complete your Nanodiploma™, you receive a certificate for your CV, LinkedIn or anywhere you want. Some of the Nanodiplomas™ will also help you in your job search or prepare you for a professional qualification in the financial industry.
You will study from traders and educators from around the globe. Each of them is a professional in their own field, providing you with a professional knowledge.
Stefan is one of the most highly regarded financial instructors worldwide. Working with derivatives since the 80s with a degree in Economics, he regularly holds lectures and workshops for top executives in the name of Deutsche Börse.
Paul holds a MSc in Banking and Finance from the University of London. With over 30 years of experience he has been working within the area of financial markets and derivatives industry and been teaching for over 20 years.
Gerhard has worked for almost 20 years in several training-related positions at Deutsche Börse AG/Eurex. He holds a degree in Capital Markets and Portfolio Management and a degree in Educational Psychology, American Studies and German Philology.
Matthias leads Tradimo's Education department and is responsible for the Premium service. He has been trading since 2004 and has grown his account from under $20,000 to over $100,000 over the last years. His main focus are futures and options. Matthias holds a Master degree in Economics.
Trading is a family tradition in Matthias' family where his grandfather invested himself instead of trusting banks. Having first started as a Tradimo student, Matthias now lives from his trading returns.
Cloud is the Chief Operating Officer of Tradimo's Chinese division, has a hedge fund certification and holds a Master in Finance and Economics.
We have helped over 4 million students on their way to achieve their financial goals.
"When I started trading, I began to learn to trade at the same time at Tradimo. I read a lot about money and risk management, watched numerous videos about economic fundamentals and studied the articles on technical analysis. That's probably what saved me from losing a lot of money, next to my natural instinct to be careful. I knew from the start, that the financial markets are no place for gamblers, but I didn't understand technical analysis well enough. Tradimo has opened up the way for me to find my own, independent way of trading.
I really value the friendly and helpful community at Tradimo. Both online and offline when we're having a community meeting, everyone is open, intelligent and interested in great conversations. Therefore, I can honestly recommend beginners to inform themselves about trading and investing at Tradimo."
Before learning with tradimo, my annual profit was only around 5%-15%. Since joining tradimo in 2015, my trading results have been significantly improved and I have achieved 52.79% annual profit in 2017.


Summary: Construction of Administration and Training block, 3 x Accommodation Dorms, Gym and associated paving and external works including landscaping, construction of roads and car park including line marking and lighting.
Location: Dubbo Regional Airport, Cooreena rd. Dubbo.


3,200 MP camera — the final cost of which has been estimated at about $167 million? We're talking about the centerpiece of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) which recently received key "Critical Decision 2" approval from the US Department of Energy. The camera — scheduled to be in operation atop a mountain in Cerro Pachón, Chile, by 2022 — will be the size of a small car and weigh more than three tons.
Operated by the DOE's Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) and National Accelerator Laboratory ( www6.slac.stanford.edu), it is designed to help researchers study galaxy formation, track hazardous asteroids, grab a look at exploding stars, and gain a better understanding of enigmatic dark matter and dark energy which together make up 95 percent of the universe. According to SLAC, it will produce the widest, deepest, and fastest views of the night sky ever observed. Over a ten year period, the observatory will detect tens of billions of objects and create movies of the sky with unprecedented details.
"The telescope is a key part of the long-term strategy to study dark energy and other scientific topics in the United States and elsewhere," said David MacFarlane, SLAC's director of particle physics and astrophysics. "SLAC places high priority on the successful development and construction of the LSST camera and is very pleased that the project has achieved this major approval milestone."
Components of the camera will be built by an international collaboration of labs and universities, including DOE's Brookhaven National Lab, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and SLAC itself, where the camera will be assembled and tested.
Levitation has long been a staple concept for folks, ranging from Hindu gurus to magicians. It is a pretty difficult thing to achieve outside the world of illusion and fakery, but there are a few real methods including magnetic and acoustic levitation — the latter of which is used for "containerless processing" of various materials. It involves suspending an object between a sound source and a reflector using the reflected acoustic waves.
Until recently, this has required a very precise setup in which the source and reflector had to be located at fixed resonant distances, which makes it difficult to control the levitated objects. However, researchers with the University of São Paulo ( www5.usp.br) have devised an instrument that can make a small object hover while exercising much greater control over it.
The instrument demonstrates that it is possible to build a practical nonresonant device, i.e., one that does not require a fixed separation between the two main components. Moreover, it shows that levitation can do more than just trap objects in a fixed position; it can also transport them through short distances in space. According to Marco Aurélio Brizzotti Andrade, who led the research, "Modern factories have hundreds of robots to move parts from one place to another. Why not try to do the same without touching the parts to be transported?"
■ Ultrasonic emitter (top) and reflector (bottom) suspend polystyrene blobs in acoustic standing waves.
■ Artist's rendering of the LSST camera.


text:
Dec 28, 2021 - 07:53 am By Ernest Fakude
In-demand striker Victor Letsoalo is reportedly preparing to sensationally hand in a transfer request to Royal AM in an attempt to force a move in the January transfer window.
Letsoalo's contract with the DStv Premiership new boys is set to expire in June 2022.
However, reliable sources close to the player reveal the former Bloemfontein Celtic attacker is keen to secure a transfer away from the Durban-based side.
Scroll through the gallery to see the 10 oldest goalscorers in the PSL this season
Letsoalo has previously been strongly linked to both Soweto giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
"Victor Letsoalo has made his intentions known to the club that he wants to move elsewhere and is not ready to remain at Royal AM beyond his current contract," the source reveals to KickOff.
"He wants to move away from Royal AM this January.
"He will meet again with the club in the new year, where he is expected to officially hand in a transfer request," the source added.
Letsoalo has been in scintillating form so far this season having scored nine goals with two assists in 15 matches played.
Bucs rewarded for showing Peprah faith
Bucs defender makes Super Eagles Afcon squad
TS Galaxy to reinforce squad


text:
Devils Issues, Views & Analysis
New Jersey Devils 2013 Season Preview Part 5: Summary & Prediction
A summary of the 2013 New Jersey Devils season, as well as the staff's predictions on how the 2013 season will play out.
By Blurred Cat Jan 11, 2013, 1:00pm EST
Share All sharing options for: New Jersey Devils 2013 Season Preview Part 5: Summary & Prediction
Two seasons ago, the Devils had their worst season in over two decades. They missed the playoffs and still managed to win the draft lottery (Small victories!). None of us were really expecting what would happen next season. After an up-and-down season which featured several excellent individual performances as well as a 102 point season (5th most points in the East, 8th most overall), the Devils went on an incredible playoff run which featured a dominating victory over the Flyers (and an awesome game winning blooper) and an epic OT win over the Rangers. Of course, we all watched the Kings dominate the Devils in the finals, which kind of sucked, but yeah- 2011-12 was pretty awesome in general.
Then the off-season happened. Alexei Ponikarovsky left to play in Winnipeg, Petr Sykora still floats around as a free agent and Zach Parise decided that he'd much rather spend his spring playing golf with his best friend in Minnesota, which sucked (don't worry guys, we got Krys Barch and his drunken rants!). And then in September, the NHL and the PA couldn't agree on a new CBA, So for another 3 months, we all had to watch hockey elsewhere- the Albany Devils, the KHL, the ECHL, College Hockey or the CHL/Canadian Juniors. And now, after over 100 days of STUPID, NHL hockey is back in shortened season form.
There are problems with shortened seasons- namely that teams can ride the percentages. The Wild and Leafs would be playoff teams because they rode percentages early on (MIN with Sv%, Leafs with Sh%) and imploded because of their weaknesses (MIN's piss poor puck possession and Toronto's HILARIOUSLY BAD goaltending) and the inevitable regression. On the other hand, a team with bad luck early on (like the Kings) would end up missing the playoffs thanks to all their early losses. So the Devils success at this point more or less relies on not stumbling out of the gate. A cold start could mean that the Devils would probably miss the playoffs (barring an incredible Lemaire-like run halfway through the season).
The ($98) million dollar question for the Devils will be how will they fare without Zach Parise after he left for the greener pastures of Minnesota (greener because that's where you play golf on, the greens. See guys, I still have my razor sharp wit!). While he was their third best forward, it's pretty tough to replace 31 goals (or in a lockout shortened season, 15-17 goals). Add in the fact that the Devils lost a good two-way player in Alexei Ponikarovsky and Petr Sykora's 21 goals as well as some inevitable regression from guys like Patrik Elias and David Clarkson. On the other hand, the Devils do like to surprise us. Not a lot of us saw a massive playoff run (or the complete and/or utter domination of the Flyers) in the cards last year. Maybe they'll come up big again?
With all that being said, here are the predictions from the staff.
John Fischer:It's easy to see why so many other previews and projections don't think highly of the 2013 New Jersey Devils. This New Jersey Devils team doesn't look good on paper. The offensive production will be top-heavy and reliant on only a few players; one of their top players hasn't been replaced at all, the forward depth is questionable to say the least; while most of the roster returns they are year older; the goalies are statistically not good to put it nicely; the defense will be steady but mostly non-offensive; and regression awaits the penalty killing and shootout success rate. Injuries and/or slumps to certain players could and would doom this team. Not only that, but a bunch of teams in the Eastern Conference either just got better (e.g. Pittsburgh, Carolina) or remained solid (e.g. Our Hated Rivals) after 2011-12. A shortened season makes for a much smaller margin for error; this Devils team will have to scrape every point they can get. There will be some opportunity to improve the roster, but moves will not only have to be quick but immediately effective.
I'd love to say that last year's Stanley Cup finalist should have no problem returning to the postseason. I'd love to say that last year's Stanley Cup finalist could win a round or two. However, I can't say either. I don't have much confidence in a guaranteed return, much less winning a round, unless they get some pleasant surprises, some great luck, or the proverbial paper gets proven dead wrong. If they do make it, I think they'll just barely get in at the #8 spot at the end of the season and I might just be happy with that - and that's a pretty substantial "if" from my point of view right now.
Jerry Tierney: To me, it's a little unclear how the Devils team will shake out for the 2013 season. In reality, last season it took a ridiculous streak of shootout wins and the unlikely emergence of a young star to keep them competitive early. Then, it took two mid-season trades and the return of an injured star to get the depth up to the level needed to compete deep into the playoffs. It's my feeling that some similar events will have to transpire this year for the Devils to have a similar level of success.
The young star emerging this season could be Jacob Josefson. He has the skill level and hockey sense to make a big impact on the ice in 2013. Especially since he will most likely be a third line center, he should get matchups he can win. Now, if Ryan Carter and Steve Bernier are his two wingers, I'm just not sure how much we can expect. I sincerely doubt Adam Henrique would have had the breakout season he did 1 year ago if he had linemates of that quality.
Bobby Butler is also another candidate for the "emerging young star" position. Based on what I have seen out of him in Albany over the last month or so, he should be able to play in the top 6 and contribute in all situations, including the PP and PK, as he has done in Albany.
Unless Mattias Tedenby establishes himself, somehow, as an everyday NHL player, I do think the Devils trade one of their defensemen for a capable 3rd line forward.
I envision it's going to be a bit of a struggle out of the gate for NJ this season at times, due to the lack of forward depth, and the key is to not fall too far behind in a shortened season. I am expecting Brodeur to be a bit rusty early on too. The Devils will need to be tight on defense and not make many mistakes in front of Marty to put him in the best position to succeed.
While there are some changes to the coaching staff, the Devils should benefit by having Peter DeBoer returning and running the same system which everyone is familiar with. Hopefully they can demonstrate some cohesion and familiarity with each other's style of play right from the get go.
I do envision playoff hockey returning to The Rock this season. I think when all things shake out, the Devils will finish above .500, and most likely finish 4th in the Atlantic Division (or maybe 3rd, with some luck). This should leave them somewhere between the 5th – 8th seed in the East, with a stronger chance towards the bottom half of that projection.
Playoff seeding will have even less importance than usual in a shortened season, just ask Marty about that. Simply punching a ticket to the dance should be the focus, and from there anything can happen. I'm not going to speculate on a deep run in the playoffs or anything like that. It's hard enough to predict something like that in a full season, let alone a short one. I think making the playoffs should be the goal, and anything that this group can achieve on top of that would just be icing on the cake, based on the way the team is shaping up right now.
Karen Mielands: >Everyone will have to step up to fill the holes Parise has left behind and a lot of things will have to fall into place for the Devils to go back to the Stanley Cup Finals, but you can never say never with this team.
With that said, I think Kovalchuk is hungry to win and isn't going to let his team go down without a fight. I also think that Josefson will stay healthy and break through this season. I feel comfortable with DeBoer behind the bench and so does this team – they believe in his system and hopefully will build off of what they learned from him last year. It will be really tough to replace Parise's production, but the shortened season will help any tiredness from the run last year and if guys like Zajac, Henrique and Josefson step up I see another sixth seed finish and a second round exit from the playoffs.
Matt Evans: When thinking about a 48 gameseason, I have a hard time trying to predict how the Devils will finish theseason. I have this sneaking suspicion that the Devils will come out slow and that could ultimately jeopardize their season. I do expect Ilya Kovalchuk to come out strong and continue his scoring ways from his time in the KHL. I also suspect Kovalchuk will finish in the top 5 in scoring in the league. The Devils' blue line will continue to be strong and Adam Larsson will continue to improve and begin to become a leader on defense. The Devils will have a very tough time scoring with the departure of Parise and the injury to Henrique.
There is also concern over the age of the Devils' goaltending duo. The Devils age problems in net will only be a problem if DeBoer does not use Moose enough and Marty begins to get worn out. Overall, I think the Devils will miss Parise and will ultimately lack the scoring up front to make the playoffs. Then again, if last season wouldhave been 48 games, the Wild would have won the president's trophy, so who knows?
Nate Pilling: Like it or not, the 2013 Devils are a different team than they were last season. With the losses of solid pieces like Zach Parise and Alexei Ponikarovsky, the Devils will have to look to some untested and/or young players. It'll be interesting to see where the young guys fit in this season. The defense corps look solid as ever, something that hasn't changed in the offseason. Between Brodeur and Hedberg, I expect just about what he had last year. Not stellar at times, but just plain good enough all throughout. These two aren't getting any younger, but they've proven that they aren't old and washed up just yet. While I expect slight dips in production from guys like David Clarkson and Adam Henrique, I fully expect Ilya Kovalchuk to be the beast that we saw last season. As his time in the KHL has proven, he still has the scoring touch.
I see consistency from the rest of the gang to what we saw last season and that the Devils will make the playoffs, but just barely. It's a tough division and in all honesty, the Devils haven't done much in the offseason to replace what they've lost. While I do see them making the playoffs, I'm predicting a first round exit.
Kevin Sellathamby: To be honest, I have no clue what will happen this season. The shortened season will likely be influenced by teams riding percentages. Maybe Marty catches fire and stops everything early on, or the Devils shooters are lights out for a period of time. Or maybe the Devils get unlucky again and can't score (or stop pucks).
What's going to be the saving grace for the Devils is that they're a team with a good system. When Peter DeBoer had the resources, he was able to put his team in a position to succeed. He rolled four lines effectively all throughout the playoffs because Stephen Gionta and Steve Bernier were capable role players, unlike idiot supreme Cam Janssen and the worst (statistical) player in the NHL, Eric Boulton. The teams with effective systems don't kneel over so easily (i.e. Phoenix after losing Bryzgalov), so I'm expecting the Devils to put up a good fight during the regular season. As for the playoffs, I'm expecting them to make the playoffs. They might miss it because a weaker team (i.e. Leafs, Sabres, Jets) gets hot early on and rides the percentages, but they're still one of the better teams and they have survived without Zach Parise before.
This concludes the week-long season preview of the New Jersey Devils. If you haven't read all the other previews, you can find the in-depth previews below.
Part 1: The Forwards by John Fischer
Part 2: The Defense by Jerry Tierney
Part 3: The Goaltending by Matt Evans
Part 4: Special Teams by Karen Mielands
With all that being said, how do you feel about the New Jersey Devils? Feel free to put your two cents in on how the Devils are going to fare in the shortened 2012-13 season. Thanks for reading!


text:
No contemporary image of Alexander Nevsky was ever painted. Alexander Nevsky was a genuine Russian hero in his time who defeated the Swedes and the Germans, and negotiated with the Mongols to keep them from devastating his Novgorod principality and other parts of northern Russia. His actions allowed people of Rus the time to form the Russian state which eventually drove out the foreigner invaders and lifted the Mongol yoke.
Alexander Nevsky is attributed with the following famous statement:
"WHOEVER SHALL COME TO US WITH THE SWORD SHALL PERISH BY IT"
Ironically, seven hundred years later, in 1942, the Germans forgot Alexander Nevsky's warning, and Hitler's Wehrmacht lay shattered and frozen in front of Moscow. The Germans will now heed this warning.
Other Depictions of Alexander Nevsky
Icons of Alexander Nevsky
1883 Silver Alexander Nevsky Medallion
Remake of the famous 1938 propaganda film issued on the eve of WW II. Romanticized rendition of the 1242 "Battle on the Ice". In Russian.
"Alexander Nevsky Battle". A 2008 movie dealing with events leading up to Alexander's crushing defeat of the invading Swedes on the Neva River in 1240, and the battle itself. Excellent film depicting Novgorod court intrigues, meddling of the Pope's emissaries and the adroit handling of the Mongols by Alexander Nevsky. The film culminates with Alexander Nevsky driving
his spear into the arrogant Swedish leader - historically accurate event. Contains an interesting dialog between Alexander Nevsky and two emissaries of the Pope, to whom Alexander Nevsky basically said that Russia has her own religion and does not need foreigners to bring her religion. In Russian.
A 1992 stamp commemorating 750 anniversary of the "Battle on the Ice".
"The Life of Saint Alexander Nevsky". Excellent book on the life story of Alexander Nevsky, filled with drawing from early sources. Russia text.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on Toompea, Tallinn, Estonia
Alexander Nevsky condemning the Germans to death in 1242, after defeating them in a battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Two years earlier, Alexander Nevsky had defeated the invading Swedes. Ironically, the Russians again defeated the Germans 700 years later at Moscow.
Alexander Nevsky, St. Petersburg icon dating from 1910. Gold leaf painted on wood.
"Now Everyone Is Against Us", Zhanna Bichevskaja
1942 poster:
"Whoever comes to us with the sword shall perish by it."