text:
package com.skycloud.jkb.pojo.entity;

// Generated 2013-12-31 14:44:24 by Hibernate Tools 3.4.0.CR1

import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.Set;
import javax.persistence.Column;
import javax.persistence.Entity;
import javax.persistence.FetchType;
import javax.persistence.Id;
import javax.persistence.JoinColumn;
import javax.persistence.ManyToOne;
import javax.persistence.OneToMany;
import javax.persistence.Table;
import javax.persistence.UniqueConstraint;

/**
 * Items generated by hbm2java
 */
@Entity
@Table(name = "items", catalog = "skycloud", uniqueConstraints = @UniqueConstraint(columnNames = { "hostid", "key_" }))
public class Items implements java.io.Serializable {

	private long itemid;
	private Hosts hosts;
	private Items items;
	private Interfaces interfaces;
	private Valuemaps valuemaps;
	private int type;
	private String snmpCommunity;
	private String snmpOid;
	private String name;
	private String key;
	private int delay;
	private int history;
	private int trends;
	private String lastvalue;
	private Integer lastclock;
	private String prevvalue;
	private int status;
	private int valueType;
	private String trapperHosts;
	private String units;
	private int multiplier;
	private int delta;
	private String prevorgvalue;
	private String snmpv3Securityname;
	private int snmpv3Securitylevel;
	private String snmpv3Authpassphrase;
	private String snmpv3Privpassphrase;
	private String formula;
	private String error;
	private long lastlogsize;
	private String logtimefmt;
	private String delayFlex;
	private String params;
	private String ipmiSensor;
	private int dataType;
	private int authtype;
	private String username;
	private String password;
	private String publickey;
	private String privatekey;
	private int mtime;
	private Integer lastns;
	private int flags;
	private String filter;
	private String port;
	private String description;
	private int inventoryLink;
	private String lifetime;
	private Set<Httpstepitem> httpstepitems = new HashSet<Httpstepitem>(0);
	private Set<Graphs> graphsesForYmaxItemid = new HashSet<Graphs>(0);
	private Set<Graphs> graphsesForYminItemid = new HashSet<Graphs>(0);
	private Set<Functions> functionses = new HashSet<Functions>(0);
	private Set<GraphsItems> graphsItemses = new HashSet<GraphsItems>(0);
	private Set<ItemDiscovery> itemDiscoveriesForItemid = new HashSet<ItemDiscovery>(0);
	private Set<Httptestitem> httptestitems = new HashSet<Httptestitem>(0);
	private Set<Items> itemses = new HashSet<Items>(0);
	private Set<ItemDiscovery> itemDiscoveriesForParentItemid = new HashSet<ItemDiscovery>(0);
	private Set<ItemsApplications> itemsApplicationses = new HashSet<ItemsApplications>(0);

	public Items() {
	}

	public Items(long itemid, Hosts hosts, int type, String snmpCommunity, String snmpOid, String name, String key,
			int delay, int history, int trends, int status, int valueType, String trapperHosts, String units,
			int multiplier, int delta, String snmpv3Securityname, int snmpv3Securitylevel, String snmpv3Authpassphrase,
			String snmpv3Privpassphrase, String formula, String error, long lastlogsize, String logtimefmt,
			String delayFlex, String params, String ipmiSensor, int dataType, int authtype, String username,
			String password, String publickey, String privatekey, int mtime, int flags, String filter, String port,
			String description, int inventoryLink, String lifetime) {
		this.itemid = itemid;
		this.hosts = hosts;
		this.type = type;
		this.snmpCommunity = snmpCommunity;
		this.snmpOid = snmpOid;
		this.name = name;
		this.key = key;
		this.delay = delay;
		this.history = history;
		this.trends = trends;
		this.status = status;
		this.valueType = valueType;
		this.trapperHosts = trapperHosts;
		this.units = units;
		this.multiplier = multiplier;
		this.delta = delta;
		this.snmpv3Securityname = snmpv3Securityname;
		this.snmpv3Securitylevel = snmpv3Securitylevel;
		this.snmpv3Authpassphrase = snmpv3Authpassphrase;
		this.snmpv3Privpassphrase = snmpv3Privpassphrase;
		this.formula = formula;
		this.error = error;
		this.lastlogsize = lastlogsize;
		this.logtimefmt = logtimefmt;
		this.delayFlex = delayFlex;
		this.params = params;
		this.ipmiSensor = ipmiSensor;
		this.dataType = dataType;
		this.authtype = authtype;
		this.username = username;
		this.password = password;
		this.publickey = publickey;
		this.privatekey = privatekey;
		this.mtime = mtime;
		this.flags = flags;
		this.filter = filter;
		this.port = port;
		this.description = description;
		this.inventoryLink = inventoryLink;
		this.lifetime = lifetime;
	}

	public Items(long itemid, Hosts hosts, Items items, Interfaces interfaces, Valuemaps valuemaps, int type,
			String snmpCommunity, String snmpOid, String name, String key, int delay, int history, int trends,
			String lastvalue, Integer lastclock, String prevvalue, int status, int valueType, String trapperHosts,
			String units, int multiplier, int delta, String prevorgvalue, String snmpv3Securityname,
			int snmpv3Securitylevel, String snmpv3Authpassphrase, String snmpv3Privpassphrase, String formula,
			String error, long lastlogsize, String logtimefmt, String delayFlex, String params, String ipmiSensor,
			int dataType, int authtype, String username, String password, String publickey, String privatekey,
			int mtime, Integer lastns, int flags, String filter, String port, String description, int inventoryLink,
			String lifetime, Set<Httpstepitem> httpstepitems, Set<Graphs> graphsesForYmaxItemid,
			Set<Graphs> graphsesForYminItemid, Set<Functions> functionses, Set<GraphsItems> graphsItemses,
			Set<ItemDiscovery> itemDiscoveriesForItemid, Set<Httptestitem> httptestitems, Set<Items> itemses,
			Set<ItemDiscovery> itemDiscoveriesForParentItemid, Set<ItemsApplications> itemsApplicationses) {
		this.itemid = itemid;
		this.hosts = hosts;
		this.items = items;
		this.interfaces = interfaces;
		this.valuemaps = valuemaps;
		this.type = type;
		this.snmpCommunity = snmpCommunity;
		this.snmpOid = snmpOid;
		this.name = name;
		this.key = key;
		this.delay = delay;
		this.history = history;
		this.trends = trends;
		this.lastvalue = lastvalue;
		this.lastclock = lastclock;
		this.prevvalue = prevvalue;
		this.status = status;
		this.valueType = valueType;
		this.trapperHosts = trapperHosts;
		this.units = units;
		this.multiplier = multiplier;
		this.delta = delta;
		this.prevorgvalue = prevorgvalue;
		this.snmpv3Securityname = snmpv3Securityname;
		this.snmpv3Securitylevel = snmpv3Securitylevel;
		this.snmpv3Authpassphrase = snmpv3Authpassphrase;
		this.snmpv3Privpassphrase = snmpv3Privpassphrase;
		this.formula = formula;
		this.error = error;
		this.lastlogsize = lastlogsize;
		this.logtimefmt = logtimefmt;
		this.delayFlex = delayFlex;
		this.params = params;
		this.ipmiSensor = ipmiSensor;
		this.dataType = dataType;
		this.authtype = authtype;
		this.username = username;
		this.password = password;
		this.publickey = publickey;
		this.privatekey = privatekey;
		this.mtime = mtime;
		this.lastns = lastns;
		this.flags = flags;
		this.filter = filter;
		this.port = port;
		this.description = description;
		this.inventoryLink = inventoryLink;
		this.lifetime = lifetime;
		this.httpstepitems = httpstepitems;
		this.graphsesForYmaxItemid = graphsesForYmaxItemid;
		this.graphsesForYminItemid = graphsesForYminItemid;
		this.functionses = functionses;
		this.graphsItemses = graphsItemses;
		this.itemDiscoveriesForItemid = itemDiscoveriesForItemid;
		this.httptestitems = httptestitems;
		this.itemses = itemses;
		this.itemDiscoveriesForParentItemid = itemDiscoveriesForParentItemid;
		this.itemsApplicationses = itemsApplicationses;
	}

	@Id
	@Column(name = "itemid", unique = true, nullable = false)
	public long getItemid() {
		return this.itemid;
	}

	public void setItemid(long itemid) {
		this.itemid = itemid;
	}

	@ManyToOne(fetch = FetchType.LAZY)
	@JoinColumn(name = "hostid", nullable = false)
	public Hosts getHosts() {
		return this.hosts;
	}

	public void setHosts(Hosts hosts) {
		this.hosts = hosts;
	}

	@ManyToOne(fetch = FetchType.LAZY)
	@JoinColumn(name = "templateid")
	public Items getItems() {
		return this.items;
	}

	public void setItems(Items items) {
		this.items = items;
	}

	@ManyToOne(fetch = FetchType.LAZY)
	@JoinColumn(name = "interfaceid")
	public Interfaces getInterfaces() {
		return this.interfaces;
	}

	public void setInterfaces(Interfaces interfaces) {
		this.interfaces = interfaces;
	}

	@ManyToOne(fetch = FetchType.LAZY)
	@JoinColumn(name = "valuemapid")
	public Valuemaps getValuemaps() {
		return this.valuemaps;
	}

	public void setValuemaps(Valuemaps valuemaps) {
		this.valuemaps = valuemaps;
	}

	@Column(name = "type", nullable = false)
	public int getType() {
		return this.type;
	}

	public void setType(int type) {
		this.type = type;
	}

	@Column(name = "snmp_community", nullable = false, length = 64)
	public String getSnmpCommunity() {
		return this.snmpCommunity;
	}

	public void setSnmpCommunity(String snmpCommunity) {
		this.snmpCommunity = snmpCommunity;
	}

	@Column(name = "snmp_oid", nullable = false)
	public String getSnmpOid() {
		return this.snmpOid;
	}

	public void setSnmpOid(String snmpOid) {
		this.snmpOid = snmpOid;
	}

	@Column(name = "name", nullable = false)
	public String getName() {
		return this.name;
	}

	public void setName(String name) {
		this.name = name;
	}

	@Column(name = "key_", nullable = false)
	public String getKey() {
		return this.key;
	}

	public void setKey(String key) {
		this.key = key;
	}

	@Column(name = "delay", nullable = false)
	public int getDelay() {
		return this.delay;
	}

	public void setDelay(int delay) {
		this.delay = delay;
	}

	@Column(name = "history", nullable = false)
	public int getHistory() {
		return this.history;
	}

	public void setHistory(int history) {
		this.history = history;
	}

	@Column(name = "trends", nullable = false)
	public int getTrends() {
		return this.trends;
	}

	public void setTrends(int trends) {
		this.trends = trends;
	}

	@Column(name = "lastvalue")
	public String getLastvalue() {
		return this.lastvalue;
	}

	public void setLastvalue(String lastvalue) {
		this.lastvalue = lastvalue;
	}

	@Column(name = "lastclock")
	public Integer getLastclock() {
		return this.lastclock;
	}

	public void setLastclock(Integer lastclock) {
		this.lastclock = lastclock;
	}

	@Column(name = "prevvalue")
	public String getPrevvalue() {
		return this.prevvalue;
	}

	public void setPrevvalue(String prevvalue) {
		this.prevvalue = prevvalue;
	}

	@Column(name = "status", nullable = false)
	public int getStatus() {
		return this.status;
	}

	public void setStatus(int status) {
		this.status = status;
	}

	@Column(name = "value_type", nullable = false)
	public int getValueType() {
		return this.valueType;
	}

	public void setValueType(int valueType) {
		this.valueType = valueType;
	}

	@Column(name = "trapper_hosts", nullable = false)
	public String getTrapperHosts() {
		return this.trapperHosts;
	}

	public void setTrapperHosts(String trapperHosts) {
		this.trapperHosts = trapperHosts;
	}

	@Column(name = "units", nullable = false)
	public String getUnits() {
		return this.units;
	}

	public void setUnits(String units) {
		this.units = units;
	}

	@Column(name = "multiplier", nullable = false)
	public int getMultiplier() {
		return this.multiplier;
	}

	public void setMultiplier(int multiplier) {
		this.multiplier = multiplier;
	}

	@Column(name = "delta", nullable = false)
	public int getDelta() {
		return this.delta;
	}

	public void setDelta(int delta) {
		this.delta = delta;
	}

	@Column(name = "prevorgvalue")
	public String getPrevorgvalue() {
		return this.prevorgvalue;
	}

	public void setPrevorgvalue(String prevorgvalue) {
		this.prevorgvalue = prevorgvalue;
	}

	@Column(name = "snmpv3_securityname", nullable = false, length = 64)
	public String getSnmpv3Securityname() {
		return this.snmpv3Securityname;
	}

	public void setSnmpv3Securityname(String snmpv3Securityname) {
		this.snmpv3Securityname = snmpv3Securityname;
	}

	@Column(name = "snmpv3_securitylevel", nullable = false)
	public int getSnmpv3Securitylevel() {
		return this.snmpv3Securitylevel;
	}

	public void setSnmpv3Securitylevel(int snmpv3Securitylevel) {
		this.snmpv3Securitylevel = snmpv3Securitylevel;
	}

	@Column(name = "snmpv3_authpassphrase", nullable = false, length = 64)
	public String getSnmpv3Authpassphrase() {
		return this.snmpv3Authpassphrase;
	}

	public void setSnmpv3Authpassphrase(String snmpv3Authpassphrase) {
		this.snmpv3Authpassphrase = snmpv3Authpassphrase;
	}

	@Column(name = "snmpv3_privpassphrase", nullable = false, length = 64)
	public String getSnmpv3Privpassphrase() {
		return this.snmpv3Privpassphrase;
	}

	public void setSnmpv3Privpassphrase(String snmpv3Privpassphrase) {
		this.snmpv3Privpassphrase = snmpv3Privpassphrase;
	}

	@Column(name = "formula", nullable = false)
	public String getFormula() {
		return this.formula;
	}

	public void setFormula(String formula) {
		this.formula = formula;
	}

	@Column(name = "error", nullable = false, length = 128)
	public String getError() {
		return this.error;
	}

	public void setError(String error) {
		this.error = error;
	}

	@Column(name = "lastlogsize", nullable = false)
	public long getLastlogsize() {
		return this.lastlogsize;
	}

	public void setLastlogsize(long lastlogsize) {
		this.lastlogsize = lastlogsize;
	}

	@Column(name = "logtimefmt", nullable = false, length = 64)
	public String getLogtimefmt() {
		return this.logtimefmt;
	}

	public void setLogtimefmt(String logtimefmt) {
		this.logtimefmt = logtimefmt;
	}

	@Column(name = "delay_flex", nullable = false)
	public String getDelayFlex() {
		return this.delayFlex;
	}

	public void setDelayFlex(String delayFlex) {
		this.delayFlex = delayFlex;
	}

	@Column(name = "params", nullable = false, length = 65535)
	public String getParams() {
		return this.params;
	}

	public void setParams(String params) {
		this.params = params;
	}

	@Column(name = "ipmi_sensor", nullable = false, length = 128)
	public String getIpmiSensor() {
		return this.ipmiSensor;
	}

	public void setIpmiSensor(String ipmiSensor) {
		this.ipmiSensor = ipmiSensor;
	}

	@Column(name = "data_type", nullable = false)
	public int getDataType() {
		return this.dataType;
	}

	public void setDataType(int dataType) {
		this.dataType = dataType;
	}

	@Column(name = "authtype", nullable = false)
	public int getAuthtype() {
		return this.authtype;
	}

	public void setAuthtype(int authtype) {
		this.authtype = authtype;
	}

	@Column(name = "username", nullable = false, length = 64)
	public String getUsername() {
		return this.username;
	}

	public void setUsername(String username) {
		this.username = username;
	}

	@Column(name = "password", nullable = false, length = 64)
	public String getPassword() {
		return this.password;
	}

	public void setPassword(String password) {
		this.password = password;
	}

	@Column(name = "publickey", nullable = false, length = 64)
	public String getPublickey() {
		return this.publickey;
	}

	public void setPublickey(String publickey) {
		this.publickey = publickey;
	}

	@Column(name = "privatekey", nullable = false, length = 64)
	public String getPrivatekey() {
		return this.privatekey;
	}

	public void setPrivatekey(String privatekey) {
		this.privatekey = privatekey;
	}

	@Column(name = "mtime", nullable = false)
	public int getMtime() {
		return this.mtime;
	}

	public void setMtime(int mtime) {
		this.mtime = mtime;
	}

	@Column(name = "lastns")
	public Integer getLastns() {
		return this.lastns;
	}

	public void setLastns(Integer lastns) {
		this.lastns = lastns;
	}

	@Column(name = "flags", nullable = false)
	public int getFlags() {
		return this.flags;
	}

	public void setFlags(int flags) {
		this.flags = flags;
	}

	@Column(name = "filter", nullable = false)
	public String getFilter() {
		return this.filter;
	}

	public void setFilter(String filter) {
		this.filter = filter;
	}

	@Column(name = "port", nullable = false, length = 64)
	public String getPort() {
		return this.port;
	}

	public void setPort(String port) {
		this.port = port;
	}

	@Column(name = "description", nullable = false, length = 65535)
	public String getDescription() {
		return this.description;
	}

	public void setDescription(String description) {
		this.description = description;
	}

	@Column(name = "inventory_link", nullable = false)
	public int getInventoryLink() {
		return this.inventoryLink;
	}

	public void setInventoryLink(int inventoryLink) {
		this.inventoryLink = inventoryLink;
	}

	@Column(name = "lifetime", nullable = false, length = 64)
	public String getLifetime() {
		return this.lifetime;
	}

	public void setLifetime(String lifetime) {
		this.lifetime = lifetime;
	}

	@OneToMany(fetch = FetchType.LAZY, mappedBy = "items")
	public Set<Httpstepitem> getHttpstepitems() {
		return this.httpstepitems;
	}

	public void setHttpstepitems(Set<Httpstepitem> httpstepitems) {
		this.httpstepitems = httpstepitems;
	}

	@OneToMany(fetch = FetchType.LAZY, mappedBy = "itemsByYmaxItemid")
	public Set<Graphs> getGraphsesForYmaxItemid() {
		return this.graphsesForYmaxItemid;
	}

	public void setGraphsesForYmaxItemid(Set<Graphs> graphsesForYmaxItemid) {
		this.graphsesForYmaxItemid = graphsesForYmaxItemid;
	}

	@OneToMany(fetch = FetchType.LAZY, mappedBy = "itemsByYminItemid")
	public Set<Graphs> getGraphsesForYminItemid() {
		return this.graphsesForYminItemid;
	}

	public void setGraphsesForYminItemid(Set<Graphs> graphsesForYminItemid) {
		this.graphsesForYminItemid = graphsesForYminItemid;
	}

	@OneToMany(fetch = FetchType.LAZY, mappedBy = "items")
	public Set<Functions> getFunctionses() {
		return this.functionses;
	}

	public void setFunctionses(Set<Functions> functionses) {
		this.functionses = functionses;
	}

	@OneToMany(fetch = FetchType.LAZY, mappedBy = "items")
	public Set<GraphsItems> getGraphsItemses() {
		return this.graphsItemses;
	}

	public void setGraphsItemses(Set<GraphsItems> graphsItemses) {
		this.graphsItemses = graphsItemses;
	}

	@OneToMany(fetch = FetchType.LAZY, mappedBy = "itemsByItemid")
	public Set<ItemDiscovery> getItemDiscoveriesForItemid() {
		return this.itemDiscoveriesForItemid;
	}

	public void setItemDiscoveriesForItemid(Set<ItemDiscovery> itemDiscoveriesForItemid) {
		this.itemDiscoveriesForItemid = itemDiscoveriesForItemid;
	}

	@OneToMany(fetch = FetchType.LAZY, mappedBy = "items")
	public Set<Httptestitem> getHttptestitems() {
		return this.httptestitems;
	}

	public void setHttptestitems(Set<Httptestitem> httptestitems) {
		this.httptestitems = httptestitems;
	}

	@OneToMany(fetch = FetchType.LAZY, mappedBy = "items")
	public Set<Items> getItemses() {
		return this.itemses;
	}

	public void setItemses(Set<Items> itemses) {
		this.itemses = itemses;
	}

	@OneToMany(fetch = FetchType.LAZY, mappedBy = "itemsByParentItemid")
	public Set<ItemDiscovery> getItemDiscoveriesForParentItemid() {
		return this.itemDiscoveriesForParentItemid;
	}

	public void setItemDiscoveriesForParentItemid(Set<ItemDiscovery> itemDiscoveriesForParentItemid) {
		this.itemDiscoveriesForParentItemid = itemDiscoveriesForParentItemid;
	}

	@OneToMany(fetch = FetchType.LAZY, mappedBy = "items")
	public Set<ItemsApplications> getItemsApplicationses() {
		return this.itemsApplicationses;
	}

	public void setItemsApplicationses(Set<ItemsApplications> itemsApplicationses) {
		this.itemsApplicationses = itemsApplicationses;
	}

}


Last night I saw some kind of smoky, maybe wiry figure on Thorpe Road at the second turn of the road; the corner that's on the other end of the stretch that the abandoned house faces. I don't know what I saw but it ran in front of my car and off to the side.
Stopped and looked at me. After that I almost hit 5 deer that ran into the road and also hit a raccoon that ran in front of my car all within an hour. What is going on.
Belgrade Montana my kids and I lived in a nice five bedroom house on 95 10th Street in 2000 we thought that the house would benice and that the neighborhod would be nice. But I was wrong about the end of the first month we were all sleeping in bed when about at 10:30 at night I was awoken by a strange pound on my bedroom door so I cautiously got up, and checked around the house and didn't find a single thing in sight until I went to check downstairs and I saw a black dark figure standing in front of my daughters room door I looked at it then it looked at me and disappeared.
After the incident I didn't tell my daughters because I diddnt want to scare then and after that night nothing ever happened again. And shortly after that happened we sold the house in 2001.
Has anybody experienced the ghost on Walker Rd. ?.


text:
Better Government
Why the 3 Fundamentals of Governance Are So Important
Bridgeport, Conn., illustrates why governance, debt and demographics are so crucial for a healthy functioning city.
By Mark Funkhouser | October 29, 2013
Government finance professionals, especially those working in the municipal bond market, like to talk about "the fundamentals" when discussing the prospects of individual governments or of the market as a whole. But the term is largely undefined. I like to think the fundamentals encompass three elements: governance, debt and demographics. Bridgeport, Conn., is an interesting case to use to explore these crucial elements.
First, governance: Connecticut's largest city is the only city I've ever heard of where public employees are also members of the city council. Although the city charter prohibits members of the city council from holding any nonelected office or appointment paid out of Bridgeport's treasury, five of its 20 members are city employees; the council president also is the deputy director of the city's Department of Labor Relations. Bipartisan legislation closing a loophole in state law that allows these people to skirt the charter prohibition was defeated in the legislature's last session.
Regardless of what's legal or illegal, however, the weird arrangement in Bridgeport violates the most basic premise of effective governance: the principal-agent relationship. The city council represents the principals, and the city's employees are the agents, hired to carry out the work of the city. It is the job of the city council to control the purse strings and oversee the work of the agents on behalf of the citizens. But in Bridgeport, elected council members who are city employees are essentially voting on a budget submitted by their boss—the mayor—and it's asking a lot to expect them to effectively oversee their own work.
Second, debt: Elected officials and the media tend to pay a lot of attention to budgets, but it's wise to take a look at the audited financial statements as well. The budget is a plan for how the city's revenue will be spent, but the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) tells how those plans have actually worked out. And while it might be a little daunting at first, becoming familiar with the document will provide useful insights into the organization.
Read the rest of this month's magazine issue.
Bridgeport's 2012 CAFR shows a city with huge liabilities: $693 million in bond debt, $159 million in current liabilities, $214 million in unfunded pension obligations and a whopping $915 million in unfunded retiree health-care benefits. The city's total liability, $1.98 billion, is equal to $13,529 per resident. That might not sound so bad when compared to Detroit's per-capita debt of roughly $25,000. But Detroit is even unique among local governments going through municipal bankruptcies. Per-capita debt in the bankrupt city of Stockton, Calif., for example, is $3,425, while the figure for bankrupt Jefferson County, Ala., stands at $6,373.
Finally, demographics: Bridgeport's population of 146,425 has been fairly stable for decades, which is a good sign, but its massive debt load is carried by people who themselves are struggling financially. At $18,721, Bridgeport's per-capita income is barely two-thirds of the national figure of $27,334 and even further behind Connecticut's $34,849. Furthermore, the city's unemployment rate is 12.3 percent, compared to the national rate of 7.6 percent in August.
An upgrade of the ratings on Bridgeport's bonds last month was a hopeful sign, but a look at the fundamentals still shows a city in trouble. There are many reasons for its problems, but it's hard not to suspect that its out-of-whack governance structure is making it harder for the city to deal with its troubles and could be making them worse. It may be a good time to take a look at the fundamentals for your own city.
Advice for New Mayors: Watch Your Mouth
It's tempting to plunge in and try to fix everything right away. But in trying to do too much too soon, it's easy to say something dumb and get into trouble.
The Reality of Secession: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
Colorado's county secession movement was sparked by a growing disconnect between rural and urban areas. Rather than forming a new state, it might make more sense to try to deal with that disconnect.
Cities' Fiscal Health in the Aftermath of the Great Recession
There are positive signs, but there also is a lot of variation in how they fared through the downturn and beyond.
Fiscal Responsibility in the Rustbelt: When Management Trumps Politics
Despite industrial decline, population loss and low income levels, Worcester, Mass., has set the standard for financial management and employee cost control.
For Some in Government, 'Effective' Is the New 'Efficient'
Some say striving for efficiency only sets governments up for problems.
A Crucial Player in Effective Governance
To see how much impact an auditor can have in improving the way government is run, look no further than California's Elaine Howle.
A Few Hundred Innovative Ideas for Urban Governance
The five winners of the Mayors Challenge are the cream of a bounteous crop.
What Is Successful Government?
It's not easy to determine what constitutes quality public-sector performance. Finding the answers to some crucial questions is the most important step toward a disciplined approach to high-performance government.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Catch Up with the Outer Suburbs: State of Play on getting 5 million to work, study or home on time
Australia's population is booming and so are its outer suburbs. More than a third of our nation's population growth from 2011-2016 occurred in the outer suburbs, where National Growth Areas Alliance councils are located. The rate of population growth in the outer suburbs is faster than any government planned or expected.
Every year, around 136,000 people move to new suburbs on the outskirts of our capital cities. And while families, houses, neighbourhoods, communities and local businesses are being built, vital supporting infrastructure is not.
Planning for Australia's future population growth is important. But so is delivering infrastructure and services for the five million people who are already here as part of the population boom. Infrastructure has the capacity to transform our economies and communities. It is time for governments to Catch Up with the outer suburbs, and match the vitality and pace of growth in new communities.
Councils at the forefront of population growth have made three common sense recommendations this election year:
Get 5 million people to work, study or home on time
Create jobs where the workforce lives
Build the facilities to build communities.
Impact of the outer suburbs on the Federal Election
The outer suburbs will play a critical role in deciding which party will form government. Through retirements, redistributions or simply being caught up in the tumult of the 45th Parliament, at least seven of the 31 growth area electorates will be very close contests on 18 May.
We argue that changing demographics have also impacted political leanings since the 2016 election, with significant shifts in some areas of not only population size but also cultural diversity, educational attainment, average income and employment status.
One significant change in the landscape over the last three years has been the major advancements in cities policy, most notably the proliferation of City Deals, the production of a cross-portfolio plan for future population growth, and the acknowledgment of the need for targeted and substantial investment in transport infrastructure, through the Urban Congestion Fund.
However there is a marked difference between the application of a policy during an election campaign and the subsequent three year cycle. Both the NGAA secretariat and our Member Councils now need to ensure that we present to both major parties a well-argued case for election commitments to our Members' priority projects. Simultaneously, we all need to be preparing to work within evolving policy frameworks as soon as a new government is formed.
Highlighting the outer suburbs on the national agenda
One of NGAA's main objectives since the 2016 election was to place growth areas firmly on the national agenda. The rhetoric and focus of both major parties in the 2019 election clearly show we have achieved that objective, with growth areas, outer suburbs, 'catching up' and 'getting to work on time' all widely articulated by the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Ministers and Shadow Ministers.
Below is our analysis of the first of our three election campaign priorities (transport, jobs and skills, community infrastructure) where NGAA members stand to benefit both in the short and long term.
Getting 5 million people to work, study or home on time.
Within the Government's policy framework Planning for Australia's future population, the Urban Congestion Fund and the City Deal model are two initiatives that directly impact NGAA Members and are a clear reflection of NGAA's advocacy including on dedicated funding and cities policy.
NGAA welcomes a continued commitment to City Deals but would prefer a transparent approach to the selection process recipients. We also welcome the recommitment to the Urban Congestion Fund, but again feel its impact would be enhanced through a transparent process to prioritise spending in areas of greatest need.
We also welcome the Government's position on managing growth and ensuring population growth supports liveability through new infrastructure and better services. This is vital for NGAA Members, who have received 35 per cent of population growth ( 2011-2016) and only 13 percent of the infrastructure spend.
Importantly, the Government has also acknowledged the role of skilled migrants to the Australian economy and will continue to ensure this is managed appropriately. NGAA supports policies that support increased engagement of migrants in communities and workforces.
The ALP policy platform also contains positive plans for collaborative governance and transport funding, including an intention to "strive for sustainability and equality in high growth outer urban areas with long-term plans to address these challenges." It notes the "national government has a distinct responsibility in leading and coordinating urban development in a growing nation."
The ALP would replace City Deals with City Partnerships and establish a Major Cities Unit within a boosted Infrastructure Australia, to enhance transparency and planning in the creation and funding of major infrastructure projects within City Partnerships. NGAA welcomes the ALP Platform's specific mention of growth areas as a focus for intergovernmental collaboration and planning for productive, liveable and sustainable urban communities.
Whilst both parties have a strong commitment to cities policy and collaborative governance models such as City Deals and City Partnerships, the Outer Suburbs need a dedicated voice to inform the planning frameworks. NGAA calls on both parties to commit to an Outer Suburbs Reference Group to guide further urban policy development.
NGAA Policy Position
NGAA's 'Reform and Rebalance' and 'Connect Communities' platforms are both positively impacted by the major parties' current policies and funding, although gaps remain. We will continue to pursue these either through the Catch Up with the outer suburbs campaign or with the new government.
In particular, we will pursue priority consideration of growth areas for City Deals/City Partnerships, and specific transport projects identified by our members as having the capacity to get their residents to work, study or home on time.


text:
Q: Use UWP app to execute Skype for Business calls I am implementing an UWP application that can be used as background application for Cortana Voice Commands. The UWP app should connect to Skype For Business 2016 MSO and start a call after the user enters a voice command (eg. "Hey Cortana, call Micheal").
As the application will be a small/sperimental internal project in my company (900+ employees using Skype for Business), I wanted to avoid having to setup anything on our Server hosting Skype. Therefore Skype Web SDK would not be an option for me. Differently from this SO answer, where it is suggested to use UCMA API, I was wondering whether I can simply use the Desktop API to trigger Skype calls using the local Skype for Business instance.
However the Desktop API is designed for Lync 2013 and I do not know whether it is the way of proceed to integrate Skype for Business 2016 MSO.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Issue contents
Download PDF of article
2. Material and methods
3. Results and discussion
Dictionary of Crystallography
IUPAC Gold Book
SGML
diffraction structural biology\(\def\hfill{\hskip 5em}\def\hfil{\hskip 3em}\def\eqno#1{\hfil {#1}}\)
Volume 20| Part 6| November 2013| Pages 958-961
Fundamental studies for the proton polarization technique in neutron protein crystallography
Ichiro Tanaka,a,b* Katsuhiro Kusaka,b Toshiyuki Chatakec and Nobuo Niimurab
aCollege of Engineering, Ibaraki University, 4-12-1 Naka-Narusawa, Hitachi, Ibaraki 316-8511, Japan, bFrontier Research Center for Applied Atomic Sciences, Ibaraki University, 162-1 Shirakata, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1106, Japan, and cResearch Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, 2 Asashironishi, Kumatori, Osaka 590-0494, Japan
*Correspondence e-mail: i.tanaka@mx.ibaraki.ac.jp
(Received 18 June 2013; accepted 25 July 2013; online 2 October 2013)
The isotope effect in conventional neutron protein crystallography (NPC) can be eliminated by the proton polarization technique (ppt). Furthermore, the ppt can improve detection sensitivity of hydrogen (relative neutron scattering length of hydrogen) by approximately eight times in comparison with conventional NPC. Several technical difficulties, however, should be overcome in order to perform the ppt. In this paper, two fundamental studies to realise ppt are presented: preliminary trials using high-pressure flash freezing has shown the advantage of making bulk water amorphous without destroying the single crystal; and X-ray diffraction and liquid-chromatography/mass-spectrometry analyses of standard proteins after introducing radical molecules into protein crystals have shown that radical molecules could be distributed non-specifically around proteins, which is essential for better proton polarization.
Keywords: high-sensitivity detection of hydrogen; isotope effect; neutron protein crystallography; proton polarization technique; high-pressure freezing of large biological macromolecules; paramagnetic radical doping.
Hydrogen, protonation and hydration play important roles in various biological functions at the atomic level. Neutron protein crystallography (NPC) is one of the most powerful techniques for investigating these phenomena concerning hydrogen (Tsyba & Bau, 2002 ; Niimura & Bau, 2008 ; Tanaka et al., 2010 ). However, the hydrogen atom has a large neutron incoherent scattering cross section, which makes the background signal large and the hydrogen atoms sometimes difficult to see when conducting NPC. The current method to reduce this incoherent scattering is deuteration of protein crystals partially by crystalizing proteins or soaking the protein crystals in deuterated buffer made from heavy water. However, there always remains the question of whether three-dimensional structures in deuterated and undeuterated (native) proteins are identical or not, because living cells cannot survive in the heavy water environment for long; in other words, the isotope effect. This effect in conventional NPC can be eliminated by the proton polarization technique (ppt) (Niimura & Podjarny, 2011 ). Furthermore, the ppt can improve the relative neutron scattering length (detection sensitivity) of hydrogen by approximately eight times in comparison with the conventional experiment. In Fig. 1 , a polarization simulation example of a Fourier map of ribonuclease A [RNaseA; Protein Data Bank (PDB) ID 3a1r ] protein is shown in the case of P = 0.80 (the number ratio of polarized protons in the protein) with parallel spins, where non-deuterated (native) protein in the light water buffer is assumed, incident neutrons are fully polarized and the resolution limit is 1.70 Å. The visibility of hydrogen becomes better just like the fully deuterated treatment of proteins. This simulation used software programs PHENIX (Adams et al., 2010 ) and COOT (Emsley et al., 2010 ).
A polarization simulation example of a Fourier map of ribonuclease A. Purple mesh shows the nuclear scattering length at the +2σ level with a model of the protein and waters near a His residue.
In order to realise this method, several steps are necessary. At first, almost all of the protons (hydrogen atoms) in all of the protein molecules in a single crystal should be polarized with a proper paramagnetic radical molecule in order to start the polarization, where the ratio of radicals and all hydrogen atoms involved in a protein must be 1:1000 or more. Secondly, the combination of a magnetic field of 3 T, a temperature of less than 1 K and a microwave irradiation is required to polarize the nuclear spins, which is called the dynamic nuclear (proton) polarization (DNP) method. Finally, the incident neutron beam should be polarized parallel and anti-parallel to the direction of the protein protons' spins as much as possible (∼100%). So far, the technique of producing polarized incident neutrons is well established, and the polarization of protons in protein molecules in solution has been successfully attempted using the DNP method (Stuhrmann et al., 1986 ). On the other hand, the polarization of protons in protein molecules in a single crystal has never been attempted. The significant items to be overcome are (i) how to freeze a protein crystal, the volume of which is relatively large, at a higher successful rate, (ii) how to introduce a paramagnetic material uniformly into the crystal sample in order to create the higher proton polarization without destroying the protein structure, (iii) realisation and optimization of a sample polarizer with higher polarization rate, (iv) optimization of incident neutron polarizer instrument, and (v) controlling materials around sample and detector against an intense (∼3 T) magnetic field.
In this paper, two fundamental studies to realise ppt are described: preliminary trials using high-pressure flash freezing showed an advantage of making bulk water amorphous without destroying the single crystal, and X-ray diffraction analysis of standard proteins after introducing radical molecules into protein crystals has shown that radical molecules are distributed non-specifically in proteins.
2.1. Protein single-crystal preparation and high-pressure freezing
Egg-white lysozyme (Seikagaku Corporation, No. 100940) was used as the protein. Crystallization was carried out using the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion technique. The precipitant was a mixture of 18% (w/v) polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000) and 6% (w/v) NaCl in sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.5). The protein (25 mg ml−1) and the precipitant were dissolved in the buffer. Because the maximum size of the crystal for the high-pressure freezing machine used was less than 2 mm in diameter, each edge of the protein crystal in this cryoexperiment was less than ∼0.5 mm. A high-pressure freezing instrument was used at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in Tsukuba, Japan, developed from a prototype by the Cornell University group (Kim et al., 2005 ), except that in this case a pressure of 160 MPa was applied. Most samples were pressurized just after scooping the crystal using, for example, cryoloops (Hampton Research), and some, which did not have PEG6000 in the precipitant, were treated by soaking with cryoprotectant such as ethylene glycol 30% (w/v) and glycerol 20% (w/v) before cooling. After placing the crystal on a pin in heavy-wall stainless-steel high-pressure tubing, the tubing was fixed to the end of the high-pressure machine, and the lower side of it was immersed in 77 K liquid nitrogen. After the pressure was increased to 160 MPa, ∼3 min, the stopping magnet was released so that the sample pin dropped naturally to the bottom of the liquid-nitrogen-cooled tubing, on a sub-second timescale. Several X-ray diffraction images were recorded using DIP-2000 (Bruker AXS) under a cryostream of N2 at 100 K after removing the sample pin from the tubing in liquid nitrogen and setting it on a magnet pin for a goniometer head of the diffractometer.
2.2. Protein single-crystal preparation and paramagnetic radical doping
Lysozyme from chicken egg-white was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (L6876), ribonuclease A (RNaseA) from Sigma-Aldrich (R5500) and a paramagnetic radical, TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy free radical), from Sigma-Aldrich (No. 426369). Lysozyme and RNaseA were crystallized using the vapor-diffusion technique. A 20 µl aliquot of 40 mg ml−1 lysozyme, 0.5 M NaCl and 30 mM TEMPO in 0.05 M sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.7) was equilibrated to 1.0 M NaCl in 0.1 M sodium acetate buffer. An aliquot of 60 mg ml−1 RNaseA, 10% saturated NaCl, and 25% saturated ammonium sulfate (AS) and 15 mM TEMPO in sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.7) was equilibrated to twice the concentrations of NaCl, AS and buffer. Large-scale crystallization of lysozyme was also carried out in order to obtain enough crystals for liquid-chromatography/mass-spectrometry (LC/MS) measurement. A 160 µl solution containing 20 mg ml−1 lysozyme, 25 mM TEMPO and 1.0 M NaCl in 0.050 M sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.7) was prepared in a 500 µl microtube. Crystallizations were carried out at room temperature, and protein crystals were grown for one or two weeks. The sample for LC/MS was prepared to solute about 30 crystals in 200 µL pure water.
X-ray experiments were carried out at beamline BL38B1 of SPring-8. X-ray diffraction data sets of lysozyme and RNaseA were collected at 100 K with the oscillation method. LC/MS measurement was carried out using an LCQ Fleet ion trap mass spectrometer (Thermo Scientific).
3.1. High-pressure freezing of protein crystal
In order to freeze biological macromolecular crystals without breaking their structures, there are four important requirements: (i) small crystal volume, (ii) rapid cooling, (iii) high pressure around 210 MPa, and (iv) proper doping of the cryoprotectant. Although the first requirement should be overcome because of the inevitable necessity of large crystals in neutron diffraction experiments with weak flux, the latter three are feasible conditions for cooling water molecules in the amorphous state, especially under around 210 MPa pressure where they have maximum viscosity. Lysozyme single crystals grown with the precipitant containing PEG, the dimensions of which were a crystal edge size of around 0.5 mm, were successfully frozen transparently. Crystals without PEG in the precipitant were also frozen in the same way after soaking in cryoprotectants. The reason why they required PEG or some cryoprotectants to freeze successfully may be partly because the used crystals were of relative large size and partly because the applied pressure was 160 MPa, less than 210 MPa. Photographs of a frozen crystal on a cryo-mounting tool in a 100 K cryostream and an oscillation diffraction pattern are shown in Figs. 2 and 3 , respectively. The crystal seemed clear and the diffraction pattern could be indexed properly up to the same resolution of around 2 Å as the non-frozen one by DENZO (Otwinowski & Minor, 1997 ). As larger crystals are necessary in an actual NPC experiment, the freezing of relatively large biological crystals requires a more rapid cooling technique, pressures higher than 160 MPa, and more suitable cryoprotectants for a reliable cooling method.
A frozen lysozyme crystal in a cryo-mounting tool.
X-ray diffraction image from a frozen lysozyme crystal. The resolution is around 1.8 Å at the edge of the window.
Regarding the stability of the frozen crystals in a cryostat (low temperature around 15 K and vacuum conditions), some reports have shown that biological single crystals diffract well under the above conditions for two or three weeks of neutron measurement (Blakeley et al., 2004 ; Myles et al., 2012 ). After successfully freezing large crystals in liquid nitrogen, it should be easy to cool them down to less than 1 K because the physical state will not change. It is therefore expected that frozen crystals would be stable at temperatures even lower than 1 K, the DNP conditions.
3.2. Paramagnetic radical doping
X-ray diffraction data sets of RNaseA and lysozyme crystals with TEMPO were obtained at 1.8 and 1.45 Å with Rmerge values of 6.4% and 7.0%, respectively. Initial phases of the two crystals were determined by the molecular replacement method, and R-factors (Rfree) of the refined models were 0.195 (0.216) and 0.192 (0.218), respectively. The results are summarized in Table 1 , suggesting that induction of TEMPO into the two protein crystals did not appear to degrade the crystal quality. The comparison between Fourier maps of crystals with and without TEMPO showed no clear densities corresponding to TEMPO. These results suggested that TEMPO molecules exist in these protein crystals non-specifically (disordered) or never exist. On the other hand, LC/MS analysis on a lysozyme crystal showed that there is a peak corresponding to the molecular weight of TEMPO, 156 Da (Fig. 4 ). These facts may indicate that TEMPO molecules are contained in proteins and are distributed non-specifically around the protein. However, there was a possibility of contamination from a very small amount of crystallization solution on the surface of the crystals when picking crystals from the crystallization solution, so a sufficient amount of TEMPO might not be introduced into the crystals. Therefore, for further detailed feasibility studies, electron spin resonance experiments will be required.
X-ray diffraction result of two proteins with/without TEMPO
RNaseA
Without TEMPO
Resolution (Å) 1.45 1.45
Rmerge (%) 6.2 5.0
With TEMPO (30 mM) (15 mM)
An LC/MS analysis of lysozyme protein after introducing TEMPO molecules.
The proton polarization technique is an excellent tool for eliminating the isotope effect and for improving the hydrogen visibility by approximately eight times in comparison with conventional neutron experiments, and it must contribute novel hydrogen information in life and other fields sciences. Although there are several difficulties in the realisation of the ppt in a protein single crystal, two fundamental studies toward realising the ppt were presented: the high-pressure flash-freezing method seems to be promising, and the widely used radical TEMPO may be useful to trigger the polarization of hydrogen atoms in protein because it could be distributed non-specifically.
The authors would thank Mr Masaru Sato (JAXA) for his kind assistance in the high-pressure freezing experiment, and Professor Noriko Fujii and Dr Norihiko Fujii (Kyoto University) for their full support in the LC/MS experiment. The synchrotron radiation experiments were performed with the approval of the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) (2010B1335). This work was financially supported partly by Ibaraki Prefectural Government (Japan).
Adams, P. D., Afonine, P. V., Bunkóczi, G., Chen, V. B., Davis, I. W., Echols, N., Headd, J. J., Hung, L.-W., Kapral, G. J., Grosse-Kunstleve, R. W., McCoy, A. J., Moriarty, N. W., Oeffner, R., Read, R. J., Richardson, D. C., Richardson, J. S., Terwilliger, T. C. & Zwart, P. H. (2010). Acta Cryst. D66, 213–221. Web of Science CrossRef CAS IUCr Journals Google Scholar
Blakeley, M. P., Kalb, A. J., Helliwell, J. R. & Myles, D. A. (2004). Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 101, 16405–16410. Web of Science CrossRef PubMed CAS Google Scholar
Emsley, P., Lohkamp, B., Scott, W. G. & Cowtan, K. (2010). Acta Cryst. D66, 486–501. Web of Science CrossRef CAS IUCr Journals Google Scholar
Kim, C. U., Kapfer, R. & Gruner, S. M. (2005). Acta Cryst. D61, 881–890. Web of Science CrossRef CAS IUCr Journals Google Scholar
Myles, D. A. A., Dauvergne, F., Blakeley, M. P. & Meilleur, F. (2012). J. Appl. Cryst. 45, 686–692. Web of Science CrossRef CAS IUCr Journals Google Scholar
Niimura, N. & Bau, R. (2008). Acta Cryst. A64, 12–22. Web of Science CrossRef CAS IUCr Journals Google Scholar
Niimura, N. & Podjarny, A. (2011). Neutron Protein Crystallography. Oxford University Press. Google Scholar
Otwinowski, Z. & Minor, W. (1997). Methods Enzymol. 276, 307–326. CrossRef CAS Web of Science Google Scholar
Stuhrmann, H. B., Schärpf, O., Krumpolc, M., Niinikoski, T. O., Rieubland, M. & Rijllart, A. (1986). Eur. Biophys. J. 14, 1–6. CrossRef CAS PubMed Web of Science Google Scholar
Tanaka, I., Kusaka, K., Hosoya, T., Niimura, N., Ohhara, T., Kurihara, K., Yamada, T., Ohnishi, Y., Tomoyori, K. & Yokoyama, T. (2010). Acta Cryst. D66, 1194–1197. Web of Science CrossRef CAS IUCr Journals Google Scholar
Tsyba, I. & Bau, R. (2002). Chemtracts Inorg. Chem. 15, 233–257. CAS Google Scholar
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are cited.


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TJCollectionViewColumnFlowLayout
===============================

This layout flows sections horizontally, going to the next column if section reaches the bottom of the collection view

Screen Shots
------------

![TJCollectionViewColumnFlowLayout in landscape](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/thomasjoulin/TJCollectionViewColumnFlowLayout/master/Screenshots/landscape.png)

Prerequisite
------------
* ARC
* Xcode 4.4+, which supports literals syntax.
* iOS 6+, or
* iOS 4.x/5.x, with [PSTUICollectionView].

How to install
--------------
* [CocoaPods]
  Add `pod 'TJCollectionViewColumnFlowLayout'` to your podfile.
* Manual
  Copy `TJCollectionViewColumnFlowLayout.h/m` to your project.

How to Use
----------
Read the demo codes for detail information.

Todo
----------
* Variable column width, based on biggest element inside the column
* Left/Right section inset support

License
-------
TJCollectionViewColumnFlowLayout is available under the MIT license. See the LICENSE file for more info.

Special Thanks
-----------
Special thanks to [Michał Kałużny](https://github.com/justMaku) ([@justMaku](https://twitter.com/justMaku)) for helping with initial implementation

[PSTUICollectionView]: https://github.com/steipete/PSTCollectionView
[CocoaPods]: http://cocoapods.org/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
I Remember, I Remember
I lost a whole heck of famous friends and acquaintances this past year.
Of all the celebrity deaths of 2014 I was most affected by the passing of Jim Garner.
Maybe that's because I found him the most honest and down to earth of the TV stars I ever interviewed.
We ate stale ham sandwiches in his trailer one day in 1977 when he was at the height of his star power on TV's The Rockford Files.
His producer Meta Rosenberg was also present --later in a dispute over finances Garner would forever cease talking to her.
That's the kind of upfront guy he was.
With Robin Williams I'm totally surprised he lasted as long as he did.
I met him first on the set of Happy Days in 1971 when he was as high as a kite.
Later interviews would find him troubled and sad, never very funny, but increasingly preoccupied by life's ironies.
I only met Max Schell once in passing when he was promoting an awful Peter The Great TV Miniseries.
He later made a memorable documentary about his sister Maria's descent into madness --I've never quite gotten over seeing it.
Martha Hyer once welcomed me to her lavish Rancho Mirage mansion which she shared with great producer Hal Wallis (Casablanca).
There was a rueful quality about the talented blonde actress who was forever typed as a second string Grace Kelly.
Mickey Rooney was just a handful in his late 70s as he embarked on a dinner theater engagement in Mississauga, a far cry from his heyday as America's most popular movie actor.
Harold Ramis I met just once on the set of his SCTV series --he only played on that series for a season. I always wondered why he quite so soon. I guess movies beckoned.
Polly Bergen was in T.O. to promote her cosmetics made from turtle ingredients.
I always thought she was a better actress than huckster. Anyone else out there remember The Caretakers?
When I interviewed Efrem Zimbalist at CBC's Radio building on Jarvis St. he was preparing for a concert of his own compositions.
But his biggest thrill he said was meeting Glenn Gould in the corridor --it brought tears to his eyes.
I remember spending an afternoon with Joan Rivers in her Toronto suite. Also present: her 80-year old boyfriend.
In person she was bright and opinionated and we later went across the street to the Book Cellar where she bought an armful of books she said she'd devour before leaving the city after a weekend.
Backstage at the Ford Theater with Elaine Stritch was fun. She was co-starring as Parthy Ann in a revival of Show Boat and was in constant competition with Bobby Morse for laughs.
At a celebration of the Sid Caesar Show in L.A. I got to sit next to the great comic himself at lunch and found him contemplative and downright fussy.
Sir Donald Sinden I saw in a play at the Royal Alex--a play by Dion Boucicault --forever after I'd watch for his star turns on Masterpiece Theatre.
When I had to interview Bob Hoskins on the telephone all he wanted to talk about was the half a movie he'd made in Montreal once.
It collapsed for lack of funding and I can't even remember the title.
And talking Eli Wallach and wife Ann Jackson out to lunch in T.O. was a thrill. They were starring in a revival of The Diary Of Ann Frank.
He point blank refused to answer my questions about The Misfits (1961). "It's not a jinxed movie, after all I'm still alive."
And then there was an interview of sorts with Shirley Temple who was determined to catch the next plane out of T.O. as fast as she could.
About her autobiography she scoffed "I saved America from the Depression . Then I was washed up aged 12."
I miss them all, some more than others.
A few I was surprised even made it to 2014.
Ron James: Back on TV And Wildly Funny
I Actually Liked Corner Gas: The Movie
Wendy Crewson Shines In Saving Hope
Bryan Baeumler Has Yet Another TV Renovation Show
Noah's Ark: Very Close To A Holiday TV Special
Message To CBC: Don't Let Republic Of Doyle Die!
Welcome To TV's Cancellation Valley


text:
Tag: hip hop
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As part of 2021's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Gil Scott-Heron's groundbreaking work is pivotal in rap, neo-soul, funk, and more.
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"Beastie Boys Story": Fighting for The Right To Be Themselves
The Beastie Boys were one of the unlikelier acts of the 80s. Their rise is documented in Spike Jonze's new documentary, "Beastie Boys Story."
by John Montagna August 18, 2020 Comments2
Jimi Hendrix and His "Black Legacy"
Jimi Hendrix is typically associated with classic rock. But this author argues he deserves a bigger place within black culture and music.


This is my favorite Thanksgiving Memory. I post it every Thanksgiving to remind me of how truly thankful I am for all the wonderful people in my life!!
Today I witnessed an act, which for the first time, made me grateful to have worked Thanksgiving Day. Before I explain, you need to understand a little background.
For the past month or so we have been caring for a nineteen year old-young man in room 419, who is slowly dying from lymphoma. Over this past month I have never looked after, nor been involved in this patient's care. In fact, I didn't even really pay attention. Why? I'm not sure. As charge nurse I was up to date on his name, age, room number and diagnosis. I knew his mom was a nurse and his father was a New York City Police Officer. I knew that one or both parents never left his bedside. I knew I found it extremely uncomfortable to participate in his case, what I didn't know was why; I'm still not completely sure. Maybe it was his age, maybe it was because his parents were always there, maybe it was because I identified with this family on some level and steeled myself from getting involved. My apathy, or perhaps cowardice, found it helpful that their room was at the very end of our unit, so far removed from the nurse's station, that their daily story played out on what seemed a far away stage.
Our unit is a twenty bed Cardiac Care Unit (CCU), not a hospice ward. I'm used to dealing with critically ill, older patients in cardiac distress. Even when those patient's are terminally ill, I somehow rise to the occasion to support their crumbling family. But this boy, what was he doing here? What did I know of caring for a nineteen year old? Apparently there are cardiac complications that come from bone marrow transplants which led this boy to our unit, and subsequently into our lives.
So while my head was buried in the sand for the past month, there were several amazing nurses consistently caring for this patient. But today, Thanksgiving Day, I would soon come to find out just what I had been hiding from, because today I was assigned to care for this boy.
What had I been hiding from? His family was lovely; two devoted parents sitting vigil in their hopes and tears. His nurse mother was someone I could have easily seen myself working side by side with, and his NYPD dad, well, I must confess was a reminder of my own NYPD dad. But this boy of nineteen was so ill. His body reflected the disease that had stolen his youth and replaced it with the frame of an old man's. Swaddled in blankets to fend off the cold, his face was the only piece of flesh I could see; though his eyes were pale and hollowed, a spark, still dimly lit, reflected back, and a smile slow danced across his lips from time to time.
Room 419 was where this family would spend their last Thanksgiving together. No fancy table, no turkey, nothing to remind them of the holiday unfolding on most American tables that day. No, this room was the exact opposite. The only reminder of the outside world I could gather was the pile of soda cans collecting on the window sill.
Then lunchtime arrived, and with it came Emma, one of our nurses, (off duty that day), with a large bag in her arms, and a six-pack of soda in her hand, heading for room 419. As I went to greet her with a confused expression on my face, and a ,"What are you doing here on your day off?" She told me she was here to bring 419's family Thanksgiving dinner before she was due to catch a train to her own Thanksgiving dinner. You see, while I was flying under the radar where this family was concerned, Emma was flying high; high on her morals, her faith, and her uncompromising dedication of what it means to be a nurse. There was no way she could sit down for her own Thanksgiving meal, without first and foremost providing one for this family she had grown so close to. What a special moment to witness.
Thanksgiving is such an American holiday. We all take pride in our heritage, our sophisticated menu's, our high-end wine lists, alternately, we take such a twisted approach on sharing a meal with family we might not want to be sitting next to.
Ironically, Emma is not at all American, she is Filipino. But somehow, she, more than any American I know was able to take this holiday, and provide one family with the gift of thanks, when they probably felt too weak to feel anything but the life of their core slipping away. I know this family was truly thankful for this one gift, this one meal, that this one very special nurse provided for them on what would be their last Thanksgiving as a complete family.
I was thankful to have had the opportunity to witness grace in action.Several days later the boy in room 419 was granted his wish to go home to die. His parents complied, and forty-five minutes after being laid to rest in his own bed, that nineteen year old boy died on his own terms, in his own way.
I will never forget this Thanksgiving as long as I live. I am nominating Emma for the highest award we give to nurses in our hospital; The Daisy Award. I'm sure every Thanksgiving I will be reminded of this family and be truly grateful for all the wonderful people in my own life.
I wrote that letter over ten years ago, and I have never forgotten the family from room 419, or the nurse who made their last days bearable. They make me thankful every year for the life I have, and the family I live it with.
Since that time I have become a mother myself. Losing a child, any age, is unfathomable to me; it was my understanding he was their only son.
So on this Thanksgiving Day, don't sweat the small stuff. Who cares if the Turkey's a little dry, or the company's a little wet. Be thankful to be together with your family and friends.
What a heart-wrenching yet beautiful story, and what an important read for me before I start this Thanksgiving day. A reminder to be grateful for all I have, and a reminder to help ease the pain of others in whatever way I can. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Thank-you!! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!!
Beautifully written and profoundly honest, Jean. Clearly, Emma was a wonderful nurse and a special human being. But it's also obvious that you took the opportunity to grow as a person, and I have no doubt many others have since benefitted from your heightened awareness. Thank you for posting this.
Thank you for such a lovely comment. This is one of those moments frozen in time for me that I will never forget, and I do carry it with me and try to pass it forward when I can.
So Happy for you that you were able to experience that moment of compassion and embraced it. it's truly a gift that money can't buy!
Thank you Maggie you are so right, I felt honored to witness such compassion!! It made me so proud to be a nurse.
Thank you for re-sharing such a loving post. The nurse's actions, as well as the way in which you wrote about them, were simply beautiful. I stood by my mother's bedside for weeks as she slowly slipped away, and I am convinced that some of her nurses truly were angels in disguise.
Thank you for such a lovely comment. I'm so sorry for the loss of your mother, but it sounds like she got wonderful care. I love this story about this nurse and will publish it every Thanksgiving as a reminder of what it truly means to be grateful.


I remember my first…The anticipation had been building for weeks, but when the day finally arrived the experience was clumsy, even awkward. I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
Have you likewise had an unsatisfying experience on your first day at a new job?
As much as employees are keen to make a good impression on their first day, in today's competitive job market, employers need to do the same. Consider: 31% of employees have quit a job after less than six months. On the other hand, 75% of employees who were satisfied with their organizations on boarding reported being loyal to their employer. Employees who were "highly satisfied" with their onboarding experience were three times more likely to feel comfortable after their first day, and two times more likely to still feel comfortable later in their first year.
Not only does it make the experience better for your new employees, but it also makes the process more efficient for your organization. Recruiting and onboarding new employees can be time consuming and labor intensive. Studies show that hiring a new employee can cost as much as 50-60% of an employee's annual salary.
With statistics like these, it pays to gain your employee's loyalty from day one.
Using powerful business automation tools, paper documents are replaced with digital forms and files, and automated workflows can securely route the information to the appropriate departments and send alerts and reminders where action is required.
Imagine if the hire of a new employee automatically triggered a request for the individual to fill out the required forms electronically, even on their mobile device or tablet. Upon return of the completed information, your IT department is automatically notified to provision the required hardware and software, customized to their role of the new employee. The employee's information is automatically submitted to your human resources and accounting systems and stored securely. The new hire's orientation and training is automatically scheduled and tracked. Business cards and swag are automatically ordered and delivered to welcome your new employee. Follow up check ins and reviews are scheduled quarterly to ensure employee satisfaction and job performance.
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What Employee Services Can Be Automated?
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Home About us Media 2019 media releases June 2019
New campaign launched to address hepatitis and liver cancer in North Western Melbourne
Monday 3 June, 2019
Cancer Council Victoria, in partnership with the Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health and St Vincent's Hospital have launched a campaign to encourage Chinese, Thai and Filipino Australians to get tested for hepatitis B and C.
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver; hepatitis B and C are two common types of virus that affect the liver. If left untreated, hepatitis B or C can lead to liver cancer.
There is a high prevalence of the virus within these communities - 1 in 13 Chinese Victorians, 1 in 25 Filipino Victorians, and 1 in 18 Thai Victorians have hepatitis B or C.
Funded by the North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network, the campaign will run across social media, digital and radio advertising.
The campaign features artwork developed in consultation with the communities, targeting the North Western Melbourne area.
Cancer Council Victoria's Priority Communities Manager Charissa Feng said many people are unaware that they are living with hepatitis B or C.
"There are often no symptoms of hepatitis B or C, so it is important that people get tested before it's too late.
"Low-cost vaccination and treatments are available for hepatitis B and there is a cure for hepatitis C, so getting tested could save your life.
"We were delighted to receive funding for this project; it's a great opportunity to increase testing, vaccination, monitoring and treatment within the Chinese, Thai and Filipino communities," Ms Feng said.
Trained community peer educators will deliver education sessions to over 100 community members, and resources about hepatitis will be sent to local health practitioners.
Chinese Bilingual Health Facilitator, Dorothy Yiu hopes this project will increase awareness and understanding of hepatitis.
"People may not understand the potential risks of delaying testing and treatment. This campaign will empower our community to talk to their doctor and their families about hepatitis and liver cancer."
"Do not let hepatitis threaten your family. Talk to your doctor today."
For more information in your language, call 13 14 50 and ask to speak to Cancer Council Victoria, or visit:
www.cancervic.org.au/hep-chinese
www.cancervic.org.au/hep-thai
www.cancervic.org.au/hep-filipino


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Devcon2: Microsoft Delivers Version 1 of of Blockchain-based Project Bletchley
Sep 22 2016 · 09:13 UTC | Updated Dec 14 2017 · 13:05
by Polina Chernykh · 3 min read
The program manager of Microsoft Azure's blockchain engineering team, Marley Gray, has announced the initiative that will let customers to use fabric for building blockchain apps.
Microsoft has released a new version of the consortium blockchain template for Azure during the ethereum's developer conference in Shanghai. Called Microsoft Project Bletchley, the template will enable users to build private consortium Ethereum networks from a handful of nodes to 100s of nodes in the network.
Microsoft says the software, first presented in June, will reduce the process of setting up a consortium Ethereum network from three weeks to just 5-8 minutes and eight questions. So instead of devoting much time on building an infrastructure, users will be able to concentrate on their core business processes.
"At a high level, the template provisions and configures a subnet of mining nodes for each consortium member and a set of load-balanced transaction nodes that members can share to communicate with the network," the company wrote in a blog post. "Through the administrator web page, you can configure additional Ethereum accounts to get started with smart contract and eventually application development."
In addition, the company gave more details about Cryptlets, which are the key building blocks of Microsoft Project Bletchley. Cryptlets are the components that can be built in any language to address certain functions while building blockchain-based applications. They provide developers with the ability to provide data privacy, interoperability, secure execution and integration into existing system.
"They will be discoverable within developer, architect, and business process modeling tools for easy use and can be created with an SDK to expose your own logic for reuse and sale," the company noted.
Microsoft Project Bletchley will use Microsoft Azure's global foothold to provide hyper-scale execution platform, what will help in developing apps on blockchain platforms.
Microsoft Identity System
In June, Microsoft announced a project that will help to solve the problems of the physical world. The company partnered with Blockstack Labs and ConsenSys to design a blockchain-based identity platform.
The announcement was made at the ID2020 conference in New York, which brought together UN members, private companies, and government agencies. The participants acknowledged the need to address the problem of identity. According to Microsoft, one-fifth of the world's population lack proper identification. The new system will allow people, products, and services to interoperate across blockchains.
Partnership With Rolls Royce
Earlier this year, Microsoft unveiled a partnership with Rolls Royce that will be able to provide a more efficient support of intelligent engines of the current and next generation. Under the agreement, Rolls Royce will integrate Microsoft Azure IoT Suite and Cortana Intelligence Suite into its service solutions. By using Azure IoT Suite, airlines will be able to improve their operational performance and increase fuel efficiency.
next Blockchain News, News
Author Polina Chernykh
Polina is an undergraduate student at Belarusian State Economic University (BSEU) where she is studying at the faculty of International Business Communication for a degree specializing in Intercultural Communication. In her spare time she enjoys drawing, music and travelling.
By Benjamin Godfrey December 12th, 2022
Business News, Cloud Computing, Deals News, Market News, News Microsoft Acquires 4% Stake in LSEG in Decade-Long Cloud Deal
The shares of the London Stock Exchange were up by about 4% on Monday, showing investors a positive disposition to the Microsoft partnership.
Altcoin News, Blockchain News, Cryptocurrency news, FinTech News, News Fintech Startup EMTECH Launches Platform to Help CBDC Development
The EMTECH Modern Central Bank Sandbox™ will provide its innovative solutions with backing from the cloud services giant Microsoft Corporation in its attempt to deploy the pilots in the coming months.
By Benjamin Godfrey August 5th, 2020
Business News, Cloud Computing, News, Technology News Microsoft Uses Power of Cloud to Bring Netflix for Games Service
Using the power of cloud computing in a $150 billion industry, Microsoft has unveiled a Netflix-styled Cloud Games to be launched on September 15.
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As the name suggests, foundations are critical to the support and structural stability of all types of buildings. At American Dream Inspections TX, LLC, we can provide you with foundation inspections at every stage of construction from pre-pour excavation to Houston commercial property inspection of completed buildings. Our inspectors can perform phase inspections that can ensure the quality of new construction for residential properties and commercial projects. We can provide you with slab and poured concrete foundation inspections and can serve as expert witnesses in litigation, allowing you to enjoy absolute confidence in the services we provide on your behalf.
Foundations provide support for every structural element of buildings from the bottom floor straight up to the roof. Making sure these support systems are solid and free from serious damage can ensure the longest functional life for homes, office buildings, manufacturing facilities and many other structures in the Houston area. American Dream Inspections TX, LLC will include a general foundation check as part of your Houston residential inspection service. We can also provide foundation inspections separately for properties you are considering or for buildings you own in our area.
Subsidence can be one of the first warning signs of a failing foundation. Large cracks and damage to upper floors can also alert your inspector of problems with foundations in existing buildings. During your Houston real estate inspection, American Dream Inspections TX, LLC will check out any damage to the foundation and will let you know if this damage can be repaired easily or if you will need extensive work to restore the building to a safe and livable condition. We can provide you with the most accurate and comprehensive Houston residential property inspection possible to help you avoid buying foundation problems as part of your real estate purchase.
At American Dream Inspections TX, LLC, we go the extra mile to make sure that you receive the most comprehensive information when inspecting your house or commercial property. We include Houston thermal imaging inspection services as part of our regular lineup of inspections. Thermal imaging can provide you with added information on leaks that could cost you more in utility bills each month. We also provide swimming pool and spa inspections to help you manage all aspects of your commercial and residential property acquisitions and new construction projects.
The team at American Dream Inspections TX, LLC will work with you to make sure that you are aware of any potential problems or repair requirements for the properties you are considering. We offer same-day reports for most residential inspections and can deliver prompt service for commercial property inspection reports. By entrusting us with your foundation inspection needs, you can pinpoint any problems before purchasing a property in the Houston area. Give us a call today at 832-566-0973 to discuss our services or to schedule a time for your inspection. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you.


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For example, hemoglobin is a functional quaternary protein formed by the coming together of four tertiary structures, called globin proteins. The components of the Monster Energy drink tested were. Protein based antibiotics and vaccines help to fight disease, and we warm and protect our bodies with clothing and shoes that are often protein in nature e. In addition, this experiment provides a solid foundation of characteristics of amino acids and how their protonation states change at different pH values. Be able to answer the following: a. The color results were recorded in table 3.
Always wash your hands carefully after an experiment and follow the advice of your instructor regarding safety precautions. There are 20 naturally occurring amino acids. They are soluble in water but not in nonpolar organic solvents such as cyclohexane. For example, the amino acid proline, which contains a secondary amino group, reacts with ninhydrin, as shown in Equation 3. If you notice in the structure above, is a chiral center, that is to say, this carbon atom is attached to four different groups. Aspartic acid has an albumen concentration of 9. This could be sweat from fingertips, where flawed or no plastic gloves were worn; or foreign chemicals from the micropipette.
However, at the protein's isoelectric point there is no net charge. Treatment with dilute aqueous iodine oxidizes the methionine sulfur atom to a sulfoxide. In acidic solutions, both amino and carboxylic groups are protonated. This is illustrated for a generic amino acid in the following diagram. However, it has given me a fair estimation of the ideal results and so has not been entirely unsuccessful.
Finally, the most efficient way of cleaning your hands and prevent bacterial growth, using was analyzed. Another test was done for lipids by rubbing substances on an unglazed paper. Another possible reason for the inaccuracy could be down to any extraneous chemicals polluting the results. Results Table 1 Amino acid Three-letter One-letter Rf value Concentration of abbreviation symbol albumen % Glutamic acid Glu E 0. The charged substances move towards the opposite end and the negligibly charged substances are separated by forming ionic bonds with ions present in the solution. Place the test tube in a boiling.
Amino acids linked together form a polypeptide called a protein. Proteins are among the most abundant organic molecules in living systems and are way more diverse in structure and function than other classes of macromolecules. Proline is individual in that it is bonded to both the nitrogen and the? Heavy Metal Ion Test: To each of 3 clean, labeled test tubes, add 2 mL. Histidine contains an additional pKa value at around a pH of 6 and is thus able to be differentiated from the acidic residue Glutamic acid and the basic residue Lysine. Instead students know they have one of four amino acids which they have to identify based on the shape of their titration curves.
The Hopkins-Cole reagent only reacts with proteins containing tryptophan. The imino acids proline and hydroxyproline also react with ninhydrin, but they give a yellow colored complex instead of a purple one. Finally, carboxylic acid side-chains are substituents on aspartic and glutamic acid, and the last two compounds in the right column are their corresponding amides. They are still important, and a healthy diet is critical because vitamin and minerals from our food are what help amino acids and proteins function in unison to support overall cellular metabolism. The biological functions of the lipids are as diverse as their chemistry.
Besides amino acids, other complex structures such as peptides, peptones and proteins also react positively when subjected to the ninhydrin reaction. Onions do not have starch and potatoes do. Journal of Chemical Education 80 5 : 554-559. Five drops of copper sulfate solution was added to each tube and swirled to mix. There are six tests for the detection of functional groups in amino acids and proteins. In a future experiment, a greater concentration of water would be added to the solvent to minimalise any blurring of the results.
Without adequate methionine, methylation chemistry is significantly altered. Another amino acid on the essential amino acid list is Tryptophan. The quantities of both acid and base concentrations became equal at some point. Introduction Proteins, from the Greek proteios, meaning first, are a class of organic compounds which are present in and vital to every living cell. The carbohydrate test for starch was self-explanatory.
This process helps return blood sugar to its normal, resting level. Students practice their analytical skills as they perform qualitative tests on amino acids and proteins. Following figure shows an amino acid in the zwitterionic form. This reaction is specific for compounds with more than two peptide bonds. Lipids consist mainly of carbon and hydrogen atoms linked. A color change would verify the sample positive for that macromolecule. Weigh the casein and calculate the percent casein in milk.
Proteins that contain tyrosine will, therefore, yield a positive result. In the trans configuration, these groups are on opposite sides of the peptide bond. Column chromatography is very popular with professional biochemists. How was the fat removed from the precipitated casein?. Test tubes were removed from water and color changes were recorded in table 2. Therefore, it is possible to determine the pH of a solution based on the color it turns the anthocyanin pigments in red cabbage juice.


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Rascal Flatts Say 2020 CMA Awards Nomination Is 'Really Humbling'
Angela Stefano Published: November 9, 2020
Michael Loccisano, Getty Images
Rascal Flatts had big plans for 2020: a major summertime tour to celebrate their 20th anniversary as a band and say farewell to fans before they retire as a trio at the end of the year. The novel coronavirus pandemic, however, had other plans, leaving the band at home, still able to release music but unable to share it with listeners in person.
Nonetheless, CMA Awards voters have honored the Flatts' 2020 plans and legacy within the genre with a nomination for Vocal Group of the Year at the upcoming awards show. It's a recognition that the band's Gary LeVox says is, despite the group's past nominations at the event, still pretty special.
"It's probably more special at this point — you know, to have that kind of longevity and be able to still be in the forefront of people's minds," LeVox shared with media members during a recent virtual roundtable. "It's really humbling, you know?"
Throughout their two decades in the genre's mainstream, Rascal Flatts — LeVox, Joe Don Rooney and Jay DeMarcus — have earned 20 CMA Awards nominations. They earned their first CMA, the Horizon Award (now New Artist of the Year) in 2002, then won Vocal Group of the Year ever year from 2003 through 2008. They continued to earn nominations in that category until 2011, and then again from 2015 through 2017.
"It's so much bigger than what we ever could have dreamed," he continues of the band's career, "and to still be on the tip of people's tongues and still be making music ... I can't believe that all of this continues to keep happening ... It's just so rewarding."
The 2020 CMA Awards are set for Wednesday (Nov. 11) in Nashville. LeVox adds that he and his bandmates "can't wait to see what happens," but regardless of who wins the category, "It feels great to be nominated and recognized." They're competing for the trophy against Lady A, Little Big Town, Midland and Old Dominion.
The Biggest CMA Snubs of 2020:
Who Has the Most 2020 CMA Nominations?
Source: Rascal Flatts Say 2020 CMA Awards Nomination Is 'Really Humbling'
Filed Under: rascal flatts
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Vetropack is one of the original constituents of the portfolio. A few weeks ago I already posted my doubts on Vetropack.
Unlike the packaging market for glass containers, which is growing worldwide, the glass market in Europe has been trending negatively since 2012. Regional differences in purchasing power and consumer behaviour have also affected this trend. In the Eastern European countries, it is primarily declining purchasing power that is increasingly causing consumers to turn to cheaper products in alternative packaging.
Vetropack is mostly making beer bottles. For me, this looked like a utility business. From my own (Western European) experience I know that for instance German beer drinkers don't easily change their favourite beer brand for a cheaper one. As it does not make sense to transport glass bottles across Europe, a local glass bottle manufacturer should enjoy some "utility like" competitive advantages and stable sales.
But it seems to be that in Eastern Europe, where Vetropack makes a large amount of business, people just subsitute more expensive brands in glass bottles with cheap ones in cans or plastic bottles. This basically eliminates a large part of my investment case.
So overall, after holding the share for 3,5 years, I will sell Vetropack at current prices as I do not have any indication of a clear higher value of the stock. Including dividends, I lost ~ -6% in total on this position.
The last remaining "intitial" positions are now Hornbach, Tonellerie, Draeger and HT1.
Ruppert Murdoch is reshuffling his empire. Today he announced that BskyB, his British carrier has bought the 21st Century Fox 57% stake in German broadcaster Sky Deutschland.
Following the agreement to acquire 21st Century Fox's 57.4% stake in Sky Deutschland, BSkyB has announced that it will launch a voluntary cash offer to Sky Deutschland's minority shareholders at €6.75 per share. There is no minimum acceptance condition as BSkyB believes it can realise the advantages of closer collaboration with Sky Deutschland and support its continued growth and development with the 57.4% stake it is acquiring through this transaction.
Although no details have been published yet, I think the likelihood of this going through is very high. Consequently, the stock now trades at 6,75 EUR.
However I find this quite interesting because if you buy the stock now, you get a free put option, as you will be able to tender the stock into the offer at some point in time. Depending on the time horizon, this option is worth between 4,5-8% (30-90 days). I don't think that there will be a higher offer or something, but based on the historical volatility there is a good chance that we see slightly higher prices. Effectively it is a 0% savings account (quite attractive these days) with a bonus component.
Of course you cannot sell the option directly, but you can buy the share and make a pretty one sided bet on higher prices until the offer expires. At current prices there is no downside risk. A more sophisticated investor could buy the stock and sell a call in order to monetize the put option.
It is to a certain extent quite similar to the FIAT case but in my opinion with less execution risk.
Just to be on the safe side: I would not buy Sky Deutschland outright, this is a pure "special situation" investment.
For the portfolio, I will allocate a 2,5% position at current prices to this special situation, my return target is 5% within the next 30-90 days.
DISLAIMER: This is not a free lunch, of course there are risks which I haven't mentioned or though of. But to me it looks like a pretty good risk/return progile.
"The Go Go years" was how the late 1960ties were called at Wall Street. Although covering a time almost 50 years ago and written in the early 1970ties, this book is still a very good read as a lot of things that happened and a lot of things invented in the 1960ties still influence capital markets.
Among the innovations of the 1960ties were Mutual funds, conglomerates, earnings per share games via acquisitions, financial "innovation" like convertibles, letter stocks etc. etc. Especially the interaction between the new and red-hot Mutual funds and the acquisition hungry conglomerates pushed up stock market levels significantly over the 60ties.
The book gives a very good account especially how stocks were actually traded back then. Paper certificates had to e moved from seller to buyer and due to the increasing trading levels, a lot of transactions wer not correctly settled. Also woman were rarely seen in "real" finance jobs and were denied entry to most of the restaurants around Wall street.
The book contains also some amusing side stories about the beginning the Hippy movement, for instance that many of the back office guys were pretty much on drugs all the time which further added to the back office problems.
There is also good coverage on some of the most "notorious" conglomerates and early "Raiders" like Saul Steinberg, who, finally unsuccessfully tried to take over one of the biggest banks back then, Chemical Bank.
Although this isn't mentioned in the book we all know that Warren Buffett closed his partnership in 1969 because he didn't find anything interesting to invest in, but he was definitely not a houshold name back then. Funnily enough, Buffet's Berkshire itself became the most succesful conglomerate ever over the next 50 years, although with a clearly more conserative structure then the "Go go" guys.
The whole story culminates in the "almost fail"of two of the biggest brokerage houses at that time, Goodbody and Du Pont in the early 1970ties. Du Pont was actually rescued by Ross Perot, founder of EDS and future billionaire presidential candidate.
This part of story almost reads like a 1:1 copy to Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers 40 years later. Too much leverage, aggressive deals etc. Interestingly, the partnership structures did not prevent those problems as "partners" could take out their capital with a 30 day notice. of course those institutions "had to be saved", a 1970ties version of to big to fail. Goodbody by the way was "saved" by Merril Lynch, which as we all know now had to be saved 40 years later by Bank of America. Other than now, no tax payer money was involved though.
There is a pretty good Wikipedia entry about the author John Brooks, a "New Yorker" staff writer who has written a couple of other interesting sounding books.
Overall I found this a very very good book and a "must read" for anyone interested in the history of Wall Street and the stock markets in general.
The author closes the book with the expectation that Wall Street will never be the same. To a certain extent he was right as future events were not "The same" but the basic patterns were very similar. Boom bust, speculation, greed, fraud belong to Wall Street, only their appearance changes slightly.
P.S.: The "go go" years were called so because quite often, people would stand before stock tickers in brokerage offices and shouting "Stock x – go go go stock x"….
Fiat Merger Cash Exit rights – Short term "high yield deposit" ?
Thanks to the reader who sent me this idea. Althought the stock price has risen in between, I still think it is interesting to look at this country specific "special situation".
The Italian stock market is always worth a look as things are definitely different south of the Alps. I have documented a couple of cass where minority shareholders were the victims, but sometimes, Italian stockmarket laws actually seem to protect minority shareholders.
FIAT Spa is currently in the process to merge its Italian operations with a Dutch Holding company which holds Fiat's interest in Chrysler.
In order to do so, FIAT is holding an Extraordinary shareholder meeting on August 1th. Now comes the interesting part: Under Italian law, any FIAT shareholder can vote against the merger (or not vote for it) and is then entitled for a so called "cash exit right", which gives him the right to sell the shares back to the company. Normally, this compensation is a 6 month average, but in Fiat's case the cash compensation has been fixed at 7.727 EUR per share.
Details about the cash exit rights can be found in the official prospectus.
Q: Are Fiat shareholders entitled to exercise dissenters', appraisal, cash exit or similar rights?
Dutch law, respectively, exceeds €500 million, a condition to closing of the Merger will not be satisfied.
In accordance with Article 2437-bis of the ICC, Qualifying Shareholders may exercise their cash exit rights, in relation to some or all of their shares, by sending notice via registered mail to the registered offices of FIAT no later than 15 days following registration with the Companies' Register of Turin of the minutes of the FIAT Extraordinary Meeting of Shareholders. Notice of the registration will be published in the daily newspaper La Stampa and on the FIAT corporate website.
If more than 500 mn EUR "cash exit rights" are exercised, the merger will not take place and the cash exit rights are not valid. How big is the risk ? Fiat did the same structure with Fiat International and there, only 25 mn EUR rights were exerecised. In my opinion, FIAT will want to make this merger happen IN ANY CASE so I consider this as a very remote risk.
Last week, when I first looked at this, Fiat was still trading at around 7,35 EUR which would have meant a 5% upside (or 10% annualised) for this relatively riskless trade. At the current price of almost 7,60 EUR and considering transaction costs, it looks less compelling.
Nevertheless it is worth watching the FIAT stock in the next few days i there is a potential entry point if we see weakness in the overall market.
Although at the moment, the Fiat Merger Cash Exit Rights do not look that interesting, in general this looks like an interesting short term "high yield" opportunity. I could imagine that also other Italian companies are trying this sort of cross border merger to escape onerous Italian provisions so it will be worth keeping an eye on similar situations.