We offer annual yoga teacher trainings and yoga retreats in Melbourne and overseas. Train with us and learn from highly qualified and dedicated teachers who will inspire you to find your own unique voice and teaching style. Or join us for a week in paradise at one of our To Be Happy yoga retreats.
Details: Deepen your understanding of meditation and yoga philosophy with yoga guru, Steve Ross. Over five blissful nights we will live the yogi life practicing various meditation techniques moving beyond the physical postures of yoga. On this training you have the chance to experience a genuine sadhana practice (spiritual practice) with a lifetime meditator and former monk schooled in the yogic traditions, Steve Ross. This training is meant to guide you toward being a true yogi, and that's something you live every moment of your life. Open to both yoga teachers looking to add meditation to their teachings, regular meditators and anyone wanting to experience the life changing effects of meditation.
Details: Join us as we travel to Sri Lanka for our next To Be Happy Yoga Retreat! This retreat will feature daily hip hop, chill and yin yoga classes along with a meditation with Yoga 213 founder, Sammy Veall and Yoga 213 studio manager, Taylor Hunter! Sri Lanka is known for its surfing beaches and there will be daily opportunities to take long boards out into the crystal clear waters. A meals are included and feature healthy, fresh, and locally sourced ingredients with a Sri Lankan twist. This retreat is all about freedom and all activities are optional.
Click the link below for all the info. Places are limited!
Details: This holistic Yin Yoga teacher training course, merging Chinese Medicine, mindfulness and anatomy with Yin Yoga is open to everybody. Hugh's style of teaching is interactive with a hands-on approach. Expect creative activities, discussions and group tasks which are relevant, healing and nourishing for the mind, body and soul. Hugh will be joined by Chinese Medicine doctor, Becky Andrews, from Cloud Gate Therapeutics who will lead a workshop during the training.
No pre-requisites are required and you don't need to be a yoga teacher or an experienced yogi to participate. All we ask is that you show up with a sincere and willing interest to learn.
Become a yoga teacher with us! We have designed a unique, fun and comprehensive teacher training program to prepare you to share the practice you love with the world. This part time course runs over 2 months allowing you to gain your certification and continue to live your life! You must attend all 3 parts of the training to complete the full 200hrs.
Please note: you are required to attend 18 studio classes of your choice over this 6 week period (average of 3 classes per week).
Please note: you are required to attend the 8 set studio classes (mentioned above) during part 2.
– Check in is from 2pm on Saturday the 31st of August. Part 3 begins at 5pm.
– Check out is before 11am on Saturday the 7th of September.
We run 200 hour, 50 hour, 25 hour and 30 hour yoga teacher training courses in vinyasa yoga, hip hop yoga, yin yoga and meditation. Our trainings are open to all levels of yoga experience including students looking to teach and teachers looking for further education. We have designed unique, fun and comprehensive yoga teacher training courses to prepare students to confidently share yoga with the world. Past students have gone on to teach professionally in studios both around Australia and internationally with some opening their own yoga studios. For more information on our various yoga teacher training courses in Melbourne contact [email protected].
If a training is not for you we have various workshops and event classes held at both our Richmond and Geelong studios.
We run yoga retreats in tropical destinations around the world such as Bali, Hawaii, Tulum and Sri Lanka. Our retreats are perfect for those wanting to expand their yoga practice or to relax and unwind from their busy working lives. On our retreats we offer daily Hip Hop Yoga, Chill Yoga and Yin Yoga classes matched with meditation and pranayama. We understand the importance of slowing down and allow plenty of free time to explore the local town, beaches and restaurants. Our yoga retreats are run by both international and in house yoga teachers who are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all guests. A complete wellness experience, our retreats feature a menu of fresh, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients with vegetarian and seafood options. For more information on our upcoming retreats contact [email protected].
You can learn more about yoga and stay up to date with our latest news and events by reading our blog.
Be the first to know about our upcoming retreats and trainings.
Steve has practiced various styles of yoga for many years and has been an instructor for over 40 years. He has explored the physical aspects of yoga as well as the philosophical and spiritual roots of yoga. Before embarking on his yoga career, Steve recorded and toured with bands such as Fleetwood Mac, the Beach Boys and Men at Work. Steve spent four years as a monk in the Vedic tradition, and since that time, he has ceaselessly sought out and reveled in the presence of some of the most notable masters of our time - in India and elsewhere. He is honored to have the opportunity to share his knowledge and experience with other spiritual seekers.
Steve combines upbeat, inspirational music with a relaxed and easy spirituality that make his classes at Maha Yoga, some of the most popular in Los Angeles. Steve's presence will leave you feeling happy, free, alive and inspired!
Patrick Beach teaches vigorous and fluid vinyasa yoga that builds strength, creates flexibility and inspires play. Patrick's teaching goes beyond intelligent alignment; moving any willing student to an introspective, holistic experience that explores the chakras and cultivates mind-body awareness.
training modules and is like family at Yoga 213. Named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Yoga Teachers by Sonima Live, his strong presence has allowed him to share yoga internationally via his engaging work with global brand H&M, online yoga platform CodyApp and his features in Cosmopolitan UK, People Magazine, Yoga Digest, Draze, Mantra, and Origin Magazine.
Carling Harps is known for her lighthearted attention to detail and commitment to the growth of her students. Connecting individuals to the practice via intelligent sequencing, compassionate adjustments, and her down to earth demeanor. She aims to give students the tools and techniques to access their own unique needs, step into their own bodies, and continue to find the center of themselves each time they come onto their mats.
Carling is trained as a Birth Doula and also specializes in Yin Yoga and Prenatal Yoga. You can find her leading women's yoga retreats, teacher training modules, and offering classes on global platform CodyApp. She has been featured in and contributed writing to publications such as Yoga International, Mantra Magazine, and Yoga Digest.
Sammy is the owner and founder of Yoga 213. When Sammy was just 21, a fire exploded on her leaving her with 3rd degree burns to 35% of her body. After a month in hospital and learning to walk again she moved to LA and was introduced to Hip Hop Yoga by yoga guru, Steve Ross. After her first class she fell in love with the happiness of yoga and signed up for Steve's 200hr training the next day. After the training and eager to continue learning, Sammy flew straight to Bali to complete a further 200hr's where both tradition and discipline were instilled in her. Two teacher trainings later Sammy returned to Melbourne and opened her happy home – Yoga 213.
Sammy's life experiences and time spent with Steve have made her realize that life is all about having fun and being happy! Basing her studio around her 'To be Happy' philosophy and easygoing nature, Sammy continues to share the happiness of yoga with hundreds of students everyday. Her classes are fluid, uplifting and heavily based around music. She also loves teaching mindfulness and meditation, giving her students space and time to turn inwards.
Training with Laughing Lotus (NYC), attending the Asia Yoga Conference in Hong Kong and completing various workshops and retreats with world-renowned teachers has left Sammy with a wealth of knowledge and unique approach to the practice. She is honoured and humbled to be able guide others along their yoga journey.
Hugh first discovered the gift of Yoga in 2002 and has been a devoted student ever since. Hugh is a graduate of the Advanced Diploma of Yoga Teaching, a 2-year course founded by Leigh Blashki, Melbourne. He began teaching in 2008, assisting and co-teaching with his mentor Andrew Mournehis on Yoga retreats in India, Bali and Australia. In 2013, Hugh trained in Yin Yoga with Paul and Suzee Grilley (100 hours level one) and in 2015 trained with Sarah Powers "Insight Yoga" Yin Teacher Training 60 hours.
Hugh came to Yoga and meditation to find tools for healing after years of suffering depression and anxiety. He has found Yin Yoga to be immensely healing and nourishing. He facilitates Yin workshops, retreats and Yin Yoga teacher trainings.
Hugh is now one of Melbourne's leading Yin Yoga teacher trainers and has held yoga teacher training courses at Yoga 213 since 2015.
Amelia is a yoga teacher and qualified Naturopath (BSc) with a passion for health, movement and wellness. Amelia found her love for yoga in 2007 and has explored various styles from Vinyasa, Bikram, Barkan Method, Power, Ashtanga and Acro yoga. She later completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in the Barkan Method and is currently studying Yoga Medicine with Tiffany Cruikshank to complete her 500hr YTT.
With a background in dance, sport aerobics, gymnastics and Crossfit and Amelia draws upon her broad movement experience to bring a strong, dynamic and uplifting style to her classes. She is passionate about creating an intelligent, conscious movement practice that is supported by her in depth knowledge of the body and yoga anatomy. Encouraging her students to explore their edge, Amelia also gives them the tools to gain a deeper understanding of their practice and to continue to progress on all levels.
On this training Amelia will break down yoga anatomy and give you a deeper understanding of the body and how it relates to yoga postures. This understanding will allow to your align your students safely and give you the tools to guide them through a more powerful practice and ensure the longevity of their yoga practice.


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Real Estate Auction Bid-Rigging Rings Busted
If you listen to enough news these days, you may hear that the United States real estate market has finally hit bottom - perhaps you even heard the thud?
In theory, we're supposedly sorting things out by re-pricing the unsold housing inventory, which seems like a fairly innocuous process until you realize that the house you bought for $1 million in 2006 is now sitting next to an identical home on an identical lot that went into foreclosure and just sold at auction for $200,000.
Of course, hey, wattayagonnado, right? It's the free market cleansing itself of excess supply. Some naive homebuyers paid too much and now we have to re-jigger things. First the bargain basement sales. After that, interested buyers may begin to percolate back up into the market. You know, that whole supply and demand thing.
All of which leads us to those ugly public auctions. No one likes the foreclosure process but it's considered a necessary evil that begins the painful process of healing. If nothing else, the winning auction bids put floors underneath the battered real estate market. Fire sale prices or not, it's still the bottom of the well. And the bottom is the bottom is the bottom - maybe it's uphill from here?
That's a nice thought. Unfortunately, it may be based upon a lot of assumptions - and more than a sprinkle of illegality.
Let's be honest: wherever there is a free market there is corruption - much like the remoras that feed off sharks. And wouldn't you just know it ? - but those real estate auctions aren't necessarily all that meets the eye. Seems that a lot of paddles remain unraised in a lot of laps, which would be fine if it weren't all part of a criminal conspiracy.
You see, there's the auction for the public and then there is a second auction for the crooks.
Designated Bidder
By prior agreement, a group of bidders selects one of their group as a so-called "Designated Bidder," who is the only one of them that will actually raise a paddle and bid. In some auctions, the Designated Bidder may be the only bidder. If you watch closely, you might catch the winks, the quick nods, the smirky smiles. The fix is in. We got that property for a lousy buck over the lender's bid. Boy, are we gonna make a bundle on this.
Afterwards, when the public auction ends, there's a special crooks' auction. At this honor-among-thieves event, the Designated Bidder puts all the goodies that he won on the table and whoever is high bidder for a given property wins. In fact, virtually every member of this conspiracy comes away a winner because the profits at the second auction (that is, the difference between the price paid at second auction minus the price paid by the Designated Bidder at the public auction) is frequently divided among the conspirators.
In some depressed real estate markets, it is rumored that this second-auction scheme has become a cottage industry where folks earn a living by simply joining bid-rigging groups, which they often reference as partnerships or clubs. If you talk to enough real estate professionals (assuming they would even want to talk about this), you may be surprised to learn that not ony are such illegal bid-rigging conspiracies well known in the industry, but they've been in existence for decades. Not exactly a well kept secret.
Before the Great Recession, when the airwaves were filled with those infomercials about how to buy a home with no money down and flip it for millions, these partnerships were all the rage. Those who attended real estate auctions in those halcyon days of the 1980s, 1990s, and the early 2000s could frequently direct you to one of several second-auctions rings - you simply went to Joe's Diner, the parking lot behind the courthouse, or the benches next to the schoolyard. If you ask me, I'd go to the parking lot this afternoon, they're serving a nice spread.
What's the harm if the property sold at a public auction gets banged out for an artificially lower price as a result of the manueverings of some savvy business persons? For starters, the seller at the public auction was cheated out of the hidden profit realized in the second auction. Yeah, I know, the seller is often a bank and who the hell cares about them these days. However, sometimes it's the homeowner whose finances are depending upon a legitimate sale. Other times your neighborhood is praying for a fair comparable from the auction.
Then there is a more basic issue. There's just something about such dirty deals that rubs Americans the wrong way. You either believe in transparency and free markets or you don't. Fact is, we got this Sherman Antitrust Act that says we care about such things. We even have an entire Antitrust Division that's part of the United States Department of Justice.
According to government prosecutors, during 2008 and 2009, a number of conspirators suppressed and restrained competition by rigging bids to obtain selected real estate offered at San Joaquin County, California public real estate auctions. Regardless of whether they knew it, the conspirators were violating the Sherman Antitrust Act, the federal law that seeks to protect free and vibrant competition in the United States.
A Federal Case
As subsequently charged by federal prosecutors, the conspirators entered in a continuing agreement, understanding, and concert of action:
to suppress competition by agreeing to refrain from full competitive bidding against each other to obtain selected real estate offered at San Joaquin County, California public real estate auctions;
to make payoffs to one another in return for suppressing competition for the selected real estate offered at the public real estate auctions; and
to obtain title to real estate sold at noncompetitive, rigged prices.
In order to accomplish their bid rigging, those charged:
agreed, during meetings, conversations, and communications, to rig bids to obtain selected real estate offered at San Joaquin County, California public real estate auctions;
designated, in various ways, which conspirator would bid for the selected real estate at the public real estate auctions for the group of conspirators;
bid at noncompetitive amounts or refraining from bidding for the selected real estate at the public real estate auctions;
often held private auctions, open only to members of the conspiracy, to rebid for the selected real estate obtained at the public real estate auctions;
awarded properties to the conspirators who submitted the highest bids at the private auctions; and
distributed the proceeds of the private auctions as payoffs, based upon a predetermined formula agreed upon by the members of the conspiracy.
Banging Down the Gavel (of justice)
On April 16, 2010, Anthony B. Ghio pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to rig bids at public foreclosure
On June 24, 2010, John R. Vanzetti pleaded guilty in Sacramento to participating in the conspiracy.
Plea and Cooperation Agreement (June 24, 2010)
Criminal Information (June 24, 2010)
On June 24, 2010, Theodore B. Hutz pleaded guilty in Sacramento to participating in the conspiracy also
On February 4, 2011, real estate executive Richard W. Northcutt pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, California, to conspiring from September 2008 until October 2009 with a group of real estate speculators who agreed not to bid against each other at certain public real estate foreclosure auctions in San Joaquin County. Northcutt's bid rigging count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine. Northcutt also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Bid Rigging

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Tag: Joe
Miami Dolphins: Know the opponent
Bengals QB Brandon Allen faces the Dolphins for the first time since their 2020 matchup.
Ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals final preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, I collaborated with Bradley Davies at Dolphins ATB to profile the team the Bengals will be hosting in Cincinnati this week. Although we aren't likely to see a true representation of the team the Dolphins want to present in the regular season on Sunday, there will still be plenty of storylines developing and key players to watch.
Q: Who has been the biggest standout in camp and the preseason so far? Any particular roster battles that are shaping up to produce a different result than would have been expected a few months ago? Anyone we should be keeping a close eye on in the final preseason game?
If you would have asked me this question 2 weeks ago there would have only been one answer and that would be Albert Wilson. Throughout the early weeks he was everywhere and seemed to have seamless chemistry with Tua. From a potential cut candidate to starting receiver on the first depth chart, Wilson had a very impressive camp before being sidelined with injury (as is the case with nearly every Dolphin's receiver). Ever since I would have to say the camp standout would most likely be either Holland or Waddle, both rookies have hit the ground running with their explosiveness and play making ability.
Bradley Davies
Albert Wilson has been practices top performer. It's not open for discussion. Not sure any media member would tell you anything different https://t.co/rpuZ52kpbj
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) August 3, 2021
In relation to the positional battles, the biggest surprise is what is happening with the offensive line. Coming into camp everybody believed that the starting line was set in stone. It was presumed that it would be: Austin Jackson (LT), Solomon Kindley (LG), Matt Skura ( C), Robert Hunt (RG) and Liam Eichenberg (RT). Since then both Kindley and Skura have had spells with the 3rd team, while Jackson has been bullied throughout joint practices and preseason. Furthermore, Michael Deiter, a player who did not start a single game for the Dolphins, has transitioned from left guard to be the starting center.
The biggest factor going forward is what to do with Liam Eichenberg. After starting camp as starting RT to then starting LG, he is now back at RT in the second team behind Jesse Davis. However with a strong performance against the Falcons he is knocking on the door once again for a starting position.
Going into the final preseason game it is likely that we will not see many starters at all including Tua. The game will primarily focus on players that are on the bubble of the roster and practice squad players. Given the vastly changing nature of the Dolphins wide receiver room on Tuesday, I would keep a close eye on Kirk Merritt for one last push to make the roster. He has been productive throughout camp after failing to break in to the team last season
Roster Moves | We have released OL Jermaine Eluemunor and WR Isaiah Ford, waived/injured WR Robert Foster and placed WR Lynn Bowden Jr. on injured reserve.
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 24, 2021
Mine. – @kirkmerritt33 pic.twitter.com/TMTrcuAPuh
With Joe Burrow seeing his first live-game action since his gruesome knee injury, it's probably best to protect him. No one wants to see him put his body on the line for a game that doesn't count. That said, as I referenced in last week's review, preseason does matter for those fringe roster players. So, it's interesting to see how guys like Jalen Davis and Eli Apple fare against hungry Miami Dolphins receivers. Wilson and Merritt, in particular, are good ones to watch. Also, I am fascinated to see how Jackson Carman plays this week in comparison to Liam Eichenberg. Eichenberg was a player many Bengals fans were hoping the Bengals would target at 38.
Q: The big talk in the Draft surrounded the Dolphins' decision to trade down and back up in the Draft. There were a lot of opinions surrounding this decision. But, it seems like they have found a solid player in Jaylen Waddle. Was accumulating picks and drafting Waddle the right move? Should have stayed put and selected Florida TE Kyle Pitts, popular among Florida-based Dolphins fans?
Absolutely. There is no doubting Pitts' ability, he is a freak athlete that would have created a matchup nightmare. However the Dolphins are not short of contested catch specialists with a strong TE room. As for Waddle, his speed, explosiveness and what he brings to this offense is invaluable. He is just special and has shown that comparisons with Tyreek Hill is no exaggeration. To come away with Waddle and another first round pick from one of the picks robbed from the Texans is nothing short of remarkable. The Dolphins are much further ahead in their rebuild now than anybody could have imagined. They are a legitimate playoff contender already, and their added draft capital over the coming years gives them the flexibility to really build something special.
Jaylen Waddle shook him 🤯 @D1__JW
(via @MiamiDolphins)pic.twitter.com/nyirqOJyva
Of all the top pass-catching prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft, Chase seemed like the obvious target for the Bengals. But, many fans were hoping for Pitts. Few made the argument for Waddle at the time. However, so far Waddle has been the most impressive of the bunch for the Miami Dolphins. If you believe everything the national media tells you, Chase looks like the most disappointing of the bunch so far. But, he'll likely have an opportunity to influence that narrative this week as both rookies could get some playing time.
Q: What is going on with Tua Tagovailoa? He had an up-and-down rookie season and that appears to be continuing this preseason so far. What is the general feeling around his potential as the Dolphins' long-term solution at QB?
It is no secret that Tua's rookie season was somewhat underwhelming, it wasn't great but at the same time he didn't stink like many would lead you to believe. Let us not forget prior to making his NFL debut, Tua was less than a year removed from a potentially career ending injury. I'm sure Bengals' fans can now sympathise with the ups and downs that you endured throughout Joe Burrow's return.
I personally believe that the Miami Dolphins had their hand forced into playing Tua before he was fully ready. With the strong starts made by Burrow and Herbert, if the 5th overall pick did not see the field over the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen, scepticism over his potential would have been even more rife across the NFL. By allowing Tua the opportunity to make his mistakes in a weakened AFC East, with both the Jets and Patriots very much below par, meant any rookie mistakes that made did not come at the expense of winning in the moment.
Any notions of his rookie struggles continuing this offseason are incorrect. Tua has come on leaps and bounds. Throughout camp the Dolphins' passing game has improved tremendously. Despite the likes of Will Fuller and DeVante Parker not being on the field, Tua has had no issues in being able to push the ball down the field against an elite Dolphins' defense. Tua has done this with consistency throughout camp with around 7 times more touchdown passes than interceptions throughout the entirety of camp.
Coming into the preseason games there was much anticipation as to how he would perform in a game setting. When evaluating his rookie season there were a few holes in Tua's game: elements of his mechanics, decisiveness and confidence in the playbook. Throughout preseason Tua has been efficient with the ball, getting it out quickly with his feet set. In addition his pocket presence has come on enormously, as he has not been afraid to climb the pocket whilst his receivers get open. From what we have seen so far, everything is set for a big leap in 2021. Whether he is the long term solution we will see. A sample size of 9 games in an unprecedented season is not enough to make any judgement whether good or bad.
.@MiamiDolphins @Tua it always starts with qk identification and quicker feet! Always looks like he is in position to throw . When his mechanics are on TUA is ON. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/WkLO46Y46d
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 22, 2021
.@MiamiDolphins @Tua on 3-10! If you don't convert you are punting! And the @AtlantaFalcons decide to blitz. #Tua is unfazed; but his footwork and mechanics allow him to win. #finsup #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/XcLIafBPwr
The Dolphins only failed drives were a 4th and 3 and a missed FG at the end of the half. Zero punts. Great game by Miami.
— JJFins 🥋 (@FinsCentre) August 22, 2021
For a large chunk of 2019, a lot of Bengals fans thought the Bengals should target Tagovailoa in the Draft. I know because I was one of them. However, as Burrow's legend grew, and Tua's faded after his injury, it became clear who was the obvious choice. The Bengals will likely be seeing Jacoby Brissett and Reid Sinnett taking all the snaps this week. But, understanding the situation around Tua is essential to understanding the Dolphins.
Q: Opinions about head coach Brian Flores have generally ranged from highly impressed to somewhat skeptical. It was an impressive turnaround from the 5-11 team he coached in his first season. But, is there significant pressure to make the playoffs this year? What happens if they don't?
People should not forget the position the Dolphins were in 2019. With what was considered the worst NFL roster of all time, calls for the league to investigate whether Dolphins were tanking and putting their players at risk. From starting 0-7 the Brian Flores has since gone 15-10 all in one year of a rebuild. Very few of Belichick's coaches have been successful since leaving New England, Brian Flores is certainly one. The culture that he and Chris Grier have built in Miami is something truly different to what the Dolphins have had in some time and it is refreshing. While missing out on the playoffs this year will inevitably be a disappointment, if the team continues to develop in their rebuild and improve on both sides of the ball, Flores will be just fine.
However as Tyler DeSena said in one of his articles, there is pressure on Flores to ensure that he has finally sorted the offensive coordinator position at the 3rd time of trying. From Chad O' Shea's highly technical and confusing offense, to an archaic offensive system designed by Chan Gailey specifically for Ryan Fitzpatrick, all eyes are now on George Godsey and Eric Studesville to modernise the Dolphins' offense. However, so far so good. Pre-snap motions are being used to create separation, creating leverage allowing them to beat the defenses.
There are actually quite a few similarities between the Miami Dolphins' turnaround and the Bengals' rebuild with Zac Taylor. Both teams are run by young, first-time head coaches and both looked bad enough to draw tanking claims in 2019. Each targeted a franchise quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft. Both teams hope to have found a game-breaking wide receiver with their top pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Each head into 2021 needing to prove the rebuild is working.
The biggest difference? The Bengals have a 6-25-1 record in that time frame and the Miami Dolphins are 15-17. In fact, the Dolphins just barely missed the playoffs. Flores' job could be in jeopardy if the Dolphins put together an abysmal season. But, Taylor is under pressure to show progress now. Another sub .500 season with no hope of playoff contention would absolutely be a death knell for this regime.
Author Posted on August 27, 2021 August 27, 2021 Categories NFLTags Bengals, Brian Flores, Burrow, Cincinnati, Dolphins, Jaylen, Joe, Miami, Miami Dolphins, NFL, Tagovailoa, Training Camp, Tua, WaddleLeave a comment on Miami Dolphins: Know the opponent
Addressing the Joe Burrow Panic and the Trust He Deserves
One lackluster week of training camp seems to have everyone wondering if it's time to press the panic button on Joe Burrow.
You certainly can't blame Bengals fans and media for being a bit nervous. There has been a lot of heartbreak that has followed high expectations in the Queen City. These are the same fans who watched the 'savior' collapse in a heap after Washington's Jonathan Allen fell into his knee the wrong way. The same fans who went from following the blossoming of their bright young star to trying to figure out what the hell happened. Why are Ryan Finley and Brandon Allen are starting the rest of the season?
All offseason, fans watched Joe Burrow make incredible progress in rehab. Miraculously, doctors fully cleared him for training camp. Many of the same fans already went through most of this when Carson Palmer suffered the same fate fifteen years ago. Some were even around to watch Greg Cook's promising start ruined by a devastating injury 51 years ago.
And then they watched the offense struggle in camp. Tyler Boyd noted that Burrow looks 'iffy' on his knee. Paul Dehner Jr. went viral simply reporting on the offense's struggles. Suddenly the sky is falling in Cincinnati and people are bringing back the Chase vs. Sewell war amid accusations that the Bengals have ruined their franchise quarterback, as so many knew would happen.
Have we forgotten who Joe Burrow is? This is the same guy who has done nothing but overcome adversity his entire career. Before his career even began, he was buried on the depth chart at Ohio State. But, he transferred to LSU and convinced the world he was worthy of the No. 1 overall pick. Being drafted to the Bengals was supposed to spell doom for his career. But, he performed like a Rookie of the Year candidate until his unfortunate injury late in the season.
It is also worth remembering the whole reason training camp exists is to install the offense and work out the kinks that are inevitably going to pop up. "I would say right now it's a mental thing, getting back to playing football against top level competition," Burrow told the Cincinnati media on Saturday. "Getting back to being able to feel the people around me as opposed to seeing people around me. I've always had a great feel for the pocket. It's just going to some more reps to get that back."
If any player has earned the benefit of the doubt on this matter, I think it's Burrow. Working through adversity is simply what he is best at. Through all the setbacks he has experienced in his career, he has always comes out on the other side better than ever.
In fact, we saw that classic tenacity, drive, and focus pay off at Saturday's practice. It's only one day, but he finally found a rhythm with Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase, finishing the day with nine completions on ten passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. That's the Joe Burrow we're used to seeing. We're likely to see much more of it as he gets back into his groove and the rest of the offense develops chemistry with him.
In fairness, we can't dismiss a whole week of struggles with one good showing at the end of the week. I cannot and will not condemn anyone for being concerned after witnessing the "savior" look mortal. Then again, perhaps we shouldn't put those expectations on him in the first place. But, regardless of why, those expectations are there. In addition, the whole offense is built around the assumption that he can play at an elite level. Therefore, whether fair or not, those expectations do exist and it makes perfect sense why fans would be nervous when he looks vulnerable.
For the same reasons, we can't forget everything we've ever seen from Joe Burrow to this point. He didn't look like a future Hall of Famer in his first 11-on-11 action since going down with an injury that would ruin the careers of most quarterbacks. The concern is absolutely valid. But, he made it back for training camp by attacking his rehab with the same intensity he attacks everything. That mentality doesn't appear to have changed. That's all the proof I should need for why he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Author Posted on August 8, 2021 February 14, 2022 Categories NFLTags Bengals, Burrow, Camp, Joe, NFL, TrainingLeave a comment on Addressing the Joe Burrow Panic and the Trust He Deserves


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A Girl Like You (Travolta John)
I don't know what it's all about. But I feel I'll soon find out; I'm sure, never felt this secure. It's nothin' like I ever thought it would be, Someone opened up a door for me. A girl like, (I'm in love with) Girl like you. (I'm in love with you.) Must be you that caused this feelin' in me. (Must be you.) You that fills me confidently, (Must be you.) You that brings out the best in me. You....Uhhhhhh......Nobody but you. I don't know what it's all about. I can't begin to figure out what to do so I leave it to you. Only know that when you're away from me, Nothin' satisfies the need in me, For a girl like (I'm in love with) A girl like you. (I'm in love with) Must be you that caused this feelin' in me. (Must be you.) You that fills me confidently, (Must be you.) You that brings out the best in me. You.... Nobody, nobody, Oh, Yeah! Every time I'm holdin' you close to me, Trouble's gone, it's gone, I'm in ecstasy. With a girl (I'm in love with) A girl like you. (I'm in love with) Someone to love me, H'yeah (I'm in love with) Girl like you (I'm in love with) Someone, someone to understand. (I'm in love with) 'Xactly like you, hon (I'm in love with) Girl, girl, girl (I'm in love with) Girl, girl, girl (I'm in love with) Girl, girl........
Interpret: Travolta John


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AT CORP v. STATE DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES CR MSA LLC
AT & T CORP., Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES, and CR MSA, LLC, Appellees.
No. 1D16–0383.
Decided: October 21, 2016
Martha Harrell Chumbler, Peter D. Webster, and James E. Parker–Flynn of Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, P.A., Tallahassee, for Appellant. Jason B. Gonzalez, Daniel Nordby, and Joseph M. Goldstein of Shutts and Bowen, LLP, Tallahassee; J. Andrew Atkinson, General Counsel, and Susan Dawson, Assistant General Counsel, Tallahassee, for Appellee Department of Management Services. Robert H. Hosay, James A. McKee, John A. Tucker, and Benjamin J. Grossman of Foley & Lardner, LLP, Tallahassee, for Appellee CR MSA, LLC.
This appeal involves an unsuccessful bid protest by the appellant, AT & T Corporation, following a decision by the appellee, Department of Management Services (the Department), to award the contract for MyFloridaNet–2 (MFN–2) to the appellee, CR MSA, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Harris Corporation (CR MSA/Harris).
History of the Case
The Department operates and manages the SUNCOM network, Florida's state enterprise telecommunications system. See § 282.703, Fla. Stat. The Department's existing management contract with AT & T Services, Inc., known as "MyFloridaNet" (MFN–1), expired in September 2016. On June 6, 2014, the Department advertised an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN), which solicited proposals from vendors interested in participating in competitive negotiations for the award of a contract for a telecommunications infrastructure data network to be known as MFN–2. AT & T and CR MSA/Harris responded to the ITN and were advanced to negotiations. After the Department posted a Notice of Intent to Award the contract to CR MSA/Harris, AT & T filed a bid protest with the Department. The Department forwarded the protest to the Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) wherein a final hearing was held. The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) entered a Recommended Order to dismiss the protest. AT & T filed timely exceptions to the Recommended Order, and the Department entered a Final Order adopting the Recommended Order in its entirety and denying the protest. AT & T seeks review of the Department's Final Order.
Under an overarching theme that the Department restricted fair and open competition, AT & T identifies three specific points of error in the MFN–2 ITN process: (1) the Department erred by inviting CR MSA/Harris to negotiate without first determining whether CR MSA/Harris was a qualified and responsive vendor; (2) the limited responsiveness review that the Department did conduct should have led to a finding that CR MSA/Harris was non-responsive; and (3) the Department exacerbated these errors by materially changing the ITN during negotiations to give CR MSA/Harris a competitive advantage and by failing to publish those changes to the Vendor Bid System (VBS). AT & T argues that these errors require reversal of the Final Order and a remand to the Department for rebidding. We disagree and affirm the Final Order on appeal.
Following AT & T's bid protest, the ALJ was obliged to conduct a de novo proceeding to determine whether the Department's Notice of Intent to Award a contract to CR MSA/Harris was contrary to the Department's rules, statutes, or the ITN specifications. § 120.57(3)(f), Fla. Stat. (2015). AT & T bore the burden of proof to show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the award was clearly erroneous, contrary to competition, arbitrary, or capricious. § 120.57(3)(f), Fla. Stat. (2015). The Department had the ability to reject any of the ALJ's findings of fact that were not supported by competent, substantial evidence and was also not required to defer to the ALJ on issues of law.
Judicial review of final agency action arising from a bid protest is governed by section 120.68, Florida Statutes (2016). Administrative conclusions of law are reviewed de novo, while findings of fact are reviewed for competent, substantial evidence. McAlpin v. Criminal Justice Standards & Training Comm'n, 155 So.3d 416, 420 (Fla. 1st DCA 2014). In the context of bid protests, this Court has stated, "[A] 'public body has wide discretion' in the bidding process and 'its decision, when based on an honest exercise' of the discretion, should not be overturned even if reasonable persons might disagree." Emerald Corr. Mgmt. v. Bay Cty. Bd. of Cty. Comm'rs, 955 So.2d 647, 651 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007) (citation omitted).
The ITN Process
Chapter 287, Florida Statutes (2014), provides "a system of uniform procedures to be utilized by state agencies in managing and procuring commodities and contractual services" to protect the public by promoting "fair and open competition," thereby reducing the appearance and opportunity for favoritism and misconduct. § 287.001, Fla. Stat. (2014). Under section 287.057, Florida Statutes (2014), an agency seeking to procure commodities or contractual services exceeding $35,000 may elect to use either an Invitation to Bid (ITB), a Request for Proposal (RFP) or, as here, an ITN. The ITN process was created as a distinctly more flexible process than the RFP or ITB processes and gives an agency the means "to determine the best method for achieving a specific goal or solving a particular problem" and to identify "one or more responsive vendors with which the agency may negotiate in order to receive the best value." § 287.057(1)(c), Fla. Stat. (2014). Relevant to ITNs, section 287.057(1)(c) provides, in part,
2. The invitation to negotiate must describe the questions being explored, the facts being sought, and the specific goals or problems that are the subject of the solicitation.
3. The criteria that will be used for determining the acceptability of the reply and guiding the selection of the vendors with which the agency will negotiate must be specified. The evaluation criteria must include consideration of prior relevant experience of the vendor.
4. The agency shall evaluate replies against all evaluation criteria set forth in the invitation to negotiate in order to establish a competitive range of replies reasonably susceptible of award. The agency may select one or more vendors within the competitive range with which to commence negotiations. After negotiations are conducted, the agency shall award the contract to the responsible and responsive vendor that the agency determines will provide the best value to the state, based on the selection criteria.
§ 287.057(1)(c)2.–4., Fla. Stat. (2014).
Section 287.012(26), Florida Statutes (2014), defines "Responsive bid" to mean, "[A] bid, or proposal, or reply submitted by a responsive and responsible vendor which conforms in all material respects to the solicitation."
MFN–2 ITN
The Department elected to utilize the ITN process and, pursuant to section 287.057(1)(c)2., listed specific goals in the ITN, which included the goal, among others, of "[s]eek[ing] to maintain or reduce the current total cost for each customer." The questions being explored in the ITN included how to obtain services in a cost-effective manner. The ITN was to be conducted in three phases: solicitation, evaluation, and negotiation. Before proceeding into the evaluation phase, the Department performed an initial determination of responsiveness via a "pass/fail" checklist and found both vendors responsive. AT & T argues that this responsiveness assessment was inadequate because the Department failed to analyze whether the vendors were responsive to all material aspects of the ITN. AT & T further argues that under the "limited" responsiveness assessment that the Department did conduct, CR MSA/Harris was non-responsive.
Corporate Identity Issues
AT & T's latter argument relates to the ITN's experience and bonding requirements that were assessed on the pass/fail checklist. AT & T argues the Department erred in relying on Harris's qualifications instead of solely relying on the qualifications of the subsidiary CR MSA to meet the experience and bonding requirements. The ALJ properly rejected AT & T's "corporate identity issues," finding the Department complied with the terms of the ITN and Florida law in determining both vendors were responsive as to these issues and finding the Department treated the vendors equally in this regard. We find no basis to disturb the underlying findings regarding the "corporate identity issues," which were supported by competent, substantial evidence, and the logical conclusions drawn therefrom. We affirm the determination that CR MSA/Harris was responsive to the experience and bonding requirements.
Statement of Work Issues
The majority of AT & T's arguments involve the ITN's "Statement of Work" and AT & T's belief that the Department should have performed a responsiveness assessment of the vendors' initial replies to the Statement of Work. Had the Department done so, AT & T argues, CR MSA/Harris would have been found non-responsive and would not have been invited to negotiate, leaving AT & T with a clear path to the contract award. We disagree with AT & T's restructuring of the ITN process to fit its argument.
The Statement of Work was a 192–page attachment to the ITN that contained the ITN's technical requirements. Section 2.7, Core Functionality and Related Services, included a diagram with ten geographically dispersed "core facilities" throughout the State. Section 2.7.12 stated that a vendor "may propose changes to the selected cities in the diagram section 2.7, but the number of core facilities shall not be altered unless the Respondent includes more core facilities than those provided in MFN." The Statement of Work also contained a specification for Session Initiation Protocol Core Routing (SCR).
AT & T's bid protest argued that the Department's responsiveness review was inadequate because it failed to analyze whether CR MSA/Harris's initial reply satisfied what it labels the "crucial ten core node minimum" and SCR. The ALJ rejected this argument, finding the Statement of Work requirements were not responsiveness requirements and were instead to be scored by the evaluators. Relying on testimony and evidence, the ALJ properly found that any deficiencies in a vendor's reply to the Statement of Work requirements would be reflected in a poor scoring of the reply during the evaluation phase and was not a responsiveness issue. As with the corporate identity issues above, we find no basis to disturb the underlying findings regarding the Department's responsiveness review in this regard, which were supported by competent, substantial evidence, and the logical conclusions drawn therefrom.
AT & T, again relying on its characterization of the Statement of Work requirements as threshold responsiveness requirements, argues that CR MSA/Harris was non-responsive and the ALJ overstepped his authority by making a post hoc finding that CR MSA/Harris's initial reply complied with the ten core facility requirement. Once the issue is reviewed objectively, it is clear that there was no impropriety. The ALJ found CR MSA/Harris's bid proposed eleven core facilities, albeit by using a different label of "aggregation node" for six of the facilities. First, CR MSA/Harris's labeling did not render its initial reply non-responsive because, as aforementioned, this Statement of Work requirement was not part of the threshold responsiveness review and any deficiency in the reply would have been addressed in scoring during the evaluation phase. Additionally, there was no deficiency because, as the ALJ's "post hoc" finding recognized, the ITN did not define the terms "core facility," "core node," and "aggregation facility" and there was no consensus industry definition of these terms. Most importantly, the Department's evaluator and subject-matter expert testified that, regardless of the label used, each of the facilities proposed by CR MSA/Harris satisfied the ITN's core facility requirement. We disagree with AT & T's reliance on Procacci v. Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services to suggest similar impropriety by the ALJ here. 603 So.2d 1299 (Fla. 1st DCA 1992). Procacci is readily distinguishable from this case. The ALJ did not overstep his role because the Department did evaluate the initial replies for responsiveness and determined both parties were responsive before inviting them to negotiate. The ALJ never made an independent responsiveness determination or recommendation. Rather, in the context of addressing AT & T's argument that the Statement of Work requirements were all responsiveness requirements, the ALJ made a finding, supported by competent, substantial evidence, that CR MSA/Harris's initial reply materially complied with the ITN, including the Statement of Work requirements, which he expressly found were not responsiveness requirements. We affirm the Final Order with regard to the Statement of Work issues.
The Department's Negotiations
AT & T next argues that the Department acted contrary to Florida law and the ITN by making material changes—reducing the core facility requirement from ten to five and removing SCR—during the negotiation phase. Considering the issue as framed by the parties before us, we find the Department's actions in modifying the ITN's specifications during the negotiation phase did not impede fair and open competition.
As aforementioned, an agency has various tools for competitive procurement. For example, when the agency knows the problem and needs proposals for a solution, the agency may use an RFP. An ITB, also referred to as an Invitation for Bid (IFB), on the other hand, describes the solution or end goal and solicits bids to achieve that goal. See Sys. Dev. Corp. v. Dep't of Health & Rehab. Servs., 423 So.2d 433, 434 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982). An ITB is a fairly rigid document to be used when the agency is "capable of specifically defining the scope of work" or "establishing precise specifications defining the actual or group of commodities required." § 287.057(1)(a), Fla. Stat. (2014).
The ITN process was adopted more recently and has been regarded as a legislative response to this Court's decision in Department of Lottery v. Gtech Corporation, which found an agency could not treat the RFP process as an initial ranking tool to determine a preferred provider and then negotiate a contract with that provider without limitation and without regard for the original proposal and RFP parameters. 816 So.2d 648 (Fla. 1st DCA 2001). Section 287.012, Florida Statutes (2014), defines "invitation to negotiate" as "a written or electronically posted solicitation for competitive sealed replies to select one or more vendors with which to commence negotiations for the procurement of commodities or contractual services." The ITN is a more flexible process and, as its name suggests, relies upon negotiations "with one or more vendors" to "determine the best method for achieving a specific goal or solving a particular problem" and to achieve the "best value" for the State. § 287.057(1)(c), Fla. Stat. (2014).
The MFN–2 ITN alerted the parties that the Department reserved the right to negotiate and to request revised replies. It also provided that the Department had the sole discretion over the decisions made during negotiations and over "whether to provide concurrent public notice of such decision." In submitting replies to the MFN–2 ITN, the vendors should have been well aware that negotiations would be a part of the process. AT & T suggests that the Department was confined to the ITN specifications as written and that any deviation was improper. While we agree generally that the Department could not make material changes to the ITN during negotiations, the ALJ properly found no material changes were made here. See Tropabest Foods, Inc. v. State, Dep't of Gen. Srvs., 493 So.2d 50, 52 (Fla. 1st DCA 1986) (defining a material change as one that "gives the bidder a substantial advantage over the other bidders and thereby restricts or stifles competition"). The Department's revisions to the Statement of Work—reducing the number of core facilities and removing SCR—that evolved within the negotiation phase and before the Request for Best and Final Offers did not restrict competition. Both vendors had the opportunity to alter their replies accordingly. The fact that AT & T elected not to do so and attempted to show the Department that more core facilities and SCR were needed for better performance shows that competition remained open and the ITN was functioning as intended. Notably, AT & T elected to remove SCR in its Best and Final Offer, which undermines its previous argument that the Statement of Work requirements were mandatory responsiveness requirements. AT & T's removal of SCR would render it "non-responsive" under its own argument. The ALJ appropriately determined that the Department engaged in extensive negotiations with both parties in an attempt to arrive at the best value for the State. CR MSA/Harris's selection as the winning vendor was not due to competitive advantage, but was the product of AT & T voluntarily electing not to modify its initial reply, maintaining its position that the ten core facilities (a design that mirrored the existing system AT & T was providing under MFN–1) was critical to achieving the best results for the State. The fact that the Department opted for a better value is not grounds for protest when the stated goals and questions of the ITN remained unchanged -achieving a highly reliable network that represented the best value to the State. We affirm the Final Order regarding the Department's ability to make changes to the Statement of Work during negotiations. It is worth noting that our affirmance rests on the record before us and our determination that AT & T was not harmed by the Department's actions here. We do find compelling AT & T's argument that such action has a potential chilling effect on third parties who choose not to reply to an ITN upon the belief they cannot meet the ITN specifications as written. As those parties are not before us seeking relief, those concerns are left for another day.
In a similar vein, we have concerns with the ALJ's alternate rulings regarding waiver. We disagree that AT & T waived any challenge to the Department's negotiations by failing to file a specifications challenge. AT & T's issue was not targeted to the Department's reservation of the right to negotiate, but rather its purported manipulation of negotiation in a manner that impeded competition. AT & T would have had no basis to file a specification challenge. As to the ALJ's determination that AT & T waived its ability to challenge CR MSA/Harris's responsiveness by failing to assert a challenge to the Notice of Intent to Negotiate, we have concerns with narrowing the point of entry in this manner. Section 120.57(3), Florida Statutes (2015), provides a seventy-two-hour window after the agency posts notice of a decision/intended decision for "any person who is adversely affected by the agency decision or intended decision" to file a protest. Florida Administrative Code Rule 28–110.002(2) defines "decision or intended decision" to mean: (a) the contents of a solicitation, including addenda, (b) a determination that specified procurement can be made only from a single source, (c) rejecting of a response or all responses to a solicitation, or (d) intention to award a contract as indicated by a posted solicitation tabulation or other written notice. A Notice of Intent to Negotiate is not one of the listed "decisions." Even if AT & T had a point of entry to challenge CR MSA/Harris's responsiveness at the Notice of Intent to Negotiate stage, we agree with the ALJ in Global Tel Link Corporation v. Department of Corrections that regardless of other points of entry, under section 287.057(1)(c)4. the Department was statutorily compelled to offer an opportunity for hearing at the time of the Notice of Intent to Award and the responsiveness of the winning vendor was an integral part of the decision to award. Case No. 13–3029BID (Fla. DOAH Nov. 1, 2013). While we understand that confining the point of entry to the Notice of Intent to Negotiate would allow potential issues to be resolved early in the process, we can also foresee these types of early challenges frustrating an agency's ability to complete a procurement. We agree with the reasoning in Global Tel that construing the point of entry so narrowly contravenes the language of the statute. Nonetheless, the Department's decision to award the contract to CR MSA/Harris was affirmed on the merits such that the ALJ's alternative rulings regarding AT & T's waiver are not dispositive to the issues on appeal.
ROBERTS, C.J.
WETHERELL and BILBREY, JJ., concur.


I'm DroidFreak, and I have a passion for making stuff.
Recently, I've been working on a remake of Hannah and the Pirate Caves, a 2003 Neopets game.
The original ran on Shockwave and hasn't been updated for years, so I'm remaking it from the ground up for HTML5.
You can play the current alpha version here or view the changelog on The Interguild, a HATPC forum.
DroidFreak36 is my main channel, where I post videos about Minecraft creations.
markdykstra36 is my old channel, where I mostly posted videos about Lego creations.
In the 2010/2011 season, I participated in the FIRST Tech Challenge robotics competition.
I designed a form of rocker-bogie suspension for our robot that it would be able to climb over the rough terrain, and tested it in Lego first.
After struggling in our first regional due to a bulky arm design, we developed a tray which was able to quickly grab and score batons, as well as grab a rolling goal for bonus points at the end of the match.
Before our second regional, I coded a new autonomous mode which would score 5 pre-loaded batons and push a rolling goal across the mountain to prepare for tele-operated mode and created a video showcasing our robot's capabilities.
Due to technical difficulties (such as a malfunctioning shaft encoder), we didn't make it to nationals, but it was still a great experience, and we created an effective robot.


text:
NEWS | UNIVERSITY
Duke names new vice president for Durham affairs
Special to the Chronicle
May 21, 2018 | 4:54pm EDT
Phail Wynn, vice president for Durham and regional affairs, announced he was stepping down from his position in January after 10 years, and Duke has now named his successor.
Stelfanie Williams, Trinity '98 and president of Vance-Granville Community College, will take the position of vice president of Durham affairs effective August 13, the University announced Monday.
"I am thrilled that Stelfanie will be returning to Duke to join my senior leadership team and build on the vitally important work conducted by Phail Wynn and his team over the course of the past decade," said President Vincent Price in the press release. "She brings a wealth of experience in higher education, with a particular focus on community engagement and innovative partnerships."
She earned her undergraduate degree at Duke in Spanish and public policy before going on to receive a master's from Western Carolina University and a doctorate in education from N.C. State. Williams became president of Vance-Granville Community College, which serves four North Carolina counties, in 2012. Under her leadership, the school had its largest graduating classes in history in 2015 and 2016.
Williams has been involved in higher education for more than 20 years. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper appointed her to the Governor's Commission on Sound, Basic Education in 2017, and she has also received an appointment to MyFutureNC, which is a commission of leaders from various areas—including education, government, business and faith—that was created in 2017 to push North Carolinians toward better education.
She was also chosen for the White House Regional Community College Summit in 2011, and this year she was named "President of the Year" by the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges.
"It is an honor to return to my alma mater as a member of President Price's leadership team, serving as vice president for Durham affairs and building on the fine work of Phail Wynn and the staff," Williams said in the release. "I look forward to advancing public service, community engagement and strategic partnerships to the mutual benefit of the university and the community. "
Williams received the appointment after a nationwide search by a committee chaired by A. Eugene Washington, chancellor for health affairs and president and CEO of the Duke University Health System.
"Stelfanie stood out as that exceptional leader for this important role because of her great intelligence, energy, wisdom and stellar record of success in the areas that are critical for Duke's future success," Washington said in the release.
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text:
Tuesday Jolt (or Not): The Port
By Afternoon Jolt September 11, 2012
Today's winner: Seattle Port Commission CEO Tay Yoshitani.
The Seattle Port Commission voted today to appoint outside counsel to review Yoshitani's dual role as Port CEO and a director at Expeditors International, a company that provides logistics help to international freight shipping firms. State legislators, including house speaker Rep. Frank Chopp (D-43) sounded the alarm on the arrangement, approved in early August, because of the glaring appearance of a conflict of interest, and several port commissioners, including Gael Tarleton and Rob Holland, called for him to step down from either Expeditors or the Port.
Yoshitani makes $367,000 at the Port, and could make another $230,000 at Expeditors. Many opponents of Yoshitani's dual role---the Port Commission has received thousands of emails ---are opposed not so much to the apparent conflict of interest as to the fact that Yoshitani, as a public servant, will be making $600,000 while many Port workers (particularly at SeaTac Airport) earn minimum wage.
Convinced that the deal is inappropriate, they had asked the commission to ban Yoshitani outright from holding both jobs rather than reassessing the appearance of conflict.
Today's second winner: Immigrants in Washington State.
Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed announced today that the state will not use a federal Homeland Security database of legal immigrants to check voter lists to confirm that undocumented immigrants are not voting in Washington State.
Reed's reason: Washington, unlike 48 other states, does not require proof of legal residence before issuing a driver's license. Because the database, known as Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, requires that proof, there is no way for the state to access the database. Reed has been pushing the state legislature for years to require driver's license applicants to prove they're in the country legally.
In Florida, Republican officials recently gained the right to use the SAVE program to purge voter rolls, a move that will predominately suppress Latino votes, which lean Democratic.
Rich Stoltz, the executive director of immigrants' rights group OneAmerica, says the decision is "good for the voting system" in Washington State. He says OneAmerica will work during the next legislative session to defeat the driver's license law.
Rob Mckenna, Sam Reed, Port of Seattle, Tay Yoshitani, Jolt, Immigrants, Afternoon Jolt
A Seattle Shipping Container's Choppy Journey through the Supply Chain
Downlocal
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03/15/2021 By Christy Carley
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12/22/2017 By Araz Hachadourian
Morning Fizz
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10/26/2016 By Josh Feit


her desperate attempt to hold him back.
left her sobbing, alone in the room.
walked out of his life, forever.
on the man who loved her.
to face her and she smiled.
just the way she had left someone.
"missing you XOXO" it read.