I am just back home after my first week down at SANCCOB depot in Salt River, and thought I would share a few impressions with you.
Day 1 - Reported to reception and got kitted out with oilskins, gloves and wellies, and was immediately allocated to the first task which all the newies go to - scrubbing the portapool liners of guano and re-setting the pen with newspaper and matting for the next occupants. However, I soon got the opportunity to be trained in the art of catching and handling the birds, and boy, is this a steep learning curve! You either learn very fast or start tallying the "eina" pecks on the left wrist and thumb. If you don't get the birds under control pretty fast, they seem to nail you on the same spots over and over, so in about an hour and a half - and more for reasons of self-preservation than any other - one becomes an "instant expert" at catching and holding these wriggly little varmints. Once over the initial mastering of the techniques required, one can concentrate on improving so as to cause the birds the least amount of stress in the process. By 1030 was allocated to a feeding team of three feeders and one carrier. This involves entering a designated pen containing about 150 penguins and - sitting on an upturned milk crate and with a bucket of sardines alongside - proceeding to catch one and immobilise it by means of holding it not-so-gently between the thighs and force feeding three sardines plus one special fish containing medication. This process is repeated and repeated and ... say no more. I had committed to working a double shift each day i.e. from 0800 to 1800, but had to "retire buggered" at 1630. At the end of this first day, I felt just like I did after running my first Comrades!
Day 2 - As day one but feeding all day. Was placed with two ladies who had already been going for a week, and felt quite shamed at my comparative inefficiency, so - being the MCP that I am - determined to improve my technique and speed to match these dextrous Amazons. However, on this day a new facto emerged. The sardines arrived frozen solid, due to the huge demand generated by a steadily increasing number of volunteers, thus overwhelming the defrosters. Naturally, the ease of inserting a hard-frozen 7" sardine down a penguin's gullet has to be done a great deal more carefully than a nice fresh slimy defrosted one. Our pleas for warmer fish went unheeded until about three hours through the day, when the natural heat of the day did the job. Felt a hundred percent better at the end of day 2 and made it through to 1800. YES!!
Day 3 - Went fully mentally prepared for another demanding day of feeding, but was hijacked away by the little American lady in charge of the washing bays to head up a new team being set up to pre-oil the birds for washing. This is the equivalent of a washing-machine pre-wash, by gently spraying each bird about to enter the washbays with a light veg oil which acts as a solvent and makes the actual washing process much easier. This process started off beautifully and - working in pairs - we oiled away merrily. But the problem of the oil soon manifested itself, as the oilskins and gloves soon get a liberal coating of the veg oil and make control of the now very slippery bird ever more challenging. However, now having progressed from "newie" to "expert" to "2nd day veteran" we were not to be deterred and made it through another demanding but interesting day.
Day 4 - Jeannie from Sacramento allocates me to the drying room to handle birds for one of the attending vets. This room is situated at the end of the washing section and - once the birds have been washed and thoroughly rinsed - they are bought through to a room equipped with infra-red dryers where the vet handler takes the bird and holds its trachea open for the vet to insert a thin plastic tube into the stomach and inject 120 ml of glucose electrolyte solution for re-hydration, followed by an injection into the keel muscle of 5ml of a multi vitamin. The process is completed by the fitment of a plastic flipper ring, and the bird is deposited into the drying pen until the following morning when the previous day's output is boxed up and transported to SANNCOB, Table View, where they sit out a 2-3 week period until the birds recover their feather mesh and natural oil/air water-proofing, which will allow them to return to the sea - without getting wet to the skin and chilled.
I was absolutely amazed and impressed by the team spirit, work and dedication of everyone there, and also by the unbelievable spectrum of different people throwing in whatever time they can spare. I have been inspired by this huge effort so much that instead of the original intended couple of days I will now be going back for a second week. I can only urge everyone who can afford a few days to make the effort. It will certainly uplift your spirit, even if it does wreck your forearms. The heartbreaking element is, of course, that for every 500 sent out clean, a 1000 new arrivals appear. Nevertheless, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that is the light of the will to overcome of all those wonderful people involved.
I am just back in sleepy old Hermanus after the third week at Salt River depot and thought I'd update the situation, as seen through the eyes of a volunteer.
After that first week of moving around various jobs as required by the team leaders, I eventually settled down to steady employment in the first of the two washing sections, where I have been busy ever since, in the role of washer.
Each section consists of two washbays, being converted showers and washrooms previously used by the railways employees; a rinsing section, being the ex-toilet area, and the drying rooms, being the old changing rooms. Each washbay is equipped with 10 overturned plastic 45 gallon drums which act as the bearers for 5 :gallon plastic washing basins, which are filled with warm soapy water by the "water boys". Depending on the number of volunteers available, each bay will be manned by between four and seven pairs of washers - one holder and one washer to a team.
A team will collect a bird from the holding pen outside the door, where, at any given time, about 15 pre-treated birds wait for about 20 minutes for the vegetable oil solvent to do its work prior to washing. The bird is then unceremoniously lowered into the warm soapy water, where a combination of its kicking and struggling, plus some vigorous rubbing from the washer soon removes about seventy-plus percent of the oil.
The bird is then swung into a second basin and the procedure is repeated - the dirty basin being quickly replenished by the tireless water carriers - until the bird is clean from the neck down. This takes anything from two to five basins to achieve, although the record stands at 15 basins for one poor specimen.
The next basin is dedicated to cleaning the neck and face, which is naturally the most sensitive area, which needs to be done with a great deal of care using a toothbrush, and having a rinsing bottle of fresh water handy for when a bit of soapy water gets in the eye. (The bird's that is, not the washer's!). The cleaning process is repeated and repeated until the suds coming off the feathers are clean and all traces of oil are gone. It is easy to see when the white plumage is clean, but the only way with the black areas -the majority - is to carefully monitor the quality of the water and the suds coming off the bird.
Once the washer is satisfied - usually about five minutes after the holders forearms go into cramps! - the bird is carried through to the rinsers, where every vestige of soap is sprayed off using a Gardena nozzle on a hose. A washer's ultimate insult is to have his/her bird returned by the rinsers as "not completely cleaned", so this acts as a pretty good quality control.
As I write, we're looking at a touch under 8000 birds cleaned, and allegedly 13000 to go, the good news being that no new arrivals are being brought in recently, so the problem is now one of reducing magnitude. The other good news which we heard - also unconfirmed - is that the situation on the islands is good enough for the powers-that-be to consider releasing direct back to Robben and Dassen, instead of the Port Elizabeth option with the long and hazardous swim. Now for a weekend of hedonistic idleness, nursing my laundry rash, before returning to the fray on Monday.
Have a great weekend, and remember:-"Everyone who helps is a hero".


ARVADA, CO -- (MARKET WIRE) -- October 31, 2005 -- CameraBright, Inc., which continues to increase its market presence with the world's only consumer-based photographic lighting accessory product line, has announced the selection of Meridian Display and Merchandising, a division of Tilsner Carton and a leading producer of corrugated packaging for over 85 years, as the provider of its in-store point of purchase displays of CameraBright!™ X1 camera lighting accessories.
The displays will feature full product inventory, creative messaging for the general consumer and an actual tethered product for customer evaluation. These sales tools will initially be placed in select photo-retail stores across the nation through Brandess-Kalt-Aetna Group, CameraBright's national distributor. CameraBright! X1 lighting accessories connect to virtually any digital camera or camcorder to allow users to capture better pictures and videos in low and no light situations.
"Meridian Display has worked to adhere to our aggressive timelines and desire to keep costs down, while helping us to achieve our ultimate goal of educating customers about the considerable benefits of the CameraBright! X1 accessory," said Brett Pardikes, CEO and founder of CameraBright, Inc. "These displays will properly position CameraBright lights for the large accessory uptake expected in the digital camera market. As our growth into retail stores increase, so will our relationship with Meridian Display."
These displays are expected to be in stores before the busy Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend in order to enable stores to capitalize on the high attach rate of CameraBright!™ X1 light accessories for camera and camcorders throughout the winter and into spring.
"We like the idea of assisting in the display of CameraBright's lighting accessories within retailers," said Mike Mackley, general manager of Meridian Display. "These displays allow retailers to greatly increase profitability without increasing sales overhead since they explain the many benefits of CameraBright and provide an opportunity for hands-on discovery for in-store customers."
The displays will increase CameraBright's brand value, encourage interaction between the customer and the product and drive sales higher for retailers. "Impulse buys are where CameraBright's lighting accessories can help our retailers looking to augment their digital camera and camcorder sales," said Dan Callahan, president of the Brandess-Kalt-Aetna Group. "And point of purchase displays for this type of product can really bring it home to the consumer, which means more units sold and more profit."
The displays will hold the entire CameraBright! line of accessories, including the X1-R (original), X1-W (warm white) and X1-ER (extended range) camera lights. Meanwhile, a fully functional product will be securely tethered to the display to give potential buyers an immediate understanding of the product benefits, which include reducing redeye, improved composition of pictures, better video, and faster, more reliable focusing.
CameraBright!™ X1-R and X1-W cost $29.95 each, while the XI-ER is priced at $34.95. All models are available in either titanium grey or black.
For more information, retail stores should contact their regional Brandess-Kalt-Aetna Group sales representative or call 847-821-0450. Consumers can also purchase the lighting accessory directly from CameraBright, Inc.'s online store (www.camerabright.com). For more information about CameraBright, Inc. or its products, visit the company's web site or call 1-866-342-2144.
Meridian Display and Merchandising is a full service point of purchase design and manufacturing firm based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Meridian Display has over 200,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space, enough to handle the largest, most demanding projects. Visit www.meridiandisplay.com to check out their various predesigned and custom displays.
Brandess-Kalt-Aetna Group is committed to being the very best provider of a broad range of photographic, digital and imaging products as well as selected fine art and craft supplies for both the amateur and professional. BKA continually provides new products to ensure that our customer is always on the cutting edge of technology with a dedicated focus on quality, value and service. Visit www.bkaphoto.com.
CameraBright, Inc. is focused on developing the first low cost lighting accessory product line dedicated to the consumer digital camera, traditional camera and camcorder industry. Based in Colorado, the company is a privately held corporation. CameraBright, Inc. has a desire and commitment to "Make it Right, Make it Bright!" For more information, visit www.camerabright.com.
CameraBright! is a trademark of CameraBright, Inc. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
About this company CameraBright, Inc.


text:
BARCELONA FOOTBALL FANS
Barcelona Football Fans Blog
World Football's Top 10 Stadiums
Post by Eddie Prentice
A football match is not just about the 22 gamers on the pitch. Spectators play a large part in the event. The style of a stadium and the ambiance it generates can have an daunting result on gamers and officials which can even affect the outcome. As new stadiums begin to dominate the sporting skyline about the planet, this listing pays homage to fantastic venues which have stood the check of time.
1. Maracana, Rio De Janeiro
Residence to the Brazilian nationwide facet and Rio's Vasco De Gama club, the first aspect back again in the 1920's to signal African gamers. The Maracana was created for the 1950 Globe Cup Finals and at a single time crowds of 200,000 ended up not unknown. Right now capacity has been reduced to 96,000 but the stadium still retains a excellent aura.
2. Nou Camp, Barcelona
Property to FC Barcalona, the Nou Camp has a capacity of just under 100,000 and has hosted a lot of excellent video games, like European finals and Planet Cup matches. It was completed in 1957 and with various enhancements the tiered construction now reaches to a height of 48 metres in 1 aspect of the ground.
3. Santiago Bernabau, Madrid
Created in 1947, the Santiago Bernabau stadium is the house of Genuine Madrid, one of the world's most popular clubs. It was also the host for the 1982 Globe Cup Final and various European club finals about the a long time.
four. Estadio Azteca, Mexico Metropolis
The Azteca has played host to two Planet Cup finals, 1 of which was the excellent Brazil v Italy match in 1970. The Mexican national group play right here as does the Club America facet. It was inaugurated in 1966 and has a potential of 105,000. An imposing venue, it is recognized as "Il Coloso de Santa Úrsula" (the Colossus of Saint Úrsula).
5. San Siro, Milan
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly recognized as the San Siro, is residence Inter Milan and AC Milan, historically two of Europe's most successful club sides. The stadium has a ability of 80,000 followers, and is one particular of the most significant stadiums in Italy. A typical function at matches are flares, banners and chanting from the Ultras.
six. Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
The house of Borussia Dortmund, the Westfalenstadion is officially know as Signal Iduna Park, the title of it really is sponsor. It is one particular of Germany's most significant sporting venues and has a fanatical help base, often promoting over fifty,000 year tickets. It is renowned for it's special "Südtribüne" (Southern Stand), exactly where 24,000 fans populate Europe's biggest standing terrace.
seven. La Bombonera, Buenes Aires
Primarily based in the Boca neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, La Bombonera is property to the Boca Juniors, the crew that brought us Diego Maradona. Not the prettiest stadium in the entire world but the steep banking and closeness to the pitch generate a really special atmosphere. The regional derby against River Plate is not for the faint hearted.
eight. Wembley Stadium, London
The fame of Wembley spreads beyond the entire world of football. Originally created in the 1920's, the reconstructed Wembley opened for organization once more in 2007 at a price of £800 million. It has hosted the Olympic Video games, a Entire world Cup ultimate and a lot of European club finals. It now has an all seater potential of 90,000 and attributes not just football but many other sporting and non sporting events.
nine. Azadi Stadium, Tehran
The Azadi Stadium is residence to the Iranian nationwide group and has a potential of a hundred,000. It is an daunting venue for traveling to groups and is home to Tehran's two key football clubs, Perespolis FC and Esteghlal FC. The atmosphere at video games amongst these two sides at the Azadi (acknowledged as the Sorkhabi) rivals anything provided by big city derbies the entire world over.
10. La Casa Blanca, Quito
Estadio de Liga Deportiva Universitaria, frequently named La Casa Blanca is the house ground of LDU Quito. It's a rogue entry in this top 10 record as it was only completed in 1997. With a capability of 55,400, it is only the second most significant stadium in Ecuador but it enters our best ten due to the fact at 2800 metres, the altitude confers a considerable gain for the Ecuador national group in global opposition.
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Q: Java 8 streams & Formatter or String::format How can I format a string with streams, without using lambda? I've been looking at Formatter but can't find any method that would only take a single string... so I could do:
Set<String> imported = new HashSet<>();
extendedModels.stream().filter((x)->imported.add(x))
    .map(new Formatter("import {%1$s} from './%1$s';\n")::format);

I'm just starting with Java 8 so not sure if the above is a right syntax (referencing a method of an object).
Specifically I look for a way to format the strings without the lambda expression. The reason is brevity - because, the pre-Java 8 form is just:
for (String m : extendedModels)
    if (imported.add(m))
        tsWriter.write(String.format("import {%1$s} from './%1$s';\n", m));

Details not related to the question:
I'm trying to go through a list of strings, reduce them to unique*) ones, and then use them in an formatted string, which will ultimately written to a Writer. Here's what I have now:
This would work but I'd have to handle an IOException in forEach:
extendedModels.stream().filter(imported::add)
.map((x)->{return String.format("import {%1$s} from './%1$s';\n", x);})
.forEach(tsWriter::write);

So for now I use this:
tsWriter.write(
    extendedModels.stream()
        .filter(imported::add)
        .map((x)->{return String.format("import {%1$s} from './%1$s';\n", x);})
        .collect(Collectors.joining())
);

*) The uniqueness is across multiple sets, not just the extendedModels so I don't want to use some sort of unique stream util.

A: As for avoiding using a lambda expression and using only method references, you need to extract the formatting part to a static or an instance method and reference it using a method reference expression:
static String formatImportStatement(String imp) {
    return String.format("import {%1$s} from './%1$s';\n", imp);
}

then .map(YourClass::formatImportStatement). Or you could also extract the labmda itself to a variable like this:
Function<String, String> importFormatter =
    (s) ->  String.format("import {%1$s} from './%1$s';\n", s);

then use it directly: .map(importFormatter).

Regarding exceptions:
You can use a delegating Writer wrapper which softens (converts checked to unchecked) exceptions and undeclares the checked IOException-s from it's method signatures, then use that with .forEach(softeningWriter::write).
You can also use a lambda wrapper factory to wrap your lambda to soften the exceptions like the LambdaExceptionUtil class in this answer, with the .forEach(rethrowConsumer(tsWriter::write)) pattern.
And your third solution could also work if you don't mind collecting the import statements to a String using Collectors.joining() first.
Unfortunately, you need to work around the checked exceptions (at least in Java8 as of today). Maybe a future version of Java will do something about this legacy, but this is not guaranteed to happen as far as I know.

A: Note that while .filter(imported::add) looks like a clever trick, it's a discouraged technique, as it creates a stateful predicate. If all you want, is uniqueness, just use .distinct() instead. If you need imported later-on, create it with a straight-forward Collection operation, i.e. imported = new HashSet<>(extendedModels) and stream over the Set.
So if your Writer is going to write into a file or any path, there is a FileSystem implementation for, a simple solution is
Set<String> imported = new HashSet<>(extendedModels);
Files.write(path, () -> imported.stream()
    .<CharSequence>map(x->String.format("import {%1$s} from './%1$s';\n", x)).iterator());

or, if you don't need the imported Set later-on:
Files.write(path, () -> extendedModels.stream().distinct()
    .<CharSequence>map(x->String.format("import {%1$s} from './%1$s';\n", x)).iterator());

If there is no Path, i.e. you can't avoid using a predefined Writer, you can use a Formatter, but have to care about not missing an exception:
Formatter f=new Formatter(tsWriter);
extendedModels.stream().distinct().forEachOrdered(
    x -> f.format("import {%1$s} from './%1$s';\n", x));
f.flush();
if(f.ioException()!=null) throw f.ioException();

There is no way to provide a bound parameter to a method reference, but since the tokens String, format and the string literal are unavoidable, there is not much potential saving anyway.

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text:
Cubberley Senior High School
I'm New_A little Help
Meet 'n Greet Mixer
Reno Dinner Dance
Saturday Morning Golf
Ladies Tea
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Peeks from 2004
Its May Day Palo Alto Style
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Cougar Chat
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Past to Present
Some Cool Products
It Happened in PA
4th Annual Bocce Ball
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Charles Hoke
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Columbia, MD USA
Grandpa, Retired Army Doctor, Medical Writer
Allison 1977, Elliott 1981, Courtney 1985, Geoffrey 1985.
Julia 2007, Avery 2017, Landon 2017, Taylor More…2019, Cody 2020.
Army MOS=61G9B, Medical Officer (Inf Dis)
I loved my time at Cubberley. I remember teachers (Tanner, Starkey), coaches (Summers, Doster), and classmates (Siegel, Hackett, Baldwin, Taylor (RIP), Schwerdt (RIP), Hardy, Klafs, Jenkins, Sheehan (RIP) others). It's amazing how often in a day the memories of these people come to mind.
After Cubberley, I moved across town to Stanford (where I learned who Elwood P. Cubberley really was) and then to Rochester, New York, for Medical School. I did residencies in internal medicine and infectious diseases, joined the US Public Health Service and later the US Army Medical Corps. I served in the Army for 24 years, eventually directing the Military Infectious Diseases Research Program and having a role in inventing and developing vaccines with which to protect US troops (adenovirus, Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis A). As of 2020, I'm retired
I moved from Connecticut to Palo Alto during the summer before senior year. I saw in the paper when football practice was to begin, and I walked over to sign up. I was warned by others that I was trying out for the position of a formidable star who would come a week or so later and who would not be happy that a usurper was competing for his position. I met Tom Jenkins shortly thereafter.
At a talent show, Carol Lane and I performed a silly skit based on a record I had in childhood called, "I'm Dressing Myself!". I can still hear Chris Edgington hooting from the audience.
I remember that Mike Kaku only came to class to lecture us...and then only about twice during the year. He was rumored to have made a particle accelerator in his basement.
Dan Gilbarg, in a 5 minute conversation in calculus class, convinced me to go to Stanford. Thank you, Dan.
A classmate, Alan Siegel, who also went to Stanford, later saved me in an advanced calculus class. He was an excellent teacher. Thanks, Al. (Not surprisingly, Al ended up in a math institute in New York.)
Advanced Placement Chemistry class gave us ample time to contemplate various reactions and the toxicity of hydrogen sulfide.
During a vigorous warmup before a football game, I separated my shoulder, thus ending my football career.
Several years ago, after I'd sent a Christmas card to Chris Schwerdt, his wife called me to say that I must not have heard that he had died of a melanoma. I literally couldn't speak for a few moments. She told me that when he was ill, he often talked of calling me...but they didn't. I wish they had.
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Posted on: Sep 06, 2019 at 1:33 AM
Charles Hoke has left an In Memory comment for Norman Robert Taylor.
Classmates,
I remember Rob in a home game. He used his length, grace, and speed to catch a particularly long pass. He was tackled, and he couldn't get up because he had a cramp in his calf. I remember hoping he'd be OK.
Reading the notes below, I was struck by several things. I live about 10 miles from Sykesville, where I think he was killed. He was a beloved middle school teacher...and such teachers were pivotal for me. Knowing he had died locally and that he was a Naval Academy graduate, I wondered if he might have been buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Searching "Norman Robert Taylor", I found one entry.
Charles Hoke (Colonel (retired), US Army)


Designed for physicians and nurses, nAbleMD Internal Medicine EMR is a specialty specific App with simple and easy to master user interface. Workflow is intuitive and various parts of the chart can be accessed with s single click. Separate workflows for sick, well and follow-up visits offer quick review of patient information and completion of vitals, HPI, history, ROS, physical exam, diagnosis and treatment plans. If immunization is offered, the EMR provides a complete documentation of vaccination schedule and administration. Physician orders of prescriptions, labs, radiology, procedures and recalls automatically become tasks to be completed by the nursing staff. Context sensitive dropdowns, picklists and plan templates assist the physician in completing the chart accurately and completely by simply tapping on the choices or manually entering the information. The App works seamlessly with nAble 4.0c EMR which is web-based and Stage 2 certified (2014 edition) as complete ambulatory EMR for Meaningful Use. Users have the choice to either use the native iPad App or access the patient information via the web-based nAble application, thus providing total mobility, real-time information sharing, and second to none user experience.
Download the App, the current nAble users sign-in with their clinic name, username and password, and begin using the App after viewing a brief tutorial. The App requires internet access to connect with the back-end nAbleMD database for patient data and clinical information.


Turkey, Saudi Arabia and some European allies want ground troops deployed in Syria but there is no consensus in the coalition and a strategy for such an operation has not been seriously debated, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said.
Russian air strikes have helped to bring the Syrian army to within 25 kilometers of Turkey's borders, while Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG), which are regarded by Ankara as terrorist organizations as they are linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), with which Turkey is in armed clashed since the mid-1980s, have also gained ground, heightening the sense of urgency.
Çavuşoğlu told Reuters that any operation could not be left to regional powers alone.
"Some countries like us, Saudi Arabia and some other Western European countries have said that a ground operation is necessary ... But to expect this only from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar is neither right nor realistic," he said in an interview published on Feb. 17.
"If such an operation is to take place, it has to be carried out jointly, like the [coalition] air strikes," he said.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Feb. 16 ruled out all plans to launch a ground operation in Syria.
"There's no plans to put ground troops, at least on the part of the U.S., into Syria.," U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Feb. 16 during a daily press briefing.
But Sunni Arab Gulf states including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have said they are ready to send ground forces as part of an international coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), providing Washington takes the lead.
Çavuşoğlu said Turkey had repeatedly made the case for a more comprehensive strategy in Syria beyond air strikes but it had not been discussed seriously by the U.S.-led coalition.
"Of course, there would be air strikes but a cleansing on the ground is also needed. I stated in every meeting ... that Daesh could not be destroyed or stopped by air strikes," he said, using an Arabic acronym for ISIL.
Çavuşoğlu said Turkey supported the resumption of negotiations for a political solution in Syria but that they would go nowhere if Syrian government forces did not first halt their bombardments.
U.N.-backed peace talks, which were suspended earlier this month, are scheduled to resume in Geneva on Feb. 25.
"One needs to be realistic. While bombs are falling from the sky and people are being massacred under the pressure of the regime or are being starved, the talks cannot be very fruitful," Çavuşoğlu said.


2018 has been a disappointment for many market participants, breaking a nine-year streak of positive returns for investors in the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC). Nobody likes losing money, and even if stocks manage to make up a bit of ground on the last trading day of the year Monday, it's unlikely to be enough to offset the 7% year-to-date drop coming out of the weekend.
Data sources: S&P Dow Indices and Slickcharts. Chart by author.
There have been only two multiyear down stretches for the S&P 500 since 1969: once in 1973 and 1974 and once from 2000 to 2002. The 1970s decline stemmed largely from the disruptions to global oil markets, with embargoes against the U.S. and other Western countries causing oil prices to quadruple. The bear market in the early 2000s followed a nearly unprecedented period of strong economic growth, as the tech boom caused markets to climb to levels that proved unsustainable.
Far more often, turnarounds have followed losing years, with robust gains of 20% or more on five of those seven occasions. That's no guarantee that 2019 will produce such impressive results, but it should persuade you that panicking about falling markets in the short run can derail what would otherwise be a winning long-term investing strategy.


This is Bresson at his best. Basically it's a prison film, where the main character gets wrongfully put in prison. It's stunningly filmed in the Bresson style, which I love. A lot of collage-like set up – a hand followed by a foot – a very deliberate filming style to build up the action. Lots of slow close-ups. It's a classic. I think I first saw it on DVD when I started catching up on a lot of films and different directors, so Bresson and Bergman and Tarkovsky and all those guys. It's quite hard to see a lot of those films in the cinema so I just projected them.