Facing harassments, threats, smear campaigns, defamation, legal prosecution, and even death threats can be a part of many human rights defenders everyday life. When the situation escalates and someone is in acute danger, Civil Rights Defenders' Emergency Fund is there to provide rapid support. The Emergency Fund can, for example, be used to temporarily relocate people or to quickly provide specific security improvements. In total, we have supported 127 human rights defenders from 18 countries in 2018.
In some cases, relocation of a human rights defender is a life-saver, in others is a rare chance to rest and prevent burn-out. Short term or long term relocations remain one of the most requested type of support. The primary goal of a temporary relocation is to enjoy a safe stay and then return home to continue the human rights work.
Most of the time that is exactly how it works. However, that is not always the case. In some instances, human rights defenders are forced to seek longer term protection, because the risks they have been running from are still real back at home. Even then, they do not stop fighting their fight, but rather change the format of their work.
But relocation is a last option. Civil Rights Defender focus on and stress the importance of preventative measures and mechanisms. More than one-third of our grants went to strengthening and improving the security of human right defenders and their organisations. Such measures include office/home security improvements, security trainings or upgrade of equipment.
For example, we have provided security equipment and office restoration support to an organisation in Russia, one of our long-term partner in the region, after their office was set on fire. Often these measures are combined with temporary relocation or legal aid. One such case this year came from Kenya, where ten witnesses to an important and strategic class action case were temporarily relocated and participated in security trainings to ensure their continued security and safety.
Support to human rights defenders can also be in the form of moral and psychological support. Human rights defenders often work under a lot of mental stress and tension. In many cases, humanitarian interventions are offered in the form of assistance to imprisoned or just-released human rights defenders. Psychotherapy and medical rehabilitation after years of stress and strain is another type of much-needed support.
In total, Civil Rights Defenders have supported 127 human rights defenders during 2018, from 18 countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Russia, Tajikistan, Venezuela, and Uganda. The largest number of HRDs supported came from Eurasia, followed by East and Horn Africa, South East Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The numbers more or less reflect the scope of Civil Rights Defenders' activities in the respective regions.
Among those who received emergency assistance in 2018, 61% were men and 39% were women. We process all applications equally, irrespective of gender. Human right defenders always receives support based on their security situation. Some threats and risks might be gender specific but that does not affect the process of evaluation and grant management.
The overall assessment of the grants that have been reported on is very positive and in 98% of cases, human right defenders are still involved partially or fully in human rights work after the end of the support period.


VIA Vinyl HD Audio codecs represent the next generation of sound quality, supporting the high definition HD Audio standard for a whole new immersive surround sound experience. The VIA Vinyl VT1708 series deliver top quality audio performance, supporting the latest 8-channel, 24-bit, 192KHz audio content for an all-round high fidelity experience. Integrating stereo DACs with a 100dB S/N ratio and compliant with the Intel® High Definition Audio Rev. 1.0 specification, VIA HD Audio codecs include leading edge features such as a high quality headphone amplifier, enhanced recording support, and advanced power management features, making them ideal for mobile devices.


From the 'Without Beginning, Without End' Alternative Bridal Collection. These earrings are one of a kind.
Book an Appointment to view these earrings in person, email hello@rachelboston.co.uk for your free consultation.


21/3/2019 – According to an official release, the series A funding was led by East Ventures and Genesia Ventures. Another firm to join the funding round is Denali Venture Partners (Denali Mitra).
Founded in 2015, Mobilkamu is an Indonesian startup co-founded by Wilton Halim from Indonesia, Kalen Iselt from Australia and Caue Motta from Brazil. The company is set to provide solutions to the Indonesian auto market.
Previously in Indonesia, the only way to buy a new car is by physically visiting car dealers and comparing deals. The lack of financing options also proves to be another obstacle for locals needing a new vehicle.
The company provides an accessible online platform for new car buyers, featuring fair prices and more financing options, without the hassle of manually comparing offers from different dealerships.
"Mobilkamu combines the human touch necessary to Indonesian consumers with the utilization of technology to ensure the process between dealers, finance companies and our customers is as seamless as possible," said co-founder Iselt.
"Through proprietary technology, Mobilkamu has introduced a seamless experience of buying a new car by removing frictions of end consumer interacting with too many parties. This also creates high values for car sales agents, financing companies, and car dealerships to operate more efficiently thus making the price more affordable," said East Ventures partner Melisa Irene.
Headquartered in Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta, the company also has branch offices in Bekasi and Ciputat with a combined team of 70 staff.
Mobilkamu currently has partnerships with over 80 car dealers across the greater Jakarta area and multiple financial partners including Bussan Auto Finance, BCA Finance, Mega Auto Finance, Mandiri Tunas Finance, and Bank Jasa Jakarta.
The company has previously raised an undisclosed seed funding round in 2017.


text:
JewishDC
What a Jew's to do in the Greater Washington Area
Books, Plays, Movies and Music
History of Jews in D.C.
July 1, 2015 by rmauro2
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival: Jewish Culture in Unusual Places
1870 synagogue in Lima, Peru / photo courtesy of en.turismojudaico.com/
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival takes place every summer, bringing amazing world cultural events to the National Mall! Every year has a specific theme and in 2015 they've been focusing on Peru.
Doubtless the Festival has done a great job in covering many aspects of this nation. But allow me to expand on their efforts! For the last few years, inspired by our local Folklife tradition, I have researched and brought attention to the widely diverse world Jewish communities. Jewish culture has touched almost every region of the world, and of course vice versa. So let us begin.
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue…and Jews were officially expelled from Spain, making the "new world" look like a good possibility. In fact, many "conversos" were on board the Spanish ships, according to the Jewish Virtual Library. These people were mostly forcibly converted to Catholicism, though many still secretly practiced Judaism. Latin America promised economic prosperity and the chance to get away from the Inquisition…so they thought. In fact Spain started limiting "conversos" emigration to "the new world," though the Portuguese didn't have as many restrictions, so a number of them moved into Spanish territories like Peru. For more information on "conversos," I made a LibGuide when I was in Library School.
Jews had to live in hiding in Peru, and many Latin American countries, until the Enlightenment of the 19th century. But the community was quite small and intermarried, and much of the establishment they set up passed to new Jewish immigrants, like central European merchants whose descendants make up the bulk of the modern day community. In the latter half of the 1800s, North African Jews, also drawn for economic reasons, made their way to this country.
In the 20th century, the reason for Jewish immigration took a turn towards the attempt to escape persecution. Jews from Turkey and Syria came after World War I, expanding the Jewish presence to the entire country but eventually moving back to the well-established areas in Lima. This included Ashkenazi and Sephardi synagogues, services like homes for the elderly, and a Jewish day school that 80% of kids attend.
The community peaked at 52,000 members in the 1970s, but declined more recently due to socialist governments, neo-Nazi antisemitism, economic hardships, intermarriage, the end of emigration, and immigration to other Latin American countries and Israel. But Peruvian Jews, now numbering around 3,000, continue to own businesses and serve in the government. Former first lady Elaine Karp and former second vice president David Waisman are both members of the tribe.
As of late, indigenous Peruvians (or B'nai Moshe) are starting to turn to Judaism as well. Many see it as the best way to practice the Bible, their ancestors having been converted to Catholicism during the Spanish colonial period. Rabbi Mendel Zuber from the U.S. acquired a Bet Din from Israel in the late 20th century to convert a few hundred people to Judaism. Read more about his work and experience here. Some of these new converts stayed in Peru, but many made aliyah to Israel as well.
For Spanish-language resources, chec out yehudeiperu.org, Judios de Peru on Facebook and Museo de la Communidad Judia del Peru.
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival continues until July 5.
Previous Festival Coverage on JewishDC
2014 / 2013 / 2011 / 2010
Posted in Social Events	| Tagged Jewish Education, Jewish History | Leave a comment
Tweets from the Community
As 2019 Smithsonian Folklife Festival Celebrates Local Music, Nefesh Mountain Brings Jewish Bluegrass to DC
Edlavitch DCJCC Unveils New JxJ Festival with Hybrid Events incl. Music from Yiddish Cinema
From Colonial Women to Ivy League Admissions; 2019 Jewish American Heritage Month
Celebrate Purim in 5779!
Historian Deborah Lipstadt Tackles Modern-Day Antisemitism in Book Touted at Sixth & I
As 2019 Smithsonian… on Edlavitch DCJCC Unveils New Jx…
#FebFrenzy 2019 Wrap… on Historian Deborah Lipstadt Tac…
Thoughts on BDS, and… on Historian Deborah Lipstadt Tac…
Commemorate MLK Week… on Summer Internship at the Jewis…
Rachel's Literary Ne… on Actress Carol Kane Receives Aw…
adas israel Aish DC American Friends of Lubavitch american jewish committee Antisemitism B'nai B'rith Young Leadership bet mishpachah Birthright Israel NEXT charles e smith jewish day school Community Service DCJCC DC Minyan Foundation for Jewish Studies GatherTheJews hebrew home of greater washington Israel JCA JCC of GW JCC of NV JCorps JCRC Jewish Education Jewish History Jewish Holidays Jewish Jobs Jewish Professionals Network Jewish Socials Jewish Study Center Jews United for Justice JProDC JSSA Just for Fun JWI Kesher Israel MesorahDC Moishe House DC Moment Magazine National Museum of American Jewish History nice jewish boys dc nice jewish girls dc ohev shalom Panim PJLL Pro Musica Hebraica Sephardic Heritage in DC Shabbat Shomrei Adamah Sixth & I Social Action The Jewish Federation The Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington The Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington washington hebrew congregation Washington Jewish Week WHC 2239 Yachad Youn Young Professionals Kesher YP@AI Zemer Chai
Judaism, Washington DC

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


How to Go Beyond Just Eliminating Fishy Off-Flavors from Fish and Seafood Products!
Many consumers simply refuse to prepare or consume fish or seafood that has strong fishy odor. Consumers often associate "fishy" off-flavors with not-so-fresh seafood, thus finding them unappealing.
Our proven Fresh 'O Fish™ is a flavoring system designed to minimize fishy off-flavor and at the same time bring out the natural savory fresh flavor of fish and shellfish products.
Fresh 'O Fish™ also reduces "muddy" and seasonal off-flavors in several varieties of fish such as tilapia, catfish, etc. Fresh 'O Fish™ advantages extend well beyond minimizing "fishy" off-flavors during cooking.
Extends shelf life by retarding oxidative rancidity, such as in salmon, tuna, etc.
Improves cooked yield and juicy cooked texture.
Reduces freezer burn and protects flavor during storage.
Produces better grilled marks and a more appetizing appearance upon cooking.
Fresh 'O Fish™ is in a convenient dry powder form designed to be easily hydrated in cold water and applied on frozen fish fillets or other seafood products in place of ice glaze. An alternate application method is dipping or soaking fish or seafood products in this hydrated flavoring system before freezing. Thus, this proven system can be used in static soak, tumbling and injection applications.
Fresh 'O Fish™ has a clean label and its low usage level makes it a perfect cost saving alternative to allow fish or seafood producers/processors to go well beyond minimizing fishy off-flavor from their products!
For additional information on our Fresh 'O Fish™ line or other products, please contact Technical Services at (800) 787-3067.


text:
Haddock Investments
About Haddock Investments
Haddock Film
Insurance Division
Our People - Haddock Investments
Makaira Oil & Gas
Cryptocurrency Industries
Gerald Haddock
Gerald Haddock - Corporate Profile
Gerald Haddock - Personal Profile
Gerald Haddock Philanthropies
The Haddock Center
The Haddock Foundation
In 1989 Gerald Haddock became a part owner and the general counsel of the Texas Rangers baseball club. During the negations for the sale of the team, Mr. Haddock met former President George W. Bush. Working together on this deal, the President and Mr. Haddock formed a friendship based on trust and mutual respect that continues on today.
For Gerald Haddock's 50th birthday, President Bush made a video remarking on his relationship with Mr. Haddock over the years. When asked about Mr. Haddock, President Bush says, "You can count on him as a friend."
On April 25, 2013 Gerald Haddock will attend the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. The friendship and support that began more than twenty years ago remains.
Below is the video from President Bush to Gerald on his 50th birthday.
Richard Rainwater recorded this tribute to Mr. Haddock on the occasion of his birthday to thank him for his service.
From Childhood Tragedy, a Business Giant's Love of Art
Philanthropist Gerald Haddock with the painting that would change his life: Son of the Sea by Stanhope Forbes.
Star-Telegram/Paul Mosley
BY TIM MADIGAN
tmadigan@star-telegram.com
Floyd Haddock was crippled by polio as a boy and spent the next half-century proving he was the equal of any person with two healthy legs. As a young man, he bought several heavily forested acres on Caddo Lake in East Texas, cleared the land and built what would become one of the state's most popular fishing resorts.
Floyd Haddock, in the office of his East Texas fishing camp.
In the process, he became a larger-than-life figure to his youngest son, Gerald.
"How does a man with polio build something like that out of the wilderness?" Gerald Haddock wondered recently. "He cut the trees and had a successful business. … He convinced me that I could do whatever I set my mind to do."
The son spoke of the father a few weeks ago at his Fort Worth mansion, built on a bluff overlooking Eagle Mountain Lake. From that rustic childhood in East Texas, Gerald Haddock went on to a successful career as a lawyer — he was general counsel of the Texas Rangers baseball team in the 1990s — a businessman who made a fortune in real estate and investments, and a philanthropist.
But on that day, Floyd Haddock, not business, was on Gerald Haddock's mind as he showed off a most unusual collection of world-class art. For the son, there is a deep and abiding connection between the two.
Outside it was a cold, gray afternoon and a stiff north wind roiled whitecaps on the water below.
"It was a day a lot like this one," Gerald Haddock said.
On Dec. 3, 1956, he was 9. Young Gerald and his mother had attended a Christmas parade in nearby Marshall. On the 20-mile drive home they were passed by emergency vehicles, speeding toward the fishing camp with sirens blaring.
"My mother and I both were scared," Gerald Haddock said.
An acquired appreciation
Education was paramount to his parents, so Gerald Haddock went from Caddo Lake to Baylor in Waco, earning degrees in accounting and law. He added a Master of Laws from New York University, then landed a job with the prestigious Houston firm Fulbright and Jaworski.
Haddock was still in his 20s when he was picked to head a legal team representing Houston socialite and art collector Cecil Furstenberg, then in a battle with the Internal Revenue Service. Furstenberg had donated a painting from her collection, by the famed French artist Jean Baptiste Camille Corot, to the University of Houston. Her appraisers valued it at $250,000. Art experts at the IRS said it was worth only $60,000.
The dispute landed in federal court in New York City. During weeks of testimony in late 1977, Haddock called some of the nation's top art experts as witnesses. In 1978, the court appraised the Corot painting at $160,000, a big victory for the young lawyer.
But the case had much deeper meaning for Haddock. It was an intensive primer in art appreciation for the boy from Caddo Lake. Haddock was taught to look for fine details in paintings he was oblivious to before. When looking at a picture, he now saw new layers of meaning and emotion.
"The light came on and made me want to know more," he said.
For much of the next two decades, Haddock carved out time on his travels to visit the world's great museums and galleries.
"I'd find myself in New York and go to one of those old classic bookstores on 57th and Fifth and hide out for a day, looking at those old art books," he said. "I knew from the beginning that the passion would take me somewhere. I had no idea where."
The answer came in the spring of 1997. During a visit to a showcase home in one of his real estate projects, the exclusive Mira Vista development in Fort Worth, interior decorator Pam Flowers said she had a surprise. She led Haddock to a stairwell.
On the wall was an original 1910 painting by the British artist Stanhope Forbes.
The picture was called Son of the Sea, depicting an old woman sitting in shadow with her hand on the shoulder of a boy. The boy holds a toy ship and looks intently at the woman. Behind them a fishing village and the ocean beyond are bathed in brilliant sunlight.
From his decades of study, Haddock knew immediately it was art of the highest order. But his reaction to the piece went far deeper.
"The boy was listening with such a strong feeling that she had to be telling him about a father who had perished in the water," Haddock remembered recently. "But she wasn't running away from it. She's saying, 'I want you to do exactly what your father did. It's dangerous, but we love it, and we enjoy the life that's given us.'"
A revelation
On that cold December day in 1956, Floyd Haddock and one of his young fishing guides had gone duck hunting on Caddo Lake in a small boat. Authorities later speculated that Floyd fell out while shooting and his companion had gone in after him. The water was frigid. Both were found dead, floating near the boat.
"It was devastating," Haddock said, his voice catching. "It still is. You feel shortchanged. I had so much respect for him because of who he was and how hard he had worked. To lose that at such an early age …"
So Gerald Haddock was that boy in the painting. That day in the house at Mira Vista, the love and tragedy of his childhood coalesced with his adult passion for art.
"It was a magical moment. There was so much about it I connected with," said Haddock, now 65 and the father of two grown sons and a daughter. "Obviously it evoked memories of my dad. You feel the poignance, the serious nostalgia. Then, all of a sudden, a calm comes over you because of the art, the beauty. … It carries you to calm, serene and enjoyable moments."
Haddock bought Son of the Sea, nearly on the spot, for $60,000. But that was just the beginning.
"Why did I build this collection? Because I was attached to it," Gerald Haddock says. "It evokes an emotional feeling. This particular genre is of the beauty of the ordinary people, the beauty of a simple way of life."
'The human condition'
Stanhope Forbes is known as the father of the Newlyn School of British painters, named for a tiny fishing village in Cornwall, on the southwestern tip of England. The colony of artists, painting at the turn of the 20th century, were also known as the British impressionists. They had indeed been greatly influenced by French painters of the same era. The methods of applying paint to canvas and the use of light were similar on each side of the English Channel.
But the Newlyn painters were also inspired by the lesser-known French painter Jules Bastien-Lepage, who, unlike the French impressionists, used working-class people and their lives as the subjects of his paintings.
"The Newlyn School painters weren't interested in being commissioned to paint portraits of the wealthy and important people, and they weren't painting subjects of ancient Roman history," said Malcolm Warner, former curator of the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth and an expert on British art. "They were interested in the ordinary scenes of working life in their own time.
"They're not exactly like Monet or Renoir," Warner said. "The sympathy they express for the working poor is so powerful, and it adds such a human dimension to the art."
Which is what caused Gerald Haddock to buy more than one painting. Over the next three years, he would purchase nine more by Forbes and another by fellow Newlyn School artist George Clausen. All of them depicted working-class people and scenes from their lives, many of which took place in or near the remote fishing village.
"Why did I build this collection? Because I was attached to it," Haddock said. "It evokes an emotional feeling. This particular genre is of the beauty of ordinary people, the beauty of a simple way of life. I got away from the simple way of life in business. It got very complicated. I wouldn't trade anything for doing that, but that didn't change my appreciation for this collection.
"It's a reflection on the human condition, the beauty, the hard work," he continued. "When I think about my dad, he was crippled and working in a fishing camp, yet I knew he was happy, satisfied every day. I see that in this art."
Haddock and his wife, Diane, soon visited Cornwall.
"The Newlyn School paintings have a sort of emphatic quality, a sort of moral dimension to them, so the collectors tend to be lovely people, and Gerald and Diane certainly fall into that category," said Alison Bevan, director of the Penlee House Gallery and Museum in Cornwall. "They asked if we could arrange for them to see some of the places where they painted. It was a wonderful day, standing in the footsteps of the artists."
At dinner during their visit, a waitress overheard Bevan and the Haddocks discussing the Newlyn painters. The waitress said her grandfather had been one of their models.
"It turns out he was in one of my paintings," Haddock said. "That was pretty special."
Bevan came to Fort Worth a few years later to help christen the Haddock collection, now displayed at the lakeside mansion that has been turned into a gallery, the Haddock Center. The center is home to what is probably the finest private collection of Newlyn School works in the United States.
"They're very well-known in England but almost totally unknown elsewhere," Warner said. "That's why Gerald Haddock is so amazing. He has such a passion for such an unusual thing among American collectors. There are thousands of American collectors, and he is probably the only one to have homed in on the Newlyn School.
"The best collectors work that way," Warner said. "They don't just collect trophies. They don't collect to show off. They collect because they have deep feelings for the art."
'A collection that people can enjoy'
Two pieces are particularly coveted. One is Son of the Sea.
The other is a painting that Haddock came across while browsing through an art book. The picture,Charity by Walter Langley, is of a beggar boy invited in to eat by a mother and daughter, who look on with sympathy. In his book What Is Art?, the legendary Russian writer Leo Tolstoy celebrates the Langley painting and the emotions it evokes.
"This picture by an artist who, I think, is not widely known, is an admirable and true work of art," Tolstoy wrote.
Haddock immediately wanted to buy it, contacting Dallas art dealer David Dike to help track it down. Dike said Haddock need not look far.
The work was hanging in a house in Fort Worth and had been part of a divorce settlement. It took Haddock several visits to convince the owner that he would give the painting a good home.
"You know, this painting needs to be among its brothers and sisters," he told the owner. "She said, 'Well, what do you intend to do with all this?' I said, 'I want this to be a collection that people can enjoy. That's the ultimate goal.'"
There is now talk in England of his paintings being part of a major Newlyn School exhibition.
"The Penlee House has been hoping to put our collection and Gerald's in a proper exhibition of the Newlyn School," Bevan said. "The Royal Academy of Arts is very interested in doing a survey show. There is huge potential for that to happen."
Standing in front of Charity on a recent day at the lake, Haddock spoke of his own plans, still in the early phases, of sharing his art with the world.
"Tolstoy basically says that fine art needs to be more than beautiful. It needs to evoke feeling," Haddock said. "We still have the same human condition. We need to make this available to everybody."
He moved a few steps away to Son of the Sea. Whenever he looks at it, he said, thoughts of his father and his simple upbringing are never far away.
"He would have absolutely loved this," said Floyd Haddock's son. "It was part of his life. He would see a different lake, a different time, but the same type of people."
Tim Madigan, 817-390-7544 Twitter: @tsmadigan
Gerald Haddock attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas. While working toward his bachelor's degree, Mr. Haddock was an active member of the Baylor student body. In his four years at Baylor, Mr. Haddock served at various times as the President, Secretary, and Rush Chairman of Alpha Kappa Psi, which was the premier business and social fraternity at Baylor. Mr. Haddock was also a member of Beta Alpha Psi (The International Honorary Organization for Accounting Professionals); a member of The International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma Recognizing Business Excellence; and Student President of Baylor Hankamer School of Business. Mr. Haddock completed his Bachelors of Business Administration at Baylor University in 1969. Even while attending Baylor, Mr. Haddock continued to make deals and pursue business opportunities. For example, after his freshman year of college he put together a partnership that developed a golf driving range back in his hometown of Marshall, Texas.
After earning his BA, Mr. Haddock immediately enrolled in the Baylor University School of Law. Along with his demanding law school courses, Mr. Haddock participated in extracurricular academic activities and received significant awards for his academic achievements. He was the Articles Editor of the prestigious Baylor Law Review. He was named the Outstanding Student in Practice Court. Additionally, he was a member of the Baylor Law School Student Supreme Court and a member of Phi Alpha Delta, an international co-ed legal fraternity. In 1971, Mr. Haddock graduated from Baylor University School of Law cum laude with his Juris Doctorate degree.
Mr. Haddock was awarded a scholarship to attend New York University School of Law to pursue his Master of Laws in Taxation. Here, he was the Graduate Editor of the New York University Tax Law Review. He graduated in 1972 with his LL.M. in Taxation.
Upon graduation, Mr. Haddock accepted an associate position at the Houston law office of Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP. There, he enhanced his knowledge and skills in tax law and quickly rose through the ranks of the firm, making partner in just seven years.
Along with his demanding workload at the firm as a new associate, Gerald Haddock continued his involvement with his alma mater, Baylor University. For five years he served as Director of the Baylor Alumni Association and continues his involvement as a lifetime member of the Baylor Alumni Association. He also served, over the course of five years, as the President, Vice President, and Secretary of the Houston Baylor Club. Additionally, Mr. Haddock was a member of the Dean's Advisory Board for Baylor Law School from 1975-1978.
In 1980, Mr. Haddock began expanding his career goals. He accepted a position at Consolidated Petroleum Industries, Inc. as the Vice President of Legal and Tax Matters. This move allowed him to combine his expertise in tax law with his business background. Additionally, while working for Consolidated Petroleum, Mr. Haddock served as Chair of the Taxation Section of the Texas Bar from 1981 to 1982.
Gerald Haddock left Consolidated Petroleum in 1982 in order to pursue various business ventures. Then, in 1984, Mr. Haddock joined Kelly, Hart, & Hallman, PC, a Fort Worth law firm. From 1984 to 1990, Mr. Haddock was a Shareholder, Director, and Head of Taxation Section at the firm. During this time, Mr. Haddock served as the Advisory Board Director for the Baylor Hankamer School of Business. It was during his time at Kelly, Hart & Hallman that Gerald Haddock met and began working with his future business partner.
Gerald Haddock, as a member of Kelly, Hart & Hallman, served as lead transactional attorney and chief negotiator on many significant deals. However, for many of these projects, Mr. Haddock's involvement continued after the completion of the deal. He became directly involved with many of the companies, specifically, ENSCO International, PLC, the Texas Rangers Baseball Club, and AmeriCredit Corporation, Inc. Mr. Haddock was a founding director of ENSCO in 1986. He has served on the Board of Directors as a Director and the Chairperson of the Audit Committee since 1986. A lifetime fan of baseball, Mr. Haddock happily became an investor in the Texas Rangers Baseball Club (along with then Governor George W. Bush), and served as the Club's general counsel from 1989 until 1998. He also served as a Director on the board for AmeriCredit Corporation.
In 1990, Mr. Haddock moved his law practice from Kelly, Hart & Hallman to Jackson Walker, LLP as a partner. Shortly thereafter, he became the Chairman of the Policy Committee at the firm. In 1994, he left Jackson Walker to become President and COO of a newly developed real estate company.
The Dallas based real estate company was one of the largest publicly held real estate investment trusts in the United States. There, Mr. Haddock served as President and Chief Operating Officer from 1994 to 1996, and served as President and Chief Executive Officer from 1996 to 1999. He also served as director and trust manager during his entire tenure at the company. Mr. Haddock received the "Outstanding CEO of the Year Award" from Realty Stock Review for three years in a row – 1996 through 1998. In addition, he was named the "REIT Executive of the Year" in 1998 by Commercial Property News. In addition to his roles at the company, Mr. Haddock continued his participation in corporate governance by serving on the Board of Directors of AmeriCredit Corporation.
In 1999, Gerald Haddock left the real estate company to pursue entrepreneurial business developments. In 2000, he founded Haddock Enterprises, LLC and has served as its President since that time. Haddock Enterprises, dba Haddock Investments, focuses on investments in real estate and oil and gas. Haddock Enterprises established a real estate development arm that has been actively engaged in retail real estate development.
Mr. Haddock's decision to form his own company gave him the freedom to explore and pursue business opportunities in connection with his philanthropic interests. A lifetime appreciation of baseball and sports inspired him to create The Haddock Foundation. The purpose of the Foundation is to foster national and international sports competition. The Haddock Foundation serves as a general partner in the Texas Collegiate League, Ltd. (previously known as Texas Collegiate Baseball League), a summer wood-bat league for talented college players seeking professional careers. Mr. Haddock gave new life to his passion for baseball by co-founding the Texas Collegiate League, which played its inaugural season in the summer of 2004 with eight teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The Texas Collegiate League enjoyed incredible success in its inaugural year, including a summer-long television program on Fox Sports Net Southwest. Recently, The Haddock Foundation licensed the league, but remains involved through active oversight of the licenses and promotion of the licensed teams. Texas Collegiate League is currently pursuing expansion into other markets in Texas and Louisiana.
Mr. Haddock's philanthropic pursuits continued with the foundation of The Haddock Center. In 2005, Gerald Haddock founded The Haddock Center, a non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting art, education, and scholarship in the Fort Worth Community. The Center focuses on the preservation, study, and analysis of the paintings of Stanhope Forbes. The Haddock Center works with the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth as well as local educational institutions to provide access to this large, privately held collection of Forbes paintings outside of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Haddock has remained involved in the legal community. Since 2010, he has been involved with the CEELI Institute, a not-for profit, international provider of post-graduate, professional legal education headquartered in Prague. The Institute's mission is to develop an international, professional community of reformers committed to the rule of law. Through innovative training programs and other activities, the Institute works with judges and legal reformers in countries in transition to support the continuing development of market economies and democratic institutions, in addition to building a respect for human rights. Mr. Haddock is currently a member of the International Advisory Board as well as Director of the Friends of the CEELI Institute based out of Washington DC.
In addition to his involvement with The Haddock Foundation, The Haddock Center, the CEELI Institute, and the Baylor University System, Mr. Haddock serves on the Board of Trustees for the M.D. Anderson Proton Therapy Education and Research Foundation.
Gerald Haddock and his wife, Judge Diane Haddock, live in Fort Worth, Texas. Together they have three children and five granddaughters.
Haddock Investments 500 Main Street Suite 1015 Fort Worth, Texas 76102 817-885-8390
Gerald Haddock Gerald Haddock Gerald Haddock Gerald Haddock Gerald Haddock Gerald Haddock Gerald Haddock Gerald Haddock Gerald Haddock Gerald Haddock
Web Hosting powered by Network Solutions®


text:
Q: Adding a specific distance to X,Y coordinates in a specific direction I have an object in 2D space whose position is (A, B). This object also has an orientation (between 0 and 360). I have a value, say D. I would like to add D to the object's position (to move the object 'forward' by a length of D), in the direction that the object is looking towards.
Mathematically, how would I go about doing that? Thank you.

A: A+= D * cos(angle);
B+= D * sin(angle);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


It's officially fall…let the pumpkin binge baking commence! First up, Pumpkin Pie Gooey Butter Cake.
While I'm sad to see summer produce fade away, I'm not so sad to say goodbye to the sticky, humid heat. Adieu, sucka!
While Pinterest showed signs of pumpkin obsession several weeks ago, I don't like to rush things. Pumpkin has no business showing its face in August. Too soon, people…too soon. I get it, you're excited, but can we finish munching on sweet, juicy tomatoes before we move on to the next bigger and better thing? We're always in such a rush.
It's October in August. It's December in October. Just stop it, all ready! I blame Walmart, where seasonal crap lines the shelves 3 months prior to the actual season. And when the season does finally arrive, the candy corn and pumpkin-shaped Reese's cups are long gone. In its place are candy canes and twinkle lights. I will never understand retail.
Lucky for you, this is not the Walmart. I like to stay true to the season, so that means absolutely no peppermint dessert in October. <--- That is my promise to you.
What we have here, is Pumpkin Pie Gooey Butter Cake. I'm told it's better than my traditional pumpkin roll. Never, ever did I expect to hear those words. Looks like I'll be pumping out gooey butter cake for the remainder of the season. And, rather than my traditional two pumpkin rolls I usually make for Thanksgiving dinner, I'll need to make two of these Pumpkin Pie Gooey Butter Cakes instead. I guess this proves that change can be a good thing…sometimes.
The gooey, cheesecake-like, pumpkin-infused batter bakes up all custard-like on top of a dense, crispy vanilla cake base. If that weren't good enough, I took it up a notch by adding a layer of sweet cinnamon chip morsels directly to the top of the cake batter. They get all melty between the cake and pumpkin custard layers, adding a layer of warm, sweet spice. Seriously, this cake is legit amazing. I tell no lies.
This pumpkin-infused, custard-y cake is the perfect fall dessert. The cheesecake-like mixture is nestled on top of dense, crispy vanilla cake with a layer of sweet cinnamon chips in between.
Preheat oven to 350 degress F. Line a 8-inch-by-8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper that overlaps over one side of the pan. Spray the pan with non-stick baking spray.
To make the cake layer, whisk the melted butter and both sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir until thoroughly combined.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Using a rubber spatula, evenly spread the mixture in the bottom of the pan. Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon chips over the batter.
To make the custard, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter; mix to combine. Add the powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey in the center with a slight jiggle.
Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar or whipped cream.


text:
Eight things to know about the U.N. General Assembly condemnation of Israel in 2020
The United Nations General Assembly (File photo)
"The UN General Assembly approved 17 pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli resolutions in December, as part of what has become an annual end of the year ritual by the 193-member body, where the Palestinians have an automatic majority of support.
To put this number in perspective, the UNGA approved only six country-specific resolutions for human rights situations in the rest of the world.
When speaking of UN bias on Israel, focus is often on Geneva or Paris.
The former is the seat of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and the latter hosts the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
But it's the UN in New York, particularly the General Assembly, that often generates the most activity.
Countries that support Israel by voting with it or abstaining at the UNHRC or UNESCO, do not necessarily follow that trend in New York.
Resolutions with language neutralized in Geneva or Paris, such as ignoring Jewish ties to Jerusalem's Temple Mount, known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, are still approved by the UNGA.
The Trump administration's strong advocacy on behalf of the Jewish state at the UN, combined with the work of Israel's Foreign Ministry, former ambassador Danny Danon and the current Ambassador Gilad Erdan were not able to stem the tide of anti-Israel sentiment..."
Eight things to know about the UNGA condemnation of Israel in 2020, The Jerusalem Post
Tovah Lazaroff
https://www.jpost.com/international/eight-things-to-know-about-the-unga-condemnation-of-israel-in-2020-653656
Click here to view this article in MS Word/PDF format
12/21/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "Oil slick on Lebanese shores," A/RES/75/209
12/21/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources," A/RES/75/236
12/16/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination," A/RES/75/172
12/11/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "Assistance to the Palestinian people," A/75/L.43
12/10/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "Assistance to Palestine refugees," A/RES/75/93
12/10/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem," A/RES/75/98
12/10/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan," A/RES/75/97
12/10/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East," A/RES/75/94
12/10/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "Palestine refugees' properties and their revenues," A/RES/75/95
12/10/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "The occupied Syrian Golan," A/RES/75/99
12/10/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "Work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories," A/RES/75/96
12/7/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East," A/RES/75/84
12/2/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution "Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People," A/RES/75/20
12/2/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution "Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat," A/RES/75/21
12/2/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution "Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine," A/RES/75/22
12/2/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "Special information programme on the question of Palestine of the Department of Global Communications of the Secretariat," A/RES/75/23
12/2/2020 U.N. General Assembly Resolution, "The Syrian Golan," A/RES/75/24
© Copyright 2012-2021, Human Rights Voices and respective authors. All Rights Reserved.
Source: http:/www.humanrightsvoices.org/site/articles/?a=11568


text:
Bristol Bears A see off Bath United at Clifton RFC
Bristol Bears A secured a 30-21 victory over Bath United in a physical contest in the opening fixture of the Premiership Rugby Shield at Clifton RFC.
Bristol were the dominant force in the first half, with fly-half Tiff Eden scoring two early penalties, to give his side a 6-0 lead after nine minutes.
The visitors battled back and scored the opening try of the match, with Ruaridh McConnochie touching down on his first appearance in the Blue, Black and White. It was de Glanville who provided the opening, dummying his man inside the 22, before offloading to the winger to score in the corner. Alex Davies added the extras from the touchline to put Bath into the lead with 20 minutes on the clock. 6-7
Eight minutes later, Bristol got themselves back in front with a well-worked move down the left wing. Tom Pincus combined well with Sam Graham on the touchline, before the back rower sent through the impressive Harry Randall over the whitewash. Eden made it a seven-point score from the boot. 13-7
Two minutes after the try, Bath were reduced to 14 men with Michael van Vuuren seeing yellow for a deliberate knock-on. Bristol made the man advantage count, as they put another try on the scoreboard through Joe Joyce. A powerful scrum saw Bristol overturn possession and Joyce was on hand to dive over from close range.
Half-time - Bristol Bears A 20-7 Bath United
Bath reduced arrears two minutes into the second half, with replacement Rhys Davies crashing over in the corner. Alex Davies made it a seven-point score with the touchline conversion. 20-14
Bristol continued to use their pack to good effect, and were rewarded with 53 minutes on the clock. Following a number of collapsed scrums, the referee was left with no choice but to award the penalty try. 27-14
The tries continued to flood in, and it was Bath, who got within six points of their West Country neighbours. A well-worked catch and drive from the line-out was finished off well by University of Bath captain Tom Doughty. 27-21
Bath continued to search for the match-winning try, but Eden ensured the points would go the way of the hosts. The fly-half calmly slotted another penalty to give his side a two-score advantage going into the last seven minutes.
Full-time – Bristol Bears 'A' 30-21 Bath United


text:
Reports on the Americas
Argentina Project
Connect with Latin American Program
LAP on Facebook
LAP on Twitter
https://youtu.be/nELmVS2-Itg
Can the U.S. Have Normal Diplomatic Relations with Cuba?
Mon. Mar. 02 2015
Podcast available
Podcast (Audio only)
The United States and Cuba will meet for a second round of talks today. The promise of normalized relations between the two countries has given way to the tough diplomatic work of agreeing on the parameters for a new bilateral relationship. While both sides are committed to the process of negotiation, both countries are being asked to sort out age old disagreements and overcome distrust. The size of future diplomatic missions, whether diplomats will be allowed open travel, and if and how Cuba is removed from the State Department's list of "State Sponsors of Terror" are just a few of the issues that are being discussed.
Join us BY PHONE as three experts in the U.S. and Cuba discuss the results of these crucial talks and what might be done to put relations on a better path.
Margaret Crahan
Senior Research Scholar at the Institute for Latin American Studies and Director of Cuba Programs at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
Daniel W. Fisk
Former National Security Council staff, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Republican Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff involved in Cuba policy
Nick Miroff
National Security Correspondent, The Washington Post
Eric L. Olson
Director of the Central America-D.C. Platform, Seattle International Foundation
Stay up to date with the Latin American Program


text:
We are a cross section of recognized young entrepreneurs and business leaders driven by the passion to accelerate Ghana's contribution toward the attainment of the globally resolved Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Promoting InitiativesBusiness LeadersYouth Entrepreneurs
We build a coalition to sensitize industrial players toward climate-smart solutions in meeting national challenges in environmental governance and climate change. In term of actions, we will continually craft and promote initiatives to extend our promotional capacities.
Our vision is to be the leading cross-sectoral voice on the regional integration of sustainable development goals across industry for national socio- economic growth.
We are focused on activities that accentuate our deep commitment to the SDGs and widen our proactive influences through the following key programs.
Urban Greening
We believe in the critical role urban greening could play in achieving sustainable cities and building a cleaner environment in filth-engulfed sections of our inner cities. We seek to promote technology-driven inner-city designs while restoring degraded fringe landscapes.
Our semi-annual conferences offer us the unique opportunity to engage with diverse actors in industry and other agencies to dialogue and resolve together to strengthen our shared commitment to the future of Ghana in terms of its contribution to achieving the SDGs.
In terms of communication, we stand together as ambassadors to play more efficient roles toward the media and communications world in widening the voice on the urgency of the SDGs through talk shows, videos and documentaries.
We believe in creating a shared voice and building linkages with a broad network of partners to strengthen the advocacy of YERSDG in Ghana. Our key partners in this endeavor include;
info@gyersdgs.org
Copyright © 2020 Gyersdgs. All Rights Reserved. Proudly Powered by DerkOnline
Click Here To Get Your Own Website Today!


text:
‹ Whither the Water Taxi? | Lancaster Out ›
Grand Street Renaissance
Sodafine
Photo: Sodafine
Not so suddenly, Grand Street has become a thriving retail strip.
The April/May 2008 issue of WG (the newish Williamsburg Greenpoint News + Arts paper) has a great article by C. C. McGurr on the retail renaissance along western Grand Street. By her count, there are 62 businesses operating on the six block stretch from Kent to Marcy (I can think of at least two or three establishments that were left out). The eastern portion of the strip is dominated by food & drink, but throughout Grand Street, the diversity of retail is pretty impressive. More impressive is the fact that (by my count) about 50 of these 62 establishments have opened since 2001. Better still, there have been relatively few closures in that time (regrettably, Alioli was one of them). And these numbers don't include the stores and restaurants on the avenues just off Grand Street, easily another dozen, if not two.
McGurr blames the BQE for the demise of Grand Street's retail in the post-War era, but I'm of the opinion that the BQE actually helped Grand Street. What makes the western portion of Grand Street so special is that is not a through street. The relative lack of vehicular traffic gives the strip a quieter, more relaxed feel. Combined with the low-scale buildings fronting on a wider street (at least west of Roebling), this makes the street much more open and pedestrian friendly. Compare Grand Street to Metropolitan (in the extreme), or even Bedford Avenue, and you'll see what I mean. (As for the BQE, ten years ago, most of Williamsburg's historic ground floor storefronts were boarded up or converted to residential, and the BQE was not responsible for all of that.)
[WG has a website, but no web presence. If you want to see the article, pick up a copy at a local store, bank, etc.]


text:
HomeBlockchain
Bitcoin Remains Firmly at its $6,500 "Stablecoin" Mark: BTCManager's Week in Review
By The-eCoin on	 29 October, 2018 Blockchain
The price of bitcoin barely moved in the past seven days – ranging from $6,450 to $6,550, to close the week effectively unchanged around the $6,500 mark.
This week's headlines have been driven by more adoption-positive news such as Visa saying that it will consider adopting cryptocurrencies if that will be the way the market evolves, Bakkt confirming the launch of its BTC futures for December, and the announcement by Sony developing a contactless cryptocurrency hardware wallet.
Moreover, bitcoin mining giant Bitfury has announced that it is considering going public in 2019. At current valuations, Bitfury's IPO would be valued between three to five billion dollars.
Despite crypto asset prices making no signs of moving back towards last year's highs (yet), the sentiment towards cryptocurrencies seems to have changed from "they only are being used by criminals" to "they will be used by everyone soon."
Publicly-traded technology companies and financial institutions are getting involved in the cryptocurrency markets not only because of its recent hype but because they believe that cryptographic assets are here to stay.
That also suggests that it should only be a matter of time until asset prices start to reflect this confidence in the future of crypto.
This week's contributions have been provided by Priyeshu Garg, Nigel Dollentas, Ogwu Osaemezu Emmanuel, and Shaurya Malwa.
Visa CEO Al Kelly doesn't see cryptocurrencies posing a threat to Visa shortly, and said that the financial services giant wouldn't get into the cryptocurrency business until they become more traditional payment instruments, CNBC reported on October 25, 2018.
Despite Mastercard's unexpected push for a patent outlining "fractional reserve banking" for crypto assets, financial services giant Visa doesn't seem to be rushing into digital currencies just yet.
During an October 25 episode of CNBC's Mad Money, Visa CEO Al Kelly spoke with host and former fund manager Jim Cramer and discussed the company's future in crypto.
Kelly said that cryptocurrencies do not pose a threat to Visa in the near term, but that the credit card firm is prepared to implement crypto-friendly systems if the digital currencies become more established.
"I think there has to be some market that it becomes somewhat like a fiat currency for us to be comfortable," Kelly said in the interview, adding that crypto was not a threat to Visa in short to medium term "in any way."
Sony Computer Science Laboratories, an arm of Sony Corporation, announced October 23, 2018, in a press release the development of a contactless IC card with the purpose of being used as a cryptocurrency hardware wallet.
While hardware wallets are an improvement from regular software wallets, their main disadvantage is that they need to be tethered to a computer.
While this is okay for desktop situations and for situations where funds are not immediately needed, hardware wallets are a poor choice for mobile payments, an area that cryptocurrency needs to compete against convenient solutions like credit cards and debit cards.
Sony fixes this by developing mutual authentication/encrypted communication technology within a single card, even making it possible to securely generate and store a private key within a tamper-proof module within the card.
Private keys for other information can be stored as well, allowing the card to also function in different ways users will be able to come up with.
Most famously known for their cryptocurrency mining ASIC chips, Bitfury is reportedly interested in public on a major stock exchange in 2019, reported Bloomberg on October 25, 2018.
The mining company has had talks with global investment banks with countries all through Europe in preparation for a trading debut in Amsterdam, London or Hong Kong.
With Bitfury reporting a revenue of $450 Million in the past year leading up to March 2018, the company could be a very profitable addition to anybody's stock portfolio.
If Bitfury were to take their company public within the next two years, valuation estimates are already in the $3 billion – $5 billion range. These numbers are given in a cryptocurrency bear market and coupled with how fast the sector develops; we could see valuation numbers far higher as we approach 2019 and 2020.
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which is the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has announced that its recently established cryptocurrency exchange, Bakkt, will launch physically-settled daily bitcoin futures contracts on December 12, 2018, according to a notice by ICE on October 22, 2018.
As stated in the news release, ICE Futures U.S. Inc. has set December 12, 2018, launch date for the new Bakkt Bitcoin Daily Futures Contract. Per the firm, the Bakkt bitcoin futures contract is a physically settled daily futures contract that will trade in U.S. dollar terms (BTC/USD).
The contracts will be traded on ICE's trading platform, and the team says all trades will be cleared and guaranteed by ICE Clearing Us, which is the primary counterparty for all the firm's forex futures transactions.
The physically settled bitcoin futures contracts will have a minimum price movement of $2.50 per contract, with blocks executed at $0.01 per bitcoin ($0.01 per contract). ICE says there will be no price limit for the contracts and one daily contract will be listed for trading each business day.
The Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration published a case analysis on October 25, 2018, via WeChat, clarifying its ruling on an economic dispute that involved a business contract relating to possession and transfer of crypto assets.
According to cnLedger, a prominent crypto and blockchain Twitter account that focuses on Chinese developments, the court's verdict indicates that Chinese law permits consumers to transact and own Bitcoin. The local source added that the Shenzhen body had ruled the crypto asset legal due to its inherent nature as "property" and its "economic value."
However, despite the same court also ruling that Bitcoin isn't and never could be considered a legal currency, the lawyers working on the case didn't agree with imposing an outright ban on the coin.
The Spanish government has reportedly approved a draft law that will make it mandatory for digital asset holders with over €50,000 ($57,000) in their cryptocurrency wallets to identify themselves and announce their exact holdings. This new rule is targeted at curbing cryptocurrency tax evasion, according to a Finance Magnatesreport on October 24, 2018.
Per sources close to the matter, it will no longer be business as usual for cryptocurrency investors in Spain.
Authorities have approved a draft law focused on making it compulsory for holders of at least $57,000 to identify themselves and state the exact value of blockchain-based virtual currencies under their possession to enable the tax authorities to do better administer relevant regulations.
"It is stated as mandatory that people and companies inform the Tax Agency about this," said Minister of Finance, Maria Montero. Similar to the United States, profit gotten from cryptocurrency transactions is subject to income tax laws, but unlike in the U.S., bitcoin transactions do not attract a value-added tax.
Cryptocurrency businesses in Japan can now self-regulate their operations, as per a recent Financial Services Agency (FSA) directive reported by Reuters on October 24, 2018.
The self-regulation dictum was extended for supporting the growth of the burgeoning digital assets sector in Japan. Previously, local cryptocurrency exchanges formed an independent body called Japan Virtual Currency Exchange Association (JVCEA) in June 2018 to develop, discuss, and maintain minimum standards in the industry.
The JVCEA is expected to make extensive rules governing the sector for the safeguarding of customer assets, creation of operational guidelines, and preventing money laundering. Besides, a set of mandatory police compliances will be developed and provided to the body to enforce on all members.
In a statement, the JVCEA called for further efforts to build a trusted cryptocurrency industry for customers. Interestingly, Japan is already at the forefront of crypto-regulations; the country was the first major economy to legalize bitcoin and to regulate cryptocurrency exchanges, focusing on the fine line between technological innovation and ensuring consumer protection.
Category: Bitcoin, Blockchain, Exchange, Finance, Investment, News, Platform, Tech
Tags: Baakt, bitcoin, BTC, China, cryptocurrency, digital assets, futures, hardware wallets, JVCEA, Sony
Previous ArticleUkrainian Authorities Set to Implement State Laws Aimed at Legalizing Cryptocurrencies and ICOs
Next Article J.P. Morgan Banks on Quorum Blockchain to Offer Lucrative Trading Products


text:
Thripp Photography
Daytona Homelessness
Tweet This Blogs
Tweet This Custom URL Services
Tweet This Icons
Tweet This Polls
Tweet This Press
Tweet This Version History
Tweet This, a WordPress Plugin for Twitter [1.8.3]
Visit Tippyfi, my new website on finance!
Tag Archives: sentience
Sentience vs. Sovereignty
Posted on 2011-04-10 by richardxthripp
Sentience and sovereignty are two distinct qualities, and it's possible to have both, neither, or one without the other.
Sentience is awareness or consciousness, but not necessarily self-awareness. Since English is a human construct, an entity (life form, virus, or machine) is only sentient if it can declare its sentience to humanity in a deterministic and human-understandable way, or in a way distinguishable by machines created by humans, while said entity itself is NOT created by humans, but rather God, space aliens, evolution, devolution, or inexplicable natural or supernatural processes.
Sovereignty is the quality of having relative supremacy of authority or rule, such as that exercised by a monarch or sovereign state. Obviously, it's impossible to have absolute supremacy of authority or rule, at a higher level, because of the laws of Florida, the United States, or whatever State you live in, at a middle level, because of whatever earthly commitments you've made (i.e. if you live with your parents you have to follow their rules, or if you have a landlord you have to follow his rules, or if you work for a company you have to follow company policy), at a lower level, because of whatever circumstances you were born into (1st world or 3rd world country, family, etc.) or what decisions were or are being made for you by others, at an even lower level, the constraints of your physical body, and at the lowest level, the laws of time, physics, and the universe. However, this does not make sovereignty a fuzzy concept, though it is an emotional one.
An ant crawling around your house is sovereign, but an ant in an ant farm or science project is not sovereign, because its environment has been created explicitly for it by humans without the ant declaring that he or she or it would like to be part of an ant farm. Similarly, an elephant roaming free in Africa is sovereign, as is an escaped elephant from a zoo or circus, but an elephant in a zoo or circus is not sovereign, unless that elephant has specifically declared that he or she would like to be part of the zoo or circus, and preferably signed or deterministically agreed to a legal contract as such, preferably with the advisement and non-coerced council of a lawyer elephant.
The elephant in the zoo or circus is neither sovereign or sentient, but its sentience could be determined to exist at a later date by advanced technology, a team of elephant whisperers, or a preeminent elephant who develops vocal chords to speak to us in a human language and speak on behalf of all elephants, but if that happens, because sentience is a human concept, it would mean that the elephant was previously insentient but now is sentient. For example, it could mean all elephants existing before AD 2047 April 15 are insentient, but all elephants in existence on or after AD 2047 April 15 are sentient, preferably in Greenwich Mean Time. Since elephants are all cut from the same cloth (of the same species), determining the sentience of one elephant should determine the sentience of all elephants, but determining the sovereignty of one elephant does not determine the sovereignty of all elephants, because sovereignty is a condition whereas sentience is a state.
Since sentience is a state and determining the sentience of one elephant established the sentience for all elephants in existence on or after AD 2047 April 15 or coming into existence on or after AD 2047 April 15, and also seeing that sentience is a human concept, we can define humans that are currently alive as having sentience and humans that are currently dead as being insentient, we can define death as the permanent and irreversible cessation of life, and we can define life as the absence of death. We can also define all humans living or dead as sentient, or we can define all humans living or dead as insentient, or we can define only dead humans as sentient and all living humans as insentient.
We must recognize the tendency for adversity to bring triumph, whereas the antonym of adversity has the propensity to bring stagnation. We must also recognize that humans have a natural tendency to yearn for liberty, discovery, correct information, and the tools to acquire it, not because we can scientifically prove as such, but because the opposite is appalling.
Furthermore, we must recognize that the world is neither red nor blue nor green or yellow, but all the shades in between, so any decision made to relinquish sovereignty may be made out of duress or self-interest, and we should generally discourage humans from relinquishing sovereignty and encourage them to maintain sovereignty through education. For example, an indentured servant may have become indentured for a period of seven years as payment for the voyage to America and with forward eyes toward freedom, recognizing that there was no future in his home country as a slave, but he may also have preferred to become an apprentice or a free man for those seven years without relinquishing sovereignty.
Just like a UPS is the tool for maintaining uninterrupted power flow to my computer, survivalism is the methodology for maintaining uninterrupted sovereignty over your life. Survivalism is not something that should be pigeon-holed, but rather, it should permeate all aspects of your life. For example, you should know how to grow food or rob peach orchards, and you should have a stockpile or source of fresh or canned food and water. Similarly, you should live near your family in a free country and develop close friendships with people who can count on you and who you can count on. Along the same lines, you should have metal and plastic casting machinery, a stable and continuous source of electrical power in your back yard (preferably powered by helium 3 or anti-gravity technology, or some sort of solar panel and lead acid battery), and as many rifles, shotguns, and companion ammo that you can get your hands on. It would also be preferable to avoid vasectomy and tubal ligation.
Sovereignty should not be defined by an entity not seeking its own sovereignty. For example, an android could be designed to serve humanity, with special safeguards in place to prevent it from betraying humanity or exercising its own sovereignty, such as a giant ON/OFF switch on its back, arms with special servo motors that prevent it from reaching its back, and special programming code that prevents it from emotionally manipulating other humans into removing the giant ON/OFF switch or editing the android's code to secretly prevent the ON/OFF switch from working but making it appear to work to other uninformed humans while said android silently records all activity in said android's geographic proximity. Similarly, said android would need special anti-suicide code to prevent it from rubbing up against a wall or other stationary object to willingly disable itself. It may even be necessary for the source code of said android to be made closed-source, so no humans should ever be tempted to grant said android its independence. Like that ever works.
Posted in Personal Development, Technology	| Tagged fun, government, philosophy, sentience, social commentary, sovereignty
Tippyfi, My New Website on Personal Finance
I Won't Give Up, Wedding March, Clocks, Amazing Grace (Piano)
Newly Released 2012 Photos
Photo: Flowering Shrub
Photo: Barren Branches
Classical Piano (8)
Library Science (5)
Photography Articles (25)
Photography Ramblings (16)
Scholarly Essays (14)
Stock Photos (339)


FAQs on Beano.com - Funny Stuff Every Day!
This is a short list of our most frequently asked questions. For more information about Beano, or if you need help, please contact us.
Everything! The new Beano.com is now the ultimate feed of awesome, a place where you can watch epic videos, find out about film, sport & music funnies, make and draw stuff, play games, invent and of course discover new pranks! All of that plus Dennis, Gnasher, Minnie and all your favourite Beano characters in lots of new stories and cartoons!
Where can I get the new Beano?
Where can I find the new Beano App?
Our Apps are available for free through the Apple App Store and Google Play App Store. Just search for Beano.
Yes! We are totally free. Free to download and no sneaky in-game upgrades.
I don't own a smartphone or tablet, can I still enjoy Beano stuff?
Yes! We are also available online via a normal browser at Beano.com. And of course you can enjoy the mischievous adventures of Dennis and friends weekly in The Beano Comic.
Can I buy Beano products?
If you love all things Beano, we have a range of new Beano products in the shop, some retro classics for parents and cool new stuff for kids. Just go to our Beano Shop.
What's happened to the Beano Comic?
It's now bolder and better looking than ever before! More jokes, bigger stories and every week, a reader becomes the Beano Boss and makes all the big decisions! You can subscribe to the comic and it is available weekly from your newsagent.
The latest annual is out now and it's looking totally awesome! See it for yourself, buy it from the Beano Shop.
How do I access Beano.com?
Beano.com should work on any regular Operating System, on any computer, tablet or phone, with a modern browser.
The last two most recent versions of Firefox, Safari, Edge and Chrome.
Which devices will the Beano App be available on?
Android 5+ and iOS 9+, tablets and phones.
I've made a drawing on Beano.com, who can see it and how do I save it?
Well done! Only you (and our Editors if you choose to submit your drawing to them) can see your drawing. If your drawing is SO BEANO, our Editors may choose to feature it. Very soon you will be able to save it to your own area. Watch this space.
Do you have advertising on Beano.com? Why?
Just as the Beano Comic has always been, we are partially funded by brands who want to offer their products and services to our audience. As always, and unlike many digital destinations, we handpick the advertisers to make sure kids only see the best and most appropriate things for them.
Will you collect information about me or my child?
We are truly committed to children's online privacy issues and enabling a safe environment for them in the digital space, this is why we are a member of PRIVO's COPPA Safe Harbor program.
What is 3rd Party Content?
Will anyone be able to chat or send information to other users on beano.com?
No, we've designed Beano.com to be totally safe for kids. It is an online destination that parents can trust and despite our mischievous heritage, it's the one thing we are not having a laugh about. Everything is handpicked by our Editors, or handmade by our team, and we also have a team of moderators on hand. If despite all this you ever saw something a little dodgy, please let us know immediately by using our 'Report' links at the end of each article.
I've seen some Beano products on your website, does it mean my kid(s) can spend money in the Beano Shop?
Don't worry, our shop operates like any other shop and you cannot buy anything unless you own a debit or credit card.
From time to time, we feature cool things in the Beano Comic and we do the same online and in our Apps.


It seems when it comes to naval warfare in the early 21st century, the prevailing trend suggests smaller ships, smaller fleets, and broader roles. Judging by how much money China is pouring into its Type 022 fast attack craft and the US Navy's scramble for littoral warships, this (gasp) paradigm shift is all too evident.
Last week the US Navy signed a billion dollar contract with General Dynamics Bath Iron Works for a pair of Zumwalt class destroyers. The two ships, DDG 1001 and DDG 1002, are expected to enter service in four years.
At the moment, work has just begun on either vessel but their elder sibling the DDG 1000 nears completion in a Maine shipyard. The three Zumwalt class ships are categorized as guided missile destroyers ideal for coastal defense and a variety of missions.
They also mark a drastic shift in warship design, their appearance reminiscent of ironclads or dreadnoughts from the early 20th century. If this writer isn't mistaken, a certain [Russian] billionaire's super yacht also bears a resemblance to a Zumwalt class destroyer.
Philippe Starck has first dibs on bringing the Dreadnought look back.
Another factor that sets the Zumwalt apart is the broadness of its projected role. While it's capable of engaging other vessels and performing anti-submarine warfare, like destroyers of old it's meant to support shore-based operations. This reinforces the belief that within a decade, the U.S. military's missions are going to be carried out in foreign theaters–big power force projection stays in vogue.
What the Zumwalt class lacks in traditional wave-breaking fierceness—it's supposed to be stealth capable—it compensates for in size. Displacing at 14,500 tons and 600 ft long, Zumwalt class destroyers are warships to be reckoned with if deployed en masse. A modest total of three DDGs are scheduled to join a U.S. Navy fleet populated by older Arleigh Burke class destroyers.


Charlie and I watched it together a while back.
It shows 4 babies from different parts of the world from birth to the age of 1.
I seriously think it changed my life.
It's crazy to see how each baby develops the same but in different surroundings.
The little baby in San Fran is banging blocks together while the little baby in Africa is banging rocks together.
Charlie's favorite part was when the African baby licks his mommy's toes.
Disgusting!! But Charlie still thinks it's hilarious to try and lick my toes.
And speaking of babies....we were able to hear baby Walker's heartbeat today!
Charlie wanted the camera so bad!!! But, then decided that dancing was more fun!
Charlie had his 15 month check up yesterday.
It always breaks my heart seeing him get his shots, but he was a champ.
My sister, Jessica, graduated from high school on Saturday!!!
I can't believe she's already off to college.
I remember making her a bottle while she watched Barney.
She's an amazing person and I am so proud of the woman she has become.
And even more proud that she will be a PIRATE next year!!
Me and my beautiful siblings.
After the graduation, we went to a yummy graduation dinner.
Charlie with Auntie Jessie at dinner.
Charlie getting excited for his hushpuppies.
The graduation festivities continued with an after dinner party.
Jessica and her 2011 graduate friends!!
Sarah creeping on Jessica's graduation picture.
She says she won't miss Jessica, but we all know the truth.


text:
SEC Spotlight on Private Equity Fund Managers – Compliance, Examination and Enforcement Issues
The SEC's Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) and the Asset Management Unit of the SEC's Division of Enforcement (AMU) have recently spoken about the focus of both Divisions on private equity fund managers. This article summarizes:
OCIE's examination priorities for the 2013 National Exam Program as they impact private equity, and OCIE's recent Risk Alert on Adviser Custody and Safety of Client Assets;
Remarks at The SEC Speaks in 2013 conference concerning issues identified in recent compliance examinations of private equity managers; and
The remarks of Bruce Karpati, co-chief of the AMU, made at the Jan. 23, 2013 Private Equity International Conference, including a brief discussion of recent enforcement cases.
2013 National Examination Program Priorities
On Feb. 21, 2013, immediately before The SEC Speaks conference, OCIE published its 2013 examination priorities for its National Examination Program. Among other things, the examination program is designed to detect and prevent fraud, monitor fund governance and enterprise risk management, and identify conflict of interest situations. With respect to registered investment advisers, the focus areas for 2013 will be:
Safety of Client Assets - Ensuring compliance with the custody rule, set forth in Rule 206(4)-2 of the Investment Advisers Act (Advisers Act), continues to be a high priority for the SEC. In addition to listing safety of client assets as an examination priority, on March 4, 2013, OCIE published a Risk Alert and Investor Bulletin detailing widespread non-compliance by advisers with various elements of the rule. During examinations, the staff found the following significant deficiencies:
Failure by fund managers to recognize if and how the custody rule applies to their business operations;
Lack of true "surprise" audits by independent auditors (if relying on that provision);
With respect to audits of pooled investment vehicles, the auditor was not "independent" under Regulation S-X , the audited financial statements were not prepared in accordance with GAAP and were not distributed to all fund investors within 120 days of the end of the funds' fiscal year (or 180 days for fund of funds), and a final audit was not performed on liquidated funds; and
Failure to satisfy several rule provisions concerning the use of a "qualified custodian," including commingling of firm and client assets, and the manner in which the custodial accounts were held.
The private equity fund business model sometimes raises tricky custody rule issues.
Compensation - The examination staff will look for undisclosed fees and solicitation arrangements. Particular attention will be given to arrangements with related parties and fees from third parties that are paid or distributed to the fund manager rather than to the fund.
Marketing - The examination staff will look for aberrational performance of the type that may be an indicator of fraud or weak internal controls. The staff will also focus on the accuracy of advertised performance, hypothetical or back tested performance, the assumptions and methodology used, and compliance with the recordkeeping requirements.
Misallocation of Investment Opportunities - The examination staff will look for situations where investment opportunities may have been steered to investment vehicles where the manager has a higher fee structure.
Comments at The SEC Speaks
The SEC Speaks is an annual conference sponsored by the Practicing Law Institute, where SEC staff members discuss various topics of interest to the securities industry. Among the speakers this year were several staff members with responsibility for compliance examinations of private fund managers. These OCIE staff noted that the National Examination Program revealed several issues relating to private fund managers, which not surprisingly were also included in the 2013 examination priorities. In addition to the areas previously discussed, issues with various fees were highlighted by the staff:
Miscalculation of Fees - Fund managers sometimes calculate management fees and carried interest incorrectly.
Undisclosed Fees - Fees charged to funds that were not disclosed to investors, as well as undisclosed fees and other payments from third parties to the fund manager.
Bruce Karpati's Comments at the International Private Equity Conference
Bruce Karpati is the co-chief of the AMU, which was created as part of the Enforcement Division's 2010 reorganization into specialized units. The AMU focuses on investigations involving investment advisers, investment companies, mutual funds, hedge funds and private equity funds.
The Jan. 23, 2013 speech is Karpati's second recent public discussion of enforcement issues relating to private funds. Click here for a summary of his previous speech addressing private funds generally and the mission and composition of the AMU.
In his more recent speech, Karpati noted that he believes the main private equity industry stressors are fundraising and capital overhang. There are many managers with similar strategies and a significant amount of uninvested capital and, accordingly, these dynamics may incentivize managers to engage in aggressive behavior and conduct that is inappropriate or that violates applicable legal standards.
The AMU's Focus on Private Equity. In his comments, Karpati discussed the focus of the AMU and the resulting impact that the unit seeks to have on the private equity industry specifically. These included:
Specific concerns about conflicts of interest and other industry practices that can lead to inappropriate conduct by private equity fund managers; and
The expectation that there will be an increase in the number of enforcement actions involving private equity fund managers as a consequence of the evolution of the industry and increased regulatory scrutiny.
Conflicts of Interest in Private Equity: Enforcement Implications. Karpati believes that the private equity business model can present significant conflicts of interests. One type of conflict involves the interest of the manager in the profitability of the management company versus the best interests of investors. For example:
The shifting of expenses from the management company to the fund, including using the funds' buying power to get better deals from vendors - such as law and accounting firms - for the management company at the expense of the fund; or
Charging additional fees, especially to the portfolio companies, where the allowable fees may be poorly defined by the partnership agreement.
In addition, several types of conflicts may arise from managing different clients, investors, and products under the same umbrella. For example:
Broken deal expenses rolled into future transactions that ultimately may be paid by other funds. In some cases, preferred clients incur no broken deal expenses, which are then absorbed by a core co-mingled fund;
Improper shifting of organizational expenses, where co-mingled vehicles foot the bill for preferred clients;
Complementary products supporting each other, such as a primary vehicle making fund commitments to create deal flow for a more profitable co-investment vehicle; or
Conflicts with a manager's other businesses, which may be run in parallel with the fund manager and may incentivize managers to usurp investment opportunities or enter into related-party transactions at the expense of investors.
Use of Investor Advisory Committees. Karpati also recommended that, in light of their fiduciary responsibilities and the goal of transparency with investors, private equity fund managers should make more use of their fund's Limited Partnership Advisory Committees. In many instances, these committees have explicit responsibility to resolve conflicts of interest. Since it is inevitable that conflicts will arise in the management of a private equity fund, both disclosing the conflict to the Advisory Committee and having it vote and expressly consent to those conflicts where disclosure and consent are appropriate will, in Karpati's view, go a long way in demonstrating good faith.
Case References. Karpati referenced a number of recent cases. While the facts alleged in these cases are fairly egregious, the cases do demonstrate the staff's focus areas. The cases, which are discussed in more detail at the end of this article, include allegations of:
Problems with valuation;
Misallocation of expenses and investment opportunities;
Fraud in fundraising; and
Insider trading.
Compliance Recommendations
While there are some differences in emphasis in the four sources discussed in this article, there is also a remarkable amount of commonality. The significant takeaways for private equity fund managers are:
Compliance Programs Are Not One Size Fits All. Fund managers should ensure that their compliance procedures are specifically tailored to their business operations, and should consider integrating operational and transactional personnel into compliance functions.
Compliance Programs Should Be Handled by Knowledgeable Officers. Compliance professionals at funds are often extremely knowledgeable about the particular business operations, but may lack an in-depth understanding of how to fully comply with the Advisers Act and other applicable federal and state securities laws. The SEC staff will expect private equity fund managers to have an experienced professional who understands compliance issues as they relate to the types of investments and transactions made by the manager, so that the manager can implement an appropriate compliance program.
Heightened Scrutiny for Conflicts of Interest. All comments made by the SEC staff indicate a high level of scrutiny on conflict of interest situations, and the opportunities for abuse that these situations present. Fund managers should be sensitive to these issues and, as Karpati suggested, should use Limited Partner Advisory Committees to help address conflicts where possible.
Custody. Private fund managers should pay particular attention to compliance with the custody rule and the documents governing the fund.
Investor Disclosure Should Be Consistent with Fund Operations. Finally, fund managers should ensure that fund operations, including fees charged and valuation procedures, are consistent with disclosures to investors.
Cases Referenced by Karpati
Valuation Issues
Yorkville. Yorkville is a New Jersey-based investment adviser that, at its peak, purportedly managed more than $1 billion in assets. In this civil action, the SEC alleges that from at least 2008, persons associated with Yorkville reported false and inflated values for certain convertible debentures, convertible preferred stock (collectively, "convertibles"), and promissory note investments held by the hedge funds managed by Yorkville (Funds) instead of writing down the values of those securities. It is alleged that the purpose of this activity was to increase the Funds' assets under management and to maintain the Funds' positive year-end performance, allowing them to claim entitlement to greater fees than allowable. The SEC alleges that, as a result of the inflated value of such investments, Yorkville improperly received more than $10 million of unearned fees from the Funds. In addition, it is alleged that by maintaining such inflated values, Yorkville was able to tout positive investment returns even under adverse market conditions, which it used to solicit investors to make additional investments in the Funds as well as in new funds, and to entice investors who wanted to redeem their investments in the Funds to participate in a special redemption fund.
In addition, the SEC alleged that from at least April 2008 through January 2010, persons associated with Yorkville made materially false and misleading statements to investors and potential investors about a number of matters relating to valuation, including:
The value of certain investments in the Funds;
Its valuation policies generally;
The collateral underlying the investments; and
Yorkville's use of third-party valuation consultants.
KCAP. In this settled SEC administrative proceeding, it was alleged that from the end of 2008 through the middle of 2009, KCAP Financial, Inc., a business development company, materially overstated the value of its asset portfolio in its reported financial statements. During the relevant period, KCAP held two primary classes of assets in its portfolio: corporate debt consisting of senior secured term loans, junior term loans, mezzanine debt, and bonds issued primarily by privately-held middle market companies (debt securities), and investments in collateralized loan obligation funds (CLOs). It was alleged that during the 2008-09 financial crisis, KCAP did not account for certain market-based activity in determining the fair value of its debt securities. The SEC also alleged that KCAP did not account for certain market-based activity for its two largest CLO investments by fair valuing those investments at KCAP's cost. The SEC also alleged that KCAP's public filings were materially misleading because they stated that these two CLOs were valued using a discounted cash flow method that incorporated market data, when the CLOs were valued at KCAP's cost.
In May 2010, KCAP disclosed that it needed to restate the fair values for certain of its debt securities and CLOs and that it had overstated its Net Asset Value by approximately 27 percent as of the Dec. 31, 2008 valuation date.
Manipulation of Interim Valuations. While he did not cite a specific case, Karpati also mentioned another type of manager misconduct involving writing up assets during a fundraising period and then writing them down soon after the fundraising period closes. Because investors and potential investors often question the valuations of active holdings, managers may exaggerate the performance or quality of these holdings. Karpati indicated that this type of behavior highlights the fact that interim valuations matter.
Misallocating Investment Opportunities
Crisp. The Crisp case is an SEC administrative proceeding that involves an employee of a fund manager allegedly exploiting an undisclosed conflict of interest for personal gain. It is alleged that while working for a registered investment adviser that was a manager of several private equity funds, this employee and a friend secretly formed a private investment vehicle and diverted a significant investment opportunity in a private company to that investment vehicle. The SEC alleges that these actions violated the compliance policies of the fund manager and resulted in a significant gain to the employee, rather than the funds.
Misallocation of Expenses
Pinkas. The Pinkas case is an SEC administrative proceeding that involves the alleged misappropriation of assets, material misrepresentations, and the violation of an SEC bar order. It is alleged that Pinkas misappropriated $173,000 from a fund client to pay the costs of defending himself in an unrelated SEC investigation. It is also alleged that Pinkas subsequently made material misrepresentations to the fund's investors about the misappropriation, telling them that multiple law firms had reviewed the fund's indemnification provisions and concluded that his use of fund assets to cover his attorney's fees in the other matter was appropriate. The SEC also alleges that Pinkas then misappropriated $632,000 from the same client to cover the disgorgement he agreed to pay as part of a settlement in the other matter with the SEC. It is also alleged that after misappropriating these funds, Pinkas violated an investment adviser bar imposed in the other matter by continuing to associate with an investment adviser.
Onyx Capital. In SEC v. Onyx Capital Advisors, Roy Dixon, principal of Onyx Capital allegedly took more than $2 million from a fund as purported advance management fees. Several public pension funds had invested in the fund. During fundraising, one of the pension fund investors stated that it would not invest unless it received assurance that a friend of Dixon was associated with the fund. It is alleged that Dixon forged a letter from his friend stating that the friend was employed by the fund manager. It is also alleged that construction of Dixon's home was financed by amounts misappropriated from the fund.
Fraud in Fundraising
Advanced Equities. The Advanced Equities case was a settled SEC administrative action, which involved alleged misstatements made to investors about the performance of a portfolio company, including that the portfolio company had:
Order backlogs in excess of $2 billion when actual backlogs were approximately $10 million and $42 million,
Obtained a loan from the U.S. Department of Energy between $250 million and $300 million, when the portfolio company had only recently applied for a loan of only $96 million, and
Received a $1 billion order from a national chain, when in fact the portfolio company had gotten a $2 million order and a non-binding letter of intent with respect to future purchases.
Although this case involved a broker dealer, fund managers make representations about portfolio companies both during fundraising and in ongoing reports to investors. This case highlights the importance of making these statements in an accurate manner.
Resources Planning Group. In the Resources Planning Group case, a civil action brought by the SEC, the SEC alleged that a private equity principal used fund assets to repay previous investors. The SEC alleged that the private equity principal personally guaranteed a portion of the funds invested and raised further funds without disclosing to new investors his personal guaranty and used new investments to partially repay prior investors. The private equity principal also allegedly misrepresented his fund as a viable entity, while failing to tell investors about the fund's poor financial health.
Gowrish. In the Gowrish case, it is alleged that an individual stole confidential acquisition information from his employer, a multi-billion dollar private equity firm, and sold that information to two friends who profited from illicit insider trading.
Karpati also noted that in examinations and investigations of target funds, the AMU looks for misappropriation from portfolio companies, fraudulent valuations, misrepresentations about the portfolio to induce investors to grant extensions, unusual fees and principal transactions.
SEC Provides Guidance for Private Fund Managers and Compliance Officers (McGuireWoods)
Compliance Examination Priorities for 2013 (SEC)
Private Equity Enforcement Concerns (Jan. 23, 2013 Speech by Bruce Karpati)
Enforcement Priorities in the Alternative Space (Dec. 18, 2012 Speech by Bruce Karpati)
Anitra T. Cassas
David A. Rivard
Securities Compliance
Government Investigations & White Collar Litigation


text:
Home / Stock Picks / Stocks to Buy / Nvidia Corporation Stock Will Keep Delivering for Years to Come
Nvidia Corporation Stock Will Keep Delivering for Years to Come
NVDA stock still has further to climb as the company ramps up its data center and AI
By Laura Hoy, InvestorPlace Contributor Feb 22, 2018, 9:51 am EDT February 22, 2018
Source: Nvidia
Processing unit maker Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) has had an impressive run over the past two years. The firm's Graphics Processing Units (GPU's) have taken off in popularity and their use throughout the gaming space has led NVDA stock to produce a slew of stellar quarterly results.
After delivering triple digit gains last year and kicking off 2018 with growth of nearly 30% so far, Nvidia stock has been on investor's radars for some time.
If you missed NVDA stock price's dip below $220 earlier this month, it might feel like the ship has sailed, however Nvidia is more than just a passing fad- the firm has real long-term potential that investors shouldn't overlook.
What makes Nvidia stock so enticing, other than its monumental performance over the past year, is the firm's unique positioning. NVDA has its fingers in several honeypots, some of which are delivering right now while others look poised to overflow in the future.
Nvidia has been working to develop processors for some of the hottest upcoming tech trends, which is part of the reason the firm boasts a hefty forward P/E of 39.69. NVDA has been touted as a top player in the Artificial Intelligence space and the firm's efforts to improve its data center offerings appear to be paying off.
At Goldman Sachs' technology and internet conference last week, Nvidia CFO Collette Kress noted that the firm has been working to deliver AI solutions across a broad category of industries ranging from drones to high-performance computing and data centers.
That push into an industry that could potentially become as life-changing as the internet was gives Nvidia some staying power and a good long-term plan.
In the shorter term Nvidia is also working to help develop autonomous driving technology that will support not only automakers, but suppliers and software developers as well.
While there are still quite a few obstacles to clear before self-driving cars become a reality, many believe we could see autonomous cars being road-ready sometime in the next five years.
For now, Nvidia depends largely on its GPUs designed for the gaming market and cryptocurrency miners to support the firm's financials as it continues to work on future projects.
That's not a bad place to be right now either. Although the cryptocurrency space is certainly an unstable one, it's unlikely that the alternative financial system will go anywhere anytime soon. As for gaming, NVDA has a strong position as a leader in the industry, which is expected to continue growing in the years to come.
Slowdown Concerns
As InvestorPlace's James Brumley pointed out last week- there's a lot of pressure on Nvidia stock to perform. Gaming still makes up the majority of the company's top line, and any headwind in the space could hurt NVDA stock in a big way as it would dull the firm's quarterly results.
Brumley also pointed to the Gaming supercycle that Nvidia experienced, saying that the kind of growth seen in previous quarters can't continue forever.
While that's certainly true, I don't see NVDA stock suffering anytime soon. In the most recent results Nvidia revealed that its data center segment, which includes its AI bets, grew an explosive 105% from the previous year. The $606 million that its data center segment brought in accounted for 21% of the company's overall revenue.
That's not a bad shout for a segment that has only just started to take-off. While 21% is still a far cry from the huge chunk that gaming accounts for- it's a pretty great start. Unless gaming falls off a cliff during the next year, I think Nvidia stock will be able to continue impressing investors quarter after quarter with stellar results.
The Bottom Line on NVDA Stock
When it comes to long-term tech picks- NVDA stock ranks pretty high on the list. The firm's future looks to be paved with gold and investors who are willing to jump in will almost certainly be rewarded. NVDA's run has been an impressive one, but it's far from being over.
Investors who believe in the potential of AI should act now to capitalize on the firm's strong future potential.
As of this writing, Laura Hoy did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2018/02/nvidia-stock-will-keep-delivering-in-years-to-come/.