text:
Tag Archives: coup
Conflict Watch: A Coup By Any Other Name…
May be even more deadly.
Days after declaring Martial Law, Thai General Prayuth Chan-ocha announced a Military Coup on Thursday. Since then the Military has stationed troops in major cities, suspended the constitution, enacted a curfew, put a halt to both pro and anti-government protests, taken certain channels and media outlets out of circulation, and detained former PM Yingluck and members of her government. Classic Coup actions.
The Thai army says it will remain neutral and wants to enact certain reforms before holding elections. If this is indeed possible, this Coup could be less disruptive than previous Coups. The big question is what form will reforms take? Will they increase transparency and accountability, curbing the potential for future corruption? Or will they involve drastic legislative redistricting, in an attempt to marginalize the political voice of rural Thailand? Can the army orchestrate meaningful reforms while remaining a neutral intermediary between rival political parties?
The answers to these questions will likely determine how the Coup plays out. There is, however, something reassuring about the Thai army calling this a Coup, especially in comparison to Egypt's "non-Coup". By acknowledging this was in fact Coup, the Army is at least taking responsibility for what happens next in Thailand. We should not, for instance, expect a bloody crackdown as we saw in Egypt.
In a previous post, I emphasized the determinative role armed forces can play in regime change. All things equal, it is always best for the military to stay out of politics and focus on security and defense issues. But all things are not equal; countries face unrest for a variety of reasons, and this unrest can turn violent and often has adverse economic consequences, as it has in Thailand.
One could certainly question the necessity of this Coup, violence has not recently escalated and Prime Minister Yingluck agreed to step down 2 weeks ago. Economic deterioration seems to be the most obvious catalyst in this instance. Either way a Coup has occurred, and the focus now shifts to the actions of the Thai army.
If the Army is indeed committed to the things it says, it may be possible for a Coup to play a constructive role in Thailand's political crisis. Last month the U.N. highlighted this constructive role security forces can play in peace efforts:
The United Nations Security Council today called on countries emerging from conflict and all those assisting them to prioritize the development of domestic police and national defence forces that maintain rule of law and respect human rights, in its first-ever stand-alone resolution on security sector reform.
Stressing that it is the sovereign right and the primary responsibility of the countries concerned to reform their security institutions, the Council, through the resolution, encouraged the UN and other international partners to strengthen their approach to training and other assistance, and to integrate it with other efforts to help rebuild national institutions.
Mr. Ban reaffirmed some of the principles of security sector reform outlined in his latest report on the issue, including the linkage between security efforts and broader processes of political and institutional reforms in the countries in question.
"Strengthening operational effectiveness must be combined with efforts to build a strong governance framework, robust accountability and oversight mechanisms, and a culture of integrity and respect for human rights. National ownership is imperative," he said.
Security is a necessary prerequisite for stability, human development and economic growth. There is nothing inherently good or bad about security forces. They can restore order and champion principles of democracy, human rights, and rule of law, or they can kill with impunity. There is something very interesting and deeply psychological about the broad spectrum of roles armed forces can play in society–it is in many ways a microcosm of free will.
Thailand is not Egypt, there is no reason to think just because there was a Coup, that the human rights environment in Thailand will deteriorate as it has in Egypt. However, certain actions by the Thai army certainly raise eyebrows, such as imposition of a curfew and suspensions of press freedom. Also, the Thai military's track record does not inspire confidence; perhaps today is a new day?
All we can do now is wait and see, and hope the Thai army backs up its neutral rhetoric with appropriate actions and reforms. Except more on this topic in the coming weeks.
Categories: Blog Posts, Conflict Watch | Tags: armed forces, coup, democracy, Egypt, Human Rights, military, Prayuth Chan-ocha, reform, security, thailand, Yingluck | Permalink.
Conflict Watch: The Determinative Role of Armed Forces In Regime Change (A Comparative Analysis)
Police leave their position around the Ukrainian p[arliament in Kiev on Friday after the country's deputy army chief resigned in protest over government attempts to involve the army to put down the unrest rocking Ukraine. Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images
Disgraced ex-Ukranian President Yanukovych (is it too soon to call him ex-President?) signed an agreement with the opposition for early elections and a new government, pulling Ukraine back from the brink of catastrophe. Do not confuse Yanukovych's decision for altruism; rather it was a last resort after it became clear the Ukrainian army would not intervene on his behalf.
Today, the Ukrainian Armed Forces reiterated its commitment to neutrality. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel commended the move, and his support is well founded. A comparative analysis of recent protest movements shows the determinative role Armed Forces play in domestic political conflicts:
Egypt: In modern Egyptian history, the Army has been the strongest and least unaccountable force in domestic politics. It is therefore unsurprising those in control of the Army are determined to ensure their spot at the top of the pyramid (no pun intended) is preserved. The Egyptian military has a vested interest in a protracted civil conflict; by creating an adversary in the Muslim Brotherhood, it has secured an important role in Egyptian life and public support. Indeed, military supremacy was enshrined in a recently passed constitutional referendum.
The Egyptian military determined the outcome of Egyptian politics by removing democratically elected President Morsi by a coup (as opposed to allowing a political process of impeachment and new elections to decide who leads). The army has restricted media independence and cracked-down on all dissenters (including many who were instrumental in removing previous dictator Hosni Mubarak and the ineffectual President Morsi). Now General Sisi–the very man who organized the coup–is poised to take over as Egypt's next "democratically elected" president.
Syria: In Syria's dynastic authoritarian regime, the armed forces are controlled exclusively by President Assad; the military cannot be expected to support the will of the people. Assad ordered a military response to peaceful protests, resulting in a protracted civil war with no end in sight.
Thailand: The Thai army is committed to remaining neutral in anti-government protests (which was not a given; Thailand has a long history of military intervention in politics), allowing the political process to play itself out (the army has positioned itself near protest sight for security purposes, but hasn't taken a side).
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has proposed early elections; her opposition wants an appointed caretaker government to implement reforms before elections are held. In a recent development, Yingluck has been called in to answer for corruption charges related to a rice subsidy (a policy symbolic of her Pheu Parties popularity with Thailand's poor), which could result in her impeachment.
Venezuela: Paratroopers we're called in to "maintain the peace", which is allegedly a cover for a brutal crackdown of the anti-Maduro opposition. The future remains uncertain in Venezuela; if reports of a bloody crackdown are true, a protracted civil conflict is likely.
When it comes to regime change, the means are just as important as the ends. The extent to which Armed Forces remain neutral / indiscriminately uphold security (in order to give the political process time to run it's course) is a good indication of both how "ugly" protests will become, and the direction a country will move ex post facto.
In Egypt the military could have remained neutral, allowing the Egyptian people to impeach Morsi and setup elections. Instead, the military decided to intervene, securing it's own interests. Morsi had to go, but the way he was removed has set the country on a path divergent from pluralistic democracy. In a similar vein, Sisi may indeed be the President Egyptians want. If so, why the need to crackdown on dissenters?
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck may indeed be a corrupt ruler unworthy of her office. If this is the case, allow the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to conduct an impartial investigation. If she is found guilty, there may be grounds for impeachment. If not, the vocal minority opposition will have to rethink it's position.
Notably, the Thai Military is allowing the political process to determine the countries political future (as in Ukraine), increasing the likelihood that a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Thailand can emerge from this current bout of unrest (Unlike Egypt, Syria, and likely Venezuela).
If a countries Armed Forces are committed to the goal of pluralistic democracy, the best thing they can do is remain neutral and allow domestic political conflicts to be resolved politically. Democratic governance is derived from "soft power"–inclusive politics, non-violent protest, self-determination. The need to resort to force against non-violent protests is proof in and of itself that human rights rhetoric is being used to human rights violations.
When the global champions of human rights (U.S., E.U., U.N. etc) urge deescalation and dialogue, these are not empty words (as Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay has urged in Venezuela). Over the past few decades, "soft power" has played an increasingly important role in both domestic and international affairs. Governments that embrace this shift will ultimately be the most successful.
Categories: Blog Posts, Conflict Watch | Tags: armed forces, Assad, coup, democracy, Egypt, euromaiden, lopez, maduro, Morsi, political process, Sisi, Syria, thailand, ukraine, Venezuela, yanukovych, Yingluck Shinawatra | Permalink.
Bizarro Egypt
Egypt has actually turned into Bizarro World–the country is literally upside down. I swear you can't write this stuff, or maybe you can… either way, I can't. But I can analyze whats going on with some clarity and insight:
The first democratically elected President in Egyptian history is in jail for crimes against the regime of popularly toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.
At the same time, it appears said toppled autocrat is said to soon be released from jail (cases are heard by a judiciary that is largely still intact from Mubarak's days in power)
The Egyptian government has shut down all national media outlets sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood, while stepping up anti-Brotherhood rhetoric and propoganda.
At the same time, General Sisi lashed out at foreign media outlets for not evenly portraying both sides of the story; essentially for not recognizing the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. Does Sisi actually thinks he can control what independent international media outlets report?
Sisi also insists he has a "mandate from the people" to provide security from "terrorists". No mandate can give the authority to kill innocent people with impunity. Democracy is about indiscriminately upholding and protecting the rights of everyone, not only certain groups.
Far from trying to justify the killings, and offer any sort of olive branch or iota of accountability, the Egyptian government has commended itself for using "a huge amount of self-restraint and self-control." Who exactly are they trying to convince, the international community, Egyptian civil society, or themselves?
The United States decides not to suspend aid to the Egyptian military, despite the insurmountable evidence that what has transpired in Egypt since July 3rd was a coup. The official U.S. ruling on whether or not the Morsi ouster was a coup: "it is not in our national interest to make such a determination." Way to really lead by example there America!
It now appears that the U.S. and the E.U. are finally going to review their ties with the current Egyptian government–a little bit late but still good news. The first official move against the Egyptian government, the U.S cancelled joint military exercises–also a good move.
The next move makes no sense; the U.S. plans to pull the plug on $250 million in government aid, while leaving $1.3 billion in military aid in tact. In other words, aid that could give the U.S. some leverage in the Egyptian political arena, or for economic development projects that would benefit all Egyptians, is being cut. At the same time, we will continue to supply the Egyptian military with hundreds of millions of dollars in firepower, because you know killing all those "terrorists" won't be easy…
Egypt and the Middle East in general are at a crossroads. Both the U.S. and the E.U. are currently reviewing their relationship with the Egyptian government, so it is likely we will have a clearer picture of their respective stances soon. Should Egypt deteriorate into civil war, it will be interesting to see if there is another U.N.S.C. showdown between "Western Powers" and China and Russia along the lines of the current Syria impasse.
I have read articles saying this is not the time for Democracy in Egypt or the Middle-East, that we should set our sights lower and hope for stable governments. While these articles make goods points and tend to be well written, I refuse the believe this is true. I am of the belief that the majority of all parties and factions in Egypt want the same thing; security, health, family, an opportunity to realize their full potential and a better future for their children.
Not to get to abstract or philosophical, but the future is yet unwritten; if we set our sights low, then we will never know if we could have done better. Much of the groundwork for realizing the normative goals of the Arab Spring is still as ripe as it will be for some time. Old autocracies have been broken (although the inability for democracy to fill the power void has created opportunities for a return to autocratic rule that vested interests–who tend to be opportunistic by nature–will fight for tooth and nail, bullet and rocket). People have never been as empowered as they are today, thanks to innovations in ICT, social media, and the unprecedented recognition of human rights as the key to sustainable human development by the international community.
The international community can no longer turn a blind eye or claim ignorance, not in 2013. The world is getting smaller, and global action or inaction affects all of us, whether we want to admit it or not. By turning a blind eye to Sisi's gross human rights violations and abandoning the goal of pluralistic democracy in the ME, we would essentially be putting a band-aid on a festering infected gash. Surely the international community can help the Egyptian people come up with a better and more sustainable solution than that.
We cannot let determined spoilers derail this goal, or "put it off for a few decades"; this is not an acceptable solution and will lead only to another round of autocracies in the Middle-East. This would only serve to further cement the ideas that only autocracies can survive in the ME / democracy cannot exist in the ME, that Political Islam and democracy are irreconcilable, and that Jihad is the way for young Muslims).
The goals of the Arab spring have not been fully met–anybody who thought establishing effective democracies in the ME could be achieved quickly, linearly, or peacefully was fooling themselves. But we cannot abandon those goals; if we do because the global champions of human rights / democracy think they cannot afford to help, or that the time is not right due to regional security concerns, the opportunity may not arise again for decades.
On a personal note, as a progressive Jew from NY, I never would have thought that I would be sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood…a coup, a series of massacres, and gross human rights violations make for strange bed-fellows no?
Categories: Blog Posts, Conflict Watch, Transparency Report | Tags: Arab Spring, coup, democracy, Egypt, Egyptian, Egyptian Armed Forces, Hosni Mubarak, human rights violation, massacre, Middle East, Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood, political islam, Sisi, United States | Permalink.
Conflict Watch: Ghosts of Egypt's Past, Present, and Future
Quick historic background on the Muslim Brotherhood
The NYT has an excellent interactive timeline of events Egypt from the resignation of former President Mubarak–present day.
Last night I stayed up until 2:30 am to watch the UNDP Oslo Group / FAFO conversation on Egypt's immediate future. Silly me, as I could have just streamed it today.
Today I will focus primarily on major events since the Mubarak ouster (credit to the NYT), and insights from the conversation last night. It is also helpful to brush up on some of the basic historic power-dynamics of Egypt's current major political players.
Mubarak Steps Down
David Kirkpatrick and Anthony Shadid report from Cairo on the aftermath of President Mubarak's resignation.Zena Barakat
Vice President Omar Suleiman announces that President Hosni Mubarak, 82, has turned over all power to the military, passed all authority to a council of military leaders and named his prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, to lead the cabinet.
The announcement, which comes after an 18-day revolt led by the young people of Egypt, shatters three decades of political stasis and overturns the established order of the Arab world.
Photos From the Protests in Egypt
Mapping the Protests in Cairo, Day by Day
After Mubarak, What Next?
Leading Figures in the Transition
Uncharted Ground After End of Egypt's Regime
Egypt's Military Extends Its Power
Protesters gathered in Tahrir Square in Cairo as Egypt's military rulers moved to consolidate power on Friday, the eve of the Egyptian presidential runoff election. The day before, the Supreme Constitutional Court moved to shut down the Islamist-led Parliament, locking out lawmakers and seizing the sole right to issue laws.Adam Ferguson for The New York Times
Egypt's military rulers move to consolidate power on the eve of the presidential runoff election between Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood and Ahmed Shafik, a former prime minister to Mr. Mubarak. They shut down the Islamist-led Parliament, predicated on acourt ruling a day before, and seize the sole right to issue laws even after a new head of state takes office. Their charter gives them control of all laws and the national budget, immunity from any oversight and the power to veto a declaration of war.
The military counsel also issues an interim constitution, all but eliminating the president's authority in an apparent effort to guard against a victory by the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Leaders of the Egyptian Military Council
Judge Helped Egypt's Military to Cement Power
Mohamed Morsi of Brotherhood Sworn In as President
President-elect Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood spoke to hundreds of thousands of supporters in Tahrir Square. Tomas Munita for The New York Times
Mr. Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood, is the winner of Egypt's first competitive presidential election, handing the Islamists both a symbolic triumph and a potent weapon in their struggle for power against the country's top generals.
Mr. Morsi, 60, an American-trained engineer and former lawmaker, is the first Islamist elected as head of an Arab state. He becomes Egypt's fifth president and the first from outside the military. But his victory is an ambiguous milestone in Egypt's promised transition to democracy.
Egypt's New Leader Spells Out Terms for U.S.-Arab Ties
Egypt's Islamists Tread Lightly, but Skeptics Squirm
Military and President Escalate Their Power Struggle
Graffiti in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo, the epicenter of antigovernment protests that led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, depicts members of the former government. From right are Mr. Mubarak; Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces who had acted as head of state until last week and will maintain the title of defense minister; Amr Moussa, a former foreign minister and presidential candidate; and the former general and presidential candidate Ahmed Shafik. Tomas Munita for The New York Times
The battle between the Muslim Brotherhood and the military intensifies when Mr. Morsi summons back into session the democratically elected Parliament that the generals had dissolved after a hurried court ruling. Egypt's highest court and generals dismiss the order, but Parliament meets in defiance and votes to appeal the court's decision, creating a chaotic mess of conflicting legal authorities and jurisdictions.
The power struggle reflects dueling claims to Egypt's emerging politics, with each side trying to frame the debate as a contest for ideals, legitimacy and democracy.
Morsi Seizes New Power
Supporters hail President Mohamed Morsi's move to take new power and retry his predecessor.Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters
With a constitutional assembly on the brink of collapse and protesters battling the police in the streets over the slow pace of change, President Mohamed Morsi issues a decree granting himself broad powers above any court as the guardian of Egypt's revolution and uses his new authority to order the retrial of Hosni Mubarak.
The unexpected breadth of the powers he seizes raises immediate fears that he might become a new strongman.
Egyptian Islamists Approve Draft Constitution Despite Objections
The Islamists drafting Egypt's new constitution vote to approve a charter that human rights groups and international experts say is full of holes and ambiguities. The result will fulfill some of the central demands of the revolution. But it will also give the generals much of the power and privilege they had during the Mubarak era and will reject the demands of ultraconservative Salafis.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands fill Tahrir Square to protest Mr. Morsi's expansive new powers.
Egypt Struggles to Revive Ailing Economy
Egyptians in a gas line in the city of Luxor. Tara Todras-Whitehill for The New York Times
A fuel shortage has helped send food prices soaring. Electricity is blacking out even before the summer. And Egypt is struggling to pay the billions of dollars it owes foreign oil companies.
For months, the government has been negotiating a $4.8 billion loan on fairly easy terms from the International Monetary Fund. The thinking is that if the I.M.F. approved a loan, it could give the government the credibility it needs to unlock billions more dollars in aid and loans. But if a deal is reached, it will probably mean reducing subsidies for energy — a step many fear will incite the public.
In April, Egypt presses to increase the loan size, but discussions are pending and won't start again until October.
To Back Democracy, U.S. Prepares to Cut $1 Billion From Egypt's Debt
Egypt Requests $4.8 Billion From I.M.F.
Short of Money, Egypt Sees Crisis on Fuel and Food
Egypt's Long-Term Economic Recovery Plan Stalls
Army Ousts Egypt's President; Morsi Denounces 'Military Coup'
In an announcement read on state television, Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, the Egyptian defense minister, ousts Mr. Morsi, the nation's first freely elected president, suspending the Constitution, installing an interim government and insisting it was responding to the millions of Egyptians who had opposed the Islamist agenda of Mr. Morsi and his allies in the Muslim Brotherhood.
The military intervention, which Mr. Morsi rejects, raises questions about whether the 2011 revolution will fulfill its promise to build a new democracy at the heart of the Arab world.
Video and Tweets of Updates
The Scene in Cairo After Morsi's Ouster
Military Reasserts Its Allegiance to Its Privileges
Egyptian Jurist Is Sworn In as Acting Head of State
Dozens of Morsi Supporters Are Killed in Cairo Protest
Supporters of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's ousted Islamist president, demonstrated outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in Cairo on Monday.Yusuf Sayman for The New York Times
Soldiers and police officers open fire on hundreds of supporters of Mr. Morsi outside the facility where he is believed to be detained, killing at least 54 people and wounding more than 300.
A military spokesman, contradicting dozens of witnesses who say the attack had been unprovoked, says the violence had started when Brotherhood members attacked the officers' club of the Republican Guard.
It is the single deadliest episode of violence since the final days before Mr. Mubarak's ouster.
Bloody Day in Unrest Widens the Rupture Among Ordinary Egyptians
Morsi Spurned Deals, Seeing Military as Tamed
Islamist Party Backs Out of Negotiations
U.S. Won't Suspend Aid to Egypt Yet
New Video Appears to Show How Predawn Raid Unfolded in Cairo
Sudden Improvements in Egypt Suggest a Campaign to Undermine Morsi
Relatives of Christians killed near Luxor, where Muslim mobs invaded Christian homes and set them alight while besieging other Christians in their homes.Ibrahim Zayed/Associated Press
The sudden end of crippling energy shortages and the re-emergence of the police suggest that those opposed to Mr. Morsi had tried to undermine his administration.
The new military-led government accuses Mr. Morsi and his allies in the Muslim Brotherhood of a campaign to incite violence before and after his ouster as president.
Campaign to Hobble Morsi Seen as Life in Egypt Improves
Egyptian Journalist Was Killed by Army Sniper He Filmed, Family Says
Egypt's Government Broadens Its Accusations Against Islamists
Christians Targeted for Retribution in Egypt
Egypt's New Government Doesn't Include Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood supporters tried to block the Six October Bridge in Cairo during demonstrations Monday into Tuesday morning.Mahmoud Khaled/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Adli Mansour, Egypt's interim president, swears in a new cabinet that is dominated by liberal and leftist politicians. Not one of the 34 cabinet members belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood or to any other Islamist party. The cabinet does include three women and three Coptic Christians, making it slightly more diverse, in some respects, than Mr. Morsi's cabinet.
Images of Latest Deadly Clashes in Cairo
Crackdown in Egypt Kills Islamists as They Protest
This was the second mass killing of demonstrators in three weeks.Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters
The Egyptian authorities unleash a ferocious attack on Islamist protesters, killing at least 72 people in the second mass killing of demonstrators in three weeks and the deadliest attack by the security services since Egypt's uprising in early 2011.
The tactics — many were killed with gunshot wounds to the head or the chest — suggest that Egypt's security services felt no need to show any restraint.
A Familiar Role for Muslim Brotherhood: Opposition
U.S. Balancing Act With Egypt Grows Trickier
Morsi's Visitors Leave a Mystery on Where He Is
Egyptian Forces Storm Pro-Morsi Sit-Ins
Yesterday (Aug 14)
Supporters of the ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, tended to the wounded near the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in the Nasr City district of Cairo.Narciso Contreras for The New York Times
Security forces launch a bloody crackdown on two sit-ins by supporters of Mr. Morsi, setting off waves of violence in the capital and across the country. More than 500 are killed and 3,700 people injured in the the bloodiest day since Mr. Mubarak's ouster. Muslim Brotherhood supporters urge followers to take to the streets the next day.
Mohamed ElBaradei, the interim vice president and a Nobel Prize-winning former diplomat, resigns in protest, as General Sisi declares a one-month state emergency.
Hundreds Die as Egyptian Forces Attack Islamist Protesters
Arab Spring Countries Find Peace Is Harder Than Revolution
U.S. Condemns Crackdown but Announces No Policy Shift
Assault on Morsi Supporters in Egypt
Fierce and Swift Raids on Islamists Bring Sirens, Gunfire, Then Screams
Cameraman for British Network Is Killed in Cairo
Two Sit-Ins Test New Egyptian Leadership
(Again big thanks to the NYT for putting together such an extensive timeline)
Since my most recent post about the crisis in Egypt, things have taken a decidedly ominous turn. Here's an excerpt from my post two weeks ago:
Is Egypt spiraling into or out of control? I suppose the answer you receive to that question would depend on who you ask. Ask a Morsi opponent, and he will tell you that the Morsi regime was little more than an illegitimate power-grab. Ask a Morsi supporter and they will tell you Morsi's failures were due to the "deep state" (military, police, judiciary) and a refusal of his opponents to embrace the democratic process, undermining his rule.
So instead lets look at the indisputable facts. Sectarian divides are stronger now than they were when Mubarak fell–did the coup avert a civil war, or lay the foundation for civil conflict? Human rights are not being upheld in an indiscriminate way, as anybody that supports Morsi may be silenced with impunity by the military (either by having media outlets shut down / being arrested / or killed). A larger budget deficit is all but certain for Egypt's next democratically elected government.
In Egypt, as long as the army has a popular mandate (or what it deems a popular mandate), it can act with impunity. Human rights violations, unsustainable fiscal policy and government deficits, media censorship, and lack of accountability from the military are week pillars to build democracy on.
Having said all this, there does seem to be a legitimacy with the new Egyptian coalition government; it has said all the right things and seems to back the will of Egypt's pluralistic civil society. But actions speak louder than words, and the actions of Egypt's military and interim government–combined with The Muslim Brotherhoods determination to play spoiler in Egypt's second attempt at democratization–does not bode well for the implementation of Egypts "road-map to democracy".
Even I, who was pessimistic about the implications of the coup for political Islam and democracy since the beginning, did not foresee the military misplaying it's hand as catastrophically as it has. And again, as always, time has answered many questions that a few weeks ago were a mystery.
The Military has shown it's true colors. Mass killings, media censorship, and a further grip on power have defined the so called "road-map to democracy". The interim government was formed without a single MB member, while military loyalists assumed many top positions. VP Mohamed ElBaradei, a former UN negotiator, Nobel Prize winner, and bastion of legitimacy for the interim governments, resigned from his position in dissent of the army's actions. Experts expect further resignations in the coming days and weeks. 19 / 27 provincial governors appointed were ex-military (for comparison sake, 11/27 appointed under Morsi were from the MB). The police have come back essentially as another arm of the military. The state media has become an anti-Morsi propaganda engine, (even more-so than it was during Morsi's rule).
The fact of the matter is that, regardless of how much of a power grab the MB made during Morsi's brief time in Presidency, it pails in comparison to the power grab the military has staged for the last half a century. The military cemented it's rule prior to Morsi's election, via confirmation from a Mubarak era judge, fueling speculation that the "deep state" never truly gave up power. For all we know, Mubarak is living in the lap of luxury; his resignation a calculated move to win popular support for the military in order to further sustain it's nontransparent, undemocratic rule. OK, maybe I am getting a little ahead of myself, but at this point no revelation would surprise me.
The Egyptian army is concerned only with self preservation–everybody else is dispensable. The military has little reason to care for the people; as long as it can continue to finance it's operations, the productive capacity of society is a distant secondary concern. It was willing to let Morsi rule, until it seemed that the MB could become so powerful that it would be able to hold the military to account. Seizing on popular dissent, the army removed the MB "threat" as part of a "mandate of the people". Very soon, if not already, liberal Egyptians will come to realize their revolution was hijacked not by Morsi, but by Sisi.
Democratic gains made during the revolution have been reversed since the coup. Political and civil rights and freedoms, including rights of self-expression and assembly, no longer exist. Media liberalization has been reversed. The economy continues to collapse, while the military only exacerbates the problem by borrowing more, creating more debt and larger future cutbacks for whoever ends up ruling Egypt. The sectarian divide is deeper than ever, putting Egypt on the verge of civil war. It is interesting to note the rule the Salifi movement has played in Egypt's ongoing political chaos. A historically conservative group, it has emerged as an even handed, pluralistic, pragmatic, and centrist force in Egyptian politics. Of course it remains to be seen how the movement reacts to the most recent massacre of the MB. Consolidation of Islamic forces between the MB and Al Nour would make Civil War that much more likely.
Egypt is bleeding, literally and figuratively. The ghosts of authoritarian regimes past have reared their ugly heads–Sisi yesterday imposed a month-long "state of emergency", further exonerating his forces from any wrongdoing. Just like in the past, the MB is being excluded from politics and driven to the margins of society, where their human rights can be violated with impunity. The ghosts of the present are the people currently being massacred in an attempt to "restore order" to Egypt. The ghosts of the future may be casualties from a future Egyptian Civil War, or perhaps they will be ghosts of westerners, as the jihad movement seizes on the coup as a way to recruit disenfranchised young Muslims.
I can no longer find any reason to be optimistic about Egypt's democratic transition. It seems that the army did not fully think the coup through by underestimating the resolve of the MB; after 3 separate massacres totaling close to 700 MB deaths, a prolonged civil conflict–if not an all out civil war–seems almost unavoidable at this point. Far from a "road map to democracy", it seems Egypt's military is steering the country down the Highway to Hell.
If you have made it this far, and want more insight, take a look at my notes from last nights conversation on Egypt's current and future prospects.
FAFO_UNDP_Egyptnotes
Two general lessons from this talk.
1) The situation is still very fluid and there impossible to predict (but it wont stop me from hypothesizing!)
2) Both the Egyptian military and the MB are running parallel and conflicting propaganda campaigns. It is very difficult to get a straightforward account of what is going on on the ground. Every movement has conservative, moderate, and liberal components. Things are not as black and white as they appear.
I am admittedly not always impartial here, that is not what Normative Narratives is about. When I take a stance here at NN, I am speaking in the aggregate; there will always be individual examples that run counter to my arguments. I take information from the most transparent sources I know (mainly the NYT and Reuters), and combined with my education experience and knowledge of history (which is of course not all-knowing), come up with what I believe are reasonable conclusions. Sometimes I am wrong, sometimes I am right, but I will never not have an educated opinion on a matter I find important.
Categories: Blog Posts, Conflict Watch, Transparency Report | Tags: accountability, coup, democratic process, Democratic Transition, Egypt, Egyptian military, Egyptian revolution, Human Rights, massacre, Morsi, Mubarak, political rights, Sisi | Permalink.
Conflict Watch: The Situation in Egypt is Spiraling Out of (Into?) Control
A little more than a week before the Egyptian coup that resulted in the ouster of Egypt's first democratically elected leader Mohamed Morsi, I went on the record as being critical of any non-democratic means of removing Morsi from office. At the time, and still today, defending Morsi certainly puts one on the less popular side of the debate:
(recap)
I have written many times about the democratic experiment in Egypt here at NN. Egypt is an interesting country, it is the most populous country in the Middle-East, and has a long history of cooperation with Western powers (the U.S. funds the Egyptian military). Egypt's armed forces will play a crucial role in preventing the Syrian Civil War from turning into a regional conflict (and in maintaining regional security in general). While Turkey is another example of an Islamic state attempting to reconcile democracy and traditional Islamic values, there is something about Egypt's geographical position that makes it seem like a more robust test of the compatibility of the two ideologies (perhaps Turkey seems European-ized–it is actually seeking EU membership–which may isolate it from more conservative Muslim's, whereas Egypt is in Africa, which could be more agreeable to those same factions).
For these reasons, alongside the human rights and modernization implications of effective democratic governance, I have been cheering Morsi on in his attempt to bring democracy to Egypt. Sometimes I have been too understanding; Morsi has made mistakes along the way, including targeted violations of the civil rights of his opponents in the name of national security / democracy. President Morsi has owned up to these mistakes, and now seems to have learned what it takes to lead an effective democracy.
Transparency, rule of law, accountability / anti-corruption, personal and societal security, an inclusive and participatory governing process, and the indiscriminate protection of human rights are among the most important aspects of an effective democracy. Morsi has (hopefully) learned that seeking to strengthen the legitimacy of his regime by violating these aspects of democracy, even in the name of national security, is counter-productive. Self-defense is fine, but short of that the opposition must be allowed to assemble. In a religious dictatorship the opposition are terrorists / saboteurs / infidels; in an effective democracy they are simply the opposing political party (again, so long as they use political and not military means to advance their goals).
President Morsi has proposed national reconciliation efforts, including making amendments to the constitution (which was open for vote to begin with, the opposition simply refused to participate). He has also proposed the opposition take part in parliamentary elections. Judicial independence has been tricky, as many of the judges in Egypt were assigned under former dictator Hosni Mubarak (packing the courts with his own judges would not ease concerns of a Morsi power-grab either; anyone he appoints, regardless of his background, would be seen by his opponents only as a "Morsi appointee". Nevertheless, Morsi has offered basically every legitimate democratic avenue available to address the concerns of his opposition.
The opposition, on the other hand, has refused to take part in the democratic process. It will be satisfied with nothing short of Morsi's removal from office, calling for early presidential elections. Is that any way to establish the credibility of a brand new democratic process, by tossing that process aside instead of trying to work within it? Early elections would undermine the future of democracy in Egypt by setting a bad precedent.
A week after that blog, the Egyptian military gave Morsi a 48 hour deadline before they would step in and remove him from power–and then made good on that threat
I had this to say in reaction to the coup:
General Asis, by giving Morsi a 48 hour period to negotiate, had already made up its mind about overthrowing Egypt's first democratically elected leader. 48 hours is not enough time to make meaningful progress on negotiations— all such an unrealistic time frame did was further entrench the opposition's position to refuse to come to the negotiating table.
Give Morsi 6 months, or a year; an amount of time that allow the opposition to prove its legitimacy, and do something other than stand on its head and watch fireworks and light shows. So far all the opposition has shown is extreme, borderline irrational hatred for Morsi (and the Brotherhood, a hatred that has included decades or persecution under the Mubarak regime) and the inability to participate in the democratic process. Why should we believe that now democracy will work in Egypt?
The Military missed a golden opportunity to play arbiter between Morsi and the opposition, upholding both the principles of democratic institutions while also ensuring an inclusive agenda setting and policy making process consistent with international human rights norms. Instead the coup undermines the very ability of democracy to take root in Egypt, and creates far more questions than provides answers.
It was encouraging to see diverse interests standing alongside General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. However, the shutting down of Muslim Brotherhood news stations and arrests / killings of Morsi supporters paints a grim picture for the future of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. What bothers me is what will happen to those not in the meetings mapping out Egypt's future–namely the Muslim Brotherhood. Suspensions of freedoms of expression and media independence are also alarming, and make for an unstable basis on which to build a new democracy.
How the new government and the Muslim Brotherhood interacts will determine the ability of Egypt to move forward as a cohesive and peaceful democratic society. If the Brotherhood reacts violently, Egypt may be mired in civil violence for years to come. Only if the Muslim Brotherhood and opposition embrace one-another (admittedly a long shot, at least right away, and one that would require significant political and diplomatic maneuvering) can the new government truly represent all factions of Egyptian society. A modernized Egypt that treats Muslims Brotherhood members as second class citizens can never be a true democracy.
I think the coup came down to Egyptians needing a scapegoat, and Morsi's regime being in the right place at the right time. Nobody in Egypt wants to admit there are structural economic issues; popular fuel subsidies are unsustainable and large investments need to be made in Egypt's infrastructure and public services. High unemployment, inflation, and insecurity depress economic output and create a basis for anti-establishment behavior. Egyptians want a President who will tell them they can have their cake and eat it too; perhaps this new coalition government will be able to deliver if they are able to secure a loan from an alternative source without IMF preconditions. I for one do not see where that funding could come from.
Sooner or later difficult fiscal decisions are going to have to be made in Egypt, and not everyone is going to be happy. Are they going to overthrow the next president too? I just do not like the precedent that was set–perhaps I am being idealistic instead of pragmatic. It may be that a stronger democracy comes from this military coup, we will have to wait and find out.
Since these events took place, many of the questions that arose from the Egyptian military coup have answered themselves (an excellent analysis of the events leading up to and since Morsi's ouster was compiled compliments of Reuters). The Brotherhood has not embraced the armies calls for an inclusive road-map to an effective and pluralistic democracy. Instead, they have elected to continue mostly non-violent protests against the Egypt's interim government which they refuse to recognize as legitimate.
The interim government's Cabinet was established without a single Brotherhood member, but it did include military head General Sisi as first deputy Prime Minister. Media outlets that appear to be understanding of the Brotherhood's dismay have been shut down, including Al-Jazeera's Cairo branch. Fifty plus Morsi supporters were massacred during prayer where Morsi is believed to be held–ensuing investigations have been not into military conduct (of course not–in Egypt the military is above the law), but against Brotherhood leaders for inciting protests.
Throwing salt on the Bortherhood's wounds (and fuel on the protester fire), Morsi was recently charged with espionage and murder in connection to his escape from jail in 2011. Morsi was a prisoner of former dictator Hosni Mubarak–charging him for a crime against a popularly disposed dictator seems to run against the armies stated goals.
The U.S. government will continue to provide military aid to Egypt, exonerating itself from taking a stand on exactly what happened in Egypt (although it has rightfully called for Egypt's new leaders to release Morsi from jail):
The senior official did not describe the legal reasoning behind the finding, saying only, "The law does not require us to make a formal determination as to whether a coup took place, and it is not in our national interest to make such a determination."
"We will not say it was a coup, we will not say it was not a coup, we will just not say," the official said.
The alternative source of funding I could not foresee came through from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to the tune of $12 billion in oil products, foreign reserves, and loans / grants. All three of these countries are monarchies, making interesting bedfellows for a country attempting to establish effective and pluralistic democracy. This will allow the Egyptian government to delay cuts to popular subsidies, a precondition for an IMF loan:
"The interim cabinet, chosen this week after the military ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, will probably avoid politically risky reforms of the budget such as cutting the subsidies on which Egypt's millions of poor depend.
Instead the new cabinet which includes many technocrats and experienced administrators will try to buy social peace with billions of dollars of foreign aid, offered largely by wealthy Gulf Arab states."
"If the strategy to boost growth fails, the next elected government could take office facing an even bigger cash crunch, forcing it into unpopular decisions early on.
"The concern is that once there is some more permanent government, it will inherit an even bigger economic mess than the one the Mursi administration had," said Said Hirsh, an economist with London-based consulting firm Volterra Partners."
Oh boy, it's looking bad for the Brotherhood and Egyptian democracy:
"The Egyptian authorities unleashed a ferocious attack on Islamist protesters early Saturday, killing at least 65 people in the second mass killing of demonstrators in three weeks and the deadliest attack by the security services since Egypt's uprising in early 2011.
The attack provided further evidence that Egypt's security establishment was reasserting its dominance after President Mohamed Morsi's ouster three weeks ago, and widening its crackdown on his allies in the Muslim Brotherhood. The tactics — some victims were killed with single gunshot wounds to the head — suggested that Egypt's security services felt no need to show any restraint."
"In a televised news conference hours after the clash, Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim absolved his men of any responsibility and made no mention of the high death toll. His officers, he said, 'have never and will never shoot a bullet on any Egyptian.'"
In Egypt, it appears the military is the judge, jury, and executioner, as well as the President, PM, Cabinet….
Categories: Blog Posts, Conflict Watch | Tags: autocracy, bailout, coup, democracy, Egypt, Egyptian Armed Forces, Egyptian revolution, Hosni Mubarak, Human Rights, Morsi, political islam, power grab, Sisi | Permalink.
Initial Reactions to the Egyptian Military Coup D'etat
Looking Back:
Make no mistake about it, actions taken today by the Egyptian military represented a coup; Morsi was elected democratically and passed his constitution democratically. A military removing a democratically elected leader is a coup, regardless of how you spin it. At no point in the last year has there been any legitimate claims of unfair election / voting processes in Egypt. The only thing Morsi's opposition can muster a majority over is, apparently, their dislike of Morsi.
Morsi's year as President was marked by continued refusal by the opposition to take part in the democratic process. He was by no means a perfect leader, his rule was marked with civil and human rights violations as he struggled to keep at bay a power-grab by his long suppressed supporters while also upholding the responsibilities of running a pluralistic democratic society.
In addition to sectarian divides, the economic aftermath of the Mubarak ouster plagued the Morsi regime. Popular subsidies had to be cut in order to unlock international aid after the economy collapsed. Political divisions made such measures impossible to pass, and further economic degradation only reinforced divisions amongst Egyptians, leading to a degenerative cycle of poverty, insecurity, and political division.
No one will invest money, be it the IMF or General Electric, if a country is so divided that the ruling party and the opposition cannot even sit down together a come to agreements on policies with significant and immediate human rights and economic development implications. And certainly no family is going on a vacation to a country where their livelihood could constantly be in danger. As a result, Egypt's foreign reserves dwindled, leading to inflation and a further deterioration of the Egyptian standard of living.
Give Morsi 6 months or a year, an amount of time that allow the opposition to prove its legitimacy, other than stand on its head and watch fireworks and light shows. So far all the opposition has shown is extreme, borderline irrational hatred for Morsi and the inability to participate in the democratic process. Why should we believe that now democracy will work in Egypt?
I sure hope I am wrong about the precedent being set in Egypt.
Looking Forward:
"Flanked by political and religious leaders and top generals, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced the suspension of the Islamist-tinged constitution and a roadmap for a return to democratic rule under a revised rulebook."
"The president of the supreme constitutional court will act as interim head of state, assisted by an interim council and a tecnocratic government until new presidential and parliamentary elections are held.
Those in the meeting have agreed on a roadmap for the future that includes initial steps to achieve the building of a strong Egyptian society that is cohesive and does not exclude anyone and ends the state of tension and division, Sisi said in a solemn address broadcast live on state television."
US Support
There is also the question of whether America will continue to back the Egyptian military. If the U.S government finds the Egyptian military indeed seized power via a coup, which lets be honest they did, aid would legally have to be suspended. However, lawyers and politicians will work to keep the long-standing relationship going. Egyptian stability is necessary for Middle-Eastern stability, which is currently in short-supply as is; American leaders will be pragmatic as opposed to idealistic.
Lots is still up in the air; I will be sure to keep my readers up to date on Egypt's outlook as more details present themselves.
Categories: Blog Posts, Conflict Watch | Tags: constitution, coup, democratic process, Egypt, Egyptian military, equality, Human Rights, legitimacy, Morsi, Mubarak, Muslim Brotherhood, political rights, Revolution, Sisi | Permalink.


text:
Q: DBT filtering for (None) when running on incremental model I'm trying to configure a DBT model as materialized='incremental', which is failing as DBT seems to be wrapping my model with a check on (None) or (None) is null which causes the model to throw a SQL exception against the target (Bigquery). The (None) checks don't seem to get added for non-incremental models, or when running with --full-refresh which just re-create the table.
According to the docs, incremental models are supposed to be wrapped as follows:
merge into {{ destination_table }} DEST
using ({{ model_sql }}) SRC
...

However what I'm seeing is:
merge into {{ destination_table }} DEST
using ( select * from( {{ model_sql }} ) where (None) or (None) is null) SRC
...

It's not clear to me where the (None) check are coming from, what it's actually trying to achieve by wrapping the query, and what (if any) model config would need to be set to correct this.
My model's config is set as {{ config(materialized='incremental', alias='some_name') }}, and I've tried also setting unique_key just in case with no luck.
I'm running the model with dbt run --profiles-dir dbt_profiles --models ${MODEL} --target development, and can confirm the compiled model is fine and the (None) checks get added for the model run.
I'm running dbt 0.11.1 (old repo version).
Any help would be most appreciated!

A: Managed to resolve this by looking into the DBT codebase on github for my target version - incremental macro 0.11
Seems like in 0.11 DBT expects a sql_where config flag to be set, which is used to select which records you want to use for the incremental load (pre-cursor to is_incremental() macro).
In my case, as I just want to load all rows in each incremental run and tag with the load timestamp, Setting sql_where='TRUE' generates valid sequel and doesn't filter my results (ie. WHERE TRUE OR TRUE IS NULL)

A: have you had an incremental model configured beforehand with 0.11.1? I'm pretty sure you need to use {{ this }} but maybe that didn't exist in version 0.11.1. docs on this

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Korea's handset maker Curitel Communications Inc. said yesterday it will begin selling mobile phones jointly developed with KDDI Corp., Japan's second-largest wireless operator, in Japan in November. The "A14059PT" model, with a sleek design and an alarm system for self-protection, will be the smallest mobile phone in Japan and only weighs 98 grams, lighter than any model in that country's market. Curitel, a unit of the nation's third-largest handset maker Pantech Group, agreed to develop the phone with KDDI in August for the Japanese firm's high-speed "au" wireless services. At that time, Curitel agreed to sell the phones using a joint brand between au and Pantech. "The model has been designed to cater to Japanese customers after analyzing the Japanese market and consumers' needs," said Chung Jung-bong, a Curitel overseas marketing executive. For all of 2005, the Pantech group, which includes Curitel, Pantech Co. and SK Teletech Co., aims to sell a total of 30 million handsets overseas.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using AutoPoco.Configuration;
using AutoPoco.Configuration.TypeRegistrationActions;

namespace AutoPoco.Conventions
{
    // Still a klooge, but leaves me in a better place for later
    public class DefaultEngineConfigurationProviderLoadingConvention : IEngineConfigurationProviderLoader
    {
        public void Apply(IEngineConfigurationProviderLoaderContext context)
        {
            OnPreTypeLoad(context);

            var typeAction = this.CreateTypeRegistrationActions(context);
            foreach(var type in context.Configuration.GetRegisteredTypes()){
                typeAction.Apply(type);
            }

            OnPostTypeLoad(context);
        }

        protected virtual void OnPreTypeLoad(IEngineConfigurationProviderLoaderContext context)
        {
            FindAndRegisterAllBaseTypes(context);
        }

        protected virtual void OnPostTypeLoad(IEngineConfigurationProviderLoaderContext context)
        {
            foreach (var type in context.Configuration.GetRegisteredTypes()) ApplyBaseRulesToType(context, type);
        }

        protected virtual void FindAndRegisterAllBaseTypes(IEngineConfigurationProviderLoaderContext context)
        {
            foreach (var type in context.ConfigurationProvider.GetConfigurationTypes())
            {
                TryRegisterType(context.Configuration, type.GetConfigurationType());
            }
        }

        protected virtual void TryRegisterType(IEngineConfiguration configuration, Type configType)
        {
            var configuredType = configuration.GetRegisteredType(configType);
            if (configuredType == null)
            {
                configuration.RegisterType(configType);
                configuredType = configuration.GetRegisteredType(configType);
            }

            foreach (var interfaceType in configType.GetInterfaces())
            {
                TryRegisterType(configuration, interfaceType);
            }

            Type baseType = configType.BaseType;
            if(baseType != null) { TryRegisterType(configuration, baseType);}
        }

        protected virtual void ApplyBaseRulesToType(IEngineConfigurationProviderLoaderContext context, IEngineConfigurationType type)
        {
            IEnumerable<IEngineConfigurationTypeMember> membersToApply = GetAllTypeHierarchyMembers(context.Configuration, type);

            foreach (var existingMemberConfig in membersToApply)
            {
                IEngineConfigurationTypeMember currentMemberConfig = type.GetRegisteredMember(existingMemberConfig.Member);
                if (currentMemberConfig == null)
                {
                    type.RegisterMember(existingMemberConfig.Member);
                    currentMemberConfig = type.GetRegisteredMember(existingMemberConfig.Member);
                    currentMemberConfig.SetDatasources(existingMemberConfig.GetDatasources());
                }
            }
        }

        protected virtual IEnumerable<IEngineConfigurationTypeMember> GetAllTypeHierarchyMembers(IEngineConfiguration baseConfiguration, IEngineConfigurationType sourceType)
        {
            Stack<IEngineConfigurationType> configurationStack = new Stack<IEngineConfigurationType>();
            Type currentType = sourceType.RegisteredType;
            IEngineConfigurationType currentTypeConfiguration = null;

            // Get all the base types into a stack, where the base-most type is at the top
            while (currentType != null)
            {
                currentTypeConfiguration = baseConfiguration.GetRegisteredType(currentType);
                if (currentTypeConfiguration != null) { configurationStack.Push(currentTypeConfiguration); }
                currentType = currentType.BaseType;
            }

            // Put all the implemented interfaces on top of that
            foreach (var interfaceType in sourceType.RegisteredType.GetInterfaces())
            {
                currentTypeConfiguration = baseConfiguration.GetRegisteredType(interfaceType);
                if (currentTypeConfiguration != null)
                {
                    configurationStack.Push(currentTypeConfiguration);
                }
            }

            var membersToApply = (from typeConfig in configurationStack
                                  from memberConfig in typeConfig.GetRegisteredMembers()
                                  select memberConfig).ToArray();

            return membersToApply;
        }

        protected virtual ITypeRegistrationAction CreateTypeRegistrationActions(IEngineConfigurationProviderLoaderContext context)
        {
            return new ApplyTypeConventionsAction(context.ConventionProvider)
            {
                NextAction = new ApplyTypeFactoryAction(context.ConfigurationProvider)
                                 {
                                     NextAction = new RegisterTypeMembersFromConfigurationAction(context.ConfigurationProvider)
                                     {
                                         NextAction = new ApplyTypeMemberConventionsAction(context.Configuration, context.ConventionProvider)
                                         {
                                             NextAction = new ApplyTypeMemberConfigurationAction(context.ConfigurationProvider)
                                             {
                                                 NextAction = new CascadeBaseTypeConfigurationAction(context.Configuration)
                                             }
                                         }
                                     }
                                 }
            };
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home > INTERNALMEDICINE > INTERNALMEDICINE_MTGABSTRACTS > 102
Internal Medicine Meeting Abstracts
Predictors of Iatrogenic Hypoglycemia in Treatment of Hyperkalemia
Anh P. Do, Henry Ford Health SystemFollow
Sandra Naffouj, Henry Ford Health SystemFollow
Krishna Modi, Henry Ford Health SystemFollow
Rawan Hammoudeh, Henry Ford Health SystemFollow
Joseph B. Miller MD, Henry Ford Health SystemFollow
Mohammed Dabbagh, Henry Ford Health SystemFollow
Do A, Naffouj S, Modi K, Hammoudeh R, Miller J, and Dabbagh MF. Predictors of Iatrogenic Hypoglycemia in Treatment of Hyperkalemia. J Gen Intern Med 2019; 34(2):S321.
J Gen Intern Med
Background: Hypoglycemia is a potential adverse outcome that could complicate the treatment of hyperkalemia with insulin administration. Treatment needs to be individualized for patients' specific characteristics to avoid iatrogenic hypoglycemia. Our study aimed to identify characteristics that could increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Methods: A retrospective study at a large tertiary institution was conducted from December 2016 to November 2017. A chart review was performed on adult patients who received subcutaneous insulin and intravenous glucose for treatment of hyperkalemia (potassium > 5 mmol/L) while present in the emergency department or inpatient setting. Patients who received insulin for the treatment of hyperglycemia were excluded. Data including demographics, insulin dose, and laboratory values were collected. The cohort was divided into two groups; patients who developed hypoglycemic events (defined as serum glucose < 70 mg/dL) and those who did not. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed. The primary outcome was incidence of hypoglycemia. The secondary outcome was identifying predictors of hypoglycemia. Results: 1156 consecutive patients with hyperkalemia who were treated with insulin were analyzed. Mean age was 61 years, 59% were males, and 61% were African American. 69% had chronic kidney disease, and of those 32.7% were on hemodialysis. The mean dose of insulin administered was 0.105 +0.05 units/kg for a median pre-treatment potassium level of 5.9 mmol/L. 17.8% of patients developed hypoglycemia (N=206). The median pre-treatment glucose level was 126 mg/dL, and mean hypoglycemia level was 53 mg/dL. On multivariate analysis age (p=0.0328), pre-treatment glucose level (p< 0.0001), and insulin dosing (p=0.0032) were significant predictors of hypoglycemia. For every 10-year increase in age, the risk of hypoglycemia increased by an odds ratio (OR) of 1.128. For every 10 mg/dL increase in the pre-treatment glucose level, the odds of developing hypoglycemia were reduced by an OR of 0.929. For every 0.025 units/kg increase of insulin dosing above the 0.1 units/kg usually administered, the OR for hypoglycemia was increased by 1.006. There was a significant difference in the rates of hypoglycemic events between the emergency department (24.2%) compared to the general practice units (18.4%) and intensive care units (12.8%) (p< 0.001). There was no relationship between insulin dose and pre-treatment glucose (R2= 0.0006). Conclusions: Patients with older age, lower pre-treatment glucose and higher insulin doses were at increased risk of developing hypoglycemia following treatment of hyperkalemia with insulin. Clinicians should more regularly evaluate baseline glucose levels when treating hyperkalemia with insulin to prevent iatrogenic hypoglycemia.
HFH Medical Journal

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


No one can predict life's challenges, such as when you or a loved one is arrested in Haslet, TX. To regain your freedom and restore normalcy, get help fast from our Haslet TX bail bond company. Licensed bail bond agents specialize in quick release from all jails in Dallas and Tarrant County.
Split between Denton and Tarrant Counties, Haslet numbers one of the smallest populations in the region, with only a little over 1,000 residents. It was settled between 1880 and 1883 and maintains its small-town atmosphere, despite the growth and urbanization of surrounding areas. Haslet offers a comfortable residential feel with the creature comforts of its larger neighbors.
No matter what type of bail method you choose, our Haslet TX bondsmen provide the fastest bail in the business. In the local court system, jail paperwork can takes between one to four hours, but our bail bond service focuses on speeding up that process. Our bail bond service even provides mobile bond delivery. Once the bond and cosigner have been approved, we can be at the jail in 30 minutes most cases! You should never wait long for release from jail.
For fast bail bonds in Haslet and surrounding communities in Texas, contact us online. Call our licensed bail bond agents 24/7 at (817) 303-3400 in Tarrant County or (214) 495-1363 in Dallas County.


Metal ground spike suitable for HLC 30m rotary, 40m rotary, 50m rotary and 60m multi height.
Can be set directly into firm ground however for a better result set using concrete to ensure a secure anchor point for your rotary.
Steel spike with plastic insert sizers, cap and installation aid for installing directly into firm ground however we would always recommend setting in concrete.
Suitable for HLC 30m rotary, 40m rotary, 50m rotary and 60m multi height.
Suitable for rotary airers with 32mm, 35mm, 38mm, 40mm, 45mm and 50mm centre pole diameters.


text:
layout: page
title: About
---

<p class="message">

Hello, my name is Miles Starkenburg.  I love learning new things and challenging myself.  I am excited to leverage technolgy to make a difference and change peoples lives.

I have always been passionate about the Internet and recently completed an eight week intensive Ruby on Rails bootcamp at CodeFellows in Seattle, WA.
</p>

Thanks for reading!


Belonging to the new Hunter series of sights, the Aimpoint® H30L sight is ideal for use on rifles with standard or magnum actions, and it suits any hunter who desires the classic lines of a full length sight. It can be mounted using any standard 30 mm rings.
This sight has a 30 mm tube diameter, which is standard and therefore offers a wide choice of mounting rings. Due to its length, we recommend this sight primarily for use on rifles with standard or magnum actions, plus to any hunter who desires the classic lines of a full length sight.
12 position digital push button inten-sity adjustment.


There are so many creative and useful applications for our amazing vertical gardens. With different base panels and custom ad-ins available there is no limit to the look of your artificial vertical garden. On top of that, our plants are available with UV protection to ensure your garden will look bright and green throughout the coming seasons and won't need maintenance if you're away from home for some time!
A popular option for concealing that unsightly, albeit useful, goliath of an eye sore water tank that is lurking in your field of vision. Using a simple frame, it is incredibly easy and low -fuss to install a few metres of artificial wall garden. This beautifully covers the structure and provides a gorgeous new backdrop in your yard.
Using the space between posts where there's just a bit too much sun in the afternoon, you can build a super simple frame where an effortless succulent garden or tropical fern display can become a lush wall.
You've seen it. You've been seeing it for goodness knows how long. Whether you have a wonky post, you're ready for a colour change or you simply love the idea of a garden oasis – an artificial wall garden is a fantastic design solution for your fencing.
With Parker Road offering the highest quality and latest designs in artificial wall gardens in Australia you can get creative with how your vertical greenery can look and feel. You can have your green panels in a frame or cut into strips along your back wall. If you have a new and interesting way that you want to explore, ask our design team for some help and we can make your vertical garden dreams a reality.
A strip of lush green in the kitchen can transform a plain white wall or bulkhead. Our green panels take your home or workplace from the ordinary to the extraordinary!
Use multiple smaller pots on a dark wall to bring a vibrant, diverse and totally unique feature to your house. Bringing a variety of tropical, hanging, large and detailed plants together in the single pot create and eye-catching spectacle. Sophisticated and fun: this is a signature Parker Road look.
Vertical wall gardens aren't always a flat object, you can customise them with fluffy ferns to add volume between veranda beams or build upon the walls of your shed. This design application can be an indulgence for your backyard nooks and corners. There is a variety of textures and foliage that can be built together to create your vision of paradise.
Take full advantage of the customisable panels that Parker Road can create for your backyard spaces. We thrive in bringing your exciting visions and projects to life. To keep up to date with our latest products and services be sure to join our community of flower lovers through our mailing list. Otherwise, give our design team a call!
Artificial wedding flowers - To faux or not to faux?


Last September we moved to yet another apartment. Luckily we found something bigger and newer at 510 sq-ft. We were very pleased to have gotten an extra 130 sq-ft of space, but to be frank I wasn't looking forward to the more expensive electricity bills. So what I had decided to do 8 months ago was to keep a tab of the electricity consumption of our new place compared to our old dig. After eight months, I am shocked because this new place has helped me save thousands using energy efficient appliances.
So what was the trick? Well our habits have been the same really – try to keep the A/C temperature at 23-25C as much as possible with the help of fans to move cool air, consistent cleaning of the A/C filters, keep lights to a minimum and switch plugs off when not in use.
The differences were the air-conditioners and the water heater. In our new place our A/Cs have Energy Label 1 and have a digitally controlled thermostat. In our old place, our A/Cs were old and had dial operated temperature controls. Our old apartment used an old electrical water heater and this we think added to our bill. However, our new place uses a conventional gas water heater.
Ask the landlord about the apartment's appliances!
Are the A/Cs new or when were they last maintained?
Digital A/C thermostats = more accurate temperatures = More $$ saved!
Gas water heaters are more effective and efficient. Our gas bill have stayed relatively the same.
Sure energy efficient appliances aren't deal makers for renting a space, but it is definitely worth considering! One might also argue that cheaper appliances save money initially. But we say look at our total savings so far! We project to save up to $3500 dollars on electricity for the first year and up to $7000 for two years in our new bigger apartment compared to our old one.
We have quite literally maximized space and minimized our footprint.


For the program of 10 years, the Yamaha Dtxpress series electronic drum sets possess established the requirement for efficiency and worth for each amateur and expert drummers. The drums on their own produce an incredible sound when reviewed to various other drum sets at present on the marketplace. Nothing else embed in its price variety has the high quality or the clarity.
There are various kinds that are offered today, even so, a ton of emphasis has been placed on them for being the very best in their class. A basic drum kit includes floor toms, cymbals, woodblocks, tambourines, cowbells, and electronic drum pads. Along with the wealth of producers, lots of people locate selecting a new drum set may be a difficult job to finish. To create the collection process a bit simpler it is essential to perform some research before heading out and buying a set.
The research study is the very best method to become knowledgeable about key functions and phrases that you may not know and assist you to create a notified choice whenever you are prepared to purchase best electronic drum sets. Right here is a fundamental rundown of a few of the significant manufactures in which rule the marketplace for electronic drum sets.
Tama – Tama was the very first business to create multi-clamp hardware for drum sets. This hardware enables drummers the chance to become capable of expanding their sets. Tama presented the first cymbal fill in the marketplace of drum producers.
These are utilized around the world and are produced due to the Pearl Tool Company. The drums obtained their begin in Japan and spread as if wildfire around the world.
Yamaha – First started making drum embed in 1968. During 1993, they brought out their very own improved sustain system. They are noted as being a significant manufacturer of electronic drum sets.


text:
Empty concrete lots and overgrown grass line Route 322, the entrance to Atlantic City. Monday Jan 28, 2019. Press of Atlantic City / Edward Lea Staff Photographer
Edward Lea / Staff Photographer
Blight welcomes visitors to Atlantic City, with rows of run-down motels along Route 322 into the resort. Monday Jan 28, 2019. Press of Atlantic City / Edward Lea Staff Photographer
A mile marker along Route 322, the blighted entrance into Atlantic City that is dotted with run-down motels and empty, concrete lots. Monday Jan 28, 2019. Press of Atlantic City / Edward Lea Staff Photographer
Empty concrete lots littered with trash line Route 322, the blight entrance to Atlantic City. Monday Jan 28, 2019. Press of Atlantic City / Edward Lea Staff Photographer
Empty concrete lots littered with trash line Route 322, the blighted entrance to Atlantic City. Monday Jan 28, 2019. Press of Atlantic City / Edward Lea Staff Photographer
The road into Atlantic City is riddled with blight. Can a new tactic work?
AVALON ZOPPO Staff Writer
Blight welcomes visitors to Atlantic City in the form of run-down motels along Route 322 leading into the resort.
Staff at the Comfort Inn on the Black Horse Pike became accustomed to seeing guests sell narcotics in the parking lot.
The police would be called to the now-shuttered hotel, said property owner Dr. Ira Trocki, and the issue resolved. But the seedy motels across the highway from his inn always brought problems back.
"West Atlantic City is gorgeous. It's on the bay. But all the little motels on the opposite side have had nothing but problems over the years and hold Atlantic City back," said Trocki, a plastic surgeon who is looking to sell the property to a developer. The hotel closed in 2016 after water pipes broke during a frigid winter.
It's not part of Atlantic City, but the 298-acre stretch of the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township is Atlantic City's problem. It's dotted with crumbling motels, mostly built in the 1950s, that have provided havens for drug use, prostitution and other illegal activities.
"West Atlantic City is gorgeous. It's on the bay. But all the little motels on the opposite side have had nothing but problems over the years and hold Atlantic City back." - Dr. Ira Trocki
Driving into the city, these eyesores set the stage for glistening casinos and a world-famous Boardwalk.
Now, the township is approaching the decades-long blight that has plagued the resort's entrance from a different angle, but progress is still slow. And with Stockton University and South Jersey Gas sitting at the door to Atlantic City, there's a renewed push to polish up the pike.
Last month, the township submitted a federal grant application for $2.4 million to tear down four motels: the Bay Point Inn, Destiny Inn, Budget Motel and Hi Ho Motel. The money would come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's flood mitigation grant assistance program, which offers funds to demolish buildings that are repeatedly and severely flooded.
All four properties have had a total of 56 claims over the past 10 years, equal to $3.8 million. The state is reviewing the application before it gets sent to FEMA. By the fall, the federal government will either approve or deny the proposal.
Only recently did the grants become available to towns.
"It's been very, very slow getting funding," said Peter Miller, Egg Harbor Township's business administrator. "It was only in the last couple of years FEMA made this type of grant available for municipalities."
Reimagining West Atlantic City — the resort town's "gateway" — isn't hard. A 2009 redevelopment plan envisioned high-rise condos, bustling nightlife and walking trails. Tattoo parlors and "sexually oriented businesses" would be banned.
But since then, progress has stalled. Limited funding from the CRDA for motel demolitions, a lack of interested developers and a flood problem have dampened headway.
"The concept is still there, but there are no redevelopers knocking on the doors," said former Mayor James "Sonny" McCullough. He blames the economic downturn spurred by the 2008 recession that he says has persisted in and around Atlantic City. Frequent flooding on the pike doesn't help matters.
"We had conversations with two or three potential developers in 2006 and 2007, but after the recession, they never came back," Miller said. "They disappeared."
Even getting West Atlantic City designated an area in need of redevelopment took years after a back-and-forth with the state Department of Environmental Protection over whether the peninsula is considered an island or part of the mainland, he said.
McCullough has seen West Atlantic City through some of its worst times.
In the late 1980s, he said, families were housed in some of the motels, placing them in an unsavory environment. Break-ins in nearby homes were common, he said.
"The concept is still there, but there are no redevelopers knocking on the doors." Former EHT Mayor James "Sonny" McCullough
A handful of motels were demolished in 2015 using $3 million from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, including one dubbed the "motel from hell" where four women were found murdered nearly 13 years ago. The killings made national headlines.
The CRDA and the city entered into an agreement last year to demolish the Bayview Inn in the resort, where a 4-foot alligator was found in a pool during a 2017 drug raid.
But the demolition was postponed for months after a company, Deep Blue Development, expressed interest in redeveloping the property. That never happened, and the motel has sat vacant and falling apart.
Plans for razing it are on again. Tear-down costs were initially estimated at $230,000, said CRDA Planning Director Lance Landgraf. A chain-link fence surrounds the dilapidated, boarded-up building to keep out trespassers.
"The first thing you see when you come into the community shouldn't be a dilapidated building," Landgraf said. "It's one of the main access points to the community. As soon as you come off the expressway Exit 2, that's what you see."
People are talking about how to reinvent Atlantic City. Join the conversation here.
Contact: 609-272-7258 azoppo@pressofac.com Twitter @AvalonZoppo
How Atlantic City's rooming houses interfere with goals of Tourism District
The block of Tennessee Avenue between the Boardwalk and Pacific Avenue has seen a recent flurry of investment and redevelopment, resulting in …
The story of blight in Atlantic City: Will it ever end?
ATLANTIC CITY — When the TV news show "60 Minutes" came to town on the 20th anniversary of legalized gambling here, Atlantic City was booming …
New community grant fund for Atlantic City
ATLANTIC CITY — The newly formed Atlantic City Community Fund has raised more than $30,000 from its founding supporters, the Geraldine R. Dodg…
Code enforcement officials comb Atlantic City looking for blight
ATLANTIC CITY — The team of city code enforcement officials met up at North New Jersey and Magellan avenues shortly after 10 a.m.
Art is a tool in the fight against blight. How can A.C. see more of it?
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Jenn Hampton was walking past boarded up buildings on Asbury Park's boardwalk when she had an idea.
'Drastic change' needed to address how Atlantic City handles social services
Atlantic City has had difficulty in shielding its visitors from unpleasant urban realities such as poverty, crime and drug use, which is often…
Committee takes Atlantic City cleanup efforts to the streets
ATLANTIC CITY — Rather than sit back and wait for those in need to come to them, a group of vested community stakeholders is taking its effort…
Lawsuit holds up demolition of Atlantic City motel where gator was found
ATLANTIC CITY — The demolition of a vacant motel that serves as a symbol of blight along the resort's entrance has been put on hold after a de…
Atlantic City fighting blight one building at a time
ATLANTIC CITY — Pastor Raymond Hollis Jr. and his wife, Shonda, inherited the blighted property on North Connecticut Avenue after his father p…
Two vacant motels on Route 40 are hitting the auction block
In the market for a motel? You're in luck.
Atlantic City residents' pleas for better roads getting limited results
ATLANTIC CITY — Catherine "Kitty" Gartrell is a former professional singer, who used her powerful voice to entertain in casinos and major citi…
Murphy to sign foreclosure legislation in Atlantic City Monday
Governor Murphy is expected to sign legislation addressing the state's foreclosure crisis Monday in Atlantic City.
Vacant EHT motel hitting the auction block Wednesday
The Inn of the Dove in Egg Harbor Township is set to be auctioned off on Wednesday.
Eyesore Egg Harbor Township motel sold for $650,000
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Northfield developer Bandi Property Group made a $650,000 offer on the vacant Inn of the Dove that was accepted Wednesda…
How can Atlantic City reinvent itself? We've got some ideas.
The Press of Atlantic City's Reinventing AC project explores the proposed solutions and real obstacles to enacting the recommendations outline…
Another $1 million in property demolition coming to Atlantic City
ATLANTIC CITY — The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority is putting another $1 million toward demolition of dilapidated properties by cit…


Volunteers play an important role in nearly every collaborative art project whether making films, organising festivals or putting on a major exhibition. A written agreement is important to ensure the volunteer understands his or her responsibilities and the policies and protocols that must be respected. This is particularly important if the volunteer will be working with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island creators or communities. This sample Volunteer Agreement is designed as a simple letter to be sent by the person or organisation responsible for the project to the volunteer. It includes terms dealing with ownership of intellectual property created by the volunteer, insurance and how certain costs and expenses are reimbursed.
Before using this agreement we recommend that the parties read the Artists in the Black information sheet Collaborative Art Projects.
A sample agreement for contracting an external person or arts business to facilitate a part of a creative Indigenous art project, whether through running workshops, mentoring the creative process or otherwise.


text:
Repair of coarctation in a right-sided circumflex retroesophageal aortic arch
Timothy W. Pettitt, Joseph Caspi, Satinder K. Sandhu, Kenneth J. Ward, R. Lester Hixon
We describe an unusual case of a 3-month-old infant with normal cardiac situs and coarctation of the aorta occurring proximal to the right subclavian artery in the presence of a right-sided retroesophageal circumflex aortic arch and aberrant left subclavian artery. Preoperative evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging and conventional aortography led us to surgically approach this lesion through a right thoracotomy with a successful outcome.
Annals of Thoracic Surgery
Dive into the research topics of 'Repair of coarctation in a right-sided circumflex retroesophageal aortic arch'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Aberrant subclavian artery Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
Aortography Medicine & Life Sciences 89%
Aortic Coarctation Medicine & Life Sciences 81%
Subclavian Artery Medicine & Life Sciences 80%
Thoracotomy Medicine & Life Sciences 68%
Thoracic Aorta Medicine & Life Sciences 65%
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Medicine & Life Sciences 43%
Pettitt, T. W., Caspi, J., Sandhu, S. K., Ward, K. J., & Hixon, R. L. (2001). Repair of coarctation in a right-sided circumflex retroesophageal aortic arch. Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 72(2), 611-613. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-4975(00)02407-3
Repair of coarctation in a right-sided circumflex retroesophageal aortic arch. / Pettitt, Timothy W.; Caspi, Joseph; Sandhu, Satinder K.; Ward, Kenneth J.; Hixon, R. Lester.
In: Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol. 72, No. 2, 08.2001, p. 611-613.
Pettitt, TW, Caspi, J, Sandhu, SK, Ward, KJ & Hixon, RL 2001, 'Repair of coarctation in a right-sided circumflex retroesophageal aortic arch', Annals of Thoracic Surgery, vol. 72, no. 2, pp. 611-613. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-4975(00)02407-3
Pettitt TW, Caspi J, Sandhu SK, Ward KJ, Hixon RL. Repair of coarctation in a right-sided circumflex retroesophageal aortic arch. Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 2001 Aug;72(2):611-613. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-4975(00)02407-3
Pettitt, Timothy W. ; Caspi, Joseph ; Sandhu, Satinder K. ; Ward, Kenneth J. ; Hixon, R. Lester. / Repair of coarctation in a right-sided circumflex retroesophageal aortic arch. In: Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 2001 ; Vol. 72, No. 2. pp. 611-613.
@article{b8d88d287cfa4241928b6844826c4472,
title = "Repair of coarctation in a right-sided circumflex retroesophageal aortic arch",
abstract = "We describe an unusual case of a 3-month-old infant with normal cardiac situs and coarctation of the aorta occurring proximal to the right subclavian artery in the presence of a right-sided retroesophageal circumflex aortic arch and aberrant left subclavian artery. Preoperative evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging and conventional aortography led us to surgically approach this lesion through a right thoracotomy with a successful outcome.",
author = "Pettitt, {Timothy W.} and Joseph Caspi and Sandhu, {Satinder K.} and Ward, {Kenneth J.} and Hixon, {R. Lester}",
journal = "Annals of Thoracic Surgery",
T1 - Repair of coarctation in a right-sided circumflex retroesophageal aortic arch
AU - Pettitt, Timothy W.
AU - Caspi, Joseph
AU - Sandhu, Satinder K.
AU - Ward, Kenneth J.
AU - Hixon, R. Lester
N2 - We describe an unusual case of a 3-month-old infant with normal cardiac situs and coarctation of the aorta occurring proximal to the right subclavian artery in the presence of a right-sided retroesophageal circumflex aortic arch and aberrant left subclavian artery. Preoperative evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging and conventional aortography led us to surgically approach this lesion through a right thoracotomy with a successful outcome.
AB - We describe an unusual case of a 3-month-old infant with normal cardiac situs and coarctation of the aorta occurring proximal to the right subclavian artery in the presence of a right-sided retroesophageal circumflex aortic arch and aberrant left subclavian artery. Preoperative evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging and conventional aortography led us to surgically approach this lesion through a right thoracotomy with a successful outcome.
JO - Annals of Thoracic Surgery
JF - Annals of Thoracic Surgery


We may be interested in purchasing your A.H. Pro metal detectors for info.
History of A.H. Electronics and the now Vintage Metal detectors from 1970-80s and still in use today.
A.H. Electronics was issued a Patent on the first "true" discriminating metal detector with several later patents on enhancements and a patent on the first "Ground Balancing" metal detection system. A list of products manufacturered is shown below. A.H. Pro Line Metal Detectors, no longer manufactured today, were made in 1970's - 80's and continue to be used, bought and sold today. We get emails from happy customers who purchased an A.H. Pro metal detector over 30 years ago and still use it today or individuals looking to purchase one.
After the manuafacturing of A.H. Pro line metal detectors stopped and industrial product development began, A. H. Electronics changed our name to Intex Systems Corp, but our loyalty to our customers never ceased and we continued to service the A.H. Pro line.
Super Pro-V a LF design similar to the Super Pro, but improved nickel detection.
Phantom None-motion ground canceling discriminator with adjustable ground canceling.
You can Buy or Sell an A.H. Pro metal detector on our website for Free.
Because the A.H. Pro line has not been manufactured for many years, you can not just order one from us or a dealer. They are bougth and sold on eBay, estate auctions, garage sales or by word of mouth. You can post a free listing if you are selling one or even just looking for but one. Do you want to view our Buy or Sell webpages - Please note, this feature is in the early stages of development and will be expanded in the near future. Click on the Link on the A.H. Pro Buy & Sell Navigation bar above.
A.H. Pro Metal Detector Repair Service - Get a Free Analysis with estimate.
We provide an authorized repair service for the the A.H. pro line products. Just fill out a "Service & Repair Questionnaire" and and you will get an email reply and shipping address. Then ship it and get a free repair estimate. The evaluation is free. There is a return shipping charge of $15 and no obligation to have it serviced.
Copyright 2017 Intex Systems Corp.


Chang Island lies off the eastern coast and is part of an archipelago consisting of more than 100 islands of different sizes, most of them uninhabited. Chang, the main island, is the second largest island of Thailand, covering 429 sqkm, therefore being nearly twize the size of well-known Samui Island on the other side of the Gulf of Siam. High mountains, covered by virgin rainforest, appear to rise directly from shoreline cliffs – a dark silhouette on the horizon. From the mainland the distant mass resembles a giant elephant rising almost to the base of the frequent clouds. This gives the island an abundance of waterfalls and streams and a rugged and almost impassable interior that has so far escaped mass tourism development.
Tourism started during the Seventies with small A-frame bungalows on Khlong Phrao Beach that were controlled by local families. 20 years later the first resorts opened up but even today, facilities are basic when compared with Samui or Phuket.
Located only 330 kilometres east of the capital, it is a favourite weekend destination for the people from Bangkok, who need about 4 hours by car on the partly 4-lane highway. For foreign visitors access to Chang Island has become easy with the new mainland airport in Trat that opened in April 2003. The airport is owned by Bangkok Airways and they currently operate 2 flights on a daily basis. Minibus transfer services to Ao Thammachat, the nearest ferry pier (approx 15 kms) are provided by Bangkok Airways.
Crossing time for the ferries to Ao Sapparot on Chang Island is 30 minutes. From there, a steep and bending road leads to the beaches on the western coast with the first one, Haad Sai Khao or White Sand Beach being reached after a 15 minutes drive through an impresssive rain forest area. On the way you are passing Klong Son Bay that opens to the Northwest of the island and boasts the beautiful Aiyapura Resort set in the natural environment.
Further on is the highly revered shrine of Chao Po and Chao Mae Koh Chang on the right. Locals and visitors seek faith and guidance from Chao Po Koh Chang when being hit by the monsoon on the open sea or when encountering sickness or other miseries.
Koh Chang National Park offers an array of activities including rain-forest hiking, elephant trekking, snorkelling, fishing, diving, boating, mountain biking, motorbiking, or visiting the local villages and waterfalls.


The first day of Goodwood and hopefully the going will stay the same and we can avoid thunderstorms making everything a lottery. We are involved in three races with a selection in each including one strong selection of three points.
No winners on Saturday but two decent priced places led to a profit, which is what it is all about. Taghrooda was very impressive and must have a chance of winning the Arc if handling the usual soft going. One race at Ascot and again a big field so two selections.


text:
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const Stopwatch = require('node-stopwatch').Stopwatch;
// [START monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_setup]
// opencensus setup
const {globalStats, MeasureUnit, AggregationType} = require('@opencensus/core');
const {StackdriverStatsExporter} = require('@opencensus/exporter-stackdriver');
// [END monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_setup]
// [START monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_exporter]
// Stackdriver export interval is 60 seconds
const EXPORT_INTERVAL = 60;
// [END monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_exporter]

// define the "golden signals" metrics and views
// [START monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_measure]
const REQUEST_COUNT = globalStats.createMeasureInt64(
  'request_count',
  MeasureUnit.UNIT,
  'Number of requests to the server'
);
// [END monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_measure]
// [START monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_view]
const request_count_metric = globalStats.createView(
  'request_count_metric',
  REQUEST_COUNT,
  AggregationType.COUNT
);
globalStats.registerView(request_count_metric);
// [END monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_view]
// [START monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_measure]
const ERROR_COUNT = globalStats.createMeasureInt64(
  'error_count',
  MeasureUnit.UNIT,
  'Number of failed requests to the server'
);
// [END monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_measure]
// [START monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_view]
const error_count_metric = globalStats.createView(
  'error_count_metric',
  ERROR_COUNT,
  AggregationType.COUNT
);
globalStats.registerView(error_count_metric);
// [END monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_view]
// [START monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_measure]
const RESPONSE_LATENCY = globalStats.createMeasureInt64(
  'response_latency',
  MeasureUnit.MS,
  'The server response latency in milliseconds'
);
// [END monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_measure]
// [START monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_view]
const latency_metric = globalStats.createView(
  'response_latency_metric',
  RESPONSE_LATENCY,
  AggregationType.DISTRIBUTION,
  [],
  'Server response latency distribution',
  // Latency in buckets:
  [0, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 10000]
);
globalStats.registerView(latency_metric);
// [END monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_view]

// Enable OpenCensus exporters to export metrics to Stackdriver Monitoring.
// Exporters use Application Default Credentials (ADCs) to authenticate.
// See https://developers.google.com/identity/protocols/application-default-credentials
// for more details.
// Expects ADCs to be provided through the environment as ${GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS}
// A Stackdriver workspace is required and provided through the environment as ${GOOGLE_PROJECT_ID}
const projectId = process.env.GOOGLE_PROJECT_ID;

// GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS are expected by a dependency of this code
// Not this code itself. Checking for existence here but not retaining (as not needed)
if (!projectId || !process.env.GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS) {
  throw Error('Unable to proceed without a Project ID');
}
// [START monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_exporter]
const exporter = new StackdriverStatsExporter({
  projectId: projectId,
  period: EXPORT_INTERVAL * 1000,
});
globalStats.registerExporter(exporter);
// [END monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_exporter]

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  // start request timer
  const stopwatch = Stopwatch.create();
  stopwatch.start();
  // [START monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_counts]
  // record a request count for every request
  globalStats.record([
    {
      measure: REQUEST_COUNT,
      value: 1,
    },
  ]);

  // randomly throw an error 10% of the time
  const randomValue = Math.floor(Math.random() * 9 + 1);
  if (randomValue === 1) {
    // Record a failed request.
    globalStats.record([
      {
        measure: ERROR_COUNT,
        value: 1,
      },
    ]);
    // [END monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_counts]
    // Return error.
    res.status(500).send('failure');

    // Record latency.
    globalStats.record([
      {
        measure: RESPONSE_LATENCY,
        value: stopwatch.elapsedMilliseconds,
      },
    ]);
    stopwatch.stop();
  } else {
    res.status(200).send('success!');

    // Record latency for every request.
    // [START monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_latency]
    globalStats.record([
      {
        measure: RESPONSE_LATENCY,
        value: stopwatch.elapsedMilliseconds,
      },
    ]);
    // [END monitoring_sli_metrics_opencensus_latency]
    stopwatch.stop();
  }
});

module.exports = app;
app.listen(8080, () => console.log('Example app listening on port 8080!'));