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When I recently wrote about the Gold-Plating of College Sports -- and how amateurism makes things like $1 million athletic director salaries possible -- I expected feedback.
Boy, did I get it.
Tweets. Comments. Emails. Some of you had questions; others had bones to pick. Either way, your responses called for a follow-up. So here goes:
If college athletics is such a bad racket for SAs (student-athletes), why are there so many willing to participate?
- The Winthrop University compliance office
If Foxconn's Chinese electronics factories and the Cambodian sweatshops that allegedly made Dallas Cowboys gear are such a bad racket for their workers, then why are so many willing to participate?
Let's remember that no student-athlete is forced to play in college. Can seek "market value" elsewhere #NBADL
- Ryan Squire, associate athletic director for compliance at the University of Illinois
I guess I missed where anyone was being kidnapped, thrown into the back of a van, and forced to participate in any activities against his own free will.
- Phil Poirier
Sigh. In repeatedly arguing against college sports amateurism, I've never asserted that young athletes are forced to participate in a rigged, unfair system. There are no roadside abductions, and stupid recruiting letters are not a gun to the head.
To the contrary, I'm simply arguing that from an economic perspective, the collegiate system is rigged and unfair. Rigged and unfair because while athletes get something in exchange for their labor -- an athletic scholarship -- they are prevented from getting both actual money and a free-market level of said money because a cartel has agreed a) not to compete for their services with offers of money; b) not to allow them to accept any money that anyone might want to provide them.
Whether the current college sports system is a bad or good racket isn't the point. The point is that it's a racket. A racket based on collusion among schools and price-fixing for talent. The fact that athletes choose to participate -- or choose not to participate in the NBDL -- doesn't make it any less of one. Arguing otherwise is a red herring.
Let's go back to my sweatshop analogy. Am I saying that playing basketball for Winthrop University is exactly as awful and inhumane as working in an overseas sweatshop? No. That's why it's an analogy, and not an equivalence. Here's how the two things are alike: People work in sweatshops for the same reason revenue sport athletes accept the college sports system -- because it's the best deal they individually can get within a system that is set up to ensure they have no power or ability to negotiate a better deal. They are presented with a Hobson's Choice, which is no choice at all.
Faced with that reality, college athletes are acting rationally. Participation beats non-participation. If you were living in Soviet Russia, joining the Communist Party made a lot more sense than not, because the former was a good way to get rewards, and the latter was a good way to get thrown in a Siberian prison. Does that mean communism was a just and fair way to order the political and economic system of an entire country?
Let's stay on topic.
The Division-I athlete gets taken care of. Should be no complaints. More selfishness if they want to get paid. Do we forget that they get school, housing, athletic clothing and top-notch training facilities for free as [a student-athlete]?
- Adam Ledyard, East Texas Baptist University sports information director
Jay Paterno wrote a piece a while back that touched on this a little: Jay Paterno: Pay Student-Athletes? They're Already Getting a Great Deal
- Kristi Dosh, BusinessofCollegeSports.com
I'll admit it: For me, an article written by Jay Paterno and republished on the NCAA's official website is about as credible as Colin Powell warning the United Nations about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. But those are my personal biases. In the interest of fairness, here's what Paterno wrote:
Let me start the argument by making a proposal to parents and students alike. I am going to ask you to work no more than 20 hours a week for 21 weeks -- with at least one mandatory day off every week. For another 23 weeks you'll work no more than eight hours a week. You'll get eight weeks off. (These are all NCAA-mandated time limits).
You will receive fall, spring and both summer sessions of education, plus room, board and all fees paid. For the 604 hours you put in, you'll get an education valued at $33,976 in state and $50,286 out of state (using last year's numbers from Penn State, the latest available). Keep in mind that number does not include several hundred dollars per semester for books and supplies, which are covered under the NCAA scholarship.
At those rates, the student-athlete on full scholarship to Penn State will earn $56.25 per hour if he is an in-state student and $83.25 per hour if he is an out-of-state student.
As a bonus, this full scholarship allows you access to tutors and computer labs and player lounges -- all free to you, the student-athlete. Any medical costs incurred beyond your insurance are covered. You can be flown home at the school's expense for funerals or family emergencies. There can be bowl gifts of several hundred dollars as well.
If you and your family have financial difficulties, this scholarship also allows you to receive any Pell Grant money you are qualified for up to the federal maximum of $5,550 per year. There's also a needy student fund allowing for several hundred dollars a year to buy clothes.
When it comes right down to it, this pay package looks pretty good to most of America. An opportunity to attend some of the top universities in the country and graduate with no student loans to pay off looks good when you consider the average college student in this country starts off with $24,000 in debt the day they graduate.
Paterno is right: This would look pretty good to most of America. Thing is, most of America can't play linebacker for Penn State. Definitely not the way LaVar Arrington did. In discussing the essential unfairness of the college sports system, I'm not talking about the average kid who is average at sports, whom no one outside his or her parents wants to watch. I'm talking about the exceptional kid with elite sports talent, living in a country with a voracious appetite for elite sports entertainment and a willingness to pay lots and lots of money in order to feast.
Again: Getting a scholarship and some perks (like bowl gifts of SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS!) is not the same as being allowed to realize your value in a competitive marketplace for your talent. The college sports system is unfair because some athletes could be getting a much better deal than the one Paterno outlines, and the only reason they aren't is because they are constrained by a bogus philosophy and arbitrary set of economic rules that we don't allow in any other walk of American life.
In my original article on the gold-plating of college sports, I noted that University of Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds was paid roughly $1.1 million last year, making him one of nine athletic directors making $1 million or more. According to USA TODAY Sports, athletic directors at FBS schools are paid an average of $515,000 annually, an increase of more than 14 percent over the last two years. How did Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin explain the large -- and rising -- salaries? By telling USA TODAY Sports that "it's a marketplace out there."
Right. A market. Now imagine if it wasn't:
DELOSS DODDS enters and sits across from BILL POWERS' desk.
DODDS: I'm here to interview for the athletic director job.
POWERS: I think you mean student-athletic director.
DODDS: Oh.
POWERS: And hold on a second. Did you say "job?"
DODDS: I did. I'll be working, right?
POWERS: No.
DODDS: Well, being an athletic director requires overseeing a large budget and dozens of teams, making coach hiring and firing decisions, negotiating rights and sponsorship deals, glad-handing with alumni and boosters, complying with NCAA rules and lots of other tasks both at and away from my desk. Vanderbilt's David Williams says that to be an athletic director, you should "go spend a year in law school, a year in business school and a year over in the college of education, and then take some communications stuff. And then get yourself a big old box of aspirin." That sure sounds like work to me.
POWERS: Nope. Working is for professional athletic directors. As a student-athletic director, you're an amateur.
DODDS: What's an amateur?
POWERS: An amateur is someone who is not an employee, and therefore not entitled to things like workers' compensation.
DODDS: I guess I could use my salary to pay my medical bills if I ever get hurt on the job.
POWERS: Don't worry about that. [Laughs]. There's no job for you to get hurt on!
DODDS: But there's a salary, right?
POWERS: Of course not! Salaries are for employees. [More laughter]. Dodds, let me ask you something: Do you know how much this athletic department made last year?
DODDS: I do. About $163 million. Very impressive. One of the main reasons I wanted to work -- excuse me -- be a student-athlete director here.
POWERS: And do you know where that money goes? To people who work for it. Like our starting quarterback. Look out the window. See him? He's practicing right now. Working. If we make the Cotton Bowl this season, he gets a $60,000 bonus. Worth every penny, too. Kid is damn good at throwing the football. Heisman candidate. On TV almost every day. Alums love him. Boosters love him. I can't tell you exactly how much money he's made for us, but the marketing folks tell me it's a whole lot. Millions. And get this: We landed him for a $150,000 signing bonus. LSU offered only $75,000 and a new car. They must be kicking themselves.
DODDS: Speaking of signing bonuses, I'd like to talk about one.
POWERS: [Laughs.] You are a persistent son of a gun. I'll give you that. I already told you that there's no salary. No signing bonus, either. That would be against NCAA rules. Are you sure you have previous sports administration experience?
DODDS: So what do I receive if I sign on here?
POWERS: You get a hell of a deal, is what you get! Ask Jay Paterno. Room and board, all paid for. A free year of tuition for every year you serve. The opportunity to train to become a more valuable professional job candidate someday. Access to administrative assistants, university computers and faculty lounges -- all free to you, the student-athletic director. Any medical costs incurred beyond your personal insurance are covered. If you have a death or emergency in the family, we may fly you home. And back, even. You're also free to receive federal grants up to $5,550 a year -- I didn't ask, do you have kids? -- and are allowed to tap into our needy student-athletic director fund for several hundred dollars a year to buy suits. Plus, football box seats, 50-yard line, gratis. And all the locker room access you want. You know, the opportunity to have a roof over your head, eat prepared meals, work out at our swanky new gym and watch one of the most popular college football teams in the country for free looks pretty good when you consider the average American has to work all day just to pay for all of those things, doesn't it?
DODDS: I'd still like a salary. I think I'll go apply at Texas A&M.
POWERS: OK, but they offer the same deal.
DODDS: Texas Tech?
POWERS: Ditto.
DODDS: Baylor? Rice? SMU? Houston?
POWERS: Yep. Every college in the country offers the same deal. We've agreed on that. Room, board, perks. No salary.
DODDS: Is that legal?
POWERS: It is for amateurs.
DODDS: Can't you make an exception for me?
POWERS: We could, but then all of the other schools would boycott us.
DODDS: [Low whistle.] That's a hell of a catch.
POWERS: The best there is. Look, if you want more than what I'm offering, I suggest you apply for a team president job with the NFL or the NBA.
DODDS: But … there are only about 32 jobs in each of those leagues, and 347 Division-I athletic director jobs. I'm pretty good at what I do, but not good enough for the NFL and NBA.
POWERS: In that case, you should go to Europe. Or Mexico. Japan? Perhaps there's a youth sports academy job for you there. Anyway, nobody is holding a gun to your head and saying you need to be an athletic director. You're free to go sell life insurance. Or work at Arby's. We have one on campus. I hear they're hiring.
DODDS: That seems unfair.
POWERS: Unfair? Trust me, you can live on a food and housing allowance -- if you do the math, it's better than what we pay the people who wash dishes at the Faculty Club, and you don't hear them complaining.
DODDS furrows his brow. POWERS places a national letter of intent and a flat-brimmed Texas hat on his desk.
POWERS: So, are you in?
DODDS: I need a day to think about it.
POWERS: Great! Before you make up your mind, you should check out our weight room. It's not as nice as Alabama's, but it's pretty darn impressive.
Is a million dollars an outrageous salary for someone who runs an extremely visible $100 million-a-year business? Personally, I would suggest that it isn't, and that [athletic director] salaries are more or less in line with what similar top executives make at similarly-sized businesses in the sports and media industries, which is really the business these guys are in.
I don't agree that a sharp reduction in AD pay would make a meaningful difference in a school's ability to compensate athletes. Your own chart demonstrates that even if Dodds were to work for nothing, the money saved would not provide fair market value to even two [Texas] football players.
- Mikey
Good points. Let's address them one at a time:
1. College athletic departments are considered non-profit educational enterprises, much like the schools they are attached to. If that's the case, a $1 million executive salary seems a bit high -- as I pointed out in my previous piece, American Red Cross president and CEO Gail McGovern earns a base salary of $500,000.
However, if college athletic departments are actually businesses -- and specifically in the sports and media business -- then sure, $1 million for the head of a $100 million company isn't particularly noteworthy.
(Note: I'd actually argue that college athletic departments amount to giant marketing departments for universities, in that they exist to attract students, encourage alumni giving and increase school name recognition and brand awareness. But that's a column for another time.)
1a. The notion that college athletic departments are not businesses is traditionally what has allowed them to get away with instituting and enforcing across-the-board amateurism, which in turn caps athlete compensation in football and men's basketball -- and probably particular athletes in other sports as well -- at below-market rates. If you think that's not the case, try a quick thought experiment: Without amateurism, how much cash would Duke have to offer Jabari Parker to beat out Kentucky for his services?
1b. Thanks to the above compensation cap, athletic departments have more money to spend on other things. And since they have no profit motive, they do so. Hence gold-plating, which I believe extends to athletic director salaries. Lower on-field labor costs means higher executive compensation.
Now, I could be wrong. Perhaps athletic directors have an undistorted market value of $500,000-plus annually. Perhaps schools paying competitive prices for players would continue to compete just as hard -- and lucratively -- for administrators. Maybe those schools would simply cut corners in other areas of their athletic budgets, or find ways to make even more money. Hello, corporate sponsor patches on college jerseys!
Of course, the only way to find out for sure is to dump amateurism. The fact that athletic directors are in no hurry to do so ought to tell you something.
2. I think you have things backwards. I never asserted that reducing athletic director pay would make a meaningful difference in a school's ability to compensate athletes; as explained above, I simply argued that compensating athletes would result in a meaningful reduction of athletic director pay. In fact, compensating athletes would result in less money for athletic departments in general -- which might not be as apocalyptic as people like Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany predict.
Again, consider this chart from antitrust economists Dan Rascher and Andy Schwarz, which shows average spending difference Division I schools with major football teams (like Alabama) and those without (like Georgetown) various non-revenue college sports in 2009-10 and 2010-11.
Given that many FCS schools manage to field competitive Division I non-revenue teams -- such as Brown's 2011 championship rowing team or Georgetown's NCAA runner-up men's soccer squad -- for less money, is the extra FBS spending really necessary?
Your screed [on] Sports on Earth neglected to mention the thorny issue that no one who advocates paying college athletes is willing to address. How do you decide who gets paid what?
Your article quotes one study that each Texas football player is worth more than $500K. That's not true. That would suggest that the starting quarterback is worth the same as the guy standing on the bench waving a towel. They don't have the same value!
How do you value a recruit? What do you do when an underpaid player outperforms his salary? What happens when an overpaid player underperforms?
- Brian Simon
Great questions. The temptation here is to come up with some sort of one-size-fits-most plan that covers the majority of athletes and schools. Joe Nocera of The New York Times has a thoughtful proposal that combines free-market recruiting and a per-team salary cap for football and men's basketball. Sports Illustrated presented a detailed scheme that would pay all campus athletes a stipend. As a thought exercise, "Wages of Wins" author Dave Berri calculated how basketball players could be paid according to their Wins Produced statistics. (Berri estimates that Indiana star Victor Oladipo would have made $737,129 this season, while teammate Taylor Wayer would have pocketed $2,138.) The plaintiffs in the ongoing, potentially landmark Ed O'Bannon antitrust case -- if you're unfamiliar, Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples has a great summary here -- have a plan to split television revenues between schools and athletes, similar to the way professional football splits TV money between owners and players.
Personally, I prefer a hands-off approach. No plan. No universal solution. Let the market figure itself out, the same way it does in other lines of work. On Schwarz's blog, he puts it like this:
There is no need for a central committee to make this decision. Since 1776, with the publication of Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations," we've understood that markets generally find their way to efficient outcomes without the need for a committee, NCAA or otherwise, acting as a wage politburo. No centralized commission or study group is needed to decide what we should pay the athletes. Let schools make offers, and let incoming high school athletes and their parents decide which to accept. Competition is a wonderful thing, on the playing field and in the marketplace. This is how salaries are set across the world. This is probably how your pay was set.
At first it might be a little messy, just as when a firm prices its stock in an IPO. The initial price may end up higher or lower than the right value, but the company picks a price, sells its stock, and then the market adjusts. For example, Linked In went public on May 19, 2011 and closed up 107% from its initial offering after two days of trading. The following month, Pandora went public but closed down 20% two days after its launch. Opening up the market for student-athletes would not be much different. At first, many schools might continue to offer the Grant in Aid ("GIA") package without additional cash. A few programs might want to set the gold standard and offer $10,000 stipends. A few up-and-comers might make a play for some talent and offer $25,000 to see if they could jump-start their programs at a higher level. The following year, maybe a few more schools would up the ante, and maybe some of the Old Guard might start matching offers to avoid losing talent. Just as water finds its own level, so too do prices in a liquid market. A decade in, everyone would have a great sense of what a blue chipper is worth to a program and what it takes to land him. Problem solved.
One more thing to consider: collective bargaining. It's quite likely some form of it would take place between teams and athletic departments, or between the NCAA and a national college player's union. As much as I rail against the sheer moral odiousness of amateurism, the fact remains: Schools generate a good chunk of the value in college sports. Put Louisville and Duke's basketball squads in street clothes in a high school gym, and they won't command nearly as much television revenue as they do in the NCAA tournament. Both sides of the college sports labor-management equation deserve a piece of the pie; one side should not be allowed to dictate slice sizes via fiat.
One more thought that is often ignored. I have a degree from the University of Texas. It does NOT have the same value as if I had played football at the University of Texas (even if I failed to get a degree). Aside from the opportunities to pursue professional sports, a former player [has] a cachet that has significant value in the business world. My friend once took an appointment on a cold call because the salesman was the punter on the Texas national championship team. Playing college football has value beyond the traditional play-for-your-tuition model suggests.
- Brian Simon
Sure. Lots of things have intangible value. A degree from Harvard probably has more cachet than a degree from Florida Gulf Coast. Does that mean a talented collegiate actor shouldn't be allowed to make money while participating in Harvard's student theater program?
Rich keep getting richer. Mid-majors cannot keep up with the Big Boys. Being paid by boosters can be dangerous [and] bigger schools have more to offer than mid-majors #dangerousroad
- Adam Ledyard
Amateurism caps salaries. It does not ensure equal talent distribution. Because rich schools can't hand out cash to attract talent, they do things like build $9 million, 37,000-square foot athlete weight rooms and $7 million basketball dormitories featuring private chefs. These are secondary recruiting inducements, and while they might be economically inefficient, they are still effective.
To wit: Rascher and Schwarz examined where the top 100 high school basketball prospect over a 10-year-period went to school. Take a look.
More than 99 percent chose the Big Boys. The #dangerousroad already exists, and it is a freshly paved superhighway. If anything, amateurism hurts competitive balance. The hardest, most expensive way to attract top high school athletes is to hire high-priced coaches, build tricked-out facilities and spend countless man-hours on recruiting. By contrast, the cheapest, most efficient way to land talent -- not coincidentally, the method employed in the actual job market -- is to offer a better salary. As an economist explained to me last year: "The sixth man on Kentucky's basketball team might not be worth as much to them as they would be to, say, Ball State. But right now, price-fixing keeps Ball State from competing. If you let schools use cash, they would at least have a chance."
The hurdles with Title IX and nonprofit laws and [regulations] make it much harder to contemplate pay-for-play than most realize. You make it sound like it's simple to decide to pay [student-athletes]. Maybe morally, but not in reality.
- Kristi Dosh
Ah. Title IX and nonprofit laws. The great bogeymen of college sports economic overhaul. Both are reasons to maintain the status quo. Are they compelling reasons?
I think not.
Consider a college sports Olympic model, in which athletes would be allowed to sign individual endorsement deals and receive booster money handshakes without sanction. Said transactions would be matters for the IRS; Title IX and nonprofit laws wouldn't apply. As for direct pay-for-play? Dosh has a point. Title IX could make it more difficult for schools to pay football and men's basketball players. On the other hand, it might not. The same goes for nonprofit laws and their application to campus athletic departments.
Also remember: We're talking about laws. Human laws. Not the laws of thermodynamics. Laws that we collectively agree to as a society; laws that are subject to interpretation and re-interpretation; laws that can be changed. All change takes is political will. If Congress wants to pass a law taxing revenue-producing college sports but not taxing universities otherwise, it can do that; if Congress wants to amend or reword Title IX so that athletes in revenue-producing sports can be paid without having to pay non-revenue athletes, it can do that, too. Trust me. I live in Washington, D.C. I know all about federal loopholes.
Look, change is never easy. It always brings complications. But since when is comfort a good reason to perpetuate injustice? Amateurism isn't a condition. It's a choice. A system we can choose to dismantle.


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10 Rappers Who Can Act
When it comes to flipping scripts, look no further than these rappers-turned-actors. Artists like Will Smith, Queen Latifah and Ice Cube have successfully transitioned themselves from being an actor to becoming Hollywood heavyweights. Other rhyme-slingers like T.I., Ludacris and Bow Wow are on the come-up, playing an array of characters on the big screen.
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UBOOT The Board Game
UBOOT The Board Game is a real-time tabletop game of WW2 submarine warfare. An underwater cooperative war thriller that allows 1 to 4 players to assume the roles of the Captain, the First Officer, the Navigator, and the Chief Engineer on board of a type VIIC U-boat. The game is enhanced by a companion app, allowing for an unprecedented level of realism, as well as a challenging enemy A.I. which will push your skills to the limit. The action unfolds both on the strategic and the tactical scale, always demanding teamwork, efficient crew management, and quick situation assessment.
What the reviewers say:
Game overview
The Crew
Each of the four roles entails unique responsibilities, encouraging the players to develop an efficient communication scheme and use genuine navy terminology. The Captain oversees the completion of mission objectives, supervises action point costs, and is responsible for the crew's morale. The First Officer operates the companion app, manages the flow of information, and takes care of the crew's health. The Navigator steers the submarine by setting its course and depth, but also updates all the essential information on the strategic, and the tactical map. Last, but not least, is the Chief Engineer, who is responsible for the engines, repairs, as well as other mechanical implements on board of the U-boat (such as the ballast tanks, weapon systems, etc.). At the same time, each of the four officers commands his own group of crew members by issuing orders within a worker placement system.
The App
The idea behind the companion app is to deliver a real-time, realistic gameplay experience. To that end, the app features the most essential instruments of the u-boat (such as the periscope, the hydrophone, and the Enigma, among others). Rest assured, however, that the vast majority of gameplay traditionally takes place on the game board, with the instruments revealing otherwise hidden information, and the app requiring only certain data (such as the U-boat's course, speed, etc.) in order to generate an adequate A.I. response of the enemy force. It is also responsible for all the ambient sound effects, thus immersing the players even deeper into the claustrophobic interiors of the type VIIC. But fear not! With open & play being a design priority, you will be launching torpedoes in no time, thanks to streamlined rules, video tutorials, and variable difficulty levels for each player.
The Mission
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Gameplay video
How to play
The stage is set and the crew is awaiting your orders. Do you have what it takes to command the Kriegsmarine's finest? Hunt or be hunted, as you brave the stormy seas of the greatest conflict in history!
Core rules
The Captain
The Navigator
The First Officer
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Pledge level
The UBOOT Pledge includes one copy of the game, one copy of the Kickstarter Special Expansion - Giant Playing Mat (latex), and any additional Stretch goals we may reach during the campaign.
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Why pledge now?
- To save 20%! After the campaign, the retail price of UBOOT will be £80, (€90, $100).
- To get a free Kickstarter Special Expansion: Giant Playing Mat (retail value £25, €29, $33)!
- To receive the game before it hits retail distribution.
- To help an independent publisher to design, develop, and publish unique, challenging games.
Our goal and Stretch goals
With this campaign we are back to Kickstarter basics. The design is complete, with 2 years of development and playtesting behind it. There will be no rule-changing expansions and stretch goals. We will use them only to improve the components, including the game's app, and to enrich gameplay. This is the reason why we have chosen Kickstarter. We are offering a great product at a great price and a short fulfillment period. There is no hidden agenda. We are offering a great and simple deal.
The game will be published if we reach the funding goal: £65.000. Then we will dive deeper for some Stretch goals. Stretch goals are added to every game for free:
Social stretch goal
You have unlocked five social stretch goals - thank you!
No Kickstarter exclusives
We are players at heart, so we are against Kickstarter exclusives. That is why we have prepared Kickstarter Special Expansion: free for our backers and available later in retail, but at an additional cost.
We are offering a number of items that you can add to your pledge. To include add-ons in your pledge, please click on the Manage your pledge button. Increase your total pledged amount of the add-on values, to include any items you would like to receive. You will be able to let us know in the Pledge Manager (after the campaign ends) which items you have added to your order.
The add-ons are language independent, unless otherwise stated in the add-on description.
The estimated shipping cost of each Hannibal & Hamilcar and The Magnates is +£7 per game; Germania Magna, Days of Honour, and HUNGER is +£5 per game. Interior upgrade, Supply tokens upgrade, Environmental Condition 3D tokens, Kriegsmarine Deluxe Plotting Tools, Giant Playing Mat upgrade and 110 Paladin Sleeves add-ons will not increase your shipping costs!
You need to purchase at least one copy of UBOOT The Board Game to be able to include any add-ons in your pledge.
First contact with UBOOT The Board Game (a eurogamer's perspective).
Ex-military naval warfare specialist shares his thoughts about UBOOT.
Rules and game play videos in French language.
Game preview video in Spanish language (Uboot – El juego de mesa: explicación de reglas en español).
Game preview video in German language (Brettspielblog.net).
Italian description at Gioconauta.it.
Polish review at GamesFanatic.pl
Game rules
Tactical Guide (beta PDF version).
Production & delivery
Please note that not all the graphic material presented here is final. The photos are showing handmade prototypes of the game. The final production quality will be much higher.
The games are produced in the EU (with miniatures produced in China), keeping the proven high standards of PHALANX. If you back us on Kickstarter, you will receive your copy several weeks before the game reaches any retail outlets! Our goal is to produce UBOOT within 180 days of reaching our funding goal. Kickstarter backers will have their copies delivered no later than December 2018.
You will be asked to pay the shipping cost in the Pledge Manager after the campaign. At that time, you will be able to add extra copies of the game and items from our Add-on list. Additional items may increase shipping costs. PHALANX is responsible for shipping the English edition of the game. The games will be shipped out from USA, EU, Canada and Australia. The estimated shipping cost is: USA £15 to most states, £30 to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Canada £20. EU £10 to most countries (Poland - free). Other European countries £15 - £30 (Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus: £10). Asia £30, Australia £25, New Zealand £35, Oceania £45, Latin America £45, Africa £45.
You can multiply the UBOOT Pledge to get significant savings on shipping costs. For example: the cost of shipping to most EU countries will be £10 for a single game and £15 for 2-4 games, if shipped to the same address. Call your friends and save up to £25 on shipping!
Ediciones MasQueOca is responsible for shipping Spanish language games. Please click here for more details.
International Distribution
If you're a retailer from the EU, please contact us at sales[at]vertima.trade to receive an offer. Otherwise, please contact Ares Games Distribution, our distributor for the rest of the World.
Backing the game is a great way to support the project, but the next best thing you could do is to help us build awareness for the game by following us and sharing our posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and elsewhere.
Please subscribe to our newsletter (just send an email to: newsletter[at]phalanxgames.co.uk or use the form at uboottheboardgame.com) to be the first to know about our future releases.
The Media Pack is here.
Who are we?
UBOOT is designed and published by people passionate about both the tabletop experience and history.
PHALANX is an international publisher that has been publishing board games since 2009. Our goal is to publish beautiful, challenging games with original themes. We are known for great quality products and customer-focused service. We cooperate with the largest companies on the market, such as Stonemaier Games, Mayfair Games, KOSMOS, Academy Games, Asyncron games, Ediciones MasQueOca, Feuerland Spiele and Cranio Creations. We have already published various games in English, and many people enjoy playing them, like all times classic Mark Simonitch's Hannibal & Hamilcar. 1944: Race to the Rhine voted one of the best wargames of 2014. Others include The Magnates: A Game of Power, Germania Magna: Border in Flames, and Days of Honor.
Iron Wolf Studio are the authors behind the game. They are an ambitious game design studio comprising a duo of veteran gamers and World War 2 enthusiasts. Their ambition is to breathe new life into worn-out genres and rediscover the joy of venturing into uncharted gaming territories. To that end, they are not afraid of reaching for new technologies and never-before-seen solutions. Their mission with UBOOT is to prove to the world that wargames can be innovative, beautiful, and exciting, while paying respect to historical accuracy and realism at the same time.
PlayWay is one of the biggest Polish videogame publishers, acting as investor and licensor of the UBOOT brand.
Ediciones MasQueOca is one of the most relevant publishers in Spanish, Portuguese and Brazilian languages, Based in Spain. Has published more than 60 games including Mice and Mystic, Camel Up, Pax Porfiriana Collector Edition, Keyflower, Concordia, etc. and has participated in successful kickstarter projects such as Fief: France 1429, Mare Nostrum, 878 Vikings or Hannibal & Hammilcar. Ediciones MasQueOca has a strategic partnership with PHALANX developing for the Spanish market most of their games (Magnates, 1944:Race to the Rhine, Hannibal & Hamilcar) and now, UBOOT The Board Game.
ASYNCRON games is a French board game publisher. Its most famous boardgames are Mare Nostrum and FIEF. PHALANX and ASYNCRON games are partners since several years with 1944 RttR, Mare Nostrum and Hannibal & Hamilcar and they currently working on other projects. ASYNCRON games has already managed 7 successful crowdfunding campaign and is now looking forward to handling the French version of UBOOT.
Cranio Creations Founded back in 2009 by a group of young, skilled and enthusiastic gamers and artists, Cranio Creations quickly evolved into one of the most well-known board game publishers in Italy. We offer games suitable for every occasion or gaming group, focusing our production on ingenious and innovative mechanics along with a gorgeous graphical design. Some of our best received works are Lorenzo il Magnifico and A Tale of Pirates and Unusual Suspects. We are always looking fro the most innovative and interesting products to localize for the italian market, and UBOOT The Board Game is one of the best upcoming project in the market!
Crowd Games, founded in 2015. Since then we have published many great games in Russian, such as: Caverna, Scythe, Mice and Mystics, Dead of Winter, This War of Mine, TIME Stoiries, and many others. We are really looking forward to working on UBOOT with Phalanx.
Risks and challenges
PHALANX has been publishing board games since 2009.
Our products are known for great quality, just like our customer service. We co-publish games with the largest companies on the market, like Stonemaier Games, Mayfair Games, KOSMOS, Academy Games, Asyncron games, Ediciones MasQueOca, Feuerland Spiele and Cranio Creations.
This is our third Kickstarter campaign: in 2016 we successfully fulfilled the Germania Magna campaign, and Mark Simonitch's Hannibal & Hamilcar in 2018.
We do not expect delays in production, but unforeseen issues may arise during manufacturing and shipping. We estimate that in the worst case scenario, the production might suffer delays of at most 30 days, and shipping & customs may add some extra 15-30 days. We are experienced with large production runs, and we are preparing back-up plans for each step of the project, from production to shipping and final delivery.
By pledging on this project you agree that our responsibility to you is to ship your order as entered into the pledge management system. You are responsible for import or other duties that may be payable to relevant tax authorities. You also accept that you are fully liable for incorrect shipping details and will risk your pledge being undeliverable or lost in transit. We are unable to ship to PO Boxes. We allow a maximum of 1 delivery location per backer, regardless of number of pledges / copies ordered.
If you do not accept the proposed terms, then please do not pledge on this project; wait for the retail release.
Funding period
- (23 days)


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Copyright isn't *always* useless for designers; sometimes, it's actually dangerous
Today, let's look at a couple of cases that show the exceptions to the rule that the U.S. Copyright Act offers no protection for the creative output of fashion designers.
In the recent case of Mon Cheri Bridal, Inc. v. Wu, wedding dress designer Mon Cheri sued Wu and others, alleging that the defendants "had conspired to copy an entire line of Mon Cheri dresses[.]" (In copyright law, by the way, the copyist's intent generally doesn't matter when it comes to the question of infringement, but it can matter a great deal when it comes to damages.) At the district court level in Mon Cheri, some defendants settled, but not "the Wu defendants," who went to trial, lost before a jury, and appealed the ruling to the Third Circuit (the federal appellate court that covers New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.) When losing parties appeal, they often throw everything they've got at the appellate court; here too, Wu made numerous arguments about why the jury verdict against him should be thrown out. Most important for our purposes is his claim that Mon Cheri was entitled to no copyright protection for the embroidery and bead patterns on its dresses. The Third Circuit disagreed. The lesson: in some instances, designers may receive copyright protection for original embroidery and bead patterns. (Sequins aren't so lucky.)
It will probably come as no surprise, then, to learn that jewelry designers may obtain copyright protection for their creations, though as a practical matter, such creators have not always had great luck in the courts.
Of greater concern to the typical fashion designer than beading or embroidery, original fabric patterns are often eligible for copyright protection. In the 1991 case of Folio Impressions, Inc. v. Byer California, for example, the Second Circuit (the federal appellate court for New York, Connecticut and Vermont) found "limited" protection for a fabric design of "slight originality" consisting of "roses [that] were placed in straight lines and turned so that the roses faced on various directions." The court noted that if this particular pattern had been motivated by ease of manufacturing, no copyright protection would be available. (As we'll see later, the so-called "functionality" bar to intellectual property protection is a common theme in product design cases.) In Folio, however, the available evidence indicated that the designer's placement of the roses in a straight line was "an artistic decision," so copyright protection was available. The Second Circuit nevertheless concluded with a caveat: "what is protected in this case is the Folio Rose itself and the way in which that rose is arranged; the copyright umbrella does not cover the idea of arranging roses generally in a straight line pattern." (This touches on another crucial theme in copyright: the "idea/expression dichotomy", a legal doctrine that ensures an idea, by itself, cannot receive copyright protection-- copyright attaches only to the original expression of that idea, once embodied in a fixed form.)
So what does all of this mean for fashion designers? First, be careful where you buy your fabric. (Some attorneys have observed that lawsuits by "copyright trolls" seem to be on the rise; since a finding of copyright infringement does not require any showing of intent, it is a ripe area for "gotcha" lawsuits.) Most major distributors of fabric will readily agree to a provision that makes the distributor, and not the designer, liable, if the fabric turns out to infringe on a third party's intellectual property rights. (This type of provision is usually called an "indemnification" provision: if I incur damages because of you, you'll reimburse me for 100% of those damages.) An indemnification provision is especially important when dealing with an overseas manufacturer or distributor. When buying from domestic fabric companies, a designer can take some comfort in a widely-enacted statutory provision that-- at least absent an agreement to the contrary-- imposes a warranty on merchant sellers that their goods don't infringe on the rights of others. (Note: 1) not all sellers are "merchants," 2) even "merchants" will not be the hook unless they "regularly deal[] in goods of the kind" you purchased, and 3) even if a seller is technically responsible under the law, companies have a way of vanishing-- or quickly going bankrupt-- at the first sign of legal trouble.)
In short, be careful.
Conversely, what does all of this mean for designers who want to affirmatively protect their designs? In general, the simpler the design, the less likely it is that a designer will be able to claim copyright protection over his creation. To illustrate, take a look at a hastily-draped version of my final project for my first class at Parsons:
The "original" aspects of this garment (if you'll so oblige-- the "originality" required for copyright is minimal) are the asymmetrical shape of the skirt, the sewn "tubes" at each hem, and the manner in which the different-colored panels are assembled. But the fabric is just plain wool. And there are no sculptural or pictorial elements that are "physically or conceptually separable" from the design itself. No pattern. No embroidery. The likely verdict: no copyright protection. (On the other hand, I probably can't be sued for copyright infringement, either.) For better or worse, this will most often be the case for apparel following a "more is less" philosophy, at least until Congress amends the Copyright Act.
This doesn't mean there aren't other avenues to protect original designs, but they're fraught with legal and practical difficulties... and best saved for another day.


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After a
stroke, you may not feel temperature, touch, pain, or
sharpness on your affected side. You may have:
If you cannot feel an object, you may be more likely to hurt
Soaking your hands and feet may make your nails easier to cut. If you
diabetes, talk with your doctor about the care of your
If you cannot feel heat on your affected side, you may be more prone
to burns. Tips to prevent burns include the following:
If you have poor muscle tone in an arm, you may be at risk for
shoulder problems. The weight of an affected arm can cause the shoulder to
dislocate (shoulder subluxation). You also may tend not to use the shoulder,
which may cause pain and loss of motion (frozen shoulder). You can help prevent a frozen shoulder by:
Swelling occurs when the affected arm or leg cannot move
for a long period of time. A large amount of swelling:
Some tips to prevent swelling in your affected arm or leg
include the following:
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To learn more visit Healthwise.org
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Joe Peterson Insurance Agency
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"The Joe Peterson Insurance Agency is independently owned and locally operated to handle your insurance needs and provide risk management solutions for families and small businesses in the Mid-Columbia Region of Washington State. We believe that independent insurance agencies and their agents (who represent the client before the insurance company) can best serve the customer with the many coverage choices and options available through their menu of companies. As your local insurance agency, we will assist you in finding just the right combination of tailored, personalized insurance coverage at just the right price."
The Joe Peterson Insurance Agency mission is to serve preferred risk clients with preferred risk insurance solutions delivered through and by professional insurance agents.
We invite you to complete an online quote form or call to speak with one of our local agents to review your current coverage and compare that with the many preferred risk insurance companies we offer. Through our company partners such as PEMCO, SAFECO, Travelers, The Hartford, Progressive and more we provide auto insurance, home insurance, life insurance, health insurance, business insurance, commercial insurance, renters insurance, boat insurance, and more. Hundreds of clients have commented positively about the companies we represent and the excellent service and advice our agents are providing – We love to help people and provide solutions!


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I am looking for a reference on how to calculate the Feigenbaum constant $\delta$ to high precision. It seems that naive methods do not work well because they lead to solving very high degree polynomials.
I have searched Math Reviews, Googled around, and the best I found was Appendix A of Keith Brigg's thesis. Wikipedia gives a link which contains $\delta$ to high precision, but does not explain how it was computed.


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The following is the September APS Chesapeake Racer Profile, a monthy hi-light in Spinsheet Magazine (written by Molly Winans):
In 1979, after being hit by a car while bicycling and suffering a serious head injury and paralysis, Kevin Detwiler was told he would not sit up or talk again. Thirty years later, he races sailboats.
Born and raised in St. Mary's, MD where he still resides, Detwiler had the good fortune to have a father who is an engineer capable of modifying the family home for wheelchair accessibility and building rehabilitative tools at home, such as a whirlpool and pool. He was also lucky to connect with a therapeutic riding organization, then called TRY (Therapeutic Riding for Youth). Horseback riding and swimming in warm water enabled Detwiler to have much greater mobility (good motion in one arm, his neck, and torso and some motion in one leg) than the doctors had anticipated.
The doctors' predictions about his speaking capabilities proved to be wrong as well. While in eighth grade in public school, Detwiler started the Abled Disabled Club and began to speak to seventh graders about what it meant to be disabled. Over the course of four years, he gathered other local disabled people to join him in speaking to seventh graders all over the county—early indicators that he was a natural leader and teacher. He went on to graduate from high school and earn an associates degree from Charles County Community College. Today, Detwiler lives on his own next door to his parents and drives himself to work (in a customized van) as a substitute teacher in St. Mary's public schools. About eight years ago, Detwiler discovered Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) and got hooked on sailing. "I love sailing," he says with his signature Hollywood smile. "Sometimes you have to search for the wind. Then you catch some, and it's the best feeling just riding the waves."
Detwiler has been racing in CRAB's program for five years. CRAB matches sailors of varying abilities and skill levels to make for fair and safe racing. CRAB Regatta Chair Bridget Shea says, "Kevin's great! He embodies the true spirit of Corinthian sailing. He is always willing to help out, always has a kind word for his competitors, and has worked very hard to improve his sailing and racing skills. Other CRAB racers want to crew for him. That shows that he is not only fun to sail with, but he leads by example."
Allen Faurot, who has been racing with Detwiler for two seasons, explains how sailing with someone who must remain in the same seat with his feet strapped down can create problems, such as getting clipped by the mainsheet during a gybe. It takes time and practice to work through the kinks as he has with Detwiler and fellow crew Kathleen Sheedy (pictured below). Faurot says, "I enjoy sailing with Kevin. We've done really well, especially when we've had a good start. That gives him confidence and an extra edge. He works at it… If you've already seen his smile, then you get Kevin. It's also something else to see the love and care of his father, who helps him on the boat. It's amazing."
SpinSheet: Who are your best sailing buddies?
Everyone I sail with at CRAB and Allen Faurot.
What are your non-sailing passions?
I can swim all day long.
What do you like to read?
I just finished Christopher Reeve's book and am reading Cat and Mouse by James Patterson.
Do you have a favorite memory from the 2009 sailing season?
One day was really windy. I told my friends on the dock when I got back, "Now that was a wonderful sail!" It felt so good to find the wind and just let go. It was awesome.
What gear do you depend upon?
My inflatable lifejacket—it's a lot less bulky than the vests. Luckily, it hasn't inflated yet! Also, tiller extensions are important because I can't fully reach. I also bring my own dowel as a footrest. My dad made Velcro straps to keep my feet in place.
What are your sailing goals?
I want to beat Don Backe (CRAB Executive Director).


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Because from one single view, you can access, process, manage, and secure all personnel and applicant documents, streamlining HR processes as you do so. And you can build this view by creating classification plans, retention periods, and disposition policies. Using an enterprise-scanning capability, you can digitize existing paper files into employee folders without any time-consuming, manual processes.
With role-based permissions, you help ensure that only authorized users can upload and view documents through a self-service portal. A full text-search capability allows you and your team to quickly find documents as required, and you can place legal holds on key documents if needed.
You can run a completeness check based on predefined rules to identify missing and out-of-date employee documents. You can also create automated retention policies based on local and regional regulatory standards, and you can manage employee documents according to country- and region-specific regulations.
- Access a complete 360 degree view of employee files
- Create a complete digital record of your employee files
- Speed information access and enable shared services model
- Generate HR letters and correspondence automatically
- Minimize compliance risk and reduce audit time


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The McHenry County Board deserves praise for deciding to put a referendum on the ballot that will give voters the opportunity to decide whether the board chairman should be popularly elected.
On Tuesday night, the board voted, 19-4, to put the question to voters on the March 18 primary ballot. It will ask voters whether the chairman should be popularly elected to a four-year term. If approved, it would take effect in 2016.
Ersel Schuster, R-Woodstock; Mary McCann, R-Woodstock; Diane Evertsen, R-Harvard; and Ken Koehler, R-Crystal Lake, were the four County Board members who voted "no." Robert Nowak, R-Cary, was not at the meeting.
We have been longtime proponents of letting voters decide whether the board chairman should be elected by voters instead of having the board choose the chairman from one of its 24 members.
If the board chairman is popularly elected, then the position can be held accountable by all voters. Currently, the board chairman can be held accountable by voters only in his or her district.
"We're on the verge of turning this office back over to the people," said board member Nick Provenzano, R-McHenry, who led an effort earlier this year to get the question on the April ballot.
Evertsen, however, wasn't as excited, alleging that direct election fixes a nonexistent problem caused because state Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, had a problem with former Chairman Koehler.
"This thing escalated and escalated, the newspapers got involved, and board members seemed to feel they had to go along with it to justify their representation from the public," Evertsen said.
We make no apology for getting involved. Evertsen, Provenzano and the other 22 board members must be held accountable. The board is a steward for a tremendous amount of taxpayer money and makes important public policy decisions.
For too long now, the chairman of the board has escaped accountability.
At least now, voters will be allowed to decide just how accountable they want to hold their county board chairman.
(NOTE TO READERS: This editorial has been clarified to better reflect our stance. The Northwest Herald editorial board has long supported letting voters decide through a referendum whether the county board chairman should be popularly elected. It has not taken a stance on whether the chairman should or should not be elected by voters.)


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In the U.S. Army, just about every unit has a headquarters of some sort. This headquarters must be manned at all times by at least two or more soldiers (depending on the building / unit). Typically, there is a rotating roster of soldiers that have to pull a 24 hour shift. Including Christmas Day.
It just so happens that one of the more religious people in my unit, a devout Mormon with a large family, got selected for today's shift. As a former Christian, I really understand the importance of the family tradition of Christmas Day. I've identified as atheist for about a decade now, and I have no real attachment to this holiday at all. Not to mention, the religious family members I grew up with live nowhere near where I am stationed (Fort Bragg, NC).
He was very grateful, and I really don't mind doing this. In fact, I'm going to make a tradition of this. I think this idea improves upon the wonderful concepts of the Out Campaign with more than just "I'm an Atheist." Certainly an important message, but this particular version would read "I'm an Atheist, and I'm your friend."
Are there any other Atheists doing this already? I bet there are. Please, share your thoughts, right here or on our Facebook page.


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Currently working on her Masters Degree in Industrial Design at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, Israel, designer Nitsan Debbi's latest product combine two unlikely media: bread dough and electronics.
"I used the breads' crust as a new shell for a series of electrical products," Nistan told Inhabitat. "By replacing the plastic with a new shell, a unique texture and look is created. The baked products are clocks, radios, and torches. And they work!" [Inhabitat]


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Sake - A part of Japanese Culture As the days grow longer and our smile a little more relax…
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- 5Emiko 59 à partir de Calais(11 April 2019)
Trsè bonne qualité, les étoiles donnent un effets de textures très agréable. Un très bon ach


text:
Korea exhibiting at Destinations Travel Show, Earls Court London 31st Jan-03 Feb, 2013
Korea Tourism Organization (Stand number: AP22) will be exhibiting at the UK's premier travel event, Destinations: The Holiday and Travel Show, taking place from the Jan 31st – 3rd of February at Earls Court in London.
Visitor figures from the UK to Korea saw a 10.6% increase in 2012 over 2011 and our destination gets ever more popular. This year will be no exception with a diary of mega-events to look forward to, these include: Suncheon Garden EXPO 2013 (From April-October); F1 (Oct); World Rowing Championships, the opening of a new Taekwondo Park in Muju (Sept) and a plethora of modern and ancient festivals/ events.
This year we also welcome a new travel company to share our stand: ETOURS.CO.UK have created a brand new product offering visitors a chance to "Discover the delights of Suncheon Bay Garden Expo 2013 & Seoul". We welcome back 'International Rail', who offer rail travel across the peninsula, including the cost effective Korea Rail Pass (KR Pass). This discounted ticket allows unlimited rail travel throughout South Korea over a 3, 5, 7 or 10 consecutive day period. Jane Tour DMC and Sarah Lee Travel will also be on hand to answer all your Korea travel related questions. Why not visit our website www.gokorea.co.uk and then come and talk with the Korea Tourism Org staff onsite who will hopefully inspire you to visit Korea with their expertise, knowledge and passion for the destination.
We welcome you to come and discover a diverse landscape of mountains, hidden temples and adventure filled activities. So come and visit us on stand AP22
– Ends –
For further information please contact:
Mr. Ramy Salameh
Tel: 020 7321 2535
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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PlayStation 4 reserves 3.5GB of its 8GB GDDR5 memory for the operating system, leaving 4.5GB of space for game code, according to current PlayStation 4 documentation shown to Digital Foundry by a well-placed development source. However, further sources suggest that an additional 1GB of "flexible memory" may be reclaimed from the OS reservation, based on availability. Read the entire story at Eurogamer.
In summary:
Xbox One = 3GB OS and 5GB for games.
Playstation 4 = 3.5GB OS and 4.5-5.5GB for games because of "flexible" memory.
- Reposted by


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New Microsoft Tool Protects Against Office Attacks
For the last couple of years one of the most dangerous phenomena in malware has been the malicious Microsoft Office document. We've seen a long string of attacks based on what seems to be an endless supply of vulnerabilities in the file formats for the core Office applications. These formats remained largely unchanged for many years until Office 2007 was released, introducing a new XML-based format. Most users deal with the problem by patching Office and using antivirus software, but both solutions lag the leading edge of the problem: if you get hit early in the attack, you have no protection.
The new MOICE (Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment) tool, in conjunction with the Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats, which brings support for reading Office 2007 files to Office 2003, addresses the problem. The tool, operating outside of Office itself and in a special low-privilege environment, converts files to the Office 2007 format, where they are used by Office 2003. Earlier versions of Office are not supported, and Mac versions are irrelevant since they are almost never affected by the vulnerabilities.
Click here to download the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats.
Click here to download the Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment.


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An Introduction to Exchange-Traded Funds and Mutual Funds
For many folks and for many years, the only choice besides investing directly in stocks was to invest indirectly through mutual funds. Now, with the advent of ETFs, investors have greater choices than ever.
The differences
Simply stated, in a mutual fund, securities such as stocks and bonds are constantly bought, sold, and held (in other words, the fund is actively managed). An ETF holds similar securities, but the portfolio typically isn't actively managed.
Instead, an ETF usually holds a fixed basket of securities that may reflect an index or a particular industry or sector. (An index is a method of measuring the value of a segment of the general stock market. It's a tool used by money managers and investors to compare the performance of a particular stock to a widely accepted standard.)
Where ETFs are markedly different from mutual funds (and where they're advantageous) is that they can be bought and sold like stocks. In addition, you can do with ETFs what you can generally do with stocks (but can't usually do with mutual funds): You can buy in share allotments, such as 1, 50, or 100 shares more.
Mutual funds, on the other hand, are usually bought in dollar amounts, such as 1,000 or 5,000 dollars' worth. The dollar amount you can initially invest is set by the manager of the individual mutual fund.
Here are some other advantages: You can put various buy/sell brokerage orders on ETFs, and many ETFs are optionable (meaning you may be able to buy/sell put and call options on them). Mutual funds typically aren't.
In addition, many ETFs are marginable (meaning that you can borrow against them with some limitations in your brokerage account). Mutual funds usually aren't marginable (although it is possible if they're within the confines of a stock brokerage account).
Sometimes an investor can readily see the great potential of a given industry or sector but is hard-pressed to get that single really good stock that can take advantage of the profit possibilities of that particular segment of the market. With an ETF, you can make that investment very easily, knowing that if you're unsure about it, you can put in place strategies that protect you from the downside.
The similarities
Even though ETFs and mutual funds have some major differences, they do share a few similarities:
ETFs and mutual funds (MFs) are similar in that they aren't direct investments; they're "conduits" of investing, which means that they act like a connection between the investor and the investments.
Both ETFs and MFs basically pool the money of investors and the pool becomes the "fund," which in turn invests in a portfolio of investments.
Both ETFs and MFs offer the great advantage of diversification (although they accomplish it in different ways).
Investors don't have any choice about what makes up the portfolio of either the ETF or the MF. The ETF has a fixed basket of securities (the money manager overseeing the portfolio makes those choices) and, of course, investors can't control the choices made in a mutual fund.
For those investors who want more active assistance in making choices and running a portfolio, the MF may very well be the way to go. For those who are more comfortable making their own choices in terms of the particular index or industry/sector they want to invest in, the ETF may be a better venue.


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Labor won't let the scandal surrounding the Commonwealth Bank's financial planning arm get swept under the carpet, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says.
A Senate committee has called for a royal commission into allegations of fraud, forgery and other misconduct in the bank's financial planning division.
However, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has talked down the prospect of any inquiry, saying the industry has made many improvements in recent years.
Senator Cormann has introduced new regulations this week, which strike out protections put in place by Labor under its Future Of Financial Advice reforms.
Labor, the Greens and the Palmer United Party will seek to overturn the government's regulation changes when the Senate sits next week.
Mr Shorten said the Commonwealth Bank and its planners had left thousands of people "millions of dollars worse off".
"I know there is a lot of good financial planners out there, but there are some clear scammers out there and I do not believe that the end of this matter has been settled," Mr Shorten told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
He said Labor would wait and see how the bank and the government responded.
"I don't believe this matter can be swept under the carpet," he said.
Mr Shorten said Labor would side with consumers when it came to their rights in dealing with banks.
Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said the government's new regulations would allow the banks to continue their sales-driven models that had caused a lot of the problems in the industry.
PUP leader Clive Palmer said his senators would vote with Labor and the Greens to disallow the regulations so that people could be treated fairly.


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July 10, 2013
Contact: Lawrence Ragonese (609) 292-2994
Lawrence Hajna (609) 984-1795
Bob Considine (609) 984-1795
(13/P72) TRENTON – Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin today toured demolition sites in neighborhoods of Brick and Toms River that were among the hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy, providing the mayors of the two towns the state's plans to help towns like theirs rebuild to be safer and more resilient. Some 3,000 demolitions are taking place across the state, especially in towns across Ocean, Monmouth and Middlesex counties.
"Under Governor Christie, we are now in phase two of Sandy recovery – long-term rebuilding. We are focused on helping New Jersey recover and making sure that we not only rebuild our infrastructure, homes and businesses, but that we rebuild lives," said Commissioner Martin. "These demolition projects are an important step toward this goal by clearing the way for construction of a stronger, more resilient and safer coastline. The Christie Administration remains committed to working with local officials and residents every step of the way until the job is done and people are back in their homes."
During the walking tour with Brick Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis, Toms River Mayor Thomas F. Kelaher and Ocean County Freeholder John C. Bartlett Jr., Commissioner Martin said that the DEP and Department of Community Affairs (DCA) have been coordinating very closely with local and federal officials to ensure municipalities have the regulatory, financial and information tools they need to get reconstruction moving quickly following demolition. The tour included neighborhoods along the border of the two towns, including the Camp Osborn section of Brick and the Normandy Beach section of Toms River.
"This program is going to help many families remove these damaged structures, move forward in their recovery and continue to rebuild their lives," said Mayor Acropolis. "This effort would not be moving forward right now if not for the assistance, cooperation and commitment from Governor Christie, Commissioner Martin and the DEP."
"We have had numerous occasions to meet with Commissioner Martin and he has made himself available to offer any assistance that the township might need," said Mayor Kelaher. "The cooperation with the DEP has been essential in the efforts to restore Toms River."
DEP is taking the lead in providing demolition guidance to municipalities and helping to coordinate home demolitions that are being conducted through FEMA's private property debris removal program. A flurry of demolitions is expected over the remainder of the summer. In particular, demolitions are occurring or planned shortly in some of the hardest hit towns, including Brick, Toms River, Mantoloking, Tuckerton, Berkeley, Little Egg Harbor, Keansburg and Union Beach.
The DEP has taken a number of key actions to ensure rebuilding occurs quickly, including:
The Department of Community Affairs has multiple programs and grant opportunities in place to assist homeowners rebuild or remain in their homes, including:
For more information on DEP Sandy Recovery initiatives, visit: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/special/hurricane-sandy/
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Last Updated:
December 3, 2013


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Welcome home, VVA! It's great to be here with you in Jacksonville. John [Rowan, National President], thank you for that kind introduction, and more importantly, thank you for your leadership of Vietnam Veterans of America. To you and Rick Weidman, your Executive Director for Government Affairs, your Vice President Fred Elliott, and other members of your leadership, I appreciate your standing with the President and this Secretary on all the things we have been accomplishing for Veterans. Let me also acknowledge:
Remarks by Secretary Eric K. Shinseki
2013 Vietnam Veterans of America Convention
Jacksonville, Fl
August 16, 2013
Welcome home, VVA! It's great to be here with you in Jacksonville.
John [Rowan, National President], thank you for that kind introduction, and more importantly, thank you for your leadership of Vietnam Veterans of America. To you and Rick Weidman, your Executive Director for Government Affairs, your Vice President Fred Elliott, and other members of your leadership, I appreciate your standing with the President and this Secretary on all the things we have been accomplishing for Veterans.
Let me also acknowledge:
Fifty years ago, at a State Department press conference, President Kennedy raised the importance of continued American engagement in Vietnam to prevent a collapse of Southeast Asia.
That commitment eventually led to each of us who serviced in Vietnam. Not all of us made it home safely; 58,286 names are inscribed on the wall in Washington D.C. We remember them all with respect and admiration for their service and their sacrifice on behalf of our Nation.
I am especially honored to be speaking with you, once again. When I was appointed in 2009, I noted that the average Secretary of Veterans affairs served about three-and-a-half years. So, I said then that we had to move quickly to get as much done as possible in the time that we had. I needed help to take on some tough issues: (1) Increasing Veterans access to VA's benefits and services; (2) Eliminating the backlog in disability claims; and finally, (3) Mobilizing a national initiative to end Veterans' homelessness in this country. I am grateful for the support you provided as we took on these priorities.
In the four-and-a-half years since January 2009, the leadership of the President, the support of the Congress, the advice and assistance of Veteran service organizations, like VVA, and a close, personal, working relationship with Secretaries of Defense Bob Gates, Leon Panetta, and now Chuck Hagel, have enabled some significant achievements:
- VA's budget grew by $40 billion;
- More than 2 million additional Veterans enrolled in VA;
- A net increase of 62 new Community-Based Outpatient Clinics gives us now a total of 827 CBOCs Nationwide, and we've opened our 151st VAMC—a new, state-of-the-art facility in Las Vegas, the first in 17 years;
- More than 10,800 caregivers have been trained to care for our most seriously injured post-9/11 Veterans;
- More than a million Veterans and family member students have received educational assistance and vocational training through VA;
- An average of 113,000 Veterans a year have been laid to rest. Nearly 90 percent of all Veterans now have a burial option within 75 miles of home;
- Veterans' homelessness was reduced by 17 percent between 2009 and 2012, and we expect another reduction when new tallies are released;
- Last year, 70,000 Veteran home mortgage holders, who defaulted on their home loans, were kept from foreclosure and eviction because we worked out best arrangements with the appropriate financial institutions;
- Finally, we fielded a new, automated claims system at all 56 VA Regional Offices—VBMS, Veterans Benefits Management System. We are now transitioning out of paper and into digital processing.
Generating momentum over the past four-and-a-half years has been challenging, but with your support, we have kept our sights on what was best for Veterans. Today, I'd like to address four important issues: the claims backlog, mental health, the disabilities treaty, and the healthcare law.
First, the backlog: Let me be clear—no Veteran should have to wait to receive benefits that have been earned. The claims backlog is a decades old problem, and we've committed to eliminating it—not reducing, not better managing—but eliminating the backlog. No claim over 125 days, 98 percent accuracy. We've said all along it would take time to solve this correctly. But, we are not going to leave this for another secretary and President to wrestle. The President wants this fixed, and we are on track to eliminate the backlog in 2015.
We developed a plan and, over the past four-and-a-half years, resourced it. We are executing that plan today. First, we decided it was important to take care of some "unfinished business" from previous wars—three new diseases attributed to Agent Orange exposure, primarily for Vietnam Veterans; nine new diseases associated with Gulf War Illness; and service-connected PTSD for combat Veterans from all our wars. Taking care of "unfinished business" for Veterans of previous wars was bound to increase the total number of disability claims in our system—logical. At the same time, we predicted that the number of backlogged claims—those older than 125 days—would also increase. Again, logical. We testified to these projections three years ago in announcing our decisions to grant service connection.
It was the right thing to do then, and it would be the right thing to do today. At the same time, we promised to develop an automation system that would help eliminate the entire idea of a backlog in disability claims. We have done that. As mentioned earlier, VBMS—Veterans Benefits Management System—is now fielded to all 56 of our Regional Offices—six months ahead of schedule. We projected, three years ago, that the backlog would grow, because of those decisions to increase access. But, we also predicted it would then begin to recede during 2013.
And, that is underway—the backlog is declining. In March of this year, the backlog reached an all-time high of over 611,000 claims. Yesterday, it fell below 490,000 claims, a drop of over 121,000 claims in roughly 150 days. By the end of 2013, most year-old claims will be out of our system, and we will be focused on a steady take down of the backlog. Today, VA has the lowest number of claims in processing since 1 March 2011—under 773,000. Barring any changes in entitlements, this number will continue to decline, and VA remains committed to eliminating the backlog in 2015.
Next, mental health: More troops are surviving combat today, and after nearly 12 years of combat, their injuries are serious and their issues complex. Many combat Veterans carry with them the baggage of war—PTS, post-traumatic stress—which can include anxiety, increased irritability, a sense of numbness, flashbacks, and feeling depressed. Most of us are able to work through PTS on our own, with the help of strong families and other support mechanisms. Some Veterans incur the "D"—PTS-D—disorder. Unlike PTS, which most transition on their own, PTS-D requires professional help. Here, again, people get better with treatment.
During tough economic times, as we have experienced for the past five years, any prolonged unemployment exacerbates stress, prolonging transitions for those returning from combat with PTS, or prolonging treatment for those with PTS-D. We want to address these issues directly—and early—before complications begin a downward spiral towards depression, substance abuse, anger issues, job loss, breakdowns in relationships, homelessness, and sometimes, suicide.
The longest war in our history and these higher survival rates have sensitized us all to the mental well-being of Servicemembers and Veterans, including the need for better tools for identifying and treating their issues.
In the past, we often thought simplistically in terms of "normal and healthy" on one hand, and "mentally ill and unreliable" on the other. Such thinking created an obvious stigma against seeking help. If you were among the "normal and healthy," you didn't seek professional help for mental or emotional issues, because just seeking help moved you over into the "mentally ill and unreliable" category. And, once there, there was the chance of not being able to get back.
Today, we know that mental wellness is an issue for many people, and that we all, at times, could use some counseling in dealing with life's difficulties. So, at VA and DoD, we encourage Veterans and Servicemembers to seek treatment without being ostracized.
Bottom line: PTS, PTS-D, TBI, and even depression—all are treatable, if we are able to convince Veterans to seek treatment. Any Veteran dealing with these issues is not damaged goods. What they need are jobs, education, and quality healthcare—a real shot at joining the middle class to help rebuild our economy.
Through the strong leadership of the President and the support of the Congress, we continue to improve access to mental health services. The President's budget requests between 2009 and 2014 increased VA mental health funding by nearly 57 percent. For FY 2014 alone, the President's budget request was nearly $7 billion for VA mental health.
Mental health staff levels have also increased to keep pace with Veterans' needs. A year ago, the President directed the hiring of 1,600 additional mental health professionals. VA has exceeded that goal and is now hiring 800 peer support specialists before the end of this year to augment that increase in clinicians.
In June, the President hosted a National Mental Health Summit at the White House to demystify the issues surrounding mental health, especially the stigma against seeking treatment. The White House followed up with a conference several weeks ago, focusing specifically on the mental health needs of Veterans and military families.
At VA, we know that when we "identify and treat," people get better. So, to increase "identification and treatment," we are collaborating at the local level. VA is hosting 151 local Mental Health Summits at each of our Medical Centers, broadening the dialogue between clinicians and stakeholders. The first was held last month in San Francisco, and all 151 will be completed by October. We are also partnering on 24 pilot projects with federally-qualified community health centers in nine states to get more out of our resources.
One of our most successful efforts is our Veterans Crisis Line. DoD knows it as the Military Crisis Line—same number, same trained VA mental health professionals answering the phone, 24 / 7, to deliver optimal care to those in crisis. Since start-up in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered over 890,000 calls from Veterans in need. Most importantly, 30,000 of those callers were rescued from suicides in progress because our mental health providers were standing by to help.
Chatting and texting appeal to those who are comfortable with technology. So, in 2009, we added an on-line chat service, and in 2011, a texting service. Since then, we've engaged almost 118,000 people in on-line chats and texts. Our Crisis Line webpage is averaging about 37,000 visits per month. If we are able to engage Veterans who need help we stand a good chance of averting crisis. We will outreach in every possible way to ensure we are available to Veterans in need.
Let me speak briefly about an issue that is important for our Nation's five-and-a-half million disabled Veterans: ratification of the Disabilities Treaty.
Here in the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act protects all those with disabilities from discrimination and helps to provide equal opportunity, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. However, in some other countries, what we have here isn't always available.
The Disabilities Treaty will help other countries reduce barriers that affect the disabled—including our newest and youngest disabled Veterans, who travel overseas for work, study, and leisure. Importantly, ratifying this treaty enables disabled Americans the same protections abroad as they have here at home.
I served for roughly 10 years in Europe as a disabled Soldier following my tours in Vietnam—learning to walk and run again, convincing the Army I could continue to serve, and learning to adjust to a new reality. I recall the absence of aids for the disabled in many places where I served—ramps, lifts, automatic door openers, among other devices that are commonly available in this country.
This is not a partisan issue. Former-senator Bob dole, a distinguished, combat Veteran of World War II, has supported ratification of this treaty. Doing so would keep faith with generations of disabled Veterans, who have served this Nation faithfully and with distinction. I ask for VVA's support in ratifying an important treaty that seeks to enable disabled Americans, including disabled American Veterans, to travel safely and with dignity, when they go abroad.
Finally, let me touch on the healthcare law that's about to go into effect. Veterans have put their lives on the line for this country, and deserve to know and understand what this law means and what choices they have in deciding their healthcare plans. Six points:
- The law was designed to provide healthcare for as many Americans as possible;
- VA wants all Veterans to receive quality care that improves their health and well-being;
- All Veterans currently enrolled in VA healthcare do not have to take any additional steps—VA care meets the new law's standard;
- Veterans not currently enrolled in VA healthcare program can apply for enrollment at any time. Give us a good look—you won't be disappointed;
- Veterans and family members, who are not eligible for VA healthcare—and who do not have health insurance through their employers — should use the new marketplace to get coverage under the law;
- Ensuring Veterans receive quality healthcare is a fundamental obligation for VA, and we intend to help Veterans understand their options as the new healthcare law is implemented in the coming months.
As I mentioned at the outset, 50 years ago, President Kennedy committed to keeping troops in Vietnam. In closing, a short story about Vietnam: a Marine, a Soldier, and an Airman—not three different men, but one—Colonel "Bud" Day, who passed away recently.
Bud Day served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam—first, as a Marine, then as a Soldier, and finally, as an Air Force pilot. He's been called the most decorated officer in modern U.S. history.
A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Bud Day quit high school in 1942 to join the Marine Corps, serving 30 months in the North Pacific as a member of a 5-inch gun battery. Returning home, he used the original GI Bill to earn both his undergraduate and his law degrees.
His calling to serve led him to join the Army reserve, followed by a direct commission into the Iowa air National Guard in 1950. Within a year, Bud was activated to fly f-84 Thunderjets during two combat tours in Korea.
Following the Korean War, Bud remained in the regular Air Force, flying F-100s. In 1967, just a year away from retirement, he volunteered for a tour in Vietnam and was assigned as the commander of Detachment One, 416th Tactical Fighter squadron, 37th Tactical Fighter Wing at Phu-Cat Air Base.
On 26 August 1967, while on his 65th mission over North Vietnam, Bud Day ejected after his aircraft was struck by 37mm anti-aircraft fire. During the ejection, his right arm was broken in three places, and he suffered back and eye injuries. He was captured and severely tortured, but soon after his capture, he managed to escape. After spending almost two weeks evading the enemy and making it to the south side of the DMZ—heartbreakingly close to freedom, he was recaptured—receiving gunshot wounds to the hand and thigh in the process. His torture intensified as he was moved across a series of camps until he arrived in Hanoi. He endured a total of five years and seven months in brutal captivity.
Bud Day's determination to resist the efforts of a brutal enemy to break his will, his disregard for his own comfort and safety leading to life-threatening injuries, and his example of living the code of conduct set the example for other American POWs and protected pilots, who were still flying operational missions over North Vietnam. He inspired those imprisoned with him. Heroic in his selflessness, his courage, and his willingness to sacrifice for his comrades, Colonel Day was awarded the Medal of Honor on 4 March, 1976. His story is a legacy of bravery, honor, and devotion for all Americans.
God bless Bud Day. God bless those who serve and have served our Nation in uniform. And may God continue to bless this great country of ours.]]>
Disabled american veterans drop off locations
SOURCE: https://www.va.gov/opa/speeches/2013/08_16_2013.asp


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The prices on this site (baysideperformance.ca) are in CA Dollars. All orders shipping to a Canadian address must be placed here.
To visit our USA and Worldwide site, click here. You'll be redirected to baysideperformance.com, where the prices are in US Dollars.
Dainese Boots
Dainese is an Italian manufacturer of protective wear for motorcycling, mountain biking and downhill skiing. To Dainese safety means protection, comfort and reliability, factors which, when properly balanced, lead to the creation of highly effective products which meet the requirements of a wide range of customer needs. The engineers at D-Tec (Dainese Technology Center) have all the skills needed to transfer the experience gained from the extreme conditions of competitions, to create a collection of products that caters for all types of motorbike riders. Research, development and competition are therefore the essence of a journey that began more than forty years ago.