text: CASE NUMBER: 200 CASE MNEMONIC: TEAK CASE NAME: Thai and Burmese Timber Trade A. IDENTIFICATION 1. The Issue This case analysis examines the growing timber (specifically the hardwood teak) trade along the Thai-Burmese border from 1988 to present. Dramatic events in these two respective countries in late 1987 and 1988 led to a monumental shift in the scope and amount of trade among these two partners and their trade relations abroad. The trade has brought about untold suffering to the peoples of the region both through state sanctioned human rights abuses and the loss of a once vital and abundant ecosystem that provided for tribal agricultural practices. Many unilateral policies have been pursued by the Thai government but the recalcitrant authoritarian SLORC (Burma's ruling party) has profited from the trade and utilized the proceeds for its long standing dispute with Thailand over border territories. More recently, ASEAN has taken interest but so far to no avail. 2. Description The changes in Teak trade have led to substantial deforestation with accompanying soil erosion and flooding that has not only damaged the land for years to come but has resulted in deaths of hundreds of citizens. Additionally the trade has had secondary repercussions ranging from military interventions headed by despotic and rapacious generals to the birth of a fledgling and rapidly growing green movement. Tertiary repercussions have ranged from the routine human rights violations of tribal hill populations, to animal rights abuses in the hauling of timber by elephants. The history of deforestation is long and tragic, but in nearing the end of the twentieth century the problem has become a virtual epidemic. Thailand and, more importantly Burma (Myanmar), are symptomatic cases of global deforestation. The sheer destructiveness of the trade, in the brief eight years of increased teak export in this border region, has gone largely without bounds or restrictions. Due to the closed nature of the regimes involved and the proximity to Western analysis relevant literature and discourse have predominated within the regional context. The Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) has made numerous attempts to evaluate the scale and depth of the problem. This culminated in the ASEAN Plan of Action for the Environment. The established international community through Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have continually monitored the issue. The UN has since its inception attempted, with varying degrees of success, to address the problem. With the student led revolt against the authoritarian and autarkic regime of the Burmese People's Republic in August 1988, there was a tentative opening toward economic development in Burma, despite the still reigning despotic military junta. Within two years, Thailand became briefly engulfed in a student inspired bloodless coup. Prior to the coup the "puppet democracy" in Thailand had for decades been controlled by the military generals. After the coup, democratic institutions and principles became more entrenched and sovereign. This freed the popularly elected civilian administration from military intervention. Concurrently, a fledgling green movement began to take root when it became publicly apparent that nearly two-thirds of Thailand's teak forests had been cleared, and that the state could no longer rely on timber as a means toward their successful economic development (McDonald 16). In the past, the unaccountable generals' has personally profited from kickbacks associated with the teak trade. Therefore, by the end of 1988 a pattern of trade was beginning to take root among these two neighbors. This was compounded when in January 1989 Thailand banned the harvesting of timber in the country following the worst flooding there in nearly a century). Thailand, ready to secure its democracy via its rapidly industrializing economy, no longer needed raw material exports as in the past; it was becoming domestically unpopular and destructive to the environment. Burma, on the other hand, one of the poorest nations on Earth was ready to depart from nearly forty years of a closed economy desperate for economic capital. The easiest way to accomplish this; the filling of the Thai timber vacuum of exports; the source, Burma's mature and relatively unspoiled teak forests. Clearly the stage was set between these two neighbors and longtime rivals for an expanded exploitation of the Southeast Asia rainforest: the world's second largest (Bangkok Post: Aug 24, 1995). A briefing document written by the Burmese Government's Timber Corp. in February 1989 said that 20 concession areas had been contracted along the Thai-Burma border with total exports of 160,000 tons of teak logs and 500,000 tons of hardwood total. Thus in 1989, the rather suspect official Burmese Junta sources estimated revenues of $112 million in exports per year (McDonald 17). As Thailand eased and nearly eliminated its harvest of timber the Burmese market provided the perfect alternative. In 1994, border trade of timber between Thailand and Burma through Thailand's customs station in the North amounted to $184 million, about 50% of total Thailand-Burma trade (Bangkok Post Aug 24, 1995). More alarming is that the unofficial trade between the two states of timber is estimated to be worth as much as 50% of the volume of trade through the customs (BP p. 27). The exploitation of Burmese timber becomes more apparent once the content of trade among these two nations are established. As of two months ago Thailand's exports to Burma include ready-made clothes, personal hygiene items, instant food, candies, bicycles, motorcycle parts, plastic wares, cosmetics, construction materials, and electrical appliances (BP p. 28). These items are clearly manufactured goods that substantiate the elevated nature of the Thai economy in regards to its tremendously underdeveloped neighbor. On the contrary, imports from Burma to Thailand include teak, timber, wood products, and to a far lesser extent gems and livestock (BP p. 28). Thus the two neighbors share a complimentary yet highly destructive trade in terms of environmental degradation. By 1995 teak has become Burma's second most important source of foreign exchange, earning almost $200 million from the export of more than 300,000 cubic meters every year, according to Burmese government figures (Birsel: Reuters Limited [July 18, 1995]). Hence, the importance of the teak trade became of such vital interest that the Burmese regime would and has violently defended its interests. Although poorly documented, on several occasions small scale armed conflict broke out between Thai border police and Burmese mercenaries as well as SLORC forces. The Thai government contends that in late 1987 and 1988 Burmese teak harvesters reached into Thai territory where export is now banned. As demonstrated the breadth and magnitude of the trade has grown enormously over the rather short time period. Likewise, the actors involved have proliferated as well. Intrastate institutions such as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) is the ruling junta whom has served instrumentally as the Burmese entity directing trade relations, as well as the more recently established Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) (Tansubhapol: BP Feb 22, 1995). Its counterpart the Ministry of Forestry has served as the Thai intermediary. Regional and multilateral bodies have recently become engaged once the economic and environmental costs have become so great. The ASEAN nations have become involved and have sought agreements that have incited great acrimony amongst member states over this divisive issue (covered in more depth later). Nongovernmental organizations have long been involved in the issue of deforestation. In this case the WWF for Nature has been routine and vociferous in regards to criticizing this case of deforestation--labeling the trade as "unacceptable" (Tickell: The Times; June 11, 1994). As a result of cases such as this, the environmental movement is now calling for a new superstructure to better manage forestry practices. The WWF has called for the creation of an independent certifying organization operating on multilateral standards so that eco-conscious consumers would have a means to align their timber associated purchases with internationally recognized standards. By doing so the world's forests would sufficiently supply demand far into the future (Tickell: The Times; June 11, 1994). Teak has long been prized for its beauty, quality, and resilience to weathering. The problem of Burmese exports of this valued commodity is discerned once the nature of the species is discerned. Teak takes at the minimum 120 years to reach maturity from a seedling (Agence France Presse: Dec 23, 1993). The mature teak reserves left in Thailand are minimal while Burma's are still substantial. The current rate of Burmese harvest will render Burma, like Thailand in far fewer years than a seedling can hope to reach maturity. Burma, which is currently one of the world's largest exporters of top-quality teak, still has 33 million hectares (81.5 million acres) of forest cover, according to official statistics. The annual harvest of timber, according to official sources, is approximately three million cubic meters (Reuter Asia-Pacific Business Report: May 30, 1995). In May 1995 Burma's Ministry of Forestry called for regional cooperation to "tackle the rapid deforestation and the smuggling of timber". The SLORC has marginalized the influence of the ministry and some argue that the SLORC is conspiring with the smuggling of timber along the border regions with Thailand (McDonald 19). Therefore, as was mentioned earlier, the rates of forest depletion are alarming, but the official counts do not accurately assess the true loss. Thailand has not been the only neighbor expressing great interest in Burmese teak. India currently came to a trade agreement with the capital hungry SLORC, much to the chagrin of the weak aforementioned Ministry of Forestry, recently increased teak imports from Burma further exacerbating the current trend of deforestation. India, like Thailand, enjoys a natural advantage over other countries by virtue of the border it shares with Burma. Bilateral trade has gone unconstrained because there is no formal treaty among the two states establishing limits or any other form of regulation (Sharma P4). In addition, many of the other developed Asian economies have increased their import of teak from Burma in recent years. Japan, China, Taiwan, and Korea all seek raw teak timber that can be utilized in the production of luxury furniture in their respective home economies. 3. Related Cases THAILOG case MALAY case INDONES case VIETWOOD case CAMWOOD case MANGROVE case Keyword Clusters (1): Trade Product = WOOD (teak hardwood) (2): Bio-geography = TROPICAL (3): Environmental Problem = DEFORESTATION 4. Draft Authors: Kevin T. Kunkel and Teri Emmons B. LEGAL Clusters 5. Discourse and Status: DISagreement and INCOMPlete The confluence of official and unofficial actors have made all attempts at limiting trade nearly untenable. I will chronologically address the regional attempts at legal discourse and agreements. In 1983 the issue of deforestation among the tropical rainforest nations became a subject of international legal action. The International Tropical Timber Agreement sought to establish a body of individuals that would assess case be case deforestation matters among potential violator states. The agreement created the International Tropical Timber Organization. Investigators would work with the local governmental and business interests in the hopes of negotiating sustainable limits on timber harvesting (Wellner 20). This has proved largely ineffective due to the lack of authority in managing sub-national actors ranging from local tribal uprisings to the ever-expanding black markets. The sheer breadth and complexity of the Burma case significantly challenged the agreement. The aim of the 1993 agreement was to shore up and control the sub-national actors involved in the export. Yet it has not nearly reached this level of authority. Some have gone as far as to say that the 1993 International Tropical Timber agreement "...is foremost a commodity agreement to promote tropical timber in the world's market...the signatories have agreed on a draft accord that would put forest preservation on par with the commercial demands of the global timber industry (Wellner 20). Despite the atrocious Burmese record regarding timber practices they became signatories to the ITTA, thereby making the nation eligible for funds "to continue rapacious logging of teak (Wellner 20). It appears that despite the Organization and the agreements' intent little success has been made. In the twelve years since the initial agreement, logging has expanded tremendously in Burma therefore relegating the agreement as paper rather than law. Many regional attempts to address the problem have failed to reach a viable agreement as well. But ASEAN is now directing more attention and is developing a Plan of Action for the Environment which is to include logging practices and measures which will hopefully reach an internationally binding agreement. The United States, as one of the largest importers of Burmese teak, responded with a relatively mild campaign of consumer information. The Sierra Club lobbied Congress to pass a law requiring hardwood importers to label their product by country of origin in the hope that this would influence nations to harvest timber sustainably. After Myanmar refused to cede power to a democratically elected new government, Senator Daniel P. Moynihan (D. N.Y.) sponsored a trade bill urging Bush to restrict imports until Myanmar honored its elections. 6. Forum and Scope: THAILAND; and BILAT 7. Decision Breadth: THAILAND 8. Legal Standing: LAW C. GEOGRAPHIC Clusters 9. Geographic Locations a. Geographic Domain : Asia b. Geographic Site : South East Asian c. Geographic Impact : border Burma and Thailand 10. Sub-National Factors: YES-Rebel groups Rebel groups located primarily on the Burmese side of the border have made national enforcement of timber standards, let alone international standards and agreements, tenuous at the least. Rebel groups have been active in this region in markets ranging from the timber trade to opium poppy growth and export. Kuhn Sa, an infamous and powerful regional war lord, has managed during the 1980s to consolidate a mercenary force (estimates of personnel are as high as 500) which he utilizes to engage in opium and timber exports. Thailand has been unable to prevent Khun Sa and other warlords from prosecution sue to their Burmese residences and fortresses. The Burmese are complacent in that profits are shared with the cash starved SLORC. Profits received are often used to purchase arms so that these mercenary armies rival those of the official governmental forces. These militant economic armies have made the application of law virtually untenable (McDonald 19). 11. Type of Habitat: TROPICAL D. TRADE Clusters As has been mentioned the Burmese export of teak has predominately been exported to Thailand. Lesser importers in have been Europe (EC), Japan, Korea, and the United States through third markets. 12. Type of Measure: Import Ban 13. Direct vs. Indirect Impacts: INDirect 14. Relation of Measure to Environmental Impact a. Directly Related : YES WOOD b. Indirectly Related : NO c. Not Related : NO d. Process Related : YES Species Loss Land [SPLL] 15. Trade Product Identification: RAW TEAK The United States is one of the four largest importers of teak, especially used in boat-making. Burma supplies about 80% of the world's teak. 16. Economic Data 17. Impact of Measure on Trade Competitiveness: BAN 18. Industry Sector: WOOD 19. Exporter and Importer: Burma and Thailand E. ENVIRONMENT Clusters 20. Environmental Problem Type: Deforestation [DEFOR] Due to Thai logging of the border forests, Myanmar lost over 1 million acres of forest from 1985-90. This rate is five times greater than the period from 1976-80. Fewer than 50,000 trees were replanted annually resulting in deforestation and loss of wildlife habitats. 21. Name, Type, and Diversity of Species Name: Teak Type: Plant/tree/hardwood Diversity: NA 22. Impact and Effect: NA 23. Urgency and Lifetime: MEDIUM, and 100s of years 24. Substitutes: Conservation VI. OTHER Factors 25. Culture: YES The role of culture is a marginal influence in the sheer scope of trade. The border regions are populated with tribal peoples, utilizing different dialects and ancient forms of living (such as hunting and agricultural practices). The ethnic differences from the Thai and Burmese populations prevent assimilation outside of the mountainous border region. At times these small enclaves have been decimated both through the destruction of their habitat as well as through military and mercenary sanctioned murder and forced migration when groups formed an opposition to logging (McDonald 17). Thus the cultural affinity of these groups are tied directly to the health and well- being of their surroundings and environment, namely the old and majestic teak forests. 26. Trans-Border: YES-Burma and Thailand 27. Rights: Yes The case of Burma, and to a far lesser extent Thailand, have had a massive impact upon the indigenous populations residing in the affected forested areas. The ruling SLORC of Burma has been one of the most notorious state-sanctioned human rights violators on Earth (Amnesty International: 1990 Yearbook). Besides not recognizing the democratically elected officials in 1990, the SLORC has suppressed ethnic tribal minorities who object to the logging practices exercised by the state. Indigenous ethnic minority populations, such as the Karen and Mol, numbering in the hundreds have been rounded up and sent to camps if they did not agree with the state's logging policies--those who were persistent troublemakers were imprisoned for political reasons (McDoonald 8). These are clear violations of international human rights standards. ASEAN has attempted for many years in its annual meetings to address the very divisive issue of human rights--agreement never come due to sovereignty reservations often taken by the initial states. In 1991 the issue of human rights took the fore for the first time at the annual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers. Virtually all ministers object to any attempt to link human rights with trade. Some Ministers contend that human rights conditions (a tact often attempted) as another means of conditionality equating to protectionism (Vines 1). With states such as Cambodia and Burma, the problem goes without a regional discourse due to their not being a member of ASEAN despite their strong desires to do so. In 1994 Burma was invited as a guest for the first time to the annual ministerial meeting of ASEAN. Despite centuries old tension of domination and intervention, Thailand invited Burma to the meeting due to their intensive teak trade relationship. Other ASEAN members resisted the move due to the pervasive authoritarian nature of the SLORC regime and their disregard over human rights in recent uprisings. It was believed that Burma's possible inclusion or participation in ASEAN would be frowned upon by the international community (BP: July 22, 1994). The EC has routinely stipulated to ASEAN member states that human rights violations need to be addressed, and yet when its comes to definitive legal or punitive action the EC bows to other economic pressures (Vines 1). References Annual Status of Human Rights Yearbook, Amnesty International, 1990. Birsel, Robert, "Fighting Flares Over Burma's Precious Teak Forests," Reuters, Limited, July 18, 1995, Nexis/Lexis retrieval. "Burma Calls for Cooperation on Forestry Problems," Rueters Limited: Reuter Asia-Pacific Business Report, May 30, 1995, (lexis/nexis retrieval). Macek, Paul and Chareonying, Kalaya, "Thailand's Logging Ban," TED case study #69, data set #2. McDonald, Hamish, "Partners in Plunder," Par Eastern Economic Review; 22 February 1990, vol. 147, No. 8, p. 16. Sharma, Dinesh C., "India: India Expands Trade Ties with Burma," Bangkok Post, February 28, 1995, p. P4, (lexis/nexis retrieval). Tansubhapol, Bhanravee and Chabang, Achara, "Burma: New Organization Handles All Investment in Burma," Reuter textline, Bangkok Post, February 22, 1995, (lexis/nexis retrieval). "Teak Cycle: 120 Years from Seedling to Settee," Agence France Presse, December 23, 1993, (lexis/nexix retrieval). "Teak Plantations in Burma," Modern Asian Studies, May 1994. Tickell, Oliver, "Kindest Wood Cuts of All," The Times, Limited, June 11, 1994, (lexis/nexis retrieval). "Thailand: Report Calls on Thais to Boost Trade Relations with Burmese," Reuter Textline: Bangkok Post, August 24, 1995, Nexis/Lexix retrieval. "Thailand: Students Government Over Policy on Burma," Bangkok Post, July 22, 1994, (lexis/nexis retrieval). "War on Teak," Sierra, May 1991. Wellner, Pamela, "Timber Accord Destroys Forests," New York Times, February 5, 1994, p. 20. Vines, Richard, "EC: Community Moves to ASEAN Allay Fears Over Trade," South China Morning Post, July 24, 1991.


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A new study reveals how the amygdala is involved in controlling predatory behavior in mice.
Bird Genomes Abound
December 11, 2014|
Scientists complete the largest-ever comparative genomic study of birds.
December 11, 2014|
Scientists complete the largest-ever comparative genomic study of birds.
December 5, 2014|
What researchers are learning as they sequence, map, and decode species' genomes
December 5, 2014|
Archaeologists report that a shell with geometric engravings was carved by a Homo erectus hundreds of thousands of years ago.
December 4, 2014|
The circulating blood cells bind to neutrophils, prompting inflammation-related activity in these immune cell partners.
December 4, 2014|
A carbohydrate antigen found on cells of E. coli and other species prompts a potent immune response against malaria-causing parasites in mice.
December 3, 2014|
Bones unearthed in 2012 are likely those of King Richard III, a new DNA analysis shows.
December 3, 2014|
Researchers create synthetic enzymes in the lab, encoded by artificial genetic material.
December 2, 2014|
British consumers can buy the genetic testing-associated health prediction service forbidden by the US government.
December 1, 2014|
A spring cleaning led to the rediscovery of Theodor Boveri's microscope slides, presumed lost during World War II.
December 1, 2014|
Genomics and advanced reproductive technologies have turned cattle breeding into a whole new animal.

subset: commoncrawl


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December 13, 2013
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Tis the season for our pets too
Beautiful lights and decorations are up now and you can hear some of your favorite carols on the radio. It's getting colder in Payson, and Christmas is just around the corner.
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Treasure Hunt - Page 2
In its simplest form, a cache is a paper scroll to which you add your name— a geocacher's "I was here" log book. Traditionally, a cache is a Tupperware container or ammo can holding random items such as a Rubik's cube, pocketknife, gift certificate or even money. Some geocachers take delight in constructing camouflaged containers that blend into the environment, such as a hollowed-out pinecone, false sprinkler or fake rock.
Geocaching was created in May 2000, after the United States government opened 24 satellite channels (used for GPS navigation) to the public. Computer consultant Dave Ulmer placed a black bucket in the woods outside Portland, then posted the bucket's coordinates online and announced the challenge. A few days later two people navigated their way to the bucket, making it the world's first geocache.
"We estimate two to three million active geocachers worldwide with the majority in the U.S. and Canada," says Shauna Maggs, director of marketing for the sport's leading website, www.geocaching.com, which has information on over 500,000 caches.
Personal trainer and adventure racer Kim Kavasch of Albuquerque, New Mexico, sharpens her orienteering skills (such as reading land features and navigating with topographic maps) while training in the Sandia foothills. "Running down geocaches makes a day of training more fun and leaves you exhausted and exhilarated," she says.
Jim Kuiper of Downers Grove, Illinois, hides as well as seeks, having placed 16 caches around the state. "Matching running with geocaching was inevitable for me," says the avid trail runner and geographic-information systems technician. Since GPS coordinates provide only distance and direction from your location, Kuiper studies aerial photos or topographic maps for cliffs and rivers that might obstruct his route. "And I try to be ready for bushwhacking and hazards such as poison ivy," he says.
Geocaching gives Scott Crellin's running workouts a destination-based purpose. "I go farther and faster to grab another cache," says Crellin, who typically finds 10 to 15 caches during a 15-mile run near his home in San Diego, California. He once located 31 caches over 14 miles. "I look at maps online for strings of caches stretched along a route long enough to make a good run," he says.
He and other runners carry trinkets like mini first-aid kits, batteries or foreign currency to trade, with the hope of making the next geocacher opening the container say, "Cool!"
GET THE GEAR. Basic, easy-to-use handheld GPS receivers begin at $100. Those with additional features like an electronic compass, topographic maps, extra memory or enhanced reception, range from $400 to $1000. GPS watches, like the Garmin Forerunner, have many of these features, although you must manually enter data, which can be time consuming.
Visit Navicache.com, Terra-chacing.com or website for your state to find listings of local caches—you may discover a cache (or many) within a mile of your house. Download the geocache's GPS coordinates (called a waypoint) and cache notes to your handheld receiver and plan your route.
GET RUNNING. Follow the receiver's directional arrow and watch the distance between you and the cache decrease as you close in. You can make it easier by decrypting additional hints posted on geocaching websites, but why spoil the hunt?
GET TO THE GOODS. Remember that GPS can only take you so far. "Within 30 feet, stop looking at the screen and start searching for the cache," says Mark Collins, of Beaverton, Oregon. He recently found his 1450th cache and aspires to find them in all 48 contiguous states. Look for rock piles or a stump that could conceal a cache, but never underestimate some geocachers' ingeniousness to make it as difficult as possible.
GO BY THE RULES. Sign the log, but don't move the cache. And if you take something, leave something.


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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (558 votes).
In short: One word - Bag DropIn full: Seriously guys sort the organisation out - Bag Drop Arggghh nearly missed the start and took over 1.30 to recover bag afterwards - thats not acceptable .. it was blatantley obvious after the fiasco at the start of trying to put 4000 bags into one small room that you were gonna have problems at the finish - you just had to take the bags to area in the car park Date of review: March 8, 2010
In short: The start was cramped, the end was tough and the middle was pretty averageDate of review: March 8, 2010
In short: Lovely day for a first half marathonIn full: First Half marathon and really enjoyed it - a beautiful day albeit v cold. Start was very fast - too fast - and I found that by sticking to my pace I passed a lot of people later who were whizzing past me. Parts of the route were actually lovely and the marshalls were helpful. Really good support at the end and a real 'feel good' on completing. I queued for a T shirt but they had pretty much run out and the quality did not look good for 16 Pounds. I'd have thought we would have got something from Nike given their sponsorship and race was not cheap to enter. I need to run a few more to compare but I really enjoyed it and intend to be back next year. Date of review: March 8, 2010
Date of review: March 8, 2010
In short: Good race spoilt by organisationIn full: I have been running this race for 4 years and have always given it excellent marks as MK does have some suprisingly good scenery and the PB is always on the cards, however the organisation on this occassion was very poor and let the race down.The baggage set up was a joke,(not a funny one). waited 30 mins to collect my bag and I was a fairly fast finisher 1hr 35mins so sympathise with the later finishers as the queue behind was growing very quickly (not the bag handlers fault as they were under enormous pressure). The signage was poor, and the predicted times were non existant. This was a shame as the race itself is an excellent run and would recomemd it to everyone.PS: Still waiting for my t-shirt which I paid for.Date of review: March 8, 2010
In short: Do the organisers ever read these comments?In full: This is a great race for half marathon virgins, however once you have competed in other half marathons you will see how much the organisers need to shape-up, themselves.This is the third year on the trot I have entered this race and each year my one big gripe is that this is one of the more expensive races to enter and what do you get for it ... a medal and a bottle of water! No banana or muesli bar. And if you want a t-shirt you have to pay extra, when other, cheaper-to-enter events give away a technical t-shirt as part of a rather extensive goody bag.I said last year I wasn't going to waste my money again but entered this year to run with a friend. Sorry Nike but you're not getting my hard-earned cash next year.There does need to be more signage for the toilets. There were huge queues for the public toilets inside the Xscape building and it wasn't until I asked one of the organisers if there were any portaloos that she told me where to find them.Sadly, the start was not up to scratch either:* Starting the 10K race 2 mins before the half marathon was ridiculous - try starting it 15-20 mins before.* The PA system was awful, I was unable to hear instructions* There should have been markers at the start for predicted finish times, so the slower runners would have been towards the back, not at the front.* Banning iPods etc. because the wearers cannot hear marshals instructions and are unable to hear approaching runners from behind (I lost count of the number of times someone almost tripped me up as I went to pass them).Okay rant over.Date of review: March 8, 2010
In short: Race OK - Baggage collection appallingDate of review: March 8, 2010
In short: Nice course but poorly organised eventIn full: The annoying part was there were no time indications at the start which meant slower runners were further foward than they really should of been and made the first couple of miles frustrating. Once I could get into my running the course was good, it's just a shame there were no energy drinks station out there.The organisation really needs to be improved for next years eventDate of review: March 8, 2010
In short: well organisedDate of review: March 8, 2010
In short: Nice weather. Poorly organised race.In full: Not much to add to other's comments. Parking was much better. Good to be able to browse shops while waiting for start. But lots to improve upon and no real sense of coordination to the event.Date of review: March 8, 2010
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text:
Skip to comments.As more facts are known I have more questions: Martin and Zimmerman
Posted on 04/12/2012 5:04:46 PM PDT by 70times7
If you read the article HERE you find a lot of good information. Maps are displayed along with time lines that describe the encounter between Martin and Zimmerman. This is the most detailed account I have seen yet.
A week or two ago another thread asked why no footage had been shown with Trayvon getting his Skittles at the 7-Eleven. I speculated that they didn't want the public to know that this "poor little boy" was actually much bigger than Zimmerman, and no longer a little boy. But there may be another reason; he was never there.
According to the account Zimmerman first saw Martin near the clubhouse; to the west of the altercation and also to the west of where Martin was staying. Now that I had access to maps I did a search. As near as I can tell, the closest 7-Eleven is over 2 miles away - to the east. - 2700 West 25th Street, Sanford, FL.
The linked article also suggests that Martin doubled back specifically to confront Zimmerman. I continue to wonder if the reason Zimmerman thought he was acting suspiciously was because Martin was acting suspiciously. There are reports that women's jewelry and a flat screwdriver were found in Martin's backpack at school, but it was not acted on.
What if Trayvon was roving the neighborhood looking for "opportunity" and saw Zimmerman watching him? Do you suppose that maybe the Skittles toting the little boy who punched the bus driver may have wanted a piece of Zimmerman for trying to stop him?
What if Trayvon was roving the neighborhood looking for "opportunity" and saw Zimmerman watching him? Do you suppose that maybe the Skittles toting the little boy who punched the bus driver may have wanted a piece of Zimmerman for trying to stop him?
This is what I've thought. He wasn't just walking thru, he was acting suspiciously, GZ checked him out
He was new to the area and as a burglar he was casing near-future "prospects".
Zimmerman's instincts were right.
I think regardless of why, Martin had Zimmerman on his back beating the crap out of him.
Everything about that night and the accusations against Zimmerman are thought crimes and not actual crimes.
Even if we found out Zimmerman had said the most offensive things that night towards blacks or he was a member of the KKK wouldn't change that.
Fact is, he is getting persecuted because he shot a black man.
Also, it was reportedly raining, so it is unlikely that he was taking the long way for exercise.
None of this is conclusive - only so much can be gleaned from goggle map. But it does make me wonder.
Didn't Zimmerman say Martin was going back and forth between houses? I'll always believe he was scoping out a place to burglarize. And if he was so scared why didn't he call the cops. I also believe his girlfriend probably told a different story to the cops the night of the shooting than what she's telling today.
"But a video does exist. The public relations director of 7-Eleven told me that, according to the company's manager of security, a store camera captured an African-American male (she wouldn't commit to "young") purchasing a bag of Skittles and a can of tea (she wouldn't say that it was "Arizona" tea). The hard disk with the video was removed after the story broke, and it has been subpoenaed by investigators for the state and/or county. The company has not made it available to the media. The public relations director could not specify the exact time of the purchase but said it was between 6:00 and 6:30.
The 7-Eleven, according to maps.google, is 0.8 miles from the entrance to The Retreat at Twin Lakes, a 16-minute walk. There is not much to see or do on Rinehart Road on a Sunday night, and it was raining hard. Even if he was not bringing the tea and Skittles to his stepbrother but was eating and sipping en route, Martin should have arrived back at his dad's fiancée's place before 6:50, and much earlier if he left the store closer to 6:00 than 6:30. According to logs (now deleted from the department's website), Zimmerman called the Sanford police at 7:09:34.
Just as Martin did not go straight home after he first spotted the neighborhood watch captain, so, too, he apparently did not go directly to Brandy Green's apartment from the 7-Eleven. What exactly he was doing between the time he entered the gated community and the moment Zimmerman noticed him will probably never be known. Though there may be some plausible explanation for his behavior, the idea that he was simply returning from a selfless errand when he caught Zimmerman's eye seems less and less likely."
girlfriend is a bad witness.
1) she wasn't there
2) she can lie like a rug....not best evidence.
Wait, that's not right. Let me try again:
Unfortunately Big Brother now prosecutes based on thought crimes.
there... That - is - BETTER! (w/ apologies to Dave Chapelle, and bonus points for you if you recognize it)
funny you mention this.
I live in a county here which is mostly republican , goes nearly 70% for the republican candidate and we have no Dems in power, it is over 90% whites and churches popping up all over the county, massive churches too.
Anyway in my area it is about 98% white and my wife and I were out shopping in food lion.
Low and behold two black kids one about 16 the other about 19 or 20 were walking around the store, making a noise and swinging arms out whilst shouting, getting attention etc
They had their pants past down their arse and their boxers were on full display.
Everyone from the workers in the fish stand to the checkout to those shoppers coming in the store was talking about them and a couple of people mentioned that they were looking for attention and that it seemed they wanted to be kicked out of the place.
No one said anything to give them that satisfaction but it was clear they wanted one person to say something or the manager to say they had to leave and then they could claim they were racially abused and picked on.
Now maybe they were silly little turds acting up or maybe they were looking for trouble/attention either way they did not get anything positive out of their act
But Sharpton said yesterday to the MSM, sorry the lefts propaganda wing that he had loving parents just wanting justice.
If so loving then why was the suspended kid not grounded at home?
If it is justice then why call for the arrest and now happy ?
Course now an arrest has been made they can go forward with that civil suit but hey maybe it is me who is being cynical and the bleeding heart will say ' how can you say that she lost her beautiful loving son"
Bet she has a lot of jewelry. In fact...she might have been his fence.
Thank you for your post! It cancels some of my information but bolsters my theory.
But Sharpton said yesterday to the MSM, sorry the lefts propaganda wing that he had loving parents just wanting justice.
If so loving then why was the suspended kid not grounded at home?
If it is justice then why call for the arrest and now happy ?
Course now an arrest has been made they can go forward with that civil suit but hey maybe it is me who is being cynical and the bleeding heart will say ' how can you say that she lost her beautiful loving son"
Nothing to do with getting blacks all worked up for the election whilst the occupy lot are waiting for their orders this summer and then overturning our stand your ground law. Nah no way could it ever be that I mean on our local channel here the showed one guy in town saying that the towns needs to move forward, that Zimmermann should have been charged and then went into a tirade against people having guns.
ARF How many people did they interview before they found the dope like him to say what they think?
Zimmerman's is toast. It's a black country now..... NOT an American one.
What if they did have 7-11 video and it showed cute little Trayvon shoplifting some goods? Would that video disappear?
" Just as Martin did not go straight home after he first spotted the neighborhood watch captain, so, too, he apparently did not go directly to Brandy Green's apartment from the 7-Eleven. What exactly he was doing between the time he entered the gated community and the moment Zimmerman noticed him will probably never be known. Though there may be some plausible explanation for his behavior, the idea that he was simply returning from a selfless errand when he caught Zimmerman's eye seems less and less likely."
Holder praised Sharpton didn't he after the arrest?
DOJ , what a racist joke and the GOP should have cleared them all out and gone after Holder right after he dropped charges against the racist blacks out side the voting station.
Even the cowardly GOP here have not called for the black panthers to be arrested.
The GOP let the MSM dictate the terms of an issue , the left gets their propaganda out and we have a GOP which thinks if they are nice the MSM might be nice back
Thanks for posting that link, lots of good info.
Going to buy ice tea and candy late at night in the rain. Sounds, uh, like a cover story to say the least.
Anyway, I've got to go see a man about a dog...
There is a 7-Eleven much closer, next to a SAM's club less than a mile. What needs to be investigated is how the Trayvon Martin movement got started...out of DC by folks not related to the family, well after the shooting. I personally believe the Obama Administration and DNC were behind this movement.
Obama ignited this whole thing with his comments
To be fair, the things Martin has been suspended for are rather minor. I had a friend in HS over 30 years ago who was suspended for worse. Today he is a degreed professional and a VP at a medical equipment company.
It was the report of the jewelry that caught my attention.
There's already a new washed-out photo of Zimmerman out today.
My wife said last night "what is the point of having a gun to carry now when a black guy or a homosexual or a muslim can attack you and you are put away for defending yourself"
I told my wife that is exactly how the left wants people to think if they cannot get the gun laws here overturned.
I remember how some blacks were shouting " wait till we get a brother in" or " you crackers will get what you have coming soon"
Blackl racist can run around, cause trouble, shoot each other, commit crimes all they want but they can do it to whites and all is good according to Hodler and the DOJ
Remember that lawyer who stepped down from the DOJ said that the new lawyers in the DOJ got order to ignore crimes committed by blacks on whites but to go after whites?
We knew this for 3 years , since the black panthers stood outside a voting station and the GOP for the most part did nothing, can't upset two blocks of voters who never vote for us anyway.
Many blacks and homosexuals
I don't know when the police finally spoke with the girlfriend, but i believe that on March 31 (that's March 31) she was still refusing to give an interview to the police on recommendation of the Martin family attorneys.
no matter what he did to get suspended he should have been grounded and certainly not be allowed to roam about or hang out in a different neighborhood or a different city or even state.
If my kids were ever suspended , hell if they ever got into trouble at school they know they'd be grounded for some time.
They'll be back...prolly with friends.
The little barry bastard regime head goon doubtless gave marching instructions to the fool prosecutor to charge Zimmerman as she did. The strategy appears to be to have a trial and an acquittal so the race rioting can begin. Holder is a racist thug working for a halfrican racist anti-American commie. It will get much worse before this is over. Watch for the 'training runs' of flash mobbing, preparing the feckless dullards to raise chaos on demand.
From the 7-11 store locator the store in Sanford, FL is at
Some are saying that Zimmerman lived in Twin Lakes community:
Mapquest shows:
From: 100 NORTH FRENCH AVE sanford, FL
To: Twin Lakes, Sanford, FL
Distance: 5.35 miles
At 3:00AM he is going to walk 10.7 miles round trip to a 7-11?
What am I missing?
Martin's parents brought in a "boutique" law firm that apparently is making a specialty of "civil rights" cases (read: racial agitation). Are the "black community leader" types and some D.C. and state politicians involved as well? You bet. But that lawfirm is making themselves a name in the black community. Just wait, they'll start turning up in any case where some black guy gets killed by a non-black.
The very fact that he did this, stupid as it may have been, and they STILL don't have squat to charge him with (Dershowitz says the arrest affidavit was irresponsible And unethical) means that they aren't ever going to have squat to charge him with because he did nothing other than fight for his life.
Eric Holder approves.
would not surprise,me and I was surprised by how everyone came to the same thought.
A lot of good ole boys here too and one of them say to me laughing"look at those boy, you know damn well those boys are just looking to get thrown out and get those cameras down here"
Most others were just laughing at how pathetic they looked and how they acted
That's why Angela Corey is a coward. She accomplished NOTHING but kick the can down the road.
I disagree, taking a cue from Richard Cloward and Frances Piven themselves; OVERWHELM THE SYSTEM.
This is going to roil the waters so badly that they aren't going to know whether to spit or go blind.
We have to learn to beat the Alinskyites at their own games.
Our problem is that we believe in truth, and truth ain't all that complicated, so we expect to wrap things up and move on to something else.
That is not what the Left does. The Left are like termites; they are eating away at the very foundations of our culture 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
You can't just fight them, win, and be done. You have to fight them and fight them and fight them and fight them forever.
That's what's happening here. Anything that keeps the ball in the air is good.
I wonder if a toxicology report exists on the young Martin? Any illegal drugs in his system? He could have stopped and lit one up on the way back...
Of even more interesting possibilities is that the "kid" was carrying a box of Skittles he already had on him.
Look up Skittles Party on wikipedia— a party where punks bring a skittles box full of prescription narcotics or stimulants for games at the party. Maybe he didn't go to a 7-11 at all, despite what the affidavit said.
This is a legal firm in Tally. There are douches of the highest order. They had the right phone #s.
Tox. Reports mean nada. 50% of the kids his age smoke week. Doesn't prove negligent behavior.
Just curious-—this was a "gated community" wasn't it? If so, most of those communities that I have come across were either "manned" by someone in a gatehouse, or at the least a literal gate that you used either a key pad or some other method to gain access. So if that's the case, unless he lived there or had friends who invited him, wasn't he trespassing?
Maybe there was more than weed?
I wish they'd use this picture of Trayvon instead of the 5 year one of the 12 year old boy.
There perhaps could be. Not sure if its an issue. Just a piece of the puzzle..
I don't think you've been paying attention.
Trayvon was staying with his dad, who was living with his girlfriend there. He had every legal right to be where he was.
Could have been planning to do something illegal, but his actual actions, so far as we know them, were perfectly legal.
he was staying at with his dad at his dad's girlfriend's house, in the gated community.
Third possibility: misdirection. Get the attention of security and other employees focused on them, and not noticing their non-attention-seeking confederates who are using the opportunity to steal.
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text:
A meeting of the Audit Committee was
held at the Authority's offices at the
The following Members of the Audit Committee were present:
Also in attendance were:
Michael J. Townsend Acting Chairman
Eugene L. Nicandri Trustee (via videoconference)
Gil Quiniones Chief Operating Officer
Joseph Del Sindaco Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Donald Russak Senior Vice President – Corporate Planning and Finance
Lesly Pardo Vice President – Internal Audit
Anne Cahill Corporate Secretary
Angela Graves Deputy Corporate Secretary
Denise D'Ambrosio Principal Attorney I
Thomas Concadoro Director – Accounting
Dennis Eccleston Chief Information Officer
Mary Jean Frank Associate Corporate Secretary
Lorna Johnson Assistant Corporate Secretary
David Milkosky Partner, Ernst & Young
Randy Nelson Principal, Ernst & Young
Louis Roberts Audit Senior Manager, Ernst & Young
1. Minutes of the Regular Meeting of July 10, 2008
The minutes of the Committee's Regular Meeting of July 10, 2008 were adopted.
2. Year-End 2008 Financial Statements Summary
Mr. Thomas Concadoro presented the highlights of the Authority's 2008 financial statements. He pointed out the following:
· Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") mentioned:
n Comparison of operating results for 2008 and 2007 noting items that resulted in an increase in net income from $235 million to $299 million (including higher market-based sales and higher production at Flynn.
n Accomplishments such as the Governor's approval of the Alcoa contract extension and additional funding of the Other Post-Employment Benefits ("OPEB") obligation.
n The State's $544 million request for significant voluntary contributions ($226 million) and asset transfers ($318 million) and the related Trustee actions in January and early February 2009.
n Economic conditions resulting in downgrades of bond insurers. The Authority has been able to redeem $72 million of auction rate securities with tax-exempt commercial paper in this environment.
· Changes of significance in the Authority's balance sheets include:
n Redemption of $72 million in auction-rate securities and $47 million of Series 1998 A Revenue Bonds.
n Shift in risk management hedging positions from an asset of $53 million to an obligation of $123 million, primarily due to decreases in market prices.
n $167 million decrease in decommissioning fund to $812 million. The decrease is significant but has no impact on the Authority's liability to Entergy (limited to the funds in the decommissioning fund).
n Debt/equity ratio continued to decrease to 0.83 to 1 (the Authority's lowest total debt-to-equity ratio since it implemented proprietary accounting in 1982).
· Statement of revenues, expenses and changes in net assets:
n Labels on income statement were changed to bring them more in line with Government Accounting Standards Board ("GASB") #34. Net Operating Revenue is renamed "Operating Income" and Net Revenues are renamed "Net Income and Change in Net Assets."
n The $60 million payment to the State in April 2008 appears as a separate line item "Contributions to State" and is classified as a non-operating expense. Voluntary contributions made in prior years were related to the Power for Jobs ("PFJ") program. As a program cost, these contributions were classified as operating expenses.
· Statement of cash flows:
n Net cash provided by operating activities increased by 37% to $448 million consistent with the increase in operating income.
· Footnotes:
n Accounting Policies [Note B(8)]: GASB's "Accounting and Financial Reporting for Derivative Instruments" requires fair market reporting, effectiveness testing and expanded disclosures starting in 2010.
n Long-term Debt [Note F]: Redemption of $72 million in auction-rate securities and $47 million of Series 1998 A Revenue Bonds.
n Post-employment Benefits [Note I]: Updated to include the biannual actuarial evaluation as of January 1, 2008 and additional funding of $125 million to OPEB Trust Fund in 2008. Discloses potential increase in future contributions to New York State Retirement System due to decline in financial markets.
n Nuclear Plant Divestiture and Related Matters [Note K]: Footnote includes disclosure that the proposed spinoff of Entergy's nuclear plants would not constitute a terminating event for the value-sharing agreements with Entergy.
· Commitments and contingencies:
n PFJ [Note M(3)]: Latest developments in claim of two PFJ customers regarding implementation of PFJ rebate and restitution calculations (including the Authority receiving permission to appeal to the Court of Appeals in December 2008).
n Street Lighting [Note M(4b)]: Settlement of New York City's claim for a refund for street-lighting service.
n New York State Budget Matters and Other Issues [Note M(7)]: Updated to reflect the severe budget problems facing the State and the request for significant assistance in the amount of $544 million, including voluntary contributions ($226 million) and temporary asset transfers ($318 million). Note references Trustee actions in January and early February 2009, as well as the fact that a future voluntary contribution ($107 million) and a future temporary asset transfer ($103 million) will require Trustee reaffirmation prior to payment.
n Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative [Note M(10)]: Disclosure of initiative and that the potential cost going forward could be significant.
Mr. Joseph Del Sindaco said that the overwhelming majority of the $123 million in risk-management obligations listed as an Authority liability would be passed on to its customers. He also noted that the restricted funds in the nuclear decommissioning fund posed no risk to the Authority.
Responding to a question from Trustee Eugene Nicandri about the largest single
annual increase in contributions the Authority had been required to make to the
Responding to a question from Trustee Jonathan Foster regarding OPEB costs, Mr. Concadoro said that the Authority has an actuarial liability of more than $300 million, including prior service costs, which are being amortized over 20 years from the initial implementation of accrual accounting for OPEBs.
In response to a question from Chairman D. Patrick Curley, Ms. Denise D'Ambrosio said that the Court of Appeals had granted the Authority permission to appeal in the case involving PFJ rebate and restitution calculations.
3. Summary of 2008 Annual Audit of Financial Statements
Mr. David Milkosky of Ernst & Young LLP ("E&Y") said that E&Y had described its 2008 audit approach to the Audit Committee at an earlier meeting. He said that:
· E&Y will issue an unqualified opinion on the Authority's 2008 Financial Statements.
· E&Y found no irregularities to report to the Audit Committee.
· E&Y will issue reports on:
¨ Internal Control Over Financial Reporting and on Compliance and Other Matters Based on an Audit of the Financial Statements Performed in Accordance with Government Auditing Standards.
¨ The Authority's investments
in accordance with the State of
¨ The Authority's Compliance
with the State of
· E&Y found no instances of material fraud in its audit and no differences in policy or adjustments.
· There were no significant accounting policy changes at the Authority during the 2008 fiscal year.
· There were no disagreements with management and no significant recorded or unrecorded audit adjustments noted.
· E&Y will obtain the standard letter of representation from Authority management.
· E&Y is not aware of any Authority consultations with other accountants.
· No significant audit issues were discussed with management.
· E&Y is not aware of any fraud or illegal acts that require communication.
· No material weaknesses in internal control were identified.
· The significant accounting policies of the Authority are described in Note B to the financial statements.
· The Authority did not apply any alternative account treatments within generally accepted accounting principles.
In response to a question
from Chairman Curley, Mr. Milkosky said that E&Y cannot speak to the
enforceability of the Memorandum of Understanding for the temporary transfer of
restricted assets to the State of
Mr. Louis Roberts of E&Y presented the following overview of the audit's findings and observations. The Authority:
· Recognizes revenue when services are delivered and uses an acceptable method for accruing revenues.
· Properly applies the guidance provided in Statement of Financial Accounting Standard ("SFAS") 71, Regulatory Accounting.
· Invests its funds in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Bond Resolution and the Authority's investment guidelines, which in turn comply with the New York State Comptroller's investment guidelines for public authorities.
· Appropriately uses a specialist firm to value its fuel inventory on hand at year's end.
· Uses a consistent, conservative method of estimating bad debts based on the aging of accounts receivable.
· States capital assets at original cost.
· Capitalizes interest on amounts borrowed to finance construction to the project prior to completion.
· Assesses impairment when any indicators of impairment are present, in accordance with applicable accounting standards.
· Applies the appropriate accounting guidance to account for and report on derivatives.
· Follows industry practice in establishing environmental reserves.
· Appropriately uses an actuary to estimate the liability related to other post-retirement benefits.
· Has a consistent and conservative methodology for estimating its self-insurance liability.
· Books depreciation expenses appropriately when a project is completed and the asset is placed into service.
Mr. Roberts said that the Authority will be subject to the requirements of Government Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 53, Accounting and Financial Reporting for Derivative Instruments for the calendar year 2010.
4. Motion to Conduct an Executive Session
"Mr. Chairman, I move that the Authority conduct an executive session pursuant to Section 105 of the Public Officers Law of the State of New York to discuss matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person or corporation." Upon motion made and seconded, an Executive Session was held.
5. Motion to Resume Meeting in Open Session
"Mr. Chairman, I move to resume the meeting in Open Session." Upon motion made and seconded, the meeting resumed in open session.
6. 2008 Internal Audit Activity Report
Mr. Lesly Pardo presented an overview of Internal Audit's ("IA") activity for 2008. He said that as of December 31, 40 audits (out of 42 in the 2008 Audit Plan) had been completed, including 19 financial, 10 information technology and 11 operational. Two audits (Records Management and Market and Pricing Analysis) were in progress as of December 31. One audit (Information Technology Legal and Regulatory Compliance) was rescheduled to 2009 and is currently in process. Two audits were added to the 2008 plan (White Plains Office Data Center and E&Y Information Technology Audit Support) and two were postponed (Energy Service Programs – Financial Audit and EMS). Mr. Pardo said that 36 audit reports containing 73 recommendations had been issued and that 2 reports were under review as of December 31. All of the recommendations in the audit reports had been accepted by management. By December 31, 50 recommendations had been implemented and are being actively tracked, with 23 scheduled to be implemented in 2009. To ensure that issues raised in the audits are properly addressed, implementation of critical recommendations is being verified by observation and testing rather than reliance on verbal confirmation. Mr. Pardo also said that IA had received full cooperation and support from management and that IA staff were given full and unrestricted access to all documents, records and personnel necessary to perform their work.
In response to a question from Trustee Foster, Mr. Pardo said that the Internal Audit department has 10 people on staff.
7. 2009 Internal Audit Plan
In presenting the 2008 Audit Plan, Mr. Pardo said that IA had identified 141 auditable entities in the Authority's audit universe. A risk assessment was then conducted for each of these entities based on financial, operational, strategic, public perception and confidence dispersion (the time between audits) risk factors. The audits identified were then ranked on their risk level, as well as requests by management and staff input. High-risk auditable entities such as Fuels Operations, New York Independent System Operator ("NYISO") Settlements, Customer Revenues, Generation Resource Management and some Information Technology functions are audited on a one- or two-year cycle. Facility Finance and Administration functions are audited on a two-year cycle. Other major financial systems/functions such as Intrusion Prevention, SAP Applications, Accounts Payable, Payroll, Investments and Purchasing are audited every two to three years. Auditable entities with high perception or visibility risk, such as Travel and Living Expenses and Energy Services Programs, are audited at least every two years. Low-risk auditable entities are audited every four to five years.
Mr. Pardo said that the 2009 Audit Plan envisions 43 audits (18 financial, 10 information technology and 15 operational) and that 12 of the audits will be conducted at the operating facilities. Audits for NYISO Energy Settlements, Fuels Operations, Energy Services Programs, Enterprise Risk Management and various NERC-CIP compliance issues are scheduled. Other notable audits include Accounts Payable, Capital Planning, Physical Security Programs, Environmental Compliance, Business Continuity Plan, Headquarters Procurement and Energy Management System (IT audit). Work on Economic Development Job Commitment audits will continue, along with the usual support to E&Y, Ethics Office and Office of the Inspector General activities.
Trustee Foster suggested that more focus be placed on audits dealing with capital markets, hedging, derivatives and interest-rate management in the 2009 audit plan, given what's happening in the world. He asked Mr. Pardo to come back to the Audit Committee at their next meeting to update them on how such issues would be addressed.
8. Performance of Agreed-Upon Procedures by Ernst
& Young LLP Regarding the Grant Agreement
Between NYPA and Seaway Private Equity Corp.
Ms. Anne Cahill presented the highlights of staff's recommendations to the Committee, as follows:
· In 2005, the Authority entered into an agreement to fund a local aquarium development project in St. Lawrence County. Following the aquarium sponsors' failure to raise the necessary additional matching funds, the Authority agreed to use $10 million of the previously pledged funds toward investments in St. Lawrence County for businesses developing new technology or environmental projects that would directly or indirectly promote job development.
· To effectuate the foregoing, the Trustees adopted a resolution on September 20, 2005, authorizing the Authority to negotiate and execute an agreement(s) and other documents with a local development corporation ("LDC") to provide up to $10 million of funding. Subsequently, on March 8, 2006, the Authority entered into a Grant Agreement with Seaway Private Equity Corporation ("SPEC"), an LDC, which contained a form capital commitment agreement for SPEC to use in its investments. Four months later, an Amended and Restated Grant Agreement was executed between the Authority and SPEC that included an amended and restated form of capital commitment agreement. These amended and restated agreements clarified the earlier agreement by allowing SPEC greater flexibility in its funding of business development firms and project criteria. Specifically, the intent of the amendments was to clarify the definition of Qualified Business Development Firm ("QBDF") and allow SPEC to invest in multiple QBDFs upon Authority approval and to invest in entities that are not new technology firms or projects upon a two-thirds vote of its entire Board.
date, SPEC has executed capital commitment agreements with two QBDFs: Golden Technology Management ("Golden") and
North Bay Technology Management ("
· Of the Authority's $10 million allocation for this 12-year Grant Agreement, through February 10, 2009, SPEC has funded six qualified investments totaling $3,674,566 of the $9.75 million available for such investments, and has expended $190,073 of the remaining $250,000 for administrative and legal fees.
· Under the Amended and Restated Grant Agreement, the Authority has the right to review SPEC's records and accounts, which SPEC is required to maintain as they pertain to activities under the agreement. The Authority has determined that a review of SPEC's activities to date should be undertaken.
· To that end, the Authority asked E&Y to provide a proposal to review SPEC's investment activities under the Grant Agreement and the capital commitment agreements. This proposal is attached as Exhibit "A."
· The Agreement for Accounting Services between the Authority and E&Y (Agreement No. 4500089614) provides, in relevant part, that non-audit services by E&Y must be preapproved by the Authority's Audit Committee before work commences. E&Y's fee for performing this work, which will be determined on an hourly basis in accord with the applicable compensation schedule, is estimated to be $50,000.
In response to a question from Trustee Elise Cusack, Ms. Cahill said that the Authority wants to see whether the funding it has provided has been appropriately invested.
Upon motion made and seconded, the
Committee authorized E&Y services in conjunction with a review of SPEC's
activities under the Amended and Restated Grant Agreement and the capital
commitment agreements with Golden and
Exhibit "A"
Power Authority of the
State of
Summary of Agreed-Upon Procedures
Such procedures will include, but not be limited to:
1. General Procedures
A. Obtain the IRS ruling letter to support SPEC's incorporation as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
B. Obtain a listing of expenditures from SPEC and identify any investment in
a Qualified Investment
C. Inquire as to the retention policy followed by SPEC with respect to source documents supporting the expenditures incurred.
D. Obtain the listing expenditures from SPEC and compare the same to the requisitions to NYPA. Identify any differences.
E. Inquire as to whether there were any investments in new companies not based on renewable energy or environmental technologies. For all investments in new companies not based on renewable energy or environmental technologies, obtain a resolution of the Board of Trustees of SPEC that indicates that a vote of two-thirds of the entire Board approved the investment.
2. SPEC Investment Transactions
For each SPEC Investment, perform the following:
A. Obtain the quarterly unaudited financial statements and audited financial statement, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, for the periods including and subsequent to the date of the investment.
B. Identify the location of the respective company's headquarters and its principal business.
C. Obtain the certification by Golden Technology Management, LLC ("Golden")
D. Obtain a copy of the signed investment agreement.
E. Determine whether the investment was matched by a Qualified Private Investor on a basis of $1 invested by SPEC for each $2 invested by Qualified Private Investors. Summarize the matching terms for each SPEC Investment.
3. Administrative Transactions
A. Obtain a listing of all payments made with the grant funding to Golden
B. Obtain a listing of payments made to SPEC for establishing SPEC corporate structures and any other operating expenses paid by the grant. Select 25 transactions and determine that:
1. Transactions were properly documented with original vendor invoices, purchase orders, approved contracts and other original source documents.
4. Site Visits
A. Visit each company that was invested in and interview the chief financial officer or other executive and make the following inquiries:
1. How long has the company been in business?
2. What is the nature of the company's current projects that are in process?
3. How many employees does the company have?
4. How many employees have been hired since SPEC's investment in the company?
5. Who are on the company's board of directors?
6. Does the company have any joint ventures?
7. Do you have any knowledge of fraud or suspected fraud?
8. Does the company have any significant claims against it?
5. Status Reporting/AUP Report
A. The E&Y engagement team will meet with the Authority Project Manager regularly to provide status updates and discuss results of testing. E&Y will prepare an "Agreed-Upon Procedures" report
9. Other Business
Mr. Concadoro advised the Committee that E&Y's audit contract ends this year. Chairman Curley said that the Audit Committee would like staff to develop a Request for Proposals ("RFP") for audit services for the next 3-5 years, asking staff to show the Committee a draft of the last RFP. He added that the Committee would like to see proposals from at least two accounting firms other than E&Y. Mr. Bellis said that the Authority had traditionally sought audit proposals from top-tier firms, but that last time proposals were also sought from some second-tier firms and none had responded. Mr. Concadoro explained that this was primarily due to the fact that utility accounting is very specialized and the large firms had more experience conducting these audits. In response to a question from Trustee Foster, Mr. Concadoro said that the Authority's previous auditing firm had been Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Responding to another question from Trustee Foster, Mr. Del Sindaco said that E&Y has performed satisfactorily. Trustee Foster said that he has been quite impressed with E&Y's work for the Authority.
Chairman Curley said that the Committee wanted staff to provide the Committee with a five-year analysis of hedging and derivatives by May, saying that the Committee was also going to look at enterprise risk analysis. Trustee Foster said that the Committee was looking for input as to whether hedging and derivatives were helping or hurting the Authority.
10. Next Meeting
Chairman Curley and Trustees Cusack and Foster agreed that the next regular meeting of the Committee would be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2009. They also agreed that a special meeting of the Committee might need to be held toward the end of May to review the financial audit RFP responses.
Upon motion duly made and seconded, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 11:55 a.m.


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Freshly shucked Wellfleet oysters, burrata, heavy cream, and salt pork. Finished with cucumber mignonette and caviar.
<caviar substitute (or salmon roe)?. I've never seen it before but it could be nice.>It's been done, as it's delicious.A sprinkling of caviar after cooking will give it a great flavor.A high roller might use something expensive, but the inexpensive whitefish roe "caviar" that you can find in any supermarket works perfectly, as does salmon roe.Anchovies...you can't go wrong.
Nice.I think you discovered Bagel and Lox, Neapolitan style
Now, I have to just wait for the cultural warriors to get on me for offending both the Neapolitan purists and the Delicatessen purists.Oh, the humanity !


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We are a group of artists, dreamers and old souls who are passionate about love. Like most people, we believe in happily-ever-after and yearn for moments that make life more meaningful. What can I say? We're a bunch of hopeless romantics! And we would love to meet you and tell your love story.
Who we are
We'd like to think of ourselves as a collection of artists from different fields, brought together by art, love and tales. We are products of different schools including UP and DLSU, with distinct ideologies in life, but agree that love is the glue that holds people together and that when there is love, life becomes even more beautiful.
Why do we do what we do
Our goal is for you to be transported back in time. Back to the moment when you were about walk down the aisle. That time when you were about to see her for the very first time in her beautiful, white dress. That exact point in time when you promised to be with each other for the rest of your lives. All of it, in one beautifully pieced together video.
Whether it be an inquiry about our services, availability, or just a friendly hello, we would love to hear from you. You can also contact us at https://www.facebook.com/altxvideos if we don't reply within 24 hours.
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(02) 5860867
(0917) 8443424


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During next trip, be sure to peek at residential yards
By MARY COLLISTER
Published February 23, 2007
As I write this column, I am sitting in my brother's home in central California. I lived in this town the first 18 years of my life, but it has been more than 15 years since I have been here.
Although this is a short trip, I did take the time to walk around the neighborhood and look at the yards.
The houses are about 3 to 5 years old so they have fairly young landscapes. They share many attributes. The most common view from the street is that of a three-car garage with the addition of more concrete, which leads to a side yard with a large double gate. Many homeowners park boats, trailers or other large "toys" in these areas.
The visual impact of the large expanses of poured concrete could have been overwhelming, but the homeowners or builder did try to add some aesthetic touches to the utilitarian aspect.
Simple patterns were made in the driveway and walkways by incorporating the expansion joints and scoring the concrete. Oftentimes the stair risers were stained, pitted or embellished with stones or bricks.
This also broke up the monotony of the plain gray concrete. Stones, bricks, staining or stamping the concrete in large or small areas (perhaps just a border) also made the hardscape more appealing.
Concrete curbing is also very popular here; it is seemingly the bed border of choice. I noticed that most of it is plain concrete, not with the colors and stamped patterns we usually see in our area.
I would say that at least half the yards have the concrete border with probably 40 percent using some other type of material. It is unusual for a front yard to not have some sort of border in place. I saw a couple of homes with the concrete border that had interrupted the edging with boulders of different sizes. It gives the border a less formal and more realistic look.
Of course boulders are naturally occurring here so they don't look out of place. I was trying to think of a substitute for boulders in Tampa, but could only come up with driftwood! I know all the rocks I have in my yard have been purchased at the local garden center.
Another item I noticed was the lack of mulch.
More than half the beds have no type of mulch. Those that have used organic mulch, such as wood chips, use very thin layers. The beds are just racked smooth. I am so used to seeing mulch in beds that it looks a bit unfinished.
I also noticed that all the homes have underground sprinkler systems but not just the typical popups and rotary heads.
Many of the homes have drip irrigation around the trees and large shrubs and one to three small emitters to water individual plants. I have to assume this is done to conserve water. The summers out here are just as hot (usually hotter, often more than 100 degrees) as our summers.
The humidity is missing, but a drying hot breeze is often present. This type of micro-irrigation would make the systems more efficient. The spaghetti tubing used in drip irrigation is often seen snaking its way up the side of a container filled with plants.
Weeds are a large problem here. But then, where are they not? If you limit the area you water, you also limit the area that is attractive to weeds.
Micro-irrigation can be used to limit where the water is placed. It does no good to water areas that have no plant material. They have very little rain here so it looks like alternative methods of watering are popular here.
We have been lucky with the amount of rain we have had in Tampa. I know I am using my irrigation system less, and I'm hoping this shows up on our water bill. Micro-irrigation is a good system to use in our area also. The Cooperative Extension Service has good information on the subject, and you may want to start your research there.
Even if we are having rain now, periods of drought will continue to be a problem. It never hurts to plan ahead. And even in times of plentiful rain, we still need to conserve.
If you have any winter trips planned, take time to drive or walk around a few residential areas. Some of the ideas may work in your own yard back home.


text: This document provides a comprehensive review and analysis of the residential time-of-use pilot project conducted by AmerenUE in collaboration with the Missouri Collaborative. The Missouri Collaborative consists of the Office of Public Counsel, the Missouri Public Service Commission, the Department of Natural Resources and teo industrial intervener groups. The report provides information about the project design in terms of sample size and selection, enabling technologies and TOU/CPP rates. Project analyses, including CPP event day analysis, TOU energy analysis and payback analysis, are also discussed.


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In the light of Joe Satriani possibly jumping ship from Peavey to Marshall for his amplification needs as reported last week, we thought, just for fun, that we'd make a list of his endorsements over the years just to see how many entries we could come up with.
Four days later, we're still compiling a list, not just of Joe's deals but as many people we could think of as we found our research taking many twists and turns, leading us towards a number of other famous players...
In no particular order, what follows is a list of the 10 guitar heroes who we found to have had the most signature equipment over the years. Each entry details not necessarily the kit they use onstage, but the gear in the shops that bears their names.
Additions and corrections, as ever, are gratefully received. Hey, this is only supposed to be a bit of fun…
Richie Sambora
Fender guitars – signature Strats
Kramer guitars – signature RS
ESP guitars – LTD SA-2
Taylor acoustics – RSSM double-neck
Martin acoustics – OMC-41 Sambora, MC12-41
Ovation acoustics – double and triple-necks
Next page: Satchuration point?
Joe Satriani
Peavey amps – JSX Series
Ibanez guitars – JS Series
Vox effects – Satchurator, Time Machine, Big Bad Wah
DiMarzio pickups – Fred, Mo'Joe, PAF Joe
Planet Waves – signature straps and picks
Steve Vai
Carvin amps – Legacy
Ibanez guitars – JEM Series
Ibanez effects – Jemini
Morley effects – Bad Horsie, Little Alligator
DiMarzio – signature cables
DiMarzio pickups – Evolution, Evo 2, Breed
Yngwie Malmsteen
Fender Guitars – signature Strats
DiMarzio pickups – Model J single-coil
DiMarzio straps – YJM signature cable & Clip Lock
DOD effects – YJM308 Yngwie
Dunlop picks – Malmsteen signatures
Dean Markley strings – signature set
Eddie Van Halen
Fender guitars – Frankenstein Replica
Charvel guitars – EVH models
Kramer guitars – various 5150 spares
Ernie Ball MusicMan guitars – EVH Axis
Peavey guitars – Wolfgang
EVH guitars – Wolfgang
EVH amps – 5150-III
EVH accessories – straps, shoes, picks, pickups, strings, cables
Dunlop effects – signature EVH wah
MXR effects – EVH flanger, EVH Phase 90
Brian May
Brian May Guitars – RS Special, BM Signature, BM Rhapsody acoustic
Vox amplification – AC30 Custom Limited Edition, VBM1
DigiTech effects – Red Special pedal
Greg Fryer effects – signature treble boosters
Burns guitars – BHM-1
Guild guitars – signature model
Burns pickups - signature Trisonic pickups
Zakk Wylde
Gibson guitars – signature Les Pauls
Epiphone – signature Les Pauls, ZV Custom
Marshall amps – JCM 2203ZW
EMG pickups – ZW set
MXR effects – ZW44 overdrive
Dunlop effects – ZW45 signature wah
Jimi Hendrix
(all posthumous...)
Fender guitars – myriad signature Strats
Marshall amps – Super 100JH
Dunlop effects – signature wah, Octavia, Fuzzface
DigiTech effects – JH Experience pedal
Dean Markley – signature strings
Kerry King
BC Rich guitars – KK signature models
Marshall amps – 2203KK head
EMG pickups – KFK set
MXR effects – KFK1 10-band graphic
John Jorgenson
Fender guitars – Hellecaster JJ signature
G&L guitars – ASAT John Jorgenson
Takamine guitars – JJ325SRC
Gitane – DG-320 John Jorgenson Signature
Paris Swing Company – JJ signature mandolin
Matchless amps – JJ30 combo
SWR – acoustic amps
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Top 10 rock star endorsed food and drink products
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Live at the Village Vanguard 2009
December 11, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.Add new comment | Filed under: cedar walton trio, concerts, david sanchez, december 17, guitarist, Jazz Alive, kurt rosenwinkel group, podcast, quartet, saxophonist, special guests, survival, terence blanchard, tom harrell quintet, trumpeter, village vanguard
Next week, Cedar Walton's trio wraps up our 2008 concert series from the Village Vanguard. Don't worry, there's more to come:
The series kicks off 2009 with a performance from guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel on January 7, which will be available for download as a podcast. Grammy© winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard brings his quintet to the Vanguard in February along with special guests, and Grammy© nominated saxophonist David Sanchez follows in March with his quartet performing material from Sanchez's recent recording, Cultural Survival. In April, trumpeter and composer Tom Harrell and his quintet will play music from an upcoming release, Prana's Dance.
Live at the Village Vanguard Schedule
Wednesday, December 17 - Cedar Walton Trio
Wednesday, January 7 - Kurt Rosenwinkel Group
Wednesday, February 18 - Terence Blanchard Quintet
Wednesday, March 18 - David Sanchez Quartet
Wednesday, April 8 - Tom Harrell Quintet


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I picked up the phoenix teapot.
Alucard wrote:I picked up the phoenix teapot.
Petr Novák wrote:O dear friend, she does take cradit cards. But if I remember correctly, for you it was not about keeping the car but more about marriage, right? There were some really nice pieces, in this antique shop. But for me, I love those living ones around more...
for example