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Data Analysis
2017 NAICS 323 US Commercial Printing Industry Shipments
Published: February 2, 2018
The US Commerce Department has released data for November 2017, and this is the first look at the full year by making an estimate for December. Based on shipment and employment trends, it appears that 2017 came in at $76.3 in current dollars. That's a -6.4% decrease in current dollars compared to 2016, and a -8.4% decrease on an inflation-adjusted basis. The chart includes selected prior years starting at 1995. December data will be released at the beginning of February, and will be revised in March. In May, the Commerce Department will revise the last three years of data, plus minor revisions to the years prior to that.
Latest Inflation Adjustment Multipliers
Published: January 29, 2018
Inflation distorts our interpretation of history and clouds business decisions. All dollars may look alike, but what a dollar bought in 1950 is a lot different than a dollar in 2017. Unfortunately, commercial printing prices have not kept up with inflation, but the costs of running a printing business usually have. This means that it's harder to keep earnings and payrolls up to this level. If past dollars had greater value, this chart can be used to adjust past financial statements to bring those data to current value. This is especially important in budgeting processes where looking for trends in prior years is one way of assessing performance and goals.
E-commerce is the only reason retail is growing
Published: October 5, 2017
Inflation and population changes often distort the analysis of economic trends. This chart shows the changing nature of retail sales on a per capita (per person) and inflation-adjusted (using the Consumer Price Index) basis by the percentage change compared to the same period of the prior year.
Dr. Joe's Key Recovery Indicators
Published: September 11, 2017
The recovery indicators (when we started these we thought they'd be around for about a year or so) had four of its six factors turn negative, with one of those falling back to its recession level of December 2007. Yes, that's when the recession started. That long ago.
Updated Commercial Printing and New GDP Data
Published: August 17, 2017
The Bureau of Economic Analysis released the Q2-2017 GDP data and revisions to historical data beginning with 2014. Back in mid-May, the Commerce Department updated historical commercial printing shipments (NAICS 323) as part of its manufacturing shipments revisions. This week's chart shows an updated view of both data series in current dollars (sometimes called "nominal;" both terms mean that data are not adjusted for inflation). The red line is year-to-year growth rate in GDP, and the blue line is year-to-year change in quarterly shipments. Since around 1997 printing shipments have not met GDP growth except for a moment between 2010 and 2015. The most recent printing shipments trend at the right of the chart are remarkable for their direction. A discussion of the GDP revisions and the current status of printing shipments can be found in the column of August 7.
Did You Know Interest Rates Have Been Falling?
Published: July 6, 2017
The Fed has been so reticent about raising rates, and in the process, rates for the 10-year US Treasury actually were negative in February. No, that's not market rates, that's the 10-year rate less the year-to-year Consumer Price Index. Since that time, the rate calculated in this manner has moved up 80 basis points. The rate peaked in September 2015 and it's been down since then. The Fed is having problems making the decision to raise rates, and often announced more rates in a future period but increasing rates at a slower pace. They have a target inflation rate of 2% (which means you lose about 25% of your savings over 10 years on a compounded basis). If you believe that the inflation rate is calculated in a manner that makes it seem lower than it actually is, then the Fed's desire to see inflation at the 2% rate before they start pushing interest rates higher may be be difficult to reach or sustain. That means long term rates will stay artificially low (on purpose) for a longer period of time than most experts expect.
Inflation-adjusted Shipments per Employee
Published: May 25, 2017
The Commerce Department's revisions to industry shipments show a much different picture of a key metric for the industry, sales per employee. The chart was created using 12-month moving totals of inflation-adjusted shipments and the 12 month moving average of total industry employment. The latest reading through March 2017 is $182.65 per employee, a meager +1.5% higher than it was at the end of 1992. It fell from a peak of $195.51 which was just before the burst of the housing bubble, the rise of social media platforms, tablets, and smartphones. The fall in this calculation has some interesting characteristics. Historically, large printing businesses focused on magazines, catalogs, and newspaper inserts, had sales per employee that were significantly higher than the industry averages, anywhere from 30% to 50% higher.
Births and Deaths of Commercial Printing Establishments, 2010 to 2014
Published: May 11, 2017
The Commerce Department tracks the number of business establishments by industry, and among he more interesting reports is the calculation of new and closed businesses. The data take a while to be released, and these new data about 2014 were recently made available. There's a word of caution here. If someone was a corporation and decides to become a partnership or a proprietorship, that counts as one business closed and one business opened. And then there's "poor man's mergers" where two business owners decide to close their two businesses and open one new one. Same people, same equipment, no real change except to the tax authorities and government statisticians. The most important number is the net change of births less deaths. In the worst of the recession, the net number was 6% of establishments. For 2014, that had fallen to a little more than 2%.
Printing Industry Lags Other Manufacturers in Defined Management Processes
Published: April 27, 2017
In what is not a surprise to many, the job shop operational structure of many printing businesses put the industry near the bottom of all manufacturing industries in terms of its management processes.
The Fed's Balance Sheet and the S&P 500
Published: April 13, 2017
The financial markets were rattled a little bit by the recent minutes of the Fed meeting where they discussed the unwinding of their interventions and the ballooning of their balance sheet. The data are reflected in the St. Louis Fed Adjusted Monetary Base. The chart shows how the run-up in the S&P 500 stock index relates to the Fed's quantitative easings
US Commercial Printing Shipments on a Per Capita Basis
Published: March 30, 2017
Yes, that sounds boring, but the data have been made interesting by including details about the last forty years or so of industry history and technological change. We added some statistical forecasts from our models that take the data out to 2025. When we started this chart almost ten years ago, those outlying years were near zero. They're not any more (whew!). The data are inflation adjusted and based on the population data and forecasts of the US Census Bureau. It's interesting how there are periods of relative stability, a change, followed by another period of stability. Technological change has been a much bigger factor affecting consumption than general economic conditions.
Ad Agency and Publisher Revenues
Published: March 23, 2017
Advertising agency revenues are having a slow rebound from their pullback in 2015. Publisher revenues are still having problems as ad pages and circulation are contracting. Clearly, agencies are finding other areas to garner revenues, especially in managing digital initiatives. Mobile communications are where their latest opportunities are, especially with website redesigns, creating the look and feel of content marketing for their clients, and assisting clients as they sort through the analytics that marketing automation offers.
Consumer Inflation for 2016 at +2.5%, Giving Fed Reason to Increase Rates
Published: February 23, 2017
Consumer inflation for 2016 was increasing, with December's reading +2.5% higher than 2015. December's rate alone was at a +6.6% annualized rate. The chart shows the monthly comparisons as the blue line and the year-to-year comparisons as the heavier red line.
Employment Stalls; Printing Shipments Fall Sharply in December
Published: February 6, 2017
The national employment data may have had a headline of +227,000 payroll jobs, but the household survey did not indicate the same. Every year, the report released in February includes revisions to the prior year. The press release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics said that employment was "little changed."
4Q-2016 GDP Slows to +1.9%, +0.9% Less Inventory Build-Up
Published: January 30, 2017
The fourth quarter of 2016 ended quiently, with a growth rate of +1.9% compared to the third quarter. That brought 2016 to an overall growth rate of +1.6%.
Real GDP for Six Presidential Administrations
Published: January 26, 2017
A new administration is in Washington, so we created a chart that looks back at general economic conditions of the prior six administrations.
Small Business Index Rockets Up to Mid-2000s Level
Published: January 12, 2017
The NFIB's small business index came in at 105.8. It has had two months near-vertical increase, now at levels not seen since December 2004 when it was 106.1. It's sheer optimism that small business concerns about taxes, regulation, and the economy will improve. There are many reports about improved confidence, especially among consumers, but it seems like it's too much too soon. While the new administration might be able to provide some regulatory relief in its early days, most of its desired actions require acts of Congress. Those can sometimes take forever... or longer.
US Commercial Printing Industry Employment Finishes -2.5%; Consolidation Effects Evident
Published: January 11, 2017
The US commercial printing industry finished the year with 439,900 employees, down -11,200 compared to 2015. The number of production employees was down -3,100, a -1.0% decrease. Non-production employees represented the biggest change, down -8,400 (-6.0%).
Recovery Indicators January 2017
Published: January 9, 2017
With the Dow Jones and S&P 500 at all-time inflation-adjusted highs. The recovery indicators are stronger than they have been in a while, with very bullish increases in new orders for manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors, and a strong reading of the NASDAQ stock index.
3Q-2016 Real GDP Revised Up Again; Did US Just Emerge from an Unrecognized Recession?
Published: December 22, 2016
The Bureau of Economic Analysis released its third report of real Gross Domestic Product, at an annualized +3.5% over the second quarter. This is considered the final report, revising the advance report of +2.9% two months ago, and +3.2% in last month's preliminary report. This is important because each release of GDP data is based on increasing amounts of actual reported data. The advance report relies the most on estimates and models.
Commercial Printing Inflation-Adjusted Shipments Per Employee
Published: December 16, 2016
The effects of consolidation, a challenging pricing environment, cost controls and productivity measures have sent shipments per employee to unprecendented levels. The prior peak was just before the recession began. The industry is more efficient in many ways, especially with the exit of weak and marginal establishments. But is it more profitable? In the December 15 webinar and in the new Forecast 2017 report, industry profit levels are discussed. Despite reaching new levels of sales per employee, profit levels have become tepid, a sign of tightening market conditions. In the webinar we discussed the possibility that another wave of media change is underway. The last major one was the rise of social media ten years ago, and now the growing impact of mobile media, especially this year.
Q3-2016 Real GDP Revised Up from +2.9% to +3.2%; Little Change in Yearly Comparison
Published: December 1, 2016
The Bureau of Economic Analysis issued its second estimate of real gross domestic product, raising it to +3.2%. Real GDP for 2Q-2016 was +1.4%. Each advance release of GDP data is revised monthly as "more complete source data" is used rather than estimates. We prefer comparing GDP data to the same quarter as the prior year, which helps minimize the variation and possible distortions of seasonal adjustments. Compared to last year, Q3-2016 was +1.6%. Because inventory changes can distort GDP estimates, we also look at the data less inventories, and it shows the economy still hovering around a +2.0% growth rate. Lately, the inventory adjustments have been small. Theoretically, they should be zero in the long run, and for these last two quarters that has nearly been the case. In 2015, it averaged +$82 billion per quarter. Some of 2016's sluggish performance has been an inventory adjustment in the overall economy. The Atlanta Fed's GDPNow estimate for the current Q4 is running at +2.4%.
Fed's Industrial Production Index Down for 13 Consecutive Months: A Recession on Inauguration Day?
Published: November 17, 2016
Will the newly inaugurated President Trump be dealing with a recession like his predecessor did? In December 2008, a recession was declared, and the experts said it started almost a year before then. Several economic indicators, like durable goods orders and factory orders, have been negative compared to the prior year's level for almost two years. The Federal Reserve's Industrial Production Index released on November 16 marked its thirteenth consecutive negative comparison to the prior year. The only sector that is holding up in the GDP reports is the consumer side of that bookkeeping. That can't hold up for long unless the production and investment side of the GDP ledgers start to perk up. There is optimism in the markets about a Trump recovery, but it must be noted that there are many legislative hurdles ahead, and most economic plans take about 18 months to develop notable impact.
US Commercial Printing Shipments in Mild Downturn; Employment Consolidation Continues
Published: November 7, 2016
US commercial printing shipments for September 2016 were down -$8 million compared to the prior year (-0.1%). On an inflation-adjusted basis, shipments were down by -$118 million. Interestingly, inflation-adjusted August shipments were up by +$118 million, making the net change for the two months zero.
US Employments Report: Not What the Headlines Said
Published: November 7, 2016
The business headlines about the October employment report may have said "unemployment rate falls to 4.9%; payrolls grow +161,000," but the details of the overall employment picture deteriorated.


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The number of calls I got from radio stations looking to get in touch with the woman I interview in the article below is a pretty strong indication of what people are obsessing over at the moment. (Money, or the lack of it). Or, it could be that we media are obsessed with the idea that it's what people want to hear...
Here it is anyway - from Tuesday's Indo: http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/food-drink/how-i-can-feed-a-family-of-five-on-less--than-8364100-a-week-1862244.html
How I can feed a family of five on less than €100 a week
This mum knows how to plan ahead, writes Susan Daly
Tuesday August 18 2009
Cooking has become a spectator sport. At a time when we are being advised to cook purse-friendly meals at home to beat the pinch, celebrity chefs are still crowding our TV screens.
Even Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep has gotten in on the act, with her turn as Julia Childs in new movie Julie and Julia. Childs was a TV chef credited with popularising sophisticated French cooking among convenience food-obsessed Americans of the 1960s.
Food campaigner Michael Pollan has pointed out it is ironic that Streep resurrects Childs' achievements at a time when the art of home cooking has almost died out.
"How is it that we are so eager to watch other people browning beef cubes on screen, but so much less eager to brown them ourselves?" he asked.
Other foodies are taking a more constructive attitude to the loss of cooking skills. The BBC has begun a new series called Economy Gastronomy (BBC2, Wednesdays, 8pm). The aim of the series is to show families how to assemble simple, nourishing dishes using good-quality, affordable ingredients. Waste nothing is the key phrase.
Yvonne Rosenkrantz, who runs a cookery school for children from her house in Blackrock, Co Dublin, is a keen advocate of cheap and healthy family cooking. She and her husband have a 12-year-old son, Caelum. They also take in Spanish students for the summer. Here Yvonne makes a menu she would use to keep her food bill under €100, feeding 4 to 5.
"Porridge is my cupboard staple, nutritious and cheap. I sometimes make pancakes using brown flour and if you make muffins, they can be used again for lunch. Once a week, we might have a special breakfast, honey, yoghurts, small Canadian pancakes -- it's not much effort and it breaks up the rest of the week."
"Half-brown and half-white bread sandwiches cost no more than usual but look more interesting to kids. It doesn't blow the budget to use little pitta breads from time to time. I toast them, fill them with leftover chicken and wrap in foil. I empty a fruit yoghurt into a bigger spill-proof cup and add chopped fruit. Homemade fruit cake is a big hit with us, as are homemade crisps -- just throw some thinly sliced root veg on a roasting tray with olive oil and a pinch of salt."
"Fizzy drinks are a waste of money. I keep squash concentrates like Robinson's, where a little goes a long way when diluted with water. Kids get used to what they are given. I make a batch of flapjack bars at the start of the week and keep in an airtight container. They are a doddle and full of things in your cupboard; nuts, oats, honey, seeds."
"It's normally a roast on Sunday so I make a white sauce, add mushrooms and the leftover chicken to pasta for an easy carbonara.
Chicken pies are good too -- puff pastry is tricky to make so I don't mind buying frozen. It's only an expensive option when people roll it out too thickly. I get 14 squares (one square per little pie) out of one roll of pastry. It's only really a cover for the pie. Leftover pies can be kept frozen."
"I never buy vegetables on a Monday because most fresh ingredients don't go into the shops until Monday evening. Do a shop then if you can because your veg will last much longer at home. It's a mince day today. Irish people tend to use too much meat in our mince dishes like spaghetti bolognese, so I would bulk up the veg content with celery, onion and garlic and stretch the mince over two days, maybe to a lasagne."
"The other half of the mince is gorgeous in tortilla wraps -- kids always love this meal. Use the same spag bol sauce, stuff your wraps, top off with a little cheese in the oven and it's just divine. I give the mix an edge with different spices I keep in the store cupboard."
"If my son has had meat at lunch, I would maybe use up eggs in a Spanish omelette. You can throw anything into it you want so that nothing goes to waste at the bottom of the fridge -- potatoes, onions, bits of rashers, carrots, and so on."
"Salmon is expensive but there are lots of cheap fish out there. I like hoki, which is very good value and has no bones, so it's great for family meals. I make homemade fish and chips by cutting the fish fillets into strips, rolling them in flour, egg and breadcrumbs (or I use up stale cream crackers by crumbling them up very finely) and frying.
"Forget bags of oven chips -- it only takes a minute to scrub a few spuds, chop them in eighths, toss in olive oil and mixed herbs, roast, and you have lovely potato wedges."
"Instead of a takeaway, there is a simple sweet and sour chow mein that I get kids making from the age of four up. You stir fry chicken and whatever veg you have -- frozen or fresh, I always have a bag of peas in the freezer.
"For the sauce, mix a tablespoon of runny honey, garlic and ginger, 2tbs soy sauce, juice of half an orange, 1tsp of cornflour, and a little chicken stock and toss everything in it before cooking. It's a cheat Chinese. I really begrudge paying €40 or €50 a head to eat out these days."
"Generally, I have potatoes left over for the roast so this is just the price of a good chicken or meat joint, and a few veg."
For information on courses at Yvonne's Junior Chef cookery school, visit www.juniorchef.ie or ring 01 2780382.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The credit munch
Posted by Susan Daly at 9:30 AM
Labels: Articles, features, food, Irish Independent, recession
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subset: commoncrawl


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The Diversities of Australian VPS
What is a VPS?
This is virtual private server and is actually a virtual machine that is being sold in a form of service though an internet hosting service. In this manner, the hosting administration is achieved through segregation of the main physical server's into multitudes of virtual servers. The process still grants all server its own system and acquires significant parts to resource base on custom requirements. The partitions enable independent operations, equipped with an OS and hardware assets dedicated to it. This concept efficiently fills in gaps economically through using a virtual bridge in between less competitive and shared server hosting alongside affluent dedicated servers.
Are there Diversities to choose from?
The great things when it comes to Australian VPS, is of it providing mass diversities that will be able to meet their client's demands. For instance, dedicated servers are:
- Available for Perth, Sydney and Auckland clients
- Minimum contracts do not exist
- IPMI is built-in with the supermicro hardware
- 24/7 support for network operations
- Tier 3 Australian datacenters
- DDoS protected network
- 99.5% Uptime SLA
The monthly specials also vary on location, from:
- Sydney and Perth
- CPU E3-1245 v5 (3.5GHz)
- Cores 4(8 HT)
- Storage 2x 240GB SSDs
- Price $220 incl GST
- Auckland
- CPU E3-1240 v5 (3.5 Ghz)
- Cores 4(8 HT)
- Storage 2x 1TB HDDs
- Price $250 incl GST
What's more, the company is happy to endorse their customized solution in order for clients to obtain every solution they require and the quote is free, by the way. Customers are guaranteed:
- Rapid server deployment in 3-5 business days
- Fast networks with protected DDoS powered by Staminus, Vocus, BlackLotus, Megaport and IX Australia.
- IPMI is mandatory
- Remote management
- Uptime SLA of 99.5%
- Local support available 24/7


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- Description
- Bios
- Contact
- Trailer
First–time filmmaker Trey Edward Shults has crafted an incredibly personal and intense family Thanksgiving experience. Estranged relative Krisha arrives to make amends and get to know her family again, but as the day unfolds, she can't seem to escape her dark past and family history. Tension begins from the very first frame and continues to build throughout the day as we glide through the household, catching glimpses of family interactions and private moments that trigger emotional memories. Beautiful cinematography and editing bring the viewer inside Krisha's world and her state of mind as she becomes increasingly unstable. Shults shot this story almost entirely within his own house, working with a multigenerational cast of his own family members. — April Wright
Trey Edward Shults is from Houston, Texas. His directorial feature debut, KRISHA, is expanded from his award-winning short film of the same title. KRISHA premiered in competition at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards.
John Heavey
[email protected]


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Probabilities of getting a job as an automotive technician are good as a consequence of robust demand for automotive services. I'm glad to reside in America, and glad we've got the opportunity to move upward. I am proud of the profitable people who come up with ideas, come up with improvements, begin companies and create jobs. I don't hate them as a result of they make more cash than me, nor do I feel they should need to pay an even bigger, extra disproportionate share of taxes than they already do.
Look through the center of the wheel. See that shiny dinner plate sized thingy on the inside? That is your disc rotor and they're at all times on the front brakes. I'm a 2yr scholar of Car Designing in DYPDC, Pune. This is a 3yrs Course. I wish to pursue Masters Diploma from SPD or IAAD. Please can you let me know the way I can apply for a similar. After years of sluggish sales, Volkswagen has decided to kick the upscale, mid-sized crossover out of the lineup. Its replacements are already there, the three-row crossover Atlas and the lengthy Tiguan, one other three-row crossover. The present Tiguan, shown above, will remain as a sales associate to the lengthy Tiguan, as the Tiguan Limited.
The dynamic performance of the Maserati GranTurismo Convertible is granted by the Maserati Stability Program (MSP), especially developed to optimize driving dynamics and help improve safety and also The Maserati GranTurismo Convertible's system is predicated on a set of sensors which measures any deviations from the automotive's ideally suited dynamic conduct and acts on each the brakes and engine performance to help regain directional stability.
Both diesel and petrol engines could also be 2 stroke or four stroke engines. In 2 stroke cycle engine: The engine revolves as soon as (two strokes of the piston, one down, one up) for an entire cycle of the engine. Whereas in four-stroke cycle engine: Each complete cycle of the engine entails 4 strokes of the piston, a down, an up, a down, and an up stroke for each complete cycle of the engine (which is 2 revolutions of the engine).
Usually, these folks could be up in arms that an automaker has taken break day from the critical enterprise of constructing suppository-formed RX300 clones to briefly bask in a bout of misguided enthusiasm about vehicles. In this case, however, the Demon is so obviously going to be wildly worthwhile that they've been compelled to close up and/or be part of the refrain of approbation. Except, that is, for one crusty old relic of the legacy media who's found a new tune to play.


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Oh heyyyyy friends! Besides my face mask post from yesterday, it's been a WHILE since I've put some work in on Worship Worthy. If you've been following me on Instagram, you know the last two months have been…. challenging. And sad. Very sad. I lost my Grandmothers in January and February, and it's been hard to get back into the swing of things. Isn't it crazy how life just continues on after life tragedy? I've been trying to give myself time to grieve, and be sad, but I also know that I need to keep moving forward. And ultimately I know that's what my Grandmothers would want me to do.
So here we are, end of February and I'm FINALLY working on content for you all! I've been shooting with Justin, working on new ideas for the Worship Worthy shop, and have a bunch of blog post ideas for you!
Today I'm talking about GINGHAM. If you've been out shopping, or just scrolling through Instagram lately, you probably noticed a lot of people talking about and wearing this trend. It's going to be HUGE for Spring, and I really, really love it. I mean, you can't go wrong with black and white, can you?
I found this adorable tank top at Nordstrom and instantly knew I needed it. It's perfect for a night out, and it's also something that I can wear to work with a blazer over it. I've been on the hunt for new work clothes lately (because I've been rolling looking like a slob in a sweatshirt WAY too many times than should be acceptable) and this top is perfect.
Black jeans and some cute mules were the perfect touches for this look. Simple, but trendy. Which, actually sums up my style pretty perfectly…. HA! But you could easily opt for blue jeans, and some booties, or even a pencil skirt and a denim jacket on top (ooooh…might be wearing that combo to work tomorrow).
Can we talk about this lace detail for a minute? If you add eyelash lace to anything, I'm likely going to buy it. It's such a feminine element and always looks polished and pretty.
So now to the fun stuff… shopping! Below are links to my outfit, and some other adorable gingham pieces that you need in your closet.
XO, Ali
My outfit:


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The Riot – Episode #53on September 21, 2013 at 12:23 pm
Posted In: Episodes
Time once again to get off your ass and Riot! Join Big Fat John and Judo Larry M as they rebound from Nature bitch-slapping them last week to discuss:
- Looking at the causes of the Naval Yard shooting;
- Causation, causation, and the ignorance of Piers Morgan;
- What is the media's role in mass shootings?
- Colorado says "no" to NYC Mayor Bloomberg;
- Voter Suppression is the new racism for white Democrats;
- Angela Giron gets recalled, loses her mind;
- How do you legislate against crazy?
- It's your pursuit of happiness, not the government's;
- Gennifer Flowers recalls Hillary Clinton's affinity for boxes;
- Is the Pope progressive or crazy?
- 4,901 virgins are waiting for you, bring some Viagra and Red Bull;
… and more! So settle back, grab a beverage and soak in the enlightenment of the Riot!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS


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Sale Date Ended
Page Views : 1434
April 6th, 2016
05:00 PM to 08:00 PM
IVY Comptech Software Private Limited
5th Floor, "B" Block, Divyasree Omega,
Hitech City Road, Kondapur, Hyderabad, Telangana 500081
In this meet up we are going to discuss and share our experiences, knowledge in the area of "Agile Engineering". This includes: XP practices, coding related best practices, Design and Architecture related and also quality improvement practices that can be derived using the agile engineering. You can hear to the speakers who share their knowledge and experience towards this area and also you can share your experience and discuss the challenges during the networking in the meet up. If you have any specific questions in implementing engineering practices, please do share them with us in this meet up and we can discuss and come up with suitable approaches.
|1700 – 1715
|Registration and Networking
|1715 – 1730
|By Bhargav & Nanda Lankalapalli
|1730 – 1800
|Agile Engineering at IVY Comptech
|By Mr. Sandeep Tiku, Group CTO
|1800 – 1815
|Networking and Snacks break
|1815 – 1835
|Agile Engineering – Anti Patterns
|By Mr. KV Sharma
|1835 – 1905
|Session on "Technical Debt"
|By Nanda Lankalapalli
|1905 – 1925
|Agile Quiz
|Vijay Bandaru & Bhargav Ram Vedula
|1925 – 1950
|Open Space
|1950 – 2000
|Closing and Retrospective
Session 1: Agile Engineering @ IVY Comptech by Mr. Sandeep Tiku, Group CTO
Sandeep Tiku is the Group CTO at IVY Comptech and he heads the complete technology teams at all locations. He comes with strong technology background and he is a principal architect. He has vast experience in leading and delivering large scale enterprise applications in a globally distributed delivery model. He has implemented several projects using Agile for large size clients across the world.
At IVY Comptech, he has led the implementation of Agile Service Bus and rolled out successfully. He also has helped the organization with some critical engineering practices such as feature toggles, single trunk development, continuous delivery, automation etc.
The session by Sandeep is going to cover how Agile teams can be powered through technical (engineering) practices. Sandeep has a strong knowledge and experience in Agile and he also covers some anti-patterns of Agile in his talk.
Session 2: Agile Engineering – Anti Patterns by Mr. KV Sharma, Senior Vice President, Polaris.
Mr Sharma comes with 20 plus years of IT experience specialized in Banking and Financial services. He heads the Agile and DevOps practice at Polaris. He has solid experience in transitioning onsite/off-shore projects. He helps teams to become high performance teams.
His session is "Agile Engineering – Anti Patterns". This is to provide idea on what are the aspects that might make Agile a failure and hence teams should be careful about these anti patterns while practicing Agile.
Session 3: Session on "Technical Debt" by Mr Nanda Lankalapalli
Nanda Lankalapalli is an Agile practitioner and technical architect. Nanda has been into Agile software evelopment since 1992. He is also an agile trainer and Coach. He has wide experience in agile transformation, Agile engineering culture creation and technical practices such as pair programming, test driven development, refactoring and so on.
This session covers more insights of the Technical Debt of agile software development. You will learn what is technical debt how is it created, ways to handle the technical debt and other related information from Nanda Lankalapalli in this session.
Session 4: Agile Quiz by Vijay Bandaru and Bhargav Ram Vedula
This session will be an Agile Quiz that covers some concepts related to Agile engineering and technical practices. The participants will be grouped into small teams and will be asked some questions with multiple choices. The questions are related to the Agile engineering and technical practices topics.
Session 5: Open space session
This session is open to participants to participants to share their knowledge and experience in implementing Agile Engineering. Interested participants to take this session have to share their abstract to the facilitator (Vijay Bandaru) at least 5 days before the program date. Based on the relevance and content quality, we will finalize one person and confirm to that participant.
Closure/Wrap-up: Closure session
We take quick feedback on the meet up
You are eligible to claim 3 SEUs by attending this meetup
ISEC India Team:
Shruti +91 8506011132
Gauri +91 9953569950
ISEC Hyderabad Chapter:
Vijay +91 9848032144
Bhargav +91 9985881888
Purnima +91 8464038253


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Newspaper Study Finds People Like, Ah, Newspaper Sites
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The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) "shows that newspapers on the Web are viewed in a more positive light by consumers than non-newspaper Web sites for online classified advertising."
The report, entitled "Untangling the Web: Business Challenges and Opportunities for Newspapers," also says that newspaper Web sites are viewed as more informative and entertaining than other sites, and newspaper sites are rated higher on measures of interactivity than other competing Web sites.
The report contains an analysis of consumer preferences and desires in classified Web site elements, such as content, design, and branding. The analysis also includes a segmentation of the audience for classified advertising online.
Data was gathered during the first half of 1997 in three test markets: Princeton, NJ; Chicago; and the San Francisco Bay area. The study was conducted by Response Analysis Corp. of Princeton, NJ.


text:
Jay, Age 14
Sam sat up, woken up by the ocean's gentle touch. Looking around, he
recognized his surroundings from his Map-reading courses. He was stranded on
Mengalive Isle, in the middle of the Pacific ocean.
He heard a rustling in the tropical bushes, and instinctively put his hand down to his hip, feeling for the silenced gun which wasn't there. Looking around, he found it a few feet from his head. Fortunately, his ammo-reloads were still in his waterproof chest pouch, along with a few boxes of matches, a lighter, some cigarettes and a compass.
Strapping his gun to his holster, he stood up and looked around. All he saw was the debris of his ship, the SS Omega, still floating on the water's surface about a mile off shore.
Suddenly, a blaze caught his eye. he quickly wheeled towards the movement, drawing his gun. Off in the distance, a few miles away, someone was burning something. Looking around, the smaller-then-average-height brown-haired man thought "Whatever is over there has to be better than what is here," and started to walk towards the fire.
Tom lay unconscious, his head resting on a raised patch of sand. Waking,
his hand shot up to his blonde hair, checking for blood. He sat up, his army
dog-tags clinking together.
Picking up his bag, Tom checked his supplies. He had a pair of High tech Binoculars, some rope, a can of gasoline, an inflatable raft, a hunting knife and a tent.
Trying to remember how he ended up on this island, Tom sat down. Picking up his binoculars, he scanned the horizon for any ships. Nothing in sight, except for some debris of his old ship.
Suddenly, a rush of memories reentered his head. Tom and the rest of the crew of the SS Omega, an Army-based secret operations ship, were on their way to a breakaway Russian republic, Kreplakistan, to search for secret nuclear weapons the US government had reason to believe were there. All was calm, until all of a sudden a heat-seeking missile was detected heading towards them. Within a minute, all was gone. That was the last thing Tom remembered. A sudden burst of flame caught his eye, so Tom turned towards it. "It must be Sam or Frank." He thought. "I'd better start walking."
With that, Tom picked up his bag and began jogging towards the source of the flame.
As suddenly as the flame started, it disappeared. Frank, running at full
speed now, stopped abruptly. A small figure in the distance seemed to be
moving quickly. Frank quickly put the Tech-Scope to his eye, and, zooming in,
saw Sam.
"Yes," thought Frank, "he's alive!"
Running towards the nonexistent flame, Sam stopped. Catching his breath,
he paused to look around. Taking a quick glance behind him, he saw a speeding
Frank less then five hundred feet behind him. He began to run backwards, to
meet his shipmate and longtime friend.
When finally the two caught up with each-other, they slapped palms both above and below, the handshake of those onboard the SS Omega, which they refer to as the Omegaron.
The two quickly exchanged what happened to them. They then combined inventories, and pooled what few items they had. They began to slowly jog towards the now-smoking area of the beach. All they needed now was to find Tom.
Part II of V


text:
Next Year 2017
|2016 Tournament Calendar (click Ty Event for details)
Visit Google Checker Event Calendar
Previous Year 2015
Checker Clubs:
|Burlington Checker Club - every Tuesday evening
|Carpet Mart, Murphy, NC - Thursdays
|Corinth Checker Club, Corinth, MS - Mondays
|Louisville Youth Checker Club - Mondays - Nativity Academy at Saint Boniface, Louisville KY | Rated Tournament
|Lexington Checker Club, Lexington, KY
|Lancaster County area PA, USA - "Green Dragon"
|Madisonville Checkers Club, Madisonville, TN
|Anchorage Alaska Senior Center
|Pinecraft Park, Sarasota, FL
|International Tournament dates
January, 2016
|January 9th & 10th Winchester Draughts Tournament, Holiday Inn Winchester UK -
|January 16th - 18th 11-Man National, Burlington, NC - RESULTS
|January 28th The US Youth 3-Move National Tournament, Louisville, KY - RESULTS
February, 2016
|February 26th thru 28th "First Annual Smoky Mountain Chess and Checkers Tournament" Pigeon Forge, TN - Cancelled
|February 26th & 27th Dave Beachy's Checker Meet, Sarasota, FL - RESULTS
March, 2016
|March 4th - 6th Tennessee State Open Tournament, Lebanon, TN - RESULTS
|March 9th Hamilton–Wentworth District 46th Annual Team Checker Tournament, Canada - RESULTS
|March 10th Pool Checker Tournament, Fargo, ND - RESULTS
April, 2016
April 2nd - 3rd The 111th Illinois State Checker Tournament, Marion, IL -
4th Randolph County Senior Games - Checkers, Asheboro, NC - RESULTS
9th & 10th Missouri State 3-Move & GAYP Open, St. Joseph, MO -
May, 2016
|May 13th & 14th The 126th Annual North Carolina State Open Checker Tournament, Burlington, NC - RESULTS
|May 21st 1st Annual KRCC / Omaha Checker Tournament, Omaha, NE - Cancelled
|May 28th Mississippi State 3-Move Open & Youth GAYP National Tournament, ICHF, Petal, MS - RESULTS
June, 2016
|June 3rd & 4th Texas & District 8 Checker Tournament, Carthage, TX - RESULTS
|June 10th & 11th Checker Meet in Middlebury, IN at Jerry Miller's home - RESULTS
|June 19th thru 26th 2016 Barbados Draughts Association National Tournament - Barbados, W.I. - RESULTS
|June 8th thru 12th 2016 3-Move World Qualifier & Women's World Championship, Rome - RESULTS
|June 18th New England States Open & District 1, Dover, MA - RESULTS
July, 2016
|July 8th - 10th Southern Checker Tournament, Lebanon, TN - RESULTS
|July 8th thru 15th 2016 GAYP World Title Match - Michele Borghetti (Italy) vs Sergio Scarpetta (Italy), Rome - RESULTS
|July 11th - 14th The 50th Annual National APCA Tournament, Durham, NC - RESULTS
|July 27th thru 30th The ACF - 50th 3-Move National Tournament, Branson, MO - RESULTS
August, 2016
|August 13th ACF District # 7 Open Championship, Omaha, NE - RESULTS
|August 19th & 20th Annual Mid-Ohio Checker Meet, Fredericksburg, OH. - RESULTS
|August 27th Burlington Checker Club & Alamance Co. Cedarock Park - Preserving Our Heritage Festival, Graham, NC - RESULTS
September, 2016
|September 2nd - 5th Morrison vs Moiseyev 11-Man WTM, Burlington, NC - RESULTS
|September 10th - 11th Ohio State Open, Lyndhurst, Ohio - RESULTS
|September 16th - 17th Virginia Open, Burlington, NC - RESULTS
|September 24th Mayberry Days, Mount Airy, NC - RESULTS
October, 2016
|October 1st & 2nd The 82nd Illinois 101 Counties Open Tournament, Marion, IL - RESULTS
|October 15th & 16th Kentucky Open, Richmond, KY - Cancelled
|October 29th & Kentucky Tournament, Lexington, KY - RESULTS
|October 29th thru 31st 2016 IRISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP - 3 MOVE | The Strand Hotel, Ballyliffin, Co. Donegal - RESULTS
November, 2016
|November 4th & 5th District 4 Tournament, Lexington, NC - RESULTS
|November 11th & 12th Alabama Open & District 5 Tournament, Guin, AL - RESULTS
|November 12th & 13th 18th Annual Pool Checkers Festival, South Bend, IN - RESULTS
December, 2016
|December 10th International Checker Hall of Fame (ICHF) Christmas Party, Petal, MS - RESULTS
Home | 2017


text:
Nepal (Nepali : नेपाल), officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal (Nepali: सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल Sanghiya Loktāntrik Ganatantra Nepāl), is a landlocked central Himalayan country in South Asia. Nepal is divided into 7 provinces and 75 districts and 744 local units including 4 metropolises, 13 sub-metropolises, 246 municipal councils and 481 villages (5 states and 6,680 local units including 5 metropolises, 20 sub-metropolises, 358 municipalities and 696 gaunpalikas or rural muncipalites). It has a population of 26.4 million and is the 93rd largest country by area. Bordering China in the north and India in the south, east, and west, it is the largest sovereign Himalayan state. Nepal does not border Bangladesh, which is located within only 27 km (17 mi) of its southeastern tip. Neither does it border Bhutan due to the Indian state of Sikkim being located in between. Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains, subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and largest city. It is a multiethnic nation with Nepali as the official language.
Capital : Kathmandu (27°42′N 85°19′E )
Official languages : Nepali
Recognised regional languages :
Ethnic groups (2011) :
16.6% Chhettri
12.2% Brahman-Hill
7.1% Magar
6.6% Tharu
5.8% Tamang
5% Newar
4.8% Kami
4.4% Muslim
4% Yadav
2.3% Rai
2% Gurung
1.8% Damai/Dholii
1.6% Thakuri
1.5% Limbu
1.4% Sarki
1.4% Teli
1.3% Chamar/Harijan/Ram
1.2% Koiri/Kushwaha
19% Other
Religion :
9% Buddhism
4.4% Islam
3% Kirant
1.4% Christianity
0.4% Animism
0.5% Irreligion
Demonym : Nepalese
Government : Federal parliamentary republic
• President : Bidhya Devi Bhandari (July-2017)
• Vice President : Nanda Kishor Pun (July-2017)
• Prime Minister : Sher Bahadur Deuba (July-2017)
• Speaker of House : Onsari Gharti Magar (July-2017)
• Chief Justice : Gopal Parajuli (Acting) (July-2017)
Legislature : Parliament
• Kingdom declared : 25 September 1768
• State declared : 15 January 2007
• Republic declared : 28 May 2008
• Total : 147,181 km2 (56,827 sq mi) (95th)
• Water (%) : 2.8
• 2017 estimate : 28,825,709 (48th)
• 2011 census : 26,494,504
• Density : 180/km2 (466.2/sq mi) (62nd)
GDP (PPP) : 2016 estimate
• Total : $74.020 billion
• Per capita : $2,573
GDP (nominal) : 2016 estimate
• Total : $24.067 billion
• Per capita : $837
Gini (2010) : (Negative increase)32.8(medium)
HDI (2016) : (Increase)0.558(medium-144th)
Currency : Nepalese rupee (NPR)
Time zone : Nepal Standard Time (UTC+05:45)
DST not observed
Drives on the : left
Calling code : +977
ISO 3166 code : NP
Internet TLD : .np , .नेपाल
The territory of Nepal has a recorded history since the Neolithic age. The name "Nepal" is first recorded in texts from the Vedic Age, the era which founded Hinduism, the predominant religion of the country. In the middle of the first millennium BCE, Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was born in southern Nepal. Parts of northern Nepal were intertwined with the culture of Tibet. The Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal became known as Nepal proper because of its complex urban civilisation. It was the seat of the prosperous Newar confederacy known as Nepal Mandala. The Himalayan branch of the ancient Silk Road was dominated by the valley's traders. The cosmopolitan region developed distinct traditional art and architecture. By the 18th century, the Gorkha Kingdom achieved the unification of Nepal. The Shah dynasty established the Kingdom of Nepal and later formed an alliance with the British Empire, under its Rana dynasty of premiers. The country was never colonised but served as a buffer state between Imperial China and Colonial India. In the 20th century, Nepal ended its isolation and forged strong ties with regional powers. Parliamentary democracy was introduced in 1951, but was twice suspended by Nepalese monarchs in 1960 and 2005. The Nepalese Civil War resulted in the proclamation of a republic in 2008, ending the reign of the world's last Hindu monarchy.
Modern Nepal is a federal secular parliamentary republic. It has seven states. Nepal is a developing nation, ranking 144th on the Human Development Index (HDI) in 2016. The country struggles with the transition from a monarchy to a republic. It also suffers from high levels of hunger and poverty. Despite these challenges, Nepal is making steady progress, with the government declaring its commitment to elevate the nation from least developed country status by 2022. Nepal also has a vast potential to generate hydropower for export.
Nepal's foreign relations expanded after the Anglo-Nepal Treaty of 1923, which was recognised by the League of Nations. After a Soviet veto in 1949, Nepal was admitted to the United Nations in 1955. Friendship treaties were signed with the Dominion of India in 1950 and the People's Republic of China in 1960. Nepal hosts the permanent secretariat of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), of which it is a founding member. Nepal is also a member of the Non Aligned Movement and the Bay of Bengal Initiative. The military of Nepal is the fifth largest in South Asia and is notable for its Gurkha history, particularly during the world wars, and has been a significant contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations.
Nepal Reviewed by Limbuwan on 4:38 PM Rating:


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Khloe Kardashian Wants To "Keep Your Lady Parts Happy" With This To-Do List
The reality star offers tips on how to stay toned and fresh...down there.
Khloe Kardashian wants to keep your lady parts happy. The reality star debuted a new post on her blog devoted to upgrading your vagina. If you want to keep up with Khloe—down there—it's gonna take a lot of maintenance.
Khloe recommends women get a facial, or vajacial, to stay toned and exfoliated. "Exactly what it sounds like! A facial for your vagina. Expect exfoliation, toning, and a 'face' mask." That sounds, interesting.
Khloe also swears by Medicine Mama's V Magic Cream (calling it "Aquaphor for your vagina!") and Good Wipes – Cleansing Flushable Wipes for Down There, which she swears works if you need a little touch-up on the go." With her boyfriend Tristan Thompson playing basketball in Cleveland, Khloe knows a little something or two about traveling for love.
Now that your vagina is exfoliated, fresh and clean, Khloe recommends keeping it "tight" with something called Glass Ben Wa Balls. "These small weighted balls are used to strengthen and tighten. Like Pilates for your cha-cha!" she writes. Ouch.
Read more tips from Khloe on her blog.
[Photo: Getty Images]


text:
Costa Rica
Your daily English-language news source Monday through Friday
|What we published this week:
Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for more details
|A.M. Costa Rica's Second news page
San José, Costa Rica, Friday, June 14, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 117
by immigration police
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
When the U.S. Federal bureau of Investigation issued a warning May 15 that a child molester might be in Central America, the
The case stems from a 2010 local investigation by police. Smith is accused of violating a girl when she was 12 and 13 years in a continuing crime.
The FBI announcement said that he skipped bail at the end of 2010. The FBI did not explain in May why they believe Smith might be in Central America. They also did not explain why the agency took the unusual step of broadcasting a warning.
Some lawmakers seek visit
by second vice president
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Some members of a legislative committee want testimony from Luis Liberman, the second vice president of the country, and Jean-Luc Rich, a Canadian who is general manager of Scotiabank de Costa Rica, among others.
Opposition members of the legislatures committee of expenses sought the appearances in a motion filed Thursday.
Liberman is a friend of Alejandro Toledo's mother-in-law, who lives here. Toledo is the former president of Peru who is trying to explain the origins of some $6.5 million that is in a Costa Rican bank. Toledo is in trouble in his home country because he used funds from Costa Rica and Panamá to purchase a luxury home there. The Peruvian opposition wants to know the origin of the money.
There is an investigation already underway by prosecutors into the case, and this may prevent any legislative testimony.
Our reader's opinionProposed U.S. immigration bill
makes it too easy for illegals
Dear A.M. Costa Rica:
When my husband came to the U.S. from Italy over 50 years ago, he had to have a sponsor and his mother was born in the U.S. His father died at an early age of his children's life, so it was no easy task for a mother of seven!! There was no welfare or public assistance in their lives. It was hard work for all who lived in a garage for a home!!
The U.S. makes it too easy, I don't see any rights given to expats here in Costa Rica. If anything they keep making things harder and could care less so why should it be easier for illegals in the US?? Americans pay taxes their whole lives for everyone else to live off of then have to worry about SSI and Medicare cuts. Who protects the us?? It's a shame. It can never be what it was!! Truly saddened.
Alice Trigg
Africa to lead world in 2100
in population rise, study says
By the University of Washington news staff
A new statistical analysis shows the world population could reach nearly 11 billion by the end of the century, according to a United Nations report issued Thursday. That's about 800 million, or about 8 percent, more than the previous projection of 10.1 billion, issued in 2011.
The projected rise is mostly due to fertility in Africa, where the U.N. had expected birth rates to decline more quickly than they have.
By far the largest expected increase is in Nigeria, projected to increase by 730 million people, from 184 million now to 914 million in 2100. Eight of the top 10 increases are in Africa, with India in second place. The United States is eighth, with an expected increase of 146 million, or 46 percent, from 316 million now to 462 million in 2100. The largest projected decline is in China, expected to decrease by about 300 million, from 1.4 billion now to 1.1 billion in 2100.
"The fertility decline in Africa has slowed down or stalled to a larger extent than we previously predicted, and as a result the African population will go up," said Adrian Raftery, a University of Washington professor of statistics and of sociology.
The current African population is about 1.1 billion and it is now expected to reach 4.2 billion, nearly a fourfold increase, by 2100.
The new U.N. estimates use statistical methods developed by Raftery and his colleagues at the University of Washington Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences. The group's improved fertility forecasting methods, combined with updated data collected by the U.N., were used to project the long-term consequences of the fertility change in Africa since the last population estimate two years ago.
New to this year's projection are finer-tuned statistics that anticipate the life expectancies of women and men across this century.
Global population reached 7 billion in 2011. It passed 6 billion in 1999.
Paul Furlong photoPretty good shooting
Expats will have a chance
to learn their firearm rights
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
This newspaper in cooperation with the La Garita Pistol Club plans an informational meeting June 22 for English speakers who might be interested in obtaining a firearms permit.
The day is a Saturday, and the morning session will provide details on what foreigners need to do to comply with the law and legally to keep one or more weapons for sport and self protection.
One of the main speakers will be Paul Furlong, a founder of the pistol club and an expat who actually has used deadly force in the protection of a neighbor. Furlong also presents an advanced shooting course, and some of his former students will be at the session to demonstrate their techniques.
The club is seeking a donation of 3,000 colons per person or 5,000 colons per couple for the event, which will include discussions.
The location is the La Garita pistol range owned and operated by Enrique Rodriguez, a bilingual Costa Rican who is retired from a top position in the police force.
Furlong said that firearms officials regularly give the written and practical tests for a permit at La Garita. He and Rodríguez can prepare a student for the exam and offer more advanced courses that teach a student to defend him or herself in real life, he said. He will explain that arrangement as well as introduce a bilingual psychologist who can provide required mental verification in English. The costs for these services will be outlined.
The event, being called a field day, also is open to those of any age over 18 who may want to demonstrate other lethal and non-lethal methods of self protection.
A.M. Costa Rica, a sponsor of the field day, does not urge expats to own a firearm. However, in recognition that many do and many want to, the newspaper is providing a forum for correct information. Whether expats want to maintain a firearm in the home or to carry one concealed on their person, a permit is needed.
In addition to discussions and informational talks, those who wish to take a turn at firing a weapon can do so for an extra cost to cover the ammunition, weather permitting, said Furlong.
Reservations can be made by calling 8898-9398 or by writing email@example.com
Directions to the pistol range are HERE! More information about the field day is HERE!
|What we published this week:
|The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado S.A. 2013 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details
A.M. Costa Rica
Third News Page
Costa Rica
advertising reaches
from 12,000 to 14,000
unique visitors
every weekday
in up to 90 countries.
San José, Costa Rica, Friday, June 14, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 117
|Picnic planned to raise funds for
struggling lifeguard corps
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
When they are not saving lives in the water, the lifeguards in Dominical are worrying about from where their next paycheck will come.
For years, Dominical Lifeguards S.A. has been an example of the kind of crew that should be on every public beach in the country. Like other emergency organizations, the lifeguards are usually out of sight and out of mind until they are needed.
The organization runs mostly on donations and special events. One such event is the noon fund-raising picnic that will be held June 30 this year. The organization is seeking items for donations that can be raffled off that day. The picnic will be at and around the Roca Verde Hotel.
"Please support not just with attendance and donations this year but with ideas & volunteerism," said an announcement. "The past years have been a weekly struggle to keep ahead of payroll and we were not able to make it happen. The lifeguards have a proven record of saving lives and creating a safe area for our families and visitors to play. They don't just save people from drowning but help with heat stroke, stingray stings, heart attacks, etc."
Dominical is not a particularly dangerous beach but it can generate rip tides that can drag even an experienced swimmer out into the ocean. The lifeguards have an association with similar groups in Jacó, for training. But that does not pay the
bills, the organization noted, saying "We have been promised government support but still have not seen a dime."
The idea of sponsorships also is being considered. Already local merchants make significant contributions. The lifeguard corps has its origins in the death of a U.S. visitor 11 years ago. Information on donations or contributions to the raffle can be discussed by email HERE!
Dominical is on the central Pacific coast about 35 kms. (about 21 miles) south of Manuel Antonio and 33 kms. (about 20 miles) west of San Isidro. It is a surfer mecca.
|Escape from Western New York leads to Costa Rica
sister Annetta is now happily settled into a retirement community in
Florida. She lost her husband, Stan, who was a great brother-in
law and, even greater husband, many months ago.
She is still grieving but prefers her new home, a two-bedroom apartment, over a large and empty house, and tells me she is keeping busy practicing yoga, taking exercise classes in the pool, attending discussion groups, and socializing at the cocktail parties and at dinnertime. And in-between there is live music in the lobby, where the residents can hear the songs they loved. I would love to hear songs that don't repeat the same words over and over, songs that tell stories by singers (like Sinatra) who can pronounce the words so I can understand them. That is the beauty of a retirement community. You can have all of these things without having to get into your car, on the bus or walk a lot.
Over the years a number of people have talked about building retirement communities in Costa Rica. In many ways, it is an ideal place to do so, thanks to the weather, the good and fresh food available and the cultural activities always happening at reasonable prices, not to mention the Costa Ricans, who seem to have a caring gene as part of their makeup. When I first moved here, it would have been ideal because Costa Rica offered special prices and privileges to expat pensionados. Not so, any more.
Some years ago I visited some possible beginnings. They were, to my mind, either too far from the city, isolated, or in altitudes that would tend to be cool, even rainy, rather than temperate or warm. Most of these enterprises have not gone anywhere or when and if they are finished, will be only for the high income retirees.
If I could get on a ship that would take me to Ft. Lauderdale, I would visit my sister. We have long had a mutual admiration society going between us. When we were young, I thought she was as beautiful and charismatic as a movie star. She now tells me that she thought I was very smart. We both kept our opinions secret because I was sure she only thought of me as a nuisance. I am younger by only one year and 12 days, so I could well imagine that I was a nuisance both to her, and to my mother.
We are not the only members of our family. There were four of us: our baby sister Donetta, whom we would tease as
looking like the milkman. (We were jealous because we thought she was spoiled), and our big brother Angelo, who later changed his name to Michael and had a successful beauty school and was an inventor. He was inventing things even as a kid, and working with electricity so that I thought he was an incarnation of Thomas Edison via Mickey Rooney. The four of us were taken care of by our widowed mother, who owned a beauty shop. If we were poor, we didn't know it. We had what we needed.
We all were very different, although I felt I was a late arriving twin to my brother who was five years and one day older than I. Donnetta married young and had four children. (I have to laugh today when a young newly divorced woman explains that she married when she was very young – just 21.) Fifty years ago marrying young meant eloping when you were in your teens.
All of us, except our mother, whose other relatives lived there, left Western New York State. All of my siblings settled in Florida. Once I left Jamestown, I just kept going. I am not quite sure why. Maybe I was looking for a place like Costa Rica.
I see in yesterday's A.M. Costa Rica that President Laura Chinchilla has suggested to the representatives of other "middle income' countries who are meeting here, that they consider new models to measure their advances as countries. It is time to look at success and the well being of their people by something other than income and the bottom line.
The other day an economist said that more money brings more happiness only when it moves a family out of poverty into a state of having enough. President Chinchilla went on to mention other things like available health, care, the environment, education, a mindset committed to peace, and not fearing the possibility of war.
Ah, yes, a retirement community in Costa Rica could offer those intangibles plus a lot of music.
|You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE!
|What we published this week:
|The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado S.A. 2013 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details
|A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page
San José, Costa Rica, Friday, June 14, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 117
|New recipe books feature the cuisine of Alajuela, Heredia
and San José
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The nation's heritage center has released two recipe books featuring the cuisine of Alajuela and Heredia and one featuring the food of San José.
The publisher is the Centro de Investigación y Conservación del Patrimonio Cultural, an agency of the cultural ministry. Each year the Centro puts on a regional contest and asks for residents to submit local traditional dishes and a recipe. The recipes of the winners end up in the books.
The Centro said that this is a way of preserving the culinary culture in the days of fast food and supermarkets.
|The Central also
released a book about the architecture of Cartago after the 1910
earthquake. It is Señales en
el cielo… El terremoto de 1910 y la transformación de la
arquitectura de la Ciudad de Cartago – Álbum fotográfico by
Carlos Luis Fallas Pastor and Sonia Gómez;
The Centro also released a tourist guide for Limón, Cahuita and Puerto Viejo as well as one for the Diquís region in the southern Pacific.
The books are available at the Centro's office in the former Banco Anglo building on the south side of the downtown pedestrian walkway just west of the fountain.
|What we published this week:
|The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado S.A. 2013 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details
Costa Rica's
Fifth news page
San José, Costa Rica, Friday, June 14, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 117
U.S. Supreme court bars
patents on natural DNA
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that companies cannot patent human genes in their natural state. Patients' rights groups are calling the decision a victory. The court, however, left room to protect patents on key biotechnology applications.
Myriad Genetics identified genes that raise a patient's risk for breast and ovarian cancer. The company lifted those genes from the full set of genetic information that makes up a human being and patented them. That gave Myriad exclusive rights over the use of those genes.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has been allowing patents on isolated DNA for three decades, said attorney Sandra Park with the American Civil Liberties Union.
"What was problematic about these patents was that Myriad was able to use those patents to stop other laboratories from providing genetic testing, even when those other laboratories were using different methods," she said.
Ms, Park said that means genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer risk is more expensive than if other labs could compete with Myriad. And patients could not get a second opinion on an important medical issue.
In a unanimous decision, however, the court struck down this type of patent because the genes are products of nature.
Lisbeth Ceriani was a plaintiff in the case. She is a breast cancer survivor who struggled to afford Myriad's test.
"Our genes are not being held hostage by a private corporation anymore. We have the right to know that our doctor can look at our own genes and know what is there," said Ms. Ceriani.
Supporters say the ruling will lower costs and improve access to testing for this and other genetic conditions for which companies have patents. Also, researchers will be able to share data that results from genetic testing, hopefully moving them closer to better treatment and prevention.
Myriad Genetics, however, also created versions of the genes called complimentary DNA [cDNA] - basically, cleaned-up versions of the genes - and patented those, too.
The Supreme Court said those patents are okay because cDNA does not exist in nature.
Jennifer Swize, an attorney for the company, said, "To Myriad, the decision is a win. For all practical purposes, companies like Myriad use cDNA to do their testing."
Ms. Swize said the company will continue to move forward because it has 24 patents on its breast and ovarian cancer gene research, and the court only struck down five of those.
And cDNA is hugely important to the biotechnology industry. Insulin to treat diabetics is produced using cDNA, for example.
Paul Berghoff, an attorney for the Intellectual Property Owners Association, wrote in support of Myriad in the case. "Nobody in the biotech industry is going to be dancing in the streets because of this, but I don't think this is too much of a setback, if any."
Observers note that Myriad's stock price rose after the decision, suggesting the markets saw the decision as a positive one for the biotech industry.
China's media cites Snowden
on claims of U.S. cyber attacks
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
China's state media have pounced on comments from former CIA analyst Edward Snowden that the U.S. government has been hacking computers in China for years, giving the issue prominent coverage. But when the Chinese foreign ministry was asked about the accusations Thursday, the response was slightly more muted.
State run Chinese media is reporting allegations from whistleblower Snowden that U.S. cyber attacks will weaken U.S.-China relations and stain Washington's image overseas.
When asked about Snowden's charges, China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying declined to comment specifically on his case, but reminded reporters that China also is a victim of cyber attacks. She said China strongly advocates cyber security and wants to carry out cooperation to maintain peace. Ms. Hua also said China will carry out constructive dialogue with the international community about cyber security.
Snowden's leaks came just days after a U.S./China summit in California, where U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to form a working group on cyber security. Wang Dong, a professor of international relations at Peking University, said China's government likely will react cautiously to Snowden's charges.
"President Xi Jinping and President Obama just had a very successful and very historic meeting in California. And they had talked over a broad range of issues, and agreed to build a new type of power relationship," said Wang.
Snowden claims the United States has been launching cyber attacks against Hong Kong and China since 2009, hacking universities, businesses, government officials and Chinese citizens in Hong Kong and the mainland.
Snowden left the U.S. for Hong Kong in late May, where he said he has full faith in the local legal system and vows to resist extradition.
The state-run China Daily newspaper cites analysts saying the news of U.S. hacking could pose a challenge to growing goodwill between the two nations and that the Sino-U.S. relationship is constantly soured on cyber security.
Wang Dong said Snowden's allegations will effect U.S. China talks on cyber security and may put the United States on the defense going forward. "It will shift the balance in the sense that the U.S. government, the American media and others have been accusing China of doing this, and that and all of a sudden you have to defend your own record about that."
Snowden remains in hiding in Hong Kong after checking out of a hotel Monday morning in the city's Kowloon District.
Mandela reported improving
although still on serious list
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The South African government says former president and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela continues to recover from a lung infection, but it says his condition remains serious.
In a statement Thursday, President Jacob Zuma appealed to the people of South Africa and beyond to keep Madiba -- Mandela's clan name -- in their prayers, and to wish him a speedy recovery.
The 94-year-old icon was hospitalized in Pretoria last week in serious but stable condition. It was his fourth such hospitalization since December.
Mandela has a history of lung problems dating back to the tuberculosis he contracted during his 27-year imprisonment under South Africa's apartheid system. He was released in 1990, and four years later was elected president in the country's first democratic polls.
Researchers find deadly link
between insecticide and bees
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A steady decline in the overall honeybee population year to year is a growing problem worldwide. The decreasing bee population could contribute to a dramatic increase in commodity prices for goods dependent upon pollination by honeybees. Researchers continue to study the decline as beekeepers are struggling to keep their colonies and their profits alive.
Terrence Ingram considers himself a naturalist. He said he's best able to commune with the natural world around him at the center of a swarm of bees. "I love beekeeping. It's one of God's greatest miracles."
Since 1954, Ingram has raised tens of thousands of honeybees in managed colonies behind his house in rural Apple River, Illinois.
"We had 250 hives at one time. We sold five, six tons of honey a year," said Ingram.
But that amount is dwindling. "Now we're down to about probably four tons." And that's not because the 73-year-old Ingram is slowing down, but because he says there are fewer bees producing honey, something he blames on the use of insecticides and herbicides in the farmland surrounding his property. The gradual decline in his bee population began in 1996.
"Every three weeks that summer, they were spraying with the airplane, and by the end of the year, I didn't have any of my 250 hives left," he said.
This phenomenon caught the attention of researchers like Purdue University entomology Professor Christian Krupke.
"There have been similar reports from Europe in the past, and so we looked into it a little bit further from the point of view of wondering first of all what is killing these bees, and second how are these bees acquiring whatever this toxic chemical is," said Krupke.
There are many reasons for the worldwide bee decline, not just insecticides.
But in this instance, Krupke and his colleagues focused on insecticides known as neonicotinoids that adhere to the seeds as they are planted in the ground, rather than from spraying above.
"The two compounds that kept coming up when we tested these dead bees were the pesticides clothianidin and thiamethoxam. Those are insecticides that are applied to corn seed. The key route for those acute bee kills that we have seen in past years and again this year is the planter exhaust. The talc that contacts seed and then is exhausted," said Krupke.
About 30 years ago, there were about 4 million of these kind of managed bee colonies throughout the United States. Today, there are less than 2 million, and researchers say that's due in part to the introduction of these insecticides.
"Can we get by without neonicotinoids insecticides in these field crops? I think we can. I believe we have data that show that we can. So that's maybe something that's a little more promising as far as reducing the stress on the honeybee population," said Krupke.
In December, the European Union plans to ban the use of certain insecticides researchers linked to bee deaths. But no such restrictions are planned in the United States. For Illinois beekeeper Ingram, some of the damage already done is permanent.
"We've got many beekeepers who have quit, just gone out of business because they can't succeed," he said.
But not Ingram, who said his passion for bees is just as strong as it was when he tended his first colony, more than 60 years ago.
New York City might be
most diverse for languages
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
In the Big Apple, home to more than 8 million people, one can find nearly every kind of food, music, art, people and nearly every kind of language. Some linguistic experts say it may be the most diverse city in the world with as many as 800 spoken languages.
With hundreds of languages and dialects spoken from around the world, few cities are as diverse as New York.
"New York is the capital of the world, where we live together in peace," said Ernesto Arias.
Arias from Bolivia says this is all possible without loss of tradition or the mother language. He speaks in his native Spanish.
"There are people from every background, so you'll hear a variety of languages and dialects. For example, in my country, they speak Aymara and Quechua. Of course, here we're starting to lose that. But we are making an effort to maintain our community in some form so that we don't lose it," he said.
According to the 2010 census, 51 percent of New Yorkers speak only English. The remaining 49 percent, according to experts, speak hundreds of other languages.
For many residents it probably comes as no surprise that the second-most spoken language in New York is Spanish, representing 25 percent of the population.
"It's a very cosmopolitan city where you see people from around the world and listen to every language possible in the elevators, on the street, doing business. I don't know about 800 languages, but they all sound very different," said Gabriela Pisterna, Argentinian tourist.
Historically, the Big Apple has been known for welcoming immigrants, earning it the unofficial title of "Capital of the World."
"Every place is represented here, at least from Latin America, there are so many," said Edmundo Datri, another Argentinian tourist.
Tomato packer raided
in Mexican slavery case
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Mexico abolished slavery in the early 19th century, but many poor Mexicans live and work in slave-like conditions either at home or abroad. Mexican authorities this week rescued 275 people who said they were forced to work at a tomato plant in the western State of Jalisco for inadequate pay and housing.
Bioparques de Occidente is a tomato sorting and packing company in the municipality of Toliman in the western state of Jalisco. The management finds workers to get the tomatoes ready for export in nearby rural areas.
Regional prosecutor Salvador Gonzales said people are lured to the plant by offers of reasonable wages, accommodation and schools for their children. "They were offered jobs in Ciudad Guzmán where they were offered 100 pesos per day, schools, accommodation. The offer was attractive. But when they arrived here they realized it was a different reality. They made them work more than eight hours and didn't pay them 100 pesos,'' he said. 100 pesos is about $7.85.
Officials said the victims were mainly paid in vouchers redeemable at the company store, where items were sold at overinflated prices. The living conditions were crowded and dirty. But the workers were not permitted to leave.
Alejandro Acosta said they were treated cruelly. "We are badly treated here. It's not fair. They should pay us what they owe us in any case. Scoldings in the morning when one has a sick baby. They go to your room, kick the door open and tell you: 'Go to work, now!' If one does not go to work in the field you are not given any food, no food and apart from that you have to work here, sweep the floor, clean toilets, collect rubbish," Acosta explained. "It's not fair.''
But one man managed to escape and alert authorities in the state capital, Guadalajara.
Five foremen were arrested on charges of grave violations and crimes, including the illegal privation of liberty and human trafficking.
In 2007, Mauritania became the last country to ban slavery officially, but rights groups said that global slave trade in various forms continues, generating an estimated $32 billion a year.
A recent study, by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, estimated that 880,000 people are trapped in forced labor in nine European countries alone: France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden.
Chemical in plastics can
hurt human tooth enamel
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A chemical compound that's been linked to a number of health problems in animal studies may also damage tooth enamel in humans. BPA is found in many resins and plastics that people use everyday, such as water and baby bottles and food containers.
BPA, or Bisphenol A, can leach from the plastic and into food, water or snacks and from there into humans. A U.S. Centers for Disease Control survey in 2003 and 2004 found detectable levels of the chemical in 93 percent of more than 2,500 urine samples tested. It can also contaminate the environment with countless plastic bottles littering many landscapes and waterways.
The National Institutes of Health, says, "Animal studies indicate BPA may cause adverse effects, such as obesity, behavioral changes, diabetes, early onset puberty, asthma, cardiovascular diseases, reproductive disorders and development of prostate, breast and uterine cancer."
It adds there is "reason for concern, especially for parents, because some animal studies report effects in fetuses and newborns exposed to BPA." There's ongoing research on whether BPA does indeed affect people the way it can animals.
French researcher Sylvie Babajko is the lead author of an article on BPA appearing in the American Journal of Pathology. She said that BPA is an endocrine disruptor.
An endocrine disruptor is a substance that disturbs the endocrine system. That means hormones in humans, as well as in progeny.
The endocrine system is a series of glands, such as the thyroid pituitary and adrenal, which release hormones affecting sexual development, growth and metabolism. And these hormones go everywhere in the body. Some chemicals can make their levels go up and down.
Ms. Babajko and fellow researchers are now trying to confirm that BPA can damage tooth enamel. She said they were notified about the possible link by others studying the effects of endocrine disruptors on lab animals' reproductive systems.
"They found that the rats exposed to low doses of endocrine disruptors presented white spots on incisors. They called us, and we studied these white spots and found that there was an enamel hypomineralization due to endocrine disruptors exposure," she said.
In other words, BPA, circulating in the body, can adversely affect cells that produce tooth enamel, making it fragile or brittle. The question is: Are those white marks now showing up on human teeth as well?
"It is probably a problem," she said, "because things and food contain BPA and we are probably all exposed to BPA. And it has been shown, at least with experiments on animals, that BPA can cause a lot of defects and teeth are one additional target of BPA."
Analysis of the rats' teeth show similar characteristics found in about 18 percent of children between the ages 6 and 8. These kids may have teeth that are extra sensitive to pain or more liable to get cavities. It's believed humans are most sensitive to BPA in the first years of life. Further study is needed, but those white streaks may be an indication of early exposure to the chemical.
Since BPA can disrupt estrogen levels in animals, there's concern that could affect men's reproductive health. Men do produce estrogen, but usually in much lower levels than women. However, Ms. Babajko said that's not been confirmed and is difficult to prove.
"It is possible, but not demonstrated in humans, of course, because we are all subjected to many endocrine disruptors. And it is difficult to be sure that BPA is the only one that is responsible for the reproductive defects. It is difficult to know precisely if BPA is the only one or if it is acting in combination with other molecules," she said.
Concerns about BPA have led to the production of BPA-free plastic products. Europe banned baby bottles containing the chemical in January 2011. The U.S. took similar action in July of last year. While the Food and Drug Administration began voicing concerns about BPA in 2010, it has not officially reversed its 2008 decision declaring BPA safe.
France intends to extend the BPA ban to all food containers in July 2015.
Genetic dyslexia component
clarified in Yale research
By the Yale University School of Medicine news staff
A new study of the genetic origins of dyslexia and other learning disabilities could allow for earlier diagnoses and more successful interventions, according to researchers at Yale School of Medicine. Many students now are not diagnosed until high school, at which point treatments are less effective.
The study is published online and in the July print issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics. Senior author Jeffrey R. Gruen, professor of pediatrics, genetics, and investigative medicine at Yale, and colleagues analyzed data from more than 10,000 children born in 1991 and1992 who were part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children conducted by investigators at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.
Gruen and his team used the data to unravel the genetic components of reading and verbal language. In the process, they identified genetic variants that can predispose children to dyslexia and language impairment, increasing the likelihood of earlier diagnosis and more effective interventions.
Dyslexia and language impairment are common learning disabilities that make reading and verbal language skills difficult. Both disorders have a substantial genetic component, but despite years of study, determining the root cause had been difficult.
In previous studies, Gruen and his team found that dopamine-related genes ANKK1 and DRD2 are involved in language processing. In further non-genetic studies, they found that prenatal exposure to nicotine has a strong negative affect on both reading and language processing. They had also previously found that a gene called DCDC2 was linked to dyslexia.
In this new study, Gruen and colleagues looked deeper within the DCDC2 gene to pinpoint the specific parts of the gene that are responsible for dyslexia and language impairment. They found that some variants of a gene regulator called READ1 (regulatory element associated with dyslexia1) within the DCDC2 gene are associated with problems in reading performance while other variants are strongly associated with problems in verbal language performance.
Gruen said these variants interact with a second dyslexia risk gene called KIAA0319. "When you have risk variants in both READ1 and KIAA0319, it can have a multiplier effect on measures of reading, language, and IQ," he said. "People who have these variants have a substantially increased likelihood of developing dyslexia or language impairment."
"These findings are helping us to identify the pathways for fluent reading, the components of those pathways; and how they interact," said Gruen. "We now hope to be able to offer a pre-symptomatic diagnostic panel, so we can identify children at risk before they get into trouble at school. Almost three-quarters of these children will be reading at grade level if they get early intervention, and we know that intervention can have a positive lasting effect."
Green coffee questioned
as an obesity antidote
By the American Chemical Society news staff
A major ingredient in those green coffee bean dietary supplements — often touted as "miracle" weight-loss products — doesn't prevent weight gain in obese laboratory mice fed a high-fat diet when given at higher doses. That's the conclusion of a first-of-its-kind study published in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. It also linked the ingredient to an unhealthy build-up of fat in the liver.
Vance Matthews, Kevin Croft and their team note that coffee is rich in healthful, natural, plant-based polyphenol substances. They cite evidence from past studies that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and other disorders collectively termed the "metabolic syndrome." Chlorogenic acid, one coffee polyphenol, is the main ingredient in scores of dietary supplements promoted as weight-loss products. Much research has been done on mixtures of coffee polyphenols. Until now, however, scientists have not checked the effects of higher doses of chlorogenic acid alone on obesity and other symptoms of the metabolic syndrome. Matthews' team decided to do that, using special laboratory mice that are stand-ins for humans in such tests.
They report that mice on a high-fat diet and mice on a high-fat diet plus chlorogenic acid gained the same amount of weight. The chlorogenic acid mice, however, were more likely to develop disorders that often lead to type 2 diabetes. They also accumulated fat inside the cells in their livers.
|Some of our other titles:
|A.M. Panama
|A.M. Colombia
|A.M. Guatemala
|A.M. Honduras
|A.M. Cuba
|A.M. Nicaragua
|A.M. Venezuela
|A.M. Central America
Dominican Republic
|A.M. Ecuador
|A.M. San Salvador
|A.M. Bolivia
|What we published this week:
|The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado S.A. 2013 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details
|A.M. Costa
sixth news page
San José, Costa Rica, Friday, June 14, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 117
advocate denounced
Ecuadorian attacks on paper
Special to A.M. Costa Rica
A campaign by the government of Ecuador aimed at putting pressure on and discrediting the newspaper Hoy was denounced Thursday by the Inter American Press Association, which expressed its support for the newspaper and its editor, Jaime Mantilla, who is also the association's president.
Since late last month the Communication Secretariat within Ecuador's Presidency has been waging an intense campaign to discredit the Quito-based newspaper through government newspapers, national radio and television networks. This appears to have its origin in a report by the AFP news agency May 31, that Hoy headlined "Correa describes homosexual marriage as a fad." According to the government, the headline seriously distorted the article involving President Rafael Correa.
The newspaper June 4 published a letter from National Communication Secretary Fernando Alvarado Espinel in which he said that the headline "does not correspond to the truth." Hoy stated that the paper "did not distort the report."
The official attacks on the newspaper have been increasing. In a recent Saturday nationwide hookup Correa warned that if the paper did not issue a correction "we will go to court," and this past week several national radio and television networks aired broadcasts which said "it is reported" that "up to now Hoy has not rectified the lie nor published the truth as the Constitution demands …. We continue to count the hours until the truth is published."
The chairman of the press association's Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, Claudio Paolillo, said the organization "is very familiar with the aggressive style used by the government to confront those that criticize its actions and that maintain an independent journalistic stance."
On the occasion of its 31st anniversary, Hoy June 7 ran an editorial in which it recounted the "gradual actions to destroy its financial situation" applied by the government of President Correa. Among these Hoy mentioned that several years ago the Communication Department prohibited "government and related entities" from advertising in the newspaper. In addition, the government cancelled subscriptions and contracts with the newspaper.
The editorial also stated that "the economic, political and social pressures have continued against the newspaper, its editor and other associates." Editor Jaime Mantilla "has faced great pressures and judgments" and has been the victim of discrediting campaigns. On a number of occasions President Correa has expressed his wish that the newspaper shut down, because "almost nobody reads it" and for being "at the edge of bankruptcy."
A new note from the communications secretary, Alvarado Espinel, Monday rebutted Hoy's contention concerning the various actions taken by the government against the newspaper to harm it financially. In a sarcastic tone he said that "it is just an excuse which shows the growing lack of trust of its readers due to its articles not being based on the truth."
Alvarado Espinel added that he would make his note public because, he said, "the people deserve the truth and not the lies that are constantly divulged by those belonging to the newspaper association, ADEP and the IAPA cartel." He was referring to the Ecuadorean Association of Newspaper Editors and Publishers and the Inter American Press Association.
Paolillo said, "The disrespectful style used by the representative of the government is regrettable. However in this case we are not surprised by the use of insulting words and mockery when debating."
The Inter American Press Association is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the defense and promotion of freedom of the press and of expression in the Americas. It is made up of more than 1,300 publications from throughout the Western Hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida.
Editor's Note: A.M. Costa Rica's parent company is a member of the association.
|Costa Rican News
|Retire NOW in Costa Rica
|What we published this week:
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|from page 7
White House honors Costa Rican
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A Costa Rican immigrant to North Carolina has been honored by the White House as a Champion of Change.
This is a designation that White House aides frequently make for groups of individuals who have made an impact on the society.
In this case, the Costa Rican, John Herrera, was among 11 immigrants honored by
"The increasing immigrant population had little or no experience using a financial institution, often relying on high cost and inefficient alternative financial services," said the credit union. "The reliance on cash resulted in increased crime against Latinos, as they were viewed as 'walking banks.' State and local leaders, community advocates, and the credit union community, including The Support Center, Durham-based El Centro Hispano, North Carolina State Employees' Credit Union and Self-Help Credit Union came together to form Latino Credit Union, a safe place for Latinos to save their money, access credit, and build wealth."
The White House said that the credit union is the first fully bilingual financial institution in the state of North Carolina. A pioneering example of how businesses can creatively meet a gap in the market for the underserved, it has become the fastest growing community development credit union in the nation and a model for banking for new immigrants, the White House added.
The foreign ministry in Costa Rica said that Herrera credited his success to the education and culture he received here. He is married to Glisceria Vindas, formerly of Venecia de San Carlos and founder of the Asociación Costarricense de Carolina del Norte.
Despite the name, the credit union says on its Web site that one does not have to be Latin American or Latino to join. The credit union is producing videos to show its estimated 55,000 members the steps in buying a home.