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John Alexander joins us for the first of two episodes to talk about his book, The Journey Begins with 1,000 Miles, to share the benefits he has experienced from cycling, and to discuss his important and rewarding work as an Ambassador for the Davis Phinney Foundation. John offers not only his insight as a person living with Parkinson's, but also valuable information about the programs offered by the Davis Phinney Foundation.
Chad: [00:00:01] Today we're excited to welcome John Alexander to the show.
Chad: [00:00:12] John is someone that I can honestly say that Tonya and I both admire for his dedication to the Parkinson's community and his optimistic approach to daily life with Parkinson's. John is an ambassador for the Davis Phinney Foundation and a published author. John has a lot to offer in this interview, so we're going to break it up into two episodes. In the first episode we'll chat about his book - The Journey Begins With a Thousand Miles, we'll cover the benefits he's experienced from cycling, and we'll talk about John's role as an ambassador for the Davis Phinney Foundation. In the second episode John will share more about his approach to living with Parkinson's and the acronym that he's created to describe that approach. He calls it THRIVING. I think that's something we can all benefit from hearing. Let's kick things off with the first part of our interview. Welcome to the show John.
John: [00:01:10] Thank you Chad. Glad to be here.
Chad: [00:01:13] People have described you as a natural connector it's one of the things you talk about in your book and that trait is important to a lot of what I think we're going to talk about on this episode. And it's an important part of who you are. Could you talk about what that means to you to be a connector?
John: [00:01:28] Well this is a term that actually came up all the way back when I was in college and friends have commented on that and said it then and I've said it since that a natural trait that I seem to have is the interest and ability to try to bring people together people that I find interesting and fascinating and have a particular skill that is something that others should know about. And I seem to find a way to introduce them to others who I think may have some similar interests. And I probably found that to be the case throughout my working career as well. But it's has truly come full circle since I've been involved with the Parkinson community. And you know with that I mean that I've also had the ability to to find information that was useful to myself or those close to me. And as I've found that information particularly about Parkinson's I've wanted to share that with other people who are trying to come to terms with say a recent diagnosis or where they're at in their Parkinson's journey. And so by being a connector I feel most fulfilled when I'm able to get people the information that they need that will help them have a a better quality of life.
Chad: [00:02:50] You know that's really interesting John. One of things I thought of as you were talking about that is that once Tonya reached a point where she was comfortable talking about having Parkinson's and was comfortable with me talking about it, one of the things I slowly started to do over time was that within five or ten minutes of meeting someone, you know a stranger who I was becoming acquainted with, I would mentioned something about either Tonya having Parkinson's, or usually in a more roundabout way, talk about the fact that we do a lot of work with the Michael J Fox Foundation. At first I just kind of did it without thinking about it. And then I started to realize that a surprisingly high percentage of the time I made a connection in some way with that person that it turns out that they had a family member who had it or they had a friend who had Parkinson's and there was something more they wanted to know or they wanted to know about the work in the Michael J Fox Foundation. It's really interesting how that can just kind of happened that when you're open about what's going on you know in the end your connection to the Parkinson's community how you can then from that develop an opportunity or create an opportunity to share information or make a connection. Do you typically let people know that you have Parkinson's or that you're involved in the Davis Phinney foundation fairly early on in getting to know them?
John: [00:04:21] I think I do tend to do that. It's not uncommon for people again who are newly diagnosed to want to keep that to themselves. And there's a number of good reasons to do that. One, you're just getting used to the idea yourself. Or two, depending on whom you have shared that with already have you shared with your family have you shared share with your employer and such. Or three, what level of indication might you display that would let people know that you possibly might might have Parkinson's.
John: [00:04:53] But what I found in one, and really it's been repeated, case was when ask someone to donate to a cause and told them it is related to Parkinson's, that person had a very strong connection to like a relative that had it and who meant a great deal to them. And that person, as you said, definitely wanted to have more information. So I think you can become more comfortable in talking about it. And I think by being the one who introduces the topic you have more control over how much you do reveal and what you share.
Chad: [00:06:11] I'm going to ask Tonya about this, and I'm going to disclose to you and our listeners now I actually don't know the answer to this question, but...
Tonya: [00:06:17] You're breaking the Golden Rule! You never ask a question you don't know the answer to.
Chad: [00:06:23] That only applies as lawyers.
Chad: [00:06:24] That doesn't apply as podcasters. I don't know if that applies in couples. Hopefully we won't need therapy after this question. So let me ask you, Tonya, once you got past that denial phase did you find yourself revealing more commonly to strangers, or I'll describe as people you're becoming acquainted with, that you have Parkinson's?
Tonya: [00:06:48] I still struggled with that actually up until about the past year despite me going public if you will with my diagnosis. I just didn't feel like talking about it quite honestly. So it was only within the past year that I meet people and then I'll bring it up oh we're training for the marathon to raise money for the Michael J Fox Foundation. I have Parkinson's disease and kind of go from there.
Chad: [00:07:16] It's interesting that that's Tonya's response considering that we're currently sitting on a podcast where we're publicizing to the entire world that she has Parkinson's. But on that one-on-one setting it can be much more challenging to talk about it. Part of the reason I asked Tonya the question is I suspected that I might get - compared to your answer John - maybe a little different response. And to me the important thing about that is that for each individual they have to decide what their comfort level is in talking about having Parkinson's, when they're ready to talk about it, how they're ready to talk about it. And it could vary depending upon the setting and who you're talking to.
John: [00:07:56] Yeah that's. That's very much true.
Chad: [00:07:58] I think that's valuable for our listeners to hear that because you know and the range of people who are listening to this depending on where they are in their stage of their diagnosis and with the disease I'm confident are varying levels of comfort among our listeners in terms of their willingness to talk about this. But when they reach a point where they're comfortable talking about it, I think it's great to hear from you John and from Tonya both that there are some fantastic connections you can make that can assist you in achieving fundraising goals or raising awareness or connecting a complete stranger to a resource or to information they desperately need.
Chad: [00:08:38] Let me kind of bring us back to one of the ways that you've used your skill as a natural connector is as an ambassador for the Davis Phinney Foundation. Can you talk a little bit about your role as an ambassador and for those listeners who don't know what the objectives of the David Davis Foundation are?
John: [00:09:00] The Foundation was was created by an individual of by the name of Davis Finney. Davis was an Olympic cyclist who won a bronze medal in the other Olympics and it was one of the first Americans to win a stage of the Tour de France. He's actually to this day the winningest American cyclist of all time because he was a sprinter. He is the person that they put in a position to make that last push to to win the race. He had a great cycling career and as he was getting close to the end of that he started to parlay that into some other opportunities and had signed up to become a television announcer for an elite cycling. And around that time he was about age 40 at that time. He began to develop some some symptoms of Parkinson's. Some tremor, some issues with speaking, etc. and that siderailed the potential for having this this career as a public commentator. So, he took a little bit time to get his head around that because he had just come out of you know come off of you know having to make the transition from from being a performing athlete everyday to going into something else.
John: [00:10:29] But he he reached a point where he said - I'd like to do something with this to help the other people who have this condition. And while there are other groups - and you know it's obviously well documented that Michael J Fox Foundation does a tremendous job in research and the you know close to what is about eight hundred million dollars that they've raised to promote research and to promote all kinds of things to benefit the Parkinson's community. What Davis set out to do was to simply help people with Parkinson's to live well today to do what they can proactively once they get a diagnosis and as a result to have a better life and a much longer life with the condition.
John: [00:11:15] The one quote that I like to take from Michael J Fox is that "you don't die from Parkinson's you die with it." Which to me, when I found that early on meant that - OK, this isn't like a diagnosis of an aggressive form of cancer where six months later you can expect to be getting your card punched with Parkinson's. The average age people are diagnosed is around age 60, but in many cases people have been diagnosed much younger and is becoming even more common for people to have what's called Young Onset Parkinson's, which is obviously what Tonya has was diagnosed with.
John: [00:11:53] The Davis Finney Foundation has has truly grown and some of the work that they do is to hold events called a Victory Summit. And that's a full day event of information. They bring together medical professionals, some of the research doctors and clinicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, anyone who has a an interest in the condition and can provide some light on to what can you do to help yourself. They focus on a number of different areas. They focus on activity, they focus on exercise for example, which is commonly stated now is as important as your medication.
John: [00:13:10] They also talk about being informed - getting the accurate information that you need in order to deal with your condition. They talk about being prepared to go to your doctor's visits. So, you're not just going and showing up and having the doctor look you over and say - "OK" you know come back in six months and you know take these pills. You're part of the treatment process. You're you're part of analyzing what's taking place. You're part of deciding together with your medical team what do you need to be doing in the next period of time. And as such you'd have much more productive visitations with your medical team.
John: [00:14:20] The ambassador group came about about four years ago now. And what the Davis Phinney Foundation did was to reach out to a number of individuals who had been active in some of their their events and programs and to have us be out in the community sharing some of the information that the Foundation had accumulated, as well as sharing their own stories. So, in my role as an ambassador for the Davis Phinney Foundation, I have spoken in front of Parkinson's support groups in a number of different areas.
John: [00:15:17] The whole idea of the Ambassador is that we are out there to let people know that resources are available. That there is hope. That there are ways to get to get useful information - not just whatever is the hot topic of the week on the Internet - but to get verified information that can improve their condition and show them a way to truly live well. So that's been extremely rewarding in the work that I've done with them. And the Ambassador Program is about to double in size. We currently have about 15 ambassadors and that's going to go up to almost 35 or 40 in this coming year.
Chad: [00:16:01] That's fantastic. And are the ambassadors spread all across the country?
John: [00:16:06] Yeah they are they with the initial group being about 10 individuals they did their best to kind of position people you know all across the country.
Tonya: [00:16:34] You raise a great point about connecting with others who are experiencing the same condition. And I think that's particularly important for newly diagnosed. I'm sitting here thinking if I had to go back and change one thing it would probably be - I would tell myself at the time I was diagnosed - find others who share this disease and connect with them because connecting is just such a tremendous experience that makes you feel like you're not alone. So, with that being said, for someone who is newly diagnosed that doesn't necessarily want to come out and go public or go to an event, can they watch the Victory Summits online or can they reach out to an ambassador via e-mail?
John: [00:17:24] Yes, they definitely can. The ambassadors are all listed on the Davis Phinney Web site which is simply DPF.org. And, if you look for the ambassadors, our contact information is available to anyone who wants to find it and then they can connect directly with us. And you know we're always glad to have a phone call, share information, respond to questions, etc.
John: [00:17:53] As far as an event like the Victory Summit - a little bit more about that event - they held about 8 to 10 of those per year, and those again are spread throughout the country and for that matter a few international locations, and they change them every year so that if you don't happen to find one that's going to be in your area any time soon you could look to the future and there might be one coming your way. But the last couple of events they've actually made those a live webinar type of event so a person anywhere with an internet connection could tune in and get the same type of great stories and recommendations and suggestions that a person who is attending those in person gets.
John: [00:18:44] One of the things that's really special about their events is that they do not charge for a victory summit. It's offered at no charge. What they do is a they suggest a kind of a pay-it-forward, where the people who have attended they suggest that they make a donation to be able to to pay for others to be able to come to that event at a later time.
Tonya: [00:19:06] That's outstanding. I mean the resources available online these days are just vastly different from when I was initially diagnosed over a decade ago. So I'm really pleased to hear that.
John: [00:19:19] Yeah and I would also say as far as attending a group it's becoming easier. And through groups like the David Phinney Foundation or some very simple online searches you can find a Parkinson's support group in your area.
John: [00:19:34] Now when you're at the point where you'd like to to go to one - go with an open mind. Often the major support groups tend to fit with the more traditional Parkinson's patients. By that I mean a higher age demographic because some of the groups only meet say during the week on a Tuesday afternoon, while the average person is still working and would find it difficult to get to that. But the good news is that there are more and more support groups that are also beginning to focus on people with younger onset Parkinson's and those meetings often take place say in the evening.
Chad: [00:20:56] That's great information you provided John and I think it's really important that on our podcast we highlight the different organizations foundations that exist out there and the areas that they specialize in, because as you pointed out they don't all do the same thing. Michael J. Fox Foundation historically is focused primarily on research. The Davis Phinney Foundation has much more of a focus on living with the disease and not just living but thriving notwithstanding having the disease.
John: [00:21:57] Well in some of the research has been done say by the Davis Phinney Foundation - what they're focused on is quality of life type projects. One of those for example was a project that started probably about ten or twelve years ago and that was focused on on cycling and the benefits of cycling. And they funded some research that was being done by Dr. Jay Alberts at the Cleveland Clinic and he had discovered that writing as a bike at a consistent pace for a certain amount of time did tend to push back on new Parkinson's symptoms. So they're focused at little more on that type of research.
Chad: [00:22:45] Which is a great segue into your book called The Journey Begins with a Thousand Miles. A central theme in your book is the benefits that you've experienced from cycling and the connections you've made through cycling.
John: [00:23:57] Bike riding was something that was always always kind of fun. And after I was diagnosed I went for a little bit of time where I didn't really do much of anything. I was fifty-seven years old when I was when I was diagnosed with Parkinson's. So you know I didn't quite fall into the young onset category, which is considered like 50 years or earlier, though I still like to think that this was early for me. And thought I hadn't been exercising a lot anyway, and I probably should get out and do some more. So I took my bike out and I had a good bike that I'd come across which was called a hybrid. It's more of a comfort type bike rather than like a road racing type bike and that sort of sort of thing.
John: [00:24:55] I took advantage of a program that was fairly new to the area called Cycling Savvy in the Orlando area and it's now a national program. But what that program did was gave me the skills and confidence to ride whenever and wherever I wanted to go and out of that came again another sense of community with the other individuals I was riding with. Now these weren't necessarily individuals with Parkinson's but my symptoms were fairly well controlled at the time and so I was able to just go have fun with a bunch of people doing something I love to enjoy.
John: [00:26:00] And it also became my way of getting you know more consistent exercise and doing something that in the long run was good for me in terms of my Parkinson's disease.
Chad: [00:26:55] In your book you share some pretty interesting and somewhat entertaining stories about different rides that you've taken to different places you've written your bike one of which that stood out to us was you've ridden your bike in Columbus Circle in New York City which is for those who haven't experienced Columbus Circle has to be one of the busiest places on the entire planet in terms of automobile traffic foot traffic and horse drawn carriage traffic and apparently also cycling - normally in petty cabs as Tonya and I have experienced - which was a harrowing experience by the way. So what in the world led you to decide to ride your bike through Columbus Circle?
John: [00:27:37] Well what I wanted to do. My goal was to go to Central Park and to ride my bike in Central Park. And I knew enough about that to know that once I was in Central Park everything was fairly well contained. There were horse drawn carriages as you mentioned but I did a little bit of research at the hotel and I found a place where I could rent a bike but that was on one of the main streets. There was a bit south I think southwest of Central Park. Little did I know that if I researched a bit further I would have found that they actually rent bikes physically in Central Park. So I did have to get from I think that's fifty seventh straight or something. I didn't have to get from there up to Central Park. And that took me directly through through Columbus Circle which is a huge roundabout way and I think about what six seven eight lanes. And once you get into that is kind of a vortex you're just you're just captured and you've got to make your way around.
Tonya: [00:29:01] Well I was sitting here just laughing I only had tears in my eyes because I had the same reaction when I read your book. I thought it's crazy because Chad I had an experience at biking experience but we were not in control of the bike. We took a petty cab and I thought we were going to die.
Chad: [00:29:23] Yeah right. Your petty cab in New York on a particularly during rush hour is it can be a harrowing experience. It's a lot like riding a cab except you don't have a know steel around you to give you a certain level of comfort. It's just you in the open air and a cyclist.
Tonya: [00:29:39] That's right. I know I'm not so sure that our cyclists have taken the cycling savvy course.
John: [00:29:45] Probably not - they take the kamikaze course I think
Chad: [00:30:47] John, as I understand it you've reached a rather significant milestone in terms of thousands of miles ridden. How many miles have you ridden at this point.
John: [00:31:08] Probably about forty five hundred miles or so. OK. And so so that initial thousand that I describe really came about as once I did start to actively ride. I started literally from the day that I took that class which was and I think it was November of 2010. I just you know kept a log. There's a lot of different ways and tools you can use to do this. But every time I went for a ride I noted the number of miles and and added it to an increasing total and I never had any kind of thought or initial aspiration for doing something that lofty. But by just getting involved with a few group rides and doing some on my own, all the sudden I was at two hundred miles and then I heard about an event that I decided to take part in. It was a ride in South Dakota called "Ride with Larry" and this is pretty interesting from a number of directions. Ride with Larry was created by a gentleman named Larry Smith who at the time had been diagnosed for over 22 years. He had been Captain of police in Connecticut and when he was diagnosed.
John: [00:32:31] He told his wife he wanted to do something really big before it's too late and the usual thing for cyclists is to ride across America. And obviously that's a huge adventure for just about anybody. HIs wife said Larry that's a great idea but let's throttle that back a little bit. And so what they chose to do was to ride across their state at the time of South Dakota which north to south is 300 miles. And they set up a team complete with an RV which would be really their mobile kitchen and support for them. And with with a small group of people initially about 10 people they began their rides and they did broke it up in about five days.
John: [00:33:42] And at the end of each day they would meet with the Parkinson community in the town that they'd ended up in and share their story - what they were doing, how they learned about the benefits of exercise, and just beginning to share some of the message that would help other people with Parkinson's. His niece and her husband were actually documentary filmmakers and they decided to tell his story or capture a story in film and they put out a kind of a trailer which included Larry asking people to come up to South Dakota and join him for this adventure. And I knew that that was just completely speaking to me. Now here just a few months before I hadn't ridden on a road at all and I hadn't ridden that many miles.
John: [00:34:31] Once I decide to go and I invited my my son to come join me - to come in fly in from Los Angeles. Which was interesting I called him up and said "Brian would you like to go to South Dakota and ride bikes with Dad?" He said sure. I called him back 10 minutes later and go "do you even on a bike?" He said "no.".
Chad: [00:34:47] So that was my question - was your son a cyclist at the time that you made this request of him?
John: [00:34:55] No he wasn't. So we got him hooked up with a bike and he began doing training and he was phenomenal. He did a great job. And he is one of what - many of what I call my guardian angels - who you know kept an eye out for me and kept me safe during the ride.
John: [00:35:12] But you know fast forwarding that. So we went up for simply the last day of the event which was a sixty-five mile bike ride. And it was amazing to see Larry's spirit and tenacity to meet other people and hear all kinds of other stories of what people were doing. I met one gentleman who was 93 years old during this ride. So there is just a tremendous amount of camaraderie and you know lessons that were learned from that ride. But the film did end up getting made and I felt good about the fact that stayed very connected with with the film crew and I began writing letters to let people know about this fabulous film. And so I like to think that was instrumental in helping it to get into the Orlando Film Festival the Temple film festival and even the Cleveland film festival. But every one of the 10 or 12 film festivals that it was in both domestically and internationally it won the most inspirational film.
John: [00:36:15] And I was really excited to see recently that there was a Parkinson's group called Parkinson Life in Europe and they published a list of must see films about Parkinson's and "Ride with Larry" is one of those films that's available on the Amazon. Not only is it you know inspirational the fact that this gentleman case had this disease is that it for a long time. And he goes on the campuses this athletic feat but it's a true love story between the Larry and his wife Betty who is his his main caregiver.
John: [00:36:57] Anyway when I by the time I'd done the ride with them I had ridden 500 miles so I decided to keep going and had a couple of friends who said you know we'll help you get there. By that they were involved in other group rides and we fit in a few of those.
John: [00:37:24] And one year from the date that I took my Cycling Savvy class - there happened to be a ride that was on Veterans Day. And so one of the friends I was going to ride with had another buddy come along and that gentleman had been a Marine. So he's wearing a Semper Fi jersey - on the day that we decided to cap off by achieving our goal of writing a thousand miles in one year. And it was really meaningful to do that.
John: [00:38:00] Now I use that in the book is The journey begins with a thousand miles was - I had been told about a year-and-a-half before that I had what is considered by many to be a progressive degenerative neurological disease for which there is no cure, and I was able to do something that tested my mettle a little bit. But it was enriching and it made me feel better and I felt more in control of my life and I think other people have gotten a good message from it as well.
John: [00:39:00] The subtitle of the book is you mentioned the word "thriving." But I say thriving with Parkinson's disease through hope, inspiration, and perseverance. The reason I say "with" instead of "in spite of" Parkinson's disease is because I've actually found that - even though it wasn't a choice going down this path of living with Parkinson's - I've met so many phenomenal people that have enriched my life. And made me not only be able to cope but to go to a new level as a person and as someone that can help others as well by the fact that I came down with something that I certainly didn't expect to do but I'm trying my best to make the most of.
Chad: [00:40:11] John which you just talked about resonates so much with us because, you know, having talked with Tonya on several occasions, that her experience is similar to yours in terms of being diagnosed with Parkinson's. And living and thriving with Parkinson's disease, as you describe it, has led her to do to do so many things she wouldn't have otherwise done and to make connections she wouldn't have otherwise made. And it's something she's talked about on the podcast - it's something she's spoken about publicly. In that way your journeys are very similar. But for her rather than cycling it's been running and returning to something that she loved to do pre-Parkinson's and taking it to a completely different level by running the New York City Marathon - which is she had never run a marathon before.
Chad: [00:41:03] I think this is clear from your what you said a moment ago but just to make it clear - would you have ridden 1000 miles and achieved this incredible accomplishment if you had not been diagnosed with Parkinson's - would you have ever gone down that road?
John: [00:41:25] No I don't think in a million million years I would have done that because it just didn't see a need or a purpose to do it.
John: [00:41:58] But there and there's there's more and more types of activities that are becoming available to people with Parkinson's and actually adapted specifically so that you know they work well with to maximize the positive outcome of helping a person to have you know more mobility to improve their strength and their balance so that they don't fall and have an issue with that.
John: [00:42:24] And as you as you meet more and more people you realize that you can do much more than you ever considered possible. And yet at the same time I think we've all talked about this too. You have to choose to do what works best for you. We know some folks who have done some remarkable athletic things but that's not for everybody. Some people simply won't be able to do that.
John: [00:43:50] There's a program called Rock Steady Boxing that I spoke with many of their coaches from around the country and told them my story of not being able continue with boxing. And they said - If you'd been in my class I would have asked you questions beforehand so you would not have been put in that position and you probably would be doing this on a regular basis. So it's good to know that things are being done that will not only give us opportunities to stick it out and move and become stronger but also protect us as well.
Chad: [00:44:29] Absolutely and the Rock Steady Boxing program has become wildly popular in the last few years and I think we've talked about on the podcast before and at some point we'll probably have somebody on to talk about that program because boxing is one of the things that Tonya does that she's experienced tremendous benefits from. She doesn't do it through a Rock Steady - she's got a trainer she works with.
Chad: [00:45:01] John I think this is a good stopping point for us since we're going to break this up into two episodes because there is so much to talk about and you've shared some tremendous resources with our listeners during this episode. What we want to do on the next episode is talk about an acronym that you developed. We've talked about this word thriving and from that you developed an acronym that I think would be very beneficial for our listeners to hear. It ties into some of what we talked about on this episode and maybe some topics that we can go into a little bit more on the next episode. Also on the next episode we can talk a little bit more about your personal journey with Parkinson's in terms of diagnosis, treatment, symptoms, that sort of thing - just for our listeners better understand where you're coming from because each person's path is different.
Chad: [00:45:47] But until we kick off that next episode I want to thank you for joining us today. And thanks everyone for listening in and will catch you on the next one.
John: [00:45:58] Thank you very much.


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While populist candidate Marine Le Pen looks unlikely to win the upcoming French election, her enduring popularity has led to a state of uncertainty in European markets, writes Standish Mellon's Rowena Geraghty.
Investors are on alert to risk involving the French election. It is a medley of scandal, gaffes and general uncertainty that is spooking markets, as polls show candidates Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron neck-and-neck in the first round of one of the most unusual French elections in modern history.
French spreads are largely tracking Ms Le Pen's odds of securing the presidency.
In a sense, the unease is less about Ms Le Pen's winning the race and more so about her opponents' losing.
Francois Fillon remains in the race despite a recent scandal tainting his reputation and sinking his voter favourability.
On the other side, Ms Le Pen's voter support has remained largely stable over time, even weathering such events as Brexit and the US election.
Additionally, Emmanuel Macron's new candidacy and party presence raises questions as to how well the polls foretell his chances of winning. Uncertainty abounds.
The scenario may be unlikely, but it is not impossible for Ms Le Pen to win this election.
In the event that scandals or lack of emotional appeal push voters farther away from her major opponents, low voter turnout could favour her dedicated base and thereby catapult her to victory.
Thus, Standish currently assigns an 85 per cent probability of Le Pen losing the election, with our base case being that either Mr Macron or Mr Fillon will take the presidency.
We will reassess this probability as time goes on and we gather new information, such as data from the first round of elections.
Nevertheless, we consider the 15 per cent alternative, that Le Pen wins the French presidential election.
In the wake of her shock win, market volatility would surge. She would take office on 1 June and quickly pursue her populist agenda, despite the fact that parliamentary elections would not take place until the middle of the month.
She may first call a European Summit and make nationalistic demands to her European Union (EU) counterparts, but such demands would not likely be well-received.
While she has threatened a referendum on EU membership, support from the Parliament would not likely legitimise any such vote. Even so, the threat of EU/eurozone breakup would be quite real, as the eurozone's second largest economy and founding nation could stumble towards Frexit.
Therefore, a Le Pen victory would likely result in a spike in sovereign credit spreads across much of Europe, as negative sentiment spills over into vulnerable periphery markets.
On the other hand, if Mr Macron or Mr Fillon were to win, then we would expect French sovereign spreads to fall roughly 30 bps, as the expectation of economic reform would raise potential output growth.
This is our base case. A pro-reform agenda would help France, more so than either Mr Macron's or Mr Fillon's pro-EU stance would improve things for the periphery.
We would expect to see some relief tightening in the periphery, but not to the extent as would be seen in France.
As we move towards 23 April – the first round of French elections – any spike in spreads is likely to present an opportunity in either France or related markets once the election outcome is announced.
Rowena Geraghty is a sovereign analyst/economist at Standish Mellon.
Throughout history, financial crises have been caused by an economic shock or a fundamental demand/supply imbalance. This crisis is differen...
The COVID-19 sell-off, which saw the MSCI EM US dollar index collapse -24 per cent over the 1Q 2020 has been virtually erased by the recove...
Renewed equity market volatility highlights the need for portfolio breadth. ...

subset: commoncrawl


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If you have a Google account (or something similar, they usually offer the same facilities), you can setup an alert on any topic that takes your fancy.
In Google, it works this way. Once you've logged in, click on 'Settings'. Click on the 'Accounts' tab.
From there, choose 'Google Account Settings' and choose 'Alerts' from the list.
After that it's a simple case of inserting your search term, choosing where you want Google to look, and how often you want this done. Supply an email address to receive the notifications and you're done. Reverse this process to delete an alert, by going to your alerts page and choosing 'Delete'.
Another simple but powerful tool. More information here.
Filed under: cpd, google, google alerts | Tagged: cpd, google, google alerts |


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Vedomosti: New Year to bring more political risks
As 2019 comes to a close, it was an uneasy year for the Russian authorities, given the Moscow City Council election and the wave of protests. No crucial events are expected to take place next year but it may turn out to be no less difficult, said experts interviewed by Vedomosti.
Director of the Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Research Dmitry Badovsky believes that "2020 will be a busy year for Russian politics in terms of ideology." "The authorities will seek to take advantage of the 75th anniversary celebration of the Soviet Union's Victory [over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War] and the fight against attempts to falsify history in a bid to unite society," he added. According to the expert, developments in other countries will remain important for Russian politics.
Gleb Kuznetsov, head of the Expert Council at the Expert Institute of Social Studies, pointed out that "the US presidential election is important [for Russia] because it will clarify whether the policy of sanctions will remain ludicrous, inconsistent and focused on external effects (just like US President Donald Trump's foreign policy is in general) or whether a Democrat will take over the White House, giving consistency to the anti-Russian consensus among the US political elite," he noted. "In this regard, Trump's second term is in the interests of not only Russia but the entire world as well. His political style, his drastic swings and tendency to show off and boast about his 'deals' to his voters is the best possible contribution to building a multi-polar world," the expert explained.
When speaking about the domestic situation, political scientist Abbas Gallyamov emphasized that a rise in protest sentiment would be the main trend as demonstrations would move from Moscow to other Russian regions. "The main question here is whether these moods will reach a degree that will pave the way for a protest vote," he added.
According to Civil Society Development Fund's Chairman of the Board Konstantin Kostin, 2020 will see all political players in Russia get ready for the 2021 parliamentary election. They will choose and test new electoral strategies, technologies, practices and communication models. All political forces will search for new faces because Unified Election Day 2020 will prove to be a dress rehearsal for the State Duma election.
Izvestia: What 2020 has in store for Donbass
- Ukraine hands over all prisoners to Donbass republics in prisoner swap
- Ukraine receives 76 people in prisoner swap with Donbass - Zelensky's office
- Ukraine rules out further disengagement in Donbass until Normandy Four summit
- Putin uses his influence to aid Donbass prisoner swap, Kremlin says
- Prisoner swap seen as Kiev's first step towards implementing its commitments - DPR
- Kiev-Donbass prisoner swap to raise Zelensky's approval rating, expert says
- OSCE hails prisoner swap in Donbass
- OSCE confirms disengagement of forces near Petrovskoye
- OSCE mission in Ukraine confirms completion of disengagement in Petrovskoye
- Donetsk welcomes Kiev's decision to start disengagement of forces in Petrovskoye
- Putin calls for soonest completion of disengagement of forces in Donbass
The resumption of the Normandy Four talks, the disengagement of forces in Stanitsa Luganskaya, Zolotoye and Petrovskoye, and a prisoner swap are all Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's first steps towards resolving the Donbass conflict. According to experts interviewed by Izvestia, this offers specifics to look into 2020 with cautious optimism but no breakthroughs can be expected on the horizon.
If the Ukrainian president becomes more determined in 2020, more impressive results may be achieved, Chairman of the State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Leonid Kalashnikov told the newspaper. "As of now, one can look at the prospects for resolving the conflict with cautious optimism. There are reasons for that, which include the disengagement of forces and the prisoner exchange. I think this trend will remain for quite a long time. Ukraine is not ready to take more decisive steps. However, Zelensky is indeed trying to contain the forces that seek to undermine the peace process," he pointed out.
The recent Normandy Four summit does offer a glimmer of hope, said Director of the Institute of Peacekeeping Initiatives and Conflictology Denis Denisov. However, in his view, the problem is that no breakthroughs have been achieved. "If the process remains limited to prisoner exchanges and the disengagement of forces, then efforts to resolve the situation may stall once again," the commentator emphasized.
The issue is that there is no systemic movement towards a solution, Director of the Kiev Center for Political Studies and Conflictology Mikhail Pogrebinsky explained. Donbass needs the Minsk Agreements to be fully implemented and the war in the trenches to end, but the current Ukrainian authorities are not yet ready for that. According to the Ukrainian political analyst, 2020 may see "slow efforts to implement disengagement agreements in new areas, which will reduce the number of shelling attacks," but nothing more can be expected.
Izvestia: What awaits the ruble in 2020
Remarkably, 2019 turned out to be one of the best years in the ruble's history, as the Russian currency went up by more than ten percent. Izvestia asked experts if the ruble will be able to maintain its position next year.
Chief Economist at Alfa-Bank Natalia Orlova believes that "the situation is likely to be positive for the ruble in the first six months of the year." "The markets will react to improving dialogue between Russia, Ukraine and Western countries," she explained, adding that "in the second half of the year, the focus will be on the US presidential election." "Russian market participants currently expect that Donald Trump will be re-elected for a second term. However, if some threats emerge within this scenario, the rate will go back again, hovering between 65 and 70 rubles per dollar," Orlova noted.
Although the passing year was quite good for the Russian currency, global financial and commodity markets may face a rise in volatility in 2020 amid complicated trade relations between Washington and Beijing, along with the kickoff of the US presidential race. It will become a factor of instability for the ruble, which will range between 60 and 67 rubles per dollar, Finam Group Analyst Sergey Drozdov pointed out.
"My forecast is clear, the ruble will strengthen slowly but somewhat steadily in the first half of 2020 and will carry on moving calmly in the second half of the year," said TeleTrade Chief Analyst Pyotr Pushkarev. "The trade conflict between the US and China has waned, while their talks on a deal will linger on for months. It will provide overall support to the euphemistically termed risk-based investment, which is how the financial world sees investment in developing economies. As of now, Russia is one of the most attractive targets for investment," the expert emphasized.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Nord Stream 2 fails to be completed in 2019
- Nord Stream 2 pipelayers preparing to work on another project — Allseas
- Putin, Merkel reiterate commitment to support Nord Stream-2 - Kremlin
- Nord Stream should not concern US, it is a "European matter" — Russian diplomat
- German politician slams Washington's Nord Stream 2 sanctions as utterly unacceptable
- Denmark permit on Nord Stream 2 does not cover use of specific vessels — DEA
- Nord Stream 2 can be completed in several months without foreign contractors — top brass
- Kremlin says Russia has capacities to complete Nord Stream 2 in near future
The implementation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project was one of the most pressing issues of the passing year, Nezavisimaya Gazeta wrote.
Since the gas pipeline's launch will double the amount of gas transported to Europe via Germany, the country's Chancellor Angela Merkel continues to support the project although Washington and some EU members aren't happy about it.
German legislators for the most part see eye to eye with Merkel on this project. According to head of the Russian State Duma Energy Committee Pavel Zavalny, it means that the project has been depoliticized. In his view, the German parliament has recognized the project's commercial nature by passing a bill, which incorporates the EU Gas Directive into Germany's laws but makes it possible not to apply it to Nord Stream 2.
As is well known, it was not Russia, but Europe's leading energy companies that put forward the idea of building Nord Stream 2. It is a commercial project with a clear payback period based on its projected utilization rate. Clearly, the EU Gas Directive, which concerns all gas pipeline projects put into operation after May 2019 (that is, after investment decisions are made and the companies make the actual investment), should not apply to Nord Stream 2, according to economic logic, Zavalny emphasized.
In this regard, the recent tensions between Russia and Germany, which followed Berlin's reaction to the killing of a former Chechen field commander, as well as the United States' move to impose additional sanctions on foreign companies involved in the construction of the pipeline across the Baltic Sea, will hardly prevent the project from being completed.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Russian company to make credit card microchips
In 2020, Russia's Mir credit cards will be fitted with Russian-made chips instead of imported ones. A test batch of cards with dual chips for contactless payment has already been made, Rossiyskaya Gazeta writes.
The microchips are manufactured by the Mikron company based at the Technopolis Moscow technology center in the Russian capital.
"The new chip is completely Russian-made, it was developed especially for the national payment system and is in line with all international standards. It has its own operating system, which is strategically important in terms of the Russian financial system's cyber security," Moscow Deputy Mayor for Economic Policy and Development Vladimir Efimov told the newspaper.
According to Head of the Moscow Department for Investment and Industrial Policies Alexander Prokhorov, Mikron currently produces more than 12 mln chip modules for national credit cards, travel passports with biometric data and other digital ID documents.
"Imported microchips prevail on the Russian market at the moment," Mikron Director General Gulnara Khasyanova pointed out. "The Russian-made credit card chip will be competitive not only on the domestic market but globally as well," she added.
According to the Moscow Mayor's Office, Mikron is capable of meeting the needs of all Russian banks whose payment systems cover 20 mln Mir cards every year. One in five cards already has a chip made by Mikron.
TASS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews.


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We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies, analysis cookies and marketing cookies. You can decide which cookies to use by selecting the appropriate options below. Please note that your selection may affect the functionality of the service. Further information can be found in our privacy policy.
Find the right combination! ChessBase 15 program + new Mega Database 2020 with 8 million games and more than 80,000 master analyses. Plus ChessBase Magazine (DVD + magazine) and CB Premium membership for 1 year!
Date and Time: Saturday, 5th July 2003, 5.00 pm (GMT +2)
Mode: Blitz (5+0), knockout matches for two wins
Prize: 2,000 ducats for the winner
Tournament director: Reinhold Goldau
The tournament rules published in the server news section apply. Participation in the tournament implies full acceptance of these rules.
Eligible for participation:
How do Match Tournaments work?
The tournament director announces the tournaments via chat. After all participants, eight, sixteen or thirty-two, depending on the size of the tournament, are registered, the matches begin.
The colors in the first game are allotted by chance, but afterwards the colors always alternate. After the end of the previous game – and a short break of 20 seconds – the program starts the next game automatically. If a player won the necessary number of games the match comes to an end. The winner advances into the next round, the loser is eliminated.
The next round starts as soon as all matches of the current round come to an end – but not before the time given by the tournament director.
In the pairings of the first round the program takes the ratings into account e.g. to prevent the two highest rated players playing each other in the first round. The players are set according to their ratings. In the following rounds the players advance according to the tree the program established before the first round.
How do I become King?
Only FIDE Grandmasters (male and female) can become Kings on the server (i.e. get a king symbol in front of their names). To get this rank you need a fully registered account. Send us an email giving us your handle and your full name. You must also send copy of an ID document (passport, driving-license etc.) which proves your identity. If you have further questions or if you want to send the required mail, please write to this address.
Which advantages do I have when I am King?Apart from receiving special treated when playing tournaments such as the Champions Challenge Kings can also earn ducats when playing on the server. How much they can make depends on their own rating, the ratings of their opponents, and the number of spectators during a game. But soon Kings will have another opportunity to increase their income: playing simuls for ducats, the server-currency.


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São Paulo Intérpretes.
Replacing questions with solutions.
São Paulo Intérpretes was founded in order to offer a wide portfolio of excellent services in translation and interpretation.
The intensification of commercial, cultural and technological exchanges driven by globalization was the starting point to found São Paulo Intérpretes in order to offer the ideal solution to meet an increasing demand for simultaneous interpreting as well as the written translation market in Brazil and abroad.
The company is the result of the partnership of highly experienced multilingual professionals capable of providing a whole array of translating and interpreting services.
The professionals of São Paulo Intérpretes fully master all types of translation modalities. Our team of interpreters graduated in Associação Alumni (Alumni Association) and most of them are members of APIC (Professional Association of Conference Interpreters).
São Paulo Intérpretes team works hard before, during and after events preparing glossaries, contacting speakers or collecting additional materials, allowing for flexibility to meet the most complex needs of all different types and sizes of companies and events.
Besides translation and interpreting services, the group also partners with reliable companies that offer the necessary equipment to transform your event into a great success. This includes interpreting booths, audio receivers and transmitters, sound mixing boards, portable equipment, microphones and multimedia.
English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Italian…..
Choose the language to be translated and/or interpreted: São Paulo Intérpretes team collaborates effectively so that your company, speakers, and audience can fully understand and appreciate the work, documents, presentations and events in a manner that is absolutely faithful to the original content.


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1. Re: Associate Migration Repository SQLDev 4.0 EA1Turloch O'Tierney-Oracle Jul 15, 2013 7:06 PM (in response to dbaOnTap)
Hi dbcapoeira
I would say the database user did not have space privileges on the tablespace.
Something like:
drop and create the user from a sql prompt then "Grant unlimited tablespace to <user>" as dba. then associate the repository
(associate should do all the creates and inserts)
(Granting "resource" used to give space privileges on the tablespace, not in 12c.)
You can create a table in the tablespace with no data in 12c as that is a metadata operation - no blocks are touched in the target tablespace.
An 'empty' starting repository has a few data entries such as its version number.
SQLDeveloper Team
2. Re: Associate Migration Repository SQLDev 4.0 EA1dbaOnTap Jul 15, 2013 7:49 PM (in response to Turloch O'Tierney-Oracle)
Thanks! That was the issue. I was using documentation from OTN. Made the suggestion to update that to include this: "Grant unlimited tablespace to <user>" as dba since it looks like it is unique to 12c. Thanks again.


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Materials & Provenance
LEATHER | The hide (full grain and top grain) is known for its durability while being soft and flexible. After being tanned for weeks, the hide become this nice leather that will develop over time a nice and unique patina with a soft touch.
ZIPPER | YKK, a japanese company, is one the finest zipper company in the world. Polished metal teeth with a gold eco finish, the zippers slide very smoothly while providing durability.
HANDCRAFTED IN PORTUGAL | Each wallet is handmade by artisans who have inherited the skills and savoir faire of their town since 1991.


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Post-mortems of other blog threads are not something I would favor, but this recent episode generated such a series of quotes from a 'name' economists that I could not resist the opportunity to preserve them while the memory is fresh…
otherwise I will be unable to find or remember them later and would find it hard to believe he actually SAID that!
Just after Christmas I found myself involved in a discussion at the 'And Then There's Physics' Blog with Noted Economist (at least in his own opinion) Richard S J Tol.
I will start after I had questioned his assertion that nothing in climate change was a major concern. –
Richard S.J. Tol says:
December 30, 2014 at 10:14 am
Please be a bit more specific. Why are ocean acidification, agriculture, or sea level rise major concerns? Why is greenhouse gas emission reduction the best way to lessen these concerns?
I replied with examples and links, and many others chimed in with examples…the discussion wandered about a bit, but eventually the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on coral reefs and the Australian Great Barrier reef having more than just a food production/monetary value was raised again…
Tol replied –
ad 1. Only a fraction of our food comes from the sea, and only a fraction of that is affected by the alkalinity of the ocean which, to a first approximation, affects composition rather than abundance. Besides aquaculture is rapidly replacing fishing, and is under no threat as alkalinity can be controlled.
ad 2. If we believe Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, projected pH by the end of the century is unprecedented only in some 400,000 years, which suggests that most current species have experienced more acidic conditions in their recent evolution. Indeed, the biological literature on ocean acidification is worried about growth rates, composition, competition but only rarely about local extinction, let alone global extinction.
ad 3. Snorkeling and diving are only a fraction of tourism and recreation, and the vast majority of participants cannot tell a healthy from a dead reef. This is a niche concern.
This was immediately followed by a post quoting the actual Ove Hoegh-Gulberg paper pointing out that it directly contradicts his claim –
"…values that significantly exceed those of at least the past 420,000 years during which most extant marine organisms evolved. ….This review presents future scenarios for coral reefs that predict increasingly serious consequences for reef-associated fisheries, tourism, coastal protection, and people. As the International Year of the Reef 2008 begins, scaled-up management intervention and decisive action on global emissions are required if the loss of coral-dominated ecosystems is to be avoided."
As well as pictures of living and dead reefs to show that people probably would notice the difference.
Tol replied-
Do you recall the world tour of the Terracotta Army? Recent replicas, each and every one of them. Big crowds nonetheless. You don't need the real thing to make money.
Valuing natural resources is something that many environmental economists do for a living. A common finding is that the vast majority of people cares a little about these matters, and a small minority cares a lot.
The totaly wrong claim from the OHG paper on coral was again raised, instead of conceding he doubled down –
The (unprecedented in) 400 kyr is from OHG et al. in Science (as you know since you found the paper without me referring you to it). It is the highest-cited (according to Google Scholar) paper with keywords ocean, acidification and extinction.
Reefs go back hundreds of millions of years, so it is immaterial whether OHG is off by an order of magnitude or two.
He still missed that he had misquoted the line –
"values that significantly exceed those of at least the past 420,000 years…"
and ignored the final seven words of the sentence –
" …during which most extant marine organisms evolved."
which contradicts his claim about reefs going back hundreds of millions of years and can therefore be regarded as evolutionarily resilient.This was pointed out.
Tol replied-
Not sure what you're getting at. I paraphrased "exceed those of at least the past 420,000 years" as "unprecedented in 400 kyr". That doesn't change the meaning, or does it?
I guess we're talking at cross-purposes. That reefs are old (Very Old) was something I added — assuming that (a) this is well known and (b) uncontroversial (unless you're a creationist like He Who Should Not Be Named).
Several further posts put him right about the evolutionary history of coral reefs and their fossil record of boom and bust, often in response to small chemical and temperature changes. Others emphasized the value that something like the Great Barrier Reef has even if it cannot be priced.
With 2 million visitors a year, the Great Barrier Reef isn't even Australia's top attraction; the Sydney Opera House has 8 million.
Note that I'm not saying that people don't care. Rather, the empirical evidence has that the average person cares a little.
And finally, so far-
I asked you why you worried about ocean acidification.
You answered that you are concerned about its impact on food, recreation and biodiversity.
I replied that the impact of ocean alkalinity on food supply is minimal, and Dana replied that the impact of ocean alkalinity on species abundance is minimal.
You replied that two million people visit the Great Barrier Reef per year, which does not even put it in the top spot in Australia. Even if ocean acidification would completely destroy the Great Barrier Reef, which it will not, then the impact on the global tourism industry is small. Even the Australian tourism industry is unlikely to take a big hit, as capital and labour in tourism are rather mobile. The more likely scenario, however, is that local tourist operators will preserve that bit of the Great Barrier Reef that attracts tourists. After all, that's what they do with Venice, ski slopes, and sandy beaches.
So, you should either adjust your level of concern about ocean acidification — as the worries you express are not something a rational, well-informed person should worry about — or you should learn to express your worries in a manner that is supported by evidence.
So folk, thats the viewpoint of a rational well-informed economist, advising a fossil fuel funded 'think-tank' the GWPF, on economic policy.
A persistent misreading of the key literature reversing its warnings about the fragility of reefs into the assumption that because reefs in some form have been around form hundereds of millions of years any present threat from ocean acidification is not a major concern.
And even if it did do major damage to the Great Barrier Reef, well its not the main attraction for tourists in Australia, and some sort of 'theme park version could be preserved for those few who care…
Seeing this sort of nonsense from an anonymous (grin) internet troll might not be surprising, but from an economist, active in the field of climate and policy who proudly mentions his status in the top hundred world economist is really quite… chilling.
An Update, for those that want a masterly summation of the mainstream science of ocean acidification there is little that could improve on this –


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You lads are always poxed with the weather... always 35 degrees for Lady Dixon
You lads are always poxed with the weather... always 35 degrees for Lady Dixon
Less Traction = More Action
The list should update in real-time afaik.
When I entered my name and club and click next I get the option of Pay now or pay on Day. When you select the latter option it shows you your registration details and asks you to confim.
This looked different from the last round where you had to go to PayPal and then exit out.
Checking registration I am registered 3 times but only once for "pay online" anyway I can delete 2 off the entries?
Last edited by garykid; 21-05-12 at 03:46 PM.
The pre-registration is out of our hands (XMTB) I'm afraid. I think someone called Ferghal is in charge of that but looking down the list no one has opted for the "Pay now" option. Maybe there is a bug?
With regards to multiple registrations, I wouldn't worry about that. As long as your name is down, that's ok. The idea behind it is to get your name attached to a timing-chip which is why we are locking sign-on 30mins before race.
I just went through the Registration again and the "Pay Now" option doesn't work (you can see my name twice on the list). Ill email someone....i dunno who
Last edited by aidso; 21-05-12 at 03:56 PM.
Strange .... I'm still getting an error message!
"An error has occurred
Please do not fill out the subject_line field"
Update - worked fine from the iPad! Strange ....
Last edited by RichardL; 21-05-12 at 04:33 PM.
Looks like it's gonna be a warm one up at Lady Dixon this Sunday. Over 200 entered so far. Pre-reg closes today at 6pm. Please use this facility to support the organisers with the admin on the day. There will be chip timing for senior riders.
Also note that the sign on desks will close 30 MINUTES before the start of each race (unless you're under 12 and it's 15 minutes!).
If you have still to pre-register please use the following link.
Many thanks.
See you there.
Wow, what a hot hot day for a race, didn't drop below 25 degrees on my Garmin! Thought I was going to pass out after going up the grassy kicker climbs, and watching people having beers and BBQ 's beside the course! Fu##ers! =D
Still, great day, well done to all who raced in that heat and podiumed!
Sur la Plaque!


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Received Bite Marks by Jennifer Rardin from a contest hosted by Rachael over at Enchanted by Books. Lucked out when the original contest winner didn't respond, so I was the runner-up. Score!
Jaz Parks here. But I'm not alone. I'm hearing voices in my head – and they're not mine.
The problem, or maybe the solution, is work. And the job's a stinker this time — killing the gnomes that are threatening to topple NASA's Australian-based space complex. Yeah, I know. Vayl and I should still be able to kick this one in our sleep. Except that Hell has thrown up a demon named Kyphas to knock us off track. And damn is she indestructible!
Got my $9 copy of Breathless by Dean Koontz from Amazon Friday afternoon. Hey, I'm not proud! Someone offers to sell me a $28 book that I would have bought no matter what for a measly $9, I'm there! *L*
Koontz delivers a thrilling novel of suspense and adventure, as the lives of strangers converge around a mystery unfolding high in the Colorado mountains—and the balance of the world begins to tilt….
Looking forward to seeing what everyone else got this week!


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The chemical industry is one of the United States' largest manufacturing industries. It serves both a "sizable domestic market and an expanding global market" and is one of the top exporting sectors of U.S. manufacturing.
According to the EPA there are approximately "13,500 chemical manufacturing facilities in the United States owned by more than 9,000 companies." The U.S. chemical industry sales exceeded $800 billion in 2016 and "directly employed more than 811,000 workers." The United States has continued to be a competitive home for chemical firms from around the world because of strong product identification and quality, access to low-cost natural gas, an educated workforce, world class research centers, protection for intellectual property and a robust regulatory system.
Sub-sectors of the chemical industry include: Basic Chemicals, Specialty Chemicals, Agricultural Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Products.


text: A beautiful girl opened a shop. She sold all manner of beautiful things—paulownia fireboxes and chests of drawers, cherry bookshelves and coffers, books of hemp, tobacco and rice paper, inkstones, inkwells, and a thousand different kinds of brushes. There were boxes to store type, boxes to hide things gathered from the shore, and boxes of candy, marbles, flutes and porcelain, to name a few of her treasures. As years went by, very few people came to see her, despite her good wares, fair prices and cheerful manner. Those who came showed little interest in her goods, but instead rambled on about old shops long since closed, new shops announcing their grand openings, bygone products, cutting edge products, or the products they were peddling at the moment. Some would bring numerous parcels full of samples, and start exhibiting them or demonstrating them right in her shop, as if she did not know what a tea whisk was, as if she would be interested in bottled saltwalter. Her closest friends and kin refused to purchase so much as a sheet of paper from her, even though she would have charged them next to nothing. To make matters worse, even the thugs ignored her. She possessed the only shop on the street that had not paid protection fees in a hundred years. The only people who were kind to her were travelers, pilgrims and strangers who sometimes strayed into her shop, and the orange and white cats of the street. The woman wanted to burn her shop and run off with a signboard seller down the lane, who was good with a carving knife and brush, who was rumoured to have returned from exile in the islands for unknown crimes in the black rope trade. She always pictured the islands as beautiful, stark places of gray boulders and topaz waterfalls, with dark firs stabbing at the snowy skies. The islands were just down the lane. The islands were far, far away.


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Discussion in 'Leaguegaming American Hockey League (LGAHL)' started by l Glad l, Mar 18, 2019.
Feel Free to Post your March Madness Bracket.
UC Irvine???
2 of his final four teams are gonna be gone after the first game of the Tournament.
Go Blue Devils
Fuck the blue devils. they aint winning shit
Would love to see a Duke vs North Carolina final
I think this is the reason why @l Glad l couldn't warm up yesterday @CT 66.
If you guys are at all serious about doing a bracket I usually run a group every season for friends and family and I reach out to guys here if they wanna play.
10$ a bracket for a max or 3 per person. PM me for info
Would be great, this year feels rigged though with seeding of other teams like they almost want them to meet at the final.
I win
I disagree, I legitimately believe that the 3 best teams in the country are from the ACC just based off strength of schedule and who they have beaten
I could agree with those being the 3/4 but the zero chance you can convince me that Michigan St. shouldn't be the last 1 seed.
Zags lost to every single ranked opponent (0-4) they played except for duke, when they played on that terrible linoleum Gym floor at the resort.... then lost to UNRANKED St Mary's and lost their conference championship.
Michigan St. won their title, beat top 10 Michigan three times in 3 weeks. They deserve the 1 seed and at the very least the TOP 2 seed but nope they have to face duke lol
Fair enough, I can agree with that.
Separate names with a comma.


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This app was brought to my attention the other day by warren roberts. It's an app by Redding GIS about the Carr Fire, which has devastated the area and destroyed over a thousand homes, tragically claiming at least 7 victims (check the web for the latest).
Open the app, built using Web AppBuilder, and click on one of the pushpins:
Click the link to view the Aerial 360 View, provided by Esri business partner Hangar 360. The 360s are as fascinating as they are sobering, documenting the devastation of the fire.
For more information see the Inciweb and Cal Fire websites for the Carr Fire. For disaster response assistance see the Esri Disaster Response Program website.


text:
About Us
Intelligent Hearing Systems was founded in 1983 by a group of research scientists and engineers dedicated to the development of innovative methods and devices for diagnosis and treatment of hearing and neurological disorders. Our products are backed by years of research and an ongoing commitment to state-of-the-art technology and innovation. Unsurpassed customer service is a hallmark of our staff which is dedicated to help you meet your clinical and research needs.
Intelligent Hearing Systems world wide network of sales and service specialists are extensively trained to provide the quality of service you deserve. Please contact us for more information on how our products and professionals can help you.


text:
DHL has integrated Sweden into its European parcel network, official as of November 1st. According to DHL, this means that their network now contains the primary market of Northern Europe.
The Swedish network, now operated by DHL Parcel, was previously managed by DHL Freight. DHL Freight will continue to partner up with DHL Parcel to help with the transport and delivery of items.
Service Points will be rebranded as DHL Parcelshops, of which there are now more than 10,000 across Europe, not including Germany. This is notable as private parcel shipments in Sweden are usually not door-to-door, which makes the country a significant addition to the Parcelshop network.
(Source: Post & Parcel)


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Home ❯ Wii ❯ Zelda: Twilight Princess Cheats & Tips
Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii) Cheats & Tips
Your guide for cheat codes, tips, hacks and walkthroughs
Cheats & Tips for Zelda: Twilight Princess:
None yet, unfortunately. This is normally where we'd give you tips on how to beat that tough level in Zelda: Twilight Princess, cheat codes to unlock a secret weapon, hacks to unlock bonus levels, step-by-step guides on how to unlock Zelda: Twilight Princess achievements or trophies, and so much more. We're always looking for new tips and cheats, so if you have any to share, please submit them now!
Zelda: Twilight Princess Walkthrough & How To Guides:
Step-by-step and detailed walkthrough guides for Zelda: Twilight Princess are still needed! If you have a walkthrough guide to share, please pass them on!


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Connect with Us
- © 2020 Childrens Museum of Southeastern Connecticut. All Rights Reserved.
An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Wednesday and Friday, repeating until June 14, 2019
Summer is a great time for children of all ages to explore our local habitats. Discover what exciting creatures live very close to us whether we see them or not! During the 4 sessions, children will learn about some of the insects, birds, and small mammals that may live in their backyards.
Children explore scientific concepts through inquiry-based, hands-on activities, and literature. Offered in sessions so our budding scientists can substantially explore a topic. Five weeks of 1-hour classes for 3-5 year olds ready to attend alone.
Register online (scroll down to Tickets) or call 860.691.1111.
Online registration closes at noon the day before class.


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Philippe Bouchard Macon Villages AOP 2016 (6 Bottles)Regular price $179.94 Sale price $99.00 per carton Save $80.94
Free Shipping! Big Brands! Crazy Low Prices
For lovers of ripe, mineral-driven Chardonnay this white Burgundy from the Macon Villages region is for you. An exceptional Chardonnay from one of the most southerly and warmer Burgundy vineyard regions. Made by the Philippe Bouchard winery for Les Grands Chais de France, one of France's larger wine groups. comes this Villages Chardonnay from specific vineyards near the border with Beaujolais. This Chardonnay shows aromas of ripe stone fruits like peaches, apples and a lovely mineral core which extends through its long finish. Gentle oak has played a part helping to mellow this wine. This is a lovely food wine with its ripe flavours and acid backbone perfect with most foods outside of red meats.
Region: Burgundy
Alc: 13.5%
Vintage: NV
Case: 6 Bottles
Size: 750ml
Liquor Act 2007
It is against the law to sell or supply alcohol to, or to obtain alcohol on behalf of, a person under the age of 18 years.
Liquor license LIQP770017007
|Screw Cap
We ship wine to most places within Australia. With the exception of some regional areas, dry communities and small islands.
Your order will be sent via our exclusive freight partner Australia Post and will usually arrive at your delivery address in 3-10 working days.
It's a good idea to use a delivery address where someone will be between 9am to 5pm. However you can leave instructions on your order when checking out to leave it at the door. If instructions are left, Coffee & Wine Co. take no responsibility for any lost or missing items, and if the delivery driver feels it is not safe a card will be left and the goods taken to your local post office. Cases not collected within 14 days of the initial attempted delivery will be returned to us and a Customer Service agent will contact you to arrange re-delivery and payment of re-delivery fees if required. Please note that we cannot accept instructions to contact you as Australia Post-delivery couriers cannot call before delivery.
Claims for any broken or damaged goods must be reported within 24 hours of delivery either via email. In the event where wine is damaged in transit and a replacement case is to be sent, Coffee & Wine Co. will attempt to send the same case if the product is still in stock. If the wine is out of stock a substitute of equal to or greater quality will be provided and the customer will be informed via email.
If you are not satisfied with the quality of the goods you have received from us please contact us by email email@example.com within 7 days of receipt of goods. We offer a no risk tasting guarantee, so if you're not happy with any wines you have purchased, simply send them back at your own cost and we will credit you for the cost of wine, provided that no more than two bottles have been opened and are returned in a saleable condition, To minimise any problems with reselling returned stock all stock must be returned in one month of receiving goods.
If a wine is to be returned please contact Coffee & Wine Co. and our team will happily walk you through the process. All wine should be returned in its original packaging or packed safely to avoid breakage, and a refund or credit will only be applied once the wine has been received in saleable condition by Coffee and wine Co.
Any refunds due will be actioned within 30 days after we were notified of the reason.


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News: Win a DVD of Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake!
Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake
A New Adventures production
DVD/Blu-ray, 2012
Buy on Amazon
Congratulations to Lin Hornby, Fiona Geilinger, Tae Higashino, Angie Hale & Miranda Hunt who all win DVDS – the answer to the question Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake & Sleeping Beauty both use music by Tchaikovsky. Which other Bourne production is set to a score by the same composer?
was Nutcracker!
A newly recorded version of Matthew Bourne's landmark production of Swan Lake has just been released on DVD and Blu-ray. The 2010 production – featuring Richard Winsor as The Swan/Stranger – was filmed at Sadler's Wells last year, for the first time in High Definition.
When it premiered at Sadler's Wells in 1995, Bourne's modern day interpretation of the ballet classic was revolutionary – replacing the traditional female corps de ballet with a flock of powerful male swans. As ever, Lez Brotherston's designs provide the perfect setting for Bourne's blend of dance, humour and spectacle.
Matthew Bourne is celebrating 25 years of work with his company New Adventures (formerly Adventures in Motion Picture) in 2012. This year has seen revivals of early works and the award winning Play Without Words touring the UK – and the Christmas show at Sadler's Wells will be his much anticipated new version of Sleeping Beauty – completing his Tchaikovsky ballet trilogy
Swan Lake isn't in the New Adventures repertoire at the moment – so take the opportunity to see this new HD recording on Blu-ray or DVD – and enter our competition!
Competition closed at 10am, Friday 14 December.
Terms & conditions
Winners will be chosen at random from all the correct entries
Winners consent to londondance.com publishing their names on the website.
Only one entry per person. Multiple entries will be disqualified.
Prizes are non-exchangeable & non-transferable. No alternative can be provided.
Entries are via the form on the website only.
Employees of londondance.com, Sadler's Wells Theatre and any agency associated with the competition are ineligible for entry.


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Gd 8019a Existent Gum Tester - Chinaprice: contact company for price
The instrument is specially used to determine existent gum
in the aviation gasoline and automotive gasoline. It is
suitable to make existent gum test for aviation gasoline,
and automotive gasoline as per GB/ T8019 "Test Methods for
Existent Gum of Automotive Gasoline and Aviation Gasoline
( Jet Evaporation Method) ". It is the best choice of
aviation gasoline and automotive gasoline manufacturing,
using, and researching companies for existent gum
I. Main technical characteristics
1. It adopt metal bath as the heating system, so it is with
rapid heating speed and uniform bath temperature.
2. It has five independent test holes, so it make test for
five samples at the same time. It is efficient and
convenient. It can meet the requirements of different users.
3. It is equipped with high quality air compressor, so the
air is supplied stably. It can meet the requirements of
4. Each test hole has an independent flow meter, so you can
adjust the flow rate of each test hole independently. The
flow rate can be accurately and reasonably controlled.
II. Main technical specification and parameters
1. Power supply: AC 220V±10% , 50 Hz; 3.5 kW;
2. Evaporation bath: Aluminum bath φ 260×130 mm;
3. Test holes: 5 pieces;
4. Size of test hole: φ 51×70 mm;
5. Working temperature: 160~ 165℃ ;
6. Temperature controlling method: automatic;
7. Temperature display: Digitally displayed;
8. Flow rate display: It is displayed by float ball flow
9. Working pressure of air decompression valve: 0.07 mPa;
10. Air flow rate at jet nozzle: 600 ml/ s;
11. Size: 590×480×340 mm;
Company Contact:
- Posted By: Chongqing Gold ME Equipment Co.,Ltd.
- Phone: 862362984892
- Address: No.23,Nanping Xi Road, Nanping, China
- Email:
- Website: http://www.cqtestkit.com
Published date: May 14, 2014 -
- Business Description: Chongqing Gold Mechanical & Electrical Equipment Co., Ltd is a high tech
enterprise for researching, designing, developing and producing oil
treatment equipment. With its continuous drawing of lessonas,
unremitting innovation and borrowing of advanced technology from both at
home and abroad, our company is now becoming a professional manufacture
of oil purifiers which are excellent in quality, capable of standing
wear, complete in various styles. And its aviation, ship, railway,
pharmacy and edible oil processing. Though highly acclaimed and
favorably accepted by numerous customers and possessed of the right to
import and export, to ensure the high quality of our products, we
conduct our manufacturing in strict accordance with the standard JB/T5285
2001 by Ministry of Machine Building, standard DL/T521 2004 by Ministry
of Power Industry.
Our main products range is mechanical and electrical products (compact machinery, concrete machinery, pavement machinery, scraper armed, road machinery, small machinery, hoisting machinery, fire engine, sanitation equipment, pile driving machinery, bridge inspection car, lorry amount crane, overhead working truck, mining machinery, aerial work platforms, forklift, car and motorbike etc.) Chemical products(calcium carbide, activity clay, light soda ash, heave soda ash etc.). We have developed sales channels in many countries and regions such as Japan, Korea, Hongkong, Taiwan, Regions of Southeast Asia, Middle East, Europe, North and South America etc, and have gained strong advantage and high reputation in international market.
We have persisted on the business idea of "Integrity Basis and Quality First" for the stable and constant development. We are making effort to develop together with customers from both domestic and abroad on the basis of reciprocity. Client, quality and service are our supreme target!
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12th September 2017 18:55:45 Hours
Military Attaché of the Republic of Turkey for Sri Lanka, Colonel Kemal Kahrman paid a courtesy call on the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake on Tuesday (12) at the Army Headquarters.
During the cordial discussion that followed, the Commander and the visiting Turkish Military Attaché touched on matters of bilateral importance and mutual relevance. They also exchanged views on current security developments and also military matters of bilateral importance.
Exchange of mementos brought the brief meeting to end.


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Antique Brass Hanging Planters (Set of 2 Sizes)
Planters are just as important as the plants they hold. A beautiful pot adds that extra needed charm to the room décor and shows your sense of style.
- Metal construction
- Distressed antique brass finish
- Small planter is 8.5"L x 8.5"W x 7"H
- Large planter is 10.25"L x 10.25"W x 8.75"H
- Holds 7" & 9" pots
Ships in 24-48 hours from the production warehouse


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The transition to the DVB-T2 standard is expected to get under way in the Czech Republic on March 1.
Then, reports Parabola, Ceske Radiokomunikace (CRa) may start using the standard on the transmitters located in Zizkov and Cukrak in Prague.
Both sites were the first to be assigned to implement the standard. It adds that to date the public broadcaster CT has indicated a desire to broadcast its channels using DVB-T2.
However, Digizone says that delays in the transition plan to DVB-T2 are already building as operators are waiting for the completion of the required international coordination of frequencies, as well as the approval of several key provisions.


text:
From simple to complex, T1V collaboration + active learning solutions serve a broad range of customer needs, with a focus on one unifying element: the user experience.
Join us as we explore the key features and benefits of AirConnect, ViewHub, ThinkHub, ThinkHub MultiSite, ThinkHub Connect, and more...
By the end of this webinar you will:
- Have a better understanding of T1V's range of visual collaboration solutions, and what makes them stand out from the competition
- Recognize which T1V collaboration solutions are right for you and your organization
- Identify ways your organization can benefit from T1V collaboration solutions
Please feel free to share this webinar with your colleagues! This is a recurring webinar held on the second Thursday of every month.


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2013 Volkswagen Passat SE
Need a Trade Quote?
Our Price Call for price
- Exterior
- Blue
- Interior
- Other
- Engine
- 2.5L MPFI DOHC 20-valve I5 PZEV engine -inc: 118 mph speed limiter
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Drivetrain
- Front wheel drive
- Mileage
- 127,966
- City / Hwy
- 22 / 31
*Actual rating will vary with options, driving conditions, habits and vehicle condition.
- Warranty
- Extended Warranty Available
- Stock
Special: Call 901-368-5505 - ALL
3+ Owners
Multiple Use
No Accident or Damage Reported
4 Service History Records
For information or to schedule a test drive call 901-368-5505. 3 City Blocks of LUXURY AND AFFORDABLE CARS.
* 2013 KBB.com 10 Best New Sedans Under $25,000 * 2013 KBB.com 10 Best Family Cars
Standard Equipment
- Window diversity antenna
- Trip computer
- Sliding front center armrest
- SiriusXM satellite radio -inc: 3-month subscription
- Remote trunk release
- Rear window defroster
- Rear passenger air vents
- Rear bench seat -inc: rear center armrest w/storage
- Pwr windows
- Premium VIII AM/FM stereo w/6-disc in-dash CD/MP3 changer -inc: HD Radio, touchscreen, (8) speakers, aux input
- Multi-function instrument cluster -inc: compass
- Leatherette side & door panel trim
- Leather-wrapped multi-function adjustable steering wheel w/audio & phone controls
- Leather-wrapped handbrake grip & shift knob
- Immobilizer III theft-deterrent system
- Illuminated glovebox
- Heated front bucket seats -inc: 8-way pwr driver seat, pwr driver lumbar, manual passenger lumbar
- Front/rear reading lights
- Front/rear cupholders -inc: front cupholder covers
- Front seatback pockets
- Dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors
- Door pockets
- Cruise Control
- Climatic manual air conditioning
- Carbon metallic-look interior trim
- Bluetooth connectivity -inc: audio streaming
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- (3) 12V pwr outlets -inc: (1) in front center console, (1) in rear of center console, (1) in cargo area
- (2) front/(2) rear assist handles
- Intermittent windshield wipers -inc: heated washer nozzles
- Halogen automatic headlights -inc: coming/leaving home function
- Compact spare tire
- Chrome window surrounds
- Chrome grille
- Body-color heated pwr mirrors -inc: integrated turn signals
- Body-color door handles
- Body-color bumpers
- Tire pressure monitoring system
- LATCH (Lower Anchors & Tethers for CHildren) child seat anchor points
- Intelligent Crash Response System
- Hydraulic brake assist
- Front/rear side curtain airbags
- Emergency trunk release
- Dual-tone horn
- Dual front side-impact airbags
- Dual front airbags
- Daytime running lights
- Child safety rear door locks
- Anti-lock braking system -inc: electronic brake-pressure distribution
- 3-point safety belts for all seating positions -inc: front seat belt pretensioners
- Vented front/solid rear pwr disc brakes
- MacPherson strut front suspension -inc: coil springs, anti-roll bar
- Hydraulic rack & pinion pwr steering
- Front wheel drive
- Four-link independent rear suspension -inc: anti-roll bar
- Chrome exhaust tip
- 6-speed automatic transmission -inc: Tiptronic & sport mode
- 2.5L MPFI DOHC 20-valve I5 PZEV engine -inc: 118 mph speed limiter
Option Packages
Factory Installed Packages
Please see the vehicle description for the sales representative's contact phone number!
It is the customer's sole responsibility to verify the existence and condition of any equipment listed. Neither the dealership nor AutoRevo is responsible for misprints on prices or equipment. It is the customer's sole responsibility to verify the accuracy of the prices with the dealer. Pricing subject to change without notice.


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About 3 years ago I added another Bolens 1050 to my collection. I picked it up for free from a member on MTF, the only condition was that I give it a good home. The tractor had been in his family since he was very young and it got to the point he didn't have a place to store it so that's how I got it.
Not long after I got this 1050 I had it running again and used it to plow snow for about a month. Then for a few months it was used as needed to pull a cart around the yard. The starter generator started giving me problems so I put the tractor on the back burner. About 1.5-2 years ago I went to fire it up again and burnt/melted the points So I pushed it back in the shed for another day.
That day arrived yesterday when we moved the 1050 out of the shed and over to the garage. I pulled the junk points out will be replacing them soon. For now I'm thinking about using a set of points from one of my parts engines which should be ok. Then I'll move on to fixing the wiring harness and any other problems I find along the way.
Here are a few pictures and updates will come soon.


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Sunnyvale, CA
Let a Talent Specialist match you with jobs at employers like
Ariba Group Inc
SAP Ariba is the world's business commerce network. SAP Ariba combines industry-leading cloud-based applications with the world's largest Internet-based trading community to help companies discover and collaborate with a global network of partners. Using the Ariba® Network, businesses of all sizes can connect to their trading partners anywhere, at any time from any application or device to buy, sell and manage their cash more efficiently and effectively than ever before. Companies around the world use the Ariba Network to simplify inter-enterprise commerce and enhance the results that they deliver.
Sunnyvale, CA


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Just use one of these monsters!
I stopped by the booth displaying Yates climbing gear at the SHOT show, my eyes instantly drawn to the evil looking device above. Yates makes both large and small Afghan hooks and an additional Special Ops hook for Law Enforcement use. These hooks were designed from the get-go to help soldiers scale the thick, high, mud walls typically found surrounding compounds in Afghanistan. After it is hooked on the wall, the operator can pull down on the caving type ladder attached to it, which releases a swing arm atop the hook. That secondary hook comes down to snag on the wall to create a secure anchor point before soldiers begin climbing.
Here is the inventor, John Yates, showing off the "small" Afghan hook. Back in the day, SEALs were going through walls with 40-pound platter charges, rather than over them, but it's cool to see some more...subtle techniques being used. Be sure to swing by their website as well, they make all manner of tactical climbing gear, fast ropes, SPIES ropes, caving ladders, and other cool stuff.
Kit Up! contributor Jack Murphy is a former Ranger, Special Forces Soldier and is the author of the military thriller Reflexive Fire.