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(EnergyAsia, September 30 2016, Friday) — Asia's developing economies remain on course for another two years of strong growth despite the headwinds of tough global conditions, predicts the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
In its latest survey of the region, the bank said it expects the 45 developing economies to grow by a collective 5.7% in 2016 and 2017, down slightly from last year's 5.9%. The survey covered some of the region's smallest economies like the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands to giants like China, India and South Korea.
China's nearly US$11-trillion economy, the world's second largest, is expected to grow by 6.6% in 2016 and 6.4% in 2017, down from last year's 6.9%. With export growth weakening and external demand for its products slowing, China will rely on a combination of strong fiscal measures and monetary stimulus to keep its economy expanding, said the bank.
The Indian economy will continue to outperform China's over the next two years, boosted by expanded private consumption as a result of rising wages and pensions, and improving rural incomes. The ADB expects India's economy to grow by 7.4% in 2016 and 7.8% in 2017, compared with 7.6% last year.
The ADB said Asia's mostly net-energy importers will benefit from the subdued inflationary outlook on account of oil prices likely staying near low levels for another year. Barring any new major supply disruptions, the bank expects the Brent crude price to average US$43 per barrel in 2016 and US$50 next year.
Regional inflation is hovering well below the 10-year average of about 4%, the bank said. Consumer prices are seen rising by 2.6% in 2016 and 2.9% in 2017.
On the other hand, the region's net energy exporters will continue to feel the impact of weak oil prices now entering its third year since crashing in mid-2014.
"While many energy exporters have sovereign wealth funds to allow early windfalls to be applied to later contingencies, prolonged low energy prices will require reviews on how the funds should be managed and used," said the ADB.
The region's net energy exporters include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Papua New Guinea.
(EnergyAsia, September 30 2016, Friday) — Asia's developing economies remain on course for another two years of strong growth despite the headwinds of tough global conditions, predicts the Asian Development Bank (ADB).


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Grim DawnFebruary 25th, 2016
PublisherCrate Entertainment
DeveloperCrate Entertainment
Crate Entertainment's dedication and passion for the action role-playing genre certainly shows with the recently released Grim Dawn for the PC. Years of pedigree in the genre have culminated in a new title that takes the conventions of prior titles and mixes them fluidly with mechanics to create a project that feels familiar, yet undeniably fresh.
The setting of Grim Dawn draws not from previous works under Crate's belt such as Titan Quest, but rather a dynamic based upon equal parts Essex County, Massachusetts and the unsavory Wild West. The first glimpses into the world of Cairn matches that of a Salem Witch Hunt; a reluctant hero finds themselves possessed by an otherworldly spirit and nearly hanged by those wishing to keep peace in the town of Devil's Crossing.
Upon being liberated from the gallows and given the chance to properly set foot in Cairn and destroy the walking dead just outside town, players pick from one of six classes and work towards unlocking the specialties of that particular class through the constant addition of skill points with every level increase.
What sets Grim Dawn apart from its contemporaries is the addition of dual-classing, giving players the option to pick a second class and working their masteries in tandem to create unique skill synergies. My personal favorite combination through my hours in the world of Cairn was the fraternization of Demolitionist and Occultist, resulting in a unique Pyromancer class that laid waste to anything in its path through the use of dual-wielding pistols and various elemental damage buffs. Being able to freely customize two classes into a single powerhouse gives players much greater freedom with adapting a build to their playstyle, and as the game is continuously patched, new viable skill sets are popping up frequently.
The core gameplay to Grim Dawn should feel familiar to those that have played at least one previous entry in the action RPG genre: click on enemies to kill them, pick up loot and shiny new gear to kill them faster, and repeat as damage and stats on gear increase as the cycle begins anew. Crate Entertainment has taken some creative liberties with the loop and added some general enhancements. Gone is the need to click endlessly to murder groups of fodder and enemies: Grim Dawn offers a smart targeting feature where a single mouse click can be enough to clear out entire swaths of enemy raiders. With thousands of enemies to dispatch in that hunt for greater loot and higher character levels, that's sure to help increase the longevity of anyone's gaming mouse.
Much like the previous Titan Quest, there's a wide breadth of landmass to explore in Grim Dawn. Without the randomly generated maps of other similar titles in the genre, there's a good reason to learn and get accustomed to carving paths through the world. Getting familiar with the world was a refreshing change and I routinely found myself stepping off from the beaten path to seek out more powerful competition or just one of the many secrets scattered around Cairn.
In fact, one of the entire sets of character customization perks is locked behind such secrets of the world. Littering the map of Cairn are a number of locked shrines, each separated across the different difficulties. Players can attain a total of fifty devotion points by unlocking the power of these shrines, so there's a valid reason to go out exploring without worrying to gather up every single shrine if unlocking them proves to be too difficult. Gathering up devotion provides an extra backbone to the skill of your character, with bonus perks ranging to stat and damage type increases all the way to unique abilities that augment the skills granted by other classes.
Loot has always been what really keeps my interest in the genre. Seeing the numbers of my routine attacks and combos scale up over time gives a sort of glee that directly correlate with the enjoyment I draw from the gaming experience. Grim Dawn never feels like the loot is coming at a drip feed and newer and greater gear can only be a click away. Blue-colored gear (Crate's answer for the Rare loot, the first tier of unique items) appeared frequently enough that I never felt like I was working too hard without anything to show for it. While there would be pieces that didn't feel suited for the way I played or needed a higher Physique stat than what I was working towards, all of that loot would be ferreted away in the communal stash for the next character class I'd feel like working towards.
Among Grim Dawn's best items to be discovered are also Legendary and Set pieces, both terms that should feel familiar to those that have experienced other titles in the genre such as Diablo. Set items are a special class of goods that all stem from the same family of armor and confer special bonuses for those that seek out multiple pieces of the matching set, giving players more reason to aim for particular goods rather than mixing and matching freely.
The Legendary items to be discovered in Grim Dawn bear an imposing purple name and never fail to make my heart skip a beat. Sadly, these unique pieces of gear won't make their way into players' hands until at least level 50 if only to keep the game's balance from being overtaken by a particularly 'godlike' piece of gear. The days of seeking out early-game pieces of gear such as Diablo's Nagelring are long gone, instead replaced with a more consistent flow of continuously upgrading and swapping out pieces of gear.
The game is based on Titan Quest's engine, so it's hardly surprising that the graphics do not shine as bright as some of the most recent ARPGs. However, that also means the system requirements are really quite low and you should be able to play this game on any PC built in the last six years.
The art is pretty good overall, though, and there's also a dynamic weather system that makes the world feel a bit more alive.
Grim Dawn has come a long way since its initial reveal nearly six years ago. While rooted in the foundation laid by its contemporaries, there are enough modern advances to keep the experience feeling interesting. In a genre dominated by games that rhyme with 'flow', Grim Dawn continues to find ways to appeal to veterans of the action RPG formula while simultaneously becoming a solid starting point for anyone looking to start gathering up legendary loot of their own.
As with any game in this genre, Grim Dawn is at its best when you can play it with some friends in multiplayer (up to four players). The developer is also planning to add mod tools at the end of April and then a Survival mode, an expansion and possibly even more; longevity isn't going to be an issue, that's for sure.
Review code (Steam) provided by the developer.
Grim Dawn is a familiar, yet satisfying romp through a role-playing genre that's seen its fair share of innovations and dynamic methods to shoot and loot. Its setting is a nice change from the usual fantasy titles and its features and content are more than enough to keep you entertained for quite some time.
- Fun hack 'n' slash gameplay
- Great loot system
- Unique setting
- Doesn't break new ground in the genre
- Graphics aren't that great by contemporary standards

subset: commoncrawl


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Sometimes movies are only as successful as their marketing teams. A lot of time and money is spent on creating hype for films, with marketing teams going to great lengths to make sure their movie is a box office success.
The most recent movie with an overboard marketing scheme was Deadpool. With Ryan Reynolds' quirky character, there was quite a bit for the marketing team to play with. From billboards featuring a skull and a poop emoji followed by an "L", to romantic comedy posters ahead of its Valentine's Day release, Deadpool was set to be a success from the start. The team also created a set of Deadpool emojis and a Tinder profile for the anti-hero.
Another movie to make use of Tinder was 2015's Ex Machina. Users could find a woman called Ava on their Tinder feed who would interact with users, engaging in deep conversations about love and life. Eventually, Ava points users to her Instagram page where they could find more photos of her, only to find out that they had been speaking to a Tinderbot advertising a movie about deceptive artificial intelligence.
District 9, by South African director Niell Blomkamp, was advertised worldwide prior to its release in 2009. Weeks before its release, signs on buses, trains and public toilets indicated that they were for humans only. The iconic sign from the movie indicating that only humans may use the public facilities created an excited following for this new take on the ever-popular alien invasion plot.
One of the first movies to make use of internet's full potential in its marketing scheme was The Blair Witch Project. This 1999 "found footage" movie follows a group of students on their film project as they hunt for the infamous Blair Witch. The marketing team set up a website which included a full history of the Blair Witch, reports and official looking documents. It also included interviews with the family members of the three students and officials on the case. Together with missing person's posters for the students and the lack of the actors' presence, the film was widely believed to be actual footage from the hunt. With a very small budget of around R370 535, the film made R3.6 billion, proving that marketing can be everything.
Christopher Nolan's 2008 hit The Dark Knight used many ploys in its marketing. The phrase "I believe in Harvey Dent" was popularised before the first trailer for the movie was even released, with the use of an official looking campaign website for Dent as the next District Attorney of Gotham City. The marketing scheme also included hidden Joker cards in cities around the world and hidden secrets in the pictures released for the movie. One such picture featured Dent (Aaron Eckhart), but with some manipulation, it showed Heath Ledger's Joker, which was also the first revelation of what the Ledger's Joker would look like.
Image: Imdb.com


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From 9 to 12 November, Bangkok Beer Guru hosted a visit to Thailand by the founder and President of the Stadin Panimo brewery in Helsinki, Finland. Mr. Timo Konttinen and his wife Anne brought with them about 30 bottles and cans of sample beers from their brewery, which Timo had founded back in 1998.
On Friday evening, after linking up over draft Belgian beers at the Monsoon restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 8, the Bangkok Beer Guru (BBG) returned with the visitors to their hotel, for an introductory tasting of several of their breweries offerings – including a lager, a Pilsner, a couple of pale ales, and a barley wine. We then mapped out a game plan for Friday night, and the visitors retired to catch some sleep after their long flight from Finland.
Friday afternoon, we kicked things off with an early evening visit to Mikkeller Bar off Ekkamai Soi 10, where Timo and Anne met with Bar Manager Albert Bergado, who graciously agreed to participate in a tasting session. Here are Timo and the BBG sampling a Stadin Panimo American Lager at Mikkeller:
We also sampled some of the beers on tap at Mikkeller bar – of particular note wee the Lervig Supersonic Session Ale, the 8 Wired Semiconductor Session IPA, and the Devanom IPPO Pale Ale.
Our next stop was at the recently opened Caveman Base, on Soi Ekkamai, just 75 meters north of Sukhumvit Road. There we were hosted by the owners and operators – Mr. Danny and Ms. Boat. We enjoyed some good steak dinners – a dry-aged rib-eye, and a Wagyu strip loin – both of which were excellent. We accompanied the meat with Stone Ruination Double IPA, and Gypsy Inc Pale Trail American Pale Ale and Gypsy Inc Hidden Gem IPA.
Ordering food at Caveman base:
Next stop was Changwon Express at the Flow House, near the intersection of Sukhumvit Soi 24 and Rama IV Road. Before long, Timo was leading a tasting session of select Stadin Panimo beers with founder and principal owner Ted Ahn:
We also spent some time sampling some of 30 craft beers on tap behind Ted:
Next stop after Flowhouse was Hair of the Dog – Phrom Phong, off of Sukhumvit Soi 33/1, near Phrom Phong BTS Station. We walked into a boisterous crowd, celebrating the birthday of long-time bartender Pooky.
With the night growing blurry after many beers, we called it a night, and headed home to prepare for the next day's exploits.
On Saturday afternoon, we launched an expedition to visit Chit Beer up on Koh Kred. Traveling via BTS, then MRT (hello Purple Line!), then Taxi, then Ferry Boat, and finally ending with a short trek on foot – we finally reached our goal:
We sampled various offerings, and both agreed that the X-Beer IPA was top-notch – and we proceeded to drink that tap dry!
We did make the acquaintance of Khun Chit, the :Godfather" of Thai craft beer. He helped us depart via "fast boat" from the pier adjacent to the bar – here are Timo (front) and BBG (at rear) headed to Pakkred pier via fastboat:
Once ashore, we decided to pay a visit to Taopiphop Bar Project, given that it was close to an MRT Purple Line station (Nonthaburi Civic Center Station) that we would use to return home.
Timo and Anne enjoyed the "eclectic" atmosphere:
BBG introduced Timo and Anne to a couple of his preferred beers – Tuatara Double Trouble Imperial IPA, and Knee Deep Tahoe Deep Imperial IPA :
We had hoped to meet up with bar namesake Khun Tao, but he was evidently elsewhere on this Saturday night. So – we pressed on to our next destination, near Ladphrao MRT Station: The Fat Cow
We were welcomed by the owner Manuel, and Timo and Anne tucked into some of Manuel's excellent menu items:
We also tried some bottled Thai craft beers:
We were fading somewhat at this point, and I frankly do not remember what we were drinking. We eventually had to depart – to get back to Sukhumvit before the MRT and BTS closed at midnight. WE figured – hey, there is always tomorrow!
On Sunday, we headed out to Wishbeer Home Bar, near Phra Khanong BTS Station – where we enjoyed a tap takeover featuring a selection of beers from Heart Of Darkness brewery in Ho Chi Minh City. Timo and Anne enjoyed a beer flight of samples of Heart of Darkness beers:
Meanwhile, the BBG stuck with a Brewdog IPA, followed by an 8-Wired Hopwired IPA. We also snacked on calamari, chicken strips, and chicken wings, accompanied by some bottled Thai craft beers:
While at Wishbeer Homebar, our group visited the adjacent inventory stockroom for Wishbeer's home delivery service for craft beer (see: Wishbeer Home Delivery )
Timo and Anne needed to prepare for their trip the next day to Hua Hin, so we decided to visit just one more bar – and that led us to take the short BTS Ride to Onnut Station, and then a short jaunt through Tesco Onnut to get to Sukhmvit Soi 50 – which we then crossed, in order to reach Dog Step . This small bar was doing a roaring business on a Sunday night – the lone waitress (Khun Kob) was working furiously, and had to bring out an extra folding table and folding chairs, so that we could sit down. Their normal complement of six craft draft beers was down to four choices – the other two taps had been drunk dry. We tried all remaining offerings, and were close to leaving when the bar's owners – Khun Dream and his wife Khun Kaimook showed up. We stayed to enjoy "one more round" with them – ending with an impromptu photo session:
It was a three-day whirlwind of bar-hopping and craft beer tasting. A lot of fun, but a tad bit expen$ive.


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Several years ago, the Legislature decided the arts, history and good beaches were so essential to New Jersey that it passed laws setting a guaranteed level of funding for those entities and others.
As it looks for ways to save money in a recession budget, the Corzine administration has formulated a new approach to those laws: ignore them.
Since taking office, Corzine has never fully funded the cultural offices, but this week he proposed cutting their budgets below the minimum limits required by law. He also cut the Shore Protection Fund below legal prescribed limits.
State treasurer David Rousseau made it clear how the administration feels about those laws. They just don't apply anymore.
"We will be setting aside those laws," said Rousseau. "We didn't want to be bound by laws that were created that say shore protection has to be this amount.
"Same thing with arts. Why should they be held at a higher standard just because some Legislature in the past put a law in that says it can't go below this amount of money?"
The boldness of it all left arts groups and others a bit shell- shocked.
"We're stunned and outraged. We expected to take a cut but we never expected the law would be violated," said Mark Packer, president of ArtPride/NJ, an arts advocacy organization.
According to the budget proposal, the Shore Protection Fund would get $18.75 million, or $6.3 million less than current law mandates. Since 1992, the fund has been tied to the realty transfer tax, which state officials estimate will raise $260 million this year and $234 million in the upcoming budget.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts will receive $14.4 million, the Historical Commission $2.4 million and the New Jersey Cultural Trust $466,000. The three amounts are 25 percent less than the groups get in the current year.
The money comes from 2003 hotel-motel occupancy fee, which brought in almost $82 million for the state last year, and another $41.4 million for municipalities that tax local inns.
The law changed the way New Jersey funds arts and culture by replacing their direct appropriation with a portion of the hotel tax. As revenues grew, so would the funds supporting the cultural agencies and tourism advertising. If the tax revenues dropped, the cultural and tourism programs would get less.
The law mandates the four areas receive at least $28.2 million or the tax disappears at the start of the fiscal year. Corzine's budget al locates just $24.9 million. Similarly, the realty transfer tax has a provision that eliminates the tax if the beach replenishment fund drops below $25 million.
Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex) wondered why the administration would risk losing a tax that has generated hundreds of millions of dollars since 2003 in order to save a couple million dollars next year.
"It's a bone-headed move. It just doesn't make any sense, just like removing the property tax deduction. A lot of things in the budget don't add up," said O'Toole. "They have to follow the laws of New Jersey."
Assemblyman John McKeon (D-West Orange), one of the sponsors of the legislation that established the tax, agreed.
"They have to meet that obligation," said McKeon, who is the mayor of West Orange, a town that received $500,000 from the tax last year. "That legislation was purposefully drafted that way. We know that in difficult budget times the arts would be the first and most convenient thing to go."
A spokesman for the treasurer said a number of programs are not funded to their statutory levels.
"We are in the midst of a financial crisis," said Tom Vincz, adding that the state constitution requires a balanced budget. "We will work with the Legislature to take whatever steps are necessary ... to resolve whatever issues remain."
Vincz would not comment on the hotel-motel tax's poison pill provision or how Rousseau plans to overturn it.
"The lawyers will be looking at this," he said.
Some believe the administration is just daring its opponents to fight on the limits. But others, including Sen. Tom Kean, Jr. (R- Union), say Corzine might be on legal ground.
"Practically speaking, the budget document can supersede prior laws," said Kean, who voted against the hotel-motel bill in 2003, in part because it created artificial minimums. "I said at the time it may not be worth the paper it was written on.
"But I don't think anybody has tried to over-ride poison pills be fore," he said.
Republican candidate for governor Chris Christie called Corzine's proposal "short-sighted."
"It's a false choice," said Christie, referring to Corzine's comment that arts must be cut to save hospitals and health care. "That $5.2 million is a very significant amount to the arts community, and a relatively insignificant amount toward what we pay toward hospitals and senior prescriptions. He's leading people to believe that he made this difficult choice on the arts, and that's simply not being square with people."


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Dozens of retail chains have gone into administration in recent weeks with the loss of thousands of high street jobs. Many also face the prospect of store closures as they struggle against the consumer downturn.
A number have been 'pre-packed' administrations and so have continued trading, though often in a slimmed-down form:
22 January: The company behind the Threshers and Wine Rack off-licence chains is in talks with its landlords that could lead to hundreds of store closures
12 January: The furniture chain Land of Leather has gone into administration after running out of working capital, leaving its workforce of 850 people facing an uncertain future
9 January: Some 1,400 store jobs will be axed as the Cardfair and Card Warehouse chains close down
7 January: Viyella, the 225-year-old company that is one of the great names in British textiles, joins the queue of heritage brands felled by the recession when it called in the administrators.
7 January: Miller Brothers, a Doncaster-based electrical goods retailer, goes into administration, putting 110 jobs at risk.
6 January: The body count in the retail sector continues to rise with nearly 200 redundancies at specialist chain Passion for Perfume
5 January: Around 850 people lose their jobs at the failed childrenswear chain Adams when administrators announce the closure of 111 stores
5 January: Waterford Wedgwood, the maker of glassware and china, falls into administration - 250 years after it was founded - after failing to secure new funding
30 December: Photography studio Olan Mills set to enter administration after ceasing trading on Boxing Day, leaving thousands of families hoping for pre-paid photo shoots disappointed
29 December: USC, the fashion chain owned by the Scottish entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter, enters administration but under a "pre-pack" deal Hunter buys back up to 43 stores through another of his companies, Dundonald
24 December: Entertainment chain Zavvi, formerly Virgin Megastores, appoints Ernst & Young as administrators
23 December: Menswear retailer Officers Club goes into administration. PwC sells 118 out of the 150 stores to TimeC 1215, a company backed by the Officers Club's CEO David Charlton
23 December: Tea and coffee chain Whittard of Chelsea is immediately bought out of a "pre-pack administration" by private equity group Epic
12 December: Strategy Retail, the 51-store group that includes the home decorating chain Fads, is forced into administration
4 December: Furniture and accessories retailer The Pier collapses into administration after being hit by the housing downturn
26 November: Woolworths appoints Deloitte as administrators; all 800 stores will close by 5 January, it is later announced
26 November: Unable to pay its rent, the furniture and fitted kitchens specialist MFI crashes into administration
21 November: Fashion discount chain MK One sinks into administration for the second time in a year
10 October: Hardy Amies, dressmaker to the Queen for almost 50 years, files for administration after its Icelandic backer Arev turns down a request for emergency cash
1 October: Young fashion label Miss Sixty, which controls the Energie fashion brand, falls into administration
26 September: Clothing and homeware chain Joy, whose clientele includes actors Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller, calls in administrators ahead of its quarterly rent payment
26 September: Home textile retailer Rosebys calls in administrators KPMG
25 September: Willis Gambier, a furniture supplier to Marks & Spencer and John Lewis, calls in the administrators
4 August: The collapse of Wrapit, the internet wedding list company, leaves 2,000 newlywed couples bereft of gifts
21 July: Floors-2-Go collapses, but a month later it is bought out of administration by the Hodges brothers who founded the business in 1999 and made millions when the firm floated in 2004
3 July: Sofa chain ScS Upholstery is rescued from collapse by private equity firm Sun European Partners in a deal that leaves shareholders empty-handed
26 June: Danish furniture chain Ilva appoints Kroll as administrators of its UK business
21 May: The 170-store MK One chain falls into administration only three weeks after being acquired by retail restructuring specialist Hilco
12 May: Upmarket furniture retailer New Heights falls victim to the tough economic climate and shuts all its shops
15 April: Merseyside retailer Ethel Austin collapses but is later bought out of administration by the former MK One boss Elaine McPherson
1 April: Bed retailer Sleep Depot appoints Kroll as administrators after failing to refinance its debt
1 April: Toy shop chain Toyzone finds itself in the hands of administrators from KPMG
11 February: Clothes retailer Base, which sells labels such as Ted Baker and Firetrap, calls in administrators
10 February: Plus-sized fashion chain Elvi falls into administration after the departure of its private equity backer Langholm Capital
1 February: Bargain bookseller The Works goes into administration after its bank HSBC decides against putting together a rescue package
28 January: Shoe retailer Stead & Simpson, which owns Shoe Express, is bought out of administration by Shoe Zone
21 January: Shoe chain Dolcis appoints KPMG as administrators after failing to pay its £2.5m rent bill


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Did you know listening to music is good for the brain? CNN's resident neurosurgeon, Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains how music therapy can help us live to 100.
Each week I profile survivors who have overcome the odds. Confronting a life obstacle – injury, illness or other hardship –- they tapped their inner strength and found resilience they didn't know they possessed.


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Please select an option to proceed. Thank you. LAST DAY TO PLACE AN ORDER FOR SHIPPING FOR CHRISTMAS IS DECEMBER 10TH - MIDNIGHT.


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Sophia Brous is an interdisciplinary artist and performer based in New York and Melbourne, Australia. A musician, performance-maker, devising artist and curator, she creates new contemporary performance working with artists, festivals, concert houses and major events internationally.
Brous is current resident artist of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) New York, and former artist-in-resident of National Sawdust, The Watermill Center and Red Bull Studios New York. She is current Curator at Large of Brooklyn arts institution Pioneer Works New York in Fall 2020, and ongoing Artistic Associate of the Arts Centre Melbourne, where she created Supersense: Festival of the Ecstatic in 2015. Brous was 2019 and 2016 finalist of the Melbourne Prize for Music, and recipient of the World Tour Scholarship from the Berklee College of Music.
Brous' practice draws on far-reaching interests in devised performance and collaboration. She works with artists across music, film, theatre, dance and contemporary performance to create new commissioned work for stage, screen, concert hall and public space. In 2021-22, Brous will create two new major commissioned works – the contemporary performance for public space The Invisible Opera (Singapore International Festival 2021, BAM new work in-residence) and Mount Analogue – A Provisionally Utopian Live Performance Event – for Ultima Festival Oslo 2021.
Her recent projects include large-scale concert installation Dream Machine for Red Bull Music Festival/Pioneer Works New York (featuring Iggy Pop, Master Musicians of Jajouka; Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Zeena Parkins, Greg Fox); When The World's On Fire for The Kennedy Centre Washington (with Marc Ribot, Shahzad Ismaily, Simon Hanes); the world premiere of Ursula K Le Guin's Music and Poetry of the Kesh for RVNG International (with Okwui Okpokwasili); song cycle Lullaby Movement for Sydney Festival/Operadagen Rotterdam (with Leo Abrahams and David Coulter); and ongoing New York large ensemble EXO-TECH – with collaborators including Kimbra, David Byrne, Moses Sumney, Questlove, Yuka Honda, Sean Lennon and Tyondai Braxton.
As a performer and vocalist, Brous has appeared in productions for BAM, The Kennedy Center, The Barbican, Southbank Centre, Paris Philharmonie, All Tomorrow's Parties, DOCUMENTA, Pioneer Works, Dark MOFO, Sydney Opera House and Arts Centre Melbourne.
Noted productions include The Barbican's In Dreams: David Lynch Revisited (directed by David Coulter); The Arthur Russell Retrospective (BAM); The Southbank Centre's 200 Motels by Frank Zappa with the BBC Concert Orchestra; DOCUMENTA Athens (Hallucinations, with Oliver Coates); Marina Abramovic's Private Archaeologies (MONA/Dark MOFO); Anthony McAll's Solid Light Works (Pioneer Works) and motion pictures including Mary Magdalene (2018); Judy and Punch (2019) and The Invisible Mountain (2021). Brous has collaborated with musicians including David Byrne, Marc Ribot, Questlove, Caroline Polachek, Jehnny Beth, David Coulter, Senyawa, Zeena Parkins, Colin Stetson, Julia Holter, Lucy Railton, Belle and Sebastian, Patrick Wolf and Mick Harvey, and worked with artists in film, theatre and dance including Faye Driscoll, Okwui Okpokwasili, Lara Thoms, Samara Hersch, Gideon Obarzanek, Ben Russell, Nicolas Becker, Garth Davis and Makino Takashi.
Alongside her creative projects, Brous is a recognised curator and festival director, and was the Program Director of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival at the age of 22, Curator of Music of the Adelaide Festival of the Arts and founder and curator of Supersense: Festival of the Ecstatic at the Arts Centre Melbourne. She has presented radio with Triple R and The Lot (NYC), and studied music at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston and Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne.


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Cafe Balaban will close for renovations on Monday, January 22. New owners Brendan Marsden and Harlee Sorkin will reopen the Central West End mainstay on Thursday, February 8. Taking over Balaban's kitchen will be Andrew White, previously the executive chef at Harvest.
Meanwhile, Harvest has named Nicholas Miller its new executive chef. Miller has been with the Richmond Heights restaurant for five years, most recently as sous chef.
The new year is shaping up to be a busy one for the St. Louis restaurant scene. Arthur Clay's, Tejas and Mira have closed in recent weeks, though Mira will reopen as an expansion of Roxane, its "sister" restaurant. (For more on the relationship between the two restaurants, check out Rose Martelli's review.)


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How to Live on AOL's California Campus for Free
By now you might have heard about Eric Simons, the 19-year-old who crashed at AOL's Palo Alto campus for two months until he was finally caught and thrown out. Here's how he did it.
By now you might have heard about Eric Simons, the 19-year-old who crashed at AOL's Palo Alto campus for two months until he was finally caught and thrown out. Here's how he did it:
Have a working building pass Simons was in Palo Alto initially with the incubator Imagine K12 to work on his startup, a lesson plan sharing platform for teachers called ClassConnect. After the four month program ended, his building pass kept working. Simons couldn't afford his own place in California, so he decided to crash at the AOL building. "They had a gym there with showers," Simons told CNET. "I'd take a shower after work. I was like, 'I could totally work here...They have food upstairs, they have every drink on tap. This would be a sweet place to live.'"
Know the security routes After working there for four months, often well into the night, Simons figured out the routes the security guards took on their nightly rounds, and noticed three couches in blind spots they never checked. He'd stay up late coding in a room on campus somewhere and then crash on one of those couches.
Stay fit After waking up early enough to avoid getting busted, Simons hit the campus gym every morning to stay fit. He'd work out, shower and then hit the cafeteria for a quick bowl of cereal before breakfast. "I got a really good work ethic," he said, "and I got in shape, since I had to work out every morning."
Pack light A key part of being a campus hobo was packing light. "I only had maybe five to ten T-shirts, a pair of jeans, and a pair of shorts," Simons said. Everything he had with him could fit neatly into one of the gyms lockers, and the gym had a washer and dryer so he could do laundry and avoid smelling like he was crashing on a couch for two months.
Be a spend thrift Simons was able to get by on less than $30 a day. "It was a game I was playing," he said. "What is the minimum amount of money I can spend each day to stay alive. You do some crazy things." Everything he needed was on campus, so as long as he didn't get caught, and could stand eating nothing but cereal and ramen for a while than he could get away with spending so little.


text:
Out There: Pin-Up Girl
I opened Pinterest account. Shortly thereafter, I hated myself, and haven't stopped.
I opened Pinterest account. Shortly thereafter, I hated myself, and haven't stopped.
Like any 29 year-old woman with a running injury, I've got far too much time on my hands. You'd think I'd use all this extra time to finally get around to writing the next great American novel, but you would be wrong.
Instead, I opened a Pinterest account. Shortly thereafter, I hated myself, and haven't stopped.
If you've been living under a rock and not familiar with Pinterest, it's a social media site that more or less scrapbooks information from the Internet. I'm told folks are supposed to use it to curate all sorts of information, but the majority of pins seem to fall under three categories: "Weddings," "Food," and "Wedding Food." A small percentage of the Pinterest-ers seem to curate information about fitness, though, making this run geek very happy.
After perusing the Pinterest folders of people I know (as well as complete strangers, because this injury has given me that much time on my hands), I've learned a few things:
1) I'm very happy the words "chocolate cake" and "open bar" appear in the wedding folders of my friends.
2) I hope my friends find their grooms and have their weddings soon, because I'm really craving chocolate cake.
And then there's the biggie:
3) Pinterest makes me feel woefully inadequate as a runner.
With every click on a running-related pin, I learned more and more about everything I'm doing wrong. Did you know we're supposed to color-coordinate run outfits? Whatever happened to finding the once-worns with the least offensive odor? And, ladies, can we please stop with this "running hairstyle" ridiculousness? It's still called a ponytail, even when photographed from a creative angle through a sepia filter.
And then there are the inspiring photos of ridiculously good-looking women, laughing in mid-stride. Every time I look at one of these pictures, I wonder why my race photos never look like that. Why can't I look that effortless, my "running hairstyle" billowing behind me like a beautiful cape, gently lifting me up to a PR as I laugh and laugh and laugh? All my race photos catch my thighs in mid-jiggle and my face in mid-f-bomb.
These photos are usually accompanied by a mantra:
"If it hurts, run faster." That is incredibly dumb advice. If it hurts, scale back, head home, and use "I'm recovering" as excuse to order a pizza instead of cooking dinner. And why is the lady in the photo laughing if it hurts so much?
"I run to be fierce." I run for the opposite reason: so I don't murder someone. And quit laughing, fierce lady. It makes you look like a sociopath.
"Nothing tastes as good as race weight." I'm calling shenanigans on that one, because I'm pretty sure anyone who says that has never eaten plate of enchiladas after a long day of training. Also, STOP LAUGHING. No one likes a smug skinny.
Which, of course, brings me to the food. I can't even pronounce some of the ingredients I see on Pinterest, much less comprehend how to incorporate them into a "quick and easy dinner-in-a-pinch!" recipe. You know what I eat when I need a quick and easy dinner? I sit on the couch in my underwear with a banana, a jar of peanut butter, and a spoon.
The box lunch ideas are particularly offensive. I pack a lunch for my partner, Neil, every morning before he leaves for work. This way, he's got some healthy food to fuel his evening workouts before heading home. Screw "fun lunches." I just want Neil to eat it, not take it out and play with it. Most days, I call it a win if he doesn't come home with a case of food poisoning.
Perhaps the most offensive thing about Pinterest? I just can't quit it. It's one more connection to the running world, where I can see what's new in my community (as well as what other runners have to say about it). Until I return to running, I'll take any connections I can get to other run geeks. Also, there's something incredibly addictive about scrolling through a utopian paradise, where everyone has perfect form, laughs through their speed workout, and is completely satisfied with a lo-cal seaweed smoothie instead of chocolate cake.
Mmm…chocolate cake.
Any of you good-lookin' runner boys in the market for a wife? I've got some friends you should meet…
About The Author:
Susan Lacke does 5Ks, Ironman Triathlons, and everything in between to justify her love for cupcakes (yes, she eats that many). In addition to writing for Competitor, she serves as Resident Triathlete for No Meat Athlete, a website dedicated to vegetarian endurance athletes. Susan lives and trains in Phoenix, Arizona with three animals: A labrador, a cattle dog, and a freakishly tall triathlete boyfriend. She claims to be of sound mind, though this has yet to be substantiated by a medical expert. Follow her on Twitter: @SusanLacke


text:
ROME - Italian police arrested on Tuesday an Egyptian-born man suspected of being a member of the militant group Islamic State and of indoctrinating young children, encouraging them to kill non-Muslims.
Abdel Rahman, 59, was head of the Al Dawa Islamic centre in the southern city of Foggia. Police said in a statement they believed he used the position to promote "terrorist activities" and spread jihadist propaganda.
Rahman had been placed under surveillance for months and his classes with local children were wiretapped.
"I invite you to fight the unbelievers, with your swords cut off their heads, with your explosive belts blow up their bodies," he was recorded telling one group of children, who were aged between 4-10, police said.
"It is necessary to break the skulls of the unbelievers and drink their blood to get the victory," he was recorded saying.
As part of their investigation, which was code-named "bad teacher", police said they had seized some 370,000 euros ($458,000) in financial assets.Rahman is married to an Italian woman and has obtained Italian nationality. It was not immediately possible to get a comment from him.


text:
Are you a fan of the popular song "Bushel and a Peck"? If you are, how about making this fun Bushel and a Peck Pillow from The Idea Room.
This pillow pattern is perfect for a nursery room. You can even use it within your home when the Valentine's Day holiday comes around to decorate with your other decorations during the month of February!


text:
Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the Keegend family in Ireland was Mac Aodhagain, which means "son of Aodh, son of fire," a personal name usually Anglicized as Hugh. A Brehon family originally of Uí Maine, which settled in Ormond. [1]
The family claim descent from Saint and Bishop Eoghan (d. 618), "of Ardsratha, now Ardstraw, in the county of Tyrone and diocese of Derry. Descended from Ugaine Mor on the father's side he was thus connected by kindred with the chieftains of Leinster, while through his mother, Muindech, he claimed relationship with the Ulster families." [2]
Another source confirms the name descends from "the cineal Eoghain, [who] were the ' genus' or progeny of Eoghan, a great Irish chief contemporary with St. Patrick. The name is Anglicized to Owen and Eugene. " [3]
The surname Keegend was first found in County Tipperary (Irish: Thiobraid Árann), established in the 13th century in South-central Ireland, in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.
The ancient Egans were lawyers of Ui Maine, a region which is today called Galway, Roscommon and Offaly. The earliest surviving Irish law manuscript, In Senchas Már, was written prior to 1350 at a school (patronized by Mac Aodhagain) at Duniry, near Loughrea.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keegend research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1172 and 1740 are included under the topic Early Keegend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period because the general population had to rely on local official's understanding of how their name should be spelt, hence spellings in records often changed through a person's lifetime. The following variations for the name Keegend were encountered in the archives: Egan, Eagan, Keegan, MacEgan, Kegan, Keagan and many more.
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Keegend Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Keegend to North America: Rev. Michael Egan who became Bishop of Philadelphia in 1790. Many other Egans settled in this city during the 19th century.


text:
Son's relationship with needy woman causes concern
Dear Carolyn: Our son is in a serious relationship and I believe an engagement is in the offing. We like this young woman, but have reservations that I am struggling with.
It's clear our son spends a great deal of time and energy taking care of his girlfriend and making her feel secure and content, although she is rarely content for long. He makes all the food, goes out for her coffee, makes all the reservations, plans trips, etc. This never-ending support over her workplace and social worries seems awfully one-sided, and my son has confided that it can be exhausting and frustrating. He has suggested she see a therapist for anxiety or depression.
His siblings share my concerns. They have reached out to her in numerous ways but she is usually tired or busy.
Is there anything useful to say here? Or double down on being as kind and generous as I can be?
– Anonymous
It's not either-or. Double down on being as kind and generous as you can be, yes – but also take the opportunities your son is giving you when he confides in you. "You do sound drained, yes. What do you think you'll do?"
This both validates him and poses a leading question that, appropriately, doesn't offer any opinion. It just props open the door for him to think about this out loud with you.
Read more:
Grandma's nickname for child irks mother
Supportive friend now needs same
To love someone who makes your life harder is to be conflicted, and too often that comes with guilt or shame – some sense he's not a good person for wanting out when she might be ailing. This is especially true if he has internalized the idea that she "needs" him. That of course is a fiction but it's a tempting one, because who doesn't want to be helpful?
With few exceptions, though, wanting out is enough, especially from someone refusing help, changes, treatment.
So when you demonstrate you aren't judging him or siding against her, you offer him a safe place for him to explore his own thinking. Just keep posing ideas as questions – "Do you think … ?" In so many dark places, it's having the courage to follow the scary or unthinkable train of thought that finally leads to the light.
Hi, Carolyn: This is a question about family and money in which everyone gets along, no one is upset, no one is likely to get upset regardless of the outcome, and yet still no one knows what to do.
I have two young children. My brother has one young child. Neither will have more children. If our parents give equal amounts to each grandchild, then my family will get twice what my brother's family gets. If our parents give equal amounts to each of their children, then my children will each get half of what my brother's child gets. Neither feels right.
We all independently realized the problem. We've talked about it. There doesn't seem to be a right answer.
– Fortunate No Matter What
Consult an estate attorney, please.
Families don't spend and save and bequeath money – individuals do. So I'd vote: some for you and brother, plus equal trusts for each grandchild. Arguably your nephew inherits more this way, but who knows what will be left by then? Such vagaries are facts of life.
E-mail Carolyn at email@example.com, follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/carolyn.hax or chat with her online at noon Eastern time each Friday at www.washingtonpost.com.


text:
The rumor mill has been running at full speed for a while now, but now the Mercedes-AMG boss has confirmed it: within two years the blazing hot Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series will hit dealer lots.
Tobias Moers told the Australian blog caradvice.com.au that there is still a version of the two-door AMG GT in the barrel. The CEO says that development has already started and the 'Black Series' designation is guaranteed.
We have known this name will eventually be associated with Mercedes-AMG GT range for some time, but now Moers has also confirmed for the first time it will only be reserved for two-door AMG models. Black Series AMGs receive extra power and external adjustments, coupled with chassis upgrades. Previous cars that wore the Black Series badge include the SL 65, CLK 63 and SLS AMG.
2020 is indicated by Moers as an "interesting" year for the market introduction of the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. Earlier spy images also showed that Mercedes is working on adjustments for the AMG GT. Then there was also the suspicion that we were face to face with an AMG GT Black Series, but instead the prototypes materialized into the facelifted GT.
The strongest Mercedes-AMG GT is now the GT R running the AMG V8 4.0-liter biturbo engine, which pushes 585 hp to the tarmac. This same engine can be found in the newly unveiled AMG GT 4-door Coupé. In terms of power we can expect 640 hp and 900 Nm for the future Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series.


text:
Tent Pole - Aluminum Pole - 8ft - Push Button
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text:
Father charged with felony murder, child abuse in case of infant son's death
Keith Thibeault of Portland has been charged with one count of felony murder and one count of child abuse in the first degree in the March 2012 death of his 3-month-old son, Everette. Thibeault's trial began Monday with jury selection, opening statements and the first witness, Everette's mother, being called to the stand.
Thibeault's trial is taking place in the Ionia County 8th Circuit Court with Chief Judge Suzanne Hoseth Kreeger presiding.
Jury selection began at 9 a.m. and lasted until just after noon.
Ionia County Prosecuting Attorney Ron Schafer explained the timeline of events leading up to the incident to jurors. Thibeault got off from work early on March 23, 2012, and picked up his twin sons, Everette and Keagan, from day care after 9 p.m. After getting home, he put the boys in bed and then at 4 a.m. woke to feed both sons. He placed both boys on the couch and when he looked away, Everette was on the floor. At 6:12 a.m., Thibeault called 911.
According to Schafer, the defendant's story has undergone many changes based on the audience.
The first responder to the 911 call was Thibeault's mother-in-law, who then informed Nicole Thibeault, her daughter, that Everette would be on his way to Sparrow Lansing Hospital. Nicole worked as a medical secretary at Sparrow Lansing Hospital.
After Everette arrived at Sparrow, a series of tests were conducted to determine the cause of his injury. Schafer argued that the medical experts assisting his case have posited that the injuries Everette had could have been caused by shaking or slamming his head against a soft surface. According to Schafer, Everette died from inflicted, severe brain injury.
Along with questioning Keith Thibeault's interest in his child while at the hospital, Schafer reminded the jury that they are expected to determine the results of the case based on whether or not the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Schafer reminded the jury that reasonable doubt does not mean that it is beyond possibility, but rather that the decision should be based on reason and common sense.
"We are going to ask that you hold his (Everette's) father accountable for his actions," Schafer said to the jury.
The opening statement provided by the defense was led by criminal defense attorney Kevin Peterson, who told the jury that it is important to get a second opinion, whether because of a medical issue or if on trial. According to Peterson, the issues at play in the trial are so complex that even respected medical experts cannot agree on the events.
Peterson led the jury through a timeline of Everette's life, beginning with his difficulties during childbirth, which were the result of a head deformity. The twins were born Dec. 30, 2011, and at their first immunizations on Feb. 23, 2012, they were declared healthy, Peterson said.
On Feb. 25, 2012, the twins' mother fell asleep with Everette on her chest. The baby rolled off and fell on the ground and the father picked him up. According to Peterson, after this incident and his immunizations, Everette experienced projectile vomiting nearly every day for a month.
Everette's condition was attributed to acid reflux after continuous days of vomiting, passing out from crying and irregular breathing. An ultrasound was ordered on March 19, 2012, to determine if Everette had an overly-developed digestive system, which could have been the cause of his acid reflux problems. The March 21, 2012, ultrasound revealed no negative results.
According to Peterson, the timeline of events is difficult to recreate, but is helped by the use of phone records.
"Could you recreate, minute by minute, what you did yesterday?" Peterson asked the jury. "Now, could you do it if you had undergone a traumatic event yesterday?"
Peterson argued that the events that took place are as follows: Thibeault got out of work early, picked up the boys from day care at 9:15 p.m., fed them, and then Keagan began fussing. When Thibeault went to help Keagan, Everette slipped off the couch.
According to the defense, Everette had been propped up on the side of the couch in order to help soothe discomfort associated with acid reflux after eating.
After Everette's fall, Thibeault picked him up and tried to console him, then he took both boys upstairs. He placed Everette on the master bed and had Keagan on the changing table, then placed Keagan in the crib. After putting Keagan down, Thibeault went to Everette, who began vomiting and breathing irregularly. When Thibeault noticed blood in Everette's vomit and that breathing had stopped, he called 911.
Witnesses for the defense will include doctors and pathologists specializing in child abuse and a pediatric neurosurgeon, among others. These expert witnesses will be arguing that the brain trauma Everette had may not have been the result of child abuse.
"In this case, the second opinion says that it didn't have to be child abuse. The acid reflux could have been caused by the child's head growth, which created so much pressure that he couldn't breathe," said Peterson.
According to Peterson, at Everette's first well-child visit, his head was in the 10th percentile – a normal size for a child his age. One month later, his head was in the 95th percentile.
"When this is over, we are going to ask that you find Keith Thibeault not guilty," said Peterson.
The first witness called to the stand was Everette's mother, Nicole Thibeault. According to Nicole, prior to Everette's arrival at Sparrow, she did not know what was wrong with the child, but after she heard he had both an unstable heart rate and breathing, she knew the situation was serious.
The Thibeaults had been together for 10 years, including dating and marriage. In addition to being new parents to twins, the two had recently purchased a home and were in the process of remodeling it.
That evening, Nicole had dropped off the boys at day care in Portland and then headed off to work at Sparrow Lansing Hospital. Toward the end of her shift, she received a call that her son was being transported to the hospital. That evening, many tests were performed on Everette, and these continued until he was taken off life support on March 25, 2012.
On March 24, 2012, the Thibeaults had a care conference with members of the hospital to determine the do-not-resuscitate agreement. According to the prosecution, Keith Thibeault spent time sleeping and alone in a room provided by the hospital while Everette was in intensive care. When Everette was taken off life support, the parents had the opportunity to bathe Everette one last time before he was sent to the morgue, then the couple had an interview with Child Protective Services, who took their son Keagan for a few weeks for observation.
The couple remained together until May 2012. According to Nicole Thibeault, she had no prior concerns with her marriage and felt no concerns immediately after Everette's passing.
The trial is expected to continue today at noon and to last at least seven days.


text:
Football no longer around corner, it's at front door
Do you see it being played as you drive past practice fields?
Have you seen comments and photographs about it as you scroll down your social media feeds?
Do you smell it as you gather your children or grandchildren's laundry?
Do you hear coaches screaming in your dreams? (This one is for the players.)
Football. It is here, and we are excited.
The News-Star team has been covering scrimmages and practices lately, but soon enough the games will begin and so will our coverage.
We plan to keep you informed about all things football in northeastern Louisiana in variety of ways.
In addition to coverage in The News-Star print edition and online at thenewsstar.com, you can also find photos and updates on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
You can follow these accounts for coverage this season.
Adam Hunsucker (@Adam_Hunsucker)
Tabby Soignier (@soignier)
Cody Futrell (@cfutrellTNS)
Sean Isabella (ST_IsabellaTNS)
Emerald McIntyre (EmiMcIntyre)
Dacia Idom (@daciaidom)
The News-Star sports department (NewsStarSports)
Instagram: @thenewsstar
Facebook: The News-Star
Let's stay connected, and be sure to check out the football preview Aug. 31.


text:
A Date With The Bug Queue or Let Me Help You Help Me Help You
Read this article on Perl6.Party
Recently, I decided to undertake a quick little journey down to the Perl 6's Bug Queue. A quest for fame and profit—some easy game to hunt for sport. There's plenty of tickets, so how hard can it be? The quick little journey turned out to be long and large, but I've learned a lot of good lessons in the process.
PART I: The Newbie Contributor
Right away, I hit a snag. Some tickets looked hard. On some, it wasn't clear what the correct goal was. And some looked easy, but I wasn't sure whether I wanted to work on them just yet. While the ticket queue has the tag system, I needed some personal tags. Something special just for me....
The Ticket Trakr
So I wrote a nice little helper app—Ticket Trakr. It fetches all the tickets from the bug queue onto one page and lets me tag each of them with any combination of:
- Try to fix
- Easy
- Tests needed
- Needs core member decision
- Needs spec decision
- Check ticket later
- Needs checking if it's still broken
- Too hard
- Not interested
The app worked great! I quickly started going through the queue, looking over the tickets, testing if the bugs were still there, and estimating whether I could and wanted to fix them. And after a full weekend of clicking, tagging, testing, closing, taking an occasional break to hunt bears with a mortar, more closing, testing, tagging, and clicking, I... was through just 200 tickets, which is only 15% of the queue:
And so I've learned the first lesson.
LESSON 1: Going Through Bug Reports is a Full Time Job
Whenever I see someone ask how they can contribute, the basket of offers they receive generally contains: docs, marketing, modules and libraries, or bug fixing. Going through the ticket queue doesn't seem to be considered a task on itself. The ticket queue is just a place where you find the bugs to fix, right?
What may not be obvious is the bug queue contains an extraordinary amount of work that can be performed by less skilled contributors to make it easier for highly-skilled—and by extension much scarcer—contributors to fix bugs. Let's see what those are:
Deciding On Whether The Report Should Be Accepted
Just because you have 1,000 tickets in your bug queue doesn't mean you have 1,000 bugs. Here are some things that might end up as a ticket and how you can help:
- Poor bug reports: you should reply, asking for a decent test case or the missing information
- Bug reports for an unrelated project: move them (or, for the lazy, just close with explanation)
- Feature proposals: ping core members and users for discussion
- A feature confused for a bug: explain the confusion; add to the documentation if this confusion happens often
- Incorrectly used code that was never meant to work: offer a correct example; improve documentation, if needed
- People asking for help with their code: redirect to appropriate help channels; improve documentation, if this happens often
- Patches for other bugs: apply the patches, move them to the appropriate ticket, or make them easier to merge (e.g. make a Pull Request)
- Duplicate bug reports: point out the dupe and close the report
- Spam: grab some white bread and have a lunch break
This is a lot of work, but this is just the basics. What else can a person new to the project can contribute?
So we've cleaned up our queue and now we have a few reports that appear to have at least some sort of a six-legged quality to them. Sure, we're new to the project and don't even know where to begin fixing them, but that doesn't mean we can't play around with code to narrow down the problem.
Reproduce the bug
Merely being able to reproduce the bug shows it's likely is indeed a bug and not just a quirk of the reporter's system. Speaking of systems: test the bug on several, especially if you have access to esoteric ones.
Test different versions of the project to see where the bug appeared. If
possible, try to narrow down the commit that introduced the bug. For Rakudo
Perl 6 compiler, you can use
bisectable bot on IRC:
<Zoffix> bisect: say ^10 .grep: { last if * > 2 }
<bisectable> Zoffix: exit code is 0 on both starting points, bisecting by using the output
<bisectable> Zoffix: (2016-03-18) https://github.com/rakudo/rakudo/commit/6d120ca
Even if you can't fix the bug, all this extra information can help a more knowledgeable contributor. Especially if they are the author of the commit that introduced the bug.
Reduce the amount of code reproducing the bug
I've seen a disturbing amount of people playing code golf. Here is the perfect place to put those skills to good use: reproduce the bug with less code. This narrows down the areas where the bug is hiding.
For example, here's the original [actual] reported code, along with the bug report title:
# You can't catch Proc::Async failing because the external program
# doesn't exist if you open it for writing:
perl6 -e 'my $p; try {$p = Proc::Async.new(:w, "asdfcat"); CATCH {die "in
new"}}; my $pr; try {$pr = $p.start; CATCH {die "in start"}}; try
{await($p.write("hi\n".encode)); CATCH {die "in write"}}; try
{$p.close-stdin; CATCH {die "in close"}}; try {await($pr); CATCH
{die "in await"}}'
That code is a bitch to read, let's pop open an editor and format it properly:
my ( $p, $pr );
try { CATCH { die "in new" }; $p = Proc::Async.new: :w, "asdfcat" }
try { CATCH { die "in start" }; $pr = $p.start }
try { CATCH { die "in write" }; await $p.write: "hi\n".encode }
try { CATCH { die "in close" }; $p.close-stdin }
try { CATCH { die "in await" }; await $pr }
# Outputs nothing when run
That's much better! So the report claims we can't catch things and we've
got five
try blocks and no output. Hmmm... Let's get rid of all the
tries and catching and see what error the write throws:
given Proc::Async.new: :w, "asdfcat" {
await .write: "hi\n".encode;
# Outputs nothing when run
And the error is... nothing?! There's no output from the program, so maybe it
"succeeds" in writing things and there's nothing to throw? Let's toss in a
couple of
say calls:
given Proc::Async.new: :w, "asdfcat" {
say 'Starting';
say 'Writing';
await .write: "hi\n".encode;
say 'Wrote';
# Starting
# Writing
Wrote is missing from the output. The original report is incorrect in
its assumptions that the issue is with the
CATCH block! There's nothing
to catch in the first place and the
Promise seems to exit the program.
CATCH blocks were scary to you, but fixing a bug in a
call is less so. And there you go: we found a contributor to fix the bug!
Write Tests For The Bug
So you've found out that it is a bug for sure and you've played around with code and maybe even found the commit that broke it. You don't know how to fix the bug, so are we done with this ticket then? How about we write tests!
After the bug is fixed, the project's test suite should contain a test checking regression of that bug. Perl's TAP supports TODO and SKIP features. TODO expects the test to fail and will alert you when it starts to pass. SKIP marks the needed number of tests as skipped and your test logic can avoid running them. So even if the bug is not yet fixed, we can still add tests for it—we'll just TODO or SKIP them, depending on how severe the bug is.
Perl 6's test suite has a fudging mechanism that lets you mark tests as skip or todo, depending on the compiler and virtual machine being tested:
#?rakudo.moar 2 todo 'Waiting fix for RT128526'
ok $fixed, 'stuff is fixed';
ok $also-fixed, 'other stuff is also fixed';
The test suite will expect the above two tests to fail for Rakudo compiler running on the MoarVM virtual machine and it will complain when they start to pass. If someone fixed the bug and wasn't aware of the open ticket, running the test suite alerts them of the ticket automatically. Magic!
As a bonus, the tests are the best description of the bug and they also can expose alternate failure modes that aren't apparent from the bug report itself:
<lizmat> .tell Zoffix the tests you added to S29-os/system.t yesterday hang on OSX :-(
There's lots to do in the bug queue, but it's not as dull and boring at it appears at the first sight. And so, the bug queue taught me another lesson...
LESSON 2: The Bug Queue Is Not Thankless Labour
If you're a new contributor and you want to get up to speed, the bug queue isn't a bad place to start your learning. And there's a lot to learn from it!
Real-World Usage
You get to see real world code that uses the project you want to learn. Not the out-of-context code in the documentation. Not the polished code in the pre-made examples, but real-life, less-than-perfect, hacked-from-the-hip code. You also get to see code from multiple, vastly different people who use different style guidelines. Being able to easily read code regardless of the style used is a valuable skill.
Esoteric Features and Constructs
Everyone and their brother knows about
and and what it's for, but did you
know about
andthen? I get
flashbacks whenever I see it,
but it's a useful chaining operator
in Perl 6! And I learned about it from a bug report.
You can get very far with language primitives, but knowing more powerful and more appropriate contructs and features will let you write more concise and eloquent code. The bug queue can teach them to you.
Learning The Language
Writing tests can teach you the language you're writing them in. Writing tests for the Perl 6 compiler can teach you Perl 6. How much will you need to think when writing a program that runs a piece of code that might hang and in a set amount of time tells you whether the code resulted in success and kills the thread if it hung? I can do it with my eyes closed now.
Writing tests is a skill in itself and the bug queue gives you lots of opportunity for practice.
Getting To Know People
Going through the bug queue has a large social aspect to it as well:
- Communicating with core members to find out whether and how a ticket should be resolved
- Communicating with ticket creators (members of the community)
- Having (hopefully amicable) discussions about features
- Steering an overly-heated discussion to a more peaceful direction—bugs are annoying, and it's not uncommon for tickets to be written by pissed off people
Also, going through the ticket queue is not the favourite of the people, and the person who does it isn't exactly hated.
The bug queue is a much more complex beast than people may suspect. It has a lot to offer and a lot to teach. From language use, to the quirks of squishy humans. Today, we've examined the vast potential for contribution the ticket queue offers to people new to the project. Helping sift out actual bugs from false reports. Helping with debugging. Helping with tests.
That's not the only thing the bug queue has on the menu. In the next post, we'll examine what it has to teach more experienced regulars and core members of the project! How can you get more bugs fixed? Maybe the bug queue knows the answer.


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A sale of 747 lots of automobilia and petroliana, staged recently in Denver, Pennsylvania, did more than $2.1 million in sales, with several auction record prices paid, according to Morphy Auction's Automobilia & Petroliana division.
"The attraction was the collection of more than 400 lots that were in 9 or 9-plus condition," according to Morphy's auto and petrol division head John Mihovetz. "There was a lot of buzz about the auction beforehand, and we sensed that bidding would be strong."
The top sale of the auction was the $66,000, a record price, paid for a 48-inch Red Hat Royal 400 Gasoline sign that had been in a private collection for more than 25 years.
A Houston Gasoline sign with the image of Sam Houston on horseback drew 18 bids and sold for $33,600. The sign had a pre-auction estimate of $25,000 and was headed to Texas after the auction. (Prices reported include buyer's fee.)
Mihovetz called the $21,600 paid for a Cosden Liquid Gas Horsepower Plus Special sign "an absolute shocker."
"However, he added, it's the only example of this sign that I know of that has ever appeared at auction."
The sign features four horses in bright primary colors. Its high pre-sale estimate was $8,000, but it attracted 28 bids during its time on the block.
"Graphics, condition and rarity were also on the minds of gas globe buyers," the auction house said in its post-sale news release.
"Some gas globes are seen as works of art, and this sale produced some of the rarest globes in the best possible condition, like the one for Husky Gasoline," said Mihovetz.
Original on an orange ripple body, with the image of a husky dog against a backdrop of the Arctic Northern Lights, the globe sold for $24,000.
But that figure was eclipsed by a Gregory Independent Oil globe for Aero Gas with an airplane illuminated against a cloud bank. It sold for $28,800.
A Sinclair gasoline pump sold for $30,750 and a gas-station thermometer advertising Red Crown Gasoline & Motor Oil sold for $5,227.50.


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Meet Bert Kolz, president of Black Wolf Group and overseer for eight TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® franchises across three states. Having a diverse professional background prior to joining TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® has been integral to Bert's successful transition into his role as president of Black Wolf Group.
After working in corporate America for 25 years and gaining experience in finance, marketing, and general business, Bert began working for the Black Wolf Group, a private firm which owns several TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® franchises. He has worked for well-known companies such as Arthur Anderson, Rust-Oleum, Ben Franklin Retail Stores, Lands' End, and Grainger. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® caught Bert's attention when he learned the company is an industry leader and the Core Values closely match his own.
Successful businesses or, in this case, franchises, often have recipes for success or key factors which come into play. To run a successful operating unit Bert's philosophy is simple: hire good people; provide superior customer service; and utilize the tremendous amount of resources already available within the franchise system.
Many franchises have defining moments within their history which led to their success. This defining moment isn't really a "moment" for Bert, but instead a defining attitude. He describes this attitude as his franchisees' willingness to accept the risk of expansion, embrace change, and accept the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® vision. This defining attitude has proved to be an excellent contribution for Bert and his team. Black Wolf Group has seven general managers running his franchise territories and all of them started as movers and drivers for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®.
Not only does Bert have the right attitude but he also believes in firmly promoting within the company and giving others fantastic TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® opportunities. When asked about the reason behind these beliefs he said:
"TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® has the best trained and most customer-focused employees in the moving industry, we only need to look within the system to find the best employees."
Black Wolf Group currently owns 11 TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® franchises. Within the next five years, Burt and his team hope to maintain double-digit sales growth at each of their TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® locations, adding both trucks and jobs to the system while taking market share from competitors. Which is certainly attainable for the group!
Bert's success in overseeing multiple franchises has led others to wonder what's key to his success. His advice to future franchisees "Take care of the customer and the rest will take care of itself."
For information on starting your own TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® franchise location and to access performance information which is available to prospective owners click here.


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Netizens discuss top male group debuts
With many rookie groups having done so well this year, netizens recently discussed the top debuts among male groups in recent years.
Netizens discussed several groups who performed very well during their rookie year after releasing a strong debut track. With all of the groups discussed having become quite big names in the industry, it's a good indication that any new group who releases a strong debut track will have a bright future.
Find out what Netizens had to say about this article below!
SHINee – "Replay"
CNBLUE – "Loner"
WINNER – "Empty"
FTISLAND – "Love Sick"
2PM – "10 out of 10"
iKON – "My Type"
Koreaboo has collected reactions from Netizens who commented on the original article from our Korean source. The below comments are the most popular comments at the time of this article being published.
[+ 309, – 28] SHINee's Noona's so pretty was 28th annually during the legendary year 08.
[+ 269, – 63] I'd say SHINee, CNBLUE, iKON and FTISLAND
[+ 189, – 34] CNBLUE's Lonely was friggin crazy
Source: Pann


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Green room
- Ideal for 2 people.
Possibility of combining the green room with the yellow room and create an area suitable for 5 persons.
At guests' disposal: TV, free wi-fi, terrace, garden, playground, swimming pool in summer (mid-May to mid-October), solarium. The use of the swimming pool is only permitted to those who stay at our farm, to ensure greater tranquility and privacy.
- Tv Sat
- Free Wifi
- Possibility of half board
- Breakfast
- Free parking
- Private bathroom
Agriturismo Tre Tigli - Fraz. Montegrosso Cinaglio 120 - Asti - Tel 0141.295174 - 338.7794287 - email@example.com - P.I. 01569380056 - Privacy


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Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission sent this bulletin at 04/17/2019 09:21 AM EDT
FWC to meet May 1-2 near Tallahassee
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will meet May 1-2 at the Florida Public Safety Institute, 85 Academy Drive, Havana, FL 32333. The Institute is west of Midway on U.S. 90. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. each day and is open to the public.
The FWC is committed to providing opportunity for public input. Time is allotted for public speakers at Commission meetings after each agenda item. Also, there is opportunity outside of Commission meetings to provide comment for many topics. In this regard, FWC staff held four captive wildlife public workshops around the state and received input from interested stakeholders. At the May meeting, public comment on this agenda topic will be limited to one hour.
At the end of the meeting on the first day, May 1, the Commission will also provide time for public comment on subjects not on the agenda. Those who wish to offer comments during this period will be asked to make sure their comments are not related to any agenda item. The deadline for registration to speak on items not on the agenda is 1 p.m. on May 1.
As standard practice, public speaking is organized using the established speaker registration process and time limits. To accommodate as much input as possible from those attending, the Chairman reserves the right to designate the amount of time given to each topic and speaker, including time donation to other speakers.
For the full May 1-2 agenda and links to background reports, go to MyFWC.com/Commission and select "Commission Meetings." Those who cannot attend can follow coverage at Twitter.com/MyFWC (@MyFWC) and join in the conversation by using the #FWC2019 hashtag. Check the Florida Channel for possible live video coverage at TheFloridaChannel.org.


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The truth about the Kermit Gosnell trial, murdering negro abortionist ignored by the liberal media.
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Closing arguments are expected next week in the trial of Dr.
Kermit Gosnell, the late-term Philadelphia abortionist. As the
trial nears conclusion media coverage of the gruesome testimony
in the case has intensified.
A coordinated effort by pro-life bloggers and citizens on
Twitter managed to break through a mass media cone of silence,
and now commentators across the political and pro-life/pro-
choice spectrum are offering their perspectives.
Some of those perspectives are startling. So, too, are some of
the omissions about the entire chain of events � 40 years long
and counting � that Gosnell represents.
Among the startling responses is the claim that anti-abortion
policies produced Gosnell�s depredations.
In a piece for Slate magazine�s �MoneyBox� blog, Matthew
Yglesias declares his sympathy with the view that Gosnell is the
logical residue of a legal and business culture in which there
are few late-term abortion providers: �Making it difficult to
establish an above-board competitive marketplace with multiple
legal providers of late-term abortion facilities ensures that
the demand for the procedure will be pushed into low-quality
channels.� (A rare example, by the way, of a liberal
commentator embracing a robust health care marketplace and
linking quality to it.)
Apart from its cold calculus, this perspective on Gosnell
overlooks the more basic reason why there isn�t a thriving
marketplace of doctors willing to kill babies nearly or fully
capable of living outside the womb: The practice itself is in
no way one of the arts of medicine.
Few are drawn to it because few people with rarefied medical
skills see the fulfillment of their years of training in
wrenching apart a baby limb from limb.
For mothers and babies alike, the stories emerging from the
Gosnell trial are dark, bloody and remorseful, a repudiation of
what health and happiness should be.
Put more simply, what Gosnell was doing was objectively wrong
and obviously hurtful.
Moreover, lawlessness � and not a set of pro-life laws � is what
gave birth to Gosnell�s crimes, and that spirit of lawlessness,
of no limits and no scruples, dates back to the period before
Roe. v. Wade.
Tim Carney of the Washington Examiner has laid out in detail how
Gosnell vaulted into public view in 1972 through his involvement
in another gruesome episode, the �Mother�s Day Massacre.�
In full view of public television cameras, Gosnell brought 15
poor Chicago women to Philadelphia to undergo second-trimester
abortions induced by inserting a mass of razor-sharp plastic
coils into their wombs.
The so-called �super coil� method was the invention of Harvey
Karman, an ex-con with a diploma-mill Ph.D., who was a darling
of International Planned Parenthood.
That Gosnell was able to participate in a highly publicized
event that left nine of its 15 �subjects� with major medical
complications and suffer no penalty was a harbinger of the path
he would take over four decades.
Legal abortion resembles the back alley because the two
overlapped to an overwhelming degree.
In the early days of legal abortion, Mary Calderone, at the time
national medical director of Planned Parenthood, reported an
estimate that 90 percent of illegal abortionists pre-Roe were,
in fact, physicians. Then-Planned Parenthood president Alan
Guttmacher�s estimate was 80 percent.
The miracles of modern perinatology, the ability to save the
lives of babies born as early as 24 weeks� gestation, the
marvels of fetal surgery that have inspired specialties at
children�s hospitals across the country, including
Philadelphia�s pioneering unit � these are the spires and sinews
of medical progress.
The Gosnell trial is a stark reminder of another fact. The
women who entered the infernal portal of 3801 Lancaster Ave
suffered from an array of debilities, chief among them the
absence of hope.
In a sex-saturated society availed of an arsenal of pregnancy-
preventing and �destroying drugs, devices and, yes, abortion
clinics, they turned to a facility that should have shocked and
repelled them from the moment they saw its battered and blood-
stained environs.
Some would argue that their neighborhoods lack enough family
planning centers; more importantly, they lack enough families.
There is a relationship poverty that runs deeper than any other
kind. Low expectations can be a hard form of bigotry.
Despite this, in the neighborhood of Kermit Gosnell there were
advanced hospitals, Catholic pregnancy and adoption services,
and two pregnancy care centers: clean, well-lit places where
they and their children would have been valued and cared for.
Do we need more such centers, more highlighting of their work,
more funding? Yes, and we need more obstetricians as well, and
reform of a tort law system that is driving out quality
physicians by the hundreds and leaving in place some whose
victims are too impoverished and too ashamed to sue them.
Incredibly, part of the agenda of NARAL is to drive pregnancy
care centers out of business or block their advertising. They
label them �fake clinics.�
Meanwhile, the Obama administration continues to pursue its over-
the-top �preventive services mandate,� fully aware that one of
its primary effects may be to close religious hospitals that
care for millions of America�s poor and hundreds of thousands of
expectant mothers.
Building multiple late-term abortion clinics in search of a
bazaar of absolute choice is the last thing our nation�s poor
neighborhoods need.
We would do well instead to seek a new birth of compassion,
reinvestment of time and energy in the Hippocratic ideal of
�doing no harm,� and the affirmation of the equal value of every
human life.
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Maine goalie Bishop signs with St. Louis Blues, forgoes senior season
ORONO, Maine - Maine goalie Ben Bishop signed with his hometown St. Louis Blues and will forgo his senior season.
The university said Bishop, selected by the Blues in the third round of the 2005 NHL draft, signed with St. Louis on Tuesday night. He will play with Peoria of the AHL for the rest of the season.
Bishop, of Des Peres, Mo., went 55-35-7 with a 2.29 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage during his career with Maine.


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The UAW's Grand New Bargain and the Future of Organized Labor
Even in its diminished state, the UAW is still a leading indicator of middle class security. What does its latest deal tell us about what a 21st century middle-class manufacturing job looks like?
In the flurry of headlines about Netflix's stock price and Europe's debt crisis, it was easy to miss the news, but last week, the American auto-industry quietly embarked on an experiment that could help define the future of the middle class.
On Oct. 26, the United Auto Workers ratified a new, four-year labor contract with Chrysler, capping off the union's negotiations with Detroit's three big automakers. There were no huge surprises in the agreements, but in light of Detroit's long history of labor dysfunction, the new contracts are a thing of wonder. Here are the new rules of the road: The unions' fortunes are tied to the companies' fortunes. If the companies profit, the workers profit. If the companies stumble, they can break the promises they can't afford
In other words, the automakers and the UAW have done something shocking. They have embraced common sense.
This may sound like a middling achievement. But it's the kind of arrangement that once seemed like a pipe-dream in Detroit. And if it works, it just might point the way to what a middle-class manufacturing job looks like in a post-recession America.
To get a sense of how big a change the new contracts represent, it helps to review a little bit of history. The automakers and the UAW have a long and tortured relationship that almost sank them both.
From its origin in the 1930s to its peak at 1.5 million members in the 1970s, the UAW rose to prominence by approaching labor-management relations as trench warfare. It won recognition from GM with a grueling 94-day strike in 1936. In clash known in union lore as "The Battle of the Running Bulls," workers used spare auto parts to fend off club-wielding police officers who had come to chase them out of an occupied factory.
Over time, the violence waned. But labor-management relations didn't get any more cordial. As late as 1998, the UAW waged a possibly illegal strike against GM that, according to Paul Ingrassia's Crash Course, dropped overall U.S. industrial output by a full percentage point. The casus belli? GM had attempted to move some machinery out of a metal-processing plant.
By negotiating doggedly and striking ruthlessly, the UAW won increasingly generous contracts for its members in the heyday of the American middle class. The higher wages, health benefits, and guaranteed pensions it secured for autoworkers helped set the standard for the rest of the country. But some of the UAW's victories would also play a role in the auto industry's near downfall. The contracts saddled Detroit's auto companies with tens of billions in retiree health costs. They required base levels of employment that bore no relationship to the market. Perhaps most notoriously, they created a "jobs bank," which allowed some laid off workers to collect 95% of their wages while waiting for a new job on the factory floor.
All of that came to a head in 2007. As high gas prices ravaged sales of trucks and sport utility vehicles--Detroit's bread and butter--Ford, GM, and Chrysler began winning major concessions from their workers. Their biggest coup was an agreement to move retiree health costs off their own books and into a trust fund controlled by the UAW, which was funded by capped payments from the companies.
As we all now know, though, the changes came too late for GM and Chrysler, which both ended up in bankruptcy.
The UAW went into this year's contract talks with the deck largely stacked against it. On the one hand, the car companies were returning to profitability (even Chrysler, the perrenial sick man of Detroit, posted a $212 million profit in the third quarter). But the shaky economy gave the car companies leverage, because neither side wanted negotiations to end in the death of American Auto. As part of their bankruptcy deals in 2009, the UAW had also given up the right to strike against Chrysler or GM during this round of talks.
Still, the union didn't come away empty-handed. Its big prizes included pledges by the three automakers to create or retain a combined 20,000 jobs in the United States and to invest roughly $13 billion into upgrading and retooling their American manufacturing plants. In the process, companies agreed to bring work back to the states from Mexico and China. Hourly workers also won signing bonuses worth several thousand dollars and profit-sharing plans worth as much as $12,000 a head. The union did agree to keep in place a controversial two-tiered wage system, put in place in 2007, that pays new hires significantly less than older workers, but it also convinced the companies to increase their entry-level wage to nearly $20 an hour, up from around $15.
That's the simplified version. In reality, some of the headline-grabbing figures are a bit more complicated. Take the promises on jobs. As Kristin Dziczek, an analyst at the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Center for Automotive Research, explained to me, the number 20,000 "is sort of a broad-brush, colloquial way of approaching it." If the companies do better than projected, there could be more hiring. If the economy stumbles into recession again and profits evaporate, it could be less. And even with the current projections, we might not be talking about a net of 20,000 brand new workers--rather, some of the "new" jobs may simply replace positions lost to attrition, or go to workers whose plants close.
That complexity is a pain for newspaper writers, but it's a great thing for the industry. A flexible, market-oriented contract is going to be big on if's. But in the big picture, the new contract means that if Detroit's automakers expand, they'll do it in the U.S. In the meantime, management gets to tell investors that labor costs stay stable. It's as close to a win-win as anybody could expect.
The question is whether it's sustainable.
Right now, a large chunk of the UAW's rank and files aren't happy with their deal. Without the ability to strike, workers at GM and Chrysler had little choice but to swallow the contract. But experienced workers chafed at the lack of a base wage increase or cost-of-living hikes. Many still resented the two-tier wage structures. A full 45% of Chrysler's* workers voted against it. And during early voting at Ford, where the union did have the option of striking, it seemed possible that the rank and file would turn the contract down entirely, before it was eventually ratified 63% in favor to 37% against. Many workers expressed outrage that they weren't being offered more after CEO Alan Mulally took home $26.5 million in 2010, along with $56.6 million in stock.
Will those angry workers be mollified by profit-sharing and market-based job pledges? It's too early to know. But Gerald Meyers, a former auto industry executive and professor at The University of Michigan, told me that the next four years would be pivotal.
"I think this feel-good relationship is perishable," he said. "The next contract negotiation is going to determine whether the UAW goes back to fire eating labor management or if it continues on this track."
The UAW's leadership has its own incentive to make the arrangement work. As Reuters reported in September, the union is facing financial trouble, thanks in part to the hit its dues-paying membership has taken over the past decade. The union lost more than 300,000 from its ranks during the recession. Of its current 376,612 members, fewer than a third work for Ford, GM, and Chrysler.
To expand, the UAW is looking towards the Japanese manufacturers that operate car plants in the American South. Workers at those factories are traditionally hostile to unions. To try and overcome that aversion, union President Bob King has promoted the idea of a new "21st Century UAW" that knows how to protect workers while creating a healthier company. Making the new agreements with Detroit work out would be an important step in making that image stick.
But beyond the interests of the unions or the companies, the American public should be rooting for these contracts to work out, too. The economy doesn't run on cars anymore, but auto manufacturing is still a pillar of the country's industrial base, and auto-jobs are still the gold standard for middle-class manufacturing work. That means the UAW, even in its diminished state, can still play the role of pathbreaker in the American labor movement. The union fought for a vision of the middle class that collapsed, in part, under the weight of its own successes. But the vision in these new contracts is different. The new UAW worker is someone with better-than-average job security who shares in the profits when their employer succeeds. That's a sustainable vision for America middle-class that the union would do well to spread.
*An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that 45% of GM's workers voted against their new contract.


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We just got back from our Memorial Day weekender to Las Vegas. The drive (without traffic) is normally around three hours with the fifth wheel from our home in Victorville, CA (Mojave Desert). We were able to maintain that pace by leaving for the trip early on Saturday (instead of Friday afternoon) and return on Monday morning (leaving Las Vegas at 7:30am).
For our accommodations, we tried out the Oasis Las Vegas RV Resort. This is the first time we had ever actually stayed in Las Vegas with the RV. since we normally push on to Utah as our first stop. Here are a few images I took of the Oasis:
The family had a great time, and I would recommend to anyone wanting to spend a few days away in Las Vegas. If you are traveling to the strip, it was not uncommon to see cabs and Uber picking up people at all times. In addition, a grocery store and gas station are just a block away.
Happy Travels!!!!


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Another Successful Hixson Golf Outing
On Saturday, September 21, nine foursomes of Hixson associates attempted their best Rory McIlroy impressions during the 14th Annual Hixson Associate Golf Outing. Held at the California Golf Course in Cincinnati near the banks of the mighty Ohio River, the intrepid Hixson golfers forged through the course's "gentle sloping terrain" (aka hills!) for 18 holes in the beautiful 90° weather (plus humidity!). In the end, not everyone was able to replicate Rory's perfection in their games, but participants had a great time hanging out with their co-workers.
The Hixson Associate Golf Outing is one of many opportunities that our associates have to spend time with their co-workers having fun independent of the traditional workday activities. Apply for one of our open positions today and you could join us in the golf outing next year!
Hixson at 70: The Happy Hour Comes to Hixson
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Guido Burger
Guido Burger is Digital Transformation Executive at Salesforce and leads IoT based ideation engagements with focus on business value. He excels with expert point of view and transformational leadership. With over 15 years of experience in IoT he continues being a maker and innovator. He is a guest author for the Bosch ConnectedWorld Blog.


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US backs out of global oil anti-corruption effort
The Trump administration said Thursday it would exit an international effort to fight corruption that targeted revenue from oil and natural gas extraction.
The U.S. will no longer participate in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a global initiative that requires member nations to disclose their revenues from oil, gas and mining assets, according to Reuters.
Under the agreement, the U.S. was required to reveal all the revenue it received from oil, gas and mining companies, and required those companies to publicly disclose the payments they make to the U.S. and other governments.
Gregory Gould, director of the U.S. Office of Natural Resources Revenue, sent a letter to the EITI's board on Thursday announcing that the U.S. would exit the agreement "effective immediately."
"It is clear that domestic implementation of EITI does not fully account for the U.S. legal framework," Gould wrote in his letter.
Democrats and nonprofits ripped the move as a sign that the Trump administration was choosing big business over transparency.
"It's very disappointing. It sends such a terrible signal overseas for what we stand for," an adviser at the Natural Resource Governance Institute told Reuters.
The U.S. joined the agreement in 2011 after a joint effort from Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and former Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.).
The two issued a joint statement on Thursday calling the move to exit the agreement an example of "Big Oil and Gas' money and influence" and "a painful abdication of American leadership on transparency and good governance."
"This is a disappointing, backwards step," EITI's board chair, Fredrik Reinfeldt, said in a statement.
"The EITI is making important gains in global efforts to address corruption and illicit financial flows. It's important that resource-rich countries like the United States lead by example."