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This past winter (2011-2012), as was the case the two previous winters, juvenile pistachio trees (i.e. trees 1 to 6 years old) demonstrated considerable blackening of the trunk, gumming, early leaf-out and dieback in a number of orchards in the southern San Joaquin Valley. The purpose of this newsletter is to share some of the current thinking on the cause of the problem and what might be effective in reducing the incidence in the future. The timing of the release of this newsletter is important. Observations made last winter in low-elevation orchards with high sodium levels suggested that shutting off the irrigation water beginning in late August and not reirrigating until January or later may reduce the incidence and severity of winter juvenile tree dieback (WJTD).
Description of the Problem
Juvenile pistachio trees appear to be in excellent health as they go into fall dormancy. Initial winter juvenile tree dieback occurs sometime in the time period between early November and spring leaf out in trees one to six years old. Leaves on branches affected before the trees begin to defoliate in the fall remain attached to the branch delaying leaf drop. Black mold may grow on damaged bark, especially on the trunk between the lower portions of the scaffold branches and the graft union. The rootstock does not usually demonstrate mold growth. These moldy areas will appear wet. Often white beads or small ribbons of dried sap, apparently originating fairly shallowly in the bark, are visible on the outside of the tree in the moldy areas. Initially, in the moldy areas of the tree, there appears to be little if any damage to the bark and cambium layer below the outer skin of the bark. Trees showing mold growth and gumming may leaf out earlier than unaffected trees. Later, in early spring, more severe dieback of the branches may become apparent in some of the trees showing the most pronounced of these early symptoms. The dieback begins at the branch tips and affected areas of the scion and rootstock. Most of these trees that demonstrate this gumming, blackening bark and early leaf-out recover quickly, and show little short or long-term damage.
However, the worst WJTD occurs in trees showing none of the early symptoms described above. Damage to these trees is not obvious until May, when they begin to leaf out after the first run of warm to hot spring temperatures. In trees third-leaf or older, the new growth, typically may push only from the lower scion or rootstock and this growth occurs later than in unaffected trees. Affected 1st and 2nd leaf trees may simply die without pushing any new growth. Some affected trees show minimal dieback, while many trees in the worst affected blocks die back to the rootstock, or the entire tree is killed. Kerman, Peters, Kalehghouchi and Golden Hills cultivars growing on UCB1, UCB1-clonal material, and PGI rootstocks have been affected. Reported incidences of WJTD increase greatly soon after extended freeze events.
Additional observations of WJTD
Additional observations of WJTD are as follows:
a) trees go into dormancy apparently vigorous and healthy;
b) topographically low-elevation orchards have most, but by no means all, of the WJTD, but damaged trees are often not in the lowest areas of a given orchard;
c) rootstock starch concentrations are much higher during early spring at leaf out in WJTD trees than in unaffected trees;
d) high sodium levels in the soil and water, and soil characteristics such as presence of hardpans, appear to increase WJTD;
e) sodium concentration is highly elevated, when measured in mid-May, in the scion and rootstock bark of WJTD-severely affected trees growing in salt-impacted soils;
f) the scion is usually more adversely affected than the rootstock, but the entire tree may be killed;
g) A tree with WJTD is often immediately adjacent to an unaffected tree, although typically, affected trees appear in clumps;
h) Trees uninjured the previous year may be injured the subsequent year.
i.) juvenile trees are much more susceptible to WJTD than are bearing trees, and usually third, fourth, and fifth leaf trees appear most at risk.
j.) the most vigorous rootstocks, cultivars and growth stages of the pistachio tree appear most susceptible to WJTD.
Probable cause
Probable cause
The cause of WJTD is probably freeze damage, although freeze damage has not been proven and the extreme variability in symptoms within an orchard remains puzzling. Considerable debate remains about the cause of the WJTD and how much of the problem may be related to salinity or disease. I will discuss what I think is happening and what the grower might do if contemplating planting new pistachios or managing existing juvenile pistachio trees, especially at a low-elevation location where cold drainage may be more of a problem. This hypothesis is based on many discussions and initial research results involving a number of crop consultants, growers, and my coworkers in UCCE, with special involvement of Blake Sanden, Irrigation and Soils Farm Advisor in Kern County, and crop consultants Carl Gwilliams, Mike Harvey, Carl Fanucchi, Alan Scroggs and others. I would like to stress that many of whom would likely disagree with some to many of my deductions. Discovering the cause of WJTD remains a work in progress. The following discussion is provided with the important caveat that future research may change the exact cause and corrective recommendations considerably.
Current hypothesis and reasoning
Winter juvenile tree dieback is not new to the San Joaquin Valley. In the past, we have called this problem freeze damage. What is new is the extent of the problem. I believe the problem has become bigger because more pistachio trees are being planted in low-elevation areas of the San Joaquin Valley at the same time that we have had several low-rainfall years. Cold air drains into low elevation areas, and low rainfall translates into reduced fog. The absence of fog means drier air with low dew point temperatures. Dry air means temperatures get colder faster in the evening, resulting in lower lows and longer durations of cold temperatures, with much more potential to damage vigorously growing young trees. The most obvious cause of the dieback during the winter is freeze damage. Reports of WJTD always spikes shortly after a major early freeze event. Investigations of WJTD affected trees for disease and the soil for harmful levels of heavy metals, have found nothing suggesting these are causal factors. Juvenile trees are affected at both low elevations and high elevations, as long as freezing temperatures are present.
I believe a large part of the WJTD problem is associated with the rootstocks currently used in the pistachio industry, specifically, the P. integerrima component. This observation does not mean that we need to throw these rootstocks out! The discovery by University of California researchers that Pistacia integerrima was resistant to Verticillium Wilt disease was of tremendous importance to the California pistachio industry. The lack of resistance to Verticillium Wilt disease in the existing rootstocks of the time, was allowing Verticillium Wilt to destroy the industry. Trees are still dying from Verticillium Wilt in San Joaquin Valley orchards planted to P. atlantica and what is called P. terebinthus in California. Rootstocks with Pistacia integerrima have been and will continue to be a critical component of the California pistachio industry. However, P. integerrima is not a perfect match for the San Joaquin Valley, which is to be expected, since this species of pistachio is adapted to a relatively high elevation, subtropical area of the Indian subcontinent. Juvenile P. Vera scions (i.e. the commercial nut bearing portion of the tree) such as 'Kerman' grafted onto rootstocks having P. integerrima heritage, do not appear well-suited to respond to environmental cues that winter is approaching. These cues include shorter day length and reduced night-time temperatures. If water is available, these trees continue to grow vigorously into the fall and winter, since temperatures remain warm throughout the fall. In fact, trees on our commonly used rootstocks, no matter which one, do not appear to go fully dormant until the end of December. In general, we have observed in orchards planted to various rootstocks, that the greater the amount of P. integerrima heritage, the greater the susceptibility to frost damage.
Some qualitative starch analysis of the rootstock of unaffected and trees with WJTD conducted after leaf-out in 2011, demonstrated that unaffected trees contained almost no starch below the graft union either in the trunk or roots, while severely impacted trees were loaded with starch. This suggests that all of the trees in the orchard were healthy going into the winter, and had stored large amounts of starch in the scion trunk, roots and above ground portions of the rootstock. The trees not damaged by frost were able to mobilize these starch reserves in the spring and use them to produce a new leaf canopy. Starch stored in trees that had died back, and now had too few unfrozen growing points left, remained stored in the rootstock instead of being used to make a new leaf canopy. In some frost-damaged trees, there was a clear line of demarcation between no starch in the scion directly above the graft union and a large concentration of starch in the rootstock directly below the graft union.
The clear line of demarcation at the graft union also suggests that the graft union, the place where P. integerrima melds with P. vera, is a weak point with respect to frost tolerance. In Montana and Minnesota, where the temperatures get very cold, it is very difficult for any grafted landscape plants to survive the winters. In cold climates, the graft union is a point of weakness in susceptibility to frost. The xylem (i.e. the water conducting tissues) are the most susceptible structures in the trunk to frost damage and the xylem vessels most at risk appear in the tree appear to be those at the graft. In freeze-damaged orchards, it is not uncommon to see rootstocks regrowing, minus the scion, which has died. Starch reserves in the insulated roots below ground level, allowed the rootstock to regrow. The P. vera scion did not have that option. As part of my research efforts in the past, I have been involved in a number of seedling breeding plots, where P. vera are grown on their own roots. I have not seen a P. vera tree on its own roots dieback as a result of frost damage.
How cold temperatures become and when the low temperatures occur in the fall appears to dictate symptoms. Freeze damage can be roughly divided into two types - 'mild' and 'severe'.
Mild WJTD
For vigorously growing young trees, temperatures just below freezing in late October or mid-November appear to be sufficient to freeze small-diameter shoots and branches. Typical symptoms include black mold, bark wetness and white gum on the lower scaffold branches and trunk above the graft union and are observable shortly after the freeze event. These symptoms appear to only be associated with juvenile trees that have not yet entered dormancy in the fall. Once the trees have dropped leaves and are in the initial stages of entering dormancy, freeze damage is probably not observable until leaf-out in the spring. If the freeze occurs before leaf drop, which is usually the case with mild WJTD, the leaves of frozen branches remain on the tree and are very distinctive after the leaves of unfrozen branches lose their leaves. Trees showing these symptoms in the fall often leaf-out and flower, if old enough, earlier in the spring than unaffected trees. However, with the first string of hot days in May, affected outer branches may die back, unable to keep up with the transpirational requirements as a result of damage to the vascular tissue. However, frequently, no die back occurs and the tree will grow normally.
Severe WJTD
Severe WJTD appears to occur after mid-November through mid December. Usually temperatures do not drop low enough, even at low elevations, prior to mid-November to cause severe WJTD. Trees severely affected by WJTD in late November or mid-December do not exhibit attached leaves, mold growth and gumming after the freeze event. These trees, however, are even more heavily damaged than those showing symptoms, and may only leaf-out from the lower scion and rootstock of the trunk in the spring, well after the unaffected trees have produced a normal canopy of leaves. For trees to be severely damaged by frost, temperatures usually fall to 22 ºF , with temperatures below freezing for an extended part of a night during the period from late November through mid-December. Please note that temperatures discussed in this article were measured at four (4) feet above ground level. In the early morning, before sunrise, temperatures one (1) foot above ground level in areas were cold air ponds, can be three to four degrees F. colder than those measured at 4 feet. Generally, trees appear to be dormant enough by late December, that they are no longer easily damaged by frost.
The chart above was prepared from temperature data measured 4 to 5 feet above ground level in two 5th-leaf orchards during the night of December 6-7, 2012. On several other nights in early December, temperatures fell to similar levels. The trees in the warmer orchard showed no WJTD, while those in the colder orchard had approximately 20% severe WJTD.
Development of dormancy
Development of dormancy
The reason for differences seen in freeze-related symptoms appears to be related to the stages a tree goes though in becoming dormant. Dormancy should be thought of as a time of reduced metabolic activity not as a time of no metabolic activity. Most trees from colder climates become dormant beginning at the outer periphery of the tree and then sequentially toward the trunk. In late October or early November, no part of the tree is dormant, and freeze damage is dependent on the diameter of the wood. By late November to mid-December, the outer branches have begun to go dormant, so do not appear to be damaged by extended low temperatures as much as the scaffold branches and trunk, which have not yet begun dormancy. Generally, then, the cause of the dieback, is damage to the water-conducting vessels, as a result of cold temperatures. Basically, the tree dies back due to dehydration, or inability to supply water for maintenance and growth of the tree.
In many plants, when a plant part is damaged or wounded by something like frost, mechanical damage, an herbivore, or insect infestation; ethylene (a plant growth regulator) is released by damaged cells. Ethylene induces a stress response in the plant, which results in cells adjacent to the wound site sealing of the damaged area. For example, parenchyma cells associated with the xylem create tyloses, which affectively seal off the xylem, preventing excessive loss of water by the plant. Interestingly, applying ethephon to the canopy and trunk of a pistachio tree at concentrations greater than 500 ppm before it is dormant appears to mimic the symptoms of gumming and early leaf out, seen in mildly frozen pistachio trees. If a tree is frozen, but not so badly that the upper canopy is destroyed, we would expect to see early leaf-out as a symptom as leaf and flower buds are affected by the ethylene gas being released by damaged cells. Trees that do not show the early symptoms of bark blackening, early leaf-out and gumming, but only sprout from the lower trunk in May, have probably been so badly damaged by frost, that the cells of the tree are no longer able to respond to wound-related plant growth regulators, or the frost damage occurred later, and the tree was sufficiently dormant that cells were no longer responding to ethylene.
Trees that are less than one-year old and up to 2nd leaf, when frost affected, are often killed outright by the frost. The rootstock is killed, followed shortly by the scion. The trees usually begin dying back in May with the first warm temperatures and the dry or drying leaves will be obvious from a distance. At this time, if you scratch the bark, the bark of the rootstock will be gray to black, while that of the scion will still be green. There appears to be insufficient root mass and carbohydrate storage in very young trees to support regrowth of suckers, and the rootstock dies. Older trees, with there more extensive root systems, appear to have sufficient carbohydrate reserves to survive and push new suckers which the grower can graft to, to regrow the tree. In general, it may be easier to encourage dormancy in very young trees, since they have not yet developed extensive root systems, and are more susceptible to drought-induced reductions in vigor and earlier dormancy.
As mentioned above, excessive tree vigor going into fall appears to have a strong association with WJTD. Trees older than seven or eight years appear to be largely immune from the problem, but, of course, if temperatures get cold enough, anything can freeze. Perhaps bearing large yields of nuts or prolific amounts of pollen reduces tree vigor, or something about the rhythmicity of the bearing cycle once fully established, allows trees to become dormant earlier.
The Kalehghouchi variety is probably the most vigorously growing cultivar we have. We noticed this season at a couple of sites, that this cultivar appears to be slightly more freeze susceptible than other cultivars growing adjacent to it. Also, we have noticed that trees that are fully irrigated late into the season appear to be more at risk of WJTD. Juvenile pistachio trees show very little sign of entering dormancy on their own if sufficient water is available. In the San Joaquin Valley, there is often very little transition in temperature in the fall. Temperatures can easily be in exess of 80º F in October and early November and suddenly fall to below freezing, especially in lower elevation areas. The variability of the degree of WJTD in an orchard may reflect differences in individual tree vigor within the orchard.
High soil salinity, especially in association with low-soil calcium appears to be associated with WJTD. However, soils do not have to be saline for WJTD to occur. Separating the effects of salinity from late-season soil-water storage is difficult. Areas with high salinity are usually associated with silty, poorly draining soils and shallow hardpan or high water tables. Poorly draining areas of the field, also tend to be saline, since it is more difficult to leach salts in these areas. Low calcium in plants has been associated in the literature with increased sensitivity to frost for a number of plant species including trees. Differences in calcium concentration between affected and unaffected plant parts has been found in our testing, but this may simply be the result of sodium being higher in poorly drained areas of the field where greater damage is found. Since pistachio excludes salts from its cells, we have been unable to establish much difference in plant sodium concentration between plant parts of affected and unaffected trees shortly after a freeze event when the trees begin showing the first symptoms. The concentration of sodium is much higher in the bark and outer wood near the cambium of the trunk of WJTD trees in May after leaf out. However, bark sodium concentration does not appear to be higher shortly after the freeze event. This suggests that sodium is leaking out of the frozen xylem vessels in the trunk and into the wood and bark as the flow in the xylem responds to the increased transpirational demand on the tree in the spring, and is not higher in these tissues prior to the freeze event.
Reduce incidence of WJTD
Reduce tree vigor through reduced late season irrigation
Reducing the vigor of the trees by making sure that the root zone is dry prior to the arrival of freezing temperature appears to be an effective counter measures to WJTD. On deeper, heavier soils, the last irrigation should probably occur about the third week of August. On shallower, lighter soils the grower can probably wait longer and may want to reduce water more slowly. Cutting off the water will reduce late-season growth, but not as much as some fear. Don't try to make up for a late planting or budding by pushing the trees into the fall, especially in a low-elevation area. Not getting the tree up the stake the first season is not the end of the world. Cutting of the irrigation water really means cutting off the water. Since pistachio trees, on the existing rootstocks, do not appear to become anything like fully dormant until the end of December, do not irrigate until January, once you shut off the water in August. In saline areas, wait until the new year to begin leaching salt. Current observations suggest the tree is more in danger of frost, than salt. Of course, in a high rainfall year, cutting off irrigation will be less effective, since the orchard may remain wet. However, wet air associated with precipitation, is more difficult to cool, and frost is less of a problem. Additionally, as was the case for the 2011 crop year which was harvested late, reducing irrigation too much too early could reduce the split nut percentage in 5th leaf trees and older that are in their early nut-bearing years.
The reason that first and second-leaf trees appear less at risk from WJTD than slightly older trees is that their root systems are not that well established yet under drip systems, and the tree may be able to be put into drought quicker by irrigation shutoff.
Reduce tree vigor through nitrogen management
Do not over apply nitrogen to juvenile trees. Test the soil to see how much nitrogen is present and then estimate how much to add so that little N remains in the soil at the end of the season. Pistachio is an effective scavenger of nitrogen due to its extensive root system so a margin exists if your nitrogen application is too low. Cut off nitrogen applications in late June or early July. In deep, heavy soils that store large volumes of water, it may be difficult to encourage earlier dormancy through water stress. This is especially true for 5th or 6th leaf trees that will be harvested and are being fully irrigated in August and September to encourage shell splitting. For these older juvenile trees, nitrogen management, other than defoliation, may be the only tool available to reduce tree vigor in the fall.
Avoid budding late-planted rootstocks late
Trying to get newly planted trees grafted and up the stake may be a mistake in low elevation areas. If you bud them late, you will have to irrigate the trees late to ensure the buds take. This places trees at increased risk from freezing. It may be better to hold off budding until next year, and reduce irrigation earlier, to decrease tree vigor.
Choice of rootstock
Rootstocks that by heritage contain 50% P. integerrima and 50% P. atlantica heritage appear to be more frost tolerant. These rootstocks would include UCB1 seedlings, Duarte clones, and Pioneer Platinum clones. However, choice of rootstock is not enough. All of these rootstocks are vigorous and additional measures will be required.
Leaf canopy defoliation
Early defoliation with foliar zinc sulfate sprays or by some other means has been suggested as a means of encouraging dormancy for many years. However, trying to find scientific research supporting this practice in pistachio has not been easy. It does make sense that defoliating the tree should send a message to the tree to slow down. Since freeze events can occur, especially at low elevations at the end of October, trees should probably be defoliated in mid-October. Defoliation should be done in conjunction with soil drying. We don't want to defoliate too early, as the leaves may regrow, which may reinvigorate the tree, creating a condition that we are trying to avoid. We have be experimenting with defoliating trees, but have not yet found optimum conditions to determine how well defoliation works on its own, separate from the effects of soil drying. Having a dry root zone and a defoliated canopy should take the vigor out of even the most stubborn tree.
Tree Wraps?
Research conducted last year demonstrated that tree wraps may have some use in protecting the portion of the tree covered by the wrap. Tree wraps composed of ¾ inch, closed cell, black foam, tightly fit to the trunk with black Gorilla tape kept the trunk approximately 4ºF warmer, 12 inches above ground level than the outside temperature. Protect the graft union if possible.
What to do if the trees freeze?
Previous experience has shown that the trunks, including the rootstock and scion, of frozen trees, may sunburn in the spring, after the loss of the shading canopy. Whitewash the trunk, especially on the south and west sides of the tree, to prevent sunburn.
Do not try to prune the tree during the winter or early spring. Damaged trees will likely continue to die back during the hotter temperatures of May and June. By late May or June, you should have a pretty good idea if a tree is worth saving.
If the tree has died back to the lower trunk, it is probably best to replace the tree or rebud on a sucker originating from below ground level. Often the trunks are severely damaged, and a stronger tree will likely result if no old scar tissue exists between the producing canopy and the roots.
Trying to rebud a severely WJTD-affected tree too high up the damaged rootstock will likely result in a tree with reduced future bearing potential. Trees that have lost the leaf canopy are susceptible to sunburn in May and June. Whitewash trunks to reduce sunburn in late spring and summer.


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GREENVILLE, Ill. -- The men's basketball team was victorious 89-88 over MacMurray in a thrilling SLIAC conference battle. The Panthers were led by five players with 12 or more points, led by Obinna Agomo with 17, followed by Markeith Brown with 16, and K.J. Hilliard with 15. Rashod Seaton and Jonas McBride both pitched in for a vital 12 a piece.
Greenville was up 45-37 at halftime, but MacMurray turned it on in the second half only to have the Panthers buckle down to squeak out the win. Hilliard lead the team with eight rebounds but more importantly hit three clutch free throws to put the game out of reach for MacMurray.
The men's basketball team improved to 9-5 but more importantly 5-2 in SLIAC conference play. The Panthers will try and continue the momentum hosting Webster University on Saturday at 3 p.m.

subset: commoncrawl


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Photo courtesy of Hoover Color.
For the pigment industry, 2011 saw some growth, and while no one is certain of what will happen next, pigment suppliers believe there is reason for optimism.
"Due to continued, although slow, growth in the global economy, we have seen an upswing of the pigments market in 2011, but still not to pre-recession levels," said Mehran Yazdani, vice president, marketing, Performance Pigments, Sun Chemical. "That being said, we still face economic uncertainty due to the European financial crises and the slow U.S. economic recovery. As a leading global pigment manufacturer, we are optimistic that Sun Chemical Performance Pigments will overcome these global economic challenges and see continued growth for the pigments market in 2012."
Don McBride, COO, Heucotech Ltd. a Heubach Company, said that Heucotech experienced an increase in sales of pigments and pigment preparations to the ink industry in 2011.
"This growth occurred mainly due to longer term projects that were started before 2011 as well as our customers' success in gaining new business," Mr. McBride said. "We have worked extensively on providing our customers with product that meets or exceeds their quality requirements through our supply chain and manufacturing processes."
Joseph Perdue, marketing manager, North America (graphic arts) for Eckart America, said that 2011 was a challenging year for the ink and pigments industry, as well as for the printing industry in general.
"There were rising input costs early in the year and a delay in the ability to pass all of those increases on, whereby the net result, in general, was pressure on profitability," Mr. Perdue said. "However, considering the circumstances we were satisfied with the way our business has developed. The economy is even more unpredictable as evidenced by the last two years, which have shown us that strong and weak economic phases now follow one another in ever shorter cycles."
"The global recession has had a major impact on printing ink manufacturers, particularly on the publication and commercial ink side," said Alexis Capik, marketing manager at Spectra Colors. "One of the side effects of the recession is the increased rise in merger and acquisition activity among printers. We have seen a demand for solvent-based pigments as opposed to water-based pigments."
"The first half of 2011 showed strong growth, especially in the U.S. market," said William Gray, business manager of Sincol USA. "The second half has proven more challenging due to 'global issues' and sliding demand. Global sales were down sharply beginning third quarter, especially in Europe. U.S. sales have slowed dramatically in the fourth quarter."
"We have heard the pigment industry had a disappointing year," said Li Wu, technical director and co-owner of Trust Chem. "Trust Chem worldwide saw growth in the first half, and sales flattened in the second half. Trust Chem USA hadsignificant sales growth in 2011."
Frank Lavieri, general manager/executive vice president of Lansco Colors, said that Lansco Colors had a record year in 2011.
"In the first quarter of 2011, pigment shortages were an issue in the industry and Lansco was able to gain market share by stepping in to supply pigments when others could not," Mr. Lavieri noted. "This issue aside, Lansco Colors continues to grow and gain market share."
"Alex Color had a very good year in 2011, with a nearly 25% increase in sales over 2010," said Joe Alex, president of Alex Color Company. "Based on the new business we've recently developed, we expect equal or greater growth in 2012. We've added additional milling equipment in order to handle this increased demand for our aqueous pigment dispersions."
Badal Shah, president of Aakash Chemicals, said that Aakash Chemicals had a strong 2011.
"We saw 35% growth ink in the ink segment alone," Mr. Shah said. "There were a lot of mixed messages, but I think overall, the pigment market fared well in 2011 in comparison to the speculation that accompanied it."
Yash Chitnis, head, International business, Meghmani Organics Ltd., said that 2011 has been a very challenging year for the entire chemical Industry in India.
"The enhanced environmental norms compelled many manufacturing companies to cut down production by almost 30% to 50%," Mr. Chitnis said. "This created a big gap in the demand – supply chain.Further, the continuous upwardfluctuation in copper prices, the recent anti-dumping imposed in India on phthalicanhyride and increase in the cost of waste water treatment has increased the prices of finished phthalocyanine pigments substantially.
At Meghmani, we have strived to keep our ETP norms within the permissible limits," Mr. Chitnis added. "An investment of USD$3 million has been done in the last 18 months to meet the new environmental norms. We are working on lowest possible effluent discharge limits and should be able to achieve the same in the coming months. By the end of 2012, our new faciilty at Dahej - SEZ (Special Economic Zone) Gujarat will commence. This will enhance our CPC and pigment blues production by 40%. In the second phase we will manufacture classical azo pigments. We have invested close to $20 million in this CAPEX."
"The first half of 2011 was good for the pigment industry, the second half year of 2011, the pigment industry was much influenced by world economies," said Sam Lui of Hangzhou Colorful Pigment Co., Ltd. "Now both ink and pigment industries are falling into low profit times, and all the profits depend on the quantity."
"After several years of low demand, the carbon black industry rebounded in 2011 to a level where demand was at or near production capacity," said Greg King, vice president of sales and marketing for Sid Richardson Carbon Co. "This trend should continue, being fueled by new tire production capacity, which is estimated to increase carbon black demand as much as 84,000 metric tons per year."
"Solution Dispersions' sales to the graphic arts market were flat overall," said Jeff Randolph, SBU manager for Solution Dispersions. "We saw growth in the flexible packaging inks, and while corrugated inks were stable, there was a significant decline in publication inks (news print)."
"The biggest challenge we faced was escalating prices on dry carbon black as the domestic suppliers have reduced capacity and supply is now very tight on several key grades," Mr. Randolph added. "Also, the feedstock is petroleum-based material and is extremely volatile. It was difficult to pass on all the price increases in 2011. Like most suppliers we incurred margin erosion."
Signs of Improvement in the Market
Pigment manufacturers said they saw the printing ink market make gains throughout the year.
Mr. McBride said that 2011 showed more promise and consistency than in recent years with respect to activity level. "Heubach's recent technology advancements in pigments and preparations have opened more avenues as we compete in a very tough business climate," Mr. McBride added.
"We are seeing increases in select market segments and declines in others," Mr. Randolph said. "However, there has been some overall improvement as the economy has begun to show some signs of life."
Photo courtesy of Sid Richardson Carbon Co.
"We are seeing growth in the packaging market where, fortunately, we have a strong position based upon our variety of pigments, additives and resins for packaging formulations," Mr. Shah reported. "The overall pigment market in 2012 will not see much growth as North American economic forecasts are bleak."
"We see the ink industry, particularly the packaging ink industry, performing well," Mr. Lavieri noted.
"We expect 2012 to be down worldwide from 2011," Mr. Wu noted. "However, in the U.S., Trust Chem expects strong growth, especially in the ink industry."
"Without question, the Chinese domestic market will offer the greatest growth potential for organic pigments sales," Mr. Gray said.
"Regarding the recession, we haven't been affected at all," Mr. Alex said. "In fact, the vast majority of our customers had a very good year last year, as indicated by their significantly increased purchases from us."
"Union Colours continues to grow across all of our markets," said Phillip Myles, Union Colours' operations director. "However, we noticed some client demand fell in 2011, in particular there were signs of another round of destocking in Q4. Worst affected was the publication sector, while the packaging sector remained strong."
"Overall, Cappelle had a rather good year, but 2011 was a year with two faces," said Philippe Verhelle, product and marketing manager, Cappelle Pigments_NV. "Cappelle saw a very strong first quarter with exceptional growth, but that growth slowed in the second half of the year due to the Euro zone crisis and the uncertainty it brought to the market. 2011 is also a year with increasing competiveness after 2010, where everybody was struggling to catch up on availability after the former economic crisis of 2008-2009."
Digital ink technologies are proving to be an excellent opportunity for ink manufacturers.
"From what we hear from our ink customers, the inkjet industry has seen some very interesting developments in late 2010 and in 2011," Ms. Capik said. "Inkjet made strong surges into the screen printing industry in the last decade and specifically saw dramatic market share in the graphic arts markets. This was especially so in both outdoor and indoor graphics for wide format and super wide format printing."
"While Emerald has an extensive line of Black Shield dispersions and Foam Blast foam control products for printing applications, including offset and water-based inks, Emerald is focused on developing new pigment dispersions/dye products in the energy curable and digital area," John Erbeck, product line manager, Emerald Performance Materials, said, adding that the company is working on its new Lucida Colors line of energy curable dispersions for inks and coatings. "In the digital printing ink jet area, Emerald currently supplies Hilton Davis ink jet dyes. We are looking at this segment further to expand the range of products we supply."
"We feel that late in 2011, the industry began working through the disparity between rising input costs and appropriate pricing adjustments," Mr. Perdue said. "Therefore, we are cautiously optimistic about an improved environment for 2012. We believe metallic inks and pigments still offer growth opportunities for companies that are willing to look beyond the day-to-day and consider the wider picture of both the decorative and functional possibilities of metallic pigments and inks.
"Printed metallics remain a key differentiation factor for packaging and point of purchase displays," Mr. Perdue added. "Our society continues to be overwhelmed with choice in everything we buy, and metallics are a great way to catch the eye and also to improve the appeal of any product. There is also increasing interest in printing metallic effects as an alternative to foils and metalized substrates, particularly given the economic and environmental advantages metallic inks offer today."
"There was some optimism at the start of 2011 that moderate business growth would develop, but in general, demand stayed flat," said Steve Clark, technical director graphic arts for Schlenk Metallic Pigments. "The demand for metallic pigments and inks in some areas of the printing industry such as packaging has stayed strong. Metallics for commercial printing are still significantly below previous years."
The State of Raw Materials
Raw materials have been a major issue throughout the printing ink supply chain, and pigment manufacturers know all too well the pressures on both supply and cost.
Mr. Yazdani said that one key trend and challenge Sun Chemical Performance Pigments saw in 2011 was the sustained high costs of raw materials.
"After two years of rapid decline in demand, we saw a significant increase in demand in 2010 and 2011," Mr. Yazdani noted. "Unfortunately, due to raw material shortages and increased environmental and regulatory compliance costs, we saw a significant amount of cost increases in raw materials."
Mr. Yazdani believes that 2012 will see declining price increases for some ingredients as some new capacity comes on-stream.
"In 2012, we expect that the magnitude of supply issues that have led to these price increases will decline," Mr. Yazdani added. "Capacities for some raw materials should increase as incremental new capacity is restarted. However, where there are still fundamental imbalances in supply and demand, we would expect to see continued tightness in 2012. At Sun Chemical Performance Pigments, we continue to work on controlling our own costs closely with our supply chain partners, to improve our internal operations and to develop new value oriented products that can help customers grow their business. We will continue to invest in those areas that provide our customers with innovative products and services allowing them to be more competitive and present the best value propositions in the market."
"We are being impacted in that production times are longer, and of course, raw material costs are changing more frequently," Mr. Shah noted. "For some particular pigments, we anticipate shortages if demand remains constant or increases. A key raw material to watch moving forward is CPC crude and how it will effect phthalocyanine pigment pricing."
Pigment manufacturers have definitely felt the impact of higher raw material costs.
"We believe all companies have felt the impact of increased costs in almost every raw material," Mr. McBride noted. "Margins are not such that tiers of supply chain can absorb all of the upward adjustments in cost."
"With price increases on raw materials, we have tried to absorb as much as we can, but we are also forced to pass along part of our cost increases to our customers," Ms. Capik said.
Because capacity in the pigment industry has been reduced in recent years, Mr. Lavieri noted that supply disruptions have a quicker impact on the market.
Photo courtesy of Sincol USA.
Mr. Alex said that Alex Color was able to acquire pigments ahead of major price increases, which helped them keep costs down for the most part.
"With regard to pigment prices, we were somewhat affected by higher prices, especially with carbazole violet and also titanium dioxide," Mr. Alex said. "However, we purchased large quantities of these pigments before the price increases, and were therefore able to offer our customers only slightly higher prices. Now with carbazole violet prices coming down, the effect on the price spikes to our customers has been minimal."
"Like everybody else, Cappelle has felt the impact on higher prices and more difficult supply for some raw materials," Mr. Verhelle said. "This situation will not improve very fast as many raw materials are oil-based and due to the ever-rapidly changing market conditions in China. The question is how to counter these difficulties in the best way so that increases have as low as possible impact for the producer, and of course, the customer with regard to availability at the best possible price."Mr. Wu noted that there have been some declines in cost recently, but pigment manufacturers still have to be concerned about potential increases.
"In recent months we have seen some decline in the price of a few key raw materials, partly because of reduced demand," Mr. Wu reported. "However, selling price margins are tight and increases in demand or production problems could cause cost increases."
Supply remains a concern, as stricter environmental laws in China are leading to companies being closed.
"Supply is a big problem due to the increasingly strict pollution policy," Mr. Lui said. "We are worrying about some raw material supply, because China's local government is paying more attention to the chemical industries, and many chemical plants are facing either having to move or being shut down."
"Since Sincol USA is part of a major pigment producer in China, we are very aware of the challenges facing the pigment and chemical industry inside China," Mr. Gray said. "Environmental issues to the whole chemical industry in China will cause raw materials shortages and cost increases throughout 2012. Coupled with concerns over high inflation and continuing increases in labor cost, without a doubt the cost of organic pigments will continue to increase in 2012. Spot shortages of select Color Index pigments will increase as the consolidation and downsizing of traditional pigment suppliers continues in 2012."
Carbon black is a critical ingredient for black inks, and Mr. Randolph noted that supply is tight domestically.
"Carbon black is always our biggest concern," Mr. Randolph said. "As the supply has become tight domestically, we have begun to approve and source it on a global basis. Also, it has become necessary to implement price increases to insure we are a sustainable supplier for the future."
"New Brook International fared well in 2011," said Judith Goodwin, national sales manager, New Brook International. "We continue to be affected by higher raw material costs, especially the fluctuation in the metals market, since we sell both bronze and aluminum pigments. The additives used to make our pastes also need to be watched carefully so that we can price our pigments appropriately. As well, the cost of fuel is a key part of the structure of our business and as this escalates, we need to make sure that we remain profitable. Lack of container space has increased lead times from overseas, increasing the need for strong communication between supplier and customer."
Mr. Perdue noted that on the metallic side, raw material cost pressures and supply concerns were more prevalent in the first half of 2011.
"There has been a high degree of consolidation in the market, which has led to various challenges and changes in the supply of raw materials," Mr. Perdue added. "Both suppliers and customers remain very active in trying to identify lower cost alternatives. Although demand and the economy, in general, are less predictable today, with a strong global infrastructure in place, Eckart is very committed to ensuring continuity of supply and is well positioned to meet customers' ongoing requirements."
New Products
Printing ink formulators are continually developing new products for their customers, and pigments are critical to that development. As a result, pigment manufacturers are introducing a wide variety of new products for the ink market.
Mr. McBride noted that Heucotech continues to add more products to its VOC-free Aquis Plus line during the past few years.
"This VOC-free line of dispersions based on surfactant technology has provided us with more opportunities to enter into more specialty markets," Mr. McBride said. "The most recent product, RWP2381 – PR 269, has been successful with our customers. We will continue to add more products for higher performance applications."
Mr. Wu said that Trust Chem is working on a number of new products, particularly azo pigments.
"Trust Chem is expanding our line of azo condensation pigments from our JV factory, where we have increased capacity," Mr. Wu said. "We have also been successful in some cost reduction projects on a few key pigments."
Mr. Wu also noted that Trust Chem has built and moved into its new expanded pigment lab.
"Trust Chem has more modern pigment testing equipment than any other pigment lab in China," Mr. Wu said. "Most of our equipment has been selected in partnership with key customers to make sure the pigment we supply meets or exceeds customer expectations."
Spectra Colors has introduced its Spectra IJ-HH Dispersions for the inkjet market.
"Spectra IJ-HH Dispersions are sub-micron particle size pigment dispersions designed for use in general purpose inkjet applications," Ms. Capik said. "These dispersions deliver high-quality results for today's demanding inkjet properties and stringent criteria, such as enhanced color, stability, durability, ink formulation flexibility and high print quality."
Solution Dispersions launched Aquablak+ 9100, a high-solids, resinated dispersion series suitable for flexible packaging and tag/label ink systems.
"Solution Dispersions anticipates the new Aquablak+ 9100 line will allow us to become an industry leader in this ink market segment," Mr. Randolph said.
Mr. Shah said that Aakash Chemicals is emphasizing new products for solvent-based applications, as well as its new dispersion plant.
"We are excited to announce new products we have developed, such as our polyamide resin and phthalocyanine green 7 for solvent-based applications," Mr. Shah said. "Apart from that, we have opened a new water-based dispersion plant, Heritage Color, where we have proprietary technologies that allow us to produce superior quality products for the water-based flexo market."
Lansco Colors introduced some new pigments. Lansco 2483 Diarylide Yellow 83 is a transparent Yellow 83 primarily for solvent ink applications, while Lansco PR-299 Napthol Red 2 is a transparent yellow shade napthol red specifically designed for packaging ink applications. Lansco TiOx-230 Rutile Titanium Dioxide is a low cost, sulfate process TiO2 designed for solvent ink applications.
"The 2483 and PR-299 represent real innovations for the ink industry. TiOx-230 is a hot topic, with TiO2 being in short supply," Mr. Lavieri said.
Eckart has launched two new silver inks for the flexo market. UltraStar UV FP 8253 is designed for the folding carton market, while RotoStar UV Shrink Silver is ideal for shrink sleeves and film labels.
"Our latest UV Flexo Silver, UltraStar UV FP 8253, is specifically designed for printers with front end coater capabilities for folding carton applications," Mr. Perdue said. "The silver product offers extremely high reflective brilliance with exceptional ink trapping characteristics, engineered for printers and brand owners who are looking for alternative technologies as a replacement for metallized (foil) paperboard. This latest addition to Eckart's UltraStar family is press ready and 'user-friendly,' offering a superior printed metallic effect that is both environmentally acceptable and economically attractive.
"RotoStar UV Shrink Silver is based on new high-end silver dollar pigments," Mr. Perdue said. "This latest technology offers a highly functional aluminum effect with premium added benefits of brilliance and reduced cost. It has unique capabilities of maintaining its metallic effect without going dark in shrink applications. Once again, Eckart continues to listen to the users in the flexo market, where there is a high demand for metallic effects in the growing market of shrink-sleeve and film labels."
Mr. Perdue also noted that Eckart has launched its new PlatinVario inks and pigments.
"In certain applications, they can offer a foil-like look with greatly improved economics compared to vacuum metallized pigments (VMP)," Mr. Perdue noted. "In addition to the improved effect, these pigments transfer significantly better than other silver dollar pigments of this type, opening up new opportunities for flexo applications where previous version of silver dollar pigment did not achieve enough hiding power or functionality to be considered."
The SunMetallics aluminum-based pigment line is among the new products Sun Chemical Performance Pigments has introduced during the past year. The company also launched its Quindo Red 122 and Violet 19 high performance pigments for UV and non-aqueous systems.
"Recently expanded with a host of leafing and non-leafing grades that cover the spectrum of flake geometries (from cornflake to polished lenticular to VMP), SunMetallics offers a complete range of aluminum-based preparations for printing ink applications that provide metallic brilliance with exceptional coverage and adhesion," Mr. Yazdani said. "True product differentiation can be created with the wide range of brilliant optical effects that can be achieved with SunMetallics.
"The new line of Quindo pigments for UV and non-aqueous systems amplify the properties that are critical to quality," Mr. Yazdani said of the Quindo Red 122 and Violet 19 high performance pigments. "Leveraging Sun Chemical's treatment technology, these pigments improve rheological behavior, colloidal stability, ink filtration rates, dispersability, optical density with the color consistency, and purity for UV and non-aqueous ink applications."
Sun Chemical Performance Pigment Group is also showcasing its Flexiverse and Sunsperse APE-free aluminum phthalocyanine blue dispersions for water-based systems.
"Based on breakthrough pigment manufacturing technology, these water-based Blue 79 dispersions allow for copper-free formulation without the molybdenum and solvent residual concerns commonly associated with conventional aluminum blue," Mr. Yazdani noted. "Sun Chemical's new line of aluminum blue preparations delivers superior quality and excellent value."
Expectations for 2012 and Beyond
Even with the concerns over raw materials and the economy, pigment manufacturers are still fairly optimistic heading into 2012.
Mr. Yazdani sees opportunities for high performance pigments in numerous markets, including graphic arts, where inkjet and packaging are enjoying growth.
"From the market segment viewpoint, we expect continued growth in automotive, architecture, fiber, nylon, specialties and niche markets," Mr. Yazdani said. "The automotive market has seen an increase in demand for unique color and effects. This trend continues to help fuel the continued growth in high performance and effect pigments.
"In the graphic arts market, the increasing use of non-impact printing methods such as inkjet means increased demand for high performance pigments at the expense of those conventional pigments used in traditional printing inks," Mr. Yazdani added. "Overall, we expect flat to declining demand for publication offset by continued growth in packaging."
Ms. Capik also noted that the inkjet market is an excellent opportunity for dye manufacturers.
"Customers have told us growth for the inkjet industry will be in packaging from variable data and non-impact printing, track and trace, high resolution marking and coding and pre-press proofing," Ms. Capik said.
Mr. McBride anticipates that Heucotech will enjoy growth in 2012.
"Although the economy is still fragile, Heucotech Ltd., a Heubach Company, is looking again for substantial growth in 2012," Mr. McBride noted. "Our ever-increasing global technical network provides the Heubach companies the platform to continue to grow in the traditional and emerging marketplaces. We are committed to providing pigment and pigment preparation technology, quality and technical service so that our customers can concentrate on looking for new opportunities and leave the color details to us."
Mr. Shah reported that Aakash Chemicals has expanded its facilities and executive personnel with an eye on growth in the coming years.
"We are very optimistic due to new innovations, product launches and plant openings combined with our new executive team, that 2012 will be the best year to date and we will continue to have between 30% to 40% growth," Mr. Shah said.
"We expect 2012 will be another challenging year, but truly believe graphic arts are a market that will see growth," Mr. Randolph said. "Solution Dispersions plans to do this through penetration at our existing accounts and by offering new innovative products."
"We look forward to a year of continued growth in 2012," Mr. Alex said.
Mr. Lui said that Hangzhou Colorful Pigment Co. has moved its plant to the chemical zone, and anticipates increasing its production. "We just finished the first workshop, and we hope our quantity could be 5,000MTs in 2012," Mr. Lui added.
On the metallic pigment side, Mr. Perdue said that despite the uncertainty of the economy, Eckart believes that metallics will remain a strong choice for packaging and labels.
"This is a difficult question to answer as the economic landscape globally remains largely uncertain," Mr. Perdue said. "That being said, we remain cautiously optimistic about 2012. The metallic market is continuously pressured to create more advanced effects and to be more cost effective against alternative decorating choices. New manufacturing capabilities in manufacturing metallic flake are just beginning to deliver the next generation to the market, so we expect a great future with these technologies. Printed metallic products continue to offer appeal and a means of differentiation for new packaging and labels, catching the attention and attracting consumers."
Pigment producers said that the U.S. market seems to be the strongest right now.
"Uncertainty in Europe is of concern for our sales in that area," Mr. Wu said. "However, in the U.S., we continue to be optimistic of significant new business as customers appreciate our combination of quality and cost savings."
"We are cautiously optimistic about 2012," Mr. Lavieri said. "While business conditions seem to be improving in the U.S., they are deteriorating in Europe and Asia. We believe that 2012 will be another year where the reliability of pigment supply is critical to success."


text:
"J Street" is the name of a new lobbying group and political action committee that says it will represent the interests of liberal American Jews. Its premise is that sensible mainstream of pro-Israel American Jews have been ill-served by the main pro-Israel lobby in the U.S. — the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). J Street regards AIPAC as pushing a right-wing agenda. By contrast, J Street's "sensible mainstream" agenda includes having the U.S. negotiate with Hamas.
As James Kirchick demonstrates, however, AIPAC is not out of step with mainstream (i.e., liberal) American Jewish sentiment. Rather, AIPAC's skepticism about a negotiated Middle East settlement in the near future is consistent with American Jewish thinking. Thus, nearly three-quarters of American Jews do not believe that Israel can "achieve peace with a Hamas-led, Palestinian government." Indeed, 55 percent believe that even negotiations between Olmert and Abbas "cannot lead to peace in the foreseeable future." And 82 percent agree that "the goal of the Arabs is not the return of occupied territories but rather the destruction of Israel."
Moreover, AIPAC is not dominated by political conservatives. Steve Grossman, AIPAC's president from 1992 to 1996 and later the chairman of Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign, told Kirchick that the notion that AIPAC is a right-wing organization strikes him as ridiculous.
In reality, it is J Street, not AIPAC, that's out of step, to the point that it can fairly be characterized as a fringe group (the fact that even Barack Obama won't advocate negotiating with Hamas is a give-away). Kirchick notes that one of the most prominent Israelis involved with the group, Avrum Burg former speaker of the Knesset, has said that "to define the State of Israel as a Jewish state is the key to its end." He has also compared contemporary Israel to pre-Nazi Germany. Another key J Street member, Henry Siegman, has compared Israel to apartheid South Africa, accused Israeli leaders of having the U.S. government "in their pockets," and claimed that the 2000 intifada "was not planned by Arafat, but a spontaneous eruption of Palestinian anger." It's enough to make you wonder whether the "J" in "J Street" stands for Jimmy Carter.
There's nothing wrong, of course, with Carteresque Jews forming a lobbying group. But it would be nice to see a little bit of truth in their advertising.


text:
LocationSpokane, WA
19117 E. Broadway Ave.
Spokane Valley, WA 99016
New 2018 Keystone RV Hideout 26LHSWE For Sale in Spokane, WA
Step inside and notice the front bedroom area behind curtain closures on either side of the entertainment center straight in the door. There is a queen size bed with dual closets for your clothes, plus overhead storage as well.
The slide out opposite the door side features a sofa and booth dinette. There is storage above the sofa and both can quickly be made into sleeping space for one extra guest.
To the left of the entry door you will find the kitchen area which allows you to prepare and cook food for your family. There is an angled counter with double sink, a three burner range, refrigerator, and a food pantry. You will also find ample storage for dishes and things in the overhead cabinets and lower cupboards and drawers.
In the rear you will find a set of double size bed bunks along the road side with a ladder for easy access to the top bunk. A curtain can be closed for more privacy at night if you like. The opposite corner features a complete bath including a tub/shower, toilet, and corner sink, plus so much more!
Stock# 207447
Interior Color: Timber
|30 ft
|Ext Width
|8 ft
|Ext Height
|10 ft 3 in
|Int Height
|6 ft 9 in
|Interior Color
|Hitch Weight
|620 lbs
|Dry Weight
|5850 lbs
|Cargo Weight
|1770 lbs
|Fresh Water Capacity
|60 gals
|Grey Water Capacity
|40 gals
|Black Water Capacity
|38 gals
|Tire Size
|Furnace BTU
|30000 btu
|Number Of Bunks
|Available Beds
|Refrigerator Size
|6 cu ft
|Cooktop Burners
|Number of Awnings
|LP Tank Capacity
|30 lbs.
|Water Heater Type
|DSI Gas/Electric
|13500 btu
|Awning Info
|Adjustable Power
|Axle Count
|Number of LP Tanks
|Shower Type
When Cole Davis founded Keystone RV in 1996 his vision was clear: Build a quality RV loaded with features priced thousands less than other RVs on the market. To accomplish his goal, Cole would recruit and build a strong team, focus on keeping overhead low, and empower the people closest to the customer to make decisions.
Within a few short months after opening the doors, Keystone produced its very first camper. Delivering big on quality, features and value, the public fell in love with it. A star was born! As the appetite for the camper increased, new Keystone models were added to satisfy growing customer demand. Along with this tremendous growth came the need for expanded production. To meet this need more manufacturing plants were built and staffed.
From new floor plan designs to patented inventions, Keystone leads the way in product innovation. One reason is our mission to stay close to the customer. When talking with campers or visiting dealerships, our sales, product development, and service teams, are always looking for ways to improve the camping experience. And we don't stop there.
Every member of the Keystone family is encouraged to contribute to making our campers absolutely the best possible. Through something we call Kamp Keystone, our employees camp free of charge at local campgrounds in the Keystone trailers we supply. Each year hundreds of our production workers, administrative staff and service team enjoy a day (or a week) at Kamp Keystone. Their evaluation of the experience and the feedback they provide results in continued product improvements. Ask us if we use our RVs...the answer is YES!
All vehicles are one of each. All Pre-Owned vehicles are Used with no warranty. A dealer documentary service fee of up to (Idaho $389, Washington $147.89, Nevada $389, Oregon In-State Doc Fees with No Plate Transfer $150, Oregon Out of State and In-State Plate Transfers $115) may be added to the sale or capitalized cost. All offers expire on close of business day, and all financing is subject to credit approval. All prices exclude tax, title, and license and negotiable doc fees. All transactions are negotiable including price, trade allowance, interest rate (of which the dealer may retain a portion) term and documentary service fee. Any agreement is subject to execution of contract documents. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this data. Please verify any information in question with a dealership sales representative.


text:
At the top of Sarah Gubbins' new play "The Kid Thing," ordinary dinner-table chatter between two close, 30-something lesbian couples — about Michael Jackson, his music and his spawn — gives way to a revelation. Nate, played by the spunky Halena Kays, and Margot, played by the elegant Rebekah Ward-Hays at Chicago Dramatists, announce they've decided to have a baby.
In fact, Margot — strangely still sucking down the wine in Joanie Schultz's peppy premiere production on Chelsea Warren's attractive, condo-like set — is already a couple of monthspregnant.
Once the expectant couple has gone home, the remaining pair, Darcy (Kelli Simpkins) and Leigh (Park Krausen), critically deconstruct this news, as many of us would surely do after hearing such a thing from close friends. Clearly, this pregnancy it will be something of a wedge between this once-happy Chicago foursome. Equally clearly, it will be the issue of the evening.
Fair enough. To procreate or not is one of our more crucial decisions on this planet. "The Kid Thing" isn't the only play on this topic; Rebecca Gilman's "The Crowd You're In With" explored some of the same themes. But at this juncture, the trouble with Gubbins' play is that the conversation remains almost entirely in the abstract — and almost entirely about the lives of those who will (or won't) be parents. The kid thing. The kid thing. The dilemma gets hit so often and so hard, it becomes repetitive — even indulgent. Don't these people ever talk about anything else? Nobody seems to have thought much about the actual kid, or kids, who presumably will not be just a thing. Or things.
Anyone who has children will tell you that, once the little monster pops out, or is brought home, all conversations about the suitability of parenthood for one's career, relationship, or hip urban lifestyle are immediately superseded by the imperative of caring for this particular kid. Actually, that Darwin-sanctioned transition usually takes place before the cutting of any cord. It typically happens when the potential dude or dudette starts growing in a belly.
And that's the main problem with "The Kid Thing." The setup here involves an actual pregnancy, a pregnancy that does not feel authentic, either in the script or the production. It feels like a device for an abstract debate. The debate is surely worth having, and Gubbins lays it out in smart and entertaining fashion in a play that laudably probes lesbian life as it is lived in today's Chicago. But there's something missing. Pregnant women and their partners, be they gay or straight, don't just chatter about kids, they chatter about the kid they're having.
This problem is exacerbated by the unfortunate choice Gubbins makes to have this not just be a quartet of lifelong friends, but a pair of couples who have not always been able to stay in their own couple, so to speak. (I won't give details, but you'll see it coming.) For my money, this overloads the play, cheapening everything and everyone, and needlessly overtaxes otherwise truthful actresses, sending us off into pulpy territory.
That's a shame, because the core of the play is rooted in something very powerful. Early on, you admire the way Gubbins explores issues of lesbian parenting by showing that the issues in play are pretty much the same as for straight couples. Progress, you think.
But as the action goes on, you come to see that the issues are not in fact the same, you were a fool for thinking they were, and that Gubbins is going to have the guts to lay all that out. Not only is the matter of finding the right sperm donor (in this case, amusingly played by Steve O'Connell) endlessly complicated, but the character of Darcy (Kelli Simpkins, in the best performance I've ever seen from her) worries that any child she might be talked into having will have to endure the stares of those who think her mom is insufficiently feminine.
As blisteringly played by Simpkins — who shows us an accomplished professional woman who still can be reduced to rubble by age-old prejudices and facile judgments — Darcy and her dilemma are disturbing, powerful and real. She — not the couples nor kids nor things — is the real heart of this play.
When: Through Oct. 16
Where: Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave.
Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Tickets: $32 at chicagodramatists.org


text:
THE PRAIRIE. 1833 The Journey Westward.
The industrial sons of New England say the same goodbye [as the Virginian emigrants] to the rocky, unforgiving soil of their place of birth. They load on a wagon their plow, their bed, a barrel of salted meat, the indispensable provisions of tea and molasses, their Bible and their wife, and put themselves on the western route, the axe on the shoulder, without a servant, without an aide, often without a companion, to go six hundred miles from their father's home, to build a hut in the middle of the woods, and to clear the ground for farming. The first groups left from Connecticut, from The Granite State as it is called, Puritan state among the Puritans.
MISSOURI. 1833 On the differences in the habits of Yankees and Southerners.
If in the South you pass by a plantation with appears better tended than the others, with the most attractive roads, and Negro barracks which are the best aligned and most comfortable: ŇOh, you will say, that belongs to a man from New England; thatŐs a smart man!Ó In a village in Missouri, beside a house whose window panes are broken, whose exterior is dirty, before the doorway of which children with torn clothes beat eachother, you notice there another one freshly painted, surrounded by a simple but well-kept and whitewashed fence, with a dozen trees well-pruned all around: in crossing by the windows, you perceive, in a small salon glowing with cleanliness, well-combed young boys and young girls dressed in almost the latest style from Paris. The one and the other of these habitations are of farmers: but the one came from North Carolina, and the other is originally from New England... The preeminence of the Yankee in the colonization movement was of value in becoming the arbiter of manners and customs. ItŐs because of him that the country has an overall complexion of severe austerity, that it is religious and also bigotted, because of him, that all the diversions which are in our country considered honorable distractions, are forbidden here as immoral pleasures. ItŐs because of him that the prisons improve, that the schools multiply, theat the temperance societies grow. It's also because of him, with his money, that the missionaries try to start, to little noise, in the South Sea, colonies to profit the Union. If one tried to form a unique type representing the American character in its entirety, such as it is at this moment, one would need to take three quarters at least of Yankee, and add one quarter for the dose of Virginian.
LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS. 1834. Wages for Mill Work; Moral Instruction and Rules of Conduct; Comparison to Manchester, England
The making of cotton fabric in Lowell employs six thousand women. Of that number, close to five thousand are young girs from seventeen to twenty-four years old, daughters of farmers from many different New England states, and particularly from Massachusetts, from New Hampshire and from Vermont; they are far from their families, left to themselves. In the morning and in the evening and at the meal hours, one can see them crossing the streets, properly clothed; finding suspended on the walls of their rooms, between the vases of flowers and the plants they tend there, their scarves and their shawls, and the green silk hoods which they wrap around their heads when they leave, in order to protect themselves from the sun and from the rain which is so abundant in Lowell (they have not had the time to pave the town) it is not like in Manchester! Follow me, I say. When someone told me the schedule of salaries, I understood that it was decidedly not like Manchester. Here are the average salaries they they were paid, by the Marrimack Corporation, during the month of last may, by week, that is to say for six days of work: [one dollar is roughly equivalent to five and a half francs]
Diverse operations before the spinning: 15f.73c., 16f.07c., 14f83c.
Spinning, properly said................................16
Weaving of diverse qualities........................16f.64c., 16f.75c.
Preparation of the weft and pasting............18f.40c., 21f.12c.
Measuring and cutting....................................16f. 75c.
The numbers are, I repeat, averages. The salaries of the most able workers are at 25 fr. and even 30 fr. Note that last March, at the moment the crisis had brought the quarrels of the President with the Bank, there was a general reduction of 1 fr. 50 c. to 2 fr. each week. You know how the work of women is little compensated in comparison to that of men in Europe. There are few women on the European continent, except in some large towns, who earn 1 fr. each day or 6 fr. each week. It is also necessary to state that in the United States, the necessary objects are at a lower price not only than in England, but also than in France. Thus a large number of workers in Lowell are able to save up to a dollar and a half (8 fr.) each week. At the end of four years spent in manufacturing, their savings is able to accumulate to two hundred fifty to three hundred dollars (1333 fr. to 1600 fr.) They then have a dowry, quit the fabric industry and marry.
In France it is difficult to imagine the position of young girls, pretty for the most part, thrown twenty, thirty, forty leagues from their families, in a town where their their parents have no one to watch over them or help them with wise advice. It is a fact even so that up to this day, allowing a small number of exceptions which confirm the rule more than they destroy it, this state of things has not had deplorable effects in Lowell. The English race has other manners than our French. There are other habits, other accepted ideas. The Protestant education draws around each individual a circle difficult to step across; much more so than Catholic education. Here the result is greater coldness in social relations, a more or less absolute absence of effusiveness and outpouring; but in turn each is obligated to and accustomed to more respect for the otherŐs person. That which in our land would be a prank of a young man, a kindness, is severely reproved in England and in America, especially by the Americans of New England, who are as someone said, are intensified Englishmen. Also, no one in this country is astonished to see the daughters of landowners leave their town and their parents after having received a passable education, to travel alone fifty or a hundred leagues to inhabit a new town where they know no one, and spend three or four years in this state of isolation and independence. They are under the safeguard of the public faith. This assumes an extreme reserve in manners, and in the public opinion a vigilant and inexorable rigor. It's necessary to admit that, in this system there is, widespread in that society, a coloring of sadness and even boredom; but when one reflects on the dangers to which the opposite system exposes the poor girl who doesn't have anyone to watch over her, when one counts the victims, it is very difficult, no matter what the popular sympathies, not to recognize that the Anglo-American prudery is well worth the ease of our tolerant manners, all things considered, whether or not it has charm.
The manufacturing companies watch over these young girls with scrupulous care. Twelve years ago Lowell didn't exist. When they constructed the factories, it was also necessary to build lodging for the workers. Each company then built in its enclosure houses which each become a boarding house exclusively for their use. They are there under the supervision of matrons who receive a pension, to which the company pays salary of 1 dollar and a quarter each week. These matrons, who are generally widows, answer for their boarders, and are themselves under the control of the company for the administration of their small community. Each company has its rules, which are not only rules on paper, and of whose strict exectuion is guarateed by this perseverant vigilance which is one of the distinctive attributes of the Yankee. I will give a succint account , for they seem proper to know many essential traits of the physiognomy of the country. I take these from the Lawrence Corporation, which is the must recent of them all. This is a corrected and revised edition from the rules of other companies. They are dated May 21 1833.
The first general rule is thus conceived: All the persons employed by this company must attend assiduously to their work during work hours. They must be capable of completing the work they have been given, or to make all their efforts to that effect. In all occasions they must , in their speech, in their acts, appear full of a praiseworthy love of temperance and virtue, and animated by a sentiment of their moral and social obligations. The Agent of the company will do his best to set a good example. All persons who will be notoriously dissolute, lazy, dishonest or drunk, who will have a habit of absence from divine services, who will violate the Sabbath, or who will gamble, will be dismissed from the company.
Article 2. All types of spirits are forbidden on company property, except by order of a doctor. All games of chance, all playing of cards is prohibited on company property and in the boarding houses.
The following articles, from three to thirteen, determine the powers of the principal employees, superintendent, assistant director, watchmen, armed guards, firemen. Article 13 establishes that all workers must live in a company boarding house, attend church services in one of the town churches regularly, and strictly observe the rules of the sabbath. Article 14 and the last contain a passage on the necessity of subordination and on the compatibility of obedience with civil and religious liberty.
There is one special rule in the boarding houses. It is there told that the company did not build these houses out of regard for the workers. As a consequence, the company imposes special obligations on the persons to whom she leases. The company holds them responsible for the property and for the comfortable state of these houses, for the punctuality and the quality of meals, for the good order and good harmony among the boarders. The company demands that the matrons do not receive anyone not employed at its factories; it makes them accountable for the conduct of the young girls. This same article stipulates the closing of doors at ten oŐclock, and repeats the injunction to go to church services.
These rules, which in our country would stir a thousand complaints and would be in fact impracticable, are here regarded as the most simple and the most natural thing. They are observed without opposition and without difficulty. Those which concern Sunday, for example, which is in our country a day of celebration, of movement and of pleasure, here it is the custom to dedicate it to silence, to prayer, to contemplation. This is one of the aspects in which the French way most differs from the Anglo-American way. As far as morals and religion, in our country there is an abandon and a tolerance which matches the American laissez-faire attitude in politics: while the principal of political authority, which has been vigorously constituted in our country for all time and in all the forms of government, monarchy, empire, or republic, corresponds to the severe reserve in American manners, to the inelasticity of their habits of life, and to the religious rigidity which exists here among the multiplicity of sects. It is true that the necessity of order and that of liberty are two of the essentials to human nature, and that it is impossible to form a socity with one of the principles alone! If you leave a portion of social institutions to liberty exclusively, be certain that the principle of order is made a part not less exclusive on another point. If you allow liberty to be the champion of politics, without division, you are imperiously constrained to give the complete ownership of religion and manners to order. Grant religion and manners to liberty, and you will find yourself obligated, under threat of allowing the society to fall into dissolution, to reinforce the principle of order in politics. These are the universal laws which govern the nations and the world of worlds.
To date, the rules of the companies have been observed. Lowell, with its factories higher than the steeples, is like a Spanish village with its nunneries; there is this difference, that in Lowell one encounters neither rags nor madonnas, and that the nuns, in place of making sacred hearts, spin cotton and weave calico. Lowell is not enjoyable, but Lowell is proper and decent, peaceable and sensible. Will it be so always? Will it be so for a long time? They would have the temerity to say yes. Up to now the history of the factories has shown itself little inclined to the maintenance of a severe morality. This is verified in France as in England; in Germany and Switzerland as in France. I recall from one of my friends who had passed through Arau (canton of Argovie), the following lines: "I see the industry which overcomes the mountains, which stretches arms over the most fertile lands. I am able to see also how she frees and how she demoralizes. In passing near a stranger, the countryman and the worker do not greet eachother; the young girl does not murmur "God I greet you" but she watches steadily and smiles. Nevertheless, as there exists an intimate relationship betwen these two facts, morality and ease, it is possible to regard as very probable that, as long as the salaries will be raised in Lowell, the influence of a reasonable education, the sentiment of duty and the fear of public opinion will suffice to maintain the moral habits here. Now, will the salaries in Lowell stay as they are?
There are reasons they may fall; the protective tariff of American industry is going to decrease by degree; on July 1 1842, it will be reduced to 20 per 100 at maximum. But also the procedures will be perfected, the workers will become more able, the capitalists will be recovering their costs, with the result that they will no longer see the need to collect dividends of 10 to 12 for 100. A drop is strongly possible, even after that of last March, because the worker is paid, in the factories at Lowell, below their standard value in the in the neighboring towns; but it will be limited. In Europe, it happens often that the worker lacks work; here, to the contrary, it is the work which lacks workers. So long as the Americans will have the vast domain of the West, at the end of which each, in return for work, will be able to draw by himself and for himself a handsome inheritance, the depreciation of manual labor will not be a fear.
Note 29. The town of Lowell is one of those where Puritan standards have been pushed the farthest. The presence of the young girls who work in the factories there is the principal motive. In 1836, one man was placed under arrest in Lowell, for the sole reason that he was a common fiddler. He was treated as if he had outraged the public morality. The magistrates of Lowell fear that the pleasures of dancing will give occasion for disorder among the workers.
Note 32. On the Morality of the Manufacturers.
In his Essay on Wages, M.H. Carey cites the following letter from the director of one of the factories of Lowell:
"There have never been more than three cases of illicit relations in our establishment, and , in the three cases, the parties were immediately married, many months before the birth of the infant; thus we do not count any births which are positively illegitimate."
M. Carey adds that he was assured that in the big factoriy of Douvres (New-Hampshire), there was not even one sole case of illigitimate birth.
I do not think that an exemplary purity reigns in all the manufacturing centers of the United States; but I am convinced that the morality of the working class is altogether in harmony with that of the rest of the population. M. Baines (History of Cotton Manufacture) recounts the efforts of these recent times, to put the English fabric on the same footing as those of Lowell. "There are a good number of factories, he says, in Lancashire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, and in Ecosse, where one can see that the workrooms were well-ventilated, proper and nearly elegant, to the great honor of the master and the workers; where the severe rules prevent immorality and dishonest talk; where the schools are open to all the children employed in the establishment; where young girls learn sewing and knitting; where one finds libraries for the use of the workers; where rewards are distributed to the children who attend the Sunday schools; where societies of aid for illness and accident are organized." M. Baines cites, among others, the philanthropic efforts of M. Ashton, who employs twelve hundred workers at Hyde, in Chester County.


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In an earlier issue (Vol. 2 No. 3 ) we introduced Stanley Evans, a British ophthalmologist who has cured many eye problems, including glaucoma and cataracts, through a nutritional approach. This maverick, now in his seventies, developed his nutritional approach in Britain in the Forties and then spent 17 years in Africa on an extended research programme into the causes and prevention of blindness. He made the connection between many eye disorders and nutritional deficiency, and after studying which nutrients affected which parts of the eye, he developed a dietary therapy which has helped thousands of cataract patients.Then in the early Eighties, Mr Evans returned to Britain, where he had published much of his research in respected journals like The Optician. Evans claims that the research he has studied and published for some 44 years is only recently being confirmed by other sources. Roche Phamaceuticals, for instance, organized a conference several years ago studying vitamins E ,C and A and their role in the prevention of cataracts. Evans notes this research with amusement since the vitamin division of Roche manufactures the supplement he developed and has used on his patients for many years.
Mr Evans' work has been confirmed by the work of two Americans, using a similar approach (see p 2).
The majority of cataract patients in Britain do not know they have the disease until some time after it has developed. This is the case simply because the practitioner treating them is taught in medical school that nothing can be done, so he puts off the ordeal of informing the patient until his vision is affected, or the cataract "ripened". [Or, in some cases, uses techniques to hasten the ripening process along. Editor.]
Cataract, says his doctor, is an inevitable outcome of old age; he must live with the handicap until the cataract is sufficiently developed to allow the crystalline lens to be removed surgically and replaced either by spectacles, contact lenses or implants. He is also told that cataract is irreversible and that nothing can be done about it. Only those who suffer from this condition can really understand how cruel this attitude is.
A number of different forms of cataract exist, but the most common in the developed countries, which usually starts after the age of 50, is known as "senile cataract". This is regarded as a normal consequence of ageing and has even been compared to grey hair. This is because a high percentage of people over 50 years of age develop cataract (65 per cent), and a much higher percentage over 60 years of age (96 per cent).
Other forms of cataract are caused by metabolic disorders such as diabetes, or by outside influences such as toxins, trauma, radiation, prescribed and non prescribed drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
Congenital cataract, which is rare in Britain but common in the developing countries, is caused either by malnutrition and/or by drugs, alcohol and smoking during pregnancy. Nevertheless, the senile cataract of the developed countries is indistinguishable from the majority of cataracts seen in developing countries caused by malnutrition and nutritional deficiency.
The exceptions demonstrate that although age could be a factor in its onset, it evidently is not the root cause. Many people at 90 are free of cataract. Our work in Africa has demonstrated that it is basically a nutritional disorder. In the developed countries, a person's nutritional status is reduced by changes in metabolism caused by ageing, which in a large number of cases is still further compromised by alcohol, careless feeding habits, smoking, and stress brought on by illness or prescription drugs. But if the patient improves his diet and maintains a high nutritional status, the evidence available confirms that cataract isn't likely to develop. Even when it has, if these measures are taken its development can in many cases be arrested.


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President Bill Clinton's top aides began debating how to build a presidential legacy in the days after he won re-election in 1996, according to documents released Friday by the National Archives.
The 2,500 pages of documents released from the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Ark., ranged from drafts of Clinton's speeches to memos exploring ways of dealing with climate change, Republican opponents and the media. It was the third batch of records to be released since February, part of roughly 30,000 pages of previously withheld documents expected to be disseminated to the public in the coming weeks.
The records are being closely scrutinized by reporters and others as Clinton's wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, contemplates a second presidential campaign in 2016.
After Bill Clinton won a sweeping re-election against Republican Bob Dole, the White House started working on ways of cementing the president's legacy. The Nov. 24, 1996, memo written by Clinton adviser Gene Sperling urged aides to choose topics carefully and said some approaches might be rejected even if the administration had addressed them successfully.
Sperling's memo said "legacy aspirations" must have "achievable impact." Sperling, who until recently served as President Obama's director of the National Economic Council, said the way that administration officials define or emphasize a major issue can be crucial in determining whether it will contribute to a lasting legacy.
He cited Clinton's first-term effort to overhaul the nation's health care system, which became a major political defeat when Congress rejected it. "The national debate made people more aware of various health care costs," Sperling said, even if it fell short of the main goal: a sweeping new law.
"If we had defined our health care aspirations as a means to inform Americans of the importance of cost awareness," Sperling wrote, "our efforts might now be seen as having been more successful."
The memo also said: "If we agree on a few specific legacy themes early on in our legacy development process -- and commit to them -- we can make significant progress through our consistency."
Clinton's hopes for a sterling legacy were hurt in January 1998 when the Monica Lewinsky scandal erupted.
One of the documents released Friday notes that when the first lady was invited for a Voice of America interview shortly after the Lewinsky scandal broke, a VOA staffer and Hillary Clinton press aide Julie E. Mason exchanged emails that signaled concern that listeners might call in with questions about the White House intern.
"This would bring HRC right into the story in the U.S.," wrote U.S. Information Agency official Meg Lynn.
The White House also debated hard-ball strategies to undercut Republicans and garner favorable press coverage. In July 1995, the White House considered enlisting disease victims to help criticize Republican-led budget cuts. Public anger over reductions in meat inspections was "wounding the Republicans," the memo said.
"This would be an opportunity to once again hit them," wrote chief speechwriter Michael Waldman. "We could, for example, have an event with E-coli families."
That same month, as the White House prepared for a fierce budget battle with congressional Republicans, Waldman identified specific reporters who might be granted interviews with the president. "A carefully thought-through leak strategy is needed," he wrote.
Other documents underscored longstanding policy challenges such as addressing climate change.
A June 1997 "decision memorandum" explored options the administration might consider on addressing global warming but acknowledged major obstacles from business and environmental groups and little hope the Senate would ultimately ratify an international treaty.
One option suggested making significant cuts in emissions in the medium term that mirrored an approach by the European Union. It noted the potential for "very large costs on the U.S. economy" and predicted "business and labor would be very strongly opposed."
"Without significant changes in the political landscape, the prospects for ratification by the Senate in the next several years would be close to zero," the memo said.
Another option looked at rejecting emissions limits altogether but it predicted "scathing" criticism from other countries and U.S. environmental groups.
Even middle-ground options predicted some opposition from business or environmental groups and little chance of Senate passage.
Those fears were prescient: The U.S. signed onto the 1997 Kyoto Protocol but the Senate declined to ratify it. The U.S. pulled out of Kyoto entirely after Republican George W. Bush was elected president.


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|TidBITS#510 19991214
Get Goofy over Golf -- Lisa Thompson <firstname.lastname@example.com> recommends Goofy Golf Deluxe ($25, demo available) as an alternative to shoot-em-up titles. "Goofy Golf Deluxe should be enjoyed by many users - except maybe those who don't bother with bloodless games or who have some aversion to miniature golf. It's simple to play - the instructions fit on one panel of the CD sleeve. It comes with only three 18-hole courses, but you can make your own courses and download others from the company's Web site. The course designer program is very un-Mac-like, but usable."
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Build Your Own Civilization -- Dan O'Donnell <email@example.com> took the builder approach one step further by suggesting the world-building strategy game Civilization II Gold. "Designed for older children, teens (and adults) this allows single or multiple players to build societies by going through the stages and details of the development of civilization, - either on existing or user-designed land masses - from about 3000 B.C. to 2020 A.D. You can also play out scenarios based on how the world as we know it developed. Many scenarios are included, there is good printed and online help (including descriptions of the developments of civilization and wonders of the world), and the game can be played across a LAN or over the Internet." TidBITS Technical Editor Geoff Duncan once spent far too much time playing Civilization II Gold against his music student and his friends over the Internet. "There's nothing quite like trying to take over a world where all the other nations are controlled by teenagers."


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Welcome to the Virus Encyclopedia of Panda Security.
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DService.DL is a backdoor that allows hackers to gain remote access to the affected computer in order to carry out actions that compromise user confidentiality and impede the tasks performed on the computer.
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E.W. Grove stepped forward and built the Bon Marché building in 1923 for the store's owner, Solomon Lipinsky, a prominent Jewish businessman and community leader. The store's name, meaning "good market," came from Le Bon Marché, one of the world's first department stores in Paris. In a letter to Solomon Lipinski's son, Lewis, author Thomas Wolfe wrote that if he ever heard anything had happened to the landmark store "I should feel almost as if Beaucatcher Mountain had been violently removed from the landscape by some force of nature." When Bon Marché moved across the street in 1937, Ivey's Department Store took over the building and became a mid-twentieth century fixture of downtown commercial life. After restoration work in 1985, the building became the Haywood Park Hotel. W.L. Stoddart, the original building's architect, also designed the Battery Park Hotel and the Vanderbilt Hotel.
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E.W. Grove stepped forward and built the Bon Marché building in 1923 for the store's owner, Solomon Lipinsky, a…
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