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Chapter 3: The incident
One other incident of note happened that I must mention. I don't know if this ultimately played a role in my being fired from Royal Caribbean, but I cannot imagine it did not.
Around October/November, two girls signed on to the Independence as Youth Staff, Nicole Campbell and "Holly." I will call her Holly because I don't have anything against her and I don't want to give her a bad reputation because of what happened. I quickly became friends with Nicole and she self-proclaimed "besties" with Holly, so if I was going to hang out with Nicole, I was inevitably going to be around Holly.
Now, it is important to note, that during this time, I had begun to hang out with a girl on the ship who worked as a personal trainer in the gym, and we were mutually interested in each other and sort of dating, although it was somewhat on the down low. Still, I was very happy about this, very into this girl, and certainly not interested in pursuing anyone else. I am the kind of person who, once I am interested in one girl, all other girls sort of cease to exist as potential romantic partners for me. Okay, so back to our main story…
Nicole and Holly worked in the nursery with under 3-year-olds, and at the time I was the family-play area specialists – which was basically a non-drop-off nursery for the same age group – so we shared a lot of resources, worked with the same children, and our paths crossed frequently at work. Often, I would run into the two of them in the nursery at the end of my work shift while they were in the nursery with no children signed in just sitting around bored. They would draw me into conversations and sometimes I would find myself chatting with them for almost an hour or two.
Eventually, Holly started to share stories of her personal life: Like the time she suspected a boyfriend of cheating and broke up with him by moving out one day while he was at work without giving him any notice or confronting him about it. She even asked for advice on her current drama: She had a boyfriend who had recently cheated on her while they were both on vacation and he had just signed onto the Independence and she wanted to talk to him about it but couldn't figure out how to best approach things to get closure.
I was, of course, flattered and delighted to have my advice solicited. I shared with Holly some unflattering stories from my own past, such as how horribly I handled my breakup with Bri and nearly took my life over it. I shared about lack of closure and how I've had to learn to live and adjust without any kind of closure on what happened between Bri or my girlfriend previously, Karen. Closure is over-rated. I advised her to give things time and wait until she was in a better head space to talk to her ex- about the issues that were still raw. Side note: Holly and this guy eventually reunited, and last I checked are still together two years later.
One time, early in my getting to know her, I kind of griped Holly out about something without really meaning to. We were on the back deck, which is the often packed crew bar. I was sitting at a large round table next to Holly and Nicole chatting with Holly. I told her I was going to buy myself another drink and offered to get one for her. Generally, on ships, drinks are so cheap that it is standard practice for friends to buy each other their drinks when they make a run to the bar, so I just want to clarify that this isn't really a "hitting on someone" technique like it might be considered on land.
When I returned with our drinks, another gentleman was sitting in the seat I had just left and he and Holly appeared to be flirting. So, I handed Holly her drink and uncomfortably walked away. Actually, she was so engrossed in this fellow that she didn't even look at me to acknowledge me. No big deal though. I didn't really care about the flirting – good on her, trying to move on from that guy who broke her heart. I was merely a little bit annoyed that she had given away my chair because those are pretty hard to come by when the back deck is as full as it was. After being on my feet for over 12 hours that day I really just wanted to take a load off. Later that evening, Holly approached me by the bar and tried to draw me into another conversation with her. As was my usual habit, I wasn't super interested in socializing or small-talk – I just wanted to be by myself, really, so I brushed off her invitations a couple of times.
Holly persisted and asked me why I didn't want to hang out with her anymore. Weary of her persistence, I told her that I was annoyed that she had given my seat away to some boy she wanted to flirt with, but I didn't begrudge her flirting with anyone, and that I could see how his attention could be very flattering. I just thought it was rude to blow off a friend like that and so I just wanted to be by myself the rest of the night. Clearly, this was offensive to Holly, she took it as if I was saying she was an attention seeking flirt, and she didn't like being told she had been rude to me. So, she kind of just stormed off, and I decided to call it a night and went back to my cabin.
The thing is, I wasn't really all that upset with Holly at all for her actions – I was just in a grumpy mood because of how the circumstances had played out – a sort of "victim of bad circumstances" kind of annoyed. I wanted a quiet and relaxing evening. Holly was pestering me with drama. By the time I got back to my cabin, I somewhat realized how I had come across to Holly and been overly critical and offensive towards her and hurt and upset her. So, I gave her room a quick call and left her a voice mail apologizing for offending her.
And that was the end of that. Or so I thought.
As the days went by, Nicole, Holly, and I continued to have our little nursery chats. Once, during one of the chats, I can't remember exactly why, but a conversation started to get somewhat awkward/uncomfortable for me, so I excused myself to go finish cleaning up the family play area in the next room (this legitimately needed to be done ASAP – I had been again, distracted/drawn into conversation while I was passing through the nursery putting things away and had not finished cleaning up my work area). Actually, I might remember – I think the conversation had become about sex and was a bit explicit and I just didn't feel comfortable.
Holly was sensitive to the fact that perhaps they had offended me, although the truth was, I was barely offended at all, so she called my mobile work phone a couple of times but the signal was so low in that part of the ship we couldn't understand each other. I called her back from a wall-phone and she apologized profusely for offending me and begged me to come back and chat with them. I told her I wasn't upset at all and was more than happy to go back and chat with them once I had finished cleaning up.
So, I finished cleaning up. I went back in the room and chatted with them a little while longer until things didn't feel as awkward as they had been earlier, and then I left and went back to my cabin.
And that was the end of that. Or so I thought.
And finally came the big incident where it all went down.
It started out typically enough. I finished work, was passing through the nursery to put some books away, and was roped into a conversation with Nicole and Holly. This particular night, the two girls wanted to go out drinking to celebrate something and they invited me to come along. I agreed to come out with them, so we just hung out at their work chatting because they were both about to close the nursery and leave soon. Then, there was a problem.
Nicole couldn't find her cabin keys. We spent the next hour searching the nursery and retracing all of Nicole's steps but we never found her keys. We finally had to give up. Nicole was thoroughly devastated by this. So much so, that she didn't want to go out and Holly and I were trying to console her and encourage her to go out and just forget about it.
So, as we were doing this we went back to the crew cabin area, we continued to try and cheer Nicole up and we ended up swinging by the crew shop to pick up some random snacks. I was somewhat not paying attention to everything and sort of following along – I sort of just found myself in the crew shop, so I bought some candy bars. By this time, actually, Nicole and Holly had already come and left. I really did end up in my own world sometimes and lose track of things like where people were going.
I went back to my cabin to get ready to go out. Then, I stopped by Nicole's cabin. She was dressed for bed and clearly not going out. "Just meet up with Holly and you guys go have fun without me," she told me.
So, I went to Holly's cabin. Holly informed me she had just put in a load of laundry and was not going out without Nicole. She made some comments about how it sucked waiting on laundry and she felt "so uncomfortable" going into the laundry room alone because of all the "creepy guys" in there staring at her. I felt a bit awkward and didn't exactly know what the appropriate thing was to do in this situation. I felt like she was hinting that she wanted me to keep her company while she did her laundry, although at this point I just wanted to go back to my room and go to sleep as well. But, I wanted to be polite, so I offered to hang out with her while she waited on her laundry and she said that was fine.
However, Holly very quickly became preoccupied with doing other things and kind of just ignored the fact that I was sitting in her room. She was making little comments to herself, she tried to call her mother, and she just seemed completely oblivious at best, annoyed at worst that I was in the room. I started to feel extremely uncomfortable. The whole situation had just become incredibly awkward. So, I tried to excuse myself. That is when things got very weird.
Holly insisted that I stay. I told her I felt a little bit uncomfortable. She told me I had no reason to. I explained that the way she was acting made me feel like she didn't want me around. She took great offense to this and responded with "That is so unfair!" A fight was just about to start and I wanted nothing more than to just get away from it as fast as possible. I didn't understand what was going on. I wan't upset with Holly in the least, I was just very awkward and wanted to get out of the situation. So, finally, I just excused myself and left without much ceremony.
One again, I found myself in my room having had a very awkward exchange with Holly which clearly upset her. I began to reflect on all of my exchanges with her and it occurred to me that Holly habitually said or did things that made me feel really stupid or insignificant – she insisted that I be around and then she either put me down or blew me off, and I didn't like that.
I made up my mind that I wasn't going to hang out with Holly anymore after that night. And, being the idiot that I am who always insists on being straightforward and forthcoming with people, I decided I should let her know about my decision instead of just spending the next few weeks awkwardly avoiding her until she "got the message." After all, I thought, ships are a small place – you run into the same people a lot – and if you want to actively avoid someone, it is probably best that you let them know upfront so there is no confusion and they won't push things.
I walked back down to Holly's room, knocked on the door, and when she answered, I stood in the doorway and explained to her that I really wanted to be her friend but I could not because every time I was around her she made me feel "this big" (here I made the tiny person gesture with my fingers, you know what I'm talking about). Holly just continued to respond, "That's not fair. That's not fair," and after I had said my piece, I left, satisfied that I had appropriately ended things.
The next morning, we had a crew drill and I found myself standing in a line next to Nicole. I told Nicole, "By the way, I can't hang out with Holly anymore," and Nicole just snapped at me that she didn't want to hear about it or get caught up in our drama. I took this as a sign that Holly had already been talking to Nicole about what happened the night before and Nicole thought I was intending to give her an earful as well (which I wasn't). So, I just let it lie.
Later, that afternoon, I received some excellent news. I was offered my follow on contract and it was back on the Independence! I was so happy about this.
Then the bombshell came.
That evening, I was at work when my manager, Tracey, came in and just sat there while I finished up running a Family Bingo activity. When I was done, Tracey told me she needed to escort me to the human resources office.
Upon arriving at HR, Tracey went in and spoke with the manager for a little while, and then finally I was invited to come in and speak with him and the ship's doctor. The gentlemen sat me down and the doctor explained to me that this was a "safe space" and I could tell them anything I felt like I needed to. Then, the head of HR proceeded to ask me how I was feeling, if I was alright, if anything was bothering me. I was completely lost. I was great. I couldn't be happier actually. I had a girlfriend, I had just found out I was scheduled to return to the same ship where I was super happy, and life was good.
Then, they informed me that my coworkers, Nicole and Holly had come forward and told him that I might be suicidal. It was explained that they were very concerned for me. I suddenly started to realize what was happening: Holly was hurt by rejection of her and was trying to get me thrown off the ship by casting aspersions about me being mentally unstable. It was not a ploy I was unfamiliar with.
I was soon to find out, that wasn't the game we were playing at all. It was much worse.
I carefully explained that a few weeks prior I had told them stories about a time long ago in my past when I had considered committing suicide, but I hadn't told them these stories to share my current mental state, but rather to offer some helpful insight into what a mental toll of having an obsession with closure and being unable to receive it could have on you and to demonstrate that with time and a proper mindset you could turn everything around and be in a much better place mentally. A much better place mentally like I was currently in.
Both the HR specialist and the doctor seemed to be thoroughly convinced that I was mentally healthy and in a very happy place. So, they told me, I just needed to meet with the Security Chief and write a statement about all my conversations and interactions with Nicole and Holly so they could have that on record.
I left the room, escorted by the Security Chief, Mike, and was taken to the security office to write my statement. Another gentleman from the security team was left standing watch over me. As I began to write my statement, Mike started to come in and ask me questions about the incident. I didn't catch on right at first, but eventually, after about thirty minutes of this coming and going and questions, I started to feel like I was being interrogated.
Because I was being interrogated. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Well, mainly Mike hit me with it, because I really needed it to be spelled out for me: I was standing accused of stalking and harassing Holly, and this really wasn't about whether or not I was suicidal or me making a statement about my mental health. This was about me making a statement defending me against Holly's accusation that I had threatened her because she wouldn't date me.
Over the next several hours, a nightmare scenario unfolded. Apparently, Holly, had accused me of stalking her and Nicole, constantly trying to get Holly to go out with me despite her constant attempts to rebuff me, and eventually all of this culminated with me "blowing up" at her in her room because she wouldn't go out with me.
Everything was now being twisted with new meaning – and not just "oh, I misunderstood that situation" kind of twisting, but this was very deliberate twisting. It was like history was being intentionally re-written.
That time I avoided her on the back deck after she gave my seat away and kept asking me to hang out with her? Holly reported that she had been avoiding me and that I had "exploded" at her for doing so and later that night left her a "stalkerish" voice mail.
That time I left the nursery to clean up after a conversation had made me uncomfortable? Holly reported that I had "stormed" out of the room, much to her and Nicole's relief, because Holly wasn't being receptive to my flirtations.
All those times I had been drawn into conversations with Nicole and Holly in the nursery when I was leaving work? Holly reported that I had forcibly inserted myself into their conversations when I was not welcome and they never had wanted me around. Oh, and all those personal stories I had shared as a means of giving her advice (which she has asked for) about her own peronsl situations? According to Holly, those were an unwelcome attempt to manipulate her into feeling sorry for me and going out with me.
And finally, the night before when I told Holly I couldn't hang out with her anymore or be her friend anymore because she was consistently rude to me? Holly explained that it was her who had rejected me, that she had told me she didn't want me to be around her anymore and that I should leave her alone, but despite this I had gone to her room and exploded and threatened her.
All of this stuff was a lot of "he said, she said" kind of accusations. However, I was really sacred, because at the time I thought Nicole was in another room with Holly corroborating the accusations against me. I later found out that Nicole was not even involved, but in that moment Mike made it seem very dire. Typical detective interrogation tactics. He was good. I actually admire him for it. Fortunately, I could point to video camera evidence and phone records to show that Holly called me numerous times and I had almost never called her and these times when I was supposedly "storming off" or "throwing a fit" were in areas that would have been on video tape and I clearly was not doing any such thing. And the video evidence corroborated my telling of events. Thank god for CCTV.
The worst sort of evidence they had against me was a picture I had drawn a week or two prior at work of two silhouettes shaped like a heart, one giving a rose to another. Almost as an afterthought, I had been thinking about how down on herself and sad Holly had been lately, so I gave the picture to Holly's roommate to give to her, but I told her not to tell her it was from me (because I didn't want Holly to get the wrong idea).
Well, Holly's roommate did tell her the picture was from me. Apparently she thought I was a secret admirer and too shy to tell her myself, so she was trying to help me out. I'm such an idiot. Of course, she would have thought that. And of course, she would have told Holly this. And of course Holly would be creeped out by this. That was really dumb of me. All I wanted was for Holly to think she had a secret admirer. I didn't want her to think it was me. I really am an idiot sometimes, right? So, they did have me on that one thing. But just that one thing! Nothing else held any water, and I could prove almost all of the other accusations wrong.
So, I spent several hours writing a very detailed statement. The whole time, Mike, was trying to goad me into losing my temper with him, and he seemed flabbergasted that I wasn't. I wasn't really mad. I was just hurt and confused. I wanted to cry, not shout. He kept asking me about anger levels, and I told him that by comparison I was more "angry" now in this moment than I had ever been around Holly, but my anger level was still only a 3 out of 10 and I was just not that angry.
Mike didn't seem convinced. At one point, early on, when he first started accusing me of all these ridiculous accusations, I uncomfortably smiled, almost chuckled, at how ridiculous it all seemed as the light bulb went off in my head and I realized what Holly was up to. You know what face you make when you have a sudden realization that blows your mind and you can't help but smile and shake your head at the insanity of it all? That was the face I had made. Mike told me that in his experience as a military or police investigator, he knew that smiling when answering a question was a sign of lying.
I sincerely hope for Royal Caribbean's sake he didn't mean this. Why? Because it is well documented by deception and behavior specialists that smiling is not really sign of lying. People smile for all sorts of reasons: when they are happy, to express superiority, and when they are uncomfortable or experiencing distress or confrontation. Generally, the only time a smile is a sign of deception is when someone clearly forces a smile to try and convince someone they are friendly and harmless and it can be detected by comparing the differences in the wrinkles around their face and eyes. I have spent years researching and reading about human behavior. And even this is not an exact science. The idea of a "human lie detector" and reading micro-expressions is a very flawed science. And the mere existence of a smile being a sign of deception? That is utter bollix. After this interrogation, I also looked up several articles published in scientific journals about human behavior that confirmed this fact.
I am going to give Mike the benefit of the doubt and assume that he was just taking such a hard line with me as an interrogation tactic, trying to get me to crack, and not because he completely misunderstands even the most basic of human behaviors as it related to deception and guilt.
So, Mike kept insisting to me that I was guilty as sin, and nothing I said would convince him otherwise. He told me he couldn't wait to throw me off the ship, but unfortunately he had to wait for Royal Caribbean Headquarters in Miami to make a ruling on this issue and it was out of his hands.
I returned to my cabin that night and barely slept. The next day, I was a nervous wreck. By this time, not only my manager, Tracey, was involved, but so was her boss, the Cruise Director, Joff Eaton. Eventually, I was called into the Cruise Director's office and it was explained to me that Miami had concluded their investigation into the issue and it was found that there was no wrongdoing on my part.
And I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
I was, of course, advised to not go near Nicole or Holly for the remainder of my contract. And I didn't. That was easy enough. It made things unnecessarily difficult for my managers making the schedule, but we all managed to make things work, and that was the end of that.
The next day we were in Ft. Lauderdale, I was required to go see a psychologist just to "check in on my mental state." Royal Caribbean actually booked me through the emergency room of a hospital. I spent almost the entire day waiting in the emergency room as trauma victims came and went and I almost didn't make it back to the ship before departure.
The doctor who saw me was, he was… annoyed is putting it lightly. He was quite disgusted by the whole ordeal. He said that Royal Caribbean was wasting his time. He said that I had done nothing that warranted being seen by a specialist for a mental health check up and their own records of my job performance and job satisfaction over the past several months should be evidence enough that I am fine. The doctor said he was tired of having to deal with companies like Royal Caribbean who didn't understand how to actually handle real mental health issues and instead wasted his time with perfectly health people.
It was extremely embarrassing. It was embarrassing for me. It was embarrassing for the doctor. And, quite frankly, it was embarrassing for Royal Caribbean. But, at least everything was said and done with and we could all now move on.
There is only one problem. I don't really know if "finding no wrongdoing" means that everyone thought I was innocent or if they just thought, "Well, we can't prove conclusively that he did anything wrong." Holly never got in trouble for lying, even though I was pretty sure some of the security footage and phone records very clearly proved that statements she made were false. So, maybe everyone just thought I had done something very wrong – that at one point I had lost my temper and yelled at or threatened Holly.
Unless they were going to fire Holly for lying, it is hard for me to imagine that anyone actually believed me. I think that maybe they just couldn't prove that what she was saying was true, but they still believed her.
In reality, the worst thing I did was I offered Holly criticism for being rude to me and I didn't sugar coat it well enough. I just flat out rejected her. But I have to admit, I myself would have a really hard time believing that was the worst thing someone did to another person if that other person responded with such horrible accusations. After all, who accuses someone of stalking and harassment in retaliation for getting their feelings hurt because they were rejected? It seems hard to believe (although we know this does actually happen, even if infrequently – it is a tale as old as the Bible itself – see the story of Joseph and Potifphar's Wife – an excellent parallel to my own situation).
These are the kind of things you think about when you are later being judged for your actions, first, by your superiors who are considering whether or not to fire you, and later by the Human Resources Department at Royal Caribbean Headquarters in Miami when you appeal to get your job back. Did this incident play a factor in people's decision making?
Possibly. I will never know.
And so, my first contract ended without further incident. I returned home on vacation. When I left the Independence, I was super excited because I had already accepted my next contract to return to the same ship six weeks later. I was seeing this really awesome girl. As I previously mentioned, I blogged about how my time on the ship were the best months of my life. The next six months on the Independence were going to be even better than the last!
Or so I thought.
That first Written Warning? That was soon to come back to haunt me nearly eight months after I received it and four months before it was set to expire from my record. And the incident with Holly? Who knows how that colored people's perspective of me and ultimately spoiled my ability to hang onto my job. But, lose my job I did.


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|Green Lantern (2011) Oan Male concept art by Alfonso de la Torre
Check out Green Lantern concept art by Alfonso de la Torre!
Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens tomorrow and it continues the insanely successful Captain America film. One movie that didn't quite have the same impact was Green Lantern (2011). It was supposed to be a tent pole for a whole series of movies, but it was a box office bomb. Man of Steel writer David Goyer recently said he'd like to do a Green Lantern reboot saying, "I would love to do 'Green Lantern.' I really wanted to showcase Krypton as a truly alien world. That was one of the things I wanted to do from the beginning when I got involved in the project. At his heart, Superman's always been a science fiction story. I wanted to lean into that, and so did Chris, and so did Zack, so I was just glad we were able to."
While the film was bad the concept is still sound, so I think it's great to look at the designs that helped shape the movie. One of the talented artists working on the film Alfonso de la Torre shared some concept art on his blog that were featured in the art book Constructing Green Lantern: From Page to Screen. You can see some designs for Green Lantern Corp members like Lin Canar, Hennu, Morro, Voz and others. Plus, see some of Hal Jordon's constructs that didn't make it into the film and what an Oan looked like without pants on.
Alfonso de la Torre is a professional concept artist who's worked on Hollywood movies like Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013) and X-Men: First Class (2011).
Click on the image to enlarge.
See more of Alfonso de la Torre's blog at 2tonmantis.blogspot.com.
Click on the links if you want to see more of Alfonso de la Torre's work or Green Lantern on my blog.
What do you think of the concept art? If you've seen Green Lantern what did you think?
Official Green Lantern Synopsis
In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite force of protectors for peace and justice has existed for centuries. They are the Green Lantern Corps. When a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of the Corps' newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Bringing the popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, Green Lantern also stars Blake Lively (Gossip Girl), Peter Sarsgaard (Orphan), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett and Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins.
Directed by Martin Campbell
Cinematography by Dion Beebe
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong, Peter Sarsgaard, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Clarke Duncan
Release date(s): June 17, 2011
Official Site: http://www.greenlanternmovie.com/
© Copyright 2011 Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Entertainment, De Line Pictures. All rights reserved
Follow @filmsketchr

subset: commoncrawl


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Now I see some in the old Lighthouse Garden at Dungeness on 10th. January !!!
It is currently 31 May 2020, 20:42
Bumble Bees still flying at DungenessCreatures mainly outside of our Gardens; Land, Water and Sea
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Bumble Bees still flying at Dungeness
I saw them in early December and thought 'odd'.
Now I see some in the old Lighthouse Garden at Dungeness on 10th. January !!!
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ASI Show Chicago has been postponed due to COVID-19 until September 30 - October 1. We are currently updating the hotel site, in the meantime if you have any questions please contact us at 800-546-3300, our registration specialists are available Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 pm. ET.
For registration assistance, please call (800) 546-3300 (M-F, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET)
TREVOSE, PA – November 30, 2017 – ASI Show today announced a year-long partnership with the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA)/Incentive Manufacturers and Representatives Alliance (IMRA) to deliver new corporate gifts and incentives opportunities to exhibitors and attendees at its large trade shows throughout 2017.
ASI Show first forged a relationship with IMA/IMRA at its 2016 Chicago trade show, with nearly 20 exhibitors joining a new Corporate Gifts & Incentive pavilion and hundreds of distributors taking advantage of new Corporate Gifts & Incentives education. Both offered attendees ways to enter and succeed in the $77 billion incentives market.
"Since the launch of our partnership in Chicago was so well received by the exhibiting suppliers, attending distributors, the IMA/IMRA and all of us here at ASI, it only seemed natural for us to continue the relationship in 2017, " said Rita Ugianskis-Fishman, senior vice president and general manager of ASI Show. "What better way for us to reinstate our 2017 theme of 'Creating Connections. Inspiring Creativity,' than by offering this new opportunity for our members on and off the show floor."
ASI's 2017trade show schedule:
Corporate Gifts & Incentives classes:
"I am excited for fellow ASI members to have the chance to discover how access to incentive merchandise can be a key strategy to improving your business' promotional products sales and overall bottom line," said Roark. "It's great to be able to go from being a trusted supplier of promotional products for my clients to now being their 'one-stop source' for all types of promotional and incentive-based items, from merchandise and gift cards to travel experiences." Distributors interested in attending an ASI Show should contact a registration specialist at 800-546-3300. Suppliers interested in exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities should contact Beth Gordon at email@example.com or 215-953-3725.
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Mr. Rabby attended Mississippi State University where he received his BS degree in Entomology and MA degree in Integrated Pest Management. He joined American Cyanamid as a field agriculturalist in January 1980 focused on agricultural product field development. Mr. Rabby moved to business development in 1985 working on the imidazolinone chemistry. In 1988 he took over the Specialty Products business unit for American Cyanamid. In 1990 Mr. Rabby moved to the Business Directors role overseeing the grass herbicide and insecticide business units. After American Cyanamid's purchase of Shell International Agrochemical Division in 1994, Mr. Rabby was named Vice President of the International Division responsible for Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. In 1999 he returned to the US as VP and General Manager of North America for American Cyanamid. In 2000 with the purchase of American Cyanamid by BASF He was named Group Vice President for BASF Agricultural North America division based in RTP, NC. In 2003 Mr. Rabby joined Makhteshim Agan North America as CEO and President of their North American Business Unit and a global director on their executive board.In 2010 he formed RELLC, which and is actively involved in global agricultural projects. He is the current president of RELLC.
He is has served as president of CPDA (Chemical Producers and Distributors Association) and also several years on CLA's (Crop Life America) executive board. He is a current board member of SePRO Inc., NC Biotechnology Center and a board advisory to several other global agricultural based companies.
He is married and has three children and resides in Wake Forest, NC.


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Extracts from mr. Pope's translation corresponding with The beauties of Homer selected from the Iliad, by W. Holwell
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Extracts from Mr. Pope's Translation Corresponding with the Beauties of ...
No preview available - 2018
Extracts from Mr. Pope's Translation Corresponding with the Beauties of ...
No preview available - 2018
Common terms and phrases
Achilles �neas Agamemnon Ajax Andromache Antilochus armies arms Atrides bands battle beauteous Beauties bends blaze blood bold brave breast chariot chief Chryses clouds coursers dart dead death descends Diomed divine dreadful e'er Ev'n ev'ry eyes faid fall fame fate field fierce fight fire fix'd flain flames fleet flew flies force foul fury gen'rous glory goddess gods golden Grecian Greece Greeks grief groan hand heart heav'n heav'nly Hector hero honours host Idomeneus Iliad Ilion immortal jav'lin Jove Jove's Jupiter king lance Menelaus mighty Minerva mournful Nestor numbers o'er Patroclus Peleus Phœbus plain Pope pow'r pray'r Priam prince prize proud race rage resound roar round Sarpedon Scamander sear shield shining shore skies slain sorrows soul spear spoke stand steeds stern stood swift tears terrours Teucer thee Thetis thou thro thunder tow'rs trembling Trojan troops Troy Ulysses walls warriours winds wound wretched
Popular passages
Page 69 - Like leaves on trees the race of man is found, Now green in youth, now withering on the ground ; Another race the following spring supplies, They fall successive, and successive rise: So generations in their course decay, So flourish these, when those are past away.
Page 76 - Yet come it will, the day decreed by fates! (How my heart trembles while my tongue relates!) The day when thou, imperial Troy! must bend, And see thy warriors fall, thy glories end.
Page 98 - As when the moon, refulgent lamp of night, O'er heaven's clear azure spreads her sacred light, When not a breath disturbs the deep serene, And not a cloud o'ercasts the solemn scene ; Around her throne the vivid planets roll, And stars unnumber'd gild the glowing pole, O'er the dark trees a yellower verdure shed, And tip with silver every mountain's head...
Page 77 - Embitters all thy woes by naming me. The thoughts of glory past, and present shame A thousand griefs shall waken at the name. May I lie cold before that dreadful day, Press'd with a load of monumental clay! Thy Hector, wrapt in everlasting sleep, Shall neither hear thee sigh, nor see thee weep.
Page 77 - And placed the beaming helmet on the ground; Then kiss'd the child, and, lifting high in air, Thus to the gods preferr'da father's prayer: "O thou! whose glory fills the ethereal throne, And all ye deathless powers!
Page 76 - Priam's hoary hairs defil'd with gore, Not all my brothers gasping on the shore, As thine, Andromache! Thy griefs I dread: I see thee trembling, weeping, captive led, In Argive looms our battles to design, And woes of which so large a part was thine!
Page 307 - Nineteen one mother bore — Dead, all are dead ! How oft, alas ! has wretched Priam bled ? Still one was left, their loss to recompense ; His father's hope, his country's last defence.
Page 282 - Grief tears his heart, and drives him to and fro, In all the raging impotence of woe. At length he roll'd in dust, and thus begun, Imploring all, and naming one by one: 'Ah!
Page 160 - As from some mountain's craggy forehead torn, A rock's round fragment flies, with fury borne, (Which from the stubborn stone a torrent rends,) Precipitate the...
Page 20 - The' assembly placed, the king of men express'd The counsels labouring in his artful breast. ' Friends and confederates! with attentive ear Receive my words, and credit what you hear.


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Berkshire charity ABC to Read has won second place for Slough Group of the Year in the Slough Voluntary Sector Awards.
The announcement was made at a dinner ceremony on Friday 20 November at Windsor Mariott Hotel and was attended by ABC to Read Chair, Noreen Sumra and Lindsey Livingstone, ABC to Read fieldworker for East Berkshire. The charity was chosen from over 80 initial nominations and the award was presented by Alan Sinclair, Slough Borough Council.
The Slough Voluntary Sector Awards celebrate the achievements of local voluntary and community groups in Slough and are organised by Slough Get Involved. The Dash Charity were awarded first place in the Group of the Year category, with Home-Start Slough coming in third.
Marcia Rowlinson, ABC to Read Chief Operating and Development Officer, said: "It's always an encouragement to our volunteer mentors for their impact to be recognised and we're thrilled to have won second place in these Awards."
There are still spaces available for any new volunteers to take part in training at the beginning of 2016. For more information about training days or joining the scheme as a school, contact: firstname.lastname@example.com


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The National Ballpark Museum offers fans of all ages a memorable journey through baseball history.
We are located in the LoDo (Lower Downtown) neighborhood in Denver, Colorado, off of 20th and Blake. Located across from Coors Field. Parking is available on the street or in nearby lots.
National Ballpark Museum
1940 Blake Street
Denver, CO 80202
Click here for a map
Hours of Operation
Tuesday – Saturday: 11 A.M. – 5 P.M
Sunday, Monday and Holidays: Closed
Please call the Museum if you wish to visit at other times by appointment (303-974-5835).
General Admission
Adults – $10
Seniors (65+) – $5
Kids (16 & under) – FREE
Active Military – FREE
Special Events & Tours
Perfect venue and "conversation piece" for special events including: birthday parties, anniversary parties, field trips for seniors and other groups, sports teams events, office events, small business or family social gatherings and pre-baseball game functions. The Museum can accommodate up to 20 people.
- Reserve a time (up to 2 hours) for your special event: $25 reservation fee + general admission fee/person
- Additional fees and options for your special event:
- Unique Personal Tour with Bruce "B" Hellerstein, Founder & Curator of the National Ballpark Museum – $75/30 minutes or $125/60 minutes
All fees for special events reservations and tours are payable at time of booking.
Reservation & Tour Fees are non-refundable. Please call the Museum (303-974-5835) to discuss special circumstances or needs.
For additional catering services and larger functions, please call the Museum for more information.


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From: Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby (page 80)
Used: About 400m (40g)
Needles: 4.5mm
Mods: none
This is probably one of the simplest lace patterns in the whole of the Victorian Lace Today book but I think it's very pretty, and the simplicity makes it more wearable for everyday than most of the designs... although maybe not actually today, given that it is the hottest day of the year so far. I'm sure that 28 degrees would not be considered very hot at all just about anywhere else in the world, but here in north west England we are definitely not used to it. But I am not complaining, oh no, not me. It's a fine excuse for eating icecream, buying new sandals and speculating on when it might rain again.
I really don't know what I want to make next. I have been thinking about making a felted bag for my Mum, as she really admired the Booga Bag that I made a while back, and there are a lot of cute looking bag patterns about. I am tempted by Nicky Epstein's Floral Felted Bag but the lining instructions are scary. There is also nice Drops pattern with a sort of filigree crochet flap thing going on that I quite like the look of too. I shall have to have a think.


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(A little while ago, an old friend of mine approached me to see if I wanted to try the mascara she sells – Younique 3D fibre lashes. I was hesitant, but she's a friend, and I want to support her, so I said sure, I'd give it a go. And guys? It's amazing. I love it. But it also got me thinking about make-up and beauty and consumerism and so then this post happened. Because I want to support my friend, and also because I love the product, this post contains affiliate links and I get a bit of a kick-back if you decide to purchase anything after you read it. But, this post is not going to try to sell you anything, I promise, so I hope you think it's worth reading anyway.)
Make-up and I have a difficult history. I've never had much time for it. Even in my high school years, when all the other typical teenagers were playing around with eye shadow and mascara, I couldn't see the point in spending hours in the bathroom, leaning in close to the mirror to smudge colour over my face. Even as I grew up and entered a world in which "looking put together" often involves make-up, I couldn't bring myself to lose precious moments of sleep to fuss over my appearance. And money – make-up can be so expensive.
Appearances can be so expensive.
Because I never spent much time or money on it, I never became particularly adept with make-up. I figured out a simple routine early on that works, for the most part, for my face, and over the years, I've adjusted the products I use a bit here and there. I wear make-up almost every day now, and some days, depending on the company I keep, the things I read, the issues I think about, I wish I had spent more time in my younger years playing around and making mistakes with the powders, colours, and creams that are so often associated with beauty and femininity.
I believe I am beautiful without make-up. I believe my skin, even with blemishes, looks just fine, even when it's uncovered by foundation and concealer. I believe my eyelashes are long enough, dark enough, enhance my eye colour enough. I believe my lips are fine. I believe my cheeks don't need to pop with a contour of bronzer and blush. However, I also believe that make-up can be fun, that making myself look different – not better, different – with a flip of colour and a darkened eye can help me hit the reset button on a bad week, or adjust my view on the world just a touch in order to see something new around me.
I sometimes think about what I want to teach my daughter about make-up. What does she think when she sees me flick lengthening mascara onto my eyelashes? Does she think I'm trying to cover my true self when I brush bronzer over my cheeks? How can I teach her to love the skin she's in, the face she has, in a world that so highly values a painted one? How do I share an enjoyment of make-up while also instilling a strong self-confidence in herself without it?
I'm not sure how to do it yet. Like so much of my experience with motherhood, we're moving forward blindly, doing our best and hoping she hears the right things from me, the things she'll need as she grows. In the end, this is all I can do, right?
(My make-up routine:
- BB cream
- Bronzer
- Blush
- Younique 3D fibre mascara
Feel free to shop my "party" by clicking the link above. And let me know what you think. About anything. Younique. Make-up in general. Raising little girls. Self esteem. Anything.)


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Kudos to dog organizations bringing their causes to the 2014 Rose Parade
We're giving three dog organizations a 21-tail wag for the floats they sponsored in the 2014 Rose Parade on New Year's Day in Pasadena.
The theme of the 125th Rose Parade was "Dreams Come True." Who can show that better than rescue dogs and police dogs? Three of the parade's 45 floats did that stunningly.
The Lucy Pet Foundation, which won the Craftsman Award, featured the miraculous beagle Daniel that survived being gassed in an Alabama shelter when all of the 16 other dogs with him died. Other dogs featured on the float wowed spectators with their tricks. All of them were rescued from shelters.
The nonprofit foundation was created by Joey Herrick, former president of Natural Balance pet foods, and Karen "Doc" Halligan, former director of veterinary services for the Los Angeles SPCA and a pet health activist. It raises money for spaying and neutering to help prevent the tragedy of euthanizing dogs simply because there is no room in shelter to care for them. Here's a look at their float.
The Beverly Hills Pet Care Foundation focused on the theme of "Loving Dreams — Adopt a Shelter Pet. Their float featured rotating floral pictures of a kitten, cat, puppy and dog ready to adopt. The foundation was created in 2004 by Paula Kent Meehan to help lower the euthanasia rates at Los Angeles City Shelters. The organization holds adoption events at Beverly Hills parks four times a year and has placed more than 6,200 cats and dogs.
One of our favorite floats was sponsored by K9s4Cops, a Houston-based organization founded in2010 to raise money to give police dogs to law enforcement agencies. With a theme of "Working Together for Safe Communities," the float featured an enormous German Shepherd on the float with marching police dogs alongside the float. (Many thanks to FidoUniverse contributor Meg Foss for the photos.)


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Sorry to worry you guys
Sorry for worrying everyone. I'm not one to talk about the things I go through, but honestly I thought that last tweet was my last tweet ever. I won't get into too much detail, but I do feel obligated to let you guys know bit of what's happening. Basically I was ready to end it all. I put extra dog food and water to last a week, threw my phone, and loaded my gun, and went into my room. As I was crying, inches from the trigger, my dog Tofu came and licked my hand and tears, which made me cry even more but made me feel like I wasn't alone. I've always had thoughts of ending my life, but the past few days have just made it a lot easier to do it. I won't get into detail why I want to end it so bad, but just know that the awesome people at Team Liquid were first to respond and help me out. They wanted to immediately fly me to Los Angeles with my dogs so I can stay with them. I really appreciate having people like them to pick me back up. I read all the twitter posts, and I honestly did not expect people to react that way. I thought people only cared about me when I do well at a tournament, but people actually cared about my physical and mental well being. Thank you for your concern guys. I will come out of this stronger, and see it as a second chance.


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Muay Thai classes for self-defence
Legends Muay Thai training takes kickboxing to the next level
At Legends Training Center, we offer a muay thai gym where participants learn the art and science of using eight points of contact. Through our muay thai kickboxing, you will learn how to use your forehead, fists, elbows, shins, knees and feet as weapons for self defense.
Our effective and lively muay thai techniques will help improve not only your physical strength, coordination, and stamina, but also your mental health leading to improved patience, will power and fortitude.
Muay Thai is about development of the whole self. Its benefits include:
- acquiring a healthy, agile, and strong body;
- developing self-confidence, courage, and determination;
- learning tricks, tactics, and techniques to gain advantage over an opponent;
- increasing discipline and self-control; and
- meeting like-minded friends and competitors.
Check out the benefits of Muay Thai today! Complete the form on this page to receive a coupon that will give you your first week free.


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Web hosting
If you're ready to take the first step with dream website to publish on the world wild web.This first thing you've got to do now! You should find dream domain name to call your dream website and next step... is that you need to find Best web hosting for the webpage that you build.
So what web hosting you need? Which is the best web hosting? How to choose web hosting? This is the first "web hosting" information to learn before start host your site with the basics hosting reviews and compare.
what is web hosting?
The answer define for "what is web hosting"that can make best understanding web hosting Great for dummies are the article on http://en.wikipedia.org .
wiki:"A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their own website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own or lease for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center. Web hosts can also provide data center space and connectivity to the Internet for servers they do not own to be located in their data center, called colocation.
The scope of hosting services varies widely. The most basic is web page and small-scale file hosting, where files can be uploaded via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or a Web interface. The files are usually delivered to the Web "as is" or with little processing. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) offer this service free to their subscribers. People can also obtain Web page hosting from other, alternative service providers. Personal web site hosting is typically free, advertisement-sponsored, or inexpensive. Business web site hosting often has a higher expense.
Single page hosting is generally sufficient only for personal web pages. A complex site calls for a more comprehensive package that provides database support and application development platforms (e.g. PHP, Java, Ruby on Rails, ColdFusion, and ASP.NET). These facilities allow the customers to write or install scripts for applications like forums and content management. For e-commerce, SSL is also highly recommended.
The host may also provide an interface or control panel for managing the Web server and installing scripts as well as other services like e-mail. Some hosts specialize in certain software or services (e.g. e-commerce). They are commonly used by larger companies to outsource network infrastructure to a hosting company."
for Short Define:Web Hosting is a website place for webmaster to host their websites on high powerful and extremely large hard drives computer servers that connected to the Internet full time.
3 comments:
Thank you for sharing information.Web Hosting refers to services that provide space for users to store their website content.If you want anyone on the internet to be able to view your website at any time, you need to make sure your website is running on a computer which is connected to the Internet in all time.You can host a website in two ways .ReplyDelete
Hosting the Website Yourself -> Hosting the website yourself means that you will need to have the right equipment,including a web server and a permanent connection to the Internet. You would need to ensure that your Internet service provider allows this type of usage too. You would also need to have website administration skills such as managing/configuring a web server.
Using a third party hosting provider -> It allows you to concentrate on developing your website and leave the hosting tasks up to a company who specializes in web
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To buy any accessory, attachment or technical system you need to analyse various things, before making your final decision. It is because buying a technical accessory for your expensive audio equipment or broadcast solutions is not a thing you should not care about.
There are many options for the buyers In Australia and you can choose the options that suits you the best. The suitability depends upon what you need and how you prefer to select it and what options you want to avail according to your budget.
From online stores and shops
You can buy various accessories from trusted websites that offer a complete guarantee of originality and quality of the products. You can easily find and choose home theatre projectors, document camera, data projectors or any attachment you would need.
Manufacturer's web site
You can also buy such gadgets and attachments directly from the manufacturer's web site and find anything or the latest things you need for that particular brand.
From wholesalers web site
Many wholesalers also offer genuine products, you can buy or opt to purchase multiple items with great deals and offers, as offered by the trusted dealers that have their online stores. You can find motorised projector screen, Acoustic panels and many accessories like cameras, home theater attachments and audio systems at reasonable rates.
From local market
You can also find a local store in the market for top brands including Dynaudio, Pro audio, Electro Voice and tc electronics offering the full range of products for you to buy.
It depends on what method you prefer and what things are available via your preferred mode of purchase. If it is possible for you to buy your desired object via an online trusted store, then it would be the best option for you and you can easily purchase and compare the best product and get delivered at your doorstep.


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Leslee Goodman is a freelance writer, artist, and a consultant to nonprofits. She divides her time between Washington State's Methow Valley and Santa Barbara, California.More ▸
Josie Charlotte Jackson lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her writing has appeared in Takahe, Bravado, and Poetry NZ. In 2008 she was a finalist for the BNZ Katherine Mansfield Award for Young Writers. She is currently working on a novel.More ▸
Anna Belle Kaufman was a costume and set designer in her first life. When her son died of AIDS at age five, she became an art psychotherapist working with AIDS and cancer patients. Her writing has been published in Calyx and Psychotherapy Networker, and she lives with her husband and their dog in Sebastopol, California.More ▸
Nikolina Kulidžan considers herself an extroverted introvert, a feminine tomboy, and an aggressive pacifist. She lives in Monterey, California, where she is working on her first novel.More ▸
Dave Lucas reviews poetry for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and his first book of poems, Weather, will be published next spring by the University of Georgia Press. He divides his time between Cleveland, Ohio, and Ann Arbor, Michigan.More ▸
Lad Tobin lives in New Hampshire and teaches at Boston College. He is the author of Reading Student Writing: Confessions, Meditations, and Rants and Writing Relationships: What Really Happens in the Composition Class (both Boynton/Cook). He is completing a memoir about his return, in midlife, to rock-music festivals, random acts of rebellion, and other teenage obsessions.More ▸
Theresa Williams's novel The Secret of Hurricanes (MacAdam/Cage) was a finalist for the Paterson Fiction Prize. She is addicted to bubbly drinks, watermelon, and cowboy boots and lives in northwest Ohio with her husband, two Boston terriers, and an assortment of cats.More ▸
Rita Bernstein has missed only five days of running in thirty-five years. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, who also runs but likes to take the occasional day off.More ▸
William Carter lives in Los Altos Hills, California. His new book of photographs, Causes and Spirits: Photographs from Five Decades, will be published this year by Steidl.More ▸
Thomas Clark is a part-time photographer, writer, tennis player, and recluse. He lives in St. Albans, New York.More ▸
T. Paige Dalporto is a photographer, poet, and songwriter who lives in Charlton Heights, West Virginia.More ▸
Anders Goldfarb's work has been published in the New York Times, Art Forum, and the Boston Globe. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.More ▸
Steve Hanson's photography has been published in the Photo Review. He lives in Seattle, Washington.More ▸
Gary Harwood is coauthor of Growing Season: The Life of a Migrant Community (Kent State University Press). He lives in Kent, Ohio.More ▸
Joan Kocak's photographs have appeared in Digital SLR Photography and Shots. She lives in Carlisle, Massachusetts, and is pretty sure she drives her loved ones crazy with her obsessive picture taking.More ▸
Judy Nisenholt is a photographer who teaches English as a second language and studies Italian and Japanese. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.More ▸
Valdomiro Peixoto studied graphic design in his hometown of Felgueiras, Portugal, and now lives and works in Lausanne, Switzerland.More ▸
Jennifer Spelman lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and teaches photography in order to fund her photo projects and her expensive sushi habit.More ▸
Jessica K. Stelling considers herself "domestically challenged." Her husband calls her "domestically disastrous." She lives with him and their two cats in Savannah, Georgia.More ▸
Chip Thomas works as an Indian Health Service physician at a remote clinic on the Navajo Nation in Arizona. In 1993 he earned a Guinness World Record with two others for cycling twelve thousand miles from the northernmost point in Africa to the southernmost point in nine and a half months.More ▸
Harry Wilson's work has been published in Fifth Wednesday Journal, Fourteen Hills, and Alligator Juniper. He lives in Bakersfield, California.More ▸
Logan Mock-Bunting's photographs have appeared in the New York Times and USA Today. He lives in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. He took this month's cover photograph in March 2008 at a cooperative limestone quarry outside the city of Matanzas, Cuba. Anyone could take stone from the quarry, provided that they cut and left an equal amount for the nearby town.More ▸


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10 Steps Toward Product Innovation
There is a big difference between "invention" and "innovation," according to David Croslin, and he should know. Croslin holds 25 patents and formerly served as chief technologist within HP's communications, media and entertainment division, and also held the title of chief product architect for Verizon Business and MCI; he now runs a consulting firm called Innovate the Future. In his new book, Innovate the Future: A Radical New Approach to IT Innovation (Prentice Hall, 2010), Croslin offers these ten steps to ensure the success of new products - wisdom that should translate from consumer markets to enterprise IT. The possibilities, he writes, are sweeping: "Inventions are not limited to physical creations...Business inventions often take the form of a logical business process. These logical business processes can then be manifested physically by implementation within software packages or computer hardware or can even be mechanized through the use of physical implementations such as robots on an assembly line."
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Canada's RMB Hub Benefits for Corporations
Why is the RMB Hub important to Canadian business?
Canada competes with other commodity producing countries for a share of China's imports. If Australia is selling Grade A wheat and Canada is selling Grade A wheat, but the Australians will transact in RMB, and the Canadians will not, it is unlikely that the Chinese importer will use the Canadian supplier.
According to Swift, on average 31% of payments in Asia Pacific with China and Hong Kong are already done in RMB, up from 7% in April 2012. Not only does this demonstrate how quickly the RMB has been accepted as a payment method in Asia Pacific , it shows how vital it is for Canadian businesses to adopt RMB into their payment workflow to remain competitive.
Benefits common to all corporations
- There may be an improvement in funding terms.
- It allows for shorter trade settlement than settling in USD. PBOC 168 is a circular issued in July 2013 that enables corporates to take onshore RMB out of China in intercompany loans and allows for settlement in RMB to occur before providing supporting trade documents – therefore shortening days sales are outstanding.
- There is the potential to negotiate better price/payment terms due to more transparent pricing from Chinese suppliers.
- It broadens the pool of eligible trading partners with whom to do business.
- Corporations can enjoy competitive edge over competitors in trade businesses with thin margins.
- There is potential to grow market share and increase profit margins.
Benefits for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises ("SMEs")
- There is the potential for faster business expansion due to first mover advantages.
- Exporters may develop new customers who only deal in RMB.
- Importers can have payment terms extended to 210 days.
- It is easier for Chinese banks to issue a letter of credit in RMB.
- Credit support from EDC may be available.
On June 1, 2014 China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange ("SAFE") issued an edict and operational guidelines on the Regulation on Foreign Exchange Administration of Cross-border Security. In effect, the new rules relax most of the existing restrictions on cross-border security guarantees. The advantage for foreign companies with Chinese subsidiaries is that those units can borrow locally using the credit rating of the offshore units, which in virtually all cases is higher.
Impact of RMB on Multinational Corporations
Multinationals' currency strategies are evolving
Almost two-thirds (62%) of companies currently using RMB in cross-border transactions expect the volume of transactions to more than double in five years.
As the RMB grows in importance, many multinationals are changing their currency strategy. Some of the advantages of using CNH include:
- Concentrates risk/treasury management at the head office rather than with local entities.
- Demonstrates commitment to China and its strategic importance.
- Diversifies assets and protects against depreciation in one currency.
- Allows for cash management advantages via inter-company loans or payments to subsidiaries and suppliers in RMB.
- Provides more flexibility in settling salaries and benefits in China.
- Increases investment and debt options.
- Provides ability to use CNH to fund growth plans within China.
- Allows for a corporation that has a subsidiary in China to trade in generally lower onshore rates.
Shanghai Free Trade Zone
In April 2015, the government expanded the pilot to three more zones, Guangdong (including Hong Kong and Macau in an effort to accelerate their integration into the mainland), Tianjin, and Fujian. These zones only apply to companies that have an entity and a physical presence in China that is established and located in one of these zones.
What is it?
- An area in Shanghai designated by the government as a pilot scheme to accelerate the transition towards a freely convertible currency.
- The Shanghai free trade zone permits RMB cross-border sweeping and pooling, RMB cross-border payment and netting, and borrowing from the offshore RMB market.
- Companies have been able to pool their onshore and offshore RMB to provide intercompany lending to and from China, allowing available excess RMB funds to be put to work.
What are the benefits?
- The Shanghai free trade zone permits RMB convertibility and unrestricted foreign currency exchange.
- Foreign invested enterprises may open RMB special deposit accounts to hold RMB obtained from FX settlements, which may be used to make payments.
- Reduces manual processes and paper work for treasurers.
- There are also other benefits for varied industries, for example, commodities entering the free trade zone are not subject to duty and customs clearance as they otherwise would be.


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This week Michelle Obama proudly stood next to WalMart's executive vice president Leslie Dach as the chain and several others vowed to open stores in USDA designated "food deserts." Almost all of these stores were already planned when the First Lady inaugurated her campaign against childhood obesity, and the total of 250 to 300 stores WalMart pledged to open within five years weren't mainly in response to a lack of fresh vegetables, but the healthy American desire for profit. Only now, they'll increase it a lot more, on the backs of taxpayers, who will be subsidizing these new markets to the tune of $35 million this year and--hold onto your hats--$330 million in 2012. Food Deserts: Helping to increase the urgency of raising the debt ceiling.
story on McDonald's completely altruistic move to cut French fries in Happy Meals by half, substituting three to five apple slices. The company said it was making the revision "in response to parental and consumer pressure," phasing out Apple Dippers (8-10 slices with caramel dipping sauce) but offering families who eschew fries two smaller apple packs instead. Parental pressure was not strong enough, however, to inspire the company to cease tucking colorful toys in their Meal boxes, despite some cities' passage of laws restricting their inclusion.
Some consumers scoff at McDonald's efforts to improve the healthfulness of their meals. They feel their liberty to choose what they want to buy somehow compromised, as if eating high-salt, high-fat, fried-potato fast food is symbolic of freedom from a "nanny state" determined to make decisions for them. Others suspect McDonald's vow to shave 20% of Happy Meal calories and include less salt and more veggies is simply a clever way to prevent government imposition of even more sweeping, and likely expensive, nutritional requirements for kids' meals.
As it is, there's still plenty unhealthy about those smiling red box lunches youngsters eat under the Golden Arches. Happy Meals come September will contain a burger or Chicken McNuggets, the smaller pack of fries, apple slices, toy and choice of beverage--which includes sugar-packed, vitamin-free soft drinks as well as 1% milk and lowfat chocolate milk. By popular demand.
While it could be that McDonald's is modifying its Happy Meals now to prevent legislation forcing their improvement, and despite the change being so minor that New York University nutrition professor Marion Nestle calls it a "sham," the corporation's steps are in the right direction. It says it will set up advisory boards and phone apps for consumers to get nutrition information, embark on a national "listening tour" for feedback, and involve a third party evaluator (for as-yet-unannounced goals).
They act despite little evidence that Happy Meals fueled the increase in childhood obesity; after all, they've been offered for 30 years-- since long before childhood obesity rates jumped in the last decade to the present 17%. Rates for children rose slowly until 2000, peaking in 2003, according to CDC statistics. Rates of "overweight" in the population have remained constant over time since the 1960s, however--important to note since few health dangers are associated with being "overweight," and articles and alarmists tend to lump together figures for both overweight and obesity.
Also, the literature tends to talk as if Americans have little control over their "poor lifestyle choices," which are the faults of food manufacturers, restaurateurs, cheap school districts that slash P.E. and sports programs, and those eeeeevil inventors of the personal computer, who've parked those kids yearning to be free in front of Hulu, College Humor, Facebook and Stumbleupon. Children have been receiving health education by state mandates for generations; it's not ignorance of the square, pyramid or plate of an ideal diet that has enlarged our citizens against their wills. And plump is not the desired physique: Hollywood sylphs are still the role models that sell plenty of People and Us Weekly magazines at check-out counters.
Whatever McDonald's motivations for moving toward better nutrition in its offerings, we consumers ought to applaud the result. After all, these efforts are undertaken for the most noble of reasons--doing well by doing good. The company seeks to profit, and the way to do it under our free enterprise system is by providing the public something they want enough to pay for.
Does the public want healthier fast food? Probably not, and if that is born out, McDonald's, like any smart business, will respond. "McDonald's has offered apples as a requested choice in Happy Meals since 2004," the company writes in their press release. "And, while recent research found that on average, 88 percent of McDonald's customers are aware of the option, apples are chosen in only 11 percent of Happy Meal purchases."
At least they're honest--even as they succumb to pressures to health-up their offerings, they can't ignore the primary determinant of their success--the preferences of their customers. I'd speculate that the trash cans of McDonald's everywhere will contain a lot of apple slices inside those discarded red Happy Meal boxes. Kids don't clamor for McDonald's to get sliced fruit.
But let the market prevail, and let the nation save the $330 million earmarked next year to make sure apple slices (and other fruits and veggies) can be bought within a mile of all urban residents. That's the definition of a "food desert''--no fresh-food store in walking distance. Is that the reason so many people are obese, or is it because they choose to buy other types of food at the stores they do patronize?
The do-gooders in government are likely off-track in assuming they know the causes for the rise in obesity between 1980 and 2000, and further assuming that they can manipulate the public back to its formerly svelte proportions with store locations, restaurant menu options, and praise for athletics. There's much more to understand about the reasons why Americans are fatter (though overall no less healthy), but in the meantime, if McDonald's cuts back the fries and slices up some apples, the kid consumers will decide if that's really a happy meal.
"The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings." --Robert Louis Stevenson.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
NY Gays Tie the Knot: What's Lost by Re-defining Marriage
Why shouldn't Alvin Woods, 27, and Antonio Lopez, 25, enjoy the public revelation of their tattooed wedding rings at their legal linkage? For these and the other happy couples newly wed in New York, to headlines celebrating the ability of same-sex partners to become "like everyone else," it's a day to proclaim love.
What could possibly be wrong with that?
It's true that people who believe that God gave us His commandments in the Bible--and that God is not to be dissed--won't accept two of the same gender as married. History, too, would contra-indicate that two of the same sex qualify as spouses. Dictionaries, at least until very recently, defined "marry" like mine does: "1. to join as husband and wife; unite in wedlock, 2. to join a man to a woman as her husband, or a a woman to a man as his wife... (Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language)"
But why not just change things? History is no argument to continue an archaic institution; civilization is the story of improvement--for example, women now fulfll their potentials in far more than motherhood or as support for their men (or librarians, teachers, nurses and secretaries, the only four professions expected for women as recently as the mid-1960s). Those who want to hold by the Bible's dictates don't have to participate in gay marriages, and dictionaries are easily re-written.
Certainly that's what's coming.
But in declaring the union of two men or women as exactly the same as the marriage of opposite genders, we lose an important distinction that in other areas we wish to preserve: male and female. With gay marriage legally sanctioned, we are to believe that sex between two lesbians has the same consequence for society as sex between a man and woman. Male plus male? Male plus female? Female plus female? It's all the same in marriage, under New York law.
Here's the hitch: In elevating gay relationships to be equivalent to straight marriages, we proclaim that it is no longer worth society's endorsement for a child to be raised by his or her biological parents. We no longer assert that our nation is best served when children live with their natural mothers and fathers, together.
Research on outcomes for children without that benefit suggest otherwise. Children raised by single parents, or in combined families, or by gay couples can certainly emerge healthy. However, in no gay family could a child be raised by both biological parents. Kids learn different things from a mother and a father. And have least complications when that mother and father are their own.
For that reason, the nation has a stake in promoting married biological families. "Every major social pathology that can trouble an American child happens more often when his or her parents are not joined by marriage," writes Maggie Gallagher in The Meaning of Marriage (2006), "more poverty, dependency, child abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse, suicide, depression, mental illness, infant mortality, physical illness, education failure, high school dropouts, sexually transmitted diseases, and early unwed childbearing, and later on, divorce."
When we re-define marriage as the union of any two people who love each other, we change the focus from our nation's future to warm touchy-feelies of love, in the present. We lose a long-term perspective, substituting a carpe diem, emotional priority.
As a nation, we need children to grow up with optimized chances to succeed, earn money, and create further happy families. We like it when gay citizens can live with those they love, and feel respected. But that's not the government's business or job--let religious officials, friends and family declare these unions permanent and appreciated. Don't make these people go through expensive public courts to dissolve them when they fail, since their existence, while adding to personal satisfaction, contributes little to national goals that governments control.
Sari Kessler and Erika Karp were married 12 years ago in their synagogue by their rabbi. But that wasn't enough for them, despite having three daughters, ages 9, 6 and 3. "People need to know we're just like everyone else," Sari Kessler said in explanation for why she is "absolutely elated" to gain legal married status. "Our families are just as valued and important and special as any other family in the world,'' affirmed her bride.
But actually, with all due respect, gay families may be important and special and valued--but not as much by a society with a need to encourage an ideal. Yet officially, in the six states where gay marriage is legal, they are now just as ideal as marriages with the potential to provide children both a biological mother and father.
And that's what we've lost. We've lost the ability to say, "we have evidence that this is the preferred way to do it; this way, with both a mother and father raising their biological children, provides something our society values more because it offers the best chance to produce children that will turn out whole, well-adjusted and ready to emulate mothers and fathers they've had loving them and each other."
Men and women are not interchangeable. All the brain research confirms that the genders have fundamental, irreducibile differences that complement each other. The 1.4% of people who are homosexual deserve to spend their lives with whomever they please. But we do ourselves and our children a disservice to suggest that the unions they form are the same as heterosexual marriages.
Distinctions serve a purpose, especially when based on replicated research--men and women are different, and the bond they form is different from the bond formed by two of the same gender. But we're coming to a time when legally, we can know it and even demonstrate it but can't live it. Now that gay marriages are becoming numerous enough to warrant widespread research and analysis, we'll soon have data, and from what studies I've seen so far, I suspect academics will confirm that yes, marriages of, say, lesbians are dfferent from, say, marriages of gay men. When we must deny reality, that will surely be a big loss.
Posted by Northern Light at 5:43 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: gay marriage, New York, raising children
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Weather, Weather, Debt Ceiling, Shooting, Weather
collapse imminently, according to my husband and the many nail-biters watching the stand-off between Pres. Obama and John Boehner on the debt-ceiling vs. spending cuts. The stalemate in world views (raise the limit but with new taxes vs. spending cuts) could bring down the US credit rating, which in turn means we pay more interest immediately on what the US has already borrowed, never mind what extra credit we have to take. There goes the stock market. There goes stability, which brings more job cuts, lower housing prices, and Americans' nest eggs cracked and oozing.
Meanwhile, horrific events in Norway have blasted the tranquility of that happy, quiet country, killing at least 92 in an Oslo blast and a heinous shooting of youngsters on the isle of Utoya. At first blamed on Muslim jihadists, (because they eagerly jumped in to grab the credit), the jaw-dropping display of human monstrosity by Anders Behring Breivik is too surreal to contemplate. Identified as an anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant extremist, the perpetrator--who cannot get the death penalty since Norway has none--curiously chose to deliver his message by decimating privileged Norsk teen summer campers rather than a Muslim target.
And then there's the weather. Weather, weather, more weather. Hot enough for you?
I live where the weather's also on the newspaper's front page--because it's so unseasonably chilly. Summer gave Seattle a snarky tease on July 4th, then decided to ship out to the Midwest and east, leaving us under a gray, shivering blanket. Drizzles, jackets. I wrote to a friend in New York the other night wearing three layers of sweaters and my down coat--inside at my desk--with the space heater going full-blast.
You can't focus on the shocking realities of the political sphere, or the spectacularly awful events in Norway when physical needs intrude uncomfortably. If your air conditioner died and you're adding ice cubes to your bath, or even if you're like me, tired of wearing thermal underwear, the situation now reveals the nature of our attentions, to our own needs first, often to the exclusion of anything else. With the heat dome sealing our priorities, even a renewed deep recession, and reminders that bizarrely unpredictable events can snatch away life, crouch in the background.
Today, we experienced some warmth and a breath-taking view of Mt. Rainier, and our Sabbath guests cautiously lauded the day's beauty, unwilling to assume summer has actually arrived (the prediction is for a second nice day before more rain). But we're blessedly free of humidity, and keenly appreciative not to live in Atlantic City or Washington, DC . As one friend said, "I can always put on another sweater."
Meanwhile, horrific events in Norway have blasted the tranquility of that happy, quiet country, killing at least 92 in an Oslo blast and a heinous shooting of youngsters on the isle of Utoya. At first blamed on Muslim jihadists, (because they eagerly jumped in to grab the credit), the jaw-dropping display of human monstrosity by Anders Behring Breivik is too surreal to contemplate. Identified as an anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant extremist, the perpetrator--who cannot get the death penalty since Norway has none--curiously chose to deliver his message by decimating privileged Norsk teen summer campers rather than a Muslim target.
And then there's the weather. Weather, weather, more weather. Hot enough for you?
I live where the weather's also on the newspaper's front page--because it's so unseasonably chilly. Summer gave Seattle a snarky tease on July 4th, then decided to ship out to the Midwest and east, leaving us under a gray, shivering blanket. Drizzles, jackets. I wrote to a friend in New York the other night wearing three layers of sweaters and my down coat--inside at my desk--with the space heater going full-blast.
You can't focus on the shocking realities of the political sphere, or the spectacularly awful events in Norway when physical needs intrude uncomfortably. If your air conditioner died and you're adding ice cubes to your bath, or even if you're like me, tired of wearing thermal underwear, the situation now reveals the nature of our attentions, to our own needs first, often to the exclusion of anything else. With the heat dome sealing our priorities, even a renewed deep recession, and reminders that bizarrely unpredictable events can snatch away life, crouch in the background.
Today, we experienced some warmth and a breath-taking view of Mt. Rainier, and our Sabbath guests cautiously lauded the day's beauty, unwilling to assume summer has actually arrived (the prediction is for a second nice day before more rain). But we're blessedly free of humidity, and keenly appreciative not to live in Atlantic City or Washington, DC . As one friend said, "I can always put on another sweater."
Posted by Northern Light at 12:51 AM No comments: Links to this post
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Coffee: for Seattle and the Soul
Perfect coffee started here, in a small shop at the Pike Place Market that expanded to 17,000 outlets, 11,000 of them in the U.S. I'm talking, of course, about Starbucks, loved by most, eschewed by some, but undeniably the force that made taste complexities, mouth-feel, aroma, and presentation style of coffee drinks important to the masses.
My husband requires coffee to start his day. Black. When we had a morning ceremony with breakfast welcoming our baby boy into the Jewish faith nearly 19 years ago, my husband insisted on good coffee. Starbucks was relatively new in Los Angeles, our home at the time, but we went out of our way to get it. People kept telling me how delicious the coffee was, and it changed the ambiance of our whole event. Just as it changes the outlook for every day.
An article recently in the New York Times describes the mania the popularization of excellent coffee has unleashed. The piece is about the rush to capitalize competitive coffee roasters who seek to top off what is arguably the most sophisticated array of coffee offerings ever. For example, Stumptown Coffee Roasters of coffee-competitor Portland, Oregon, mentioned in the article, currently features Guatemala Finca Semillero-Tekisic, traced to a five-acre family farm (The Zelaya family's at Finca Semillero) and a special bean, the Tekisic, which is "a dwarf mutation of the Bourbon varietal," blah blah blah. The result? "Honeysuckle and butter interweave through flavors of nectarine, cocoa and graham cracker."
Caffe Vita, a local Seattle roaster is similarly descriptive. For example, its Sumatra bean from the Gayo River produces "A rich, aromatic cup with well balanced flavors of dark berry, vanilla, baking spice, smoke and earthiness. Accented with notes of tobacco and hops throughout the warm, comforting finish." Another Seattle homie, Zoka Coffee, offers "Sulawesi Totaja Jaya...from the Rantebua Disctrict in the Nothern Toraja province of Sulawesi," with flavors of "Summer Squash, Honeydew, Chamomile, and Portobello."
To appreciate the contents of one's mug in Seattle means to know the name of the family who owns its land of origin, the history of its cultivation and roasting, and details of its first taste through lingering post-swallow notes.
Coffee writer Oliver Strand asks, "Does this sound too elitist for the average American?" rhetorically answering, "Remember when the idea that millions of people would spend $5 for a latte seemed absurd?"
We live in a suburban Seattle town of 22,000, and we have 5 Starbucks outlets, a Tully's and an independent drive-through kiosk. It is normal in our overcast part of the world to nurse a cuppa joe at (nearly) all times. Certainly while shopping. Often a coffee cup is seen perched near exercise equipment, next to the Nalgene water bottle.
Studies released this month show that drinking at least four cups of coffee per day brings health benefits, significantly lowering one's chances for Alzheimer's, certain cancers and perhaps diabetes. It's definitely an antioxidant, though decaf doesn't seem to confer the same benefits as regular caffeinated brew.
Did the calories posted in red deter me? Not at all. I want what I want. And I'm not the only coffee drinker in our region who's determined to have her drink exactly the way she enjoys it most. The string of adjectives many customers feed baristas was even the subject of a local insurance company ad profiling weird Northwest types, this one the "super long coffee orderer" (hear it here).
Coffee in a morose climate not only elevates the spirits with nervous energy, but roasting, brewing and serving it becomes a culture that gathers people together. Classes are held in Starbucks stores. Independent coffee houses boast unique blends, weekend music, latte-foam designs, and a strong connection to their neighborhoods. Of course, there's free wi-fi.
And here, to grab a coffee is to come closely face-to-face with some very uniquely adorned folk. Multiple facial piercings, lavish tattoos and creative garb under their aprons are de rigeur. Along with unflagging cheerfulness and a very serious dedication to the nuances of coffea aribica. Even vaccuum-pumped coffee at the supermarket or corner bagel joint has to have a card proclaiming the liquid's fancy name and special qualities.
I host a class weekly in my home, and of course strive to please with excellent coffee. Brag: some of the members say they come not only for the enlightenment but the flavor of my java. I watch the participants compose their cups: one puts her half-and-half and flavoring in the cup first, then adds decaf, no stirring. Others want caffeinated, with milk, or soy, or what-have-you, in their particularly favored mugs. Coffee is a comfort not only because it warms from within, not only because it delights several senses, not only because it provides a welcome kick in our cloud-darkened town, but because it allows us to have one small part of our day that goes exactly as we desire.
Now, I wouldn't mind if we got a little summer sunshine. I'll just put some ice cubes in my cup and an even bigger smile on my face.
Posted by Northern Light at 4:47 PM 2 comments: Links to this post
Labels: " Seattle, Coffee culture, latte, Starbucks
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This California balsamic vinegar is sweet and smooth with a pleasant tang. Made with organic blackberries grown on the central coast of California, this balsamic vinegar is bursting with summertime freshness.
Some of our favorite combinations:
Try this Summer Salad recipe using our Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar and our We Olive Organic Meyer Lemon Olive Oil. It will leave your taste buds smiling.
Combine our Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar with one of our Extra Virgin olive oils and just a bit of dijon mustard to make an unforgettable vinaigrette!
Other suggested uses:
Use as a reduction and drizzle it on your favorite desserts, fruit salads, or cheese plates. Throw a splash of our Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar into your favorite iced tea or lemonade recipes for a new summertime favorite. Try this balsamic as a marinade for pork or chicken.
Nutrition Facts: Serving Size 1 tbsp (15mL, ½ oz.) Amount Per Serving: Calories 15 Calories from Fat 0 Total Fat 0g Saturated Fat 0g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 0mg Total Carbohydrate 4g Sugars 4g Protein 0g
Ingredients: Balsamic vinegar, blackberries, and cane sugar. Diluted with water to 5% acidity. Contains sulfites


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Part of transitioning my family off of gluten involves finding foods that they like that don't taste different. I found a recipe on Food.com for gluten free, dairy free Tuna Noodle Casserole, and I decided to give it a try. My daughter loves tuna salad, so I thought this would be a home run dinner, and it was.
Of course, I tweaked the recipe for our dietary preferences as well as based on what we had on hand. I also made more sauce because we like creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole. Here is what my final recipe looked like. (By the way, the whole family loved it!)
Tuna Noodle Casserole–Gluten, Dairy and Soy Free
2 cups brown rice pasta, uncooked
3 Tbsp. expeller pressed coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 celery stalks, chopped and diced
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup rice flour
2 cups beef broth (we used homemade)
1/4 cup canola oil mayo
1 can tuna (not containing soybean oil)
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Bring water to a boil and cook the pasta as directed; drain and rinse with cold water.
-Meanwhile, add 1 Tbsp. expeller pressed coconut oil to a skillet over medium. Add celery and onions and cook until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.
-Remove the celery and onions and add the other 2 Tbsp coconut oil to the skillet.
-Whisk in the rice flour and stir until smooth.
-Slowly add the 2 cups beef broth, stirring to make smooth.
-Bring the sauce to a boil and stir constantly until thickened. (This took me about 10 minutes.)
-Turn off the heat on the sauce, add the mayo, salt and pepper and stir until blended.
-Stir in the celery, onion and peas as well as the tuna.
-Mix in a pot with the drained pasta
-Spray a 8 x 8 inch casserole pan and spread the noodle/sauce mixture in there.
-Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Enjoy!
I shared this recipe at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Try a New Recipe Tuesday, Kids in the Kitchen, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesday's Table, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Pennywise Platter Thursday.