text:
The Financial Crisis and Global Financial and Monetary Cooperation
Friday, May 8, 2009
This session was part of the CFR Symposium on the United States and the Future of Global Governance, which was made possible by the generous support of the Robina Foundation.
DANIEL W. DREZNER: (In progress) -- we're not used to this sort of thing. We're not used to other countries going around and creating, not necessarily competing arrangements, but possibly --
MICHAEL ELLIOTT: And at least shifting from being a rule tainter to wanting to be a rule maker?
DREZNER: Yeah.
ELLIOTT: Right.
DREZNER: I think there's no question that that's going on. And the interesting question is going to be, how does China manage to do this in a way that potentially doesn't arouse the ire of the United States; and also what are the -- you know, what is our reaction to this? It's that we've been spoiled. For the past 16 years, we're used to writing the rules of the game without really all that much influence by anyone else. We're going to have to change our expectations there.
ELLIOTT: I want Steven to come in a minute, but Sebastian, do you want to --
SEBASTIAN MALLABY: Two quick things. I think that actually this "downside hedge" idea is very instructive because, you know, I mean, in hedge funds or fund management more generally, the guys who become activist managers and start telling the management how to change are the ones who have such a big position in the stock that that they can't sell it. It's not liquid. They own 20 percent and they can't get out. Their only alternative is to say to the management, you should change that.
China is a bit like that. With a $2 trillion reserve position it has a locked-in stake, an illiquid stake in the international system. So now you have to be an activist. You have to get in there and say how it wants the thing to work, because it can't get out.
The other thing to say is that, you know, Justin Lin is the Chinese chief economist of the World Bank. Now, that's an index of China's rise, China's shifting world -- role in the world. It's a contrast, by the way, to the IMF where, you know, the current chief economist is the co-author of an MIT textbook with Stan Fischer, right. So, we've moved from the '90s to this decade and you've got the two authors in the same year being the dominant economists -- (inaudible).
But in the Bank, you have a real shift on the Chinese chief economist. And when I talked to him, as -- actually, I was on a panel with him in Washington maybe three weeks ago, and his takeaway from this crisis was, "What we need," he said "is growth without crisis. And the way to get growth without crisis is the East Asian model. We don't need all these financial markets; we don't want fancy bonds and cross-border capital flows. You know, we're just fine in our own system. Give us medium-sized banks that need to -- lend to medium-sized companies. Forget all this fancy finance." That was his -- that was his lesson.
And if you had said to him, as I did, well, maybe growth without crisis, when you take it from just the Chinese perspective, perhaps the consequences of your exchange rate policy is growth with crisis. What do you say to that? You know, luckily he didn't have time to answer, but. (Laughter.) So I think there's a bit of a confusion there, but I don't see them -- shall I put it this way, converging with a Western view of what went wrong.
ELLIOTT: The East Asian model has worked so well in the last 10 years for Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia anyway.
Do we need new institutions? I mean, there's been a -- there's been a flurry of academic and journalistic and other papers over the last year suggesting that the architecture needs to be supplemented -- there's the wise men's club, there's the club that advises on systemic imbalances, the "early morning club," that there's something, if you like, of the old IMF surveillance mechanism. Do we need anything like that?
MALLABY: There's always a lot of wise men saying we need more groups of wise men.
ELLIOTT: Yes. (Laughs.)
MALLABY: I also would remind you that, you know, as I said at the beginning, after the Asian crisis, one of the ideas was, gee, you know, these sovereign countries are going bankrupt. We don't have a bureaucracy court for sovereigns. So we need a -- (inaudible) -- mechanism where you can have an orderly workout of Argentina's debt, or whatever.
So Anne Krueger, number two at the IMF at the time, you know, made a big statement about this, and this was going to be -- she was really going to try and push it. And it took about, you know, 10 minutes for the Treasury to slap her down. And so, you know, when you talk about adding new institutions, I'm just not -- I agree with what Steve said, I think incrementalism, trying to fix the Fund at the margin -- (inaudible) -- how much of the margin is a much smarter course than, you know, pie-in-the-sky, big, new institutions.
ELLIOTT: Before I go to the audience, I just want to pick up one point that Sebastian made, but I actually want to get Steve and Dan to talk about it because they may have slightly different views.
We were talking over coffee about what -- I was actually stimulated by a piece I read by Dan -- I read by Dan last night about whether the U.S. -- I mean, let's just kind of talk about the U.S. now -- has the power to exert true leadership positions in the financial monetary system in the same way as it does as the politico-military system.
Dan, you'd sort of argued in the piece that it didn't. I think, Steve, you may disagree. But, Dan, do you want to go?
DREZNER: Yeah. I mean, I would say two things about this. The first is is that I think even in the economic sphere the U.S. is still first among equals -- you know, that it's first among equals more so than in the military sphere where, you know, U.S. power is so far and away greater than the, you know, rivals, that it's going to be at least 10 years before we're talking about truly any sort of peer competitor.
I think when you're talking about economics, you know, you can look at where the future is headed. And the U.S. is still powerful, but it's also a huge debtor. It clearly needs the goodwill of other countries, at this point, in order to be able to sustain its own economy. So, the U.S. can no longer act in a unilateral capacity in the same way that I think it could even, you know, 10 years ago.
There's something else, though -- and this is, in some ways what's more problematic about this I think. As much as the U.S. has more leverage on the politico-military side, it also can act with fewer domestic constraints on the politico-military side. When it comes to finance and economics, the fact is is that these are also the bread and butter of domestic politics.
And I think one of the interesting things is to contrast, for example, the cooperation that you have seen somewhat on, let's say, currency swaps between central banks. I mean, that's actually been relatively smooth since the crisis started. Contrast that with what's happened on trade, which is there's been no movement on trade. And the reason is is because to make any movement on trade you need the support of your domestic legislatures, and that requires a lot of domestic political capital and a lot of these leaders haven't had that much of it.
ELLIOTT: Steve, do you want to go?
STEVEN DUNAWAY: I think that I see the other side of the coin on this. You know, there's a lot of talk about how the world has changed economically, but I think it's a "G-1" world after all. Because, you know, if you look at the current situation and kind of gaze out at the near-term and how the world economy may evolve, it's all dependent on the U.S. and it's all dependent on U.S. consumption.
And I think right now that consumption is just not going to be there for two key reasons: One, a lot of the consumption through the first part of this decade was a financing phenomenon that -- owing to financial innovation, people could take money out of their houses. So the rise in housing prices created more equity that, in turn, helped to finance consumption. That's over.
Household balance sheets need to be restructured. They don't have room to take on more debt. So that's why we've seen the savings rate bounce back up. But there's a second reason why the savings rate is going to go even higher, and that is that the Baby Boomers, in particular, as they're facing retirement, they've just experienced a massive loss in their financial assets.
Now, back in the early 1990s -- and if -- as some of you remember, at the end of the '80s there was this discussion how the '90s was going to be a decade of slow growth because the Anglo-Saxon countries were going to have to boost their savings. But it didn't turn out that way. And, in part, the Boomers had two choices: They could raise their savings to meet their retirement needs or they could raise the rates of return on the assets that they already had.
And they chose to -- they chose the latter. They reallocated portfolios more towards equity holdings, boosted returns, savings didn't rise, and so that was one of the factors that helped to contribute to the boom in the '90s.
They can't repeat that. The only way for the Boomers to reconstitute those financial assets is to raise savings. That, coupled with -- you know, if you believe the administration's blueprint for medium-term fiscal consolidation, you're going to see a significant rise in the national savings in the U.S. and a decline in consumption.
Nowhere else in the rest of the world right now do you see, over the next three to five years, changes in policy that will generate enough domestic demand to move it along. So, that's why I say I think it's still a G-1 world.
Now, the U.S. doesn't -- and this is where I kind of deviate a little bit from Dan, the U.S. doesn't want to see it as a G-1 world. The U.S. realizes it's to its benefit that policies change in other countries to stimulate growth -- not only that China rebalances its economy as it becomes more dependent on consumption and domestic demand, but the same thing is true in Europe and Japan, that they remove the rigidities in their labor and product markets which have held back growth in those economies.
And I think that's where the big push on the U.S. side -- and the willingness of the U.S. to sit back and hold these discussions, is to try to push those policy reforms that boost overall world growth.
ELLIOTT: Dan, come on in, and then we'll --
DUNAWAY: It's not that they're -- it's not that I'm saying the U.S. is altruistic. It's in its own long-term best interest.
DREZNER: I'm a professor, so it's my job when asked any question, to answer "it depends." So I would want to --
(Cross talk.)
DUNAWAY: -- an economist. (Chuckles.)
ELLIOTT: Time alone will tell.
DREZNER: Yeah, exactly.
I mean, I would say two things. The first is is that one of the key questions, going forward is, you know, it's easy to sort of extrapolate from recent growth trends and assume, well, China is going to catch up with the United States, it's just an inevitability.
But I think Steve brings up an interesting point, which is, one of the relative comparative advantages of the United States' political economy -- for lack of a better way of putting it -- is it responds better to crisis than a lot of other systems. And the fact that you're seeing savings rates going up in the United States so quickly, you know, is actually encouraging because that's one of the necessary steps that has to take place.
So it'll be interesting to see whether or not, you know, over the long term the U.S. makes a quicker adjustment than some other economies which are hoping that the EU can resuscitate the previous status quo.
On your point about the U.S. wanting other countries to contribute, I don't disagree with that. I think that's true. But, you know, just as China has been schizophrenic, the U.S. has been a little schizophrenic on this. We would like China to consume more. But on the other hand, I think we'd also like China to continue buying U.S. debt to keep interest rates low. And I'm not sure you can get both of those.
And, you know, just to end on a, sort of, a gloomy note, the history of macroeconomic policy coordination in the last 50 years is not really a terribly distinguished one. There have been a couple of key moments where you've had useful intervention -- like the 1985 Plaza Accord, for example. But, by and large, countries are going to do whatever their domestic constituencies want them to do. And if that actually works for a harmonious arrangement, that's great, but if you actually have very divergent preferences as a result of that, I'm not sure you're going to get a lot of international adjustment.
ELLIOTT: Time for questions. There are microphones floating around. Please state your name and affiliation.
In the back, Bill.
QUESTIONER: Bill Droesdiac (sp).
I wanted to raise the point -- how do you kill off the twitching corpses? The G-7 certainly has very little, if any, relevance left --
DREZNER: Oh, I thought you were talking about the banks. (Laughter.) Go ahead.
ELLIOTT: Oh, they're all fine -- they're all fine. (Laughter.)
(Cross talk)
QUESTIONER: -- (inaudible) -- 12 percent of the world's population, the advantage of the G-20 is that it represents 80 percent of the world's population, 90 of GDP. That's one thing.
Secondly, in terms of American leadership, I just want to take exception on this idea of a G-1. If that's the case, why didn't China or Europe follow the American prescription at the latest summit? I mean, China has gone with its own plan of vouchers; European Union wants better regulation -- didn't go along with the stimulus package. I thought that was one of the more remarkable results of the G-20 summit.
Anyway, if you could respond to those two points.
ELLIOTT: For those who weren't here last night, I should explain that at the end of the opening session of the conference last night there was a very illuminating and fun discussion on what international institutions were actually "twitching corpses" and should be -- and should be put out of our misery, hence Bill's question.
Who wants to -- who wants to take that?
DUNAWAY: I'll take the corpse question.
International organizations never die -- (laughter) -- they just don't. I mean, unless -- this is one of those tragedies of international politics. Usually the only way you get to wipe the slate clean, in terms of global governance, is through a great-power war. And let me stress that I'm not recommending that as a solution -- (laughter) -- for the current problems. But, I mean, you know, Bretton Woods was done under -- you know, during World War II. So, I'm very pessimistic with the notion that these things are going to go away.
Now, on the G-7, in particular, one way you can potentially make it useful -- I mean, the G-7 still actually has some uses. And here's the way you should think about it as useful: Don't think of it as an international organization -- which, by the way, technically, it's not, it has no independent secretariat, it has no, it's not a treaty-based body. It's just, sort of, an important grouping.
Think of it as an interest group, or it's like a Congressional bloc. Think of it like the Congressional Black Caucus, you know, in that way. And, in some ways, the G-7 can represent an interest, you know, group arrangement within a larger global governance structure -- be it the G-20, or be it the IMF, or so forth.
That might be a way in which it's still useful, because, I will say, from my own experience when I was at Treasury, the G-7 was useful even if it wasn't the final governance arrangement, because it did succeed in usually getting all the ducks lined up, in terms of a common policy position, within the Bank or within the Fund. So, that might be one way in which it retains its utility.
MALLABY: If we have ASEAN meetings, APEC meetings, should we really be against G-7 meetings? I don't know. I mean, it seems to me that -- and also, in the non-economic realm, when you're talking about who has the military power, as we've said before, you know, clearly, the G-7 still represents a very, very overwhelming share of (government ?) mililtary resources.
So, I think it's, sort of -- slightly depends on what the issue is. And I also think that, in the big picture, we lack global governance. We don't have an excess of it.
ELLIOTT: That international world secretariat, or whatever it is, I think --
(Cross talk)
ELLIOTT: -- (inaudible) -- I think we can do away with that.
If it's a G-1 world, why doesn't everyone follow the U.S.?
DUNAWAY: Well, because, you know, they're -- it's sovereign nations. They, in the end, determine their own policies. So, you know, the U.S. has ways to influence the policy decisions. One of the -- the one most powerful way right now, that I guess we're all afraid of, is using protectionism to try to force China off of its current approach to growth, which would not be in anybody's best interest.
So, the idea, in the end, is to try to sell countries. And this is a big part of what I did at the IMF. I was a salesman for good policy in various countries to try to convince them that the current array of macro policies were not sustainable in the long term and were not in the country's best interest.
But, at the end of the day, you know, at times that's a tough sell. It's an easier sell for the IMF when it's lending money, because it can impose conditions. And that's something that's lost in this debate about conditionality. These things are more -- aren't just tossed on willy-nilly. It's done in part to bring about necessary reform so that the country can become sustainable. There's also -- it's also done because the other members want it done. They want to ensure that the money is used responsibly.
And this idea of -- I have a hard time with this idea of an innocent victim, that that there's a country out there, that the financial crisis happens and it's just blindsided by that. There has to be something basically wrong in economic policies if it cannot cope with the impact of a crisis on its own. So, I'm troubled with innocent victims, and total lack of conditionality in lending.
ELLIOTT: The gentleman in the front here.
QUESTIONER: Donald Shriver, Union Theological Seminary.
The advice "save more and consume less," is deep as my religious tradition and that of this country, it's called "the Protestant ethic." If that had been implemented over the past 30 years we wouldn't be having all the problems that Pete Peterson has so ably called our attention to. At the moment, though, the idea of saving more and consuming less may not be the answer to our domestic economic crisis, so it sounds contradictory to what the government is hoping for.
My question is one which has been hinted at by all three of you. Who or what have the power in today's world to push the United States into consuming less and saving more? Who are you banking on to persuade us to a much more prudential kind of economic philosophy?
MALLABY: I think we are banking on basic economic reality. I mean, just to give you some numbers on this, right. So, in this crisis about $12 trillion of household wealth in the United States has been destroyed. And that's about a quarter of what households had -- just gone. They've got to resave money. Banks have probably lost something like, in the end they maybe lost maybe $2 trillion in the United States. That's money that's gone that's got to be rebuilt.
People are going to have to save. The government now has gone from a deficit of about 1.3 percent of GDP a couple of years ago, to something approaching 12 percent now. We have a World War II-sized federal deficit without the war. That is completely unsustainable. So there's no choice.
The logic of sheer sort of -- you, know, the math, is going to force the government to save more, households to save more, and it's going to push us back towards the (Protestant ?) ethic. What we need is for the Chinese to be less Protestant than they are right now -- (laughs) -- and to spend a bit more, and to offset that, because otherwise there will be a dramatic lack of demand in the world economy.
I mean, if you just look at some of these numbers. You know, McKinsey did a study that said if U.S. households today -- in 2007, just before the crisis, had saved the same amount of their income as they had in 1980, U.S. households in 2007 would have spent $1 trillion less. $1 trillion in a $50 trillion world economy is almost 2 percent of aggregate world demand, okay.
So, if they'd just tagged on -- (inaudible) -- same savings past, there would be a world economy (of) $2 trillion (more ?). And if you'd now -- you know, you've been through this crisis and destroyed all this wealth, and suddenly people have to rebuild savings above 1980 level, potentially, you've just got to get some spending going somewhere else.
And that's where I think -- you know, we understand that this debate about governance is no longer just about "how does the rich world stabilize the disorderly poor world." It's about "how do we get some confidence in collective global insurance for financial crises and balance of payments crises, so that the emerging world abandons this policy of an addiction to saving, because if they carry on being addicted to saving we are go to have a huge dearth of demand, and that's serious.
ELLIOTT: Steve?
DUNAWAY: I don't think it's so much an addiction to savings as it's a reflection of reality in a lot of these countries. And China's is a great example. There a very high level of private savings -- of household savings to be precise, reflects (which) precautionary motives, okay. Because the government, over the past 10 to 15 years, has pulled out of the provision of a lot of services, and particularly in health care, education and pensions. And so Chinese households, as a result, save a tremendous amount to meet those three needs.
Now, the government could collectively perform the same role much more efficiently, as it does -- as it does in other countries, and that, in turn, would have a significant impact on the level of savings in China. So, that's part of the, kind of, package of measures, in particular, that we -- when I was at the IMF, that we suggested to the Chinese as part of this effort to rebalance the economy towards more consumption and less savings.
There's other problems and other distortions. The other key distortion in China is the cost of capital. The cost of capital is extremely cheap in China. We all think of China as having very low labor costs, well, it actually -- actually, capital is cheaper in China than labor. And then, owing to inefficiencies in the banking system, there's a tendency to focus -- to direct a lot of the Chinese savings towards large state-owned enterprises which tend to be capital intensive.
So, the net result is you have a situation where for every percentage point of real growth in -- GDP growth in China, you generate only a very small amount of employment. And so, the authorities are then preoccupied with keeping growth very high in order to generate sufficient employment.
China, over the past 15 years has averaged 10 percent real GDP growth; employment growth has been 1 (percent) to 2 percent. Industrial countries, over that same period, averaged 2 (percent) to 3 percent GDP growth, and 1 (percent) to 2 percent employment growth.
ELLIOTT: Before I get to other questions, just on your -- the points that both of you have made, of kind of making the Chinese less Protestant, if you like. Even if one wanted to shift to collective consumption rather than private consumption, as health, education and pensions, this would take a long time to set up and implement, right?
DUNAWAY: Yeah, but as I said, it's one aspect of the package of reforms. If you worked, if you worked on the side of dealing with the cost of capital -- and the key impediment there, what keeps the cost of capital low is a ceiling that's imposed on deposit rates in the banking system -- that if you eliminated that ceiling then you would get a lot of potential beneficial effects. You'd get better allocation of capital.
But, for the households, as well. If you look at household income over the last 10 years you see this straight decline. But, if you break it down, you see wages -- wages and salaries have been relatively flat relative to GDP. The big decline comes because interest income -- or investment income, relative to GDP, for the households has declined dramatically because of that -- because of that cap.
ELLIOTT: Yeah. Microphone coming.
QUESTIONER: Irene Meister.
I'd like to come to the heading of our session -- the cooperation that we all talked. And I'd like to come to two specific things: China and the intense cooperation that they are offering to the OECD. And that's very deep -- there are a number of studies coming up, with their full support and cooperation, both on political reform within China and also on some economic reforms.
Unfortunately, it's given very little attention. And, if you follow this work, you will realize that there is really the possibility of much greater changes and cooperation than appears on the surface. And I just wondered if you have given any thought to that, because that is -- we talked about OECD as, sort of, as a -- (inaudible). It isn't. They have done, at the staff level, extremely deep studies. And Chinese came willingly to it, come to the meetings -- write, send editions, and what not. So, I think there is something pretty promising there.
DUNAWAY: In March of 2007, at the National People's Congress, Premier Wen Jiabao made the pointblank state that growth in China was unbalanced and unsustainable. So, there is a recognition that they need to change and rebalance the economy away from being driven by investment and exports towards consumption.
Now, one of the key areas of disagreement in the end, though, is the pace at which they do that. The Chinese believe that they have a long period of time to bring about this transition. I think time has run out -- that they cannot continue with this model; that, on its own, assuming away any protectionist pressures, growth in China will have to slow after this year, okay.
Because, in order to -- in order to continue to invest at the rates that they have, to drive -- maintain a relatively high rate of GDP growth, then investment generates a lot of productive capacity, and that protective capacity is in excess of domestic demand. So, they need an outlet for it, and the outlet has been exports.
China now is the number two trading nation in the world. The only way that it can continue to expand its share of world trade -- particularly in an environment when world trade is growing very slowly, it has to cut prices, it has to cut margins. Margins go down; returns on investment decline; Chinese businesses, operating more on a commercial basis, should reduce their investment. Chinese banks also operating more on a commercial basis, they should begin to cut their lending to Chinese firms.
So on its own, even without external influences, the current Chinese model -- the growth has to slow.
ELLIOTT: Dan, yeah, come on in. I've got a couple of people coming in, but --
DREZNER: Two quick points on this.
First, I take your point about the staff cooperation. Again, this is the political scientist in me -- I always get very suspicious when there's cooperation at the staff level, whether that cooperation then continues when you get up to the policy principle level. And, I guess I'm a little more dubious about whether that's going to take place.
The second thing is -- this goes back to your first question in terms of what we learned from the crisis -- I do think one of the interesting things that's happened is that the BRIC economies -- Brazil, Russia, India, China 0-- you know, in the past six months you've actually seen behavior that makes the BRIC -- it's turned from a Goldman Sachs marketing term into something that resembles an actual coalition of countries when it comes to governance. And I think one of the interesting questions is going to be whether that continues over time.
ELLIOTT: The gentleman -- that's right, that gentleman first, then -- .
QUESTIONER: Thank you. Fred Tipson, with the U.N. Development Program.
Let me ask you about the poorest of the poor, or the bottom billion, whatever you want to call it, and how they fit into the -- or don't fit into this equation. Recognizing that the financial crisis is going to cause significant hardship, but also political problems for the developed world, can you leave out of the discussion what the approach needs to be for the poorest countries -- recognizing that so far it sounds like maintaining official development assistance is the answer that keeps getting mentioned, but we know that that's unlikely to happen; it isn't enough anyway; and it usually goes for things that don't affect short-term stimulus even in those economies?
So, I mean, what is the -- what is the thought process that ought to go on among G-20 or others about the --
MALLABY: Well, first of all, I think you're right to highlight this issue because, you know, on purely, sort of, Keynesian grounds, if you're thinking about stimulus globally, stimulus works when you give it to people who are going to spend the money. (inaudible) -- spend some money, poor people who really need it, right.
So, if you're giving the money to poor countries, you're going to get more stimulus. I think that that kind of overarching point, about why one shouldn't -- I mean, it's besides the moral imperative to prevent people from falling back into poverty, you're going to get a big global stimulus from more aid.
I don't see what's wrong with the prescription of sustaining aid and increasing aid in this crisis. That's the policy tool that we have. It would be nice if we could say, you know, well, we'll give more trade access, or something. But, that's not going to happen quickly and it takes time for countries to respond to open markets. So that's not a quick solution.
ELLIOTT: But isn't the real chokepoint not government-to-government development assistance or multilateral government assistance, but private capital flows to the developing world?
MALLABY: Right. It is, actually, unbelievable on that point. If you look at cross-border capital flows, cross-border bank lending, and you look at the chart, which started in '95, right, and you go through the Asian financial crisis, you see this tiny little undulation -- a little bit up, a little bit down, it looks like nothing. Then you come to 2005 to now, you see this unbelievable spike up in cross-border lending to emerging economies, and then a big crash. It's a much, much bigger effect than anything before.
But I think that's largely a sort of emerging-economy issue, with, you know, counting in Eastern Europe and so forth. I think for the poorest of the poor, you know, if remittances are somewhat of a deal, so if you look in aggregate, you know, I think the numbers are on the order of a 5 percent decline -- 5 (percent) to 8 percent decline this year in remittances projected by the World Bank. The total amount of remittances is, I think, like $300 billion. It's not a huge number.
There's quite a locally focused -- specific countries, like Guatemalan, and the Philippines --
ELLIOTT: Philippines --
MALLABY: -- that are going to be quite -- going to feel the effect.
So, I think you're right, private capital flows do matter. But the policy tool that we have -- we can't affect the remittances, right, but what we can do is talk about foreign assistance. I think the World Bank, which is now talking about upping lending to the poorest countries, you know, should have said that 12 months earlier. It should have said, look, we have an -- (inaudible) -- window which is replenished over three years for financing for the poorest countries. Normally, we spend it over three (months). Guess what? Now we spend over 18 months, and the donors have to come up faster with the new funds -- something radical like that. And, they've, sort of, gotten to it, but rather slowly.
ELLIOTT: The gentleman here, yeah.
QUESTIONER: (Off mike.)
ELLIOTT: We'll wait for the phone, please -- for the phone, mike.
(Cross talk.)
QUESTIONER: We seem to have forgotten Japan. And you guys probably know the math better than I did, but I do remember a point in this discussion where people were asking, will China pull us out of our crisis through their growth? And they everyone said, well, actually, when you look at the math, no. They're not that big.
And Japan is, as I understand it, a huge economy and has seemed to have some of these same export-led growth model issues that you're discussing with China, so I'd be interested in how you fold that into your equation. And if you could comment as well on whether we're getting anywhere with Japan in terms of convincing them to adjust their model.
ELLIOTT: Well, I was there a couple of weeks ago, but Dan, you --
MALLABY: A couple of things. I mean, one is, I think, the big three savings countries are China, Germany and Japan -- I think in that order. Those are the guys with the capacity to really spend.
The Japanese government has been the most forthright in saying, yes, you know, there's a lack of demand in the world economy, and we want to do something. The problem is that if you look at debt to GDP, Japan is off the charts. I mean, you know, it's like over 200 percent or something. And it's just -- there's not much capacity in the Japanese government to do more fiscal stimulus just because of the level of their debt already.
So they're talking the talk, and they're trying to deliver, but I think we can't leave Germany and China out of it because that -- you know, there's more capacity for a stimulus -- (inaudible).
ELLIOTT: Steve?
DUNAWAY: Well, the problem is the private sector in Japan. You know, you just reached the point where you're beginning to see some pick up in consumption when the current crisis hit. So, you know, you face more of a risk that Japanese consumers are just going to retrench again. So, even if you pour in this extra government stimulus you're not going to get much out of it.
Japan's on the verge of probably slipping back into deflation again. So, in the near-term I don't see any way out for them except through an export-oriented growth model. Although, that being said, you know, I still think -- and there's no discussion in Japan about dealing with particularly the rigidities in the profits -- in the product markets, which would lay a foundation later for much sounder and balanced growth in Japan.
ELLIOTT: And you have an absolutely logjam political system -- which is going to last at least until the fall of this year.
DREZNER: I mean, in the short-term, actually I think Japan actually has a -- (inaudible). I mean, they're now running a trade deficit, I think, for the first time in decades, I think. So, I mean, it's very small, but they're -- I agree, they're not going to be the engine for growth.
I can't think about Japan without the word "demography" running through my head over and over and over again. And this is one of the problems with this, which is, as time goes forward, they're going to be a smaller economy.
And the truly appalling thing is how they responded to the crisis. They're actually kicking -- there was a great The New York Times story, on the front page about a month ago, they're responding to this by kicking out guest workers, ethnic Japanese workers that were based in Brazil and are actually do things like construction, the Japanese won't actually do.
The only way Japan's going to ever be able to, you know, to maintain its economic size, as time goes forward, is to become an immigrant nation. And yet, if you look at the political realities, that's never going to happen. And the fact that they're kicking out the few immigrants that might ethnically actually be able to fit in, it's pretty appalling.
DUNAWAY: But, there's another group within Japan that are probably more important than immigrants for the future of Japan, and that's women.
ELLIOTT: Women, yeah, exactly.
DUNAWAY: That if something were done, you know, to provide support -- particularly, in terms of child care and elderly care in Japan, to make it, to make it easier for women to go back into, and stay connected with the labor force, that would help Japan tremendously.
DREZNER: In some ways, Japan is the only -- the one useful thing about Japan is that you can go to China and say, do you really want to become like that -- (laughter) -- because that really is -- I mean, the scary thing is, in some ways, that's where China could wind up if they don't have more state provision --
ELLIOTT: Let's not -- one of you -- I remember -- or, maybe it was the gentleman there, but someone mentioned Germany. Let's not let Germany off the hook. Let's not --
DUNAWAY: Well, all of Europe.
DREZNER: Yeah, okay.
ELLIOTT: Okay, all of Europe.
(Cross talk)
ELLIOTT: Go ahead, Steve.
DUNAWAY: No, no, it's the same thing. The Europeans seem to be content to just basically grind themselves into the ground, which I don't understand, and particularly the attitude, with respect to fiscal policy, in this crisis. To me, it's comparable to, you know, you've got this raging inferno; the fire company comes up; it sprays a little bit of water on it; and then they sit back and say, well, let's see what that does. And if that takes care of it, then everything will be fine.
You know, in a situation like that you don't -- this, you don't do that, because of all the potential damage that it can create. And, if at the end of the day all you're talking about is a few percentage points additional debt -- government debt to GDP, that doesn't have a huge, huge short-term economic impact and it can always be made up in the future.
Now, that's the short term. But, the longer term is there's no discussion in Europe whatsoever about dealing with particularly the rigidities in the labor markets, and the lack of competitiveness of the countries within the area.
There's a lot of preoccupation with Eastern Europe, but Southern Europe is where I think there's much more difficulties. And Southern Europe, at the end of the day, may test whether or not the euro survives.
ELLIOTT: Dan.
DREZNER: Well, I want to bash the EU on the governance issue, which is --
(Cross talk)
ELLIOTT: Okay, go ahead -- (inaudible) --
DREZNER: Well, no. One of the great ironies that I think about -- you know, we're talking about reforming the international financial architecture and global governance, is that the EU, which has been the biggest, sort of, booster of, you know, global governance as a solution to the world's problems, is now the biggest impediment to reforming these institutions. And the reason is is that if -- you know, international institutions, where the distribution of power within those institutions don't correspond to what the distribution of power actually is in the world, usually become ineffectual relatively quickly.
And the fact is, if you take a look at any of the major international economic organizations, if you were to rejigger the balance -- you know, the distribution of power within these organizations, it's the European countries that are vastly overrepresented. There is -- you know, there is no reason why Belgium should be as powerful as China in the IMF. That doesn't make any --
(Cross talk.)
DREZNER: -- you know -- exactly. (Laughter.)
DUNAWAY: Well, don't forget, the ECB has an observer at the Fund's executive board, as well, who like to chime in.
DREZNER: And the problem is, you know, you know, not shockingly, people who have power don't like giving it up voluntarily. And so the Europeans aren't going to be terribly, you know, willing to do this. And, as a result, that's been the biggest impediment to any sort of serious global governance reform of these institutions.
MALLABY: This is a pretty revealing moment for not only Europe's participation in global institutions, but its own building on its own, you know, European project. Because, when the Hungarians and the East Europeans came and said, hey, we've got a financial crisis, how's about --
(Cross talk.)
MALLABY: -- helping, the answer was, no.
And, you know, if there -- there was talk at that time of, you know, issuing an EU bond, right, which, if they had done it would have been a new instrument of European integration. And they could have financed assistance for Eastern Europe and, thereby, showing the Eastern Europeans that "if you're on the way to being part of the euro, you are already part of the EU, you are part of the club, we are here to help you."
Instead of that they said, no. Okay, so what does that mean? That means that, going forward, the East Europeans are going to be tempted to take the same view as all other emerging economies and say, we've got to self-insure, to heck with these collective arrangements, massive reserves, export surplus. And it will basically mean that they run a cheap currency; flood Western Europe with cheap imports. The West Europeans will go crazy about this. It's going to have big explosive effects within Europe.
ELLIOTT: Great point.
DUNAWAY: The one other aspect of this where I kind of disagree with Sebastian a little bit. You're right that they couldn't reach agreement among themselves. So since they couldn't reach agreement among themselves, they went for the next best thing, and that was to use other people's money. So the Europeans were the ones that were the major impetus behind increasing the funding available to the IMF.
ELLIOTT: Right.
Last question, gentleman right there -- yeah. Wait for the mike. There you go.
QUESTIONER: (Off mike.)
ELLIOTT: No, microphone.
QUESTIONER: -- (inaudible) -- and I'm from Germany, so I like --
(Cross talk, laughter.)
ELLIOTT: Hope you've enjoyed the last five minutes?
QUESTIONER: I enjoyed them tremendously, but I think it's -- lots of stuff that I share. But, it's not actually a question but it's just European is a complicated institution, so things are a lot more difficult.
And I like the provocation you just made, but just taking out one or two points that you just mentioned -- euro bonds. First of all, it's not that the Europeans said we're not going to help Hungary, or Luxembourg, or Spain, or whoever it's going to be, no matter what homemade crisis they have -- may have, or otherwise imported. But, they said we're not going to have euro bonds because we don't have a mechanism for that in place -- number one.
If we were to have the mechanism in place we need to look at what kind of mechanism do we want, because we still have -- as was just said, 27 countries -if you take the euro countries, each country having one vote. So, what a euro bond would mean, for Germany, for example, to be on the international market and have higher interest rates for itself that it doesn't have to pay now. So, it would actually hamper its possibilities to help out other countries, in a way, and itself, first of all. I agree with that.
Number two, it would let some countries off the hook -- to do the conditions, to do their homework back home, if the Europeans were to hand out bonds. Now, you may say, well, why don't they put on some conditions? Well, because Europe is Europe, and it's not like the IMF. You cannot, within 27, or less, countries, tell one country to do its homework, as specifically as the IMF does --
ELLIOTT: Well, you could.
(Cross talk.)
QUESTIONER: And why doesn't it work that way? Because we're different than the United States. Why is it that way? Because everybody's going to look at one or two countries who will insist on saying, "Do your homework." But, public pressure, frankly speaking, is going to be so great that that will be difficult the maintain publicly, in policy.
So this is why the G-20 meeting -- specifically, Germany, but other countries said, for the time being let the IMF help out in some of the European countries, because, you know, this is the way it works. It's a fact of life that some countries within Europe -- you know, you have solidarity, and solidarity means also to give in to some of those conditions and soften them up. That was one point.
Okay, they're the --
ELLIOTT: Now, I think we've -- we've got to draw it to an end. And, frankly, I want to do a very, very quick last question to these three, because it's something that we haven't covered except in a very quick point that you made Sebastian.
Yesterday was stress test day. Six months ago, enormous conversation about global private financial institutions needing new sorts of regulations -- almost gone away in the discussion over the last six months. Will it come back, and should it come back?
DUNAWAY: Certainly it'll come back. It's still there. It's not on the front burner as much as it was six months ago. There has been some discussion of it.
In the U.S., you know, the initial proposals were in terms of changing the whole system, because the U.S. system is basically a nightmare. That no one would set out to invent the mixed regulatory regime that exists.
I think, at the end of the day, though, that they'll focus on the key part so the system, because it's going to be too hard to change the whole system. And, to me, the key part of the system that really needs changing is insurance, that you cannot any longer allow insurance to be regulated in the United States --
ELLIOTT: That's 51 states.
DUNAWAY: By 51 states.
ELLIOTT: Sebastian, do you want to come in?
MALLABY: You know, I think that if you look at the Basel II in our cross-border norm-setting for capital for banks, what happens is that you spend almost a decade talking about this thing and then it gets implemented anyway at the national level.
And national regulators are lobbied by the national banks and Deutsche Bank says to the German authorities, "If you make us hold this much capital then we're going to be losing out to the French banks and the other banks."
And so each regulator is bid down to a more permissive (than if ?) -- But, the point anyway, is that when it, you know, occurs there's public money standing behind these institutions with implicit guarantees. It's always going to be national governments that set the rules, because they're on the hook financially if it goes wrong.
And so I think that although their -- you know, the financial standards --
(Cross talk)
MALLABY: -- (inaudible) -- you know, and we've upgraded that, and extended the membership, and there will be important norm-setting discussions about financial regulation at an international level. The actual norm imposition into rules will always be national.
ELLIOTT: Dan, last word?
DREZNER: Yeah. Political scientists love to talk about tough tests -- you know, situations where, you know, we really see if our theories hold up. If the financial sector in the United States manages to ward off, you know, more intrusive regulation over the next year, at what really should be their weakest moment, in, you know, in decades, then I think you have -- you know, Simon (sp) dropped an interesting piece to The Atlantic, which I would recommend reading, that argued that, you know, that financial interests in the United States basically run the government.
Well, I'd have to give a little more credence to Jonathan's argument if that actually happens in the next year.
ELLIOTT: Steve Dunaway, Dan Drexner, Sebastian Mallaby, thank you very much, and thank you all for coming.


text:
Government term
Displaying 1 - 24 of 45 results.
The Minister for ACC Iain Lees-Galloway today announced two new appointments to the Board of ACC. The new appointments commence 1 February 2019.
New Zealand workers on the minimum wage are set for a significant pay rise, as the Coalition Government signals how it will move toward its goal of a $20 p/h minimum wage by 2021, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway and New Zealand First spokesperson for Employment Relations Clayton Mitchell announced today.
Making it easier for regions and industries to get the workers they need to flourish is at the heart of proposed changes to temporary work visas released for consultation today, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.
A new Health and Safety at Work Strategy commits New Zealand to better practices in the workplace for the next decade, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway announced today.
Building a better culture for health and safety in New Zealand workplaces will be greatly assisted by the inaugural recipients of the HASANZ Scholarship Programme, says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.
The Government's decision to reduce the ACC Work Levy will save New Zealand businesses $100 million over the next two years, say Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and ACC Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.
The passage into law of the Employment Relations Amendment Act helps restore fairness to New Zealand workplaces and restore fundamental rights for workers, says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.
The Government's efforts to stamp out the exploitation of migrant workers will be guided by wide-ranging research beginning today, says Immigration and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.
The Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme cap will increase by 1,750 to 12,850, providing much-needed labour for the horticulture and viticulture industries in New Zealand, say Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni and Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.
The Film Industry Working Group has reported back today, providing recommendations on restoring collective bargaining rights to film production workers, says the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Iain Lees-Galloway.
The Government's priorities to strengthen employment law, to better protect New Zealand workers and stamp out migrant exploitation, are justified by the findings revealed today by the Labour Inspectorate's investigations into Chorus subcontractors, says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway today announced the appointment of Mr Ross Wilson as the new Chair of the WorkSafe New Zealand Board.
A Bill that will put a freeze on salaries and allowances while the Government develops a fairer formula for future pay increases has been passed into law today, says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.
New Zealand will lift the refugee quota from 1000 to 1500 within this political term, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today.
On the 125th anniversary of the day New Zealand made history with women's suffrage, the Government has introduced legislation that makes history for women's pay, say the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Iain Lees-Gallo
A bill to freeze the pay of MPs for one year will be introduced into Parliament today, says Prime Minister Jacinda Arden and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.
The establishment of an annual Scholarship Programme by the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ) will build the capability and capacity of New Zealand's professional health and safety workforce, says Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Iain Lees-Galloway.
ACC Minister Iain Lees-Galloway and Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni will be spending Wednesday September 5 in wheelchairs to promote World Spinal Cord Injury Day and raise awareness of pressure injuries in New Zealand.
Minister Responsible for the NZSIS and GCSB, Hon Andrew Little, and Minister of Immigration Iain Lees-Galloway attended the annual Five Country Ministerial, held in the Gold Coast, Australia on 28-29 August.
That last-minute burden of filling out a departure card before taking flight for overseas will be a thing of the past come November, when travellers will no longer need to complete the bothersome documents, say Immigration Minister Iain-Lees Galloway and Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri.
- Hon Meka Whaitiri
The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees represents an important step for New Zealand's ambitions to increase the refugee quota, and is a milestone for the city's post-earthquake recovery, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.
ACC will invest a further $1.7m over the next three years to support the expansion of Gandhi Nivas, an early intervention service that provides emergency accommodation and counselling for perpetrators of family violence, says Minister for ACC Iain Lees-Galloway.
Changes to post-study work rights will help ensure international students coming to New Zealand gain in-demand skills for our economic growth, incentivise study in the regions and help reduce the risk of student exploitation, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said today.
The global fight against people smuggling and human trafficking will be more effective when governments and businesses combine their powers, continuing the momentum of the Government Business Forum at the Bali Process, says Minister of Immigration Iain Lees-Galloway.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
So...I'd been looking at the place we ended up going to dinner, since you could see the side of it from the hotel, but hadn't made it there last year. It was quite the experience! (I may have gotten 4-year-old-at-Disney excited. Just ask Lucienne. No, on the other hand, don't.) I present...Joe's Crab Shack (I highly recommend it if you happen to be in Daytona Beach).
|The view from the beach.
|The view as you walk down the pier toward the restaurant.
|Inside. A very sensible suggestion. Which I followed, of course.
|Princess Alethea's bib said: I got 99 problems but my crab ain't 1
To make the evening even more amusing, about halfway through dinner all the waiters stopped what they were doing and went to the sides of the room, where they proceeded to do a synchronized dance. It was hysterical. In fact, the service, the food, and the atmosphere were stellar. I can't wait to go back next year, if I'm at the con.
|Dancing waiters for the win!
Friday night was also the dance party mixer, where Lucienne dragged me out onto the floor to dance a couple of times, gimpy knee and all. Lots of people dressed up as their favorite novel or movie characters. I loved these costumes so much, I dragged these two out into the hall so I could take their picture!
|Author Graylin Fox and blogger Chelle Olson
|Really, Lucienne? We can dress her up, but we can't take her out. And no, I have no idea where the dinosaur came from.
|Can you tell we were having fun?
Saturday morning started with another beautiful sunrise. A girl could get used to this.
|The view from the 15th floor. Look, off in the distance, it's Joe's!
Then I snuck out to the beach again for a while. Sigh.
|My happy place.
|Bare, sandy toes! No snow! My happy feet.
|Lisa Kessler and Princess Alethea looking adorable as usual.
|Lucienne's gorgeous and charming husband Peter Wheeler rode his motorcycle in for the day to join us.
Sunday morning Lucienne and I did our (now traditional, apparently) Mythology Jeopardy game panel. So much fun! I think you might be seeing a theme here. Now you know why I went a second year and may well go back next year as well. SO MUCH FUN and all the good peoples!
|Which one of us is Alex Trebek?
|NOT ocean. Unless you count an ocean of snow.
|Yay for great cat sitters! I'm not even sure the cats missed me.


text:
© 2012
Thank you for visiting my blog!
Thank you for visiting my blog!
This blog is used to share information that I find about the families that I am researching. To see these family names click on the tab above. Please feel free to contribute your stories or research and make comments, corrections, and ask questions.
If we have a common ancestor, or if you have questions or comments that you don't want to post, please go to the "About Me" tab to send me an e-mail.
Reading this Blog
My posts can be accessed by the date posted from the column on the right. Blog posts containing specific surnames can be found by clicking on the names in the left column.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sunday's Obituary: Hairston "Buster" Albritton Bryan
Hairston "Buster" Albritton Bryan died on September 15, 1940. My father, Whit Criswell Bryan, was his younger brother. Buster was the son of Redic E. Bryan and Myrtie Hairston Bryan, both who died in the 1920s.
This obituary appears to have been written by a paper in Seymour, Texas and it is assumed that this paper was The Baylor County Banner. Several years ago, my father pointed out the inaccuracies in this obituary. Buster's date of birth was January 24, 1906. His married sister was Willa Mae Dudley, not Armstrong. Buster graduated from Seymour High School in 1923, not 1924 and he had a step-son, Randall Dorman, not a step-daughter.
© 2012
Labels: Bryan, Dad's family, Dorman, Hairston, Seymour, Sunday's Obituary, Texas
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Teen Amber Dubois's Body Found a Year after Disappearance
She was 14 when she disappeared outside her California high school
The skeletal remains of Amber Dubois, a 14-year-old Escondido teen missing for over a year, have been found in a rural area of northern San Diego County.
The discovery came only three days after sex offender John Albert Gardner III was charged with the high-profile murder of another area teen, Chelsea King, who was raped Feb. 25 as she jogged in a park near her home.
Dubois disappeared on the morning of Feb. 13, 2009, only about 100 yards from Escondido High School. In the wake of the King murder, Dubois's case received new attention and tips which led to the discovery 20 miles north of Escondido, north of the Pala Indian Reservation.
"The discovery was made in the early morning hours Saturday in a very rugged and remote area of Pala," Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher told reporters at a brief press conference Sunday afternoon. "Escondido police and sheriff's homicide detectives were following a lead in the case when they made the discovery."
He said the body was identified Saturday afternoon through dental records, and detectives notified Dubois's parents Saturday evening.
It was not immediately clear to what extent Gardner is considered a suspect in Amber's murder. Maher did not mention Gardner at the press conference, nor did he take reporters' questions.
"Any details, no matter how slight, would be inappropriate to reveal at this time," Maher said.
Dubois was featured along with other missing teens in the PEOPLE cover story "Vanished Without a Trace."


text:
"Transformers Cloud" Brawn Toy Review
General Information:
Release Date: August 28, 2014
Price Point: $90 (varies depending on retailer)
Retailer: TakaraTomy Mall
Accessories: "Beat the Gong" mace
Back in 2012, a small sub-line of "Generations" figures were released as Asia exclusives. Fan interest helped this line become Toys R Us exclusives in North America. Among the figures released in this "GDO line" were Legends Class Motorbreath (aka Motormaster) and Deluxe Wheelie. However one figure did not make it to a mass release: Brawn. This figure was to be a redeco and retool of the "Transformers: Prime" First Edition Bulkhead figure. Fans found the figure an interesting footnote in history, but rapidly moved on as the "Generations" line grew.
Two years later, Takara Tomy decided to resurrect this figure. Using the Brawn head originally intended for the "GDO" release in 2012, they brought Brawn into the "Cloud" line. Being a Voyager Class figure, he fit right in. They also gave him a new deco that was more in line with the G1 action figure. I never reviewed First Edition Bulkhead, so this will be my first time reviewing this sculpt.
One last note before proceeding with the review: In 2015 an ebay seller put up a sample of the "Generations" version of this figure. If you want to check out photos of it in box, check out this news post from April 2015!
Packaging Translations (by Doug Dlin):
What is Transformers Cloud:
This is a tale of the Cloud World, which represents the infinite variety of dimensions existing in the past, present, and future of the universe, and the dimensional worlds within them. The battle over the Dimension Gate, which makes traveling across dimensions possible, and the key to that gate, SARA, now begins!
Even among the members of the Autobots, the police force of Cloud World's dimension, Brawn is one of the most heroic, combat-experienced warriors. While he has his stubborn, impulsive side, he also has a deep friendship with his comrades.
During the battle which intensified following the encounter with SARA, Brawn was brought down at one point by an assassin's shot, but then received new life from SARA and rose up once again. His new body has such size and toughness that his previous mini-bot form can't even compare. Coupling this with his tremendous strength, he displays astonishing combat power, mowing down rows of enemies. Essentially preferring hand-to-hand combat, he has been newly equipped with a weapon called Beat the Gong, for which he turns his hand into ball of metal. The knockout straight punch issued forth from this weapon boasts of enough might that, in all the dimensions, almost nothing exists that it cannot break.
Once he fully unleashes the power bestowed upon him by SARA, his as-yet-unknown Dimension Mode, he is likely to become a warrior unequalled in all the dimensional worlds.
- You can equip his Beat the Gong weapon by folding away his fist.
- With the wide range of poseability in his limbs, you can enjoy action poses from Brawn the hand-to-hand combat specialist.
- The Beat the Gong weapon can mount on the vehicle mode's luggage rack.
- Recreates the image of Brawn with this newly modeled head.
Vehicle Mode:
It is important to keep in mind that this figure was originally designed to be Bulkhead from "Transformers Prime", so at best this is an interpretation of what Brawn could be in vehicle mode in an alternate universe. The vehicle looks like an SUV that has been adapted for very rough terrain. Some of the key details from Bulkhead's animation model that carry over to this figure include:
- The front grille has vertical bars on it which are covered by a "C" shaped piece.
- The headlights have two bulbs on either side surrounded by a rectangular shape.
- The top of the vehicle has a rack sculpted into it.
- The side windows feature an L shaped bit of armor over the edges.
- The wheel covers have a very distinctive shape with a series of small circles on the edges.
- The rear lights are shaped like trapezoids and wrap around to the sides.
- Underneath each rear light is an "L" shaped detail sculpted into the rear bumper.
- Each wheel well sticks out quite a bit and angles instead of curving over the wheels.
So you get the idea, a lot of Bulkhead's key details made it to this vehicle mode. It is a really nice sculpt and it is a shame that the two releases of this figure were both somewhat limited editions.
Most of this mode is green plastic, but it is a lighter shade of green than the color used on First Edition Bulkhead. Smaller parts such as the headlights are cast in silver. The windows are translucent plastic and the wheels are black plastic. In many respects this figure was meant to be a "premium" release (it cost about $90 USD at the time of release) so there are some really nice paint applications on this figure. Silver is used generously from front to back. The grille, the cag on top, the steps on the sides, the sides of the wheels an part of the back end all have silver on them. On top of that the rear lights are painted red. At the time this figure was released, this was not unusual, but in recent years the back of the vehicle is largely ignored in terms of deco, so it is always great to see something on the back painted.
So the big question is: does this mode fit Brawn? To that I would say yes. The original Brawn was a mixture of a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Jeep so basically a combination of rough and tumble vehicles. Given that, this vehicle mode works perfectly for the tough Autobot. It is an off road vehicle that looks like it could roll through a battlefield with ease which fits the character perfectly!
The vehicle rolls on four wheels rather freely. The back has a port for a 5mm peg. You can attach his "Beat the Gong" mace weapon there for storage. If you are wondering just where "Gong" comes from, that was actually the original name for Brawn in Japan. However for "Cloud" they adopted the American name of "Brawn".
Transformation to Robot Mode:
- Detach the mace if attached and set it aside for now.
- Lift the front of the vehicle up.
- Pull the front wheel wells down and extend the legs out.
- On each leg flip out the foot and heel pieces.
- Lift up the panels that make up the rear of the vehicle.
- Swing the sides of the vehicle out.
- Pull each arm out from under the cabin section and raise the arms up.
- Swing the rear wheel wells out.
- Swing the side panels back. The doors will curve a bit on hinges to wrap around the sides of the body.
- Push the hood panel down to form the front of the torso.
- Swing the hood panels up.
- Move the door panels so they wind up covering part of the toro's front.
- Swing the silver waist piece up, using the end of it to tab into the corresponding groove on the hood panel.
- Swing the arms down, rotate the forearms around and swing the fists out.
- Push the shoulder armor down.
- Push the panel on the back of the cabin section cover down.
- On the top of the cabin section cover, push the middle down to reveal the robot head.
- Brawn can either hold the mace in a fist, or you can swing the fist in and it can be attached to the port at the wrist.
Robot Mode:
Once again it is important to keep in mind that this figure was originally designed to be Bulkhead. This is because of just how unusual the robot mode is. Usually Transformers are somewhat humanoid in shape, with the rough proportions of a human being. Not so with Bulkhead. His design was very focused on his large torso and waist, which looked, well...bulky and round. His arms were also huge and reached all the way down almost to his knees. His head and legs were relatively small compared to the rest of his body, giving him a very unique form. This may sound odd, but in action he was a very imposing figure and always looked tough. Given that the body totally works for Brawn, but I will agree with some fans who have said in the past that the Brawn head on this figure looks a bit small. This is especially true if you consider how wide his head was on the G1 action figure and animation model.
This figure isn't all just bulk. Some new details are revealed thanks to so many parts unfolding to form the robot mode. First off, the head sculpt is perfect. It feature's G1 Brawn's semi-circle helmet with a face that has a serious expression on it. Other fun details including the grille detail from the vehicle mode now showing on the abdominal area and knee armor with some nice, carved lines on them. His mace weapon also has a lot of detail, with a ton of small blade-like protrusions sticking out the sides and on the front. This definitely looks like one mean weapon you do not want to be hit with!
This mode shows off plenty of green plastic, but now we get a lot more silver in the mix via arms and knee armor. Some orange is used on his shoulders and mid-body area. Silver paint is used on the mid-body area and the feet. The head has been painted two shades of silver, the darker shade is used on the helmet while the lighter one is used on the face. These colors are all inspired by G1 Brawn who had green, silver and orange as his key colors. They worked together well back then and they look great on this figure.
There are twenty five points of articulation on this figure. This includes six points of articulation on each arm and leg. I am being generous by counting the ability of his hands to swing inward, which is technically part of his transformation. I did notice the joints on this figure feel slightly more loose than those on my "First Edition" Bulkhead, but they are not floppy by any means.
As mentioned above the mace weapon can be held in either fist or you can swing a fist in and attach the mace to the wrist so it looks like his hand "transformed" into the mace. It's a fun feature and it looks real cool too. In case you're wondering, the "Beat the Gong" name of this weapon is a reference to G1 Brawn's Japanese name: Gong.
Final Thoughts:
"Cloud" Brawn is a cool figure, and I like it quite a bit. It has a certain mystique thanks to its previously "cancelled" status and the Bulkhead sculpt was already cool to begin with. It has a certain level of complexity and bulk (heh) that you do not see a lot nowadays. All that said, this figure averages for $90 at the time I am writing this review (June 2017) so it is really only for hardcore fans of Brawn or "Cloud" completists.
- Good sculpt.
- Good deco.
- Fun play factor.
- Intuitive transformation.
- Proportions may not be to everyone's taste, especially the size of the head versus the torso.
- Price is high for a Voyager Class figure.


text:
The next generation high definition, high performance IPTV set top box (STB) for Guest Room IPTV systems.
- Buy 5 for £239.94 £287.93 each and save 7%
- Buy 25 for £219.30 £263.16 each and save 15%
High definition television is now an expected feature of in-room services. The AmiNET H140 is a high specification STB providing a comprehensive range of features for the hospitality market - at very competitive pricing levels.
The H140 is complemented by a wide range of set top box middleware, browsers, conditional access and DRM options. All STB functions can be controlled from a browser using the Amino JMACX system.
- Can de-interlace content for progressive display, this means great picture quality for LCD and Plasma TVs
- High performance CPU, Provides fast video processing
- Stylish, pleasing design with a wide range of connectivity in a compact package
- Mini DIN, HDMI, USB, S/PDIF and RS232 connectors,
- Software reset button, this provides a method of software recovery in the field
- Software functions controlled from browser, allows developers to create effective user interfaces via the Amino JMACX extensions
- ADKs and SDKs available, Scope for further development of custom software applications
- Accepts a multicast software image, enables software upgrades to be deployed in the field
- Security key signing, Unique protection to each deployment
Please note the supply of a browser on Amino devices is not covered by any warranty, only the hardware is covered against defects.
Size and weight:
102mm x 97mm x 37mm. 300g (excluding accessories and packaging)
Ethernet 10/100 BaseT via RJ-45 shielded connector
HDMI 1.3a. with HDCP and CEC. 10-way Mini-DIN for Composite video, Component (YPrPb), RGB, S-Video and analogue audio. S/PDIF (optical). 2x USB2.0. RS232 serial connector
5V DC at 1.5A via external power supply Less than 8W typical usage (external supply input voltage 100-240V AC 50-60Hz 3A max)
MPEG-2 MP@HL. MPEG -4 pt10 AVC/H.264 HP@L4
Video resolutions:
Decodes up to 720p and 1080i. Displays up to 1080p
Graphics resolutions:
HD graphics up to 1280x720
Stereo audio and Dolby 5.1 surround via
S-PDIF and HDMI. Dolby Digital+ pass through to external decoder
Wide selection of DRM and Conditional Access support. HDCP on HDMI
Macrovision on SD (optional)
128MB Flash, 256MB RAM
Front panel LEDs:
Power on/IR command received (Red)
Operating environment:
ETS 300-019-1-3 Class 3.1
EMC conformance:
FCC Part 15 class B.
Safety approvals:
CAN/ CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1-03 EN60950
Operating temperature:
0˚C (32˚F) to 40˚C (104˚F)
Storage humidity:
5% to 95% RH (non-condensing)


text:
How to Reclaim the Airplane Armrest
We've all been there, attempting to claim ownership of that most valuable of airplane real estate: the armrest.
I mean, if you're sitting in the middle seat, it's really only fair to get the armrest, right? The passengers on either side of you have a window to lean on or extra room to stretch in the aisle.
If you find yourself in the unfortunate middle seat situation without an armrest to rely on, take a cue from one flier's playbook.
He shared a few thoughts regarding his fellow passenger, who he claims acted like "he owned the armrest." Now, his strategy is bold—but incredibly effective. Check it out above and make sure to stick around until the end—his unsuspecting seatmate's reaction is priceless.


text:
Self Study Method
Road Traffic Safety Management System
This self-study ISO 39001 Foundation course is by Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB), Canada who is an accredited Management System Certification Body by International Accreditation Service (IAS) under ISO/IEC 17021 – Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems. Learn more here
Overview Information:
- Training Duration: Participants have 20 days to complete the course and take an examination
- CPD Certification: 14 credits
- Exam Required: Yes
- Exam Duration: 01 hours. You can take an online exam or a written exam proctored by CTSafe in Vietnam
- Retake Exam: Yes
Course fee: $290
Click đăng ký ngay khóa Self-study ISO 39001 Foundation
Why should you attend?
ISO 39001 Foundation training enables you to learn the basic elements to implement and manage a Road Traffic Safety Management System (RTSMS) as specified in ISO 39001. During this training course, you will be able to understand the different modules of a RTSMS, including RTSMS policy, procedures, performance measurements, management commitment, internal audit, management review and continual improvement.
After completing this course, you can sit for the exam and apply for a "PECB Certified ISO 39001 Foundation" credential. A PECB Foundation Certificate shows that you have understood the fundamental methodologies, requirements, framework and management approach.
Who should attend?
Individuals involved in Road Traffic Safety Management
Individuals seeking to gain knowledge about the main processes of Road Traffic Safety Management Systems (RTSMS)
Individuals interested to pursue a career in Road Traffic Safety Management
Learning objectives
Understand the elements and operations of a Road Traffic Safety Management System and its principal processes
Acknowledge the correlation between ISO 39001 and other standards and regulatory frameworks
Understand the approaches, methods and techniques used for the implementation and management of a RTSMS
Educational approach
Lecture sessions are illustrated with practical questions and examples
Practical exercises include examples and discussions
Practice tests are similar to the Certification Exam
Prerequisites: None
Course Agenda (this can applicable for a 2 day classroom)
Day 1: Introduction to Road Traffic Safety Management System (RTSMS) concepts as required by ISO 39001
Day 2: Road Traffic Safety Management System requirements and Certification Exam
The "PECB Certified ISO 39001 Foundation" exam fully meets the requirements of the PECB Examination and Certification Programme (ECP). The exam covers the following competency domains:
Domain 1: Fundamental principles and concepts of a Road Traffic Safety Management System (RTSMS)
Domain 2: Road Traffic Safety Management System (RTSMS)
For more information about exam details, please visit Examination Rules and Policies.
Upon the successful completion of the exam, you can apply for the credential shown on the table below. For more information about ISO 39001 certifications and the PECB certification process, please refer to the Certification Rules and Policies.
The requirements for the PECB Foundation Certification are:
|Professional experience
|MS audit/assessment experience
|RTSMS project experience
|Other requirements
|PECB Certified ISO 39001 Foundation
|PECB Certified ISO 39001 Foundation Exam or equivalent
|Signing the PECB Code of Ethics


text:
- Home
- Coronavirus
- About
- Contact
- Locals
- Publications
- Login
Hundreds protest against Hackney Council cuts
Sun, 20/02/2011 - 00:31
Around 500 people turned out in the rain yesterday to show their dislike of Hackney Council's propsed service losses, as it struggles with some of the heaviest austerity cuts to its budget of any local authority in Britain.
North London Solfed members joined the rally, which was organised by Hackney Alliance Against Cuts, as it marched from Stoke Newington on a two hour route through to the centre of the borough to highlight the potential impact of a 8.9 per cent drop in funding.
Council estimates suggest around 800 jobs would go on the back of the losses, which would drain money and jobs out of some of the most impoverished areas of the country.
The march represented a significant rise on the numbers seen late last year - around 200 people demonstrated on the town hall steps in October when the scale of government withdrawal of funds from the borough first became clear.
Recent articles
This article was published on 20 February 2011 by the SolFed group in North London. Other recent articles:
|Informacion para ciudadanos EEA en el Reino Unido -Information for EU citizens (in Spanish) (posted 9. July)
|Informacion para ciudadanos EEA en el Reino Unido -Information for EU citizens (in Spanish) (posted 27. June)
|Library occupied by the community in Lambeth, eviction notice served today (posted 5. April)
|Solidarity with Abahlali baseMjondolo against killing of their members (posted 18. November)
|"London – a migrant's guide" - a new pamphlet by Solidarity Federation (posted 24. October)


text:
WHO WE ARE?Our mission is to help small businesses with an emphasis on the brilliance of simplicity. We believe in common sense and transparency in our approach to marketing. We are a privately-owned small business ourselves and we act like it. We employ caring, dedicated professionals, practice smart time management principles and use the technologies we recommend. Our top business priority is to develop mutually beneficial relationships with clients and promote our vision of productivity through balance.
Donald GriswoldPresident/Creative Director
"As a small business owner, I'm proud of how our work enables our clients, who are also small business owners, to realize their dreams. This is why we have so many clients who have been with us more than a dozen years. We offer a quality relationship to all our clients and that's a benefit to both parties."
Charlie PatricVice President/Art and Technology Director
"In marketing, it's easy to focus on the wrong things. A number 1 ranking, instead of the traffic that ranking is getting you. A high number of visits from an Adwords campaign, instead of analyzing what those users are doing once they get to your website. A website that's just online, instead of one that communicates your message and converts. We will focus on what's truly important to your business. Because, what good is a number 1 ranking, if no one is searching that term?"
Kiki PatricSocial Media Manager
"Social media is where internet users spend 28% of their time. These are your future patients and clients! We make your business visible in their regular leisure activity which builds a trust and relationship between you and them. Now who do you think they'll call when they need your type of service?"
Crystal MazueraWriter
Erin MudieWriter
Daniel TillerDesign
Wyatt CagleVideo Production
Taylor SchachterWriter
Stephanie BuchananSEO and Syndication Specialist


text:
The Ikarran War Machines were bio-mechanoid weapons developed by the Ikarrans. Their initial purpose was to protect the people of Ikarra VII from those who were "impure", but they ended up destroying the civilization.[1]
The central core of the war machine is a pod-like object with several articulated pincers. These pincers lock onto the flesh of the host and initiate the transformation process. The epidermis is reconfigured into a kind of flexible armor that can repel almost any damage. The bones and muscles are replaced by bio-mechanical actuators that provide the user with superhuman strength, capable of tearing apart sheet metal with its bare hands. The left arm reconfigures entirely into a kind of energy-discharge weapon that can cause burns, explosions, and even disrupt a target's molecular structure. The body contains a kind of organic power core that gradually builds up a charge necessary to power the main weapon.
If the core is destroyed or removed from the host, the body's natural systems kick back in, reversing the transformation process. This is a much faster reconfiguration than the initial transformation process.[1]
A thousand years ago, the people of Ikarra VII used their knowledge of bio-mechanical technology to construct a series of weapons to defend themselves. They were afraid of "impure" Ikarrans - and by extension, other races - that would lead to the downfall of their culture. A group of scientists, led by Tu'lar, built a series of at least thirteen symbiotic weapon systems that could turn its host into a walking tank with the firepower to destroy entire cities. To ensure that the weapons were entirely devoted to their cause, Tu'lar imprinted them with his own neural pattern.
The first twelve were activated and bonded to their hosts. They set about their task of defending all "pure" Ikarrans. The problem arose from the fact that the definition of "purity" had been set forth by a group of religious leaders and zealots. The war machines began exterminating any Ikarran with the slightest genetic or idealistic deviation from the norms they proscribed. Eventually, they managed to wipe out the entire civilization. With no one left to protect and no one to care for them, the machines shut down and were destroyed due to neglect over the course of a thousand years.[1]
Babylon 5 IncidentEdit
During an archaeological dig, Dr. Vance Hendricks and his associate, Nelson Drake, stumbled upon a cache of artifacts hidden underground that managed to escape the destruction. This included the war machine's core unit. The dig was originally funded by IPX, but they were just a cover for the Earthforce Bio-weapons Division, intent on finding military applications for the technology. Rather than deliver them directly to his supporters, Dr. Hendricks went to Babylon 5 to secure the assistance of the only man he felt could help them, Dr. Stephen Franklin.
While Dr. Hendricks spun a story for Stephen to get him on-board with the project, Nelson was working to get the items smuggled past customs. A security guard who was quick on the up-take realized what they were up to, so Nelson used a portable cardiac stimulator to kill the guard and make it look like a heart attack. Hendricks and Franklin got to work, eager to analyze all of the bio-mechanical artifacts. The war machine sensed a killer's instinct within Nelson and began exerting a kind of telepathic influence on him, slowly initiating the transformation process.
Nelson was slowly robbed of his humanity, until he finally bonded directly with the war machine core unit, fully transforming him into a cyber-organic weapon. Driven by the machine's singular drive to protect, he began attacking anyone he saw as a threat, which would mean absolutely anyone. After each use of the main weapon, the war machine increased in power. While the first blast was only sufficient to knock out Dr. Franklin and cause minor burns, later blasts were sufficient to vaporize a body and eventually burn through the station's deck plating. Each blast almost doubled in power, which meant the war machine would soon be strong enough to burn straight through to the reactor core and destroy the station.
Commander Jeffrey Sinclair and Chief Michael Garibaldi went after the device. Meanwhile, Dr. Franklin dove into the research of the scientists who created the device, discovering the history of Tu'lar and the twelve war machines that destroyed the Ikarran civilization. The commander utilized this knowledge to his advantage and went straight for the machine's personality core; he called it by its name and went so far as to make it mad. While the war machine hunted him through the station's abandoned corridors leading to the docking bay, the commander told the war machine to look into the mind of its host, Nelson, to see the world of Ikarra VII as it looked now. The machine realized what its fellow weapons had done and, after begging the Great Maker to forgive them, it removed the core unit and crushed it, destroying itself. Nelson turned back to normal and the crisis was averted.[1]


text:
Legal Issues and Affidavit Writing for NGO Providers in Permanency and OOHC

{image name:"AASW CPD Endorsed Logo" align:"right" width:"100" height:"100"}

This workshop introduces participants to key sections of the Children and Young Person's (Care and Protection) Act...
This workshop introduces participants to key sections of the Children and Young Person's (Care and Protection) Act 1998 as it applies in NSW.
We will explore alternative options to long-term care orders, care plans, legal reporting obligations, alternative dispute resolution options and the Children's Court in NSW. We will also focus on writing Court Reports (Supervision and Suitability of Placement Reports), and Affidavit writing for s90 Significant Change of Circumstance Hearings.
After the workshop you can choose to complete an affidavit and receive feedback from a qualified professional at an extra cost.
Who should attend?
All OOHC professionals, including case workers and managers
Sydney - ACWA/CCWT
Site Directions
There is underground parking nearby at Market City Shopping Centre. The early-bird rate - $20 is available for parking on Level B3. Please check the Wilson Parking website for details.
Public Transport
Buses: Take any bus to Central Station or Railway Square. Please notes that buses no longer go down George Street. Get off at Eddy Avenue and turn left, then turn right at George Street.
If you are on a bus going towards the CBD, get off at Railway Square and walk down George St (towards Circular Quay).
If you are on a Bus going towards Broadway, get off at Pitt St opposite Barlow St and walk south-west on Pitt St towards Barlow St and cross over George St.
The entrance to the building is between the St George and Commonwealth banks on George St, near the corner of Ultimo Rd.
Trains: Our offices are a short walk from Central Station. Exit onto Eddy Avenue and turn left, then turn right at George Street. We are on George St, between the St George and Commonwealth banks, near the corner of George St and Ultimo Rd.
Light Rail: Our offices are a short walk from both Paddy's Markets and Capitol Square stations.
If you alight at Paddy's Markets, walk south for 160 metres (south-east towards Thomas St), continue onto Ultimo Rd and turn left onto George St.
If you alight at Capitol Square, walk north-west on Hay St towards George St. Cross the road (George St) at the traffic lights and head left towards Ultimo Rd (our building entrance is between St George and Commonwealth banks).
Other Information
Central Railway station, Eddy Avenue exit: 500m (10 min walk)
Railway Square: 500m (10 min walk)
Light Rail: Paddy's Markets 290m (4 min walk) or Capitol Square 110m (1 min walk)
Airport: 10.6kms (18 mins drive)
|Session Notes
|Thu 24 Oct 2019
|9:30am - 4:30pm (UTC+11:00)
|Training Room 2 - Sydney - ACWA/CCWT
|Fri 25 Oct 2019
|9:30am - 4:30pm (UTC+11:00)
|Training Room 2 - Sydney - ACWA/CCWT


text:
Category: extras
fringlerfilms Featured on Bellingham Film Festivals
amphibian [montage]
try to find the secrets. made by brendan.
New fringlerfilmz2: Missing
Broken Parallel (teaser)
We filmed this, and I don't want it in the film, but y'all can see it!
fringlerfilmz2 – Goodnight and more!
remember these are EXTRAS they don't make sense.
fringlerfilmz2 is getting so many new videos as we upload everything we find on our old harddrives.
a vlog from our inter trip coming soon.
fringerfilmz2 – twisty twistu twist
HAPPY 2013 or something.
fringlerfilmz2 – Break In
We put this up on the main channel though…because why not. Last video of 2012!


text:
HCA Healthcare UK – The World's largest private hospital group; providing award winning acute and complex care.
Rated as 'outstanding' by the CQC, the London Bridge Hospital campus in South East London encompasses an outpatients and diagnostic centre in The Shard; the large world-class hospital based at the Tooley Street site; Private Care at Guys, which is on the top four floors of Guys Hospital Cancer Centre; and outpatient and diagnostic centres across the City, Canary Wharf and Kent.
With 160 beds, 22 ICU beds and 10 operating theatres we offer our patients exceptional treatment across a multitude of acute and complex care and have use of the latest technologies and healthcare innovations.
Job Description
As a Staff Nurse, you will be providing care for Haematology patients from diagnosis, collaborative treatment planning, chronic pain control, to integration into the community and end of life care.
This rewarding and yet challenging role allows empathic and caring nursing to utilise the full range of nursing skills from diagnosis support, patient and relative education, administering chemotherapy and treating all illness related symptoms, medically, physically, emotionally and mentally.
This is a full-time role working 37.5hrs per week on internal rotation to include days, nights and weekends.
The attractive and competitive salary for this role is between £31972 - £35169 (dependent upon skills and experience) plus 9% enhancement.
Reward & recognition – We reward your commitment in delivering the highest standard of care with generous and competitive benefits such as our contribution pension scheme, private medical insurance, annual salary review, 247.5hrs holiday each year; with the option to buy and sell. We invest in your career development with clear career pathways and access to further education. We can also offer you support with relocation if you are living outside of London or the UK; subject to terms and conditions.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Reporting to the Sister/Charge Nurse your role as a Staff Nurse is to treat all patients in their private room environment with dignity and respect, focusing on making a difference by offering
individualised and one-on-one patient care and comfort to them and their relatives.
- Assess, plan, deliver, evaluate and implement the highest of nursing standards
- Work in a highly experienced and specialist multi-disciplinary team, alongside leading specialist
nurses and world class consultants
- Utilise and work with all support services internally and build strong relationships with your patient and your support team, closely monitor conditions of patients and report any concerns as necessary.
- Administer Chemotherapy if qualified, conduct patient teaching, managing their illness and
accurately document all patient records onto the computerised systems.
- Adhere to all patient safety standard operating procedures, codes of conduct in line with NMC and Clinical Governance policies.
- Take part in ward audits and contribute to the ongoing research based care and other practice
development initiatives.
Skills & Experience
- Registered General Nurse with valid NMC pin
- Experience in the field of Haematology
- Chemo trained is desirable but not essential.
- Excellent communication skills who utilizes an emphatic and caring approach to patients whose
- diagnosis and treatment are often painful and life-threatening.
- Supportive team player who is flexible to the needs of the department and willing to progress and continuously develop.
About The Individual
At HCA UK we recognise and value everyone as unique and individual; treat people with kindness and compassion; act with absolute honesty, integrity, and fairness and trust and treat one another as valued members of the HCA UK family. As someone looking to join our family, you will demonstrate these key values.
You will also actively participate as a member of a team, working together to achieve tasks, goals, and objectives; demonstrate a lead by example attitude to inspire our colleagues and patients; and deliver information in a clear, concise, and compelling manner to effectively engage others and achieve desired results.
If you wish to find out more about this opportunity, please apply for this role and a member of the team will be in contact shortly.
Competitive Salary


text:
Global warming has been making headlines consistently during the past two decades. The subject impacts global economic policies and thereby our everyday lifestyle. Amidst the smoke in the battleground arises the moral call of Christians to function as responsible stewards of creation.
But how does climate change impact the marginalized of the world? What can we, as followers of Christ, do for the environment and the poor?
The recent developments at the Paris climate change conference saw unprecedented commitments (though not legally enforceable) by global states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Their impact is likely to disrupt development in poor countries.
Developing countries can't afford more expensive, lower-yield energy technologies. They, like developed nations, rely predominantly on conventional energy sources like coal and nuclear to foster their growing industries. Without the growth of these industries, improved livelihood in poor countries is highly unlikely.
A considerable section of the population in developing countries remains below the poverty line. Let's consider India for example—my country. Fifty-one percent of households in rural areas survive on manual labor as the primary source of income. Last year, a first-of-its kind socio-economic survey revealed that poverty is the way of life for 70 percent of India's 1.25 billion population living in rural areas.
My country has fought against poverty for the past six decades, yet there have been no positive changes in the rural poverty index. India needs development policies that will propel its industries forward—industries that are dependent on clean, affordable, reliable, conventional sources of energy.
But we are being pressured to move in the opposite direction. The transition from conventional to renewables will be disastrous to the economy. This is so obvious that—even in a developed country like the United States—the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) stayed the proposed transition from coal to renewables.
Christians must speak on energy issues that impact the poor. The Scripture calls for the church to attend to the needs of the poor, marginalized, and afflicted. We all know that the global Christian body is involved in mercy missions locally and globally. But our call to help the poor extends beyond sending food aids and monetary help. The rescue of those oppressed in slavery is a fine example of this. Similarly, it's high time that we advocate for development policies that truly lift people out of poverty.
When asked about the most important commandment, Jesus answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37–39). When I look around, I see neighbors who are directly impacted by drastic changes to development policies. I see the poor and marginalized who need the support and advocacy of their fellow humans.
In light of the astronomical changes to energy policies that are being proposed, and with regard to the Christian voice that needs to be heard within policymaking bodies, the most loving deed we Christians can do is to advocate for the environmentally safe policies that will address the livelihood of the poor and the marginalized of the world, including those in the developed West.
As a Christian student of environmental science, I believe clean conventional energy sources (such as coal and nuclear energy) are the lifeline of our civilization. Do coal-based energy sources pose an imminent threat to the globe by increasing temperature levels? Real-world observations, instead of computer climate models, suggest that the answer is no.
Vijay Jayaraj (M.S., Environmental Science) is the Research Associate for Developing Countries for the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. He currently lives in Udumalpet, India.


text:
During the main part of the school day and for any official College activities which require it, such as Sunday evening Chapel, all Wellingtonians wear their school uniform. Once a pupil has completed their formal school activities for the day, they are permitted to change into their home clothes.
Pupils in the Third, Fourth and Fifth Forms wear specific Wellington College uniform. For boys, uniform consists of a dark grey herringbone jacket, black trousers, a white shirt and College tie, and black shoes. Girls wear a blue and black tartan skirt, white mandarin-collared shirt, a black blazer, and black shoes. All Lower and Middles school pupils are allowed to wear a College navy V-neck jumper.
Sixth Formers are allowed to wear their own suits. Boys tend to choose dark navy, black or grey suits in plain or subtle pin-stripe style. Girls may wear skirt or trouser suits with a white shirt. The main focus of Sixth Form dress regulations is for Wellingtonians to look smart, business-like and respectful at all times.
All school uniform and a wider range of sports clothing can be purchased at the College Shop – 'Grubbies' – details for which can be found in the Pastoral Care section of this website.


text:
Welcome to the Symco Group blog. We are a Buford, Georgia based provider of new and refurbished hardware, software, supplies, and parts as well as an industry leader of third party services related to the document, mail, print, and financial markets. . Our mission is to provide the best service at competitive rates for our clients with integrity and attention to detail.
We plan to use our blog for discussions on topics that relate to the mail, print, and card issuance markets as well as other closely related industries.
We hope you will find it interesting and follow along!
The Symco Group Team