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The International Conference on (Re-)Emerging Infectious Diseases
The 1st International Conference on (Re-) Emerging Infectious Diseases (ICREID) was organized on 12-14 March 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
It attracted nearly 200 participants from 37 countries. This high profile conference brought together all global stakeholders to share research results, important clinical developments and updates on ongoing and new trials in the field of (Re-) Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The program featured plenary lectures, abstract and poster presentations, along with discussions & debates; providing a unique opportunity to meet colleagues in a scientific focused setting.
The Organizing Committee would like to thank all the invited speakers and participants for their contribution to this meeting!
The pressing need for a scientific platform was demonstrated by both the high number of participants attended as well as the number of abstracts that have been received. In addition to the presentations on real life experiences, a large number of well-recognized experts have confirmed the need for informational exchange and education by giving didactic lectures covering several important topics in preventing and managing an outbreak.
We are grateful to our sponsors & exhibitors Africa CDC, Janssen, Sysmex, Cepheid, Altona, Abbott and Nanobiosys for making this event possible.
We look forward to welcoming you to ICREID 2019!
The Program Chairs,


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|Several 8-Metres lined up at the dock of RCYC, Toronto.
A few minutes later the second fleet starts. In contrast, this fleet consists of wooden hulls with low, sleek sheerlines and profiles with elegant long overhangs. The manner in which the boats of this fleet cut and shoulder through the water it is obvious that they have very heavy displacement hulls. This fleet is made up of some of the most beautiful sailboats anywhere and is also one of the oldest fleets of racing yachts in the world. These yachts make up the unique Lake Ontario 8-Metre fleet. Several of the boats are more than 70 years old. Two of them first raced each other 69 years ago. Thisbe and Quest met in August 1930 across the lake on the waters off Rochester in New York state. During that long-ago summer, 10,000 spectators watched as the two boats duelled for the Canada's Cup and sailing supremacy of the Great Lakes.
The unique pre-WW II fleet of 8-Metres consists of ten boats at two Toronto area clubs-RCYC and Etobicoke Yacht Club. Although over the years other eights have come and gone. Another pair of more modern Eights sail out of the American side of Lake Ontario. The pedigrees of these Eights represent unique aspects of Canadian and international yacht design and history. For example, the rivalry between Iskareen and Venture II dates back to the 1954 edition of the Canada's Cup. Conewego, currently under restoration, was design number nine off the drafting table of Olin Stephens and the beautiful lines of Norseman came off the board of William Roue, designer of the famous Nova Scotia schooner Bluenose.
The 8-Metre class, which was based on the International Rule, is not a one-design but represents an early 20th century effort to allow designers some leeway in the design of boats that race without time penalties. Not as well known as the 12-Metres which were used for past America's Cup racing, the Eights are handier and more suited to the shallower harbours of Lake Ontario. Nevertheless 8-Metres are powerful and fast with superb up-wind capabilities. "You can feel the power of an Eight by the way it rides through the water," says Bart Meuring, co-owner of Bangalore, a 1928 Norwegian-built Eight. With their full keels they sit deep in the water and are designed to heel 15 or 20 degrees. Most 8-Metres were built strictly for racing and there are few compromises for cruising. "The old Eights were built by craftsmen who put life into those boats," says Meuring.
Cedric Gyles, who owns and races Norseman, represents the typical 8-metre fanatic. "I've been messing about 8-Metres for about 25 years," say Gyles, "and I've had a lot of fun in them." He first sailed in Eights as a youngster growing up in Vancouver with his father. Later living in the Prairies Gyles did not sail for many years. Moving to Toronto he got back into sailing and he started looking for a boat to buy. He was not impressed with most of the modern boats. "Then I saw the two Eights at RCYC," he says. "So I went looking for an Eight to buy. I looked in Europe and found nothing, but in 1973 I found Norseman in a boatyard in Sodus Bay (New York) across the lake. It was love at first sight.
|Various 8.metres at RCYC with the Toronto skyline in the distance.
Sitting next to Norseman in Sodus Bay boatyard was another 8-Metre, Thisbe. "When I came back to Toronto I told Dick Mitchele about her," says Gyles. "Dick bought Thisbe and then there were four 8-Metres at RCYC." Gyles has a personal connection with two other Lake Ontario Eights. His son is a co-owner of the Scottish-built Severn II and a number of years ago Gyles found Bangalore in Martha's Vineyard and restored her before selling her to Meuring and his partners.
The origins of the Lake Ontario 8-Metre fleet are tied to the Canada's Cup, inaugurated in 1896 when the Lincoln Park Club of Chicago challenged RCYC for supremacy of Great Lakes match racing. The Toronto club won the first series with a boat named Canada, hence the name of the trophy. The Chicago Yacht Club won the cup in 1899. It went back to RCYC in 1901. The Rochester Yacht Club won it in 1903 and successfully defended in 1905 and 1907 before the series went into dormancy until RCYC issued a challenge in 1929.
With the 1929 challenge, consideration had to be given as to the type of boat to race the series. In 1928, Commodore George H. Gooderham acquired the first International Rule yacht on the Great Lakes, the Finnish-built Six-Metre Merenneito. It was Merenneito's impressive performance that led RCYC to suggest using 10-Metres for the Canada's Cup. Rochester balked at the expense of building a 10-Metre to defend but agreed to go with the 8-Metre class. In fact, both clubs built three Eights each. The first American boat Conewago, was one of Olin Stephen's earliest designs years before making his mark with a long line of America's Cup winners. The second Rochester boat, Cayuga, was designed by Frank Paine and financed by public subscription. The final Rochester boat, Thisbe, a Clinton Crane design built in New York City, was simply intended to be a trial horse for the other two. It was Thisbe, however, that won the defender trials.
Meanwhile across the lake, RCYC, had approached the designer of the famous Nova Scotia schooner Bluenose, William Roue to draw up the lines of Norseman. The club built her in the club's own yard on Toronto Island. The next RCYC boat, Quest was from the design offices of William Fife of Scotland. Fife had been responsible for the design of Canada the first winner of the Canada's Cup. Quest was built by a yard in Oakville, a few miles west of Toronto, partly from pieces shipped out from the Fife shops. George Gooderham commissioned the final RCYC boat, Vision, designed and built by Camper & Nicholson in the United Kingdom. Quest won the challenger trials.
The 1930 Canada's Cup between Thisbe and Quest drew tremendous crowds, upwards of 5,000 people in boats and on shore for the first four races. With the series tied at two races each, the fifth and final race was watched by an estimated 10,000. So exciting was the series that RCYC issued another challenge for 1932. RCYC again commissioned Fife to design a challenger, Invader II. Rochester selected Conewego as defender. The two boats met for the Canada's Cup in 1932 and 1934 with the Americans winning both series. With the continuing depression and the onset of the Second World War the Canada's Cup went into a 20-year-long hibernation.
|Quest after her refurbishment. On the left is Venture II.
"I reported to Norm by telephone and he asked me what I thought we should do," recalls Cuthbertson. "I replied that several of the Eights in Sweden perhaps merited a look." Walsh told Cuthbertson to go ahead and have a look at the Swedish Eights. Unfortunately, there were none that, in Cuthbertson's opinion, could match Iskareen. Back in Toronto, Walsh and Cuthbertson conferred on what to do. Cuthbertson studied all of the available data and suggested that the next best boat Venture II, an E. Arthur Shuman design, then in Detroit should be investigated. Both Iskareen and Venture II had built in 1938 and were considerably advanced technically over the older Eights used in the Canada's Cup.
After Walsh had acquired Venture II, he set Cuthbertson to design and implement upgrades to her. They replaced the heavy wooden mast and lightened the hull. "She was ruthlessly stripped of anything that could be eliminated," says Cuthbertson. Venture II was outfitted with one of the first suits of Dacron synthetic sails on the Great Lakes, although, a fine set of cotton sails was obtained as a hedge. Venture II dominated the challenger trails, winning eight straight races against Vision and Invader II. In the 1954 Canada's Cup series, Iskareen won the first race. "In the next race, Venture II evened the series which saw the lead change five times," says Cuthbertson. Eventually, the Canadian boat won the series and brought the Canada's Cup back to the north shore of Lake Ontario for the first time in 53 years. There was another hiatus, this time 15 years long, before the Cup was again contested in 1969.
The break did not do much for the 8-Metre fleet, but in anticipation of the 1969 series, Eugene Van Voorhis of the Rochester Yacht Club commissioned Olin Stephens to design Iroquois. This new Eight was essentially a scaled-down version of Stephens' revolutionary 12-Metre Intrepid. Unfortunately for Van Voorhis, RCYC pulled the rug out from under him and changed the deed of gift for the Canada's Cup dropping the 8-Metre class. On the other hand Iroquois was the forerunner of a number of "modern" Eights that appeared on the American side of Lake Ontario. The Van Voorhis family raced Iroquois for several seasons before selling her to Finnish owners.
In the late 1960s, without the impetus of the Canada's Cup, the Lake Ontario 8-Metre fleet floundered. Some of the boats were sold to European owners while others were left neglected in boatyards. By 1971 there were only two Eights in racing condition on the lake, although Joe Balogh was in the process of restoring the venerable Quest and it was just about that time that Cedric Gyles found Norseman and Thisbe in Sodus Bay. Since then, Lake Ontario has again become one of the most active 8-Metre venues in the world.
So important is the Lake Ontario fleet that the 8-Metre World Cup regattas alternate between the lake and a European venue. The last Lake Ontario World Cup was hosted by the Rochester Yacht Club in 1999. At the World Cup Regattas, two trophies are contested, the Sira Cup for vintage boats built before World War II, and the World Cup itself for the fastest overall Eight regardless of age. All the boats race together and occasionally the older heavier boats beat some of the newer. Last year's World Cup regatta at Porto St. Stefano had more than two dozen Eights show up.
The Lake Ontario fleet is centered in Toronto, but there are several modern Eights on the American side of the lake. These modern Eights of either fibre-glass or cold-moulded wood construction are of lighter displacement and easily leave the vintage Eights behind. Unfortunately, the state of the American 8-Metre fleet is not at all promising. "The only boat that was out sailing last summer was The Natural out of Sodus Bay," says Joel Roemer, North American Secretary of the International 8-Metre Association. In 1998, Roemer organized a match race series at the Rochester Yacht Club that saw Ted Turner take the helm of several vintage and modern Eights. The event's special guest was Olin Stephens, who was able to inspect his two designs, Conewego and Iskareen. It was the first time that Stephens had seen Iskareen.
Two modern American Eights were lost to Lake Onatrio last summer. The Rochester boat Octavia–a Bruce Kirby design built in Canada–was sold to owners on Lake Michigan. "Ron Palm of Oswego sold Sarissa at dockside at the World Cup in St. Stefano," says Roemer, "but on the other hand Palm also recently bought Mystery (formerly Triage) and has refurbished her." The only other American Eight on Lake Ontario is Golden Feather and she did not race last summer.
There had been some talk of using 8-Metres to contest the next Canada's Cup series set for this summer. "We tried to push for Eights in the Canada's Cup but it did not work out," says Gyles, who is involved in negotiations with the current holders of the Cup, the Bayview Yacht Club of Detroit. From his prospective on the American side of the border, Joel Roemer thinks that using the Eights for the Canada's Cup would be great. "If the Canada's Cup went with 8-Metres it would really revive the 8-Metre scene on this side of the lake," says Roemer. The most likely boat to be chosen for the Cup is the Farr 40.
In any case, Cedric Gyles remains enthusiastic about the future of 8-Metres on Lake Ontario, especially the Canadian fleet of vintage boats. "We could well have nine or 10 boats on the start line next summer," he says. "The future looks promising with so many young people coming into the fleet." Gyles' crew bank of a dozen or so includes some of his grandchildren. Gyles was pleased to see Venture II back racing last summer after many years of being used as a family day sailor. Although Etobicoke Yacht Club's Jackeen was not raced, her owners have recently acquired a sister ship, Ace, and are restoring her. With dedicated owners and crew, the Lake Ontario 8-Meter fleet will continue to flourish.
|Norseman and Severn at the RCYC dock.


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Detroitism in Binghamton: A Photo EssayJuly 27, 2013 at 9:56 am | Posted in Capitalism, democracy, Human Rights, Outsourcing, Political Economy, world politics | 2 Comments
Tags: Capitalism, democracy, Human Rights, Manufacturing, United States, Urban, world politics, World-economy
Detroitism has emerged a while ago to encapsulate the emergence of urban ruins in North America and Europe–from Camden NJ to Naples and Bucharest–with the decline of manufacturing and the outsourcing of production to low- and middle-income economies in Asia and Latin America. Populations of these cities have declined sharply–from 1.8 million fifty years ago to 700,000 today in Detroit, shrinking tax revenues and depressing property values leading to a degradation of city services and civic amenities and spiking the crime rate. Abandoned houses are stripped of their valuables–metal and copper are sold to junk merchants to be sent to India and China to be melted down and recycled to fuel these 'emerging economies.'
Smaller towns and cities in the United States have been declining even longer–for more than a century as the mechanization of agriculture and the exhaustion of natural resources set in even before manufacturing began to move to the non-unionized states of the 'Sunbelt' and later to even lower-wage locations overseas. And the emergence of 'big box' retailers like Wal-mart hollowed out their commercial cores as Edward Alden noted.
And so it has been with Binghamton, located at the confluence of the Susquehanna and the Chenango rivers in southern New York State. A small farming community till the Chenango Canal was constructed in the mid-1830s, linking it the the Erie Canal at Utica. In addition, the arrival of the railways in the mid-19th century transformed the area into a minor industrial hub for the production of cigars, and later shoes, and high-tech electronics. Between 1860 and 1880, the population of Binghamton rose from 8,325 to a little over 35,000. Tanneries and shoe factories–most notably the Endicott Johnson shoe factory–made Binghamton and its neighboring Johnson City one of the major shoe manufacturing centers in the United States
By the mid-1950s however, competition from several other locations led to a steep decline of shoe production though its impact was cushioned by the rise of several high-tech firms: IBM which was founded in nearby Endicott, Edwin Link who invented the flight stimulator, Valvoline which was to become Whirlpool Corporation
At the same time, the construction of the interstate highway system, led to a fall in ridership on the trains and the last passenger train rolled off the tracks of the Lackawanna Station in Binghamton in December 1964.
The continuing growth of IBM and other technology companies related to defense and the location of one of the four university centers of the State University of New York system led to further growth over the next two decades.
Yet, the gradual decline of IBM and the closure of the last shoe factory in the 1990s led to a precipitous decline in the fortunes of the city. The arrival of big box retailers like Wal-Mart finally hollowed out the city's commercial core.
The population of Binghamton, which had peaked at 80.674 in 1950 slid to 47, 376 in the census of 2010–less than it was a 100 years ago in 1910.
The Vanishing Middle ClassOctober 5, 2012 at 3:46 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: 21st Century Capitalism, Manufacturing, Political Economy, Production, US Economy, US politics, World-economy
News today that the US unemployment rate dropped in September 2012 to 7.8 percent from 8.1 percent in August and is now at the lowest level since President Barack Obama took office will undoubtedly boost his campaign for re-election, two days after his dismal performance in the first debate with his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney. If this is good news for the president, the situation is less rosy than it appears. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of workers stuck in part-time jobs in September stood at 8.5 million, an increase of 581 million from the previous month and double the level it was in September 2007. Even worse, the number of full-time workers in the US has declined by 5.9 million since September 2007 while the number of part-time workers has increased by 2.6 million.
In fact, if the number of part-timers looking for full-time work, the U6 unemployment rate, is considered, it is unchanged
And as Moira Herbst writes in the Guardian,
It's distressing to think that after 20th-century labor struggles won the battle for the 40-hour work week, the 21st-century struggle is a fight for enough working hours to make a living wage.
In another report in today's New York Times, the average number of employees per new firm declined from 7.7 persons in 1999 to 4.7 in 2011. For almost the last half-century, new companies have accounted for the bulk of jobs created in the United States, In fact, without new start up companies, the United States would have seen a growth in jobs for only 7 years since 1977! The numbers of new jobs created by new companies was the greatest in 1999 as a result of the dot com boom and by 2011, it had declined by some 46 percent.
One major result of the decline of full-time employment and the rise of part-time employment is that part-timers are denied virtually all benefits. Without healthcare and other benefits, workers are increasingly compelled to rely on Medicaid and emergency room visits for illnesses and as Herbst noted, this leads to a shift in costs from employers to tax payers. This is of course covered up by both political parties in the United States: the Democrats tout the new decline in unemployment figures but never mention that 6.9 million people were working multiple jobs in the US in September. The Republicans stress cutting taxes–making health care even less accessible to the poor.
Both focus on a middle-class that is rapidly shrinking and not on the increasing numbers of people below the middle class. For them, neither candidate has anything to offer–and therein lies the shame! In today's politics, the concerns of the masses are silent–the decline of manufacturing not only hollowed out industries but by also kneecapping labor, it has made both major political parties alike–both shifting further and further to the right, and both having nothing to offer to the vast majority of the population.
Japan: Geoeconomic Consequences of Nature's Fury and Human FollyMarch 18, 2011 at 4:02 pm | Posted in Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Outsourcing, Political Economy, Production | Leave a comment
Tags: 21st Century Capitalism, East Asia, European Union, Global South, Japan, Manufacturing, US Economy, World-economy
Scarcely believable images of the destruction wrought by a 9.0 earthquake that struck 250 miles northeast of Tokyo and unleashed a tsunami that generated 10 meter high waves–of entire communities being obliterated–and made worse by triggering a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant has been at the center of world news. While concern has understandably been on the human cost of the tragedy, the economic costs are also staggering. While it is too early to make an assessment, early estimates already suggest that world economic growth may fall by at least a full percentage point.
In the most immediate instance, it would cause enormous supply chain disruptions to production as Japanese manufacturers produce a whole array of sophisticated components and finished products. For an economy vitally dependent on exports this could be a vital blow–but it would also affect manufacturers world-wide as they source components from Japan, Additionally, the demand for reconstruction funds for Japan could reasonably be expected to lead to a redirection of financial flows with adverse consequences not only for debt-ridden economies like those of the United States but also for the 'emerging economies' of the Global South.
The estimated $200 billion required to rebuild Japan after the earthquake on March 11, 2011 and the tsunami already triggered a 6 percent rise in the yen with 5 days–from a peak of ¥76.25 to the dollar to ¥81.20–as investors started repatriating funds for Japanese reconstruction before the G-7 economies intervened in currency markets in a concerted effort to drive the yen lower and help stabilize the Japanese economy as a higher yen would have made Japanese exports dearer overseas and hence driven down demand for them.
Fears that radiation from the crippled nuclear reactors at Fukushima Daiichi may be transported through Japanese exports has led to many restaurants to ban Japanese food items like sushi, Kobe beef, and sake. But there has also been apprehension that consumers may be exposed to radiation when driving a Prius car or using a Japanese DVD–a severe blow to an export dependent economy. Even though such fears may be misplaced because the main manufacturing centers are located away from areas near the crippled nuclear reactors and most manufacturing occurs indoors in factories and hence is not directly exposed to airborne radioactive particles, apprehensions are by nature irrational and could lead to a steep decline in consumer demand.
On March 17, General Motors became the first automobile manufacturer to announce that it will temporarily halt production in its truck plant in Shreveport, Louisiana because of a shortage of Japanese-made parts as a result of the natural disasters in that island nation. The fact that was GM rather than Toyota, Honda, or Nissan to be the first auto manufacturer to stop production because of supply-related problems stemming from the natural disasters underlines the gravity and extent of the disruption of supply-chains from Japan for producers the world over. 10 percent of Volvo's parts for instance comes from 33 Japanese suppliers, 9 of which were in areas affected by the disasters and Volkswagen has warned of medium-term supply problems. Some Japanese manufacturers–Mitsubishi and Nissan–have opened some of their facilities while Toyota is due to open some of its plants early next week. It is uncertain how long these can operate because they and their suppliers may face problems obtaining raw materials and parts and in shipping finished products due to logistical problems caused by the earthquake, tsunami, and the exclusion zone imposed by fears of a nuclear meltdown at the reactors in Fukushima Daiichi. A Detroit based consultant, John Hoffecker, estimates that an average car had 20,000 components and the abrupt loss of any one component could halt production in its tracks, especially because most manufacturers have implemented just-in-time production systems that reduce inventories.
Given Japan's advanced manufacturing technologies, disruptions are not limited of course to the automobile sector. Sony Ericsson and Nokia have warned that they face supply problems for their smart phones, for instance. Apple Computer's latest gadget the iPad 2 depends on the advanced manufacturing technologies of Japan for crucial components like flash memory to store audio and video files that are manufactured by Toyota which shut down its manufacturing facilities due to the earthquake and tsunami. Other iPad 2 components sourced from Japan include "AKM Semiconductor and DRAM memory produced by Elpida Memory. A touchscreen overlay glass is likely from Asahi Glass." Even if these suppliers are not directly hit by the earthquake, tsunami, or t, the logistical disruptions caused by the natural disasters including obtaining raw materials and parts and shipping finished goods are likely to hamper production.
it is impossible to assess the costs of reconstruction. Initial estimates of $200 billion were based on the experience of the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Not only was the present earthquake much more destructive in scale but it was also accompanied by a massive tsunami and a nuclear meltdown. With a debt-to-GDP ratio double that of the United States, and credit-rating agencies being more prudent after the financial crisis of 2008-09, raising funds at a tolerable rate of interest could be difficult. Unlike the United States which could pump $600 billion as stimulus during the financial crisis, the yen does not enjoy international reserve currency status and hence this is not an option for the Japanese.
This raises the possibility that Japan, which is the third largest holder of US Treasuries, will sell off large chunks of the $877 billion it holds to finance its reconstruction–a sell-off that will have a major impact on interest rates all across the world and depress the value of US Treasuries and could trigger an avalanche of sales of the Treasuries as other holders seek to minimize their holdings. It could cause another enormous liquidity crisis as the financial crisis just did and comes at a time when the economies of the US and the European Union are still weak.
Competition, Trade, Currencies, and Economic SummitsNovember 14, 2010 at 1:52 pm | Posted in International Relations, Outsourcing, Political Economy, Production, World Politics | Leave a comment
Tags: 21st Century Capitalism, China, international relations, Manufacturing, United States, US Economy, US hegemony, US politics, world politics, World-economy
Far more fundamental that the charges and counter-charges of currency manipulation and trade imbalances traded at the November 2010 G-20 summit in Seoul to a shift in the terms of global economic competition was an announcement that the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, or Comac, plans the introduction of a 156-seat single-aisle passenger jetliner. The entry of China into the commercial passenger aircraft industry is noteworthy for two reasons.
First, most of the technology for the Chinese C919 plane will be provided by Western companies. The plane's computer system, brakes, wheels, and power units by Honeywell; its navigation systems by Rockwell Collins; avionics by GE Aviation; fuel and hydraulics by Eaton Corporation; and flight controls by Parker Aerospace. These companies have agreed to a Chinese stipulation that they set up joint ventures with Chinese companies. Though the companies claim that they will safeguard their intellectual property, David Pierson suggests that the example of high-spreed rail proves otherwise. After European and Japanese firms shared their technology with their Chinese joint venture partners, they are now in direct competition with their former Chinese partners both in and out of China.
Yet, projections of China's rapid rise compels there Western aviation companies to bid aggressively for the Chinese market. In the next twenty years, Chinese air traffic is expected to grow at an annual average rate of 8 per cent a year and to meet this demand the country's domestic airlines are estimated to purchase some 4,330 planes worth $480 billion over the same period. No supplier of aviation parts wants to miss out on this lucrative market.
If the sheer size of its market confers a competitive advantage on China in technology transfer, it is also the case that 55% of Chinas exports are accounted by foreign-owned companies. Moreover, China's large current account surpluses with the United States and the European Union is matched by large deficits with other countries as shown by a recent article in the Financial Times. In many cases, transnational production and procurement networks span across national borders to take advantage of wage and cost differentials and a substantial part of China's exports are only assembled and packaged there from components made elsewhere. This means that these foreign-owned companies are not particularly receptive to calls for China to revalue its currency–or indeed, the attempt by the US Federal Reserve to force down the value of the greenback by releasing $600 billion to buy US Treasury bonds: what a former Chairman of the Fed, Alan Greenspan termed "a policy of currency weakening."
Devaluing the dollar by releasing more greenbacks is "clueless" as the German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble called it because it would raise the cost of living in the United States when the unemployment rate is hovering at double digits and is unlikely to create a spurt in job growth in the United States. In fact, though President Obama trumpeted that his visit to India would create 54,000 jobs in the US, that is merely a third of the jobs created in the country in just the last month as Alan Beattie noted in the Financial Times.
In part, trade imbalances have taken center-stage because during the financial meltdown in 2008 and 2009, trade contracted sharply and thereby reduced trade imbalances as Floyd Norris noted in the New York Times. A modest recovery however highlighted the imbalances and governments began to accuse each other of undervaluing currencies.
Such charges and counter-charges ignore the changes in competitive pressures. With the greater deployment of automated technologies and numerically-controlled machines, and the Taylorization of even skilled work, wage charts increasing resemble a time-glass: fewer and fewer extraordinarily well-paying jobs, and more and more sub-subsistence jobs as indicated in several prior posts. These underlying conditions can be addressed only in the long-run through well developed plans that do not respect two-year electoral cycles which is the focus not only of Washington politicians but also of the US punditocracy!
The one remaining competitive advantage the United States has is that its currency is the only reserve currency but if the Fed devalues the dollar–and already uncertainties in currency markets has led to the price of gold soaring to $1,400 a troy ounce–as Robert Zoellich, the President of the World Bank, has suggested it is likely to lead to multiple reserve currencies. And that will seal the end of the United States as an economic superpower.
A Third Wave of Outsourcing?November 6, 2010 at 6:32 pm | Posted in Labor, Outsourcing, Political Economy, Production | 3 Comments
Tags: 21st Century Capitalism, China, India, labor process, Manufacturing, trade wars, US Economy, US hegemony, World-economy
Persistently high unemployment figures in the United States have led to strident calls by politicians about 'unfair' trading practices by China, India, and other countries and demands to curb outsourcing of US jobs to lower wage locations overseas. Much of the discussion, especially in the context of President Barack Obama's 10-day visit to Asia, has focussed on low-cost manufacturing in China and white-collar service work to India, a new type of outsourcing pioneered by Amazon.com's Mechanical Turk service just five years ago, represents the potential to transform outsourcing in some sectors. This represents a further assault on incomes.
Claiming to take the tedium out of repetitive, monotonous tasks that are notoriously difficult to automate (recognition of handwritten messages or numbers, for instance), a handful of companies are creating software to further deskill digital labor. Essentially, these companies–Microtask, CloudCrowd, Cloudflower, and others–break up tasks into many different component parts both to shield the identity of their clients (as each worker gets to see only a miniscule portion of the document and therefore cannot identify the real client) and to lower labor costs by widely distributing the tasks: Cloudflower claims to have a virtual workforce of 500,000 people in 70 countries while CloudCrowd which was formed only in 2009 claims a virtual workforce of 25,000 and says it has completed 2 million tasks by September 2010 according to its promotional video.
Companies take different approaches. Microtask, a Finnish upstart, contracts with firms and provides software to its clients' employees which enables them to do a small task–recognition of handwritten numbers, comparison of two images of a product, few minutes of speech transcription–without leaving their computer screen to get more information from the Internet. The software rotates and mixes up the tasks so that there is no monotony while the main computers of the client can compile the tasks performed by its employees–leading to an unprecedented level of control while minimizing the possibility of leaks.
Other companies directly contract with individual workers. At the Mechanical Turk website, there are are number of tasks on offer and once a person performs a test to show his or her talent at a job–identifying business locations, proof-reading, and such like–they can sign up and do tasks steadily at their own pace and when they want to work. However, Randall Stross reports in the New York Times that when Miriam Cherry, a law professor at the University of the Pacific and her research assistant tried an assignment offering 2 cents "each for finding the contact information of 7,500 hotels and 3 cents each for answering questions about 9,400 toys," they did not even make the minimum wage!
As Stross notes, "Worker control is precisely what the Microtask model has engineered out–that's the source of its insidious efficiency. Just as Ford's assembly lines a century ago brought work to workers who performed a single, repetitive task, Microtask's software, via the Internet, does the same. Every two seconds."
Yet, the so-called 'cloudsourcing' (from the Internet 'cloud') model is different in crucial respects. By farming out work across the planet, companies do not have to confront organized labor–protests against low wages become infinitely more difficult if workers are spread across many, many jurisdictions. Cloudcrowd, for instance, takes translations of business documents that used to be done by a single person and initially submits it to translation software. The software translation is then broken up into pages and sent to people who look for nonsensical sentences. These are then submitted to native speakers and finally to editors who have no special expertise in the language, but simply make the text more readable. By farming out the work to several unconnected individuals, anonymity is assured and translation costs are minimized–from 20-25 cents a word to just 6.7 cents. And, of course, minimum wage legislation would not apply.
Even if these widely-distributed tasks do not earn minimum wages in the United States and other high-income economies, they beat the minimum wage in many low-income countries and hence many of the workers for Cloudflower and other 'cloudsourcing' companies are located in places like Malaysia and the Philippines. Seen in this light, too, it is not surprising that the new president of the State University of New York at Albany, George M. Philip, could eliminate the departments of Italian, French, Russian, Classics, and Theatre without hesitation!
Absurdities of the US ElectorateOctober 25, 2010 at 9:26 pm | Posted in Political Economy | Leave a comment
Tags: Manufacturing, trade wars, US Economy, US politics
Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad…using this apt Latin metaphor, in a recent post, Ed Darrell notes the absurdity of the current US mid-term election campaign. An electorate that was passive in 2000 when the US Supreme Court stole a presidential election and the 'winner' in that election went on to wage war against a country that could not have threatened the US or defended itself is now screaming 'socialism' when the government seeks to provide a minimum level of health care to the young and the elderly while careful to preserve the high profits of insurance companies. An electorate seemingly unconcerned with the enormous cost of the illegal wars waged in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the evidence of billions of dollars being distributed in plastic bags, is enraged at a modest stimulus to the US economy. An electorate that does not register the torture of Iraqis by US forces or the 'rendition' of alleged 'terrorists' for torture by other states sees plans to build a mosque in downtown Manhattan as proof of the Islamicization of the United States. It is an electorate that continues to believe, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, that its first non-Caucasian president is a Muslim.
The paradox is heightened by the 'grassroots' opposition to the elites when it is the elites funding the 'grassroots' Tea Party Movement. George Monbiot has documented how the two Koch brothers–owners of the second largest privately held company in the US and each worth over $21 billion–have financed a bevy of special interest groups to fund and sustain the Tea Party Movement so that they can retain more of their profits, avoid regulation, and pay less taxes. And once the John Roberts Supreme Court ruled restrictions on campaign financing unconstitutional, it has opened the floodgates to corporate financing of elections. Never before in US elections have large corporations and wealthy individuals contributed so much to an election campaign as reported by the New York Times and the Financial Times.
Elite sponsorship of essentially white working class protests is all the more striking as the unemployed workers blame the government for the loss of jobs and the high rate of unemployment, when it is the corporate members of the US Chambers of Commerce–funding the Tea Party candidates–that are responsible for outsourcing US jobs overseas! "American Free Enterprise" is creating more jobs overseas than it is at home!
In part, this disconnection between perceptions and reality among the electorate is because of the absence of critical voices in the mainstream media. There are hardly any representatives of labor or of working families on news shows in the last two decades. Instead we are fed with a constant stream of well-paid talking heads, representing no opinion but their own. There is, hence no questioning of the functioning of the economic system. John Boehner, the Republican leader poised to become the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, has pointedly refused to specify how he would cut the deficit–and in fact, he cannot.
It was, after all, under Republican presidents–Reagan, Geoge H W Bush, George W Bush–that the Federal deficit ballooned beyond control. In the absence of critical commentary, the Republican Party and their Tea Party affiliates have been focusing on side issues–on whether President Barack Obama is American-born or whether he is a Muslim–to evade debate on crucial issues. And they have been able to do this because he is not a Caucasian!
Such racist, and frankly incoherent, rhetoric has gained ascendancy primarily because serious debate has been eliminated from mainstream media–especially television. Instead of sustained debate on serious issues, we are fed a steady diet of inconsequential issues–debate on the mosque in Manhattan, the pastor of essentially a family congregation in Florida threatening to burn the Koran, the racist rants of Juan Williams and Bill O'Reilly–rather than issues of substance.
Peering Beyond the US Midterm ElectionsOctober 19, 2010 at 11:17 pm | Posted in Political Economy | Leave a comment
Tags: 21st Century Capitalism, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Manufacturing, US Economy
What is likely to happen if the Republicans win control of one or both houses of Congress? The issues underlying the discontent of voters stem from the loss of employment and increasing inequality; of losing homes sold on dreams while they see the bankers walk away with millions of dollars in bonuses; fear of a further erosion of jobs overseas or to immigrants; belief that if only government spending is lower, taxes will fall and conditions will be better for the poor.
Regardless of the propaganda that it is unfair currency manipulation by other countries that is leading to a loss of jobs, the underlying cause is very different and no politician or party has a solution to the problem. Well paying jobs are disappearing because of technological changes. The evidence is everywhere–growth of emails and the Internet leads to a decline of post office jobs; the internet is as much of a threat to shopping malls and big box stores as these were to main streets; automated check-in machines at airports decimates counter staff; Netflix has spelt the doom of bricks and mortar video stores. No political party or economist has the remotest idea of what to do in these conditions, least of all the know-nothing Republicans affiliated to the Tea Party!
If other countries were to raise the value of their currencies, it means that they will no longer buy as many dollars as they had to keep their currencies "undervalued." It was the repatriation of current account surpluses and domestic savings from China and other countries through their purchase of US dollars that enabled them to manipulate exchange rates. This massive inflow of capital enabled the Bush–and now Obama–Administration to fight two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while cutting taxes. Without such capital inflows, taxes would have to rise or the US military will have to turn tail and slink back.
Perhaps, this is may explain why the US has swallowed a bitter pill and invited high Iranian representatives to in-depth briefings on Afghanistan by the military commander, General David Petreus and even begun to transport Taliban leaders to Kabul for talks in NATO aircraft. Iran's footprint has also solidified in Iraq where the Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, allied to Iran, has emerged as king-maker. Any move against Iran will unravel US plans to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Despite all this, if the Congress cuts taxes, it would mean cutting into the bone of welfare state, removing any semblance of a safety net under the poor. It will exacerbate the income gap between the rich and poor, already wider than at any time since the 1920s since a Republican victory in the elections will ensure that the rich cats will continue to walk away with bonuses in the seven and eight figures. Why else will they contribute so disproportionately to Republican candidates in the current election?
All of this does not even begin to address the military situation. What will the neocons make of the Taliban being invited back into power in Afghanistan and Iran exercising considerable influence in Iraq. And the Iraqi oil? Estimates of Iraq's proven oil reserves has increased by almost 20 billion barrels but all of this is being exploited by Russian, Chinese, and other Asian companies–not US Big Oil!
Outsourcing and Currency WarsOctober 10, 2010 at 4:59 pm | Posted in Political Economy | Leave a comment
Tags: 21st Century Capitalism, Asia, China, Manufacturing, trade wars, US Economy
The US Department of Commerce reports that in the last two years, the number of employees of foreign affiliates and subsidiaries of US firms grew by 729,000 while these firms cut some 500,000 jobs domestically over the same period.
Candidates of both major parties lay the blame for this on the Chinese government intervening in currency markets to keep the value of the renminbi artificially low and thereby gain an unfair advantage against US workers as companies ship manufacturing operations off-shore to take advantage of wage differentials.
But the emphasis in this argument is misplaced. In the first instance, manufacturing jobs have been disappearing from the United States for several decades. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in September 2010 alone, more private sector jobs were created in the United States than in the entire 8 years of the George W. Bush Administration.
More significantly, a look at China's trade statistics reveals that its huge current account surpluses with the US and the European Union is counterbalanced by substantial deficits with its East and Southeast Asian neighbors. Indeed, components and intermediate goods dominate intra-Asian trade and China has emerged as a assembly point for parts manufactured elsewhere. This implies that any appreciation of Chinese currency could mean that China could import more intermediate goods and thereby offset any gains that might accrue to US producers from the higher value of Chinese wages. There is also no guarantee that manufacturers wont shift jobs to other low wage countries like Laos, Cambodia, or Vietnam if Chinese wages increase
Jobs, Jobs, JobsOctober 8, 2010 at 9:18 pm | Posted in Political Economy | Leave a comment
Tags: 21st Century Capitalism, China, Manufacturing, US Economy
Just released reports show that the unemployment rate in the United States has been above 9 percent for over 37 months, the longest period since the 1930s
Compounding matters, the number of people working part-time because they cannot find full-time work increased by 612,000 in September 2010 and stood at 9.5 million.
Not surprisingly, hourly wages has remained stagnant at $22.67 and provided no stability to family budgets.
Much of the unemployment problems in the United States has been blamed on the outsourcing of jobs to China where it is alleged the government keeps wages low by artificially holding down the value of its currency, the renminbi. This has animated support for the "Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act" passed last week by the US Congress.
Yet, what this overlooks is that China too has been losing employees in its formal sector for several years now. Since the Chinese economy is dependent on export–and has recently surpassed Germany to be the leading export economy in the world–it has to constantly upgrade its manufacturing facilities which implies using machines, computers, and numerically controlled tools in place of labor. In absolute numbers, the International Labor Organization estimates that the formal industrial sector in China laid off some 35.1 million workers between 1990 and 2002.
Underlying this collapse of formal sector employment in the manufacturing sector. not only in China and the United States, but world-wide is a downgrading of industrial activities in the global divisioning of labor.
Historically, as companies start to follow in the footsteps of pioneer enterprises, profit margins begin to shrink and competitive pressures lead to an accumulation of larger volumes of capital than could be invested in the production of sale of commodities without driving profit margins down even further. This leads to a phase of speculation and 'financial capitalism,' that Fernand Braudel and Giovanni Arrighi identified as a "sign of autum" of one world-wide system of accumulation and the transition to another.
It is this historical cycle rather than currency manipulation by the Chinese government or the short-sightedness of previous and current US administrations that lies at the root of the current crisis.
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Lose yourself in a world of sensuality created by the intoxicating aroma, taste and texture of this natural wonder.
Experience the most rare, limited, superb and exquisite raw monofloral thyme honey containing 76% of thyme pollen.
Honey with Chios Mastic from Arkoi, a small rocky island in the southern Aegean known for its crystal blue waters and handful of inhabitants, fused with the famed mastic resin of Chios.
Treat your soul to an exploration of sensuality. An formidable elixir of life, this honey and roses is an indulgence that tempts and delights the senses.


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Since I've apparently decided April was microwave baking month, for me, I'll round it out with the other two microwave muffin recipes I tried, this month. These both were hits, though I'd advise having a big glass of milk ready to go, when you eat this one! This recipe was adapted from one I found here.
2 cups flour (I used about 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup soft cake flour, by virtue of running out of all-purpose)2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp butter
1 cup sugar (organic cane)
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 – 1 and 1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used about one LIBERALLY heaping cup, it was more than enough chocolate)
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
Soften butter and peanut butter for about 10-20 seconds in the microwave, on low. Beat softened butter, peanut butter, sugar, and milk into a wet paste. Beat in eggs.
Pour wet mixture into dry mixture, add chocolate chips, then stir until combined.
Fill silicone muffin cups about 1/2 to 3/4ths full. Microwave two at a time for one minute, on high, then turn them and microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Muffins should easily fall out of the silicon cups when upended. If they are undercooked, they will stick. If overcooked, parts in the middle may be crunchy or taste burnt.
Makes about 24 small muffins.


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Viking Bus Station
Temporary Freight Arrangements (from June 2014)
Whilst the refurbishment of the former Viking Bus Station premises takes place under new ownership, temporary arrangements have been made to allow the public and businesses to continue to drop off freight, such as parcels or packages, for onward transport by bus.
Shetland Islands Council and the new owners of the premises, Mr & Mrs Ho, have worked together to agree these interim arrangements to ensure that this valuable service for Shetland communities will continue with the minimum of disruption.
The refurbishment of the ground floor of the Viking Bus Station is expected to begin in September 2014 and is scheduled to last for around three months, after which new freight arrangements will be made.
Small bussed freight service
Parcels and packages to be delivered on scheduled bus services across Shetland should be left at The Great Wall takeaway between 10.30a.m. and 2.00p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Packages should be less than 25kg in weight, and be able to fit in the luggage bay of a bus – a maximum size of approximately 120cm x 60cm x 60cm.
For any queries on this, please contact Mrs. Ho on 07768 882318.
North Isles freight service
Local social enterprise company, COPE Ltd will deliver small and larger items of freight to the North Isles and Whalsay, through Sandison's (for Unst), RS Henderson (for Yell) or Whalsay Haulage, as necessary.
These items can be left at their premises at Port Business Park, Gremista, Lerwick during opening hours. Please contact COPE Ltd directly with any queries, or to arrange pick up of larger items, by calling 01595 696889.


text: Congratulations to Wade M. Tate and Cason Q. Hales who won the Utah Ford/AAA Auto Skills Contest. These two students, along with their instructor Jay Hales will travel to Dearborn, Michigan for the national contest in June. They will represent Utah and compete against teams from all 50 states. Way to go!


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Specification Checklist: Magnetic Fields
- Created by: Lola
- Created on: 24-03-13 18:18
View mindmap
- Magnetic Fields
- Use the terms magnetic flux density B, flux , and flux linkage N
- Recognise and use the expression F = B I l sin
- Apply Fleming's Left hand rule to currents.
- Recognise the expression F = B q v sin
- Apply Fleming's left hand rule to charges.
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Greetings JWP Families,
Each and every summer we spend time reviewing practices throughout our school district to ensure the safety of our students. This summer we studied our Crisis Management Plan and traffic flow around the building. We have made some adjustments to both so that we can provide our students with safe experiences in and around our building.
This letter is being provided to update families on traffic flow updates around the JWP school building for the 2015-2016 school year. Please read this letter carefully, study the map provided, and ask any questions that you may have.
The east side of N. Main Street on the west side of the JWP building will be reserved for bus loading and unloading from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. This is designated on the provided map by a yellow line stretching from E. 3rd St. to E. 4th St.
E. 3rd Street will become a one way street from N. Main St. to N. Market Street. This is called out on the map by a blue line running from Main St. to Market St. This area will now serve as student drop off and pick up before, during, and after school. On the south side of E. 3rd St. there has traditionally been parking for staff and visitors. That area will now be 15 minute parking only. There will be signs installed to cover this information as well.
Preschool, Early Childhood Family Education, Early Childhood Special Education and School Age Care will now drop students off on the southeast side of the building outside door E1. You can see the traffic flow suggested by following the green line on the map.
As always, we appreciate your understanding and flexibility. It takes a partnership to ensure the safety of our students and we are thankful for your support! In closing, should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly.
With Kind Regards,
Bill Adams, Superintendent
Bill Adams, Superintendent


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Stroke selfie: Woman Films Herself Having One, Helping Doctors Diagnose her
A 49-year-old Canadian who took a selfie video as she was experiencing a ministroke is being credited by doctors for helping them diagnose her.
In April, Stacey Yepes of Thornhill, Ontario, went to the emergency room after she felt numbness in her face and had trouble speaking, the CBC reports. But when the symptoms subsided and tests for a stroke came up negative, doctors told her it was likely stress.
Two days later while Yepes was driving, she felt numbness on the left side of her body. She pulled over and began recording the symptoms on her phone.
"The sensation is happening again," Yepes says in the video, posted to YouTube by Toronto's University Health Network. "It's all tingling on left side."
Yepes then tries, unsuccessfully, to smile and lift her hand.
"I don't know why this is happening to me," she says.
The video helped doctors diagnosis the episode as a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ministroke. Further tests revealed the strokes were caused by atherosclerosis — a buildup of plaque in her arteries. Yepes is now being treated for the condition and is expected to make a full recovery.
"In all my years treating stroke patients, we've never seen anyone tape themselves before," Dr. Cheryl Jaigobin, stroke neurologist at the Toronto Western Hospital's Krembil Neuroscience Centre, told the CBC. "Her symptoms were compelling, and the fact she stopped and found a way to portray them in such a visual fashion, we were all touched by it."
Yepes said she made the video to prove her attacks were not stress-related.
"It was just to show somebody," she said. "And I thought if I could show somebody what was happening, they would have a better understanding." 'The sensation is happening again,' Stacey Yepes says in video.
According to the American Stroke Association, there are three warning signs of strokes. And if you have any of them, call 911:
Face drooping — Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Try to smile. Is the smile uneven?
Arm weakness — Is one arm weak or numb? Try to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
Speech difficulty — Is speech slurred? Are you unable to speak or are you hard to understand? Try to repeat a simple sentence, like "The sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?
Time to call 9-1-1 — If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared. [ She Should have stopped driving, and called 911 While Recording.] http://news.yahoo.com/stroke-selfie-video-143015429.htmlFiled under: People
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Algenist POWER Advanced Wrinkle Fighter Moisturizer
Algenist POWER Advanced Wrinkle Fighter Moisturizer
Product Description
A moisturizer that corrects the appearance of deep wrinkles using the power of natural, whole microalgae.
What it is formulated to do:
This algae-powered moisturizer harnesses the power of highly concentrated proteins found in microalgae cells to help reduce the appearance of deep wrinkles and increase skin's hydration. The formula visibly improves skin's firmness and elasticity and improves skin's overall texture, as well as visibly strengthening the appearance of skin.
What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Phthalates
What else you need to know:
This product is also formulated without synthetic dyes, GMOs, triclosan, or alcohol.
Research results:
In a 10-day self-assessment of 70 women, after a morning and night application:
- 93% reported the product visibly plumps and fills out skin
- 91% reported the product visibly improves and refines skin texture
In a 28-day self-assessment of 70 women, after a morning and night application:
- 96% reported the product visibly improves skin for a more healthy and youthful appearance
- 91% reported the product Minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Suggested Usage:
-After cleansing, apply to entire face, neck and décolleteé.
-For optimal results, use after your usual serum.
-Use only as directed.
2 oz
Water, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Chlorella Protothecoides, Algae Exopolysaccharides, Citrullus Vulgaris (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Collagen, Sodium PCA, Ribose, Sodium Lactate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Dimethicone, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.
Shipping & Returns
Same Day Pick Up
Need it right away? Confirm availability & buy online, pick it up at your store.
Convenient Shipping Options
Not available at your store? We can ship to you directly or to your favorite JCP location.
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Shop with confidence. Read our full, common sense


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- · "Bitcoin is dead" again amongst a record number of new user wallets, institutional investors preparing to enter the market, and substantial price appreciation.
- · BTC/USD on the uptrend despite $40 million Binance hack.
- · Fidelity Digital Assets announces it will enter the crypto market in the coming weeks.
Here's a fun fact: Try typing "Bitcoin is" into Google and see what comes up.
The top suggestion by Google to fill in this blank? You guessed it.
Bitcoin is dead.
It's May of 2019. Already, Bitcoin has been declared dead at least 17 times this year, and at least 355 since its inception in 2009.
Some news outlets claim that just because the Baakt BTC futures platform has been delayed multiple times due to regulatory concerns that the entire cryptocurrency sector is in decline. Nothing could be further from the truth.
While Baakt gets delayed, other parts of the Crypto community continue to see explosive growth. Kraken, one of the world's oldest and largest cryptocurrency exchanges, is in the middle of a hiring spree with dozens of jobs available.
It's true that many other crypto companies have been laying off staff during the last six to nine months.
But does that indicate a declining crypto economy or simply an overzealousness by some select organizations?
There are many indications that institutional investment in crypto is at hand, even though Baakt is waiting on further regulatory clarity before proceeding with its physical-settlement BTC futures.
And to be clear, the fact that some large institutions are awaiting guidance from regulatory bodies says nothing of the value of bitcoin or the future of cryptocurrency and blockchain. It just means that regulators are late to the game and continue to drag their feet.
BTC Seeing Record Adoption Rates
The rise and fall of the BTC/USD price aren't the most important part of the story. Just look at the steady rise of new bitcoin user wallets created during the last several years:
This indicates that crypto is catching on despite so much fake news claiming the contrary. Bitcoin is not dead.
One thing that mainstream critics love to cling to when it comes to hating on crypto is high-profile hacks, even if those attacks amount to little in the grand scheme of things.
Binance Hack
This May, it was announced that Binance got hacked and lost $40 worth of BTC as a result. Poor Binance.
Fortunately for Binance wallet holders who made the unwise decision to hold their private keys on an exchange, Binance has a fund that will compensate such users for their losses.
And even without such a fund, the exchange will make the equivalent amount in profit in about six weeks.
And even without such a fund, the exchange will make the equivalent amount in profit in about six weeks.
Binance, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume and one of the most trusted and respected names throughout the industry, is now also among the largest cryptocurrency exchange hacks to ever hit the crypto industry since the inception of Bitcoin.
The "security breach" as Binance is referring to it as, resulted in 7,000 BTC being stolen from the exchange using advanced methods that helped the hackers remain undetected. The stolen Bitcoin at today's prices, brings the total loss at the hands of hackers to roughly $41 million dollars – an amount Binance will be able to recoup completely in just 47 days, according to one crypto analyst.
Despite this terrible news, the price of BTC/USD continued to rally beyond $6,000.
How can this be? Shouldn't the sky be falling all over the place? If bitcoin is dead, red candlesticks ought to be on every BTC chart in the world.
How can this be? Shouldn't the sky be falling all over the place? If bitcoin is dead, red candlesticks ought to be on every BTC chart in the world.
Something else must be going on, of course. While a $40 million hack makes for some great doom and gloom headlines, it pales in comparison to the potential market impact of institutional investors entering the crypto space.
One of the biggest institutional names in the crypto game is Fidelity Investments.
Fidelity Announces Intent to Buy and Sell Digital Assets
After much fanfare, Fidelity has finally announced that it will indeed be getting into the digital asset space.
Fidelity Digital Assets promises to lead the way in terms of institutional investors in the cryptocurrency sector. This is only the start of what is to come.
Institutional engagement in #digitalassets is here.— Fidelity Digital Assets (@DigitalAssets) May 7, 2019
https://t.co/3Lq5h5ITbT pic.twitter.com/g29gcu7i5w
Bitcoin has reached a market cap of over $100 billion without any big-name players or "smart money" being in the market. What might happen once the flood gates are opened?
Fidelity Crypto Exchange Focuses on Security
Perhaps the biggest reason institutional investors have so far been hesitant to enter the cryptocurrency space has to do with their uncertainty with regard to cybersecurity.
Having worked in the crypto space developing advanced trading and custody solutions since 2013, it's clear to our COO @WhiteAdamL that ironclad infrastructure and a security-first mindset are fundamental to storing digital assets https://t.co/FivUb8bZtw— Bakkt (@Bakkt) April 29, 2019
There have been many high-profile hacks of large cryptocurrency exchanges that have resulted in over $1.6 billion worth of coins being lost, according to Coinbase's State of the Blockchain report for Q2 2018. [This data is about a year old now and doesn't include the Binance hack of 2019.]
Fidelity, however, has a lot of experience with these kinds of security concerns.
The company has a proven track record of dealing with enterprise security and public/private key cryptography. Fidelity plans on incorporating their knowledge and existing practices already used in other parts of their business into their new digital asset custody platform.
They will use offline cold storage for the bulk of their digital assets, as many existing exchanges do. This is the safest method when it comes to crypto custody. And while it's possible for any individual to do the same with their own private keys, most people don't know how to do it.
That's why institutional investors have already begun to accept the idea of a Fidelity crypto exchange.
Institutional Investors Already Piling into Funds Like the Fidelity Crypto Exchange
Companies like Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Northern Trust Corp. have also announced their interest in creating crypto custody services.
TD Ameritrade, E*TRADE and TradeStation expressed a desire to create something like what Fidelity has done, but so far haven't made any bold moves.
TD Ameritrade, E*TRADE and TradeStation expressed a desire to create something like what Fidelity has done, but so far haven't made any bold moves.
While the above companies failed to act, some people have not. David Swensen, who manages Yale University's endowment, for example, invested in two large cryptocurrency funds. Swensen is widely considered one of the world's top money managers.
Bitcoin is Dead – PERIOD!
All things considered, bitcoin is dead. Definitely dead.
With the rise in new user wallets, the rise in price, and the adoption from institutional investors, you can stick a fork in this asset class.
With the rise in new user wallets, the rise in price, and the adoption from institutional investors, you can stick a fork in this asset class.
Bitcoin is like a cross between a phoenix and a jellyfish. When jellyfish are faced with death, they expel all of their reproductive fluids, leading to the creation of tons of new jellyfish.
Each time Bitcoin dies, it comes back stronger, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. It also brings more investors, more innovators, and more altcoins. Jellyfish.


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How were you able to add geocoding for US cities? I have been trying to add custom geocoding for US cities, unsuccessfully. These are the fields in the CSV file I'm using:
Country (Name) State (Name) City (Name) Latitude Longitude
But when I assign the "City (Name)" role, it never works. All values get mapped to (0,0) on the world map. Please help.


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4 VITTORINO'S ANTECHAMBER. The door to this room is capable of being locked, but is not. This room was part of the skilled alchemist Vittorino Triskelion's habitation. The place is haunted by a wight, the undead remnant of Vittorino's apprentice, Bolivar.
Wight (AC 5; MV 12"; HD 4+3; hp 29; #AT 1; D 1-4; SA Energy drain; SD Silver or magic weapons to hit, limited spell immunity; XP 425)
Bolivar was attacked and killed by a wight while defending his master's laboratory. Since that wight was later destroyed, Bolivar has emerged as a full-strength wight and returned to haunt his previous place of employment.
The room is sparsely furnished, as Vittorino was more concerned with alchemical experiments and gathering data than he was with furnishing his antechamber. There are a few tables, chairs, and unlit candelabras. A pair of ordinary gray leather boots are next to the door.


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In a show that truly anyone can be charged with DUI, a Pennsylvania State Trooper was charged on Nov 12, 2016, according to the York Daily Record.
DUI Arrests Are On The Rise In PA
While all the counties surrounding the mid-state have experienced a spike in DUI arrests over the last several years, many clients are surprised at how a Criminal Defense Attorney can change the outcome of any criminal proceeding.
Call today at 717-823-0899 for a free consultation and let me lay out your options regarding your DUI Arrest.
Here's what can happen with multiple dui charges.
What Pennsylvania Law States
In Pennsylvania the DUI law states that a person, may not drive a vehicle if he has drank enough alcohol to:
1) render him or her incapable of safely driving the vehicle, or
2) place his BAC above the .08% level.
The law also renders punishments based on how high over the legal limit you are. There are 3 tiers and the tiers increase the severity of the punishment you receive.
Read even more about getting a dui in Pennsylvania.
What Are The Possible Punishments For DUI In PA?
Punishments can range from probation, all the way up to a mandatory minimum of at least one year in state prison. You are also required to turn over your license and adhere to a drivers license suspension, and in some cases install Ignition Interlock into your vehicle. Don't face these severe penalties alone.
Use The Shelton Firm to get you the best possible outcome regarding your DUI.
The Trooper's BAC was a .232, which is almost three times the legal limit.
Given his Blood Alcohol content he would have been charged as a Tier 3 making him eligible for the most severe penalties under the law.
The officer was stopped by Police after he was found weaving in and out of traffic in York County.
The state of Pennsylvania has over 50 DUI Task Forces across the state, and over 150 trained Drug Recognition Experts, trained and deployed to detect drunk and drugged drivers.
What many people fail to realize is that these experts helped and contributed to the 52,636 total DUI arrests in Pennsylvania last year.
Have you been charged with Drunk Driving?
No legal proceeding is simple. You need an attorney to represent you and ensure your rights are protected.
The Shelton Firm represents people throughout Chester, York, and Lancaster County. Call The Shelton Firm today and get a free consultation. Reach us today at 717-823-0899.
At The Shelton Firm we offer legal services ranging from Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Automobile Accidents, DUI, Divorce and Separation Issues, Expungements and Sealing of criminal records, and Traffic Ticket defense. Our goal is to bring quality and affordable representation to the residents of Chester, York, and Lancaster County.


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More ICD-10 coding Q&As
Ask the Coding Experts, by Doug Morrow, O.D., Harvey Richman, O.D., and Rebecca Wartman, O.D. From the July/August 2015 edition of AOA Focus, page 49.
AOA's Coding Experts share more solutions to your coding conundrums.
When reporting ICD-10 codes, when is it appropriate to use the family history diagnosis codes?
With regard to use of the family history diagnosis codes, the ICD-10 Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting indicate:
As is noted in the guidelines, the family history diagnosis codes should be used if a patient is at higher risk for a disease due to family history or if the doctor is conducting a screening based in part on family history. For example, if an optometrist was treating a 60-year-old patient, the patient had not had an eye exam in several years and the patient had a family history of glaucoma, the optometrist should report the patient's family history of glaucoma using the ICD-10 code Z83.511 (family history of glaucoma). The complete guidelines can be accessed on the CMS website.
I am retiring from practice in 2016. Does AOA have resources that can help me learn about ICD-10 to get through my remaining months in practice?
We highly recommend ordering the AOA's Codes for Optometry manual, available to members by calling the AOA Marketplace at 800.262.2210 or by visiting aoa.org/marketplace. A 2-hour ICD-10 overview webinar for a review of the most common diagnostic coding scenarios seen in optometric practice, a 10-part webinar series and quizzes to help you check your progress are all available at aoa.org/icd-10-webinars.
Ask the experts
AOA's Coding Experts are available to answer questions about ICD-10 and other coding topics through the online form available at aoa.org/ask-the-coding-experts.


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1323 Nylic Street
Tallahassee, FL 32304
The Hare Krishna Palace located at 1323 Nylic Street in Tallahassee, Florida, is a religious temple where services are held weekly on Wednesdays and led by Daru Brahma Das. Members of the temple are the performers of the "Maha-Mantra" or chant and the audience includes all who are worshiping. The temple in which the service is held appears as a small yoga studio with mats for each of the attendees to sit and chant for Krishna. The goal of the service is to gain a spiritual relationship with their god, Krishna.
1. What are the demographics of the audience? of the musicians?
The congregation and performers worshiping at the Hare Krishna Palace consisted of people of all ages (approximately 18 to 60). There were also people of many different ethnicities such as Australian, Indian, and American. Anyone is welcome to worship on Wednesday nights with the Hare Krishna.
-Courtney Clowers
2. What role does the venue play in people's [performer, audience, researcher] expectations of the musical performance and how does this particular performance meet or fail to meet these expectations?
The venue is a small intimate, yoga like studio. It is decorated with pictures of Krishna and an authorized altar. They have small mats for each person and small stacks of Bhagavad-gita books. The temple gives off a small and personal vibe that meets the expectations of the worshipers who travel to visit and worship Krishna at the temple. The authorized altar gives worshipers a chance to "do something" for god. A person dresses, washes, brings food offerings, and burns incense, while the worshipers chant to Krishna. The worshipers expect a chance to serve Krishna at his temple and to have a chance to grow spiritually closer. Therefore the performance of chanting out (crying out) to Krishna meets the worshiper's expectations in a small personal setting.
-Amy Trinidad
3. What is the role of economics in this particular musical event?
There was no monetary cost required to worship with the Hare Krishna. The main role of economics in this particular musical event pertains to different types of religious items used during worship. The Hare Krishna had several copies of the Bhagavad-Gita and floor mats for sitting. They also had a variety of instruments used during worship such as the harmonium, a large drum, a small gong, and small cymbals, which were used during chanting.
-Lauren Inman
4. How does the purpose of the performance overlap and differ from the emotions experienced by the audience? In Hare Krishna their main goal is to show their love to Krishna himself. The quickest, most effective, and easiest way to do this is chanting Krishna's name. Daru likened it to "a baby crying out to his mother to get attention." This is how they get to a state where they are free from karmic attachments, feeling bliss, and a feeling of unity and oneness. Daru and other attendees said that sensations and emotions they feel range from day to day while chanting. They mentioned bliss, anguish, love, crying, and even anger. Also, the more people there are chanting, the more intense the emotions and sensations, in a positive way.
-Bredan Polk
5. Who are the performers and what is their relationship to the audience?
The performers are those who participate during worship at the Hare Krishna Palace. Some of the performers are members of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). They have a spiritual relationship with Krishna, which is another term for God or the Supreme Person in this religion. Krishna is the main audience, along with any people who may visit the Hare Krishna Palace, such as researchers, and the performers as well.
-Lauren Inman


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How popular is that radio station?
Maybe I am the only person that ever thinks about stuff like this, but I've often wondered "How does a radio station know how popular it is"? How do they know how many people are listening? How do they know how much to charge advertisers, and how do they convince advertisers that they'll reach as many people as they're claiming?
I've wondered this for years until this evening, when I finally had time to do a little search.
It turns out, radio stations get their marketing data from a couple of different companies, the largest and most popular of which is Arbitron, a Public company traded on the NYSE. They collect rating and market data, and then, you guessed it, sell it.
But how do they collect the data?
Yes, that's definitely the question I've always wanted to know. How the crap does the radio station know how many people are listening? I have to admit I'm a bit of a technology fan and always have been (If you haven't guessed) and I could conceive of no technological way in which I found it feasible to monitor an entire market using existing radio technology.
Turns out, this life-long question ends in a very underwhelming way: A small sampling survey. Yes, the way they've been collecting data for years has been:
Selecting a random sample of a population in roughly 100 metros throughout the United States four times a year. An additional 200 markets are surveyed in the Spring and Fall. People in the sample are asked to maintain a written diary describing each radio program listened to. Each selected household agreeing to participate is provided a diary for each member aged 12 and older… A new random sample is selected weekly…
In my heart I've always known this was really the only way they could have done it, but finding out seemed to break my heart all the same. It must get cooler. It must! Does it?
Are there cooler, more awesome ways? YES!
So it turns out Arbitron has done what you probably thought would have been pretty bad-A to begin with. They created a little device called the PPM, or Portable People Meter. This hardcore piece of equipment is about the size of an oldschool pager. Its electronic ear literally listens and picks up inaudible data encoded into your audio, identifying the radio station you're listening to. You wear this baby for a year (yes, apparently they do compensate participants. I wonder how much?) and then turn it back in. How hot is that? That's just plain cool.
You need to be a rocket scientist to interpret Arbitron data
All good things come to a dissapointing end when you find out two things:
1. You can view the radio station data online for free (here)
2. The data is so difficult to interpret, they teach courses on it
What Is AQH Share?
Average Quarter-Hour Persons (AQH Persons)
The average number of persons listening to a particular station for at least five minutes during a 15-minute period.
The percentage of those listening to radio in the Metro who are listening to a particular radio station.
[AQH Persons to a Station / AQH Persons to All Stations] x 100 = Share (%)
Looking at my local market, I still see things like SP06, SU06… and so on, and I have NO idea what the heck all that means.
What have we learned from all this?
I think of stupid stuff while driving in the car, or sitting in the bathroom, or daydreaming at work.
What's your favorite "Potty Question"?
Potty questions is defined as: A question no sane person would ever consider except when given a ridiculous amount of 'free-time' in which they're not able to freely do anything but, uh, sit and think. (More Potty questions)


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User Waypoints
User Waypoints in ForeFlight allow you to save geographic locations and then view them as named point markers on the Maps view. You can create user waypoints one-by-one in the app itself, or import them in bulk using a CSV or KML file. This support page will outline each method.
Creating User Waypoints in ForeFlight
There are two places in ForeFlight where you can add new user waypoints: the Maps view and the User Waypoints page in More > User Content.
From the Maps View
The Maps view is the best place to create new user waypoints if you know the location of the point you want to save on the map (by looking at the Aerial map layer, for example), but you don't know the coordinates of that point. Tap-hold on the point (place one finger on the map without lifting it) until the "Add to Route" popup appears. The first line of the popup shows the geographic coordinates and ground elevation at that point. Tap "More" to the right of the line and tap "Save". This will bring up the "User Wapoint" popup, allowing you to enter a name (required) and description (optional) for the new waypoint. Tap "Save" in the top right to save the point as a User Waypoint. You can then display the new point by enabling the "User Waypoints" layer on the Maps view.
From the User Waypoints Page
If you know the geographic coordinates of the point you want to add then you can add it from the User Waypoints page in More > User Content. Tap the Plus button in the top right of the page to open the New User Waypoint form. Enter the name (required), description (optional), and lat/long of the point. Acceptable formats for longtitude entry are shown below the form. Tap "Save" in the top right to save the point as a User Waypoint. The User Waypoints page also allows you to edit pre-existing User Waypoints by tapping the blue "i" next to a waypoint. You can view a single user waypoint on the Map without enabling the User Waypoint layer by tapping on a user waypoint in the User Waypoints page.
Importing User Waypoints into ForeFlight
ForeFlight allows you to import your own collection of user waypoints into the app in one of three ways: importing from AirDrop, importing from email, and importing using iTunes. This works on both iPad and iPhone. Currently, .csv user waypoint files can only be imported via iTunes. Note: if you import a waypoint with the same name as an existing waypoint, it will be used to overwrite the existing waypoint.
Creating a New User Waypoints File
Regardless of how you import your collection of user waypoints, you must either create the file or get if from somerwhere else. If getting the file from somewhere else, you can skip this section and move on to importing it.
Two file formats are supported: CSV and KML. CSV is a simple comma-separated format which can exported from Excel or Google Sheets, or can be created by hand. KML is an XML-based format that can be easily created from programs like Google Earth.
Waypoint names must:
- Be at least 3 characters long including at least one letter.
- Be ALL CAPS.
- Be one word with no spaces.
For example: THE_CABIN is OK, while The Cabin is NOT OK because it includes lower-case and a space.
Additionally, only the first 30-40 characters of the description will be visible, so keeping them short is a good idea.
Lat/lon values should be in simple numeric decimal-degree format (ie: 34.7 or -81.457, where "negative" Longitude indicates W). No other Lat/Lon formats are supported for bulk importing.
NOTE: The CSV filename must be "user_waypoints.csv" for ForeFlight to recognize and import it successfully.
The CSV file must be organized as follows:
WAYPOINT_NAME,Waypoint description,Lat,Lon
ie: MY_HOUSE,My house,38.1,-79.2 ANOTHER,"",39.22,-81.966 PROPERTY_ALPHA,First house to observe,40.588,-80.1295
If no description is entered, you must indicate the empty description column with "".
ie: ANOTHER,"",39.22,-81.966
KML Example available:
Importing User Waypoints via AirDrop (KML only)
Importing via AirDrop from a nearby Apple computer is fast and convenient, espeically if a Wi-Fi network is not available. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi must be enabled on both devices for AirDrop to work.
Simply drag a KML file from your computer's Finder into the AirDrop folder, and drop it onto the device that you wish to transfer it to. A popup on the receiving device will ask what app you want to send the imported file to. Tap "ForeFlight", then confirm that you want to import the file contents as user waypoints. The new waypoints will then be added to the User Waypoints page in More > User Content.
Importing User Waypoints via Email (KML only)
Importing user waypoint files via email is also fast and easy, and allows you to send user waypoints files to more than one device at a time.
Step 1: Send the file as an email attchment
Attach your user waypoints KML file to an email and send it to whatever recipient(s) you want to have the file (which may be your own email address).
Step 2: Import the file to ForeFlight
Open the email in the Apple Mail app and tap-hold on the attachment with the name of the file you want to import. After the share modal appears, scroll through the app list in the middle until you reach ForeFlight, then tap "Copy to ForeFlight". This will open ForeFlight and the app will ask whether you want to import it as a User Map Layers file or as a User Waypoints file. After choosing one other the other ForeFlight will add the file to the proper list.
Importing User Waypoints via iTunes
Importing user waypoint files via iTunes is slightly more involved than importing via email, and since it requires a direct USB connection between a computer with the files and the device that the files will be imported to, this method of importing can only be done with one device at a time. The upside of this method is that it can be performed without an internet connection or email access. Currently, .csv user waypoint files can only be imported with this method.
Step 1: Connect your device to iTunes
Plug your iPad or iPhone into your computer via the Apple USB cord. Start iTunes on your computer, or wait for it to automatically start.
Step 2: Click on your device name in iTunes
Inside iTunes, click on the icon for your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. You will find the device icons at the top of the iTunes screen. Make sure you click on the device that you want to copy procedures to.
If you don't see your device name listed, make sure it is plugged in properly. Try disconnecting the USB cable from both your device and the computer, and then and plugging it in again.
Step 3: Click on 'File Sharing' in the left-side menu for your device.
When the list of apps appears, click on 'ForeFlight'.
Step 4: Drag your user waypoints file into iTunes.
On the right, you will see a listing of 'ForeFlight Documents'. Drag your user waypoints file and drop it onto the 'ForeFlight Documents' table. While the file is copying over to your device, and you will see a brief 'Sync in Progress' message on your device. Then click 'Done'.
Step 4: Launch ForeFlight
After the copying has completed, launch ForeFlight on your iPad or iPhone, then tap More > Custom Content > User Waypoints. ForeFlight will detect the newly added file and ask whether you want to import it as a User Map Layers file or as a User Waypoints file. After choosing one or the other ForeFlight will add the file to the proper list in More > User Content.