Flushing Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Flushing Bank that provides banking products and services primarily to consumers, businesses, and governmental units. It offers various deposit products, including checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, demand accounts, NOW accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company also provides mortgage loans secured by multi-family residential, commercial real estate, one-to-four family mixed-use property, one-to-four family residential property, and commercial business loans; construction loans; small business administration loans and other small business loans; mortgage loan surrogates, such as mortgage-backed securities; and consumer loans, including overdraft lines of credit, as well as the United States government securities, corporate fixed-income securities, and other marketable securities. In addition, it offers banking services to public municipalities comprising counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts, libraries, fire districts, and various courts. As of December 31, 2018, the company operated 19 full-service offices located in the New York City boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan; and in Nassau County, New York, as well as an Internet branch. Flushing Financial Corporation was founded in 1929 and is based in Uniondale, New York.
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What is Flushing Financial's stock symbol?
Flushing Financial trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "FFIC."
How often does Flushing Financial pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for Flushing Financial?
Flushing Financial declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.21 per share on Friday, March 29th. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.66%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 14th. This is an increase from Flushing Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. View Flushing Financial's Dividend History.
How will Flushing Financial's stock buyback program work?
Flushing Financial announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Wednesday, February 28th 2018, which authorizes the company to repurchase 1,000,000 shares, according to EventVestor. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.
How were Flushing Financial's earnings last quarter?
Flushing Financial Co. (NASDAQ:FFIC) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January, 31st. The bank reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.06. The bank had revenue of $36.65 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $44.20 million. Flushing Financial had a return on equity of 10.27% and a net margin of 20.61%. View Flushing Financial's Earnings History.
When is Flushing Financial's next earnings date?
Flushing Financial is scheduled to release their next quarterly earnings announcement on Tuesday, April 30th 2019. View Earnings Estimates for Flushing Financial.
What price target have analysts set for FFIC?
3 analysts have issued 12-month price objectives for Flushing Financial's stock. Their predictions range from $26.50 to $31.00. On average, they anticipate Flushing Financial's share price to reach $29.1667 in the next year. This suggests a possible upside of 27.0% from the stock's current price. View Analyst Price Targets for Flushing Financial.
What is the consensus analysts' recommendation for Flushing Financial?
3 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Flushing Financial in the last year. There are currently 1 hold rating and 2 buy ratings for the stock, resulting in a consensus recommendation of "Buy." View Analyst Ratings for Flushing Financial.
Has Flushing Financial been receiving favorable news coverage?
Media coverage about FFIC stock has trended positive on Friday, according to InfoTrie Sentiment Analysis. The research firm rates the sentiment of media coverage by monitoring more than six thousand blog and news sources in real-time. The firm ranks coverage of companies on a scale of -5 to 5, with scores nearest to five being the most favorable. Flushing Financial earned a news sentiment score of 2.7 on InfoTrie's scale. They also assigned media stories about the bank a news buzz of 5.0 out of 10, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat likely to have an effect on the stock's share price in the immediate future.
Who are some of Flushing Financial's key competitors?
Some companies that are related to Flushing Financial include Columbia Banking System (COLB), South State (SSB), First Interstate Bancsystem (FIBK), First Bancorp (FBP), Independent Bank Group (IBTX), Independent Bank (INDB), United Community Banks (UCBI), Renasant (RNST), Banner (BANR), TowneBank (TOWN), Eagle Bancorp (EGBN), Great Western Bancorp (GWB), Hilltop (HTH), ServisFirst Bancshares (SFBS) and Pacific Premier Bancorp (PPBI).
What other stocks do shareholders of Flushing Financial own?
Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some companies that other Flushing Financial investors own include Micron Technology (MU), Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG), Endologix (ELGX), Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Devon Energy (DVN), Genocea Biosciences (GNCA), Alcoa (AA), Briggs & Stratton (bgg), Designer Brands (DSW) and Ensco (esv).
Who are Flushing Financial's key executives?
How do I buy shares of Flushing Financial?
Shares of FFIC can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Vanguard Brokerage Services, TD Ameritrade, E*TRADE, Scottrade, Fidelity and Charles Schwab.
What is Flushing Financial's stock price today?
One share of FFIC stock can currently be purchased for approximately $22.96.
How big of a company is Flushing Financial?
Flushing Financial has a market capitalization of $647.17 million and generates $267.33 million in revenue each year. The bank earns $55.09 million in net income (profit) each year or $1.94 on an earnings per share basis. Flushing Financial employs 456 workers across the globe.
What is Flushing Financial's official website?
The official website for Flushing Financial is http://www.flushingbank.com.
How can I contact Flushing Financial?
MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Flushing Financial and other stocks. Vote "Outperform" if you believe FFIC will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote "Underperform" if you believe FFIC will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.


A Brooklyn man who allegedly threw his 4-year-old brother off a roof had a history of mental illness according to his family.
Shad Moss, aka Bow Wow, revealed that he was once addicted to the same powerful opioid that deceased rapper Mac Miller admitted being addicted to. Miller, real name Malcolm McCormick, died of a heart attack on Friday, Sept. 7.
We're only 47 days into 2018, and a total of 30 mass shootings have occurred in the United States. Florida's massacre at a Parkland high school has ramped up the calls for the U.S. government to reopen inpatient psychiatric facilities that were closed due to meddling by liberal politicians in the 1970s.


Women mourn the death of Marielle Franco, close to the scene of where she was shot.
A Brazilian politician who campaigned against police violence has been killed in a suspected assassination.
Rio de Janeiro councillor Marielle Franco was shot multiple times in the head when a car pulled up alongside hers and at least two people opened fire on Wednesday night.
Her driver, Anderson Pedro Gomes, was also killed, while Franco's press officer was shot but survived.
Rio's public security secretary, Richard Nunes, has pledged a "full investigation" into what he described as the suspected assassination of Franco and her driver.
Franco, who was first elected to represent the left-wing Socialism and Liberty Party in Rio in 2016, was 38 years old and identified as a lesbian.
She was particularly known for speaking out against police violence and for social work in the poorest areas of the city, where Brazil's army has been responsible for policing since February after a surge in violence.
In a statement, her party, known by the initials PSOL in Brazil, said it could not rule out the possibility that she was assassinated.
"We demand an immediate and rigorous investigation of this heinous crime. We will not shut up," the statement said.
According to Brazil's G1 website, a car pulled up alongside Franco's car, where she was sitting in the backseat. The shooters opened fire before leaving without taking anything, and appeared to know on which side of the car Franco was sitting.
Police at the scene in central Rio where Marielle Franco and her driver were shot dead by two suspects.
Rio's mayor, Marcelo Crivella, declared three days of mourning after Franco's death and vowed that the perpetrators would face justice.
Não vamos deixar que sua trajetória seja esquecida, não permitiremos que esse crime fique impune! A Prefeitura decreta luto oficial de três dias.
The governor of the state of Rio, Luiz Fernando Pezão, called Franco a "warrior" and described her killing as an "extreme act of cowardice."
Solidarizo-me com familiares e amigos, e acompanho, com as forças federais e integradas de Segurança, a apuração dos fatos para a punição dos autores desse crime hediondo que tanto nos entristece.
In one of her last posts on Twitter, Franco had blamed police for the murder of a young man.
"Matheus Melo was leaving church when he was killed," she wrote. "How many others will have to die for this war to end?"
Alexandre Aragão contributed to this report.


text:
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Messenger No. 136 (June 2009)
« Back to The Messenger home
400 Years of the Telescope
2-7 (PDF)
R. Gilmozzi
ESO's Telescopes In memoriam Daniel Enard
ADS BibCode:
2009Msngr.136....2G
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Gilmozzi, R.
AA(ESO)
The contributions of ESO to the art of telescope-making have come a long way since the early years, placing it, by the turn of the millennium, among the acknowledged leaders in the field. In this article I will give a brief history of what are, in my view, the highlights among these developments, from the 3.6-metre telescope through the NTT and VLT/I to the E-ELT.
Cuby, J.-G. 2007, The Messenger, 127, 25; Cullum, M. 2008, The Messenger, 134, 63; Enard, D. 1987, The Messenger, 50, 29; Hook, I. 2007, The Messenger, 127, 20; Monnet, G. 2007, The Messenger, 127, 24; Spyromilio, J. et al. 2008, The Messenger, 133, 2; Tarenghi, M. et al. 1998, The Messenger, 93, 4 Wampler E. J. et al. 1990, ApJ, 362, L13
8-12 (PDF)
A. Moorwood
30 Years of Infrared Instrumentation at ESO: Some Personal Recollections
2009Msngr.136....8M
Moorwood, A.
This is a brief account of the development of infrared instrumentation at ESO from the first single pixel photometers, built in the optically dominated late 1970s, through the revolution ushered in by the development of panoramic infrared detectors and the VLT, to a tiny glimpse of the 42-metre E-ELT, whose instruments will probably operate predominantly in the infrared, with the aid of adaptive optics. In support of my personal memories, I have combed The Messenger for facts and include here the most accurate timeline I could construct, together with references for those who wish to read more, and by way of acknowledging some of those who contributed to this story.
13-16 (PDF)
H. Dekker
Evolution of Optical Spectrograph Design at ESO
2009Msngr.136...13D
Dekker, H.
The evolution of optical spectrograph design and its implementation at ESO since 1980 is sketched out from the point of view of the instrumentation with which I have been closely involved. The instruments range from the early days of EFOSC, EMMI, UVES, GIRAFFE to the present-day X-shooter and important optical design features, such as the use of focal reducers and the white light pupil principle, are highlighted.
Telescopes and Instrumentation
I. Saviane et al.
La Silla 2010+
2009Msngr.136...18S
Saviane, I.; Ihle, G.; Sterzik, M.; Kaufer, A.
AA(ESO) AB(ESO) AC(ESO) AD(ESO)
From October 2009, the La Silla Observatory will begin a new phase in its history, following implementation of a new operations model. We describe here the upcoming changes, how the visiting astronomers will interact with the Observatory and how they will carry out their observations from October 2009 (ESO Period 84).
D. Baade et al.
NGC — ESO's New General Detector Controller
2009Msngr.136...20B
Baade, D.; Balestra, A.; Cumani, C.; Eschbaumer, S.; Finger, G.; Geimer, C.; Mehrgan, L.; Meyer, M.; Stegmeier, J.; Reyes, J.; Todorovic, M.
AA(ESO) AB(ESO) AC(ESO) AD(ESO) AE(ESO) AF(ESO) AG(ESO) AH(ESO) AI(ESO) AJ(ESO) AK(ESO)
As the replacement for ESO's standard infrared and optical detector controllers, IRACE and FIERA respectively, ESO has developed a new controller — the New General detector Controller — that will be the default detector controller for all new La Silla Paranal instruments in the next decade. The basics of its design and functionality are described, and first performance examples are given.
Andolfato, L. & Karban, R. 2008, SPIE, 7019, 64; Beletic, J.W. et al. 1998, ASSL, 228, 103; Downing, M.D. et al. 2006, SPIE, 6276, 15; Fedrigo, E. et al. 2006, SPIE, 6272, 31; Finger, G., Meyer, M & Moorwood, A.F.M. 1987, SPIE, 782, 130; Finger, G. et al. 2009, in Astrophysics Detector Workshop, Nice, in press Gach, J.-L. et al. 2006, in Scientific Detectors for Astronomy, 639; Meyer, M. et al. 1998, SPIE, 3354, 134 Reiss, R. 1994, SPIE, 2198, 895
F. Gonté et al.
On-sky Testing of the Active Phasing Experiment
2009Msngr.136...25G
Gonté, F.; Araujo, C.; Bourtembourg, R.; Brast, R.; Derie, F.; Duhoux, P.; Dupuy, C.; Frank, C.; Karban, R.; Mazzoleni, R.; Noethe, L.; Sedghi, B.; Surdej, I.; Yaitskova, N.; Luong, B.; Chueca, S.; Reyes, M.; Esposito, S.; Pinna, E.; Puglisi, A.; Pacheco, F.Q.; Dohlen, K.; Vigan, A.
AA(ESO) AB(ESO) AC(ESO) AD(ESO) AE(ESO) AF(ESO) AG(ESO) AH(ESO) AI(ESO) AJ(ESO) AK(ESO) AL(ESO) AM(ESO) AN(ESO) AO(Fogale Nanotech, Nîmes, France) AP(Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Teneriffe, Spain) AQ(Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Teneriffe, Spain) AR(Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri – INAF, Italy) AS(Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri – INAF, Italy) AT(Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri – INAF, Italy) AU(Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri – INAF, Italy) AV(Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, France) AW(Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, France)
The Active Phasing Experiment (APE) has been used by ESO to gain experience in controlling segmented primary mirrors in preparation for the European Extremely Large Telescope. The experiment tested various phasing techniques and explored their advantages and limitations. Four optical phasing sensors were developed using different techniques — a curvature sensor, a pyramid sensor, a Shack–Hartmann sensor and a sensor based on a modified Mach–Zehnder interferometer. The design of the APE instrument is described. APE was installed at the VLT visitor focus for on-sky testing and a brief summary of the results of the experiment is given.
Chanan, G. et al. 1998, Applied Optics, 37, 140; Chueca, S. et al. 2008, Proc. SPIE, 7012, 13; Dupuy, C. et al. 2008, Proc. SPIE, 7012, 127; Gonté, F. et al. 2007, The Messenger, 128, 23; Marchetti, E. et al. 2007, The Messenger, 129, 8; Mazzoleni, R. et al. 2008, Proc. SPIE, 7012, 124; Pinna, E. et al. 2008, Proc. SPIE, 7012, 116; Surdej, I. et al. 2008, Proc. SPIE, 7012, 34; Wilhelm, R. C. et al. 2008, Applied Optics, 47, 5473; Yaitskova, N. et al. 2005, Optical Society of America 22, 1093
G.H. Tan et al.
ALMA Receivers Invading Chile
2009Msngr.136...32T
Tan, G.H.; Ellison, B.; Lilley, P.; Patt, F.
AA(ESO) AB(Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK) AC(ESO) AD(ESO)
The ALMA Project has moved into the production phase, perhaps most notably for the advanced receiver systems, or Front Ends that are required by the project. This article provides a summary of the technical and production status of the various Front End subassemblies and some of their recent deliveries. The first complete Front End has been delivered by the European Front End Integration Centre to the ALMA Observatory in Chile.
Barkhof, J. et al. 2009, Proc. 20th Int. Symp. on Space THz Technology, Charlottesville, USA, Emrich, A. et al. 2008, Proc. 19th Int. Symp. on Space THz Technology, Groningen, The Netherlands, 528. Emrich, A. et al. 2009, Proc. 20th Int. Symp. on Space THz Technology, Charlottesville, USA, Haupt, C. & Rykaczewski, H. 2007, The Messenger, 128, 2007; Jackson, B. D. et al. 2009, R. Proc. 20th Int. Symp. on Space THz Technology, Charlottesville, USA, Murk, A. et al. 2008, Proc. 19th Int. Symp. on Space THz Technology, Groningen, The Netherlands, 530; Nikolic, B. et al. 2008, The Messenger, 131, 14; Tan, G. H. et al. 2004, The Messenger, 118, 18
Astronomical Science
M. Kürster et al.
The UVES M Dwarf Planet Search Programme
2009Msngr.136...39K
Kürster, M.; Zechmeister, M.; Endl, M.; Meyer, E.
AA(Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg, Germany) AB(Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg, Germany) AC(McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin, USA) AD(Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg, Germany)
We present results from our search programme for extrasolar planets around M dwarfs carried out with UVES between 2000 and 2007 and enjoying ESO Large Programme status from April 2004 to March 2006. In our sample of 41 stars we have found one "brown dwarf desert" companion candidate, but no planetary mass companions. We have determined upper limits to the mass of possible companions, which, in the habitable zones of our better observed stars, reach the regime of a few Earth masses. Significant periodic variability observed in Barnard's star is attributed to stellar activity.
Endl M. et al. 2006, ApJ, 649, 436; Endl M. & Kürster M. 2008, A&A, 488, 1149 Hünsch M. et al. 1999, A&AS, 135, 319 Kasting, J. F. et al. 1993, Icarus, 101, 108 Kürster M. et al. 2003, A&A, 403, 1077 Kürster M., Endl M. & Rodler F. 2006, The Messenger, 123, 21 Kürster M., Endl M. & Reffert S. 2008, A&A, 483, 869 Meyer E., & Kürster M. 2008, in Proceedings of the 15th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems and the Sun, AIP Conf. Proc. 1094, 549 Nakajima T. et al. 1995, Nature, 378, 463 van Leeuwen F. 2007, A&A, 474, 653 Zechmeister M., Kürster M. & Endl M. 2009, A&A, submitted
S. Kraus et al.
Tracing the Dynamic Orbit of the Young, Massive High-eccentricity Binary System θ1 Orionis C. First results from VLTI aperture-synthesis imaging and ESO 3.6-metre visual speckle interferometry
Kraus, S.; Weigelt, G.; Balega, Y.; Docobo, J.; Hofmann, K.; Preibisch, T.; Schertl, D.; Tamazian, V.; Driebe, T.; Ohnaka, K.; Petrov, R.; Schöller, M.; Smith, M.
AA(Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn, Germany) AB(Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn, Germany) AC(Special Astrophysical Observatory, Russia) AD(University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain) AE(Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn, Germany) AF(Universitäts-Sternwarte, München, Germany) AG(Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn, Germany) AH(University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain) AI(Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn, Germany) AJ(Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn, Germany) AK(Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Nice, France) AL(ESO, Garching) AM(University of Kent, Canterbury, UK)
Located in the Orion Trapezium Cluster, θ1 Ori C is one of the youngest and nearest high-mass stars known. Besides its unique properties as an oblique magnetic rotator, the star happens to be a close (~20 milliarcseconds) binary system, which makes it an ideal laboratory to determine the fundamental parameters of young hot stars. In this article, we report on our 11-year interferometric monitoring campaign, which covers nearly the full dynamic orbit of the system and resulted in the first interferometric images obtained with the VLT interferometer (VLTI) in the infrared (~20 µm) and diffraction-limited bispectrum speckle interferometry at the ESO 3.6-metre telescope at visual (440 nm) wavelengths.
Babel, J. & Montmerle, T. 1997, ApJ, 485, L29; Donati, J.-F. et al. 2002, MNRAS, 333, 55; Hofmann, K.-H. & Weigelt, G. 1993, A&A, 167, L15; Kraus, S. et al. 2007, A&A, 466, 649; Kraus, S. et al. 2009, A&A, 497, 195; Menten, K. M. et al. 2007, A&A, 474, 515; Patience, J. et al. 2008, ApJ, 674, L97; Petrov, R. G. et al. 2007, A&A, 464, 1; Schertl, D. et al. 2003, A&A, 402, 267; Stahl, O. et al. 2008, A&A, 487, 323; Tan, J. C. 2004, ApJ, 607, L47; Weigelt, G. et al. 1999, A&A, 347, L15
M. Zoccali et al.
Chemistry of the Galactic Bulge: New Results
2009Msngr.136...48Z
Zoccali, M.; Hill, V.; Barbuy, B.; Lecureur, A.; Minniti, D.; Renzini, A.; Gonzalez, O.; Gómez, A.; Ortolani, S.
AA(Departamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile) AB(CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, France) AC(Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil) AD(GEPI, Observatoire de Paris, France; Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Germany) AE(Departamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile; Vatican Observatory, Italy) AF(INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Italy) AG(Departamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile) AH(CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, France) AI(Università di Padova, Dipartimento di Astronomia, Italy)
VLT–FLAMES observations provide by far the largest sample of high dispersion spectra of Bulge red giants available. Five years of work on these 900 spectra have yielded the abundances of different elements in the Milky Way Bulge, and new results on its formation. The results so far include the Bulge metallicity distribution, the Bulge metallicity gradient, the metallicity dependence on kinematics, the history of enrichment with alpha-elements, as well as the lithium abundance. The evidence collected on Milky Way Bulge chemical enrichment supports a rapid early formation scenario, and the metallicity gradient argues against formation via secular bar evolution.
Barbuy, B. et al. 2007, AJ, 134, 1613; Bensby, T., Feltzing, S. & Lundström, I. 2004, A&A, 421, 155; Clarkson, W. 2008, ApJ, 684, 1110; Cuhna, K. & Smith, V.V. 2006, ApJ, 651, 491; Fulbright, J.P., McWilliam, A. & Rich, R.M. 2007, ApJ, 661, 1152; González, O. et al. 2009, A&A, submitted Lecureur, A. et al. 2007, A&A, 465, 799; McWilliam, A. & Rich, R.M. 1994, ApJ, 91, 749; McWilliam, A. & Rich, R.M. 2003, in Origin and Evolution of the Elements Melendez, J. et al. 2008, A&A, 484, L21; Nordström, B. et al. 2004, A&A, 418, 989; Peletier, R. et al. 2007, MNRAS, 379, 445; Reddy, B.E., Lambert, D.L. & Allende Prieto, C. 2006, MNRAS, 367, 1329; Rich, R.M. & Origlia, L. 2005, ApJ, 634, 1293; Stetson, P., & Pancino, E. 2008, PASP, 120, 1332; Zoccali, M. et al. 2003, A&A, 399, 931; Zoccali, M. et al. 2006, A&A, 457, L1; Zoccali, M. et al. 2008, A&A, 486, 177
B. Poggianti et al.
The ESO Distant Cluster Sample: Galaxy Evolution and Environment out to z = 1
2009Msngr.136...54P
Poggianti, B.; Aragón-Salamanca, A.; Bamford, S.; Barazza, F.; Best, P.; Clowe, D.; Dalcanton, J.; De Lucia, G.; Desai, V.; Finn, R.; Halliday, C.; Jablonka, P.; Johnson, O.; Milvang-Jensen, B.; Moustakas, J.; Noll, S.; Nowak, N.; Pelló,R.; Poirier, S.; Rudnick, G.; Saglia, R.; Sánchez-Blázquez, P.; Simard, L.; Varela, J.; von der Linden, A.; Whiley, I.; White, S.; Zaritsky, D.
AA(INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Italy) AB(University of Nottingham, UK) AC(University of Nottingham, UK) AD(Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland) AE(Institute for Astronomy, Edimburgh, UK) AF(Ohio University, Athens, USA) AG(University of Washington, Seattle, USA) AH(INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Italy) AI(Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA) AJ(Siena College, Loudonville, USA) AK(INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Italy) AL(Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland; Université de Geneve, Observatoire, Switzerland; GEPI, Observatoire de Paris, Meudon, France) AM(University of Nottingham, UK) AN(Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark) AO(New York University, USA) AP(Observatoire Astronomique Marseille-Provence, France) AQ(Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Garching, Germany) AR(Universite de Toulouse, France) AS(GEPI, Observatoire de Paris, Meudon, France) AT(NOAO, Tucson, USA) AU(Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Garching, Germany) AV(University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK) AW(Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Victoria, Canada) AX(INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Italy) AY(Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Garching, Germany) AZ(University of Nottingham, UK) BA(Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Garching, Germany) BB(Steward Observatory, Tucson, USA)
The ESO Distant Cluster Survey (EDisCS, P.I. Simon D.M. White, LP 166.A-0162) is an ESO Large Programme aimed at studying clusters and cluster galaxies at z = 0.4–1. How different is the evolution of the star formation activity in clusters, in groups and in the field? Does it depend on cluster mass and/or the local galaxy density? How relevant are starburst and post-starburst galaxies in the different environments? Is there an evolution in the galaxies' structures, and if so, is this related to the changes in their star formation activity? These are some of the main questions that have been investigated using the EDisCS dataset.
Barazza, F. et al. 2009, A&A, 497, 713; Clowe, D. et al. 2006, A&A, 451, 395; De Lucia, G. et al. 2004, ApJL, 610, L77; De Lucia, G. et al. 2007, MNRAS, 374, 809; Desai, V. et al. 2007, ApJ, 660, 1151; Finn, R. et al. 2005, ApJ, 630, 206; Gonzalez, A.H. et al. 2001, ApJS, 137, 117; Halliday, C. et al. 2004, A&A, 427, 397; Johnson, O. et al. 2006, MNRAS, 371, 1777; Milvang-Jensen, B. et al. 2008, A&A, 482, 419; Pello, R. et al. 2009, A&A in press Poggianti, B.M. et al. 2006, ApJ, 642, 188; Poggianti, B.M. et al. 2008, ApJ, 684, 888; Poggianti, B.M. et al. 2009a, ApJ, 693, 112; Poggianti, B.M. et al. 2009b, ApJL, 697, L137; Rudnick, G. et al. 2009, A&A in press Sánchez-Blázquez, P. et al. 2009, A&A, in press (arXiv:0902.3392) Whiley, I. et al. 2008, MNRAS, 387, 1253; White, S. et al. 2005, A&A, 444, 36
Astronomical News
J. van Loon
You and Your Observatory — The ESO Users Committee
2009Msngr.136...61V
van Loon, J.
AA(Astrophysics Group, Keele University, UK)
The European Southern Observatory is an international organisation serving a large scientific community. Financed by its member states, its facilities are open to all professional astronomers around the world. ESO and its users form a partnership, aimed at maximising scientific progress: ESO provides the infrastructure and logistical support, and the users carry out the most exciting measurements and publish these in a timely fashion in respectable journals.
Wisotzki, L. 2001, The Messenger, 106, 46
J. Melnick et al.
Wide-Field Spectroscopic Surveys Report on the ESO workshop on
2009Msngr.136...64M
Melnick, J.; Mellier, Y.; Pasquini, L.; Leibundgut, B.
AA(ESO) AB(Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, France) AC(ESO) AD(ESO)
The wide-field imaging surveys to be conducted with ESO VISTA and VST telescopes and with the ESA Gaia satellite demand spectroscopic follow-up. Presentations and discussions on the role of wide-field spectroscopic surveys with ESO telescopes at this dedicated workshop are summarised. The instrument requirements for spectroscopic surveys of large-scale galaxy structure, fundamental cosmology, and the structure of the Milky Way and its neighbourhood are presented.
Benitez, N. et al. 2009, ApJ, 691, 241; Bode, M. F., Cruz, M. J. & Molster, F. 2008. The ASTRONET Infrastructure Roadmap: A Strategic Plan for European Astronomy Eisenstein, D. et al. 2005, ApJ, 633, 660; Guzzo, L. et al. 2008, Nature, 451, 541; Melo. C. et al. 2008, The Messenger, 133, 17 Moorwood, A. 2009, Science with the VLT in the ELT era, (Berlin: Springer) Peacock, J. et al. 2006, ESA–ESO Working Groups, Report No. 3, Fundamental Cosmology Tolstoy, E., Hill, V. & Tosi, M. 2009, ARAA, 47, in press Turon, C. et al. 2008, ESA–ESO Working Groups, Report No. 4, Galactic Populations, Chemistry and Dynamics
M. Kissler-Patig, L. Testi
ALMA and ELTs: A Deeper, Finer View of the Universe Report on the ESO workshop
Kissler-Patig, M.; Testi, L.
AA(ESO) AB(ESO)
The workshop explored the scientific synergies between ALMA and the extremely large telescopes that are being planned. The main goal of the workshop was to bring the ALMA and ELT communities together, to identify the common science cases and to outline instrumentation/upgrade priorities for the ALMA and ELT facilities. We provide a brief account of the scientific sessions and the wide-ranging discussions held during this very lively four-day meeting.
B. Leibundgut et al.
ESO at JENAM 2009
2009Msngr.136...72L
Leibundgut, B.; Christensen, L.L.; Janssen, E.
AA(ESO) AB(ESO) AC(ESO)
ESO Fellowship Programme 2009/2010
2009Msngr.136...73.
ESO ALMA Fellowship Programme 2009/2010
A New Service for the ESO Community: The Science Data Products Forum
2009Msngr.136Q..75.
From Circumstellar Disks to Planetary Systems Announcement of the ESO/MPE/MPA/USM Joint Workshop
2009Msngr.136R..75.
New Staff at ESO
The Integral Field Spectroscopy Wiki
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Personnel Movements
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Showtime Home Design is dedicated to providing you with a level of service that is unmatched. Our attention to detail and eye for design ensures an enjoyable design experience.
Any interior and exterior renovations for condos, townhomes, apartments villas, single family homes.


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HomeComplex Trait Genomics in the Davis Labjoin us
Here at the Davis Lab, we believe diversity is a principal component of a vibrant, healthy, happy, and successful team. We enthusiastically welcome applications from members of groups that are underrepresented in science, including women, racial minorities, and people who identify as LGBTorI.
Current job opening:
Job Qualifications: Applicant must hold a PhD in a relevant field (genetics, statistics, computer science, etc.). Intimate knowledge of complex trait genomics is desired but not required. Computational background is required. Experience working in a unix/linux cluster environment, and programming in R, python, perl and/or matlab is required.
Job Summary: We are seeking a highly motivated individual with strong computational skills and a passion for discovery! The Davis lab is a computational and statistical genomics lab focused on the genetic architecture of a wide range of phenotypes including gender identity, mental health traits, and endocrine phenotypes. Projects in the lab utilize large highly dimensional data sets including genomic SNP and copy number variation data, DNA and RNA sequencing, and biobank phenotypes. We use polygenic approaches to "big data" to identify genes involved in human health and disease, to discover genetic correlations between traits, and to identify novel biomarkers. Working with a network of collaborators, we integrate multiple sources of genetic variation with functional annotations from gene expression and proteomics studies to answer questions about the underlying biology of complex traits. Additional interests in the lab include elucidating the relationships between genetic and environmental sources of risk, as well as understanding the evolutionary history of complex traits and disease states. Several projects in the lab make use of the >200,000 individual Vanderbilt Biobank, BioVU, to test hypotheses in all of these areas. We are seeking PhD trained scientists who wish to delve into these research topics. This is a wonderful opportunity for someone who loves finding patterns in big data and is interested in human biology and disease. We are passionate about seeking deep understanding of complex human traits through genomics. If you meet the qualifications, are eager for responsibility, and are scientifically curious, we invite you to apply!
Responsibilities will include:
Working in a team environment including international consortia.
Independently developing and leading projects.
Assisting with grant writing and seeking independent funding.
Presenting work at national and international meetings and writing manuscripts.
Providing mentorship to graduate and undergraduate students.
Attention to detail and good organizational skills.
A high level of personal integrity.
To inquire about this position, please contact Dr. Davis (lea.k.davis@vanderbilt.edu). Please attach a current CV.


So, I finally succumbed and did what every man does in his life (except quiche-eaters): Get a remote-controlled helicopter.
It really is rather difficult to get the hang of it - helicopters are inherently unstable (while fixed wing aircraft are mostly inherently stable). The salesman demonstrated it to me briefly, and flew and controlled it effortlessly - I dare say he had practiced quite a bit. I've crashed it several times already, but so far it survives (I've fractured a few blades, but it does come with spares). Great fun.
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday(tm), practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.
Furthermore, I wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures and without regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual orientation of the wishes.
What every man ought to do was published on December 24, 2006 .


Economist with experience in business management, specialized in the dissemination of the economy in the media. Expert economist on behalf of judicial proceedings related to financial products.
Chapter about the responsability of banks and their impact on the society.
Chapter about financial skill on private industry.
Instituto Econospérides para la Gestión del Conocimiento Económico.
Articles "Educación financiera: el conflicto de interés" on issue #18 and "Cultura financiera y tecnofinanzas" on issue #19.
Deep analysis on how financial products where sold on bank offices. It also acts as basic manual about financial products.
Cooperation on several chapters defining financial products.
70,5 credits from 1st module on the UIB. Average rate: 7,14.
Bachelor of Business Administration on the UIB. Average rate: 7,32.
Administrator de Enfintech.com • Enfintech Comparador S.L.
First portal in Spain that compares different products provided by fintech companies.
Teacher on several subject on groups GADE, GATU and GAID.
Economist expert on a specialized office in banking law.
In the beginning the company act as mortgage broker and broker agent (Bankinter). Actually manages financial websites and specialized on mortgage-loans leads providers (FuturFinances.com and FuturHipotecas.com).
Until 2016, in charge of financial contents, promoting a bank comparator service on media press with close to 1MM of users per month. After that date, in charge to manage an expert community.
Hasta mayo de 2011 gestioné los contenidos financieros y apariciones en medios de comunicación del comparador de bancos con más tráfico en España.
Partner in Carretero y Timoner S.A. • Carretero y Timoner S.A.
Support on economic management and also administrative tasks on the extinct imitation jewelry company CATISA, in Maó (Menorca).
Supervising the national delivery process. Cooperating on management tasks in Illes Balears HQ.
Employee on several bank offices in Palma de Mallorca, developing comercial tasks and in charge of risk analysis on mortgate loans.
Stretcher of a medicalized ambulance.


It's time to tackle the turf with uncompromised mowing power and innovation only from STIHL. The RMA 370 lawn mower is super lightweight due to the polypropylene single-shell construction paired with lithium-ion power. The ingenious design proves the RMA 370 to be robust and impact-resistant, ready for years of reliable performance. The RMA 370 comes equipped with dual carrying handles for easy transport, single-handle height adjustment, durable grass collection box with level indicator, foldable handlebar for easy cleaning and storage, an innovative multi-blade for excellent cutting performance and a safety key to avoid unintentional operation, perfect for family oriented households.
Very easy to adjust the height with a simple lift and place movement. There are 5-stage height settings. Spring assist for smooth operation. Set the ideal grass height with the easy to read height indicator.
Two chargers available: AL 100 Standard and the AL 300 Quick charger.
Powerful lithium ion battery pack compatible with all STIHL cordless machines. The battery pack can be charged several hundred times without the capacity decreasing significantly. No memory effect and constant power while in operation. Allows operation for long periods, just like a gas machine. Includes a charge level indicator with four LEDs for indicating the charge level. We recommend using only the AP 160 battery with the RMA 370 lawn mower. Rechargeable with STIHL charger AL 100 or AL 300.


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October 24, 2018 Case Studies
The Rise, Fall, and Restoration of the Kingdom of Bicycles
Neil Thomas
This is the second of several historical case studies that illustrate how important aspects of the Chinese political economy have evolved over the first 40 years of the country's Reform and Opening policies. The first case study, on how KFC changed China and how China changed KFC, can be read here. Later this year Two Fen will publish a series of in-depth examinations of China's economic transformation to commemorate this 40th anniversary.
Toward the end of the Qing dynasty in 1898, the most influential newspaper at the time predicted that "bicycles will prevail in the future." It was not wrong. Invented in France, the two-wheel pedal bicycle reached China in 1868. In the decades that followed, the bicycle enjoyed steady uptake by Western expats, cosmopolitan elites, postal authorities, and armed forces, but remained an expensive curiosity for ordinary Chinese.
When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came to power in 1949, however, it embraced the bicycle as a symbol of proletarian progress. Chairman Mao Zedong's government merged local bicycle producers into national champions—such as the iconic Flying Pigeon company of Tianjin, founded in 1950—that enjoyed privileged access to scarce materials. The first Five-Year Plan (1953-1957) set ambitious goals for bicycle production, which resulted in China doubling its 1949 bicycle stock to one million by 1958. The bicycle was also touted as a sort of bride-price: Together with a watch, a sewing machine, and a radio, it constituted the "three rounds and a sound" that bachelorettes of the CCP elite looked for in prospective marriage partners.
China today has over half a billion bicycles, a colossal feat of manufacturing attributable to the policies of Reform and Opening. The boom and bust cycles of the bicycle market have closely reflected the dramatic changes in the Chinese economy over the past four decades.
Bicycles dominated the streets of fast-developing Chinese cities in the 1980s and 1990s, causing a production boom as the market opened to entrepreneurs. In the mid-1990s, amid rising incomes and rapid urbanization, the Chinese government threw its weight behind the automobile industry, coinciding with declining bicycle usage and a surge in exports. But horrific traffic, coupled with the rise of environmental and health consciousness, caused urban Chinese and their governments to reconsider their choices, helping to spur today's bike-share startups.
The humble bicycle has returned in force to China's cities—this time not as a symbol of socialist glory but as a proxy of wealthy elites yearning for a post-material sharing society.
Bicycle Boom Time in the 1980s and early 1990s
While the phrase was first coined in the Mao era, China became widely known as the "kingdom of bicycles" in the 1980s. That's when throngs of bicycles filled the epic boulevards of Beijing and left indelible impressions on the Westerners who came to witness China's Reform and Opening.
Avenue of Eternal Peace (Chang'an Jie), Beijing, 1986
From journalists to mayors, foreign observers were mesmerized by the rivers of cyclists that snaked through Beijing's concrete jungles. Pulitzer-winning China correspondent Nicholas Kristof remarked in 1988 that riding a bicycle in the city "was exhilarating, in that I was joining the proletariat, communing with the masses of cyclists pulsing through every major artery in the capital." The Chinese capital's bicycles even inspired New York City mayor Ed Koch to trial six-foot-wide bike lanes in Manhattan in an attempt to relieve congestion, though the experiment ended after a month for lack of use.
Bicycles exploded across China in the 1980s and early 1990s primarily because of economic growth and the unbridling of market forces. In the early days of reform, when central planners still controlled most of the economy, buying a new Flying Pigeon bike not only cost many months' wages for an average urban worker but also required "good guanxi" (connections) to get on a multiyear waiting list. In other words, it was the Tesla of the Chinese command economy.
To make bicycles more attainable, the government ended production quotas and price controls in 1978, and approved policies to "vigorously develop" bicycle manufacturing in 1981 and 1984. Even so, bikes were still heavily rationed—a factory with a thousand workers might only receive four or five coupons for bike purchases. The rationing system was finally abolished in 1986, marking the end of explicit central planning of the bicycle market.
The state's receding hand allowed the industry to capitalize on huge demand and abundant labor to basically establish a vertically integrated production system by the end of the 1980s, with 60-plus bicycle factories and over 1,000 component suppliers. China's opening to the world also enabled domestic firms to benefit from "technology transfer." Factories in Tianjin, for example, used advanced heat treatment equipment from abroad to gain a competitive edge in the assembly of chains, pedals, and flywheels. Flying Pigeon alone ramped up production to 4 million bicycles per year and employed 10,000 workers in the 1980s. More efficient manufacturing and competition from new market entrants saw China's annual bicycle production balloon from 8.5 million in 1978 to 41 million in 1987.
Beyond market forces, China's urban geography also favored bicycles. Public transport was meager and cars were scarce and unaffordable, so bicycles became the essential vehicle for commuters and leisure-seekers. Most urbanites also belonged to a danwei, or "work unit," where state employers provided housing, food, and social services to employees who lived in compounds close to their workplaces. This arrangement made for relatively short commutes that favored travel by foot or bicycle. Starting in the Mao era, urban planners had deliberately built roads that accommodated "bicycle mass transit systems" with three-lane carriageways that featured dedicated bike paths—many of which survive today. Beijing alone had around 242 kilometers of such roads by 1991.
As the supply of bicycles increased significantly, rising real incomes meant that more Chinese could afford to buy one. In just seven years from 1981 to 1988, the number of bikes in China tripled from 77 million to 225 million. Beijing, an especially bike-friendly city, had 76% of its road space taken by cyclists in 1988, including busy intersections that saw 20,000 bicycles an hour. By 1995, the city had 8.31 million bicycles on its roads.
Bicycles also became a symbol of national and individual progress, similar to owning a television or a refrigerator. China's paramount leader at the time, Deng Xiaoping, even defined prosperity as "a Flying Pigeon bicycle in every household." One Chinese commentator claimed that, back then, "riding a Forever bicycle [a close competitor of Flying Pigeon] gave you as much face as driving a Mercedes-Benz." The Flying Pigeon was so iconic that when President George H. W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush visited China in February 1989, Premier Li Peng gifted the couple two Flying Pigeon bicycles (the couple had left an impression by posing with bikes in front of Tiananmen when Bush headed the US Liaison Office in the 1970s).
"Independence starts with a Phoenix Bicycle," undated advertisement, likely from the 1980s.
While the bicycle was embraced as a state symbol and a measure of the success of Reform and Opening in the late 1980s, pedal power would fall from grace in the mid-1990s. New economic priorities and changing social attitudes would drastically reduce domestic bicycle usage, prompting Chinese manufacturers to focus on the global market, particularly the United States.
Chinese Consumers Upgrade to Four Wheels
In March 1994, the State Council issued the "Automobile Industry Production Policy," which kickstarted auto manufacturing in China and presaged a fundamental shift toward auto-centric urban planning, road construction, and traffic management. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development declared soon after that bicycles were an "inferior" mode of transport and "the growth of bicycles in cities is not a [desirable] direction of urban transportation development."
The rise of cars in China over the past three decades, tied directly to a period of intensive urbanization, has had a tremendous impact on China, affecting everything from energy security and air pollution to commodity demand and traffic congestion. The decline of the work unit system and the growing influx of internal migrants into large metropolises in the 1990s created enormous demand for new housing and new lifestyles, which led to urban sprawl. The urban area of Beijing, for instance, increased from 397 km2 in 1990 to 4,144 km2 today—larger than the state of Rhode Island.
Today, not only is China a majority urban country—with the urbanization rate growing from just 18% in 1978 to 58% in 2017—it is now the world's largest producer and consumer of automobiles, with car ownership reaching 185 million in 2016 (see Figure 1). Urbanization and its attendant sprawl produced lengthier commutes and greater need for long-distance transport such as cars, buses, and subways. In response, the Chinese government built massive urban rail systems in 31 cities that stretch a total of 4,400 kilometers and also expanded bus routes. These investments in infrastructure made public transport the most popular means of commuting for Chinese citizens.
Figure 1. Car Ownership Skyrocketed in the 2000s (in millions)
Source: National Bureau of Statistics.
It was cars, though, that became the new status symbol of urban modernity. This consumer evolution is a familiar story across developing countries: As people make more money, they start to buy cars. Bicycles came to be seen as "for the poor" and a car became the new "bride-price" necessary to guarantee a middle-class marriage and a professional reputation. Borrowing a well-known concept from the economist Simon Kuznets, as GDP per capita grew, bicycle ownership in rural China first shot up before falling and stabilizing at a lower level as soaring incomes altered households' consumption preferences toward more expensive goods like cars (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. Kuznets Curve of Bicycle Ownership in Rural China (1978-2012)
Sources: WIND; World Bank.
The proliferation of automobiles also came at the expense of bicycles because authorities had to get bikes off roads to accommodate millions of new motorists. Many cities began to discourage bicycle use. Guangzhou, for example, aimed to decrease bicycle usage from 33.8% of trips outside the home in 1992 to 13.3% in 2010. Dalian even declared itself a "bicycle-free city" in 2000. China's first Road Safety Law, introduced in 1994, contained a provision that allowed local governments to reassign bicycle lanes to cars, a process that severely disrupted the existing network of bike paths. Even in cities like Beijing, where cyclists are separated from drivers by traffic islands, it is commonplace to see cars driving through or parked in bike-dedicated lanes.
Traditional pedal bikes fell further out of favor with the development of e-bikes, encouraged by the government from the early 1990s to improve traffic and energy efficiency. Aided by continual advances in motor and battery technology, e-bikes became popular with working- and lower-middle-class Chinese because they are faster than bicycles, cheaper than cars, and less regulated than motorcycles, which are restricted in roughly 180 cities. China now boasts 200 million e-bikes, 1,200 manufacturers, and around 90% of the global market share.
None of these trends boded well for the domestic bicycle market, which reached its height in the mid-1990s. The number of bicycles in China had exploded from 74 million in 1978 to 523 million in 1996, and bicycle ownership peaked at 197.2 bicycles per hundred urban households in 1993 and at 147 bicycles per hundred rural households in 1995. In Beijing, bicycle use fell from 62.7% of road transport in 1986 to only 15%in 2014, a trend found in many Chinese cities (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. Bicycle Share of Road Transport in Beijing (%)
Sources: Qiuning Wang; SCMP.
Opening Up an Export Boom in the mid-1990s and 2000s
A saturated domestic market, coupled with enormous overcapacity that pushed down prices and forced many manufacturers to close, caused significant changes in China's bicycle industry, which had flourished for nearly 20 years. State-owned bicycle producers also suffered during the wave of corporate restructuring and privatization that swept through government-backed businesses in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Take Flying Pigeon for example. The flagship brand of the Chinese bike industry was stripped of public subsidies as part of this overhauling of the state sector. The firm struggled against domestic entrepreneurs, foreign entrants, and evolving consumer tastes in a new business climate of cost-cutting and intensified market competition.
Superior foreign brands from Taiwan (Giant and Merida) and the United States (Trek) were allowed to enter the China market as the country prepared to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. Their lightweight designs and higher quality began to outcompete the socialist workhorses of national champions such as Flying Pigeon, Forever, and Phoenix. (Some Flying Pigeons were said to be so bumpy that people nicknamed them "aspirin bicycles.") Foreign competitors also offered a more diverse slate of products, such as folding bikes, mountain bikes, racing bikes, and gear bikes, which pushed domestic firms to seek foreign investment and further upgrade their factories in order to make these new models.
Flying Pigeon was not prepared for this onslaught, and its output shrank from 4 million units in the late 1980s to just 600,000 in 1997. Two years later, after the firm's management bought the rights to the brand, Flying Pigeon was able to fire surplus employees, hire contract labor, and move its factory to cheaper land on the outskirts of Tianjin. As a result of this leaner approach, the company had something of a turnaround as output and profits increased and it diversified into new products like e-bikes.
Undoubtedly buoyed by the country's path to the WTO, China's bicycle industry turned into an export-oriented one during the 1990s. The change was dramatic: China's share of global bicycle exports swelled from 18.7% in 1990 to a whopping 58.5% in 2002 (see Figure 4). By 1998, over half of the bikes produced in China were exported, a share that has increased to more than 70% today (see Figure 5). In 2016, China exported 58.2 million bicycles with a value just north of $3 billion. Even as China faces strong competition at both ends of the market—lower-end manufacturers in India and higher-end manufacturers in Europe—it still accounts for around 50% of all exports.
Figure 4. China's Share of Global Bike Exports by SITC Value (%)
Source: The Observatory of Economic Complexity, MIT Media Lab.
Figure 5. More Than 70% of Chinese Bike Production Is Destined for Export
Sources: UN Comtrade; WIND.
Like with most goods for which China became a manufacturing powerhouse, the pace and scale of its bicycle exports had an enormous deflationary effect on world prices. After China's share of US bike imports jumped from 23.7% in 1994 to 32% in 1995, American manufacturers accused Chinese producers of dumping. In May 1996, the US International Trade Commission agreed and imposed moderate penalties, such as a 2.95% duty on Shenzhen China Bicycle Company, then China's largest exporter (loss-making SOEs like Forever and Phoenix faced duties of up to 61.7%). It didn't end there—by 2017, the US levied an 11% import duty on most Chinese bicycles and the European Union imposed an even heftier 43% anti-dumping tariff.
Bikes are also caught in the ongoing US-China trade war launched by the Trump administration. The 10% tariff that the US levied on $200 billion of Chinese imports in September 2018 included roughly $1 billion of bicycles, e-bikes, and parts, many of which already attracted import duties. Given the United States buys nearly one-third of Chinese bicycle exports, the China Bicycle Association railed against the tariffs and recommended that manufacturers export through free-trade zones in neighboring countries and explore co-production in the United States, Mexico, and South America.
Even with the latest tariffs in place, it may be difficult to dethrone China as the dominant bike exporter since, as of 2017, China accounted for 93% of the 15.7 million bicycles that the United States imported. In fact, US retailers like Huffy are concerned that the tariffs would hurt sales and jobs. It has called the tariffs a "serious threat" as the US industry "has no immediate viable alternatives" to China and could be forced to raise per-unit sale prices by up to $125.
Bicycle Revival in the 2010s?
Just as Chinese exporters cemented their dominance in the global bicycle trade, however, changes were afoot in the domestic market. A moment that perhaps crystallized clashing public sentiments came in 2010, when Ma Nuo, a contestant on the popular dating show If You Are The One, infamously told a suitor of modest means that "I'd rather cry in a BMW than laugh on a bicycle." Some viewers applauded Ma's focus on getting ahead, but her callous insult touched a nerve with millions more, who decried her raw consumerism. Motivated by increasing desires for healthier lifestyles and a cleaner environment, many professional and white-collar Chinese urbanites had in fact begun to long for bicycles again.
Within the Chinese government, too, there was something of a rethink of the auto-centric urban development that China had pursued since the 1990s. The negative side-effects were obvious—traffic congestion, road accidents, oil dependence, air pollution. Cities began to restrict car use: Beijing implemented a stringent quota in 2010, coincidentally the same year that Ma Nuo's slight went viral. In 2012, the central government issued "Guidelines for the Planning and Design of Urban Walking and Bicycle Transportation," which encouraged "slow-moving transportation" and advanced national standards for bike racks and paths.
Shifting consumer sentiment and the central government's reemphasis on bicycles seem to be reinforced by a secular slowdown in the growth of car ownership, which has declined from 24% in 2010 to under 15% in 2016 (see Figure 6). This is likely a natural correction after years of breakneck development. Both Chinese city governments and private companies seem to have noticed that there are new opportunities for bikes in this changing environment.
Figure 6. Car Ownership Growth May Be Slowing (%)
Source: NBS.
In fact, Beijing began a small bike sharing program ahead of the 2008 Olympics. Although it folded after a couple of years, numerous other Chinese cities launched their own schemes. Hangzhou, for instance, now offers a fleet of over 84,000 bicycles. These municipal bike sharing programs operated much like those in American cities, where users rented a bike with payment cards and returned bikes to docks at designated locations.
But these programs were inconvenient for point-to-point travel. So, as China rapidly adopted smartphones and an app-based economy over the 2010s, entrepreneurs saw opportunities to monetize more efficient bike sharing. That's exactly what happened, when startups like ofo launched in Beijing in 2014 and MoBike in Shanghai in 2015. These pioneering for-profit firms relied on a model of dockless bicycles and smartphone payments that gave users much greater flexibility and access to bikes. Free-floating bikes addressed the "last-mile" problem of millions of people whose work or home was more than walking distance from subways or parking lots.
By 2016, China accounted for seven out of every ten shared bicycles worldwide and growth in customers and earnings seemed staggering. In 2017 alone, the bike-sharing industry's revenues leapt ten-fold from 1.2 billion yuan ($181 million) to 10.3 billion yuan ($1.52 billion). In the same year, users grew from 28 million to 209 million. China's official news agency breathlessly proclaimed bike sharing as one of the country's "new four great inventions."
Swift uptake of the service invariably generated enormous hype and frenzy: By the end of 2017, ofo and Mobike had together raised almost $2 billion, with each valued at around $3 billion, and had the backing of tech giants Alibaba and Tencent, respectively. Foreign investors got into the game as well, backing at least eight other local startups.
It seemed like bicycle manufacturers could ride the sharing craze to revive the domestic industry. In the past two years, ofo and Mobike alone ordered 19 million bicycles, many with specialized locks, non-deflating tires, rust-resistant bodies, and GPS tracking. Last year the storied Flying Pigeon factory was cranking out 400,000 bicycles a month for ofo.
But it's unclear whether bike sharing would benefit domestic manufacturers in the long run. Not only does sharing discourage ownership, making near-identical share bikes is a volume business, not a value business. Such mass production disincentivizes innovation because it shifts production away from high-end specialties to generic models. Even as China's bike production rose by 24.5% to 59 million units in 2017, and revenue grew by 16.6% to 64.7 billion yuan ($9.4 billion), profits actually fell by 9.2% to 2.2 billion yuan ($321 million).
However, the bike-sharing bubble burst about as quickly as it inflated. Much like what transpired in the ride-sharing battle between Uber and Didi, bike-sharing startups waged a bitter "subsidy war" to win market share and crush rivals by taking enormous losses on heavily-discounted user fees. As a result, many firms went bust, leaving in their wake enormous "bicycle graveyards" that haunted urban centers. The proliferation of share bikes cluttered busy urban streets and led many cities to cap their numbers, including Shanghai, which has gained at least 1.5 million new two-wheelers since 2015.
User growth is also set to decline precipitously from over 600% in 2017 to a projected 14.6% in 2018. Take Mobike, the healthiest of the bike-sharing startups—its monthly users exploded from 5 million to 38 million in 2017 but have since plummeted to 20 million (see Figure 7).The industry will now consolidate, likely creating an oligopoly around Mobike (which was acquired this year by Meituan for$2.7 billion, ofo, and Hellobike. This sudden correction was disruptive for the bicycle industry, as orders all but dried up, sending many smaller producers to the exits.
Figure 7. Mobike Users Have Declined Sharply in a Single Year
Chinese elites have championed the bicycle across three centuries. Puyi, the last emperor of China, enjoyed cycling around the Forbidden City so much that, in the 1920s, he converted the Pavilion of Crimson Snow into a bike shed and had 30-odd thresholds removed from doors so that he could ride around easier.
Pujie, younger brother of Puyi, stacks it on his bicycle in the Forbidden City, 1920s.
Who knows whether the Qing dynasty might have become an "empire of bicycles," but Chinese elites—both communist and consumer—shaped the bicycle's course through the first 40 years of Reform and Opening. The development agenda that Deng spearheaded in the 1980s moved China from a command economy towards market mechanisms that removed restrictions on economic life, which revolutionized the consumer market and the bike manufacturing industry.
Official support for the automobile industry and public transport, motivated partly by rapid urbanization and rising incomes, depressed the domestic bicycle market during the mid-1990s. But the government's concurrent push to enter the WTO helped Chinese producers access overseas markets and become a dominant force in the global bicycle trade. More recently, as China has encouraged homegrown innovation, official tolerance of bike sharing allowed Chinese startups to become leaders in green public transport. Throughout Reform and Opening, the arc of the bicycle industry has shown the effects of much broader shifts in China's economy.
Now, however, the Chinese bicycle industry faces export headwinds abroad and an uncertain market at home. Yet the sharing economy looks set to continue growing, albeit at a slower pace, and the emerging lifestyle consciousness of Chinese consumers is only set to deepen. Shared bikes aside, today 12 million Chinese cycle for exercise, most of whom are young people the government describes as "highly-educated, highly-paid, and of high character." Authorities hope this avocation will revitalize the bicycle industry through demand for higher end models and generate 150 billion yuan ($22 billion) in revenue by 2020.
This particular target may seem ambitious, given that the bicycle industry's revenue was only 64.7 billion yuan ($9.4 billion) last year. But China's growing desire to bring back the bike isn't a pipe dream either. The halting success of bike sharing not only suggests there is latent consumer demand but also that China's cities still exhibit "high-density residential land-use patterns" conducive to cycling.
Environmental concerns, too, mean central and local agencies increasingly seek to moderate car use and enhance cycling infrastructure to make cities more livable. The policies of Reform and Opening continue to strengthen the domestic bicycle industry through competitive markets, international trade, foreign investment, and more sophisticated consumption patterns. Taken together, these trends mean that the lifestyle aspirations of China's urban denizens may well restore some of the territory lost by the kingdom of bicycles.
Party All The Time: Xi Jinping's Governance Reform Agenda After the Fourth Plenum
Shanghai Free Trade Zone: Putting Reform Over Opening
Matters of Record: Relitigating Engagement with China


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Joelle Abou Farhat
Co-Founder & President, Fiftyfifty NGO, Lebanon
Holder of a BA degree in Journalism and Press Agencies, Joelle Abou Farhat Rizkallah has worked in the Media field for many years as a reporter and "Press Attaché".
In 2010, She founded her own communication agency, which she is currently running under the name of "JO Branding Advertising" www.jobrandingad.com. It is specialized in Political branding for public figures (with a special program for women).
Joelle is the founder of the SMPPDâ personal assessment program. It's a personal evaluation done at 5 levels (Socially, Morally, Professionally, Physically, Digitally) with women who aim at reaching higher levels of leadership in Politics. Joelle has contributed enormously in the huge increase of female candidates 'number in 2018 parliamentary elections in Lebanon (From 12 candidates in 2009 to 113 candidates in 2018). She and her team were able to empower, encourage and push 113 women to run for office through different programs and media campaigns.
Joelle is a big supporter for women in politics. In 2012, She co-founded "Women in Front" www.womeninfront.org, an association that encourages women to engage into politics aiming at increasing the number of Lebanese women in politics and public life. In 2019, she decided to restructure the NGO and include men on board, to support women in reaching equality. She created Fiftyfifty NGO that aims at instating equality at all levels especially in political and public life. Joelle has managed and supervised more than 15 projects on women political empowerment. She was able to create a network including the 113 candidates for office, in addition to 500 women, supporting the cause and encouraging more female to engage in public office in Lebanon.
Joelle is knowledgeable in Electoral Systems, Gender Quota and Political debates techniques. She and her team initiated the 1st political debate on Lebanese TV (LBCI) in 2016, enabling women to debate about political hot topics with their male counterparts. She is also fighting to reform the electoral law to include women's quota. Joelle has also created and presented a socio-political talk show on MTV called "Ento Min". It was to 1st political talk show to host in every episode political Leaders from both genders (Male & Female). It was broadcasted ahead of the parliamentary Elections in May 2018.
Joelle is also member of:
"Women in Parliament", a coalition that is lobbying to increase women representation in politics.
The Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB).
Blessing Foundation (Mentoring Program) as a Business Mentor for 3 consecutive years.
Member of Vital Voices 100 based in DC, it's a global network for women in Business
She also Completed a program entitled VVEngage political leadership program supported by Harvard University that provided technical skills and leadership development in politics to 22 women leaders from 18 countries in the world.
Joelle has recently received the "Evelyne Bustros" award for her work on empowering women in politics. Joelle's profile is featured as a prominent Lebanese woman leader in "Who is she" Lebanon. http://whoisshe.lau.edu.lb/expert-profile/joelle-abou-farhat-rizkallah


In my previous blog post, I examined the problem of REST API complexity in the enterprise. In short, as a company builds more and more web services, the situation server-side becomes increasingly complex, which can reduce portability, scalability, efficiency, and security. It also slows down development, just at a time when enterprises are scaling up development of mobile applications. In this blog post, I discuss some of the solutions that companies use to address this problem, and assess their effectiveness.
It starts innocently enough: someone needs to build a new enterprise application that requires web services. The dev team has to think carefully about the services they need and then figure out how to build them and test them. In some cases, they use a REST API creation tool or adopt a specialized developer framework. Other internal and external teams may also use these tools, or perhaps something else, and over time they build lots of REST APIs for lots of new projects using different tools.
All of these services typically have different user-management systems, different security protocols, different parameter styles, and different requests and responses. They will be hardwired to various data sources, and designed to run on different pieces of physical infrastructure, in the cloud or on premises.
Using highly efficient REST API creation tools has an unintended consequence. Ironically, companies that use these tools hit the complexity wall harder and faster than they otherwise would have. The real problem is not how to build services quickly, but rather how to build the right services that can be reused for general-purpose application development across multiple projects.
Unfortunately, architecting a general-purpose REST API platform is a much more difficult problem than simply creating a bunch of web services. Only after building many applications will the proper design patterns become apparent, but most companies are unable to start over at that point.
Some companies have tried to address the complexity problem by using API Management software. These systems allow existing REST APIs to be hooked up to a proxy server that can expose them in a unified way. Additional features include usage reporting, API throttling, and ecommerce gateways.
API Management can provide a unified interface for client application development, but it doesn't address the core problem of back-end complexity. Instead, API Management actually adds an additional arbitration layer on top of the existing mess, which increases the overall complexity of the system.
API Management solutions also require an additional proxy server gateway, and this limits the runtime performance needed for mobile applications and high-volume transactions. This gateway becomes yet another system that further reduces the performance, scalability, and portability of the back-end infrastructure.
Another way to tackle complexity and data security is to implement Mobile Device Management (MDM). This approach attempts to sidestep the root cause of complexity by ignoring the server-side spaghetti and instead controlling data access from the client side. But as new mobile devices are deployed and employees demand flexible access to enterprise data sources, this strategy becomes more difficult to maintain.
To really address the root cause of complexity, companies should control access to the source data, not the device. Then, developers can build any type of client application that they want, given the existing service architecture. This "decouples" client-side software development from server-side software development, and dramatically speeds the development cycle.
With a comprehensive REST API service platform, users come in through single sign-on and are assigned a role that governs data access. If they leave their tablet on a plane, an administrator can deactivate their session. Controlling data access from the server side "decouples" security concerns from any particular client device.
Back-end complexity limits portability, scalability, efficiency, and security. Powerful REST API creation tools compound the problem. Meanwhile, API Management and Mobile Device Management don't address the root causes of complexity; they are just Band Aids for a festering problem that's slowing you down and contributing to applications that are less reliable.
In my next post, I will discuss a new approach to building a general-purpose and reusable REST API platform, a universal data-access layer, and show how this modern approach dramatically reduces back-end complexity and provides a better, faster, and less costly way to build, secure, and maintain enterprise mobile and web applications.
I'd like to hear from you: have you seen or experienced the problems I outline above? How do you address these as you develop and deploy mobile applications?


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State Bank & Trust Company (MS) is headquartered in Greenwood and is the 9th largest bank in the state of Mississippi. It is also the 691st largest bank in the nation. It was established in 1898 and as of June of 2017, it had grown to 311 employees at 36 locations. State Bank & Trust Company (MS) has an A health rating.
Using their reward checking now for a few years, no issues. Timely refund of ATM. I think 1-2x didn't get the full rebate, send them a message, and had the full amount without question or issues quickly. I do direct deposit from work, and then do the required transactions/payments by doing 12+ $1 payments paying my internet bill in the span of 15 minutes once a month.
Very good bank. Works with borrowers on rates and other terms. Understands credits and small business lending.
Always verify rates and promotions with the bank or credit union. We are not State Bank & Trust Company (MS); we are a rate comparison website and cannot provide official rates or promotions.


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Gastrimargus africanus is een rechtvleugelig insect uit de familie veldsprinkhanen (Acrididae). De wetenschappelijke naam van deze soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1888 door Saussure.

africanus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia