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I'm glad for the rapid response of the DA, but I wonder if they would have been as quick if the cops had been white.
Calls for defunding the police may follow, but most community organizers understand there is a role for professionals trained in public safety. The role includes muscle. Muscle, however, doesn't require deadly force. It means moving people out of harm's danger – either from other people and for themselves.
The mistake that gets made is that the use of muscle can't be separated from emotional intelligence. It cannot only be from the power of a gun.
Muscle is not fighting – this is also a mistake. Even the work of subduing the violent is about diminishing emotional energy. It requires recognition that even those who may be involved in illegal activity have their own emotional instincts, and that their life also has intrinsic value. It requires a steady hand and adaptability.
Let justice be done.
The one true word is Jesus Christ.
Because of his faith, the work of the church matters.
The church proclaims the faith of Jesus Christ, a Palestinian Jew who was risen from the dead, trusting the witnesses of the apostles and the confession of the saints. In our weekly gathering, we bring our own bodies, transformed by that same faith, before one another, God, sharing our lives with one another.
Without this, management books don't matter.
The Church, as an institution or firm or body, forms and disciplines people living into the faith. Such persons are imperfect and come from distinct walks of life. They don't always know what they are doing. They bring heavy burdens to the table. They can be malformed by abusive institutions that stunt our emotional maturity. They may be suspicious also of anything too organized or that requires commitment. Yet, even in in a world that feels beyond our control, we preach about Jesus Christ and explore the kind of life his faith requires. We claim even the broken and lost can be capable of brilliant things.
Therefore, when it comes to the ordained leadership, it's an obvious and straightforward expectation that clergy should know the story through disciplines each academic and practical. Episcopal clergy will not merely be satisfied with reading the Bible as a self-interpreting document, but also read in its historical context. They will also reimagine the story through asking questions and opening new possibilities in the world, both personal and social. They engage the text as handled down, through a tradition, in the various ways it's been offered.
This will mean priests take the atonement seriously. When I say this, it's in the thinnest sense possible: The death and life of Jesus matters. And for this reason priests share Jesus' faith in God, known through lives changed and through the recollections of trustworthy witnesses, his apostles. We firmly believe The Truth will set you free, and love one another, for He is raised from the dead. God wins over the forces that would crush the spirit. Have hope that it does. It does not need to be more complicated than this.
A Christian priest believes in a Trinitarian God. I do not have any desire to insist, however, that a priest must adhere to elevating any particular person in the Trinity or must affirm Greek categories of divine identity. We assert that the trinity is the accurate description of God, and Jesus is a sign of God's presence, if not THE sign, and the only one needed, for simplicity's sake. That said, we can also admit there is no reason to be triumphalist or snooty about it. There is no zero sum game that says just because you've got something right, others don't in their own way.
If the priest can't preach Jesus with this confidence, then there are other ministries available to them. I submit, not all Christians must believe anything the church teaches. Their role is to live into their baptism as best as they are able. But ordination rightfully conveys some expectations. "I believe so that they don't have to," one seasoned priest wryly said to me. His job was to make the argument through a life and through his word.
"Make me feel that you believe the words you say" a young Catholic Christian once wrote. That's a reasonable lesson for a priest to remember. The laity are allowed to have their convictions, even as we hope that God tenaciously wants us to know and bring us to know him more deeply. So before the basics of managing a church, say I believe in one God…
Recently, the president of Planned Parenthood penned a letter reconsidering its founder, Margaret Sanger. Sanger was always a a lightning rod, and remains so decades after her death. It is a testimony to her memory that even now she remains such a polarizing figure.
Alexis McGill Johnson, as the CEO of the national brand, has the task of balancing the relationship of race and reproductive rights with Sanger's place within that conversation. It should be no surprise that this discussion has been happening internally for a long time, with Sanger being a foil for radicals who distrusted the paternalistic history of Planned Parenthood, and religious anti-abortion activists who wanted to break away black conservatives from the reproductive justice movement. Framing Planned Parenthood as the perpetuator of genocide has proven to be an effective weapon, despite its political provenance and outright fabrication.
The people who build institutions from scratch are rarely saints. They are not respecters of convention. They are often poor managers. Their work makes some people uncomfortable, and others they may hurt. They do not often anticipate future generations, while building the world they inhabit. They are mythologies, and under scrutiny they often become uncomfortably human.
Sanger was iconoclastic for many reasons. She worked with black doctors and intellectuals. She challenged powerful institutions. She encouraged white supremacists to have smaller families. She believed in that dangerous idea of "social improvement," now revealed to be a <ahem> – problematic – sentiment, in a time where the relationship between nature and nurture was even more poorly understood. Yet, she connected women's independence, poverty, and motherhood in a way that assumed poverty made society worse. And she had a minor, tangential, role in the eugenics movement. Who knows what she would say about the burgeoning field of epigenetics.
Still, she was adaptable in her leadership, collaborated with other leaders regardless of race, and adjusted her approaches when necessary. And this DNA runs strong in Planned Parenthood. If anything, it is what has allowed it to survive longer than almost any other organization and pass from founder to leader to leader. While we should, and must, reject the philosophy of eugenics, we should be glad that her institutional competence has shown to be inheritable as the organization changes. Sanger herself could have imagined critiquing her own organization, and would have accepted a just critique, just as she critiqued those around her.
Condemning Sanger is a justified political decision. It seeks to shield Planned Parenthood from false accusations concerning its roots, and does so with the honest acknowledgement that the conservative assassination by association of its founders reputation was, by and large, successful. We should acknowledge we lost that intellectual battle, and we need to fight first for providing care in all its forms in the communities who need a voice the most rather than defend our left flank. In the end, that she was not a racist doesn't matter: enough people think she was. And in an era where personal authority takes precedence over academic accuracy, we need to redirect our efforts. Being an anti-racist while being an ablest, doesn't help create freedom for women.
The letter does implicitly reaffirm how the enlightenment, liberalism, progressivism, even social democracy itself, were all tarnished by political calculations based on race. The poison of white supremacy runs through all of it. Sanger was certainly a part of those paternalistic movements that sought to incentivize social "improvement." The only institution that was against eugenics (formally, at least) was, after all, the Roman Catholic church, Planned Parenthood's perpetual foil.
I was on the board of Planned Parenthood for eight years, and the national Clergy Advisory Board for six. We all understood that her legacy was complicated. Nobody defended her ableism. And there was always an honest willingness to recognize that we were more than her.
I simply seek to point out that the reasons she remains a target are not simply because of her beliefs. She is moral baggage in a broader culture war, and a suitable scapegoat for the sins of white liberalism. And she's dead. While she can't talk back, I suspect she would have taken herself down from the pedestal she inhabited, if only to continue the work Planned Parenthood bravely continues to do. Just as Sanger herself made unpalatable choices to the current generation, we will do the same. We make our compromises on behalf of power, because power is what changes things.
She's gone, anyway, and the work continues. Let her go.
She would probably agree.
In the story about the Transfiguration, Jesus and his friends climb to a mountaintop where he finds a couple other well known persons, prophets as it were, who welcome him. They start chatting about various prophetic things, like who God is, how the air is different up there, and why the Nazarenes keep losing at baseball.
His clothes, at a special moment, become startlingly white, whiter than even my recently dry-cleaned chef's jacket, and Peter gets the idea to build a sukkah because of this remarkably Holy Event. The voice of God, and in other books of the gospel a dove, announce that Jesus is the Son of God, the beloved, the anointed one. A sukkah is kind of a special tent that keeps you safe when your regular abode has proven to be unreliable.
This is my son, the beloved, listen to him the gospel reports that God says. Two weeks ago, we read at the beginning of his ministry, "repent and believe in the Gospel." And we'll read again a few times.
At some point, Christians will have to explain why we should repent and why we should believe, and why does this faith stuff matter? Does it provide any kind of visible difference? We presume it does: when we talk of faith, we are not simply making intellectual assertion about our belief, but are also talking about trust, confidence, and inspiration.
One assumption is that faith, or our trust, changes people. It is this faith helps us be open to our own transformation as well. We see a couple glimpses of what this looks like. The building of the sukkah, for example, is a way of building trust, a place of security. Jesus may not have needed it, but as a part of the parable it tells us something about the shape of Peter's faith. He needed some security to experience the danger of holiness.
The ability to be transformed, or to be open to transformation, arises often when one feels emotionally safe. I wonder if this is what Peter was trying to do in suggesting building a little tent.
At the top of the mountain, furthermore, Jesus can see the grand view. Not just the crisis before him, not his immediate needs, but the long term plan. Now certainly it's hard to consider the long term plan when you are worried about living or in survival mode. But at the top of the mountain is where Jesus is, and he can see the path that got him there, that he is part of the world, and part of a larger universe.
Jesus had seen the struggle of people who were in pain, and then he could see how it all fit together. He climbed, he did the work; he remembered the prophets who came before; and he had a vista to see.
Now the obvious challenges we face are physical, but the more painful ones are spiritual. The feeling of invisibility, of being ignored, of being discarded or expendable can lead individuals into addiction, depression, or rage.
A psychologist tells a story of Bill, who had no pleasant memories of childhood. He'd grown up in foster care. He didn't even know what his mother looked like. One family regularly beat him. But he said, the physical pain wasn't as difficult as the feeling that nobody was responsible for him. That nobody cared for him.
Bill was a generous, kind and loving person, so the psychologist asked him, how did he learn to be patient and kind? It turns out that for two decades he'd been in a remarkably healthy and loving marriage. He chose a partner with whom he could have emotional safety. It was obvious to the psychologist he was very proud of his wife and took joy in who she was, as she did in him.
Often men find their wive's success to be threatening rather than reassuring. Instead, he had a real home in a partner who could provide him the healing he needed through offering a complete sort of love that allowed him to feel safe. Later he modeled his wife's unselfish love through caring for his sick, biological parents.
This love can't be commanded. We can't just demand it from our partners. It's not an intellectual project, or one that can be forced or demanded but it can be modeled. We can design a space to make it thrive. We can remove obstacles. And we begin by letting God love us
Where we are.
He lost his wife, however and he entered into a depression. But
In a decade he met a priest who took spiritual healing seriously, and who had after a laying on of hands had reduced Bill's back pain.
Spiritual healing begins with empathy. Ritual healing, the liturgies, are expressions of a shared responsibility for pain, permission to express emotion, and a reverence of life. A circle of caring persons will lower blood pressure, relax pain, and even postpone death. This is the biology of love. It's where the link between our experience of the natural and the supernatural become linked. Bill became inspired by healing and soon this became a part of his own ministry.
He believed, even though he had never before been religious, that through the faith of Christ we can physically channel and transform this love. It lives in people like Mandela, King, and Gandhi, and has potential in each one of us.
Bill had primary loving relationships that allowed him to endure and transform his pain. That is what we seek in our personal life, our public life, and ideally in our collective life as human beings. The faith we have, the love we receive, visibly changes us, in part because it gives us the confidence to be genuinely inspired by caring; it helps us foster stronger communities through trust, while giving us enough humility to recognize there are mysteries we don't understand. It helps us build charity, courage, and humility.
I hope that as the pandemic subsides, we'll be able to take the ways we've tried to stay connected virtually and see how both our physical and digital can enhance each other. This is, perhaps, our trek up the mountain, and perhaps once we've reached that moment of transformation we will also experience that inspiration that was bestowed upon Jesus, that we too are beloved, and in us He is well pleased.
My political feed is a relatively narrow broadband of American politics. Mostly people who share my political beliefs or otherwise keep their opinions to themselves. There's some diversity between the intellectuals, the book markers, the activists, the ill-informed, and the peacekeepers. The peacekeepers are the ones who post supportive memes, cat videos, and gingerbread houses.
But these feeds are not organizing.
How do we have a robust political and public life during the Pandemic? A such a life doesn't have much to do with Facebook. It's much simpler: it's connecting with people to solve problems.
It's obvious that some do not want to solve problems, and it's unlikely they can be forced to do so. Also, not everyone's problem is everyone else's. The problems of the county and city aren't the same. And their relationship to the government isn't the same. Some get offended if they are shown they do have a problem, and others enjoy watching others suffer. But enough people do want to identify the unnecessary obstacles that we face, and try to find ways to remove them.
I'm going to take some stock over who I know that has been really engaged in their local communities to address issues that are of public concern. One issue I find interesting is the dearth of reliable sources of information in parts of the country who feel excluded by the mainstream media. What sources establish both trust and truth?
And the second is how we can build institutions worth believing in?
I'm not sure of the answers, but I'd like to know more people who are trying to figure those questions out.
Masters, Slaves and Sobriety
Years ago, a famous comedian joked about having an empty bank account. He noticed that that if you had no money, the bank would charge a fee. He observed that the less money you have, the more the bank charges.
He would ask, "Ever been so broke that the bank charges you for not having enough money? The bank calls you and tells you "you have insufficient funds."
You say, "yes. I know. That's obvious to me." His cadence indicated contempt on behalf the the bank. The response is a bewildered retort – I'm just doing the best I can. Of course I want more.
Then he notes: If you have $20 in your bank, they will charge you $15. And now you have $5. And sometimes you can have negative money in your bank account.
Even free things are out of reach!
And if you do have money, banks will pay you to bank with them. You get paid to leave your money with them.
To anyone listening to the gospel this week, this story resonates.
Some believe that the master is God. In such an interpretation, God gives us money or gifts we are responsible for and we should use them. If we don't, we will get punished.
But I suspect that it's the slave who does nothing who really understands: this is a master who does not reap where he sows; he gathers where he does not scatter seed. He's rich off of the work of others, and only the poorest one can tell him to his face how the system works.
The servants invest, but they don't get a return on their investment. There's no indication they get anything besides more responsibility and hard work. They don't even get the benefits of their labor.
But Jesus says that God scatters seeds all over. He scatters on soil that is rocky, and fertile. He also rewards people who come late to the vineyard, paying them equal to the people who came at the beginning of the day. God gives to people who don't deserve their wealth. He is generous to a fault.
And for Jesus, God is a God who forgives debts and gives food ahead of time.
It's not an easy message if you have power or money. It implies how easy it is to become satisfied with what we have, and yet also anxious about loss. We become perpetually busy for no reason, except manage this fear. We believe the master has our best intentions because we want to keep the status quo.
The slave with the least is sober in his observation. While most of us can easily be seduced by money, attention, and power, he is not. He knew the rewards were limited, and that the master only cared for himself. And so he revealed to the master the values at stake.
The values of the master are accumulation. More power. More visibility. More influence. But for Jesus, the suggestion is that none of this is necessary. And that to understand this takes clarity of thought, or in other words, "sobriety," the word that Paul emphasizes in today's letter.
Sobriety is not solely temperance or abstemiousness. Sobriety represents the ability to gives up what one loves for something greater, and by doing so invites clarity in conviction. It's sorts through the bad information from the useful, to have a glimpse of the truth. The sober person realizes they have nothing to lose by being honest. They refuse to lie to themselves.
A responsible relationship with money might require sobriety because we can all be a slave to money's seductions. While we each could benefit from a little more, the gospel reminds us to "put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." For while money constrains and disciplines, it both liberates and enslaves. As an alternative, Paul writes "encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing."
Jesus is not impressed with money. Nor is he moved by honor or talent.
Instead, the gospel suggests we can be worthy of good things apart from our success. And so with Paul, we seek the habit of mutual encouragement, of building up each other, to strive for victories of another kind, ones based on love, where our own thriving doesn't require the diminishment of others.
I get the desire to redirect, defund, and abolish the police.
Over the last four decades several intersecting factors have made it difficult to challenge aspects of police culture. These include a reduction in mental health services; the growing power of police unions; militarization; and the increased presence of guns. Add that in some places the police are the tax collectors for municipalities and get graded on their generation of income.
And that doesn't include the hiring of white supremacists.
But most community organizers will tell you that communities want the cops. Social workers want cops to provide protection when they're called on to deescalate. Furthermore, most urban police departments are more diverse than other institutions.
Community organizers know that one problem is underpolicing in dangerous areas, and overpolicing in everyday situations.Community leaders can tell the police where the dangerous places are; and they will tell you when they see cops sleeping on the job. When a precinct or a department are not connected to the community, they will not have the capacity to respond effectively.
LEOs can often be their own worst enemy. Some times the cop who has the worst reputation is like an enforcer in hockey, who will be the one who can be called to handle the most challenging and intractable situations. They fire the police who tell the truth; they begin to see civilians as enemies. This is not structurally different than other unions. But their inability to police themselves agitates the problem. Escalation against citizens ends up escalating the calls for abolishing police. That some cops work for more than 18 hours in a day means poor decision making.
We live in a country where guns, poverty, and envy, intensify the anxiety and corrode the capacity of individuals and communities to direct their energy toward mutual flourishing. It can be geographically intensified through density and close contact. Without an abundance of countervailing institutions, violence has always been a way to pay the piper, to maintain honor, to establish rules. The availability of guns makes these communities, and work of LEOs less safe. The solutions are not simply, "be nice to cops" or to stop protesting; but perhaps counterintuitive.
Public safety includes a variety of social problems that requires coordination across disciplines. Communities should fund a variety of institutions that do so. This includes police. Therefore, some resources should be directed away from parts of the pipeline into programs that prevent violence in the first place – Midnight Basketball was one of the more ridiculed ones. But it worked!
I submit that two policies might actually reduce and redirect this challenge of cops occupying communities: fund living wage jobs for teen-agers to adults; and second, rearrange our policing so that they are not underpaid, do not work 30 hour overtimes, and are trained for more than 3 months, but up to four years. Four years before getting a gun.
That the origins of the police have been related to issues of race – and ethnic patronage – is familiar history. But origins do not determine use, and it is up to us to think realistically about both ensuring safety, and funding the programs that actually give people the tools to thrive.
The Primaries, a reflection
A candidate who, broadly speaking, shares my values won the Democratic primary replacing Nita Lowey, my congresswoman. Of course, this is within the narrow Overton Window that is American Politics.
Almost all the primary candidates did. That said, they each would have also quickly encountered the same political constraints in practice so the claims of being "progressive" didn't weigh too much on my consciousness. Several candidates were truly brilliant; a couple were remarkably sharp and incisive. One who I thought had the most emotional competence didn't even get 600 votes as of this blog.
I'm concerned, however, by the way social media frames our decisions and nationalizes our discussions. In my view, local politics vets effective public leaders; it holds national politicians accountable. It teaches people what matters to the average voter. I would rather get to know someone slowly over years than in a media blitz. So in my book, competence > enthusiasm, and charisma ≠ character.
I hope that the amazing candidates who ran and lost continue to find ways to lead and be connected in their communities. We have housing issues; our county infrastructure is fragile. We have very tangible issues here in Westchester that require leaders.
Congratulations Mondaire Williams.
Monuments and Black Jesus
It's been a bad few weeks for monuments.
I'm not overly concerned with whether many stay or go. There are a wide variety of buildings, or permanent structures, that represent our cultural values and aspirations. They become fixtures that we seek to be remembered by, or to force others to remember.
Some will last and some won't.
I'm glad that the symbols of the confederacy are being removed. Let the monuments be placed in cemeteries or museums. There is no need to memorialize the slaveholder rebellion. It was four years of history, and there are a bazillion other reasons to value southern culture. We can visit the images of the stars and bars in a book.
Other monuments are more complicated. I'm glad to see some fall, but I remain perplexed by the choices about whose monument gets to stand. I wonder why and then who decides what stands and what doesn't. Was there a committee meeting I missed when Grant was being decided?
Some monuments can be opportunities for us to think more complicated thoughts about our past. I remember how disappointed I was when my father shared with me a more complicated description about Lincoln. I'd already at a young age come to terms that our founding wasn't as pretty as the textbooks say. That knowledge helped me handle the complexity that any person brings to their context. Build a plaque for some and add some questions. Give a longer and broader retelling. Let us not be afraid of our history so much we must conceal it.
Similarly, there has been some conversation about the worship of monuments of white Jesus, and his presence in public spaces. First, it's clear that there are no Nordic or European people in scripture. But the faith always comes inculturated – so we will often imagine Jesus (and Mary) in a fashion that is more like a mirror. It's similar to just as Shakespeare has become the property of all nations, scripture is important because it speaks to YOU. When it doesn't, then it is merely another book.
Some people have primarily experienced white representation of Jesus. In my view this is a diminished vision of God. We need not dispense with it, expand our perception and vision of him. As we practice with a variety of images of who Jesus looks like for us now, we can better perceive the Christ in one another. If you have not done so, a practice of envisioning Black Jesus in your prayer life may be rewarding and edifying.
To end the monuments of racism in our minds, build new ones.
Be prepared. Have dog treats. Ready the camera.
It doesn't matter if the police chief is black.
For every action, a reaction. Prepare for the backlash.
Cold anger is hard, so I will not judge the rage.
Don't be fooled, vengeance is justice.
I have tasted the deliciousness of revenge.
There is not a single one, who does not fear the mob.
Who redeems? Let the prisoners be free.
Who forgives?
You did not think her life should be destroyed, but destruction has its place.
What is the pain in the world?
Every tweet, every post,
the pain, duplicates, magnifies.
All the data, pain, every moment.
Vindication is more satisfying than peace.
We are all sinners, even the righteous.
If you can't burn it down,
turn off the screen.


Ricky Dale "Rick" Lewis, age 60, of Rizer Avenue, Springfield, passed away at 11:13 a.m., Sunday at the Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center in Danville.
He was born in Harrodsburg, Kentucky on February 28, 1959 to Goldie Junior and Cora Ann Bourne Lewis.
He was a 1977 graduate of Mercer County High School, a member of the Springfield Baptist Church where he previously served as youth counselor/worker and a thirty-three and a half year employee of R.R. Donnelly & Sons now known as LSC Communications in Danville.
Preceding him in death was his father, Goldie Junior Lewis in 2007; his maternal grandparents, Norvin and Viola Bourne and his paternal grandparents, Gollie and Minnie Lewis.
Survivors include his wife of thirty-seven years, Lynne Hardin Lewis; his son, Richard A. Lewis of Springfield; his daughter, Nicole Lewis McCusker of Lancaster; two grandchildren, Evelyn McCusker and Michael McCusker; his mother, Cora Ann Lewis of Lawrenceburg and two sisters, Charlotte Whitis (J.D.) of Harrodsburg and Linda Sherman (Brian) of Gibsonton, Florida.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, March 28th at the Carey & Son Funeral Home with Rev. Aaron Sherrell, pastor of the Springfield Baptist Church, officiating.
Burial will be on Cemetery Hill.
Serving as pallbearers will be Don Hardin, Rick Hardin, Glenn Hardin, Jason Thompson, Chad Hardin and Ryan Hardin.
Visitation will be after 10:00 Thursday morning.


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Home › John Lister › Facebook Chief Online Accounts Hacked
Facebook Chief Online Accounts Hacked
by John Lister on June, 7 2016 at 12:06PM EDT
Two online accounts belonging to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg have been hacked. The incident, thought to have resulted from a LinkedIn data breach, is a high profile example of the dangers of poor password choices.
The hackers, calling themselves OurMine Team, took control of Zuckerberg's Twitter account and posted a message informing him of the breach. They also claimed to have accessed his Pinterest account (which appears to be correct) and his Instagram account, which doesn't appear to be the case.
Perhaps the one point of relief for Zuckerberg is that his Facebook account was not affected by the incident. The Twitter and Pinterest accounts are now back under his control.
Password Was 'Dadada'
The hackers claimed that they were able to get into the accounts after discovering Zuckerberg's details among a recently released stolen database of login details from LinkedIn. The claim is that he used the same password for LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest, making the unauthorized account access a complete breeze. (Source: engadget.com)
If the hackers are to be believed, Zuckerberg's password was the remarkably simple "dadada," which has prompted some debate about why he chose the term. Given the LinkedIn hack took place in 2012, it is clear that the password has nothing to do with his recently born daughter. (Source: vanityfair.com)
Assuming the claims are correct, Zuckerberg not only reused the same password on multiple sites, but chose the weakest possible password for each site, which included six letters with no numbers or symbols.
Accounts May Have Been Abandoned
It also looks highly likely Zuckerberg had not elected to add two-factor authentication to the accounts, an option offered by LinkedIn and Twitter. Had he done so, any attempt to access his account from a "new" computer would have triggered a security code being sent to his phone and access blocked until the code was typed in.
The Pinterest account in question had barely been used while, prior to the hack, the last post Zuckerberg made on the Twitter account was 2012. That suggests he had effectively abandoned the accounts but left them active, which is likely why he hadn't changed the passwords for years.
Are you surprised at such a high profile online figure using weak security practices? Have you abandoned using any major websites and if so have you closed the account or gone back and changed the password since?
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Pretty surprising
Permalink Submitted by Dennis Faas on Tue, 06/07/2016 - 12:50
In this day and age of social networks, single sign-ons and security breaches, it is very surprising to learn that Zuckerberg used the same weak password for those accounts. If that's the case - either he simply didn't care, or he is incredibly simple-minded when it comes to security. My guess is with the former.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Are you fond of comic sans and Microsoft Paint? Well, apparently so is the City of Los Angeles – which is why they're searching for a new graphic designer.
In light of Columbus Day's dangerous historical roots, the Los Angeles City Council replaced the holiday with Indigenous People's Day on Wednesday.
One of the most inspiring stories to come out of 9/11 is the investment banking firm that lost 66 employees in the World Trade Center. Their response will echo for a century as the most memorable investment they would ever make.
After the devastating housing market crash of 2006, new data says that American homes are back to a stable value.


The number of large fish species in Australian waters has declined by 30% in the past decade, mostly due to excessive fishing, a new study says.
Marine ecology experts are calling for changes to fisheries management after publication of the study by scientists from the University of Tasmania and the University of Technology (UTS), Sydney.
The decade-long study used data from diving surveys by three different bodies – the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the University of Tasmania and Reef Life Survey, a supervised citizen science group – to compare trends in fish populations in unprotected marine areas, protected areas that allow for some fishing, and protected areas that prohibit fishing.
Data was collected repeatedly from 533 sites around Australia from 2005 to 2015 for large fish species – those bigger than 20cm in length, such as snapper, bream and parrotfish.
They found the biomass of large fish had declined by 36% on fished reefs and 18% in marine park zones that allowed for limited fishing.
"Because we were measuring the fish in the fished areas and comparing them to the same species in the unfished areas – and we found substantial differences in the trend over the 10-year period – we can ascribe that to the impact of fishing," study co-author Trevor Ward, a marine scientist from UTS, said.
Ward said there was a strong need for "highly precautionary fisheries management" but that greater use should also be made of no-take marine protected areas that prohibit recreational or commercial fishing.
On Tuesday, the Greens urged the government to establish an independent scientific review of Australian fisheries stock.
"This study also shows that marine parks can be successful fisheries management tools but we simply don't have enough of them or enough protection within them to deliver widespread benefits," the Greens senator and healthy oceans spokesman, Peter Whish-Wilson, said.
But the assistant minister for agriculture and water resources, Anne Ruston, questioned the paper's conclusions and said Australia's sustainably managed commonwealth fisheries were "world-class".
"The paper contains flawed arguments and conclusions, which are not supported by the weight of publically available evidence," she said.


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Student spotlight: Taming challenges with Germaine Chuabio
Post author By April Anne Villena
4 Comments on Student spotlight: Taming challenges with Germaine Chuabio
As college students, we all strive to make it to graduation and that in part is a glimmer of success. For Germaine Chuabio, success takes the form of not just graduation, but also in the little things we go through during our stay in the university. As a AB Communication Arts and BS Accountancy major, she initially had the ambition of being a news reporter or journalist and took up accountancy because of her fascination with numbers and the thought of it as the language of business. With a course spanning five years and two terms, she is currently on her last two terms, still standing with a CGPA of 3.773.
What are your achievements so far?
Aside from being a consistent dean's lister, I consider so far not repeating any modular subject as an achievement because it's quite difficult to undergo modular. In 2011, as the national champion in the National Public Speaking Competition, I was able to represent the Philippines in the International Public Speaking Competition in London. Out of more than 80 participants from all over the world, I was able to land in the top 6.
In 2012, my team placed 2nd in the inter-university competition called the Unilever Close Up Brandatastic and we were awarded 50,000 pesos.
In 2013, I was selected to be part of the team to represent DLSU in a global business case competition at Seattle, Washington. We competed against teams from different universities around the world. I consider that trip to be an achievement because just being selected is already such an honor and a privilege. I also received a lot of training.
And then this year, 2014, I got elected as the chairperson of the accounting pool of JPIA, which is a prestigious group of students who need to meet certain stringent academic requirements. As Spiderman says, "With great power comes with great responsibility," so currently I have 3 other officers with me. We're managing, implementing projects like a Peer tutorial program, distributing midterms and finals reviewers, hosting quiz bees, seminars, and more academic related activities. So that's it so far. Hopefully I'll be graduating by February 2015 with honors.
Why do you think difficult is different from the term challenging?
I think difficult connotes a sense of giving up almost right away or blocking out the possibility of even trying to succeed in it. When you say it's challenging, you're trying to work on it or finding ways to make it work, and it's challenging because it stimulates you, not because it blocks you from any form of achievement however small.
How prepared are you to face whatever may come your way in the future?
I won't say 100% because I want to give some leeway to certain times when you feel like you're the most despicable and hopeless thing in the world. To be more accurate, let's just say I'm 90-95% prepared to face maybe the next 5 or 10 years of my life. I think that's what life in the university has prepared me for. But for the next decades after that, my 20s to 30s life-learning will prepare me for that stage: the 40s and 50s.
Where do you get inspiration and motivation?
I don't want to sound too self centric, but for me it's a very internal motivation because I want to finish things. When I start something, I want to finish it. I started Communication Arts then accounting so I'm very much motivated to finish it. They're useful in my career in the future that's why I'm motivated to finish them.
Well, just because I started something doesn't always mean I'm motivated to finish it if what I start proves to be worthless already halfway through. I feel I have to finish things and at the same time I feel that graduating is one step closer to my ultimate goal in life which is to be successful in [a] corporate career and to be financially well off.
Externally, I think a lot people around me push me to finish things and to try [and] excel as much as possible in what I do. That's my mom; she always tells me to be ambitious and [to] try and achieve everything. Friends all around remind me as well. They would tell me that it would be such a waste if I let go of things halfway through.
Why is it important for a person to care about his/her future?
Well, I think it's important because you're the one who will face the benefits, the risks, and the consequences in due time. What happens in the future is influenced by what we do today because all of this accumulate and contribute to what you're going to have in the future. So I think we have to really plan ahead and make good decisions as much as possible so you can have a good future. If you have a brighter future, then you get more benefits and rewards than negative consequences.
What is your message to those who want to achieve as much as you do?
I would tell people to never stop dreaming, never stop being ambitious, and never stop striving for what you want, but first of all, you have to know what you want. Always plan and people are important. No matter how good you are, even [if] you're the smartest person in the world, you cannot be successful if you don't have good people around you. Value the people around you because they're the ones who can sometimes try to get you ahead, pick you up when you're feeling down, or recommend some things to you.
What's next for you after graduating college?
What's immediately next is review school, and then after that I have to take the board exam in accountancy. After that, I want to take a short break for a couple of months and take up certificate course in makeup artistry because I'm also an aspiring makeup artist. I like helping people look and feel beautiful.
I may go into one of the big four audit firms if they'll accept me. That's where I hope to get training in accounting technical skills for around 2 to 4 years, then I'm hoping to transfer to private organization or a multinational corporation. I'm hoping to land a good corporate position at an established well known company while getting paid well and with good benefits.
I also hope to have my own business or a part time job in makeup artistry. As for journalism, I hope it will always be there. I feel that journalism is something you can do alongside your corporate career. Maybe I can contribute to a magazine or a newspaper. I don't know if that's possible but it's something I'm very open to while I have my corporate career.
As a chapter is about to reach its end, graduation may be considered as a part of a student's success in his/her life. But the struggles and challenges that come along the way will mold a person to be more than just a student, more than a just graduate, and even to be above the average.
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lionheart moves to racespot for 2021 and beyond
The Lionheart Racing Series and RaceSpot TV announced today a multi-year broadcast package covering all three of Lionheart's premier online racing championships.
Formed just a year apart from one another, the Lionheart Racing Series and RaceSpot TV have grown considerably over the past seven years, gaining increasing popularity within the iRacing community. 2021 will see both paths meet, moving forward to bring Lionheart's live events to the next level.
RaceSpot TV is a live eSports broadcast network focusing primarily on sim racing. RaceSpot TV produces over 15 hours of high-quality live broadcasts each week to a global audience.
"Since our inception our company motto has been no gimmicks just awesome broadcasting," says Wil Vincent, RaceSpot TV COO and Head of Broadcast Operations. "We believe that our job is to be storytellers for some of the world's biggest eSports moments, whilst ensuring we provide a recognizable motorsports product to viewers who may be new to the concept of competitive eSports. We invest heavily in every aspect of our product to ensure that every broadcast provides informative commentary and lasting memories."
Lionheart Racing Series founder Jorge Anzaldo was excited at the opportunity to work with one of the world's leading eSports content producers.
"This couldn't have come at a better time," Anzaldo said. "We have worked extremely hard to get to this point. Forming this partnership with RaceSpot TV is going to open so many doors for our league. With RaceSpot TV and ESTV airing our races 2021 is going to be the biggest in league history. I'm excited to have RaceSpot TV handling our live race coverage."
RaceSpot TV will provide live coverage for Lionheart's IndyCar, Speedway and Retro Series for a combined 58 events in 2021.
In addition, Lionheart events will also air on the first 24-hour eSports network, ESTV. The series debuted to impressive audience numbers late in the 2020 season on the relatively new platform.
The IndyCar Series will kick things off March 3rd 2021 at Homestead Miami Speedway. Broadcast times will begin at 9:35 PM CST. For further information on the Lionheart Racing Series and its 2021 Schedule visit www.lionheartracingseries.com
For more information on RaceSpot TV visit www.racespot.tv For more information on ESTV visit www.estv.co
buttkicker extends lionheart partnership for fourth straight year
The Lionheart Racing Series and the The Guitammer Company announced its continued partnership for the upcoming 2021 Season.
The deal, announced by Lionheart Racing Series founder Jorge Anzaldo, will see The Guitammer Company's popular line of ButtKicker Gaming products featured as the title sponsor to Lionheart's IndyCar Series.
"We were so excited for the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with The Guitammer Company and ButtKicker," Anzaldo said. "Being able to bring these great products to our drivers, fans and other series partners once again, for a fourth year and especially as the title sponsor to our most popular series, just proves how successful this league has become, and how supportive our drivers are of the companies that invest in us."
In 2021, ButtKicker Gaming products will provide eight prizes to drivers across the Lionheart Racing Series. Winners of the ButtKicker Rookie of the Year in both the Lionheart IndyCar Series and Lionheart Retro Series will have the choice of a ButtKicker Gamer2 or ButtKicker Simulation Kit.
Other ButtKicker prizes will be handed out throughout the year as part of prize packages to drivers in all three series.
"We're pleased to continue our partnership with Lionheart Racing Series", said Guitammer Head of Gaming Andrew Luden. "Jorge and the Lionheart team have created a powerhouse racing series that we're proud to support. We look forward to their continued growth and success in 2021".
ButtKicker also returns as sponsor of the P1 awards, given to drivers earning poles and wins in a Lionheart sanctioned race. The starting lineup for each race broadcasted by RaceSpot TV and ESTV will also feature the Starting Grid presented by ButtKicker in 2021. ButtKicker will also be the title sponsor to a total of five races in 2021, including two Triple Crown events. Additionally, ButtKicker will also be the presenting sponsor of the "Countdown to Green" 15-minute pre-race show for Lionheart's IndyCar Series.
"We can't thank The Guitammer Company enough for their continued support of our series," Anzaldo said. "They've committed again to offering a discount in the 2021 season to drivers and fans of our league. There's nothing better than a partner who is willing to work with you and for your drivers and fans. The Guitammer Company has gone above and beyond, and we really cannot thank them enough and I'm so excited to have them back on again for our 9th Season."
Fans will once again receive a 20 percent discount on products using promo code LION2021. Additionally, Lionheart has been added as an affiliate. Those looking to order ButtKicker Gaming products should visit https://thebuttkicker.com/?aff=3.
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The Lionheart Racing Series was founded on July 1, 2014 and is the premier IndyCar and Lotus 79 league on iRacing.com. Competition. Commitment. Excitement. This is Lionheart.
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Răchitiș – wieś w Rumunii, w okręgu Harghita, w gminie Bilbor. W 2011 roku liczyła 464 mieszkańców.

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Introduction: The identification of performance related factors (PRFs) is a major goal in sports biomechanics. However, PRFs identified across studies are inconsistent and this might be explained by the limitations of discrete point analysis, which is commonly used. New data analysis techniques involving continuous waveform analysis (e.g. functional principal component analysis, fPCA) have been suggested, but their use in biomechanics is not widespread, and they also have limitations. Another problem in current studies is the general use of a single group analysis design. The primary aim of this work was to develop and test a novel, enhanced method of continuous waveform analysis. A secondary aim was to examine the benefits of a subgroup analysis design, when identifying performance related factors. Methods: A self-developed data analysis technique (Analysis of Continuous Phase; ACP) was compared to fPCA and discrete point analysis in their ability to identify PRFs in the countermovement jump (CMJ). In addition, the generally used single group design was compared to a subgroup analysis design. Results: The ability to explain jump height was: ACP (99 %), fPCA (79 %) and discrete point analysis (23 %). ACP identified previously hidden PRFs in CMJs and was able to explain inconsistencies in previous studies that used discrete point analysis. The subgroup analysis demonstrated a better ability to describe jump height than the single group analysis (+10 %) and indicated that different subgroups / individuals have different PRFs. Conclusion: The findings of this work demonstrate large advantages of continuous data analysis, especially the novel ACP method, and in employing a subgroup analysis. Furthermore, findings indicate that discrete point analysis and single group analysis are sources of inconsistencies in previous experiments on the CMJ.
Moran, Kieran and O'Connor, Noel E.


Antique English Silver London Georgian Coffee Pot Charles Stuart Harris 1913 weighing 844 grams or 28oz 6dwts including wooden handle. Fully hallmarked to side near handle and struck with makers mark, lion passant and date letter to lid. The base of the pot struck with Clading and Co, 47 Kings Street, Brighton. It measures 25cm high by 20cm length from spout to handle by 10 1/2cm wide.
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South Koreans are the low-hanging fruit. They are very comfortable with Malaysia because [of the existing populace] of Koreans here," Kumar Tharmalingam tells City & Country.
The CEO of Malaysia Property Inc (MPI) was sharing the insights gleaned from the one-day Real Estate Committee (REC) Institutional Investments 2010 conference in South Korea on Nov 30. MPI was formed in 2008 to promote Malaysian properties overseas, has now expanded its focus to bringing foreign direct investment into all sectors of real estate in Malaysia. It went to South Korea to raise awareness of Malaysia as a real estate investment destination.
Each session featured four speakers who shared their real estate investment experiences, both in and outside South Korea, with a moderator.
"It's a learning curve, we're listening to what [people] want when they invest overseas," says Kumar.
Fund managers representing over 300 international institutions and members of South Korea's major construction and banking entities attended the conference.
The general impression gained from the conference was that many South Koreans are looking at buying real estate overseas for their parents to retire to and to provide a place for their children to learn English affordably, a necessary skill to climb up the corporate ladder. Malaysia seems to fit the bill on both counts, says Kumar.
"One of the Korean investors said, 'If I had a block for sale in Korea, I'd have 10,000 people qeueing up. If it is in Malaysia, I'd have 200 people because only South Koreans who want to invest overseas would consider it'," he says, adding that this is because South Koreans prefer to buy residences in their own country first.
"However, 'if I package it with education opportunities, it draws them in. If I had an education exhibition with property at the sidelines, I'd get 10,000 people.' This is the kind of feedback we got from our visitors," says Kumar.
"... the guy was basically saying, you take my children, you take my parents ... leave me alone! It completely turns our business model around." He notes that there are an estimated 13,000 South Koreans in Malaysia currently, about 1,000 of whom are students. Unofficial figures may be higher, however.
Armed with this and other insights, MPI is seeking to tap into South Korean pension funds seeking investments abroad, many for the first time.
A senior portfolio manager of the US$270-billion National Pension Service (NPS) of Korea was quoted by a news agency on Dec 2 as saying that it plans fresh commitments of US$1.2 billion in private equity real estate funds in a bid to issue capital with higher risk.
Playing matchmaker?MPI is targeting to attract RM20 billion in foreign investments to Malaysia within the next five years. This is half its original mandate of 10 years. It went to South Korea with several Malaysian property developers in tow — Iskandar Investment Bhd, Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB), S P Setia Bhd, Malaysia Pacific Corp Bhd (MPCB), Amanahraya Bhd and Country Heights Holdings Bhd.
1Malaysia Development Bhd's (1MDB) developments in Kuala Lumpur were also featured.Kumar says MPI was the only participant of the conference that presented on real estate.
Featured projects were 1MDB's 75-acre Kuala Lumpur Financial District (KLFD) and 500-acre Bandar Malaysia developments at Sungai Buloh, with a gross development value (GDV) of US$32 billion; Iskandar Investments' 2,230-acre mixed development Medini Iskandar Malaysia in Johor (GDV: US$20 billion); MPCB and Amanahraya Bhd's Asia Pacific Trade and Expo City (Aptec), a 60-acre smart green city within LakeHill Resort in Johor's Iskandar Malaysia (GDV: US$1.6 billion); S P Setia's 24.4-acre KL Eco City mixed development (GDV: US$2 billion) and the 59-acre Aeropod @ Tanjung Aru mixed development in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (GDV: US$217.8 million); MRCB's Grade-A Q Sentral offices (GDV: US$387 million) and Sentral Residences (US$387 million), both within its flagship KL Sentral development; and finally Country Heights Holdings' 4.09-acre Mines Wellness City integrated resort (GDV: US$493 million) in Kuala Lumpur.
"We saw it as a great opportunity to brand Malaysia, not just to South Korean pension and equity funds, but also the regional funds at the conference," Kumar says, adding that this was in tandem with the strengthening of bilateral ties between both countries evidenced by visits between the two premiers scheduled for this month and next year.
A 20-minute pre-lunch presentation on Malaysia as an investment destination by Datuk Michael Yam, president of the Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association (Rehda) of Malaysia, was a strategic move in terms of timing and its tailored presentation, he says.
Prior to the conference, MPI had set up private meetings between the developers and South Korean conglomerates such as the Ssangyong Group and the Hyundai Group. Malaysian companies had 45 minutes to an hour to explain what they had to offer.
According to Kumar, the response was "immediate", with requests for follow-up information."Our message to the Korean corporations was that they cannot come to Malaysia primarily as contractors. They have to come here as an investor and put some equity into a greenfield project, then the construction can be considered on a turnkey basis.
"They were quite happy with that. So long as they could negotiate a fair price, they were willing to put in equity of up to 30% of the project value," he says.
He notes that the firms would exercise more caution and invest more wisely if they had to take risks with the developers, an arrangement they are pleased with as it is an alternative to the expensive public tendering process that may result in failure, causing them to "lose face".
Kumar observes that the South Koreans prefer to work with government-linked companies as they are still unfamiliar with Malaysia, which is not a visible investment market. Equity funds, for instance, are interested in investing but prefer to do it via a Malaysian fund initially, given the ease of entry and exit, an idea that MPI will convey to the Economic Planning Unit, Kumar says.
"If a project is successful, they will come in independently," he adds.
Kumar says these funds are keen to either invest in property developments or purchase big-ticket greenfield commercial buildings en bloc, citing Hana Bank's properties in KL Sentral as an example of its investment platforms.
The bank, via its property investment arm Hana Daol Fund Management, has acquired two office towers, one 34 storeys and the other 45, with a total gross area of 846,000 sq ft.
Putting Malaysia on investors' radar screen"The current sentiment [in South Korea] is that there isn't enough information on Malaysia. They know us as a tourist destination," says Kumar.
Malaysia continues to be closely associated with manufacturing, thanks largely to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority's (Mida) hard work.
"Now we want to take that relationship up a few notches," he says.
South Koreans are also unaware of the nation's infrastructure — "uninterrupted power supply, broadband, good highways and good medical facilities", he adds.
Kumar shares his experience with a fund manager from La Salle Investment Bank in Hong Kong earlier this year, who mentioned that his office had no coverage or even a profile of Malaysia despite their relatively close proximity, a fact that bothers Kumar.
Even government agencies such as the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) and Mida are unable to promote local real estate effectively given the absence of crucial information, he says.
Going forwardTo further promote Malaysian real estate among South Korean investors, MPI has enlisted the help of Woori Bank and Hana Bank, South Korea's largest banks. The banks have teams focusing on offshore properties, staffed by people experienced in offshore property transactions with exposure to Southeast Asia.
"We brought them here in October and set up meetings with developers for site visits, showing them projects from high-rise city condominiums to golf resorts, a whole range, opening their eyes. We've also followed up with a meeting with them recently. They will now recommend these investments to their database [of clients]," says Carrie Fong, MPI head of marketing and branding. "They have to see for themselves, so they are relationship managers. This is a passive way, without us spending so much money. "Of course, we want to do it on a larger scale, hence the format still has a bit of end-user target with the database from these banks coupled with business-to-business meetings with construction and investment firms," she says.
During the recent visit in Seoul, MPI also met up with senior officials of both banks.
MPI plans to hold an exhibition in South Korea next March and will continue to set up private meetings between Malaysian developers and Hana Bank and Woori Bank. The banks have requested a list of suitable property developers for their clients seeking high-value investments. The banks are looking at investments of up to US$100 million, Kumar says.
The agency also plans to take part in a private equity real estate investment conference in Hong Kong in February. "We will speak on Malaysia in four separate breakout sessions, each with a different target investment," Kumar says. One of the sessions will compare Malaysia with Vietnam and Thailand, while another session will paint Malaysia as a retirement destination and one for second-home ownership.
MPI also plans to extend its business-to-business meetings to India, which is flush with private equity wealth, he says.
"They don't mind punting on a development project in Malaysia, so long as there's an exit plan at the end of six years," Kumar explains. He says these initial investments will also have to happen through "brand-name" funds first, but notes that "fortunately" Malaysian talents are heading these funds.
FeedbackRehda president Yam says the circumstances surrounding their visit to South Korea were "timely".The missile attacks by North Korea, coupled with MPI's strategic decision to host luncheon in return for its 20-minute session, helped train the attention of the fund managers on Malaysia's real estate market, he tells City & Country.
Yam, a member of MPI's board, adds that the slew of developments in prime areas should be underpinned by the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) and EconomicTransformation Programme (ETP) to boost investor take-up of these properties as organic growth from demand alone is insufficient.
Developers should also focus on creating products of higher quality with green features, he adds."Korean investors are keen to explore smart and strategic investments and the time is ripe for them to seek opportunities beyond North Asia in Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia," says Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim, president/CEO designate of Iskandar Investment.
"Leading Malaysian companies can and should work in close collaboration to provide greater insight into investment opportunities here. This includes putting in place a strategic communications and marketing plan that engages directly with potential investors and relvant business organisations over a sustained period.
"Iskandar Investment, spearheading the development of a connected liveable community in Iskandar Malaysia, has attracted the interest of potential investors in property development and real estate. The first phase of development will be completed in 2012 and investors understand the urgency to be part of the action now," Syed Mohamed tells City & Country.
MRCB senior vice-president and head of property Wong Dor Loke and S P Setia KL Eco City's Alan Koh are satisfied with the outcome of the trip as they say it helped them raise awareness of their projects.
"… I think MPI understands the private developers' needs and aspirations and is able to facilitate the outreach to international investors in a cost and time-efficient manner," says Wong.
Koh views the conference as a major platform for property developers who aim to bridge the gap by offering investment opportunities.
"MPI should also continue to look at other markets, such as China and Southeast Asia, to generate more awareness in order to attract foreign investment. The government could also act as a catalyst to put Malaysian property developers on the radar," he adds.
However, Country Heights group managing director Mark Rozario feels more could be done to attract more interest in [Malaysian] projects.
"From the talks given by various speakers, it was evident that Malaysia generally ranked rather low down their priority list of overseas investment destinations for real estate," he tells City & Country.While praising the trip as a "commendable" effort by MPI, Rozario says "significant impact can only be achieved with the concerted efforts of all interested parties, that is the various government agencies and major developers".
"Advance planning to communicate with attendees and meeting participants beforehand could have helped to attract more interest than was garnered during the one-day event," he notes.


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An Assessment of the Health Risks of Seven Pesticides Used for Termite Control (1982)
Chapter: ALDRIN/DIELDRIN
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Suggested Citation:"ALDRIN/DIELDRIN." National Research Council. 1982. An Assessment of the Health Risks of Seven Pesticides Used for Termite Control. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/665.
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ALDRIN/D IELDRIN BACKGROUND Aldrin and dieldrin, chlorinated cyclodienes, are broad-spectrum insecticides that are contact, stomach, and inhalation poisons. Aldrin is readily converted to dieldrin, which is considered one of the most persistent of all pesticides. These insecticides were used extensively in agricul Cure for over 20 yr until their use was suspended by EPA ( 1974~; their use for termite control was retained. Although the use of aldrin and dieldrin is banned in many countries, these insecticides were being manufactured in a number of European countries at least until 1978 ant are still used throughout the world. Physical and chemical properties of aldrin and dieldrin are shown in Table 1. SUMMARY OF TOXICITY INFORMAT ION Several comprehensive reviews are available on the toxicity of aldrin and dieldrin (NRC, 1977b; IARC, 1974; EPA, 1979c; NIOSH, 1978~. EFFECTS IN HUMANS Human poisoning from aldrin and dieldrin is characterized by major motor convulsions. Other effects include malaise, incoordination, headache, dizziness, ant gastrointestinal disturbances. The seizures have developed with and without other symptoms of poisoning. Several reports have described acute intoxication, including fatalities, from ingestion of aldrin and dieldrin (Hayes, 1957, 1959; Garrettson and Curley, 1969; Taylor et al., 1979~. Convulsions generally began within 30 min and lasted for up to 7 h. Patel and Rao (1958) investigated poisoning in workers spraying dieldrin. Exposure to the pesticide was not continuous, and there were periods of varied duration of aonspraying. Of 297 workers, 20 developed adverse effects, including headaches, gittinese, muscle twitching, convulsions, and lose of coneciousnese. Adverse ef fects developed 14-154 d after exposure began, and in 17 of the workers symptoms did not develop until the second spraying period. Abnor~1 EEGe have been fount in persons exposed to aldrin or dieldrin, as reviewed elsewhere (Taylor et al., 1979~. Aver and Czagledi-Janko (1970) examined 15 workers involved in aldrin production for 1-5 yr; of 40 workers, 15 were chose~-3 who tad shown symptoms and 12 others who were chosen randomly. Physical examinations, including EEGe, took place in the last month of exposure. Nine of the workers had BEG changes from increased frequency and ampl itude to changes indicative of c annul ~ ions. The three workers who had symp tome (epileptiform convulsions) were followed for 7 ma after exposure ended. By the end of this period, symptoms had subsided and EEGe were nodal. No environmental
monitoring was done to give an indication of the extent of exposure to al drin. Jager (1970) reported an extensive study of 826 chemical workers involved in production of aidrin, dieldrin, endrin, and telodrin. Workers were exposed for various periods up to 15 yr. Physical examinations took place twice a year, ant blood concentrations of the pesticides were measured. 'me only effects reported were CNS symptoms associated with exposure to the pesticides. These symptoms generally subsided within a few weeks after removal from exposure. The author compared blood concentrations of dieldrin with symptoms of intoxication and found no cl inical effects at concentrations below 0.20 ~g/ml. Taking into account effects on enzyme induction in workers exposed to aldrin and dieldrin, the author reported that a blood concentration of dieldrin of 0.105 ug/ml could be considered a no~ef feet-l easel. An earlier analysis of some of these workers was re port et by Hoogendam_ al. (1962, 1965~. Of 225 workers exposed for less than 4 yr, 17 had convulsive episodes with slight to secrete EEG changes. Symptoms were reversed after removal from exposure. The authors also reported that 17 of 7() workers exposed for 4-9 yr nad some EEG changes; these changes were reversible. No impairment of 1 iver funct ion was found. Air samples of aldrin and d ieldrin were taken during two periods; the concentrations were 0. 5-8.5 mg/~3 and 0.02~0.2 mg/m3 for each period. Because airborne concentrations varied considerably from day to day and workers often moved from 1 ocation to 1 ocation in the pl ant, these ranges do not necessarily indicate the extent of exposure. The effects of long-term oral exposure of dieldrin have been investigated (Bunter and Robinson, 1967; Bunter et 81., 1969~. Thirteen men, aged 21-52 yr, were given various dosages of HEOD (pure dieldrin); three men were given HOOD at O ~g/d for 18 No and 211 ~g/d for 6 ma, three were given 10 ug/d for 18 ma and 211 ug/d for 6 ma, three were given 211 ug/d for 24 ma, three were given 50 ~g/d for 24 ma, and one was given no lIEOI). The men were also observed for 8 ma after exposure ended. No adheres effects were reported on body weight, EEGe, ECGe, aematologic tests, ant serum enzymes, and there were no symptoms of intoxication. Samples of blood sod adipose tissue were taken at various stages to measure the concentration of HEOD. At 18~24 ma, the blood concentration of HEOD was 5-8.6 ug/L, 1.5-12.7 ug/L, 2.9-12.8 tlg/L, and 12.4-32.2 ug/L for the subjects given dosages of 50, 0 ant 211, 10 and 211, and 211 tlg/d, respectively. There was onI'r a alight increase in the blood concentration, compared with controls, for the group given 10 ug/d, whereas the groups given 50 and 211 Aged bed about fourfold and tenfold increases, respectively. For the latter two groups, the HEOD blood concentration reached a plateau by about the tenth month for 54) God and oy the eighteenth month for 211 ug/d. The helf-life of HOOD in the blood of these person. was estimated to be 369 d, with a range of 141-592 d. The concentration of HEOD in adipose tissue followed a pattern misfiler to that in blood; when a constant dosage was administered, it plateauet by about 9-15 mot The ratio of the concentration of HEOD in adipose tissue to that in blood was estimated to be 136. - 24
Aldrin and dieldrin are absorbed through the skin. Feldmann and Maibach (1974) applied 14C-labeled altrin and dieltrin to the forearms of six human at 4 tlg/cm2 and measured urinary excretion for 6 a. For altrin and dieldrin, respectively, 7.8 ant 7.7 percent of the total dose was recovered in the urine. EFFECTS IN ANIMALS Ac ute Exposure Aldrin and dieldrin are acutely toxic to laboratory animals by the oral, dermal, and inhalation routes. They are mildly irritating to the eye and to the skin. 80th aldrin and d~eldrin affect the central nervous sys tem, produc ing irritabil ity, tremors, and convul ~ ions (Heath and Vandekar, 1964~. The oral LD,o of aldrin for rats ranges from 46 mg/kg of body weight in peanut oil to 63 mg/kg as a wettable powder (Gaines, 1969~. The dermal LD,o for rats ranges from 98 to 274 mg/kg. The oral LD,o of dieldrin for rats ranges from 38 mg/kg in peanut oil to 52 mg/kg as a wettable powder; the dermal LDso ranges from 64 to 213 mg/kg. Ch Conic Exposure and Care inogenic ity Aldrin and tieltrin are carcinogenic in mice, having produced increased incidences of 1 iver tumors (NCI, 197da) . In the NCI bioassay, 50 86C3F1 mice of each sex were given aldrin in the diet for 80 wk (4 and 8 ppm for males and 3 and 6 ppm for females) or dieldrin in the diet at 2.5 and 5 ppm for 80 wk. All animals exhibited hyperexcitabil ity, compared with controls. There was a ~ igaif leant dose-relatet increase in hepatocellular carcinomas in male mice exposed to either aldrin or dieldrin. Other dietary studies have also demonstrated the ability of aldrin and dieldrin to produce hepatocellular carcinomas in mice (Davis and Fitzhugh, 1962; Walker et al., 1973), and dieldrin has produced lung tumors in mice (Walker et al., 197;3) . Studies of aldrin and tieldrin in rats have generally yielded negative results with regard to carcinogenicity. In NCI bioasesys, 50 Osborne-Mendel rats of each sex were given altrin in the diet at 3~) and 60 ppm or dieldrin in the diet at 29 ant 65 ppm for up to 80 wk (NCI, 197Ba), and 24 Fischer 344 rats of each sex were given dieldrin in the diet at 2, 10, and 50 ppm for up to 105 wk (NCI, 1978b). No ~ ignificant incidence of dose-related neoplasme was observed. In another study ~ Fitshugh et al ., 1964), Osborne-blendel rats were given aldrin or dieldrin in the duet at 0.5, 2, 10, 50, 100, and 150 ppm for 2 yr. A high incidence of multiple-site tumors was observed only at the lower concentrations, and there was no significant increase in liver tumors. — 25 —
Teratogenic and ~p~ Results of studies of the teratogenicity of aldrin and dieldrin have been equivocal. Ottolenghi et al. (~974) gave pregnant golden hamsters single oral doses of aldrin at 50 mg/kg and dieldrin at 30 mg/kg on day 7, 8, or 9 of gestation. There was an increase in fetal deaths, compared with controls, and an increase in anomalies, such as open eye, cleft palate, ant webbed foot. When mice were given aldrin at 25 mg/kg or dieldrin at 15 mg/kg on day 9 of gestation, there was no effect on fetal survival or weight; however, webbed foot and cleft palate were observed. Dix et al. (1977) administered dieldrin in corn oil (1.5 and 4 mg/kg per day) or in dimethyl sulfoxide (0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/kg per day) to pregnant mice on days 6-14 of gestation. No teratogenic effects were observed. However, there were decreases in maternal and fetal body weights in the DMSO group ant in DMSO controls. In another experiment, mice and rats were given dieldrin in peanut oil orally at 1.5, 3, and 6 mg/kg per day on days 7-16 of gestation (Chernoff et al., 1975~. No teratogenic effects were observed, but at 6 mg/kg there was 41 percent mortality in rats and increased liver-to-body weight ratios and decreased weight gain in mice. Deichmann (1972) reported that, in a six-generation mouse reproduction study, aldrin and dieldrin at 25 mg/kg per day in the diet had marked effects on fertility, gestation, viability, and lactation. At lower dosages (3, 5, and 10 mg/kg per day), the effects were not as marked. Mutagenic ity Most of the available mutagenicity data are based on dieldrin Dieldrin was not mutagenic in several strains of Salmonella typhimurium with or without liver ac tivation systems ~ Bidwel 1 ee a 1 . , 1975; Marshall et al., 1976; Sbirasu et al., 1977~. With metabolic activation, Aldrich was also negative in several strains of Salmonella typhimurium (Shirasu et al., 1977~. Majumdar et al. (1977) reported that tieldrin was mutagenic in two of three strains of Salmonella typhimurium without activation. The mutagenic effect was more pronounced and appeared in all three strains when induced mouse~liver enzymes were acted. Toxicokinet ice l .. Aldrin is rapidly converted to 6,7-epoxide dieldrin through epaxidation of the double boot. This is a microso~1 oxidation reaction that occurs in soils, plants, and animals (Gannon and Bigger, 1958; Cannon and Decker, 1958b; Bann en al., 1956~. Further reaction of tieltrin yields photodieldrin (Mae~umura et al., 1970), which is more toxic than the parent compound. Hydroxy degradation products of aldrin are also found and are conjugated before being excreted. When t14C]dieldrin was administered as a single dose to rats and mice by garage, 50-70 percent was eliminated in 1 wk (Baldwin et al., — 26 —
197 2~. Most of the radioactivity was detected in the feces--10 times more than in the urine. Aldrin and dieldrin accumulate in adipose tissue. In workers exposes to aldrin and dieldrin, concentrations of dieldrin in adipose tissue and plasma were 5.67 ppm and 0.0185 ppm, respectively (Hayes and Curley, 1968~. Dieldrin has also been detected in the adipose tissue of the general population in a variety of countries (Curley et al., 1973; Abbott et al., 1972; Durham, 1969~. EXIST ING GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS On the basis of carcinogenicity data ant other information, EPA ( 1974) issued suspension notices for aldrin and dieldrin in October 1974. Evidence that was cited to support suspension included the following: · Laboratory data indicated that two strains of mice fed a diet containing dieldrin at as low as 0.1 ppm had a significant increase in 1 iver tumors. · A 1973 Food and Drug Administration marketbasket survey found 'measurable amounts" of dieldrin in composite samples of foods, such as dairy products. · A 19 71 EPA sampl ing of human fat t issues revealed detectable residues of dieldrin in 99.5 percent of them. · On the basis of NCI methods for estimating human cancer risk, the present average dietary intake of dieldrin subjects the human population to an unacceptably high cancer risk. · Children (particularly from birth to 1 yr of age), because their diet is high in dairy products, consume considerably more dieldrin on a body~weight basis than any other segment of the population and may therefore be at an increased risk. the EPA (1979c) has estimated that exposure of aldrin and dieldrin in the drinking water at concentrations of 0. 0~)46 and 0.0044 ng/L, respectively, would result in a lifetime cancer rise of 10-6. NIOSH ~ 1978) recommended, on the basis of demonstrated potential for induction of t''more in laboratory animals, that aldrin and dieldrin be controlled and handled in the workplace as suspected carcinogens and that exposure be minimized to the greatest extent possible. NIOSI1 ( 1978) also recommended that the airborne c oncentrat ion 0 f e i ther a 1 drin or d Gel dri n i n the workpl ace ~ e no higher task 0.15 mg/m3, which was the lowest concentration detectable by validated analytic methods. The current permissible workplace exposure limit for aldrin and dieldrin enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is 0.25 mg/m3 (OSHA, 19811. The ACGIN (1981) has recommended for aldrin and dieldrin a ILV-TWA of 0.25 mg/~3 and a TL`J-STEL of 0.75 mg/m3. Both agencies noted that aldrin and dieldrin are absorbed through the skin and that dermal exposure should therefore be avoided. — 27 —
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Front Matter i–v
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1–8
CHLORDANE 9–18
HEPTACHLOR 19–22
ALDRIN/DIELDRIN 23–28
LINDANE 29–32
PENTACHLOROPHENOL 33–36
CHLORPYRIFOS 37–42
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 43–50
TABLES 51–58
REFERENCES 59–72
BIOGRAPHIC SKETCHES OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS 73–77
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text:
Deep pockets not enough to guarantee success
Jared Dickson
June 19, 20184 mins read
Wesfarmers knew it was buying a renovator's delight with Homebase, but it now concedes it misjudged the challenges in the UK and Ireland. The challenges confronting Australian retailers are also testing international retailers, including Esprit, Topshop and Topman, Gap, and Toys 'R' Us. Wesfarmers was cock-a-hoop when Woolworths Group reached the inevitable conclusion that any chance of making its Masters Home Improvement chain profitable would take too long and exact too high a cost on th
e also testing international retailers, including Esprit, Topshop and Topman, Gap, and Toys 'R' Us.
Wesfarmers was cock-a-hoop when Woolworths Group reached the inevitable conclusion that any chance of making its Masters Home Improvement chain profitable would take too long and exact too high a cost on the company. Of course, Woolworths also realised the venture might still fail, irrespective of further investment and that it was better to bite the bullet and close up shop than soldier on.
While Woolworths was starting the humiliating process of closing down the business it had expected to become a key growth engine for the company, Wesfarmers acquired the Homebase hardware chain in the United Kingdom.
The $705 million Wesfarmers acquisition was a bold move that had critics from the outset, but, as with Woolworths' hardware play in Australia, it was a decision based on maintaining growth momentum. Wesfarmers had a successful formula with the Bunnings Warehouse concept and the opportunity to enter the UK through the acquisition of the number two brand in that market at an apparently good price seemed to support investor growth expectations.
Wesfarmers knew it was buying a renovator's delight with Homebase, but it now concedes it misjudged the challenges in the UK and Ireland and, like Woolworths, was forced to face the conclusion that the Homebase venture would be a financial drain for years and might never actually work.
Wesfarmers managing director, Rob Scott, said the decision to sell Homebase followed a comprehensive review of the business which considered a range of options to improve shareholder returns.
Scott said the review confirmed the business is capable of returning to profitability over time but would require further capital investment. The company sold the Homebase chain to private equity firm, Hilco Capital, for one pound.
While Woolworths was able to retrieve some of the funds invested in Masters Home Improvement, Wesfarmers has effectively burned $1.7 billion on its failed Homebase foray albeit the sale agreement does provide for a possible profit share if Hilco Capital can turn Homebase around.
At a strategy day briefing last week, Wesfarmers admitted that despite two years researching the British retail market, the company underestimated the importance of local management and had poor execution in revamping stores and rolling out its Bunnings Warehouse concept.
The sale to Hilco Capital is expected to be completed by 30 June, and Wesfarmers will then know the precise cost of the exit. But there will certainly be an impact on the company's bottom line to follow the massive writedowns in previous accounts for both Homebase and the struggling Target discount department store chain.
It remains to be seen whether or not Hilco Capital has netted a bargain with its one-pound purchase of all Homebase assets, including the Homebase brand, its store network, freehold property, property leases and inventory for a nominal amount.
The private equity company will convert the 24 Bunnings pilot stores back to the Homebase brand. The sobering experience for Woolworths and Wesfarmers, Australia's two largest retailers with deep pockets, demonstrates that chasing growth in the new-age retail environment is not easy.
Myer, Metcash also absorbing losses
The two Australian retailers are not the only ones facing a retreat from new markets or categories as retail trading conditions continue to be subdued in Australia, the UK and the US and e-commerce captures what growth there is in consumer spending.
While Wesfarmers will take a further hit on its 2018 financial year accounts for the Homebase venture and restructuring of the Target chain, Myer and Metcash will also be absorbing losses in their accounts.
Metcash has announced it will book a $352 million impairment to goodwill and other net assets in its supermarkets and convenience business following a year-end review of the carrying value of its assets.
The review has taken into account the loss of the Drakes Supermarkets' supply contract in South Australia in mid-2019, as well as weakness in the Western Australian economy and the ongoing intensity of competition in the sector.
The impairments are non-cash in nature and will have no impact on the company's debt facilities, compliance with banking covenants, or its ability to undertake capital management initiatives.
However, the Metcash writedowns on current financial year accounts continue a trend for
established retailers to reduce the carrying value of their assets, as investors and financiers become more focused on reconciling trading performance and competitive impacts on goodwill and asset valuations on balance sheets.
While Metcash is not at this stage understood to be planning any divestment of its business
operations, the listed wholesaler did exit an automotive division in June 2015 that it had been building as a potential new growth opportunity.
Metcash is now heavily reliant on its Mitre 10 and Home Timber and Hardware businesses, as its grocery business comes under increasing pressure from competitors. Wesfarmers is also planning further divestment with the possible sale of its hotel business and its Kmart automotive business in trade sales and a public listing of the Coles supermarkets, convenience and liquor businesses.
Global players not exempt
The challenges confronting Australian retailers are also testing international retailers, including Esprit, Topshop and Topman, Gap, and Toys 'R' Us.
Insolvency firm McGrathNicol has been appointed to manage the voluntary administration of the 44 Australian Toys 'R' Us stores following the collapse of the parent company in the US. While the administrators are exploring options for a sale of the business, it seems more likely that the chain will be closed, after a potential buyer for the business abandoned its offer.
Toys 'R' Us and sister retail brand Babies 'R' Us have racked up more than $100 million in losses in their Australian operations, and the prospect of another suitor emerging is slim.
The US-based Gap and UK-based Topshop and Topman both failed financially in Australia despite local partners in Oroton and Myer respectively.
Esprit is also set to exit the Australian and New Zealand markets by the end of the year, after racking up significant losses. The clothing and accessories chain will close 67 sites, including 16 standalone stores, 38 Myer concessions and 13 factory outlets.
Thomas Tang, Espirit Holdings executive director and CFO, said the chain had not been profitable in Australia and NZ for some time, despite "intensive" efforts to turn the business around, and would redirect its resources to the development of Asian markets.
Another retailer that is mulling over the future of its Australian operations is Steinhoff International, which has been pursuing debt extensions and support for a plan to repair its financial position across its global operations.
Local management for the Steinhoff International businesses in Australia, which include Harris Scarfe, Best & Less, Snooze and Freedom Furniture, insist they have funding covered. However, the international company may need to divest Australian assets as part of its international recovery plans.
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