text:
Q: Computing Expected Value Consider an investor trading on a stock market. At any given moment he can:

*

*Buy a stock (if doesn't have one)

*Sell a stock (if he does have one)

*Do nothing

At any given time $T$ (where $T=0,1,...,100$) he either buys/sells a stock for price $P$ with probability ($Pr=.5$)  or does nothing ($Pr=.5$). Sample table looks like:
Time         Price
==================
0            100
1            90
2            120
3            115

The investor chooses randomly. How do I calculate the expected value of his total profits? Any suggestions? I guess I need to use decision trees but don't know how to start.

A: If you read this as saying that

*

*at any one time the person either holds $1$ stock or holds $0$ stock, each with probability $\frac12$, and

*at that time the stock is worth the price at that time,

then, using linearity of expectation, the expected value of the profits is half the change in the stock price from the initial price to the current price,
This is the same expected value as buying $\frac12$ stock at the beginning and holding it through the whole process: random buying and selling simply increases the uncertainty

A: Forget for a while about the prices, and look weather the investor has stock or not. This is a 0/1 variable (call it $X_t$), whose state depends on the state at the previous time. Namely:

*

*if $X_t=0$, then $X_{t+1} = 1$ (buy) with probability $\frac 1 2$ and $X_{t+1} = 0$ (do nothing) with probability $\frac 1 2$.

*if $X_t = 1$, then $X_{t+1} = 0$ (sell) with probability $\frac 1 2$ and $X_{t+1} = 1$ (do nothing) with probability $\frac 1 2$.
This, you can put in a decision tree. Then compute the value of the stock by multiplying by the price of the stock at time t: $V_t=P_t \cdot X_t$, and take the average.
As the problem is totally symmetric, my guess is that $x_t$ will average $\frac 1 2$ on the long run. So, if $P_t$ and $X_t$ are independent (contrary to any real case situation) $V_t$ will average to $E(V_t) = E(X_t) \cdot E(P_t) = \frac 1 2 E(P_t)$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home Business Practices Discoverability The All-Video Era on Social Networks
The All-Video Era on Social Networks
Alexandre Pierrin
Video has taken over social networks and transformed how content is created. What impact has this social shift had on video and how to take advantage of it?
Whether streamed on a live or deferred basis, whether lasting one hour or one minute, whether with or without audio, video is currently taking over all Internet channels, beginning with social networks.
Annual video content growth on social networks worldwide from 2015 to 2016, Shareablee/Statista
Video has since replaced text at the core of the social algorithms that are so coveted by advertisers and broadcasters. Nicola Mendelsohn, Vice President for Facebook in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, made the following statement during a lecture in 2016: "Within the next five years, Facebook will definitely be mobile and will probably be all video. We already observe a decline in the use of text and an impressive increase of the number of videos. Therefore, if I was having a bet, it'd be video, video, video."
It is therefore not surprising that creators and producers are increasingly interested in distributing their videos on social networks. But how do social networks impact video creation?
To each network its generation and its uses
In February 2017, Brightcove presented the results of a study conducted with over 5,500 Europeans on "the science of social video." These results should interest companies that are looking to use the video format on social networks to increase their visibility and, thereby, their sales.
This study highlights generational differences with respect to viewing habits, engagement levels with proposed videos and the famous conversion rate. Here are its main findings:
The 18–25 age group squats Snapchat and Instagram: They are those who spend the most time watching videos on social networks, i.e., an average of nine hours per week. They watch fewer videos on Facebook, spending only 24% of their total viewing time on that platform compared to an average of 36% in the case of the other generations. Conversely, they are particularly fond of Snapchat and Instagram, which currently take up 9% and 8% respectively of their online content viewing time.
The 26–34 age group trust brands and interacts with them: They form the generation that places the most trust in branded content (51%) and editors (53%). This generation interacts a lot with brands on social networks: 89% versus 80% on average. This age group is also the one that is most susceptible of making a purchase after having watched a branded video. Moreover, 60% confirm that they have done so in the past.
The 55 and up age group is addicted to Facebook videos: If YouTube is by far the preferred platform to view videos, all generations considered, internet goers who are 55 years of age and older watch as many videos on YouTube (48%) as they do on Facebook (47%). By contrast, they are very skeptical of influencers. Close to one person out of two (46%) would not trust video content originating from a celebrity or blogger, but 80% would trust any content recommended to them by a family member or friend.
Just like in a nightclub, what counts is standing out from the crowd
People are solicited on a constant basis, and the challenge for content companies and creators therefore becomes to successfully stand out from the crowd and develop privileged relationships with audiences. "The Internet is like a nightclub," stated Pierre Orlac'h, responsible for content on the Gentside website, during the Web Program Festival 2017. "There are thousands of people inside. Therefore, how can I manage to attract someone in the crowd and develop an intimate relationship with this person?"
Orlac'h manages a site that is constantly progressing. It was visited by more than 50 million unique visitors in March 2017 and his group uploads 3,600 videos per month. "Gentside is a site with a high level of 'affinity.' We developed 13 video channels according to 13 highly different and specific themes. For example, we would no longer launch a channel on video games in general, but on one video game in particular because we know that a true community revolves around a single video game. There's a true passion that brings people back on a regular basis. It's a niche within a niche."
Also at the Web Program Festival, Laure Lefèvre, cofounder of MinuteBuzz, echoes Orlac'h's comments: "We began with text but quickly turned to video, simply because we are constantly overseeing our algorithms!" Oft presented as the "French Buzzfeed," this media created in 2010 made the decision to take its website offline in 2016 and fully devote itself to viral and video content thereafter.
Apparently, the gamble paid off seeing as the media's sales figure—with 4 million Facebook fans—has increased constantly. In 2016, the media was also bought out by the TF1 television channel. "What's important is to never forget why we do what we do: we exist to put a smile on our viewers' faces each and every day," she adds.
"Today, we no longer use a piecemeal strategy, meaning a strategy for each individual platform or webseries. Our objective for the brand is to stand out permanently in everyone's bookmarks. We need to have a global strategy. We upload 30 pieces of content per day between our four different brands. All of our videos must share the same spirit and the same backbone regardless of subject. The form is constantly evolving, but the substance must not change."
Content is what counts most
In her most recent study commissioned by Kantar Media, Marie Dollé observed a strong trend among French brands to create viral videos. A total of 9, 250 viral videos were produced in 2016, up by 21% compared to 2015. This inexorable migration of videos and brands to social networks influences how videos are scripted.
"Initially, we were really involved in brand content whereas, today, we are more involved in content marketing," points out the media expert. "Today, the focus is on bringing value to the consumer through video: the video needs to generate real interest for the internaut, which explains why many brands develop video channels with tutorials, info-magazines and so forth. The brand is much less visible."
The search for quality content is also what pushed many a brand to launch its own webseries in 2016. "They allow you to reach audiences on a regular basis and incorporate the brand in a contextualized manner without generating an advertising rejection phenomenon. That's a highly convincing argument at a time when the use of adblockers is in constant progression!"
Another major impact of social networks for viral videos is the increasing presence of influencers such as YouTubers and bloggers among others. "In the past, brands would approach YouTubers to incorporate themselves in their universes. Today, it's the opposite. YouTubers welcome brands into their universes. There exists a co-creation dynamic and more freedom is given to YouTubers because they know their communities best."
Social network branding also influences how videos are structured and dressed up. Marie Dollé explains that social networks allow brands to speak up differently: "Not only can brands propose longer formats than TV spots, but they also speak to new generations by telling a story about their identity, their territory, and their values. It's what we refer to as storytelling." Videos adopt new trendy scripts, and it has become common practice to use emojies and other Snapchat filters in videos. It's a way of showing a young audience that the brand is in tune with its time.
The marriage of video and social networks is still in its early stages. The phenomenon is set to accelerate given the systemization of live streaming and the announced development of 360 videos and virtual reality, namely on Facebook. Certain actors like Snap (Snapchat's parent company) seem to be betting more on augmented reality. Evan Spiegel's company, which today promotes itself as a "camera company," should continue to innovate by proposing hybrid formats that are at the crossroads of its camera glasses and the drones that Evan Spiegel's firm is speculated to be working on… To be continued in our next video!
Gentside
MinuteBuzz
Web Program Festival
Previous articleCracking TV Audience Trends
Next articleTV: Insights on working with China
Alexander Pierrin works as a writer/director on projects ranging from documentaries to humoristic webseries and radio performances. He wrote and directed the fictional webseries "doXa" for Studio 4 (France Télévision) as well as SURVIVRE, a documentary webseries on survivalists for the IRL platform (France Télévision). Finally, he was nominated for the "Prix SACD-Longueur d'ondes de la Fiction radiophonique humour 2018" for the collective creation Yoga Citoyen.
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text:
Q: Is this integral correct? I used substitution and got that:
$$\int_0^\pi \sin x \cdot P_n(\cos x ) \, dx=0$$
where $P_n$ is the $n$-th Legendre polynomial.

A: Recall that Legendre polynomials are defined as orthogonal polynomials on $[-1,1]$ with weight function $w(x)=1$. In other words, we have by definition
$$(P_m,P_n)=\int_{-1}^1P_m(x)P_n(x)dx\sim \delta_{mn}.$$
But, since $P_0(x)=1$, your integral is equal to $(P_0,P_n)$ and therefore it vanishes whenever $n>0$. For $n=0$, however, it is equal to $2$.

A: If you look at the Power reduction formulas for the cosine, you see that all monomials in your Legendre polynomial involve only cosines of integer multiples of $x$. These are odd functions on the interval $[0,\pi]$ while the sine function is even, thus their product must be odd and the integral is zero.


text:
Betel Nut Mortar with a Human Head
Date 19th century
Period 1750-1850, 1850-1900, 19th century
Origin Papua New Guinea
Medium Ebony wood
Dimensions 10 cm (3⁷/₈ inches)
Gallery Galerie Meyer-Oceanic Art
A rare and finely minute betel nut mortar carved with an inverted human head as the finial.
The triangular face has a pointed chin and lightly engraved mouth. A band of spiral carveing surrounds the mortars mouth. These mortars were used by people who had difficulty chewing the hard areca nut of the betel palm. The mortar was used to crush the nut into a paste and mix it with the lilme and pepper leaf – making betelnut a narcotic chew used in Melanesia and South East Asia. Northern (?), Massim Area, Papua New Guinea. Ebony wood. 10 cm. 19th century.
The term Betel Nut is a missnomer. The nut is the fruit of the areca palm (Areca catechu), known as buai in the Massim language. However, is not a true nut, but rather a fruit categorized as a berry.
The Areca "nut" is chewed with betel leaf (Piper betle) and lime (calcium hydroxide) as a mild stimulant, causing a warming sensation in the body and slightly heightened alertness, although the effects vary from person to person.
The nut is used in dried, cured (smoked), and fresh forms. When the husk of the fresh fruit is green, the nut inside is soft enough to be cut with a typical knife or with the teeth. In the ripe fruit, the husk becomes yellow or orange, and as it dries, the fruit inside hardens to a wood-like consistency. At that stage, the areca nut cannot be chewed but must be crushed in a mortar.
Usually for chewing, a quantity of the nut is put into the mouth along with lime and the fruit or leaf of the betel plant which has a fresh, peppery taste, but it can also be bitter to varying degrees depending on the variety.
The areca nut contains the tannins arecatannin and gallic acid, a fixed oil gum, a little terpineol, lignin, various saline substances, and three main alkaloids : arecoline, arecaidine, and guvacine - all of which have vasoconstricting properties. The betel leaf chewed along with the nut contains eugenol, another vasoconstrictor.
Period: 1750-1850, 1850-1900, 19th century
Origin: Papua New Guinea
Medium: Ebony wood
Dimensions: 10 cm (3⁷/₈ inches)
Categories: Tribal Art
Galerie Meyer-Oceanic Art
Tribal Art dealer specializing in early Oceanic Art since 1980 and archaic Eskimo Art since 2010
Eskimo "crooked" knife with a riveted iron blade
Schouten Murik KapKap
Massim Double Figure Lime Spatula
Digul Smoking Tube


text:
U.S. Military Using Private Spy Ring, Despite Questions About Its Legality
Submitted by Anne Landman on May 17, 2010 - 4:31pm
The U.S. military is continuing to operate a secret network of private spies deep inside Afghanistan and Pakistan, even though the military is largely prohibited from operating inside Pakistan, and is not permitted to hire contractors for spying. Earlier this year, government officials admitted the military had ben sending former CIA officers and retired special-operations troops into both countries to collect information used to track and kill suspected militants. Many portrayed it as a rogue operation, and it was hastily shut down once an investigation was started -- or so people thought. But not only are the networks still operating, but they are submitting detailed reports daily to top commanders about the workings of the Taliban leadership in Pakistan and the movement of enemy fighters in Afghanistan. A review by the New York Times found that contractors are being paid under a $22 million contract managed by Lockheed Martin and supervised by the Pentagon's office in charge of special operations policy. The contract expires at the end of May. The Pentagon's press secretary, Geoff Morrell, declined to answer questions about who approved the contract spy operation or why it continues, but said, "[W]e are committed to determining if any laws were broken or policies violated."
Main Source:
Denver Post/New York Times, May 16, 2010
War / Peace
Corporations Propaganda Iraq Media U.S. Government Environment ALEC Exposed Science Wisconsin Secrecy Lobbying Activism Economy Marketing Health Journalism Human Rights Democracy U.S. Congress Politics War / Peace International Ethics Right Wing Public Relations


AWE Redding California, WE Thrive Women's Business Center at JEDI Group and Women of Vision Movement invites you to an evening of networking, wine and some fun at Escape Redding.
"When women support each other, incredible things happen." Come and witness magic unfold as we embrace our individual uniqueness, make new connections, strengthen bonds and share creative approaches to career, business and life!
7pm – 8pm: Optional fun at Escape Redding or stay in the Moseley's Tasting Room to make new connections.
Purchase your own wine & fun at Escape Redding.


Donor relations is a dynamic, growing field. It is multifaceted and covers a broad portfolio of activities and responsibilities. Traditionally defined as simply "the people who thank donors," donor relations professionals find ourselves in a much more diverse, creative, nuanced and even technical world that goes far beyond a simple act of gratitude.
The donor relations field offers many different paths and career directions. It is a place where you can marry creative design, storytelling, and metrics into one project or initiative. Thinking holistically about the donor giving experience, we are literally in charge of everything but the ask.
We make connections in big and little ways every single day. Those connections build relationships, tell important stories, and ultimately affect whether a donor chooses to give again. They create an experience, not a product. Donor relations professionals make organizations better, stronger and more successful every day. Whether you carry out the actual work or not does not matter because donor relations is at the heart of it all: working as donor advocates, air traffic controllers and detail masters. We are the donor's voice.
So if you are moving into donor relations for the first time, successfully running a stewardship shop that hums along beautifully or are a senior professional tasked with revamping a tired program, here are a few key things to keep in mind.
Infuse strategy at every turn. Every initiative that your team carries out should point directly back to an organizational priority, campaign initiative or fundraising goal. A donor relations annual business plan should be aligned with that of your fundraising team. It's wonderful to produce beautiful impact reports, custom videos and elaborate acknowledgement letter pyramids, but at the end of day, are they actively advancing an organizational goal? If not, than the lack of strategy is your jumping-off point in reevaluating the program and resources required to get it done.
Design and build a shop that can steward the entire donor pyramid. Whether you are a shop of one or 10, you need to organize your efforts in a way that you can touch or communicate gratitude and impact to donors of all sizes to your organization. This will require tiering, prioritizing and thoughtfully allocating resources. Apply the rules of personalization vs. customization and don't sweat perfection.
Develop and track key metrics to demonstrate the value of your work. As donor relations professionals, we often struggle to quantify our work in the same manner as our development officer counterparts. But in the end, we must track donor relations activity in order to quantify value, progress, and return on investment. By evaluating the successes and downfalls of our teams, we can ensure everything we do serves a fundraising purpose. Take the time to evaluate your program and strategize next steps based on your metrics.
Sarah Sims is the executive director of donor relations at the University of Florida. She is co-chair of CASE's Annual Conference for Donor Relations Professionals.
Join us at the Annual Conference for Donor Relations Professionals in San Diego, June 3-5, 2019, to learn more about these important topics and how institutions across the country are tackling the challenges of our field.


text:
Mission View Funeral Chapel Ltd.
Plant a Tree for Omar
Omar Williams
January 14, 1952 ~ January 6, 2023 (age 70) 70 Years Old
It is with a heavy heart, that the family of Omar Ernie Williams, announce his sudden passing in Lac La Biche, Alberta on January 6, 2023. He was 70 years old. He was a beloved brother, uncle, cousin, and dear friend.
Left to mourn his loss and cherish so many memories, is his loving family: Leona Anderson (sister), Gilbert Williams (brother), Teresa St. Amand (sister), Rose Martinell (sister) and all members of his extended family. He is predeceased by Denise Williams (sister), Myrtle Williams (sister), and Brenda Williams (sister).
He was born in Edmonton, Alberta. He lived his life with honesty, integrity, and calm positive energy. He was a retired Edmonton Firefighter. In his retirement he enjoyed bird watching, road trips, driving taxi, watching sports (especially the NFL), and learning about alternative medicines. He also enjoyed learning about healthcare innovations and possibilities for improving wellness in unconventional ways.
Mainly, he enjoyed peaceful solitude throughout his life, with occasional visits with family. He found comfort in his worship and fellowship at the Al Kareem Mosque in Lac La Biche, Alberta over the last few years of his life. We appreciate all the kindness he found there. He considered himself a follower of the teachings of Allah, the divinity at the heart of Islam. He was a man who loved an adventure and he enjoyed traveling to other countries. He enjoyed learning the customs and cultures of other places.
His legacy will carry on forever reminding us that we control our attitudes. We choose to live a life of meaningful acts that show caring for one another and we should lend a helping hand whenever possible. He was a man loved by all who came to know him. He will be missed, but never - ever forgotten.
The Art of Simplicity
by Wilferd Peterson
Simplicity deepens life.
It magnifies the simple virtues
On which man's survival depends:
humility, faith, courage, serenity,
honesty, patience, justice, tolerance, thrift.
Simplicity is the arrow
Of the spirit.
Respectfully submitted by the Williams family.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Omar Williams, please visit our floral store.
You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Omar Williams
Plant a tree in memory of Omar
© 2023 Mission View Funeral Chapel Ltd.. All Rights Reserved. Funeral Home website by CFS & TA | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility


Image Title: Amazing Take A Look At This Cranberry Coat Rack By KidKraft On Regarding Kidkraft Decorations 0. Filename: amazing-take-a-look-at-this-cranberry-coat-rack-by-kidkraft-on-regarding-kidkraft-decorations-0.jpg. Image Dimension: 798 x 798 pixels. Images Format: jpg/jpeg. Publisher/Author: Jeffrey Wisoky. Uploaded Date: Monday - May 21st. 2018 08:15:07 AM. Category: Architecture. Image Source: home-designing.com.
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text:
Singapore isn't Greece, Temasek tells S&P in 29 pages
Temasek, which managed $223 billion of assets as of last March, said the rating firm's proposed new rules for grading investment holding companies lump Singapore with riskier nations such as Greece and Jamaica. -- PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
Feb 6, 2015, 12:50 pm SGT
http://str.sg/WC5
SINGAPORE (Bloomberg) - Singapore's Temasek Holdings has told Standard & Poor's in 29 pages why it shouldn't mess with the state-owned investor's AAA rating.
Temasek, which managed $223 billion of assets as of last March, said the rating firm's proposed new rules for grading investment holding companies lump Singapore with riskier nations such as Greece and Jamaica, according to a Feb. 2 response to the changes. S&P's new criteria take into account the firms' lack of direct ownership of assets, the challenges they face when selling in illiquid markets and volatility of assets they hold.
Part of S&P's proposal groups Singapore, which has had a AAA rating for 20 years, alongside Greece, a nation that may run out of cash this month. While Temasek would probably still enjoy the government's top-grade overall rating, a weaker risk profile would be unwelcome at the company which has been considering offering bonds to individuals in Singapore.
"A triple-A credit rating is a rare thing in today's markets, and there is a prestige element to it," Veljko Fotak, an assistant professor of finance and managerial economics at the University at Buffalo, New York, said in a Feb. 5 e-mail. "Any chink in that armor, even if only in the stand-alone, rather than overall, rating, could have image consequences."
Temasek dollar bonds due 2019 yielded 39 basis points more than U.S. Treasuries on Thursday and its credit-default swaps were at 38.7, compared with 35.5 for Australia.
S&P in November published proposed new criteria for assessing credit risk at investment holding companies, or IHCs, defined as firms holding equity stakes across at least three sectors. The ratings company asked for feedback from affected parties by Jan. 30.
The new framework grades IHCs' asset liquidity by splitting their main countries of operation into four baskets, based on a 30-year history of those nations' share market swings, according to Temasek. Singapore falls into the third basket with markets including Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Cyprus. The measure should instead "be assessed based on the number of days needed to divest assets" on those exchanges, said Temasek.
"With its statement, Temasek is indirectly defending the standing of Singapore as a financial center," Sven Behrendt, a managing director at Geneva-based GeoEconomica, which researches sovereign wealth funds, said in a Feb. 4 phone interview. "It's understandable to me that Temasek doesn't want the country to be put in the same category as Greece, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago."
Temasek had 31 per cent of its assets in Singapore as of March 31, according to its last annual report published in July. Investments in the rest of Asia stood at 41 per cent and those in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand at 24 per cent. About 70 per cent of its assets were listed.
The firm's biggest holdings include a 52 per cent stake in Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., valued at US$25 billion, data compiled by Bloomberg show. It owns a 6 per cent stake in China Construction Bank Corp., valued at US$11.6 billion, and 29 per cent of DBS Group Holdings, valued at US$10.4 billion.
"S&P regularly requests comments from market participants on proposed changes to its methodologies and assumptions," Bertrand Jabouley, the Singapore-based S&P analyst who follows Temasek, said in a Feb. 5 e-mail. "The objective of this proposed criteria is to help the market better understand key risk drivers for investment holding companies, enhance global comparability of our ratings and improve transparency."
Stephen Forshaw, a spokesman for Temasek, declined to comment beyond the company's statement when contacted by e-mail.
Under the criteria, S&P also assumes that firms such as Temasek operate in a "moderately high risk" industry. That puts IHCs in a basket riskier than pharmaceutical and oil and gas companies, said Temasek. S&P has downgraded 18 energy firms this year in North America as lower oil prices curb their cash flows and ability to pay debt, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
The proposed industry classification could see a capping of IHCs' so-called anchor ratings, which help determine stand-alone scores, at levels that don't reflect the individual firms' ability to pay debt, according to Temasek.
"In our view, classifying IHCs as a uniform, homogeneous industry is not meaningful," Temasek said in the statement. "A company should be assessed objectively, based on its individual credit quality, without being constrained by any cap."
S&P assigns an "extremely high likelihood of extraordinary government support" to Temasek, which means the investment firm's corporate score would reflect Singapore's AAA rating even if its stand-alone grade dropped.
Singapore grew an annualized 1.6 per cent in the three months to Dec. 31 from the previous quarter, less than analysts estimated, after its manufacturing industry weakened with slowing growth in China. The country unexpectedly eased monetary policy last month, allowing the Singapore dollar to drop 1.5 percent versus the greenback this year.
Temasek said in January 2014 it was looking at ways to offer bonds to individual investors in Singapore. Issuing fixed-income products will provide an "alternative investment opportunity" for investors seeking stable returns with lower risks, the company said in a statement that month.
S&P's proposed new criteria for IHCs "is part of a bigger focus on how to evaluate liquidity risk as it has been deteriorating across the world," Jean-Charles Sambor, Singapore-based Asia Pacific director of the Institute of International Finance, said by phone Feb. 4.
"It's healthy that rating companies and firms such as Temasek are having a public discussion about these issues."


text:
Q: Cause arrow to fade out when scrolling down within div I'm attempting to cause a chevron to fade out when I scroll down. I can get it to work with the following code when I scroll down the body element:
<script>
    $(window).scroll(function(){
        $(".arrow").css("opacity", 1 - $(window).scrollTop() / 250);
      });
</script>

However, the chevron is placed inside of a long div element (id="scrollsnap-container" class="scrollsnap-container) and I want it to fade out when I scroll down within the div (as opposed to the body itself).
I have attempted
$(document.getElementById('scrollsnap-container').scroll(function(){
        $(".arrow").css("opacity", 1 - $(document.getElementById('scrollsnap-container')).scrollTop() / 250);
      });

but am yet to have luck with that.

A: You can achieve result with js also
const element=document.querySelector('ELEMENT');

window.onscroll=function(){checking()};

function checking(){
element.style.opacity=Math.max(0,1-(window.scrollY/250))
}

A: It turns out I was loading jquery in the wrong spot (it was after this code rather than before). The code I was using worked:
$(document.getElementById('scrollsnap-container').scroll(function(){
        $(".arrow").css("opacity", 1 - $(document.getElementById('scrollsnap-container')).scrollTop() / 250);
      });

Importing jquery at the correct point resolved the issue.


Microfluidics takes advantage as one of the leading approaches in areas like chemistry, biology, and biochemistry. The implementation of suitable flow control is highly essential for the development of the desired application; considering the operational requirements of microfluidics, two systems are the most widely implemented, the pressure control and syringe pump systems. In this small review, the user will find the strengths and weaknesses of both technologies and the best choices for the application field. Both techniques are in the market. However, they have fundamental differences that should be explained in detail.
What is a Pressure Control System?
These devices control pressure with a valve setup, most of them need a manual pressure regulator. Some of them come with a pressure pump there is no need for compressor/gas line, they come with control software and with a higher accuracy of 100 µbar. A key advantage is the manipulation of several fluids at the same time. It is also possible to use a vacuum during pumping. However, these devices need a feedback loop to control the flow and not just the pressure in the microfluidic device. The considerable amount of control makes the device more expensive than a syringe pump, and this price is only affordable if the user needs many channels at the same time. Nevertheless, if a big device is operated in a microfluidic regime the pressure/flow control is an excellent option.
Typically syringe pumps allow a faster experiment setup, and the Fusion 200 and Fusion 4000 provide flow stability through a continuous cycle mode the push-pull functionality with non-stop flow. Chemyx syringe pumps offer a wide range of flow rates in precise amounts especially for microfluidic operation with a minimum flow rate of 1.6 pL/min. Moreover, Fusion 4000 can work at 65 psi and Fusion 6000 at 135 psi which means that these pumps are adaptable to high pressure that many pressure control systems cannot achieve. The user can work with just one or two channels and as the price is more affordable having two syringe pumps is double. For 2495 USD this price allows you to perform several microfluidic experiments and is advantageous over the high cost of pressure control devices.
Finally, Chemyx syringe pumps offer the same advantages of microfluidic devices and are much easier to use with an easy setup and many research paper are discussed in the Chemyx site showing that these pumps are suitable for fundamental microfluidic studies.


The LinkedHashSet class implements an efficient abstraction for storing sets of values. A LinkedHashSet is the same as a HashSet, except that it exposes its values in the order they were inserted, rather than in the unpredictable order of a standard HashSet. This is accomplished by storing the data in two ways internally: (1) in a hash table array, as in a HashSet; and (2) in a linear list, to remember the insertion order. A LinkedHashSet provides identical lookup (contains) speed, nearly the same insertion (add) speed, and slower removal (remove) speed. Its for-each loop and iterators emit the elements in the order they were added to the set, at the cost of the additional memory usage of the internal list.
Since the members of LinkedHashSet are the same as those of HashSet, in the interest of avoiding redundancy, we refer you to the HashSet documentation for descriptions of each member.


Part 10 is actually a part of the formally released standard, although the official version part 10 was released in 2012 while parts 1-9 were released in 2011. Part 10 makes the purpose of the safety case very clear, as Patrick has pointed out.
However, it should be kept in mind that ISO 26262 only addresses that part of safety that is related to potential malfunctions of electrical/electronic systems. There are of course other safety aspects to consider in a complete safety case.
The work products (including scope, contents) are prescribed in much detail so any "safety argument" is already pretty much set. Your reference to part 10 (informative) is not valid because part 10 is not included in the formally released standard, it was only included in a draft version (submitted for review) that preceded the formal release.
and satisfied by evidence compiled from work products.
of IEC-61508. ISO 26262 does not adopt the safety case concept in the sense of a safety argument, backing evidence etc.
not however prescribe the development of a safety argument.
It is true that the clause that directs you to build a safety case (Part 2, clause 6.4.6) does not say 'thou shalt build a safety argument'. It says, 'this requirement shall be complied with for items that have at least one safety goal with an ASIL (A), B, C or D: a safety case shall be developed in accordance with the safety plan' and this safety case 'should progressively compile the work products that are generated during the safety lifecycle'. However, the definitions in Part 1 say that a safety case is an 'argument that the safety requirements for an item (1.69) are complete and satisfied by evidence compiled from work products of the safety activities during development'. Since Part 2 makes these definitions normative in section 2, clause 6.4.6 must be understood as requiring creation of an argument. Any group that does not produce one is not conforming to the standard.
. Above all, the safety case exists to communicate an argument.
. It is used to demonstrate how it is possible to reasonably conclude that a system is free of unreasonable risk based on the available evidence.
You might quibble that the argument ISO 26262 requires is not a 'safety argument' since it is at the level of an item, not a system, and thus has satisfaction of the item's safety requirements, not overall system safety, as its top-level goal. But we speak of 'software safety arguments' which have exactly this limitation. I may not be happy with everything it says on the subject, but by every reasonable interpretation ISO 26262 does require creation of a safety argument.
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Welcome to Sizzlin' Stuff @ beadz.com!!
You'll find a potpourri of neat things here! Some items are closeouts and one of a kind, but most are stock items.
We'll be constantly changing the merchandise so check in often!
P.S. We've added a whole new category! Simply Charmings!!
Please take a peek - seeing is beadlieving!
Imagine a school of fishies swimming on home to you! How about 10 of these little beauties for $4.95! They are pictured here in actual sizes if you click the image to the left. Sorry, no choice of size or color!
Bone gecko which is about 1 3/4" long.
Pretty Floral Design. About 3/4" long.
Pretty leafy pattern! About 1" square.
Handpainted clay dolphin measuring about 1 1/2" long. Also, easily accommodates 1mm cord.


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Shared decision making interventions for people with mental health conditions
Mental health conditions are common and can have serious consequences for both affected individuals and society. Current clinical guidance encourages mental healthcare practitioners to involve patients in treatment decisions. This is advocated on the basis that people have a right to self-determination and also in the expectation that it will increase treatment adherence.
We conducted thorough searches for randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-randomised controlled trials (q-RCTs), controlled before-and-after studies (CBAs); and interrupted time series (ITS) studies of interventions to increase shared decision making in people with mental health conditions. We found two studies that met the inclusion criteria. Both studies were of good quality and made attempts to reduce potential sources of bias.
We examined whether interventions to increase shared decision making affected patient satisfaction with treatment or care, led to better health outcomes or to patients being less likely to be readmitted to hospital. One of the studies indicated that the intervention increased patient satisfaction in the short term. One study indicated that doctor facilitation of consumer involvement in decision making was increased by the intervention, but no effects were found on the clinical or health service outcomes in either study. Neither study reported that shared decision making for people with mental health conditions is harmful. However, no firm conclusions can be drawn from these two studies on any of the outcomes measured and further research is needed.
Authors' conclusions:
No firm conclusions can be drawn at present about the effects of shared decision making interventions for people with mental health conditions. There is no evidence of harm, but there is an urgent need for further research in this area.
Read the full abstract...
One person in every four will suffer from a diagnosable mental health condition during their life course. Such conditions can have a devastating impact on the lives of the individual, their family and society. Increasingly partnership models of mental health care have been advocated and enshrined in international healthcare policy. Shared decision making is one such partnership approach. Shared decision making is a form of patient-provider communication where both parties are acknowledged to bring expertise to the process and work in partnership to make a decision. This is advocated on the basis that patients have a right to self-determination and also in the expectation that it will increase treatment adherence.
To assess the effects of provider-, consumer- or carer-directed shared decision making interventions for people of all ages with mental health conditions, on a range of outcomes including: patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and health service outcomes.
Search strategy:
We searched: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library 2008, Issue 4), MEDLINE (1950 to November 2008), EMBASE (1980 to November 2008), PsycINFO (1967 to November 2008), CINAHL (1982 to November 2008), British Nursing Index and Archive (1985 to November 2008) and SIGLE (1890 to September 2005 (database end date)). We also searched online trial registers and the bibliographies of relevant papers, and contacted authors of included studies.
Selection criteria:
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-randomised controlled trials (q-RCTs), controlled before-and-after studies (CBAs); and interrupted time series (ITS) studies of interventions to increase shared decision making in people with mental health conditions (by DSM or ICD-10 criteria).
Data collection and analysis:
Data on recruitment methods, eligibility criteria, sample characteristics, interventions, outcome measures, participant flow and outcome data from each study were extracted by one author and checked by another. Data are presented in a narrative synthesis.
Main results:
We included two separate German studies involving a total of 518 participants. One study was undertaken in the inpatient treatment of schizophrenia and the other in the treatment of people newly diagnosed with depression in primary care. Regarding the primary outcomes, one study reported statistically significant increases in patient satisfaction, the other study did not. There was no evidence of effect on clinical outcomes or hospital readmission rates in either study. Regarding secondary outcomes, there was an indication that interventions to increase shared decision making increased doctor facilitation of patient involvement in decision making, and did not increase consultation times. Nor did the interventions increase patient compliance with treatment plans. Neither study reported any harms of the intervention. Definite conclusions cannot be drawn, however, on the basis of these two studies.
Consumer & communication strategies > Involving individual consumers in decision-making or communication about their health or treatment
Consumer & communication strategies > Promoting acquisition of skills and competencies
Duncan E, Best C, Hagen S
Consumers and Communication Group
Duncan E, Best C, Hagen S. Shared decision making interventions for people with mental health conditions. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD007297. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007297.pub2


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@be.freer.yearn
Ryan Ferrebee
Queer greygender humanist who writes grants so we can play make-believe and make the world a better place.
Ryan Ferrebee (he/they) is a theater-trained accidental fundraising professional living in modern-day Pittsburgh, PA (lands stewarded by and stolen from the Seneca, Lenni Lenape, Shawnee, Osage, and numerous other Indigenous nations). In their career, Ryan has raised over $10,000,000 to directly support the work of theater companies and artists in the Mid-Atlantic. Former co-chair of the Pittsburgh Emerging Arts Leaders network of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council.
Currently, Ryan is the Director of Institutional Support at Pittsburgh Public Theater and a volunteer Young Professional Board Member for Hello Neighbor, a Pittsburgh-based refugee and immigrant support service organization.
BS, summa cum laude: Theater & Communications, West Liberty University
MA, summa cum laude: Speech & Theater, Louisiana Tech University
1 Essay
You Want Me to Balance What?
Why the Argument That Fiscal Sustainability is More Important Than Investing in Racial Justice Needs to Go Away
Ryan Ferrebee discusses the disadvantages of theatres attempting to balance fiscal responsibility with anti-racism work from his perspective as a white fundraising professional.


text:
Legend Shula dies at 90
Winningest coach in pro football history led Miami to league's only perfect season
Steven Wine, Associated Press
May 4, 2020 Updated: May 4, 2020 7:22 p.m.
1of21FILE - In this Jan. 14, 1973, file photo, Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula is carried off the field after his team won the NFL football Super Bowl game 14-7 against the Washington Redskins in Los Angeles. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his home in Indian Creek, Fla., the team said. He was 90. (AP Photo/File)AnonymousShow MoreShow Less
2of21FILE - In this Nov. 14, 1993, file photo, Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula is carried on his team's shoulders after his 325th victory, against the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his South Florida home, the team said. He was 90. (AP Photo/ George Widman)GEORGE WIDMANShow MoreShow Less
4of21FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2019, file photo, former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula looks at a large cake celebrating the 1972 undefeated season and his birthday during half time at an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Miami Gardens, Fla. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his South Florida home, the team said. He was 90. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)Brynn AndersonShow MoreShow Less
5of21FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2019, file photo, former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula, right, is greeted on the field by former players during half time at an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Miami Gardens, Fla. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his South Florida home, the team said. He was 90. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)Brynn AndersonShow MoreShow Less
7of21FILE - In this Jan. 2, 2010, file photo, former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula smiles during his 80th birthday party at Land Shark Stadium in Miami. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his South Florida home, the team said. He was 90. (AP Photo/Jeffrey M. Boan, File)Jeffrey M. BoanShow MoreShow Less
8of21FILE - This is a Nov. 15, 1993, file photo showing Miami Dolphins' Don Shula. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his South Florida home, the team said. He was 90. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)MARTA LAVANDIERShow MoreShow Less
10of21FILE - In this Nov. 14, 1993, file photo, Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula is carried on his team's shoulders after his 325th victory, at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his home in Indian Creek, Fla., the team said. He was 90. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)AMY SANCETTAShow MoreShow Less
11of21FILE - In this Jan. 15, 1973, file photo, Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula waves the Super Bowl trophy for fans as they arrive in Miami after defeating the Washington Redskins in Los Angeles in Super Bowl VII. Shula's son David looks on at right. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his home in Indian Creek, Fla., the team said. He was 90. (AP Photo/file) Show MoreShow Less
13of21FILE - In this July 26, 1997, file photo, Don Shula, center, stands with his sons David, left, and Mike after being enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his home in Indian Creek, Fla., the team said. He was 90. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File)MARK DUNCANShow MoreShow Less
14of21FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2007, file photo, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Don Shula laughs during an interview at his home in Indian Creek, Fla. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his home in Indian Creek, Fla., the team said. He was 90. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)Wilfredo LeeShow MoreShow Less
16of21FILE - In this Oct. 25, 2009, file photo, former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula waves to the crowd during a half time ceremony of an NFL football game between the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints in Miami. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his South Florida home, the team said. He was 90. (AP Photo/Jeffrey M. Boan)Jeffrey M. BoanShow MoreShow Less
17of21FILE - In this Dec. 30, 1995, file photo, Buffalo Bills head coach Marv Levy, left and Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula speak at midfield after the Bills beat the Dolphins in Shula's final game as head coach, at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his home in Indian Creek, Fla., the team said. He was 90.(AP Photo/Bill Sikes, File)Bill SikesShow MoreShow Less
19of21FILE - In this Nov. 17, 2019, file photo, former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula watches the team before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Miami Gardens, Fla. Shula, who won the most games of any NFL coach and led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in league history, died Monday, May 4, 2020, at his home in Indian Creek, Fla., the team said. He was 90. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)Wilfredo LeeShow MoreShow Less
20of21MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 07: Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, left, speaks with former Dolphins head coach Don Shula, right, on the sideline before the Dolphins met the Baltimore Ravens in a game at Sun Life Stadium on December 7, 2014 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 507866241Chris TrotmanShow MoreShow Less
Measuring Don Shula by wins and losses, no NFL coach had a better year. Or career.
He led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in NFL history, set a league record with 347 victories and coached in six Super Bowls.
Shula died Monday at his home across Biscayne Bay from downtown Miami. He was 90.
"If there were a Mount Rushmore for the NFL, Don Shula certainly would be chiseled into the granite," Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said in a statement.
Shula surpassed George Halas' league-record 324 victories in 1993 and retired following the 1995 season, his 33rd as an NFL head coach. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
Shula became the only coach to guide an NFL team through a perfect season when the Dolphins went 17-0 in 1972. They also won the Super Bowl the following season, finishing 15-2.
Shula reached the playoffs in four decades and coached three Hall of Fame quarterbacks: Johnny Unitas, Bob Griese and Dan Marino. During his 26 seasons in Miami he became an institution, and his name adorns an expressway, an athletic club and a steakhouse chain.
He was replaced in January 1996 by Jimmy Johnson, and Shula later said the adjustment to retirement was difficult.
"There's such a letdown," he said in 2010. "There's no way you can fill the time you spent as a coach. Life is great after football, but you don't have those emotional ups and downs you had on game day."
In January 2010, the Dolphins threw him an 80th birthday party at their stadium, and guests included commissioner Roger Goodell, former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham and former coaches Marty Schottenheimer and Dan Reeves.
Hall of Famer fullback Larry Csonka was among the '72 Dolphins who threw a surprise party for Shula in December to celebrate his 90th birthday.
"It was the first time in the entire time I'm known him where he was genuinely surprised," Csonka said. "I think he was very happy."
Shula and his 1972 players drew criticism for the way they savored their unique status each season.
"People think we're a bunch of angry old guys who can't wait for that last undefeated team to get beat," Shula said in 2010. "We're very proud of our record, and if somebody breaks it, I'm going to call that coach and congratulate them. Until they do, it's our record, and we're proud of it."
As for regrets, Shula put not winning a Super Bowl with Marino at the top of the list. They were together for 13 years, and Marino became the most prolific passer in NFL history, but he played on only one AFC championship team — in 1984, his second season.
Shula was born Jan. 4, 1930, and raised in Painesville, Ohio. He played running back at John Carroll University in Cleveland and cornerback in the pros for seven seasons with Cleveland, Baltimore and Washington. He entered coaching as an assistant at Virginia in 1958.
Shula became the youngest head coach in NFL history when Baltimore hired him in 1963 at age 33. The Colts finished 12-2, losing 27-0 to Cleveland in the title game. His Colts were also stunned in the 1968 season Super Bowl by Joe Namath and the Jets 16-7, regarded by many as the biggest upset in pro football history.
In 1970, after the NFL-AFL merger, Shula joined the Dolphins, reaching the Super Bowl in 1971 before losing to Dallas.
In 1972, Miami beat the Redskins 16-0 in the Super Bowl, then repeated as champs the following year with a win over Minnesota.
Shula's oldest son, David, coached the Bengals from 1992-96. When Cincinnati played Miami in 1994, it marked the first time in professional sports that a father and son met as head coaches. Don won, 23-7.
"If I'm remembered for anything, I hope it's for playing within the rules," Shula once said. "I also hope it will be said that my teams showed class and dignity in victory or defeat."
His career record was 347-173-6.
Steven Wine


text:
This Human Rights Day, it's time multinationals pay their fair share
By Niko Lusiani, Director of CESR's Human Rights in Economic Policy Program
Not so long ago, speaking of tax as a matter of human rights would lead to, at best, strained looks, and at worst, outright antagonism.
Soaring levels of inequality have become one of
the defining social ills of modern times.
Yet today, on Human Rights Day 2015, the tax justice and human rights movements are more in sync than ever before in the fight to ensure sufficient, equitable and accountable resource mobilization for human dignity and a zero-carbon future. This week all over Latin America and the Caribbean, advocates have come together to reclaim and promote tax and climate justice.
Almost every day, news reports emerge which show how corporate tax avoidance and evasion deprive countries around the world of billions of dollars in public revenue – money that could have been used to fund quality health and education for all, or for the public investments necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change. While all of us are affected, developing countries are the ones paying the highest burden for these harmful practices. But this loss of precious financing is not just a threat to governments' starving revenue base, but also undercuts their redistributive capacities to reverse growing economic and gender inequalities. Corporate tax abuses also deepen mistrust in how fiscal policy is governed and thus how effective it can be, especially for the most disadvantaged. And crucially, these abuses limit governments' ability to regulate companies for their environmental and climate impacts.
On this Human Rights Day, the interwoven challenges of climate change and deepening economic inequality are two of the most important threats to human rights in the 21st century. It is no coincidence that the industries serving the wealthiest sectors of the wealthiest economies bear the lion's share of responsibility for carbon emissions today. Over 50% of the world's carbon emissions come from the wealthiest 10% of the global population, and just 90 multinational companies reportedly caused two-thirds of the world's carbon emissions. The average carbon footprint of the richest 1% of people globally could be as much as 175 times that of the poorest 10%. Meanwhile, deepening economic inequalities within and between countries disproportionately expose the poor and most disadvantaged to the harmful effects of climate change, even though the poorest half of the global population – around 3.5 billion people – are responsible for only 10% of total global emissions attributed to individual consumption.
Fair taxation – especially fair corporate taxation – is a key element in addressing both human rights threats. Perhaps more important than any other social responsibility a company bears is its duty to pay its fair share of taxes. Yet, many multinational companies continue to profit from astounding levels of tax abuse. Between 2004 and 2013, $6.5 trillion of illicit flows stemmed from company trade fraud. In parallel, developing countries are estimated to lose $212 billion per year in direct revenue from various cross-border tax avoidance techniques.
How has this occurred? A large industry of facilitators – tax lawyers, accountants and auditing firms – has emerged over recent decades enabling multinationals to shield themselves from their national tax liabilities, out-compete domestic companies and operate where there might not otherwise be a feasible business model.
So what can be done? In simple terms, governments should ensure corporate tax practices respect human rights law. Indeed, high-profile UN officials and bar associations are increasingly invoking human rights norms and principles to challenge unjust tax policy, and company tax abuse in particular. The measures governments should take are manifold – from tax transparency to stronger enforcement against tax crimes. Most importantly, perhaps, is to confront the enabling conditions of corporate tax abuse. Among the most important external factors is the availability of offshore financial secrecy – both in traditional tax havens but also in countries like the United States. Some modest proposals for how human rights law should be adhered to in these financially secretive countries are listed here:
First, countries are obliged to respect human rights that may be put at risk due to corporate tax abuse. This would imply that those countries:
i. Implement corporate tax and financial transparency, including public registries of ultimate beneficial ownership, country-by-country reporting, and automatic exchange of tax information;
ii. Conduct systematic human rights impact assessments to monitor the spillover effects of their tax policies and agreements overseas, as the Netherlands and Ireland have already done. These should be periodic and independently-verified, with public participation in defining the risks and potential extraterritorial impacts. These impact assessments should analyze not only the revenue implications, but also the distributive and governance spillover effects of a country's tax regime abroad.
iii. Address any harm found. If and when the main problems are identified, these impact assessments should trigger legal and policy action by including explicit recommendations for responsible parties, and clear deadlines for remedies and redress of any negative impacts discovered.
iv. Put in place robust whistleblower protections to ensure that individuals who want to share information about corporate tax practices which harm human rights are allowed to do so free of fear or recrimination.
Second, countries have a legal duty to protect against human rights harms stemming from corporate tax abuse. This would imply that, at a minimum, they mandate integrated reporting guidelines for large companies, including due diligence requirements on the human rights risks of their tax and financial arrangements. These due diligence requirements should include the users, but also the market makers and suppliers of tax abuse schemes (tax lawyers, accountants, financial intermediaries). This would simultaneously provide greater transparency and access to information for tax authorities to better do their jobs. These requirements could be streamlined into governments' national action plans on business and human rights.
In a fairer world, companies should compete in the global economy on the merit of their innovation, product quality and ability to improve people's lives, rather than on the ingenuity of their tax attorneys, the opacity of their financial intermediaries, and the impunity afforded them by their governments.
To learn more about CESR's work on human rights in tax policy, click here.
For updates on events taking place across Latin America and beyond as part of the tax justice campaign, click here. You can also follow the action on Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #paguenlojusto.
Posted by Niko Lusiani on December 11th, 2015
Front Page English, Front Page Spanish, finance, financial transactions tax, fiscal, ftt, poverty, robin hood tax, sustainable development, tax justice, taxation
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What would you do with all power and understanding?
The extent of God's power is seen through the creation of all things. We see the breadth of it in the galaxies, we see the depth in the sub-atomic particles.
When God names, he does so with understanding and care. The name is not merely a label. When he gives us a new name, it tells of whom he sees us to be. So, he names the billions of stars with care, describing each one's specialness.
Creation also shows his understanding. Knowing all things, he can predict and control events. Our culture is concerned about things on the edge of its understanding such as global warming, political turmoil and the like. The Lord who understands the impact of every CO2 particle and every political decision is not concerned. He could bring everything into balance, if we would humble ourselves to ask.
Many use power or understanding to engineer or force their will. This however, is wickedness. God's use of power elevates humility. So, Jesus, having all power, chose humility when he allowed himself to be executed. Only when it was too late did the wicked discover what he had understood, that he was conquering the power of death!


text:
By Bonniecanuck
Shiro Ishii as photographed by Masao Takezawa
On September 18, 1931, elements of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) carried out an invasion of the north-eastern Chinese region of Manchuria, an area long contested between China, Japan, and Russia for its economic potential and natural resources sector. Appeals by the Chinese government to the League of Nations failed to move the Japanese government, which was effectively side-lined by the radicals in the armed forces in the following months as the public was whipped up into an unprecedented patriotic fervour, and international pressure calling for Japan to withdraw would only result in its departure from the League of Nations. Manchuria subsequently became home to a puppet state known as Manchukuo, nominally ruled by Puyi, the last Emperor of China, but in practice governed by Japanese officers and bureaucrats.
It was in this period and region that Ishii Shiro would emerge to put his ideas for biological warfare into practice. Ishii was a senior army surgeon and medical researcher who had a keen interest in bacteriology, to the extent that he had a fondness for raising bacteria as companions or pets. Characterised as childish and psychopathic, Ishii was nonetheless convincing and well-liked, overcoming the intense factional rivalries of the Japanese military to earn the patronage of officers in the rival factions of the interwar IJA, in a period where junior officers from both were assassinating each other's superiors as well as government officials. For over a decade, Ishii had advocated Japan to begin developing biological weapons, and his campaigning paid off when, after the invasion of Manchuria, he was given funding and facilities to begin experimenting with germ warfare, with Unit 731 being founded in the Pingfang District near the city of Harbin, under the guise of the Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department.
The Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department was a subsidiary of the Kwantung Army, the IJA's formation stationed in northeast China. Unit 731 was one of numerous other units which operated under the Department, with the other units stationed throughout Japanese-occupied China and Southeast Asia, but took primacy as the main section which directed its weapons research and deployment. The overall purpose of the Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department did follow its pretexts to some extent - Unit 731 and its affiliates conducted medical research in these fields, and employed some of the best and brightest of Japan's medical talents. It even developed and demonstrated a mass-production water filter named for Ishii himself, which led to an incident in which Ishii demonstrated the filter for Emperor Showa, among other dignitaries, by urinating in the filter in front of the witnesses and then offering the contents which emerged to the Emperor himself.
This cover, however, cannot disguise or diminish the scope of Unit 731's activities, which were first and foremost dedicated to biological weapons research. The list of diseases which Unit 731 bred and experimented with included cholera, typhus, botulism, trench foot, anthrax, and bubonic plague. The experiments with bubonic plague included a rat breeding program in order to raise plague-carrying fleas, as well as successive tests to create as potent a strain of plague as possible. To test their infectivity and mortality, Unit 731 interred thousands of people, ranging from prisoners of war to common criminals to civilians unlucky enough to be abducted by the Kempeitai at any given moment, and deliberately infected them with their diseases, then left them to die horrible deaths. These test subjects, dubbed maruta - logs in Japanese - as a form of dehumanisation, faced many other grisly experiments, such as outdoor "frostbite tests" in -40ºC weather, exposure to poison gas in sealed chambers, and live vivisections, and very few managed to survive.
All of this was sanctioned by the Japanese military establishment. Unit 731 had been founded with Emperor Showa's assent, and in addition to the aforementioned support Ishii had earned from his Army superiors, he also enjoyed patronage from Prince Takeda Tsuneyoshi, chief treasurer of the Kwantung Army, and Prince Chichibu, the Emperor's brother. That said, there were critics - the Emperor's youngest brother, Prince Mikasa, eventually criticised the program as a result of his shift to opposing militarism and expansionism, and some civilian politicians were also hard to win support from. This led to another incident involving Ishii in which he threatened to break a jar he claimed to be full of cholera on the Minister of Finance's desk when he was refused funding, and when this threat failed, later broke into the minister's home.
So now we get to the question: did this pay off in the end? Did Ishii's visions of a future war whose victory would be determined by biological warfare play out? As one can probably tell by the outcomes of the wars in China and the Pacific, no, but the answer starts a bit earlier than that. In 1939, tensions between Japan and the USSR rapidly escalated as troops on both sides engaged each other on the Khalkhin Gol, the eastern border between Soviet-aligned Mongolia and Manchuria. Ishii, as with most officers, expected a full-scale war to break out for Japan to finally fulfill its long-anticipated expansion into Siberia. However, the Kwantung Army's position in the region was highly disadvantageous due to its pursuit of offensive combat against a numerically superior enemy in the Red Army, and, finally prompted by heavy losses that forced the Japanese to regroup, Unit 731 was mobilised for its first combat operation in June. Unit 731's bacteriological agents were moved from the Pingfang facility to the frontlines near the Khalkhin Gol, and disease prevention measures such as the distribution of Ishii's patented water filters were conducted along the frontlines.
Mongolian troops fight against Japanese counterattack on the western beach of the river Khalkhin Gol, 1939.
The attack was conducted on July 12, 1939. A "suicide squad" was deployed to the Khalkha River and dumped a jellied bacterial solution consisting of cholera, typhus, and dysentery into the river, in the hopes that the contaminated water would infect Soviet water supplies and cause mass casualties among the Soviet troops. Although the attack was to be originally carried out with aerial deployments that would be seen in later attacks, Soviet air superiority over the Khalkhin Gol made doing so too dangerous for the delivery aircraft. It is not known how many Red Army soldiers were infected, and at the very least there would have been few to no casualties, stemming from the fact that contrary to Japanese belief, the Soviets sourced their water supplies from well behind the frontlines, and took many simple precautionary measures such as boiling their water to prevent diseases from spreading in the first place. What is known, however, is that despite the thorough decontamination measures given to the "suicide squad" after their mission, over 1,300 Japanese and Manchu soldiers were infected with dysentery which almost certainly came from the agents Unit 731 had deployed into the river. Of those, it is also not known how many of them ultimately succumbed, though infected Japanese soldiers were sent to the Home Islands to receive medical treatment from Unit 731-associated military medical units.
Despite this apparent failure, the actions of Unit 731 were hailed as a success, and Ishii and the "suicide squad" were decorated for their actions. As such, Unit 731's pathogens would be deployed for use in China, as the initial Japanese advances were blunted by the Chinese resistance. Beginning in autumn 1940, weaponised plague would be used tactically, followed by strategic biological attacks from that October. Cities such as Quzhou, Ningbo, Changde, Wenzhou, and Taizhou would all be attacked with biological weapons through plague fleas contained in ceramic bombs designed to shatter on impact, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties and the effects of the plague lingering for decades after. Biological warfare reached its peak during the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Offensive in 1942, with large raids taking place against villages and towns in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Yunnan. Unit 731 specialists attached to the ground forces infected wells, left germ-ridden foodstuffs, and even sprayed the ground to infect Chinese troops in areas where Japanese forces had fallen back. These attacks went well beyond the preceding ones, as in addition to using the same types of bacteria from previous attacks, new specimens were employed, namely anthrax and rotten foot disease.
While gratuitous in their nature, these attacks did possess tactical and strategic considerations. Quzhou, the site of the first biological attack against a major population centre, was home to the regional Chinese barracks and was heavily garrisoned. Changde, the second largest city in Hunan, was attacked concurrent with a Japanese offensive in Hunan to seize the provincial capital, Changsha, and was probably launched to isolate the city due to the immense losses the IJA had incurred taking it in the prior months. The town of Baoshan in Yunnan, near the border with Burma, was targeted to disrupt operations on the Burma Road. This did not apply universally, though. While Ningbo was a hotbed of anti-Japanese resistance, its attack appears to have been partly for demonstrative and research purposes, as its process and aftermath were documented by Ishii's researchers, leading to further refinements in the germ bomb design. Film reels from this attack were also shown to high-ranking Japanese officials, including Prince Chichibu. Biological weapons deployments in the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Offensive appear to have been especially unwarranted, as the campaign was primarily conceived as a reprisal to the Doolittle Raid, especially since most of the American pilots who landed in China were rescued and sheltered in Zhejiang. Further putting the utility of biological warfare into question were inadvertent infections of Japanese personnel, with one source estimating as many as 10,000 infected and over 1,700 killed by the same diseases targeted at their enemy.
All of the above is more than enough speculative fuel for alternate history, but pales in comparison to their most ambitious project - a biological attack against the Western Allies. Early proposals were originally tactical in nature - during the Battle of Bataan in 1942, in which American and Filipino forces fought a desperate last stand against the Japanese invasion of the archipelago, it was proposed that over 200 pounds of plague fleas would be dropped on the defending forces in ten separate attack waves, but the surrender of the defenders precluded such a possibility. Later, as the tide of the war was firmly against Japan, biological weapons were brought forward as a defensive weapon. There was an attempt to carry plague fleas to the strategically vital island of Saipan in the Northern Marianas to use against the American landing there in 1944, but the ship carrying them was sunk by an American submarine. Similarly, a plan to bring plague-laden gliders to the Battle of Iwo Jima did not materialise after the gliders failed to appear at Pingfang's airfield to pick up their deadly load.
Balloon found near Bigelow, Kansas on February 23, 1945
Going beyond this scope, Unit 731 proposed targeting major population centres on the U.S. West Coast to disrupt the American war effort. The initial plans envisioned the use of balloon bombs, designed to be cheaply made from paper with little manual labour, which would be fitted with a payload and carried across the Pacific Ocean by easterly jetstream winds at high altitudes. These bombs were originally created to carry incendiary payloads in order to cause large forest fires in rural Washington, Oregon and California, but could just as easily be modified to carry Ishii's bacterial bombs. However, launches from November 1944 to February 1945 with conventional explosive or incendiary ordnance failed to deliver adequate results, as very few of the nearly 10,000 bombs launched managed to reach North America, and those that did failed to cause any palpable damage. American wartime censorship which hushed up any details of the bombs also meant that Japanese intelligence failed to learn of any successes, and no bombs were ever launched with bacterial payloads once Japanese intelligence concluded that the balloon bomb campaign was a total failure.
A second proposal surfaced with the entry of the I-400 class aircraft-carrying submarines into service with the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in 1944. The largest submarines built until the 1980s, these vessels were designed to stealthily carry three Seiran seaplane bombers each across the ocean to attack targets in North America. While normally armed with conventional ordnance to attack strategic assets like the Panama Canal, the aircraft and their objectives could just as easily be modified to carry germ bombs. This gave root to Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night, an operation devised by Vice-Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo, the final Commander-in-Chief of the IJN Combined Fleet and Japanese commander at the Battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf, which would deploy a squadron of I-400 class submarines to positions just off the American West Coast, from which they would launch air raids using bacterial weapons against San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. The mission was first proposed in December 1944 by the Navy in coordination with Ishii Shiro and Unit 731, and finalised on March 26, 1945. However, it was vetoed and shelved by the Chief of the IJA General Staff, General Umezu Yoshijiro, who stated that "If bacteriological warfare is conducted, it will grow from the dimension of war between Japan and America to an endless battle of humanity against bacteria. Japan will earn the derision of the world."
One final plot to attack the Americans came in August 1945, shortly after Japan surrendered, in which Ishii proposed biological terrorist attacks against the American occupation authorities. Details about this proposal are sparse and fragmented, but a memorandum uncovered in 2006 shows that Ishii's superiors, including General Umezu, told him and the germ research teams not to die in vain with such attacks.
Given that these attacks amounted to nothing more than proposals and operations that hardly got off the ground, there is no true way to determine whether these attacks would have been effective. Would a bubonic plague outbreak create a regional or nationwide epidemic that would fulfill Ishii's lofty aims of bringing the United States to a standstill? How would the Allies respond if or when they traced the origins of the outbreak to a Japanese air raid? This of course warrants the considerations of the advantages of American infrastructure, and therefore its ability to respond and contain the outbreak. Some outbreaks in China, like in Ningbo, were contained relatively effectively by a prompt local response, as authorities quarantined the infected district and its citizens, containing residents until they were cleared of symptoms or died, and later burning down the district to destroy any traces of the plague, as well as embarking on an anti-rat campaign to stop the spread of plague fleas. Could such a response be replicated in Los Angeles? And what of Bataan or Saipan, or other major battles like Okinawa and Manila?
In the end, these questions will remain hypotheticals due to the war's conclusion, but it is worth addressing the fate of Unit 731. When the Soviet Union invaded Manchuria in August 1945, Unit 731's facilities and documents were destroyed in order to eliminate as much evidence as possible of their acts. Eventually, however, initial denials to investigators gave way to admissions of their guilt. On the orders of Douglas MacArthur, Unit 731's activities were covered up by the United States military, with Ishii and other Unit 731 personnel granted immunity from trial, and their details withheld during the Tokyo Trials. The Soviets and Chinese, for their part, would conduct trials of Unit 731 staff, with the Khabarovsk trials in December 1949 seeing twelve Unit 731 personnel sentenced to up to twenty-five years in hard labour. However, all would be repatriated to Japan in 1956, suggesting that the Soviets, like the Americans, offered clemency in exchange for information on biological weapons research. These personnel, including Ishii, would reintegrate into civilian life; with many continuing medical practices as civilians - one notable member would be a co-founder of pharmaceutical company Green Cross.
The legacy of Unit 731 would be felt in both superpowers as well as in East Asia. On the American side, surviving Unit 731 research contributed to the establishment of an American biological weapons program at Fort Detrick, Maryland. Research into biological weapons would cease in 1969, but the germ research laboratories would not close until 2019. On the Soviet side, post-war biological weapons research was conducted under Lavrentiy Beria, the head of the Soviet secret police. During the Korean War, Communist China and North Korea would allege that the United States conducted biological warfare, using plague akin to Unit 731, however, these allegations are heavily challenged by evidence from Russian sources strongly suggesting the accusations to have been an anti-American disinformation campaign, and as such the veracity of these claims is still subject to heavy contention by historians. Years later, in 1979, anthrax was accidentally released in the Soviet city of Sverdlovsk from a bioweapons research facility, itself built based on research gathered from Unit 731, resulting in at least a hundred deaths according to official sources.
Meanwhile, Unit 731 itself continues to be scrutinised, especially in the highly charged nationalist environment of modern East Asia as China and both Koreas continue to press claims for apologies and compensation while the Japanese government denies or downplays its actions. Former personnel, for their part, have come forward admitting their involvement and apologising to victims and their kin, but as the legitimate grievances of victims have been co-opted to fuel nationalism and xenophobia on both sides, it seems that their hopes for a resolution may be just as distant as they were half a century ago.
Bonniecanuck


4th and 5th grade students spend 2 weeks in June/July at Mc Donogh School Summer Camp, in Baltimore, MD. Accompanied by members of our staff, they participate in an immersion program in English mixed with cultural and sports activities, and spend time with children from the whole world. It is an enriching experience, from which they have the best experiences in terms of autonomy, self confidence and development of the the English language.


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Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, AD1C, WB2RAJ/WB2YQH & The 59(9) DXReport, K4TSJ, WA6AXE, AA8LL, EA4DX, F6AJA & LNDX, G4BUE & DX News Sheet, G3XTT, PA3DZN and 9A2EU for the following DX information.
4KA/4JA, AZERBAIJAN. The French DX Bulletin LNDX states that from January 15th through December 31st, the stations from Azerbaijan may use the prefix 4KA and 4JA instead of 4K and 4J. The Radio Club from Baku may use the 4K80ADR (Azerbaidjan Democratic Republic) for celebrating the country's 80 years of independence.
5H, TANZANIA. Dave Heil, K8MN, currently signing OH2/K8MN from downtown Helsinki, informed OPDX this past weekend his next assignment (and last before he retires) will take him to Tanzania. Dave and his wife Leila will leave OH-land in July. Then they will spend several months in the U.S. before they travel to Dar Es Salaam in early autumn. Dave hopes to receive a callsign ending with "US" or "MN" once again. This will be their fourth African assignment. Dave has been active as J52US, 9L1US and A22MN.
8P, BARBADOS. The "DX News Sheet" reports that Martyn, G3RFX, will be active February 2-16th as 8P9FX from Christ Church. Activity will be on CW/SSB, mostly 40 and 20m with some 17 and 15 meters. More information can be found at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/g3rfx/ QSL via home call.
9M0C DXPEDITION UPDATE. OPDX InterNet Subscribers will receive an additional bulletin containing the complete press release by the Chiltern DX Club (CDXC) and The UK DX Foundation. Meanwhile, the Spratly Islands DXpedtion is on track and will take place February 12-24th. Much of their equipment has already reached the Layang-Layang Island to await their arrival. It has been reported that Aki, VK2BEX, has had to withdraw from the operation, but was replaced with three operators. The new operators are: John Krzymuski, N2QW (ex-AB2EC); Jeff Morris, 9H1EL; and Kazuo Ogasawara, JA1RJU. They will now have 13 operators. For updates, check out the WEB site: http://members.aol.com/spratly98/
9N, NEPAL. Vladimir, RU6FP, is now active as 9N1FP for the next 4 months. His activity will be mainly on CW, and his license only permits him to be active on 20 and 40 meter. Check 14002 kHz around 1230z and 7005 kHz between 1200 and 1330z. QSL via RU6FP.
C6A, BAHAMAS. Look for Wade, AA8LL, to be operational as AA8LL/C6A from Crooked Island (NA-113), February 2-4th. Activity will be on the IOTA phone frequencies from 40-10 meters. QSL to home call, AA8LL.
CN, MORROCO. Look for F5LMK to sign as CN/F5LMK from May 9-16th. He will be active on SSB from 80-10 meters.
DXAC NEWS. The newly elected Great Lakes Division Director, Joe Falcone, N8TI, has selected Ted Pauck, K8NA, to replace Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW, as his DXAC representative. Ted is not new to the Committee. He was on the DXAC perviously (1991) before KB8NW and also served as DXAC Chairman. Tedd, KB8NW, will stay on in the Great Lakes Division as an Assistant Director.
FT5W/FT5X/FT5Z, CROZET/KERGUELEN/AMSTERDAM ISLANDS. Rene, FR5HR, currently active as FT5X/FR5HR from Kerguelen until the end of February, states he is not sure if he can activate the other place (FT5Z and FT5W).
FT5X, KERGUELEN ISLANDS. Elios, FT5XN, states he listens regularly for NA stations between 0300 to 0500z on 14209/14031 kHz and between 1300 to 1400z on the same frequencies. It was also mentioned that the Clipperton DX Foundation sent him an amplifier, and he should receive it soon. Elios knows, FT5X is really most wanted on the lower and WARC bands, that is why he promised to build dipoles for those bands as soon as possible. QSL via F6PEN: Ribes Gerard, 16 rue Viollet Leduc, 31100 Toulouse FRANCE.
J47, GREECE (Special Event Station). The Radio DX Group of Thrace will operate the special event station J47XCF from February 1-28th. This station will operate during the "Xanthi Carnival Festival 1998" which is part of the "Thrace Folk Festival 1998." This station will operate on all modes and bands. They report that contacts will be confirmed with a beautiful QSL card which will picture the official carnival poster of the city Xanthi.
KH4, MIDWAY ATOLL. The 59(9) DXReport states Ted, NH6YK, may be active from here March 18-29th as NH4/NH6YK (he now has an Advanced license).
KH9, WAKE ISLAND. The Dateline DX Association follows its September, 1997, North Cook operation by announcing a return to Wake Island (KH9) with dates on the island for February 26th through March 11th. This operation follows a successful 1996 Wake operation and its emphasis will again be on EU and the low bands. With upbeat conditions, other areas should enjoy good availability almost around the clock. They intend to complete the needs for those who may have missed it earlier. Operators will be Tom K8XP (ZK1XXP, AL7EL/KH9, V7/AL7EL); Bob N2OO (9M6OO, V85OO, V85OM, XX9OO); N6MZ (VK0IR, ZK1XXP, SV5/N6MZ); and Bill N2WB (KG4WB). Four stations are planned with directional antennas for 10 through 20 and verticals for 40, 80 and 160. Special efforts on RTTY will be handled by N2WB. N1DG will again do the website. This operation comes very soon after the North Cook operation and the chance to return was unexpected. Because they did not want to pass up the opportunity to again activate Wake, they are going under less than satisfactory financial circumstances. Any donations would be greatly appreciated and can be forwarded to: The Dateline DX Association, Robert Pond, 9 River Cove, Portsmouth, VA 23703. Calls to be announced at a later date. QSL to Robert Pond WA4YBV, 9 River Cove, Portsmouth, VA 23703.
NEW IOTA. Ibrahim, 7Z1IS, reports to OPDX that he will activate Tarut Island for the first time. His operation began on January 30th, but it will last until February 4th. Tarut Island is IOTA AS-111 and is located in the Arabian Gulf Group. He will sign 7Z1IS/P on the IOTA frequencies on 40-10 meters. There are two ways available to QSL: 1) via QSL Manager SM0OFG. 2) Direct to Ibrahim address: Ibrahim Saud, Po.Box 3361, Al khobar 31952, Saudi Arabia (IRC's are not accepted in Saudi Arabia, PLEASE use one green stamp).
P4, ARUBA. Operators Carl/AI6V, Rusty/W6OAT and Paolo/I2UIY, will be active from February 15th to March 15th, as P40K, P40V, P49V and P4/I2UIY. They also plan to be active in both the CW/SSB ARRL DX Contests and also the CQ 160 Meter SSB Contest.
OPDX has received some conflicting reports on what stations Michel, HH2HM, is QSL Manager for. In OPDX.341, we reported Michel stated he was the QSL Manager for BA4TB and HH2PK. But according to Zlatko, 9A2EU, the only QSL route for BA4TB is via 9A2AJ. 9A2AJ has all the logs for Deal, BA4TB, and this is the only correct QSL route. Also, HH2PK states he DEFINITELY does not know F/HH2HM .. nor, does he have F/HH2HM as his QSL manager. It is suggested at this time to QSL directly via his Haiti address.
Roberto, EA4DX, states: "Now that 8Q7AA has finished its operations from the Maldives (Good job guys), just a reminder that there are a couple of thousand QSOs (2000) not requested in my logs for 8Q7XX last September. The 8Q7XX QSL is a full colored, "U.S. quality card". You can find it on the Maldives 97 Dxpedition site: http://www.qsl.net/ea4dx/8Q7XXqsl1.htm There is no backlog of QSLs, so same day return card is the average. QSL guidelines for direct and E-mail bureau QSLs can be found in: http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/4909/8Q7XXqsl.htm Log search on line at: http://www.qsl.net/ea4dx/8Q7XXlog1.htm Any questions please E-mail me direct..." 73 Roberto Diaz EA4DX :-) Roberto's E-mail address is: rdiazg@nexo.es
S7, SEYCHELLES. Kurt, S79MX, announced that he has obtained special permission to operate on 80 meters. This is only for two weekends in February. The following days have been authorized: Friday, February 13th from 0000z through Sunday, February 15th 2400z and Friday, February 20th from 0000z through Sunday, February 22th 2400z. The frequency to be used will be 3508 kHz (+/-). Using only 100 watts, Kurt will maximize his presence on 80m during these time frames to give as many as possible a chance to work this rare 80m DX.
SLIM REPORTED. The 59(9) DXReport states that Mehdi, F5PFP, reports he has confirmed with French Radiocom Service that no license has been issued to the 16 person crew on the 1997/98 mission to St. Paul & Amsterdam Island. Therefore, FT5ZH is definitely Antarctic Slim!
T48, CUBA. Members of the No-Name Dx-Group (VE3ESE/Don, VE3NXB/Greg and VE3NQK/Gord), as well as many of the Santiago operators, will be operating as T48** (callsign not known yet) from Santiago de Cuba. Activity will be from February 27th through March 8th. Operations will include the CQ 160m Contest and the ARRL SSB DX contest. QSL via VE3ESE, with a SASE (CANADIAN POSTAGE ONLY) or SAE and a GREEN STAMP. All cards received via BUREAU, will be returned via BUREAU. Also, please check KWARC's web site at: http://www.kwarc.org Click on the special link, to see if your station was logged. Operators send out a special THANKS to the KITCHENER-WATERLOO AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, for their help and support.
TT, CHAD. Plenty of activity from this one! Eric, F5JKK, who was recently issued the call TT8JE, was heard on 17, 20 and 40 meters this past weekend. He expects to be there until March. QSL via F6FNU. Also, John, TT8JFC, was heard this past week on 20 meters (14213 kHz) from 2030 to 2330z. He was also heard on RTTY around 14082 kHz between 2330 and 0030z. QSL via WA4ZJB.
XU, CAMBODIA (Well this is an interesting one!). Harv, XU2FB, is now active as XUF2B (yep, this is not a typo!). He was heard on 20 meters signing this callsign. Also, according to the "DX News Sheet", Harv now has authorization for 30 meters and expects to be active on 80 meters soon with a new antenna. QSL via N4JR.
ZL7, CHATHAM ISLAND. It has been reported that Joe, YB1AQS, and a DL group (DL2OAP, DL3DXX, DL7UFN, DK1BT and DK7YY), will be active February 23rd to March 9th. They will use the callsign ZL7DK.
IMPORTANT NOTICE! Users of the online BARF-80 BBS (Home of the OPDX Bulletin) take note, the area code has change as of August 16th. The new 440 area code will replace the 216 area code. Currently both area codes can be used, but the 216 area code will be permanently replaced in April 1998. BARF-80 BBS online at 440-237-8208 28.8k-1200 Baud 8/N/1