IN a market where buyers and sellers circle one another warily — each certain that he or she is being taken advantage of, no matter what the conclusion of a deal — the asking price of a property is rarely a straightforward reflection of comparable values. While comparables may be a starting point, the price at which a seller offers a property is often also based on wishful thinking, propaganda and ploy.
Buyers, in turn, parry by deconstructing the price. They aim not merely to assess a dwelling's fair value but also to plumb a seller's bottom line and vulnerabilities. How a price tracks with similar properties, how large and hasty any reduction is, and even how parsed or rounded a number is — all these are grist for concluding, rightly or not, whether a price is firm, desperate or a sign of painful dealings to come.
Or even a sign of delusion.
Despite whispering advice like courtiers into the ear of a monarch, brokers say some sellers have delusions of grandeur, stemming from a failure to grasp that what they want for their home has nothing to do with what it's worth.
Even when the seller and broker reach an agreement on a home's value, it is often wise to adjust the asking price downward, and not just because buyers like bargains.
An equally compelling reason to fly low is to adhere to psychological "break points." These are dollar thresholds that buyers are most likely to select as the top amounts they are initially willing to spend or to use in Internet searches.
Major break points occur at $500,000, $1 million, $1.5 million and so forth. Smaller ones occur every $100,000 and then at every $20,000 or $25,000. So, for example, if the market value of an apartment is around $610,000, brokers generally advise sellers to round down to $600,000 so that the property lands within a buyer's budgetarily myopic field of vision.
Barbara Fox, the president of Fox Residential Group, suggests pricing a property slightly below a threshold but a little higher — say, 5 percent — than its market value. "Everybody likes to be able to negotiate a little bit," she said.
Some brokers reject the relatively common $99 or even 99-cent endings. They argue that marching to a more distinctive rhythm — like $487,500 instead of $499,000 — may not only sweep aside listing clutter but also telegraph that the asking price has been so carefully calculated as to be nonnegotiable, assuming that is the desired message.
A highly specific price reduction that follows a rounded original listing price may lead some buyers to more strongly infer nonnegotiability, which may or may not be the seller's intention. But affixing a truly oddball number can also send that message.
Jenna Ryan is a real estate Broker specializing in Frisco, Plano, McKinney & Allen Real Estate. She is a native Dallasite and lives in Frisco, TX. Call 972-510-9177 to arrange a tour of the area or to view the homes & property of your choice.
This entry was posted in DFW on April 24, 2018 by JennaRyan-Broker.
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Issue no. 128 26 April 2012
One of South Africa's top three production houses opens office in Los Angeles
Established in Cape Town, Film Afrika Worldwide is launching an office in Los Angeles to be headed up by CEO David Wicht. David started out as a writer and director and made Windprints with Sean Bean and John Hurt in 1990, so the move will allow him to focus more on developing original material with American partners. "In addition to facilitating productions shooting in South Africa, we will be developing original material with US partners for filming in South Africa," says David. Balancing Act looks at the potential impact of this move. Film Afrika has produced over 50 films and…
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Launch to Boost Nation-Naija Entertainment Ties
Nollywood superstars Patience Ozokwor and Desmond Elliot touchdown in Nairobi on Wednesday to grace the official launch of the new Africa Magic channels on DStv.The thespians are brand ambassadors for…
Searching for South Africa's first Masterchef
The TV programme you can expect to hear everyone talking about for the next few months is the inaugural series of Masterchef SA. Rebecca Davis spoke to director Donald Clarke.If…
SES-4 satellite is now fully operational
Start of April, SES S.A. announced that the SES-4 satellite is now fully operational and ready for service at the orbital location of 338 degrees East. SES-4 was successfully launched…
Africast 2012 To Focus On Broadcast Content
The 9th edition of the biennial conference of Africa broadcasters, Africast will focus on issues relating to content. The event is billed to provide a networking environment for providers, distributors…
Broadcast - In Brief
- Just a few months after celebrating its 13th anniversary and moving into its state-of-the-art studios in Naguru – which also coincided with the switch from analog to digital broadcasting…
Ghana's New Movie: 'The Azonto Boys' Coming Soon!
Comedy in Ghana just got finer as one of the craziest and most creative movie production houses in Africa, 'Talents United' brings you 'Azonto Boys', a film written and directed…
Two new independent films court African American ticket buyers
Movies aimed at African American moviegoers are typically the province of bigger-budget comedies and dramas — the kinds of stories told by Tyler Perry or produced by Screen Gems. But…
NYC: Film festival turns lens to African homeland
The 19th New York African Film Festival kicks off Wednesday, with a wide selection of films exploring ideas of home and homeland. Guest host Viviana Hurtado speaks with the festival's…
AMAA: South African film director Charlie Vundla crowned
South African Charlie Vundla scooped Best Director and his debut, film noir thriller How 2 Steal 2 Million, was named Best Film at the eight Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA),…
Content - In Brief
Death Metal Angola is an upcoming documentary directed by Jeremy Xido. The film takes a look at the development of a rock subculture in Angola. Director: Jeremy Xido / Cinematographer:…
THEMA supplies 47 ethnic TV channels to Virgin France
THEMA *, which specializes in the distribution of ethnic TV channels, is pleased to announce an agreement with Virgin France for the distribution of 47 channels. Within the framework of…
Namibia: NBC misses Television licence collection target
A campaign to get more Namibians to pay their television licences has led to the NBC collecting N$15.9 million in licence fees last year, 16 per cent more than it…
Distribution - In Brief
- Orange and Canal+ Africa -present in 20 countries across Africa- have signed an agreement by which Canal+ subscribers in Africa will be able to use Orange Money to renew…
Technology & Convergence
South Africa: Digital TV set-top box draft spec unpacked
After years of rigorous debate, the SA Bureau of Standards (SABS) has finally issued the final draft minimum standard for the set-top box decoders that will be used to receive…
Egypt: Internet radio powers on after Arab Spring
When an Egyptian court fined former president Hosni Mubarak and two aides a total of 90 million dollars for cutting mobile and Internet services during protests that led to his…
Technology & Convergence - In Brief
- Between 2010 and 2013, investors will spend more on submarine cable systems in Africa than anywhere else in the world, a new report from TeleGeography shows. Investors are expected…
Somaliland Police arrest, detain journalist
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is deeply concerned about the increased attacks against journalists in northern region following the arrest of TV journalist in Las Anod town of…
Tunisia: Persepolis trial spotlights attacks on freedom of expression
Charges against a TV boss who screened the French film Persepolis should be dropped by the Tunisian authorities, Amnesty International said ahead of the resumption of his trial.The trial of…
Regulation & Policy - In Brief
- Police in Monrovia have announced the arrest and probe of a Sky FM/Television staff Lawrence Cole, 31, along with two other suspects - Boimah Kamara and Janet Ahullo for…
Africa: Goodbye M-Net Africa, Hello…
As part of part of M-Net exciting plans for the expansion of the popular AfricaMagic channels, MultiChoice wishes to advise DStv subscribers that M-Net Africa (Channel 102) will be swapped…
GoTV, a contender to digital TV across Africa
In the bruising roller-coaster ride to digital migration in Kenya and across Africa, Multichoice may well have established first-mover advantage with the introduction of its GoTV service that is currently…
Investment - In Brief
- Visual Unity system integrator and multi-screen platform provider has entered into a joint venture with Telemedia Africa to establish Visual Unity Africa. The company, based in Nairobi, offers system…
- Ghana: Nadia Buari and Bimbo Manuel Dazzle in 'Heroes and Zeros'One of the finest faces ever to have made it out of the Gold Coast, Nadia Buari has added…
- More local content: Namibia and Zimbabwe sign broadcast MoUContent development - covering news, current affairs and culture – and knowledge exchange is to form the basis of a new…
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Endeavour ends her flying days after stunning farewell tour
by Chris Bergin September 21, 2012
written by Chris Bergin September 21, 2012
Space Shuttle Endeavour arrived in Los Angeles on Friday, following a stunning cross country tour that honored her service and left untold thousands in awe of the orbiter's magnificence. The baby of the fleet completed her final leg, taking in some of California's most famous landmarks, prior to touching down for the final time at LAX.
Endeavour's Farewell:
The final leg saw the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) take the long taxi out of Dryden Flight Research Center, before taking off on what would become the last ever time an orbiter would be seen in the air.
Saluting Dryden and the Edwards Air Force Base, SCA Captain Jeff Moultrie continued to show his impressive piloting skills, looping over the expansive backdrop of military buildings and wind farms, before heading out into the distance over the mountains.
While the orbiter's farewell to the facility – a place that had a proud history in hosting numerous shuttle landings – was an impressive sight, nothing could prepare those following for what was to come, as the SCA powered towards the Bay Area.
With NASA TV unable to cover the vast array of flyover locations, local TV stations picked up the baton, following Endeavour's path over key cities and landmarks, providing amazing footage of the unique sight of a space shuttle orbiter piggybacking on a 747 for low altitude passes of Californian cities.
Endeavour Forum Section
L2 T&R Section
Although it has been often-argued Houston – the home of Mission Control – deserved to be the retirement location for one of the retired orbiters, California stepped up to the plate on Friday, with thousands of people lining office block roofs, school yards and park areas.
And while there was always the "fear" a political official would be quick to draw attention away from the sadness of shuttle retirement, in order to focus on the future, random members of the Californian public managed to find the correct balance, ranging from first-time shuttle viewers proclaiming how beautiful Endeavour looked, to others – notably children – saying the sight was inspiring and that they now wanted to become an astronaut.
*Refer to the Live play-by-play Coverage Area with over 1,600 images of the tour – Click Here*
The word "bitter-sweet" was somewhat overused by TV commentators during their coverage. However, the tone of the event became one of celebration, not just of Endeavour, but of the entire space program, and even the United States – as a spontaneous "U-S-A" chant broke out from the crowd during Endeavour's ride into San Francisco.
The City by the Bay provided what was always expected to be a special backdrop, and it didn't disappoint, as the SCA carried Endeavour on two passes of the Golden Gate bridge, accompanied by the sound of a roaring crowd and a near-overload on twitter as people rushed to post photos of the iconic sight.
A salute to NASA Ames and NASA JPL followed, notably responded to with photos of the SpaceX workforce standing on the roof and in the car lot of their Hawthorne facility, looking up in awe at the vehicle they are tasked with playing a role in partially replacing, at least from the standpoint of keeping the International Space Station operational.
Click here for additional T&R Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/tr/
By now, Endeavour was in Los Angeles, the city's latest famous resident as one newscaster put it.
However, before landing, the SCA provided Endeavour with a bird's eye tour of her new home, riding over the skyscrapers in downtown, over the famous Hollywood sign, above the Queen Mary and again over school yards packed with screaming youngsters who were probably seeing an orbiter in the air for the first – and last – time.
Then came the time for the SCA to bring Endeavour back to terra firma, where she will spend the remainder of her days, as the duo landed in front of a vast amount of media at LAX.
Taxiing off the runway, and with an American flag waved from the flight deck of the SCA, the duo came to a stop in front of a large crowd of guests, next to the assortment of cranes that will lift the orbiter on to the tarmac.
A large amount of work was required to evaluate how to help her egress the modified 747, initially providing a template for Discovery's removal from the SCA at Dulles Airport, ahead of her retirement trip to the Smithsonian, and followed up by New York's receipt of Enterprise.
This planning was conducted under the guidance of the Management Integration & Planning T&R (Transition and Retirement) Readiness Reviews, which utilized on-site procedures with all the museums set to receive an orbiter. Simulations were also conducted at the SLF last year.
"The fly away kit is a wind restraint system for use with portable cranes and the 743 sling when demating the Orbiter from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft at a location that does not have a Mate Demate Device (MDD)," added the T&R notes ahead of the Ferry trips (L2).
"This is the setup that will be used when the Orbiters are ferried for delivery to the museum locations. No flight hardware, SCA, or mockups were involved in this test. The Fly away kit demonstration was completed with two successful lift cycles."
The process is elaborate, as shown in a Transition and Retirement presentation (acquired by L2 LINK), with cranes already staged next to the United Airlines hanger by the time the SCA and Endeavour landed at LAX.
Once removed from the SCA, Endeavour will take up residence in the United hanger, prior to being lifted on to a large flatbed truck for the road journey to the California Science Center (CSC).
To read about the orbiters – from birth, processing, every single mission, through to retirement, click here for the links:
(Images: Via CBS 2, CBS 5, ABC 7, L2 and NASA)
(L2 and NSF are continuing to follow the orbiters through to their retirement. To join L2, click here: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/)
EndeavourSCAT&R
SpaceX set October 7 for Dragon's opening CRS mission to the ISS
Capture the Flag: Endeavour leaves her mark during Texas stay


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Measuring cups, spoons, spatulas and more tools that help you make the best products possible.
You'll also find quality butcher papers, foil and plastic wrap, pizza circles, straws, stirrers and other products that will help you run your foodservice business smoothly and keep your customers satisfied.


In a sense, Connecticut has been a part of the global economy since the first Native American bartered the first beaver pelt to the first visiting European fur trader. The Connecticut colony was settled as part of Britain's colonial empire; it fought a revolution in large part over issues of international trade. Connecticut reached its industrial acme in the 20th century as a global exporter of manufactured products.
But the past couple of decades have seen the emergence of a new global economy very different from that of the past. Today's globalization is not primarily about trading goods and services between countries. Rather, it is about corporations and money moving around the world with less and less restriction. And that is having a profound influence on us here in Connecticut.
I first became aware of this new form of globalization 20 years ago while working on a study of brass workers in Connecticut's rapidly de-industrializing Naugatuck Valley. One of my collaborators said we needed to discuss the impact of the global economy on the then collapsing brass industry. I said that was ridiculous- we were doing a local project, and the global economy was completely irrelevant.
Gradually, I realized how wrong I was. Many of our local brass companies had actually become subsidiaries of global corporations. (American Brass Co., for example, became a subsidiary of Atlantic Richfield.) They bought these local companies, then milked them, downsized them, and sold or closed them. Factories in which local people had invested their labor for generations had become little more than number on distant computers.
My education was further advanced by a neighbor who had worked for many years in a manufacturing company. She told me that the company had built a plant in Mexico, then used its Mexican plant to put pressure on its remaining workers in Connecticut. It replaced regular workers with temporary ones; put unlimited demand son managers and senior workers it retained; allowed health and safety problems to proliferate; and let quality deteriorate. Workers were afraid to even talk about what was happening because the company constantly threatened to move the remaining jobs to Mexico.
Between 1989 and 1999, Connecticut lost more than 116,000 goods-producing jobs. The losses continue despite today's apparent boom. Just from December 1998 to December 1999, Connecticut lost 6,300 manufacturing jobs because of cutbacks at Electric Boat, Sikorsky Aircraft, Hamilton Sundstrand and Stanley Works and reorganized at Pratt & Whitney.
But job mobility is not just a question of factory workers. Insurance companies, Connecticut's among them, have shifted large amounts of their work via satellite hookup to Ireland, Barbados, India and other low-wage countries. This has helped make possible the massive mergers and downsizings that have decimated Connecticut's insurance work force.
More mysterious than the global movement of jobs is the global movement of money. I learned something about this in the early 1990's, when I was helping draw up legislature to aid economic development in Connecticut's poor cities. That was the time of frenzied excitement about "emerging markets" in the Third World. Speculative investment was surging into countries such as Indonesia and Thailand (soon to be the center of the Asian economic collapse).
At the same time, Connecticut found that small businesses were going under in its cities because banks and other investors were pulling their money out of local investment and sending it to the emerging markets.
The result was Connecticut's memorable "credit crunch." Shrinking and closing businesses meant fewer jobs, reduced tax rolls and deteriorating communities.
Now, of course, money is pouring into the United States, including parts of Connecticut, form all over the world. The stock market boom has helped generate a boom in Fairfield County.
But who is to say that this is not just one more speculative "bubble economy," subject to international capital, flows that we now know can go in both directions?
Although the proponents of today's globalization maintain that it is raising all boats, that has not been Connecticut's experience. From the late 1980's, the real income of families in Connecticut's bottom fifth fell by 26 percent- a loss of $6,160 per year per family. The real income of the next-to-bottom fifth declined by 17 percent, a loss of $7,505 per family.
Indeed, as Connecticut's economy supposedly boomed, 60 percent of the state's families experienced declining real incomes. Some 40,000 more Connecticut children live in poverty today than in 1989. Meanwhile, the real income of the top fifth of families increased by $26,140- more than the entire income of the bottom fifth.
Unfortunately, the same mobility of corporations and money is affecting people all over the world. Global competition not only pits workers in the United States against workers in Mexico; it pits workers in Bangladesh against those in China. Only a small, wealthy minority reap the benefits. (The net worth of the world's 200 richest people increased from $440 billion in 1994 to more than $1 trillion in 1998, while the number of people living on less than $1 dollar a day increased sharply.) The results have been protested from Seattle to Prague.
Connecticut has been part of a global economy for more than 400 years. No doubt it will continue so for a long time. That's all the more reason to ask the question: What kind of global economy do we want?


text:
Q: Characterization of quasi-convexity.
Conjecture. Given a function $f:\Bbb R \to \Bbb R$ there exists a strictly increasing continuous function $\phi:\Bbb R \to \Bbb R$ (called transformation) such that the function $\phi \circ f$ is convex iff

*

*$f$ is quasi-convex;

*$f$ is continuous;

*(regularity) both $f$ and $x\mapsto f(-x)$ satisfy: for any points $x_1,x_2\in \Bbb R$ that are not in the interior of $\arg\min f$ and that $f(x_1)=f(x_2)$, if $\partial_- f(x_1)=0$, then
$$
  \lim_{\varepsilon \searrow 0} \frac{f(x_2+\varepsilon)-f(x_2)}{f(x_1-\varepsilon)-f(x_1)} \in (0,\infty).
$$

I recently discovered that the conjecture does not hold with the "regularity" assumption: Can every quasi-convex function be represented as a monotone transformation of some convex function? Is the regularity indeed sufficient to make a quasi-convex function representable using a transformation $\phi$ and a convex function?

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This Dairy-Free Milk Packs Just As Much Protein As the Regular Stuff
Here's how the most popular plant-based milks stack up against cow's milk
By Alisa Hrustic
Cow's milk is full of amazing nutrients: The childhood favorite boasts a healthy dose of protein, calcium, and vitamin D in one 8-ounce glass, all for a small price of roughly 150 calories.
Yet sales of non-dairy milk have surged by 61 percent since 2012, according to research from Mintel. One in five Americans say they're consuming less dairy for health reasons, the report found. For instance, if you have a hard time digesting lactose or believe that dairy products might trigger your acne, you might be better off trying a dairy alternative.
But when you break down the nutrition facts, dairy-free milks have a hard time competing with traditional cow's milk, mainly due to their difference in protein.
And with all the plant-based milks on the market, how do you choose the best one? That's what researchers from McGill University wanted to find out. In their recent review published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology, they compared the pros and cons of a 240-milliliter serving (about one 8-ounce glass) of unsweetened soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk, and almond milk.
They found that soy milk came out on top. That's because soy milk packs in the most protein of the non-dairy bunch, coming in at 8 grams (roughly the same as cow's milk) for only 95 calories on average. What's more, soy milk contains isoflavones, a plant compound that may fight the growth of cancer cells, the researchers say.
Phytoestrogens (the family of plant-based hormones that isoflavones belong to) have also been linked to a dip in testosterone when you down too much — but before you freak out, know that up to four servings a day isn't a big deal, Men's Health nutrition advisor Alan Aragaon, M.S. explained to us previously.
The downside? Soy milk has a "beany" flavor that may be a turn off to some people, the researchers say. Plus, soy is one of the most common food allergens, especially in kids.
Here's how the three other milks studied fared in comparison.
Pros: Almond milk is low in calories (about 35 calories per average serving), has a great taste, and contains monounsaturated fatty acids, making it a great option if you're looking to lose weight, according to the review.
Cons: Almond milk contains very little protein, coming in at just 1 gram per serving.
Pros: Coconut milk tastes very sweet and offers very few calories at just 45 per average serving.
Cons: Coconut milk contains no protein and most of its calories come from fat.
Pro: Rice milk is a great option if you're allergic to soy, dairy, or nuts and has a similar amount of calories compared to cow's milk.
Con: Rice milk contains just 1 gram of protein per serving and contains more sugar than cow's milk.
Alisa Hrustic Senior Editor, Prevention.com Alisa Hrustic has spent her entire career interviewing top medical experts, interpreting peer-reviewed studies, and reporting on health, nutrition, weight loss, and fitness trends for outlets like Women's Health and Men's Health, where she both interned and worked full-time.
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Tag: soccer preview
Juventus vs Monaco ( Tue 09 19:45 )
The end is near for Monaco, as hopes dwindle for the chance for the Champions League. Hats off to Monaco, as they're the first French team in the semi-finals in 7 years, but winning the trophy has not been accomplished by France since 1993. The first leg ended 0-2 to Juve so Monaco has to score at least three times at San Siro. Might as well pack your bags and call it a night as the last time that happened was the 3rd of November 2012 against a legendary Inter Milan side. But yet again, I reiterate, Monaco is the best-attacking side in the world as of now. Expect a do-or-die attitude from the away side on Tuesday, with a good chance of ending up a high scoring game.
Boca Juniors vs River Plate ( Sat 13 22:00 )
There is only a handful of times where 22 men kicking a ball around for an hour and a half can bring a city to a grinding halt. Milan, Glasgow, Rome, Cairo and Buenos Aires. To some football is a religion but in this case, Scientology is a more accurate description, because they are as crazy and hardcore as fans come (in a good way).
Derby day in Buenos Aires makes the Old Firm game look like a primary school kick-about
– The Guardian
Usually when your dishing out nicknames, its creative, like the Red Devils or the Gunners. These guys don't hold back. River Plate is known as Las Gallinas for choking throughout the years. Pretty tame to be honest. In an act of vengeance, Boca Juniors are known as Los Bosteros, which roughly translates to livestock faeces or crap dwellers. Literally shits and giggles with these guys. There have been some truly blockbuster level games over the years, with 5 players sent off in the game last year. Buenos Aires has been an incubator for great talent over the years, needless to say, it's worth staying up late for this one.
Tottenham vs Manchester United ( Sun 14 16:30 )
Oh, how the tables have turned, literally. Five years ago you would've seen Manchester United chasing for the title and Tottenham hoping to get into the champions league. The sad thing for Tottenham fans is that even though they're playing the best football I've seen in my lifetime; there is no silverware – probably – to show for it. Their opponents are in the semi-finals of the Europa league. Even their rivals Arsenal, as bad as their season has been, is in an FA cup final. The psychological value of physically holding that trophy is one which is invaluable for a player, justifying the hard work they put in. More of a long term consideration for Spurs players. The current situation at Old Trafford could be the plot points of the next A Series of Unfortunate Events novel. Rashford and Young limped off the field on Thursday, joining Ibrahimovic, Shaw, Rojo and Mensah on the sidelines, as Bailly and Smalling continue recovery. This late in the season, games like this make or break it.
Side note: This was written before Arsenal played Manchester United.
Real Madrid vs Sevilla ( Sun 14 19:00 )
Real Madrid is one of the best teams in the world. According to the UEFA coefficient, they are THE best team, followed by Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Juventus (in that order). However the last time Los Blancos won La Liga was 5 years ago, while the others won their leagues 1, 1, 3 and 1 year ago respectively. If Real Madrid wins their two games in hand they will win the league. Real Madrid has Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Malaga left to play. Sevilla is undoubtedly the toughest opponents, as Los Blancos have won, drawn and lost with Sevilla this year already. Madrid can't afford a loss, and neither can Sevilla. The away side is chasing their own hopes of champions league, holding onto the last qualifiers spot. Losing this game could shrink the gap to 3 point cliff with a game to go. If past visits are anything to go by, this is going to be an eventful game. And one Sergio Ramos will be at the centre of it, probably.
Games I would have written about but was too lazy:
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid ( Wed 10 19:54 )
Manchester United vs Celta Vigo ( Thu 11 20:05 )
Lyon vs Ajax ( Thu 11 20:05 )
RasenBallsport Leipzig vs Bayern Munich ( Sat 13 14:30 )
Atalanta vs AC Milan ( Sat 13 19:45 )
Crystal Palace vs Hull ( Sun 14 12:00 )
Roma vs Juventus ( Sun 14 19:45 )
May 7, 2017 May 10, 2017 by Anirudh Suresh Categories: SportTags: argentina, atalanta vs ac milan, atletico madrid, atletico madrid vs real madrid, boca juniors vs river plate, Bundesliga, Champions league, champions league semi finals, crystal palace vs hull, England, english football, Entertainment, Europa League, europa league semi finals, europe, european football, Football, football preview, football teams, funny, german football, germany, hotspurs, italian football, italy, juve, juventus, La Liga, leipzig vs bayern munich, lyon vs ajax, madrid derby, man utd, man utd vs celta vigo, Premier league, Preview, real madrid, real madrid vs sevilla, roma, roma vs juventus, scouting for fixtures, second leg, Serie A, sevilla, soccer preview, spanish football, Sport, sport preview, spurs, tottenham, tottenham vs man utd, world football	Leave a comment
Scouting for Fixtures: Apr 03 – Apr 09
Coppa Italia Semi-Finals:
Roma vs Lazio ( Tue 04 19:45 ) Napoli vs Juventus ( Wed 05 19:45 )
The commentary alone paints a picture. Breaking the mic with screams of joy; hearing a real life Italian man, with genuine angst in his voice shout 'Mama Mia!' is one of the best compliments one could receive, and the Roman derby deserves it. Lazio came into this game, yet to beat their rivals since 2013. Roma is also playing their best football in recent years, currently 2nd place and with a mountain [63] of goals. So when Lazio won 2-0 it was time to crack out the beers, and the bald eagle, of course. Take a leaf out of Quentin's book, there were many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, shots. There should be no reason to expect any different in the 2nd leg.
The Nazzuri may felt the same way Lampard felt when his goal was disallowed, Ireland failed to qualify for the world cup or lamenting the fact you got a C for the fifth time even though you spent hours revising before hand. Underserved is what I'm saying, going the long and scornful way around it. So Juventus scored 3 goals. The first one was a penalty that well, it's tenuous calling it a foul. The second goal you can have no complaints, no one else is to blame but the goalkeeper who ran towards the ball like a moth to a flame. The third goal (2nd penalty) was unquestionably wrong, as Reina made contact with the ball before the player. So a game that ended 3-1 could've ended 1-1 will all to play for. But if any team could turn it around it would be the top goal scorers in Italy.
Barcelona vs Sevilla ( Wed 05 18:30 )
Maybe Sampaoli saw a litter of black cats, or the team were possessed by the spirit of Goofy the klutz. The players have their part to play, but the quick succession and nature of defeats is a tad cruel. After 25 games were played, Sevilla had 55 points, only 2 behind 2nd place Barcelona. Following that game was a draw to Alaves – who they should be beating – and a draw to Osasuna – who were on a 7 game losing streak. Following that they lost to Atletico, reducing the gap between Sevilla and 4th place to 2 points. As La Liga only has 3 champions league places, Sevilla's prerogative went from challenging Barca to see out 3rd place*. The gap between Barcelona extended to 6 points, as they look to win a La Liga trophy. To compound the misery, Sevilla exited the champions league is extraordinary circumstances. Barca returns to the Nou Camp with a very well rested Messi, not only banned internationally but domestically too, due to a build up of yellow cards so missed last weeks game.
*3rd place is an achievement. But, no one remembers Tottenham's last season as a team who won a champions league place for the first time in 4 seasons, they remember them as the side who finished 3rd in a 2-horse race. Granted those were more extreme circumstances, but they were both let downs unless Sevilla can prove me wrong with the 10 games they have left.
Chelsea vs Manchester City ( Wed 05 20:00 )
We can't fault him. Guardiola, the man who came with high, if not impossible expectations will probably run out the last quarter of the season seeing out a champions league place. He tried everything. Various systems, formations, players changing position, even banning wifi during training and instigating communal meals. Drawing with Liverpool at home and then calling it 'one of the proudest days of my coaching career' is a tad bit pathetic, but bless him, his heart is in the right place. Now he's left with a roided up attack with a flimsy base. That flimsy base has to face Chelsea. Oh and we all saw what happened the last time. A WWE approach was adopted towards the end of the last match as Fernandinho attempted (but failed) the Undertakers chokeslam, resulting in 2 red cards. Can't expect anything less than another end-to-end game here.
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid ( Sat 08 15:15 )
If you don't win today, I'll stick a f**king family-sized bottle of Coke up my arse.
Forget tactics, it's Real Madrid. Get out there and stick it up their arses! – Luis Aragones, former Atleti manager
You may think the man above it crazy, but it's a build up of frustration and misplaced (literally) rage that comes with following a club defined by their losses for the longest time. That was the before Simeone era. Now we are into the after Simeone era filled with world class defenders, trophies ( well only 2) and new hope. Still, Los Blancos have an air of superiority over their rivals, and Simeone's men will require a tremendous amount of restraint not to kick the lights out of their opposition players.
Hoffenheim vs Bayern Munich ( Tue 04 19:00 )
FC Cologne vs Eintracht Frankfurt ( Tue 04 19:00 )
Villarreal vs Athletic Club ( Fri 07 19:45 )
Universidad de Chile vs Colo Colo ( Sat 08 16:00 )
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund ( Sat 08 17:30 )
Lazio vs Napoli ( Sun 09 19:45 )
April 2, 2017 April 8, 2017 by Anirudh Suresh Categories: Bundesliga, England, Football, La Liga, Premier league, Preview, soccer, Sport, UncategorizedTags: atletico madrid, barca, barcelona, barcelona vs sevilla, bayern munich, bayern munich vs dortmund, Bundesliga, calcio a, chelsea, chelsea vs man city, chile, chilean football, coppa italia, England, Entertainment, europe, european football, fc cologne vs eintracht frankfurt, Football, football preview, funny, germany, hoffenheim, hoffenheim vs bayern munich, italian football, italy, La Liga, lazio, lazio vs napoli, madrid derby, man city, manchester city, napoli vs juventus, Premier league, Preview, real madrid, real madrid vs atletico madrid, roma, roma vs lazio, roman derby, scouting for fixtures, Serie A, sevilla, soccer, soccer preview, spain, spanish football, Sport, universidad de chile vs colo colo, villarreal vs athletic bilbao, world football	Leave a comment
Scouting for Fixtures: Feb 06 – Feb 12
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid ( Tue 07 20:00 )
Atleti looks – not to beat the cliche to death – like a shadow of their former self. Compared to this time last season, they've actually scored 4 more goals but doubled down on conceding, with 8 more than last season (twice the amount). Oh my god, 16 goals conceded in 20 games! That only makes them what, only the 6th best defence in the Europe?! That stat would look complementary for most other teams, but by the insanely high standards they set themselves, Atleti is slipping. To compound the pressure, they have one of the best attacking line-ups in the world they now have to face, again, away from home. This is the second leg of a tie already not in their favour. I feel by explaining the last leg a bit more illustrates just how big the mountain Atleti have to climb is. Suarez scored first at 6′. So he starts just behind the halfway line with 4 Atleti players in front of him; with his first touch he bypasses Godin, the second goes past Savic (by now he's at the edge of the box) and the third touch puts the ball past the keeper, scoring an incredible solo goal. He's running at such an immense speed from running the half of the pitch he needs to put his arms out, acting as a parachute would for drag racing, so as to not crash into the advertising board. Amazing. The second is scored by Messi at 32′. A ball played to him from the edge of the box, what do you do? Of course, you rocket it in, curling away from the keeper (and goal) and bounce off the opposite post and nestle it into the net. 2-0, game over. Yes ok, Atleti scored 1 goal but that is beside the point. Point being, both of those goals were unstoppable. It didn't matter if you had 11 of the best players in the world or 100 Brazilian kids in the 62-15-23 formation, those goals were fixed points in time, they were always going in. That's the danger Atleti face, the chance that regardless of how well they play, there is a chance Suarez, Neymar or Messi could pull it out the bag at any given moment. Also, Atletico Madrid has to go for the win. Conceding 2 away goals means needing to score twice without response from Barca to ensure they go through.
Liverpool vs Tottenham ( Sat 11 17:30 )
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now felt like an accurate gauge of the mood.
That quote was in reference to Anfield, after beating Manchester City 1-0 on new years eve and winning 4 in a row, excited in all the possibilities 2017 had to offer. Fast forward to today, Anfield feels Kafkaesque, with Mad World by Gary Jules ringing through the speakers. The phrase wank wank wank wank* isn't thrown about too often, but it sums up the state of things when referenced by The RedMen TV after losing 2-0 to Hull. I don't remember a worse start to a year for Liverpool, ever. 36 days in, 10 games played, 5 losses, 4 draws, but 1 win. The 1 win was against League 2 side Plymouth in the 2nd leg of an FA cup tie and ended 0-1, but a win is a win. Even still, Liverpool has a good chance of winning. Stats wise anyway. The last 6 games, Liverpool have not lost a single one. That's about everything I could find in favour of Liverpool. That, and the fact their playing in Anfield. So Spurs are the closest thing to overthrowing Chelsea right now, 9 points behind the league leaders despite winning 7 of their last 9 Premier League fixtures. Both defences will be tested on Saturday, as Tottenham and Liverpool are 1st and 2nd in shots per game respectively, with 17.6 and 17.1. Couple that with the stat of Tottenham averaging the lowest interceptions per game respectively (11 and 8.4), this could be a high scoring game. While Tottenham can rely on their sound defensive record (best in the league), Liverpool defenders could recontextualise recent events to cope:
Liverpool are staying true to their socialist roots. Distributing points to clubs who needs them the most. Good on us.
— Liverpool FC 360 (@LFC_360) February 4, 2017
*Trust me. It's not what it seems like. The link is safe to click. Trust. Me.
Osasuna vs Real Madrid ( Sat 11 19:45 )
If we're sticking to the music analogy, Minas Morgul is definitely playing through the El Sadar (Osasuna home) stadium speakers as you catch glimpse of the Real Madrid side marching in the distance*. Ironically, Osasuna means health but if you were to personify the club, they would have osteoporosis. I'm definitely being too mean, but when you have the 2nd worst defence in the league, the worst home record in La Liga (haven't even won a home game yet, after 11 games) and only won 1 league game all season, the home side look out of their league, literally and figuratively. It's commendable how they climbed the third tier, nicknamed the well, in Christian Bale Dark Knight fashion. But when Phill Ball describes the off-the-pitch issues on sport360 as:
they are under investigation for match-fixing during last season's unsuccessful attempt to avoid relegation, have an ex-president and ex-director recently released from prison on bail, and financial problems popping up like poisonous mushrooms
sympathy is hard to come by. Then the realisation that Real Madrid is playing begins to contextualise why I picked this game. I am all for competitive unpredictable football, but there is a certain joy that comes with watching a side completely rip apart their opposition (again, sorry Osasuna fans). Los Blancos are top of the table with 2 games in hand, with 51 goals all season, ranked #4 in goals per game. Recent history between the two sides also points to a high scoring game, averaging 3.8 goals per game. Good luck.
*If you don't get that reference, as a ginger wizard once said, she needs to sort out her priorities*2.
*2 If you didn't get that one either, you're beyond help.
Feel like I missed out any matches or want to give any feedback? Comment Below!
WhoScored
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/dec/31/liverpool-manchester-city-premier-league-match-report
http://sport360.com/article/football/la-liga/205995/phil-ball-christmas-pickle-or-plight-for-la-liga-clubs-as-we-take-stock-at-the-winter-break/
https://scoutingforfixtures.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/the-most-entertaining-football-teams-statistically-ranked/
February 5, 2017 February 5, 2017 by Anirudh Suresh Categories: 2017, soccer, Sport, UncategorizedTags: barca, barcelona vs atletico madrid, Best Football, copa del rey, England, english football, Entertainment, europe, european football, Football, football preview, football teams, funny, La Liga, Liverpool vs Tottenham, osasuna vs real madrid, Premier league, Preview, real madrid, scouting for fixtures, soccer, soccer preview, soccer teams, spain, spanish football, Sport, sport preview, world football	Leave a comment
Scouting for Fixtures: Jan 30 – Feb 05
Liverpool vs Chelsea ( Tue 31 20:00 )
If you're a Chelsea fan you must be on cloud 9 considering you were the biggest laughing stock of last season. The rest of us are worried. We all know full well that a few more points to Chelsea's considerable lead mark the beginning of the end of Arsenal's, Tottenham's, Liverpool's, Manchester City's and – let's be inclusive – even Manchester United's title race. If I had to pick the team most likely to beat Chelsea, it would be Liverpool. Why? Mainly because:
1. They are the only side to beat Chelsea at Stanford Bridge so far
2. Liverpool has the best record of playing the top 6 sides
3. Chelsea have yet to beat Liverpool since Jurgen Klopp became Liverpool manager
But looking at their seasons overall, Liverpool have been slipping (no pun intended*) where Chelsea remain on firm footing. Now I attempt to explore what is believed to be the most elusive aspect of a footballer… the brain. Instead of the analytical, logical left brain, the focus is on the emotion-centred right brain. Now I make a clear distinction between self-help faff and science when I say positivity is a precursor to success. Costa may have had his falling out but overall it's smiles all round at Stanford Bridge, outlined by Thibaut Courtois recently stating 'I have never felt so good since I arrived in Chelsea','There's a good atmosphere in the group. Lots of jokes and banter but we work hard and enjoy it.' On top of that Antonio Conte 'spent the evening getting to know the relatives of his players.' How can that not put a smile on your face if you're a Chelsea player? Looking to the home side, it wouldn't surprise me if Klopp injected dopamine in his bloodstream by the buckets, but his side is struggling to find the same mentality.The Guardian reported Klopp stating 'The feeling around the club is not quite as positive as it was, and it's our job to bring that positivity back.' Are these tenuous links? Of course, they are, as I am not a psychologist and this more is an obscure type of analysis not common in the mainstream, not to mention I don't know the inner workings of these 2 clubs. But when you have 2 sides as good as Liverpool and Chelsea, it is the difference in mentality that can determine the share of the points.
*I lied.
Chelsea vs Arsenal ( Sat 04 12:30 )
In an otherwise simple Super-Sunday match between 2 premier league heavyweights has been overcomplicated by a fixture list. The task of planning a year of football is taken for granted; they have to juggle the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup in conjunction with the Champions League, Europa League and any international tournament that year.'They think names go into a hat and it's almost like a draw.' says, the officer of football league fixtures Paul Snellgrove, but that's what it feels like for Arsenal. The Gunners played Southampton on the 28th of January, 3 days later they face Watford in the league and 4 days later they travel to Stanford Bridge. You could say that it evens out to an extent, as Chelsea would have played Liverpool only 4 days prior to this game. Hopefully, the packed fixture list is not going to infringe on the quality of football we expect from these two sides. As for any scenarios of consequence, there are too many variables to give you anything with substance. It depends on Chelsea's result against Liverpool and if Arsenal can keep winning games that on paper they should be. For a neutral, if Arsenal could hold back Chelsea from collecting 3 more points, may keep the competition for the Premier League title alive, barely. But I, nor anyone, can call with any certainty whether that will happen because Arsenal remains – to their advantage, or to their detriment – unpredictable.
Monaco vs Nice ( Sat 04 16:00 )
We have only just crossed the halfway point of the Ligue 1 season, but at 21 games in, it looks like these two are the frontrunners (along with PSG) for the French title. For Nice especially, this is a long time coming. The last time they won a Ligue 1 title was all the way back in 1959. The idea of Nice breaking does not look promising, even though they are 2nd. 3 game weeks ago Nice was 1st, 4 points ahead of Monaco. Now, Nice have been superseded by Monaco who edges them by 2 points. While the away side maintain their status of being the best defence in the league (conceded 14 goals all season), they have only won 1 of their last 6 games in all competitions. This is in part, due to their huge stack of injuries, 11 out in total. You also have to account that Nice play a 3 back defence, with wingbacks who need to be at their physical prime to carry out their defensive and offensive responsibilities. To exacerbate issues, they play Monaco, who look like they can score goals at will. The diametrically opposing approaches of these 2 clubs stand out most in this stat: Monaco spends the most time of any team in the league in their opposition third (32%) and the least amount of time in their own third (24%). Nice spend the most amount of time of any team in the league, in their own third ( 31%) and the least amount of time in the opposition third (19%). While Monaco's stat looks more productive than Nice, it really isn't. Both teams are neck and neck, and on Saturday we will see the best French attack against the best French defence.
Other Mentions:
Inter Milan vs Lazio ( Tue 31 19:45 )
Marseille vs Lyon ( Tue 31 20:05 )
Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City FC ( Sat 04 08:50 )
Bayern Munich vs Schalke 04 ( Sat 04 14:30 )
Barcelona vs Athletic Club ( Sat 04 15:15 )
Borussia Dortmund vs RasenBallsport Leipzig ( Sat 04 17:30 )
FC Porto vs Sporting Club Portugal ( Sat 04 20:30 )
Juventus vs Inter Milan ( Sun 05 19:45 )
https://hbr.org/2012/01/positive-intelligence
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/diego-costa-left-out-of-chelsea-squad-to-face-leicester-city-after-furious-row-with-antonio-conte-a7526816.html
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11668/10740724/thibaut-courtois-loving-life-at-chelsea-and-not-interested-in-move-to-china
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/747781/Chelsea-Antonio-Conte-Christmas-Premier-League
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jan/23/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-southampton-efl-cup
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/jun/15/fixtures-premier-league-football-league-compiled
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OGC_Nice#Honours
http://outsideoftheboot.com/2016/11/22/ogc-nice-a-revolution-in-ligue-1/
January 29, 2017 January 28, 2017 by Anirudh Suresh Categories: Football, Premier league, Preview, soccer, Sport, UncategorizedTags: arsenal, australia, barca, barcelona vs athletic club, bayern munich, borussia dortmund vs rb leipzig, Bundesliga, calcio a, chelsea vs arsenal, England, Entertainment, europe, Football, football preview, france, funny, inter vs lazio, italy, juve vs inter, La Liga, Ligue 1, liverpool vs chelsea, marseille vs lyon, melbourne city, melbourne city vs melbourne victory, melbourne derby, melbourne victory, milan, monaco vs nice, porto vs sporting cp, Premier league, Preview, schalke, scouting for fixtures, Serie A, soccer, soccer preview, spain, Sport	Leave a comment
Scouting for Fixtures: Jan 02 – Jan 08
Scouting for fixtures is a weekly blog for people who love the beautiful game. They come out every Sunday and hand picks upcoming matches worldwide that week, which looks set for 90 minutes of non-stop action.
Tottenham vs Chelsea ( Wed 04 20:00 )
If you've just recovered from the turkey-induced coma from Christmas, you're in luck as nothing much has changed for these two clubs. Tottenham have been stuck in fifth like they were Jeremy Clarkson getting his face pulled off, for 9 game weeks. Since rising to the top in game week 12, Chelsea stays afloat while extending the winning streak to 9 games, 5 away from equalling the record made by Arsenal in 2002. Another year passed (if you hadn't noticed) accompanied by another Christmas fancy dress by Tottenham. To be fair they did it justice, with Delli Ali-G, Harry 'Bane' and Christian Eriksen as Harry Potter. But it's going to take more than a few wingardium leviosa's for Spurs to rise to the top. Despite only recently being the only team alongside Real Madrid and Hoffenheim (go figure) in Europe who are undefeated, Spurs lost 2 in quick succession, one of whom were to Chelsea themselves. In fact, I think they could also do better attacking-wise. Tottenham have the most shots on goal per game (18.6) but 50% of their shots come from outside of the box (highest % in the PL), while having the lowest % of shots in the league from inside the 18-yard box and 6-yard box (45% and 5% respectively). That has lead to scoring some rockets, but the increase in penetration from the attack may be what's needed to climb up the table. It may be harsh considering they just beat Southampton 1-4, also compound that they have 33 goals and conceded only 13. However, the team they are playing have scored more, conceded less and won more games. Chelsea look unbeatable at the moment and if any team can stop them, it's the one who have been undefeated at home all season.
Real Madrid vs Sevilla ( Wed 04 20:15 )
Jorge Sampaoli. If you're a moron like me in your little premier league bubble you wouldn't recognise that name. I only looked into him because he manages Sevilla*, finding that he only took over in late June. He's already making waves in Spain. Aside from bringing Sevilla to 3rd place in December (not achieved by Sevilla in 9 years), Jorge finally took them out of the Europa League loop** and are into the round of 16 against Leicester in the UCL. If you look further into the side, they implement an array of formations: 3-5-1-1, 5-4-1, 4-4-1-1 and even 3-1-4-2. But it works and they play some wonderful football. Similar to Chelsea but better, Real Madrid too are unstoppable. Undefeated and top goal scorers with a game in hand can leave a strong impression on any opponent. Both sides are recovering well from injuries with Bale out for Madrid and Sevilla having Escudero and Mercado out, but probably inconsequential to the final result.
*Actually after looking him up I also want to say that I remembered he was the manager of Chile during the 2014 world cup if that jogs anyone else's memory.
**Those unfamiliar with the Europa League loop which Sevilla have been enslaved under, it's where a team enters the Champions League, then gets knocked into the Europa league, win the Europa league securing a place in the UCL group stages, then you get knocked out of the UCL again…
Napoli vs Sampdoria ( Sat 07 19:45 ) & Sassuolo vs Torino ( Sun 08 14:00 )
The reason I didn't separate these into their own paragraphs was that I felt I was treading the same path as I picked these two for very similar reasons. Every league has a team where goals follow. Not specifically goals for the team itself, but it happens more often than not the game ends up high scoring. The marker is goals scored plus goals conceded. If you were to take every single team in the top 5 leagues and order them according to that stat, Torino would be 4th (63) and Sassuolo 14th (54). Pretty impressive considering Torino are 8th in Calcio A and Sassuolo are 16th. Now they play each other. That is the only reason I picked this game, in the hope this would be high scoring. It's also the same reason I picked Napoli vs Sampdoria. If we use the same stat as before, Napoli is 6th and Sampdoria I'm guessing in the mid 30's (I never got that far) with 45 goals. On top of that, this fixture has averaged a whopping 4.5 goals per match, over 6 fixtures. It's not a skewed stat either, with each 4 games ending with 4 goals scored or more*. There is no deep rivalry or high stakes, but due to the cup games in Spain, England and France, I decided to take a punt on these games.
*That is the first time I ever put my Maths A-level (a very proud moment for me considering I bagged a grade C) to any good use outside of Maths class. So yeah, quit complaining because there is a use of Maths in everyday life.
Manchester City vs Burnley ( Mon 02 15:00 )
Athletic Club vs Barcelona ( Thu 05 20:15 )
Monaco vs AC Ajaccio ( Fri 06 20:00 )
Celta Vigo vs Malaga ( Sun 08 17:30 )
January 1, 2017 January 1, 2017 by Anirudh Suresh Categories: 2017, christmas, Football, new years, Preview, soccer, Sport, UncategorizedTags: calcio a, chelsea, copa del rey, England, Entertainment, europe, european football, Football, football preview, funny, italy, La Liga, napoli, napoli vs sampdoria, Premier league, Preview, real madrid vs sevilla, sassuolo vs torino, scouting for fixtures, Serie A, soccer, soccer preview, spain, Sport, sport preview, tottenham vs chelsea, world football	Leave a comment


text:
OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro officially announced
May 14, 2019 Petre PopescuNews, OnePlus, Smartphones
After many leaks and an anticipated launch event, OnePlus has finally released its new smartphone. This year marks a change in strategy for the company. So far we only saw one device per release, however, this time, OnePlus launched the anticipated OnePlus 7 and the more premium OnePlus 7 Pro. There are quite a few differences between the two devices, both from a specifications point of view and from a design perspective.
Let's start with the similarities. Both devices come with the Snapdragon 855 CPU, 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. The "Pro" can go up to 12GB of RAM if you think you need more than the "standard" versions. Both devices also come with USB 3.1 with a Type-C connector and both have the same connectivity options: dual-4G SIM slots, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, NFC, GPS (including the other standards like GLONASS, GALILEO and BEIDOU) and both have an in-display fingerprint reader.
Furthermore, both the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro have UFS 3.0 memory that offers superior data transfer speeds and dual speakers with Dolby Atmos certification. The devices ship with OxygenOS, based on Android 9. On the front, the devices come with a 16MP camera capable of filming at 1080p@30fps, however, the way it is integrated into the body of the devices is completely different.
The OnePlus 7 looks almost identical to the OnePlus 6t. It has a waterdrop notch on the front that holds the front-facing camera and similar button placement on the sides. We can easily say that it is more of a spec-bump compared to last years flagship, and not a completely new device. It has a 6.41″ FullHD+ AMOLED screen, 3700 mAh non-removable battery with support for quick-charge and a dual-camera setup on the back. The camera has the new Sony IMX 586 48MP sensor and the secondary sensor has 5MP. It can do 4k video at 60fps or super slow-motion at 720p@480fps.
The real star of the show today was the OnePlus 7 Pro. The company put everything they could into this device to make it as appealing as possible. The screen is big, measuring 6.67″ and having a QHD+ resolution (3120×1440). What is even more impressive is that this "Fluid" AMOLED screen runs at 90Hz refresh rate. DisplayMate actually rated the smartphone with the highest possible rating: A+. It also supports HDR10+ and has no notch at all.
Because there is no notch, the front-facing camera is hidden in a pop-up mechanism. I understand that you would be skeptical of such an approach due to its fragility, but OnePlus claims that it was tested a lot and can be opened and closed 150 times per day for more than 5 years, without any damage. Furthermore, if dropped, the camera will automatically retract so that no damage is done, and it comes with an anti-dust mechanism built-in that further protects it from debris.
On the back, the OnePlus 7 comes with a triple-camera setup. We have the same Sony 48MP main sensor, but this time it is accompanied by an 8MP telephoto lens and a 16MP ultra-wide angle lens. This camera setup allows the phone to simulate optical zoom up to 3x. Not as impressive as Huawei's P30 Pro's 10x zoom, but still pretty good for a mobile device. Being a bigger device, the OnePlus 7 Pro has a bigger 4000mAh battery and this one also supports the new Warp Charge 30 that is up to 34% faster compared to the charging tech from the OnePlus 6t.
Now, let's talk about pricing. For the OnePlus 7, the prices are almost identical to the OnePlus 6t. It will retail at 549,00€ for the 6GB/128GB model while the 8GB/256GB model will cost 599,00€. The Pro version, however, is quite a bit more expensive. This is understandable considering all the new and improved tech present in the device. So, the OnePlus 7 Pro will start at 699,00€ for the 6GB/128GB model, 749,00€ for the 8GB/256GB model and go all the way up to 819,00€ for the 12GB/256GB variant.
Interested? You will be able to order the Pro version starting tomorrow. Furthermor, using our link you can get an extra 10€ discount on accessories.
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Xiaomi is testing "sky replacement" feature in the MIUI Gallery app
Oukitel K9 available at $199.99


This game presents a herd of sheep in a farm, which is falling apart. Will you be able to rebuild their home? To do this, you have to guide the animals through seven challenging game worlds so you can collect enough coins to pay for the restoration of their magnificent farm. You can guide the animals away from the enemies and obstacles by placing arrows on the ground and direct them onto jump pads that will toss them over ranging waters.
You will have bonuses to help you reach the highest level in this fantastic puzzle game. In addition, you can spend money your sheep gathers on upgrades for their farm. You will also enjoy the colorful graphics and great audio.
The critics are calling it "Sheer fun". You will love this game.
Key game features include 85 levels to solve, seven worlds to conquer, six enemies to avoid, six bonuses to use, 17 farm upgrades to earn, 30 obstacles to avoid, unlimited game time, free upgrades to newer versions and full technical and customer support.


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v0.31:Justice
Justice is available in the game once a Sheriff or Captain of the Guard has been appointed through the nobles screen, and is used to deal with dwarves violating mandates, breaking furniture, starting fights, etc. The dwarven justice screen shows details of crimes and punishments, and is available through the z-status screen.
Crimes[edit]
Violation of Production Order - failing to produce items mandated by a noble.
Violation of Export Prohibition - selling items to a caravan which a noble forbade exporting.
Violation of Job Order - failing to complete guild jobs mandated by the mayor (currently does not happen).
Conspiracy to Slow Labor - unknown
Murder - killing a fellow dwarf or a tame animal.
Disorderly Conduct - attacking another dwarf while throwing a tantrum.
Building destruction - destroying a building during a tantrum.
Vandalism - toppling furniture or doors during a tantrum.
The most common crime in a well-managed fortress is "violating an export ban", which happens when the dwarf carelessly carried a banned item to the trade depot and a merchant left the map with it. It often happens when a noble decides to ban an export after you've traded away a relevant item.
Less well-managed fortresses might see dwarves throwing tantrums. Then you'll see the harsher crimes, as they let off steam by throwing items around, breaking furniture, toppling doors, and punching fellow dwarves who are just trying to clean up the mess. Often instead of punches, they'll use the weapons they're carrying.
Punishments[edit]
Dwarves who misbehave can receive punishments if a sheriff has been assigned. In increasing order of severity:
Beating by a fortress guard.
Imprisonment for a period of time.
Hammering by the Hammerer. (Does not exist in version 0.31 without modifying the raws)
The punishment for a crime, or series of crimes, will be issued by the Sheriff or by a member of the Fortress Guard. If the crime calls for imprisonment, then the guard will try to put the prisoner in jail; if no jails are available, the guard will downgrade the punishment to a beating (giving the criminal a happy thought and the injured party an unhappy thought). All punishments will give the criminal an unhappy thought (and the guard a happy thought).
Note that it is usually not a good idea to train your guards to physical perfection if you want your dwarves to survive beatings; furthermore, due to a bug, guards will use their weapons when delivering beatings, so equipping them with steel blades is strongly discouraged. Wooden crossbows (especially those made of feather wood) make an easily accessible and excellent weapon choice, as this will not reduce the effectiveness of the Fortress Guard in actual combat - the Guard will fire bolts at enemies, but will use the crossbows as clubs for Justice beatings. An adamantine crossbow could potentially be even better, though it is far more difficult to make.
Due to a bug, justice beatings have a high chance of resulting in death by fracturing the skull, so it is wise to ensure that any criminals scheduled for beating are fitted with a metal helm as quickly as possible.
Punishments are performed sequentially; a criminal who has been sentenced to jail time and a beating will not be beaten until the jail term has been served.
Cages and Chains[edit]
Metal cages, metal chains, and ropes can be built and designated as jails (query -> make a room -> use for justice), where dwarves can be imprisoned for a time as part of their punishment. If the dwarf is particularly unhappy and decides to throw a tantrum, it may end up destroying the restraint (even if it is made of metal) and escaping, leading to further punishment (for building destruction). It is recommended that there be food and booze stockpiles next to the chain. Decorating your jail with numerous valuable decorations is recommended to combat the negative thoughts of imprisonment. Ensure there is a bed and a table next to a chair all within a square of the chain itself.
Retrieved from "https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php?title=v0.31:Justice&oldid=177537"
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U.S. Attorneys » Northern District of California » News
North Carolina Man Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For Charges Relating To North Bay Armed Home Invasion Robbery Scheme
Defendant Simmons was one of eight defendants who traveled from East Coast in plot to steal money and marijuana in California
SAN FRANCISCO – Jaray Simmons was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, and ordered to pay $20,275.73 in restitution, for his role in a scheme to conduct armed home invasion robberies in Northern California to obtain marijuana for resale on the East Coast, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Edward M. Chen, U.S. District Judge.
Simmons, 29, of Winston-Salem, N.C., pleaded guilty to the charges on May 7, 2019. According to his plea agreement, Simmons was one of eight codefendants who agreed to target houses in northern California he believed contained bulk quantities of marijuana and the cash proceeds of marijuana sales. The eight codefendants agreed to conduct armed home invasion robberies of the targeted homes and to distribute for a profit on the East Coast the marijuana they were able to steal.
In March of 2018, Simmons traveled by car with three codefendants from Winston-Salem to California to carry out the plan. When the four codefendants reached Sacramento, they obtained multiple weapons and one of the codefendants purchased supplies, including jackets, duffel bags, scissors, a vacuum sealer, and vacuum bags. The codefendant purchased these items to package for shipment the marijuana stolen during the home invasion robberies. Meanwhile, four co-defendants traveled from Richmond, Va., to Washington, D.C., and then from Washington by plane to San Francisco. After arriving in Northern California, the four Virginia codefendants obtained a supply of firearms and ammunition.
All eight defendants met in Novato, Calif., on March 12, 2019, and traveled in two cars from Novato to a residential street in Petaluma. The plea agreements provide the following facts regarding the events of the evening:
A codefendant kicked open the front door of the first residence and six of the coconspirators entered. The residence was occupied by a man and a woman who were forced inside the bathroom and bound with duct tape. At least one codefendant threatened to kill the victims if they did not cooperate, at least one codefendant pointed a firearm at the victims to threaten them into providing the location of marijuana and money, and at least one codefendant struck the male victim inside the bathroom in an effort to get him to disclose the location of marijuana and money. The victims explained they did not have any marijuana and that the defendants were in the wrong house.
Six of the defendants then walked to a nearby second house. The group separated into two smaller groups and broke into the second house through both the front door and a side door. A codefendant grabbed a telephone from a woman occupant and threw it on the floor. At least one codefendant questioned the female victim about the location of marijuana and money. The woman was dragged by the hair and locked inside a closet. The woman said there was no marijuana in the house but that she had money in a drawer.
Two codefendants who were outside the second house encountered a neighbor. They brought the neighbor into the second house, pointed a gun at the victim, tied him with an electrical extension cord, and repeatedly struck him while asking where the marijuana and money was located. The male victim repeated that the defendants were in the wrong house.
The defendants heard the police approaching and left the house. The defendants attempted to escape in the two vehicles in which they arrived. The police gave chase. Eventually, all the codefendants were apprehended, some as they abandoned their vehicle, others when they arrived at San Francisco International Airport later in the afternoon of March 12, 2018, and one defendant several days later.
On April 26, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Simmons and seven codefendants, charging all with conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a); conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846; two counts of attempted robbery affecting interstate commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a) and 2; and possession or use of a firearm during and in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence and a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2. Simmons pleaded guilty to both conspiracy charges and to the firearm possession charge.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Chen sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered that Simmons pay restitution of $20,275.73. Simmons has been in custody since his arrest on March 12, 2018, and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Simmons is the second defendant to be sentenced in connection with the conspiracies. Other defendants who have pleaded guilty for their role in the scheme include the following:
Age/Residence
Pleaded guilty (date)
Siddiq Abdullah
22/Richmond, VA
Sentenced on
August 21, 2019 to 84 months in prison
Nakia Jones
To be sentenced September 11, 2019
Melvin Corbin
To be sentenced September 4, 2019
Ledarrell Crockett
29/Winston-Salem, NC
Chrishawn Beal
To be sentenced October 23, 2019
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christiaan Highsmith is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lance Libatique. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, and the Santa Rosa Police Department. The investigation was conducted and funded in part by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations.
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$15 billion startup Juul used 'relaxation, freedom, and sex appeal' to market its creme-brulee-flavored e-cigs on Twitter and Instagram — but its success has come at a big cost
Erin Brodwin Oct. 26, 2018, 11:25 PM
A Silicon Valley e-cigarette startup called Juul has surged in popularity, amassing 70% of the e-cigarette market.
The company was recently valued at $US15 billion, but it faces a growing backlash from public-health experts and scientists who worry about its popularity among young people.
Juul maintains that its products are for adult smokers who want to move away from traditional cigarettes.
A recent study found that Juul stood out from other e-cigarette companies by marketing its devices on social-media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
That marketing campaign was a big success, the study suggests, with Juul's social-media activities being "highly correlated" with sales.
One big question about the booming Silicon Valley e-cigarette startup Juul is whether the company deliberately marketed its products to teens.
Juul has said that its sleek vaping devices are intended for adults trying to quit smoking traditional cigarettes – and that its marketing has had little impact on its sales. But a recent study raises some questions. It suggests that Juul's social-media ads – which were posted across platforms popular with young people including YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram – were a runaway success.
Public-health experts, scientists, and the Food and Drug Administration have been targeting vaping companies in recent months after dozens of reports suggested they were encouraging more young people to both vape and smoke. A handful of researchers have said a combination of the company's marketing efforts and product offerings – such as slick designs and sweet flavours – are intended to hook young people on nicotine.
The researchers behind the paper focusing on Juul, published this summer in the journal Tobacco Control, concluded that Juul stood out from other e-cigarette brands by advertising predominantly on social media, as opposed to places like on billboards or in magazines. And the campaign took off, according to the researchers, who wrote that sales of the flash-drive-style devices were "highly correlated" with the company's social-media posts.
The social-media campaign had another added benefit: It was cheaper than traditional marketing strategies, the researchers suggested.
The social-media blitz wasn't all directly from Juul, however, further complicating any efforts designed to help scale back the products' allure among teens. Several other corporate social-media accounts besides Juul's official platforms heavily promoted Juul products.
The overall impact was significant, the researchers concluded.
"Targeted cross-platform social media campaigns, although they cost little, can have substantial influence on people's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours related to these products," they wrote.
'Taking advantage of the reach and accessibility of these platforms'
Jidong Huang, an associate professor of health management and policy at Georgia State University who was lead author of the study, told The Washington Times over the summer that he felt the company's use of social media was a deliberate attempt to target young people.
Huang said Juul was "taking advantage of the reach and accessibility of these platforms to target youth and young adults," adding, "Basically everybody can see their product because there are no restrictions."
Juul has been adamant that its devices are not intended for young people.
"We cannot be more emphatic on this point: no minor or non-smoker/vaper should ever use Juul products," a Juul representative told Business Insider in an emailed statement. "Underage use is directly opposed to our mission of eliminating combustible cigarettes by offering the world's one billion existing adult smokers a true alternative."
Many social-media users, however, are young people.
Roughly half of teens ages 13 to 17 use Twitter, according to a survey conducted last year by the nonpartisan Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That platform has been particularly lucrative for Juul, according to the researchers. YouTube is the most recognised content brand among kids ages 12 to 15, a 2017 report concluded. To that end, a Juul representative told Business Insider in July that the company had worked with Instagram to remove several accounts and thousands of posts that were inappropriately targeting youth.
But before then, a handful of social-media accounts – including Juul's official platforms – attracted the attention of thousands. And that attention appears to have had strong links to sales of Juul's products, the authors wrote.
In particular, the researchers found that the number of Juul-related tweets – most of which were posted last year – was "highly correlated" with the company's quarterly retail sales, which they tracked using data from market research company Nielsen. That said, correlation isn't necessarily causation. The researchers couldn't say that the tweets necessarily led to the sales, only that the two were linked.
"The growth trend in Juul tweets noticeably tracks well [with] the growth in Juul retail sales," the researchers wrote.
The relationship between Juul-related tweets and Juul sales was so strong, the authors found, that "the number of tweets alone accounted for 93% of the variation in Juul sales in retail stores." Put another way, the number of Juul tweets could be used to roughly predict how many Juuls would be sold at any given time.
'When you look at the flavoring names, one has to wonder'
A 2016 ad tells people to 'Save room for Juul' and says its flavours are 'easy to pair with your favourite foods.' Juul
According to Huang and his coauthors, Juul's official Instagram account, called JuulVapor, garnered tens of thousands of "likes" by evoking feelings of "relaxation, freedom, and sex appeal." While that strategy is somewhat standard in the advertising industry, something that made Juul's campaign stand out to the researchers was its emphasis on flavours.
At the time, those flavours included options like "Fruit Medley," "Cool Cucumber," and "Creme Brulee."
Several researchers have said that sweet, candy-like flavours are part of what makes e-cigarettes attractive to teens.
"Most scientists believe flavourings are used to target teenagers into becoming users," Ana Rule, a professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University, told Business Insider this summer.
"There are of course many other factors such as marketing and peer-pressure, but when you look at the flavoring names, one has to wonder."
With that in mind, the city of San Francisco also recently voted to ban all flavored tobacco products. And on Thursday, Altria announced that it was pulling two of its e-cigarette products and eliminating all of its flavour offerings except tobacco and menthol until "the current situation with youth use" was resolved.
Earlier this year, Juul changed the names of its flavour offerings. "Cool Cucumber," for example, is now simply "Cucumber"; "Creme Brulee" is now "Creme"; and "Fruit Medley" is now "Fruit."
"We have taken numerous actions to prevent and combat underage use, including focusing our website and social media exclusively on the adult smoker community and removing all product-related content from our social media accounts," the Juul representative said.
Doit4Juul: The most followed account for Juul products
Importantly, the new study found that the social-media blitz wasn't all Juul's direct doing. Beyond Juul's Instagram account, at least seven other accounts that promoted the Juul collectively amassed more than a quarter of a million followers on the platform, the authors wrote. And despite Juul's preventive actions over the summer, many of those accounts remain active in one form or another, Business Insider found.
One of the accounts was called "@Doit4Juul."
The account asked followers to share selfies, photos, and videos documenting themselves using Juul devices. And share they did. Images included youngsters jamming as many Juuls as they could in their mouths at once and then blowing out massive plumes of vapour; children openly using Juul devices in classrooms; and kids sharing tips on how to sneak the devices into school by encasing them in the bodies of Sharpie pens.
"This campaign proved highly successful," the researchers wrote, noting that the account amassed close to 82,000 followers and quickly became the most followed account featuring Juul products on Instagram as of February.
Over the summer, Juul worked with Instagram to remove the account, along with at least two others.
"We have aggressively worked with social media platforms to remove posts and accounts that portray our product in unauthorised and youth-oriented manners," the Juul representative said. "We stand committed to working with those who want to keep nicotine products out of the hands of young people."
But while the official account is gone, the #Doit4Juul hashtag remains active. Several similar accounts have also sprung up in recent months across the platform, including one called Doingit4Juul that shows several youngsters in braces and even in classrooms using the devices.
Using the hashtag symbol, anyone with an Instagram account can post to the series. At present, roughly 7,000 posts exist under the #Doit4Juul label alone. One of them features a young boy in a colourful shirt with a gold plastic crown on his head inhaling the vapour of two Juuls at once, then blowing out a large cloud.
"These kids doing this sh*t," the post's caption says.
Erin Brodwin


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The Cambridge Handbook of the Just War
Part of Cambridge Handbooks in Philosophy
Editor: Larry May, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
Larry May, John Mark Mattox, Johan Olsthoorn, Yitzhak Benbaji, Uwe Steinhoff, Suzanne Uniacke, Steve Lee, Lionel McPherson, Shannon French, Jovanna Davidovic, Saba Bazargan-Forward, Eric Joseph Ritter, Jens David Ohlin, Adil Haque, Elizabeth Lanphier, Shannon Fyfe, Henry Shue
Date Published: February 2018
What makes a war just? What makes a specific weapon, strategy, or decision in war just? The tradition of Just War Theory has provided answers to these questions since at least 400 AD, yet each shift in the weapons and strategies of war poses significant challenges to Just War Theory. This book assembles renowned scholars from around the world to reflect on the most pressing problems and questions in Just War Theory, and engages with all three stages of war: jus ad bellum, jus in bello, and jus post bellum. Providing detailed historical context as well as addressing modern controversies and topics including drones, Islamic jihad, and humanitarian intervention, the volume will be highly important for students and scholars of the philosophy of war as well as for others interested in contemporary global military and ethical issues.
Assembles a global team of experts to bring together insights into the field of Just War Theory and to address the challenges it faces from new military technologies and new forms of warfare
Provides an up-to-date treatment of contemporary issues concerning the Just War, engaging with current debates and presenting a balanced view of controversial topics
Explores major issues in the morality, legality, and politics of war and peace, and includes historical and other contextual information
Introduction Larry May
Part I. Historical Background:
1. Just War tradition in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages John Mark Mattox
2. Grotius and the early modern tradition Johan Olsthoorn
Part II. Initiating a Just War:
3. State defense Yitzhak Benbaji
4. Just cause Uwe Steinhoff
5. The condition of last resort Suzanne Uniacke
6. The moral problems of asymmetric war Steve Lee
Part III. Conducting a Just War:
7. Individual self-defense in war Lionel McPherson
8. Distinction and civilian immunity Shannon French
9. Proportionality and necessity in Bello Jovanna Davidovic
10. Weighing civilian lives: domestic versus foreign Saba Bazargan-Forward
11. Drone warfare and the principle of discrimination Eric Joseph Ritter
Part IV. Just War and International Legal Theory:
12. Jus ad Bellum Larry May
13. The basic structure of Jus in Bello Jens David Ohlin
14. Necessity and proportionality in international law Adil Haque
15. Humanitarianism: neutrality, impartiality, and humanity Elizabeth Lanphier
16. The challenge to the laws of war by Islamic Jihad Shannon Fyfe
Afterword Henry Shue.
Larry May, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
Larry May is W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy, Law, and Political Science at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee. He has published over thirty books, including War Crimes and Just War (Cambridge, 2007), After War Ends (Cambridge, 2012), and Contingent Pacifism (Cambridge, 2015).
War Crimes and Just War
After War Ends
A Philosophical Perspective
Just War Theory and Civilian Casualties
Protecting the Victims of War
Contingent Pacifism
Revisiting Just War Theory
Canadian Journal of Law & Jurisprudence
NEW TO CAMBRIDGE IN 2015The Canadian Journal of Law & Jurisprudence serves as a forum for the publication of scholarly…


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MNBC a further $ 1 Million dollars in Debt
Dear Premier Clark and Prime Minister Harper,
On behalf of the BC Métis Federation and many exasperated Métis people in British Columbia, I respectfully write this letter to once again reiterate the our serious concerns regarding the mismanagement and overspending of taxpayer dollars by the Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC).
As stated in my correspondence to your respective governments in March of this year, the BCMF "has made your governments acutely aware through our voluntary work about the concerns regarding the misuse of Métis program resources, increased MNBC insolvency, and dysfunctional Métis governance". Furthermore, the BC Métis Federation predicted that the 2011-2012 Debt Recovery Plan undertaken by the MNBC would not be successfully carried out, resulting in a further deficit. Today it appears our grave concerns were realized as MNBC representatives are already admitting a further debt of one million dollars, openly admitted to by the MNBC at their recent Métis Nation Governing Assembly. This was reconfirmed in a community meeting held in the Kootenay Region where an MNBC board members also reconfirmed this message.
With all due respect, it would appear that our concerns, supported through relevant documentation, throughout the 2011-2012 fiscal year were not taken seriously by the any of your governments. Instead, in December of 2011, the Province of British Columbia, under the Ministry of Aboriginal Recognition and Reconciliation stated that, "MNBC has implemented a deficit recovery plan, under which they seek to have a balanced budget this fiscal year and surpluses in future years that will begin to reduce the accumulated deficit. The Province continues to monitor MNBC's progress on this plan." There is other correspondence from the government (of which I am sure you are aware) which assures BC Métis Federation that the appropriate actions are being taken including the diminishing of MNBC Board of Directors salaries. Incredibly the Provincial Minister reinforced these same messages earlier this week in her most recent letter dated April 17th, 2012. I have attached this correspondence and question how any government leader could maintain this position as MNBC is already admitting the loss of another $1 million well before the date of this new letter?
If governments were truly monitoring MNBC's progress on their Debt Recovery Plan, they could not have helped but notice that the April – June 2011 quarterly report published by MNBC clearly articulated that the MNBC Board of Directors salaries were reduced from $79,340 to $78,748 saving a grand total of $592.00. This is but one of the many examples of how, the MNBC did not put the interests of the Métis people or the taxpayers of Canada or British Columbia before their own personal gain.
At present, these are the facts. Not only did the MNBC not achieve a balanced budget, they continued to squander funds allocated by both of your governments. The end result is a debt of over $3 million dollars of government funding. Once again the BC Métis Federation asks the question – how much longer are the provincial and federal governments going to allow this Aboriginal organization to continue to operate in such extravagance and blatant disregard for the Métis people of British Columbia and the taxpayers of Canada and British Columbia? I would hope that for the sake of the Métis people who are not getting the programs and services that they deserve, for the Métis workers from MNBC who have been relieved of their positions under the auspices of "implementing the Debt Recovery Plan", for the taxpayers of Canada and British Columbia who are providing resources so that a few elite board members can continue to live in the manner to which they have become accustomed; that you, the leaders of our province and country, would finally say enough is enough and do it before this becomes another news story.
I also wish to remind governments that precedent continues to be contradictory in how both governments are approaching the situation and the relationship with the MNBC. First the Federal Government recently cited "governance issues" as one of the reasons to close the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO). NAHO is a national organization that has been in existence for roughly 12 years and it would be an interesting comparison of what these governance items were to justify a cut in federal funding? Was it NAHO financial mismanagement? Was it a lack of public accountability? A quick review of the NAHO financial statements alone reveals a much stronger financial situation as compared to the MNBC. Second the Province of British Columbia prides itself in public statements about a AAA credit rating while providing funding to an organization such as the MNBC who is on the brink of bankruptcy and clearly does not share the same sense of corporate values or ability to make tough decisions. In addition the Provincial Government took actions in the later part of the 2000's when concerns were identified about another Aboriginal representative organization, namely the United Native Nations (UNN) for alleged financial mismanagement and governance related issues. The UNN had been in existence for decades and when issues arose and could not be addressed, both governments took action. Therefore I repeat in the midst of a failed MNBC funded debt recovery plan and increased debt how can either government not suspend funding or take serious and action? How much money has the Provincial Government funded to MNBC in 2011-2012 while MNBC increased their debt? In 2010-2011 the Province provided roughly $1.1 million and is this not a concern to the Premier? Moreover the Federal Government provided about $10 million in 2010-2011. How much was provided by the Federal Government in 2011-2012 while MNBC increased their debt? Remember MNBC was provided resources to develop an MNBC Debt Recovery Plan that clearly was ignored by MNBC in light of the revelations that MNBC realized significant new debt of a reported $1 million, adding to the existing insolvency.
The BC Métis Federation has given your governments an opportunity to engage with a transparent, grassroots organization that has clearly demonstrated its abilities over the past number of years. Through our own diligence, perseverance and dedication, the BC Métis Federation has become a well known and respected organization by the Métis people for the Métis people. Our Métis people have invested their own resources, we have travelled throughout our communities, and most importantly we have listened to our people. It is the goal and the vision of the BC Métis Federation to serve our people in a manner that promotes progress for our entire community and we sincerely commit to ensuring that the BC Métis Federation continues to operate for the benefit of all Métis people and not the personal gains of a select few.
It is our hope that the continued travesty carried out by MNBC during the 2011-2012 fiscal year will finally move both the federal and provincial governments to utilize our organization as the vehicle by which the Métis people of British Columbia are engaged.
On behalf of many Métis people in British Columbia and the BC Métis Federation, I look forward to working with both of your governments in the very near future. It is my hope that through partnership building, that we can work together to rebuild the faith of the Métis people of British Columbia, so that they know that the government will no longer allow this mockery to continue.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
British Columbia Métis Federation
Suite 300-3665 Kingsway
V5R 5W2
cc Peter Cunningham, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation
Honourable Mary Polak, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation
Honourable John Duncan, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
Honourable Scott Fraser, Critic for Aboriginal Relations
Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Federal Liberal Aboriginal Affairs Critic
Honourable Jean Crowder, NDP Aboriginal Affairs Critic
BC Métis Federation Board Members
BC Métis Federation Members
[ilink url="/wp-content/uploads/BCMF-Letter-to-Provincial-and-Federal-Governments-April-20th-2012.pdf" style="download"]Download this Letter in PDF format[/ilink]
[ilink url="/wp-content/uploads/MARR-Letter-of-April-17th-2012.pdf" style="download"]MARR Letter of April 17th, 2012[/ilink]