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ADVANCED REVIEW: 'Stealing Thunder' is Powerful but Imperfect
by Jason Flatt 04/12/2020 04/23/2020
Content Warning: Rape, Transgender Violence, Deadnaming
Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden is an is an upcoming high-fantasy novel published by Ace, an imprint of Berkley Books (Penguin Random House). Razia Khan was once the Crown Prince of Nizam, until she ran away to live her life truly, away from the scorn of her disapproving father. Life, though finally free to live honestly as a hijra in her guru Ammia's dera, is not easy. Ammi is not always kind and she is very demanding of Razia, making her steal from the rich men she is hired to perform for and sleep with. Everything begins to change for Razia though when she meets Arjun Agnivansha, the Prince of Bikampur. She can see a future for the first time, but getting there will be harder than anything Ammi.
Boyden does well making the world feel alive. She uses many words and phrases native to the places the story draws its inspiration from, which can be a tad tough to follow at first. But, between the glossary in the back and the repeated use of many of these terms, it's easy to catch on. The same is not true though for the names of places. They are not quite as fleshed out as unique places from one another. Amap, or even just a sense of geography and more distinction between places would help. There are certain details that are repeated ad nauseam throughout Stealing Thunder, spending more time detailing the peoples and places of the book's world would have enriched it even further.
The premise of Stealing Thunder is awesome with a completely non-archetypical hero and the zahhaks, elemental dragons, the make the world unique. Additionally, it's a clearly very personal story for the author, as she describes in a forward that this book is the story of a transgender princess she wishes she could have grown up with. In a lot of ways, Stealing Thunder does just that, but unfortunately, the book is also mired with troubling characterizations and plot for the first two-thirds.
A significant percentage of Razia's personality and motivation for much of the book revolves around the secret fact she was once the Crown Prince of Nizam and the son of the most powerful man around. This fixation is reiterated over and over, especially as we see Razia interacting with Arjun and the other members of his father, Udai, the local maharaja's court. Centering the plot on the fact that Razia was once a man only serves to define Razia by what she isn't. The story would have felt more empowering the whole way through, not just in the final 40 pages, had it grappled with those intense fears while also showing who Razia is now.
Razia's pain and trauma are well expressed by the narrator and her mantra that she was born with a woman's soul and can help it no more than anybody else can is perfect. Unfortunately, any other development for her character besides pain and trauma are constantly overshadowed by other characters' fixations on her past. The worst repeated instance of this problem is the overwhelming fixation on revealing her deadname.
Over at least 100 pages, more and more characters come along trying to force Razia to divulge what her name was in her former life. Refusing to call people by their chosen names and fixating on who they used to be can be supremely traumatizing. Having to read Razia go through that over and over was hard enough as it is. The fact that Arjun is the first culprit of this transgression is even more upsetting. Arjun essentially pressures Razia into a situation where he guesses and she is forced to confirm her deadname. Arjun is a wonderful person in literally every other way, which only makes this transgression more hurtful. By discovering who Razia used to be, Arjun begins their relationship with a dangerous and traumatic power imbalance.
Razia is also concerningly quick to forgive all of the men who treat her so terribly. Nobody ever shows real remorse for having misjudged or underestimated her. There's no implication either that Razia makes her own choice to move on. One of these men raped Razia as a child and by the end of the book, she is counting him among her "friends" without him having ever apologized or reconciled. It's all just swept under the rug like none of it ever happened. It makes it feel like Razia only gains respect because she was special all along.
Fortunately, the end is perfectly satisfying, despite everything it takes getting there. A result of her newfound external validation is that Razia does eventually get to be the fierce and independent person she always should have been. Gets to have the fairytale ending of living a new life free to be who she wants to be while still getting to keep nearly everything she lost after running away to become a hijra. Satisfying and cathartic the conclusion feels like it was torn straight out of the author's still-beating, ever-dreaming heart and laid raw onto the page, which I'm totally here for.
Ultimately, Stealing Thunder is powerful but imperfect. But, so is any story and so is real life. So much of what this story does so well gets canceled out by aspects I could not get past. For all of the problems I have with it and the anguish it took to get through the first 200 pages, I finished the book longing for a sequel that takes all of what the book does well and runs with it now that the Boyden has this first fiction experience under her belt. Hopefully she picks up the pen again and continues to bring empowering stories of transgender princesses to people's lives.
Stealing Thunder will be available May 12th wherever books are sold.
Stealing Thunder
Stealing Thunder is powerful but imperfect. But, so is any story and so is real life. So much of what this story does so well gets canceled out by aspects I could not get past. For all of the problems I have with it and the anguish it took to get through the first 200 pages, I finished the book longing for a sequel that takes all of what the book does well and runs with it now that the Boyden has this first fiction experience under her belt. Hopefully she picks up the pen again and continues to try bringing empowering stories of transgender princesses to people's lives.
Preorder with our Bookshop.org afilliate link
Jason Flatt
Jason is the Sr. Editor at But Why Tho? and producer of the But Why Tho? Podcast. He's usually writing about foreign films, Jewish media, and summer camp, when he isn't working as a music educator in his day job.


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Q: Posting a form with anchor link at the end? I have a form for comments like the one below but after the form is posted I wish to navigate to http://www.myurl.com/mypage#commentform but I don't know how to do this.
Instead of changing my form maybe there is a way to return a View with my model and add #commentform to my url?

Leave a comment

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A: It seems you are trying to keep the position of the page on the same spot after submit. This could be achieved using an AJAX form.

Leave a comment

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A: This is how I'd do it.

Leave a comment

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I'm assuming you are not doing any redirects on success and that your url in your question corresponds to the page you want to access.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Imperial Logistics Press Release
Pharmacy development programme will improve access to affordable, quality medicines
Issued by: Imperial Logistics
[Johannesburg, 6 October 2016]
Ensuring access to affordable, quality medicines for those living in the hardest to reach places has proven to be one of the most difficult and enduring challenges in global health. This is why development and global health leaders from both the public and private sectors are joining forces to announce the launch of Lulama, an innovative financing partnership that will strengthen independent, community pharmacies in under-served areas, and enable access to quality, life-saving medicines to those who need them most.
Pharmacies play an important role in the healthcare sector in developing countries. For many people, pharmacies are the first point of contact with the health sector and the primary point of access for medicines and other day-to-day goods. However, inadequate business skills, poor systems and lack of access to working capital prevents these pharmacies from stocking sufficient high quality and affordable medicines to meet the needs of the populations they serve.
To overcome this challenge, Absa Bank, Aspen Pharmacare, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Imperial Health Sciences, Pfizer and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have come together to design and implement Lulama, a comprehensive and sustainable community pharmacy development project that combines the skills, systems and processes of the private sector with the development support of the public sector.
A pilot project for Lulama was launched in South Africa in September, with 30 pharmacies shortlisted to participate in the initial phase.
New era in energy for Resolve
Imperial reports flat revenue, reaffirms investment in people, relationships and capabilities
Visit our News Archive
"Ensuring access to quality medicines in under-served areas has been one of the most difficult bottlenecks to overcome in global health," said Ariel Pablos-Mendez, Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID. "This innovative financing partnership offers us the chance to overcome this barrier using a sustainable, market-based approach, and demonstrate that the public and private sectors can effectively work together to achieve social impact."
Davis Gichuhi, GSK's Pharmaceutical General Manager for South and Southern Africa, added: "We believe GSK can help transform not only the health status of Africa but also its economic development. Through this partnership, we are making strides to get more medicines of value to more people who need them."
Pfizer South Africa Country Manager, Jennifer Power, explains that involvement in the project is consistent with the company's commitment to "collaborate with stakeholders who share the same ideals to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care to those most in need".
Iain Barton, Imperial's Group Executive: Healthcare, adds: "Lulama will enable participating independent pharmacies to benefit from business management training and economies of scale, ensuring more competitive pricing. We are very excited about this potential to improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes."
By providing pharmacies with working capital, access to an affordable product bundle of high quality medicines and consumer goods, as well as training in business and logistics management, Lulama will encourage the development and improve the sustainability of small pharmacies in under-served areas, thus allowing them to better serve their communities and improve health outcomes.
Imperial Logistics
Thiloshini Ramdass
tramdass@imperial.co.za
Home| Newsroom| Contacts| Profile| Events|	Imperial Logistics| Mail & Guardian
Copyright © 2019 Mail&Guardian Limited. All rights reserved.

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Le prix de la nouvelle littéraire de l'Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse est un ancien prix littéraire qui a été créé en 1988 par l'Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse.

Il s'adressait aux jeunes auteurs (18-35 ans) et avait pour but de stimuler la création et de susciter l'excellence.

Lauréats
1988 - Gilles Pellerin
1989 - Paul Baquiast
1990 - Guylaine Saucier

Voir aussi

Articles connexes
Liste des prix littéraires québécois

nouvelle litteraire
nouvelle litteraire
Office franco-quebecois
Prix littéraire disparu
Prix récompensant un jeune auteur

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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A3 - A31
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See this location on SABRE Maps
Hog's Back
At the southern end of the old, narrow and congested Guildford Bypass, where the A31 parts ways with the A3 and heads off to Hampshire.
What's wrong with it?
It's a free-flowing junction between two busy dual carriageway A-roads. Surely that's a good thing!
Well — yes and no. Yes, it's a good thing, because if it was a set of traffic lights or a poky little roundabout that connected the A3 and A31, then I'd still be complaining and banging my fist on the desk with righteous indignation about the fact that Something Must Be Done.
No, it's not such a good thing, because it was designed in the mid-1930s and exists as much because of the geography of the area as anything else. As a result it's full of tight corners, blind summits and sudden merges where you can't see what's coming — not just on the sliproads, you understand, but on the mainline A3 as well. Yikes.
Why is it wrong?
It's very very old, silly. Not that old is automatically bad, of course. There are some lovely old things in the world. If you have grandparents you'll know just what I mean.
In this case, because it's old it was built without the design standards we would employ today which mean that, for example, coming south on the A3 the right turn as the sliproad leaves is completely blind for traffic in the right-hand lane.
The engineers of the 1930s never meant for it to be quite like this, you understand. No — in their day, what is now the east-to-north sliproad was a two-way road with a T-junction at each end, so anyone turning between the A3 and A31 would have gone that way. The south to west sliproad was an innovation of the 1970s, at which point it became possible to go fast around here, and that's where the problem lies.
If you dawdled along here at 40mph, took it nice and steady through the merges and corners, you'd be fine. Time to see what's coming and enough visibility to cope with it. But then if you dawdled along here at 40mph you'd be rear-ended by an impatient Surrey BMW before you'd driven a hundred yards, so really that's not such a great option.
What would be better?
This junction — and, indeed, the whole southern half of the Guildford Bypass — needs help. Just to the north there's some flat junctions with traffic crossing on the level. Frightening.
Major reconstruction is unlikely, because the people living nearby would never stand for it. But it should at least be possible to lengthen the merge from the A31, shouldn't it?
Right to reply
Andy K 6 March 2011
This junction is a love-hate thing. You love it when you are travelling south on the A3 through slow moving traffic on the Guildford bypass, which is woefully under capacity and has awful junctions, when you see this junction, knowing both roads past it are free flowing.
The hate comes when you have ANYTHING to do with this junction which doesn't involve just carrying on down the A3. The A3-A31 slip road has scary tight bends and confusing signs. The A31-A3 slip throws you onto the A3 with very little chance to merge. And then of course there is the whole 'sudden end' of a 60mph road crashing into Guildford just after this!
The Hog's Back itself is quite a nice drive - it like you are driving on a wall, with drops on either side. The road surface needs a lot of work on it - its too bumpy for a 60mph road, and the gaps between carriageways need to be filled up to make this road truly safe. Sadly though, the junction is probably going to remain as it is, partly to to with the geology of the location. What really needs to be done is the widening of this part of the Guildford bypass - but we know that will NEVER happen...
A303paul 6 March 2011
For years in the 1980s the south to west slip was closed for some reason and the traffic lights got reinstated. Boy was that fun.
Rob 7 March 2011
Having had to use this junction for a few years now, I'm getting used to it, but, for anyone heading South on the A3, the big shock is the fact that the 'obvious' route if you are in the left hand lane is up onto the A31.
This is so much of a problem that there are signs on the A31 as to how to rejoin the A3. I'm not sure that much could be done in the space available though.
Also spare a thought for people heading along Down Lane, the West to South arm of the junction. What you don't realise unless you are unfortunate enough to meet another car is that the sliproad is bi-directional until right before the merge with the A3...
Timbo 7 March 2011
I agree this junction is way below spec for the traffic it carries, and part of the problem is that it is at the crest of the Hogs Back which inevitably affects sightlines.
Grebbsy 8 March 2011
It isn't every Bad Junction which can boast to have claimed the life of a Formula 1 motor racing driver, but this one can (Mike Hawthorn in 1959).
Ian Saunders 18 March 2011
Hi Chris.
Go on, I'll bite. I like the junction. No that's too weak. I love the junction! Not in a buy-it-flowers and take-it- to-a-movie kind of way, but I do use and enjoy it whenever I'm heading out to the South West.
I'm happy to admit I don't use it much in rush hour, but it's not always at 5 am either. When I've used it I've never once stopped and usually don't have to slow down either (and no I don't have a BMW).
You mention youself that it's free flowing and not a light or roundabout in sight. For me that makes it a great junction. So you have to make people brake a bit coming onto the A3 from the A31. It's near London and people should be used to assertive driving.
Jack 11 April 2011
Well, I'm probably not going to be very popular, but what on earth's the fuss all about?? The speed limit is 50 here, and all you've got to do is drive defensively!
Bibhas Neogi 7 September 2011
The A31 slip road from the A3 towards Farnham was built in or around 1970. Before that the route to Farnham at this junction here was through the current A31 eastbound on-slip which was then two-way. You were able to turn left from the A3 onto this two-way road until the early 90s when this was stopped up and the the A31 on-slip was made one-way single lane for safety. A Sign was put up on the A3 advising motorists to take the B3000 as there was no left turn ahead from the A3 to A31 Hog's Back.
The A31 on-slip merge with the A3 had been lengthened in the mid 90s. The scheme to widen the A3 from this junction to Dennis roundabout (A322) has been suspended following cuts in the roads programme. I have outlined my ideas of how this junction could be improved on my website which may be found by searching for 'revampguildfordgyratory'.
David C 16 July 2015
Coming off the A31 onto the northbound A3 is a very risky business indeed! I have lived around these parts all of my life and witnessed the various junction modifications in my 38 years of driving but if one more were surely needed it's to allow safer access onto the northbound A3 from the A31.
The problems are two-fold as I see it: first, there is the problem of having good visibility over one's shoulder when attempting to come off the slip-road and north-bound traffic on the A3 popping over the brow of the hill just before the junction and often exceeding the 50mph limit. This could be very safely and cost-effectively remedied by doing exactly what has been done on the north-bound A325/A323 junction between Aldershot and Farnborough only some 10 miles away in NE Hampshire. That is to force northbound A3 traffic over to the off-side lane and allow the joining A31 traffic to join and merge with impunity as it does on the A325 with joining traffic from the A323. As the meerkats say "simples"!
Derek W 22 September 2015
Mainly to clarify or correct some dates, and add a liitle extra info':
The A3 to A31 slip road (over the newer bridge) was built in the mid-late 1970s - prior to that there was a signal controlled right turn from the southbound A3 on to the (then) two-way northern slip road. However it was closed for an extended period in the early 1990s when major defects in the 1970s bridge had to be rectified - at that stage all north-to-west traffic was diverted via the B3000. At Puttenham, the B3000 / A31 westbound sliproad junction was modified with a temporary mini roundabout to try to help traffic join the westbound A31.
The A3 / A31 slip road remained two way (allowing traffic from northbound A3 to turn left) until the present layout was built in around 1989, as a late addition to the Compton-Shackleford dualling (which extended the Guildford dual-carriageway section southward to just short of Milford, including grade-separating the junctions at Compton and Hurtmore).
The current layout means that the B3000 between Compton and Puttenham is de facto part of the trunk road network, which has never been acknowledged by HA / HE. The junctions at each end of this section were never designed with this in mind, and are heavily overloaded as a result, however neither HA/HE nor SCC will fund improvements.
Miles T 1 January 2019
There are various local legends about the junction being haunted, and also cursed (along the lines that if the bridge that is part of the junction is changed then bad things would happen in the world...)
But perhaps not quite as "haunted" as this now famous junction in the USA:
http://occult-world.com/haunted-new-jersey/gravity-road-ewing-street-ex…
Which is really just an optical illusion that occasionally causes accidents when tourists want to try out having their car push up a hill by a ghost
Martin C 8 January 2019
"This could be very safely and cost-effectively remedied by doing exactly what has been done on the north-bound A325/A323 junction between Aldershot and Farnborough only some 10 miles away in NE Hampshire. That is to force northbound A3 traffic over to the off-side lane and allow the joining A31 traffic to join and merge with impunity as it does on the A325 with joining traffic from the A323. As the meerkats say "simples"!"
Couldn't be further from the solution, the traffic A3 northbound weekday mornings tails right back to Milford. This is not even the Hog's Back interchange causing the problem, it's the Cathedral/Hospital exit a mile or so north.
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A Tim Hortons snack, including a coffee and a donut decorated with the words "Love love."
Yes, we have ice, mountains, sunsets, and icebergs around here – all very pretty – but can we take a minute for this Love Donut? The northernmost Tim Horton's in the world is a social hub. We come here for good company and new versions of old classics.
Case in point: a chocolate dip (with twice the usual amount of frosting) adorned with a message in maple icing. "Love love" is all you need.


Typically, once a landlord files a lawsuit for eviction, the tenant is required to pay rent into the court's registry if it seeks to remain in possession of the property during the lawsuit. However, if the tenant disputes the amount of rent that needs to be paid, the tenant may be entitled to a hearing to determine what constitutes rent under the lease.
In a recent case decided by an appeals court, a landlord filed an eviction against a tenant that paid less than the full amount of rent purportedly owed. The tenant argued that because the lease stated that "Fixed Rent will be reduced proportionately to the extent to which the repair operations interfere with the business conducted on the Premises by Lessee" that the tenant was entitled to pay to the court less than the full amount owed. The court agreed with the tenant and ruled that when a lease provision describes an event that specifically changes the amount of rent due in a lease, a hearing is required to determine the amount of rent that needs to be paid to the court. The court allowed the tenant to pay the reduced amount of rent owed to the extent that any repairs conducted by the landlord for a leaky roof interfered with business conducted on the premises.
The case serves as a good reminder for landlords to carefully review their leases and consider their options before filing the eviction action—particularly where a tenant may have an argument to pay reduced rent. Remember—careful drafting can save you significant time and money spent litigating (as discussed further here, here, here, and here).


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Q: Using Van Selst and Jolicoeur formula for outlier elimination I would like to know which outlier elimination formula you would choose from (non-recursive or Van Selst and Jolicoeur) if you had two samples of 20 people each and if you wanted to compare their response times. An article by Van Selst and Jolicoeur mentions that a non-recursive method will be biased if the sample is less than 20 people (and from a non-normal distribution).
My questions are:

*

*Does the sample size (20 people) matter if the sample sizes are equal for deciding which method to use?

*Should I rather look at global sample size (i.e. 40 people)?

*Should I look only at whether sample sizes are equal or not?

My thoughts are that both matter (comparative sample sizes and sample size by itself) when deciding on the type of outlier elimination method to use. For example, if I had two groups of 15 people each or one group with 25 and the other with 35, I would use the Van Selst-Jolicoeur method, but if I had two groups of 20 people each, then it would be fine to use the non-recursive method since there is at least 20 observations in each group.
The above question is based on a hypothetical scenario. Sometimes trimming means is necessary – my question is specific to what should be done given the above context (sample sizes) once the decision to trim has been taken.


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Published May 19, 2017 2:52pm EDT
HBO's Bernie Madoff 'Wizard of Lies' Author Warns: "It Can Happen Again"
By Matthew Libassi FOXBusiness
He's the biggest swindler in business history — Bernard Madoff. Mastermind behind the $65 billion Ponzi scheme, he caused financial ruin for countless people and organizations. Some of the most influential people including Steven Spielberg and Kevin Bacon lost millions. In 2009, Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in a federal prison.
It wasn't until 2010 that Madoff granted New York Times veteran journalist and author, Diana B. Henriques his first in-person interview since the sentencing.
"When I got a message from Madoff's lawyer that he was considering, I was stunned," Henriques tells FOX Business.
With just two hours and armed with only a notepad, pen and list of questions "I had to make every second count… what can only he tell me?" adds Henriques. "It was the most intense interview I have ever done as a journalist in almost 50 years."
For Henriques, it was all about persistency. Letter after letter, argument after argument— she spent years trying to convince Madoff to give her an interview.
"What I said in one of my letters which I think might have been the hook, might have touched him was, I said, you know this could well be the book that your grandchildren and their children turn to, to understand what happened in their family," says Henriques.
Now, nearly ten years since his arrest, HBO is taking Henrqiues' best-selling book, "The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust" and bringing it to life on the small screen.
Directed by Hollywood legend Barry Levinson ("Diner," "Rain Man") and starring Robert DeNiro ("Raging Bull," "The Godfather II") as Bernie Madoff and Michelle Pfeiffer ("The Fabulous Baker Boys," "Scarface") and Ruth Madoff. Henriques was brought on to help craft the screenplay, share insight on the real life portrayals and locations, as well as play herself in the film.
"The character portrayals are spot on, they are amazing. And in DeNiro's case as Bernie Madoff, they are supernatural," says Henriques.
Chronicling Madoff's far fall from the top and crumbling relationships, "The Wizard of Lies" pulls from over 100 interviews and countless research from Henriques' book.
Andy Cohen: "Donald Trump is Like a Real Housewife"
Mega-TV Producer Jonathan Murray: Emmys Finally Give Nod to Down Syndrome
'Dancing with the Stars' Derek Hough Reveals the One Thing That Affects His Performance
"I think it's important to for this story to be told now and to be told as powerful as this to remind people how vulnerable we are to falling under the spell of a plausible con man like Bernie Madoff, and the next Bernie Madoff," says Henriques.
"The Wizard of Lies" premieres on HBO Saturday May 20 and be sure to watch Henriques full interview above.


Welcome to Better Life Mobility Center - Las Vegas! We are your one stop whether you are looking for your new wheelchair accessible van, mobility scooter, wheelchair or looking to replace any equipment. Our friendly and knowledgable staff is always here to be able to show you the most comfortable, easiest to use and reliable equipment on the market that is best suited for your needs. We pride ourselves on understanding your needs because we understand Mobility first-hand, 40% of us are disabled or have an immediate family member who is, we understand and are here to help! Our promise to you: Quality and Service by Peple Who Know Mobility First-Hand!
Better Life Mobility Center offers an impressive selection of only the top quality makes, models and brands. We have something for everyone, whether you are looking for quality in one of our wheelchair accessible minivans we offer a wide variety of makes and models with VMI conversions. In addition to offering accessible minivans, full size vans and commercial vans we also offer a huge selection of luxury vehicles, trucks and the MV-1!
Not only do we offer some of the highest quality power and manual wheelchairs on the market, we have a Certified Seating and Positioning Specialist! Our goal is to preserve your health and keep you comfortable along the way. Our Certified Sealing and Positional Specialist will make sure you are seating properly. Just like your mobility vehicle and equipment your wheelchair needs to have regular maintenance in order to funtion properly. Leave it to us, we have technicians on site that are here to ensure you are taken care of in the shortest amount of time to get you going!
Everyones needs are different and you should choose accordingly when looking for your next Mobility Scooter. We offer 3 Wheel, 4 Wheel and Heavy Duty Mobility Scooters along with accessories to increase your comfort while using your new Mobility Scooter!
Always keep your factory warranty through out 24/7 Service! Better Life Mobility is an authorized dealer of these Adaptive Driving products, so you'll keep your factory warranty intact from installation through regular maintenance and any service you may need through the warranty period. This is very important to know, because hiring an unauthorized technician to install or service your Adaptive Driving products can do more harm than good. Be sure to call on Better Life for authorized installation and service -- we don't want you to spend any more money than you should.


Latin America is a rapidly growing market, one that is slowly adopting the standardization that the global market requires, while still remaining a vast and highly complex region that calls for flexible and customized approaches.
In order to understand Talent Acquisition in LATAM, it is essential to first know the region itself. It's easy to think of Latin America as one single unit, but in reality it is a group of more than 20 countries, working in 3 different languages, with all the nuances that entails.
It may sound daunting to organizations with headquarters in other regions to think about how to put together a region-wide Talent Acquisition structure in Latin America. But not doing so could lead to costly solutions, such as a heavy reliance on third-party local contractors. Getting to know each country's traditional business practices is key, and will make it easier to start thinking about redefining Talent Acquisition for the region.
However familiar, or unfamiliar, your organization is with RPO, understanding Latin America's dynamics is the first step toward transforming your Recruitment processes.
The entire webinar, "How RPO Works in Latin America," is available in both English and Spanish.
Post contributed by Christian Scandella, Senior Vice President, Latin America. Connect with him on LinkedIn.


Last week, in the post "Why Delta's great new Choice Benefits irk me" I described Delta's new Upgrade Certificates that will be available only to Platinum and Diamond Elite members. Platinum Medallions will have a new Choice Benefit of 4 Regional Upgrade certificates that can be applied on any paid flight that qualifies for free Medallion upgrades. Diamond Medallions will have a new Choice Benefit of 4 Global Upgrade certificates (or 8 Regional Certificates). Global Upgrades will be redeemable on almost any Delta run flight to anywhere in the world as long as upgrade space is available.
There's no question in my mind that these upgrade certificates make achieving Platinum and Diamond status more valuable than before. The question, though, is how much more valuable have these status levels become? Is it now worth the extra cost and effort to seek out the next level of status? To move closer to an answer to that question, in this post I'll examine the value of Regional Upgrade Certificates. I'll look at Global Upgrade Certificates in a separate post.
Why are regional certs worth anything?
The odd thing about Regional Upgrade certificates is that they can be used only on flights where elite members are already eligible for free upgrades. Think about that. You have to achieve Platinum or Diamond status to get these certificates, and then they can only be used on flights where you might get upgraded anyway. Instead of waiting for your free upgrade, you have the option of "paying" for your upgrade with a certificate. When looked at this way, one could argue that Regional Upgrade Certificates are worthless. I don't agree.
Upgrades when you want them most: Free Medallion upgrades are a game of chance. On some routes and times, upgrades may be easy to get, but they're never certain. With Upgrade Certificates you'll be able to ideally upgrade at the time of booking. But, even when upgrade space is not available at booking, you can use a certificate to waitlist for the upgrade. That should effectively put you ahead of all Medallion elites who do not use a certificate.
Upgrades for your companion: Upgrade certificates can be used to upgrade one companion traveling on the same reservation. While its possible for elites to get companions on the upgrade list today, the chance of upgrades in those situations is extremely low. Regional Upgrade Certificates should make upgrades very likely.
Upgrades in off-elite years: While you need to achieve Platinum status to get Regional Upgrade certificates, it should be possible to wait until your Platinum status year is almost over before requesting those certificates. The certificates are good for a year after issue. So, one could alternate years between achieving high level status, but still be able to qualify for regional upgrades in the off-status years.
When booking a coach flight on Delta.com, Delta usually offers you the opportunity to pay (with cash or miles) to upgrade to First Class. The cost to upgrade in that situation is simply the difference in price between First Class and Coach on that itinerary.
I picked a somewhat random set of travel dates and destinations to see what Delta would charge for paid upgrades at the time of booking. The one-way upgrade prices ranged from as low as $55 (for a one hour flight) to $574 (for a flight to Honolulu). What I learned from this is that the redemption value of a Regional Upgrade Certificate could be quite high (up to $574 in my sample), but it could be low as well. Just as with points and miles, it will be possible to get outsized value from upgrade certificates, but only for certain routes and situations.
Regardless of Delta's pricing, the value derived from an upgrade depends upon many factors, such as how much you care about first class vs. coach, how long the flight is, whether you'll need the extra room and possibly a power outlet perhaps to get work done, and so on. Ultimately, though, the question I'm trying to answer is not the value of the upgrades, but the value of the certificates. The upgrade certificates are necessarily worth less than the value you hope to get from using them. If all goes well, you might get a lot of value from them, but it's also possible that upgrades won't be available when you need them and that some of the certificates will ultimately expire unused.
Certificates are non-transferable. You can't give one to a friend or relative who really needs it.
Certificates expire in one year after issue.
Upgrades may not be available when they are most desired.
The $100 estimate is based upon the amount that I think I would be willing to buy certificates for if they were for sale. Each reader can reasonably value these certificates much higher or lower depending upon their own circumstances.
If you agree with my $100 guestimate of the value of upgrade certificates, then you'll agree that the option of 4 Regional Upgrade certificates is worth about twice as much as most other Choice Benefits.
Is Platinum worth the extra effort?
If you're close to achieving Platinum status you might wonder whether Regional Upgrade Certificates increase the value of Platinum status enough to be worth pursuing it. Platinum status was already quite valuable largely due to the ability to make award changes for free. Now, I'd estimate that Platinum status is worth about $200 more than it was before thanks to Upgrade Certificates. Of course, its possible to get far more than $100 per certificate value when redeeming for upgrades. If you think that it is likely that you will do so, then the incremental value of Platinum status with this new Choice Benefit option may be much higher to you.
What do you think about my estimate and reasoning? If you're a Delta flyer, how much would you be willing to pay for an upgrade certificate if it could be bought?
I'm holding off on choosing my Platinum Choice Benefit until the bitter end (qualified in May 2013, will choose in February 2015). I want to get the Regional Certs for when I ditch Delta status but still need a Delta flight every now and then.
I think $100 is a bit on the high side (that's what I value United RPUs at and those are good for LAX-JFK transcons, while Delta's aren't).
I agree with Amol, $100 sounds a bit high when United's RPUs usually are valued at that and can be used for anyone not just you or companion on same flight.
Makes sense. To be clear, $100 is my estimate of the value of the certs to me not necessarily to others. Since I'm unlikely to fly a transcon anyway, that point doesn't really matter to me but it would really stink if thought I'd fly that route.
Yep, a big difference though is that when using miles to upgrade you are limited to certain fare classes whereas the upgrade certs are good on all but "E".
Aren't they more valuable than $100 if you use them for domestic routes on an int'l-configured 76W or 777 (eg, LAX-ATL) that is not a JFK-West Coast flight?
Yes, that's a good way to get outsized redemption value from the certs.
For me, these are great! We never get bumped into First Class when I am flying with my DH, since I have no status. Now, we can with the long haul flights from ATL to PDX and other west coast destinations.
Could you not wait until after your complimentary upgrade window to redeem these? Or do they have to be done at time of booking? Platinums clear at the 5 day window, you could theoretically wait to see if you clear and if not redeem these 3 or 4 days before the flight? Or am I thinking about this wrong?
That's an interesting idea. I think that would be a good way to play it if you are willing to risk the possibility that all upgrade space will be gone by then.
Does anyone know if you can use the upgrade cert on your companion only and hold off for your own upgrade? I fly a ton, and most of the times i end up sleeping. When I travel with my wife, I always give her my seat in first because she actually takes advantage of the amenities offered. I'm considering taking these, but was curious if I book a flight and she is on my reservation, if I can just have a cert used for her and take my chances (as the Status member) on an upgrade?
I'd really like to know the answer to that too.
As a recent Delta PM after 3 years of being Diamond, I opted for the 4 regional certificates for my choice benefits. The year prior, as a Diamond I also took the the 8, or was it 6 Systemwide Upgrades as my choice benefit.
As I entered my new world as a PM, I found I was rarely complimentary upgraded on my most frequent flights: LAX/ATL, LAX/MSP, LAX/DTW. Since my company usually requires me to book the lowest possible fares i wasn't always able to take advantage of mu SWUs restricted codes. However, as these rewards were close to expiring, I managed to book several flights (all to ATL, DTW and MSP) in the qualifying fare class. On most of them, I was able to see that five days out, there was no drastic reduction in FC seats which indicated to me that Delta was waiting until boarding time to upgrade anyone. On everyone of those flights that I used my SWU certificate, I remained at the very top of the upgrade lists. In at least three cases the available FC seats had shrunk to 2, yet I was upgraded each time. I know for a fact that I was rated above all Diamond complimentary upgrades and on only one occasion was a Diamond upgraded before me. He ended up sitting next to me and explained that he used a SU certificate on that flight. To me, on the longer haul flights, the RUs are worth their weight in gold. The average price to upgrade to FC on the flights I referred to was between 400 and 900 dollars. That's really valuable Choice benefit in my opinion.
If you do not get upgraded using your Regional Upgrade for the flight you requested, do you loss that certificate, or do you get it back?
No, you keep the certificate if you do not get upgraded as a result of the certificate.
Yes, they can be applied at booking or anytime afterwards.
PM here and I would say that these upgrade certificates are completely worthless. I'm based in ATL and fly to the left coast most often so my thought was that I'd use the upgrade certs on long haul flight as a platinum rarely gets upgraded on these. Well guess what? I've not tried four different times to use these certificates on either outbound or return flights with absolutely no luck: ATL-LAX, ATL-DEN, ATL-SFO, ATL-SEA, nothing! I tried different days, different flight times – nada.
I expressed my displeasure to multiple delta representatives and got nowhere. I even asked if I could trade the certs for miles and was told that this is explicitly prohibited. Basically, as someone stated previously, the only way these certs are even redeemable is when you would probably get an upgrade anyway.
I would HIGHLY recommend choosing anything but the regional upgrades when selecting your gift.
That's pretty awful. There might be too many Platinums and Diamonds in Atlanta using up your upgrade chances. Out of Detroit, my wife has had better luck. She's about 50/50 using her regional upgrade certificates and 100% (4 for 4) using her global upgrades for international flights.
Since I am in Atlanta too and a PM, I guess I should look at the other gifts. The only one that makes much sense is the added miles….yes??
What a scam.. I spent last year staying loyal to Delta for four trips I took from Washington DC to Seoul, Korea.. so that I could finally break into the coveted Platinum (with the accompanying Reg. Certs). Being platinum itself hasn't been of much value, other than getting on the plane early and not paying for a bag. I still rarely make the cut to get upgraded when I fly, since the planes are so packed already. When I fly (most of the time) with my spouse, being a platinum member is useless since my spouse has no status, and unless we split/sit apart, I/we will never get upgraded. As for the regional certs.. just booked a flight from DC to Maui for the two of us. Figured at least I could use the certs for the LAX to/from Maui. NOPE. The only leg of the three each way, that are available to use the certs, are the DC to/from Atlanta. At least Delta uses a call center in Dallas, so the customer service rep is able to tell you with the sweetest southern accent, that your certs are useless.


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Hi guys!! Today I have swatches and review of the polish I have been eyeing for quite some time. It is a part of Color Club The New Rules Of Engagement collection and it's called Save The Date. Now let's jump to the swatches.
As you can clearly see it has some minor brush strokes visible and they don't totally go away even when the polish is dry. However the application was easy and it was opaque in two coats. What you see here is without the top coat.
I thought it was going to be a real rose gold, but instead it's way too rosy for my taste. I like it and I will use it for nail art, but not as full manicure. But I love the fact that there are this tiny glittery or maybe they are bigger shimmer parts that stand out from the rest of the polish. They make the polish more interesting. They are not that visible, but they make the polish sparkle.
And here is the comparison shot. The only polishes in my stash that can qualify as rose gold are Essie – Penny Talk and Cirque Colors – Halcyon and I think the only true rose gold here is Penny Talk.


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Witnessing to Social Issues Made Worse by Pandemic
Two recent actions involving Episcopalians highlight the long term social issues that the covid-19 pandemic has impacted negatively. In Alabama, the Nonviolent Medicaid Army and the Poor People's Campaign announced a candlelight vigil at five locations around the state. The vigils were intended to highlight the additional stress and pain caused by large medical bills faced by the uninsured or under-insured as a result of the pandemic. Alabama is one of the 12 states that have not fully expanded Medicaid and there are over 200,00 uninsured state residents. Of the five vigils, three are being held at Episcopal Churches, St. Mark's in Birmingham, Holy Comforter in Gadsden, and All Saints in Mobile.
In a separate action, Episcopal leaders issued a call for better family leave policies, pointing to the severe stresses placed on women workers who during the pandemic have not only been expected to continue paid employment but to care for members of their families who became ill. The next General Convention will be addressing a proposal for a church-wide policy on family leave.
Continuing Stories
National Cathedral Picks Artist to Design Replacement Windows
The Dean of the National Cathedral has announced the names of the artist who will design two stained glass windows replacing ones removed in 2017 honoring Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee. He also announced the name of the poet who will compose a new stone inscription which will replace one honoring Confederate Soldiers. The artist, Kerry James Marshall is know for his colorful paintings depicting African American life, and the poet, Dr. Elizabeth Alexander, is also known for writing about experiences of people of color. Both have a long list of honors. The Cathedral is expecting to install the new windows and inscription in 2023. For more details, consult the press release from the Cathedral. Update carried stories on the removal of the windows in 2017 following the violence and demonstrations in Charlottesville, VA, and has noted other churches dealing with Confederate memorials. The most recent of those posts is here.
Episcopal Churches in the Thick of Afghan Resettlement
Update has carried many stories on the participation of the Episcopal Church, parishes, and dioceses in immigrant rights and resettlement of refugees. (The most recent is here.) Religion News, however published a story this last week that focused on the model plan developed and led by Episcopalians in Connecticut for refugee resettlement. The Episcopal Church, and its migrant ministry reached out to the community to bring in partners both in the interfaith community and secular groups. They have depended on numerous small teams that may ever meet in person, but each provide a part of the support needed for successful refugee resettlement. The model was first developed when dealing with refugees from Vietnam, and the various groups have now worked together for many years.
South Carolina Gets Court Date
When the judge assigned by the South Carolina Supreme Court to implement the decision awarding almost all disputed property to those that remained in the Episcopal Church instead reversed the awards and gave everything to the schismatics, the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina filed an appeal with the South Carolina Supreme Court. The appeal asked the court to uphold its original decision. That appeal was filed in November on 2020. By the end of February, the schismatic group led by Mark Lawrence, and now part of ACNA had filed its response, and Episcopalians had filed their answer to that response. After 7 months, the South Carolina Supreme Court has set Wednesday, December 8 for oral argument. Both the Episcopal Diocese and the ACNA one have issued statements saying they are looking forward to making their case. As usual the blog scepiscopalians.com provides a good commentary.
ACNA faces Discontent Within
The ACNA denomination is a combination of overlapping jurisdiction, and groups that range from charismatic to high anglo-catholic. Some ordain women, some don't. What has held the group together was its adamant stand against LGBTQA+ couples and ordination of people from that community. This last month has highlighted what divides various groups and suggests the difficulty the group may have in not fragmenting. Update has already carried stories about how the decision of the Church in Kenya to consecrate two women as bishops has challenged the GAFCON coalition to which ACNA belongs. While Archbishop Foley Beach (who currently heads both GAFCON and ACNA) issued statements emphasizing that ACNA and GAFCON need to accept that this is an area where the group has deep disagreements, the anti-women's ordination groups are not ready to let this lie. The most recent statement against the actions in Kenya and women's ordination in general has come from the Diocese of Fort Worth. The Standing Committee issued a statement that they do not consider women's ordination, and the consecration of a woman as a diocesan bishop in Kenya matters of second level importance, but instead a matter "necessary for salvation." Christianity Today and Anglican.ink both carried articles on the Fort Worth statement.
While this divide has been present from the beginning of ACNA, another possible fault line has developed. St. Mary of Bethany in Nashville has announced that it is leaving ACNA for a loosely organized group, the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. The reason for leaving is that the parish has come to the conclusion that ACNA is too unwelcoming to LGBTQA people. While not willing to marry same sex couples, the parish wants to fully welcome LGBTQA to its parish ministry. The parish is going to try to incorporate both supporters and opponents of same sex marriage. In fact its priest has announced he will no longer officiate and any weddings.
Woman-Focused Lectionary Published
Women have recently published two new cycles of readings for the church year. One, done by the Rev. Wilda Gafney, a Brite Seminary professor in Fort Worth, is published by Church Publishing. A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church includes a complete set of Old Testament, Psalm, New Testament, and Gospel readings for a three year cycle, and a one year version. Year A and the Psalms are now available, with years B and C soon to follow. The use gender inclusive language and focus on parts of the Bible that give women voice. Although published by an Episcopal organization, the lectionary is not an official document of the church. (That would require General Convention action), but is a resource clergy and parishes might find useful. The second lectionary, The Women's Lectionary: Preaching the Women of the Bible Throughout the Year was published by a Quaker woman who focused on the parts of the Bible using feminine imagery for God and places where women are active in the Biblical narrative. Her readings are a one year cycle.
Church of England Reorganization Proposed
A report has been issued by a specially appointed committee on a possible reorganization of the governing, charitable and administrative structures of the Church of England which would streamline activity and change oversight of many of the functions. The report is now open for discussion and before any of the changes would be implemented would require a variety of legislative acts, both by the Church of England Synod and other legal bodies. It will be interesting to see if the proposals gain any traction. The report is here and early responses are covered by Thinking Anglicans.
New York Times Hires ACNA Columnist
The New York Times has announced the addition of an "Anglican" perspective to their on-line newsletters, however, the "Anglican" they have chosen, Tish Harrison, is a member of ACNA, which is not part of the Anglican Communion. Pittsburgh readers may find the name familiar because Harrison was at Church of the Ascension before accepting a position as Writer in Residence at Resurrection Anglican Church in Austin, TX. Harrison (a Texas native) and her husband were both ordained by Bishop Duncan after Duncan left the Episcopal Church.
Women Bishops Continue to Rile GAFCON Waters
A sixth woman will soon have been installed as bishop in Anglican Communion provinces in Africa. The newest addition is the Rev. Canon Vincentia Kgabe who will serve in Southern Africa as Bishop of Lesotho. She is the third woman to be elected in Southern Africa, however, one of those women died so Southern Africa will only have two active women in that office once Kgabe is consecrated. The other women bishops are in GAFCON participating provinces, two in Kenya and one in the South Sudan. The consecration September 12 of the Rt. Rev. Rose Okeno as a diocesan bishop in Kenya is creating waves in GAFCON. Okeno is the first diocesan, but second woman as bishop that Kenya has chosen in the last year. In 2016, South Sudan consecrated a woman as an assisting bishop. Many GAFCON participating provinces do not accept women's ordination, and the group's leaders had earlier agreed not to install women as bishops. Okeno's election has made clear that the provinces that have ordained women are getting tired of waiting and the responses by GAFCON leaders and anti-women's ordination groups has made clear how precarious the policies are. ACNA's presiding bishop, Foley Beach, also serves as head of GAFCON. ACNA allows dioceses to decide if they will ordain women, but restricts the office of bishop to men. He reiterated that position. Conservative Anglo-catholics in ACNA, however, created an on-line open letter of protest against women's ordination, especially as bishops and began soliciting signatures. That letter however was taken off its sponsoring priest's blog at the order of his bishop. Update earlier reported on the election of Okeno.
Church Vaccine Requirement Grows
At the beginning of September, Update reported on the decision of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco to require proof of vaccination in order to attend services and events. The Cathedral is not alone. The Episcopal News Services reports on several other Episcopal Churches that have made similar requirements, and gives more detail on how Grace has implemented their requirement. In fact, a majority of parishes in the Diocese of California have vaccination requirements, and Bishop Andrus has urged the requirement. In the Diocese of New York both the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and St. Luke's in the Field have vaccination requirements. At least one parish in Maine has requires vaccination. All are also offering on-line options for worship, and some include an alternative testing option and have given exceptions to those who are not eligible for the vaccine. Other places are not requiring that attendees be vaccinated, but are requiring all Church employees and volunteers be vaccinated. Maine has chosen that route as well as Massachusetts, and now the Diocese of Toronto in the Anglican Church of Canada has taken a similar stand.
Bishops seem to be making most of the news this week . . .
Bishop John Shelby Spong Dies
Bishop John Shelby Spong died this last week, aged 90. The bishop had been a lightning rod in the church for his early advocacy (and action) in support of ordination of LGBTQA people. He also supported ordination of women. He was the author of a number of books, which presented theology in terms a lay person could follow. Spong's writings brought many people into the church. His take on theology was decidedly liberal, and as a result Spong was often used by conservatives as a symbol to scare people into thinking his views were the official positions of the church. Many of his critics have left the church, and Spong lived long enough to see the Episcopal Church officially embrace the ministries of LGBTQA people, to see women at all levels of church ministry. While his emphasis on inclusion has become mainstream in the church, his theological remain controversial.
First Woman Bishop in Scotland Facing Review
Ann Dyer, the Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney in the Episcopal Church of Scotland is the first and only woman serving as a bishop in that Anglican Communion Province. She was appointed after the diocese was unable to agree on a bishop, and her appointment was controversial, not only because she was a woman, but because she supported same sex marriage and was appointed to a diocese where a majority of clergy did not. Update carried a story on her appointment. She has been shaking things up in the diocese and was recently subject to an investigation on charges of bullying clergy an laity in her diocese. The Scottish House of Bishops, however, has not accepted the recommendation of the recently released report, and is has decided that what is needed is mediation. One question, dismissed in the first investigation, is that her actions actions,while challenging, would have been acceptable if done by a male bishop. One of the main charges of bullying, for example, is that she attended a trustees meeting, noted that the trustees had permitted a number of actions contrary to law and church canons, and told the trustees that if they individually could not abide by the laws, they should resign. Update will continue to follow events as they unfold in Scotland.
Lutherans Seat First Transgender and Lesbian Bishops
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in California has numerous jurisdictions, but two of them have new bishops. The Rev. Megan Rohrer became bishop of one of the most northern synods and the Rev. Brenda Bos was installed as bishop of the Southwest Synod of the ELCA. Rohrer is transgender and Bos a lesbian who knows first-hand many of the rejections that LGBTQA can experience, especially from various Christian Churches. Bos had a very successful career as a television writer, before answering a call to ministry. Rohrer and Bos have been elected to six year terms as bishop. You can read more about Rohrer in this NPR interview. The Washington Blade has a profile of Bos.
Episcopal Chaplain Finds A Way to Personalize Care for Those Unable to Speak
Elizabeth Tracey, a hospital chaplain at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, had become concerned as she watched medical personnel become increasing detached from those they were treating, a factor that contributed to burnout. With the onset of the covid-19 epidemic, she saw increased de-personalization of those being treated, especially those intubated and no longer able to speak for themselves. It also made it harder to ensure that medical staff made the right decisions about a patient. As a result she began a pilot project that recorded short introductions to each patient by family members, thus providing a way for medical staff to know the person they were treating. Staff could listen to the recordings while they were treating the patient. The introductions are embedded in the patient's electronic records and thus available to all staff. The project has made a difference for those providing care, and doctors have asked for it to be applied to additional patients. Johns Hopkins has now awarded the chaplaincy program a $50,000 grant to expand the program to other areas of the hospital.
Chicago's Bishop Elect Faces Another Personal Challenge
Bishop-elect of Chicago, Paula Clark suffered a stroke shortly after her election, and her consecration has had to be delayed while she continues to work on recovery. Clark is working on recovery of speech and communication skills and the delay has been extended with Bishop Chilton Knutson, filling in as an Assistant Bishop. Now Clark faces another personal challenge. Her husband, Andrew McClean has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma and the family must decide on a course of care.
Presiding Bishop Preaches at September 11 Service in New York
The Update last week carried a notice about the events planned by Trinity Wall Street to commemorate the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. One of the main events was a Requiem Eucharist at which Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was the preacher. The Episcopal News Service has a article outlining the message of the Presiding Bishop at the service. While Curry decried the "seeds of self-centeredness" that led to hate and division in our current world, he called on all to recommit to "a love that gives and does not count the cost," remembering that moment when Americans drew together in love and helped each other under very trying circumstances.
Another Update on Fort Worth Legal Case
The schismatic group in Fort Worth has gotten an appeals court decision requiring that property removed from the parish properties that courts ruled belonged to the group that left TEC had to be returned. It is not clear how much property is involved since several Episcopal congregations had to scrounge for everything from Books of Common Prayer to communion sets. However, in one case, the congregation took just about everything with them from the altar and pews to the the baptismal font. This must now all be returned. The court has ruled that moveable property was still part of the property awarded to the schismatics when they won the multi-year legal battle over parish property. The original update story after the date when the six congregations had to eave their buildings this May, included a link to a picture that showed the stripping of one parish.
Church of Wales to Bless Same Sex Unions
While the Anglican Church of Wales is not ready to authorize marriage ceremonies for same sex couples, it has broken ranks with the Church of England by authorizing a 5 year period for a trial liturgy that will bless couples who have had civil ceremonies or registered for civil unions. The action was supported by overwhelming votes at the church synod, although the action was criticized by those conservatives who opposed any recognition of same sex couples and by those who thought that the action fell short of a full embrace of same sex couples. It will be interesting to see if it has any effect on the upcoming long-delayed Lambeth meeting of bishops from all over the Anglican Communion. The Church Times provides one take on the discussion at the synod, and the official announcement from the Church in Wales a very different one.
Trinity Wall Street Plans Weekend of Memorials for September 11, 2001
Saturday, September 11, 2021 will be the 20th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Towers, the Pentagon, and another unspecified target in Washington D.C. The last of these was foiled by the actions of the passengers and crew of flight 93 who fought to regain control of their plane and sent it crashing to ground near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Trinity Episcopal Church, Wall Street has an 18th century chapel, St. Paul's that was literally at the edge of the Trade Center complex. Trinity is planning an entire weekend of memorial events and space for quiet reflection with chaplains available for September 10-12. More on these events is available here.
Trinity School For Ministry to Search for New Head
Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA announced that its president and dean, the Rev. Dr. Henry L. Thompson (Laurie Thompson) was retiring. Trinity is theoretically a seminary recognized by the Episcopal Church, but in practice is part of ACNA, a fact made clear by its appointment of the former ACNA primate, Robert Duncan (also the bishop who led the schismatic Pittsburgh faction that left The Episcopal Church). Thompson, although officially still listed as an Episcopal priest, has been serving also as one of the clergy for an ACNA parish in the Pittsburgh area. He will step down from Trinity at the end of the 2021-22 academic year. All this may help to explain why the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh has been building stronger relationship to the local Presbyterian seminary, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. That seminary has an Anglican/Episcopal track.
Episcopal Migration Ministries Working to Resettle Afghanis
The Episcopal Migration Ministries is directly involved in resettling many of the refugees from Afghanistan that are arriving in the U.S. EMM has issued a call to the church at large for help in providing services and supplies that they will need. They are looking for sponsor groups and housing both long and short term is a highest priority, An article in The Living Church lists ways that people can contribute and where they can send money to help. The Episcopal News Service has a longer article on the resettlement effort and need to dioceses or parishes to step forward as sponsors.
Churches Assess Damage from Hurricane Ida
Episcopal Church buildings in the path of Hurricane Ida did not escape unscathed. At least 8 parishes had damage to roofs and windows. The worst hit was St. Andrews in Bayou Dularge where loss of large sections of the roof led to a collapse of the entire ceiling. The Episcopal News Service has an article that notes the damage done to several Episcopal parishes and also the the challenge long-term outages of power are bringing to the area.
Updates on Continuing Themes
Battling Climate Change
In a major interfaith announcement, the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and the Orthodox Church made a joint announcement calling on Christians to pray and work to address the on-going climate change crisis. The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin is already living out that call. The bishop recently dedicated solar panels installed at the sixth church in the diocese. Plans are under way to install the panels on six more of their churches. When this is done, 95% of the power needed by the diocese will come from the solar installations. Update has carried other stories about churches going solar, most recently here.
Witnessing Against Gun Violence
Red Letter Christians, an interfaith group of liberal evangelicals held a two day gathering September 4-5 in Houston, TX to witness against gun violence. Originally planned to be held at the same time and the same city as a National Rifle Association meeting, the anti-violence group persisted even when the NRA cancelled. As part of the event, the Episcopal Cathedral in Houston, Christ Episcopal hosted a memorial service to remember those who had died in gun violence with the former Bishop of Mark Beckwith as preacher. Beckwith was one of the founders of the Bishops Against Gun Violence group in the Episcopal Church. Update has regularly followed Episcopal participation or leadership in the anti-gun violence movement. Its most recent previous post is here.
Grace Cathedral Requiring Proof of Vaccination
Grace Cathedral in San Francisco is holding worship in person, but all those over 12 must show proof of vaccination for the Covid-19 virus. The cathedral is encouraging advanced registration. Masks are still required for indoor services. The Episcopal Cafe article provides context. The cathedral is continuing to provide on-line options for those who are over age 12 and are not vaccinated, or are hesitant about risking in person groups at this time. The cathedral schedule lays out the options and requirements. Update has been carrying notices of worship protocols during the pandemic.
More on Fort Worth Legal Fees
Last week Update carried a notice that the Episcopal Church had picked up the tab for over $4 million in legal fees that the ACNA diocese in Fort Worth claimed. The official press release from the Episcopal Church in North Texas now spells out that the ACNA group actually went after a much larger amount, despite part of it being covered by insurance, and that it was not clear that they were owed anything. Rather than prolong litigation, the Episcopal Church negotiated a settlement and paid the reduced amount thus relieving the diocese of trying to come up with money that it did not have since the schismatics got control of the entire dicoesan endowment.
ACNA Troubles Grow
The mess in the Midwest Diocese of ACNA just gets worse. What began as a mishandling of sexual misconduct charges and the removal/retirement of two bishops has now affected a third and spread to include charges of bullying of laity who did not fit into tightly prescribed gender roles. The latest bishop caught in the scandal is a Canadian, who had just brought a small group of churches into ACNA as part of the Midwest Diocese. He has been told that his appointment as an Assistant bishop is now on hold. Meanwhile multiple lay complaints about treatment of LGBTQ members, and of a husband wife ministry team have further complicated the investigation.


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* The Right Choice Promise® applies only to residential installations. It excludes: damage and abuse, improper installation, mis-measurement, product stacking or control side change, hard-wired motorized products and specialty shapes requiring templates. Change in product size (i.e., inside mount to outside mount or vice versa) is excluded. An additional re-installation charge not to exceed $75.00 per window covering may be required. If the replacement product is of greater value, you must pay the difference in value. No credits or refunds for products of lesser value. Claims must be made by the original customer through the original Hunter Douglas Gallery® dealer. The Right Choice Promise® is available only through participating Hunter Douglas Gallery® dealers.
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There will be times where the advice required is of a complex nature that it may exceed the level at which such advice can be provided free of charge.
To assist members on this the Association has set certain guidelines to the advisers so there should be no doubt. The paragraphs below give some guidance on how the distinction is made.
General initial advice: For example, basic guidance on general principles by letter or a couple of phone calls, or any enquiries which an adviser can deal with simply and quickly: These should be given free of charge to the member.
If advice is being given in an area where members may reasonably be expected to have some professional advisers in place. This might relate to e.g. accountants, solicitors etc. Advisers may wish to frame advice simply as some general 'pointers' and recommend that the member seeks confirmation and/or more detailed advice from their appropriate professional adviser.
Payments and out of pocket expenses: A very clear distinction needs to be made between payments to an adviser, in reimbursement of firstly 'out of pocket' expenses and secondly for the Adviser's services (time and expertise) covered below.
Advisers Acting on a Fee Basis: Terms of Appointment - In many cases something may start off as a basic general query and develop into a 'major exercise'. Advisers are asked to give the member a clear forewarning that they will have to stop giving free advice on the matter in question and must charge for their services to continue to help.
The Adviser would then be acting in a personal capacity rather than as an HRA officer. This change of role and terms of acting should be notified in writing before any fee chargeable work is started and should (1) set out clearly the level of fees and (2) indicate when the change will take place.
In the interests of both Adviser and member, we would wish that formal terms of engagement are agreed, with the member being given an estimate of costs or at least of hourly rates (where appropriate, this should follow standard or recommended forms of 'Letter of Engagement' set out by the Adviser's relevant professional body).
A practical point is that many HRA member organisations find it more difficult to cope with a single possibly substantial payment once work has been completed - billing 'little and often' is easier to cope with (e.g. an account for work done to date every 3 months rather than a large bill at the end of 2 years).


#ThankfulThursday! Today I am especially thankful for my medical biller Jessica Chapin! She works so hard day in and day out to collect payments from insurance companies, appeal claims, verify benefits and work with and educate our patients so they have a great experience with their overall care. Medical Insurance is so very confusing but … Continue reading Thankful Thursday!
Too bad we are melting in this heat! A "Frozen Shoulder" sounds kind of nice right now! Do you know what a Frozen Shoulder is? Having Shoulder Pain? Stay tuned for my FB Live Video tomorrow, 9/1 @12:30pm for more info. LIKE & Follow my FB page Physical Therapy San Pedro to tune in. #FrozenShoulder … Continue reading Frozen Shoulder Funny!


Of course, in real life, the answer is a lot more complicated.
First, what does the 4% rule mean and where does it come from?
The 4% rule refers to how much someone can safely withdraw from their portfolio every year and not outlive their money. Withdrawing 4% per year is the same as having 25 times your annual spending in your portfolio.
A few studies have looked back at historical US market returns and concluded if you retired at the absolute worst possible time, withdrawing 4% of your portfolio per year adjusted for inflation would not completely deplete your portfolio for at least 30 years. Anything higher than 4%, even 1% more as in 5%, and you have a high risk of depleting your portfolio while you're still alive or having to cut your spending by as much as 60%.
By withdrawing 3.25-3.75% per year, your portfolio can survive the worst case historical market returns and sequence of return events for even a 60-year retirement.
Fractions of a percent may not seem like very much, but with the way the math works, a fraction of a percent compounded annually for decades has an enormous impact on the final value of your portfolio.
The 4% rule can be thought of as a rule-of-thumb that needs to be tailored to your individual situation.
It should be no surprise those studies are based on historical returns that may or may not happen in the future. There's no guarantee a future worst-case scenario won't be worse than previous market crashes or economic depressions. Bond yields are currently much lower than their historical average. Some experts say equities are currently at ridiculously high evaluations, which typically leads to lower future returns.
The first decade of returns after you retire is a good predictor of your long-term retirement success. If you still have 50-60% of your original portfolio after the first 10 years, you will most likely be alright for the rest of your retirement. While there are things you can do to mitigate against unexpected low market returns (see below), you may want to be a bit more conservative with your safe withdrawal rate, especially if you experience low returns during the first 10 years.
Sequence of returns refers to the order in which high and low returns occur. If you buy and then hold for a long time, the order of returns doesn't matter because you will end up with the same amount. But, if you are adding to or withdrawing from your portfolio while you are working or retired like everyone does in real life, the sequence of returns has a significant effect on your final amount.
Let's say you start with $100 and have a +30% return the first year and then a -20% return the second year. You would end up with $104.5. Now let's reverse the order of those returns, so if you start with $100 and have -20% then +30% returns, you still end up with $104.5. The cumulative return is the same and the order of those returns doesn't matter.
Now, let's use the same example, but this time withdraw 4% of our original portfolio after the first year, which is $4.
A 2% difference may not seem like a lot, but like we said before, a few percent compounded over decades will have a significant impact on your final portfolio value.
The bottom line is when you are withdrawing from your portfolio, negative returns at the beginning of retirement affect your future portfolio value more than negative returns that occur later.
As an aside, the sequence of returns also affects your long-term portfolio value when you are in the accumulation phase. It's much better to have low market returns at the beginning when you are young and your portfolio is small, and high returns later in life when your portfolio is larger, rather than have high returns at the beginning and low returns near retirement.
In fact, now we can conclude the best case scenario over your lifespan is to have low returns when you are young and accumulating, then high returns before you retire that continue for the first 10 years of your retirement, followed by low returns before you kick the bucket.
The worst-case scenario would be high returns when you are young, followed by low returns before you retire as well as during the beginning of your retirement.
As you already know, the 4% rule is based on a 30-year retirement. If you plan on retiring early and living well into your 90's, a 30-year portfolio isn't going to cut it. If you need your portfolio to last more than 30 years, or if you want something left at the end as a bequest, you may want to adjust your asset allocation and/or your safe withdrawal rate. It's been shown that a withdrawal rate of 3.5% can protect against low returns the first two decades of retirement for time frames greater than 45 years. In other words, reducing your withdrawal rate by 0.5% gives you the same chance of success for a 60-year retirement vs. 30 years.
Also, the longer your retirement is, the more likely you will have unexpected large expenses. Planning for unexpected health costs, for example, is a good idea because you would not want to return to work if you are having a health crisis.
One option to protect against a market crash during the first 10 years of retirement is to change to mostly bonds right after you retire. You would change back to a more balanced allocation between bonds and equities later on. While this option may protect against market crashes soon after you retire, it also has the opportunity cost of missing out on possible market gains as well. Having said that, it's not uncommon to reduce the risk of your portfolio by adding more income-producing investments once you retire.
Dividends need to be included in your safe withdrawal rate. So, if you receive 2% dividends per year, then you would sell 2% of your portfolio to get a total withdrawal of 4%. Dividends have never been used to determine market returns, because in theory, receiving a 2% dividend is the same as selling 2% of a stock. In real life though, it's often easier to receive dividends automatically in your account rather than deciding which investments to sell, especially if the market is down.
In addition to adjusting the ratio of equities to bonds, another way you can diversify your portfolio to decrease overall risk is by including international markets, such as Europe, Asia, along with emerging and frontier markets. While the S&P 500 was flat during the first decade of the 21st century (which is often referred to as the 'lost decade'), international markets performed well. Regular rebalancing between international and US markets would have given decent returns.
You can also diversify by tilting your portfolio towards factors such as value, size, momentum, quality, and volatility. Factor investing is a whole other article, so I recommend having a look at Andrew Berkin and Larry Swedroe's book here.
As a follower of FIRE, I like to avoid individual stocks as well as commodities. Investing in individual companies is just too risky. At least 30 stocks are needed for diversification, and the transaction costs and effort required to rebalance isn't worth it when you can buy low-cost exchange-traded funds that have hundreds, if not thousands of stocks. While commodities, such as gold and oil, sometimes have price spikes, they don't produce income and production over time gets more efficient, which leads to lower prices. Also, equities are a far better hedge against inflation than commodities.
Many people will want to leave something for their children, other important people in their lives, or charity. An often overlooked consequence of the 4% rule is it's possible to have nothing left of your portfolio after 30 years. Success is defined as total capital depletion during worst case scenarios. It should be no surprise by now if you want your portfolio to last longer than 30 years, which is the same as saying you don't want it to be zero, you may need to lower your withdrawal rate.
Counter-intuitively, it is actually more difficult to achieve capital preservation with a 30-year time frame compared to 60 years. High equity allocations and the high returns they give make it easier to maintain capital for time periods exceeding 30 years. It's been shown for equity allocations 75% or greater, to maintain 75-100% of your original capital at the end of 60 years with success rates greater than about 90%, you need a withdrawal rate between 3.50-3.75%.
It's important to remember the 4% rule and all the above scenarios (except for sequence of market returns) are based on only US historical returns. No one has done a similar analysis using international returns because of the lack of data available, but it's likely diversifying internationally with regular rebalancing will decrease your overall portfolio risk, allowing you to slightly increase your safe withdrawal rate.
In summary, while the 4% rule guarantees success for a 30 year retirement based on historical US returns for a 60/40 portfolio, if you want your money to last longer, you will need at least 75% equities and a withdrawal rate between 3.25-3.75%, depending on actual market returns and how much capital you want to leave as a bequest.
What if an unprecedented market crash happens and all your financial planning is thrown out the window?
Before we look at what you can do to salvage your retirement, it's important to understand how hard it is for your portfolio to recover from a market crash, especially if you are withdrawing at the same time.
Let's start with $100 again and look at the math behind a recovery. If the market crashes by 30%, it takes a gain of 42.8% to get back to your original $100.
But you still need money to live, so let's withdraw $4 after the market crashes. Then you need a 51.5% return to get back to your original $100!
As you can see, withdrawing from your portfolio during market crashes makes it much more difficult to return to your original value. In above example, a market crash of 30% required a 51.5% gain if we withdraw 4% at the bottom. Combine this with the risk associated with the sequence of returns, and you can see why it is prudent to plan for the unexpected.
Just like during the accumulation phase, it's easier to cut your spending than to bring in more money when you're retired. Nightlife and traveling are probably the easiest to start with. If you have been following FIRE, should be debt free already, but make sure you're not paying unnecessary interest on anything. It may be more difficult to cut spending if you have fixed costs such as tuition for your kids. If you have important expenses like tuition you don't want to cut back, it's probably better to work for a few more years and have a lower withdrawal rate in the first place.
Options to reduce your withdrawal rate include not giving yourself a cost of living increase if the market is down, or to withdraw 4% of the current value of your portfolio instead of the original value. Nonetheless, both options require you to lower your standard of living.
Going back to work is often given as advice, but it's easier said than done. First off, it's unlikely you will be able to go back into to your previous job at the same salary before you left, especially after being away for a long time or during an economic downturn. It may take a long time just to find a low paying job since many people will be competing for the same scraps if the economy crashes. If you retired early, your friends who are still working may not be sympathetic to your situation, but also think of the added emotional cost of going back to work after you have already given it up. Having a side hustle after you retire and putting more time into it if the market crashes could a be a good way of protecting your retirement.
Given the state of corporate and state pensions along with social security, while some people will surely disagree, I would think twice before including those in your FIRE plans, especially if you are retiring early.
It's always a good idea to have an emergency fund in cash of at least a few months living expenses. Over a long retirement, the unexpected can and will happen, and you may need immediate access to money. It could also provide a cushion if it takes time to re-enter the workforce or to ramp up your side hustle. The retirement visa requirements for Thailand of having either 400,000B if you're married or 800,000B if you're single in the bank could be an emergency fund, as long as you could replenish it if needed. If you are planning on keeping a large emergency fund of more than 1 year's living expenses, you need to understand the opportunity cost of not having that money invested over the long-term. For that reason, some people argue against emergency funds, but I like to stay on the safe side with at least a few months of cash.
A popular online retirement simulator called FIREsim is available here. Another popular simulator that uses a Monte Carlo analysis can be downloaded here. You can experiment with the different variables we talked about in order to find an acceptable success rate you are comfortable with.
We have shown the 4% rule is not as simple as it first appears if you want to FIRE. It needs to be tailored to your life situation by taking into account market returns, the sequence of returns, the length of your retirement, capital preservation, asset allocation, and how easily you could decrease your spending and/or increase your income after you retire.
Click here to learn about the types of visas Thailand offers and how to qualify.
How Has The 4% Rule Held Up Since The Tech Bubble And 2008 Financial Crisis?


Thanks to our Inside-the-Beltway (THE Beltway!) correspondent comes this recent piece from Martin Marty. Below is an excerpt but the entire article is available here.
A Gentile (as in Russell P. Gentile) is the most recent, perhaps most earnest, certainly the boldest claimant, on the government and religion news front in the winter just past. While others have protested along the line of "separation of church and state" when government is interpreted as having crossed that line, Gentile goes further. The Florida businessman pleaded that he should not be punished (as he will be punished) for not having paid owed taxes which he argues that he does not owe. While the public is familiar with Catholic bishops being critical on the issue of having to pay taxes, even indirectly, or even "indirectly indirectly" when a government policy apparently conflicts with conscientious and doctrinal issues, Gentile will not pay taxes for anything. We are familiar with Baptists and others who hold the line on "separation," Gentile poses a transcendent issue.
In short, he says he is not subject to human laws but is an American national who "resided in the Kingdom of Heaven." He has been "as polite and patient" as he could be, but threatens to sue if the Feds come after him. (Thy have come.) He would not report his income, and faces substantial federal prison time and fines. He broke numbers of laws and set out to obstruct justice. The legal cases continue, and outcomes are uncertain as we write. Why waste readers' time on a case that can be described as comical and trivial?


3. This product is applicable to sea water, fresh water, air and crude oil or finished oil no higher than 70℃, marine pipes alike.
FPM: fresh water, sea water, air, corrosive medium or high temperature.
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