In the research of early Tarocchi the 20 trumps of Pierpont-Morgan-Bergamo-cards are mostly considered to be a proof of an early distribution of Tarocchi-cards (or Tarotcards or Trionfi cards) near to the style and order of the Tarot de Marseille, which became in later development the standard of modern Tarotcards.
As the Pierpont-Morgan-Bergamo-Tarocchi is considered to be constructed in the reign of Francesco Sforza (1450 - 1466), the deck serves usually as argument, that Tarocchi decks or better Trionfi decks with the structure "4x14 pip+court-cards and 22 trumps" were common before that time.
However, in none of these earlier documents seems to be any hint, that the number of trumps had been 22, so one must assume, that just this Pierpont-Morgan-Bergamo-Tarocchi and its strong similarity to the later Tarot is the single "proof" for this assertion.
It is generally assumed by various experts of art, that the 20 trumps were painted by two different artists. 14 of them are believed to be painted by Bonifacio Bembo, 6 are painted by an unknown artist. This fact with some evidence is often interpreted as the result of an assumed scenario, in which 6 of the original 22 trumps were lost and later reconstructed. Two other cards, devil and tower, are considered to be lost in the same or a second action.
However, there had been various suggestions by Tarocchi researchers in the past, that the mentioned six cards were not lost but added in later times, so that the original Bembo-deck actually would have then consisted only of 5x14 cards and the 14 trumps were originally considered as a 5th suit.
Ronald Decker in the "Journal of the Playing Card Society - Vol. III. No.1 August 1974" made a suggestion in this direction, also I've heard, that John Berry presented once that idea, recently I became aware, that Ross Sinclair Caldwell followed a similar idea in the discussions of TarotL (2002).
Without knowing anything about the arguments of Decker, Berry and Caldwell I developed independantly the same direction of research in 1989. Until now I couldn't detect anything in the documents of card research, which contradicts the hypothesis, that the 14 Bembo trumps were originally meant as part of a 5x14-deck, in the contrary I found other documents in playing card research, which hint into the same direction.
1. In the letter of Jacopo Antonio Marcello (1449) the author, who could be judged as a playing card expert of his time, doesn't show any hesitation to speak of the "strange" Marziano-Michelino-Visconti-deck with 16 gods (which wouldn't be in the modern understanding a pack of Tarocchi cards) as a new and fine kind of triumphs (novum quoddam et exquisitum triumphorum genus), by this way indicating, that neither the motives or the number of trumps in Trionfi-decks of his time had a canonical form. Ross Caldwell researched, that in a similar free way Polismagna, the translator of Decembrios "Life of Filippo Visconti", uses the term "Trionfi" for the same deck..
2. The fragmentarious Brera-Brambilla-deck, which is considered to be older than the 14 Bembo-cards, does only possess two trumps, so there couldn't be done any conclusions, how much trumps it really did possess in its original form. There is even an interpretation possible, that this deck only had 4 special motives at all.
3. The fragmentarious Cary-Yale-deck, which is also considered to be older than the 14 Bembo-cards, does only possess 11 trumps, so again there couldn't be done any final conclusions, how much trumps it had in its original state. The strange order of the court cards (six court figures instead of four) and the appearance of theological virtues demonstrate, that this deck should be seen apart from the standard, and it more testifies a general creativity in card production and not the dominance of any standard. There is an interpretation possible, that this deck was originally a 5x16-deck with some relationship to the chess-game.
4. The 9 Goldschmidt and 3 Guildhall-cards, which are also considered to be very early, also suggest creative freedom in early Trionfi decks instead of a any dominance by a standard. Other later decks and informations (Minchiate, Boiardo, Lazzarelli, Mantegna, Sola-Busca, the Rothschild-"Pope", the unknown "game of Governance of the World" and the unknow games noted inside the Rosselli-document), add to the argument of a great creative field instead of the imagination of the dominance of a standard-pattern.
5. Decks with a 5th suit are already mentioned in the document of Johannes of Rheinfelden (1377 eventually changed 1429). The "Liechtenstein'sche Spiel" from around 1440, which is with 4 nearly Italian suits probably relatable to contemporary Italian decks and with its rudimentary form clearly no deck of the courts, has a 5th suit, which shows shields with heraldic devices. Other decks with 5 suits are known from Germany.
"The cards had to be painted thick gold and all made with fine splendid colours: 'messe d'oro fitamente, et fate tute de colori fini et brunide, et depinte de roverso uno paro rosa, uno paro verde''. There were 'carte 70 per zogo' - not an easy number to explain. If we add the 14 cards per suit (the numerals from the ace to 10 plus the four faces, king, queen, knight and knave) to the 22 figured cards (the 21 trumps and the Fool) the figure does not tally. This question is still to be solved by playing cards specialists. See also Campori 1874, pp. 127 - 128."
The article of Gherardo Ortalli gives great insights into the early card-production in Ferrara and contains many informations, which are not presented in the Tarot-Encyclopedias of Stuart Kaplan. Ludica 2 and other issues of the same magazine offer detailed informations of game research.
7. The Karnoeffel, famous as the oldest recorded card-game (1426), has a trump-suit and it "personifies" cards in the suit (only inside the game), as it is done in the Trionfi decks in clear form: One card is the "Emperor", another one the "Pope", another the "Devil" and a forth the "Karnoeffel". The rules of Karnoeffel show a way, how standard pip cards could be changed into "motives", by this forming the Tarot in natural "card playing".
Forms of Karnoeffel are still played in Northern countries, see here.
8. The socalled Imperatori deck, mentioned for the first time in Ferrara in 1423, is regarded as being in "undefined" relation to Karnoeffel (at least by Ortalli and Pratesi), rather obvious especially by the fact, that an older farspread card play and Karnoeffel-variant in Suisse was called "Kaiserspiel" (Kaiser = Imperator).
In the earliest reference the information is given, that there were 8 Imperatori cards (probably understandable as 8 additional cards, which were added to the normal substance of a deck - probably 4x4 court cards and 4x10 number-cards).
Our new builded research group LTarot in the moment the hypothesis is discussed, that the Imperatori deck is a forerunner to the later 5x14-deck.
9. In the majority of modern rules of Tarock (as a play with cards) there is the total sum of 70 points inside the game (not in all variants, but in most). In my opinion this is a "rememberance" inside the history of this game, when it was played with 70 cards only. More to this problem you find in my article about suits and court cards and the number 70.
10. A further possible argument was discovered by Ross Gregory Caldwell (March 2003) in a note in the account books of Ferrara, in which the Trionfi painter Sagramoro got money at 1st of January 1441 for having painted "14 Figure" for the "amusement in the evening for Bianca Maria Visconti" (an analysis of the situation, which perhaps leads to further evidence about this entry, is in preparation: compare here).


Founder, songwriter and bass guitarist for the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. Their most successful album, Dr. Feelgood remained in the album charts for over 2 years.
Became addicted to heroin and was declared dead for 2 minutes in 1987 folloiwng an apparent overdose.  He was revived by paramedics.


The VP shakes your hand, and you turn around and leave the room.
You walk out of the interview on top of the world.
After studying technical questions for 143 hours and reciting your story so many times that you could walk through your resume in your sleep, you're confident you knocked this one out of the park.
And then a day passes.
And before you know it, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or even an entire month.
And you never hear back from that bank.
Does it mean you got rejected and they're not telling you? Or are they just disorganized?
And most importantly, what can you do to get a response?
Because you're not the #1 candidate for the position.
The bank has already given an offer to someone else, or it has already given out the "targeted" number of offers, and it's waiting for people to respond.
If candidates turn down their offers, the bank will approach candidates ranked lower on the list and start making offers to them.
So it's not that you "failed" the interview – it's just that other people were more impressive or fit in with the group better.
In some cases, this actually happens because the bank or group is so disorganized that they "forget" to notify you, which is why it's critical to call back 2-3 days later AT MOST (and ideally before that).
It could even be something stupid, such as the bank losing your contact information or recording the incorrect email address or phone number.
But 90% of the time, it's because you performed "on par" with other candidates – not poorly enough to receive an outright rejection, but not well enough to win an immediate offer.
Recruiting is at the bottom of the priority list for bankers – they are busy doing deals, winning clients, and otherwise making money.
Sometimes, it's even at the bottom of the priority list for HR because they're busy with… afternoon tea time each day? I have no idea, but it sure seems like that sometimes.
Let's say you go in for Superday interviews with 10 other candidates, at a smaller, regional bank that's looking to hire 2 interns for the summer.
The VP, MD, Associate, and 2 Analysts all like the same person the most and they decide to give him an immediate offer the day after the interview.
Meanwhile, they're divided on other candidates: the VP and MD like 2 other candidates the most and can't decide between them, while the Associate and Analysts like 2 different candidates the most and rank them equally.
And they all agree that the remaining 5 candidates were not nearly as good.
The reason why one person was the "top candidate" could be completely irrational – he and the interviewers were in the same frat, they had a shared interest in whitewater rafting, or the bankers simply liked the socks he wore.
Or it could be a more legitimate reason, such as having superior technical skills or having the exact deal and client experience the bank is looking for.
But 5 minutes into that discussion, the MD is pulled away because of a client emergency – a deal is falling apart at the last-minute due to a hostile offer made by an activist hedge fund.
Then, the Analysts get yanked away by their VP to finish a pitch book for an IPO bake-off the next day.
In many cases, nothing at all!
The bank would rather give out 1 internship offer and then sit around and wait on everyone else.
In fact, they may not even deliver rejections to the 5 "not nearly as good" candidates.
Bankers get distracted by fire drills so much that it's hard to gather everyone together again, so HR has to run between different people to get their views… if they bother to do that at all.
Each group works differently, but many offices would much rather hire 1 great intern than hire 1 great intern and 4 "OK" ones.
Remember why companies hire you in the first place: to make money, save money, or make a process more efficient.
They may not be paying you much money as an intern, but if they have to spend a lot of time answering questions and "training" you, that costs them time, which is equivalent to money.
It takes them away from deals and clients, which is the last thing any senior banker wants.
Why Not Just Deliver a Blunt Rejection?
The reasons vary, but some banks believe – incorrectly? – that it may be a legal liability to give you a "no" answer upfront.
But the main reason is that it costs the bank nothing to put you on hold and wait for other candidates to respond.
After all, if they give you an outright rejection, that's it.
But if they don't get back to you, or they respond to your emails but don't give you a direct answer, the doors are always open.
And if the Top Candidate unexpectedly turns down his offer and can't be persuaded otherwise, they'll need to come back to you and everyone else on their list.
Realistically, What Can You Do About This?
The worst thing to do is to sit around, do nothing, and wait on a response from them.
Yes, and you should have "done something" 2.5 weeks ago.
If you don't hear back within 2 days, email at least 1-2 of your interviewers to follow-up, thank them again, and express your continued interest in the firm (those exact words can almost be your email template). Send a similar note to HR.
Just like the high school social scene, the job search process is also a popularity contest.
The moment you get an offer from another bank, you immediately become more attractive to everyone else and you're more likely to receive definitive responses.
Thanks again for taking the time to interview me last week. I enjoyed meeting everyone, and [Bank Name] is definitely my top choice.
But this is easier said than done, and most likely you're "on the fence" at a few firms.
This one is tougher because you probably can't go from "OK" to "spectacular" overnight – but if some time has passed and you've genuinely improved, it can work.
This works particularly well for lateral interviews, since there is no fixed timeline and the process tends to drag on and on and on and on.
Example: One customer last year applied to a bank as part of the lateral hiring process, and made it through several rounds of interviews. Then they asked her to submit a sample financial model she had worked on before.
She didn't have any great examples due to lack of experience with integrated 3-statement projection models, so they gave her a "soft no" and said that they were some "concerns" over her technical skills.
She then signed up for one of our courses, went through the whole thing, and got much better templates and examples to use – which she then used for a different company.
Then, they responded and re-started the process, bringing her back for additional interviews.
If they had concerns about something qualitative, like your communication or writing skills, you could attach a report, paper, or presentation you drafted recently.
This is trickier to pull off if they gave you a "soft no" due to "lack of cultural fit" or something else that you cannot easily fix.
But if it is something you can fix, and you've pinpointed exactly why they had reservations about you, it's always worth a shot.
This method also handles the case where something stupid or something beyond your control happened: they lost your contact information, they "forgot" to respond to you, there was a hiring freeze, or the group shut down.
So you need to follow-up anyway – but many people hesitate to ask exactly why they did not receive an offer.
Let's say you email one of the Associates you spoke with and he says he doesn't know what your status is… so you call him after another week passes.
I've seen some suggestions that this approach is "too aggressive," but I completely disagree – if you don't ask, you'll never know.
And if it wasn't an outright rejection, chances are they liked something about you.
Once you get a hint of what went wrong, you can get to work on method #2 above and start fixing the issue – whether it's your technical skills, a lack of enthusiasm, your communication abilities, or anything else.
Let's return to that story in the beginning.
Do you really want to spend 143+ hours preparing for interviews, and then fail to get an offer because you're not aggressive enough with your follow-up afterward?
So right after that VP shakes your hand, don't just meekly go home and wait weeks and weeks for a response.
Follow-up with him and everyone else within 2 days, AT MOST, if you don't hear back.
And if they keep stringing you along even after several follow-ups, ask them directly what you can do to improve or what their specific concerns about you are – and then address them.
But you can always accept something else, fix those flaws in the meantime, and make another run at it next time around.
Silence: it may not be golden, but it is beatable.
Hi Brian, I was told that I would be informed "during this week" (final interview was Friday) and it's Tuesday now. Should I email my interviewer on Wednesday (per your "after 2 days at most" rule)? They probably will answer on Friday at the latest though, but I'm super anxious (they obviously don't like me enough to send me an offer on Monday). I don't want to come off as too aggressive or not "hungry" enough. Thanks in advance!
Yes, I think it's fine to follow up on Wednesday.
In the end I decided to wait until Friday morning but then I heard back from them on Thursday (today). Thanks anyway!
Should the "interviewees" be "interviewers" in this paragraph "If you don't hear back within 2 days, email at least 1-2 of your interviewees to follow-up, thank them again, and express your continued interest in the firm (those exact words can almost be your email template). Send a similar note to HR."?
I had an interview with a boutique bank across the country that is successful for there small size. I have no work experience at all, besides tutoring and other jobs in college. What got me the interview was your cover letter template I used and my ability to sell how hard working and how bad I wanted the job, thats what the firm said. Come interview day I did pretty well on the technical side of it, but no where near perfect as it was clear I did not have a lot of experience, and I thought I absolutely killed the rest of the interview because I am really good at selling my story, my social skills, and my desire for investment banking. It's been a week now, I have no idea what to expect. There was only one other person interviewing that day and they went to a highly prestigious school. I went to a low ranking BIG XII school lol.
I'm being specific here. But IDK what to expect/ what they are thinking maybe / what to do next?
I would just follow up with them if you haven't heard back within 1-2 weeks. You can't do much else since you've already interviewed there and put your best foot forward.
I have had 4 interviews on the phone and then a final Video conference with the head and VP (as they were diff country) and the head of EMEA. I thought the process went smoothly and the head asked me my remenuration expectations and I was also told that I would hear back from the HR who contacted me all throughout the process. it as has been nearly 2 weeks. I emailed hr and one of the vps a weeko ago but also no reply. Im guessing i dont have it.
All you can really do is follow up and check again. It's not a good sign if you don't hear back within 2 weeks, but the industry is very random… they could easily contact you again in the future when something opens up.
Happy New Year, Brian. This is an odd situation so hope you can shed some light on this: had a superday with BB for a lateral analyst IB position in early December. I was told that I'm one of 3 final candidates and they might hire 1-2 candidates. 3 weeks after, I reached out to HR who told me they would let me know around New Year; 2 weeks after New Year, I reached out again and HR said he actually didn't know what the status of the group is and will check in. I then talked with the analyst who isn't sure either and said will get back to me after checking with group. The process seems fairly unstructured and unorganized. Any idea what is going on? If an offer is given out to another candidate, HR should know, which doesn't seem to be the case. Thoughts on me reaching out to the MD/group head? I spoke with the analyst one week ago. Thank you in advance, Brian.
It sounds like they either changed plans and decided not to hire someone for now, or they picked someone else and don't want to tell you. You could ask the MD/Group Head, but he/she may not necessarily tell you anything more useful.
Brian, I had a superday for a lateral analyst position at a BB 3 months ago. After a few follow-ups and silent treatment, they called me last week and said the group was very impressed but is still figuring out their headcount nationwide to see if they can get a spot in another location (the group spans multiple locations). I was told that the group head is pushing hard for an additional analyst position. The caller mentioned "Welcome to [BB bank name]", but urge me to not stop looking around at other places. Is this common from your personal experience? Just trying to see if there is something to read between the lines here.
Yes, that happens a lot. I would just take her advice and keep looking at other roles as well.
Did 3 rounds of interviews with a megafund in London (9 interviews) in total. I was down to the final 3 and thought the interviews went well. I finished up about 4 weeks ago, sent my thank you note and one interviewer replied that I should hear from HR in a few days.
HR has essentially reached out twice to apologise for the delay/thank me for my patience and gauge my interest levels. She reached out last Monday and said they hope to get back to me in a couple of weeks. I'm not sure how to take this, am I backup for #1 candidate or is something going on behind the scenes which is preventing them from making an offer. I would be shocked if they were still interviewing considering how long the process took from round 1 to 3..
Would it be appropriate to reach out to one of the interviewers?
Yes. But you are most likely on hold, or they have slowed down or paused the process for some reason.
So I had a superday at a company and their HR told the candidates that we'll hear back within a month. It has been a week so far and I haven't heard back. Have I been put on hold or did they not send out any offers yet? Thanks!
Hard to say since they usually respond more quickly than a month. I would follow up and ask for your status.
I wanted to know, if you are rejected by a group, is it okay to email them later on (say a couple of months or so down the road) to do informational interviews and keep in touch with them?
Had a 2nd round interview with a bank in sf on Friday. It was like a superday but over Skype. I know the firm has been interviewing over the past couple of months and I might be the last person they interviewed. After the interview, hr said they'd get back to candidates early this week. When I didn't hear anything, I emailed yesterday for an update and hr replied "*Bankers name* will be in touch with an update" and she copied the banker. I haven't heard from the banker 24hours later. What does this mean? Cos if it's a no, why didn't hr just tell me??
You were probably on hold, or the bank stopped its process for whatever reason. You can't really do much aside from continuing to follow up and checking back in a few weeks/months.
Please I have questions regarding follow up.
I met one senior Associate who promise to assist me out for an offer in his company.
So he asked for samples of my work and also gave me assignment to build a M&A model using one of their portfolio. So as that he will discuss internally with management and get back to me.
It been 2 weeks now and I have not heard from him. I tried to follow up with call and he said he has not gone through yet, so I should give him chance to do that and get back to me. Today's Marks the 2nd week .
Please, should I follow up or wait till he get back to me…?
Thank you and hoping to get your kind response.
Generally, you want to follow up each week… so email him again and ask.
I was told I would hear back about whether or not I made final round at a boutique by today, so I emailed them to follow up on my status this morning. I just received an offer from a firm that while isnt IB, is still finance related, a few hours ago with a deadline of mid next week. The boutique has not replied yet, should I re-email them with the news or wait until they respond?
If you don't hear back by the weekend, email them with the news.
Thanks Brian, I also interviewed for an ER position and had an initial in-person screening yesterday. Does the same apply? Or should I email them now.
Thanks Brian, I have a call with the MD today, but I learned there is still another in-person interview. I also had an initial in-person ER interview yesterday, should I email them with the news? I still have another round of interviews with these firms, so it's a little tricky.
I can't express how much help your site has been, it has made all the difference for me.
We can't really offer play-by-play advice on these situations, but in general, you should follow up with firms if you haven't heard back in a week or if you have another offer or final-round interview that could easily lead to an offer.
Hi Brian, I finished my superday interview with Citigroup last Friday. One of my friends got the offer and one got a rejection letter. I didn't get any of those, not did I get any replies to my thank-you letter. What should I do Brian? This is my final BB interview.
Thanks a lot!! btw BIWS videos are really really helpful!!
All you can really do is follow up with 1 or 2 of your interviewers and see what they say. If you don't hear back initially, wait a few days and follow up again.
Hey Brian, absolutely love this site, thank you for everything.
I had a 2-day (they took us to dinner, paid for hotel even though I live only 1 hr away, and then had a full day interview the next day) superday interview at a bank for a corporate strategy position.
They said they would reach out to us by today to tell us if we received/did not receive an offer. I received an email from HR stating that they are still evaluating candidates and will be in touch soon. They told me they are in no rush to hire candidates, and do not have a set number of spots available (they would take all of us if we are all qualified, or none of us if we did not fit). Would the #1 email be inappropriate (given I do not have another exploding offers at banks, but I do have another superday interview coming up for an investment firm)? I would definitely accept an offer from this bank on the spot.
At this point, maybe just follow up and reiterate your interest. it's not that strong a message if you just tell them that you have an interview with another firm – it's stronger if you can go back and tell them you have an actual offer elsewhere.
Hello, I have gone through my very first phone interview with one of BB in last week. Now..it has been 4 working days after the interview, but still no response from the bank. I have no available contact of interviewers…Do you think it is worth to contact even HR to get any update?
I applied for Frost bank Network position and havent' heard back. I sent a follow up next day. a week later left a voice message to HR. Then 2 week send a follow up email to hiring manager. Still no response. Looks like it's over.
It's always worth checking back in 1-2 months just to see if anything has changed. You can't have a defeatist attitude.
My story: I am making a little career switch from buy-side quant research to sell-side equity research, and recently interviewed for equity research associate position at a boutique investment bank.
It was a 15-min pre-screening phone call with an MD. He seemed to like me and mentioned at the end of the conversation that he will have someone set up other calls/interviews and get the process moving along. It sounded like a good sign. But now I haven't heard back from them for 2-3 days, I am starting to feel nervous.
I already sent a thank-you note after the interview, and am thinking about calling MD if I don't hear back in a week. Would that be a good move on my part?
Yes I'd call the MD in a week if you don't hear from him then. I'd wait a few more days first.
1) A full-time offer doing Corporate Banking at a large bank, MM.
Is there any scenario where you would accept a summer internship over a full-time offer. It seems crazy to me, but I am giving it some real thought due to the internship firm's greater prestige, experience, and exit opportunities. Have you ever heard of someone doing this before?
I believe people have done so before. It depends on how risk averse you are. Having the CS name will most definitely help, but if you want stability and like corporate banking I'd choose 1. If you want IB, I'd choose 2.
Hey great read thanks! I recently applied and went through 2 rounds of interviews at a boutique, both which I think I completely aced. Second round was just before the Xmas break so I expected a late response but still nothing. When I emailed HR, no response, so I rang HR and they said "we haven't received any feedback yet probably due to the regional and London office distance" what are your thoughts on this?
I'd just wait for a week and follow-up with them again. I'd look at other opportunities in the meantime.
Will do thanks. This is the first time I've heard of regional-to-London office delays; it took 6 working days to hear my success after the first interview. Do you reckon this is more of a 'you're not the #1 choice' or there could be some sort of regional office delay. Cheers!
I just finished my final round interviews for an IBD summer analyst at a BB and sent thank you notes to all my interviewers.
I am planning to follow up with the HR in 2 days if I have not heard back.
However, to ask for honest feedback, it is mentioned that I should follow up directly with my interviewers. I never get any reply for my thank you note (since the first round) – are there any other methods available for me to ask for feedbacks? I don't have their number though… Is it possible to get the feedback from HR since I'm pretty close with him/her?
Thank you for the great article. I wish I had seen it sooner.
I had the super day interview at Morgan Stanley 10 days ago and they said they'd get back to me within 2 weeks. So I have been waiting until now and thought maybe there's something I can do. Is a followup email at the point still appropriate? They asked me if I had any deadlines that I needed to respond and I said no. This really is my first super day interview.
Yes, email them to follow up and ask for an update. If you did not hear back within a week you should have followed up by then.
I've had a number of superdays, and in some cases after I send a thank you email, I get a reply along the lines of "best of luck in the recruiting process" or "let's definitely stay in touch". I'm rather confused about the implications of the response–while it's better than silence, it already seems like 1) I was not ultimately chosen for an offer and 2) despite that, they liked me enough as a person to want to stay in touch. Generally, how should I make of these messages, and should I continue emailing in hopes of turning the "soft no" to a "yes"? This happened twice after two of my superdays (both of which I'm pretty sure I did not get offers for), and today, after my superday yesterday. In the future, should I almost always interpret these emails as "we liked you, but you weren't good enough?" Would love to hear some insight. Thanks.
It is definitely worthwhile to stay in touch even if you didn't win an offer, because things might change in the future, positions may open up, or your profile might become more appealing to them.
I applied to Morgan Stanley through my schools career center about a week ago. How does the process work in terms of them reaching out to you when you apply through your University. Should I try contacting them or keep on waiting a few more weeks.
I think you can reach out to your alumni though I'm not sure if reaching out them is too useful at this stage especially with a bulge bracket like Morgan Stanley. If you do reach out to them, I'd do that in early Jan when people are back from holidays.
just for clarification what do you mean by at this stage? is it too late in the recruiting process for bulge bracket banks? because on this site I read somewhere that banks typically dont start interviews till the last minute and I applied and got my resume in before the deadline.
Since you've already applied then yes I think you're fine. In terms of networking, it's most effective to network a few months or even a year before the deadline so you establish a solid connection with people at the firms/industry. So if you're just networking to improve the chances of your application, then yes the networking efforts can be done a bit earlier but it is better you network now than never.
I just finished my super day with a bank last Friday and I am doing lateral hiring. I am referred by a VP in the team, skipped the phone interview and went directly to the super day. After the interview (which was in the morning), I immediately sent out thank you notes to all interviewers in the afternoon, and one director who interviewed me got back saying "Thanks. Pleasure meeting you as well. Keep in touch". I also asked the "next steps after the interview" in the thank you note to the VP that referred me, but never heard back from him.
Now it's Tuesday and I haven't heard anything from the bank. My original plan was to follow up next Monday if I still hear nothing from them. Now after I read this article, I was wondering whether I should follow up now? Or since it's lateral hiring (whose process I assume is slower?), should I follow up after a week?
Yes I'd follow up after a week.
Thanks for this great article! I'm from the Philippines and I just quit my back office job. I just finished all the rounds of interviews and examinations for one of the leading banks here. When I followed up with the officer in charge for IB regarding my application, he told me that they have endorsed my application to their HR group for processing to be part of IB. So I follow up with the HR and ask about it and she states that they'll coordinate with the IB group regarding the status of my application. Is this a good sign? It's been 2 days now since my conversation with the HR and I was wondering how long should I wait until I can follow up again.
I'd wait till next week and follow up again then.
I just finished an interview with the Head and the VP of the investment banking of a middle market investment bank and they said that i will hear back from them within 1 or 2 weeks. Should I be worried and that should still follow up after 2 days???
This is probably too general of a question… But, how difficult is it to transition from a client facing operations(corporate) finance role, to a job at an independent investment management firm? Or perhaps just a transition into the financial services side of the industry.
You could do it, but it really depends on your skill set and past experience… you'll need to have really good stock pitches prepared to make that kind of move, plus be prepared to network extensively if you don't already have industry contacts on that side. It also depends on what area of CF you are in right now.
Hey thanks for the great article! It came in right on time as I am facing a similar issue.
I had a bulge bracket bank Super day last Thursday, followed up that night and haven't heard anything yet. Based on the fit, etc., this is indeed my first choice. However, I am from a non-target school, so getting those first rounds and offers in time is not as easy (and it's already a bit late in the process?).
1) Would you still suggest sending "you are my #1 email", or would you consider it pathetic and off-putting?
Thanks for everything you guys are doing! This blog took me from non-target, non-relevant background to a super day at bulge bracket. Thank you for that!
1) I would only send an email like that if you already had another exploding offer from a different bank – otherwise, it's better just to follow-up and ask about your status as recommended here. And if they give a vague answer, dig into it more and see what the real story is. This tends to be better to do over the phone rather than via email.
2) I would follow-up with the interviewers as soon as possible and ask about your status with them as well. Even if you contact HR at the same time it's fine – you just want to get to an answer as quickly as you can.
Thank you once again for the insights! I am wondering how different the process would be for experienced/lateral hire? I would imagine banks handing out offers shortly after the Superday as they have pretty much seen all the candidates they need to see, but lateral hire is a bit tricky as individual interviews are conducted.
Yes the process can be longer because people tend to be "slower" for lateral hires.
Hey Brian I am at cross roads with regards to what I can do over the summer.
I have a chance to work with a new small private equity company over the summer.
Ultimately I want to end up in Investment banking. I Understand it is extremely difficult to get PE experience at undergraduate and so will this put me in much better stead then a internship at a mm investment bank to work at a bulge bracket bank?
They're probably about the same, though some people would argue that working at a bank of any type is better since it's technically more relevant.
It would be great to hear from someone who is quite high up in Investment banking or maybe just starting out and actually enjoys their job.
I apologize if an interview like this has already been done before.
Its just it would be nice to hear about someone who has had a positive experience an an investment banker and gets proper satisfaction.
Thanks for your note and I agree with you. I will keep your suggestion in mind and draft an article on that when I meet an interviewer who is extremely passionate about his job in banking.
Just ask again and follow-up via the phone and try something similar – say you understand if they're not hiring or if you have to go through official channels etc. but you just wanted to find out your status directly from them so you cna proceed accordingly.


HBO's Game of Thrones Season 8 Photos Released!
New photos for HBO's Game of Thrones Season 8 has been released, featuring Jon Snow, the Mother of Dragons, the Lady of Winterfell, and more. Check out the photos in the gallery below (via the Making of Game of Thrones Blog)!
At the end of last season, Daenerys' (Emilia Clarke) dragons and her immense army were finally on the way to Westeros, where Cersei (Lena Headey) has now become Queen after the death of her children. The Night King's (Vladimir Furdik in Season 6) army is heading south, and a battle appears to be imminent.
The executive producers of Game of Thrones Season 8 are David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger, and Bernadette Caulfield; co-executive producers are Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, George R.R. Martin and Bryan Cogman; and producers are Chris Newman, Greg Spence, and Lisa McAtackney.
RELATED: Game of Thrones Season 8 Premiere Date Revealed!
The final season of Game of Thrones likely won't be our last trip to Westeros, however, as HBO has greenlit a pilot set 1,000 years before the events of the wildly popular sword and sorcery epic. Naomi Watts and Josh Whitehouse have been cast in the prequel series. S.J. Clarkson (The Defenders, Jessica Jones) will direct the pilot.
Game of Thrones Season 8 will premiere on April 14 on HBO.


text:
Glory Gardens 4 - World Cup Fever
Imprint: Red Fox
#4 in the Series: Glory Gardens
Bob Cattell
GLORY GARDENS C.C. can't resist a challenge and this time they're going for gold in a World Cup competition! with teams from Barbados and South Africa visiting the area at the same time, it's a brilliant opportunity for the club to make its mark worldwide. It's not long before the thrills and spills of cricket spark off sporting drama, temper tantrums and practical jokes. So as Australia do battle with the West Indies and South Africa face India, can Glory Gardens rise above the squabbling and bring glory for England...?
Couldn't recommend them highly enough
Test Match Special, BBC Radio 4
Glory Gardens 2 - Bound For Glory
Glory Gardens 1 - Glory In The Cup
Glory Gardens 3 - The Big Test
Bob Cattell grew up in the fens of East Anglia and now lives near Southwold in Suffolk. In between he worked in London in advertising, bookselling, public relations, copywriting and teaching. His first published children's book was Glory in the Cup (in the Glory Gardens cricket series), written while he was running a bookshop on a boat in Greenwich. He likes walking in mountains, theatre, opera and most sports and supports Yorkshire CCC and Aston Villa.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Could Highbury & Islington And Canada Water Stations Be Connected By A Twelve Trains Per Hour Service?
This article on IanVisits, is entitled More Frequent Trains And A New Station For The London Overground.
This is said.
In a statement, the government agreed to requests for £80.8 million from the GLA to support transport upgrades so that 14,000 homes can be built along the East London Line.
Upgrades include
New Bermondsey station, which was originally to be called Surrey Canal Road, will be built.
A second entrance will be built at Surrey Quays station.
Frequency between Dalston Junction and Clapham Junction stations will be increased from four trains per hour (tph) to six tph.
Frequency between Highbury & Islington and Crystal Palace stations will be increased from four tph to six tph.
The frequency upgrades will mean twenty tph between Dalston Junction and Surrey Quays stations, or a tyrain every three minutes as opposed to the current three minutes and forty-five seconds.
Consider the section of the East London Line that I use most between Highbury & Islington and Canada Water stations via Whitechapel station.
Highbury & Islington station has good connections to the Victoria Line, the Northern City Line and the North London Line.
Highbury & Islington station is the thirteenth busiest station in the UK.
Whitechapel station has good connections to the District and Hammersmith & City Lines, which have recently been increased in Frequency.
Whitechapel station will be on Crossrail, when it opens.
Canada Water station has a good step-free connection to the Jubilee Line.
Canada Water station is the seventeenth busiest station in the UK.
Currently, the frequency between Highbury & Islington and Canada Water station is eight tph and after the improvements it will be ten tph.
The frequency increase is to be welcomed but I wonder if it could be better.
Would it be possible that in addition to the proposed changes, the West Croydon and Clapham Junction services should swap Northern terminals, as they do on Sundays.
This would not affect any services South of Dalston Junction, but it would increase the number of services between Dalston Junction and Highbury & Islington via Canonbury to twelve tph.
This would give several benefits.
Passengers changing from the North London Line to go South, would have an easier change at the less-crowded Canonbury station, rather than Highbury & Islington. Canonbury has only one Southbound platform, simpler passenger flows, is fully step-free and as the trains on the East London Line, will be at a higher frequency, the waiting time would be less and a maximum of just five minutes.
Passengers could avoid the cramped Dalston Kingsland, which is not step-free, on many journeys.
Half the trains going North through Dalston Junction would have a cross-platform interchange with the Westbound North London Line at Highbury & Islington.
Passengers going South from Dalston Junction wouldn't dither about at the bottom of the stairs, trying to ascertain, which train is going first. As there would be sixteen trains per hour leaving on the left island Platform 3/4, only passengers going to New Cross would go right.
Dalston Kingsland and Highbury & Islington is one of the busiest Peak Hour services in the UK. Twelve trains per hour on the alternative route might ease the congestion.
The increased frequency might help, when Arsenal are playing at home.
In some ways, maximising the service between Dalston Junction and Highbury & Islington, compensates for the annoying cut-back of the 277 bus service.
I do feel that swapping the two services so that both six train per hour services terminate at Highbury & Islington could be beneficial.
Hopefully, TfL have got there first! Unless of course, there's an operational reason, why the swap can't be done!
October 30, 2019 Posted by AnonW | Transport	| Dalston Junction, Dalston Kingsland Station, East London Line, Highbury And Islington Station, London Overground, Transport for London, Whitechapel Station | Leave a comment
Pedestrian Tunnels In London's Transport System
I take particular interest in pedestrian tunnels, as I believe properly designed tunnels can be a solution to improving access to stations.
This list will be extended as I photograph more.
Bank – Bank And Monument Escalator Connection
I still think of this tunnel, as an escalator connection, as that was how it was marked on the tube map in the 1950s.
It is two escalators down a walk between the Docklands Light Railway platforms and then two escalators up at the other end.
Verdict – The connection is being upgraded.
Bank- Central To Northern Interchange Tunnel
This is the shortest way from the Central Line to the Northern Line.
It does involve a descent of a circular staircase.
When the Bank station upgrade is complete this route will be replaced by an escalator connection between the two lines.
This visualisation shows the connecting escalators.
The two wide highest level tunnels are the Central Line.
The infamous curved Central Line platforms,create a large gap to mind.
The two mid-level crossed tunnels are the existing Bank and Monument Escalator Connection and the Waterloo & City Tunnel.
The four narrower lowest level tunnels are from bottom to top; the Southbound Northern Line, a new tunnel with a travelator; the old Southbound Northern Line tunnel and the Northbound Northern Line tunnel.
The old Southbound Northern Line tunnel will become a passenger walkway.
Poking through all this spaghetti are the three escalators connecting the Central Line level with the Northern Line level.
Verdict – This connection will become much better.
Bank – Waterloo & City Inclined Travelator
The inclined travelators that link the Waterloo & City Line platforms and the main station entrances around Bank junction, are unique on the London Underground.
There are other travelators, but no others are inclined.
Verdict – I wonder why there are no others, as this pair seem to work very well.
Bank – Waterloo & City Tunnel
This tunnel connects the Waterloo & City Line platforms at Bank station to the central tunnel at Bank station.
Verdict – It is a linear oasis in an otherwise dingy and cramped station.
Bond Street – Northern Entrance Tunnel
This new tunnel connects the new Northern entrance at Bond Street station to the platforms.
Incidentally, I'd arrived at Bond Street station through the main entrance and it was an awfully overcrowded scrum. The Northern entrance was quiet, as the pictures show.
The entrance is steps or a lift between the street and its own gate line and then a well-lit wide passage to the escalators.
In future, it will link to a wide tunnel to the Western end of the Crossrail platforms at the station.
It is much better way to enter Bond Street station.
Verdict – London and other cities with underground railways, need more new station entrances like this.
Green Park – Interchange Tunnel
This tunnel connects the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria Lines at Green Park station.
The opening dates of the three lines, through the station were.
Piccadilly Line – 1906 – Modernised in the 1930s with escalators.
Victoria Line – 1969
Jubilee Line – 1979
Since 1979 the station has been continually improved and is step-free.
This map from carto.metre.free.fr shows the lines at Green Park station.
Note that the Jubilee Line is below the other lines and when the extension was built, it was a radical change to what was originally planned. The lines to the right lead to Charing Cross station and those going South to Westminster station.
The interchange tunnel is long and usually very crowded. I had an incident recently, where I was walking slowly to the Victoria Line and a group of tourists all with four-wheeled cases, were nudging me to go faster. When we all got to the steps at the end, there was an enforced slow down.
Verdict – I avoid interchanging at Green Park like the plague.
Kings Cross – Eastern Tunnel
This tunnel runs which used to be part of the access to the old Kings Cross Thameslink station, runs from East of Kings Cross station and then has access to the main tunnel connecting the Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria Lines.
It has partial escalator access at the Eastern end, where the buses from Islington and the East stop outside the old station entrance. Although getting buses to the East mens crossing the busy Pentonville Road.
Verdict – Needs improvement
Kings Cross – Interchange Tunnel
This tunnel connects the Eastern Tunnel at Kings Cross to the escalators and lifts that lead to the Northern ticket hall Kings Cross St. Pancras tube station. On the way is connects to the Victoria, Piccadilly and Northern Lines.
It is a long walk, especially, if you have accessed it, as I often do, from the Eastern Tunnel which is convenient for buses from Islington and Dalston.
Verdict – Too long and boring
Kings Cross – St. Pancras Tunnel
This tunnel connects St. Pancras station to the Northern ticket hall at Kings Cross St. Pancras tube station.
It is a wide, comfortable tunnel with a double handrail down the middle.
Note that the middle picture shows the connection to the next tunnel.
Verdict – Useful and a better walk than the surface alternative in cold or wet weather.
Kings Cross – Pancras Square Tunnel
This tunnel connects St. Pancras Square to the underground tunnel, that links St. Pancras station to the Northern ticket hall of Kings Cross St. Pancras tube station.
It is a good example of how to create a tunnel.
It has up and down escalators at the St. Pancras Square entrance.
Verdict – Good design and a pleasant walk.
Knightsbridge – Northern Exit Tunnel
This tunnel at Knightsbridge station was built in 2010 to connect the new entrance on the North side of Knightsbridge.
It looks to me that Transport for London had to make do with less space than they needed.
Verdict – Rather narrow and utilitarian.
Paddington – Bakerloo Line Link
This project to create a pedestrian link between the Bakerloo Line and Crossrail at Paddington is currently being built.
It will be one hundred and thirty metres long.
It will be twenty-five metres below the Paddington station concourse.
The design uses a route to avoid existing station facilities.
The tunnel is being built without major disruption to Bakerloo Line passengers.
It will have lifts and escalators at both ends.
The tunnel will handle five thousand passengers per hour in the Peak.
In August 2016, I wrote Paddington Is Operational Again, which describes the tunnel in detail.
Verdict – I have a feeling that this could be one of the most impressive parts of Crossrail.
I can't wait for this tunnel to open.
South Kensington – Exhibition Road Pedestrian Tunnel
The Exhibition Road Pedestrian Tunnel at South Kensington station is unique in London, as it was built in 1885 and it is Grade II Listed.
As the pictures show, it can get very busy.
Verdict – A Victorian idea, that hasn't been copied much.
Tottenham Court Road – Interchange Tunnel
This tunnel connect the Central and Northern Lines at Tottenham Court Road station.
It is a bit lacking in colour to my liking. But at least there is some of Eduardo palotzi's tiles at one end.
Verdict – Bland and too long.
Victoria – New Tunnels
Victoria station has had a new entrance at Cardinal Place and a lot of new tunnels to sort out the poor connectivity, added in the last couple of years.
As the pictures show, not all the tunnels are finished.
Verdict – Victoria is no longer a station yo avoid
Waterloo – Interchange Travelator
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the Underground lines at Waterloo station.
Note the large separation of the platforms of the Jubilee Line and those of the Bakerloo and Northern Lines.
The solution was to install a travelator, when the Jubilee Line Extension was built.
Although expense wasn't spared on the project, I think we would give it a more decorative lining today.
Verdict – It works.
Whitechapel – Refurbished Overground Staircases
There are two staircases between the District/Hammersmith & City Lines and the East London Line, that are being refurbished for Crossrail.
It looks like the work is of a high quality and that the old rails have not been replaced.
Verdict – These were scruffy tunnels a couple of years ago.
Some tunnels are obviously better than others, but what surprised me, was how well the Exhibition Rpad Tunnel to the museums coped with large numbers of passengers.
Perhaps, the Victorians got it right, as some of the best tunnels in my examples are the wider ones.
Comparing the Northern Exit Tunnel at Knightsbridge with the Northern Entrance Tunnel at Bond Street, shows how a wide tunnel and entrance, built with a lift, is a much better solution, than a narrow tunnel and entrance, without a lift.
The only narrow tunnel, that seems to work well is the tunnel connecting the Waterloo & City Line to the main Bank station complex.
But this tunnel is well-lit and I suspect tends to have passengers going the same way most of the time.
It also appears that recent tunnels like those at Bond Street and Victoria, are much better than those built about ten years ago, like the tunnel at Knightsbridge.
After Crossrail, London has a number of large station projects in the pipeline, some of which will require new connecting tunnels for passengers.
The upgrading of Bank station is underway, where tunnels are being dug and escalators, travelators and lifts and being installed.
The upgrading of Knightsbridge station is underway, but this will be simpler and I don't think the upgrade includes more tunnels.
The upgrading of Camden Town, Holborn and Walthamstow stations are in the planning stage. All will probably involve creating a new entrance connected to the existing platforms with lifts and escalators, but no long tunnels.
Oxford Circus station is likely to be the subject of a major upgrade.
Euston and Euston Square stations are being upgraded for the arrival of High Speed Two and there will be new tunnels to dig, between the two stations.
There are also possible new lines to consider, which may or may not be built.
Bakerloo Line Extension
Crossrail 2
Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead
Docklands Light Railway to Euston, St. Pancras and Victoria.
All will be built with lots of entrances and exits, and interchanges with existing lines, so it is likely, there will be quite a few connecting tunnels.
I think that three tunnel projects will define a lot of the thinking about pedestrian access in the future.
The Northern Entrance Tunnel at Bond Street, which surfaces in a commercial development.
The Paddington Bakerloo Line Link, which appears to be setting new standards of design and construction.
The narrow well-lit tunnel at Bank.
Could we see lessons learned with these newly-built tunnels applied to projects like Oxford Circus and Euston stations?
November 23, 2018 Posted by AnonW | Transport	| Bank Station, Bank Station Upgrade, Green Park Station, Kings Cross Station, Knightsbridge Station, Paddington Bakerloo Line Link, Paddington Station, South Kensington Station, Tottenham Court Road Station, Tunnels, Walking, Waterloo Station, Whitechapel Station | 3 Comments
Steelworm At Whitechapel Station
I took this picture at Whitechapel station.
It looks like steel's equivalent of woodworm has been at work!
September 19, 2018 Posted by AnonW | Transport	| Construction, Steel, Whitechapel Station | 2 Comments
Thoughts On The Lateness Of Crossrail
This article on the BBC is entitled Crossrail Delay: New London Line Will Open In Autumn 2019.
London's £15bn Crossrail project is to open nine months after its scheduled launch to allow more time for testing.
I spent most of my working life, writing software for the planning and costing of large projects and despite never having done any serious project management in anger, I have talked to many who have, both in the UK and around the world.
So what are my thoughts?
Crossrail Is A Highly-Complex Project
The project involves the following.
A 21 km double-track tunnel under London.
New Class 345 trains
Four different signalling systems.
Rebuilt stations at West Drayton, Hayes & Harlington, Southall, West Ealing, Ealing Broadway. Acton Main Line, Forest Gate, Manor Park, Ilford
Refurbished stations at Hanwell, Maryland, Seven Kings, Goodmayes, Chadwell Heath, Romford, Gidea Park, Harold Wood, Brentford and Shenfield.
Major interchanges with existing stations at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farrington, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel and Stratford.
New stations at Custom House, Canary Whar, Woolwich and Abbey Wood.
Some parts are easy, but a lot are very difficult.
A Shortage Of Specialist Workers
I believe that certain factors could be reducing the pool of workers available to Crossrail.
Less workers than needed would obviously slow the project.
Having to pay more than budgeted to attract or keep workers will also raise costs.
My thoughts on what is causing a possible shortage of specialist workers follow.
Crossrail-Related Development
If you own a site or a building, near to one of Crossrail's stations, then your property will substantially increase in value, when the line opens.
Walk past any of the Crossrail stations in Central London and some further out and you will see towers sprouting around the station entrance like crows around a road-kill.
Developers know how to cash-in on the best thing that has happened to them since the Nazis flattened acres of Central London.
New sites are also being created over several Crossrail stations including Moorgate, Farringdon (2 sites), Tottenham Court Road (2 sites), Bond Street (2 sites) and Paddington.
But do all these extensive developments, mean that there are not enough sub-contractors, specialist suppliers, electricians, chippies, air-conditioning engineers, plumbers and other trades to do all the work available in London?
I also suspect a developer, building an office block to the world's highest standard could pay better and faster, than a Crossrail supplier under pressure.
Underground Working
Working underground or in mining is dangerous.
In the 1960s, women were totally banned from working below the surface.
It must have been around 1970, when I met one of ICI's archivists; Janet Gornall, who a few years previously had organised storage of their masses of historical documents, in the company salt mine at Winsford. The mine is still used for document storage, by a company called Deepstore.
Health & Safety found out that Janet would be supervising and indexing the storage underground, so that if any document was required, they could be easily retrieved. This caused them to give the scheme a big thumbs down.
Questions were even asked in the House of Commons, but nothing would change Health & Safety's view
In the end a simple solution was found..
As the boxes came up from London they were piled up in a large building on the surface, in the position Janet wanted them underground.
The pile of boxes was then moved underground and stacked in exactly the same way.
Nowadays, anybody can work underground, but they must have training and be certified for such work.
Crossrail thought the number of certified underground workers might not be enough, so they set up the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy (TUCA) at Ilford. This article on the Crossrail web site is entitled A Legacy To The Construction Industry.
Some points about TUCA.
It is now part of Transport for London.
It was funded by Crossrail and the Skills Funding Agency.
TUCA is Europe's only specialist soft-ground tunnelling training facility.
I wrote about TUCA in Open House – TUCA, after a visit in 2012.
I was told on my visit, that the Swiss have a similar facility for rock tunnelling and that there were plans for both academies to work together.
Trainees from all over the world would get training in an exotic Swiss mountain and then go on to enjoy the wonders of Ilford.
But at least they'll be safe workers for all types of tunnelling.
I do wonder if some of the Crossrail delays has been caused by a lack of properly trained underground workers, as now the tunnelling is completed, many have moved on to the next project.
Thames Tideway Scheme
The Thames Tideway Scheme is a £4billion scheme to build a massive sewer under the Thames to clean up the river.
Many Crossrail engineers, tunnellers and workers are now working on the new scheme.
Stuttgart 21 is one of numerous mega-projects in Europe.
Many of the workers on Crossrail were originally from Europe and now with the uncertainties of Brexit, some must be moving nearer home,to work on these large European projects.
Well-Paid Jobs In Sunnier Climes
Don't underestimate, the effect of the Beast From The East last winter.
Skilled personnel have always gone to places like the Middle East to earn a good crust.
With Crossrail under pressure, how many of these key workers have gone to these places for the money?
I wouldn't be surprised to find that a shortage of specialist workers is blamed for the delays.
In the BBC article, there is this quote
We are working around the clock with our supply chain and Transport for London to complete and commission the Elizabeth line.
Fairly bland, but does the supply chain include specialist suppliers and workers, which are under severe pressure from other projects to perform various works?
It's probably true that there is only a finite pool of these companies, tradesmen and workers and at least some of the best will have been lured away.
Station Problems
In this article in the Architects Journal, which is entitled Crossrail Delayed Until Autumn 2019, this is said.
Crossrail then revealed in February that it had overspent its budget for the year to 30 March 2018 by £190 million.
At the time TfL said works at Whitechapel station, designed by BDP, and Farringdon station, designed by AHR, were completed later than expected, and there were delays to work at Weston Williamson's Woolwich station and John McAslan + Partners' Bond Street station.
I'll look at Whitechapel station as an example.
You don't need to be an expert to figure out that Whitechapel station is running late.
Look at all the blue hoardings.
I know this only shows what is visible to the public.
The Crossrail platforms deep underground could be ready.
The main entrance to the station is still shrouded in plastic.
The escalators to get down to Crossrail, will be between the two District/Metropolitan Line platforms.
This Google Map shows the area of Whitechapel station.
Note how the site is hemmed in, by important buildings including a Sainsburys supermarket and Swanlea School.
See An Innovative Use Of The School Holidays, for an insight about how the builders of the station coped with the lack of space.
I also feel that Whitechapel is an incredibly complex station to build.
It is crossed by two important railways; the District/Metropolitan Line and the East London Line.
Innovative techniques from the coal mining industry had to be used to dig the escalator tunnel.
Whitechapel will be the station, where passengers change between the two Eastern branches.
I do wonder, whether a different design would have been easier to build.
For instance, could Sainsburys have been paid to shut their superstore and that site used to build the station?
But Crossrail has chosen a design and now they must build it.
The New Class 345 Trains
The new Class 345 trains for Crossrail are an almost totally new design called Aventra by Bombardier, that I believe has been specifically created to make the operation of Crossrail as efficient as possible.
The trains must have something about them, as since launch they have attracted five more substantial orders, from five different operators.
The introduction into service of the Class 345 trains,has been reasonably straightforward, but not without some issues.
But I do question, the launching of Aventra trains solely on a line as complex as Crossrail.
Would it have been easier to have built the Class 710 trains first and thoroughly debugged them on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.
But then that electrification was late.
Four Types Of Signalling
Crossrail needs trains to have four different types of signalling.
CBTC – Communications-Based Train Control
ETCS – European Train Control System
AWS – Automatic Warning System
TPWS – Train Protection & Warning System
I know that as Crossrail runs on other lines with these signalling and going to a single system like ETCS would need to the changing of signalling systems on much of the railways in the South-East and the trains that use them.
It appears that there are problems for the trains running into Heathrow and one of the reasons for the Crossrail delayed opening, is to allow more time to test the trains and the signalling.
From my experience of writing complex software systems, where my software needed to interface with two operating systems, I know that you can never put too much time into testing complex systems.
So where is the dedicated test track, where trains can simulate the signalling of Crossrail routes, day in and day out?
I believe that not enough time and money was allocated to test this complex system.
Crossrail has found out the hard way.
Europe Has A Lack Of Train Test Tracks
A lot of European nations are ordering new trains and the UK is probably ordering more than most.
Reading the railway stories on the Internet, there are lots of stories about trains being brought into service late. And not just in the UK, but in Germany and Italy for example.
Crossrail identified that there was a need for a training academy for underground workers.
Did anybody do the calculations to make sure, there was enough test tracks for all the trains being built in Europe?
However, it does look as though Wales is coming to rescue Europe's train makers, as I describe in £100m Rail Test Complex Plans For Neath Valley.
I suspect Crossrail wish this test complex had been completed a couple of years ago.
A Shortage Of Resources
For successful completion of projects on time and on budget, there must be enough resources.
I believe that, when the lateness and overspend on Crossrail is analysed, shortage of resources will be blamed.
Shortage of people and suppliers, that has not been helped by other projects taking advantage of new opportunities offered by Crossrail.
Shortage of space for work-sites at stations.
Shortage of places to fully test trains and signalling.
I suspect that the last will be the most serious.
Hugo Rifkind On A Late Crossrail
In an excellent article in today's copy of The Times entitled Leavers Have A Cheek Trying To Block HS2, Hugo Rifkind says this about Crossrail.
You think we'll remember, 50 years from now. that Crossrail took six months longer than expected?
Rubbish. London will rest on it like a spine and boggle that we ever managed without.
I think Rifkind is right.
Will Hutton has written this article in the Guardian, which is entitled Don't Moan About Crossrail. Once Complete, It Will Be A Rare Triumph In Our Public Realm.
He says this.
Let's sing a different tune. The railway line, more than 60 miles long, linking Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east – adding 10% to London's commuter rail capacity – and set to carry around 200 million passengers a year, will be a fantastic achievement. Its 13-mile-long tunnels run more than 100ft under the capital's streets, navigating everything from underground sewers to the deep foundations of skyscrapers with superb engineering aplomb. The longstanding reproach is that Britain can't do grand projects. Crossrail, now christened the Elizabeth line, is proof that we can.
He then goes on to criticise the structure of the construction project, the salaries paid and the current Government.
But I suspect that in a few yeas time, Hutton, Rifkind and myself could have a quiet pint and say Crossrail got it right.
Current Developments That Will Help Bridge The Delay
It's not as if, no new transport developments won't happen in the time before Crossrail eventually opens in Autumn 2019.
Trains Providing More Capacity
These trains will be providing extra capacity.
New Class 717 trains will be running on the services to and from Moorgate station.
New Class 710 trains will be running on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.
New Class 710 trains will be running on the Lea Valley Lines to Cheshunt, Chingford and Enfield Town stations.
New Class 710 trains will be running on the Watford DC Line.
Cascaded Class 378 trains and new Class 710 trains will be running extra services on the original circular service of the London Overground.
More Class 345 trains will be providing all of Crossrail's services to Heathrow and Shenfield.
New Class 720 trains or something similar or older, will be providing four trains per hour (tph) between Stratford and Meridian Water stations.
Note that before the end of 2019, nearly a hundred new trains will be delivered.
New And Rebuilt Stations
There will be some new or rebuilt stations.
This list may contain other stations.
Underground Improvements
There will also be Underground improvements.
The Central Line Improvements Programme will increase capacity and reliability on the Central Line.
The Metropolitan Line is being upgraded with new signalling.
Up to ten Underground stations may be made step-free before the end of 2019.
The improvements to the Central and Metropolitan Lines, through Central London will compensate for the delaying of Crossrail's core tunnel.
A Few Questions
I have to ask questions.
Will The High Meads Loop Be Used?
This would provide an excellent interchange between the following services.
Local services to Hertford East and Bishops Stortford stations, including the new STAR service, along the West Anglia Main Line.
Stansted Express and Cambridge services to and from Stratford.
Fast Greater Anglia services to Chelmsford, Colchester, Southend and further, along the Great Eastern Main Line.
Crossrail services between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.
Central Line services.
There is also only a short, but tortuous walk to the Jubilee Line for London Bridge and Waterloo stations and Central London.
Based on the experience of the Wirral Loop under Liverpool, which handles sixteen tph, I believe that the High Meads Loop could handle a substantial number of trains, that instead of using the crowded lines to Liverpool Street station, would use the new uncrowded route from Tottenham Hale to Stratford via Lea Bridge station.
Moving services to Stratford from Liverpool Street would also free up platforms at the major terminus, which could be used to provide extra services on the Great Eastern Main Line.
The extra capacity might also enable the lengthening of the Crossrail platforms at Liverpool Street to be extended, so they could take full-length Class 345 trains.
No new extra infrastructure would be required at Stratford, although in future, a platform to connect the loop to Stratford International station would be nice.
I will be very surprised if the High Meads Loop is not used creatively in the future.
Will Some New Pedestrian Tunnels At Stations Like Liverpool Street And Paddington Be Opened?
I use Moorgate and Liverpool Street stations regularly.
There are blue walls everywhere, behind which the Crossrail infrastructure is hiding.
I do hope Crossrail and Transport for London are looking at the possibilities of using completed infrastructure to create new walking routes in stations to ease congestion.
Crossrail was designed to be opened in four phases over two years.
I am drawn to the position, that because of various resource shortages and the testing of trains, perhaps the project could have been arranged as perhaps a series of smaller projects delivered over a longer period of time.
September 4, 2018 Posted by AnonW | Transport	| Brexit, Central Line, Class 345 Train, Class 710 Train, Crossrail, Metropolitan Line, Project Management, Whitechapel Station | 4 Comments
The East London Line Platforms At Whitechapel Station Now Appear To Be Full Length
Because of Crossrail works, Whitechapel station had to wait to get full-length platforms for the five-car Class 378 trains on the East London Line.
It at last seems the platforms are now extended.
But then it is only just over a year until December 2018, when Whitechapel station opens for Crossrail services between Paddington and Abbey Wood stations.
September 16, 2017 Posted by AnonW | Transport	| Crossrail, East London Line, Whitechapel Station | Leave a comment
Whitechapel Station Now Has Full Length Platforms
The East London Line platforms at Whitechapwl station are now full length.
The roof is coming on too!
I still think that Whitechapel Will Be The Jewel In The East.
The station will open to Crossrail in December 2018. This document on the Crossrail web site gives details of the schedule of works in 2017.
February 13, 2017 Posted by AnonW | Transport	| Crossrail, Whitechapel Station | Leave a comment
Whitechapel's Overground Platform Extensions Are Taking Shape
Whitechapel station has short Overground platforms and it was always said they'd be extended after Crossrail opens.
Judging by these pictures, it would appear that there isn't much work to do.
July 10, 2016 Posted by AnonW | Transport	| Class 378 Train, London Overground, Whitechapel Station | 2 Comments
The Frame Of The New Roof At Whitechapel Station Takes Shape
I've been through Whitechapel station several times in the last few days and I've taken these pictures of the structure of the new roof.
This image from the Whitechapel station page on the Crossrail web site, shows what I take to be a visualisation of the inside.
The ticket hall seems big enough for the performance of a large troupe of appropriate dancers
July 4, 2016 Posted by AnonW | Transport	| Crossrail, Whitechapel Station | Leave a comment
The Longer Overground Platfortms At Whitechapel Station Are Now Visible
This picture shows the Northern end of the Overground platforms at Whitechapel station.
Overground Platforms At Whitechapel Station
It would appear that they have grown enough extra platform length to accommodate all five cars, once some finishing work is completed.
It has been said that after Crossrail opens, these platforms will be at full size!
June 3, 2016 Posted by AnonW | Transport	| Crossrail, London Overground, Whitechapel Station | Leave a comment
The East London Line Closure Of The Week Of 13th February 2016
Some have raised questions, as to why it is necessary to close the East London Line next week for Crossrail works?
I have found this vaugely-dated document on the Crossrail web site entitled Whitechapel Station closures between 13 and 21 February 2016. It says this.
The programme of activities scheduled to take place between 01:00 on Saturday 13 February and 05:30 on Monday 22 February 2016 includes the following:
Ground reinforcement (piling) activity in the vicinity of the London Overground and London Underground platforms
Removing the staircases, walls and canopies in the vicinity of the Whitechapel Station and the former ticket hall.
Removing cables from the protection deck located over the London Overground, to the north of Durward Street • Removing part of the old pedestrian footbridge at the eastern end of Whitechapel Station
Station steelwork in the vicinity of London Overground
Concrete pours in the vicinity of the station.
There will be concrete lorries in Durward Street and activity on Whitechapel Road to support these concrete pours.
I can certainly understand, that if they have to close the railway for Health and Safety reasons, then so be it.
I can also understand, if they've found something unexpected in the old part of the Victorian station. We've all found that when we've renovated old buildings.
And of course, the closure is when it is, as it is half-term in Swanlea School, which helps with access.
But this whole closure is a puzzle to me, as Crossrail's project management and also their handling of community relations and the media has been generally good.
According to someone locally to me in Dalston, this is an unexpected closure. If it is, then where is the story in the local press or on the BBC?
These days, with cameras and crews everywhere, why hasn't there been an honest report on BBC London television?
I think Crossrail have rather mucked up here, as people are annoyed and if they'd given us the truth, people would be more understanding.
But then we're in the East End, and if there was an Olympic event of ducking and diving, all the medals would be won, by someone from this area.
February 9, 2016 Posted by AnonW | Transport	| Crossrail, Public Relations, Whitechapel Station | Leave a comment


New! Baby Elephant Walk on UMPO site!
Henry Mancini's composition for the movie Hatari! is now on UMPO for simplified tin whistle. This goofy tune is one of the most popular movie theme music & playing it is sure to fill you with the sense of exuberance & youth! Download it for free at our Resources section. The simplified tune is also appropriate for other instruments such as the violin.


In today's job market, developing a professional online presence is a must for any IT expert, especially since LinkedIn has become the mainstream method for recruiting. Current statistics indicate that out of 120,000 IT specialists in Romania (according to ANIS), approximately 110,000 Romanian LinkedIn users are working in the IT industry according to LinkedIn stats (~ nearly 92%). One thing is clear – if you need your LinkedIn profile to be more visible, you need to take certain steps to make that happen.
The headline bit of your profile is critical. A great headline is ought to give a quick glimpse of who you are and what you do, and entice individuals and most importantly IT recruiters into clicking on your profile to discover more. Consider your target audience and what you bring to the table, and capture that in a short, yet snappy sentence that tells about your IT skills and experience, and how you can be useful to employers looking for IT professionals. Make sure you insert keywords from your profession in your headline as well, so that an IT recruitment consultant searching for a candidate in your area of expertise is able to find you.
Keep your profile updated and watch as opportunities start rolling in.
The summary section is the first opportunity you get to explain who you are, so make it enticing. Use the summary to answer the classic questions of "who, what, when, why and how." Explain who you are, what you have accomplished and when you did it and why you are passionate about IT.
This is by far one of the most important aspects in your LinkedIn profile. It's easier for an IT recruiter to identify and match your profile for current job openings if you specify what programming languages, frameworks, along with databases you're experienced with. Include any certifications you have on applications, hardware or systems. The more tech skills you include, the more chances to be contacted by a recruiter with opportunities of real interest. Thus, you'll no longer be assaulted with so many emails/phone calls, but according to your expertise for the post.
Open yourself to new opportunities by connecting with other IT professionals just like you. The more connections you have, the better chances to come up in an IT recruitment consultant's search results.
Make use of LinkedIn endorsements and recommendations wisely. This is a strategic move to stand out from the crowd. IT recruiters love to see that someone else took the time to vouch for you.
Joining LinkedIn groups gives your profile a boost as well. But unfortunately that's not enough to stand out. Contribute to these groups periodically in a positive and professional manner and you'll make yourself noticed. IT staffing recruiters are just around the corner waiting for the right candidate.
LinkedIn is one of the best tools used by recruiters and candidates alike for the IT recruitment process. With all of its standard and premium features, LinkedIn is not only a place for you to find your dream job, but also a place to stay on top of new trends and developments in the IT industry.
Remember, LinkedIn is a great tool to promote your career, but it only works if you use it wisely.


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Campus ›
SG urges importance of mental health
Photo Credit: Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff
Published on May 3, 2017 at 12:53 am Last update on May 3, 2017 at 1:07 am
By Mikaela Cannizzo, Rajya Atluri
UT Student Government members, in coordination with the University, are encouraging students to prioritize their health and safety despite concerns about exams and classes following the on-campus
stabbing Monday.
SG addressed students with a Facebook post Tuesday morning that provided Google documents outlining a process for requesting excused absences from professors, as well as a suggested email template to use when contacting them.
"The tragedy on our campus has shaken so many of us," SG said in a statement included in the post. "At a time when we are mourning, many students are facing a challenging schedule this week. ... You should not have to choose between your safety and your academic standing."
The documents encourage students to explain their personal situations to professors and ask for support during an emotionally draining time. Students are also encouraged to tell professors they will make up missed assignments and return to class as soon as possible.
Eric Saldanha, SG internal financial director, said SG was compelled to post the documents online after hearing from students who were dealing with academic issues while still coping with the loss of a
fellow student.
"We definitely felt like we needed to communicate about some of the resources they have at their disposal," said Saldanha, a business honors and government senior. "We all felt like if they were uncomfortable going to class, we wanted to prioritize their mental health and safety."
University policy does not require faculty and staff to honor these requests for excused absences. However, Soncia Reagins-Lilly, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, said the Provost Office has asked faculty members to be flexible and understanding of student needs.
"We ask students to work with their faculty and their advisors if they are in need of accommodations," Reagins-Lilly said in an email.
Following Monday's incidents, Saldanha said academic advisers have sent student concerns directly to deans of individual colleges. According to University procedures, academic problems are usually addressed by the course instructor and department chair before being sent to the dean.
"Rather than having to kind of go through the bureaucracy that is typical in a situation like this, we really tried to work with the Provost's office to streamline the process," Saldanha said.
SG leaders met Tuesday morning with the Provost and Dean of Students Offices to further provide academic support to students. Reagins-Lilly sent an email to students Tuesday afternoon extending the pass/fail deadline for a class to May 5. According to the spring 2017 academic calendar, the previous date for this was April 3.
"We really pushed them to take more action and we're really glad they did in that message to students today," Saldanha said. "(The extension is) the kind of action that will give students the environment that they need to navigate the academic situation that some of them may be in right now."


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Young Jazz Rebels - Slave Riot
Home / Young Jazz Rebels - Slave Riot
Young Jazz Rebels is a Madlib jazz group from the Yesterdays Universe collective, and this debut album Slave Riot is a fully developed avant-garde free jazz record, representing the furthest Madlib in developing this style. Madlib again displays his near-unparalleled ear on this smoldering homage to the independent-minded, freewheeling jazz of the 1960s and early 70s.
Heavyweight double vinyl produced by Stones Throw Records in 2010. Duo-tone panther cover.
Praised as one of the most influential rap albums of all time, 'Madvillainy' is a collaboration project between rapper MF DOOM and producer Madlib, aptly named Madvillain. It features the singles "America's Most Blunted", "All Caps" and "Accordion".
Madvillain - Madvillainy
On their second collaborative record 'Bandana', Freddie Gibbs and Madlib pull themselves deeper into one another's worlds. Madlib's beats remain off-kilter, and Gibbs remains gangster, but there's a looseness with 'Bandana,' a spirit of intuition and in
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Bandana
After a whirlwind of press, accolades, performances and studio sessions with greats, Anderson .Paak took all those experiences to formulate his silky-smooth 'Malibu' album. It features the singles "Am I Wrong", "The Season / Carry Me" and "Room In Here".
Anderson .Paak - Malibu
The appreciation of Madlib and Freddie Gibbs' collaboration "Piñata" depends on the range of your hip-hop tastes and your familiarity with both artists' deep cuts. Funk-fusion and soul jazz breaks bubble and blister in the heat and Gibbs states the facts
Freddie Gibbs and Madlib - Pinata
Shades of Blue is a remix album by American hip hop musician Madlib over the archives of Blue Note Records. It was released by Blue Note Records on June 24, 2003.
Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note
'Champion Sound' is unquestionably one of the most exciting and inventive hip-hop productions of the early 2000s: Jay Dee's characteristically bass-heavy breaks and Madlib's wonderfully off-kilter quasi-organic dutchery compliment each other perfectly, an
Jaylib (J Dilla / Madlib) - Champion Sound
Madlib's new collaboration with Four Tet's Kieran Hebden 'Sound Ancestors', is an instant classic, supplying a seamless wave of anthropological beats and found sounds that invigorate and inspire. Madlib remains masterful by simply turning what he hears i
Madlib - Sound Ancestors (Arranged by Kieran Hebden)
'Madvillainy 2: The Madlib Remix' is Madlib's own reworking of his classic 'Madvillainy' album he did with MF Doom. For the remix, the blunted one revisits the project and gives fresh beats to the classic collaboration effort.
MadVillain - Madvillainy 2: The Madlib Remix


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Best of the Upstate
Panel maintains pay for interim Winthrop leader
COLUMBIA -- A state panel decided Wednesday that Winthrop University's interim president should continue to receive her current salary.
Panel maintains pay for interim Winthrop leader COLUMBIA -- A state panel decided Wednesday that Winthrop University's interim president should continue to receive her current salary. Check out this story on greenvilleonline.com: http://grnol.co/1lUACTP
By Seanna AdcoxThe Associated Press Published 3:15 p.m. ET July 9, 2014
Provost Debra Boyd took over last month when Winthrop trustees suspended, then fired, Jamie Comstock Williamson, less than a year into her tenure.
Winthrop University President Jamie Comstock Williamson listens as the Board of Trustees votes to fire her Friday evening, June 13, 2014, in Rock Hill. (Photo: ANDY BURRISS , AP )
Trustees said Williamson violated the university's nepotism policy by hiring her husband for a part-time job, provided false information and was demeaning and rude. Williamson has denied all the complaints and threatened to sue.
The Agency Head Salary Commission unanimously agreed to maintain Boyd's salary of $162,500, as trustees requested.
That's how much Boyd has made since July 1, when all state employees received a 2 percent cost-of-living increase. The commission's vote followed discussions behind closed doors.
Boyd's approved pay is just $6,000 above the least amount Winthrop's president can earn, as per the commission's market-based salary range for the job, which ranges from $156,500 to $242,600. College trustees are supposed to seek advance permission from the commission if they want their president to receive more from state funds than the set minimum.
Williamson was making $300,000 a year — nearly $170,000 from the state and $130,000 from the Winthrop University Foundation.
Winthrop University board Chairwoman Kathy Bigham said trustees thought it appropriate to seek Boyd's current salary, rather than a higher amount.
"We wanted to be fair and respectful," she said. Trustees are not seeking additional money for Boyd from the school's nonprofit fund-raising foundation, she said.
Bigham said trustees don't know how long Boyd's interim position may last. A search for the next president will likely begin this fall, she said.
"We're very fortunate to have her and for her to take this on without consideration for pay," Bigham said.
Boyd began her career at Winthrop 30 years ago, teaching courses in writing, literature and Renaissance drama. She became chairwoman of the English department in 1999, then dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2003. She's been vice president for academic affairs since 2011. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Appalachian State University and a doctorate's in English from the University of South Carolina.
Also on Wednesday, the Agency Head Salary Commission approved a $153,000 salary for the Revenue Department's incoming director, as requested by Gov. Nikki Haley's office.
The amount maintains what Rick Reames currently makes as chief of staff, following the July 1 pay raises.
Reames is set to become interim director July 18, when Bill Blume retires. Haley appointed Blume to take the Cabinet agency's helm in January 2013 following a massive hacking of taxpayers' personal data. Blume has said he worked to change the agency's culture so that data security became a top priority.
"He's done a fabulous job over there," said Senate President Pro Tem Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, who is also chairman of the salary commission.
Reames came aboard after Blume told Haley in January of his retirement plans. Haley has said she will nominate Reames as director, but the Senate would have to confirm her choice.
The commission's salary range for Revenue's director is $139,170 to $215,700. Blume's salary was $156,000 before the July 1 cost-of-living increases took effect.
Read or Share this story: http://grnol.co/1lUACTP
New Greenville restaurant offers opportunity for sex-trafficking victims
Clemson University begins planning for new student housing
Neighbors protest more homes, more traffic, a broken pool and missing soccer field
Council OKs $40M plan to move state offices from County Square
Clemson student Bryn Turner, 22, dies in Jacksonville Beach accident
3-year-old boy dead after falling into grease trap at Tim Hortons on University Avenue


The slowest snowfall in decades and a continuing insurgency have led to Afghanistan facing the worst drought this century, with little capability to respond.
It has been two years since severe drought forced twenty-nine-year-old Amena and her four children to leave their village Petaw Qol in Waras. Now, they reside in Bamyan city.
Afghanistan's worst drought this century affected the central provinces like Bamyan and Daikundi. Lack of precipitation in Bamyan has left most of its farming and grazing land parched, officials at the International Office of Migration (IOM) at Bamyan have said. According to their assessment, drought has affected around 26,200 families in Bamyan and around 128 families in Daikundi. Waras, one of the biggest districts in Bamyan, is this year facing its most severe drought in decades as the cumulative effect of several years of low rainfall has led agriculture to collapse.
The signs of the coming drought were evident as far back as March 2018, when NASA satellites measured the lowest snowpack amount since 2001. Unlike most of the other countries of South Asia, Afghanistan does not get most of its rain in the monsoon. It is, therefore, critically dependent on the snow that falls during the winter months, and which feeds its rivers during the planting season.
By October the effects of the low rainfall had become evident, with reports suggesting that the drought had displaced more people in 2018 than the ongoing violence. Decades of war have critically degraded Afghanistan's infrastructure, but it has also had a disastrous impact on managing data. Records during war years, especially from outlying provinces, just do not exist, which makes it hard to plan for eventualities, even those that are apparent in advance.
In the case of the continuing drought in Afghanistan, though, both satellite data and scientific models predicted less low snowfall would hit Afghanistan's food supply. But this year's conflict, in which the Taliban attacked the Afghanistan government's capabilities in all regions, also limited the ability to mount effective counter-drought measures.
In some parts of Afghanistan, displaced people had to resort to selling their children to deal with drought. The situation in Bamyan was not that critical, but it was bad enough.
Mohammad Tahir Zuhair, the governor of Bamyan, said that there were, "four districts of Bamyan that are highly affected by drought: Panjab, Sayghan, Yakawlang 2 and Waras." Sometimes, when families saw their wheat crop failing and wells drying up, they had to sell their livestock at a very cheap price and join farmers migrating elsewhere.
Qurban Ali Sharifi, from Shew Qol in Waras district, left his village and went Bamyan, the provincial capital, with seven of his family members. "Most of my relatives and neighbors left Waras as living there without water was impossible. Some families had to buy 2,000-meter pipes to bring water into their house for their basic needs, and it took around an hour to fill up a very small container of water. Some other families had to buy water brought in by cars. But all of these options were too expensive for my family. During the past three years, around 80% of the farm produce failed because of the drought," he says.
The governor told thethirdpole.net that there has been some support for the affected families but they are trying to come up with the long term-solutions to overcome of this issue. Unfortunately, this is not a problem with an easy solution. The increasing irregular weather patterns brought on by climate change will continue to affect snowfall, and thus water availability, for Afghanistan into the future. In the meanwhile, the conflict continues to eat away at critical resources, and the availability of professional help, to deal with the problem.
While 2019 may see more rainfall for Afghanistan than 2018, the deep underlying problems of trying to rebuild agriculture in a country ravaged by war, and increasingly affected by climate change, are not going to go away soon.
This article first appeared in thethirdpole.net. Click here to go to the original.
Bad relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan over the Durand Line have been used by India to keep a viable threat of a possible second front against Pakistan as a counter to the indigenous uprising in Kashmir, says Ikram Sehgal.


"George W. Bush has unleashed a tsunami on this region," a shrewd Kuwaiti merchant who knows the way of his world said to me. The man had no patience with the standard refrain that Arab reform had to come from within, that a foreign power cannot alter the age-old ways of the Arabs. "Everything here--the borders of these states, the oil explorations that remade the life of this world, the political outcomes that favored the elites now in the saddle--came from the outside. This moment of possibility for the Arabs is no exception." A Jordanian of deep political experience at the highest reaches of Arab political life had no doubt as to why history suddenly broke in Lebanon, and could conceivably change in Syria itself before long. "The people in the streets of Beirut knew that no second Hama is possible; they knew that the rulers were under the gaze of American power, and knew that Bush would not permit a massive crackdown by the men in Damascus."
My informant's reference to Hama was telling: It had been there in 1982, in that city of the Syrian interior, that the Baathist-Alawite regime had broken and overwhelmed Syrian society. Hama had been a stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood, a fortress of the Sunni middle class. It had rebelled, and the regime unleashed on it a merciless terror. There were estimates that 25,000 of its people perished in that fight. Thenceforth, the memory of Hama hung over the life of Syria--and Lebanon. But the people in the plazas of Beirut, and the Syrian intellectuals who have stepped forth to challenge the Baathist regime, have behind them the warrant, and the green light, of American power and protection.
The weight of American power, historically on the side of the dominant order, now drives this new quest among the Arabs. For decades, the intellectual classes in the Arab world bemoaned the indifference of American power to the cause of their liberty. Now a conservative American president had come bearing the gift of Wilsonian redemption. For a quarter century the Pax Americana had sustained the autocracy of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak: He had posed as America's man on the Nile, a bulwark against the Islamists. He was sly and cunning, running afoul of our purposes in Iraq and over Israeli-Palestinian matters. He had nurtured a culture of antimodernism and anti-Americanism, and had gotten away with it. Now the wind from Washington brought tidings: America had wearied of Mr. Mubarak, and was willing to bet on an open political process, with all its attendant risks and possibilities. The brave oppositional movement in Cairo that stepped forth under the banner of Kifaya ("Enough!") wanted the end of his reign: It had had enough of his mediocrity, enough of the despotism of an aging officer who had risen out of the military bureaucracy to entertain dynastic dreams of succession for his son. Egyptians challenging the quiescence of an old land may have had no kind words to say about America in the past. But they were sure that the play between them and the regime was unfolding under Mr. Bush's eyes.
Unmistakably, there is in the air of the Arab world a new contest about the possibility and the meaning of freedom.
Geez, if any liberals, paleocons, or other Realists read that they're going to need to be sedated, if not restrained.