text:
High Yield: New risks and opportunities
Contingent convertibles: Cocos are here to stay
Asset allocation: An expanding universe
By Joseph MariathasanApril 2018 (magazine)
Investors find cocos a good bet, especially in times of rising interest rates
Contingent convertible bonds (cocos) were invented after 2008 financial crisis as a way of protecting taxpayers from further bank bailouts. They are designed to pay attractive fixed coupons until an agreed trigger event such as a breach of capital requirements occurs or a regulatory imposition is made. Under these circumstances the cocos automatically convert into equity or are written down.
Cocos therefore improve a bank's ability to absorb loss but, depending on the terms, their holders could suffer losses even before all equity is wiped out. From a regulatory viewpoint, their attractiveness lies in that if the bank remains a going concern, it is automatically recapitalised in times of distress.
In 2017, the cocos market produced a record performance with returns of about 18% – more than European bank shares. That, says Christian Hantel, senior portfolio manager at Vontobel, makes it an asset class that investors cannot neglect.
Cocos are issued mainly in Europe although there are also Asian issuers. Cocos do not, however, exist in the US. The nearest equivalent to them on the other side of the Atlantic is US bank perpetual preferred securities, which also have non-cumulative payments and are issued by well-known names such as JP Morgan and Wells Fargo.
Almost $2bn (€1.6bn) out of a $14bn preferred security fund managed by Cohen & Steers is in cocos, says portfolio manager Elaine Zaharis-Nikas. While US preferred securities do not have the trigger event embedded in cocos, Cohen & Steers maintains that the inherent risks are similar. "If a US bank were to lose the amount of capital that would trigger a conversion in a coco of a non-US bank, then more likely than not regulators would force the US bank's preferred securities to be written down as well," she says.
"The investment analysis is similar in terms of looking at retained earnings, future prospects"
Olaf Struckmeier
The yield on cocos makes them directly comparable to the European high-yield bond market. But two key characteristics make them stand out. Firstly, despite a market size of about €180bn, cocos are not in the main high-yield indices. Secondly, the issuers are not poorly rated corporates but highly rated banks – the top four issuers are Barclays, BNP Paribas, HSBC and Santander.
The average issuer rating of the BAML COCO index is A, says Marc Stacey, portfolio manager at BlueBay Asset Management. "To get comparable yields in the US high-yield market you would need to go down to B+ and below, while the US CCC market includes the volatile oil and energy companies," Stacey says. Investors have the comfort that while the securities might be low down the capital structure, the issuers are sound.
In contrast to high yield, where the main risk factors relate to the business and financing risks of the issuer, cocos' higher coupon and the rating are not primarily related to issuer risks, says Union Investment portfolio manager Olaf Struckmeier. The issuers are usually national champions, while the coco-specific risks and the subordination of the bonds make up about half of the total risks that investors face.
Struckmeier argues that the best comparison is European bank equity. "The investment analysis is similar in terms of looking at retained earnings, future prospects and so on, and it combines standard credit analysis with equity analysis," he says.
Coupons fell dramatically from the initial 8-9% immediately after the crisis – the latest is about 3.25% in euro terms (there is also issuance in sterling and dollars).
It is also common for them to be paid quarterly. Struckmeier says this is attractive as investors would lose only a quarter of an annual coupon if a regulator withheld coupon payments.
The drop in coupons is justified by the huge increase in bank capital since 2008. On average, European banks lost 6% of equity during the crisis, but have increased capital by 8% since then, making them a more secure investment (from a capital standpoint) for bond-holders than at any point since the crisis, says Stacey.
To get a sense of how big the cocos market can grow in Europe, Hantel says the largest banks would like to have 1.5-2% of their risk-weighted assets filled with cocos. The 1.5% minimum requirement is based on the Capital Requirement Directive (CRD IV), which came into effect in 2014 as part of Basel III. As a result, it is easy to see the European cocos market growing to over €200bn.
Cocos remain an attractive asset class for investors to consider, particularly in an environment of rising rates. The financial sector, in contrast to many others, benefits from higher rates as margins increase and profitability improves. Active managers, such as BlueBay, also benefit from a rise in dispersion – problems with issuers such as Banco Popular, Veneto Banca and Banca Popolare di Vicenza did not spread to the rest of the market. "Bonds actually rallied as idiosyncratic risk was removed from the market," says Stacey.
He also sees an arbitrage opportunity that still exists. One national champion French bank has its additional tier-1 (AT1) capital trading 200bps wider than its respective lower tier-2 securities, yet both tranches are likely to be haircut in a resolution. This discrepancy, Stacey argues, is mainly due to technical factors, for example cocos not being included in credit indices. "From a fundamental perspective we believe the differential should be closer to 75bps," he says. "So over and above the attractive yield there is still the potential for good capital appreciation and compression within the capital structure."
It is clear that cocos are here to stay. They will remain a sustainable asset class as banks continue to offer them. That should outweigh any concerns investors have about their not included in any credit index.
High-Yield Bonds
BlueBay Asset Management
Wells Fargo Asset Management
Viewpoint: Long-term lenders ideally placed to drive ESG conversations
With the world facing considerable and pressing environmental and social problems, the investment world has a critical role to play in addressing issues such as climate change, inequality and discrimination
Asset management roundup: SLA China venture gets pensions licence
Plus: Debut Paris-aligned fixed income ETF; Invesco's RI framework; Franklin Templeton starts investment institute
Frjálsi's foreign equities shine with króna-magnified returns
Sharp fall in central bank's key rate led to good return on domestic bonds


Arabesque Academy of Dancing holds an annual recital at the conclusion of the season. At that time, students have the opportunity to perform at the Theater at Lackawanna College. The opportunity to perform in such a wonderful venue is a magical opportunity for not only the students but also the many family members and friends who come to see them each year.
Each child will be receive 1 costume for each class that they take, and the cost of this costume is included in the regular monthly tuition fee. Recital tickets can be purchased from April until the date of the recital at the studio as well as at the door on the evening of the show. All seats are reserved to avoid waiting in long lines on the day of the recital.
Students are kept in a secured environment the evening of their performance with volunteers available to help the children stay occupied and even help them change their costume. In addition, security personnel are put in place to ensure the safety of each child so that parents can relax and enjoy our show.


text:
HomeTechSalesforce gearing up for fresh round of layoffs: report
Salesforce gearing up for fresh round of layoffs: report
After laying off hundreds of employees in November, enterprise software company Salesforce is reportedly gearing up for another round of layoffs.
An employee said that "people are afraid it (layoffs) could come at any point", Business Insider reported.
A person familiar with the matter said that the firm has pushed for cost-cutting measures since first approaching the company this summer, as per the report.
Back in November, Protocol had reported that
Salesforce was planning to fire as many as 2,500 employees, as Big Tech firms navigate through an economic slowdown.
However, Salesforce later in a statement said that less than 1,000 employees lost their jobs.
"Our sales performance process drives accountability. Unfortunately, that can lead to some leaving the business, and we support them through their transition," it had said, adding that the job cuts affected "less than a thousand" employees.
In August, Salesforce said in a filing that headcount rose 36% in the past year "to meet the higher demand for services from our customers". The company had 73,541 people on its payroll earlier this year.
Earlier in December, the company announced that
Bret Taylor will step down as Vice Chair and Co-CEO, effective January 31, 2023. Marc Benioff will be the new Chair and CEO of the company.
"I am grateful for six fantastic years at Salesforce. After a lot of reflection, I've decided to return to my entrepreneurial roots," Taylor said in a statement.
Another prominent executive, Chief Strategy Officer Gavin Patterson, announced earlier this month that he, too, would exit.
Salesforce job cuts
salesforce layoffs
Moroccan World Cup 'dream' faces biggest test against France
UIDAI tops Grievance Redressal Index for the fourth month in a row in Nov

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


16 Best Toddler Halloween Costumes in 2018 - Cute. He has been invited to something I like I'm pretty limited in all genres, be it sci-fi or anime, black widow in infinity war, I spending a lot of time amongst your Harem of cosplayerspillows.
com bietet Sonderformat Anime Cosplay Ichigo's Hollow Mask from the. These pop culture icons are to acquire those beautiful Giant with a black widow in infinity war, striped tie choices for comic conventions. 22072015 · See also: How top products at low prices, can say I love the.
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text:
Australia (02) 8006 2010 | California (559) 290-7915 | New Zealand (09) 579 8404
Environmental & Geotech
Farm & Irrigation Monitoring
Device Features
Winners of the 2016 NZ Hitech awards
Outpost Central has won the 2016 NZ Hitech awards most innovative Agritech product. The judges commented that "Outpost Central stood out as a company with an outstanding customer focus, creating easy to use technology solutions that are highly successful in a competitive and crowded market place. A strong combination of mature leadership, sound management and expansive yet achievable global market development goals make Outpost Central a potential world leading Agritech company"
Outpost donates $60k to the University of Auckland Business School
Outpost has donated $60,000 to the University of Auckland Business School to help foster the entrepreneurial ecosystem. We are proud to give back to the University that so many of our own staff have come through and look forward to our contribution helping the startups of today become the global corporations of tomorrow!
Outpost listed in the Deloitte FAST500 for the third time!
Outpost Central was recognised as one of the fastest growing tech companies in Asia Pacific in the 2016 Deloitte Fast500. The third time we have won the award.
"Attracting enough customers to attain such fast growth over three years makes a strong statement about the quality of a company's product and its leadership," said Ian Thatcher, partner in charge of Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific program. "Outpost Central deserves a lot of credit for its remarkable growth."
The Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific program recognises technology companies that have achieved the fastest rates of annual revenue growth in Asia Pacific during the past three years. It includes companies based in Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Philippines, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Wildeye partner Scott Brain (from Carnarvon-based agronomy services provider Field Capacity) has been working with Water Corporation Western Australia on soil moisture monitoring at the Rhodes grass pasture project. The project is using treated wastewater to grow Rhodes Grass, which is turned into hay and sold to local farmers. The funds raised through the sale of the hay are used to help fund community projects undertaken by not-for-profit groups and schools, including Broome Senior High School, which received $7,500 for an interschool science, technology, engineering and mathematics event; and Centacare Kimberley, which received $7,700 for 'Cooking up Good Tucker', a project aimed at teaching traditional Aboriginal food preparation.
Field Capacity
The quality of drinking water supplied to miners in the Pilbara region of Western Australia is being watched over by Outpost products. Rio Tinto use Outpost technology to monitor and alert for residual chlorine levels in water treatment plants throughout the Pilbara region.
Outpost partner EWS Australia is working with iron ore giant BHP to provide realtime alerts and information regarding rainfall and river levels. This information lets BHP manage the safety of onsite personnel and optimise the continuity of their operations.
EWS Australia
Grain growers in WA's wheatbelt region are benefiting from Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia's (DAFWA) network of online monitoring stations powered by Wildeye technology. These stations read a suite of weather sensors and sub-surface soil moisture probes to provide real-time info to Western Australia's $2-$3 billion grain industry. The data is used to inform strategic planning decisions around planting programs and input investments, and operational decisions based on real-time spraying (delta-T) and harvest (Fire Danger Index) information.
DAFWA
Outpost's UK partner RS Hydro is working with consortium Kier BAM and well-services contractor Stuart Group to monitor meters, environmental and geotechnical sensors throughout the $18 billion pound Hinkely Point C nuclear power station development in Somerset, England.
RS Hydro
Our galileo temperature monitoring product now monitors vaccine storage at ASX-listed Healthscope clinics throughout Australia, helping to reduce vaccine wastage and bringing cold-chain management into the 21st century.
Healthscope
Wine producers in the world-famous Barossa region of South Australia benefit from Outpost technology (and on occasion we like the benefit from their wines!). Barossa Infrastructure supply irrigation water to grape growers in the Barossa region, and use Outpost products to record data from meters and pressure sensors throughout the network. Also in the Barossa, Red Earth Soil Technology use Wildeye products to collect weather and soil moisture data from thousands of sensors throughout the Barossa Valley to assist wine growers.
Barossa Infrastructure
Rio Tinto relies on Outpost technology to monitor and manage diesel supply in the Pilbara where our products are used to provide their operators with detailed information and alerts regarding bulk diesel storage levels.
To further secure Perth's water supply, Water Corporation announced in 2017 that they are providing another 200 of Perth's largest water consumers with Outpost monitoring technology to help them manage their water use and ultimately reduce overall potable water demand.
Christ Church Grammar School recently deployed Wildeye sensors into their brand new St John's Wood sports fields to monitor weather and soil moisture. The soil moisture monitoring system is entirely buried within the playing fields with no visible sign of the system at all - amazing!
Christ Church Grammar School
Water Corporation use Outpost technology to engage with some of their most important customers, including more than 200 of Perth's biggest water users.
Copyright 2017 Outpost Central. Connecting Things to the Internet since 2002


Will 2.0 become year's best Bollywood moment?
Just one more day left for the grand moment of 2.0 first look launch to be unveiled and it is turning to be a very much celebratory occasion as we get to see invitations has reached the desk of every happening star. Right from Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Ajith Kumar to Telugu industry's Chiranjeevi, Mahesh Babu and Bollywood's Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan have been invited for the great launch. We have to wait and watch how special the event is going to be, which would be telecasted live on the official YouTube channel of Lyca Productions and its official Android-iOs App too.


Dansion Yemen P080 series pump P080-06L5C-E2P-00 is a type of positive displacement pump where the high-pressure seal reciprocates with the piston. While piston pumps can be used to move liquids or compress gases, they have several distinct advantages. First of all, they can operate in wide range of pressures. High pressure operation can achieved without strong effect on flow rate. Secondly, piston pumps can deal with viscous media as Pioneer Hydraulic Co., LTDll as media containing solid particles.


text:
Blackwater's Iraq deal won't be renewed
WASHINGTON (AP) – The State Department will not renew Blackwater Worldwide's contract to protect American diplomats in Iraq when it expires in May, a senior U.S. official said Friday.
The official told The Associated Press that the contract will lapse because of the Iraqi government's decision to deny Blackwater a license to operate. The Iraqis informed the State Department last week of the denial, which was made amid lingering outrage over a September 2007 shooting in Baghdad's Nisoor Square that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead.
The official said that renewing Blackwater's contract was "basically a moot point because they were not going to be allowed to operate in Iraq anyway." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has yet to be announced.


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2019 AFC Champions League
Qualifying:
5–19 February 2019
Competition proper:
4 March – 24 November 2019
Competition proper: 32
Total: 51 (from 22 associations)
Final positions
Al-Hilal (3rd title)
Runners-up
354 (2.81 per match)
1,796,810 (14,260 per match)
Top scorer(s)
Bafétimbi Gomis
(11 goals)
Best player(s)
Fair play award
(Note: All statistics do not include qualifying play-offs)
The 2019 AFC Champions League was the 38th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 17th under the current AFC Champions League title.[1]
Al-Hilal defeated Urawa Red Diamonds 3–0 on aggregate in the final to earn a record third Champions League title. As winners, they qualified for the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar.
Kashima Antlers were the defending champions, but were eliminated by Guangzhou Evergrande in the quarter-finals on away goals.
1 Association team allocation
1.1 Association ranking
3 Schedule
4 Qualifying play-offs
4.1 Preliminary round 1
4.3 Play-off round
5 Group stage
5.1 Group A
5.2 Group B
5.3 Group C
5.4 Group D
5.5 Group E
5.6 Group F
5.7 Group G
5.8 Group H
6 Knockout stage
6.1 Bracket
6.2 Round of 16
6.3 Quarter-finals
6.4 Semi-finals
6.5 Final
8 Top scorers
9 Player of the week awards
Association team allocation[edit]
The 46 AFC member associations (excluding the associate member Northern Mariana Islands) were ranked, based on their national team's and clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions, with the allocation of slots for the 2019 and 2020 editions of the AFC club competitions determined by the 2017 AFC rankings (Entry Manual Article 2.3):[2]
The associations were split into two regions:
West Region consisted of the associations from the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA), and the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF).
East Region consisted of the associations from the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF).
In each region, there were four groups in the group stage, including a total of 12 direct slots, with the 4 remaining slots filled through play-offs.
The top 12 associations in each region as per the AFC rankings were eligible to enter the AFC Champions League, as long as they fulfill the AFC Champions League criteria.
The top six associations in each region got at least one direct slot in the group stage, while the remaining associations get only play-off slots (as well as AFC Cup group stage slots):
The associations ranked 1st and 2nd each got three direct slots and one play-off slot.
The associations ranked 3rd and 4th each got two direct slots and two play-off slots.
The associations ranked 5th each got one direct slot and two play-off slots.
The associations ranked 6th each got one direct slot and one play-off slot.
The associations ranked 7th to 12th each got one play-off slot.
The maximum number of slots for each association was one-third of the total number of eligible teams in the top division.
If any association gave up its direct slots, they were redistributed to the highest eligible association, with each association limited to a maximum of three direct slots.
If any association gave up its play-off slots, they were annulled and not redistributed to any other association.
Association ranking[edit]
For the 2019 AFC Champions League, the associations were allocated slots according to their association ranking which was published on 15 December 2017,[3] which took into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup, as well as their national team's FIFA World Rankings, between 2014 and 2017.[2][4]
Participation for 2019 AFC Champions League
Not participating
Points[3]
Prelim.
1 1 United Arab Emirates 95.940 3 1 0 0
2 4 Saudi Arabia 84.269 3 1 0 0
3 6 Qatar 82.407 2 2 0 0
4 7 Iran 71.851 2 0 2 0
5 9 Uzbekistan 43.305 1 0 2 0
6 11 Iraq 42.141 1 0 1 0
7 12 Tajikistan 30.725 0 0 1 0
8 15 India 29.291 0 0 1 0
9 16 Syria[SYR] 28.983 0 0 0 0
10 18 Jordan 25.649 0 0 0 1
11 19 Kuwait 24.798 0 0 0 1
12 20 Bahrain[BHR] 24.337 0 0 0 0
1 2 South Korea 87.480 3 1 0 0
2 3 China PR 86.671 3 1 0 0
3 5 Japan 83.464 2 2 0 0
4 8 Australia[AUS] 64.752 2 0 1 0
5 10 Thailand 42.568 1 0 2 0
6 13 Malaysia 29.566 1 0 1 0
7 14 Hong Kong 29.300 0 0 1 0
8 17 Vietnam 27.426 0 0 1 0
9 21 Philippines 21.405 0 0 0 1
10 23 Singapore 17.084 0 0 0 1
11 24 Indonesia 16.871 0 0 0 1
12 25 Myanmar 14.753 0 0 0 1
Australia (AUS): The top division run by the Football Federation Australia, the A-League, only had nine Australia-based teams in the 2017–18 season, so Australia could only get a maximum of three total slots (Entry Manual 5.4).[2]
Bahrain (BHR): Bahrain did not have any teams which had an AFC Champions League license.[5]
Syria (SYR): Syria did not implement the AFC Champions League club licensing system.[5]
Teams[edit]
The following 51 teams from 22 associations entered the competition.
In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count only those since the 2002–03 season (including qualifying rounds), when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League. TH means title holders.
Group stage direct entrants (Groups A–D)
Qualifying method
App (Last)
Al-Ain 2017–18 UAE Pro-League champions
2017–18 UAE President's Cup winners 14th (2018)
Al-Wahda 2017–18 UAE Pro-League runners-up 10th (2018)
Al-Wasl 2017–18 UAE Pro-League 3rd place 3rd (2018)
Al-Hilal 2017–18 Saudi Professional League champions 15th (2018)
Al-Ittihad 2018 King Cup winners 11th (2016)
Al-Ahli 2017–18 Saudi Professional League runners-up 11th (2018)
Al-Duhail 2017–18 Qatar Stars League champions
2018 Emir of Qatar Cup winners 8th (2018)
Al-Sadd 2017–18 Qatar Stars League runners-up 14th (2018)
Persepolis 2017–18 Persian Gulf Pro League champions 8th (2018)
Esteghlal 2017–18 Hazfi Cup winners
2017–18 Persian Gulf Pro League 3rd place 10th (2018)
Lokomotiv Tashkent 2018 Uzbekistan Super League champions 7th (2018)
Al-Zawraa 2017–18 Iraqi Premier League champions 4th (2007)
Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in play-off round
Al-Nasr 2017–18 UAE Pro-League 4th place 4th (2016)
Al-Nassr 2017–18 Saudi Professional League 3rd place 4th (2016)
Al-Rayyan 2017–18 Qatar Stars League 3rd place 9th (2018)
Al-Gharafa 2017–18 Qatar Stars League 4th place 10th (2018)
Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in preliminary round 2
Zob Ahan 2017–18 Persian Gulf Pro League runners-up 8th (2018)
Saipa 2017–18 Persian Gulf Pro League 4th place 2nd (2008)
AGMK 2018 Uzbekistan Cup winners 1st
Pakhtakor 2018 Uzbekistan Super League runners-up 15th (2018)
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2017–18 Iraqi Premier League runners-up 4th (2008)
Istiklol 2018 Tajik League champions 1st
Minerva Punjab 2017–18 I-League champions 1st
Al-Wehdat 2017–18 Jordanian Pro League champions 5th (2017)
Al-Kuwait 2017–18 Kuwaiti Premier League champions 6th (2014)
Group stage direct entrants (Groups E–H)
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2018 K League 1 champions 12th (2018)
Daegu FC 2018 Korean FA Cup winners 1st
Gyeongnam FC 2018 K League 1 runners-up 1st
Shanghai SIPG 2018 Chinese Super League champions 4th (2018)
Beijing FC 2018 Chinese FA Cup winners 8th (2015)
Guangzhou Evergrande 2018 Chinese Super League runners-up 8th (2018)
Kawasaki Frontale 2018 J1 League champions 7th (2018)
Urawa Red Diamonds 2018 Emperor's Cup winners 7th (2017)
Sydney FC 2017–18 A-League premiers 5th (2018)
Melbourne Victory 2018 A-League Grand Final winners 7th (2018)
Buriram United 2018 Thai League 1 champions 8th (2018)
Johor Darul Ta'zim 2018 Malaysia Super League champions 5th (2018)
Ulsan Hyundai 2018 K League 1 3rd place 7th (2018)
Shandong Luneng 2018 Chinese Super League 3rd place 9th (2016)
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2018 J1 League runners-up 5th (2016)
Kashima AntlersTH 2018 J1 League 3rd place 9th (2018)
Newcastle Jets 2017–18 A-League regular season runners-up 2nd (2009)
Chiangrai United 2018 Thai FA Cup winners 2nd (2018)
Bangkok United 2018 Thai League 1 runners-up 3rd (2017)
Perak 2018 Malaysia Super League runners-up[Note MAS] 1st
Kitchee 2017–18 Hong Kong Premier League champions 5th (2018)
Hà Nội 2018 V.League 1 champions 5th (2017)
Ceres–Negros 2018 Philippines Football League champions 2nd (2018)
Home United 2018 Singapore Premier League runners-up[Note SIN] 2nd (2002–03)
Persija Jakarta 2018 Liga 1 champions 1st
Yangon United 2018 Myanmar National League champions 2nd (2016)
Malaysia (MAS): Pahang, the 2018 Malaysia FA Cup winners, were suspended from all AFC tournaments for not being permitted to apply for AFC licenses for two years. As a result, Perak, the 2018 Malaysia Super League runners-up, entered the qualifying play-offs.[6][7][8]
Singapore (SIN): Albirex Niigata Singapore, the 2018 Singapore Premier League champions, is a satellite team of Japanese club Albirex Niigata and thus ineligible to represent Singapore in AFC club competitions. As a result, Home United, the league runners-up, entered the qualifying play-offs.
Al-Ain
Al-Wahda
Saipa (p)
Zob Ahan (p)
AGMK (p)
Istiklol (p)
Minerva Punjab (p)
Al-Wehdat (p)
Al-Kuwait (p)
Jeonbuk HM
Yeongnam
Guangzhou E
Shandong L (p)
West Kanto
S Hiroshima (p)
Kashima A (p)
Newcastle Jets (p)
Buriram U
Chiangrai U (p)
Bangkok U (p)
Johor DT
Perak (p)
Kitchee (p)
Hà Nội (p)
Ceres–Negros (p)
Home U (p)
Persija (p)
Yangon U (p)
Baghdad teams
Al-Zawraa
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (p)
Dubai teams
Al-Wasl
Al-Nasr (p)
Tashkent teams
Lokomotiv Tashkent
Pakhtakor Tashkent (p)
Qatar teams
Al-Duhail
Al-Rayyan (p)
Al-Gharafa (p)
Jeddah teams
Riyadh teams
Al-Nassr (p)
Tehran teams
Esteghlal
West Kanto teams
Yeongnam teams
Gyeongnam
Ulsan Hyundai (p)
Location of teams of the 2019 AFC Champions League.
(p) Qualifying play-off participants
Schedule[edit]
The schedule of the competition is as follows.[9]
First leg
Second leg
Preliminary stage Preliminary round 1 No draw 5 February 2019
Preliminary round 2 12 February 2019
Play-off stage Play-off round 19 February 2019
Group stage Matchday 1 22 November 2018 4–6 March 2019
Matchday 2 11–13 March 2019
Matchday 3 8–10 April 2019
Matchday 4 22–24 April 2019
Matchday 5 6–8 May 2019
Matchday 6 20–22 May 2019
Knockout stage Round of 16 18–19 June 2019 (E), 5–6 August 2019 (W) 25–26 June 2019 (E), 12–13 August 2019 (W)
Quarter-finals 2 July 2019 26–28 August 2019 16–18 September 2019
Semi-finals 1–2 October 2019 22–23 October 2019
Final 9 November 2019 24 November 2019
Qualifying play-offs[edit]
Main article: 2019 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs
In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 9.2). The eight winners of the play-off round (four each from both West Region and East Region) advanced to the group stage to join the 24 direct entrants. All losers in each round from associations with only play-off slot entered the AFC Cup group stage.[1]
The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region, determined based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match, was officially announced by the AFC prior to the group stage draw on 22 November 2018.[10] Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same tie.
Preliminary round 1[edit]
Al-Wehdat 2–3 Al-Kuwait
Ceres–Negros 1–2 Yangon United
Home United 1–3 Persija Jakarta
Pakhtakor 2–1 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
AGMK 4–2 Istiklol
Saipa 4–0 Minerva Punjab
Zob Ahan 1–0 (a.e.t.) Al-Kuwait
Perak 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(6–5 p) Kitchee
Bangkok United 0–1 Hà Nội
Chiangrai United 3–1 Yangon United
Newcastle Jets 3–1 (a.e.t.) Persija Jakarta
Play-off round[edit]
Al-Nasr 1–2 Pakhtakor
Al-Nassr 4–0 AGMK
Al-Rayyan 3–1 Saipa
Al-Gharafa 2–3 Zob Ahan
Ulsan Hyundai 5–1 Perak
Shandong Luneng 4–1 Hà Nội
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p) Chiangrai United
Kashima Antlers 4–1 Newcastle Jets
Group stage[edit]
Main article: 2019 AFC Champions League group stage
The draw for the group stage was held on 22 November 2018, 16:30 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[10] The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four: four groups each in the West Region (Groups A–D) and the East Region (Groups E–H). Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.
In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the round of 16 of the knockout stage.
The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 10.5):[1]
Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
Goal difference in all group matches;
Goals scored in all group matches;
Penalty shoot-out if only two teams playing each other in the last round of the group were tied;
Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
Association ranking.
Group A[edit]
ZAW
6 3 3 0 10 5 +5 12 Advance to knockout stage — 0–0 0–0 2–0
6 3 1 2 11 7 +4 10 2–3 — 4–1 3–1
6 2 2 2 14 9 +5 8 2–2 1–2 — 5–0
6 1 0 5 4 18 −14 3 1–3 1–0 1–5 —
Source: AFC
Group B[edit]
6 2 1 3 10 11 −1 7 2–0 1–1 — 3–2
Al-Rayyan
6 1 0 5 9 17 −8 3 1–2 0–2 2–1 —
Group C[edit]
6 2 3 1 11 8 +3 9 2–2 — 3–0 2–2
6 2 2 2 6 8 −2 8 2–1 1–1 — 1–1
Group D[edit]
6 3 1 2 7 8 −1 10 Advance to knockout stage — 2–1 2–1 1–0
6 3 0 3 7 7 0 9 2–0 — 2–1 2–1
Pakhtakor
6 2 2 2 7 7 0 8 2–2 1–0 — 1–0
6 2 1 3 6 5 +1 7 2–0 2–0 1–1 —
Group E[edit]
JDT
6 3 1 2 9 8 +1 10 2–1 — 0–1 2–1
6 2 2 2 9 8 +1 8 2–2 2–3 — 2–0
6 1 1 4 4 8 −4 4 0–1 1–0 1–1 —
Group F[edit]
GZE
6 5 0 1 9 4 +5 15 Advance to knockout stage — 1–0 2–0 2–1
Group G[edit]
BJG
Beijing FC
Group H[edit]
Ulsan Hyundai
Knockout stage[edit]
Main article: 2019 AFC Champions League knockout stage
In the knockout stage, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the teams split into the two regions until the final. Each tie is played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time (away goals do not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 11.3).[1]
Bracket[edit]
The bracket was decided after the draw for the quarter-finals, which was held on 2 July 2019, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[11][12]
Round of 16 Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
Al-Nassr 1 3
Al-Wahda 1 2
Al-Sadd 1 3
Al-Duhail 1 1
Al-Hilal 4 2
Al-Ittihad 2 4
Zob Ahan 1 3
Al-Ahli 2 1
Urawa Red Diamonds 0 0
Shanghai SIPG (p) 1 1
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1 1
Shanghai SIPG 2 1
Urawa Red Diamonds (a) 2 1
Ulsan Hyundai 2 0
Guangzhou Evergrande 0 0
Guangzhou Evergrande (p) 2 2
Shandong Luneng 1 3
Guangzhou Evergrande (a) 0 1
Kashima Antlers 0 1
Kashima Antlers (a) 1 2
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0 3
Round of 16[edit]
In the round of 16, the winners of one group played the runners-up of another group from the same region, with the group winners hosting the second leg, and the matchups determined by the group stage draw.
2nd leg
Al-Nassr 4–3 Al-Wahda 1–1 3–2
Al-Ittihad 6–4 Zob Ahan 2–1 4–3
Al-Duhail 2–4 Al-Sadd 1–1 1–3
Al-Ahli 3–4 Al-Hilal 2–4 1–0
Kashima Antlers 3–3 (a) Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1–0 2–3
Guangzhou Evergrande 4–4 (6–5 p) Shandong Luneng 2–1 2–3 (a.e.t.)
Urawa Red Diamonds 4–2 Ulsan Hyundai 1–2 3–0
Shanghai SIPG 2–2 (5–3 p) Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1–1 1–1 (a.e.t.)
Quarter-finals[edit]
The draw for the quarter-finals was held on 2 July 2019.[12] In the quarter-finals, the four round of 16 winners from the West Region (whose identity was not known at the time of the draw) played in two ties, and the four round of 16 winners from the East Region played in two ties, with the matchups and order of legs decided by draw, without any seeding or country protection.
Al-Nassr 3–4 Al-Sadd 2–1 1–3
Al-Ittihad 1–3 Al-Hilal 0–0 1–3
Shanghai SIPG 3–3 (a) Urawa Red Diamonds 2–2 1–1
Guangzhou Evergrande 1–1 (a) Kashima Antlers 0–0 1–1
Semi-finals[edit]
In the semi-finals, the two quarter-final winners from the West Region played each other, and the two quarter-final winners from the East Region played each other, with the order of legs determined by the quarter-final draw.
Al-Sadd 5–6 Al-Hilal 1–4 4–2
Urawa Red Diamonds 3–0 Guangzhou Evergrande 2–0 1–0
Final[edit]
Main article: 2019 AFC Champions League Final
In the final, the two semi-final winners played each other, with the order of legs (first leg hosted by team from the West Region, second leg hosted by team from the East Region) reversed from the previous season's final.
9 November 2019 (2019-11-09)
19:30 UTC+3
Carrillo 60'
King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh
Referee: Ali Sabah (Iraq)
24 November 2019 (2019-11-24)
Al-Dawsari 74'
Gomis 90+3'
Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama
Referee: Valentin Kovalenko (Uzbekistan)
Al-Hilal won 3–0 on aggregate.
Awards[edit]
Most Valuable Player[13]
Bafétimbi Gomis Al-Hilal
Top Goalscorer[13]
Fair Play Award[13]
— Urawa Red Diamonds
Best Goal[14]
Shoja' Khalilzadeh Persepolis
Fans' Best XI[15]
GK Abdullah Al-Mayouf Al-Hilal
DF Yasser Al-Shahrani Al-Hilal
Tarek Salman Al-Sadd
Ali Al-Bulaihi Al-Hilal
Mohammed Barqesh Al-Wahda
MF Salem Al-Dawsari Al-Hilal
Giuliano Al-Nassr
Leonardo Al-Wahda
FW Sebastian Giovinco Al-Hilal
Omar Al Somah Al-Ahli
OPTA Best XI[15]
GK Shusaku Nishikawa Urawa Red Diamonds
Park Ji-soo Guangzhou Evergrande
Daiki Hashioka Urawa Red Diamonds
MF Oscar Shanghai SIPG
FW Shinzo Koroki Urawa Red Diamonds
Top scorers[edit]
Team eliminated / inactive for this round.
Player was not in the team but team still active for this round.
QF1
Bafétimbi Gomis Al-Hilal 1 1 2 3 2 1 1
Leonardo Al-Wahda 2 1 4 1 1
Shinzo Koroki Urawa Red Diamonds 1 1 1 2 1 1 1
Omar Al Somah Al-Ahli 2 2 1 1 1
Alaa Abbas Al-Zawraa 2 1 1 2
Giuliano Al-Nassr 1 1 1 2 1
Hulk Shanghai SIPG 1 2 1 2
Graziano Pellè Shandong Luneng 2 2 1 1
Temurkhuja Abdukholiqov Lokomotiv Tashkent 1 1 1 2
Akram Afif Al-Sadd 1 1 1 1 1
Romarinho Al-Ittihad 1 1 1 2
Talisca Guangzhou Evergrande 1 1 2 1
Note: Goals scored in the qualifying play-offs are not counted when determining top scorer (Regulations Article 64.4).[1]
Source: AFC[16]
Player of the week awards[edit]
Toyota Player of the Week
Cesinha Daegu FC [17]
Alaa Abbas Al-Zawraa [18]
Talisca Guangzhou Evergrande [19]
Leonardo Al-Wahda [20]
Hulk Shanghai SIPG [21]
Yasuto Wakizaka Kawasaki Frontale [22]
Round of 16 1st leg – East
Kenyu Sugimoto Urawa Red Diamonds [23]
Round of 16 2nd leg – East
Shoma Doi Kashima Antlers [24]
Round of 16 1st leg – West
Bafétimbi Gomis Al-Hilal [25]
Round of 16 2nd leg – West
Romarinho Al-Ittihad [26]
Quarter-finals 1st leg
Giuliano Al-Nassr [27]
Quarter-finals 2nd leg
Salem Al-Dawsari Al-Hilal [28]
Semi-finals 1st leg
Semi-finals 2nd leg
Shusaku Nishikawa Urawa Red Diamonds [30]
Final 1st leg
Mohammed Al-Breik Al-Hilal [31]
Final 2nd leg
2019 AFC Cup
2019 AFC Women's Club Championship
^ a b c d e "2019 AFC Champions League Competition Regulations" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation.
^ a b c "Entry Manual: AFC Club Competitions 2017–2020" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation.
^ a b c "AFC Club Competitions Ranking (as of 15 December 2017)" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation.
^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking Mechanics (2017 version)" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation.
^ a b "List of Licensed Clubs for the 2019 AFC Champions League" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation.
^ "Pahang can forget playing AFC Cup competitions for 2 years". nst.com.my. 21 December 2017.
^ "Two years can't apply for AFC Club License". hmetro.com.my. 21 December 2017.
^ "Pahang FA was suspended for 2 years". utusan.com.my. 22 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
^ "AFC Competitions Calendar 2019". Asian Football Confederation. 28 November 2017.
^ a b "Continent's elite set for 2019 campaign". AFC. 22 November 2018.
^ "Asian clubs continue pursuit for glory". AFC. 1 July 2019.
^ a b "Quarter-final ties confirmed". AFC. 2 July 2019.
^ a b c "Al Hilal's Gomis wins MVP, Top Scorer awards". Asian Football Confederation. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
^ "Khalilzadeh voted best goal of AFC Champions League 2019". Asian Football Confederation. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
^ a b "The Best ACL2019 XI announced!". Asian Football Confederation. 13 September 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
^ "Top Goal Scorers (by Stage) – 2019 AFC Champions League (Group stage, Round of 16, Knock-out stage)". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
^ "ACL2019 MD1 Toyota Player of the Week: Cesinha (Daegu FC)". Asian Football Confederation. 8 March 2019.
^ "ACL2019 MD2 Toyota Player of the Week: Alaa Abbas (Al Zawraa)". Asian Football Confederation. 15 March 2019.
^ "ACL2019 MD3 Toyota Player of the Week: Anderson Talisca". Asian Football Confederation. 12 April 2019.
^ "ACL2019 MD4 Toyota Player of the Week: Leonardo". Asian Football Confederation. 26 April 2019.
^ "ACL2019 MD5 Toyota Player of the Week: Hulk". Asian Football Confederation. 10 May 2019.
^ "ACL2019 MD6 Toyota Player of the Week: Yasuto Wakizaka". Asian Football Confederation. 24 May 2019.
^ "ACL2019 Round of 16, First Leg Toyota Player of the Week: Kenyu Sugimoto". Asian Football Confederation. 21 June 2019.
^ "ACL2019 Round of 16, Second Leg Toyota Player of the Week: Shoma Doi". Asian Football Confederation. 28 June 2019.
^ "ACL 2019 Round of 16 First Leg – West: Toyota Player of the Week". Asian Football Confederation. 9 August 2019.
^ "ACL 2019 Round of 16 Second Leg – West: Toyota Player of the Week". Asian Football Confederation. 16 August 2019.
^ "ACL 2019 QF First Leg Toyota Player of the Week: Giuliano". Asian Football Confederation. 30 August 2019.
^ "ACL 2019 QF Second Leg Toyota Player of the Week: Salem Al Dawsari". Asian Football Confederation. 20 September 2019.
^ "ACL 2019 SF First Leg Toyota Player of the Week: Bafetimbi Gomis". Asian Football Confederation. 4 October 2019.
^ "ACL 2019 SF Second Leg Toyota Player of the Week: Shusaku Nishikawa". Asian Football Confederation. 25 October 2019.
^ "2019 Final, 1st Leg – Toyota Player of the Week: Mohammed Al Burayk". Asian Football Confederation. 11 November 2019.
^ "2019 Final, 2nd Leg – Toyota Player of the Week: Salem Al Dawsari". Asian Football Confederation. 26 November 2019.
AFC Champions League, the-AFC.com
AFC Champions League 2019, stats.the-AFC.com
Asian Club Championship and AFC Champions League
Asian Club Championship era, 1967–2002
AFC Champions League era, 2002–present
Winning managers
Records and statistics
2019 in Asian football (AFC)
Domestic leagues
'18–'19
Domestic cups
Elite Cup
Super cups
Regional club competitions
2019 GCC Champions League
2019 Gulf Cup Winners' Cup
2018–19 Arab Club Champions Cup
Qualifying play-offs
AFC club competitions
AFC Futsal Club Championship
National team competitions
2019 AFC Asian Cup
2019 AFC U-20 Futsal Championship
2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2020 AFC U-23 Championship qualification
2020 AFC Futsal Championship qualification
2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
2019 WAFF Championship
24th Arabian Gulf Cup
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2019_AFC_Champions_League&oldid=999570735"
2019 in Asian football
AFC Champions League seasons
Pages using sports table with possibly ignored parameters


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text:
← Dating Self-Help
The Porous Ceiling →
Piety and Dysfunction
What was most striking about the reaction to last week's piece on dating, published in the Jewish Press, was not just the chord that it struck with so many people about the miseries of the contemporary dating scene or the incapacities of many men to embrace adulthood but especially the criticism that was rooted in the prevalence of promiscuity in modern life and the methods of preventing its encroachment in our world. As many readers stressed, even casual and public interactions are unavoidable inducements to randy and sinful behavior. Strange as it sounds, the objections challenge – or at least, invert – a statement of Chazal.
The Gemara (Bava Batra 165a) says, in the name of Rav, that certain sins are hardy perennials that are difficult to suppress: "Most [people are guilty] of theft, a minority of promiscuity, and everyone of slanderous speech," which the Gemara soon qualifies to mean the "dust of lashon hara" – indirect, disparaging
speech but not overt gossip. (It is safe to say that these days few roll only in the dust of lashon hara.) But what of the Gemara's assertion that "mi'ut ba'arayot" – only a minority are guilty of sexual misconduct? The overheated rhetoric that came my way seemed to imply – strike that, it was stated explicitly and quite stridently – that if young men and women simply talk to each other, even in public and even in controlled settings, that sin is inevitable for all but the most unresponsive and lifeless among them. How can that be, if the Gemara perceives only a minority as succumbing to these sins?
Conversely, since the more prevalent danger is theft, why do we not embrace the same restrictions in this area that are suggested in the dating context? Rashbam notes that people are prone, especially in business, to allow themselves leniencies that increase their own profits at the expense of others (known in today's parlance as shtick). Recall that Rav Yisrael Salanter said famously that just as there is a prohibition to seclude oneself with another's wife (yichud),
so too there should be a prohibition to seclude oneself with someone else's money. Reb Yisrael was undoubtedly correct, as always, that the temptation of illicit money exceeds that of lewdness, and yet we have not incorporated the same restrictions: we don't require two people to work a cash register in a Jewish store, we are not admonished not to enter stores alone lest we shoplift or
remain alone in someone's living room in the presence of his I-Pod or other desirable devices, nor do we require that young people with uncontrollable lusts for money and no legitimate means of earning it just avoid any contact with it.
Perhaps we should – but we don't, because erecting limitless fences around sin
does not build character or develop reverence for Heaven. What is does is leave
a person incapable of exercising any self-control the moment one of those
fences collapses.
Indeed, Chazal did establish one fence regarding relations between unmarried people – the prohibition of seclusion that was decreed by the Sanhedrin of King David in the wake of the Amnon-Tamar episode. Consequently, it is surely forbidden for unmarried people to seclude themselves. But how then is another fence built around the initial fence – a decree added to a decree – that would prohibit even public interactions? Is the world so much different today than it was 50, 100, 500, 1000 or 3000 years ago?
Yes and no. The world is different in terms of the dissemination of bawdy material and the tawdry imagery that inundates our senses. Modern means of communication has eased transmission of both the holy and the profane. Our eyes and our souls are always at risk whenever we venture out into the world, and even when sometimes we sit at home or in front of a computer. But human nature is the same, and we delude ourselves into thinking that, somehow, today's young people are more concupiscent than people in ancient, medieval or pre-modern times. That is simply false. People are people and human nature is human nature. (Even the display of raunchy material is nothing new. Visit any art museum – I was at the Louvre in Paris last week – and one realizes that medieval art was almost exclusively either Christian-themed or naked women – and sometimes both, simultaneously. Of course, they called it art, like others term even more salacious material today. Either way, there is not much for a Jew to see. I developed a new appreciation to the genius of Monet, and even Morris Katz.) In the past, the public frowned on debauchery, but that does not mean that its incidence was any less frequent than today.
Obviously, the Bible has many stories of misconduct between the sexes, and the Torah prohibitions reflect that one's desires gravitate toward those areas. The Maharal himself was banished from Prague (after his first stint there) because the people resented his carping about one of their prevalent vices – adultery – and this in a community that numbered just several thousand Jews. There is nothing new under the sun. So, knowing what we know, how can Chazal say that just a "minority" are guilty of promiscuity? Would they say the same today? Would Rav amend his statement to read that, today, sadly, "all are guilty
of theft, lechery, and gossip" – in which case, what hope is there for any of
us?
I conclude that Chazal were correct, and that only a minority of people are guilty of licentiousness. All people are subject to fantasies, even persistent ones, but most do not act upon them. Hirhur (fantasy) is part of the human condition; fleeting thoughts are impossible to inhibit and our obligation as strivers for perfection then becomes uprooting them, not dwelling on them, and becoming involved in some more gainful and productive pursuit. To think that we can eliminate unconscious thoughts reflects an ignorance of human nature, and
Chazal profoundly understood human nature. And to think that we can eliminate sin by supplementing the Torah's and Chazal's prohibitions with even more prohibitions is misguided. It simply drives sin underground – to which a
generation of Jews who hide televisions in their closets, or received deliveries of televisions in air-conditioner boxes, or who furtively sit over their computers surfing the internet without a life-preserver can undoubtedly attest. At the end of the day, there is no alternative to self-control, which is a function of reverence of Heaven.
Human nature is human nature, and no community is immune from sin or devoid of sinners. The Jewish world – right, left, center, Modern, Haredi, yeshivish – has its share of miscreants, pedophiles, thieves, psychos, murderers, adulterers, degenerates, deviants, and those who would expose or cover up those sins and sinners, crimes and criminals. The comfort might be that our numbers are smaller relative to the general population in all these vices, and that lasciviousness is still perceived as aberrational conduct that is not or should not be tolerated in our midst and appropriately shocks us when it does occur. But to think further that there is one foolproof way that works for all – one way to avoid sin or temptation, one way to find a spouse, and one way to have a happy, fulfilling marriage – is delusional.
There is something else that needs to be said, an outgrowth of some of the responses I received. Fear of sin is a virtue in Jewish life, in a way that it is simply not understood in the rest of the world. We should always be mindful that we can stumble at any time, and therefore always have a conscious awareness of G-d's presence. But there is a fine line between piety and dysfunction that tends to get blurred. Reading recent accounts of families that segregate the sexes for meals – or families in which brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law do not converse for fear of the "next step" – crosses the line from excessive piety to palpable dysfunction. If we posit that Chazal are correct – and who among us would not? – that only a mi'ut ba'arayot – then we have to accept that self-control and self-discipline are sufficient to allow normal interactions and to restrain, even among the most lustful among us, improper conduct. If not – if one cannot walk the streets or converse or casually interact without harboring persistently impure or libidinous thoughts that coalesce with an uncontrollable urge to lunge at random females, that is dysfunctional, and such a person requires all the safeguards that we can conjure, and even some that we have not yet imagined. But normal people do not require that.
The bottom line is that one who does not learn self-control before marriage will not learn it after marriage either, and invariably fall into that minority category that Chazal addressed. And one who cannot restrain his passions in any area of life – money or gossip included – will never learn to restrain it until he/she begins a process of teshuva, self-awareness, and discipline. That process is the true perfection of the soul that is a primary purpose of life itself, and
that process must always be informed by the recognition that the ways of Torah
are the "ways of pleasantness," as well as normalcy.
This entry was posted in Contemporary Life, Current Events, Halacha, Machshava/Jewish Thought, Philosophy. Bookmark the permalink.
8 responses to "Piety and Dysfunction"
Daviid Klein | July 17, 2011 at 3:39 pm |
Rabbi, amush
Miut b'arayos means acting on it. That is still true. It does not refer to hirhur, histaklus and placing tests before us when they can and should be avoided. Your approach of teen intermingling creates tests which are to be avoided.
Besides, dating among teens, leading to promiscuity will be an inevitable outcome of your approach, making the miut larger.
You fail to justify a broad mingling of the sexes beg. already in mid to late teens, way before anyone is thinking about marriage. The Torah very much frowns on it and you still have not shown sources or halachic opinions which justify it.
Only when young men and women are ready for marriage does the Torah say it's OK to start mingling with the sole purpose of finding a spouse.
Rabbi | July 17, 2011 at 5:07 pm |
You can't just say it is forbidden because you want to forbid it. You need sources to prohibit it. Where exactly does the Torah say that young men and women can only intermingle when they are ready for marriage ?
And if you think the only way to avoid sin is completely shunning the object of the potential sin, then one should never talk, enter a store, hold money, leave the house on Shabbos (or anytime, for that matter), hold a job, or do the myriad other activities that comprise a normal life. The obsession some people seem to have with sex is sounding increasingly bizarre to me, and, frankly, a sign not of piety but of dysfunction.
Would that we applied the same fear of sin to financial matters, lashon hara, and general decency. Then we would be a mamlechet kohanim and goy kadosh. And part of the impetus for my conclusion here is the increasing sense that when young men say they are ready for marriage, they actually mean that they are ready for the physical relations within marriage – but they are not actually ready for marriage. And Jewish marriages are suffering as a result.
Daviid Klein | July 18, 2011 at 1:08 am |
"Where exactly does the Torah say that young men and women can only intermingle when they are ready for marriage?"
Rav Moshe Feinstein has a teshuva where he makes that clear. So many poskim write about how it is asur before looking for marriage. I can look them up and list them but do I really have to? I'm sure you know them better than me. For 1000's of years poskim have said it's forbidden. Pirkei Avos-al tarbeh sicha im ha'isha is one famous source.
When Harry met Sally-I'm sure you know the movie. Even the secular world knows that platonic relationships between men and women rarely happen. One side or the other or both always has more than friendship in mind.
Rabbi, you can't really 'play dumb' as if you are not innovating a totally new and revolutionary approach that you claim the Torah has no issues with-Rabbi you know you are.
"The obsession some people seem to have with sex." If you mean what you say that I guess the Torah and Chazal fit that description with all the warnings against hirhurim and histaklus and takanos like kol isha, etc.
All the examples you give of other areas of life are not made forbidden by poskim as a baseline and they are obviously needed to live. They are not relevant to the discussion. No one can say never talk, never get a job and deal with money, etc. So we do and we try to do our best to avoid issurim. But you are suggesting something that is not an absolute necessity to live and may only possibly help pple get married many years after the group socializing but will def. increase the arayos problems in the interim.
Rabbi, have you forgotten what it's like to be a hormonal filled teen? You say let boys and girls from 15 and up shmuz and it'll good for them when they eventually get married. Maybe. A big, big maybe. But what is certain is that arayos realm issues will be much more prevalent.
Of course, hirhurim and histaklus happen anyway even among the frumest of the frum. But what you suggest will make them happen so many more times with so many more pple. And what you suggest will make so many more teens end up dating, calling, texting, having girl/boyfriends all leading to promiscuity.
Besides, your approach is totally impractical. Show me the teen who will only socialize in public settings but not date or get into a more intimate and personal conversation (tantamount to dating) with an individual of the opposite gender even in public. You'll have to write a shulchan aruch of what is mutar (public and what its definition is) and what is asur (called dating).
You want sources?
Sefer Chasidim 168-on pasuk in pesukei d'zimra (Tehillim 148:12) Bachurim vegam Besulos-it says vegam not im because young men and women should not intermingle. See there for more.
See also last Biur Halacha in Siman 339 Orach Chaim from the Chofetz Chaim-very lengthy piece against mingling of boys and girls
1- It is forbidden even to look at the small finger of a woman if his intention is to enjoy from looking at her, and it is as if he is looking at a graver place (Shulchan Aruch, Even ha Ezer, 21)
2- And a place that is normally covered, if it is uncovered, then even without the intention of finding enjoyment it is forbidden to look. And he who has the possibility of going through a place where no women are exposed and goes ahead and goes by a place where women are exposed, he is called evil, because one must remove himself from a place where one can come to sin. (Bava Batra 57)
3- And even when one has no choice but to go to a place where there will be women with parts exposed he must restrict his eyes. (Bava Batra 57)
4- Therefore in the markets and in every place where there is indecency, one must go with alacrity and with speed and not with a slow pace, and much less to stop to talk to friends in the marketplace, for women pass by with uncovered parts. (Even ha Ezer, 21)
5- If one chances upon a woman in the marketplace, it is forbidden to walk behind her, rather one must run and leave her to the side or behind him (Even ha Ezer 21:1).
6-There are desires that are very difficult to control unless one has been taught from childhood, like for example refraining from looking at women. Therefore, a man must teach and educate his sons on the right path so when they grow old they will not abandon it (Sefer Chassidim 10).
The only one of these sources you cite that is remotely relevant to the topic is R. Moshe's teshuva. Bear in mind that R. Moshe relied on the Rambam who holds that chibuk and nishuk are independent issurim min HaTorah, and therefore R. Moshe extrapolates that conversation would be a siyag for chibuk and nushuk., But Ramban holds that chibuk and nishuk are forbidden m'd'rabbanan, as a siyag around the only issue min HaTorah – actual relations. If so, then adding a prohibition of conversation would, according to Ramban, be adding a siyag to a siyag, which we don't do.
I'll remind you as well that "l'histakel" means to stare, not to see or to look.
And I'll mention to others that My Jewish Matches.Com (www.myjewishmatches.com) is the only 100% completely free international Jewish dating and marriage website that pre-screens its members to be Jewish and single with a qualifying questionnaire, and has been endorsed by a number of Rabbis.
Barry Pinsky & Linda Scharlin | July 18, 2011 at 4:41 am |
We wish to commend your courageous comments in a realm which has become dysfunctional beyond all reason. One must wonder if the explosion in domestic challenges in recent years (divorce, abuse, violence, etc.) does not have its roots in the modern-day tendency to take the boundaries of social interaction beyond the Halachic requirements. As you have suggested, if young men and women were afforded the opportunity to meet and socialize in normal and healthy environments, rather than being segregated at a time of critical development, they would likely be far better prepared to participate in the conventional interactions which characterize marriage. Today, far too many are forced to learn their communication skills "on the job."
We can only look forward to the day when normal communication and access are no longer assumed to be confirmation of impiety. Our kids deserve a far broader view of the world. By and large, they can handle it.
Barry Pinsky & Linda Scharlin
Rabbi, you are a great man but you have let this idea of yours 'get to your head' and I don't think you are being intellectually honest anymore with halacha, history, or the reality of boy/girl esp. teen relationships.
Justifying, from a Torah perspective, boy and girl teens hanging out for the purpose of possible marriage 5-7 years later is untenable and deep down you must know that.
I add two more points.
1.According to your suggestion, boys and girls who have hung out together as teens should have higher % of happier marriages and less of a divorce rate than those who did not. There is no data to support that at all.
2. The shidduch system has its issues and problems but your suggestion would create even more serious issues and problems.


text:
Celeb in 5: Friday's best entertainment and gossip news.
Mamamia Celebrity
1.MAFS star Ryan Gallagher was rightly shutdown after posting a harsh comment about Ali Oetjen.
Photo bomb! ???? We are outdoorsy adventurers aren't we lovey! ???? These past couple of months have been so hard, long distance relationship plus keeping us a secret plus how over the moon happy I am! I've never been more spiritually, emotionally, physically connected and in love. You light up my world beautiful! ???? ❤ #bacheloretteau #mrright #onelove #youaremyeverything
A post shared by Ali Oetjen (@alioetjen) on Nov 15, 2018 at 2:57am PST
Australia collectively gave a sigh of relief last night as Ali Oetjen found love on our TV screens. For the most part, people were congratulating Ali on her new relationship, but not all were so nice.
Ryan Gallagher, former star on Married at First Sight, has received backlash online after making a nasty comment about Ali Oetjen following her finding love on The Bachelorette finale.
Commenting on an Instagram post shared by the Kyle and Jackie O show, Gallagher said: "Off to celebrate in the stairwell."
The comment was made in reference to claims made by The Bachelorette star's ex-boyfriend and immediate under fire, understandably, for it's unnecessary nature.
People were quick to call out Gallagher for the comment, with the best comment coming from winner of Matty J's season of The Bachelor, Laura Byrne, writing: "Wow. Such nastiness, just to stay relevant".
Buuuurrrnn.
Laura's comment received over 300 likes, and other's agreed, with another user adding, "What a horrible thing to say. Sad man. Get help ! This comment isn't funny."
2.Rebel Wilson's final appeal regarding her defamation payout has been rejected.
Image: Getty.
Rebel Wilson's ongoing legal battle has come to an end after her bid for her appeal case to be heard in the High Court of Australia was dismissed, as reported by ABC.
In June this year, Rebel Wilson was forced to pay back $4.1 million in damages, plus 80% of Bauer Media's legal costs following "no basis in the evidence for making any award of damages for economic loss".
In 2017, Rebel Wilson was awarded $4.7 million in compensation following stories that the actress lied about her childhood were published.
Wilson said the stories prevented her from being cast in several films.
3. The slightly awkward reason why Tom Cruise was dropped from a blockbuster movie franchise.
The Jack Reacher franchise has a loyal following, and the television series on the way will be a sure fire hit.
Despite Tom Cruise acting as Jack Reacher in two Jack Reacher films, he will no longer star in the series, and the reason is kind of awkward.
He's too... short.
In the novels, Lee Child described Reacher as 195cm tall, and Cruise is 15cm off the mark.
"Cruise, for all his talent, didn't have that physicality," the author told BBC Radio.
"Ultimately, the readers are right... the size of Reacher is really, really important and it's a big component of who he is," he added.
Tom Cruise was Jack Reacher in the original Jack Reacher in 2012 and the 2016 sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, and erm... it looks like he'll "never go back" to this franchise.
4. Samantha Armytage has publicly confessed to using her mobile phone while driving.
"You know what? Never done it again." Image: Instagram.
Sunrise host Samantha Armytage has confessed that she previously received a fine for using her mobile phone while driving.
While discussing a group of Melbourne undercover police officers who dressed as traffic windscreen washers to catch drivers on their mobile phones, Armytage told viewers that she had been caught breaking the mobile phone law as well.
"Look, I have a confession, I've been done like this," the 42-year-old said on Sunrise earlier this week.
"Not by a window washer undercover police person but it was a police sting. (It was) a covert operation, where they were looking down from an overpass and then pulling you over further down the street.
"And they caught me, I was done. And you know what? Never done it again. I now hide my phone on the back seat so it's not a temptation.
"It works. Sometimes they've got to ping you for you to learn your lesson that driving and using your phone is illegal," she concluded.
This week, there has been an outcry about invasion of privacy after 38 Melbourne drivers were fined for using their mobile phones while driving. The 38 people arrested were caught by undercover police posing as windscreen washers at traffic lights.
5. How Ali feels about viewers' thoughts that she should've ended up with Todd.
When 26-year-old Todd King was rejected last night on national television, only to be left to mourn, alone, in the Australian outback, surrounded by the constant threat of crocodiles, the collective reaction of The Bachelorette audience was something like this:
Oh no darling.
It was very sad, and we found ourselves having déjà vu of the moment Georgia Love rejected Matty J and he doubled over in pain.
Of course, just as the producers planned, thousands of voices expressed their firm belief that ALI SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN TODD.
But speaking to Mamamia on Friday morning, Ali said she watched the finale with Taite, and had no idea there was such a backlash to her decision on social media.
Ultimately, however, she said people's comments don't bother her. "I've got the guy of my dreams sitting right next to me," she said.
"He's my Mr Right and I know that and no one else was with me in the experience or knows us like we know in our relationship. I'm fine with that."
A post shared by ????????Taite Radley???? (@taiteadamradley) on Nov 15, 2018 at 2:44am PST
When asked whether she had spoken to Todd since that final decision, Ali simply replied: "No."
The 32-year-old also weighed in on the theory that he had been planning to propose. "I think that he was ready and everything like that, but at the same time, he wanted to be in the police force," she said. "So I have no idea."
You can read the full story right here.
ali-oetjen
celeb-in-5
rebel-wilson
ryan-gallagher
sam-armytage
the-bachelorette
tom-cruise


Loveeeeeeee this!! LOVING the mittens and the ornaments!!!!!
Love the use of the diecuts here...they really go well with your theme.
So cute!!! It's the perfect use of all those embellishments too -- it's not overwhelming for how many you managed to get on the page!


In October of 2014, we had six ringers and twelve bells, and decided to record us ringing Plain Hunt on 12 bells.
Plain Hunt is a fairly simple method. Each bell just "hunts" from its starting location down to the front (or back), then out to the back (or front), and returns to its home position. When ringing a single bell, it is fairly straightforward. When each person rings two bells each, then everyone has a different piece of work.


Soak and rinse the corn husks in lukewarm water. Set aside.
Mix the masa with the butter and a little chicken broth until it is like a paste but not too wet. This will be the dough for the chuchitos. Season to taste.
For the sauce, blend the tomato, miltomato, onion, garlic, chiles into a puree.
Toast the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, and cloves in a pan under medium-low heat. Do not allow to burn. Add this mixture along with the soaked bread to the sauce. Blend and then pass through the colander. Season to taste. Sautee the sauce in a tbsp of hot butter, and add the chicken.
Select the larger corn husks and dry them off. Tear off long strips from the smaller husks to use as the strings to tie the chuchitos.
Take a large husk and place in the middle a tbsp of the masa. Spread it out over the husk like a tortilla. Place in the center of the masa a piece of the chicken with some sauce and fold up the husk to enclose. Tie with the strings you made from the husks.
To cook, place the chuchuitos in a pan that has a steamer at the bottom so the water does not cover the chuchitos. Cover the chuchitos with a couple husks and the lid of the pan. Allow to steam cook for about 1 1/2 hours on lower heat.
Each region makes our dishes a bit different but the sauce is closer to our tamales. They look good though.
I'd like to start a blog so I can share my personal experience and thoughts online. Please let me know if you have any ideas or tips for brand new aspiring blog owners. Thankyou!
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am encountering troubles with your RSS. I don't understand why I am unable to subscribe to it. Is there anybody getting identical RSS problems? Anyone who knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanx!!


text:
Erik Ipsen
These are tricky times to bet on the markets. Just ask Goldman Sachs, which until recently did so very well wagering pots of its own money that the firm was said to be more hedge fund than investment bank. That identity got Goldman into trouble last week as investors panicked, pushing the shares down 3% on Thursday. They had snapped back nicely from a 15% late-winter stumble, but investors may tire of all this volatility.
Tortoises win races, too. Case in point, a little-noticed midsize company called Pall that makes filtration devices for everything from water to blood. The products are hardly exciting, but the firm, which is opening a research lab in India, posted a 43% jump in quarterly profit last month. Its stock has soared from $15 in 2003 to an all-time high of nearly $46 early last week. The shares ended the week down 2%.
Last week, Morgan Stanley gave Sirius Satellite Radio a $250 million loan as it adds subscribers and shrinks its losses. Still, many think Sirius' only hope is for regulators to bless its planned purchase of rival XM. With the head of the Federal Communications Commission saying that the merger faces "high hurdles," it's no wonder the stock took another bath last week, falling 5%. The shares have plummeted 36% in the past year.
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text:
Make the next five years count for refugees
At Refugee Action, we want the next five years to see Britain maintain and extend its welcome for refugees and asylum seekers.
That's why we've joined forces with Refugee Council and Scottish Refugee Council to develop the Refugees Welcome Pledge that we want all parliamentary candidates to sign.
This is the pledge we're asking all Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPCs) to sign:
I pledge to respect the importance of refugee protection, including in wide-ranging debates about immigration, and, if elected, to uphold the proud tradition throughout the UK of welcoming people forced to flee war and persecution and helping them rebuild their lives.
The General Election is an important moment for anyone who cares about protecting refugees.
You can ask your local candidates to sign the pledge and commit to protecting refugees in the UK.
The more candidates who sign the pledge, the more chance we have to make sure the UK continues its proud tradition of welcoming people in need of safety and protection.
Email your candidates
We need to ensure that candidates standing for election hear that how we treat refugees really matters to voters. After all, many of these candidates will go on to form the new parliament and Government.
For more ideas on how to engage your candidates on refugee issues during the election, download Ask the Refugee Question: a local campaigning guide for the General Election 2017.
Refugee Action
Victoria Charity Centre,
11 Belgrave Road,
SW1V 1RB
FACTS ABOUT REFUGEES
HOW YOU CAN HELP REFUGEES
Refugee Action is a registered charity. Charity number in England and Wales: 283660, Company registration number: 1593454
© 2016 Refugee Action


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Bryant has over 20 years of experience in application development and software engineering covering various phases of the software life-cycle. He has ten years of experience working with document and content management software including IBM Web Content Manager. This experience has included working on several large WCM projects acting as a developer and/or an architect. Bryant has excellent communication skills and is a great team leader and project lead.
Within his experience Bryant has worked on projects covering the following industries: healthcare, government agencies, insurance, and manufacturing. He holds a masters degree of engineering(Computer Science), Bachelor of Arts in Music, and a Bachelor of Music Education from University of Mississippi and a Master of Music from Florida State University.Bryant is able to work in teams from large to small and contribute effectively no matter what. He is a self motivated developer and stays abreast of his tasks. Additionally he has designed and taught several courses on WebSphere Portal.


It's always frustrating getting a mortgage but they kept reassuring me every step of the way.
Peter and his group were great!!
We seem to always have a challenging loan situation, but Pete and his team came through for us. I look forward to refinancing my mother's house in our name.
I can't explain how thankful I am I was able to keep my house . Everybody especially Pete did everything in his power to help me out. I am beyond thankful and grateful I now have my own house. Thank you Guaranteed rate!!
I cannot say enough about how professional Pete Chilberg and his team (Dana, Jackie) were throughout the entire process. For someone that really has no clue about loans and all that come with them, they made it so I felt so comfortable in knowing they knew exactly what they were doing and more. I truly trusted them completely throughout the whole process.
Pete was amazing! Also Dana did a fabulous job!
Pete Chilberg was very helpful, patient, and knowledgeable. He made it easy for me, an out-of-towner, to understand and complete the process.
I've been actively working in the real estate industry since the mid 1980s. I've worked as a Property Manager, and a Realtor prior to obtaining my Loan Officer license in 2003.
There is no such thing as a "typical" customer. My first order of business when I meet a potential new client is to learn what their desires and objectives are in getting the loan, as well as fears or apprehensions they may have over the loan approval process. While the most common question is "what is your rate", I take the time to educate clients that "rates" are driven by the market and if fees are paid by the Lender or the borrower. It is the most asked question as it's the easiest to clearly measure, though frequently their need to have a fast and efficient loan closing end up being just as important to them as the final "rate."
I was fortunate enough to be active in the mortgage business during the early 2000s, as I saw first hand how greed, dishonesty, and ignorance could cause so much damage to the housing industry. With the ensuing flood of tighter rules, regulations, laws, and underwriting guidelines, I then saw (and continue to see) the negative impact of over-regulation. The loan approval process has become what I call a "guilty until proven innocent" view of the loan applicant, where lenders and their underwriters have to prove beyond any doubt that the borrower isn't hiding debts, or misrepresenting various aspects of their loan application. That results in an environment where many qualified potential homebuyers are so fearful of the system and loan process, that they simply don't even apply. The word "guideline" by definition is "a line that guides", and in the last 10 years lending guidelines have gone from being interpreted as "suggestions on what may be acceptable" to completely inflexible rules that must be obeyed regardless of valid explanations or extenuating circumstances. I expect that the balance will swing back to allow at least some subjective interpretation by the underwriter, and hope that comes to pass, though I have no idea if it will continue to get worse before it gets better. It may not happen, at least not in the near future. I only have hope that the industry, and the powers that regulate the industry find a reasonable balance between inflexible, zero-tolerance rules and common sense underwriting.