It is the beginning of the end. Of that I'm sure. I'm just not sure if it is the end of the strikes, the end of the teacher unions, or the end of hope for Honduras to become a developed nation.
Relying on the Labor Code, President Pepe Lobo issued a public statement on Sunday declaring the teacher strike unjustified and illegal. He reiterated his position to dialogue with the unions, but only after teachers go back to the classrooms.
a) Teachers who do not return to the classroom on Monday, March 28, will be suspended without salary for two months.
b) Teachers who do not return to the classroom by Wednesday, March 30, will be suspended without salary for six months.
c) Teachers who do not return to the classroom by Monday, April 4, will be suspended without salary for one year.
d) The government will proceed to take administrative measures to fire teachers who do not comply.
The declaration also provides for the temporary suspension and possible dissolution of the teacher unions who have promoted and supported the illegal strike since March 8.
Not explained is how the government will monitor which teachers are in the classroom and which are not, since it is obvious that there is no system in place for that. The government has opened telephone line 104 for the public to report teachers who are not working but an anonymous telephone call will not hold up in labor court.
Labor unions have responded with "What more can they do to us? They kill us, they gas us, they reprimand us, they put us in jail. Teachers will continue in the struggle." Statements like that distort the reality but will play well in the international media and among the "human rights" groups. Jaime Rodríguez, one of the most militant of the teacher union leaders, says that this (the violent protests) is "informal education" for the young people of Honduras and that they need to lose their fear of the "puppets of the oligarchy".
The protests are becoming increasingly violent with rioters even attacking passing vehicles. The National University in Tegucigalpa was forced to shut down last week due to violent protesters. Óscar Alvarez, Minister of Security, has been given responsible for the safety of children and parents at the schools, while teacher union leader Óscar Recarte has warned parents to keep their children at home due to the danger of unknown teachers and the presence of armed police and military. The noon news showed parents protecting some schools, while at another, some parents were protesting against new teachers. Today's riots, shown in these El Heraldo photos, are primarily confined to Tegucigalpa.
Additionally, the Resistance Front (FNRP) has written to the UN, OAS, US, European and South American countries to request that the FNRP be recognized as the official representative of the people of Honduras and that these countries and organizations take action to restore democracy in Honduras before more lives are lost. The agitators are hoping that the international community will compare Honduras with what is happening in the Arab countries. What's next? Will they be asking for a no fly zone?
Lobo says that behind the teacher union protests is a political agenda. He affirmed that people who come to the protests, attacking police and damaging private property with rocks, bats and Molotov cocktails, are not teachers, but rather are agitators paid L.400 to L.1,000 by foreign interests to promote anarchy in the country. Lobo says that the motive is to prevent the reincorporation of Honduras to the OAS, a matter which is to be discussed in the June meeting.
The Resistance (FNRP) and various unions have promoted a Grand National Civic Strike on Wednesday, March 30.
Reported proposed changes to the public employee retirement law would raise the voluntary retirement age from 58 to 65 and the mandatory retirement age from 65 to 70. The CGT union leader told members that this reform will result in a 40% decrease in pensions — that alone should be enough to bring thousands to the streets. Public employee unions, including doctors and nurses, have threatened mass strikes which will paralyze the country. On Friday, employees of the National Register of Persons (RNP) and two hospitals struck.
Vilma Morales, President of the National Bank and Insurance Commission, says that there will be dialogue prior to any changes and that the draft is not in Congress yet. She noted that the most important thing is the continued overall security of the retirement system. Morales says that union leaders are being confused by absurd misinformation, like false statements that the retirement age will be raised to 75 and that the 13th and 14th month salaries will be discontinued.
Television stations and newspapers are benefiting from the quantity of false information (some of which, like Globo TV, they put out themselves), with the government and other organizations buying commercials and taking out full page ads to clarify the situation.
Friday, April 1, is the day that President Lobo has promised to declare the new 2011 minimum wage, because representatives of the labor unions and business sector along with the Minister of Labor were unable to negotiate the new annual increase. Lobo has not divulged whether or not the increase will be retroactive to January 1. The announcement is likely to be met with further strikes.
By law, when the negotiating parties are unable to agree on a new minimum wage, the President is supposed to declare the new wage by January 1 each year. Initially, workers representatives started by demanding a 22% increase while business representatives said that any more than 3.6% would result in the loss of jobs. Unions are now saying the increase can be no less than 7%, the inflation index.
As an aside, last year's minimum wage increase was minuscule despite the large increase in the cost of basic necessities of life. It was not announced until November 2010 and was not retroactive. When unions were naturally upset, Lobo took a dismissive tone and even laughed to reporters, saying something like, "What's the problem? It's only for two months and then there will be a new minimum wage in January (2011)." In some cases, it is easy to understand the unions' anger and frustration with the government and with Pepe Lobo's attitude in particular.
Other protests have occurred due the high price of basic food items and the ever-increasing price of fuel. As a concession, the government decided not to increase the cost of electricity in April, despite the fact that much of the country's electric supply is generated from fuel, the cost of which has increased significantly in the past few months. Many people in Honduras believe that the president can control the price of fuel by snapping his fingers and have no awareness that the price of gasoline in Honduras is similar to other Central American countries or that the price of food items and fuel have risen worldwide. In 2008-2009, when the worldwide price of a barrel of oil went from approximately US $105 to $65, President Mel Zelaya took credit for the decrease in Honduras fuel prices.
Apologies to all the striking groups who I have failed to mention. There are only so many hours in the day.
Printed on government letterhead and websites is the motto of President Lobo's administration, "The government of national unity".
After seeing this video on the noon news and being so impressed with this teacher, I sat by the 10 p.m. news with my camera at the ready hoping that they would replay her interview. This video is for my Spanish-speaking readers, especially those not in Honduras who may not have the opportunity to hear the opinions of some of the good, sensible teachers.
I apologize that I just don't have the time to try to translate it. Suffice it to say, this long-time teacher doesn't agree with the strikes, thinks the unions are on the wrong path, and states that she has no confidence in the union leaders.
Just before the teacher interview, there is a brief interview with a mother who has been threatened by activists and is staying the day at the school with other parents to protect the children.
Update: A translation of the video is included here.
I sometimes get carried away with emotion when writing about the education system and the "teachers", as if all teachers are the same and act the same. Of course, they aren't all the same. Very few teachers actually go out marching in the streets or set tires on fire or encourage their students to do the same. There are good dedicated teachers and there are some schools that never miss a day of class.
It's hard to remember that when I think about all those children whose only tiny ray of hope of ever pulling themselves out of a lifetime of dismal poverty is to get a good education and they are being deprived of that year after year. Worse than that, after years and years of the same nonsense, students and a lot of parents are lulled into thinking that education must not be that important.
I try to specify the 'teacher unions' and 'union activists' in most of my writing because I believe that is where the majority of the blame lies. The unions purposely try to mislead teachers into thinking that their jobs or pay or whatever are being threatened by the government or that other teachers' rights are, such as the famously growing number of teachers who haven't received pay in famously increasing number of months. But then what does that say about the intelligence of teachers who don't investigate an issue for themselves, read the proposed laws, and form their own decisions? Not much.
There are many other teachers (most teachers, according to the IABD study) who strongly say that they don't agree with the unions or the strikes but they don't do anything to change the situation. I do understand that there is physical risk in standing up against the unions as well as job risk. But teachers, after all, did elect those militant leaders. I'm losing patience with these teachers. Teachers who allow themselves and their students be used by the unions for political purposes become part of the problem, too. They are basically saying that it is all right to let the children suffer as long as they don't personally risk suffering.
I lost patience with the government long ago. The government has had a decade to correct the payroll issues. Nothing was done about the 2008 TSC payroll audit until the civic group Transformemos Honduras [Spanish] [English] brought it to light and publicly demanded action. Lobo declared last year that protesters would not be allowed to "take" public buildings, yet school directors lock the gates and don't allow students or willing teachers to enter. Lobo could send a couple of police officers or soldiers to cut the lock and stay to maintain order and prevent the union activists from intimidating parents and teachers who are willing to work. He could, but he doesn't.
Despite his announcement of emergency measures on Friday, over the weekend Honduran President Pepe Lobo offered another chance for dialogue to the teachers' unions, which they rejected because they demanded that Lobo personally be involved. Though Lobo said that he would not negotiate further until the teachers were back in the classrooms, he delegated Minister of Education Alejandro Ventura and others to dialogue with the unions.
Lobo also now says that no teachers will be fired because he respects the Estatuto de Docente (teacher law), which apparently provides that no teacher ever placed on the Education payroll can ever be taken off for any reason during their lifetime, and in some cases, even afterward!
2) That the TSC stop the payroll audit and cease the demands for repayment by employees who have received irregular and fraudulent pay.
You'll notice that this is a different list of demands than was given in Friday's newspaper [summarized in my article No school; strikes, standoffs and now death]. Part of the problem is that there are several unions and they don't always agree on priorities. Years of "negotiations" and trying to placate the unions has resulted in never-ending chaos. The unions have ever-changing, ever-increasing, insatiable demands. Some demands, like missing paychecks, are 100% valid, but notice that missing pay didn't even make the list this time. On numerous occasions in the past, the government has said, "give us a list and we'll pay them". The unions provide lists and the government pays, and the next month there are claims of a new list and a new strike.
Despite prior laws and agreements, teachers refuse to be tested. Teachers refuse to be audited. School directors, unions, and politicians can put their friends and relatives, who may not work in any school anywhere, on the payroll. The education payroll even includes teachers who no longer even live in Honduras or who don't exist period, but incredibly Minister Ventura claims that the Estatuto de Docente prevents him from doing anything about it.
The union representatives walked away from Lobo's latest proposal, as they always do, and called for an indefinite, country-wide strike, as they always do. The unions have shown year after year that they have more power than the government. They have brought the last four presidents to their knees and have spent 14 months doing the same to this president.
Somehow, sometime, the government and the political parties have to take a stand for the sake of 2.3 million public school students who are being raised in ignorance and who are being taught by example that anarchy is the answer to every problem. Too many children are being taught by their teachers' example that "me" and "my rights" are the only things that count, that personal responsibility doesn't matter, that the rights of all others may be trampled for your purpose, and that if you don't get your way, you throw a fit and set tires on fire. An entire generation of children have been deprived of an education and now an entire population of new teachers has been educated under this same deficient system and with this same lack of ethics.
But action is not only needed for the sake of the children. Honduras is in a vicious, downward spiral of poverty and crime that can only be changed with drastic action. Can new businesses and badly needed jobs be attracted by the "Honduras is open for business" campaign with the kind of environment we have now? Government officials are kidding themselves if they don't think that companies will do their own investigations of the quality of the workforce in Honduras.
On Monday, the first 1,200 teachers were suspended for periods ranging from one month to one year, including six union leaders. The government has threatened to no longer withhold union dues (several hundred million lempiras per year) or lMPREMA loan payments (totaling L.82 million per month) from teachers salaries; the teachers will have to voluntarily make their payments directly to the unions. But the government so often backtracks on its threats that I won't believe this one until it happens.
Many teachers returned to class on Monday, despite public warnings from the union leaders on the radio that teachers and substitutes would be forcibly removed from the classrooms and even physically attacked. Both working teachers and parents have reported being personally threatened by militant teachers and union activists. Minister Ventura promised to protect working teachers and called upon parents for their help. Many parents are staying at schools all day to protect their children and support the teachers who want to work.
But an estimated 3,000 (out of 60,000) teachers joined by high school and university students are still protesting, along with, some say, Zelayaistas of the Resistance and agitators from Nicaragua. Minister of Security Alvarez says he has photos and other evidence of foreign participation.
Fourteen police officers were injured yesterday, including one policeman who was brutally beaten by a gang of about 10 protesters (captured on video and shown on the news last night) who ran away when the officer pulled out (but did not use) his gun. At least one soldier was injured.
Protesters threw tear gas canisters back at police [photo]. Additionally, windows were smashed at several private buildings and workers and customers inside were terrorized by protesters using 2x4 bats studded with nails, rocks, and bottles, which they also threw at security forces (also captured on video). Private vehicles and public property were damaged as well.
Today, a huge contingent of police and military are protecting the perimeter of the US Embassy from Zelayaistas. Protesters were prevented from disrupting traffic around the National Congress, but only after starting a fire which damaged some private vehicles.
President Lobo appointed a new mediating commission, headed by the Minister of Human Rights Ana Pineda and Zelayista Minister Cesár Ham, to once again negotiate with the unions. Lobo says that he welcomes foreign participation in the commission. There is not a chance in the world that the education problem will ever be solved through negotiation.
Minister Pineda also requested that the use of "brute force" to dislodge the protesters be stopped. Minister of Security Alvarez responded that the police were following exactly the constitution and laws of Honduras and international norms. On a television talk show, he said that the use of water canons and tear gas are the same tactics used by all civilized countries, including the US.
If I were Queen of Education?
The time for dialogue and negotiation has long passed. Everyone knows how ridiculous it is to even suggest that this cesspool of chaos, corruption, and political interests can be resolved through negotiation. Negotiation has been tried hundreds of times over the last decade. Even when agreements were reached, the unions never complied with the requirement placed on the teachers and the government often made promises which it had no hope of keeping.
It's time now to take drastic action to finally protect the rights of the children and the citizens of Honduras who cannot afford private education, and to enforce the laws of Honduras, most of all the constitution, which guarantees the right to education as well as the right of free circulation, and states that no person or group of people are above the law. When all else fails, and it has, that ball falls into President Lobo's court, despite his efforts to deflect it elsewhere.
Being a former auditor, my highest priority would be a complete independent audit of the Ministerio de Educación payroll by an international public accounting firm, along with the implementation of some sort of reliable, corruption-resistant payroll and attendance system that would hold teachers and administrators accountable. A solid payroll system will eliminate the most valid of the complaints, limit irregular payments, and will provide an "audit trail" which could allow the government to take appropriate action in the case of fraud and corruption. Who knows? There might even be enough money left over to put roofs on the schools and desks and books into the classroom. What a concept that would be.
Similarly, the unions — if they really were looking out for the well-being of the teachers — should welcome an independent of audit of IMPREMA. But it is likely that some of the largest irregularities will point to the Zelaya administration so the politically motivated unions reject an audit to the detriment of the future security of their members. In both cases, detailed independent audit reports made public would help to stop the blame game finger pointing that occurs now because both the government and the unions have lost their credibility with the public.
No more "time outs" for protesters; they should be charged with the crimes that they commit just like any other criminals and teachers convicted of crimes should be immediately fired. Any government employee convicted of defrauding the government should be barred from ever holding another government job.
The Estatuto de Docente should be revoked as the teachers have never complied with their obligations under this law and the Inter-American Development Bank report [full report in Spanish] [summary in English] clearly shows that it has been detrimental to the quality of education as well as being completely unsustainable financially. Teachers who do not work should be fired after three absences, period.
Union membership should be voluntary. Both payroll and IMPREMA should be periodically audited and frequently subject to spot checks. Procedures should be put in place to ensure that all decisions and loans of IMPREMA are financially sound and not politically motivated. All teachers should be rigorously tested both academically and psychologically to see if they are fit to be teachers; those who are not should be fired. With 20,000 unemployed teachers in Honduras, there is no need to retain teachers who do not have the morals, ethics, or desire to teach children. Everyone must put politics aside and do what is right for the children and the future of Honduras.
Enough with the incessant, hollow lip service in the name of these 2.3 million children! Take action. Many will complain no matter what decisions are made — that is guaranteed. But if leaders take the high road, those complaints will be shown for what they are, personally and politically motivated.
And to President Lobo: please, please follow through on what you say and don't say anything unless you are prepared to back it up with action. This constant fluctuating from one position to another is confusing and only makes the situation worse by frustrating the teachers as well as those who support you. This is a situation where you can not possibly hope to make everyone happy. Accept that and do the right thing for those who can't stand up for themselves. You will go down in history being respected for that.
This is the Honduran school calendar. To get a better handle on what is really happening, I asked Arexy to help me keep up with the strike days of the public school where her children attend.
The 'X's' represent the school days missed by Arexy's children due to teacher union strikes. School was originally supposed to start February 1st but the opening was delayed for a week for some reason. In the 6 weeks of school to date, one of Arexy's boys has had 12 days of classes and has been locked out of the school the other 17 days.
Her older boy in fourth grade wasn't allowed to attend school during the only full week that they actually held classes because his paperwork wasn't in order [article in English]. Additionally, one day that the school was open, his teacher didn't show up so his class was sent home. So out of 6 weeks of school, he has received 7 days of classes.
Also to be considered is that generally more strikes occur in Tegucigalpa where most of the unions are headquartered than in La Ceiba.
1) They don't want schools transferred to local municipal authorities, as is currently being discussed in Congress [link in English] due to the chaos in the educational system and an effort to allow more citizen participation/oversight.
2) They want 6,000 more teacher jobs, even though the government clearly can't even afford the current teachers' salaries.
4) The debt that the government owes to IMPREMA (the teacher retirement fund) which incidentally was primarily incurred during the Zelaya administration when the government withheld teacher's retirement payments but did not submit the money to IMPREMA. IMPREMA is a cesspool of corruption, incompetence, and political and union interests which is on the point of bankruptcy.
5) They want respect for the Estatuto de Docente (teacher law), which incidentally teachers and unions have shown no respect for themselves. While they are quick to demand all the rights and privileges granted under this law, they completely ignore their obligations. For example, the law requires 200 days of classes per year. In the past decade, teachers have averaged 125 days according to a study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) [summary in English]. Congress and others have discussed repealing the law because the salaries and bonuses are completely unsustainable, as confirmed by the IDB study, which also pointed out the chaos in the Honduran educational system and the damage done by the unions.
6) They want salaries paid to teachers who have not been paid. Estimates range from 1,000 teachers have not received their entire pay to 6,000 teachers did not receive any pay in all of 2010. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. But it is not even clear if all of these are legitimate teachers who actually teach anywhere. Some say the numbers include political appointees who did not receive a position but want to be paid anyway.
A few days ago, President Lobo announced that he would do no further negotiation with the teachers' unions until they went back to the classroom. He said that days not worked will be days not paid. Lobo promised them that if they "take the streets", the police will remove them. He also said that if they don't want to work, he'll fire them and hire some of the 20,000 unemployed teachers.
Yesterday, President Lobo reiterated his resolve to "put the country in order", saying he is "strong as an oak". A bit of a wobbly oak, though, as the teachers are always allowed several hours of major road blockages before they are dislodged.
From that point on, the unions declared an indefinite strike and the protests have gotten increasingly violent, with union representatives even attacking and intimidating parents. Two schools were burned down last week.
The teachers are egged on by former president Mel Zelaya, who issues public letters from the safety of his Dominican Republic mansion. "Forward, teachers! Right is on your side!"
Zelaya incredibly claims that he put the educational system in order when he was in office! I hope that those teachers who were out striking the entire year before Zelaya was ousted will remember at least a few of these dozens of strikes [Honduran teachers: The czars of strikes, documentation of teacher strikes from July 2008 to June 2009, in English].
Zelaya also tries to claim that the last two administrations borrowed money from IMPREMA, causing the institution's financial problems, when it has been documented that the loans or debts occurred prior to June 28. In his long rambling letter, Zelaya spreads the blame among the Honduran government, Pepe Lobo, the International Monetary Fund, the money-hungry, the ruling class, foreign capitalists, and, of course, the United States of America.
Yesterday, another long list of teachers was published in an announcement in the newspapers as owing the government money due to overpayments of salaries. Several of the teachers owe around a quarter million lempiras each! Many more owe in the neighborhood of L.100,000.
In total, the audit shows that approximately 20,000 teachers (out of a total of around 60,000) have received overpayments totaling L.900 million and must pay them back. Transformemos Honduras originally exposed the existence of the audit and demanded action. TH says the audit report, which only covered a period through July 2008, was ignored by the Zelaya administration who took no action upon it. TH estimated that if the payments have continued without correction, the total would have been over 1.1 billion lempiras (about US $65 million) by the fall of 2010, and much more by now.
Today teachers were dislodged from the streets of Tegucigalpa with water canons and tear gas. A teacher was knocked down during the stampeding melee. She was run over by (according to which 'news' you listen to) the mob, a white pickup truck, or a police vehicle. She died after reaching the hospital.
Shortly after that, the government declared a state of emergency in the public education system. Actions will include the temporary hiring of substitute teachers to be paid with the deductions made from the payroll of striking teachers.
Some of the restaurants in town are now serving these machine made corn tortillas. All are perfectly round, exactly the same portion, perfectly formed, and perfectly tasteless.
I'm all for progress and have more than my share of kitchen gadgets and machines. I realize that tortillas are labor intensive and time consuming to make by hand. But....made by hand is how they must be!
Now these are real tortillas, lovingly made by the hand of Arexy. Personally, I prefer flour tortillas, but hot-off-the-stove, I'll take a couple of these with my beans and rice any day. These tortillas have color. They have character. They have texture. But most of all they have flavor. Comparing these tortillas to the machine made is like comparing a hot, crusty San Francisco sourdough to a week-old bag of Wonder bread.
I really don't like seeing this trend to machine tortillas in La Ceiba.
Progress is not always a good thing.
La Gringa's blueberry cheesecake ice cream with graham cracker crust bits.
Double posting — Two articles in one day. I just wanted to get the bad taste of that last article out of your mouth and put this good taste in.
Necessity is the mother of invention. I had two beautiful, thick, boneless pork chops. I had planned to make baked pork chops with scalloped potatoes, which is one of El Jefe's favorite gringo ways to prepare pork chops. But when I went to the fridge, I discovered that I only had three tiny little potatoes — not enough.
Looking around, I had chiles galore, half an onion, .... oh, and those beautiful piñas that were given to us in El Gancho, Honduras, along with some cocos and cacaos.
I love pineapple with pork and so does El Jefe so that decided it. Pork and pineapple with chiles, garlic, and homegrown fresh ginger. Yum, yum, yum! The pineapple was absolutely outstanding.
Playing it by ear, I used 1 1/2 large chiles, 1 carrot, 1/2 onion, and initially, half of the pineapple, cut into chunks.
I trimmed off as much fat from the pork chops as I could and then sliced them thinly. Truth be told, one pork chop would have been enough, but I already had sliced them both, and El Jefe never complains about an excess of meat.
I cooked the onion and carrot until the onion was tender, then pushed it to the sides of the large pan while I browned the thin slices of pork, half at a time, along with the minced garlic and ginger.
I only used a bit of salt on the pork and none on the veggies, because the soy sauce I planned to use is so salty.
When the pork was almost ready, I added the chiles, because we like them on the crunchy side. At the very end, I threw in the pineapple pieces just long enough to heat.
El Jefe came along as I was cooking, saying, "Oh, boy! That looks good! I can smell it all the way upstairs. But it doesn't look like enough pineapple." We stuffed delicious Honduran pineapple pieces into our mouths as we discussed how much pineapple to use and then ended up just dumping the whole bowlful in. It was a smallish pineapple.
For the sauce, I used 1/2 cup of homemade chicken broth (from my stash in the freezer), 1/4 cup of water, a big spoonful of cornstarch, a couple of big glugs of soy sauce, the pineapple juice that had accumulated, and a couple of heaping tablespoons of hoisin sauce. I poured the sauce over the meat and veggie concoction and cooked it until thickened. Served over Basmati rice, it made about 4 servings.
As I was writing these articles on Tripoli, Honduras, I wondered if Tripoli had ever made the Honduran newspapers. Unfortunately, it had. It gave me a whole new view on Tripoli. If you want to remain nostalgic about this little pueblo, you might just want to skip this article.
I guess the newspaper articles demonstrate how narcotrafficking, fueled by the high US consumption of illegal drugs, affects everyone in Honduras in one way or another — even in tiny, generally crime-free, agricultural communities like Tripoli.
I wish I had known about this before we visited Tripoli, because I definitely would have asked them about it. I don't think that I could have written about their responses, though, because it might have put them in danger. Not that I think any narcos read the Blogicito, but who knows. I never like to take any chances with information that people give to me.
The plane and its two occupants burned, the news said. The occupants were unidentifiable. Police reported that burned remains of black plastic bags and white powder were found in the plane.
If you read the La Tribuna article (in Spanish), note that it goes on to write about a June 12 incident "in the same community" where fardos containing 500 kilos of cocaine were thrown out of a circling plane to the transportistas waiting below. I remembered that incident being in La Masica, not Tripoli, and it was. Another error was that 1,500 kilos of cocaine, not 500, were recovered in that operation.
According to authorities, more than 100 tons of cocaine passes through Honduras in its route from Colombia to the United States each year. The 2009 El Heraldo article stated that each kilo of cocaine (~2.2 pounds) has a value of about US $6,000 in Honduras, but can be as much as US $26,000-30,000 in the US. I've been told that in past years, some Hondurans were primarily transporters and money launderers, but increasingly are becoming users, too.
Sorry to end the Tripoli series on a sour note, but I guess that is part of the reality of Honduras. Hopefully, this doesn't affect the lives of the people of Tripoli and that their young people won't be tempted to be involved in drug trafficking.
Don Pedro said he knew just the person we needed to talk to to find out more about the history of Tripoli. He showed us to Don Jesús' house to ask him if he would talk with us. He came out of his modest house (photo) perhaps a little suspicious, but very curious as Tripoli doesn't get a lot of visitors, especially foreigners. A young woman (also in the photo) who might have been his granddaughter brought out some wooden stools and one chair, which was offered to me. I tried to give Don Jesús the chair, but he insisted that I take it. At last we had someone who was born and raised in the area!
We had an audience throughout our time with him. Several small children who were probably great-grandchildren wandered in and out. His granddaughter watched at the doorway and I could see another man inside who did not come out. One of Jesús' grown grandsons and family lived next door and he stood by the fence between the properties watching and listening. That might have been out of curiosity or maybe to watch over his grandfather in case these strangers had bad intentions. El Jefe waived him over and invited him join the conversation, in which he seemed very interested.
The following map shows all the places named in this article. Although the various pueblos look pretty close to each, getting from one to another (except Tierra Firme) requires going back to the highway and taking a different bumpy gravel road north. This makes for a long bus ride as the buses stop at every pueblo along the way.
Don Jesús has a severe hearing problem which he told us came from an incident in which he used dynamite to kill fish in the river (for easier catching) — a dangerous practice which unfortunately is still sometimes done in Honduras, along with poisoning the fish. My original plan was to do a video interview, but between El Jefe shouting and repeating questions and Don Jesús saying, "Eh? What did you say?", I abandoned that idea and just took notes instead.
José de Jesús Medina was born in 1925, just up the road (which was only a path back then) in Tierra Firme. He even went inside to get his ID card to show us to make the interview official. He told us that the Tripoli area was partly underwater in the early days and only rice was grown. He said the whole area was fincas (farms) back then. Gradually, "the company" filled in the area and eventually a small creek was filled and the road was built during the term of President Suazo Cordova (1982-1986). He remembered when Tripoli only had four houses.
El Jefe asked if by 'company' he meant Standard Fruit (now Dole) and Jesús said yes, but I'm not entirely clear that he heard the question as he seemed a little confused. He also thought that "the company" had given Tripoli its name, but he didn't know why.
Jesús proudly told us that it was he who donated the land for the school which was across the street from his home. A sign on the school indicated that it had been built by FHIS (a government agency) during the Maduro administration (2001-2005). He said that the school even has a colegio (the upper high school grades), which many small town schools do not. He told us, however, that someone was trying to claim that he owned the land and was trying to take it away from the school. "That's not true!" he exclaimed. Hopefully, that doesn't happen.
We asked about where he went to school, but he matter-of-factly told us that there were no schools for children of that area in those days.
Don Jesús told us about entering the army when he was 17, and he remembered that he stayed exactly two years and nine months. El Jefe asked if he had joined the army or whether he had been snatched off the streets as was a common practice during much of Honduras' history. He laughed and said that no, he voluntarily joined. He said that President Tiburcio Carías (1933-49) treated the people like slaves and he was glad when he was ousted. He also told us that he was a Nacionalista, but we didn't get into politics any further than that.
We said that Tripoli seemed to be a good place for children, with the school, health clinic, and the fútbol (soccer) fields, and asked about what kind of work was available for the young people of the area. Don Jesús told us that there was work for everyone, but only agricultural work.
El Jefe asked what kind of work Jesús had done. He answered in the present tense, saying "cleaning the potreros (fields) and palmeras (African palm plantations)", which means macheteing the fields to keep the weeds and tropical growth down and/or to prepare for new crops.
El Jefe was shocked and asked, "Still?!" Don Jesús hollered back, "Sí, Senor! Todos los días!" (Yes, sir! Every day!) Amazingly, this frail-appearing, 86-year-old man works six days per week cleaning fields with a machete! He said he works from about 5-7 a.m. to about 1 p.m. Sundays through Fridays, taking Saturday off to go to church. "I like to work! I enjoy it. I've worked since I was 12-years-old."
When asked if he ever goes to La Ceiba, he said not much, but that he occasionally goes to La Unión where one of his sons lives. He liked that his son sometimes gives him money or clothes. His grandson made a joke that his last trip will be to La Masica because there is no cemetery in Tripoli and La Masica had the nearest one. (Cultural difference in humor!) This photo shows a flower from the trees that lined the road to Tripoli. El Jefe said that when he was a little boy, they used to play with them, pretending they were roosters.
The duck and chicken photos in this article were all taken in or around Jesus' property. I was surprised to see the black duck. I see these bald-neck chickens (photo) all over the north coast and personally find them to be very unattractive. I've also seen many tail-less chickens and roosters. They must be selected for their egg laying or meat producing qualities because they sure are not as pretty as my chickens! On the other hand, I've been told that my bantams have no meat and they are lousy egg layers, too.
Don Jesús mentioned that he plays three instruments, the mandolin, the accordion, and the violin. El Jefe asked if he could play something for us but he said that he only plays accompaniments with others. It could also be that he no longer has the instruments.
We dropped Don Pedro off where he needed to go. The road back to the highway seemed to be 10 miles, not four, due to the bouncing around of the car in the ruts of the road. We may see the folks of Tripoli again sometime as there are some things that I want to check out further up the road.
I hope that you enjoyed this little series with a view of the people and small town life on the north coast of Honduras. Credit goes to El Jefe, my collaborator, who helped me to remember some of the details and who showed (mostly) great patience with me yelling, "Wait! Wait!" to stop the car every few meters so I could take a photo. He really enjoyed it, too, so I'm sure we'll be doing this again.


text:
BavMajithia on How COVID-19 Has Transformed the Global Economy
2 years ago Brand Buzz
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed our world, and the end isn't yet in sight. The virus has changed many industries in the economy, especially for those who have services or products that require people to buy them in person. BavMajithia is a successful serial entrepreneur who knows a lot about how COVID-19 could change our economic outlook.
One of the most difficult challenges of the pandemic has been the move away from small businesses. Small business revenue is down 20% since January 2020, and it's even worse for in-person businesses like movie theaters, concert venues, and restaurants. "Small business owners are really struggling right now," Majithia says. "If possible, it's important to move their customers online and fulfill orders that way. Since the pandemic could last a long time, we can't know how long it will be before these industries are up and running again." The unemployment rate has skyrocketed due to COVID-19, with four in 10 adults saying that they or someone in their household has lost a job or wages due to disruptions from the virus. Many people have had to dip into retirement accounts or savings to pay their bills. "If you don't have a way to work right now, I would recommend trying your hand at becoming an entrepreneur. It's liberating not to have to depend on someone else to pay your bills. This is also the only stream of revenue that is accessible to people right now, so it's worth a try if you're curious."
BavMajithia has run several successful enterprises, including his first company, Genuine Solutions. Since he co-founded the company, he's moved on to more significant life opportunities. Hobbies he's passionate about include property and cars, and once the pandemic is over, he wants to spend his time exploring the world. "Through my hard work, I've been able to build this life for myself," he says. "I think other people should have the same opportunities."
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to make money, BavMajithia stresses that it's still possible to live a lucrative life. Even as the economy has issues, some industries are protected, and people should consider building an enterprise for themselves.
Topics #Bav #BavMajithia #BhavneshMajithia #Entrepreneur
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This is the new OP to the OVA, Hakuouki: Sekkaroku. I really like the way the animation tells a little story, with the leaf boat.
The OP for the first season.
This is my favorite song of the three OPs. I particularly like the quick moving passage towards the middle.
Hey, who can get enough music in their life? Aika Yoshioka did the opening songs for the Hakuouki games as well, so here are some more songs to listen to.


Rick Rypien, the Winnipeg Jets player, was found dead at his home in Alberta earlier this week. According to the team, Rypien had been dealing with depression for nearly a decade, though none had thought to look for signs of suicidal notions.
"Certainly there were no drug and alcohol issues. Depression is the one word that has been used and that's accurate," said Jets assistant general manager Craig Heisinger. He added that Rypien's family would have to confirm whether or not it was a suicide.
Describing the death as "sudden", police has stated that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Rypien's death.
Last month, Rypien signed a $700,000, one year contract with the Jets as a free agent, after playing with the Vancouver Canucks for six seasons.


Is Johnny Manziel being shifted over to the Jordan Brand?
Is Johnny Manziel being shifted over to the Jordan Brand? That discussion may be a bit premature to have right now, but the rookie quarterback was spotted taking snaps at today's Cleveland Browns OTAs in Air Jordan 6 cleats.
Manziel, the 22nd pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Nike in March. In previous practices, he laced up the new Nike Vapor Carbon 2014 Elite.
Jordan Brand has been pushing cleated versions of the Air Jordan 6 for baseball and football throughout the year. You can buy a pair of Air Jordan 6 TD cleats now for $135 at Dicks.


text:
Yara Shahidi Set To Premiere Her Own Facebook Watch Show, 'Yara Shahidi's Day Off'
by Kyra AlessandriniPosted on September 21, 2022
Guests include celebrities such as Nas, Chloe Kim, Khaby Lame, Swae Lee and Liza Koshy.
Yara Shahidi is getting her own show on Facebook Watch. Yara Shahidi's Day Off will be premiering on September 29 and is airing exclusively on the platform, according to Variety.
The actor and Harvard graduate will be joined by a roster of celebrity guests such as Liza Koshy, Chloe Kim, Swae Lee, Elsa Majimbo, Amanda Seales, Alton Mason, and her cousin – the famed rapper Nas. The premiere episode will feature TikTok creator Khaby Lame and will mark one of the content creator's first American sit-down interviews.
The Harvard University graduate will participate in activities reflecting celebrity guests' "authentic interests outside of their fame" such as horseback riding, gymnastics, golfing, soccer and game night.
"Much of our world and work as a family has been inspired by the intimate conversation we've had with the incredible people we're surrounded by," Shahidi said in a statement and as reported by Revolt. "For years, we at 7th Sun have wanted to open the door wide open and share with my peers how moving it is to hear some of my favorite folks talk about their favorite things. We are excited to join forces with Jesse Collins Entertainment, Tiffany Mills, and Meta to share these meaningful moments with my peers!"
The 22-year-old will not only star in the show, she will also executive produce the original series. Her production company, 7th Sun Productions, will be involved in the making of Yara Shahidi's Day Off alongside Jesse Collins Entertainment.
"It's been energizing to progress an idea created around our dinner table, into a show that gives space for people to share more about themselves," said Salter-Shahidi, her mother and the principal for 7th Sun Productions, according to Variety.
"As longtime supporters and fans of Yara Shahidi, we are elated to join forces with the 7th Sun team and Meta to bring Yara's vision to fruition," added Collins. "She is an incredible talent and we are so excited for the world to see what she will bring to the talk show landscape."
Yara Shahidi's Day Off premieres on September 29 at 9 a.m. PT on Facebook Watch and her Instagram page. Watch the full Facebook trailer here.
About Kyra: Kyra Alessandrini is a news writer at Girls United and a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in publications such as Time, The Hollywood Reporter, InStyle, and Elle. Born in New York and raised in Paris, France, she is passionate about culture, street photography, and travel.
entertainment Yara Shahidi


Top 30 Model Sheet Design Freelancers on 21 Apr 2019 on Toogit. Model Sheet Design Freelancers on Toogit are highly skilled and talented. Hiring Model Sheet Design Freelancers is quite affordable as compared to a full-time employee and you can save upto 50% in business cost by hiring Model Sheet Design Freelancers. Hiring Model Sheet Design Freelancers is 100% safe as the money is released to the Model Sheet Design Freelancers only after you are 100% satisfied with the work.
Have 2 years experience in this field. Good software skills for solidworks and creo . Used different modules like 3d modellng,sheet metal,weldments and drafting. Also worked in different project for revesre enginnering in developing machine.
Looking for Model Sheet Design jobs?


text:
Q: occursMostOften(int[] a) - java im trying to find the number that occurs the most in a given array of int. here is my code, it works but there are some inconsistencies. also, if u can let me know how i can make it better, i think my code is too long!!
public static int countOccurrences(int[] a, int x) {
    int count = 0;
    for(int i=0;i<a.length;i++) {
        if(a[i] == x) count++;
    }
    return count;
}

public static int occursMostOften(int[] a) {
    int[] count = new int[a.length];
    boolean[] duplicate = new boolean[a.length];
    for(int i = 0; i < a.length;i++) {
        if(duplicate[i] != true) {
            count[i] = countOccurrences(a,a[i]);
            duplicate[i] = true;
        }
    }
    return a[maxIndex(count)];
}
private static int maxIndex(int[] a) {
    int max = 0;
    for(int i = 1; i<a.length;i++) {
        if(a[i-1]<a[i]) max = i;
    }
    return max;
}

A: If this is an assignment (which I assume it is), your code meets the requirements, though not the most optimal.
If you have learned about a data structure called a Map, use that instead. The key in the map will be the value in the array, and the value in the map the count of times you have seen this value.
This will reduce the complexity of your code. Sequence of operations are:
For each value in the array

*

*If the value exits in the map, update the count

*If not, create a new entry with a count of one

At the end, you can iterate through the map to find the most occuring value.

A: Your code perform linear scan of full array for each non duplicate number. With array of size n that has n distinct values complexity of your code will be O(n^2).
You can do it better in O(n) with following algorithm:

*

*Iterate through all numbers in array

*For each number add it to the map (Map<Integer, Integer>) that holds number and it count

*If number exist in the map get current count, increment, and put back to the map

*If number not exists just oput that entry with count 1 to the map

*After all iterations complete, retrieve values and fins maximum.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Streaming data service optimized for developers.
Events are everywhere — user activity streams, log events, telemetry from embedded devices and mobile phones, and more. Kafka flips the script from push to pull, letting you take control of high volume event streams in your applications to transform the customer experience. With Kafka, you can accept inbound events at any scale with ease and route them to key-based partitions, providing a clear path to real-time stream processing for user activity tracking, ad tracking, IoT, mobile sync and messaging systems.
Application architectures like microservices require new approaches to coordination, scaling and orchestration. Kafka's pull based communication model reduces backpressure on key services under load, letting you add and scale new services independently. Kafka enables moving from actor to channel centric app dev models, simplifying services discovery and reducing brittle RPC style and many-to-many coordination between services.
Kafka lets you rethink the relationship between data, time and operations in your application. Kafka takes transactional data in tables and reduces it to a series of events, each representing a keyed record and operation at a point in time. This lets you create a record of all change events in your application for data recovery, replay, simulation and auditing. These same primitives let you build powerful data processing pipelines for analytics and transformation use cases, with consumers reading data from a set of topics, applying functions, and writing the output to a new set of topics.
Why Apache Kafka on Heroku?
Whether you're first exploring event-driven architecture or looking for an enterprise-grade Kafka solution, Heroku has you covered. Get started with a plan to develop and test; change to a larger plan - with a simple command on the CLI - as your production needs expand.
Now you can consume Kafka as a service with Heroku's world-class orchestration and thoughtfully tuned configurations that keep Kafka fast and robust. We distribute Kafka resources across network zones for fault-tolerance, and ensure your Kafka cluster is always available and addressable.
Easy to use CLI and web tooling make Kafka simple to provision, configure and operate. Add topics, create partitions, manage log compaction, and monitor key metrics from the comfort of the CLI or Heroku Dashboard.
Run producers and consumers as Heroku apps for simple vertical and horizontal scalability. Config vars make it easy to securely connect to your Kafka cluster, so you can focus on your core logic.
Kafka provides a powerful set of primitives for connecting your distributed application: messages, topics, partitions, producers, consumers, and log compaction.
Kafka is a message passing system, messages are events and can have keys.
A Kafka cluster is made up of brokers that run Kafka processes.
Topics are streams of messages of a particular category.
Partitions are append only, ordered logs of a topic's messages. Messages have offsets denoting position in the partition. Kafka replicates partitions across the cluster for fault tolerance and message durability.
Producers are client processes that send messages to a broker on a topic and partition. Producers can use a partitioning function on keys to control message distribution.
Consumers read messages from topics' partitions on brokers, tracking the last offset read to coordinate and recover from failures. Consumers can be deployed in groups for scalability.
Log compaction keeps the most recent value for every key so clients can restore state.
One of the biggest benefits of Apache Kafka on Heroku is the developer experience. We can use the same familiar tools and unified management experience for Kafka as we do for our Heroku apps and other add-ons, and we now have a system that more closely matches our team structure.
With Apache Kafka on Heroku, we can automate nearly everything and move more calls to a real-time push/pull data stream. Kafka allows us to run asynchronous batches on larger data calls, which cuts the processing time in half, increases reliability, and reduces time spent on monitoring and management.
Apache Kafka on Heroku offers a single solution that powers both event notification between apps and event data flows for site analytics. We no longer have to manually configure apps or manage additional event streaming mechanisms. It saves us time and reduces complexity.
Kafka on Heroku acts as the edge of your system, durably accepting high volumes of inbound events - be it user click interactions, log events, mobile telemetry, ad tracking, or other events. This enables you to create new types of architectures for incremental processing of immutable event streams. You can add and remove downstream services seamlessly without impacting the ability to accept high throughput inbound events, and Kafka's durability ensures events are available when services reconnect after failures so no events are lost.
Kafka is an ideal transport for building data pipelines for transforming stream data and computing aggregate metrics. Pipelines can help you build advanced data-centric applications and enable analytics teams to make better decisions. Kafka's distributed architecture and immutable event streams make it trivial to build pipelines for incremental, parallel processing of fast moving data. You can integrate all the disparate sources and sinks of data in your organization.
Kafka enables you to model your application as a collection of microservices that process events and exchange state over channel-like topics. Kafka becomes the backplane for service communication, allowing microservices to become loosely coupled. Bootstrapping microservices becomes order independent, since all communications happens over topics. Service discovery is simply a matter of connecting to new topics. Consuming and producing services, as well as Kafka brokers, can be scaled independently so your architecture is fully elastic. Kafka distributes topics and replicates messages across multiple servers for event durability, so if a broker fails for any reason, your event data will be safe. If a service fails it can reconnect and start processing from the last known offset.
See what Kafka on Heroku can do. Check out our recent demo.
Apache Kafka can be used to stream billions of events per day — but do you know where to use it in your app architecture? Find out at our technical session. See a live demo and hear answers to questions from Heroku product experts.
Listen to our podcast with Software Engineering Daily from October 25th, 2016.
Apache Kafka is a durable, distributed message broker that's a great choice for managing large volumes of inbound events, building data pipelines, and acting as the communication bus for microservices. In this Software Engineering Daily podcast, Heroku engineer, Tom Crayford, talks about building the Apache Kafka on Heroku service, challenges we faced, and why we focused on Kafka in the first place.


Clean Money Squad PA has a simple mission: to identify candidates for elected office in Pennsylvania who are committed to reform government and politics in Pennsylvania. The citizens of our state are fed up with politics as usual. Many have just given up, and feel that they can do little to change our broken system. We aim to change that.
Clean Money Squad PA's job is to tell voters which candidates will commit to fight corruption and reform our government. Clean Money Squad PA is contacting candidates for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and state legislative and executive offices throughout Pennsylvania and asking them to formally endorse the American Anti-Corruption Act. Currently, 76 candidates from four parties have taken the pledge.
The American Anti-Corruption Act is comprehensive model legislation which addresses political bribery, secret money, lobbying, gerrymandering, election reform and seeks to give all voters a voice in their government. Other provisions include closing the "revolving door," and limiting contributions from Super PACs. The American Anti-Corruption Act was crafted by former Federal Election Commission Chairman Trevor Potter in consultation with dozens of strategists, democracy reform leaders and constitutional attorneys from across the political spectrum.
Corruption is a threat in Pennsylvania; the independent State Integrity Investigation ranks Pennsylvania a dismal 45th out of 50, receiving an "F" grade, citing "An entrenched culture of malfeasance," and no limits on lobbying, campaign finance, gerrymandering and lax oversight as major factors.
Leading up to the general election, Clean Money Squad PA volunteers will continue to contact candidates and elected officials asking them to endorse the American Anti-Corruption Act. Concerned citizens are encouraged to contact candidates in their districts about Clean Money Squad PA.


text:
import httplib, urllib, sys

with open('credentials.txt') as creds:
    USERNAME, PASSWORD = tuple(creds.read().split())

def main(argv):
    with open('output.txt', 'r') as FILE:
        data = FILE.read().split()
    #print data

    params = urllib.urlencode({'name': USERNAME, 'password': PASSWORD, 'x': data[0], 'y': data[1], 'path': data[2]})
    headers = {'Content-type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded', 'Accept': 'text/plain'}

    # Sending HTTP request to the server
    connection = httplib.HTTPConnection('www.hacker.org')
    connection.request('POST', '/coil/index.php', params, headers)

    r = connection.getresponse()

    print r.status, r.reason

    data = r.read()
    print data

    connection.close()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main(sys.argv)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The 2021 Cadillac Escalade's High-Tech Dash Says Excess Is Back In Style
By Chris Davies/Dec. 16, 2019 12:06 pm EST
Cadillac's 2021 Escalade won't just have presence from the road, but on the dashboard too, with the upcoming luxury SUV promising a vast curved OLED screen. Billed as the first use of curved OLED in a production vehicle, the new Escalade's huge panel will measure in at over 38-inches, the automaker has said today.
General Motors' luxury division hasn't shared full imagery of what we can expect from the 2021 Escalade, either inside or out. Instead all we have to go on is a brief render of the upcoming OLED dashboard. Even that, though, is enough to whet the appetite.
The curved screen encompasses both the driver's digital instrumentation and the center display at the top of the dashboard. The current Escalade has two separate panels for that, a 12.3-inch LCD instrumentation cluster and then an 8-inch LCD touchscreen in the center console. That supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and comes with navigation and 4G LTE as standard.
The new Escalade, though, should be more impressive still – and not just when it comes to sheer inches. Cadillac is making big boasts about its resolution, promising twice the pixel density of a 4K television, for example. It's also talking up the "bold imagery, perfect blacks and the largest color range available in the automotive industry" from the OLED technology.
Exactly what you'll be able to do with that display remains to be seen. Manufacturers with digital instrumentation typically offer a selection of layouts with customizable graphics, often changing them automatically according to the drive mode that the car is set to. In Sport mode, for example, metrics like engine speed are generally prioritized; in Eco mode, in contrast, fuel efficiency indicators take the fore.
One possibility is a greater amount of information from the Super Cruise system. The new Escalade is expected to be the next vehicle in Cadillac's line-up to offer the hands-free driver assistance system, following its debut on the CT6 sedan. Super Cruise relies on extra-precise mapping to offer adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping on divided highways.
Drivers don't need to touch the wheel as they do in rival systems, Cadillac instead using an attention-monitoring camera on the steering column to make sure the driver is watching the road ahead. A light bar in the upper portion of the steering wheel is used to communicate system status, glowing red if the driver is deemed to be insufficiently inattentive. Although the system currently cannot handle lane changes by itself, relying on the human at the wheel to make the switch before resuming its control, Cadillac is believed to be readying that technology for a future iteration.
The Escalade has been a long-time success for Cadillac, not least for its outsized representation in rap videos as a symbol of conspicuous luxury. Even with a new model incoming in 2020, sales have remained relatively strong. Cadillac reported more than 3,400 sales of the SUV in the US in September 2019 alone, up by more than 200 units compared to the same month the previous year.
Still, Cadillac at the forefront of GM's plans for electrification, and there's no small degree of curiosity as to how the traditionally-excessive Escalade might fit into that EV roadmap. We'll know more on February 4, 2020, when the 2021 Escalade makes its official debut.


text:
🇫🇮 FI Market
Research and Consulting Services
Systems Software
Electronic Equipment and Components
Finnish (OMX) Machinery Industry Analysis
UpdatedJan 19, 2022
DataAggregated Company Financials
7D-1.5%
3M4.7%
1Y6.6%
YTD-2.3%
Over the last 7 days, the Machinery industry has dropped 1.5%, driven by a decline by KONE Oyj of 3.9%. This takes the industry's 12 month performance to a gain of 6.6%.
Industry Valuation and Performance
Has the Finnish Machinery Industry valuation changed over the past few years?
Thu, 20 Jan 2022 €61.5b €31.1b €2.2b 30.1x
Sat, 18 Dec 2021 €60.8b €31.1b €2.2b 31.4x
Mon, 15 Nov 2021 €62.5b €31.1b €2.2b 31.1x
Wed, 13 Oct 2021 €57.4b €30.7b €1.9b 27.3x
Fri, 10 Sep 2021 €63.9b €30.7b €1.9b 29.5x
Sun, 08 Aug 2021 €66.5b €30.7b €1.9b 30.3x
Sat, 01 May 2021 €62.9b €29.9b €1.8b 29.9x
Tue, 02 Feb 2021 €56.9b €29.9b €1.7b 33.3x
Fri, 06 Nov 2020 €54.4b €30.2b €1.7b 27.8x
Mon, 10 Aug 2020 €53.3b €30.4b €1.6b 27.6x
Sun, 03 May 2020 €40.3b €28.5b €1.5b 19.4x
Wed, 05 Feb 2020 €46.2b €28.3b €1.6b 24.1x
Sat, 09 Nov 2019 €44.5b €27.5b €1.5b 15.9x
Fri, 02 Aug 2019 €42.1b €27.2b €1.6b 15x
Mon, 06 May 2019 €44.7b €26.8b €1.6b 21.1x
Thu, 07 Feb 2019 €39.3b €26.4b €1.6b 20.6x
Thu, 07 Feb 2019
Total Market Cap: €39.3bTotal Earnings: €1.6bTotal Revenue: €26.4b0%0%0%3 Year10 Year
Current Industry PE: Investors are more optimistic on the industry, considering it's trading at a PE ratio of 30.1x which is higher than its 3-year average PE of 24.4x. It appears they are confident that earnings will grow faster in the future than they have historically.
Past Earnings Growth: The earnings for companies in the Machinery industry have grown 12% per year over the last three years, and revenues for these companies have grown 5.5% per year. This means that more sales are being generated by these companies overall, and subsequently their profits are increasing too.
Which industries have driven the changes within the Finnish Machinery industry?
Construction Machinery and Vehicles 6.36%
Agricultural Machinery -0.44%
Industrial Machinery -2.73%
Industry PE: Investors are most optimistic about the Construction Machinery and Vehicles industry even though it's trading below its 3-year average PE ratio of 144x. However analysts are expecting annual earnings growth of 22%, which is lower than the prior year's growth of 32% per year. So the market might believe that analysts are underestimating future growth. Meanwhile, investors are most pessimistic about the Agricultural Machinery industry, which is trading below its 3-year average of 41.2x.
Forecasted Growth: Analysts are most optimistic on the Construction Machinery and Vehicles industry, expecting annual earnings growth of 22% over the next 5 years. However this is lower than its past earnings growth rate of 32% per year. Meanwhile, the Industrial Machinery industry is expected to see its earnings grow by 10% per year over the next few years.
Top Stock Gainers and Losers
Which companies have driven the market over the last 7 days?
MOCORP Metso Outotec Oyj €10.35 3.5%
+€285.7m 18.6% PE38.4x
CGCBV Cargotec €47.14 3.1%
+€91.6m 28.9% PE11.6x
KCR Konecranes €37.59 2.6%
ROBIT Robit Oyj €4.34 1.4%
+€1.3m -16.5% PE66.2x
KELAS Kesla Oyj €6.20 0.3%
+€67.8k 50.1% PE26.7x
MOCORP
Metso Outotec Oyj
Metso Outotec to Start Next Phase in Development of Its Metals Business
Metso Outotec announced that will take the next structural development steps in its business portfolio, following the completed integration of its Minerals business and the successful turnaround of its Metals business. The company plans to change its business area structure and related reporting segments by transferring the Hydrometallurgy business from Metals to Minerals. The objective of the change is to accelerate Metso Outotec's profitable growth in the minerals processing industry by more efficiently leveraging the opportunities and synergies in the minerals and hydrometallurgical processes. Having Hydrometallurgy as part of the Minerals business will enable enhanced customer service with a competitive and fully integrated Planet Positive product offering, as well as closer integration with the customers' processes through digitalization. Going forward, gold and battery chemicals businesses are among the interesting new synergistic growth areas. A strategic review will be conducted in the remaining Metals business area, consisting of the Smelting, Metals & Chemical Processing and the Ferrous & Heat Transfer business lines, as well as related aftermarket services. The review will focus on evaluating the best environment for developing the Metals business and its strategic fit in Metso Outotec's business portfolio. All potential options will be considered, including development by Metso Outotec, co-development with a partner, or divestment. The review has no impact on Metals' daily business conduct, sales, or project execution, which will continue with full commitment. Metso Outotec's financial reporting will be adjusted to reflect the new segment structure as of January 1, 2022. The financial year 2021 will be reported in line with the segment structure used during 2021. The restated segment financials will be provided prior to the Q1/2022 reporting.
CGCBV
Cargotec (HEL:CGCBV) Has A Pretty Healthy Balance Sheet
The external fund manager backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, Li Lu, makes no bones about it when he says...
PON1V
Ponsse Oyj
An Intrinsic Calculation For Ponsse Oyj (HEL:PON1V) Suggests It's 30% Undervalued
Does the January share price for Ponsse Oyj ( HEL:PON1V ) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the...
KNEBV
KONE Oyj
We Think KONE Oyj (HEL:KNEBV) Can Manage Its Debt With Ease
EXL1V
Exel Composites Oyj
Investor sentiment improved over the past week
After last week's 16% share price gain to €7.94, the stock trades at a forward P/E ratio of 16x. Average forward P/E is 17x in the Machinery industry in Finland. Total returns to shareholders of 120% over the past three years. Simply Wall St's valuation model estimates the intrinsic value at €11.72 per share.
WRT1V
Wärtsilä Oyj Abp
Should You Investigate Wärtsilä Oyj Abp (HEL:WRT1V) At €12.45?
Wärtsilä Oyj Abp ( HEL:WRT1V ), is not the largest company out there, but it received a lot of attention from a...
VALMT
Valmet Oyj
Is Valmet Oyj (HEL:VALMT) A Risky Investment?
ROBIT
Robit Oyj
After last week's 15% share price gain to €4.24, the stock trades at a forward P/E ratio of 25x. Average forward P/E is 18x in the Machinery industry in Finland. Total returns to shareholders of 59% over the past three years. Simply Wall St's valuation model estimates the intrinsic value at €5.78 per share.
CTH1V
Third quarter 2021 earnings released: €0.14 loss per share
The company reported a solid third quarter result with improved revenues and control over costs, although losses increased. Third quarter 2021 results: Revenue: €18.5m (up 17% from 3Q 2020). Net loss: €1.34m (loss widened 11% from 3Q 2020). Over the last 3 years on average, earnings per share has fallen by 36% per year but the company's share price has only fallen by 24% per year, which means it has not declined as severely as earnings.
NELES
Neles Oyj
Neles Corporation Approves Authorized and Proposes on the Distribution of Funds
Neles Corporation's at its Extraordinary General Meeting held on September 22, 2021, approved the merger of Neles and Valmet Corporation and authorized the Board of Directors to resolve on an extra distribution of funds in accordance with the proposals of the Board of Directors to the General Meeting. Based on the Combination Agreement and Merger Plan between Neles and Valmet, Neles may at any time prior to the execution of the merger resolve to distribute to its shareholders an extra distribution of funds in the amount of up to EUR 2.00 per share. The General Meeting resolved to authorize the Board of Directors of Neles to resolve, before the completion of the merger, on an extra distribution of funds not exceeding EUR 2.00 per share to be paid either as dividend from the company's retained earnings or return of equity from the company's fund for invested unrestricted equity or a combination of the two. The authorization is in force until the opening of the next Annual General Meeting of the company. The company will separately publish its Board of Directors' resolution to distribute funds based on the authorization and will simultaneously confirm the applicable record and payment dates. Funds paid on the basis of the authorization will be paid to shareholders who are registered as shareholders in the company's shareholders' register on the record date of the distribution of funds.
Kesla Oyj
Consensus EPS estimates increase to €0.50
The consensus outlook for earnings per share (EPS) in 2021 has improved. 2021 revenue forecast increased from €45.7m to €46.6m. EPS estimate increased from €0.37 to €0.50 per share. Net income forecast to grow 160% next year vs 47% growth forecast for Machinery industry in Finland. Consensus price target up from €5.30 to €6.20. Share price fell 9.7% to €5.74 over the past week.
Konecranes Launches New Generation of Energy-Efficient Mobile Harbor Cranes as Global Trade Accelerates
Konecranes Plc announced the launch of its sixth generation of mobile harbor cranes, refreshing and reinforcing its portfolio as global trade accelerates and the industry seeks more sustainable lifting solutions to reduce its climate impact.


Toronto FC's new general manager Ali Curtis holds up a team jersey during an MLS soccer news conference where he was introduced, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, in Toronto.
Toronto FC hired Ali Curtis as the new general manager, succeeding Tim Bezbatchenko.
The 40-year-old Curtis most recently served as sporting director for the New York Red Bulls. He left the Red Bulls in June 2017.
He worked in the MLS league office for eight years and held the position of senior director of player relations and competition before joining the Red Bulls.
Toronto said Bezbatchenko had left his role as senior vice president of soccer operations and general manager to pursue another opportunity.
Bezbatchenko joined Toronto in September 2013. He helped build a team that went to the MLS Cup final twice, winning in 2017.


If you've been following the blog, you may remember that over a month ago when I made Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chicken I promised "you were going to be seeing a lot more pineapple on these pages from now on!" By the dearth of pineapple recipes shared here since then, you might think I should eat my words, but guys, I'd rather eat this grilled pineapple salsa instead! It's super delicious and perfect for this summer holiday season!
Something kind of incredible happens when you grill pineapple. It gets sweeter as the sugar in the pineapple caramelizes and the whole thing becomes somehow more "pineappley", in other words, more delicious than ordinary fresh pineapple, which is pretty spectacular in and of itself. And when you combine it with the other ingredients for this salsa, we're talking WOW! If you like a little bit of sweet with your spicy, you are going to fall head over heels for this!
It's equally great as an appetizer with chips or as a side for chicken or fish (or if you're my husband as a sandwich topper!). If you're looking for something fun and seasonal and a little bit different to bring or make for your next party, look no further.
And though you may not believe a word coming out of my little pineapple-stuffed mouth, I promise to make sure that pineapple fare, fares more frequently around here!!
1. Turn on your barbecue and grill the pineapple for 3-4 minutes per side, until slightly charred and with those nice grill hash marks. Transfer to a plate and cool to room temperature. Then cut pineapple into chunks and place into a large bowl. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, red pepper, honey, vinegar, orange juice, lime juice and parsley or cilantro. Toss gently to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate for 2 days.
Note: Recipe adapted from Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster. I left out the ginger because we're not fans but if you are add about a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger to the mix. I also doubled the whole recipe since the original calls for only 1/2 a pineapple and I wanted to use the whole thing. Plus I used parsley instead of the cilantro and cut the jalapeno amounts way down. The first time I made this, I burned off everyone's mouth!!


text:
Texans In Tokyo: Shot-Putter Breaks Olympic Record, Wins Gold; Men's Basketball Finals Set & More
KERA | By Hady Mawajdeh
Published August 5, 2021 at 9:47 AM CDT
The United States added several medals to the collection Wednesday night, bringing the total to 90. Ryan Crouser, the world's best shot-putter, pitched in by winning his second gold medal. The USA Men's Basketball team blew through Australia's Boomers and is one game away from claiming a gold of their own.
But sadly, the American 4x100-meter relay team failed to make the final after finishing sixth in their qualifying heat.
Here's a look at everything you need to know about the Texans in Tokyo on Aug. 5:
Sue Ogrocki/AP
United States' Todd Frazier slides into third base past South Korea's Kyoungmin Hur during a semi-final baseball game at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, in Yokohama, Japan. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Without a doubt, the United States baseball team is now guaranteed to win a medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Tune into Saturday's game against Japan at 5 p.m. CT to see whether the medal will be gold or silver.
Team USA made it into the gold medal game after beating South Korea on Thursday 7-2.
A five-run sixth inning propelled Team USA over the South Koreans.
Center fielder Jack Lopez and designated hitter Tyler Austin drove in two runs apiece, and left fielder Jamie Westbrook obliterated a home run for the Americans.
Eric Gay/AP
United States's Kevin Durant (7) drives against Australia's Jock Landale (13) during men's basketball semifinal game at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
The up-and-coming Australian men's basketball team entered Wednesday's game determined to defeat Team USA.
The Boomers have seven players with NBA experience, including former San Antonio Spur Patty Mills. (Mills is also one of the greatest scorers in Olympics history.) And the talent showed during the first half of the game — the Boomers jumped out to a 15-point lead.
But Team USA, coached by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, battled back in the second half. The team was led by former Longhorn Kevin Durant's 23 points and nine rebounds.
"There were a lot of guys on this team that had straight faces and were ready to play when we were down 15 [points], strong faces is what Pop said," Durant told the media. The comment was a reference to a concept the former USA coach Mike Krzyzewski fostered. "They came out and hit us with a nice haymaker, and we were able to get back up and get that lead back."
The final score was 97-78. The U.S. men's basketball team will play for gold against France on Friday at 9:30 p.m. CT.
Slovenia's Luka Doncic walks off the court after the team's loss to France in a men's basketball semifinal round game at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Luka Dončić, the Dallas Mavericks First-Team All NBA superstar, nearly snuck into the gold medal game with his Slovenian national team.
Dončić scored 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 18 assists in the semifinal game against France.
The Slovenian team was defeated 90-89. And the game came down to a final play.
Dončić had the ball in his hand with less than 20 seconds on the clock. He drew the defense towards him — including Rudy Gobert, the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year — and then Dončić the ball passed off to Klemen Prepelič.
The play was masterful. Prepelič was able to drive straight to the basket for a layup. But the French team's captain Nicolas Batum made a heroic defensive recovery and blocked the shot. Game over.
Texas Longhorn Jordan Windle begins the preliminary diving competition Friday at 1 a.m. CT. He will be participating in the Men's 10m platform diving event.
Matthias Schrader/AP
Ryan Crouser, of United States, celebrates after winning the final of the men's shot put at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Two-time Olympian Ryan Crouser won his second gold medal on Thursday —and he broke his own Olympic record in the process.
Crouser set the world record earlier this summer at the Olympic trials. But in his Olympic victory, he raised the ante to 23.30 meters (76 feet, 5½ inches).
Crouser is the first American man competing in track & tield to claim a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
After winning gold, Crouser pulled out a piece of paper that read "Grandpa. We did it. 2020 Olympic champion!" Crouser's grandfather had died shortly before he parted for the Olympics in Tokyo.
"To lose him the week before the Olympics was obviously sad," Crouser said after his victory. "But I feel like he was able to be here in spirit."
Here are some other noteworthy track & field events you may want to know about:
Ronnie Baker (TCU), Trayvon Bromell (Baylor) and Fred Kerley (Texas-born) make up three-quarters of Team USA's Men's 4x100 m relay team. And the three runners with Texas ties failed to make the final.
Teahna Daniels (Texas) and the rest of Team USA's Women's 4x100m relay team placed second in their heat. They'll be running in the finals tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. CT.
Annie Kunz placed sixth as the United States representative in the women's heptathlon competition.
Texas Tech graduate Sally Kipyego is competing in the 10,000-meter (Saturday 5:45 a.m. CT) and marathon (Friday 5 p.m. CT).
Frank Augstein/AP
United States' Chiaka Ogbogu during the women's volleyball preliminary round pool B match between United States and Russian Olympic Committee at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 31, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Coppell's Chiaka Ogbogu and the USA Women's Indoor Volleyball team take on Serbia today at 11 p.m. CT. If they win, they will move onto the gold medal game against either Brazil or South Korea.
Got a tip? Email Hady Mawajdeh at hady@KERA.org. You can follow Hady on Twitter @hadysauce.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
Sports2021 Summer OlympicsOlympicsKERA NewsTexans In Tokyo: 2021 Olympians From The Lone Star State
Hady Mawajdeh
Hady Mawajdeh has been a reporter, producer, and digital editor at KERA since 2016. He is the creator and the co-host of KERA's first narrative podcast, Gun Play. And prior to his work in engagement, he also reported on arts and culture, social justice, and gun rights for the newsroom.
See stories by Hady Mawajdeh


text:
TLDH Withdrawing 4 New gTLD Applications: .Free; .Sale; .Spa; .Zulu
Posted on the 24 April 2013 by Worldwide @thedomains
According to a press release we received this morning, The Board of Directors of Top Level Domain Holdings (AIM:TLDH) issued an update to its new gTLD application with the biggest news out of the release is that it is withdrawing 4 of its new gTLD application
TLDH announced that is decided to withdraw its application for .Free; .Sale; .Spa; .Zulu.
Those withdrawals are not reflected on ICANN's site.
"We are pleased to announce that the meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN"), held in Beijing from April 11-14, is expected to be the last before contracts for new generic top-level domains ("gTLDs") are formally signed."
"No new roadblocks were brought up at the Beijing meeting, and the Board of TLDH is confident that the program will now move forward with progressively clearer timeframes for each gTLD's release."
"Neither ICANN's Government Advisory Council ("GAC") which delivered its official advice on individual strings in the program, nor the Security and Stability Advisory Committee ("SSAC"), which reported on any possible risks to the overall security and stability of the Internet, called for any delays. The ICANN roadmap strongly indicates that the Company should be launching its own first top-level domains early in Q4 2013."
I"CANN has likewise announced that 132 applications have passed initial evaluation, including two applications from TLDH: .网址 ("web address" in Chinese) and .购物("shopping" in Chinese)."
"ICANN is currently processing initial evaluations at the rate of about 50 per week, and has announced that it will ramp-up the rate of evaluations to 100 per week, based on which ICANN should be finished with initial evaluations by August 2013. ICANN also announced that it expects to start signing contracts by the end of May at the rate of approximately 20 per week."
Fred Krueger, executive chairman of TLDH, commented:
"We are delighted by the progress being made by ICANN, the status of our portfolio and the progress we are making in relation to those applications which are in contention with other applications."
The Board expects that some contentions will be resolved soon, although the majority are likely to be resolved closer to the commencement of ICANN-sponsored auctions, which will occur if applicants cannot resolve contentions on their own. ICANN has indicated its auctions will likely begin in November 2013.
gTLD portfolio update
The Board is also pleased to report that TLDH's portfolio received relatively few third-party objections, all from rivals for the TLDs in question.…
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text:
Community sessions gather input on Rockford's neighborhoods
Published: Nov. 21, 2019 at 5:37 PM CST
With help from the National Resource Network, the city of Rockford looks to improve the quality of its neighborhoods.
On Thursday, community members were invited to two community sessions to provide feedback as Rockford looks to develop its neighborhood revitalization strategy.
Locals provided input on changes they would like to see in their neighborhoods.
Leaders are hopeful the feedback will build bridges and get many community members involved as possible.
"Rockford has a lot of momentum right now," says Susan Hartmann, Enterprise Community Partners. "To be able to be strategic about how to build on that momentum, keep moving it forward, keep it expanding and have it really include all areas of the city is what we're hoping to support here in Rockford."


text:
What is Parental Alienation?
by Scott Allen | Dec 1, 2011 | Child Custody | 0 comments
Parental Alienation is a condition where a child, usually through the experience of having their parents divorced or separated, feels an unjustified hatred or extremely strong dislike of one parent. This makes it difficult or in some cases impossible for the parent to have a relationship with their child during this period of time.
Such feelings of parental alienation are indicated when a child shows no empathy or warmth toward the rejected parent. Such feelings can be exacerbated by others with negative comments or other similar actions.
Parental alienation should not be confused with child abuse, the two conditions are generally unrelated since a child acting in fear of what a parent has done before is symptomatic of child abuse. Parental alienation is a child reacting to the changing family situation and responding in a manner that usually not related to what the rejected parent has done, but the feelings that arise when divorce or separation occur.
Parental alienation is still somewhat controversial in both the legal and medical professions. While there is little doubt that children can react in a negative manner to a parent after a divorce or separation, there is still not enough evidence to suggest that this may be a syndrome or actual psychological condition.
The history of parental alienation is brief one with the first serious studies being performed in the 1970s. Richard A. Gardner proposed the idea of parental alienation syndrome based on his studies, a view that has generally not been accepted by the medical community at large. But other research has pointed more towards the alienated child and the social dynamic of divorce and separation on the family unit. The breakdown of communication between the child and the rejected parent may involve several factors beyond the break up of the family.
Such alienation may include other members of the family and how they express their feelings towards the rejected parent. Therefore, tackling this issue in therapy generally goes beyond attempting to re-establish the bond between parent and child, but the dysfunction of the entire family must be handled as well. Often, the parent that the child attaches to may promote the alienation of the other parent, even if that was not the intention. But the showing of disappointment, anger and negative comments can promote the feelings of rejection in the child.
In some cases, the actions of the rejected parent may contribute to the alienation even if unintentionally. Fathers in particular are usually the recipient of rejection in these cases. In many instances the father does not seek an emotional, sympathetic bond but instead enforces a rigid attitude and a critical attitude which may be meant to impose discipline on the child, but instead drive them further to reject the parent.
Parental alienation is a complex issue that can involve many factors which on the surface may seem benign, but they contribute to the feelings of the child and exacerbate a situation that could either be easily treated or avoided entirely.
Raleigh divorce lawyer Scott Allen handles modification of custody, child custody, and temporary custody hearings and has over seventeen years of experience.
If you have questions or need assistance call him at (919) 863-4183 or email at sallen@allenspence.com.


text:
Q: Cron job to remove logically redundant entries in Postgres SQL I have a requirement to delete records from a Postgres SQL table which has more than 200 million records. The table is not having any primary key.
The sample table (Bookmark is the name of table) content is as below:
systemId     filename           mindatetime                 maxdatetime
  70277     monitor_1.dat   2019-04-21 08:00:00 AM      2019-04-21 03:10:00 PM
  10006     monitor_2.dat   2019-04-25 10:00:00 AM      2019-04-25 11:30:00 AM
  10006     monitor_3.dat   2019-04-28 08:00:00 AM      2019-04-28 10:00:00 AM
  10006     monitor_3.dat   2019-04-28 09:00:00 AM      2019-04-28 11:00:00 AM
  10006     monitor_3.dat   2019-04-28 07:00:00 AM      2019-04-28 04:00:00 PM
  8368      monitor_1.dat   2019-05-21 11:00:00 AM      2019-05-21 11:30:00 AM
  8368      monitor_7.dat   2019-05-21 06:00:00 AM      2019-05-21 11:00:00 AM
  8368      monitor_5.dat   2019-05-23 08:00:00 AM      2019-05-23 10:00:00 AM
  72777     monitor_4.dat   2019-04-28 09:00:00 AM      2019-04-29 11:00:00 AM
  72777     monitor_4.dat   2019-04-28 11:00:00 AM      2019-04-29 18:00:00 PM
  72777     monitor_4.dat   2019-04-28 09:30:00 AM      2019-04-29 23:00:00 PM
  12345     monitor_5.dat   2019-04-28 07:00:00 AM      2019-04-28 10:00:00 AM
  12345     monitor_5.dat   2019-04-28 02:00:00 PM      2019-04-28 06:00:00 PM
  12345     monitor_5.dat   2019-04-28 09:00:00 AM      2019-04-28 03:00:00 PM
  10006     monitor_8.dat   2019-04-28 09:00:00 AM      2019-04-29 09:00:00 AM
  10006     monitor_8.dat   2019-04-29 09:01:00 AM      2019-04-30 10:00:00 AM
  10006     monitor_8.dat   2019-04-30 10:01:00 AM      2019-04-30 11:00:00 AM
  10006     monitor_8.dat   2019-05-12 07:00:10.001 AM  2019-05-13 10:00:10.000 AM
  10006     monitor_8.dat   2019-05-15 09:30:10.001 AM  2019-05-18 11:30:10.000 AM

The cron job should run on a given schedule to delete the records which are logically redundant.
To explain this let's take the case of systemId '10006' where filename is 'monitor_3.dat' having 3 entries with min and max date timestamp of the same day.
Logically we can delete the entries having mindatetime 08:00:00 AM and 09:00:00 AM, maxdatetime 10:00:00 AM, 11:00:00 AM as that interval is being covered by the other entry which has mindatetime as 7 AM and maxdatetime as 4 PM.
So those entries would fall under this interval and the job should identify such entries in the entire table and delete them.
My resultant output table content in this case should be:
 systemId    filename           mindatetime                 maxdatetime
  70277     monitor_1.dat   2019-04-21 08:00:00 AM      2019-04-21 03:10:00 PM
  10006     monitor_2.dat   2019-04-25 10:00:00 AM      2019-04-25 11:30:00 AM
  10006     monitor_3.dat   2019-04-28 07:00:00 AM      2019-04-28 04:00:00 PM
  8368      monitor_1.dat   2019-05-21 11:00:00 AM      2019-05-21 11:30:00 AM
  8368      monitor_7.dat   2019-05-21 06:00:00 AM      2019-05-21 11:00:00 AM
  8368      monitor_5.dat   2019-05-23 08:00:00 AM      2019-05-23 10:00:00 AM
  72777     monitor_4.dat   2019-04-28 09:00:00 AM      2019-04-29 23:00:00 PM
  12345     monitor_5.dat   2019-04-28 07:00:00 AM      2019-04-28 06:00:00 PM
  10006     monitor_8.dat   2019-04-28 09:00:00 AM      2019-04-30 11:00:00 AM
  10006     monitor_8.dat   2019-05-12 07:00:10.001 AM  2019-05-13 10:00:10.000 AM
  10006     monitor_8.dat   2019-05-15 09:30:10.001 AM  2019-05-18 11:30:10.000 AM

The table size is more than 20Gb on disk so I was exploring writing a sql procedure or job to achieve this but not able to make much progress. Any ideas or suggestions for overcoming this complex scenario?

A: You can use tsranges to look for overlap.  The query would be a bit simpler if there were a unique key and you may run into issues if there are duplicate rows, but here's the basic idea:
-- The rows to be deleted:

select * from bookmark WHERE exists
(select 1 from bookmark bm2
  WHERE bm2.systemid = bookmark.systemid
   AND  bm2.filename = bookmark.filename
   AND  (bookmark.systemid, bookmark.filename, bookmark.mindatetime, bookmark.maxdatetime) IS DISTINCT FROM (bm2.systemid, bm2.filename, bm2.mindatetime, bm2.maxdatetime)
   AND tsrange(bookmark.mindatetime, bookmark.maxdatetime, '[]') <@ tsrange(bm2.mindatetime, bm2.maxdatetime, '[]')
);
 systemid |   filename    |     mindatetime     |     maxdatetime
----------+---------------+---------------------+---------------------
    10006 | monitor_3.dat | 2019-04-28 08:00:00 | 2019-04-28 10:00:00
    10006 | monitor_3.dat | 2019-04-28 09:00:00 | 2019-04-28 11:00:00
    72777 | monitor_4.dat | 2019-04-28 11:00:00 | 2019-04-29 18:00:00

-- Delete them like so:

delete from bookmark WHERE exists
(select 1 from bookmark bm2
  WHERE bm2.systemid = bookmark.systemid
   AND  bm2.filename = bookmark.filename
   AND  (bookmark.systemid, bookmark.filename, bookmark.mindatetime, bookmark.maxdatetime) IS DISTINCT FROM (bm2.systemid, bm2.filename, bm2.mindatetime, bm2.maxdatetime)
   AND tsrange(bookmark.mindatetime, bookmark.maxdatetime, '[]') <@ tsrange(bm2.mindatetime, bm2.maxdatetime, '[]')
);

Note that this doesn't exactly match your expected output due to a typo in your data.  These two rows do not overlap:
72777 | monitor_4.dat | 2019-04-28 09:00:00 | 2019-04-29 11:00:00
72777 | monitor_4.dat | 2019-04-28 09:30:00 | 2019-04-29 23:00:00

Unless you are actually looking to update and delete?  In that case, your best bet is probably to create a new table and rename it:
CREATE TABLE bookmark_load AS
  SELECT systemid, filename, min(mindatetime), max(maxdatetime)
  FROM bookmark
  GROUP BY systemid, filename;

ALTER TABLE bookmark RENAME TO bookmark_old;
ALTER TABLE bookmark_load RENAME TO bookmark;

Of course, you couldn't be inserting new data into bookmark while doing this.