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This column got its start as a November 4 comment sent to this website's Guestbook by Pudcharee Tunyabut, a marketing communication professional based in Bangkok. As floodwaters were rising in much of the city, including her own home, Pudcharee wrote:
I would love to get your insight on what is a monumental crisis communication failure by the government and authorities. If you look at the crisis timeline you can see just about every crisis communication faux pas ever identified….
What has annoyed most people is the conflicting information and non-disclosure, particularly regarding certain risks (such as electrocution). Whilst a few escaped snakes and crocodiles may have caused headlines (outrage), more pressing risks like disease, electrocution, etc. go completely unmentioned. [Note from Jody and Peter: After Pudcharee sent us this email, disease and electrocution risk eventually received more attention from officials and the media.]
People just do not know what to do for the best. [With] no simple instructions and so much inaccuracy and conflict between agencies and politicians, it is simply a matter of looking out of the window and seeing for yourself. Looking at Katrina, I see that from a risk comm perspective some of the criticisms voiced there (poor pre-crisis planning; poor coordination of resources; poor collaboration between agencies; failure to provide honest, candid, open and accountable communication) are relevant here.
Most of all, lack of leadership seems to be a massive problem. There is no Giuliani figure here; no Winston Churchill; no courage, conviction, optimism. If this flood had occurred in Singapore, I feel sure a quite different response would have been prepared and executed.
Do you have any thoughts on how a government should communicate in this situation and how they might go about restoring trust (if they can)?
Apart from the specific crisis communication challenges of this massive Thai flood, Pudcharee's comment raised two broader issues that captured our attention:
- Whether there's something unique about Thai government and culture (compared not just to Singapore but to other countries around the world) that makes it less likely to be candid about imminent emergencies.
- What a government can do when it's in as big a credibility hole as the Thai government is in (other than stop digging!) – what can be done when "restoring trust" is at best a long-term dream.
We can only speculate about the first of these two issues. We will do that, briefly, after we document the Thai tradition of over-reassurance in emergencies that first caught our attention nearly a decade ago. Most of this column is a litany of pre-flood and flood examples of Thai over-reassurance.
As for the second issue, at the end of the column we will outline a proposed path back toward credibility – not that the Thai government has given any indication of wanting to start down such a path.
Thai Crisis Communication:
Some Really Low Points
Back in May 2009, when Thai public health officials were covering up the first dozen or so cases of swine flu in Thailand, a Thai influenza expert, Tawee Chotpitayasunondh, expressed his exasperation with the cover-up. A Bangkok Post article paraphrased Dr. Tawee as saying that "Thailand will have flu as surely as Bangkok will have floods."
Since 2003, we have documented numerous Thai examples of stunningly bad crisis communication. The Thai government routinely fails to warn about stressful and dangerous situations; it routinely downplays how serious such situations are or might get; it routinely over-reassures about its ability to prevent or manage the emerging crisis. Its contempt for the public's ability to cope with alarming realities has been consistent.
Most of our best "bad examples" of crisis over-reassurance have come from Thailand. Here, in chronological order, are a few culled from our files.
2003: Terrorism
When Hambali, leader of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), was captured in August 2003, JI was believed to be planning an attack on an upcoming APEC meeting in Bangkok. Thailand's Prime Minister at the time, Thaksin Shinawatra, dismissed the risk on the grounds that the group had been eradicated in Thailand. Australia's The Age reported:
Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Hambali's entire network in Thailand had been wiped out with his capture and the earlier arrests of three of his associates. Mr Thaksin said during his weekly radio address to the nation, that the trail to Hambali was exposed by an "irregular money transaction" noticed by investigators.
This "resulted in the arrest of the first case, the second, the third, and now we have got the fourth man, Mr Hambali, who is regarded as the last one in our land."
We saw Thaksin's statement as a sign of his "fear of fear" – fear of his citizens' concern, anxiety, fear, or perhaps even terror about terrorism. But we didn't think his attempt to (over)reassure his people would work; we imagined them reacting this way:
One can picture a Thai citizen reasoning as follows: "Well, either the Prime Minister believes the war against terrorism has just been won, in which case he won't be doing much to look for additional terrorists; or he does not believe this but wants me to think he does, in which case I obviously cannot trust him." Even if we allow for the possible existence of Thai citizens so credulous they take the Prime Minister at his word, this just sets them up to feel shocked and betrayed when terrorism next appears in Thailand.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, attending meetings in Australia at the time Hambali was captured, had a very different message for Australians, who were still in a state of high anxiety (and misery) following the 2002 Bali bombings that were masterminded by Hambali. Armitage warned Australians to brace themselves, not to breathe a sigh of relief:
"They're going to try to come after you, whether we capture Hambali or not," he [Armitage] said. "They have dedicated themselves to this because Australia is a free, open and democratic society and is a threat to everything they are standing for."
Needless to say, Islamist terrorism wasn't over in Thailand. The insurgency escalated again in early 2004, leading Thaksin to assume wide-ranging emergency powers. By 2006 the Thai army was granted its own emergency powers, and in September 2006 a military junta ousted Thaksin from power.
After the SARS epidemic had ended in June 2003, lab workers in several Asian countries developed SARS as a result of lab accidents. Understandably, SARS anxiety resurfaced in Asia.
Prime Minister Thaksin told his people – categorically – that there was no need to worry:
Thailand was even safe from SARS in its previous spread in the region earlier this year, as we cooperated closely with the World Health Organization and strictly followed WHO's suggestions on SARS prevention. We've gained experiences from that. So, don't be worried, we'll [be] safe from SARS again, given the government's awareness and preparations for the possible recurrence of the deadly flu.
2003–2004: Bird flu
In November 2003, Thailand started reporting the deaths of thousands of chickens, in both small holdings and large commercial poultry factories. Officials said the chickens were dying of "fowl cholera." Over the next two months, South Korea, Vietnam, and Japan confirmed their own poultry outbreaks – not fowl cholera, but the first poultry outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu since Hong Kong in 1997.
Rumors spread that Thailand's "fowl cholera" was actually bird flu too. Several countries – including Japan, Thailand's largest poultry customer – banned importation of Thai poultry. The European Union didn't ban Thai poultry, but in mid-January 2004 it sent EU food safety commissioner David Byrne to check out the situation. Thai officials were apparently very persuasive, and Byrne reported back to the EU: "There absolutely is no evidence of the existence of bird flu in Thailand."
Having won over Byrne, the Thai government next tried to convince its own public that bird flu was not rampant in Thailand.
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra invited foreign reporters to join his cabinet for a chicken lunch yesterday as he tried to soothe public fears after an outbreak of poultry cholera.
"Come and join us. Are you scared?" Thaksin called out as the cabinet sat down in the dining room of Government House to a lunch of Hainanese chicken rice, roast chicken and spicy chicken soup as well as raw salmon and octopus.
"It's the best chicken in the world, Thai chicken," he said. "This is exactly what we export to Japan. It's very good. It's safe."
Thailand insists it is free of the bird flu which has jumped to humans in Vietnam and killed at least five people there, but the cholera outbreak has dented confidence in a major export industry that raises one billion chickens each year.
Many Thais are shunning chicken, hence the cameras watching the cabinet eat a range of poultry dishes, even though experts say poultry cholera cannot skip to humans, unlike bird flu.
Finally, on January 23, a few days after reassuring the EU food safety commissioner and putting on the poultry-eating media event, the Prime Minister admitted that bird flu was ravaging poultry flocks in Thailand's enormous commercial poultry industry, and that two people had caught the highly fatal disease. He more or less admitted the cover-up – and more or less defended it:
- From UPI: "It's not a big deal. If it's bird flu, it's bird flu. We can handle it."
- From the BBC: "'There has been a lot of talk that the government has been trying to cover this up,' Mr Thaksin said in a weekly radio address on Saturday. 'That we didn't say anything doesn't mean we weren't working. We've been working very hard.'"
- From the Sydney Morning Herald: "Please trust the government. It did not make an announcement in the very beginning because it did not want the public to panic."
On the day Thailand admitted its ongoing bird flu outbreaks, one of us (Jody) told Food Production Daily: "In my field, risk communication, we teach officials and experts to help the public tolerate uncertainty, to help the public bear anxiety when anxiety is appropriate, and to level with the public at all times.… Thailand's leaders characteristically express over-confidence and premature over-reassurance in the face of the unknown and unproven. They have done the same thing regarding SARS preparation and regarding terrorism."
The Bangkok Post editorialized: "The government's effort to sweep the problem under the carpet has exploded in its face.…"
The January 15 headline in Thailand's The Nation newspaper was "Thailand declared free of bird flu." The January 16 headline was "Bird flu fears: 'Govt is lying about crisis.'"
[From The Nation, Thailand, January 16, 2004]
Like the Bangkok Post editorial, these two headlines a day apart suggest to us that neither the Thai public nor the Thai media found Thaksin's over-reassurances acceptable – far less persuasive or desirable.
Still, a week later the Prime Minister was busy eating chicken, not crow:
We can't resist adding a brief history of Thaksin's choice for a pseudo-event: publicly consuming a feared food in order to "prove" that it's safe. In 1990, as fears about mad cow disease mounted in the U.K., Agriculture Minister John Gummer famously fed his four-year-old daughter Cordelia a hamburger. She refused to eat it, so Gummer himself took a large bite. The stunt backfired a few years later when the U.K. government was forced to concede the connection between mad cow disease in beef cattle and a new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.
Since then, risk communication experts (and U.K. parliamentarians) have referred to this reassurance strategy as "doing a Gummer."
In August 2011, for example, the CEO of Halliburton had an assistant publicly drink a glass of the "frack fluid" his company uses in the controversial process of hydrofracturing rock to release natural gas. A major component of frack fluid is often guar gum, also used extensively in foods, so frack fluid photo-ops can be called "doing a Guar Gummer."
Another recent example occurred on November 2, 2011, when Japanese official Yasuhiro Sonoda drank a glass of water from a puddle inside one of the stricken Fukushima reactors, while the cameras rolled.
We don't have data showing whether people in general (or Thais in particular) find official Gummers reassuring. But we doubt it.
There's a better way. In 2006 when the Republic of Lao had a bird flu outbreak in poultry, the Ministries of Health and Agriculture decided to have a chicken-eating party in a restaurant, with reporters and photographers present, to reassure people that poultry was safe to eat. The World Health Organization epidemiologist based in Lao heard about the plan right in the middle of a three-day regional WHO risk communication workshop in Manila (taught by Jody). The epidemiologist asked the workshop participants to brainstorm a different approach.
The participants recommended moving the event to the kitchen of the restaurant. They suggested that the ministers and other officials put on aprons and take lessons in proper poultry preparation from the restaurant's kitchen staff. The WHO epidemiologist conveyed this suggestion to the WHO Lao country officer, who passed it on to the Lao Ministry of Health. The ministry convened a quick focus group, which showed that the Lao public loved the idea of seeing senior officials in aprons, learning how to handle raw poultry safely.
So that's what they did. Instead of claiming to "prove" that it's safe to eat poultry even in places where bird flu was circulating, the Lao media event showed people how to prepare poultry safely, bird flu or not. Officials demonstrated their concern for the health of the people, not the health of the poultry industry. Paradoxically, that approach is more likely to help the poultry industry recover than the typical poultry promotion PR strategy.
2004: Tsunami
Almost twelve months after Thaksin's dishonest reassurances about bird flu, the world's most devastating natural disaster in recorded history occurred: the tsunami following the December 26, 2004 earthquake off the coast of Indonesia.
Several hours after the quake, the tsunami hit Thailand. During those hours, as Thai experts assessed the tsunami risk, they decided not to warn the public. The decision was grounded in a judgment that a warning that turned out unnecessary could prove disastrous to tourism … and to the careers of officials who authorized the warning.
In our January 2005 article "Tsunami Risk Communication: Warnings and the Myth of Panic," we quoted from an article published in The Financial Times a few days after the tsunami:
Thailand's meteorological department knew by 8:10 a.m. (local time) on Sunday about an hour before the first waves hit that a powerful earthquake had struck near Sumatra, and they discussed the possibility that the quake could cause large sea disturbances….
But without definitive proof of an imminent tsunami, the meteorological department dared not issue a national warning lest it be accused of spreading panic and hurting the tourism industry if the disturbances did not materialize.
"Not every earthquake that occurs in the sea will cause a tsunami; it is very difficult to know," said Sumalee Prachuab, a seismologist at the department. "If we issue a warning about the possibility of a tsunami, people will panic very much.
"Phuket is for the tourists, and [if we warn] they will cancel everything," she said. "Then if the tsunami did not occur, the meteorological department will have many telephone calls, complaining 'why did you make that prediction?'"
2009: Swine flu
By definition, a pandemic spreads worldwide. So when the 2009 swine flu pandemic began, we were bemused when several governments, including Thailand's, initially emphasized that all the H1N1 cases in their countries were from abroad, insisting that there was no local spread.
These governments did not warn that local spread was inevitable, setting their people up to be shocked and alarmed when local spread was later confirmed.
The Thai government went even further, covering up Thailand's early cases. When the cover-up was exposed, the health minister expressed frustration that a cover-up had been "necessary" in the first place and that its discovery was considered newsworthy.
His comment on the cover-up: "Can't the public just accept that a highly competent government is right on top of the problem and there is absolutely nothing to worry about?" He added that "there was no domestic pandemic of the virus and that all of the patients … contracted the swine flu from abroad" – as if domestic contagion weren't a foregone conclusion.
The Bangkok Post editorialized against the Thai government's restriction on information about H1N1. The editorial, headlined "Gag on flu is most improper," began by reminding readers of the "fowl cholera" bird flu cover-up six years earlier. Then the editorial turned to the current policies forbidding local officials to speak out about swine flu, drawing a spectacular set of conclusions about the value of helping people through their adjustment reactions to new risks, not worrying excessively about panic, and avoiding "speak with one voice" constrictions on the free flow of information.
Anyone who thinks the principles of crisis communication are "western" should read this Thai editorial carefully:
The government's deceit and cover-up of the avian flu epidemic went on for months, as more and more birds dropped dead even in farms with high standards of hygiene. It was not until January 2004, when two farm boys became critically ill from influenza and pressure built up in Parliament, that the government finally admitted sheepishly that the H5N1 virus had been ravaging the poultry sector.
The lesson from the Thaksin administration's initial cover-up of the avian flu epidemic is that any attempt to prevent the public from learning the truth about a life-threatening phenomenon such as an epidemic – for the simple reason of not causing panic among the public – only puts at risk the very people the government is supposed to protect. The public should have the right of uninterrupted access to accurate and truthful information, which will help them understand the situation and prepare themselves to deal with it.
Hence it is at present beyond comprehension why the Public Health Ministry has put a gag on provincial health officials, prohibiting them from talking to the media about the H1N1 flu virus. The ministry has issued an order that all information about the swine flu be filtered through its office, supposedly to prevent unnecessary confusion stemming from too many people speaking on the same subject and, of course, to pre-empt public panic. Although the gag order may not amount to a cover-up, it will result in information being held up by bureaucratic red tape – information which otherwise would be more useful and could save lives if disseminated promptly.
A later passage in the editorial illustrates another danger of official over-reassurance: Even legitimately reassuring information loses its credibility. Swine flu was turning out mild and the Thai government was rightly saying so – but the editorial was understandably skeptical:
Also, a recent statement by the ministry's spokesman, Dr Sutham Srithamma, that the H1N1 virus is not as serious as reported by the media and that 90% [sic] of infected people recover on their own, may be misleading, as this could give those infected a false sense of safety that they don't need urgent medical help. Although not always deadly, the virus is, without doubt, life-threatening and spreading fast.
Given this history, no one should be surprised by the way the Thai government handled the flood of 2011.
Thai Crisis Communication:
The Great 2011 Flood
Thailand floods regularly, but the flooding that began in July 2011 has been Thailand's worst in at least five decades. Any discussion of official crisis communication regarding this flood must start with those two facts.
According to Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the country experienced about 76 flooding events between 2002 and 2009, which collectively injured 1,514 people, caused 1,011 deaths, and did 46.4 billion baht in damage. The 2010 flood, Thailand's worst in many years until the current flood, killed about 260 people.
The 2011 flooding that began in northern Thailand in late July has already killed more than 600 people, and has caused more than 600 billion baht (more than $20 billion USD) in damage.
Historically, prior to the 2004 tsunami that killed more than 5,000 people in Thailand, the country perceived itself as not particularly prone to natural disasters. Contrast that with the Philippines, where people readily tell you – ruefully, and a little proudly because of their resilience – that "we are the most disaster-prone country in the world!"
Consider this 2011 assessment, written before the flood in an essay on "Emergency Management in Thailand: On the Way to Creating a More Systematic Approach to Disasters" (Chapter 20 of a fascinating book on "Comparative Emergency Management" around the world, published by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency):
Although the Thai people used to think their country was disaster-free, it appears that the number of disasters is rising and these contemporary disasters produced more destructive impacts than the Thai people ever imagined. While disaster awareness is growing among policy makers, academics, and some groups of the citizens, most populations of the country still lack sufficient awareness, knowledge about disasters, and serious interest in learning how to prevent or respond to them. Thus, the Government needs to work harder to create safety culture and educate its people about disasters and coping methods.
One final piece of background: Discussions of Thailand's disaster response usually (and rightly) emphasize the frequent and often sudden changes in Thai governments, and the ongoing tension between civilian governments and the Thai army. These political stressors impede continuity of planning, capacity-building, and public confidence in government entities. They may also impede emergency response itself, especially if a civilian government understandably hesitates to call out the army to help manage the response.
In this context, the worst Thai flooding in at least 50 years began at about the same time that Thailand's latest Prime Minister took office – Yingluck Shinawatra, whom the New York Times calls "one of the least experienced leaders to emerge in a major Asian country in decades." PM Yingluck's older brother is former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the man responsible for covering up Thailand's H5N1 bird flu outbreaks (and for some of the other "bad examples" we have cited). He was overthrown by a military coup in 2006, and lives in exile.
Given all these conditions, it was exceedingly unlikely that the Thai government's flood crisis communication would have been anything other than what it was: overconfident over-reassurance.
By October 14, outside experts were publicly saying that the flooding north of Bangkok was the worst they had ever seen. But the new Prime Minister and her officials were busy doing what we have come to think of as typical Thai crisis communication. The October 14 Reuters story was headlined "Thai PM confident Bangkok will escape worst of floods":
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra tried to reassure residents of Bangkok on Friday that the capital should largely escape the flooding that has covered a third of the country since July and caused damage of at least $3 billion….
"Bangkok may face some problems in areas that are on the outer sides of the irrigation dikes but water levels will not be too high. But inner Bangkok has extremely high defences," Yingluck told reporters.
"In conclusion, Bangkok should still be considered safe," she said….
Chalit Damrongsak, director general of the Royal Irrigation Department, said the flows from the north into the Chao Phraya river were lower than expected.
"The water levels that are going to enter Bangkok on October 15–16 will most likely be only at 2.3–2.4 meters. Therefore, it will not surpass Bangkok's irrigation dike levels of 2.5 meters," he said. "I can confirm that Bangkok is going to be spared from the flood."
Inner Bangkok was spared. Many other parts of Bangkok were flooded.
Bangkok's domestic airport, Don Mueang, has been closed due to flooding since October 25. On October 26, the governor of Bangkok ordered the evacuation of Bangkok's Don Mueang District. Thailand's Flood Relief Emergency Centre (FROC) had been located in Don Mueang. On October 29 FROC evacuated its office to the Chatuchak district.
During this slow-motion period of great uncertainty, no one could know how bad the flood might actually get. We don't doubt that Thai officials had some tentative basis for their reassuring speculation; things might have turned out better than they did and thus the official reassurances might have turned out right. But the core principles of crisis communication under conditions of high uncertainty are to avoid over-reassurance (and even to err on the alarming side) and to avoid over-confidence (and even to proclaim uncertainty). As it had done so often before, the Thai government violated these principles.
Everyone saw that the flood kept getting worse than officials had over-reassuringly speculated. When that happens, people rationally start to wonder whether their officials are dishonest, incompetent, or both.
On October 25, Anond Snidvongs, executive director of the government's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (and an advisor to PM Yingluck) started doing the kind of good "uncertainty risk communication" that should have been the norm weeks earlier. He told Bloomberg News:
The best-case scenario is that we maintain the situation as it is and all the dikes hold…. We don't know the probability of that, and I don't think anyone knows, because we don't know the strength of the dikes.
A couple of weeks later on November 12, based on evolving data, Anond issued a much more reassuring prediction, as reported by Bloomberg News:
"Inner Bangkok won't be flooded," said Anond Snidvongs, executive director of the government's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency. "There may be some water bubbling through sewers, but I don't see that Sathorn, Silom and Sukhumvit will be inundated," he said, referring to Bangkok's main commercial and tourist areas.
Anond's reassurance on November 12 is likely to have had more credibility than many other officials' reassurances, because he hadn't been afraid to make alarming predictions earlier. If you make only reassuring predictions – many of them premature and unfounded – how can anyone tell when you really mean it? (We could call this the problem of "The Boy Who Cried No Wolf.")
Over the course of this flood, and during previous floods, Anond has been a frequent role model of excellent risk communication. A lovely example of bare-knuckled precaution advocacy in the midst of crisis came on November 7, in an AFP article entitled "Floods show what lies ahead for sinking Bangkok." Anond said that if no action is taken to protect the city, "in 50 years … most of Bangkok will be below sea level."
Anond also took on the difficult task of managing justified outrage when he repeatedly and humanly communicated with people living outside the dikes that were protecting inner Bangkok. These people rightly felt that their neighborhoods were being subjected to higher flood levels in order to keep the water lower in the key industrial and tourist sections. Anond couldn't make their anger disappear, of course; there was some violence, and some barriers holding the waters back from inner Bangkok were torn down. But by validating their anger, he helped many people outside the barriers cope with the rational but infuriating official decision that protecting inner Bangkok was more important than protecting the less developed areas outside.
Anond became something of a flood hero, an information source whose credibility was ultimately embraced and leaned on by Thai officialdom, which needed the boost.
We hope some Thai communication expert will do a case study of Anond Snidvongs's wonderful flood risk communication. We are sorry that we have not been able to gather enough English-language material to write such a study ourselves.
By October 25, with Anond communicating maximum uncertainty about whether the dikes around the city would hold, even the Prime Minister had to modify her over-reassuring posture. The same October 25 Bloomberg News story that carried Anond's much more vivid warning led with the PM's incredibly ambivalent one:
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said a "50–50" chance remained that inner Bangkok would avoid flooding as a deluge approaches the city and a coming high tide pushes up water levels.
"I'm still confident that we can protect Bangkok today," Yingluck told reporters, adding that authorities would be able to defend the city's main international airport, Suvarnabhumi. Last night she spelled out a worst-case scenario in a national address, warning that water may "run through the center of Bangkok," with the severity depending on elevation.
Got that? There was a 50–50 chance that water might "run through the center of Bangkok," but the Prime Minister was nonetheless "still confident that we can protect Bangkok today."
Lower-level officials showed the same ambivalence. Even when they acknowledged the enormity of the disaster, they often could not resist putting a positive spin on it – as if over-reassurance had become an automatic knee-jerk crisis communication tic. Back on October 5, for example, a flood expert from Thai Integrated Water Resource Management said: "The current flood situation is the worst that I have ever seen and it will last until the first week of November."
The first half of this sentence was admirably candid. The second half would have been okay if the expert had said "at least the first week of November." As stated, it turned out unwisely optimistic. By mid-November, the flooding continued to worsen in parts of Bangkok and some surrounding areas, while subsiding in others. On November 16, water experts warned western Bangkok residents (and Reuters headlined) that "floods may last until new year."
Crisis communication experts know that this one-two punch of reassuring prediction followed by depressing reality is a recipe for credibility meltdown. In a November 3 article on the loss of confidence, Bloomberg News quoted Bangkok resident Supalak Antonna as she waited for a boat to cross a flooded area near the Grand Palace: "I don't believe in my government anymore…. Many times they would say it's okay, don't worry, and two or three days later everything's flooded."
We're not suggesting that everything would have been fine if only Thai leaders had candidly and consistently acknowledged their uncertainty about how bad things might get, and warned people what a worst case scenario might look like. The catastrophic flood would still have come. And most people would still have been unable to prepare adequately. Bangkok alone has 12 million people; huge swathes of the entire northern part of Thailand were under water.
If PM Yingluck had treated her people like grownups, some of them would have been able to make and implement better plans – getting to higher ground; saving their most prized possessions; learning how to turn off their electricity to protect against electrocution; thinking through the best ways to get food and clean water during the emergency.
But even with the most candid warnings in the world, most people wouldn't have been able to do much to mitigate their risk.
But at least they would have had more reason and more opportunity to prepare emotionally. Residents of Bangkok and surrounding areas deserved to be told that a catastrophe might well be on its way – not because being told would have prevented the flood or enabled them to insulate themselves from it, but because being told would have helped them brace themselves to endure it.
If you think your people can bear the worst flood in their history, you ought to think they can bear knowing that it might be coming.
And candid warnings – instead of overconfident over-reassurances – would have helped maintain what little credibility the Thai government had left.
Candid warnings would also have helped forge a respectful bond between the government and the governed. They could have prepared together, endured the fear and the sense of impending doom together, and experienced hope and relief together as the situation eventually improved.
How does it sound when a leader candidly shares her fears about a looming catastrophe? In February 2011, after weeks of devastating floods, the Australian state of Queensland faced a new threat from Cyclone Yasi. Here is Queensland Premier Anna Bligh talking about that threat, in terms that were human, empathic, no-nonsense, and resilience-inspiring:
Premier Bligh simultaneously expressed a wish everyone could share, reminding people that worst case scenario warnings don't always pan out:
"This is a very, very big storm event," Ms Bligh told ABC radio.…
"I think many people will be very frightened by what they're hearing," she said.
"I don't want to frighten people, or panic them, but all the information I'm getting is that we are facing a potentially very deadly event.
"We have to make sure everybody knows what's in front of them so they can prepare themselves."
She said north Queensland residents would need to "prepare themselves mentally for what I think will be quite frightening to those who experience it".
"We stand ready. It's not a task that we expected. We thought we'd borne all that we would be expected to bear in the last five weeks.
"But it seems that more is to be asked of us."
"I know cyclones can at the last minute turn off the coast, and I certainly hope this one does.
"But the Bureau [of Meteorology] advises me in the most serious terms, that all of the modelling right now says this is going to cross our coast."
That is how it sounds when you make a bond with your people, and when you show you expect them to cope with a potential disaster.
Instead, like many other Thai leaders, Prime Minister Yingluck expressed confidence that her people wouldn't need to cope – that the situation was under control. Even though it wasn't.
We have no evidence that anything about Thai culture makes overconfident over-reassurance the right crisis communication strategy for a Thai natural disaster. But overconfident over-reassurance has certainly become the conventional strategy for crisis situations in Thailand. We doubt it's what the Thai people wanted or needed during the disastrous floods that are only now beginning to recede. But it's presumably what they expected.
Why Thailand?
Is Thai crisis communication more consistently or more egregiously over-reassuring than crisis communication elsewhere in the world?
We have the impression that it is. But we're far from confident.
We have been following Thai risk communication only since 2003, and only in Thailand's English-language press. Who knows what conclusions we might have come to if we could read the Thai-language press as well; or if we had started following Thai risk communication decades earlier; or if we could more easily track government risk communication practices in dozens of other countries with a less flourishing English-language press than Thailand? We have a large collection of overconfident, over-reassuring crisis communication examples from all over the world. It's an extremely common bad practice.
Still, it seems to us that different countries tend to "specialize" in different risk communication errors.
India, for example, is especially prone to hysterical exaggeration of moderate or even small risks. For example, most of our collection of references to swine flu as "dreaded" comes from India … which still routinely uses that adjective to describe the relatively mild, previously pandemic H1N1 influenza strain. Like over-reassurance, risk hysteria is far from rare – but India wins the championship in that category.
And Thailand may reign supreme in the over-reassurance category.
We don't want to overstate or overvalue these stereotypes. India is a contender in the over-reassurance competition as well. (This mix of hysterical hype and over-reassurance makes Indian risk communication fascinating to watch.) In 2006, India was less than honest about its bird flu outbreaks in poultry, just as Thailand had been in 2003–2004. And in September 2010, in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, Peter documented a stunning example of Indian over-reassurance with regard to dengue.
Early in the swine flu pandemic, we wrote that "The most explicit, excessive, and repeated over-reassurances about containment have come from India." After giving some impressive examples of empty Indian assurances that swine flu was "under control" in India, we added that in terms of over-reassurance, "India faces stiff competition for the worst-in-class award from Thailand."
If it's true that Thai crisis communication is perennially over-reassuring (more so than crisis communication in most other countries), the obvious follow-up question is why. Is the Thai government – which changes hands a good deal more often than most governments – less willing to alarm its citizenry than most governments? (That makes some sense.) Is the Thai citizenry less able to bear anxiety than most citizenries? (We doubt that one.)
Perhaps most important, is there a tacit agreement between the Thai government and the Thai citizenry, whereby citizens allow the government to make misleading claims as the price of being shielded from alarming realities? Does this happen in more individual situations as well? Do Thai doctors usually tell their patients bad news, or do they also shield them from that?
In April 2011, commenting on Japan's post-tsunami nuclear crisis at Fukushima, one of us (Peter) wondered at length whether alarming speculation in crisis situations ("we're worried that things could get worse in the following ways…") might be less appropriate to Japanese culture than to Western cultures. After reviewing what evidence he could find in English, he concluded tentatively that the answer was no.
Now we're wondering whether Thai culture might go even further in the same direction, countenancing over-reassurance and even outright dishonesty in preference to widespread public anxiety. Again we think the answer is no.
And again our answer is extremely tentative. We have been to Thailand only for a few brief visits, and know little of Thai history and culture. But for what it's worth, our strong intuition is that there's nothing about Thai history and culture that makes paternalistic dishonesty the right way to handle Thai crisis communication. Although the various Thai governments keep adopting that strategy, the Thai media (at least the English-language Thai media) keep protesting it.
Digging Out from a History of
Overconfident Over-reassurance
Let's imagine for the moment that the Yingluck government wanted to change this expectation and launch a new convention of candid crisis communication. Imagine that the government sought our counsel on how best to start changing. What would we advise?
Pudcharee's initial email framed the issue as how to restore trust. She asked:
Do you have any thoughts on how a government should communicate in this situation and how they might go about restoring trust (if they can)?
Trust is too much to expect any time soon. But here are some suggestions for the near term.
Stop digging.
The first thing to do when you're in a hole is: Stop digging. Every instance of governmental overconfident over-reassurance just makes the government's credibility hole deeper. Thailand needs to stop providing us with ever more bad examples.
We know this is easier said than done. It is nonetheless the essential first step.
Acknowledge your prior misbehavior.
If stopping a bad behavior is hard, acknowledging it is even harder. Our clients are endlessly asking us if they can't just mend their ways, without going through the humiliation of owning up. The answer is no, they can't.
This is partly an ethical principle. When a child has been caught shoplifting or cheating, a wise parent makes the child confess to the shopkeeper or teacher. Resolving privately not to do it again isn't good enough.
But there's also a practical reason to acknowledge your prior misbehavior. People expect consistency, especially in other people's misbehavior. If you have messed up a lot in the past, your friends expect you to keep messing up. So it may take them a long time to notice that you're not messing up anymore. Individuals can get around that problem by making new friends who don't know their history. Governments can't.
Worse than not noticing the change, people may notice it but draw the wrong conclusions. We get used to discounting good news from a source that's routinely over-optimistic. So when that source says something not-so-optimistic, we may see that as incredibly alarming: "If even Yingluck says it's bad, it must be horrific!"
What's the best way to get people to realize that you have turned over a new leaf? Tell them you have turned over a new leaf. They won't necessarily believe you right away, of course. But the announcement earns you the right to a second look. (Nearly 30 years ago Peter consulted for a local industry association that took this advice literally, making a TV commercial that featured a dozen local plant managers straining to turn over a huge papier mâché leaf. We don't know if the plants followed through with a better set of policies, but the commercial certainly made the promise vivid.)
Here's what Thai officials need to say: "We have sometimes been much too reassuring in the past, when in reality we didn't know how bad a situation might get. Now we're going to work hard to be more candid about our uncertainty. We will try to communicate what we think are the most likely outcomes, and we will also try to communicate what we think are the worst-case outcomes, the ones we're most worried about."
Apologize for the prior misbehavior.
Even if you acknowledge your prior misbehavior, you still need to make sure people know you know it's a misbehavior. You can't acknowledge it proudly!
It's not enough to say you did something. You have to say you're sorry you did it. Peter has written at length about the steps in a good apology. We're not going to reiterate the process here.
A really good apology doesn't just address what you did wrong; it also addresses why it was wrong. Why is overconfident over-reassurance wrong? It's wrong partly because it denies people the opportunity to prepare logistically and emotionally for the ordeal that may be coming. And it's wrong because it induces mistrust.
But even more fundamentally, overconfident over-reassurance is wrong because it demonstrates mistrust. We would love to see Thai officials explain this to the Thai citizenry: "Because we did not trust the public to bear bad news, we taught the public not to trust us to give bad news. We apologize for failing to tell people how bad things might get, but more importantly we apologize for failing to trust people to be able to bear the truth. From now on we will trust our people with bad news." And the corollary: "And from now on we will not accuse people of 'panicking' when they react to bad news by taking common-sense precautions, even if the precautions are not the ones we have officially recommended."
We have been told that apology is more difficult in Thai culture (like many Asian cultures) than it is in the West. Maybe – we're not experts and we don't know. Apology is plenty difficult in the West! What we do know is that every culture has ways to communicate contrition: You did something wrong, you know it was wrong, you're sorry, and you will try not to do it again. Perhaps a Thai apology sounds different from an American apology. But Thais know how to apologize to Thais – and a culturally appropriate apology is a crucial component of reform.
Explain the misbehavior.
There's a component of an effective apology that Peter missed when he wrote about "Saying You're Sorry" back in 2001. You need to explain your misbehavior – that is, you need to explain what made you do it. In the case at hand, the Thai government needs to explain why it thought it had to be over-reassuring in the face of potential calamity.
Explaining a misbehavior is possible only after you have acknowledged it, acknowledged that it was a misbehavior, and apologized. Any earlier explanation will be heard as an excuse, and will make it harder for people to hear your apology. (If you never get around to apologizing, of course, your explanation really is an excuse – and will backfire for sure.)
Even if you get the order right, it's important to accompany every explanation with a reiteration of your acknowledgment and apology. Good: "I want to tell you what was in our minds when we made that stupid decision, for which we are forever sorry." Bad: "Here's why we did it."
Among the likely explanations for Thai over-reassurance: army/civilian tensions and the instability of government; the long history of over-reassurance in past crises; the government's underestimation of the public's resilience and sturdiness; its "fear of fear" and its tendency to misinterpret legitimate fear as panic; etc.
Given that Thai officials have openly offered the prospect of "public panic" as a reason for cover-ups, officials could now say: "Sometimes we have been too afraid that people would panic if they knew the truth. But Thai people are resilient and sturdy, and we should remember that when we communicate about crises."
Authorize candor in your subordinates.
That may be the toughest recommendation on a list of tough recommendations. There are at least three problems with authorizing subordinates to be candid about bad news.
First, it's hard to trust middle managers that much, especially in a crisis. Everyone knows in principle that crisis communication needs to move faster than routine communication, which means that decisions need to be made lower down in the hierarchy. (The realities of 24/7 social media make speed and decentralization even more crucial.) There's simply no time for committee editing or management second-guessing in a crisis! But a crisis inevitably means higher levels of uncertainty and higher stakes. And in practice, most organizations – government and corporate alike – get more rigid as the uncertainties and the stakes get higher … which means the approvals process typically gets slower just when it needs to get faster. It's asking an awful lot to expect top officials of the Thai government to trust middle managers to talk openly about how bad a flood might get.
Second, even if senior officials decide to trust middle managers to talk openly, they'll find it hard to convince middle managers that they mean it. Simply articulating the principle ("be candid about bad news in emergencies") won't necessarily do the trick. Every organization has some principles that are meant to be operationalized and some that are meant to be paid lip-service only. Unfortunately, candor and transparency are typically in the latter category, and sensible middle managers know it. How can you convince middle managers that you really want them to operationalize your principle about not over-reassuring? The key is to convince them that they'll be rewarded if they're candid, and punished if they over-reassure. And the only way to do that is actually to reward candor and punish over-reassurance.
The third problem is perhaps the most intransigent. Even if top management means it about no longer over-reassuring, down in the bowels of government are plenty of mid-level bosses who don't mean it. And very few Thai government officials work directly for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra; they work for their boss. Even if Yingluck genuinely wants them to be candid rather than over-reassuring, they're not going to do it unless their boss wants them to do it. So effectively rewarding candor and punishing over-reassurance also means rewarding the boss whose subordinates are candid, and punishing the boss whose subordinates over-reassure. And it means protecting managers on the operational level from a boss whose priorities haven't changed yet.
Set up accountability mechanisms.
There's a column on this website that focuses exclusively on accountability.
All we want to stress here is that a government (or corporation) that has misled people in the past shouldn't expect people to trust it now. That includes pretty much every government (and pretty much every corporation). It certainly includes the Thai government.
The essence of accountability is reducing the need for trust by enabling people to check up on you and decide for themselves if you're telling them the truth or not. To quote the wonderful slogan of the U.S. chemical industry's Responsible Care program back in the 1990s: "Track us, don't trust us." Sadly, the slogan went out of use some years ago, but it has never been easier for an organization that really wants to make its claims accountable to do so.
Next time there's a major flood, the Thai government could make sure all the relevant data are collected on a central website, where government experts, outside experts (in Thailand and around the world) and ordinary citizens were free to do calculations, share assessments, and make predictions – with real-time mini-cams so everyone could see how the numbers and predictions stacked up against actual events.
Warn people about the new problem that's sure to emerge.
In case it's not obvious, the only way to avoid over-reassuring under conditions of high uncertainty is to resolve to err on the alarming side. You know you can't predict the extent of the flooding (or any crisis) exactly right. So deciding not to over-reassure necessarily means deciding to err on the alarming side – which in turn means that most of the time what actually happens won't be as bad as your worst-case warning suggested it might be.
And that means you're going to get criticized for being excessively alarmist.
For instance, the World Health Organization appropriately issued a strong warning about the potential magnitude of the 2009 swine flu pandemic. The pandemic turned out relatively mild, and WHO was accused of alarmism, and even of manufacturing a "fake pandemic" in deference to big pharma. Of course if WHO had minimized the risk and the pandemic had turned out severe, WHO would have been accused of mass murder. Being accused of alarmism is a much, much better problem to have.
But it's still a problem. See Peter's article on "Worst Case Scenarios" for some guidance on ways to cope with the problem. One crucial way to cope: Warn people that the crisis might fizzle, and that if it does they'll probably be pretty irritated at you (in hindsight) for over-reacting.
Legitimize and share your public's emotional reactions to the crisis.
The focus of this column has been on over-reassurance about potential disasters – the fact that the Thai government routinely over-reassures its public, why it should stop doing so, and (in this final list of recommendations) how it might begin stopping.
But as we have emphasized several times, being candid about how bad things might get won't keep things from getting bad. If things do get bad, your candor will have helped only a little, by enabling people to prepare better, logistically and emotionally.
So you need some empathy to accompany your candor. Don't just acknowledge that things could get bad. Acknowledge that it's scary, for them and for you. Show people that you can bear your fear (instead of claiming that you're not afraid), and that you expect them to be able to bear theirs as well. This is one of the most important ways to build a bond between leaders and their publics during a crisis.
Fear isn't the only crisis-related emotion that effective leaders need to legitimize and share. The first comment on this website's Guestbook, posted in December 2001 just months after the 9/11 attacks, was entitled "What did Rudy Giuliani do right?" (Giuliani was New York City Mayor during the attacks.) Peter wrote in part:
In the wake of the attacks, Americans were more miserable, even depressed, than we were frightened…. Giuliani modeled coping with misery: feeling it, not denying it; but bearing it, not crumpling under the burden. The moment that crystallized his leadership came only hours after the attacks, when he was asked to estimate how many had died at the World Trade Center. "More than we can bear," he said, bearing it. Of course a mayor who couldn't bear it would not have been able to lead us. But a mayor who found it easy to bear, who seemed not to feel the misery, would not have been able to lead us either.
For another example of legitimizing and sharing the public's emotional reactions to crisis, reread what Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said as Cyclone Yasi approached.
Part of legitimizing and sharing these reactions, by the way, is acknowledging the limits on what anyone – government or citizens – can actually do about the crisis, and how awful it feels for us all to watch and wait (and try to prepare) as the waters rise.
Consider other strategies of crisis communication and crisis leadership.
We don't want to turn this column on Thailand's flood into a crisis communication overview. But once a government decides over-reassurance isn't the way to go, the door is open for thinking through what to do instead.
The previous two items on this list raise two of the most relevant strategies to replace over-reassurance: warning people that if the crisis fizzles it'll feel like you overreacted, and legitimizing and sharing people's emotional reactions to the crisis.
Some places on this website to look for more strategies of crisis communication and crisis leadership:
- The website's crisis communication index
- The crisis communication handouts we developed for a 2004 CD/DVD.
- Jody's 2004 speech on how Singapore handled the 2003 SARS outbreak, presented at a World Health Organization conference on "Outbreak Communication."
Copyright © 2011 by Jody Lanard and Peter M. Sandman


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Guests at Mark Warner's Levante Beach Resort, Rhodes, San Lucianu Beach Resort, Corsica, Perdepera Beach Resort, Sardinia and Lemnos Beach Resort, Lemnos can take to the smooth, traffic-light open roads on one of our extensive fleet of Cannondale road and hybrid bikes. The islands offer a range of great local routes including various climbs where guests can enjoy the fabulous sea-views. Choose from a guided tour with one of our enthusiastic, experienced team with routes ranging from beginner, intermediate to challenging, which will last 1–5 hours and cover 30–90km. Or go it alone and explore what the islands have to offer (maps will be provided).
Our resorts have the perfect ingredients of traffic light roads and challenging hills to host exciting cycling holidays. Open to all abilities, we will ensure you are grouped appropriately and enjoy a programme of tours led by our cycling team.
Combine your passion for cycling with the opportunity to learn or participate in other land and water sports. Our cycling can be enjoyed by solo travellers, friends or families. Everyone has the freedom to enjoy 'their thing' whilst also having quality time together on what is guaranteed to be a truly special holiday.
Younger guests (13 to 17 years) are encouraged to join in if they can comfortably fit on one of our adult road or hybrid bikes and into a helmet. All we ask is that they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Watch more on our road cycling in Levante Beach Resort.
Bikes and equipment
Entry level road and hybrid bikes are free to use, while the premium fully carbon-frame road bikes can be rented for €30/50 for half/full day.
We have a fleet of Cannondale bikes in resort for you to choose from or alternatively for keen cyclists you can simply bring your own bike to resort. Our bike teams service, clean and lube all bikes (including your own) at the end of each day.
Helmets are mandatory and are provided free of charge, and puncture repair kits, pumps, spare inner tubes and tyre levers are available. Our bikes are fitted with standard flat or cage type pedals. Guests who cycle regularly are encouraged to bring their own shoes, cleats and pedals with them and our staff with happily fit these onto the bikes. Our team of guides are always on hand to assist and offer advice. We also provide maps and detailed itineraries each day and water bottle are available for purchase.
• Carbon Cannondale SuperSix Evo Ultegra*• Aluminium Cannondale Synapse Claris• Mountain bikes - Cannondale Trail 4*Please note this fleet will be a combination of 2015, 16 and 17 models and not all brand new
• Carbon Cannondale SuperSix Evo Ultegra*• Aluminium Cannondale Synapse Claris• Hybrid bikes - Cannondale Quick 6*Please note this fleet is from 2016.
• Aluminium Cannondale Synapse Claris• Mountain bikes - Cannondale Trail 4
• Mountain bikes - Cannondale Trail 4
For keen cyclists that would like to bring their own bike on our British Airways charter flight, please book early as places are limited to 10 bikes and preference is given on a first-come, first-served basis. Your bikes can be stored in our bike shed during your stay.
We recommend you bring your own bib shorts, jerseys and rain cape (if necessary).
Levante tours
This tour is physically intense and begins with a 4km flat warm-up. The route heads north through Afandou, passing the town square and church. Next is a 5km intense tarmac climb. The route will then contour for several kilometres before sweeping through some very quick downhill bends.
After passing through the town of Kalithies, all of the hard work put in on the initial climb is rewarded with a long and fast asphalt descent and pan flat finale along the promenade of Afandou Bay. A hugely enjoyable tour that includes all aspects of a great road ride and allows our guides to assess everyone's abilities and fitness.
This tour involves two physically demanding climbs. Riders are rewarded for their efforts with a series of spectacular views including the town of Archangelos, the inland mountain range and the beautiful turquoise waters of the Aegean sea.
On leaving the resort, riders head out through the town of Kolymbia, then immediately uphill towards Cape Vagios. After a tough climb under the shade of a canopy of trees, riders descend down through a series of hairpin bends to the stunning Stegna Beach. Following a lunch stop it's back up the hill before a very rapid descent back to resort.
This is both a physical and technical tour designed for more advanced riders.
This is the big ride the whole week has been geared up for! This is an intense and physically demanding ride designed for seasoned cyclists with a high standard of fitness. This beautiful and scenic tour will take approximately four hours to complete.
After leaving the resort, riders will pass through the town of Kolimbia then head west. After passing the Seven Springs, a steady climb awaits through the towns of Archipoli, Elouesa, Dimilia and Salakos. A steep climb following the canopy covered switchback road takes the tour to the summit of Profitis Ilias. From here riders are rewarded for their efforts with an exhilarating fast descent through Elouesa and Archipoli before returning to Levante.
San Lucianu tours
The ride to Santa Maria Poggio and Cervione is an adventurous ride. It's mainly on roads rather than dirt tracks and climbs a steep incline up into the mountains that overlook the hotel. A tour highlight is the local farming area allowing you to see some of the flora and fauna the island has to offer. From orange and lemon groves, to goat-herds and piglets there are several surprises along the route.
The ride to San Giovanni di Moriani is one of the more challenging routes. This tour takes participants out of their comfort zone and up into the highest reaches of the mountains overlooking the hotel. At the beginning of this route, the tour following the same route as the trip to San Nicolao on the intermediate trail however it then continues to rise using the roads up into heights of the mountains. There are some stunning views on this trip; the adrenaline rush will come from the descent back to sea level. There are several hair-pin bends and some steep drops.
This is both a physical and technical tour designed for more advanced riders.
Cycling Club
Join our Strava Cycling Club, for information on our routes, leaderboards and challenges. Don't miss the opportunity to compare yourself against other Mark Warner guests and our resort cycling guides.
Please input the childrens ages on the return day of your journey.
Prices shown are per person. Change to 'total price' to see the full cost for your family.
Prices are subject to availability. Room supplements apply. Facilities and what is included varies between resorts.
Breakfast, afternoon tea & dinner included
Free evening childcare from 7.30pm to 10.30pm
Free instructor-led guided skiing in France
All flights and resort transfers included
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subset: commoncrawl


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ST. LOUIS — The last time Tim Lincecum started a playoff game, a lot of good things happened.
He pitched tremendously — 8 innings, 1 ER, 10 strikeouts vs. Texas — the Giants won Game 5 and also the World Series, you may remember.
Well, here he is again, ready to start Game 4 of the NLCS here tonight, after working his way back into the rotation with three playoff bullpen outings (and thanks to the shakiness of Madison Bumgarner lately, which moved Barry Zito into Bumgarner's Game 5 slot and opened Game 4 for Lincecum).
Will Lincecum dominate a playoff start again?
I don't think we'll see that tonight, though I think Lincecum absolutely can be effective against a Cardinals lineup that will surely be without Carlos Beltran, their best threat from the left side.
Lincecum — as random a top athlete as we'll ever see — might not have loved losing his rotation slot in the first round of the playoffs, but we all saw that he was a different pitcher out of the bullpen.
This is a guy who needs maximum effort to get extra life on his pitches, especially now, with the velocity down; and I think it's clear that the instant-electricity of coming in from the pen got a rise out of him.
I remember seeing Lincecum poised at the edge of the bullpen after he warmed up, knowing he was going to come into Game 4 in Cincinnati, and just DYING to get out there — looking like a kid waiting to get on a rollercoaster.
He brought that energy to the mound, and a looser kind of confidence. He could just air it out, he could be free and easy, and he got positive reinforcement, too, which always helps.
Lincecum threw 81/3 innings as a playoff reliever in three appearances, giving up 1 ER, 3 hits, walking only one and striking out 9. It wasn't like he had blistering 2008-era stuff, but he was still a very good pitcher in those outings.
Maybe all that energy will carry over to this start … the Giants sure do need him. I'd guess Bruce Bochy will get Hector Sanchez into the lineup to catch Lincecum … and it's not like removing Brandon Belt so Buster Posey can play first is a large problem right now.
It's up to Lincecum. Maybe he's back. But maybe it's the three relief appearances that are the outlier performances. We'll see, obviously.
He's still the guy who had the 5.18 ERA this season—all as a starter. It'd be an incredible story if Lincecum turns back into "the Freak" in this game, and I'm sure we will see some of that.
It'll be about Lincecum regaining and sustaining his stuff, his confidence, and his electricity, precisely when the Giants need him most.
Read Tim Kawakami's Talking Points blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Undisputed Champion
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,761
Quoted: 16 Post(s)Rep Power: 18
Dela Hoya, PEDs user?
tom hauser
"But there is something very simple that Golden Boy can do to set an example. It involves the Golden Boy himself.
Oscar De La Hoya can show the world how a righteous PED-free fighter acts. In order to fully inform the public on the issues involved (and remove any hint of suspicion that he himself might not have clean hands) Oscar should waive his right to confidentiality and authorize the Nevada State Athletic Commission to release the results of any tests for performance enhancing drugs that he has taken in the past. The same waiver should authorize all present and past NSAC personnel and any other person with knowledge of the situation to discuss the test results with any media representative who inquires about them.
I'm not talking about Lidocaine (which Oscar acknowledges having taken when he suffered a cut prior to his 2004 fight against Bernard Hopkins). Nor am I talking about creatine (which Lem Satterfield, then of the Baltimore Sun, authoritatively reported that Oscar incorporated into his training regimen in 1999 when he was preparing to fight Felix Trinidad).
I'm talking about the possibility of something more.
Let me even suggest wording for the waiver that Oscar can make public and send to the Nevada State Athletic Commission:
"I, Oscar De La Hoya, hereby waive all right of confidentiality with regard to the past testing of my blood and urine for steroids and other performance enhancing drugs conducted by or on behalf of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. In that regard, I also authorize all present and past Nevada State Athletic Commission personnel and any other person with knowledge of the situation to speak openly with the media about such testing."
To paraphrase: "C'mon, Oscar. If you have nothing to hide, then do it. It's only a piece a paper. Just sign the waiver."
now whadda ya know.... hah
Last edited by tibbar; 01-27-2010 at 12:54 AM.
Undisputed Champion
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,761
Quoted: 16 Post(s)Rep Power: 18
Oscar should sign the waiver if he has nothing to hide.... but i doubt hell do it, GBP and Team Mayweather are the most hypocrite group in boxing today.
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text:
A box for rob.
Record details
- Physical Description: 1 online resource (1 video file (approximately 100 min.)) : sound, color
- Publisher: [United States] : Pathfinder Films LTD : 2013.
Content descriptions
|Restrictions on Access Note:
| Digital content provided by hoopla.
|Participant or Performer Note:
| Mark Scarboro, Brett Gentile, Irone Singleton.
|Summary, etc.:
| Rob Spencer is a troubled man and his world begins to really unravel when a murder happens. All fingers seem to point to him. The dark secret of Rob's childhood becomes reality... But is he a killer?
|Target Audience Note:
| Not rated.
|System Details Note:
| Mode of access: World Wide Web.


text:
The Emergency Medicine (EM) Clinical Clerkship at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) provides 4th year medical students from the USA and abroad an excellent opportunity to develop their skills in the assessment and management of acutely ill and ambulatory patients. With an average of 56,000 patient visits to the Emergency Department annually, our patient population consists of the most complex acute traumatic and cardiac referrals, pre- and post-transplant patients, as well as common medical, surgical and gynecological cases.
The goals for this EM rotation are to:
demonstrate the ability to take an accurate, appropriate and focused history;
demonstrate the ability to perform an appropriately thorough and focused physical examination;
create an intelligent differential diagnosis based on the patient's history and one's physical examination findings;
understand and apply knowledge of the basic mechanisms of medicine in order to create an assessment of the likely causes of a presenting complaint;
recognize and determine if a patient is acutely ill;
know how to initiate the basic steps of emergency therapy in order to stabilize an unstable or deteriorating condition;
rule out potentially life-threatening illness; and
know how to initiate a treatment plan, whether through inpatient admission or outpatient care with primary care physician follow-up.
Clinical Activities
During this 4-week rotation, students will work 14 to 16, 8-hour shifts: day, evening, overnight and weekend. Clinical time is devoted to the management of complicated medical and surgical problems, gynecological and orthopedic in addition to minor medical and surgical complaints. Students will be involved in a variety of clinical procedures, including wound care, suturing, fracture and dislocation care, abscess incision and drainage, arthrocentesis, slit lamp examination, lumbar puncture, gastric intubation, femoral venipuncture and catheterization, as well as arterial puncture.
Teaching Activities
The weekly Harvard Medical School (HMS)-sponsored EM Lecture Series is designed specifically for medical students enrolled in the EM electives at HMS-affiliated hospitals. These lectures address the following topics: trauma, suturing, airway, environmental emergencies, shock, toxicology, pediatric emergencies and analgesia.
Susan E. Farrell, MD (Director, BWH EM Clinical Clerkship) schedules weekly meetings with medical students to review cases and discuss topics in EM.
Medical students meet on a monthly basis with the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency (HAEMR) Program teaching senior resident to manage, as a team, clinical scenarios in the STRATUS Center for Medical Simulation at BWH.
All students are invited and welcome to attend the BWH/MGH HAEMR didactic and teaching sessions.
Pre-Hospital Care --> Ambulance Ride Along
Pre-hospital evaluation and care of the ill or injured patient is an important part of the specialty of EM. Although not required, medical students are encouraged to spend one shift with a Boston Emergency Medical Services team.
This page was last modified on 8/16/2017


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Sometimes An Adversary Is An Essential Friend Despite Hate Motherly Love Must Prevail In The End
Chris Columbus, the director of family comedies such as �Home Alone� (1990) and �Night At the Museum� (2006) departs from his humorous standard and delivers a drama examining parenting, divorce, death, and perseverance despite one�s grim conditions.
Chris Columbus, the director of family comedies such as �Home Alone� (1990) and �Night At the Museum� (2006) departs from his humorous standard and delivers a drama examining parenting, divorce, death, and perseverance despite one�s grim conditions. �Stepmom� (1998) features two of Hollywood�s leading women: Academy Award winners Julia Roberts of �Pretty Woman� (1990) notoriety, and Susan Sarandon who appeared in �The Witches Of Eastwick� (1987) and the sobering �Dead Man Walking� (1995).
Roberts portrays Isabel Kelly, a young and attractive woman in a romantic relationship with Luke Harrison (Ed Harris), a man old enough to be her father. Sarandon depicts Isabel�s nemesis, Jackie � Ed�s ex-wife and the mother of his two children.
Ed and Isabel date for approximately a year before deciding to tie the knot. While both individuals are blissfully in love Jackie, and by proxy her two children (who reside with their father) are less than welcoming. The children, Anna (Jena Malone) and Ben (Liam Aiken) are apprehensive of Isabel�s capabilities as a mother; so is Jackie, who despises Ed�s new wife out of spite and jealously. Jackie frequently, though indirectly encourages the children to aggravate their new step mom. At other times her animosity is less subtle, like when she scolds Isabel for buying the kids tickets to a rock concert. After convincing the step mom not to take the children Jackie buys her own tickets, takes Ben and Anna to the concert, and subsequently becomes the night�s hero.
Things change however when Jackie is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Their mother now realizes that there is no time to quarrel with Isabel, nor harbor negative feelings toward her. In her final days the dying matriarch will genuinely befriend her successor, and also attempt to instill Isabel with motherly wisdom to ensure Ben and Anna�s happiness. The central theme of �Stepmom� begins to develop from this point forward, as both women bond, lower their guards, and share experiences that will move and inspire the film�s viewers.
�Stepmom�s� soundtrack features many familiar tunes including the Motown sounds of Marvin Gaye and The Supremes, alongside classic rock from Queen and David Bowie. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe, Kids� Choice Award, and a Teen Choice Award.
It is rated PG-13 for language and thematic elements with a runtime is 124 minutes.


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Instrumental Solotrax, Vol. 14: Trumpet/French Horn - Book and CD
By Ed Hogan
Brass solo trumpet, piano
Sacred Solos for Trumpet and French Horn. Composed by Ed Hogan. Book and CD. Lillenas Publishing Company #765762066908. Published by Lillenas Publishing Company (LO.765762066908).
Item Number: LO.765762066908
Value-priced combo includes Instrumental Solotrax, Volume 14 for Trumpet or French Horn and Stereo Trax Accompaniment CD (MU-9359T).


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September 17, 2017 - By Marie Mckinney
The stock of CELESIO AG (OTCMKTS:CAKFF) registered a decrease of 23.83% in short interest. CAKFF's total short interest was 29,400 shares in September as published by FINRA. Its down 23.83% from 38,600 shares, reported previously.
It closed at $31.55 lastly. It is down 0.00% since September 17, 2016 and is . It has underperformed by 16.70% the S&P500.
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Nashville, Murfreesboro and Mt. Juliet TN
Keeping your Nashville home free from termites is important to protect its value and the structure. Termite damage from a single colony can average three thousand dollars. This amount doesn't include the loss of the value caused by having a history of termites.
By calling Ameri Care services today you can protect yourself against these pricy termite bills. We offer termite treatment service for Middle Tennessee including Murfreesboro and Nashville to safeguard your house or business from termites. Ameri Care Services can help even if you have a current infestation, we can wipe them out safely and quickly.
Price, reputation and effectiveness in Davidson and Rutherford Counties vary from one company to another. Ameri Care Services is your best choice for long-lasting results from your termite treatment.
While living in the middle Tennessee area you have probably come to know many of the most common pests to this region. You also certainly know someone that has had a termite problem. They are found in almost every state of the US and they are a problem for many homeowners.
Ameri Care Services uses some of the most effective termite treatment services available. The first step however is getting a termite and pest inspection from one of our professional technicians.
Termite treatment is complicated and is very difficult and ineffective when you attempt to "do-it-yourself". Ameri Care Services professionals know the best methods to remove termites from your home and prevent them from returning in the future. Please call us today for your FREE, no obligation quote and learn which termite treatment plan is best for your home.
Nashville and Murfreesboro Ameri Care Services Professionals are Experts at Protecting Your Home and Family from pests.
If you currently have a pest problem you may have researched the types of termite treatment available. Liquid barrier and baiting systems are the most common, both techniques are safe and effective.
The liquid barrier termite treatment works by placing chemicals known to eliminate termites on contact, or to invade the termite colony or nest to eliminate the pests. Another method to prevent them is a liquid termite treatment which creates a barrier around the exterior of your home. The system works like this, when the termites tunnels through the barrier, the chemical is ingested and spread to the other termites, this will wipe out the entire colony. This is great choice to rid your Nashville of these pests.
We also offer baiting systems, they work by placing feeding stations around your house with their favorite food. Once the pests enter the station the chemicals that the pest ingest eliminate them over time.
Ameri Care Services pest control systems used to treat your Nashville or Murfreesboro home are backed by federal regulations and are safest in the industry. You and your family can continue life as normal as the treatment is ongoing and not risk any contamination.
If you're worried about the safety of termite treatment and pest control solutions for your Nashville or Murfreesboro home, you can rest assured that Ameri Care Services solutions are backed by federal regulators as some of the safest on the market. Your family and pets can roam freely near the treatment areas without the threat of contamination.
Termites are an expensive pest, Call Ameri Care Services today to stop these pests before they cost you more money!Ameri Care Services Nashville
226 Leonard Ave Ste C, Nashville, TN 37205 Phone: 615-823-8224 Toll Free: 877-506-3029
E-mail : firstname.lastname@example.com


text: I'm in the process of transitioning my rack gear down to just a pedalboard. So here's the last couple things I have that I'm not really using, and I'd like to try to trade for the pedal equivalents. Korg DTR1000 This is the later revision that has blue LEDs. $100 shipped or trade for Korg Pitchblack. SOLD! Rocktron HUSH rack mount noise suppressor. This is 2 channels and doesn't kill tone like a few other noise suppressors I've used. $100 shipped or trade for pedal HUSH, ISP decimator, or NS-2. Line 6 X2 XDR95 rack mount receiver. This is the receiver ONLY I don't have an extra body pack to sell with it. $100 shipped or make me a trade offer! SOLD! Monster Power Pro 3500 power center. You know how awesome this thing is! $175 shipped. Or make a trade offer! I've decided to keep this one. Or trade down for the 2500 plus cash. SKB VS1 sliding rack shelf with Velcro. Rack mounted pedalboard basically. $70 shipped. Or make a trade offer! A couple things I'm looking for in trade: Small bass head, like an MB200 Small Clean Guitar amp (Fender or similar) Tuners for a Gibson les Paul guitar Pedals (just about anything cool) Pedal Power 2 Fuel Tank


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Challah Knife with Floral Outline in Red and Gold with Ruby AccentsProduct ID: CHK-KA-35207
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Challah Knife with Floral Outline in Red and Gold with Ruby Accents
This challah knife has a stainless steel blade, and a handle plated in 24k gold with an outline of flowers and a holiday message.
Material Enamel-Gold-Metal-Stainless steel
Dimensions 33x3 cm
Estimated processing time: 2-4 Business Days.
Your order's processing time is the estimated number of days that it will take for your order to be prepared for shipment from our Israel-based fulfillment center.
Challah Knife with Floral Outline in Red and Gold with Ruby Accents
This fabulous challah knife has a gold plated handle decorated by red flowers and green leaves and ruby accent centers. The flowers rest on a golden outline, and encircle the red center, which features "Shabbat ve Yom Tov" in gold Hebrew letters. The words reaffirm that the knife is for Shabbat and the holidays. The knife's blade is stainless steel.
With such a wonderful presentation of nature as well as important Hebrew words, this challah knife would be perfect for a wedding present or for use in your own home.


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Runners were still crossing the finish line when two pressure cooker bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon.
Those explosions killed three people and injured hundreds of others. They also keyed one of the largest manhunts ever on American soil before brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were found.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev remains in jail awaiting trial for the crimes.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed, and his brother injured before his capture.
There are several activities planned in Boston today including a ceremony at the Hynes Center led by Vice President Joe Biden.
Other activities include a service at the chapel inside Massachusetts General Hospital, and bells will ring all over Boston at 2:49pm, the exact time of the attack.
The 118th edition of the race will take place Monday and will include an expanded field of just under 40,000.
Even so, that's nothing compared to how many are expected to watch the race. The Washington Post reports officials estimate one million people will line the route, twice the normal crowd.


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The South African Football Association (Safa) has confirmed the dismissal of Bafana Bafana coach, Shakes Mashaba.
According to reports from a source close to Mashaba's family, Mashaba was sacked Thursday Morning following the conclusion of his disciplinary hearing which found him guilty of gross misconduct, insubordination and bringing the SA Football Association (Safa) into disrepute.
The source told BuzzSouthAfrica that Mashaba was issued a letter terminating his job as the Safa coach and that he's expected to vacate his post in the football association with immediate effect despite having a contract that was only due to expire after the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Read Also: Zuma: I've Done Nothing Wrong, Don't Know Why People Want Me Out
BuzzSouthAfrica gathered that the case leading to Mashaba's loss of his post came after he angrily lashed out at the Safa officials following Bafana Bafana beating of Senegal 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Polokwane on November 12.
Mashaba at that time, spared none of his assumed critics, directing his profanity-laced tirade at the media and his bosses inside the dressing room, the source said.
"You don't support me but you are sabotaging me just like the journalists," Mashaba allegedly said in addition to other unprintable remarks. "I'm being criticised. I was called a dead man before this match."
Having been sacked, Mashaba's technical team, which includes two assistant coaches in Owen da Gama, Thabo Senong and goalkeeper coach Lucky Shiburi, still have an uncertain future because the decision to keep them or let the go will rest with the new coach, who is still to be confirmed.
A statement released by Safa on Thursday morning reads: "Following the unfortunate incidents that occurred in Polokwane on Saturday, 12 November 2016, after the match between Bafana Bafana and Senegal, the South African Football Association (SAFA) placed Head Coach Ephraim Shakes Mashaba on suspension pending a disciplinary hearing.
"The hearing took place over five days in December 2016 (5th – 7th, 9th, 12th) and was chaired by an independent legal expert who is an Advocate of the High Court.
"Following extensive deliberations, the Chairman of the hearing concluded that the Coach was guilty of the three charges levelled against him: 1. Gross Misconduct/Professional Misconduct; 2. Gross Insubordination/Professional Misconduct; 3. Violation of the SAFA Communications Policy.
Read Also: Faf du Plessis' Ball Tampering Appeal Flops, CSA Embraces Outcome
The statement also quoted Safa CEO Dennis Mumble saying: "It is regrettable that we had to face the events of the past month at a time when the National Team is experiencing a resurgence in its quest to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
"Due to the seriousness of the Coach's actions, we had to release our Head Coach with immediate effect. We shall immediately institute a search for a new Head Coach familiar with African football competition who will be expected to continue the quest to qualify for the world's apex football competition. We ask all supporters to continue to support Bafana Bafana."
The South African Football Association (Safa) concluded by saying it no longer has any dealings with Shakes Mashaba


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Traffic Monitoring Applications
Tunnel solutions for the light sensors
According to the International Committee on Illumination CIE recommendations, luminance should be monitored as the luminance contained within in a conical field of view, subtending an angle of 20º. It is recommended that a luminance photometer is mounted in the tunnel approach road approximately 120 - 200 metres from the portal, depending on the approach speed of the vehicles and their stopping distance. The purpose of monitoring the luminance at the portal is to adjust the level of light intensity inside the road tunnel to the light intensity outside so that drivers do not have to adjust their eyes quickly or become affected by the "black hole" effect where they decelerate rapidly and become a hazard to other road users.
Road tunnel atmosphere monitoring
CODEL`s road tunnel monitors are designed exclusively for road tunnel applications. It offers a family of tunnel sensors that provide all the essential measurements necessary to monitor the tunnel atmosphere.
Tunnel solutions for the tunnel air flow
Tunnel ventilation systems are designed to enable a sufficient throughput of air to be maintained to ensure a safe operating environment for users. These systems consume large amounts of power and need to be operated as efficiently as possible. To do this it is necessary to know the effectiveness of the system in terms of air flow and direction developed within the tunnel. The TunnelTech 301 is a single point ultrasonic flow monitor that is unaffected by traffic flow and sound reflections. It is designed to withstand the harsh tunnel environment and has a working range of 0-20 metres/second in both directions.
Meteorological sensors for traffic weather
Traffic weather is our keyword for every weather monitoring system, that helps to increase safety on roads, railways, in the air and on the sea.
By G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH based in Fellbach, GERMANY.
Air Flow Monitoring for Tunnels
By Optical Scientific Inc. (OSi) based in Gaithersburg, MARYLAND (USA).
Traffic noise monitoring
Traffic noise impacts millions of people at home and at work. Traffic noise can impact your ability to work, learn rest, play, relax, and sleep. This form of noise can also lead to mental and physical health concerns. The noise is dependent upon such issues as: Traffic volume. Traffic Speed. Vehicle Content. Road Surface. Surrounding Area.
By Larson Davis, a division of PCB Piezotronics based in Depew, NEW YORK (USA).
Need help finding the right suppliers? Try XPRT Sourcing. Let the XPRTs do the work for you


text: Hi all, I was looking at an Android powered Tablet made in China. They are confirming that it is running version 2.2. But when looking at the Android version in the 'about phone' UI, it shows "2.2-update1". Is this real? Or is it 2.1 with some 2.2 features? I have attached an image they sent compared to another one I found on the web. Not sure if they are faking it. Any advise would be appreciated, since I wanted to buy this soon. Thanks Manzi


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Need help?
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What size tire chains should I use?
Tire chains are very important safety features when you are driving in the snow. Chains give your car much better handling in snowy and icy conditions. You should use chain kits that have 0.12 x 0.39 x 1.18-inch side chains, and 0.16 x 0.55 x 0.98-inch cross chains.
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How to Recover After Losing a Lover
Relationship Advice – How To Cheer Up After A Breakup
You've just ended your relationship with your loved one and it seems as if it might just be the end of the world. You feel more alone now than at any other point in your life. It seems as if the pain may never go away; you feel like it will last forever. How in the world can you ever be expected to move on with your life?
You have to find ways to cheer yourself up.
First, and foremost is that you do not need to be alone. This will only result in the world's worst pity party with an attendance of only one. You just can't be expected to begin healing and recovering when you are lying in a pool of despair and pain.
You have to get up and get back out into the world again. You need to start your life over as soon as possible and, above all, you need to do so around friends. Not just mild acquaintances, but friends who really care about you and who also want what is best for you. Their support right now will be invaluable.
Find something you enjoy, especially if you have put whatever it is on hold in the past… and do it! It could be something from your past or maybe it could be a new following, such as rock climbing, scuba diving, racquetball, etc. Anything that is more than a passing interest to you. Now is the time to take the time to pursue it.
Since you can't expect to spend every waking moment with others, you also need to make sure the time you have alone is quality time. Have some good books lined up that you have been putting off reading. Pick out some movies you have been looking forward to seeing… but never took the time. Go shopping at your favorite store. Plan a mini vacation. Splurge on a facial, massage or some other form of pampering you have always wanted to indulge in. Just do something you enjoy and so ensure your alone time is well spent.
One thing you really don't want to do is talk about the demise of the relationship to your friends or family. It should all be put behind you and this is next to impossible if you continue to dwell on it. The sooner you really let go of the situation, the sooner you will be able to get your life back on track.
This is the time to learn about yourself. Are destructive emotions at the heart of any problems you are experiencing? If so, maybe you need to get control of what you are really telling yourself. What are your beliefs?
For nearly 25 years Beverleigh Piepers has searched for and found the principles to help you get to the root causes of your crisis.
The solution is not in the endless volumes of information you find across the internet, or the advice your friends give… it's in yourself; the thoughts that make you who you are.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beverleigh_H_Piepers
One comment on "How to Recover After Losing a Lover"
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Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
på Old Vic Theatre
Half a century after its premiere on The Old Vic stage, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, the play that made a young Tom Stoppard's name overnight, returns to The Old Vic in its 50th anniversary celebratory production.
Against the backdrop of Shakespeare's Hamlet, this mind-bending situation comedy sees two hapless minor characters, Rosencrantz (Daniel Radcliffe) and Guildenstern (Joshua McGuire), take centre stage.
Increasingly out of their depth, the young double act stumble their way in and out of the action of this iconic drama. In a literary hall of mirrors, Stoppard's brilliantly funny, existential labyrinth sees us witness the ultimate identity crisis.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Anmeldelser
"David Leveaux's production is nimble and inventive"
The Guardian
"Radcliffe's Rosencrantz and [Joshua] McGuire's Guildenstern are a delight as the discombobulated double-act"
The Telegraph
"Radcliffe and McGuire bounce off each other like Spacehoppers on a day out."
The Times
"The show is fantastically light on its feet and there are moments combine weird beauty and sublime silliness."
The Independent
"It remains strange and charming, always clever and sometimes soulful"
Evening Standard
"A brilliantly crafted, endlessly witty meditation"
Bestil billetter
Monday to Saturday 7.30pm
Thursday and Saturday 2.30pm
Spiller fra
Spiller til
Forestillingens længde:
Benyt Northern, Jubilee eller Bakerloo line til Waterloo Station. herfra er der ca. 10 min. gang til teatret.


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IT Staffing & Consulting Services
'Consulting Services' has become a cliche term that can run the gamut on what it means. At Zilker Partners we don't think of your grocery delivery as 'Consulting Services'. Not that there is anything wrong with grocery delivery, because it's awesome. What we do represent when it comes to consulting services is the following:
- Contract Staffing and Contract-to-hire services
- Providing IT Consultants to execute a specific project or initiative for our clients
- Advising our clients on strategy, best practices or key competencies as it relates to their current opportunities
- Program Management to execute and govern projects
- Leveraging our trusted partner network to execute specific initiatives that might not be in our wheel house
- Before signing an agreement with any of our clients or partners, we ensure it's the right fit for both parties. Zilker Partners is NOT about getting as many customers or partners as possible. We ARE about getting the right set of strategic partners & customers, then growing and harvesting them into long term partnerships.
- Unlike many IT contract staffing firms, we actually understand the different technologies. This is key when we profile a job requisition. Understanding the technology and how our client is implementing that technology within their company and skill sets required is key in finding the right candidate.
- We understand first hand what it's like to be in the client's shoes hiring contractors. Executing the hiring process efficiently for our clients from end-to-end is foundation to our business and making sure we optimize the experience and time our clients spend during the process is top priority.
Contact us to learn more about what we have to offer.


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The CM CANopen enables you to connect any CANopen or CAN 2.0A devices to your SIMATIC S7-1200 PLC. The module plugs into your S7-1200 and acts as a bridge between the CANopen/CAN devices and the micro PLC. This allows you to choose from a wider range of automation products when designing your system.
Simply attach the CM CANopen expansion module to the SIMATIC S7-1200 PLC. Any device running the CANopen protocol or any custom CAN 2.0A based protocol can then be connected.
Once attached to the S7-1200, you then set up the CM CANopen module from within TIA Portal®. Your CANopen network configuration can then be made in the accompanying CM CANopen Configuration Studio.
The CM CANopen module can be configured to be either a Master or Slave from TIA Portal. No programming is needed to create the configuration.
Plug-in CANopen Master/Slave module for SIMATIC S7-1200 PLC
Connects up to 16 CANopen slave nodes in master mode
256 byte input and 256 byte output per module
Connects up to 3 modules per CPU
3 LEDs provide diagnostic information on module, network and I/O status
Integratable in the hardware catalogue of the TIA Portal configuration suite
Support for transparent CAN 2.0A for custom protocol implementation
CANopen configuration via the included CANopen Configuration Studio Software
Pre-made function blocks available for easy PLC programming in TIA portal
Complies to the CANopen communication profiles CiA 301 rev. 4.2 and the CiA 302 rev. 4.1
3 year product guarantee. *
Communication module *
Order at HMS Anybus: CM CANopen-Modul, DSUB with screw connector for the subnet,CD with CM CANopen Configuration Studio, USB-Configuration cable
The CM CANopen module is an HMS product and can only be obtained through HMS.
The following description contains information on supplementary products that are manufactured and marketed, not by Siemens, but by third-parties outside the Siemens group ("external companies"). These external companies organize the manufacture, sale and delivery of their products independently. Their own terms and conditions of business and delivery apply.Responsibility for these supplementary products and for the associated information presented here rests exclusively with the respective external company. Unless compulsory by law, Siemens assumes no liability and makes no guarantee for supplemental products of external companies. Please refer also to the note on "Exemption from liability/Use of hyperlinks".
Siemens has prepared this description with great care. It is not possible, however, for Siemens to verify that the data supplied by external companies is complete, correct or up to date. The possibility that individual items of information might be incorrect, incomplete, or not up-to-date cannot therefore be ruled out. Unless compulsory by law, Siemens accepts no liability for the usability of the data or of the product for the user per se. This article contains third-party Web addresses. Siemens is not responsible for the contents of these Web sites, nor does Siemens adopt these Web sites and their contents, as Siemens does not control the presented information and cannot be held responsible for the content and information they contain. You therefore use these links at your own risk.