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The enduring image of Tiger Woods from this British Open will be of him bent over on one knee, his other leg angled to the side, as he desperately tried to save his day with a miracle shot from deep in a bunker off the sixth green. His adventure in the sand proved costly, though perhaps even more fatal to his chances were the three straight bogeys he made on the back nine when his mind seemed to wander elsewhere.
He once seemed able to figure out ways to win majors like no other player could. Now Woods figures out ways to lose them, including two within the space of the last month or so that the Tiger of old might have run away with.
Another wasted opportunity, another weekend blown. He's still stuck at 14 major championships, and if he can't find a way to break through at the PGA Championship next month it will be almost five years and counting between major titles by the time the Masters rolls around next spring.
We judge him too harshly, yes, but only because he was once so great. Still could be if all the stars should align, though there still seems to be something missing from this version of Tiger Woods than the one who won on one leg at Torrey Pines in 2008, a time that must seem so long ago for him.
He analyzes things more than the Tiger of old, who simply went out and played golf. This one comes in with a game plan, but has no Plan B when it goes awry.
Blame it on stubbornness or the arrogance that comes with being the only golfer who will ever chase Jack Nicklaus in the record books. Nicklaus himself sometimes fell into the same trap, mapping out a game plan and never veering from it despite changing conditions.
Ernie Els reached out yesterday and grabbed this Open, snatching it from Adam Scott. Woods tried to win — and lost — by playing it safe. The triple bogey on No. 6 didn't help, either.
"We've all been in positions to win golf tournaments and sometimes people go ahead and win them and take them away from you," Woods said. "Other times we make mistakes. And that's just the way it goes."
The problem with that logic is that it may not have gone that way if Woods had not stuck so rigidly to a game plan that called for iron after iron off the tee, even as he was falling further behind. While Els was banging his driver to set up birdies on the back-9, Woods was hitting approach shots from 200 yards or more out, and wasn't getting them anywhere close.
Els later said he got mad after making a bogey on No. 9 that left him six shots back of Scott with little choice than to attack the course. It worked, with four birdies coming in and his name being etched once again on the winner's claret jug.
Woods felt no such sense of urgency. For some reason, he saw no need to change what he was doing.
Unfortunately, the essence of links golf is adapting to what the course gives you and what the weather takes away. Woods' plan worked well enough the first two days to put him in contention with a pair of 67s, and the history of most majors is that caution works better than bravado.
But the pins were in more difficult spots on the weekend, harder to get close to with long irons. The wind picked up on Sunday, too, which Woods found out early when the safe 3-wood he went to on the 489-yard par-4 second hole almost ended up short in a fairway bunker.
It added up to a flawed game plan and yet another championship gone awry.
"I was in position to do what I wanted to do and then turn home and shoot maybe 1- or 2-under par on the back nine and I would have posted an 8- or 9-under par," Woods said. "And I thought that was going to be the number to win the golf tournament. I thought 8 was a playoff, 9 was to win outright. Unfortunately, I just didn't do it."


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Signs Of Depression in Men - What To Watch For
By: Sarah Fader
Updated February 26, 2020
Medically Reviewed By: Judson Haynes
Clinical depression is more than just feeling down for a day. It's not the same feeling you get when it's been cloudy for a few days. It's not feeling slightly irritable or struggling to sleep. Depression impairs you from living your daily life. It isn't a choice or something you can snap out of when you want to. It is a struggle that many people face. Many treatment options can help. Many people that suffer from mental health challenges never get diagnosed or treated, and a lot of it is because they don't recognize the symptoms. The symptoms and signs of depression in men can differ from that of women.
Signs Of Depression In Men
Source: rawpixel.com
Some of these signs of depression in men are ones that both men and women experience. But, some of these are reported more commonly in men. Understanding what depression looks like in men will help men to realize when they are suffering. Some of these symptoms are not ones that you would automatically connect with depression which can cause men to ignore seeking help.
If you recognize these symptoms in your life seek professional help to start treatment. You don't need to suffer silently. There are many effective treatment options to help you, including the therapists at BetterHelp.
Change In Sleeping Habits
This symptom of depression can go in two different directions. The first is sleeping too much. When depression sets in some men shut down and sleep. It's hard to motivate themselves to get out of bed or even to wake up. They can easily sleep for 12 hours or more each night. This can have a big impact on their productivity level throughout the day, but when feeling depressed, they don't usually care.
The other sleeping habit that can present during a depressive episode is insomnia. If men are suffering from depression it can be difficult to shut their brain off to go to sleep at night. This means they stay awake tossing and turning all throughout the night. Without getting proper sleep, it can be difficult to start feeling better. Physical health and mental health are closely related.
Even if sleep habits haven't changed men may experience feelings of fatigue. They struggle to have the energy to make it through their daily tasks. Quick pick-me-ups like coffee or an energy drink make little if any difference. Men may feel fatigued physically, mentally, and emotionally. They don't feel like they have the energy they need to get through the day.
Loss Of Interest
Source: pexels.com
If you are a man struggling with depression, it is easy to lose interest in the things that you normally enjoy in life. There are no boundaries to this loss of interest. Loss of interest in work may lead to difficulties providing for yourself and your family. It's difficult to keep a job without the mental and physical energy to maintain consistent work performance. If you are suffering from depression, it is wise to speak to your HR department about the situation, so they are aware.
You may also lose interest in things like your hobbies and loved ones. Things that you used to enjoy doing no longer bring you joy or pleasure. You may avoid doing the activities that you used to do because you simply don't care anymore. Unfortunately, this can impact your relationships as well. Even men that are very involved with their family and friends can lose interest in spending time together when dealing with depression.
Irritability And Anger
When most people think of depression, they think of being sad. However, in men, depression often disguises itself as anger and irritability. It's important to understand that irritability and anger are two different things.
When you are irritable, you are cranky. You may find that a small thing that normally doesn't bother you start to get on your nerves. You most likely feel like you are on edge and it feels like everyone is trying to push your buttons throughout the day. You notice all the imperfections around you and everything people are doing that they shouldn't be. You are consistently agitated without a real explanation.
Anger is a much stronger emotion than irritability. When men are dealing with depression, they know that something is not right even if they cannot pinpoint the cause. The more they struggle for unknown reasons, it is likely the anger will continue to amplify.. Sometimes the anger is constant while other times it erupts periodically. This can be cause significant damage to relationships as the focus becomes the anger and not the depression.
Difficulty Concentrating
"Brain fog" is another way to describe difficulty concentrating due to depression. Men may become more forgetful and struggle to remember things. Maintaining focus on the task at hand becomes increasingly difficult. Situations that normally would be easy to solve might seem more confusing. You may grow frustrated and irritable because you must work harder to accomplish things that normally would be a breeze.
Physical Pain And Digestive Issues
There is no denying that mental health is closely tied to your physical health. But, what most men don't realize is that physical symptoms can be one of the signs of depression in men. This includes symptoms such as chronic back pain, headaches, and stomachaches. Depression takes a physical toll on the body. Depressive symptoms like stress, anxiety, and guilt can wreak havoc on the digestive system. Other symptoms of depression can also cause these symptoms. Without sufficient sleep, fatigue may lead to headaches. As depression can affect thinking and judgment, poor diet choices may lead to digestive system issues. You may try to treat the physical symptoms without getting to the root of the mental health challenge that you are facing.
Source: pxhere.com
While women are likely to suffer from increased anxiety along with their depression, men often have an easier time discussing their anxiety compared to discussing feelings of sadness or hopelessness. When facing trying times in life, like the loss of a loved one or the loss of a job, men can often communicate how this worries them. They may not be able to communicate their feelings as much, but when they take concrete situations, they can express that they are anxious and worried about them.
Sexual Dysfunction
This is a symptom that most men do not want to talk about or admit, but it is a potential symptom of depression. When suffering from depression men may experience a lack of sexual desire. This often goes unreported because men feel ashamed when they are experiencing erectile dysfunction. This can become a vicious cycle. Sexual dysfunction often leads men to feel more depressed, further reducing sexual desire. As embarrassing as you might think it will be to discuss with a doctor, it is a common symptom of depression in men. It is helpful for your doctor or therapist to know all the symptoms you are experiencing to help you find the appropriate treatments.
Indecision tends to go along with some of the other symptoms that we have described here. It is hard to make decisions when you are struggling to concentrate, or you have an overall lack of interest in the topic. Indecision is a minor issue when it comes to things like trying to decide what movie to watch on Netflix, but it is a much larger problem when it comes down the things like not paying your bills because you couldn't decide if it was the right time to spend the money that you had from your paycheck. A lack of desire and care mixed with indecision can cause problems to snowball, further exacerbating feelings of agitation and hopelessness.
Suicidal Thoughts
Source: rawpixel.com
According to a 2016 National Survey of Drug Use and Mental Health, . If you or your loved one is having any thoughts of suicide, you need to seek help from a professional immediately. This includes thinking things like "my family would be better off without me" or "no one would even notice if I were gone." If this is a symptom that you are experiencing, please speak with someone right away. There are many treatment options to help you effectively deal with depression.
You Don't Need To Continue To Suffer In Silence
If you recognize any of these signs of depression in yourself or someone you love, then it's time to seek treatment. There are many options that professional therapists can provide to help get your symptoms under control and start enjoying your life. But, they can't help you if you don't reach out for help. Take the first step today and contact a professional to talk about your symptoms. You can use this list as a guide.

subset: commoncrawl


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If anyone lived an interesting life, it was Wu-Tang Clan member Ol' Dirty Bastard. Now it looks like the world will get to see just how interesting. It's been reported that a biopic about the rapper's life is on the way. According to reports, the film will be made by Columbia Pictures with Dirty's group mate RZA on hand to produce. The movie will follow the life of the Dirty, a founding member of Wu-Tang Clan who had his fair share of success and scandal before passing away in 2004. The project is still looking for a director and cast, so there's no exact word on when we can expect to see this one on the big screen. #ODB4Ever
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Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I know I did. I had good food, family around, and a relaxing day.
The other day I noticed this on this guy vehicle. His side mirror looks a little funky, which make me wonder, how can he see through that if at all?


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Wed, 18 November 2015
On Craig's day off, he went due south to central and southern Illinois to check out their burgeoning beer scene. He brought back five beers for us to review, and we're all over them like Abe Lincoln on a steamin' stack of corn cakes. Amidst the beer talk, we touch on such provincial topics as adhesive, hand growlering, the Kennedys, spray shields, penguin movies, Charleston Chews, service ducks, and Paul Walker. And stay tuned to the end when we pay tribute to the late Jonathan Taylor Thomas. We're never getting out of this one-stoplight town.
Direct download: ABV_Chicago_95_The_Other_Illinois.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30pm CDT


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City of Commerce Public Library
In 1960 the City of Commerce became its own city when it seceded from the County of Los Angeles by annexing its industrial land. Since then the city has gone through dramatic transformations and renovations, however, the City of Commerce's Central Library has remained untouched in its original location of the 1960's warehouse where it resides.
The goal of the project was to develop a design that would cherish the library's history while implementing innovative solutions and sustainable thinking to enhance the use of the library for future generations.
The initial investigation of the site revealed a series of north-facing sawtooth skylights that had been covered up and left unused. The design solution derives the main idea and formal gesture from these skylights along with the structural form of the warehouse. Exposing these skylights opens the space up to natural daylight, allowing the space to be flooded with diffused north light.
To create a sense of community, the design implements a retail component and a café, functioning as a multi-functional hub where visitors can find their own use, ranging from being a place for learning to a place for social networking.
Location: City of Commerce, California
Size: 13,622 sf
Design Team: David Thompson (Principal-in-Charge), Kevin Sutherland, Jennifer Rios


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As I stated in my post last week, I have been on vacation in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Gatlinburg is a staple in the world of Mid-American vacation spots and it is fairly easy to see why. In addition to the countless tourist-oriented spots, Gatlinburg and the neighboring Pigeon Forge provide some breathtaking views of the Great Smoky Mountains, as well as various hiking trails and other opportunities to admire the natural beauty of the area. Gatlinburg has all sorts of exciting experiences to offer and in this piece, I will be highlighting some of my favorites.
Firstly, the food selection in Gatlinburg is absolutely phenomenal. Several premier eating destinations can be found throughout the area. My personal favorite, Pancake Pantry, is located in Downtown Gatlinburg. The Pancake Pantry offers a variety of breakfast and lunch dishes, highlighted by their superb pancakes. Out of the 15+ varieties of pancakes they offer, I recommend the Swiss chocolate chip option. As a firm believer in the idea that pancakes are far superior to their waffle counterpart, I fancy myself as somewhat of a pancake expert. I can say with absolute certainty that these were the very best pancakes I have ever had in my life. They also offer several sandwiches and side dishes that were of great quality. I highly recommend anyone in the area try the Pancake Pantry. Gatlinburg also offers a variety of dinner establishments, such as Paula Deen's restaurant. I highly recommend it as well. It is worth mentioning, however, that eating out in Gatlinburg can be very pricy, as their taxes are somewhere around 12%. We found that a filet mignon steak dinner prepared at our cabin was more economical than eating at a moderate hamburger place. However, if you are prepared to spend a little more money, Gatlinburg offers a fine selection of eateries.
The natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains can't be understated. I have a hard time believing there is a more gorgeous landscape to be found anywhere in the country. The Gatlinburg area offers all sorts of opportunities to connect with nature, such as hiking trails, chair lifts which provide excellent views, and guided nature tours. Seeing as how I am not exactly a fan of traditional hiking, I gravitated toward the motor trails offered. These are roads which take you through some of the most beautifully forested parts of the state, offer the chance to see magnificent wildlife, and do it all from the air conditioned comfort of your car. During one of our motor trail experiences, a small bear cub walked right up to our car. It was absolutely adorable and made the experience even more special. Along with the wildlife, several historical structures such as old churches, mills, and cemeteries can be found within walking distance of these trails. Experiences like this are part of what makes Gatlinburg such a great destination.
Overall, Gatlinburg is a sensational vacation spot and I urge everyone to travel there if presented with the chance. The sights, shopping, and food are just part of what makes Tennessee, and Gatlinburg in particular, such a great place to visit. The local amusement park, Dollywood, the Ripley's Aquarium, the theatre dinner shows, and some of the desirable fishing spots are some more great options as well. This vacation was certainly memorable and I hope some of our readers get to experience it as well. Below are a few more pictures from my trip if you are interested. Thanks for reading and be sure to check out some of the other great content on Mid-American Culture.
My Twitter: @BigRedAFerg
Mid-American Culture Twitter: @M_American_C


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No, I Don't Want To Be Your Friend
I won't come back when my feelings are all gone so we can hang out.
I won't come back when my feelings are all gone so we can hang out.
How did it happen? How is it possible that two strangers could have so much in common?
I wasn't the one chasing you. I wasn't the one who wanted you. I barely remembered your face, your name.
You will always be my teenage love.
I was trying to not pay attention to the actual fact that I wasn't properly living, I was surviving. For most of my life, I was just trying to get to the end of the day, in a decent way.
The moment I figured out I was in love with you, was the moment I realized I was finally stopping. No more running, no more excuses.
Have you ever been the "almost" one?
I believe in you, I believe in boys, I believe you can change things if you want to.
On Wednesday the 8th of November, the actual video of Kiwi was dropped around 1pm UK time. And, you might ask, well, were you ready? Was I ready? Raise your hand if you honestly were. Anyone? Exactly. No one was.
There's a lot of the 1989, Red, Speak Now and Taylor Swift in this new brand shining Taylor, those eras will not die, they will forever live with her and her past, current and future Reputation. So well done, Taylor Swift, you've done it again! Even though I still think Jake Gyllenhaal should take one for the team and break her heart a tiny bit again, so she can write the record we truly deserve.


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at Retreat at Augusta Pines - Icon Collection
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Call 888-430-6103 to connect with the builder right now!
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Hop on a video call with a representative to take a virtual walkthrough of this home.
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Build the home of your dreams with the Brandenburg plan by selecting your favorite options. For the best selection, pick your lot in Retreat at Augusta Pines - Icon Collection today!
The spacious single story Brandenburg floor plan by Village Builders features a welcoming entry foyer, a study, island kitchen and walk-in pantry, open dining room, generous family room with access to a covered rear patio and the option to add a corner fireplace. The master bedroom with en suite bathroom offers a separate shower and corner tub, dual sinks, private toilet enclosure, and access to a large master closet. The Brandenburg floor plan also offers the option to add an extended covered rear patio.Visit the Builder's Website
Calusa Pines Drive
Spring, TX 77389
Don't Wait! Limited final opportunities remain to own your new luxury Village Builders dream home in Retreat at Augusta Pines. Our Village Builders Welcome Home Center has now closed, however, we continue to welcome your inquiries for Final Opportunities with our Internet Sales Consultant. All tours can be scheduled by appointment only, so please contact us at 888-671-8175 for an appointment today! Village Builders offers the exciting Icon Collection of homes in Retreat at Augusta Pines. These homes feature beautiful exteriors, spacious floor plans, and great amenities you will love such as large walk-in closets, generous family rooms, island kitchens, and relaxing covered rear patios.
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FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) today reported its third-quarter results, including these highlights:
Reported a third-quarter 2018 pretax profit of $456 million, or $688 million excluding net special items1, and a third-quarter net profit of $341 million, or $523 million excluding net special items
Third-quarter 2018 earnings were $0.74 per diluted share, or $1.13 per diluted share excluding net special items
Returned $46 million to shareholders in the form of dividends during the third quarter
"Strong demand for American's service led to record revenue in the third quarter and our eighth consecutive quarter of unit revenue growth. Our team continues to do an outstanding job of taking care of our customers, including during difficult situations such as Hurricanes Florence and Michael," said Chairman and CEO Doug Parker. "Unfortunately, higher fuel prices increased our expenses by approximately $750 million versus the third quarter of 2017, which led to a decline in earnings.
"We have moved quickly to adapt to the higher cost environment with lower planned capacity growth, the cancellation of unprofitable flying, deferral of new aircraft deliveries and continued aggressive cost management. We have significant revenue growth opportunities through initiatives such as expanded product segmentation, harmonization of aircraft configurations and high-margin growth prospects in our most profitable hubs. We are confident these actions will return American to both revenue outperformance and earnings growth in 2019 and beyond, and we remain very bullish on the future of American Airlines."
Third-Quarter Revenue and Expenses
Pretax earnings excluding net special items for the third quarter of 2018 were $688 million, a $485 million decrease from the third quarter of 2017, driven by higher fuel prices. In addition, the company's third-quarter pretax earnings were negatively impacted by Hurricane Florence by approximately $50 million.
Strong demand for air travel drove a 5.4 percent year-over-year increase in third-quarter 2018 total revenue, to a record $11.6 billion. Passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) grew 1.8 percent, driven by a 2.2 percent increase in passenger yields. Cargo revenue was up 16.4 percent to $260 million due to a 12.1 percent increase in yield and a 3.8 percent increase in volume. Other revenue was up 14.5 percent to $738 million due primarily to higher loyalty revenue. Third-quarter total revenue per available seat mile (TRASM) increased by 2.6 percent compared to the third quarter 2017 on a 2.7 percent increase in total available seat miles.
The improvement in revenue was offset by the significant increase in fuel prices. Total third-quarter 2018 operating expenses were $10.9 billion, up 12.4 percent year-over-year, driven by a 42.6 percent increase in consolidated fuel expense. Had fuel prices remained unchanged versus the third quarter of 2017, total third-quarter 2018 expenses would have been approximately $750 million lower. Total third-quarter 2018 cost per available seat mile (CASM) was 14.54 cents, up 9.4 percent from third quarter 2017. Excluding fuel and special items, consolidated third-quarter CASM was 10.60 cents, up 0.8 percent year-over-year.
Strategic Objectives
American is focused on four strategic objectives to ensure a healthy, competitive company for the long-term that includes world-class service, a focus on its team, revenue and cost initiatives, and innovative thinking. The company continued to deliver on these objectives in the third quarter.
Create a World-Class Customer Experience
Delivering a world-class customer experience includes operating reliably, building a strong network, continually raising the bar on product offerings and making it easy for customers to do business with American. During the third quarter, American:
Expanded the world's largest network to even more destinations. American announced planned service to Berlin (TXL); Bologna, Italy (BLQ); and Dubrovnik, Croatia (DBV). American will be the only airline to serve Bologna and Dubrovnik from North America.
Made significant improvements in onboard technology by:
Activating live TV on domestic aircraft, with 12 free channels available in all cabins. Live TV is rolling out throughout the airline's domestic mainline fleet in 2019. American already offers live TV on its long-haul international flights, the only U.S. airline to do so.
With 380 aircraft complete, just over half of American's domestic mainline aircraft now offer high-speed Wi-Fi. The entire long-term mainline fleet will be complete by mid-2019.
Continued updating food offerings to reflect evolving consumer tastes. American entered into an exclusive partnership with Zoës Kitchen to offer healthy choices beginning Dec. 1 and added a vegan option on transcontinental flights.
Received APEX recognition as a Five Star Global Airline. The Airline Passenger Experience Association, which bases its awards on anonymous passenger feedback on overall flight experience, awarded American its highest rating for in-seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Make Culture a Competitive Advantage
Taking care of team members translates into better customer care. American's culture reflects its emphasis on providing the right tools, training, and care for its frontline team members. During the third quarter, American:
Fully integrated the best flight attendant team in the business. With its largest and most complex integration project to-date now complete, flight attendants are now able to fully intermix across the entire fleet. This integration creates improved scheduling options for flight attendants and the airline, and provides greater flexibility and service recovery during irregular operations.
Accrued $43 million in profit sharing during the third quarter and $135 million for the first nine months of 2018.
Reopened the newly redesigned CR Smith Museum to showcase the men and women who make American run and to encourage young people to aspire to careers in aviation. The museum's interactive displays include an MD-80 cockpit, an Airline Command Center where visitors make operational decisions and a baggage loader where visitors can try their hand at loading bags in record time.
Supported relief partner efforts after recent hurricanes. The American Red Cross and the North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund received $300,000 each as American and its customers stepped forward to ease the burdens of Carolinians impacted by Hurricane Florence. In addition, team members in Miami and Chicago have planned large-scale assembly projects that will send 5,000 hygiene comfort kits and 75,000 pounds of food to areas impacted by the recent natural disasters.
Celebrated being an inclusive and diverse employer by honoring four team members with the 10th annual Earl G. Graves Award for Leadership in Diversity & Inclusion. American also awarded Morgan State University in Baltimore a $10,000 education grant as part of the 10th anniversary commemoration. For the third year in a row, the airline was named among the 2018 DEI Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion and received the top score of 100 on the 2018 Disability Equality Index.
Supported the Stand Up To Cancer telecast with 94 team members, all of whom have been personally impacted by cancer. These team members from around the world came together at our Los Angeles maintenance hangar to film a music video that aired during the telecast, which raised $123.6 million.
Ensure Long-Term Financial Strength
Long-term strength is realized by capturing merger efficiencies, improving unit revenue performance, and increasing margin performance. During the third quarter, American:
Returned $46 million in dividends to shareholders and declared a dividend of $0.10 per share on Oct. 25, 2018, to be paid on Nov. 20, 2018, to stockholders of record as of Nov. 6, 2018.
Updated the youngest fleet of the network airlines with more aircraft deliveries, including three new more efficient Boeing 787-9 aircraft and four new Boeing 737 MAX 8s.
Lowered planned capital expenditures in 2019, 2020, and 2021 by $1.2 billion, by deferring delivery of 22 Airbus A321neos.
Evolved its segmentation strategy by:
Removing the carry-on bag restriction from domestic and short-haul international Basic Economy fare rules. This action makes the airline's Basic Economy product more competitive and enables the airline to offer it on more flights.
Continuing the installation of Premium Economy, now on 92 widebody aircraft with expected completion by mid-2019. Main Cabin customers continue to select this highly differentiated product and the company expects to drive more value from this product with new revenue management and merchandising initiatives in 2019.
Think Forward, Lead Forward
Along with executing the day-to-day operation, the airline has a focus on moving new products to market more quickly and embracing technological advancements. In the third quarter, American:
Enabled the world's largest mobile and online payment platform, Alipay, on aa.com in China. Alipay is the preferred method of payment for more than half of consumers in China and has more than 870 million users worldwide.
Opened up new ways to earn miles with its Citi AAdvantage MileUp card, a new no-annual-fee credit card for consumers to turn everyday spending into travel.
Enhanced aviation security for team members and customers by partnering with the Transportation Security Administration to add a state-of-the-art computed tomography scanner at John F. Kennedy International Airport's Terminal 8 security checkpoint.
Furthered the airline's commitment to reduce environmental waste by beginning to replace plastic straws and stir sticks with biodegradable, eco-friendly alternatives.
Guidance and Investor Update
American expects its fourth-quarter 2018 TRASM to increase approximately 1.5 to 3.5 percent year-over-year. The company also expects its fourth-quarter 2018 pretax margin excluding special items to be between 4.5 and 6.5 percent.2 Based on today's guidance, American continues to expect its 2018 diluted earnings per share excluding net special items to be between $4.50 and $5.00.2
For additional financial forecasting detail, please refer to the company's investor update, filed with this release with the SEC on Form 8-K. This filing will be available at aa.com/investorrelations.


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For most conservatives in the base, there's one big reason why they can't vote for Marco Rubio – illegal immigration.
They don't trust his attempt to pass comprehensive immigration reform with the "gang of eight" with Democrats, and they just can't forgive him.
In this interview with Chuck Todd, he grills him on what policies he now advocates on immigration.
Watch below:
Marco tries to make the distinction between illegal aliens who have committed further crimes in America from those who only committed the crime of being present illegally in America.
And he believes that the way forward is to allow for some legalization of illegals, but not criminal illegal aliens.
What do you think? Can Marco Rubio convince enough Americans that this is reasonable or will he keep eating it in the polls? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!!!


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All Rights Reserved @ ChinaAbout.Net
Q1 What is the "oil curse"? Why do you think it develops?
What is the "oil curse"?
Oil is a curse. Natural gas, copper and diamonds are also bad for a country's health. Hence, an insight that is as powerful as it is counterintuitive: poor but resource-rich countries tend to be underdeveloped not despite their hydrocarbon and mineral riches but because of their resource wealth. One way or another, oil – or gold or zinc – makes you poor. This fact is hard to believe, and exceptions such as Norway and the US are often used to argue that oil and prosperity for all can indeed go together.
The rarity of such exceptions, however, not only confirms the rule, but shows what it takes to avoid the misery-inducing consequences of wealth based on natural resources: democracy, transparency and effective public institutions that are responsive to citizens. These are important preconditions for more technical aspects of the recipe, including the need to maintain macroeconomic stability, manage public finances prudently, invest part of the windfall abroad, set up "rainy-day funds", diversify the economy and ensure the local currency does not reach too high a price.
It all sounds sensible, and with Brazil, Ghana and others soon likely to become big oil players, we can expect to witness some rare test cases of these recommendations.
Unfortunately, for most underdeveloped countries, these suggested defenses are as utopian as the larger goal they are supposed to help achieve. Countries that already have all these institutional strengths need not worry about the resource curse. For the rest, like an autoimmune disease, the curse undermines the ability of a country to build defenses against it. Concentrated power, corruption and the ability of governments to ignore the needs of their populations make the curse hard to resist.
Why it develops?
Nigeria is a vivid example of this theory.
Over-reliance on the oil industry had a significant impact on the development of other industries in Nigeria. "Global Times" reporter should go to everyday in the life of local Indian supermarket chains to buy, the price of natural high. Some toiletries and a few pieces of pastry snacks will cost four or five thousand nairas (1 yuan or about 16 Naira). Grocery shopping is more like a war, not only to withstand more than ten kilometers drive to the outskirts of Liege markets, but also under the scorching sun and stall Mozuipizi bargain. Originally thought that Nigeria is the tropics, fruits and vegetables should be very cheap and other reporters to the vegetable market is not the case. In addition to the prices are high, the infrastructure construction in Nigeria is lagging behind. Even in Lagos in the affluent district senior apartment, electricity, water is also commonplace. One rainy season, the telephone line as dilapidated, soaked by the rain often "strike", so the telephone network paralyzed. For the poor people of Nigeria, they can only live in simple houses with iron to build up the hot water supply and no electricity. In the slums of Lagos, you can see hundreds of house crowded and random structures together. The data show that 70% of the Nepalese people every day live on less than $ 1; the average person to eat a roasted cassava is a meal. Due to lack of medical facilities, diseases such as malaria, cholera and hepatitis, has claimed the lives of many people. Of course, Nigeria is also rich; they mainly rely on extracting oil from rags to riches merchants, government officials and tribal leaders. Their way of life line to the upper classes of society in Europe and America: live in luxury villas, open limousine to participate in the gatherings of all kinds of celebrities.
The situation in Nigeria is almost one by one to make a comment.
First, decision-making lack of transparency; rampant corruption;
Over the years, the winds blow in different oil interest groups, Nigeria's economic policy formulation and implementation of instability, utilitarian and arbitrary characteristics. The fragmentation of the various policies, lack of coherence between them and the overall effect is difficult to obtain. A number of policies like the grass of the wall, the vacillating, and flip-flop. Policy in the implementation process often aliasing distortion, very different with the original intention, coupled with the implementation of breeding corruption, the intended purpose and effect is difficult to achieve the policy.
Second, over-reliance on petrodollars, one-sided pursuit of oil profit and missed opportunities for reform of the industrial structure, industrial and agricultural production is neglected and depressed.
Now, the oil industry revenues accounted for 95 percent of Nepalese foreign exchange earnings, 80 percent of fiscal revenue. As Nigeria's Minister of Finance Nei Dadi Othman said: "oil let us become lazy … the past, we have the talent, now young people no longer do so, they fall."
Too easily to the huge oil revenues, leading to just want to rely on oil-for-money to get revenue, and national economy is difficult to benign development, the result is a single economic structure, the decline of agriculture and the slow development of industrial manufacturing, food, industrial products supply can not meet domestic consumption needs of the market. Moreover, the huge oil revenues led to currencies overvalued, seriously damaged the traditional industrial and agricultural production, a strong impact on the exports of goods and crops.
Third, the allocation of oil revenues to the dispute, and frequent violence
Over the years, the Nigerian federal government and the oil-producing regions there are serious differences in resources, ownership and distribution of benefits. Some senior government officials use their power for personal gain, embezzlement of state property, lived a life of extravagance. Oil-producing regions because they can not get enough oil to the federal government income redistribution, it is difficult to improve their basic environment. Even of the majority of people can not benefit from oil development, only holding the golden rice bowl to eat. Although thanks to oil prices rose in recent years, the Nigerian economy has been dramatic growth, but at the same time, the growth of domestic impoverishment is shocking. Between 1990 to 2002, Niger's per capita income grew by only $ 30 (if taking into account the price rises, this number would be a negative number); In the meantime, soaring oil prices per barrel oil prices over more than $ 30.
Thus, a despair spread in society generally, the violence began to rise, resulting in the entire country, especially the volatile situation in the oil-producing Niger Delta region, and frequent tribal conflicts, armed robbers rampage, kidnapping, extortion and piracy serious and destructive phenomenon. Also some local residents to predatory exploitation of foreign oil companies on the Nigerian oil and gas resources, damage the local environment often taken for their violent attacks on the ground. There are a number of armed groups through the occupation of the oil terminal export facilities, the destruction of the oil pipelines and kidnapping foreign oil staff and Nepalese employees, in order to blackmail the government to allow them to share the wealth of local resources, or put pressure on the oil companies, in order to increase jobs or improve treatment.
This kind of violence against oil exploration activities become a major concern, since the Nigerian oil industry since the late 1980s. Last year, Nigerian militants on oil and oil-producing equipment damage, the country's oil exports reduced by at least 20%
Oil transportation is convenient, high energy density, and therefore the most important transport-driven energy. Today, 90 percent of transportation energy is dependent on oil obtained. In addition, it is too many industrial chemical products, raw materials, so it is one of the world's most important commodities. Is an important factor in many military conflicts (including the Second World War and the Gulf War), accounting for the sources of oil.
Oil as the industry's "blood", is not only a non-renewable commodity, is indispensable to national survival and development of strategic resources, and have an immeasurable effect on the protection of national economic and social development and national defense and security. Increasingly acute contradictions between economic growth, oil countries pursued objectives, the development of unlimited and limited resources (mainly refers to the scarcity of non-renewable resources), and gradually as a constraint to the many strategic issues of national sustainable development. Super-economic properties of the oil, it led to aspire to the United States even at the cost of war to ensure its energy security. Oil has been an important factor to affect the country's political orientation, and many wars in the history of war for oil.
Why was the World Bank's participation in the Chad Cameroon pipeline critical?
Though within the $4.1 billion fund required to implement the project to build the pipeline necessary for the exploitation of the oil resource, the World Bank's share was very small, but its participation is critical. Below we will try to rationalize such important to have a natural global organization to facilitate such large scale international investment with wide international involvements.
First of all, let's review the nature of the World Bank as an organization. Established in 1944, the World Bank is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The organization has more than 9,000 employees in more than 100 offices worldwide. The bank is not a bank in the ordinary sense but a unique partnership to reduce poverty and support development. It comprises two institutions managed by 187 member countries: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). The IBRD aims to reduce poverty in middle-income and creditworthy poorer countries, while IDA focuses exclusively on the world's poorest countries. These institutions are part of a larger body known as the World Bank Group (worldbank.org 2012). From the nature of the World Bank, we can see that the World Bank have abundant experiences and it is set up with the mission to facilitate the underdevelopment economies by assisting similar international investments.
Secondly, the World Bank usually initiates the projects and tries to make the projects self-sustainable and participated by other parties which contribute to the continuation of the projects. For example, the World Bank had successfully contributed to a turnaround in Malawi, a small nation in Southern Africa, from being a food deficit country to one producing surplus food grains and overcoming a persisting and excruciating famine is one of the most dramatic incidents in the history of the battle against hunger by the African nations. Malawi has been in the world headlines since 2002 with reports of widespread starvation deaths and hunger related diseases. A large section of the population of this predominantly rural nation was forced to resort to eating banana stems and roots in a bid for survival (fanrpan.org 2009). News has shown that Malawi's agriculture-powered economy grew by 6.7 percent in 2010 which is cheerful to the world (portaltoafrica.com 2012). This successful story again demonstrates that the World Bank like the UN as an influential global organization does not have to get heavy involvement into the a certain project, and by inviting the participation of the market players could also ensures that the certain projects would be finished with lower cost and also higher efficiency.
Thirdly, the participation of the World Bank would reduce the political risk and increase the confidence of the participating parties who do not trust the government of the Chad. As mentioned above, according to the theory of oil curse, the oil discovery and development in the underdevelopment countries tend to deteriorate the economy and social development of the countries where the oil field is discovered. Under such anticipated bad macro environment, it is reasonable that the interested parties such as the large global oil companies would hesitate which is understandable. And as a matter of fact, as early as 2005, Chad and Bangladesh had already topped the list of the world's most corrupt nations among a slew of military dictatorships and West African oil exporters according to an annual survey by Transparency International. More than two-thirds of the 159 nations surveyed scored less than 5 out of 10, when ranked by business people, experts and analysts on their perceptions of bribery and misuse of public office. The two worst both scored 1.7 indicating the corruption was already very serious in 2005 (bloomberg.com 2005). Therefore, any parties would hesitate whether they should become part of the new oil exploiting activities considering the high possible political risks. Such risk could take the three major forms which could be deduced based on our above analysis: the first political risk is that the country government may threaten to terminate their cooperation since the government does not have good cooperation history with the international parties; the second political risk is that the government may impose negative policies over the oil related activities; and last but not least, the government officials could use means to request for bribery from these companies. The participation of the World Bank in this case could help reduce the political risk for three major reasons: first of all, the World Bank is known as one of the largest sources of funding in Africa in which the capital market is very much underdeveloped, therefore it is true that the government of Chad like many other governments in Africa has much linkage and dependency with the World Bank for funding, and because of such reliance, the government would respect and contribute to the smooth implementation of a project that has the involvement of the World Bank because the government does not want to break the relationship with the World Bank; secondly, the World Bank has closed relationship and interactions with the other nongovernmental organizations (NOGs) or cross government organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations which provides much assistance to the African countries, with the large cooperation network with the business entities or non-for-profit organizations, it is necessary to keep the good relationship with the World Bank even in the perspective of the Chad government.
Fourthly, the nature of the routine work of World Bank makes it a very good knowledge broker that assists the development of the underdevelopment economies. As indicated in its website that the World Bank has its own eLibrary which has the World Bank's full-text collection of more than 6000 books, reports, journals and other documents on social and economy development of many countries and regions in the world (issuu.com 2011). The important role of the organization in creating and influencing the distribution of these professional papers and publications would mean that the World Bank has significant impacts over the large investments and other projecting decision in which the World Bank may not have significant direct involvement or investment but still its active participating could still be reflected through its wide, influential and reliable publications in term of various books, journals and reports as well as other types of publications and documents.
Last but not least, the World Bank also imposes its power and influences in the total investment and how the fund should be distributed in such a way that it assists the smooth carrying out of the relevant projects. It is believed that both the World Bank's own lending and other donors' decisions are shaped by the Bank's research and analysis, and in particular, by Bank studies like the Country Policy and Institutional Assessments (CPIA) and Investment Climate Assessments (ICA), which rate countries largely on the basis of their economic policies and openness to foreign investment. Since many investors take their lead from the Bank, the institution's financing decisions and evaluations of country development strategies affect borrowing country access to capital from a broad spectrum of sources. The Bank's gatekeeper role is much stronger for aid-dependent countries without credit ratings than for countries that have access to international capital markets (bicusa.org 2010).
Does the World Bank have a right to demand that sovereign countries like Chad spend their oil revenues in ways the World Bank deems appropriate?
This question is actually not a discussion regarding the possibility of the World Bank's intervention in the decision making by Chad government in term of how to rule its own country, but it is a problem regarding whether it is right or wrong for the World Bank as a neutral organization, hence we can see that this is actually an ethical question rather than an economy related issue. Below we will try to answer the question by referring to three major ethical theories: the deontological ethics, consequentialist and the justice ethics. Below let us begin the discussion with the justice ethics.
Ethics of justice
The ethics of justice deals with moral choices through a measure of rights of the people involved and chooses the solution that seems to damage the least number of people (Sherman 2007). Three major categories of justice theories include distributive justice, compensatory justice and retributive justice. Distributive justice concerns what some consider to be socially just allocation of goods in a society; Compensatory justice is an ethical principle that supports making up for previous wrongs by giving priority to those whose predecessors suffered and central to retributive justice are the notions of merit and desert (Kolm 2002).
According to the concept of the ethics of justice, right of the parties in a particular event should be respected and the right of them should be achieved and the handling of the conflicts of interest should also follow the rule that the majority of the involved parties should be respected. As in this case regarding the project of the oil exploitation in Chad, the answer is clear depending on how we identify the key stakeholders: if we consider that only the Chad authority, i.e. the government of Chad, the World Bank as well as the business companies participating this projects are the key stakeholders which have important and critical impacts over the issues and important decisions makings related to this project, then obviously, the World Bank is asking too much as a facilitator of this investment which is very much closed to a business activity like a political activity. Therefore we can come with the conclusion that the World Bank is abusing its bargaining power in this case and it is actually getting too over in the country management which is owned by the sovereign government like Chad. But in another perspective, if we include the people of the Chad into the group of key stakeholders then in this case, the conclusion could be totally different. Based on the assumption that quality of the life of the people in Chad would be largely damaged because of the existence of the "oil curse" which has been confirmed by many past experience, and there are reasons to believe that Chad will copy such undesired route, hence the interference by the World Bank is necessary and it helps to ensure that the proceeding of the oil exploitation project is benefiting the people as well as the oil companies and the government. Under such conclusion, there is an important assumption that the Chad government would like many other governments in the underdeveloped countries that it will exhibit the incapability in managing the country in the future. And obviously, under this case, the general believed idea and judgment is that the World Bank's involvement would better ensure the goodness brought by this investment project by reducing and controlling the negative impacts of the above mentioned "oil curse".
Deontological ethics
The word deontology derives from the Greek words for duty (deon) and science (or study) of (logos). In contemporary moral philosophy, deontology is one of those kinds of normative theories regarding which choices are morally required, forbidden, or permitted. In other words, deontology falls within the domain of moral theories that guide and assess our choices of what we ought to do (deontic theories), in contrast to (aretaic [virtue] theories) that — fundamentally, at least — guide and assess what kind of person (in terms of character traits) we are and should be. And within that domain, deontologists — those who subscribe to deontological theories of morality — stand in opposition to consequentialists (stanford.edu 2009).
According to this theory, as referring to our case regarding the oil exploitation in Chad, the World Bank should not intervene or demand the Chad government to tailor its government policies to the desire the World Bank which represents the major thinking of the western political forces because of their control over the World Bank, therefore based on this theory, the World Bank should not impose strong demand over the Chad government over its own country management practices.
Consequentialism refers to those moral theories that hold that the consequences of a particular action form the basis for any valid moral judgment about that action. Thus, on a consequentialist account, a morally right action is an action which produces good consequences. The term "consequentialism" was coined by G.E.M. Anscombe in her essay "Modern Moral Philosophy" in 1958, and has since become common throughout English-language moral theory. Its historical roots are in utilitarianism, although earlier ethical theories often considered the consequences of actions relevant to ethical deliberation. Because of this historical tie to utilitarianism these two approaches are sometimes conflated (martinfrost.ws 2010).
Going back to our case regarding the rationality of the World Bank's demand over Chad's political and economic management over its own country, base on the Consequentialism ethical theory, it would be recommended that the World Bank should intervene the Chad government's management if we assume that such interference would bring overall goodness to the ordinary people living in the territory of Chad.
In a world, application of the different ethics would bring different conclusions and hence the answer to this question would vary accordingly. Based on my personal view, the Consequentialism theory should be applied here considering benefit and interests of the Chad people who should be protected but are in the weak position in this scenario.
If the World Bank and Chad's government fail to settle their dispute over amendments to the Petroleum Revenue Management Law, what should the consortium do? Should they make funds available to Chad's government in defiance of the World Bank's wishes?
The consortium's strategy in case of failure to reach a consensus regarding the amendment of the Petroleum Revenue Management Law
If there should be a failure between the Chad government and the World Bank, there are three major strategies that the consortium could to resolve the dispute between the government and the World Bank. Before we talk about these two strategies which could be applied, we have to make the assumption that the consortium would prefer to insist on the involvement of the World Bank based on our understanding that an international organization like World Bank would play a critical role in ensuring the development of the oil exploitation project would goes well with low political risks.
The first strategy is to provide the World Bank with promises that the consortium would contribute to the economy development as well as poverty reduction in Chad by contributing part of the revenue to such a purpose by means such as setting up a charity fund. The rationality of this move is based on the mission of World Bank's involvement in this case which is to ensure the oil activities benefiting the economic development and poverty reduction. And since this is the World Bank's wishes, the consortium's promises in contributing to such effort would to some extent provide more room for the World Bank to give in because the targets are supported and facilitated by the consortium which is a critical stakeholder in this case.
The second strategy that the consortium could approach in this situation is that it could initiate a three party summit and invite the government and the World Bank to participate, and in such summit the consortium could mediate between the two parties. One most important base that the consortium could rely on to play such a role to mediate the two parties is that it is obvious that both parties would like to achieve a consensus regarding the view that the funding should be prepared and the project should be started. While the dispute is regarding how the profit should be used as desired by the government and the World Bank, the consortium could try to manage the two parties' expectation and try to make both of them to give in a little and reach a second best result accepted and agreed by all parties.
Should they make funds available to Chad's government in defiance of the World Bank's wishes?
There are two contradicting view of points here regarding the choice about whether the consortium should make funds available to Chad's government in defiance of the World Bank's wishes: on one hand, it could very likely be the consortium's interest to fund the project even against the World Bank's wishes because based on the needs of this single investment project the funding is necessary; on the other hand, making the World Bank unhappy about these companies' decision and behaviors would make them fall in the lest preferred position by the powerful World Bank which could influence the future cooperation with the World Bank.
Base on the below several reasons I would recommend the consortium not to challenge the World Bank:
First of all, as mentioned above, the important role of the World Bank in creating and influencing the distribution of the professional papers and publications would mean that the World Bank has significant impacts over the large investments and other projecting decision in which the World Bank may not have significant direct involvement or investment but still its active participating could still be reflected through its wide, influential and reliable publications, hence, the consortium in the perspective of future cooperation with the powerful World Bank should take into the consideration of view of the World Bank and try to meet the requirement of the World Bank because of its strong power in the future business projects.
Secondly, without the participation of the World Bank, the political risk would be increased and thus the investment project would become unattractive and full of uncertainties and risks. In addition, the World Bank's demand is to some extent in accordance with the interests of the consortium because the World Bank tends to bring in sustainable economy development in the Chad economy and benefit the society as a whole.
Thirdly, based on the understanding that both the government and the World Bank would like to see this project being implemented smoothly which could be their desire and the only different point here is how the profit should be distributed, therefore it is possible that the companies could persuade them to accept the second best solution that makes all parties happy though not within their expectations.
Subsequent to the signing of the pipeline agreement, world oil prices have increased substantially. Given the abject poverty of Chad, should the oil companies offer to increase the royalties paid to Chad's government once its dispute with the World Bank is settled?
No, I do not agree with the point that the companies should increase the royalties paid to the Chad government once their dispute with the World Bank is settled and there should be an oil price increase. The reasons are given as following:
First of all, we need to identify the reasons behind the increase of the royalty paid. There are usually three sound reasons under such circumstances: to increase the royalty paid to enhance the governments' interest and royalty in this project in term of the maintenance of a good partnership relationship; to assist the economic development and poverty reduction in a humanized perspective; or increase the royalty pay because it is in accordance with the relevant clauses as stated in the project contracts. If it should be the requirement of the contract, there is no doubt that these oil companies should have raise the royalty paid as requested in the contract. Below we will talk about the other two scenarios.
In term of under the reason of maintaining the good relationship with the Chad government, then obviously it is the business strategy and nature of the question will be to judge the ethics and rationality behind this decision in term of whether this decision is right or wrong. Again we apply the business ethics here by referring to the consequentialism ethical theory which holds that the consequences of a particular action form the basis for any valid moral judgment about that action and in this case we will consider the government, oil companies and the local Chad ordinary people as the key stakeholders whose interest should be protected and the choice would be best if it should maximize the overall benefits of all the key stakeholders. And please take note that if the key stakeholder identification is different, e.g. the local people would be excluded from the key stakeholder list in some perspectives; then the results would be totally different. Based on the assumption that the government, oil companies and the local Chad ordinary people are considered as the key stakeholders in this scenario in which the oil companies would like to increase the royalty paid to the Chad government for a business purpose. Again, here we will see two major different scenarios: if the pay increase is based on the additional amount of money given by the oil companies' own money that they earn from the oil activities as an incentive pay to the government while at the same time resulting in no harm to the ordinary people, then we should say that such decision of increasing the royalty paid not only would not have any problems but also should be recommended and promoted because it is simply a business behaviors without doing harm to other key stakeholders, in particular the ordinary people whose rights and interest should be protected since they do not have any strong bargaining in the decision making relevant to the oil activities; in another scenarios, if such royalty paid increases are based on the assumption that the benefit given to the Chad's people would be reduced because the oil companies use it to pay the government rather than paying the people since they do not influence the decision making. This is actually a distribution issue and since in such situations, only a small proportion of people's interest, such as the government's officials, based on the interest reduction in the ordinary people, we will say that such decision making is not ethical since it reduce the quality of life among the poor people who need such interest and benefits urgently.
As mentioned above one more reason behind the behavior and decision making of increasing the royalty paid to the Chad government is the assist their economy development and poverty reduction from a charity purpose. Obviously, under such scenario, it is recommended that the oil companies refer to the recent report over the management of the government to see whether it is capable to use the money in a good direction such as increasing the life quality enjoyed by the majority of the common people. And if these companies find out that the Chad government has still been listed as the top corruptive governments in the world like what happen in the history, then it could be unadvisable that these companies increase the royalty paid which contributes to the corruption problem.
List of reference
bicusa.org 2010. World Bank (IBRD & IDA). [online]: http://www.bicusa.org/en/Institution.Lending.5.aspx
bloomberg.com 2005. Chad, Bangladesh Top Most Corrupt Nations List, Survey Shows. [online]: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aC.wbvACKoW4&refer=top_world_news
fanrpan.org 2009. The Malawi success story As FANRPAN celebrates the Malawi story, we share with you the media extracts endorsing the success. [online]: http://www.fanrpan.org/documents/d00575/
issuu.com 2011. World Bank Online Resources and Mobile Apps. [online]: http://issuu.com/world.bank.publications/docs/onlineresources
martinfrost.ws 2010. Consequentialism. [online]: http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/consequentialism.html
portaltoafrica.com 2012. Malawi: World Bank offers Malawi turnaround plan. [online]: http://portaltoafrica.com/news/africa/general/world-bank-offers-malawi-turnaround-plan/
Sherman, K. 2007. Advocacy: Integrating the ethics of care and justice for students with disabilities. Michigan: Michigan State University Press.
stanford.edu 2009. Deontological Ethics. [online]: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/
worldbank.org 2012. What We Do. [online]: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/0,,contentMDK:20103838~menuPK:1696997~pagePK:51123644~piPK:329829~theSitePK:29708,00.html


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L&T Delivers 100th Transport Launch Canister for BrahMos Supersonic Missile from its Newly Augmented Facility
L&T Defence delivered the 100th set of BrahMos Transport-Storage Launch Canister (TLC) to BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. (BAPL) from its recently-augmented manufacturing facility at Ranoli, Vadodara in Gujarat.
The L&T-built TLC, designed for storage, transportation and launch of BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missiles, manufactured using indigenous materials and processes, was handed over to CEO & MD of BrahMos Aerospace, Dr. Sudhir K Mishra by Mr. J D Patil, Whole-time Director (Defence Business) & Member of Board – L&T, who handed over the completion documents of the 100th BRAHMOS TLC to Dr. Mishra during the official event.
The TLC requires specialized manufacturing processes of automated winding with distinctive layers made out of glass and carbon pre-impregnated fiber materials, keeping in mind stringent requirements of long term storing missiles in launch-ready conditions.
Fondly recalling his earlier visit 8 month back to inaugurate the add-on line on 7th July 2018, he congratulated the L&T team for partnering with BrahMos Aerospace in developing indigenous materials & processes for producing the TLC, Dr. Mishra said, "This is a milestone achievement by L&T in record time after inaugurating the add-on production line for BRAHMOS TLC at Ranoli, L&T's delivery of the 100th set of TLC which has further reinforced and emboldened our commitment to achieve indigenization at a faster pace. We are proud to be associated with one of the leading Defence industrial entities of India."
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. J D Patil, Whole-time Director (Defence Business) & Member of Board – L&T said, "Our association with BrahMos and DRDO is part of our strong commitment to Nation Building and our time-tested relationship to indigenously develop and build self-reliance in weapon systems. We are proud of our contribution to this Global best weapon system and meeting the exacting requirements of such Defence systems. We have been and continue to be a long-standing proponent of 'Make in India' to develop defence manufacturing ecosystem in India. Having crossed this milestone delivery of 100th TLC, L&T has accomplished the development to serial production journey and committed to continue contributing to the further development of BRAHMOS Missile Systems."
L&T opened its add-on production line for BRAHMOS TLC at Ranoli, Vadodara in July 2018 to cater to the serial production requirements of BRAHMOS Weapon System.
The Advanced Composites manufacturing facility at Ranoli is already attested for serial production of BRAHMOS Composites Canisters and Airframes. For Aerospace products, this center is accredited with National Aerospace and Defence Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP). In addition, the Advanced Composites Laboratory at L&T Ranoli has received the Accreditation Certification from M/s National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
In nearly two decades of its association with BrahMos Aerospace, L&T's advanced composites center has contributed in indigenous development and manufacturing of various advanced composites sub-systems & components such as Composites Airframe sections, Launch Canisters. L&T as a reliable Industry Partner to BAPL has been producing Metallic Components of BRAHMOS, as also contributing to the design, development and serial production of Launchers and Fire Control Systems for the BRAHMOS Naval platforms.
L&T Defence


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Bob Barker
Born in 1954 in Yorkshire- Bob Barker grew up without interest or love for art until his twelfth birthday when his mother gave him an oil painting set for a birthday present- what he describes as one of the best presents
I have ever received. Starting there he has painted his whole life but it's only recently that Barker became a full time painter.
Not far from his school his mother worked as a weaver and his grandmother as a tea lady- which developed his love of tea and the busy old-world atmosphere around the mill. He then spent a little time in Cornwall where he met two artists of particular importance to his life- Keith English and Tom Gower. Through conversations and sessions of watching
them paint- he began to believe he could be a professional artist.
Life moved along swiftly and he became married- bought a house and had children- developing his painting skill as a hobby rather than a profession while he supported himself and his family on his own business
in video and media production- lasting over 20 years. Eventually his daughter-in-law succeeded him and took over the business-
releasing him to pursue his life-long passion in fine art.
Beginning in 2000- Barker began selling paintings to local galleries and over time his work was distributed nation-wide. His older brother- Colin- frequently pushed CDs featuring Barker's artwork on it onto multiple fine art publishers- growing interest in his work. Exhibiting in the 2005
Autumn Fair in Birmingham- he met Glyn Washington of Washington Green.
Barker's painting style is unique- mysterious- nostalgic. Like so many old films that you can't remember the name of- the mystique his paintings give off is a rarity matched only by the singular details such as the vividity of a crimson umbrella- the colour of the sky or the strength of the clothes on a pair of children- all in contrast to a stark- even bleak- background. However- it is this simple and distinct contrast of the underdog saturated subject versus the desaturated environment that
provokes strong feelings of nostalgia and select memories- creating a vast variety of powerful works.
1 Item
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The long-term presence in the city brings collaboration of MIT community with students, entrepreneurs and companies in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region.
MIT launches Innovation Node in Hong Kong
8 June 2016
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has launched the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, with a hardware accelerator program designed to educate students in key areas of innovation practice.
"Students working in the node will not be typecast as engineers, businesspeople, manufacturers or designers," Charles Sodini, the center's faculty director, said at a press briefing Tuesday.
"Rather, they will be engaged in all these aspects of an integrative education, guided by the principle of learning by doing."
Martin Schmidt, MIT's provost, said, "The launch of the Innovation Node marks the beginning of MIT's commitment to building a long-term presence in Hong Kong."
The node will serve as an important gateway for MIT in the Pearl River Delta region and continues MIT's efforts to build a global classroom for its students, Schmidt said.
Hong Kong is the best place for the node, as it has top universities, a strong financial and legal system and is close to the PRD region, which is a world-class manufacturing base, he said.
Schmidt said he is impressed by the entrepreneurial climate in Hong Kong, which enjoys good prospects in innovation technology.
The node in Hong Kong is sponsored by MIT alumni.
MIT already has three overseas innovation centers in Chile, Japan and Singapore.
The node's first Hong Kong program, MIT Kickstart, a one-week entrepreneurship training program, began on Sunday.
In the program, 24 students, half from Hong Kong and half from MIT, will form teams, refine an idea, build a prototype, learn from industry experts and explore the thriving startup scene in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
The program will culminate with a final showcase where students will present their work and demo their prototype.
It aims to create a "makerspace" – a lab that provides technical support with innovative equipment – to enable students to transform their idea into real products, Sodini said.
The next MIT Kickstart program is scheduled for January next year, he said.
On Tuesday, the MIT Technology Review kicked off EmTech Hong Kong, a two-day global conference on emerging technologies
Wong Ming-yam, chairman of the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, which is co-hosting the conference, said Hong Kong should boost its investment in research and development in the upcoming 5G communications environment.
Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah, who is an alumnus of MIT, said Hong Kong has an advantage in developing innovation technology, as it is close to mainland China.
Source: EJinsight.com
Reference: MIT news


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THE BRITISH VETERINARY CAMELID SOCIETY will hold its 2017 Conference at the Manor House Hotel at Castle Combe over the weekend of November 18 and 19. The speakers include:
David Pugh, director of the Alabama State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System who has received five university and five national awards for teaching and was the 2006 recipient of the AM Mills Award for contributions to veterinary medicine.
Alex McSloy works at the Farm Animal Hospital at the Royal Veterinary College and was involved in the British Alpaca Society Caring for Alpacas DVD.
Jenny Grewel, a self-employed vet in Wiltshire, who became the first vet to complete the Certificate in Camelid Practice.


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March 12, 2013
Some state lawmakers, religious leaders and citizens took to the Senate floor Tuesday, calling for the repeal of Delaware's death penalty.
Senator Karen Peterson (D-Stanton) is spearheading the initiative, along with Senate Minority Leader Gary Simpson (R-Milford) and Representatives Darryl Scott (D-Dover) and Joe Miro (R-Pike Creek Valley). They introduced their bill Tuesday afternoon.
The bill would not only abolishes the death penalty, but it would also modify existing death row sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole. There are 17 men on Delaware's death row.
Currently, only the governor and the courts have the power to change sentences, but Peterson disagrees.
"If people believe that we don't have the right to do that then that will be a matter taken before the courts if we get the bill passed. But I'm being told that the research indicates that it is constitutional," said Peterson.
Governor Jack Markell says he hasn't decided whether he would approve the bill, if it passes.
Markell served on the Board of Pardons for ten years and last year commuted the death sentence of Robert Gattis to life in prison.
But he suggests this will be a different decision that those he faced in the past regarding capital punishment.
"This is stepping back and asking what is the appropriate public policy decision. It's not exactly the same as what I did before and so I've got some more thought, some more consideration to make about it, then to make the final decision," said Markell.
Bishop Aretha Morton of Wilmington joined other religious leaders in supporting the bill. She says Delaware needs to be a leader in the nation on this issue.
"If we have anything to think about, let us be aware that we need not be the last state to repeal, but we need to be among the first," said Morton.
If the bill passes, Delaware would be the 18th state in the nation, along with the District of Columbia, to repeal the death penalty.
Neighboring New Jersey is among those, and the Maryland state senate recently passed similar legislation.
Rep. Melanie George-Smith (D-Bear/Newark) called for a moratorium on executions in 2005 so the death penalty could be further studied, but it failed to get out of committee.
Peterson says this bill will move forward quickly, with a committee.
By James Dawson


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When we were getting ready for our son to be born, we went to a series of classes to help us prepare for this life changing moment. We covered the usual things like feeding, bathing and changing nappies.
During one session we went through the birthing process and the person giving the talk gave us a model to use with Doctors if for some reason things weren't going to plan. I liked the model so much I decided to use it in my working life too…
The model is a series of questions and, like most great models, it is based on an acronym – EBRAN, which stands for….
E – Is it an EMERGENCY?
B – What are the BENEFITS of the suggested actions?
R – What are the RISKS?
A – Are there any ALTERNATIVE actions we could take?
N – What happens if we do NOTHING?
When things go wrong the natural reaction is either to freeze or go into a frenzy of actions to fight our way out of the situation. As leaders, our role is to think strategically about the issue and what it means against the wider business context. When everyone else is losing their heads, we need to step back and think logically about our options.
So the next time events take a turn for the worse, use EBRAN before acting.
In the words of the song, hopefully I've given you "something to think about"…..


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September 13, 2016
Los Barriles: Taco Saturday
By Ben Herrera
Mexico CityFor the last few months we've been obsessed with finding the best tacos de guisado in Mexico City. This is not an easy task because these types of tacos are abundant in a city where people are always on the lookout for inexpensive and fast eats. We have tried some amazing tacos de guisado throughout…
May 21, 2013
Mexico City's Top 5 Street Foods
By Ben Herrera
Mexico CityEditor's note: This feature from Mexico City is the second installment in our street food series this week, highlighting the best streetside eats in each of the cities Culinary Backstreets covers. 1: Pambazos The pambazo is a Mexican sandwich that's similar in style to the more familiar torta, but not nearly as ubiquitous. Most commonly…
July 3, 2015
Señora Ema: The Wild Brunch
By Ben Herrera
Mexico CityThe tianguis, or street market, has been an essential part of Mexican culture since pre-Hispanic times. In Mexico City, every neighborhood has at least one weekly tianguis, most selling produce, fish, meat and household goods, so families can buy all they need for the week in a single place. All of these markets, large or…