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Exam (2008)
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
No Top Critics Tomatometer score yet...
Movie Info
Shown into a windowless examination room, eight candidates have reached the final stage of selection for a prestigious job at a mysterious corporation. There is one question before them and one answer is required. If they try to speak to him or the armed guard by the door they will be disqualified. If they leave the room for any reason they will be disqualified. If they spoil their papers they will be disqualified. As the clock ticks down, they must figure out what the company expects of them, and how far they are prepared to go to secure the ultimate job. … More
- Rating:
- Unrated
- Genre:
- Horror , Mystery & Suspense , Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Directed By:
- Stuart Hazeldine
- Written By:
- Simon Garrity , Stuart Hazeldine
- On DVD:
- Nov 16, 2010
- Runtime:
Colin Salmon
as The Invigilator
Chuk Iwuji
as Black
Nathalie Cox
as Blonde
Jimi Mistry
as Brown
Pollyanna McIntosh
as Brunette
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Critic Reviews for Exam
All Critics (31) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (19) | Rotten (11) | DVD (1)
Plot twists, lighting changes and shifts of tone work hard to sustain our attention, but the script sometimes becomes too involved in solving the structural challenges it has set itself.
Claustrophobic psychological-drama is a flawed but intriguing exercise in script writing ingenuity and economy.
Low-budget but handsomely mounted cross between Cube and 12 Angry Men, with some script input by mystery writer Agatha Christie and literary critic Terry Eagleton.
Benefits from a bit of dark humor, some critically important editing tricks, and a mystery that's actually sort of ... interesting.
Despite their supposed cleverness, all the candidates here make mistakes that would be avoided by anybody with even the slightest knowledge of how these situations usually pan out in movies, and the whole thing gets very silly by the end.
The tale is ingeniously developed, the suspense well maintained, and you'll think more highly of it if you have to leave five minutes before the disappointing pay-off.
This low-budget British chamber piece has an intriguing scenario, so it's a shame that the po-faced, sci-fi-tinged screenplay fixates on the applicants' efforts to detect invisible ink on their exam papers.
You're left with the nagging suspicion that, with just one more script polish, it could have been something very special.
A modern morality tale in the sleek guise of a sci-fi-tinged thriller. The setting is modest, the ambition is big.
Director Stuart Hazeldine makes the most of a small budget and modest cast in a solidly put together watch-it-once thriller that's all about the process of solving the puzzle at its heart.
There are interesting ideas and scenes but also a shaggy-dog anti-climax. Still, Hazeldine is a talent to reckon with.
It's The Apprentice with obligatory torture, and a damp squib of an ending.
Sharp editing and slick cinematography mean that, though talky in places, Exam will have you gripped right up until the stop-clock strikes zero.
A slick and absorbing thriller that juggles mind horror, science fiction and ratcheted-up tension, this is an accomplished debut and useful calling card for Hazeldine.
Not exactly The Usual Suspects then, but a suspenseful examination of human nature that's bound to bring its creator another, bigger job.
Audience Reviews for Exam
Super Reviewer
The premise is nihilistic but pretty cool. In the near future, eight strangers are applying for a job and a company that are not much more specified than that. They come together during the final exam, a white sheet of paper in front of then. What's missing is a question. The discussions and conflicts that arise as the clock is ticking down from 80 minutes�are sometimes realistic and sometimes a bit forced. It doesn't exactly help that none of the characters is particularly likable, but their struggle to come up with a solution to the situation is still entertaining, sometimes even exciting. The twist towards the end doesn't exactly blow you away but is still neat enough and it is refreshing that the solution lacks any sign of cynicism.More
Super Reviewer
This story has been told a million times and with a frustrating back plot that is only hinted at I was left feeling exasperated by the time the not completley unintelligent conclusion finally came. I would say that this movie is definitely going to cut people straight down the middle and was nowhere near the worse movie I have ever seen, but I don't think I will be watching it again. Disappointing.More
Super Reviewer
This is quite a good psychological thriller, its suspenseful and although it is simply based entirely in a room it is still entertaining and you are gripped to your sit with wonder about what is going to happen!
I like the building up to the different characters and seeing them develop!
An interesting enough movie thats worth a watch!
Super Reviewer
Exam Quotes
- Black:
- All each of us can do today is loose what we've already won through selfishness, stupidity, and impatience!
- Invigilator:
- The test is simple in comparison, yet it will determine who leaves this room with a contract of employment, and who leaves with bus fare home.
Discussion Forum
Discuss Exam on our Movie forum!


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The Winter Break is upon us. Enjoy some well-earned and much needed rest and some quality time with friends and family. We wish all of you the happiest holidays and the hope that 2015 brings great things.
This week is a Winter Spirit Week! Each day has a theme and students are encouraged to show school and holiday spirit by dressing according to that theme.
The Argonaut Football team concluded their amazing season in the best possible way, by holding the CIF Championship Plaque high overhead. The Argos earned the title with a dominant 35-0 win over league rival Rancho Alamitos to win the CIF Southern Division Championship.
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If there are any concerns or questions regarding your class schedule, you can discuss it with the counselors here at GGHS. The counselors each manage students with last names in a section of the alphabet, so check below to see which one is yours.
For Students (A-Dr) – Mrs. Steinle (email@example.com)
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Seniors - Everything you need to know about your time left at GGHS is available on one simple web site - http://www.argoseniors.com. Find information on graduation, senior package, extra tickets, and much more.
All seniors, please stop by the Guidance Office if you received any award or scholarship by May 30th. Also! Don't forget to turn in your acceptance letters (for both 4-year and community college) for the chance to win a scholarship!
The Web Team is the student group of coders, designers, photographers, and editors who are responsible for every pixel on the school website. The entire GGHS site has been proudly built and maintained by them. GGHS is proud to show off the skills of these students and give them the valuable experience of doing this important job.
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Music Review: 'Of Mice and Men'
Date: March 13, 2013
by: June LeBell | Contributing Columnist
"Of Mice and Men," an opera of emotionally epic proportions written so economically not one note or word lacks meaning, opened this weekend for the first time at Sarasota Opera. Carlisle Floyd, one of America's greatest living opera composers, has taken the classic Steinbeck story and given it, through his music, color, pathos and despair, that which has turned it into the great American tragedy that reaches into your heart, squeezes it and, finally, rips it from your chest.
In producing this, Sarasota Opera — the third in its American Classics series — has given us a cast that so embodies this work, you forget they're singing and acting. Rather, you grow to empathize with the piteous people on stage to the point they become your relatives, your friends, your family; people you grew up with; people you know; people you've seen; people you hope you're not but know, deep down, you could be.
George Milton (Sean Anderson) is a big-hearted man of America, a wanderer and worker who dreams of a better life and, along the way to reaching that vision, takes on the care of Lennie Small (Michael Hendrick) who is also searching for a better way. But Lennie is what our grandparents might have called "not quite right." A big man with a small aptitude, his aspirations are simple: friendship, a home and some small, soft things he can stroke and pet. The problem is, Lennie doesn't know his own strength and sometimes, when he's simply trying to be gentle, breaks and kills things, from small animals to hands and necks.
Hendrick, a last-minute replacement for the tenor originally slated to sing Lennie, has made this role his own by slipping into the skin of this lovable but dangerous galoot with such a tight fit, vocally and emotionally, it's hard to think of him as anyone else. Hendrick, who's sung everything from Bacchus in "Ariadne" at the Met to Parsifal with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, has a soaring tenor voice that seems endless in range, color and depth. Yet, his acting is so skilled, his characterization so complete, you forget he's singing; with remarkable enunciation and body language, he totally personifies Lennie.
Anderson also embodies the part of George, singing the role with a sturdy, flexible, strong baritone that never strains and always personifies this kind-hearted, trustworthy man of the rails and roadhouses.
There's only one woman in this opera, and she's such a tart, so much the flirt, so sordidly self-centered, she doesn't have a name. She is, simply, Curley's Wife. Played with astounding dynamism by studio artist Chelsea Basler, her soprano cajoles, trifles, seduces and dallies with the enormous range of notes and emotions Floyd has given her, making her the villain in a dress, the demise of dreams.
Curley, sung with finesse by Studio Artist Jon Jurgens, is the angriest man on stage, always furious and always picking fights.
Carlson (Marvin Kehler) and the Ballad Singer (Jason Winfield) — both studio artists — make strong impressions in their roles. And Slim (Matthew Hanscom) becomes the shining light of understanding and strength with characterization and vocalism to match, while Andrew Gangestad, as Candy, uses his powerful bass to personify an old man who's not too elderly to have a dream of his own.
Michael Unger has taken this beautifully constructed opera and turned it into a brilliant piece of theater. Singers are allowed to soar but, through Unger's intelligent and poignant direction, they use their singing voices to embody their characters. David Neely, the conductor, brings out every important nuance and sound from the excellent orchestra while permitting the singers the freedom to act with their voices and bodies.
The scenic design, adapted from a production by the renowned John Conklin, has interior sets — barns and bunkhouses — so real you can almost smell the timber. And, as always, Howard Tsvi Kaplan's costumes and Ken Yunker's lighting set the tone for the era with care and ingenuity.
Kudos must also be given to Pede the dog, who seems born to his role on stage. Pede gets our Golden Biscuit Award for best four-footed performer.
"Of Mice and Men" is a true American verismo opera. Lyric and often tonal, Floyd has used his music to underscore this great American tragedy with a theatrical genius reminiscent of another great composer of the theater, Puccini. It's not an easy story but, then, neither is "Madama Butterfly" or "Turandot." Raw emotion fairly swims through every note; it's even evident in the silences. Floyd works with tension, and he has us riveted as we wait for the inevitable gunshot and snap of a neck. And, from the prolonged (and deserved) cheers and ovations at the end of this production, it's made converts of many who never thought they'd salute a 20th-century opera.
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- Dec
22 PMP Sarasota Winter Residency: Student Recital
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22 Creative Kids Winter Break Camp
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23 PMP Sarasota Winter Residency: Student Recital
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Sound of hope
The holiday season hasn't officially started until our favorite bell ringers return to their posts.
Holiday harmonies
Shoppers and residents were treated to some holiday harmonies by the Senior Friendship Centers' group, the Second Wind Harmonica Players, in Downtown Sarasota.
Stepping up to the plate
The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County teamed up to bring the anti-bullying event Rachel's Challenge to Sarasota Dec. 3.


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Graduate Program moves to #40 in latest U.S. News & World Report Rankings
Welcome Larry Peterson
Computer Science Welcomes Larry Peterson Back to the Department.
It is with great pleasure that we welcome Prof. Larry Peterson back to the department. Larry was on our faculty from 1985 to 1998, serving as Head from 1996 to 1998. From 1998 to 2013, Larry was the Robert E. Kahn Professor of Computer Science at Princeton, where he was also Department Chair from 2003-2009.
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Problems in simultaneous graph drawing involve the layout of several graphs on a shared vertex set. This tool can be used for several types of these problems: simultaneous geometric embedding, simultaneous embedding with fixed edges, and colored simultaneous embedding. The tool can be used in two ways: (i) to study theoretical problems in simultaneous graph drawing; and (ii) to produce drawings from known algorithms for these problems.
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Supported by NIAAA Center Grant AA06282 and NIAAA Grant AA10978 to the Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation.
Alcohol Availability as a Predictor of Youth Drinking and Driving: A Hierarchical Analysis of Survey and Archival Data
Article first published online: 3 MAY 2006
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Volume 27, Issue 5, pages 835–840, May 2003
Additional Information
How to Cite
Treno, A. J., Grube, J. W. and Martin, S. E. (2003), Alcohol Availability as a Predictor of Youth Drinking and Driving: A Hierarchical Analysis of Survey and Archival Data. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 27: 835–840. doi: 10.1097/01.ALC.0000067979.85714.22
Publication History
- Issue published online: 3 MAY 2006
- Article first published online: 3 MAY 2006
- Received for publication November 8, 2001; accepted February 25, 2003.
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
- Drinking and Driving;
- Alcohol Availability;
- Youth;
- Underage Drinking
Background: Much attention has recently been directed toward developing preventive interventions to reduce drinking and driving through efforts to limit the numbers and locations of alcohol outlets at the community level. Although evaluations of these efforts have suggested linkages between alcohol outlets and problem outcomes, they have not addressed the linkage between outlets and drinking and driving among youth. The analysis reported here investigats the relationship between alcohol outlet densities and underage drinking and driving as self-reported on two telephone surveys conducted in California.
Methods: These analyses were based on data obtained from two telephone surveys conducted by the Prevention Research Center and archival data collected by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the US Census Bureau. The sample for the first survey consisted of 15- to 20-year-old adolescents and young adults contacted by telephone, using a random digit dialing of exchanges in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. A second set of survey data was similarly collected by a random sample of households throughout California, and the Bay Area subset was also used for this analysis.
Results: At the individual level, older respondents were more likely to report drinking and driving and riding with drinking drivers, whereas females and Asians were less so. At the aggregate or city-level, alcohol outlet density, as measured by the number of on- and off-premises establishments licensed to sell alcohol, was associated with both drinking and driving and riding with drinking drivers. These effects were moderated by a number of individual level effects, with younger respondents and females more likely to be affected by outlet densities.
Conclusions: The findings here provide support for the implementation of policies targeting alcohol outlet density reductions. Areas with large numbers of such outlets provide ample opportunities to youth for alcohol purchases.


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Meeting of the RAC Development Working Group Aberdeen June 15th 2004
The Working Group had previously produced a draft proposal for a North Sea RAC and had sent it out to a range of stakeholders for comment. Meetings had been held with fishery managers from the Member States and the Commission to discuss the proposal and the text had been progressively modified to reflect different views. On the 24th of May this year, the Fisheries Council had made a firm Decision on RACs. The Partnership could now move towards the first General Assembly for a North Sea RAC, to be held later this year.
The Working Group considered important features of the Decision, and highlighted points in the Partnership's proposal which needed to be changed. The Decision itself would take some time to be translated into the different languages of the EU and would need formal Council approval. Once the Decision had been published in the Official Journal a North Sea proposal could be submitted to Member States who would determine whether the application was representative and in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Decision, and would then transmit a recommendation to the Commission. Then, according to the Decision, 'After evaluation of the recommendation and possible amendments to the request, the Commission shall adopt a decision as soon as possible and in any event shall aim to adopt it at the latest within three months, specifying the date from which the Regional Advisory Council shall become operational. The decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union'.
A change had been made in Article 1 of the Decision, where 'Member State concerned' was defined. 'Member State concerned' means a Member State having a fishing interest in the area or fisheries covered by a Regional Advisory Council. Thus a RAC is open to any Member State which declares an interest.
The role of RACs is advisory. The Treaties establishing the European Union preclude them being anything other than consultative bodies. Decision making powers cannot be granted to RACs and the RACs cannot be the first step towards regional management bodies which some people had assumed. However, RACs can put forward advice to the Commission and member States on their own initiative, and the Commission will be consulting RACs on a wide range of issues at an early stage. In addition, Article 7 (3) has now provided a specific commitment to reply to the advice. 'Upon receipt in writing of the recommendations the Commission and, where relevant, the Member States concerned shall reply precisely to them within a reasonable time period and, at the latest, within three months'.
The structure of RACs is clearly outlined in the Decision. Each will have a General Assembly, which will not be limited in size, and an Executive Committee, which will be limited to a maximum of 24 members. 'At least one representative of the catching sub-sector from each Member State concerned shall be represented in the executive committee'. There has been a change to the latest Decision to reinforce the role of the General Assembly. Now, 'The general assembly shall meet at least once a year to approve the annual report and the annual strategic plan drawn up by the Executive Committee'. The composition of the two bodies remains as before 'In the general assembly and executive committee two thirds of the seats shall be allotted to representatives of the fisheries sector and one third to representatives of the other interest groups affected by the Common Fisheries Policy'.
In submitting a proposal for a North Sea RAC, the partnership should include a provisional list of representatives. Member States would have the final say, and would arbitrate over membership. Thus 'European and national organisations representing the fisheries sector and other interest groups may propose members to the Member States concerned. The Member States concerned shall agree on the members of the general assembly'. The General Assembly has to be created first and then 'The general assembly shall appoint an executive committee'.
Scientists must participate in the RAC. Transparency is also an important issue. Member States have decided that the meetings of the General Assembly should always be open to the public and that 'The meetings of the executive committee shall be open to the public unless decided otherwise by a majority of the executive committee'. There will be no restrictions placed upon Working Group meetings, which may be held in private. Article 7 (2) states 'Regional Advisory Councils shall adopt the necessary measures to ensure transparency in all stages of their decision-making process. Recommendations adopted by the Executive Committee shall be made available immediately to the general assembly, the Commission, Member States concerned and, upon request, to any member of the public'. The Commission and Member States would encourage each RAC to have a web-site, which would be linked to the DG Fisheries web-site.
Fears had been expressed that the RACs would replace the Commission's Advisory Committee on Fisheries & Aquaculture (ACFA). They would not, as necessary links will be established. A representative of ACFA may attend RAC meeting as an observer, and the annual report of each RAC must be forwarded to ACFA.
New financial provisions had been agreed for each RAC, viz:
+ €50,000 per year and per RAC for translation and interpretation costs without time limit.
The Commission would draw up a Framework Partnership Agreement with each RAC with respect to funding. A list of eligible direct costs has been included in the Decision. The eligible direct costs are:
It should be noted that the Commission will not pay the costs of scientific research. If a RAC wishes to carry out research it will need to find funding for it from elsewhere.
There will be a review of the functioning and implementation of the RACs three years following the date on which the last RAC becomes operational, or, at the latest by 30 June 2007. On the basis of experience, it will be decided whether any changes should be made.
Discussion of the latest Decision
There was a query from the Working Group about the timetable for establishing RACs. If submission of a bid had to await publication of the Decision in the Official Journal then it could be several months before any progress could be made. It was hoped that there could be some flexibility, and that a submission for a North Sea RAC could be submitted and discussed without having to await publication of the Decision in the Official Journal. It could be based on the draft Decision. The Commission hoped that there would be no significant delays. The Decision should be published by July.
Interim arrangements would be necessary before a North Sea Regional Advisory Council could be up and running. It was suggested, and agreed by the Commission, that an Interim Executive Committee could be established to submit the bid, discuss it with member States and the Commission, organize the first General Assembly and suggest its agenda. The General Assembly could then appoint a new Executive Committee and the interim arrangements would be dissolved. The first step will be to submit a request concerning the North Sea Regional Advisory Council to the Member States concerned and to the Commission. The application will have to go initially to at least 2 Member States, and they would then ensure that all the member States concerned would be contacted and consulted.
It was asked how 'scientists' were defined, as it not clear whether the scientists which will be invited to participate as experts in the work of the RACs can include economists and social scientists. The Commission's view is that the term includes properly qualified scientists from a range of disciplines, as opposed to self-declared experts.
It was agreed that it is for each individual RAC to decide whether to invite representatives of third party states like Norway to attend as active experts, able to speak but not vote. There is provision in Article 6 (4) to include 'Representatives of the fisheries sector and other interest groups from third countries, including representatives from Regional Fisheries Organisations, that have a fishing interest in the area or fisheries covered by a Regional Advisory Council… as active observers when issues which affect them are discussed'. The Working Group concluded that it was important to involve Norway in the North Sea Regional Advisory Council because of its strong interest in the North Sea fisheries.
In a discussion on voting procedures it was concluded that consensus building would be important within the RAC and that ideally all major decisions should be taken by consensus. The Decision states that 'members of the executive committee shall, where possible, adopt recommendations by consensus. If no consensus can be reached, dissenting opinions expressed by members shall be recorded in the recommendations adopted by the majority of the members present and voting'. Thus, minority positions must be clearly stated. It was agreed that the chair of the Executive Committee should not represent any specific and particular interest and should act in an impartial way.
There were differences between the latest version of the Decision and the current draft proposal from the Partnership. The number of RACs had now been increased to 7 by the inclusion of a RAC for the high seas/long distance fleet. The extent of the North Sea had been redefined to exclude the Eastern Channel (ICES Area VIId), and the definition of 'Member State concerned' had been changed, as pointed out by the Commission, to include any member State which declared it had a fishing interest in the North Sea. The members of the executive committee had been increased to 24, stronger emphasis had been placed on transparency and the level of funding had been increased. These changes could readily be accommodated within the draft proposal. A new draft would now be prepared and circulated to the prospective members of the RAC within one week. Prospective member organisations would be allowed one week to comment.
There was discussion of the placement of different interests within the sectors defined by the Decision. The actual wording in Article 1 is:
"Fisheries sector" means the catching sub-sector including, ship-owners, small-scale fishermen, employed fishermen, producer organisations as well as, amongst others, processors, traders and other market organisations and women's networks;
"Other interest groups" means, amongst others, environmental organisations and groups, aquaculture producers, consumers and recreational or sport fishermen.
The North Sea Women's Network is a very diverse group, extending beyond fisheries interests. It might therefore be placed with the 'other interest groups'. There is scope for the inclusion of other groups within those already listed in the draft submission. In particular, the European Transport Federation, representing crews and other fishing industry workers, should be contacted and asked if it wished to participate as part of the fisheries sector.
Funding for the RAC was discussed. The point was made that the Commission and Member States stood to gain from the establishment of the RACs. They would benefit greatly from the work and advice of a wide range of organisations brought together within the RAC. It was pointed out from the floor that the impression being given was that the Commission was funding the start up of a new NGO! The RACs were in fact an important part of the functioning procedures of the Common Fisheries Policy. It was not too much to ask that the RACs should be properly funded. It was agreed, however, that for now it would be necessary to look at a range of additional funding sources. These might include the new FIFG arrangements for 2007-13, which were still at the consultative stage. Prospective members of the RAC should try their best to ensure that Member States and the Commission were made aware of the advantages of devoting some FIFG funding to the RACs. Other sources of funding should also be investigated.
The way forward
Aberdeenshire Council, which provided the Secretariat for the Partnership, had confirmed that it was offering facilities and services to the prospective North Sea RAC. It was willing to underpin the Secretariat. It was agreed by the Working Group that the proposal for a North Sea RAC should go forward with Aberdeenshire Council providing the Secretariat and with Ann Bell as the Secretary. Hugo Andersson would chair the Interim Executive Committee and Tony Hawkins would act as Rapporteur.
The first task once the proposal for a North Sea RAC had been accepted was to organize the first General Assembly. That General Assembly would appoint a new Executive Committee and select chairmen for both the General Assembly and the Executive Committee. The interim arrangements would then be dissolved.
It was agreed that the Interim Executive Committee should, as one of its tasks, look closely at the new consultative arrangements being proposed by the Commission. New arrangements were planned for seeking comments on the scientific advice and on proposals for management measures. There is a 'non-paper' from the Commission which discusses ways of improving the negotiation process (attached) and a timetable for fisheries negotiations during 2004 has been prepared. The Commission will be starting negotiations from July onwards this year with stakeholders being consulted over particular issues during the period 1st – 12th November. The meetings of the RAC will need to be timed to fit in with these new arrangements.
A timetable for taking forward the North Sea Regional Advisory Council was proposed:
It was agreed that prospective members of the RAC should emphasise to their national administrations their support for a North Sea RAC and for this particular proposal and timetable.
The UK fisheries administration has agreed to circulate the Partnership's proposal for a North Sea Regional Advisory Council to the Member States concerned and to co-ordinate their responses.
The suggested timetable was adopted by the Working Group. A meeting of a subgroup with the member States concerned would take place on July 15th. A meeting of the Interim Executive Committee, comprising all the prospective members, would take place on September 15th in Copenhagen. The opportunity will be sought at that time to arrange a meeting with ICES to discuss its relationship with the RAC. The date of the First General Assembly of the North Sea Regional Advisory Council would be 4th November. An invitation from the UK fisheries administration to hold the First General Assembly in Edinburgh was accepted. An invitation from the Chairman of the Comité National des Pêches Maritimes et des Elevages Marins, Pierre-George Dachicourt, to hold the First Executive Committee Meeting in Boulogne was accepted.
The agenda for the Interim Executive Committee Meeting in September would include:
Subgroups and Working Groups (subgroups for the Skaggerak/Kattegat & the flatfish fisheries have already been suggested)
Immediate and longer-term issues for the North Sea
Future communication with the Commission & the need to provide rapid advice
Interaction with ICES
Funding for the RAC
Some of these items may be raised with Member States and the Commission at the July meeting. UK fisheries departments agreed to keep the Partnership up to date on the Commission's proposals for future consultative arrangements. Further suggestions for agenda items for the Interim Executive Committee would be forwarded to Ann Bell.
The European Association of Fisheries Economists had written to the Partnership offering the assistance of the EAFE in providing economic advice to the North Sea Regional Advisory Council. EAFE includes many experienced fisheries economists and has the necessary connections to the fishing industry, management bodies, research institutes and universities. The EAFE is able to provide independent advice on economic matters relating to fisheries. The Sea Fish Industry Authority in the UK has volunteered secretarial support to the EAFE in relation to advice for the RACs. The Working Group was grateful to the EAFE for its offer of assistance. Economic advice would underpin many of the RAC's activities and it would be important to have access to a network of experts. Funding of advice would, however, be a problem. It was suggested that the RAC should establish a research foundation which would both collect and allocate funding for research and advice.
It was agreed that initially the task of liaising with ICES and continuing the industry review of ICES advice for North Sea fish stocks could remain with the Partnership. The Partnership itself has funding for a further 2 years. However, there will be a need in due course for all parties to reconsider their associations and affiliations with other bodies, as the existence of the RACs would force organisations to concentrate their efforts on fewer advisory structures.
The Commission representative was asked whether in the future a representative of each RAC would be allowed to sit in on Fisheries Council as an observer. The answer was that only the Council itself could take that decision. It was not a matter for the Commission. The matter should be raised in the first instance with Member States.
It was pointed out by the fishing industry that the December Council is focused on setting TACs and more recently has been taking wider management decisions. In the past, mistakes had been made by the Council and mid-term revisions had been necessary. Some of these mistakes could have been rectified at an earlier stage had advice been sought from industry. Would advice from the RACs on these issues be accepted? It had already been stated that discussions were being held with member States on improvements to the consultation process. The RACs were seen as playing a key role. Whether the Commission & Member States actually acted upon advice from a RAC would depend on its quality – but the Commission would always have to explain its reasons for not taking the advice of a RAC.
Meeting of the RAC Development Working Group in Brussels on November 19th 2003.
Conclusions on processes for reducing the linkage between cod and plaice with other stocks in the mixed fisheries of the North Sea
Although the Working Group is not a properly constituted RAC, and does not yet reflect the right balance of participants, it brings together the main stakeholders in the North Sea fisheries. It is an appropriate body to reach consensus and present advice on the main issues affecting the fisheries.
Longer term aspirations
At its meeting on November 19th in Brussels, the Working Group
concluded that one of the major long-term problems hindering the management of the North Sea fisheries was the uncertainty over the current state of some key North Sea fish stocks and especially cod and plaice. These uncertainties had been discussed at the Consultation Meeting between the NSC Fisheries Partnership and ICES in Copenhagen in October 2003. They arose from the poor data available on catches because of discarding & poor reporting, the unsuitability of current assessment models, lack of knowledge about the effects of environmental change, changes taking place within the stocks and changes in the fisheries themselves – many of the latter arising from changes in the management regime. There had been particular uncertainties over the assessment of North Sea plaice. These current uncertainties could be addressed for all stocks by:
The Working Group suggested that the first of these actions could best be initiated by treating every fishing vessel as a potential research vessel. Establishing a reference fleet, in conjunction with a programme of on-board observers, would enable information to be recorded directly from different sectors of the fishery. At the same time, a concerted attempt could be made to refine and apply new fishery based models. These activities could be facilitated through the joint ICES/NSC Fisheries Partnership Study Group on Fishers' Information, which will meet in February 2004 in The Hague.
It is the Working Group's vision that in the long term the North Sea RAC should play a key role in the process of collecting additional data from the fishing fleet, reviewing the resultant stock assessments and planning future management measures.
Short Term Aspirations
In the shorter term, the Working Group accepted that conservation measures were needed to protect cod and plaice in the North Sea. It noted that cod biomass was increasing, indicating that earlier management measures had had some positive effects on the stocks. It also noted that the more recent large reductions in effort, not considered in the 2003 assessments, would make an additional contribution towards the conservation of cod. Nevertheless, too much should not be read into the recent improvements. Proportionate measures aimed at improving the stocks of cod and plaice should continue to be applied.
It is fishermen that have the strongest interest in restoring the cod and plaice stocks. However, they do not believe that the additional management measures currently being proposed would necessarily bring about the required recovery. In particular, the Working Group questioned the extent to which cod and plaice are linked with other, associated species, and whether the capture of these associated species inevitably results in the capture of cod and plaice. It is possible to decouple cod and plaice from other species through the choice of fishing area, timing and the way the fishery is conducted. Moreover, there are some circumstances when the assumption of a linkage of cod and plaice with other species is likely to be counter-productive, and is too simplistic an approach. In particular:
All these effects will make the conservation of cod and plaice more difficult and may have an opposite effect to that intended.
There are circumstances where loosening the linkage between cod and associated species, and increasing the TACs for these species, would bring real conservation benefits, by encouraging fishing on these other species and reducing fishing pressure upon cod. There are two complementary measures, which would allow the linkage between cod and associated species to be loosened:
The current aggregation of catches into large statistical rectangles obscures the spatial separation of species which occurs in reality. With the adoption of spatial measures, incentives such as increased quotas or days at sea, could be awarded to vessels fishing in areas where there are less cod. It would be possible to police vessel activities through reliance on satellite tracking and by the careful monitoring of catches and discards, including an adequate level of observer coverage.
The key to the success of this spatial approach is the successful mapping of those areas where associated species like haddock and whiting can be exploited with minimal risk to cod. Such areas have been provisionally identified for a range of species by STECF based on past data (Mixed Fishery Report of the STECF Sub Group on Resource Status, October 2003). Although some of these areas can be designated immediately, the use of past data aggregated into large statistical rectangles is not necessarily the best guide to areas frequented by cod, bearing in mind recent changes in the distribution of this species. It would be essential to collect new data on the distribution of cod and the associated species directly from fishing vessels with the co-operation of fishermen. Indeed, there is scope for collecting these data in real time from the reference fleet referred to earlier, and for defining these areas of distribution at the time the fisheries are operating. The Working Group suggests that measures be put in place to map appropriate areas now, where this is possible, but that steps also be taken to collect relevant data in real time from a reference fleet of fishing vessels. Fishermen are willing to co-operate in the design of appropriate observer programmes. The Commission would need to modify its procedures to allow more rapid closure of areas with a preponderance of small cod or plaice.
With respect to more selective fishing gears, the Working Group accepted that the Commission wished to take a longer term look at the practicality of such measures. However, progress could be made now in developing incentives for fishermen to adopt more selective fishing methods to avoid the capture of cod. For example, additional quota or days at sea could be awarded to fishermen using selective gears. Indeed, the Working Group observed that currently there are disincentives to the adoption of larger mesh sizes because of the linkage of large mesh sizes to fewer days at sea. The incentives chosen, and the selective gears adopted, would need to be matched to the different fleets, as different measures would be needed in the different fisheries.
Overall, the RAC Development Working Group believed that it was now necessary to move away from a management system based simply on restrictions, which do not always bring the sought-after benefits. Instead, a system of management is required which provides incentives for fishermen who are willing to behave in a responsible manner and adopt appropriate and effective conservation measures.
RAC Development Working Group Meeting, Brussels, November 19th 2003.
The Chair opened the meeting by welcoming new participants. He outlined the history of the Partnership and explained that this particular Working Group meeting was intended to simulate the working of an actual Regional Advisory Council (RAC). A particular topic had been chosen for discussion, and if a consensus could be reached then the conclusions of the meeting would be forwarded to interested parties. It was emphasised that the Working Group was not a properly constituted RAC, but that it did bring together most of the stakeholders in the North Sea fisheries. It was an appropriate body to provide advice on the main issues affecting the fisheries.
The topic chosen for discussion was the linkage between cod, plaice and other species in the North Sea. The problem was that the European Commission had insisted that since cod and plaice, the recovery species, were caught when fishing for other species, the TACs for those species should be reduced in addition to those for cod and plaice. Yet some of those species, like the haddock and prawns, were abundant in the North Sea. However, the Commission was willing to accept suggestions for measures which would decouple these associated species from cod and plaice, if these measures were practicable.
Fishers' representatives believed that where species were abundant, the TACs should be increased rather than reduced, to take the pressure off vulnerable cod and plaice. This might be achieved by two measures. Firstly by defining areas in the North Sea in which cod and plaice were rare, and where fishing for other species could be pursued without damage to cod. Secondly, by the adoption of more selective fishing gears, which allowed cod to escape.
Discussion initially centred on the uncertainties in the assessments for cod and plaice. The Consultation Meeting with ICES in October had revealed just how uncertain those assessments were. The data on the vulnerable species were poor, especially in relation to discards and misreported and unreported catches. The models being used were imperfect and needed to be reviewed. Climate change was affecting the abundance of different species, in ways that were not fully understood. The stocks themselves were changing, and new management measures had been introduced which complicated the assessments. The Consultation Meeting had suggested that new approaches were necessary for the proper assessment of the most vulnerable stocks.
Proposals had already been put forward to improve the assessments. They included a greater participation by fishers in the collection of data, the development of new statistically based models, and the inclusion of fishers and other stakeholders in considering the implications of the assessments and the development of management measures. There was a real role here for the new RACs. Improvement in the assessments would be an important long-term aspiration.
There were particular problems in assessing plaice stocks. Plaice had been 'lost', both currently and retrospectively through adjustments in the assessments, yet there had been no adjustments made to the reference levels for this species. There was a need for further discussion of the plaice assessments, and new data were required on discards in the plaice fishery.
It was agreed that although these assessment issues were very important, and would need to be addressed in the longer term, the immediate purpose of the current discussion was how the decoupling of cod and plaice from other species might be achieved. Fishers were optimistic that some recovery was already under way in the cod stocks, both as a result of the management measures already taken, and as a result of further measures that had not been taken account of in the 2003 assessments.
The Environmental NGOs emphasised that too much should not be read into the recent improvements for cod. ICES had warned that there was still a need to reduce the level of exploitation of cod, including cod caught in the fisheries for other species. Although they welcomed the idea of fishers coming forward with suggestions for reducing the linkage between cod and other species they saw little chance of achieving this before the December Council. It would take some time.
Fishers accepted that there was a need to reduce the discarding of cod. They believed that the abundance of other species like haddock and prawns offered an opportunity to direct effort away from cod towards these other species, especially through the delineating of cod-rich and cod-poor areas. The problem was in mapping the areas where cod were less common. The examination of existing catch data was a first step, but was unlikely to be completely successful, as the past catch data had been aggregated into large statistical rectangles, which would not readily allow the different areas to be defined. The cod was a mobile species, and its dynamics were being affected by climate change. There was a need to collect new, up-to-date information from the fishing fleets. This could best be done through establishing a reference fleet of commercial vessels, carrying trained observers to monitor the catches directly in different areas and for different gears. Potentially, every fishing vessel was a research vessel, able to provide valuable data for analysis. Fishers were willing to collaborate in collecting these new data on a finer spatial scale. There was even scope for defining cod-rich and cod-poor areas in real-time, and for mapping the different areas at the time the fisheries were taking place. Policing of the areas in which vessels were operating would be possible through satellite monitoring.
There was a need to provide incentives for fishers not to fish for cod, and to encourage fishers to behave responsibly. The current restrictive measures were counter-productive and were likely to encourage fishers to fish for cod. Cod was a very valuable species, and reducing the TACs for abundant species like haddock simply encouraged fishers to catch cod. Restrictions in the days at sea tended to encourage some vessels to fish close to shore, pursuing a mixed fishery which included cod and small plaice, rather than fishing further offshore in directed fisheries for species like haddock and prawns. The emerging regulations would tie vessels into their past fishing records, preventing them from moving out of a fishery directed mainly at cod. The days at sea restrictions would also result in an intensification of fishing power, through improved working practices, driven by a need to catch fish within a shorter time period. Moreover, the requirement to declare gear category in advance, at the beginning of each month, would encourage the selection of a smaller mesh size in order to gain more days at sea, and would result in increased discarding of cod. All these effects would make the conservation of cod and plaice more difficult.
Fishers discussed incentives which might reduce the exploitation of cod. One possibility was to increase quotas for the associated species but with the requirement that a proportion of them should be taken from defined areas. This could be expressed as a North Sea quota 'of which x percent has to be taken from a particular area'. Alternatively, more days at sea could be offered to vessels fishing in areas where there were less cod.
It was agreed that the Rapporteur for the Working group would prepare a draft paper, setting out the arguments for providing incentives to catch species other than cod. The Environmental NGOs emphasised, however, that the arguments for increasing TACs or days at sea on species like the haddock had to be compelling. It seemed to them that the proposition that TACs should be lowered for fisheries which caught cod was a powerful one. The cod stock is depleted, and the starting point should be the ICES advice that overlapping of cod with other species was a problem. There was a need to adopt a precautionary and multi-species approach to this problem.
Fishers argued that decoupling of cod from other species was possible. For example, cod could be decoupled from saithe through the choice of fishing area, timing of the fishery, and the conduct of the fishery itself. It was unfair that vessels which do not catch cod should be subjected to days at sea restrictions.
The scientific view was that there is considerable scope for the spatial separation of cod from other species like haddock. The current ICES advice was based on data aggregated into large statistical rectangles. ICES recognised, however, that disaggregation may be possible. Indeed, a group of scientists had looked at the problem of dissociating cod from other species and had produced a key report (Mixed Fishery Report of the STECF Sub Group on Resource Status, October 2003). The past data did need to be updated, however, and here the setting up of a reference fleet and an extensive observer programme was critical to success in mapping the distribution of the different species.
With respect to the use of more selective fishing gears, it was recognised that the Commission wished to take time to consider the various options. Fishers pointed out that there are currently disincentives for using larger mesh sizes. It would be better to offer incentives to fishers using more selective gears, or for fishers agreeing to have only one type of net on board. Such incentives should be an integral part of effort control. It was recognised, however, that increased selectivity involved more than just an increase in mesh size. A more sophisticated approach was required with selection against cod being achieved by different mechanisms in different fisheries.
The Rapporteur agreed to produce a paper for agreement by the Working Group, which would set out the arguments for defining areas of the North Sea where decoupling of cod from other species would be possible. This paper would recognise the reservations expressed by the Environmental NGOs. They had emphasised that fishers would need to prove that they could behave responsibly. It was generally agreed that the current system tend to encourage fishers to behave irresponsibly. There was a need to move away from a management system based on restrictions towards one which provides incentives for fishers to behave well.
The paper setting out the conclusions of the Working Group would be circulated after the meeting, for redrafting and agreement by all the participating representatives, and would then be circulated to all interested parties including the European Commission.
It was generally agreed that the meeting had been an interesting experiment. One lesson learned from this meeting was that the agenda for a RAC meeting would need to be carefully set out, to encourage full discussion, while focusing on the drawing out of a consensus view. It would be very important to allow all those present to express their views. It would also be important to summarise those views accurately and to present an agreed text, expressing any consensus that had been reached. It was already evident, however, that the executive committee of a North Sea RAC could facilitate the development of a more integrated approach to fisheries management, in the proper context of a healthy ecosystem.
The Partnership will return to the subject of a North Sea RAC at its February meeting in the Hague. Environmental NGOs would be invited to participate.


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Topco Associates
Topco Associates Reviews
9 Employee Reviews Back to all reviewsSort: Popular Rating Date
"No learning or advancement "
- Comp & Benefits
- Work/Life Balance
- Senior Management
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
I worked at Topco Associates full-time (more than an year)Pros
- Compensation
- New building
- Most co-workers are good to work withCons
- SAP Transformation: It boggles my mind to replace the whole IT dept with the consultant company that is doing the SAP transformation. A lot of good IT personnel has left because of it.
- There is no advancement even when there is an opening.Advice to ManagementAdvice
Departments are way to segmented and siloed. Stop being so conservative and open up.Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDisapproves of CEO
1 person found this helpful
"Company going through a rough patch "
- Comp & Benefits
- Work/Life Balance
- Senior Management
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
I have been working at Topco Associates full-time (more than 3 years)Pros
-Good place to make industry connections
-Good place to get a job straight out of school since they always are in need of people regardless of background
-Pension plan for those who were hired before 2009Cons
-No training or mentorship of any kind
-Career opportunities are out of need and not out of merit
-Transformation is becoming the focus of the company while its business continues to suffer
-No communications plan of any kind, despite hiring a new communications team... and to top it all off they are starting to place phony reviews on this site to detract from the concerns being cited by employees or former employees (shame on you)
-Ridiculous workload for non-directors
-Low compensation
-Turnover during the past 6 months has been record breaking (a lot of the capable people have left or are planning to leave)
-Culture of fear
-Old systems in place with new, more complicated systems on the way (think of an elementary school student flying a jet instead of riding a bike)... very asinineAdvice to ManagementAdvice
Think of what the members want and do it -- what you are doing will cripple the business
Prevent the few performing people you have from leaving -- things aren't always how the transformation team makes it seem -- those guys aren't trusted by anyone
Hold people accountable -- don't just take "i need more staff" as an answerDoesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDisapproves of CEO
2 people found this helpful
"Horrible atmosphere...in planning department "
- Comp & Benefits
- Work/Life Balance
- Senior Management
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
I worked at Topco Associates (less than an year)Pros
Ability to learn a lot about the food industry. Nice workplace in regards building.Cons
Difficult time to work with the structural changes. The new employees seem to be good friends of people in management. Regular associates are undervalued and their work is improperly evaluated.Doesn't RecommendNeutral OutlookNo opinion of CEO
"has so much potential, but falls short "
- Comp & Benefits
- Work/Life Balance
- Senior Management
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
I have been working at Topco Associates full-time (more than 5 years)Pros
Great benefit package! That cannot be disputed. I applaud Topco for maintaining excellent health, dental and vision insurance as well as nice PTO. Many of the people at this company are wonderful to work with. Decent location, but the organization is in the process of moving. Topco is working to improve the workflow, boost morale, and be a better overall organzation, but as I note later, they have a long journey to get there, and I hope they do.Cons
Lacking communcation, very "siloed". not a technologically forward company. No team spirit, unmotivated associates, no accountability for low performers or individuals who road-block projects or initiatives. At Topco, it seems its every associate for himself, department versus department. No shared vision, no willingness to try to acheive company goals. I must say, Topco IS trying to change this, but they have a very long way to go.Advice to ManagementAdvice
Invest in technology to speed up processes (ie? move on to firefox, get faster machines, offer vpn, etc). Get rid of low performers (they may be nice, but if the job isnt getting done, get rid of that person(s), and people with poor attitues. Offer a real bonus program.Doesn't RecommendNeutral OutlookApproves of CEO
1 person found this helpful
"Good place to work if you're just looking for a job rather than a career. "
- Comp & Benefits
- Work/Life Balance
- Senior Management
- Career Opportunities
I have been working at Topco AssociatesPros
Topco is a good place to work if you're the type the likes to be governed/micromanaged. The employees are generally friendly. Within departments, a sense of community is received.Cons
Communication seriously lacks within this organization. Employees are more apt to "pass the buck" rather than taking responsibility for duties assigned to them. Promotions are few and far between with little difference in pay.Advice to ManagementAdvice
An incentive program would be a good way to improve employee moral. The only incentive to do the job well, is fear in losing said job.Doesn't RecommendNo opinion of CEO
"Grateful for experience after college, but some management needs some maturing to do. "
- Comp & Benefits
- Work/Life Balance
- Senior Management
- Career Opportunities
I have been working at Topco AssociatesPros
- free food very often
- get to learn AS400 and a little bit of Hyperion
- good experience with fast paced customer service via email and phone
- convention once a year in the spring time is over the top and very fun and interesting
- stable company that especially thrives when people have to rely on generic food instead of brand name food when the economy worsens and the unemployment rate increases
- sales volume from the total number of member-owners (customers), the grocery stores you serve, have been second to Wal-Mart, according to upper management.Cons
- if you are good at brown-nosing you will have a high chance at becoming management, even if you have peers that have much more years experience and wealth of knowledge than you do
- don't expect to learn the much more updated systems/applications now out there like SAP and such, you are stuck with AS400, and they are comfortable with never changing because they don't want to invest into how much it will cost to change and update
- there is some training available but definitely not as thorough as it should be
- some people do get promoted, but there are still people who have worked there for many many years and they are practically at the same level except probably with increased salary over the course of years with good reviews and of course, you will attain more accounts = even more work to multitask which becomes extremely fast paced.
- although some generic food can be somewhat comparable to brand name food, sometimes the quality is certainly not the greatest
- if you like using Excel and Access, don't expect to be using it much at all. It's Outlook and AS400 all the way.Advice to ManagementAdvice
Update your systems/applications because they are becoming very antiquated.
People promoted to management should be based on merit of course, but with definitely a bit more years of experience and more wealth of knowledge than someone who just got out of college a couple years prior.Doesn't RecommendApproves of CEO
I have been working at Topco AssociatesPros
Benefits are good compared to most companies. Good stable income.Cons
Bonuses for upper management only. Most people leave for better salaried jobs.Advice to ManagementAdvice
Share bonuses with lower level employeesNo opinion of CEO
"Great company, but associate level employees are undervalued "
- Comp & Benefits
- Work/Life Balance
- Senior Management
- Career Opportunities
I worked at Topco AssociatesPros
Employee Benefits
Pension Program after five years of employment
Very Generous Prizes at Annual Employee Meetings
Company is unaffected (actually it thrives) in poor economyCons
Low compensation
Low opportunity for career advancement
Low annual merit increases
New HR staff is making many changes that are not in employees favorAdvice to ManagementAdvice
n/aNo opinion of CEO
5 people found this helpful
I have been working at Topco AssociatesPros
Topco Associates, LLC is a good place for entry level employees to start their careers. If you land there, you can develop strong contacts throughout the retail grocery industry and also the private-label CPG industry. This can lead to better opportunities later in your career.
Topco is also a good place for senior management regarding salary structure and bonus potential. The cooperative is very profitable and the ability to maximize bonuses is good for now.Cons
Topco has undertaken a strategy of "change before it is needed". They reference companies in the auto industry as examples of "dinosaur"- like companies that did not change quickly enough and then suffered huge, sometimes fatal, setbacks. Topco has taken some positive steps to correct issues ("retirement" of the CEO in late 2011 was a big one), but other upcoming changes seem to be taking Topco away from its "core" business - which is procurement through aggregation.
New leadership (not just at the CEO level, but also at the Sr VP and VP levels) want to take this company in a new direction of being a "single solution" for the member retailers. This means focusing on total category management and analysis - which may be a duplication of efforts that are already in place at most member retailers. .
For example, Topco has been talking internally for several years about how to best leverage a category on both the Private Label and National Brands sides. Even though Topco is best known in the industry as a PL company, it also has a small group that works on behalf of the member retailers on National Brand opportunities. The National Brand effort is small compared to the other Topco business, in part because the members have not completely embraced this initiative - which hinders Topco's efforts to engage large CPG companies. But, perhaps the biggest issue is that the leadership at Topco is completely unaware of how to make the National Brand initiative work. They do not focus on it at all and leave the VP in charge of the department alone. This has proven to be problematic, especially within the last two years as the leadership of the National Brands department at Topco changed. Current leadership of this department has not taken the time to "learn the core" business, either, and is not succeeding. Senior leadership is not fully aware of the issues in the National Brands department but will more than likely figure it out once some key members speak up.
The retailers join Topco for the benefits of aggregation and it remains to be seen how being a total solution can leverage the aggregation process and provide a value to the members or the CPG community. These new initiatives at Topco will require strong leadership at many levels internally (which is not a given) and also strong support from the member retailers (which means that the member retailers will truly have to work together....which is a pipe dream). Topco may be better off to understand that it is better to be profitable in your core business than to try to expand into areas where there may not be opportunities.Advice to ManagementAdvice
Focus on your core business. There are so many current gaps in distribution in the core that if even a small percentage were addressed, there would be growth. Topco needs to get better at the core business before looking elsewhere.
Also, monitor your Sr VPs and VPs alot more closely. Currently, there is one EVP. There needs to be another one in place soon....perhaps even more than that. The VP level has far too much autonomy and is liable to make some strategically bad decisions. These bad decisions are almost a given within the current environment.
Focus on all departments, not just the big ones. If you have decided that there is a need for a department (program), then don't let it sit off in the corner of the building and "do its own thing". Understand what that department needs to be successful (and that could mean something different by department and not a "cookie-cutter" answer). The National Brands department is a "diamond in the rough". Upwards of 70 percent of the products in the member retailer's stores are Branded products, yet virtually no focus is given to this effort within Topco and the current leader of the department is strategically weak and unaware on how to proceed.Doesn't RecommendNo opinion of CEO
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UFC 148 - Anderson silva vs Chael Sonnen 2 in now las vegas, in a super stacked fight card includin dominick cruz vs urijah faber and many more. watch video >>
On July 7, number one middleweight contender Chael Sonnen steps into the Octagon™ to once again face middleweight champ Anderson Silva. Sonnen explains that despite 100 reasons to quit, you need to watch video >>


text: Alpaca Unisex Cable Knit Hat by Samantha Holmes £49.50$94.44€65.17$82.87 In stock FREE mainland UK delivery - Order now and receive this item on or before Tuesday 30 December FREE mainland UK deliveryEstimated delivery: 2-3 days £4.95$9.44€6.51$8.28 Express Next Day - Order now and receive this item on or before Monday 29 December Express delivery available International delivery available colourcolour (required)CharcoalIvoryOyster TaupeDuck Egg Bluecolour (required)CharcoalIvoryOyster TaupeDuck Egg Bluecolour (required)CharcoalIvoryOyster TaupeDuck Egg Bluecolour (required)CharcoalIvoryOyster TaupeDuck Egg Blue would you like a gift box?would you like a gift box? (required)Yes Please (+ £3.50)No Thank Youwould you like a gift box? (required)Yes Please (+ $6.67)No Thank Youwould you like a gift box? (required)Yes Please (+ €4.60)No Thank Youwould you like a gift box? (required)Yes Please (+ $5.86)No Thank You quantity by Samantha Holmes Location: Helensburgh, GB read seller's profile see seller's complete range more items from this seller Men's Cable Knit Slipper Boots £65$124.01€85.58$108.82 Long Everyday Ladies Alpaca Knee Socks £29.50$56.28€38.84$49.39 Alpaca Cable Knit Snood £72$137.36€94.80$120.54 Alpaca Cable Knit Hooded Sweater £250$476.97€329.17$418.57 Alpaca Travel Shawl/Wrap £99$188.88€130.35$165.75 Alpaca And Bamboo Hottie £57$108.75€75.05$95.43 view all you may also like PRODUCT DETAILS CUSTOMER REVIEWS DELIVERY RETURNS gift wrapping available eco-friendly ask seller a question Unisex alpaca cable knit hat. Slouchy style to suit both men and women. Slouchy -Style Cable Unisex Hat handcrafted in Peru by our team of skilled artisans. Made with luxury 70% Baby Alpaca 30% Bamboo yarn. Contrasting grab stitch detail. Soft, silky handle. No dye - just the natural colour of alpaca. Great gift idea to keep someone you love warm and cosy. Excellent Men's Gift! Matching Cable Knit Scaft and Mittens available. Measures approx: Stretchy to fit most head shapes. For the perfect gift add one of our ivory gift boxes with mulberry tissue, story tag and branded silk ribbon. Available in four undied, unbleached natural colours. Matching scarf and fingerless mittens available. made from: 70% Baby Alpaca and 30% Bamboo. Hypoallergenic. Hand wash at 30 degrees. dimensions: Measures approx: Stretchy to fit most head shapes. product code: 200972 1 customer review Wed 06 Feb 2013 No comment supplied. read about our product rating system ratings guide trusted independent customer feedbackforum excellent bad good poor This product is dispatched to you by Samantha Holmes. MAINLAND UK order now and receive this item on or before price Free Delivery Tuesday 30 December FREEFREEFREEFREE Express Next Day Monday 29 December £4.95$9.44€6.51$8.28 NON-MAINLAND UK estimated delivery price Highlands & Islands of Scotland 2-5 daysfrom dispatch £2.75$5.24€3.62$4.60 Northern Ireland 2-5 daysfrom dispatch £2.75$5.24€3.62$4.60 Other UK Islands 2-5 daysfrom dispatch £4.95$9.44€6.51$8.28 INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY estimated delivery price Western Europe 2-5 daysfrom dispatch £9.95$18.98€13.10$16.65 Rest of Europe 5-10 daysfrom dispatch £9.95$18.98€13.10$16.65 USA & Canada 5-10 daysfrom dispatch £17.95$34.24€23.63$30.05 Far East & Australasia 5-10 daysfrom dispatch £17.95$34.24€23.63$30.05 Rest of the world 5-14 daysfrom dispatch £17.95$34.24€23.63$30.05 You have 28 days, from receipt of cancellable goods, to notify the seller if you wish to cancel your order or exchange an item. Please note: goods that are personalised, bespoke or made-to-order to your specific requirements, perishable products and personal items sold with a hygiene seal (cosmetics, underwear) in instances where the seal is broken are non-refundable, unless faulty. Read more about our returns policy.Should you choose to return or exchange your order you will need to deliver the item(s) to the UK, where this seller is based. Samantha Holmes's return policy


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Free Photo Archive of over 30,000 vintage photographs. Find people and the places were they lived. Search for your surnames. Find photos of your ancestors. Make connections with genealogy cousins. Add your family's photos.
Unknown Civil War SoldierSubmitted by Marie Platt Post
Bernard Aloysius Boyle FamilySubmitted by Marie Platt Post
Taken 1912 Rockton,Pa.
Sarah Boyle Gervais,Mary Dean Boyle holding Francis Boyle Bernard Boyle Jr. Bernard Boyle Sr holding William E. Boyle Mary Josephine Boyle Tracey Palmer
John and Margaret Dalrymple SchellSubmitted by Esther McDermott
John Schell, born 1858 Pa maybe the son of Thomas and Mary Schell, married Margaret Dalrymple, born 1859 Scotland, daughter of Thomas Dalrymple and Elizabeth Anderson.
It is believed that John and Margaret Dalrymple Schell raised Karl Clark (uncle to Esther McDermott) after his mother, Clara Mae Shell Clark died in childbirth.
From the 1910 Census, Sharpsville, Mercer Co., PA ED#180 visit 621:
John Shell head age 52 b. PA
Margaret wife age 51 b. Scotland
Karl R. son age 6 b. PA
Glen G. Holland SIL age 25 b. PA
Jessie M. Holland dau age 27 b.PA
Mary Ballentine wife of John Anderson MillsopSubmitted by CandMllsp
John Anderson MillsopSubmitted by CandMllsp
Mclaren Wedding PhotoSubmitted by dlk127
Photo of George McLaren, Mary O'Malley wedding with Jack and Mary McLaren. Mary O'Malley from Achill Ireland, McLarens from Inverness, Scotland


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Mentor Graphics
Mentor Graphics Jobs & Careers
System Development Engineer – new
Mentor Graphics – United States
include: Primary: Creating the product family architecture based on the requirements of the Product Management. Making a development project plan… Mentor Graphics
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•Knowledge of Unix OS, shell scripting, and working knowledge of TCL, PERL, and Python scripting languages. •Demonstrated ability to plan… Mentor Graphics
Sr Corporate Application Engineer
Mentor Graphics – Bangalore
• Communicating customers' technical requirements as well as customer issues to the Product Team. This will include an understanding and… Mentor Graphics
RDC IT Systems Administration
Mentor Graphics – Shannon
listed below. • Server hardware management: - Plan and implement server installations including planning, preparation, installation, cabling, LAN… Mentor Graphics
Associate Rotation Engineer - MED
Mentor Graphics – Fremont, CA
Associate Rotational Engineers are members of a team of highly motivated individuals working with customers designing the most complex hardware and… Mentor Graphics
DFT Consultant
Mentor Graphics – Bangalore
Extensive travel is required for this position. Job Qualifications: Strong… Mentor Graphics
Customer Order Management Analyst
Mentor Graphics – Shannon
• Analyze and resolve a wide variety of problems encountered during the order fulfilment process… Mentor Graphics
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1. Build upon the strong foundation that is currently served through guided analytical tools… Mentor Graphics
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In the role of Questa Product Marketing Manager, you will be part of a global team of product marketing managers who are directly responsible for the… Mentor Graphics
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• B.Sc Computer, or Electronic-Communication Engineering • Graduation Grade: Excellent or Very Good with Honor • Mastering English Language… Mentor Graphics
Mentor Graphics Photos
Mentor Graphics Reviews
"Slow pace "
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I have been working at Mentor Graphics full-time (more than 10 years)Pros
highly flexible, work life balance is maintained.Cons
Slow pace, no growth is observedAdvice to ManagementAdvice
More aggressive appraoch neededRecommendsPositive Outlook


text:
A Look at Google's Revenue and Expenses
13 Flares 13 Flares ×
We all know there is a whole lot of money going around when it comes to Google. But how much money? How much revenue, how much expenses? Off course we get the numbers from Google, every Quarter, but it is interesting to put those numbers into an infographic, what Masters in Finance did.
Pingback: SearchCap: The Day In Search, January 14, 2013 : eMarketing Wall()


text: Roy Presson (C) embraced his daughters Catherine (L) and Amanda on Tuesday as they stood on the edge of State Highway HH looking out at their family farm in Wyatt, Mo. The Presson home and 2,400 acres of land that they farmed was flooded when the Army Corps of Engineers blew a massive hole in a levee at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to help save the town of Cairo, Ill. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption itoggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images The Two-Way Third Levee Levee Blast Planned In Missouri May 4, 2011 The Army Corps of Engineers is flooding some rural areas to relieve pressure upstream. In some places, residents are being warned that graves may be disturbed — and not to try to recover any "caskets, vaults or skeletal remains" in the water.


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StemCells, Inc. Announces Closing Of $20 Million Offering
NEWARK, Calif., July 18, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEM), today announced that it has closed its previously announced offering of common stock and short term warrants. The Company sold a total of 11,299,435 units to two well recognized institutional biotechnology investors and received total proceeds, net of offering expenses and placement agent fees, of approximately $18.7 million. Each unit consists of one share of common stock and a warrant to purchase 0.85 of a share of common stock at a price of $1.77 per unit. The warrants will first be exercisable six months from the date of issuance at an initial exercise price of $2.17 per share. The warrants will expire at the close of business on August 17, 2015.
"Two sophisticated investors approached us to provide $20 million of capital based upon the strength of our interim clinical data, and our ongoing translation agenda," said Greg Schiffman, chief financial officer of StemCells, Inc. "Moreover, this transaction was structured with a short term warrant which provides the investors with the potential to provide approximately $20 million in additional capital next year. The proceeds from this financing, combined with the funds from the warrants, should they be exercised, would provide sufficient capital to finance our projected 2015 operating expenditures, by which time we expect to have final data from our Phase I/II clinical programs in spinal cord injury and dry age related macular degeneration and should have initiated controlled proof of concept Phase II clinical programs in both of these indications."
Ascendiant Capital Markets, LLC acted as financial advisor and placement agent for the offering.About StemCells, Inc. StemCells, Inc. is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of cell-based therapeutics and tools for use in stem cell-based research and drug discovery. The Company's lead therapeutic product candidate, HuCNS-SC ® cells (purified human neural stem cells), is currently in development as a potential treatment for a broad range of central nervous system disorders. In a Phase I clinical trial in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD), a fatal myelination disorder in children, the Company has shown preliminary evidence of progressive and durable donor-derived myelination in all four patients transplanted with HuCNS-SC cells. The Company conducted a Phase I/II clinical trial in chronic spinal cord injury in Switzerland, Canada and the United States, and has reported positive interim data for the first eight patients. The Company is also conducting a Phase I/II clinical trial in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the United States. In addition, the Company is pursuing preclinical studies in Alzheimer's disease, with support from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). StemCells also markets stem cell research products, including media and reagents, under the SC Proven ® brand. Further information about StemCells is available at http://www.stemcellsinc.com. Apart from statements of historical fact, the text of this press release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws, and is subject to the safe harbors created therein. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the future business operations of StemCells, Inc. (the "Company"); the Company's expected use of net proceeds; the sufficiency of the proceeds from the offering together with proceeds from the exercise of the warrants, if any, to fund 2015 operating expenditures; and the prospect for continued clinical development of the Company's HuCNS-SC cells in CNS disorders including the prospect of initiating Phase II clinical studies in dry age related macular degeneration and spinal cord injury. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. Such statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain assumptions that may or may not ultimately prove valid. The Company's actual results may vary materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties to which the Company is subject, including the fact that additional trials will be required to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the Company's HuCNS-SC cells for the treatment of any disease or disorder; uncertainty as to whether the FDA or other applicable regulatory agencies or review boards will permit the Company to continue clinical testing in AMD or spinal cord injury; uncertainties regarding the timing and duration of any clinical trials; uncertainties regarding the Company's ability to recruit the patients required to conduct its clinical trials or to obtain meaningful results; uncertainties regarding the Company's ability to obtain the increased capital resources needed to continue its current and planned research and development operations; uncertainties regarding the Company's manufacturing capabilities given its increasing preclinical and clinical commitments; uncertainty as to whether HuCNS-SC cells and any products that may be generated in the future in the Company's cell-based programs will prove safe and clinically effective and not cause tumors or other adverse side effects; uncertainties regarding the Company's ability to commercialize a therapeutic product and its ability to successfully compete with other products on the market; and other factors that are described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.
CONTACT: Greg Schiffman StemCells, Inc. Chief Financial Officer (510) 456-4128 Andrea Flynn Russo Partners (646) 942-5631
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text:
|Name: _________________________
|Period: ___________________
This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where do Nadira and Aisha go after school to try calling the INS in Section 7: Chapter 9?
(a) Dunkin' Donuts.
(b) Ali-uncle's shop.
(c) McDonald's.
(d) Uncle's office.
2. Once, Nadira came home to find what burning in a pan, and she ran outside to find Ma crying on a park bench?
(a) Rice.
(b) Curry.
(c) Eggplant.
(d) Potatoes.
3. What is the name of Abba's older brother which Nadira describes in Section 6: Chapter 7?
(a) Tareq.
(b) Taslima.
(c) Ali-uncle.
(d) Naseem.
4. After Abba is taken away, Nadira and Aisha help Ma buy a coat that is what color in Section 2: Chapter 2?
(a) Blue.
(b) Red.
(c) Pink.
(d) Purple.
5. Nadira often helps who in his newspaper store after school?
(a) Ali-uncle.
(b) Tim.
(c) Mr. Rashid.
(d) Mr. Friedlander.
6. When Bengal was divided in the Partition, the side which belonged to India held mostly what?
(a) Hindus.
(b) Muslims.
(c) Christians.
(d) Jews.
7. How old is Nadira in the beginning of the novel?
(a) 17.
(b) 12.
(c) 16.
(d) 14.
8. Taslima met Tim while working at what?
(a) A Broadway musical.
(b) A political campaign.
(c) A catering event.
(d) A human rights organization.
9. What does Abba tell his daughters to say at school after he is detained in Section 2: Chapter 2?
(a) That he is detained.
(b) That he is sick.
(c) Nothing.
(d) That they are being deported.
10. Who is Nadira's geometry teacher in the book?
(a) Mr. Smith.
(b) Mr. Chin.
(c) Mr. Friedlander.
(d) Mr. Jackson.
11. What is a literary device in which an author indistinctly suggests certain plot developments that might come later in the story?
(a) Obstacle.
(b) Conflict.
(c) Foreshadowing.
(d) Catalyst.
12. What refers to a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur?
(a) The CIA.
(b) The Patriot Act.
(c) The FBI.
(d) Homeland Security.
13. How many of the twenty questions on Nadira's geometry quiz does she complete in Section 5: Chapter 6?
(a) 16.
(b) 12.
(c) 20.
(d) 19.
14. Where does Abba send his daughters when he is detained for having an expired visa in Section 2: Chapter 2?
(a) Uncle and Auntie's apartment.
(b) Into Montreal.
(c) Back to Minnesota.
(d) Back to Bangladesh.
15. When Abba saw Ma at a Bengali New Year fair, he refused to do what until his father arranged their marriage?
(a) Work.
(b) Swim.
(c) Eat.
(d) Speak.
Short Answer Questions
1. After Abba is taken away, Nadira and Aisha help Ma buy a coat like one that who wore in Section 2: Chapter 2?
2. What is the name of Nadira's best friend in the novel?
3. What is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security?
4. Nadira's family hired their second immigration lawyer after who saw him on television and convinced him to take their case?
5. From what country did Nadira's family emigrate to the United States?
This section contains 461 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page)


text:
Senior Member
Can't have my lol time interrupted.... (But seriously she's so god damn crazy, HELP, PLEASE!)
Tell her your not into her...?
What sort of crazy are you dealing with?
(I had a guy crushing on me and he spennnnt like 2 months trying to break myself and current boyfriend up, until i straight up told him to cut that **** out Im never dating you because of how much of a ***** you are..) /rant
What type of crazy? She's into all this witchcraft stuff. Also she doesn't believe in evolution, but instead some insane creationist theory (Like, worse than Scientology.). That, and she's constantly messaging me on facebook. Like every thrity minutes or so. Doesn't matter if I'm online or not, and her messages are about as 'flirty' and suggestive as one could be without saying GIVE ME YOUR (insert you know what here.) Too top this all off, she has a boyfriend too who's been trying to intimidate me over this. GAH! I'll take your advice and just tell her to **** off tomorrow.
IS she hot?
Make out with her.
Is she ugly?
Drop pigs blood on her
Do her, get it over with
Edit: Threesome?
Boss Aegis
She's a Pastafarian.
You've been trolled irl.
Tell her you are gay, ask a friend to help with a little act, hugging, fake kissing, stuff like that.
Belive me, it works...
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text:
On Monday, Howard Schultz, chief executive of Starbucks, unveiled his company's newest - and possibly most important - perquisite for its employees: a free college education. He announced this new program on a stage in The Times Center in Manhattan, alongside his partner in the new venture, Michael Crow of Arizona State University.
Full text and e-editions are available to premium subscribers only. To subscribe to the digital edition, please visit subscription page. If you are already a subscriber, please login to the site. You can also request a free sample by using our request form.
Several times in recent weeks I've found myself in conversations with liberals who shake their heads sadly and express their disappointment with President Barack Obama. Why? I suspect that they're being influenced, often without realizing it, by the prevailing media narrative.
The can of worms that George W. Bush cracked open in Iraq in 2003, which Barack Obama tried to close and essentially gave up on by the end of 2011, is now spilling over into a major Middle East catastrophe.
For an increasing number of Americans, the tenor of politics has reached a near-religious pitch, in which people on opposing ends of the ideological scale take on theological properties: good or evil, angels or demons, here to either save our way of life or destroy it.
"Congressional Democrats were ecstatic," The New York Times reported the morning after House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's unexpected trouncing in his Republican primary. "An informal dinner party at the Georgetown apartment of Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader, turned into a celebration."
Elections matter. House Republican Leader Eric Cantor's stunning reelection defeat probably scuttles any hope for an immigration overhaul this year, given how much Cantor was pummeled with that hot-potato issue by his victorious rival.
No one wrote about blondes like Raymond Chandler.
"There is the small cute blonde who cheeps and twitters and the big statuesque blonde who straight-arms you with an ice-blue glare," he wrote in "The Long Goodbye." "There is the blonde who gives you the up-from-under look and smells lovely and shimmers and hangs on your arm and is always very, very tired when you take her home."
The debacle in Iraq isn't President Barack Obama's fault. It's not the Republicans' fault. Both bear some responsibility, but, overwhelmingly, it's the fault of the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki.
Some on the left suggest that President George W. Bush is at fault because he invaded Iraq in the first place. Sen. John McCain argues that the White House bears such responsibility that Obama should replace his national security team.
The Yale applicant had terrific test scores. She had fantastic grades. As one of Yale's admissions officers, Michael Motto, leafed through her application, he found himself more and more impressed.
The disintegration of Iraq and Syria is upending an order that has defined the Middle East for a century. It is a huge event, and we as a country need to think very carefully about how to respond. Having just returned from Iraq two weeks ago, my own thinking is guided by five principles, and the first is that, in Iraq today, my enemy's enemy is my enemy. Other than the Kurds, we have no friends in this fight. Neither Sunni nor Shiite leaders spearheading the war in Iraq today share our values.
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