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Private Equity in China: IPOs Are Out for Now, but Opportunities Exist
As private equity luminary Hugo Shong, founding general partner of China-based IDG Technology Venture Investment, noted at the recentWharton Global Alumni Forum in Beijing: The IPO market is pretty much dead. Since IPOs are a crucial exit route for investors, you might think a panel titled, Private Equity in China: Challenge and Opportunity, would have been a downbeat affair. But Shong's mood -- and that of his fellow panelists -- was anything but morose.
The panel, which included some of China's top investors, painted a picture that included opportunities in every sector and geographic location in China. Venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) investors are branching out into everything from agribusiness to health care, while regions barely known in the West are proving to be new sources of deals. Despite the downturn, the panelists said, the opportunities are abundant.
They also acknowledged some tricky challenges. While dispelling a number of common misperceptions about China's investment environment (notably the idea that too much money is chasing too few good deals), the speakers highlighted problems ranging from regulatory risk to entrepreneurial overreach. As a result, investors need to be prepared to work closely with entrepreneurs and state sector-management to try to keep everyone on the same page. They also need to influence and understand official thinking during the design and implementation of new regulations. Carrying out exhaustive due diligence is another must, they said.
World-class in Two Years
But the dominant mood was one of overt optimism. Part of the excitement, said Andrew Yan, managing partner of SAIF Partners III and SB Asia Investment Fund II, derives from the speed with which investments can be paid back. It is possible to invest in a small Chinese company, and within one or two years, the company can become world class.
I remember in 2003, we invested in a company called Shanda, which [was] a very small company at the time, said Yan, who was voted venture investor of the year in 2004 and 2007 by the China Venture Capital Association. We invested in May 2003 and the company went public on Nasdaq in July 2004. And within a year, the company became the largest online game company in the world. There are many such examples, he says.
The extraordinary growth rate, the immense addressable market in China can make this happen. I think that, as a private equity investor, this is really a dream [scenario] for you to work in, Yan said.
The nature of these opportunities is changing, though. Despite the rewards they have reaped from investments in tech companies, Yan and his fellow panelists said that many future money making possibilities will lie outside traditional sectors and current geographical areas of interest. Yan is a keen agribusiness investor, for instance, and he recently closed a deal involving China's largest potato grower. (Potato growing is a very high- margin business, he noted.) Health care, now the focus of renewed government reform and investment, is another area in which he sees huge potential.
Gathering policy momentum will likely help to grow investors' interest in another sector that has provided good returns: Renewable energy and environmental technologies. Alternative energy is still one of the key areas we think the Chinese government will really put a lot of emphasis on, and there will be a lot of investment opportunities for us, said DT Capital founding managing partner Joe Tian. His company invested in China's largest wind turbine blade manufacturer, Tang Wind Energy, which Tian predicted this year may become the largest global manufacturer in its sector.
IDG Technology Venture Investment (IDGVC) focuses on the consumer sector (ranging from film and entertainment to healthcare), and Shong highlighted the strength of the domestic market despite the global downturn. The vast majority of successful domestic firms do not rely on overseas business at all, he noted. Even China's high savings level, which implies lower consumption, can be turned to investors' advantage: Financial services is now an area of great interest for IDGVC.
Mirroring the breadth of sectors that offer investment openings for VC and PE, opportunities are increasingly geographically diverse. Yan observed that his company's five agribusiness investments range from the northern border with Russia to mountainous Jiangxi in the south.
There is an increased focus on second- and third-tier cities. Perhaps 80% of VC/PE capital still flows to first-tier cities, Shong estimated, adding that he has seen the number of consumer and natural resource deals in second- and third-tier cities grow. Indeed, the label second-tier or third-tier can be misleading, Shong pointed out: The infrastructure in these cities today is far better than was the case in first-tier cities a decade ago. Even better opportunities exist in these locations today than did in places like Beijing and Shanghai ten years ago.
I think obviously in Beijing, Shanghai we can still have a lot of opportunities, but [for] certain investment opportunities, certain second- or even third-tier cities probably have more, Tian noted. This is partly because, under the centrally planned economy of Maoism, industrial clusters were set up in certain areas, he added.
Assessing Potential Deals
Whatever the deal opportunities, however, investors need to carefully assess the opportunities by sector. Sun Chang, managing director of Warburg Pincus Asia, explained how his company goes about doing this using three criteria.
The first is size: The sector has to be big enough, deep enough to accommodate investments, he argued. It takes time and money to investigate a sector so it needs to promise more than one deal in ten years. The second criterion is growth. Assuming our multiples are the same going in and going out, your return on capital will be equal to the growth rate of the business. Lastly, Warburg Pincus assesses the willingness of the companies or the entrepreneurs to accept our capital.
Real estate is one sector that interests Warburg Pincus, because businesses are willing to accept capital from outside investors. It is also big, and growing. Before the average income per capita in China reaches US$8,000, most of the real estate investment will be in apartments - not in houses. So we see a very long runway for real estate.
Ambition's Limits
Amidst the optimism, panelists admitted that not everything is possible, even in China, and offered their insights on typical difficulties.
Although in recent times Asia saw an onslaught of (then) liquidity-flush investment bankers hunting for buyouts, the panel agreed that China does not offer much scope for this. Why? Sun argued that Chinese entrepreneurs are like American moguls a century ago. If you had tried to buy out Rockefeller or JP Morgan back then, they would have shown you the door; the same goes for the current crop of Chinese entrepreneurs, who are fired up to build their own business empires.
Entrepreneurs' ambition can be an Achilles heel, said Sun. The desire of China's early stage ventures to take on big cash injections is not always matched by the capacity to produce a convincing estimate of the income they can generate. The challenge with start-ups is they really don't know how much they're going to make, he said. It is not unknown for the gap between what a company claims it can make and what PE firms project it can generate to differ three-to-one.
One solution (apart from recommending companies to hire chief financial officers) involves a ratchet. A company might want an injection of capital equal to ten times the net income they think they will make in the next year -- for instance, US$9 million dollars. But the prospective investor reckons that US$3 million is more realistic, so he will only offer US$30 million. To navigate this impasse, the two sides could agree that for every million dollars missed on the bottom line, the valuation shrinks by ten million. This has since become a common way of valuing companies.
Growth companies, at the pre- or post-IPO stage, bring related trials. The challenge there is the unbridled ambition of the entrepreneur versus realism, commented Sun. If they really go very aggressive, they risk ruining the company's future by piling up too much debt, or making an acquisition that will not work.
Putting together management teams is another sizable problem, added Yan. In order to be successful in China ... you need a manager who can not only manage the business locally, but also can deal with international business, he said. Although the large number of returnees who have been educated oversees provides a good talent pool, to find a qualified local operator who has a good international background is still a challenge
Investment in state-owned enterprises, meanwhile, presents a different set of hurdles. These flow from the poor alignment of managers' interests with those of the company and its investors: Managers lack a stake in the business, yet manage its earnings.
Sun gave the example of a pharmaceuticals manufacturer Warburg Pincus invested in a few years ago. Every year, the net income of the company is a negotiated agreement between management and the shareholders, he explained. Shareholders might demand 200 million Renminbi, but managers say they can only spend 100 million. The final figure will be a compromise.
The result is lower efficiency and transparency. Year end, [we found] out that the manager of [a certain] division had paid everybody, including the kitchen staff, 10,000 Renminbi [each] in bonuses without telling [us], he said. The division in question has around 600 employees. One year, he gave everybody a big LCD TV ... without telling us.... Another year, we found out that the taxi drivers were all wearing mink coats that he passed out. Aligning interests in state companies is Warburg Pincus's biggest headache, Sun said.
Direct state intervention can also have serious implications for investors. On the macro level, I would say China still is one of the most regulated economies in the world, said Yan. Besides the need to work through many layers of bureaucracy to gain approval, a policy decision by one of many government agencies can alter the business environment overnight.
According to Shong, this makes it important to try to influence how laws are designed. Even so, since China's laws tend not to be black and white, most of the time you really work in the grey, he said. Investors need to work closely with officials to understand how rules are likely to be interpreted, and where the true boundaries lie.
Contrarian Truths
Whatever the difficulties they face, the assembled investors nonetheless downplayed some common objections to their rosy picture of China's private equity scene. There has been a general perception that China has suffered from too much money chasing too few good deals, for instance; valuations can be extremely difficult, say some; and doing deals can be an ethical minefield.
Deal referrals from trusted sources help, but ethical issues certainly exist, noted DT Capital's Tian. However, investors go to great lengths to make sure they are not caught unaware. His company conducts many layers of due diligence, even getting to know the potential counterpart's network. We know your previous boss, we know your local government... And sometimes, good or bad, we even know your family, or it could be your friend, he said. This effectively allows the firm to build up what it calls surrounding influence, so that the damage done to entrepreneurs' reputations in the event of wrongdoing would be serious.
The panel gave shorter shrift to the other objections. For starters, Yan noted that the returns on capital that his firm has received are twice the U.S. average, implying that the idea that valuations are tricky is wrong.
I think there that there is a general misperception that there is too much money chasing too few deals, he said. Statistically, last year China saw a historical high of VC and growth capital investment of US$3.83 billion, he noted. Meanwhile, the U.S. reached a figure of US$30 billion (although in purchasing power parity terms the chasm shrinks to a multiple of around four). China, which contains a fifth of the world's population, manages a level of private equity investment not unlike that of Israel, with an estimated population of 7.5 million. One cannot argue that US$3.8 billion in private equity investment in China is too much money chasing too few deals, he concluded.
While conceding that in recent times, entrepreneurs could shop around for deals, leaving too little latitude to probe fundamentals, Shong said that the time when too much money chased too few deals has gone. Here, he added, the current crisis has shown a silver lining. I really like [times of] crisis, he said, noting that some of IDGVC's best returns have come from investments made following crises, as when it took a share in Baidu after the Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998. Both entrepreneurs and investors approach a deal with more rational and reasonable expectations of each other.
If so, the depth of the current crisis could bode well for private equity's future in China.


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The Armstrong Gun
Part 4: Other Armstrong Equipments in New Zealand
In Part 1 appeared a list of Armstrong guns accepted by the British Government in 1858 for service in the Army and Navy. Part II gave a detailed description of the 12-pounder because it incorporated all the features for which the Armstrongs were noted, and Part III described its introduction to active service conditions in New Zealand. We shall now examine the others.
The lightest of all the Armstrongs (excluding the 3- and 5-pr experimental pieces made in 1855), was the 6-pr (calibre 2.5-in or 63.5mm), of 3 cwt (152.3 kg). Originally intended as a mountain gun, it was considered by the Imperial Forces to be too heavy for that purpose but suitable for the colonies. In New Zealand it was employed in the field role.
The gun itself, i.e. the piece, closely resembled the 12-pr except in size. Rifling was of the same pattern, there being 32 shallow grooves with a uniform twist of one turn in 30 calibres, and the bore looked remarkably like that of a modern gun. It had no 'grip' at the muzzle; the 12-pr was the only Armstrong made with this device.
Adjustable tangent sights graduated up to 3000 yards (2769 metres) and allowing for line deflections up to 30 minutes right and left were provided, as well as fixed sights for short range work. However, the full capability of the gun was never realised owing to the design of the carriage which limited elevation of the piece to about 15°, and to the difficulty in recognising and laying on targets over open sights at the longer ranges. All the Armstrongs suffered from this defect.
Effective ranges would have been significantly increased had telescopes been fitted. The idea was mooted at one stage but rejected because British tactical thinking would not depart from principles born of the smooth-bore era. Hence in New Zealand the 6-pr was seldom in action more than three or four hundred metres from the enemy.
For towing, the gun carriage was connected to a limber which consisted mainly of a frame on wheels fitted with boxes for carrying ammunition and stores. In front a pair of shafts was provided for 'single draught', i.e. one horse, and in rear a large hook to receive the trail eye. The process of hooking carriage to limber was called 'limbering up'.
Armstrong made use of carriages of the same pattern as those mounting the old smooth-bore muzzle-loading guns, modifying them where necessary. The 6-pr closely resembled the 12-pr but had no traversing gear.
Carriages were built of oak except in the wheels where timber was used for the spokes (Note 1) only. Felloes (Note 2) were of ash, naves (Note 3) of elm. Deal (Note 4) was used for the sides, tops and bottoms of axle boxes, elm for the ends. Handspikes, rammer and sponge staves known as 'sidearms', were of ash. Metal fittings were of wrought iron.
The axle boxes were mounted on the axletree, one on either side of the carriage, and contained ready-use ammunition and tools. The lids were covered with canvas to keep out the weather. Ammunition consisted of solid shot and segment shell as for the 12-pr.
The 6-pr featured in a number of actions during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s, but not in some noteworthy others. To be fair, there were many occasions when it was virtually impossible to deploy field guns owing to the difficult nature of the country and the lack of adequate supply facilities. On the other hand when conditions favoured artillery, officers did not always exploit its potential to the full. An account of every action is beyond the scope of this article, but two illustrating important principles will be described.
The operation at Hairini, near Te Awamutu, on 22 Feb 1864 deserves mention as an example of intelligent handling of the artillery arm. During the attack on five or six hundred Maori dug in on Alarms Hill, three 6-prs, two Royal Artillery, one Royal Navy, fired shells into the enemy entrenchments over the heads of advancing infantry. This was a demonstration of close support of troops by neutralising fire worthy of the twentieth century. The fire kept Maori heads down or upset their aim until it stopped just before the final assault. Thus the British casualty rate during the action - three killed or died of wounds, 15 wounded - was extremely light for the numbers of enemy and own troops engaged. Being a quick action, it was all over in a day. Maori casualties were also light.
The usual form of attack invariably bore the stamp of a centuries-old obsession with siege warfare. The procedure was to blow a 'breach' in the enemy's defences, then stop the guns and send in a 'forlorn hope' to deal with the occupants. The latter of course enjoyed 'open season' on the attackers during their advance.
The Hairini action showed a refreshingly different approach to the problem, but we must not give its planners all the credit, for the technique had been tried before. One or two brave souls had already risked ridicule by doing something 'not in the book'. They had been successful too, but success did not necessarily signify approval. Departures from traditional methods were rarely looked upon with favour in those days.
Note that the attack on Hairini was spearheaded by New Zealand forces, a company of Forest Rangers and two squadrons of Colonial Defence Force Cavalry. Possibly they had something to do with the fire plan.
A little over a month later occurred the famous siege of Orakau. Here, although two 6-prs were available, they were not called upon even for the usual pre-attack breaching exercise. Not until two assaults on the pa had been repulsed did Brigadier Carey who was in command order the guns into action. The little shells made slight impression upon the earthworks made resilient with layers of fern; after all, the 6-pr was never meant to destroy field works, in the design of which the Maori was a master. During the bombardment he simply went to ground while the Royal Artillery wasted their ammunition.
On the other hand, had the gunners fired their shells into the defences while the infantry were advancing they would have kept Maori heads down or upset their aim, thus keeping the attackers' casualty rate low and their morale high. Supported in this manner the infantry probably would have succeeded with the first assault as at this stage the enemy parapet was low and unfinished.
Frustrated in their attempts to storm the pa, and finding the 6-prs were achieving nothing, the British resorted to the time-honoured but time-consuming advance by sap, at the same time affording the enemy extra time to strengthen his defences. They eventually approached close enough to lob grenades in among the defenders, and brought one of the 6-prs to the head of the sap where at less than point blank range it actually began to batter the position. Both grenades and gun inflicted heavy losses upon members of the garrison.
Outnumbered six to one, almost out of ammunition, and suffering badly from thirst they nevertheless turned down a chance to surrender. They even repulsed two more attempts to rush their outworks. Skillfully and fearlessly they evacuated Orakau and escaped through the cordon of soldiers surrounding them.
Why the tactics so effective at Hairini were not repeated at Orakau may be hard for the modern reader to understand unless he knows something of the Victorian army and the attitudes of its officers. In Part V of this article we shall investigate them.
One thing is certain. Carey committed two grave military sins at the Orakau preliminaries:
From all accounts, Orakau did appear deceptively weak from a distance and Carey allowed himself to be deceived into thinking infantry alone could take it. A detailed reconnaissance would have revealed its true nature, and in the Rangers he had all the expertise for such a task, but there is no evidence he reconnoitred it. His men paid the price: 17 killed or died of wounds, 52 wounded.
When the Imperial troops returned to England the New Zealand Government bought a number of Armstrongs which had been used by the Royal Artillery, and after the Wars distributed them in 'penny packets' to the Armed Constabulary and various volunteer batteries throughout the country. Of the 6-prs only five or six now survive as far as the writer is aware.
All that remains to-day (1990's) of four of these priceless relics are their barrels stuck on blocks of concrete in the Monmouth Redoubt (Note 5), Tauranga, the carriages having been permitted to rot away and collapse during the early years of this century. The New Zealand Armed Constabulary, disbanded in 1886, were responsible for the Redoubt and doubtless were the last to care for them.
The Royal New Zealand Artillery who trace their origins back to the NZAC should be particularly interested in these guns. A photograph taken in 1870 in Tauranga shows an AC squad being instructed by a Royal Artillery NCO on two 6-pr Armstrongs, and there can be little doubt they are numbered among the survivors.
Fortunately a project to restore them is under way. Restoration in this case involves the building of complete new carriages and wheels. One is to he issued on long term loan to the Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum, and the other three to the Tauranga District Museum. Drawings and templates to enable the work to be done have been supplied by members of the New Zealand Military Historical Society.
Brief mention will now be made of the 9-pr, the gun the British adopted for the Royal Horse Artillery (Note 6). As the first of these equipments did not arrive in New Zealand until 1886 their story really belongs to another era, and further reference will be made to them in Part V of this article.
The gun was of the same calibre as the 12-pr, i.e. 3-in, but was shorter and lighter as became its role. Carriages were of iron fitted with a more efficient elevating gear but no traversing gear. Wheels were of a later type fitted with iron naves.
9-pr ammunition could be fired from the 12-pr, but 12-pr ammunition could not be fired in the 9-pr gun as both projectile and cartridge were too long.
Coming back to the earlier Armstrongs and the New Zealand Wars we find the 40-pr employed to a limited extent. This was a 'siege' gun according to Royal Artillery definition; today it would be called a 'medium'.
The piece of 4.75-in (120.65mm) calibre was mounted on a very heavy 'travelling carriage' closely resembling that of the 12-pr except in size. Gun, carriage, and limber with its load of ammunition and other stores weighed over three tonnes. Consequently the equipment was difficult to move in operational areas where few if any roads existed.
In late October 1863 40-prs in the Whangamarino Redoubt shelled the Maori entrenchments at Meremere, near Mercer, with airburst. A contemporary account states the fuzes 'appeared rather short', i.e. the shells burst too high in the air, not close enough to the trenches to inflict significant damage upon the occupants. The Maori abandoned the position, not because of the shelling but because their line of retreat apparently became threatened.
The target was not visible from the bank of the Waikato River where the guns were first landed. As they were equipped with open sights only, the gunners had to take them to a position from which they could actually see the target in order to engage it, and the Redoubt was the most suitable place.
Having visited the precipitous feature upon which the Redoubt was situated the writer suspects that to the Royal Artillery concerned the most memorable aspect of the operation must have been the struggle getting the guns up the extremely steep access track. They took no further part in the Waikato campaign.
We do see 40-prs again, this time in Tauranga at the prelude to the Gate Pa (Note 7) Battle of 29 April 1864, but these were Naval types from HMS Esk, one of the warships which brought troops to the area. They were not mounted on 'travelling carriages' but on heavy ship's 'traversing platforms', entirely unsuitable for the field. To overcome their disadvantages 800 soldiers were made available to manhandle them to their position in action about 600 metres from the Maori defences.
Also from Esk came a 110-pr (7-in or 177.8mm) similarly mounted. This 7-tonne monster was emplaced alongside the two 40-prs, the three together forming a battery manned by sailors. The 110-pr was designed for the Naval or coast artillery role; and was never intended for use in the field.
To complete the array of ordnance lined up against the Maori were two 24-pr howitzers, two 6-pr Armstrongs, two 8-in mortars and six Coehorn mortars. The Maori had none.
Soon after daybreak on the 29th General Cameron ordered the heaviest bombardment of the war - not against a massive stockade of 40cm puriri hardwood trunks as at Ohaeawai, but a row of sticks tied up with flax and reinforced with a few posts and rails 'liberated' from a farmer's stockyard. This 'palisade' screened a system of rua and trenches.
Indeed the earthworks bore more than a passing resemblance to those so effectively penetrated by Captain Mercer's 12-prs at Te Arei three years earlier. However, on this occasion for some inexplicable reason the 12-prs plus at least two more 6-prs were left in the Durham (Note 8) and Monmouth Redoubts three kilometres away. There they were unnecessary and therefore wasted.
The Naval battery opened with a roar which impressed the assembled multitude 'no end'. The sailors uselessly expended many rounds trying to hit a flagpole actually sited on the crest some 50 metres in rear of the main defended locality. Consequently the shells either hit the ground near the pole, missed the pa altogether or grazed the crest and ricocheted away without exploding (Note 9). They displaced large quantities of dirt in a spectacular manner but did little real damage to the defences, and caused few casualties. None hit the pole.
Some of the 'overs' landed among the 68th Regiment stationed in rear of the pa, upset their plan of battle, caused three casualties, and destroyed their sense of humour. Cameron had committed the unforgiveable sin of shelling his own infantry.
All morning the performance continued, both by the Armstrongs and the twelve lesser pieces already described. In the afternoon fire was directed at the flimsy 'palisade', and at 4 p.m. '... a large portion of the fence and palisading having been destroyed and a practicable breach made in the parapet ...' Cameron sent in the 'forlorn hope'. The debacle which followed is amply related elsewhere. Suffice it to say the British troops were bloodily repulsed by an enemy virtually unharmed by the artillery 'preparation' - because the guns had been firing at the wrong places.
By 3 p.m. the 110-pr had fired 100 rounds - all that had been brought ashore. Thus it was out of the battle an hour before the attack, which says little for the officers responsible for planning. According to Maori accounts, and there is no reason to disbelieve them, it killed two or three men and blew up a hangi (Note 10). Even at the short range at which it fired the warning given by its flash enabled the Maori to 'duck' under cover before the shell arrived.
Of the 40-prs fewer details are available but as they were used in conjunction with the 110-pr, they no doubt achieved the same. The reader should not deduce from this account that the heavy Armstrongs were 'no good'. They were manned by sailors whose attempts to apply Naval tactics (Note 11) to a field problem did not work.
Their Lordships at the Admiralty would have been appalled at the sheer waste of expensive ammunition - and Armstrong ammunition was expensive compared to smooth-bore - had they been made aware of the circumstances. However, Cameron provided a good 'cover-up' for the Navy, for in his official report to Governor Grey he stated the Maori had constructed '... a formidable obstacle to an assaulting column and difficult to destroy with artillery ...'. He omitted any reference to the prolonged and futile attempt to shoot down the flagpole, but implied the gunners' efforts were directed solely toward making a breach in the 'palisade'. Nor did he say the latter was made chiefly of sticks, and was sited below and several metres in front of the trenches occupied by the enemy. These points he must have observed when he inspected its scattered remains on the 30th.
The report he further embellished when describing '... the rebel entrenchments of which I made a close reconnaissance.' Had Cameron or one or his staff in fact closely reconnoitred the pa they could not have failed to note the frail nature of the palisade which the lighter ordnance could have demolished easily, nor could they have missed the precise location of the strongpoints. With this knowledge they might have originated a more effective and economical fire plan.
There is little evidence any reconnaissance (Note 12) was carried out. Certainly there was no excuse for its neglect; fern and folds in the ground provided enough cover for a skilled man to get quite close to the defences. He would have had little to fear for the Maori had no rifles. They were armed with tupara (Note 13) or old flintlock muskets with an effective range of about 100 metres - with lots of luck!
The gun which proved most troublesome to the Maori was a 6-pr brought into action to the west of Gate Pa during the afternoon of the 29th. It completely enfiladed (Note 14) their left flank and forced them to abandon it, but through lack of coordination the success was not exploited.
After Gate Pa the 110-pr and the two 40-prs from the Esk went back to the ship and took no further part in the New Zealand Wars.
Little is known of the movements of the 40-prs which took part in the shelling of Meremere in 1863, but in reports dating from the early 1870s mention is made of two at North Head, Auckland. Probably they are the same guns.
They comprised the sole means of coastal defence in Auckland from 1871 when the dismantling of Fort Britomart began until 1885. One was damaged in an accident early in its career and so far as is known was never repaired. The other was sent to Fort Takapuna in 1893 for use as a practice gun. Its ultimate fate is unknown, but it is probably the one sent to Westport; now in the Waiouru Museum.
In England by 1865 the Armstrongs had become unpopular, and senior officers in both Army and Navy were advocating a return to muzzle-loaders. In Part V of this article we shall investigate the causes and events leading up to this amazing state of affairs.
1. Oak was selected for its remarkable rigidity or stiffness, as the spokes had to withstand most of the stresses encountered in a wooden wheel. Return
2. Felloes were pieces of wood shaped to the circumference of a wheel, there being six in a twelve-spoke wheel, one for every pair of spokes. Ash was used as it is very elastic, i.e. when the wheel traverses rough ground the felloe must 'give' to some extent, then return to its original shape. Return
3. Elm was used because it is tough and cross-grained and therefore unlikely to split or splinter. Return
4. 'Deal' is a trade name for Baltic Pine. Return
5. Named after the Monmouth Light Infantry (The 43rd Regiment of Foot), who constructed the Redoubt by modifying an old Maori pa originally on the site. Return
6. 'Horse artillery' were so-named because they had to keep pace with 'the horse', i.e. mounted troops. Their guns were thus lighter than those of the field artillery who moved with 'the foot' or infantry. Return
7. Gate Pa took its name from the gate in the fence running through the feature. The Maori name was Pukehinahina, from puke, a hill, and hina or hinahina which is another name for the mahoe tree, i.e. a hill with some mahoe trees on it. Return
8. Named after the Durham Light Infantry (The 68th Regiment of Foot), who constructed it. Durham Street in Tauranga commemorates it. Return
9. The range was ridiculously short for 110 and 40-prs and at the target the trajectory was virtually flat. Thus shells grazing the crest often struck shoulder first, damaging the fuze so that it failed to function. There must have been a high proportion of 'blinds' for shells damaged in the manner described still occasionally come to light. The Tauranga District Museum has such a shell, a 40-pr in very good condition - one which already having been emptied has escaped the attention of unimaginative blind disposal squads who seem determined to blow up anything they lay hands upon, whether dangerous or not - even harmless solid Armstrong shot! Powder-filled shell are easily and safely deactivated; in the United States where Civil War projectiles are still being found, a hole is made in the shell by a remotely controlled drill running in a stream of water, then a hose is inserted and the filling washed out. Armstrong shells, like the guns themselves, are valuable relics of our past and should be preserved. Return
10. A Maori oven; into a hole in the ground are placed a number of heated stones upon which the food wrapped in dampened leaves or flax mats is placed. The hole is then filled in with earth and the food left to cook. Food thus prepared retains all its natural flavours and makes excellent eating. Return
11. As the Army still practised the tactics of Waterloo so did the Navy those of Trafalgar. The Navy believed in closing with an enemy to point blank range which made it easier to knock down his masts - represented by the flagpole - and ensured penetration of the sides of ironclad ships then coming into vogue. The inherent delay in the fuzes caused the shells to burst within the deckspace where they created havoc. However, in the soft earth of Gate Pa the same shells buried themselves before bursting, and their splinters harmlessly spent themselves churning up the soil. Return
12. An axiom well-known to soldiers states: 'Time spent on reconnaissance is never wasted'. Perhaps it was not taught in the 1860s, but its efficacy should have been evident to intelligent officers. Return
13. 'Tupara' is a Maori corruption of the English 'two barrels', i.e. a double-barrel shotgun. Return
14. The term 'enfilade' means fire directed along the long axis of a defended position, i.e. from a flank. It is particularly demoralising because the parapet and/or palisade designed to withstand a frontal attack affords no protection. Return

subset: commoncrawl


text: runnah July 28, 2014 1:01 PM Russell13: I don't see why everyone is saying Alonso did an amazing job that race, he started 5th so was already in a good place and then he had a good strategy. Imo kimi's performance was pritty equal, his tyers were also around the same age at the end. Did you not see the same race I did? I saw Alonso in a 3rd rate car with worn tires keeping the race winner and the WDC contender at bay for many laps. That would have been an impressive drive from someone in a top tier car, let alone in a dog like the ferrari. Reply Report abuse 16 agree 1 disagree


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NEW cricket bat business Raven Cricket are proving a big hit with the HPH York Vale League.
It will sponsor the league's Young Player of the Year award and junior six-a-side tournament which is due to be staged at Pocklington on Sunday, June 29.
The firm has been set up by Carl Marsden, skipper of the Yapham side which plays in the Vale League.
Raven Cricket will also sponsor a man-of-thematch award for the Headley Cup inter-league games against York Senior League and the Eastern Conference League this summer.
Vale League chairman Shane Hargrave said: "It's great to have Raven on board and in recognition of Carl's commitment he has been invited to display his bats at our pre-season meeting on Monday, April 14 at Fulfordgate WMC (7.30pm)."
Marsden said: "We are delighted that this season will see Raven Cricket in partnership with the York Vale League. We are committed to supporting cricket in the York area through our discounts for local players, and hope to establish ourselves as a major supplier of top quality bats and cricket supplies.
"As a player with Yapham, I know the importance of the league as a place for developing younger players in the York area, and through our support of the Junior Player of the Year Award and six-a-side tournament we are proud to contribute to that tradition."


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Yuna Braska (Songstress SELLING) - Final Fantasy X-2
|I chose this cosplay because it meant I could re use my Yuna wig and ponytail extension and this outfit is so cute and girly. It seemed like a fun one to do to do as well, although it is done many times.
SELLING THE TOP, SHORTS AND SKIRT. ASKING £15+ POSTAGE OR CAN DO PICK UP AT EXPO/LFCC shorts are a size 12 and skirt just wraps around the shorts and can be tucked into the waistband or sewn in place.. its entirely up to you. Top is about a size 10 is im right in remembering.
Looking great so far ^^ Good luck with the rest!
Thanks, just gotta get expo over with then I can actually get working on this!
Awesome! I hope it works out wonderfully for you!
so do i! I actually miss cosplaying Yunie!
Her costumes are quite amazing, I can see why you do!
XD I know alot of people dislike Yuna but there's something about her that I feel connected with. Kinda like my thing with Ariel lmao. Also, she's a fun character to portray
I don't dislike her. Yeah I know what you mean, I kind of feel like that with Paine. She is, she has a lot more spunk in FFX-2 ^^
yeah she certainly has. ^^ I'm sometimes almost tempted to re play X-2
It's a good game. Despite what people say!
yup! I totally agree with you. I really enjoyed playing it. It was fun to play, whereas the others are fun but they're intense with making you think up strategies you forget the fun side. (if that makes sense!)
That does make sense! Plus you had all the dressphere's to choose from which was really fun testing all of them out as well as trying to get them in the mini side-quests :)
yeah I still need to get some of the dress spheres, hence why I wanna re play it now ive completed it once
Still need to complete it. Unfortunately I haven't got two of the dresspheres which bummed me xD
This looks cool :) Im going as Rinoa to Oct London Expo this year. I know what you mean about the game, i only had the Lady Luck DressSphere to get....
cool I'm doing this at London Film and Comic Con and Alcon in September. And thank you for the kind comment! It's so close to completion I can't wait to get finished, but I need to do some dying of fabric first before I can do the rest
This is coming along really well hun ^_^ x
Thanks! ^^ Just got two bits to add to the top an this actually complete!
Wow, love it!
Fantastic Yuna!
Thank you guys!! I'm so proud of this one!!
You look amazing! ^^
Thank you so much! ^^
This is so awesome - I didn't relise it was you - very well done and a beautiful cosplay :D
You make a fabulous Yunie. Now we just need a Paine.
gaming_goddess: Thank you! Means a lot! Its a really fun cosplay to be in! Nomes: we definitely need a Paine! XD!
Progress Journal
Dying fabric.... EPIC FAIL (Posted 13th June 2010)
So I tried dying one of the layers that go on the bottom of the top, and it failed miserably. Then we realized (myself and my mom)that the lining fabric I'm using must have too much nylon in it, so it didn't take.
Soooooo! What I'm going to do instead is keep the white layer I've already added, then do two layers of navy blue fabric under that. At least it's still more accurate than just doing all white layers. ^^
stitching day 2 (Posted 11th June 2010)
So I started with the hand sewing at half 12 this afternoon and didn't finish until half past 6 this evening. So it's no surprise when I say that my hands are really numb lol!
Anyway, as you can see in the photo next to this journal, the base top was a halter neck and I had to create a whole new back that went right up to the nave of my neck so it completely covered my back.
I thought I was going to have trouble with this if I did it on my own and would need the aid of my mother, yet surprisingly I managed to do it myself whilst my Mom was at work!!
How I did this:
Fabric bought, top in progress (Posted 10th June 2010)
Okay, as you can see by the photo, I still have abit to do. Although the other side front part is done, just needs finishing when I get more blue thread.
The entire lot of stitching is done by hand as I still do not own a sewing machine. ^^ As you can see I do a really basic stitch as it's all I know lmao.
What still needs to be done:
Then it SHOULD be all done! I'm not going to modify the boots just yet, until I know I can replace them with a new pair as they're currently my Gwendal cosplay boots.
Shorts bought (Posted 21st May 2010)
I managed to find some comfy cotton shorts today (all hail primark! lol) I just gotta get the lace now to go over them to turn them into the skirt. Which shouldnt be too difficult.
Last night I managed to get royal blue organza for the sleeves from ebay. (trust me.. SO much cheaper than going to a haberdashery store! 1metre of organza is £2 including postage.. in store its about £8 for 1metre if anyone doesn't know! ^^)
Sing sing sing! (Posted 18th May 2010)
Managed to get a microphone from the 99p store today. Now I just need to get some craft foam from wh smiths or somewhere to modify it into the mic that she uses! yay! Photos will be going up shortly
Top (Posted 16th May 2010)
Now I'm now waiting until I can get some nice blue organza for the sleeves and I'm thinking of using blue fabric to cover the main part of the top, so it guarantees the frilly part doesn't get dyed blue.


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Case Conclusion Date: 01.01.2009
Practice Area: Criminal defense
Outcome: Dismissed by the judge (in front of the impaneled Jury)
Description: Mr. Nguyen was charged with battery for bar fight he never personally participated in. The D.A. refused to dismiss the charges despite our investigator uncovering that the complaining witness did not recall Mr. Nguyen participating in the fight. At trial, the complaining witness admitted that Mr. Nguyen never hit, kicked or otherwise assaulted him and encouraged no one else to commit a battery upon him.


text: Many, if not most, television shows depict men in uniform (including the de facto uniform of suit and tie) or as sloppy. What examples can give you of shows or male characters on TV who are dressed casually in a way that normal guys wouldn't mind emulating? For example, does it get much better than in Friends and Two and a Half Men?


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Located someone who interests you? Send them a word or two or just a wink and see if anything develops. With a little luck you'll be on your way to locating your soulmate.
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Borgata Shows Record Keeping Prowess: Keeping Men "The Master" On His ToesJanuary 22, 2014 - 10:08am
By Wendeen H. Eolis
Four thousand + players journeyed to the Borgata Winter Open, for its first tournament -- a $560 buy-in, deep stack confection, with a two million dollar guaranteed prize pool. The numbers proved themselves; it was a "must play" event. But with twenty-seven players remaining in the field, the tournament was suspended before the commencement of day three, last Friday. One day later Event 1 was canceled.
The Big Guns Get Involved
The tournament had been compromised, said Joe Lupo, Senior Vice President of Operations at the Borgata. He explained that the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement made the decision to cancel the tournament and place the remaining unpaid prize monies in a trust pending a further resolution. Lupo has had his hands full since revealing the discovery of "significant counterfeit chips" in play at the tournament. He has been juggling his time among competing priorities. He must cope concurrently with expectations of top management, availability to DGE and other investigative professionals, continued oversight and collaboration with his teams, and extensive attention to the plight of players whose dreams were smashed by a compromised tournament or its cancelation, and maybe both.
Players Put Men "The Master" Nguyen On Stage
PokerStars Battle in America: Truths, Consequences, and OptionsDecember 17, 2013 - 7:44pm
By Wendeen H. Eolis
Last week the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement finally announced that PokerStars' application for a gaming license has been suspended for two years—with one pointed equivocation. If the Company seeks relief from this suspension, based on appropriately "changed conditions" within the Company, the DGE says its license application may be reassessed sooner.
The DGE cites the unresolved indictment of PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg as the "primary" cause for the decision. Insiders close to the regulator say there are various other management concerns in the mix, notably including questions as to Isai Scheinberg's current involvement in Poker Stars. A settlement agreement between the Company and the U.S. Department of Justice, (arising from the Government's prosecution, U.S. v Scheinberg et al April 15, 2011) presently prohibits Isai Scheinberg from assuming any leadership role in the Company.
Truths and Consequences
It is hard to imagine separating the Scheinberg name from PokerStars; it stands for immense technical know-how in the world of online poker security, an uncanny understanding of the poker business, exceptional responsiveness to customers' wants and needs, and impeccable financial integrity with its patrons. These are the hallmarks of Isai Scheinberg's PokerStars and they continue to be at the heart of the Company's operating philosophy with its customers, under his son Mark Scheinberg, say their legions of fans. The younger Scheinberg now holds the reins as CEO,
The Company's detractors, however, debate PokerStars' business principles beyond the glow of customer satisfaction. Reports of uneven relationships and questions of fairness on the part of the Company in their arrangements with various corporate business partners and a large force of independent contractors surface periodically. So do complaints of a corporate strategy that promotes and endorses "uninformed accusations" of character deficiencies of successful competitors and others not in favor with the Scheinbergs. The chief gripe noted by several competitors and former service providers is "bad-mouthing that emanates from the top of the pyramid,"
PokerStars iGaming license at launch in New Jersey is a no goNovember 20, 2013 - 12:29pm
by Wendeen H. Eolis
As exclusively reported at pokerplayernewswpaper.com, on November 7th, PokerStars will not be part of the iGaming fraternity operating in New Jersey on its historic scheduled launch date of November 26th.
Look for statements from PokerStars and/or DGE pledging that the dance continues—but for more on the back story to this state of affairs, stay tuned to pokerplayernewspaper.com.
East Coast Casino Licenses: Inside Pandora's BoxNovember 19, 2013 - 10:42am
by Wendeen H. Eolis
The New Jersey gaming license application of Poker Stars has been a bruiser after a series of battles instigated and propelled by indignant opponents united under the umbrella of the American Gaming Association (AGA). But the fallout from the warring parties' activities is far from over—regardless of the outcome on the PokerStars application this week.
The time worn precept that a zealous foe who seeks to bury his target had best to build two graves may apply here. The AGA has succeeded, beyond a shadow of a doubt, in spotlighting PokerStars as a company that poses serious suitability issues in the context of New Jersey's traditional casino licensing standards.
At the same time, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement's disorganized and dragged out proceedings, have provided regulators in other jurisdictions quite the primer on potential pitfalls in licensing deliberations. Perhaps as important, regulators have been motivated to take a harder look at the suitability of potential licensees, even if already licensed elsewhere. This food for thought was not likely anticipated by other gaming companies now being held accountable to more stringent standards than ever before.
PokerStars Competitors Gain MomentumNovember 14, 2013 - 1:35pm
by Wendeen H. Eolis
This past week has seen a frenzy of activity over the license application submitted by PokerStars to New Jersey regulators.
This morning previously proven sources with direct knowledge of current affairs reconfirm PokerStars remains shut out of the starting line up for online gaming in the Garden State.
"No approval tomorrow," say law firms with direct knowledge of late breaking developments. Insiders closely associated with PokerStars say founders Isai and Mark Scheinberg are actively preparing for worse news on the near horizon.
More news coming shortly on the pressure brought to bear by competitors outraged by "unfair competition." One lawyer peripherally involved says current "mess" is made by New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement making promises to PokerStars that we're not in concert with New Jersey regulatory tradition of stringent suitability requirements.
PokerStars DGE Licensing Dance ContinuesNovember 8, 2013 - 1:14pm
Wendeen Reports Further Update here
Communications arms of both PokerStars and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement have come forward to insist PokerStars' licensing application remains active without disputing reports in Poker Player Newspaper that regulators have determined to keep PokerStars off the list as of this time as part of the starting line up of Internet gaming companies that will begin full operations in New Jersey beginning November 26.
Poker Stars Snubbed by NJ Regulators: Announcements Scheduled for TodayNovember 8, 2013 - 10:58am
by Wendeen H. Eolis
Update Bulletin: PokerStars Faces Red Lights in NJ
After months of investigation by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the regulators have made their determinations and are expected to step up to the plate today with announcements of the companies licensed for Internet gambling in NJ, on the opening date of November 26.
The lead up to the announcement has been accompanied by plenty of turmoil among warring parties. Throughout this period, however, PokerStars and its boosters including various state officials, PS private lobbyists, and high placed friends, have exuded confidence without interruption, only to hear of their failure to secure a license at this time.
Regulators are said to have railed against pressure to turn a blind eye on the outstanding criminal case against PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg, arising from his indictment dating back to 2011. Word has also leaked out through sources close to officials in Atlantic City and in the Statehouse of growing concern as to the role of PokerStars founder in the Company's current activities.
While Isai Scheinberg is described by the Company as a "Fellow" and not part of management various opponents to PS licensing are continuing to argue that Scheinberg still operates within the Company as if he is in charge, with respect to matters that interest him. If true, this would violate the Company's settlement agreement with the US Department of Justice in connection with its legal troubles arising from the indictment and companion civil case U.S. v Scheinberg et al.
PokerStars Thwarted in First Round of New Jersey Gaming LicensesNovember 8, 2013 - 12:20am
by Wendeen H. Eolis
PokerStars has failed to secure a gaming license this week for opening date of online gaming in New Jersey according to three insiders with direct knowledge--on both sides of the pond.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement is said to have become increasingly concerned about the open criminal case against PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg who has yet to face charges arising from his indictment of April 15, 2011, brought by the U. S. Department of Justice. More details tomorrow.
Poker Hall of Fame Inductions: McEvoy and Nguyen: Among the WorthiestNovember 5, 2013 - 1:37pm
By Wendeen H. Eolis
The World Series of Poker did itself proud, deciding to host a full on celebration of the elected inductees in the 2013 class of the WSOP's Poker Hall of Fame. Tears of pride and joy trickled down the faces of poker professionals Tom McEvoy and Scotty Nguyen as each accepted the highest honors conferred by a grateful poker world at a dinner in their honor, last night.
A Cool Wine Cellar
The WSOP executive team chose the sophisticated wine cellar at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino for the cocktail reception. Impressive wines were uncorked. The drinks flowed freely and the hors d'oeuvres were elegant. An hour later the doors to an inner sanctum were opened for the sit-down dinner and organized celebration of two good men.
Filet mignon was served, but the sizzle in the steak was the poignant and gracious words that were spoken in the course of the induction ceremony.
WSOP Executive Director Moves the Needle
Poker Documentary Beats Up on Ultimate Bet: Digging Deeper on Cheating ScamOctober 22, 2013 - 7:24am
by Wendeen H. Eolis
In the spring of 2000 Russ Hamilton coached Wayne Newton to a "tie" in a heads-up No Limit Hold'em duel that became part of GQ reporter Elizabeth Gilbert's published story, "Chicks with Decks"— later that year. James McManus, the author of the poker classic Positively Fifth Street adopted Gilbert's catchy title as the heading for his chapter on women in poker. The catchy title fit the Gibert and the ladies profiled in Positively Fifth Street far better than it fit me, as Gilbert' poker coach, and Hamilton's opposite in the entertaining match.


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Robert M.wrote a review of Patagonia P-6 Logo T-Shirt - Short-Sleeve - Men's on September 26, 2011
Great purchase
I am pleased with the product and was exactly as expected. Sizing runs a little large, but the shirt is comfortable and wears great. Took longer than expected to ship my order, but overall I was satisfied with the service and overall product I recieved.


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Israeli army storms Jenin, embassies on alert
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Israeli armour have rolled into the West Bank town of Jenin, as Israel's diplomatic missions abroad went on high alert in the aftermath of the assassination of a Hamas leader in Damascus.
In the Gaza Strip yesterday, a Palestinian man in a schoolyard was killed by Israeli army gunfire, while Israeli police said towns in southern Israel across the border from Gaza came under attack with homemade Palestinian rockets.
More than 70 Israeli military vehicles raided Jenin at dawn in a hunt for militants, the army said.
The incursion sparked clashes with gunmen and stone-throwing youths.
Medics said five stone-throwing Palestinians were wounded by Israeli gunfire, one of them seriously.
Israeli military sources said two activists of the Palestinian radical Islamic movement Hamas were detained at the launch of the operation. They said the incursion was aimed at seizing "wanted terrorists".
The troops stormed Al-Razi hospital, the office of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and a local branch of the education ministry, Palestinian sources said.
Jenin's public hospital was surrounded by troops.
Violent clashes broke out between gunmen and soldiers outside Al-Razi, which is run by a charity with close ties to Hamas. An explosion was heard in the vicinity but its cause could not be immediately determined.
Military sources quoted on public radio said the raid had been long planned, branding Jenin the "top centre of terrorism" after Nablus, the West Bank's largest city and which Israel has said shelters most radical militants.
Zakaria Zubeidi, Jenin's leader of Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades - a radical movement loosely affiliated to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah party - was among those the army was seeking to nab, the sources said.
In the southern Gaza refugee camp of Khan Yunis, 60-year-old Said al-Madhun was killed by army gunfire, security sources said.
The man was standing in the backyard of his children's school, which is run by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, when he was shot, they said.
The latest death brings to 4338 the number of people killed since the start of the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, four years ago, including 3319 Palestinians and 948 Israelis, according to an AFP count.
Israeli officials, meanwhile, said security had been stepped up at embassies and consulates worldwide for fear of armed reprisals after Sunday's assassination of top Hamas leader Izz el-Deen al-Sheikh Khalil in Damascus.
"We must be on our guard," Israel's deputy defence minister, Ze'ev Boim, told public radio.
Both Syria and Hamas blamed Israel for the assassination while Israeli officials opted to stay mum, officially.
But Israeli media quoted defence sources as saying the Jewish state was behind the "targeted killing", the first assassination of a top Hamas cadre abroad since a 1997 botched attempt against the life of the group's politburo chief Khaled Meshaal in Amman.
"Syria cannot possibly enjoy immunity when it shelters the headquarters of (Palestinian) terrorist organisations ... All those involved in anti-Israeli attacks must know that their lives are at risk," Boim said.
In other violence, Hamas militants fired three rockets from the Gaza Strip at southern Israeli towns yesterday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties, police sources said.
And Israeli military sources said that troops opened fire and hit two Palestinians in the north-eastern Gaza Strip, although it was unclear if they had been killed.
The two Palestinians were carrying explosives and crawling towards a security fence that separates the Palestinian territory from Israel, they said.


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The once-dominant toy retailer is opening many new stores, while "re-opening" other stores in an effort to improve its brand.
Employee Review: "Pretty solid paid time-off and vacation packages, reasonably priced medical/dental insurance. Opportunities to advance within the company."*
Number of Job Openings: 9,013
Find jobs at Toys R Us.
The venerable retail company is working on revamping product lines in an effort to better connect with customers in 2012.
Employee Review: "My favorite thing about working with Sears is the stability. The company has been around for over 100 years and is one of the largest in the world. It has great benefits and work-life balance is excellent. I don't have to worry about being on-call on nights and weekends. They have really great quality people who are easy to get along with."*
Number of Job Openings: 3,210
Find jobs at Sears.
The New York-based financial-services giant plans to hire 300 additional bankers and brokers throughout the year, in efforts to build a wealth management group.
Employee Review: "Nice co-workers, good hours, pleasant management, good location, interesting work spanning decades of involvement in the country. Good springboard for future jobs."*
Number of Job Openings: 2,390
Find jobs at Citi.
Even if they aren't listed on the government's USAJobs.gov website, jobs at military bases are plentiful. The U.S. Army provides a variety of openings at its bases for Americans of all backgrounds.
Employee Review: "Excellent pay and benefits. Superior job security and work experience. Excellent advancement opportunities for growth and career progression. Variety of assignments."*
Number of Job Openings: 2,000
Find jobs at the U.S. Army.
AT&T is looking to fill jobs, retail and otherwise, with military vets. In addition, they have committed to a $350 million program, called "Aspire," which includes a job-shadowing program aimed at bringing students into the workforce.
Employee Review: "They provide great benefits and pay. I know they match quite a bit for 401(k) investment. It is a great job for someone interested in technology and learning about new technologies. Also, it is great to know that you are helping others out on a daily basis."*
Number of Job Openings: 1,961
Find jobs at AT&T Retail.
UnitedHealth Group currently provides health insurance services to more than 75 million people worldwide. It recently joined the 100,000 Jobs Mission, a coalition of companies dedicated to hiring 100,000 veterans by 2020.
Employee Review: "I really enjoyed my time at UnitedHealth Group. The trainers were very knowledgeable and were always there to answer any questions that I had. I worked as a claims associate for just a few short months before being promoted to another department. I then went on to work from home! Only left this company because of personal issues not related to my job. Great place to work!"*
Number of Job Openings: 1,783
Find jobs at UnitedHealth Group.
Operating more than 3,000 stores in the United States, Rent-A-Center recently opened stores in Rochester, N.Y., and Rocky Mount, Va.
Employee Review: "Always something new every day, never a dull moment. Small stores, opportunities to develop strong relationships with customers. Virtually no scripts to follow, no "dumbing-down"... employees are encouraged and empowered to answer challenges and solve problems"*
Number of Job Openings: 1,532
Find jobs at Rent-A-Center.
Earlier this year, Wells Fargo agreed to a partnership with the Obama administration in which it pledged to provide part-time summer jobs to young people. The company committed to providing at least 1,000 jobs, and the program is paying off.
Employee Review: "Large company with a lot of training; encouraged to change positions/departments within bank to grow and learn; good senior management and diversity commitment."*
Number of Jobs: 1,399
Find jobs at Wells Fargo.
The company has begun a rollout of its new HSPA+ "4G" network, with speeds comparable to the high-speed LTE networks on AT&T and Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile's U.S. operations currently employ about 42,000 workers. The non-retail sector of the company is also doing well, with plans to add 350 employees at an expanding call center.
Employee Review: "The culture is a plus. Our previous CEO, Robert Dotson, said that his experience from managing volunteer missionaries has really affected his leadership style, and it shows. After all, how do you motivate someone to do something if you can't fire them?"*
Number of Job Openings: 1,174
Find jobs at T-Mobile Retail.
Based in Knoxville, Tenn., the family-owned company is the result of a merger between Pilot Travel Centers and Flying J travel centers. The company was originally formed as Pilot Travel Centers in 2001. Travel centers are operated under both brands, totaling around 550 locations.
Pilot Flying J recently announced their acquisition of Maxum Petroleum, a strategy intended to help build their presence in the mining industry.
Employee Review: "Available opportunity to advance within the company. Once you understand all the processes involved, the business is all about maintaining standards."*
Number of Job Openings: 513
Find jobs a Pilot Flying J
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text: Matthew Herbert is a musician and producer working predominantly in the field of electronic music. Known for ignoring the boundaries and mangling the conventions traditionally associated with the genre, he is one of the few independently-minded artists to have made a considerable impact on both media and public while striving to be innovative and experimental. Matthew Herbert's biography Matthew Herbert Musician


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An eye doctor who preyed on the severely mentally ill pleaded guilty yesterday to a nearly $1 million fraud scheme in which he routinely rounded up residents of some of New York City's most notorious adult homes and subjected them to unnecessary surgery or charged for thousands of procedures that were never done.
At the heart of the fraud was an effort by the doctor, Shaul Debbi, to take advantage of the most vulnerable among the mentally ill residents of the poorly supervised homes to ensure that he would go undetected, prosecutors said in documents filed in United States District Court in Manhattan.
They said that on patient charts, Dr. Debbi made notations like: ''Smart. Do not invite,'' or ''Confused. Must invite.'' The word ''invite,'' prosecutors said, meant that he would instruct the residents, some delusional and barely aware of their surroundings, that they needed surgery, to which they typically consented.
Dr. Debbi acknowledged in court yesterday that from 1998 through 2001, he billed for more than 10,000 services that were either improper, unnecessary or never conducted, ranging from cataract surgery to routine eye examinations.
Dr. Debbi's scheme was so flagrant that at one point, prosecutors said, he billed the government for multiple services on a resident's eye even though the resident was missing that eye.Continue reading the main story
By pleading guilty to two counts of health care fraud, Dr. Debbi is likely to face a prison sentence of roughly three years, according to an agreement between prosecutors and his lawyer. Dr. Debbi, 48, who lives in Great Neck, N.Y., will also lose his medical license and is required to pay $934,088 in restitution to the government. Taken together, the penalties are among the harshest received by a local doctor for medical fraud in recent years, officials said.
The guilty plea is also a milestone in what has turned into a wide-ranging investigation into the state's adult homes, which shelter about 15,000 mentally ill people -- many of them former state psychiatric hospital patients -- and have long been a troubled backwater in the mental health system. Investigators are now examining not only the homes' operators and doctors, but also pharmaceutical distributors and social service agencies.
The federal inquiries, which are being overseen by United States attorney's offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn, were prompted by a three-part series in The New York Times in April 2002 that examined neglect and abuse in the adult homes.
One article, which focused on the homes' operators, doctors and others who exploited the residents, described how Dr. Debbi had built an adult-home practice, and included comments from residents who said they had no idea why he had operated on them. Soon after, prosecutors began investigating Dr. Debbi.
To some experts, Dr. Debbi's ability to work in the homes for so long without scrutiny exemplifies how poorly the homes have been supervised by state officials. Until recently, adult-home regulators at the New York Health Department had largely ignored such fraud at the homes, despite signs that it was rampant.
The Pataki administration is now vowing to reform the system.
Dr. Debbi appeared in court yesterday wearing a dark suit and responded tersely to questions from Judge Jed S. Rakoff about whether he understood the charges. The judge, who is to sentence Dr. Debbi in September, later said he was bothered by Dr. Debbi's attitude, criticizing his ''callous arrogance.''
After the hearing, John R. Wing, Dr. Debbi's lawyer, said in a statement that Dr. Debbi regretted his crimes. ''Shaul Debbi is a good man and a good doctor who spent years of his life providing medical care to the least fortunate members of our society,'' Mr. Wing said.
At the hearing and in court records, the two prosecutors, Paul B. Radvany and Daniel S. Ruzumna, disclosed numerous details that they contended showed the dimensions of Dr. Debbi's fraud. They said he had billed for more than 400 procedures during periods when he was actually out of the country. On 900 occasions, he billed for procedures that were conducted by a medical assistant. After he learned he was being investigated, he fabricated or hid medical records, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors worked with an F.B.I. team led by Special Agent John J. Casale Jr., as well as with the State Office of Professional Medical Conduct, which assigned one of its most respected lawyers, Daniel Guenzburger, to the case.
Dr. Debbi has not visited an adult home in more than a year, but in places like Queens Adult Care, formerly known as the Leben Home, the residents still remember him.
Gail Barnabas, 54, a resident there who had cataract surgery performed by Dr. Debbi even though she had not complained about vision problems, said she was relieved he would be going to prison. She said that given what she had learned about him, she was upset that she had agreed to the operation. ''I didn't know him, but I trusted him,'' she said.Continue reading the main story


text:
I purchased a Western Digital My Book World Edition II - 2TB model not too long ago and was quite surprised by the rugged looking device. In whole, the device was well packed and have an attractive external white casing. I tried opening the lid to access the internal drives... as you do fiddle with newly purchased items... I could not for the life of me get it open. A flaw in the design or just a problem with the one I purchased. Anyway, I know you can remove a failed drive for replacement, but the new drive must come from Western Digital in a proprietary mounting.
Setup is straightforward. While installing WD Anywhere Access, you give the drive a name, which becomes the URL for accessing its configuration menus. Good built in features and RAID 1/0 setup makes this model great for high volume file storage with the peace of mind that your data is safe and secure. I tested the data transfer rate of a 1.7gb folder containing a few hundred files and it too just over 9 minutes to complete.
Overall a good device with excellent features and ideal for home or SOHO use.


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Last week's election is open to so many interpretations, many seemingly contradictory, that it offers something for almost anyone of any ideological or partisan stripe. Let's take a closer look at the truth behind a few of these selective interpretations.
It was a very close race; Obama (and Democrats) won a bunch of states and districts narrowly. It's certainly true that 51 percent (rounding up from 50.5) to 48 percent is close, but since the end of World War II, five elections have been closer. Mitt Romney won only two more states (Indiana and North Carolina) than John McCain did, and even if he had won Florida, the GOP nominee would still have needed to win Ohio, Virginia, and either Colorado or Iowa, based on the sequence of the election margins.
The danger for Republicans clinging to that solace is that it sidesteps the inconvenient truth that they have now lost the popular vote in five of the past six presidential elections, from 1992 on. For the GOP, this was more than one bad night.
It's all Romney's fault. It would be easy to just blame Romney, but when he finally got around to being himself, in the first debate, his numbers moved up. That was the first glimpse of the guy I met back in 1994 when he was running for the Senate. That guy was a pretty good general-election candidate. The Romney-candidate guy that was wearing his suit and a mask—necessary to win the GOP nomination—was guaranteed to have a very hard time winning the fall election, even against a president who had handled a difficult economy less than optimally.
Instead, Republicans should be asking themselves about their own party and how they took a very smart and rational guy and made him turn into a pretzel to win the nomination—a contortion that left him unable to straighten himself out in time to win in November. The nomination process has been captured by such an exotic breed within the GOP that anyone emerging from it faces significant electability challenges.
You began to see this in August of last year, in the Iowa straw poll and the Fox News debate, when Romney and his fellow contenders all refused to go along with the idea of $1 in tax increases for every $10 in spending cuts—aka a helluva deal for conservatives.
But this weakness isn't limited to the presidential race. The GOP brand has been so damaged that it even affects Republicans who don't have self-destructive tendencies. When Todd Akin of Missouri and Richard Mourdock of Indiana put grenades in their mouths and pulled the pins, the ensuing explosions and shrapnel hurt the party and other candidates as well. A fair number of moderate Democrats were able to win in some pretty red states and districts—Heidi Heitkamp in the North Dakota Senate race and Joe Donnelly in the Indiana contest, for example, as well as House incumbents in extremely Republican districts, such as John Barrow in Georgia and Jim Matheson in Utah. But moderate Republicans running on correspondingly blue Democratic turf—such as Scott Brown in Massachusetts, Linda Lingle in Hawaii, and Heather Wilson in New Mexico—were dragged down by the weight of their red jerseys.
It's the Romney campaign's fault. This column has sharply criticized the Romney camp's deliberate decision not to define him early on by running biographical and testimonial ads to establish the former Massachusetts governor as someone worthy of being president. This would have effectively added a Teflon coating to protect him from the attacks that ended up defining him in such a pejorative way among swing voters in the battleground states that, even if he had won the popular vote nationally, he still probably wouldn't have won 270 electoral votes. The scar tissue from the Bain Capital summer was too great, and this election ended up being more than just a simple referendum on President Obama and the economy.
But this explanation ignores the larger problem in the party: the nominating process that, in effect, pinned him down at the 2-yard line on the conservative end of the field rather than positioning him between the 40-yard lines.
Watching politics for 40 years now, I have seen the two major parties tend to leapfrog each other in terms of political sophistication. This state of the political art, when one party is firing on all eight (or, these days, six or even four) cylinders, seems to happen when the other party is in desperate need of a tune-up.
Democrats had a lousy economy, made some rather dubious policy choices in the past four years, and had an incumbent who chose to skip the first debate. But when it came to just about everything else, they handled things expertly, or developments went their way. Republicans had a bright candidate, but one who lacked the dexterity to handle a very challenging set of circumstances, and a party that was well out of touch with the demographic, generational, and ideological changes quietly transforming the electorate.
This article appeared in the Tuesday, November 13, 2012 edition of National Journal Daily.
Related Articles
November 12, 2012Advice to Obama: Make More Friends in Congress
November 5, 2012Obama Can Thank Early Negative Ads for His Advantage
November 3, 2012The Weekend before the Election


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/William GREGORY /Thomas GREGORY b: ABT 1797 | \Lucy NORMAN /Willis Henry GREGORY b: 25 MAY 1847 d: 18 NOV 1936 | | /John JOHNSTON d: BEF 1850 | \Mary "Polly" JOHNSTON b: ABT 1806 | \Mason ? b: ABT 1780 Henry L. GREGORY b: FEB 1900 | /Joseph YOUNG \Isley YOUNG b: 5 FEB 1861 d: 29 MAY 1944 \Arthaline ?
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Deleteing old/past events
I have been using the events calendar for about 2 yrs now and was wondering if there was a way to delete events from 2011 thru abut June 2012 – I do not see any way of doing this. When I go to edit events it only shows those from today forward. I am having malware issues with several links for repeating events I post and was told if I could remove old posts this would help them scan my site faster ( from SiteLock)is this possible to do?
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The name of Iranian prisoners released by US are Nader Modanlou, Bahram Mekanik, Khosrow Afqahi, Arash Qahreman, Touraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh and Ali Sabouni. Iran has released four imprisoned US citizens, named as Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, Siyamak Namazi, Amir Hekmati and Saeed Abedini as part of a swap.Earlier this day, Tehran's prosecutor general declared release of four dual nationals. Speaking to reporters, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said in line with the ratification of the Supreme National Security Council, and the expediency of the Islamic system, four Iranians holding daual nationality were released. 1430**1412
نسخه فارسی Android خبرخوان ایرنا
نسخه فارسی IOS در AppStore
IOS English version on the AppStore
النسخة العربية ل IOS في AppStore
نسخه فارسی خبرخوان ویندوز (آزمایشی)
IOS version on the AppStore
Islamic Republic News Agency - IRNA Email: firstname.lastname@example.com © http://www.irna.ir All Rights Reserved


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Cold beer running
If you'd asked me a year ago what the first thought that popped into my head when someone mentioned "beer run," my response would definitely not be 13.1 miles. However, today that's my only thought.
Over the weekend, I accomplished a fitness goal I never dreamed imaginable or ever really had in mind as an obtainable goal. Although I'd say I'm fairly fitness friendly (meaning I hit the gym or pop in a Jillian video here and there), I'd never really strived to achieve a particular fitness goal or aspiration. Sure, I have that number I'm always trying to hit on the scale, but that about covers my motivation. I definitely was not a competitive runner in high school, in fact I'm not sure I would ever really call myself a "runner."
When a friend of mine asked me to run a half marathon I pretty much brushed off her seemingly crazy request without a thought, that is, until she uttered two key words "free beer." If you really want me to give something a go, it's best to offer beer, especially of the free variety. Well played, my friend, well played.
Tyranena Brewery sponsors a charity run each year. Runners receive two free beer vouchers for participating in the event. Participants can choose from two cleverly named categories; 1/2 barrel or 1/6 barrel. Of course, not to go easy on me, my partner in crime chose the 1/2 barrel (1/2 marathon) run.
Before my mind could catch up with my beer gut I was registered for the race. About two weeks prior to the big day, it finally sunk in: what was I thinking? That's not to say I hadn't been training; sure I had, but this was hard. I'd rather sit on my couch and just pay for beer.
I woke up Saturday morning with a frosty, pint-sized knot in my stomach. I'd prepared to the best of my amateur ability and today was the day to show and prove. As we made our way to Lake Mills, (home of Tyranena Brewery) snow flurries surrounded us - setting the stage for what appeared to be a terrible day to run. Fortunately, time was on my side. Shortly before starting the flurries subsided and the sun began to shine.
We strategically positioned ourselves in the middle of the pack. The run started out well enough until I spotted it: the first hill. Turns out, the course was filled with them. Luckily, I live to tell the tale. I went through the standard highs and lows of any run - cursing my friend, the brewery and general fitness and then moments later being completely inspired by my fellow runners and the fact that my feet were still moving (Nike - you've earned a special place in my heart).
Mile 12 was the hardest by far. Every muscle in my body wanted to quit, but somehow I passed the finish line. That moment was better than free beer. However, it should be noted that after finishing I did head directly to the beer tent.
Upon entering the main tent, I found the faster runners warming up and redeeming their vouchers. A number of events were planned throughout the evening, but the running, food and beer had me ready for a nap by 4 p.m.
All in all, I'd say Tyranena's charity run was a huge success. The volunteers were enthusiastic and I appreciated every face I saw along the race route. This event may have even converted me into a multiple time 1/2 marathon runner (even if there isn't always free beer). I'm proud to say I completed this run; I even went home and purchased a bumper sticker: 13.1.
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Neul (Cambridge, UK), a company offering products and services for the emerging TV white space spectrum, on Monday announced the launch NeulNET, a production wireless radio system that is designed to use free, high quality white space spectrum, delivering wireless connections over long distances.
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Jeffrey Frentzen
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Recent comments from Jeffrey Frentzen
One complexity worth exploring is how the industry takes an issue such as bullying and spins it into an endorsement of plastic surgery. Should a child get his or her ears bobbed if the child is a bully target? Maybe. Should the plastic... READ COMMENT
Children get plastic surgery for the same reasons that adults get plastic surgery. The bullying is just a symptom (one of many possible) that motivates a family and the child to get some sort of corrective surgery. It's amusing how the... READ COMMENT


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JoWooD - Now Swedish … sort of!
The whole German internet, for example WoG, DiePresse.com and derStandard.at, reports that JoWood's ashes have been purchased by Wingefors Invest from Sweden. The transaction is being run through Wingefors daughter Game Outlet.
Here's a summary / translation of the few known details:
This doesn't look good at all for the remaining JoWooD employees outside of Romania. Game Outlet's business is moving boxes, not publishing games. Plus they're buying assets, not the company. It smells like JoWooD or the potentially new company will be closed down when the dust has settled. Good luck to the people at JoWooD.
From Game Outlet's perspective the deal makes a lot of sense. JoWooD certainly had a lot of returns and finished goods, and selling this is Game Outlet's core business. The back catalog, and especially ArcaniA, means cheap supplies for their sales channel. So far it hasn't been confirmed if ArcaniA is part of the deal, though.
It's still unclear if or when Arcania: Fall of Setarrif will be released. A lot of parties are involved: at least JoWooD, BVT, Spellbound and Piranha Bytes. Nobody knows who has - or has not - which rights, who is entitled to what amount of royalties from whom. It can take years to sort this out.
More information.
I doubt I will ever play there last two games that were almost finished. Arcania was a bland rpg but I wanted to play the expansion.
Perhaps the creative things will be sold to another company ?
And this Swedish company will solely keep the distributions part of JoWood ?
My guess is that they only want the existing stock in PAL standard, because that's what they're selling, and the licenses because it allows them to replicate as much new stock as they can sell. The QA company reportedly earns money, so why not take it too.
That would be a low to no risk deal for Game Outlet. Due to their own sales channel the games in stock are worth more for them than for other publishers without distribution. The back catalog allows them to fill their pipeline without having to pay royalties, with the exception of the console tax. Note that the console tax has already been paid for the existing stock.
The new Austrian daughter company will only be needed if Game Outlet does significant business in DACH, for example licensing to other budget distris. Although I don't know for sure but I doubt they're a significant player in the German budget market. It is said to be the most competitive and most advanced in the world, with strong players like AK Tronic (also handles EA Classics!), Rondomedia (Ubi Exclusive, Green Pepper), etc.
Do "assets" include electronic copies of titles? What about the JoWood titles on GoG or Steam for example, are they now owned by this group? I know there were some concerns that the JoWood titles might vanish from GoG if or when the company disappeared.
This is not known. Everything is possible.
This sounds to me as if they would want to ship the Arcabnia Add-On any minute.
And the yet unpublished adventure game called "Haunted" as well (for which I'm waiting for 2 years to be published, by the way. I played it at the first Games Com at the booth of the original developer or disctributor. The distributor went into insolvency and JoWood bought at least this game - according to the press it was nearly finished and almost ready for shipping even then, so I didn't quite understand why JoWood just didn't sell it last year, at least after the Games Com (I played it at the JoWood booth, then)).
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Did the kismet docs give any clues, help, references ?
I am trying to get the wifi in my Eee PC 100HA working. The wifi card is an Atheros AR242x. I want to be able to use it for Kismet, but I am unsure what kernel module I need to use, or what other commands I need to run in order to get the card functioning in Kismet.
To be successful here you should read all of the following.
If you are new to Back|Track
Back|Track Wiki
Failure to do so will probably get your threads deleted or worse.


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If you take everything out of your life, then what's left? If you get rid of all your friends, stop listening to all music, through necessity, then what comes out of that void? What comes out of the silence?—Stuart MurdochLast week Pitchfork.tv released an hour-long documentary about the making of Belle and Sebastian's beloved album If You're Feeling Sinister. The documentary is the latest in their Pitchfork Classic series looking behind the scenes at notable albums.The documentary i … [Read more...]
Every Song I Ever Wrote Was Written for You: Belle and Sebastian
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Charity needs a more comprehensive vision that includes both the Church and the government. "Gimme five!" says a boy of maybe seven. It's not so much a request, as a demand for attention. He has invaded my small office with his two younger brothers, an office so small that I have room for only a desk, a couple chairs, and a bookshelf. His mother is sitting in one of those chairs. She is distraught, barely able to maintain eye contact. She fidgets with her Kleenex and stares at the floor. The … [Read more...]


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The Second Stage: Going Fast(er)
If you take a look at Reys M3, it looks pretty good w/ all the carbon fiber pieces. The lower stance plus the aftermarket wheels makes the M3 lines look sexy and yet simple. This tends to be the route a lot of M3 owners go through. Since the car is already fast from the factory, making it look sexier is simple and tends to be the first step. Since Rey has already achieved that sexy look w/ his simple set up, he decided to move on to the second stage ironically an HPF Stage 2 Turbo Kit.
While at the shop, hell also be getting subframe reinforcements put on plus all the bushings (subframe/trailing arm) in the rear. A stage 2 clutch and a lower brace will just help the car stay grounded after all the power is added in. Stay tuned as the car makes its transition, and as we make this already fast M3, even faster.
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