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By Hilbourne Watson
Hilbourne A. Watson is Professor of International Relations at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Editor's Note: A shorter version of this article appeared in the Jamaica Gleaner on May 12, 2013.
Jamaican immigration lawyer, Ronald Mason, penned a "Commentary" that was published in The Gleaner, Sunday May 5, 2013 under the title, "Kick CARICOM to the kerb". Mr Mason declares:
"I am a Jamaican; I am NOT a Caribbean man. I want no part of the totally useless creation we label CARICOM. The peoples who populate those islands 1,000 miles away from my home are not brothers and sisters. There has been some cross-breeding, but it's statistically insignificant to warrant the familial term 'brothers'".
Mr Mason's hyper-nationalist reaction to the "CARICOM brand" is understandable; however he fails to improve our understanding of the distinction between CARICOM—an organization established by a number of former British West Indian colonies in pursuit of regional integration—and the societies he dismisses with contempt and derision. Mason's nationalist themes reflect a deep sense of "fear and loathing" that capitalist globalization reinforces, and he misses the point that his personal encounters with other West Indians do not justify the crude outburst against West Indians living in Jamaica and other Caribbean societies. He sees mainly the differences that separate Jamaicans from his notion of a singular mass of population that makes up the Eastern Caribbean, ignoring the complex cultural reality of class, gender, race, ethnicity, language that help to shape diverse perspectives.
There are political parties and movements made up of ultra-nationalist and neo-fascist groupings in the European Union (EU) that employ xenophobic outbursts to target other European "foreigners" and immigrants from the non-European world. Capitalist globalization exposes the inability of nationalists to provide the increasingly insecure and vulnerable mass of working class people and others with ways to escape the contradictions that accompany the deepening of economic, social and political inequality and alienation that come with capitalism.
Mr Mason says openly what some of his counterparts in all CARICOM countries dare not express so candidly; however, the Jamaican working class deserves a more thoughtful explanation of the problems unfolding at the regional and global level. CARICOM was created in 1973 to replace CARIFTA and foster regional economic integration. However, while the organization has made significant advances in functional cooperation, it has made marginal progress in regional economic integration in terms of the deepening of "inner structures" of science, technology, capital, and large numbers of highly trained cadres of professional and technical workers required for any dynamic and strategic regional economic integration. There are real constraints arising from very limited economic scale, scope and depth of science and technology, research and development, investment, production, labor productivity and exchange within the global capitalist economy. The search for competitiveness remains elusive as a necessary driving force, a factor that compels the leading CARICOM-based business strata to treat CARICOM as secondary to their primary objectives of capital accumulation. The fact that CARICOM is not a viable regional market to support and sustain their specializations as well as the expanding needs of the mass of workers force businesses to search for alternatives via strategic alliances in pursuit of global competitiveness.
When functional cooperation in tertiary education, sports, natural disaster management, and formal coordination of political and administrative processes via the regular assembly of Heads of Government becomes a substitute for regional economic integration, the tendency is to use myth, which displaces the "historical quality of things", as a substitute for human agency and social reality. Mr Mason, much like the CARICOM he criticizes, focuses on symptoms rather than causes of the regional crisis, reinforcing the point that all nationalisms sooner or later become dangerous, where the needs of the majority from Belize to Guyana are concerned. He panders to a form of Jamaican exceptionalism that sinks to the same depth we find in, say, Barbadian exceptionalism and other contrivances that make the mind feel the way things have never been.
Mason believes that CARICOM hurts Jamaica and Jamaicans. Counterparts in the EU from Scandinavia to France and Italy blame globalization for destroying jobs and eroding national cultures and identity, inattentive to the contradictions between the goals of capitalists and nations. Capitalists demand open borders to make the world their real marketplace while nations expect borders to shield them from forces they cannot control in postnational times. Companies based in Jamaica or other CARICOM societies that have regional or global reach are forced to confront the challenges, which capitalist globalization forces them to embrace in the face of the unacceptable strictures the nation form imposes on their activities. Take, for example, the dominant company currently representing the so-called "Barbados Brand"—Goddard Enterprises Limited (GEL)—which deepened and expanded its operations within CARICOM, while forging strong links with companies in Latin America, Canada and Europe. When GEL started in the supermarket business in Barbados decades ago, the Goddard family sent their sons to Canada for college education and business training, and their boys returned home armed with the Canadian supermarket model, which they successfully operated in Barbados.
When the global market pressures intensified, GEL restructured and diversified their operations, while taking advantage of every incentive that the ruling political parties in Barbados provided. GEL set up their Flight Kitchen business, which provides all air lines calling at Barbados with meals and other services, and operates Flight Kitchen in Central and South America and markets a brand of Barbados rum in North America, the UK, continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. GEL is highly visible in the Caribbean with insurance services and other links; however they appreciate that the entire Caribbean market is too limited to sustain competitiveness within global capitalism.
Serous thinkers on the Caribbean political economy scene know that the level of production, investment, and trade integration within CARICOM is low and complicated by intense pressures from global market integration. When we exclude trade in Trinidad's oil and gas commodities, the extent of intra-CARICOM trade declines dramatically. Trinidadian business interests acquired considerable assets in Barbados to the chagrin of Barbadians who fail to appreciate that sovereignty, capital, and state power are not tied to territory. CARICOM includes original members and Haiti and "associate members"—non-independent British territories—and observer states like the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Aruba and Curacao. Every Caribbean country would have to be included to create an entity with a limited degree of potential for viability. CARICOM is plagued by structural economic unevenness in the productive forces, limited foreign investment and marginal economic performance, exchange rate issues, limited labor mobility, heavy debt to GDP ratios, widespread poverty, and skewed distribution of benefits from production and trade.
One entrenched myth that politicians, technocrats, and many academics across CARICOM share is that member governments lack the 'political will' to bring about meaningful regional economic integration—this claim is a naïve assertion where the means of production are privately owned and production is for private capital accumulation rather than national or regional development. Many academics wallow in popular misconceptions including that the political division of the world into sovereign states corresponds with national economies, and countries compete with one another in the global economy in pursuit of national economic development. This myth dominates the moribund state-centric ideology found in mainstream International Relations. The fact is that no single state has ever had absolute sovereignty or total control over its borders: the fact that the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) could not be implemented confirms that CARICOM does not represent a zone within global capitalism for a viable single market and economy. Globalization removes the ideological blinkers from the CARICOM mystique and compels businesses in member countries to fight to deepen their integration into North America and the EU with which they share economic, commercial and financial links.
The chatter over the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which CARICOM members signed with the European Union in 2008 highlighted certain contradictions within global capitalism, by showing that the most advanced sectors within global capitalism shape the trajectory along which the subordinate capitalist and state entities participate in the international division of labor.
CARICOM's members of the "political class" acknowledged, when they signed the EPA, that they were simply deepening their integration into the EU zone, and thereby confirmed the absence of a viable alternative, given the terms of their participation in the international division of labor. The negotiating strategy, which the Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) followed, also reflected the interests of the "political class" and business strata that are bent on forging transnational linkages in neoliberal times. I was made to understand that significant funding for the existence and work of the RNM in support of deepening the links between CARICOM and the EU came from the EU and/or Canadian sources. The Canadians expressed doubt that the future direction of most Caribbean countries favor any deepening of Canada-Caribbean economic, industrial, technological and trade ties, and NAFTA has systematically eroded the marginal competitiveness Caribbean countries had in certain offshore assembly and other activities.
Ronald Mason fixes his gaze on Canada, which lacks any interest in what he imagines for Jamaica's court of last resort—it seems strange that as a rabid nationalist Mason thinks that Jamaica needs a foreign court of last resort. It would be far more interesting to hear how leading Jamaican businessmen view CARICOM. The unfolding of the postnational moment finds Mason trying to advance by looking back in search of solutions that offer no real alternative to the predicament facing Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.
We can hardly avoid asking the following questions about CARICOM: What is to be the future of an entity like CARICOM in a relentlessly globalizing capitalist economy? What is CARICOM doing to improve the chances for the broad mass of working people inhabiting the member countries to reproduce themselves? Beyond their work as functionalists, what do CARICOM senior technocrats and its other bureaucrats do to effectively stimulate science, technology, R&D, investment, production, and employment to broaden and deepen the chances for raising the standard of living of the majority of working class people in the Caribbean region, considering that the large capitalist enterprises do not view CARICOM as substantively viable?
I recall from an exchange with Professor Ian Boxill (UWI, Mona) about his published UWI graduate thesis, about the role of "ideology" in the CARICOM regional integration process, in which he concluded that certain Jamaican business interests viewed themselves as outliers on the ideology of CARICOM regionalism, suggesting that they were already looking beyond CARICOM. In capital's quest to reproduce itself ideology tends to hold very limited if any appeal, which does not seem to resonate with Mason's preferences. It is worth reminding Mason that the "cross-breeding" he deems "statistically insignificant", when put in the larger world historical context, has served as a necessary bulwark in the war against all forms of nationalism and xenophobia.
Mental health must be integrated into all health services
The recent launch of an integrated health service delivery network in Region One with no mental health care component was rather puzzling, given that the World Health Organization (WHO) has long stressed the need for mental health care to be decentralized and integrated into primary health care.
Teaching the Youth: How ethnic marginalisation hinders social and political development in the Caribbean
By Kala Ramnath Kala Ramnath received her MPhil in International Relations from Trinity College, Cambridge University and her PhD from the University of Hull.
Years of High Hopes – Dorothy Irwin: A Review
By Clarence Trotz. With an introductory note by Dr. Frank Birbalsingh Frank Birbalsingh is Professor Emeritus of English, York University.
Team Guyana at the FIRST Global Challenge, 2017
By Ryan Benschop Ryan Benschop is 17 years old, and is currently studying four subjects (Business, Economics, Law and Psychology) through the Cambridge International Advanced Level programme at Nations' Sixth Form College.
Building stakeholders' collaboration
By The Caribbean Voice The Caribbean Voice is a New York-based NGO that has been involved in social activism since its launch in 1998.


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11 PM: Electronic band Spleen United ends tonight's music day with absolute synth magic. Thanks for listening! http://pong.sk/dmd
Flickr Sign up for Flickr with your Google Account! http://cot.ag/8XGibT
10 PM: Troels Abrahamsen masters a fascinating organic electronic sound, as heard on this track called Not Moving. http://pong.sk/dmd
@stagen Jeg er enig! :D
9 PM: It's getting darker outside. The electronic band Turboweekend makes an eerie adventure out of the track Trouble Is. http://pong.sk/dmd
8 PM: Here's some music from the band Dúné which epitomizes an interesting electrorock sound: "Dry Lips". http://pong.sk/dmd
7 PM: Another talented band living on the border between electronic and rock music. Veto - You Say Yes, I Say Yes. http://pong.sk/dmd
6 PM: We're now dancing on the border between electronic and rock. First up is the lovely Carpark North: Just Human http://pong.sk/dmd
5 PM: Mesmerizing art rock from Danish band The William Blakes as the afternoon goes into its last hour. http://pong.sk/dmd
@mrpetruccio What problem? Did you see the FAQ? http://pong.sk/tnfaq
4 PM: Indie/pop/rock band from northwestern Denmark with instantly lovable track: Oh No Ono - Helplessly Young. http://pong.sk/dmd
3 PM: Happy summery folk-ish rock music from Danish band who just released their 4th album: Figurines – Lucky to Love. http://pong.sk/dmd
2 PM: We enter rocky ground. Ginger Ninja lives in the borderland inbetween pop and rock. Here's "Wet Like a Dog". http://pong.sk/dmd
@miksago More electronic music tonight!
1 PM: Medina is the Danish equivalent of Beyonce. This track was immensely popular last summer: You and I. http://pong.sk/dmd
12 PM: Here's a Danish track that's so pop you might just choke from the awesomeness. Private - My Secret Lover. http://pong.sk/dmd
11 AM: This band performs large, interesting experiments with the pop genre. When Saints Go Machine - Spitting Image. http://pong.sk/dmd
10 AM: We know how to make some great R&B too. Here's one track about heartbreak. Burhan G - Who Is He. http://pong.sk/dmd
9 AM: Groovy pop with impressive vocals and country influences. Fallulah - I Lay My Head. http://pong.sk/dmd
8 AM: The sun is up, and it's time for some guitar pop! Yay! Treefight for Sunlight - Facing the Sun. http://pong.sk/dmd
7 AM: Well-known Danish singer/songwriter sings about perfectionism. Tim Christensen – Superior. http://pong.sk/dmd
6 AM: A modern and awesome Danish take on folk rock. The Rumour Set Fire – Sentimentally Falling. http://pong.sk/dmd
5 AM: Have a taste of what Danish trip hop sounds like at its best. Trolle//Siebenhaar – Sweet Dogs. http://pong.sk/dmd
4 AM: Time for some more soothing tracks. It's morning after all. I Got You on Tape – Spinning for the Cause. http://pong.sk/dmd
3 AM: Infernal has been another well known Danish band in the dance-genre, but they do ballads too: Whenever You Need Me http://pong.sk/dmd
All tweets timed for the night. Given the stability of these timer apps, they might fail miserably. The site always shows the correct track.
@jchillerup Nope, the Twitter timer app I was using can't figure out what the time is. Fucking useless.
2 AM: We can make incredibly fast dance music in modern day, too! This track turns up the BPM rate: The Company – Tonight http://pong.sk/dmd
Whoops. The timer had some malfunctions there. Some of you just saw the 2 AM track, oh sh—.
1 AM: The dance party section gets turned up another notch with this Danish trance classic: Safri Duo – Played-A-Live http://pong.sk/dmd
12 AM: Danish Music Day starts with a dance party! First song featured is a house track from 2002: Filur – It's Alright. http://pong.sk/dmd

subset: commoncrawl


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iPodder has changed its name to Juice. "It's time to move beyond the pod," said Martijn Venrooy, a Juice team member. "Most people don't realize that we've shipped support for Windows Media Player for over a year now and we've almost finished WinAmp support."
"The Lemon is part of our mythology because of our fresh approach to getting media," said Mark Alexander Posth, the team's content strategist. "After squeezing iPodder out, what remains is pure Juice."... read more
Podcasting was born about a year ago when we opened up shop. It has been and continues to be a great experience growing this new way of getting media. The new way revolves around sharing -- music, shows, and everyone's talents to make it all even better. We've now seen over a million iPodder's go out our doors, into your lives. Thank you for all the support you've given us, and we look forward to giving back another million or so more.... read more
We have released iPodder 2.1.9 for linux.
Please read the ChangeLog and Notes before downloading and reporting any bugs with it.
iPodder is a media aggregator which automatically downloads files to your computer or portable device, leaving you 'one-click-away' from latest media feeds. Based on the iPodder idea of Adam Curry. Thanks to much effort by Scott Grayban, the iPodder "Lemon Edition" team is pleased to announce the release of iPodder 2.0 for Linux.
The download link and release notes can be found at: http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=343461
iPodder is a media aggregator which automatically downloads files to your computer or portable device, leaving you 'one-click-away' from latest media feeds. Based on the iPodder idea of Adam Curry. Now almost anyone can "speak iPodder": iPodder 2.1 now supports 15 languages, accessibility.
iPodder's accessibility has been extended with the addition of more than 15 languages and enhanced meta data for the visually impaired.... read more
The iPodder Lemon team announces the release of version 2.0 of its iPodder software. The application has evolved from its basic beginnings as the world's first podcasting software to a mature, fully featured application.
iPodder is the premier Podcasting application, allowing users to capture and listen to Internet audio programs anytime, anywhere. It allows users to select and download shows and music and to play whenever they want on their iPods, portable digital media players, or computers automatically, after specifying which music or shows they want to listen to. ... read more
jPodder is a podcast client. This new releases contains a user guide, download panel, build-in podcast directory browser/search and many more features and bug-fixes.
iPodder is a media aggregator which automatically downloads files to your computer or portable device, leaving you 'one-click-away' from latest media feeds. Just before Bloggercon we have a great announcement to make iPodder v1.1 is released for Windows and Macintosh!
What are the new features of version 1.1?
- Select podcast feeds by using the integrated directory (OPML) inside iPodder or add feeds manually from the GUI.
- Choose your own download folder!
- The feed list now displays the title, location, downloaded MB and subscription state for each feed.
- Enhanced download progress feedback.
- Don't want to check all feeds? You can now check just one feed.
- iPodder can now run on startup.
- Advanced options for Power Users.
- Automatic setting of Grouping: Podcast for iTunes/Win users.
- Lots of extra debugging code to make it easier to figure out what went wrong if a download fails.... read more
iPodder is an audio aggregator, it downloads enclosures from RSS 2.0 feeds.
Enjoy the many new features in this release!
The iSpider (python) application, which is allready famous for its ease of use will go on with the official name: iPodder. The slogan will be iPodder, based on the iSpider engine. The team who setted up the iPodder project offered us this great oppertunity. Next to 'codename iSpider' the .java based iPodder version will also be available. Though, these versions are totally different because of their different languages and usage. ... read more
This release fixes a couple of bugs and adds an installer for user convenience. (Please note, no desktop shortcut yet).
Joining in the iPodder franzy, this version is
written in java and uses the JAWIN (http://jawinproject.sourceforge.net) to access
COM objects. iPodder releated information is
available on http://ipodder.org


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Want to learn more about yourself without actually leaving the comfort of your chair? Take one of our insightful personality tests!
Which Friends Character Are You?
Between the six of them, they've got every personality type covered. Which one are you most like?
weekdays at 4/3c
Which Friends Character Do You Connect With?
Take our Friends quiz and find out which Friends character you're most likely to connect with.
weekdays at 4/3c


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Wirral's public health chief is urging golf fans to take precautions as the Royal Liverpool course swelters in a heatwave.
The Met Office has forecast high temperatures - and thunderstorms - for the Northwest this weekend.
Director of Public Health for Wirral Fiona Johnstone said: "It's great to have the chance to enjoy the sunshine and warm weather – we don't get sunny summers as often as we'd like – but it's important to be safe in the heat too."
If you're watching the Open, there are measures you can take to keep you and your families cool and comfortable.
The hottest part of the day is between 11am and 3pm so if you are out in the heat, walk in the shade, apply sunscreen and wear a hat and light scarf.
Other things you can do to take care during the hottest parts of the day are self-explanatory…
• Avoid extreme physical exertion and wear light, loose-fitting cotton clothes.
• Save any walking or jogging for the cooler parts of the day.
• Have plenty of cold drinks, and avoid excess alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks.
• Eat cold foods, particularly salads and fruit with a high water content.
• Sprinkle water over the skin or clothing, or keep a damp cloth on the back of your neck.
Look out for others too - keep an eye on isolated, elderly, ill or very young people and make sure they are able to keep cool. Ensure that babies, children or elderly people are not left alone in stationary cars.


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Maranatha Farm at Bluffton's PetCo Saturday 11-4
Maranatha Farm will present the Pet Adoption Fair at Bluffton's PetCo store, on Hwy 278 next to Best Buy, Saturday January 8th from 11 am til 4 pm. A rescued Calico cat, three Chihuahuas, two small Terriers, a Mini Dachsund and two Lab mix puppies will be shown in the store for adoption.
18 more rescued dogs and younger puppies are also available at the farm. A 24-hour cooling off period, home visit and a good vet reference are required. Most adoptions are completed within 3-4 days. The $75 adoption fee includes the spay or neuter, shots, a 6-month supply of heartworm prevention, lifetime free vacation boarding, and is fully refundable anytime during the animal's lifetime.


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Rebecca Pryce
24, South Yorkshire
Breast augmentation
Patient story #1 Rebecca
"I now feel perfectly in proportion and love the way clothes hug and flatter my curves."Watch Rebecca's video »
- How we helped Rebecca
I've always had a very petite frame but as size 6 and completely flat-chested, I looked more like a young school boy than a woman in her twenties.
No clothes ever looked good on me or fitted properly. I constantly rejected fitted fabrics and low necklines in favour of baggy, oversized clothes to disguise my chest. I wouldn't even take my top off in front of my girlfriends.
I always wore padded bras and 'chicken fillets', which were also the cause of much embarrassment on several occasions when they proved to be less than discreet.
- The right decision
I saved for four long years to have enough money for a breast enlargement, denying myself of many treats until finally, for my 24th birthday, I treated myself. It was the best present I have ever received and what made it all the more special was that it was something I had made happen just for me.
People say they understand how it feels, but it's difficult to really know unless you have experienced it. At Transform I didn't have to hide anymore or feel embarrassed, finally someone understood exactly what I was going through.
Of course it hasn't changed me as a person or my personality in any way, I'm still me, but it has completely transformed how I feel about myself on the inside, how I hold and present myself on the outside and my ability to feel completely comfortable and intimate with partners.*
This has also been a turning point for me in how I treat and respect my body. I now feel perfectly in proportion* and love the way clothes hug and flatter my curves. I am so proud I tell everyone who will listen and walk around with my head held high.
*Cosmetic surgery results and benefits can vary and are different for each individual. As such, Transform cannot guarantee specific results.
Start your journey
More confident, more alive and more able to get the most from life. That's how Rebecca and our other patients tell us they now feel. Starting out on a journey can be hard, but if you've been inspired by our patients, get in touch.Request a brochure Book an appointment
Behind the scenes at our patient stories photoshoot
Click here to see how our campaign came to life.Watch the video


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Price Point: $1.695 million
Published 12:47 pm, Friday, July 4, 2014
650 Euclid Ave.
Beds: 4 Baths: 3 Square footage: 3,121
The Golden Gate Bridge is visible from every room of this Berkeley Hills home originally constructed in 1929. The tri-level home hosts multiple patios and is only a few minutes from Tilden Park and the Gourmet Ghetto. A level lawn, mature trees and a pond are included in the backyard, and a lower-level bedroom provides direct access to the garden. French doors off the master suite open to a sunny deck and Juliet balcony. A den, music/family room, living room with handcrafted ceiling and eat-in kitchen with breakfast nook and patio access round out the main level.
Latest Real Estate videos
Listing agent: Judith Glass, The Grubb Co., (510) 326-7929, firstname.lastname@example.com; Sheila Sabine, The Grubb Co., (510) 339-0400, ext. 347, firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Arizona & Utah November 2012
de Jassmann Foster Photography
Acerca del libro
Características y detalles
- Categoría Viajes
Apaisado estándar, 25×20 cm
54 Páginas
- Fecha de publicación ene. 17, 2013
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Jassmann-Foster Photography
God's Country, Oregon
Since 1997, I have held the status of amateur photographer. My love of the photographic world started with an old Kodak Brownie box camera in the early 1960's. I learned to SCUBA dive along the central coast of California in 1996. I purchased my first underwater camera within six months and by 1997 I had upgraded my "point and shoot" to a professional underwater camera. Between 1999 and 2004 I won 8 different awards in various categories as a Novice and Amateur Photographer before moving on to landscape photography that same year. My focus now is strickly on the outdoors and the wonders that God has provided.
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For those heading out to secure a camping spot this Easter break, people are warned that most popular national parks are already too full.
The Department of Environment and Conservation has advised that most campgrounds in WA national parks and reserves across the South West, Warren and Swan regions are at peak occupancy on Thursday morning.
The campsites are expected to remain fully occupied throughout the long weekend and travellers are encouraged to plan alternative accommodation.
Other remaining campgrounds are likely to fill up by this evening as people arrive early to secure their spots.
Swan Region
- All campgrounds in Lane Poole Reserve are full.
- Perth Hills Centre campsite in Beelu National Park is full.
- Martins Tank campsite in Yalgorup National Park is closed for improvement works until mid-July.
- Walyunga campsite in Walyunga National Park is closed due to a recent bushfire in the area.
South West Region
- Campgrounds in Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park and Blackwood River National Park have limited space available.
- In Wellington National Park, Honeymoon Pool campsite is full. There is limited space available at Potter's Gorge campsite.
- Belvidere campsite in Leschenault Peninsula Conservation Park has limited space available this morning.
- In state forest, there are some sites available this morning at Hoffman Mill, Glen Mervyn Dam, Stockton and Lake Brockman Tourist Park (Logue Brook).
Warren Region
- Shannon National Park campsite is full.
- Walpole-Nornalup National Park campgrounds are full.
- There may be limited space in D'Entrecasteaux National Park.


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NSW's cultural icons are struggling to meet rising asset maintenance costs amid volatile visitor demand, the state's Auditor-General says.
The Sydney Opera House needed $1.1 billion in maintenance and safety upgrades to "remain commercially viable",
He said visitors to the Powerhouse Museum had fallen nearly 20 per cent in two years.
"Commercial revenue is not increasing to meet the shortfall in the level of funding," he said in a report tabled in State Parliament yesterday.
"Only the Sydney Opera House has consistently managed to grow its commercial revenue [since 2007]."
The report is based on the financial results for a series of community and education agencies across NSW.
The report highlights a rise in government funding for arts and culture hot spots including the Sydney Opera House, Powerhouse Museum, Australia Museum, Art Gallery of NSW and State Library. The institutions will receive $272 million in 2011-12, a 25 per cent increase on 2010-11.
However, there has been a collective 33 per cent rise in spending on asset-related activities over the past five years that has left a maintenance backlog of $22.6 million for the Art Gallery of NSW and $8.9 million for the State Library.
The government's latest budget also mandates an annual 1.5 per cent efficiency dividend from each agency.
"Management need to continually identify . . . new ways of increasing income to meet operational needs and business objectives," the report says.
After an upgrade that left it able to hold fewer exhibitions, the Powerhouse Museum is relying on a little magic from its Harry Potter exhibition, which opened last month, to revive flagging visitor numbers. In 2010-11, visitors to the museum were 8.3 per cent below target, although increased attendance at the Sydney Observatory helped ensure a $3.3 million surplus for umbrella agency the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Trust.
The Australia Museum also experienced a 13.1 per cent decline in visitors in 2010-11.
"The decline in visitor numbers also impacted revenue from admission fees, which decreased 20.5 per cent when compared to the previous year," the report says.
In relation to the state Education Department, the Auditor-General noted that Year-12 retention rates had improved from 2006 to 2010, but were 5 per cent below the national average at 68 per cent.
He also highlighted the ageing education workforce. Twenty per cent of public-school teachers are younger than 35 and 10 per cent are younger than 30. In 1986, more than half of teachers were younger than 35.
The Australian Financial Review


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The Economics of Making Music
How Artists, Labels, Ticket Brokers & Everyone Else Makes Money in the Music Industry!
Why create music? The art of song is a powerful way to connect with listeners and an irreplaceable outlet of expression for musicians. But for those looking to make a career out of their passion, the music industry is a ruthless business, with only a tiny percentage ever reaching the levels of superstardom.
For many, music is simply a hobby because the financial demands are too much. Others struggle to chase their dreams despite the financial challenges. The few that make it big are often forced to battle record labels, music retailers and digital media in order to stake claim to what is rightfully theirs.
The uptick in digital sales is credited primarily to the increase in streaming music services from companies like Spotify LTD and Pandora Media Inc., coupled with downloads from services like iTunes. Digital music sales now account for 41 percent of all music sales in the U.S. (Image via FutureofMusic.org)
Download services like Napster and iTunes have revolutionized the way consumers buy music. Some companies have profited immensely, while others have refused to embrace the digital marketplace and technology. Musicians who are just starting out may find the internet to be the optimal place to stake their claim in the industry.
Downloading music is growing in popularity thanks to the rise in devices like iPods and smart phones. iPods are often smaller and easier for consumers to transport for jogging and other activities. But for artists, the increasing popularity of downloading music can mean less profit. Proceeds from downloads must be split among band mates and with the artist's record label. Streaming music is a very small portion of a musician's income; most comes from selling CDs and touring.
Musicians will need to be creative as digital sales continue to rise, finding alternative ways to encourage the sales of more profitable products. For instance, selling autographed CDs while on tour gives fans an incentive to make a purchase they otherwise wouldn't. Most music fans are aware that musicians profit more from CD sales than downloaded tracks. In some cases, fans will opt to purchase physical CDs out of appreciation and respect to help support their favorite musicians.
Image via MinorityFortune.com
The Cynical Musician breaks it down in terms of U.S. minimum wage, currently $7.25. Based on a 40-hour work week and four weeks in a month, the monthly earnings for a minimum-wage employee would equal $1,160. The same amount of income would require 1,813 downloads per month on iTunes. Justin Bieber's song "Boyfriend," for instance, is the fourth best-selling download of all time. His record label collected $390,000, iTunes received $200,000, and Justin earned $83,000 from downloads of the song.
Some musicians aren't fans of programs that allow consumers to download music. Pete Townshend of The Who made headlines in 2011 when he blasted iTunes in the media, calling them a "digital vampire." According to The Huffington Post, Townshend believes that iTunes "profits from music without supporting the artists who create it."
Image via Fluid Design
Streaming is expected to soon be the most popular way for consumers to acquire music tracks. Consumers pay a monthly fee and have unlimited access to any songs they want to listen to. However, music on programs such as Spotify, Rhapsody, or Pandora results in less revenue for a musician than downloads. A survey done by the Future of Music Coalition reported that musicians aren't seeing any money from streaming or it's such a small amount that it almost doesn't count in their yearly profits.
The current payment per stream is € 0.004 (about $ 0.005). Image and data via Spotidj.com.
TechSpot reports that, in general, artists earn less than one cent per stream. Some of the revenues received from famous artists may also be a mystery because the service and artist are unwilling to share the terms of specific deals. The numbers get even more confusing when comparing services like iTunes Match and Spotify, as iTunes Match merely allows consumers to stream songs they've purchased outright from the cloud, while Spotify enables streaming of tracks not owned by the consumer.
Artists pay distribution services like TuneCore a yearly fee to enable the streaming of their music. To break even on the cost of a $50 yearly distribution fee, an artist would need more than 15,127 plays on iTunes Match or 5,171 plays on Spotify, a difficult feat for lesser-known bands who don't have millions of fans.
Musicians receive an average of $1 for a $10 retail CD sale after signing with a major record label. A regular record label may only pay the musician 30 cents, which may have to be split among band mates. The artist takes the smallest amount of profits from album sales, and because it's not free to create an album, some of what appears to be profit usually goes to paying the record label. (Image via FutureofMusic.org)
Some musicians don't write their own songs; therefore, they also have to pay a percentage of each copy sold to the songwriter. Just over one cent for every copy sold is often split between the songwriter and publisher. Retailers actually get the biggest slice of the pie from album sales.
When an artist signs with a record label, they typically have tracks that they've already recorded. Recording programs, such as ProTools, have drastically cut down on recording costs. Recording programs make it easier for new talent to get heard and old talent to keep record label advance money. However, musicians don't get their money back for tracks recorded prior to getting the record deal.
Once an artist reaches stardom, they then have more leverage with their record label. After she sold 10 million copies of "The Woman in Me," Shania Twain's record label, Mercury Records, offered her 40 percent of the profit if she was able to finish her next album by a deadline. This increased Twain's revenue by $10 million and also boosted the label's yearly profits.
Believe it or not, vinyl records are still alive and well today. Thanks to a culture shift embracing vintage and classic goods, vinyl sales actually increased in 2011 – and by a shocking 39.3 percent.
Image via Digital Music News.
In addition to free streaming services dedicated to music, like Pandora, YouTube and Vevo have music videos completely free to anyone with an internet connection. YouTube was initially plagued by lawsuits, but eventually they obtained licenses from all the major recording labels and publishers.
YouTube partnered with Vevo to add legal music videos to YouTube. YouTube hopes that this partnership will bridge the gap between the music and digital industries, which has been a source of great conflict to date. But not all artists are resentful about downloads and other technology. Courtney Love, for instance, believes that any venue that allows fans to hear her music is positive, instead placing the bad-guy rap on the record labels.
Touring can be exhausting for musicians but has proven to offer the biggest bang for the buck in terms of artist revenue. Record labels have started forming "360 deals" with new artists, allowing them to take a percentage of concert revenue, merchandise sales and endorsement deals – items which used to be off limits to them. The label is typically more invested in the artist in this case, and therefore more inclined to offer support to the artist in all career aspects.
Image via The Big Picture.
For instance, John Mayer selling 15,000 concert tickets at $50 each will result in $750,000 in ticket revenue, guaranteeing him $200,000 to $300,000. Most artists make an average of three to four dollars per head in merchandise sales at concerts, adding another $60,000. If he sells out, he will also get a 50/50 split on the back end. So Mayer could potentially make $560,000 just in one night.
Don't forget about all the expenses that must come out of that revenue though. When artists first sign a record label contract, the label gives them a check. But artists tend to forget about the overhead expenses they have to cover with those funds, and some artists end up in financial ruin because they spend the money fronted to them before covering the necessary costs.
Some music lovers are surprised to hear news of their favorite artists going bankrupt, but it does happen – and not always because the artist went on a wild spending spree. Bankruptcy is one of musicians' only defenses against bad record contracts.
Despite TLC's overwhelming success as an R&B group in the 90's, they were for forced to file for bankruptcy due to the massive overhead costs they weren't able to pay. They earned less than 2 percent of the $175 million dollars generated by CD sales – about 40 times less than the profit that was divided among their management, production and record companies. Likewise, Toni Braxton declared bankruptcy in 1998 after generating $188 million dollars from CD sales; her record contract paid her less than 35 cents per album.
The Goo Goo Dolls have generated $2 million in album sales, but filed bankruptcy because they owed so much money to their record label. Bankruptcy has become increasingly common over the years, even with many successful musicians. Even Jerry Lee Lewis and Michael Jackson, both members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, have filed bankruptcy.
Sometimes legal troubles, debts or taxes are to blame for famous musicians filing bankruptcy. Other times; however, it is simply a way to get out of a contract. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is lobbying to change bankruptcy laws, making it more difficult for artists to file bankruptcy for the sole purpose of getting out of a contract. (Image via FutureofMusic.org)
Because of the hefty percentages record labels make on album sales, some musicians have decided to take matters into their own hands and start their own recording labels. Sean "Diddy" Combs was an unpaid intern at Uptown Records and quickly climbed to A&R executive. After being fired from Uptown, Diddy started Bad Boys Entertainment, signing the likes of Notorious B.I.G and Faith Evans, putting Bad Boys on the map. Bad Boys is now a subsidiary of Universal Music Group and is distributed by Interscope Records.
Image via FutureofMusic.org
Prince has always been an artist who thinks outside the box. In addition to his one-of-a-kind style and intense creativity, Prince was the first artist to sell his own CDs on the Internet for $50. He also started his own record label, NPG, after being signed with Warner Brothers for 20 years of his career. When he wanted out of his contract because Warner Brothers failed to release some of his material, he didn't take the bankruptcy route. Instead, he recorded an astonishing five albums in two years to meet his end of the deal, enabling him to move on.
Many artists who have started their own label have worked on the other end of the musician-label spectrum, and therefore know many of the sticking points that typically cause conflicts between the two parties. Musician-run record labels are often favored by new artists, because they're perceived to treat their talent the same way they'd like to be treated as an artist. Fellow musicians also understand what goes into the creative process of making music, so these partnerships are often successful because of the combination of creative talents.
The Recording Artists' Coalition (RAC) was created by Don Henley and Sheryl Crow in 2000 to address legislative issues facing musicians, as well as contract reform, media consolidation, and artist compensation. RAC represents artists and defends their rights and interests, supporting the repeal of laws that tie artists to their record labels for seven years. The organization has also successfully repealed supposed "technical revisions" that shifted American copyright statutes from artists to record labels.
It seems counterintuitive that so many aspiring musicians dream of being signed by a major record label considering the bad rap that labels have gotten over the years. But record labels do offer something significant to musicians: The marketing know-how necessary to turn unheard-of artists into overnight sensations and the ability to make risky financial moves that can skyrocket a musician's career.
Of course, not every artist who lands a major recording contract becomes successful, but their chances of doing so are far greater than when going it alone. Record labels actually lose tons of money every year on failed musicians; in fact, only one in ten acts will ever turn a profit for the label. It costs around two dollars to make and distribute a CD; marketing it costs three dollars for a hit record and ten dollars for a failure.
Image via Business Insider.
The record labels also have their own version of RAC, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which represents record labels and distributors in the United States. The members of RIAA are responsible for distributing, creating and manufacturing 85 percent of all legally sold music, as well as certifying Gold and Platinum albums and singles in the United States.
There are many avenues for musicians to make money. Touring, album sales, and merchandise are the primary sources of profit for artists. Some artists become entrepreneurs and decide to own their own record labels, maximizing their profit potential and providing another outlet to utilize their creative skills by helping other aspiring artists on their way to success. Streaming and downloads may only account for a small portion of total revenue, but this technology gets the music out there to the people who are really funding the music industry as a whole: The fans.
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IESTYN Thomas has been backed by Wales forwards coach Robin McBryde to do a top job with the Newport Gwent Dragons if he joins their backroom staff.
It is understood the region are set to sign ex-Scarlets and Wales loosehead prop Thomas to oversee their scrum – a problem area for the Dragons in recent seasons.
The 35-year-old, who is from New Inn and started his career at Pontypool and Ebbw Vale, was forced to retire from the game last month because of a serious neck injury.
He and McBryde know each other well, the pair were teammates for Wales and when the Scarlets were based at Stradey Park.
And Thomas, who won 33 caps and represented his country at the 2003 World Cup, is being backed to bring on the Dragons' promising props by McBryde who coached the Wales forwards in the Grand Slam triumphs of 2008 and 2012.
With this season's retirement of seasoned tighthead props Ben Castle and Nigel Hall through injury and Gethin Robinson's absence due to an Achilles problem, the Rodney Parade side had to turn to young Nathan Buck, 22, and Dan Way, 25, to shore up their scrum.
Speaking about Thomas being linked with a move to the Dragons, McBryde said: "It would be great if he were appointed – we need more players of Iestyn's calibre to be able to put something back into rugby.
"He has huge knowledge with regards to the scrum and was held in high regard by his teammates and by the players he's played against as well, both internationally and regionally.
"Iestyn's very grounded, he's a good character to have and he's certainly one I would lean to and ask his advice as well.
"If he does get the job then it would be good for Welsh rugby as well."
McBryde believes the Dragons' departing forwards coach Danny Wilson, who joins the Scarlets, did very well with Buck and Way.
"I think Danny made a difference to the Dragons – he did a lot of good work with Dan Way and Nathan Buck who have both made progress really.
"In fairness they've performed pretty well really considering how inexperienced they are as a group and they've got a young hooker in Sam Parry coming through.
"It's a development and that's one of the things we can't overlook and it is going to take time.
"Speaking to Danny, Nathan will be one to watch out for in the future."
With money scarce in Wales, McBryde thinks the Dragons' policy of developing young players will stand them in good stead but urges patience.
"You've got to suffer the odd loss here and there, but in the long term you'll benefit because these players will learn from their experiences and that's the only way they are going to get better," he said.
"Everybody's looking for ready-made players but unless you've got the money to buy ready-made players, you've got to develop from within and I think that's what a lot of regions are doing is developing from within.
"It's a case of supporting these individuals and making sure that if you do suffer one, two or three poor games, they're not cast on the scrap heap. You just go back to them and keep working with them because it's the only way through it."
Meanwhile, McBryde has no doubt that Wales' Grand Slam heroes are "keen for more" as they prepare to meet Australia in a three-Test series Down Under.
He is excited about the challenges that await in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney next month.
"Momentum is behind us since the World Cup, and we managed to keep that going through the Six Nations," he said.
"I suppose everyone is waiting to see how we are going to react to that first loss we have as a group, but until we suffer that first loss, who knows?
"The players have created their own little bit of history, and they are keen for more. There is a huge carrot out there – to go down to Australia and hopefully win a series."


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Arboretum of the Imagination
de Diane Kaye
Acerca del libro
A 30 year retrospective of the magical "secret lives" of trees, freshly seen by the camera's eye in a single un-manipulated frame, and printed as darkroom gelatin silver, alternative process lith or archival pigment.
Características y detalles
- Categoría Fotografía artística
Cuadrado grande, 30×30 cm
66 Páginas
- Fecha de publicación mar. 11, 2013
Acerca del creador
Photographer Diane Kaye is internationally recognized for the quality of her work and she has exhibited widely and received numerous awards. Diane's background includes black and white darkroom printing, the use of both film and digital media, the "lith printing" technique, and digital negatives. She photographed the November 1989 beginning of the revolution at the Berlin Wall, developed large portfolios in landscape, nude, portraiture, and street photography and more recently performed experiments with motion, some of which involve the use of a scanner as camera. Her primary concerns in a fine print are: luminosity, compositional tension, mystery, and the visual expression of that which cannot be put into words.
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An emo ninja. One who paints around thier eyes, Listens to "fallout boy" music, slits thier wrists and thier throats but also thinks thier a Ninja
by JaredK April 05, 2006
The Urban Dictionary Mug
One side has the word, one side has the definition. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Lotsa space for your liquids.Buy the mug


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St. Thomas Private Sightseeing and Beach Excursion
Enjoy a private sightseeing tour that offers the most breathtaking views around St. Thomas, transportation to some of the best restaurants, shopping, and activities on the island, and your choice of one of five amazing beaches for a fun beach excursion. Experience the best of St. Thomas and all the sights and sounds from an open air Safari bus, the favored choice among visitors to the island. Your itinerary includes stops at four of the world's most stunning viewpoints, access to great local food, drinks, and shopping, and an extended visit to your preferred choice among the five best beaches on St. Thomas. Your beach excursion includes opportunities for sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, and a chance to experience magnificent wildlife and natural beauty. Depending on the beach you choose, you can also enjoy access to local food and shopping from beachside shops and vendors.
Duration: 7.5 hours
Maximum Passengers: 17
Cost: $435 (for up to 10 passengers) / $40 for each additional passenger
- Enjoy the sights, sounds, and splendors of St. Thomas from an open air Safari bus
- Ideal for families, private groups, and parties
- Sightseeing tour includes the best viewpoints on St. Thomas
- Choose one of five St. Thomas beaches for a stop-off and beach excursion
- Enjoy access to local food, restaurants, bars, and shopping
- Get personalized, private service with flexible drop-offs and pickups
- Service available for hotel and vacation rental guests, local residents, and passengers from the following cruise lines: Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Carnival, Princess, Celebrity, Disney, Cunard, and MSC.
Important Note: Don't Wait to Book!
Tours and activities in St. Thomas and St. John fill up quickly and often weeks or months in advance. Don't wait and miss out on the fun! Book now to reserve your space and avoid disappointments or last-minute scrambles. If you need to cancel for any reason, we'll give you a full refund on most tours as long as you cancel at least 24 to 48 hours in advance. Check the bottom of each tour or activity description for cancellation terms. We want you to enjoy the best of our beautiful islands, so make your reservation now!
Before You Book
- Tours must be booked at least 24 hours in advance of departure time
- Please note that all availability is listed in the local, Atlantic Standard Time, and is not considered the same as "Cruise Ship Time".
- $4 per person entry fee required for specific beaches (subject to change & not included in tour)
- Beach amenities and rentals vary by your chosen location
- Bring your own swimwear, towels, and beach attire
- Rentals available for beach chairs, umbrellas, snorkeling, watersports, and more
- Route and options subject to change based on local weather and accessibility
- Flexible scheduling for cruise ship passengers when passengers notify the tour operator at least 24 hours in advance. Tour contact details provided with your booking confirmation email.
Departure point: Flexible (contact the tour provider after you receive your confirmation)
Departure time: Based on your selected start time.
Duration: 7.5 hours
Return details: Same as departure point.
Beaches (choose 1 when your tour begins*)
* When your Safari bus arrives, your driver will ask you to specify your preferred beach.
Magens Bay Beach (Northside)
Take in the spectacular views and enjoy the calm waters at Magens Bay, the most popular beach on St. Thomas and one of National Geographic's top 10 Atlantic Ocean beaches. Paddle boats, kayaks, and Sunfish personal sail boats are available for rental, and chairs and floats are also available at the concession. Lifeguards are normally on duty during open hours. Magens Bay is also great for family picnics with tables available throughout the beach. The concession includes a gift shop, a bar, and a restaurant with burgers, pizza, and other snacks. A bath house is also available with restrooms and open salt/freshwater showers.
Coki Point Beach (East End)
A small, beautiful beach located at the East End of St. Thomas, Coki Point features crystal clear water and a rocky reef area that is great for snorkeling. A popular location for picnics and parties, Coki Point also features beachside eateries and roadside food vans with fare that includes burgers, sandwiches, and great local dishes. Snorkels, chairs, umbrellas, and other beach gear are also available for rental. A bath house is also available with restrooms and open salt/freshwater showers.
Secret Harbor
Secret Harbor Beach is nestled in a quiet, protected bay with calm waters that are ideal for swimming. Snorkeling is a favorite activity along the nearby rocky coastline, and those enjoying the swim out to the floating raft in the bay or otherwise enjoying the water might catch glimpses of Secret Harbor's beautiful rays and sea turtles. When you're not enjoying the palm trees and tropical feel of this small patch of paradise, you can visit the Secret Harbor Resort with a great restaurant and beach bar. Please note that there is no lifeguard on duty at Secret Harbor.
Lindquist Beach (Smith Bay Park)
The newest beach on St. Thomas and one of the most beautiful and pristine beaches on the island, Lindquist is located on the East End and is an undeveloped beach with only dirt road access. It has recently been renamed as Smith Bay Park. A lifeguard is on duty, and basic amenities include picnic tables and portable rest rooms. Snorkeling can be enjoyed on the right side of the beach, but you must bring your own gear. Lifeguards are normally on duty during open hours, and a bath house is available with restrooms and open salt/freshwater showers. Several picnic tables are also available. With white sand, crystal clear water, and a thick tree line for shade, Lindquist Beach has become a favorite spot for locals, particularly for weekend picnics and parties.
Sapphire Beach
Sapphire Beach is a local favorite with beautiful sand and warm, crystal clear waters accented by nearby palm trees and sea grape trees. Located within walking distance of the Sapphire Beach Resort, Condos and Marina, Sapphire Beach features foods and drinks through an open air grill and a condo restaurant close by. Sapphire Beach is also well known for water sports options including wind surfing, kayaking and snorkeling.
Blackbeard's Overlook
Your sightseeing tour begins with Blackbeard's Overlook, also known as Pilgrim Terrace, offering a spectacular pirate's eye view of the Charlotte Amalie bay from a vantage point attributed to the pirates who once occupied St. Thomas. Your view also includes Blackbeard's Castle, a watchtower built in 1679 and now one of five National Historic Landmarks in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
World Famous Mountain Top
Your journey continues onward to the world famous Mountain Top, the oldest and highest attraction on St. Thomas, located at the top of St. Peter Mountain. Mountain Top offers dazzling and awe-inspiring views of Magens Bay below and numerous surrounding islands, making it one of the best vista points on St. Thomas. And no experience at Mountain Top is complete without a world famous banana daiquiri, the signature drink that has been served to more than 7 million visitors from around the globe!
Drake's Seat
The next stop is Drake's Seat, with another spectacular view of Magens Bay, the surrounding mountains, and the nearby British Virgin Islands. It's a perfect place to stop, rest, and sit in the famous seat built in the days when traveling to this fabulous view meant traveling by horse or foot. Legend has it that British privateer Sir Francis Drake may have used this hilltop vantage point to spy incoming enemy ships.
Beacon Point
And, as your tour takes you to the East End of St. Thomas and Skyline Drive, you will arrive at Beacon Point, where you can experience a terrific view of St. John and other neighboring islands from the observatory platform. Sample a virgin banana daiquiri or pour your own rum, adding as much as you want before the mixer. You can also visit the gift shop and enjoy a snack. Please note that although it is rare, Beacon Point is closed on days when no major cruise ship docks on the island.
Solar Farm
Finally, as your tour returns, you can enjoy a passing view of of St. Thomas' new solar farm, where Caribbean sunshine is now being converted into renewable energy to help keep the island green for generations to come.
Important Information
- Full-service transportation in an open-air Safari bus
- Private tour with a professional driver
- Sightseeing itinerary and beach excursion
- Timed itinerary or options for flexible drop-offs and pick-ups
- Beach admission fees not included
- Food, drinks, and gratuities not included
- Does not include rental of beach chairs, umbrellas, snorkeling, or other gear
Additional Info
Tours must be booked at least 24 hours in advance of departure time
Service available for hotel and vacation rental guests, local residents, and passengers from the following cruise lines: Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Norwegian, Carnival, Princess, Celebrity, Disney, Cunard, and MSC.
Cancellation Policy
At least 24 hours in advance


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In-air flight time: 58 minutes
From gate to gate: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Constant 500 mph: 41 minutes
The total flight duration from Charlotte, NC to Nashville, TN is 58 minutes.
This is the average in-air flight time (wheels up to wheels down on the runway) based on actual flights taken over the past year, including routes like CLT to BNA. It covers the entire time on a typical commercial flight including take-off and landing.
If you're planning a trip, you should also factor in extra time for the plane to pull back from the gate and taxi to the runway, as well as reaching the destination gate after landing. If you include this extra time on the tarmac, the average total elapsed time from gate to gate flying from Charlotte, NC to Nashville, TN is 1 hour, 25 minutes.
Finally, pilots might want to estimate the flight time using an average flight speed for a commercial airliner of 500 mph, which is equivalent to 805 km/h or 434 knots. If you don't add any extra time to increase or decrease speed for take-off and landing, then at constant speed your flight time would be 41 minutes.
If you're booking a flight, make sure you check the scheduled departure and arrival times. You should also factor in airport wait times and possible equipment or weather delays. If you're trying to figure out what time you'll arrive at the destination, you may want to see if there's a time difference between Charlotte, NC and Nashville, TN.
The calculation of flight time is based on the straight line flight distance from Charlotte, NC to Nashville, TN ("as the crow flies"), which is about 340 miles or 548 kilometers.
Your trip begins in Charlotte, North Carolina.
It ends in Nashville, Tennessee.
Your flight direction from Charlotte, NC to Nashville, TN is West (-77 degrees from North).
The flight time calculator measures the average flight duration between points. It uses the great circle formula to compute the travel mileage.
Travelmath provides an online flight time calculator for all types of travel routes. You can enter airports, cities, states, countries, or zip codes to find the flying time between any two points. The database uses the great circle distance and the average airspeed of a commercial airliner to figure out how long a typical flight would take. Find your travel time to estimate the length of a flight between airports, or ask how long it takes to fly from one city to another.


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They are being opposed by Democrats Ann Avram Huber of Randolph Township and Dick Tighe of Morristown. Among the municipalities in the 25th District are Boonton, Boonton Township, Denville Township, Dover, Hanover Township, Harding Township, Mendham Township, Mine Hill Township, Morris Township, Morristown, Mount Arlington, Randolph Township, Rockaway, Rockaway Township and Roxbury Township.
Huber, 51, of Crestwood Drive, is mayor of Randolph Township, having been elected to the Township Council in 1998. Married to Herman Huber, a psychologist with a private practice in Randolph, the Hubers have three daughters, Becky, Rayna and Sara, who graduated from the Randolph schools and went on to graduate college.
Born in Romania, Huber spent her childhood in Israel and later Canada. Her family settled in New Jersey in 1969, and she has lived in Randolph for the past 22 y ears.
She studied at McGill University and Rutgers, completing her education as a graduate of Rutgers Law School in Newark. Admitted to the New Jersey bar in 1983, Huber has a private law practice in Randolph with emphasis on bankruptcy, real estate and small business law.
She has an extensive background of involvement in her community and as well as several county-wide organizations.
Land And Education
Among the issues Huber considers important are improving education, preserving open space, insuring fiscal responsibility and reinstating the state office of public advocate.
Huber opposes vouchers, charter schools and any other proposals that would take away money from public schools, but also wants to find a solution to education's reliance on real estate taxes as a primary source of funding.
Another of her major concerns is to protect senior citizens from fraud committed by telephone solicitors.
"I would like to work on behalf of Morris County in the state Legislature in a reasonable and moderate way," said Huber in an interview on Sunday. "The present incumbents have introduced wild and unreasonable legislation, such as eliminating free, public education. The New Jersey Constitution requires the state to provide through and efficient public education."
She was referring to a pending bill, sponsored by Carroll, that would strip the courts of any controls over public education, leaving all authority within the Legislature.
A number of organizations have endorsed Huber's candidacy, including the Sierra Club, N.J. Education Association, National Organization of Women, Morris County Chapter, National Council of Jewish Women, Planned Parenthood, New Jersey Tenant s Organization, Women's Political Caucus, Ceasefire New Jersey, and the Million Mom March.
Tighe has lived in Morristown for the past 25 years with his wife, Pat.
Former CIA Agent
After three years in an undisclosed post with the Central Intelligence Agency, Tighe spent 30 years with AT&T. He is now working in sales management with Quest Communications.
Tighe was first elected as fourth ward councilman in Morristown six years ago, and also served on the Planning Board. He serves on the board of First Night Morris, is a member of the Morristown Kiwanis Club and is a lector at Assumption Parish in Morristown.
Like his running mate, Tighe wants to see fiscal responsibility returned to state government. In an interview on Oct. 17, Tighe said the state debt has quadrupled over the past eight years under Republican leadership, and that "grand give- aways" such as the EZ Pass system and the Parsons contract to develop a statewide system for auto inspections.
Tigh said contracts were awarded in both cases without competitive bids and through "good old boy ethics."
"Republicans have been playing a shell game," said Tighe. "They've been lowering taxes while increasing the debt. They have lost their prior claim to fiscal responsibility."
Tighe supports plans by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim McGreevey to retire debt, re-channel funds and save on interest costs.
"I'm very concerned about the plight of seniors in our state," said Tighe. "A t the very least, there should be a freeze on real estate taxes at their present level to help them continue living in their communities."
Tighe also opposes vouchers, charter schools and any other programs that he said would adversely affect public education.
"Education is one of the cornerstones on which this country was built," said Tighe. "My opponent, Michael Patrick Carroll, introduced legislation to take away public education."
Like his running-mate, Tighe wants to see the office of public advocate reinstated and the State Commission of Investigation strengthened.
"We need an independent, investigative unit that can go around and check how things are being done and how government is running," said Tighe.
"The opposition has also introduced legislation permitting individuals to carry a concealed weapon,'which I think is unbelievable," he said. "Can you imagine someone sitting at a sporting event, even in church, carrying a weapon? They are even against the use of safety guards on guns."
"We have to control guns," said Tighe. "If I were in the Assembly, I would work to have a sane gun control law."
"I think it is time for a change," said Tighe. "Republicans have grown complacent."
Tighe said one of his pet causes is the environment and land use. He supports the state Master Plan which he said will preserve open space and create "town centers."
"We do need affordable housing programs, but the present situation brought about by the Council on Affordable Housing benefits the builders too much," said Tighe.


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RESIDENTS and farmers affected by the floods across the Somerset Levels are being reminded they can apply for a variety of grants.
The Somerset Flood Relief Fund, organised by the Somerset Community Foundation, has so far raised £1,165,768.05 for those affected by the floods.
Up to 200 homes on the Levels were flooded or evacuated since the beginning of January.
The Foundation has awarded over £300,000 in grants to more than 350 households affected so far.
Households can apply for: Phase One grants of £250 towards meeting the immediate costs arising from either being flooded or evacuated.
Phase Two grants are set between £150 and £1,000 and are available to homes experiencing direct or indirect impacts that are causing short-term financial hardship while the flooding persists.
Phase Three grants are designed to help people to recover and repair a home that is safe and secure to live in.
There's also a £500 grant to help flood-affected homes pay for a professional survey or advice.
But Under Charity Commission guidance the grants can only be used to address 'financial hardship' arising from the flooding, directly or indirectly. It is not a compensation scheme where anyone affected automatically receives a payment.
For more information visit http://www.somersetcf.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant/flood-relief-grants


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Address by Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk at pre-BRICS Summit cocktail function
Tourism is a sector that offers so much potential for all of us going forward and by cooperating with each other we can help ensure that we do this in a responsible, sustainable way. Minister of Tourism, Mr Marthinus van Schalkwyk
Good evening ladies and gentlemen
I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you, to Durban, host of the fifth annual BRICS summit, the first on African soil.
It is wonderful to see so many South African business and tourism industry leaders tonight and also a number of our international guests from the BRICS member countries. To our visitors, Durban boasts miles and miles of golden beaches, excellent surf and a melting pot of cultures. It has a flavour and pace quite unlike any other and I sincerely hope you will get a chance to experience some of what it has to offer during your stay.
This BRICS summit brings together the world's leading economies to discuss how we can build on each other's strengths in advancing mutually beneficial development, and how to restructure the global political, economic and financial landscape into one that is more equitable and balanced.
As this is the first BRICS summit in Africa, it is apt that we will also focus on ways of enhancing relations between BRICS members and the African continent. There are big issues to discuss – the establishment of a BRICS Development Bank and the launch of a BRICS Business Council to boost trade and investment.
But the BRICS summit is also very important for tourism growth. As the South African Minister responsible for Tourism, my intention is that we use this summit to broaden and intensify our cooperation on tourism issues. Together our countries, are home to 40% of the world's population, take up more than a quarter of its land mass and boast some of the world's most treasured culture and heritage sites.
Tourism is a sector that offers so much potential for all of us going forward and by cooperating with each other we can help ensure that we do this in a responsible, sustainable way.
Over the next 20 years, international tourist arrivals in emerging-economy destinations are expected to grow at double the pace (4%) of advanced-economy destinations (projected at 2%). As a result, arrivals in emerging economies will likely surpass those in advanced economies by 2015. Yes, that is correct: The crossing point at which inbound tourism to emerging-market destinations will exceed those to the advanced economies is 2015, a mere two years from now. We, as emerging markets, are thus on the verge of becoming the centre of the tourism universe.
Outbound tourism growth will also be from emerging market destinations – Asia, Latin America and Africa. GDP growth, travel propensity as well as expanded airlift render the emerging markets very attractive source markets.
The projected growth of emerging market destinations and the growth in emerging market travellers are both evident if one looks at the performance of the South African tourism industry. We grew at more than double the rate of global growth from January to November 2012, with a growth in arrivals of 10.5% - versus global growth of 4% in 2012. And while recovery in arrivals from traditional markets was strong, our growth continues to be fuelled by very impressive growth from emerging markets, the BRICS countries in particular.
Tourist arrivals from our BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) partner countries have grown a cumulative 20.8 percent since the beginning of 2010, at almost twice the growth from the rest of the world (at 10.5 %). In the period January 2010 to end November 2012, 748 740 people had visited South Africa from Brazil, the Russian Federation, India and China. From January 2012 up to the end of November 2012, BRICS arrivals to South Africa had grown an average of 39.2 %, whilst growth from all overseas markets had been 16 percent.
The United Kingdom, the United States and Germany remain our top three source markets and we continue to work hard to defend our position in these countries. But China has now become our fourth biggest source market, attracting 122 482 visitors from January to November 2012, a 58.3% growth compared to the same period in 2011. A total of 97 664 Indians visited South Africa during the same period, a 16.8% growth, making it our eighth biggest source market and Brazil is now our ninth, with 70 554 visitors from this country during the first eleven months of 2012, a growth of 51.7% when compared to 2011.
Emerging markets are key to the South African tourism industry's current success and its future growth. Over the last few years we have greatly increased our in-country marketing efforts in China, India and Brazil, which have no doubt helped fuel growth levels from these countries.
In China we have worked hard to put a number of successful joint marketing agreements in place to make South Africa a more accessible destination for the Chinese traveller. The opening up of a direct flight been Johannesburg and Beijing and efforts to improve the visa process have also gone a long way in boosting arrivals numbers from this market.
Our shared love of cricket has proven to be an excellent way to connect with the Indian traveller and we have used cricket personalities, particularly Jonty Rhodes, to introduce Indian tourists to our country. Just a month ago right here in Durban, we very successfully hosted the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), which further showcased our country to the Indian market.
The World Cup was certainly an excellent catalyst for opening up South Africa to the Brazilian market. Since 2010 we have seriously upped our marketing efforts in Brazil, focusing on the authenticity of the destination and its ability to satisfy the Brazilian traveller's desire for first-world creature comforts.
Our Deputy Minister Tokozile Xasa has just returned from a visit to Russia to explore tourism links with South Africa and we will continue to monitor tourism potential from Russia.
Our intention is that this Summit takes our tourism efforts with the BRICS countries to the next level. It is an opportunity to find common ground, to find areas where all our tourism industries can gain and grow from working together. I am committed to using the next few days to take some important steps forward; to opening up our tourism industry to the BRICS countries and to finding out how best we can meet the needs of these important markets.
I hope all of you here will join me in this endeavour because for us in the tourism industry BRICS is far more than an acronym - it is a tangible vehicle for current and future growth.
Thank you.


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Estee Lauder Projectionist High Definition Volume Mascara Reviews
not the bestvery clumpy. does not come on smooth at all — 9 years, 6 months agoJax10986 | 3 reviews
My least faveThis mascara was just too clumpy for me. I dunno if I bought a bad/old tube, but there was nothing about it that I liked. Clumpy and smudged, by far the worst I have tried, and mascara is the one beauty product I can't live without. — 9 years, 7 months agoMandyMarie | 13 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 1 people said helpful
lengthens your lashesi have been looking for a good mascara for the past three years and i finally found it. like the other girls said, it leaves no clumps and it DEFINITELY lengthens your lashes. i have the sucky lashes where they go straight down and not long, but this mascara makes you look like the pros did it! — 9 years, 8 months agomissesgalarza | 3 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 1 people said helpful
no clumpsi love this mascara because it gives good eyelash coverage, without those nasty clumps. — 9 years, 9 months agoMelville | 10 reviews
Excellent productThis is an excellent mascara. It provides volume and length and it separates the lashes nicely too. I'd definitely recommend it. — 9 years, 9 months agocandace5 | 6 reviews
Love itTotally worth the money. I get a little bit a volume and length and it doesn't clump. It's great for layering lashes as well. — 9 years, 9 months agojillian72 | 3 reviews
The Best Mascara you will ever useI have used this mascara for appoximately a month. You have definition and lenth it's the both of best worlds. I have tried others and yes, it is a little pricey but it's worth the money. It doesn't clump and have a little secret when I use it I cover the top of the lashes as well as the bottom and it's va va voom! Great long lashes! Try it you won't be disappointed! — 9 years, 9 months agocheapchick2 | 3 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 3 of 6 people said helpful
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My Reasons for Reporting This


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BERLIN (Jan. 27)
"All Nazi legislation is the expression of divine and eternal order," Alfred Freyberg, Nazi party leader in Anhalt, declared last night in a statement instructing as to religious teaching in German schools, the Havas News Agency reported.
"It is necessary to insist incessantly on the inexorable struggle of Jesus against the spirit of the Jew," he added.
Freyberg's instructions, which defined his administrative position in regard to Christianity, asserted that "religious dogmas, which often reveal a Judeo-Oriental character, do not harmonize with national socialism. Youth, inflamed by national socialism, withdraws from religion."
Freyberg added, however, that a Nazi "should not be without religion."
Therefore, "religious study should show the young the harmony between Nazism and Christianity, " he declared, by standing above the discords of the various German churches.
He ordered that the "Jewish" Old Testament should be presented to the young only in selections, while the New Testament instruction should emphasize the figure of Jesus as "a fearless hero fighting passionately against all bigotry."
"Jesus from the point of view of race is not a Jew, and the history of the church should include the history of the German faith," Freyberg said.
He urged that attention be drawn to the survival of ancient German rites, such as the celebration of the Summer and Winter solstice.


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Investing in the Undervalued
We are always on the lookout for "special situations," here at Portfolio Guru, LLC; however, they have to be exceptional to outperform the currently frothy stock market. In reality, we are looking for companies that have been punished by the market and are offering value vs. the perceived worth of their assets.
On Monday, I wrote about Gastar Exploration (GST), whose shares -- common and preferred -- were weighed down by litigation with Chesapeake Utilities (CHK), which has since been settled. This is an example of the types of special situations my company looks for, and it proved to be an investable event. Another example in the oil patch is Magnum Hunter Resources (MHR). In this case, the investable event was the company's decision to fire PwC as its auditors. This came on the heels of massive delays in the company's filing of its 2012 10-K. (It was due March 1 under Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations but it still hasn't been filed.)...498 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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Burkina Faso: educate girls to prevent malnutrition
Helping women help themselves in Burkina Faso
Mamata Kabore, 12, wears a green t-shirt bearing the name of her country, Burkina Faso. She lives in Tamidou, a village of 600 inhabitants east of Ouagadougou, and goes to school on weekdays. It is a handsome building made of adobe, although its three classrooms are not big enough to accommodate the 200 pupils on the school register. Each morning, half of them have to study under a straw shelter.
Nevertheless, Mamata believes she is lucky to be at school at all. After class, she meets up with her older sister who, like many young girls in Burkina Faso, has never set foot inside a classroom (65% of girls go to school, compared to 76% of boys). After school, Mamata tells her sister what lesson the teacher gave pupils that day. "My sister always says she is sorry she doesn't go to school," Mamata says.
"But she learns the lesson well when I explain it to her." The experts have learned their own "lesson": research shows that mothers who have attended school have children whose nutrition and health is better. A child's chances of survival, good nutrition and health increase with the mother's level of education. In a country like Burkina Faso, where one child in five dies before the of five, girls' education is quite literally matter of life and death. The connection between education nutrition is often indirect. At school, mothers-to-be do not actually learn to feed children better. But they will take better care of their families for a variety of reasons. Mothers who went to school have access more information of all kinds (and not only about nutrition). Educate mothers will prioritize better nutrition for their children
As a result, they equipped to make decisions concerning their lives and the health and nutrition their children. Furthermore, they have better chance of finding a better paid and this income will have a positive impact on the nutrition and health of their children. In Tamidou, when mothers are asked if women who went to school feed their children better, they giggle. "It's obvious!" they say. Gathered together in front of the village school, they readily say that for them, girls' education is a priority. When Asseta Soudre is asked to say exactly what kind of future she expects for her daughters, this young mother talks not of what they might learn but of whom they might be. "I dream that they will be able to resist being forced into marriage," she says. That was not the case for their mother who, despite her young age, has already given birth to six children. She lost two of the six when they were small, and she is determined to send the surviving four to school, including her daughters. "Girls who have been to school take better care of themselves, of their children and of their homes," she says.
To encourage parents to send daughters to school, the government of Burkina Faso covers the cost of the first year's enrolment. As a result, in a village like Tamidou, the overwhelming majority of girls now attend school. The poorest parents, however, still have to tighten their belts since they have to pay for school supplies and text books. Nevertheless, mothers say they are happy to have their daughters educated, even if that means certain sacrifices need to be made. Marceline Kabore says she has no intention of cutting corners when it comes to school expenses. "They have to learn to take care of themselves," she says. "Unlike me. I'm poor. I have nothing." When you talk to the women of Tamidou about sending their daughters to school, the subject of their powerlessness to stop polygamy comes up again and again. In polygamous households, large numbers of children must rely on the income of only one father.
Marceline Kabore has three fellow-wives who have all been pregnant in quick succession. "It is ignorance that makes people have so many children," she says. "Mothers who went to school have fewer children than the rest. They are in better health and so are their children." The mothers of Tamidou are full of hope as they are aware that their daughters are learning about much more than just reading and arithmetic. "One day, women will have important jobs," predicts Alizeta Ouedraogo, a mother with two young daughters who both go to school. "I saw on television that, in some countries, women can even become president!"
Mrs. Ouedraogo watches television in the house of a teacher, one of the only people in the village to own a set, which he plugs into a car battery. Tamidou is not connected to a power line.


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Monday, January 30, 2012
Ceres Expected To Hit Market Feb 9th
Thousand Oaks-based Ceres, which develops specialized seeds for the biofuels industry, is planning to hit the market on February 9th, according to the NASDAQ IPO calendar. Ceres recently estimated its IPO pricing at between $21.00 and $23.00 per share. If successful, the offering will raise $132.25M for the company. Ceres has applied to list as CERE on the NASDAQ Global Market. Ceres is backed by investors Artal, Warburg Pincus, Ambergate Trust, Oxford Bioscience, GIMV, Oppenheimer Growth, and Monsanto. The company develops seeds which are used to supply feedstocks for bioenergy and biofuels plants. Although there are a number of Southern California, venture backed firms still in IPO registration, the Ceres IPO looks be the first to hit the IPo lendar since May of last year.


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Are you enrolled or are interested in enrolling in the Auto Collision Repair program at WATC? Several scholarship and grant opportunities are now available through the Collision Repair Education Foundation for Spring 2011. The application must be completed and postmarked by March 4 and received by March 11 in order to be eligible. The winners will then be chosen and notified by mail and/or by phone in April 2011.
Scholarship funds can be used for direct educational expenses, such as tuition payment, room and board, and fees for a student taking at least one collision repair course at a post-secondary institution. Funds can also be used for indirect educational expenses, such as required books, required tools, required safety equipment, and required supplies for a student taking at least one collision repair course at a post-secondary institution. Proof of course requirement will need to be provided.
There are 8 different opportunities for Auto Collision Repair students so apply today! For more information please visit our scholarship page or download the description and application.


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Ron Brierley, the legendary value investor who for 30 years was the nemesis of boards of directors of poor performing Australian and New Zealand companies, pulled up stumps on Friday in a move that marks the end of a peculiar and colourful type of shareholder activism.
Only a handful of the fund managers managing Australia's $1.2 trillion pool of superannuation savings are willing to take the high profile and somewhat blunt approach adopted by Brierley in his heyday.
Many funds outsource their decision making about critical corporate governance issues to proxy advisory firms such as ISS or CGI Glass Lewis. While several big fund managers employ specialist corporate governance staff to advise on shareholder resolutions at annual meetings, few big investors are on the front foot actively driving an activist agenda.
A handful of relatively high profile fund managers have been willing to shout from the sidelines about issues that gain headlines such as excessive remuneration, but it is rare to see the sort of in-your-face approach of Brierley.
However, there are indications that the aggressive shareholder activism pioneered by Brierley in Australia is getting up a head of steam in the United Kingdom and the United States. Specialist hedge funds such as the Children's Investment Fund in London and fund managers such as Hermes Fund Managers and Governance for Owners are using their voting rights to force changes at companies with structural or strategic governance problems.
Big US and UK companies have been put on notice that they cannot ignore shareholders. It is believed Governance for Owners is researching the possibility of offering its UK funds in Australia.
It is ironic that Brierley's departure from the corporate scene is because of the activism of a group of fund managers in New Zealand, who accused his company, Guinness Peat Group, of having poor corporate governance structures, lack of accountability to shareholders and failing over several years to unlock the value inherent in its share portfolio.
The New Zealand fund managers successfully overturned a plan put forward in the middle of last year by the GPG board and management to hold on to the Australian share portfolio and make best efforts to sell its industrial threads business Coats, which has total assets of about $1.5 billion.
The fund managers forced Brierley and his fellow directors to appoint a new independent chairman, former Macquarie banker Mark Johnson, and three other independent directors, Mike Allen, Gavin Walker and Rob Campbell.
Existing directors Blake Nixon and
A longstanding New Zealand director of GPG, Tony Gibbs, got on side with the New Zealand fund managers before resigning suddenly in June last year. He appeared to change tack just as the negative publicity about Brierley and GPG reached a fever pitch in a country with few corporate heroes.
One of the major shareholders who agitated to get GPG to liquidate its portfolio was Guy Elliffe, head of equities at AMP Capital Investors in Wellington, New Zealand.
"I think this is a good case where the board and management of the company have listened to their shareholders and responded accordingly," he says.
The liquidation of GPG's entire $978 million portfolio of shares in a range of companies in Australia, New Zealand and the UK could trigger some interesting corporate plays because of the range of strategic stakes.
Some of the Australian companies in the GPG portfolio and the GPG shareholding stakes are: Rattoon Holdings 44.8 per cent, Capral 44.4 per cent, Tandou 24.95 per cent, Ridley Corporation 20.9 per cent, NSX 13.3 per cent, Farm Pride Foods 13.2 per cent, Capilano Honey 9.4 per cent, AV Jennings 7.9 per cent and PrimeAg Australia 5.3 per cent.
The company will have up to two years to sell the stakes, which is meant to avoid a fire sale.
Brierley stepped down as chairman of GPG in December last year and has not been heard of much since.
Those close to the company say he has been in semi-retirement for some time and unwilling to pull the trigger on deals put to him following detailed analysis by GPG's astute investment staff in Sydney.
Brierley's legacy will be tarnished by the manner of his departure from the corporate scene and the fact that the new directors of the firm could not find room in Friday's announcement to even mention his name.
Instead the independent directors provided a list of all that was wrong with GPG.
They said its primary problem was that it had become "a large, complex and geographically diverse portfolio of assets, including a mix of minority shareholdings and wholly owned businesses (including Coats)".
They said it suffered from a "lack of value transparency with a number of unlisted investments", the largest of which is Coats.
They recognised that it had delivered a "disappointing performance in recent years" and that it was carrying a "number of actual and contingent liabilities, including capital notes, pension liabilities and potential payment of a European Commission fine,"
Brierley's name and that of GPG's antecedent, Industrial Equity Ltd, are associated with some of the most memorable corporate plays in Australia. Along the way he and his right hand man, Weiss, unlocked enormous amounts of value hidden or sleeping inside companies that were managed without much thought for shareholders.
Some of the more high-profile companies to have been transformed under the control of Brierley or been the subject of richly rewarding raids by IEL or GPG include Woolworths, AGL, Allied Mills, Tyndall Australia, Tower Australia and Premier Investments.
One of the features of those investments was the willingness of Brierley to make a profit and move on. Even to this day, the company's best brains wish they had never sold Woolworths, which was listed in 1993 at $2.45 billion and is now worth $31.8 billion.
Brierley brought a fundamental principle to his investment activity that has been lost in these days of gobbledygook about alpha and beta.
His basic rule was that the fund manager was there to get absolute value for shareholders and not simply to beat an index. These days Australian fund managers can collect big bonuses for delivering negative returns just because those returns are not as negative as the index.
Brierley liked his perks but he was willing to forgo a salary. IEL had a corporate jet and a boat called Lionheart, but the primary returns for Brierley were from appreciation in the company's share price.
While many fund managers these days are forced to take shares in their listed parent company as part of their remuneration, they also earn seven-figure salaries and seven-figure bonuses.
Instead of huge financial bonuses, Brierley preferred to take his benefits in kind. GPG and IEL paid for a suite a rooms at the Sheraton Park Tower Hotel in Knightsbridge, London. He was staying there on Thursday when the GPG board met in London.
However, the company stopped paying the bills at the Sheraton Park Tower once he stepped down as chairman of GPG last year.
In hindsight, the biggest single investment problem at GPG has been Coats, which was found by Nixon but left to Weiss to clean up.
Weiss knew little about the world of industrial threads when he was forced to step in and rescue Coats from imploding. But he succeeded in restructuring the business including updating its capital equipment, slashing costs, improving its sales and marketing arm and restoring profit margins.
When Coats reports its latest financial results in about two weeks, analysts expect it to show a strong rebound in profitability.
Weiss had planned to sell Coats through an initial public offering in 2008 but that plan had to be ditched because of the global financial crisis. It is likely that once the GPG share portfolio has been liquidated that an investment in GPG will become a pure play exposure to Coats.
Nevertheless, the independent directors of GPG said they would continue to evaluate opportunities for "value optimisation", which means sell the business in a trade sale or sell it through an initial public offering.
The departure of Brierley from the corporate scene will leave the job of ensuring boards perform and deliver value to shareholders to an amorphous group of largely anonymous fund managers.
They utilise a new style of activism that involves discussions behind closed doors and it is not quite clear when they are having an impact.
Proxy advisory groups such as ISS and CGI Glass Lewis are becoming very influential. They are providing an opportunity for fund managers who don't want to stand up at annual meetings or speak publicly about important issues such as excessive remuneration to stay behind the scenes.
It is understandable that fund managers being paid millions of dollars want to stay in the background when controversial remuneration reports come up for voting.
That is not to say that proxy advisory groups do not serve a valuable service. They can be a focal point for galvinising shareholders and used as a sounding board for boards trying to find out the views of the investment community.
Perhaps we just have to accept the fact that the clever, public, hard-edged approach to shareholder activism used so successfully by Brierley is a thing of the past and not suited to an age when just about everything can be outsourced.
The Australian Financial Review