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Wrestling Opinons from a Sleazy Guy 11.22.15
Wrestling Opinons from a Sleazy Guy
Ever since my last column my life has been complete and utter chaos, I was thrown in jail for pissing dirty for weed (I mentioned the failed drug test in my last column). I was in there for twenty-five days and it was legitimately a traumatizing experince. They keep it absoultely freezing cold in the jail, don't allow you any of the benefits of Prison like working out or being able to buy more food whenever you want, they keep you starving the entire time you're in there, and its populated with mostly dumb blacks who are going to Prison and thus, don't care about getting more time, or dumb Mexicans who want to be just like the blacks. I am not a racist person, I think that racism is pretty disgusting and an embarssing stain on history, but with that being said I can completely understand why someone who stays in jail for a long period of time could become racist. The black people in there live up to the exact stereotype that people think of when they think of dumb, gang street thugs. They have their own little language, their own slang, and its impossible to try and have a conversation with them if you speak proper English and slang bullshit.
I think, that in this day and age, being locked up for failing a drug test for weed is completely ridiculous. Its 2015, not 1955 and almost everyone agrees that Marijuana has less serious side effects on you than Alcohol or Cigarettes. Now, I'm one of those people that absolutely loathe those terrible Weed Documentaries trying to push down your throat that weed should be legalized, or people that, its all they think about. But now that I've witnessed first hand how this terrible, backwards Republican mindset leads… I definitely have a better understanding of the flaws and corruption in the legal system. No matter who I talked to, whether it was another inmate, a guard, a cop, they all thought it was completely inane to lock me up for TWENTY FIVE FUCKING DAYS!!!!
For those of you who don't know, I was put in Probation due to a Burglary of a Structure with Ajducation Withheld. What happened was my friend Connor robbed his neighbor's house for a bottle of whiskey. He made it seem like it was going to be a smooth operation and shit, I wanted to get drunk. So I agreed to be the lookout. His crazy ass Mom ended up catching us (she likes to spy and snoop, you see) so we ran back to my house. After a couple hours at my house we started to relax, we drank the bottle and decided to leave the house to go get some weed. We go buy the weed and a few minutes after a cop car starts following us. We both started running like crazy, I thought we had ducked the cop so I stopped to take a breather BUT NOPE THE FUCKER WAS RIGHT BEHIND ME!!! He tackled me to the ground and I got to spend the night in jail. So far, so good right? Yes, I shouldn't have been part of a burglary and I deserved to spend the night in jail, I get that.
So after months of bullshit SOR fines and having to go every day at 9:00 am my case finally gets decided. I get Felony Probation with an Adjudication Withheld, I didn't really realize how serious they take Felony Probation at the time… To shorten this a bit, I had a cool PO, seemed pretty laid back, told me not to drugs and shit but didn't drug test me once and wore Sublime shirts and had Rolling Stone covers in his office. I figured, "Aye, I can get away with smoking a little weed. As long as I don't get into any serious trouble I'll probably be okay, and HEY I heard they don't even violate you for your first failed drug test. I'm around people who smoke weed all the time anyway, why not get stoned?" So I go into the PO office one and all of the sudden I have a new Probation Officer, a fat, black bitch who didn't like me at all, and of course she drug tested me that day. I failed the drug test for weed (and just barely, after I got out of jail I got my results back and the minimum to fail is 15 ng and I failed for 18 ng, so I was barely over the "legal limit" so to speak) and was pretty panicky for a couple of weeks. After a whole month went by I started to relax, my friend's David and Tyler had both been on Probation and they failed drug tests and weren't violated so I'd be fine right? Wrong, I woke up to two cops standing over my bed at 7:00 AM telling me I was being arrested for a VOP.
God I hate this hick ass place. Well I'm going to stop rambling about my life to jump into Survivor Series, I'm going to be doing this one live so I can get it in fresh.
Survive If ISIS lets you
WWE Network is still low rent trash, taking forever to load. At least I know there's some stability in life.
Now this has to be the most interesting show they've done since BattleGround, Seth Rollins has pretty much been WWE in 2015. On Raw and all of the PPV's he was very heavily integrated into the main event picture. The thing is though, Rollins title reign was so bungled, so badly done. He looked uncredible, a coward, and never got to have any edge to him. He was second banana to John Cena and all of his actions were very predictable. Seth Rollins is great but the way he was being booked was terrible. This show is exciting because it forces WWE to take a new direction and no one's completely sure what Creative is going to come up with their long term plans being thrown out the window.
1st Match: Roman Reigns vs Alberto Del Rio
To the outside and Del Rio throws Reigns into the barricade. This is an interesting match for two reasons, the first is we get to see some Mexican on Samoan violence, and secondly Del Rio is very technical and psychological in his approach to wrestling so if he works over a body part its going to be a big part of the match and should affect Reigns in the main event.
Del Rio kicks Reigns in the face and throws him into the steel steps. Del Rio is just beating the shit out of Reigns and its great, really is great to have Del Rio back. People can bitch about Del Rio's lack of personality or that he's boring or whatever but he is GOLD in that ring. Del Rio goes to Chinlock City, Reigns powers out with punches. Reigns misses a spear and eats the post. Del Rio works over Reigns arm with kicks but Del Rio misses a dropkick and ends up on the outside.
Reigns goes outside and hits that sick double boot stomp on the apron thing he does. Reigns rams Del Rio into the Commentator Table, back inside and Reigns hits a big clothesline. Reigns with ten clotheslines in the corner and a big boot. Reigns sets up for the Superman Punch but Del Rio dodges and hits a backstabber for two. WORK OVER THE ARM DEL RIO!!!
Del Rio DOES go after the arm with some kicks and a SICK DDT for two. Del Rio is so… 2011. He hasn't changed at all since then as far as character. Reigns with a Samoan Drop for two. JBL talks about how Reigns is like the Buffalo Bills as he could only get close to winning the title but not actually winning it. BRO, Reigns is like, what, three years into his career? Holy shit, give him a break! Del Ro misses his extremely weird new finish and Reigns hits him with the Super Man punch. Reigns is getting ready for a spear but takes the time to do his stupid roar bullshit so Del Rio kicks him the face for two! Fucking sweet! YOU DON'T TAUNT WHEN YOU'RE WRESTLING DEL RIO GODDAMMIT!!!
Rio goes for the Armbreaker submission deal but Reigns reverses into a rollup into a one armed powerbomb for two. That was a pretty cool spot but how many variations of reversals can they do before Reigns hits a spear for the win? DEL RIO WITH THE CROSS ARMBREAKER OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE!!! Reigns picks up Del Rio and puts him in the ropes, Del Rio comes off the top and Reigns hits him with a spear for the win.
3.5/5.0 Pretty good match here with a really well done near falls sequence at the end. There was a lot of arm psychologhy in this match and that might cost Reigns later in the night… I also like how they're using Reigns right now. He's not an invincible Superman who powers up and can win whenever he wants like Cena, Reigns actually has to work to win the match and can realistically be beaten. He is still a limited wrestler but they stick to his strengths and he has proven he can work well as long as he's in there with someone who's good.
Who the fuck is JoJo? Where's Rene Young!!?? I really hope that Owens goes over here and becomes the Unified Champion. I don't care if it fucks up my three points in the Round table, it would be SO worth it! Kevin Owens talks some shit to Reigns and tells him that he's going to win the title. Owens outclasses Reigns on the mic on such a level that its comical.
2nd Match: Dean Ambrose vs Kevin Owens
Owens theme song is so sick, that metal riff is the shit. I'm sure Metalhead digs it. Owens with a headlock to start and a shoulderblock. Ambrose with armdrags and a rollup for one. Owens gets his own roll up for one. Owens with chops and some spears in the corner. Ambrose comes back and clotheslines Owens over the top, hits a suicida to the outside. Back in and Ambrose hits the CM Punk bulldog combo. Ambrose up to the top but Owens cuts him off by crotching him. Punches in bunches by Owens and Owens hits the fat splash in the corner for two. Owens into chinlock city….
JBL will not stop talking about how WWE would look bad with Ambrose as the champion because he's too unpredictable. DID JBL NEVER WATCH THE GODDAMN ATTITUDE ERA WHERE THE CHAMPION WAS A DRUNK REDNECK WHO MADE HIS BOSS PISS HIS PANTS WITH A FAKE GUN!!???? I just hate that lack of continuity. And would someone take Lawler out to the back and take him out with a gun? Put Rene Young on commentary, at least she has a sexy voice.
Owens makes fun of Ambrose for kicking out of a clothesline and goes into CHINLOCK CITY BABY!!!! Trips is watching this match…. probably trying to find a way to make himself win the tournament. Owens misses a senton…. and double clothesline spot. Ambrose looks like Reese Connor.
Ambrose with chops and jabs but eats a stun gun. Owens hits a GTS Gut Buster but misses a big moonsault from the top. Ambrose up and hits a nice elbow for two. So Ambrose has the clothesline/bulldog out of the corner spot AND he's doing an elbow off the top? Really dude? Ambrose brings Owens to the top, Owens takes Ambrose off with a headbutt…. Ambrose jumps back up AND KEVIN OWENS HITS A FUCKING MUSCLE BUSTER OFF THE TOP ROPE FOR TWO!!!! Holy fucking shit, that was the most TNA thing I've EVER seen in WWE!
Owens tells Cole to tell Ambrose to stay down, which is pretty funny. Who the fuck listens to Cole!? Ambrose with the clothesline off the rope spot and a suicida. He goes for another but Owens catches him and THROWS HIM ON THE TABLE!!! Owens goes for the powerbomb…. Ambrose reverses with a rana… Dirty Deeds and Ambrose wins. LAME AS FUCK!!!!!
3.5/5.0 Just as good as the last match but fuck am I'm dissapointed that Owens lost. With Owens losing this is making the PPV come across as very predictable so far, I'm pretty sure everyone in the Roundtable predicted Reigns/Ambrose. Also, it looks like Ambrose is turning heel tonight.
That TLC promo is delicious, 8 Bit Roman Reigns running around like Mario is has gotpretty great.
25 years ago The Undertaker was a total badass with a lot of mystique. Now he's an old guy that can't take too many suplexes from Brock Lesnar. All cynicism aside, Taker might not be the greatest worker but he has gotten by on the atmosphere he creates, the unique Wrestlemania matches, and being cemented in the WWE as a truly badass force that very few people actually can beat. We can get very cynical in the IWC but I have a soft spot in my heart for Taker because I started watching in 2006, and even then Taker just had a certain aura to him, he seems like he sometimes channels something more, something from BEYOND and I don't think anyone or anything can really match that atmosphere.
3rd Match: Ryback and some Lame Asses vs THE NEW DAY!!!!! and some other dudes
Kingston starts cutting a promo about how his team looks slick as…. ooops, can't say bad words. Wade Barrett's the KANGGGG OF THE RINGGGGGGG!!!!! Big E makes fun of the Uso's saying they put band aids on… and Sheamus is feeling it, and he's going to get jiggy with these posers! New Day stops in a pretty funny moment just doing the typical black guy hanging out with dorky overly pale irish guy thanggg.
Xavier Woods has a fresh new dooo nigga and doesn't want anyone touching his fresh cut, ya dig son!? The Mexicans jump in and attack the black man! Why they always trynna keep a brotha down, son!? The Mexicans jump onto the Negroes and the two white guys, and shit, it feels like I'm in jail again! There's even the dumb, white bald buff guy!! Ryback doesn't have any of those colorful swastika tattoos though…
Xavier Woods plays the troumbone and everyone except for Sheamus dances. Sheamus is just afraid that the black people won't accept him, WHY CAN'T YOU JUST EXCEPT THE PALE IRISH GUYS!!??? HE JUST WANTS TO BE LOVED AND LET IN THE BLACK ONLY BARS!!! YOU RACIST BASTARDS!!!!
Ahem, I was watching Far From Heaven today so excuse me if I'm bit too passionate about brothers and sisters holding hands! The All-State Guy was just trying to get some of that white women Juliane Moore Ass! WE SHOULD SHARE OUR WHITE WOMEN TO PEOPLE OF ANY COLOR! I think that was the moral of the movie…
Big E in with Kalisto and Big E spears Kalisto to the outside in a pretty sick spot. Big E's singlet…. that blue looks too damn tacky. Sheamus tags himself in and takes out Cara with a boot. Sheamus and Big E are getting pissy with each other, C'MON BROTHERS, WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG!!!??
Jay Uso in and takes Big E out with a frogsplash. Kofi Kinston is having a fucking fit about it… Xavier Woods hair does look beatiful… New Day decides to take Big E backstage leaving Sheamus by himself. Makes sense, one for all and all for one. Sheamus is about get his ass whooped. So you have a three on one advantage on Sheamus, and you have a small Mexican in Kalisto, an average sized Samoan in Jey Uso, and a huge white Aryan in Ryback. So of course they start Sheamus off with the smallest fucking guy, Kalisto. Idiots, if they wanted to take Sheamus out they should have just had Ryback finish him off. Kalisto gets his ass beat for a bit but gets the hot tag to Jey. Jey with the ass splash for two.
I feel just because of this match Sheamus is cashing in tonight. Sheamus with the Small Penis Backbreaker for two. Ryback in to boos. I am NOT transcribing a match between Sheamus and Ryback, I still have SOME taste left.
After some three on one shit Ryback puts Sheamus away with a Shell Shock. I'm saying it right now, Sheamus is cashing in.
4th Match: Paige vs Charlotte (C) for the Women's Title
I don't think either of them are hot but Paige looks hot in comparison to Charlotte. BTW, where the fuck is Sasha Banks!? I mean really, how much more would we be caring about this match if it was hot as fuck, super cocky, great at wrestling Banks and not Paige, who I think we've all had our fill of in the last two years? Fuck Vince and fuck his politics, I want Banks god dammit and I want her…. right…. NOW!!!!!
Something I feel I need to mention, I got this sweet ass new Fleshlight. Shit cost sixty bucks but it was worth it. Its the Pink Butt one which means it feels like a chick's ass and it is the greatest investment a single guy could make. Makes porn so much better. I think I'm going to start getting all of them for the different feelings, oral and vag, which would also end the limited amount of porn I can watch with my one Fleshlight right now. Shit is awesome, if you're not getting laid on a regular basis and have sixty bucks, get one.
Charlotte with a waist take down, amateur Angle stlye. Paige breaks it be getting to the ropes and gets some knees into Charlotte's face. Paige throws Charlotte to the outside and does some taunting. Paige is just too damn obnoxious, all that screaming and shit. Calm down, what the fuck are you screaming about? She also keeps on doing this weird shit with her tongue, keeps on sticking it out like Fred Kruger. Paige into a very… kinky looking hold but Charlotte breaks it with a jawbreaker. You're not going to break that jaw Charlotte, shit is made of steel!
Charlotte with a big boot and goes for the Figure 8 but Paige reverses with a roll up for two. Paige has a bit of an ass…. Paige goes for the Figure Four but Charlotte reverses into a Figure Four… and man it is weird as fuck to see chicks doing that spot. Paige reverses it but Charlotte reverses her reversal…. Charlotte decides to get all Bret Hart on us and do the Figure Four coming down off the apron. Paige ends up on Charlotte's shoulders as the Network freezes giving me a kinky shot of Paige's ass on top of Charlotte…
You try getting your head out of the gutter at 19, PC assholes…. Charlotte with a head scissors and kind of tosses Paige around in it. Charlotte with some spears in the corner but misses one and eats the post. Paige throws Charlotte to the outside on her shoulder. Paige with more obnoxious screaming, she's not so bad when she shuts the fuck up for a bit… Paige stretches Charlotte out on the ropes.
Paige with a scoopslam and then puts Charlotte in a SICK submission hold, bending Charlotte's legs over her head. Body scissors by Paige… Charlotte powers out. Fans start chanting We Want Sasha. So do I… so do I. Charlotte with a nice neckbreaker for two. Charlotte and Paige trade forearms to a boo/yay deal. Charlotte with a spear out of fucking nowhere! Paige crawls to the outside and rams Charlotte into the barricade. Again, into the barricade. Paige gets on top of the barricade to…. taunt and stick her tongue out a lot BUT BOOM CHARLOTTE TAKES HER OFF WITH A SPEAR OFF THE BARRICADE!!! That was pretty sick!
Charlotte puts on the Figure 8 in the ring and Paige taps.
4.0/5.0 Very gritty, very un-lady like… very un-WWE diva's match. I really liked the psychology of the match and how much these two chicks just hated each other from a story point of view. They went all out and were given enough time to tell a story. Great match even if it was a bit choppy at times and Paige was obnoxious.
Ambrose said that Reigns isn't going to pay his bills…. heel turn?
Why the fuck is Ziggler calling Breeze a millennial? Isn't Ziggler a fucking Millennial!??
5th Match: Tyler Breeze w/ Summer Rae vs Dolph Ziggler
JBL makes a Game of Thrones reference and Cole and Lawler are so fucking old and have no idea about anything halfway relevant so there's about a minute of silence.
Was busy conversing with Jake Zigeler and Steve over what's going to happen at the end of the show. You know Tyler Breeze and Dolph Ziggler circa 2009 are almost the exact same fucking people except Breeze is a little bit more Metrosexual.
Tyler Breeze is really using the Killswitch as his finisher? Aye, at least I get this one in the roundtable!
Why would you want to kick Acid? Acid's great, I wish I had some right now… this review would be A LOT more interesting for me if I did… You would be getting a twenty-two page essay on the atmosphere of WWE today vs The Attitude Era followed by me being completely amazed by everything and trying to explain it on Wordpad…
The Wyatts better go over tonight, I need it to bump up my Roundtable rank! Really though, the Wyatt Family need this win so they can cement themselves as a serious threat and not the next JOB Squad. I think they did a really good job of selling the supernatural parts of this story and making it seem like a really epic match instead of… you know, some white trash hillbillies getting beat up by two old dudes. If I was a kid I'd be marking the fuck out about this match just because they've done such a good job on the atmosphere. Also, Taker/Kane is such a badass tag team, very, very few tag teams can say they've beaten them and that adds an extra element of importance to the match.
6th Match: Wyatt Family vs Kane/Taker
Undertaker comes from out of Nancy's closet. Undertaker's entrance here is pretty sweet, as you have the burning crosses on both sides of the stage and a huge fucking door that shows all of Taker's phases. Yup, even Biker Taker. The early 2000s were a strange time…
Rowan tries to attack Taker/Kane which has to be the dumbest shit he could've done as he gets taken out with a double chokeslam. Taker and Kane haven't even broken a set. Bray Wyatt picks Harper to be his partner which is fucking weird. I guess they're really trying to protect Strauman?
Kane takes out Harper and Taker gets tagged in. Taker with punches and the crowd is HOT for Taker! Taker goes for old school but Harper cuts him off with some punches, to the dismay of the crowd. Wyatt in but he eats a flying clothesline for one. Wyatt tags in Harper. Harper eats a punch and NOW Taker hits old school! Fans chant you still got it at Taker. I gotta say, Taker is looking pretty good here. Taker with the apron legdrop. Taker with a tag to Kane. Think this is a decent time to grab a Pepsi….
Was busy grabbing a soda but it seems like Taker and Kane put Strauman through a table. Wyatt hits Taker with a Sister Abigail and Harper gets two off it. Taker and Kane get taken down for the super duper obvious sit double sit up…. Taker and Kane hit double chokeslams…. Taker sets up for the Tombstone on Harper… hits it, and that's it. And I lose a point for thinking the Wyatt's were going to win. Whatever. Wyatts needed the win here but Taker winning makes sense within the anniversary context and its classy for WWE to give Taker a feel good moment for being a great company guy and one of the biggest draws for the last twenty-five years.
They're having some new WWE Series, Ride Along and it looks fucking horrible. Two superstars sit in a car and act stupid. OH MAN I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR TWO DUMB BITCHES SCREAM AT EACH OTHER IN A CRAMPED, OVER PRICED CAR!!! That Edge/Christian show looks pretty sweet though. I'm torn on the Austin podcast, I've heard nothing but good things about it but at the same time its Wife Beater who I completely soured on, on his 2002 run. I hate his promos, I hate his matches, I hate everything about Austin post 2001. But these interviews actually seem pretty edgy and ballsy, so I'm a bit torn…. Nah fuck it, fuck Wife Beater.
Main Event: Roman Reigns vs Dean Ambrose (WHO IS PROBABLY TURNING HEEL!!!) for the Vacated WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Ambrose with punches and chops but Reigns cuts him off with a clothesline. Fans are booing Reigns…. crowd seems 70/30 Ambrose/Reigns. To the outside and Reigns whips Ambrose into the barricade. Ambrose looks crazy as fuck with his shirt all torn and hanging off his waist. Ambrose goes to the top and hits a dropkick for two. Ambrose goes to that arm (thanks Del Rio!) with an ARM-bar. Ambrose with punches, and then elbows in the corner! Reigns takes Ambrose out with a powerbomb and another powerbomb for two. If creative is listening to the crowd they should definitely turn Reigns as they're BEGGING to boo Reigns and cheer Ambrose. Ambrose with a sunset flip into a powerbomb. Ambrose goes to the top but runs into a Superman Punch for two.
Hot damn, this is exciting! New WWE Champion tonight, Sheamus could cash in, and someone could be turning heel! I'm geniunely pretty into this right now. Reigns gets ready for the Superman Punch to huge boos from the crowd. Dean reverses and hits the clothesline off the ropes spot.
Fucking shitty Dell laptop, low rent piece of trash…Ambrose with punches and elbows in the corner. Reigns comes out of the corner with a spear and wins THE TITLE!!??? WTF!!???
3.0/5.0 I'm not sure if I missed a huge chunk of the match or what but that seemed short as fuck and just ended out of nowhere. No heel turn, nothing just a decent match that could've been better. Is Sheamus cashing in!????
There's twenty minutes left in this show… is Sheamus cashing in!??? Reigns gets a huge celebration with Chris Benoit confetti and all that good pyro shit…..
And Trips is coming out!!!!! BURY HIM TRIPS, DO IT!!!! Trips raises Reigns hand….. Reigns refuses to shake Trips hand…. and then spears Trips for no fucking reason. SHEAMUS HITS THE BROUGE KICK, CASHES IN….. REIGNS KICKS OUT AT TWO!!!! HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!!!
Another Brouge Kick…. and Sheamus is champion. I wanted it to happen… but now that its happened…. fuck, its Sheamus as World Champ. Trips and Sheamus hug. This is kind of like Summerslam 2013 except no one cares. Sheamus's theme song is fucking terrible. Jesus, we've entered the age of Sheamus….
Final Thoughts: I feel like this is the laziest possible booking along with the lamest possible ending. I wanted Sheamus to cash in more because of the excitement and unpredictability of him doing so… but now Sheamus is the fucking champion and it sucks dick. Nobody turned, nothing unpredictable happened. The matches were all decent but this is just… this is just the absolute worst parody of Summerslam 2013 one could come up with. Reigns is not Daniel Bryan, we don't care about him as much, the Trip swerve was so very obvious this time as well as the cash in, and I mean really I just don't have the same emotional value attached to this as I did to Bryan finally winning the title and getting screwed out of it. I don't know if its because I'm just too jaded at 19 but it seems like the best days of wrestling, the ones that I was most into when the stories worked for me, were 2011-14. Ever since Bryan got injured WWE has changed and it just hasn't been able to invoke that same sense of excitement and importance in me, compared to when CM Punk was the Best In The World, Daniel Bryan was working SO very hard to prove he deserved that title, Chris Jericho being a cocky heel in a lame light up Jacket…. everything seems so lame and timid now. There's no real rebels to cheer for anymore, or if there are like Kevin Owens they end up losing in the second match of the night and being forgotten about. This show, with almost the exact same ending format as Summerslam 2013 really highlights how little I care about modern WWE. I just can't get into the shows like I used to…. I think this is a good time to reevaluate if I even want to continue watching modern WWE anymore or just stick to the old stuff.
Because in the end Reigns/Sheamus doesn't make me upset, or happy, or anything, rather it just leaves me apathetic… and cold… and nostalgic for a couple years ago when there were wrestlers that the fans loved, that was natural, and not this WWE "Superstar" bullshit where they're going to push whoever they want down your throat. What the fuck happened to the real heroes? The real rebels? Wrestling to me seems faker than ever now…
Reigns is not a beloved by the fans wrestler who is being held down by WWE, rather he's a hated or at the best, accepted by the audience "superstar" who WWE has shoved down our throats and our trying to create a fake rebel role for him… and it just comes across as so fucking phony.


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- #1
Ivan Seeking
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
- 7,213
- 176
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=124200 [Broken]Washington (dpa) - Iran halted its atomic weapons programme in 2003 and seems less determined to develop nuclear arms than previously believed, but has continued to enrich uranium and could have enough material to build a bomb between 2010 and 2015, according to a US intelligence report released Monday.
The report, known as a National Intelligence Estimate, concluded that Iran stopped the weapons aspect of its nuclear work because of increased international pressure and scrutiny, suggesting "Iran may be more vulnerable to influence on the issue than we judged previously." [continued]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24677-2005Jan20.htmlFriday, January 21, 2005; Page A02
Vice President Cheney said yesterday that Iran is a top threat to world peace and Middle East stability, accusing Tehran of sponsoring terrorism against Americans and building a "fairly robust new nuclear program." [continued]
Luckily, even Sen. Webb said that were Bush to bomb Iran, he would likely be impeached. Hopefully the fear mongering will end.
Why anyone still believes these guys is beyond me.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Been thinking about goals lately. Not the kind you score but the ones you score into.
Tournaments will typically have well built goal frames with nets. There doesn't seem to be a standard build and it would be really great to add some images of all your pro goals right here.
But what about throw-ins? I can't count how many times we've gone on the hunt for street cones, got a good days use out of them, and then returned to see them missing or chewed up by dogs! So sometimes we end up using our bags. It's like being back in the school playground.
Polo has to go on, but wouldn't it be nice to have a permanent goal? I can't see this happening for a while so what are our choices? What is everyone else using? Do us a favour and let us know.
I was thinking about better, removable, more reliable goals that we could play with. How about a cone which is more straight with no stick out base? (We would need to lock them up though) What about having nets? A cross bar? A fold up goal which can easily be carried?
All nice ideas but right now it's not really happening. But we can't go on like this surely!…
There's nothing quite like shooting against a decent goal!
Elasticated belt barriers perhaps?
Ideas please!


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PLANS to create 3,000 jobs with a new HQ for discount retail giant Matalan have been withdrawn.
Knowsley council heard by letter yesterday that proposals to transform Cronton colliery into a retail park, including a head office and distribution centre for the company, had been dropped.
The scheme would have moved 1,000 staff from the company's site in Skelmersdale and created 3,000 jobs at the new distribution centre and in the construction of the park.
A hotel, pub, drive-through restaurant and shops were included in plans for the disused colliery site near Junction 6 of the M62.
The news of the plan's collapse follows a decision by Knowsley council to defer a decision on the planning application until Matalan boss John Hargreaves gave his backing to the scheme.
It was Mr Hargreaves' private company, Maro Developments Ltd, which applied for permission create the 150-acre business park on February 12.
But planning chiefs deferred a decision when Mr Hargreaves said publicly that Matalan had no plans to move its HQ.


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The annals of science brim with researchers who pushed the boundaries of sense and good taste in a quest for knowledge. With the unveiling of the 30th annual Ig Nobel awards, another case shall be added.
Chris Watkins, a psychologist at the University of Abertay in UK, shared the economics prize. His research found that french kissing was more common between partners in areas of high income inequality.


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16 February 2016Share
The new student website (students.acu.edu.au) will go live on Friday 26 February. It has been restructured to align with a new information architecture that sees content organised in a way that is more logical and intuitive to the student-user. Students are often unfamiliar with the University's business unit and departmental divisions and simply wish to navigate to the information they are seeking quickly and easily.
The changes will greatly improve the digital experience for commencing and continuing students, making ACU's web-based content more relevant, functional, engaging, accurate, consistent and easier to navigate. The new website design also provides much better and increased opportunities for the promotion of your events and news to students, and better integration of this content with other student communication pieces.
To this end, the website changes also allow segmentation of content according to identified student characteristics to deliver more relevant content upon login. For example, where previously a student would need to filter through six different campus-based lists of sports clubs, by logging-in they will now only see the sports clubs on their own campus.
All of the student website content has been reviewed and much of it re-written to make it clearer, more consistent and concise. Another key change to the student website is the introduction of Content Management System (CMS) workflow. Contributing stakeholders will have identified CMS roles and permissions. Content will be written and checked by stakeholders. The editing and publication of content will be centralised so we can maintain the consistency and standard of digital content.
We are confident of a smooth transition from the existing student website to the new one, but inevitably there will be a period of acclimatisation for both students and staff.
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text:
Shattering The Silence
Shipping Destinations for this item
Her mind filled with disturbed but confusing images, Veronica begins to disintegrate mentally. Fearing her memories may be delusions, she turns to her estranged sister, Becky (SHELLEY HACK, the original TV version of Charlie's Angels), who reveals a terrible secret from her own past: that when she was a little girl, their father sexually abused her. But challenging Malcolm Worth is no easy task: he is a successful businessman and a respected pillar of the community, married to Clair, a poised and perfect wife. With their marriage near breaking point, Ted persuades Veronica to see Walter, a therapist, who probes Veronica s childhood and uncovers further and much more personal evidence of her father's vile actions. And is history about to repeat itself? Is Malcolm homing in on his next victim: Christy, the daughter of Veronica's brother, Tom? And might Veronica and Ted's own child be at risk from her predatory grandfather?
Other Side of Love
Single mother Annie Gallagher (Cheryl Ladd) is a woman with a double-headed struggle on her hands: for her own freedom and for a mother's right to love her children. Living in poverty, she wants to make a good life for herself and her family. Then a drug deal goes badly wrong for her boyfriend and he sets up Annie to take the fall for his crime. Naively refusing to plea-bargain, Annie is found guilty and sentenced to 15 years. Conditions in prison are brutal and humiliating, but Annie finds a common ground with many other inmates: they, too, have kids on the 'outside'. Discovering hidden reserves of strength, Annie begins to fight, not only for justice for herself, but for all those who are struggling to keep love alive on both sides of the steel bars.
Judgement Day: Ellie Nesler Story
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Region 2
Sound: Dolby Digital
Running Time: 180 minutes
Production Year: 1993
Main Language: English


text:
Transcript of a Press Conference on the Analytic Chapters of the Global Financial Stability Report
April 11, 2013Washington, D.C.
April 11, 2013
with Jan Brockmeijer, Deputy Director, Monetary and Capital Markets Department
Laura Kodres, Assistant Director, Monetary and Capital Markets Department
Brenda Gonzalez-Hermosillo, Lead Author of Chaper 2, "A New Look at the Role of Sovereign Credit Default Swaps"
Erik Oppers, Lead Author of Chapter 3, "Do Central Bank Policies Since the Crisis Carry Risks to Financial Stability."
Olga Stankova, Senior Press Officer, External Relations Department
|Webcast of the press conference
MS. STANKOVA: Hello, everybody. And thank you for coming today to this press conference on the release of the Analytical Chapters of the Global Financial Stability Report.
We are releasing today, two chapters: Chapter 2 and Chapter 3. Chapter 2 is "A New Look at the Role of Sovereign Credit Default Swaps" and Chapter 3 is "Do Central Bank Policies Since the Crisis Carry Risks to Financial Stability."
Let me introduce today's speakers.
To my extreme right is Jan Brockmeijer, who is Deputy Director in Monetary and Capital Markets Department. And he oversees analytical work in this area. Next to Jan is Brenda Gonzalez-Hermosillo, who is the lead author of the Chapter 2. And next to Brenda is Erik Oppers, lead author of Chapter 3, on central bank policies. And to my immediate right is Laura Kodres, Assistant Director in Monetary and Capital Markets Department. Laura oversees work on analytical chapters of the Global Financial Stability Report.
Jan and Laura will make introductory remarks, and then we will take your questions. So, with that, I will pass the microphone to Jan.
MR. BROCKMEIJER: Thank you very much, Olga.
I'm sure you're aware that this is, you could say, a partial publication of the Global Financial Stability Report. These are the analytical chapters that we publish separately from the conjunctural chapter.
Today I have the pleasure in introducing the team leaders that have done the work on Chapters 2 and 3, and I would like to remind you that Chapter 1 -- so the conjunctural part of our Global Financial Stability Report -- will be released next week, on Wednesday, 17th of April.
As usual, it's important to realize these analytical chapters tend to take a step back, and place topical financial stability issues in a somewhat longer-term perspective. The recent crisis has been characterized by a rising credit risk of advanced-economy governments as they have tried to contain the impact of the crisis on their economies and their financial sectors.
One way market participants are responding to this risk is through increased use of the sovereign credit default swap market. As you know, the role of this market is not without controversy. Critics insist that the increased use of sovereign CDS has led to speculative excesses, higher sovereign funding costs, and financial instability. Defendants, on the other hand, contend that it provides an important tool for risk-management, and is a useful market-based indicator of sovereign credit risk.
Chapter 2, which carries the title "A New Look at the Role of Sovereign Credit Default Swaps" takes a step back, and tries to evaluate these two positions, and the recent policy actions undertaken, by analyzing the available data. In a way, you could say that the chapter tries to demystify the sovereign CDS markets.
And one important conclusion that the chapter reaches is that sovereign CDS spreads tend to reflect the same economic fundamentals and market factors as do sovereign bond spreads. And overall, as a consequence, it comes to the conclusion that they share many of the same drivers as the underlying bond markets, and are as volatile as other financial markets, but not particularly so. So, there are no clear cases to single them out for special treatment.
The other chapter, Chapter 3, which carries the title "Do Central Bank Policies Since the Crisis Carry Risks to Financial Stability?" looks at the potential undesirable side effects for financial stability of what is now half a decade, already, of ultra-low interest rates and unconventional measures.
The chapter primarily focuses on the functioning of the markets in which the central banks have intervened, and on the potential risks to the health of the banking systems of the four main regions -- the euro area, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States. The focus of the banks, after all, reflects that they are the largest set of financial institutions in each of these regions, and are the main conduit for monetary policy -- and hence deserve special attention.
Within this area of focus, the chapter, as yet, finds little evidence of immediate degradation of financial stability, but it does point to a number of risks over the medium term. These will require careful monitoring where necessary, followed by prompt use of prudential measures.
Of course, it's important to realize that there are other potential financial stability side effects beyond those that are being discussed in the chapter, such as the potential for mis-pricing of credit of other assets, or excessive capital flows into emerging market economies. These are topics that will be covered in our Chapter 1 of the GFSR. So to have a discussion on our views with regard to those potential financial stability risks, I would ask you to be patient until next week.
With this introduction, I'm happy to turn over the microphone now to Laura Kodres, and also to her team leaders, Brenda Gonzales-Hermosillo and Erik Oppers.
Thank you very much.
MS. KODRES: Thank you, Jan.
Allow me to provide a few of the basic take-aways from our two chapters.
As regards our look into sovereign credit default swaps, let me start by noting that this market has been unduly maligned, and does not fully deserve the poor reputation that has been attributed to it. Before I get into how we arrived at this conclusion, let me refresh your memory about what these markets are all about.
A sovereign credit default swap is, in effect, an insurance policy on sovereign debt obligations. The seller of this protection is on the hook to compensate the purchaser for losses associated with credit events, such as payment defaults and debt restructurings. In return, the buyer pays a premium for this protection, just as a homeowner pays a premium for fire insurance in case their house burns down. Clearly, the more likely a government is to run into some sort of credit difficulty, the higher the premium.
Of course, in the case of credit default swaps, unlike homeowners' insurance policies, you can buy credit without owning the underlying government bonds, and you can sell the protection also without owning the government bonds. Since sovereign defaults and restructurings are rare, mostly the contracts are used to hedge or trade the credit risk of sovereign entities, or companies whose risks are related to sovereign risks, over time.
Okay, having run through a very short course on what a sovereign credit default swap is, let me tell you what we found in our study.
We took a careful look to see if some commonly heard criticism about this market were valid -- especially because it has received a lot of attention lately because of the higher perceived credit risk of some advanced-economy governments. We examined three questions.
First, are the sovereign credit default swaps premia, or spreads, as good as bond spreads in reflecting macroeconomic fundamentals that characterize sovereign risk?
Two, are these markets as efficient as sovereign cash bond markets in rapidly pricing-in new information?
And, three, are these markets more likely than other financial markets to be destabilizing?
In short, we found that credit default swaps reflect the same basic macroeconomic fundamentals of credit risk of governments as do their related government bonds. As regards to the signaling power of sovereign credit default swaps, we find that they incorporate information just as fast as government bond spreads, but moved somewhat faster during some periods of stress, mainly for a few euro area countries.
As regards our final question -- are they more likely to be destabilizing? -- our conclusion is a bit more difficult to come by. We find some evidence of overshooting, by which we mean, either sovereign credit default swaps or government bond spreads move more than our model says they should. We find overshooting in both markets for five euro area countries -- Italy, France, Portugal, Spain, and Belgium -- during the height of the euro area debt crisis. However there is no pervasive evidence that this overshooting affects the cost of government debt, a main concern for governments trying to minimize their debt burden.
Overall, we find it quite difficult to isolate sovereign credit default swaps as the perpetrator of contagion. Many markets seem to be distressed simultaneously, and interconnections across them make it particularly difficult to pinpoint a starting location.
Hence, on balance, our study shows that credit default swaps are receiving a bad rap. They are no more or less effective at representing the credit risk of governments than are the governments' own bonds. They are slightly faster at embedding information, and only during stressful periods. And, while there are some selected cases in which they overshoot their model predicted values, they do not appear to influence government bond issuance costs, nor deserve to be singled out as a cause for contagion.
Based on this analysis and the empirical evidence we collected, there is not a clear case to single out this particular market for special treatment, as the recently initiated European Union ban on uncovered protection buying has done. Such naked protection buying, which is similar to short-selling, occurs when investors who don't own the underlying bonds buy protection on them, profiting when the government's creditworthiness declines.
To the extent there are residual concerns about how the sovereign CDS market functions, we believe these would be best treated by implementing the global over-the-counter derivatives reform agenda that has already been endorsed by the G-20. Putting more collateral behind over-the-counter derivatives, or moving them to central counterparties would make them safer to use, and would not disenfranchise a specific type of investor, as the ban does. Also, more disclosure would help.
Our second chapter examines some of the financial stability risks attributable to the unprecedented monetary policy conducted by four central banks -- the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, and the Federal Reserve of the United States.
The chapter focuses on the effects of these policies on the markets in which these central banks intervened, and their domestic banking systems. The very recent additional quantitative easing announced by the Bank of Japan could not be included in the empirical analysis, but we find it unlikely to alter the overall findings, or the policy advice.
The bottom line is: so far so good. The low interest rates, and the purchase of various types of securities by these found central banks have put a floor under their economies, boosted activity, and helped stabilize the financial system. But if the time those central banks have provided, through their unconventional policies, is not used productively by financial institutions and their regulators, at some point we can expect another round of financial distress.
The chapter examines the use of forward guidance, in which central banks signal their desire to keep interest rates low for an extended period of time, and large-scale asset purchases that have helped provide liquidity and stabilize specific markets, such as the interbank market and the mortgage market. We term the combination of these two sets of policies as "MP-plus," or monetary policy-plus. Our analysis looks at the effects on specific markets in which the central banks have intervened, and how the banking systems have fared. We focus on the banking systems, since without a healthy banking system, the ability to steer credit toward economic activity is limited.
Evidence from the chapter shows that, by and large, the domestic banking sectors have benefitted from these central bank policies. An examination of bank-level data in the United States shows that most short-term balance sheet health improved with the use of these MP-plus policies. There are some concerns that while improvements in bank soundness are present in backward-looking balance sheet measures, that looking forward, banks may have taken on significant interest rate risk. Many banks have loaded up on government debt lately, since finding safe borrowers has gotten more difficult, and government debt serves to satisfy various liquidity requirements.
With interest rates so low, a rise could mean losses on some of these holdings. Markets may be alert to these risks. We found that the announcement of various monetary easings tended to raise the spread of bank bonds over government bonds, possibly indicating that markets saw some future credit risks for banks from these policies.
While the chapter suggests that these vulnerabilities are not yet very visible in the banking sectors, there may be risks building up in the non-banking sectors, such as in insurance companies and pension funds, and other so-called "shadow banks." Chapter 1, to be released next week, will provide some details here. As well, as is customary, that chapter will examine whether and where risks are building up in emerging market economies -- some of which can be loosely tied to the monetary conditions in the advanced economies.
From a policy point of view, it will be very important for central banks and macroeconomic overseers to keep track of the situation. With the economic recovery still fragile, the current policy stance is appropriate, and there is no indication, for now, that exit from these policies is imminent. If risks are building up in various sectors or institutions, judicious use of micro- and macroprudential policies would be warranted -- though it is worth mentioning that some macroprudential tools have not been thoroughly tested in advanced economies, and a mix of policies, including monetary and fiscal policies, would need to be adjusted as the economy strengthens.
Even though we do not see a need to alter the current stance of monetary policies, the eventual exit will need to be executed extremely carefully. To date, there's no reason to believe central banks cannot do this, but they have kept rates low for a long time, and the size of central bank balance sheets has become quite large. The entrance to this set of monetary policies was unconventional, and so, too, will be the exit.
In an earlier paper, the IMF provided some guidelines for a smooth exit, and we repeat some of those principles again. In particular, central banks will need to be sensitive to market functioning, and communicate clearly their intentions. With long-term rates so low, it is unclear how expectations of market participants will respond to early signs of a tightening.
We are confident, however, that the operational and communications tools at use in central banks are better now than they were in previous years, and so a smooth exit, when appropriate, is still the most likely scenario.
Thank you.
MS. STANKOVA: Thank you, Laura, and thank you, Jan.
Now we are ready to take your questions. Please introduce yourself and your affiliation when asking a question.
Yes, I thought you had a question.
SPEAKER: I can go for it. I have two questions, one on the CDS.
You said that it would be better to wait for the OTC reforms to go forward. But as this reform proves very slow now, do you think that it is wise to leave this CDS unchecked without any regulation, especially the naked CDS?
And on the central banks, given that the BoJ has announced a new round of consecutive easing, whereas the Fed seems ready to scale back its operation, how do you expect the central banks to coordinate their exit strategies?
Thank you very much.
MS. KODRES: Okay, let me take the first question. The question is whether the OTC derivative reform efforts are moving too slowly, and whether something should be done about sovereign CDS market in advance of that.
We would say that the OTC derivatives reform efforts are moving ahead. And, while they appear to be moving ahead slowly, they are, in fact, moving ahead. And, in fact, on March 11th, we had our first sort of big-bang, if you will, of having OTC derivatives' being cleared properly for the major participants. And soon we will have that for a second layer of participants.
So that is, in fact moving forward -- maybe not as fast as one would like, but, still, there's forward progress there.
In terms of whether the sovereign CDS market should be pinpointed in advance of that, we would suggest that -- no. In fact, the reforms that are going to be in place for the OTC derivatives market are also applicable to the CDS market, and so everything would be at the same rate. And we find that an attractive feature, that that would be coordinated, both globally and across the different asset classes.
In terms of the points that you make about the Bank of Japan and the Federal Reserve Board, in terms of their recent announcements, I would just make a note of caution that, in fact, the Federal Reserve Board in its announcement yesterday said that they would continue their purchases of government securities and of mortgage-backed securities along the same lines as they have in the past. So, they are not, in fact, unwinding any of the unconventional policies at the moment.
There was a discussion in their minutes that suggested they are thinking carefully about how that exit might take place when, in fact, they deem it appropriate, and under what conditions they would promote such an exit. And I would suggest to you that just the fact that they are having that conversation is an important signal that some of the recommendations that we're making in the chapter are coming to fruition -- that is, that an exit be well communicated, and that an exit be well planned, in advance, so that markets can fully adjust to whatever that exit strategy ends up being.
As you note, the Bank of Japan is undertaking even more aggressive unconventional policy. We view that as appropriate, given the persistent deflation that has hampered the adjustment in Japan for the last decade. That said, that policy does represent some unavoidable risks that will be carefully monitored. In particular, they will need to monitor market functioning, including in the government securities market. They will need to monitor the effects that that might have on their financial sector, to ensure that, to the extent that banks need to improve their soundness, that those actions are undertaken in a timely fashion, even when there is very ample liquidity in the marketplace.
So, we would not want to see a delay, for example, in structural, fiscal, or financial reforms as a result of using the unconventional monetary policy.
I think I'll stop there, and ask if Jan has some additional comments?
MR. BROCKMEIJER: Yes, just one short addition on your second question, with regard to the coordination of exit strategies.
I think the point to keep in mind is that the application of these policies very much reflects the needs of various countries that have differed, both in their timing and their intensity. And the likely scenario is that the exit strategies also will very carefully reflect the needs of the individual countries -- which one might expect will not be totally in synchrony.
So, both entry and exit will be based on very careful consideration of the need to continue these policies.
I think the key, as Laura has mentioned, is in clear communication -- communication towards markets, but also between monetary authorities -- so that they understand clearly of each other what their intentions are.
Thank you.
MS. STANKOVA: Thank you, Jan. Thank you, Laura. Do we have more questions? Yes. And please introduce yourself and your affiliation.
SPEAKER: What's the worst-case scenario in the global exit?
MS. KODRES: Well, we hope not to see a worst-case scenario, of course.
You know, I think the worst-case scenario will be sort of the opposite of the best-case scenario. It would be, pretty clearly, a situation in which communication is not well used. It would be a case in which there would be large and perhaps not very well coordinated sales of assets. It would be an abrupt increase in interest rates.
I think those are, you know, clearly just the opposite of what it is that we are promoting as a best-case scenario for exiting these types of policies in a consistent and safe and stable way.
I would caution, to note that most of the central banks that we have examined are very conscious of effectiveness, both in terms of the effectiveness of their policies on the macro-economy, but, as well, they are very conscious of the effectiveness of their interventions on the functioning of the various financial markets in which they have intervened.
It's important to point out: Some of that intervention was because those markets were destabilized to begin with, and they provided a helpful, stabilizing role. And, if you want to take a look at exactly how that has looked so far, we have several charts and figures in Chapter 3 that indicate to you various measures of liquidity during those times in which these policies have been put into place. And those could be very helpful, in terms of noting that they haven't really affected markets adversely and, in fact, affected markets in the more positive direction.
MR. OPPERS: Perhaps to add, we have a box in the chapter, Box 3.1, that points to some of the major risks to financial stability of the exit.
MS. STANKOVA: And we will take a question from Media Briefing Center.
"As stated in your report, central bank liquidity is lowering spreads in interbank market in euro area. However, for many banks in Southern Europe, the interbank market is closed.
"How could this liquidity be channeled directly to those banks? If so, under what conditions?"
MS. KODRES: Well, let me just note that one of the reasons that the ECB has intervened in markets is because interbank liquidity was at a lull. And one of the ways in which this can be rectified is by making sure that the underlying banks that form the interbank market in various countries now are safer and sounder, and so other banks will be willing to interact with them in the interbank market.
So, in terms of making sure that liquidity is spread to the appropriate places, the first order of business is to make sure that the individual banks do what they need to do to ensure that they are on a safer plane.
I think it's relevant to look at our Figure 3.2. 3.2 gives a decomposition of the interbank spreads, and attempts to disaggregate that into various risk factors. And the red area in that chart shows you what we attribute to bank risk. And you'll see, in the euro area as a whole, that interbank spreads are still wide, in part because of bank risk. And that's the positive red area in that chart.
So, that can give you a clue as to where we stand in terms of recovery on that topic.
So, I have a question -- could you give some suggestions how the emerging market economies can reduce the potential spillover effects from MP-plus you mentioned in the report?
MS. KODRES: Yes, thank you for that question.
I think -- let me just note, first, that the effects of MP-plus on emerging market economies will be covered more in Chapter 1. So -- next week, again, we'll review exactly what might be going on in that context.
As well, there will be a forthcoming paper on unconventional monetary policy, in terms of its effectiveness on the macro-economy. And, as well, it will cover spillovers to emerging markets in that paper, which will probably be released mid-May or so.
So, I'll first note that those two items will give you more of the details.
Let me cover this issue, though, from a more basic level, which is, you know, when spillovers occur, regardless of whether they're caused by MP-plus, or other reasons in the external environment, countries will need to adapt to the inflows that may be larger than they had hoped.
First of all, there are good reasons for capital inflows, so it should be recognize that capital inflows can, indeed, help an economy gather more income than they have locally, in order to make good investments.
The second sort of line of defense, if one thinks that those flows are too large, is to take a close look at the macroeconomic policy, to look at the monetary policy, the fiscal policy, and to ensure that the exchange rate policy is as flexible as possible as an absorber to some of those inflows.
If those policy angles are not able to adjust enough or appropriately, for other reasons, then we would advocate the use of macroprudential tools. And we've done a number of studies now about which macroprudential tools are best used in various circumstances -- and many of them have been used, in fact, by emerging market economies. And they're the economies with the most frequency of use and have the most experience, actually, with some of these tools.
And, if all else fails, if those policies are not effective, or not as effective as they need to be, then, the Fund now recommends the selected and temporary use of capital flow management measures to try to adapt to exactly what the situation might be. They need to be very targeted, and temporary.
So that would be the sort of basic line of attack for those kinds of issues.
Whether capital flow issues arise from these MP-plus policies is, again not always the case, but there's obviously some effects. Particularly the paper coming out in May, will be able to better quantify exactly what can be tied to the advanced economy MP-plus policies.
As an aside, too, I would point to a paper that we wrote in the Global Financial Stability Report in 2010, where we looked at this issue -- several years ago, granted, and maybe in the early stages of these capital flows -- that showed that, in fact, most of the inflows were related to the receiving economies' macroeconomic conditions -- and so economies that had better growth prospects, had more liquid and flexible markets were the ones which collected most of those flows -- and most of the flows were not sort of related to the flows from the push factors that were coming from the advanced economies.
Now, again, that paper is a little dated, because now we've had another several years of relatively loose monetary policy. So the new paper will reevaluate that.
MS. STANKOVA: Yes, please.
SPEAKER: This is a kind of similar question, and answer might be even similar. But there's a concern about currency war as a consequence of accommodating policy. And the yen, Japanese yen, is depreciating a lot since BoJ took aggressive policy.
So how do you concern about this situation? And how much, for example, yen can go further?
MS. KODRES: That question, it was not covered in our chapters. And I would like to defer that question to next week, where you will get a chance to talk to the economic counselor, and the financial counselor, as well.
So, that isn't a question that we really cover in any detail in the work that we've done today.
MS. STANKOVA: If no more immediate questions from the room, I would like to take a question from IMF's Press Briefing Center.
"Could you explain why easing is a medium-term risk to euro banks?
"Could you explain the dynamics of why banks are delaying their balance sheet adjustment?"
MS. KODRES: Well, let me start by noting that our chapter really tries to think about the banking sectors in these three regions from a little bit more of a medium-term standpoint. So, you know, what we examined, really, was how MP-plus policies can affect banks' balance sheets, sort of from a more long-term point of view. And, from that perspective, what we show is that these loose policies have, in fact, benefitted some of these banks.
Now, the empirical work in the chapter is based on U.S. banks, and so it's not directly applicable to euro area banks. But one of the features that we point out that's true across all four regions is that, in general, a slight rise in interest rates, when it come about, will improve their ability to earn money on their loan books but may, in fact, have short-term consequences for their trading books, because they're holding a lot of government debt.
So, in terms of why banks are delaying their balance sheet adjustment, I would take issue with that. They're not "delaying" their adjustment. It will take some time, and some banks have accomplished more in the time period than others.
What the MP-plus policies are doing is providing that breathing room, it's providing that space that banks can fund themselves at relatively low interest rates, and that allows them time to be able to repair their balance sheets. And our plea is that they take that time very seriously, and attempt to repair their balance sheets as expeditiously as possible.
MR. BROCKMEIJER: Yes, I would just mention that we have, of course, looking at past experiences, seen occasions where adjustments in the banking system have been delayed. Japan is an example, in the 1990s and early 2000s.
So, you know, the phenomenon is not unheard of, that these delays can occur. And the message, the strong message, from the chapter is to be alert to these developments and, as Laura has just emphasized, to use the time that is allowed by accommodative monetary policies wisely, to have the changes in bank balance sheets take place as necessary.
Thank you.
MS. STANKOVA: And then I would like to take a follow-up question on the same chapter.
"Could you rank the risks outlined in Chapter 3, based on the threat level they represent to financial stability?"
MR. OPPERS: I'll take that. Thank you.
Yes, from the analytical work that we've done in the chapter, we have been able to get a little bit of a ranking of risks, and think about which risks are most prominent. We put that in a table in the chapter, Table 3.5, for your reference.
We don't see any high-level risks right now. There are some risks that are elevated, but the main message from the chapter is that, for now, risks from the MP-plus policies have been relatively contained. There are some, looking forward, some risks that could show up in the future, and the longer MP-plus policies are maintained, the more those risks would tend to emerge.
One of the main risks that was already mentioned earlier is the risk of a delay in balance sheet repair. And we urge, in the chapter, that those delays should not really be tolerated, banks should repair their balance sheets as soon as possible.
And, perhaps in a follow-up to the previous question, one of the reasons why this is very important is banks should be well prepared for the eventual exit when it comes. And they would be best prepared with healthy balance sheets. That is very important, also, to mitigate the risks that would come with eventual increases in interest rates.
There is some elevated risk -- also going forward, and this also comes back to a previous question -- of central banks exiting from these sort of interbank intermediation of funds that they've been doing, lending longer-term funds to banks because interbank markets weren't doing that properly. Once the eventual exit comes, banks should make sure that they are well prepared to make use of private interbank markets when central banks are no longer engaging in that activity. And so, we should make sure that banks not get dependent on the central bank financing of their balance sheet.
There is a risk, going forward, of some increase in credit risks in banks. That's also something to keep a close eye on. The very low interest rates could -- and we don't see that yet -- but could have the side-effect that underwriting standards might decline. Again, we don't see that yet, but that's certainly a risk to keep in mind.
For the rest, in the table we see some other risks that are of lower magnitude, and I will refer you to that table for those.
MS. STANKOVA: If no immediate questions from the room, one more question from Press Briefing Center.
"You say central banks should use targeted micro- and macroprudential policies to mitigate threats from MP-plus. What might the microprudential policy involve?"
MS. KODRES: Yeah -- it appears we've been talking a lot of macroprudential policies in these debates, and it's useful to go back and think about what microprudential policies are. Microprudential policies are those policies that are directed towards individual banks, not necessarily for the management of systemic or system-wide risks.
The microprudential policy toolkit is very well established, and just needed to be updated -- which it has been, with the advent of Basel III, including the liquidity requirements. And so the basics of the microprudential toolkit include, you know, higher capital ratios. So we've seen that in Basel III. Basel III contains, also, a macroprudential type of capital requirement in the countercyclical capital requirement, and also in the additional capital that would be allocated to the so-called GSIFIs, or the "global systemically important financial institutions."
As well, Basel III includes, now, new liquidity measures, including the LCR, the liquidity coverage ratio, and the net stable funding ratio, the NSFR. Those are both microprudential measures to help banks depend less on short-term wholesale liquidity, and to manage their liquidity measures better.
Another area which needs improvement in the micro area is forward-looking provisioning, that is, taking a close look at the credit risks in your balance sheet and adjusting provisions, in advance, of what you think those risks might be.
Another one is to improve lending standards. And those lending standards have improved in many of the economies that suffered through this last event, because those lending standards had gotten loose.
I would say, importantly, what's necessary -- and we've focused on this again and again at the Fund -- is what we call "attentive and intrusive supervision." And that is by making sure that these microprudential tools are, in fact, enforced, and that supervisors take a very close look at the banks that they oversee, and ensure that they use their tools. In addition to the mechanical tools, if you will, that form Pillar 1 of Basel III, but also use Pillar 2 of Basel III, which is their ability to use discretionary types of interventions in banks to ensure their stability and soundness.
So those are the very basics of the sort of microprudential toolkit. And we advise full use of the microprudential toolkit, as well, as needed, use of the macroprudential toolkit, when necessary.
MS. STANKOVA: Thank you, Laura.
If we don't have any questions -- do we have any questions from the room?
No? If not, with that, we conclude the press conference. Thank you very much for coming today. Thank you for our speakers. The opening remarks are available in the room if you would like them. Have a good day.
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|Media Relations


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Complimentary Continental Breakfast Airport-Train depo shuttle service Newest full service lodging and Restaurant. The Lodge has Alaskan exterior design with wood accents and portico along with large paved parking area sidewalks and lawns with indirect lighting. The Lobby has tiles granite counters and wood accents to carry the Alaskan theme from the exterior of the building to the inside. Alpine Lodge features 115 rooms. Great Location only 0.25 miles from Fairbanks International Airport. Full service restaurant lounge AND 5400 sq ft. meeting rooms and banquet.
Location location location-One of the major advantages that Alpine Lodge has over its competition is its location only 0.25 miles from Fairbanks International Airport and easy access to all local attractions and activities.
Open breakfast lunch and dinner 6A-11P. Casual Restaurant serving steaks and seafood. Just 3 miles from the Alpine Lodge or onsite Restaurant the Finish Line Restaurant and Lounge. Delivery available.Brewsters Restaurant
open for lunch and dinner. Located 1 mile from the hotel serving All American food from Hamburgers to steaks to Seafood to salads. Delivery available.


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Imagine my thoughts now that I can create my own news videos. It is certainly not something I ever envisioned myself doing. Hey, I went to work for a newspaper, you understand.
However, my recent trip to Berlin for the World Money Fair gave me the opportunity to do some interviews and to record them. The first of these was done with Dr. Andreas Schikora, director of the Berlin State Mint, on Jan. 31. It is now online at www.worldcoinnews.net.
Take a look at it. See what you think. Give me some feedback.
World Coin News is a sister publication to Numismatic News. It is one that I have spent two of the past three decades working on.
Where this video capability will take me, I cannot say, but I look forward to doing more of it.


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This is not a poem. Please stop reading. I'm a bore.
If you should continue, you'll be needing time to snore.
Although I keep on writing, you're invited to ignore
the rhymes, for time is passing, and so far I've written four
lines. Your mind is mine now, as we head toward the door
to where your staring witness shows my fitness for no more,
or less than this confessionary sharing from my core.


text: Downtown St. Paul in January…it's magical. So magical, it's where and when I chose to get married myself. So, when this beautiful bride asked me to photograph her wedding, same time, same place…I was all in. Despite the bitterly cold weather…they were troopers. The day started at her parents' beautiful farm and her hometown church. It was gorgeous. Enjoy.


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Reports of Bexar County police shootings are late, missing details
Sheriff's office short on key details, late on others required in deaths
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office failed to file at least five state-mandated reports about people who died in police shootings since 2005, was late in filing a dozen more fatality reports and left out key details about two deadly shootings involving deputies.
The missing details include how one suspect had his hands raised above his head when two deputies opened fire. In another case, a report didn't quote a deputy who can be heard on dash-camera video saying, "He started attacking me and I shot him." The deputy then swears, saying either "(Expletive) him" or "(Expletive) it."
State law requires all law enforcement agencies in Texas to file "custodial death" reports with the Texas attorney general's office when someone dies at the hands of police or in jail. Each report must be filed no more than 30 days after each death. The law requires a "good-faith effort to obtain all facts relevant to the death and include those facts in the report."
Walter Martinez, a former Bexar County state representative who wrote the law in 1983, said he intended the reports to be a resource for the public and that police should face consequences if they fail to comply with reporting requirements. A violation is a misdemeanor.
But Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office doesn't take any steps to make sure law enforcement agencies are being diligent in filing the reports.
"We are simply a repository for this information," spokeswoman Katherine Wise wrote in an email when asked if the attorney general's office has any system in place to flag late reports.
The San Antonio Express-News checked the attorney general's database of all 4,250 death reports filed in Texas since 2005. The records show that law enforcement agencies filed nearly 700 reports — 16 percent — after the 30-day deadline. Some reports were more than two years late.
Explore an interactive database of the late filings
Many of the records focus on prisoners who die from medical conditions in county jails or state prisons, while others offer details about police shootings.
In Bexar County, problems with custodial death reports came to light after the Aug. 28 shooting of Gilbert Flores, a combative suspect in a domestic violence case. The county's report didn't mention that Flores had his hands raised in apparent surrender when two deputies opened fire and killed him.
After the Express-News learned of the missing information in the Flores case, the newspaper began examining other shootings involving the sheriff's office.
Records show that county authorities completed 74 custodial death reports since 2005. They haven't filed reports for five fatal shootings from 2008 to 2011, and they exceeded the 30-day deadline in a dozen other cases from 2005 to 2015 — including a report that was filed more than a year late.
James Keith, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, declined to comment on the Flores case because he didn't want to jeopardize a lawsuit filed against the county by the Flores family.
Keith noted that the five missing reports of fatal shootings all occurred before Sheriff Susan Pamerleau took office Jan. 1, 2013. During her tenure, four custodial death reports were late. Keith blamed that on a misunderstanding that's been cleared up.
"The investigator didn't have a clear understanding of the law and the requirement that these had to be submitted within 30 days," Keith said.
That report that was more than a year late was filed with the attorney general's office Nov. 26, 2013. It described how Sgt. Frank Bellino had responded to a call Oct. 14, 2012, for a possibly intoxicated man who was walking along Culebra Road and creating a hazard for passing drivers.
The report says the unarmed man, Joe Guerra, 19, became aggravated and refused to obey instructions. "He charged at me," Bellino was quoted as saying, and Bellino opened fire. Guerra later died at a hospital.
A federal civil rights lawsuit filed against Bellino and the sheriff's office by Guerra's family unearthed dash-camera footage from a patrol car that recorded Bellino moments after the shooting explaining what happened.
"He just went (expletive) nuts on me," Bellino told a fellow deputy. "He started attacking me and I shot him." Bellino then can be heard swearing, saying either "(Expletive) him" or "(Expletive) it."
Sean Lyons, a lawyer representing the Guerra family, said there's no question that Guerra was inebriated, but he disputed claims that Guerra was in any condition to fight. The custodial death report in Guerra's case was not only a year late, he said, but paints an inaccurate picture of what happened.
"You're basically learning the opposite of what went wrong," Lyons said of the report. "Because the report goes out of its way to make it sound like Bellino did all he could to de-escalate the situation and that Guerra was the aggressor, when in fact, Bellino immediately threatened Guerra's life, threatened to (expletive) shoot his ass, and used escalating language."
Keith declined to answer most questions about the case, citing the litigation against the sheriff's office. But he did say the office believes that the custodial death reports are supposed to be a general account of what happened.
"The thought is, the investigation is still ongoing, you're not going to know every single answer, every specific detail within that 30-day time period," Keith said.
In a court filing, the Bexar County district attorney's office said Bellino did not use excessive force and that he didn't know whether Guerra was armed.
The sheriff's detective who filed the late custodial death report acknowledged that he didn't know state law mandated the filing of such reports and didn't know their purpose.
"I was unaware that we were supposed to send these things to the attorney general's office, and once I was aware, I sent it to them," said the investigator, John Perez, during a deposition in the lawsuit.
Lyons asked Perez about Bellino's language in the audio recordings and why that information was missing in the custodial death report.
"The attorney general never learned those facts?" Lyons asked.
"I did not put that on there, sir," Perez replied. "This is an oversight on my part."
Perez did not respond to an email request for an interview. Guerra's parents, Joe Guerra and Linda Carranza, said they don't believe that the sheriff's office is interested in fully investigating their son's death and that the late custodial death report with missing information is simply a symptom of a bigger problem.
"I'm more than disappointed in the way things have been handled," Carranza said.
"They feel that they're above the law," Guerra said. "They're not following the necessary protocols."
Martinez, who served as a state representative from 1983 to 1985, said the law governing custodial death reports might need to be revised and strengthened to clearly show who's responsible for making sure the records are accurate and filed on time for the public to review.
"If no one's following up or taking responsibility for ensuring that it's done, then there's a break in the chain," Martinez said.


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User talk:JukoFF
Welcome to Meta!Edit
Hello, JukoFF. Welcome to the Wikimedia Meta-Wiki! This website is for coordinating and discussing all Wikimedia projects. You may find it useful to read our policy page. If you are interested in doing translations, visit Meta:Babylon. You can also leave a note on Meta:Babel or Wikimedia Forum (please read the instructions at the top of the page before posting there). Happy editing!
Wikimedia Travel Guide: Naming poll openEdit
Hi there,
You are receiving this message because you voiced your opinion at the Request for Comment on the Wikimedia Travel Guide.
The proposed naming poll opened a few days ago and you can vote for as many of the proposed names as you wish, if you are eligible. Please see Travel Guide/Naming Process for full details on voting eligibility and how the final name will be selected. Voting will last for 14 days, and will terminate on 16 October at 06:59:59 UTC.
Invitation to Wikimedia CEE Spring 2017Edit
- Dear Dmitriy,
- Last year you were the local organiser of CEE Spring in Russia and we invite you to participate in this year's contest! Please subscribe to the mailing list of the local organisers at https://lists.wikimedia.bg/mailman/listinfo/ceespring-localorganisers, add your community at the Meta page with the participants and discuss this year's edition of the contest on its talk page (Talk:Wikimedia CEE Spring 2017/Participants). We are looking forward to reading from you soon!
- On behalf of the international organisers,
- --Ата (talk) 20:59, 16 January 2017 (UTC)
Presenting Community Engagement Insights survey report: Tuesday, October 10, 1600 UTCEdit
Hi JukoFF,
I am reaching out to you because you signed up to receive updates about the Global Wikimedia survey.[1]
We will be hosting a public event online to present the data, a few examples on how teams will be using it for annual planning, and what are next steps for this project. The event will take place on Tuesday, October 10, at 9:00 am PST (1600 UTC), and the presentation will be in English. You can watch the livestream here, and ask question via IRC on #wikimedia-office.
If you are unable attend, you can also find the report on meta, and watch the recording of the event at a later time.
We hope to have you join us online! -- María Cruz 23:28, 2 October 2017 (UTC)
Upcoming 2019 Affiliate-selected trustee position on the Board of Wikimedia FoundationEdit
Greetings Mr. Zhukov,
My name is Gerald Shields, also known as user:Geraldshields11. I am asking for your top rank vote for me in the election for one of two open trustee positions on the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.
I am asking for your vote to help support emerging communities and promote an inclusive education environment on all wiki projects. Also, I plan to promote various other issues as I mention in my statement and answers to various questions. I ask that you show your support for the issues that need to be address by voting for me as one of your preferences.
My candidacy information page is Affiliate-selected Board seats/2019/Nominations/Gerald Shields on Meta or can be found at Gerald Shields candidate. As of the 7 May 2019 list of questions, I am the only candidate to have responded to all of the "Questions for all candidates - Questions for this individual candidate that do not apply to other candidates". My answers give more details on why the Don Wikimedians User Group should vote for me.
Thank you for your time, discussion, and consideration of my candidacy. I appreciate it.
My best regards,
Gerald Shields
Geraldshields11 (talk) 02:07, 9 May 2019 (UTC)
- Thank you for your organization's vote in the second tier during the 2019 trustee election. Without your organizations', Igbo's, and AfroCrowds' votes, I would not have been able to score better than expected. Geraldshields11 (talk) 20:30, 17 June 2019 (UTC)
New proposed UGEdit
Hi, we are trying to create a new User group that acts as a global coordination project on meta for scientific subjects. See m:Science Wiki User Group. Wiki Science Competition will be one of its assets.
It will take some months to shape it but we are very motivated. Specifically, one of the main target of the group are people with an academic degree and/or who are involved in scientific research in real life, we want it to reach out to the scientific community.
Please join us and spread the news in your local community. We need at the moment epecially users with a sufficient knowledge of English or of meta since we are still building it (we will translate the page in the future when its identity is stable). Every comment is welcome (see the talk page)--Alexmar983 (talk) 14:30, 15 June 2019 (UTC)
Thank you for your participation in the WikiGap Challenge!Edit
Now, we have finalized the results from the WikiGap Challenge. You can find the general and top results here. I want to thank you for your contribution, which together with the other participants have created a tremendous and long lasting impact for the visibility of women on Wikipedia.
We want to give you a barnstar for your participation, to praise your efforts for a better visibility of women on Wikipedia!
We will analyze the challenge and the way it works closely, to see how we can improve it for next year. It would be very valuable for us if you wanted to share your views on the challenge, especially when it comes to: the point system, the focus, and the adding of the list from UN Human Rights. You can send your answers to email@example.com!
I hope you found the challenge exciting, and that you want to participate next year as well!
Best, Eric Luth (WMSE) (talk) 11:55, 24 April 2020 (UTC)


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Auto Glass Shop
Yucaipa California
Online Quote
(Hours Of Operation)
Mon-Fri 7am-7pm
(Se Habla Espanol)
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All Star Windshields of Yucaipa California
Yucaipa California
Auto Glass Replacement In Yucaipa California
All Star Windshields of Yucaipa California stands out from other local auto glass companies. We specialize in auto glass replacement and auto glass repairs. Auto Glass anywhere can be pricey, our company understands that times are hard nowadays. We do everything we can to make your auto glass replacement experience cheap and above all else convenient. Don't be mislead by other auto glass companies that are out to take advantage of you and your wallet. All installs preformed by our auto glass company come with free mobile service and warranty. We have provided auto glass in Yucaipa for years now and have grown a reputation that allows us to grow and continue to serve you.
Auto Glass Repair In Yucaipa California
Are you looking for an auto glass repair? Do you have question on whether your windshield can be fixed? These are all typical questions from customers that we run into today. All Star Windshields of Yucaipa California has taken the process of repairing windshield, making it easy, fast and affordable. With our installer all throughout Southern California it's no wonder we are looked at as the leader in windshield repairs. We are capable of repairing same day and from several locations. The picture provided your left shows a spider chip that has occurred from a rock hitting the windshield. As you can see the split in the glass goes several directions. In order to fix this damage our installer will use what we call an injector. The injector holds the formulated resin, we then apply pressure to the injector, allowing for the resin to spread throughout the affected area. To watch a demonstration. Follow the link provided, windshield repair.
SEO by Selbor Enterprise | All Star Windshields. 2009 - 2015


text:
How Braces Work in Five Simple Steps
So, you decided to straighten your teeth, and get that healthy, confident smile you've always wanted. You visited your orthodontist who explained the process, but you still have questions about how these metal gadgets really work. Read on for an easy-to-follow explanation! 1) Braces… Read More
Mother's Day – Kudos To Moms Everywhere
Mother's Day – Cedarbrae and Danforth Orthodontic Centres want to shout out a great big, huge, humongous THANK YOU to Moms everywhere. Mother's Day falls on Sunday, May 14th this year. So Dads…do not plan any golf that day and kids…do not plan a movie with your friends. Plan on spending… Read More
Adult Orthodontics – Not Too Old For Braces
Adult Orthodontics…Many people still maintain the belief that braces are for kids and teens. That is far from being factual. In a survey conducted by the AAO (American Association of Orthodontists), many orthodontic practices said that adults comprised up to 50% of their patients. That same study found that 44%… Read More
Cedarbrae & Danforth Stands #HumboldtStrong
April 12th is "Jersey Day," and the staff at Cedarbrae & Danforth Orthodontic Centres don hockey jerseys and gear today to show support for the Humboldt Broncos ice hockey team! On April 6th, the team – which participates in the Saskatchewan Junior League – was involved in a… Read More
Mother's Day Selfie Contest 2017
Mother's Day is a time to celebrate the wonderful moms in our lives. Women who play a very special role – teaching us values, supporting our goals, celebrating our successes when things go our way, or being a shoulder to lean on when they don't. The best part about moms… Read More
A Brighter Smile Could Be Inside Your Kitchen
You just took a photo with friends but notice that your smile isn't as white as everyone else's. Did you know that there are natural ways to brighten your tooth enamel? Even better, the solution could already be in your kitchen. To help you put your best smile forward, here… Read More


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LULU FASHION FORUM – Fashion in Tier 2 Cities
Small towns and cities in India, have a culture and niche of their own, which they flaunt unabashedly and in fact, with pride. People have more time, deeper connections with friends, relatives and neighbours, meaningful places and favourite spots, colorful festivals and a fashion sense unlike any mega cities. Fashion in Tier 2 cities, is […]Read More