text:
Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Struggle over the Cuban press intensifies (2)

This is the sequel to my previous post. There'll be at least one more in this series. After that, I'll translate some of the most important contributions to this ongoing controversy.

*  *  *

The dismissal

It was the Uruguayan-born former BBC journalist Fernando Ravsberg who broke the news of Pantoja's dismissal. Pantoja told Ravsberg he had worked for Radio Holguin since 2000 and had been a UPEC member since then. He had taken part in the June 28 UPEC plenum as a workplace delegate via video link and had recorded the proceedings in full view of provincial UPEC officials, who did not object. Seeing that the event had been covered in a Cuban TV news bulletin, and that some (relatively innocuous) fragments of Marron's comments had been published on the UPEC website, Pantoja assumed—he claimed—that the entirety of her remarks were 'publishable'. In other words, that permission did not need to be sought and granted from Pantoja's boss at the radio station. The fact that no other Cuban journalist who had heard Marron's intervention made such a naive assumption casts doubt on the sincerity of Pantoja's innocence in this regard. He must have known he was risking his livelihood and his professional reputation.

Almost certainly, Pantoja ran those risks knowingly, subordinating his personal interests to what he considered to be a higher purpose. He told Ravsberg that his motivations for transcribing and uploading Marron's unabridged remarks to his personal blog were "for the world to know that in Cuba, we journalists are capable of having a serious and responsible debate at the highest level. I also published it with the aim of sparking a debate on the content of the intervention itself, to stir up the controversy and the exchange of viewpoints that are always so necessary". Recall that (as noted in Part 1) veteran Cuban journalist Luis Sexto lamented earlier this year the inability of the Cuban press to "create and resolve conflicts". In light of this perceived deficiency, Pantoja's actions are laudable. He has succeeded not in creating, but in sharpening a conflict—i.e. a controversy and a struggle—over the role and character of the Cuban press. In doing so, he has contributed to an eventual resolution of this conflict.

Pantoja told Ravsberg that as far as he knows, there are no official guidelines for publishing on personal blogs. If permission must be sought then whose blog is it? "In my case, management alleges that when a journalist publishes on their blog or on social media, they do it in the name of the institution they work for". That notion is highly controversial, he added. According to Pantoja, the reasons given for his dismissal are that he made the recording without proper authorisation; that he selectively transcribed only Marron's intervention; that he gave no indication he would cover the event; and that he failed to abide by Cuba's press policy that content "must be in the public interest and the critics [i.e. sources who express unfavourable opinions] must be approved beforehand by the Editor of the press publication". Here, Pantoja was reading from the explanatory letter he had received.

The stipulation that criticisms may only be published if those making them are acceptable to the editor is not conducive to the press holding up a critical mirror to society. Arguably, it amounts to editorial interference in journalistic integrity and a systematic bias against criticism. As for what constitutes the public interest, that's a matter of opinion. Pantoja thought it was in the public interest to publish Marron's intervention in its entirety. Perhaps he assumed his prestige would shield him from any adverse consequences of publication. On March 10, Pantoja was one of 26 Cuban journalists awarded UPEC's highest accolade, the Felix Elmuza Distinction for "outstanding professionals with 15 or more years of uninterrupted work", according to the UPEC website.

Jose Ramirez Pantoja
On  August 30, a fortnight after the Ravsberg interview, Pantoja was interviewed at greater length by Cuban journalist Arnaldo Mirabal Hernandez. Hernandez writes for Giron, the PCC newspaper in Matanzas province—the provincial equivalent of Granma. He interviewed Pantoja in a personal capacity and published the transcript on his personal blog, Revolucion. Pantoja recounted to Hernandez that after publishing Marron's intervention on his blog, and then on his Facebook page, he left a Facebook comment praising Marron's intervention as an example of how Cuba's revolutionary youth should speak: with courage and without mincing words. Then came "the finger-pointing and the dirty looks". Pantoja deleted the offending blog post, but it was too late: it had gone viral. His home internet connection was severed and he was dismissed. Pantoja turns 40 on September 12 but he's in no mood to celebrate, Hernandez observed.

Pantoja told Hernandez that he didn't blame Radio Holguin management for his dismissal. Initially they were conciliatory, asking him to immediately delete the post, which he did. When they cut his internet connection they said it would only be for a few days. But then the tone changed. On July 11, he was informed of his dismissal and told his internet connection would not be restored. He thinks management had received "a phone call from higher up".

The union

More hurtful than the dismissal, Pantoja told Hernandez, was the decision of UPEC's provincial Ethics Commission to suspend his UPEC membership. It pained him because he holds his colleagues who comprise the Commission in high regard. “If there's something that wounds my soul, I swear by my mother who lies in the cemetery, it's the lack of support from UPEC, the organisation I've belonged to since 2006". Especially concerning and disturbing, he said, were comments posted by UPEC vice-president Aixa Hevia on her Facebook page.

Aixa Hevia
Pantoja had appealed both his dismissal and his suspension from UPEC, exercising his right to seek to have the latter decision overturned or modified by UPEC's National Ethics Commission. That Commission is headed by Luis Sexto, the veteran journalist and columnist whose own criticisms of the Cuban press I cited in Part 1. On August 19, after Pantoja had initiated the UPEC appeal process, Hevia weighed in on the Pantoja case—on Facebook.

Hevia began by claiming that Pantoja had censored a comment that Marron had made, in passing, about Fernando Ravsberg (introduced in Part 1) during her UPEC intervention. In support of this claim, she embedded a hyperlink to a scathing denunciation of Ravsberg by Cuban blogger Iroel Sanchez (introduced in Part 1). Sanchez's source was 'a friend', whom he did not name, who had attended the UPEC plenum. The source was uncertain of Marron's exact words: "something like 'that now we know who he is'"—referring to Ravsberg. That was clearly an allusion to Ravsberg's behaviour, Hevia observed. Indeed, his agency [i.e. the BBC] cancelled his contract because of what he wrote on his blog, she added. She did not add that Ravsberg left the BBC because of the BBC's anti-Cuba bias (see Part 1).

She suggested it was inappropriate for Ravsberg to have interviewed Pantoja "in the middle of a workplace and ethical process that has not yet concluded", presumably because the publicity might prejudice the outcome. Ironically, her own public intervention via Facebook might also prejudice the outcome, given that the UPEC National Ethics Commission has been deliberating on Pantoja's appeal against his suspension from UPEC—of which Hevia is vice-president. Hevia then changed tack, raising the suspicion, without citing any evidence, that Pantoja's real motivation was to use the tale of his dismissal as a springboard to a media career in Miami, Florida, the citadel of the Cuban counter-revolution. "Colleagues have been asking themselves" if this is what he's up to, she informed her Facebook followers (her comments were then republished by Iroel Sanchez).

UPEC Congresses have been very critical affairs, Hevia stressed, but these and other UPEC fora are our spaces, those of the journalists. It's noteworthy, she said, that Pantoja, who said he recorded everything, and didn't ask for permission to publish something discussed in a professional association forum, didn't publish other, "more critical and proposal-oriented" interventions, and selected only that of the deputy editor of Granma—the PCC publication. Here, Hevia seemed to suggest that Pantoja's target might have been the Party itself. Like the suspicion that Pantoja might be planning to defect to Miami, this was a mere insinuation. It's apposite to note that the UPEC Code of Ethics states that journalists "must foster and uphold fraternal relations and mutual respect among colleagues", and "refrain from public comment that denigrates or discredits them".

Hevia rounded out her intervention with another dig at Ravsberg, dismissing his apparent concern for the fate of a fellow journalist: "The problems of the press, which we recognise, we have to resolve among ourselves, we don't need anyone to give us recipes, let's not fool ourselves, that interest in defending Pantoja is false, they're trying to prejudice us, this is an objective that's abundantly clear."

Fernando Ravsberg
On August 26, Pantoja returned fire in a blistering blog post titled, "Where are Aixa Hevia's ethics?" He let fly a volley of adjectives—"offensive, defamatory, slanderous, harmful and disrespectful"—at Hevia's Facebook intervention, which had been circulating in cyberspace. Had any other journalist cast judgement on me, Pantoja fumed, "I would have accepted it without any difficulty, at the end of the day it would have been a personal opinion. But Aixa Hevia is not just any journalist, we're talking about the first vice-president of the Cuban Journalists Union". His sole aim, he insisted, was "to spark a serious and professional debate, which without any doubt would have contributed something positive."

Responding to Hevia's claim that he had excised a criticism of Ravsberg's character ('now we know who he is') from the transcript of Marron's UPEC intervention, Pantoja explained that at 6 minutes and 44 seconds, Marron can be clearly heard to ask, 'And here we all know who Ravsberg is?' Another voice is heard to reply 'yes', then Marron says: 'and if someone doesn't know him, its because they just haven't wanted to see him' (i.e. they pretend he doesn't exist). Pantoja's explanation here, on the basis of his recording, casts Marron's passing reference to Ravsberg in a very different light: one favourable to Ravsberg.

Pantoja went on to explain that in editing the transcript, he had decided to answer Marron's question to the audience with an explanatory note: 'Fernando Ravsberg, Uruguayan journalist based in Cuba, former BBC World correspondent in Havana'. "At no point did I try to save Ravsberg from any allusion [to his character] because, first of all, I'd never said a word to him until now." Pantoja expressed his deep gratitude to Ravsberg "for the interest he has shown in my case, as well as that of a great many colleagues that in my Cuba and in various places around the world have spoken out against the injustice that in my view, and theirs, has been done to me".

[To be continued]

No comments:

Post a Comment

If you're not signed in with one of the accounts listed in the drop-down menu select "Anonymous" and include your name, or a pseudonym, in the comment. If you have suggestions for improving the blog or its content please email Marce Cameron. All the usual norms of posting etiquette apply. Comments must be respectful in tone, consistent with the blog's aims and relevant. Comments will be moderated accordingly.


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Type: response

text:
Just over a year later, Ryza is back in the latest installment in the Atelier series – the 22nd game overall and the second in the Secret subseries. It’s the first time that an Atelier game has featured the same protagonist twice, another bold change for the series that already went in an exciting new direction with the first Ryza game.

Improved battle system. I know some were disappointed by the change from traditional turn-based to action turn-based with the first Ryza, but I found it to be a nice change of pace. Just as with the first, the battles in Ryza 2 happen in real-time, with characters sliding along an action bar that determines when they can act. Once it is your turn though, you can’t just sit around deciding what to do, as the battle keeps going while your turn is ticking. It gives the combat a sense of urgency and I will admit it took some getting used to in the first game, but the second actually improves upon it a great deal.

For example, I really like the changes they made to items and core charge. Gone are the times of constantly going back to base and back to battle because your core charge ran out. Now, core charge is replenished via skill use and you can repeatedly use the same bomb in a single battle as long as you land enough skills to make up its core charge cost. And given that you can equip four items to each of your three active party members (and 1 hot-swappable character), there’s a lot of room for item use in battle now.

This ties into the new skill chain feature, which allows you to use multiple skills in a row given the right amount of AP. Of course, this allows you to build core charge even faster, so you can kinda see the increased emphasis on item usage this time around. It’s for the better though, as it gives the combat further ties to the game’s extensive crafting mechanics. I already liked that dynamic in the first Ryza, so you can imagine how excited I was to see it expanded here. These are just a couple of the changes though. There was a lot put into making the overall combat experience more streamlined while also maintaining a nice amount of depth, and I was all for it here with Ryza 2.

Atelier Ryza 2 (8)

Crafting and gathering is still as fun as ever. Another Atelier game, another complex, yet fun crafting system. The first Ryza already had a solid base and – just like with the combat – the sequel makes it even better. For starters, the entire alchemy level system from the first game is thrown out the window in favor of a new skill tree system. It basically works like any other skill tree you would see in other JRPGs, allowing you to use experience earned during crafting to unlock new recipes, which in turn allow you to unlock even more recipes. It’s kinda combined with the progression in the first game in that you can still synthesize a new item from an existing one, there’s just another layer of progression on top of that.

It’s not just recipes though, the skill tree also grants other bonuses like new super moves to use in combat and increased quality and quantity of gathered materials on the field. The field actually saw some much more noticeable changes, such as giving you a preview of what items are dropped from certain bushes, rocks, and other objects – an excellent quality of life addition.

And I should also mention the new exploration features. You can now swim, swing, dive, climb, crawl, and even ride an animal companion around. Some of these require you to first craft tools (just like in the last game), but all really open up the game world in a fun way, making gathering a more involved experience. It’s still a bit rough around the edges (like diving below water requires a fade-to-black transition), but I like the direction the gathering is going in and this makes me excited to see what future Atelier games will have to offer.

Atelier Ryza 2 (5)

Excellent graphics and music. The bar has been raised yet again for the Atelier series. In my review for the first game, I called Ryza the “best looking Atelier game to date” and as expected, Ryza 2 now takes that title. Bright, vivid color use, better lighting and shadows, excellent character designs – it has all that from the first game, but now with detailed weather effects (characters can actually get drenched from the rain), a more populated game world, and some nice technical improvements as well – which I’ll discuss shortly. You can even line up that perfect shot with the game’s photo mode, definitely a nice little extra to play around with.

Really, the only complaint I have with the visuals is that it can go a bit overboard with the bloom and depth of field effects. I’m pretty sure the first game had those patched a bit, so hopefully that will also be the case here.

Now onto the soundtrack, which has also improved. I mean, I already knew it was off to a great start when I was jamming out to the main menu music before even starting a playthrough. It’s got that excellent mix of more adventurous, exploration tracks (befitting of Ryza’s personality), but also some more mysterious, ominous stuff for the story scenes. That and I quite liked the new opening theme – I personally think it’s better than the first one.

Atelier Ryza 2 (1)

Actually decent port. Usually, in my reviews for Koei Tecmo PC games, the PC port is an automatic con, as their ports generally are full of all sorts of issues. Ryza 2 I believe is the first to break from this trend, as Koei Tecmo appears to have learned from their past ports and actually delivered us something at least somewhat decent this time. When I reviewed the first Ryza, there was a grand total of two graphical options: a fullscreen toggle and a resolution setting. With Ryza 2, this has been expanded greatly, now including quality settings for textures, shadows, reflections, and effects as well as toggles for anti-aliasing, depth of field, and ambient occlusion. They even added a borderless window option, another complaint I had with the first.

It gets better though. I was able to set the game to output to 1440p without needing to edit any external INI files and it appears that the 60 fps cap has been removed as well. I was a bit confused because when I started the game, it was locked to 60, but after I had finished it and started this review, I was suddenly able to push the game past it after tinkering with the settings a bit. I don’t know if I just missed something or they updated the game while I was playing it, but it’s good news regardless and the game looks great running at 100+ fps.

Atelier Ryza 2 (6)

However, I should note that the game is harder to run this time around. The graphics got an update, but so did the recommended system specs. The recommended GPU is now a 1070, which I barely pass with my 1070 Ti. At 1440p, I have to play at medium settings to get over 60 fps – just thought I should note for those expecting the game to run exactly like the first.

And then there’s the controls, which have also been improved. You’re now able to remap them in-game on both controller and keyboard and mouse, although there are a few that can’t be remapped. The game also finally has mouse support, both in regular gameplay for camera movement and in menus. The mouse support can be a bit spotty at times, like during alchemy, but it’s good enough to the point that the game is actually playable without a controller now – although I still opted to use one for my own playthrough.

It’s not a perfect port – you still have to use the escape key to access the settings even when using a controller and the game does not appear to offer button inputs for different controllers – but this is much better than what the previous game offered and worthy of praise.

Atelier Ryza 2 (3)

Further decline in story quality. I hate to say it, but Ryza 2’s story is not only a downgrade from the original, but the weakest I’ve seen from the series thus far. As this is a sequel, it takes place after the events of the first game, three years to be exact. So you would think, “okay, then the game is going to expand on the characters established there while maybe taking them on another cool adventure,” but no, the game instead has you spend more time with an animal sidekick that cannot even speak.

The character’s name is Fi and while I don’t dislike them outright, I grew to dislike Fi indirectly due to how the story developed around them at the expense of the already established cast. The characters from the first game eventually are introduced, but they’re given the briefest of catchup stories before being shoehorned into this whole Fi plot, a plot that doesn’t even go anywhere and I can’t really get any more specific without spoiling it.

Atelier Ryza 2 (11)

Let’s just say that the game does the Atelier story classic of getting progressively worse as it goes on and that really shines with this Fi character, leaving me with an ending that hardly felt satisfying and disappointed that I never really got to catch up with the rest of the characters and what they’ve been doing the past few years.

I imagine some would say, “okay, but that’s what the character side quests are for,” but that’s actually another problem entirely. Once you start doing these character side quests and events, you’ll notice that they typically involve you doing boring fetch quests for the bare minimum of character development, if any at all because some of the events are just straight-up filler. I won’t deny that the first game also had these (and that actually was one of my complaints in my review for it), but at least the main story there better developed its characters instead of just tossing them to the side.

This series isn’t exactly known for its good writing (a point I’ve brought up in every Atelier review I’ve written), but the story here is easily the weakest I’ve seen from the bunch – and this is the sixth game I’ve played in the series.

Atelier Ryza 2 (2)

Tedious exploration journal mechanic. Part of the reason why I disliked the story this time around is how structured it felt and this is best exemplified through the new “exploration journal” mechanic. So to sum it up, instead of being a naturally-developed adventure like the first, this game has a very clear pattern to it through the exploration of ruins. You arrive at a new set of ruins, explore it enough to unlock a compass that then maps the ruin’s memories, and then pick up these memories before engaging in a light puzzle game in order to unlock the ruin’s secrets.

You basically rinse and repeat this several times and you’ve cleared the game, but that’s not my only problem with it. The other half of the problem is that the act of filling out the journal with these memories can be very tedious. You have this list of thirty or so memories to scroll through and have to match each and every one of them to a couple keywords, a process that not only can take a while, but doesn’t offer up that much of a reward. Sure, you get to learn more about the given ruins (and how they inevitably tie into the Fi plot), but it’s almost entirely detached from every single other character in the game.

Atelier Ryza 2 (4)

Given that this is the bulk of the story, hardly any time is left for the characters that are actually interesting, so I imagine you can see why I was so disappointed when explaining my earlier con. I mean, the ruins mechanic is great in theory, but I didn’t like how it took away that sense of adventure that was present in the first game, where it was just a bunch of friends trying to have fun. Now, it’s a very structured affair and it just loses that charm.

I couldn’t quite fit this info into the pros and cons, but I felt I should also discuss the game’s length.  Put simply, the main story is about as long as it was in the first game – 26 hours or so. That’s just the main story though, the Atelier series is known for its wealth of content on top of that and Ryza 2 is no exception with all of the extra side quests and even some post-game boss fights. There is also a new game+ mode that carries over some progress from the main game for those that want to go that route.

Atelier Ryza 2 (9)

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is a worthwhile follow-up to the original. The combat mechanics, crafting system, and exploration were already solid in the first game and have only been expanded upon here with the sequel. It may have taken a bit of a dive with regards to its story quality and the new exploration journal mechanic isn’t exactly the greatest, but if you liked the first game, there’s a lot to like here with the sequel. The PC port is much better this time around as well, so props to Koei Tecmo for that. I imagine we’re not quite done with Ryza just yet, so I’m looking forward to where Gust takes us with the next game.

Score: 7.5/10

Quote: Atelier Ryza 2 is a worthwhile follow-up to the original. The combat, crafting, and exploration was already great in the original, but are even better here even, if the story is not quite as good.

You can buy Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy on Steam here. The game is also available on PS4, PS5, and Switch.

I was provided a review copy of the game in order to write this review. Read more about how I do my game reviews here.

warcinfo:
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2021-31
publisher: Common Crawl
description: Wide crawl of the web for July/August 2021
operator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)
hostname: ip-10-67-67-216.ec2.internal
software: Apache Nutch 1.18 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)
robots: checked via crawler-commons 1.2-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)
format: WARC File Format 1.1
conformsTo: https://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/


text:
In The News

Bringing latest laser tech, Israeli surgeons help young burn victims in Haiti

A team of burn and plastic surgery specialists from Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, traveled to Haiti in January, where they delivered and operated the country’s first medical laser. The laser, donated by the New Jersey-based nonprofit Burn Advocates Network, is primarily used to treat pediatric patients suffering from catastrophic burns, a major health crisis in the Caribbean nation.

Sheba National Burn Center director Prof. Josef Haik and two Israeli colleagues mentored 30 surgeons, nurses, and therapists from six hospitals in Haiti and the Dominican Republic on how to use the laser and carry out other state-of-the-art care to reduce and alleviate disfiguring, painful and motion-restricting scarring.

The introduction of the Lumenis UltraPulse CO2 fractional laser to the Sacre Coeur Hospital in Milot constituted the first international satellite project of I-PEARLS (Israel Pediatric and Aesthetic Reconstructive Laser Surgery Center of Excellence), a recent partnership between Sheba and BAN creating the first laser treatment and research center in the Middle East focusing on healing pediatric burn survivors.

Read More: Times of Israel


text:
Accept Cookies?
Provided by OpenGlobal E-commerce

Please wait while your page loads ...

From patient to Researcher

Living with rare disorder helped steer her life’s work

Shandra Trantham is a 21-year-old, first-year graduate student in the UF Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program hoping to find a cure for Friedreich’s ataxia, or FA, a rare neuromuscular disorder. But her interest in the disease started long ago.

When she was about 9 years old, Trantham began to have poor coordination and balance, which is one of the first signs that appear in children who have FA. She was diagnosed with the disorder when she was 12 years old. But instead of allowing the disease to restrict her, Trantham chose another course of action.

She decided to make FA research her life’s work.

Read the entire article HERE

News & Press Archives

Site Map     Privacy Policy      Service Terms      Contact      Charity Navigator


text:
First Reading Level 3: The Scaredy Cat

£ 4.99
From Usborne's First Reading Level Three, the Scaredy Cat, is about a cat who is scared of everything but must face his fears to save the day! The First Reading Level Three is designed to develop reading stamina and includes a strong element of repitition and repeated words to help young readers gain confidence.


text:
Vanity Fair crowns Masterpiece’s Eaton one of “The Powers That Be”

Print More

Rebecca Eaton, executive producer of Masterpiece, is a new entry to Vanity Fair’s annual “The Powers That Be” list, squeaking in at No. 24 on the roll of 25. Just below her, actor Alec Baldwin; above, Matt Blank and David Nevins of Showtime.

Vanity Fair said of Eaton, “Great reviews and solid ratings have been the norm during Eaton’s 27-year tenure at the helm of both Mystery! and Masterpiece, but with Downton Abbey she has given the newly glamorous PBS its most talked-about show since the early 1990s.” It also predicts a good year ahead for her.

Others on the list include media titan Rupert Murdoch, music supercouple Jay-Z and Beyonce, and Comedy Central stars Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


text:
Esther Jin

What is at the top of your bucket list?
Traveling around the world is definitely the top thing on my bucket list. As soon as the pandemic is over, the first stop I’m heading to is Australia to see my favourite animal, koala bears!

What is your favourite hobby?
I love watching K-Dramas (even when I have assignments and exams)!

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to get involved in Sauder?
Don’t be hesitant and attend the events that interest you! Stay updated by following all the Sauder clubs and services on their social media platforms so you don’t miss out when a new event releases. 🙂


text:
Housing Authority Director Leaves C-ville Post

Indie writes: Del Harvey is leaving her position as Executive Director of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority. According to WINA, Chairman Dave Norris “wants a flexible individual who can work with public housing residents.” There seems to always have been a contentious relationship between staff, the board, and residents. Why is this?

5 thoughts on “Housing Authority Director Leaves C-ville Post”

  1. I could be wrong, but Harvey developed a reputation for being a bit of a taskmaster (and I don’t necessarily think that is bad in this case). She held a high-profile yet high-pressure position to make the housing authority run efficiently. I think a lot of the contention came from the clash between Harvey and PHAR (public housing association of residents), who don’t seem to be a very compromising bunch. I am wondering if she was ousted from her position or did she just get fed up and resign?

  2. Someone please tell me the Progress had the sense to do a long story on this. Please. I didn’t check their web site, so it may well be there. This is just such a meaty, angry relationship she had with the board that it’d be a real waste if someone isn”t digging around.

    I’d get into detail, but I don’t feel like it right now. As an insider, I prefer to keep all the knowledge to myself.

  3. I found the Progress’s slight explanation of Harvey’s resignation on Loper’s website:

    The article does not give any definitive reason for her departure. It just seems odd that she would move all the way from California to Virginia (even though she has family here) to work for the CRHA, and then leave just a few years later. She seemed committed. I can only speculate that the PHAR folks got under her skin.

  4. She seemed committed. I can only speculate that the PHAR folks got under her skin.

    Yeah, I’m sure. And their ally Maurice Cox, too. When last I talked to her, which was darn near a year ago now, she sounded pretty paranoid about them being after her job. Of course, just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.

Comments are closed.


text:
Cybit Sec

We Hack To Secure.

We Create, Develop and Invent.

Advanced Security Level and Development Expertise.

Get In Touch

Our Acknowledgements

Our Cyber Security Specialists and Software Engineers Are Acknowledged and Recognized by Top Technology Companies Including Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Apple and Hackerone.

Technical Expertise Tailored For The Globe

Our Security Researchers have discovered over 1000 vulnerabilities and helped secure over 150 Well Known Companies, Organizations and Departments.

Scoring highest reputations on Hackerone and achieving top 1st ranks in United States Department Of Defense and IBM.

0 +

Security Issues

0 +

Major Clients

Cyber Security Services

Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment

Analyze the maturity of your Information Security Program, as well as identify gaps, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.

Cybit Sec penetration testing helped the US Department Of Defense and IBM uncover over 500+ vulnerabilities.

Web Application Vulnerability Assessment

Advanced and Comprehensive Web Application Vulnerability Assessment with static and dynamic code analysis.

Implementing Modern Application Attacks which cover Database, Server-side, Cloud Infrastructure, API’s design, Email server and DNS Vulnerabilities.

Mobile Application Vulnerability Assessment

Advanced and Comprehensive Mobile Application Vulnerability Assessment (Android & iOS) with static and dynamic code analysis.

Implementing Modern Application Attacks which include Data Storage, Code Review, Network Layer, API’s design, and Code Obfuscation Vulnerabilities.

Secure Code and Patch Management

After detecting vulnerabilities in your application, Cybit Sec Engineering Team are Specialized in Addressing the discovered vulnerabilities through various technologies, securing your code and applying proper patch management in addition to advanced testing to insure that the vulnerabilities are well resolved.

Cyber Asset Protection & Incident Response

Prevention is better than Cure. CybitSec Security Experts implement Deploy Multiple Protection Levels (Anti-Malware protection, Web Application Firewalls, etc) to ensure you safe business and prevent any breach from happening.

Cybit Sec will investigate, detect and respond to any threat in strict confidentiality.

Cyber Security Awareness and Training

Reveal your organization employees strength and weakness, and empower them against cyber criminals. Our cybersecurity services ensure your users are ahead of your attackers.

Cybit Sec Security team also provides security courses for students interested in joining or enhancing their cyber security skills.

Development Services

Web Development

Full Stack Web Development including Front End, Back End, System Architecture, Database Design as well as Server Management, API Development and Integration.

Cybit Sec software engineers deliver custom enterprise software solutions to address the unique needs of your business.

Mobile Development

Full Stack Mobile Application Development including both Native (iOS and Android) and Hybrid Apps (React Native, Flutter, etc). As well as 2d/3d apps.

Cybit Sec Software Engineers can integrate your mobile apps with your business needs and technology (Any Platform Integration: WordPress, Woocommerce, etc).

Desktop App Development

Desktop Application Development including both Native (Windows, Linux, Mac) and Cross-Platform Desktop Apps in various technologies (Python, Electron, Unity, etc).

Cybit Sec Focus on Delivering your Business Needs Using Any Technology Type Providing High Quality Level, Code Accuracy and Program Efficiency and Speed.

WordPress Themes and Plugins

High Level WordPress Development.
Developing And Building Custom Themes and Plugins in WordPress as well as Integrating Our Themes and Plugins With Any Client’s Custom APIs.

Cybit Sec Engineers Manage to Work On Top Most Important Plugins Including Elementor, WPBakery, etc.

Training and Education

Excited To Learn Software Development Or Want To Strengthen Your Level And Want To Learn it The Right Way, Then Cybit Sec is your Choice.

Our Software Engineers Are Specialized in Teaching Software Development And Taking Your Hand to Become An Expert in Web, Mobile and Desktop Application Development.

Search Engine Optimization

Acquire more traffic by getting SEO opportunities to Rank Higher and Get the right audience.

Cybit Sec Specialists Manage SEO Technically by Auditing your Site and SEO Content Template Allowing Your Business and Content to Appear Among The Top Search Results.

Our Products

Cybit Sec Focuses On Client’s Problems and Aim To Develop Products That Solve These Problems and Satisfy Their Needs.

Our Clients

Contact Us


text:
hack text messages

How To Hack Text Messages

For their children’s welfare, parents often need to spy on their children’s mobile phones. When there is a confidence problem, employers can need to spy on their workers’ text messages. Nowadays, the majority of smartphone models have advanced authentication systems. As a result, cracking someone’s Android phone is not an easy job. To spy on someone’s text messages on their computer, you’ll need a high-end app.

So if you are here and you want to read someone’s text messages but don’t have access to their phone? We will assist you if you are experiencing this issue. Nowadays, it is difficult to gain unauthorised access to someone’s phone. People are still preoccupied with their tablets. They rarely leave their phone unattended. As a result, many people are searching for hacking methods that do not require them to access the handset. People are perplexed when it comes to cracking text messages because they have never heard about it before. People are mostly interested in hacking social media, monitoring phone calls, monitoring GPS location, and generally hacking phones. Hacking text messages is just as important as hacking social media messages.

Using a programme for hacking text messages on a person’s phone allows you to spy from a distance. You must gain access to the goal phone just once. Once you have the handset, you must instal and customise a spying programme. Upon completion, you will be able to view the target device’s data from a remote location using your mobile or laptop. Not only can you spy on email messages, but you can also spy on social media content, text messages on messengers, and so on.

Hacking text messages without access to phone:

Hacking Text Messages is becoming more popular these days. You can send text messages in a variety of ways. One of the most popular methods is to use a spying programme. The majority of surveillance software uses text message surveillance as a primary function. You will search both sent and received texts by cracking text messages. Aside from that, you should look at the media that is exchanged through text messages. You will look up the sender’s contact details. You can also read deleted messages by using a surveillance programme.

Many people find the thought of hacking mobile phone text messages appealing. This is because people are naturally interested and want to see what is going on in other people’s lives. Typically, parents like to check texts to see what their children are up to, and company managers want to keep track of their employees. In any case, you should be aware that how to hack text messages without access to a phone is not a difficult task if you know what to look for.

For far too long, there has been speculation about the possibilities of hacking someone’s text messages without getting access to their phones. Each phone manufacturer prioritises the protection of user data. So, unless you have complete access to the phone, there is no way to hack someone’s text messages. But now eventually you can do so easily and quickly.  It is an app that is programmed to precisely hack text messages or other operations on the target phone.

How to Hack text

You are incorrect if you believe that people no longer use text messaging to communicate. Text messages are still widely used by many individuals. As you may have noted, all related updates and warnings are sent to you via text message. You will spy on text messages to find out what relevant warnings and updates the target phone receives. Where it comes to confidential documents, people mostly use text messaging because they believe no one can read them.

Smartphones are a genius technological breakthrough that can do a wide range of revolutionary things. Furthermore, they allow the user to store important data on it, which was not available ten years ago. It also functions as a chat interface, allowing the user to send or display text messages online. Someone else can’t understand how to decipher someone’s text messages if they do not have their phone. This is where spy phone applications step in and provide useful assistance. Spy software can help friends, partners, or employers to read someone’s text messages without needing access to the phones except in a discreet manner.

How to hack text messages without access to phone

Spy phone applications allow the user to read someone else’s text messages without accessing the target phone. However, it is critical to choose a reputable service because using a free platform could result in user data being leaked or hacked. When you know the password or code to open a person’s phone, you can read their messages. It is important to provide physical access to the handset. Modern smartphone applications, on the other hand, have several layers of encryption. Today, fingerprint authentication is built into the majority of smartphone devices. As a result, even with physical access to the phone, it is difficult to read someone’s messages.

It is possible, though, to spy on someone’s text messages from a distant location. You can effectively spy on text messages, Facebook Messenger, and other sensitive information of a target phone using surveillance software. The customer will be unaware that his mobile data is being snooped on. There are several applications available for spying on someone’s phone. These applications provide access to text messages, call records, emails, social media profiles, and the personal information of many other mobile users. It means you’ll have to pay to use the software. Another noteworthy feature is device compatibility. Few applications are only available for iOS, while several others are available for both platforms.

Hack Text Messages

Spying applications operate in the background. No one will detect it if you use it to hack some gadget or records. It operates in the background in an unnoticed manner. It is legal to use spy software. Unlike other hacker methods, you can use a spying programme legitimately for hacking. However, you must abide by the terms of service. You don’t require any technical or hacker skills to use a surveillance programme. And the most awesome thing is that these apps are really simple and easy to use. It is easy to use if you have a clear understanding of computers. You should take advantage of the application’s developers’ consumer service. They can assist you if there is an issue with the programme.

A spying programme not only offers text message hacking capabilities but also other hacking capabilities. You can listen in on-call logs, monitor locations, view multimedia files, and do a lot more. If you are using a spying programme for the first time, you can use the site’s live demo option to learn how to use the software. You could spy on text messages if you want to find out any of this stuff. Many businesses offer mobile phones to their workers for business and security purposes.

If you are concerned about your employee’s actions, you should track their text messages to learn the facts. As a result, if you try to spy on someone’s text messages, you must exercise extreme caution.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


text:
Michael Jackson, Fame and the Loyalty Factor

By May 31, 2005July 5th, 2015The Rax Files

First of all, I am a huge fan of Michael Jackson’s music, from the good ole times of the J5 (I’ll Be There, ABC, Dancing Machine, and every hit or non-hit in between). I loved MJ during the Thriller days, was amazed by all the hysteria and the fact that from 1983 to 1984 or a little thereafter, I noticed Michael Jackson was in the news every single day, without fail, which is incredible.

Fast forward to the trail. There are many aspects of this case which could elicit some comment or another, but for this post, I want to focus on how incredibly disloyal some people have been to MJ. From former associates, ex-employees, maids, housekeepers, it seems just about everyone that had some type of special shoulder-rubbing with MJ has come out to kiss and tell, and tell, and tell. It seems money can buy a lot of things but loyalty hasn’t been one of those things. Is it because MJ is supposedly broke now, so the folks feel they can ask for a pay0ff by Mike? Or have they already been paid, even after they’ve signed these confidentiality agreements, which is a requirement to be employed by Michael. If you work for him, do not go to the press and tell them what you’ve seen while at Neverland. You sign a piece of paper swearing you won’t divulge what went on. But that paper, those signatures, mean virtually nothing now that Michael is on the trial of his life. I mean, regardless of him being what 50 something and still playing with little kids, I would hate it if my so-called friends came out and willingly testified against me. It would hurt so bad I would be depressed. I would feel as if all the air is gone from my body. I would feel dead inside. I would be so angry, so wounded. And the way Mike looks these days, it seems like this may be how he feels inside. Let’s say alot of the people are lying, they are disgruntled employees, or people who wanted to be around him for selfish motives but he kicked them to the curb. Well, those people want to get him back. They want to show him he isn’t so powerful after all. They betray him, they testify for the defense, they give misleading statements, half-truths, just to make Michael look bad. Regardless of their motives, it’s outright betrayal. It’s airing the dirty laundry. It’s kissing and telling and telling and telling. It’s sticking a knife right inside Michael’s eyeballs. I don’t think any of us would want to look up and realize our family, friends, ex-friends, whomever, would hate us so bad that they want to take us out – take the life out of us, by testifying against us. And I think it’s the fame factor. Because Michael is so famous, and so greatly pursued by the press, people are just eager to give folks what they want, for a little bit of cash of course. They feel proud of the former association, happy they have enough info on Mike that they can write books (as Bob Jones, one of his former associates is doing thru his book that’s being released in May 2005). It makes you feel that everything you do and say is being recorded, remembered, archived, just so those things can make a grand appearance one day. When you least want it to, when you’re at the height of your fame, and when those disclosures can do the most damage. I feel for Michael in terms of the disloyalty factor; and would never want to be in shoes when it comes to that. Not that he has a right to commit wrongs; all that remains to be scene via the upcoming verdict, but geesh, what does it cost for his associates to remain loyal. If not confidentiality agreements, money, what will it take??

About Cydney

Author Cydney Rax, her debut novel My Daughter’s Boyfriend was released to lots of fanfare – and much controversy due to its racy content. Since then, she’s become an influential writer with a dedicated fan following. Her other sexy love triangles novels include My Husband’s Girlfriend, My Sister’s Ex (cited by Essence® as one of 2009’s best reads), Brothers and Wives, and the popular novella Desperate Housewife which was featured in the Reckless anthology.

  • Shavonne says:

    It seems like Mike’s associates did sell him down the river. At the same time, if they are subpeonaed, those confidentiality forms they signed don’t mean a thing in a criminal trial. I’m a fan of Michael’s music, but if he’s done what he’s been accused of then he should be punished. I think Michael is guilty and I’m basing this on the first time he was accused. In life all you have is your good name, and when Michael paid that kid off, that said to me he was guilty. There’s no way in the world I’m going to let my name get dragged in the mud or give some brat any of my hard earned money if I didn’t do it. I’d rather go broke defending my name.

  • CydneyR says:

    Well, at this point, I have no idea what’s going to happen. It’s very possible he’s going to be convicted. I think he does need help. He should distance himself from wanting to be around children. At this point, it’s about using good judgment. Your love for kids shouldn’t be so extreme that you are going to perceived as a pedophile. It simply isn’t worth it. But I still like Mike the performer. I remember the good ole days of Thriller, Off the Wall, Motown, all that. I’ll bet if Michael could turn back the hands of time, he’d make different decisions — shoot, I would too. LOL.

  • CydneyR says:

    Okay, I was shocked but pleased he was found innocent. I wasn’t shocked because I just KNEW he was guilty. I didn’t know that at all. It’s just that the media scrutiny makes you think certain things. The court of public opinion can persuade you to think things that aren’t necessarily right. Only the Lord knows what really happened. And I didn’t want to see Michael hauled off to prison. I especially didn’t want Nancy Grace of CNN to celebrate any MJ conviction. She hates his guts and probably has never even met him. LOL. This case teaches many lessons. But I’m too wore out right now to list them. I want to back away from the TV and chill out with a good book!!

Leave a Reply


text:
In-Depth Stories

The Evolution of Johto’s Starters

The three Starter lines for Pokémon Gold and Silver changed greatly during development – two were completely different and then scrapped! We explore what we know about their development.

Pokémon Gold and Silver have recently had a second wave of leaks occur on beta or demo versions. This has taught us a great many things about the Pokémon themselves, including designs that had only made it partly through development before being scrapped. Admittedly, a lot about the early designs for the Starters – ultimately the Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile lines – were known from the first leak occurrence, from the demo showcased at Spaceworld 1997. But there’s still some interesting aspects to add to the pile now, and a good deal to review.

Here we’ll go through each of the Starter lines and show what could have been, starting with the least changed line – Grass.

Grass – the oddity in the middle

Chikorita/Happa Hanamogura Meganium/Hanaryuu
Meganium has a different flower pattern and petal shape in official art compared to the gen 2 sprites.

Chikorita and Meganium seemed fairly developed by Spaceworld 1997, and they did not get changed too much. There are minor changes between them – minor shading differences for Chikorita, while Meganium had a different flower around its neck from official art – only changed in sprites after Gold and Silver released.

But what happened with Bayleef? We have what can only be described as an alien form. There are antennae which Meganium does have, it has a flower, and the green colour used for the three matches, but otherwise we see something very unusual and not like the others. It certainly appears like it was intended to be the middle stage. It looks like a separate creature standing atop a flower, with a circle on its body. How this links to the other two stages with an obvious dinosaur motif to it beyond the antennae is hard to say at first glance.

Bayleef started as top right, which was then scrapped. They took a while to go from Chikorita to the Bayleef we know now.

These three Pokémon’s original names had a common trend – Happa (leaf), Hanamogura (flower + mole), and Hanaryuu (flower + dragon). These differ from their final Japanese names (Chikorita and Meganiumu – the literal Japanese spelling for Meganium). This rules out the chance that Hanamogura was not meant to link to the other two. The name of Hanamogura doesn’t appear to be based on the mole animal, but there’s another type of ‘mole’ – a spy. ‘Mogura’ has been used to describe spies, and that gives a big clue towards a possible explanation for its radically different appearance. Does this make Hanamogura a sort of parasite, or was Chikorita disguising itself before it transforms into a larger Meganium, flower incorporated into its neck, and forced to go metamorphosis as this alien-like creature between those steps? That’s a heck of a design choice there, and frankly a very interesting one.

For better or worse though, this was ditched. I feel this was the correct choice. After all, given the Starter lines have a higher amount of marketing, something that is as strange as that might not quite fill that role well. It suggests at a somewhat disorganised design process – the idea is neat but really trying to make it work like that was somewhat odd. A lot of other designs for Pokémon had been culled too, but it’s rare to see such a radically different form get redesigned, while the rest of the species is practically unchanged.

Interestingly, we can see the baby step towards the Bayleef we know in the .CBB files (essentially testing files for sprite artists to see how they appear before placing the sprite in a ROM). At some point, Bayleef was just ‘Chikorita with a bite taken from its head leaf’ – someone had thought that a good idea, but not yet come up with, or implemented, the rest.

Fire – there’s a bear in there

Honooguma Borubeaa Dainabea

The Fire-type Starter line for Johto was quite different, although we’ll see some similarities between it and the final result. We had a bear theme here, with some fairly impressive hair going on. These three are Honooguma, Borubeaa, and Dainabea. The latter parts of the name derive from bear (kuma and bea), while the former comes from fire, volcano, and dynamite respectively.

These names somewhat transfer to the Cyndaquil line; there is Quilava, whose Japanese name of Magmarashi is a combination of magma with porcupine. Typhlosion combined blast (bakufu) with typhoon to give Bakphoon, and was classified along with Quilava as ‘Volcano Pokémon’. We also know Typhlosion was (in generation 4) granted the move literally called Eruption! Meanwhile, like the Cyndaquil line, these were also pure Fire types.

Sadly the fire bears were replaced, sometime between the betas found in 1998 and the Spaceworld 1999 demo, almost never to be seen again. Honooguma may not be entirely scrapped, however. There is evidence of it in a different line altogether! Prototype Teddiursa from the Spaceworld 1999 demo looks rather based on it, and different from the final form (more rounded, browner colour, and the crescent moon design added on.) Notice too that Teddiursa in Japanese is called Himeguma – certainly another similarity to add to the pile.

Adding to this, Honooguma also appears in one of the .CBB files for Teddiursa.

So when did Cyndaquil come into the picture? It showed up alongside Quilava and Typhlosion without any changes between then and release in the Spaceworld 1999 demo, bar an additional unused alternative sprite for Quilava. However, it was sighted before this demo, spikes and all. Well, a different sort of spikes

By then (May 1998), Honooguma and friends were still present, but Cyndaquil was about as well, without sign of its evolutions yet. It only got the Japanese name of Hinoarashi, a possible combination of fire and porcupine (hi, yama-arashi), at a later date with its final design, so it may not have even been decided to be a Fire type at this stage (it had no states or moves either in this appearance). All we have is its sprite. One could argue the solid spikes, which somewhat resemble those of Alolan Sandslash, were a placeholder in its sprite, but this seems off to me personally given the body is pretty accurate, and this is out of place of other placeholder designs, like that found for Larvitar.

By 1999 Honooguma’s line was removed, and Cyndaquil’s was present as we know it to be now. It was an interesting transition, and one can only speculate when Quilava and Typhlosion had been designed, and when the decision came to swap them into the new Starter role. The .CBB file for Pokémon Gold confusingly include both versions of Cyndaquil, Honooguma’s sprite, and a pair of sprites for a different axed Pokémon altogether, Rinrin.

Water – flippers rather than scales

Karusu Akua Akueria

Totodile and its evolutions didn’t exist in any of the thus far unearthed files until the year of release. Instead, we had Karusu, Akua, and Akueria – ‘Cruz/Cruise’, Aqua, and Aquarius respectively. These were also pure Water types, with the final stage obtained by evolving at level 32.

There’s not much else to go on here, although they do look cute if a little plain. It doesn’t appear that any part of their design got absorbed by another Pokémon, and they remained in the files until 1999.

Totodile, Croconaw, and Feraligatr meanwhile only appeared in the final year to our knowledge. In Spaceworld 1999 and other files around then, all their sprites were found. That said, there is a little more to the story – there is a beta Totodile design floating around. In the .CBB files, the file for Feraligatr includes a different version of Akueria (its head is bent more)… and an early version of Totodile!

Here we see a similar pattern for the stomach to Feraligatr, as well as a different head pattern. Perhaps they altered it to make it more distinct, and also opted to highlight its jaw more.

There were slight modifications to the rest of the line as well. For these .CBB files for Pokémon Silver, the final sprite is in the top left corner in each case. With Totodile and Feraligatr’s files, the Spaceworld 1999 demo sprite is also given, while for Croconaw, we see the sprite used in Pokémon Gold, and a bonus alternative of that sprite below it.

Lastly, one final correction was made to Feraligatr between country versions. In Japan, it had an additional white portion on its underbelly, which was altered for Western countries.

That sums up what we know about the generation two Starters. What were your impressions of the beta Starters? Would you want to see them return in future titles, if at all possible?

Edited by Aldo, ddrox13, Jake, Me, and Sheep.


text:
All customized orders take two weeks to ship.

Rhinestone Cowgirl Pin

Notify me when this product is available:

Saddle up! There’s a new Sheriff in town. Inspired by vintage Las Vegas, this rhinestone cowgirl is sure to add sparkle to any outfit!

1.5″ enamel pin with rhinestones.

*INTERNATIONAL ORDERS: Additional customs charges are rare, but when it does happen it is 100% out of our control. Customs fees and taxes are to be paid by the buyer.


text:
The new COVID relief bill has slashed Obamacare health-insurance premiums for early retirees

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is a sweeping piece of legislation signed into law on March 11. The most highly publicized provision of the act is a third round of economic stimulus. Every eligible American will receive $1,400 for economic relief amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, if you haven’t received it already.

The act also substantially changes health-insurance premiums and subsidies for Marketplace plans. This has gotten far less press. It may have a bigger effect on many who need to bridge the gap from employer-provided health insurance to Medicare.

Overview of changes to the Affordable Care Act

Nearly everyone who purchases health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans will benefit by the changes enacted as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. In summary:

  • Early retirees with an income between 100% and 150% of the Federal Poverty Limit (FPL), who already paid little for health-insurance premiums, will now pay $0 premiums for silver-level plans.
  • Those with incomes from 150% to 400% of FPL will see substantial reductions in health-insurance premium costs.
  • Those with incomes that exceed 400% of FPL will no longer be subject to the ACA “subsidy cliff.” Health-insurance premiums costs will be capped at 8.5% of income.
  • Older early retirees approaching Medicare age will benefit the most because costs rise as we age.

That’s good news across the board for early retirees who need to purchase medical insurance through Marketplace exchanges to bridge the gap from employer-provided coverage to Medicare. Let’s look at the details and discuss the implications for early retirement planning.

Decreased ACA premiums under the American Rescue Plan

Part 7 of this Act reduces the maximum amount as a percentage of income, technically Modified Adjusted Gross Incomes (MAGI), that individuals or households will pay for health-insurance premiums.

The changes in the maximum percentage of household income paid for Silver Health Plan insurance premiums under the Original ACA and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 are summarized here:

In a previous post, I explored Navigating ACA Tax Credits to Purchase Affordable Health Insurance In Early Retirement. It’s helpful to review a few scenarios I ran under the original ACA. I’ll then compare the scenarios under the new law.

Before and after premiums for low-income early retirees (under 150% of FPL)

In my previous article, I shared how early retirees can control taxable income through some combination of frugal living and/or generating income that doesn’t count toward MAGI. They could purchase quality health insurance through ACA exchanges at very favorable rates. This is accomplished by receiving large premium tax credits due to having low incomes. Premium tax credits are equal to the total cost of the premium minus the individual’s or household’s required contribution.

I showed that a household with an income at 138% of the FPL was required to pay only 3.42% of their income toward health-insurance premiums. In that scenario, the household would have paid $82 a month ($982 per year) for premiums. They would have received $1,320 per month ($15,836 per year) in premium subsidies.

Under the new law, things get even better for people in this scenario. They now would pay $0 toward health-insurance premiums. Subsidies would cover 100% of the cost.

Before and after premiums for very early retirees with 150% to 400% of FPL

When I wrote the previous article in November 2018, I entered our household scenario. We have two adults in our early 40s, one young child and estimated MAGI of $60,000. That income put us at 289% of the FPL for a household of three in 2018. We would pay 9.52% of our household income for medical-insurance premiums under the original ACA.

In 2021, unsubsidized health-insurance premiums would cost $14,358 for our family of three. I increased our household income to $62,750 to adjust for the slightly higher 2021 FPL to get us to the equivalent 289% of FPL. Under the old law, we would pay $498 a month ($5,974 per year) in premiums. We would qualify for a subsidy that would cover the remainder, amounting to $696 per month ($8,384 per year).

I ran our scenario under the new law with the Kaiser Health Insurance Calculator. For an apples-to-apples comparison, I kept income at 289% of the slightly higher 2021 FPL amount.

Under the new law, we would pay 5.56% of our income toward premiums. Our premiums would cost $291 a month ($3,489 per year), and we would receive a subsidy of $906 per month ($10,869 per year) to cover the remainder.

This change would save us about $207 each month ($2,485 per year). We would pay about 40% less for health-insurance premiums under the new law.

Before and after premiums for 60-year-old early retirees at 150% to 400% of FPL

Age is one of the few factors that impact premium costs with ACA plans. The older you are, the more expensive your premiums. As a comparison to our family, I created a scenario of an early retired couple in their early 60’s.

Unsubsidized health-insurance premiums for a 60-year-old couple (assuming children are grown and off the parents’ insurance) would cost $22,975 in 2021. For a household of two, the same 289% of FPL would be $50,344. This income number is lower than the above scenario because FPL is adjusted based on household size.

At 289% of FPL, they would pay 9.52% of income under the old law. Their share of the premiums would cost $399 each month ($4,793 per year). Their subsidy would be $1,515 a month ($18,182 per year).

Under the new law they would pay 5.56% of income. Their share of premiums under the new law would fall to $233 a month ($2,799 per year), and their subsidy would now be $1,681 per month ($20,176 per year)

The changes in the American Rescue Plan would save this couple in their early 60’s $166 each month ($1,994 per year). They would also pay about 40% less for health-insurance premiums than they would under the original ACA.

Elimination of the ACA subsidy cliff

The second, and potentially far more important, change that the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 makes to the ACA is eliminating the “subsidy cliff.” Under the original law, if your MAGI exceeds 400% of the FPL, you lose premium subsidies completely.

Earning a single dollar of additional income at the 400%-of-FPL threshold could result in paying thousands of dollars in additional health-insurance premiums. Your subsidies would drop to zero.

With the change in the new law, the maximum anyone will pay for health-insurance premiums is 8.5% of their income. If your income exceeds 400% of FPL, you won’t lose thousands of dollars in premium subsidies. Instead, you will pay $8.50 more per year in premiums for every $100 of extra income you earn.

Eventually, the highest earners will lose subsidies completely and will have to pay the full cost. However, it is a gradual sliding scale down to zero subsidy.

Numbers better demonstrate the impact this new law will have on early retirees whose income just exceeds the 400% FPL threshold. Let’s dive in…

Premiums at the subsidy cliff for very early retirees

In my earlier post on ACA subsidies, I showed how a $100 difference in annual earnings at the 400%-of-FPL threshold would impact us. In that scenario, earning an additional $100 caused premium subsidies to drop off “the cliff” from $683 per month ($8,194 per year) to $0.

A similar scenario under the new law produces a much less dramatic result. An income of $86,700 puts us at 399% of FPL in 2021. At this level of income, our premiums would cost $613 each month ($7,352 per year). Our subsidy would be $652 per month ($7,825 per year). Subsidies would cover a little over half of our total $15,177 premiums cost.

Under the original ACA, we would have paid 9.83% of income toward our premiums. The new law saves us almost $1,000 in this scenario.

Bumping income up to $87,000 puts us at 401% of FPL. At this level of income, our premium cost rises a few dollars to $616 a month ($7,395 per year) while our premium subsidy drops a few dollars to $649 a month ($7,782 per year).

Under the old law we would pay the full unsubsidized cost of $15,177. This is about double what we would owe under the new law.

Under the American Rescue Plan, a small difference in income equates to a small increase in health insurance premiums and decrease in premium credits. This makes planning more predictable and less punitive if you make a small mistake around the 400%-of-FPL cutoff point.

Premiums at the subsidy cliff for 60-year-old retirees

Medical-insurance premiums increase as we age. This new law is most impactful for early retirees approaching Medicare eligibility who are over the 400%-of-FPL cliff. Let’s look at one last example.

Returning to a couple of 60-year-olds, their unsubsidized insurance premium would be approximately $1,880 per month ($22,563 per year).

Entering an income of $68,800 for this household of two puts them at 399% FPL. The American Rescue Act caps the amount a household pays for health insurance premiums at 8.5% of income. Under the original ACA they would have paid 9.83% of income.

This couple would pay premiums of $486 per month ($5,834 per year) under the new law with subsidies of $1,394 a month ($16,729 per year). Lowering the cap that a person at this income must pay decreases the premium by about $1,000 each year compared with the old law.

Increasing income to $69,100 pushes this couple to 401% of FPL. Their premiums under the new law will cost $489 each month ($5,874 per year). Their premium subsidy is $1,391 per month ($16,689 per year). Under the original ACA, they would have lost this entire subsidy by exceeding the “subsidy cliff” by a few dollars.

The new law produces a staggering saving of about $17,000 for this couple.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 clearly benefits early retirees buying Marketplace health-insurance plans. Still, there’s a major problem for early retirement planning.

Planning implications

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 explicitly states that the changes to ACA subsidies are applicable only in the 2021 and 2022 tax years. What happens beyond that? No one knows for sure.

If you haven’t made a decision for this year, or would like to change your plan, there is a Special Enrollment Period through May 15, 2021.

For households like ours who plan year to year, learning of this retroactive change three months into the year is not helpful for 2021. We’ve already decided last December that Kim will continue to work enough so that we are getting our insurance through her employer through at least this December.

We still have 20-plus years until we’re both eligible for Medicare. We have at least a decade when we’re also responsible for our child’s health insurance. Without clarification on what happens to this law long term, we could theoretically pay anywhere from $0 to $15,000 for annual healthcare premiums. Those numbers don’t account for additional expenses if we actually need to receive medical care. They also don’t account for the facts that healthcare costs tend to inflate faster than the general inflation rate and premiums will get more expensive as we age.

Health insurance is still the big wild card in early retirement planning. We may not have enough saved to sustain an early retirement. Alternatively, we may have already saved too much. It’s a massive challenge to plan for something as important to your retirement success or failure as medical insurance. The rules can change at any time.

What to do?

For early retirees who are within a few years of Medicare eligibility, the American Rescue Plan is a game changer. It can potentially save you tens of thousands of dollars in anticipated health-insurance premiums over the next two years. This can bridge the gap to more predictable retirement healthcare expenses.

Long-term planning (defined as beyond 2022) of medical insurance for early retirement still requires assessing which way the political winds are blowing. This is always dangerous. We shouldn’t place too much stock in any plan that requires our predictions to be correct.

In 2016, presidential candidate Donald Trump ran on the promise to “repeal and replace” the ACA. President Trump, with Republicans controlling both the House and Senate, failed to do so. So it seems that some version of the ACA will be around for the foreseeable future.

Under the new Biden administration with a Democratic House and Senate, there is a clear will to expand the ACA or create new government health-insurance options. The politics and economics are complicated.

This new legislation is in effect for only two years. There will be a midterm election then. The political winds may shift again.

Our household will continue to remain flexible. I’m of the opinion that we are not truly financially independent until our investments can produce enough income to pay our full unsubsidized healthcare costs. Being financially independent while being dependent on unpredictable government subsidies for something so important seems like an oxymoron.

Chris Mamula retired from a career as a physical therapist at age 41. This was first published as “Does the American Rescue Plan Change Health Care Planning for Early Retirees?” on the blog “Can I Retire Yet?

More by Chris Mamula on MarketWatch

So much of retirement planning is wishful thinking — what I’ve learned after 3 years of actually being retired

This eye-opening experience has me rethinking how Social Security figures into my retirement planning

I ran the tax numbers for a semi-retired life, and they look amazing

What's your reaction?

In Love
Not Sure

You may also like

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in:News


text:
Royal Wedding Canceled? Poor Princess Beatrice Just Can’t Catch a Break

Princess Beatrice, the elder daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson, may not ever get married at this rate. The 31-year-old, who is employed as the Vice President of Partnerships & Strategy for software company Afiniti, has faced setback after setback in planning her own strategic partnership with fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

The couple have been dating since 2018. They were supposed to wed at the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace in London on May 29. This would be followed by a lavish reception in the Buckingham Palace gardens. Now, they have to decide whether to postpone or cancel the ceremony because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Buckingham Palace Releases an Official Statement

An official statement from Buckingham Palace confirmed what we suspected: “Princess Beatrice and Mr. Mapelli Mozzi are very much looking forward to getting married but are equally aware of the need to avoid undertaking any unnecessary risks in the current circumstances.

“They are particularly conscious of government advice in relation to both the wellbeing of older family members and large gatherings of people. Therefore, the planned reception in the Buckingham Palace Gardens will not take place. The couple will carefully consider government advice before deciding whether a private marriage might take place amongst a small group of family and friends,” The statement continued.

Wedding Woes

This is hardly the first setback Beatrice has faced. She was forced to postpone her engagement party and the announcement of the wedding date more than once. This was because of Prince Andrew’s ongoing scandal. You know, the one where he was friends with a convicted pedophile and may have participated in an international sex trafficking ring.

While Fergie is furiously googling “how to repair your marriage” in a bid to get back together with Andrew–seriously, their relationship is a mess–Beatrice is struggling to make it to the altar.

With the dark cloud of Andrew’s infamy hanging over the wedding, none of the British broadcasting networks wanted to televise the wedding. It had to sting, just a little, that Bea’s younger sister, Princess Eugenie, got the full Royal Wedding treatment with a televised ceremony at St. George’s Chapel.

Beatrice and Edoardo eventually announced that they planned to marry in late spring at the Royal Chapel at St. James’s Palace, located in London, with a reception at Buckingham Palace afterward. Not in the palace, to be clear. Only direct heirs get that kind of thing. But Queen Elizabeth permitted the couple to plan a garden party reception.

Out of Options

With the controversy surrounding the wedding–mostly thanks to Andrew–some Royal watchers wondered whether the couple would be better off marrying in Italy at the estate of Edoardo’s family. He’s descended from Italian nobility. While a Continental wedding might lack the pomp and circumstance of a UK ceremony, they would have more privacy.

Since Italy is one of the hardest hit countries of the coronavirus pandemic, that option is off the table. And most governments around the world suggest against–or have outright banned–gatherings. It seems that if Beatrice and Edoardo want to get married soon, their only option is a small ceremony.


text:
Connect with us

NBA reacts as Uzodimma stops Imo ex-Govs, Speakers, Deputies bloated pension

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Orlu Branch, has reacted to Governor Hope Uzodimma’s revocation of pensions to former Governors, Speakers and their Deputies.

Celestine Agbordike, Chairman of NBA, Orlu Branch, spoke in an interview with newsmen on Sunday.

NAN reports that he also applauded members of the Imo State House of Assembly for backing Uzodinma’s action.

Agbordike said the new legislation had liberated Imo people from the humongous financial burden of servicing past officeholders.

The lawyer noted that the law, which provided that former leaders got new vehicles every three years, was anti-people as the payment of salaries and pensions to retirees remains a challenge in the state.

Agbordike said the Hope Uzodimma administration “has written its name in gold in our history. It has saved Imo State over N1billion annually with the signing into law the bill”.

He noted that the law “was passed by the Eighth Assembly and assented to by Sen. Rochas Okoroacha administration in the most clandestine manner”.

“It was done in a bid to exploit the people of Imo, especially the senior citizens whose pensions are not paid as and when due because of the paucity of funds according to the state government.”

Agbordike said it was unfortunate that those accusing the state government of owing workers and retirees were also collecting huge amounts monthly after being in office for years.

The NBA chairman advised other states where such laws still exists to follow suit and repeal it.

He added that Imo State is now free from the exploitation of former governors, speakers and their deputies.


WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xhtml+xml

text:
Karvinen earns Olympic honors

UND skater returns to action

UND forward Michelle Karvinen skates earlier this season. File photo.

After losing an overtime battle against Canada for an Olympic gold medal, UND forward Michelle Karvinen instead claimed a silver — then boarded a plane en route to Columbus, Ohio to play with her fellow teammates in their last regular season game.

As Karvinen landed in New York, she learned through social media she received the honor of best forward in women’s hockey at the 2014 Olympics Winter Games.

“Max Markowitz and I landed in New York and we were looking for the score of the U.S.-Canada game on our phones, and all of a sudden, he turns around and gives me a hug and congratulates me,” Karvinen said in a UND press release. “I didn’t expect it at all. I was a bit surprised, but I’m very honored to receive it.”

UND’s Susanna Tapani — another member of Team Finland — shared the Olympic experience with Karvinen.

Despite winning the award after tallying five goals and seven points that led all skates at the 2014 Olympic Games, Karvinen gave her teammates most of the credit.

“Any individual award in hockey is great, but I wouldn’t have been able to do any of it without my linemates and teammates,” Karvinen said. “I was fortunate to have such great supports around me with Team Finland.”

Team Finland also had another player, Jenni Hiirikoski, receive the top defenseman award as well.

“I think it reflects on the progress that we’ve made with the Finnish team,” Karvinen said. “It also shows how much the European teams have advanced since the last Olympics.”

As she returned to the United States, Karvinen no longer was playing on a world stage, but with her team as it took on Ohio State — posting two losses with a 2-0 shutout Friday and a 3-1 battle Saturday.

UND ended the regular season at No. 7 nationally and third place in the WCHA.

UND will face Bemidji State in the first round of the WCHA playoffs this weekend at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in a best of three series. Friday and Saturday night’s games will both start at 7:07 p.m.

With the final stretch in sight, the team will now change to playoff mode when it takes on the Beavers this weekend.

Mariah Holland is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected].


text:
Professional Language Translation
Cost cutting or doing things on the cheap is a common business mistake as it rarely reaps rewards. This rings true of translating business marketing materials and product information into other languages using a web tool or machine translator. These are rarely beneficial and often put off potential buyers instead. A good German translation done by a good Professional German English translator is worth more money to any business than using a DIY language translator on the internet.
Some businesses really believe they are one step ahead if they have made the effort to translate information about their product into different languages using online translator tools. A poor translation done in this way say from German to English will put off any potential buyer as he or she would think that the product must be as bad as the translation.
Another mistake by businesses is to use one of their employees who claim to be bilingual in a useful language. Not all people who claim to be bilingual are always good at doing translations accurately. They may be able to translate orally to the point that the subject matter being translated is accurate enough to understand but a written translation has to be written not only accurately but using a certain tone and specific vocabulary. Using suitable language for a particular audience is also a feature of a good professional translation.
If you are looking for a German English translator you will need to ensure the person is experienced, qualified and certified to undertake German English language work. A German translation service that offers good professional German translators will ensure all their translators have reached the required standard that permits them to do an excellent professional translation. You, as a buyer, should be able to request a German translator who is specialized in your area of interest, such as translating a specific technical document.
These sorts of professional translations are not available through the use of internet translation tools, but only through highly trained and certified professional technical translators who know the jargon that should be used in your specific document.
A professional language translation is the best way to approach your translation needs when you know that it will be accurate and suit your intended audience.


text:
One Stop Centre (Sakhi)

Under the One Stop Centre (Sakhi), women and girls suffering from all kinds of violence will be provided with temporary shelter, police-desk, legal aid, medical and counselling facility in one stop station at one stop station.Provide support and assistance to women and girls suffering from violence under one roof. • Providing immediate emergency and non-emergency facilities to the victim and woman, such as medical, legal, psychological counseling etc.Provide support to the women suffering from violence, including those girls below 18 years of age. • To assist the girls under the age of 18, linking institutions formed under the protection of the Child Protection Act 2012 and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, with gender related crimes.


text:
Project FiftyBrew

About a month ago Troy Burtch — author of the Great Canadian Beer Blog — reposted a speech by Steve Beauchesne, the co-founder of Beau’s Brewery entitled “What If Ontario Had A Beer Revolution?“.

What if Ontario had a beer revolution?

What do I mean by a beer revolution? Well revolutions usually involve overthrowing tyrants, and instituting a new form of governance, but my revolution is maybe a little less violent than that, although by no means is it less radical.

Right now in Ontario, 1 out of every 20 beers drank came from an independent, Ontario brewery. By beer revolution, I mean, what would happen if Ontarians chose to drink an Ontario-made independent beer 1 out of every 2 times they drank beer?

Mr. Beauchesne goes on to make an economic argument for Ontario craft beer which doesn’t actually work all that well, but no matter: there are benefits to supporting local — if not necessarily independently owned — brewers. Besides, no living human should be made to drink the likes of MolsonCoors CanadianLight or its ilk. I felt, after reading the transcript of his speech, that I should try to drink primarily local beers. But it was the summer, and it was boiling hot, and goddammit I love me some German weissbier.

Then, this past Thursday, Nellie and I ducked into Smokeless Joe on our way home from the TIFF box office. There we met the charming and gracious Kaylea from WineNotOntario who recommended the Dieu du Ciel foursome on feature. I was no stranger to DdC, having enjoyed their Rosée D’hibiscus and struggled through their Péché Mortel (seriously, man…it tasted like a peach fucking ashtray) but I wouldn’t have noticed them all tucked away down there on Joe’s chalkboard had she not pointed them out. So I tried. I liked. And I decided: I should do with beer what we’ve been trying to do with wine: drink Canadian whenever possible. Uh, this October trip to SanFran/Napa/Sonoma notwithstanding…vacations don’t count. Aaaaaaaaanyloophole, I needed a plan. It wouldn’t do to swear off all non-Canadian beer, that’s just too drastic. But I figured I should make an effort to at least try the best local stuff, especially those I might not normally try. Hence: Project FiftyBrew.

Here’s the project plan:

  1. Go to and download the list of what, according to their users, constitute the top 50 Canadian beers (DONE!);
  2. Mark off the ones I’ve already tried (DONE!);
  3. Vow to try the remaining 33 (subject to availability) over the next…oh, I don’t know. Whenever. No rush, right?

I’m looking forward to scouring the LCBO, Volo, Smokeless Joe, Beerbistro and C’est What for the unconquered bottles. I’m sure we’ll also plan a trip to Quebec ’cause, uh, they’re nearly all from there…Unibroue, Dieu du Ciel and McAuslan alone make  up more than half the list.

Also, by the time I finish these fifty I’m sure the list will have changed, but I look forward to trying the new entrants too. I may be coming at this from a somewhat different angle than Mr. Beauchesne, but I do hope one of his bottles of Beau’s climbs into the top tier.

Wish me luck.

5 responses to “Project FiftyBrew

  1. Peterborough!

    St. Veronus (mostly Belgian) + Olde Stone brew pub (try their Best Bitter), and also go visit King Brewery in Nobleton.

  2. Try west 50 pourhouse in Mississauga…yup, Mississauga. They have 115 beers on tap. That’s right, on tap. Most are canadian with a great Ontario representation. You could probably get all 33 there. It’s located at Hurontario and Burnhamthorpe. Good luck.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out /  Change )

Google photo

You are commenting using your Google account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
Neil Jacobs, a champion of the Youghiogheny River catch-and-release fishery, has been circulating this letter to anglers in the hopes we will join him in asking the Maryland Department of the Environment to balance all interests, including the trout habitat, in its deliberations on a water-release permit. You can contact Mr. Jacobs directly at The contact for MDE is below. The Deep Creek Lake POA web site is

Maryland Department of Environment: Brookfield/Deep Creek Discharge permit GA 1992S009(08)

Fellow Anglers,

We are in the final stages of the Brookfield re-permitting process for discharges from Deep Creek Lake into the Youghiogheny River. The primary stake-holders are DNR Fisheries, Trout Unlimited, the White Water Community and the Deep Creek Lake Property Owners Association (POA).

There has been on-going friction over the years between POA versus Trout Unlimited, DNR Fisheries and the White Water Community.  The POA asserts recreational releases and Temperature Enhancement Releases (TER) may drop lake levels during summer months, causing shallow waters in some coves thus creating inconveniencies to Lake residents.

The variables in the debate are many — drought, Upper Rule/Lower Rule Band, hydrology science, to name a few — making a clear picture difficult for those not students of the issue.

Presently the POA has asked MDE to terminate all TERs in the permit renewal. This would be devastating to the trout population and ruinous for the Yoc fishery.

Over the years DNR and TU have presented science from qualified professionals demonstrating the negligible affect of TERs to lake levels. This has not been acknowledged by the POA, which apparently seeks to present the issue in the worst possible scenario.

POA has presented some unqualified science from residents. But currently relies on observations and anecdotes stating the Youghiogheny fishery is marginal, poorly utilized, without access and non-sustainable. Some of their claims are “the Internet does  not describe the Yoc as a popular destination.” Others claim “all the fish swim to Pennsylvania,” or “there is no public access.”

These remarks are delivered at public meetings/hearings with some force.

It is not clear how MDE evaluates these remarks in its considerations.

It is a fact the POA is strong economic force in Garrett County and is well represented in the public hearings for this re-permitting.

Sometime in October the last public meeting on the permit will be held. Like the earlier meetings, public comment is invited along with written materials. In past public meetings the angling community has made poor showings as well as offering few remarks. We have allowed DNR Fisheries and theTU Mid Atlantic Council to do the heavy lifting. Since much misleading information about the usage and value of the Yoc has been introduced, now is the time for anglers to speak up and describe the value of the great fishing on the Youghiogheny. It is particularly important to mention if you travel here or are a part-time resident.

Since attendance at the public meetings is always problematic, MDE encourages written submissions.  I’m asking you to email MDE regarding your views of the Yoc as a viable fishery. If you would copy me and give your permission I will read one or two at the upcoming meeting.

Thanks for you for speaking on behalf of the angling community.

Please contact:

3 thoughts on “Fellow anglers asked to speak up on behalf of the trout in the Youghiogheny River in Maryland

  1. My wife and I purchased a home in the Village of Wisp last August. Being an avid fly fisherman, I fish the Youghiogheny any chance I get since it’s only 10 minutes from our house at DCL. As a matter of fact, one of the selling points for purchasing a vacation home at DCL was the proximity to the Youghiogheny River. I am not a white water rafter, so I guess I’m a stakeholder in two of three groups affected by the new permit.

    I fish in the catch and release section, and over the past year have enjoyed some great trout fishing. Also, I have shared the River with many other fishermen, so the comments that the Youghiogheny is not a good fishery and is poorly utilized is false!

    In summary, I strongly support continuing with the TERs. I also don’t have a problem with recreational releases, as long as we’re not in a drought situation.

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out /  Change )

Google photo

You are commenting using your Google account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s