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S&P500: The Long & Short Of It | SPX, SYS, ORLY, EBAY, TXN

The S&P500 closed to new highs following yesterday’s Fed meeting, supported by higher earnings whilst also taking comfort from Powell’s comments that a hike is unlikely. Technically, it rests on the pivotal level of 3028, yet resistance nearby awaits. A break above the Jan 2018 resistance level assume bullish trend continuation, whereas a break back beneath 3028 warns of a bull-trap and deeper correction.

Flicking through equities for the S&P500 showed greater potential for short setups than longs. Perhaps that’s a bad omen for new highs on S&P500, although part of the reason many longs were rejected were because they were either too close to earnings or overextended without any signs of a pullback.

Sysco Corp CFD/DFT: Trading just off its all-time highs, prices have had a chance to consolidate below 80 which has provided adequate mean reversion for a potential long setup. The recent higher low has respected the 20-day average and it appears that prices could just as easily break higher as it could produce another higher low to form a potential ascending triangle.

Keep I mind that earnings are on the 4th November, where a notable earnings mis could topple this from its highs. Hopefully though, they’ll be supportive of this compelling setup.

O'Reilly Automotive Inc CFD/DFT: Positive earnings saw this explode higher out of an ascending triangle and found resistance around the monthly R3 pivot (not pictured for a cleaner chart). A hammer at the highs showed prices were exhausted and now a retracement is underway. This may be a little premature for the watchlist, but it’s worthy keeping an eye on none the less given the strength of the breakout.

With little in the way of support above 410-415, traders can see if prices stabilise around a Fibonacci level. If satisfied a higher low has formed, a volatility such as ATR can be used to calculate the ‘invalidation point’ of the bullish bias. Bullish swing traders could then look to enter, or for a more conservative approach, wait for signs bullish momentum has returned to provide greater confidence the low is in.

Ebay CFD/DFT: Long known for its discounts, Ebay’s stock price also found itself on sale following poor earnings last week. Thursday’s large gap lower saw it plummet through the 200-day eMA and now prices are clinging onto key support around $35. The fact it has failed to provide any meaningful rally despite the S&P500 hitting new highs is telling, as is the declining volume during this week’s lacklustre ‘rebound’.

  • Bias is for a break to new lows and for prices to target the upside gap around 32.33.
  • Bears can either wait for a break below 35.00/35.19, or fade into rallies below 37.23.
  • If the trend takes off then bears could look to ‘close’ the gap around 31 and take it south.
  • A break above 37.23 places it onto the backburner, although it still leaves potential for a large rounding top pattern to develop over the coming weeks if it remains below 39.35

Texas Instruments CFD/DFT: The gap lower last week took prices straight down to the bullish trendline and 200-day eMA. So, we’re at another juncture where bulls either save the day and keep prices above these levels, or the dead cat has bounced and we’re waiting for a break lower.

Given the magnitude of the gap from its highs (a breakaway gap) and that the pullback from the trendline has found resistance below the 100-day average, the bias is for a break lower.

  • Bias remains bearish below 122.10
  • Bears can wait for a break below the 200-eMA and bullish trendline. A more cautious approach is to wait for a break beneath 115.87.
  • A break above 122.10 also breaks the 100-day eMA. Bulls could look to close the gap towards 128.23, although 126.63 could provide interim resistance.

Related analysis:
FTSE: The Long And Short Of It | FTSE, AVST, BA, GRG
S&P500: Long and Short of It | S&P, Starbucks, Assurance

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Chief Wahl's Blog

MPD Notable Calls 01/22/2020 to 01/23/2020

January 23, 2020 11:12 AM

The information provided below about some of the calls officers responded to is derived from notes provided by MPD Officers-In-Charge (OIC) at the end of their shifts. Most narratives represent early and preliminary information that was gathered by an OIC from those in the field who were actively working cases. The OIC is sharing what they were being told, in the moment. In many instances, facts and circumstances, even the type of crime listed, can change as officers, detectives and investigators continue their work.

From 6:00 a.m. on 1/22/2020 through 6:00 a.m. on 1/23/2020, MPD 400 calls for service.  This number does not include parking complaints or 911 misdials.  A breakdown of the calls for service per district is as follows: Central (72), East (83), Midtown (52), North (53), South (60), West (47), and Other (33).  "Other" is used for calls that either do not have a sector or the sector is not in the City.  This would be used in the case of one of our officers assisting another law enforcement agency.

**Priority calls only from 1:30-6:30pm due to calls for service.

CENTRAL: Drug Investigation – 5:35 a.m. Officers responded to a central district hotel reference a possible overdose.  Upon arrival officers located two suspects (26-year-old male and 49-year-old male) trying to leave the scene and another suspect (26-year-old male) who was ill, but not overdosing, in the hotel room.  Officers located several drug items in the room and on the suspects.  All suspects were arrested for various drug offenses and taken to the Dane County Jail.

WEST: Suspicious Vehicle – 6:58 a.m. Officers responded to a subject (21-year-old male) who was unresponsive in a vehicle.  Officers were initially unable to wake him up.  As officers were trying to assess him, they located a firearm strapped in a fanny pack to his chest.  Eventually, he woke up and Madison Fire Department medics examined him.  He was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon, bail jumping and a probation hold and taken to the Dane County Jail.

WEST: Runaway Juvenile – 8:12 a.m. A frequent runaway from the west side was reported as a runaway again.  The Juvenile was last seen on 1/12/2020.  There are no medical concerns for the subject and the whereabouts are unknown.

NORTH: Residential Burglary – 8:19 a.m. Officers responded to a north side residence reference a burglary.  The victim reported that the suspects likely gained entry into the garage by using a garage door opener inside of an unlocked vehicle parked in the driveway.  Suspects are unknown.

SOUTH: Mental Health Conveyance – 12:05 a.m. Officers responded to a south side residence for an individual experiencing a mental health crisis. After an evaluation at a local hospital, the subject was left in the care of the hospital staff.

MIDTOWN: Domestic Disturbance – 12:35 p.m. Officers responded to a midtown business reference an employee who had called her employer stating that she had an argument with her husband and he was now following her.  When the victim arrived at her place of employment, she was secured in her office and coworkers called police.  Officers contacted the suspect (27-year-old male) and he was arrested for domestic disorderly conduct and taken to the Dane County Jail.

EAST: Overdose – 2:10 a.m. Officers responded to an east side elementary school reference a subject passed out with a needle in his arm in a vehicle parked in the school's drop off area.  Officers contacted the suspect (36-year-old male) and he was evaluated at a local hospital. He was arrested for possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia and taken to the Dane County Jail.

EAST: Death Investigation – 2:20 p.m. Officers responded to an east side residence reference a death investigation.  Housing staff found the subject deceased inside.  The subject had medical issues.  The Medical Examiner responded and found nothing suspicious.

EAST: Theft – 4:36 p.m. Officers responded to a theft complaint.  The victim reported that he was working at his booth at a local business when the suspect (unknown age male) stole a handgun that was for sale.  K9 Officers attempted to track the suspect, but were unable to locate him.  Investigation continuing.

WEST: Assist Police – 5:56 p.m. Madison Police Officers were called to assist Deputies who were transporting an inmate from one secure facility to another when the suspect (36-year-old female) slipped from her restraints and jumped out of the vehicle.  MPD K9 Officers responded and were able to track the suspect.  The suspect was taken into custody without further incident and released back to outside agency deputies.

CENTRAL: Armed Robbery – 9:35 p.m. Officers responded to a central district residence reference an armed robbery.  The victim reported that three male suspects forced entry into his residence, pistol whipped him, searched his room then fled.  The victim recognized one of the suspects and officers were able to determine a vehicle associated with the suspect.  The vehicle was located in Middleton and Middleton Police contacted five subjects (19 and 20 year old males) who were ultimately arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, armed robbery, reckless endangering safety, burglary, battery, damage to property, disorderly conduct and probation holds and all were taken to the Dane County Jail.

CENTRAL: Armed Robbery – 10:31 p.m. Officers responded to an intersection in the central district to a man yelling for help.  The victim reported that a known suspect (35-year-old male) held a machete to the victim's throat and attempted to take money from him.  The suspect was located and arrested for attempted armed robber and taken to the Dane County Jail.

EAST: Domestic Disturbance – 10:38 p.m. Officers responded to an east district residence for a 911 disconnect.  The suspect (27-year-old male) has bail conditions not to be at the residence.  The victim and suspect argued and the suspect became physically violent.  The suspect was arrested for domestic disorderly conduct, bail jumping and a warrant and was taken to the Dane County Jail.

Posted by: Chief Wahl

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The gel is recommended for use before micro needle, needle mesotherapy and hair removal treatment, as well as before the piercing of ears and other body parts. Contains Zanthalene® - soothing ecological Sichuan pepper extract that, reduces the feeling of burning and other unpleasant sensations that can accompany cosmetic treatments. Allantoin, D-panthenol and aloe vera help with regeneration of skin as well as reduce irritation and redness. Menthol gives a pleasant feeling of coolness.

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    Commercial Property Assistant

  • Job type: Permanent
  • Sector: Residential Property/ Conveyancing
  • Location: Kendal, Cumbria
  • Salary: £18000 - £20000 per annum
  • Date posted: 28/08/2019
  • Job reference: 41288_1566992019

A leading and award-winning law firm based in Lancashire is looking for a highly experienced Legal Assistant to join their Commercial Property team.

This Commercial Property Assistant role will include Liaising with the lawyers and providing assistance as required, maintaining information onto Proclaim and responding to client queries and arranging meetings to name a few.

The ideal candidate will have Excellent organisational, administrative and time management skills, the successful candidate will have Residential or Commercial Property experience as this is essential with Commercial Property experience desirable.

The salary on offer for this excellent Commercial Property Assistant role is up to £19,000 dependant upon previous experience.

If you would like to apply for this Commercial Property Assistant role, please forward an up to date copy of your CV to Ian Mannion - or call 01772 259121 for an informal discussion.

At Clayton Legal we passionately believe your talent matters, so we specialise in recruiting the best legal talent and connecting this to the right opportunities. Clayton Legal is recognised as the talent partner of choice with clients ranging from small legal practices to international and global law firms. Whether you're looking for total recruitment outsourcing or a single appointment, or an overview of the recruitment market our award recognised service can confidently meet your talent needs.

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It all started out innocently enough when our co-founder, Ryan, asked a simple question: what are cleaning products made of? But when he looked at his laundry detergent, not a single ingredient was listed. And that’s when we discovered the cleaning industry’s dirty little secret: they’re not so clean after all.

The proposal

We kept digging and uncovered some uncomfortable truths. Like how most conventional cleaners contain untested, potentially toxic chemicals, or how natural cleaners still use plastic bottles that end up in landfills, while others don’t produce a powerful enough clean. Our mission soon became clear: to rethink every aspect of cleaning.

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We’d been misled by green cleaners that didn’t actually clean, and disappointed by conventional ones that contained unhealthy chemicals. Our search for real, powerful ingredients led us to our signature, coconut-powered formula.

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We knew that other cleaning products used a lot of plastic, which clogs up our homes, landfills, and oceans. We discovered a better way: your first shipment arrives in fully-loaded, evergreen glass bottles, and your refills are delivered in eco-friendly packaging like milk cartons. This reduces our plastic waste to almost zero and also makes us feel pretty good.

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Intimate Apparel

Craig Joseph as Mr. Marks and Kimberly L. Brown as Esther

Seeing the name Lynn Nottage on the playbill for Ensemble Theatre’s “Intimate Apparel” should be enough to tell you that the simple story slowly unfolding on stage is more than it appears to be.

After all, the playwright earned a MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship and is the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama – twice – and nearly every accolade available. And she has penned some of the most powerful modern plays about marginalized Americans and lost voices.

This one, which opened Off-Broadway in 2004, takes place in New York City in 1905. There we find a lonely and illiterate 35-year-old African-American seamstress named Esther (Kimberly L. Brown). She supports herself as a maker of luxurious undergarments for women the likes of the wealthy southerner Mrs. Van Buren (Diane Frankhauser), who is desperate to rekindle her husband’s affections. Esther purchases her materials from Mr. Marks (Craig Joseph), a soft-spoken Orthodox Jewish fabric merchant whose affection for and attraction to her kindness, appreciation of fine textiles and gentle touch are forbidden by faith and the times. She is friends with an endearing prostitute and ragtime pianist named Mayme (Zyrece Montgomery), rents a room at the boarding house of the gossip-mongering Mrs. Dickson (Reva Golden), and is being courted by post by a Panama Canal laborer from Barbados named George Armstrong (Leilani Barrett), who intends to marry her.

These characters are initially drawn with broad strokes and familiar tropes, due in large part to the fact that they are based on an old photograph of Nottage's great-grandmother that the playwright discovered while cleaning out her grandmother's brownstone. The woman’s face was stripped of all emotion and little about her life was known. The few bare facts that have become family lore are revealed in the first act of the play, as is insight into the social and racial barriers of working class people at the time.

The second act consists of a more imagined history, where the romanticized complexities, distinctive nuances and undesirable traits that serve to flesh out these characters and their relationships are brought to the forefront.

The Ensemble Theatre production of this play benefits from the truly sterling performances and rich portrayals turned in by each member of this cast. And director Sarah May does a wonderful job of not allowing the melodrama that resides within this story – which is being embraced in a new “Intimate Apparel” opera coming to Lincoln Center Theater in NYC later this year – to work its way into the storytelling.

Scenic/lighting designer Ian Hinz’s two-tiered set provides permanent space for Esther’s bedroom, Mr. Mark’s showroom, Mrs. Van Buren’s dressing room and Mayme’s parlor, and his rear projections provide sepia toned context for each location. All this is intended to facilitate seamless transitions from one location to another and from one character’s plot point to the next. And Katie Atkinson and Jill Kenderes’ period costuming is spot-on as well.

Yet, flat moments occur in the course of this production due to slow-to-respond lighting cues that decelerate the proceedings and throw off the actors’ timing, and the lighting design allows what is occurring in one isolated part of the set to bleed over to the others even when the lights go to black, which distracts the audience. Also distracting are the off-colors that often appear on the actors’ heads and bodies due to some peculiar overhead lighting choices by Hinz.

Still, there is much to admire about this leisurely unfolding production of this meticulously crafted and pensive play.

Bob Abelman covers professional theater and cultural arts for the Cleveland Jewish News. Follow Bob at or visit 2019 Ohio SPJ best critic.

Letters, commentaries and opinions appearing in the Cleveland Jewish News do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Cleveland Jewish Publication Company, its board, officers or staff.

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Two Years After Q Deal Debacle, GCC is still in Retrenchment Mode

click to enlarge PHOTO BY SAM ALLARD
  • Photo by Sam Allard

On Sept. 30, after two years of construction, the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse will open its renovated doors to the public; that is, to members of the public with tickets to the Black Keys. With massive new frontage on Huron Road, an endoskeletal curtain of LED panels, 42,000 square feet of wide-open atrium space and a very weird name, the downtown arena will be, in many visible respects, transformed.

Until recently, the facility where the Cleveland Cavaliers play was known as Quicken Loans Arena, named after owner Dan Gilbert's Detroit-based mortgage lending company. The costly upgrades of the past two years were financed both with Gilbert's own cash and a slew of public bonds, the principal and interest on which the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and Destination Cleveland, the region's tourism bureau, will be paying down every six months until 2034.

Acquiescing to this financial arrangement — what leaders in Northeast Ohio have referred to since late 2016, without a trace of irony, as a "public-private partnership" — was surely one of the most shameful, spineless, heedless acts by local elected officials in recent years. Not only did the city and county happily mortgage portions of their futures to line Gilbert's pockets, they desecrated basic tenets of democracy in the process.

No accounting of the tenures of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley will be complete without underscoring this odious episode: the one where they sold out their constituents, residents of the second-poorest city in the country, for a billionaire.

There was, however, an inspiring countervailing force.

Through the first half of 2017, during what were characterized — again, without irony — as "negotiations," elected leaders' cowardice and stupidity were challenged, exposed and ridiculed by a powerful grassroots opposition movement.

Led by the Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC), a regional organization of faith groups, the #NotAllIn campaign effectively fought back against the propaganda of the Q Deal. Organizers refused to take for granted the conventional wisdom about the deal's merits and demanded more money from Dan Gilbert, better stewardship from elected leaders, and a modicum of honesty from the news media.

Hundreds of progressive activists and allies joined the cause. It was the most powerful and well-coordinated organizing campaign Cleveland had seen in decades. The issue, which became shorthand for the city's "Downtown vs. Neighborhoods" debate, resonated with Clevelanders for obvious reasons. For starters, the vast majority of them weren't regular, or even irregular, attendees of events at the arena. By the Cavs' own estimates, Cleveland residents made up only 10 percent of ticket holders at Cavs games, and only 5 percent at concerts and other events.

Moreover, this was months after a citywide income tax increase, premised (per Frank Jackson) on the desperate need for additional resources to pay for essential city services. Infrastructure was crumbling; infants were dying; children were being poisoned by lead in their homes; teenagers were attempting or committing suicide at higher rates than in any other city in the country, in many cases to escape the gun violence ravaging their neighborhoods; bus fares were continuing to rise; wages weren't.

Why on earth, given these realities, would the city devote long-term precious resources to the Q? Cuyahoga County — what was in 2017 still regarded as a legitimate government entity — had "maxed out" its credit card, and the public was already paying through the nose for capital expenditures at all three downtown sports arenas via the sin tax on cigarettes and alcohol. That tax had been renewed by county voters in 2014 after an expensive propaganda campaign financed largely by the teams. 'Keep Cleveland Strong,' the yard signs threatened.

City Council was not interested in any of this. Their top priority in early 2017 was securing a supermajority so that they could pass the Q Deal legislation as an emergency measure. Frank Jackson and Kevin Kelley ultimately managed to persuade anti-deal Councilman Brian Cummins to join the pro-side, promising support in what was shaping up to be a contentious election in his Ward 14. (Jackson and Kelley's support didn't amount to much; Jasmin Santana defeated Cummins later that year.)

But Council got its two-thirds majority. The city was to be responsible for the largest chunk of public funding, and the ordinance greenlit a projected $97 million in revenue from future admissions taxes at the Q. This is revenue that was then (and still is) paying off cost overruns on the original Gund Arena construction. It was scheduled to be unencumbered in 2023, meaning that the city could at last begin using it to pay for essential city services. But it will now go toward paying down the renovation bonds.

The sole purpose of passing the legislation as an emergency ordinance was to preemptively block, or at least complicate, a citizen referendum drive.

But the referendum drive came anyway. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199 and the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus, an outgrowth of the Northeast Ohio Bernie Sanders campaign, joined forces with GCC to gather more than 20,000 signatures to take the Q Deal ordinance to a vote, a display of civic force by which even many activist leaders were surprised.

Kevin Kelley and city council's lawyers conspired to block the signatures with a bogus constitutional argument. They were now not only subverting the will of the people via legislative underhandedness, but actively working against them, spending nights and weekends in dedicated service to the idea that their constituents should not have a say in how the city's dollars are spent.

Naturally, the #NotAllIn campaign amassed further energy and righteousness in response. And despite letters from the titans of Cleveland's business community in support of the deal, the Supreme Court of Ohio sided with the referendum seekers. (Frank Jackson, who'd previously called the deal "one of the best the City of Cleveland has ever made," tried to spin the Supreme Court case as a neutral adjudication of two equally valid interpretations of the law.) The Supreme Court was clear: Kevin Kelley and Council Clerk Pat Britt had overstepped their authority. The Q Deal legislation would go to a vote.

This was an outcome that Dan Gilbert and local elected leaders could not abide. It was to be a vote in the City of Cleveland only, so the referendum would not have the benefit of support (as the Sin Tax did) from whiter and wealthier voters in the suburbs.

The battle, almost unbelievably, seemed won. It was said to be the first time in the United States that a grassroots campaign had stood up to sports franchise owner and defeated him. It was historic.

That is, until the Greater Cleveland Congregations caved, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Despite the opposition's broad coalition of organizations and volunteers, GCC had lead the charge all along and held the trump cards. The five signatories on the referendum petitions were all GCC members. And so in late August, 2017, they were able to withdraw the petitions unilaterally, eliminating the possibility of a vote and clearing the pathway for the gussying up of Gilbert's palace — "Cleveland's living room," in the promotional language.

GCC went into spin mode immediately. Its leaders said they had secured a good-faith commitment from Armond Budish, through mediators, to explore the idea of building mental health crisis centers, one of three central asks when they initially pitched a "Community Equity Fund" to complement the deal.

But everyone sensed there had been pressure behind the scenes. Four of the 43 dues-paying member congregations — including Armond Budish's own Park Synagogue — had already abandoned GCC because of growing controversy and intra-church tension, and others were thought to be on the precipice. Congresswoman Marcia Fudge was exercising her influence as well, reportedly making calls to church leaders and asking "what it would take" to kill the deal.

At the time, top GCC members told Scene that the withdrawal had been a strategic decision. Scene had reported in considerable depth on the deal and the #NotAllIn campaign, and we were assured that the details of this larger strategy would be revealed to us in due course.

That never happened.

Two years later, GCC is nowhere to be found on the activist scene. Whatever happened to them? What grand strategy was afoot? And what have new local activist coalitions learned from GCC's mistakes?

* * *

To answer these questions, we first went directly to the source: the GCC "Strategy Team" — more or less its board of directors. The two most visible pastors back in 2017 had been Jawanza Colvin, of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, and Richard Gibson, of Elizabeth Baptist Church. Both are Strategy Team members.

Colvin's secretary took a message but said he was unlikely to have time for an interview. Gibson advised via email that he wasn't the person to talk to, but said he'd meet with the strategy team to think about a response. Rev. John Lentz, of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church, said he wasn't the person to talk to either. Same with Rev. Linda Robinson, (who was also one of the five signatories on the Q Deal petitions). Rabbi Rob Nosanchuk, of Fairmount Temple, was traveling, but said he'd meet with GCC organizers and the strategy team to provide a response.

Ultimately, GCC organizer Thomas Nobbe sent the following message, attributed to Rabbi Nosanchuk:

"GCC remains focused on its work around criminal justice, gun violence reduction, education and health equity issues. We have been particularly focused on building a coalition to push for a pre-booking mental health and addiction crisis center in Cuyahoga County that would keep individuals in crisis from being needlessly incarcerated and thus reducing the jail population. We are making great progress and will have more to report in the next number of months."

Our reporting found that GCC has indeed been meeting regularly with Prosecutor Michael O'Malley and Judge John Russo about the mental health crisis centers. But in May, Donna Weinberger, the Strategy Team member who's been leading the criminal justice efforts, said that while they were "continuing to push for" the crisis centers, they weren't ready to go public beyond that point. Unsubstantiated rumors have been swirling that a location has been found and money has been located for at least one such crisis center. Meanwhile, County Executive Armond Budish has repeatedly insisted that the crisis centers were never promised. Until a U.S. Marshals report documenting inhumane conditions at the jail, and eight deaths in the second half of 2018, he never showed any interest in them.

GCC's real strategy over the past two years, say current members, has been recruitment. GCC calls it their "strengthening power" campaign. The goal has been to take a step back and find ways to re-energize — in some ways to re-start — the organization after the Q Deal debacle. It's what one member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called "retrenchment mode."

"GCC's not been doing nothing," the member said. "They've been doing close to nothing. The main goal has been to recruit new institutions. They're a little cagey with the numbers, but they've had some success."

Another source with knowledge of GCC's operations in 2017 said that what should have happened after the petitions were withdrawn was a public apology to the community.

"Everybody within GCC was crushed," they said, "But instead, they turned inward. The strategy was to protect the organization."

Two other members agreed, saying that the rationale for withdrawing the Q Deal petitions was nothing less than the survival of the organization. There was an understanding that enormous pressure had been exerted, but members were not apprised of the specific pressure points at the time.

"Among the rank and file membership, nobody knew anything about it," one source said. "It was like, what the fuck happened? It showed some of us how ensconced and calcified the power structure in the county is."

Even pastors who were ostensibly part of the leadership team weren't entirely in the loop, one Pastor told Scene. There were accounts of Marcia Fudge phone calls, of "big money" on the line for at least one Synagogue. Toby Cosgrove, the Cleveland Clinic's departing top man, was said to have made calls on local leadership's behalf. Carole Hoover, the daughter of former Olivet pastor and civil rights activist Odie Hoover — and a Frank Jackson confidante — was rumored to be in on the action as well. In the same way that Dan Gilbert had personally lobbied City Council to win support for Q Deal legislation, the biggest wigs in town were hopping on phones to try to fracture GCC.

But this was all secondhand. It was all "a big secret."

GCC leadership, in a 2017 email to members, did say that individual meetings could be scheduled to answer questions.

"It was a classic back-room deal," one GCC member said. "But the thinking was that moving forward with the referendum would pose an existential threat [to GCC.]

Steve Holecko, the political director of the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus, agreed with the assessment, saying he "felt sorry for" GCC organizer James Pearlstein during that time.

"He was in a position that he knew would make the organization look bad, but he felt he had to go through with it." Holecko said. "There was always a disconnect between GCC and the rest of us. Are you in this to make a deal or are you in this to stop the renovations through the referendum process? For the people who signed and circulated petitions, it was never presented to them that this was to leverage a deal, and it would have been difficult to get support if it had been presented that way. GCC knew that."

Yvonka Hall, one of the CCPC's leaders and spokespeople at the time, said GCC's last-minute maneuver "caught everyone off guard." There had been an assumption that if a deal were being considered, CCPC and SEIU would be consulted. But that didn't happen.

"GCC was the only agency with its names on the petitions," she said. "We learned the hard way that we could never do anything like that again."

Holecko said that progressive activists had been "fired up" to go through the referendum process. "The atmosphere was ecstatic," he said. And he still feels that while GCC had the legal right to withdraw the petitions, they had a moral right to communicate their intentions to the broader activist community. Immediately after the withdrawal, GCC leadership retreated. They were seldom available for public comment.

Organizer James Pearlstein had been providing Scene with regular updates. But after the withdrawal he went almost completely dark. He suggested that more information would be available at a later date. Pearlstein is no longer with GCC; he moved to Washington D.C. in 2018. He declined to be interviewed for this story.

Yvonka Hall still speaks with rage about the Q Deal, and what it says about the region's priorities. And while she was frustrated with GCC, she said that they are still welcome to participate in local progressive activist causes.

"They've been specifically invited to the table when we've formed other [issue-based campaigns]," she said. "We're a small community and we have to coalesce. But honestly, right now they're off the radar."

 * * *

When Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing (CLASH), the coalition that forced City Hall to act on lead poisoning, announced in early 2019 a comprehensive piece of legislation that they planned to take to the ballot, representatives from seven member organizations stood together for the press conference: Cleveland Lead Safe Network (CLSN), the Single Payer Access Network (SPAN), the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus, Black Lives Matter Cuyahoga County, Cleveland End Poverty Now Coalition, Organize Ohio, and the Cleveland Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

GCC had been asked to participate — many thought the lead issue would be a natural fit for them — but they ultimately declined, opting to focus on their Strengthening Power campaign.

One CLASH member who worked with GCC in 2017 said that it's difficult for an organization to focus on recruitment when "the lifeblood of any organization is action."

click to enlarge PHOTO BY SAM ALLARD
  • Photo by Sam Allard

"The Q Deal [opposition] was the most meaningful challenge to the local power structure in decades, and now they want to just go out and talk to other congregations? People can smell bullshit. But people also don't want GCC to lose credibility because it's such a huge power base."

Among the lessons that activists learned from the Q Deal campaign, several mentioned that there hadn't been a deep enough understanding of, and appreciation for, the various power dynamics at work in the county. Back-room deals can happen when powerful people operate in the shadows.

That's why a group has now formed to "Power Map" the county, the goal of which is to educate activists and to build power for themselves, to move from single-issue campaigns to lasting political power.

A current member of GCC, who was also involved in the CLASH efforts, told Scene that the immediate and most obvious takeaway was the need for broader representation on petitions and among decision makers.

"There was a deliberate effort, by CLASH, to ensure that it would take a broad consensus to deviate from any plan," they said. "That was the problem with the Q Deal. One institution controlled everything. And even within GCC, the way it's structured, a major decision could be made by a small number of people."

But it's important to remember, the GCC member said, that GCC is made up of people who aren't, strictly speaking, activists.

"It skews, older, whiter, more well-connected," they said. "They tend to be involved because they love their church or synagogue and have a vague sense of injustice. It's so different from the activists in CLASH, who are begging for an invitation to the next protest."

While these are totally different worlds, both are required to make lasting change.

"GCC will always have power because they can get 1,000 people in a room. And look, you need the retired white ladies from Cleveland Heights, and you also need the Yvonka Halls of the world," the GCC member said. "When they're both rowing in the same direction, that's when you can run a winning campaign."

Randy Cunningham was standing behind the lectern at the CLASH press conference, representing both the Progressive Caucus and the Democratic Socialists of America, describing himself as a "graybeard emeritus member."

Cunningham is also something like the dean of local community organizing, and certainly its resident historian. He told Scene that the lessons from the Q Deal are similar to lessons that community organizers learned a generation ago.

Current progressive activists must ask two questions, he said.

"The first is, how do you fund sustainable organizing without becoming hostage to your funders? Who needs the FBI," he asked, "when you have the foundations? The foundations talk a big game about social change, but their real goal is to define the paradigm of issues and maintain control of the grassroots."

The second question, Cunningham said, is how to make organizing the basis for political campaigns and elected office.

"Those two questions have to be answered before there's a substantial leap forward," he said. "But progress is being made. GCC was the only game in town in 2015. But look at the organizations now!"

(He referenced, with enthusiasm, the work of Black Lives Matter, including recent protests at the county jail; Clevelanders for Public Transit; and CLASH).

"These young organizers are getting so much experience from running these campaigns. These are good organizers! I'm so damn glad to see these younger people taking the reins. And I'm so damn glad to see that they're learning. CLASH could've been another Q Deal, but it wasn't. CLASH was a victory. Now the key is stringing victories together."

As for GCC, Cunningham agreed with the activists who said that before long, they'd be back, and that reconciliation would not be difficult, given the right issue. The enemy of my enemy, as the saying goes, is my friend. But Cunningham also cautioned that GCC, through no fault of its membership, will never really be interested in rocking the boat.

"If they really wanted to make change, instead of just playing at making change," he said, "the answer is to quit preaching and start meddling."

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Tips and Info

Help and support at home following the arrival of a newborn

by Lindsey Nathan on 6 March 2019 13:19pm : 2464

Offering home help and an extra pair of hands to new mums

Help for new mums following the birth of a newborn

Stuck on the sofa with a baby that’s finally nodded off but you haven’t eaten in hours, nearly out of nappies, have an ever mounting pile of washing, work to crack on with and housework to do?

Whether it’s one of the above, all of the above, or you just need someone to help with those everyday tasks whilst you take some time to rest and recover following the birth of your baby – Close to Hand can help you. The online service connects you to local helpers who can pop in and provide an extra pair of hands as and when needed.

Self-care for new mums
It is important to recognise that becoming a new parent is a monumental life change; coping with sleep deprivation, worry, social isolation and loss of identity, perhaps at the same time as parenting solo or living far from family that would otherwise step in to help and support you. Many women new to motherhood experience feelings of loneliness and isolation during this time.

Allowing someone else to take on some of the mounting household tasks while you take the opportunity to rest and recuperate following birth and take some much needed time bonding with your new baby can make a big difference to your mental health and physical wellbeing. Focussing on self-care and prioritising rest is really important; try to stop pushing through things and during those short nap times take some time to rest.

What do new parents really need?
Any new parent needs time to adjust to their new arrival and an extra pair of hands to assist with the practical aspects can be a huge help in those first few weeks and months.

Close to Hand Home Helpers can provide assistance on an ad-hoc, short term basis or for a longer term depending on your requirements. The service provides you with the flexibility to arrange help at times to suit you and offers you the choice to select a helper by searching through profiles of those in our local area.

What help can Home Helpers provide new mums?
Home Helpers can be on hand to help with the following:

  • Taking your shopping list to the supermarket to pick up household essentials.
  • Driving you to appointments if following surgery you are temporarily unable to following birth.
  • Popping over once or twice a week to help with the ever-growing laundry pile.
  • Helping with household tasks; running the hoover round, washing up or changing the bedsheets
  • Preparing lunch or an evening meal whilst the baby feeds or needs your full attention
  • Being there on a short-term or ad-hoc basis if you’re solo parenting – when your partner returns to work, works long hours, or is travelling.
  • Helping out with the day-to-day if you’re unwell or just need a helping hand
  • Making a hot cup of tea and sharing much needed conversation!

How does Close to Hand work?
Once you have registered you can browse local helper profiles. If you wish to connect directly with one or some of the helpers in your area you will need to upgrade to our premium membership. We operate a simple subscription service at £12 per month – there are no hidden fees. You have complete control over your membership and can switch it off at any time, or once you have made a connection. If you need the service again in the future you can simply re-instate your membership.

If you would rather wait to see who is available before upgrading then you can post a job advert for free detailing your requirements. Once your job is live on our site, an automatic notification will be sent out to all the helpers in your local community. If your job is of interest they can send you a message via our secure message service. In order to view and respond to this message you will need to upgrade to our Premium membership.

Help when you need it
The level of help received can be agreed by you, using the online secure messaging service, whether it’s daily, once a week or on an ad-hoc basis. Close to Hand Home Helpers set their own availability and their own hourly rate which can be found on their profiles; this is typically between £8-£12 per hour making it an affordable and flexible option. Often Home Helpers are mums themselves with grown up or school-aged children looking for work to fit around the school run, or newly retired people seeking local work with a purpose.

A network of local contacts
Many of the Home Helpers registered with Close to Hand are mums themselves and so know only too well the highs and lows of the newborn phase.

Close to Hand allows you to harness the power of the internet to connect with people in your area, at your discretion, and build a network of local contacts that you can call on. You are in control and determine the level of help and the period of time you require it.

From the comfort of your own home, day or night, you can browse local Home Helper profiles and make direct contact via our secure messaging service.

Register now to find the right helper for you

What other help is available for new mums who might be struggling?
We asked Emma, one of Close to Hand’s Home Helpers and mum of two, for her top tips for new mums who might be struggling:

Don’t aim for perfection - there is a lot of pressure to balance having a baby and keeping a job and keeping fit and maintaining a social life and a clean house. Prioritise what is important in those first few months.

Get out of the house - being indoors all day with a newborn can make for lonely and long days. Try to get out every day and get a change of scenery.

Talk - share your concerns with friends or family. There is lots of support online and local breastfeeding drop-in centres. Baby and toddler groups are great for sharing your experiences with others at the same stage of life.

For further details of local services and support for parents go to:

Ask for help - friends and family will be only too happy to help and so don’t be afraid to ask. Take any offers of help that come your way. If you don’t have a close support network then connecting with someone through Close to Hand is a good option – finding someone local who can pop in to help you out when you need it most will be a lifeline to many.

See how easy it is to get started

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Medical Assistant Programs Robert M Hitch Village, GA

Medical Assistant Training in Robert M Hitch Village, GAHey everyone interested in getting started in a professional career in the medical field, Certified Medical Assistant training programs in Robert M Hitch Village, GA make it possible to achieve your educational goals in a lot less time than you’d probably think.

Regardless of whether you enroll in traditional classes or distance learning courses, you’ll be able to complete your training program and become eligible to challenge the state certification test in a matter of 6 to 12 months.

Get a Brand-new Occupational Path Started With CMA Schools!!

Prerequisites and Schools to Select From

Preparing for Enrollment in Medical Assistant Programs in Robert M Hitch Village, GA

The prerequisites for Medical Assistant programs vary from one program to the next, but virtually all do have a few basic ones. You must have a high school diploma or equivalent and fulfill the mandatory age requirement, pass a background check, and don’t test positive for Tuberculosis and Hepatitis.

What You’ll Learn in Certified Medical Assistant Classes

So, have you reached the point where you need to choose which CMA programs are right for you? It might seem like there are lots of CMA programs in Robert M Hitch Village, GA, however you still have to pick the course that will best lead you toward your long-term objectives. When you begin taking a look at courses, you will have to see whether the school has the required accreditation with a well-known group like the ABHES. Just after looking into the accreditation situation, make sure to search a lttle bit deeper to be certain that the school you are considering can supply you with the best training.

  • Does the program have a career placement service
  • Exactly what is the institution’s certification exam success percentage
  • Credentials of trainers

Certification Information

Will GA Require CMA Certification?

The American Association of Medical Assistants demands certification for future MA – Medical Assistants. After certification is acquired, then you should take the next step and become listed on the national registry operated by the American Registry of Medical Assistants. Upon getting certified and listed, one might expect to see increased pay and a greater chance for work.

You ought to remember the fact that only a few states share the same requirements for accreditation or for job eligibility. You’ll want to verify all the facts with your school and your state board.

Preparing to be a CMA in Robert M Hitch Village, GA

Let’s find out if we can give you a hand if you are in search of information about how it is possible to become a Medical Assistant. The steps listed here are generally required.

    •Receiving a Passing Mark in an Approved (MA) Medical Assistant Training Program
    •Secure Your Certificate by Completing the Certified Medical Assistant Certification Test
    •Last but Not Least, Having Your Full Name Added within the (CMA)-Certified Medical Assistant Registry

Career and Wages Outlook

Medical Assistant Jobs in Robert M Hitch Village, GA

MA – Medical Assistants in GA are in luck as the updated forecasts from O NET suggest huge growth. An aging population along with recent changes in the nationwide healthcare system could result in an rise in the number of additional jobs for licensed individuals through 2020. Due to this growth in positions, you have to have lots of chances to find a new position as a MA – Medical Assistant in Robert M Hitch Village, GA.

The predicted career growth throughout Georgia for MA – Medical Assistants will be 29%, and is also seeking to add 162,900 jobs over the next decade!

Get Ready to Start Your New Career Now!

Thanks to the guidelines and information you have learned here, you’re now able to and start your career as a (MA) Medical Assistant by registering for Certified Medical Assistant classes!

Suggested CMA Training Schools in Robert M Hitch Village, GA

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Health Insurance

Why Aetna is pulling back, big time, from Obamacare markets now

Health insurer CEO on future of Obamacare
New troubles for Obamacare
Hospital stocks take a hit as Aetna retreats from Obamacare
Aetna retreats from Obamacare

Aetna's actions — and those of other big insurers — speak louder than nice words about Obamacare.

The decision by Aetna to bail out next year from 11 of the 15 states where it sells Obamacare plans is just the latest move by a major insurance company to pare back — sharply — its involvement in the markets for individual health plans that are a key component of the Affordable Care Act.

But it came less than a week after federal health regulators suggested that a big concern about the viability of that business wasn't justified by the actual data. Insurers have been saying Obamacare customers are, overall, less healthy than the companies need them to be so that the medical costs covered by the plans don't exceed the premiums the customers pay in each month.

That disparity between the two events reinforces an idea, long stated by Obamacare analysts, that 2017 will be a crucial year for the ACA. This is expected to be when it will become much clearer if insurers can make money in the market, or whether the law needs a fix to allow that to happen.

Aetna, like UnitedHealth and Humana before it, cited financial losses from its individual plans as the reason it would reduce the number of counties where it sells such plans.

Last week, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren suggested that Aetna's recent statement that it would evaluate its ACA involvement may have been prompted by the U.S. Department of Justice's move to block a proposed merger between Aetna and Humana.

"Aetna says this change of tone about the Affordable Care Act has nothing to do with the merger — but some analysts have suggested that Aetna might 'use its future participation in the exchanges in bargaining over its purchase of Humana,'" Warren said.

Next enrollment period 'pivotal'

That said, Aetna's losses on ACA plans are real, as are those of Humana and UnitedHealth.

"It seems increasingly apparent that the big, national insurers are having trouble making money and competing in the ACA marketplaces," said Larry Levitt, senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation. "Some insurers, particularly those that historically served the Medicaid market, are doing better. It's clear that there's going to be less competition and choice in the marketplaces in 2017."

Levitt also said, "The next open enrollment period will be pivotal."

"If enrollment grows in 2017, I think a lot of the current concerns will dissipate," he said. "On the other hand, if enrollment next year stagnates, it will likely precipitate a debate about how to fix the law, amidst big disagreement among Democrats and Republicans about what those fixes look like."

Enrollment growth is important because it is a way that the so-called risk pool can be improved. The healthier the pool of customers Obamacare plans have, the better chance the insurers have of making money from them.

Insurers who have been exiting the markets and other observers have said that the risk pool so far is not what they had hoped for, or priced their plans for.

But last week, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a report on the risk pool that painted a different picture.

"The report shows that per-enrollee medical costs in the ACA individual market were essentially unchanged in 2015, even as costs in the broader insurance market continued to rise," CMS said.

"Moreover, the states with the highest enrollment growth saw significant reductions in per-enrollee medical costs. These findings suggest a year-over-year improvement in the ACA individual risk pool, with the marketplace gaining healthier, lower-cost consumers as it grew," CMS wrote in its blog.

What is most significant about Aetna's reasoning... is that it is saying the claims experience is getting worse not better.
Robert Laszewski
president, Health Policy and Strategy Associates

CMS also said that it expects the risk pool to keep growing and to improve as a result of several actions planned by the agency, including strengthening the outreach it makes to people, particularly young adults, which will include reminding them of the tax penalty for failing to have insurance.

Levitt said that while the data suggest that the risk pool improved in 2015, the second year of Obamacare sales, "there's no systematic data yet on what 2016 looks like."

"Individual insurers can see how their own risk pools and finances are shaping up, but no one insurer has the full picture," he said.

Robert Laszewski, president of Health Policy and Strategy Associates, said, "What is most significant about Aetna's reasoning for dramatically cutting back on its participation in the ACA exchanges is that it is saying the claims experience is getting worse not better."

"People had hoped the risk pool would have stabilized midway through the third year," Laszewski said. But "other carriers [insurers] I talk to are finding the same continued deterioration in the risk pool."

"What I find most disconcerting is that the local Blue Cross plans are in a real bind here," he added. "One plan after another is reporting unsustainable underwriting results in the ACA exchanges but, given their long-standing commitment to their states, it isn't so simple for them to walk away as the big for-profits like United, Humana and now Aetna are doing."

"I don't think you can underestimate just how critical the instability of the ACA risk pool is," Laszewski said.

Obamacare consumers are 'highly price sensitive'

Officials in the U.S. Health and Human Services Department noted Tuesday that Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini in April had said that if the company was to go out and buy the 1.2 million Obamacare customers it had "it would cost us somewhere around $1.2 billion to acquire them," and that it would cost up to $750 million to build out the 15 state markets where it now operates.

Bertolini then added, "So in the broad scheme of things, we are well, well below any of those numbers from the standpoint of losses we've incurred in the first 2 ½ years of this program. So we see this as a good investment."

Sara Collins, vice president of the Health Care Coverage and Access program at the Commonwealth Fund, said Aetna's decision to drop out of many markets despite that picture Bertolini painted last spring could well reflect how Obamacare has given consumers more power in the individual insurance market.

Collins noted that the Obamacare consumer market is highly price sensitive, with more than 40 percent of returning enrollees switching plans, often because they wanted to pay a lower premium than they had been paying.

"It is not surprising given the high level of price competition that there will be winners and losers in the reformed individual insurance market," Collins said. "Aetna's announcement this week is consistent with this."

Collins also noted that an Urban Institute analysis of Obamacare competition in a select number of rating areas in 26 states suggested that big national insurers often are not pricing their plans as competitively as are Blue Cross-affiliated insurers, regional insurers, provider-sponsored insurers and Medicaid insurers that are selling ACA coverage.

"While UnitedHealth Group participated in more than half of the regions the researchers analyzed, its premiums were higher relative to their competitors in most markets," Collins said. "In 2016, United was one of the two lowest-cost insurers in 18.5 percent of the regions analyzed. This was true of Aetna in 16 percent of the regions and Humana in 6.2 percent.


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Tom's Hill - Truro

Toms Hill TruroTom's Hill is a neighborhood of single-family homes located in South Truro.  Views of the Pamet River, Pamet Harbor and Cape Cod Bay are found in many vantage points in the neighborhood.  Toms Hill is located in South Truro off Castle Road, west of Route 6.  This location is within walking distance of Corn Hill Beach and the Castle Hill Center for the Arts.

Tom's Hill Homes For Sale

No listings were found matching your search criteria.

What's Your Home Worth? Find out now, for Free.

Let's Go


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E-mail: ktf@szktf.com.cn

Home  >  Seat
  • Introduction to HVOF Coating

Introduction to HVOF Coating

Valve Seat: The detachable surface parts in valve are used to support the valve spool in the fully closed position and constitute a sealed part. Generally, valve seat diameter is the maximum flow diameter of the valve.

Product parameters

Brief Introduction

High-velocity oxygen-fuel is a new thermal spray technology invented by Browing in the United States in 1981. Nowadays, it is generally called HVOF (High-velocity oxygen-fuel). The flame generated by this technology is a high-temperature, high-speed combustion flame flow generated by using a hydrocarbon-based gas or hydrogen such as propane or propylene, and high-pressure oxygen in a combustion chamber or in a special nozzle. The velocity of the combustion flame can reach more than five Mach (1500 m/s). The axial direction of the powder is fed into the flame, and the sprayed particles can be heated to a molten or semi-molten state. Accelerate the velocity of the combustion flame to a speed of up to 300-500 m/s or even higher, resulting in a high-density, dense, high-quality coating.

The HVOF has a high speed, but the temperature is relatively low, about 300 ° C. For the spraying of WC-Co cemented carbide, the decomposition of WC during spraying can be effectively suppressed. The coating not only has high bonding strength, but also has excellent compactness and abrasive resistance. The abrasive resistance of the coating greatly exceeds that of the plasma sprayed layer, which is equivalent to the explosive sprayed layer and exceeds the hard chrome layer and the sprayed layer. The range of applications is extremely wide.

Technical functions and characteristics

1. Applying the thermal spray process, the corresponding materials can be used for different requirements on the surface properties of the material parts, so that the performance of the surface of the machine parts after spraying is greatly changed.

2. The process can obtain excellent abrasive resistance, corrosion resistance, heat insulation, insulation and other properties that the substrate does not have. Extend the life of the substrate to several times to tens of times.

3. While saving a lot of high-quality materials, it can also exert excellent performance unmatched by conventional and other special treatments.

4. Due to the superior performance of the workpiece, material and parts inventory can be saved, thereby greatly reducing the downtime and improving economic efficiency.

If you are interested in our technology or products, you are welcome to contact our customer service for more information.

  • Suzhou Kaitianfu Machinery Co., Ltd.
  • Add: Linhu Cailian Industrial Park, Wuzhong District Suzhou City, Jiangsu Prov., China
  • Tel: +86 512 6653 2885
  • Mob: +86 189 9444 4988
  • E-mail: ktf@szktf.com.cn
  • aaron.szktf@gmail.com


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These articles do not necessarily reflect official positions of the Council of Europe

Blog Blog

The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Trend – The use of personal devices in the workplace.

The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Trend – The use of personal devices in the workplace.

The time has gone where those with access to cutting edge technology was limited to individuals working in enterprise environments. Today, information is freely available about the quality, robustness and efficiency of products, which enables ordinary users to receive and track news of what the domestic or international electronics market, has to offer.

On the other hand, many companies still operate more traditional forms of supply acquisition, with all the usual bureaucracy and delays. This, combined with volatile budget policies, leads to a tendency for a decrease in the pace of technological modernization in the workplace.

Thus, an increasing reality present in Brazil, is that often employees prefer to use their own devices, more modern and versatile, to conduct their activities than to use those offered by their employer. In this context, managers, rather than banning or ignoring this, may choose to cautiously take advantage of the model, known as BYOD - Bring Your Own Device.

As with many other day to day facts of life, this partnership between worker and employer can be productive, however, the following precautions should be considered and adhered to.

Firstly, with regard to the risks involved and to the terms of art. 2 of CLT, the company must define which activities may be carried out on the private equipment of their employees. Equally the employee should understand the necessity to use original software, tools and adequate security configurations as failure to do so would leave the company infrastructure vulnerable.

In fact, it is essential that each party understands from the outset their own responsibilities. An issue of some considerable controversy revolves around the issue of interference, by employers, into the equipment of its employees and the monitoring of such equipment.

It is important to note that, at present, there are no firm precedents regarding the legality of monitoring an employee’s own equipment, especially as it may contain their own private content, the manipulation of which could prove highly problematic.

Thus, where a company recognises, for its security, that personal equipment with access to its systems should be verified, it must be recognized that there is no legal provision or consolidated jurisprudential position on the point and that as such it is essential that the employer expressly negotiates, clarifies and formalizes this situation with its employees.

So, an essential step for the protection of all parties involved is to formalize in a specific document the settings and conditions that must be applied if any technological equipment is used.

Moreover, during this process, standards and minimum configurations can be set to grant access to the systems, whilst also demanding periodic verification that the employee is continuing to meet these requirements.

It is also important that rules be clarified regarding the working hours of the employee prior to the adoption of the BYOD model, it is a good idea to set timetables and to limit the availability of the worker through their devices, as, the use of such private property, should not necessarily be considered as overtime or being on duty.

Finally, to summarize, the principles governing this new facet of the employment relationship may be those that, not contrary to the law, create interesting situations for the parties, demonstrating the free and conscious choice of each to assume the risks of the proposal whilst avoiding the potential for future trouble. Anyhow, the equilibrium of work relationships, whatever the case, should always be preserved as we can have little doubt as to which side the law is most likely to favor.

Renato Opice Blum - Attorney, Economist and President of the IT Advisory Board of Fecomercio.

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News and Publications
Corporate news

Coface enhances the customer experience

One of the priorities of Coface’s three-year strategic plan is to enhance Client Service.

In that respect, laying the foundations for digital transformation to meet customers’ needs is the key.

In recent years, Coface has paved the way for digital innovation with a series of web-based services, such as the Dashboard or CofaServe.

  • Click on the video for a brief summary of this innovation journey.

Coface clients will discover a fully revamped version of CofaNet Essentials, the online management tool for credit insurance: a modernized look and feel, optimized for all mobile devices, providing an enriched and customized experience.

This new CofaNet Essentials comes with a new ‘entry-door’, which will bring enhanced capabilities for digital communication with customers: direct login to all Coface applications, targeted news and product documentation in all formats (text, audio, video) as well as contact forms.

Carina REILE

Communications Manager
Marxergasse 4c
1030 Wien
Tel: +43/1/515 54-0

See also

Protect and control potential non-payment with Credit Insurance

Customer Portal CofaNet Essentials

Customer App CofaMove

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2 Keys to Impartially Valuing Your Company’s Hard-to-Value Assets – April 02, 2019 by Josh Lefcowitz

Determining the fair value of the assets listed on your company’s financial statements, or even a portion of them, is not an easy task. It often leads to ethical dilemmas because of the significant professional judgment required. This is particularly true when valuing investments that are not actively traded, such as securities, debt instruments and other hard-to-value assets. As an analyst with your company’s best interests in mind, it’s important to focus on two key areas to create a sound valuation that will not only aid your company in fairly evaluating its assets, but also can stand up to an audit by an accounting firm down the road.

1. Understand Best Practices and Applicable Professional Standards

One approach to ensure you are doing all you can to remain ethical is to have a solid understanding of the standards that apply to you if you are credentialed by one or more professional organizations, such as the AICPA for example. If you are not a CPA or do not possess any valuation certifications, then no professional standards may apply; however, you can still use these standards as a roadmap for best practices in the industry. Without taking a deep dive into this area, there are a couple items worth mentioning:
Be impartial, not an advocate. Even in a management-prepared valuation, best practices are that the analyst is an advocate of their own opinion, not that of the employer. This is a critical point because it defines your primary role in the valuation, which is generally to determine the value in an independent fashion, free from the agenda of others.
Know what you know (and what you don’t). Professional competence is the foundation of functioning ethically within any specialized field. Simply put, you must be confident in your own skill set to perform the valuation in a sound manner. If you are unsure for any reason you are up to the task, it’s in the best interest of your company to seek assistance from an outside qualified professional.

2. Avoid Agenda-Driven Conclusions

By their nature, the types of valuations we are discussing are subjective and require professional judgement. Notionally, this is the root of the phrase that valuation is more of an art than science (or at least as much art as it is science). In reality, there is a chasm between creating a piece of artwork and a qualified, competent professional using his or her judgement based on training and experience to make a subjective determination.
That said, because there is subjectivity in a valuation, the most ethical approach is to provide a well-documented, fact-driven determination rather than an agenda-driven one — which can influence and often skew conclusions in favor of a company’s desired outcome. The difference between a well-documented, fact-driven determination and an agenda-driven assumption is most often identified by the corroborating support and evidence that drives the assumption. An analyst approaching the valuation with an agenda already in mind will often:

  • Ignore information that does not support the desired conclusion;
  • Rely solely on prior “experience,” which can be difficult to substantiate or disprove;
  • Use a variety of assumptions that each have a slight impact to the conclusion, but in the aggregate can have a meaningful impact.

In the end, your ability to make a sound, professional judgment will rely upon the quality and integrity of the evidence you use.
These two foundational yet critical steps to preparing your company’s valuation — understanding best practices in valuation and using sound judgement to avoid the agendas of others — can set the stage for a supportable valuation that your company, and your auditors, can rely on.

>> For more on this topic, listen to our webinar, “Ethics in Valuation.”
Please contact a member of your service team, or contact Josh Lefcowitz at jlefcowitz@cohencpa.com for further discussion.

Cohen & Company is not rendering legal, accounting or other professional advice. Information contained in this post is considered accurate as of the date of publishing. Any action taken based on information in this blog should be taken only after a detailed review of the specific facts, circumstances and current law.


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Investing in Syndicated Mortgages

Key Facts About Investing in Syndicated Mortgages

Even though syndicated mortgages might sound like some exotic investment vehicle, the truth is that they are just another way to borrow and lend money…and bring in interest as an investor. Let’s take a look at some facts that people new to this market may not know.

Yes, syndicated mortgages are loans too.

Just like any other mortgage, the person taking one out agrees to pay a lender back over time. The difference is that a syndicated mortgage has multiple lenders or investors providing the funding. A mortgage is one of the more solid investments because the borrower has a contractual duty to pay back the amount owed, with interest. Investing in mutual funds, stocks and other securities comes with no such guarantee.

That doesn’t mean that risk is not involved.

Any investment beyond deposits in a government-insured savings account carries risk. That’s why the interest rates that those accounts pay are always the lowest. The more risk that an investment carries, the higher interest rate the investor can expect. If you buy into a mutual fund, you’re hoping that the return will be as high as 10 or 12 percent – if not higher – because there is the risk that you could lose your whole investment if the value tanks.

With a syndicated mortgage, the borrower could still default, so you could lose your money. In a mortgage, there is collateral involved – if you’ve invested in a residential mortgage, the borrower would have his home foreclosed and sold. In the meantime, though, you wouldn’t be getting any payments, and it’s likely that the home will be sold for less than the amount owed, so you wouldn’t get all of your money back. So while you’re extremely unlikely to end up with nothing, you could get a lot less than you expect. Mortgages do have a lot more security than investing in the stock market does, but you still need to know that there is risk.

You do have the protection of provincial regulations.

Each province in Canada regulates provincial regulations. For example, in Ontario, it’s the MBLAA (Mortgage Brokers, Lenders and Administrators Act) that governs them. The Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) carries out enforcement of the law, and anyone providing syndicated mortgages in the province must have licensure as a mortgage broker or agent.

You need to research the property before you invest.

Take a look at the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of a mortgage before you invest. If the LTV ratio is 90%, that means the borrower is only putting down 10%, which suggests a higher risk. An LTV ratio of 60% means that the borrower had enough funds on hand to put down almost half of the purchase price. Also, the property value itself is important. You’ll want to find out how the amount of the loan compares to the appraisal on the property, to ensure that in the case of default you will be able to get something close to what you invested for your share.

Now the good part: Investment returns

When you read the website of a syndicated mortgage provider, you’ll see investment returns of 8% or more. However, this is just your expected rate of return. This is not a guaranteed rate – if it were, remember that there wouldn’t be much risk. This is why you need to pay attention to the builder’s reputation (the one taking out the mortgage for construction), as well as the possibility that the builder might sell the project – in addition to performing due diligence on your appraisal.

Just remember – this is not a liquid investment.

With a liquid investment, you can find a secondary market to sell the paper and take cash when you need it. With a syndicated mortgage, you cannot get your money back until the term or contract comes to an end. The contract terms bind you – not just the borrower.

Can you use RRSP funding to invest in a syndicated mortgage?

Yes, in most cases. Generally you can also use RSIP, LIRA, RRIF, RFSA and RESP funds to invest as well.

So are all syndicated mortgages alike?

Not at all. The contracts read similarly, but each project and property has its own characteristics. You might make 16% on one contract, but you might see the next one go into foreclosure. This is why it is crucial to read up on the reputation of your syndicated mortgage provider, the builder and anyone else involved in the project.

Still have questions? Get in touch with a syndicated mortgage provider today. Each loan is different – and each borrower has different needs. A reputable broker will patiently answer all of your questions and be up front about the balance between risk and reward for each potential loan.

Daniel K. Akowuah | Mortgage Professional / DLG Underwriter
Toll Free: 1(877)756-1119 | PH:1(780)756-1119 | FX:1(877)238-7794
 DLC Brokers for Life Inc. (Brokerage) - 2nd Floor, 5303 91st Edmonton, AB T6E 6E2

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2,000 Years of Christ's Power Vol. 4

The Age of Religious Conflict
  • By Nick Needham

The Renaissance and Reformation were exciting times of learning and discovery - they pushed the boundaries of accepted thought. The repercussions of this, however, were that they left in their wake a period of universal uncertainty. The centuries-old status quo had been turned on its head. Nothing was stable anymore. Conflict ensued.

The fourth volume of 2,000 Years of Christ's Power spans from the 16th to the 18th century. It presents a time from which English Protestantism, Scottish Presbyterianism, and French Catholicism, to name only a few, were birthed and refined. Perhaps few eras have had such a direct impact on the characteristics of our own period of history.

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    Product Specs
    • SKU: 9781781917817
    • Manufacturer: Christian Focus Pubn
    • ISBN 13: 9781781917817
    • Publication Date: 09/01/2016
    • Format: Hardcover
    • Author: Nick Needham
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Tag: Indiana Pacers

Bankers Life Fieldhouse eyes $360-mn facelift

Bankers Life Fieldhouse facelift

The Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home to the Indiana Pacers, is poised to undergo major improvements now that the NBA team has agreed to stay in Indianapolis, according to media reports. The deal includes $360 million for capital improvements composed of an estimated $270 million from state and Capital... » Read more

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Joseph A. Sirola ’51, Actor, Voiceover Artist

a man holding an award

Joseph A. Sirola ’51, an actor and voiceover artist who played regular roles on TV and the stage but had an even more successful career behind the microphone in hundreds of commercials, died in New York City on February 10, 2019. He was 89.

Sirola acted on Broadway, in small theaters, on TV soap operas and dramas, and in the occasional movie; he even produced on and Off Broadway late in life. But his vocal flexibility made him far richer. In the 1960s he began doing voiceover work and soon found himself in high demand. A 1971 article about Sirola said he could be heard in 40 different commercials at that time and speculated that Americans who listened to the radio or watched TV probably heard his voice every day. He took considerable pride in the vocation, and said in the same interview, “The day is long past when a person who is merely a good announcer can do an effective commercial.”

Sirola was born on October 7, 1929, in Carteret, N.J., to Anton and Ana (née Dubrovich); both had emigrated from what is now Croatia. Sirola grew up in New York City and graduated from Stuyvesant in 1947. He earned a business degree from the College.

After service in the Army, Sirola took a job as a sales promotion manager at Kimberly-Clark. When a girlfriend told him, “You’re much more than a salesman,” he took some courses in the arts at Hunter College, one of which was in acting. His first Off Broadway credit was in 1959 in the play Song for a Certain Midnight, and he made his Broadway debut the next year, playing the proprietor of a bar in The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Later Broadway acting credits included Golden Rainbow in 1968 and a revival of Pal Joey in 1976. At the same time, he was getting an increasing amount of TV work, playing roles on ’60s and ’70 shows like Get Smart, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Hawaii Five-O, The Magician and The Montefuscos. In 1989, Sirola played the father of the title character in Wolf.

Sirola was also known for the rooftop garden he kept at his penthouse on the Upper East Side. His roses were legendary: He generally sported one in his lapel when he attended Broadway openings, and each June he hosted a storied “Champagne and Roses” party.

While filming the 1984 TV movie Terrible Joe Moran, Sirola found a fellow gardener in the film’s star, James Cagney CC 1922. Just a few years ago, Sirola invested $100,000 in the Off Broadway biographical musical Cagney, which he produced and which played more than 500 performances. It wasn’t Sirola’s first job as a producer; he worked on the Broadway musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, which won the Tony for best musical in 2014.

Throughout his performing and producing careers, Sirola continued voiceover work. He was still working when webisodes arrived: In 2010, in a series of fake mini-documentaries for Volkswagen, he played a fictional codger named Sluggy who was said to have accidentally invented a game of punching someone in the arm any time a VW was spotted.

Sirola is survived by his longtime companion, Claire Gozzo; daughter, Dawn Bales; and three grandchildren.

— Lisa Palladino


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Brands I Love 2017

Another draw for the All Blacks in 2017.

Just as they did against the British and Irish Lions earlier this year, the All Blacks have once again had to settle for a draw – this time in New Zealand’s Brands I Love survey.

But it’s no mean feat as the All Blacks have increased their popularity with Kiwis in the last 12 months to share the title of New Zealand’s Most Loved Brand with Whittaker’s, the seemingly unbeatable champion of the past three years.

In the 2017 Brands I Love rankings released by Colmar Brunton this week, Air New Zealand stayed strong to hold on to its place in third, Tip Top retained fourth place and online marketplace Trade Me moved up from 10th place to sixth-equal with Pineapple Lumps.

Wattie’s, New World and Mainland all moved into the top 10, and there were a number of newcomers to the top twenty with L&P leaping up 16 places to 13th, a notable result for the iconic soft drink, making the top 20 for the first time in three years. The Silver Ferns netball team jumped 17 places to 17th and Briscoes resumed its position in the top 20, moving up 16 places to 19th.

Colmar Brunton Chief Client Officer, Sarah Bolger, says those in the top 20 are experiencing the benefits of having a meaningful and different approach to the way they build their brand.

“Our top three brands in particular are effective at staying top of mind by appealing to their audience and setting trends. A great example of this is the Air New Zealand safety video – its ‘fantastical journey’ video not only ensures you get safely to your destination but is also entertaining and engaging.”

While the top three qualities of the leading brands were ‘being kiwi’, along with ‘well-known’ and ‘great value for money’, each brand also had specific strengths with Whittaker’s scoring highly in ‘indulgence’ and the All Blacks considered ‘inspiring’.

“Our top two brands are expert at playing to their strengths and amplifying those qualities, for example Whittaker’s emphasise their indulgent appeal in their campaign involving Nigella Lawson and her high profile friends” Ms Bolger says.

“The All Blacks are inspirational role models on the rugby field and also appeal to every day kiwis through well-known brands such as Weet-Bix.

“Forging a meaningful connection with consumers helps to build financially strong brands. The message to other brands is don’t leave your audience behind.”

A representative sample of 1000 New Zealanders were surveyed online and the survey has a maximum margin of error of + or – 3.1%.

Group Account Director


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Songwriter's Corner|

Next Free Workshop – Thursday, March 19th

Singer Songwriters: Come together, play your songs, talk about what inspires you, do something spontaneous, and get positive feedback from other Songwriters! Free! Bring your own instruments if possible. Ukelele lessons at 7:00 pm as well 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Inspire Life Studio is located at 938 West 8th  Avenue, Denver, CO | 303-600-8543

Inspire Life Studio @

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The John Lennon Songwriting Contest (JLSC), the international songwriting contest open to both amateur and professional songwriters, has announced the opening of the Session I contest and will accept submissions until June 15. 12 grand prize winners and 36 finalists will be announced on Sept. 1. Contest entry fees help support the non-profit John Lennon Educational Tour Bus.

Featuring over $300,000 in cash awards and prizes, the John Lennon Songwriting Contest provides songwriters with the opportunity to get their music heard. New for 2015, the JLSC has welcomed Flea (the Red Hot Chili Peppers), Grammy Award-winner producer Noel “Detail” Fisher (Beyoncé, Drake, Lil Wayne) and alt-rockers American Authors to the Executive Panel of Judges. Other noteworthy judges for the contest include George Clinton, Taylor Momsen (the Pretty Reckless), Prince Royce, 311, Fergie (the Black Eyed Peas) and more. Notable past winners include Grammy nominee Meghan Trainor, American Authors, Nasri Atweh (lead singer/songwriter of the band Magic!), Lake Street Drive, Gaby Moreno and Eliza Callahan (of the band Jack + Eliza).

“The Lennon Bus encourages music students and kids to get involved in recording music, providing them with a sense of purpose and something beautiful to do,” commented Flea. “Enter your songs now. Let’s hear them!”

“The Lennon Bus’ mission of providing free hands-on opportunities to students is supported by some of the biggest artists and brands in the industry,” said Brian Rothschild, Executive Director of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. “The John Lennon Songwriting Contest helps make it all possible while encouraging songwriters to pursue their dreams.”

Recently the JLSC announced lo-fi indie group III Bones as the winner of its annual Valentine’s Day Songwriting Contest. The Austin-based quartet, who were chosen for their original song “Love Is The Only Way,” will receive a prize package consisting of: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Headphones, Disc Makers 12? Vinyl Pressing (200) with full-color Euro Jackets, Epiphone Casino guitar and hard case, IK Multimedia iLoud, IK Multimedia iRig, Mackie ProFX12 12-Channel USB Compact Mixer with Effects, Neutrik custom John Lennon Educational Tour Bus cable, Propellerhead Reason 8 and ZVEX Effects Fuzzolo.

For more information on the John Lennon Songwriting Contest or to enter for a chance to win over $300,000 in cash and prizes, visit

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Combustible Celluloid
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With: Liv Ullmann, Erland Josephson, Aino Taube, Gunnar Bj�rnstrand, Kristina Adolphson
Written by: Ingmar Bergman
Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
MPAA Rating: R
Language: Swedish, with English subtitles
Running Time: 136
Date: 04/05/1976

Face to Face (1976)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Sick Doctor

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

If movies are the art form that comes closest to replicating our dreams -- sounds and images dancing before our eyes in the dark -- then, ironically, very few filmmakers have come anywhere near to capturing the elusive rhythm of dreams. David Lynch, Orson Welles, and Luis Bunuel have all succeeded from time to time, and especially Ingmar Bergman. A short nightmare sequence in Wild Strawberries (1957) is quite chilling, and the whole of Persona (1966) has the possibility to move in any direction, at any time.

It's a shame, then, to see Bergman's late-period Face to Face, which is devoted largely to dream sequences and hallucinations, and to realize that it's not very effective. The dreams here feel as if some lesser director were vainly trying to copy Bergman, using surfaces and designs rather than moods or instinct. Thankfully the movie's waking sequences have enough power to get by, and these are mostly thanks to the showcase performance by Bergman's frequent leading lady Liv Ullmann. (Bergman and Ullmann both received Oscar nominations for this film.)

Ullmann plays Dr. Jenny Isaksson, a psychiatrist who begins the film by moving out of her current office. The bare rooms contain little more than a phone, resting on the floor. Jenny moves in with her grandparents, a temporary arrangement meant to last a couple of months until Jenny's husband returns from some extended business trip. She attends a party and meets Dr. Tomas Jacobi (Erland Josephson, who co-starred with Ullmann in eight Bergman films). He flirts with her, and she responds, but refuses to let him sleep with her. She flirts with him some more, and then loses her mind.

She begins to see a creepy old lady with one black eye (death?) lurking around her grandparents' home. Soon after, she finds herself in a full-fledged dream world, but one filled with cinematic symbols rather than emotions. She wears a red cloak/gown. She is warned not to enter a certain door, but enters anyway, etc. She finds herself in a room full of mental patients, all scrambling for her attention. It's all very heavy and literal; it never haunts or has any kind of below-the-belt effect.

Face to Face is a surprising misstep, coming between two Bergman masterpieces. Cries and Whispers (1972) sharply used color and space to match its claustrophobic, emotionally wrenching story of three sisters; and Fanny and Alexander (1983) was one of the director's warmest, most personal films. It seems Face to Face is the awkward transition between these two phases; it shows Bergman thinking too hard, perhaps knowingly searching for something and being unable to find it.

But then there's Ms. Ullmann, who would have been in her late 30s here, sublimely beautiful, with constantly searching, thoughtful eyes. Bergman stays close on her face for long portions of this 136-minute movie, and she finds its key: she never acts crazy. She merely acts like she can't understand or believe that these things are happening to her. She tries to navigate the insanity with as much sanity as possible, which puts the viewers on her side. Nevertheless, the material gives her plenty of big moments to build up and break down, which inevitably attracted the attention of the Oscar voters. (She had been nominated once before, for The Emigrants in 1971. In 1976, she lost to Faye Dunaway.) Regardless, her overall grace saves the movie.

Face to Face has been one of the most difficult to see among Bergman's movies (along with Summer with Monika and After the Rehearsal). Now Olive Films has rescued it from the Paramount vaults with a new DVD. According to some reports, the movie was originally shot as a TV miniseries (as was the case with many other major Bergman features), and so the picture is a bit on the soft side, but otherwise it looks luscious. There are no extras. (Apparently, young Lena Olin has a bit part as a shop assistant, if you look fast.)

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