Sigit Prasetya had a good start to his new job. Hired to run CVC Asia Pacific’s Southeast Asia office in 2007, he sort of pioneered the use of leverage in that region.
Not only did the transactions he led require some groundbreaking work on deal structuring, but they unfolded in the immediate wake of the Lehman-sparked crisis, when most of the global investment community was paralysed.
Prasetya led the 2008 take-private of Malaysia’s Magnum Corp, a licensed gaming operator. Valued at $1.54 billion, it was one of the largest LBOs in Asia in 2008 and remains the largest ever foreign private equity investment made to date in Malaysia.
Next was the $892 million acquisition of Matahari Department Stores, Indonesia’s first LBO, which was negotiated with the Indonesian family-owned Lippo Group in 2009 and wrapped up the following year.
“We have a long-term dialogue with the Lippo Group. It was a special situation because Matahari was a subsidiary of a diversified listed company. Doing the Matahari deal makes a lot of sense. It crystallised value for the parent company. It was not a divestment; even though we have a controlling stake, it’s a partnership. We had ideas about how best to add value, so the first step was to convince them to do something together with us.”
Matahari was also complex on the financing side: Prasetya had to determine how to develop, for the first time, a deal structure that used Indonesian rupiahs rather than US dollars. CVC stuck with regional banks for debt financing, using Standard Chartered and Malaysia’s CIMB.
While some say there is no such thing as a proprietary deal, Prasetya says that Magnum and Matahari were both proprietary deals in the sense that no auction was involved.
“The Magnum deal never had an auction,” he says. “With Matahari, the deal was not an auction. The deal probably leaked one to two weeks before the announcement and people started scrambling to get into action, but there was never a formal auction.”
CVC’s track record in Asia-Pacific, he adds, is 75 percent propriety deals. The most recent example was the $460 million acquisition of Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN), the telecommunication business unit of the Hong Kong-listed City Telecom, which was led by managing partner Roy Kuan, CVC’s head of Greater China.
“You have to focus on developing proprietary transactions in Asia,” Prasetya says. “I would argue that’s the way to do deals because if you only rely on an auction, it can be a very difficult way to make a living.”
But not everyone agrees that the deals were exclusive. “CVC’s competitors must have seen the same deals but were not able to close them,” an industry source told PE Asia. “The deals CVC targets are typically sizeable and therefore would almost necessarily be marketed widely.”
However, the source added that Prasetya, a native Indonesian, seems to be one of the rare private equity professionals who can manoeuvre and close deals in Southeast Asia, which is dominated by family-owned conglomerates.
Prasetya’s background may be a factor. For seven years, he headed the investment banking businesses at Morgan Stanley Asia in Indonesia. Investment bankers know how to get the deal done, but they are often detached from the hands-on operational work that is crucial to growing the acquired company. Consulting experience can complement deal skills as it tends to involve shaping and guiding a company’s operations. On the consulting side, his past experience was at Booz Allen Hamilton and Citibank.
But the other and maybe key ingredient – not found on the CV – has been the ability to reach a comfort level with the large family groups that control many Southeast Asian economies. In Indonesia, Prasetya has successfully negotiated two deals with the Riadys, the powerful Indonesian family who owns the $22 billion Lippo Group.
After Matahari, a second deal with Lippo came in 2011 when Prasetya led the negotiations for PT Link, Indonesia’s second largest cable TV business. CVC invested $275 million for a 49 percent stake, the maximum ownership allowable for a foreign firm in the media sector.
Yet deals with families have issues. An outsider holding the lesser stake in a family business may have higher investment risk. No firm wants a portfolio that places bets on several companies owned by one family. And because family conglomerates can be fiercely competitive, deals with one may exclude deals with others. It’s a challenge for all private equity firms to navigate this landscape.
TROUBLE DOWN UNDER
Prasetya brushes aside the suggestion he is a deal king or ace negotiator and points out that Brian Hong, senior managing director, led two of the Southeast Asia deals. In fact, Prasetya has a quiet temperament and tends to avoid the spotlight. But CVC is certainly among the heavyweights investing in Asia. Since entering the region in 1999, the UK-based firm has raised increasingly larger pan-Asia funds. Fund I raised $750 million in 2000; five years later it closed Fund II on $2 billion. And in 2011, it closed Fund III on $4.1 billion – one of the largest pan-regional funds raised for Asia at the time.
Through those funds, the firm brought its buyout and control orientation into Asia. The discipline in maintaining a consistent investment strategy with the funds the firm has managed in Europe would seem to appeal to LPs,
particularly given some of the European funds’ positive performance. But what became clear was that CVC was a buyout firm in a region where there are few buyouts, and looking for a single type of deal keeps a firm out of a lot of conversations. LBOs in Asia are largely limited to Japan, Australia and Korea.
“In Europe we’re primarily a buyout firm, but in Asia we realise buyouts are less prevalent,” Prasetya says. “If we have to invest in a minority stake that’s fine with us as long as we can add value and we have significant influence in the business. That includes agreeing on a business plan up front with controlling shareholders and with management. We want to be active investors. In Asia, finding opportunities where you can add more value than capital is important.”
Recent minority deals include the purchase of a 15 percent stake in Philippines bank RCBC last year and an undisclosed minority stake in China-based Venturepharma Group in April.
But it wasn’t only the lack of buyouts that increased the firm’s appetite for smaller stakes. CVC’s second fund proved to be problematic.
“CVC’s first fund was a knockout in terms of performance (for its vintage) among the top funds globally,” according to an industry source. That permitted CVC to raise $2 billion for a second Asia fund which was focused on buyouts or control LBOs predominantly in Japan, Australia and Korea.
The larger second fund also coincided with the pre-crisis boom years, when deals were done at peak prices with lots of leverage, particularly in Australia. CVC was not alone. Several firms overpaid during this period. For example, Unitas Capital and Canada’s Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan acquired NZ Yellow Pages in a $1.54 billion leveraged buyout, a price that represented 13.6 times the company’s earnings for 2006.
CVC’s second fund hasn’t performed well, two industry sources who requested anonymity told PE Asia, largely due to difficulties with portfolio companies in Australia and Japan. As of 31 March, Fund II’s internal rate of return was negative 3.61 percent, according to documents from the California State Teachers’ Retirement System.
Among the deals that soured was CVC’s 2006 purchase (together with Nomura) of Japan’s Skylark for $3 billion. Three years later, CVC reportedly handed over its remaining stake in the company to private equity firm Chuo Mitsui Capital in return for being absolved from having to repay loans taken out to finance the purchase of its stake.
In Australia, the firm had difficulties with investments in Stella Group and PBL Media. But the bigger burden has been the firm’s debt-ridden portfolio company Nine Entertainment, which has – so far – crippled Fund II. CVC has been fending off creditors that include Apollo Global Management and Oaktree Capital and has not yet been able to refinance A$2.6 billion of Nine’s debt, which comes due in February 2013.
Investments in these large Asia buyout deals often involved capital from CVC’s European funds, meaning all the firm’s clients were exposed to Fund II’s underperformance.
CVC could potentially lose more than $2 billion on Nine, one of the largest losses in private equity history, according to media reports, some of which claimed that the firm was pulling out of Australia entirely.
However, CVC Capital Partners, which typically doesn’t talk to the press, last year issued a statement denying it’s on the brink of massive losses, adding that Nine was not in breach of its financial covenants or in default under any of its banking agreements and that it “has proactively commenced discussions with its lenders regarding refinancing options”.
Prasetya would not comment on CVC’s Australia activity.
A source close to CVC said that in Australia, junior level employees have left because CVC will not do new deals while it sorts out current investments. But the managing partner and managing director are still there, the firm is not pulling out of Australia and when the portfolio is stabilised, CVC will continue to invest in the country.
As the firm wrestles with these investments, the troubled second Asia fund is on track to underperform among its peers, more than one industry source told PE Asia.
But CVC’s latest fund, with more emphasis on Southeast Asia and Greater China as well as minority stake deals, is looking much stronger, according to one LP.
Changing course seems to have been the right move.


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Here's the all the info that you need to prepare for your audition
23/11/21 - 24/11/21
The auditions for Cats will take place on Tuesday 23rd & Wednesday 24th November, starting at 7.30pm at Park Street Studios, Wrexham – Tip Top’s rehearsal venue.
The format of the auditions will be as follows….
Tues 23rd November
7.30pm – Dance / Movement Audition – for Ensemble & certain named Principals*
8.30pm – Singing Audition – for Ensemble only
Wed 24th November
7.30pm – Singing Audition – for all Principal Characters
*If you are interested in the following named principal roles then you must attend on both days to be considered for them – Bombalurina, Demeter, Jennyanydots, Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer, Munkustrap & Rum Tum Tugger.
For the auditions on Tues 23rd Nov there is nothing the prepare – just turn up ready to dance, move & sing – we will do the rest!
For the auditions on Wed 24th Nov we have set the pieces we want you to prepare and sing. Please see attached “Audition Songs” pdf for the relevant pieces for each character – the music has been scanned and uploaded HERE
Please let us know if you have any problems accessing this.

domain: artistic


Downloadable sneakers may become reality sooner than later, but for now one of the main barriers stopping 3D printers from gaining widespread appeal is the massive price tag.
The RoBo aims to change that, however — and if early reaction on Kickstarter is any indication, this 3D printer could become a massive hit with consumers. With 32 days left in its campaign, the RoBo has already raised a whopping $78,000 after setting an initial goal of just $49,000.
So what's got all those backers so excited? It likely starts with the RoBo's super-affordable (relatively speaking) price point. The team behind the RoBo says it will sell for just $520, compared to most 3D printers, which have price tags well into the thousands of dollars. Another big sell for the RoBo is its convenience. Users will essentially be able to plug it in and start printing "within minutes" after bringing it home.
But the RoBo isn't the first 3D printer to become a hit on Kickstarter. Back in October, a device called the Form 1 — which similarly looks to expand 3D printing to the masses, but appears aimed at a slightly more advanced market — became the website's most-funded tech campaign of all time.
To learn more about the RoBo, check out the video above. How much would you pay to have your own 3D printer? Let us know in the comments.


India win the fifth ODI by beating New Zealand by 35 runs. India also win the ODI series by 4-1. Batting first India scored 252 runs in 50 overs with the help of Ambati Rayudu (90 run), Vijay Shankar (45 runs), Kedar Jadhav (34 runs) and Hardik Pandya (45 run). New Zealand falters in its chase and lost wickets at regular intervals. For New Zealand, Williamson (39), Latham (37) and Neesham (44) are able to put up some resistance. Yuzvendra Chahal took 3 wickets while Shami and Pandya took 2 wickets each. Ambati Rayudu wins man of the match award.


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The city of Sedona evokes many emotions from visitors. From the red and orange stained skyline, to the jagged rocks that seem to pierce the bright blue sky, to the calm and tranquil atmosphere…Sedona truly is a diamond in the rough.
One of the best features of Sedona is the ability to venture off on hiking trails, biking and off road trails to really experience the true beauty of Sedona’s back-country.
We were fortunate enough to find the friendly staff at Sedona ATV and rented the four- seat RZR for the day. Due to the snowy conditions, we could not take the Schnebly Hill road that we had our hearts set on exploring. Instead, we found ourselves on the Outlaw Trail and I’m so glad we did!
Before long, we felt like true outlaws fleeing the town confines to find ourselves in the middle of the wild west. Surrounded by jagged rocks, cacti, red dirt and washouts, this rough and tough trail was exciting to navigate and gave us a 360 degree, panoramic view of Sedona.
Sedona ATV provided us with all of the gear, a picture book and a “there is no way you can screw this up” map of the trail. They even gave us two blankets; however, the cold was so piercing that day, no amount of blankets could save us. The Totally Trailer Trio was so, ridiculously bundled up that we actually looked like bandits, which ended up befitting this rugged Outlaw Trail! When I say we were bundled, that might be an understatement, considering I had on four layers, a turtleneck, scarf and face cover, earmuffs and headband (under my helmet), long underwear, three pairs of socks inside my Columbia snow boots and four packets of hand warmers! I wore a whole department store that day and is was absolutely worth it.
The trail consisted of steep rocky ledges (that required careful wheel placement), ancient red rock arroyos, desert-brush landscaping, Indian ruins and went through Sedona’s western canyons. Adding to the adventure of the day, it even delicately snowed on us near the Honanki Ruins.
The adventure also brought us to the Vultee Arch Trail and the famous Devil’s Bridge hike which are each their own mini adventures.We had an expert driver (hubby) but no matter how careful we were, we still ended up caked in red clay mud that sprayed up the sides of the RZR and coated us like an art canvas. Speckled from head to toe, the splashes were a reminder of the fun we’d had that day.
Considering Sedona covers over 19 square miles of gorgeous countryside, there is no better way to see the land than cruising in an off-road vehicle. The ATV ride was an overload of the senses: feeling the bumps in the rugged road, seeing the richly pigmented landscape, experiencing the adrenaline rush of navigating rocky crevices and tasting the freedom of the great outdoors.
There is so much to see and do in Sedona and just when you think you’ve seen it all…you discover a new hidden gem. Totally Trailer invites you to get outdoors and get dirty in Sedona!
The Sedona area has a plethora of places to stay, eat, camp and is surrounded by some of the best and scenic RV camp spots.
If you liked this blog- check out our adventure video too!
Our RZR chariot for the day and little one ready to get dirty!
Map and detailed picture book with “you can’t screw this up directions” provided by Sedona ATV (by the way, we still took a wrong turn)!
Red, green and blue…some of our favorite colors perfectly blended in nature
Live action selfie in Sedona
Passing the Honanki Heritage Site
Parked out front of the Honanki Ruins Site (equipped with muddy blankets and all)
The texture, the colors and the formations are simply breathtaking out here in Sedona
Check out the different colors in this landscape, can you see the snow falling from that dark cloud in the background?
The trusty GoPro, always ready for some adventure and action!
The family of bandits on the Outlaw Trail is a little too realistic here!

domain: hobby


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domain: travel


DescriptionFeast your eyes upon this lycra drape saree in doctor blue, perfect for evenings of gala time, this ensemble is adorned with moti and cutdana specialty work
Disclaimer: Due to photographic lighting and different devices used to view the displayed product, the color you see may vary slightly from the actual color of the product. Similarly, other slight variations may occur between the product displayed and the actual product.
Manufactured/Packed By :
ONAYA FASHIONS PRIVATE LIMITED
19, Canal South Road. Paridhan Garment Park,
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Country of Origin :


I love many fandoms. Most of what you see currently will be The Avengers, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones/ASOIAF, and the NBC Thursday comedies.
“I’ll clear this up right now. Gendry’s “my lady” line is about their class difference.
Glad so many of you enjoyed the episode.
Oh my lord. Did people seriously…?
People know what Gendry meant. I think it’s pretty straightforward. They just were enjoying the potential for shippy double meaning there.


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By Robert AKPAN, Senior Investigator Correspondent Lagos/
LAGOS– THE Police yesterday paraded the severely beaten and bleeding community leader of Ibashe riverrine area of Lagos State, Eze Chinedu Mozie and eleven others who cried of being innocent; for electoral offences.
The parade of the Eze Ndigbo of Ibashe reverrine area yesterday is coming on heels of outcry by the Supreme Council of Eze Ndigbo Lagos on Monday, that one of their own who challenged thugs on the day of the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections who had accosted him and some other Igbos to go back to their houses, that the election was purely for the APC was beaten, injured and arrested by the Police and was being held at the SCIID.
The Igbo leaders had stated unequivocally that their colleague was wounded by thugs allegedly called for the purpose by the Oba of Ibashe riverrine area and thrown into detention for insisting on exercising his constitutional rights with others that were being threatened and ended up being severely wounded by thugs who also invited the Police to arrest and detain him with the wounds he sustained.
Parading the suspects at the state Investigations and Intelligence Department, SCIID, Panti, Yaba, spokesman of the command, Benjamin Hundeyin said they were arrested at Mushin, Ojo and Awani areas of the state and 114 PVC’s two ballot boxes, one BVAS machine and three ballot papers were recovered from them.
He gave their names as; Chisom Kalu, Charity Hannah, Mike Nwokehia, Elizabeth Adenike, and Joseph Agada. Other suspects who were also paraded were;Sunday Awnunu, Omaji Oyegwra, Okeke Vivian Chinyere.
He said that the Igbo leader, Uche Chinedu Mozie was arrested on the 18th March, 2023 at about 1:30 pm at Ibashe town while voting was in progress. According to him, Uche Chinedu allegedly came to the polling unit in accompany of his men and attempted to carry the ballot box. It resulted in a serious argument in the community and along the line; he used an object suspected to be animal horn to wound some people at the polling unit. He was arrested, while the victims were hospitalized.
SP Hyndeyin also said that Sunday Awnunu was arrested in Badagry for conduct likely to cause breach of peace and unlawful possession of electoral materials on the 18th March, 2023 at about 2:27 pm while Sunday Awnunu came to Idale town hall polling unit to disrupt the electoral process. “He was arrested by the Police and sixteen pieces of electoral papers (specimen) with nineteen pieces of designed form that contained names and account numbers at the polling Unit.
“Okeke Vivian Chinyere was arrested for unlawful possession of electoral material suspected to be fake. On 16th March, 2023 at about 2:20 PM, she was arrested with INEC identity card (TAG) for election duty within Ipaja area of Lagos State and she claimed to have printed the tag from one James Sarah Akintola printing office Ipaja.
Recovered from him are sixteen pieces of electoral papers (specimen), nineteen pieces of designed form that contain name and account at the polling unit,” he said.
SP Hyndeyin added that during the counting and sorting of ballot papers at the polling unit, Omaji Oyegwra Kenneth was threatening INEC official to upload the election result while the INEC official complaint of poor network; stressing, “In the process the Omaji Oyegwra assaulted the police officer at the polling unit including the INEC official.
The suspects involved in unlawful possession of PVC/Diversion of sensitive electoral materials will be handed over to Independent National Electoral Commission for prosecution.
Another suspect identified as Animashun Kabiru who was arrested in Sabo area in Lagos was also paraded for unlawful possession of firearms. It was gathered that two jack knives, small axe, pepper spray, one locally made pistol, one dagger and charms were recovered from him.”

domain: law


text:
Information is pending. Contact the Dickinson County Conservation Board for more information at 712 338-4786.
Driving Directions and other Information
|Visit Diamond Lake via Google Map by Clicking HERE!
(Please disable your browser's popup blocker before viewing map)
Take a short visit to Diamond Lake via the video below!
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domain: geography


Item is amazing as advertised! Great seller, recommended!
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The best online casino have an obligation to get as many people playing within their zone as possible — and this is not a bad thing at all. In fact, if you really want to make sure that you’re going to be able to really get your gambling fix online, looking for the top casinos online is definitely the best approach. Everyone loves a great game of poker, from the younger, less experienced players to the aged generations who have mastered the perfect “poker face”.
While poker is generally associated with gambling, it has transformed into a game that is strictly for entertainment. During the early days of poker, it considered easy money for the experienced players, who knew when to make their moves. Since then, many places have made gambling illegal, due to the financial situations that can arise among gamblers. Even so, it is the perfect card game to pass the time and enjoy the company of friends and family.
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Having lots of variety consistently helps for an safe online casino. You need to look to find out what varieties of games can be found to be used from an online casino. In addition to the standard slot and card games, some other popular casino games could function also. Included in these are craps, roulette as well as keno.
It is helpful to see exactly what the prices for playing casino games are. Many online casinos are liberated to make use of. All these are ones, which work to assist with getting individuals to discover ways to play a number of different games. In the event that you happen to be a newcomer to the game, you need to check this attribute out so you could learn how to play this exciting game.
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domain: entertainment


Monday, January 8th 7:15am.. A warm front extending eastward from a low pressure system in Quebec has resulted in the light snow across the island this morning. The snow should end once the front lifts north of the island later this morning. The actual low pressure area on Quebec will ripple eastward along the front passing north of the island overnight tonight. The associated cold front then sweeps across the island before dawn on Tomorrow bringing a return to the cold air but only briefly. High pressure then crests over the island on Wednesday. Clouds invade the region late Wednesday as a large slow moving frontal system approaches from the west. This front will bring a large swath of precipitation with it as well as milder air resulting in a rain snow event for the Maritimes. The placement of the front will determine who gets rain and who gets snow. An area of low pressure will then develop south of the Great Lakes on Saturday morning and ripple NE along this frontal boundary moving into the Maritimes Saturday night into Sunday morning. A complicated weather situation developing with a wintery mix of snow, ice pellets, freezing rain and rain expected. The low moves away to the NE later Sunday allowing for a large area of high pressure to build in for the beginning of next week.
Precipitation.. Snow now associated with the warm front but should end later this morning bring 5 cms or so. Snow redevelops tonight bringing another 5 cms before ending before dawn tomorrow. Wednesday looking dry. Rain showers of flurries on Thursday. Rain on Friday then a possible freezing rain event on Saturday. Precip ends on Sunday then dry through Tuesday of next week.
Temperatures.. Will be moderating later today. Remaining mild on Tuesday. One day cool down on Wednesday then mild again Thursday through Sunday.
Wind.. Wind has finally dropped off but should increase again for the low pressure system on Friday night.
Hazards.. Snow covered roads this morning and again tonight. Possible freezing rain event on Saturday.
Watches/warnings.. None for PEI at this time.
Today. Snow ending later this morning giving 5 cms. light west winds, highs -10
Tonight.. Snow giving 5 cms, light sooth winds, temps rising to 0 overnight then falling towards dawn.
Tomorrow.. Cloudy, chance of flurrie, light west winds, highs -3
Wednesday.. Sunny increasing clouds, light-brisk west winds, highs -9
Thursday.. Flurries or showers, light-brisk SW winds, tempos rising to +4 by evening.
Friday.. Rain, +8
Saturday.. Possible freezing rain event, light NE winds, highs -1
Sunday.. Clearing, light SW winds, temps slowing falling through the day -6 by suppertime.
Monday/Tuesday..Sunny, west winds, highs -10


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Diageo India supports Telangana Police efforts to curb drink driving through advanced Alcohol Breath Analysers
The initiative is aligned with Diageo India’s flagship road safety program, ‘Wrong Side of the Road’.
Hyderabad (Telangana), 29 February 2024: Diageo India (United Spirits Ltd.) among the country’s leading alco-bev companies extended its support to Telangana Police in curbing drink driving by providing 50 advanced Alcohol Breath Analysers. The event was held in Hyderabad in the presence of Director General police Ravi Gupta, Additional DGP Railways and road safety Mahesh M Bhagwat along with senior dignitaries and members from the Diageo India team. Road Safety SP Gone Sandeep, LB Nagar Traffic DCP Srinivasulu, Cyberabad Traffic Additional DCPs Venugopal Reddy and Shivakumar and others were also present at the event.
Diageo India drives focused programs to advocate for anti-drink driving through its flagship programme, ‘Wrong Side Of The Road’ which uses a series of real-life scenarios to create awareness among adults.
Speaking at the meeting, Director General of Police Ravi Gupta expressed his gratitude to Diageo Company and the NGO CSR Box for coming forward to provide quality breath analyzers to the Telangana State Police Department, which is a pioneer in many aspects in the country. He said that the initiative taken by them under social responsibility would further enhance the capacity of the police personnel and help to control drunk driving. He expressed hope that if even a few lives could be saved with these devices, it would be worthwhile.
Commenting on the initiative, Jagbir Singh Sidhu, Corporate Relations Director, Diageo India, said, “Promoting responsible consumption is one of the key pillars of Diageo India’s Society 2030: Spirit of Progress ESG plan. We stay committed to championing road safety in India and promoting responsible consumption through focussed initiatives to curb underage drinking, drink driving, and binge drinking. Aligned to our ‘Wrong Side Of The Road’ program, these advanced alcohol breath analysers will support the Telangana Police Department in addressing the issue of drink driving and promoting road safety in the region.”
Diageo’s ‘Wrong Side of The Road’ programme has been developed together with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to sensitize participants on the effects of drink driving. Diageo India has also partnered with over 25 Regional Transport Offices and set up tab labs to create awareness through the ‘Wrong Side of the Road’ program. Last year over 2.3 lac adults participated in this anti-drink driving learning experience.
About Diageo India
Diageo India is among the country’s leading beverage alcohol company and a subsidiary of global leader Diageo Plc. The company manufactures, sells and distributes an outstanding portfolio of premium brands such as Johnnie Walker, Black Dog, Black & White, VAT 69, Antiquity, Signature, The Singleton, Royal Challenge, McDowell’s No1, Smirnoff, Ketel One, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan and Godawan, an artisanal single malt whisky from India. Headquartered in Bengaluru, our wide footprint is supported by a committed team of around 3000 employees, 36 manufacturing facilities across states and union territories in India, a strong distribution network and a state-of-the-art Technical Centre. Incorporated in India as United Spirits Limited (USL), the company is listed on both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.
For more information about Diageo India, our people, our brands, and our performance, visit us at www.diageoindia.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, http://www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practices.
Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

domain: news


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This is just one of the most awesome photos I've seen yet from one of my old film cameras. My Kodak APS camera was in my camera bag on the side pocket for quite some time. When I pulled it out and turned it on to see if the battery was even still working I discovered that I had some film in it with some exposures already taken.
So, what were they? I finished the roll earlier this month and sent it in. This is my first favorite on the roll. Funny part is, these same three tulips came up this year once again and have been the subject of my new Sony a390 dslr.


Lamar Jackson Is NFL's Most Explosive Runner and Efficient Passer
There have been dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL, but the numbers show there has never been a dual-threat quarterback like Lamar Jackson.
Two separate articles published yesterday, one by NFL.com and the other by The Athletic, proved that point. Based on analytics, the 2019 NFL MVP was both the league's most explosive runner and most efficient passer last season.
NFL.com’s Nick Shook used the following criteria to rank the top 10 most explosive runners:
- A minimum of 100 carries in 2019
- At least 20 carries of 10-plus yards
- The defining metric: percentage of runs of 15-plus mph
Jackson, the only non-running back on the list, was No. 1 by a wide margin. Not bad for a quarterback.
"Sure, it shows up on television every week, but to see the statistical divide between Jackson and the rest of the league is breathtaking," Shook wrote. "Jackson carried the ball 176 times in 2019, and he hit a speed of 15 mph or faster on over half of those runs. Add in his ability to stop on a dime, and you see why defenses were so incredibly flummoxed by him for the majority of the season, and why he ended up sprinting (literally) to the MVP award.
"Jackson's total of 15-plus mph runs crept toward 100 (93), which is 20 more than the next closest runner on this list – Dalvin Cook, who had 73 – and was by far the most in the entire NFL, regardless of the criteria we listed above. No one was more explosive than Jackson in 2019, and it wasn't even close."
Jackson used his explosiveness and elusiveness to set an NFL single-season rushing record for a quarterback, finishing with 1,206 yards (6.9 yards per carry) in 15 games. Jackson, however, has made it clear that he prefers to throw the ball, and he excels at that, too.
In his first full season as a starter, Jackson led the league in touchdown passes with 36 and threw just six interceptions.
"Jackson is far from a finished product as a passer, but the Ravens finished first in passing efficiency last season," The Athletic's Sheil Kapadia wrote. "Jackson finished first in QBR and fourth in adjusted net yards per attempt (ANY/A). Note that the latter doesn't take running into account. It's solely how efficient a quarterback is as a passer."
Perhaps the statistic that best exemplifies Jackson' huge leap as a passer is Next Gen Stats' completion percentage above expectation, which measures the probability of a completion on every throw. Jackson was 12th out of 39 quarterbacks last season.
"His improved accuracy from Year 1 to Year 2 was remarkable. As a rookie, Jackson ranked 36th out of 39 quarterbacks in completion percentage above expectation," Kapadia wrote.
Kapadia also noted that Jackson produced a negative result (interception, sack or fumble) on only 6 percent of the plays in which he had the ball, which was the fifth-lowest mark among starters.
A deeper dive into the analytics dispels the notion that Jackson can't perform well in the pocket. He was No. 1 in the league in EPA (expected points added) operating from the pocket, and No. 5 from outside the pocket. In addition, Jackson ranked first in EPA against man coverage and sixth against zone coverage.
Three Ravens Named to All-Under-25 Team
Despite Jackson's incredible 2019 season, he did not make NFL.com’s All-Under-25 Team, as the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes got the nod at quarterback. However, three of Jackson's teammates did make the team: tight end Mark Andrews, offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
"Andrews served as Lamar Jackson's favorite weapon when Baltimore's backfield wasn't blasting front sevens into the dirt," NFL.com's Marc Sessler wrote. "From another angle: Andrews was explosive enough to allow the Ravens to trade away first-round tight end Hayden Hurst.
"Brown started 16 games on the right side for Baltimore and finished as football's 10th-best pass-blocking tackle, per [Pro Football Focus]. His run-blocking could use a boost, but the Ravens have no questions about whether Brown belongs."
As for Humphrey – who wins the unofficial award for most creative offseason workout – completing a pass against him has proved to be an uphill battle (pun intended).
"Packed into a deep Ravens secondary, the 2017 first-rounder has logged 47 forced incompletions – fourth league-wide – over his first three seasons," Sessler wrote.
The Ravens were tied with the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints for most players on the team. Earlier this month, Jackson, Andrews and Humphrey made PFF’s rankings of the top 25 players under 25.
A Healthy Tavon Young Makes Loaded Secondary Even Stronger
In Humphrey, cornerback Marcus Peters and safety Earl Thomas III, the Ravens have three Pro Bowl players in their secondary. They also have players such as cornerback Jimmy Smith and versatile defensive back Anthony Levine, to name two, who add quality depth.
Now imagine just how much of an embarrassment of riches the unit will have if nickel cornerback Tavon Young is 100 percent healthy as expected. Young has played well when on the field, but the 2016 fourth-round pick missed the entire 2017 and 2019 seasons due to injury (he suffered a torn ACL in 2017 and underwent neck surgery last year).
It's easy to overlook Young because of his lost seasons and star-studded teammates, Ebony Bird’s Richard Bradshaw wrote, but "he's been a massive difference-maker for the Ravens defense" when healthy.
"The jury is out on whether or not Tavon Young can be relied upon to remain healthy, but there's no denying how talented he is," Bradshaw wrote. "When he's on the field the defense is simply better. Young's return to this defense is getting severely overlooked, but he'll remind everyone how good he is in 2020."
Young had eight passes defensed and two interceptions as a rookie. In 2018, he recovered three fumbles, returning two for touchdowns. Humphrey did an excellent job playing nickel last year after the Ravens traded for Peters in October, but nickel is Young's specialty.
"Tavon Young's ability to mirror and match against opposing slot receivers while also having good speed and instincts makes him one of the league's better nickel corners," Bradshaw wrote. "With his ability to make plays as well, the upside is there for him to reassert himself as an elite nickel."
Gus Edwards Is Ravens' Most Underrated Player
Speaking of Ravens players who shouldn't be overlooked, running back Gus Edwards was identified as the team's most underrated player by PFF’s Ben Linsey.
Like Young, Edwards sometimes gets overshadowed because of the team's star power at his position, most notably three-time Pro Bowl selection (and noted hype man) Mark Ingram II.
"Edwards has actually been a very effective runner the past few seasons," Linsey wrote. "Over the last two years, his rushing grade of 83.6 ranks 13th at the position, sandwiched between Ezekiel Elliott and Joe Mixon. Thirty-one percent of his runs have gone for first downs or touchdowns — easily leading all running backs with 100 or more attempts over that same stretch."
Edwards, signed by Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2018, has rushed for 1,429 yards over two seasons and averaged 5.3 yards per carry. He has five 100-yard rushing games.
With the addition of second-round pick J.K. Dobbins and return of 2019 fourth-round pick Justice Hill, the Ravens envision a four-headed monster at running back that should terrify defenses. At 6-foot-1 and 238 pounds, Edwards is one of the unit's bruisers (along with Ingram) who can wear down defenses late in games.
Jadeveon Clowney Reportedly Rejects Big Offer From Browns
If free-agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney ends up playing in the AFC North this season, it seems unlikely it'll be for the Browns. Clowney has turned down a significant offer from the Browns, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on ESPN Radio in Cleveland.
"I think they've been the most aggressive team with him financially. And I just think he has balked at going to Cleveland, for whatever reason," Schefter said. "I think he's been hesitant to go because if he wasn't, he would have gone already because it's the most money. It's the richest offer on the table and he hasn't taken it. So why is that? I don't know. Is that not wanting to be in that city? Is that a lack of belief in the organization?"
The Ravens have repeatedly been mentioned as a potential suitor for the former No. 1 overall pick. Earlier this month, it was reported that the Ravens, Browns, Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles had all expressed interest in Clowney, who said he hasn't ruled out re-signing with the Seattle Seahawks.
If the Ravens are interested in signing Clowney, they would need to createcap space byrestructuring some players' contracts or signing Matthew Judon or Ronnie Stanley to long-term deals.
- Proposals by the Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers to add a sky judge are being withdrawn, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.


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Have You ever wondered how the Grand Canyon in Arizona was formed? If so, this video is a must view for you!
The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,000 feet or 1,800 meters). Nearly two billion years of the Earth's geological history has been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While the specific geologic processes and timing that formed the Grand Canyon are the subject of debate by geologists, recent evidence suggests the Colorado River established its course through the canyon at least 17 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River continued to erode and form the canyon to its present-day configuration.
Note: Macrine and I had been only to the North Rim of the Park about 10 years ago during the summer season. It was a trip, we will always remember. I suggest that a visit to the Park should be in your wish list ( a bucket list) of things to do before you die.
Welcome and Mabuhay
If you love Marinduque and want to contribute articles to this site, please do so. My contact information is in my profile. The above photo was taken from the balcony of The Chateau Du Mer Beach House, Boac, Marindque, Philippines. I love sunsets. How about you? Please do not forget to read the latest national and international news in the right side bar of this blog. Some of the photos and videos on this site, I do not own. However, I have no intention on infringing your copyrights. Thank you and Cheers!


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Wow, I realized its been a few days since I wore sparkly shoes. I know, something must be wrong with me!
Blouse: Kate Spade
Skirt: Katie Skirt by Sandee Royalty
Shoes: Strassed Jimmy Choo flats
Handbag: Kate Spade
I really think I’m going to do my black flats like these in a dark red. But I don’t believe I shall paint the leather, just leave it black, so they are really a dark dark red, reminiscent of black magic roses!
We shall see. I have some events coming up in August, and tomorrow is my daughters birthday, so the project will have to wait. And I still need to decide what color crystal for the flats I am having done by Redo My Shoe. So many sparkly shoes!! *twirls*
Until next time,


[ Chassis only ] The price does not include the bucket seat. You can choose with or without a bucket seat, or choose the seat of your choice from the RSeat or SPARCO brands in the options below. Adding to cart will calculate the final price. For better protection, the seats are delivered directly in the box of your chassis.
We heard you! Ergonomic, Stable as desired, Rigid by the quality of the steels and their thicknesses, combined with the perfect finishes possible thanks to new painting tools and combined with the Reinforcements and Extreme Welding! …. Don't be fooled by appearances! At RSeat you are not in the economy of material! Our new 2021 range is uncompromising ! Our investments in innovative technical means, combined with a modern production tool and only dedicated to quality at the service of Simracing and eSport allow RSeat to guarantee you ultra high-end chassis, rugged durability and compatibility guarantees future products available for Simracing.
The steering wheel console has been redesigned and offers a very high rigidity, for simracers who are looking for sensations and very precise feedback from the steering wheel. Suitable for couple maximum ruffles Direct Drive top of the line. New ! optional : Simucube steering wheel support, for SIMUCUBE1, SIMUCUBE2 Sport / Pro / Ultimate, VRS DirectForce Pro, Mige engine and more...
NEW ! RSeat presents the C1 MONO-FRAME COCKPIT
- Construction ultra durable et stable
- Supports any Direct Drive flywheel as well as cranksets with "Load Cell" or hydraulics
- Installation of any accessory on the left or right of the chassis, including shifter and handbrake bracket, keyboard and mouse bracket, tablet bracket and buttonbox
- For users from 127cm (4'2″) to 200cm+ (6'67″+)
- Rally/GT driving position
- Modular chassis (you can upgrade it with different accessories).
- Seat sliders included
- Footprint Dimensions: L x W 1780 x 624mm. (70" x 24.6"")
- All tools and screws to fix your steering wheel and pedals are provided
- 5 year warranty on all components manufactured by RSeat
- Dimensions de l'emballage : L x l x H 151 x 70 x 72cm (59.5" x 27.6" x 28.4")
- Poids : 82kg (180lbs)
- 100% Made in EU: Engineering, design and manufacturing in Europe.


There is no time for misunderstandings in an emergency – be understood clearly with the communication units by Dräger, which ensures clear communication and excellent voice quality even under extreme conditions.
Specially designed for compatibility across Dräger communication systems, the communication units by Dräger can be integrated with other devices for different applications and situations.
The following features are offered by Dräger:
- Push-to-talk button for secure voice transmission
- ATEX-approved for environments with potential explosion hazards
- Universal connection socket to combine communication unit with different types of radio devices


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"It took her 3-4 days over this year and last. She got in on her second redpoint of the day, making it look all rather too easy!" commented Andy Farnell.
Shauna recently had a very productive trip to Spain (UKC News) climbing F8a very quickly.
Shauna's ascent of Raindogs is perhaps only the 5th by a woman. Raindogs is a classic power-endurance route and was recently onsighted by visiting American Chris Sharma.
Late last year Kitty Wallace became the youngest female Brit to climb F8a with an ascent of Daniboy (UKC News) aged just 14.
Marginal conditions in the mountains this winter have led to uncertainty and difficult decision-making when planning journeys... Read more
13 year-old Leo Skinner from South Wales has ticked Butch Cassidy 8A at Dinas Rock, the day after his 13th birthday. Leo has been... Read more
11 year-old Guildford-based climber Toby Roberts has ticked Revelations 8b at Raven Tor (Miller's Dale), just one year after... Read more
On Saturday 8th October, over 400 women arrived at The Depot, Manchester for the 6th annual Women's Climbing Symposium... Read more
British long-distance runner and five-time Olympian Jo Pavey joins an exciting lineup of top female sporting talent as part of... Read more


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There are many options when it comes to selling your accommodation inventory to guests.
From Offline Travel Agents, Online Travel Agents, and Destination Management services to Direct Reservations.
Direct bookings are essential for any establishment providing accommodation, meals, and other services for travellers and tourists.
Direct Reservations help hoteliers achieve a healthy market mix competing with OTA and control distribution costs, but they bring in more data from guests.
Data is a precious resource for making informed decisions. Hoteliers can improve client reputation and service by acquiring contact information and other data such as guest preferences.
Even though the Online Travel Agents like Expedia, Booking.com, and Airbnb, Agoda has a larger market share due to the platform’s dependability and offers.
As a hotelier, the top priority should be to promote direct bookings from both on-site and online.
The success of online marketing and sales depends heavily on how effective you are in making the best out of all channels.
From OTA offers and rates, email marketing to social media and from hotel CRM to the brand website.
Your hotel’s marketing strategy and plan can include promoting your loyalty program on social media, PPC and through email, to attract guests to your website.
You can spend on internet-focused marketing, such as sponsored Google and social media ads.
To boost visitor interaction, generate feedback, and drive future bookings, your email plan should include an after-sales contact program while you have an upselling system.
Ensuring that the hotel website design is optimized for conversion is the first step toward acquiring more direct bookings.
When a potential guest visits the website, it must provide a smooth booking experience.
Therefore the hotel website must be user-friendly and appealing visually.
Using high quality well composed photography is key to success in this area.
Most people make reservations through mobile devices.
To attract more people to the website, it must be responsive with a mobile-optimized layout.
Online travel agencies often known as OTAs have tremendous marketing budgets and extremely user-friendly websites that employ psychology driven tactics to get people to stay loyal to their brands.
With the mass exodus from DMC to OTA’s many Travel Agents are looking at digital marketing to compete with these Online Travel Agencies in 2023.
Hotels sometimes allocate the full inventory to online distribution channels to sell more rooms and boost their online awareness among a captive audience.
The traveller may compare rates, make assessments, and judge the entire hotel score much more easily using OTA channels.
OTAs are used by a substantial percentage of travellers to find and book hotels.
Using OTA’s can be both positive and detrimental to a brand, the hotel may get bookings and increase awareness but at the cost of competing on rate equally with other properties in your location and an 18% to 25% commission to the channel.
Most times the hotels with the best location and the lowest rate end up getting the most number of bookings.
On the other hand, a direct booking strategy requires investment, which may be less than the commission you would pay an OTA while yielding more profitable outcomes and eventually getting out of the price comparison game with a focus on experiences surrounding your property and more.
One of the most satisfying goals for any hotelier would be to increase direct bookings.
In an island nation like Sri Lanka, the scale of the industry and the prevalence of third-party reservation sites, maintaining a balance between Offline Travel Agents, OTA, and direct reservations are becoming increasingly critical for hotels.
The importance of OTAs in increasing your reservations is crucial because over 60% of booking comes through them, and the cost of maintenance is low for the hotels.
Increasing direct bookings is better for your hotel business because it reduces the cost of brokering with OTA’s, and you get to stay away from the price war with extra add-ons such as excursions, loyalty programs, value offers etc.
The hotel’s success depends on selling more Room Nights through direct bookings.
More and more hoteliers are interested in learning how to increase direct reservations post-pandemic.
We always recommend going to a digital marketing agency that specializes in the hospitality industry if you don’t have the skill to do it yourself.
The following are some suggestions for increasing direct reservations.
Create a strong online brand that attracts the most visitors possible.
To increase organic traffic to your website, consider using the best content marketing strategy.
When you integrate an online booking engine into your hotel website, your website visitors can view real-time room availability.
Make sure you integrate an Internet Payment Gateway into your booking engine, or you can use a 3rd party booking engine with the payment gateway included for a monthly management fee.
Promote positive guest reviews on the brand website. Potential customers read hotel reviews and regard them as crucial before making a final decision.
Offers such as Advance Booking Discounts, Last Minute Deals, seasonal offers and giveaways can help you attract more people to your website.
Indicate the types of benefits they are eligible for if they book directly.
Implement a booking engine that is compatible with your hotel’s social media presence.
Boost your visibility in search engines through SEO. Because hashtags and search terms are used by more than half of online travellers to find their ideal hotel.
Search engines allow travellers to compare hotel prices across multiple OTAs, allowing them to make an informed hotel reservation.
Hence, having a good presence on Google My Business Listing or Bing Listing is vital.
Handle booking abandonment with tact so that new visitors do not leave your website without booking or paying.
Encourage your guests to book directly with you by rewarding them with points that can be redeemed quickly.
On your hotel’s website, provide a call-to-action button. A well-designed, well-placed call-to-action button can make all the difference.
You can utilize various buttons, such as “More information,” “Contact Us,” or “Book now,” depending on what your consumers are looking for.
In General, people tend to be hesitant to click on the “Book Now” button at the stage of looking for a place.
Hence, a button like “Check Availability” might serve you best.
Reward guests with a loyalty program that offers meaningful and tangible benefits, such as discounts on services, free nights in a combined reservation, free room upgrade, or even free breakfast.
There is a gamut of things you need to streamline to get the best out of direct bookings and online in its entirety a full-time job.
We hope you now have a basic understanding and some ideas on how to increase direct bookings and expand your profits normalizing the market mix.
Feel free to reach out to HypeX digital marketing agency in Sri Lanka, if you feel you need assistance to get the online marketing done right!

domain: economics


The National Bank of the Republic of Belarus does not expect any sharp changes in the exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble, Chairman of the Board of Belarus’ National Bank Pavel Kalaur told media after the opening of 13th international forum of banking information technology BankIT’2016 on Wednesday.
“This is the current market rate. There are no tendencies that can negatively influence the country’s balance of payment in the future. We do not expect any shocks until the end of the year that could possibly affect the exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble,” Kalaur said.
According to him, the scenario approach to forecasting allows taking into account any possible risks and consequences:
“When we forecast different processes within a year, we also take into account the gas talks with Russia and the negotiating process with international organizations. That means that the forecast we have made until the end of 2016 and for 2017 contain the risks that may emerge.”
The top official also expressed confidence that the inflation would stay within the forecast of 12% by the end of the year.
Belsat.eu, following BelTA


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For many parents having a child experience seizures can cause a lot of anguish. They worry about the medications they take and the side effects and are always concerned about when the next seizure will occur.
Two months ago 11-year-old Emily accompanied by her mom came in for treatment of her seizures that were resistant to all conventional medications. She was taking at the time Onfi, Levetiracetam, and Vimpat. These medications which made her drowsy and seriously affected her school work and dulled her personality. However, even on this medication, she was having 10-12 seizures a day that were either focal or tonic-clonic.
After evaluating her homeopathically she was prescribed Phosphorus. After just the first month not only was the frequency of her seizures reduced to just 3-4/day but the intensity had diminished. And after the second month, the seizures had reduced to 0-2/day and were lasting 30 seconds or less. As a result of this improvement, she was able to come off the one medications that was causing the drowsiness and is back to her normal happy outgoing personality.
With time and continued treatment it is hoped that Emily will be able to wean off all her medication as the goal with homeopathic treatment is to cure whereas conventional therapy only suppresses.

domain: medical


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Freshly Cooked Delicious Chinese Food only at Chowking. Chowking predominantly sells noodle soups, dim sum and rice bowls with toppings.
Avg. Price Per Person: AED50Delivery: Yes
Avg. Price Per Person: AED55Delivery: YesBreakfast: Yes
WideRange Restaurant is a fast growing restaurant chain in the United Arab Emirates. Venture is managed by Blue Mart Group. The idea behind Wide Range Restaurant is to showcase wide range of food seen in all parts of the world under one roof. We are here with the commitment of Read more [...]

domain: food


Madrid, July 10, 2003 - Brazil waltzed through their match with Italy on
Thursday evening here in this converted bullfighting ring in the Spanish
capital to set themselves up as favorites for the FIVB $15 million World
The Green and Golds blazed their way through the match 3-1 ( 31-29, 25-21,
17-25, 25-23) to finish top of their table and set themselves up for a battle
with either hosts Spain or the Czech Republic in the final four. Spain goes into
its final match with hopes of a semifinal place but will have a tough battle
with the Czech Republic.
Italy will now meet Serbia and Montenegro in the second final after the European and Olympic champions topped Pool E following their win over Greece earlier on Thursday.
That Italy was under pressure in this important clash was obvious after Bulgaria's
surprise victory over Russia in the morning session leaving them with the
smallest mathematical chance of making the final four, and only if Italy
suffered a grave defeat at the hands of the World Champions.
This was enough to set coach Gian Paolo Montali prowling on the sidelines like a hungry panther.
The Brazilians looked frisky as they delivered their usual devastating game
and at 20-18 in the opening set it was all going their way. Then Italy's
Alexander Fei let loose a spike of devastating proportions and Italy drew
equal at 21-21 followed by an equally vicious attack by Brazil's Gavio Giovani.
It was 24-all with Fei on serve and he drove into the net to give Brazil
their second set point.
At 26-all it was still undecided and Zlatanov served to set Samuele Papi
up for a classic spike to 27-26 for Italy. A fingertip touch to Italy's serve
put Brazil behind then Italy served out. Giovane sliced a ball into Italy's
court for 30-29 but then stepped up to serve and delivered an ace to give the set to Brazil and set the scene for a blockbuster performance.
Everything was going right for the World Champions, who ran up a 7-3 lead
in the opening stages of the second set. Italy were nervous as they hammered
home a number of serves that fell just outside the baseline but at least
they hung onto a slender lead midway through even if Brazil took the set 25-21. The good news
for Italy at that stage was that they had netted more than the 49 points
they needed to neutralize Bulgaria's miniscule mathematical chance of a place
in the final four.
Perhaps buoyed with this news, Italy powered home six quick points in the
third and went on to take a 22-16 lead, finally sealing the set for their
moment of glory with Brazil trailing by eight points. The night however belonged
to the Green and Golds and their star Gavio Giovani was all over the court at
the right moment and walked off top scorer with 19 points while the elegant
Fei collected 13 for top Italian scorer.
Follow all the World League action on www.fivb.org


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116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
CEDAR RAPIDS — An influx of federal funding to aid recovery both from the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 derecho largely will support housing development or rehabilitation projects in Linn County.
Cedar Rapids is preparing to make its second-round of allocations of federal American Rescue Plan Act money, in part in coordination with Linn County through a competitive proposal process.
With over $46 million in federal disaster recovery funds on the way to assist with post-derecho needs, city staff members are working to strategically leverage the massive influx of resources — both of these funding sources combined — to address community needs.
The City Council this week approved putting $3 million into a joint pool with Linn County to help fund affordable housing and social service initiatives.
Of the $28 million in ARPA funds Cedar Rapids received, $15.8 million will support affordable housing and social services. The city already has allocated $1 million to the PATCH program to repair derecho-damaged homes and $3.1 million through an initial Linn County joint process. Those proposed initiatives that did not receive funding in that round will be considered again now.
For the rest of the $15.8 million, Community Development Director Jennifer Pratt told the council this week that staff are proposing $2.5 million go toward a rehabilitation of the former Colonial Center into housing, $4 million toward the west-side Ladd Library and Opportunity Center and $2.25 million set aside to leverage and match with Community Development Block Grant for disaster recovery “as the needs arises” for funding.
The federal block grants disaster funds are allocated to the Iowa Economic Development Authority through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Linn County will receive 80 percent of the overall $57.6 million, while the other 20 percent — about $11 million — will be used in Marshall, Tama and Benton counties. The IEDA will have six years to fully spend the funds, Sara Buck, city housing services manager, recently told the council’s Development Committee.
In the draft action plan from the state, Buck said the estimated proposed funding breakdown for Linn County is as follows:
- New resilient, affordable single-family housing: $16 million
- Infrastructure to support housing: $4,950,160
- Owner-occupied rehabilitation: $2.5 million
- New rental housing: $15.725 million
For new housing activity, Buck said there will be a competitive application process where any Cedar Rapids projects will go through the city, and projects in the rest of Linn County will go through the East Central Iowa Council of Governments. Money is funneled through these entities because they previously have used Community Development Block Grant funding.
The maximum sale price for single-family units would be $175,000. There is a $100,000 per unit amount awarded to the developer, $25,000 for disaster mitigation and the buyer would get up to 100 percent of the closing costs paid for, as well as 5 percent in down-payment assistance. There is $70,000 in funding for infrastructure such as water and sewer available for each housing unit as well.
For example, on a home that costs $315,000 to build, Buck said, subtract a total $175,000 for the developer, mitigation and infrastructure costs — that leaves about $120,000. The home can be sold at that price or up to $175,000, plus the buyer gets the closing and down payment assistance.
“It really makes it affordable, especially with the interest rates that have gone up,” Buck said.
For the new multifamily units, developers would get up to $75,000 per unit, $15,000 for mitigation and $70,000 for infrastructure. Of these new units, 51 percent must be reserved for households under 80 percent of the area median income.
Owner-occupied rehabilitation funding was increased to $50,000 per unit instead of $24,999 per unit for low- to moderate-income households because of rising construction costs, so more dollars are needed to make derecho-damaged homes livable again, Buck said.
At least 70 percent of that funding must go toward households below 80 percent of the area median income, and the rest can go toward households with urgent needs, which Buck said could allow the city to help those who are slightly above the income threshold. Recipients must stay in the unit for at least two years.
- Tree canopy and tree replanting program: $4.4 million
- Generators for critical facilities: $1.3 million
Funding can support either tree stumps or tree planting on public property or right of way, Buck said, at an estimated $600 per tree or stump.
IEDA is seeking to cover costs for two years of watering trees to help them thrive, Buck said. This mitigation effort helps protect natural areas and prevent future storm flooding, she added.
As for the generators, Buck said, shelters, schools and library buildings are among the places where generators could be installed. Solar panels with a battery backup also could be funded instead of a generator.
She said the city would work with nonprofits and social service agencies that would apply for this funding. The derecho showed the necessity of keeping these critical facilities up and running to keep people fed and medical devices charged, Buck said.
Administrative costs are estimated at over $2.3 million.
In July, Cedar Rapids plans to have a developer information session. The city anticipates HUD will approve the action plan in August or September, then IEDA would take applications around September or October.
Comments: (319) 398-8494; firstname.lastname@example.org


The podcaster found himself at the centre of renewed controversy after the musician explained she was removing her music from Spotify because of it. Rogan has now called it “the most regretful and shameful thing I’ve ever had to talk about publicly”.
Many musicians including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell also removed their music from Spotify recently over concerns about Covid-19 “misinformation” being spread on his popular podcast, exclusively available on the audio streaming service.
In an Instagram video posted on Saturday, the podcaster said: “There’s a compilation made of clips, taken out of context, of me of 12 years of conversations on my podcast. It’s all smooshed together and it looks f***ing horrible, even to me.”
Rogan, whose podcast is called The Joe Rogan Experience, attempted to explain his reasoning for using the racial slur. “I know for most people there’s no context where a white person is allowed to say that word – and I agree with that now,” he said. “I haven't said it for years ... I thought as long as it was in context, people would understand what I was doing.”
“I never used it to be racist, because I’m not racist,” he added. “But whenever you’re in a situation where you have to say ‘I’m not racist’, you’ve f***ed up. And I’ve clearly f***ed up.”
He also addressed a resurfaced story he told in an old podcast episode that saw him compare a Black neighbourhood to the film Planet of the Apes.
“I was telling a story on the podcast about me and my friend Tommy and his girlfriend,” he told his followers. “We got really high and we went to see Planet of the Apes. We got dropped off in this all-Black neighbourhood and I was trying to make the story entertaining. I said, ‘We got out and it was like we were in Africa, we were in Planet of the Apes. I did not and nor would I ever say that Black people were apes, but it sure f***ing sounded like that. I immediately said afterwards it was a racist thing to say.”
The podcaster offered his “sincerest apologies” for the resurfaced videos, captioning the post: “There’s been a lot of s*** from the old episodes of the podcast that I wish I hadn’t said, or had said differently. This is my take on the worst of it.”
On Tuesday, Grammy-winning singer Arie branded the podcaster “problematic”, saying she came to her decision to remove her music from Spotify after “Neil Young opened a door that I must walk through”.
At the time, Arie didn’t mention what she was referring to but due to the media’s pick-up of her decision, she told her followers that she’d like to clarify her stance. On Instagram, she then posted an edited reel of YouTube clips that show Rogan using the racial slur 22 times.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have a deal with Spotify worth a reported £18m, also released a statement on Sunday (30 January), in which they said they have spoken to the music platform’s bosses about their concerns regarding Covid “disinformation”.
In the wake of the boycott, Spotify said it would add Covid-19 content advisory labels.
Rogan addressed the controversy in a lengthy video posted to Instagram on Monday (31 January), stating that he thinks “a lot of people had a distorted perception of what I do”. However, he supported Spotify’s decision to add content advisory labels.


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We are now under a month until the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park hosts Florida’s funkiest festival. The 2012 Bear Creek Music & Art Festival will run from November 8-11 in Live Oak and boasts an incredible line up. Double sets by Dumpstaphunk, the Heavy Pets, Lettuce, Zach Deputy and Umphrey’s Mcgee are totally intriguing. If that isn’t enough add the Royal Family Affair (Lettuce, Break Science, Soulive, Nigel Hall), Zoogma, Lotus, the New Mastersounds and many more for a funky fun time.
Bear Creek is unlike any other festival out there and is widely acclaimed as “one of the best” by veteran fest-goers. The cool Florida November provides a stark contrast from the heated tents of Bonnaroo, Electric Forest or Wakarusa. The funk and jazz oriented line-up is a nice switch up from the EDM conquered major festivals of 2012. In short: we couldn’t be more excited.
You can learn more about the Bear Creek Festival including tickets, camping arrangements and directions by visiting the official website.


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On the off chance that you’ve driven past an auto dealership recently, you’ve most likely observed the signs: “0% financing on every single staying model!” But that doesn’t mean YOU can score that arrangement.
Near 33% of Canadians hoping to back the buy of another or utilized vehicle aren’t qualified for such prime enthusiasm financing, as per industry gauges.
Obviously, that doesn’t mean nobody is going offer them an auto. It’s simply going to be financed through a subprime bank like TD Non Prime, Scotia Dealer Advantage or, the most up to date Canadian subprime player, Canadian Title Loan Corporation. So what should customers think about assuming subprime credits?
Poor Credit Leads To Problems
Subprime moneylenders make advances to individuals with noteworthy credit issues, either because of poor cash administration aptitudes or individual misfortunes, for example, work misfortune, separate, therapeutic crises and chapter 11.
As anyone might expect, these subprime auto advances have higher loan costs and less good terms to repay the moneylender for the higher credit chance. Doubtlessly that misfortunes are higher on advances made to clients with a poor record of reimbursement or little financial record – yet it’s still great business for moneylenders.
While subprime contracts were among the first to flounder when the U.S. lodging market broke apart a couple of years prior, auto credits are an alternate issue. Despite the fact that they may have been not as much as tenacious when it came to taking care of their home loans, most borrowers kept on making their auto installments – to a great extent since they required their vehicles to get the opportunity to work.
Would It Be Advisable For You To Get A Subprime Car Loan?
Before you glance around for financing, know where you stand. Numerous loan specialists consider a FICO assessment of under 620 to be subprime region. Not certain where you rank? Your most solid option is to acquire a credit report. You can obtain free credit report at Credit Karma and Borrowell. When you know how others see your credit circumstance, you can start to search for approaches to enhance it.
Don’t forget, the best way to rebuild or repair credit is to show lenders that you make payments. If you haven’t borrowed anything for a long time it will take a lot longer to rebuild your credit score. Quickest way to fix your credit score is borrow car loans and pay it back diligently.
When you do settle on a vehicle, get everything in composing. That implies anything to do with financing, financing costs, and the term of the advance – including when and on the off chance that it may be renegotiable.

domain: finance


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By the time the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, it seemed the fate of the Soviet Union was all but sealed. It would be two more years before the USSR officially dissolved, and flew the Soviet flag over the Kremlin for the last time, but the age of Cold War belligerence officially ended with the 1980s, so it seemed. Soft power and suasion would finish the job. And what better way to announce this transition than with the soft-rock stylings of a power ballad like the Scorpions’ “Wind of Change”? The sentimental song from German metal and hard rock favorites was suddenly inescapable in 1990, and it was not at all subtle about its message.
The song became a massive hit and remains one of the best-selling singles of all time. It served as “a soundtrack of sorts to a political and cultural revolution,” writes Richard Bienstock at Rolling Stone. Oddly, “especially in light of the Scorpions’ background… ‘Wind of Change’ was about neither the Berlin Wall nor their German homeland.” Instead, the song was ostensibly inspired by a historic two-day festival the band played in Moscow in 1989, a so-called “hard-rock Woodstock” featuring metal royalty like Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, Cinderella, and Skid Row alongside hard rock Soviet bands like Gorky Park.
Three months after the concert, the Berlin Wall fell, and Scorpions’ lead singer Klaus Meine wrote the words:
The world is closing in
Did you ever think
That we could be so close, like brothers
The future’s in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change
The iconic whistled intro and lighters-in-the-air video cemented “Wind of Change” as a definitive statement on how the “children of tomorrow” will “share their dreams” in a globalized world. Tantalizingly vague, the lyrics read like Surrealist ad copy, sliding back and forth between doggerel and weird Symbolist incantation:
The wind of change
Blows straight into the face of time
Like a stormwind that will ring the freedom bell
For peace of mind
Let your balalaika sing
What my guitar wants to say
These lines, it may not shock you to learn, may have been written by the CIA. At least, “that’s the mystery driving the new eight-part podcast series Wind of Change,” writes Nicholas Quah at Vulture. (Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, and on the podcast website.) “Led by New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe and produced by Pineapple Street’s Henry Molofsky… the journey takes us to a shape-shifting Wonderland, a world where an American agency like the CIA may very well have participated in the production of pop culture as part of concerted efforts to build sentiment against its enemies abroad. It might even be something that’s happening right now.”
Those who’ve read about how the Agency has influenced everything from Abstract Expressionism, to literary magazines, creative writing, and Hollywood films might not find these allegations particularly surprising, but as with all the best examples of the serial podcast form, it’s the journey, not the destination that makes this story worth pursuing. Keefe approaches the subject with a naiveté that might be deliberate, playing up the idea of mass entertainment as “carefully devised and calibrated messaging.”
The podcast is great fun (“it’s been described as This is Spinal Tap meets All the President’s Men,” writes Deadline); its story, Keefe says in a statement, “stretches across musical genres, and across borders and periods of history.” Do we ever find out for sure whether the agency best known for overthrowing governments it doesn’t like wrote the Scorpions’ 1990 power ballad “Wind of Change”? “Hear the music, and the accents and the voices,” says Keefe, “and judge for yourself who might be lying and who is telling the truth.”
If you ask Klaus Meine, it’s all a fantasy. (But, then, he would say that, wouldn’t he?) “It’s weird,” the Scorpions singer commented after learning about Keefe’s podcast. “In my wildest dreams I can’t think about how that song would connect with the CIA.” The idea, however, would make “a good idea for a movie,” he says, “That would be cool.” A movie, maybe, funded by the CIA.
How the CIA Funded & Supported Literary Magazines Worldwide While Waging Cultural War Against Communism
The CIA Assesses the Power of French Post-Modern Philosophers: Read a Newly Declassified CIA Report from 1985
Read the CIA’s Simple Sabotage Field Manual: A Timeless Guide to Subverting Any Organization with “Purposeful Stupidity” (1944)
How the CIA Helped Shape the Creative Writing Scene in America
Josh Jones is a writer and musician based in Durham, NC. Follow him at @jdmagness
The CIA did not influence Abstract Expressionism.
The agency was involved in the promotion of Abstract Expressionism at the Venice Biennale
Which is somewhat different
Thanks for writing about this! I just finished the series and liked it very much. I was born in 1968 and was a Scorpions fan during my teens. My punchline, though, is that I didn’t think the podcast successfully connected the song and the CIA. (Mild spoilers follow.)
I loved all the episodes: the plane ride to the Moscow festival with all those bands, the story about drug running and Doc McGhee, and convincing interviews with ex-agency employees. They’re well produced and the storytelling is top-notch. I think this man Keefe makes good arguments that the CIA has involved itself in cultural influence: literature, movies, music, and so on, and continues to do so. And maybe the agency did have a hand in the 1989 Moscow Peace Festival (episode 5, I Follow the Moskva, was riveting). It’s hard to believe that the CIA wouldn’t have had some involvement in such a thing.
But none of the episodes make a clear connection to “Wind of Change” specifically. We hear Klaus Meine’s story of the writing of the song, but I wasn’t convinced at any point by any details of how anyone at the CIA would have written the lyrics and then handed them over to the Scorpions (and what motivation the Scorpions would have had to be part of such an operation).
One also senses that this Keefe chap is not really a music person. At no point do we get an in-depth musical analysis: the verses, the bridge, the cadences, the flavor of the thing, the reason why these particular measures don’t quite feel like the Scorpions. He suggests the possibility that Klaus Meine did not write the song — that’s the crux of the whole project, and the burden of proof is heavy. I don’t think he delivers. Yes, many Scorpions songs are faster and harder than “Wind of Change,” but recall 1984’s “Still Loving You.” There are examples in the Scorpions canon that make “Wind of Change” sound very much like the Scorpions song I believe it to be.
Okay, if I may, more about songwriting. In general, no one sits down to write a hit song. Songwriters crank out the work: song after song after song, albums are put together, tours are scheduled, and maybe occasionally a song becomes a hit. The work is in the volume (I’m thinking of the “ceramics teacher” chapter of Bayles & Orland’s Art & Fear). So if the CIA had written “Wind of Change,” it would likely have been the result of having tried to write dozens of songs over many years in order to have at least one of them become a hit. It’s more likely that this mysterious Langley employee who made the passing comment that the agency wrote the song was doing what any case officer would find hard to resist: to take credit after the fact for an operation that went well (very well, in this case).
Oh, (goodness I feel like I’m rambling), and to follow the espionage angle a bit further, it would have taken unnecessary effort and risk to put together an operation involving the Scorpions and their songs, just to try to effect changes east of the iron curtain that were already well underway (I’m pretty sure the agency knew a lot more than we did during those years). Any CIA employee seeking permission to set up and run a rock song-writing operation in late 1989 would likely have been gently reminded that there was no need, because the Scorpions were already taking care of it.
Every episode had me enraptured, I tore through the series in just a few days. I was hooked. But the connection between all the episodes and the question of the writing of this song, “Wind of Change,” was not made. I remain convinced that this is a Scorpions song.
But still, go listen to the podcast. It’s good.
A lesser known fact is that NOAA wrote Rock You Like a Hurricane for the Scorpions.


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UPDATE: In a long statement posted on Instagram, Camila Cabello explained the nature of her departure from Fifth Harmony, saying that she was “shocked” to read the group’s statement that she had left the quintet. Cabello added that while she did plan on pursuing a solo career, “I did not intend to end things with Fifth Harmony this way.”
Fifth Harmony revealed Sunday night that singer Camila Cabello has left the popular “Work From Home” group. The remaining members of Fifth Harmony also informed fans that, despite Cabello’s exit, they would continue on together.
“After four and a half years of being together, we have been informed via her representatives that Camila has decided to leave Fifth Harmony. We wish her well,” the group wrote Sunday. Cabello’s departure came just hours after Fifth Harmony’s tour obligations with iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball Tour concluded Sunday night with a gig in South Florida. Cabello has not yet commented on her exit, although an Instagram photo posted before she left hints at “my solitude.”
“We are excited to announce that we will be moving forward with the four of us – Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane and Lauren Jauregui – for our fans. We are four strong, committed women who will continue with Fifth Harmony, as well as our solo endeavors,” the group said. Fifth Harmony members had promised that 2017 would see the release of the quintet’s third album and follow-up to 2016’s 7/27.
Breakup rumors and reports of infighting and feuding have always circulated around Fifth Harmony, but they especially escalated in September, when Cabello abruptly left a Missouri concert mid-show due to anxiety, forcing Fifth Harmony to finish the concert as a foursome. Later that month, Fifth Harmony canceled half of their European tour without explanation.
Cabello had explored solo endeavors in recent months, including her “Power in Me” with producer Benny Blanco and her “Bad Things” collaboration with Machine Gun Kelly, which the two performed on the Jingle Ball Tour, giving the singer a spotlight outside Fifth Harmony.
In a September 2015 interview, Cabello admitted that she expected Fifth Harmony to eventually split, although a rep for the group said the comments were taken out of context.
“Honestly, I think we all do,” she said. “We’d be lying if we all said this is a picture-perfect thing, like we all completely agreed on the album track list and what the sound and the music-video treatment would be like, which usually happens in bands who grew up together. But for manufactured bands, it’s harder.”

domain: celebrity


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Circa 2015. Custom Moore Bettah Tenor Ukulele – Hawaiian sea turtle or ‘Honu’. A work of art! Absolutely beautiful custom Moore Bettah ‘Honu’ Tenor Ukulele handcrafted by master luthier Chuck Moore of the Big Island, HI. Chuck handcrafts some of the most desirable ukuleles in the world, many of which have intricate inlay themes that are remarkable in detail and with a tone that would make even the most seasoned professional musician smile. Moore Bettah ukuleles are highly sought after by both professional musicians as well as the recreational player worldwide who are looking for that extra special ukulele .
This wonderful and extremely rare Moore Bettah ‘Honu’ tenor ukulele was handcrafted from the finest materials and is a rare upper bout ported model. Gorgeous master grade premium Hawaiian curly Koa wood top, back, and sides, Ebony wood fretboard, bridge, and matching Hawaiian Koa wood top and back binding with a matching Hawaiian Koa wood bound fretboard. Upper bout porting system on the soundboard that embellishes slightly the mid-range and low end tones of the ukulele, making for a very sweet sound. Sikta spruce 3-fan top bracing on the underside of the soundboard and a Honduran mahogany wood bracing on the back of the ukulele. Side sound port for a monitor like experience, allowing the player to embrace the wonderful sound of each note with wonderful clarity. Solid carbon fiber reinforced Spanish cedar wood neck for a light weight feel and a slightly brighter sound. Elegant soundboard inlay of the Hawaiian ‘Honu’ in green reconstructed stone and Hibiscus inlay of dyed maple burl on the headstock for an aesthetic appeal. Beautiful black-red-black purfling inlay on the top, back, sides, fingerboard, and headstock with a matching black-red-black purfling rosette in keeping with the theme of the instrument. Bone nut and saddle. Strap pin on neck and LR Baggs active pick up for quick plug-and-play. Slotted headstock with professional Grover Sta-Tite geared tuners for quick and precise tuning. Glossy Nitrocellulose lacquer finish.
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The Miami Dolphins front office should be happy that they aren’t back in school and ESPN’s Bill Barnwell isn’t their teacher. In what’s turning out to be a trend this offseason after ESPN ranked the Dolphins near the bottom third of the list at 21 in their 2017 Power Rankings, they haven’t received high marks for their moves during free agency.
Despite the Dolphins addressing many of their needs thus far during the free agency period, including bringing back their own players, Barnwell has seemingly been mostly taken aback by how much Miami has spent to accomplish these moves.
On the signing of linebacker Lawrence Timmons, which received a C, Barnwell is seemingly worried about the second year of the two-year $12 million deal. Given the Dolphins issues at linebacker last year and the fact that Timmons continued his consistently high level performance last year for the Steelers at age 30, Miami has made a bet that he’ll at least be able to sustain his dominance for the length of the short contract. It’s not an unreasonable bet considering the former Pro Bowler finished last season with 14 tackles and two sacks on his new teammates when the Steelers knocked the Dolphins out of the 2016 playoffs.
The grades get worse when you look at the D+ Barnwell gave the team for providing safety Reshad Jones a contract extension. The five-year $60 million extension secures the position and future with the Dolphins for the 2015 Pro Bowl safety. Barnwell’s argument seems to be centered around the comparative value of Jones’ contract versus the league’s other top safeties. He also argues that the Dolphins didn’t miss Jones that much when his season ended early after injuring his rotator cuff last year. While Barnwell may have a point, rolling the dice on a new safety when you have a Pro Bowl caliber player on your roster is risky. The Dolphins were likely ok with overpaying a bit for the continuity and security of having Jones help solidify the back end of the secondary.
The D grades keep rolling in when you looks at the D+ Barnwell issued for the Dolphins deal with wide receiver Kenny Stills. The young wideout’s four-year $32 million deal actually came in under the $10+ million per year that he was expected to receive on the open market. Barnwell has valid concerns about giving Stills such a hefty contract since he hasn’t shown the ability to be a consistent threat catching the ball over an entire season. Stills’ 42 receptions in 2016 won’t be enough to justify the contract he received. However, if Stills can continue his development under Adam Gase and maintain the skills that made him the team leader in touchdowns with nine, this contract may end up being a bargain.
Finally, the Dolphins’ deal with defensive end Andre Branch makes it a trio of D+ grades for the team. While reports, and Barnwell’s analysis, may have been based off slightly inflated terms of three-years, $27 million, Branch actually only received $24 million over three years, plus incentives. Whether that would have brought the grade a little higher is debatable since Barnwell believes plugging anyone on to the line next to Cameron Wake and Ndamukong Suh, would have worked just as well as bringing Branch back on a somewhat expensive multi-year deal.
Time will tell who’s right on these deals, but the Dolphins should be happy overall despite the costs considering they filled many of their holes and brought back players that have played integral roles in the team’s success.