Jim Cramer on the Stock Market: Investors Need to Own Up and Regroup
You missed the rally. Now pick your spots.
NEW YORK (Real Money) -- Two questions define this moment: "What should I buy?" and "Have I missed the rally?"
It's up to the individual to answer these questions, but you have to try to develop some consistency and some discipline.
I learned this the hard way. Many a time when I ran a hedge fund I would miss a 4% rally like we just had. The tendency, though, is never to say "I missed it," and instead is to just say, "What should we buy?"
That's why you need a disciplinarian in the room. Or you have to develop discipline yourself. For me, I was lucky enough to have Karen Cramer in the room, a tough-as-nails trader who spoke truth and didn't mind how upsetting it was.
We would review our portfolio every couple of hours back then and the meetings were really intense. Brutal. But we were successful, over 14 years tripling the market's performance after all fees. So, you have to presume we did many things right and one of them is endlessly reviewing to test conviction and check information and deciding whether opportunities had come and gone.
So, I am going to let you be a fly on the wall in one of these meetings.
On a day like Friday, I would come in to our morning meeting, held before the market opened, and say, "Is it time to buy?" She would look at me with scorn and say, "Time to buy? You are kidding. The time to buy was Tuesday when everyone hated the market."
I would then say, "But we didn't." And she would say, "Well, we were stupid, we got it wrong and now we must be patient and wait for something to come in."
"Wait," I would say. "What if it doesn't come in? What do we do?"
She would respond: "Nothing, because we missed it and we have to own up to that and pay the price."
Now, after a few years and many missed rallies, I pretty much could intuit the response, so I stopped asking. Instead, I tried to find stocks that would come in a bit as part of the everyday nature of equities and buy them, provided it was just the stock that was damaged, not the company.
Now, these days, when I go on Twitter and mention this kind of discipline and the market goes higher, I am trashed by people who are many years my junior and have not been put through the performance mill. I find their reactions painful because they are so adamant, like I was when I first started, that it was not too late to buy. I just want to show them how much better it has been to wait probably 90% of the time. They don't understand discipline, though. And they will no doubt be blown out of the game as all people with no discipline are eventually. It's the nature of the beast.
So, you pick your spots. What would have been acceptable to buy today? How about some Nike (NKE) - Get NIKE, Inc. Class B Report , betting that expectations are just too high? That's OK. It acts badly, so that may mean someone's going to downgrade it Monday (remember, you have to be cynical). Maybe Deckers (DECK) - Get Deckers Outdoor Corporation Report or Skechers (SKX) - Get Skechers U.S.A., Inc. Class A Report ? They are down in sympathy with Nike, as well as the incredibly disappointing Finish Line (FINL) . I think you make your peace with one and use the collateral damage weakness to buy some, maybe half, and the rest on Monday if some jittery analyst cuts and runs.
That is how it is done. You see you missed the rally. You are now a beggar. And beggars can't be choosers.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published at 12:30 p.m. EST on Real Money on Dec. 19.
Action Alerts PLUS, which Cramer co-manages as a charitable trust, had no positions in stocks mentioned.
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Review: Jack and the Beanstalk - York GOH
Caroline Barnes and Russ Spencer as Princess Jill and Jack Trott in York Grand Opera House panto Jack and the Beanstalk. Picture: David Harrison
York's Grand Opera House relies on audiences who like a traditional theatrical fare at Christmas.
And New Pantomime Productions' 17th visit to the city, this time with Jack and the Beanstalk, has all the old favourites - plot, good guys, a witch baddie, songs, dance routines and audience participation.
The cast of Jack and the Beanstalk at York Grand Opera House. Picture: David Harrison
It may be nothing we haven't seen before - especially the ghost routine, pantomime cow, costumes and Twelve Days of Christmas - but it is well received, especially by the young.
The creation of the Giant, Natham Haymer-Bates, was an innovative and refreshing costume addition to the show.
But the old routines are the favourites and the highlight was the chaotic yet hilariously funny Twelve Days of Christmas with five flying toilet rolls and cast falling over, which had the audience in hysterics.
Unfortunately there wasn't enough of this kind of humour which the actors seemed to relish playing out.
Instead there were just a few tired old gags and song and dance routines were shovelled in, often with no link to the plot.
The songs seemed to be there to give a platform for its stars, such as 2013 X Factor finalist Jade Ellis to justify being an attraction.
But Scooch Eurovision pop act members Leeds-born Caroline Barnes (Princess Jill) and Russ Spencer (Jack Trott) sang an uplifting and outstanding rendition of Yazoo's Only You that was a welcome scene in the show.
Stuart Wade, as Tilly Trott, was the glue to keep everyone together. Given his TV (Emmerdale) and stage experience he could have done more with ad-libs and the plot if given the chance.
Another stand-out performance came from newcomer to the York Grand Opera House Chris Casey as Simple Simon.
His extensive stage, film and panto experience, shone out and made him a firm favourite with the audience.
Thirsk's Ionica Adriana put her all into being Witch Blackweed and it felt better when she turned from bad to good character in the end as she had given an outstanding performance.
More could have been done with the costumes, sets and script but Jack and the Beanstalk is comfortingly familiar for traditional audiences.
Jack and the Beanstalk runs at the Grand Opera House York until Sunday January 3.
For tickets phone 0844 871 3024 or online at www.atgtickets.com/york


Honorable Thomas P. Zampino (Ret.), Of Counsel
TZampino@snydersarno.com
Judge Thomas Zampino (Ret.) served as a Family Court Judge for over two decades. During part of his tenure, he also served as Presiding Judge of the Family Court. Since his appointment to the bench in 1989, he has settled or decided thousands of divorce cases.
Judge Zampino (Ret.) has taught Judges and attorneys throughout the State and the Country on behalf of the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges where he also served as a trustee of the organization.
As a practicing attorney, he was a past chairperson of the Family Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association and a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is the past chairperson of the New Jersey Child Support Commission and a past member of the Supreme Court Family Practice Committee.
His practice is limited to the successful mediation and arbitration of matrimonial cases upon referral and appointment by the Court.
Judge Zampino (Ret.) received the 2017 Serpentelli Award presented by the Family Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Assocation. He is a member of the New Jersey and New York bar.
Click here to learn more about Mediation & Arbitration
Legal Assistant: Melanie Mucchiello
mmucchiello@snydersarno.com
425 Eagle Rock Ave, Suite 100
(973) 274 - 5200 | Fax: (973) 274 - 5202
Awards, Accolades, & Professional Associations
1. Thomas Zampino has been listed in Martindale Hubbell's Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers of 2019. The Register is generated from evaluations of lawyers by other members of the bar and the judiciary in the United States and Canada. A further description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
2. Thomas Zampino was also selected by his peers for inclusion in Woodward White's The Best Lawyers in America; in the field of Family Law each year for 2021 (Copyright 2021 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC). The list is generated entirely on peer review. A further description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Emily R. Carstensen
Cynthia A. Walters
Arnaldo Pacheco
Michael J. Weil
Mitchell Dornfeld
Of Counsel
Honorable Thomas P. Zampino


Memory suppliers
Micro-processor/-controller suppliers
MCUs powered by Arm Cortex-M23
30 January 2019 DSP, Micros & Memory
GigaDevice Semiconductor released the GD32E230 series of Arm Cortex-M23 based MCUs (microcontrollers), which support security extension requirements to run the latest embedded application solutions. The product family comprises 18 product types, including package options of LQFP48, LQFP32, QFN32, QFN28, TSSOP20 and QFN20 with a chip dimension from 7 x 7 mm to 3 x 3 mm.
As the first series of the GD32 MCU family based on the latest Cortex-M23 core, the GD32E230 series is manufactured using 55 nm low-power technology, focusing on ultra-low cost applications. With its small size and power efficiency, it can compete with traditional 8-bit and 16-bit product solutions while delivering improved performance and power efficiency over the Arm Cortex-M0/M0+.
Arm Cortex-M23 is the successor of the Cortex-M0 and Cortex-M0+, and is based on the latest Armv8-M architecture of embedded microprocessor cores. It adopts a Von Neumann two-stage pipelined structure and supports the complete Armv8-M reference instruction set while maximising code compactness. Moreover, it is compatible with all Armv6-M instructions, allowing engineers to easily transfer code from Cortex-M0/M0+ processors to the Cortex-M23.
Additionally, the new core is equipped with independent resources such as single-cycle hardware multipliers, hardware dividers, hardware frequency dividers, nested vectored interrupt controllers (NVICs), enhancing debug error correction and traceability for easier development. Subsequent products can also benefit from TrustZone technology designed to support trusted and non-trusted software isolation and protection in hardware, and to meet multiple security requirements.
GD32E230 series products have a system frequency of up to 72 MHz and are equipped with 16 KB to 64 KB of embedded Flash memory and 4 KB to 8 KB of SRAM. While running under the highest frequency, they can achieve a working performance of 55 DMIPS and their CoreMark test score can reach up to 154 points. Compared to the same frequency on similar Cortex-M0 and Cortex-M0+ products, the code execution efficiency of the Cortex-M23 is 40% higher and 30% higher, respectively.
The MCUs also provide flexible interfaces to enhance connectivity, with up to five 16-bit general-purpose timers, a 16-bit basic timer and a multi-channel controller, while the universal interface includes two USARTs, two SPIs, two I²Cs and an I²S. In addition, there is a 16-bit advanced timer that supports three-phase pulse width modulation PWM output and a Hall acquisition interface.
For signal conditioning, a high-speed, rail-to-rail input/output analog voltage comparator and a 12-bit, 2,6 MSPS sampling rate analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with multi-channel high-speed data acquisition support mixed-signal processing for motor control and industrial application requirements.
The GD32E230 is powered by a 1,8-3,6 V supply voltage and the I/O ports are 5 V tolerant. The maximum operating current is only 118 A/MHz with all peripherals enabled at full-speed operation mode. While in deep-sleep mode, the current is reduced by 86% and the standby current is only 0,7 A when the battery is used to power the real-time clock (RTC).
With its 6 kV ESD protection and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) capabilities, it is suitable for industrial automation, motor control, LED display, household appliances and electronic toys, smart cities and smart homes, electronic payments, electric vehicles, drones, robots and other applications.
Articles: More information and articles about MB Silicon Systems
Fujitsu FRAM and ReRAM now available from Mouser
TRX Electronics DSP, Micros & Memory
Fujitsu Semiconductor Memory Solution's ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) and large-density resistive random access memory (ReRAM) products are now being distributed by Mouser Electronics. Fujitsu ...
Functional safety packages for Microchip MCUs and DSCs
EBV Electrolink DSP, Micros & Memory
Safety is a primary concern in automotive applications to ensure reliable operation and end users' wellbeing. Microchip Technology is offering newly certified functional safety packages to enable engineers ...
MCU with enhanced security and innovative sensing features
Enabled with Bluetooth Low Energy wireless connectivity, onsemi's new low-power RSL15 microcontroller (MCU) addresses the growing demand of connected industrial applications for security without sacrificing ...
Discovery kit for IoT nodes using STM32U5 MCU
Altron Arrow DSP, Micros & Memory
The B-U585I-IOT02A Discovery kit provides a complete demonstration and development platform for STMicroelectronics' STM32U585AI microcontroller, featuring an Arm Cortex-M33 core with Arm TrustZone and ...
200 MHz MCUs backed by TrustZone security
Hi-Q Electronics DSP, Micros & Memory
Renesas Electronics now offers a 200 MHz RA6E1 microcontroller (MCU) which uses a high-performance Arm Cortex M33 core and TrustZone. The device is built on a highly efficient 40 nm process and supported ...
32-bit MCU for IoT edge applications
NuVision Electronics DSP, Micros & Memory
Silicon Labs launched the EFM32PG22 (PG22) 32-bit microcontroller (MCU), a low-cost, high-performance solution with an optimised combination of energy efficiency, performance and security. With easy-to-use, ...
Crossover MCU with 3D camera
NXP Semiconductors has announced the expansion of its NXP EdgeReady solution portfolio, adding a solution for secure face recognition that leverages a high-performance 3D structured light module (SLM) ...
MCUs for secure and connected automotive gateways
The SPC58 Chorus H Line is part of STMicroelectronics' portfolio of general-purpose automotive power architecture microcontrollers (MCUs). It is designed for high-end body, networking and security applications ...
Low-power multiprotocol wireless MCU
The STM32WB15CC multiprotocol wireless microcontroller (MCU) embeds a powerful and ultra-low-power radio compliant with the Bluetooth Low Energy SIG specification 5.2. It contains a dedicated Arm Cortex-M0+ ...
MCU evaluation and development kits
RS Components (SA) DSP, Micros & Memory
RS Components announced availability of a new range of evaluation and development kits for Infineon Technologies' AURIX family of microcontrollers (MC), which are based on the manufacturer's 32-bit TriCore ...


Home » Rodrigo de Luis Garcia, PhD
Rodrigo de Luis Garcia, PhD
Assistant Professor (Profesor Contratado Doctor) with the ETSI Telecomunicación,
University of Valladolid
Research Affiliate LPI (Valladolid, SPAIN)
Research Fellow LMI, Harvard Medical School
Publications of Rodrigo de Luis Garcia: [by year][by type]
ETS Ingenieros de Telecomunicación,
Universidad de Valladolid
Campus Miguel Delibes sn. 47011 Valladolid, SPAIN
Tel: (+34) 983-423660, ext 5590. Fax: (+34) 983-423667
E-mail: rodlui@tel.uva.es
Short Bio:
Dr. Rodrigo de Luis García received the Ingeniero de Telecomunicación and the Ph.D. degrees from the University of Valladolid, Spain, in 2002 and 2007, respectively. He is an Assistant Professor with the E.T.S.I. Telecomunicación, the University of Valladolid, where he is also with the Laboratory of Image Processing (LPI). His research interests include medical image analysis and processing, with a special focus on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion MRI. In 2008, he was awarded with a Fulbright Scholarship for a two-year stay as a Research Fellow with the Laboratory of Mathematics in Imaging at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston. He is author or coauthor of more than 30 publications in international peer-reviewed journals and conferences, and is currently a participator or principal investigator of several funded research grants and contracts.


jy chap. 8 p. 24
They Escape From a Wicked Ruler
Jesus—The Way, the Truth, the Life
Escape From a Tyrant
The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived
He Protected, He Provided, He Persevered
Imitate Their Faith
JESUS' FAMILY FLEES TO EGYPT
JOSEPH MOVES HIS FAMILY TO NAZARETH
Joseph wakes Mary up to give her urgent news. Jehovah's angel has just appeared to him in a dream, telling him: "Get up, take the young child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I give you word, for Herod is about to search for the young child to kill him."—Matthew 2:13.
Right away, Joseph, Mary, and their son make their escape by night. They do so just in time, because Herod learns that the astrologers have tricked him. He had told them to report back to him. Instead, they left the country without doing so. Herod is filled with rage. Still wanting to kill Jesus, he gives orders to put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its surroundings who are two years of age and under. He bases this age calculation on what he learned earlier from the astrologers who had come from the East.
The slaughter of all the boys is a horrible thing! We cannot know how many young boys were killed, but the bitter weeping and wailing of the bereaved mothers fulfills a Bible prophecy given by Jeremiah, God's prophet.—Jeremiah 31:15.
In the meantime, Joseph and his family have fled to Egypt, and they continue living there. Then one night Jehovah's angel again appears to Joseph in a dream. "Get up, take the young child and his mother," the angel says, "and go into the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the life of the young child are dead." (Matthew 2:20) So Joseph now concludes that the family can return to their homeland. In this way another Bible prophecy is fulfilled—God's Son is called out of Egypt.—Hosea 11:1.
Apparently, Joseph intends that his family settle in Judea, perhaps near the town of Bethlehem, where they were living before they fled to Egypt. But he learns that Herod's wicked son Archelaus is now the king of Judea. In another dream, God warns Joseph of the danger. So Joseph and his family travel farther north and settle in the city of Nazareth in the territory of Galilee, away from the center of Jewish religious life. Jesus grows up in this community, which fulfills another prophecy: "He will be called a Nazarene."—Matthew 2:23.
When the astrologers do not return, what does King Herod do, and how is young Jesus protected?
On returning from Egypt, why do Joseph and his family not go back to Bethlehem?
What Bible prophecies are fulfilled during this period of time?


MP3.com squares Universal with $53.4m payout
Anything for a quiet life
By Linda Harrison 14 Nov 2000 at 23:59
MP3.com is to cough up $53.4 million to settle its copyright infringement case with Universal Music Group.
Record label giant Universal was upset because it claimed MP3.com had infringed 6,700 of its copyrighted CDs.
Today's settlement, though fierce, is still better than feared - the San-Diego-based company faced up to $167.5 million in damages. And at one point Universal was after $450 million from the online music-sharing service.
The trial to decide the number of infringements was due to start in New York this afternoon.
In September, Judge Jed Rakoff ordered MP3.com to pay $25,000 for every copyright infringement on CDs sold by Universal.
MP3.com has already settled out of court with music industry majors EMI, Sony, BMG and Warner. ®
MP3.com losses down two-thirds
MP3.com settles with Paul McCartney, NMPA
MP3.com launches email war on Congress
MP3.com bans hacker song
MP3.com seeks to placate Universal


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Young Duo Make Debuts
Matt Hudson
Two academy products earn international bow.
The work of Colchester United's Academy continues to bear fruit, with two of its young talents making their international debuts in the past two weeks.
15-year-old Milo Downey and 14-year-old Louis Dunne have represented Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland respectively, as the U's efforts to develop the best in young talent step up another level.
Primarily a deep-lying central midfielder, Milo has been a regular within the U16s squad this season and attends Philip Morant School in Colchester.
Milo has been with the club since the age of 8, progressing through each of the schoolboy squads and was offered an academy scholarship at the start of this season, guaranteeing his future at Colchester United at least until he is 18.
Milo earned three caps with Northern Ireland during an international training week, following up substitute appearances against Wales and Iceland with a first start against Faroe Islands.
His progress saw him become one of the youngest players ever to be offered a youth scholarship at Colchester United in September and earned him a call-up to a Republic of Ireland training camp earlier in the season, from where he was promoted to the U15s squad, making his debut in the recent fixture versus Finland.
Louis Dunne - son of first team manager Joe - has played up in age groups this season, featuring regularly in U15s games this season as well as tasting U16s football.
Like Milo, Louis has been coached at the club since the age of 8 and in 2011 joined the club's Elite Football Programme at Thurstable School in Tiptree.
Academy Head of Youth Tony Humes was delighted with their progress, saying: " "I hope that this is only a small part of a long and successful career in football with both Colchester United and the countries they have represented.
"They both deserve huge credit for the attitude and application they have shown and fully deserve the international recognition they have received.
Both Louis and Milo have been in our Academy programme for a number of years and have shown a real determination and desire to develop their natural ability and to improve their game knowledge and understanding.
"Everyone at the Club is extremely proud and this demonstrates that we have players within our Academy capable of playing at a high level and is testimony to the hard work being done by all staff and coaches involved in the Club and Academy."


COLD WAR REMAINS AT PADARSKO, BULGARIA
text and photography by Anthony Georgieff
Visit spooky site of Communist-era jammer of BBC and Radio Free Europe
If you ever find yourself in the Thracian Plain northeast of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city that holds many enticements to both expats and casual visitors alike, you will probably be bored. You will be doing the 20-mile drive over farming flatlands with little to distract the traveller's attention than the occasional roadside vendor selling tomatoes and peppers, or sometimes a mini traffic jam caused by a tractor going too slow. Then, quite surprisingly for a Bulgarian flatland where you are usually able to see for miles around, you will enter a thick grove. The road, of decreasing quality, will eventually end up in front of some derelict buildings with strange concrete installations around them. Most of them will be overgrown with lush Bulgarian vegetation. No one will be in sight: the place has long been abandoned and left to the elements.
You are at the Padarsko Jamming Facility, a Communist-era state operation that in the course of several decades tried to prevent the radio broadcasts of the BBC and Radio Free Europe from reaching the people they were targeted at.
To appreciate the historical significance of the site you will need some background.
Young people of the 21st century are usually glued to their smartphones and other interconnected "devices." They swish messages on WhatsApp and at least a dozen other "sharing platforms," and freely exchange any kind of information with friends, families and completely unknown individuals that can be located on the other side of the world. Usually, their judgment of what is right and what is wrong, what is just plausible and what is a verified fact, and the different measures of truth, half-truths, half-lies and plain nonsense a piece of news may consist of is based mainly on its headline – or the number of characters (spaces included) that the various messaging apps allow.
For the young people of the 21st century it would be difficult if not entirely impossible to imagine that just over 30 years ago Europe was divided in two by something called the Iron Curtain. West of that "curtain" life was not very different from what it is today. Travel was free, people were not scared to exchange opinions, tell political jokes, dress any way they liked, sport long hair and engage in whatever activity they wanted as long as it did not violate the law.
East of the curtain life was very different. You couldn't buy Beatles records. Pink Floyd's The Wall was banned because of the references to Brezhnev and Afghanistan. Those lucky few who could travel abroad had to undergo strenuous vetting checks with a unclear outcome. Families might be allowed to travel as long as at least one of their kids stayed behind, as a flesh-and-blood guarantee they would return.
Bulgaria, unfortunately, was on the east side of the Iron Curtain. Several generations of Bulgarians – all of the over-40s men and women you are likely to meet in today's Bulgaria had to live the humiliating life of citizens of a Communist country. They belonged to the Second World.
Significantly, one of the most important differences between life east and life west of the Iron Curtain was the lack of information. While people in the West had a plethora of news sources to choose from, all of them offering varied commentary and multifaceted opinion, the people east often did not even realise their governments deprived them of one of the most basic human rights, the right to free and independent media. In Bulgaria, they had to do with a handful of newspapers inevitably controlled and censored by the Communist party. And the two national TV channels they had carried mainly "news" about farming and industrial "conquests." Occasionally, a Western movie would be broadcast, attracting a huge number of viewers. But overall the media picture in Communist Bulgaria was as dull as life under Communism itself.
Here come the BBC World Service in London and the US-sponsored Radio Free Europe, collectively referred to by the Communist propagandists at the time as the "enemy" radio stations. While very different from each other in terms of editorial policies, goals, funding and so on, what they had in common was that they broadcast uncensored news and commentary to the people behind the Iron Curtain, including Bulgaria. And they did that in Bulgarian.
Predictably, the Communist authorities in Sofia did not like that. The Politburo, the secret police and various other agencies of the Communist state went to great lengths to silence the voices of freedom that the BBC and Radio Free Europe had turned into. For one, they developed an elaborate "counterpropaganda" classification system where they tagged the various Western radio stations according to the "harm" the Communist Bulgaria they could inflict. There was the "white propaganda": The Voice of America, an arm of the long defunct United States Information Agency beamed from Washington DC. With its Music-and-More model it was considered pretty innocuous. Then there was the BBC World Service, located up until the 2000s in Bush House, in Central London. The BBC was "grey propaganda." It did broadcast news about the British Commonwealth, but also sent out commentary and analysis on international developments – the Soviet Union invading Czechoslovakia and Vaclav Havel being put in jail again, Andrei Sakharov being confined to a psychiatric asylum in the USSR, Chernobyl blowing up and Gorbachev hushing it up, and so on and so forth – that drove a serious wedge in the Communist propaganda machine at the time. Yet "worse" was the "black propaganda." That was Radio Free Europe, which broadcast to Eastern Europe, and Radio Liberty, which sent out its programmes to the peoples of the Soviet Union. Since its inception in 1949, Radio Free Europe was supposed to be a "surrogate" radio station. In plain language, it was meant to send out uncensored news, commentary, responsible discussion and independent analysis to the peoples in the East bloc that they could have obtained themselves had they had free and independent media.
An early ad for Radio Free Europe
The governments in every country in the East bloc, including Bulgaria, spent a considerable amount of cash and human resources to prevent Radio Free Europe's airwaves from reaching the people they were supposed to reach. One relatively easy way to do that was by "jamming." Setting up jamming facilities across the East bloc was seen as a major method of "counterpropaganda." Up until 1989 the East bloc countries acted in coordination to prevent their citizens from being able to listen to Radio Free Europe's news. Bulgaria, for example, jammed Polish language and Czech-language broadcasts, while the Soviet union jammed Bulgarian-language broadcasts – up until 1989.
Padarsko was the main jamming station among at least half a dozen similar facilities in the People's Republic of Bulgaria.
As you walk among the ruins of the former Communist-era facility you will find little to indicate either Communism, or Radio Free Europe or jamming as such. Pieces of broken equipment scattered on the floor, empty mineral water bottles, remnants of chairs – everything you will find in other post-Communist ruins with which Bulgaria abounds.
Dr Martin Luther King Jr gives talks to RFE/RL in the 1960s
Outside you will see the former concrete pylons, in severe state of dilapidation, that used to prop the antennas.
Western demands to the East bloc in general and Bulgaria in particular to stop jamming as it violated the universal human right to free information were never taken seriously. In fact, in the 1970s and 1980s Communist Bulgaria repeatedly lied it was about to stop jamming – but didn't. At long last, jamming was halted as late as the end of 1988, less than a year before the collapse of Communism.
The Padarsko facility was then used to relay the foreign language programmes of the Bulgarian National Radio – up until 2012, when the GERB government pulled the plug on those too, and Padarsko was abandoned for good.
So now, if you ever go to Padarsko, whose Bulgarian name translates as the Village of Goatherds, close your eyes among the ruins and the destruction and think that fortunately you live at a time when you get your news from your smartphone – and no one, hopefully not in the predictable future, is going to jam it.
Vibrant Communities: Spotlight on Bulgaria's Living Heritage is a series of articles, initiated by Vagabond Magazine and realised by the Free Speech Foundation, with the generous support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation, that aims to provide details and background of places, cultural entities, events, personalities and facts of life that are sometimes difficult to understand for the outsider in the Balkans. The ultimate aim is the preservation of Bulgaria's cultural heritage – including but not limited to archaeological, cultural and ethnic diversity. The statements and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the FSI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the America for Bulgaria Foundation or its affiliates.
Подкрепата за Фондация "Фрий спийч интернешънъл" е осигурена от Фондация "Америка за България". Изявленията и мненията, изразени тук, принадлежат единствено на ФСИ и не отразяват непременно вижданията на Фондация Америка за България или нейните партньори.
Issue 181 Urbex Bulgaria America for Bulgaria Foundation dark tourism Communist Bulgaria PostCommunism
WHY IS NESEBAR A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE?
SILENCE OF THE CARYATIDS
No matter how diverse and interesting Thracian heritage is, time, destruction and rebuilding in war and peace, continual habitation and treasure-hunting have wiped out a lot of it – reducing it to a tomb here, a treasure there, and a shrine in what today ap
WINTER TALES IN TRYAVNA
Wood-beamed houses, cobbled streets, mystic religious art and even some snow... you do not need to travel to France or Germany to immerse in the atmosphere of Christmas in a cosy town that has changed little over the centuries.
ST NICHOLAS DAY, SOZOPOL STYLE
In Western Europe, the 6th of December, or St Nicholas Day, is a time where the first whiff of Christmas gets felt. After all, the saint with his white beard and penchant for bringing gifts to good children is the draft of the modern Santa Claus.
FIRST KINGS OF EUROPE
Who were the first kings of Europe? Homer heroes such as Agamemnon are the first to pop up in the minds of educated Westerners, but hierarchical societies on the continent predate the ancient Greeks.
BULGARIA'S VERSION OF CANNERY ROW IS IN CHENGENE SKELE
Any chance visitor who has detoured midway from the Burgas-Sozopol highway, on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast, will end up in an odd location.
SURPRISE, SURPRISE IN... PERNIK
When you plan a trip in Bulgaria, Pernik is rarely on the list (except for one event, more on this below).
WHO WAS ALEKSANDAR STAMBOLIYSKI?
When you visit the Sofia Opera and Ballet House you will see an imposing bronze statue of a heavy-set man beside the grand entrance.
ALL AROUND KARDZHALI
When you have a long weekend ahead and the weather looks good for a trip, heading to Kardzhali is a great option.
(RE)BUILDING BULGARIA'S PAST
When Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, the expectation was that membership would bring the struggling former Communist country closer to the more developed economies in Europe.


Wisconsin's Cigarette Tax Inspires Many To Quit.
Jan 10, 2008 11:32 AM (1 day ago) AP
MADISON, Wis. (Map, News) – The increase in Wisconsin's cigarette tax seems to have inspired many to quit.
The week after the tax went up, the state's tobacco quit line received as many calls as it got all of last year. Nine-thousand people called the toll-free line in the first week of January. Usually only about 200 people a week call the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line.
The cigarette tax increased by US$1 per pack on Jan. 1.
On New Year's Day, the tax for a pack of cigarettes in Wisconsin increased by $1. Wisconsin residents are now paying $1.77 in taxes for a single pack of cigarettes. The tax on a single pack of cigarettes in Michigan is $2. Maureen Busalacchi, executive director for SmokeFree Wisconsin, said the organization estimates 33,000 adults will quit for good because of this tax increase.
Thousands of people are calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW looking to quit, she said. The demand for quitting is high, and two-week starter kits of medication are being offered to help smokers kick the habit.
"With the support people are getting from the quit line, hopefully, that number will be higher but that is our projection," Busalacchi said. Wisconsin has a population of 5.5 million, and there are 900,000 smokers in the dairy state.(HK has 7 million population and 840,000 smokers hence the comparison)
A smoker usually does not quit the first time he or she tries. "The more you quit, the better you get at it. If you're not successful, try again because your success rate increases," Busalacchi said. Among carcinogens and other harmful chemicals, cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly-addictive substance. "Your brain is calling for this," Busalacchi said. "We should support (people) and help them so they can be successful in quitting." Busalacchi said Smoke Free Wisconsin was one of the biggest proponents of this tax increase. "We support it because it is the best way to reduce use from starting a lifetime of 66,000 kids won't get started smoking because of this tax," Busalacchi said. "We hope that it exceeds our expectations in the number of people that quit smoking. With health care costs and how much Wisconsin spends a year, that can be nothing but a good thing."
Wisconsin currently spends $10 million a year for tobacco prevention, according to Smoke Free Wisconsin. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the state spend between US$31.2 million and $82.4 million a year to have an effective, comprehensive tobacco prevention program.
Money generated from the increased tax on cigarettes will go into the state's general fund. "It originally was suppose to go into Medicaid, which is really the best place for taxpayers … we spend over a half a billion dollars in Medicaid treating tobacco related diseases. That is just Medicaid," Busalacchi said. Wisconsin is the 12th highest taxed state for cigarettes in the nation. Six states have cigarette tax rates of $2 or more with 22 states that have cigarette tax rates of $1 or more. New Jersey is the highest at $2.28 in taxes for a pack of cigarettes.
US Anti-Tobacco Efforts
U.S. falls short in anti-tobacco efforts – report
Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:00am EST – Reuters
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) – The U.S. Congress and President George W. Bush have stymied efforts to tighten regulation of tobacco and discourage smoking and states have not spent nearly enough to battle cigarettes, the American Lung Association said on Thursday.
The group implied that heavy lobbying and spending by tobacco companies was influencing at least some politicians and urged Congress to give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate cigarettes.
"While many states have failed to make meaningful progress at protecting their most vulnerable citizens, the tobacco companies are spending billions of dollars annually marketing their deadly products," the report reads.
"A report issued by Common Cause and the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund found that the tobacco industry made almost $3 million in Political Action Committee contributions to federal candidates during the 2005-2006 election cycle, including more than $1.7 million in contributions directly to federal candidates," it adds.
"The Institute on Money in State Politics found that tobacco companies and retailers gave over $96 million to state-level candidates, committees and ballot measure campaigns during the 2005 and 2006 election cycle."
In 1998, states reached a settlement with tobacco companies in which they received $246 billion over 25 years to pay for the costs of smoking-related illnesses.
But anti-smoking campaigners say states have raided these and other tobacco-prevention funds to cover budget deficits, build roads or pay for non-tobacco related projects.
PRESIDENTIAL VETO
"While the American Lung Association applauds the U.S. Congress for increasing the federal cigarette excise tax by $0.61 to $1.00 per pack, unfortunately it was vetoed by the president and will not take effect," the report read.
"The increased tax would have resulted in current smokers quitting and fewer children starting to smoke."
The report praises efforts by some states.
"Twenty-one states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have now approved comprehensive smoke-free air legislation," it reads.
"In 2007, seven states — Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Oregon and Tennessee — significantly strengthened their smoke-free air laws. Tennessee is the first traditional tobacco-growing state to pass strong restrictions on smoking in public places and workplaces."
But states are slower to raise tobacco taxes — which several studies show can deter smokers. And they also do not spend nearly as much as is recommended on programs to prevent smoking and to help smokers kick the habit, the Lung Association complained.
"More than half of states have not passed comprehensive laws prohibiting secondhand smoke in workplaces and other public places," the report reads.
"Until the political will can be found to implement the proven and effective policies graded in this report, over 438,000 people each year will continue to die from tobacco-related diseases."
The Lung Association report accuses tobacco companies of marketing to youths and even to children with new flavored cigarettes and brightly colored packaging.
Nearly 21 percent of Americans smoke — a total of 45 million people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(Reporting by Maggie Fox, editing by Todd Eastham)
Chinese Tobacco Economy
Effects of cigarette tax on cigarette consumption and the Chinese economy.
Hu TW, Mao Z. – University of California at Berkeley, California 94720, USA. thu@uclink4.berkeley.edu
OBJECTIVES: To analyse a policy dilemma in China on public health versus the tobacco economy through additional cigarette tax.
METHODS: Using published statistics from 1980 through 1997 to estimate the impact of tobacco production and consumption on government revenue and the entire economy. These estimates relied on the results of estimated price elasticities of the demand for cigarettes in China.
RESULTS: Given the estimated price elasticities (-0.54), by introducing an additional 10% increase in cigarette tax per pack (from the current 40% to 50% tax rate), the central government tax revenue would twice exceed total losses in industry revenue, tobacco farmers' income, and local tax revenue. In addition, between 1.44 and 2.16 million lives would be saved by this tax increase.
CONCLUSIONS: Additional taxation on cigarettes in China would be a desirable public policy for the Chinese government to consider.


Hypocritical Tories pay tribute to Prime Minister they hated
By Andrew Learmonth @andrewlearmonth Journalist
Theresa May received a standing ovation from both the Tories and Liberal Democrats. Photograph: Jessica Taylor
TORY MPs jumped to their feet to give Theresa May a rapturous send off at her last Prime Minister Questions yesterday.
The many attempted coups, numerous parliamentary defeats, and even occasionally violent language, was all seemingly forgotten as backbenchers stood up to applaud their outgoing leader.
While the SNP, Labour, and Plaid Cymru mostly remained seated, Jo Swinson's Lib Dems joined in on the ovation.
It was a bumper edition of question time, with the half hour session lasting 63 minutes, making it the longest PMQs in history.
But rather than May's legacy dominating, it was the prospect of Boris Johnson's premiership that agitated most MPs.
READ MORE: Lest we forget Theresa May's legacy of nothing
The SNP's Ian Blackford paid tribute to the outgoing Tory leader and wished her and her husband, Philip "all the best for the future".
"It is fair to say that we have had our differences — it has not often been a meeting of minds," he said.
Blackford told May that her successor Boris Johnson had "no mandate from the people" as Prime Minister.
He added: "The Government he is busy forming have no mandate in Scotland. Scotland deserves better.
"A snap YouGov poll shows that 60% of people in Scotland are dismayed and disappointed by the new Prime Minister."
Raising fears Johnson might prorogue Parliament in a bid to get a no-deal Brexit through, Blackford urged the outgoing Tory leader to back an SNP motion "rejecting the idea of this House being shut down before November".
Labour's Yvette Cooper said that while she disagreed with May, she had "long respected her resilience, commitment to public duty and seriousness, as well as her work on national security."
Cooper added: "She knows that I once said to her that I believed she was not the kind of person who would take this country into a chaotic no-deal scenario, not least because of the advice she had had on the risks to our national security.
"I am fearful about her successor, so can she reassure me that she really thinks, in her heart, that her successor will take those national security warnings as seriously as she has?"
May said she had "every confidence that my successor will take all the issues that he needs to look at in making these decisions and others across Government as seriously as they need to be taken."
In response to a question from Jeremy Corbyn's May started on what appeared to be a tribute to the Labour leader.
"He and I are very different people and very different politicians and we approach the issues the country faces in different ways.
"I have spent all but one of my years in the House on the Front Bench trying to implement the policies I believe in, while he has spent most of his time on the back benches campaigning for what he believes in, often against his own party, but what we have in common is a commitment to our constituencies.
"I saw that after the terrorist attack in Finsbury Park mosque in his constituency. Perhaps then I could finish by saying this: as a party leader who has accepted when her time is up, might I suggest that perhaps the time is now for him to do the same?"
May's call was backed by former Labour MP Ian Austin, who quit the party in February.
He said: "Can I start by associating myself completely with the final answer the Prime Minister gave to the Leader of the Opposition about his need to consider his future.
"And can I tell her this as well… it is absolutely clear to me that the vast majority of Labour MPs agree with her too."
Standing alongside her husband, Philip, outside No 10 with staff and aides watching, May gave a brief farewell address before heading off to tender her resignation.
During the speech, a protester outside the gates of Downing Street shouted "Stop Brexit", prompting May to pause. Philip said: "That wasn't me."


Man who threw a brick at Domino's in Kettering was 'taking it out on the streets'
He committed the act of criminal damage in the early hours of May 24
Tom Hitchenor
Domino's Pizza on Rockingham Road in Kettering
A man who threw a brick at Domino's in Kettering was "taking it out on the streets", a court heard.
The Kettering man committed the act of criminal damage in the early hours of today, Monday, May 24 at around 1.45am.
Now he has been told to cough up £400.
The man - who magistrates were told has mental health issues - admitted to hurling the brick at the window of the popular pizza franchise on Rockingham Road during a hearing at Northampton Magistrates Court today.
Julie Costello, prosecuting, said: "The defendant was seen on CCTV to pick up a brick which he launched at Domino's Pizza, causing the window to smash.
"The police arrived moments later and the defendant approached the officers, saying 'it was me: I smashed the window' and he is arrested."
The court heard that he has similar previous convictions, with the last occurring in January 2020.
However, this act of vandalism was "a means to an end for him" after becoming homeless and sleeping rough.
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Van 'abandoned' on Northamptonshire junction for a day leaves locals confused
Laura Illingworth, defending, said: "He was originally living with his mother and working in a warehouse.
"However, following an argument with his mother, he was asked to leave.
"He lost his job at the warehouse, was already suffering from depression, anxiety and a history of self-harm.
"He decided to simply take it out on the streets and caused this damage to the window."
Sentencing, magistrates said they took into account his limited means when paying compensation and issued a conditional discharge.
They said: "You have had a night in the cells now to reflect on this. I hope that's focused the mind on not re-offending.
"You're applying for Universal Credit so there will be no court costs today. We appreciate you are on limited means.
"We don't want to see you again."
He was ordered to pay £400 in compensation to Domino's Pizza to fix the broken window.
Northamptonshire Police
Lost property search for £600 coat ends in threats to kill
CourtsWilliam White, 50, said he would "smash your head off of his" to the two members of staff


Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Making a Difference Tomorrow
Published1 Jan 2011
Reviewed1 Jan 2011
Author Aalok Mehta
Although PTSD treatment options — and their effectiveness — have increased, the condition still cripples millions each year. And more than a third with the condition fail to completely recover. At the same time, incidence of PTSD may be increasing due to the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan; these veterans have PTSD at nearly twice the rate of the general population.
PTSD doubled among adults living within several miles of the World Trade Center after Sept. 11, 2001. Similar jumps in PTSD rates occur after major natural disasters, such as the Dec. 26, 2004 tsunami in Asia and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
Adapted from The New England Journal of Medicine, 346: 982-987; 2002.
But with continued funding from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. military, and other organizations, researchers hope to find ways to diagnosis PTSD before symptoms appear, better methods for reducing vulnerability to PTSD, and superior therapy and drug treatment options for resistant cases.
Research Brings Hope for the Future
Much work focuses around discovering why certain people have a greater risk of developing PTSD. The risk of PTSD after a traumatic event is only around 9.2 percent, even though most people suffer from a trauma at some point in their lives. Such information may allow military commanders to reassign vulnerable soldiers to less stressful positions.
Studies of twins indicate that genetic factors play a substantial role in PTSD susceptibility, and brain researchers are attempting to identify those genes and their functions. An altered stress-related gene may increase susceptibility to PTSD in children with a stressful childhood, for instance. Environmental factors also are important. Children who were sexually abused are more susceptible, and studies show that if parents have PTSD-like symptoms, their children's risk of mental illness increases.
Other studies are looking at ways of preventing PTSD from occurring entirely. Although antidepressants have not shown such a preventive effect, scientists are looking at whether drugs known as beta-adrenegic blockers might achieve this. Another line of work involves disrupting memory consolidation, in which short-term memories are transferred into long-term storage, to reduce the intensity of stressful memories.
Neuroscientists also are studying brain-scanning methods and biochemical tests for detecting people vulnerable to PTSD or about to develop it. By identifying the characteristic brain changes of PTSD, doctors could make easier, quicker diagnoses and start treatment earlier, when it is more effective.
Neuroscientists are looking at new, more powerful treatment options for PTSD. For instance, targeting corticotropin-releasing factor or other stress hormones might offer an effective means of controlling symptoms. Many other classes of drugs, such as opiates, anticonvulsants, and tranquilizers, also have shown some effectiveness in treating PTSD and are being tested more rigorously.
Other treatment methods aim to reverse PTSD-associated brain changes. One approach is memory manipulation, which involves drugs and other methods for altering or removing an existing memory to eliminate symptoms.
Hope for Other Diseases
PTSD is part of a cluster of common diseases that often occur together, strike the same people repeatedly, and have overlapping symptoms. Continued funding for PTSD research could offer new diagnostic and treatment options for the millions suffering from these related conditions, which include depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, and bipolar disorder.
Aalok Mehta
Aalok Mehta is a science writer and editor and works as a freelancer for the Society of Neuroscience.
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Symantec launches cloud-based storage service for the masses
Confidence in the Cloud
Latest cloud storage hiccups prompts data security questions
Cloud Storage Illuminated
Consumers in the Cloud
Which online service is right for you?
By Lucas Mearian
John Chunta had spent four and a half years writing his doctoral dissertation when, two weeks before its expected completion, his laptop's hard drive crashed and he lost the 200-page document.
"The 'blue screen of death' is what the tech guy called it," says Chunta, a cancer researcher. "It was a freak-out moment."
So Chunta bought a new hard drive and installed it in his laptop, then tentatively reinstalled the cloud storage service backup software he'd purchased from Carbonite Inc. just a few weeks earlier. It took close to two days to restore everything, but he was able to rebuild his dissertation.
Chunta, who now has a Ph.D. in anatomy and cell biology, is one of a growing number of consumers who are choosing to use online storage services because they are relatively inexpensive, can automate the backup process and offer massive amounts of ubiquitous storage. But choosing the right cloud storage offering can be tricky: You could end up with a complicated user interface or tools that don't meet your needs.
Online storage services such as Carbonite and MozyHome, which is available through Decho Corp., an EMC company, are designed to provide simple continuous data protection so that each time a file is saved, the changes are replicated to the vendor's data center. But the services available can vary widely depending on the types of features they offer. For example, some can encrypt data in flight or adjust how much bandwidth a backup should use.
A Magnum Opus Restored
At the prodding of his professor, Chunta had been using CDs and USB flash drives to back up his work, but he admits to being undisciplined and not backing up often enough. Even so, Chunta says he had more than 100 iterations of the dissertation and related research files.
So one day, while listening to a Carbonite ad that had been playing ad nauseam on the radio in his school's laboratory, he decided to try it. Chunta says he couldn't have been more pleased with his experience, particularly because he isn't computer savvy and the service was practically "plug and play."
"Often, we're juggling a lot of different pieces of information, project proposals and grant submissions, and seeing how it all fits together. Having to remember where and how all the data is backed up amounts to mental minutiae," says Chunta, who is on a fellowship at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.
Carbonite is among a handful of consumer storage services that are essentially just hard drives in the cloud -- simple, no-muss-no-fuss services. And the formula has worked for Boston-based Carbonite. Even through the recession, the company has grown its revenue at least 36% quarter over quarter.
"It's targeted at consumers and small businesses with probably 10 to 50 employees. The idea was simple: Pay $55 a year, and we back up all your data," says Carbonite CEO David Friend.
Many large corporate backup vendors have been immersing themselves in the consumer market as well. EMC Corp. is among the leaders with its MozyHome product, which it added to its product line with the acquisition of Berkeley Data Systems in 2007.
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Lewis Buxton
Born in 1993, Lewis Buxton is a writer and theatre maker. His work has appeared in The Independent, Poetry Review, Football Pink, The Rialto, Ambit and Magma amongst others. He has won the Winchester Poetry Prize, received the UEA Literary Festival Bursary and is the Co-Director of TOAST. His first collection Boy in Various Poses was published by Nine Arches Press in 2021. His debut theatre show 'Workout!' will be on tour in 2022. He lives in Norfolk.
"Buxton is a performer in full control of his craft, combining the confidence of an arena comedian with the sensitivity of a poet…brimming with talent…don't be surprised if you see him on your television screens soon."
Rob Auton
Rob Auton is an award-winning writer, actor and podcaster, named the 'Brian Cox of Comedy' by the Guardian. Rob has written eight hit Edinburgh Fringe shows, which have led to nationwide tours and television/radio appearances.
Salena Godden
Salena Godden FRSL is one of Britain's best loved poets and performers. She is also a broadcaster, memoirist and essayist and is widely anthologised.
Luke Wright
Luke is adept at taking poetry places it doesn't normally go. His poems can be tender, riotous, caustic and romantic and he delivers them with the ferocity and panache of a raconteur at the top of his game.


Frozen super-earth discovered six light-years away
An artist's impression of the surface of Barnard's start b, a cold Super-Earth discovered orbting Narnard's start 6 light-years away.
Astronomers have found a frozen exoplanet more than three times the mass of Earth, orbiting a star that's only six light years away.
The exoplanet is orbiting Barnard's star, the closest solitary star to our sun.
This makes it the second closest known exoplanet to us. Previously, an exoplanet was found orbiting in the three-star Proxima Centauri system.
The exoplanet was found after stitching together 20 years of data, including 771 individual measurements, from seven instruments. The analysis that led to the discovery is detailed in a study published yesterday in the journal Nature.
For years, astronomers thought they would find a planet around the nearby star, but it eluded them.
(CNN)
"The biggest 'kick' about this discovery is the host star," Paul Butler, study co-author and astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science, wrote in an email. "Barnard's star is the 'great white whale' of planet hunting."
The planet, known as Barnard's star b, is probably dimly lit by its star and slightly colder than Saturn. The researchers believe that it is an icy desert with no liquid water, a hostile environment where the average surface temperature is around minus -134 degrees Celsius.
The red dwarf star itself emits only about 0.4% of our sun's radiance, so the planet receives about 2% of the intensity that Earth receives from its sun. This is because Barnard's star is in the class of M dwarf stars, cooler and less massive than our sun. It's also an old star that predates our own solar system.
And to look at it through a telescope, the star appears to be moving the fastest among the other stars in the night sky. This is because it's moving quickly in relation to the sun, and it's the nearest single star in the sky to us, Butler said.
"The star is named in honour of the great American astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard, who was a pioneer of stellar photography and astrometry," Butler said. "He recognized that this star had the largest known proper motion a century ago."
The planet is about the same orbital distance from its star as Mercury is from our sun, making a full pass around the star every 233 days. This places it in the "snow line" of the star, where it's cold enough for water to freeze into solid ice.
This region in a planetary system is where the building blocks of planets are thought to form, collecting material to become cores. As they migrate closer to their host stars, gathering more material, they become planets.
It's the first time a planet this small and distant from its star has been detected using the radial velocity technique, which Butler helped pioneer.
This method is sensitive to the mass of the exoplanet and measures changes in the host star's velocity. Instruments can be used to detect tiny wobbles in the star's orbit that are caused by the planet's gravity.
"I think this discovery shows the power of the [radial velocity] technique for detecting longer period, small planets that are much harder or not possible to detect with missions like Kepler and TESS, which focus on finding transiting exoplanets in shorter orbital periods," Johanna Teske, study co-author and Hubble Fellow at the Carnegie Institution for Science, wrote in an email.
"This study sets a wonderful example of collaboration and coordination across multiple teams and multiple data sets, something that doesn't always happen successfully in exoplanet research. It is only by combining data and working collaboratively that this very challenging detection was possible."
These methods haven't always been available to astronomers searching for exoplanets. For most of the past hundred years, the only way was the astrometric technique, in which astronomers look for the host star to wobble relative to background stars, Butler said.
It worked only for the nearest stars and was achieved by taking photographs of the star and measuring its positions in relation to one another.
"This made Barnard's star the most important star in the sky because it is the nearest single star in the sky," Butler said.
In the 1930s, Dutch-American astronomer Peter van de Kamp began a quest to study Barnard's star that lasted for most of his 93 years.
His claims of how planets could fit in orbit around the star were refuted, and he died five months before the first verifiable discovery of an exoplanet was made in May 1995, Butler said.
"He worked hard at improving the only technique at that time that had a prayer of finding planets, and spent decades collecting the data," Butler said. "Van de Kamp is a true pioneer in extrasolar planets."
Given its proximity to our solar system and its long orbit, future missions and telescopes will be able to provide new insights about Barnard's star b.
"Future space-based telescopes like WFIRST might be able to observe reflected light from Barnard's star off of the planet, and thus tell us something about the composition of the surface and/or atmosphere of the planet," Teske said.


You are here: Home / The Artistic Liberation Front (A.L.F)
The Artistic Liberation Front (A.L.F)
March 29, 2014 /in News /by matmcivor
I was sorting through some old photos the other day, and came across some images from my Fine Art degree course at Derby University, showing the very first mural that i produced for my degree show! This was back in 1996, and there were no digital cameras or camera phones, so i shot this on an old camera and had to join together 3 photographs to be able to capture the entire wall in the university Fine Art studios!
The mural was inspired by the propaganda murals you see around Belfast in Northern Ireland, and was based on the activities of The Artistic Liberation Front (A.L.F). I used character portraits from old Letrasets from the 60's and 70's, for the main bulk of the mural, to represent people around Derby reacting to a broadcast made by the Artistic Liberation Front on a local radio station.
The Artistic Liberation Front was actually created by myself and Adam Boyfield, as part of our Fine Art degree course. We'd been doing a module on the course in public art, and had decided to tie in a piece of work for our course with appearances that we'd been making on a local radio station, presenting a student programme. For one of our assessments, we got the tutors to listen in to one of the shows, which they thought we'd just be playing records on! We then proceeded to take over our own radio show, as the Artistic Liberation Front, and broadcast our manifesto about public art on air. We filmed the whole thing on video camera, hooked up to look like CCTV footage, and also distorted our voices by using effects pedals on the microphones to disguise our identity! We even filmed ourselves in the studio of the radio station wielding fake machine guns and smoking cigars, whilst sporting balaclavas!
Throughout the broadcast, we constantly drew attention to other students work around Derby city centre, which were also part of our public art course. We even played a recording of tapped phone conversations that we had pre recorded with various galleries around the country. These conversations consisted of prank calls from A.L.F asking galleries if they were in the market for buying or swapping work with ourselves, for example, we asked the National Portrait Gallery in London if the needed any Landscape paintings for their collection, and the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds if they also needed paintings to hang behind sculptures! We also got serious advice from smaller galleries about how to go about getting exhibitions on their premises, and how to structure proposals, which was important info for art students about to go out into the real world!
When i started at University, i never envisaged myself taking over a radio station as an art terrorist! I'm just thankful that we got to be creative in such a fantastic way, especially on a Fine Art Degree! I think it's safe to say that, i'm sure we wouldn't be able to get away with this sort of caper in this day and age, we'd probably have been shot, or exposed by the press as anarchists trying to over throw popular culture, or maybe even turned into some kind of parasitic documentary style show! Maybe the Artistic Liberation Front might rear it's ugly head again someday, but until then….. Long live A.L.F!


President Serzh Sargsyan participated at the inaugural ceremony of Tatev airtram
On October 16, the second day of his working visit to Syunik marz, President Serzh Sargsyan visited the newly constructed cardiology center in Goris. This medical facility will be providing immediate medical care to the patients from the southern regions of Armenia and the population of Nagorno Karabakh.
In Goris, the President of Armenia attended also festivities dedicated to the Town's Day. The statue of Grigor of Tatev was unveiled in the framework of celebrations.
Today, President Sargsyan met also with over a hundred journalists and editors from Spyurk, who have arrived to Goris to meet with the President of Armenia. They came from the capital of the NKR Stepanavan, where they participated in the works of the 5th All-Armenian Journalists Conference.
From Goris, President of Armenia arrived to Halidzor where the "Tatev Renaissance" program was initiated. Here, the ceremony of inaugurating technical operations of the longest in the world airtram, which connects Halidzor and Tatev villages, took place. The airtram, which is stretching for 5.7km over the picturesque Vorotan gorge, opens new opportunities for the visitors of the monastery compound, making it more accessible. The program is aimed at the development of the areas neighboring Tatev, reestablishment of the celebrated and glorious spiritual, scientific and cultural traditions of this terrific ancient monastery compound. At the ceremony of inauguration of the airtram, the President of Armenia was accompanied by His Holiness Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, the President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, representatives of social, political and cultural circles, officials, hundreds of guests from all over the world, many of whom are sponsors of the program. On the occasion of the inauguration of the airtram in Tatev, President Sargsyan made a statement, in which he particularly said,
"Your Holiness,
Esteemed Guests,
Fellow Citizens,
I welcome you all to one of the most picturesque places in Armenia. The inauguration of the "Tatev Renaissance" program is a nice opportunity to visit once again and take pleasure in the incomparable views of Syunik and masterpieces of the Medieval Armenian architecture. Today, those views will be augmented by a modern airtram, which is called upon to add new charm to the Vorotan Gorge and present the visitor with unforgettable impressions.
By building the longest airtram in the world we didn't aspire to surprise anyone. The objectives we were following are modest by world standards; however they have crucial importance for Tatev and adjacent areas. The "Tatev Renaissance" program is a strategic component of the comprehensive development program of the Southern regions of Armenia and constitutes a serious impetus for the economic, scientific, and cultural development of the region.
This is one of major initiatives going on in Armenia today, in which state and private sectors joined hands in one project. First, the unrivaled nature of this stunning gorge was crisscrossed by human thinking. Later, that soaring thinking inspired many individuals. Today, that soaring thinking is embodied in the airtram, which bridges the past and the future, the traditional and the modern, culture and business. The airtram is vivid evidence of the fact that even the most improbable dreams become reality when there is a clear purpose and faith and also when the right and important thing is being done obstacles sooner of later give in.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Today, a momentous and festive occasion has brought us to Syunik - one of cradles, one of the oldest centers of the Armenian science and culture. Here, in Syunik the past is hemmed by the light of future. Here, wounds are silent, and stones are articulate. Many have dreamed of leaving their vicious footprints here, the footprints of destruction. But Armenian monuments have reigned and will reign here; stones here have been speaking and will continue to speak Armenian.
The Monastery of Tatev and Tatev University are among the most celebrated centers of our science and culture. Tatev has been deservedly enjoying high repute thanks to the prolific activities of Grigor Vardapet of Tatev, who was a disciple of Hovnan Vorotnetsi. It is emblematic that the 600th anniversary of the canonization of the luminary of the Armenian and world theology Grigor of Tatev and the "Tatev Renaissance" program coincide in time. Giving new life to this ancient cradle of the Armenian letters and nearby areas is also an excellent gift for the 500th anniversary of the Armenian book-printing, which we will be celebrating soon.
I congratulate us all. As the saying goes "A good start half the job done". The
"Tatev Renaissence" Program was initiated by the Competitive Armenia Fund, and was enthusiastically supported by our Government, Armenian Apostolic Church, and benefactors. I thank Mr. Rouben Vardanian who has become a true leader of the project and its driving force. I also thank all individuals and organizations that have been involved in this enterprise – an enterprise that seemed impossible – for their faith, disregard for difficulties, ability to work shoulder to shoulder and for the present result. I believe that every visitor will also think with gratitude of the construction workers, who have done a marvelous job.
To become competitive on the international arena, we sometimes have to travel abroad and learn there, and it is quite natural. However, there are some lessons that are to be learned here. Those who built Tatev were the most spirited architects of their times. The University of Tatev was one of the most competitive educational centers of its times, and Saint Grigor of Tatev still remains one of the most brilliant thinkers of the world. Rebirth of Tatev means the rebirth of Syunik, hence - competitive Armenia.
Congratulations to us all and thank you."


IMCA is a long established trade association and exists for the benefit of its members across the offshore, marine and underwater engineering industry.
IMCA operates with a global focus via a structure of technical committees made up of experts elected from member companies, supported by a small, focused secretariat in London. They are a respected voice around the world promoting good practice, particularly in the areas of health, safety and environment, quality and efficiency, as well as providing technical guidance.
In common with other trade associations, IMCA provides its members with guidance, allowing them to 'self-regulate' rather than look to clients, or governments for setting rules and procedures. While governments legislate on a range of issues in the public interest, they cannot produce legislation for every part of an industry's operations – nor may that be desirable. A key benefit of industry guidance is that it can be implemented and updated more quickly than legislation, which is vital in an industry with rapidly advancing technology.
As a trade association IMCA must also comply with international competition law (competition, antitrust and similar laws). IMCA uses strict guidelines to ensure compliance.
IMCA was founded in 1995 through the merger of the Association of Diving Contractors (AODC) and the Dynamically Positioned Vessel Owners Association (DPVOA).
IMCA Main website
IMCA eCMID website