Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, Forbes magazine, is published bi-weekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published bi-weekly, and BusinessWeek. Today the magazine is best known for its lists of the richest Americans (the Forbes 400) and its list of billionaires.
Forbes was founded in 1917 by Scottish immigrant B. C. Forbes, then the leading business columnist for Hearst newspapers. After his death in 1954 his son Bruce became president. Bruce died in 1964 and his brother Malcolm Stevenson Forbes (1917–1990) became Editor-in-Chief and Publisher.
On Malcolm's death, his eldest son Malcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes Jr. (1947–) became President and Chief Executive of Forbes and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine.[1]. Between 1961 and 1999 the magazine was edited by James Michaels [1]. In 1993, under Michaels, Forbes was a finalist for the National Magazine Award [2]. In 2006, an investment group that includes rock star Bono bought a minority interest in the company [3].
[edit] Other publications
Apart from Forbes and its lifestyle supplement, ForbesLife, the other titles published include Forbes Asia and eight local language editions. The company also publishes American Heritage, American Heritage of Invention & Technology and American Legacy. Steve Forbes and his magazine's writers offer investment advice on the weekly Fox TV show Forbes on Fox and on Forbes On Radio. Other company groups include Forbes Conference Group, Forbes Investment Advisory Group and Forbes Custom Media.
[edit] Web site
David Churbuck founded Forbes' Web site, Forbes.com, in 1996. The site uncovered Stephen Glass' journalistic fraud in The New Republic in 1998, an article that drew attention to internet journalism. The site, like the magazine, publishes many lists focusing on billionaires and their possessions, especially expensive homes, a critical aspect of the website's apparent popularity [4]. See a list of lists below.
Forbes.com employs the advertising slogan "Home Page For The World's Business Leaders" and sometimes claims to be the world's most widely visited business web site [5]. The current president and chief executive officer is James J. Spanfeller; the current editor is Paul Maidment; the current managing editor is Carl Lavin[2], who succeeded founding managing editor Michael Noer [6] and Dan Bigman [7].
Forbes.com also publishes subscription investment newsletters, a luxury-vehicles site, ForbesAutos, a luxury travel site, ForbesTraveler, edited by G. Barry Golson, the former executive editor of Playboy and TV Guide and former editor-in-chief of Yahoo! Internet Life, and an online guide to web sites, Best Of The Web.
[edit] Lists
Forbes creates many lists under various topics, the most popular being perhaps the List of billionaires.
[edit] Companies
200 Best Small Companies
400 Best Big Companies
Forbes 500
Forbes Global 2000, a list of largest companies in the world taking into account market capitalization, revenue, income and assets (this is different from the Fortune Global 500 which is based only on revenues).
Largest Private Companies
Sabtu, 05 April 2008
“Men Paying To Learn To Be Appealing ”
AUSTRALIAN men are paying as much as $1600 to be coached in the art of picking up women by highly skilled dating instructors.
Los Angeles-based company Real Social Dynamics (RSD) offers three-day "boot camps" that train men how to approach and attract women.
"Most guys fumble their way through interactions with women and have no idea how sexual chemistry works," says Tim, one of RSD's local instructors.
Life skills ... The dating game's
not all wine and roses.
"Attracting women is a skill set that can be learned and mastered like any other talent - and that's what we're here to teach guys."
RSD puts theory into practice "in the field".
On meeting dating coach Tim, aka "The Chariot", I thought: "What the hell can this kid teach anyone about women?"
At 20, Tim is an average-looking Melbourne boy who works in finance. Yet within an hour, I'm watching him do things I've never witnessed before.
Tim's student for the next three days is Steve, 23, a public servant from Adelaide who is decidedly awkward and reserved.
"Most guys link their self-esteem to the way women react to them, and it's the completely wrong frame to come from," says Tim.
"I look at the world as a playground. When you talk to women, you're shooting hoops.
"Sometimes you get it in the basket, sometimes you miss, but you learn with every shot you take."
Tim says the biggest adjustment any man needs to make to be successful with women is internal: "You've got to have fun and make it fun for the girl."
Even before a man approaches a woman, she's made judgements about his social value, says Tim, who declined to be photographed, saying anonymity was essential for his work in public.
Rich men, rock stars and handsome guys already have this value, but the rest of us are left to slug it out using body posture, sappy dialogue and vocal tonality.
"Alpha males - that tiny percentage of guys who know what's up with women - act a certain way, and you can learn it," says Tim.
Give-aways such as talking too quickly and laughing at your own jokes tell a woman clearer than capital letters that you're needy.
"The vast majority of women prefer men who are in control, confident and funny," says Tim.
"Not everyone is naturally like that, so we teach you how to fake it 'til you make it."
RSD coaches say the best way to initiate a conversation is with a "neutral opinion opener".
"Women love to give their opinions on a topic, especially if it's emotionally charged like, 'Do men lie more than women?' " says Tim.
"Instead of asking boring questions that girls have heard a thousand times ... we involve them on an emotional level."
Steve is taught to do this through a variety of "hot" topics and psychological games that on many occasions had women saying: "I've never met anyone like you before."
"Women want to experience these reactions with men. It's incredibly refreshing for them," says Tim.
"It also makes any man, no matter what he looks like, an attractive partner."
Over the course of a weekend, three things become apparent about Tim and RSD's methods.
1. It's a numbers game. The more women you talk to, the greater your chance of finding a female you like and who digs you.
2. Tim has an uncanny charm with women. Almost every group he approaches is stoked to talk to him and enjoys his company.
3. It's rubbing off on Steve. The guy who had struck me as awkward 72 hours earlier is now scanning nightclub crowds like a gunslinging Clint Eastwood.
In just one weekend, Steve has talked to hundreds of females, compiling an expanding library of experience on what women want.
He has also made a fundamental discovery that, Tim says, will set him on his way to success with the opposite sex.
"The most important thing is having a positive mind set and having fun," says Steve, pocketing a skater girl's phone number.
Los Angeles-based company Real Social Dynamics (RSD) offers three-day "boot camps" that train men how to approach and attract women.
"Most guys fumble their way through interactions with women and have no idea how sexual chemistry works," says Tim, one of RSD's local instructors.
Life skills ... The dating game's
not all wine and roses.
"Attracting women is a skill set that can be learned and mastered like any other talent - and that's what we're here to teach guys."
RSD puts theory into practice "in the field".
On meeting dating coach Tim, aka "The Chariot", I thought: "What the hell can this kid teach anyone about women?"
At 20, Tim is an average-looking Melbourne boy who works in finance. Yet within an hour, I'm watching him do things I've never witnessed before.
Tim's student for the next three days is Steve, 23, a public servant from Adelaide who is decidedly awkward and reserved.
"Most guys link their self-esteem to the way women react to them, and it's the completely wrong frame to come from," says Tim.
"I look at the world as a playground. When you talk to women, you're shooting hoops.
"Sometimes you get it in the basket, sometimes you miss, but you learn with every shot you take."
Tim says the biggest adjustment any man needs to make to be successful with women is internal: "You've got to have fun and make it fun for the girl."
Even before a man approaches a woman, she's made judgements about his social value, says Tim, who declined to be photographed, saying anonymity was essential for his work in public.
Rich men, rock stars and handsome guys already have this value, but the rest of us are left to slug it out using body posture, sappy dialogue and vocal tonality.
"Alpha males - that tiny percentage of guys who know what's up with women - act a certain way, and you can learn it," says Tim.
Give-aways such as talking too quickly and laughing at your own jokes tell a woman clearer than capital letters that you're needy.
"The vast majority of women prefer men who are in control, confident and funny," says Tim.
"Not everyone is naturally like that, so we teach you how to fake it 'til you make it."
RSD coaches say the best way to initiate a conversation is with a "neutral opinion opener".
"Women love to give their opinions on a topic, especially if it's emotionally charged like, 'Do men lie more than women?' " says Tim.
"Instead of asking boring questions that girls have heard a thousand times ... we involve them on an emotional level."
Steve is taught to do this through a variety of "hot" topics and psychological games that on many occasions had women saying: "I've never met anyone like you before."
"Women want to experience these reactions with men. It's incredibly refreshing for them," says Tim.
"It also makes any man, no matter what he looks like, an attractive partner."
Over the course of a weekend, three things become apparent about Tim and RSD's methods.
1. It's a numbers game. The more women you talk to, the greater your chance of finding a female you like and who digs you.
2. Tim has an uncanny charm with women. Almost every group he approaches is stoked to talk to him and enjoys his company.
3. It's rubbing off on Steve. The guy who had struck me as awkward 72 hours earlier is now scanning nightclub crowds like a gunslinging Clint Eastwood.
In just one weekend, Steve has talked to hundreds of females, compiling an expanding library of experience on what women want.
He has also made a fundamental discovery that, Tim says, will set him on his way to success with the opposite sex.
"The most important thing is having a positive mind set and having fun," says Steve, pocketing a skater girl's phone number.
“School For Seduction” : “You've Read How They Do It Stateside, Now Learn How To Find Yourself a Private Pulling Tutor Back In Britain.
I'm wincing like a boy being prompted with a poke in the back to embrace an elderly relative.
A female voice hisses, "Approach NOW!" in my ear and, like the reluctant child, I'm forced to face my demons: in this case, two rather attractive blondes.
This is my introduction to the "field work" of a Real Social Dynamics course. My class consists of six students but, unlike anything I ever experienced at school, we each have our own strict, demanding and also rather attractive tutors.
Guide to pulling a stunner,
step 1: find a bar full of models
Tonight, we're putting our learning to the test.
Prior to hitting the streets we were taught the theory behind meeting and attracting women.
This took the form of a two-day seminar, with instructors explaining the required techniques involved.
We learnt how to start conversations.
Evaluating which women to approach is near impossible. Even the most warm and welcoming barely dressed women have boyfriends.
Apparently, an authoritative presence and a female-opinion opner works best: "Hi, I need a female opinion. Who lies more: men or women?"
It's the sort of issue on which a woman can't resist sharing her views.
Once you're off, you share some stories that appeal to the emotional and imaginative parts of a woman's psyche, thereby creating physical tension.
After that you take charge and sweep her away for a night of unbridled passion.
Well, that's the theory.
The reality proves to be different.
It begins with me stopping two bemused Estonian students while trying to remember my opener.
I stumble over the opinion question but it eventually limps out of my mouth and, much to my amazement, they don't give me the "fuck you" brush off I expect but instead start arguing over it.
Unfortunately, my initial success means that I momentarily forget what to do next, but still they smile at me, make their excuses and leave pleasantly.
"That was very good," says Roxanna, my instructor. "But you have to learn to be louder or you'll never get any attention when we get to the clubs."
Evaluating which women to approach is near impossible. Even the most warm and welcoming barely dressed women have boyfriends at the bar, in the toilet or on the dance floor.
It's a fleshy manfield.
But despite my protests, Roxanna isn't about to take no for an answer and we head for a club in London's West End.
Perfect Pick-ups
Roxanna's a tall, slim Mexican, who wears a low-cut top and cut-away denims.
It's a look that undoubtedly gives us novice pick-up students kudos when making our cold approaches - a man with an attractive female friend is less threatening and thus more appealing, I'm reliably informed.
I use the openers with single women, pairs, even the raucous members of a hen party.
Roxanna is always there right behind me whispering in my ear: "Stop moving so much... Look, she's interested... Tell another story... Okay, leave now."
She's relentless about making me approach; every time I head for the bar she's on me. "Why are you stopping? Look, those two there - GO!"
Later, the whole group forms a circle to celebrate.
Everyone has approached 10 or more women each during the evening and many of us have phone numbers.
Before the seminar, most seemed incapable of stringing two sentences together in front of a woman they fancied.
I feel high, I feel powerful.
I feel ridiculously excited.
I can see that this is really going to make a difference to my dating life.
We're all elected members of the Pick-Up Club and there's a feeling of camaraderie.
First rule of Pick-Up Club: you must approach! Second rule of Pickup-Up Club: you must approach!
Even without the alluring Roxanna by my side to bully me into the initial approach, I've continued to live by the rules.
I regularly stop women in the street and I have no problems starting conversations in clubs.
I've had four dates in the last two weeks, one with a particularly stunning lawyer who I'm seeing again.
The course has taught me a valuable truth: you must always make the move.
Live by that diktat and you won't regret it.
A female voice hisses, "Approach NOW!" in my ear and, like the reluctant child, I'm forced to face my demons: in this case, two rather attractive blondes.
This is my introduction to the "field work" of a Real Social Dynamics course. My class consists of six students but, unlike anything I ever experienced at school, we each have our own strict, demanding and also rather attractive tutors.
Guide to pulling a stunner,
step 1: find a bar full of models
Tonight, we're putting our learning to the test.
Prior to hitting the streets we were taught the theory behind meeting and attracting women.
This took the form of a two-day seminar, with instructors explaining the required techniques involved.
We learnt how to start conversations.
Evaluating which women to approach is near impossible. Even the most warm and welcoming barely dressed women have boyfriends.
Apparently, an authoritative presence and a female-opinion opner works best: "Hi, I need a female opinion. Who lies more: men or women?"
It's the sort of issue on which a woman can't resist sharing her views.
Once you're off, you share some stories that appeal to the emotional and imaginative parts of a woman's psyche, thereby creating physical tension.
After that you take charge and sweep her away for a night of unbridled passion.
Well, that's the theory.
The reality proves to be different.
It begins with me stopping two bemused Estonian students while trying to remember my opener.
I stumble over the opinion question but it eventually limps out of my mouth and, much to my amazement, they don't give me the "fuck you" brush off I expect but instead start arguing over it.
Unfortunately, my initial success means that I momentarily forget what to do next, but still they smile at me, make their excuses and leave pleasantly.
"That was very good," says Roxanna, my instructor. "But you have to learn to be louder or you'll never get any attention when we get to the clubs."
Evaluating which women to approach is near impossible. Even the most warm and welcoming barely dressed women have boyfriends at the bar, in the toilet or on the dance floor.
It's a fleshy manfield.
But despite my protests, Roxanna isn't about to take no for an answer and we head for a club in London's West End.
Perfect Pick-ups
Roxanna's a tall, slim Mexican, who wears a low-cut top and cut-away denims.
It's a look that undoubtedly gives us novice pick-up students kudos when making our cold approaches - a man with an attractive female friend is less threatening and thus more appealing, I'm reliably informed.
I use the openers with single women, pairs, even the raucous members of a hen party.
Roxanna is always there right behind me whispering in my ear: "Stop moving so much... Look, she's interested... Tell another story... Okay, leave now."
She's relentless about making me approach; every time I head for the bar she's on me. "Why are you stopping? Look, those two there - GO!"
Later, the whole group forms a circle to celebrate.
Everyone has approached 10 or more women each during the evening and many of us have phone numbers.
Before the seminar, most seemed incapable of stringing two sentences together in front of a woman they fancied.
I feel high, I feel powerful.
I feel ridiculously excited.
I can see that this is really going to make a difference to my dating life.
We're all elected members of the Pick-Up Club and there's a feeling of camaraderie.
First rule of Pick-Up Club: you must approach! Second rule of Pickup-Up Club: you must approach!
Even without the alluring Roxanna by my side to bully me into the initial approach, I've continued to live by the rules.
I regularly stop women in the street and I have no problems starting conversations in clubs.
I've had four dates in the last two weeks, one with a particularly stunning lawyer who I'm seeing again.
The course has taught me a valuable truth: you must always make the move.
Live by that diktat and you won't regret it.
“Mastering The Game" : THINK THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS "STUD-OLOGY 101?" CHECK OUT HOW ONE MAN LEARNED TO GO FROM DUD TO STUD
Is there a science to seducing gorgeous women? Yes, says a growing movement, and its methods can be mastered by anyone who's motivated enough. I'd heard about such techniques for years, but usually dismissed them as the bullshit of snake-oil salesmen out to exploit gullible guys.
But when I learned that a former New York Times reporter claimed he had burst his shackles of involuntary abstinence and scaled the heights of alpha male-dom, I had to know more. In the book The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists, Neil Strauss (co-author of Jenna Jameson's autobiography) details his journey from dud to stud. He convinced me that a coherent body of practical “stud-ology” is indeed available to the average guy.
Two seduction experts, known as Tyler Durden - after Brad Pitt's Fight Club character - and “Papa” figure prominently in The Game. They're the founders of Real Social Dynamics (www.realsocialdynamics.com), a firm that operates “boot camps” combining instruction with
nocturnal forays into the field, where you apply what you've learned under the watchful eye of your teacher.
I decided to take one of their Manhattan boot camps. My instructor was Tim, a young Heath Ledger-type from Australia. How could this dude, who probably scored left and right on his looks alone, teach me how to seduce an “SHB” (super hot babe, one of many terms in the pickup-artist lexicon)? But he was such a forceful presenter, I suspended all my doubts and gave him my full attention. He was like Patton revving up his troops for battle.
I'm 5-foot-5 and not blessed with movie-star looks. But I do have a gift for bullshit. As Tim went through different techniques, I started to see how they could help me improve my batting average.
After the day's formal seminar, we went to a noisy bar on Manhattan's East Side. I introduced myself to Liz, a redhead from Minneapolis, Minn. She wasn't pretty, but she was clearly drunk and cute in a kooky way - the type who'd have no qualms about dancing on the bar. She immediately put her arm around me and made me feel in sync with her. But what really impressed Tim was that Liz bought me a beer. Thus, I had succeeded on one of Tim's basic points: A true alpha male gets girls to buy him drinks, not vice-versa.
Liz further enticed me when she announced that she was bisexual. But when I asked her to name her fantasy babe, it wasn't Angelina Jolie. Or Jessica Simpson. Even Paris Hilton would have been a turn-on. But no, Liz's ideal girl was Ellen DeGeneres. When I think of threesomes, Ellen is not who I have in mind. But we kept flirting, and Liz eventually gave me her card and asked me to call her.
This was another coup in Tim's eyes. But as cool as Liz was, she wasn't that much different from the type of average-looking girls I usually end up with anyway. The real test of Tim's training would be getting an SHB.
Later, after Tim and the other students went home, I headed to a midtown lounge, Prey, where I could have a conversation without screaming. I made sure to follow Tim's seduction rules as much as possible. Check out the action.
Rule 1: Big Smile
I walked into Prey with a huge grin on my face. (I hate my smile. But seduction theory puts a lot of stock in strolling into a place - smiling confidently - like you “own it.” The only way to get more comfortable with your smile is to keep doing it until it becomes second nature.) Maybe I looked like an asshole, but I literally forced myself to grin and bear it. I immediately spotted a gorgeous brunette at the bar. She looked like Eva Longoria with a pair of huge bolt-on stripper breasts.
Rule 2: Three Seconds and Counting
Now that I'd noticed her, and she'd caught me looking her way, I had seconds to make my move. Otherwise, she'd write me off as another “AFC” (average frustrated chump) who didn't have the guts to act decisively.
Rule 3: Kick Her Off Her High Horse
I approached her with a delicate maneuver that easily could have blown up in my face. It's called “negging,” a form of “damning with faint praise” in order to throw an SHB off-balance.
“You seem a bit out of place,” I told her. “What do you mean?” she asked. “A lot of the girls here seem glamorous,” I replied. Her face was turning red. I had to soften the blow. “Don't get me wrong. You're attractive. I think you know that.” Instead of blowing me off, the woman - Donna - seemed intrigued, and engaged me in a long discussion about what makes people glamorous.
My “neg” had been an effective opener. Why? The theory is that SHBs are used to having guys slobber over them. Although their self-image depends on it, any guy who praises them too soon defines himself as another chump looking to get into their pants. But doing the opposite gets her wondering, “Why isn't this guy drooling over me? Why doesn't he find me perfect like everyone else does?” Done right, it virtually compels her to try to win you over.
Rule 4: Show ‘em Shit
At that point, Donna's attention was waning, and she turned back to her friends. I tapped her shoulder and asked her if she'd ever been “cubed.” “What's that?” she asked. “It's a method of giving you deep insights into your subconscious. Very powerful stuff.” I'd regained her interest. She was eager for a cubing, and I gave it to her.
The technique essentially involves having people imagine a cube and other objects in a desert, then interpreting to them what the images mean. For example, if they see their cube as made of steel, they have a resilient nature; if it's made of glass, their ego's fragile. The interpretations are largely bullshit. Cubing is mainly a device to convince the girl that you have a “gift” for seeing into her soul. (For instructions on cubing, see www.pickupguide.com/entrcube.htm.)
Rule 5: Leave ‘em Wanting More
Donna loved her cubing. She even wanted to take a crack at cubing me, but I teased her that she'd “have to earn that right. Only special people can cube me.”
“You don't think I'm special?” she asked. “I don't know yet,” I said. “I still need some convincing. But we'll save that for another time. I have to go.” She seemed disappointed, much to my delight. Getting her number was a piece of cake. I called two days later. We made plans for the weekend.
All the rules went out the window on our date. She'd polished off half a bottle of wine before I got to her apartment. “Nerves,” she said. Instead of catching a movie as planned, we bought more wine, went back to her apartment and got totally bombed. My recollection of what followed is like a video that keeps skipping frames. I remember having sex, but it seemed more like a hallucination than a memory. The only tangible evidence was the used condom I found next to me in bed in the morning. After our date, Donna didn't return my calls. Hence my new challenge: Work on my post-seduction skills.
But when I learned that a former New York Times reporter claimed he had burst his shackles of involuntary abstinence and scaled the heights of alpha male-dom, I had to know more. In the book The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists, Neil Strauss (co-author of Jenna Jameson's autobiography) details his journey from dud to stud. He convinced me that a coherent body of practical “stud-ology” is indeed available to the average guy.
Two seduction experts, known as Tyler Durden - after Brad Pitt's Fight Club character - and “Papa” figure prominently in The Game. They're the founders of Real Social Dynamics (www.realsocialdynamics.com), a firm that operates “boot camps” combining instruction with
nocturnal forays into the field, where you apply what you've learned under the watchful eye of your teacher.
I decided to take one of their Manhattan boot camps. My instructor was Tim, a young Heath Ledger-type from Australia. How could this dude, who probably scored left and right on his looks alone, teach me how to seduce an “SHB” (super hot babe, one of many terms in the pickup-artist lexicon)? But he was such a forceful presenter, I suspended all my doubts and gave him my full attention. He was like Patton revving up his troops for battle.
I'm 5-foot-5 and not blessed with movie-star looks. But I do have a gift for bullshit. As Tim went through different techniques, I started to see how they could help me improve my batting average.
After the day's formal seminar, we went to a noisy bar on Manhattan's East Side. I introduced myself to Liz, a redhead from Minneapolis, Minn. She wasn't pretty, but she was clearly drunk and cute in a kooky way - the type who'd have no qualms about dancing on the bar. She immediately put her arm around me and made me feel in sync with her. But what really impressed Tim was that Liz bought me a beer. Thus, I had succeeded on one of Tim's basic points: A true alpha male gets girls to buy him drinks, not vice-versa.
Liz further enticed me when she announced that she was bisexual. But when I asked her to name her fantasy babe, it wasn't Angelina Jolie. Or Jessica Simpson. Even Paris Hilton would have been a turn-on. But no, Liz's ideal girl was Ellen DeGeneres. When I think of threesomes, Ellen is not who I have in mind. But we kept flirting, and Liz eventually gave me her card and asked me to call her.
This was another coup in Tim's eyes. But as cool as Liz was, she wasn't that much different from the type of average-looking girls I usually end up with anyway. The real test of Tim's training would be getting an SHB.
Later, after Tim and the other students went home, I headed to a midtown lounge, Prey, where I could have a conversation without screaming. I made sure to follow Tim's seduction rules as much as possible. Check out the action.
Rule 1: Big Smile
I walked into Prey with a huge grin on my face. (I hate my smile. But seduction theory puts a lot of stock in strolling into a place - smiling confidently - like you “own it.” The only way to get more comfortable with your smile is to keep doing it until it becomes second nature.) Maybe I looked like an asshole, but I literally forced myself to grin and bear it. I immediately spotted a gorgeous brunette at the bar. She looked like Eva Longoria with a pair of huge bolt-on stripper breasts.
Rule 2: Three Seconds and Counting
Now that I'd noticed her, and she'd caught me looking her way, I had seconds to make my move. Otherwise, she'd write me off as another “AFC” (average frustrated chump) who didn't have the guts to act decisively.
Rule 3: Kick Her Off Her High Horse
I approached her with a delicate maneuver that easily could have blown up in my face. It's called “negging,” a form of “damning with faint praise” in order to throw an SHB off-balance.
“You seem a bit out of place,” I told her. “What do you mean?” she asked. “A lot of the girls here seem glamorous,” I replied. Her face was turning red. I had to soften the blow. “Don't get me wrong. You're attractive. I think you know that.” Instead of blowing me off, the woman - Donna - seemed intrigued, and engaged me in a long discussion about what makes people glamorous.
My “neg” had been an effective opener. Why? The theory is that SHBs are used to having guys slobber over them. Although their self-image depends on it, any guy who praises them too soon defines himself as another chump looking to get into their pants. But doing the opposite gets her wondering, “Why isn't this guy drooling over me? Why doesn't he find me perfect like everyone else does?” Done right, it virtually compels her to try to win you over.
Rule 4: Show ‘em Shit
At that point, Donna's attention was waning, and she turned back to her friends. I tapped her shoulder and asked her if she'd ever been “cubed.” “What's that?” she asked. “It's a method of giving you deep insights into your subconscious. Very powerful stuff.” I'd regained her interest. She was eager for a cubing, and I gave it to her.
The technique essentially involves having people imagine a cube and other objects in a desert, then interpreting to them what the images mean. For example, if they see their cube as made of steel, they have a resilient nature; if it's made of glass, their ego's fragile. The interpretations are largely bullshit. Cubing is mainly a device to convince the girl that you have a “gift” for seeing into her soul. (For instructions on cubing, see www.pickupguide.com/entrcube.htm.)
Rule 5: Leave ‘em Wanting More
Donna loved her cubing. She even wanted to take a crack at cubing me, but I teased her that she'd “have to earn that right. Only special people can cube me.”
“You don't think I'm special?” she asked. “I don't know yet,” I said. “I still need some convincing. But we'll save that for another time. I have to go.” She seemed disappointed, much to my delight. Getting her number was a piece of cake. I called two days later. We made plans for the weekend.
All the rules went out the window on our date. She'd polished off half a bottle of wine before I got to her apartment. “Nerves,” she said. Instead of catching a movie as planned, we bought more wine, went back to her apartment and got totally bombed. My recollection of what followed is like a video that keeps skipping frames. I remember having sex, but it seemed more like a hallucination than a memory. The only tangible evidence was the used condom I found next to me in bed in the morning. After our date, Donna didn't return my calls. Hence my new challenge: Work on my post-seduction skills.
For Hot Special Reports on Real Social Dynamics in the Media : “How to get your pickup game straight in just one weekend"
Picture this, it’s Friday night so you hit the scene with a few of your buddies, dressed to impress, with the hope of meeting someone special. When you’re at the club, you start downing drinks so your confidence grows and midway through you spot a lady of interest. Insecure, overcome by limiting beliefs and afraid of rejection, you decide against approaching. You go home unfulfilled and unsatisfied only to repeat the process again on Saturday.
As bleak as this reality might seem, there is hope. Dating gurus, once in a similar situation, are extending their hands to those in need in hopes of guiding them toward overcoming their dating troubles (for a nominal fee, of course). Through seminars, literature and in-field workshops, these gurus promise to address shortcomings and direct students toward success with women.
Despite the bustling market, the topic of male dating advice remains taboo. Experts, instructors and students alike all refer to themselves through aliases. Please note that the characters mentioned in this article are no different and seemingly irrelevant information like age have been barred from reporting.
I, like many of you reading, have select areas of challenge with regard to dating. Approach anxiety has always been an issue. I also have the limiting belief that women of significant beauty are off limits and unapproachable, despite my attractive physical appearance. To overcome these insecurities, I turned to Real Social Dynamics.
Real Social Dynamics (RSD) is one of the industry’s leaders, which specializes in in-field workshops where coaches train clients to go from average guys to certified pimps in just three days. The RSD coaches spend a portion of time teaching technique, but the primary focus is the application of such “book smarts.” Instruction is personalized to address clients’ weaknesses and is very intimate with a single coach never instructing more than three students at a time. This helps to ensure that each student will walk away a changed man rather than the same guy with a few new pickup lines and $1,500 less in his pocket.
My experience with RSD began at a posh mid-town hotel, where I met my instructor Sam, two students and a RSD intern. Sam was a powerful young man, built like an offensive lineman with an aura that conveyed confidence and experience far beyond his years. He was not particularly personable, but as I would later discover, he did this because he had tremendous ground to cover in just a few days.
The two students came from drastically different paths. One was a successful businessman whose failed engagement from years prior left his dating game in the dust. The other was a greasy haired college senior, who decided to use his Atlantic City winnings to fund his transformation from average college dude to on-campus pimp. Sam would transform both into dating pros right before my eyes.
One of our first tasks was to walk around the hotel silent, repeating in our heads “I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks about me.” This mentality, it was assumed, would help lower the wall of anxiety and make us less prone to the pain of rejection. Alongside this was the idea that your own personal value determines the value of those you attract. So if you see yourself as a seven out of ten, you will only be able to attract women who are sevens. Like soldiers responding to a drill sergeant, when asked “What are you?” we were instructed to loudly proclaim, “A fucking ten!” Silly as it may appear on paper, it seemed to work.
Eager to experiment yet still a bit skeptical, we headed to the eastside. By the time my taxi arrived at the location, the two students had already approached their first set. The apprentices took to the game like fish to water. It was truly incredible. An hour earlier, they had listed approach anxiety as a major obstacle, but with the help of Sam (and perhaps the motivation behind their monetary commitment) it was no longer an issue. As the night progressed, Sam evaluated each interaction, noted shortcomings, provided solutions and guided the students toward escalating each step.
By the close of day one, the younger student left with several numbers (one taken in front of a boyfriend), while the other had a couple numbers and one with extremely strong potential for further relations. I did not find much success due to my extreme selectivity, but I did enjoy opening a set of interns from the fashion industry. Shortly after I left the conversation, a beautiful young woman opened me. How’s that for social proof?
Day two followed the same structure as day one, only the focus turned from approaching to making out and possibly completing the deal. For this we hit the lower eastside, where the potential for such physical relations appeared significantly greater. The secret to this was to implore the same techniques learned the previous day, but also to dramatically shorten the distance between you and the target to the point that you’re mere inches apart. When combined with triangular gazing (a technique derived from our limbic system), the result is often a kiss and perhaps much more.
Once again, both students left with phone numbers and the younger student succeeded with the make out assignment. Interestingly, while the intern and I observed their courting rituals, two British women approached us looking for fun. They came to the right place… however, the conversation quickly turned to alcohol as they implied we buy them a round. No, no, no. In a flash, the intern responded appropriately with “We don’t buy girls drinks,” resulting in their immediate departure. Newsflash: Chicks play guys for drinks. Note: A pimp does not buy drinks for women. They buy drinks for him.
Day three involved an entirely different dimension: daytime gaming. From afar, the notion of approaching during the daytime might seem unnatural, dangerous, awkward, and potentially more embarrassing. According to the RSD folks, this could not be further from the truth.
Substituting in as our coach was Rocky, a newly trained instructor who had just completed a grueling two-week initiation process. In contrast to Sam, Rocky was tall and wire-thin. His style of dress was minimalist with a nice pair of jeans and undershirt, topped by an old Yankees hat that concealed his hair that had gone four days without washing (two girls over those days). Also his nose dripped incessantly due to having undergone nasal surgery the previous week. Despite his less than stellar appearance, his attitude and commitment was beyond impressive. He was tremendously enthusiastic, genuine and determined to deliver as a coach. As he instructed us on technique, routine, and the courting process, the students hurriedly scribbled down notes as they tried to take down every crucial point.
Following the valuable instruction was what we all signed up for… the makeover! Perhaps that was not the leading motivator for signing up, but the students certainly needed the consultation. One student showed up in a bland, Hawaiian patterned shirt – the type elderly people wear just before they pass away. The other fared no better and wore a painfully ugly orange polo shirt supported from below by clunky sneakers that featured different colored laces.
Luckily, a quick visit to a trendy boutique transformed the oddballs into far more fashion-intelligent pickup artists. Rocky, along with two interns, helped guide the students on what styles fit their bodies and by the end, they were fully transformed both internally and externally.
Fortunately for me, Rocky took me in as a student and wanted to see me in action (previously, I was more of an observer with the intern). I immediately recognized that this could have great potential. After he provided me with a couple openers, it was off to Washington Square Park where I would experience both the weekend’s high and low points.
With Rocky’s faith in me, I approached a woman who sat alone reading a copy of Business Week. Easy, right? Not exactly. After I opened with the suggested situational opener, I inquired as to what she was reading. Innocent, right? Nope. Like a rabid dog backed into a corner, she scowled “I don’t like to be bothered.” My immediate ejection was welcomed with support from the guys only to be followed by dropped jaws after reporting that she did not like to be bothered.
Visibly shaken and ready to call it quits, Rocky took me under his wing and opened another girl only to answer a fake phone call and leave me alone with the prospect. After an hour of laughing, teasing, deep eye contact and applying the tips taught by RSD, I had her number. When I rejoined the squad, my performance was analyzed and evaluated, only for Rocky to conclude that I could have completed the deal that day. Nice to know…
Although we were only together for three days, it felt weird saying goodbye to the clients and instructors. It was like we were all graduating into manhood. The students who began as lost guys left as accomplished, confident and secure men. They no longer felt uncomfortable approaching women and, in many cases, succeeded with those they approached. Without hesitation, I can say that in only three days RSD was responsible for developing their dating lives well beyond what they were able figure out elsewhere or on their own.
Above all the instruction and experiences, the most valuable advice came from Sam on day one. To paraphrase, he said, “Do you know why fat chicks are fat? It’s because it’s easy. They want to be thin and know that life would be better. The problem is that when they exercise and diet, their bodies go through so much pain, they quickly stop and return to the comfort of television and Häagen-Dazs. The same goes for dating. The beginning is really uncomfortable, but over time it will all come together.”
Every weekend, RSD conducts bootcamps in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Sydney similar to the one chronicled in this article. Thousands of clients have attended their live programs as young as fifteen years old all the way up to men in their seventies (if that is not testament to their trainings, I don’t know what is). Also, be on the lookout for the group’s first published book The Blueprint being released later this summer. If it is anything like the Jay-Z album, you will be picking up H to the Izzos in no time.
As bleak as this reality might seem, there is hope. Dating gurus, once in a similar situation, are extending their hands to those in need in hopes of guiding them toward overcoming their dating troubles (for a nominal fee, of course). Through seminars, literature and in-field workshops, these gurus promise to address shortcomings and direct students toward success with women.
Despite the bustling market, the topic of male dating advice remains taboo. Experts, instructors and students alike all refer to themselves through aliases. Please note that the characters mentioned in this article are no different and seemingly irrelevant information like age have been barred from reporting.
I, like many of you reading, have select areas of challenge with regard to dating. Approach anxiety has always been an issue. I also have the limiting belief that women of significant beauty are off limits and unapproachable, despite my attractive physical appearance. To overcome these insecurities, I turned to Real Social Dynamics.
Real Social Dynamics (RSD) is one of the industry’s leaders, which specializes in in-field workshops where coaches train clients to go from average guys to certified pimps in just three days. The RSD coaches spend a portion of time teaching technique, but the primary focus is the application of such “book smarts.” Instruction is personalized to address clients’ weaknesses and is very intimate with a single coach never instructing more than three students at a time. This helps to ensure that each student will walk away a changed man rather than the same guy with a few new pickup lines and $1,500 less in his pocket.
My experience with RSD began at a posh mid-town hotel, where I met my instructor Sam, two students and a RSD intern. Sam was a powerful young man, built like an offensive lineman with an aura that conveyed confidence and experience far beyond his years. He was not particularly personable, but as I would later discover, he did this because he had tremendous ground to cover in just a few days.
The two students came from drastically different paths. One was a successful businessman whose failed engagement from years prior left his dating game in the dust. The other was a greasy haired college senior, who decided to use his Atlantic City winnings to fund his transformation from average college dude to on-campus pimp. Sam would transform both into dating pros right before my eyes.
One of our first tasks was to walk around the hotel silent, repeating in our heads “I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks about me.” This mentality, it was assumed, would help lower the wall of anxiety and make us less prone to the pain of rejection. Alongside this was the idea that your own personal value determines the value of those you attract. So if you see yourself as a seven out of ten, you will only be able to attract women who are sevens. Like soldiers responding to a drill sergeant, when asked “What are you?” we were instructed to loudly proclaim, “A fucking ten!” Silly as it may appear on paper, it seemed to work.
Eager to experiment yet still a bit skeptical, we headed to the eastside. By the time my taxi arrived at the location, the two students had already approached their first set. The apprentices took to the game like fish to water. It was truly incredible. An hour earlier, they had listed approach anxiety as a major obstacle, but with the help of Sam (and perhaps the motivation behind their monetary commitment) it was no longer an issue. As the night progressed, Sam evaluated each interaction, noted shortcomings, provided solutions and guided the students toward escalating each step.
By the close of day one, the younger student left with several numbers (one taken in front of a boyfriend), while the other had a couple numbers and one with extremely strong potential for further relations. I did not find much success due to my extreme selectivity, but I did enjoy opening a set of interns from the fashion industry. Shortly after I left the conversation, a beautiful young woman opened me. How’s that for social proof?
Day two followed the same structure as day one, only the focus turned from approaching to making out and possibly completing the deal. For this we hit the lower eastside, where the potential for such physical relations appeared significantly greater. The secret to this was to implore the same techniques learned the previous day, but also to dramatically shorten the distance between you and the target to the point that you’re mere inches apart. When combined with triangular gazing (a technique derived from our limbic system), the result is often a kiss and perhaps much more.
Once again, both students left with phone numbers and the younger student succeeded with the make out assignment. Interestingly, while the intern and I observed their courting rituals, two British women approached us looking for fun. They came to the right place… however, the conversation quickly turned to alcohol as they implied we buy them a round. No, no, no. In a flash, the intern responded appropriately with “We don’t buy girls drinks,” resulting in their immediate departure. Newsflash: Chicks play guys for drinks. Note: A pimp does not buy drinks for women. They buy drinks for him.
Day three involved an entirely different dimension: daytime gaming. From afar, the notion of approaching during the daytime might seem unnatural, dangerous, awkward, and potentially more embarrassing. According to the RSD folks, this could not be further from the truth.
Substituting in as our coach was Rocky, a newly trained instructor who had just completed a grueling two-week initiation process. In contrast to Sam, Rocky was tall and wire-thin. His style of dress was minimalist with a nice pair of jeans and undershirt, topped by an old Yankees hat that concealed his hair that had gone four days without washing (two girls over those days). Also his nose dripped incessantly due to having undergone nasal surgery the previous week. Despite his less than stellar appearance, his attitude and commitment was beyond impressive. He was tremendously enthusiastic, genuine and determined to deliver as a coach. As he instructed us on technique, routine, and the courting process, the students hurriedly scribbled down notes as they tried to take down every crucial point.
Following the valuable instruction was what we all signed up for… the makeover! Perhaps that was not the leading motivator for signing up, but the students certainly needed the consultation. One student showed up in a bland, Hawaiian patterned shirt – the type elderly people wear just before they pass away. The other fared no better and wore a painfully ugly orange polo shirt supported from below by clunky sneakers that featured different colored laces.
Luckily, a quick visit to a trendy boutique transformed the oddballs into far more fashion-intelligent pickup artists. Rocky, along with two interns, helped guide the students on what styles fit their bodies and by the end, they were fully transformed both internally and externally.
Fortunately for me, Rocky took me in as a student and wanted to see me in action (previously, I was more of an observer with the intern). I immediately recognized that this could have great potential. After he provided me with a couple openers, it was off to Washington Square Park where I would experience both the weekend’s high and low points.
With Rocky’s faith in me, I approached a woman who sat alone reading a copy of Business Week. Easy, right? Not exactly. After I opened with the suggested situational opener, I inquired as to what she was reading. Innocent, right? Nope. Like a rabid dog backed into a corner, she scowled “I don’t like to be bothered.” My immediate ejection was welcomed with support from the guys only to be followed by dropped jaws after reporting that she did not like to be bothered.
Visibly shaken and ready to call it quits, Rocky took me under his wing and opened another girl only to answer a fake phone call and leave me alone with the prospect. After an hour of laughing, teasing, deep eye contact and applying the tips taught by RSD, I had her number. When I rejoined the squad, my performance was analyzed and evaluated, only for Rocky to conclude that I could have completed the deal that day. Nice to know…
Although we were only together for three days, it felt weird saying goodbye to the clients and instructors. It was like we were all graduating into manhood. The students who began as lost guys left as accomplished, confident and secure men. They no longer felt uncomfortable approaching women and, in many cases, succeeded with those they approached. Without hesitation, I can say that in only three days RSD was responsible for developing their dating lives well beyond what they were able figure out elsewhere or on their own.
Above all the instruction and experiences, the most valuable advice came from Sam on day one. To paraphrase, he said, “Do you know why fat chicks are fat? It’s because it’s easy. They want to be thin and know that life would be better. The problem is that when they exercise and diet, their bodies go through so much pain, they quickly stop and return to the comfort of television and Häagen-Dazs. The same goes for dating. The beginning is really uncomfortable, but over time it will all come together.”
Every weekend, RSD conducts bootcamps in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Sydney similar to the one chronicled in this article. Thousands of clients have attended their live programs as young as fifteen years old all the way up to men in their seventies (if that is not testament to their trainings, I don’t know what is). Also, be on the lookout for the group’s first published book The Blueprint being released later this summer. If it is anything like the Jay-Z album, you will be picking up H to the Izzos in no time.
The Strategy To Win
The President Outlined The Strategy To Win The War On Terror. Defeating a broad and adaptive network requires patience, constant pressure, and strong partners. Working with these partners, the U.S. is disrupting militant conspiracies, destroying their ability to make war, and giving millions a hopeful alternative to resentment and violence.
First, We Are Preventing Terrorist Attacks Before They Occur. We are reorganizing government for a broad and coordinated homeland defense, reforming intelligence agencies for the difficult task of tracking enemy activity, and acting, along with governments from many countries, to destroy the terrorist networks and incapacitate their leaders. We have prevented terrorist plots and Al-Qaida efforts to case targets in the United States. Because of strikes against terrorist leaders and disruption of their plots, the enemy is wounded but still capable of deadly operations around the globe. Our commitment is clear: we will not relent until the organized international terror networks are exposed and broken and their leaders held to account for their acts of murder.
Second, We Are Denying Weapons Of Mass Destruction To Outlaw Regimes And Their Terrorist Allies. Working with Great Britain, Pakistan, and other nations, we shut down A.Q. Khan's black-market operation in nuclear technology. Libya abandoned its chemical and nuclear weapons programs, as well as its long-range ballistic missiles. In the last year, America and our partners in the Proliferation Security Initiative have stopped more than a dozen shipments of suspect weapons technology - including equipment for Iran's ballistic missile programs. This progress has reduced the danger, but not removed it. Evil men still work to gain these weapons, and we are working urgently to keep them out of their hands.
Third, We Are Determined To Deny Radical Groups The Support And Sanctuary Of Outlaw Regimes. State sponsors like Syria and Iran have a long history of collaboration with terrorists - and they deserve no patience from the victims of terror. The United States makes no distinction between those who commit acts of terror and those who support and harbor terrorists, because they are equally guilty of murder.
Fourth, We Are Fighting To Deny The Militants Control Of Any Nation. The United States is fighting beside our Afghan partners against the remnants of the Taliban and its al-Qaida allies. We are working with President Musharraf to isolate the militants in Pakistan. We are fighting the terrorists and regime remnants in Iraq who seek to overthrow a democracy, claim a strategic country as a haven of terror, destabilize the Middle East, and strike America and other free nations with ever increasing violence. Our goal is to defeat the terrorists and their allies at the heart of their power - and we are achieving this goal.
With Iraqi Forces, The Coalition Is Fighting The Enemy With A Comprehensive And Specific Military Plan. We are improving the lives of Iraqi citizens by conducting offensive operations to clear out enemy forces and leave Iraqi units behind to prevent the enemy from returning. With our help, the Iraqi military is gaining new capabilities and new confidence with every passing month. At the time of our Fallujah operations 11 months ago, there were only a few Iraqi battalions in combat - today there are more than 80. The progress is not easy, but it is steady.
Iraq Is Making Incredible Political Progress. The extremists in Iraq are not patriots or resistance fighters but murderers at war with the Iraqi people. In contrast, the elected leaders of Iraq are proving to be strong and steadfast. In the space of two and a half years, Iraq has made incredible progress on the path to becoming a democracy. It is true that the seeds of freedom have only recently been planted, but we are confident that if our Coalition and the Iraqi people each does their part, Iraqi democracy will succeed.
We Must Reject The Dangerous Illusion Of Those Who Claim That America Would Be Better Off By Cutting Our Losses And Leaving Iraq Now. Having removed a dictator who hated free peoples, we will not stand by as a new set of killers seize control of Iraq. There is always a temptation, in the middle of a long struggle, to seek the quiet life, escape the duties and problems of the world, and hope the enemy grows weary. However, this enemy is never tired and considers every retreat an invitation to greater violence. In Iraq, there is no peace without victory. We will keep our nerve and win that victory.
Fifth, We Are Denying The Militants Future Recruits By Advancing Democracy And Hope Across The Broader Middle East. If the region is left to grow in bitterness and misery, while radicals stir the resentments of millions, then that part of the world will be a source of endless conflict and mounting danger. However, the extremists will be marginalized and their violence ended if the peoples of that region are permitted to choose their own destiny and advance by their own energy and participation as free men and women. America is making this stand in practical ways. We are encouraging our friends in the Middle East, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, to take the path of reform to strengthen their own societies in the fight against terror by respecting the rights of people. We are standing with dissidents and exiles against oppressive regimes, because we know that the dissidents of today will be the democratic leaders of tomorrow. We are making our case through public diplomacy - stating clearly and confidently our belief in self-determination, religious freedom, and equal rights for women. By standing for the hope and freedom of others, we will make our own freedom more secure.
First, We Are Preventing Terrorist Attacks Before They Occur. We are reorganizing government for a broad and coordinated homeland defense, reforming intelligence agencies for the difficult task of tracking enemy activity, and acting, along with governments from many countries, to destroy the terrorist networks and incapacitate their leaders. We have prevented terrorist plots and Al-Qaida efforts to case targets in the United States. Because of strikes against terrorist leaders and disruption of their plots, the enemy is wounded but still capable of deadly operations around the globe. Our commitment is clear: we will not relent until the organized international terror networks are exposed and broken and their leaders held to account for their acts of murder.
Second, We Are Denying Weapons Of Mass Destruction To Outlaw Regimes And Their Terrorist Allies. Working with Great Britain, Pakistan, and other nations, we shut down A.Q. Khan's black-market operation in nuclear technology. Libya abandoned its chemical and nuclear weapons programs, as well as its long-range ballistic missiles. In the last year, America and our partners in the Proliferation Security Initiative have stopped more than a dozen shipments of suspect weapons technology - including equipment for Iran's ballistic missile programs. This progress has reduced the danger, but not removed it. Evil men still work to gain these weapons, and we are working urgently to keep them out of their hands.
Third, We Are Determined To Deny Radical Groups The Support And Sanctuary Of Outlaw Regimes. State sponsors like Syria and Iran have a long history of collaboration with terrorists - and they deserve no patience from the victims of terror. The United States makes no distinction between those who commit acts of terror and those who support and harbor terrorists, because they are equally guilty of murder.
Fourth, We Are Fighting To Deny The Militants Control Of Any Nation. The United States is fighting beside our Afghan partners against the remnants of the Taliban and its al-Qaida allies. We are working with President Musharraf to isolate the militants in Pakistan. We are fighting the terrorists and regime remnants in Iraq who seek to overthrow a democracy, claim a strategic country as a haven of terror, destabilize the Middle East, and strike America and other free nations with ever increasing violence. Our goal is to defeat the terrorists and their allies at the heart of their power - and we are achieving this goal.
With Iraqi Forces, The Coalition Is Fighting The Enemy With A Comprehensive And Specific Military Plan. We are improving the lives of Iraqi citizens by conducting offensive operations to clear out enemy forces and leave Iraqi units behind to prevent the enemy from returning. With our help, the Iraqi military is gaining new capabilities and new confidence with every passing month. At the time of our Fallujah operations 11 months ago, there were only a few Iraqi battalions in combat - today there are more than 80. The progress is not easy, but it is steady.
Iraq Is Making Incredible Political Progress. The extremists in Iraq are not patriots or resistance fighters but murderers at war with the Iraqi people. In contrast, the elected leaders of Iraq are proving to be strong and steadfast. In the space of two and a half years, Iraq has made incredible progress on the path to becoming a democracy. It is true that the seeds of freedom have only recently been planted, but we are confident that if our Coalition and the Iraqi people each does their part, Iraqi democracy will succeed.
We Must Reject The Dangerous Illusion Of Those Who Claim That America Would Be Better Off By Cutting Our Losses And Leaving Iraq Now. Having removed a dictator who hated free peoples, we will not stand by as a new set of killers seize control of Iraq. There is always a temptation, in the middle of a long struggle, to seek the quiet life, escape the duties and problems of the world, and hope the enemy grows weary. However, this enemy is never tired and considers every retreat an invitation to greater violence. In Iraq, there is no peace without victory. We will keep our nerve and win that victory.
Fifth, We Are Denying The Militants Future Recruits By Advancing Democracy And Hope Across The Broader Middle East. If the region is left to grow in bitterness and misery, while radicals stir the resentments of millions, then that part of the world will be a source of endless conflict and mounting danger. However, the extremists will be marginalized and their violence ended if the peoples of that region are permitted to choose their own destiny and advance by their own energy and participation as free men and women. America is making this stand in practical ways. We are encouraging our friends in the Middle East, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, to take the path of reform to strengthen their own societies in the fight against terror by respecting the rights of people. We are standing with dissidents and exiles against oppressive regimes, because we know that the dissidents of today will be the democratic leaders of tomorrow. We are making our case through public diplomacy - stating clearly and confidently our belief in self-determination, religious freedom, and equal rights for women. By standing for the hope and freedom of others, we will make our own freedom more secure.
Islamic Radicalism Is Another In A Line Of Bankrupt Ideologies:
The Islamic Radical Threat Of This Century Greatly Resembles The Bankrupt Ideology Of The Last. The murderous ideology of the Islamic radicals is the great challenge of our century. Yet, in many ways, this fight resembles the struggle against communism in the last century.
Like Communism, Islamic Radicalism Is Led By An Elitist Self-Appointed Vanguard That Presumes To Speak For The Muslim Masses. Bin Laden says his role is to tell Muslims "what is good for them and what is not." What this man who grew up in wealth and privilege considers good for poor Muslims is that they become killers and suicide bombers. He assures them that this is the road to paradise - though he never offers to go along for the ride.
Islamic Radicals Purposely Target Innocent Individuals For A Political Vision. This explains their cold-blooded contempt for human life seen in the murders of Daniel Pearl, Nicholas Berg, Margaret Hassan, and many others. These militants have shown themselves to be enemies of not only America and Iraq, but enemies of Islam and humanity. The world has witnessed this kind of cruelty before - the heartless zealotry that led to the gulags, the Cultural Revolution, and the killing fields.
Islamic Radicals Pursue Totalitarian Aims. Islamic Radical leaders have endless ambitions of imperial domination, and they wish to make everyone powerless except themselves. While promising a future of justice and holiness, the terrorists are preparing a future of oppression and misery - banning dissent and books, brutalizing women, and controlling every aspect of life.
Islamic Radicalism Is Dismissive Of Free Peoples. Zarqawi has said that Americans are "the most cowardly of God's creatures." However, it is cowardice that kills children and the elderly with car bombs, cuts the throat of a bound captive, or targets worshipers leaving a mosque. It is courage that liberated 50 million people from tyranny, keeps an untiring vigil against the enemies of a rising democracy, and will once again destroy the enemies of freedom.
And Like Communism, Islamic Radicalism Contains Inherent Contradictions That Doom It To Failure. By fearing freedom, distrusting human creativity, punishing change, and limiting the contributions of half the population, this ideology declares war on the idea of progress itself. The only thing modern about the militants' vision is the weapons they seek to use. The outcome of this war is not in doubt - those who despise freedom and progress have condemned themselves to isolation, decline, and collapse. Because free people believe in the future, they will own the future.
Like Communism, Islamic Radicalism Is Led By An Elitist Self-Appointed Vanguard That Presumes To Speak For The Muslim Masses. Bin Laden says his role is to tell Muslims "what is good for them and what is not." What this man who grew up in wealth and privilege considers good for poor Muslims is that they become killers and suicide bombers. He assures them that this is the road to paradise - though he never offers to go along for the ride.
Islamic Radicals Purposely Target Innocent Individuals For A Political Vision. This explains their cold-blooded contempt for human life seen in the murders of Daniel Pearl, Nicholas Berg, Margaret Hassan, and many others. These militants have shown themselves to be enemies of not only America and Iraq, but enemies of Islam and humanity. The world has witnessed this kind of cruelty before - the heartless zealotry that led to the gulags, the Cultural Revolution, and the killing fields.
Islamic Radicals Pursue Totalitarian Aims. Islamic Radical leaders have endless ambitions of imperial domination, and they wish to make everyone powerless except themselves. While promising a future of justice and holiness, the terrorists are preparing a future of oppression and misery - banning dissent and books, brutalizing women, and controlling every aspect of life.
Islamic Radicalism Is Dismissive Of Free Peoples. Zarqawi has said that Americans are "the most cowardly of God's creatures." However, it is cowardice that kills children and the elderly with car bombs, cuts the throat of a bound captive, or targets worshipers leaving a mosque. It is courage that liberated 50 million people from tyranny, keeps an untiring vigil against the enemies of a rising democracy, and will once again destroy the enemies of freedom.
And Like Communism, Islamic Radicalism Contains Inherent Contradictions That Doom It To Failure. By fearing freedom, distrusting human creativity, punishing change, and limiting the contributions of half the population, this ideology declares war on the idea of progress itself. The only thing modern about the militants' vision is the weapons they seek to use. The outcome of this war is not in doubt - those who despise freedom and progress have condemned themselves to isolation, decline, and collapse. Because free people believe in the future, they will own the future.
The Militant Threat And The Importance Of Winning The War On Terror
The Terrorists Serve A Clear And Focused Ideology. The ideology known as Islamic radicalism, militant Jihadism, or Islamo-fascism - different from the religion of Islam - exploits Islam to serve a violent political vision that calls for the murder of all those who do not share it. The followers of Islamic radicalism are bound together by their shared ideology, not by any centralized command structure. Although they fight on scattered battlefields, these terrorists share a similar ideology and vision for the world openly stated in videos, audiotapes, letters, declarations, and websites.
First, These Extremists Are Determined To End American And Western Influence In The Middle East. Because the United States is spreading democracy and peace, we stand in the way of their radical ambitions. Al-Qaida's leader Osama Bin Laden has called on Muslims to dedicate their "resources, sons and money to driving the infidels out of their lands." To meet this goal, they hit us and expect us to run in the hope that we will repeat the sad history of Beirut in 1983 and Mogadishu in 1993 - only this time on a larger scale and with greater consequences.
Second, The Militant Network Wants to Use The Vacuum Created By Retreat To Expand Its Power. As they once did in Afghanistan and are trying to do now in Iraq, they will seek to gain control of an entire country - a base from which to launch attacks and conduct their war against non-radical Muslim governments.
Third, From Their New Base, These Militants Will Seek To Establish A Radical Islamic Empire. The militants believe that controlling one country will rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow moderate governments in the Middle East and establish a radical Islamic empire that spreads from Spain to Indonesia.
To Accomplish Their Extremist Agenda, The Militants Thrive On The Suffering And Frustrations Of Others. The radicals exploit local conflicts to build a culture of victimization, exploit resentful and disillusioned young men and women, and use modern technology to multiply their destructive power.
In Pursuit Of Their Goals, Islamic Radicals Are Empowered By Helpers And Enablers. They are sheltered and supported by authoritarian regimes - allies of convenience like Syria and Iran - that share the goal of hurting America and moderate Muslim governments, and that use terrorist propaganda to blame their own failures on the West, America, and Jews. They are strengthened by front operations - such as corrupted charities - and those who aggressively fund the spread of radical, intolerant versions of Islam. The militants are aided by elements of the Arab news media that incite hatred and anti-Semitism, feed conspiracy theories, and speak of a so-called American "war on Islam" - with seldom a word about American action to protect Muslims in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Somalia, Kosovo, Kuwait, and Iraq.
This Extremism Cannot Be Given Concessions, Bribed, Or Appeased. We Must Never Accept Anything Less Than Victory. To those who argue that extremism has been strengthened by the actions of our Coalition in Iraq, we must remember that we were not in Iraq on September 11, 2001. The radicals' hatred existed before Iraq was an issue, and it will exist after Iraq is an excuse. The government of Russia did not support Operation Iraqi Freedom, and yet the Islamic militants killed more than 180 Russian schoolchildren in Beslan.
First, These Extremists Are Determined To End American And Western Influence In The Middle East. Because the United States is spreading democracy and peace, we stand in the way of their radical ambitions. Al-Qaida's leader Osama Bin Laden has called on Muslims to dedicate their "resources, sons and money to driving the infidels out of their lands." To meet this goal, they hit us and expect us to run in the hope that we will repeat the sad history of Beirut in 1983 and Mogadishu in 1993 - only this time on a larger scale and with greater consequences.
Second, The Militant Network Wants to Use The Vacuum Created By Retreat To Expand Its Power. As they once did in Afghanistan and are trying to do now in Iraq, they will seek to gain control of an entire country - a base from which to launch attacks and conduct their war against non-radical Muslim governments.
Third, From Their New Base, These Militants Will Seek To Establish A Radical Islamic Empire. The militants believe that controlling one country will rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow moderate governments in the Middle East and establish a radical Islamic empire that spreads from Spain to Indonesia.
To Accomplish Their Extremist Agenda, The Militants Thrive On The Suffering And Frustrations Of Others. The radicals exploit local conflicts to build a culture of victimization, exploit resentful and disillusioned young men and women, and use modern technology to multiply their destructive power.
In Pursuit Of Their Goals, Islamic Radicals Are Empowered By Helpers And Enablers. They are sheltered and supported by authoritarian regimes - allies of convenience like Syria and Iran - that share the goal of hurting America and moderate Muslim governments, and that use terrorist propaganda to blame their own failures on the West, America, and Jews. They are strengthened by front operations - such as corrupted charities - and those who aggressively fund the spread of radical, intolerant versions of Islam. The militants are aided by elements of the Arab news media that incite hatred and anti-Semitism, feed conspiracy theories, and speak of a so-called American "war on Islam" - with seldom a word about American action to protect Muslims in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Somalia, Kosovo, Kuwait, and Iraq.
This Extremism Cannot Be Given Concessions, Bribed, Or Appeased. We Must Never Accept Anything Less Than Victory. To those who argue that extremism has been strengthened by the actions of our Coalition in Iraq, we must remember that we were not in Iraq on September 11, 2001. The radicals' hatred existed before Iraq was an issue, and it will exist after Iraq is an excuse. The government of Russia did not support Operation Iraqi Freedom, and yet the Islamic militants killed more than 180 Russian schoolchildren in Beslan.
Fighting a Global War on Terror
"We remain a nation at war. I wish I could report, you know, a different sentence to you. But my job as the President of the United States is to keep the American people fully informed of the world in which we live. In recent months, I've spoken extensively about our strategy for victory in Iraq. Today, I'm going to give you an update on the progress that we're making in the broader war on terror: The actions of our global coalition to break up terrorist networks across the world, plots we've disrupted that have saved American lives, and how the rise of freedom is leading millions to reject the dark ideology of the terrorists -- and laying the foundation of peace for generations to come."
-- President George W. Bush
National Guard Building
February 9, 2006
America Has A Clear Strategy For Victory In The War On Terror
On October 6, 2005, President Bush Addressed The National Endowment For Democracy On The Nature Of The Enemy We Face And The Strategy For Victory. In this new century, freedom is once again under assault. The President outlined the ideology of the terrorists and the strategy needed to defeat this danger and see freedom's victory.
In The Four Years Since September 11th, The United States And The World Have Been Committed To Winning The War On Terror. The evil that came to our shores on September 11th has reappeared on other days and in other places. In cities across the world, we have seen images of destruction and suffering that can seem like random acts of madness but are part of a larger terrorist threat. To combat this evil, we must remember the calling of September 11th - we will confront this mortal danger to all humanity and not tire or rest until the war on terror is won.
Muslims Are Playing A Vital Role In The War On Terror. Muslim leaders are denouncing terrorism, and the time has come for all responsible Islamic leaders to denounce an ideology that exploits Islam for political ends and defiles a noble faith. Many Muslims have joined the fight against extremism. The United States is proud to stand by those who stand up for the liberty, justice, and humanity of their own tradition.
-- President George W. Bush
National Guard Building
February 9, 2006
America Has A Clear Strategy For Victory In The War On Terror
On October 6, 2005, President Bush Addressed The National Endowment For Democracy On The Nature Of The Enemy We Face And The Strategy For Victory. In this new century, freedom is once again under assault. The President outlined the ideology of the terrorists and the strategy needed to defeat this danger and see freedom's victory.
In The Four Years Since September 11th, The United States And The World Have Been Committed To Winning The War On Terror. The evil that came to our shores on September 11th has reappeared on other days and in other places. In cities across the world, we have seen images of destruction and suffering that can seem like random acts of madness but are part of a larger terrorist threat. To combat this evil, we must remember the calling of September 11th - we will confront this mortal danger to all humanity and not tire or rest until the war on terror is won.
Muslims Are Playing A Vital Role In The War On Terror. Muslim leaders are denouncing terrorism, and the time has come for all responsible Islamic leaders to denounce an ideology that exploits Islam for political ends and defiles a noble faith. Many Muslims have joined the fight against extremism. The United States is proud to stand by those who stand up for the liberty, justice, and humanity of their own tradition.
FedEx
FedEx (NYSE: FDX), properly FedEx Corporation, is a courier company offering overnight courier, ground, heavy freight, document copying and logistics services. FedEx is a syllabic abbreviation of the company's original name, Federal Express.
The company was founded as Federal Express in 1972 by former U.S. Marine Fred Smith in Little Rock, Arkansas, but moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1973 after Little Rock airport officials would not agree to provide facilities for the fledgling airline. The name was chosen to symbolize a national marketplace, and help in obtaining government contracts. The company officially began operations on April 17, 1973, utilizing a network of 14 Dassault Falcon 20s which connected 25 U.S. cities. FedEx, the first cargo airline that used jet aircraft for its services, expanded greatly after the deregulation of the cargo airlines sector. Federal Express' use of the hub-spoke distribution paradigm in air freight enabled it to become a world leader in its field. The company operates much of its U.S. overnight freight through its Memphis hub. Other U.S. hubs are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, Newark, New Jersey, Oakland, California, Anchorage, Alaska, Fort Worth, Texas and soon Greensboro, North Carolina. The Canadian hub operates from Toronto Pearson International Airport.
In August 1989 the company acquired Flying Tigers, an international cargo airline. It inherited Flying Tigers's U.S. military transport contract and carried passengers between the continental United States and overseas military installations until October 1992. In January 1998 Federal Express acquired Caliber System, Inc, which owned RPS, Roberts Express, Viking Freight and Caliber Logistics. When these companies combined, the new organization became known as FDX Corp.
The original Federal Express logo designed by Richard Runyan in 1973
The name "FedEx" had been a popular, if unofficial, abbreviation for Federal Express for several years before the company chose it as its primary brand name in 1994. The new identity was revealed to the world on June 24, 1994. The "Federal Express" name was eliminated entirely in 2000, when FDX Corporation changed its name to FedEx Corporation and adopted the tagline "The World On Time" [1]. In 2000, FedEx and USPS signed a 7 year contract to carry all the USPS overnight and high priority mail throughout the FedEx system. The postal contract has recently been extented until 2012 and USPS continues to be one of the largest customers for FedEx. In 2001, FedEx acquired American Freightways and Viking Freight, two leading less-than-truckload carriers in the U.S., and combined them to create FedEx Freight. In February 2004, FedEx bought Kinko's, a Dallas-based chain that provides printing and business services, for $2.4 billion.
In its advertising, the company made famous the line "Absolutely, positively" for their overnight service; the original phrase was "When it absolutely, positively has to get there overnight." Another slogan, "Relax, it's FedEx", is well recognized. For several years the company promoted the slogan "Don't panic", particularly on buttons. Throughout Europe, the marketing tag line is "whatever it takes".
Major competitors include DHL, TNT, and UPS.
The company was founded as Federal Express in 1972 by former U.S. Marine Fred Smith in Little Rock, Arkansas, but moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1973 after Little Rock airport officials would not agree to provide facilities for the fledgling airline. The name was chosen to symbolize a national marketplace, and help in obtaining government contracts. The company officially began operations on April 17, 1973, utilizing a network of 14 Dassault Falcon 20s which connected 25 U.S. cities. FedEx, the first cargo airline that used jet aircraft for its services, expanded greatly after the deregulation of the cargo airlines sector. Federal Express' use of the hub-spoke distribution paradigm in air freight enabled it to become a world leader in its field. The company operates much of its U.S. overnight freight through its Memphis hub. Other U.S. hubs are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, Newark, New Jersey, Oakland, California, Anchorage, Alaska, Fort Worth, Texas and soon Greensboro, North Carolina. The Canadian hub operates from Toronto Pearson International Airport.
In August 1989 the company acquired Flying Tigers, an international cargo airline. It inherited Flying Tigers's U.S. military transport contract and carried passengers between the continental United States and overseas military installations until October 1992. In January 1998 Federal Express acquired Caliber System, Inc, which owned RPS, Roberts Express, Viking Freight and Caliber Logistics. When these companies combined, the new organization became known as FDX Corp.
The original Federal Express logo designed by Richard Runyan in 1973
The name "FedEx" had been a popular, if unofficial, abbreviation for Federal Express for several years before the company chose it as its primary brand name in 1994. The new identity was revealed to the world on June 24, 1994. The "Federal Express" name was eliminated entirely in 2000, when FDX Corporation changed its name to FedEx Corporation and adopted the tagline "The World On Time" [1]. In 2000, FedEx and USPS signed a 7 year contract to carry all the USPS overnight and high priority mail throughout the FedEx system. The postal contract has recently been extented until 2012 and USPS continues to be one of the largest customers for FedEx. In 2001, FedEx acquired American Freightways and Viking Freight, two leading less-than-truckload carriers in the U.S., and combined them to create FedEx Freight. In February 2004, FedEx bought Kinko's, a Dallas-based chain that provides printing and business services, for $2.4 billion.
In its advertising, the company made famous the line "Absolutely, positively" for their overnight service; the original phrase was "When it absolutely, positively has to get there overnight." Another slogan, "Relax, it's FedEx", is well recognized. For several years the company promoted the slogan "Don't panic", particularly on buttons. Throughout Europe, the marketing tag line is "whatever it takes".
Major competitors include DHL, TNT, and UPS.
Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 articles advocating the ratification of the United States Constitution. Seventy-seven of the essays were published serially in The Independent Journal and The New York Packet between October 1787 and August 1788. A compilation of these and eight others, called The Federalist, was published in 1788 by J. and A. McLean.[1]
The Federalist Papers serve as a primary source for interpretation of the Constitution, as they outline the philosophy and motivation of the proposed system of government.[2] The authors of the Federalist Papers wanted to both influence the vote in favor of ratification and shape future interpretations of the Constitution. According to historian Richard B. Morris, they are an "incomparable exposition of the Constitution, a classic in political science unsurpassed in both breadth and depth by the product of any later American writer."[3]
The articles were written by Alexander Hamilton (nos. 1, 6–9, 11–13, 15–17, 21–36, 59–61, and 65–85), James Madison (nos. 10, 14, 18–20, 37–58, and 62–63), and John Jay (2–5, and 64).[1] They appeared under the pseudonym "Publius," in honor of Roman consul Publius Valerius Publicola.[4] Madison is generally credited as the father of the Constitution and became the fourth President of the United States.[5] Hamilton was an active delegate at the Constitutional Convention, and became the first Secretary of the Treasury. John Jay became the first Chief Justice of the United States.
Federalist No. 10, which discusses the means of preventing faction and advocates for a large republic (and warns of the dangers of a democracy), is generally regarded as the most important of the 85 articles from a philosophical perspective.[6] Federalist No. 84 is also notable for its opposition to a Bill of Rights. Federalist No. 51 may be the clearest exposition of what has come to be called "Federalism."
The states were sent the Constitution for ratification in late September 1787. Immediately, the Constitution became the target of numerous articles and public letters written by Anti-Federalists and other opponents of the Constitution. For instance, the important Anti-Federalist authors "Cato" and "Brutus" debuted in New York papers on September 27 and October 18, respectively.[7] Hamilton began the Federalist Papers project as a response to the opponents of ratification, a response that would explain the new Constitution to the residents of New York and persuade them to ratify it. He wrote in Federalist No. 1 that the series would "endeavor to give a satisfactory answer to all the objections which shall have made their appearance, that may seem to have any claim to your attention."[8]
Hamilton recruited collaborators for the project. He enlisted Jay, who fell ill and was unable to contribute much to the series. Madison, present in New York as a delegate to the Congress, was recruited by Hamilton and Jay and became Hamilton's major collaborator. Gouverneur Morris and William Duer were also apparently considered; Morris turned down the invitation and Hamilton rejected three essays written by Duer.[9] Duer later wrote in support of the three Federalist authors under the name "Philo-Publius," or "Friend of Publius."
Hamilton also chose "Publius" as the pseudonym under which the series would be written. While many other pieces representing both sides of the constitutional debate were written under Roman names, Albert Furtwangler contends that "'Publius' was a cut above 'Caesar' or 'Brutus' or even 'Cato.' Publius Valerius was not a late defender of the republic but one of its founders. His more famous name, Publicola, meant 'friend of the people.'"[10] It was not the first time Hamilton had used this pseudonym: in 1778, he had applied it to three letters attacking Samuel Chase.
The Federalist Papers serve as a primary source for interpretation of the Constitution, as they outline the philosophy and motivation of the proposed system of government.[2] The authors of the Federalist Papers wanted to both influence the vote in favor of ratification and shape future interpretations of the Constitution. According to historian Richard B. Morris, they are an "incomparable exposition of the Constitution, a classic in political science unsurpassed in both breadth and depth by the product of any later American writer."[3]
The articles were written by Alexander Hamilton (nos. 1, 6–9, 11–13, 15–17, 21–36, 59–61, and 65–85), James Madison (nos. 10, 14, 18–20, 37–58, and 62–63), and John Jay (2–5, and 64).[1] They appeared under the pseudonym "Publius," in honor of Roman consul Publius Valerius Publicola.[4] Madison is generally credited as the father of the Constitution and became the fourth President of the United States.[5] Hamilton was an active delegate at the Constitutional Convention, and became the first Secretary of the Treasury. John Jay became the first Chief Justice of the United States.
Federalist No. 10, which discusses the means of preventing faction and advocates for a large republic (and warns of the dangers of a democracy), is generally regarded as the most important of the 85 articles from a philosophical perspective.[6] Federalist No. 84 is also notable for its opposition to a Bill of Rights. Federalist No. 51 may be the clearest exposition of what has come to be called "Federalism."
The states were sent the Constitution for ratification in late September 1787. Immediately, the Constitution became the target of numerous articles and public letters written by Anti-Federalists and other opponents of the Constitution. For instance, the important Anti-Federalist authors "Cato" and "Brutus" debuted in New York papers on September 27 and October 18, respectively.[7] Hamilton began the Federalist Papers project as a response to the opponents of ratification, a response that would explain the new Constitution to the residents of New York and persuade them to ratify it. He wrote in Federalist No. 1 that the series would "endeavor to give a satisfactory answer to all the objections which shall have made their appearance, that may seem to have any claim to your attention."[8]
Hamilton recruited collaborators for the project. He enlisted Jay, who fell ill and was unable to contribute much to the series. Madison, present in New York as a delegate to the Congress, was recruited by Hamilton and Jay and became Hamilton's major collaborator. Gouverneur Morris and William Duer were also apparently considered; Morris turned down the invitation and Hamilton rejected three essays written by Duer.[9] Duer later wrote in support of the three Federalist authors under the name "Philo-Publius," or "Friend of Publius."
Hamilton also chose "Publius" as the pseudonym under which the series would be written. While many other pieces representing both sides of the constitutional debate were written under Roman names, Albert Furtwangler contends that "'Publius' was a cut above 'Caesar' or 'Brutus' or even 'Cato.' Publius Valerius was not a late defender of the republic but one of its founders. His more famous name, Publicola, meant 'friend of the people.'"[10] It was not the first time Hamilton had used this pseudonym: in 1778, he had applied it to three letters attacking Samuel Chase.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Facts & Information
Operated by - John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is operated by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey under a lease with the City of New York since June 1, 1947.
Location - JFK is located in the southeastern section of Queens County, New York City, on Jamaica Bay. It is fifteen miles by highway from midtown Manhattan. Geographic reference points are 40° 38' 28.5" north, 73° 46' 41.9" west.
Size - JFK consists of 4,930 acres, including 880 acres in the Central Terminal Area (CTA). The airport has more than 30 miles of roadway and is 12.7 feet above sea level.
History - Construction began in April 1942, when the City of New York contracted for the placing of hydraulic fill over the marshy tidelands on the site of Idlewild Golf Course. Planned at first for 1,000 acres, the airport grew to five times that size. First commercial flights began on July 1, 1948. The airport was formally dedicated as New York International Airport on July 31, 1948. It was re-dedicated on December 24, 1963 as John F. Kennedy International Airport, following action of the Mayor and Council of the City of New York, and a resolution of the Commissioners of the Port Authority.
Investment - About $150 million was expended on original construction. The Port Authority has invested more than $4.3 billion in the airport.
Employment & Economic Impact - Over 35,000 people are employed at the airport. Kennedy Airport contributes approximately $30.1 billion in economic activity to the NY/NJ metropolitan region generating some 265,180 jobs and $11.2 billion in wages and salaries.
JFK Redevelopment Program - The redevelopment program at JFK consists of several major projects undertaken by the Port Authority and its airline and airport partners. Completed projects include the construction of Terminal 1, on the site of the former Eastern Airlines facility, and Terminal 4, on the site of the former International Arrivals Building; the re-development of Terminal 7, the British Airways terminal; and two new cargo buildings totaling 435,00 square feet of new warehouse and office space. Projects underway are the construction of a new mega-terminal by American Airlines that will replace terminals 8 and 9; AirTrain JFK, a light rail transit system that will connect airport passengers to New York City subways and buses and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR); new and improved roadway systems and utilities; and the planning of a new passenger facility to accommodate JetBlue Airways.
Central Terminal Area - The Central Terminal Area (CTA) consists of nine airline passenger terminals numbered 1 to 9, surrounded by a dual ring of peripheral taxiways. Initially 655 acres, the CTA was enlarged to 880 acres by relocation of the taxiways to provide space needed for expansion of the passenger terminals.
To further assist travelers, a color-coding system (green, blue, orange, yellow and red) is used on all roadway signs leading to each terminal - from the entrances to the airport to parking near each terminal.
JFK Terminals
In 1994, a consortium of airlines - Air France, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and Lufthansa - spearheaded the era of dazzling new terminals with the construction of Terminal 1. The new Terminal 1, completed in May 1998, consists of 684,000 squarefeet, 11 aircraft gates, retail shops, restaurants, and a dual-level frontage.
Delta Air Lines is located in Terminals 2and 3, built in 1962 and 1960 respectively.
In May 2001, the new Terminal 4, formerly the International Arrivals Building (IAB) was opened. The $1.4 billion terminal dramatically improved passenger service through the use of separate levels for departing and arriving passengers; consolidated ticketing and baggage operations; improved customer facilities, duty free and retail shops, bistros and other eateries, all in a mall-like environment.
Terminal 5, the former TransWorld Airways terminal, is currently unoccupied.
Terminal 6, formerly operated by TWA and now by JetBlue Airways, opened in 1969. JetBlue and the Port Authority have committed more than $7.5 million worth of interim improvements to Terminal 6 including wider roads, new ticket counters and refurbished restrooms, new baggage systems, and enhanced shops and restaurants.
Terminal 7(British Airways) opened in 1970. In April 1997, British Airways, together with the Port Authority, invested $250 million in the complex, which included an additional building expansion with new retail outlets and concessions, new access roadways and improved parking facilities. Construction of this project began in 1998. The expansion program added 140,000 square-feet to the original area, and the terminal now consists of 350,000 square-feet with three additional wide-body gates for a total of 12 gates. Substantial improvements were made to both the departure and arrivals roadways and the terminal frontage. The parking lot in front of the terminal was also expanded significantly through the construction of a new deck over the existing lot.
Terminal 8 opened in 1960 and houses American Airlines' international flights. Terminal 9 was built in 1959 and serves American Airline's domestic destinations. American Airlines began construction in November 1999 of a new $1.4 billion terminal complex to replace Terminals 8 and 9. The complex will serve both domestic and international passengers on three concourses - one for arrivals and baggage handling, one for departures and another for clubs, lounges and offices. The new complex will also include a customs and immigration facility that can process up to 2,400 people per hour, a 10,000 square-foot retail and concession space, and a new 1,900-space parking garage in front of the building. The complex will be constructed in four stages to allow for uninterrupted passenger service. The 2.2 million square-foot terminal will be the largest at JFK and is scheduled for completion in 2007.
Air Traffic Control Tower
At 321 feet, the Air Traffic Control Tower, constructed on the ramp-side of Terminal 4, began full FAA operations in October 1994. The FAA cab and an Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE) radar unit sit atop 1,620 yards of cast-in-place concrete. The control tower provides improved observation of aeronautical areas and includes state-of-the-art electronic equipment to safely and efficiently accommodate air traffic operations.
Roadway System - A new roadway system has been constructed in the airport's Central Terminal Area (CTA). The new configuration divides the roadway network into five terminal areas. Motorists can now make direct connections between individual terminals or parking lots and the Van Wyck and JFK Expressways, the two main arteries into and out of the airport. The roadway project has also upgraded and expanded the JFK Expressway, increasing the use of the improved Nassau Expressway or Belt Parkway interchange, thereby alleviating congestion on the Van Wyck.
Much of the major construction has been completed and the remaining work is being done in phases to minimize its impact on airport traffic.
Expanded terminal frontages and landscaping are part of the plan as was the Central Taxi Hold, which opened in May 1995. The taxi hold lot, which makes taxi service more readily available and efficient, was expanded and improved to further upgrade our taxi operations. In addition, a hold lot for limousines is also being constructed in order to facilitate this operation.
JFK AirTrain - Ground was broken on September 16, 1998 for AirTrain; a new fully automated Light Rail Transit System that will link JFK's Central Terminal Area (CTA) terminals with the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and the New York City subway and bus system. International transfer time will be cut dramatically and traffic congestion on and around the airport frontages will be reduced as well. AirTrain, scheduled to commence service by the end of 2003, will provide quick, convenient rail access between JFK and Manhattan (Penn Station) and Long Island. Peak hour headways in the CTA will be at two minutes between terminals, and four minutes to and from Howard Beach or Jamaica. Travel time from midtown Manhattan to JFK on the LIRR will be under 45 minutes.
Power Plant
A cogeneration plant that uses gas-fired electric generation technology is in operation. The plant generates more than enough electricity for the entire airport, with an output of some 90 megawatts - enough to power a small city - as well as thermal energy from the capture of waste heat. The thermal energy produced is sufficient to heat and cool all of the passenger terminals and other facilities in the Central Terminal Area (CTA).
The plant has been privately financed, developed and operated saving approximately $260 million in needed infrastructure costs. KIAC Partners operate the plant under a 25-year agreement with the Port Authority, and also manages the existing Central Heating and Refrigeration Plant and related thermal distribution systems.
Parking - The airport offers over 14,700 public spaces including an employee lot, two 1,400-space parking garages, the long-term lot and an additional 3,200 spaces in the Central Terminal Area (CTA).
In response to the increased demand for parking generated by the growth in traveling customers, a new parking deck across from Terminal 7 opened in November 2000, adding 700 more parking spaces on airport. An additional parking garage is under development, in conjunction with the Terminal 8
construction project.
Parking has become more convenient at JFK with the introduction of the E-ZPassparking payment system, E-ZPass Plus. E-ZPass Plus, a new automated system, allows customers to pay for parking utilizing the same E-ZPasstechnology used to pay roadway tolls throughout the region.
Operated by - John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is operated by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey under a lease with the City of New York since June 1, 1947.
Location - JFK is located in the southeastern section of Queens County, New York City, on Jamaica Bay. It is fifteen miles by highway from midtown Manhattan. Geographic reference points are 40° 38' 28.5" north, 73° 46' 41.9" west.
Size - JFK consists of 4,930 acres, including 880 acres in the Central Terminal Area (CTA). The airport has more than 30 miles of roadway and is 12.7 feet above sea level.
History - Construction began in April 1942, when the City of New York contracted for the placing of hydraulic fill over the marshy tidelands on the site of Idlewild Golf Course. Planned at first for 1,000 acres, the airport grew to five times that size. First commercial flights began on July 1, 1948. The airport was formally dedicated as New York International Airport on July 31, 1948. It was re-dedicated on December 24, 1963 as John F. Kennedy International Airport, following action of the Mayor and Council of the City of New York, and a resolution of the Commissioners of the Port Authority.
Investment - About $150 million was expended on original construction. The Port Authority has invested more than $4.3 billion in the airport.
Employment & Economic Impact - Over 35,000 people are employed at the airport. Kennedy Airport contributes approximately $30.1 billion in economic activity to the NY/NJ metropolitan region generating some 265,180 jobs and $11.2 billion in wages and salaries.
JFK Redevelopment Program - The redevelopment program at JFK consists of several major projects undertaken by the Port Authority and its airline and airport partners. Completed projects include the construction of Terminal 1, on the site of the former Eastern Airlines facility, and Terminal 4, on the site of the former International Arrivals Building; the re-development of Terminal 7, the British Airways terminal; and two new cargo buildings totaling 435,00 square feet of new warehouse and office space. Projects underway are the construction of a new mega-terminal by American Airlines that will replace terminals 8 and 9; AirTrain JFK, a light rail transit system that will connect airport passengers to New York City subways and buses and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR); new and improved roadway systems and utilities; and the planning of a new passenger facility to accommodate JetBlue Airways.
Central Terminal Area - The Central Terminal Area (CTA) consists of nine airline passenger terminals numbered 1 to 9, surrounded by a dual ring of peripheral taxiways. Initially 655 acres, the CTA was enlarged to 880 acres by relocation of the taxiways to provide space needed for expansion of the passenger terminals.
To further assist travelers, a color-coding system (green, blue, orange, yellow and red) is used on all roadway signs leading to each terminal - from the entrances to the airport to parking near each terminal.
JFK Terminals
In 1994, a consortium of airlines - Air France, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and Lufthansa - spearheaded the era of dazzling new terminals with the construction of Terminal 1. The new Terminal 1, completed in May 1998, consists of 684,000 squarefeet, 11 aircraft gates, retail shops, restaurants, and a dual-level frontage.
Delta Air Lines is located in Terminals 2and 3, built in 1962 and 1960 respectively.
In May 2001, the new Terminal 4, formerly the International Arrivals Building (IAB) was opened. The $1.4 billion terminal dramatically improved passenger service through the use of separate levels for departing and arriving passengers; consolidated ticketing and baggage operations; improved customer facilities, duty free and retail shops, bistros and other eateries, all in a mall-like environment.
Terminal 5, the former TransWorld Airways terminal, is currently unoccupied.
Terminal 6, formerly operated by TWA and now by JetBlue Airways, opened in 1969. JetBlue and the Port Authority have committed more than $7.5 million worth of interim improvements to Terminal 6 including wider roads, new ticket counters and refurbished restrooms, new baggage systems, and enhanced shops and restaurants.
Terminal 7(British Airways) opened in 1970. In April 1997, British Airways, together with the Port Authority, invested $250 million in the complex, which included an additional building expansion with new retail outlets and concessions, new access roadways and improved parking facilities. Construction of this project began in 1998. The expansion program added 140,000 square-feet to the original area, and the terminal now consists of 350,000 square-feet with three additional wide-body gates for a total of 12 gates. Substantial improvements were made to both the departure and arrivals roadways and the terminal frontage. The parking lot in front of the terminal was also expanded significantly through the construction of a new deck over the existing lot.
Terminal 8 opened in 1960 and houses American Airlines' international flights. Terminal 9 was built in 1959 and serves American Airline's domestic destinations. American Airlines began construction in November 1999 of a new $1.4 billion terminal complex to replace Terminals 8 and 9. The complex will serve both domestic and international passengers on three concourses - one for arrivals and baggage handling, one for departures and another for clubs, lounges and offices. The new complex will also include a customs and immigration facility that can process up to 2,400 people per hour, a 10,000 square-foot retail and concession space, and a new 1,900-space parking garage in front of the building. The complex will be constructed in four stages to allow for uninterrupted passenger service. The 2.2 million square-foot terminal will be the largest at JFK and is scheduled for completion in 2007.
Air Traffic Control Tower
At 321 feet, the Air Traffic Control Tower, constructed on the ramp-side of Terminal 4, began full FAA operations in October 1994. The FAA cab and an Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE) radar unit sit atop 1,620 yards of cast-in-place concrete. The control tower provides improved observation of aeronautical areas and includes state-of-the-art electronic equipment to safely and efficiently accommodate air traffic operations.
Roadway System - A new roadway system has been constructed in the airport's Central Terminal Area (CTA). The new configuration divides the roadway network into five terminal areas. Motorists can now make direct connections between individual terminals or parking lots and the Van Wyck and JFK Expressways, the two main arteries into and out of the airport. The roadway project has also upgraded and expanded the JFK Expressway, increasing the use of the improved Nassau Expressway or Belt Parkway interchange, thereby alleviating congestion on the Van Wyck.
Much of the major construction has been completed and the remaining work is being done in phases to minimize its impact on airport traffic.
Expanded terminal frontages and landscaping are part of the plan as was the Central Taxi Hold, which opened in May 1995. The taxi hold lot, which makes taxi service more readily available and efficient, was expanded and improved to further upgrade our taxi operations. In addition, a hold lot for limousines is also being constructed in order to facilitate this operation.
JFK AirTrain - Ground was broken on September 16, 1998 for AirTrain; a new fully automated Light Rail Transit System that will link JFK's Central Terminal Area (CTA) terminals with the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and the New York City subway and bus system. International transfer time will be cut dramatically and traffic congestion on and around the airport frontages will be reduced as well. AirTrain, scheduled to commence service by the end of 2003, will provide quick, convenient rail access between JFK and Manhattan (Penn Station) and Long Island. Peak hour headways in the CTA will be at two minutes between terminals, and four minutes to and from Howard Beach or Jamaica. Travel time from midtown Manhattan to JFK on the LIRR will be under 45 minutes.
Power Plant
A cogeneration plant that uses gas-fired electric generation technology is in operation. The plant generates more than enough electricity for the entire airport, with an output of some 90 megawatts - enough to power a small city - as well as thermal energy from the capture of waste heat. The thermal energy produced is sufficient to heat and cool all of the passenger terminals and other facilities in the Central Terminal Area (CTA).
The plant has been privately financed, developed and operated saving approximately $260 million in needed infrastructure costs. KIAC Partners operate the plant under a 25-year agreement with the Port Authority, and also manages the existing Central Heating and Refrigeration Plant and related thermal distribution systems.
Parking - The airport offers over 14,700 public spaces including an employee lot, two 1,400-space parking garages, the long-term lot and an additional 3,200 spaces in the Central Terminal Area (CTA).
In response to the increased demand for parking generated by the growth in traveling customers, a new parking deck across from Terminal 7 opened in November 2000, adding 700 more parking spaces on airport. An additional parking garage is under development, in conjunction with the Terminal 8
construction project.
Parking has become more convenient at JFK with the introduction of the E-ZPassparking payment system, E-ZPass Plus. E-ZPass Plus, a new automated system, allows customers to pay for parking utilizing the same E-ZPasstechnology used to pay roadway tolls throughout the region.
FBI: Criminal investigation
The criminal investigation by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service continues, led by Justice's fraud section in Washington.
In June, The News reported that at least seven ex-Delphi executives had received "Wells" notices from the SEC, which notify targets of an investigation of the substance of the staff's charges and probable recommendations.
Since then, several other former executives have received notices in a widening probe that includes roughly a dozen former executives. Some former lower-level Delphi employees, who testified before the SEC more than a year ago, recently were notified they were likely to face civil charges.
Many of the targets have been in settlement talks with the SEC. The SEC has sought to impose stiff fines against former executives -- in some cases nearly $1 million -- in the Delphi investigation. It isn't clear if any settlements have been reached or if Delphi will have to pay a corporate penalty.
Early this month, the five-member SEC received a detailed memo from the staff attorneys investigating Delphi outlining the proposed charges. The commission must approve the filing of any charges.
The SEC's investigation has been led by three attorneys in the enforcement section: Jonathan P. Scott, Kenneth R. Lench and Andrew Sporkin. All declined comment. The SEC has also scrutinized Delphi transactions with Bank One, GM, Tennessee-based Setech, and BBK Ltd., a Southfield-based turnaround firm. The commission also looked at the role of Delphi's former independent auditor, Deloitte & Touche. All of those companies turned over records to the SEC.
Last November, GM said it had overstated income for 2001 by approximately $300 million to $400 million -- or about 25 to 35 percent -- in connection with supplier credits. GM has said it received an SEC subpoena into "our transactions in precious metal raw materials used in our automotive manufacturing operations, and a federal grand jury recently issued a subpoena in connection with supplier credits."
The investigation into Delphi began after EDS -- another former GM subsidiary -- told the SEC in June 2004 about a $20 million loan in 2001 that Delphi booked as income. The SEC upgraded its probe into a formal investigation in August 2004.
One hurdle to settling SEC claims is the still active criminal investigation into the accounting fraud led by the Justice Department's fraud section. Jack Patrick, the lead Justice Department prosecutor, has been in Detroit in recent weeks working on the case. Patrick declined comment. Lawyers for shareholders who have sued Delphi and its former officers say the suit and the company's October 2005 bankruptcy are "the result of a massive accounting fraud."
"By any measure, the fraud at Delphi -- which hid Delphi's slide into bankruptcy -- is among the most egregious schemes to defraud investors in recent history," the plaintiffs said in a 147-page court filing in Detroit signed by Southfield lawyer Debra Pevos.
The filing suggested there were $440 million in sham transactions.
All of those suits have been consolidated in front of U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen in Detroit, who hasn't ruled on whether they can go forward.
In June, The News reported that at least seven ex-Delphi executives had received "Wells" notices from the SEC, which notify targets of an investigation of the substance of the staff's charges and probable recommendations.
Since then, several other former executives have received notices in a widening probe that includes roughly a dozen former executives. Some former lower-level Delphi employees, who testified before the SEC more than a year ago, recently were notified they were likely to face civil charges.
Many of the targets have been in settlement talks with the SEC. The SEC has sought to impose stiff fines against former executives -- in some cases nearly $1 million -- in the Delphi investigation. It isn't clear if any settlements have been reached or if Delphi will have to pay a corporate penalty.
Early this month, the five-member SEC received a detailed memo from the staff attorneys investigating Delphi outlining the proposed charges. The commission must approve the filing of any charges.
The SEC's investigation has been led by three attorneys in the enforcement section: Jonathan P. Scott, Kenneth R. Lench and Andrew Sporkin. All declined comment. The SEC has also scrutinized Delphi transactions with Bank One, GM, Tennessee-based Setech, and BBK Ltd., a Southfield-based turnaround firm. The commission also looked at the role of Delphi's former independent auditor, Deloitte & Touche. All of those companies turned over records to the SEC.
Last November, GM said it had overstated income for 2001 by approximately $300 million to $400 million -- or about 25 to 35 percent -- in connection with supplier credits. GM has said it received an SEC subpoena into "our transactions in precious metal raw materials used in our automotive manufacturing operations, and a federal grand jury recently issued a subpoena in connection with supplier credits."
The investigation into Delphi began after EDS -- another former GM subsidiary -- told the SEC in June 2004 about a $20 million loan in 2001 that Delphi booked as income. The SEC upgraded its probe into a formal investigation in August 2004.
One hurdle to settling SEC claims is the still active criminal investigation into the accounting fraud led by the Justice Department's fraud section. Jack Patrick, the lead Justice Department prosecutor, has been in Detroit in recent weeks working on the case. Patrick declined comment. Lawyers for shareholders who have sued Delphi and its former officers say the suit and the company's October 2005 bankruptcy are "the result of a massive accounting fraud."
"By any measure, the fraud at Delphi -- which hid Delphi's slide into bankruptcy -- is among the most egregious schemes to defraud investors in recent history," the plaintiffs said in a 147-page court filing in Detroit signed by Southfield lawyer Debra Pevos.
The filing suggested there were $440 million in sham transactions.
All of those suits have been consolidated in front of U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen in Detroit, who hasn't ruled on whether they can go forward.
Ex-Delphi execs face civil fraud charges
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to file civil fraud charges this month against up to a dozen former Delphi Corp. executives following a 27-month investigation into accounting fraud at the bankrupt Troy auto supplier, people familiar with the situation said.
Among those expected to face civil charges are John Blahnik, the former Delphi vice president of treasury, mergers and acquisitions; Laura Marion, who had served as director of financial accounting and reporting; and Paul R. Free, former chief accounting officer, the people said.
The SEC also is expected to file civil charges against several officials at other companies involved in improper transactions with Delphi, The Detroit News has learned.
Those charged, if they are found liable, could face hefty fines and be barred from serving as a board member or corporate officer at publicly traded companies. Delphi spokeswoman Claudia Piccinin declined to comment Wednesday, except to say that the company continues to cooperate with the SEC.
Last year, Delphi acknowledged several instances of improper accounting and restated several years of earnings.
The SEC's investigation has found that Delphi used varied improper methods to inflate earnings, cash flow and revenue, which hid the declining health of the company, according to people familiar with the matter.
Several large transactions weren't accounted for properly, including a $237 million payment Delphi made to its former parent, General Motors Corp.
The SEC has concluded that Delphi also called some loans from suppliers "rebates" and engaged in false transactions by claiming it had sold precious metals or scrap materials to boost cash flow.
Delphi also failed to notify its board or credit rating agencies about $300 million in European lines of credit it held between 1999 and the end of 2004.
Thanks in part to the now-discredited transactions, Delphi met or exceeded Wall Street earnings expectations in every quarter between 1999 and 2003.
"It's clear they were trying to make that last penny of earnings," said Peter Henning, a Wayne State law professor and former SEC and Justice Department lawyer.
As a result of the accounting errors, Delphi lowered its 2001 earnings by $265 million, cut 2002 net income by $24 million and adjusted its 2003 net loss by $46 million. It said its cash flow was improperly boosted by $200 million in 2000.
Lawyers for many of the former Delphi executives under scrutiny have argued to the SEC that there is no evidence they personally profited from the improper accounting. They also contend that before the Enron debacle and the 2002 corporate reforms, some of the accounting practices in question were commonplace.
It was biggest supplier in '99
After its spinoff from GM in 1999, Delphi was the world's largest auto supplier with revenue of $29 billion.
Last October, Delphi filed for bankruptcy protection and announced plans to close 21 of its 29 U.S. factories, including several in Michigan.
The company is in talks with GM, the UAW and several large investors to finalize a settlement of claims and to allow Delphi to emerge from bankruptcy protection in the second quarter of 2007.
Most of those now restated transactions took place in 2000 and 2001 when Delphi said it was selling off hundreds of millions of dollars in scrap materials and precious metals -- generating income and cash flow -- when in reality the supplier had agreed to buy back the same assets in the future.
Delphi has acknowledged that these were financing transactions and not sales. In another case, Delphi allegedly booked sales of scrap material destined for landfills as expensive electronic inventory as a way to boost its cash flow.
In December 2000, Delphi recorded a $200 million sale of precious metals to Bank One, which improperly boosted its income by $100 million. Delphi didn't disclose that the precious metals never left the factory floors or that it had a contract to repurchase the materials at a fixed price.
In March 2005, following a 10-month internal investigation led by an outside law firm, Delphi ousted Free and its chief financial officer, Alan Dawes, and said many of the company's financial statements were inaccurate.
Most of the former executives under investigation by the SEC agreed to waive the statute of limitations until Oct 31. Several lawyers close to the case have been told to expect SEC charges by then. The commission is scheduled to meet next week in Washington to approve the filing of the complaints in U.S. District Court in Detroit.
It's not clear if Dawes or ex-Chairman and CEO J.T. Battenberg III -- who both have been subjects of the SEC investigation -- will be among those named in the civil complaints. Battenberg was questioned by the SEC earlier this year.
Among those expected to face civil charges are John Blahnik, the former Delphi vice president of treasury, mergers and acquisitions; Laura Marion, who had served as director of financial accounting and reporting; and Paul R. Free, former chief accounting officer, the people said.
The SEC also is expected to file civil charges against several officials at other companies involved in improper transactions with Delphi, The Detroit News has learned.
Those charged, if they are found liable, could face hefty fines and be barred from serving as a board member or corporate officer at publicly traded companies. Delphi spokeswoman Claudia Piccinin declined to comment Wednesday, except to say that the company continues to cooperate with the SEC.
Last year, Delphi acknowledged several instances of improper accounting and restated several years of earnings.
The SEC's investigation has found that Delphi used varied improper methods to inflate earnings, cash flow and revenue, which hid the declining health of the company, according to people familiar with the matter.
Several large transactions weren't accounted for properly, including a $237 million payment Delphi made to its former parent, General Motors Corp.
The SEC has concluded that Delphi also called some loans from suppliers "rebates" and engaged in false transactions by claiming it had sold precious metals or scrap materials to boost cash flow.
Delphi also failed to notify its board or credit rating agencies about $300 million in European lines of credit it held between 1999 and the end of 2004.
Thanks in part to the now-discredited transactions, Delphi met or exceeded Wall Street earnings expectations in every quarter between 1999 and 2003.
"It's clear they were trying to make that last penny of earnings," said Peter Henning, a Wayne State law professor and former SEC and Justice Department lawyer.
As a result of the accounting errors, Delphi lowered its 2001 earnings by $265 million, cut 2002 net income by $24 million and adjusted its 2003 net loss by $46 million. It said its cash flow was improperly boosted by $200 million in 2000.
Lawyers for many of the former Delphi executives under scrutiny have argued to the SEC that there is no evidence they personally profited from the improper accounting. They also contend that before the Enron debacle and the 2002 corporate reforms, some of the accounting practices in question were commonplace.
It was biggest supplier in '99
After its spinoff from GM in 1999, Delphi was the world's largest auto supplier with revenue of $29 billion.
Last October, Delphi filed for bankruptcy protection and announced plans to close 21 of its 29 U.S. factories, including several in Michigan.
The company is in talks with GM, the UAW and several large investors to finalize a settlement of claims and to allow Delphi to emerge from bankruptcy protection in the second quarter of 2007.
Most of those now restated transactions took place in 2000 and 2001 when Delphi said it was selling off hundreds of millions of dollars in scrap materials and precious metals -- generating income and cash flow -- when in reality the supplier had agreed to buy back the same assets in the future.
Delphi has acknowledged that these were financing transactions and not sales. In another case, Delphi allegedly booked sales of scrap material destined for landfills as expensive electronic inventory as a way to boost its cash flow.
In December 2000, Delphi recorded a $200 million sale of precious metals to Bank One, which improperly boosted its income by $100 million. Delphi didn't disclose that the precious metals never left the factory floors or that it had a contract to repurchase the materials at a fixed price.
In March 2005, following a 10-month internal investigation led by an outside law firm, Delphi ousted Free and its chief financial officer, Alan Dawes, and said many of the company's financial statements were inaccurate.
Most of the former executives under investigation by the SEC agreed to waive the statute of limitations until Oct 31. Several lawyers close to the case have been told to expect SEC charges by then. The commission is scheduled to meet next week in Washington to approve the filing of the complaints in U.S. District Court in Detroit.
It's not clear if Dawes or ex-Chairman and CEO J.T. Battenberg III -- who both have been subjects of the SEC investigation -- will be among those named in the civil complaints. Battenberg was questioned by the SEC earlier this year.
Eropa Saat Ini dan Dimasa Yang Akan Datang : Dilihat dari Kacamata Politik dan Ekonomi
Eropa saat ini adalah sebuah kawasan yang menggeliat disektor ekonomi dan sektor perdagangan. Kawasan ini juga menjadi incaran para investor Asia dan Amerika untuk menanamkan modalnya. Eropa yang stabil dibidang politik dan dibidang ekonomi merupakan sebuah daya tarik untuk mengembangkan bisnis karena mempunyai penduduk yang berjumlah sekitar 450 juta jiwa. Perkembangan industri yang berkelanjutan dan fokus yang jelas dengan didukung riset yang berkualitas menempatkan kawasan Eropa mempunyai sebuah kekuatan yang luar biasa dalam membangun perekonomian global yang berjalan sangat dinamis. Sebagai sebuah kekuatan adidaya No. 2 di dunia di samping Amerika. Eropa bisa menjadi patner bagi masyarakat internasional untuk menyelesaikan isu-isu global.
Pembentukan Uni Eropa tampaknya merupakan wadah yang tepat. Banyak para analis Eropa yang mengatakan bahwa penyatuan Eropa adalah seperti proses pembangunan Katedral Besar yang jemaatnya berasal dari berbagai bangsa Eropa. Eropa yang bersatu secara politik memiliki dua kesetiaan Nasionalisme, yaitu :
1.Kepada Bendera 12 Bintang berlatar biru (Bendera UE).
2.Bendera Kebangsaan sendiri.
Pada awalnya untuk menciptakan Nasionalisme baru Eropa adalah hal yang sangat sulit. Karena setiap Negara mempunyai Nasionalisme fanatik terhadap negaranya masing-masing. Seperti Jerman, Perancis, Inggris. Tetapi para pemimpin Eropa yang visioner tidak kenal putus asa untuk membuat frame kerjasama Negara-negara Eropa disegala bidang yang dimulai terlebih dahulu dengan kerjasama di bidang ekonomi dengan pembentukan kerjasama Masyarakat Ekonomi Eropa.
A. Eropa Saat Ini
Eropa saat ini adalah sebuah kawasan yang tumbuh secara dinamis, hal ini didukung oleh kestabilan politik dan kemapanan ekonomi. Rata-rata pertumbuhan ekonomi Negara-negara di Eropa adalah 3% pertahun. Pada tahun 1992, orang Eropa telah menerima konsep pasar tunggal dan 1 paspor standar Eropa. Hal ini diberlakukan untuk menyatukan visi yang sama mengenai Eropa Raya, walaupun dalam realitas di masyarakat adalah majemuk yang didukung oleh variasi ideologi. Untuk kebijakan Konsep Eropa Raya maka dibuatlah beberapa kebijakan:
1.Kota Brussels, di Belgia dijadikan markas besar Uni Eropa yang mengatur kebijakan-kebijakan yang dibuat oleh Negara-negara Eropa.
2.1 Januari 2000, Eropa meluncurkan mata uang baru, yaitu Euro sebagai mata uang bersama untuk mengganti mata uang dari masing-masing Negara Eropa, seperti Mark (Jerman), Gulden (Belanda), Franc (Perancis). Kesatuan moneter adalah sebagai pembuka untuk menstandarkan mata uang Euro untuk semua Negara Eropa. Hal ini diberlakukan untuk mempercepat integrasi Ekonomi Masyarakat Eropa. Sehingga memudahkan untuk melakukan aktivitas ekonomi.
3.Eropa akan terus memperluas keanggotaan mereka, dalam wadah Organisasi Uni Eropa. Dan keanggotaannya terus bertambah, khsusnya yang berasal dari Eropa Timur dan itu juga merupakan bukti sebuah keberhasilan yang baru dalam menciptakan komunitas masyarakat Eropa yang modern.
4.Pembentukan Pasukan Bersama Eropa. Itu adalah langkah yang sangat mendesak mengingat kawasan Eropa adalah kawasan yang sangat rentan terhadap serangan Teroris. Seperti serangan kereta di kota Madrid, Spanyol dan serangan bom di stasiun bawah tanah di kota London, Inggris.
Eropa yang bersatu mempunyai penduduk sekitar450 juta orang (2002) dan potensi ekonomi kawasan itu sebesar atau senilai 9,3 triliun Dollar A.S. Uni Eropa juga bukan hanya sekedar dari proyek politik yang dicita-citakan oleh Charlemagne berusaha menyatukan Eropa 1.200 tahun yang lalu. Tetapi perluasan Eropa Raya juga merupakan proyek Budaya dan proyek Ekonomi dalam skala raksasa. Dalam proyek politik bagaimana mendukung pertumbuhan dan pembangunan system demokrasi dan penghormatan serta perlindungan Hak Azasi Manusia. Proyek budaya, bagaimana budaya Eropa yang multikultur dapat lebih berkembang dan menciptakan saling pengertian diantara penduduk Eropa. Proyek Ekonomi, bertjuan mengintegrasikan Ekonomi Masyarakat Eropa untuk menciptakan pertumbuhan dan kemakmuran.
Tetapi ada satu hal yang masih jadi ganjalan dalam penyatuan Eropa. Dimana masih terjadi gap antara Eropa Barat dan Eropa Timur. Eropa Timur yang dulunya adalah penganut ideologi komunis dengan sistem ekonomi komando terpusat dimana seluruh kegiatan ekonomi diatur oleh pemerintah pusat harus bekerja ekstra keras untuk menyamai standar ekonomi di negara Eropa Barat. Infrastruktur di Negara-negara Eropa Timur masih sangat memprihatinkan dan banyak yang sudah ketinggalan jaman. Runtuhnya ideologi komunis di Eropa Timur, pemerintah tak punya anggaran yang cukup untuk membiayai operasional negara. Sementara banyak pemimpin di Eropa Timur yang mengharapkan investasi akan datang dari Eropa Barat. Tetapi para pengusaha di Eropa Barat melihat mentalitas kerja sangat berbeda antara Budaya Kapitalis dan Budaya Komunis.
Di sisi lain walaupun para pengusaha Eropa barat melihat kekurangan infrastruktur tetapi ada hal yang lain yang dilihat, yaitu biaya tenaga kerja yang lebih murah. Mereka para pengusaha Eropa Barat melihat bahwa biaya tenaga kerja yang murah merupakan keuanggulan yang lain karena hal ini didukung oleh tenaga kerja yang terampil. Di Negara-negara Eropa Timur banyak tenaga kerja berkualitas tinggi dengan biaya murah. Tapi jika terjadi banyak perpindahan investasi dari Barat ke Timur tentu hal ini akan membuat protes keras tenaga kerja di Barat. Contohnya seorang pekerja di Jerman di gaji dengan upah 55 Euro per jam, sementara upah ini setara dengan pembayaran 4 orang tenaga kerja di Polandia.
Eropa perlu mempercepat integrasi di bidang politik dan di bidang ekonomi. Karena negara-negara industri baru seperti Cina dan India adalah saingan yang serius di bidang politik dan di bidang ekonomi. Di bidang politik Cina dan India berusaha untuk menjadi pemain global yang dapat segera menggantikan peran Amerika untuk menyelesaikan isu-isu dan masalah-masalah internasional. Di bidang ekonomi, Cina dan India telah menjadi aktor global sebagai negara yang telah berhasil memproduksi teknologi tinggi di bidang informasi dan rekayasa genetika. Untuk Eropa Barat masalah tersebut dapat diatasi tetapi tidak untuk Eropa Timur. Di Eropa, angka pengangguran juga masalah realitas yang harus dipecahkan dan ini mengakibatkan kelesuan pertumbuhan.
Masalah Buruh juga menjadi masalah yang aktual yang menjadi masalah domestik di beberapa Negara Eropa. Contohnya Inggris, Serikat Buruh Inggris pada tanggal 13-15 November 2002, melalui petugas pemadam kebakaran melancarkan mogok kerja selama 48 jam di seluruh negeri, ini yang pertama sejak tahun 1977, pimpinan Serikat Buruh lebih militan yang bisa mengancam kredibilitas Tony Blair. Hal ini dikarenakan petugas pemadam kebakaran meminta kenaikan gaji. Dan tuntutan Serikat Buruh bisa melemahkan stabilitas ekonomi yang diperoleh dengan susah payah solusinya pemerintah membujuk petugas pemadam kebakaran untuk menerima kenaikan gaji 16%, secara bertahap selama jangka waktu tiga tahun (Businessweek/2 Desember 2002).
Kerusuhan Rasial di Perancis tahun 2005 juga menjadi persoalan yang serius. Kerusuhan Rasial terjadi karena kesempatan kerja bagi kelompok imigran yang berasal dari Afrika Utara sangat sedikit. Kerusuhan Rasial 2005 yang terjadi di Perancis menyebabkan Perancis menjadi sebuah negara yang kontras, di satu sisi sangat mengagungkan kebebasan Hak Azasi Manusia disisi lain tidak dapat memperlakukan warga negaranya dalam posisi yang sama. Kerusuhan Rasial 2005 tentu bukan hanya mencoreng citra Perancis di dunia internasional tetapi juga ikut mencoreng citra Uni Eropa. Masyarakat dunia tentu mempertanyakan kapabilitas Uni Eropa yang telah mapan dalam bidang politik dan bidang ekonomi. Aapalgi dalam pemberian bantuan internasional kepada masyarakat dunia, Uni Eropa selalu memprioritaskan kondisi HAM di negara yang akan mendapat bantuan tersebut dari Uni Eropa. Kerusuhan Rasial 2005 di Perancis juga merupakan peringatan keras bagi para politisi dan ekonom untuk dapat membuat kebijakan yang lebih adil bagi warga negaranya baik untuk warga negara asli dan warga negara imigran. Kerusuhan rasial akan menyebabkan kerugian ekonomi dan dampaknya akan menganggu pertumbuhan ekonomi. Kemakmuran Eropa di bidang ekonomi telah menjadi magnet bagi para imigran, khususnya yang berasal dari Afrika Utara dan Asia untuk datang ke Negara-negara Eropa untuk mencari kehidupan yang lebih layak.
Mengenai perluasan keanggotaan Uni Eropa juga mengalami kebuntuan. Dalam pertemuan puncak yang di mulai Kamis (14/12/2006) di Brussels, para pemimpin Uni Eropa akan mengambil sikap atau keputusan bersama bahwa Uni Eropa tidak akan menerima anggota baru lagi sampai mereka yakin bahwa anggota baru dapat diintegrasikan. Sikap ini jelas sangat membingungkan. Sebelum keputusan ini dibuat para pemimpin Uni Eropa secara bersemangat menyuarakan bahwa perluasan keanggotaan adalah hal yang mendesak untuk mempercepat proses integrasi. Tiga Negara yaitu Turki, Kroasia, Macedonia dan sejumlah Negara Balkan tertutup kesempatannya. Turki negara yang paling lelah untuk proses negosiasi penggabungan untuk mejadi Negara Uni Eropa adalah yang paling kecewa. Perdana Menteri Recep Tayyip Erdogan menilai UE telah memperlakukan Turki dengan tidak adil, menyusul keputusan UE untuk menghentikan pembicaraan keanggotaan Turki karena negara itu dianggap tidak mampu membangun hubungan perdagangan dengan Siprus yang merupakan anggota Uni Eropa. Dia juga menganggap bahwa dengan keputusan ini hubungan Turki-UE dalam masalah yang serius. Tapi Turki akan terus maju. Para analis Politik menilai dipersulitnya Turki menjadi anggota UE karena mayoritas penduduknya Islam dan mempunyai latar belakang budaya yang berbeda dengan kebanyakan Negara-negara Uni Eropa hal ini disebabkan para pemimpin Uni Eropa melihat Turki secara cultural lebih dekat ke Asia dan bukan ke Eropa. Kelelahan untuk perluasan keanggotaan baru kini sedang melanda publik Eropa. Karena prosesnya yang belum matang. Sehingga menyebabkan para pemimpin Uni Eropa memutuskan agar persoalan Konstitusi Eropa bias diselesaikan dahulu. Konstitusi Eropa pada awal pembentukannya dimaksudkan untuk merampingkan birokrasi di Uni Eropa setelah berkembang menjadi 25 anngoa pada tahun 2004 sehingga mempunayi visi yang sama. Namun referendum tahun 2005, rakyat Perancis dan Belanda secara mengejutkan menolak Konstitusi Eropa yang menyebabkan para Pemimpin Eropa sangat berang.
B. Arah Perkembangan Ekonomi Uni Eropa
Bagaimana melihat arah perkembangan Uni Eropa ke depan? Ini sebuah pertanyaan yang menarik tetapi untuk menjawabnya perlu analisa yang mendalam. Ketika pertama kali Euro mulai diberlakukan pada tanggal 1 Januari 2000, para analis ekonomi Eropa ingin mengetahui apakah penggunaan mata uang Euro akan efektif bagi anggota Uni Eropa yang telah ikhlas menukarkan mata uang nasionalnya masing-masing untuk menyuseskan pengintegrasian ekonomi Eropa melalui mata uang Euro.
Dua tahun setelah penerapan mata uang Euro, majalah Ekonomi AS, Businessweek edisi tanggal 16 September 2002 menulis sebuah artikel yang berjudul Euro dituding sebagai masalah, pembelannja mengatakan harga meroket. Yang menjadi pertanyaan kenapa hal itu terjadi? Secara umum harga meroket karena harga-harga baru yang diberlakukan menyesuaikan dengan nilai tukar Euro. Seperti di Italia, orang Italia adalah orang yang gemar berbelanja namun mereka kecewa karena harus membayar harga lebih mahal dari harga sebelumnya, mereka kaget setelah memakai mata uang Euro yang baru karena sebelumnya menggunakan mata uang Lira. Pada tanggal 12 September 2002, banyak orang yang memprotesnya dan melaukan aksi mogok belanja nasional. Mereka kaget harga secangkir Cappucino sampai pakaian bisa naik sebesar empat kali lipat yang disebabkan oleh penyesuaian harga baru dari nilai mata uang Lira ke mata uang Euro. Di Jerman, telepon Hotline yang disediakan oleh pemerintah salurannya sangat sibuk setiap hari karena ribuan orang menelpon dan memprotes kenaikan harga akibat penyesuian nilai tukar dengan Euro. Di Perancis, seluruh surat kabar dipenuhi hujatan tentang melambungnya harga mulai dari kebutuhan pokok untuk sehari-hari sampai biaya jasa seperti biaya perjalanan, dan biaya menata rambut. Di Yunani penduduk yang marah karena kenaikan harga ini melakukan aksi mogok belanja pada tanggal 3 September 2002. Menurut konsumen harga sayur-sayuran dari mentimun dan tomat segar telah naik 10% dibandingkan tahun sebelumnya. Tetapi harga barang dan jasa naik hal ini disebabkan oleh cuaca buruk musim panas yang telah menyebabkan gagal panen dan meyebabkan harga kebutuhan sehari-hari meningkat. Hal ini adalah argumentasi Eurostat yaitu Badan Statistik Uni Eropa yang berpusat di Luxemburg, pendapat Eurostat didasarkan inflasi rendah yaitu 1,9% selama 12 bulan hingga Juli. Pendapat Eurostat didukung oleh sebagaian besar pakar ekonomi dan statistic. Eurostat menyangkal bahwa kenaikan harga disebabkan oleh penyesuaian nilai tukar. Tetapi tetap saja konsumen mengatakan ini adalah sebuah skandal. Ada sebuah pengalaman yang menarik yang tidak menyenangkan, Menkeu Jerman, Hans Eichel (Pemerintahan Gerard Schoeder) pada bulan Mei 2006, dia bermaksud membeli makanan ringan. Dia membeli Bratwurst Und Brothen seharga 3,50 Euro, biasanya dia membeli dengan harga 3,50 Mark Jerman, dia langsung berang dan menyerukan para konsumen Jerman untuk memboikot para pedangan yang tukang tipu. Dia mengatakan saya tidak akan kembali ke tempat dimana saya merasa di tipu. Para pedangan di Eropa juga banyak yang mengambil keuntungan dalam jumlah besar dari penyesuaian nilai tukar. Orang Indonesia bilang aji mumpung. Konsumen Eropa bias saja cemas mengenai kenaikan harga. Para pebisnis pun merasakan hal yang sama. Pengintegrasian ekonomi sampai saat ini belum menunjukkan hal yang positif. Output pabrik banyak yang menurun, tingkat pengangguran naik, dan konsumen mulai ketat untuk mengeluarkan uang belanja. Jerman adalah Negara yang terlemah pertumbuhannya sampai saat ini, pengangguran semakin bertambah ini adalah tugas yang berat bagi pemerintahn Angela Markel (Partai CDU/CSU). Rentetan kesulitan Jerman juga menular ke negara yang lain, yaitu Perancis dan Italia juga mengalami stagnasi ekonomi. Hanya Inggris yang masih mengalami pertumbuhan ekonomi sebesar 3 % pertahun, ekonomi Inggris masih bergairah sampai saat ini. Dan banyak perusahaan-perusahaan dunia yang menanamkan investasi di Inggris. Pemerintahan Buruh di bawah pimpinan Tony Blair menunjukkan kinerja yang bagus dalam bidang ekonomi. Tetapi sangat tidak popular dalam kampanye perang Irak. Tony Blair popularitasnya sudah memudar karena perang Irak yang tidak jelas tujuannya.
Para Ekonom Eropa harus terus bekerja keras untuk menciptakan kestabilan ekonomi untuk Negara anggota Uni Eropa. Secara keseluruhan memang Negara-negara Uni Eropa adalah Negara yang makmur. Tetapi tingkat kemakmuran yang dialami tiap negara adalah berbeda. Pekerjaan terbesar para Ekonom dan Politisi Eropa adalah bagaimana menyatukan pandangan yang sama mengenai arah dan perkembangan Ekonomi Eropa dan melepaskan ego masing-masing negara, yaitu Negara Besar Eropa, seperti Inggris, Perancis, Jerman, Italia. Eropa yang kuat dan makmur harus direalisasikan karena merupakan kekuatan dunia yang dapt mengimbangi dominasi AS.
Pembentukan Uni Eropa tampaknya merupakan wadah yang tepat. Banyak para analis Eropa yang mengatakan bahwa penyatuan Eropa adalah seperti proses pembangunan Katedral Besar yang jemaatnya berasal dari berbagai bangsa Eropa. Eropa yang bersatu secara politik memiliki dua kesetiaan Nasionalisme, yaitu :
1.Kepada Bendera 12 Bintang berlatar biru (Bendera UE).
2.Bendera Kebangsaan sendiri.
Pada awalnya untuk menciptakan Nasionalisme baru Eropa adalah hal yang sangat sulit. Karena setiap Negara mempunyai Nasionalisme fanatik terhadap negaranya masing-masing. Seperti Jerman, Perancis, Inggris. Tetapi para pemimpin Eropa yang visioner tidak kenal putus asa untuk membuat frame kerjasama Negara-negara Eropa disegala bidang yang dimulai terlebih dahulu dengan kerjasama di bidang ekonomi dengan pembentukan kerjasama Masyarakat Ekonomi Eropa.
A. Eropa Saat Ini
Eropa saat ini adalah sebuah kawasan yang tumbuh secara dinamis, hal ini didukung oleh kestabilan politik dan kemapanan ekonomi. Rata-rata pertumbuhan ekonomi Negara-negara di Eropa adalah 3% pertahun. Pada tahun 1992, orang Eropa telah menerima konsep pasar tunggal dan 1 paspor standar Eropa. Hal ini diberlakukan untuk menyatukan visi yang sama mengenai Eropa Raya, walaupun dalam realitas di masyarakat adalah majemuk yang didukung oleh variasi ideologi. Untuk kebijakan Konsep Eropa Raya maka dibuatlah beberapa kebijakan:
1.Kota Brussels, di Belgia dijadikan markas besar Uni Eropa yang mengatur kebijakan-kebijakan yang dibuat oleh Negara-negara Eropa.
2.1 Januari 2000, Eropa meluncurkan mata uang baru, yaitu Euro sebagai mata uang bersama untuk mengganti mata uang dari masing-masing Negara Eropa, seperti Mark (Jerman), Gulden (Belanda), Franc (Perancis). Kesatuan moneter adalah sebagai pembuka untuk menstandarkan mata uang Euro untuk semua Negara Eropa. Hal ini diberlakukan untuk mempercepat integrasi Ekonomi Masyarakat Eropa. Sehingga memudahkan untuk melakukan aktivitas ekonomi.
3.Eropa akan terus memperluas keanggotaan mereka, dalam wadah Organisasi Uni Eropa. Dan keanggotaannya terus bertambah, khsusnya yang berasal dari Eropa Timur dan itu juga merupakan bukti sebuah keberhasilan yang baru dalam menciptakan komunitas masyarakat Eropa yang modern.
4.Pembentukan Pasukan Bersama Eropa. Itu adalah langkah yang sangat mendesak mengingat kawasan Eropa adalah kawasan yang sangat rentan terhadap serangan Teroris. Seperti serangan kereta di kota Madrid, Spanyol dan serangan bom di stasiun bawah tanah di kota London, Inggris.
Eropa yang bersatu mempunyai penduduk sekitar450 juta orang (2002) dan potensi ekonomi kawasan itu sebesar atau senilai 9,3 triliun Dollar A.S. Uni Eropa juga bukan hanya sekedar dari proyek politik yang dicita-citakan oleh Charlemagne berusaha menyatukan Eropa 1.200 tahun yang lalu. Tetapi perluasan Eropa Raya juga merupakan proyek Budaya dan proyek Ekonomi dalam skala raksasa. Dalam proyek politik bagaimana mendukung pertumbuhan dan pembangunan system demokrasi dan penghormatan serta perlindungan Hak Azasi Manusia. Proyek budaya, bagaimana budaya Eropa yang multikultur dapat lebih berkembang dan menciptakan saling pengertian diantara penduduk Eropa. Proyek Ekonomi, bertjuan mengintegrasikan Ekonomi Masyarakat Eropa untuk menciptakan pertumbuhan dan kemakmuran.
Tetapi ada satu hal yang masih jadi ganjalan dalam penyatuan Eropa. Dimana masih terjadi gap antara Eropa Barat dan Eropa Timur. Eropa Timur yang dulunya adalah penganut ideologi komunis dengan sistem ekonomi komando terpusat dimana seluruh kegiatan ekonomi diatur oleh pemerintah pusat harus bekerja ekstra keras untuk menyamai standar ekonomi di negara Eropa Barat. Infrastruktur di Negara-negara Eropa Timur masih sangat memprihatinkan dan banyak yang sudah ketinggalan jaman. Runtuhnya ideologi komunis di Eropa Timur, pemerintah tak punya anggaran yang cukup untuk membiayai operasional negara. Sementara banyak pemimpin di Eropa Timur yang mengharapkan investasi akan datang dari Eropa Barat. Tetapi para pengusaha di Eropa Barat melihat mentalitas kerja sangat berbeda antara Budaya Kapitalis dan Budaya Komunis.
Di sisi lain walaupun para pengusaha Eropa barat melihat kekurangan infrastruktur tetapi ada hal yang lain yang dilihat, yaitu biaya tenaga kerja yang lebih murah. Mereka para pengusaha Eropa Barat melihat bahwa biaya tenaga kerja yang murah merupakan keuanggulan yang lain karena hal ini didukung oleh tenaga kerja yang terampil. Di Negara-negara Eropa Timur banyak tenaga kerja berkualitas tinggi dengan biaya murah. Tapi jika terjadi banyak perpindahan investasi dari Barat ke Timur tentu hal ini akan membuat protes keras tenaga kerja di Barat. Contohnya seorang pekerja di Jerman di gaji dengan upah 55 Euro per jam, sementara upah ini setara dengan pembayaran 4 orang tenaga kerja di Polandia.
Eropa perlu mempercepat integrasi di bidang politik dan di bidang ekonomi. Karena negara-negara industri baru seperti Cina dan India adalah saingan yang serius di bidang politik dan di bidang ekonomi. Di bidang politik Cina dan India berusaha untuk menjadi pemain global yang dapat segera menggantikan peran Amerika untuk menyelesaikan isu-isu dan masalah-masalah internasional. Di bidang ekonomi, Cina dan India telah menjadi aktor global sebagai negara yang telah berhasil memproduksi teknologi tinggi di bidang informasi dan rekayasa genetika. Untuk Eropa Barat masalah tersebut dapat diatasi tetapi tidak untuk Eropa Timur. Di Eropa, angka pengangguran juga masalah realitas yang harus dipecahkan dan ini mengakibatkan kelesuan pertumbuhan.
Masalah Buruh juga menjadi masalah yang aktual yang menjadi masalah domestik di beberapa Negara Eropa. Contohnya Inggris, Serikat Buruh Inggris pada tanggal 13-15 November 2002, melalui petugas pemadam kebakaran melancarkan mogok kerja selama 48 jam di seluruh negeri, ini yang pertama sejak tahun 1977, pimpinan Serikat Buruh lebih militan yang bisa mengancam kredibilitas Tony Blair. Hal ini dikarenakan petugas pemadam kebakaran meminta kenaikan gaji. Dan tuntutan Serikat Buruh bisa melemahkan stabilitas ekonomi yang diperoleh dengan susah payah solusinya pemerintah membujuk petugas pemadam kebakaran untuk menerima kenaikan gaji 16%, secara bertahap selama jangka waktu tiga tahun (Businessweek/2 Desember 2002).
Kerusuhan Rasial di Perancis tahun 2005 juga menjadi persoalan yang serius. Kerusuhan Rasial terjadi karena kesempatan kerja bagi kelompok imigran yang berasal dari Afrika Utara sangat sedikit. Kerusuhan Rasial 2005 yang terjadi di Perancis menyebabkan Perancis menjadi sebuah negara yang kontras, di satu sisi sangat mengagungkan kebebasan Hak Azasi Manusia disisi lain tidak dapat memperlakukan warga negaranya dalam posisi yang sama. Kerusuhan Rasial 2005 tentu bukan hanya mencoreng citra Perancis di dunia internasional tetapi juga ikut mencoreng citra Uni Eropa. Masyarakat dunia tentu mempertanyakan kapabilitas Uni Eropa yang telah mapan dalam bidang politik dan bidang ekonomi. Aapalgi dalam pemberian bantuan internasional kepada masyarakat dunia, Uni Eropa selalu memprioritaskan kondisi HAM di negara yang akan mendapat bantuan tersebut dari Uni Eropa. Kerusuhan Rasial 2005 di Perancis juga merupakan peringatan keras bagi para politisi dan ekonom untuk dapat membuat kebijakan yang lebih adil bagi warga negaranya baik untuk warga negara asli dan warga negara imigran. Kerusuhan rasial akan menyebabkan kerugian ekonomi dan dampaknya akan menganggu pertumbuhan ekonomi. Kemakmuran Eropa di bidang ekonomi telah menjadi magnet bagi para imigran, khususnya yang berasal dari Afrika Utara dan Asia untuk datang ke Negara-negara Eropa untuk mencari kehidupan yang lebih layak.
Mengenai perluasan keanggotaan Uni Eropa juga mengalami kebuntuan. Dalam pertemuan puncak yang di mulai Kamis (14/12/2006) di Brussels, para pemimpin Uni Eropa akan mengambil sikap atau keputusan bersama bahwa Uni Eropa tidak akan menerima anggota baru lagi sampai mereka yakin bahwa anggota baru dapat diintegrasikan. Sikap ini jelas sangat membingungkan. Sebelum keputusan ini dibuat para pemimpin Uni Eropa secara bersemangat menyuarakan bahwa perluasan keanggotaan adalah hal yang mendesak untuk mempercepat proses integrasi. Tiga Negara yaitu Turki, Kroasia, Macedonia dan sejumlah Negara Balkan tertutup kesempatannya. Turki negara yang paling lelah untuk proses negosiasi penggabungan untuk mejadi Negara Uni Eropa adalah yang paling kecewa. Perdana Menteri Recep Tayyip Erdogan menilai UE telah memperlakukan Turki dengan tidak adil, menyusul keputusan UE untuk menghentikan pembicaraan keanggotaan Turki karena negara itu dianggap tidak mampu membangun hubungan perdagangan dengan Siprus yang merupakan anggota Uni Eropa. Dia juga menganggap bahwa dengan keputusan ini hubungan Turki-UE dalam masalah yang serius. Tapi Turki akan terus maju. Para analis Politik menilai dipersulitnya Turki menjadi anggota UE karena mayoritas penduduknya Islam dan mempunyai latar belakang budaya yang berbeda dengan kebanyakan Negara-negara Uni Eropa hal ini disebabkan para pemimpin Uni Eropa melihat Turki secara cultural lebih dekat ke Asia dan bukan ke Eropa. Kelelahan untuk perluasan keanggotaan baru kini sedang melanda publik Eropa. Karena prosesnya yang belum matang. Sehingga menyebabkan para pemimpin Uni Eropa memutuskan agar persoalan Konstitusi Eropa bias diselesaikan dahulu. Konstitusi Eropa pada awal pembentukannya dimaksudkan untuk merampingkan birokrasi di Uni Eropa setelah berkembang menjadi 25 anngoa pada tahun 2004 sehingga mempunayi visi yang sama. Namun referendum tahun 2005, rakyat Perancis dan Belanda secara mengejutkan menolak Konstitusi Eropa yang menyebabkan para Pemimpin Eropa sangat berang.
B. Arah Perkembangan Ekonomi Uni Eropa
Bagaimana melihat arah perkembangan Uni Eropa ke depan? Ini sebuah pertanyaan yang menarik tetapi untuk menjawabnya perlu analisa yang mendalam. Ketika pertama kali Euro mulai diberlakukan pada tanggal 1 Januari 2000, para analis ekonomi Eropa ingin mengetahui apakah penggunaan mata uang Euro akan efektif bagi anggota Uni Eropa yang telah ikhlas menukarkan mata uang nasionalnya masing-masing untuk menyuseskan pengintegrasian ekonomi Eropa melalui mata uang Euro.
Dua tahun setelah penerapan mata uang Euro, majalah Ekonomi AS, Businessweek edisi tanggal 16 September 2002 menulis sebuah artikel yang berjudul Euro dituding sebagai masalah, pembelannja mengatakan harga meroket. Yang menjadi pertanyaan kenapa hal itu terjadi? Secara umum harga meroket karena harga-harga baru yang diberlakukan menyesuaikan dengan nilai tukar Euro. Seperti di Italia, orang Italia adalah orang yang gemar berbelanja namun mereka kecewa karena harus membayar harga lebih mahal dari harga sebelumnya, mereka kaget setelah memakai mata uang Euro yang baru karena sebelumnya menggunakan mata uang Lira. Pada tanggal 12 September 2002, banyak orang yang memprotesnya dan melaukan aksi mogok belanja nasional. Mereka kaget harga secangkir Cappucino sampai pakaian bisa naik sebesar empat kali lipat yang disebabkan oleh penyesuaian harga baru dari nilai mata uang Lira ke mata uang Euro. Di Jerman, telepon Hotline yang disediakan oleh pemerintah salurannya sangat sibuk setiap hari karena ribuan orang menelpon dan memprotes kenaikan harga akibat penyesuian nilai tukar dengan Euro. Di Perancis, seluruh surat kabar dipenuhi hujatan tentang melambungnya harga mulai dari kebutuhan pokok untuk sehari-hari sampai biaya jasa seperti biaya perjalanan, dan biaya menata rambut. Di Yunani penduduk yang marah karena kenaikan harga ini melakukan aksi mogok belanja pada tanggal 3 September 2002. Menurut konsumen harga sayur-sayuran dari mentimun dan tomat segar telah naik 10% dibandingkan tahun sebelumnya. Tetapi harga barang dan jasa naik hal ini disebabkan oleh cuaca buruk musim panas yang telah menyebabkan gagal panen dan meyebabkan harga kebutuhan sehari-hari meningkat. Hal ini adalah argumentasi Eurostat yaitu Badan Statistik Uni Eropa yang berpusat di Luxemburg, pendapat Eurostat didasarkan inflasi rendah yaitu 1,9% selama 12 bulan hingga Juli. Pendapat Eurostat didukung oleh sebagaian besar pakar ekonomi dan statistic. Eurostat menyangkal bahwa kenaikan harga disebabkan oleh penyesuaian nilai tukar. Tetapi tetap saja konsumen mengatakan ini adalah sebuah skandal. Ada sebuah pengalaman yang menarik yang tidak menyenangkan, Menkeu Jerman, Hans Eichel (Pemerintahan Gerard Schoeder) pada bulan Mei 2006, dia bermaksud membeli makanan ringan. Dia membeli Bratwurst Und Brothen seharga 3,50 Euro, biasanya dia membeli dengan harga 3,50 Mark Jerman, dia langsung berang dan menyerukan para konsumen Jerman untuk memboikot para pedangan yang tukang tipu. Dia mengatakan saya tidak akan kembali ke tempat dimana saya merasa di tipu. Para pedangan di Eropa juga banyak yang mengambil keuntungan dalam jumlah besar dari penyesuaian nilai tukar. Orang Indonesia bilang aji mumpung. Konsumen Eropa bias saja cemas mengenai kenaikan harga. Para pebisnis pun merasakan hal yang sama. Pengintegrasian ekonomi sampai saat ini belum menunjukkan hal yang positif. Output pabrik banyak yang menurun, tingkat pengangguran naik, dan konsumen mulai ketat untuk mengeluarkan uang belanja. Jerman adalah Negara yang terlemah pertumbuhannya sampai saat ini, pengangguran semakin bertambah ini adalah tugas yang berat bagi pemerintahn Angela Markel (Partai CDU/CSU). Rentetan kesulitan Jerman juga menular ke negara yang lain, yaitu Perancis dan Italia juga mengalami stagnasi ekonomi. Hanya Inggris yang masih mengalami pertumbuhan ekonomi sebesar 3 % pertahun, ekonomi Inggris masih bergairah sampai saat ini. Dan banyak perusahaan-perusahaan dunia yang menanamkan investasi di Inggris. Pemerintahan Buruh di bawah pimpinan Tony Blair menunjukkan kinerja yang bagus dalam bidang ekonomi. Tetapi sangat tidak popular dalam kampanye perang Irak. Tony Blair popularitasnya sudah memudar karena perang Irak yang tidak jelas tujuannya.
Para Ekonom Eropa harus terus bekerja keras untuk menciptakan kestabilan ekonomi untuk Negara anggota Uni Eropa. Secara keseluruhan memang Negara-negara Uni Eropa adalah Negara yang makmur. Tetapi tingkat kemakmuran yang dialami tiap negara adalah berbeda. Pekerjaan terbesar para Ekonom dan Politisi Eropa adalah bagaimana menyatukan pandangan yang sama mengenai arah dan perkembangan Ekonomi Eropa dan melepaskan ego masing-masing negara, yaitu Negara Besar Eropa, seperti Inggris, Perancis, Jerman, Italia. Eropa yang kuat dan makmur harus direalisasikan karena merupakan kekuatan dunia yang dapt mengimbangi dominasi AS.
Emissions
Once, all climate changes occurred naturally. However, during the Industrial Revolution, we began altering our climate and environment through changing agricultural and industrial practices. Before the Industrial Revolution, human activity released very few gases into the atmosphere, but now through population growth, fossil fuel burning, and deforestation, we are affecting the mixture of gases in the atmosphere.
What Are Greenhouse Gases?
Some greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result from human activities. Naturally occuring greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Certain human activities, however, add to the levels of most of these naturally occurring gases:
Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere when solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), and wood and wood products are burned.
Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from the decomposition of organic wastes in municipal solid waste landfills, and the raising of livestock. More information on methane.
Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels.
Very powerful greenhouse gases that are not naturally occurring include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), which are generated in a variety of industrial processes.
Each greenhouse gas differs in its ability to absorb heat in the atmosphere. HFCs and PFCs are the most heat-absorbent. Methane traps over 21 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide absorbs 270 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide. Often, estimates of greenhouse gas emissions are presented in units of millions of metric tons of carbon equivalents (MMTCE), which weights each gas by its GWP value, or Global Warming Potential.
What Are Emissions Inventories?
An emission inventory is an accounting of the amount of air pollutants discharged into the atmosphere. It is generally
characterized by the following factors:
the chemical or physical identity of the pollutants included,
the geographic area covered,
the institutional entities covered,
the time period over which emissions are estimated, and
the types of activities that cause emissions.
Emission inventories are developed for a variety of purposes. Inventories of natural and anthropogenic emissions are used by scientists as inputs to air quality models, by policy makers to develop strategies and policies or track progress of standards, and by facilities and regulatory agencies to establish compliance records with allowable emission rates. A well constructed inventory should include enough documentation and other data to allow readers to understand the underlying assumptions and to reconstruct the calculations for each of the estimates included
What Are Greenhouse Gases?
Some greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result from human activities. Naturally occuring greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Certain human activities, however, add to the levels of most of these naturally occurring gases:
Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere when solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), and wood and wood products are burned.
Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from the decomposition of organic wastes in municipal solid waste landfills, and the raising of livestock. More information on methane.
Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels.
Very powerful greenhouse gases that are not naturally occurring include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), which are generated in a variety of industrial processes.
Each greenhouse gas differs in its ability to absorb heat in the atmosphere. HFCs and PFCs are the most heat-absorbent. Methane traps over 21 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide absorbs 270 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide. Often, estimates of greenhouse gas emissions are presented in units of millions of metric tons of carbon equivalents (MMTCE), which weights each gas by its GWP value, or Global Warming Potential.
What Are Emissions Inventories?
An emission inventory is an accounting of the amount of air pollutants discharged into the atmosphere. It is generally
characterized by the following factors:
the chemical or physical identity of the pollutants included,
the geographic area covered,
the institutional entities covered,
the time period over which emissions are estimated, and
the types of activities that cause emissions.
Emission inventories are developed for a variety of purposes. Inventories of natural and anthropogenic emissions are used by scientists as inputs to air quality models, by policy makers to develop strategies and policies or track progress of standards, and by facilities and regulatory agencies to establish compliance records with allowable emission rates. A well constructed inventory should include enough documentation and other data to allow readers to understand the underlying assumptions and to reconstruct the calculations for each of the estimates included
EFFECTIVE REPORT WRITING
WHAT IS A REPORT ?A report is exactly what its name suggests - a report on an event or activity.
WHY ARE YOU WRITING THE REPORT ? These are the circumstances that led to the tasks and activity being reported on and the decisions or actions that will be taken as a result of your report.
WHO WILL READ THE REPORT ? These are the people who will be reading the report.
WHAT ARE THE REPORT'S OBJECTIVES? These are the specific project objectives that led to the activity or task you will be reporting on.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS AND THE ACTIVITIES YOU CARRIED OUT TO MEET THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES? These detail the step by step approach and activities you carried out to meet the project objectives.
WHAT ARE THE CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS? These are the conclusions and recommendations that result from the detailed activities you carried out.
WHAT IS THE NEXT ACTION AND ANY DEADLINES? This is what needs to be done and by when as a result of your report
THAT IS ABOUT ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT REPORT WRITING
AND NOW FOR THE HARD PART.........PLANNING AND WRITING IT
THE REPORT STRUCTURE
GOLDEN RULE #1 Planning the structure of a report starts when you plan the structure of the project you will report on and the tasks and activities you will carry out to complete the project itself.
Let us assume that your company's staff is expanding and you have been tasked to asses your company's computer PC needs and make recommendations accordingly.
The planning of your tasks could look like the following.
PROJECT TASK FORMAT
Step 1 A review of current and future staff levels by department to determine how many computers you will need to buy.
Step 2 A review of current and future computer requirements by department to determine the computer specifications that will meet each department needs.
Step 3 An analysis of where the computers will be located in each office and the cost of installing new connections to the network.
Step 4 An analysis of the service, cost and terms of business from different network technicians to install the computers.
REPORT FORMAT
Your report, based on the steps you carried out would look the following.
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND- ( Why you are writing the report )
In this section, spell out the circumstances that led to the activity that is being reported on and the purpose of the report. This serves as a reminder to readers of the report, the circumstances surrounding the activity and report and the decisions or actions that will be taken as a result of your report.
In the case in point you will recap on the growth of Anycompany Ltd. - perhaps referring to a relatively larger growth in some departments. You will also state this growth means an expansion of staff which in turn requires the acquisition of more PCs. You will also state that the purpose of the report is to seek senior management approval to buy more PCs.
REPORT OBJECTIVES
In the case in point these could be stated as:
1. To assess the computer needs of Any company Ltd
2. To put forward recommendations on how to effectively and economically meet those needs.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ( GOLDEN RULE #2 always include an executive summary)
Because any report will be read by different levels of management your report should contain an executive summary right at the beginning of the report- usually after the introduction or statement of objectives.
An Executive Summary is critical because it will help senior executives want a get to the points of your report quickly.
In the case in point your executive summary could look the the following.
As a result of Any company's expansion, the following computer PC needs have been identified.
1. A total of 14 new PCs are required whose details are as follows.
a) 5 standard speed PCs for new managers.
b) 6 standard Pcs for the accounts department
c) 3 high speed computers for the PR department who design promotional material and require high speed PCs.
2. The cost of acquiring the PCs will be xxxxx
3. The cost of installing new network connections YYYYYY
4. The estimated time to acquire and install the computers will be 2 weeks from approval of the estimates contained in this report.
REPORT DETAILS
This is the main section of your report and should be broken down into the sub-sections you used to plan the task in the first place. For example in the case of identifying the computers needs of Any company Ltd you would have held discussions with each department head. You would then detail the results of these discussions under sib-headings as follows:
A review of current and future staff levels by department.
This section will detail your findings on the overall number of computers that are required, together with a breakdown by each department.
A review of current and future computer requirements by department.
This section will detail your findings on the type/specifications of computers for each department.
An analysis of where the computers will be located in each office and the cost of installing new connections to the network.
This section will detail your findings on where the computers will be located in each department.
An analysis of the products, service, cost and terms of business from different computer suppliers.
Following discussions with department heads, you will have approached different suppliers to get estimates, delivery dates and terms of business. This section will summarize your findings with detailed estimates attached in an appendix at the back of the report.
An analysis of the service, cost and terms of business from different network technicians to install the computers.
Following discussions with department heads, you will have approached different technicians to get estimates, delivery dates and terms of business. This section will summarize your findings with detailed estimates attached in an appendix at the back of the report.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This will summarize your conclusions, recommendations and next action.
APPENDIX
The appendix will contain all the supporting documentation ( e.g. supplier estimates you refer to in your report.
GOLDEN RULE #3 Don't clutter your reports with a lot of detail or fancy charts. Keep those in an appendix for those who want more information.
Thick reports may impress some people but filling pages can be annoying and disrupt the main points you want to communicate. Keeping your report short will maintain focus and satisfy those who want the information quickly and adding the detailed information in appendices, will satisfy those who want more information.
WHY ARE YOU WRITING THE REPORT ? These are the circumstances that led to the tasks and activity being reported on and the decisions or actions that will be taken as a result of your report.
WHO WILL READ THE REPORT ? These are the people who will be reading the report.
WHAT ARE THE REPORT'S OBJECTIVES? These are the specific project objectives that led to the activity or task you will be reporting on.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS AND THE ACTIVITIES YOU CARRIED OUT TO MEET THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES? These detail the step by step approach and activities you carried out to meet the project objectives.
WHAT ARE THE CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS? These are the conclusions and recommendations that result from the detailed activities you carried out.
WHAT IS THE NEXT ACTION AND ANY DEADLINES? This is what needs to be done and by when as a result of your report
THAT IS ABOUT ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT REPORT WRITING
AND NOW FOR THE HARD PART.........PLANNING AND WRITING IT
THE REPORT STRUCTURE
GOLDEN RULE #1 Planning the structure of a report starts when you plan the structure of the project you will report on and the tasks and activities you will carry out to complete the project itself.
Let us assume that your company's staff is expanding and you have been tasked to asses your company's computer PC needs and make recommendations accordingly.
The planning of your tasks could look like the following.
PROJECT TASK FORMAT
Step 1 A review of current and future staff levels by department to determine how many computers you will need to buy.
Step 2 A review of current and future computer requirements by department to determine the computer specifications that will meet each department needs.
Step 3 An analysis of where the computers will be located in each office and the cost of installing new connections to the network.
Step 4 An analysis of the service, cost and terms of business from different network technicians to install the computers.
REPORT FORMAT
Your report, based on the steps you carried out would look the following.
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND- ( Why you are writing the report )
In this section, spell out the circumstances that led to the activity that is being reported on and the purpose of the report. This serves as a reminder to readers of the report, the circumstances surrounding the activity and report and the decisions or actions that will be taken as a result of your report.
In the case in point you will recap on the growth of Anycompany Ltd. - perhaps referring to a relatively larger growth in some departments. You will also state this growth means an expansion of staff which in turn requires the acquisition of more PCs. You will also state that the purpose of the report is to seek senior management approval to buy more PCs.
REPORT OBJECTIVES
In the case in point these could be stated as:
1. To assess the computer needs of Any company Ltd
2. To put forward recommendations on how to effectively and economically meet those needs.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ( GOLDEN RULE #2 always include an executive summary)
Because any report will be read by different levels of management your report should contain an executive summary right at the beginning of the report- usually after the introduction or statement of objectives.
An Executive Summary is critical because it will help senior executives want a get to the points of your report quickly.
In the case in point your executive summary could look the the following.
As a result of Any company's expansion, the following computer PC needs have been identified.
1. A total of 14 new PCs are required whose details are as follows.
a) 5 standard speed PCs for new managers.
b) 6 standard Pcs for the accounts department
c) 3 high speed computers for the PR department who design promotional material and require high speed PCs.
2. The cost of acquiring the PCs will be xxxxx
3. The cost of installing new network connections YYYYYY
4. The estimated time to acquire and install the computers will be 2 weeks from approval of the estimates contained in this report.
REPORT DETAILS
This is the main section of your report and should be broken down into the sub-sections you used to plan the task in the first place. For example in the case of identifying the computers needs of Any company Ltd you would have held discussions with each department head. You would then detail the results of these discussions under sib-headings as follows:
A review of current and future staff levels by department.
This section will detail your findings on the overall number of computers that are required, together with a breakdown by each department.
A review of current and future computer requirements by department.
This section will detail your findings on the type/specifications of computers for each department.
An analysis of where the computers will be located in each office and the cost of installing new connections to the network.
This section will detail your findings on where the computers will be located in each department.
An analysis of the products, service, cost and terms of business from different computer suppliers.
Following discussions with department heads, you will have approached different suppliers to get estimates, delivery dates and terms of business. This section will summarize your findings with detailed estimates attached in an appendix at the back of the report.
An analysis of the service, cost and terms of business from different network technicians to install the computers.
Following discussions with department heads, you will have approached different technicians to get estimates, delivery dates and terms of business. This section will summarize your findings with detailed estimates attached in an appendix at the back of the report.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This will summarize your conclusions, recommendations and next action.
APPENDIX
The appendix will contain all the supporting documentation ( e.g. supplier estimates you refer to in your report.
GOLDEN RULE #3 Don't clutter your reports with a lot of detail or fancy charts. Keep those in an appendix for those who want more information.
Thick reports may impress some people but filling pages can be annoying and disrupt the main points you want to communicate. Keeping your report short will maintain focus and satisfy those who want the information quickly and adding the detailed information in appendices, will satisfy those who want more information.
Senin, 31 Maret 2008
Avian Influenza Infection in Humans : What You Should Know About Avian Flu
Although avian influenza A viruses usually do not infect humans, rare cases of human infection with avian influenza viruses have been reported since 1997. More recently, more than 200 confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses have been reported since 2004. The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains situation updates and cumulative reports of human cases of avian influenza A (H5N1). Most cases of avian influenza infection in humans are thought to have resulted from direct contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces. However, there is still a lot to learn about how different subtypes and strains of avian influenza virus might affect humans. For example, it is not known how the distinction between low pathogenic and highly pathogenic strains might impact the health risk to humans. (For more information, see “Low Pathogenic versus Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses” on the CDC Influenza Viruses Web page.)
Because of concerns about the potential for more widespread infection in the human population, public health authorities closely monitor outbreaks of human illness associated with avian influenza. To date, human infections with avian influenza A viruses detected since 1997 have not resulted in sustained human-to-human transmission. However, because influenza A viruses have the potential to change and gain the ability to spread easily between people, monitoring for human infection and person-to-person transmission is important. (See Information about Influenza Pandemics for more information.)
Instances of Avian Influenza Infections in Humans
Confirmed instances of avian influenza viruses infecting humans since 1997 include:
H5N1, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, 1997: Highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) infections occurred in both poultry and humans. This was the first time an avian influenza A virus transmission directly from birds to humans had been found. During this outbreak, 18 people were hospitalized and six of them died. To control the outbreak, authorities killed about 1.5 million chickens to remove the source of the virus. Scientists determined that the virus spread primarily from birds to humans, though rare person-to-person infection was noted.
H9N2, China and Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, 1999: Low pathogenic avian influenza A (H9N2) virus infection was confirmed in two children and resulted in uncomplicated influenza-like illness. Both patients recovered, and no additional cases were confirmed. The source is unknown, but the evidence suggested that poultry was the source of infection and the main mode of transmission was from bird to human. However, the possibility of person-to-person transmission could not be ruled out. Several additional human H9N2 infections were reported from China in 1998-99.
H7N2, Virginia, 2002: Following an outbreak of H7N2 among poultry in the Shenandoah Valley poultry production area, one person was found to have serologic evidence of infection with H7N2.
H5N1, China and Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, 2003: Two cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) infection occurred among members of a Hong Kong family that had traveled to China. One person recovered, the other died. How or where these two family members were infected was not determined. Another family member died of a respiratory illness in China, but no testing was done.
H7N7, Netherlands, 2003: The Netherlands reported outbreaks of influenza A (H7N7) in poultry on several farms. Later, infections were reported among pigs and humans. In total, 89 people were confirmed to have H7N7 influenza virus infection associated with this poultry outbreak. These cases occurred mostly among poultry workers. H7N7-associated illness included 78 cases of conjunctivitis (eye infections) only; 5 cases of conjunctivitis and influenza-like illnesses with cough, fever, and muscle aches; 2 cases of influenza-like illness only; and 4 cases that were classified as “other.” There was one death among the 89 total cases. It occurred in a veterinarian who visited one of the affected farms and developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and complications related to H7N7 infection. The majority of these cases occurred as a result of direct contact with infected poultry; however, Dutch authorities reported three possible instances of transmission from poultry workers to family members. Since then, no other instances of H7N7 infection among humans have been reported.
H9N2, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, 2003: Low pathogenic avian influenza A (H9N2) infection was confirmed in a child in Hong Kong. The child was hospitalized and recovered.
H7N2, New York, 2003: In November 2003, a patient with serious underlying medical conditions was admitted to a hospital in New York with respiratory symptoms. One of the initial laboratory tests identified an influenza A virus that was thought to be H1N1. The patient recovered and went home after a few weeks. Subsequent confirmatory tests conducted in March 2004 showed that the patient had been infected with avian influenza A (H7N2) virus.
H7N3, Canada, 2004: In February 2004, human infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H7N3) among poultry workers were associated with an H7N3 outbreak among poultry. The H7N3-associated, mild illnesses consisted of eye infections.
H5N1, Thailand and Vietnam, 2004: In late 2003, outbreaks of highly pathogenic influenza A (H5N1) in poultry in Asia were first reported by the World Health Organization. Human infections with H5N1 were reported beginning in 2004, mostly resulting from contact with infected poultry. However, in Thailand one instance of probable human-to-human spread is thought to have occurred.
H5N1, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, 2005: Human infections with H5N1 occurred in association with the ongoing H5N1 epizootic in the region. At least two persons in Vietnam were thought to have been infected through consumption of uncooked duck blood.
H5N1, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey, 2006: Human infections with H5N1 occurred in association with the ongoing and expanding epizootic. While most of these cases occurred as a result of contact with infected poultry, in Azerbaijan , the most plausible cause of exposure to H5N1 in several instances of human infection is thought to be contact with infected dead wild birds (swans).
Symptoms of Avian Influenza in Humans
The reported symptoms of avian influenza in humans have ranged from typical influenza-like symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches) to eye infections (conjunctivitis), pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, viral pneumonia, and other severe and life-threatening complications.
Antiviral Agents for Influenza
Four different influenza antiviral drugs (amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir, and zanamivir) are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment and prevention of influenza. All four have activity against influenza A viruses. However, sometimes influenza strains can become resistant to these drugs, and therefore the drugs may not always be effective. For example, analyses of some of the 2004 H5N1 viruses isolated from poultry and humans in Asia have shown that the viruses are resistant to two of the medications (amantadine and rimantadine). Also, please note the January 14, 2006 CDC Health Alert Notice (HAN), in which CDC recommends that neither amantadine nor rimantadine be used for the treatment or prevention (prophylaxis) of influenza A in the United States for the remainder of the 2005-06 influenza season. Monitoring of avian influenza A viruses for resistance to influenza antiviral medications is ongoing.
Because of concerns about the potential for more widespread infection in the human population, public health authorities closely monitor outbreaks of human illness associated with avian influenza. To date, human infections with avian influenza A viruses detected since 1997 have not resulted in sustained human-to-human transmission. However, because influenza A viruses have the potential to change and gain the ability to spread easily between people, monitoring for human infection and person-to-person transmission is important. (See Information about Influenza Pandemics for more information.)
Instances of Avian Influenza Infections in Humans
Confirmed instances of avian influenza viruses infecting humans since 1997 include:
H5N1, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, 1997: Highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) infections occurred in both poultry and humans. This was the first time an avian influenza A virus transmission directly from birds to humans had been found. During this outbreak, 18 people were hospitalized and six of them died. To control the outbreak, authorities killed about 1.5 million chickens to remove the source of the virus. Scientists determined that the virus spread primarily from birds to humans, though rare person-to-person infection was noted.
H9N2, China and Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, 1999: Low pathogenic avian influenza A (H9N2) virus infection was confirmed in two children and resulted in uncomplicated influenza-like illness. Both patients recovered, and no additional cases were confirmed. The source is unknown, but the evidence suggested that poultry was the source of infection and the main mode of transmission was from bird to human. However, the possibility of person-to-person transmission could not be ruled out. Several additional human H9N2 infections were reported from China in 1998-99.
H7N2, Virginia, 2002: Following an outbreak of H7N2 among poultry in the Shenandoah Valley poultry production area, one person was found to have serologic evidence of infection with H7N2.
H5N1, China and Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, 2003: Two cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) infection occurred among members of a Hong Kong family that had traveled to China. One person recovered, the other died. How or where these two family members were infected was not determined. Another family member died of a respiratory illness in China, but no testing was done.
H7N7, Netherlands, 2003: The Netherlands reported outbreaks of influenza A (H7N7) in poultry on several farms. Later, infections were reported among pigs and humans. In total, 89 people were confirmed to have H7N7 influenza virus infection associated with this poultry outbreak. These cases occurred mostly among poultry workers. H7N7-associated illness included 78 cases of conjunctivitis (eye infections) only; 5 cases of conjunctivitis and influenza-like illnesses with cough, fever, and muscle aches; 2 cases of influenza-like illness only; and 4 cases that were classified as “other.” There was one death among the 89 total cases. It occurred in a veterinarian who visited one of the affected farms and developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and complications related to H7N7 infection. The majority of these cases occurred as a result of direct contact with infected poultry; however, Dutch authorities reported three possible instances of transmission from poultry workers to family members. Since then, no other instances of H7N7 infection among humans have been reported.
H9N2, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, 2003: Low pathogenic avian influenza A (H9N2) infection was confirmed in a child in Hong Kong. The child was hospitalized and recovered.
H7N2, New York, 2003: In November 2003, a patient with serious underlying medical conditions was admitted to a hospital in New York with respiratory symptoms. One of the initial laboratory tests identified an influenza A virus that was thought to be H1N1. The patient recovered and went home after a few weeks. Subsequent confirmatory tests conducted in March 2004 showed that the patient had been infected with avian influenza A (H7N2) virus.
H7N3, Canada, 2004: In February 2004, human infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H7N3) among poultry workers were associated with an H7N3 outbreak among poultry. The H7N3-associated, mild illnesses consisted of eye infections.
H5N1, Thailand and Vietnam, 2004: In late 2003, outbreaks of highly pathogenic influenza A (H5N1) in poultry in Asia were first reported by the World Health Organization. Human infections with H5N1 were reported beginning in 2004, mostly resulting from contact with infected poultry. However, in Thailand one instance of probable human-to-human spread is thought to have occurred.
H5N1, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, 2005: Human infections with H5N1 occurred in association with the ongoing H5N1 epizootic in the region. At least two persons in Vietnam were thought to have been infected through consumption of uncooked duck blood.
H5N1, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey, 2006: Human infections with H5N1 occurred in association with the ongoing and expanding epizootic. While most of these cases occurred as a result of contact with infected poultry, in Azerbaijan , the most plausible cause of exposure to H5N1 in several instances of human infection is thought to be contact with infected dead wild birds (swans).
Symptoms of Avian Influenza in Humans
The reported symptoms of avian influenza in humans have ranged from typical influenza-like symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches) to eye infections (conjunctivitis), pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, viral pneumonia, and other severe and life-threatening complications.
Antiviral Agents for Influenza
Four different influenza antiviral drugs (amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir, and zanamivir) are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment and prevention of influenza. All four have activity against influenza A viruses. However, sometimes influenza strains can become resistant to these drugs, and therefore the drugs may not always be effective. For example, analyses of some of the 2004 H5N1 viruses isolated from poultry and humans in Asia have shown that the viruses are resistant to two of the medications (amantadine and rimantadine). Also, please note the January 14, 2006 CDC Health Alert Notice (HAN), in which CDC recommends that neither amantadine nor rimantadine be used for the treatment or prevention (prophylaxis) of influenza A in the United States for the remainder of the 2005-06 influenza season. Monitoring of avian influenza A viruses for resistance to influenza antiviral medications is ongoing.
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