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For the record: Building permits and bankruptcies | Tulsa Business – Tulsa World

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

BUILDING PERMITS

(Listed by owner, tenant or building name. This weekly update lists new commercial construction, expansions and enlargements of more than $50,000. Information is from initial applications and is subject to change. Dollar amount is valuation declared by owner.)

20-058743 Still She Rises Tulsa, 612 E. 46th St. North, alteration, $1,000,000.

20-062534 Century 21, 4004 E. 51st St., new, $350,000.

20-057453 Woodland Hills Mall, 7021 S. Memorial Drive, alteration-priority, $75,000.

20-058266 W Design, 608 E. Third St., alteration, $1,632,691.

20-058958 4221 4221, S. 68th Ave., alteration, $125,000.

20-055485 Wuana Inc., 6935 E. 13th St. Alteration, $1,008,301.

20-056473 Fox Hotel, 11 E. Reconciliation Way N., alteration, $40,000.

BUSINESS BANKRUPTCIES

(Weekly update includes filings classified as business in the numerical list of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District in Tulsa, and which also list business as nature of debt on bankruptcy document.)

20-1246-R William Michael Heck, 14450 S. Dogwood St., Glenpool, assets: $205,561.97, liabilities: $562.529.75, attorney: Ron D. Brown, chapter 7.

20-11248-M Robert Arthur Flory, 1719 S. Yorktown, assets: $63,474, liabilities: $743,008.51, attorney: Ron D. Brown, chapter 7.

20-11261-R Christopher Dean Henderson, 16144 E. 107th St. North, Owasso, assets: $235,740, liabilities: $3,312,608.35, attorney: Scott P. Kirtley, chapter 7.

For the record: Building permits and bankruptcies | Tulsa Business - Tulsa World

The Drive Thru: L’Oreal, retail bankruptcies, the future of the store – Business Insider – Business Insider

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Hello!

Congrats on making it to another Friday! It's hard to believe it's already (checks notes...) August! If you're generally confused, as I am, about what day of the week (or month) it is, don't sweat it. You can always count on the retail team at Business Insider to let you know another week has passed by with The Drive Thru, our weekly and punctual round-up of everything you need to know in retail and restaurant news.

By the way, if you haven't yet,subscribe to The Drive-Thru here to stay on top of it all and to get me, Shoshy Ciment, and my colleague, Kate Taylor, in your inbox every Friday!

Here's what you need to know:

Lord & Taylor filed for bankruptcy on Monday REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo

Another week, another bankruptcy filing. This week, three major companies joined the ever-growing list of the 28 retailers that have filed for bankruptcy or liquidation in 2020.

Bucking the trend: On the bright side, Dick's Sporting Goods announced it is opening 11 new locations this month.

An image of one slide of a L'Oreal employee's computer screensaver An anonymous current L'Oreal employee

L'Oral USA, which employsnearly 11,000 people, began calling its employees back to work in early July. But internal communications reveal a sense of fear and frustration among employees regarding returning to the offices.

Some employees who want to work from home are being required to give the company access to their medical history or a doctor's note. At the same time, L'Oreal workers say they are being bombarded with screensaver images of smiling employees in the office, even as they dread returning to work in person.

"They keep repeating how positive people are reacting and it's bull***t because no one wants to go back," said a current L'Oral employee who works in California. "It's pure gaslighting."

In a statement to Business Insider, L'Oreal said, "Being together is a key ingredient to our culture and essential to the success of our business in a creative industry."

Read some more of my reporting on L'Oreal here.

Bethany went to a private shopping session at J.Crew and tried clothes inside an actual dressing room. Bethany Biron/Business Insider

The future of the physical store is in flux. As Madeline reported this week, "department stores will likely have to evolve to survive." Such changes, she found, could play out in the form of downsizing or an upgrade to omnichannel services.

Some stores are already getting creative. J.Crew is offering 30-minute private shopping sessions to allow shoppers to use the normally closed fitting rooms. Bethany tried a session and said it was the "closest to a state of pre-pandemic normalcy" she felt since the pandemic began.

At the same time, new technologies are making it easier for stores to implement social distancing. Catherine rounded up five retail startups, which have raised $90m from VCs, that are focused on making the future of shopping a safe and distant one.

The Oreo was created out of a sibling rivalry between two brothers. Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider

Some of our favorite brands and chains have interesting and unexpected origin stories. Here are few pieces of retail history you might not have heard about before.

Everything else you need to know:

Continue reading here:

The Drive Thru: L'Oreal, retail bankruptcies, the future of the store - Business Insider - Business Insider

Offshore oil company files for second bankruptcy in two years – Houston Chronicle

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Houston offshore oil company Fieldwood Energy has filed for its second bankruptcy in just more than two years.

Fieldwood filed for Chapter 11 reorganization late Monday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston. The company has $1.8 billion of debt, court filings show.

The 2014-16 oil crash took a toll on thecompany, one of the largest offshore oil and gas producers operating in the Gulf of Mexico, forcing it into bankruptcy in February 2018.

The privately held company was able to shed $1.6 billion of debt during the first bankruptcy but the ongoing downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic required further restructuring and a second Chapter 11 filing, court records show.

Bankruptcy: Judge gives BJ Services another 30 days to continue operations

As part of its second bankruptcy, Fieldwood has entered into a restructuring agreement with the support of lenders that hold about two-thirds of the $1.1 billion loan that makes up most of the company's $1.8 billion of debt, court records show.

Fieldwood tried to avoid a second bankruptcy in March by turning off offshore wells in 29 low-margin fields. That move saved the company $5 million a month, but as domestic oil prices continued to fall, the company halted production at all but 10 fields, court records show.

In other cost-cutting measures, the company also laid off employees and implemented 10 percent salary cuts for employees and contractors making more than $150,000 per year. The number of job cuts was not given but the company has 635 employees remaining, court records show.

Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox

Fieldwood turned to New York restructuring firm AlixPartners in April and obtained forbearances in May that gave the company more time for restructuring negotiations to continue.

The company and its creditors are expected to appear before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur in a virtual hearing Tuesday afternoon.

See more here:

Offshore oil company files for second bankruptcy in two years - Houston Chronicle

McNally Smith bankruptcy leaves nothing for students of music school – TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Proposed payouts from the McNally Smith College of Music bankruptcy include nothing for students.

Trustee Patti Sullivan last month gave the court a list of people, companies and governmental agencies who will share the $904,933 that remains after liquidating assets from the former St. Paul music school, which abruptly closed in December 2017.

Sullivan and various consultants and law firms involved in administering the bankruptcy case would get $199,744.

The IRS would get $209,089 and the Minnesota Department of Revenue $44,074.

A long list of former college faculty and staff who went weeks without being paid would get the remaining $452,026, in payouts ranging from $165 to $12,762 per person far less than they requested, in many cases.

Under federal bankruptcy law, wages take priority over prepayments for services. So, none of the roughly $564,000 in tuition paid in advance for the spring 2018 semester disclosed in school co-founder Jack McNallys personal bankruptcy filing will be returned to students or their parents.

However, students who took out federal loans were eligible for forgiveness as long as they did not transfer their credits to another school.

And 10 former students did receive undisclosed payouts from McNallys Smith insurance company to resolve claims separate from the bankruptcy case. The students claimed the college lied to them about its weak accreditation.

Besides students, those set to receive nothing from the liquidation include school co-founder Doug Smith and his wife, who loaned the school over $683,000 combined in an effort to keep it in business.

Altogether, the proposed bankruptcy distribution lists $7.55 million in allowable claims, 88 percent of which is set to go unpaid in the final distribution.

Objections to the distribution plan are due Monday.

View post:

McNally Smith bankruptcy leaves nothing for students of music school - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

Experts expect wave of bankruptcies as pandemic stifles incomes, aid runs out – AberdeenNews.com

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic hardships it is causing will likely result in a wave of personal, farm and small-business bankruptcies in South Dakota and beyond in the coming months that will be both a result and a cause of a wider economic crisis spurred by the coronavirus.

So far, federal aid and unemployment programs, and several months of restricted access to the court system, have delayed a rise in bankruptcies from showing up in court filings.

But increased rates of unemployment, reduced incomes of people at all levels of the economy and a coming debt crisis will all play a role in the anticipated bankruptcy storm that could affect a wide range of individuals and businesses, including people who long saw themselves as financially stable, said Breck Miller, community relations director for Lutheran Social Services Center for Financial Resources in Sioux Falls.

It would not surprise me at all if we do see an increase in the number of bankruptcy filings, Miller said. The pandemic really put a lot of people in a financial bind, and I think its going to strike across the demographics. Its not just a low-income thing.

Federally backed financial assistance programs have helped keep food on many familys tables during the pandemic and have so far helped many of the hardest-hit South Dakotans stave off bankruptcy.

Mortgage forbearance, which allows for a delay or reduction in house payments, was granted as part of the federal CARES Act, and helped some homeowners manage debt. Temporary aid was also provided through new payment options from credit-card companies, and some borrowers were granted a pause in student loan payments.

But as federal assistance programs expire, and private lenders start seeking back payments on home and car loans, experts say many people in financially vulnerable positions will soon find that the debt they took on during the worst of the pandemic has become too much to handle.

The scariest thing for us in our office was that payment options werent necessarily laid out, or at least not understood clearly when people took the forbearances, said Miller.

Mortgage payments delayed through forbearance still must be paid, sometimes as soon as the forbearance period ends. A homeowner could be on the hook for hundreds or even thousands of dollars in back payments that must be made and carry the risk of defaulting on loans.

Back payments alone will drive more people to seek bankruptcy protections in the coming months, said Clair Gerry, a bankruptcy attorney from Sioux Falls.

For that reason alone I would expect to see a big uptick in Chapter 13s, Gerry said of the personal bankruptcy filings.

As of late July, 16,000 South Dakota residents were unemployed, and many were forced to turn to credit cards or drawing down savings to survive, Miller said. As of August, those unemployed workers lost the $600 weekly enhanced unemployment benefit created by Congress as part of its pandemic relief efforts.

A rising wave of bankruptcies could lengthen the pandemics economic recession as small businesses and consumers struggle to restructure their debts or sell off what they own or write off debts they cant pay. The burden has already been immense for many families at all income levels in South Dakota, many of whom have said they couldnt withstand an unexpected $400 expense without taking on more debt even before COVID-19 hit.

Consumer spending, meanwhile, is sure to fall and the economy overall will suffer, said Joe Mahon, an economist and outreach director at the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank.

Think of all those people who lost their jobs and lost their incomes, Mahon said. Even with the unemployment benefits that they might have been receiving, theyre probably thinking more about hanging on to their discretionary money rather than going out and spending on appliances and clothing and things like that.

If consumers are stuck paying off debts, they cant spend their money at local businesses, many of which also took on additional debt to survive the pandemic and which will be less able to expand. That will result in fewer job openings for people trying to return to work as their unemployment runs out and the economy continues to open up

We know that that large of a shock to employment is going to have a long and persistent feedback effect on the economy, Mahon said.

Exactly when the bankruptcy bomb will go off is anybodys guess at this point, economists and bankruptcy experts say, but they worry it is only a matter of time before filings rise rapidly.

My phone calls right now, a substantial part of them, are asking about what happens when this is over, with people asking, Should I come see you?, Gerry said. Based on those calls, I just know theres a storm looming everybody is predicting that theres going to be a lot of bankruptcies filed by fall or winter.

stemming bankruptcy flood, for nowSo far, 2020 has been a relatively slow year for bankruptcy courts. Nationwide, total bankruptcy filings were down about 23% compared to the first six months of 2019. In South Dakota, by the end of July, bankruptcy filings were down about 16% compared to the first seven months of 2019, said South Dakota Bankruptcy Court clerk Frederick Entwistle.

Much of the decline is due to a near total shutdown in bankruptcy activity at courts that went dark during the last half of March and all of April, Entwistle said. But by the end of May, bankruptcy filings had returned to near-normal levels in South Dakota. By the end of June, 416 personal bankruptcies had been filed in South Dakota during the calendar year, according to data from the American Bankruptcy Institute.

There are several reasons bankruptcy filings have yet to rise. One of the biggest reasons may actually be the relatively high unemployment rate. At the end of June, 7.2% of the South Dakota workforce was unemployed, which is more than double the pre-pandemic unemployment rate of 3.1% recorded in March.

Bankruptcy attorneys and financial counselors have recommended to clients that they hold off on filing for bankruptcy until the worst of their financial losses have ended. Often, that meant waiting until finding a job and figuring out what their new monthly income would be. If an individual files for bankruptcy but has to keep living off of credit cards or other forms of debt, any debt incurred after the initial filing wont be discharged or reorganized as part of the bankruptcy proceeding.

There are other good reasons to hold off on filing for bankruptcy right now, Gerry said. Sometimes waiting until after a tax return has been received and spent is a good idea, for example. Spending down one-time payments such as stimulus checks or other state or federal financial assistance is also a good idea to do before filing for bankruptcy.

When COVID hit, everyone was kind of holding their breath. Thats why were waiting for the storm to break, until people get back to work and we find out what the new norm is, Gerry said. When they dont have a paycheck coming in, theyre not being garnished. And right now, theres a lot less collection-type action because collectors know theres not much they can do at this point.

South Dakotans, in general, also tend to avoid bankruptcy. The state currently ranks 45th lowest in the per-capita rate of bankruptcy filings out of the 50 states and has had one of the lowest per-capita bankruptcy filing rates for more than a decade. Over the past five years, there have been fewer than 1,100 personal bankruptcies filed in the state each year. In 2019, just 964 people or married couples filed for either chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy.

Recessions, though, tend to push people beyond their financial limits faster and farther than they can cope with. In 2010, when the effects of the Great Recession of 2008 peaked in South Dakota, 2,000 people filed for bankruptcy protection, nearly double the number from before the Great Recession began.

Only a matter of

Experts cannot predict just how bad the COVID-19 economic fallout will be, but the picture is not likely to be pretty. Unlike the Great Recession, which took years to play out and left agriculture relatively unscathed, the COVID-19 economic crisis has hit every state at roughly the same time and in much the same way.

South Dakota, despite its lack of state government mandated business closures or other mandated social distancing measures, fell off the same economic cliff as its more restrictive neighbors, Mahon said. Traffic at businesses of all types, but most especially bars, hotels and restaurants, cratered in April and didnt return to pre-pandemic levels until July.

You still had people losing their jobs. We know employment has fallen in the state. So you would expect that to have that feed-through effect on household finances, that will ultimately show up in bankruptcies, Mahon said.

COVID-19 also came at a time when farmers and ranchers, South Dakotas economic bedrock, were struggling against a trade war and low prices for grain, soybeans and cattle. In fact, January and February of 2020 saw overall bankruptcy filings in South Dakota increase over the same period in 2019 due to a jump in farm bankruptcies, said Gerry.

We were doing a lot of restructuring or mediation for farms near the first part of the year to get ready for spring planting, he said.

The news isnt all bad, though. More South Dakota small businesses have reopened and have started hiring again when compared to other states. South Dakota also boasts slightly more new job postings than in its neighbors, according to data from the Minneapolis reserve bank.

Much of what happens over the next few months will depend on what Congress comes up with as far as economic stimulus, and how long it takes those currently unemployed to get back to work. Avoiding a surge in bankruptcies, though, will take a lot more stimulus and far faster employment and wage growth than is likely to occur.

It would take more than the stimulus that was talked about last time, Gerry said. That just kept people fed, basically doing that again and taking care of emergencies is not going to cure the future.

See the rest here:

Experts expect wave of bankruptcies as pandemic stifles incomes, aid runs out - AberdeenNews.com

Recent Case: Rights Of A Commercial Landlord As A Creditor In Bankruptcy Of Tenant – Real Estate and Construction – Canada – Mondaq News Alerts

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

10 August 2020

Minden Gross LLP

To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com.

On April 27, 2020, the Ontario Court of Appeal released itsdecision in Curriculum Services Canada/Services DesProgrammes D'Etudes Canada (Re), 2020 ONCA 267("Curriculum"). This case addresses a commerciallandlord's rights as a creditor in the bankruptcy of its tenantfollowing the disclaimer of the lease by the trustee inbankruptcy.

By way of background, it is worth noting that:

Following the tenant's bankruptcy in Curriculum,the landlord filed a proof of claim in bankruptcy, asserting both aPreferred Claim (relying on the BIA) and an unsecured claim forFuture Damages (relying on the principles stated in HighwayProperties). The trustee in bankruptcy disclaimed the leaseand allowed the Rental Arrears Portion of the Preferred Claim,without addressing the Accelerated Rent Portion of the PreferredClaim. Further, the trustee disallowed the landlord's unsecuredclaim for Future Damages on the basis that the law deems "thedisclaimer of a lease in Ontario by a trustee in bankruptcy as aconsensual surrender of the lease by the tenant to the landlord,and consequently no claim for damages can be found on the cessationof obligations under the lease."

Not surprisingly, the landlord appealed the trustee'sdecision to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, arguing that thelandlord's losses flowing from the disclaimer of lease arecontractual damages and "should be treated equally with anycontractual damages potentially suffered by any of Curriculum'sother creditors." The Superior Court sided with the trusteeand dismissed the landlord's appeal.

The landlord appealed again. The Ontario Court of Appeal allowedthe appeal in part, to allow the landlord to rank as an unsecuredcreditor for the Accelerated Rent Portion of its Preferred Claim,relying on Section 136(1)(f) of the BIA. However, the Court foundthat the disclaimer of the Lease by the trustee in bankruptcyoperated to end the tenant's obligations under the Lease anddismissed the landlord's claim to rank as an unsecured creditorto recover Future Damages.

The Court of Appeal explained that Mussens Ltd., Re,[1933] O.W.N. 459 (Ont. S.C.) ("Mussens")"stands for the principle that, under Ontario law, the trusteeof a bankrupt tenant is permitted by statute to bring an end to thelease, and all future obligations of the tenant thereunder, bysurrendering possession of the leased premises or disclaiming thelease within three months of the bankruptcy."

The Court found that while it would not support aninterpretation of Mussens that would characterize adisclaimer as a consensual surrender for all purposes, Crystalline Investments Ltd. v. DomgroupLtd., [2004] 1 S.C.R. 60 (S.C.C.) left intact therule articulated in Mussens that on disclaimer of acommercial lease by its trustee, an Ontario landlord has no claimas an unsecured creditor in the bankrupt tenant's estate forFuture Damages, except to recover the Accelerated Rent Portion ofthe Preferred Claim, which is specifically provided for bystatute.

Further, while Highway Properties recognized that alease is also a contract, and provided for a landlord's optionto accept a tenant's repudiation and sue for Future Damages,the case did not address a situation of bankruptcy or insolvencyand the remedies for a tenant's repudiation do not apply once atrustee has disclaimed the lease.

We were relieved to see the Ontario Court of Appeal allow thelandlord's Preferred Claim in its entirety (both the RentalArrears Portion and the Accelerated Rent Portion). However, wequestion the correctness in law of the decision regarding FutureDamages in light of the Supreme Court's decision in HighwayProperties. Additionally, we do not understand why thelandlord would be entitled to claim as an unsecured creditor forthe Accelerated Rent Portion of its Preferred Claim, which clearlyincludes post-disclaimer obligations, but not for Future Damages.Unfortunately, since the landlord chose not to appeal to theSupreme Court, the Court of Appeal's decision inCurriculum is now binding law in Ontario, and it will berelied upon by trustees in bankruptcy to reject a landlord'sunsecured claim for Future Damages.

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

POPULAR ARTICLES ON: Real Estate and Construction from Canada

COVID Worry: Experts Say Wave Of Bankruptcies Likely In SD – Yankton Daily Press

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

So far, federal aid and unemployment programs, and several months of restricted access to the court system, have delayed a rise in bankruptcies from showing up in court filings.

Federally backed financial assistance programs have helped keep food on many familys tables during the pandemic and have so far helped many of the hardest-hit South Dakotans stave off bankruptcy.

Back payments alone will drive more people to seek bankruptcy protections in the coming months, said Clair Gerry, a bankruptcy attorney from Sioux Falls.

For that reason alone I would expect to see a big uptick in Chapter 13s, Gerry said of the personal bankruptcy filings.

Consumer spending, meanwhile, is sure to fall and the economy overall will suffer, said Joe Mahon, an economist and outreach director at the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank.

If consumers are stuck paying off debts, they cant spend their money at local businesses, many of which also took on additional debt to survive the pandemic. That will result in fewer job openings for people trying to return to work as their unemployment runs out and the economy continues to open up.

Exactly when the bankruptcy bomb will go off is anybodys guess at this point, economists and bankruptcy experts say, but they worry it is only a matter of time before filings rise rapidly.

I just know theres a storm looming, Gerry said. Everybody is predicting that theres going to be a lot of bankruptcies filed by fall or winter.

So far, 2020 has been a relatively slow year for bankruptcy courts. Nationwide, total bankruptcy filings were down about 23% compared to the first six months of 2019. In South Dakota, by the end of July, bankruptcy filings were down about 16% compared to the first seven months of 2019, said South Dakota Bankruptcy Court clerk Frederick Entwistle.

Read more from the original source:

COVID Worry: Experts Say Wave Of Bankruptcies Likely In SD - Yankton Daily Press

Outside the Hive – Resilience

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Richard PowersThe Overstoryis a big novel of ideas about humans and the natural world that will keep me thinking long after turning the final page. Here I just want to pick up on one among many of its themes and offer a few brief reflections on it, perhaps as the final curtain to the present trio of posts on collapse.

In response to an episode of (male) violence between strangers, followed by a linked episode of (male) domestic violence, Powers puts this thought into the mind of one of his protagonists: Humankind is deeply ill. The species wont last long. It was an aberrant experiment. Soon the world will be returned to the healthy intelligences, the collective ones. Colonies and hives.

Reviewing the book inThe Guardian, Benjamin Markovits wrote Its hard not to feel that something slightly antihuman has crept into the philosophy. Maybe the quotation above is a case in point (and theres much else in the book that one could use to prosecute Markovits view).

But Id like to press a different line of reasoning. Is humankind deeply ill? Im not sure thats so when we think about our species as an aggregate of its individuals. Certainly, there are some ill or alienated people among us who cause a lot of damage. But maybe thats true of other species. In one study of a seagull colony, almost one in four chicks were eaten by adult birds, the majority by just four individual gulls one of whom ate his own offspring while allowing a chick hed stolen and brought back to his nest to survive. Seabird colonies seem rather like human slums, with the majority flocking together because thats what they need to do to get by, but thereby making themselves vulnerable to predatory violence.

Maybe well get somewhere different if we think about illness at the collective level. The constant refrain of cultural critics down the ages is that present society has lapsed into a sick, decadent or fallen state. And the pushback is often something along the lines of Markovits that this is an anti-human, or misanthropic or elitist position that maligns the ordinary struggles of everyday people. This kind of trick is often pulled by eco-modernists and other peddlers ofbusiness-as-usual porn that theirs is the pro-human position, while any wider cultural critique is mere nihilism or misanthropy. However, the point of cultural critique isnt to wallow in nihilism, but to diagnose the source of the malaise in order to improve the human condition. So, for me, to talk of humanitys deep illness isnt necessarily anti-human. I read the line in Powers novel as an invitation to human improvement. And an urgent one, as earth systems collapse around us, threatening our own wellbeing and that of other species.

Yet when I think about how to overcome that human illness and the perturbation in earth systems that its causing, I come to a different endpoint to Powers character on the matter of healthy intelligences. Because it strikes me that the malaise lies precisely in the way that wehavemade ourselves over into a hive culture.

The collective intelligence of humanity is that of the social ape, not the hive insect. Maybe the life history that most fits us to thrive is creating our livelihoods as competent, generalist individuals working within small collectivities families, bands, settlements. Those in turn may be part of larger culture areas, with shared languages and cosmologies and their own inherent ideological tensions, but the arrow of lifes activities is directed at the local specifics of wresting a personal livelihood alongside others in the community.

Yet when I think about modern life, the metaphor of the hive of social insects presents itself. I dont want to over-press it, because clearly there are differences and the mechanisms arent the same. But weve created a world with a ruling caste of queens and drones who determine the parameters of our hive, and a multitude of dependent workers who enact it, who are unable to exist independently of it, but who derive small individual benefit from it beyond the fact they no longer have the capacity to exist outside it. Among the social insects, and particularly among the worker majority, that patterning so far as we know seems to create no tension because, genetically and biologically, thats what theyre built to act out. But its not entirely what humans are built to act out, and it strikes me that a lot of our illness (metaphorical and probably actual) so much frustrated desire, so much ressentiment may stem from this mismatch between what were built to do and what we actually do. Inasmuch as humankind is ill, maybe itsbecauseweve tried to fit ourselves into a collective intelligence, into a hive mind, where we scarcely belong.

Perhaps this too is why so much of the wider biological world has become ill as a result of the human hive. Powers recognizes this elsewhere in his novel: Thats the scary thing about men: get a few together with some simple machines, and theyll move the world. When I lived for a time in the rainforests of British Columbia I was struck by how much of their old growth extent had been levelled by people with fairly rudimentary technologies by todays standards manual saws, winches, logging roads long before the industrialized destruction of chainsaws, forwarders and feller-bunchers had been invented. The secret of that destruction was human social organization, not technological development, and the secret of the social organization was preventing people from making a competent personal livelihood in their own backyards. The militarized, masculine, hive discipline of the logging camp and its analogues is a not a healthy intelligence for humankind.

Again, the pushback against such views always addresses the benefits that humankind has brought to itself through its vast collective organization modern health and wealth, the plethora of consumer goods on which our contemporary culture dotes, and all the rest of it. But I think we need to stop looking at ourselves in the mirror of the past and liking what we see so much, instead addressing the dramatically dangerous trade-offs that our modern hive intelligence poses for us in the here and now. More importantly, I think we need to address the possibility that a world of human autonomy outside the hive might suit us better.

I was struck by this when I read Maarten Boudrysresponseto the critique of his anti-localism article that I published in mylast post. Boudry wrote,

Now of course you can try to satisfy consumer demand in radically different ways (e.g. artificial meat), but you cant just IGNORE the demand. I get the distinct impression that, in @csmajes ideal future, we wont be able to choose what to eat, nor where to live.

It surprises me to read such dismissiveness about a supposed future where we wont be able to choose what to eat, nor where to live when so few of us in the present world have such choices. But, more importantly, Boudry seems to be assuming that consumer demand is something that just bubbles upsui generis, with economic systems arising to meet it and thereby making us happy. I struggle to see this as much more than a delusion from a limited vantage point within the capitalist hive one that insists we must admire only the intricate architecture within, rather than looking at the bigger world outside, and its universe of different possibilities.

In my forthcoming book, I provide a somewhat less admiring appraisal of the capitalist hive, and an alternative narrative about the search for human self-possession and autonomy that might make us seek a different habitat from choice as much as necessity. So I reject Boudrys implication that I seek to coerce people into my utopia (oh well, at least he didnt mention theKhmer Rouge). I think people can easily find fulfilling localisms for themselves, given the opportunity. Nor, I suspect, will consumer demand lead in the future quite where Boudry thinks. The two main businesses in which I have some involvement a small, local market garden and a small campsite have been inundated with customers since the Covid-19 outbreak as a result of the fracturing of the larger economic structures it caused. In the short-term, that fracturing may or may not diminish, but in the long-term I think it will prove the merest tremor to the changes that are afoot. Consumer demand will follow.

For these reasons, I think I absolutely can ignore consumer demand in its present incarnation. Instead, let me herald producer demand. Let everyone occupy their 1.6 acre share of global farmland, then raise as much (non-artificial) livestock for meat as they possibly can, should they wish. Itll turn out to furnish them with much less meat than the average North American or Western European currently eats, but the living animals will do a lot of other useful work on the farm. And Im not sure the producers will be significantly less happy than the average consumer in todays world. The difficulty is the transition from todays consumerism to that future producerism, not the lure of the producerist endpoint.

The journalist Rafael Behr writes in a different (butrelated context):

People are perfectly able to understand the concept of a painful trade-off because they occur in life all the time. All but the most privileged minority are forced to choose between what they want and what they can afford. All but the most selfish among us understands the need sometimes to suppress selfish impulses in favour of duty towards others. There are only a few who find that concept challenging.

I might go further and argue that accepting painful trade-offs can make us happy, and part of our contemporary illness is in supposing otherwise often at the behest of the few who think that selfish impulses lead to collective benefit (theres a whole sub-theme here on virtue versus vice as the motive force of collective intelligence that we could pursue through intellectual history from Bernard Mandeville to E.O. Wilson but lets leave that for another day).

Boudry calls future producerist visions of the future such as mine a pipedream. Hes probably right. As I see it, every positive vision of the future now is more or less a pipedream, certainly including his notion that we should retreat to a smaller area and decouple from the landscape, so that we can give as much land as possible back to nature. All Ill say here is that there are increasing numbers of people who have started to look outside the hive and find pipedreams like mine more appealing than pipedreams like Boudrys. This is just as well, because I think the future is more likely to look like my pipedream than his.

Well, perhaps Ill say just one more thing. Theres a gender dimension to this discussion that I havent highlighted, but I think is interesting. The violence investing the moments of Richard Powers novel was male, and so perhaps is the violence thats invested the construction of our contemporary human hive. Powers healthy, collective intelligences of colonies and hives, on the other hand Well, its only a thought.

Teaser photo credit: By Stanisaw Masowski Silesian Museum in Katowice, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38367774

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Outside the Hive - Resilience

Aurel Kolnai and the Assault on Creation | Daniel J. Mahoney – First Things

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

As the culture of repudiation takes on pathological forms, aiming to replace Western civilization and American republicanism with a project of pure negation, those who wish to preserve our inheritance might profitably turn to thinkers from the past who can illumine the totalitarian nihilism all around us. One lesser-known thinker who truly belongs in the pantheon of anti-totalitarian thought is Aurel Kolnai (1900-1973), a Hungarian-born Jew who converted to Catholicism in 1926 under the influence of G. K. Chestertons writings.

A phenomenologist and moral and political philosopher of great insight, Kolnai, along with Dietrich von Hildebrand, wrote the first sustained critique of National Socialist ideology in the German-language press, beginning in 1926. His battle against the paganism of the National Socialist regime culminated in a best-selling book,War Against the West, published in Britain and the United States in 1938. Some of the chapter titles and subtitles give one immediate access to the spirit of the book:Tribal Egotism versus Humanity and Objective Standards, The Eros of Militarism, The Revolt against Liberty, The Revival of Elemental Forces, The New Paganism, Lawless Law, and Racial Purity. A lifelong critic of National Socialism, Kolnai self-consciously wrote as a Christian and philosopher defending the soul of the West (as he called it) against the primitivism of National Socialist ideologists.

After the war, Kolnai taught at the University of Laval in Quebec City before his final move to England and the University of Bedford in 1955. While in Quebec City, he concluded that communism, not Nazism, was the most perfected form of totalitarianism. In 1950, he wrote a daring and illuminating essay called Three Riders of the Apocalypse in which he discussed the affinities among Nazism, communism, and what he called progressive democracy. As we shall see, Kolnai saw much truth in democracy and in Chestertons plain man, but opposed the doctrinaire and even revolutionary democratic notions advanced in the name of the common man. In an essay from the same period, The Meaning of the Common Man, Kolnai outlined an alternative to the illusions of progressive democracy. A democracy worth its salt should emphasize its political continuity with Western traditions of constitutionalism and its moral continuity with the high tradition of Antiquity, Christendom, and the half-surviving Liberal cultures of yesterday. True democracy, informed by conservative constitutionalism and the moral law, is rooted in respect for the rule of law and a transcendental support for human liberty and dignity.

Unlike progressive democracy, Kolnai argued, conservative democracy respects the best of the liberal tradition and rests upon a balanced social and political order that limits all social powers and political prerogatives and defers to a Power radically beyond and above Man in his social reality, in his political dignity and in all manifestations of his will. Kolnai was a thoughtful partisan of what Tocqueville once called liberty under God and the law. Progressive democrats see no enemies to the Left. They too often indulge revolutionary regimes and destructive social movementsprecisely because these democrats have distorted and repudiated indispensable Christian categories. At a profoundly spiritual level, Christianity set men free and lifted [them] above the flats of his fallen nature. Modern humanitarianism, the religion of humanity, put forth a new, utopian program whereby angry and impatient human beings construed the automatic workings of [mans] fallen nature into a mirage of self-made heaven. And in the final, metaphysically mad epiphany, to cite a Burkean formulation, revolutionaries engage in destructive totalitarian projects that attack recalcitrant reality, afire with the unholy rage of . . . emancipation and sovereignty. All of this necessarily culminates in what Kolnai never tired of calling the self-enslavement of man.

In a 1972 essay that explored the respective Conservative and Revolutionary Ethos, Kolnai acknowledged that revolutionaries could from time to time constructively challenge the complacency of the rich and the powerful. In this essay, however, Kolnai argued that conservatives, much more than revolutionaries, could appreciate what was just and legitimate in the challenge from the other side. Reform, and appeal to objective and enduring verities, are essential to authentic conservatism. With a conservatism informed by Christian conscience, the table of moral duties remains inviolate in theory, and often in practice. Not so for revolutionaries, cultural and political.

As Kolnai wrote in his 1960 essay The Utopian Mind (he also left an unfinished but now published book by the same name), angry and moralistic revolutionaries make light of the concrete demands of the Ten Commandments and demonize real and imagined enemies of the people. Conscience and moral duties make no claims on their hearts, and are actively dismissed, even mocked, in the name of revolutionary ideology. In the end, Kolnai wrote in the conclusion of Conservative and Revolutionary Ethos, their critique is leveled not at this or that ruler, this or that system of power, nor at Nature, history, or mankind, but atthe world itself, atCreation.

Against the revolution of nihilism in its various permutations, against this project of emancipation-turned-self-enslavement, Christians and all persons of good will must take their stand with the guardians of continuity. If we have confidence in the natural order of things, if we do our civic and moral duties, if we have faith in the goodness of God our father and friend, we will surely outlast our opponents. But that depends on an anti-totalitarian Christian political philosophy worthy of the name, one open to the dual tasks of conservation and reform.

Daniel J. Mahoney holds the Augustine Chair in Distinguished Scholarship at Assumption University.

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Aurel Kolnai and the Assault on Creation | Daniel J. Mahoney - First Things

SA Film Fest Review: A convict and boy bond in the overly predictable drama The Good Wolf – KENS5.com

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

There isn't much middle ground between when the Texas-shot movie decides to play it safe and when it decides to be jarringly nihilistic.

SAN ANTONIO For a drama about looking inward, The Good Wolf doesnt successfully encourage any meaningful reflection. For a movie thats fairly brisk, it persists with the subtlety of an insurance commercial. For a story that insists on finding the good in people, its violent flashes of nihilism are more indicative of a narrative mired in existential crisis.

But at least its only 90 minutes long?

The Good Wolf is the feature debut for Texas filmmaker Will Shipley, part of the lineup for this months San Antonio Film Festival and doesnt try to hide what kind of movie its going to be. Its opening shots consist of forest grounds and bits of security tape while, in the background, a news anchor broadcasts a warning of an escaped convict on the loose in Texas. The setup is one weve seen dozens, hundreds, thousands of times before in fiction, but the stakes are nonetheless set in stone on arrival.

Frustratingly, so is everything else. Successful dramas can ensnare an inquisitive moviegoer with a one-sentence elevator pitch; The Good Wolf does the opposite. A gold-hearted inmate befriends a fatherless boy playing in the woodsthat one sentence of plot is all thats needed for your mind to instantaneously map out where the movie probably will go and (unless this is the first film youve seen in 10 years) it will absolutely hit every single one of those beats, hoping we dont notice the lack of originality on the way.

Vic Trevino plays the inmate in question. We will learn the story behind his life sentence. Young Jack Dullnig is Sam, the 12-year-old who forges a connection with him. We will learn to become used to his shallow characterization. A few others fill in the periphery of a story that skirts the natural tension offered by its conceit Can we trust James? Is his friendly approach just an act to get what he needs out of Sam? for a bizarre bond that finds Sam the active agent in setting the movie in motion. After he warily agrees to let James sleep (and hide from the law) in his backwoods treehouse, he bounces back a few hours later with sleeping bag, clothes and an eagerness to camp out with this sweat-streaked man 30 years his senior. Whatever happened to stranger danger?

A feigned sweetness blossoms from the connection, one that never transcends Sams questionable motivations (wait: what exactly are his motivations?). And events pass how we expect them to, almost right when we expect them to. Of course James ends up filling the empty father role. Of course theres a Wanted poster with his face in the convenience store. Of course Sams mom comes home while James is taking a shower. Of course they divulge personal truths in an Independence Day-set scene thats so treacle itll give you cavities. The devotion to formula is overwhelming, and the primary source of intrigue becomes which bad decision of definitely-not-lying-low will have the cops come a-knockin.

Right about now is a good time to mention a caveat about The Good Wolf, and Id be remiss not tothe movie was produced on the shoestringiest of shoestring budgets, with an estimated cost of no more than $10,000. Its a tiny dollar amount that probably represents the cost of lunch on Day 95 of Tenets production, and it certainly isnt a shock to hear it; Shipleys biggest set piece comes in a cruel scene involving a dog, a pillowsack and some firecrackers (yeah, its not one of the films more cathartic moments). But while there are numerous examples in early (and recent!) movie history of budget limitations yielding ingeniously creative works from young filmmakers, here a miniscule budget does not a source for economic movie magic make.

Instead, I was mostly left wanting to watch the Matthew McConaughey vehicle Mud or this years Australian drama Jasper Jones againtwo other films that are smarter and more captivating in their blend of crime drama and coming-of-age character study. There are moments in The Good Wolf including the confoundingly self-defeating climax that make its messaging feel so paradoxical that it borders on incoherence. Thats all the stranger given how straight-faced a story this is, save for a few scenes of jarringly violent character decisions that feel lifted from a bleaker movie.

The best thing about the movie is Trevino, who more often than not effectively personifies a lost soul who doesnt know where to go and might indeed have nowhere to go after nearly a quarter-century behind bars. James is weary of the world and perhaps not long for this version of it, and its the movies most interesting implication that where he ends up was the only place he could end up, so long as you can get past his baffling movie-ending decision, one that makes it feel like we never really got to know the real James at all. While Trevino is capable of the simple part, thought, the child performance anchoring the movies sentimentality just doesnt succeed in terms of believability, relatability or intentionalityand the sparse narrative of The Good Wolf needs plenty of each to be better than it is. Dullnig just isnt done any favors when sharing the screen with Trevino, which is more often than not. Youd find better chemistry on a network news panel, and maybe a more satisfying use of your time, too.

This review was written as part of KENS 5's 2020 San Antonio Film Festival coverage.

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SA Film Fest Review: A convict and boy bond in the overly predictable drama The Good Wolf - KENS5.com

Lou Williams trip to the strip club during a pandemic actually makes sense – SB Nation

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Lou Williams made headlines when the Clippers guard was forced into quarantine in the NBA bubble after it was revealed he went to a strip club in Atlanta without notifying anyone, potentially causing a Covid-19 outbreak inside the league. After hearing Williams explain what happened, it actually makes sense, believe it or not.

Williams had approval to go to Atlanta for a family-emergency, the funeral of Paul G. Williams a close friend of the family, and a man he considers a mentor throughout his life. On Tuesday night he spoke of the importance of the man to his life.

I went somewhere after a viewing of somebody I considered a mentor, somebody I looked up to, first black man I seen with legal money in my life.

Williams said he wasnt thinking clearly when he left the funeral and went to get food at one of his favorite restaurants in Atlanta, Magic City, a strip club. Now, before you laugh at that last sentence (and trust me, I laughed too at the idea of the strip club being a premiere restaurant) their food does look pretty amazing.

Williams love of Magic City is more than just an excuse. Its extremely well documented. Not only has he been espousing his love of their wings on social media for over a year, but he frequents the place so often that he even has his own sauce flavor there. If you ever want to eat like Lou Williams at a strip club, just get the Louwill Lemon Pepper BBQ, which sounds like it has a lot going on.

Of course, this was a dumb move. Williams acknowledges that now. He claims he just wasnt thinking clearly when he decided to put himself at risk of contracting Covid to get some wings, but honestly, weve all been there after the death of a loved one. You dont think clearly, theres a certain devil-may-care nihilism that creeps in where you dont care enough about personal safety, and youre looking for personal comfort above all else. I lost my father-in-law this summer, so I get it but of course this doesnt explain why a dancer at Magic City claims she gave Williams a lap dance while he was there. Thats beyond the pale, and clearly a very dumb move. Thankfully he didnt put the league in jeopardy due to his excursion.

I truly was grieving two weeks ago. I was really going through something. I was thrown under the bus, you know what Im saying? ... All the attention turned to Magic City because its a gentlemens club. I feel like if I was at a steakhouse or Hooters or whatever, it wouldnt be half the story.

Williams has a point here. Theres nothing inherently worse about going to a strip club than a restaurant, a casino, or any of the other places athletes have been traveling to during the pandemic it just makes for more salacious headlines. Sex sells, and the only thing a Bloomin Onion turns on is the hardening of your arteries. At the end of the day we can evaluate Williams bad decision for what it was: Leaving the bubble and going anywhere with a crowd during the pandemic, without adding a layer of judgement on for where he went.

Ultimately, things went about as well as anyone could have hoped. Williams didnt contract Covid, he didnt spread it through the league all he got was a 10-day quarantine when he returned to the bubble, where he used his time wisely.

I was able to finish a couple of books. I did some crossword puzzles.

Life is all about balance. Sometimes you need to read your books and do crosswords, sometimes you need wings from a strip club. The NBA dodged a considerable bullet, and Williams learned his lesson. Its important for us to understand why he made a bad decision, and have compassion for someone dealing with grief in his own way.

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Lou Williams trip to the strip club during a pandemic actually makes sense - SB Nation

The real story behind the birth of grunge on the runway – Vogue India

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

The story behind the emergence of grunge on the runway begins like this. True fans of grungethe loud Seattle sound born in Americas Pacific Northwest during the late 1980sand the recalcitrant talents who unwittingly gave the world grunge style, didnt imagine, or more importantly, want what they represented to end up on the catwalk. But it happened anyways.

The outsider genre that went pop in the early 1990s originally rose out of the ashes of punk rock and the chaos of heavy metal in a rainy place that, by the 1980s, touring bands refused to visit (going only as far as San Francisco, some 800 miles south). Long before middle-class teenagers from New York to Tokyo were wearing slouchy Nevermind T-shirts, this yet-to-be-named scene serviced local musiciansand it was feverishly high-jinx. The humour (a mix of arch wit and outright goofiness) and wisdom of grunge originals Mudhoney, Green River, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden would later be misconstrued as nihilism by the mainstream media, meaning that most of the world missed the pointthat the music at the centre of the movement had kind of begun as an inside joke between self-satirising Seattle bands who purposefully never used more than three chords in any one song and sang about being sick, as Mudhoneys Mark Arm deadpans in Doug Prays 1996 documentary Hype!

For early audiences (made up mostly of other local bands), witnessing the fun that grunge acts had while performing was both the dissolving solution and the ultimate retort to the banalities of suburban life. The question is: how did it become chic?

In spite of the mass commodification of the grunge uniform, the clothes bands wore on and off stage were a pretty regular rendition of Seattle style at the timejust, perhaps, a little off. Before long, the baggy T-shirts and long johns caught on (thanks to the underground hype created by record label Sub Pop) and grunge became emblematic of a changing America eager to dismiss the glamorous ideals of the 1980s that didnt deliver in reality.

Footage of Kurt Cobainthe antithetic poster boy of grungeat the first public performance of Smells Like Teen Spirit shows the Washington native wearing a nondescript flannel shirt over a nondescript T-shirt (standard logger territory attire). His hair was red at the time, or at least it looks red in the clubs lighting.

The fashion world caught the mood when Nevermind, Nirvanas second album, was released in the autumn of 1991. By the next year, grunge-like layering made its way down the runway at Calvin Klein on an 18-year-old Kate Moss. Soon after, plaid, proportion-play and silhouettes that hinted to suburban thrift (including shrunken babydoll dresses and antique-styled slip dresses) became a catwalk staple at New York Fashion Week where, just as in music, a changing of the guard was taking place. Then in SS93, Marc Jacobs chose to showcase an all-grunge-themed collection for American sportswear label Perry Ellis. In less than 30 minutes, Jacobs had put a spoke in the wheel of high fashion, offering something entirely accessible that mirrored the universal youth movement that was in full flow. It was a show that, as Vogue reports, both got him fired and made his career.

This is your recap of the runway moments that were born out of high-fashion admiration for the authenticity and anarchy of grunge.

Why MLB didn’t use bubble plan for 2020 regular season; and what league insiders think of the decision – CBS Sports

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Major League Baseball was not the first American professional sports league to return to play during the pandemic when it started the 2020 season on July 23. By then, both the National Women's Soccer League and Major League Soccer had gotten tournaments off the ground. Since Dr. Anthony Fauci delivered the ceremonial first pitch, the Women's and Men's National Basketball Associations, as well as the National Hockey League, have all lit their candles.

What MLB was, and what MLB remains, is the only of those leagues to take its show on the road. The other five have not sent their clubs traveling to and fro across the country (MLS, however, intends to play in home markets later this month). Instead, they have been tucked away in secured bubbles. The WNBA, NBA, and MLS made their homes in various parts of Florida; the NWSL held a tournament in Utah; and the NHL is off and skating in Canada, which has a better handle on the pandemic than the United States does.

It is perhaps not a coincidence, then, that MLB is the only one of those leagues whose resumption has become endangered. Last week, commissioner Rob Manfred reportedly told MLB Players Association head Tony Clark that the season could be scrapped soon if the COVID-19 situation didn't improve. Manfred's warning came after the Miami Marlins had suffered an outbreak, but before the St. Louis Cardinals had engendered one of their own. The season was not canceled on Monday, a presumed potential stopping point by those privy to the conversation. Whatever spirit that had inhibited Manfred days earlier was gone by the weekend, when he told ESPN's Karl Ravech that, among other things,he was not a "quitter."

Maybe not, but Manfred is the overseer of a league that has had, in two weeks' time, two COVID-19 outbreaks; that has had to sideline 20 percent of the league due to those outbreaks (or related complications); that has a team who is unable to enter its host country; that has seen more and more veteran players opt out instead of playing on; and that has already seen one player lost for the season due to the heart ailment developed because of a bout with COVID.

Manfred may not have plans to quit, but perhaps he has regrets. Between MLB's season teetering on the edge and the comparable success of the other American sports league, it's fair to wonder: did MLB err by eschewing a bubble? CBS Sports spent the past week asking various MLB front-office types what they thought. Here's what came from those conversations.

It's important to remember that MLB did consider the bubble concept. A month into the pandemic, CBS Sports was the first to report on the possibility of the league employing a three-hub arrangement. MLB would have had teams stationed across Arizona, Texas, and Florida, ostensibly playing a regional schedule (similar to the current agreement) at various big-league and minor-league stadiums. MLB was said to have again pondered the bubble after the Philadelphia Phillies experienced an outbreak at their spring-training facilities in mid-June.

The accepted explanation around the league is that the bubble concept was left on the drawing room floor because the players were not on board with the idea. One source, who indicated that the owners are responsible for much of what ails the league, said this aspect of the season falls on the players. Another nodded to the length of the season as a reason why players objected.

A few players were vocal about their reservations, including Mike Trout, the Los Angeles Angels outfielder who doubles as the sport's best player and de facto face.

"[Being] quarantined in a city, I was reading for -- if we play -- a couple of months, it would be difficult for some guys. What are you going to do with family members?" said Trout, whose wife Jessica recently gave birth to the couple's first child. "[The] mentality is that we want to get back as soon as we can. But it has to be realistic. It can't be sitting in our hotel rooms, and just going from the field to the hotel room and not being able to do anything. I think that's pretty crazy."

The players' reluctance to leave their families behind for months at a time was understandable. So was their optimism that the country's pandemic response would allow for improved traveling conditions later in the year, paving the way for a season that was shorter but more conventional.

"I think it would be a weird product on the field, guys wouldn't be as motivated, we'd be playing in 100 degrees in the summer of Arizona," Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling said. "Why don't we wait a month, get it to more of a safer place, and play a little bit less games."

Unfortunately, that hope was wasted. The pandemic was in a worse state when the league started play in July than when it shuttered operations nearly four months prior. There were 17,656 new positive tests nationwide on March 26, the originally scheduled Opening Day; comparatively, there were more than 33,021 positive tests on July 24, Opening Day 2.0, according to covidtracking.com.

The league and its owners were not responsible for the pandemic's re-ignition. What they were responsible for was the seemingly disproportionate amount of time that was spent on finances instead of health protocols. (Even now, the two sides are having to play catch-up on seemingly obvious manners, like the hiring and installation of compliance officers.) They were responsible, too, for creating an untrusting, confrontational environment rather than the collaborative one shared by other leagues, wherein players were more accepting of the bubble.

More is known about COVID-19 now than in March: how it, despite being a respiratory disease, affects the pulmonary system; how it is more likely to spread through the air than on surfaces; how it incubates, with better estimates on the lag time between infection and contagion, between infection and a positive test, and between infection and the onset of symptoms; and so on. All that additional information, plus lived experience, has led to some course-correction.

Marlins outfielder Harold Ramirez, who was one of the 18 Miami players to test positive for COVID-19, suggested last week that MLB should consider changing lanes. "Right now [a bubble] is a good idea," he said, "that could avoid something like [Miami's outbreak]."

The majority of the front-office types surveyed by CBS Sports thought that a bubble was preferable, but not everyone in the game agrees that it was doable, or that it would've worked (and not just because of the obvious ethical issues).

Independent of the players' consent, the main argument against the bubble's viability concerns logistics. MLB's needs are so different from other leagues, in terms of size and scope, that it is thought that a complex approach would not be feasible.

There is some mathematical validity to this point. One NBA team's roster comprises 15 players; a complete MLB squad, the 30-player roster plus the alternate-site reserves, is 60. If a single MLB team equals four NBA teams, then the entire MLB would equate to about four whole NBAs. The intake process, where the players are tested upon arrival and then quarantined for a length before they're permitted to congregate and resume practice, would have required four times as many hotel rooms and beds, four times as many meals, and four times as much diligence.

"It would've been an incredibly massive undertaking," a National League executive said.

Under the three-hub proposal, MLB would've split the teams and spread the demands. The league still would have had to find a way for 10 teams to practice daily, and for their alternate-site players to remain fit. Even if the schedule was built in a way where teams split five ballparks, rotating hosting duties, those backfield scrimmages needed a place of their own.

Other complications would have included the weather, since there's only so many domed or climate-controlled stadiums to go around; the differences between big-league and minor-league facilities for training and recovery purposes; and the differences between big-league and minor-league facilities for lighting and gameplay purposes. If the Toronto Blue Jays' forced nomadic lifestyle proves anything, it's that even the lighting is better in the Show.

It wouldn't have helped MLB's efforts to keep the season off the ground that Florida, Texas, and Arizona were all COVID-19 hotspots entering July. "The facilities exist there, obviously," a veteran American League front office member said, "but the environments are ... nope."

There is another argument against life in the bubble, one that veers toward nihilism and goes like this: no amount of strategic planning would have prevented the virus from eventually infiltrating and wreaking havoc on the league's best-laid plans. "The belief is this thing is not controllable," the AL exec said, "so we would have outbreaks no matter where we staged it."

Other leagues haven't yet had their bubbles penetrated by COVID-19. Because of the longer runtime and the size of the involved party, MLB might have found it difficult to keep the virus out -- and not just because of poorly or incompletely designed protocols, or careless behavior. The simple reality is that the U.S.'s efforts to contain COVID-19 have failed. Current forecasts indicate that one in 52 Americans is infected. Even if that's an overstatement, the league would've had to keep more than 2,000 individuals away from the virus for more than two months.

Would MLB have been able to maintain the high-grade diligence, the constant testing, and the good luck to pull it off? Perhaps. Would it likely have been preferable to what MLB went with instead? Based on the first two weeks of the season, it's hard to argue otherwise.

See more here:

Why MLB didn't use bubble plan for 2020 regular season; and what league insiders think of the decision - CBS Sports

16 Moments That Tell The Real Story Behind Catwalk Grunge – British Vogue

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

The story behind the emergence of grunge on the runway begins like this. True fans of grunge the loud Seattle sound born in Americas Pacific Northwest during the late 80s and the recalcitrant talents who unwittingly gave the world grunge style, didnt imagine, or more importantly, want what they represented to end up on the catwalk. But it happened anyways.

The outsider genre that went pop in the early 90s originally rose out of the ashes of punk rock and the chaos of heavy metal in a rainy place that, by the 80s, touring bands refused to visit (going only as far as San Francisco, some 800 miles south). Long before middle-class teenagers from New York to Tokyo were wearing slouchy Nevermind T-shirts, this yet-to-be-named scene serviced local musicians and it was feverishly high-jinx. The humour (a mix of arch wit and outright goofiness) and wisdom of grunge originals Mudhoney, Green River, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden would later be misconstrued as nihilism by the mainstream media, meaning that most of the world missed the point that the music at the centre of the movement had kind of begun as an inside joke between self-satirising Seattle bands who purposefully never used more than three chords in any one song and sang about being sick, as Mudhoneys Mark Arm deadpans in Doug Prays 1996 documentary Hype!

No grunge catwalk was complete without 90s supermodels Kristen McMenamy, Stella Tennant, and Eve Salvail.

Photography Getty Images

In spite of the mass commodification of the grunge uniform, the clothes bands wore on and off stage were a pretty regular rendition of Seattle style at the time just, perhaps, a little off. Before long, the baggy T-shirts and long johns caught on (thanks to the underground hype created by record label Sub Pop) and grunge became emblematic of a changing America eager to dismiss the glamorous ideals of the 80s that didnt deliver in reality.

Footage of Kurt Cobain the antithetic poster boy of grunge at the first public performance of Smells Like Teen Spirit shows the Washington native wearing a nondescript flannel shirt over a nondescript T-shirt (standard logger territory attire). His hair was red at the time, or at least it looks red in the clubs lighting.

The fashion world caught the mood when Nevermind, Nirvanas second album, was released in the autumn of 1991. By the next year, grunge-like layering made its way down the runway at Calvin Klein on an 18-year-old Kate Moss. Soon after, plaid, proportion-play, and silhouettes that hinted to suburban thrift (including shrunken babydoll dresses and antique-styled slip dresses) became a catwalk staple at New York Fashion Week where, just as in music, a changing of the guard was taking place. Then in spring/summer 1993, Marc Jacobs chose to showcase an all-grunge-themed collection for American sportswear label Perry Ellis. In less than 30 minutes, Jacobs had put a spoke in the wheel of high fashion, offering something entirely accessible that mirrored the universal youth movement that was in full flow. It was a show that, as American Vogue reports, both got him fired and made his career.

This is your recap of the runway moments that were born out of high-fashion admiration for the authenticity and anarchy of grunge.

Link:

16 Moments That Tell The Real Story Behind Catwalk Grunge - British Vogue

Are we ready for the big Generation X animation comeback? – The Guardian

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Let us take a moment for Generation X, the forgotten middle child buttressed by the primary combatants in the great schism currently defining American culture. Trend-charting magazine articles have left them stuck between the Boomers, desperately clinging to the last vestiges of a disappearing status quo, and the Millennials, ushering in a brave and confusing new world with the help of the ascendant Gen Z. As dominant forces in the mainstream, theyve accordingly enjoyed the spoils of the nostalgia market, with Disney cranking out live-action remakes of 90s favorites for twenty-to-thirtysomethings while Rolling Stone and other legacy publications continue to prop up the musical tastes of people in their 60s. Will no one think of the eye-rollers, the alt-rock pioneers, the disaffected masses that slagged consumerist ambitions decades before the first meme joking about the utter brokenness of capitalism?

That may soon change, however, based on a handful of recent announcements from the TV industry. A mini-revival of seminal Gen-X animation has been slated for the immediate future, ostensibly catering to a demographic raised to view this sort of thing as a crass corporate cash-grab. Last year saw MTV unveil plans for the new cartoon Jodie, a spinoff focusing on a secondary character from the zeitgeist-seizing comedy Daria, itself a spinoff from the adventures of wonder-idiots Beavis and Butthead. The sniggering twosome will also get another shot at the small screen, as Comedy Central announced just last month that creator Mike Judge will bring his most famed creations back for a new series loosing them on the world of 2020. And the network made similar headlines again earlier this week when it revealed that Ren and Stimpy, those hyperactive icons of grotesque Saturday morning dadaism, would also mount a comeback after nearly 30 years off the air.

Jodie eventually jumped MTVs ship for Comedy Central as well, concentrating what now seems like a concerted effort around a single programming slate. In theory, animated intellectual property should be fertile for rebooting; the faces of Daria, Beavis and the like wont age, and the voices of the actors portraying them behind the scenes generally dont either. In the event that they have, its easy enough for a network to find a dead auditory ringer for a replacement. But retrofitting these properties to a new era, which have spent so long identified with their own, could prove problematic.

It seemed like the time was right to get stupid again, came the quote from Judge attached to the Beavis and Butthead press release, a stirring declaration of intent. The beatific dumbness of the characters made them folk heroes to a generation marked by disillusionment and healthy cynicism, a pair of holy fools whose belief system didnt have to extend far past rocking out and cracking wise. Daria Morgendorffer, the over-everything Gen-X-er, was the only one in their world who really seemed to understand what they were about. When Daria got a program of her own, she would lob the occasional feminist critique, while still remaining committed to her core ironic detachment. Ren and Stimpy, meanwhile, leaned into a juvenile nihilism with giddy violence and innuendo that pushed the envelope on kid-friendly host Nickelodeon.

As these shows return, theyll have to contend with a greatly altered entertainment landscape that may not be as hospitable to their distinct sensibilities. Many greeted the news of Ren and Stimpys return with anything from dread to revulsion, due to the recent revelation that the series creator John Kricfalusi had sexually harassed two underage girls during the 90s. As if to speak directly to this point, the Variety item breaking the news about the Ren and Stimpy reboot notes that Kricfalusi will be in no way involved with the series production, and that he will receive no financial remuneration from it. Even so, the series was so integrally informed by his sense of humor that any reboot cannot be fully free of his influence.

The outline for Jodie in Deadlines report makes a more perceptible overture to timeliness: Jodie will satirize workplace culture, Gen Z struggles, the artifice of social media and more. With themes of empowerment across gender and racial lines, explorations of privilege, and a wicked sense of humor, Jodie marks the first adult animated sitcom to center around an African American female lead in nearly two decades. The agreeably progressive ethic aside, this spirit of feelgood go-getter copywriting would activate the real Darias gag reflex.

Thats as clean an omen of the impending friction as one could expect, a sign that these characters may be less than compatible with our present moment of earnest cause-championing and overdue awarenesses. Judge has evolved with the times in his capacity as showrunner for Silicon Valley, and yet when it comes to those hooligans Beavis and Butthead, it feels like its only a matter of time until they get themselves cancelled.

This article was amended on 10 August 2020 to remove a reference to underage women.

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Are we ready for the big Generation X animation comeback? - The Guardian

Altcoin Market Update Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum Classic and Stellar: ETC and XLM face continual bearish correction – FXStreet

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

BCH/USD daily chart

BCH/USD bulls managed to squeeze out an advantage in the early hours of Wednesday and is currently trading for $288.95. This Tuesday, the price dropped after meeting resistance at the $297.10 line and dropped below the upward channel formation. The MACD shows decreasing bullish momentum.

Apart from $297.10, we also have strong resistance at $314.62. On the downside, there are healthy support levels at $272.60 (SMA 200), $266.45, 263.40 (SMA 20), $252.45 and $243.49 (SMA 50).

ETC/USD bears stayed in control for the fourth straight day. ETC/USD is currently priced at $7.13. The sellers are looking to get the price below the $7-level.The RSI is trending horizontally around 59.46. On the upside, we have two strong resistance levels at $7.40 and $7.80. Plus, we have healthy support levels at $7.055 (SMA 200), $6.96, $6.79 (SMA 20), $6.63 and $6.40 (SMA 50)

XLM/USD was overpriced and trending above the 20-day Bollinger Band. However, the $0.1103 resistance level has dropped the price back inside the band and is currently priced at $0.1081.

The MACD has reversed from bearish to bullish, plus the RSI is trending around 65, next to the overbought zone. The price chart shows healthy support levels at $0.1043, $0.0999 (SMA 20), $0.0944 and $0.0857(SMA 50).

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Altcoin Market Update Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum Classic and Stellar: ETC and XLM face continual bearish correction - FXStreet

Samsung Unveils Five New Power Devices in the Galaxy Ecosystem to Empower Your Work and Play – Samsung Global Newsroom

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

The Galaxy Note20 series is a productivity powerhouse, seamlessly connecting with the Galaxy ecosystem to give you more flexibility and time for what matters most

Samsung Electronics hosted its first-ever Galaxy Unpacked virtual event livestreamed from Korea to introduce a new suite of power devices. Five devices were revealed during the event, that seamlessly integrate to empower consumers navigating a rapidly changing world: Galaxy Note20 and Galaxy Note20 Ultra, the most powerful Note series yet; Tab S7 and S7+, versatile tablets for productivity and creativity; Galaxy Watch3, a premium smartwatch along with advanced health features; Galaxy Buds Live, stylish and ergonomic earbuds with amazing sound quality; and Galaxy Z Fold2, the next generation foldable smartphone with enhanced refinements.

Never before have we relied on technology like we are today. Its how we are staying connected as we navigate the extraordinary challenges faced around the world, said Dr. TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. Technology must make life easier, not more complex. Thats why we have introduced five new power devices. Alone, these devices are powerful tools to help you maximize work and play. Together, as part of the Galaxy ecosystem, they work together seamlessly so you can spend your time focused on what matters most.

The Galaxy Note20 series is a productivity powerhouse that works like a computer and lets you game like a pro. The series comes in two versions: Galaxy Note20 Ultra, designed for Note fans who demand the ultimate in power and productivity, and Galaxy Note20, for broader Note users looking to maximize their time for work and play. Both are built for efficiency, so you have more time to stay connected with the people you love.

Today, we need devices that are as flexible as we are, so we can work, play and connect however we want. Take your productivity to the next level with the Galaxy Note20 series. Samsungs latest Note series transforms the way you workempowering you to do more anytime from anywhere.

Now, on the Galaxy Note20 series, new S Pen and Samsung Notes features provide an even more powerful experience and extend to Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7+ for flexibility and convenience. Plus, a deeper relationship with Samsungs long-standing partner, Microsoft, makes the Galaxy Note20 series and your Windows PC seamlessly work together.

Samsung is also bringing its Microsoft partnership to the entertainment side of the Galaxy Note20 series, taking mobile play to the next level. Fully immerse yourself in the most powerful mobile gaming experience Samsung has ever engineered into a smartphone, so you can game like a pro from your couch, backyard, or wherever the day may take you. The Galaxy Note20 series packs pro-grade tools to capture stunning photos and create cinematic-style videos and offers advanced multitasking experiences.

The Galaxy Note has cemented its status as an ultimate power phone. The Galaxy Note20 series continues that legacy as the most powerful Note series yet to give you all the things you know, love, and expect from Galaxy.

The Galaxy Note20 series is built with the fastest processor of all Galaxy devices. It features cutting-edge technology and best-in-class mobile experiences, without sacrificing the iconic design. Both Galaxy Note20 and Galaxy Note20 Ultra introduce new Mystic colors soft neutral tones that transcend changing trends with a brand new, textured haze effect that cuts down on fingerprints and smudges.

For the first time in the Note series, Galaxy Note20 Ultra offers a vivid and bright Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and 120Hz refresh rate delivering buttery smooth visuals on our best screen yet, which automatically adjusts to the content you are viewing to optimize battery life. Sporting an all-day intelligent battery8 and Super Fast Charging capabilities, you can get more than 50% charge in just 30 minutes9.

Samsungs Galaxy 5G leadership delivers next-level power for what you love to do thanks to 5G10. Enjoy the benefits of hyper-fast speeds and the peace of mind that anything you need is just a tap away with the power of Galaxy 5G on both Sub-6 and mmWave networks. The Galaxy Note20 series also provides stable Wi-Fi 611 networks with optimized latency for various streaming services. You can be confident your Galaxy Note20 series hardware and software is proactively secured end-to-end thanks to Samsung Knox, Samsungs mobile security platform.

For the first time on a Galaxy device with UWB12, Nearby Share will reach a new level of quick and easy sharing on Galaxy Note20 Ultra13. By simply pointing Galaxy Note20 Ultra to other UWB equipped Galaxy devices, Nearby Share will automatically list the people youre facing on to the top of your sharing panel. Future UWB functionality will also help you find things more accurately with AR technology and unlock your home as a digital key.

Samsung devices and services are designed to work together effortlessly, elevating not only your work and play, but everything thats important to you. Take your Galaxy Note20 series to the next level by pairing it with other new additions to the Samsung Galaxy: Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7+, Galaxy Watch3, and Galaxy Buds Live. With these cutting-edge complements to the Note experience, you can work smarter, play longer, live healthier, and communicate better.

Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ are two versatile tablets that combine the power of a PC, the flexibility of a tablet, and the connectivity of a smartphone. Building on Samsungs legacy of Galaxy 5G leadership, Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ will be unlocking seamless videoconferencing, fast downloads, and virtually lag-free streaming.

Experience PC-level productivity on Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ thanks to a powerful processor, an improved keyboard experience (keyboard sold separately as Book Cover Keyboard), and an improved S Pen with similar capabilities as the Galaxy Note20 seriesall empowering you to get more done in less time. But a tablet shouldnt just enhance our work, it should also help us get the most out of our downtime. For elevated entertainment, Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ feature an immersive display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, so you can take full advantage of the cloud-based gaming and high-definition streaming that 5G enablesor do both at the same time with upgraded multi-tasking capabilities. For users who want even more space to work, play, and create, Galaxy Tab S7+ offers an extra-large 12.4 Super AMOLED display.

These tablets also make it easier than ever to work across multiple devices. When theres no Wi-Fi network in sight, you can use Auto Hotspot to automatically tether other Galaxy devices to your 5G-enabled tablet. And with Nearby Share14, you can effortlessly transmit files to nearby contacts. Use your Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ to extend your Samsung PC15 with Second screen, so you can choose between duplicating and extending your display16. Maximize your productivity even further with tools such as Samsung Notes, S Pen, Book Cover Keyboard and Bluetooth mouse for the complete computing experience.

Galaxy Watch3 is a next-generation companion for managing your routines, smashing your fitness goals, and taking ownership over your health. Built with premium materials and a slimmed-down version of the popular rotating bezel, Galaxy Watch3 features the craftsmanship of a luxury timepiece, while still being comfortable enough to wear all day and all night. But this smartwatch isnt just appealing to the eyeits also the center of your wellness experience, sporting Samsungs most expansive health suite yet.

With the Blood oxygen feature, you can measure and track oxygen saturation over time, for fitness and wellness purposes17. The new Samsung Health Monitor app on Galaxy Watch3 offers cuff-less blood pressure18 and electrocardiogram measurements, available in markets where these features have been authorized19. When a potential fall is detected, your location will be sent immediately to pre-designated contacts20. Running Analysis will help you run better, improve form and prevent injuries, while VO2 max follows your cardio progress to provide insight into oxygen consumption21. For those who want to stay fit while being at home, Samsung Health provides more than 120 different home training programs so you can track your workout progress on your watch.

Meet the newest shape of true wireless earbuds Galaxy Buds Live. With a truly iconic design and comfortable fit theyre like nothing youve seen or worn before. Combining AKGs sound expertise with a bigger, 12mm speaker compared to Galaxy Buds+, along with a bass duct, audio sounds deep and rich so you can enjoy music the way the artist intended. Galaxy Buds Live come with three microphones and Voice Pickup Unit so you can feel like youre in the same room as your loved ones, even when youre apart. These earbuds feature Active Noise Cancellation22 for open type bringing the best of both: live and spacious sound quality, with the ability for you to tune in (or out) of the world around you. Get lost in an audiobook without missing the train conductors announcement.

Samsung continues to pioneer an entirely new category of mobile devices by introducing the next generation of foldables Galaxy Z Fold2. After releasing two foldable devices and listening to user feedback on the most requested upgrades and new features, Samsung unveils the Galaxy Z Fold2 with meaningful innovations that offer users enhanced refinements and unique foldable user experiences. Galaxy Z Fold2 combines the portability and flexibility of a smartphone with the power and screen size of a tablet for ultimate productivity. Whether folded or unfolded, you can enjoy a luxury mobile experience with Galaxy Z Fold2s premium design. The Galaxy Z Fold2 comes packed with two edge-to-edge, nearly bezel-less Infinity-O Displays. The Cover Screen is 6.2-inches and the massive Main Screen is 7.6-inches23, making them both larger than the Galaxy Fold. With its sleek design and refined engineering, Galaxy Z Fold2 comes in two equally stunning colors: Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze. For users who seeka unique premium design, Samsung is again partnering withiconic New York fashion house Thom Browne to deliver a limited Galaxy Z Fold2 Thom Browne Edition.With Galaxy Z Fold2, Samsung will continue to inspire all new possibilities for the entire foldable category.

The Galaxy Note20 series and Tab S7 series will be available in select markets starting August 21, 2020.

For more information about Samsungs latest Galaxy devices including specifications, please visit news.samsung.com/galaxy, http://www.samsungmobilepress.com or http://www.samsung.com/galaxy.

Infinity-O Display (30881440),496ppi, HDR10+ certified

120Hz refresh rate

Infinity-O Display (24001080), 393ppi, HDR10+ certified

*Measured diagonally, Galaxy Note20s screen size is 6.7 in the full rectangle and 6.6 with accounting for the rounded corners and Galaxy Note20 Ultras screen size is 6.9 in the full rectangle and 6.8 with accounting for the rounded corners; actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and camera hole.

*120Hz display only available on Galaxy Note20 Ultra.

& Weight

Pressure levels: 4096, Pen tip diameter: 0.7 mm, IP68

*Using S Pen as a stylus does not require battery power. Actual battery life may vary depending on usage patterns and other factors.

*IP68 rating is based on test conditions for submersion in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Rinse residue/dry if wet.

. Dual Pixel AF

. Pixel size: 1.22m

. FOV: 80

. F.No (aperture): F2.2

. Dual Pixel AF

. Pixel size: 1.22m

. FOV: 80

. F.No (aperture): F2.2

. Pixel size: 1.4m

. FOV: 120

. F.No (aperture): F2.2

*108MP Wide-angle Camera

. PDAF, OIS

. Pixel size: 0.8m

. FOV: 79

. F.No (aperture): F1.8

. 1/1.33 image sensor size

*12MP Telephoto Camera

. Pixel size: 1.0m

. FOV: 20

. F.No (aperture): F3.0

Laser AF Sensor

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Samsung Unveils Five New Power Devices in the Galaxy Ecosystem to Empower Your Work and Play - Samsung Global Newsroom

Google Cloud partner ecosystem is thriving and valuable to partner companies, says IDC – TechRepublic

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Companies basing their cloud infrastructure on Google's services can expect to see $7.54 in revenue for every $1 spent by 2025.

Image: Dongyu Xu / Getty Images

Google's Cloud Partner Advantage program can deliver massive benefits to its members, to the tune of 35% year-over-year growth in the Google Cloud side of their businesses, said market analytics firm IDC.

Google Cloud Channel Chief Carolee Gearhart summed up IDC's study succinctly in a blog post: "Demand for cloud technology and services is growing rapidly, as businesses embark on digital transformations, and Google Cloud partners are particularly well-positioned to help customers plan and execute their digital transformation strategies," she said.

SEE: Top cloud providers in 2020: AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, hybrid, SaaS players (TechRepublic)

The IDC study itself paints a more detailed picture of how Google Cloud partners are benefitting from their membership in the program, and no better metric shows that than the net new partner revenue Google Cloud partners can expect to see over the next six years: $341 billion.

"Looked at another way, for every $1 of Google Cloud technology sold in 2020, partners will generate $5.32, predominantly through their own offerings (services and software) but also from resale margin. By 2025, that number will top $7.54," the report said.

These numbers may come as a surprise in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic, but IDC said that despite economic concerns, cloud growth and IT spending in general has been higher in 2020 than in 2019.

Software spending has increased by 13%, hardware spending by 10%, and service spending is expected to increase by 9% over the course of the year. "I've seen firsthand how the global pandemic has further increased businesses' needs for these capabilities, as they seek to quickly adapt or even to take this opportunity to accelerate their digital transformations," Gearhart said.

IDC said point blank that cloud partners are maximizing their growth: As mentioned above, the average partner is seeing 35% yoy growth, and in addition 20% are seeing yearly revenue growth over 75%.

Along with economic value, IDC reports that Google Cloud partners are also showing high rates of digital maturity, with a full 50% in the "late stages" of digital transformation, meaning they're seeing significant results or have fully integrated their businesses.

SEE: Server migration checklist (TechRepublic Premium)

Digitally mature organizations, which IDC defined in the report as "partners that have digitally transformed their businesses across sales, marketing, operations, and HR," saw considerably more benefit from being a Google Cloud partner than the average business:

If your organization is considering becoming a Google Cloud partner, there are a few important things to take away from the report, namely that digital maturity is going to be a major differentiator between being an average partner and one that sees the greatest return in investment.

Google Cloud partners are, in many cases, organizations that are reselling Google Cloud services with their own products or services as an additional product. AI, infrastructure automation, analytics, IT support, and other services are common reseller businesses.

SEE: Navigating data privacy (ZDNet/TechRepublic special feature) | Download the free PDF version (TechRepublic)

In less digitally mature cases, partners simply "lift-and-shift" (that is, move a client service to the cloud without making any changes). "The cloud market continues to evolve beyond lift-and-shift engagements to cloud-based solutions that address business outcomes," the report said.

Google Cloud partners mentioned in the report, like global partner EPAM Systems, start with lift-and-shift, but their digital maturity and ability to capitalize on Google Cloud's services are what set them apart. "Partners are riding the wave of cloud adoption to engage customers across the life cycle, which has become a recipe for success for partners with a focus on their own services and software and the Google Cloud portfolio," the report said.

This is your go-to resource for XaaS, AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, cloud engineering jobs, and cloud security news and tips. Delivered Mondays

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Google Cloud partner ecosystem is thriving and valuable to partner companies, says IDC - TechRepublic

Global Forecasts for the Intelligent Transportation System Market to 2025 with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Offering, System, Application, and…

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Intelligent Transportation System Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Offering, System (Advanced Traffic Management System, ITS-Enabled Transportation Pricing System, and Others), Application, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Market growth can be attributed to several factors such as increasing concerns toward public safety, growing traffic congestion problems, rising favorable government initiatives for effective traffic management, increasing adoption of eco-friendly automobile technologies, and the development of smart cities across the world. However, issues related to high installation costs and the slow-growing infrastructure sector are expected to hamper the growth of the market.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic is expected to impact the global ITS market. The manufacturing units are highly hampered due to worldwide lockdown and limited availability of labor and raw material. This has resulted in a delay in ongoing transport projects to a greater extent. Some experts argue that the governments may rethink on their recently announced transport project plans to curb traffic congestion.

Based on the offering, the ITS market for roadways has been divided into hardware, software, and services. The high growth rate of the software segment is attributed to the deployment of various advanced software solutions and complex algorithms to strengthen the overall information and communication systems.

The largest market size of the advanced traffic management system is due to the increasing traffic congestion on roads across the world. Moreover, the rising number of vehicles, due to the availability of favorable deals offered by the automobile manufacturers and changing lifestyles of people, are also leading to the rising traffic congestion. So, it is expected that the advanced traffic management system will be deployed significantly across the globe to address the growing traffic congestion.

The market in North America is expected to hold the largest share during the forecast period. The deployment of ITS to reduce traffic congestion and boost safety on roads is propelling the growth of the ITS market in North America. In addition, the development related to ITS deployment in North American countries - including the US and Canada - is also empowering the market in the region.

In this report, the ITS market for roadways has been segmented on the basis of offering, system, application, and geography. The report also discusses the drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges pertaining to the market. It gives a detailed view of the market across four main regions - North America, Europe, APAC, and RoW. Value chain analysis has been included in the report, along with the key players and their competitive analysis in the ITS ecosystem.

Key Report Benefits:

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Design

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights

5 Market Overview

6 ITS Market, by Protocol

7 ITS Market for Roadways, by Offering

8 ITS Market in Roadways, by System

9 ITS Market for Roadways, by Application

10 ITS Market for Railways, by Application

11 ITS Market for Aviation, by Application

12 ITS Market in Maritime, by Application

13 Geographic Analysis

14 Competitive Landscape

15 Company Profiles

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qjkgve

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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Global Forecasts for the Intelligent Transportation System Market to 2025 with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Offering, System, Application, and...

Diversity & Inclusion in Investment Management: SEC Explores Creating a More Inclusive Capital Formation Ecosystem – JD Supra

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

On August 4, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (Committee) held a public meeting (Meeting) by video conference. The Meeting was prompted by the Committees recognition that businesses need capital to grow and survive, yet many underrepresented founders, including minorities and women, struggle to access investor capital, which impacts opportunities to grow their businesses. During the Meeting, the Committee heard from five underrepresented founders and investors of small businesses on their experiences and perspectives on capital raising and subsequently discussed ways to enable a more inclusive capital formation ecosystem. In the first in a series of alerts that will discuss diversity and inclusion issues in the investment management space, we take a close look at the Committees discussion and proposed recommendations for the SEC.

The Committee was established by the SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016 pursuant to Section 40 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Committee was designed to provide advice and recommendations on SEC rules, regulations and policy matters relating to small businesses and has adopted seven recommendations to date. The Committee, currently consisting of 20 members of various expertise and backgrounds, holds quarterly meetings which are open to the public.

The Committee began the Meeting by presenting statistics on minority-owned businesses and investors. Since 2007, there has been an increase of almost 40% in the number of minority-owned businesses. However, minority-owned businesses start with almost three times less overall capital when compared with new White-owned businesses, which disproportionately impacts profitability of minority entrepreneurs. Among businesses that are backed by venture capital, 77% are White founders, while there are 1% Black, 2% Latinx, 2% Middle Eastern and 18% Asian founders. On the investor side, only 5.3% of angel investors are minorities while women make up 29.5% of angel investors and 11% of venture capitalists across the industry.

Data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small business owners show that small businesses owned by minorities were disproportionately impacted. Compared to an overall decline of 22% of small businesses between February and April of 2020, there was a 26% decline in women-owned businesses, 41% decline in Black-owned businesses, 32% decline in Latinx-owned businesses and 26% decline in Asian-owned businesses.

The Committee heard from five underrepresented founders and investors who shared their experiences and perspectives on capital raising and support for underrepresented founders. The speakers included CEOs and founders with experience in software development, wealth creation platforms, the venture capital industry and seed acceleration.

Drawing on the speakers perspectives as well as the Committees expertise, the Committee discussed potential regulatory solutions to enable a more inclusive capital formation ecosystem. The discussion included the need to:

After the discussion, the Committee unanimously voted on a resolution to submit the following observations and recommendation to the SEC:

The Committee recognized that this was just a starting point and that changes to the capital raising ecosystem will require long-term structural changes. The Committee expressed desires to continue discussing ways to improve capital formation participation for underrepresented founders in its future meetings. The next meeting of the Committee is set for August 8, 2020.

We agree with the Committee that in the midst of the recent renewed focus on racial injustice and the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is an opportune moment to push for equality in the capital formation ecosystem. We are enthusiastic about the Committees efforts to allow underrepresented founders equal access to capital and to increase diversity among investors and fund managers. We will continue to monitor developments in SEC rules and regulations that would impact capital formation for small businesses and underrepresented founders and would promote a more diverse and inclusive financial industry.

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Diversity & Inclusion in Investment Management: SEC Explores Creating a More Inclusive Capital Formation Ecosystem - JD Supra

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