text:
Losing your V-card is a big deal for any young person, of course, but it means dramatically different things to young men than it does to young women. A young woman often jealously guards it, while a young dude will be happy to give it to the first vagina who walks by -- hey, 5 times the legal limit of testosterone makes you slightly less discriminating -- who knew? Dudes find it important, but not the same way. We want to ditch that V-Card ASAP, preferably to someone hot, slutty, intense, knowledgeable, and from someplace far away where she can't disagree with how great it was.
For a dude, losing your V-Card is like signing your Selective Service card: It's something you need to do, and once it's done you can move on with your life a little wiser, a little closer to being a man.
While I'm not as heavy on virginity as a prerequisite for love or marriage as the Christian end of the Manosphere, or even Athol's reasonable "Try to marry a virgin or as close to virgin as possible" advice, I'm not going to deny that a girl's V-Card is a highly emotionally significant issue to her. How and why she loses it/gives it away/sells it to the highest bidder becomes an important part of who she is. Indeed, until she gets engaged (maybe someday), has a baby (but not a husband) or completes her PhD. in Women's Studies, it's the first and last Big Thing that happens to her as an adult woman.
Of course, once gone, many women see the lack of virginity as carte blanche to enjoy the fruits of the Sexual Revolution with abandon. I bring this up not to influence anyone in particular to do anything in particular with their hymen, either literal or spiritual. No, I bring this up because while I believe we all understand the concept of the "V-Card", few men understand the concept of their "C-Card".
C. For Commitment.
Before you recoil in horror at the mention of The Word That Shall Not Be Named, it's important you understand a few things about it, and about how you deal that card. For you, it's as important as a sixteen year old girl's hymen.
Firstly, just like you wanted to ditch your V-Card ASAP to the "right girl", most women want to collect a C-Card with the "right guy" . . . but really, any ol' guy will do, at first. Turning down a proposal of marriage is a sign of strength and notability within the Female Social Matrix, like getting hit-on by a pornstar would be for a dude (believe me, nothing gets your ego pumping like politely rejecting a pretty pornstar who has propositioned you. It's happened a few times, and - you Gentlemen will be pleased to know - in all but one occasion, the ladies in question congratulated me on the level of respect and esteem I showed for my wife. (They did also usually show me their boobs anyway, to be fair, but it's not like I haven't seen them professionally already).)
Those who have the wit to hear and learn the Red Pill truth, attend:
Women control sex. They have all the pussy and half the money. Unless you want to go Lambda (and that has some advantages), you have to deal with women to have sex with another person. Women have known that for millennia which is why the FSM's control of sexuality is so vital to their integrity. Just one unattached Sexually Liberated Uninhibited Tart in the village and their ability to control their husbands through sex is compromised. One whore in town, and the nookie supply is in flux. The classic Greek play Lysistrata demonstrates the power that women united in their control of sexuality can ostensibly wield over men. The women want to stop a stupid war and go on a sex strike. Hilarity ensues.
BUT . . . what women do not often understand, explicitly, is that just as they control sex, MEN control
Among non-feminist or feminist-light women? Forgetaboutit. If a woman has to propose to a man, then there is something wrong with one or both of them. No, women have to just sit there and wait for you to escalate the relationship. They might try to encourage you with a number of incremental "mission creeps", but they can't actually make you their boyfriend/fiancee/husband without your permission. I looked it up.
Most of women realize (and the FSM instructs) that men get skittish if you come on too strong and even mention commitment too soon in a courtship. It's as tricky as just when to agree to sex. A chick who slips an "after we get married" comment in on a third date is as doomed as a dude who asks about anal on the first. There's a time and place for everything folks, and while you might get lucky and get precisely the answer you're looking for ("Married? How's next Thursday sound?", "Anal? I thought you'd never ask!"), more than likely you're just crashing and burning.
Its common knowledge that women are naturally reluctant to be free with sex and men are reluctant to agree to a commitment. It's implicit to the concept of Body Agenda. But despite ample exceptions to both rules, both parties measure the suitability of the other in part on how they express those desires. I'm not breaking new ground here. The difference is that women usually do understand (via the FSM's two-tiered, subtextual communication system) the ground rules for sex. Men in general have no real understanding about commitment . . . until it's too late.
While men can force women (and other men) into sex against their will, it is exceedingly difficult to force men into commitment against their will. Indeed, women cannot proceed to a commitment without your willing consent. In the past that has been manipulated through pregnancy tests, shotguns, and uneasy crossings of state lines by moonlight, but in most cases a couple can't be married unless the man in question has actively consented. Given up his big C-Card, as it were.
And like virginity (theoretically), you can only give up that big card once. Thing is, you have no idea just how important that card is to the woman in your life. Once you understand that YOU control commitment, then you gain power. You gain hand. But it doesn't end there.
You see, there are degrees of C-Cards, just like there are degrees of V-Cards ("Twenty-two blowjobs and two anal encounters, but I'm still a virgin!"). Marriage is, of course, the biggie. But it's just the last spot on the ticket to get punched. Your C-Card usually gets punched more gradually than her V-Card (after she loses it, it becomes her "N-Card", but we'll still call it the V-Card. I'm sure you can think of a handy mnemonic), and sometimes it can get punched without you even realizing it.
First Love
The first box to be punched on that card is the "first love", usually a high-school or college girl who touched your junk (or maybe more) for the first time causing your hormones to fall in love with her in a fit of undying gratitude. Oh, you might pin it to your "first kiss", or your first real date, but it's all just romantic infatuation until the penis gets involved. When she touched your dick for the first time, you were in First Love, whether you knew it or not. Don't dismiss the power of First Love/first handjob in a man's mind lightly. Hell, James Joyce built a career on it.
You usually let her punch that "first love" ticket on your C-Card, and you gave your heart to her whether she was worthy or not (usually the latter).
If it was more than a long weekend or a couple of days, then you may move up a notch. Luckily, the "First Love" punch is almost a freebie. Very rarely does that turn into a legitimate commitment, unless intercourse and pregnancy get involved. But you only get one.
The second punch on that ticket is "girlfriend". That's a big one on the C-Card, especially the first time, and this day and age you usually get anywhere from 7 to 10 of these before you seriously consider progressing.
This spot on the card was really developed in the post-WWII 1950s, the Archie/Veronica/Betty-in-Riverdale ideal. "Going steady" originally meant that you were a girl's steady (weekly) date, the girl you experimented sexually with in the back seat of a borrowed car every weekend after working each other up in anticipation all week.
The original industrial-age protocol was to swap steady dates around through High School until people were more or less reasonably happy with their choices, looking forward to a steadily escalating exchange of sex and commitment until the Big C-Card and the Big V-Card (or a reasonable facsimile) got exchanged on the Big Day. Then you bought a starter home, started having kids, and went to work for someone you'd retire from thirty years later.
Eventually people started smoking weed and having sex in the 1960s and your "steady" turned into your girlfriend. And that first girlfriend could be a doozy. Sometimes (but not always) the same girl who punched your "First Love" ticket ends up checking the first "girlfriend" box on your card, and may even have the first taste of real expectation of commitment beyond bringing a corsage to Prom to a woman, so pay attention carefully. I've known guys who -- through no fault of their own -- ended up having a girlfriend just because they weren't paying close enough attention. One moment you're getting your oil changed by some chick in the back seat, and the next you're going to her house for dinner to meet the parents on Saturday . . . and all you really wanted was a handjob. Don't let this happen to you.
Basic GirlfriendWhile the exact nature and expression of the Girlfriend commitment changes, there are a few fundamentals:
1) You commit to not "see other people". You are committing to be (at least temporarily) monogamous.
2) You are both willing to tell other people of your exclusivity and even engage in acceptable PDAs.
3) You agree to spend a certain amount of time together in the pursuit of both sexual and non-sexual intimacy.
4) You agree to not openly leer or talk about other people for whom your loins may incidentally ache.
5) You agree to attend each other's non-family social events "as a couple". (we'll get to family in a minute).
Okay, that's Basic Girlfriend. You can knock all of that out in a week or two, and still call it a relationship in this day and age. Failure to agree to do any of the above means you haven't really handed over your C-Card -- you aren't treating her like a girlfriend, and if she calls herself that before you've granted her permission, that's potential chump-bait (say, if she calls you her boyfriend before she's touched your junk more than once. Arbitrary, I know, but it's a place to start the metric).
Consider any assumption of prerogatives not expressly given as a failed Fitness Test, indicating an unlikely choice for a long-term relationship. You can safely rack up quite a few of these "shorties" without too much worry (and if they're short enough, it's likely she won't even count you toward her "number").
Beyond that, there's...
Intermediate Girlfriend
At that level, a chick who punches your C-Card has established social control over you, theoretically in exchange for increased sexual access. It implies all of Basic Girlfriend, but includes:
1) Actual dates - social excursions designed for the sole purpose of entertaining and increasing both non-sexual and sexual intimacy.
2) A shared circle or pool of friends. Often this is the point where a woman will start evaluating your potential for a long-term partnership and begin trying to influence your development through whom you spend your time with. Your friends she sees as "bad influences" will be pruned from your combined social calendar, while friends she sees as good influences (say, dudes with girlfriends she can stand) are encouraged to remain. NOTE: your girlfriend and her girlfriend will automatically form a node of the FSM, a node which they --collectively -- will try to establish control over you and the other dude -- collectively.
3) Gifts and expressions of sentiment on appropriate occasions (to be negotiated).
4) Spending the night occasionally after sex.
5) Notification of parents/Facebook that you are a couple.
6) Sharing meals together on a regular basis.
7) Daily communication.
8) She can legally keep tampons in your bathroom, in moderation.
9) Your BFFs are introduced, and then introduced to each other. Hilarity often ensues. Just ask Harry and Sally.
The Intermediate Girlfriend box isn't that bad, and usually begins anywhere from 2-6 weeks into a standard-issue relationship. If you've started having sex and getting to know each others' bodies, then it's still exciting fresh and new. The novelty and the serotonin and the vasopressin and the oxytocin create a thick, rich cocktail and her boobs look perfect and you don't even notice the annoying way she laughs.
At this point, the punches on your C-Card are still fairly innocuous and fun. You've only committed your emotional, sexual and social life to her, nothing further (to a chick, please remember, the emotional and social enjoy a much higher value and the sex a much lower value . . . but she's usually willing to pretend otherwise -- yay, hamster!)
This is also the point where most nascent relationships begin falling apart. Extended contact and knowledge of the other person begins to reveal flaws behind the "good girlfriend behavior". We might start to get the first glimmerings that she is
a) a closet feminist
b) batshit crazy or
c) actively husband shopping.
In addition, by Intermediate Girlfriend you should be able to evaluate whether or not she is
a) sexually compatible,
b) socially compatible (say, if she's a racist and you aren't, might be a problem)
c) flaky as hell.
Depending on just how good the sex is, you should keep all of these in mind during the Intermediate phase and determine whether or not to abort the relationship. Most dudes get blinded by pussy and the Blue Pill and social expectations and end up ignoring the obvious warning signs, ending up with the Hellbeast Girlfriend. I'm not saying avoid her - she's instructional.
So is getting your assed kicked by a prison gang.
If you decide to bail, don't fret it. Women Are Fungible. Finding another and starting over means a brand new chance and brand new pussy and maybe a chick who's a little freakier than your last one. You can get another girlfriend as easily as you can get another car. But if you don't bail when the danger signs are clear, then you can expect her to make more demands on your C-Card. And this is when things start getting bad. This is . . .
Advanced GirlfriendYour mileage may vary, but you can trace Advanced Girlfriend to a combination of any two of these three occurrences: Meeting the parents/siblings; going on a multi-day trip alone as a couple, or attending any wedding together as a couple. Any one of these, and you're in danger of getting your AG box punched. Any combination and . . . dude, you got a serious girlfriend. Says so right on your C-Card. You either accept that, or you find a graceful way to bail ("Your parents are LUTHERAN? Die, blasphemer!" often works). Of course, even if you avoid the above, if you celebrate your One Year Anniversary, you've got a bad case of Advanced Girlfriend.
AG comes with a whole lot of baggage. Sexual, social, personal, psychological, if you leave a relationship any time before this box gets punched you have a reasonable hope of bouncing back and recovering fairly quickly. But the longer a girl has your AG box punched, the more and greater the expectations.
From her perspective, if she's introduced you to her parents and they actually like you, you went to a wedding and danced with her and looked half-way decent in a tux, and you made it for three days at that run-down Bed & Breakfast in the Catskills without killing each other (you might have gotten anal as a reward for your good behavior - and if you didn't, take that into consideration.) If you passed all three of those tests, then you have Serious Boyfriend Potential, and her pursuit of your C-Card begins in earnest.
Serious GirlfriendThe Serious Girlfriend box gets checked on your card about the Year Three mark, and/or your decision for real.
It's not all-bad. Some dudes see Serious Girlfriend as a safe spot between Hopelessly Single and Married. And this is where most dudes start pressing the serious sexual stuff. Because while she's starting to think about wedding locations and honeymoon destinations, you're thinking about anal, oral, and what her sister looks like naked in your imagination. By this point, you probably already know what she will and won't do in bed, and what she does and doesn't like. You might be wrong, but you know. And you should be getting laid like a champ for a while, too, as your SG tries to upgrade her spot on your C-Card.
This is usually where the gloves come off sexually, too. During the evaluation-and-vetting period, you've got to establish if she's going to be sexually-compatible long-term. You have to settle the issue of kids. You have to determine future birth-control options. And you have to decide if you really can stand hitting just that one pussy for the rest of your life. So think about this carefully. Then think about it some more.
At the SG point, many of the mundane domestic matters have already been settled. The toilet seat question, the grocery-and-cooking question, the housework question, the religion question, the social issues, and the day-to-day minutia of a relationship have been gone over exhaustively, and you still haven't broken up. During the SG phase, this is where you turn up the heat before proceeding any further. Despite its name, SG is the last step you have before the serious commitment phase. Use it wisely.
I'll cover good vetting and wife-testing in future posts, but for now just assume that you have assembled your list and have begun figuring out whether she's going to work out, long-term. While three years might SEEM long-term, the fact is it's the minimum time I would spend investigating and vetting any woman who wasn't a brilliant, independently wealthy "10" with incurable nymphomania and an oral fixation. For at least a year, you need to put this woman through her paces and challenge her, observing and noting every reaction to adversity or provocation.
But your serious vetting shouldn't go more than two years. If you don't know by your fifth anniversary, then you really DO know, and just don't want to admit it. If she passes the tests (and you pass yours) then you can consider proceeding to the next box on your C-card: Engagement.
FianceeThis is the Penultimate Step. The second-to-last box on your C-Card. Fuck this part up, and you're going miserable.
The Fiancee stage comes (ideally) when you have decided to offer a woman a pledge of open-ended commitment. It's stating your intent to be with her for the rest of her life. It's not a "celebration of your love", it's the point at which you've agreed on general terms, and now it's time to begin the negotiation process for permanent status.
Once you give a girl an engagement ring, they're notoriously hard to get back. But it's still a pencilled-in commitment, with no real legs in court ("breach of promise" notwithstanding, thanks to feminism). You still have the power to end the relationship at any time and clear your C-Card.
Fiancee is where you decide between the two of you the Big Questions: where shall we live, what jobs should we have, how many children and should they be raised Jewish, dog or cat, whose parents get Christmas and whose get Christmas Eve, live tree or artificial tree, blinds or curtains, etc. etc. These are Advanced Domestic Issues, and they need to be settled. The Fiancee slot is where you start consciously knitting your family cultures together. That's not always easy. Hell, it's never easy, unless you marry an orphan (HIGHLY recommended . . .).
But a wise man doesn't proceed to this step unless he has already assured himself that he will not regret it. And that means either doing a whole lot of vetting or a whole lot of luck. While the latter is nicer to have, it's harder to come by.
The process of vetting your future spouse is worthy not just of another post, but of another entire book. Let's just pretend you've done all that, and you are certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that this woman is The One, or at least A Real Good One, and you feel comfortable taking that last step, the last box on your C-Card save death: Marriage.
(First) WifeThis is the big one. This is the point past which no man may tread lightly. When you put a ring on it, you're legally becoming one person with your wife. There are sacred obligations implicit with the office, and while technically you can "go back" and un-punch your WIFE box, the process is painful and expensive -- akin to a woman having her hymen surgically re-attached.
Wives can be your greatest joy or your greatest curse, the reason you go to bed every night and get out of bed every morning . . . or the reason why you hide in the bathroom, masturbating gloomily. They can watch your back and make your bed, or they can sabotage your plans and spend your bread. Letting someone get that far up your C-Card who doesn't respect the measure of commitment implied in marriage is a recipe for chaos and disaster.
Second WifeUnless you're a widower, remarrying is nothing less than the victory of optimism over experience. Yet many
men find wonderful partnerships in their second wives for a number of reasons. Honestly, the man I know who historically was most down on marriage after his divorce is now blissfully happy with a woman sixteen years his junior. He claims his earlier screeds against the institution were based on a poor selection sample. His second wife was vetted far more thoroughly than his first, and being older and presumably wiser my friend had a much better idea about what he wanted in a wife . . . as opposed to what he wanted in a girlfriend.
But other second marriages are no better than first marriages, and sometimes far worse. The native enthusiasm and tenacity you had with your first wife are broken -- you know for a fact that things can go horribly wrong, and the ideal of True Love is no longer the untarnished trophy you once thought. Age and desperation also play a role. My grandfather remarried a few years before his death, and while the two of them got along great while he was alive, I cannot help but wonder what would have happened had he lived far longer with her.
SummaryThat's your C-Card, Gentlemen. From First Love to Second Wife and beyond, your commitment level is the biggest card you have in your hand when you meet a woman. Sex is easy -- she can get it anywhere. But a woman who craves commitment (and a thunderous majority do) the way you crave cooze is just as determined to get it from you as you are determined to relieve her of her virtue. Of course, the old-style exchange of sex-for-security no longer applies, strictly speaking, but even in our post-industrial civilization commitment is still coin-of-the realm in the Female Social Matrix.
The important things to take away from this are the following: a woman who is a great girlfriend does not necessarily make a great fiance or wife. And a woman who will be an ideal wife may be a mediocre girlfriend. But as you contemplate expanding your commitment with the woman in your life, be mindful of the pros and cons of such a move. I would no better counsel my sons to propose marriage on early acquaintance (say, anything under three years of courtship and vetting) than I would condoning my daughter having sex without thought of consequence.
The 21st century Red Pill gentleman will understand the role that his C-Card plays in motivating the women in his life, and he will play that card very cautiously, appreciating it for the treasure it is. When he is too eager to turn it over to a woman, it's usually because of sex in some form or fashion -- which is ironic, because with an open C-card, a dude with Game can get sex in part on the basis of his open card.
The value of your C-card to any particular woman is going to be variable, of course, and some will judge you harshly because of it. A long history of short relationships is going to be a red flag for all but the horniest ovulating women -- and those ladies are going to be convinced they can fuck you into it, if they tried hard enough.
Be a sport. Let them try.
But hold onto your C-card like its the One Ring, and be as stingy as possible with it. Why? Because men who are too willing to commit too early raise red flags with women too, just like a woman who sleeps with a dude on the first date raises red flags with men. If you do not value your C-Card for what it is -- your Precious -- and are liberal with how you commit, you lower your own value. And the lower you value yourself, the lower the women you meet value you.
It is hard, but it pays off. The more you value your C-card, the higher value you have. And the more you bring to the table as a potential husband, the higher value your C-card has. That means having higher standards in the early days, and keeping to them later on. That means considering and reconsidering the situation seriously before being willing to even be called someone's "boyfriend". That means understanding that your ability to make a woman a wife is one of your most desirable characteristics (after wealth and power), even more important than the size of your dick. That means breaking an engagement (or postponing it) if you are not absolutely happy with how things are going.
Men are not taught to value their own commitment, not overtly. Of course, when society values their commitment less, men tend to downgrade their commitment value as well. The advent and popularity of divorce culture has cheapened the very meaning of a marital commitment in most men's eyes, as demonstrated by the plummeting marriage rates and the higher median age of first marriages. Why take the risk your girlfriend will be a bad wife or a future ex-wife, when you can just break up, move on, and get another girlfriend? The C-card lets you do that. Don't leave home without it.
The other piece of good news is that your SM value naturally rises over time, and the value of your C-card goes up as you become more and more successful. Again, most men have no idea that a 40 year old single man with a job and a car and a roof over his head is actually a HUGE catch, compared to the alternatives in the Puerarchy. He might feel utterly inadequate about it, and some are quite mystified how it happens, but a middle-aged man who has conserved his C-card wisely is gold bullion to the commitment-starved women in America.
Gentlemen, be aware and mindful of your C-card status. Don't pretend that this shit happens "naturally", that you'll propose when you know the time is right (but not necessarily the woman). Dangle that C-card over her head until she demonstrates her true colors, and then decide whether or not to let her punch it . . . or to move on to someone with better prospects.


text:
Endorsement Letters For The June Ballot Vol. 1 – May 30, 2012
Adams brings renewal
It is so easy to become jaded about electoral politics. I'm an eternal optimist and even I have lapses. So much money is spent on campaigns and lobbying and the money-backed congressional results, it becomes hard to see how one person can make difference. Once in awhile someone shows up who is different; someone who is not backed by the establishment and is not heavily funded by special interest groups.
Susan Adams has the essential elements of someone who actually looks, feels and will be different when she enters Washington. Her weaknesses: she does not look like, talk like or act like a politician. Her strengths: ditto.
You can learn more about her, SusanAdamsForCongress.com.
Julie Fulkerson
In my mail this week I received an extreme and exaggerated hit piece by Karen Brooks against Mark Lovelace. The first things I noticed were two pictures of the Plaza Point affordable senior housing project in Arcata. Karen prominently features this project as a very negative example of what she terms, "social engineering," which Mark would supposedly impose on all of us if he is re-elected as county supervisor.
In addition to being mayor of Arcata, I have donated hundreds of unpaid hours of my time as the energy analyst on this fine project. Apparently Karen prefers that the site of Plaza Point be left as a gravel parking lot rather than be high-quality, solar-powered affordable housing for seniors in easy walking distance of downtown Arcata with close to zero energy bills for residents.
Karen's target is even stranger because Plaza Point is a Danco project in Arcata, a project in which Mark and Humboldt County have no involvement.
I support Mark for supervisor because he works for policies that offer a wide variety of housing for people of all incomes. Mark supports more compact development which protects our farms and forests and reduces costs for Humboldt County to provide services. Before he became supervisor Mark led the successful effort to both save the Sunnybrae Forest and keep it as a working forest.
I reject the myths and fantasies offered by Karen Brooks and support real, affordable and sustainable choices that Mark Lovelace works for every day.
Michael Winkler
Lovelace a SmartSupe
I would like to set the record straight regarding an accusation made by Karen Brooks against Mark Lovelace recently in a local newspaper. For several years, I have been the point person in Humboldt County educating and organizing around the dangerously unhealthy levels of microwave radiation emitted by PGandE's Smart Meters. Ms. Brooks reportedly stated that "when PGandE installed Smart Meters he [Mark] didn't do anything about it, even though people in the district didn't want them."
In reality, Mark was one of the few local officials that seriously considered this issue and took action on it. He took the time to meet in person with me and others to listen and discuss our concerns. He sought out information on the issue and spoke to supervisors in other counties to learn what other communities were doing. Mark spearheaded the drafting of letters expressing customers' concerns. These letters were later approved by the Board and sent to PGandE and the CPUC on behalf of our community.
The Smart Meter issue is not yet completely resolved. However, thanks to Mark and other responsive officials and activists, PGandE customers can now help protect their health and privacy by opting out of a Smart Meter. Mark Lovelace deserves our thanks and our votes for Third District Supervisor for the work he has done on this and many other important issues.
Beverly Filip
Creepy birthday to you
How sweet. Last week I got a birthday card from Karen Brooks, whom I don't know. In it, she promises to advocate for the protection of my privacy. So, stalking down the date of my birth must be Step One in privacy protection?
Mary Ann Madej
Shane & Sofia for HCDCC
As a longtime member of the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee (HCDCC) representing the Third District who has decided to no longer continue on this important political committee, I am asking voters in the Third Supervisorial District to vote for Shane Brinton and Sofia Pereira in this upcoming election.
Both Shane and Sofia are young members of our community who are active in local politics who will bring much needed progressive and open-minded representation to HCDCC.
Shane, who has actively worked on local campaigns, is running the Norman Solomon congressional campaign here in Humboldt County. In addition to this, he is currently on the Arcata City Council and has been elected and served on the Northern Humboldt High School District.
Sofia is currently running the Stacey Lawson congressional campaign in Humboldt County. While attending HSU, she was the president of the HSU student body. Recently she has organized and is chair of the North Coast Young Democrats, representing Democratic voters age 35 and under.
Both will bring to the HCDCC the needed prospective of a youthful outlook with a community-oriented vision and social and personal responsibility. As an individual who was worked locally on political activities for many years, I find their youthful exuberance to be refreshing.
Let's give Shane and Sofia the support they deserve and show other potentially politically active young people that they too have the support of other community members. Vote for Shane Brinton and Sofia Pereira on Tuesday, June 5.
Chris Jenican Beresford
Solomon's smart direction
There is a Democratic president in the White House, but sometimes you wouldn't know it. Barack Obama often seems only too willing to give in to the more Republican ways without much of a fight.
Instead of standing up for the 99 percent, we now have an administration that continues to maintain the defense budget at lofty levels just as his Republican predecessor did.
To make matters worse, the administration has also compromised with the Republicans and allowed the Bush's tax cuts for upper income earners that would have otherwise already expired to continue on. As a result, there are both misallocated and reduced revenues which together put a substantial squeeze on programs that would otherwise benefit the 99 percent.
What is required is funding for programs to support needed infrastructure which would promote job creation, education which would underpin the future of America, and health care reform which could free us from being pawns of the medical insurance industry.
Norman Solomon is the candidate for our new congressional district who best understands the need for changes such as these, and if elected, would work to reverse the current trends. He is a well-respected progressive who has fought for decades to get the progressive voice heard over the seemingly louder and more pervasive right-wing view presented by Fox News and others. If elected, he would support a Democratic administration, but he would also let them know when he disagrees with them.
For example, he would be an advocate for reductions in the defense budget and a transformation of the current private health care system to a more efficient universal single payer health care system analogous to Medicare for all.
He would also oppose the privatization of Social Security, a failed concept put forth by the preceding Bush administration that seems to be rearing its ugly head again. Solomon is best able to do this because he is running his campaign by individual donations without the use of corporate moneys. This means his efforts won't be limited after he is elected because of favors owed to others such as members of the defense, medical, or insurance industries.
Some people are supporting other candidates because they say that their candidate is better able to hit the road running. I would say, first look and see what direction the candidate is actually going. In my opinion, Norman Solomon is going in the right direction and has earned my support. His goal is to make America a better place for all of us, and I would hope that that's the same direction you too would like us to go.
Sherman Schapiro
Blue Lake
Adams for the future
Susan Adams just had a very successful, standing room only, fundraising dinner at the Wharfinger. I want to thank the people who attended for their overwhelming support. Special thanks to the co-hosts for this event; Virginia Bass and Mark Lovelace, Julie Fulkerson, Felicia Oldfather, Dr. Ken Miller, Pam Ford Cavanaugh, Javan and Alex Reid, Bob and Ginny Felter, Anita and Carl Fullbright, Jane Wood Ward, Paul Salzman, Lee and Chris House, Sara Turner and Thea Gast, Marianne Pennekamp and Barbara Kennedy, Midge Brown and Bob Lawton.
Susan Adams, a County Supervisor, nurse, educator, mother and grandmother was welcomed enthusiastically. She talked about her vision of creating green jobs throughout this District as she has done in Marin County.
Susan also talked about her deep roots in our community, where she's long spent time with her brother and his family in Carlotta and if elected will maintain a residence here. She emphasized her work as a champion for the consumer by winning battles with corporations such as PG&E and Sutter Health to protect families and seniors.
Having worked over 30 years in health care and women's health, she would work to enact Medicare for all and preserve Social Security for future generations.
Susan Adams' agenda for an America that Works is to create jobs by ending tax cuts for millionaires and reinvest that money into infrastructure, schools and the economy. It was agreed that a vote for Susan Adams is a vote for a Congress that works.
I would also like to thank my committee, Barbara Carolan, Jane Woodward, Susan Penn, Nancy Starck, Irma Watts, Donald Forrest Sharon Ferrett, Sarah Peninsi and Jennifer Coriell.
Pam Cahill
Hard working Brooks
When I choose to vote for a candidate the party they are affiliated with is hardly a factor. I choose a candidate by how hard I think they will work on the issues that affect me and my loved ones. It's that simple.
It is that same belief that leads me to vote for Karen Brooks. She is an intelligent, energetic, feisty woman who does not claim to be a politician but a citizen candidate. She simply could not stand to see Lovelace serve another term knowing she could do a better job than him.
I know Karen from the Redwood Empire Endurance Riders, a local long distance horse organization. I have great respect for Karen's skill with horses, her toughness, and her work ethic. She does what she says she will do, keeps appointments, and will be there until the end. I have no doubt that Karen Brooks will bring those same attributes with her business savvy to the County Supervisors where she will work hard on those issues that affect the future prosperity of the North Coast.
Please join me in voting for intelligence, hard work and endurance. Vote Karen Brooks for Third District Supervisor.
Casey Allen
Mark, the forest's friend
There are many complex issues facing Humboldt County; how to manage our forestlands is one of the most complicated. Time, patience, and expertise are needed to develop local solutions for forest management. We need leaders in Humboldt County who understand this complexity, and the options available to us.
We are fortunate to have an individual running for the Third Supervisorial District who has the background, insight and integrity needed to face this issue directly. That person is Mark Lovelace.
Mark has worked with many of us foresters over the last decade to improve forestry practices in Humboldt County, especially in terms of our non-industrial timberlands, (which make up over half of the forestland base in the county). He understands that we can have productive forests that provide good jobs, clean water and healthy wildlife habitat.
Mark does his homework and asks the tough questions needed to help our forest resources prosper.
For these and other reasons, we as Humboldt County Registered Professional Foresters are proud to support Mark Lovelace for Supervisor. We encourage you to vote for Mark on June 3rd.
Greg Blomstrom, Registered
Professional Forester (RPF) #1877
Mark Andre, RPF #2391
Tracy Katelman, RPF #2483
Timothy Metz, RPF #2601
Paul Harper, RPF #2672
Jared Gerstein, RPF #2826
Bill Wilkinson, RPF 2463
Brooks' bold vision
As election time closes in it seems important to recognize the effects that partisan politics have on our local communities. When I look at how the Democratic Central Committee is melting down and how Republicans are still trying to figure out their place here my head starts to itch.
First of all, Cty Council and county supervisor positions are meant to be non partisan. This is our opportunity to choose to step out of the dung that the D's versus the R's have made. I must say it worries me when I see the upper level politicians like senators and assemblymen or even fellow supervisors or councilmembers endorsing each other.
I would rather see those candidates take all that time and effort and seek the support of the community, the people they represent. The people that create and hold down jobs. The people that are so sick and tired of red against blue. The people that are beginning to see through the charades.
The upper level candidates are probably still in need, or so they believe, of the machines that make up the political parties. That will likely be slower to change as that portion of government is stuck quite a bit deeper in the mire. Those candidates however need the example of independent public representatives from the lower levels. The levels closer to the people and more in tune with public needs.
I respect Rex Bohn and Karen Brooks for their independent candidacy. It is too bad I can only vote for one of them. They will have challenges like anyone else but they have the best chance of not being beholden to a particular political party.
We can't expect them to solve all our problems or agree with us all the time, but they are the ones most likely to recognize that real solutions come from a variety of directions and perspectives.
Uri Driscoll
Lovelace's solid service
I support Mark Lovelace for re-election as our Third District County Supervisor. During his first term Mark has supported jobs and resources in forestry, fishing and agriculture while protecting the environment. He achieves this balance by a thorough understanding of the issues and the needs of the community as a whole as well as the needs of individual constituents.
Mark works long, hard hours for the good of our community and I am honored to have him as my Supervisor.
We need this kind of evenhanded approach for Humboldt County and will be well served by giving him a second term on the Board of Supervisors. On June 5th I'll be voting for Mark Lovelace and I urge you to also.
David Glen
Blue Lake resident
Adams a true progressive
12 candidates are seeking to represent our newly created 2nd congressional district running the length of the Northcoast from Del Norte to Marin County.
Why would anyone seek a job that 90 percent of the people disapprove of?
Washington is gridlocked. I'm looking for a new approach, someone who holds strong democratic ideals but will talk to the opposition and PLEASE get things done! I don't see promoting budget failure in Sacramento as a solution. I want an alternative to the status quo.
I met and spoke to each of the front runner candidates. Susan Adams stood head and shoulders above the pack.
Adams is a fiscal conservative who walks the walk. She balanced her district's budgets for 10 years, created jobs in clean energy and in a non-profit public health system. She declines her county's pension and car allowance and has promised to do the same if she's elected to Congress.
She's also a true progressive who supports Medicare For All, protecting Social Security and ending these senseless wars.
Susan is a lifelong Democrat, but she is not part of the "party machine." She's earned diverse support the old fashioned way: she listens. Susan leads by example, helping people on both sides to listen. She understands that solutions come from considering the concerns of all. This is a skilled mediator, just the tonic for what ails Washington.
Why would Susan Adams contend for an unpopular job? Because she can do the job better than anyone else, better than anyone before. She'll fight for a better future for all of us.
After endorsing Susan Adams, I proudly accepted a staff position with her campaign and it's been a honor to work with so many of her enthusiastic supporters.
Donate, endorse or volunteer at: SusanAdamsForCongress.com or call the campaign at (707) 376.VOTE to get involved.
Please join me in voting for Susan Adams on June 5th.
Richard Salzman
Huffman's got mad skills
I am pleased to report that the San Francisco Chronicle, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Marin Independent Journal and the Ukiah Daily Journal have all endorsed Assemblyman Jared Huffman to be our next Congressman. These recent endorsements confirm what I know to be true. Jared is the best candidate in this race to represent us in Washington, D.C.
I have known Jared for nearly a decade and I served with him while representing the northcoast in the California Legislature. That makes me somewhat of an expert in knowing the character of the man, his temperament and how he works. I can personally attest to his authenticity, his problem-solving skills and his strategic abilities to get things done in a partisan environment.
You can trust me when I say Jared Huffman is the real thing! He has my vote. I hope he has yours on June 5.
Patty Berg

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Clutch Player
11 Basic Tech Questions On...Putting The Power To The Ground
When you're gunning your car down the road, a lot of variables have to converge properly in order to complete that fast and furious gear change. Putting the power to the transmission means relying on a disc that's a mere 5mm to 8mm thick. The disc is abused in unfathomable ways. At launch, it's at a standstill one instant, then it's smashed between two pieces of billet-aluminum and spinning at 4000 to 6000 rpm. The shock, friction and heat generated by this act make the clutch one of the more remarkable automotive component systems.
Bare Basics
The basic clutch setup consists of two sub-assemblies--the clutch disc and the clutch cover--the latter of which is home to the prized pressure plate and diaphragm spring. The clutch disc lives between the flywheel and the pressure plate and its front and back surfaces are made up of friction material. The disc is ground zero, where the engine and transmission are physically joined. The disc is connected to the transmission input shaft via splines in its center section. The clutch cover is connected to the flywheel.
In a static state, the engine and transmission are connected. When the driver pushes the clutch pedal in, either a hydraulically actuated piston or cable release pushes in on the release fork, which presses the throw-out bearing (aka release bearing) against the center portion of the finger-like diaphragm spring. As the spring is compressed inward, an array of pins or other mechanisms on the outside of the unit work to lift the pressure plate off the clutch disc. Think lever effect and you're on the right track. In this instance, the clutch disc is freewheeling on the transmission shaft, where it slows considerably, allowing for gear changes.
When the driver takes his foot off the pedal, the pressure plate re-engages the clutch disc and the engine and transmission are connected. The center hub of the clutch disc is fitted with springs, which help lessen the shock of re-engagement.
Beyond Basics
We hooked up with Dirk Starksen, the president/CTO of Advanced Clutch Technology Inc. We asked Starksen 11 questions yielding answers that should shed light on clutch selection and manufacturing of performance clutches.
Turbo: What are the determining factors of clutch selection?
Starksen: Torque capacity, engagement quality, heat (abuse) tolerance, clutch life, personal noise tolerance, pedal effort, inertia, SFI certification and cost.
T: What are the compromises between a high-horsepower clutch and a lower-horsepower clutch?
S: Torque is the real measurement for a clutch. In general, clutch capacity is not rpm relative. Horsepower is rpm related; torque is not. It's hard to come up with an easy answer; there's always a compromise. Let's start with the basics. The formula for torque capacity is:
T = P x F x N x R
T = torque in ft-lbs
P = pounds of clamping force
F = coefficient of friction
N = number of surfaces (generally 2)
R = radius of gyration (mean radius of the friction surface)
You can see from the formula that each variable has equal effect on the torque capacity. It's simple multiplication. Each variable has benefits and drawbacks when you increase the number to gain torque capacity.
If we could totally redesign every clutch, flywheel and operating system, the compromises would be fewer. Because we have to work with the stock linkage, bell housing, etc., more compromises are necessary to hold higher-powered engines. You'll notice that even high-powered sports cars or high-torque diesel trucks don't generally come with fancy clutches. Conventional diaphragm-type, single organic disc clutches are the norm. This isn't because of cost, but because it produces the least amount of compromise by design. Now, back to the formula and each variable.
T (torque capacity)
By selecting a clutch that has a higher torque capacity than needed, you can shorten transmission life (depending on driving habits) and endure unnecessary design drawbacks (possibly higher cost, pedal effort, wear rate, chatter, noise, etc).
P (clamping force)
Clamping force is a function of diaphragm spring force and fulcrum points that multiply the spring's force through increased leverage. Since the release bearing pushes directly on the spring, the higher the spring's force and the higher the pedal effort are. The fulcrums don't have any effect on pedal effort since they're downstream of the diaphragm spring. If you alter leverage alone, you proportionally shorten clutch life and increase required travel just like you would in a simple lever.
This method is common with our competitors, but I consider it a shortcut that gives marginal benefits with little effort. Our stronger spring will produce a longer working range, so we typically can also incorporate a small fulcrum change with no reduction in clutch life. We prefer a large increase of spring force rather than a large change to leverage. Using a stronger spring is also the automakers choice for factory vehicles, such as turbo vs. non-turbo models.
F (coefficient of friction)
This can get pretty deep, but in general, the higher the friction, the higher the wear and worse the engagement quality (chatter). We calculate organic materials at around .25 and our ceramic at .36 (we advertise .32 but changed materials), but these are general numbers for dynamic coefficients and will vary greatly depending on the testing method. We've verified our results to be fairly accurate on dyno tests. Sintered iron has the highest friction we've tested so far, at about .40.
N (number of surfaces)
A single disc has two. If you double the number of discs, which increases N to 4, you double the torque capacity. It sounds good, but the problem is that a simple racing-type double disc doesn't separate the surfaces, so you encounter shifting problems on synchro-type transmissions.
In order to get a multi-plate clutch to operate properly for a synchro-type transmission, a wear-compensating lift mechanism has to be built into the pressure plate and floater. To do this right, it gets really complicated. The earlier NSX had this special lift feature figured out, but it was later abandoned on the six-speed in favor of a less troublesome single-disc clutch. The old 928 Porsche also switched back to single disc after experimenting with a twin.
On a simple multi-plate clutch, noise is also a factor since they generally don't use straps to center the pressure ring or floaters. When the clutch disengages, the parts rattle badly from the torsional vibrations of the engine. In racing, we've seen success on synchro trannies with the Tilton carbon/carbon clutches because the super light weight of the discs make up for the surface drag of a simple twin. Few people can stomach the $4,000 price tag, and clutch life is not fantastic for street use. Note this isn't surface area but number of surfaces. Surface area has very little to do with torque capacity and everything to do with heat capacity.
R (radius of gyration)
Radius to middle of friction surface measured in feet. Sometimes clutch size can be changed fairly easily but most of the time it's not a practical option. The '89 Civic, for instance, can use a '90-and-newer flywheel and clutch. It gains not only torque capacity, but also heat capacity, along with broader clutch choices--a no-brainer. The tradeoff of a larger clutch is increased inertia, which may result in slower shifting or possible friction lining burst failures. A larger disc will give more room for larger, tougher dampers (which adds weight).
T: What are the different friction materials used by ACT and what do they do?
S: We like to use the term "disc types." We have three street versions, depending on application. Our stock disc is just that. Sometimes there's no reason to change a design, so we don't. The customer saves money. The RX-7, for instance, has great friction material with high-burst strength. We may be able to improve a little on it but the cost outweighs the benefits. It's a great disc to begin with.
Our modified disc is a stock disc that has less marcel (cushion spring between the backing and lining) to reduce travel requirements. They're meant to complement our pressure plates, but again, the friction material is unchanged.
We have performance street discs for most popular applications that feature a premium organic material that has slightly increased friction and high copper content for better heat transfer. They're also steel-backed for great burst strength and durability. The resin used in bonding the friction material gives higher heat tolerance than most organic discs. These discs are also modified with reduced marcel for faster action to complement our pressure plates.
We provide torsional dampening on all of our street discs (unless stock is not dampened). Our race discs have a much higher friction (see above) but tend to engage more harshly. With the high metal content of the friction material, it's considerably heavier and more heat tolerant than organic. Less material is generally needed or desired, so puck- or button-type designs are used. For drag race applications using a clutchless transmission, we have sintered iron discs capable of great torque and heat capacity. They're full-surface discs that are very heavy and therefore aren't practical for synchro-type transmissions.
The friction material used has to do several things: produce adequate friction; have enough strength to carry the torque and withstand desired rpm; give desired engagement and wear properties; and tolerate heat (and recover quickly from overheating).
Kevlar, for instance, is known for its insulating properties. As a friction material, this is a problem. Kevlar doesn't recover from overheating very fast because it doesn't transfer the heat off of the surface. The result is a material that can cook the mating surfaces (flywheel and pressure plate) and has a lower-than-stock coefficient of friction to boot. Yes, it lasts a long time if treated right, but it's not ideal.
T: What's the difference between a sprung and unsprung center hub?
S: For a traditional flywheel design (not dual mass), springs are placed in the center of a clutch disc to reduce transmission noises caused by the torsional vibrations (rotational pulses) of the engine. A spring center disc will operate quieter and reduce wear on the center splines of the disc. A rigid center disc, being lighter, will shift faster, engage smoother with high-friction materials, and avoid spring failures. They're race parts and aren't intended for high-mileage applications, since the splines tend to wear out prematurely from the vibration.
Torsional vibration will increase with fewer cylinders, higher compression, hotter cams, higher boost, timing, lighter flywheel, or many aftermarket harmonic balancers.
T: Do ACT clutches work with the factory flywheel?
S: They're intended to be a direct replacement. Of course, the ACT flywheel is preferred.
T: Do ACT clutches require modification of the bell housing to allow for installation?
S: No.
T: Does ACT use a new or refurbished pressure plate/disc in its clutch lineup?
S: Only new. We manufacture many of our own pressure plate components, including diaphragms, drive straps and ductile castings. We make our Integra pressure plates from scratch because we found too many faults (and expense) in the existing design. We also manufacture our own race discs from scratch.
We mostly make our street discs from stock or modified stock discs. We use our own friction material on our performance discs and have some discs custom-made to our specs. We scrutinize which discs will give us the best product.
T: What causes clutch chatter?
S: A high coefficient of friction, bad motor mounts, an incorrectly machined flywheel or faulty pressure plate, spring-centered race disc (aggravates chatter), and contamination (oil, grease, or rust).
Chatter is basically the engine winding up in the mounts as the clutch is engaging and then bouncing off the mounts, disengaging the clutch for a brief moment before engaging again and winding up again. No matter how aggressive a clutch is that would normally chatter severely on a normal street car, it generally won't chatter at all on a car with solid mounts and a rigid disc because there is no wind-up effect.
T: What causes clutch slippage?
S: Oil contamination, worn friction material, inadequate friction or clamp load for power.
T: What results in poor shifting, a shifter with a clumsy feel to it?
S: A faulty pressure plate (won't lift from disc), damage upon installation causing a bent disc, failure to adjust a clutch pedal or cable properly, or poor choice of parts (sintered-iron disc, wrong double-disc setup).
T: Why is clutch break-in so important?
S: We recommend 200 to 300 miles of mellow usage for our street discs. The purpose of breaking in a clutch is to engage the disc in a controlled, consistent manner to ensure the disc, pressure plate and flywheel all make full surface contact. It's also a chance for the friction material to experience normal heat cycles.


text:
25/05/2011 - The OECD will today invite the Russian Federation to join the OECD's Working Group on Bribery and to accede to the OECD's Anti-Bribery Convention. Secretary-General Angel Gurría will sign an exchange of letters with First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrey Denisov, and Russia's Minister for Economic Development, Elvira Nabiullina, at a ceremony with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting.
"This is a significant milestone in Russia's accession to the OECD," said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría. "It underlines the political priority that the Russian government has given to its fight against bribery and corruption."
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed at the beginning of May 2011 legislation that clearly criminalised foreign bribery, with a significant increase in the monetary sanctions for companies and individuals who bribe foreign public officials to gain business advantages (read the press release). Following the invitation today, the Russian parliament will now proceed to approve the country's accession to the OECD Convention.
Like all members of the Working Group on Bribery and in accordance with its procedure, Russia will undergo detailed reviews of its anti-bribery laws to confirm that they meet the Convention's standards and that these laws are effectively implemented.
Russia's membership of the Working Group also marks another step forward in the G20 Action Plan, supported by the OECD, for "combating corruption, promoting market integrity and supporting a clean business environment".
The Convention, which entered into force in 1999, outlaws the bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions. Through country monitoring and extensive peer-led follow-up, the OECD Convention seeks to ensure that the fight against bribery is effective, thus creating a level playing field for fair competition. Since the Convention came into force, 199 individuals and 91 companies have been sanctioned for foreign bribery offenses.
The 34 OECD member countries plus Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria and South Africa are Parties to the Convention.
Journalists are invited to contact Spencer Wilson of the OECD's Media Division (tel. +33 1 45 24 81 18).
>> For more information on OECD's work to fight corruption, visit www.oecd.org/corruption
>> For more OECD work on Russia, please visit: www.oecd.org/russia
>> Read the remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton here
Related Documents


text:
On 22-09-2k22 (Thursday) Shareholders tracking shares of Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. (HSDT) belongs to Healthcare sector and Medical Devices industry. HSDT flaunted -17.68% to reach at $0.36 during previous trading session. HSDT Inc. has a total market value of 10.27M at the time of writing – representing $28.20M outstanding shares. Turning to other widely-considered trading data, this company's half yearly performance is observed at -88.82%.
Volume Evaluation
The USA listed company saw a recent price trade of $0.36 and 3,229,991 shares have traded hands in the session. There are 4.43M shares which are traded as an average over the last three months period.
Many investors forget that one of the defining characteristics of the stock market is that it's a market. Buyers and sellers help determine the price of each stock, and the more buyers and sellers a particular stock has interested in it, the more liquid the market will be. Liquidity can have a profound impact on just how violently stock prices can move in either direction, and the reasons have to do with the nature of the market in a stock's shares.
Trading volume, or volume, is the number of shares or contracts that indicates the overall activity of a security or market for a given period. Trading volume is an important technical indicator an investor uses to confirm a trend or trend reversal. Volume gives an investor an idea of the price action of a security and whether they should buy or sell the security.
Performance Levels
Looking performance record on shares of Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. (HSDT) we observed that the stock has seen a move -97.51% over the last 52-week trading period. The stock generated performance of -76.92% tracking last 3 months. Investors will be anxiously watching to see if things will turn around and the stock will start gaining or losing momentum over the next few months. If we look back year-to-date, the stock has performed -93.06%. Shares are at -31.43% over the previous week and -49.30% over the past month.
Analyst Views:
Fluctuating the focus to what the Wall Street analysts are projecting, we can see that the current consensus target price on shares is $4.25. Analysts often put in a lot of work to study stocks that they cover. Wall Street analysts have a consensus recommendation of 1.00on this stock. This number falls on a one to five scale where a 1 would be considered a strong buy and 5 means a strong sell, 2 shows Buy, 3 Hold, 4 reveals Sell recommendation.
Volatility Insights
Watching some historical volatility numbers on shares of Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. (HSDT) we can see that the 30 days volatility is presently 10.02%. The 7 days volatility is 11.12%. Following volatility data can help measure how much the stock price has fluctuated over the specified time period. Although past volatility action may help project future stock volatility, it may also be vastly different when taking into account other factors that may be driving price action during the measured time period.
The company has a beta of 0.78. 1.00 indicates that its price is correlated with the market. Less than 1.00 shows less volatility than the market. Beta greater than 1.00 indicates that the security's price is theoretically more volatile than the market.
The Average True Range (ATR) value reported at 0.06. The average true range (ATR) is a technical analysis indicator that measures volatility by decomposing the entire range of an asset price for that period. A stock experiencing a high level of volatility has a higher ATR, and a low volatility stock has a lower ATR. The ATR may be used by market technicians to enter and exit trades, and it is a useful tool to add to a trading system. It was created to allow traders to more accurately measure the daily volatility of an asset by using simple calculations. The indicator does not indicate the price direction; rather it is used primarily to measure volatility caused by gaps and limit up or down moves. The ATR is fairly simple to calculate and only needs historical price data.
Technical Considerations
Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. (HSDT) stock positioned -86.62% distance from the 200-day MA and stock price situated -49.08% away from the 50-day MA while located -33.04% off of the 20-day MA.
RSI value sited with reading of 54.55. Relative Strength Index (RSI) is an extremely useful and popular momentum oscillator. The RSI compares the magnitude of a stock's recent gains to the magnitude of its recent losses and turns that information into a number that ranges from 0 to 100. It takes a single parameter, the number of time periods to use in the calculation. In his book, Wilder recommends using 14 periods.
Observing the Technical Indicators:
Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. institutional ownership is held at 2.60% while insider ownership was 0.10%. As of now, HSDT has a P/S, P/E and P/B values of 14.67, 0 and 0.19 respectively. Its P/Cash is valued at 1.63. The Company's net profit margin for the 12 months at 0. Comparatively, the gazes have a Gross margin 36.80%.
Profitability ratios:
Looking into the profitability ratios of HSDT stock, an investor will find its ROE, ROA, ROI standing at -228.10%, -171.40% and -615.30%, respectively.
Earnings per Share Details of Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.:
The EPS of HSDT is strolling at -5.44, measuring its EPS growth this year at 70.50%. As a result, the company has an EPS growth of 0 for the approaching year.
Given the importance of identifying companies that will ensure earnings per share at a tall rate, we later obsession to umpire how to identify which companies will achieve high amassing rates. One obvious showing off to identify high earnings per portion count together companies are to locate companies that have demonstrated such build up beyond the p.s. 5 to 10 years.
The payout ratio shows the proportion of earnings paid out as dividends to shareholders, typically expressed as a percentage of the company's earnings. The payout ratio can also be expressed as dividends paid out as a proportion of cash flow. The payout ratio is also known as the dividend payout ratio. The Company's payout ratio was 0 and Price to free cash flow remained $0.


text: Talk about a trade that didn't work out for either team. Agent Andy Miller confirmed the Sacramento Kings have bought out forward/center J.J. Hickson's contract on Monday. No contract information was available. He was scheduled to earn $2.4 million this season. The 6-foot-9, 242-pound Hickson is now an unrestricted free agent. The Cavs are not expected to make a claim on Hickson, but it's not totally out of the question. The Cavs traded the 23-year-old Hickson to the Kings last June in exchange for forward Omri Casspi and a conditional first-round pick. In 35 games with the Kings this season, Hickson averaged 4.7 points and 5.1 rebounds. He's started just nine games this season and has seen his playing time decrease as the season wore on. He's missed nine of the last 10 games with back spasms. Hickson was the Cavs' first-round pick in 2008. The Cavs thought he'd be a core player. Rumors surfaced that he wanted a contract close to max money, and that's when the Cavs drafted Tristan Thompson and Hickson was traded. The Kings thought they'd add him to their frontcourt rotation of DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson. However, it just didn't work out for Hickson with the Kings. He averaged 13.8 points and 8.7 rebounds in 80 games (66 starts) with the Cavs in 2010-11. Cavs coach Byron Scott got inspired minutes out of him in the second half of the season. His lack of focus, though, perturbed Scott at times. Scott said earlier in the season he didn't have a problem with Hickson. Casspi was acquired by the Cavs to fill a void at small forward. He started the first 34 games this season before being demoted. He's averaging 7.1 points and 3.5 rebounds, but he hasn't really played well all season. If added to the roster — a long shot at best — one could make a case that Hickson is better than most of the Cavs' bigs, most notably Samardo Samuels, Ryan Hollins and Semih Erden. The Kings shopped him hard at the trade deadline, but found no takers. Teams that might be interested in him are Golden State, Phoenix, Miami and Boston.


text:
Using Qemu and Chroot to replace your cross-compile toolchain
Awhile back I wrote about how you can set up a cross-compile toolchain for compiling on x86_64 with the Raspberry Pi as a target. There is another, perhaps easier way to do the same thing by using Qemu 2.0 as your backend.
By installing and enabling Qemu support, you can run code compiled for another architecture (that is supported by Qemu) on your native machine. You can then create a Chroot environment, perhaps similar to what you have on your Raspberry Pi, and run it as if it was natively.
WildMIDI 0.4 is here with support for other formats!
WildMIDI 0.4 is released!
It has been two years in development and we've pushed WildMIDI 0.4 beyond just MIDI support, we've branched out into MIDI like files as well. We've worked together with other projects like GStreamer, OpenTESArena, XLEngine (DaggerXL), Thirdeye, ZDoom and more to ask what we can do to make their lives easier, as a result we now support rendering, streaming and playback of many older MIDI-like formats!
What's new in this release
We've added support for KAR (MIDI with Karaoke) files, MIDI Type 2 and many MIDI-like formats such as HMI, HMP, MUS (Id) and XMI! We've also expanded our API in libwildmidi to support getting text/karaoke out of files, seeking songs in multi song MIDI Type 2, get errors instead of having a noisy library, setting conversion options, converting MIDI-like files into MIDI files and library now returns a buffer in the Endian format of the host.
Read more
New releases of WorldEngine, OpenMW and TESAnnwyn
WorldEngine 0.19 has been released! In case you're wondering, WorldEngine is the combination of two projects: Lands and WorldSynth. The biggest gain in the merge is that we're now two developers on the same wavelength and we've added plate tectonic simulations! As things have become more serious and complicated, we've had to write tests suites to cover our bases. We're currently about 86% code coverage and the tests guarantee reproducibility which aids us in finding regressions. We've got many contributions, so having these in place are crucial for project stability.
What's new in WorldEngine 0.19:
- Speed of generation increased by almost a factor of 3 (due to update to Platec and making heavy use of numpy).
- World-generation is now deterministic, i.e. generation is 100% reproducible.
- Added support for exporting heightmaps using libgdal (see http://www.gdal.org/formats_list.html for possible formats).
- Added the ability to modify temperature and humidity ranges as well as the temperature/precipitation curve.
- Added the ability to generate scatter plots showing temperature and humidity of all terrestrial cells.
- Added small variations to the temperature-map based on basic orbital parameters.
- Added a satellite-like view of the world.
- Added support to save/load worlds in/from HDF5-format.
Deadlines and Timeouts for Realtime MongoDB Access with TxMongo
Murphey had an adage: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." The best we can do is attempt to anticipate any problems that might come up and keep 'the machine' running. From an end-user perspective that means being responsive, even with errors. If there is a network error, we want to know as soon as possible with the guarantee that state of 'the machine' was not effected by the error.
With the release of TxMongo 15.3.1 we've introduced a few things that are useful when creating real-time applications.
We now have per-call deadline and timeouts!