Planning to purchase or finance Commercial or Industrial Real Estate? Shopping Center? Office Building? Restaurant/Banquet property? Parking Lot? Storefront? Gas Station? Manufacturing facility? Warehouse? Logistics Terminal? Medical Building? Nursing Home? Hotel/Motel? Pharmacy? Bank facility? Sports and Entertainment Arena? Other?

A KEY to investing in commercial real estate is performing an adequate Due Diligence Investigation to assure you know all material facts to make a wise investment decision and to calculate your expected investment yield.

The following checklists are designed to help you conduct a focused and meaningful Due Diligence Investigation.

Basic Due Diligence Concepts:

Commercial Real Estate transactions are NOT similar to large home purchases.

Caveat Emptor: Let the Buyer beware.

Consumer protection laws applicable to home purchases seldom apply to commercial real estate transactions. The rule that a Buyer must examine, judge, and test for himself, applies to the purchase of commercial real estate.

Due Diligence: “Such a measure of prudence, activity, or assiduity, as is proper to be expected from, and ordinarily exercised by, a reasonable and prudent [person] under the particular circumstances; not measured by any absolute standard, but depending upon the relative facts of the special case.” Black’s Law Dictionary; West Publishing Company.

Contractual representations and warranties are NOT a substitute for Due Diligence.

Breach of representations and warranties = Litigation, time and money.

WHAT DILIGENCE IS DUE?

The scope, intensity and focus of any due diligence investigation of commercial or industrial real estate depends upon the objectives of the party for whom the investigation is conducted. These objectives may vary depending upon whether the investigation is conducted for the benefit of (i) a Strategic Buyer (or long-term lessee); (ii) a Financial Buyer; (iii) a Developer; or (iv) a Lender.

If you are a Seller, understand that to close the transaction your Buyer (and its Lender) must address all issues material to its objective – some of which require information only you, as Owner, can adequately provide.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

(i) A “Strategic Buyer” (or long-term lessee) is acquiring the property for its own use and must verify that the property is suitable for that intended use.

(ii) A “Financial Buyer” is acquiring the property for the expected return on investment generated by the property’s income stream, and must determine the amount, velocity and durability of the revenue stream. A sophisticated Financial Buyer will likely calculate its yield based upon discounted cash-flows rather than the must less precise capitalization rate (“cap rate”), and will need adequate financial information to do so.

(iii) A “Developer” is seeking to add value by changing the character or use of the property – usually with a short-term to intermediate-term exit strategy to dispose of the property; although, a Developer might plan to hold the property long term as Financial Buyer after development or redevelopment. The Developer must focus on whether the planned change is character or use can be accomplished in a cost-effective manner. A developer conducting due diligence will focus on issues involving market demand, access, use and finances.

(iv) A “Lender” is seeking to establish two basic lending criteria:

1. “Ability to Repay” – The ability of the property to generate sufficient revenue to repay the loan on a timely basis; and

2. “Sufficiency of Collateral” – The objective disposal value of the collateral in the event of a loan default, to assure adequate funds to repay the loan, carrying costs and costs of collection in the event forced collection becomes necessary.

The amount of diligent inquiry due to be expended (i.e. “Due Diligence”) to investigate any particular commercial or industrial real estate project is the amount of inquiry required to answer each of the following questions to the extent relevant to the objectives of the party conducting the investigation:

I. THE PROPERTY:

1. Exactly what PROPERTY does Purchaser believe it is acquiring?

(a) Land?

(b) Building?

(c) Fixtures?

(d) Other Improvements?

(e) Other Rights?

(f) The entire fee title interest including all air rights and subterranean rights?

(g) All development rights?

2. What is Purchaser’s planned use of the Property?

3. Does the physical condition of the Property permit use as planned?

(a) Commercially adequate access to public streets and ways?

(b) Sufficient parking?

(c) Structural condition of improvements?

(d) Environmental contamination?

(i) Innocent Purchaser defense vs. exemption from liability

(ii) All Appropriate Inquiry

4. Is there any legal restriction to Purchaser’s use of the Property as planned?

(a) Zoning?

(b) Private land use controls?

(c) Americans with Disabilities Act?

(d) Availability of licenses?

(i) Liquor license?

(ii) Entertainment license?

(iii) Outdoor dining license?

(iv) Drive through windows permitted?

(e) Other impediments?

5. How much does Purchaser expect to pay for the property?

6. Is there any condition on or within the Property that is likely to increase Purchaser’s effective cost to acquire or use the Property?

(a) Property owner’s assessments?

(b) Real estate tax in line with value?

(c) Special Assessment?

(d) Required user fees for necessary amenities?

(i) Drainage?

(ii) Access?

(iii) Parking?

(iv) Other?

7. Any encroachments onto the Property, or from the Property onto other lands?

8. Are there any encumbrances on the Property that will not be cleared at Closing?

(a) Easements?

(b) Covenants Running with the Land?

(c) Liens or other financial servitudes?

(d) Leases?

9. Leases?

(a) Security Deposits?

(b) Options to Extend Term?

(c) Options to Purchase?

(d) Rights of First Refusal?

(e) Rights of First Offer?

(f) Maintenance Obligations?

(g) Duty on Landlord to provide utilities?

(h) Real estate tax or CAM escrows?

(i) Delinquent rent?

(j) Pre-Paid rent?

(k) Tenant mix/use controls?

(l) Tenant exclusives?

(m) Tenant parking requirements?

(n) Automatic subordination of Lease to future mortgages?

(o) Other material Lease terms?

10. New Construction?

(a) Availability of construction permits?

(b) Utilities?

(c) NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Permit?

(i) Phase 2 effective March 2003 – Permit required if earth is disturbed on one acre or more of land.

(ii) If applicable, Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) is required.

II. THE SELLER:

1. Who is the Seller?

(a) Individual?

(b) Trust?

(c) Partnership?

(d) Corporation?

(e) Limited Liability Company?

(f) Other legally existing entity?

2. If other than natural person, does Seller validly exist and is Seller in good standing?

3. Does the Seller own the Property?

4. Does Seller have authority to convey the Property?

(a) Board of Director Approvals?

(b) Shareholder or Member approval?

(c) Other consents?

(d) If foreign individual or entity, are any special requirements applicable?

(i) Qualification to do business in jurisdiction of Property?

(ii) Federal Tax Withholding?

(iii) US Patriot Act compliance?

5. Who has authority to bind Seller?

6. Are sale proceeds sufficient to pay off all liens?

III. THE PURCHASER:

1. Who is the Purchaser?

2. What is the Purchaser/Grantee’s exact legal name?

3. If Purchaser/Grantee is an entity, has it been validly created and is it in good standing?

(a) Articles or Incorporation – Articles of Organization

(b) Certificate of Good Standing

4. Is Purchaser/Grantee authorized to own and operate the Property and, if applicable, finance acquisition of the Property?

(a) Board of Director Approvals?

(b) Shareholder or Member approval?

(c) If foreign individual or entity, are any special requirements applicable?

(i) Qualification to do business in jurisdiction of the Property?

(ii) US Patriot Act compliance?

(iii) Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering compliance?

5. Who is authorized to bind the Purchaser/Grantee?

IV. PURCHASER FINANCING:

A. BUSINESS TERMS OF THE LOAN:

What loan terms have the Purchaser, as Borrower, and its Lender agreed to?

(a) What is the amount of the loan?

(b) What is the interest rate?

(c) What are the repayment terms?

(d) What is the collateral?

(i) Commercial real estate only?

(ii) Real estate and personal property together?

(e) First lien? A junior lien?

(f) Is it a single advance loan?

(g) A multiple advance loan?

(h) A construction loan?

(i) If it is a multiple advance loan, can the principal be re-borrowed once repaid prior to maturity of the loan; making it, in effect, a revolving line of credit?

(j) Are there reserve requirements?

(i) Interest reserves?

(ii) Repair reserves?

(iii) Real estate tax reserves?

(iv) Insurance reserves?

(v) Environmental remediation reserves?

(vi) Other reserves?

(k) Are there requirements for Borrower to open business operating accounts with the Lender? If so, is the Borrower obligated to maintain minimum compensating balances?

(l) Is the Borrower required to pledge business accounts as additional collateral?

(m) Are there early repayment fees or yield maintenance requirements (each sometimes referred to as “pre-payment penalties”)?

(n) Are there repayment blackout periods during which Borrower is not permitted to repay the loan?

(o) Is there a Loan Commitment fee or “good faith deposit” due upon Borrower’s acceptance of the Loan Commitment?

(p) Is there a loan funding fee or loan brokerage fee or other loan fee due Lender or a loan broker at closing?

(q) What are the Borrower’s expense reimbursement obligations to Lender? When are they due? What is the Borrower’s obligation to pay Lender’s expenses if the loan does not close?

B. DOCUMENTING THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LOAN

Does Purchaser have all information necessary to comply with the Lender’s loan closing requirements?

Not all loan documentation requirements may be known at the outset of a transaction, although most commercial real estate loan documentation requirements are fairly typical. Some required information can be obtained only from the Seller. Production of that information to Purchaser for delivery to its lender must be required in the purchase contract.

As guidance to what a commercial real estate lender may require, the following sets forth a typical Closing Checklist for a loan secured by commercial real estate.

Commercial Real Estate Loan Closing Checklist

1. Promissory Note

2. Personal Guaranties (which may be full, partial, secured, unsecured, payment guaranties, collection guaranties or a variety of other types of guarantees as may be required by Lender).

3. Loan Agreement (often incorporated into the Promissory Note and/or Mortgage in lieu of being a separate document)

4. Mortgage [sometimes expanded to be a Mortgage, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing]

5. Assignment of Rents and Leases

6. Security Agreement

7. Financing Statement (sometimes referred to as a “UCC-1”, or “Initial Filing”)

8. Evidence of Borrower’s Existence In Good Standing; including

(a) Certified copy of organizational documents of borrowing entity (including Articles of Incorporation, if Borrower is a corporation; Articles of Organization and written Operating Agreement, if Borrower is a limited liability company; Certified copy of trust agreement with all amendments, if Borrower is a land trust or other trust; etc.)

(b) Certificate of Good Standing (if a corporation or LLC) or Certificate of Existence (if a limited partnership) or Certificate of Qualification to Transact Business (if Borrower is an entity doing business in a State other than its State of formation)

9. Evidence of Borrower’s Authority to Borrow; including

(a) a Borrower’s Certificate;

(b) Certified Resolutions

(c) Incumbency Certificate

10. Satisfactory Commitment for Title Insurance (which will typically require, for analysis by the Lender, copies of all documents of record appearing on Schedule B of the title commitment which are to remain after closing), with required commercial title insurance endorsements, often including:

(a) When available, Affirmative Creditors Rights Endorsement (extending coverage over policy exclusion 7 and policy exclusions 3(a) and 3(d) as they relate to creditor’s rights matters)

(b) ALTA 3.1 Zoning Endorsement modified to include parking

(c) ALTA Comprehensive Endorsement 1

(d) Location Endorsement (street address)

(e) Access Endorsement (vehicular access to public streets and ways)

(f) Contiguity Endorsement (the insured land comprises a single parcel with no gaps or gores)

(g) PIN Endorsement (insuring that the identified real estate tax permanent index numbers are the only applicable PIN numbers affecting the collateral and that they relate solely to the real property comprising the collateral)

(h) Usury Endorsement (insuring that the loan does not violate any prohibitions against excessive interest charges)

(i) other title insurance endorsements applicable to protect the intended use and value of the collateral, as may be determined upon review of the Commitment for Title Insurance and Survey or arising from the existence of special issues pertaining to the transaction or the Borrower.

11. Current ALTA Survey (3 sets), [typically prepared in accordance with 2011 Minimum Standard Detail for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys, certified to the lender, Buyer and the title insurer.

12. Current Rent Roll

13. Certified copy of all Leases (3 sets)

14. Lessee Estoppel Certificates

15. Lessee Subordination, Non-Disturbance and Attornment Agreements [sometimes referred to simply as “SNDAs”].

16. UCC, Judgment, Pending Litigation, Bankruptcy and Tax Lien Search Report

17. Appraisal (must comply with Title XI of FIRREA (Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989, as amended)

18. Environmental Site Assessment Report (sometimes referred to as Environmental Phase I and/or Phase 2 Audit Reports)

19. Environmental Indemnity Agreement (signed by Borrower and guarantors)

20. Site Improvements Inspection Report

21. Evidence of Hazard Insurance naming Lender as the Mortgagee/Lender Loss Payee; and Liability Insurance naming Lender as an “additional insured” (sometimes listed as simply “Acord 27 and Acord 25, respectively)

22. Legal Opinion of Borrower’s Attorney

23. Credit Underwriting documents, such as signed tax returns, property operating statements, etc. as may be specified by Lender

24. Compliance Agreement (sometimes also called an Errors and Omissions Agreement), whereby the Borrower agrees to correct, after closing, errors or omissions in loan documentation.

It is useful to become familiar with the Lender’s loan documentation requirements as early in the transaction as practical. The requirements will likely be set forth with some detail in the lender’s Loan Commitment – which is typically much more detailed than most loan commitments issued in residential transactions.

Conducting the Due Diligence Investigation in a commercial real estate transaction can be time consuming and expensive in all events.

If the loan requirements cannot be satisfied, it is better to make that determination during the contractual “due diligence period” – which typically provides for a so-called “free out” – rather than at a later date when the earnest money may be at risk of forfeiture or when other liability for failure to close may attach.

CONCLUSION

Conducting an effective due diligence investigation in a commercial real estate transaction to discover all material facts and conditions affecting the Property and the transaction is of critical importance.

Unlike owner occupied residential real estate, when a house can nearly always be occupied as the purchaser’s home, commercial real estate acquired for business use or for investment is impacted by numerous factors that may affect its use and value.

The existence of these factors and their affect on a Purchaser’s ability to use the Property for its intended use and on the Purchaser’s projected investment yield can only be discovered through diligent investigation and attention to detail.

The circumstances of each transaction will determine what degree of diligence is required. The level of diligence required under the circumstances is the diligence that is due.

Exercise Due Diligence.

The performance of the big teams at South Africa 2010 has been less than impressive in their group matches. There was a lot of hype on the media about what to expect from them, months before the commencement of the tournament.

Now that they are all there in South Africa, they are giving a lot of people high blood pressure, because of their lacklustre performances. Only three of the big teams (Brazil, Argentina and the Netherlands) have had 100% wins in their first two games so far.

Brazil won their opening match against Korea DPR by 2-1 and defeated Cote D’Ivoire 3-1 in their second match. Argentina defeated highly rated Nigeria by a lone goal in their opener, and then went ahead to beat South Africa 4-1 in their next match. They completed the group matches with a 2-0 win over Greece, to maintain a 100% wins. The Netherlands trounced highly rated Denmark 2-0 in their first match, and also defeated hard fighting Japan 1-0 in their next match.

Four times champions and defending champions, Italy could only manage a 1-1 draw against Paraguay in their opener, and played another 1-1 draw against the groups Underdogs New Zealand. Three time champions, Germany, walloped Australia 4-0 in their opening match and then lost 0-1 to unknown Serbia in their second match. 1966 champions, England, played a 1-1 draw against USA in their first match, and another 0-0 draw against Algeria in their next game. They were however lucky to triumph by a lone goal over Slovenia in their last match, courtesy of Jermain Defoe. The host and winners of the 1998 edition, France, played out 0-0 draw against two time winner, Uruguay in their opening, but they lost their second game 0-2 to their North American opponents, Mexico in their next match, and then lost the last by 1-2 to the host, South Africa.

Highly rated Nigeria lost 0-1 to two time champions, Argentina in their opening game; and surprisingly lost their second game 1-2 to second time participants, Greece which has never won any world cup match before. They only managed a 2-2 draw against South Korea in their last game. Cameroon playing with three time African footballer of the year, Samuel Eto’o, lost by 0-1 to Japan in their first match, and also by 1-2 to Denmark in their next match to become the first African country to be knocked out in the first round of this year’s tournament. Cote D’Ivoire with current African footballer of the year Didier Drogba, managed a 0-0 draw against Portugal in their opener, but lost 1-3 to favorites Brazil in their next match.

Algeria lost their opening game 0-1 against little known Slovenia and played out a 0-0 draw against England. They finally crashed out after losing 0-1 against USA in their last match. Portugal played a goalless draw against Cote D’Ivoire in their first game; they eventually tried to redeem their name by beating Korea DPR 7-0 in their next match, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring only once.

So what has happened to the big teams and great names like Miroslav Klose, Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Frank Lampard, Obafemi Martins, Yakubu Aiyegbemi, Osaze Odewingie, Didier Drogba, Gervinho, Salomon Kalou, Samuel Eto’o, Steven Pienaar, Fabia Canavalro, Camoranesi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco etc.

France, Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria, Greece and Slovenia have all crashed out in the group stages. We hope the rest teams would be able to give a better account of themselves as they seek to qualify for the round of 16. so far only Argentina, South Korea, Uruguay, Mexico, England and USA have qualified for the round of 16.

Dear PM Ariel Sharon:

As you are very much aware, Lubavitcher rabbis presented to the Court of High Heaven a petition against you, signed, sealed and delivered. You have incensed the Great G-d in the Highest Heaven and His servants with your stench of betrayal, despising your biblical birthright and inheritance and expressing a willingness to transfer Jews for a g-dless peace that will only invite bloody German-Jesuit EU intervention and disaster for British-Israelites and Jews worldwide!

The Master of the Universe empowered you to become prime minister of His Homeland and took you from your ranch in the Negev to help shepherd His People and your brethren and protect them from the many wolves within and without the Holy Land. Instead you have been branded as one who would dismember our Mother (Israel) and dismantle the Temple (Jerusalem and the Temple Mount) by following the blind leadership of President George W. Bush with his road map that seeks to throw away the biblical blueprint for a just and lasting solution for peace in the Middle East!

You were rewarded with your position as leader of Judah, sanctified from the day you set foot upon G-d’s Holy Mountain and reminded the whole world of its supreme importance. You were to use your G-d given power and influence as a Chariot/Tank of G-d to roll over and crush the enemies of G-d and Israel fearlessly, like the Warrior-King David fought the battles of the L-RD! You were to strike terror into the wicked heart of Amalek and faithfully destroy every threat to the Land and People of Israel (Zech. 12:6) with G-d as your fiery shield! (Zech. 12:6).

Just because you’re not religious doesn’t mean the Great G-d of the Hebrews can’t use you to help fulfill His plans and purpose for Jerusalem and Israel. You should have joined hands with your British-Israelite brethren, and encouraged them to utterly defeat our common terrorist foes! (Zech. 9:13). G-D WOULD HAVE BLESSED YOUR EFFORTS!

You can redeem yourself, save your skin and salvation! How? RETURN TO THE TEMPLE MOUNT THAT EMPOWERED YOU! Clearly stake Israeli sovereignty over it in no uncertain terms, throwing down the wicked Nazi Wakf from Judaism’s holiest site, just as the Romans evicted the corrupt Sanhedrin from the noble enclosure!

Make aliyah to Har HaBayit with Gershon Salomon, Chaim Richman, Rav Ariel and other men of G-d and pray for Israel’s deliverance and receive it! Only then would the aforementioned rabbis letter be returned to sender, marked null and void. This opportunity of a lifetime is yours for the asking. It’s your responsibility. It’s your choice!

Shema Ariel Sharon: Choose life and live and prosper!

For Zion’s Sake,

David Ben-Ariel

This open letter to Ariel Sharon was originally published July 7, 2004 by THINK-ISRAEL BLOG-EDS

Did God condemn the Jews to wander until Messiah comes but blessed every other tribe of Israel with a national inheritance? Does that make sense? Is God fair? Is Israel so much holier than Judah? Or could it be, as Herbert W. Armstrong taught in The United States and Britain in Prophecy, that Israel’s punishment was to last for 2,520 years (Lev. 26:21)?

After that time, around A.D. 1800, because of Abraham’s obedience, God decreed that He would bestow His blessings. Did that 2,520 years of punishment apply only to the Northern Kingdom of Israel? Does God have a double standard? Once God removed the Kingdom of Judah wasn’t it His responsibility to restore it at the appointed time?

Did the Anglo-Saxon and European peoples take these prophecies into their own hands? Were they able to create their countries with no divine mandate, signs and miracles, or prophetic leadership?

For those who have eyes to see, the biblical countries came into being by divine mandate since only God determines the rise and fall of nations. Many of our founding fathers were inspired of God, in spite of themselves, to accomplish our Manifest Destiny. God’s overall plan is greater than any single man.

God stirred up Theodore Herzl to inspire the Jewish people with the biblical idea of having a Jewish State again. He wrote and spoke about it extensively, planting the seed of holy imagination in Judah’s mind.

Later, during the British Mandate, the British began to “look favorably” upon the establishment of an independent Jewish Homeland, watering that holy seed. The Balfour Declaration was part of a divine mandate to restore Judah to “Palestine” (a satanic word the Romans used in an evil attempt to erase our father Israel’s name off the map – Ps. 83:4).

God utilized political Zionism for His purposes, just as He utilized America’s rebellion against the English throne. On the surface, neither were so special or righteous, but both were instrumental in fulfilling prophecy.

As for the treatment of the former inhabitants of the lands that God decreed for His people, whether Arabs or Indians, I’m sure the Canaanites would offer scathing condemnation but others would see God’s purpose being worked out, however imperfectly to limited human vision. God addresses any injustices in His own way and time (2 Sam. 21:1-14), but dismisses those charges that exaggerate or exploit them to deny our basic biblical right to the lands He has chosen for us (Acts 17:26).

As the Greeks are representative of all Gentiles, so the Jews are representative of all Israel. It is to Israel, specifically to the Jews, that God has committed the “oracles of God” (Rom. 3:2). The oracles of God includes the DIVINE COVENANTS AND PROMISES (Rom. 9:4-5). The Jews hold, in trust, the biblical land deed/covenant to the Holy Land for all Twelve Tribes.

GOD MADE A LAND-COVENANT WITH ISRAEL (Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 15:18; 17:8; 26:3; 28:13; 35:12). Not once did God promise the Holy Land to the “Palestinians” so Bible-believers must reject their illegitimate claims. Those who attempt to justify foreign occupation of our land or terrible treatment of our people because of our sins are condemning themselves before God (Isa. 47:6; Jer. 50:7; Zech. 1:15).

There are many Scriptures that speak of a REPRESENTATIVE AMOUNT OF JEWS living in Israel before the return of the King Messiah, Yeshua. Shamefully, God’s ministers, and consequently the Church of God, have often been blind to what God is doing in Israel today. We’ve failed to see the wonders that God has wrought, the types that foretell of greater things to come.

We’ve been ignorant of the biblical principle of duality and have nit-picked the prophecies demanding all or nothing. With that limited vision we would’ve argued with Peter on Pentecost/Shavuot about Joel’s prophecy being fulfilled. However, it certainly was – in part (Acts 2:16-21).

Consider the following:

God promised to “save Zion, and build the cities of Judah” (Ps. 69:35). (He doesn’t refer to them as “Palestinian” cities) God has faithfully done that by rewarding Jewish efforts (Annuit Coeptus) and respecting their blood, sweat and tears (Isa. 61:4; Ps. 102:13-14). God has used the Jews to make the desert blossom as the rose and protected them during this conversion process, just as Moses requested (Deut. 33:7).

I praise God for having blessed me, from Toledo to Jerusalem, to have lived in eight kibbutzim (collective-farms) throughout Israel that have helped to fulfill these pioneer prophecies, including during Operation Desert Storm.

God clearly prophesied through Zechariah chapters 12-14 that the Jews would again be living in their ancient capital of Jerusalem, with their own rulers, and that the “United Nations” would oppose them and ultimately be defeated.

Zechariah also shows the long-awaited recognition of Yeshua by the Jews as God’s Son and Judah’s Firstborn and the heartfelt repentance of the political (House of David) and religious (House of Levi) establishment. In fact, Yeshua said that the Jews in Jerusalem wouldn’t see Him again until they had this necessary change of heart (Matt. 23:39).

Zechariah also reveals that the Jews would again be a formidable military power in the Middle East with God working in and through and for them. Many Israelis know that God has been their true General and performed many miracles on their behalf. I’ve heard Gershon Salomon, chairman of the Temple Mount Faithful, recount his miraculous experience of divine protection on the Golan Heights many times.

It’s important to note that God has inspired the holy prophets to write about real flesh and blood Jews living in Israel – not Jewish imposters.

Why? Because those suffering from the sickness of anti-Semitism are out to spread doubt and confusion about Israel’s Jewish identity. They publish slanderous hate literature attempting to poison minds against the Jews by promoting quack racial theories and Nazi propaganda.

It’s nothing less than Satan’s desperate efforts to deny that God has the power to fulfill prophecy. Bible-believers reject their bitter lies knowing God’s Word is true.

Zechariah also agrees with the New Testament prophecies that reveal Jerusalem as a thriving Jewish city that will suffer under a harsh Gentile occupation just before the Messiah arrives in time (Rev. 11:2; Zech. 14:2).

Yeshua will liberate Jerusalem and secure it as His headquarters. Jerusalem, the site of David’s Throne, will be the seat of God’s government. Yeshua, like the prophet Daniel, foresaw that Jewish-Christians would be living and working in a Jewish State. They’ll witness the historic restoration of animal sacrifices and their abrupt cessation by an evil European force, quickly followed by the “abomination of desolation” that triggers World War III (Matt. 24:15-16; Dan. 12:11).

Meanwhile, the Church of God (or select individuals if the Church continues to shirk its responsibility) must ANNOUNCE TO THE CITIES OF JUDAH (the prophecy doesn’t refer to them as “Palestinian” cities or “Israeli-occupied”) that Messiah’s about to appear!

We’re to boldly offer Judah the hope and comfort that a TRUE PEACE is coming and to get ready for it (Isa. 40:1-3). We’re to help prepare Israel for the shock of a GLORIFIED YESHUA REVEALED AT LAST (vs. 5) and lead them to expect an audience with a DIVINE KING whose ROYAL RADIANCE will illuminate every nation.

We must identify Yeshua as the “Son of Man” from Heaven that Daniel previewed (Dan. 7:13-14), and stress that Zechariah gave an “eyewitness account” of this same DIVINE SAVIOR descending from Heaven to reign as LORD from Jerusalem over the whole earth (Zech. 14:3-4, 9, 16).

Remember this is no small task, and is quite controversial, since the Jews are still looking forward to a human leader to save them from all their troubles.

The Two Witnesses will be the most influential in reaching the cities of Judah from Jerusalem (Isa. 40:9; 52:7-8), effectively knowing their mindset and culture (unlike so many others), but the Church of God should still do what we can now.

These exciting Scriptures clearly prove (they’re not assumptions) that with God nothing is impossible: the Jews would again be living in an independent Israel, resurrected from the dust of history just prior to Messiah’s coming, with Jerusalem as their capital, complete with an effective fighting force, having been restored to their ancient cities and energetically transforming the land from barren desert to productive fields – all with God’s blessing (Ezek. 37:1-14).

These Scriptures glorify God as faithful and we should praise Him that His Word is good and true. Amen.

For nearly 30 years, I have represented borrowers and lenders in commercial real estate transactions. During this time it has become apparent that many Buyers do not have a clear understanding of what is required to document a commercial real estate loan. Unless the basics are understood, the likelihood of success in closing a commercial real estate transaction is greatly reduced.

Throughout the process of negotiating the sale contract, all parties must keep their eye on what the Buyer’s lender will reasonably require as a condition to financing the purchase. This may not be what the parties want to focus on, but if this aspect of the transaction is ignored, the deal may not close at all.

Sellers and their agents often express the attitude that the Buyer’s financing is the Buyer’s problem, not theirs. Perhaps, but facilitating Buyer’s financing should certainly be of interest to Sellers. How many sale transactions will close if the Buyer cannot get financing?

This is not to suggest that Sellers should intrude upon the relationship between the Buyer and its lender, or become actively involved in obtaining Buyer’s financing. It does mean, however, that the Seller should understand what information concerning the property the Buyer will need to produce to its lender to obtain financing, and that Seller should be prepared to fully cooperate with the Buyer in all reasonable respects to produce that information.

Basic Lending Criteria

Lenders actively involved in making loans secured by commercial real estate typically have the same or similar documentation requirements. Unless these requirements can be satisfied, the loan will not be funded. If the loan is not funded, the sale transaction will not likely close.

For Lenders, the object, always, is to establish two basic lending criteria:

1. The ability of the borrower to repay the loan; and

2. The ability of the lender to recover the full amount of the loan, including outstanding principal, accrued and unpaid interest, and all reasonable costs of collection, in the event the borrower fails to repay the loan.

In nearly every loan of every type, these two lending criteria form the basis of the lender’s willingness to make the loan. Virtually all documentation in the loan closing process points to satisfying these two criteria. There are other legal requirements and regulations requiring lender compliance, but these two basic lending criteria represent, for the lender, what the loan closing process seeks to establish. They are also a primary focus of bank regulators, such as the FDIC, in verifying that the lender is following safe and sound lending practices.

Few lenders engaged in commercial real estate lending are interested in making loans without collateral sufficient to assure repayment of the entire loan, including outstanding principal, accrued and unpaid interest, and all reasonable costs of collection, even where the borrower’s independent ability to repay is substantial. As we have seen time and again, changes in economic conditions, whether occurring from ordinary economic cycles, changes in technology, natural disasters, divorce, death, and even terrorist attack or war, can change the “ability” of a borrower to pay. Prudent lending practices require adequate security for any loan of substance.

Documenting The Loan

There is no magic to documenting a commercial real estate loan. There are issues to resolve and documents to draft, but all can be managed efficiently and effectively if all parties to the transaction recognize the legitimate needs of the lender and plan the transaction and the contract requirements with a view toward satisfying those needs within the framework of the sale transaction.

While the credit decision to issue a loan commitment focuses primarily on the ability of the borrower to repay the loan; the loan closing process focuses primarily on verification and documentation of the second stated criteria: confirmation that the collateral is sufficient to assure repayment of the loan, including all principal, accrued and unpaid interest, late fees, attorneys fees and other costs of collection, in the event the borrower fails to voluntarily repay the loan.

With this in mind, most commercial real estate lenders approach commercial real estate closings by viewing themselves as potential “back-up buyers”. They are always testing their collateral position against the possibility that the Buyer/Borrower will default, with the lender being forced to foreclose and become the owner of the property. Their documentation requirements are designed to place the lender, after foreclosure, in as good a position as they would require at closing if they were a sophisticated direct buyer of the property; with the expectation that the lender may need to sell the property to a future sophisticated buyer to recover repayment of their loan.

Top 10 Lender Deliveries

In documenting a commercial real estate loan, the parties must recognize that virtually all commercial real estate lenders will require, among other things, delivery of the following “property documents”:

1. Operating Statements for the past 3 years reflecting income and expenses of operations, including cost and timing of scheduled capital improvements;

2. Certified copies of all Leases;

3. A Certified Rent Roll as of the date of the Purchase Contract, and again as of a date within 2 or 3 days prior to closing;

4. Estoppel Certificates signed by each tenant (or, typically, tenants representing 90% of the leased GLA in the project) dated within 15 days prior to closing;

5. Subordination, Non-Disturbance and Attornment (“SNDA”) Agreements signed by each tenant;

6. An ALTA lender’s title insurance policy with required endorsements, including, among others, an ALTA 3.1 Zoning Endorsement (modified to include parking), ALTA Endorsement No. 4 (Contiguity Endorsement insuring the mortgaged property constitutes a single parcel with no gaps or gores), and an Access Endorsement (insuring that the mortgaged property has access to public streets and ways for vehicular and pedestrian traffic);

7. Copies of all documents of record which are to remain as encumbrances following closing, including all easements, restrictions, party wall agreements and other similar items;

8. A current Plat of Survey prepared in accordance with 2011 Minimum Standard Detail for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys, certified to the lender, Buyer and the title insurer;

9. A satisfactory Environmental Site Assessment Report (Phase I Audit) and, if appropriate under the circumstances, a Phase 2 Audit, to demonstrate the property is not burdened with any recognized environmental defect; and

10. A Site Improvements Inspection Report to evaluate the structural integrity of improvements.

To be sure, there will be other requirements and deliveries the Buyer will be expected to satisfy as a condition to obtaining funding of the purchase money loan, but the items listed above are virtually universal. If the parties do not draft the purchase contract to accommodate timely delivery of these items to lender, the chances of closing the transaction are greatly reduced.

Planning for Closing Costs

The closing process for commercial real estate transactions can be expensive. In addition to drafting the Purchase Contract to accommodate the documentary requirements of the Buyer’s lender, the Buyer and his advisors need to consider and adequately plan for the high cost of bringing a commercial real estate transaction from contract to closing.

If competent Buyer’s counsel and competent lender’s counsel work together, each understanding what is required to be done to get the transaction closed, the cost of closing can be kept to a minimum, though it will undoubtedly remain substantial. It is not unusual for closing costs for a commercial real estate transaction with even typical closing issues to run thousands of dollars. Buyers must understand this and be prepared to accept it as a cost of doing business.

Sophisticated Buyers understand the costs involved in documenting and closing a commercial real estate transaction and factor them into the overall cost of the transaction, just as they do costs such as the agreed upon purchase price, real estate brokerage commissions, loan brokerage fees, loan commitment fees and the like.

Closing costs can constitute significant transaction expenses and must be factored into the Buyer’s business decision-making process in determining whether to proceed with a commercial real estate transaction. They are inescapable expenditures that add to Buyer’s cost of acquiring commercial real estate. They must be taken into account to determine the “true purchase price” to be paid by the Buyer to acquire any given project and to accurately calculate the anticipated yield on investment.

Some closing costs may be shifted to the Seller through custom or effective contract negotiation, but many will unavoidably fall on the Buyer. These can easily total tens of thousands of dollars in an even moderately sized commercial real estate transaction in the $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 price range.

Costs often overlooked, but ever present, include title insurance with required lender endorsements, an ALTA Survey, environmental audit(s), a Site Improvements Inspection Report and, somewhat surprisingly, Buyers attorney’s fees.

For reasons that escape me, inexperienced Buyers of commercial real estate, and even some experienced Buyers, nearly always underestimate attorneys fees required in any given transaction. This is not because they are unpredictable, since the combined fees a Buyer must pay to its own attorney and to the Lender’s attorney typically aggregate around 1% of the Purchase Price. Perhaps it stems from wishful thinking associated with the customarily low attorneys fees charged by attorneys handling residential real estate closings. In reality, the level of sophistication and the amount of specialized work required to fully investigate and document a transaction for a Buyer of commercial real estate makes comparisons with residential real estate transactions inappropriate. Sophisticated commercial real estate investors understand this. Less sophisticated commercial real estate buyers must learn how to properly budget this cost.

Conclusion

Concluding negotiations for the sale/purchase of a substantial commercial real estate project is a thrilling experience but, until the transaction closes, it is only ink on paper. To get to closing, the contract must anticipate the documentation the Buyer will be required to deliver to its lender to obtain purchase money financing. The Buyer must also be aware of the substantial costs to be incurred in preparing for closing so that Buyer may reasonably plan its cash requirements for closing. With a clear understanding of what is required, and advanced planning to satisfy those requirements, the likelihood of successfully closing will be greatly enhanced.

This is an important part of the reading, as everyone who has been to any sort of reader before will have been told that they possess psychic abilities, latent perhaps (very latent even!) but there nonetheless. Consequently, you will have to make some mention of this as well, because it will add credibility to your reading.

There are two main positions to look at on the palm for this, and they are shown on the drawing below.

Psychic Abilities

The first of these is a semi-circle around the base of the first finger, usually about half an inch away from the bottom of the finger. This is called the Ring of Solomon.

When I see this I say:

“This is known as the Ring of Solomon. IT gives an interest in the psychic and is possibly why you are her today.”

I then look diagonally across the palm for a Line of Intuition, which is a small line running into the centre of the palm from the bottom end of the hand on the same side as the little finger. This line is often hard to see, or not present. If it is there I comment:

“This is your Line of Intuition. Your Ring of Solomon gave an interest in the psychic. This gives ability at it. It it very rare, in fact only about one person in a hundred has it (not true). You should always act on your hunches or feelings as, with this line, they would always be correct.”

If the person has long fingers, I add:

“However, you are basically a very logical person, so you may have to learn to put aside your rational, logical mind and let your feelings flow. It may not be easy, but with this line, your feelings would be right, so you could ultimately take it a long way.”

If someone has two Lines of Intuition, (two lines close together) I say:

“Your feelings could come very well through dreams. It is not always easy to remember your dreams, but if you tried, and possibly keep a dream diary by your bed, you could take in a long way.”

Occasionally you will find a Line of Intuition which comes right down the hand and reaches either the Destiny Line or the Head Line. If it reaches the Head Line I say:

“As your Line of Intuition comes right down to your Head Line, you would make a very good psychic or spiritual teacher. It looks as if you have developed your abilities quite a bit, but you are going to take these special gifts much, much further in the future.”

If, however, it comes across to the Destiny Line, I say:

“With your Line fo Intuition coming across to join your Destiny Line, you will find that your psychic abilities will take you long way ultimately. This could come about through telepathy, clairvoyance, even through foreseeing the future. You could spend time and effort on developing intuitively and spiritually, as this will make your ultimate progress that much more successful.”

There is also what is known as a Psychic shaped hand. This is a long slender, graceful hand, normally covered with a myriad of worry lines and a pronounced Girdle of Venus. However, I ignore hand shapes in doing a quick reading, as they are not necessary. If you become interested in Palmistry as a study on its own, you will find the shape of the hand is extremely important in character analysis. However, it is outside the scope of this work.

Money

This is another subject you must cover as everyone is vitally interested in obtaining money, or in being secure in their old age.

Earned money

Earned money is shown by a triangle formed on two sides by the crossing of the Destiny and Head Lines. Usually there is a third line forming the third side. The larger this triangle is, the greater the potential for earning money. It doesn`t mean they will earn all the money indicated by this triangle. It is simply a potential. The other main money sign is a little line between the third and fourth fingers. This indicates inherited money. Some fortunate people have a number of these fine lines. I cover money this way:

“You have a good money sign (indicating vaguely the triangle at tine intersection of the Destiny and Head Lines). This is a potential only, but it does look as if you will do well financially over a lifetime.”

If the person also has a gap between the Head Line and the Life Line, (illustrated in the last lesson) I say instead of the above:

” You have a good money sign, so over a lifetime a lot of money will come in. However, you will always be a good spender, so some will go out as well. Early in your life you may have been better at spending it rather than making it, but nowadays you are pretty good at hanging onto it, also, provided there is a purpose to mind. Ultimately, you will do pretty well financially.”

“Pretty well” can mean anything of course.

Inherited money

I read the inherited money lines this way:

“These lines indicate inherited money, so you will come into money (a number of times). However, I can not date these. They could be either in the past or ahead of you. Also, they may not come directly through you, either.”

That doesn`t really tell much either, does it?

I always tell people that I don`t recommend gambling. “Easy money” is indicated by little triangles on the inside of the Life Line, but they are vary hard to see and interpret, so, for a quick reading I do not even try to find any. Instead I say:

“I wouldn`t really recommend gambling. It doesn`t look as if you have much success in that regard. In small ways, maybe, but not in large ways. Your luck comes in other ways. Through hard work you always get there in time.”

In part one we traced the development of the pendulum clock from early beginnings in China around 1100, to the improvements made in Italy then Holland in the 1600’s.

Now we can take a look at English clockmaking up to the point where the grandfather or longcase clock as we recognise it today appeared.

Here is an advertisement, which appeared in the London paper “Commonwealth Mercury” in November 1658 – – – – –

“There is lately a way found for making clocks that to exact and keep equaller time than any now made without this Regulator (examined and proved before his Highness the Lord Protector by such Doctors whose knowledge and learning is without exception) and are not subject to alter by change of weather, as others are, and may be made to go a week, a month, or a year with once winding up, as well as those that are wound up every day, and keep time as well, and is very excellent for all House Clocks that go either with springs or weights; and also Steeple Clocks that are most subject to differ by change of weather. Made by Ahasuerus Fromanteel, who made the first that were in England. You may have them at his house on the Bankside, in Mosses Alley, Southwark and at the sign of the Mermaid, in Lothbury, near Bartholomew Lane end, London”

I’ll bet the guy who wrote that went off to America selling Snake Oil shortly afterwards – – – –

What the advert is telling the people of London is that the pendulum had arrived in England at last, and clocks were for the first time reasonably accurate, certainly to within a few minutes a week. The other give away here is the name of the clockmaker, Ahasuerus Fromanteel was a Dutchman living and working in England, this explains how an obscure book written in Dutch came to be recognised so quickly in England, one of Fromanteel’s sons, John, was sent over to Holland to learn about making pendulum clocks from Salomon Coster, the clockmaker who made the clocks for Huygens and by a happy accident he was there within 11 weeks of Huygens being granted his patent for the pendulum.

John quickly sent the knowledge of the new pendulum back to England, with the permission of either Huygens or Coster, and by the time he returned home to London the family was well-established making clocks. Ahasuerus Fromanteel worked with his friend Thomas Loomes, and his is the second address in the advert, ” at the sign of the Mermaid in Lothbury”

The first English pendulum clocks were wall clocks, often known as “hoop and spike” clocks, the hoop hung on a nail or peg set in the wall, and there were two spikes or pointed steel bars that protruded from the back of the clock and dug into the wall to stop the clock slipping sideways.

These clocks were really lantern clocks with a pendulum hanging down beneath, which meant they could not be stood on a table or shelf any more, but the huge increase in accurate timekeeping was considered worth the trouble of fixing them to the wall.

The beautiful English Lantern Clock, made of brass with an engraved dial and four corner pillars like a four poster bed, started to be enclosed in a wooden hood, similar to the hood on the grandfather clock, this then went on a high shelf fixed to the wall, and the shelf had holes in so that the pendulum and weights could hang down below the shelf through the holes. The clock inside the case quickly became much plainer to look at, the wooden hood was easier and cheaper to make, and with a nice engraved brass dial, and some mouldings to the case, it looked good too.

Around the same time, 1665, someone unknown got the idea of enclosing the weights, and the rope they hung from, in a long “trunk” going down to the floor, and the grandfather clock appeared for the first time. These early clocks are highly sought after today, and bring large sums of money on the rare occasions they come on the market. A few of the old Lantern Clocks were also housed in a grandfather case at the time, and again these rare early clocks are very sought after today.

Up to this point, the pendulum was about ten inches long, as they were used with the old verge escapement, and they sounded quite “busy” with a beat of half a second, and because the new clocks had a long case it seemed a good idea to put in a longer pendulum – – – – the trouble was, it was going to need another new invention to do this, the seconds pendulum is 39 inches long, and if it were used with the verge escapement it would swing in an arc of around three feet! – – – Clearly too much for the beautiful, slim, new grandfather clock case.

The credit for the first useable long pendulum clock goes to a former blacksmith called William Clement, like many others he went into clockmaking from blacksmithing, and rose to become an eminent London clockmaker. Clement was commissioned to build a new clock for Kings College, Cambridge, and this clock (for which he was paid £42) is now in the Science Museum in London. Dated 1671, it is the earliest known clock with an “anchor escapement”

The anchor escapement was so named because it resembles a ships anchor, and is driven by a vertical escape wheel. Another effect of the adoption of the longer pendulum, with it’s soothing one-second tick, was the rapid growth in the use of the long clock case, as a protection for the pendulum, which hung down a long way below the clock movement.

This brings us to the grandfather clock we would recognise today, and in fact the anchor escapement is still in use the world over in clocks of all shapes and sizes, as it is robust, reliable, and tolerant of a certain amount of wear and tear without stopping the clock.

The beat interval of a pendulum varies, as we said before, according to its length, a 10 inch one beats half-seconds, a 39 inch one beats seconds, (this is by far the commonest length used in grandfather clocks), a 14 foot long one beats two seconds, (often used in Church or Tower clocks), and one, in St Chad’s Church Shrewsbury has a mighty 52 foot long pendulum beating four seconds! There is little to be gained using these longer pendulums, as other factors such as “circular error” creep in and affect the timekeeping, which is why they are so rare.

Townely Hall in Burnley, near where I live has a wonderful clock by Thomas Thompion, the pendulum is hung from the ceiling and goes into the clock through a hole in the top of the hood – – – an “upside down” arrangement which seems to work very well, I’m not sure how long the pendulum is, at least 14 feet but it could be more, the ceiling is very high!

The two most common types of grandfather clock movement are the “30-hour” and the “8 day”, this refers to how long the clock will run before the weights drop to the bottom, and the clock stops. There are others of longer duration, as mentioned in the Fromanteel advertisement above, but most of us are unlikely to own one of these clocks, famous London makers mainly made them, and the prices of these clocks have spiralled out of reach of most of us.

I mention the 30-hour and 8day winding because I want to finish this piece with a traditional rhyme, which I love: –

“There was a man who had a clock

His name was Mr Mears.

And every night he wound that clock

For five and forty years.

And when at last that clock turned out

An eight-day clock to be

A madder man than Mr Mears

I never hope to see!”

I hope you enjoyed reading this brief walk-through of the development of the pendulum clock, and if you are lucky enough to own one, may you continue to enjoy it for many years to come.

Andrew.

http://www.clockmakersandrepairs.co.uk

At times all of us: have been rejected, have made mistakes, have not been accepted for a position, had financial problems, etc.

You must keep moving forward and don’t give up with your long-term visions or plans for your life.

I have heard many say: “I’m too far in debt so I just keep spending and charging – what is another $100 when I owe $70,000 to my creditors”. The debt gets larger and larger until they make a change to do something to turn their lives around.

I can’t stress enough that you should not be so hard on yourself because you can’t do anything about the past. If you learn from your past mistakes, then it was not a waste of your life. Sometimes the winds of change take us in an entirely new direction.

For your financial solutions, you can look to Bankruptcy as an option. How else would you be able to pay off your creditors, not incur continual interest and start out again with a clean slate? A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy can wipe out your debts, stop hiding from creditors and be able to answer your phone again without the fear it is a creditor “hunting” you down.

Sometimes it is good to look at those who could have given up, buried their heads in the sand and never surfaced to try again. Whatever you have gone through, keep moving forward in a positive direction.

For that reason, I am providing you with names, dates and events that happened to very successful people. Think about these names and move forward:

• Walt Disney (1919) – fired from newspaper job for lacking imagination.

• Lucille Ball (1926) – told by acting coach that “she is wasting her time and ours”.

• John F. Kennedy (1936) – runs for Pres. of Harvard freshman class & loses.

• Steven Spielberg (1960’s) – rejected by film school Univ. Southern California.

• The Beatles (1962) – turned down by Decca Records.

• Vera Wang – doesn’t make U.S. Olympic Figure Skating team.

• Hillary Clinton – (1973) fails the DC bar.

• Oprah Winfrey – (1977) – fired from news-hosting job for getting too emotionally invested in stories.

• Bill Clinton – (1980) – loses re-election as governor of Arkansas.

• Michael Bloomberg (1981) – fired by investment bank Salomon Brothers.

• Steve Jobs (1985) – fired from Macintosh division of Apple.

• J.K. Rowling (1996) – turned down 12 times for Harry Potter manuscript.

Wow, the winds of change sent all of these individuals to a better place. Change and making changes is the only way to move forward or in another direction. Let the wind not allow you to give up and see yourself as a determined and strong individual.

Road to London 2012

Ato Boldon

Did you know- During the years from 1996 to 2000,Ato Boldon picked up a total offour Olympic medals. On July 27, 1996 Boldon captured the bronze medal in the men’s 100m at the Atlanta Olympic Games. Five days later, he finished third in the 200m, behind Michael Johnson (USA) and Frank Frederick (Namibia). During the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney (Australia), Boldon obtained a silver medal for placing second in the 100m and a bronze medal for third place in the 200m.

Edwin Roberts

Did you know- By October 1964,Edwin Roberts took third place in the men’s 200m in the Games of the XVII Olympiad in Asia. Encouraged by its medal in Tokyo (Japan), he captured the international title at the 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Juan de Puerto Rico. Five years later, he had won a bronze medal in the Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia.

George Bowell

Did you know- By 2008,TT’s swimmer George Bowell was selected the flag bearer of the Olympic delegation for the 29th Summer Olympics in the People’s Republic of China. His selection was based on his international reputation. Four years ago, Bowell, an American-trained swimmer, had captured the bronze medal in the men’s 200m individual medley in the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece; the Caribbean’s first swimming medal since 1996. This notable son of Trinidad & Tobago, a white athlete, swam the 200-meter individual medley in an impressive 1:58.80, breaking the old mark of 1: 58.98 set by Italy’s Olympic champ Massimiliano Rosolino in Sydney 2000.

Ian Morris

Did you know- In 1992,Ian Morris came in fourth place in the men’s 400m in the Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona, Spain.

Michael Agostini

Did you know- Sprinter Michael Agostini finished fourth in the 100m and sixth in the 200m at the Melbourne Olympics in the mid-1950s.

Pan American Games

Did you know- Toward the end of the 1970s, the small Caribbean island-nation of Trinidad Tobago sent 11 athletes, led by its Olympic champ Hasely Crawford, to the Pan American Games in San Juan de Puerto Rico. However, none of them won medals.The national team included the following athletes: Janice Bernand, Joseph Coombs, Crawford, Anthony Husbands, Rafeer Mohammed, Edwin Noel, Michael Paul, Michael Salomon, Ephraim Serrette, Linton Williams, and Alexander Willis.

Summer Olympics

Did you know- Between July 25 and August 9, 1992, the National Olympic Committee sent 8 athletes, led by its international star Samuel Gene, to Barcelona (Spain) to compete in the Games of the XXV Olympiad. The team of Trinidad and Tobago competed in cycling and track and field. Cyclist Gene was the nation’s best Olympic athlete when he came in eighth place in the 1km time trial. In addition, the Trinidadian team finished seventh in the men’s 4x400m relay (athletics).

“During his frenetic first year at Stanford Business School, Peter Robinson kept a journal of his day-to-day impressions which evolved into this book, the writing of which he came to see as a “simple act of decency, like going back to the last calm bend in the river and nailing up a sign that reads ‘Waterfall Ahead’.”

I received this book from my uncle as a graduation gift – to spur me on to the next level!

In the loneliness of my rented room, I laughed myself silly reading this rib-tickler penned by Presidents’ Reagan’s and Bush’s former speechwriter. Robinson also writes about business and politics as Research Fellow at Hoover Institute.

I instantly connected with Robinson from his first few words:

My friend Steven warned me before I came here that most of my classmates would be former engineers, consultants, and financial analysts, people who knew how to work with numbers.

“Then there’ll be a few students with flaky backgrounds like yours,” he said. “Poets. You know, people who’ve never done anything real for a living.”

Whenever I tell anyone that I am in corporate communications, images of cameras clicking, glamorous celebrities, sumptious buffets and fantastic freebies come to mind.

Along with it also came comments that I had the BEST job in the world since I didn’t have to do anything except dress well, smile at people and take photographs. As if!

Nobody, except those in the PR/media industry, will understand the pains of

• pushing press releases to the media,
• endless follow-up calls with busy (and sometimes grumpy Editors),
• having your speech or press release drafts edited for the 10th time,
• missing that split second photo opportunity of the President of the organization or
• the drudgery of stuffing media packs with press releases and other collateral.

In the same vein, Robinson puts up with his smart and snotty coursemates like twenty-six year old Joe Toscana, who had majored in Economics at Rutgers University and then worked as a financial analyst at Salomon Brothers, a big investment bank. Joe breezes through the business classes and show promise of being a teacher’s pet.

Robinson sticks to Connor O’Flaherty, an Irishman with a degree in philosophy who made him feel better because:

“The commute to business school’s an hour to and an hour from. And since we have a little boy, when I get home in the evening, I have to spend time being a dad.”

A Management minor myself, I empathized with him when he writes,

I have now been to the first session of each of my five core courses. I do not understand Trees (Decision Making under Uncertainty). I do not understand Computers. I do not understand Micro(economics). I not understand Accounting. I do understand Organizational Behaviour, since it deals with words rather than numbers. But I don’t like it. So what am I doing at business school?

He had me wondering too if he would flunk midway since his “Trees” class is taught by the 20 year old genius from Lebanon, Omar Kemal while Micro(economics) has the menacing, monochromatic Yeager who reminds me of my super-intelligent, unforgiving Additional Math teacher who sped through lessons so quickly she was nicknamed “The Night Express”…

You’ll need to read the book to find out if Robinson graduates. Working people thinking of doing their MBA on a part-time basis will get an idea of the assignment load, group discussions, group projects and final exam frenzies a full-time graduate student encounters.

Even if Robinson flails along like a fish out of water, I think he appreciated the great mathematical and management minds he had the opportunity to mingle with at this top American business school. Exposure at a truly international campus community also helped this congenial, open-minded student.