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1 CHAIRMAN & CEO'S MESSAGE (continued) strides forward in the realm of industry safety. Additionally, we would like to congratulate two of our industry colleagues, Nick Jumonville (Midgulf Association of Stevedores) and Ken Killough (SC Stevedores Association), who were named the National Maritime Safety Association's 2015 Persons of the Year, for their tireless efforts on behalf of maritime safety. TRAINING In 2015 we successfully implemented the new ILA-USMX Joint Training Committee. We were also successful in freeing up additional dedicated resources for training in 2015, and this topic continues to be a major focus area for both the ILA and USMX, as well as for all of our employees and members. Training success is directly related to safety success — and safety continues to be the topic of utmost focus and importance. ILA The ILA continues to be our partner in all of these efforts. In 2015, the ILA held its 54th Quadrennial Conven- tion in beautiful Puerto Rico. The USMX staff and many of our member organizations were proud to be invited to attend, to observe, and even to participate in many aspects and events of the Convention usually reserved for union attendees. The ILA implemented a new slate of very strong and competent leadership that will no doubt successfully lead the ILA well into the future. PUBLIC AFFAIRS We continued our efforts to strengthen relationships in the public policy arena. We showed policymakers that the ILA and the USMX are dedicated to working together to meet the challenges facing the industry in 2015 and beyond. It was important to us that our joint commitment to facilitate cargo and commerce through some of the difficulties experienced in 2014 and early 2015 on the West coast be recognized and appreciated. LAST WORD Let me conclude by saying that 2015 was a very challenging year on many fronts. I believe that the parties can look back with pride on the incredible accomplishments made. These accomplishments will no doubt allow us a step up as we move into 2016 and what is predicted to be a very challenging year for the industry and for our membership. I would like to thank the USMX Board of Directors, the USMX Membership, the employees of USMX and CCCSC, the team at CRCCF, the management of MILA and all of the joint fund management teams for their support and their efforts in 2015. I am confident that the efforts and successes of 2015 put us in the best position possible as we strive to again succeed in 2016. ABOUT THE QUOTATION "May you live in interesting times." This phrase is actually an English expression purported to be a translation of a tradition- al Chinese curse. Despite being so common in English as to be known as "the Chinese curse," the saying is apocryphal, and no actual Chinese source has ever been produced. Torrey Whitman, a former president of the Chi- na Insitute in New York City and well-versed in classical Chinese in the area of proverbs and sayings, said that the usual expression was, "The ancient Chinese curse, May you live in interest- ing times." There is nothing proverbial about it, and no harm or danger is intended to the recipi- ent of the "curse." The point of the phrase has long been meant to be ironic. On first glance, "interesting times" should be good times to live in, so stating it as a curse adds the sense of iro- ny. We do live in very interesting times, but after the constant stream of media and information and choices, 24 hours a day, one longs for sim- pler, less turbulent times, that are not quite so interesting. Hence, the "curse" that you live in "interesting" times. Most noteworthy about the expression is that it is not Chinese. There is no such expression, "May you live in interesting times," in Chi- nese. It is a non-Chinese creation, most proba- bly American, that has been around for 30-40 years. It appears in book prefaces, newspapers and speeches (most notably, Robert F. Kenne- dy's "Day of Affirmation" address in Cape Town, South Africa, June 6, 1966). It is speculated that whomever first coined the phrase attempted to give the expression a mystique, so decided to at- tribute it to the Chinese. There is irony in this, too. Confucius, endeavor- ing to give his opinions and teachings greater gravity and acceptance, once stated, "I do not create; I merely pass on the wisdom of those who have gone before." The same device of at- tribution is at work here: the "curse of interest- ing times" is much more interesting itself if the Chinese created it. --From Dr. Ho Young Guest Columnist, ChinaSprout.com David F. Adam

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