All, here is a summary of the preferences that I have seen: Option 1 (15 Apr) Patrick, Rudi, Dessi, Sebastien Option 2 (22 Apr) Vittorio Option 3 (1 May) Annette, Wolfgang, Werner Now before we get to further polarization of the disagreement even on this somewhat minor issue, can we please agree on the middle ground of option 2? So you all could be equally unhappy. By the way, if we start to discuss nominations rather than continuing this thread, we might discover that we actually agree on appointments well before the deadline. Also, the problem about timing for Puerto Rico is real! Generally speaking, and VERY IMPORTANT for anyone who wants to be in Puerto Rico: please check immediately the requirements for entry in the US. Only citizens from some EU countries (not all) may enter without a visa, and only if they have a brand new electronic passport, or an optically readable passport last renewed before October 2005. In Italy, for example, people who got or renewed their passport between October 2005 and October 2006 cannot enter the US without a visa! I don't know about other countries, but people from Eastern Europe, and perhaps also some from the EU, will need a visa to go to Puerto Rico. Please check. Thanks, -- vb. Vittorio Bertola - vb [a] bertola.eu <-------- --------> finally with a new website at http://bertola.eu/ <--------