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Top 5 Reasons Parents Love Nature Museum Winter CampCreated: 11/26/2018 Updated: 11/30/2018
The winter cold has settled in, we're in the midst of the holidays, and Winter Break is just around the corner. This is always a special time of year for our staff, because this is when we are gearing up for Winter Camp. Every year, we give campers the opportunity to spend up to four days with us during this special Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum day camp and every year, we welcome more and more campers into this special program. We asked our camper families what makes this camp so special and they came up with this top five list that shows why the Nature Museum is the best winter camp destination.
Top 5 reasons parents love Nature Museum Winter Camp
1. Nature Museum Winter Camp works with your schedule.Register your child for one, two, three, or all four days of camp according to you and your camper's needs. Our schedule works with yours.
2. Snow, snow, snow!We love exploring all that nature has to offer, even in our coldest months. What's winter camp without a little fun in the snow?
3. Keep in touch with daily parent pages.
Crafted by our camp staff, these emails provide a snapshot of the day's activities, along with fun photos, and guiding questions designed to help spark camp conversation around the dinner table.
4. Science rules!
Guided by our campers, our daily science activities connect back to your child's classroom learning while encouraging investigation, curiosity, and wonder.
5. Up-close animal encounters.
From turtle to snakes to butterflies. There are over 50 species that call the Nature Museum home and our campers get the chance to interact with a selection of them every single day.
Want to join us? Learn more about Nature Museum Winter Camp here.
Nicole Juppe & Rebecca BrokawView Comments
Nature Museum Camp Directors
Studying the Smallest Creatures Makes a Big ImpactCreated: 11/2/2018 Updated: 11/2/2018
A few Chicago monarchs in research study due at Day of the Dead this week in Mexico
Their journey is precarious. It requires evading predators; enduring severe weather and food shortages; and crossing nearly 3,000 miles, one flutter after another. Yet they persist, and this week monarch butterflies from our Chicago region begin arriving in Mexico, just in time for Day of the Dead, when families remember those who have died and support their spiritual journey. The arrival of the long-traveled monarchs seems to magically coincide with this annual observance.
We hope that a few of the monarchs arriving in Mexico include some specially tagged butterflies that we released here at the Nature Museum during our Flutter into Fall festival on September 22. As part of a collective research study of monarch migrations, tiny stickers with information to assist in scientific data collection are attached to the wings of a select few butterflies, that may be found in Mexico. The research helps us learn more about the mysteries of the monarchs and their great migration to the mountainous butterfly reserves in Central Mexico where they winter.
This is just one of the many butterfly research projects our science team members at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum / Chicago Academy of Sciences manage and support. We also are doing critical work with other Chicago-region species which you may know.
Earlier this summer I put on my waders and joined our team in the field when they monitored a wood frog study and smooth greensnake reintroduction and research project in Chicago area natural areas.
While tiny brown frogs, slender greensnakes, bumble bees and fragile butterflies may seem small in the world of wildlife, they each represent an important species that is threatened by changes in the environment and by loss of safe places to live. Our conservation research team is committed to doing all we can to saving these beautiful, vulnerable, and amazing creatures, and I invite everyone who cares about nature to join us.
When you visit the Nature Museum you can see these amphibians, reptiles, and insects up close and learn about what we can collectively do to protect them here in our region. Perhaps even in your own backyard.
And while our Chicago region's monarchs are wintering in Mexico, remember that there are always butterflies to experience in the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven.
I look forward to seeing you here soon!
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Five Reasons Scout Families Love Bunking with the ButterfliesCreated: 9/21/2018 Updated: 9/25/2018
Each year we host scout groups and families for a truly unique experience—an overnight in the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum! Never considered a "campout" quite like this? I asked our scout families why they love our Bunking with the Butterflies overnights and came up with this top five list that shows why the Nature Museum is the best place for an unforgettable overnight experience.
Top 5 reasons scout families and leaders love Bunking with the Butterflies
1. Turtles and snakes and butterflies – oh, my!Interact with live animals and see some rarely-seen pieces from our scientific collection.
2. Spend an unforgettable evening alongside your scouts.Have fun, take part in activities, and make memories together that will last a lifetime.
3. We've got you.
Museum educators will facilitate the fun – from hands-on science activities and games, to exhibit exploration and even tasty treats. Check out our action-packed agenda here.
4. Experience a magical morning in the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven.
Watch the butterflies flutter about as they begin their day. Then, try your best butterfly yoga pose for a fun and relaxing start to your morning.
5. Earn a sweet patch!
Take home an exclusive Nature Museum patch, plus get a 10% discount in the gift shop for other awesome souvenirs.
Want to join us? Learn more about our Bunking with the Butterflies overnights here.
Sarah AndersonView Comments
Director of Education
Reintroducing Smooth GreensnakesCreated: 8/8/2018 Updated: 8/10/2018
July 25, 2018, was an exciting milestone for our conservation team. We initiated our first reintroduction effort of the threatened smooth greensnakes into a privately owned restoration site, managed by the Barrington-based Citizens for Conservation. Partnerships with private organizations like this one allow us to expand the footprint of our reintroduction initiatives in completely new ways.
This reintroduction effort is part of the multi-partner Barrington Greenway Initiative, an ambitious project with the objective of linking habitat corridors and increasing biodiversity in the Barrington, Illinois area. Through this initiative, restoration work has been carried out across ownership boundaries to promote and sustain native habitats and wildlife.
In conservation projects like this, everything takes time. The reintroduction of smooth greensnakes at this site is the result of years of habitat restoration work carried out by countless volunteers. In 2017, our team surveyed and assessed the site quality to evaluate reintroduction potential. We were excited to find that the site boasts a high diversity of native plants and appropriate habitats to support this fragile species of snakes.
Meanwhile, we continued our efforts to monitor Lake County Forest Preserve smooth greensnake populations. Working closely with Lake County, we incubated and hatched smooth greensnake nests in 2017, and after almost a year of growth, we proudly released the first group of headstarted snakes into soft release enclosures on the Citizens for Conservation's restoration site.
Our soft release enclosures are essentially large outdoor pens built into the release site that give the snakes the opportunity to acclimate to their new environment while being protected from predators. During this time, snakes may increase their familiarity with the release site and catch insects that make up their diet. Based on past work with the species, soft release enclosures increase the snakes' fidelity to the release site and limit excessive wandering movements. After two weeks, we take down the enclosure walls for the full release. But it doesn't stop there. We'll continue to monitor the site and reintroduce more smooth greensnakes into the area for years to come, all with the goal of establishing a sustaining, wild population.
Sometimes we find ourselves focusing so much on the end goal that we forget to mark and appreciate milestones like this. Really, every step along the journey is a small reward in itself – discovering healthy adults in the wild, witnessing successful hatchings, and seeing newly-hatched snakes thrive in our conservation lab. But larger milestones like this give us the opportunity to reflect on the progress we've made as we work to give this threatened species a second chance.
Click here to learn more about our museum-wide conservation efforts.
Allison Sacerdote-VelatView Comments
Curator of Herpetology
Greatest summer classroom is outdoorsCreated: 5/8/2018 Updated: 5/8/2018
The arrival of warm temperatures and more hours of daylight has quickly turned our thoughts to summer and to spending more time outdoors. My first inclination is to walk outdoors and watch for nature in unsuspecting places, including just steps outside the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum's front door here in Lincoln Park.
The opening of blooms and buds changes the feeling of walking around North Pond Nature Sanctuary, which I can see from my office window. Turtles sunning on a log, song birds calling on their migration back from the south, nesting birds along the shore, and busy squirrels remind us of the abundance of wildlife here in Chicago's biggest park.
These experiences are far from mundane. In fact, they are quite profound to our health and to our children. We know from studies that a child's early experiences in nature, including in city parks, will positively influence their interest in and care for nature and the Earth.
A fun, safe way for children to connect with nature in Chicago is through one of the Nature Museum's many summer camps. I equate participating in our summer camp experiences with kicking open the backdoor and going out to play.
Our camp kids explore nature in many ways throughout Lincoln Park, which is one of the largest parks in the country and a city gem. I invite you to find out more about the wonderful options for getting your children engaged in nature through summer camp fun at naturemuseum.org/summercamp
I'd love to hear from you about your favorite place to enjoy or discover urban nature. I'll collect a list and share it with readers in a few weeks.
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25 Butterflies and Moths Found in the Judy Istock Butterfly HavenCreated: 4/24/2018 Updated: 4/5/2019
From longwings to swallowtails, from pansies to owls, there are an incredible number of butterfly and moth species that can be found in our signature exhibit - the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven. In 2017 alone, more than 100 species took flight in the Butterfly Haven. Although some butterflies are only around for a short period of time throughout the year, there are a number of species you're likely to find on any given Butterfly Haven visit. Below is a list of the top 25 most common species you can see in the Butterfly Haven.
25 common species you can find in the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven
Heliconius melpomene
Common postman butterfly
Heliconius doris
Doris longwing butterfly
Parthenos sylvia
Clipper butterfly
Cethosia cyane
Leopard lacewing butterfly
Morpho peleides
Common morpho butterfly
Siproeta epaphus
Rusty-tipped page butterfly
Vindula dejone
Malay cruiser butterfly, Erichson's cruiser butterfly
Idea leuconoe
Paper kite butterfly, rice paper butterfly
Siproeta stelenes
Malachite butterfly
Heliconius sara
Sara longwing butterfly
Heliconius ismenius
Ismenius tiger longwing butterfly
Heliconius hecale
Tiger longwing butterfly
Hypolimnas bolina
Great eggfly butterfly, common eggfly butterfly
Catopsilia scylla
Orange emigrant butterfly
Heliconius atthis
False zebra longwing butterfly
Biblis hyperia
Red rim butterfly
Heliconius cydno
Cydno longwing butterfly
Papilio thoas
Thoas swallowtail butterfly, king swallowtail butterfly
Attacus atlas
Atlas moth
Papilio anchisiades
Ruby-spotted swallowtail butterfly
Ornithoptera priamus
Common green birdwing, Cairn's birdwing
Hypna clytemnestra
Jazzy leafwing butterfly, marbled leafwing, silver studded leafwing
Precis iphita
Chocolate pansy butterfly
Caligo memnon
Giant owl butterfly
Papilio memnon
Great Mormon butterfly
Standing for science. Always.Created: 4/13/2018 Updated: 4/16/2018
Every day we use, apply and celebrate science here at the Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. It is a privilege to welcome our guests and curious students into the wonders of nature – wonders that are more easily understood and appreciated because of science.
Our team stands in solidarity today with people around the world who are participating the second annual March for Science, a public testament that science matters in our lives.
I strongly support the idea of standing up for science. It can help raise public understanding of the importance of scientific study to people, wildlife and nature. Our values at the Academy and Nature Museum are seeded in discovery, research, education and science.
Perhaps today's March for Science can inspire more people to be curious, to seek facts and to defend scientific study, on which our lives depend. My hope is that it also stimulates public discussion and a quest for knowledge by people of all ages.
The Academy has led scientific discovery in the Chicago region for more than 160 years. We offer this knowledge and rich history to the public every day. From our region's natural history that is preserved and studied in the Academy, to the engaging experiences like seeing the exotic and complex species from around the world in our newest exhibit, Birds of Paradise, we make science fun and empowering.
I invite you to join us today in celebration of the March for Science. Come to the Nature Museum and make your own statement of support with a family photo or selfie in front of our proud "We Stand for Science" sign in our lobby. And then have fun enjoying science here and at other science-based museums that are our sister Museums in the Park institutions.
Let's make it a great day for science.
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Women's natural role is nurturing and protecting natureCreated: 3/29/2018 Updated: 3/31/2018
Women around the world, including here in Chicago and at the Nature Museum, bring a special passion and instinctual drive to nurturing nature. Perhaps it is the desire to help things grow, or to protect those things most vulnerable.
Whether planting a pollinator garden or teaching children to care for living things, women often lead – quietly and with great care – efforts to nurture nature. Women's History Month is a reminder for us to reflect on the profound contributions women make to protect the Earth and all living things.
Elizabeth Emerson Atwater
At our Academy of Sciences one of the first botanists to donate an important collection of Illin ois specimens in the 1850s was Elizabeth Emerson Atwater. Her work continues to inform and inspire the study of regional plants and wildlife today.
Allison Sacerdote-Velat
Our legacy of female scientists continues at the Nature Museum through our dedicated team members and partners. For example, the Nature Museum's curator of herpetology, Allison Sacerdote-Velat, is working to save several regional species, such as the wood frog and smooth greensnake. As a scientist, her studies include reintroducing and monitoring these fragile populations.
Nancy Tuchman
Two of our Museum's academic partners help lead work to sustain our planet's environments. Loyola University's Nancy Tuchman is the founding director of Loyola's Institute of Environmental Sustainability, which co-sponsors workshops and programs with the Nature Museum and teaches the next generation of people committed to sustainable living and work.
May Berenbaum receiving the National Medal of Science from President Barack Obama
A mentor to many here, May Berenbaum is head of the Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is known for applying ecological principles in developing sustainable management practices for natural and agricultural communities.
These women supporting work at the Nature Museum are among many in the Chicago region making a difference to nature and conservation. They inspire future botanists, biologists, and other scientists including the youth in our Museum's many science education programs.
Rachel Carson; Wangari Maathai with Barack Obama
Those of us working on behalf of nature today draw inspiration from leader like Rachel Carson, who risked her career as she fought for environment protection and the health of children through her research and book, "Silent Spring," that proved the ill-effects of DDT; and Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, who created a tree-planting movement that saved the lives of wildlife and people. She founded the Green Belt Movement that engaged women in planting thousands of trees in African regions, thus empowering women to restore the environment and improve their families' lives with access to wood.
Let's carry on the legacy of women saving nature. Who inspires you to care for nature? I would love to hear from you about who is your nature heroine.
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Metamorphosing MonarchsCreated: 3/14/2018 Updated: 3/14/2018
Happy #LearnAboutButterfliesDay, everyone! Although every day is Learn About Butterflies Day at the Nature Museum, we thought we would showcase something you don't get to see very often -- the lifecycle of the monarch butterfly! A huge thank you to our Education Department who captured the video of this process. Did you know that we also have a field trip workshop all about monarch butterflies? Click here to learn more.
Let's work to bring nature's benefits to allCreated: 2/26/2018 Updated: 2/26/2018
With melting snow and the first promising signs of Spring, I'm eager to be outdoors watching for those signs, including feeling warmer moist air, and listening closely for more bird songs. In these reflections, I'm reminded how fortunate I am to have access to nature through urban parks, trees, gardens, rivers, and our beloved Lake Michigan.
Multiple studies prove there are many physical and psychological benefits to spending time in nature. But in reality, too many people don't have equal access to these benefits. This is especially true for people living in predominantly African American neighborhoods in cities throughout this Chicagoland region. In many underserved communities there are significant barriers – transportation, safety, proximity, awareness – to enjoying parks, trees, school gardens, forest preserves and community green spaces.
I strongly believe every person – especially every child – should be able to experience the gifts and benefits of nature. Addressing this issue is particularly profound as we reflect during Black History Month on how we must collaborate to create more nature equality.
We need more visible environmental champions to challenge the status quo and fight barriers to a healthy environment. Environmental justice advocates like Dr. Robert Bullard, known by many as the "father of the environmental justice movement," have increased the understanding of environmental racism and have led an important movement to end injustice that hurts many minority communities.
And I'm thankful for historic leaders like botanist George Washington Carver, who discovered healing and agricultural properties of plants and revolutionized farming practices. He faced immeasurable obstacles because of his race, but his intellect and determination helped pave the way for future African American scientists.
Nature offers many benefits to minority youth, which is why the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum places the highest priority on taking nature and science education programs to underserved communities, and on creating greater awareness and opportunities to experience urban nature. Everyone deserves to enjoy the benefits of nature and of being outdoors.
Nature access and education can create more racially, socially and economically equitable communities. During this reflective time of year, let's renew our commitment to environmental justice for all.
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Why are tropical birds so colorful?Created: 1/22/2018 Updated: 1/22/2018
In this series, we'll be addressing some common questions from visitors and readers. Do you have a science question that has you stumped? Ask our museum scientists via our form here and we'll answer it on our blog!
Today's Question: Why are tropical birds so colorful?
Parrots, macaws, parakeets… these rainbowed tropical birds put to shame the brown and gray birds that are so common in Illinois and Chicago. Even Chicago's brightest birds—cardinals, blue jays, gold finches—are vibrant, but single-colored. Why are bright and multi-colored birds so common in tropical rain forests, and nowhere to be found in temperate climates like Chicago? Do the changing seasons make bright birds sitting ducks in the winter? Do jungle birds eat bright berries and fruits instead of brown and black seeds? What gives?
This Northern Cardinal is just one color: red. No one is flocking to see this bird in a zoo. Coincidence? No.[1]
We can eliminate one option right away: a parrot's color has nothing to do with its diet. While a flamingo gets its pink color from the food it eats (brine shrimp and blue-green algae) and a cardinal is red in part because of the seeds in its diet[2], a parrot's color is determined by its genes.[3] The incredible colors of the blue-and-yellow macaw do not come from tropical mangoes and imported blueberries.
Sorry about the awful pun in that other caption. Here, have a picture of an ivory-billed aracari.[4]
It must be some other quality of the tropics that creates brighter birds: is it the rainfall? The year-round high temperatures?
The truth is that tropical birds don't tend to be more colorful. Dr. Nicholas Friedman of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology explains, "if you look at birds in the tropics, there are a lot of colorful birds that stand out. But there are really more species in general there, and there are just as many more of the little brown ones".[5]
In other words, the tropics are much more diverse in general than temperate or dry climates. The rainfall and year-round high temperatures contribute to rainforests having many more animal and plant species than other places. Of these many more animal species, some are brightly colored birds, but there are even more species that are plainly colored. The birds that are exported from the rainforests for zoos or as pets are the brightest birds, and these are the tropical birds that we in Chicago are familiar with. This leads to the overall impression that birds from the rainforest are more colorful as a rule, even though it's not actually true!
This red-crowned ant-tanager is related to the cardinal. It lives in the rainforests of Central and South America, and it is less bright than the Northern Cardinal.[6]
If you want to know more about tropical birds or even to see them up close, head to The Bird House exhibit at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum between now and June 18th to see some colorful birds you can't find in Chicago's trees. You can even see an ivory-billed aracari like the one pictured above during the daily Live Bird Showcase at 11:30am!
Kyle Schiber
Nature Museum Volunteer
[1] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMale_Northern_Cardinal_-_Manhasset%2C_NY_04.jpg
By Chris Hachmann (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
[2] Koren, Marina. "For Some Species, You Really Are What You Eat". (April 24, 2013). Retrieved January 8, 2018, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/for-some-species-you-really-are-what-you-eat-40747423/
[3] Cooke, Thomas F. et al. "Genetic Mapping and Biochemical Basis of Yellow Feather Pigmentation in Budgerigars". Cell , Volume 171 , Issue 2 , 427 - 439.e21. Retrieved January 11, 2018, from http://www.cell.com/action/showImagesData?pii=S0092-8674%2817%2930941-8
[4] https://download.ams.birds.cornell.edu/api/v1/asset/51034071/large
By Glenn Bartley. Retrieved from https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/ivbara1/overview on 1/21/2018
[5] Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University - OIST. (2016, November 4). "Plumage evolution: Explaining the vivid colors of birds." ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 18, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161104101848.htm
[6] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHabia_rubica_-_Red-crowned_Ant-Tanager_(male).JPGView Comments
By Hector Bottai (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
#MuseumSelfie Day 2018Created: 1/17/2018 Updated: 1/17/2018
We had a blast participating in Museum Selfie Day! We compiled our photos of staff and volunteers, as well as Nature Museum visitors, striking a pose in and around our exhibits and put them all together in one spot. Scroll through and get inspired for your own Museum Selfie! Don't forget, Chicago Museum Week starts tomorrow and on January 20th and January 21st, we're encouraging museum-goers to post their museum selfies once again!
Equality and Inclusion in Nature EducationCreated: 1/11/2018 Updated: 1/15/2018
As we reflect on a day dedicated to a fearless and inclusive leader, I am reminded of all the insightful lessons Martin Luther King Jr. has gifted us through his words and actions. These lessons have the ability to resonate with many different elements of our lives.
For me, today reminds me of the importance of equality in nature access and environmental education. Regular access to nature, whether it is time outdoors in a park or prairie, sitting next to a lake, or hiking in the forest, is proven to offer many benefits from reducing stress and improving health to increasing creativity and improving children's aptitude for problem solving that contributes to academic success. The more we learn about the benefits of regular connections and access to nature, the more critical it becomes to ensure equality of access.
I strongly believe all children should have equal opportunities to experience the gifts and benefits of nature. Unfortunately, there remains a wide gap in equality to access for many children, especially minorities and those who live in cities.
Our team at the Nature Museum is continually evaluating and extending our reach and offerings with a goal of getting deeper into more Chicago neighborhoods, especially those with diverse populations whose access to nature and environmental education may be limited.
MLK's activism was centered around the theme of justice. Today, I'm reflecting on the injustice of the continued diversity divide in nature access and education. It is my goal, and the collective work of our team here at the Nature Museum, to narrow that gap in Chicago by increasing inclusivity and access to nature for all.
Everyone, especially children, deserve to experience the joys, peace and benefits that nature provides.
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Definitions for "Auto-Responders"
an e-mail system that automatically sends out e-mail information on request
are program robots that automatically reply to incoming email with a pre-written form letter.
All your email accounts can be configured to automatically respond with a predetermined email message to incoming email. This is a good feature to use if you're on vacation, if you don't check your mail frequently, or if you would like to create an automated response acknowledging sender's email.

subset: commoncrawl


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Taking control of your pension scheme's future
In brief
Our four-part guide will give you insight into how you can form a coherent strategic plan tailored to your unique circumstances.
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has raised the bar and now expects all pension schemes to set a Long Term Funding Target and document their journey plan to get there. But what does this mean exactly and how can a scheme go about fulfilling these requirements?
At XPS we believe a successful journey plan is more than a de-risking flightpath. It should capture all strategic decisions and culminate in a clear action plan to get your scheme from where it is today to its end-game.
In this four-part series we have grouped the various considerations into four key areas of strategic decision-making, highlighting the main issues that need to be considered and acted upon by all DB pension schemes.
Together this represents an Integrated Risk Management approach.
Part 1 | Sponsor (This issue)
We will look at what you need to know about your sponsor's business, financial health, prospects, and the strength of support available to the scheme.
Part 2 | Liabilities (Read here)
Every pension scheme is unique: your members and your cashflows are unlike any other. Therefore any strategic decision-making needs to build from an understanding of your scheme's liabilities and how they will evolve over time.
Part 3 | Assets (Read here)
We will explore how you determine the right Long Term Funding Target and the right level of risk to get there.
Part 4 | Members (Read here)
Members sit at the centre of your scheme. We will highlight how making the most of your membership can materially improve the prospects for your scheme and improve their experience at the same time.
Part 1 | Understanding your Sponsor
Why understanding your sponsor is crucial:
− Every DB scheme is reliant on the support from its sponsor to some extent
− The sponsor has to fund any shortfall and it underwrites all the risks the scheme is exposed to
− The Pensions Regulator expects trustees to understand the strength of the covenant and categorise their scheme accordingly
− Decisions made based on the covenant now will influence the scheme's future financial position
What action you can take:
− Take steps to understand your current risk tolerance
− Build this assessment into investment and funding strategies
− Set a plan to preserve and improve security either immediately or over time
− Monitor the covenant regularly and act promptly if needed
− Be vigilant for any covenant leakage and be ready to protect the scheme
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) now expects trustees and employers to develop a Long Term Funding Target (LTFT) for their schemes (beyond becoming fully funded on the technical provisions basis) and to put in place a journey plan to achieve that target reflecting the strength of the employer covenant. The wider framework mapped out by TPR for balancing key risks faced by pension schemes is built on a new categorisation of schemes determined by several key characteristics.
Which Regulator category applies to your scheme?
Step 1: Determine your letter
Step 2: Determine your number
1. Immature scheme (fewer pensioners).
2. Mature scheme (more pensioners).
Trustees will need to have a solid understanding of the employer covenant characteristics of their scheme. This will be important to determine in which category their scheme fits in TPR's new framework and more importantly what expected actions follow from that.
5 key covenant questions that trustees should be able to answer
1. How much can the company "comfortably afford" to pay in ongoing annual cash contributions?
− This is the amount that the company could, if required, pay out in cash on an annual basis without undermining day to day operations, capital expenditure, future business growth opportunities and a reasonable dividend policy.
− This is a key input when it comes to cash funding negotiations and understanding the desired long-term risk tolerance of the scheme. It is an essential input in the process of setting the Long Term Funding Target – which will be covered in detail in Parts 2 and 3.
2. What is the "upper threshold" in terms of annual cash affordability?
− This is the upper limit that the company could pay out in cash on an annual basis without pushing the company into insolvency, it is likely to compromise future growth opportunities and have material implications for other stakeholders including dividend policy.
− This will inform the maximum level of risk that can be taken in the journey to get to the Long Term Funding Target, which will be covered in part 3.
3. How might affordability change in the future?
− This includes understanding the company's prospects and the uncertainties surrounding this, which will be a combined picture of factors specific to the business, the wider industry, sector, geographic and political environment.
− This ultimately affects both the comfortable level and upper threshold of cash affordability in the future. It therefore affects the choice of long-term target and the amount of risk that can be taken on the journey to get there.
4. What is the existing level of security?
− This includes understanding the strict legal recourse of the scheme in an insolvency event based on the corporate structure, borrowing arrangements and security provisions as well as the balance sheet of the sponsor.
− Understanding this element highlights the key factors that are of greatest relevance to the scheme's security and how this security can be positively and negatively impacted by corporate actions.
5. What options are available to improve the security of members' benefits?
− There are often ways that a scheme's security can be improved either immediately or over time.
− By having a clear understanding of the current position and available options, the scheme can set on a path to preserve or indeed improve security over time.
Assessing covenant strength in practice
The covenant strength will be determined by a host of factors, including:
profitability and cash generation of the underlying business
balance sheet strength of the employer
wider group context and borrowing arrangements
security provisions and guarantees provided by the employer and its wider group
company's industry position and the longer term prospects of that industry
Developing a good robust understanding of all these areas and bringing them together to form an objective view about the covenant strength can be challenging. The following case studies illustrate how conclusions can hinge on small but significant details:
Case Study 1
"Profitable business with strong prospects"
The business was profitable with a strong pipeline of new business. However on investigation two issues affected how this translated to strength of covenant.
Firstly the new opportunities involved considerable capital expenditure meaning that little cash was available to the scheme in the near term. Further, as a result of historic business disposals where liabilities had been retained, the scheme had become large relative to the organisation. Despite the relatively moderate deficit the level of ongoing risk was therefore substantial.
Action taken
The trustees pursued a more moderate investment return target, such that the downside risk was controlled, whilst agreeing a recovery plan with lower initial cash contributions rising over time with increases linked to strong business performance.
The long-term target was focused on getting the scheme to a high level of funding so the scheme would ultimately not represent an ongoing risk to the company.
Case Study 2
"Large strong business, well known to trustees"
The business was large relative to the pension scheme and the trustees all previously worked there and knew the business.
However, assessing group structure and intra-group arrangements was a key initial step in the trustees' covenant assessment which uncovered a few key details. The perceived strength of covenant was based on the overall group but in fact it was one of the smaller subsidiaries within the group that had formal legal obligation to support the scheme. This wholly undermined the perceived security as the wider group had no obligation to fund the scheme.
Action taken
The trustees were in a better position to negotiate a parent company guarantee as part of the forthcoming actuarial valuation in exchange for pursuing the company's desired level of investment return.
The Long Term Funding Target was set taking into account the ongoing parent company guarantee which could support a higher risk investment strategy. Higher expected returns were anticipated to get to the target within a reasonable timeframe.
Balancing needs of different stakeholders
Sponsor free cash flow can be directed to a number of places:
TPR has reiterated its concerns regarding the relatively high level of dividend payments compared to pension contributions and the recent divergence between these. Trustees need to ensure an equitable treatment of the scheme relative to other stakeholders and restore the balance if needed. Similarly, any material leakage of value from the covenant net should not go unnoticed and these may need rectification in the form of mitigation. In relation to these issues trustees are expected to become more active stakeholders.
How to manage the employer covenant
Trustees often have more scope than they realise to manage the risks to which their scheme is exposed. Specifically they can:
Maintain a collaborative relationship with the sponsor
Be an active stakeholder, not afraid of asking difficult questions
Understand the level of risk the sponsor can underwrite and manage the scheme within this
Seek contingent assets and non-cash support
Be alert to covenant leakage and ensure fair treatment of the scheme
Monitor the covenant regularly and consider the impact of one-off events
Review the journey plan in light of the changing covenant and realign it if needed
For further information, please get in touch with Lorant Porkolab, Simeon Willis, or speak to your usual XPS contact.


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Explore this collection of the world's most promising social innovations, submitted from every corner of the globe. These solutions give you insights into where the world is heading in the future.
Total 11 ideas
UNI YURT is the exact analogue of a real yurt - shelter of nomads.
Make a flexible, easy and affordable Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system that speed up everyth
Offering expressive arts workkshops and therapies to children and adults in order to teach creati
Kelechek HP is a local NGO that aims to improve the most vulnerable among women, children and you
Exit Art recognizes that concern for the environment is the utmost defining global issue of our t
Ofrecer talleres de Arte y Ejercicios Cognitivos a los Pacientes de Alzheimer y sus cuidadores co
The Promotion, Prevention, Evaluation and Results Program (PPER Program)aims to educate general p
Providing salt retailers with test kits for iodised salt so that they can test the salt they purc
More than a place, we wanted a home for an elderly population, abandoned in the streets, so
Prepare the legislation promoting decrease of labor migration.
In Kyrgyzstan building a home is almost unaffordable and house heating costs amount up to 50% of
Entered in How to Provide Affordable Housing


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Somewhere in Williamsburg
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By Sheree Pratt
What could a photographer possibly have to offer a room, packed full of writers? Our most recent speaker, Photographer and former journalist for the Bendigo Advertiser and Australian Geographic publications, Brendan McCarthy commenced his talk with that exact question.
The first half of the February 21st session was a showcase of some of McCarthy's notable works, each accompanied with a story, of experiences surrounding the shots' mise-en-scène, purposes for the shot and short synopsis of the article for which some photos supported.
As a group we explored elements of narrative including character, and situation. Things like where and how to find the story, creating and developing the story and letting the story evolve were discussed.
The group also debated the role of Photoshop in manipulation the story, determining that it often jeopardises the authenticity of the story, the credibility of the photograph and often the integrity and the storyteller, such as journalists, editors and photographers.
The workshop in the second half of the session was an opportunity for writers to unpack the visual elements of a shot to interpret meaning to find or create the story. Who was the man in the photograph with the hat? What was he doing there? What's going on in the background? Where are they? These were just some of the questions that sparked our written exploration.
The activity revealed the way personal perspective influenced the interpretation of visual stimuli to generate a story.
The commonality, we concluded throughout this exploration, what writers and photographers share is that in our craft we are each storytellers.


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Marble Is Timeless Even In a Clock!
For a wonderful employee award or simply as the perfect graduation gift idea, browse the wide selection of Gifts for Professionals clocks and timepieces. Perfect for any office decor or just as comfortable in a home, this
Engravable Large Marble Arch Clock
Made of a beautiful jet black marble with an arched top and plenty of room for engraving on the bottom.
Note: Please remember marble is a natural product and has significant variations in color, veining and texture. Marble is also handcrafted & hand polished and slight variations in size and shape can occur. This jet black clock can have small areas that are a little lighter and Gifts for Professionals wants to assure you that attention to detail in supplying the darkest black marble clocks is made!
For timeless hours
of volunteer work,
YMCA proudly names
Jose Perry
Volunteer of the Year


text: Jambo!!! Today was very emotional. We were overwhelmed as we completed the painting at Sagail and it felt great. We painted the walls and the doors and even the teachers at Sagail started to help us paint . Apart from the painting, playing with the children was also fun and […] Day Fourteen29 Jul, 2010 in 2010 Visit / Day Fourteen / The Visit by admin


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Lil Wayne – Tha Carter IV
Young Money: 2011
Through the grace of good timing and a Groupon half-off deal, my friends and I attended Lil Wayne's I Am Still Music tour stop in San Diego last month. Weezy performed a who's-who of songs that rap heads complain about the most, including the unfortunate "How to Love". While leaving, a group of girls exclaimed they were "going to the (Sigma) Chi party!," a statement that indicated they were college freshmen, thus making my friends and I, all in our mid-20s, the old people at the rap concert. Alas, the jewel-encrusted heyday of Cash Money Records is something they were much too young for, as most probably couldn't tell you how hot the block was.
Lil Wayne's Tha Carter series traces its origins back to that era, and with respect to the Da Drought and Dedication series', it's the most important brand in his catalog. Projects like Rebirth are his jumpoffs, Tha Carter is the wife. And as an added inspiration, Tha Carter IV is his first Carter since his release from Riker's Island. If rap heads love anything, it's a post-incarceration album. But All Eyez On Me, this ain't.
When "6'7" dropped nine months ago, Wayne appeared to still be enjoying himself lyrically, one of his biggest strengths. "6'7" was random, but catchy and ultimately a fun listen. Most of the Carter IV does not exhibit the same qualities. "Blunt Blowin'" gives us such underwhelmers as "I don't need a bus pass to bust your ass" and "All about my riches, my name should be Richard," and is backed by a Develop beat that is one in a line of "industry beats" that include the lazily-titled "Megaman", produced by, uh, Megaman. "Megaman " makes up for its I've-Heard-This-Beat-Before Syndrome with a variety of one-liners that range from the clever ("That's my word word like thesaurus") to the hashtag ("For dear life you're holding on, En Vogue") to the extremely random ("I'm a diamond in the rough like a baby in the trash"). It's his most entertaining lyrical showing outside of "6'7", as he leaves the rest of album 's entertainment up to his guests like Rick Ross on the "I'm Not a Star"-retread "John" and Drake on "She Will".
It's as if Wayne knows he doesn't have his A-game, so he features rappers that are rap intelligentsia darlings to make up for it, enlisting guest-verse savants Andre 3000, Jadakiss, Nas, Bun B, and Busta Rhymes. Lil Wayne defers so much, he's not even on the album's best track, which happens to be the album-stealing interlude with Andre 3000 and Tech N9ne, who addresses his well-deserved surge in popularity after getting a Weezy shout-out.
Lil Wayne picked an odd time to diss Jay-Z on "It's Good", as he's deteriorated as of late while Jay-Z is still sharp. The line in question, "Talkin 'bout baby money? I got your baby money, kidnap your bitch, get that 'how much you love your lady' money," refers to Jay-Z's "Baby money" line from "H.A.M." and seems to confirm speculation about Drake's comments from "Dreams Money Can Buy". Lil Wayne talks Blood this, Blood that on "It's Good" and numerous other tracks throughout his career, but I don't see many hardened goons bumping "How to Love", a song best described as "Bieber-esque." While it's terrible, Bieber sells more albums than your favorite rapper, so I see why he did it: to get Tha Carter IV into more minivans.
The ailments that plagued the patients in "Dr. Carter" from Tha Carter III are present in Tha Carter IV: it suffers from a lack of concepts and the vocab and metaphors need work. In his prime, which wasn't that long ago, Wayne used to make it sound like it was so easy for him that he wasn't even trying. Now it just sounds like he isn't trying.


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220 N 10th Street N B,
McAllen, Texas TX 78501
Lease Price: $300
Listing ID 313373 0.334 Acres
Property Description:
We have a total of 4 offices, 3 small 144 sqft. and 1 large 210 sqft./Bathroom. utilities included, conference room available by appointment. Great Location on 10th Street. Ideal for starter business or one new to the area.
Interior Features
Office SqFt: 144
Other Building SqFt: 3203
SqFt Total: 144
External Features
Lot SqFt: 14560
Location Information
Subdivision: Jones
Financial Details
Base Rent Amount: 300
Potential Lease Type: Gross
Taxes Without Exemption: 8818
Availability: Immediate
Presently Leased: no
Zoning Info
© 2020 Greater McAllen MLS. All rights reserved. The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange Program of GMAMLS. Real estate listings held by IDX Brokerage firms other than Trendsetters Realty are marked with the Internet Data Exchange logo or the Internet Data Exchange thumbnail logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing Brokers. Information provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties the viewer may be interested in purchasing. Information provided is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Listing courtesy of Trendsetters Real Estate & Investments. Data last updated: Friday, August 14th, 2020 at 07:19:57 PM.
Contact - Listing ID 313373
Data services provided by IDX Broker


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Hot diggity! This came out fantastic!! I'm glad my voice could add a thing or two to it!!
Hot diggity! This came out fantastic!! I'm glad my voice could add a thing or two to it!!
I love messing up lines
I mean it's a sequel to the Reward which is, in my opinion, one of the greatest animations to ever grace the internet, so it has a lot to live up to. And does it live up to it. Keeping up the theme of characterizing each character without a word of dialogue, expanding on the universe that was glimpsed at in the original animation, and adding a LOT of length and content. The animation is just as beautiful and well-constructed, too. It was very different, and I'm struggling to call it better (seeing how the Reward will always hold a place in my heart), but needless to say, this is a series I'm keeping an eye on, and more than willing to supply some money to for the Kickstarter
Alright, I'm gonna get the bad out of the way first. GAMEPLAY GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! Yeah, it's really just clicking the hit button over and over again. It becomes more of a sadist tool than an actual game. Really, this is the only big flaw I've noticed, but it reeks over the entire game unfortunately.
But dont worry, there are still good points
-Very good job on visuals
-ForNoReason (and presumably EthanAlways) pulls through on the VA.
-The music is well done!
-The combination system is very creative.
So bottom line, you have a lot of greatness that falls short as a game, but if you want to use it to vent on Lil Wayne (which I dont blame you), then feel free.
Well I cant give a fair review at all since I was one of the lead guys who made it, so I'll just say great job to the rest of the group. MAD props to swishcheese, since he's been busting ass on this!
Hope you all enjoy it, and rate 5 k thanx bai
So I'm going to start this by saying that I may be a little bit jaded since I'm on an opposing team, but here is my as objective as possible review. This game is very good looking, with every aspect of it looking nice and nothing grating or dissonant in the slightest, so good job on that front. The music was well made in that it sounded good to the ear, but it was just so so SO repetitive.
Now for gameplay...hmm... I felt that you were working for a No Time To Explain feeling to it, which only sort of worked, since it was four directions. Now, there's nothing wrong with that, and that mechanic holds up well. The primary issue here is the knockback. Seems like a small problem, but it's really big, when hitting something makes you fly back ten feet. This just makes the game beyond difficult to control. That was the problem with No Time To Explain and you actually fixed it in this as far as cannon physics go. You just happened to also destroy it by having the character fly backward a half mile if they touch a spike.
Bottom line: Iffy concept on a game with one major flaw that ruins a good looking game.
PS- I couldnt beat the boss, and it was a well done boss, it's just I havent found out how to get around that freaking eyeball attack....
Thanks for the feedback, really helpful. Playtest was practically limited...but yeah I agree, I'm going to tweak the knockback.
The second I heard the iconic bassline, I lost it completely.
Fantastic work here!
You've got a good future ahead of you bro. You really showed off a variety of voices here, which made it a little disconnected, but I still got a really great laugh. you've got a fun little idea and a good enough talent. stay classy and I hope for the best for ya
I don't know why, but at around the 2:38 mark, I could swear I heard applause. Maybe it was from my own head. Really, this song is splendid. You've already received comments like this, but here we go again! :)
StarFox 64 was my favorite game for the Nintendo 64, and listening to this rendition just seems to capture the theme of the end of the game just so perfectly. It does a great job of reflecting the simple, but powerful six words you chose for the title. It ranges from mystical to reflective, to triumphant. It's just so great. This one's in my favorites and in my heart.
Thanks for the masterpiece.
10/10 would bang
I just woke up from a weeklong coma, and having this be my first sight is a true privilege. Bravo/
I can dig this. You both look badass in this drawing.
Composer for the band Go! Child, Game Developer, Voice Actor, Guy who loves bad jokes too much
25, Male
Joined on 8/11/10


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But as the story progresses, the player finds out that there's something more than scholarly pursuits fueling Raine's interest in
ancient ruins. It's revealed that Raine and Genis are half-elves, driven out of Tethe'alla and sent to Sylvarant by their mother as children.
Tethe'alla always seemed strangely familiar to Raine, and upon finding the Otherworldly Gate, a place that links the two worlds together,
she recognizes it as the place she's been searching for: the ancient ruin where she was "abandoned" by her mother.
Still, her interest in ruins doesn't diminish after her discovery, as evidenced by the Z-Skit "The Eternal Obsession." She's still a scholar at heart.
Additionally, it must be mentioned that Raine is a horrible cook. All recipes, save one, take only two stars to master. Kratos even claims he needs to use
First Aid after eating one of her meals. Genis seems to take over cooking duties in the household.
Even after mastering all the recipes, Raine gains the title "Passable Chef?" Note the question mark.


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|Allison at her piano
1 minute 45 seconds
By Allison Cummings
|Jeannie in her high school days-
photos by David Cooper
|A lovely day soaking up the sun!
|Emily with a chocolate gold medal!
|Mavis with her husband and son in the 60's
|Jean at a Canada Day celebration
|Kamlesh and Jagmohan in the 1970's
|Madge in her comfy chair
|Felicidad Singing in Kerrisdale in June 2011
|Eran and Naama at their restaurant Gaia.
|These two are always on the GO!
|Anna outside the Kerrisdale Community Centre in 2011
|Out on the porch on April 31, 2011
|A winter picture of Brian!
|May 19 - beside the Kerrisdale Senior Centre
|Madge tries on her spring hat
|A portrait of Eunice taken in 2010.
|Kristi revisits the ballet room of her youth
|The storyteller in 2011
|Ester and Niels in their Carnarvon Street living room 1970


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About Our Students
Students who choose Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering come to Penn eager to tackle real-world problems. They relish the challenges posed by math, chemistry, physics, and the biological sciences.
A major in chemical and biomolecular engineering opens a wide range of opportunities. The Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering program teaches them to think across length scales that span from the molecular to the macroscopic. It enables them to move from studying chemical reactions at the nanoscale to designing industrial plants. Our graduates may move on to discover a unique molecular reaction in a cell, or they may develop a method to deliver a drug to that cell. Both our undergraduate and graduate students are uniquely positioned to influence the worlds of business, medicine, industry, and the environment and to advance to the highest levels of research and academia.
Undergraduate Spotlight
Cesar Ruiz de Castilla
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Class of 2022
Hometown: Annapolis, MD
Research Interest: Advanced Materials and Technology, Medicinal Research
What motivates your interest in Engineering?
It's really the final step in what I consider to be a remarkably interesting and important process. Science is the way we understand the universe, math is the language we use to do so, and then engineering is the way to apply that knowledge to real-world situations. It has tremendous potential.
What made you choose CBE as a major?
I've always had a passion for the combination of technology and the pharmaceutical industry, especially with the promise of technology! CBE seemed like the perfect major to pursue that.
Why did you choose Penn Engineering?
The culture in the campus is a very accepting and uplifting one, and Penn Engineering is well known for innovations in a variety of different fields, including computing and biomedicine.
What is your favorite thing to do?
Mountain biking. One of my best experiences was at Spiro, but what I want to try eventually is "The Whole Enchilada" at Moab.
Learn more about the BSE in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.


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Avaya provides 911 call centre for Amman
State of the art emergency response call centre to cover Amman
Avaya Government Solutions has provided a new state of the art, emergency call centre to authorities in Amman, Jordan.
The call centre will provide a city-wide emergency telephone system which allows authoritiesto give swift and reliable assistance to the public.
The solution was delivered by the Avaya subsidiary and by MicroAutomation, based on best practice architectures and systems from US deployments. The project was funded by the US government under its counter terrorism and narcotics program.
"We are providing Amman with a modern E-911 system that will save lives and enhance public safety for the Jordanian people," said Tim Gentry, senior vice president of civilian sales, Avaya Government Solutions. "While other telecommunications providers competed for the project, our expertise in delivering solutions that are 99.999% reliable was cited as the determining factor by Jordanian officials."
Avaya Government Solutions is a network-centric integrator, providing the services expertise, mission-critical systems, and secure communications that empower government to ensure the security, livelihood, and well being of its citizen


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There's something about the regeneration of Newcastle's quayside that just seems to work – something that living in Lancaster has taught me is sadly not ubiquitous.
For a start there's enough of the city's heritage retained and converted to give it depth and a sense of history. Warehouses are converted into apartments and rub shoulders with fine centuries old stone buildings, churches and the city's fourteenth century castle. Joseph Rank's striking Baltic Flour Mills dominates the waterfront, now serving as an arts centre. And then there's the new buildings – new buildings that actually complement the old ones rather than looking like they were dropped from space into the nearest brownfield space. Apartment blocks that fit around the monolithic flour mill's sheer edifice like they had always been part of the plan; low level glass and steel bars, and Norman Foster's striking Sage building knitting the modern into the historic. Yes – you get the impression that Newcastle knows what it's doing when it comes to city planning.
And tying it all together are the Tyne bridges, linking the now interchangeable city and its neighbour, Gateshead: Dorman Long's iconic Tyne Bridge of 1928, Stephenson's 1849 road and rail bridge, the port's 1876 swing bridge and the new Millennium Bridge. It was the latter that drew me here in the first place and I photographed it back in May, but the area's melting pot of cool new bars and charming older pubs drew me back as 2015 dawned for a chilled-out few days and the chance to shoot it again.
Walking the bridges and looking across the rooftops it all looks so majestic, a 21st century city celebrating its rich history, and in spite of the cold, windy and changeable weather I managed to get a few shots that I was happy with on New Year's night.
The following morning I headed out for sunrise in the vain hope of a yellow sky about to burst over the horizon. It was decidedly cloudy, and when the clouds took on an increasingly brown tint it seemed like rain was about to stop play. But there was something in that sky that promised a drama as the raindrops and fast moving clouds collided with the rising sun. I screwed a 10 stop filter onto my lens and took a few long exposures of the redness spreading over the Tyne and knew I'd got something different. Red sky in the morning.
Yes, this is one good looking city… Lancaster could learn a lot.
Happy New Year.


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Taylor joins from drugs firm Eli Lilly, where she is UK director of corporate affairs. She takes up the post of executive director of policy and comms at the charity in April, overseeing a team of 100.
The charity is also trying to deter young people from taking up smoking and eating unhealthy food – it wants to ensure young people are aware that obesity and smoking can cause cancer later in life.
A former director of marketing and comms at the British Heart Foundation, Taylor replaces professor Robert Souhami, who retires at the end of March.
'We have a strong fundraising profile but we need to engage more at public-policy level,' she said.
Taylor plans to focus on lobbying the EU on scientific research policy and guidelines.
The charity also wants to increase its communication with the scientific community and to promote the benefits of donations to its research.


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BOISE, Idaho (AP) Attorneys for the Idaho Department of Correction say inmates exaggerated problems with the prison medical care system and waited too long to complain, and as a result, prison officials shouldn"t be held in contempt of court for violating a settlement in a decades-old class action lawsuit.
The court documents were filed late last week in federal court. They mark the latest twist in a lawsuit first brought by inmates in 1981 that contends unconstitutionally poor medical care was provided to prisoners at the Idaho State Correctional Institution.
Earlier this year, attorneys for the inmates said some prisoners were forced to undergo amputations after bedsores went untreated and others with serious disabilities were left without water for extended periods.
But the state"s attorneys say any problems with medical care have long been fixed and that complaints about poor treatment are overstated and outdated.


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It's easy to surmise that an estate planning attorney wouldn't thinking too much of someone drafting their own will, trust, or other estate-related document, such as a health directive. In an interview with Bankrate.com, Altman underscores his weariness against "DIY" estate planning, such as online services. Altman says, "Online estate planning documents probably work very well if you want to leave your assets outright to one or two people, and those people have virtually no legal or financial problems." He strongly recommends anyone considering it, however, to answer the following:
- How big is my estate?
- Who am I leaving it to, and are they minors, or do they have issues like angry creditors I need to plan around?
- How am I leaving it to them, such as through a will or a trust?
Altman mentions the following example: "I'm about to hand a check for $400,000 to an 18-year-old because instead of making sure her life insurance proceeds went into a trust for her daughter, the mom left the money to her daughter outright."
Sighting the criticality of keeping your estate documents current, Altman says, "Sometimes people think that when they've done estate planning, they never have to look at those documents again. This is not true. I had clients who did estate planning with me in 1997. Since then, the estate tax laws changed, and an obscure regulation that affected a small fraction of the public — including them — changed."
Altman has final words of caution. "There are a number of people who don't consult estate planning experts because they don't want to spend the money," he says. "But estate planning is something that if you make a mistake, there's no way to correct it because you're no longer around. If you don't pay to have estate planning documents done properly now, your heirs will probably pay more than you'll have ever paid a professional to do them. In many ways, the most selfless thing you'll ever do is to make sure your children or heirs will receive your assets in the best and least costly way possible."
To read this article, click here.


text: Alexandra Jones O: 938-900-3704 Home Agents Alexandra Jones Alexandra, a Connecticut native, has had a profound passion for all things pertaining to the dynamics of a home, her entire life. Serving as a design consultant for HGTV's partner, Bassett Furniture for 11 years, Alexandra is accustomed to meeting her client's aesthetic, functional and emotional demands. Having a genuine love for people and exceptional customer service paired with diligence attribute to her ability to produce true results. Her vast experience on solving spatial and design obstacles contribute to her skill in pairing the right home with the right home buyer. Alexandra loves the beauty of Alabama and when she's not selling homes Alexandra enjoys spending time with her brilliant, coding obsessed daughter, cooking, gardening, rock climbing, and traveling.


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Vintage china triple tiered cake stand 8
Meakin, Maddock and Grindley come together in this pretty tiered cake stand for hire. Featuring soft pastel colours of pinks, greens and blues, this tiered cake stand is just the piece for a garden high tea party. We love the mix of gold edging with pastel blue edging and the gentle scalloped edging of the middle and bottom plates, Match it with our other tiered cake stands for hire for an impressive display. Basic assembly required. Handwash only.


text: Bike culture continues to thrive Share Tweet Email Print Riding a bike for the first time is a moment most people never forget. That sense of accomplishment as each foot presses down on the pedals and the person pushing the bike from behind finally lets go. A growing breeze swirls around as the only direction the bike can go is forward. The feeling of freedom and independence becomes so overwhelming it is hard to believe it all came from a bike. Since the first moments of riding a bike, the concept of these two-wheeled contraptions have changed before society's eyes. While they no longer serve as a quick means of transportation to the park down the street or for racing the neighborhood kids up the block, bikes play a prevalent role in everyone's lives. Arizona State University alumnus Julian Wright is the owner of Handlebar located on Mill Avenue. For him bikes serve as much more than just a means of transportation. Wright's bar is inspired by the many beer gardens he encountered while traveling through Europe and he decided to incorporate bikes into the bar's aesthetic in multiple ways. "We've built bike racks into our patio railings," Wright says. "We also have a lot of bicycle art in the bar." false From wheel-inspired napkin holders to a bike photographer to actual bikes hanging from the ceiling, Handlebar has it all. Wright also encourages the concept among his customers. "We have a lot of people that bike a lot together," Wright says. "We definitely support people biking to the bars and not driving. We encourage that as much as possible." Other restaurants within the valley have centered their establishment's theme on bike culture as well. Spoke and Wheel Tavern incorporates many of the same design concepts in their restaurant. Restaurant manager Tony Gordillo says the restaurant also offers happy hour for customers that ride their bike to the tavern. Spoke and Wheel also participates in other events to help encourage bike culture. "We partner up with other restaurants and we do biking events," Gordillo says. "You get a good deal if you come here and finish a route at a certain location." Both Gordillo and Wright are bicyclists themselves and agree that Tempe and Phoenix lend themselves to a growing bike culture. "Tempe's a pretty natural landscape for bike culture, that's probably why we're a little ahead of the game, but I think you're starting to see it become more popular all around the state," Wright says. Electrical engineering graduate Scott Jones is part of the ASU cycling club and has seen an increase in bike culture during his time cycling for both leisure and competition. Jones also highlights the area as a key component to bike culture's success within the valley. "I think that the Phoenix metro area and Tempe in particular has pretty good cycling infrastructure, lots of bike lanes, streets are wide and people understand traffic laws pretty well," Jones says. Handlebar is also the sponsor of ASU's cycling club. Both organizations heavily utilize different aspects of bike culture. "They let us bring out bikes on the patio and it's really cool to have businesses that are centered around a certain subculture of the community," Jones says. Jones shared that the cycling club aims to provide a platform for students that wish to either bike for casual rides or bike competitively. "We don't have any required practices, but it's with 35-40 people on the team, it's always easy to find people to ride with in order to just get out there and spend more time on the bike," Jones says. For those that spend much of their time centered around cycling and bikes, their only desire is to see the concept grow in the years to come. Wright is currently in the works of opening a brewery in downtown Tempe that is based off of the same bike culture concept. Pedal Haus will include more bike racks, bike-themed décor as well as a bike shop within the brewery that sells custom bikes. "When we do open the brewery we hope to do events that start with a bicycle ride to further encourage people to ride their bikes," Wright says. Jones hopes that bike culture will continue to strive throughout the Tempe and Phoenix area. As an avid cyclist he can relate to the distinct sense of independence that comes with riding a bike, whether it be for transportation, leisure or competition. "I think Arizona has a very good cycling community, much better than a lot of other parts of the country," Jones says. "I think it would be really cool if the acceptance of cycling and the sense of community that we have here would spread throughout the country and that cycling would become a big thing elsewhere." Related Links: ASUPD, biking community provide options to deter bike theft 5 Tempe bike shops that'll get your gears going Reach the writer at firstname.lastname@example.com or via Twitter @manalichavan72. Subscribe to Pressing Matters Get the best of State Press delivered straight to your inbox. Related Stories COVID-19 and ASU: Here's what you need to know Opinion: ASU and Crow shouldn't get legal protection from COVID-19 lawsuits Arizona State stays mum on outcome of its investigation of workplace climate


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Top 10 Report
More The Internet of Things Research
HFS Top 10 Internet of Things (IoT) Service Providers 2019
What this Top 10 Report covers
HFS Top 10 Internet of Things (IoT) Service Providers 2019 report examines the role service providers play in the evolving IoT landscape. We assessed and rated the IoT service capabilities of 23 service providers across a defined series of innovation, execution, and voice of the customer criteria. The report highlights the overall ratings for all 23 participants and the top five leaders for each subcategory.
What you'll know after reading
Readers will gain insight into: Who are the leading providers of IoT-specific services , ranked overall and across key execution, innovation, and voice of the customer criteria What are the strengths, weaknesses and capabilities of each of the 23 providers included in the study via detailed profiles
Who should read this report
Executive leaders and business unit leaders, technology leaders, advisors and IoT / Digitalization project leads in all industry sectors.
Service Providers covered;
Accenture, Altran, Atos, Capgemini, Cognizant, Deloitte, DXC, EY, Fujitsu, HARMAN, HCL, IBM, Infosys, KPMG, LTI, LTTS, Mindtree, Mphasis, NTT DATA, Persistent, TCS, Tech Mahindra, Wipro
Premium Members, Sign In to Download this Research
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Premium Research
This research document is available to premium HFS subscribers. If you are interested in becoming one or learning more, please contact us online, or have us call you!


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Soursop is a cancer fighting fruit
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Soursop may be the most famous cancer-fighting fruit you have never heard of. Also known as guanabana and graviola, the spiny green fruit is well known in the Caribbean and South America, where it grows on a tall evergreen tree.
The tree thrives in tropical climates and does less well as the weather cools. It can be found in south Florida, but it does better the closer it is to the equator. It is grown around the world in tropical climates, in equatorial South America, Africa and Asia. Fresh soursop is available online.
The creamy, custardy insides of the fruit is deliciously sweet and some say a combination of mango and strawberry. Yet is has apparent mystical healing powers, as do its stems, bark and soursop leaves. Soursop leaves can be made into tea and is said to help cancer patients survive and ultimately beat their disease.
They are harvested from many places in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Grenada and the Virgin Islands.
Scientists have shown soursop/graviola contains phytochemicals that are good at killing resistant cancer cells. These are lab tests that have isolated the chemicals. However clinical trials have not yet been conducted (there's no profit in it for pharmaceutical companies) to prove it is a definitive anti-cancer tool – or as some call it – an all natural cure for cancer.
Soursop is also known as a good anti-inflammatory agent and helps soothe intestinal upsets and is used by indigenous people, where the tree grows wild, as a treatment for dysentery. It also can help with insomnia. The guanabana seeds, while toxic to eat, can be pulverized into a paste that can sooth skin irritations.
There are many fruit and tea products made from soursop – see them here.


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The wedding rituals of the Asian and especially south Asian countries are extremely rich and fascinating. They are full of colors. The festivity of the occasion is unmatched. The time is not just memorable for the bride and the groom but the entire family. Getting the right venue, right location, perfect décor takes a great deal of time. It is not just an hour's game. It requires hard work and planning for the months. In this wedding celebration, the first and foremost thing is the engagement. The dreamy begins with what people in the local language call "Mangni."
As the proposal goes from the family of the groom to the family of the bride and it is accepted the preparations begin. The couple has to exchange rings to announce the matrimonial relation that is about to be materialized. This ceremony is equally important in the culture of Pakistan just like the wedding. The rituals and the reasons vary from family to family and province to province because Pakistan is a country with diverse culture.
- First thing after the proposal acceptance and before the engagement is the prayer. The Muslim families arrange a Quran khwani while the people of other religions do it in their respective manner.
- A special dress is sent to the bride and the groom from their in-laws that have to be worn on their special day.
- The Mangni ceremony is not very complex and not many people are invited.
- The close relatives are invited from both sides.
- On the Engagement mangni day, the groom's family brings sweets and fruits.
- The rings are then exchanged between the couple.
- Either it is done by the elderly person of the family (as it happens in the rural areas) or performed by the couple itself (as in the urban areas).
Pakistani Engagement Rasam Videos


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It's great to see four young boys (yes, 'Ryan', son of homophobe dad has joined the other three) spending entire days involved in sport and training because they want to. It is competitive, yes, but each boy wants all the others to succeed and, for us, observing this, we can all (dads and mums) be very proud of them. One UK boy and one half UK/USA plus two USA boys, and a similarly complex mixture of parents involving gays and straights of both sexes… what a muddle! And all in harmony, even homophobe dad (amazed grin!).
Meanwhile, news reached us today that a gym coach we know in Europe has just been misguidedly accused (and exonerated in a very brief police enquiry) of child pornography because of pictures he took of gymnasts showing off their skills and their physiques, both in competitions and often, at the behest of their parents, in his studio. And yes, he is a professional photographer. And, no, nothing remotely sexual ever appeared, or was ever even considered.
Sports coaches have to be squeaky-clean these days. All of us involved in teaching gymnastics here in US have to pass stringent checks, and in the UK they are even tougher. We abide strictly to the code. And, gay dads though we may be, we never EVER allow that to influence our relationships with our seriously straight kids, or those who attend the gym we work in. And that goes for girls too – Dave being the proud father of Jaymee. But you knew that, if you come here often…
Sorry – just wanted to get that off my chest, having heard the news from Europe today. A brilliant coach of the gymnastic sports we love whose contribution is now lost, his relationship with his local federation in ruins despite his swift acquittal from all the allegations. Who's next?
Meanwhile, my great mate Colin and his family are enjoying day 3 of their stay in sunny(ish) Oak Ridge (apart from the rain showers!). He wrestled his son away from mine for long enough to visit the museum of science and energy, which celebrates (?) the role of what is now the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the second world war bomb development when the inhabitants of the original settlement here were ousted – actually the museum is rather good – and to take in some local scenery, which is essentially wooded ridges and the river:
That's the Clinch River, in which we enjoy skinny dipping in a secluded place! Another shot (not giving away our secluded place – Cody would never forgive us…):
I guess we are all (both generations) 'free range boys'. Shirtless whenever we can, barefoot too, enjoying each other's company big time:
Some of the rest of the 'gay' stuff (which we keep separate from the younger generation) can be found here:
Loving the Boy: ISBN 978-1-907732-30-0
The Power of Love: ISBN 978-1-907732-41-6
Against All Odds: ISBN 978-1-908645-35-7
It may entertain you if you are of the gay (or acrobatic) disposition, and maybe even if you are not! E-books are available also.
Which said, and with our visitors from UK entertaining themselves elsewhere in the locality (and in my car – fingers crossed Colin remembers which side of the road to drive on), let me entertain our usual clientele with a selection of great young male physiques doing what we all love to do:
You can even look brilliant doing your domestics shirtless (as we often do – shirtless, that is, not brilliant…):
Back in the weight room:
Let's make a point here…
Working out together brings greater rewards…
A really weird example of 'free-range boys' here – an art class in which at least four are identically (un)dressed in white shorts and trainers: are they painting each other, or what?
(We really do want comments about that picture… it's fascinating… what are we missing out on?)
A vintage example of free-range boys now – swimming lessons as they used to be…
Would anyone contemplate naked swimming lessons these days… and with so many onlookers… what were they thinking…
OK, we train and swim naked, because we can, because we can do it in our private facilities, and because we like the sensation of our bodies against the apparatus, or each other (if wrestling)… testing muscle against muscle… but in these paranoid days of accusations against coaches, and the rest…
..so, we keep our own personal relationships private, just for us…
Our thoughts are with our European friend today. He's been enmeshed in his problem for many weeks and we only found out now. As we enjoy each other (gay dads and our friends) and our kids, pushing themselves onwards to be 'the greatest', to impress us and each other, we watch (and feel) the overwhelming sense of friendship, brotherhood and understanding in both generations. Our coaching friend in Eastern Europe is suddenly 'out in the cold' for absolutely no logical reason. A whole host of kids and young men owe him a huge debt for the skills he has taught them. Happily, I hear, a lot of them have stood by him.
Life can be a real f***er sometimes.


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In response to critiques from the public, I am disappointed to hear poor, infantile reasoning emanating from various Cabinet members.
The Jamaicans for Civil Society Coalition pointed out that MP Shahine Robinson comes with the baggage of her very public dual citizenship trial as well as a massive lawsuit pending. They are concerned about her inclusion in Holness Cabinet. Robinson contends that first matter has been addressed in court, and the second is pending: she believes she can proceed unencumbered. She goes further to express surprise that civil society 'objects to inclusion of a woman' in the Cabinet. She claims they had been agitating all along for more women to be involved at that level. Ms. Robinson appears to deliberately muddle the valid legal concerns with a base sexist appeal.
JTA's objection to the PM's decision to keep hands-on responsibility for Education is rebuffed by the Minister of Information. The Minister pointed out that Seaga held Finance responsibility throughout his tenure as PM; Manley held Agriculture responsibility for a year. No reasonable argument is advanced to satisfy concerns of the JTA – no explanation of the logic of this decision or what strategy the new PM will employ to keep all the balls in the air.
The Opposition expresses concern about what it sees as 'waste' and a 'self-promoting exercise' in the Ministry of Tourism's decision to take out full page advertisements to highlight Jamaica's recognition at World Travel Awards. The Minister of Tourism fires back that Opposition being 'mean-spirited' and hopes for a more cooperative atmosphere in the future. There is no actual explanation of the reasoning for the large ad expenditure, what it was meant to achieve strategically, and whether it did so.
Like it or not, these are among the people charged to lead Jamaica. PM Holness must push his team members to present well reasoned defenses of their actions or positions. Too many weak arguments of misdirection continue to be presented in response to valid public concerns. This needs to change.


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- BY TheSph3r3
- POSTED IN Blog Articles, Home
Home security tips to help you travel with peace of mind.
Summertime is finally here! For many, this means it is a time for a vacation away from home, whether it's across the nation or into foreign lands. The excitement of a vacation can cause people to forget the easy ways to protect their homes and belongings. Taking necessary precautions can help give you the peace of mind you need that your home is left safe and sound.
Do examine your home from the street. Make sure that there are no items of value that can be seen from the street or by peeking over a fence. If a passer-by can see your belongings, so can criminals.
Do install timers on lights so that they automatically turn on and off while you are away. This gives the illusion that someone is inside and may deter thieves.
Do consider installing a home security system so that you can keep tabs on your home while away.
Do ask a friend or trusted neighbor to check up on your home, bring in the mail, and pick up the newspapers on the doorstep. Nothing says 'I'm away' like a full mailbox.
Don't post the details of your vacation online. Many people can access this information and you don't want thieves knowing that you are away for a week.
Don't leave any GPS or visible electronics in your parked car. Whether your car is at the airport or on your driveway, it gives thieves a reason to break in.
Are you looking for reliable homeowners coverage that can help to protect your house and belongings? hen don't hesitate to contact us at Sausman Insurance Agency in Mifflintown, Millersburg, and Lewistown, Pennsylvania. We are ready to assist you with all your coverage needs.


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10 x 7 ft Khotan Samarkand SOLD
price upon request
This item is sold. For other rugs like this one please contact us. Item details Handmade item Dimensions Length: 10 Feet; Width: 7 Feet Material Wool, Cotton Warp and Weft Traditional Classic Khotan Samarkand rug from the Silk Road East Turkestan Khotan Samarkand rugs originate in the far east of Uzbekistan at the border to China. This design with the Pomegranate Tree is very typical for Khotan rugs. It has beautiful colors as light beige, golden rose and grey. Khotan rugs are very looked after since they go well with many Interior styles such traditional, Farmhouse, Hollywood Regency, Industrial, Vintage Boho and Art Deco. The condition of this beautiful rug is excellent. It has full pile, perfect fringe and selvedge. • Beautiful vintage rug • All hand made, hand knotted • Pile pure wool, warp and weft wool • Traditional design, very unique rug - Size 116 x 87 inches / 290 x 220 cm • Condition: Excellent. Full pile, great condition. Just fresh washed, silk like luster • Land of Origin: Uzbekistan If you have any questions about the item or need additional images – I will be glad to help and assist you in your purchase. We ship our parcels via UPS to the address listed on your PayPal account. We ship within 1-2 business days, delivery usually within 3-5 business days after shipment left our shop. Our rugs are shipped from Germany.
21st century and contemporary
Place of origin:
Dimensions (cm):
0.8H x 220W x 290D
Dimensions (inch):
0,31H x 86,61W x 114,17D
Creator / Artist:
Wool, Cotton
Excellent; Good pile - vintage look
Inventory ID:
Payment options:
Bank wire transfer,
Shipping options:
International - YES
Shipping regions:
Art oriental Gmbh
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Published in Furniture, Lighting, Decorative Objects and Fine Art categories


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Associate Professor Rodney Cooter, President of ASPS, represented our Specialty as a member of the Chief Medical Officer's Advisory Group on PIP.
ASPS made a formal submission to the Senate as part of its inquiry into The role of the Government and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regarding medical devices, particularly Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) breast implants. Recommendation 9 of the Senate Report calls for the Department of Health and Ageing to establish a national opt-out breast device registry as a matter of priority. Visit the Senate website for a copy of the Report and ASPS' submission.
Read more about the Breast Device Registry. Read more about ASPS' work with the TGA.
The final report into PIP breast implants, led by NHS Medical Director Sir Bruce Keogh, is published online (18 June 2012). Click the links below to download the document of interest.
Source: UK Department of Health
Read ASPS media release on "PIP Implants – Lessons learned" (December 2013)


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Audrey Niffenegger's novel The Time Traveler's Wife is equal parts romance and sci-fi. It's a love story about the limits of free will and the power of destiny. It is also a way hornier book than we gave it credit for.
Talking points include James Cameron's avatar, time-travelling hi-jinks, and chrono-impairment as a metaphor for absence, loss, and the gravitational pull of love.


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I want to be the best version of myself I can be.
A mistake I make at least twice a year is getting so wrapped up in things like outcomes and returns—the results of "being my best self"—that I end up trying to be someone else.
It's like I look to add all the right extra pieces in order to assure the biggest payoff.
I spend money, make plans, join groups, change schedules…
What I keep having to learn over and over is to trust what I actually am.
Whenever I return to the real me in that way, it's like releasing a weight and being lifted by the wind to float along in natural freedom.
I can't say I won't make the same mistake again (having just returned from making it again over the last few weeks).
But I'm sure I'll enjoy proving myself to myself all over, and letting go.


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New Delhi, November 7: In its latest tweet India's largest bank - State Bank of India (SBI) - has sought pension account holders to submit their life certificate or Jeevan Praman Patra at its bank branches or online by the end of this month.
"Complete your Life Certificate submission before 30th November, 2019 to ensure that your pension payments would continue. The certificate can also be submitted in person at SBI Branch or digitally at an Aadhaar outlet near you," SBI said in a tweet.
Those failing necessary submission within the deadline of November 30 before pension disbursal agencies may fail to receive pension. It is, however, resumed after the pension account holder submits the certificate.
There are at least four modes of submission:
1. Digital submission at SBI branch: Go to your nearest SBI branch and share your Aadhaar number, mobile number, pension payment order (PPO) number and account number. After you give your biometrics - fingerprint or iris - the bank official will do an Aadhaar-based biometric authentication to generate Jeevan Pramaan. You will get Pramaan ID as an acknowledgement.
2. You can then submit the life certificate digitally through the Jeevan Pramaan Portal. Jeevan Pramaan is a biometric enabled digital service for pensioners. Pensioners of central, state government or any other government organisation can avail the benefit of this facility.
3. If you want to save yourself from the hassles of visiting the SBI branch, you have the option to do it online through the UMANG app. Only thing that you are supposed to do is to download Umang App from Google Play or Appstore, search Jeevan Pramaan and click on generate life certificate.
4. Another way to generate life certificate is by visiting Citizen Service Centres (CSC) or Aadhaar Seva Kendra spread in different parts of the country. The process here involves going through Aadhaar-based biometric authentication.


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The Wildflowers in Maine are just starting to come into their glory. In this post I'll show you how to make this wild little flower. The Calistoga Popcornflower looks simple but it is deceptively intricate.
Supply list
- white floral tape
- scissors
- 18 gauge floral wire
- hand painted tissue paper: petal ply – 2
- pinter paper
- 8.5 in. x 11 in Rice Paper or pinter paper
- 8.5 in. x 11 in transparent vellum or pinter paper
Downloadable Templates
(click template for the full size)
(click template for the full size)


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- DaytonRegionAsked on November 05, 2010 at 09:21 AM
I have a edit link tag in my auto-responder that allows the form submitter to go back in and edit the form if they need to. The issue I am now having is upon editing and submitting again, they do not receive a 2nd e-mail with the edit link.
What is the structure of the URL I can send someone to be able to get back to their specific form?
- serkanAnswered on November 05, 2010 at 10:28 AM
You place edit link in the thank you text. By this way users can see edit link right after they finish submission
- DaytonRegionAnswered on November 05, 2010 at 10:40 AM
I've already done that, and that part wqorks fine. What I am asking is, how do I figure out what the link is to their form in the event they delete the auto-responder e-mail, or never recieve it?
- serkanAnswered on November 05, 2010 at 10:46 AM
You got me there :) You are right, we should place the edit link somewhere. I guess submission page should be fine. I'll add this and let you know when finished.


text: Kaufland e-Rally Team officially inaugurated the first racing electric car in Romania Kaufland e-Rally Team officially inaugurated the first racing electric car in Romania. Presented at Braşov during the final stage of the CNVC, it will lay the cornerstone of a Electricity Group in the 2019 season of the national speedboat championship. Although it was already present as a pioneer of three rally stages and seven Coast Speed, the electric car piloted by Sorin Ghisoi was officially presented with the final approval of the Coast Speed SuperRally and Super Rally Circuit, on the eve of the CNVCD 2018 final final, the Opel Trophy, organized by Mihai Leu in Brasov. For those who have not reached the edge of the 2018 season, it's a VW Golf GTi in which the powertrain has been replaced by an electric unit specially designed and tuned to meet the rigors of racing such as Coast Speed , SuperRally and Circuit. Created on the idea of pilot Sorin Ghisoi by the technical team of Cox e-Motorsport – coordinated by the French engineer Mark Areny, the first electric rally car in Romania is supported by Kaufland Romania. "Kaufland Romania is actively involved in social responsibility projects with direct benefits to communities. Every year, we invest over 5 million euros in all projects that run alongside NGOs. Three years ago, we set out to make the first network of charging stations for electric cars so that anyone can easily cross the West from east to an electric car. The objective was reached in less than 3 years, managing in partnership with Renovaţio, the routes Constanta – Bucharest – Sibiu – Timişoara – Arad and Bucharest – Ploieşti – Brasov – Târgu Mureş – Cluj Napoca – Oradea. Starting from this route, we have expanded the number of loading stations in the Kaufland storehouses, currently offering over 60 charging stations in 23 locations", said Andrei Secrețianu from Kaufland Romania. "For me, the Kaufland e-Rally Team story began with the questioning of my eight-year-old boy who wanted to know how racing cars will look like in the future. I stayed and thought for a moment and told him that they would be electric, especially because now we have many more possibilities and free charging points in the store parking. It has over 50 km of autonomy in the contest mode, that is 3-4 climbs at coastal speed competitions. If you see a car like ours on the street, maybe you do not notice the difference, but in speed competitions you can not notice the absence of noise and pollution." said Sorin Ghisoi, Coast Speed Champion. "Our goal is to design electric power cars. I know well that Sorin Ghisoi wants not only an eco car, but one that is performing. I am convinced that I can and I think we have already proved this. Being not Romanian, it may seem strange that I am proud of the fact that there is much to be done in Romania. I thank those who have trusted us, Kaufland Romania and Cox e-Motorsport and especially my team composed of experts from several countries, such as Ireland, UK, France, Moldova, etc." said Mark Areny – designer EV Romania. The electric engine chosen by Mark Areny, designer EC Romania, generates in the current setting a maximum output of 300 hp / 1000-10,000 rpm and engine torque of 300 Nm / 0-15,000 rpm. Theoretically, the engine can reach a maximum speed of 20,000 rpm, but the efficiency drops too much to exceed 18,000 rpm. The maximum speed is 170 km / h at about 15,000 rpm and the acceleration of 0-100 km / h is achieved in just over 6 seconds. Being a competition car, all these values may vary by a few percent – depending on the choice of tires and the suspension setting. Without a gearbox, the engine transmits power directly to the wheels, and one of the improvements planned for the next season is the installation of a limited slip differential. As a result of the heat-electric conversion and of the street car in the competition car, the first Romanian electric car reached the weight of 1.290 kg (only 50 kg more than the donor GTi), with a mass distribution of 780 kg on the front axle and 510 kg on the rear axle. Being a car prepared for competitions, the engine benefits from oil cooling and the inverter and battery are water-cooled. The 16 kWh accumulator battery provides a range of up to 50 km of running time and requires a charging time of 2-3 hours when coupled to a 6.6 kW outlet. Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


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Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Leming is holding its annual Guadalupana Church Rummage Sale on Aug. 24, 25 and 26 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be held at the big hall. Organizers are asking for donations of any kind. Everything will be greatly appreciated. Money raised will be used to help them pay for their solar system.
Contact Connie Robles at 830-569-5032, Irma Gonzales at 210-286-8251, Vince and Elva Silva at 830-570-0665 or Rachel Vasquez at 210-365-3100 to donate.


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In honor of the Rebbe and Rebbetzin's wedding anniversary on 14 Kislev, this week's Living Torah program is themed around marriage. In this clip, Rabbi Shmuel Lew recalls that his father-in-law, R' Zalman Jaffe, tried every angle he could in an effort to convince the Rebbe to officiate at his daughter's wedding, a practice that the Rebbe had ceased several years earlier.
Posted to Something Jewish, Videos on


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The train has just crossed the Charles River from Sherborn onto Medfield. Just ahead the road crossing for Rt. 27, now Hospital Road.
Photographed by Ken Patton., August, 1967.Added to the photo archive by Ken Patton, March 14, 2019.Railroad: New Haven.
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We think that the following domain names would be good for your company website.
These domain names looked available when we last checked. You should consider registering these names and redirecting them to your main company website.
If you don't there is a risk that your competitors will register the domains and use them for their own websites!
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