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The Department of Labor (DOL) recently brought two actions related to breach of fiduciary duty.
The first was an action against the co-founder and director of a now-defunct investment management company has resulted in a default judgment and order for restitution, as well as other penalties.
Steven Salutric, cofounder and director of Elmhurst, Illinois-based Results One Financial LLC, was ordered to restore $1,211,902.25 to four pension plan client accounts from which he allegedly withdrew funds from 2005 through 2009 in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
Results One Financial was a registered investment advisory company that provided services to a broad range of clients that included ERISA-covered employee benefit plans. Salutric was accused of misdirecting the assets of client plans to entities in which he had an interest. Those entities included a film distribution company, a restaurant and a real estate partnership, as well as a church where he served as treasurer.
"It is particularly egregious when those entrusted with protecting workers' retirement assets jeopardize them by committing illegal acts for personal gain," said Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis in a statement.
In this case, an investigation by Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration, in coordination with the Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, resulted in a lawsuit filed in federal district court in Chicago.
The resulting court order requires Salutric to restore all losses, including lost opportunity costs, to the four pension plan clients and to correct the prohibited transactions involved. The judgment also bars Salutric from serving as a fiduciary or service provider to any employee benefit plan governed by ERISA in the future.
Advisor Accused of Misusing More Than $3.2 Million of Retirement Plan Funds for Ski/Golf Resort
On Wednesday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho granted the DOL's motion for preliminary injunction against Matthew D. Hutcheson and Hutcheson Walker Advisors LLC. The court found that the department had "demonstrated the type of immediate and irreparable injury necessitating entry of a preliminary injunction."
On May 15, the department filed a complaint in the same court against Hutcheson and others alleging that Hutcheson had violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The complaint alleged that, toward the end of 2010, Hutcheson used more than $3.2 million in retirement plan savings of workers from multiple employers for his own personal benefit and in an attempt to purchase an interest in the Tamarack Resort, a failed ski and golf resort in Idaho. According to DOL, Hutcheson's alleged misconduct has left the affected retirement plans without sufficient funds to pay participants all the benefits owed to them. Hutcheson also faces a separate criminal indictment, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in the same court on April 10, in connection with the same transaction and others.
Concurrent with its civil complaint, the department says it filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, seeking removal of Hutcheson and Hutcheson Walker Advisors as fiduciaries of the Retirement Security Plan and Trust, formerly known as the Pension Liquidity Plan and Trust.
The secretary of labor also requested the appointment of Jeanne B. Bryant of Receivership Management as independent fiduciary to the Retirement Security Plan and Trust and the plans. On May 16 the court granted the secretary's motion for a temporary restraining order and took the motion for preliminary injunction under advisement. Wednesday's order is the court's granting of the injunctive relief sought by the department.
In addition to Hutcheson and Hutcheson Walker Advisors, defendants in the secretary's action include Green Valley Holdings LLC and the Retirement Security Plan and Trust.


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Welcome to Savor the Moment!
4080 Rocky River Drive • Cleveland OH 44135
216 / 941-3014
Monday - Friday 6:30 am to 3:00 pm • Saturday 6:30 am to 2:00 pm
Closed Sunday
We are a family owned neighborhood coffee shoppe in the West Park / Kamm's Corners neighborhood of Cleveland, conveniently located on Rocky River Dr. south of Lorain Avenue and Kamm's Corners, just minutes away from I-480, I-71 & I-90.
Now in our 19th year, we rejoice in being a place for all seasons and all types - simply a great hangout to relax and commune with friends!
Whether stopping in by yourself when you're on the run, or relaxing with a group of friends, we offer a multi-faceted treat for all the senses. From the great music, to the art, antiques, games, reading material, humor, and comfy furnishings, everything comes together to make you feel welcome and appreciated. We are even the Galactic Headquarters of a Federation Starship!
We look forward to seeing you soon! Free Public WiFi

subset: commoncrawl


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"Situating Chemistry" is an international network for collaborative research which was initially funded with a grant from the Humanities Internationalization Programme of The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Situating Chemistry was established in the autumn of 2012 to examine chemistry as a contextually situated, hybrid field of material and knowledge production.
The project's database stores data on the sites where chemistry was practised, the networks of people, materials, substances and processes that circulated around them, chemistry (and other) courses and their audiences, together with events, organisations and associated documents and images.


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In the nearly four years since I first began writing posts for this blog, I've run the po-boy gamut. The pursuit of an excellent version of the Nola masterpiece has carried me to, what sometimes seems like, every corner of New Orleans and even to various outlets across the southeastern US. Inside that multitude of sandwiches was stuffed nearly every filling imaginable; roast beef, shrimp, lobster, ham, French fries, duck, suckling pig, the list goes on and on. However, looking back, I don't remember ever actively searching for a fish po-boy. I have nothing against a fish sandwich, particularly one that's well cooked, but it's never really been at the top of my list. Well, it was time for things to change. Sam and I were in New Orleans for the day and after some prodding from Serious Eats, we decided to look up Zimmer's Seafood, a Gentilly market that is known for their fish po-boys.
One thing that threw me off guard about Zimmer's Seafood was their storefront. I had expected the bounty of Louisiana's waters to be on display, but I was surprised at the lack of tables. Not wanting to turn down the promise of a quality po-boy because of no seating options, Sam and I took our order to the parking lot and ate from the back of my car.
Ever the indecisive individual, I rationalized that a ½ shrimp, half fish po-boy would give the best chance to see Zimmer's Seafood at their best.
Stuffed into a seeded, Italian-style loaf from nearby Gendusa's Bakery, there was no shortage of seafood in this po-boy.
It may not be Parkway levels of overflow, but there was a sizeable amount of well-sized shrimp.
Still crispy from the fryer, these shrimp had a cornmeal and flour batter with just a hint of peppery spice. Perfectly briny on their own, the shrimp were quickly relegated to the background when subjected to the ketchup and hot sauce in the po-boy.
Half the po-boy finished, it was time to move on to the fish.
Like the shrimp, this fish had a slightly spicy batter, but the subtle yet forward flavor of these tender, flakey catfish filets far exceeded that of the shrimp.
With sheer quantity and size on their side, these catfish filets did a much better job of standing up to the liberal doses of ketchup and hot sauce.
I suppose it's time to face the burning question, was Zimmer's Seafood worth the effort? Did that half shrimp, half fish po-boy warrant a special trip to Gentilly? For me, probably not, but there's no denying that Zimmer's Seafood certainly sells a quality sandwich and, from now on, I can't be so flippant in dismissing the idea of a fish po-boy. That being said, if I do make another trip to Gentilly, I'll be hard pressed to pass up a trip to Zimmer's Seafood, but I think I'll stick to the hot sauce and leave the ketchup for someone else.
Zimmer's Seafood Address & Information
4915 St. Anthony Ave New Orleans, LA 70122 // 504.282.7150


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35" Floor Shift Key Column with 3/4"-36 Shaft - Paintable Mill Finish
Part No.: FR30003-35
Warranty: 3 Years
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Flaming River now offers an integrated ignition key right into the Tilt Column. The key is located at the 3 o'clock position just like you would expect from Flaming River. No welded on attachments or extra relays. Modeled after the popular muscle car Tilt Key Columns, but still attractive enough to put in your street rod. Flaming River manufactures the column complete with a GM coded key assembly, wiring and ignition switch made from state-of-the-art, all new components. Made in the USA.
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Ventura's final '13 start ends abruptly after homers
Rookie righty allows first three blasts of career, exits after fourth
CHICAGO -- Yordano Ventura's third start for the Royals wasn't quite so easy.
Ventura, Kansas City's prized pitching prospect, was rocked for three home runs in a 6-5 loss to the White Sox on Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Field. A total of seven homers -- Mike Moustakas, Billy Butler and Salvador Perez connected for the Royals -- accounted for all the runs in the game.
A rookie right-hander, Ventura gave up just one run in 5 2/3 innings in each of his first two big league starts.
"He wasn't as sharp as he has been. Lot of homers. The ball was flying," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "You know, it was warm and kind of humid out there, and the ball was really flying."
With two out in the White Sox second inning, Marcus Semien and Jordan Danks launched back-to-back home runs into the left-field bleachers for a 2-0 lead. Those were the first homers permitted by Ventura in his brief career.
But not the last.
Adam Dunn pounded a two-run shot to center field in the third inning. His 34th homer came with Gordon Beckham, who singled, on base. The White Sox were pouncing on Ventura's best pitch: a fastball.
"I was not surprised, because here, the hitters are very good and they make an adjustment. If you leave the ball up, it's going to go," Ventura said.
That was his primary problem.
"He was a little up," said his catcher, Perez. "He was throwing high, and they were ready for the fastball. That's going to happen -- you're going to have to learn."
Ventura was lifted after four innings. He gave up four runs, six hits and one walk, throwing 76 pitches.
Erik Johnson, the White Sox rookie right-hander, made his fifth start and captivated the 22,235 fans by taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning. But with one out, Moustakas emphatically put an end to that with a home run into the right-field stands. It was his 12th this season.
The home-run trend continued in the sixth inning. Eric Hosmer, the Royals' top hitter at .302, singled, and Butler belted a two-run homer to left field. His 15th blast cut the White Sox lead to 4-3.
"This park's a good park to hit in," Butler said. "Definitely in the Central, it's the best park to hit in for us, at least dimensions-wise. If you hit a ball in the air and hit it good, it's going to go out."
After Perez singled and Moustakas walked, Johnson was taken out.
"I just think he got tired," Butler said. "We started to make him work longer at-bats, and he started leaving some pitches up -- that's all that happened."
The White Sox retaliated in the seventh inning with what turned out to be the deciding blow. Reliever Louis Coleman walked Beckham and was replaced by Tim Collins to create a matchup that, to Yost, was a "no-brainer." Collins faced left-handed-hitting Conor Gillaspie.
"Left-on-left -- look at the numbers," Yost said. "Gillaspie's hitting .153 against lefties, and Tim's been really good out of the 'pen for us. The pitch wasn't horrible. The pitch was down. He tried to hit the corner, and it came back toward the middle a little bit."
Gillaspie ripped a two-run homer over the right-field wall to give the White Sox a 6-3 advantage.
But the Royals weren't through, either. Butler singled off Matt Lindstrom in the eighth and Perez hammered a two-run homer to left-center field, cutting the Sox lead to 6-5.
In the ninth, White Sox closer Addison Reed got two outs, but walked Alex Gordon, and pinch-runner Chris Getz stole second base. Reed also went to a 3-2 count on Emilio Bonifacio, but struck him out with Hosmer waiting on deck.
"Keep battling, keep pushing it. That's what our guys do so well," Yost said. "Had a chance to tie it up there in the ninth. Gordo with a big walk, Getzy with a big stolen base. I felt if we could just get Hoz to the plate, something special was going to happen. We just couldn't do it."
The victory meant that the White Sox, with 98 losses, will avoid their first 100-loss season since 1970, even if they lose Sunday's finale.
"Yeah, it's good to get a win in front of a good crowd too," Semien said. "It's a great feeling. I'm proud of Erik too for getting another win under his belt. Just happy with how we battled."
And the loss meant Ventura left his first Major League stint with an 0-1 record and a 3.52 ERA for three games. He'll next be seen in Spring Training, trying to crack the Royals' starting rotation.
"If they want me to fight for a job, I'll do it, and whatever they decide, I'll be happy about it," he said with the help of Ervin Santana, translating from Spanish.
Santana, of course, is a pending free agent and could create an opening for Ventura by going elsewhere. At any rate, Ventura was asked if he could convince Santana to stay with K.C.
"Probably," he said. Both he and Santana smiled.


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Large Alphabet Initial Necklace Gold - Letter Y
- Description
We provides affordable jewelry that won?¡¥t break the bank. In addition, these pieces make for very thoughtful and appreciated gifts for friends and family. Give them to someone celebrating a birthday, graduation, baby shower, or anniversary. The finishes are beautifully polished so that the shine that comes off of them is very intense.
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Patrick Henry College is a member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) [15935 Forest Road, Forest, VA 24551; Telephone: 434.525.9539; e-mail: email@example.com] having been awarded Reaffirmation 1 of its Accredited Status as a Category II institution by the TRACS Accreditation Commission on April 3, 2012; this status is effective for a period of ten years. TRACS is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia has awarded Patrick Henry College a Certificate to Operate an Institution of Higher Education authorizing the College to offer degrees, courses for degree credit, or programs of study leading to a degree, in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is the Commonwealth's coordinating body for higher education and is located at 101 North Fourteenth Street, Richmond, VA 23219. The Council's phone number is (804) 225-2600.
Additional information is available at the following links:
The U.S. Department of Education's accreditation site and list of recognized accreditors, including TRACS
The U.S. Department of Education's database of accredited institutions and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation's database of accredited institutions, including PHC
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia's list of private institutions certified to operate in Virginia, including PHC
What is accreditation?
Accreditation is both a status and a process. As a status, accreditation provides public notification that an institution or program meets standards of quality set forth by an accrediting agency. As a process, accreditation reflects the fact that, in achieving recognition by the accrediting agency, the institution or program is committed to self-study and external review by its peers—seeking not only to meet standards but to continuously seek ways in which to enhance the quality of education and training provided. (See http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/about/accreditation-process.aspx).
What are accrediting agencies?
In most other countries, the establishment and maintenance of educational standards is the responsibility of the central government bureau. In the United States, however, public authority in education is constitutionally reserved to the states. The system of voluntary non-governmental evaluation, called accreditation, has evolved to promote both regional and national approaches to the determination of educational quality. (See http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation.html#Overview).
What is the benefit of accreditation?
Quality education: Accreditation status indicates that a college, university, institution, or program meets the standards of quality set by the accreditation organization, in terms of faculty, curriculum, administration, libraries, financial well-being, and student services. While a student who attends an accredited college, university, or other institution of higher learning can be assured that he or she will receive a quality education, students should remember that a college or university's accreditation does not automatically guarantee a student's academic success. It is, of course, up to the individual student to make the most of the education he or she receives! Still, if a larger than average number of students attending a college or university are not successful and do not demonstrate a high level of educational performance, an accreditation organization may need to step in to examine the effectiveness of the institution and evaluate what aspects of the institution need to be improved. Aside from the promise of overall quality educational opportunities, an institution's accreditation status provides students with many other benefits as well.
Credit Transfer: At some point in their education, many students wish to transfer to a new program (such as graduate specialization) at another college or university. Most often, these students wish to transfer the course credits they have already accumulated to the new college or university. Accreditation is an important factor when a college or university is deciding whether to accept transfer credit from a student's previous school. Most colleges and universities will not accept transferred course credits from an institution that has not earned appropriate accreditation status from an accreditation organization.
Success in the Workplace: Most employers prefer to hire job applicants who have gained their education from a college or university with the appropriate accreditation status. Many employers also look to see that employees have been educated at an appropriately accredited institution when making decisions about business promotions, company advancements, and whether to provide tuition coverage or assistance for employees who wish or need to further their education. It is also common for states to require that a college, university, or program be accredited when allowing students to acquire state professional licensure.
(See http://www.worldwidelearn.com/accreditation/accreditation-process-benefits.htm)
What is the difference between regional and national accreditation?
Institutional accreditation is provided by regional and national associations of schools and colleges. There are six regional associations: Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern, and Western. The associations are independent of one another, but they cooperate and acknowledge one another's accreditation. An accrediting agency evaluates an entire educational organization in terms of its mission, and the agency's criteria. The organization is accredited as a whole. The accrediting agency evaluates such things as governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness, and relationships with internal and external constituencies. (Institutional Accreditation: An Overview, the Higher Learning Commission, 2003).
What is regional accreditation?
Regional Accreditation: The most widely recognized form of accreditation in the United States for degree programs is "Regional Accrediting." A listing of the Regional Accrediting Organizations can be viewed at Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Directories. Colleges in Virginia fall under the regional jurisdiction of SACS (Southern Association of Schools and Colleges). As noted above, regional and national institutional accrediting organizations are equally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Acceptance of students or courses taken is always the choice of the receiving institution.
Programmatic or Specialized Accreditation: Regulated by state or national licensing boards, some college departments hold special accreditation, such as the American Bar Association accreditation. Programmatic or Specialized Accreditation can also apply to programs within a non-educational setting, such as a hospital. You will find that some professional, specialized, and vocational institutions are accredited by a Specialized or Professional Accrediting Organization. A listing of the recognized Specialized/Professional Accrediting Organizations can be viewed at the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) website. (See http://ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg7.html).
Is regional or national accreditation better?
Both USDE and CHEA review the effectiveness of accrediting organizations. USDE's primary purpose is to assure that federal student aid funds are purchasing quality courses and programs. USDE's recognition is based on ten standards that include attention to recruitment and admission practices, fiscal and administrative capacity and facilities, and success with respect to student achievement. Only those institutions that are accredited by a USDE-recognized accrediting organization are eligible to receive federal financial assistance for their students. CHEA's primary purpose is to assure and strengthen academic quality and ongoing quality improvement in courses, programs, and degrees. CHEA recognition is based on five standards that include advancing academic quality and encouraging needed improvement. In order to be considered for CHEA recognition, more than 50 percent of the institutions or programs reviewed by an accrediting organization must be degree-granting. (See http://www.chea.org/pdf/fund_accred_20ques_02.pdf).
How long does the accreditation process usually take?
Normally, a school wishing to be accredited will make application to the appropriate accrediting agency. After a substantial preliminary investigation to determine that the school is probably operating legally and run legitimately, it may be granted correspondent or provisional status. Typically this step will take anywhere from several months to several years or more, and when completed does not imply any kind of endorsement or recommendation, but is merely an indication that the first steps on a long path have been taken.
Next, teams from the accrediting agency, often composed of faculty of already accredited institutions, will visit the school. These "visitations," conducted at regular intervals throughout the year, are to observe the school in action, and to study the copious amounts of information that the school must prepare, relating to its legal and academic structure, educational philosophy, curriculum, financial status, planning, and so forth. After these investigations and, normally, following at least two years of successful operation (sometimes a great deal more), the school may be advanced to the status of "candidate for accreditation."
Being a candidate means, in effect, "Yes, you are probably worthy of accreditation, but we want to watch your operation for a while longer." This "while" can range from a year or two to six years or more. The great majority of schools that reach candidacy status eventually achieve "full" accreditation. Once a school is accredited, it is visited by inspection teams at infrequent intervals (every five to ten years is common) to see if it is still worthy of its accreditation. The status is always subject to review at any time, should new programs be developed or should there be any significant new developments, positive or negative. (See http://www.degree.net/guides/accreditation_guide.html).


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HAYWARD — A 22-year-old Alameda man is recovering after being shot multiple times at a pizza parlor early Tuesday morning, police said.
He was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries not deemed life-threatening, Hayward police Sgt. Eric Krimm said.
The suspect, Aaron Thigpen, 34, of Hayward, was arrested a short time later at Lucky Supermarket, 22555 Mission Blvd., after witnesses identified him, Krimm said.
Krimm said the victim and the shooter were previously ejected from a Hayward bar after some kind of dispute.
The victim left the bar and went to a Pizza House restaurant, 954 B St. Around 12:50 a.m., the shooter arrived at the restaurant and fired three rounds from a handgun, hitting the victim three times.
Police recovered the handgun.
Contact Jason Sweeney at 925-847-2123. Follow him at Twitter.com/Jason_Sweeney.


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#83133 by Lunchbox16
Sat Jul 10, 2010 3:39 pm
Sat Jul 10, 2010 3:39 pm
I don't know if there are any computer programmers on the forum, but has anyone thought of producing a setlist program for the iPhone/iPod Touch? Perhaps the people behind the setlist program or deadlists would know how to do this? Just a thought. It'd be awesome to have a portable reference guide like that.
"Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir." Time is a great storyteller. -- Irish Proverb


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Definition from Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary
An unsightly fence erected for no other purpose than to irritate a neighbor. Such a fence may be illegal under local fence height and appearance regulations or state laws that specifically bar spite fences. Even if it doesn't violate regulation or laws, the fence may still be illegal if it was built with malicious intent.


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EU seeks dual talks on US surveillance, free trade deal
Issued on: Modified:
European Union countries agreed Wednesday that free-trade talks with the United States should take place in conjunction with discussions about US spying allegations, after France raised concerns over the issue on Wednesday.
European countries agreed Wednesday that talks on a free-trade deal with the United States should start in parallel with discussions about NSA surveillance – addressing concerns raised by France.
French President Francois Hollande insisted after meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders in Berlin that the trade talks can start only "at the same time, at the same date" as talks with the U.S. on concerns over its intelligence activities.
That raises questions as to whether the launch of the trade talks will go ahead as originally scheduled early next week. France had called earlier Wednesday for a two-week delay.
The head of the European Union's executive Commission, which will lead the trade talks, said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder had offered to set up "as soon as possible" U.S.-European working groups on intelligence issues.
"We are committed of course to the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership," Jose Manuel Barroso said. "But we expect that in parallel ... we analyze the oversight of intelligence activities, intelligence collection and also the question of privacy and data protection."
For the trade talks "to be a success, we need confidence among partners and confidence can become better" if Europe's concerns are addressed, Barroso told reporters.
Merkel, whose country has Europe's biggest economy, said leaders at a meeting focusing mainly on youth unemployment were "very concerned" about reports of the U.S. eavesdropping on its European allies, and said the U.S. offer to set up working groups on the issue quickly was "very important."
"Time is pressing," she said, adding that it was the "right idea" to say those groups should start work parallel to the beginning of the trade talks, whose opening will follow months of protracted and painful efforts to find a common European stance.
France, whose Socialist government has appeared less enthusiastic than others about the free trade deal in the past, was at the heart of those difficulties – insisting on protections for its film and other cultural subsidies.
Reports last weekend that the U.S. National Security Agency bugged EU diplomatic offices in Washington and infiltrated its computer network angered European officials, who noted that mutual trust is needed in talks on such a huge trade deal. The deal is expected to boost economies on both sides of the Atlantic by removing tariffs and other barriers to trade.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius acknowledged to parliament Wednesday that the free trade deal is "very important for the United States and very important for Europe." But, he added that the two sides needed negotiations "in a climate of trust."
Hollande and his government are trying to appear tough internationally since his leadership is under pressure at home, not only from the opposition conservatives but increasingly from the far-left wing of his Socialist party. Hollande may be hoping that it's good for him and his popularity to show that he can be strong against the free-market United States.
In Berlin, Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said before the leaders met that Germany supported efforts to begin the trade negotiations as planned July 8.
But Volker Treier, a senior official at the influential German trade association DIHK, told the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel that he was concerned about the atmosphere.
"For a free trade agreement there needs to be transparency and trust between the potential partners. The talks will get harder, the greater the distrust is," he told the newspaper in comments reported Wednesday. "If the United States knew in advance what our negotiating strategy was then we Europeans would be fleeced."
Last month, the European Commission was given the mandate from all members to start the talks after striking a deal with France about keeping the movie and television business out of the negotiations to shield Europe's audiovisual industry from Hollywood.
A free trade pact would create a market with common standards and regulations across countries that together account for nearly half the global economy.
A recent EU-commissioned study showed that a trade pact could boost the EU's output by 119 billion euro ($159 billion) a year and the U.S. economy by 95 billion euros ($127 billion). For Europe in particular, that extra growth could be crucial to help pay high public debt and bring down unemployment, which is at record highs.
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Dry thunderstorms, with little rain and the chance for lightning, could hamper firefighters Friday battling the West Fork Complex fire in southwestern Colorado.
The fire — a combination of three wildfires — has burned 90,056 acres, according to a fire command media release.
Difficult weather and bone dry conditions over difficult terrains continue to fuel "extreme fire behavior" in areas of the fire.
The fire, about 14 miles northeast of Pagosa Springs, is zero percent contained and it threatens the town of South Fork, although residents have been allowed to return after mandatory evacuations last week.
Fire command reports that 1,561 personnel will work on the fire Friday, including two single-engine air tankers and 16 helicopters.
Smoke from the West Fork Complex — made up of Papoose, Windy Pass and West Fork fires — is causing health concerns for surrounding communities, including Del Norte and Creede.
All three fires were sparked by lightning.
A red flag fire warning has been posted Friday, from noon until 9 p.m., because of the low humidity, the possibility of lightning, and possible winds gusting up to 50 mph.
U.S. Highway 160 over Wolf Creek Pass remains closed.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, firstname.lastname@example.com or twitter.com/kierannicholson


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Moderator: Cartographers
The Bison King wrote:Maybe I'm missing something... I don't understand how this has a gameplay stamp when there is nothing connecting the island territories...?
gimil wrote:natty_dread wrote:I also dislike the title font. It looks too comicsans-y.
Well what would you suggest?
natty_dread wrote:Or this!
http://www.dafont.com/kingthings-organi ... t=Portugal
thehippo8 wrote:BUT NOT THIS EH!
gimil wrote:
Hi foundry goers,
After a rather long map making hiatus. I have finally decided to get back into map making, deciding to REVAMP my very first map PORTUGAL in order to get my photoshopping muscles warmed up again. I decided to maintain the same theme and colouring with the aim of making an overall cleaner and fresher finished product. This is a graphical REVAMP only (with game play remaining unchanged). So without further ado, here is my first draft with a list of possible discussion areas and aspects I am as of yet not satisfied with. Any and all comments, feedback and general whinging is welcome!
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text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - When to apply for a job in 2005? Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in When to apply for a job in 2005? Goto page Previous 1, 2 Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Indonesia View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message ChesterJoined: 15 May 2004Posts: 383Location: Australia Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2004 11:18 am Post subject: Willy: jungle juice dude. what about the vodka "still" i know components cost money. send me a list and i will buy them for you in jakarta. plus....plus. Back to top TEAM_PAPUAJoined: 24 May 2004Posts: 1679Location: HOLE Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2004 1:30 pm Post subject: ++ Oh yes, mustn't forget the dreaded 'plus plus' on absolutely everything in Indonesia. Back to the 'jus hutan' - colourless, odorless and tasteless water...the guy who owned the place where i stayed in banjar gave some to me, we ended up at a club all night then, no sleep, trekking for 6 hours the next day through the jungle to a village in the middle of nowhere...mad juice Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Indonesia All times are GMTGoto page Previous 1, 2 Page 2 of 2 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved. Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group Teaching Jobs in China


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A, B, C, MS: Rx hard to transfer
If you felt the earth move in January, it may have been UVA employees getting acclimated to a change in their prescription-drug coverage.
Take the case of Lisa Miller, who has multiple sclerosis (MS). Miller gave me a record of her saga, beginning with her attempts to get an injectable MS drug we'll call Drug A. In early January, she claims, she called UVA's new prescription-drug provider, Eckerd Health Services, for a refill. (She prefers to receive her prescriptions by mail.)
Miller reports that she was told the refill was "in the works." When she called back two weeks later to follow up, however, she says she was told that the drug required "pre-authorization" and that she was instructed to contact a special division of Eckerd, which retook the order.
During this same phone call, according to Miller, she also attempted to refill two other prescriptions originally filed with PharmaCare, UVA's previous provider, for what we'll call Drugs B and C. But she says she was told that Eckerd had not obtained the existing prescriptions from PharmaCare, so she "would need to obtain new prescriptions."
This was startling news, because UVA offers a "Frequently Asked Questions" page that claimed that refills of existing mail service prescriptions would be transferred to Eckerd "in early January 2004"– yet Miller was being told that Eckerd had no record.
"I telephoned my physician," Miller continues, "and discovered that he was on vacation. The physician covering for him rewrote the prescriptions, but could only do so for a 30-day supply." She saw her physician on March 11, who wrote "new" prescriptions for Drugs B and C (and faxed a required pre-authorization form for Drug B to Eckerd).
According to Miller, she called on March 23 to see if the prescriptions for Drugs B and C had been filled, and was told, she says, that Drug B required pre-authorization. She explained that a pre-authorization had been submitted. The Eckerd representative agreed to try the prescription again, but was still unsuccessful, she says.
Miller then contacted UVA Health Plan Ombudsman Anne Broccoli, who was able to cut through the bureaucratic jungle and get the prescription filled.
Now, back to Drug A. Miller eventually received a 30-day supply– not the 90-day supply she was used to getting under PharmaCare. "I am sure," she wrote, "that having to reorder every 30 days will be more expensive than [receiving] a 90-day supply, not to mention an inconvenience."
I met with Broccoli, who walked me through the various provisions of Eckerd coverage– which isn't academic for me, as I'm also a UVA employee. And I plead guilty to not having read (or, in some cases, even saved) the information UVA sent about the new coverage.
Miller admits she apparently neglected to read the letter explaining that because MS is one of a group of illnesses that require complex drug regimens, Eckerd will closely monitor her prescription for Drug A. Miller will be assigned to a patient-care coordinator, who, as explained in the unread letter, will contact her "on a regular basis to help with medication compliance and answer any questions."
However, Miller claims she has yet to be contacted by such a person– even though it's been more than three months since the switch-over.
The day after I met with Broccoli, she emailed Miller to say that she had verified that the prescriptions for Drugs B and C "did indeed transfer" from PharmaCare to Eckerd. Three months– and two replacement prescriptions– later, however, that's pretty cold comfort.
Broccoli did have some good news for anyone who, under the new plan, was denied Nexium (a popular but relatively expensive drug for the treatment of such conditions as gastrointestinal reflux disorder): Existing Nexium prescriptions will be grandfathered in throughout 2004.
Do you have a consumer problem or question? Email the Fearless Consumer or write her at Box 4553, Charlottesville 22905.


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Amazon stock: Look out below?June 19, 2014: 1:53 PM ET
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul R. La Monica. Other than Time Warner, the parent of CNNMoney, Abbott Laboratories and AbbVie, La Monica does not own positions in any individual stocks.
Amazon was the anti-Apple ... for one day at least. Amazon unveiled a new product on Wednesday that wasn't a surprise to anybody, and the stock went up!
But Amazon gave up much of those gains Thursday and it has been a lousy investment this year. It's down nearly 18% in 2014 and is the fifth-worst performer in the CNNMoney Tech 30 index.
Now that the company has made the decision to enter the highly competitive smartphone market with the Fire Phone, is CEO Jeff Bezos finally biting off more than he can chew? (Mr. Bezos, please don't send your army of drones and Kiva robots after me! Or a mob of angry Washington Post reporters. Or Gary Busey! Scary!)
The main case against Amazon (AMZN) is that the stock is overvalued. Shares trade at more than 300 times 2014 earnings estimates and 100 times profit forecasts for 2015.
But that argument is not new. Can a stock really be overvalued for more than 15 years and not completely crash?
The other knock on Amazon is that Bezos cares more about revenue and market share than profits. Bezos has basically been Rhett Butler and, frankly my dear, not given a damn about Wall Street's quarter-by-quarter mentality.
Yet Amazon has, throughout its history, made bold decisions to spend aggressively on programs that hurt profits for awhile but eventually paid off handsomely.
That was the case with Prime. (Free shipping for a flat annual fee? That will kill margins!) It was also the case with Kindle. (An e-reader/tablet? Low-margin hardware!) Huge investments in its cloud computing business Amazon Web Services? (That will destroy margins!)
Related: 5 gadgets that changed Amazon
But time and time again, Bezos has proved the doubters wrong. Heck, the company's strategy is so successful that even Vee Parker, the (spoiler alert!) new villain in season 2 of Netflix's (NFLX) "Orange is the New Black," spoke admirably of it.
"Is it cold for Amazon to underprice books just to capture market share?" she said. (Tangent alert. I am both a Netflix subscriber and Amazon Prime subscriber. When Amazon has an original show halfway as good as OITNB and "House of Cards", let me know. Sorry. "Alpha House" isn't cutting it.)
And while the Nasdaq still hasn't fully recovered from the dot-com crash more than 14 years ago, Amazon is well above where it was trading in March 2000.
Still, Amazon has lost momentum this year. The concerns about increased competition from the likes of Netflix and Apple (AAPL) are legitimate.
You also have to wonder if some of the bad PR the company is getting for its feud with book publisher Hachette could eventually impact sales.
Related: 8 books Amazon is making it hard for you to buy
Stephen Colbert is a formidable opponent. I wouldn't want to be on the bad side of J.K. Rowling either.
Disclosure: Amazon is also in a bit of a pricing tiff with Warner Bros., which is owned by CNNMoney parent company Time Warner (TWX).
I will admit it was annoying that I was unable to pre-order the Blu-ray of "The Lego Movie" as a result of this spat. But I did successfully purchase it when it was released Tuesday and it appears to be on its way to my apartment. So everything is, once again, awesome. Although getting it delivered by a Lego drone would be truly awesome.
Nonetheless, many Wall Street analysts are still pretty bullish.
Jefferies analysts Brian Pitz and Brian Fitzgerald (they share an email address with the cutesy nickname Pitz-Fitz ... seriously) raved about the Fire Phone. They wrote that "the ultimate goal is to create the best possible user experience and to tie consumers tighter to Amazon's digital ecosystem." They think it will increase media consumption and boost revenues.
That makes sense. Yes, it's hard to imagine how Amazon really can make a big dent in the smartphone market given that it's late to the game. The 3-D screen and other cool features may not be enough of a selling point to get people to give up their iPhone or Galaxy.
Related: Fire Phone is cool, but not compelling
But Amazon doesn't have to rule the market. Heck, it probably doesn't even need to make money off the devices themselves. Amazon can justify the Fire Phone being a loss leader if it leads to higher demand for media content ... be that e-books, movie downloads or streaming music.
Along those lines, Cantor Fitzgerald (if only Pitz-Fitz worked there! Pitz-Fitz squared!) analyst Youssef Squali wrote that the Fire Phone "should bolster Amazon's mobile offering and allow the company to pursue increasingly mobile audiences more effectively." Squali added that the Fire Phone could allow the company to do a better job of retaining its Amazon Prime members, which he estimates to be at around 30 million.
Squali has a price target of $425 on Amazon, which is nearly 30% higher than the current stock price. The Pitz-Fitz duo is even more optimistic. Their target is $450.
So if you still want to bet against Amazon, you do so at your own peril. There is a long list of companies that are now dead or in a serious world of hurt largely due to Amazon. Borders and Circuit City are in the retail morgue. Barnes & Noble (BKS), Best Buy (BBY) and Staples (SPLS) are in trouble.
Bezos often has had the last (maniacal) laugh. He may do so again. Kudos to GIFSoup user Sweddr for making this from a clip of Bezos on CNN's The Lead show last year.
Reader Comment of the Week! I love sports. So if you combine two sports references into one tweet ... and include one of those awesome Twitter (TWTR) hashflags ... then you deserve RCOTW!
Hilarious, Staci. At least the Heat made it to the Finals though.
Anyway, will the USA squad be the San Antonio Spurs of fútbol? Let's hope so. No offense to fans of Cristiano Ronaldo and my readers on the Iberian Peninsula, but I'd love to see Portugal join Spain in the shocking first-round exit club!


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We're so glad that Camilla Fabbri from the blog Family Chic got in touch with us—how did we not know about her?! She thought we would like this Movable Mummy project that she featured on her blog, and we do. If you happen to all have the day off from work and school (meaning, you're in the northeast), this would be fun to do, or save it as an idea for next year! Thanks Camilla!
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Roar players keen to show new coach Mulvey their skills
THE gap between the leaders and the also-rans in this season's A-League competition is getting wider by the week, but Brisbane Roar defender Shane Steffanuto doesn't think that reflects the difference between the top and bottom teams.
With just three wins and two draws from 12 games, last season's premiers sit in second last place, 16 points off the lead.
But speaking ahead of today's match against second-placed Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium, Steffanuto said he was confident the team's best would be good enough to return to Queensland with the crucial three points.
"The margins between success and failure are so small it's ridiculous," he said.
"But if you don't turn up (ready to play), you'll be punished."
The veteran defender said neither travelling to Adelaide nor playing on Boxing Day held any fears for the Roar which had traditionally taken on now-defunct neighbour Gold Coast on that day in recent years.
"We go down to Hindmarsh ... we've had good results, played well as a team there," Steffanuto said.
"It's a good stadium, good surface ... they get a good crowd. It's these games we look forward to."
While Brisbane is coming off an unlucky 1-0 loss to Perth at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, the Reds will be smarting from a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of new boys Western Sydney last Friday.
As well as being desperate to get the points, Steffanuto said the players were keen to show new coach Mike Mulvey they were worthy of being considered in his future plans for the club.
"Everyone's future is uncertain. In a way you have to prove yourself again ... you have to impress the new gaffer," he said.
Mulvey didn't rule out personnel changes, saying he had look at the talent in the team and would "make the right changes for the football club".
"I'll do that unhesitatingly," he said.
The new man in charge said he understood why criticism was being directed at controversial out-of-form striker Besart Berisha, admitting competition for the Albanian's place in the team was a problem.
"My assertion is that we need two players in every position, pushing each other for that position," Mulvey said.
"And I don't think that Besart has that at the moment. There's nobody really breathing down his neck saying, 'I'm ready to take your place'."
Round 13 draw
Adelaide United v Brisbane
Wellington v Heart, Sydney FC v Central Coast, Perth v Wanderers
Melbourne v Newcastle


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Tipoff: 11 a.m., Hec Edmundson Pavilion
TV/Radio: Ch. 2/AM 570
If UCLA can beat Washington in Seattle for the first time since 2004, the Bruins will clinch at least a share of the Pac-12 title. The Huskies have struggled this season, but the Bruins needed a last-second game-winning jumper from senior point guard Larry Drew II to beat them at Pauley Pavilion a month ago. Washington also has the best rebounding margin (+5.6) in conference play, an area the Bruins have been lacking in all season. Against Washington State, UCLA was beaten 46-23 on the glass, the second time they've surrendered a margin of at least 20 rebounds. The return of forward Travis Wear may help. The 6-foot-10 junior is expected to start and play regular minutes after landing awkwardly on his recently sprained right foot in Pullman. Wear has only played 32 combined minutes in his past two games.


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In 1905, Dr. Ludwig Amster and Dr. Floyd Willcox McRae founded Piedmont Hospital and were considered "ahead of their time." Since its beginnings, Piedmont Hospital has been a pioneer in patient care, fulfilling the health needs of our neighbors in Atlanta and the surrounding communities.
To learn more about Piedmont Healthcare and our historic moments, browse our timeline below. At Piedmont Healthcare, we've been honored to serve the Atlanta community for more than 100 years, and we thank the gracious families who have entrusted us with their care throughout the generations.
Piedmont Healthcare Memories
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Ludwig Amster, M.D., and Floyd McRae M.D., a surgeon from Telfair County, Georgia, initiate Piedmont Sanatorium. Offering both medical and surgical services, the institution, a for-profit endeavor, provides a range of services.
The Piedmont Sanatorium Training School for Nurses graduates its first five students.
By 1908, eight additional like-educated and highly-skilled specialists join Piedmont Sanatorium, increasing the number to a total of 11 physicians offering their expertise for patient services. Among them is James E. Paullin, who initiates the first laboratory at Piedmont.
A five-story annex is built to accommodate continued growth of the institution after WWI, bringing the total number of beds to 132. The annex provides a unique fire escape with the ability to evacuate patients on a slide from all floors.
Piedmont Sanatorium becomes Piedmont Hospital
The Piedmont Hospital Bulletin, a publication under the direction of the Clinical Society of Piedmont Hospital, presents its first volume. The publication was a compilation of Piedmont Hospital physicians' medical experiences and recommendations, sent throughout the Southeast as a training tool for other physicians. It was produced until the mid-1950s.
Ms. Genevieve Garren, A Piedmont Hospital School of Nursing (PHSN) graduate of 1923 is hired as Director of Nursing. She maintained her leadership with the School of Nursing until 1966.
Hospital Administrator, George Burt, in conjunction with other hospital administrators, introduces group insurance.
Piedmont Hospital becomes the first in the nation to install telephones in patient rooms.
Ludwig Amster, Piedmont's co-founder, dies in New York at the age of 72.
Under a new charter, Piedmont Hospital becomes a "not-for-profit" tax-exempt institution.
Piedmont physicians and nurses volunteer their services for WWII efforts.
The Piedmont Hospital Board of Trustees unanimously authorizes the purchase of property known as "Deerland" on Peachtree Road from Mr. Jack J. Spalding in hopes of erecting a new hospital.
The first EEG department in Georgia within a private hospital is established by Dr. William A. Smith at Piedmont Hospital.
Dr. James Edgar Paullin is awarded the Medal for Merit by President Harry Truman.
Piedmont Hospital breaks ground to erect a new hospital facility in Buckhead. Governor Herman Talmadge attends the ceremonies.
Piedmont Hospital moves to its current Peachtree Road location in Buckhead on property previously known by the public as "Deerland".
The Women's Auxiliary of Piedmont Hospital is founded as a volunteer service to serve for the betterment of the hospital. Mrs. Strother Fleming, Jr. serves as its first president.
Dr. F. James Funk, Jr., a Piedmont orthopaedic surgeon, initiates visits to rural areas on a routine volunteer basis.
The first annual Piedmont Ball is hosted by the Women's Auxiliary to raise funds for a student nurse dormitory adjacent to the hospital.
Dr. James Funk Jr., M.D. begins Piedmont Hospital's association with Atlanta by initiating agreement for orthopedic and medical care for the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Falcons.
A four-bed coronary care unit, the first in Atlanta, opens at Piedmont Hospital.
Piedmont initiates first monitoring of cardiac patients outside of the Coronary Care Unit.
A hospital-wide computer system is installed.
The Piedmont Hospital School of Nursing closes with the last class - a total of 1,988 graduates since it's inception in 1905 following a legacy of educational excellence.
Open Heart Surgery begins at Piedmont Hospital.
Piedmont breaks ground to erect a new hospital in Fayette County.
Piedmont Healthcare and Mercer University form the Center for Health and Learning, a partnership that leads to a number of joint initiatives including nursing, pharmacy, research and other medical allied health education programs.
Piedmont purchases Mountainside Medical Center in Jasper, Georgia.
Piedmont performs its first liver transplant. Piedmont is one of only two hospitals in Georgia to offer an adult liver transplant program.
Piedmont Fayette Hospital celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Piedmont Healthcare purchases a 143-bed hospital in Newnan with plans to erect a new hospital facility. G. Michael Bass is president and CEO.
The first paired organ donation in Georgia takes place when teams at Piedmont and Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia perform two kidney transplants.
Piedmont West Medical facility opens to accommodate growth within metro Atlanta.
Piedmont Healthcare sends supplies and staff to assist with the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
Les A. Donahue is named President and Chief Executive Officer of Piedmont Hospital.
Piedmont Transplant Center becomes Piedmont Transplant Institute to better reflect its accomplishments as a leader.
Piedmont Fayette Hospital earns its fourth award as one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals®.
Piedmont Hospital is named Best in Atlanta for Overall Cardiac Care, Cardiac Surgery and Coronary Intervention by HealthGrades®.
Henry Medical Center in Stockbridge, Georgia becomes Piedmont Henry Hospital, the 5th community hospital within the Piedmont Healthcare system with Charlie Scott serving as CEO.
Piedmont Healthcare announces the passing of R. Timothy Stack, CEO and President of Piedmont Healthcare who leaves a legacy of integrity, accomplishment, vision and courage.
Piedmont Hospital performs its first heart transplant.


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5 Tips For Talking to Your Family About Marijuana This Thanksgiving
My whole family knows that I work for the Drug Policy Alliance and that my job means advocating for the removal of criminal penalties for drug use. Marijuana is often a topic of conversation at our family dinners, and since voters in Colorado and Washington approved marijuana legalization measures on Election Day, I know I should be ready to talk about it again this Thanksgiving.
If the conversation at your Thanksgiving dinner gets boring, you should feel comfortable bringing up marijuana legalization. It's been all over the news since Election Day. Public opinion about marijuana legalization is changing rapidly, from 36 percent in favor and 60 percent opposed in 2006, to 50 percent in favor and 46 percent opposed as of 2011. That's a 28-point swing in just five years. Your family may be more supportive than you think.
Here are five useful talking points for your dinner-table conversation about marijuana.
- As our executive director Ethan Nadelmann points out, "It would be a mistake to call these ballot initiative victories 'pro-pot.' Most of those who voted in favor don't use marijuana… What moved them was the realization that it made more sense to regulate, tax and control marijuana than to keep wasting money and resources trying to enforce an unenforceable prohibition."
- The passage of these initiatives only marks the beginning of a long fight ahead. We are bound to see some sort of response from the federal government. For example, the feds' ongoing war on medical marijuana dispensaries quietly continues to threaten patient access. There is a long fight ahead defending and implementing these measures.
- Marijuana arrests are the driving force of the drug war, making up half of the more than 1.5 million annual arrests for drugs. Legalizing marijuana means freeing up resources so law enforcement officials can focus on serious and violent crimes.
- High school seniors continuously report that they find it easier to acquire marijuana than alcohol. Why? People who sell beer are forced to ask for proper identification but the illicit market doesn't force people who sell drugs to ask their customers for I.D. Regulating marijuana will help ensure that only adults are able to legally purchase marijuana, making it more difficult to wind up in the hands of young people.
- This is the same way alcohol prohibition came to an end. Seeing the incredible increases in violence and corruption after pushing alcohol into the illicit market, states experimented with new laws repealing prohibition and ultimately led to the repeal of federal prohibition.
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect about the past, but it's also an important time to discuss the future. Use this Thanksgiving as an opportunity to hear how your family feels about the war on drugs.
This piece originally appeared on the DPA blog.


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Over the years, XYBASE has developed distinctive competencies in providing IT solutions for major projects. They range from airports, private companies to nationwide government projects
XYBASE solutions have benefited government sectors, leading technology users like airports and major businesses. The following are of some of the successful projects undertaken:
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- MITI and Agencies Trade and Industry Information Exchange Phase II (MATRIIX), Ministry of International Trade & Industry
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I'm teaching a group theory course now, and I wanted to give my students a proof that every subgroup of a cyclic group is cyclic. The easiest way I could think to do this is to say that any cyclic group corresponds to a $\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}$ and then (implicitly) use the first isomorphism theorem (which they haven't learned yet) to "reduce" it to the theorem that every subgroup of $\mathbb{Z}$ is of the form $m\mathbb{Z}$. The problem is that this latest statement is not simple at all (every subgroup is an ideal, and $\mathbb{Z}$ is a PID because $\mathbb{Z}$ is Euclidean).
This all seems way too convoluted for such an easy statement. What's the simplest most elementary proof that I can give?


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S.F. City College accreditation panelists urge different tack
In the clearest indication yet that City College of San Francisco will lose its accreditation, the heads of the secretive commission overseeing the process say they lack the power to give the troubled school more time to fix its problems.
But rather than shut down the college - a scenario presumed by many because unaccredited schools can't get public funding - the commissioners pulled a different rabbit out of the hat in a Sunday editorial in The Chronicle.
College could reapply
Under the new scenario, City College would lose accreditation but keep its public funding by reapplying for new accreditation - a process that could buy the college more time to fix itself, wrote Sherrill Amador, chairwoman of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, with Steven Kinsella, the vice chairman.
"There is a path forward that will protect students, taxpayers and the San Francisco community served by the college," they wrote. "City College could seek reaccreditation by applying for 'candidacy' status.
"A candidate college is eligible for federal financial aid and state funding; its students' course credits are generally transferrable, and their degrees or certificates are recognized, as long as the college eventually obtains accreditation after a period of candidacy."
But that proposal, City College and state officials counter, would require the college to voluntarily give up its accreditation before it is officially revoked - which City College officials refuse to do.
"Let me be clear: We are not considering withdrawing our accreditation," college Chancellor Art Tyler said Monday. "To do so would severely harm our current and future students as well as undermine our current enrollment efforts."
Falling enrollment
City College had 90,000 students when its accrediting troubles began in 2012, making it one of the largest colleges in the country. Today it's down to 77,000.
Yet because of its size and location, City College is a key part of California's network of 112 community colleges, say officials who have worked hard to repair its extensive problems.
On March 26, California Community Colleges Chancellor Brice Harris and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee asked the accrediting commission for more time.
"Despite this Herculean effort to improve itself, the college needs more time to finish the job and overcome years of administrative neglect." they wrote in a Chronicle editorial. "The college has earned the right to finish the job."
Amador and Kinsella said no, in part because they saw little evidence last summer - their last inspection - that the college's troubles were close to being fixed. They cited "flawed fiscal controls," "one of the worst organizational structures" among state colleges, and ancient computer systems.
Amador and Kinsella acknowledged "the school is turning for the better" since last summer, when the state replaced the elected Board of Trustees with a special trustee empowered to make unilateral decisions.
But they also said federal law forbids them from granting more time because it requires that colleges come into compliance within two years "or lose accreditation."
Herrera disagrees
That's not true, said San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who cited a federal law saying accrediting agencies can give more time if they believe there is good reason to do so.
"The fact is that City College has been engaged in meeting the requirements - and despite those efforts, you have members of the commission saying their hands are tied, when nothing could be further from the truth," said Herrera, who has sued the commission, claiming its process for evaluating City College was flawed and should be disqualified.
His lawsuit has thrown the timing of City College's accreditation status into flux. The commission had said it would revoke accreditation July 31.
But a judge said the city's case can go forward and has barred the commission from revoking accreditation until the case is resolved. The trial begins on Oct. 27.
Meanwhile, some City College observers say that if the college voluntarily withdraws its accreditation and applies for renewal, it would make the city's lawsuit moot - an ulterior motive for the commission to recommend it.
The private commission conducts business behind closed doors. The lawsuit could bring much of its processes out into the open.
Online: Read the accrediting panel's editorial at http://bit.ly/1oWXsS9.
Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov


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Almond paste in the shortcake biscuits and fresh berries glazed with red currant preserves give this dessert a Swedish accent.
- Yield
- Makes 8
- 1 large egg, separated
- 5 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 7-ounce log almond paste,* cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2/3 cup chilled buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups halved hulled strawberries
- 1 1/2-pint container blackberries
- 1 1/2-pint container blueberries
- 1 1/2-pint container raspberries
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup red currant preserves
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream
- Position rack just above center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Whisk egg white and 3 tablespoons sugar in small bowl to blend. Mix in almonds.
- Blend 1/2 cup sugar and almond paste in processor until fine meal forms. Add flour, baking powder, lemon peel, salt, and ginger; blend 5 seconds. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until coarse meal forms; transfer to large bowl. Whisk egg yolk, buttermilk, and vanilla in small bowl. Gradually add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients, tossing until moist clumps form. Using floured hands, gather dough together.
- Divide dough into 8 equal pieces; roll each into 2-inch ball. Place balls on prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 to 3 inches apart. Gently press top of each ball to flatten slightly. Divide almond topping (including egg white) among biscuits; spread to cover. Bake biscuits until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 26 minutes (biscuits will spread). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)
- Combine berries, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl. Stir in preserves. Let stand until juices form, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Cut biscuits horizontally in half. Place bottoms on plates. Top with berry mixture, cream, and biscuit tops.
- *Available in specialty foods stores and in the baking products section of most supermarkets.


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This week, I'm going to hand the reins over to Roger Schreiner, one of the early pioneers of active money management, and allow him to fill you in on a challenge he made last year to John Bogle of Vanguard Funds fame. Roger has studied and observed active and passive management strategies for decades and feels, as I do, that active strategies can provide superior risk management. Roger's conviction is so strong that he challenged Mr. Bogle to a contest that would prove which strategy would come out on top over a given period of time, with $100,000 going to the winner's charity of choice. Mr. Bogle didn't accept, so Roger later widened the challenge to any passive money manager. Still, no takers.
While most active managers put their 'money where their mouth is' by investing in their own programs, Roger has gone one step further by issuing a direct challenge to one of the most prominent adherents of buy-and-hold strategies, and risking $100,000 of his own money in the process. I think you'll enjoy reading Roger's challenge as well as his arguments in favor of active management. After his discussion, I'll debunk a few of the more common rebuttals that Roger has received since issuing his challenge. If you are struggling with deciding how to get back into the market, I think you'll find this week's E-Letter to be very interesting.
As the principal of an investment advisory firm, I have to admit that the stock market sometimes causes us to scratch our heads, wondering what in the world it's up to. As the current market rally continues unabated, this is definitely one of those times. In 2009, the S&P 500 Index soared 65% since its lowest closing value in March and ended the year up over 23%. However, this huge rally seems to have driven stock prices beyond where they should be based on the economic fundamentals.
Even more confusing is the fact that statistics compiled by the Investment Company Institute (ICI) show that domestic equity mutual funds have had net outflows of money (more withdrawals than new investments) over the past five months, meaning that retail mutual fund investors have been heading for the exits in favor of cash or other asset classes. So, how can it be that the market goes up even though investor sentiment for domestic equities is still decidedly bearish?
The answer may lie in an obscure market phenomenon known as a 'meltup,' which is a momentum-based rally that usually bears little relation to the underlying market fundamentals. This week, we'll delve into the anatomy of a stock market meltup, discuss possible reasons why stock prices went higher even as retail investors were pulling money out of domestic stock mutual funds and speculate as to whether the meltup might continue in 2010.
For many years, I have written about the Dalbar Organization's Qualitative Analysis of Investor Behavior (QAIB) study. Now in its 15th year, this study has consistently documented how investors' returns do not match those of the major market indexes because investors constantly jump from one hot investment to another. While Dalbar showed us how investors returns suffered, we were left wondering why investors acted as they did.
The answer to the 'why' question may now be found in a recent study showing the part genetics play in a person's investment behavior. The 'Nature or Nurture' study found that up to 45% of a person's investment behavior may be attributable to genetics. Some genetic influences are good while others are not. The Nature or Nurture study also found that genetic investment behavior can persist even after considerable investment education. In other words, nature trumps nurture.
I recognized long ago how some investors can be their own worst enemies, and now I know that their genetics are likely at fault. Fortunately, I developed a way to overcome some of the detrimental genetic behaviors long ago. If you've ever made a bad investment decision and kicked yourself later on for doing so, you need to read this week's E-Letter.
The Dalbar organization recently completed the 15th update of their landmark Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behavior (QAIB) Study. As long-time readers know, I have often quoted statistics from these annual updates that show average investors receive inferior long-term returns when compared to gains posted by stock and bond mutual funds. The reason, by and large, is that investors switch from fund to fund chasing hot returns. In doing so, they often end up with low returns, and sometimes even losses. Most interesting, however, is that the 2009 Dalbar QAIB Study update finally comes to the realization that traditional buy-and-hold approaches do not work, and that investors continue to panic and trade out of stocks when losses run high. In other words, emotions often trump rational investor behavior. This week, I'll update you on the most recent Dalbar Study findings, and also discuss our solution to emotional trading that we discovered back in 1995.
The market goes up, the market goes down. Will we have a sustained rally, or is this just a 'sucker rally' that will soon end with a significant downturn? As we look to the experts to help answer these questions, we find that their predictions are all over the map. Many quantitative models are saying the market is severely overbought, while those relying on fundamental analysis say the market is fairly priced. It seems that the more 'expert' opinions we get, the more confusing it becomes for investors to know what to do.
The biggest question for investors who are currently on the sidelines is whether they have missed the majority of the bull market rally, or if it still has a way to go. This is especially true in the case of Baby Boomers, whose retirement nest eggs have been hit by two major bear markets within a decade. They need the growth that the market has the potential to produce, but can't stand another major down market, which may also be in the cards.
This week, I'm going to discuss the various viewpoints both for and against a sustained market rally. As you will see, both sides are supported by facts, figures and historical precedent. They can't both be right, but both could be wrong should the market be headed into a broad trading range.
High-yield bonds, otherwise known as 'junk bonds,' have enjoyed spectacular gains so far in 2009. Both the Barclays and Merrill Lynch high-yield bond indexes are up over 40% year-to-date as of August 31st, and inflows to high-yield bond mutual funds is at or near record levels. What these investors may not know, however, is that high-yield bonds, besides having a higher risk of default, also have a higher correlation with equity markets than other types of bond investments. As a result, high-yield bond investments can be very volatile.
Fortunately, there is a way to invest in high-yield bond mutual funds within an active management strategy that can go to cash when the high-yield bond market turns negative. This week, I'm going to feature a whitepaper on high-yield bond investing by Steven D. Landis, CFP, co-founder of Sojourn Financial Strategies, LLC. Steve's paper will not only provide some valuable background on high-yield bonds, but will also discuss why an actively managed high-yield bond program may still be a good investment in 2009. After that, I'll discuss Sojourn's Columbus High-Yield Bond Program that Steve manages. I think you'll find this program to be a viable way to introduce additional diversification into your investment portfolio.
The Internet is a wonderful thing, but it can also be very frustrating when there is a case of mistaken identity. I have written a number of times about another 'Gary Halbert' that appears when readers do a web search on just my first and last names. And even though Gary C. Halbert died two years ago, he still has a very prominent presence on the Internet. So prominent, in fact, that I don't appear on most searches until somewhere on the second page of links.
If that's not bad enough, Gary C. Halbert has a number of very unflattering posts related to his activities when he was living. Whether these are accurate or not, they create a problem for me if my current or prospective readers or clients were to think these negative posts are about me. This week, I'm going to again discuss why it's always important to use my middle initial "D" when you do a web search on my name. I'll also provide some background information on myself and my company so that you can feel more comfortable with the person writing to you each week.