text:
So we've been discussing the possibility of complaining about some of our underperforming plants to 'embarrass' them into doing better. (Or maybe it was just me.) It might be working. Cinnamomifolia is greening up a bit at the end of its peduncle. I'm not going to even bother to worry about jinxing it; it either will or won't follow through. I'm just getting excited to see it do SOMETHING. Mindorensis, my one leafed wonder, is starting a nubbin of vine. Blashernaezii is also starting a bit of vine from the soil line. Burtoniae is sending up vines and leaves from the soil line, and pubicalyx 'Chimera' is sending up a vine from the soil line and from a node. So far, the green vine on paulshirleyi is still green, and still there.
Maybe we can take this experiment further. Benguetensis is still doing a whole lot of nothing. Heuschkeliana yellow is still the same size as it has always been. Sp. Tanna Island, why won't you bloom? Same goes for you, buotii... why won't you bloom? Or at least produce some peduncles. Cagayanensis, you're looking like a sad shell of what you used to be. Alright, I think these are my worst offenders. It's like the airing of grievances during Festivus :D |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by tammypie 9 (firstname.lastname@example.com) on Thu, Jul 21, 11 at 0:45
I've got a bone to pick with my own hoyas. Cinnamomifolia, your leaves are colored a reddish brown from bright to direct sunlight and always blasts your blooms. You're beyond hope, Cinnamon! And another thing. You, H. Schneii, yeah you! You scrawny twig is just putting out buds for the first time since I've had you - 3 or so years. What a pathetic looking hoya you are! Show me your blooms! Bring it! And as for H. Diptera, I see a bud or two of yours turning yellow. You little twig wimp. You showed off when I first received you now you're trying to make a comeback. Bring it! My H. Kerri Variegated - what's left of you. I'm not even going to go there. And this goes for my H. Shepherdii, Serpens, Polyneura, Cummingiana, Verticilliata(sp?): you are all incompetent in the flowering department. You shame me. LMAO!!!! |
- Posted by tammypie 9 (email@example.com) on Thu, Jul 21, 11 at 0:48
Why can't my other hoyas behave like my loving, faithful H. Lacunosa 'Tove', who always puts forth fragrant blooms and new growth? |
"It's like the airing of grievances during Festivus :D" Quinn - I couldn't stop laughing!!! hahaha I've got too many cuttings pissing me off to even start naming names. Suffice it to say, If I got it in the last month, it's arguing. :P You little hoyas know who you are . . . Carolyn |
Quinn... I'm so glad to hear that some of your hoyas are turning around...hope it continues and is contagious!! Tammiepie...some of your hoyas are "cool" weather types and won't bloom in heat...especially H. shepherdii, it normally needs temperatures under 62 to bloom. Serpens prefers cool conditions. Buotii, for me, only blooms during the winter. Polyneura likes bright light and cool temperatures...it sulks when it's too hot...much like my H. linearis. Carolyn...good luck with all of your cuttings!! Give them all a good drink with VF-11 or SuperThrive, that should jumpstart them!! |
- Posted by tammypie 9 (firstname.lastname@example.com) on Fri, Jul 22, 11 at 0:03
patrick51, yes you're right some of my hoyas require cool weather in order to bloom, my Serpens being the most shy! My Shepherdii bloomed like crazy at one time. Unfortunately I live in Southern California and we don't actually cool down until November/December, sometimes until January. My favorite blooms is Serpens and Diptera, I just love the light-green shades of the blooms :o) TPie |
Thanks for the laugh you two. TPie you're not a drill sergeant in your spare time are you? "You shame me" LOL LOL :) I have a Hoya sp Sarawak IML 1212 with leaves more red and yellow than green. This happened while rooting and it's been almost a year without new growth. I may have to post a photo because it's pretty. Is anyone else brave enough to add their ugly duckling Hoya photos? I also put my sickly retusa back in a 3.5" pot and no wonder it was not doing well in the enamelware, almost no roots. I hope this one comes back and I am feeling bad about not checking the roots earlier. Mike |
- Posted by tammypie 9 (email@example.com) on Fri, Jul 22, 11 at 2:04
LOL Mike... I have a Retusa, improving since I finally got rid of those pesky aphids and I mean they were all over that hoya. Now she's growing good. Let me know if you need another Retusa cutting or two... |
- Posted by mairzy_dotes zone 10 (My Page) on Fri, Jul 22, 11 at 6:33
I live in S. Calif. and find that shepherdii blooms wonderfully this time of year. In fact l have it right outside my open bedroom window right now so i can enjoy that delightful scent all night. We have even had a week of very hot temps, and it has been blooming profusly for over a month now. |
You're a riot, Tammy! I had a lot of fun and laughs reading your frustrated musings! Since I got the book "The Secret Life of Plants", I've taken a little different approach to my problem children - I seem to have fewer that insist on being difficult. Not to say I don' have some... But it seems like talking sweetly to them and even "petting" them will lull them into growing. Sounds crazy, but it seems to be working for me! LOL! But there are a few that I find it hard to be nice to, so I put them where they aren't "in my face" so I don't emit negative vibrations. My pitiful little single leafed cutting of hellwigiana is out on my porch being ignored. The tiny rooted cutting has looked the same since it rooted. I got it as a cutting from David Liddle in June 09, lost most of it and this little piece just sits there. Well, yesterday I took a quick look at it and see a pair of leaves barely poking out of the single leaf joint. I refuse to get my hopes up because it's disappointed me for so long! And I just brought in my latifolia from the porch when I found aphids on the morning glorys - the Hoyas are always next in line to get them once I see them on other things. It's few weeks outside was enough to kick it into growing after being dormant for over a year. There are a couple others that are stubborn, but I find the biggest obstacle this time of year is keeping them watered enough. The heat dries them out SO fast, especially the little pots with young cuttings. When it's like this, they're better off staying a little overly moist than drying out. Denise in Omaha |
ROFL...Tammy you had me in stitches!! I enjoyed your post very much...and boy are there a few of mine I'd like to "shake up" and shame into doing something too! Thanks for the laughs you guys lol... Quinn, I LOVE Seinfeld!! |
- Posted by greedyghost 5 (My Page) on Fri, Jul 22, 11 at 16:24
LOL I'm always a little paranoid about yelling at a plant, because I'm afraid they might not know which one I'm yelling at, and the neighboring plants will take it hard. That makes sense, I'm sure it does... ^_~ But if I were to yell at plants I would say: polyneura, I always found you weird looking, but at least you were trouble free. Now you are getting yellow leaves and I have no idea why. If you consider this a healthy form of communication, we need to go to couples counseling. mounted Dischidias, why are you so much trouble? Some of you want to be wet all the time and some of you want to dry out. Why were you so happy in coir and yet now such a pain in the butt on moss and cork? Sometimes, I don't know why I bother when you never act like you appreciate me. elliptica cutting, I cannot BELIEVE this behavior! Your last leaf is rotting and you are probably doing nothing under the surface of the hydroton, but I am too scared to look. Why can't you be more like hellwigiana and sp. Estrella Falls, elliptica? Do you see how they are both budding up? And here you are, all dead, like you always are, elliptica. Makes me want to cry. Is that what you want, elliptica? Why do I always fall for plants that treat me so bad? publicalyxes, I have FIVE of you. And yet NONE of you have bloomed yet. This is a disgrace. You make me look like a terrible grower. If people in the forum knew about this, they'd probably quit reading my posts. That's the kind of shame you bring on your family. Everyone else's publicalyxes are studying medicine or going to law school and yet what are you doing with your life? Not even a single grandpod. Sometimes I just don't know where I went wrong with you. |
GG, reading your post today is just want I need.Thanks. Cindy |
Ha ha ha! I haven't actually yelled at any of my plants. Just vented about them here. So in my case, it is sharing with everyone else my disappointment in them, the public humiliation, that I'm theorizing is doing the trick. As if somehow, they know now that everyone else knows how they're underperforming. I don't know, like they read the forum behind my back? :) Tammy, you cracked me up. They better perform now, right? This has actually been kinda fun in another way. It's interesting to see what your underperformers are, and compare. I too have a bunch of pubicalyxes, and I have never seen a bloom either. But there are only two solid candidates that are even ready to bloom. The rest are small. Hey, I have another underperformer. Lacunosa, you are easily 3-4 times as big as speckled lacunosa, but never even a peduncle from you. Whereas speckled lacunosa blooms all the time. Why so stingy? Why no blooms? Everyone says lacunosa is easy to bloom and does so all the time, but you are not with the program, buddy. Maybe you missed that memo? Whoa GG, Estrella Falls is budding up already?? |
- Posted by greedyghost 5 (My Page) on Fri, Jul 22, 11 at 20:41
whisper: knock on wood. I did find it fun to rant. ^_^ Now that you got me started, I could probably keep this thread going for a long time. |
Oh no you didn't! I love my sp Estrella waterfall but now I feel like we should have a little discussion. Ok I take that back because my plant is growing very well and it does have a peduncle so here's hoping I get to see blooms soon to. Congratulations on those buds GG, you must be extra happy you ordered Estrella. Ok here is my ugly duckling and I encourage others to share their less than perfect Hoyas. Oh an when I mentioned this one the first time I seemed to have stopped mid sentence, it's pretty alright, pretty nasty looking. I swear I have not been testing herbal potions or elixirs on this poor plant. Mike |
- Posted by cyclonenat (My Page) on Sat, Jul 23, 11 at 2:58
i have aleaf on australis tenuipes that grew with half the leaf folded over so the purple was on the underside it just grew like that i thought it had bugs but it doesnt lol. and my polyneura has some really curled leaves again no bugs just how they grew when outside. just to add some more my potsii/nicholsonia has just dropped its new growth which was not much so this plant hasnt grown at all since i have had it |
I would like to adress my primadonna javanica: Is there really a need for those endless rehersals, aka hundreds of blasting buds??? Really? I would admire you even more if your buds bursted each and every time!!! |
GG, those green buds are SO COOL! I don't remember seeing green buds on a hoya before? Congrats and keeping fingers crossed it will open soon. Mike, those leaves have a very interesting looking pattern in a cool sort of way. Almost like a pattern on a ceramic tile :o) |
The leaves do look kinda cool but I wish I knew what caused the cells to collapse like that. This is the only cutting from last years Liddle order that has done nothing, most of my others are nice sized plants already. Mike |
- Posted by greedyghost 5 (My Page) on Sat, Jul 23, 11 at 13:10
Oh my goodness, Mike! That is painful to behold. The poor thing looks like a burn victim. We should definitely all urge her to form a swarm of new leaves. Here's my own little bedraggled friend, to keep her company. I received this cutting from the lovely ladyg, (THANK YOU! <3) who generously offered a backup plant in case the rooting didn't take. But, after a few weeks in hydroton with me misting it like a madwoman, it pulled through. ^_^ Now, just to form some new leaves to overshadow these rather scraggly looking ones. I feel bad yelling at it though, as it was such a trooper for me and has never given me any trouble since. I believe next spring it will take off. It's just adjusting to the midwest, I think. (Note: That vine isn't normally pinned downward - just for the photograph) Thanks for the well wishes on sp. Estrella. I agree the buds are very pretty. I love the blue-green accents. I just hope I don't do anything to upset them now that I've publicly acknowledged their existence. Good luck arguing with yours, Mike. |
- Posted by greedyghost 5 (My Page) on Thu, Jul 28, 11 at 21:31
Well, sp. Estrella's blooms just opened tonight, so I have a few pics. ^_^ I'm hoping to get some better pictures tomorrow when there's some natural light to help out The smell is... not ginger to my nose. It's fabulous, though. Rather like something you'd smell in Aveda's men's section. Sort of natural and earthy and spicy and masculine. It's pretty potent, too, at least right now. I didn't have to stick my nose in there, I was greeted with it as soon as I entered the room, even though the lid on the aquarium is closed. |
I love the color of the flowers.I have a thing for the spicy fragrances over the sweet ones. But I would be happy with any of my hoyas if they were to bloom for me. One of my lacunosa is blooming right now and I love coming into the kitchen in the evening. Cindy |
Congratulations G.G.!! You've been a good inspiration for my Liddle cuttings...sp. Estrella Waterfalls is in bud...soon to bloom...and all 3 cuttings of sp. Kalimantan have peduncles (one from dmichael). Now I'm really looking forward to smelling Estrella Waterfalls..thanks for the information!! Fondly, Patrick |
Incredible colour! This is such a great all around Hoya species. Congrats on the blooms GG! Mike |
Ooh, congrats! That's really pretty. So, it's a scent that might get you in trouble with a boyfriend, eh? 'No, I swear, there's no one else, it's that flower that smells like that!' Ha ha. But seriously, more and more I am being convinced to give this one a try someday. The flowers make me think of apple blossoms sitting atop an apple, as if both stages of growth were going on at the same time, somehow. |
- Posted by ima_digger 9 SE FL (My Page) on Fri, Jul 29, 11 at 11:24
GG, beautiful blooms. I agree with Quinn. They really do look like little blossoms sitting on top of apples. Cute! |
- Posted by greedyghost 5 (My Page) on Fri, Jul 29, 11 at 21:25
Aw thanks everyone. ^_^ Love the apple + apple blossom description. So, I woke up this morning and it was ALL OVER. Well, no better pictures then, I guess! wtf! I don't know if that's typical or not. But show's over folks, and it was such a nice show, too. v_v |
- Posted by greedyghost 5 (My Page) on Fri, Jul 29, 11 at 21:28
errr... That is to say that I don't know if such a short blooming period is typical for sp. Estrella Falls, not typical for HOYAS-as-a-whole. ^_~ |
Hey, cagayanensis is starting new growth points all over the place. Glad I left the bare vines on. Mindorensis grew me a new leaf! So now it has two leaves. Alright, benguetensis, it's your turn to do something. You're starting to look like a major slacker. Cinnamomifolia, I'm still watching you. Yellow heuschkeliana, are you a real plant or what? I can forgive the non bloomers, but the ones that do absolutely nothing start to irk me. |
- Posted by tammypie 9 (firstname.lastname@example.com) on Thu, Aug 4, 11 at 2:41
OK, GG, I want a cutting of that splendid hoya. What beautiful blooms! Please email me... Tpie |
- Posted by tammypie 9 (firstname.lastname@example.com) on Thu, Aug 4, 11 at 2:52
Well I'm kissing my H. Schneei's you-know-what these days; she's finally going to bloom, from the looks of her blooms. When she blooms, I'll post the pics as soon as I can. TammyPie |
Public shaming? There is are definitely some critique of the practices, especially those concerning the safety of those placed on public display after committing crimes that involve other people. Also, understanding that people of color are often disproportionately targeted and policed by law enforcement, this practice could easily become a literal display of racism but that doesn't mean there aren't perks to this model of criminal justice. Hearing about this reminds me of the potential for radical alternative justice practices, like peace circles. These are transformative practices are ways to deal with community conflicts and other harmful acts in a way that avoids the institutions that do more harm than good. Mostly people don't get punish because of power and money. |
Well since Rina has resurrected this thread .... Quinn, I do hope you mindorensis grows more vigorously than mine. Got one whole new leaf this cycle. Very interesting blooms there, GG. |
- Posted by Vine_Master 7 (My Page) on Fri, Sep 13, 13 at 22:30
Something that I found out about stubbern hoyas that done want to grow is to change there soil to an more airey mix.I've been using half growstones,the smaller size and half coco curtons.I also add a few handfulls of repti bark,and a bit of charcholl.it makes for a good consistancy.Latifolia ,and and a few others are putting out new growth just after 3 weeks in the new mix!I find Mindorensis,does well under led lights.Polyneura,has its boughts with the leaves yellowing,but seems like a good candate for S.H...It has started new growth in under one month..outside in Augest!!And Rina...We exchange info about hoya plants on this forum.If you have nothing to offer about hoyas...please take your rant elsewear!Oh something else...If you have an unhappy hoya in a pot that is too big(I like the fancy ceramic ones you find at walmart and big lots..usually the 6 inch dia. ones)I bought some if the 5 inch plastic mesh pots through Amazon.just replant the hoya into the mesh pot with a chunky mix and place it in the ceramic pot! it makes a great fit and the mesh provides the oxygen to the roots,while the ceramic keeps it from drying out too fast...works great! |
- Posted by greedyghost 5 (My Page) on Thu, Sep 26, 13 at 15:18
(sigh) It's all so true. Look at how much screen time we devote to photographs of white Hoyas, while the black Hoyas are in a shocking minority. Some might say people only keep plants like publicalyx Black Dragon and ciliata as 'token' minority plants. Or maybe it's a non-issue because they're all Asian? o_O @ VM Thanks for the ideas. It's always good to have some tricks up your sleeve when you don't know how to change things up for a truly stubborn plant. I've been thinking about repotting polyneura to S/H. Mine has just been on a decline for so long... and it used to be so easy!! |
- Posted by Vine_Master 7 (My Page) on Thu, Sep 26, 13 at 19:25
HaHa....My black dragon has really been doing nice this summer.Maybe he is trying to compete with his competition from Borneo..lol I just took a lot of cuttings from my mother fish tail and placed them in a handmade sh vase I made from a 1 lt blank flask from work.I sand blasted it to keep the roots from direct sunlight.The bellows I hope will provide air pockets for extra oxygen to the roots It's filled with growstones and clay pellets.Its been over a week now and no yellow leaves!!i spray it from the top when needed with water mixed with dyna gro k.l.n. solution.Its a root promoter that really works!!here is the vase.I'll post another pic when I see new growth from the cuttings.Im keeping it near black dragon for good luck!lol |
- Posted by greedyghost 5 (My Page) on Fri, Sep 27, 13 at 12:08
Can I just say I'm soooo-o jealous of your glass skills? I practically have a list of projects ready to embark on, if this were the matrix and I could download your skill set into my brain. So, is there a water reservoir in there somewhere or are you just keeping the stones wet through regular misting? |
- Posted by Vine_Master 7 (My Page) on Mon, Sep 30, 13 at 19:26
Hi! there are two holes placed opposite each other about an onch from the bottom of the vase...Here is the pic with the cuttings in it.I have it in an East window.17 days and still looking good...no yellow leaves!! |
- Posted by Vine_Master (My Page) on Mon, Sep 30, 13 at 19:33
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Hoya Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here


text:
There are no items in your cart at this time.
End-of-Season Sale: Save an Extra 15% On All Sale Items! — Shop Now —
Select your desired product options and we will notify you when it is back in stock.
The Taryn Rose Bethany is a casul women's flat with criss cross elastic straps.
Taryn Rose Bethany Black Leather Women's Shoe
Features include:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Wellspring United Methodist Church is a community of faith driven by the Spirit, led by the laity, and committed to Christian discipleship. Knowing that God holds high expectations for our lives, Wellspring empowers each person on a Christian journey that fosters deep commitment and faithfulness. In order to further His transformation of individual lives, we will strive to reveal Christ to each other and the community.
If you are looking for a church or wondering what faith is all about, please visit us some Sunday and journey with us.
Wellspring Events:


text:
Gold ads appear on official Blizzard forums [updated]
At the moment Blizzard forum moderators are apparently deleting all threads pertaining to the ads, which seems appropriate enough; they clearly know about the problem. Oh, and folks: don't buy gold.
Update: Blizzard has responded officially to the matter, stating: "Recently, there was a temporary error with our forum advertisements that caused a gold-selling ad to be displayed. At this time, we have resolved this error. Our stance... remains firmly against the buying or selling of gold, and we may take action against accounts that are involved in these activities."


text:
A Different Kind of Holiday Wish List
By YourTango
Too many things happened this past week. I got this new cell phone and in the process, accidentally lost a whole lot of contacts because I didn't transfer my phone book quick enough. Call me kooky, but I think it's allowed me to close a chapter in my life and start a new one. Yes, this is me. I look for meaning in everything, yet can't sit still for three minutes to meditate on anything. Spirituality is truly a different concept for everyone.


text:
Home » Sponsorship
As a financial cooperative, FORUM Credit Union's primary mission is to give back to the members who are a part of the cooperative in the form of lower lending interest rates, higher savings rates, and new products and services. FORUM is also committed to being an active participant in the communities we serve. FORUM has partnerships in place for the multiple communities we serve. Before submitting a new request, consider the following criteria of what makes a great partnership for FORUM. What makes a good fit for FORUM?
Types of events FORUM does not sponsor: FORUM serves over 100,000 members, has partnerships with thousands of area employers, and provides commercial services to many local businesses. While we would love to support individual causes, such as races and walks, this is not generally the type of community partnership that is best for FORUM. Application Process Organizations are welcome to submit sponsorship requests by email to email@example.com. Please note that because of the volume of requests that we receive we do not accept telephone inquiries. Please include the following in your request:


text:
If you like this, Harlequin recommends
- Business Arrangement Bride
- by
- Mar 2014
- Appointment at the Altar
- by
- Nov 2007
- Mr. (Not Quite) Perfect
- by
- Jan 2014
Self-made millionaire Tye Gibson has come home to the Outbackto find himself a bride!
Lizzy Walker is delighted when Tye offers her a job. Working for his company could be just what her career and her bank accountneed. Only the job is not quite what she expects. She has to find Tye a bride within two monthsor she might have to marry him herself!


text:
Cars > jays07tgstang's Garage
About jays07tgstang's Garage
jays07tgstang's Groups 1 – 2 of 2
Enthusiast Groups
Badgerland Mustang Club Enthusiast
The Badgerland Mustang Club serves South Central Wisconsin with fun and interesting information dedicated to promoting the Mustang automobile and its fans. The club is a family-oriented organization and was formed to bring together owners and fans of the orginal and ultimate Pony car. The...
Wisconsin, United States
Glory Days Racing Enthusiast
We're into Drag Racing, Street Machines, Hot Rods!! If goes fast and/or looks cool we're into it!! My big thing is Drag Racing as you can very well tell, but I like all forms of Motortopia!!!! We offer parts discounts to all members on the various parts we have and can get.GLORY DAYS RACING
Iowa, United States
jays07tgstang's Garage Comments 1 – 3 of 4
Log in to post comments.
Read comments on jays07tgstang's garage (4)
- Nov 2, 2007 at 7:12 pm
- awesome looking stang.
- Oct 27, 2007 at 3:43 pm
- Hey Guy!! Stang is Looking Great!!!
- Oct 24, 2007 at 8:18 am
- Nice Mustang as well! I must say, great color choice. What rims are they? size? I've got a few mods myself...kenwood nav, SLP loudmouth exhaust, K&N CAI, 20" Foose Nitrous (i don't have any pics on here yet...), push-button start, and getting it lowered today! what are your plans for yours? beware it is addicting
Cars > jays07tgstang's Garage


text:
Jewelry and more
Come see what's new at Ship Shapes Inc.! We have a new line of bracelets: Angelica.
We recently added another new line. We are the exclusive retailer in Gaffney for Endless.
We take pride in all diamond, watches, chains, and jewelry repairs. We have over 34 years in the business and we can rebuild your jewelry, prongs, repair broken chains, remount stones, size rings and handle all types of repairs.
Ship Shapes Inc. is pleased to have all the latest equipment to fix your broken items. With our Rofin laser welder, we can do repairs others can't.
Stop by our store in Gaffney, especially if it's been a while since you've been here. We've remodeled to open up the show room and make it roomier for you.
View our inventory of Citizens Eco-Drive watches, rings, jewelry and be sure to check out our service department. Ship Shapes Inc. is conveniently located next to Hardee's in Gaffney, South Carolina. Stop by or give Ship Shapes Inc. a call today for anything you need related to jewelry. We even offer jewelry insurance.
Of course, that's not all we do. We also buy gold, sell metal-detectors, Case knives Zippos lighters and Cross Pens. Want some gold prospecting equipment? Yeah, we got that covered too. In fact, we have an entire gold prospecting equipment catalog. That's why we say we're more than a jewelry store. But we're that first and foremost. We are Gaffney's home town jeweler.


text:
Part of a series on |
The Book of Mormon |
Origin |
Historical authenticity and criticism |
Prophets and people |
Book of Mormon portal |
According to the religious traditions of Latter-day Saint movement, the Nephites (/ˈniː.faɪt/[1]) are one of four groups (including the Lamanites, Jaredites, and Mulekites) believed to have settled in the ancient Americas. The term is used throughout the Book of Mormon, a religious text, to describe the religious, political, and cultural traditions of this alleged group of settlers.
The Nephites are described as a group of people that descended from or were associated with Nephi, the son of the prophet Lehi who left Jerusalem at the urging of God c. 600 BC and traveled with his family to the Western Hemisphere, arriving in the present-day Americas c. 589 BC. The Book of Mormon notes them as an initially righteous people who eventually "had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness"[2] and were destroyed by the Lamanites c. AD 385.[3]
Some LDS scholars claim that the forebears of the Nephites settled somewhere in present-day Central America after departing Jerusalem.[4] However, both the Smithsonian Institution[5] and the National Geographic Society have issued statements that they have seen no evidence to support these claims in the Book of Mormon and no secular archeologist or historian has supported their existence.
The Book of Mormon uses the term Nephite in many different ways, usually contrasted with the term Lamanite. These ways are familial (or clan-based), religious, political, and cultural. Although the Nephites and Lamanite groups are said to have merged for a while in 4 Nephi 1:17, the Nephites were never considered a majority in the Book of Mormon.
This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2014) |
The Nephites of the Book of Mormon practiced Judaism before the coming of Christ on the American continent, and Christianity after his resurrection until the early 4th century. Throughout the Book of Mormon the term "Nephite" in the religious sense refers to a believer in Jesus Christ. Such usage is found in Alma 3:11, which states, "Whosoever would not believe in the tradition of the Lamanites, but believed those records which were brought out of the land of Jerusalem, and also in the traditions of their fathers, which were correct, who believed in the commandments of God and kept them, were called the Nephites."
This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2014) |
In the 2nd and 1st centuries BC the Lamanite and Nephite societies created sophisticated kingdoms and the Nephites later created a sort of republic. The political Nephite state existed with clear borders (Alma 22:27) and within it lived people who were religious Nephites and also those who did not practice the Nephite religion (Alma 31:8), due to freedom of religion which was upheld by their laws (Alma 1:17; 30:7).
This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2014) |
Cultural usages of the word Nephite are harder to discern in the Book of Mormon, because they usually overlap with religious or political usages. However, the word Lamanite is used in a much more cultural context, and since it is usually an antonym of Nephite, we can usually deduce from its usage characteristics of the Nephites. According to the Book of Mormon, Lamanites are "a lazy and idolatrous people" (Mosiah 9:12), and "wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people... dwelling in tents, and wandering about the wilderness" (Enos 1:20). The Nephites are, in turn, industrious (2 Nephi 5:17), civilized (Moroni 9:12), and God-fearing. Also, many Nephites were outside of the political influence of the Nephite state, yet still presumably carried with them Nephite culture (Alma 63:10)
It is accepted as true by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that the Nephites existed, although secular archaeologists and historians claim there is no external evidence to corroborate the account given of Nephite history in the Book of Mormon.[citation needed]
Book of Mormon tradition[edit]
This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2014) |
Many details about Nephite society, government, laws, and culture can be inferred from the Book of Mormon. Three main epochs in the Nephite history are described in the Book of Mormon, separated by two periods where Nephite society experienced particularly significant changes. The first major change occurred c. 150–91 BC, during the reigns of Mosiah I, Benjamin, and Mosiah II. The entire populace moved northward, the Nephite and Mulekite societies merged, the government form changed, and traditional laws were codified. The second major change was c. 200 AD, after the Zion society began to crumble.[clarification needed] The Nephite and Lamanite societies had integrated for two centuries, only to separate again. The greatest amount of information about Nephite society comes from the middle epoch, from about 150 BC to 200 AD (recorded in the books of Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, 3 Nephi, and 4 Nephi).
One of the best examples of a characteristic that distinguishes these three epochs of Nephite history is the form of government.
This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2014) |
From the time the Nephites arrived in America to the reign of King Mosiah II (c. 592–91 BC), the Nephites were ruled by kings. Nephi's brother Jacob explains that subsequent kings bore the title "Nephi."
The people having loved Nephi exceedingly… were desirous to retain in remembrance his name. And whoso should reign in his stead were called by the people second Nephi, third Nephi, and so forth, according to the reigns of the kings; and thus they were called by the people, let them be of whatever name they would.
—Jacob 1:10–11
This is comparable to the Roman practice of giving each emperor the title "Caesar" in honor of Julius Caesar (e.g., Augustus Caesar, Claudius Caesar). Thus, just as the later history of the Romans is sometimes called "the reign of the Caesars," the early history of the Nephites could be called "the reign of the Nephis."
This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2014) |
The last Nephite king was Mosiah II. About 91 BC, he declared that, instead of naming a new king, he would finish out his reign as king, after which the Nephites would elect judges to govern them. There were at least three levels of judges: one chief judge, several higher judges, and several lower judges. (Some passages speak of multiple "chief judges," probably synonymous with "higher judges"; e.g., Alma 62:47; 3 Ne. 6:21)
Judges were paid according to the amount of time they spent officiating. Mosiah II set the rate at one senine of gold (or the equivalent senum of silver) for one day's work (Alma 11:1, 3). He also arranged for checks in this system to avert corruption as much as possible. He explained:
"And now if ye have judges, and they do not judge you according to the law which has been given, ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge".
If your higher judges do not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small number of your lower judges should be gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people.
—Mosiah 29:29
After announcing the governmental shift from kings to judges, Mosiah explained the principle behind this change:
The sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their kings…
Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.
—Mosiah 29:31, 26
The system of judges lasted for 120 years, when it was briefly overthrown for about three years (c. 30–33 AD) by an aristocratic cadre led by a man named Jacob. It was replaced by a loose system of tribes and kinships, which lasted until Jesus appeared in America and established a society that approached the ideals of Zion. This society last for about two centuries before the people fell into wickedness again.
After 4 Nephi, no mention is made of whether the Nephites used judges or kings. Mormon mentions that "the Lamanites had a king" (Morm. 2:9). His inclusion of this detail, phrased as it is, could be seen as a contrast to the Nephites having a chief judge. Coupled with the fact that no change in government form is specifically mentioned after 4 Nephi, it could be assumed that the Nephites continued to use judges until their destruction in c. 385 AD.
The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), part of Brigham Young University, has performed extensive archaeological research in this area, and publications on this subject and other historical topics are issued regularly by the FARMS organization.[6] This research is disputed by many researchers, including Michael Coe, a scholar in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican history, as well as the Smithsonian Institution and others.
In 1973, Michael Coe addressed the issue in an article for Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought stating:
"Mormon archaeologists over the years have almost unanimously accepted the Book of Mormon as an accurate, historical account of the New World peoples... Let me now state uncategorically that as far as I know there is not one professionally trained archaeologist, who is not a Mormon, who sees any scientific justification for believing the foregoing to be true, and I would like to state that there are quite a few Mormon archaeologists who join this group...
"The bare facts of the matter are that nothing, absolutely nothing, has even shown up in any New World excavation which would suggest to a dispassionate observer that the Book of Mormon, as claimed by Joseph Smith, is a historical document relating to the history of early migrants to our hemisphere." [7]
—Michael Coe, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
In 1996, the Smithsonian Institution issued a statement addressing claims made in the Book of Mormon, stating that the text is primarily a religious text and that archeologists affiliated with the Institution found "no direct connection between the archeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book". The statement further says that there is genetic evidence that the Native American Indians are closely related to peoples of Asia, and that archaeological evidence indicates that the Native Americans migrated from Asia over a land bridge over the Bering Strait in prehistoric times. The statement said that there was no credible evidence of contact between Ancient Egyptian or Hebrew peoples and the New World, as indicated by the text of the Book of Mormon. The statement was issued in response to reports that the name of the Smithsonian Institution was being improperly used to lend credibility to the claims of those looking to support the events of the Book of Mormon.[8]
Society and culture[edit]
This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2014) |
Civil laws[edit]
The record in the Book of Mormon is scant, but it appears that for the first couple of centuries little distinction was made between religious and civil laws. The law of Moses covered all aspects of life, both temporal and spiritual. There was no need to distinguish between religious and civil law since everyone practiced the same religion. Mosiah II seemed to refer to the civil aspect of this legal system when he refers to "the law which has been given to us by our fathers" (Mosiah 29:15, 25).
This changed when the Nephites migrated north from the land of Nephi into the land of Zarahemla. They assimilated the Mulekite society, which appears to have raised several new issues that had never been encountered before. One of which was the question of what to do when someone commits an act considered a violation by the majority but considered permissible by the individual. The answer was not to leave judgment in each individual's hands, for that would lead to anarchy. Yet the law of Moses couldn't be applied generally when many members of the new Nephite-Mulekite nation were not adherents of the Nephite religion.
Mosiah II resolved the problem by apparently establishing a distinction between civil crimes and religious crimes when Alma brought several church members to him to be judged.
- And he [Alma] said unto the king: Behold, here are many whom we have brought before thee, who are accused of their brethren; yea, and they have been taken in divers iniquities. And they do not repent of their iniquities; therefore we have brought them before thee, that thou mayest judge them according to their crimes.
- But king Mosiah said unto Alma: Behold, I judge them not; therefore I deliver them into thy hands to be judged. (Mosiah 26:11–12)
Mosiah allowed Alma to decide the consequences of religious infractions. Alma received a revelation that "whosoever will not repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people" (Mosiah 26:32). As high priest of the Church of Christ, he could exercise this power to excommunicate unpenitent members of the Church.
On the other hand, only judges could apply consequences for civil infractions. Defining exactly what constituted a civil crime (versus a religious crime) was apparently decided by Mosiah and submitted for acceptance by the vote of the people. This process is alluded to at the beginning of the book of Alma.
- Mosiah… had established laws, and they were acknowledged by the people; therefore they were obliged to abide by the laws which he had made. (Alma 1:1; see also 1:14)
This distinction between civil law and religious law may seem mundane and obvious today, but for an ancient society, such a distinction was relatively uncommon. The laws that Mosiah established were so significant in their impact that sixty years later, instead of referring to "the laws which have been given you by our fathers" (Mosiah 29:25), people referred to "the laws of Mosiah, or that which the Lord commanded him to give unto the people" (Hel. 4:22).
When delineating the division between civil and religious laws, most would agree that laws against murdering and stealing are obvious. Further distinctions are heavily dependent on cultural norms and values. It is interesting to note which actions the Nephites considered to be civil crimes, regardless of religion.
Civil Crimes | |
Prohibition | Reference |
Murder | Alma 1:14, 18; 30:10 |
Stealing | Alma 1:18; 30:10 |
Robbing | Alma 1:18; 30:10 |
Lying | Alma 1:17 |
Slavery | Alma 27:9; cf. Mosiah 2:13 |
Adultery | Alma 30:10. See also Hel. 7:5 |
Religious persecution | Mosiah 27:2–3 |
Paid clergy | Mosiah 27:5; Alma 1:12 |
Robbing may be distinguished from stealing in that robbing is a violent crime, stealing from a person under threat of harm, rather than stealing unattended property. The nature of the prohibition against lying is difficult to nail down, but it may be akin to perjury. It is interesting that adultery was not just a religious crime, but a punishable civil offense. The Nephites clearly saw a relationship between unchastity and temporal social breakdown. It is also interesting to note that the prohibition against priestcraft apparently applied not just to Christians but to society at large, for this was one of the crimes Nehor was punished for (Alma 1:12), and Mosiah's proclamation against paid priests was given in the context of "unbelievers," "all the churches," and "every man" (Mosiah 27:1–3).
Actions that were contrary to the laws of the Church of Christ but apparently not illegal are also mentioned.
Religious Crimes | |
Prohibition | Reference |
Idolatry | Alma 1:32 |
Sorcery | Alma 1:32 |
Babbling | Alma 1:32 |
Preaching against Christ | Alma 30:12 |
The exact nature of some crimes is unknown, such as "babbling." The legal toleration of idolatry may indicate how thoroughly ingrained the practice was in local cultures, including the Mulekites. It also implies that this New World idolatry was not identical to the Old World idolatry mentioned in the books of Moses. In Canaan, idolatry was virtually inseparable from fornication and thus merited the Lord's command to His people to purge the region. In America, idolatry was apparently separate enough from adultery that the former was considered legal and tolerable, while the latter was not.
In Alma 1:32, Alma lists the vices of unbelievers. He does not distinguish between civil crimes and religious crimes, since to him they are all sins. However, it is notable that his list begins with religious crimes and ends with civil crimes. He explains that, although as chief judge he could not punish unbelievers for religious crimes, "the law was put in force upon all those who did transgress it, inasmuch as it was possible."
- For those who did not belong to their church did indulge themselves in sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife; wearing costly apparel; being lifted up in the pride of their own eyes [religious crimes]; persecuting, lying, thieving, robbing, committing whoredoms, and murdering, and all manner of wickedness [civil crimes]... (Alma 1:32)
An illustration of the distinction made between civil and religious crimes occurs in Alma 30. As long as Korihor preached against beliefs like the coming of Christ, "the law could have no hold upon him" (Alma 30:12). But he was apparently arrested once his actions crossed the line into instigating others to commit civil crimes (Alma 1:18) —in this case, adultery.
Measuring system[edit]
In Alma 11, Mormon lists "the names of the different pieces of their gold, and of their silver" and their relative value (Alma 11:4). It is unclear what kind of system "reckoning" and "measure" refer to, although most Book of Mormon scholars[who?] now believe they were weights, not coins. Mormon explains that
- the names are given by the Nephites, for they did not reckon after the manner of the Jews who were at Jerusalem; neither did they measure after the manner of the Jews; but they altered their reckoning and their measure, according to the minds and the circumstances of the people, in every generation. (Alma 11:4)
Mormon then explains that this fluctuating system was replaced with a standard system established by Mosiah². Such a uniformity of measuring systems would have done much to unify the newly formed society, streamline the calculation of exchange rates in long-distance trade, and increase trade revenue.
Gold units | Silver units | Relative value (in measures of barley) |
Equivalent |
limnah | onti | 7 | |
shum | ezrom | 4 | |
seon | amnor | 2 | |
antion | 1½ | ||
senine | senum | 1 | a measure of barley; one day's wage for a judge |
shiblon | ½ | half a measure of barley | |
shiblum | ¼ | ||
leah | ⅛ |
One of the apparent purposes of this system was economy of use. A set of weights that contained one of each unit could be used to measure out increments of up to 14 units without needing two of the same weight. Thus, a Nephite merchant could use his small personal set of weights for a range of products being sold instead of relying on a large quantity of weights.[9]
See also[edit]
- Angola (Book of Mormon)
- Archaeology and the Book of Mormon
- Genetic history of indigenous peoples of the Americas
- Linguistics and the Book of Mormon
- Three Nephites
- ^ LDS.org: "Book of Mormon Pronunciation Guide" (retrieved 2012-02-25), IPA-ified from «nē´fīt»
- ^ Book of Mormon: Helaman 4:25.
- ^ Mormon 6, Ibid.
- ^ John E. Clark (2004). "Searching for Book of Mormon Lands in Middle America". FARMS Review (Maxwell Institute) 16 (2): 1–54. Retrieved Oct 20, 2011.
- ^ Terryl L. Givens, By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 132.
- ^ Laura F. Willes. "LDS SCRIPTURE RESEARCH". Center for Book of Mormon Studies, Maxwell Institute, Bringham Young University.
- ^ Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Summer 1973, pp. 41, 42 & 46
- ^ Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution. "Statement Regarding the Book of Mormon". 1996. Letter posted online by the Institute for Religious Research.
- ^ Jack Welch, "Weighing and Measuring in the Worlds of the Book of Mormon," FARMS, 1999. p. 36–46
Further reading[edit]
- Turner, Rodney (1988). "The Three Nephite Churches of Christ". In Cheesman, Paul R.. The Book of Mormon: The Keystone Scripture. Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. pp. 91–99. ISBN 0-8849-4637-1.
- Fowles, John L. (1992). "The Decline of the Nephites: Rejection of the Covenant and Word of God". In Nyman, Monte S.; Tate, Charles D., Jr. The Book of Mormon: Helaman Through 3 Nephi 8, According to Thy Word. Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. pp. 81–92. ISBN 0-8849-4864-1.
External links[edit]
- How Many Nephites?: The Book of Mormon at the Bar of Demography by James E. Smith


text:
This is the official forums for the Oasis Pixelmon server!
oasis, pixelmon, forums, #minecraft, official, server, cauldron, multiplayer
A Minecraft Warrior Cats Roleplay
Spirecraft is a Minecraft server dedicated to not only building a strong community but also a strong family. The forums provide an environment for the members to collaborate outside of the server and also enjoy themselves.
spirecraft, #minecraft, community, forums, server
A Feed The Beast server that is part of the wonderful Oasis family of MC servers! Only respected players of the Oasian Servers allowed to join!
#minecraft, oasis-ftb, server, oasis, feed, beast, community, madscientist, madscientist032, paxination, best, players, whitelist
A clean minecraft community dedicated to multiple styles of gameplay with a variety of plugins
merchants, marauders, #minecraft, server, clean, community, dedicated, multiple, styles, gameplay, with, variety, plugins
Website/Forum For Hidden Gem Craft Server Minecraft.
hidden, craft, website/forum, server, #minecraft
Acid Mines Minecraft Server
global, chat, acid, mines, acidmines, sirpsp, #minecraft, server
Matt's forum for Minecraft, YouTube, and more!
themattvid, youtube, #minecraft, mainwing, social, common, place, subscribe, channel, comments, interests, harder, entertaining, best, alternative, facebook, search, promote, users, interact, talk
A forum made for Zidocraft - Minecraft Server Community!
zidocraft, #minecraft, cracked, server, free, hamachi, whitelist, paying, donator, perks, mcmmo, vanish, disguise, craft, logblock, griefing, multiverse, premium, survival, 24/7
The forums for the Yocraft Minecraft server! 220.127.116.11:25565
yocraft, official, forums!, forums, #minecraft, server!, 25565
A forum about My Lego Network (MLN) , LEGO Universe, and for LEGO enthusiasts. We are forum based on LEGO discussion and more, we now are organising gaming events on minecraft, Mario Kart and more!
team, lego, message, boards, mylegonetwork, network, my-lego-network, universe, legouniverse, lmbs, mlnteam, legos, games, game, tips, mlntips
I Know Where You Live
free, forum, herobrine, club, #minecraft, believers, hunters, hunt, hunts, anti-notch


text:
The latest version of Adobe Flash Player is required to watch this video. Please click on the link below to download the latest version. Thanks!
The question of whether the universe was created by God or by scientific accident has been a decades-long debate.
But creators of the new film "The Genesis Code" say there shouldn't be a conflict between the biblical account of creation and scientific theory.
The movie follows the story of two college students, one a Christian writer and the other a popular athlete who feels science disproves the Bible.
As the two struggle to agree, they realize their beliefs may have more in common than they initially thought.
"Could it be that what science teaches us about creation and the story as told in Genesis are both true and in perfect accord?" the producers ask in the movie synopsis.
CBN News spoke with executive producer Jerry Zandstra about the message behind 'The Genesis Code.' He also stars in the film.
Click play for his comments on how Christians should respond to scientific challenges to the creation story.
--Published Nov. 4, 2011.
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting? Are you facing a difficult situation?
Find peace with God, discover more about God or send us your prayer request.
Call The 700 Club Prayer Center at 1 (800) 823-6053, 24 hours a day.
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.
CBN News is a national/international, nonprofit news organization that provides programming by cable, satellite, and the Internet, 24-hours a day. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Sign up for the CBN News Dispatch and receive CBN News Reports in your inbox each day.Subscribe Now >>
Add CBN News, articles, latest videos and blog feeds to your favorite RSS reader. Subscribe Now >>
E-mail us your news tips, story ideas, questions & comments. Contact Us >>


text:
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
Gambling Behavior in the United States: A Data-Driven Learning Guide (ICPSR 310)
Principal Investigator(s): Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
Data-Driven Learning Guides are a collection of instructional exercises that can be used to enhance teaching of core concepts in the social Sciences. This learning guide investigates gambling behavior and characteristics of gamblers in the United States. Research questions that can be explored using this learning guide include: how many people gamble and what types of gambling are most popular, whether gambling behavior differs by gender or by income level, how many people are problem gamblers, and how gambling and mental health might be related. Using frequencies, crosstabulation, and bar charts, this exercise also illustrates the role of confounding variables in statistical relationships.
Access Notes
This data collection has been deaccessioned; it is no longer distributed by ICPSR.
Study Description
Persistent URL: http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR00310.v1
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: gambling, instructional materials, mental health, social sciences
Geographic Coverage: United States
Original ICPSR Release: 2008-09-17


text: In 2002-2003 Jon Lowrance and Pat Watson founded the Southeast Missouri State University Rock Climbing Club. Both climbers were very experienced and working on their undergraduate Recreation degrees. Their outdoor experiences were incredible and they wanted to share them with generations of Southeast students. The club grew significantly in 2003-2004. Jon and Pat graduated and nominated Claudia Favre and Jen Goldsberry to continue the legacy. Jen Goldsberry soon passed on the co position to TJ. During the next two years, Claudia Favre and TJ Goldsberry worked hard to maintain continuity and growth. Both Claudia and TJ (Co-Presidents of the club) have recruited new members and shown those individuals the thrills and challenges of rock climbing. In the fall of 2006, Chris Huebner joined the club. An experienced climber himself, Chris Huebner joined the leadership team as the Sport Club Council representative and was elected president for the fall of 2007. James Eldreth and Ashley Allstun joined the team as the advertising representatives, along with Joshua Trbovich and Andrew Valleroy as club spokesmen. During the 2007 and 2008 year the club expanded drastically. The number of club members almost doubled the years in the past and the number of students interested in the club was above 200. For the fall of 2008 through the spring of 2009, Chris Huebner will remain president with the help of the same leadership team. Kyle Bira will also be joining the leadership team after already participating in the club for a year.


text:
The blog of Alan Summers, Recipient of the Japan Times Award (2002) and owner of With Words, a UK provider of literature, education and literacy projects, often based around the Japanese genres. For events and workshops for families, children, and schools contact us through our With Words website: With Words.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Two weeks left for the early bird for our online haiku course starting June 1st
It's half way through April, which means that the 'early bird' rate for our online haiku course (starting June 1st) expires in just over two weeks.
The early bird rate is £45.00 rather than £55.00 full price, so if you'd like to take advantage of this, please email email@example.com for a course description, and comments from previous participants. There are only two places left currently, but the course will also run again from August 1st.
If you want to get your head around the technicalities of haiku without the pressure of writing yet, we also run a one-to-one haiku reading and comprehension course by email.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Halfway Point Prospects of Note: Chicago White Sox Affiliate Winston-Salem Dash
5. Chris Bassitt 6'5 205lbs RHP
Chris Bassitt is a reliever for the Dash. He Shows a 92-95 FB with a lot of life, slider that has good break, and a change up that he did not throw very often. He showed plus velocity on the fastball that makes me believe in the dream. He has below average command on all of his pitches. It's a dream guy he throws from a low ¾ arm slot which can create deception to hitter with a lot of arms and legs flying at them. If everything goes right he could provide good organizational pitching depth in the White Sox system.
4. Carlos Sanchez 5'11 175 S/R SS/2B
Carlos Sanchez is an interesting prospect. It has taken me a lot of thought on whether I like the guy, I like the guy a lot, or I don't like him at all. I've settle somewhere in the vicinity of I like him enough. He has a bat that likes the ball up in the zone he struggles when it is below his hands his swing gets long. He won't ever hit for much power that's not a part of his game. He has average speed and range. He profiles better as a 2b than a SS. He works well enough with his feet up the middle to stay. It would be in his best interest to learn 3rd also, making him a good candidate to be a future Utility player.
3. Jacob Petricka 6'5 210 RHP
65.2 IP, 5.07 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 62K/35BB, .294 BAA 2.85 Groundout/Flyout
Jacob Petricka is an interesting prospect. He throws from a Hi ¾ arm slot and stands with good posture which creates very good downhill plane. His fastball is 90-94 with sink, Slider flashes plus 82-85 with depth and hard break, changeup is a decent pitch 81-83 with mediocre armside fade and sink. When you look at his numbers you would never guess this guy is a prospect, but that's the tricky thing about prospects. It is Petricka's command that has been the issue he needs to develop the ability to throw quality strikes. If he can throw quality strikes he could stick in the back end of a rotation, if not he might be able to go a bullpen and just let it rip.
2. Brady Shoemaker 6'0 200 lbs LF
Brady Shoemaker is 25 playing and playing in High-A. I will lead it off with that and I will also say that he won't be ranked on any prospect lists because of his age. I will then tell you that he barrels the ball at all times, has solid average power, and is a complete gamer. What the White Sox are doing with him is disrespectful to him as a player. He deserves to be in the upper levels of the minors getting his shot to show what he can do. He is a below average runner and his arm is also below average keeping him in LF. He profiles for me as a 4th OF who plays his ass off and eventually impresses a manager enough to get in the lineup enough. He should be Rule 5 eligible next year and it would not shock me if he was selected.
1. Trayce Thompson 6'3 195 lbs. R/R CF
Trayce Thompson, " Trayce is the best worst player I've ever seen.†That quote comes from one of his teammates in Winston Salem. Trayce shows 65 Raw Power, easy 60 runner, 60 range in center, 50 Arm, and maybe a 30 hit tool. Trayce has all the tools that you would ever want in a player and just doesn't have the hit tool. He's athletic so maybe he will be able to come, I'm not a huge fan of his swing path he gets a little long and he gets a little power happy. His strikeout percentage way to high for any possibility of being a starter at the moment, but he's an athlete and still an extremely raw baseball player. Trayce Thompson has the potential to be an allstar, or Trayce Thompson might not make AA. For me Trayce Thompson is a good future 4th OF.
Written by Zach Mortimer @BaseballSpects
About The Author
Related posts
Comments (1)
Drew Osborne
Zach – Where does this group of 5 prospects rank in the Carolina League? It's behind Wilmington's guys, but how far behind?
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
PRIMED Soccer Passing Gates - 6-Pack
Product Information:
Develop accuracy and ball control with the PRIMED™ Soccer Passing Gates. The 20" x 12" passing arches are built with lightweight, flexible plastic and feature metal stakes on the ends to secure the gates on the field. Add the bright targets into soccer practice warm-up drills to improve players' agility, footwork, and dribbling technique and watch in-game passing and foot skills improve thanks to the PRIMED™ Soccer Passing Gates.
- Dimensions: 20" Width x 12" Height
- Materials: Polypropylene (PP)
- Lightweight multi-purpose training aid
- Flexible plastic arches with metal stakes are easy to place and move for alternative drills
- Metal stakes on the ends of each gate push into the ground for secure anchoring
- Passing gates help enhance players' agility and footwork
- Bright target improves dribbling technique
- Set includes 6 passing gates
- Model: PRD00006
Click here for additional information relating to the Manufacturer's Warranty.
Country of Origin: China
Web ID: 20418646
Customer Reviews:
PRIMED Soccer Passing Gates - 6-Pack
Great tool for my son to practice
It's so good that my sons coach got some too. We all have fun with them.
November 5, 2014
Product exactly as advertised
Overall good product waiting to see how durable they are due to being light weight
September 2, 2014
Good product
Easy to use. Great teaching tool for young players.
August 26, 2014
Great product for the price.
Great product for kids that are learning the fundamental of soccer.
August 5, 2014
Great for the price
I shopped all around for the same product and kept running into the same problem...too expensive!! When I came across this I was skeptical but after using it for the past month it's great
August 5, 2014
Great for teaching dribbling and passing skills
These worked great as we used them in multiple ways to increase foot work skills.
July 16, 2014
easy to use simple and well made
These gates are well constucted. The plastic is flexible and the metal ends make it easy to insert into the ground.
June 25, 2014
decent quality for their price
Used them a couple of times now and have held up so far but time will tell how durable they are over time. But for the price they seem pretty decent so far.
May 20, 2014
excellent product
This product is wonderful for precision passing and ball control. I couldn't ask for a better product...only wish I had it available when I was growing up.
April 17, 2014
We love it! But not entirely for what it's designated for.
My kids love it. And have used it to create a quasi-croquet-soccer game of undetermined rules that is part obstacle course, part h.o.r.s.e., part horsing around. But outdoors, and long-lasting fun. Brilliant.
March 4, 2014


text:
There are some true personalties in the social media world, people that really know their stuff and deliver their thoughts in an engaging and enthusiastic way. One of those live-wires is Amy Schmittauer of Savvy Sexy Social. Read on for great some insight…
1 – Describe what you do in 140 characters or less?
I help small businesses OWN their social media presence.
2 – You are certainly one busy digital lady, how do manage such an engaged Web 2.0 life?
Isn't that what they call passion? It's funny because I am so excited to use the same platforms that I teach my clients about. Social media is such an amazing driver of conversation and even better for meeting new people, so it just comes naturally for me to want to update frequently and share my life with that awesome group of people.
3 – You make great use of video, publishing regular vlogs, what is it about video that appeals to you so much?
Multimedia is always a huge win. That's why we see Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, etc. doing so well. People like to see first and read later. When I first started with video, it was more about having the opportunity to edit and produce rather than be the personality. But eventually I knew if I wanted to share good stuff often, I would only have myself to depend on. So I got comfortable with being on camera and used YouTube to be one of the few people in my field sharing expertise with attention-grabbing, personality-filled, super edited, HD video. I get to have a deeper connection with my audience this way, keeping their attention and teaching them from thing new. Something I myself can't accomplish quite as well with writing.
4 – There have been recent rumblings that blogging may not be as important for brands moving forward, would you agree?
If the brands aren't interested in site traffic, then sure, I agree. But the businesses I've worked with are looking for those visitors from social media, therefore they have to consider blogging because "check out our website" only works so many times. You have to have new, relevant, helpful content rolling out if you want to build a trusting relationship with your potential and returning customers No matter how you look at it, the audience loves content. Why wouldn't they? It's free! So brands need to embrace it if they want any referral traffic.
5 – What is the first thing you look at when a business asks you to help them with their digital/social media communications?
Usually they have given it a shot before I talk to them, so I of course look at the current presence online and give some insight on why certain things might not be working or why they should do more of what does. But even more important than that, I talk to them about their business goals and their current marketing strategy so we can take that insight and refine it to something that converts to social media and connects with that online audience.
6 – What do you see at the biggest social media challenges for businesses in the year ahead?
From what I can tell, it's not much different from what I've seen in previous years and that's thinking about social media is a must and not an investment. If you want to have a business, you are already signing yourself up to market it as well. And since the fastest and most personal way to connect with customers at this point in time is on social media platforms, the mindset needs to be that this is a necessary outlet like email, phones, traditional marketing, etc. Instead of asking how much your return will be, think about how social media helps you do better business and how much that will increase your profit margin.
7- And finally, what can we expect to see from Amy in 2012?
Well so far it's a lot of travel! I went to the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Heading to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Playlist Live in Orlando, BlogWorld in New York City, and Vidcon in L.A. And that's only through June! When I travel, I film a lot more so definitely watch for some fun times on my Schmittastic channel. You'll also see great content and video updates as usual on Savvy Sexy Social if you're interested in learning more about social media and how it can help your small business or get you to the entrepreneurial status you've been reaching for.
Big thanks to Amy for her time!
Amy is the Founder & Face of Savvy Sexy Social. She is a social media frenzy working as a social relations consultant, blogger, and vlogger. Connect with her on Twitter and subscribe to the Schmittastic channel on YouTube.
If you liked this post, please do share on Twitter >>>Tweet
Enjoying reading The Social Penguin Blog? Why not subscribe to our RSS, follow us on Twitter or join Dave on Facebook.


text:
noun plural but usually singular in construction \ˌmath-ˈma-tiks, ˌma-thə-\: the science of numbers, quantities, and shapes and the relations between them
Full Definition of MATHEMATICS
First Known Use of MATHEMATICS
Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms
Rhymes with MATHEMATICS
(Concise Encyclopedia)Science of structure, order, and relation that has evolved from counting, measuring, and describing the shapes of objects. It deals with logical reasoning and quantitative calculation. Since the 17th century it has been an indispensable adjunct to the physical sciences and technology, to the extent that it is considered the underlying language of science. Among the principal branches of mathematics are algebra, analysis, arithmetic, combinatorics, Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries, game theory, number theory, numerical analysis, optimization, probability, set theory, statistics, topology, and trigonometry.
Learn More About MATHEMATICS
Previous Word in the Dictionary: mathematician
All Words Near: mathematics
Ask The Editor Videos
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up mathematics? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).


text:
Hey! We highly recommend you launch this experiment in Google Chrome. It may run slower, or not at all, in other browsers.
Okay, I'll download Google Chrome I'm willing to risk itThis experiment is a visualization for the impressive growth Google Technologies User Groups (GTUGs) have been during the past two years. It shows GTUGs being created as white dots, and every GTUG event is shown as a dynamic pulse on the map. 30 seconds after the latest event it starts to rewind (and the globe spins backwards) and starts running again from the beginning.
This experiment was shown on a large (62") screen at GTUG Lounge during the Google I/O 2011 and is being used by dozens of GTUGs all around the world.
Javascript, Processing.js, Google Earth Plugin, JQuery
Comments have been temporarily disabled for this experiment.


text:
Skip Maine state header navigation
Home | Contact Us | Careers | Calendar |
> PFR Home
> Insurance Regulation
> Administrative & Enforcement Actions > Licensee Discipline > INS-08-305
The Staff of the Bureau of Insurance has requested that the Superintendent revoke the insurance license of Paul E. Richard and to impose other appropriate disciplinary sanctions as permitted by law, for multiple violations of the Maine Insurance Code. As discussed more fully below, Mr. Richard induced a chronically ill, totally disabled customer to surrender a life insurance policy for a cash value that was 12% of the policy's death benefit, and engaged in multiple deceptive acts to conceal his policy replacement activities. His Resident Insurance Producer License is therefore revoked, and he is ordered to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $12,500 and repay all commissions earned on the transactions that are the subject of this proceeding. Procedural History and Background Paul E. Richard has been licensed by the Superintendent as a resident insurance producer since October, 1989. On November 30, 2009, Bureau of Insurance Staff filed a Petition for Enforcement against Mr. Richard alleging numerous violations of the insurance laws. The petition was amended pursuant to a motion filed by Bureau of Insurance Staff, by an order dated June 13, 2011. The Superintendent issued a Notice of Hearing on May 12, 2011, and held a public adjudicatory hearing on June 21, 2011, with Bureau Staff appearing as a party pursuant to 5 M.R.S.A. § 9054(5).1 The following facts are not in dispute: On October 9, 2006, Mr. Richard contacted a couple in their early sixties, Mr. O and Ms. O, to discuss retirement planning. They had been referred to him by her sister, one of his customers. (Tr. 31–32; Exh. 8)2 Ms. O worked for TD Banknorth following up on bad checks. (Tr. 110–11) Mr. O had formerly worked as a baker, but was totally and permanently disabled as a result of a work-related lung condition. Mr. Richard observed that Mr. O was continuously receiving oxygen from a nasal tube. (Tr. 34–35, 112) Mr. Richard first met with them on October 11, 2006, when he made a "fact finding visit to find out what their financial situation was" at their home in Auburn, Maine. (Tr. 33, 41) At that visit, he also discussed "The potential annuities that I was recommending for them." (Tr. 53) "At the conclusion of the first meeting," according to Mr. Richard's testimony, he "instructed the [O's] to call me when all the funds that they had intended to put into annuities were available and we'd set up an appointment to take care of the application process." (Tr. 95) He left them some literature on annuities offered by American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company and some handwritten instructions on how to roll over an individual retirement account. (Tr. 43–45, 98, 152; Exh. 36) His second visit was on November 28. (Tr. 52–53; Exh. 18, 20, 22) During the period between those two visits, the O's liquidated the following assets and deposited the proceeds in Ms. O's bank account (Exh. 15,18, 20, 22, 35; Tr. 36, 75–77, 146, 148, 150):
The O's signed the applications, and received their annuities. (Exh. 18–23) Slightly over a year later, on February 3, 2008, Mr. O died. (Exh. 7) The Conseco policy, which was surrendered for $11,935.33 (Exh. 14), would have paid a death benefit of $100,000 (Exh. 16; Tr. 43). Ms. O filed a complaint with the Bureau of Insurance. (Exh. 7) American Equity asked Mr. Richard for a response to the allegations in the complaint. He wrote to American Equity on July 15, 2008, denying that he "persuaded [Mr. O] to cash in his life insurance policy in order to fund an annuity being proposed by me." (Exh. 8) Mr. Richard explained that it "became apparent that Mr. [O] was suffering from a respiratory illness.... He indicated that it would probably be the cause of his demise, although he could not say how long into the future that might be.... By [sic] advising Mr. [O] to surrender a policy worth potentially $100,000 for an annuity worth $12,000 would have been totally unprofessional on my part, and would have been totally unsuitable." (Id.) On April 13, 2010, American Equity agreed to compensate Ms. O for her loss.7 (Exh. 31) Recommendation to Surrender the Conseco Policy The violations alleged in the Amended Petition are based on four underlying allegations of wrongful acts:8 (1) that Mr. Richard recommended that Mr. O surrender the Conseco Policy in order to buy an annuity; (2) that Mr. Richard misrepresented the source of funds when he filled out the annuity applications and suitability questionnaires; (3) that Mr. Richard took advantage of the O's lack of information and inability to make informed decisions; and (4) that the products he sold the O's were unsuitable. Mr. Richard has repeatedly acknowledged that the surrender of the Conseco Policy was not in the O's best interest. In his letter to American Equity, he agrees that such a recommendation would have been "idiotic," "totally unprofessional," and "completely unsuitable." (Exh. 8) In his testimony at the hearing, he stated that regardless of the health of the customer, circumstances where he might recommend surrendering a whole life policy to buy an annuity would be "extremely rare and probably inconceivable," and that in all his experience selling annuities, he had never encountered such a situation. (Tr. 195–96) A factor weighing even more strongly in favor of keeping the Conseco Policy was the waiver-of-premium rider, which provided that if Mr. O became totally disabled before July 23, 2004, his premium would be waived as long as he remained disabled. (Exh. 16) The Social Security Administration determined that Mr. O became totally disabled on December 15, 2003, and he began receiving Social Security disability benefits in June of 2004. (Exh. 17) Mr. Richard testified that he knew Mr. O was receiving disability benefits from his employer and was also receiving Social Security benefits, but did not ask what type of Social Security benefits. (Tr. 35–36) He testified that he was familiar with waiver-of-premium riders, but did not ask the O's whether the Conseco Policy had such a rider. (Tr. 48–49) Therefore, as to the Staff's first allegation, that Mr. Richard wrongfully recommended that Mr. O surrender the Conseco Policy, the only question in dispute is whether Mr. Richard in fact made that recommendation. Ms. O has repeatedly asserted that he did, in her original complaint (Exh. 7), in an affidavit executed on November 5, 2008 (Exh. 11), and in her testimony at the hearing (Tr. 126–28). In the affidavit, Ms. O stated: Mr. O did call for the surrender forms that afternoon. (Exh. 12) He signed the forms 11 days later, on October 22 (Exh. 13), and Conseco Life Insurance Company issued Mr. O a check for $11,935.33 on November 3 (Exh. 14). Although Mr. Richard has always denied that the policy surrender was the result of his recommendation, his denials are contradicted by the written list of assets he provided the O's on a notepad with the American Equity logo and promotional slogan (Exh. 35):
Although Ms. O testified, when she was shown Exhibit 35, that she could not remember when she received it (Tr. 116–17), she also testified that at the first meeting, Mr. Richard "jotted everything down on a piece of paper" that he left with the O's (Tr. 137–38). I find that Exhibit 35 was that piece of paper. Mr. Richard's testimony that Exhibit 35 was prepared at the November 28 meeting (Tr. 40, 42), and that he took no notes and put nothing in writing at the October 11 meeting (Tr. 41–42, 54), is not plausible. None of the dollar values in Exhibit 35 coincides with any of the actual liquidation values for the assets, which are shown in the table on Page 2,10 and the qualified Pacific Life annuity is flagged as "NQ." The three qualified annuities had all increased in value, and the life insurance (for which part of the premium was being paid using the cash value) had decreased in value, consistent with what would be expected to happen between the last statement period before October 11 and the time the assets were liquidated. Mr. Richard initially testified that the figures in Exhibit 35 are different because they were just "ballpark estimates" the O's had given him.11 (Tr. 54–55) However, when questioned about the level of precision in figures such as $18,892 and $8,045, he acknowledged that the O's "may have had some of the documentation right there in front of them." (Tr. 56) There would be no reason to jot down a proposal based on either rough estimates or old account statements at the November 28 meeting, however, because the November 28 meeting was called only after the O's had notified Mr. Richard that they had liquidated all the assets that would be used to fund the annuities. The exact final values were already available before the meeting began, and everyone knew those were the relevant figures.12 Mr. Richard's testimony is also inconsistent with his July 2008 letter to American Equity. In that letter, as he did at the hearing, he stated "categorically that the allegations stated in the complaint are totally untrue. I did not urge [Mr. O] to surrender his $100,000 life insurance policy in return for a $12,000 cash value in order to fund an IRA."13 (Exh. 8) As noted earlier, he stated that such a recommendation "would have been totally unprofessional on my part, and would have been completely unsuitable. My ethical standards are completely above any recommendation of that kind." (Id.) However, he provided a completely different explanation of what actually happened. In his letter, he never mentioned even being aware of the existence of the policy, let alone recommending that Mr. O surrender it. Instead, he provided the following explanation of the transaction as he remembered it: As Mr. Richard now acknowledges, at the time of the transaction he knew exactly what all the sources of funds were for each of the three annuities. (Tr. 101–03) None of those funds were in Ms. O's bank account until after the initial consultation – they were only held there temporarily after the O's liquidated the original investments. (Id.; Tr. 95; Exh. 15, 35) Although Mr. Richard was at some point aware that there were material inaccuracies in the letter, he testified that he never contacted American Equity to correct the record, because "I was never asked to." (Tr. 106) Later, Mr. Richard's attorney furnished him with documentation that described the sources of the funds – including the Conseco Policy surrender – and conclusively demonstrated that he was aware of those sources no later than the time of the application. (Tr. 100; Exh. 15, 35) Seeing these documents appears to have significantly refreshed his memory, because at the hearing, he testified that he remembered a number of significant facts he had previously forgotten. In particular, in his July 2008 letter, Mr. Richard wrote: At the hearing, by contrast, he testified that the policy surrender was entirely the O's idea – after he arrived at their house on November 28, he "was surprised" (Tr. 85) – " shocked" (Tr. 86) – to discover that the Conseco Policy was one of the assets they had liquidated. (Tr. 85) According to Mr. Richard's testimony, he had discussed the pros and cons of surrendering the policy with the O's at the October 11 meeting (Tr. 46–47, 83–84), and that "My recommendation was to keep the life insurance policy." (Tr. 46) He added that "I don't think cashing in the life insurance policy would have been a reasonable option." (Tr. 85) However, he was evasive and inconsistent as to whether he actually communicated that recommendation to the O's. At one point, he said unequivocally that he did. (Tr. 85) Earlier, however, when asked specifically whether he had told the O's to keep the policy, he replied "I told them ... no, I ... I ... I told them they'd have to decide between themselves and weigh the advantages and disadvantages as to whether they should keep the policy or ... or surrender it." (Tr. 47) According to Mr. Richard's testimony, after he found out that Mr. O had taken the unreasonable step of surrendering the Conseco policy, despite being shocked by this action and aware that he was the one with expertise in insurance matters, he "wasn't going to criticize that decision" (Tr. 97) and did not discuss the possibility that they might be able to undo the policy surrender (Id.; Tr. 87) That is not consistent with the strong feelings he consistently expressed that a policy surrender in these circumstances is unreasonable and unusual, and neither is his testimony that he failed to mention this shocking event in his letter to American Equity because he "didn't remember the specifics" by the time American Equity asked him about Ms. O's complaint. (Tr. 106) I therefore find it more likely than not that both of his versions of events were deliberate lies, not simple lapses of memory. Failure to Disclose Policy Replacements As noted earlier, each application asked: "Will this annuity replace any existing insurance or annuities in this or any other company? (If Yes, complete replacement forms.)," and Mr. Richard checked "No" in two of the applications while leaving the third blank without providing replacement information. (Exh. 18, 20, 22) Mr. Richard added in the suitability acknowledgment that the source of funds for each qualified annuity was IRAs (Exh. 18, 22), and the source of funds for the nonqualified annuity was savings (Exh. 20). In his letter to American Equity, he explained further that the nonqualified annuity was funded by "funds in a regular savings account that was earning minimal interest rates." (Exh. 8) As Mr. Richard acknowledged, he was aware when he filled out the applications that all three annuities were funded in whole or part with the proceeds from the surrender of annuities or of a life insurance policy. (Tr. 103) He explained his failure to disclose this fact by stating that the policies were not "existing" policies at the time of the applications because they had already been liquidated. (Tr.104) The policies were, however, existing at the time he made the replacement recommendation. Under Mr. Richard's interpretation of the term "existing policy," the disclosure of replacement sales is only required when the application is completed before the old policy has been surrendered. There is no sensible basis for that distinction, and even if Mr. Richard sincerely believed that he was giving the precisely correct answer to the specific question that was being asked, he knew or should have known (and I find it more likely than not that he knew very well), that he was omitting material information that he should have disclosed in order to avoid submitting a misleading application. In addition, Ms. O testified that the proceeds of all but one of the asset liquidations were made payable directly to her or to Mr. O,14 and deposited into her personal account, because "Mr. Richard told us that he didn't want the original checks, that he wanted a personal check." (Tr. 147) I find this testimony credible, and I infer, from his other misrepresentations about his replacement sales practices, that the purpose of his request was to conceal the source of the funds. Improper Sales Practices Next, the Petition alleges that Mr. Richard "knew, or should have known, that the [O's] emotional and medical conditions would likely prevent them from making properly considered decisions about purchases," that he deprived them "of a fair opportunity to read and otherwise consider written materials related to products he was selling," and that he failed "to take reasonable efforts to determine whether the [O's] in fact understood the nature of products he recommended that they purchase." I do not find that Mr. Richard deprived the O's of a fair opportunity to read the product literature – that was dropped off on October 11, and they had ample opportunity to ask questions between then and November 28. However, Ms. O said that during that time, they "read a little bit of it, but didn't understand much about it." (Tr. 152) Product literature is helpful, but is not a substitute for face-to-face communication with the customer has a clear understanding. In addition to the general obligations of an insurance producer, Mr. Richard also had a particular obligation, under a consent judgment of the Maine Superior Court to settle allegations that he had violations of the securities laws, that before making any sales of annuities or life insurance policies, he "must have reasonable grounds for believing that the product is suitable for the particular customer based on the customer's (1) age and health; (2) current and likely future employment status; (3) financial situation, including other investments; and (4) financial needs, goals, and priorities," and must document that he has acquired sufficient information.15 (Exh. 28) Nevertheless, Mr. Richard testified that he took only "mental notes" at his initial meeting. He took pains to keep the information in the application as minimal as possible, and left no record of any suitability analysis. He testified that when he realized his customers were making an unreasonable decision, he did not question it. That is not a proper suitability review, an adequate sales presentation, or a fair sales practice. Suitability Issues Finally, the Staff alleges that the annuities sold were not suited to the O's insurance and financial needs. As discussed above, and as acknowledged by Mr. Richard in both his letter to American Equity and his testimony, the nonqualified annuity was unsuitable as a replacement for the Conseco Policy. I do not find sufficient evidence in this record, however, to conclude that the qualified annuities were unsuitable, nor to conclude that the nonqualified annuity was inherently unsuitable for Ms. O's needs or unsuitable in comparison to the Raymond James investments. Although it is Mr. Richard's fault that the application materials do not contain any information comparing the old and new annuities, that is a separate violation. There is no evidence refuting Mr. Richard's statement that the O's existing investments were not performing to their satisfaction. (Exh. 8) Ms. O agreed that it was desirable to have all their investments in the same place (Tr. 124), and there is no evidence that the O's had any problems with the performance of the annuities. Remedies Mr. Richard caused serious harm by persuading a disabled man to cash in his life insurance policy. He agreed that if the allegations in Ms. O's complaints were true, his conduct would have been totally unprofessional. He also engaged in a long-term, complex pattern of deception to conceal not only the true nature and history of this transaction but more generally, to launder his replacement activities through customers' personal bank accounts. These dishonest practices demonstrate that he is untrustworthy to act as an insurance producer, and call for the revocation of his license pursuant to 24-A M.R.S.A. § 1420-K(1)(H). In addition, 10 M.R.S.A. § 8003(5)(A-1)(3) authorizes the Superintendent to impose a civil penalty of up to $1500 for each violation by a Bureau of Insurance licensee. Accordingly, I am imposing the following civil penalties for each of the following ten violations, for a total penalty of $12,500: Finally, 24-A M.R.S.A. § 12-A(6) authorizes the Superintendent to order restitution for any insured injured by a violation of the Insurance Code. All of Mr. Richard's commissions on sales to the O's were earned through deceptive sales practices, and I am therefore ordering him to repay them to Ms. O as restitution. Order and Notice of Appeal Rights It is therefore ORDERED:
This Decision and Order is a final agency action of the Superintendent of Insurance within the meaning of the Maine Administrative Procedure Act. It is appealable to the Superior Court in the manner provided in 24-A M.R.S.A. § 236 and M.R. Civ. P. 80C. Any party to the hearing may initiate an appeal within thirty days after receiving this notice. Any aggrieved non-party whose interests are substantially and directly affected by this Decision and Order may initiate an appeal on or before August 30, 2011. There is no automatic stay pending appeal; application for stay may be made in the manner provided in 5 M.R.S.A. § 11004. 1 By Order dated October 25, 2010, the Superintendent, acting pursuant to 24 M.R.S.A. § 210, appointed Bureau of Insurance General Counsel Robert Alan Wake to serve as hearing officer in this proceeding, with full authority to take final agency action on her behalf. 2 Citations to the hearing transcript are abbreviated as (Tr.), and citations to the exhibits offered by the Staff and admitted at the hearing are abbreviated as (Exh.) 3 Although the policy was generally referred to as the "Conseco Policy," as it will be in this Decision and Order, the issuing insurer was United Presidential Insurance Company. (Exh. 16) United Presidential is in the Conseco group and its representatives used the Conseco brand in their communications. (Exh. 12–16) 4 Although the funds came primarily or entirely from Mr. O (Exh. 14, 35), Ms. O was designated as the owner and annuitant. (Exh. 20–21) 5 Mr. O also rolled over a union pension benefit, and received a check for $8,564.63 that was made out directly to "American Equity Investment" for the benefit of Mr. O. (Tr. 63–64; Exh. 18) That check was applied to his qualified annuity, for a total premium of $29,225.15. (Exh. 18) 6 Mr. O's application phrased this as "Rollover of IRA's." 7 American Equity also entered into a consent agreement to resolve a separate adjudicatory proceeding that had been consolidated with this proceeding, No. INS-10-202. (Exh. 32) However, I do not find that American Equity's acceptance of responsibility has any probative value as to the allegations against Mr. Richard, and my findings regarding Mr. Richard's conduct are based entirely on the other evidence in the record. 8 The Petition as originally filed alleged further that Mr. Richard used the nonqualified proceeds of the Conseco Policy to fund a qualified annuity. The Staff acknowledged in its Motion to Amend that this was an error. Mr. Richard may have been the source of the Staff's misunderstanding. In his letter to American Equity, he paraphrases Ms. O's complaint – inaccurately (Exh. 7) – as alleging that he recommended using the policy surrender proceeds "to fund an IRA." (Exh. 8) He goes on to describe Mr. O's qualified annuity as the only annuity for which some of the funds were derived from unknown sources, and Mr. Richard took pains to deny that he would knowingly commingle qualified and nonqualified funds. (Id.) 9 He used the familiar short forms of the O's first names. 10 Those values are derived from a second set of notes which Mr. Richard unquestionably took at the November 28 meeting (Exh. 15), and their sums are equal, to the penny, to the amounts in Ms. O's personal checks used to purchase the three annuities (Exh. 18, 20, 22). 11 It is not clear whether he was saying these were estimates the O's gave him at the start of the second meeting, or were based on his recollection of the unwritten "mental notes" he said he took at the first meeting. (Tr. 41, 54) 12 Underneath the figures copied above, Mr. Richard later wrote and circled the figure 20,660.52. (Tr. 49; Exh. 35) As Mr. Richard testified, that amount which is the sum of the rollover values of Mr. O's Pacific Life and Modern Woodmen annuities, was not based information available at the October 11 meeting and therefore could only have been written at the November 28 meeting. (Tr. 93–94) However, that does not prove that the rest of Exhibit 35 was also prepared at the November 28 meeting. It would be normal for the O's to have this proposal with them when it came time to write the checks and sign the applications regardless of whether it was prepared an hour earlier or a month earlier. 13 Later in his letter, he clarified that the phrase "to fund an IRA" was not intended to limit the categorical nature of his denial: "I had never recommended that [Mr. O] surrender a life insurance policy with a death benefit of $100,000 in order to get a cash surrender value of $12,000 as alleged in the complaint." (Exh. 8) 14 The one exception, the union pension plan check written directly to American Equity for the benefit of Mr. O, was not for an annuity written by an insurance company and therefore did not constitute an insurance replacement transaction. 15 The consent judgment also permanently enjoined Mr. Richard "from holding himself out as providing any type of planning services to the elderly." (Exh. 28) He explained that his use of "Elder Planning Associates" as his official mailing address (Exh. 5) was the result of an inadvertent failure to update his records (Tr. 200), and that he did not violate the injunction when he called the O's for "retirement planning" because he did not realize they were elderly. (Tr. 32, 100) He did, however, know that Ms. O's sister was a retiree (Tr. 32), and his American Equity customer records show that out of the 39 customers listed, Ms. O, who applied the day before her 62nd birthday, was the second-youngest. The youngest was 55 years old and had a spouse aged 68. (Exh. 24)
Last Updated: January 16, 2014 |
Copyright © 2006 All rights reserved. |


text:
ALERT: Inclement Weather Advisory for Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Lesley University Inclement Weather Advisory Information Read more... »
The Counseling and Psychology graduate programs will prepare you for a career as a highly skilled and effective counselor.Learn more »
The MFA Program in Creative Writing nurtures and challenges your literary promise through rich mentor relationships and interdisciplinary study.Learn more »
The Expressive Therapies programs provide a powerful connection between the arts, theory, and clinical training for the purpose of inspiring positive change in individuals, families, and communities.Learn more »
The International Higher Education and Intercultural Relations graduate program prepares students to understand and create positive change with culturally diverse populations.Learn more »
The Master of Arts in Mindfulness Studies will help you bring the contemplative practice of mindfulness into your professional practice and personal life.Learn more »
The Interdisciplinary Studies Division encourages you to reach beyond traditional academic boundaries and chart new paths of praxis as you establish yourself as a leader in a specialized professional field.Learn more »
888.LESLEY.U / 617.349.8300Request more information | Apply Now
Dean Catherine Koverola has penned an open letter to faculty, staff, and students of the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences in regards to recent events that have gained widespread attention and spurred a national dialogue. Read Dean Koverola's letter, posted in it's entirety here.
Dr. Beardall's work has focused on dance, dance/movement therapy, and cognitive, social, and emotional development using dance and the expressive arts in the public schools.
Division of Expressive Therapies
Division of Counseling and Psychology
This week I met with a group of faculty and staff to discuss the shape and scope of our intentions regarding the "Black Lives Matter" movement at Lesley. We began by posing the question "How best can we move these conversations to action?"
The Institute for Arts and Health promotes the use of the arts for the health and well being of all individuals in educational, community, and institutional settings.
Learn more about our programs, meets faculty, students, and alumni, and get on the path to an exciting graduate career.