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See other Houston properties
Houston International Hostel
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These are trusted reviews from guests who have actually stayed here. We hope you find them helpful.
Note: we only give a property a rating once it has received a minimum of 3 reviews.
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- " arrived ten minutes before the close of business and no one checked us, we had to leave and pay at another hotel "
- 02 Jan 2015 Alberto Mexico
- " The place was full of bed bugs! I had to fight my refund for my night stay. Please stay away from this hostel! Don't bother with it... and I'm still waiting on hostels.com to refund me my fee since I did not stay at the hostel due to the bed bugs. This place is so disgusting! "
- 24 May 2014 Juan
- " A friendly but small Hostel. Slightly bohemian, but good beds and pleasent clean rooms and bathrooms. Excellent value for money. "
- 21 Apr 2014 Harry


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Is everyone insane? Kaepernick called audible on the last play
By TED SILLANPAA Quick hitter…tired of the Super Bowl and tired in general. But, I'm still hearing 49ers' fans and members of the media criticize the play-calling on the final series inside the goal line against the Ravens. Where were the running plays? Well, was fixing to run a misdirection play around left end, with Frank Gore lead blocking, when Jim Harbaugh saw the play clock running out and called timeout. I've not seen or heard any gas-bag writer or… Read More »


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The Gospel
Center for Biblical Studies
The Center for Biblical Studies is a ministry of Southern View Chapel in Springfield, Illinois. SVC is dedicated to the proclamation of the Word of God to the glory of Christ. Our purpose statement is "Learning Truth, Living Truth." SVC also sponsors Think on These Things which is a biblical discernment ministry that examines contemporary issues and theology through the lens of Scripture. The general ministries of Southern View Chapel, the discernment ministry of "Think on These Things" and the academic studies of the Center for Biblical Studies all seek to provide a solid understanding of Scripture in order that the people of God might be "adequate, equipped for every good work." (2 Tim 3:17 NASB).
The new classes for the Center for Biblical Studies will begin January 15 and continue through April 30.
One course of study will be "Moral Purity taught by Pastor Richard Nix. The course will be taught on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at SVC. The purpose of this class is to cover several of the biggest moral issues of our day. Subjects covered will be morality definition from Scripture, a biblical view of sex, homosexuality, and pornography. Attention will be given to applying purity in these areas and to helping others who struggle with moral purity. The tuition for the course has been waived.
The second course of study will be "Mastering Your Money" taught by Pastor Gary Gilley. The course will be taught on Wednesday evenings from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at SVC and will end March 12. This course will focus on how to handle your finances in a practical manner that will bring glory to God. Subjects will include: budgeting, planning, savings, insurance, investing, retirement and more. There are no books required for this course. The tuition for the course has been waived.


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Soft organic fleece sweatshirt in grey tone featuring a kestrel and horse print.
Long sleeves and crew neckline.
100% Organic Cotton
This item is made from certified organic cotton.
This is part of our ongoing commitment to eco friendly fashion.
Machine wash at 30°, Iron on reverse side only
The Stella McCartney fit can be quite small so we advise you to choose a size up if you want room to grow.


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MOCA and Vanity Fair Party: Tracey Emin Draws Kevin Spacey and Huge Art Crowd
Yes, we cut in front of the paparazzi to take a shot of Kevin Spacey posing with Tracey Emin. And what?
The black walls inside the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami are glowing and buzzing with Tracey Emin's work. Lines like "People Like You Need to Fuck People Like Me" and "My Cunt Is Wet with Fear" become iconic when emanating flattering light from delicate neon tubes.
We met Jay Thomas, an attendee at the opening of "Angel Without You" who wasn't familiar with Emin's work. He observed that the interior "looked like a bar," and that "this is what the inside of Twitter looks like."
After briefly meeting her, we can assume that the British art star would contest this crass assessment. But if you take a look at what's hanging on the walls, he's not totally off. Neon does often signify something's for sale, and there was a sexy bar vibe at MOCA last night that's not typical for a museum. Also, re: the Twitter comment, the neon-sculpted phrases were intimate and seemingly scribbled -- some poetic, some about anal sex. (Hey, why not?). And there were those works showing a pretty bird or -- in true Tweeter fashion -- a woman's uncrossed legs, revealing a glowing crotch.
Like the Internet, there was nothing boring about the show and everything emotional. But unlike the Internet, it felt warm, personal, and memorable.
Place was packed with people to ogle too.
This year, the most popular person at the pre-Art Basel kickoff MOCA Vanity Fair party was the artist. You might think that's how it "should be" or how it actually is, but for artists, and those who attend art events, you know the more popular creature at an art party is not any human being. It is the booze. People crowd the free bars, drooling hungrily at Art Basel time. But Tracey Emin is one of those few artists who has herself become an actual celebrity. One that other celebrities come out to see.
Hola, Tracey.
Emin arrived at the opening a half hour before showtime. And though many from the media made it out even earlier in an attempt to speak with the artist, her energy and handlers kept most at bay. Like moths, folks circled her from a safe-from-swatting distance. But, we at New Times swooped in not long after Telemundo's cameras switched off, and asked about how the Knight Foundation-supported show came together.
"It was a collaboration." Emin said of the exhibition of mostly original work commissioned specifically for this show. "Bonnie Clearwater (the former chief curator at MOCA) wanted to do a show with me like eight years ago, so it was like, what kind of show are we going to do? We wanted to do a show that'd never been done before. This much neon has never been shown in any museum space before and I've never shown in an American museum before. So double whammy!"
MOCA was also the first U.S. museum to purchase one of Emin's works, a 1998 video "Why I Never Became a Dancer," which was appropriately on display.
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Zella 'Streamline - Live In' Mesh Inset Capri Leggings
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I love the Zella line and like most Zella products, these capris were super soft and very well made. I think the overall quality is better than Lulu, and Nordies has a fabulous return policy.Unfortunately, these didn't work for me. I'm 5'9" and a size small. These fit everywhere EXCEPT at my calves. The calf part was really tight on me, and I have pretty skinny calves. The only thing I can think of is because I'm so tall, these hit me at the fullest part of my calf, whereas on a shorter person, they would hit lower towards the ankle where the calf narrows.
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American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Making effective communication, a human right, accessible and achievable for all.
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Below is a compilation of ASHA web resources of interest to educational audiologists. This information was shared at the June 2013 EAA summer conference.
Guidelines for Audiology Service Provision in and for Schools
Schools Survey 2012: Trends in Educational Audiology [PDF]
State Hearing Screening Requirements [PDF]
State Licensure Trends and Quarterly Updates
State Teacher Requirements Licensing Trends—Audiology [PDF]
Support Personnel Requirements in School Settings [PDF]
Advocacy and School Finance PowerPoint Module
Early Intervening Services: Funding Implications for Audiologists [PDF]
Medicaid Coverage of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
School Funding Advocacy
School-Based Medicaid Services: Audiology
Billing and Reimbursement
Coding for Reimbursement
Coding for Reimbursement Frequently Asked Questions: Audiology
CPT Coding for Otoacoustic Emissions: Frequently Asked Questions
ICD-10-CM Preparation Checklist
Resources to Help Audiologists and SLPs Get Ready for ICD-10-CM
ASHA Analysis of the 2011 IDEA Part C Final Regulations [PDF]
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Resources
IDEA '04 Assistive Technology Definition Revision
ASHA's IDEA website
IDEA Issue Brief: Cochlear Implants
IDEA Issue Brief: Interpreting Services for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing
IDEA Part C Issue Brief: Implications for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists Who Provide Services for Infants and Toddlers With Hearing Loss and Their Families
Classroom Acoustics Resources
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Students With Hearing Loss: Important Role for Educational Audiologists
Listen to Your Buds
Practice Portal
Resource Guide for Educational/Pediatric Audiologists
School Setting Resources for Audiologists
School-Age Hearing Screening
ASHA Partners With Educational Audiology Association
Educational Audiologists Enhance Access to Communication
Identifying and Managing Hearing Loss in School-Age Children [PDF]
Identifying and Managing Hearing Loss in School-Age Children (Spanish) [PDF]
Contact ASHAsphere
Log on to the ASHA Community
Like ASHA on Facebook
Like ASHA's Classroom Acoustics Facebook Page (Facebook login required)
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Abolish congress and replace with internet voting?
Submitted by danni on Mon, 01/21/2013 - 00:24What does everyone think of this idea? The rest of the constitution, separation of powers, etc. would remain intact. Just get rid of congress and instead have everyone either vote directly, or for those who don't want to vote directly, they can allow a representative to vote for them.
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Here's one simple way - Simplified
Step 1: Convert all personal, PIN & election information to numbers (aka binary)
Step 2: Multiply all those numbers to obtain a long code.
Step 3: Record that result and email it to authorities early for registration.
Step 4: Repeat with vote choices and secret PIN code.
Step 5: Record that result also.
Step 6: Email codes (Steps 3 & 5) on voting day (or week) to publicly displayed list.
Step 7: Verify your resulting codes are both publicly displayed by authorities AND private activist/news sites.
If they are not, then the first code is used to find the fraudulent location so all those people can re-verify their votes as accurate.
It won't stop the changes taking place but it will expose them instantly.
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Does anyone here
have a better idea? How do we make those in Washington and your capitol accountable and Really Represent their people in their States?
Republic of Laws? Yes but The voting System in this Country is about as reliable as expecting a Junkie to show up for work after payday. So we obviously need to do something different.
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
"Freedom is Popular"
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Ron Paul never voted for an unconstitutional Bill.
To do so is Treason by failing the uphold and defend the Constitution.
We are told the Constitution is the Law of the Land.
Treason puts the bite in the Constitution.
Men voluntarily take the oath. They are bound to it under the Constitution and the Laws of Nations.
Or would be if we consented to the Constitution as the imperfect Law of the Land.
Free includes debt-free!
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I hear ya completely.
But If our elections were legit either Ron Paul or Gary Johnson would have probably been elected the GOP candidate. But they weren't. The whole thing was a farce. The Articles of Confederation were drafted and then thrown out. Then the Constitution was drafted and we stuck to it. But We still have an obligation if we value our lives and happiness and security and safety to abolish or alter the Law or Government that fails to do it's job.
"Freedom is Popular"
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Going back to paper ba
ballots.. It's not tamper proof but it sure made it a lot harder to cheat. We could pass laws for transparency..
The main problem we have is those in office who are busy figuring out new ways to cheat. It's a moral issue. The whole lot of them are corrupt.
Changing the voting system will only effect a small portion of the sickness.
Patriot Cell #345,168
I don't respond to emails or pm's.
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution, inevitable.
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Given that democracy is two wolves and one sheep voting
on what is for dinner, I would say your proposal might amount to jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
How about just abolishing the federal government and let people vote with their dollars to get what they want. That cuts out the middleman, and puts the votes in a forum where they have a real effect.
"Bend over and grab your ankles" should be etched in stone at the entrance to every government building and every government office.
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Let's abolish congress
Congress, the presidency, and the 4,000,000 other govt employees can be abolished/sent packing and we can use the internet to post vital information about our breakfasts on Facebook.
Currently consuming: Morehouse's "Better off free", FDR; Wii U; NEP Football
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Such closed minds here
I'm really appalled at the lack of insight of people here.
"...but people are too dumb" Wow, groups are dumb because of interactive peer pressure. A person can be very intelligent. It's that intelligence we have to tap and there are very easy ways to collect individual ideas and opinions without the interference of peer pressure.
"...but that's a democracy and that's two wolves winning" That's simply a non-related argument. What's being proposed is not the rule of democratic votes but the rule of law being voted on by democratic processes. The process of creating a law, statute or budget would remain unchanged except that it would be done BY a different representative of the people. ...namely, all the people themselves.
"...but it's a computer and we all know those can be manipulated"
"...but paper ballots can't be corrupted" Ok, these are simply idealistic comments. Our paper ballot system now gains us absolutely zero accountability of the process. Ballots are lost, disenfranchised, extras are added, entire precincts are forgotten about and we still have hanging chads that inject confusion into the tally. Compare this to VISA/MC where 'to the penny' accounting with less than .2% fraud occurring and you'll see that computers CAN be orders of magnitude more accurate. Also, a computer CAN VERY EASILY ascertain the true wishes of the people by methods like 'ranked' voting of multiple choices (which eliminates voting AGAINST the most evil), and qualified voting which informs the voter of related info while making the choice. It could also, AND WE HERE SHOULD ALL BE AWARE OF THIS ONE, ELIMINATE the multiple levels of candidates. By that I mean no primaries or party selections where our choices are limited by some elite group controlling the nominees. (Sound close to home???)
"...but what happens when we take away one branch of the government?" Again, this is not removing a branch, this is populating it with different people. The process not only remains in place but gains in diversity, experience, long-term memory, legitimacy, current-ness, balance, non-corruptability.
Given what we have now, where corruption is THE NAME OF THE GAME in every law, statute and budget, why would anyone not see the benefit of this? The only consideration in it is that the actual mechanism be transparent (i.e. open source in computer terms) and controlled by the very people it gathers its votes from.
In the area of "just think what it could be like"... consider the changes that would take place if every issue created an online, ongoing and unlimited debate, which then led to an open sourced bill, which then led to a legislative change and the entire process was in a constant state of audit by anyone who cares for Constitutional, merit based and 'will of the people' content.
Under such a system, does anyone here believe that the following practices would have survived very long?: Citizen's United; Posse Comatatus; Fractional Reserve Banking; employer-based insurance; GMOs; cancer cure bans; corporations' legal requirement to put shareholders' income first; two-tiered public stock offerings; domestic drones / military; police altering their motto from 'protect and serve'; unsubstantiated military pre-emptive strikes; Sandy Hook; birther/truther/waco/etc. investigations; and possibly the biggest - SCOTUS appointments.
This is how I would expect an open mind to react to such a proposal.
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I am not calling for a pure
I am not calling for a pure democracy. You all realize that our system of government has an element of democracy in it, yes? I am saying I think it is an interesting idea to take this portion of the government's power away from the corrupt politicians and into the hands of the people (who are currently powerless and I would argue have no representation in congress).
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Who does the rest?
Who introduces and drafts legislation? Who issues budgets? How will the people be represented? What happens to separation of powers when you remove one of them?
I think the more unattractive aspect of your proposal is that it reinforces federalism. I'm leaning more towards states rights and independence.
Most of those who think so actually don't and most of those who think sew actually rip.
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Why be negative?
Why not, "How could this go right?"
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Fail to see the problem
I dont know why people are down voting this. If It started with a couple states and caught on it prolly could not be much worse than the current system now. Like the Greeks did One white Stone for Aye and a Black Stone for Nay. We have overcomplicated basic voting in this country. the Current congressional and Assembly system we have know obviously does not work. So like in the beginning we should rewrite some sections in the Constitution and rid the opportunity for corruption.
"Freedom is Popular"
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It would be awesome in a world that couldn't lie.
and cheat and steal and commit fraud and murder and start cults that generate black markets of hell..
what a world it would be.
A true flower can not blossom without sunlight and a true man can not live without love.
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Democracy is 2 wolves and a
Democracy is 2 wolves and a sheep voting on what is for dinner. Liberty is a well armed sheep contesting the vote.
"Let it not be said that no one cared, that no one objected once it's realized that our liberties and wealth are in jeopardy."
― Ron Paul
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Bread and Circuses
"Bread and Circuses is the cancer of democracy, the fatal disease for which there is no cure.
Democracy often works beautifully at first. But once a state extends the franchise to every warm body, be he producer or parasite, that day marks the beginning of the end of the state.
For when the plebs discover that they can vote themselves bread and circuses without limit and that the productive members of the body politic cannot stop them, they will do so, until the state bleeds to death, or in its weakened condition the state succumbs to an invader—the barbarians enter Rome."
— Robert A. Heinlein
The Law
by Frédéric Bastiat
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Fortunately for us, history has taught us (or at least you) that
So, if that is your concern, then under the proposed system, you might want to be the watchdog who points out when it begins slipping. Under the right conditions, wouldn't you think that such a warning would get debated on a similar level as the actual issue of the day?
All this would take is for merit to take a higher value than pure opinion. That's very easy to create in any debate structure. And who wouldn't be for that, given your concerns being injected during its design?
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Double Post
The Law
by Frédéric Bastiat
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off topic.
I sent you a pm but never heard back.
I am leaving for new mexico Saturday. HVAC proportional control system retrofit.
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If you want a democracy
and on SOME issues, I think "democracy" works well.
Love or fear? Choose again with every breath.
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The representatives were there to protect the republic
from democracy.
Now let me ask you. Given as the majority of Americans are too stupid to make informed decision, given as they can change their minds faster than Mitt Romney based on the shallowest of emotions, you really want these people making instant policy decisions?
Most of those who think so actually don't and most of those who think sew actually rip.
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Yes, and they are doing a
Yes, and they are doing a mighty fine job now, aren't they?
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I think their idea still stomps the ass out of your idea.
So being that we have a shitty system now, you want to help it out by giving it the same thing. Why, because it's working great for us now?
Patriot Cell #345,168
I don't respond to emails or pm's.
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution, inevitable.
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Get off your ass and put pen to paper.
We all know electronic voting is susceptible to fraud. You can't hack a paper ballot. And exit polls.
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience"—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
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The CURRENT system of electronic voting is susceptible
but it doesn't have to be that way. It is very easy to design a system with full transparency and accountability at every level.
And hacking a paper ballot isn't really the issue, now is it? The issue is counting them which is fraught with many more problems than electronic voting ever could be.
So why not entertain the idea at least enough to understand how it might work and what all the pros and cons might be?
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If those
WH petitions are a reflection of what kind of policies we'd have...no thank you.
"When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic." – Dresden James
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(Unofficial translation)
Mr Chairman, Dear Colleagues,
France associates itself with the European Union's statement. I would, however, like to add the following national observations.
This past year has seen a certain amount of progress in disarmament and international security, which France welcomes.
Following the success of the NPT Review Conference in 2010, an encouraging new NPT cycle was launched this year with balanced discussions on each of the three pillars. The five nuclear-weapon States are actively working on the implementation of the 2010 Action Plan, which forms our common road map. These States held a first follow-up meeting in Paris in 2011. We then met again in Washington in June 2012 in the lead-up to the 2015 Review Conference.
We have also made progress with the question of nuclear-weapon-free zones. The P5 stand ready to sign the Protocol to the Bangkok Treaty establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in South-East Asia. On 17 September, the five nuclear-weapon States and Mongolia adopted parallel declarations on Mongolia's nuclear-weapon-free status. The conference on the creation of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East is also scheduled for this year. France, along with the EU, is assisting with the preparations for this conference. France is also providing its full support to the facilitator, Mr Laajava.
I would furthermore like to commend the progress made with the ratification of the CTBT over the last twelve months, as six new States have ratified it, including your country, Indonesia, Mr Chairman, which is an Annex II State.
France will not shirk its nuclear disarmament commitments. Since our accession to the NPT, precisely 20 years ago, we have halved our nuclear arsenal and taken irreversible measures such as dismantling our production facilities for fissile material for nuclear weapons. France continues to fully commit to seeking a safer world for all and to work, with all the States, on creating the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons, in accordance with the goals of the NPT, in a way that promotes international stability and based on the principle of undiminished security of all.
Yet nuclear disarmament, as stated by Article VI of the NPT, is just one facet of general and complete disarmament. It cannot be envisaged independently of the other aspects of disarmament and weapons control.
Here again, progress is to be commended. The BTWC Review Conference finished on a high note in December 2011, with a road map to respond to the new challenges created by the development of technologies in this area. The Ottawa and especially Oslo conventions are moving towards universalisation. The conference to review the programme of action on illicit trade in small arms and light weapons recently adopted a consensus outcome document renewing the States' commitments, even though we regret that this document did not go further, especially on the issue of MANPADS.
Most importantly, July 2012 found us on the verge of adopting an ambitious Arms Trade Treaty, thanks to president Roberto GARCÍA MORITÁN's patience, competence and diplomatic skills. We now urgently need to finalise these negotiations, but I will come back to that.
My presentation of our work to promote a safer international environment would not be complete without a word on space and the EU's work to develop an international code of conduct for outer space activities as well as the GGE's work on transparency and confidence-building measures in space.
However, this progress should not blind us to the huge challenges facing us in the coming months. I would like to mention but three of them.
The first is, unfortunately, the continuation and even aggravation of proliferation crises. Nuclear proliferation threatens everyone's security. It hinders the development of civil nuclear cooperation by undermining confidence. It is a hindrance to progress in nuclear disarmament.
The Iranian nuclear crisis is obviously the first in line of these crises. The development of the Iranian nuclear programme, carried out in spite of United Nations Security Council and IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, is a matter of serious concern with regard to international peace and security. The international community shares this view and has repeated it with the adoption by the Board of Governors of a new resolution on Iran on 13 September. We are continuing with our efforts to obtain from Iran that it finally complies with its obligations and to find a long-term diplomatic solution to this crisis. The complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programme is also a priority for the international community, which firmly condemned the rocket launch conducted by North Korea on 13 April this year. Last but not least, light still remains to be shed on Syria's nuclear activities.
In addition to these nuclear crises, there are new, serious concerns over chemical weapons. On 23 July, the Damascus regime publicly acknowledged that it had chemical weapons. This statement is particularly worrying given the level of violence in Syria and the repeated abuses the regime has committed against its people. The President of the French Republic spoke very clearly on this point at the General Assembly a few days ago. Moreover, just a few months from the Third Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Syrian crisis demonstrates the importance of the universalisation of the CWC from the point of view of both disarmament and non- proliferation.
In these same countries, the proliferation of WMDs is coupled, in no less worrying a manner, with new ballistic missile programme developments. The Security Council has repeatedly stressed, especially in its Resolutions 1540, 1887 and 1977, that the proliferation of missiles capable of delivering WMDs constitutes a threat to international peace and security. Huge challenges still lay ahead even as this year marks the tenth anniversary of the HCOC and the twenty-fifth anniversary of the MTCR.
Our second major challenge is the situation with the Conference on Disarmament and the launch of negotiations for a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
The CD urgently needs to finally adopt a programme of work based on the CD/1864 document, approved by consensus in 2009. The launch of negotiations for a fissile material cut-off treaty is the next logical step in nuclear disarmament. Fissile material is the raw material for weapons. This negotiation is the priority, as recognised by Security Council Resolution 1887, by Action 15 of the 2010 NPT Review Conference Action Plan and every year by a General Assembly resolution.
The CD is the sole multilateral body tasked with negotiating universal treaties on disarmament and a large number of countries, including mine, value it highly. It has many successes to its credit, such as the CWC and the CTBT, to name but the most recent. The current situation, created by opposition from one country, is understandably frustrating, including for my own country. Many and varied ideas have been put as to how to overcome this deadlock. Yet the CD's expertise and characteristics, especially the consensus rule and the participation of all the States with key capabilities in the nuclear field, also guarantee that the agreements it negotiates will be truly universal and will make a real contribution to international security. We need to take this into account if we are to avoid finding ourselves in an impasse.
The third major challenge I would like to raise is the Arms Trade Treaty. An ambitious treaty was within our grasp at the conference in July.
We urgently need to conclude these negotiations in the coming months on the strength of July's achievements. This means basing our work on the document submitted by the President on 26 July. The repercussions of arms trade globalisation are such that the international community needs a foundation of shared, legally binding rules to regulate legitimate arms trade and prevent illicit trafficking. This treaty needs to cover all types of transfers and all types of conventional arms, including small arms and light weapons, and their parts, components and ammunition.
Of all the major projects for which we are responsible, the ATT can probably generate the most immediate benefits in terms of international security, humanitarian impacts and combating terrorism and organised crime.
I hope this progress will be the model of efficient multilateralism that France calls for and the demonstration that the United Nations is able to successfully conduct universal consensus negotiations on arms control.
Mr Chairman, Colleagues,
These are the few thoughts I wanted to share with you, at the opening of this committee, on how France sees the major challenges we need to meet and my country's priorities. I will naturally be pleased to discuss these matters in more detail in each of the cluster discussions.
Thank you.


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With Memorial Day Weekend only a few days away, all of us at Relax The Back would like to make your holiday a little more enjoyable. If you suffer from neck, back, or shoulder pain, or simply would like to spend more time stress free and relaxing, we have the perfect products for you. So, whatever your holiday plans may be this weekend, add some extra relaxation and comfort – from Friday through Monday (5/23-5/26), enjoy 15% off nearly everything (some restrictions apply), plus free white glove delivery on purchases of $1,000 or more.
In addition to receiving 15% off, save up to $300 during our TempurPedic TEMPUR-Breeze event, plus 60 month financing (in-store only). Also, receive bonus gifts, a $350 value, when you purchase a Perfect Chair by Human Touch.
Visit your nearest Relax The Back store this weekend for great savings. If you don't happen to live near any of our locations, visit us online at www.relaxtheback.com and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for other promotions.


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Police Commissioner Makes the Grade
Edward F. Davis '90 G
Lowell, MA native, Ed Davis'90G, presides as the 40th Police Commissioner of the City of Boston. He was sworn in by Mayor Thomas Menino on December 4, 2006. Prior to becoming Commissioner of the Boston Police Department, Mr. Davis served as the Superintendent of Police in Lowell, Massachusetts for 12 years. He began his career as a patrol officer in Lowell in 1978 and rose through the ranks before becoming Superintendent in 1994. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the National Leadership Award (2002) from the Police Executive Research Forum.
Commissioner Davis was also the recipient of the prestigious NIJ Pickett Fellowship and attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government's Program for Senior Government Executives at Harvard University. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from New Hampshire College and a Master's degree in Criminal Justice from Anna Maria College.
Commissioner Davis has served on the PERF board of directors and was a founding member and first President of the Massachusetts Major City Chiefs Association.
In the recent past, Commissioner Davis shared his thoughts on his career and law enforcement in general. Here is a summary of his thoughts.
Commissioner Davis, why did you enter the criminal justice field?
"I have always been interested in working in law enforcement, particularly for the local police force, since I can remember. My father was a police officer in Lowell where I grew up and I was able to gain first-hand knowledge of what his work entailed. I started my career as a police officer and really enjoyed my role in protecting local neighborhoods. I liked being out of the office, walking the streets and interacting with the public. I still do."
Why did you select Anna Maria College to continue your education?
"The Catholic Mission of the College was a major draw for me. I grew up in the Catholic education system and always believed it delivered a superior product. AMC was also one of the first Colleges in the area offering criminal justice programs for individuals with full-time careers. Once I started the program I became impressed with the instructors and the overall content of the classes."
How has AMC helped your career?
"The professors were great and understood what their students needed to learn. Many had been or were currently working as practitioners in the field. I remember one of my instructors, Jim Brick, a former Assistant District Attorney, who made a tremendous impact on my professional life. Through his support and knowledge, I became involved in researching DNA, which in the late 80's was just coming into the forefront of law enforcement. At the time, DNA evidence was being used effectively in London and as a result of my studies at AMC, I was able to become knowledgeable about important this cutting-edge program. It really has made a significant difference."
What issues do you see facing Criminal Justice Professionals in the future?
"From where I sit right now, budgeting will continue to be a major concern. Large metro areas will have to carefully evaluate what works and what doesn't work so that the limited funds police forces are receiving can be used to implement programs that are the most effective. For example, I think large communities need to build-up community policing programs and pull-back on other initiatives that have less impact on maintaining the safety of our communities, which of course is our first priority."


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Due to an expression of interest a detached shophouse block at Kampong Glam and three adjoining plots of prime class bungalow land have just been put on the market.
The shophouse block is freehold and is made up of three shophouse units comprising of part one storey and two storey shophouses which are situated at 32, 34 and 34A Sultan Gate. They are currently leased to a tenant in the food and beverage industry until 2015.
Commonwealth Towers Preview Date
The property sits of on a land area of about 7,401 square feet which is designated for conservation under the Kampong Glam Conservation area.It is situated along Sultan Gate off Beach Road.
Prospective buyers have until 3pm on April 23rd to state their expression of interest in the property.
The three adjoining plots of Good Class Bungalow (GCB) at Commonwealth Towers preview have also been put up for sale. These plots are vacant and are situated on regular-shaped land totaling 52,992 square feet along Holland Rise and East Sussex Lane.
The plots can be sold separately or together and the indicative price is approximately $1,500 per square foot (psf). Plot 1 is 17,422 square feet, plot 2 is 18,176 square feet and plot 3 is 17,393 square feet.
Commonwealth Towers Launching Date
The site is within walking distance of Holland Village and Holland Village and Queenstown MRT station and the plots are accessible via two cul-de-sacs at Holland Lane and East Sussex Lane.
Since the beginning of 2014 the GCB market has recorded sales transactions for Commonwealth Towers Condo are ranging from $1,401 psf over a land area of 20,344 square feet for a GCB at Holland Road and $1,976 psf over a land area of 1,577 at Cluny Hill, Mr Poh said.
Queenstown set alive again by Commonwealth Towers
Prospective home buyers of Commonwealth Towers have until 3pm on April 24th to express their interest in these plots.


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Immigration Lawyers and Law Firms in Jamaica
Immigration Lawyers in Jamaica
Yualande Christopher & Associates
Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution Law Firm in Jamaica
(876) 906-1333Yualande Christopher & Associates is a Corporate and Commercial law firm located in Kingston, Jamaica. Our lawyers are dedicated to providing timely and stellar legal representation to our clients wherever they are in the world. Our integrity and professionalism are reflected...
Law Firm's Overview
ArticlesCredit Cards
Blair Foreman & Co.
Corporate & Commercial Law, Real Estate/Property Law, Divorce & Family Law and Litigation Law Firm
+1 (876) 925-0272Blair Foreman & Co. is a dynamic and result-oriented Law Firm in Kingston, Jamaica which represents corporations and individuals in several jurisdictions around the world in practice areas such as Corporate and Commercial Law, Work Permit and Citizenship Applications, Real Estate...
Law Firm's Overview
Free ConsultationContingency Fee
Nigel Jones & Co.
Full-Service Law Firm in Jamaica
(876) 908-2207Nigel Jones & Company is a results-driven law firm with expertise in several areas. With offices in Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Mandeville, May Pen and Portmore, Nigel Jones & Company provides assistance to local and foreign corporations and high net worth individuals...
Other Offices: Mandeville, May Pen, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Portmore
Law Firm's Overview
Contingency FeeCredit Cards
Banjoko McGlashan Wieslaw
Business, Real Estate, Personal Injury, & Family Lawyers in Kingston, Jamaica
(876) 978-0948Banjoko McGlashan Wieslaw is a full-service law firm headquartered in Jamaica, with office locations in California, USA; Toronto, Ontario; and London, England. We are committed to finding practical and affordable solutions to your legal challenges or keeping legal issues and concerns...
Law Firm's Overview
ArticlesFree ConsultationCredit Cards
Law Offices of Graceann Cameron
Kingston, JamaicaCriminal, Family, Civil, Business and Personal Injury Law Firm in Kingston. Jamaica
(876) 960-3517Graceann Cameron (LOGC) opened its doors in the community of Guy's Hill, St. Catherine in April of 2009. In less than a year the office expanded to include a head office in Kingston and a presence in five parishes.; The Law Offices of Graceann Cameron is a general legal practice with a mission to...
Rudeine Speid Law Office
Portmore, JamaicaFull Service Law Offices Situated in Jamaica
1 (876) 988-8949Innovative and active personalized representation is difficult to find in a slate of firms that specialize in templated representation. With Rudeine Speid you are guaranteed representation that caters to you, the individual. Dedication is our watch word intent on seeing you get the best possible...
Samuda & Johnson, Attorneys-at-Law
Kingston, JamaicaFull Service Law Firm in New Kingston, Jamaica
(876) 926-5933The firm of Samuda & Johnson – Attorneys-at-Law was established on November 1, 2006 by its founding partners Messrs. Milton Samuda, Christopher Samuda and David Johnson. The firm fulfills the vision of the founding Partners, to establish an innovative and dynamic firm providing high quality...
Taylor-Wright & Company
Kingston, JamaicaCivil Litigation & Intellectual Property Law Firm in Kingston, Jamaica
(876) 967-9818Taylor-Wright & Company was established in 1985 and is one of the leading law firms in Jamaica with registered office located at 19 Eureka Crescent, Kingston 5. The firm has a distinguished team of highly trained specialists lawyers and support staff with over 50 years of experience combined in...


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Saint Leucius of Apollonia
Martyred in the persecutions of Decius. No other information has survived.
- 251 at Apollonia, Phrygia (modern Turkey)
Additional Information
- Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
- Catholic Online
- Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
- Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints
MLA Citation
- "Saint Leucius of Apollonia". Saints.SQPN.com. 20 January 2014. Web. 7 March 2015. <>


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UNUM LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA 2211 CONGRESS STREET NAIC GROUP CODE - 0565 MARKET CONDUCT REPORT OF EXAMINATION AS OF JUNE 30, 2001 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS I hereby certify that the attached market conduct report of examination dated February 8, 2002 shows the condition and affairs of UNUM Life Insurance Company of America of Portland, Maine as of June 30, 2001 and has been filed in the Bureau of Insurance as a public document. This report has been reviewed. _______________________ This _____ day of ________________, 2002 This Market Conduct Examination Report of UNUM Life Insurance Company of America is, in general, a report by test. The examiners, in writing this report, cited errors the Company made. However, failure to comment on specific products, procedures or files does not constitute approval thereof by the Maine Bureau of Insurance. Statutory cites are as of the period under examination unless otherwise noted. Arthur Andersen LLP provides no representations regarding questions of legal interpretation or opinion. Determination of findings constituting violations or potential violations is the sole responsibility of the Maine Bureau of Insurance. All statutory citations, case law or any other legal opinions or interpretation included herein are provided by the Maine Bureau of Insurance for inclusion in this report. Assistance in the preparation of this report was provided by certain Arthur Andersen LLP personnel in their capacity as Market Conduct Examiners. Where used in the report:
February 8, 2002 Honorable Alessandro Iuppa Dear Superintendent Iuppa: Pursuant to the provisions of Title 24-A M.R.S.A. §221 and in conformity with your instructions, a market conduct examination has been made on the UNUM Life Insurance Company of America at its home office in Portland, Maine. The following report is respectfully submitted. This examination covers the period from January 1, 1999 through June 30, 2001. The examination was a full scope examination and consisted of a review of the following areas: Company Operations/Management, Complaint Handling, Marketing and Sales, Producer Licensing, Policyholder Service, Underwriting and Rating and Claims. The examination was performed in accordance with examination standards and guidelines as set forth in the National Association of Insurance Commissioner's (NAIC) Market Conduct Examiners Handbook, the rules and regulations prescribed by the State of Maine and procedures developed by the Maine Bureau of Insurance (MBOI or Bureau of Insurance). The examination was performed under the supervision and direction of the Maine Bureau of Insurance. Each examination area has standards that were measured by the examination team. Some standards have specific statutory guidance, others have specific Company guidelines, and yet others have contractual guidelines. Please note that some areas in the NAIC Market Conduct Examiners Handbook were not included in the examination at the discretion and judgment of the examiners, with MBOI concurrence, as part of the planning process. To the extent deemed appropriate, we reviewed workpapers of the independent accountants for the year ending December 31, 1999. The review focused on process documentation and testing performed in the claims area; however, our ability to utilize the workpapers was limited as the time frame for the examination was as of June 30, 2001 and the independent accountant work was as of December 31, 1999. Various NAIC databases were reviewed and the information was utilized in our examination to the extent deemed appropriate. For purposes of this report, comments will be made for each Standard in an area reviewed by the examiners and the results of the review will be reported. Exceptions will be noted as part of the comments for the applicable Standard. While this report contains errors found in individual files, the focus of the examination is on the general business practices of the Company. In this report, examiners used the National Association of Insurance Commissioners published error tolerance rate of seven percent (7%) for claims practices and ten percent (10%) for all other examination areas. An error rate in excess of this tolerance level may be indicative of a general business practice to engage in that type of conduct. UNUM Life Insurance Company of America (UNUM America) is a Maine life insurance company licensed in 49 states and Canada. UNUM America's predecessor, Union Mutual Life Insurance Company (Union Mutual) was established in 1848. In 1985, UNUM Corporation, a Delaware Corporation, was organized as an insurance holding company. In 1986, Union Mutual demutualized and became a stock company. As part of that process, it changed its name to UNUM America and became a wholly owned subsidiary of UNUM Corporation. On June 30, 1999, UNUM Corporation merged with the Provident Companies, Inc. and the name of the merged corporation was changed to UnumProvident Corporation (UNUMProvident). Through its multiple insurance company subsidiaries, UnumProvident is the largest provider of individual and group disability income insurance in the United States, and a leader in the employee benefits market, where it offers group life and other employee paid employee benefits. After completion of the merger in 1999, UnumProvident integrated its individual and group operations and consolidated its underwriting, claims management, sales and marketing, investment, actuarial and back office functions. The corporate structure of UnumProvident includes the following companies: UNUM Holding Company (Delaware), UNUM European Holding Company Limited (United Kingdom), Mindtask Limited (United Kingdom), Duncanson & Holt, Inc. (New York), Colonial Companies, Inc. (Delaware), UNUM Japan Accident Insurance Company Limited (Japan), UNUM International Ltd. (Bermuda), Options & Choices, Inc. (Wyoming), Boston Compania Argentina de Seguros S.A. (Argentina), The Paul Revere Corporation (Massachusetts), Benefits Technologies Inc. (Delaware), GENEX Services, Inc. (Pennsylvania), Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company (Tennessee), Provident Life and Casualty Insurance Company (Tennessee), Provident Investment Management, LLC (Tennessee), Provident International Ltd. (Bermuda) and Provident Insurance Agency, LLC (Delaware). In the corporate structure, UNUM America is aligned under the UNUM Holding Company (UNUM Holding). Other affiliates under UNUM Holding include First UNUM Life Insurance Company (New York), Claims Services International, Inc. (Delaware), UNUM Development Corporation (Maine) and UNUM International Underwriters Inc. (Delaware). UNUM is owned 82.72% by UNUM Holding and 17.28% by UNUMProvident. UNUM America owns 50% of SP Administrator, LLC (California). UNUMProvident distributes its products through multiple channels to reach different market segments. Individual disability products are distributed through independent insurance brokers and agents, corporate marketing agreements with other insurance companies, associations and financial institutions. Direct premiums and policy counts by line of business for UNUM America
for 2000 are as follows:
UNUM America is the largest affiliate of UNUMProvident. It is licensed in 49 states and Canada, and is the leading provider of group disability insurance in the U.S., as well as a leading provider of individual disability insurance, employee benefits and long term care insurance. A review of certificates of authority was performed during this examination and the results can be found in the Company Operation and Management section of this report. INS-99-1 DECISION AND ORDER REVIEW As part of the examination, examiners were required to review the June 18, 1999 Decision and Order INS-99-1 issued by the Maine Superintendent of Insurance. The Decision and Order approved the merger of UNUM and Provident (as noted in the History Section above) subject to certain terms and conditions. One of the terms of the Decision and Order included on Page 14 §1(e), stated that UNUMProvident would prepare and file with the Superintendent written claims procedures and appeals manuals and a written plan specifying which procedures would be instituted to enhance market conduct compliance. During the merger review process, the MBOI contracted with an outside consultant to perform a limited scope market conduct review of Provident. At that time, this review indicated certain potential areas of concern. In light of the consultant's report, the Superintendent required the UNUMProvident plan to address those issues identified in the consultant's report. The plan and manuals were to be filed no later than 6 months from the issuance of the Decision and Order. The Decision and Order also required that UNUM Life Insurance Company of America file with the Superintendent quarterly updates of UNUM Life's progress with respect to its plan for the reduction of the claims inventory as well as a status each quarter on the claims integration activities and reserves. These reports were to also include a claims litigation status report. Examiners reviewed the information provided by UNUM in the files of the Maine Bureau of Insurance. Also, various MBOI personnel who were involved in the follow-up of the transaction were also interviewed by the Examination Team. Based upon this review, it appears that UNUM has filed all required documentation with the Bureau of Insurance and has fulfilled the requirements of the Maine Superintendent as required by the June 18, 1999 Decision and Order INS-99-1. A. Company Operations and Management The Company Operations and Management portion of the examination is designed to provide a view of what the Company is and how it operates. It is not specifically based upon sampling techniques. It is more concerned with structure. This review is not intended to duplicate a financial examination review, but it is important to provide the market conduct examiners with an understanding of the Company being examined. Many troubled companies have become so because structural problems existed in the Company and management did not have the processes in place to identify, recognize and address the problems in a timely manner. The areas considered in this review include:
The examiners reviewed the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Internal Audit Work Plans and status reports as of November 1999 and November 2000 that identified audits actually completed. Internal audit reports that relate to market conduct issues were selected for review. The internal audit reports were selected from the status report of audits completed. The examiners reviewed the audit reports to determine if the function is providing meaningful information to management and also determine how management was using the reports. The examiner reviewed internal audit reports to determine if the Company responds to internal audit recommendations to correct, modify and implement procedures and if accuracy of internal statistical data and information systems is periodically tested by the Company's audit program. Based upon this review, examiners concluded that the internal audit function at the Company was providing meaningful information on a timely basis to management. No exceptions were noted in this area.
Appropriate controls, safeguards and procedures for protecting the integrity of computer information are an important part of an effective internal control system. Examiners reviewed documentation provided by the Company of their internal controls in this area. Follow-up interviews were also conducted to provide further understanding of the control environment. Based upon this review of the Company's documentation, it appears that the Company has appropriate controls, safeguards and procedures for protecting the integrity of computer information.
Written procedural manuals or guides and antifraud plans should provide sufficient detail to enable employees to perform their functions in accordance with the goals and direction of management. Appropriate antifraud activity is important for asset protection as well as policyholder protection. Further, the insurer has an affirmative responsibility to report fraudulent activities of which it becomes aware. Examiners reviewed documentation of the antifraud plan provided by the Company and noted no deficiencies in this area.
A formal disaster recovery plan is an essential part of the Company's business continuity planning. A detailed plan that includes procedures for continuing operations in the event of a disaster as well as documentation of recent testing of the plan is a requirement. Examiners were provided with documentation related to disaster recovery and business continuity by the Company. Based upon this review, it was noted that the Company has established plans to minimize the effects of an interruption in business.
The objective of this standard is to ensure that the Company is conducting an appropriate level of oversight of the activities of MGAs and TPAs. Based upon information provided by the Company, it was determined that this standard is not applicable as the Company did not utilize the services of any MGAs or TPAs to process Maine business during the period under examination.
Inadequate, disorderly, inaccessible, or inconsistent records can lead to inappropriate handling of claims, inappropriate underwriting decisions, inappropriate rates and other issues. The Company's policies and procedures in this area are an important part of the internal control environment. Examiners reviewed the current record retention policies and procedures of the Company and noted that these polices meet the requirements of the State of Maine. Maine Statutes Chapter 24-A §3408 states that "Every domestic insurer shall have and maintain its principal place of business and home office in this state, and shall keep therein accurate and complete accounts and records of its assets, transactions and affairs in accordance with the usual and accepted principals and practices of insurance accounting and record keeping as applicable to the types of insurance transacted by the insurer". During testing, examiners noted several areas where the Company was not able to provide complete or adequate documentation as noted below:
Examiners reviewed the Company's Maine Certificate of Authority for the period under examination and noted no exceptions.
Cooperation with examiners in the conduct of an examination is not only required by statute, but it is conducive to completing the examination in a timely fashion and minimizing cost. Examiners noted that the Company cooperated on a timely basis with the examiners performing the examination. The NAIC definition of a complaint is a written communication primarily expressing a grievance (meaning an expression of dissatisfaction). The examiners reviewed the Company's procedures for processing policyholder or other related complaints. STANDARDS
A review of complaint handling procedures incorporated direct policyholder complaints to the Company and those complaints filed with the Bureau of Insurance. The examiners reconciled the Company complaint register with a list of complaints from the Bureau of Insurance. No exceptions were noted. The examiners also reviewed and classified the frequency of similar complaints to note any patterns of a specific type of complaint. The examiners reviewed all complaints to determine if any adverse trends exist in complaint volume. No unusual patterns or trends were noted from this review.
The examiners noted that the Company has adequate complaint handling procedures in place and such procedures are routinely communicated to policyholders.
Examiners used the Market Conduct Examiners Handbook to determine the applicable number of complaints to review based upon the size of the complaint population for Maine policies. Per the Handbook, if the population is less than 5,000 items, the sample size should be 50. There were a total of 114 Maine complaints for the period January 1, 1999 through June 30, 2001 maintained on the Company's complaint registers. Therefore, a random sample of 50 complaints was selected for review from the Company's complaint register. The examiners reviewed the final disposition of the complaint files selected for review to determine if the Company had taken adequate steps to address the complaint. The examiner then determined if the actions taken appear to be in compliance with the statutes, rules, and regulations. Based upon this review, it was noted that the Company appears to take adequate steps to finalize and dispose of complaints in accordance with applicable statutes, rules and regulations and in accordance with its contract language.
Examiners reviewed the sample of complaints as noted above. In addition, the Company's response time was noted both in comparison to applicable statutes, rules and regulations as well as in comparison to internal Company standards. It appears that the Company is responding to complaints in accordance with applicable statutes, rules and regulations. The Marketing and Sales portion of the examination is designed to evaluate the representations made by the Company about its products. The areas reviewed include available written and verbal advertising and sales materials including producer sales training materials in order to determine compliance with statutes, rules and regulations. Examiners randomly selected advertising materials from the population for detail review. The examiners reviewed the advertising and sales materials to ensure that they were in compliance with applicable statutes, rules and regulations. All advertisements are required to be truthful and not misleading in fact or by implication. The form and content of an advertisement of a policy should be sufficiently clear so as to avoid deception. The advertisement shall not have the capacity or tendency to mislead or deceive. Whether an advertisement has the capacity or tendency to mislead or deceive was determined by reviewing the overall impression that the advertisement reasonably may be expected to create upon a person of average education or intelligence within the segment of the public to which the advertisement is directed. The Company provided a total of 450 sales and marketing documents (applicable to Maine business) used for the period January 1, 1999 through June 30, 2001. A random sample of 50 sales and marketing documents were selected for review from the Company's advertising files. STANDARDS
This standard is designed to evaluate the representations made by the Company about its products. Based upon review of the above sample, the following comments and exceptions were noted: During review of the advertisement sample, various test steps were developed based upon Maine Rule 140. It was noted by the examiners that in accordance with Maine Rule 140, insurers are required to file an annual certification executed by an authorized officer of the insurer wherein it is stated that to the best of his/her knowledge, information and belief, the advertisements which were disseminated by the insurer during the preceding statement year complied with or were made to comply in all respects with the insurance laws of the State of Maine as implemented and interpreted by Maine Rule 140. Examiners noted that the Company had not previously filed such certification with the Maine Bureau of Insurance. During review of the Company's record keeping for their Internet web sites, it was noted that documentation of past Internet advertisements was not available. The Company's response indicated that the current process for back-up and retention of the e-advertisements on the web sites was that IBM makes a tape backup of website files and retains the last four web iterations. The Company also indicated that they were currently reviewing this archive process. Electronic or hard copies of the Company's web pages should be maintained.
This standard is designed to evaluate the representations the Company uses to instruct its sales force about the Company's products. The Company's internal producer training materials appear to be in compliance with applicable statutes, rules and regulations.
This standard is designed to evaluate the representations the Company makes to its sales force about the Company's products. The Company appears to train its producers to comply with applicable statues, rules and regulations.
Because the State of Maine has no statutes, rules or regulations relating to replacement requirements and the Company has advised that their internal policy only relates to individual life policies and that they do not market individual life policies in Maine, this standard would not be applicable.
Because the State of Maine has no statutes, rules or regulations relating to replacement requirements and the Company has advised that their internal policy only relates to individual life policies and that they do not market individual life policies in Maine, this standard would not be applicable. The producer-licensing portion of the examination is designed to test a Company's compliance with state producer licensing laws and rules. The focus of the review relating to producer accounts currently is to aid in the detection of fraud or misuse of funds held by the producer in a fiduciary capacity. The examiner reviewed and compared information obtained from the Bureau of Insurance and Company records pertaining to licenses held by individuals or entities soliciting business on behalf of the Company. We tested licensed producers by randomly selecting a sample of producers from the listing of all Maine producers licensed by the Company during the period of January 1, 1999 to June 30, 2001. STANDARDS
Examiners compared the Company's list of agents selected in the sample above, with the list of agents approved by the State of Maine Bureau of Insurance. The following exceptions were noted: One agent was listed as having received commission in Maine during the examination period, but was not located in the MBOI license database. One producer was reported as having earned a commission in 2000. The Company indicated that the commission system allows group business to issue for non-restrictive states, but holds the commission payment until the producer has an active license in the system. This individual became licensed on October 10, 2001. Holding the commission earned in 2000 until the producer became licensed effective October 10, 2001 appears to be a violation of Title 24-A §1411 and §1450.
See comments relating to Standard D-1 above.
Examiners selected a random sample of terminated producers and verified that these producers were no longer soliciting new business for the Company. During this review, the Company was requested to provide the examiners with copies of termination letters sent to providers upon termination of their appointment. The Company advised that they do not retain copies of the letters. The provision applicable during the exam period, Title 24-A §1441-B, states in part that the insurer "shall provide 90 days" advance written notice of the termination. Accordingly, examiners were unable to determine whether proper notification per §1441-B had been given for 19 items in our sample of 19. In addition, the Company has advised that their current producer agreement stipulates "[T]he agreement will terminate at the sole discretion of either party, upon thirty (30) days written notice of termination given by either party to the other". This agreement also seems in violation of §1441-B(1), the applicable law for the period examined.
This standard is concerned with potential geographical discrimination through the insurer's selection and instructions to its producers. The tests are intended to expose indicators of such a practice and may not be conclusive. Based on our testing, the Company's policy of producer appointments and terminations does not appear to result in unfair discrimination against policyholders.
Review of documentation in this area indicated that the Company has adequately documented reasons for terminations. See additional comments related to Standard D-3 above. The policyholder service portion of the examination is designed to test a Company's compliance with statutes regarding notice/billing, delays/no response, premium refund, coverage questions, and nonforfeiture options. The policyholder service review included standards relating to the adequacy and level of policyholder service provided by the Company. There were 4,037 LTD, STD, and Life renewals (applicable to Maine business) for the period January 1, 1999 through June 30, 2001. There were 4,826 individual LTC renewals (applicable to Maine business) for the period January 1, 1999 through June 30, 2001. Therefore, a random sample of 50 items was selected from each population of renewals for review. The group LTC renewal population consisted of 39 items. The examiner randomly selected five group LTC items for review. The examiners reviewed a random sample of renewal notices to determine if the notices were mailed in accordance with Maine statutes and regulations. The examiners also reviewed a random sample of premium notices to determine if they were mailed in accordance with Maine statutes and regulations. During testing it was noted that because the Company's LTC products are guaranteed renewable, rates do not change unless the class or block as a whole is re-rated. As a result, policyholders do not receive "renewal notices" unless the rate changes. Individuals can select either automatic payment methods or receive paper bills monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annually. The Company does acknowledge policy anniversaries in the bill to the insured. As a result, a policyholder continues to receive a standard invoice unless the rates change. UNUM advised that they have never changed the rates on either the GLTC or ILTC blocks in the State of Maine. STANDARDS
In order for the statutory limitations on cancellations to operate appropriately, it is important for premium and billing notices to be provided on a timely basis. The examiners reviewed the system used by the Company to send premium and billing notices to its policyholders. The premium and billing notices appear to be sent out with an adequate amount of advance notice.
Throughout the examination, examiners reviewed correspondence files in conjunction with each area of testing. No unusual or unreasonable delays were identified.
Examiners reviewed the various Long Term Care forms used by the Company to ensure that these forms comply with the Maine statutes. Outlines of coverage, certificates and forms were reviewed with no exceptions noted.
Examiners reviewed the Company's policies and procedures related to escheat activity. The Company's attempt to locate missing policyholders or beneficiaries appears reasonable.
The Company advised that they did not market any individual life products in Maine during the examination period. Previously, the Company had marketed an individual life product that was reinsured and transferred to Swiss Re in 1998. This is a small closed block of business that is no longer actively marketed.
The Company advised that premiums are paid in advance in a very small percentage of cases. In situations where premium was paid in advance and the group elects to terminate coverage, all unearned premium is refunded to them within 48 hours of receiving their request to terminate. Examiners reviewed the return of unearned premium, where applicable, during testing of cancellations, terminations and declinations in the Underwriting and Rating review and noted no discrepancies. It appears that UNUM is properly returning premiums where applicable on a timely basis.
Based upon discussions with the Company, it was noted that the Company did not enter into any reinsurance assumption agreements during the period covered by this examination. The underwriting portion of the examination is designed to provide a view of how the Company treats the public and whether that treatment is in compliance with applicable statutes, rules and regulations. It was determined by testing a random sampling of files and applying various tests to the sampled files. The Company provided a list of individual and group Maine policies that cancelled, terminated or non-renewed during the period of January 1, 1999 to June 30, 2001. The Company also provided declinations and rejections for the period January 1, 1999 to June 30, 2001. Cancellations, terminations, declinations and rejections were used as the population for the review. Two samples of 50 items were selected randomly from the population for each of the major product lines (Individual and Group). Two samples of 10 items and two samples of 5 items were randomly selected from the UNUM Direct, Long term Care, and Association and Special Risk lines of business, respectively. The examiners assessed whether the declinations and rejections appeared to be unfairly discriminatory and whether reasons were provided to applicants. The policies were reviewed to assess whether reasons for adverse underwriting decisions appeared appropriate and were in compliance with applicable Maine statutes and regulations. STANDARDS
Inconsistent handling of rating or underwriting practices, even if not intentional, can result in unfair discrimination. A review of a sample of underwriting files indicated that there appears to be no instances of unfair discrimination. However, the following exceptions were noted during the review. During review of the sample of individual products (LTD, STD, LTC, ID and Life) Examiners noted the following: One application in the ILTC sample also appeared to have taken an unusually long period of time for review and denial. The application was signed and dated on February 16, 2000, but the denial letter in the file was dated May 10, 2000. A deposit premium was also given with the application and was not returned until May. Information in the Company's underwriting system indicated that the application had been originally denied for asthma although supporting documentation in the file was unavailable. The ID terminations, declinations, and cancellations review noted one exception where the termination effective date requested by the insured did not agree with the system termination effective date. The insured had requested termination effective on June 1, 2000, but the policy was not terminated until June 6, 2000. The termination delay resulted in an additional return premium being due to the insured as of the date of this examination. Also, during review of the ID terminations, declinations and cancellations, one policy was noted as having been terminated at the insured's request. The Company incorrectly calculated the return premium based upon the wrong effective date, but subsequently corrected the error. The correct amount was ultimately returned to the insured; however, a revised notification letter was not prepared and sent to the insured in accordance with Company policy.
Examiners reviewed the Company's policies for cancellation and non-renewal. These policies appear to be in accordance with policy provisions and state laws; however, due to the documentation issues noted in Standard A-6 previously, examiners are unable to conclude on whether the cancellation/non-renewal reasons comply with policy provisions, state laws and company guidelines.
Examiners noted no exceptions to the disclosure requirements for group insurance policies tested.
Examiners noted no exceptions to the underwriting and rating process for long term care policies tested. Paid Claims The claims portion of the examination is designed to provide an overview of how the Company treats claimants and whether that treatment is in compliance with applicable statutes, rules and regulations. Compliance is determined by testing a random sample of files and applying various tests to open and closed claims. For purposes of testing, "claim file" means the file or files containing the notice of claim, claim forms, proof of loss, settlement demands, claims adjusters logs, claim investigation documentation, supporting bills, estimates, correspondence to and from insureds and claimants or their representatives, copies of claim checks or check numbers and amounts, releases, all applicable notices, and correspondence used for determining and concluding claim payments or denials, and any other documentation necessary to support claim handling activity. The review is concerned with the Company's claim practices by line of business for compliance with statutes, rules and regulations and policy provisions. Some of the areas considered in this review include: 1. Time studies to measure acknowledgement, investigation and settlement
times Examiners tested paid claims by randomly selecting seven paid claim samples to effectively test the seven major lines of business written by UNUM from the population of paid claims related to the period January 1, 1999 through June 30, 2001. The samples were pulled from the following lines of business written in Maine: Long Term Disability (LTD), Short Term Disability (STD), Life/Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), Long Term Care (LTC), Special Risk (SR), Individual Disability (ID) and UNUM Direct (UD). Examiners randomly selected paid claims and requested the claim files to compare the data per UNUM's system to the original claim support submission (electronic or hard copy) from the claim files to determine whether UNUM correctly processed the paid claim in accordance with the policy provisions and state regulations. The examiners classified the number and types of errors with respect to the specific fields tested, and identified the source of the errors found. For the paid claim samples, an error is defined as any one or more elements of the paid claim that was not properly handled by UNUM in relation to the Company's policy or a state law or regulation. Errors are determined on a statue by statute basis. Denied Claims We tested denied claims by selecting a random sample of denied claims relating to the period 1/1/1999 to 6/30/2001 for the following lines of business written in Maine: LTD, STD, Life, AD&D, ID, Special Risk and LTC. The population of denied claims provided by the Company for the period under review was 572 claims. Examiners randomly selected 50 claims for testing across all lines of business. Examiners requested the appropriate claim files to review and determine whether UNUM correctly denied the claim in accordance with policy provisions and state laws and regulations. The examiners classified the number and types of errors with respect to the specific fields tested, and identified the source of the errors noted. For the denied claim sample, an error is defined as any one or more elements of the denied claim which was not properly handled by UNUM in relation to the Company's policy or state laws and regulations. We looked for potential violations of statutes relating to fair claim handling practices. STANDARDS
Maine Statutes Title 24-A §2164-D require acknowledgement with reasonable promptness to pertinent written communication with respect to claims arising under its policies. This section also requires the Company to provide forms, accompanied by reasonable explanation for their use, necessary to present claims within 15 calendar days of such a request. The examiners used seven samples to examine the Company's claims (as noted above). The examination disclosed that in general the Company appears to be making a good faith effort to contact its claimants within the required time frames. During review of the paid life claims, it was noted that 5 claims out of a sample of 50 did not contain an acknowledgement of the claim in accordance with the Company's Customer Care Center customer service guidelines. The guidelines state that if a claim is turned around within 3 to 5 business days, the need for claim receipt acknowledgement is eliminated. For the 5 claims noted, the claim was not processed within the 3 to 5 business day timeframe and no acknowledgment was included in the file.
Maine Statutes Title 24-A §2164-D requires the Company to adopt and implement reasonable standards for the prompt investigation and settlement of claims arising under its policies. The examiners used seven samples to examine the Company's claims (as noted above). See Standard G-3 for a summary of the results of the claims review. The examination disclosed that in general the Company appears to make a good faith effort to investigate the accidents and claim related events reported by claimants in a timely manner.
Maine Statutes Title 24-A §2164-D require the Company to affirm coverage or deny coverage, reserving any appropriate defenses, within a reasonable time after having completed its investigation related to a claim. Section 2436 states that a claim for payment of benefits under a policy or certificate delivered or issued for delivery in Maine is payable within 30 days after proof of loss is received by the insurer and ascertainment of the loss is made either by written agreement between the insurer and insured or beneficiary or by filing with the insured or beneficiary of an award by arbitrators as provided for in the policy. The examiners used seven samples to examine the Company's paid claims (as noted above). Generally the Company paid the claims in a timely manner.
Maine Statutes Title 24-A §2164-D requireS acknowledgement with reasonable promptness to pertinent written communication with respect to claims arising under its policies. The examiners used seven samples to examine the Company's claims (as noted above). The examination disclosed that in general the Company responds to claim correspondence in a timely manner.
Without adequate documentation, the various time frames required by statutes and/or regulation cannot be demonstrated. The examination disclosed exceptions noted above and in the denied claims review.
The examiners used seven samples to examine the Company's claims (as noted above). The examination disclosed that in general the Company handles its claims in accordance with policy provisions and in compliance with applicable Maine statutes, rules and regulations.
Examiners found that the Company uses the appropriate claim forms for the type of products it markets.
Examiners reviewed a separate sample of denied and closed-without-payment claims. Based upon the review, it appears that the Company is appropriately denying claims; however, document retention procedures should be reviewed.
Examiners reviewed a sample of cancelled checks to determine whether claim proceeds are being promptly mailed or delivered and whether the checks and drafts are payable to the correct payee, for the correct amount and are properly endorsed. A total of 63 payments were randomly selected from the paid claim samples tested by the examiners with representation from each of the seven claim samples. Examiners verified the check information including the payee, check date, amount, and endorsement to the cancelled check. In the case of Electronic Fund Transfers (EFT), the payment information was traced to supporting EFT documentation provided by the bank.
Throughout the claims review, examiners reviewed for instances where the Company's claims handling practices appeared to compel claimants to institute litigation. We did not note any instances where the Company appeared to compel claimants to institute litigation.
Examiners noted no instances where insureds with differing qualifying events covered under the policy or insureds with similar qualifying events covered under the policy were discriminated against. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
Note: Above listing of findings relates to original listing of examination findings. The lack of numeric sequence of the above listing relates to findings that have subsequently been cleared with the Company. The courtesy and cooperation extended by the officers and employees of the Company during the course of the Examination is hereby acknowledged. The Examination was conducted and respectfully submitted by the undersigned. Additionally, Market Conduct Examiners Van Sullivan, Paul Greenier and Carolee Bisson from the Maine Bureau of Insurance participated in this examination. ___________________________________ STATE OF MAINE COUNTY OF KENNEBEC, SS Van E. Sullivan, being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that in accordance with the authority vested in him by Alessandro A. Iuppa, Superintendent of Insurance, pursuant to the Insurance Laws of the State of Maine, he has made an examination on the condition and affairs of the UNUM LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA of Portland, Maine as of June 30, 2001, and that the foregoing report of examination, subscribed to by him is true to the best of his knowledge and belief. The following examiners from the Bureau of Insurance assisted: Carolee M. Bisson
________________________________ Last Updated: October 22, 2013 |
Copyright © 2006 All rights reserved. |


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Junot Díaz on Writing Men, Stories as Art, and Star Wars
This Is How You Lose Her will make sense to Miamians who can identify with its Latino characters, Spanish and English idioms, focus on diaspora and broken families, and, yes, the sex that seeps from every chapter like oil from a fragrant perm. But the book is most remarkable in how it peels back layers, not just on the idea of the Latin male, but on masculinity itself.Diaz's latest.
"When I [write] about the complexity of masculinity, it's not because I'm looking for some free, sympathy handout for men," Díaz explains. "But because I think that by looking at its complexity it offers us opportunities to transform it."
Díaz's approach has paid off. Scores of men have sent him emails saying that - for better or worse - they see themselves in his broken but believable characters. "There are a lot of men who reach out and say...'Jesus fucking Christ. This is something unlike what I've read before but it feels very much like my life,'" he says. "I've also gotten a bunch of emails from mothers who are like, 'Dude, I read this book and it was like I was talking to my fucking crazy son.'"
"As an artist, you're trying to do something really new," Díaz continues. "Usually you find the new where people have gotten tired of looking. Most of us confuse the overabundance of males for honesty about men. There are so many male characters, so many books that are about men... so many movies that are only about men - where the women are just a beard, a love interest to keep the homo-social aspect of the story more suppressed - that I think a lot of us sort of think, 'God, any more writing about men I'm going to hang myself.'"
"But the realization that I made was that, certainly we have too much writing about men, but we also have too much incredibly low level and what I would argue is sort of generic writing about men," he adds. "I felt what we need is far less writing about men, but the writing that we get should at least be somehow sharp and honest."
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Investors Lose Appetite for Krispy Kreme (KKD)
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Investors had lost their appetite for doughnuts after the bell on Monday after Krispy Kreme (KKD - Get Report) reported worse-than-expected results for the quarter ended Nov. 3 and conservative guidance for the full year.
Total sales of $114.2 million, though 6.7% higher than a year earlier, fell short of estimates by $420,000, according to analysts surveyed by Yahoo! Finance.
Third-quarter net income of 16 cents a share beat estimates by a penny. Same-store sales were up 3.7%, the twelfth quarterly increase in a row, boosted thanks to retail price increases.
The Winstom-Salem, N.C.-based business adjusted its fiscal 2014 guidance to between 60 cents and 63 cents a share, the high end of which is in line with analyst estimates of 63 cents a share. Fiscal 2015 earnings in the range of 71 cents to 76 cents a share missed a 77-cent consensus.
"We are pleased to have increased our top-line at a healthy pace despite the tepid consumer spending environment," said CEO James H. Morgan in a statement. "Most importantly, we demonstrated the attractive leverage opportunities inherent within our business model as evidenced by achieving a higher rate of growth in operating income and adjusted EPS than in revenues." In after-hours trading, shares plunged 13.8% to $21.17. The stock is up 161.7% since January. TheStreet Ratings team rates Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc as a Buy with a ratings score of B. The team has this to say about its recommendation: "We rate Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc (KKD) a BUY. This is driven by some important positives, which we believe should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks we cover. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, good cash flow from operations and solid stock price performance. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had somewhat disappointing return on equity."- You can view the full analysis from the report here: KKD Ratings Report
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Current Time
Atlanta , Georgia
Tel: 800 332 3442 (toll-free)
Tel: 404 881 9898
Concierge.com's insider take:
From the dramatic staircase at the entrance to the rose-marble public spaces, this 244-room hotel epitomizes gracious Southern living. You can't go wrong with any one of the hotel's guest rooms—all have handsome mahogany furniture and spacious marble bathrooms—but first-time visitors to Atlanta should try snagging one of the corner suites on the 19th floor for the sweeping city views. The Park 75 restaurant and classic hotel piano bar, on the mezzanine level, attract an eclectic crowd: On any given night, you can see well-to-do residents (part of the building is made up of condos and offices), touring hip-hop stars, or trustafarian hippies kicking back. A 12,000-square-foot spa opened in February 2006 with a menu of Georgia-inspired treatments, such as the Peaches and Cream manicure and pedicure.
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Friends of Lulu Awards Move
- Posted by Johanna on April 10, 2008 at 8:08 am
- Category: Comic News
The Friends of Lulu Awards, recognizing the efforts women make in comics, are moving from San Diego to MoCCA's show. They will be held Saturday, June 7, at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in Manhattan. Along with the museum, this year's sponsors are IDW, DC, and Archie.
The official Board member quote comes from Treasurer Marion Vitus:
"We are excited to bring an award event to MoCCA Artfest, and just as excited not to be competing with the multitude of great events at San Diego Comic-Con this July. We are able to reach a larger group of people eager to see wonderful creators recognized for their hard work in this field."
Since the awards are moving a month earlier, nominations (open to everyone, whether or not a Lulu member) will begin at the FoL table at the New York Comic-Con next week. For more information, they say check their blog, but it's not up at the time of this posting. I'm sure it's coming.
Personal opinion: yay for more things I'm interested in on the East Coast. Seriously, I think the MoCCA show is a better match for the organization's sensibilities, and it certainly makes sense to avoid competing with the multimedia extravaganza San Diego has become.
2 Responses to "Friends of Lulu Awards Move"
- Don MacPherson Says:
April 10, 2008 at 9:19 AMHolding the awards at a smaller, more focused show like MoCCA should allow the event to garner a little more attention. Smart move.
- Do You Have a Vision for Women in Comics? Friends of Lulu Needs Help » Comics Worth Reading Says:
July 28, 2010 at 11:27 AM[…] Their Awards program, which is geared to "bring attention to the best, most women-friendly and reader- friendly […]


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Lutron LX-603PL-LA Dimmer Switch, 600W 3-Way Incandescent Lyneo Lx Light Dimmer - Light Almond
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About this Product
The 600W Lutron LX-603PL-LA Lyneo Lx Three-Way Incandescent Slide Dimmer is the light almond version of the reputable series of Lyneo Lx dimmers from the Lutron line of reliable products. This product is great for accessibility, especially when it's dark in your living spaces, as it features a highly convenient amber LED locator. Plus, its innovative, shaped design provides you with style, and it's low profile means that it will integrate seamlessly with the rest of your trim and décor. The light almond Lutron LX-603PL-LA also features a well-designed slider that shows you the exact level of lighting at just a glance. It is also quite flexible in its use. In fact, the Lutron LX-603PL-LA can be used with a variety of other dimmers or switches, which will function in unison to control a single lighting unit from more than one spot. The Lutron LX-603PL-LA Lyneo Lx Incandescent Slide Dimmer will work with virtually any decorator-style wall plate, which are sold separately. Works with any decorator style wallplate (SOLD SEPARATELY). | |
Features:• 3-Way Dimmer Allows Two Dimmers/Switches to Operate One Light Source • Smooth Operating Slide Dimmer • Separate On/Off Switch for Added Convenience • Amber LED Locator Light Helps Find the Switch in a Dimly Lit Room |
Specifications:• Color: Light Almond • Switch Type: 3-Way Dimmer • Style: Lyneo Lx • Preset: Preset • Load Type: Incandescent • Load Rating: 600W • Voltage: 120 Volt AC 60Hz • Light: LED Locator Light • Action: Standard ON/OFF and Slide Dimmer • Protection: Radio/TV Filter • Standards and Certifications: UL/CSA |
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(KMOV) -- St Louis Alderman Freeman Bosley Sr. said he will not accept any money sent to him from his now controversial letter seeking financial help for his daughter's college tuition.
"I wouldn't accept it, I would send it back," Bosley told News 4.
The letter that Bosley admits he wrote states his daughter's scholarships and grants only cover part of the $38,000 costs at St. Xavier University in Chicago and he needs to raise $14,000.
Officials and political ethics experts say Bosley did nothing illegal but did come close to blurring the line between his public and private life.
Bosley pointed out he did not write the letter on official city stationary and sent it out about 50 letters to family and close friends.
Click here to see the full letter sent by Bosley.