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We have a name for the 21st century where I come from: the suppurating asshole of space time. For reference, imagine flipping through an American History textbook, just lazily skimming around, then… WHAM! Goatse.cx. You now have a good idea of what the history books of the 31st century look like: an engorged, inside-out historical sphincter stretching between the knuckles of 1983's break-dancing revolution and the emergence of robo-break-dancing in 2176.
Now imagine being sucked into that pulsating Goatse vortex and you've got a pretty good idea of what it felt like when I woke up naked in an Oklahoma field surrounded only by belching cows and clouds of dissipating purple chronatons. Yes, it's an ugly analogy, and I'm sorry to labor it, but short of cramming the monolith from 2001 down your throats, it's the only way I can make you monkeys understand what it's like to be trapped here.
The name's Marvin, by the way. Marvin Battelle. I'm Boing Boing Gadgets' "band manager," whatever that is. And I am from the future.I don't want to dwell too much on how I got here or why I came: the cautionary value of warning you evolutionary mollusks about mistaking a flux capacitor for a french tickler would be just shy of zilch. Needless to say, the slippery slope, one thing led to another and now I'm stuck here.
Without any of the valueless scraps of disease-soaked paper your rappers call "Benjamins" to my name, my first priority was clear: find someone to mooch from. Luckily, I had a prime candidate: my great-great-great-great-great-great23 uncle, John Battelle.
Now, I don't know if you know this, but John Battelle is a trillionaire. Someday, he will lose these trillions funding Big Brother's war machine against the Neo-Bolsheviks of Eurasia. And if that doesn't scare you: Big Brother? That's Cory Doctorow. Or at least what's left of him after he was shuffled off to Ethics Reupholstering. So if you want a vision of the future, imagine a short film on the benefits of the Perpetual Pre-Copyright smashing into a human face forever.
But I digress. The point is, right now, John Battelle is rich. Unfortunately, like most future converts to Ingsoc, Battelle also has a strong work ethic. Within moments of kicking in the door of my distant relative's office and grabbing him by the lapels, it became clear that I could count on him for none of the comforts to which I had grown accustomed. If I wanted to snort an endless supply of Substance D out of the bottomless cybertronic Fleshlight of a Marilyn Monrobot—even that a grim and paltry simulacrum of the sinuous delights of the 31st century—I would need to get a jay-oh-bee-colon-space-job.
My uncle John kindly arranged a meeting at Happy Mutant Headquarters (rechristened "MiniLuv", circa 2012) between me and the Boingers. Unfortunately, the meeting didn't go well.
I don't want to point fingers or try to figure out who alienated whom. No one was to blame. All I will say is that I regret telling David Pescovitz within seconds of meeting him the exact date and time of his death. Frauenfelder was a good guy, but in retrospect, I shouldn't have opened with the suggestion that he write a series of DIY articles on home trepanation for MAKE, punctuated by a short demonstration that ended up in part on his glasses. Doctorow did not seem to understand my attempts to converse with him entirely in Newspeak. And as for Xeni, my gift—a home-made LOLCats t-shirt featuring a mother cat eating her own mucousy kitten with the subtitle "I CAN HAZ AN ABORTION?"—was received not with the ebullient delight I expected, even though the NeoWikipedia of the 31st Century clearly identifies Xeni as the Pauline Kael of the form. [citation needed]
Anyway, the vote was unanimous: I would not become the fifth Boinger. However, as Xeni's boot was propelling me from Happy Mutant Headquarters with one deftly applied judo kick, I happened to meet another Boinger reject: Joel Johnson. As utterly forgotten by the future as he is by contemporary historians, I at first mistook him for an obscure Republican senator from Nebraska. But it was ultimately Joel who invited me to dinner at his home, and it was during dinner that he triumphantly suggested a way for me to fit in with the Boing Boing family.
"You're from the future, right?" Joel asked, selecting some choice offal from a garbage pail lid and cramming it into his mouth in the dank alley behind Happy Mutant Headquarters.
"Duh," I snorted. He still seemed so astounded by the fact that I couldn't help but marvel at his breathless chrono-provincialism.
"Then I want to hire you! With you on the team, we can really cram it to the rest of the internet. We'll scoop everyone on gadgets that aren't even out yet. That bastard Lam gets the scoop on iPhone 2? You write about iPhone 12!"
"Actually a cybernetic scarab that writhes its way into your ear." I replied. "Wait for the second revision: Rev A causes migraines and bladder infections. Rev B only causes bladder infections."
I think Johnson said, "Exactly!" but it was hard to make out the words as he took short, gasping draws from a smoldering banana peel.
"Also, FYI: Fake Steve Jobs incorporeally possesses Real Steve Jobs in 2010 and the resulting rampage kills dozens. So you might want to skip that Macworld."
"I can see the Diggs start rolling in now!" Joel exclaimed, and he was so excited I didn't have the heart to tell him that Digg's server cluster implodes into a quantum singularity six months from now after users begin recursively Digging their own Diggs.
So that's the plan. On my part, I offer coy but mostly continuum-safe references to futuristic technology so mind-boggling and physics-defying that I might single-handedly spark the premature evolution of the third hemisphere of the human cerebellum in Boing Boing Gadgets' readers. And from you? All I require is the passive absorption of various subliminal "activation" words.
Image: Victor Geere


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Everyday rituals provide children with sense of connection
The summer wind-down has begun, and back-to-school season is shifting into high gear. Whether the end of summer inspires dread (hectic mornings and homework struggles) or glee (more free time while the kids are in school) – or both – the start of a new school year is a good time for parents to pause and think for a moment about family culture and how to give children a sense of being supported and connected. One of the best ways to provide this sense of security is to build little rituals into everyday family life – something that provides a momentary oasis of calm and predictability before (and after) your child goes out into the world. Just about every family has holiday traditions and rituals for special occasions, whether it's "we always go to Grandma's for Thanksgiving" to the ceremonial carving of the Easter ham. But what can we do to make the mundane and everyday special? Mornings In some homes, the morning ritual begins with the wake-up. I have heard of families that play the same personalized music mix every morning, or even sing their own family version of Reveille with silly lyrics incorporating the kids' names. (The music mix can also act as a motivational aid, letting the children know – without parental nagging – that by the time a certain selection plays, they need to be dressed or at the breakfast table.) At breakfast, rituals can include the usual items such as a prayer or blessing; a piece of cinnamon toast bearing a happy face; or a greeting using the child's pet name (I used "Lee-Lee" and "Laniebug" for my daughters Leah and Lanie) or silliest nickname ("Hotdog" for Jackie, my daredevil child). Even a silly morning joke ("Will you be having giraffes or elephants sprinkled on your cereal today?") can become a cherished ritual, as well as a source of creative, get-the-juices flowing conversation as kids seek to come up with ever-more-absurd comebacks. ("No, I'm more in the mood for aardvarks today.") Another great way to make children feel a sense of security and belonging is to reminisce about their babyhoods – a subtle reminder of their rootedness in the family and the way they have been loved and cherished since birth. One of my favorite stories about daughter Jackie recalls her habit as a one-year-old of waking up in the pre-dawn hours and letting me know loudly that she was ready to start her day. On one such bleary-eyed morning, I pointed to her bedroom window in desperation and told her that once the sun was up, she could wake me. The next morning, I could hear Jackie stirring before dawn and knew she was standing in her crib, searching for that first sliver of sun edging over horizon. Sure enough, I soon heard her crow proudly, "Sun's up, Mommy! Come get me!" Oh, how I loved to remind Jackie of this in her middle school days, when she would have preferred to sleep in. And even on her grouchier mornings, greeting her with a "Sun's up, Jackie!" almost always drew a sheepish smile. Send-off rituals As for goodbye rituals, I know parents of younger children who give them special wallets with family pictures inside to start the school year, and send them off every morning with the reminder that "I'm in your pocket" and that the wallet can be patted whenever the child feels the need. Other parents may choose to send their children off with a one-sentence Prayer of Protection, while still others might like to count a few kisses into their child's palm and add the words, "Now close up your hand, and keep those kisses close all day!" In my own family, we had a "squeeze you to pieces" ritual that sprang out of a random affectionate moment when I told my toddler daughter, "Oh, I could just squeeze you to pieces!" After a few such hugs, the literal meaning of the statement suddenly dawned on her one day, and she looked alarmed. "Mommy, put me back together!" she demanded. After that, the squeezing ritual always ended with exaggerated slapping and patting moments as I picked up the "pieces" and put her back together – and even now, the phrase can still elicit a laugh with my grown-up girls. Homecoming At the end of a long day, the best homecoming rituals are calming ones, of course. As a tea lover, I can't think of a better calming ritual than tea time. When my daughters were in preschool and elementary school – before the after-school sports began – we did tea almost daily. At that age, a simple box of sugar cubes and a pair of silver tongs (only seen at tea time) was a much-anticipated treat, as was the ceremony of steeping and stirring and plunking in the cubes – and talking about our days. But don't think for a moment that tea time only works with girls. I had friends who raised two sons with a daily tea time ritual that took place when Dad (an Anglophile) arrived home at 4:30. From the time they could toddle to the table, the boys were expected to sit in for at least a few moments of the ceremonial pouring and sipping, and to join in the adult conversation. I don't think it's any coincidence that both of these boys grew up to be not only the most polite and gentlemanly young men that you could ever hope to meet, but also articulate, accomplished students. Some parents save the most precious after-school treats for rainy days, and keep special books and games in reserve, only to be used when weather is dreary and children are feeling confined. Or they bring out the special snacks and activities for rainy days, like popping popcorn (the old-fashioned way). Random moments Among the best everyday rituals, in my opinion, are those that are unscheduled and take place at random moments throughout the day. One of the coolest random rituals I've heard of is the family dance break. In this musical family's home, whenever a good dancing song comes on, any family member can call out "dance break!" – requiring everyone to drop what they're doing and meet in the den for some spontaneous dancing and laughing. In my own family, we had a random ritual known as the hug alarm. Anyone who had a sudden need for a hug could simply start making a noise like a fire engine siren or other alarm, and everyone was supposed to drop what they were doing and come running to supply a hug. As for bedtime and dinnertime, we will have to save those those rife-with-rituals times of day for separate columns to allow enough space for the topic. As always, I hope readers will write and share some of their family rituals, and perhaps help other families who are searching for inspiration to develop their own. And as you develop these rituals, keep in mind that some will grow out of spontaneous moments (like squeezing to pieces) and some might be developed by your children themselves. One of my favorite ritual stories is about the harried single mom who came home from work one day to find that her preteen sons had, on a whim, set up a "happy hour" of lemonade, cheese and crackers. Now, at the end of a bad day, she will call and ask her boys, "Could we have a happy hour today?" |
RAMPS receives $8k grant
Citizen Staff Reports 03/03/2015
RAMPS (Ramp Access Made Possible by Students) recently received an $8,000 grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. The award was one of 75 grants totaling more than $600,137 awarded by the Reeve Foundation to nonprofit organizations nationwide that provide more opportunities, access, and daily quality of life for individuals living with paralysis, their families and caregivers.
RAMPS, an organization founded by then-Henrico County high school students to build ramps for local low-income residents who need them, will use the grant to purchase modular wheelchair ramp supplies. These supplies will be used by local high school RAMPS clubs, who provide volunteers to build the ramps. > Read more.
Henrico man to compete in Liberty Mutual Invitational National Finals
Citizen Staff Reports 02/19/2015
Henrico resident Larry Loving, Jr., will compete with three other locals – Thomas Scribner (Richmond), Roscoe McGhee (Midlothian) and Larry Loving (Richmond) in the Liberty Mutual Insurance Invitational National Finals at TPC Sawgrass, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 26-Mar. 1. The foursome qualified for the national golf tournament by winning the Liberty Mutual Insurance Invitational, held at Whiskey Creek Golf Club in Ijamsville, Md. on June 11. That event supported the RiteCare Center for Childhood Language Disorders.
In total, 240 amateur golfers will compete in Florida. > Read more.
In total, 240 amateur golfers will compete in Florida. > Read more.
Henrico PAL recognizes supporters, HSHS athlete
The Henrico Police Athletic League (PAL) held its Sixth Annual Awards Banquet Feb. 5 at The Cultural Arts Center of Glen Allen, celebrating accomplishments of 2014 and recognizing outstanding contributions to the organization. Henrico County Juvenile Domestic Court Judge Denis Soden served as master of ceremonies and former Harlem Globetrotter Melvin Adams served as keynote speaker.
Among the 2014 honorees were Richmond International Raceway (Significant Supporter), Richmond Strikers Soccer Club (Significant Supporter), Henrico County Schools-Pupil Transportation (Summer Camp Supporter), Bruce Richardson, Jr. (Youth of the Year), Sandra Williams (Volunteer of the Year), Thomas Williams (Employee of the Year), Mikki Pleasants (Board Member of the Year), and Michelle Sheehan (Police Officer of the Year). > Read more.
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CACGA to celebrate 16th anniversary March 14
The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen will celebrate its 16th anniversary Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. with "A Date with Frank & Marilyn," an evening of fun and entertainment designed to raise funds for the center's three outreach programs – Art Matters, Artful Living and Creative Family Studio. A performance by a duo impersonating Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe will highlight the evening.
The evening will include an artist live and silent auction with a variety of unique and hard-to-come-by prize packages including two tickets to the 2016 Masters golf tournament, a trip for two to Napa Valley, dinner for 10 by celebrity chef Patrick Evan-Hylton served at CACGA's gardens, followed by opening night tickets to The Capital Steps and 10 individual date-night packages around Metro Richmond. > Read more.
Restaurant watch
Find out how your favorite dining establishments fared during their most recent inspections by the Virginia Department of Health. > Read more.
Weekend Top 10
It's a great weekend to support local theatre! The Stable Theatre at Christ Presbyterian Church will present "Freud's Last Session;" Jewish Family Theatre at the Weinstein JCC will present "Parade;" and the youth theater program CharacterWorks, Inc. will present "Fiddler on the Roof" at The Steward School. Another fun show will be at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen tonight – "An Evening of 20s Tin Pan Alley Jazz" featuring the unique sounds of the Rumble Seat Revival. For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.
ProgressVA sees loopholes in ethics bills
HCPS among national leaders in reducing suspensions
Henrico Fire officials pluck a duck, dog from icy ponds
Woman wins $4M lottery prize in Henrico
General Assembly finalizes ethics bill
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Mar. 5, 2015
Click here to read the print edition.Entertainment
CACGA to celebrate 16th anniversary March 14
Restaurant watch
Weekend Top 10
Travinia brings contemporary elegance to Willow Lawn
Soak up the fun
- More Entertainment
Obituary – Barbara Lehman Williams
Obituary – Frances Anderson Crowder
Obituary – Bonnie B. Blake
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RAMPS receives $8k grant
Henrico man to compete in Liberty Mutual Invitational National Finals
Henrico PAL recognizes supporters, HSHS athlete
- More Community
Getting schooled
Time to give spanking the boot
Bored senseless
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Monument City Classic volleyball tournament returns to town this weekend
Richmond Strikers form girls lacrosse program
Virginia fisherman wins James River event in Henrico
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PROFLOWERS. Send Flowers for Every Occasion! Anniversary, Birthday, Just Because. Starting at just $19.99. Go to http://www.proflowers.com/Celebrate to receive an extra 20 percent off any order over $29.99 or… Full textPlace an Ad | More Classifieds
The Richmond West Breakfast Lions Club meets the second and fourth Mondays of each month from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. at the E. Bruce Heilman Dining Center at the… Full text

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Kohler K-10411-CP Polished Chrome Single Handle Kitchen Faucet from the Forte Collection
Contact us for best available pricing on all Kohler!
We want to help make your remodel easy and affordable! Please call or chat during business hours using the links at the top of our site to take advantage of this special offer.
Offer Ends 3/7/2015
Technical Specs
Specification Sheet | |
Installation Guide | |
ADA | Yes |
Country Of Origin | USA |
Eco Friendly | No |
Escutcheon Included | Yes |
Faucet Centers | 8 |
Faucet Holes | 1 |
Faucet Type | Kitchen Faucet |
Filtering | No |
Flow Rate (GPM) | 2.2 |
Handle Material | Metal |
Handle Style | Lever |
Handles Included | Yes |
Height | 8.875 |
Installation Type | Deck Mounted |
Low Lead Compliant | Yes |
Made in America | Yes |
Material | Metal |
Max Deck Thickness | 1.38 |
Number Of Handles | 1 |
Overall Height | 8.88 |
Overall Width | 10 |
Pre Rinse | No |
Pullout Spray | No |
Sidespray | No |
Soap Dispenser Included | No |
Spout Height | 6.125 |
Spout Reach | 9.06 |
Spout Swivel | 360 |
Spout Type | Swivel |
Sprayer Style | Standard Spout |
Theme | Transitional |
Valve Type | Ceramic Disc |
Width | 10 |
Forté(R) single-control kitchen sink faucet with escutcheon and lever handle
Versatile design and effortless installation combine in this Forté single-control kitchen faucet. A one-piece ceramic disc valve crushes and removes line debris and a high-temperature limit stop keeps the temperature at a safe level. A Vibrant Finish for Life and solid metal construction ensure years of beauty and performance. A 3/8" fitting on hoses and 22" flexible stainless steel supplies simplify installation.
Additional Kohler Links
- View Manufacturer Warranty
- Shop All Kohler Products
- Shop All Kohler Forte Collection Products
- Buy Replacement Parts For Kohler K-10411
Our SKU: K-10411
This product is listed under the following manufacturer number(s):
- Brushed Bronze
K-10411-BV - Brushed Chrome
K-10411-G - Brushed Nickel
k-10411-BN - French Gold
K-10411-AF - Polished Brass
K-10411-PB - Polished Chrome
K-10411-CP - Stainless
*Denotes a finish or option that has been discontinued
7 Questions from the Community
The Kohler K-10411 is not designed to swivel.
Does the spout swivel?
A. The Kohler K-10411 is not designed to swivel.
The base is 10 inches long.
how long is the base that attaches to the sink?
A. The base is 10 inches long.
The Kohler K-10412 is the model with the side spray.
is a spray attachment available for this faucet?
A. The Kohler K-10412 is the model with the side spray.
The spout reach on this is 9.06 inches.
How long is the spout?
A. The spout reach on this is 9.06 inches.
The Kohler K-10411 swivels about 180 degrees. It almost turns sideways.
The spec sheet says 'swing spout', does that mean that it does swivel, and if so, what is the degree (180, 360)?
A. The Kohler K-10411 swivels about 180 degrees. It almost turns sideways.
The Kohler K-10411 comes with the escutcheon, it has a max deck thickness of 1.38", and width with escutcheon is 10". The K-10415 does not come with the escutcheon, max deck thickness is 1.375" and it's width is only 2".
what is the difference between kohler 10411 and 10415?
A. The Kohler K-10411 comes with the escutcheon, it has a max deck thickness of 1.38", and width with escutcheon is 10". The K-10415 does not come with the escutcheon, max deck thickness is 1.375" and it's width is only 2".
The Kohler K-10411 can be installed with any Kitchen sink.
Is this faucet compatible with the kohler 4 hole stainless steel double 8" 18 gauge top mount kitchen sink?
A. The Kohler K-10411 can be installed with any Kitchen sink.
Product Reviews
Kohler Forte Collection
Other Products In The Kohler Forte Collection
Kohler K-10433
Forte Single-Hole or 3-Hole Kitchen Sink Faucet wi...$155.00-$287.18(214)
Kohler K-10415
Single Handle Kitchen Faucet from the Forte Collection$136.46-$230.96(18)
Kohler K-10827-4
Single Handle Shower System with Multi-Function Ha...$735.75-$1,136.10(17)
Kohler K-10273-4
Forte Widespread Bathroom Faucet with Ultra-Glide ...$164.14-$188.66(30)
Kohler K-T10276-4
Forte Shower Trim Package with Single Function Sho...$85.20-$176.44(19)


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quote:Make him stop
quote:What do the 'poor', owe society?
quote:RCD, you're a poor writer. Some people are stupid and bad writers, you're somewhat intelligent, but a god awful writer. It was annoying to read that jumbled mess.
quote:What did I say re subsidies, in my "jumbled mess"? That in some cases they are necessary and good. And the same with Welfare; even defending it as being the "pinnacle" of spiritual opportunity on the part of the giver; as long as that charity does no harm. Being ignorant, poor and relatively helpless in this world...is hell. Period. I truly lament that pain for many who have great potential as loving and valuable beings toward the "sake of our species". My intent toward those - and the problem - is not singularly an emotional one. Pity and unqualified charity, minus the spiritual qualifiers...is fool's gold. Those folk will suffer horrifically...as will many who lend love and charity to them, if we don't get policy right. The whole thing will go up in 'wailing and gnashing of teeth'! So, I'm gonna try really hard not to make a mess of this respectful query: in your more than 'somewhat intelligent' opinion...DO THE POOR OWE ANYTHING TO THE SOCIETY WHICH SUBSIDIZES THEM? Or, is their need - which offers spiritual opportunity to those who are made (spiritually) better individuals by the charitable act of caring - a sufficient contribution on their part? Like playing the role of the guy with the black hat in the old westerns...a child of hell but a necessary evil and a prop and foil for the good guy.


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Congratulations to the organizers and hosts of Workshop 2013. We had a committed team who have been involved in the undertaking of these workshop before, and our volunteers were very successful in working within this team.
Our team included volunteers from the Bowen Island Fish and Wildlife Society, Bowen Island Streamkeepers. North Shore Streamkeepers, Seymour Salmonid Society, West Vancouver Streamkeepers, Pacific Streamkeepers Federation and four local CA's. We highlighted DFO BMP's for fish husbandry, streamkeeper monitoring protocols and education that works.
For more information, follow this link.


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Anyone who is promoting their business is familiar with the concept of "Outbound Marketing". They might not even know that this is the formal term but Outbound Marketing is the traditional way of marketing your business. "The techniques used are print adverting, ads on TV and radio, telemarketing, direct mail and email and many more. These forms of marketing are perceived as an interruption to customers. As an example, when you are watching your favorite TV program you are often interrupted by ads. Outbound marketing means customers are at the receiving end. They are not in control."
The opposite of this and the purpose of the post is Inbound Marketing.
Many of you might have heard the term "Inbound Marketing" but for those of you that have not, it is essentially getting the customers to come to you. This involves "discovering where potential customers are searching, positioning yourself correctly so they'll find you and letting them discover whether you have what they are looking for".
So how do you get discovered naturally and have customers come to you? Well, I have put together what I think are 10 Great Rules for Inbound Marketing that you can use in your business.
Rule #10 – Blog about things that solve your customers problems – People will see the value in your advice and your business. You may think you are giving away free consulting but if people don't know you how will they know you are an expert and worth talking to?
Rule #9 – Optimize your web sites – SEO is critical so that search engines can locate our sites and our articles easily
Rule #8 – Market Your Content to Where your Readers Are – Submit your content to social bookmarking and social networking sites. We also submit our sites to blog directories and our articles to article directories
Rule #7 – Create an "Inbound Hub" – This means setting your website up like a "hub" for your industry that attracts visitors naturally through the search engines, through the blogosphere, and through the social media sites.
Rule #6 – Use Social Networking Sites for actual networking – There are many other social network sites out there beyond Facebook that focus on niche areas. This allows you to build focused networks with others in those respective niches and interests
Rule #5 – Employ Analytics – Your hard work needs to have some result and you need to know if things are working. The easiest way to do this is to employ metrics technologies like Google Analytics, Hubspot and Radian6.
Rule #4 – Make it easy to buy – Give visitors to your site the information that will help in their decision making process.
Rule #3 – Get that prospect's name – There are many clever ways to drop in their name and email to keep updated on information. Sounds easy and at this point in web technology, it is but most people
Rule #2 – Provide methods for visitors to make inquiries or purchases – You would be surprise how many web sites FAIL at this portion of the web site. Heck, you spent all that money on a web site and someone can't fill in a form or quickly ask a question. SEE RULE #4 on Make it EASY TO BUY.
Rule #1 – Give some stuff away – This might sound trite or even cheap but this actually brings all previous nine rules to a focus point. Create an e-book, or a podcast, maybe even a video series. This relates to capturing info and leveraging all the rules together so a potential customer can easily find you, see that you have something of value they can use in exchange for some basic info (email and name) which shows them how much of an expert you are and how easy it is to buy and hire your company.
Any other rules I missed?
These are my 10 rules for implementing an inbound marketing program with customers, is there anything I missed or should add? Leave a comment.
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EX69-02 Elliptical
- Comfortable 20˝ stride length accommodates users of all sizes
- Mix up your workouts and enjoy the variety of 10 programs, 20 resistance levels and 5 manual incline positions
Extra features for engaging and effective workouts
Available on select ellipticals.
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Looking for something specific? We have an elliptical for every need
Extra features for engaging and effective workouts


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Give your windows the quality and fashion they deserve with Levolor roman shades. No need to settle for an off-the-shelf shade that doesn't fit and doesn't suit your needs. Customize your roman shade with the exact options you want, with a fabric and color that is just right. Take your pick of fabric style and color, between the Levolor Dupioni roman shade fabric collection or the Linen Collection. Dupioni is a beautiful imported faux silk fabric that adds a touch of elegance to your decor, and comes with a built in backing to ensure long fabric life. The Linen fabric features the casual sophistication of a woven linen, in a wide selection of fashion-friendly colors.
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Do It Yourself Guides, Expert Advice and Learn About an In-Home Consultation.


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More breathable than traditional waterproof "hard shell" jackets, the Calgary Softshell is ideal for changeable conditions.
A great jacket for all-round hill and mountain use, the Calgary's stretchy, laminated softshell fabric combines a water repellent, durable outer with a breathable windproof membrane and a soft, wicking, tricot knit inner. The peaked, adjustable hood is 'grown on' to the neckline, for comprehensive coverage with no extra fasteners. What all this means is that you can move comfortably and protect yourself from all but the wettest of conditions.
Ideal for the fabulously upredicatable British weather - anyone who's spent much time walking in the Lake District knows that a clear day can very quickly become a snowy day - the Calgary's versatility means you don't always have to carry a comprehensive wardrobe of 'just in case' clothing.
FREE UK DELIVERY on orders over £30
Product Features
As an alternative, you may prefer......
Versatility and value combined with style | |
Reviewed By Derek, 29 May 2013 | |
Having been looking for a while for a soft shell I found the Calgary soft shell most suited to my needs.Neither a serious walker or more adventurist mountain expert I needed a jacked for everyday wear during our Scottish summer.This soft shell I combines a balance of being of the correct weight along with the wind proofing and shower resistance I require for outdoor use. |


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The Blood Type Diet Archives Volume 1
Posted By: Mick CortonDate: December 07, 1997 at 18:24:16
In Response To: Re: Polymyalgia rheumatica/ Type A (Richard Francis)
My mother is 77 and has had polymyalgia for 5 yearsSteroids have helped the pain but left her with increasingly thin bruised skin. In addition sheis now hardly able to walk through loss of muscle tone.What is this book that is being referred to? Whatis the diet? and what is type A? Can anyone help with thisinformation? I'd love to be able to help her.


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Developing a Semantic Web Strategy
In the last chapter of his book "Pull: The Power of the Semantic Web to Transform Your Business" David Siegel outlines some steps for developing a successful Semantic Web strategy for your business or organization.
One approach that worked for me recently was to organize a meeting titled "Developing a Semantic Web Strategy" and invite along developers, architects, analysts and managers. This was in the context of a government organization and the managers were from the applications development area.
Sharing out books like Semantic Web for the Working Ontologist, Semantic Web For Dummies, Programming the Semantic Web and Semantic Web Programming prior to the meeting helped people get familiar with concepts like URIs as names for things, RDF, RDFS, OWL, SPARQL and RDFa.
To highlight how rapidly the Web of Data is evolving and the amount of information now being published as Linked Open Data, I stepped through Mark Greaves excellent presentation The Maturing Semantic Web: Lessons in Web-Scale Knowledge Representation.
During the meeting I took a business strategy first, technology second approach, taking the time to explore how an approach that has worked for someone else might fit with our organization.
Areas explored included:
- Enterprise Modeling
- Open Government
- RDFa Based Integration
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Enterprise Web of Data
Enterprise Modeling
I spent some time comparing RDF / OWL modeling with the UML modeling, highlighting how URIs enable modeling across distributed information sources without the need to consolidate everything in a central repository like you do with UML tools.
Also touched on OWL features such as:
- owl:sameAs and its use in Linked Data to establish identity between Individuals
- equivalence between Classes and Properties
- owl:TransitiveProperty, modeling transitive dependencies between software components and using a reasoner to infer the full set of runtime dependencies for a component.
Because it is a government department I highlighted the Federal Enterprise Architecture Reference Model Ontology (FEA-RMO) and how such an ontology could be used to map a parliamentary initiative to the software providing its implementation.
Open Government
Given the current trend for governments to make datasets freely available I presented the Linked Data approaches taken by http://data.gov and http://data.gov.uk as examples to follow in this area.
The business case for Linked Data in this scenario is that Linked Data is seen as the best available approach for publishing data in hugely diverse and distributed environments, in a gradual and sustainable way (see Why Linked Data for data.gov.uk? for details).
RDFa Based Integration
One example that struck a chord was RDFa and Linked Data in UK Government Websites where job vacancy details from different sites can easily be combined since each web site publishes their web pages using HTML with RDFa added to annotate the job vacancy. Using RDFa allows the same page to be read as either HTML or RDF. The end result is that integration can be achieved with minimal changes to the original sites.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
For anyone advertising products and services online the business strategy to follow is the example set by BestBuy.com which describes its stores and products using the Good Relations ontology and embeds these descriptions into its web pages using RDFa, increasing search engine traffic by 30%.
Enterprise Web of Data
Within our software development process, from project inception to production release and subsequent maintenance release, information is being copied and duplicated in a number of different places. Silos abound, in the form of word documents, spread sheets and the sticky notes that are part of the "Agile" process. There is some good information on our wiki pages but it is unstructured and not machine readable.
The information that forms our internal processes fails David Siegel's Semantic Web Acid Test:
- It's not semantic and
- It's not on the web.
Introducing a Semantic Wiki such as Semantic MediaWiki, to hold project information and link this information to other datasources was raised as a candidate for a semantic web proof of concept.
Just scheduling the meeting was in itself a successful outcome since it started discussion around the role Semantic Web technologies could play in our organization. For a number of people, including the Applications Development manager, this is new technology and they need time to absorb it but the end result was agreement that it was technology that couldn't be ignored.
In order to gain some practical experience two internal prototypes were agreed to, both with practical value for the organization.
The first is a small application that will show the full set of runtime dependencies for a given software component as well as the other components affected when the specified component is changed. The application will be based on a simple ontology that defines dependencies between components using the owl:TransitiveProperty and uses a reasoner (e.g. Pellet) to infer the full set of dependencies for a component.
The second prototype will trial Semantic MediaWiki for project management (potentially using the Teamwork Ontology). The longer term view is customize Semantic MediaWiki to include artifacts created as part of the software development process, addressing some of the silo problems found in our current internal enterprise web of data.
Once practical knowledge has been gained from the internal prototypes a meeting will be scheduled with the Enterprise Architecture team to canvas the establishment of a wider vision for the use of Linked Data and Semantic Web technologies, potentially leading to its use on the public web sites, actively publishing to the Web of Data.


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How can you tell a retired public employee from a private sector retiree?
The man laughing all the way to the bank is from the ranks of the bloodsuckers.
The man working as a greeter in one of those large box stores had his blood
sucked — by those in government and other public entities.
I'm going to come clean before I wade into the fray. I have friends and relatives who are public employees, working in the criminal justice system and education. I know they work hard, dealing with violent criminals every day, coming home with bruises and stress because fighting is part of their job. They go when called and afterward deal with the offenders when they are locked up. Incidentally, Bertram knows these people are important. In a column from May 2006 he described the feelings of one of his colleagues as his car was swarmed on the North Side:
You sit there, your hands firmly gripping the steering wheel, your eyes
wandering so as not to look directly at them. There is a deep sense of
hopelessness, which, as time passes, is replaced by an anger so intense that
it prompts all kinds of counterattack scenarios. But in reality, there's not
much you can do when they're swarming.
That feeling of hopelessness dissolves when a cruiser pulls up and a cop steps out. That feeling of fear can be safely forgotten when criminals are held away from us, in detention centers and jails, where correction officers deal with them daily, so we don't have to.
And so it goes. We call 911 and fire fighters and police respond as fast as they can, running toward the fire and the danger, and later, they contain the dangerous people so we can feel safe. they clean the streets, fix the broken water mains and teach our children. And they do it all a damn sight cheaper than we would.
The people I know in public service? To a one they hold 4 year degrees in their fields. The teachers hold master's degrees. That means we are being served by educated individuals who planned on entering public service as a career path. Their plan was to protect us and teach our children. They could have entered the private sector, like me, and made more money. They could all be living wealthier lives instead of taking side jobs to grab a few extra dollars.
So yes, they have good medical benefits and a decent pension but they aren't making nearly the same money they would in the private sector.
de Souza needs to compare apples to apples in his argument. If he wants to move their pensions to Social Security they should all be paid what college graduates of their experience are being paid. Can local communities afford that? No, they can't. Public employees forgo larger salaries for the promise of a stable retirement and good medical benefits. That's the deal we make with them.
Yes, changes should be made. The public employees I've spoken with say changes that extend the retirement age should be made and double dipping should be eliminated. And they didn't compare anyone to a leech while saying it.
What Bertram should really be upset about is that our government has trashed our employment opportunities so thoroughly that public employment has become the new gold standard.
Man up, Bertram. You owe an apology.


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Over 160,000 WordPress Sites Used as Zombies in DDoS Attacks
Are you running WordPress like us? Do you make it a point to update to the latest version as soon as it's out? If not, then maybe you should.
In a recent massive attack, more than 160,000 WordPress sites have been taken advantage of and used to launch "a large HTTP-based (layer 7) distributed flood attack against a target". And, these were legit WordPress sites that were abused for the attack. So you could actually have been one of them! Read More


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The search to find what wasn't there has brought him back to you. -- Skip Spence, "Cripple Creek," 1968 There are few albums in... More >>
Wayne Coyne is no madman. Julian Cope may have fried his brain and come out the other side barely intact, but Coyne (rock's other modern-day... More >>
Kelly Willis What I Deserve (Rykodisc) After failing to find much of an audience for her four fine releases from the Nineties --... More >>
The Beta Band The Three E.P.s (Astralwerks) It struck me as odd to discover that Britain's hottest new "techno" act, the Beta... More >>
Jimi Hendrix Live at the Fillmore East (MCA) The Jimi Hendrix catalogue has been revamped and remixed so many times you may be... More >>
Dusty Springfield was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this month. Queen Elizabeth II made her an officer of the British Empire this... More >>
I suppose it was the leopard-print pants, or maybe it was his tax exile move from England to Los Angeles in the mid-Seventies, or maybe it was the... More >>
There's an age-old joke that MCs at open-mike nights trot out before a particularly torturous act takes the stage. It goes something like this:... More >>
Yeah, sure, if you actually remember the Sixties you weren't really there. True for any era worth remembering. But as long as the person doing the... More >>


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Do you recommend a propane-canister or liquid-fuel backpacking stove? I've heard good things about both, and I'm unsure about which one I should bring to Philmont Scout Ranch.
– Backpacker Bryan, Longview, Texas
A. Good question. Problem is, there's no easy answer. You're right, there are benefits to each. Liquid-fuel stoves burn hot, are reliable, work well at elevation and in colder weather, and the fuel is more affordable and goes a long way. But the stoves are also more expensive and require regular cleaning and maintenance. Canister stoves are easy to use and generally more affordable, but are also less efficient, the fuel is more expensive, and they are not as reliable in very cold weather. Since you'll likely be cooking as a crew at Philmont, I'd say sharing a reliable liquid-fuel stove with your fellow Scouts and packing a couple of fuel bottles is probably the best solution.
I have been to Philmont twice now. Each time we used liquid fuel and I think it is the best for the conditions and easy to fill up in the back country if you run low!
I prefer electric stoves. We bring a genarator and a microwave so we can cook anything quick and perfect every time.
WOW. HA,HA,HA,HA,HA!!! so when you go hiking who packs along the 250+ pound generator and microwave!? We are talking camping here.
I belive we are talking about camping.
I don't use liquid or gas fuel. I bring a solid fuel stove which is compact and burns efficiently.
I prefer propane canister. They are the most popular type of stove. Find out you know
what is easier for you to work with.
Another thing to look into is to find out what other members of your group are using. That way you could share fuel supplies. Propane / butain stoves are quick and easy – liquid fuel is longer lasting per volume container size; it's a personal choice. I use a MSR Dragonfly (Liquid fuel). To clean is you simply shake it; easy enough.
I agree with you on this one S.F. I use the Dragonfly as well and it works like a charm!


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INTRODUCTION The Superintendent of Insurance issues this Decision and Order, after consideration of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield's 2005 rate filing for individual HealthChoice, HealthChoice Standard and HealthChoice Basic products. Anthem is required, pursuant to the provisions of 24-A M.R.S.A. § 2736(1), to submit for the Superintendent's approval proposed policy rates for non-group health insurance projects. In its filing, Anthem proposes revised rates for its HealthChoice products that would produce an average increase of 14.7% for currently enrolled members. The specific rate revisions requested range from a 4.2% decrease to a 106.5% increase, depending upon deductible level and type of contract. Anthem requests that those rate revisions become effective on January 1, 2005. This Decision and Order constitutes final agency action on Anthem's filing. PROCEDURAL HISTORY On September 17, 2004, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield ("Anthem") filed for approval of proposed revised rates for individual HealthChoice, HealthChoice Standard and HealthChoice Basic products. The Bureau of Insurance designated the matter as Docket No. INS-04-610. On September 21, 2004, the Superintendent issued a notice of pending proceeding and hearing. The notice set public hearing for November 12, 2004, outlined the purpose of hearing, set a deadline for intervention, and explained hearing procedure. Pursuant to 5 M.R.S.A. § 9052, notice to the public was accomplished by publication in newspapers of State-wide circulation and on the Internet. In addition, pursuant to 24-A M.R.S.A. § 2735-A, on or about September 27, 2004, Anthem provided direct written notice by mail to every affected policyholder, advising policyholders of the proposed rate increases, pending proceeding and the scheduled hearing. On September 30, 2004, the Department of the Attorney General filed a motion for intervention pursuant to 5 M.R.S.A. § 9054(1). There was no opposition to that motion. On October 8, 2004, the Superintendent issued a Procedural Order, in which he identified the parties as Anthem and the Attorney General and, in accord with Maine Bureau of Insurance Rule Chapter 350, § 2(A)(1), established procedures for the conduct of this proceeding. In his Procedural Order, the Superintendent also established deadlines for serving discovery requests and for submission of pre-filed testimony and exhibits. Between October 8, 2004 and the October 22, 2004 discovery deadline set by the Superintendent's Procedural Order, the Bureau of Insurance and the Attorney General engaged in discovery. The Bureau served Anthem with a total of three pre-hearing discovery requests, to which Anthem filed responses. The Attorney General served Anthem with one discovery request. Anthem generally responded but objected to one of the 25 parts of the Attorney General's request. By Order dated November 4, 2004, the Superintendent sustained in part and overruled in part Anthem's objection. With its original filing, Anthem requested confidentiality of certain information. Anthem asserted that the information was proprietary, because it revealed unique methodologies and strategies, included internal financial data and would benefit competitors unfairly if disclosed. On October 25, 2004, the Superintendent issued a Protective Order requiring that certain information contained in Anthem's filing be given confidential treatment and protection from public disclosure pursuant to Bureau of Insurance Bulletin 168 and 1 M.R.S.A. § 402(3)(B). In the course of subsequent pre-hearing proceedings, Anthem filed several additional requests for confidentiality, asserting the same grounds set forth in their original request. At hearing on November 12, 2004, the Superintendent granted those motions, because the motions pertained to the identical or same kind of information covered by the Superintendent's original Protective Order. On November 12, 2004, the Superintendent held a public hearing on Anthem's filing. Members of the public had an opportunity to make either sworn or unsworn statements for consideration by the Superintendent. Ten individuals provided such statements. Members of the public also made approximately 180 submissions of written comments. At hearing, Anthem presented testimonial evidence from a Regional Vice-President, the General Manager of its Maine operations and two actuaries. The Attorney General presented testimonial evidence from an actuary and a health policy and health finance consultant. The Superintendent admitted into evidence several exhibits offered by each of the parties and took official notice of Anthem's responses to discovery requests from the Bureau of Insurance and the Attorney General. After both parties rested at hearing, the Superintendent requested that they submit supplemental materials for inclusion in the record: certain calculations by each party's actuary and a revision by Anthem of its proposed notice to policyholders. The parties complied with the Superintendent's request. Anthem notified the Superintendent of its objections to certain portions of materials submitted by the Attorney General (which notification the Superintendent need not consider, since this Decision and Order does not rely upon materials to which Anthem objected). After the record was closed, both parties submitted written closing arguments for the Superintendent's consideration. STANDARD of REVIEW Anthem bears the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the proposed rates are not inadequate, excessive or unfairly discriminatory. Additionally, pursuant to 24-A M.R.S.A. § 2736-C(5), Anthem is required to show that in accordance with accepted actuarial principles or practices proposed rates should yield a loss ratio of at least 65%. DISCUSSION Following is a discussion in which the Superintendent addresses certain specific components of Anthem's filing. I. Unpaid Claims Liability The Attorney General suggests that Anthem's failure to adjust its initial estimate of experience period claims in light of more recently available information resulted in an unnecessary overstatement of its liability. Such an overstatement would result in an overestimate of rating period claims and, arguably, excessive premiums. In estimating Anthem's liability, the Attorney General's actuarial consultant used data more recent than the data Anthem used in the filing. At least some of that data was not available when Anthem prepared the September 17 filing. The filing used claims paid through July. The Attorney General's consultant used claims paid through September. As the Attorney General's closing argument points out, September claims would not have been available at the filing date, but August claims would have been available. Neither Anthem nor the Attorney General's consultant provided an estimate of the unpaid claims liability using claims paid through August. Anthem argues that updating the filing to reflect more recent data would require new notices to policyholders, thereby delaying the rating process. Taken to the extreme, this could lead to an endless cycle of updates and notices. The Attorney General counters that, if the more recent data makes a material difference, the filing should be updated, citing Actuarial Standard of Practice No. 8 ("ASOP 8"), section 5.5. That Standard states in part, "Prior claim reserve estimates should be updated to reflect claim development experience to date when the difference is material." However, from the context, this appears to mean updating estimates at the time a filing is prepared. There is no specific reference in ASOP 8 to updating filings after they have been submitted. Nonetheless, it stands to reason that some changes that occur after the filing date, in either direction, could be so large that a revised filing would be warranted. It is a matter of judgment how large a change would warrant this. In the current case, using the more recent data cited by the Attorney General would reduce the rate increase by roughly two percentage points. Pursuant to the Superintendent's request at hearing, Anthem provided an estimate based on the more recent data used by the Attorney General's expert. While Anthem's methodology produced a somewhat higher estimate than that of the Attorney General's expert, even when the same data was used, either methodology is reasonable. It does not appear that Anthem's methodology is inherently more conservative. Anthem questions why this factor and not other aspects of the filing should be updated. The answer is simply that this is the only one shown to have changed materially. II. Investment Income The Attorney General suggests that Anthem has understated its investment income credit, thus providing an insufficient offset to projected claims experience. Anthem's calculation of the investment income credit appears reasonable, however. While the Attorney General raises questions about apparent inconsistencies between Anthem's representations about investment income and data reported in its annual statements, it seems unlikely that the answers to those questions would result in any significant change. The Attorney General also argues that HealthChoice policyholders should be credited for investment income on Anthem's surplus. The surplus belongs to Anthem's stockholders, however, and it is logical that the income earned on it should also belong to stockholders. III. Commissions The Attorney General points out that Exhibit I to Anthem's filing states that the $1.21 commission expense is on a per contract per month basis while Exhibit I calculations include a commission expense of $1.21 per member per month. The Attorney General's closing argument asserts that this means the total required premium is overstated. However, review of the calculation of this factor (Bates Stamp page 19 of the filing) makes it clear that the per contract reference is a labeling error and the $1.21 was in fact calculated to be per member per month. IV. Supplemental Accident and Preventive Care Rider Anthem's Supplemental Accident and Preventive Care Rider waives the deductible for claims relating to accidents or preventive care. In the past, Anthem has applied the same percentage increase to the Rider's rate as the average increase applied to the base policy. A November 8, 2002 Decision and Order of the Superintendent provides, "Anthem…shall include in all future rate filings experience data for the Supplemental Accident & Preventive Care rider." In re: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield 2003 Individual Rate Filing for HealthChoice, HealthChoice Standard and HealthChoice Basic Products and Individual HMO Standard and Basic Products, Consolidated Docket No. INS-02-785 at Part V, ¶ 4. Anthem has not complied with that Order, in this case. Instead, it re-rated the Rider, resulting in a proposed 13% rate decrease. Any decrease in the Rider's rate results in an increase in the rate for the base policy, since rates are calculated to achieve the required revenue for the block as a whole. Thus, the net effect of Anthem's proposal is to lower rates for policies with the Rider while raising rates for those without the Rider. For the preventive care portion, Anthem provides total claims divided between policies with the Rider and those without it, resulting in a rate reduction for the Rider. If those two pools were similar, the difference in experience could be attributed to the Rider. However, Anthem stated at hearing that it believes that insureds whose policies have the Rider are more likely to seek preventive care on a regular basis and are therefore healthier. This means that some of the difference in claims experience is due to lower claims on the base policy offsetting claims under the Rider. To the extent that insureds seek regular care because their policies have the Rider, it may be appropriate to reflect their better health status in the Rider rates. However, to the extent that insureds chose to buy the Rider because they already sought preventive care regularly (and therefore were already healthier) charging them lower rates -- stated another way, charging those without the Rider higher rates -- can be viewed as inconsistent with community rating. For the accident portion, Anthem does not provide total claims divided between policies with and without the Rider. It bases proposed rates on assumptions provided by actuarial consultants. V. Rate Relativities Anthem's filing separates its HealthChoice book of business into
three distinct blocks: HealthChoice Marketed Options, HealthChoice Renewable
Only Options and HealthChoice Mandated Standard and Basic. The plans vary,
based on benefit differences. Differences in proposed rates for the plans
exceed the maximum possible difference in benefits among the plans. Maine
Bureau of Insurance Rules, Chapter 940,
Anthem seeks an exception to the requirement of Rule 940 that differences in rates between plans not exceed the maximum possible difference in benefits A. Renewable Only versus Marketed Options Anthem's position is that none of the difference in utilization between the Marketed Options and the Renewable Only Options is due to differences in health status or demographics and that the three designated blocks of business are "naturally distinguishable." Its summary analysis of age differences and utilization, produced in response to discovery requests, does not establish that rate differentials are independent of health status or demographics. In short, Anthem's assertion that Rule 940's requirements are satisfied is not credible. With respect to Rule 940, its submission does not constitute the good faith effort required. Anthem's closing argument asks the Superintendent what further information is needed to justify the rate differentials. It is doubtful that any available information could justify rate differentials of the size requested. However, it is likely that rate differentials that exceed the benefit differentials by a modest amount could be justified. Several possible methods for justifying such modest rate differentials were alluded to at the hearing. The two basic possibilities are:
One approach to the first suggested method for justifying rate differentials is to use data from the Rand Health Insurance Experiment. Anthem's closing argument notes that the cost sharing levels examined in that study were much lower than those today, but when adjusted for inflation, they would be more comparable. To the extent differences remain, it would certainly be possible to extrapolate to estimate the effect of higher cost sharing. One approach to the second suggested method for justifying rate differentials is to use Anthem's data on demographics and claims. Morbidity factors by age and sex are available in the actuarial literature or from consulting firms or could be based on Anthem's own experience. A weighted average factor could be determined for each block. This could then be divided by the weighted average of the age rating factors (i.e., 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2) applicable to each block to estimate the impact of demographics on experience. Claims data could probably be used in a number of ways to estimate differences in health status. One way would be to determine the proportion of each block that has a serious medical condition, e.g., cancer or heart disease. Another way would be to focus on utilization of services that are not discretionary and therefore not likely to be affected by the incentives of different cost sharing provisions. Regardless of what method for justifying rate differentials is used, the groupings of plans proposed in this filing is not acceptable, primarily because the highest deductible in the Renewable Only group ($4,000) is higher than the lowest deductible in the Marketed Options group ($2,250). A higher rate for the $4,000 deductible could not possibly be justified based on incentives provided by cost sharing, since those incentives would be in the opposite direction. That is, insureds with the $4,000 deductible would have greater incentive to constrain utilization than those with the $2,250 deductible. The $2,000 deductible plan is similarly problematic. While having a slightly lower deductible than the $2,250 plan, it also has coinsurance of up to $1,000, so the potential cost sharing is still higher. Anthem bases its groupings on the fact that the Renewable Only Options have coinsurance provisions while the Marketed Options do not. This distinction is not relevant, although coinsurance does enter into the calculation of the maximum possible difference in benefits. It would be preferable to treat each deductible separately, rather than grouping plans. If grouping is to be used, then it must be done on a more logical basis. Even in the unlikely event that Anthem can justify rate differentials that greatly exceed benefit differentials, it would be inappropriate to implement them all at once. Rate increases of the magnitude Anthem proposes for the Renewable Only Options would exacerbate the deterioration of the claims experience for that block, since insureds in relative good health are more likely to drop coverage, while those anticipating substantial claims are more likely to maintain coverage. B. Mandated versus Marketed Options Anthem's closing argument asserts that the Mandated Options have not historically been subsidized by the Marketed Options "within the construct of Rule Ch. 940." It is true that the requirements of Rule 940 regarding rate relativities do not apply to the rate differentials between the Marketed and Mandated Options, because the plan designs are sufficiently different to make it impossible to define a maximum possible difference in benefits. However, it is also true that Anthem's past rating practices have resulted in a subsidy of the Mandated Options. Exhibit I of Anthem's filing shows that premiums for the Mandated Options for the year ending June 30, 2004 were not even enough to cover claims, let alone administrative expenses and profit, while claims for the Marketed Options were only 71% of premium. While there is no prohibition against Anthem rating each of these blocks separately, a change of this magnitude should be made more gradually. As with the Renewable Only Options, rate increases of the magnitude Anthem proposes for the Mandated Options would exacerbate the deterioration of claims experience. VI. Profit and Risk Margin Past filings by Anthem have included a combined profit and risk margin. The current filing contains separate profit and risk margin proposals. Either combining or separating profit and risk margins is acceptable and has no impact on the rates or anything else, if the combined margin is simply the sum of the separate margins. The significant factor is the size of the combined margin. The HealthChoice line has contributed substantially to the increase of Anthem's surplus in recent years. The filing's Exhibit III shows that, for the period 2000-2003, the HealthChoice operating gain before federal income tax was equal to 9.8% of revenue. Other factors to consider in determining an appropriate margin are the degree of uncertainty in the projections of claims and administrative expenses and the need to keep premiums as affordable as possible. VII. Disclosure Form In the event a Rule 940 exception is granted, Bureau of Insurance Rules, Chapter 940, § 8(B)(2). The Superintendent deemed the disclosure form filed with Anthem's application inadequate and requested at hearing submission of a revised text. The fifth paragraph of the revised disclosure reads: While this revision is an improvement from the disclosure text originally proposed, its reference to "similar benefits" is inappropriate, since the plans that will save money are those with higher deductibles. VIII. Non-Compliance with the 2002 Decision and Order A. Supplemental Accident and Preventive Care Rider As noted above in Point IV, in this filing, Anthem has failed to comply with a November 8, 2002 Order of the Superintendent requiring that it file experience data for the Supplemental Accident and Preventive Care Rider. In response to a discovery request, Anthem asserted that it is difficult, if not impossible, to segregate that experience. Anthem explained that it is not apparent whether claim payment was due to the rider or a result of the deductible having been met. Assuming the validity of this late explanation, at hearing, Anthem confirmed that it nonetheless had unilaterally decided not to comply with the November 8, 2002 Order without prior explanation or a request for relief from the Order's requirements. B. Mixed-Age Contracts Anthem's 2002 filing changed the way rates are determined for
contracts covering two adults (with or without children). Previously,
the rates reflected the ages of both adults. Now rates are based on the
age of the primary policyholder. Therefore, while it had previously made
little difference which spouse was designated as primary insured, it is
now advantageous for policyholders to designate the younger spouse as
the primary insured. In order to make policyholders aware of this, The
Superintendent's November 8, Anthem's response to a Bureau of Insurance discovery request in this proceeding reveals that it has failed to follow this Ordered procedure. According to Anthem, it sent one mail notice in 2002 to the 795 policyholders affected in 2003. It sent no second letter. It made calls to "over 300" policyholders. Presumably, the calls were to all of the policyholders who did not respond to the letter, though this was not made clear. Anthem was unable to determine how many members ultimately changed the primary policyholder and how many did not. According to Anthem, it sent an initial mail notice to 296 policyholders in 2003 for 2004 effective dates. It sent a second notice to 119 policyholders who did not respond. Presumably, this means that 177 (296 - 119) changed after the first notice. Eventually, 185 changed and 17 terminated, leaving 94 policyholders paying higher rates than they needed to pay. It appears that only eight (185 - 177) changed after the second notice, which tends to indicate that little, if any, harm resulted from skipping the second written notice in 2002 and going right to phone contact. At hearing, Anthem offered time constraints as an excuse for some of its failure to comply with the 2002 Order's notice requirements but was unable to provide a complete explanation of its noncompliance. Anthem does not dispute that it did not seek relief from the Superintendent's Order or provide the Superintendent notice of its noncompliance. FINDINGS and CONCLUSIONS On the basis of a preponderance of the credible evidence before him, the Superintendent makes the following findings and conclusions:
ORDER Pursuant to the provisions of 24-A M.R.S.A. §§ 12-A(6), 2736 and 2736-A and authority otherwise conferred by law, the Superintendent hereby ORDERS:
NOTICE of APPELLATE RIGHTS This Decision and Order is final agency action of the Superintendent of Insurance, within the meaning of the Maine Administrative Procedure Act, 5 M.R.S.A. § 8002(4). It may be appealed to the Superior Court in the manner provided for by 24-A M.R.S.A. § 236, 5 M.R.S.A. §§ 11001 through 11008 and M.R. Civ.P. 80C. Any party to the proceeding may initiate an appeal within thirty days after receiving this notice. Any aggrieved non party whose interests are substantially and directly affected by this Decision and Order may initiate an appeal within forty days of the issuance of this decision. There is no automatic stay pending appeal. Application for stay may be made in the manner provided in 5 M.R.S.A. § 11004. Dated this 16th day of December 2004 at Gardiner, Maine.
Last Updated: January 16, 2014 |
Copyright © 2006 All rights reserved. |


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DIY Metallic Paper Camellias
Happy Memorial Day to everyone here in the United States. Some of us have the day off as it is a national holiday, but me. . . I did not want to miss sharing this tutorial and pattern for the gorgeous camellia flower. I have a few camellia bushes around my house. In the spring… Read more.
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Mady Christians (1892–1951)
Mady Christians was born in Vienna, Austria. Destined to be in films in both Germany and the United States, Mady started out as a stage actress, but she soon found new challenges with the world of cinema. Her first film was at the tender age of 16 when she appeared in AUDREY in 1916. She remained in German films for the next 26 years before she ...
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Died:(age 59) in South Norwalk, Connecticut, USA |


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Regions:Dover/Somersworth -Portsmouth -Rochester -Southern Maine | |||
Go Mobile: http://mobile.fosters.com Mile high: Brassard peaked for the big meets
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
NORTHWOOD — For Jeremy Brassard it was go hard or go home.
What he did was win his third straight mile race at a time of the season when elite runners strive to peak.
"He has that combination of speed and strength and tenacity," said Coe-Brown co-coach Tim Cox. "You have to be aggressive and tough in that event. He just has a knack for winning races."
"I ran them completely opposite," Brassard said. "For the Meet of Champions I raced conservatively at the beginning and held back until the end. Then at New Englands right from the get-go I was going as hard as I could until the end." |


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Angry Over Gay Mayor's Election, Florida GOP Leader Wants To Stop College Kids From Voting
Remember these lines? One GOP leader supported the law that created them to keep college kids away from the polls. |
That GOP chairman now admits that the main reason he helped push through the voting law that lead to agonizingly long lines during the presidential election was to keep college kids away from the polls.
See also:
-- Florida Still Has No Presidential Winner As Miami Counts Thousands More Absentee Ballots
Alachua County's GOP chairman, Stafford Jones, tells the Miami Herald this morning that blocking college students in Gainesville from local elections was his main motivation for pushing changes to provisional balloting.
That change was one of the most ridiculous pieces of Rick Scott's widely derided 2011 voting reforms. Under the new rules, voters registered in a different county had to cast a time-consuming provisional ballot.
Previously, they could have just cast a regular ballot after workers checked a statewide database. Election workers say they literally never heard of a single case of someone trying to vote in two different counties.
And the new rule -- which led to the absurd sight of poll workers phoning around the state to check that the voter hadn't already voted in the other county and a 25 percent increase in provisional ballots -- was "like pouring sand into the gears of the machine," an election official tells the Herald.
So if there was no problem with people voting in multiple counties and the change gummed up polling lines, why did the GOP support it? Take it away, Stafford Jones:
"The liberals do a good job of bringing in college kids to vote on local issues," Jones tells the Miami Herald. "The kids vote on raising our taxes, but don't have to live here to pay the consequences."
Most Gainesville students kept their voter registration in their home towns while casting ballots in Alachua. Jones (probably correctly) figured the new rule would discourage voting.
So he encouraged his buddy, Rep. Dennis Baxley, to push for the provisional ballot rule, and Baxley says Lowe's election was a prime motivator. "It wasn't right for people to move in and steal an election like that," Baxley tells the Herald.
Yeah, how dare punk college kids try to get involved in democracy in the place where they live 10 months out of the year! That's not what our Founding Fathers would have wanted.
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