text:
Recent News
January 13, 2015
Joseph A. LoCicero, President and CEO of The Segal Group has announced that Mildeen Worrell has joined the firm as Vice President and Compliance Practice Leader for the East Region.
January 12, 2015
Joseph A. LoCicero, President & CEO of The Segal Group, has announced that Carole Henry has joined the firm's West Region as Vice President and Health Benefits Manager in its Phoenix office.
Upcoming Events
Segal consultants will speak and/or present material at the conferences and meetings listed below:
New England Employee Benefits Council
"Communicating Health Care: From 'Required' to 'Inspired'"
Laura Cochran, Washington D.C.
Dan Cabrera, New YorkApril 2, 2015
ACI's 9th ERISA Litigation Conference
"Underlying Exposures and Coverage Issues, Placing and Underwriting Insurance, Future Needs, and Strategic Litigation and Settlement Considerations"
Brian Smith, New YorkApril 13, 2015
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans - Health Care Management Conference
"Approaches in Using Exchanges"
Tom Morrison, Los Angeles
"Medical Data Breaches – Now What?"
Mark Dobrow, Segal Select Insurance, ChicagoApril 13, 2015
Featured Expert
The number of retirees covered by benefits plans are increasing, and costs are continuing to rise. Join Segal SVP and Consultant Andrew Sherman for a discussion of how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is bringing increased focus to questions and issues surrounding retiree benefits.
To see a larger version of this, visit our experts videos page.
Presentations & Webinars
Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of 2014
January 15, 2015
Segal Select's "Core Products"
March 19, 2015
2014: Segal Select's Year-End Insurance Review
December 4, 2014
The Cost of Healthcare: Findings From the 2015 Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey
November 13, 2014
Articles by Segal Experts
Helping DC Plan Participants Manage "Longevity Risk"
By Wendy Carter, January 2015, NAGDCA Newsletter
What Obesity's Designation as a Disease Means for Plan Sponsors
By Dr. Sadhna Paralkar and Edward A. Kaplan, January 2015, IPMA HR News
How Public Pension Plans Can Develop and Maintain Actuarially Responsible Funding Policies: FOUR PERSPECTIVES
By Paul Angelo and Brad Ramirez, December 2014, IPMA HR News
Hot Topics
Frequently Asked Questions from Health Plan Sponsors about the Anthem Data Breach
February 19, 2015
Anthem, California and Connecticut Websites Provide Additional Information on Data Breach
February 19, 2015
Recommended New Year's Resolution for Plan Fiduciaries: Prompt Notification of Claims, Audits or Investigations
January 22, 2015


text:
HAVE: Swap Fruit tree cuttings for information.
GregtedAugust 19, 2014
Hi all,
I have been offered some mango cuttings from northern NSW and I know nothing concerning taking cuttings and storing them for posting but I can get as many cuttings as I want.
My post is about offering the extra cuttings I may get and don't need at the moment, in exchange for information on taking, storing and posting fruit tree cuttings.
I may have other fruit tree cuttings if mango isn't what you're after soon.
This post was edited by Gregted on Tue, Aug 19, 14 at 21:11

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Board of Taxation report into VCLPs released
18th Feb 13
Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury has released the Board of Taxation's Review of taxation arrangements under the venture capital limited partnerships regime.
The Government agrees with all of the Board of Taxation's recommendations of these reviews in full or in principle. Changes requiring legislative amendments will take effect on Royal Assent.
Board of Taxation's Review of taxation arrangements under the VCLP regime
Read the Government's response
Add your comments to this article
Re:Think – What the Tax White Paper means for the PE and VC industry
BLOG: Innovation & Entrepreneurship find some new friends in Canberra!
Author: Yasser El-Ansary, Chief Executive Officer, AVCAL
Share scheme changes help unlock Australia's innovation potential
AVCAL submission: Draft RG 97 on Fees and Costs Disclosure
AVCAL submission: SIV and PIV second round consultations
BLOG: PE/VC performance – a look behind the numbers
Author: Kosta Sinelnikov, Senior Research Analyst, AVCAL


text:
The attorneys working with ClassAction.org are no longer reviewing claims for these cases. The information here is for reference only.
Up-to-date information and resources can be found here.
In December 2013, Chase agreed to settle a class action lawsuit over excess flood insurance and mailed reimbursement checks to all affected customers in September 2014.
Property owners who took out a mortgage loan with JP Morgan Chase and had an insurance policy, such as hazard coverage, force-placed on them may have legal recourse. Allegedly, when some mortgage loan holders fail to maintain their hazard insurance coverage, JPMorgan Chase and Chase Bank will force-place a new policy, which costs more and provides less coverage, on the borrower. Furthermore, these policies, for which the bank allegedly received commissions, provide unnecessary or duplicate coverage as they are incorrectly backdated to recover premiums from a period of time when the borrower had no risk of loss, according to a JPMorgan force placed insurance lawsuit.
If you had an insurance policy force placed on you by JPMorgan Chase Bank NA or Chase Bank USA NA, you may have legal recourse. To find out if you can seek compensation for unnecessary or duplicate insurance coverage, complete our free case review form with details of your JP Morgan Chase insurance complaints. This online case evaluation is being offered at no cost or obligation.


text:
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© 2015 Local Corporation - US Patent 7,231,405
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text: FKJ - Jet Jam Mixtape #3 by jetjamclub published on 2013/06/24 14:25:25 +0000 Read the accompanying interview w/ FKJ over at: http://jetjam.net/2013/06/jet-jam-mixtape-3-mixed-by-fkj-plus-interview/ The third instalment in our JET JAM Mixtape series is courtesy of our Parisian friend FKJ aka French Kiwi Juice. He caught our ears a few months ago with his brand of uber-sexy disco on So Much To Me, which is finally to be released on his latest EP for Roche Musique. We then booked him for the party we put on in Nottingham earlier this month and he completely smashed it. Playing many upfront exclusives alongside classics. To hear more of his original material subscribe to the soundcloud: @fkj-2 Enjoy JET JAM Mixtape #3. For free. TRACKLIST: 1. William De Vaughn - Be Thankful For What You've Got (FKJ Remix) 2. Only Children - Richard Morris 3. Lightspeed Recordings - Pull Us Apart (LNTG Rework) 4. Cherokee - Don't Matter (Feat. Darianna) (Unreleased) 5. Para One - When The Night (FKJ Remix) 6. Detroit Swindle - Brotherman (KRL Remix) 7. Tuxedo - Do It 8. Chris Malinchak - These Dreams 9. Cherokee - American Spirit 10. Evan Evans - Repetition (Art Of Tones Remix) 11. Christophe - The Force (Lukas Mix) 12. Jimmy Edgar - Hot Raw Sex 13. The Ones - Flawless (ATOC Re-Remix) 14. Robert Boogert - Ask Her 15. FKJ - Between Moods 16. James Brown & Marva Whitney - Sunny Beautiful Artwork by Michaela Selmani http://michaelaselmani.com Keep up to date: http://jetjam.net Like http://facebook.com/jetjamclub on Facebook Follow @jetjamclub on twitter


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text:
Homeless loners run risks as LA stabber lurks
LOS ANGELES Charles Barfield, living on the streets for the past five years, doesn't trust anyone.
Armed with a pocketknife, he beds down in a doorway in downtown LA every night, making sure no one's nearby. "People might look normal, but they do weird ... things," said the ponytailed 58-year-old who sells loose cigarettes for a quarter.
As police and advocates urged homeless people to seek safety in shelters on Friday as news spread of an at-large serial homeless stabber, they face the challenge that many street dwellers like being alone because they feel it's less risky or simply because they can't cope with people due to mental illness.
With robberies, assaults or even rapes frequently occurring on the streets and in shelters, many homeless people have found that survival comes down to finding hidey-holes where no one can see them. But advocates for the homeless say that's also what makes them easy marks for criminals looking for victims in general or homeless people specifically.
"People on the street know it's dangerous, but many people want to be on their own," said Herb Smith, president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Mission in Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. "They're not socialized. It's part of their condition."
Warnings about the hazards of sleeping on the street were stepped up while police continued to hunt the perpetrator who recently knifed two homeless men and a woman in the back in the early morning hours as they slept. The first stabbing occurred July 3 in downtown Los Angeles, the only incident where a witness saw a suspect fleeing.
The second incident on Tuesday targeted a man as he slept on a bus bench in Santa Monica. The most recent was on Thursday, when a woman was stabbed in Hollywood. All three victims, who are in their 50s, survived.
Typewritten notes labeled "death warrants" were left at all three scenes. The notes were signed "David Ben Keyes," a name that police on Friday discovered was fake. Police said the man's real name is Courtney Anthony Robinson, and described him as possibly homeless and recently arrived in Los Angeles from Santa Barbara.
Police are seeking to question the man as a "person of interest." He is not a suspect at this time.
"We're not sure what his connection is," said Lt. Andy Neiman.
Shelters in downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row, the nation's densest concentration of homeless where more than 1,000 people sleep on sidewalks nightly, were taking the threat seriously.
"We're all on high alert," said Georgia Berkovich, spokeswoman for the Midnight Mission, where an extra room was being prepared in case more people turned up for beds Friday night.
The mission distributed news stories about the stabbings and photos of the man being sought to all staff and security guards, while nearby Union Rescue Mission posted fliers around its premises, made an announcement during lunch and spread warnings along with bottled water at its mid-afternoon "water walk."
If people don't want to come into shelters, they are being urged to form small groups to sleep on the streets at night.


text:
Posted by Rob McGarr, 30 March 2012
Photo by Ronnie Macdonald
At least, that's what you all said. A convincing 46% of you voted for him in our recent poll, putting him streets ahead of your second speediest speedster Gareth Bale, who picked up 15% of your votes.
Since joining Arsenal, Theo Walcott has broken every club record for sprinting, beating the times set by flying Frenchman Thierry Henry. Walcott's top speed in matches has been clocked at 22.72 miles per hour, and people with too much time on their hands have calculated that if he could maintain that pace for 100 metres, he'd be able to run it in 9.9 seconds. Okay, it's not enough to make world's fastest man Usain Bolt choke on his chicken nuggets, but it's pace-a-plenty to keep Jamie Carragher awake at night.
Theo Walcott, now the official (well, kind of) fastest player in the Premier League, wears Nike Mercurial Vapor boots, as favoured by former Premier League turbo-merchant, Cristiano Ronaldo.
By the way, ever wondered what it would look like to see Cristiano Ronaldo playing tennis against Spanish tennis sensation Rafael Nadal? Oh, you have?
If you're wondering why Nadal is so confident with a ball at his feet, his uncle might be able to give you a clue:
Photo by estrellazulgrana
Yep, Rafael Nadal's uncle is Miguel Angel Nadal, the former captain of Barcelona and Spain, nicknamed 'The Beast' for dominating games with his physical prowess. Maybe Rafa could teach him a thing or two about taking penalties?
Check out more at Nike Football.
Let FHM help you organise a killer stag do! With helpful ideas, tips and all the latest activities, the ultimate stag weekend starts right here..."
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On FHM's Men's Style, you'll be able to find all the latest men's fashion tips, men's designer clothes and grooming advice from FHM.com. Find out what you should be wearing and all the most important men's fashion news.
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SAP Headquarters joins another LEED certified building on the 110 acre campus of SAP America, which is surrounded by a wooded area. Offices to the north enjoy sweeping views of the woods, while the south side is made up of a wood-laminated glass covered atrium. In the winter, the sun reaches in through the louvered shades to warm up the open space, while in the summer, the louvers protect the space from becoming overheated.
A large green roof covers the entire building, providing insulation and reducing heat gain, while rainwater collectors trap rainwater for storage in a 50,000-gallon cistern that supplies water for landscape irrigation and the flushing of toilets in some of the building's bathrooms. Native and regional vegetation are used in the landscaping. The building also features geothermal wells, calibrated lighting systems, an ice energy storage system, and under-floor air distribution to reduce energy use.
SAP Americas is currently the largest LEED Certified Platinum building in the State of Pennsylvania. The new four-story building received the maximum LEED points in the "water efficiency" and "innovation in design" categories.
Images © FXFOWLE
1 Comment
A Green-Roofed Mobius S... October 27, 2010 at 6:44 pm
[...] the open-air bar, providing insulation and reducing heat gain to keep the space underneath cool. Rainwater is also harvested from this ground plane and used to irrigate the landscape. The beautiful and [...]
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Yuka YonedaWINDOWHOP It's easy to get depressed when your work schedule has you getting less sun than Edward Cullen (you've got the sickly pallor to match and it's not nearly as sexy on you). If you're lucky enough to at least have a window in your workspace, openREAD MORE >
Diane PhamCutting back on your energy usage is one of the best ways to bring down your electricity bill. But did you know that making simple changes to not just your wattage consumption but the way your home retains and expels air can dramatically transform the wayREAD MORE >
Jill FehrenbacherDid you know that there are wolves living near you in almost every state in the country? Sadly most of these wolves are not living in the wild, but in wolf sanctuaries, which are conservation organizations set up to protect them and help grow their populationREAD MORE >
Yuka YonedaNamba Parks was conceived when Osaka Stadium closed down, presenting a great redevelopment opportunity for a new commercial district right next to the Namba Train Station, which is just one stop away from Kansai Airport. Since it's one of the first placesREAD MORE >
Beth BuczynskiTop image: A child is put to work at a militia-run mine in Watsa. © Marcus Bleasdale/National Geographic Captured during a 2004 visit to the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, Bleasdale's images "tell the story of the country's mineral resourceREAD MORE >
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Kestrel JenkinsWhile conjuring up comfort in the home seems like a basic principle, it's a far more complex process for architect & remodeling guru Sarah Susanka, who believes that comfort can significantly influence the sustainability of your personal abode. WithREAD MORE >
Lidija GrozdanicTwo architects, Jos Burger and Wouter Keijzer of BK. Architecten, in charge of the renovation of the old church decided to preserve the atmosphere of the existing place with a spatial intervention that preserves its historical value. The three new floors wereREAD MORE >
Morgana MatusFor centuries, the Dutch have manipulated the landscape to move water away from their dwellings. Instead of battling the elements, Netherlands-based firm Waterstudio just announced plans to construct the world's first floating apartment complex in 2014! TheREAD MORE >


text:
Jul 27, 2012
South Africa begins to embrace new building techniques in bid to beat homes backlogBack
Construction|Engineering|Tshwane|Absa|Africa|Building|Components|Concrete|Design|Education|Environment|Housing|Most ABTs|National Housing Finance Corporation|PROJECT|Projects|Registration Council|Sustainable|System|Systems|Testing|Africa|South Africa|Concrete Institute|While Building|End Product|Energy|Energy Efficient Way|Into Alternative Technologies|Local Bank|Local Banking Sector|Logistics|Manufacturing|Product|Products|Retail|Systems|Technology Houses|Environmental|Adéle De Lange|Imison|Joe Odhiambo|Stephen De Blanche|Insulation|Alternative Building Technologies|Alternative Technologies|Building Technologies|Building Technology
© Reuse this
South African consumers have long preferred the brick-and-mortar construction approach and have been slow to react to ABTs, which have entered the market at an increasing rate over the past decade.
Overhauled banking policies and a renewed push by government are aiming to shift this perception, which stakeholders hope will enable the practice to gain momentum and develop into a standalone industry.
Several bankers have developed a model policy for the financing of properties constructed using alternative building systems, with local bank Absa appearing to lead the private-sector charge by focusing on the development of sustainable integrated projects in line with government's housing policy.
Absa, in association with parastatal the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) and the National Housing Finance Corporation, launched the first housing innovation competition in 2005 in Shoshanguve, Tshwane, to draw innovative housing designs to the affordable market.
Permanent Showcase
"The aim of this hub was to set a benchmark of good quality and cooperation between a set of stakeholders and role-players, as well as to show that low-cost housing construction can be fast-tracked with cooperation and innovative technology," he explains.
In addition to the 17 low-cost alternative- technology houses built at the hub, this private-public partnership also hosts an on-site laboratory at which various alternative housing materials are tested and research into alternative technologies is conducted.
The laboratory reviews rational designs of ABTs that do not comply with deemed-to- satisfy rules as stipulated by the South African National Standard (SANS) 10400, and tests the materials used at building sites.
NHBRC engineer Paimaan Byron emphasises that the costs of such tests undertaken by the NHBRC are borne by the construction company, should such testing indicate noncompliance.
"Should the material comply with SANS 10400, the account is for the NHBRC," he says.
Interestingly, Byron points out that a common misconception in the industry is that alternative technologies always include novel or engineered materials that have not previously been used in construction.
In reality, it is simply the way in which the materials are engineered into a design that brands them as innovative.
"Innovative housing techniques refer to any deviation from traditional construction methods that are not specified within the limitations of SANS 10400 – it does not neces- sarily have to be a material that has never been used before," he notes.
The importance of the hub, Byron adds, is that it is the first time in South Africa that these engineering methods have been tested over the long term to determine their resilience to the harsh African climate.
Following seven years of exposure to the elements, a number of these ABT houses have experienced significant and often irreparable damage, while others have demonstrated a robust construction technique and remained in good condition.
While building innovations have proved attractive to the general housing market as a result of a trend towards a more sustainable, energy efficient way of living, it is its potential for wide-scale application in the low-cost or subsidised housing sector that is the driving force behind government and banking sector investment.
Other Imperatives
Engineering News reported earlier this year that the human settlements market was not exclusively focused on providing houses and homes, but also satisfied a job creation function.
The National Department of Human Settlements (NDHS) says that while it is currently involved in policy development surrounding the use of ABTs in subsidised or low-cost housing, it is considering instigating procurement processes to upscale their use, with tenders open to accommodating alternative-technology providers.
While government asserts it is not in a position to support specific alternative materials or technologies, it has ensured that all housing projects have facilitated the application of alternative technologies and that, in such cases, tender processes are specifically designed to allow for alternatives.
"That said, we will only support housing technologies and systems that can be sustained in the South African context," NDHS chief director of communications Xolani Xundu stresses.
Subsidy-financed housing projects are only approved if the project as well as houses are enrolled under the NHBRC warranty scheme, and only if the building methods and materials comply with national building regulations and are supported by Agrément Board accreditation.
Agrément, an internationally recognised body that provides assurance through technical approvals of nonstandardised or uncon- ventional products, reports an increase in the number of technical assessment appli- cations for ABTs and anticipates that ABTs will become the dominant mode of construction in South Africa in the near future.
The certification process requires applicants to participate in a quality-assurance scheme that demands a documented manual addressing key aspects of quality management for assessment.
This manual should cover quality management during the manufacturing of com- ponents, transportation logistics and the erection or construction of the building system.
"Most ABTs offer superior life-cycle costing return on investment when compared with conventional construction systems and the continued support by government reflects their significant environmental sustainability potential," says Agrément CEO Joe Odhiambo.
Limited Deployment
A review by the NDHS research directorate in 2010 reported that, while the policy space does not prohibit the use of ABTs in government housing projects, most ABTs have limited production capacity as a result of beneficiary perceptions and institutional or developmental issues.
Results revealed that housing beneficiaries tended to feel devalued by the State, and felt that they had been provided with an inferior product when ABT methods were used.
Of the 2.9-million housing units delivered for low-income earners between 1994 and 2010, only 17 000 were constructed using innovative systems.
"The major impediment to large-scale roll-out is the inability of alternative technology providers to build at scale, a lack of understanding regarding the necessary certification and end-user perception," asserts Xundu.
He adds that the industry should be willing to operate within government constraints in the low-cost housing environment, be transparent about product strengths as well as weaknesses, and ensure the availability of system inform-ation to foster positive user perception.
"We will embark on a consumer education drive to dispel negative perceptions and we expect innovators to do the same," he says.
Housing technologies company Imision CEO Stephen de Blanche acknowledges government's attempts to promote ABTs.
"Government has made firm commitments to increase its own use of ABTs to speed up the delivery of housing and has contributed to the development of ABTs through the recent gazetting of a standard that legislates minimum insulation levels in new structures," he says.
Imison has been appointed by government to build six schools using its innovative insulation system and is aware of several other government-commissioned alternative building projects.
He believes the greatest challenge remains public perception.
"ABTs are often assumed to be faster and inferior in quality, but the reality is that many are actually superior to conventional methods. Structures built using ABTs are almost always completed in less time than their traditional counterparts and, depending on individual application, are usually cheaper," he says.
Moreover, while he recognises the contribution by the banking sector, he asserts that not all institutions have amended their drawdown processes to accommodate the anomalies associated with ABTs – particularly the speed of delivery and the extent to which some components are premanufactured.
Edited by: Terence Creamer© Reuse this Comment Guidelines (150 word limit)
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1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns
12 star anise
4 large cinnamon sticks
4cm piece fresh ginger, sliced
200ml light soy sauce
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 whole large dried chillies
150g rock sugar or soft brown sugar
2kg good organic stewing beef, cut into 6-8cm chunks
2 Lapsang Souchong tea bags
300g kai lan (Chinese broccoli from selected Sainsbury's and oriental stores) or tenderstem broccoli
1. Bring 2 litres water to the boil in a pan. Add all the ingredients, except the tea bags and kai lan or broccoli. Cook, covered, on a low heat for 2 hours, checking occasionally.
2. About 20 minutes before the beef is ready, add the tea bags and continue to cook. About 8 minutes before serving, add the kai lan or broccoli and cook until tender.
3. Remove the tea bags from the broth. Spoon the meat and kai lan into bowls and pour over some of the sauce. Serve with the roast sweet potatoes and carrots, and extra steamed kai lan or broccoli.
- Use a good cut of stewing beef, such as chuck steak, or pork. Freeze the leftover sauce and use it as the base for noodle soups.
- Pick a top Californian Pinot Noir for a treat, or a Chilean Pinot for excellent value.


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text:
how do I get rid of bamboo?
Running bamboo is taking over a property I recently moved to. PLEASE help! I have been trying to get rid of this all summer. The patch is proabably 30' x 40' and killing everything in its path of destruction. Constant cutting does not work. Short of renting heavy equipment and digging out the whole area what will kill this stuff?
Nothing will kill it, so don't poison the ground with chemicals trying to do so. You have two choices: 1) dig it all out; 2) cut it all down, mow or cut down anything new that comes up, and keep on watering and mowing until it exhausts itself and nothing new comes up (which may take more than a year).
If it is in an open area I would simply suggest lopping every culm down to soil level then plant some grass seed and keep that area mowed. For the parts that the mower doesn't reach, I would suggest digging those out.
It can take until next year to exhaust the rhizome system depending on what species it is but as long as survival shoots keep emerging a bit smaller each time, the energy is getting depleted and you are getting closer to eradicating the wholeplant.


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OP Junior Member
Thanks Meter: 0
1 posts
Join Date:Joined: Jan 2014
I rooted and deleted the voicemail app. Still comes back. From Google I think it might actually be part of visual voicemail, but I can't find the apk for that to delete.
Can someone please help?
Thanks so much!