text:
United Nations
Annex I
Report of the group of experts established pursuant to
paragraph 9 of Security Council resolution 1210 (1998)
A. Terms of reference
1. In paragraph 9 of its resolution 1210 (1998) of 24 November 1998, the Security Council requested the Secretary General, in consultation with the Government of Iraq, to submit to the Council, by 31 December 1998, a detailed list of parts and equipment necessary for the purpose described in paragraph 1 of resolution 1175 (1998). The terms of reference for the group of experts included: the breakdown of upstream and downstream operations, and their interrelationship; an indication of the effect of each line item or project on sustaining current production as well as increasing production; an assessment of the impact of spare parts and equipment made available under phase four, on both sustaining and increasing production; clarification of long-term spare parts requirements; and an explanation or definition of nomenclature for spare parts (i.e., numbers, lots, sets, measurements).
B. Introduction
2. At the request of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, a group of experts visited Iraq to ascertain the current requirements for spare parts and equipment in relation to Iraq's ability to sustain current export capacity of crude oil and also to review and further assess the potential for increased exports.
3. The group of experts visited Iraq from 13 to 16 December 1998 and met with relevant authorities, particularly the Ministry of Oil, and representatives from all operating companies in the oil sector in order to finalize the list of oil spare parts and equipment.
4. Since the visit of the group of experts to Iraq in March 1998, the predicted decline in the overall oil production capacity of Iraq has continued in the estimated range of 4 to 8 per cent of total production per annum.
5. A significant number of wells have ceased production in both the north and the south, due to the lack of water-removal facilities. It is estimated that approximately 20 per cent of these wells are irreparably damaged. The others could be returned to production, with appropriate spare parts, thereby recovering approximately 100,000 bpd of production capacity.
6. The proposals made by the Government of Iraq to increase production to meet the $5.256 billion ceiling per 180-day phase are innovative and practical, given the existing constraints. The list of spare parts and equipment given to the group of experts by the Government of Iraq for phase V are deemed reasonable. The drilling of replacement production wells in several of the larger oil fields, together with cleaning out and overhauling old wells so that they produce more oil, and improvements to the downstream systems, should succeed in replacing oil volumes which have been lost through the processes described above.
7. There is a possibility of a net increase in production capacity during the next six months, but this is dependent on the timing of the arrival of critical spares. However, it must be noted that the entire programme for the oil industry of Iraq is out of step with modern engineering techniques and generally accepted principles of "value for money" investment. The phase V list of spare parts reflects a proposed expenditure on valid items, but related to a reliance on outdated oil field development concepts. It is extremely unlikely that the Iraqi oil industry will ever meet the planned production targets associated with the oil-for-food programme, within the current constraints.
8. An approach recommended by the group of experts would be the implementation of a program to drill horizontal wells (rather than the present vertical ones) to substantially increase production performance, minimize the influx of water and restrict damage to the reservoirs. The list of spare parts and equipment required for such an approach would differ significantly from the list submitted for phase V, but would represent an optimal return on funds available.
9. Since the previous visit by the group of experts in March 1998, the oil industry of Iraq has been reorganized into 13 separate operating companies, each of which has been allocated funds by the Government of Iraq for spare parts under phase V of the oil- for-food programme, as follows:
North Oil Company
South Oil Company
Iraqi Drilling Company
Oil Projects Company
Oil Exploration Company
North Refineries Company
Midland Refineries Company
South Refineries Company
North Gas Company
South Gas Company
Oil Products Distribution Company
Oil Pipelines Company
Gas Filling Company
10. The Government of Iraq declined to specify the individual prices of specific items, projects or grouping of spare parts beyond advising on the allocation of funds within the $300 million allocated under resolution 1210 (1998).
C. Overview
11. Current oil production is estimated to be approximately 2.5 million bpd. Current local consumption is said to be 550,000 bpd, and 70,000 bpd are still exported to Jordan, leaving 1.880 million bpd available for export.
12. The average exported volume under phase IV was 1.712 million bpd.
13. The Ministry of Oil predicts that, at best, production can only be sustained at a level of 2.5 million bpd until the spare parts procured under phase IV have been received and installed, and crucial spare parts to be ordered under Phase V arrive and have been installed. Any increase in production over current levels is thought unlikely to be achieved until March 2000, after which export capacity is expected to increase in incremental steps as the effects of certain projects (e.g., water injection) are realized.
14. The Ministry of Oil advises that production difficulties are currently being experienced. In the north, production has been lost because of water problems from 25 wells and it is estimated that production will be lost from another 30, before spare parts ordered under phase IV arrive; and in the south, production water problems are coupled with pressure maintenance resulting from a lack of water injection. It must be recognized that while the main objective is at least to sustain current production levels beyond phase V, irreparable damage is meanwhile being done to producing wells.
D. Spare parts and equipment
15. The list of oil spare parts and equipment for phase V is submitted in 13 sections, subdivided by operating companies, each with an allocation of funds determined by the Government of Iraq. These allocations have been made on the basis of perceived need taking into account current production problems.
16. There is no allocation for the Iraqi State Organization for the Marketing of Oil (SOMO) as there are no requests from this company.
17. The overall objective in determining spare parts and equipment within phase V is to sustain current oil production levels. As production is being lost to wells watering out, and as the ability of the industry to treat crude oil prior to export (e.g., de-gassing, de-watering) is limited because crucial spare parts have yet to arrive and be installed, the Government of Iraq has moved toward prioritizing projects to compensate for lost production. This is coupled within phase V with certain projects which would increase the volume of oil available to sustain production and eventually increase crude oil exports.
18. Specific reference to the relevance and rationale for the selection of spare parts and equipment is made in the following sections, which provide greater detail of the spare parts requirements for each operating company. The list provided by the Government of Iraq under the distribution plan for phase V was updated as a result of discussions held in Iraq during the visit of the group of experts. Comments have been provided per line item, as appropriate.
North Oil Company - $85,000,000
19. The current stated production capacity of the North Oil Company of Iraq is 1.197 million bpd, which includes 20,000 bpd from Saddam Field. In the last eight months, a further 25 wells have started to produce water and oil, and have been shut down (mainly in Kirkuk and Bai Hassan). The trend of wells becoming water-wet indicates a further 30 wells may be expected to be shut down during phase V. The arrival and continued supply of de-watering chemicals should alleviate one aspect of the problem, and allow the re-opening of most of these wells.
20. However, some permanent damage has been done to the wells by the influx of water, and without the facilities for overhaul, the only solution has been to close the affected wells.
21. The quantities of chemicals and other materials necessary for the drilling of 25 replacement wells in Avaneh Dome (Kirkuk Field), Khabbaz and Bai Hassan) are deemed reasonable. At current market prices these elements represent about one-third of the cost for spare parts for the North Oil Company (i.e., between $25 and $30 million). A limited amount of old wellheads, etc., are available in the North Oil Company's stocks, hence there is a lesser spare parts requirement than would be expected for the number of supplemental production wells that are proposed.
22. It is impossible to envisage a "value-for-money" investment in these activities without a technical evaluation and the use of control equipment. Thus, the requests for spare parts and equipment for well-perforating, geological laboratories, coring, reservoir simulation facilities, wireline units, etc., should be considered within the context of the overall application of funds. These activities could be covered at current prices with $5 to $7 million.
23. It should be noted that the 25 vertical wells proposed will not increase production capacity, but might sustain the levels achieved in phase IV, because they will penetrate oil columns which are known to have been reduced in vertical extent. The oil-water contacts have been moving upwards through the reservoirs as depletion takes place, and the water underneath flows into the perforations in the production pipe. The surface facilities are very sensitive to the water content in the oil, and cannot function in certain cases with more than 0.5 per cent water content. The arrival of phase IV de-watering chemicals will allow a number of wells to be re-opened, if they have not been damaged by the effects of the reservoir water on the flow properties of the oil-producing rocks.
South Oil Company - $100,000,000
24. The North Rumaila Field re-development project, which includes the overhaul of 50 existing wells, the drilling of 25 new water injectors and 15 new wells, is projected to result in a 200,000 bpd improvement in production capacity. The spare parts and equipment requirement for this project is not unreasonable, and the drilling and well-completion materials are estimated to constitute about half the amount estimated (i.e., $50 million). The wells are deeper than in the north, and thus give rise to a higher expenditure per well.
25. It is impossible to envisage a "value-for-money" investment in these activities without a technical evaluation and the use of control equipment. Thus, the requests for spares for well-perforating, geological laboratories, coring, reservoir simulation facilities, wireline unit, etc., should be accepted in the context of the overall application of funds. These activities could be covered at current prices with $7 to $9 million.
26. The same comments apply in the south as to the North Oil Company, regarding the cost-effectiveness of providing spares for a vertical drilling solution to the ever-deteriorating production capacity. If horizontal wells were to be used, fewer wells than in the phase V proposals, would be required to both sustain and increase oil production. The nature of the spare parts and equipment required for surface facilities would not change, but the reservoir assessment and development drilling spare parts list and prices would have to be revised.
Iraqi Drilling Company - $20,000,000
27. The need to drill extra production wells, water-injection wells, and to overhaul existing oil producing wells, creates a demand for expertise in this area. A number of relevant facts were gathered concerning the Drilling Company and other facilities, when the group of experts was visiting nearby sites.
28. In particular, most rigs were observed to be in a lamentable state and to have fallen into disuse since 1990. The spare parts and equipment proposed for 20 rigs to complete the programmes in the north and south would cost more than the proposed expenditure, if purchased new.
Oil Projects Company - $10,000,000
29. This company is involved in construction projects, on behalf of the operating companies, throughout Iraq and acting as a contractor. Its requirements, therefore, cover the whole spectrum of construction, maintenance, and testing of new and repaired structures, including non-destructive testing (NDT). The list of spare parts and equipment includes NDT equipment, project management software, and standards, construction and maintenance equipment.
Oil Exploration Company - $5,000,000
30. The entire reservoir management concept (i.e., the need to replace lost wells and to address declining production with infill producing wells, water-injection wells and overhauled wells) which serves as the rationale behind the list of spare parts and equipment for phase V, requires information about the rock structure and the position of oil and water within the reservoirs. All the items listed are pre-requisites for successful field rehabilitation and development programmes, and are deemed essential. The level of funding requested is probably insufficient to cover all of the projects envisaged, and it is unlikely to result in a much increased ability to determine where to drill or to inject water, or which wells would benefit most from overhaul.
31. The list of spare parts and equipment for the Oil Exploration Company represents an integrated whole, and the deletion of any item would undermine the value to be obtained from those items under phase V.
32. Technical training and support are normally provided with the delivery of spare parts and equipment, and included in the prices quoted by suppliers. Many of the items will be useless without some form of assistance to analyze the data obtained and thereby design a meaningful production-enhancement programme.
North Refineries Company - $32,000,000
33. The Baiji Refinery sustained heavy damage in past conflicts, yet remains the largest and most modern refinery in Iraq; and it is a key component in the production of refined petroleum products. The list of spare parts and equipment for this facility is based on two main projects, and general repairs and maintenance.
(a) Hydro cracker unit - The primary function of the Hydro cracker unit is to convert surplus fuel oil into gasoline and diesel fuels that would otherwise be in shortage. The repair of this unit will result in products (particularly gasoline, kerosene and gas oil) of better quality. This will allow power plants to burn fuel oil rather than crude oil - as at present - releasing an estimated 60,000 bpd of crude oil for export; the refined products will have a much lower sulfur content and will also reduce environmental damage.
(b) Waste water treatment plant - This badly damaged unit, with spare parts already approved under phase IV, requires further work before completion and will significantly reduce the oil content of effluent water discharged into the River Tigris and the surrounding water table.
(c) Mechanical equipment spares and spare parts kits - Similar to spare parts for this facility under phase IV, this list of spare parts and equipment covers numerous repairs to the rotating and static equipment in the refinery and again will significantly impact the quality of refined products produced. In particular, the supply of fuel oil to the adjacent power plants to replace its current usage of crude oil will release 100,000 bpd of crude oil for export.
Midland Refineries Company - $10,000,000
34. The Daura Refinery is situated in the outskirts of Baghdad. The spare parts and equipment listed are intended for repairs to the water treatment plant, lubricating oil plant, and general repair and maintenance. The expected effect of the proposed repairs would be an increase in the availability of crude oil for export of up to 60,000 bpd, and the increase in production of reasonable quality lubricating oil to 100,000 tones per annum.
(a) Water treatment plant - A complete water treatment unit is necessary, which would improve the quality of effluent water released directly into the Tigris River, in the immediate vicinity of Baghdad.
(b) Spare parts for lubricating oil plant - The quality of lubricating oil produced in Iraq remains extremely poor resulting in significantly shorter maintenance periods, breakdowns and increased consumption.
South Refineries Company - $5,000,000
35. The Basrah Refinery, situated in the south, has been severely damaged. The list of spare parts and equipment for this facility seeks to address several vital issues, including the provision of better quality drinking water for the oil industry workers, safety issues, and the upgrading of the quality of refined products releasing crude oil for export.
(a) General spare parts for rotating machinery - The installation of these spare parts will allow the production of increased quality products (gas oil and fuel oil) which can be substituted for direct crude oil usage. The predicted net compensation effect, on completion of the installation of these spare parts, will eventually be 50,000 bpd.
(b) Upgrading of potable fresh water system and transportation to site - The normal drinking water available in the Basrah region is both unsafe and unreliable. The spare parts allocation covers repairs to the water treatment facility and tankers for delivery of this water to working sites in the south refineries area.
(c) Instruments for environmental protection - The spare parts and equipment under this group are intended to cover laboratory equipment, especially gas analyzers, to provide improved safety and environmental control of refinery operations.
North Gas Company - $4,000,000
36. For the Kirkuk region, the list of spare parts and equipment is intended for the gas treatment plants in the north, which are utilized to extract gas from the crude oil prior to export. Sustaining the operation of these plants, and increasing their efficiency, will allow increased effectiveness in the treatment of crude oil thereby increasing the amount of gas extracted which can then be used as a power source in power stations, and consequently enhancing the volume of crude oil available for export.
South Gas Company - $4,000,000
37. For Basrah, the list of spare parts and equipment is intended for the gas treatment plants in the south, potable water transportation equipment, safety equipment and the construction of a 25 kilometer pipeline in the Anzalah region. Construction of this line will allow transfer of crude oil from the south region production area to the north, and from there for export via the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik pipeline to Ceyhan.
Oil Products Distribution Company - $10,000,000
38. This new company has been set up to increase the efficiency of product distribution throughout the country. As a result of severe damage to the products pipeline distribution network in certain areas, and the large geographical area covered, refined product distribution is currently undertaken mainly by vehicular transport.
39. Spare parts and equipment for this facility include vehicles, fuel dispensers, meters and associated equipment, electrical equipment spares and the construction of a number of large storage tanks at key sites.
40. The expected benefit of the spare parts indicated will be to significantly reduce leakages, which account for some 7 per cent of the volume of products distributed, with obvious associated environmental effects. Reduction of these losses (some as simple as leaking washers on fuel dispenser pumps) will reduce the refined oil product requirement, releasing crude oil for export.
Oil Pipelines Company - $ 5,000,000
41. This list of spare parts and equipment covers repairs to oil depots, pumping stations and the pipeline network designed to distribute refined oil products throughout Iraq. As a result of significant damage, much of the product distribution is currently undertaken by road vehicles which is inefficient, dangerous, and unreliable; repair and maintenance within this sector is essential.
Gas Filling Company - $10,000,000
42. Much of the list of spare parts and equipment includes repeat items for the Gas Filling Company which were applied for under phase IV, but for which insufficient funds were available. There are approximately 12 million liquid propane gas (LPG) cylinders in Iraq, that are 10 to 30 years old. Normal cylinder life span is 15 years maximum, backed by annual individual cylinder pressure testing, which is not currently done in Iraq. In Iraq each cylinder is filled about 10 times per annum, whereas international standards indicate an average of five to seven times per annum. The Gas Filling Company also repairs damaged cylinders, which is prohibited internationally. Approximately 250,000 cylinders are destroyed annually and, with the exception of those requested under phase IV, no new cylinders have been purchased since 1989.
43. The list includes 500,000 replacement cylinders, spare parts, safety and maintenance equipment, and chemicals to assist in the detection of LPG cylinder leaks.
E. Conclusion
44. The general opinion of the group of experts is that the list of spare parts and equipment provided by the Government of Iraq represents a pragmatic approach to sustaining, and eventually incrementally increasing, current production levels, albeit reflecting a continued reliance on outdated oil field development concepts.
45. With reference to the report of the group of experts on their mission in March 1998, it may be said that so far no significant improvements have been made, mainly because of the fact that actual deliveries of spare parts and equipment ordered under phase IV are only starting to take place now. The group of experts shares the opinion of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, that it is unlikely that an increase in production will be achieved before March 2000. The main objective of the Government of Iraq at this time is to sustain current production levels through and beyond phase V.
46. Finally, the group noted that there appears to be duplication in many cases between the list submitted for phase IV, and the list for Phase V. The reason for this apparent duplication is that as stated in the previous report of the group of experts, the prices of the requested spare parts and equipment for phase IV were marginally higher than estimated, and would have resulted in the exceeding of the allocation of $300 million for spare parts and equipment.
Petroleum engineering glossary
Horizontal wells
The engineering approach to developing oilfields evolved significantly in the early 1990s with a conceptual leap which was stunning in its simplicity. Some degree of technical innovation accompanied the switch from drilling vertical holes in the ground to the idea of "turning" the well as it progressed until it intersected the oil-containing layers and drilled along them rather than through them. The techniques for creating so-called "deviated" wells had been employed since the late 1960s, but improvements in drilling equipment and materials were necessary before it was proved that the well-bore could remain in the oil-containing horizontal layers, and avoid the water below, by staying horizontal.
Hydro cracking
Hydro cracking plays a crucial role in crude oil refining whereby clean transportation fuels are made out of residual oil fractions.
Infill drilling/infill wells
Most oilfields in Iraq cover tens of square miles in extent, and the oil-producing layers are at relatively shallow depths, especially in the north. The conventional method of tapping the oil has been to drill wells straight down to the reservoirs; wells in the large Kirkuk field are spaced about 3,000 feet apart (i.e., more than half a mile). When some of these wells start producing
water, which cannot be handled at the surface facilities, they are shut down. In order to efficiently drain the reservoir volumes between these widely-spaced points, infill wells are drilled, because there is at least a 90 per cent probability that a new vertical well will also penetrate an oil-rich layer of rock.
Injected water
As oil is drawn off the reservoir the pressure gradual declines, and the productivity index (and rate of production) also falls away, often exponentially downwards. It is possible to significantly delay this process by injecting either gas and/or water into the reservoir to achieve a degree of pressure-maintenance. Often the water is injected in very large quantities into the bottom periphery of the reservoir to assist in optimising the recovery of oil. This water must be treated with biocides, filtered and then pumped at great pressure to be effective.
Injection wells
The wells that are used for pressure maintenance, whether gas or water.
Oil production capacity in barrels per day (BPD)
The optimum total volume of oil that Iraq can produce during a given 24-hour period from approximately 450 wells in 24 oilfields, under ideal conditions, if there are no pipeline leaks, treatment facility breakdowns, or shortages of de-gassing equipment and de-watering chemicals.
Oil well productivity index (PI)
A measure of the daily amount of fluids which an oilwell can produce per unit of reservoir pressure. Usually a horizontal well in a given oil reservoir will have a PI far greater than a vertical well penetrating the same reservoir: often a horizontal well will be from two to 10 times more productive than its vertical neighbour.
In order to allow oil to be produced from a reservoir, it is necessary to provide a flow-path from the bottom of the well to the surface production facilities. By lowering a bundle of small, shaped, explosive charges down the well on a wire-line, it is possible to "shoot" holes in the foot of the casing so that the reservoir rocks are connected to the well proper.
Produced water
Most Iraqi oil reservoirs also contain vast aquifers of saline water upon which the oil floats. The reservoir consists of various types of porous rock which contain the oil and the water. Initially there may also be a volume of gas trapped above the oil. As oil is drawn out of the reservoir the water moves to occupy the space left. If the oil is produced too quickly, or over a great length of time, the reservoir water also starts to appear in the produced fluid from the well - the oil is said to be "wet crude" or "water-cut".
3-D seismic
In order to accurately define the whereabouts of the layers of oil-bearing rocks, once an oilfield has been discovered, modern techniques using sound-waves are applied on a fairly close-gridded spacing over the entire surface area of the field. A three-dimensional "picture" of the subsurface rocks is generated which can help identify the best places to drill horizontal wells and achieve the optimum production rates and recovery from the reserves of hydrocarbons in the rocks below.
Wire line unit
Once oil wells have been drilled they are lined with steel tube (casing) and other equipment to enable the flow of produced fluids to be controlled and measured. As time passes the equipment "downhole" may corrode and require replacement. The easiest method of changing valves, etc. (which may be located several thousand feet down the well), is to lower various tools on a thin wire cable into the well, and pull the offending items out. The equipment used to perform this work is a wireline unit (a very long length of cable wound on a motorized drum).


text:
In a real-life gesture being compared to the "golden tickets" from fictional candy man Willy Wonka, Eminem is offering three such ducats to visit his Detroit recording studio with all expenses paid, reports Billboard.
The future visit will be scheduled to coincide with the rapper's recording of his next album, the follow-up to last year's "The Eminem Show," according to the music publication.
As to where these golden tickets can be found, one need look no further than the new CDs of Eminem's protege, Obie Trice. Titled "Cheers," the artist's debut album is due in stores Sept. 23.
Still, to win the tickets -- only three will exist -- buyers must hope they've bought the lucky CD out of the 500,000 copies that will make up its first pressing. As calculated by Rolling Stone, that gives those willing to make the gamble roughly a one-in-166,666 chance to win.
Then again, there may be some fans who just want to hear Trice's first album.
As Trice, 24, tells Rolling Stone about the contest: "Everybody's always doing the same s--- with their records. Buy my album, get a DVD, get a free poster, get a piece of my toilet seat. F--- all that s---."
He added that when he was young, he would have given part of his privates "to win something like this."
Eminem Offers Chance to Visit Studio

subset: commoncrawl


text:
13 of 19
My Favorite Quote:"All that matters is people. You'll spend your life paying or profiting from how you treat 'em."
– Dr. James T. Denton (father and dentist)
Next Photo
Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty
Updated: Tuesday Dec 23, 2008 | 06:00 AM EST
More On People.com
See Photos
Watch It
Copyright © 2016 Time Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


text:
Wow, the time is moving fast, Rose. Already week 20! So glad to hear that things are going well. Kaylee, I'm in for the virtual baby shower
YAY!! Do you know what you're having? (or do you want to know?)
*tries to plan a virtual baby shower*LOL!!
Wow, the time is moving fast, Rose. Already week 20! So glad to hear that things are going well. Kaylee, I'm in for the virtual baby shower
Thanks ladies. In some ways it does seem like the time has gone fast, but it hasn't been a walk in the park. We've decided not to find out the sex although it was hard not to give in and ask during the scan yesterday.
I've still got my fingers crossed for all the ladies in this forum.
That is awesome Rose! Only 20ish more to go!
Thank you for the finger crossing, Rose, and all the good thoughts from everyone. Just started my cycle, so I'll be starting my meds tomorrow and, if things go according to projections, will be having my transfer sometime around the 15th.
How are you feeling, Kaylee?
I feel great, thanks dmc! Only one episode of morning sickness (it was a doozy, ending in a massive nose bleed) but I blame it more on the pizza hubby brought home for dinner (he had to have it and I was too lazy too cook something different) than on baby. I am a little worried as I have no appetite and I've lost 8 pounds this past week. I don't remember that happening with munchkin.
I've got my fingers and toes crossed for the 15th!!
I have been hiding out from forums lately, so sorry I am so late on this one....
Congrats Kaylee!!! So glad to hear some good news. And so glad to hear you are at 20 weeks and all is well Rose
No news here really to report. 2 months off acupuncture and my cycles have gone all wonky again. I started full fertility testing this month (previously I had just had my estrogen/progesterone levels checked by my primary). I don't know how aggressive we will be with treatments, but we want to at minimum see if we can pinpoint the cause. Follicle counts were great, HSG completed last week, and now I am waiting for hormone testing day 8 and 11 after my surge, and hubby has to go in for testing next week. So maybe in a few weeks we will narrow things down a bit.
Other then going through the motions of testing I am trying to not 'think' about getting prego. We booked our trip late June for Roatan, I am taking my mom to Miami Beach next week, and maybe another trip in early June. I am trying to just get out of the house and not think about the future for a bit. At least I am sleeping better
Glad there has been some good news while I was away!
Hey ladies, I feel kind of guilty posting this because it would drive me crazy having just joined the thread and now, I'm pregnant. We've been trying for one month shy of 3 years. I've been strictly primal for almost three months. Pre ovulation I had a really low BBT, but post ovulation it sky rocketedd which is not typical for me. I know actually conceiving has something to do with it, but I think PBP also helped my temps do more what they are supposed to do.
I'm probably out this month. We decided to buy a house, AND my company is doing a massive release that I'm part of, so stress levels have been high, and my BBT has been all over the map. Still trying anyway, but not expecting anything this round. I don't get anxiety attacks often, but I do when trying to close on a home AND launch a highly anticipated franchise at work.
Good luck to everyone trying. Hopefully I'll check back in a couple months or so with good news!
My Primal Meanderings
Hi there,
I'm new to the forums, but DH and I have been Primal since New Year's. We're about 5 months away from TTC and I'm rarin' to go, but I've never been regular and I do not O on my own (some HPV/PCOS dramas in my 20s). So I'm hoping that cleaning out the food and doing the right things will save me headaches, heartaches and wallet-aches, as I'd really like to get pregnant without meds, if possible.
My ob/gyn (she doesn't know about the Primal lifestyle, as I started after my annual appt) suggested pre-natal vitamins, but I'm wondering; doesn't that take care of itself with the good eats? I just started Fish Oil *(even the capsules are fishy, but at least I can wash it down with coconut water), too. I'm strongly considering The Healthy Baby Code since reading the article that he wrote recently about it; has anyone here done that?


text:
Throughout the 232-year path of U.S. history, generation after generation has experienced at least one colossal, nation-changing event.
Today's senior citizens, for example, witnessed the most massive world war in history.
Middle-aged America watched in teary-eyed disbelief the assassination of its young president.
Article Photos
Nathan Saltzer
In light of just these experiences of generations still living, America's youngest generation has lived through what could be considered two of the most significant political happenings along their own leg of the journey. These events, on a Richter-like scale measuring their worldwide significance, altered the landscape of history.
The first: Election Night 2000. It was a cold November evening. Sitting on the floor in front of the television, I eagerly awaited the winner of the next state to be called.
To my dismay, California went to "big bad Al." My parents explained to me that Gore was expected to win that state anyway. My hopes were not completely dashed. The wait continued.
The time neared that the critical state of Florida is to be called. The whole family was on edge as the final word comes in.
Looks of disgust and dismay came over our faces as we realized that, barring any unforeseen miracle, Al Gore was to be our next president.
But, as everyone now knows, this was not to be the case. George W. Bush became our 43rd president after the longest election in the history of this country.
Memories of the 2000 election are something that this generation will pass on to future generations. It was an election punctuated by controversies over the popular vote, military absentee ballots, butterfly ballot confusion, recounts, lawsuits, court decisions and appeals, and sore losers. This era of our history will rank among the greatest pieces of nostalgia for the current youth of America.
The second: 9/11. Most people can remember the moment they learned of the attacks of Sept.11, 2001. Like Pearl Harbor, it was a "day that will live in infamy" and an event that would unite a divided America, if only for the time being.
I remember sitting at my desk along the window of Mr. Ivan Wilson's fifth grade classroom at Union Elementary School. He had just been summoned to the office to take a call. Phone calls were a regular part of Mr. Wilson's routine, and I thought nothing out of the ordinary about this one.
What I didn't realize as I sat there at my desk was that one of the greatest tragedies in American history had begun to unfold. Whether witnessing the event live from the sidewalks of New York or watching the film footage on TV, many Americans sobbed uncontrollably at the sight of the planes crashing into our Twin Towers.
Some cried about a loved one lost in the attacks, others for the end of both innocence and the myth of American invincibility. We were shaken. And for the first time in a long time, we Americans stood together.
This decade has certainly been among the most significant in the history of this country. The upcoming election will no doubt be an event that will change America as we know it.
Whether Obama becomes the first black president or Palin becomes the first female vice president, history will be made.
It will be fascinating to see whether America really is tired enough of the Republican reign in the White House for the last eight years to vote for the most liberal man in the Senate - a Senate controlled by the Democratic party for the past two years.
Political parties have really strayed from their original purpose. While Republicans have strayed toward supporting big business, it seems that the A.C.O.R.N. branch of the party has fallen off the oak (in more ways than one) for the Democrats as they have started to swing toward the socialist end of the spectrum.
Government is bringing change to America. But this change is one that will challenge the original ideals and beliefs of this great nation.
Election Night 2008: I am certain that this same kid who feared the possibility of a Gore-Lieberman ticket will be in front of the television anxiously awaiting Brit Hume's call of the important swing states in this election of profound importance. The biggest difference this time is that my vote will be among those that decide the outcome.
Regardless who is elected, it will be enthralling to witness during the coming years the historical events that will shape the lives of my generation and of those to come.
Nathan Saltzer is a student reporter at Indian Valley High School.


text:
|Boxing Champions | Boxing Schedule | Boxing Video | Boxing History | Pound For Pound | Lounge | The Wire | Arcade
Interim Champion
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 619
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Rep Power: 8
Points: 2,000,069,151.03
Bank: 0.00
Total Points: 2,000,069,151.03
Why doesn't Floyd fight Khan?
Clearly Floyd is only after a pay day.
Why doesn't he just ask Khan to move up and fight him?
Not even Alexander's family know who Devon Alexander is, but the Brits would go mad with a Khan-Mayweather bout and the earnings would be far more. It would be an easy PPV in the UK.
And at least Floyd could justify it with him wanting a last 1 or 2 big money fights before he calls it a day.
Alexander doesn't make sense career wise or financially.
Mi Vida Loca
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,224
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Rep Power: 16
Points: 8,192,446.38
Bank: 1,876,285,224,844.54
Total Points: 1,876,293,417,290.91
Amir Khan is better than Devon and a bigger draw.
It's probably because Amir is not a Haymon fighter and they don't gain much from using his name for this bull**** PR.
It's not gonna happen. Just strategy to make the fight with Guerrero seem better.
wat da problem iz
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Illinois
Posts: 4,196
Quoted: 89 Post(s)
Rep Power: 17
Points: 61,750.13
Bank: 2,688,903,427,841,531.50
Total Points: 2,688,903,427,903,281.50
wouldn't be surprised if he ends up fighting Khan
he's an exposed fighter, but people would prefer it to alexander
bait and switch? not really, kind of like a reverse bait and switch, lol
Cuckmaster General
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 20,705
Quoted: 1364 Post(s)
Rep Power: 116
Points: 529,463.00
Bank: 11,949,688,405,232,969,728.00
Total Points: 11,949,688,405,233,500,160.00
proper rock slanga'
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: browsing WSHH
Posts: 10,749
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Rep Power: 55
Points: 18,132,000,439,076.99
Bank: 9,251,906,948,164,232.00
Total Points: 9,270,038,948,603,308.00
I'd actually rather see him fight Khan than Alexander.
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 9,621
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Rep Power: 38
Points: 40,020,227,196.84
Bank: 1,982,280,255,874.21
Total Points: 2,022,300,483,071.05
This is actually a decent fight. Khan isn't on Mayweather's level, but he's a big name and an exciting fighter. Khan vs Mayweather has a lot of intangibles that makes the bout interesting.
Mayweather vs Alexander is a disgrace.
Interim Champion
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 619
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Rep Power: 8
Points: 2,000,069,151.03
Bank: 0.00
Total Points: 2,000,069,151.03
I don't use twitter so can someone tweet Khan and tell him to go in hard at floyd? tell him to tear floyd on how much money it would make and no one will disagree.
he'll never have a better chance than this at securing a floyd fight with the way this is blowing up in floyd's face on facebook and boxing forums.
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 10,736
Quoted: 423 Post(s)
Rep Power: 37
Points: 5,107,972,286,669.94
Bank: 0.00
Total Points: 5,107,972,286,669.94
I would rather see Khan over both Guerrero and Alexander.
|Share This With Friends
|doesn't, fight, floyd, khan?
|Thread Tools
Cookie Policy -
Privacy Policy - Submit
News - Feedback
- Site Map - Advertise
with Us
Copyright © 2003-2016 BoxingScene LLC All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2000 - 2016, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 2003-2016 BoxingScene LLC All rights reserved.


text:
To assess the rigor of research methods reported in studies of the safety or effectiveness of contemporary cataract surgery.
Formal systematic identification of pertinent studies and critical appraisal of each study's research methods.
From 6113 unique, potentially relevant citations that we identified, 90 original studies published between 1979 and 1991 that addressed visual acuity or complications following standard extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation, phacoemulsification with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation, or intracapsular cataract extraction with flexible anterior chamber intraocular lens implantation.
Main Outcome Measures:
Strength of study design, performance, and reporting in 11 methodologic areas assessed with a standardized abstraction form by two reviewers masked to authors, their institutions, and the journal of publication. Results of reviews were tallied to produce an overall quality score (measure of rigor in research methods) for each study.
The mean (±SD) quality score was 43.1±20.1 out of a maximum possible score of 100. Studies received intermediate scores on description of baseline ocular disease and low scores on descriptions of other characteristics of enrolled patients, standardization of outcome assessment and follow-up duration, and handling of patient attrition. Eighty-three studies (92%) lacked a comparison group. The rigor of research methods in studies varied by the journal of publication, did not improve over time, and was no greater for studies with larger vs smaller sample sizes.
The rigor of research methods in studies of cataract surgery can be improved if more attention is paid to fundamental principles of study design, data analysis, and reporting.
Thank you for submitting a comment on this article. It will be reviewed by JAMA Ophthalmology editors. You will be notified when your comment has been published. Comments should not exceed 500 words of text and 10 references.
Do not submit personal medical questions or information that could identify a specific patient, questions about a particular case, or general inquiries to an author. Only content that has not been published, posted, or submitted elsewhere should be submitted. By submitting this Comment, you and any coauthors transfer copyright to the journal if your Comment is posted.
* = Required Field
Disclosure of Any Conflicts of Interest*
Indicate all relevant conflicts of interest of each author below, including all relevant financial interests, activities, and relationships within the past 3 years including, but not limited to, employment, affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria or payment, speakers' bureaus, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, donation of medical equipment, or patents planned, pending, or issued. If all authors have none, check "No potential conflicts or relevant financial interests" in the box below. Please also indicate any funding received in support of this work. The information will be posted with your response.
Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.
Download citation file:
Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.
More Listings atJAMACareerCenter.com >
Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a link to reset your password.
Enter your username and email address. We'll send instructions on how to reset your password to the email address we have on record.
Need assistance?
Athens and Shibboleth are access management services that provide single sign-on to protected resources. They replace the multiple user names and passwords necessary to access subscription-based content with a single user name and password that can be entered once per session. It operates independently of a user's location or IP address. If your institution uses Athens or Shibboleth authentication, please contact your site administrator to receive your user name and password.


text:
Top Definition
When Axe is overused to the point of actually counteracting The Axe Effect.
Jack: Brett was doing real good with that girl over their til she leaned in on him. Then she suddenly got up and ran away.
Ace: Probably the Axe Defect.
Ace: Probably the Axe Defect.
di tanukisanyo 05 giugno 2005
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?


text:
Is V8 100% Vegetable Juice really a good option?
Jan 14 2012 00:25
Member posts
Member groups
Send message
One of the few healthy things my college cafeteria has on campus is V8 Original juice. I almost enjoy the flavor (it's almost like a Bloody Mary without alcohol, right?), and it obviously covers three servings of my vegetables for the day. But, I don't find it to be very filling, and I was always told you should try not to drink your calories. And, with my diet in mind, I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the calories.. and the money spent (they're not really bad but water is free). I think the bottle they have is like 70 calories or something, since it's 12 oz, so it's really not that much. But, if there are better ways to spend 70 calories, I'd rather do it that way.
Anyone here drink the 100% Vegetable juice regularly?
I could never do it because I hate the flavor of drinking my veggies.
You could always go about just eating the vegetables. The juice has no fiber in it- which is the BIG player in feeling full (protein and fat are both MVPs, but in this case we'll focus on Fiber). sure, V8 has the nutrients of vegetables, but without the roughage, you won't feel full. It is chock full of sodium though, which can lead to bloating and what SEEMS like a jump in the scale. So there's that to take into account.
I, myself, am not a fan of the thought of drinking calories unless you are coming up short on your daily allotment. You'd be able to savor your vegetables, and feel more satisfied, by eating them in the long run.
Or you can have both. No one is stopping you.
Jan 20 2012 20:07
Member posts
Member groups
Send message
I went to a nutrionist and asked that question and she actually told me the quality of the vegetables they use in the drinks are not that great and it would be better to eat the vegetable.
So I am not sure really........
it's mainly tomato based with a tiny bit of other veggies. If it actually had equal amounts of veggies, it would be a dirty green/brown color and no one would buy it... so yeah you're not exactly getting that much nutrition.
It's better then nothing, like maybe if you're stuck on an airplane and the choice is between a V8 and a Pepsi... but 99% of the time you should eat WHOLE vegetables; you'll get more nutrients as well as fiber-- and plus they taste WAY better.


text:
Group Booking Terms and Conditions
Because you are making a Group Booking, there are additional Terms and Conditions that apply. Please read them and click 'I Accept' below to continue with your booking
Hostel Specific Terms & Conditions
The remainder of the amount due will be charged to your credit card on arrival. Should numbers or room selection change, the per person deposit times the number of people who actually travelled will be deducted from the total accommodation charge levvied by the hostel.
The following group types are not accepted by this hostel: Junior / Primary School, Stag/Hen/Bachelor Party If you have misrepresented the type of group you are booking for, your booking may be cancelled by the hostel.
Any cancellations resulting from agreement to these terms and conditions under false pretences will result in loss of deposit.
General Group Booking Terms
By making a group reservation through Hostelworld.com you agree to the following terms and conditions as set by Hostelworld.com and as set by the hostel in question.
- In order to make a group reservation on Hostelworld.com it is necessary to pay a deposit. The balance is due directly to the hostel according to their payment conditions.
- The booking deposit is non-refundable
- Hostelworld.com are not responsible for changes or amendments to your reservation once it has been processed. All correspondence with regard to changes to your booking need to be dealt with directly with the hostel.
- Cancellations for reservations must be made directly with the hostel and must conform with the individual hostels cancellation policy (see below)
- It is your responsibility to pay the balance of your accommodation cost to the hostel in accordance with their payment conditions (see below). Failure to do so may result in your reservation being cancelled by the hostel.
- Individual hostels may have special booking conditions relating to group stays, please read the hostel booking conditions carefully before making your reservation.
Du musst die Bedingungen annehmen, um die Buchung zu bestätigen
Neueste Bewertung
" Best Hostel in the world! The hostel was small but it offers the best service we had in hostels so far. The hostel dad cooked every evening local and fresh food and combine this food with shots of rakja or beer. On top of that, he was able to organize everything within a few minuets and knows the city! We enjoyed the time a lot and after we left, he offers to call at the airport, to help finding a backpack lost by the airline! Thanks a lot for the great time! Niklas, Gunnar and Till "- Anonym
Hostelworld Apps
Buche von unterwegs aus, mit der neuen mobilen Hostelworld-App.


text:
SU's offense sputters in 20-7 loss to Guilford
Guilford linebacker Robert Smith (right) takes down Shenandoah University quarterback Corey Taylor during the Hornets' 20-7 loss to the Quakers Saturday at Shentel Stadium. SU's record dropped to 0-2 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. (Photo by Scott Mason/The Winchester Star)
Shenandoah's Ian Griffin (top), and Nick Erdman (bottom) stop Guilford quarterback Adam Smith in the Hornets' 20-7 ODAC loss to the Quakers on Saturday. (Photo by Scott Mason/The Winchester Star)
WINCHESTER — The Shenandoah University football team's first play from scrimmage was a thing of beauty.
Problem is, 541⁄2 minutes between beautiful plays usually results in an unattractive…
To See This and Every Local Story from The Winchester Star, Click Here to Become a Subscriber!
Login to view the full story


text:
Zoning disputes are terribly divisive, pitting neighbor against neighbor. They stress and sometimes fracture the bonds of community. When city agencies seem to be taking sides, these disputes also can undermine confidence in the integrity of local government.
New Orleans City Council approval of early notice procedures last week was an historic step to foster agreement on zoning issues that might otherwise cause conflict and controversy.
When zoning was first approved in the 1926 U.S. Supreme Court case Euclid v. Ambler Realty, the emphasis was on "professional" zoning. Experts driving the land use and planning process would give us the "city beautiful."
But this top-down approach neglected neighborhood residents' views and suffered from a deficit of democracy.
The next chapter, adversarial zoning, relied on point-counterpoint conflict to deliver the "right" outcome. In zoning as an adversarial process, applicants filed and opponents attacked. Theoretically, the public interest emerged from a contest between competing interests.
But to work properly, adversarial zoning depended on a battle between equals, which was frequently not the case.
The new early notice procedure introduces New Orleans to collaborative zoning, which invites stakeholders to express their views at the earliest stages of zoning.
By opening a dialogue even before zoning applications are filed and before positions harden, collaborative zoning seeks to build consensus and diminish conflict.
Hurricane Katrina put land use and planning decisions front and center in the city's recovery. The Public Law Center at Tulane Law School responded by championing early notice with the City Council and City Planning Commission.
In its July 2012 report endorsing early notice, the planning commission identified four specific zoning reforms from the law center's proposal:
-- Applicants for a zoning change should provide broad public notice that invites public comment before they file zoning applications.
-- Applicants should be prepared to meet with interested parties.
-- Applicants should respond in writing to residents' concerns, in accordance with timelines.
-- Applicants should submit with their zoning applications a report summarizing exchanges with residents.
All four of the law center's requested reforms were incorporated into early notice last week.
Zoning applicants must now notify area residents, neighborhood associations, community organizations, the media -- indeed, anyone and everyone who registers interest with the City Planning Commission.
These broad notice requirements in the pre-application phase will end planning by surprise.
When interested parties comment, applicants must meet with them, if requested, and discuss their concerns.
Finally, applicants must summarize those concerns and any accommodations they've made in a report filed with their zoning application to the planning commission.
Will early notice eliminate all conflicts from the zoning process? Certainly not, but it will eliminate surprise, resolve some disputes in advance and force contesting parties to define more precisely what remains in dispute.
One virtue of early notice is its simplicity of administration.
Anyone who wants to be informed about zoning applications can get notice simply by registering interest with the City Planning Commission.
In this democratic, open process, stakeholders identify themselves as interested parties. They self-authenticate. They need no permission from anyone to join a meaningful dialogue with zoning applicants.
Early notice is a great step forward that enjoyed strong community support from neighborhood associations, such as the Carrolton Area Network and from civic groups, such as the Committee for a Better New Orleans, Neighborhoods Partnership Network, and the law center's other partners in the New Orleans Coalition on Open Governance.
The campaign for civic engagement in zoning and land use decisions will enter a new phase and confront new challenges next year.
Our current zoning ordinance, adopted 40-plus years ago, is undergoing major and much-needed revision. The public will likely see and comment on two more drafts of a proposed new zoning ordinance in 2014.
We need to assure maximum public participation opportunities in this new zoning ordinance, which. will drive land use development decisions well into the 21st Century.
The proposed new comprehensive zoning ordinance is the next great opportunity to engage (not enrage) residents who want a say in how local government makes important planning and land use decisions.
David Marcello is executive director of the Public Law Center at Tulane Law School.


text:
My Morning Zero Waste Green Smoothie
Zero Waste Week is coming up September 2 – 8, so this morning I thought I'd take pix of my daily green smoothie making process, sans packaging or plastic waste.
This is also a post about storing greens so they don't go bad before you can eat them, thus avoiding food waste. See, about a month or so ago, I realized I wasn't getting enough fresh produce in my diet. I wanted to eat more kale and other fruits and vegetables. And I figured blending a whole bunch of things together in a smoothie every morning would be fast, easy, and painless. But despite the Ecology Center's instructions for storing produce without plastic , I couldn't manage to keep kale from turn yellow before I could eat the entire bunch.
And then, one morning on the bus, it hit me: I wonder if you could freeze it raw. I Googled "how to freeze raw kale" and bingo, there were instructions. I just had to figure out how to do it without Ziploc bags.
First, I washed and spun the kale and then cut it into pieces and laid them out on a tray in my freezer to freeze individually so they wouldn't stick together after I put them all together in a container.
But a few days later, talking to Michael's sister, I found out the individual freezing step is unnecessary. If you chop it up well, you can just break off pieces when you take it out.
My substitute for Ziploc bags? Life Without Plastic's airtight glass containers. They work great. Pack the kale in pretty tight. As long as you're eating it within a week or so, you don't have to worry about freezer burn. I haven't experimented to see how long it will last this way. But frozen raw kale is great in a smoothie.
So, here's how I put my smoothie together without packaging waste:
*Farmers market fruit without sticker or packaging (apple this morning, but just about any kind of fruit will work)
*Revive kombucha — Revive is a Bay Area company that sells live kombucha in returnable glass bottles that they refill. Kombucha tastes great in the morning and is great for the digestive system.
*Sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and cashews bought from Whole Foods bulk bins in my own glass jars
*Frozen kale
I put the first 5 ingredients in the blender
and blend for about 2 minutes.
Then I add the kale from the hole in the rubber lid and keep blending for about another 3 minutes so it's really smooth.
Then pour and drink it down.
Cleaning up is super easy because I have the best blender ever. The glass pitcher and blade mechanism are all one piece, so there's nothing to unscrew and no plastic in contact with my food. Just rinse it out immediately and its ready for the next day.
What blender is that, you ask? Patience. I'll write about that in another post.
Visit http://www.zerowasteweek.co.uk to sign up for Zero Waste Week to pledge support, receive helpful emails, and win prizes.


text:
on December 28, 2012 - 8:35 PM
A Buffalo man was arrested on multiple charges Thursday after he pulled a machete on police officers who tried to stop him from urinating in public, Buffalo police said.
Juakeen Gleen, no age available, reached for a machete when police advised him to stop urinating at 3 p.m. at Bailey and East Delavan avenues, police said. He refused to put his hands behind his back and was subdued by officers, police said.
Police said Gleen also possessed crack cocaine and three state benefit cards not belonging to him. He was charged with drug and weapons possession, exposure and obstruction, police said.


text:
Americans today feel, generally, that the times are prosperous. The middle class is shaking off the bitterness and the sense of economic injustice that it experienced in the 1970s. Many, perhaps most, of us who practice pediatrics share in this renewed attitude of confidence in the working of the American system. As pediatricians, however, we easily and readily relate to disadvantaged citizens in our population who, even today, may lack advocacy. The poor, both children and adults, continue to be vulnerable despite the widely felt sense of steady prosperity throughout the country. Health care for the poor is in jeopardy. Attention to this problem needs to be renewed. As always, those who cannot speak for themselves need the voices of others raised in their behalf. Our experiences especially suit us to participate in discussion of this important social issue.
It is now more than 20 years since the enactment of
Thank you for submitting a comment on this article. It will be reviewed by JAMA Pediatrics editors. You will be notified when your comment has been published. Comments should not exceed 500 words of text and 10 references.
Do not submit personal medical questions or information that could identify a specific patient, questions about a particular case, or general inquiries to an author. Only content that has not been published, posted, or submitted elsewhere should be submitted. By submitting this Comment, you and any coauthors transfer copyright to the journal if your Comment is posted.
* = Required Field
Disclosure of Any Conflicts of Interest*
Indicate all relevant conflicts of interest of each author below, including all relevant financial interests, activities, and relationships within the past 3 years including, but not limited to, employment, affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria or payment, speakers' bureaus, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, donation of medical equipment, or patents planned, pending, or issued. If all authors have none, check "No potential conflicts or relevant financial interests" in the box below. Please also indicate any funding received in support of this work. The information will be posted with your response.
Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.
Download citation file:
Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.
More Listings atJAMACareerCenter.com >
Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a link to reset your password.
Enter your username and email address. We'll send instructions on how to reset your password to the email address we have on record.
Need assistance?
Athens and Shibboleth are access management services that provide single sign-on to protected resources. They replace the multiple user names and passwords necessary to access subscription-based content with a single user name and password that can be entered once per session. It operates independently of a user's location or IP address. If your institution uses Athens or Shibboleth authentication, please contact your site administrator to receive your user name and password.


text:
HEW Investigators Hit—
The Senate Appropriations Committee questioned the Health, Education and Welfare Department's tactics in enforcing the civil rights provisions pertaining to desegregation in schools and hospitals receiving federal funds.In reporting out a money bill for HEW, the committee said in its report that "the revised guidelines contravene and violate the legislative intent of Congress in enactment of the Civil Rights of 1964."It has never been intended by the committee that funds appropriated by it be used by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to go about the country harassing people who have shown every indication of abiding by the letter and intent of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."Field investigators should be carefully selected, thoroughly indoctrinated, and rigidly supervised in order to achieve the image of 'ambassadors' rather than 'inquisitionists.' "Hospitals and nursing homes receiving Hill-Burton assistance or participating in medicare must integrate their
Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.
Download citation file:
Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.
More Listings atJAMACareerCenter.com >
Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a link to reset your password.
Enter your username and email address. We'll send instructions on how to reset your password to the email address we have on record.
Need assistance?
Athens and Shibboleth are access management services that provide single sign-on to protected resources. They replace the multiple user names and passwords necessary to access subscription-based content with a single user name and password that can be entered once per session. It operates independently of a user's location or IP address. If your institution uses Athens or Shibboleth authentication, please contact your site administrator to receive your user name and password.


text:
This is several takes in a row of the typical party noise maker.
Me spraying my room with air freshener. Eventful, I know.
Close-mic recording of a soda can being opened. Zoom h4n on-board stereo mics were used.
Me serving water in a glass. Recorded in 48 Khz and 16 bits with a Samsung Galaxy Young. Check it ...
Radio channel skipping.
Nursery kids screaming
A sample horror-scream sound.
An experimental impact sound made in absynth 5 and alchemy.
just a sinking style build-down something large crashing, maybe a submarine from a couple different angles? Made In FL Studio
a big crash
A fluttering thud. Created with several synthesizers, layered and processed.
laser shot
From a Minimoog
Snapping a neck (not actually real, though) I used samples from EcoDTR and DalomarGrimm
Sound of a neck snapping, without the added whoosh. Remix of "Bone Cracking.wav" by DalomarGrimm.


text:
Praline Snackers RecipeRead Reviews Be the first to add a review
5 1
These dressed-up graham crackers are an instant cure for the 'hungries' any time of day. Try them as a late-night snack with a glass of ice-cold milk—delicious!—Jean Komlos, Plymouth, Michigan
- 12 whole graham crackers, halved
- 1/2 cup butter, cubed
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
- Arrange graham crackers in a single layer in a foil-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. In a small saucepan, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil; cook and stir just until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; add vanilla. Pour evenly over crackers; sprinkle with nuts.
- Bake at 350° for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows; bake 3-5 minutes longer or until top is bubbly and marshmallows are lightly browned. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Cool for 10 minutes. Break into squares. Yield: 2 dozen.
Originally published as Praline Snackers in Country Woman March/April 2004, p39
Reviews for Praline Snackers
Please Log In or Join to add a rating and review.
Click stars to rate
Any changes to your rating or review will appear where you originally posted your review


text:
A lot of people are under the false impression that it is only police and fire employees that can retire while still in their 40s here in New Jersey.
Not at all.
Most public workers can check out with a guaranteed pension for life after a mere 25 years of employment. Many get benefits for life as well.A lot of people are outraged about the retirement the other day of former Cherry Hill Mayor and long-time Democratic official Susan Bass Levin at the age of 58. But there's nothing particularly interesting or unusual about her case. Many public workers check out much earlier.
Here's a page from the state Division of Pensions and Benefits website showing the earliest retirement age for teachers. The same is true for members of the Public Employee retirement System:
Early Retirement (For Membership Tier 1 only — members enrolled on or before June 30, 2007.) — Available to TPAF members who establish 25 years of service before attaining age 60. The annual retirement allowance is based on the Service Retirement formula shown above. If you are under 55 years of age, this benefit is permanently reduced by 1/4 of 1 percent for each month (3 percent per year) that you are under age 55.
In other words, if you started teaching right out of college, at age 22, you could retire at 47 - even though you will be in the prime of life.
This is insane and unsupportable. Yet the public-employee unions bribed enough legislators to get it passed into law.
They now argue that we the citizens are under some obligation to pay benefits that we ourselves would never have agreed to.
Sorry. That agreement is not between us taxpayers and the public employees. It's between the politicians and the public employees, a group that overlaps in many ways.
I've know Levin for a couple decades and always liked her as a person. But she and thousands of other elected officials have spent the past half-century or so erecting a cozy little world in which public employees are guaranteed lifetime job security from youth.
By the way, here's where I disagree with all those well-meaning but not-so-bright people who accuse President Obama of being a "socialist."
Under socialism everyone gets benefits equally. In Sweden, the public employees have to work to the same age as the private employees.
Here, we've got socialism for the public employees and dog-eat-dog capitalism for the rest of us.
And the dog that's eating us is a public-employee-union pit bull.
He's been a bad dog. And he needs to be put to sleep.
IN THAT REGARD, below is a column I wrote back in 2007 in the Corzine era. Corzine had subjected Rutgers University to the biggest single cut in state aid it ever suffered. Then he showed up on campus urging the employees to organize for higher salaries:
Yesterday's Star-Ledger had some good news and some bad news for the residents of the state with the highest property taxes in the nation.
The good news was on page one. The state Senate had passed a bill to send about $2 billion worth of property tax relief checks out right before the November elections.
The bad news that was at the top of Page 17 in an article about the unfunded liability for health benefits for retired government workers and teachers. The tab is $78 billion. To put that in perspective, the state would have to put about $8 billion aside this year and every year to cover that liability.
To put it in even better perspective, let us consider the case of Brett Butterline, a former Rutgers University employee who spoke at a union rally in New Brunswick last week attended by the governor.
Gov. Jon Corzine was there as part of an effort to pander to union activists who are trying to organize administrative employees at Rutgers. After he had finished buttering up the workers, the governor asked for questions from the floor. Butterline went to the microphone.
"I've been laid off due to budget cuts, and my problem is I'm only 10 months away from retirement and I'm in danger of losing everything I've worked for," said Butterline.
Corzine said the layoff showed the need for university workers to be unionized.
"Sometimes when you have an organized collective bargaining unit, they stand up and represent you against the injustices that occurred in those circumstances," he said.
Hmm. The "injustice" in question was authored by none other than Corzine and his fellow Democrats, who last year slashed the Rutgers budget while lavishing lots of dough on so-called "Christmas tree" items for legislators' buddies.
That was odd enough. Odder still was Butterline's age — or lack of it. When I interviewed him afterward, Butterline told me he was 44. How could a 44-year-old be just 10 months from retirement?
Simple, said Butterline. He had accumulated almost 25 years of service under the state's rather complicated Public Employee Retirement System formula. His pension wouldn't be much, he said, but he and his family would have state-funded health benefits for life.
That sounded nutty to me. But when I ran it by the Treasury Department, it turned out Butterline was right. The minimum age for state employees to retire with a full pension is 55, but with a mere 10 months more employment, Butterline could indeed have retired with health benefits for life.
Good for him. Bad for us. Corzine doesn't have $2 billion to give away for tax relief. What he's got is a giant hole in the budget — this year and for every year to come. The state pension fund is almost as deep in the red as the health benefits fund.
It is disingenuous, therefore, to claim, as Corzine did Tuesday, that this latest election-year giveaway represents "a turning point in regard to tax reform." The turning point occurred last year, when Corzine decided to take the side of the state workers against the taxpayers.
In the beginning of the reform effort, everyone knew what the first step had to be. The retirement age for public employees would have to be raised to at least 60. And new hires would have to go into some sort of defined contribution plan rather than into the state pension plan.
But under union pressure, Corzine vetoed those reforms right in the beginning. That set a pattern for legislators to chip away at every other measure that would have created real reform.
Even Democrats were conceding as much. State Sen. Nia Gill of Essex County ended up voting against the bill on the grounds that it would do little to solve the property tax problems of towns in her district like Montclair, which may have the highest property taxes on Earth. Gill, who lives in Montclair, told me she can't go to the supermarket without being cornered by some harried homeowner with an annual tax bill of $20,000 or so.
"They yell at me: `When you gonna help us, Gill?'" she said.
Rebates won't do the trick, especially not Corzine's income-based rebates. They give the most relief to those families making less than $100,000 a year. What Montclair needs is a fair share of state school aid, Gill said. Like many suburban school districts, Montclair gets less than 10 percent of its budget in state aid.
"The rebate does not solve the problem of most suburban communities," Gill said.
That's another problem Corzine swept under the rug. The school aid formula has been taken off the table.
"If we just wanted to go for a rebate, why didn't we just vote for it in the budget in the beginning?" asks Gill.
A good question. But then there wouldn't have been any news at all — just the same old story.


text:
Following the recent emergence of vacation photos of Cougar Town actor Josh Hopkins with costar Courteney Cox and her 6-year-old daughter Coco, Hopkins is now setting the record straight about the exact nature of their relationship.
"There [were] a lot of people with us, but we're the only ones you see [in the photos]," Hopkins, 40, tells Access Hollywood about the getaway that set off a media frenzy. "They just frame us two, so it's a story. It's not true."
Still, Hopkins admits he could do worse than to be romantically attached to Cox, 46.
"It's not like a terrible story to have out there," he says. "It's not like I'm upset about it. I mean, she's really hot. But it's just not true."
As a matter of fact, Hopkins was at first hesitant even to take the trip.
"I wanted to go to the beach," he says. "[Courteney] said, 'You should come with me to St. Barts.' I was like, 'Maybe, you know, I don't know.' And then [Cougar Town]'s creator Bill Lawrence was like, 'If I'd go anywhere, I'd go to St. Barts.' "
It then didn't take long before Hopkins realized the travel perks that go along with being Cox's pal.
"I said, 'This sounds great, let's do it,' " he recalls, thinking at the time, "I'll get her access. I probably couldn't get into a restaurant in St. Barts, but with her, I was everywhere."
Courteney Cox 'Really Hot,' Says Costar Josh Hopkins
John Sciulli/Wireimage; Inset: INF


text:
The hard part of trick or treat used to be picking the streets that yielded the best treats. Today, figuring out when it will be held can be the tricky part.
The question is whether trick or treat will be Oct. 31, the actual date of Halloween, or the Thursday before Halloween, which has become a tradition in many municipalities.
On the East Shore, Oct. 25 — the Thursday before Halloween — is the trick-or-treat night chosen by most. Only Conewago, Derry and South Hanover townships are holding the event on Oct. 31.
Across the Susquehanna in Cumberland County, there seems to be a consensus to hold it on Oct. 31, Halloween night — except for Camp Hill, which is holding it on Oct. 25.
Jason Umberger, Swatara Twp. police chief and head of the Dauphin County Chiefs of Police Association, said the Thursday before Halloween has been "a long-standing tradition."
"We set that date to minimize people from going community to community, and so we can staff it properly," Umberger said. Still, it's a recommendation, he said, adding, "It's certainly up to each municipality to do what they like."
David Johnson, Lower Paxton Twp. director of public safety, said one of the reasons the chiefs prefer the Thursday before Halloween is that it gives time for a rain date.
"We don't want kids out in rainy or foggy weather and risk them getting hit by cars," Johnson said.
Last year, in Lower Allen Twp., a 14-year-old boy was struck and killed while trick-or-treating on the Thursday before Halloween, and his 13-year-old friend was injured.
"It's traditionally been the fourth Thursday for the last 25 years," said Chief Rob Martin of Susquehanna Twp. Police Department. Complaints about the date are rare, Martin said.
"By and large our citizens appreciate having it during the week and in limited hours, and it gives us the opportunity to increase the number of officers on patrol for safety," he said.
Derry Twp. broke with the Thursday before Halloween tradition in Dauphin County last year and decided to hold trick or treat on Oct. 31, police Chief Patrick O'Rourke said.
"A lot of members of the community always wondered why we didn't do it on the holiday," he said. After consulting with the supervisors, they made the change.
"The communitywide reaction was great. They were wanting to do it on the holiday for many years," O'Rourke said. Following Derry Twp. are neighboring South Hanover and Conewago townships.
Derry Twp. hasn't had major problems in recent years on Halloween, O'Rourke said, other than mischief such as smashing of pumpkins and mailboxes, and toilet paper on cars.
"We do put extra patrols out for criminal mischief, but I would not say we see a spike in DUIs," O'Rourke said.
Postponing trick or treat to Oct. 31 last year in West Hanover Twp. because of bad weather on the last Thursday in October caused conflicts with parades and other activities, Township Manager Elizabeth England said. "This year, it's supposed to be rain or shine," she said.
People have been calling since September about the date, she said, which is Oct. 25, following surrounding towns and the Dauphin County chiefs' recommendation.
"We all try to have the kids out on the street all on the same night, so there's no conflict," England said. "There have been issues in the past in different areas with kids going from one township to another."
Coordinating the date minimizes the number of people going trick-or-treating town to town, Hummelstown Police Chief Charles Dowell said. He said it also helps with safety.
Hummelstown police are assisted trick-or-treat night by the "Witch Watch" — a group of as many as 70 Lower Dauphin High School students in the Volunteens club.
"Their purpose in life is to try to keep the little kiddies safe," Dowell said. "Since it was initiated we have not had a single incident on trick-or-treat night."
The teens wear glow in the dark vests and carry glow sticks. At the end of the night, they're treated to pizza.
"Between the police and the volunteers we blanket the town pretty well," Dowell said.
Witch Watch was started more than 12 years ago by Sgt. William Ryan, and one year the project was recognized as a crime prevention project of the year, Dowell said.
"The kids love it. We typically have to turn away volunteers," said Patti Hresko, Lower Dauphin teacher and Volunteens adviser.
Standing alone in not holding a trick-or-treat night is Penbrook, which several years ago decided to stop sanctioning the activity due to safety and cost concerns. Instead, the borough holds a Halloween party for Penbrook children, which will be 6-8 p.m. Oct. 27 in the borough hall.
In Lebanon County, Oct. 31 also is the date recommended this year by the county chiefs of police.
"We like to keep it as close to Halloween as possible in the last week. We stay away from Friday or the weekend," said Chief Harold Easter of North Lebanon Twp. police, who is head of the chiefs association.
The majority usually follow the recommended date, he said.
Chief Kevin Snyder of North Londonderry Twp. police department said this year Halloween just fell on a good day — a Wednesday.
"We don't have it on a Friday because of football," he said.
In neighboring South Londonderry Twp. in Lebanon County, Chief William Reigle said the township started having trick or treat on the actual day of Halloween a few years ago. He said he really doesn't have a preference, other than "the only thing I would not like is a Friday or Saturday because of football games."
For those who don't like trick-or-treating (along with those who do), there are plenty of other Halloween activities in the area.
Some churches and other groups organize "trunk or treat" events, such as one in Penbrook at the borough Halloween party, in which people park and hand out treats from their vehicles at an assigned location. Another is noon-3 p.m. Oct. 27-28 at the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum at Hershey, 161 Museum Drive, South Hanover Twp.
There also are fall festivals and parades. Even historical sites such as Fort Hunter have gotten into Halloween, offering a "Spooky Scavenger Hunt" in and around Fort Hunter's old buildings, pumpkin carving (supplies provided), spooky stories and a hayride 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 22-25 in Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front St., Susquehanna Twp.
One of the biggest parades is in Middletown, which is in its 59th year, said Melody Wilson, one of the Kiwanis Club organizers.
"It's a much-looked-forward-to event in the borough," Wilson said. Last year's, which was 2½ hours long, might have been the largest to date.
Not only does the public like it, but so do local businesses, Wilson said. "That night it helps bring dollars into the local economy," she said.
For adults, lots of bars and nightclubs have Halloween costume contests. It's also a fundraising opportunity for some nonprofits such as Paws of Pennsylvania, which has its Raise Your Paws Ball on Oct. 27 at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg-Hershey, Grantville. It's the premier fundraiser for the organization, now in its sixth year, spokesman Dave Fitzkee said.


text:
Apex Search Group, LLC is a nationwide executive recruiting firm specializing in providing Management, Engineering, and Executive recruiting services to the Manufacturing industry.We are a full service firm dedicated to finding the right person for the right company at the right time. We offer unrivaled dedication to help our clients and the candidates we work with achieve their goals. We understand the needs of our clients and we understand what makes a successful candidate. Through our daily interaction with key players within our industries, we are able to locate, screen and recommend exceptional candidates.Whether you are an employer with critical recruitment needs or a world-class candidate seeking a new opportunity, Apex Search Group can help you achieve your goals.
201 Shannon Oaks CircleSuite 200Cary, NC 27511
919.654.7377 (Phone)
Recommended Jobs
at Apex Search Group


text:
Mint Canyon Community School will host Lights On After School from 7-8 p.m. on Thursday as part of a national event that showcases afterschool activities and its significance for students.
Locally, Sulphur Springs School District students will have science projects and artwork on display for the community.
The event will also include presentations about physical education and homework support.
The school is located at 16400 Sierra Highway in Canyon Country.


text:
Listen: R.E.M.'s new song, 'Oh My Heart' from 'Collapse Into Now'
R.E.M. continues to give fans sneak peeks into "Collapse Into Now," the group's March 8 album. Today, we get "Oh My Heart," which premiered on NPR. And listening to it makes me feel like a big old crank. The ballad is about New Orleans, post Katrina, and opens (and then quickly abandons the idea) with mournful horns, straight out of a Crescent City dirge.
As Michael Stipe told NPR, "It's a very quiet and very meditative song dedicated to New Orleans — about New Orleans. Jacknife [Lee] is great as a producer, because he saw that we were struggling with what is a very quiet song. We were standing really far away from each other in the room, and it was hard not only to actually physically hear each other, but it felt dispersed. He brought us into the middle, and instantly, of course, the song worked."
[More after the jump...]
Lyrically, the mandolin-based song hits all the right political notes: the storm didn't do the ultimate damage, the government did, but the city's resilient heart keeps beating, and Stipe's heart beats in time with it. The lugubrious song is so honest and well-intentioned and I never care if I hear it again, despite Stipe's impassioned, yet restrained, delivery.
Luckily (for me, I'm sure R.E.M. doesn't care), I feel exactly the opposite about the far more melodic "It Happened Today," featuring Eddie Vedder (and a healthy dose of mandolin), especially with Mike Mills' singing along at the end. I've always felt he was underutilized vocally in the band (don't even try to disagree with me until you've gone back and listened to "Superman" at least 10 times). Here's the weird thing-- for years, people complained that Stipe mumbled so much that it was impossible to understand what he was saying. That changed years ago, but I think I liked it better when we couldn't understand what he was saying. Is that so wrong?
As Hitfix previously reported, "Collapse Into Now" includes contributions from Patti Smith, Smith's longtime guitarist/partner-in-crime Lenny Kaye, Peaches and The Hidden Cameras' Joel Gibb.
Hear "Oh My Heart" here.


text:
The Samsung Galaxy Note II was unveiled a couple of hours ago and it was live streamed via the web. In case you missed it or maybe you watched it and want to check it out again, you can watch the full 36 minute presentation below.
Watch the entire Samsung Galaxy Note II presentation from Mobile Unpacked


text:
Creative Storytelling Circle (Creative Aging Festival Event
Dayna Thompson, Alzheimer's Educator will discuss the Creative Storytelling Circle that she facilitates for people with moderate to advanced dementia. We will talk about the process of the group, the benefits for those with cognitive impairment and memory loss, and then will have a 30 minute """"""""mini-session."""""""" During the mini-session those of all ages and abilities are invited to join us in creating their own story.
No Registration Required
Notify me about similar events [4]


text:
Don't let it get away!
Keep track of the stocks that matter to you.
Help yourself with the Fool's FREE and easy new watchlist service today.
Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of MAKO Surgical (UNKNOWN: MAKO.DL ) , a robotic surgical device company with a focus on hip and knee replacement surgeries, soared as much as 83% after medical device maker Stryker (NYSE: SYK ) announced that it would purchase MAKO Surgical for $1.65 billion.
So what: Under the terms of the deal, Stryker will pay $30 per share in cash to acquire MAKO, an 86% premium to yesterday's close. Stryker anticipates that -- not including merger and acquisition costs -- it will dilute EPS by $0.10-$0.12 in the first year, be neutral in the second year, and be earnings accretive thereafter. To fund the purchase, Stryker plans to issue 3.953 million shares of its common stock.
Now what: I think I speak for a lot of investors when I say, "What the heck?" There's coming out of left field, and then there's this! I can say that I do understand to some extent why Stryker made this acquisition since it is one of the largest orthopedic device makers in the world and MAKO's surgically assisted robotic devices are only going to help improve diversity in that product line. But, at a price of $30 per share? MAKO, which has yet to prove it can turn a profit, gets $30 per share? I'm not sure if Stryker is just desperate for growth now that it's being forced to pay the 2.3% medical device excise tax under Obamacare or what, but I suspect it grossly overpaid for MAKO Surgical. However, if you own MAKO, rejoice! The deal is still subject to a MAKO shareholder vote, but they'd be absolutely silly not to approve an 86% all-cash premium!
The secret to finding revolutionary stocks
Are you tired of watching disruptive medical and technology stocks soar without being on board for the ride? Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner, founder of the No. 1 growth stock newsletter in the world, has developed a unique strategy for uncovering truly wealth-changing stock picks. And he wants to share it, along with a few of his favorite growth stock superstars, WITH YOU! It's a special 100% FREE report called "6 Picks for Ultimate Growth." So stop settling for index-hugging gains... and click HERE for instant access to a whole new game plan of stock picks to help power your portfolio.


text:
New subscription
Renew my subscription
Give a gift
Pay my bill
Change my address
Active within 1248 Days
Hi! My name is Kaine
I am Domestic Shorthair from grand island, NE
Nicknames: bubber butt, chunky monkey, my meatloaf
Age: 18 years old
Gender: M
Coat: short haired
Education: spent many years perfecting my "couch modeling" career.
My favorite tricks and treats are: does playing the cute card count as a trick? and i still flip for catnip
Where I hang out: im the alpha here, i go where i want!
My favorite grubs: im a big fan of bacon
My pet peeves: my brothers and sisters are all much younger, so pretty much anything they do annoys me!
What I love about my owners: she knows all the best places to scratch and give kisses!
My cat hobbies: sleep and cuddle with mom
Pet motto: If your not going to feed me, pet me, or give me catnip, then leave me alone here in the sun!
See all awards »
my husband and i had just lost our first cat, chandler, to an unknown illness. a friend brought this tiny black kitten,who was all legs, to my house and said it was destined for the shelter, and a life of who only knows, it was a little soon for a new addition but i knew then he already had a home, MINE!
I've had 436 friends visit me.
I'm the 48,146th member on CatChannel.com.
10 friends have voted for me since I joined Club Cat!
Come visit me, Team RAGDOLL PAWesome PURRsonality #235194, :¦:Chloe:•:(¯`v´¯):•- :208036:¦: & Team CHLOE, a PAWSitively PURRfect NAME #234964.
Come visit me, luca & isabelle.
Come visit me, Milo, Poof, Kiyote & Coconut.
Tell a Friend |
Report inappropriate content on this page.
Hi, my name is
Angel Bailey (9/7/02 - 12/20/14).
Visit the photo gallery to cast your vote »
Get quick tips for happy cats, food recall info, news alerts and best behavior advice.
Sign up to get updates delivered straight to your inbox.
CatChannel takes your privacy seriously. To learn more, please read our privacy policy.


text:
Beware Bank-paid Complimentary AD&D Insurance
|Email Print
I remember a few years ago when credit card companies would send out $5 checks to customers. The catch with the $5 check was that it enrolled you in some sort of service, usually identity theft or employment related, that was free for a month. After a month, there was a monthly fee that was either flat, in the case of the identity theft service, or a percentage of your balance, in the case of the employment related service.
Last week, I received two letters from two banks reminding me of their complimentary offer of Accidental Death & Dismemberment AD&D insurance. It's clear in both cases they're marketing promotions trying to get you to buy AD&D insurance from their partners. However, the two offers are very different in how they approach the customer.
The first letter was from M&T Bank and they offered $1,000 of complimentary bank-paid AD&D insurance coverage through The Hartford. I had the option, but not the requirement, to increase that coverage up to $300,000 at the cost of $1.10 a month per $10,000.
The second letter from Bank of America was a little different. It stated that I could get "$10,000 of Permanent and Total Disability coverage for one full year, at no cost to you. *" The asterisk goes on to explain I actually get $1,000 of coverage per month for 10 months, which makes it a 10-month version of the offer from M&T Bank.
There's one little catch to the Bank of America offer that isn't a catch in the M&T Bank offer:
Coverage increases to $240,000 for $9.95 per month which is automatically billed monthly and remitted to National Union from your Bank of America checking account at the end of your one-year complimentary coverage period.
Ahhh, the 2009 bank version of a 2007 credit card marketing technique. Instead of $5 checks to customers who may unwittingly sign up for some service, Bank of America customers may be getting $1,000 AD&D insurance for ten months but put themselves on the hook for $9.95 in a year (or is it ten months?)… when they may have forgotten they signed up for this in the first place!
If you've been thinking about taking advantage of the free AD&D insurance, be sure to read the fine print to see what you're committing yourself to.
(Photo: thetruthabout){ 26 comments, please add your thoughts now! }


text:
Giulio Moschini - Guitars / Backing Vocals
Marco Mastrobuono - Bass
Davide "the Bomber" Billia- Drums
Paolo Pieri - Vocals / Guitars
Italian death metallists Hour Of Penance have announced the title of their new album "Regicide" which will be released on May 13 in N. America (May 12 in UK/EU, May 16 in Germany) via Prosthetic Records!
Guitarist Paolo Pieri commented, "'Regicide' revolves around the themes of destruction and rebirth and the killing of the king -- be he your own fears, prejudices or dogmas that you build inside yourself to cope with reality. Only by letting go of those illusions and tearing down the walls of ignorance and fear that society, religion and every form of dysfunctional authority you interjected during your life, can you start to rebuild your own path as a free man that has no need for a king."
Since releasing 2012's acclaimed "Sedition", which Decibel lauded as a "hyper-blasting, inhuman, machine-like attack," HOUR OF PENANCE has annihilated fans worldwide with its fiery exuberance, playing well over 200 gigs alongside such acts as BEHEMOTH, SKELETONWITCH, CANNIBAL CORPSE, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DEVILDRIVER, PSYCROPTIC, MISERY INDEX, DEICIDE, BELPHEGOR and NILE.