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Vintage Metal Jewelry Stand
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- Free Fast Shipping
- Overview
Showcase your accessories in this artful alternative to a jewelry box. Our stand has room for necklaces and bracelets.
- Handmade jewelry stand has a brass base with a polished-nickel finish.
- Black felt bottom
- Imported.
- Dimensions & Care
- Overall: 12" wide x 5.5" deep x 18" high
- Wipe with a soft dry cloth.
- To protect the finish, avoid household cleaners and abrasives.
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We can arrange for next day delivery to most destinations within the contiguous 48 states, for an extra charge of $17.50 per address. If we receive your order by 6pm PT Monday through Friday, you'll receive your order the next business day; orders placed on Friday after 6pm PT through Sunday will arrive on Tuesday. Note: Next Day Delivery service is not available for some oversized items, White Glove Delivery, out of stock items, personalized items or for items shipped directly from the manufacturer.
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We take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of each and every Pottery Barn product and we hope you love your purchase. If for any reason you do not, you have 30 days – or 7 days for all Quick Ship upholstery items – to return your purchase for a full refund or exchange. You can return most non-furniture items to your local Pottery Barn store – FREE.
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March 12, 2005
Sophomore Jevon Tarantino earned an automatic bid to the NCAA championships Friday evening at the NCAA Zone B qualifier with a second-place finish on the 3-meter board at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in Atlanta.
"We came out of the 3-meter competition with a positive thought and frame of mind going into the NCAAs," UT diving coach Dave Parrington said. "The format of 38 divers will be similar to the NCAAs, and it gave us a good tune-up towards the NCAAs."
Tarantino finished with 607.95 points. Chris Colwill of Georgia won the 3-meter competition with 613.40. The Southeastern Conference was represented well for the second day in a row with seven of the top eight divers being from the conference. Miami's (Fla.) Miguel Velazquez was the lone diver not from the SEC in the top eight. Velazquez finished third in 602.00.
"I feel comfortable coming out of the competition," Tarantino said. "I just missed one dive, and I am definitely confident going into the NCAAs."
"The competition between Colwill and Velazquez was close, and I expect to see them up there with Jevon at nationals," Parrington said.
The top-five places in the 1- and 3-meter events are automatic qualifiers for the NCAAs. The remaining three spots from the zone will be filled according to overall performances from the weekend including the platform event with a total of 13 men from the competition earning NCAA spots.

subset: commoncrawl


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Stainless 2 Door 45" Sandwich Prep Cooler Holds 12 Sixth Pan
McCall | Model: P-10-12
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McCall P-10-12 Specifications
For over 60 years, McCall Refrigeration has supplied commercial refrigeration equipment to all sectors of the foodservice industry including independent and chain restaurants, schools and universities, supermarkets and correctional and healthcare facilities. Through the years, McCall has consistently utilized quality materials and manufacturing processes to ensure the finest finished product. McCall cuts no corners when it comes to design and performance elements. McCall products are built with innovative design elements that focus on food safety and efficiency.
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320 lbs.
45 in.
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36 in.
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Frequent hand washing can reduce your risk of spreading or contracting bacteria and viruses that cause colds and the flu. You should wash your hands often throughout the day and especially
An alcohol-based hand cleaner can also be used if soap and water are not available. The alcohol in the cleaner kills germs that cause the flu. Steps for Proper Hand Washing
Steps for Using Hand Sanitizers
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Discussion in 'Performance & Fuel' started by kuziwr, Mar 1, 2010.
Has anyone done this??? If so how did she turn out???? Worth the $$$$$?????
My very bias opinion is that a Procharger is ALWAYS worth it.
I would PM jennabear, he's running chargers on both of his vehicles. Or at least he was.....
Separate names with a comma.


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My husband and I run a smallish apiary outside of Dripping Springs, Texas. DS is known as the Gateway to the Texas Hill Country (about 26 miles west of Austin); we enjoy living here. A couple of weeks ago we finished having a honey house built and are now outfitting it: installing a/c, lighting, sink, water heater, work tables, shelves, etc.! We hope to have enough of our OHHO Wildflower Honey to sell to local folks who bought some last year and have been waiting for us to have more to sell them.
One thing I'm sure of: there are about as many opinions about beekeeping as there are beekeepers.


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So many articles in the past week have cited the new CMS data on US health expenditures that we thought we should pass along the original report, published in Health Affairs. The big news was that in 2013, total spending on health care in the US grew by just 3.6%, the slowest rate since 1960, when they began tracking it. The report named slowing growth in spending on private health insurance as a contributor, and in fact, the headline news from Mercer's survey last year was that per-employee health benefit cost growth had slowed to 2.1%. In discussing the slower cost growth in private insurance, the report points to higher enrollment in consumer-directed health plans along with design changes in other medical plans -- in other words, to the steps employers have been taking to manage cost. While the authors of the report suggest that the slowdown in overall health spending might be predicted by the slow economic recovery, a commentator in The New York Times suggested that this view is too conservative and that we may be seeing the beginnings of systemic change -- for the better -- in US health care.
While I spend most of my work days helping large employers with their health benefit programs, this past week I wore my Mercer health reform leader hat at my own personal version of health policy summer camp in Washington. I spent two days with the American Benefits Council's policy board, took some meetings on Capitol Hill, and visited with Julie Rovner and Julie Appleby at KAISER Health News.
While employers have their hands full managing health benefits for their own employees and their families, don't underestimate their interest in the individual market and their concern for the public exchanges. In a series of meetings that ABC arranged on Capitol Hill and with Trump administration staff to discuss key issues for employers, the topic of the federal government's commitment to cost-sharing reduction subsidies for individual policies sold on the exchange came up every time. CSR subsidies are central to the financial success of exchange business, and, though continuing them for now, the Trump administration won't commit to future payments. Earlier this week, Republicans received another 90-day delay to consider how they'd like to proceed in the appeal of a case the House brought last year challenging the CSR subsidies. Without these payments, the insurance companies writing these policies are at risk for reimbursement that the federal government is contractually obligated to pay.
Employers do not want the individual market to crumble. Not only is that bad for people who depend on it -- including early retirees and former employees -- but cost pressures in the individual market will inevitably lead to cost shifting to private payers. My colleague Geoff Manville and I had a great conversation with Julie Rovner and Julie Appleby at KAISER about the problems creating instability in the individual market. My top three coming out of that discussion:
- Small risk pools. It was clear going in that the risk pool was not going to be ideal, but on top of that, many states are not big enough on their own to generate enough lives to create a stable risk pool. While 100,000+ lives may sound like a big group, when you divide it across multiple insurance companies and a variety of products, the "law of large numbers" doesn't work because the numbers aren't large enough. Look back 15 years when the biggest employers offered multiple self-insured plans and 10-15 insured HMOs -- and look at what they offer now. The past 10 years have seen a lot of plan consolidation.
- Young insureds MIA. One of the most popular ACA provisions, expanded group plan eligibility to include dependents up to age 26, was detrimental to individual plans. The biggest decrease in the uninsured occurred in the younger end of the market. Unfortunately for insurance companies, most of these younger Americans got coverage through their parents, not by purchasing it in the individual market.
- Federal government missteps. The government has not been the best business partner to insurers. To pick one example, think back to how essential health benefits were handled. As the public exchange implementation was coming down to the wire, there was an outcry from current individual policy holders facing significant premium increases for broader coverage that included all EHBs. At the last minute, the White House decided to "grandmother" those plans, which meant that insurance companies lost the additional revenue they were counting on from those policies. And now they face possible nonpayment of promised CSR subsidies.
What is the long-term future of the individual market? Some insurance companies have already declined to continue offer coverage in the public exchange in 2018 and others are still deliberating. We are in dire need of some leadership from the government to uphold their end of the bargain with the insurance companies. The individual market -- and people's lives -- are at stake.
Earlier this week, we hosted a Mercer Select Briefing and asked participants to ponder changes they might make to their health benefits if the ACA's employer mandate were fully or partially repealed. Of the 175 employers taking the poll, relatively few anticipate making any particular change. The largest number of respondents – 21% – said they would be likely to set higher employee contributions for individual coverage than currently permitted under the affordability requirement. Given that many employers have added lower-cost plans since the ACA was signed, most don't have an issue with affordable contributions. Just 19% said they would be likely to resume a 40-hour work-week requirement for eligibility (rather than the 30-hour requirement under the ACA) and the same percentage said they would likely revisit lifetime benefit dollar limits. Fewer than one in ten employers thought they might impose pre-existing condition limitations, and almost none said they were likely to require more than a 90-day waiting period for benefits.
The truth is, in employer-sponsored plans the burden of compliance was greater than the impact of compliance. Now that we are there, it is unlikely there will be a race to unravel the changes. Probably the two biggest ACA issues for employers that remain are the excise tax (delayed until 2020) and the ongoing reporting requirements. The current version of the AHCA further delays the excise tax, and regulators are well aware of employers' desire for relief around reporting. We keep hearing that change is coming, but change takes time in Washington DC.
The anxiously awaited CBO score of the AHCA – reflecting the last round of changes made to the bill before it was passed – was released yesterday afternoon. The nonpartisan scorekeeping office forecast the AHCA would cut the federal deficit by $119 billion over the next 10 years, down from $150 billion in the prior score. From a process perspective, the bill still easily passed the test to save at least $2 billion to qualify for consideration under a reconciliation process that is filibuster-proof by requiring only 51 votes in the Senate, not the typical 60-vote threshold.
What else changed in the report? There was a very small decrease in the projected number of uninsured, which had been 24 million over ten years and was revised to 23 million. That's not much of a ROI for the additional $38 billion aimed at keeping people covered. The largest savings stem from reductions in Medicaid funding and from the replacing ACA's subsidies for individual health insurance with new tax credits for individual/non-group health insurance.
Of particular interest to employers are the waivers that could be granted to states starting in 2020 allowing them more flexibility on age rating and essential health benefits. In scoring the bill, the CBO and JCT examined three general approaches states could take to implement H.R. 1628 and estimate that about half the population resides in states that would not request waivers regarding the EHBs or community rating; about one-third of the population resides in states that would make moderate changes to market regulations, and about one-sixth of the population resides in states that would obtain waivers involving both the EHBs and community rating. There's a table showing the estimated impact on premiums by age group in states that would and wouldn't obtain waivers in this Vox article, and the story isn't good for older Americans. It's not yet clear how, or whether, state waivers – which are targeted for individual and small group coverage – would affect employer-sponsored plans.
Politico summed it up best, "…the report highlights the central dilemma that Republicans are grappling with now — how to write a health care bill that preserves peoples' coverage at a reasonable price, without resorting to government mandates and billions in federal spending. And it drops that problem right on the Senate's doorstep."
Many Americans and employers agree that a top priority for President Trump and Congress should be lowering prescription drug costs. That was underscored this week with introduction of bipartisan legislation – the Fair Drug Pricing Act – a step in the direction of greater price transparency. The bill would require drug makers to justify their pricing and itemize their expenses before raising prices more than 10% in one year, or 25% over three years, on drugs that cost at least $100. (Remember the EpiPen controversy from last year?) Shortly after receipt of this pricing information, HHS would be required to make the data publicly available. In addition to providing a check on sharp price hikes, this could help PBMs and other drug purchasers make more informed decisions.
The Fair Drug Pricing Act mimics bills that have been introduced in more than a dozen state legislatures, and a growing number of state and federal lawmakers have offered a variety of proposals to address the issue. Congressional Democrats, for example, have proposed to allow Medicare to negotiate prices, remove tax breaks drug makers receive for advertising expenses, speed generic drugs to market, and allow Americans to import medicines from Canada, among other things.
The pharmaceutical industry opposes and will fight most of the proposals, but it's clear that the industry and policymakers are feeling the heat over drug prices.
Source: www.statnews.com
While working women continue to earn less money than their male counterparts, the gap is narrowing when it comes to health benefits. Three years ago, we used data from Mercer's National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans to examine the difference in benefits between large employers with workforces that are 65% female or more to those with workforces that are 65% male or more. Just under half of the mostly female companies are in health care and a quarter are in the services sector, while mostly male companies are found predominately in the manufacturing industry (52%). The percentage of employees in collective bargaining agreements has remained about the same for the two groups (13% for companies with mostly female employees and 15% for companies with mostly male employees). One workforce statistic has seen some movement since 2013, when the average salary for mostly female companies was about $10,000 less than when the workforce is mostly male; data from our 2016 survey shows the difference is now over $15,000. That's right – the gap in the average salaries of companies with mostly female vs. mostly male workers has only gotten wider.
The health benefits at organizations with predominantly female workforces continue to be less generous than in those with predominantly male workforces. In addition, the employee contributions for these less generous plans are higher than those for the richer benefits offered to employees at mostly male companies. For coverage in a PPO, the most common type of medical plan, the monthly contribution for family coverage is 17% higher ($484 for mostly female companies and $415 for mostly male companies), which is down from a 31% difference in 2013.
In addition, average in-network and out-of-network deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums are consistently higher. For example, the average in-network PPO deductibles in mostly female companies are $844 and $1,936, respectively, for individual and family coverage, compared to $767 and $1,729 at mostly male companies. While the average deductibles for mostly female companies are still higher, the gap has narrowed when compared to 2013 average deductibles.
While benefits for mostly female companies continue to be less rich and more expensive overall, the gap between these benefits and those for mostly male companies does seem to have narrowed since 2013 and since the implementation of the ACA's employer shared responsibility affordability and minimum values rules, which set thresholds for the amount an employer can charge an employee for their health plan and for the percent of charges the health plan must cover, broadly speaking. However, the gaps in health plan benefits and costs still exist -- and are compounded by the lower salary levels for employees in companies with higher concentrations of women workers.
Republican senators will continue discussions this week on revisions to legislation narrowly approved by the House -– the American Health Care Act – to repeal and replace much of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Passing a bill out of the Senate may be an even tougher fight for Republicans, who can't afford more than two defections.
The talks are driven in part by concerns of moderate GOP senators about the House bill's creation of a waiver system that could substantially raise premiums for certain individuals. The waivers would let states opt out of ACA insurance standards for age rating and "essential health benefits" (EHBs) and, in certain cases, community rating protections related to pre-existing conditions. A number of centrist senators also want to make the bill's refundable tax credits more generous -- particularly for the elderly -- and delay its phase-out of the ACA's Medicaid expansion.
While much of the discussion aimed at bridging the conservative-centrist divide is being led by an official working group of 13 lawmakers appointed by Senate Republican leadership, members of the group say they are soliciting the views of all GOP members. Senate Republican leaders say there is no set timeline for legislation but face immense pressure to produce a proposal in short order so they can move to tax reform and other parts of their legislative agenda.
The debate will likely intensify next week, when the Congressional Budget Office is expected to release its analysis of the House-passed bill. The forthcoming score will reflect the language creating the state waiver system added to the bill just before House approval. To avoid a Democratic filibuster, Senate "reconciliation" rules will force the GOP to remove provisions that do not affect the budget.
If a bill passes the Senate, House Republicans could finish the process by passing the Senate's bill without amending it. Alternatively, Republicans could iron out differences in a "conference committee" comprised of members from both chambers. Hard-line conservatives in the House may object to the Senate's changes, which are likely to water down some of the American Health Care Act's major provisions. The two chambers must agree on a uniform bill, however, before it can be sent to the president.
Earlier this week we learned that the CBO will release their "score" of the AHCA the week of May 22. This revised projection will reflect the most recent changes to the bill – allowing states to opt-out of certain provisions including essential health benefits, aspects of community rating and changes to age banding ratios as well as $8 billion in funding to help states that choose to waive the ACA's community rating for individuals who don't have continuous coverage.
This CBO score will play a key role in how the bill moves through the Senate. The Senate Parliamentarian determines which provisions of the bill qualify for repeal under the budget reconciliation process, and she cannot begin that review without the CBO analysis. If she decides that certain parts of the AHCA bill can't be part of the reconciliation bill, that would affect the CBO score, especially the estimated savings that impact the amount of deficit reduction. This deficit reduction estimate – $150 billion for an earlier version of the bill – will constrain how the Senate crafts their bill. The reconciliation rules require the Senate bill to achieve the same level of savings as the House bill.
As this article from The Washington Post points out, if Senate Republicans want to reinstate some of the Medicaid spending cut by the House, they'll need to find revenue to pay for it, meaning they may have to reconsider when and which of the ACA's long list of taxes can be repealed – the AHCA would delay the Cadillac tax until 2026 but would repeal most of the ACA's other taxes starting in 2017. This budget constraint rule also almost guarantees an uphill battle for the Senate to repeal the Cadillac Tax. Not only would Cadillac tax repeal raise a budget "point of order" requiring 60 votes to waive, it would come with some costs which they might not be able to offset if the Senate wishes to walk back some of the savings generated from changes the AHCA would make to Medicaid and the individual market. If the new CBO score continues to project a large increase in the number of uninsured – 24 million more uninsured by 2026 in the last report – the Senate will be under pressure to keep ACA changes to Medicaid and the individual market or simply make smaller fixes to these provisions. All eyes will be on the CBO score that comes out the week of May 22 as the starting point for the Senate debate.
With all the uncertainties around healthcare legislation swirling, cost control of pharmacy spend remains top priority for employers. On one hand, employers obviously want their employees to have access to the medications they need: drugs like insulin, blood pressure treatments, and cholesterol blockers have long played a critical role in employees' health. But now new specialty biotech drugs – some of them true medical breakthroughs – are flooding into the market, at costs much higher than previous therapies. Drug prices spiked by 9.8% between May 2015 and May 2016, and there are more sharp increases ahead. Drug costs are quickly becoming unsustainable, for both employers and, increasingly, plan members. Many high-cost brand name drugs may have rebates to reduce their net cost, but the member or patient typically does not see these rebates so their out-of-pocket cost is still high. And even the cost of some generic drugs has risen dramatically.
Fingers are being pointed everywhere—from regulations and research to the cost of lawsuits when new drugs perform poorly. While other stakeholders work on those issues, there are actions employers can take to shift the equation in their favor. Here are a few ideas:
Analyze the data on prescription drug spend in your plan
Prescription drugs are the top driver of health benefit cost increases today. In a recent report by the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute, pharmacy benefit costs increased 10.2%, driven by 19.2% growth in specialty pharmaceuticals.
It's important to know what's driving cost growth in your program. When looking at your data, here are a few things to focus on:
- Drugs – What drugs are plan members using?
- Channel – From where patients receive their drugs and are they leveraging the lowest-cost channels?
- Supplier – Are you maximizing the prescription benefit manager relationships?
- Care – How do the drug therapies match up to best practices and evidence based medicine?
Educate employees on what they can do to lower their Rx costs
Employers can help employees be smarter when talking to their physician about their medications and making purchasing decisions. If your program includes any of these cost-saving Rx benefit features, make sure your employees understand them:
- Lower copays for generic drugs
- Lower copays for drugs in formularies
- Preferred pharmacies
- Mail-order suppliers
- Prior authorization requirements
- Step therapy requirements (members try lower-cost drugs first before they can move up to higher-cost prescriptions)
Focus on specialty drugs now
Specialty drugs for complex conditions account for 38% of all prescription spending even though they are used to treat about 1 to 2% of all patients. (Consider this recent example of how one employer discovered just two plan members were accounting for 2.5% of their total health budget due to specialty medication prescriptions.) The most expensive biologic breakthrough treatment regimens can exceed $750,000 per year. For the entire US healthcare market, specialty medication spending has nearly doubled since 2011, reaching more than $160 billion. With 40-50 new specialty medications set to enter the market each year, there is no end in sight.
To help gain control over your spending on specialty drugs, consider working with an expert to conduct a specialty diagnostic of medical and pharmacy plans to assess the current state and identify areas for improved management. Once the diagnostic results are in, employers can make informed decisions on revisions to their plan structure. We see savings typically in the 5-10% range. However, these savings occur in the short-term, and so it is a good idea to revisit the plan structure at least semi-annually as provider capabilities change over time.
If you'd like to learn more about the specialty pharmacy topic, join me for an upcoming webcast hosted in partnership with HR.com on May 17. We will explore the specialty pharmacy ecosystem and discuss options to stay ahead of the cost curve.
For more on Specialty Rx, please read David's recent article in Benefits Quarterly.
The vote to pass the AHCA in the House – a first step on the road to repealing the ACA – has raised questions about how employers might respond if the ACA requirements affecting employer-sponsored plans were to be lifted. One way to approach that question is to look at how employer plans changed – and how they didn't change – under the ACA. We went back to past Mercer National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans databases to find out.
- Eligibility. While 22% of employers with 50 or more employees (and 37% of those with 500 or more employees) said they would need to make changes because of the ACA's 30 hour rule in 2015, we've seen no evidence that enrollment in employer plans has risen as a result.
- Mini-meds. Before the ACA, 7% of all large employers (and 21% of large retail employers) offered mini-med plans, generally to their part-time employees. The 60% plan value rule effectively put an end to mini-meds.
- Affordable contributions. Only 14% of respondents to our 2014 survey on health care reform said they would need to take steps to meet the ACA's affordability rules. Employers have historically been slow to raise contributions as a percent of premium. The average contribution for employee-only coverage in a PPO plan was 24% in 2009, the year the ACA was signed, and it was 24% in 2016. The average dollar contribution has risen along with plan costs, but proportionally, contributions have not increased.
- Deductibles. Whether this was an intended or unintended consequence, deductibles have risen sharply under the threat of the ACA's excise tax. Since 2010, the average individual PPO deductible has risen by an average of 7% annually, faster than overall growth in medical plan cost.
- Lifetime limits. In 2009, 71% of large employers had lifetime benefit maximums in their PPO plans and the median limitation used was $2,000,000. While it was rare that a plan member would reach the maximum benefit amount, the ACA outlawed the use of lifetime limits entirely.
Would a repeal mean that employers revert back to pre-ACA plan designs? Not necessarily, and certainly not at once. Some employers might reinstate mini-med plans as a way to provide some type of health benefit to part-timers not eligible for the company's comprehensive plan. It seems unlikely that employers that have raised deductibles would lower them – but it also seems unlikely that employers would take away coverage from any employees or reduce plan values below the current 60% minimum. Before the ACA, most employers voluntarily offered comprehensive health benefits that already met the ACA minimum requirements; by and large, the requirements targeted plans that were the exception rather than rule.
The repeal and replace bill that just passed in the House faces tough challenges in the Senate. Even so, with the Senate reportedly working on a bill of their own, it's a good bet that this Congress will make some changes to the ACA – and, one way or another, that will mean change for employer plans too. This process may take some time. We'll keep you posted.
Well, it happened. House Republicans got the votes to send the AHCA on to the Senate. The bill will face tough challenges in the Senate, so this is far from a done deal. For now, it is business as usual under the ACA.
Highlights of what is in HR 1628
- The "Cadillac" tax remains, although delayed from 2020 to 2026
- Employer and individual mandate penalties eliminated for 2016 and later years
- Age-based tax credits starting in 2020. Credits phase out for those making more than $75,000 per year ($150,000 joint filers). No credits for those offered employer coverage
- Most other ACA taxes are repealed for years beginning after 2016
- HSA enhancements – Increase limits to max deductible/out-of-pocket limits for HDHPs (Based on Mercer estimates, $6,650 single/$13,300 family for 2018)
- No additional states can expand Medicaid after March 1, 2017 and Medicaid funding significantly changed with per enrollee capped payments, option for block grants
- Employer's ACA reporting not repealed (this would need separate legislation or regulatory action); after 2019 offers of coverage would be reported via W-2
- Subject to certain requirements, states could opt out of essential health benefits, aspects of community rating and age banding requirements
- Most recent amendment provides additional $8B to help states pay for pre-existing condition claims
The Congressional Budget Office has not scored the version of the bill passed by the House. Earlier, they projected the number of uninsured would increase by 14M in 2018, 21M in 2020 and then 24M in 2026 relative to projections under the ACA. CBO has not released revised numbers to reflect the most recent changes. The combination of more people without coverage and cuts in Medicaid funding could potentially result in cost shifting to employer-sponsored plans. Another concern is that employers may have less ability to transition certain populations (early retirees, part-time employees) to individual coverage as a design option.
Important context of this bill in the process of becoming a law
The bill faces significant hurdles in the Senate. The Senate requirements for what qualifies for reconciliation legislation are expected to result in some trimming of provisions that don't have an impact on the federal budget, and GOP senators will want to make other changes, including more generous tax credits and more time to unwind the ACA's Medicaid expansion. A Senate-passed bill may be difficult to pass again in a conservative House – both chambers will need to agree on the final version before it can be sent to President Trump.
We will continue to track and provide updates.
Check out this article for tips on managing out-of-pocket expenses in a high-deductible health plan. Typically, your paycheck deductions are lower, which is a bonus, but how do you keep from falling behind financially when you need care? Here are the author's suggestions, plus a few from me.
- Take advantage of preventive services covered at 100%. For example, get a flu shot so you are less likely to get sick.
- Use in-network providers for the lowest possible out-of-pocket expense.
- Consult with a nurse for free by calling the nurse-line for a consultation before scheduling an appointment with a physician; it could save you the cost of an office visit
- Many plans include a telemedicine benefit. The cost of a telemedicine visit is usually around $40-$50, and can be scheduled at your convenience via phone or video chat.
- Investigate "convenience care" clinics in your area. Located in stores like Target, CVS, and Walgreens, they offer a limited number of services at a lower cost than urgent care or a physician office visit.
- When your doctor recommends a prescription drug, ask how much it costs and if there is an over-the-counter or generic option. Check a few different pharmacies for the best price.
- If a prescribed drug is very expensive and you have not used it before, ask whether you could have a smaller number of pills at first to be sure it works. Check to see if there are patient assistance programs to help defray the cost.
- Shop around for services and tests. A variety of tools exist to support comparison shopping; check with your insurance company for help.
- Some employers offer indemnity coverage -- policies that will pay a set dollar amount when you have an accident or are hospitalized. These low-cost coverages can provide peace of mind for those concerned about covering expenses before they meet their health plan's high deductible.
- If you've moved to the high-deductible plan from a more expensive plan, take the savings from lower paycheck deductions and deposit them (tax-free!) in a health savings account. That way you will have some money set aside to help pay for care before you meet the deductible. Many employers will help fund your HSA.
- Take advantage of any opportunities to earn dollars for your HSA by participating in healthy activities like biometric screenings.
These are good suggestions to communicate to employees and their families. Even if you have provided similar guidance in the past, everyone can always use a refresher.
Source: khn.org
House Republican leaders are working to win the votes needed to pass a revised version of their health care reform bill, the American Health Care Act (AHCA), that aims to lower health insurance premiums for some individuals by letting states obtain waivers to opt out of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) essential health benefits, community rating, and age banding requirements.
The latest revisions reflect negotiations between leaders of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and the moderate "Tuesday Group" since the March collapse of Republicans' first attempt to pass the bill, which Speaker Paul Ryan, R-WI, pulled from floor consideration because it lacked support. Other changes to the AHCA since its introduction include the addition of a risk-sharing program to help insurers cover high-claims costs.
These latest revisions brought an official endorsement from the Freedom Caucus, and GOP leaders had hoped to rush the bill to a floor vote this week before the 100th day of President Donald Trump's presidency on Saturday. But many moderates, leery of what they see as a lessening of consumer protections by the new changes, are not rushing to sign on to the bill, and some have announced opposition. Leaders are trying to secure enough support to pass the bill the first week of May, but the outlook is uncertain.


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Discussion in 'BUILD OFF 1 BIKES' started by Chainsaw, Jan 7, 2007.
dashboard for electronics? something to do with a stereo?
license plate bracket, maybe with lights?
I love all the guesses, you guys got some great imagination! Too bad none of them are right. A couple of ya are kinda sorta maybe a little somewhat close though. :mrgreen:
Remember there's another pic coming if no one guesses the right answer.
It fits around the perimeter of the cooler full of beer that goes on that neat rack you built on the back of 'er.
kickstand slash license holder
can we guess 3 times for each pic?
Yes, you guys get 3 guesses per picture! So everytime a new pic gets added you get 3 more!
Hint: although it could hold beer, that's not my intention. :wink:
cooler holder
Hooch, very cool idea (license/kickstand)! :shock: I might have to steal it from you in the near future!
A Meat Cooler..
for the Body Parts :lol: :lol:
Nobody's guessed yet, so here's pic #2! Each of you get 3 more guesses! Good luck!
I'll post another sometime during the day if no one gets the right answer by then!
a trailer?
Is it a rectangular Frame, welded up in Angle Iron
with a Piece of OSB Plywood, decorated in a few Black Felt Marker
A Sandwich serving tray..
or a Serving tray..like the one we use when we are bringing
our Ladies Breakfast in Bed after we spent the night in the Dog House
after coming home too late from a night out with the guys at a NHL
game and then going to the Bar and leaving your Car Down Town.
The Car you need in the Morning to take The Kids to dance and Soccer
That kind of Tray?
a passenger seat platform, if your passenger is BEER !!!! (or a place for Kevs celebrity girlfriend to sit) :mrgreen:
I love Mr. Obvious.
I am stumped as to what it may be. How about a foot rest.
a sidecar platform for an ice chest.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: but no.
Maybe if I give you the size it will help .... 8 1/2" x 6 3/8".
How about another hint .... it will fit on the luggage rack.
Another pic? ... and 3 more guesses!
Is this like art, 'n stuff?! Huh huh!
It's gonna be a buddyseat/luggage-carrier upfront, right?
Separate names with a comma.


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Boil-Water Advisories and the Dental Office
On this Page
Infection Control
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been asked by the American Dental Association (ADA), state and local health departments, and local water regulators to provide guidance and scientific information regarding the risk of contamination from cross-connections from the dental operative unit. The dental operative unit is a medical device at each dental chair through which water and compressed air flow during dental procedures. Cross-connections are the links through which contaminated materials may enter a potable water supply system when the pressure of the polluted source exceeds the pressure of the potable source (e.g., during a water main break).
Boil-Water Advisory
A boil-water advisory is a public health announcement that the public should boil tap water before drinking it. When issued, the public should assume the water is unsafe to drink.
Advisories can be issued after
1) failure of or substantial interruption in water treatment processes that result in increased turbidity levels or particle counts and mechanical or equipment failure; 2) positive test results for pathogens (e.g., Cryptosporidium, Giardia, or Shigella) in water; 3) violations of the total coliform rule or the turbidity standard of the surface water treatment rule; 4) circumstances that compromise the distribution system (e.g., water main break) coupled with an indication of a health hazard; or 5) a natural disaster (e.g., flood, hurricane, or earthquake).1
In recent years, increased numbers of boil-water advisories have resulted from contamination of public drinking water systems with waterborne pathogens. Most notable was the outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the municipal water system was contaminated with the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. An estimated 403,000 persons became ill.2,3Top of Page
Actions to Take While a Boil-Water Advisory is in Effect
- Water should not be delivered to patients through the dental unit, ultrasonic scaler, or other dental equipment that uses the public water system. This restriction does not apply if the water source is isolated from the municipal water system (e.g., a separate water reservoir or other water treatment device cleared for marketing by FDA).
- Patients should rinse with bottled or distilled water until the boil-water advisory has been cancelled. During these advisory periods, tap water should not be used to dilute germicides or for hand hygiene unless the water has been brought to a rolling boil for >1 minute and cooled before use.1,4-5
- For hand hygiene, antimicrobial products that do not require water (e.g., alcohol-based hand rubs) can be used until the boil-water notice is cancelled. If hands are visibly contaminated, bottled water and soap should be used for handwashing; if bottled water is not immediately available, an antiseptic towelette should be used.7,8
When the Advisory is Cancelled
- The local water utility should provide guidance for flushing of waterlines to reduce residual microbial contamination. All incoming waterlines from the public water system inside the dental office (e.g., faucets, waterlines, and dental equipment) should be flushed. No consensus exists regarding the optimal duration for flushing procedures after cancellation of the advisory; recommendations range from 1 to 5 minutes.1,8
- The length of time needed can vary with the type and length of the plumbing system leading to the office. After the incoming public water system lines are flushed, dental unit waterlines should be disinfected according to the manufacturer's instructions.1
Because water from the affected public system should not be delivered to the patient during a boil-water advisory, many dental procedures cannot be performed. Alternative water sources, such as separate water reservoirs that have been cleared for marketing by the FDA, can be used. However, if the alternative water source were to flow through a dental operative unit previously connected to the affected public water supply, the dental operative unit water lines should first be flushed and disinfected according to the manufacturer's instructions.
References and Resources
1 CDC, Working Group on Waterborne Cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidium and water: A public health handbook [PDF–1.1Mb]. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, CDC, 1997. Accessed September 2009.
2 MacKenzie WR, Hoxie NJ, Proctor ME, et al. A massive outbreak in Milwaukee of cryptosporidium infection transmitted through the public water supply. N Engl J Med 1994;331:161–7.
3 Kaminski JC. Cryptosporidium and the public water supply. N Engl J Med 1994;331:1529–30.
4 CDC. Assessing the public health threat associated with waterborne cryptosporidiosis: Report of a workshop. MMWR 1995;44(No. RR-6). Accessed September 2009.
5 CDC. Surveillance for waterborne-disease outbreaks—United States, 1993–1994. MMWR 1996;45(No. SS-1). Accessed September 2009.
6 U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR Part 1910.1030. Occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens; needlesticks and other sharps injuries; final rule. Federal Register 2001;66:5317–25. As amended from and includes 29 CFR Part 1910.1030. Occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens; final rule. Federal Register 1991;56:64174–82. Available at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/dentistry/index.html.
7 Larson EL. APIC guideline for hand washing and hand antisepsis in health-care settings. Am J Infect Control 1995;23:251–269.
8 CDC. Guidelines for environmental infection control in health-care facilities: Recommendations of CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) MMWR 2003;52(No. RR-10). Accessed September 2009.Top of Page
- Page last reviewed: July 10, 2013
- Page last updated: July 10, 2013
- Content source:


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Gorgeous Loungefly bags are the peak of style and sophistication, perfect for woman that want something to really get heads turning. With an amazing range of sugar skull bags, handbags and wallets on offer, Loungefly is a distinctive brand that offers a ton of style. Whether youre looking for a quality new wallet or handbag with an awesome skull design, or perhaps you just want to add something electric to your style, the unique sugar skull design they love to incorporate is attention grabbing to the extreme! Check out our Loungefly bags today!


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Jaime A. Rodriguez, MD
Are you looking for a Plastic Surgeon who's committed not only your health but to your overall quality of life as well?
- Jaime A. Rodriguez, MD - Gives FREE Consultations!
Dr. Jaime Rodriguez Sierra specializes in restoring beauty and achieving harmony, while improving your quality of life.
Jaime A. Rodriguez, MD
At Jaime Rodriguez Sierra Plastic Surgery we offer you two modern, state-of-the-art facilities located in the ultra exclusive area of the city. From the moment you step through the door every detail is taken care of so you can relax and calm down after a long day in a soothing and pampering atmosphere.
Our main goals is tooffer you first-class service while helping you to relax. This is why we pay attention to your every need and continuously train our staff to offer you personalized attention while using the latest technology available in the cosmetic surgery field.
To ensure your safety, we use only the best quality materials and follow strict safety protocols, the same used by plastic surgeons in the United States and around the world. We have the same tools and advanced techniques as the top surgeons in North America and even go so far as to offer them at a slightly lower price!
Aside from the cosmetic surgery procedures you're offered the most advanced cosmetic and dermatologic treatments for post-surgical recovery and skin care:
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David Kelly
David Kelly is an instructor of creative writing and literature. In this essay, he makes the case that a poem as plain and direct as this one can be read for a richer meaning by paying attention to the line endings.
Kooser's poetry is clearly an example of midwestern folk art; like all folk art, it sometimes seems simple, the kind of work that could be accomplished by earnest but underskilled people who are guided by what their hearts tell them is right. In poem after poem, Kooser's work focuses readers' attention on the subject he is talking about and away from the poet or the poet's style.
Poets use the techniques that critics identify and explain, such as rhyme and rhythm, for emphasis: to polish the meanings embedded in their words and to make the situations described in their works clearer. Technique and poetic style are tools for taking their poems to a level of meaning beyond that which the words can reach on their own. There is another school of thought, though, that treats such structural elements as distractions or even as useless decorations, which call too much attention to themselves and away from the central points they are supposed to be assisting in making.
An example of one extreme of this view is prose poetry, which uses none of the physical elements that are usually associated with poems; prose poems focus on the meanings and sounds of words, but they do not make use of their arrangement on the page. Kooser's poetry is not as unadorned as prose poetry, but it comes close. A typical piece from his 2004 collection Delights & Shadows tends to run down the middle of the page in a large, blocky rectangle, each line approximately the same length, often in one continuous piece with no stanza breaks.
With so little going on in the way of technique, critics have characterized Kooser's style as "plain." There is still an undeniable structural element to Kooser's poems. The very fact that the poems do run down the center of the page means that they are products of design. Unlike prose or prose poetry, in which the ends of the lines are determined by the size of the paper and the size of the type, it is clear, in even the plainest of poems written in Kooser's style, that care has been put into determining where each line should end (and, conversely, where each following line should begin).
Assuming that the poet has chosen his line endings, an examination of the end words should reveal something about the poem's priorities. As with any critical examination of structural elements, this is not meant to reveal a secret code embedded by the poet only for those who hold the answer; rather, it is a way of appreciating the dynamics that already exist in the piece. For example, the main idea in a poem like Kooser's "At the Cancer Clinic" is not difficult for the average reader to understand. The poem depicts a scene in the waiting room of a medical facility, describing, with awe and admiration, the progress of a woman weakened by disease, while, with the help of two women the narrator takes to be her sisters, she crosses the room. The action in the poem is this: the woman and her aides walk tentatively; a nurse holds the door to the examination area and waits, patient and smiling, for the sick woman; sensing the miracle of her struggle against affliction, the onlookers bring an end to the small distractions that characterize life in a waiting room. Kooser does nothing to obscure or hide these actions.
The scene itself has enough inherent power to earn its readers' attention, and there is a very good possibility that any more stylistic technique would have done harm, drawing attention to the poem and the poet and away...
(The entire section is 1514 words.)
Lisa Trow
Lisa Trow is a published poet and journalist and has been an instructor of creative writing. In this essay, she discusses the use of free verse in allowing careful word choice to express meaning.
Kooser's poetry is so easy to read and understand that readers might assume that anyone could have written it. But its simplicity is really an aid to the reader in reaching for the poem's deeper meanings. By refraining from using complicated and formal poetic devices that might have driven away the average reader, Kooser has cleared the way for readers, allowing them easier access to the poem. There is no rhyme scheme, no singsong cadence, and no flowery language that many of us associate with the poets we have been assigned to read in literature classes. Kooser's simple poetry, like the work of many contemporary poets, relies on its ability to create an image. It depends on carefully chosen words to give us the key to the poem's meaning.
Formal style, with prescribed line endings, line length, and rhythm, creates poetry that is part literature and part engineering. Rhyme and form work together to support the poem's main idea. The poet should not, however, allow form to intrude jarringly on the reader's appreciation of the poem. Formal poetry offers the poet one traditional way to integrate all the tools at his or her disposal—the sound of the words spoken together and the shape they form on the page—using universal poetic principles. The artistry in using such formal devices in this way is apparent in its subtlety.
Some modern poets, such as Theodore Roethke and Anthony Hecht, have used form successfully. Although some modern and contemporary poets have continued to employ formal verse forms, many contemporary poets have avoided form for the freedom to write without constraints. The reader who is drawn to poetry but challenged by the conventions of more formal types of verse may enjoy reading Kooser's uncomplicated free verse for that reason.
Formal verse typically requires the poet to write to fulfill the rules of the chosen poetic form. For example, in an English sonnet the poet must write exactly fourteen lines of poetry. Each line of a sonnet contains a certain number of unstressed and stressed syllables, which gives the poem a singsong quality when it is read aloud. In the sonnet form, the poet must rhyme the words ending every other line until the closing couplet, made up of two rhyming lines. Poets attempting a sonnet may feel as though they must "fill in the blanks" to meet the requirements of the form and must choose words that work with the set rhyme scheme. With free verse, poets can select whatever words they wish. The artistry in free verse often lies in the ability of the poet to choose words that most powerfully convey the poem's meaning. In contrast to that of formal poetry, the effect of free verse is sensual rather than intellectual....
(The entire section is 1186 words.)
Jo McDougall
In the following essay, McDougall explores how Kooser "finds his crossroads in the mystery and eternal truths of the plain folk and unpretentious subjects of the Great Plans" in Delights & Shadows.
In her enlightening essay about Southern literature, "The Regional Writer" in Mystery and Manners, Flannery O'Connor makes a fascinating and well-known comment: "The writer operates at a peculiar crossroads where time and place and eternity somehow meet. His problem is to find that location." Although her essay is primarily about Southern writers, her comments apply to all writers who use regional details to transmit what they believe to be eternal, abiding truths to a univeral audience.
(The entire section is 1122 words.)
Brian Phillips
In the following review, Phillips finds a limited range in Kooser's celebration of "daily life and his memories" in Delights & Shadows.
If there is something maddening about Ted Kooser's success—something about the abridgement of a region into seventy-five synonyms of "homespun"; something about the way the word "heartland" seems to embroider itself in six-inch sampler letters across the covers of his books—then in all fairness, it has as much to do with the way his work has been received by critics as with the work itself. (Edward Hirsch in the Washington Post Book World: "Something about the Great Plains seems to foster a plain, homemade style, a sturdy forthrightness with hidden depths, a...
(The entire section is 339 words.)
Kathleen De Grave
In the following review, De Grave finds "bright image,… compassionate tone, and…. Insight into human nature" across Kooser's collection, Delights & Shadows.
Opening Ted Kooser's collection of poetry, Delights & Shadows is like walking into an art gallery, each poem a painting or photograph, sometimes a sculpture. Kooser is the Poet Laureate of the United States, has ten books of poems published and has received numerous awards, including two NEA fellowships, and this book lives up to that reputation. The collection of poetry is broken into four parts, each with its theme or motif. But common threads are the bright image, the compassionate tone, and the insight into human nature.
(The entire section is 922 words.)
Elizabeth Lund
In the following essay, Lund profiles Kooser's career upon his being named poet laureate of the United States.
Ted Kooser isn't embarrassed to say that the poems he wrote in grade school were decidedly ordinary: "I love my dog/ his padded paws/ at Christmas he's my/ Santa Claus." He doesn't try to hide the fact that as a teenager "my impulse toward poetry had a lot to do with girls." Mr. Kooser, a retired insurance executive, even admits to knocking the sideview mirror off his car after being named poet laureate of the United States in August. He was so excited, he says in a phone interview, that he didn't pay attention as he backed out of his driveway in Garland, Neb.
Some poets might not mention...
(The entire section is 1125 words.)
Ted Kooser and "American Libraries"
Ted Kooser and "American Libraries"
In the following interview, Kooser discusses what his approach to being poet laureate will be and the importance of libraries and poetry.
You'll never be able to make a living writing poems," Ted Kooser cautions beginning poets in The Poetry Home Repair Manual, due out in January from the University of Nebraska Press. "But look at it this way: Any activity that's worth lots of money, like professional basketball, comes with rules pinned all over it. In poetry, the only rules worth thinking about are the standards of perfection you set for yourself." While Kooser speaks from experience—for 35 years, he supported himself with a job in the insurance...
(The entire section is 736 words.)


text:
The high standard carrier with great flexibility designed for vans, minibuses and MPVs (for 2-4 bikes).
Thule is dedicated to providing exceptional products that are quality tested and guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship.
A locking kit to lock the bike rack's wheel straps for extra theft protection.
For increasing the load capacity of the Thule BackPac from 2 to 3 bikes.
For increasing the load capacity of the Thule BackPac from 3 to 4 bikes.
For functional storage of bikes and bike carriers.
Protects the rim on mountain bikes and helps secure the wheels of road bikes.
Replace all lock cylinders on your Thule products and use the same key for all.
For locking the Thule BackPac 973 bike carrier to the car.
Substitutes the most important rear lights on your car (7-pin connector).
Frame adapter for easiest possible fitting of bikes with non-standard frames (e.g. ladies' bikes, BMXs, downhill bikes).
An accessory for rear mounted bike carriers with frame holders, making these lockable.
Organize your bikes at home in a smart way.
You will be directed to the Thule Towbars Fit Guide. If you're not automatically redirected within 5 seconds,


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In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Ever Merciful.
Love for All, Hatred for None.
Arrival of the Entourage at Ahmadiyya Peace Village - 21 June 2004
Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) being welcomed at his arrival
Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) walking through the Ahmadiyya Avenue where thousands of Ahmadis gathered to welcome
Hadhur was welcomed by Federal Ministers, Members of Parliament and other civic dignitaries
Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) being welcomed by members of Jama'at Canada
Bouquet presented to Hudhur at the gate of Ladies gathering
Copyright © by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. All rights reserved.


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Miller was full of it and there was clearly targeting going on says…Chris Matthews?
posted at 8:01 pm on May 17, 2013 by Mary Katharine Ham
Prepare to have your world rocked.
"[I]t's like he didn't see what he knew people certainly right, left and center could see, that when you target particular groups, you're targeting particular groups. I mean, if this were on the other foot, and this was a George W. administration, they were targeting groups that were calling themselves progressives, I would say it's prima facie evidence of targeting. I don't think it's complicated."
It was apparently too complicated for the story to get from Treasury officials over to the White House, as Allahpundit noted earlier today:
The Treasury Department's inspector general told senior Treasury officials in June 2012 he was investigating allegations that the Internal Revenue Service had targeted conservative groups, disclosing for the first time on Friday that Obama administration officials were aware of the matter during the presidential campaign year.
At the first Congressional hearing into the I.R.S. scandal, J. Russell George, the Treasury inspector general for tax administration, told members of the House Ways and Means Committee that he informed the Treasury's general counsel of his investigation on June 4, and Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin "shortly thereafter." The new information came as part of a routine briefing of the investigations that the inspector general would be conducting in the coming year, and he did not tell the officials of his conclusions that the targeting had been improper, he said.
And, it may have been too complicated for Treasury Sec. Jack Lew to tell the White House when he found out about the investigation in March:
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew learned in March that an inspector general was investigating the IRS's targeting of conservative groups, but he did not know the details until last Friday.
Lew said in an interview with Bloomberg TV today that he met with the inspector general closely after assuming his post, but he was presented only with a list of ongoing investigations, not specific details of the audit on conservative groups.
"I didn't know any of the details of it until last Friday," Lew said.
The fact that there was an investigation going on was on the IG website as of fall, 2012, according to the same Lew interview with Bloomberg today. "The heads-up that I got was something that was a matter of public knowledge. It was posted on the IG's website in the fall of 2012," Lew said. "I was not aware of any details. My deputy was not aware of any details until it became a matter of public knowledge."
While the inspector general's report was still ongoing, anyone at the highest level of the Treasury Department could see that the IG had been investigating the topic for several months. And yet no one in the entire Treasury Department felt the president should be notified?
Here's to another good week, Jay.
Related Posts:
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Irony: Bernie backers claim fraud in CA Dem chair race over lack of … voter ID
Chinese student praises free speech in the U.S., offends China's communists
- The Condemnation of Big Governent | Steven Birn Speaks
- Freedom's Lighthouse » MSNBC's Chris Matthews on IRS Scandal: If "this was a George W. Admin", and "they were targeting 'Progressives'. . . " – Video 5/17/13
- Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania provides the feel good moment of the IRS hearing | T.B Rickert's Call
- IRS Prayer Audit? | Mornin' Mojo
- » Saturday Night Card Game (Chris Matthews evolves from race card to WTF card on Obama-gates) - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion


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Armitage Auctions hold regular fortnightly auctions which include antiques, modern & other general household furniture, China, glass, silver, books, coins & bank notes, jewellery & other small collectors items, paintings & prints, office & cafe furniture & equipment, white goods, handyman items, floor rugs, cars, motor cycles, boats & much more...
view our latest auctions
// view our latest catalogues
Special antique and Estate auctions are held during the year, these dates will be announced as they come up, and can be viewed on our latest news page.
Having operated for the past 40 years, Armitage Auctions have been acknowledged as a highly professional business with experienced and friendly staff who possess a keen eye for all manner of items; anything from your normal household contents to quality antique furniture and china etc., also special collectors items. We also provide auction services for businesses who are closing down, or wanting to dispose of old stock, or looking to refurbish. Whilst most auctions are held in our rooms, we also hold on-site auctions when required.
Our services include...
- professional and friendly advice
- an experienced valuation team
- absentee & phone bidding
- fortnightly general / antique auctions
- special antique auctions
- on site auctions
- estate auctions
Armitage Auctions have been operating under the same management for the past 25 years, during which time it has earned the reputation, and respect of being one of Tasmania's leading auction houses...
See what Armitage Auctions is up to, by viewing our latest news...


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Stylish Room Near Brick Lane (ST3)
尺寸25 平方米
Floor No.
- 适合家庭/儿童
- 厨房
- 电视机
- 浴缸
- 毛巾
- 互联网/无线网路
- 洗衣机/干衣机
- 早餐
Accommodation summary
|Gibraltar Walk, E2 7EN London, 英国
This cosy private bedroom on the ground floor of a Victorian building features a double bed, an office area and an open fireplace. The shared apartment includes a fully fitted kitchen with laundry facilities, a tiled bathroom and a separate toilet. Guests are welcome to make use of the self-catering facilities, and can help themselves to basic breakfast goods.
A vibrant market featuring up-and-coming designers can be found at The Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane every Sunday. Guests can look forward to a unique variety of clothes, handbags and jewellery.
Shoreditch Tube Station is less than a 10-minute walk away, whilst Liverpool Street Train Station is just a 15-minute walk away. Numerous 24-hour bus routes service Trafalgar Square and central London.
住宿规定Be respectful of the other guests.
Please clean up after yourselves.
|Check-in before
The great problem with the room was its owner, Kazzos, and his noticable lack of
seriousness. The first night we discovered that we have been asigned with the same room as a German family, and when we tried to contact kazzos (at 1:00 am) he wouldn't answer to etiher the phone number he gave as nor the mail address.
When he eventually answer he didn't want to talk by phone, instead he would ask us to talk by whatsapp. Thanks to the German family and once we came over that horrible night and without knowing if the problem was already solved, we tried again and again to contact kazzos, and yet today (two months later) he hasn't answered.
All in all, a noisy and small apartment that is ten minutes walk from an underground station (not really well connected). Most of the furniture looked old and careless/broken, and the shower would get wet the whole bathroom. If your intention is just to rest a few hours, it's not the worst option, however consider the possibility that if you are in any trouble you could end up in the street at 1:00 am. From our trip to London, Kazzos and his room were without a doubt the worst thing and if we came back we wouln't take any of his rooms.
We didn't meet the owner but he explained everything by email... From the outside the apartment doesn't look so fancy, but it's acceptable for the price we paid. Apartment was clean, sheet as well. No problems with the other people staying in the apartment. Location is great, 3 minutes walk from Brick Lane. Well connected by bus with liverpool street underground, that is just 15 minutes walk! Highly recommended
Good, clean apartment with spacious rooms and a great location! We got all the necessary information prior to our arrival and had no problems whatsoever. A very nice stay!
Very nice trip at Kazzos's flat. Really nice room, the kitchen is useful too. What a pity that the doors are so noisy !!!!!!
It has a good location, ten minutes walking from Liverpool station (The city of London). Neighborhood is a bit noisy but it´s fine, you can find supermarkets, restaurants pretty close to the house, no more than 5 minutes walking.
The room was clean. Regards to the bed, it is comfortable but the pillow is a disaster, not comfortable at all. A part from that we had a noise because of the heating was constantly dripping so it sounds like a crazy bird and it was tough to fall sleep.
Breakfast: just one kind of cereals, no milk, only coffee and tea.
We haven´t met the host.
Rate: Acceptable value-price
We really liked our stay in this apartment!
It wasn't far away from the tube station, the kitchen, bathroom and shower were clean and we didn't have any problems with the other people staying in the rooms next to ours. The only thing that we didn't really like was the fact that there were many building lots around the house but that was just unfortunate.
all in all you get what you pay for, the informations you need will get sent to you (but rather late 2-3 days before you depart) and for a short stay it's absolutely great. would recommend.
Really enjoyed our stay, nice sized room, kitchen and bathroom shared with a couple of other rooms.
Loved Shoreditch & was impressed by how close the flat was to the heart of Shoreditch but was still quiet and peaceful at night.
Don't be put of by the reviews which say isn't clean think they mean the furniture needs to be pulled out for a deep clean anything you'd come in contact with on a daily basis is clean. Also building work outside seemed to be coming to an end during our stay.
Would book again if staying in Shoreditch.
Not disappointed at all! We didn't meet the host but he sent us a mail in which he explained everything. The place was very easy to find, very agreeable and comfy. If you plan a trip to London, that's definitely the place you need. There are buses near that lead you directly to the town. You can also walk to Liverpool Street, you can reach it in 15-20 minutes to take the underground.
Thank you for everything!
- 住宿品质保证
- 屋主通过电话验证


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Does anyone know where I might be able to find diagrams and/or schematics for the flamethrower bit on the left gauntlet, the metal studs from the chest armor, toe spikes and really anything that's metal from the armor.
A friend of mine is a machinist and can make them but I would need the specific dimensions in order for him to do it.
Sorry if this has been discussed before, I did a search but couldn't find anything.


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which top feeder do you prefer the wood one with pontoon floats from dadant or the plastic one with screen? The wood one allows the bees to go everwhere vs the screened that keeps them in one area.
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which top feeder do you prefer the wood one with pontoon floats from dadant or the plastic one with screen? The wood one allows the bees to go everwhere vs the screened that keeps them in one area.
A gallon zip loc bag laying on the top bars. If you have a relatively level hive, seal the seal and only make a small slit or two in the top side, you will not drown a single bee.
Not an attempt to hijack the thread, just to add a question to pp270's questions and Vance's answer.
Using the gallon bag on top of the frames, would you build a short top ring, say about 1½-2", then put the inner cover and lid on?
I prefer the screened ones; there seems to be less drowning.
I take my cappings scratcher and poke two rows of holes in a full gallon size ziplock bag of syrup when feeding. The little ladies can get their little proboscis right in through the holes. its like a feeding trough for bees haha. :)
Nothing beats an inverted jar on the lid!!!:cool: You can observe from afar and dont have to open the hive to check or refill.
I like the screened in wooden feeders.....
@ Dale 3rd = Yes, I use a 2" ring (I call it a feeding shim) and the gallon freezer bag. works great. I recommend only filling the bag 2/3 to 3/4 full. I've had some leaking issues if I over fill the bag and then make the slit a little too long. Tension on the bag pulls the slit apart I guess. As long as there is a nice air bubble it will settle right on the liquid and not leak.
I like this 10 Frame Plastic Hive Top Feeder. It works great, doesn't drown bees, and can hold a couple of gallons so you don't have to fill it so often.
NOTE: This feeder is NOT good when the weather is cold and the bees are clustering in the center of the hive. They will not break cluster to go out to the feeder entrances at the front and back of the hive.
I agree with Psisk. The inverted jars or buckets on top of the hves have worked the best for me.
this is my first bee season and I got one of the plastic lined Mann Lake top feeders with the screen and I like it a lot. No drowned bees so far and it's easy to fill and check. Mark
I have the ones with wooden floats, allthough Brushy mnts new ones have wooden floats, with plastic mesh inbetween the floats. I dont have a problem with bees drowning using either version. They can hold a couple of gallons of syrup, and the bees can drain one in about 5 days.


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Investigational Device Exemption Study to Determine the Safety and Efficacy of the Astron and Pulsar Stents (BIOFLEX-I)
This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants.
Biotronik, Inc.
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Biotronik, Inc.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: March 18, 2011
Last updated: February 1, 2016
Last verified: October 2015
|Tracking Information
|First Received Date ICMJE
|March 18, 2011
|Last Updated Date
|February 1, 2016
|Start Date ICMJE
|July 2011
|Primary Completion Date
|September 2015 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Change History
|Complete list of historical versions of study NCT01319812 on ClinicalTrials.gov Archive Site
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Current Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Descriptive Information
|Brief Title ICMJE
|Investigational Device Exemption Study to Determine the Safety and Efficacy of the Astron and Pulsar Stents
|Official Title ICMJE
|The Treatment of Iliac and Femoral Atherosclerotic Lesions Using the Self-expanding Astron and Pulsar Stents
|Brief Summary
|The objective of this study is to separately demonstrate the safety and efficacy of BIOTRONIK's Astron and Pulsar stents. The Pulsar stent will be used for the treatment of femoro-popliteal lesions, located in the native superficial femoral artery (SFA) or proximal popliteal artery (PPA), while the Astron stent will be used for the treatment of the common or external iliac artery lesions.
|Detailed Description
|Not Provided
|Study Type ICMJE
|Study Phase
|Phase 2
|Study Design ICMJE
|Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Open Label
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Condition ICMJE
|Intervention ICMJE
|Device: Astron/Pulsar Stents
Implantation of self-expanding, bare-metal, nitinol stents for treatment of peripheral artery disease.
Other Names:
|Study Arms
|Experimental: Investigational Stent
Intervention: Device: Astron/Pulsar Stents
|Publications *
|Not Provided
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Information
|Recruitment Status ICMJE
|Active, not recruiting
|Estimated Enrollment ICMJE
|Estimated Completion Date
|June 2018
|Primary Completion Date
|September 2015 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE
Inclusion Criteria
To support the objectives of this study, the following initial inclusion criteria must be met for a subject to be enrolled and considered for the index procedure:
For a subject to receive an investigational stent, the following procedure-related criteria must be met:
Exclusion Criteria
To support the objectives of this study, the following initial exclusion criteria must not be present for a subject to be enrolled:
For a subject to receive an investigational stent the following procedure-related criteria must not be present:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers
|Contacts ICMJE
|Contact information is only displayed when the study is recruiting subjects
|Listed Location Countries ICMJE
|United States, Canada
|Removed Location Countries
|Austria, Belgium
|Administrative Information
|NCT Number ICMJE
|Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE
|Has Data Monitoring Committee
|U.S. FDA-regulated Product
|Not Provided
|Plan to Share Data
|Not Provided
|IPD Description
|Not Provided
|Responsible Party
|Biotronik, Inc.
|Study Sponsor ICMJE
|Biotronik, Inc.
|Collaborators ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Investigators ICMJE
|Information Provided By
|Biotronik, Inc.
|Verification Date
|October 2015
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP


text:
An Exploratory Study of the Use of Five Wishes as a Tool for Advanced Care Planning in Young Adults With Metastatic, Recurrent, or Progressive Cancer or HIV Infection
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
- Few resources exist for helping adolescents and young adults with cancer or HIV disease understand their changing physical, emotional and social needs when treatment is no longer effective.
- An advance directive document called Five Wishes has had particular success with the adult population because of the consideration of personal, emotional and spiritual needs in addition to medical and legal concerns.
-To learn which questions in Five Wishes are useful for adolescents and young adults and to then create a new document that reflects the issues they feel are most appropriate for people with cancer or HIV disease.
-Adolescents and young adults 16 to 30 years of age with advanced cancer or HIV disease acquired perinatally or early in life and enrolled in an active NIH treatment protocol.
- Stage 1: Participants go through each question in Five Wishes and respond to whether they feel the questions are useful.
- Stage 2: Participants are asked to compare each question from Five Wishes to a newly developed document based on the feedback received during first stage of the study.
- Participants are enrolled for either Stage 1 or Stage 2 depending on the date they enter the study.
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|An Exploratory Study of the Use of Five Wishes as a Tool for Advanced Care Planning in Young Adults With Metastatic, Recurrent, or Progressive Cancer or HIV Infection
|Study Start Date:
|January 26, 2007
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|September 25, 2014
- Discussing end of life (EoL) care with adolescents and young adults can be one of the most difficult aspects of living with a life threatening disease.
- Few established resources exist to aid this population in accepting and understanding their changing physical, emotional and social needs when treatment is no longer effective. Standards in palliative care suggest that discussion of end of life issues be routine and commence soon after diagnosis.
- While many helpful documents exist to facilitate such conversations with adults, few address the particular concerns and needs of adolescents and young adults.
- One advance directive (AD) document, Five Wishes, has had particular success with the adult population because of the consideration of 'personal, emotional and spiritual needs' in addition to medical and legal concerns.
- To determine if adolescents and young adults living with advanced cancer or HIV disease feel that an AD document, such as Five Wishes, is useful in addressing end of life issues.
- To develop and perform a pilot evaluation of a modified age-appropriate advance care planning tool for young adults and adolescents based on Five Wishes that reflects the participants opinions on which questions they feel are most useful and additional items that might be helpful.
- Age: 16 to 30 years
- Known metastatic, progressive or recurrent cancer or HIV disease acquired perinatally or early in life and enrolled in an active NIH treatment protocol.
-A descriptive study of attitudes of young adults (16-30 years) with cancer or HIV disease concerning the questions contained in the AD document Five Wishes as well as a comparison between Five Wishes and a modified version of that document.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|16 Years to 30 Years (Child, Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
- Age: 16 to 30 years
- Patients at NIH or participating site must have 1) a diagnosis of metastatic, recurrent, or progressive cancer with a mean survival rate of 2 years or less or 2) a diagnosis of perinatal or early life transfusion associated HIV infection. The treatment protocol PI or attending physician must consent to have a patient entered into this protocol. Newly diagnosed patients must have completed at least three cycles of chemotherapy.
- For patients less than 18 years of age, a legal guardian must provide informed consent and the patients must sign an assent document.
- Patients greater than 18 years of age must give informed consent.
- Patients less than 18 years of age must have a score of 40 or higher on Lanksy/Karnofsky, as determined by the medical team at the time of enrollment.
- Patients greater than 18 years of age must have a score of 3 or less on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status Scale (ECOG PS) at the time of enrollment.
- Patients must be English or Spanish speaking.
- Presence of psychotic symptoms or severe psychological distress, which in the judgment of the Principal or Associate Investigator, or consulting psychiatrist would compromise the patient s ability to engage in the intervention or is likely to interfere with the study procedures or results.
- Previously identified cognitive impairment which in the judgment of the Principal or Associate Investigator would compromise the patient s ability to understand the Five Wishes material or is likely to interfere with the study procedures or results.
- Clinically significant, systemic illness (serious infections or significant cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic or other organ dysfunction) which in the judgment of the research team would compromise the patient s ability to tolerate this study
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01445145
|United States, District of Columbia
|Georgetown University
|Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, United States, 20007-2197
|United States, Maryland
|National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
|Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
|Principal Investigator:
|Lori Wiener, Ph.D.
|National Cancer Institute (NCI)
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01445145 History of Changes
|Obsolete Identifiers:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|September 30, 2011
|Last Updated:
|April 19, 2017
Keywords provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC):
Advance Directive
Pediatric Cancer
Young Adults
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Slow Virus Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 25, 2017


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A political idiology whose foundations consist of the interests of both a specific religion and large, multi-national corporations and claims to act on the behalf of the people rather than its people.
The difference between George W. Bush's administration and Vladimir Putin's administration is that the former practices semi-benevolent theocratic corporate anarchy, whereas the latter merely practices corporate anarchy.
by Fair N. Balanced August 24, 2006


text: Understanding how multiple choice questions are created can benefit you as a candidate by making an exam seem less confusing and scary when you first open it up. You're more prepared for the questions and can put more focus into the content rather than trying to understand how questions are set up. All of the ACE certification exams – Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Health Coach, and Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist - are multiple-choice question based. The written simulation for the personal trainer exam can be considered the one, kinda sorta, exception to this statement. I prefer to call the written simulation an 'extended multiple choice' exam. But, back to the topic of this post… A multiple-choice question always consists of a stem (the main part of the question) and the responses. The stem could be a direct question, an incomplete statement or a best answer format question. For example: What muscle extends the knee? (direct question) The order of fitness testing is… (incomplete statement) Which listed muscle would be most effective in strengthening the hip flexors? (best answer format, frequently seen in ACE exams) When looking at the stem of the question, look for key words or fragments. Take a second and say…'what is the question really asking here?' Can you answer that before you move on? Some people recommend covering the responses, then trying to answer the stem before you even look at the responses. No matter what method you choose, remember not to assume something (a fact, theory, detail) that isn't listed in the stem. But also don't overcomplicate the stem – chose the simple interpretation. The 'Not a trick question' blog entry talks some more about this. The three major types of multiple-choice questions that show up on the ACE certification exams are recall, application, and analysis. For example: What muscle flexes the shoulder joint? Recall question, which assesses facts, terminology and comprehension of important principles. Candidates demonstrate their ability to remember information. This is what we refer to as the 'memorize and regurgitate' type of question. This type of question is most often seen with anatomy based questions. Weight 160, height 5'6, age 45, Triceps measurement 16mm, supraillium measurement 25mm, thigh measurement 32mm, Based on the information above, what is Sarah's body fat percentage? Application question, which poses a problem or situation that you might encounter when working as a professional. These types of questions demand more than simple memorization of facts. ACE uses a lot of application type questions in the certification exams. The food label provides this info…blah blah blah. What is the total amount and percentage of calories from fat in the entire bag? Analysis question, which assess the ability to examine information and understand the relationship between its parts. These questions are based on a hypothetical situation and require integration of knowledge and decision making. There may not be as many analysis questions as application questions on the ACE certification exam, but analysis questions are where you are more likely to see math equations. Understanding the types of questions you might run into on the ACE certification exam, can be the first step to answering confidently. As you go through the various questions/exam examples available, keep an eye on the types of questions being asked. Practice may not always make perfect, but it can make you more comfortable when your exam date arrives. Questions? Ask one of the Education Consultants at 1-888-825-3636 x782.


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Office of Communications and Outreach
Functional Statements > Office of Communications and Outreach
B. External Affairs and Outreach Services
Outreach and External Affairs is responsible for the outreach to parents, teachers, advocacy groups, think tanks, association, foundations and the business community, as well as for special-focus outreach, including Hispanic, African American, the disabled community, Native American, Asian, and other populations, with special emphasis on under-served groups. The office also conducts outreach to the corporate community by promoting business and community partnerships for learning—proving information and resources to educators, business and community members who are interested in establishing and accelerating partnerships. The office helps businesses foundations, private foundations, non-government associations and selected work groups connect their resources with education officials who are working to promote and support improvement in education. In addition, the office over sees the solicitation of contributions to the Department to support various programs, events and functions where government funds may not be used.
The Deputy Assistant for Outreach/External Affairs is also responsible for oversight of OCO's conference and exhibit program through an Exhibits and Agency-Wide Outreach Team.
Exhibits and Agency-Wide Outreach Team
The Exhibits and Agency-Wide Outreach Team develops conference and exhibit programs which allow the Department to provide information and reference material to the general public and targeted audiences on various White House and Secretary programs and initiatives.


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I hate to say it but...[ Edited ]
This game is fantastic no doubt, but masterpiece ? A bit of a stretch...
because the friendly AI is extremeley BAD... yes there's been multiple threads and arguments about this.
But now that everyone (mostly) has it now, we can see for ourselves. When sneaking around a bunch of clickers with your AI, it's extrmeley immersion breaking... I'm trying to play as stealth and releastic as possible and all I see in the corner of my screen is Tess buggin out sprinting all over the place not alerting the Clickers..
Sorry but this takes massive points off.. a 8/10 - 9/10 .. seems reasonable.
Thoughts ??
Re: I hate to say it but...
The friendly AI is not bad. Does it break the immersion? Yes. But it's not bad. Ellie helps me out a lot in combat.
And why should the player be punished because the AI made a mistake?
Re: I hate to say it but...
plaZeHD7 wrote:
The friendly AI is not bad. Does it break the immersion? Yes. But it's not bad. Ellie helps me out a lot in combat.
And why should the player be punished because the AI made a mistake?
Yes.. I agree, I like that they chose to not punish you for your friendly AI doing something stupid. BUT if they're going to do that.. The AI needs to be smart. Most of the time they do find a good bit of cover to hide behind, not other times they're running circles around a clicker/hunter etc.. and It's ridiculous.
Other than that I feel like I'm in the **bleep** Walking Dead, Loving this game!
Re: I hate to say it but...
I do agree with you, it does damage the feel of it when you have tess run around near a clicker. However, you will find that they do sometimes alert them as they should, which gives the realism back, but also takes away the AI intelligence regarding Tess... To be honest, I've played a fair bit of the game, and it's only really been Tess that has been so stupid for me.
Nonetheless, this game still has the most intelligent AI I have come across yet. There are a few faults in the game here and there, and we did have that Autosave glitch yesterday, which I was a victim to, and yet I chose to continue playing into the game, risking losing all my progress (which I did). Luckily the game is that good, I am happily replaying all that I played through yesterday again now. The flaws in the game are few and some minor. The odd graphical error here and there. But honestly, I still give it **bleep** high marks. I'd probably give it a 99/100 marking really. Just that 1 for the AI. The graphics are still superior to any other game I've played as of yet.
Re: I hate to say it but...
If they did not have the friendly AI, we'd all be complaining about how Tess or Ellie are breaking into our stealth attempts. We would always have something missing. I'd rather have an opportunity at stealthy gameplay than a fully immersed experience - this is just me. I don't think they'd have developed the AI to be intelligent enough to remain extremely stealthy and still not break our experience.
Even with the way they are, I sometimes get bugged when the AI just comes and mashes into my charecter or when I can't see clearly with them hanging around. It does seem funny though that Ellie can literally run through 50 cal gunshots without so much as an aah! Lol, I loled when I saw that happen Still a 10/10 nevertheless from me.
My YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/TheRyukDG || My Twitch: www.twitch.tv/TheRyukDG


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