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Ten years ago, I left home in Australia to seek fame and fortune in London. But whatever happened, I always intended returning.
Shortly after my arrival, I was targeted by life insurer Lincoln, whose adviser sold me a policy. I told the salesperson I intended to return. He advised me to keep my Australian pension plan, and not to join an occupational scheme because I would have left the UK well before retirement.
The adviser moved to St James's Place. In 1998, he offered to help with a home purchase. He sold me a £175.80-a-month endowment. Last summer, I moved back to Australia. Over four years, I had paid more than £8,000 in to the plan but it was worth less than half this. Was I mis-sold?
MW, Melbourne
· Yes. When you first approached Capital Letters a year ago, we advised complaining to St James's Place on the grounds you could never have completed a 23-year endowment going to 2021 (when you would be 65) as you always intended going back to Melbourne well before that.
St James's rejected your complaint as it could find no evidence of your intention to go back to Australia. We then advised you to go to Montfort International, a firm in Guildford which specialises in sorting out financial problems for those going to or coming from Australia and New Zealand. Montfort went to the Ombudsman, whose initial response was to agree with St James's which said "the client understood it was a long-term contract." It also repeated the line about "nothing in the files about Australia." The Financial Ombudsman Service again accepted their word.
St James's also said you had signed a customer questionnaire as correct. But this did not include a question on future migration so how could you have known to include it?
You answered the questions - it was not your fault the right questions were not asked. You had to prove you always intended to go back home. The fact find did include the point you were "uncertain" what you would be doing in 2002-03, that you maintained your Australian pension and your Australian nationality.
Finally, the evidence moved to your favour. The Ombudsman ordered St James's to restore you to your pre-endowment position. Your policy had a £3,668 surrender value against payments of £8,086. You now have been awarded £10,248 in returned premiums and interest - a very worthwhile £6,580 gain.
IBB spells a poorer old age
When I retired last year at 58, I moved to France, lock stock and barrel. I bought a house and renovated it at substantial cost so we could run a bed and breakfast for English-speaking visitors.
I knew I had to clear up my finances before leaving. I had a Scottish Equitable personal pension. I went to IBB, a legal and financial advice firm in Buckinghamshire, for help.
IBB told me to move my £24,000 personal pension from Scottish Equitable, and take 25% tax-free. The remaining pension money was moved to Norwich Union for an annuity.
A month later, we moved. I asked NU to transfer my remaining pension fund to Axa in Paris; NU refused.
I then tried Scottish Equitable but they did nothing.
Can you help?
BR, Normandy
· The problem lies not with Norwich Union or Scottish Equitable but with advisers IBB. You went to see them as you needed to tie up your affairs before leaving.
IBB knew your intentions. They also knew that it would be preferable to transfer your pension to a French firm, which would allow you to take the capital when you reached 60 and not be forced to buy an annuity.
Inland Revenue rules say you can move such money to a non-UK pension firm provided you have left the UK permanently, you have no intention of returning and the new scheme is in your new country. But you can only do this if no part of the benefit under the UK scheme has come into payment. Taking the lump sum is a payment.
So you cannot move your pension. Your recourse should now be to complain to IBB, asking why the pros and cons of moving your Scottish Equitable pension to Axa were not fully explored. You should also itemise losses incurred by losing this slice of your capital. If this fails, go to the ombudsman.
IBB, which has professional indemnity cover, would not discuss your case due to "customer confidentiality" even though you gave it permission to talk to Capital Letters.
The perils of a currency loan
Back in 1989, I came here from Switzerland after a divorce and bought a house. My brokers, Charcol, sold me a Paribas ECU mortgage. This would benefit me if I swapped in and out of sterling at the right time.
But I did not understand it and when the UK fell out of the Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1992, my £90,000 loan fast turned into £110,000 as the pound fell.
I was also sold an endowment with Scottish Life at £247 a month where I now face a serious shortfall. Have I been missold?
KH, Berkshire
· Yes. Twice over. The currency loan was only suitable for foreign exchange specialists - a Swiss background is not sufficient for trading expertise.
Although mortgage sales are not regulated, Charcol acted as your agent and owed a duty of care. It should have known you could not afford to take chances as a single mother.
You cannot go to the Ombudsman over the loan but as you qualify for legal aid your solicitor could challenge Charcol. It may not be enough for Charcol to produce papers to say you understood the risks.
Oddly enough, Charcol no longer has the 1989 endowment papers which, it says, it had only to keep until 1992. Bizarrely, an email approved by Charcol compliance talks of "pre-1989", which has no regulatory meaning even if true.
You bought an inflexible endowment on a loan requiring flexibility. The policy matures when you reach 67, seven years past your retirement age. Charcol says: "In the absense (sic) of a file, we cannot concede the endowment was mis-sold".
It says because you accepted the risks in the ECU mortgage, then you had an appetite for risk so you could accept endowment risks. This is not logically true although it is increasingly a defence used by financial services companies.
Many investors decided to put a small part of their assets in a risky environment with the balance in no-risk products. The broker then concedes a mis-sale before claiming variously you were £6,000 better off with the life policy or that you were £1,700 worse off.
It agreed to pay you £1,700 which you turned down. After substantial pressure from Capital Letters, it has now increased this offer to £4,652.97. This is an improvement. But hold out for more.
Charcol's sums assume £40-a-month for life cover. You did not need this, however. Had you died, your then young children would have been housed by your ex-husband who paid their school fees and maintained amicable relations with them and you.
Charcol should add around £10,000 to its compensation for the needless life cover.
Buying a flat in Mexico City
We wish to buy a flat in Mexico City - property prices are low there - for around £50,000. We will need a loan for £30,000. Do banks and building societies cover Mexico? Can you recommend literature to help us understand the financial side of buying?
JR, London
· The Mexperience.com website has information but nothing on loans because there is nothing reliable for foreign buyers. So you could only buy with cash.
Banks fight shy because of property title difficulties leading to doubts over their security. This may improve over the next two years but treat loan offers as suspect for now.
Mexico City is cheap. It is also very polluted.
Cashing cheques
You seem a little "lost" in your article on money laundering last week. There is no need for anyone without a bank account to go to a "cheque casher".
The bank on which the cheque was drawn will cash the cheque if it is "lodged" with it until cleared. The customer then returns a few days later for the cash. The bank may or may not charge a fee for this.
JB, London
· You seem a little lost. The British Bankers Association has never heard of this and says members will not do this as it would open them to risks such as stolen cheques and money laundering.
It could only occur where there is a pre-arranged facility with a customer (typically a company) for a named third party to cash cheques at a specific branch. But this is rare.

subset: commoncrawl


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One of the best memories young boys can have is of getting dirty and exploring outside, especially with a mom and dad.
In this month's Hearts Without Homes, one special guy got a unique opportunity to enjoy the wildlife and even meet some special animals.
Just about every month one of these awesome kids gives me a chance to try out something new, and today it was all about getting out into the wild and even getting your hands dirty.
From turtles, to salamanders, to ferrets and even to a very friendly rabbit.
We then went outside, net and bucket in hand, and headed to the swamp to see what we could fish out.
While there weren't any fish, we found frogs, snakes, and a great time outside and enjoying nature.
He even wants to be an archeologist.
However, all of that would be so much better with a mom and dad.
If you think
More Stories
ERIE, Pa - A simple blood test that accurately detects the presence…
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this will probably sound stupid, but here it goes
My partial basement loves to take in copious amounts of water during really heavy rain. The grade slopes towards teh house, and I know regrading would help significantly. However, that would be quite costly. The foundation is poured cement with gaps and crap everywhere. Anyways, I had a dumb idea and just wanted to ask others:
Is it a good idea to rebuild the foundation from the inside? Laying plastic on the current walls and floor to waterproof that, then stack cinderblocks inside (essentially building a second wall). This would also serve to reduce the span of the floor joists by a foot, which would help with the tile floor above, but that's a distant second to being able to actually use the basement for storage and not having everything get moldy.
If that's a crappy idea, any others short of spending 20k that I odn't have to have the foundation entirely rebuilt and such?
9 Attachment(s)
What makes fixing the grade so complicated?
Posting some pictures of the outside and in the basement sure would hepl.
Adding that block wall would do nothing but make a nice moldy pond between the two walls.
Far better to spend the time and money on the outside.
Is there's working gutters with long enough down spouts to get the water away from the house.
Has the foundation been sealed outside?
1 room is on a slab that quite obviously used to be a covered porch and has grade sloped into it.
1 room is on a 30" cinderblock crawlspace.
1 room is a partial basement w/poured concrete (this is what takes on the water)
The rest of the house sits on a stone foundation that isn't mortared from what I can tell, and has only about a foot of clearance from the dirt to the 2x6 floor joists that sit on stacks of rocks.
It's a nightmare.
could install some retaining walls (either concrete, stone or timber) something like 10-feet away from the house would allow you to lower the ground adjacent to the foundation, and regrade the lot to allow water to run away from the foundation.
Remember water running on the surface downhill typically runs downhill under the ground as well .......
Could. I'd have a lot of digging to to. I estimate about 1 foot of dirt goes up the walls. I'd have to remove that, figure out what ot do with the heat pump and such, it'd be a lot of digging but yeah I could do it I guess. It'd have to be done someday right? I just don't know what woud happen with the unmortared foundation part of the house though, if I start removing dirt from outside of it.
post some photos of each side of the house showing the surrounding grade ..... with a foot clearance on that side maybe you don't have to remove any
the retaining walls would allow you to raise the ground away from the house so you can direct the water away. I've had to do this on other projects, can be a pain! But would always give you an excuse to rent a BobCat :thumbup:
9 Attachment(s)
Cost is always an issue, so you might just want to start with what you can afford for now. Building new basement walls doesn't sound cheap either, so whatever limited funds you have I would put towards doing work on the outside, which is the best way to prevent water from entering your basement.
Number 1 on my list would be gutters and downspouts. Do you have gutters? If so, do they work, and do they send the water at least 10 ft away from your foundation and downgrade from your house? It's amazing what difference functioning gutters can do.
Number 2 on my list would be to check for potential culprits for the water to come in. For instance, I had a leaking bilco door that would let in a lot of water, but the water would run in a very small stream alongside the interior wall and then puddle on the floor 10 ft from the door, making it look as if the water came in a the floor joint. Just because you see water in one area, doesn't necessarily mean that that's where it's coming from. Also, do you have a sump pump? Is it working, and does it dump the water away from your foundation?
Number 3 would be to regrade around the house, which it sounds like you are gonna have to deal with at some point if your grade is above the foundation. That is an open invitation for termites and rot problems.
So whatever money you would spend on building new basement walls, I would apply towards these 3 steps instead, and do as much of it as possible.
How much water do you get in your basement when it rains?
Worst I've had before was 10 inches, when the sump pump tipped over. It's happened a few different times. Yes the gutters do work. Some drain to the street which slopes towards a small creek, the rest drain into a piece of pipe that drains away from the property. The worst part is the interior foundation all (where poured concrete meets stone). There used to be an exterior cellar door, before the porch area was converted to a laundry room (at least, that's what it appears). The frame was at one point ripped out (partr of the frame is still there) for that door, but it looks like the frame was built before the concrete was poured...so it's missing some concrete there now. It's a nightmare, and when the water is high enough, you see it pour in.
Otherwise, it seems in through small holes/gaps throughout the rest of the foundation (evidenced by trickling water during the event, and water trails afterwards). These extremes don't happen OFTEN, but on a day when we got 3 inches of rain, yeah, it showed.
for small holes I've found that driving a piece of cedar shake/shingle into the hole and then using hydraulic cement works well. when the cedar gets wet it will expand and fill the hole tighter.
I take it you have a sump pump in your basement?
Here's a crappy video.
9 Attachment(s)
Yeah, start patching all obvious holes and cracks and make sure your sump pump works and see where that leaves you.
I would also clean up around the foundation regardless of the water issue.
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William BeckettView in iTunes
To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to buy and download music.
Growing up in suburban Chicago, William Beckett established himself as the frontman of emo-pop purveyors The Academy Is.... Prior to The Academy Is..., Beckett played in the acoustic band Remember Maine, releasing the album The Last Place You Look at age 17. The Academy Is... followed in 2003, formed by Beckett along with guitarist Mike Carden, who issued three albums and four EPs -- as well as played on the Warped Tour in 2006 and Honda Civic Tour in 2007, and toured with Kiss in 2010 -- before their October 2011 breakup. During that era, Beckett also provided guest vocals for Fall Out Boy ("Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year," "What a Catch, Donnie"), Cute Is What We Aim For ("There's a Class for This"), Gym Class Heroes ("7 Weeks"), and Cobra Starship ("Snakes on a Plane [Bring It]"), and co-wrote songs for Hey Monday ("Homecoming") and Demi Lovato ("For the Love of a Daughter"). By 2012, reportedly after being dropped from Atlantic, Beckett re-emerged as a solo artist under YIKE Records. He debuted the single "Compromising Me" that March ahead of Walk the Talk, the first of three EPs planned for release that year. Beckett embarked on a solo headlining tour in May, with the single "Great Night" and second EP Winds Will Change following over the next two months. Beckett's third EP of 2012 is slated for release in October. ~ Chrysta Cherrie
Top Albums
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February 11, 1985 in Barrington, IL
Years Active:
'00s, '10s


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PiPO S1 tablet pc review. We look at the Smart-S1 ports and accesories. This is a cheap $97 Android 4.1 Jelly ...Model SmartQ T20 tablet PC CPU TI OMAP 4460, ARM Cortex-A9 dual core, 1.5GHz; GPU: PowerVR SGX 540. Operation System Android 4.0.3. RAM 1GB ...
Painterly Backgrounds
This month's Picture This! assignment was Painterly Backgrounds, the use of various photographic devices—namely depth of field—to create a field of color and design for a backdrop to the main theme. The technique not only removes what could be a distracting background but also brings the main subject more into the visual attention of the viewer. It also can be used to complement the color, shape, and design of the entire frame, adding to the emotional content of the image. Readers sometimes used their digital darkroom skills to enhance some of the effects (noted in captions), but, as with other assignments, we view image processing as something that can be used to emphasize the image from the camera, not obtain it entirely from software techniques.
Summer Dragon
Scott Gorham wrote: "Fishing was slow on a Minnesota stream so I dropped my rod and picked up my camera." He photographed with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT and a Sigma 105mm Macro lens with an exposure of f/8 at 1⁄500 sec.
© Scott Gorham
Different Strokes
Stanley A. Singer made this photograph from a floating barge in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. He wrote: "Looking down I noticed the image of the snorkeler's legs and fins…being diffused by the moving water. This image was not manipulated." Singer made the photo with a Nikon D200 at ISO 320 with an exposure of f/11 at 1⁄20 sec through a Nikkor 18-200mm lens.
© Stanley A. Singer
Swan Lake
Gerald Swede showcases all the beauty of autumn color with this photo made on Packanack Lake, New Jersey. Exposure on Fujichrome Velvia film was f/8 at 1⁄60 sec with a Nikon N70 and a Nikkor 105mm lens.
© Gerald Swede
Artistic Background
Frank Lawson sent us an ironic and quite literal image for this topic—paintings as a background. Exposure with a Canon PowerShot G11 was f/3.2 at 1⁄40 sec at ISO 400.
© Frank Lawson
Jo Ingraham's photograph uses both diffuse backlighting and very shallow depth of field for an ethereal feel throughout. Exposure with a Nikon D80 and a 50mm macro lens was f/2.8 at 1⁄4000 sec.
© Jo Ingraham
Cardinal In The Snow
You can feel the cold in this photo by Myers Walker, made with a Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro and a Sigma 18-250mm lens. Exposure was f/6.3 at 1⁄125 sec.
© Myers Walker
The sharp edges and deep colors of this subject dissolve into an almost night sky; starlit background in this photo by Jeff Dye. Image was made with a Nikon D300 and a Nikkor 80-200mm lens on a Gitzo tripod and a Really Right Stuff ball head.
© Jeff Dye
Grassy Field
The effect in this photo by Robert M. Brenner, Ph.D., is of brush strokes that speak of a gentle breeze. Exposure with a Sony alpha a900 and a Zeiss Sonnar 135mm lens was f/2.2 at 1⁄1250 sec, with some post work on Phase One Capture One and Adobe Photoshop software.
© Robert M. Brenner, Ph.D.
Center Of Focus
Jan Bajek focused solely on the center area in the frame, allowing both foreground and background to go "soft" for this ethereal floral. Camera was a Canon EOS 50D and a 100mm macro lens with an aperture of f/2.8.
© Jan Bajek
Spider Web
Steven Carletti used cross lighting to add highlights and a soft background for dimensionality in this photo made with a Nikon D90 and a Nikkor 18-200mm lens. Exposure was f/11 at 1⁄100 sec.
© Steven Carletti
Garden Tulips
Carolyn Lambert's photo made in her garden uses light and shallow depth of field to add a wonderful mood to the scene. Exposure with a Canon PowerShot S2 IS was f/3.5 at 1⁄100 sec.
© Carolyn Lambert
Proud Peacock
The play of color against the main subject and brush stroke-like effects from a shallow depth of field, not to mention the handsome profile of the bird, work together in this photo by Mark Hodorowski.
© Mark Hodorowski
Software Paintbox
Ken De Fusco used two artistic enhancement filters and "hand painted" with a fan mixing brush in Adobe Photoshop CS5 to create some literal brush strokes in this floral. Original exposure with a Nikon D2Xs and a Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 Macro was f/4 at 1⁄200 sec.
© Ken De Fusco
Unhappy Snake
Jay Baum came across this rat snake while cleaning out a barn. Although he told us it is a harmless rat snake, it did, as he wrote, "…put up quite an aggressive show." The snake comes into sharp and may we say stark focus by use of shallow depth of field. Exposure with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi and a Canon 75-300mm lens was f/5.6 at 1⁄200 sec.
© Jay Baum
Garden Flowers
Looking more painterly than photographic, Linda Hauff's garden flowers were photographed in her backyard with a Canon EOS Elan 7 and a Canon 28-135mm lens with Fujichrome Velvia 100 film.
© Linda Hauff
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- Become a Better Visual Storyteller by Following These 10 Rules for Better Composition (VIDEO)
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- Portrait Pro Peter Hurley Explains Why the Jawline Is the Key to More Flattering People Pictures (VIDEO)
- Here Are 5 Fun Camera Hacks That Will Save You Money and Improve Your Photography (VIDEO)


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The Jewish community is full of big ideas to foster Jewish culture and community online. Now, finding money to bring those innovations to life is about to get a little easier. Three major players on the Jewish philanthropic scene — the Jim Joseph Foundation, the Righteous Persons Foundation and The Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation — have pooled resources to create the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund. In this inaugural year, the philanthropies are making available $500,000 to finance a range of digital media projects.
As examples of new media used innovatively to engage American Jews, the grant-making organizations have cited G-dcast, a series of animated short web videos centered on the weekly Torah portion, and 10Q a website that encourages Jews to reflect on their lives in the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
The fund will distribute money in increments of up to $100,000, though most grants are expected to be in the $30,000 to $50,000 range. Unlike many other projects sponsored by each of the three philanthropies, the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund does not limit the request for proposal to non-profit organizations; for-profit enterprises and individuals are also eligible.
Grantees must agree to track their progress and share with the fund what they learn in the course of implementing their respective projects. Should the innovation turn a profit, grantees are expected to donate a small portion of the money back to the fund.
–Gabrielle Birkner
Your Comments
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text:
Related Publications
- Related by Author
- Related by Topic
Related Links
The Contest for the Jewish Future
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA), April 1, 1998
In a broad overview of religious, political and identity battles in the contemporary Jewish world, the author describes how a series of questions about the Jewish future are intricately interrelated: these questions include the nature of Zionism, whether or not Jewish religious practice in America and in Israel represent competing visions of Jewish religion, Israel's relations with Diaspora Jewry, denominational and halachic (Jewish legal) debates between the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform movements, and political debates within Israel.
Topic: Halakha, Political Behavior, Diaspora Relations, Jewish Law, Israel-Diaspora Relations, Israel's Impact on American Jewry, Religious Denominations, Politics
Name of Publication: Jerusalem Letter / Viewpoints
Volume/Issue: 379
Genre: Other
Language: English
Copyright Information: Download for personal use, freely distribute link
Bibliographic Information:
Windmueller, Steven F. The Contest for the Jewish Future. Jerusalem Letter / Viewpoints. Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA). 1 April 1998: http://www.bjpa.org/Publications/details.cfm?PublicationID=2497
» View Publication
(PDF, 88 Kb)


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BICALUTAMIDE (bye ka LOO ta mide) blocks the effect of the male hormone testosterone on the prostate. This medicine is used to treat advanced prostate cancer in men. It is given with other treatments.
Take this medicine by mouth with a glass of water. You may take it with or without food. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Take your medicine at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. Do not stop taking except on your doctor's advice.
Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.
Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:
allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
blood in the urine
breathing problems
chest pain
dark urine
severe nausea and vomiting
yellowing of the eyes or skin
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
hot flashes
loss of appetite
sensitivity to light
weak or tired
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Store between 20 and 25 degrees C (68 and 77 degrees F). Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
if you are female (this medicine is not for use in women)
liver disease
an unusual or allergic reaction to bicalutamide, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
Visit your doctor or health care professional for regular checks on your progress. You may need regular tests to make sure your liver is working properly.
This medicine should not be used in women. Serious side effects to an unborn child are possible. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is a leading provider of quality health insurance for residents of Massachusetts. Our main goal is to make health care cost-effective by offering health insurance solutions for individuals, families, and large and small businesses at affordable rates.
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text:
Bucket - A Petfinder Happy Tail
Bucket - posted 07/02/2012
From Brianna of Bridgeport, CT
Exactly one year ago, my boyfriend and I drove up to Connecticut SPCA "just to look" and came home with the absolute light of our life. Her name had been decided months earlier as we sat at a brewpub in Oregon...Bucket...because she was number one on our bucket list we had made together. Bucket was never your typical dog...she had missed that crucial socialization period as a puppy - a result of severe neglect. She would allow no one but my boyfriend, myself, and my mother to touch her. The first day we brought her to the dog park she walked the entire length of the perimeter in between my legs. As of today, Bucket has hiked to the top of six of the Adirondack's High Peaks, spent many Sunday afternoons navigating Long Island sound on the bow of our sailboat in her pink polka dotted lifejacket, chased mommy and daddy down the side of a mountain on their skis in nearly a foot of fresh powder, gone camping in Maine, canoeing in Vermont, hiking in Tennessee, motor boating in Rhode Island, and somehow convinced an entire Starbucks staff to give her a free cup of whipped cream every time we go through the drive-thru. My boyfriend and I can only hope we give her half of the joy that she gives to us every second of every day. And to think this all started with a 2x2 inch picture on Petfinder.com ..
Send us your Happy Tail
Do you have a Happy Tail? Send us your Petfinder pet's happy ending story.
Search Happy Tails


text:
Missing Persons
First off, several players, including Chris Bell (WR), Andrew Quarless (TE), Phillip Taylor (DT), Chris Baker (DT), Navorro Bowman (LB) and Knowledge Timmons (DB), have been omitted from the roster. All of these players, as previously reported here, are currently suspended and are not expected to participate in spring practice drills.
Among the other players with eligibility remaining who are missing fro the roster are Francis Claude, Austin Hinton, Jed Hill and Dontey Brown. Previously during the off-season, FOS indicated that Claude, Hill and Brown were not returning to the team for various reasons. Hinton was not cleared to play during the 2007 season and has presumably wrapped up his PSU football career.
Weighting Game
Here is a look at the weight fluctuations of current first-team players that have been reported over the course of the winter conditioning period. Weight gains are signified by (+) and losses by (-) with the corresponding poundage gained or lost. Keep in mind these are the players who ran first team on Monday, the first day of spring practice, so this lineup can and will change as spring ball progresses.
LT: Gerald Cadogan, 314, +1
LG: Rich Ohrnberger, 291, +2
C: A.Q. Shipley, 297, +4
RG: Mike Lucian, 290, +6
RT: Dennis Landolt, 309, +15
QB: Daryll Clark, 231, -1/Pat Devlin, 222, +10
RB: Evan Royster, 212, +1
FB: Dan Lawlor, 244, 0
WR (Z): Deon Butler, 168, +5
WR (R): Jordan Norwood, 171, -1
WR (X): Derrick Williams, 194, -9
LE: Josh Gaines, 275, +11
LT: Abe Koroma, 316, +4
RT: Ollie Ogbu, 292, -1
RE: Maurice Evans, 264, -5
OLB: Sean Lee, 234, +2
MLB: Chris Colasanti, 232, -3
OLB: Josh Hull, 231, +2
CB: A.J. Wallace, 188, -7
S: Anthony Scirrotto, 192, -3
S: Tony Davis, 195, -2
CB: Lydell Sargeant, 186, 0
Other players of interest include:
Brett Brackett (WR), 235, -6
Brent Carter (S), 211, -5
Bani Gbadyu (LB), 221, +16
Stephfon Green (RB), 189, 0
Eric Latimore (DE), 262, +2
Josh Marks (OL), 315, +7
Aaron Maybin (DE), 236, -12
Tom McEowen (DT), 274, -5
Derek Moye (WR), 196, +2
Devon Still (DE), 296, +15
2008 Spring PSU Roster (PDF)
Position Shifts
The updated PSU roster is not reflecting all of the position changes FOS is aware of, but here is a rundown so far:
Tyler Ahrenhold: receiver to defensive back
Brent Carter: running back to safety
Kevin Cousins: receiver to defensive back
Ryan Gmerek: receiver to running back
Tom Golarz: defensive end to fullback
Cedric Jeffries: safety to linebacker
Tyrell Sales*: linebacker to defensive end
*Sales is anticpated to get a look at defensive end, but as of the initial spring practice on Monday he was with Coach Ron Vanderlinden and the linebackers.
Number Changes
The known number changes we previously reported include:
FB Tom Golarz: from 94 to 39
RB Stephfon Green: from 25 to 21
FB Dan Lawlor: from 38 to 33
DL Chimaeze Okoli: from 99 to 92
DB A.J. Wallace: from 12 to 1
DB Knowledge Timmons: from 21 to 4
Stay tuned to FightOnState.com for unmatched continuing coverage of Penn State football and spring practice. Sign up for our Spring Practice Test Drive: 9 weeks of exclusive FOS Spring Practice access for only $9.95, but hurry only 150 available and they are going fast!
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Filter by:
Content type:
Stage 1&2
Stage 2&3
Stage 3&4
Stage 4&5
Challenge level:
Claire thinks she has the most sports cards in her album. "I have
12 pages with 2 cards on each page", says Claire. Ross counts his
cards. "No! I have 3 cards on each of my pages and there are. . . .
Woof is a big dog. Yap is a little dog.
Emma has 16 dog biscuits to give to the two dogs.
She gave Woof 4 more biscuits than Yap.
How many biscuits did each dog get?
There are three baskets, a brown one, a red one and a pink one, holding a total of 10 eggs. Can you use the information given to find out how many eggs are in each basket?
There were 22 legs creeping across the web. How many flies? How many spiders?
These caterpillars have 16 parts. What different shapes do they make if each part lies in the small squares of a 4 by 4 square?
You have two egg timers. One takes 4 minutes exactly to empty and
the other takes 7 minutes. What times in whole minutes can you
measure and how?
Twizzle, a female giraffe, needs transporting to another zoo. Which
route will give the fastest journey?
Winifred Wytsh bought a box each of jelly babies, milk jelly bears,
yellow jelly bees and jelly belly beans. In how many different ways
could she make a jolly jelly feast with 32 legs?
Place the digits 1 to 9 into the circles so that each side of the
triangle adds to the same total.
Put operations signs between the numbers 3 4 5 6 to make the highest possible number and lowest possible number.
This problem is based on the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Investigate the different numbers of people and rats there could have been if you know how many legs there are altogether!
On Planet Plex, there are only 6 hours in the day. Can you answer
these questions about how Arog the Alien spends his day?
In Sam and Jill's garden there are two sorts of ladybirds with 7 spots or 4 spots. What numbers of total spots can you make?
You have 5 darts and your target score is 44. How many different
ways could you score 44?
Fill in the numbers to make the sum of each row, column and
diagonal equal to 15.
Can you find all the ways to get 15 at the top of this triangle of numbers?
Move from the START to the FINISH by moving across or down to the
next square. Can you find a route to make these totals?
Fill in the numbers to make the sum of each row, column and
diagonal equal to 34. For an extra challenge try the huge American
Flag magic square.
Fill in the missing numbers so that adding each pair of corner
numbers gives you the number between them (in the box).
Noah saw 12 legs walk by into the Ark. How many creatures did he see?
Can you work out how many flowers there will be on the Amazing Splitting Plant after it has been growing for six weeks?
There are 4 jugs which hold 9 litres, 7 litres, 4 litres and 2
litres. Find a way to pour 9 litres of drink from one jug to
another until you are left with exactly 3 litres in three of the
Arrange the numbers 1 to 6 in each set of circles below. The sum of each side of the triangle should equal the number in its centre.
There are 78 prisoners in a square cell block of twelve cells. The
clever prison warder arranged them so there were 25 along each wall
of the prison block. How did he do it?
Can you find 2 butterflies to go on each flower so that the numbers
on each pair of butterflies adds to the same number as the one on
the flower?
The clockmaker's wife cut up his birthday cake to look like a clock
face. Can you work out who received each piece?
Can you put plus signs in so this is true? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 = 99
How many ways can you do it?
Using the statements, can you work out how many of each type of
rabbit there are in these pens?
This task follows on from Build it Up and takes the ideas into three dimensions!
Arrange eight of the numbers between 1 and 9 in the Polo Square
below so that each side adds to the same total.
This task, written for the National Young Mathematicians' Award 2016, invites you to explore the different combinations of scores that you might get on these dart boards.
As you come down the ladders of the Tall Tower you collect useful spells. Which way should you go to collect the most spells?
Zumf makes spectacles for the residents of the planet Zargon, who
have either 3 eyes or 4 eyes. How many lenses will Zumf need to
make all the different orders for 9 families?
Sam got into an elevator. He went down five floors, up six floors, down seven floors, then got out on the second floor. On what floor did he get on?
There are 44 people coming to a dinner party. There are 15 square
tables that seat 4 people. Find a way to seat the 44 people using
all 15 tables, with no empty places.
Can you draw a continuous line through 16 numbers on this grid so
that the total of the numbers you pass through is as high as
This magic square has operations written in it, to make it into a
maze. Start wherever you like, go through every cell and go out a
total of 15!
On a farm there were some hens and sheep. Altogether there were 8 heads and 22 feet. How many hens were there?
Find the sum and difference between a pair of two-digit numbers. Now find the sum and difference between the sum and difference! What happens?
Cherri, Saxon, Mel and Paul are friends. They are all different
ages. Can you find out the age of each friend using the
Can you arrange 5 different digits (from 0 - 9) in the cross in the
way described?
This challenge focuses on finding the sum and difference of pairs of two-digit numbers.
This challenge is about finding the difference between numbers which have the same tens digit.
On the planet Vuv there are two sorts of creatures. The Zios have 3 legs and the Zepts have 7 legs. The great planetary explorer Nico counted 52 legs. How many Zios and how many Zepts were there?
Cassandra, David and Lachlan are brothers and sisters. They range
in age between 1 year and 14 years. Can you figure out their exact
ages from the clues?
This task, written for the National Young Mathematicians' Award 2016, focuses on 'open squares'. What would the next five open squares look like?
Number problems at primary level that require careful consideration.
Can you design a new shape for the twenty-eight squares and arrange
the numbers in a logical way? What patterns do you notice?
Add the sum of the squares of four numbers between 10 and 20 to the
sum of the squares of three numbers less than 6 to make the square
of another, larger, number.
What do you notice about the date 03.06.09? Or 08.01.09? This
challenge invites you to investigate some interesting dates


text: Employees at the Bangor Daily News have been offered voluntary buyouts. Todd Benoit, Director of News and New Media, tells TV 5 it has to do with money and the need to position the company to be stronger going forward. He won't say how many people this will impact or if anyone has accepted a buyout. We're told layoffs are possible. The Portland Press Herald recently announced 40 jobs are being cut there, with layoffs possible. We'll bring you more information when we have it.


text:
Basketball - Feb. 22
The Brainerd eighth grade B team captured the consolation championship Feb. 11-12 at the Brainerd tournament. Team members are Tommy Hofius (front, left), Dyllan Vanek, Collin French, Brady Kline, Riley Sloan, Hunter Sanford, Austin Atwater (back, left), Dylan Harbo, Hanson Devine, James Stroot, Noah Hendrickson, Dusting Sweet and Cole Harmer. Coaches are Grant Eller, Tom Hofius and Todd Vanek.


text:
A Masters degree is an academic degree awarded to individuals who successfully denote a higher level of expertise. There are two main types of Masters - taught and research.
A program in fine arts studies allows students to integrate practice and research while developing their creative abilities. There are programs focused on either visual or performing art disciplines, and students have the opportunity to build their portfolios.
UK, United Kingdom is more than 300 years old and comprises four constituent nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The UK has been a centre of learning for the past 1,000 years and possesses many ancient and distinguished universities. Foreign students make up a significant proportion of the student body at UK universities.
Request Information Master's Degrees in Fine Arts Studies in South West England in United Kingdom 2017
or search for similar programs here


text:
Oh lordy.......

That Crazy Train Is Still Moving Along! A Britney Spears Sex Tape Might Hit Soon!!!
[/b]

YES! Some dude that claims to have a tape of him and Britney Spears doing sex to each other's nasty bodies. The man told InTouch Weekly that
he met Brit while she was on vacation in June. The 28-year-old lives in
Hawaii and said he taped Britney without her knowing it at the Four
Seasons hotel on the Kona-Kohala Coast on June 7. He met her at about
1am in the hotel's bar.

The dude said, It was just normal sex, we didnt
do anything crazy. It was a little disappointing. It lasted for about
25 minutes and then we passed out.

He's currently talking to different people about releasing the tape.

Be right back I gotta go barf out everything I ate this week. I just had an image in my head and I need it out...NOW!


text:
Date of Stay: September, 2012
We were wary of making a booking based on earlier reviews, however park seems to have improved. Politely and pleasantly welcomed, great view of ocean. Some traffic noise from highway, but we could hear the ocean overnight which was awesome. Showers could do with some work, but clean. Fish and chips at base of park really great and even better for the 10 percent discount for staying at the park. Would recommend it. Well kept grounds.
Date of Stay: September, 2012
Staff rude and unhelpful. Site difficult to get into though it is a pull through. No Wi-Fi at our site, got a connection at the pool. Sites very close together. Table was broken outside. Fair was on so more expensive, $60.88 per night plus $10 per night total for our 2 children. One and a half hours from LA. Left early as were disappointed and moved on to Malibu.


text:
Notice: On March 31, it was announced that Statalist is moving from an email list to a forum. The old list will shut down on April 23, and its replacement, statalist.org is already up and running.
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re: st: clemio2 not responding
Christopher Baum <email@example.com>
"email@example.com" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
re: st: clemio2 not responding
Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:09:48 +0000
I am having difficulty with the clemio2 command. It does not seem to
work for large samples of my data. I don't get any error message;
Stata simply continues working on the command indefinitely, as if
there is too much data for it to process, and I am always forced to
press "Break". I left it running overnight to see if it needed more
time and it was still trying in the morning.
clemio2 and clemao2, applied to samples of T observations, run ~T^2 regressions. I would not be surprised that ~9 million regressions take a while. I think you will eventually get results, but don't hold your breath.
author clemio2
Kit Baum | Boston College Economics & DIW Berlin | http://ideas.repec.org/e/pba1.html
An Introduction to Stata Programming | http://www.stata-press.com/books/isp.html
An Introduction to Modern Econometrics Using Stata | http://www.stata-press.com/books/imeus.html
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/


text:
We taxpayers give Planned Parenthood a half-billion dollars a year, something a measure that goes before the Senate as early as this evening would end. So the abortion-industrial complex has issued talking points for its followers (see this and this in a single issue of the Washington Post) arguing that to defund Planned Parenthood would be a pro-abortion bill. The reasoning being that if the organization can't give give out contraceptives, then there will be more abortions.
But even if you accept the premise that contraceptives are a good thing, Obamacare makes them free from any drug store! And even those who don't have health insurance, even the government-subsidized plans, can get them free from community health clinics. There are 9,059 of those, compared to 669 Planned Parenthood offices. Even taking abortion off the table, why should taxpayers give all that money to Planned Parenthood AND the community clinics AND the insurance companies in Obamacare? [Read more…]


text:
The Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black racked up a bevy of Emmy nominations this week, including a nod for star Taylor Schilling for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy. While the second season premiered on Netflix last month, these nominations are for the series' first season, which debuted and became a surprise hit last year. The series was created by Jenji Kohan (Weeds) and tells the story of an upper-middle class woman who's sent to prison for a crime she committed ten years prior.
While the large and diverse cast makes for what is mostly an ensemble series, the lens through which the audience experiences much of Litchfield Correctional Facility is Piper Chapman, Schilling's character based on the author of the memoir from which the show is loosely adapted. During the first season, Piper is forced to leave her idyllic life in Manhattan with her fiancée, Larry, to serve her time at Litchfield. Once she gets to prison, many of Piper's ideas about herself and the world are put to the test by her interactions with the other inmates, including her ex-girlfriend Alex (Laura Prepon), who was responsible for landing Piper in prison in the first place.
Schilling's portrayal of such a dynamic and often unlikable character earned her the Emmy nod. Piper has always been a controversial character among fans of the show, who frequently say that she's the least interesting of all the inmates. Self-entitled, whiny, and ignorant, Piper makes a lot of blunders that could have been easily avoided, and then overreacts when she has to pay for her mistakes. But, Piper is the most dynamic character on the series, going through enormous changes during both seasons as she comes to realize that prison is going to fundamentally change her, and she won't leave being the same person she was when she started her sentence.


text: Hospice nurses kitted out with colourful boots FUNKY: Mark Caine with nurses Joanne Holden, Sandie Millan, Annie Gale, Stephen Mould and Sandra Chapman 0 comments NURSES at a Hampshire hospice have been kitted out with colourful new boots to use while helping to wash and clean patients. The festival-style wellies were handed to staff at Countess Mountbatten Hospice in West End by Mark Caine from MCC Building Contractors Limited of Chandler's Ford. 0 comments


text:
Answers Home
» Grooming
My cat will not cover her litter at all, I keep her box very clean too.
My cat will not cover her litter in her box. I've tried 5 different litters so far. At least she's using the box and no other places. I buy WBCL World's Best Cat Litter a corn plant base, because the clays made her sneeze, wanted a natural litter that's flushable too. I adopted her 3 months ago from a Humane society. She is about 5 to 6 yrs. old. Is it maybe she was never taught properly or What? She takes her paws & goes up the walls and the rims of pan
working so hard & not even covering it at all. I tried to show her but to no avail. It's in a quiet area, the bathroom. She's a very sweet & affectionate cat, very beautiful love her so much. Just want to know why? I'm sure other cats do that to.I keep her box very clean to. Thank you very much Catster (:
Asked by
Member 549623
on Dec 24th 2007
in Grooming
- This question is closed.
Best Answer
Some cats just don't cover their litter. This is one of the most common signs of domestication. Domestic felines sometimes lose their natural ettiquette that tells them to cover their excrement.
She could've also been separated from her mother at a very young age and has not learned to properly bury her feces. It's something a cat must learn at a very young age- like hunting, using a littler box, and climbing a tree. Unless taught to do so at an early age, their brain is hard-wired NOT to do those behaviors and it is often difficult for them to learn the behavior later on.
Natasha was raised in a feral cat colony (we think) and she has excellent hunting capabilities. Todd, our tabby rescue, was taken from his feral mother at the age of three weeks and has never learned how to hunt. Being two years old, he still cannot hunt. So it's just something he had to learn when he was young.
Maybe spread some dry leaves over the litter to encourage her to bury it.
answered on Dec 24th.
Other Answers
Many cats will not cover their waste. Each has their own way - she's actually doing it "her" way - which unfortunately doesn't cover it.
We have 6 cats here, and we each has our own ways. A few us us kick up a storm, we could bury a pirate ship with the holes we dig. A few of us barely move our feet, and a few of us do the poop and escape immediately route.
We have several types of litter and different types of litter boxes - including an automatic with crystals.
But we all have our preferences.
Hope this helps
MorganThePirate in heaven answered on 12/24/07. Helpful? / 3
I have three cats and the only one who doesn't cover is my female, Delilah the Diva. Ernie spends a half hour rearranging the litter until he's satisfied with his "cover", and Izzie, well, Izzie covers but he's always in a hurry to get into trouble someplace so it's usually hit and miss with him. One of them also kicks litter all over the bedroom where their boxes are. My daughter's cat, who occasionally "misses", will take a towel and cover up his doo-doo on the floor. In any case, you sound like a wonderful pawrent and I wouldn't worry about it.
Izadore (Izzie) answered on 12/26/07. Helpful? / 1
Casey started out covering his business in the litter box but for the last year or so he doesn't consistenly cover. We keep both boxes very clean. Now th other cat is starting some of the same behavior. Casey is the dominant male or he pretty much sets the tone in the house. I don't know if your cat also does this but Casey will meow and meow when he doesn't cover so that he will get our attention so the WE will cover for him. Very frustrating. At least he lets us know when he decided not to cover.
Casey answered on 12/27/07. Helpful? / 1


text:
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Travel Blogs from Colby
I Love Kansas
I really do love Kansas. I think today may have been my favorite day in the whole trip so far. Its hard to tell though because I've loved the whole trip. Last night was a bizarre night in Columbia, Missouri... It rained so hard that the power went out and the thunder was deafening. I was really scared. I was down in the hotel restaurant enjoying this extremely delicious chicken quesadilla when the power went out. Finally it went back on so I returned to my room and took a ...
Atwood (42 miles)
... not the smaller highways- I don't know about the interstates. It's a giant washboard out here. There's not a single bit of flat road; I'm either climbing or going down. There's not much reward in this type of riding, because as soon as you crush a hill you start right over again. I also didn't consider that I'd have 24mph crosswinds. It's a different kind of challenge out here. I just wanted to set the record straight... Kansas is not a boring ride. It's lush, green, windy, and ...
Ugh. Boring! David left very early and flew to Orlando for a conference. The kids and I packed up and set off across Kansas. The only thing to look at was the occasional herd of bison and the miles and miles of wind turbines. We finally reached our stopover hotel in Colby, KS. There's not much to say about ...
On the Road
We left almost on time at 9:30. We were both amazed how easy it was to close up the house and unhook everything. We headed west on OK 412, thru Stillwater (home of OSU), to I-35 up to I-70. There was a 22-25 mph wind from the south. Now I understand why we saw more wind turbines than I've seen on my way to Lubbock! The wind was not a big deal going north on I-35, but a real pain going west. We had a nice lunch ...
1st chase day...transfer to Colby, Kansas
Left Denver at around 9.15. We drove all morning, reaching Colby, Kansas in time for a relaxed lunch. Afterwards, whilst hanging about outside the vans we were interviewed by a group who purported to be from Japanese TV, 'chasing' a Japanese chaser..may just have been for YouTube but what the heck, we indulged them and gave ETT some free advertising. We stayed around for a while, watching a thunderstorm developing....then set off ...


text:
My wife and I have a $160,000 fixed-rate mortgage, which is up for renewal next year.
Our medium-term job prospects are uncertain. I'm working part-time and my wife is working full-time; however, in a year's time my wife may also be forced to work part-time, which will impact on our ability to meet mortgage payments.
We have a share portfolio valued at $120,000 that includes a substantial number of Auckland Airport shares.
Obviously if we put all of this into the mortgage next year it would take the pressure off considerably. But we may miss out on considerable capital gain in a strengthening share market.
Yet clearly we will save on future mortgage interest payments, which may offset this to some degree. The shares were intended as our retirement nest egg.
If you knew for certain that the share market would continue to grow, you should not only keep the shares but also sell your house and put the proceeds into shares. You could buy a bigger house later and have plenty left over.
But that's a big "if". The New Zealand share market has indeed performed well in the past two years, already regaining more than half the global financial crisis plunge. But - as always - nobody knows where it will go from here.
That's why I always say, "Get rid of your mortgage before you do any serious share investing - unless you invest through KiwiSaver with its powerful incentives". Your net worth - which measures how well off you are - equals your assets minus your debts. So reducing debt has the same effect as increasing assets.
More specifically, repaying your mortgage boosts your net worth in the same way as holding an investment that earns the mortgage interest rate - after all costs and taxes. It's true that shares might earn more than that, but they might not. By comparison, repaying debt is risk-free.
With your iffy job outlook, mortgage repayment is even wiser. Having a nearly mortgage-free house makes a huge difference if your income is slashed.
You might want to phase the sale of your shares over, say, 12 months - so that you get to sell some at close to the year's best price.
Once you are mortgage-free, by all means get back into the market. But next time don't let one share dominate your portfolio. That boosts risk without boosting expected returns. If you haven't got enough money to diversify, invest in a share fund that will do that for you.
PS: Don't come crying to me if Auckland Airport shares take off - excuse the pun - after you sell. That's always possible. But so is a crash landing.
Funding a home
I am 21 and in my final year at university. I am also a KiwiSaver member, currently in a popular growth fund. This always seemed like a reasonable option as retirement is so far away for me.
However, I recently realised that I would most likely wish to use my KiwiSaver funds to purchase my first home (hopefully within the next three to five years).
Does this mean I should be in a conservative fund? Or does it not matter much, as I would only be eligible to withdraw some of my KiwiSaver funds and not the whole lot?
Your thinking is spot on - higher risk for long-term money and lower-risk for money you are likely to withdraw in the next few years. But what about the half-pie situation?
When you buy your first home, you can withdraw all the money you and your employer have contributed to KiwiSaver plus all returns. Only the Government's kick-start and tax credits must stay in your account.
Depending on whether you have been working while studying, the Government contributions might make up the bulk of your savings so far. But that will probably change once you graduate. In three to five years, your first home withdrawal will probably be well over half your KiwiSaver money - and it's the portion of your balance that fluctuates with the markets.
Your current fund probably invests largely in shares and, as I say above, anything can happen in those markets over the shortish term. It would be a pity if money you were counting on for a home purchase diminished. So yes, I suggest you move to a lower-risk fund until after the home purchase.
Hopefully you will also be eligible for the first home subsidy, of $3000 to $5000. For rules on that, see www.hnzc.co.nz/kiwisaver
Note that there are minimum contribution levels for the subsidy - 4 per cent of your income from July 2007 to March 2009, and 2 per cent after that. For beneficiaries, it's 4 per cent and then 2 per cent of your benefit, and for non-earners, it's 4 per cent and then 2 per cent of the minimum wage.
When KiwiSaver was introduced, by joining it I assume I entered into a contract with the Government to contribute as per the rules provided.
Those rules have now been changed, and I don't agree with them, so therefore I should be able to withdraw my funds and discontinue my contributions without penalty. I believe that the contract that I signed up to has been broken.
Through no fault of mine I am severely discriminated against, as I am an ACC beneficiary. I will never be able to work again, so I will never be able to obtain the employer contributions, so all I can obtain is the small tax credit.
I think I would be far better off just putting my $125 a month straight into a Rabobank term deposit - no fees, no costs, no risks.
Looking into the future I can see governments changing KiwiSaver into a waste of time. Why is it that the standalone and self-employed are always screwed by successive governments? Will be interested in your thoughts.
Funny that. As a self-employed person I reckon I get a good deal from KiwiSaver.
Unlike employees, who commit for a year, I haven't had to commit to contributing anything. But I've chosen to put in $87 a month and, with the tax credit matching that, my return far exceeds what I could earn on any bank term deposit. Even after the tax credit drops to $521, I won't be able to beat it elsewhere.
You're contributing somewhat more, and I suggest you cut back to $87 a month. You don't get any incentive on the extra $38, so that might as well go into a term deposit where you'll retain access to it.
Sure, you and I miss employer contributions. But that money comes out of employers' total labour costs, which suggests employee pay is lower than it would have been without KiwiSaver. In other words, employees in and out of KiwiSaver in effect pay the employer contributions - except in workplaces in which only KiwiSaver members specifically cover those costs.
Your situation sounds tough, and my heart goes out to you. But KiwiSaver is not contributing to your misfortune. The opposite. Good on you for joining, hang in there, and make the most of it.
On the question of contracts with the Government, the next letter addresses this rather well.
Stop the whining
I'm sort of hoping you will reduce the myriad of repetitive, ill-informed letters from whiners about the KiwiSaver changes.
The contributions are ours, in our name. The Government can't take them off us. And one of the beauties of our political system is that no Government can bind a future one so there is no permanent "contract" in place.
Imagine if Muldoon's top tax rate of 66 per cent was set to be irreversible. The tax breaks, rules, etc, are at the whim of the government du jour, which we elect or dis-elect.
In summary it's still free money so the average punter should take it. And it's tied up until a retirement milestone is reached, so the average punter should only put in enough to secure the free money and not a bean more (unless you're a perpetual non-saver, perhaps).
As ever there are a few exceptions in the fine print, but on the whole perhaps some of your readers might kindly bore us less and reserve their petty complaints for the election.
Well put. But the "whiners" aren't always ill-informed. It doesn't hurt to air the downsides of KiwiSaver.
And when they have got their facts muddled, surely it's good to correct them. With more than half the eligible people not yet in KiwiSaver there are clearly still lots of misunderstandings.
Investment advisers
You said in the column two weeks ago that you don't have faith "in anyone's ability to pick shares, bonds, property or whatever", when agreeing with your correspondent's rhetorical question: "Why would any sensible person give their money to someone else to manage?"
It might be worth clarifying to your readers that the "share pickers" you were referring to are fund managers (for example, AMP, Tower, Fisher Funds, etc), who manage and tout for sale funds such as unit trusts and KiwiSaver funds.
Investment advisers, who deal face-to-face with individual clients, offering personalised investment advice, select funds and other investments for their clients and recommend appropriate mixtures of investments - "asset allocation". They make judgments about the merits of index funds versus managed funds, shares versus bonds, property versus gold, etc.
I imagine that you did not mean to suggest that professional investment advisers have no role to play in the management of people's money.
I believe that numerous US surveys indicate that the average unadvised share market investor performs worse over time than the average advised share market investor, for all sorts of reasons to do with adviser experience and investor psychology.
You're right that I wasn't saying advisers have no role in managing people's money. But that doesn't mean I have faith in their ability to pick shares, bonds and so on.
A good independent adviser can indeed help with asset allocation and fund selection, with the latter hopefully based largely on reputation and size of fees - and emphatically not on how much commission is paid to advisers.
And if the client wants to invest directly in shares or bonds, a good adviser should tell him or her to diversify widely, to invest for the long term and not to panic in downturns. Such advice probably leads to the survey results you mention.
But I would not like to see an adviser choosing particular shares or bonds for their clients. In fact, I would expect their ability to be considerably inferior to fund managers'.
Mary Holm is a freelance journalist, part-time university lecturer, member of the Financial Markets Authority board, director of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, seminar presenter and bestselling author on personal finance. Her website is www.maryholm.com. Her advice is of a general nature, and she is not responsible for any loss that any reader may suffer from following it. Send questions to email@example.com or Money Column, Business Herald, PO Box 32, Auckland. Letters should not exceed 200 words. We won't publish your name. Please provide a (preferably daytime) phone number. Sorry, but Mary cannot answer all questions, correspond directly with readers, or give financial advice.


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Muggsy Bogues On His NBA Career And Current Role In The CommunityFormer NBA player Muggsy Bogues joined Ed and Steve to talk about helping out in his community.
Rory Karpf On His New Documentary 'I Hate Christian Laettner'Rory Karpf the director of 'I Hate Christian Laettner' joined Bob and Steve to talk about his new 30 for 30 movie.
Dereck Whittenburg Talks NC State 30 For 30 And College HoopsEd & Steve welcomed former NC State basketball player and current ESPN analyst Dereck Whittenburg to talk about the 30 for 30 on his famous NC State National Championship winning team.
Jeremy Conn: Chris HerrenI grew up on basketball and it always has been a big passion for me and my biggest outlet to relieve stress.


text: Hey i was just wondering if anyone has done this or not. I would like to put an aftermarket boost gauge in where the stock one is on the steering column. How hard do you think it is and how can it be done. I ripped apart one that i had at my work and it looks pretty weird then any other boost gauge that i have installed.


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I've decided to jump and get a .45 1911. I have narrowed my choices to either a S&W E Series stainless 1911 (which is new and not generally available....I'm on the list at my local GS) and a Kimber Eclipse Custom II. I really like the Kimber....both how the gun feels in my hand and it is a great looking pistol. I realize looks don't mean squat except that I've decided I want at least one 'purty' pistol.
So, do I wait on the S&W (weeks, months??) or jump on the Kimber?


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Welcome to Part III of my summer series about outreach and embedded librarianship. Feel free to check out Part I and Part II!
Teaching is a core part of my job portfolio. I believe strongly that teaching students how to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information/data/other research in their own work is one of the most important aspects of my job. I tend to shy away from calling my classroom presence 'bibliographic instruction.' Honestly, what does even that mean? Does it resonate with my students or my faculty? But when I refer to my teaching practice as 'research education' or 'project support,' the brain gears of my students and their faculty turn towards enthusiasm.
Increasingly, I see this role as research educator and consoler in the context of project management. Increasingly, as some student learning experiences move from the traditional 10-20 page research paper into collaborative, online projects, the nature of our support for projects changes. Rather than simply supporting the research component in the beginning or handling citation questions at the end, librarians have an opportunity to support student learning outcomes throughout the entire process.
For example, last semester a colleague and I worked with an art history class whose final project was to curate an online exhibition. In this case, we were present from the beginning of the semester (when we introduced the tool they would use, Omeka) to meeting with the faculty member to divide students into groups (to do certain tasks like metadata, curation, and design), to meeting with those groups of students to troubleshoot technical problems and support them as a sounding board for their ideas, frustrations, and enthusiasm.
The librarian as project manager is not a role that can be played in the traditional context of one shot instruction; librarians need to be embedded in the curriculum, trusted collaborators with faculty, and open to meeting with students regularly. The librarian in this role is a sherpa on the long journey from brainstormed ideas to actualized projects that are ready to present at the end of the semester. And speaking from experience, it is gratifying to watch students present their work at the end of a long project you had the opportunity to support from start to finish. As we push our students towards learning experiences beyond the traditional research paper, librarians, technologists, and faculty must collaborate to manage these projects and support our students as they delve into new intellectual territories.


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Under 30 Minutes5
On-The-Go Trail Mix
Toss a bag of this homemade snack mix into your kids' backpacks -- they'll thank you.
- Prep:
- Total Time:
- Servings: 6
Source: Everyday Food, October 2008
- 1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit, such as cranberries, apricots, cherries, raisins, and apples
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup candy-coated chocolate
In a medium bowl, combine dried fruit, pecans, and chocolate.
Divide among 6 resealable plastic bags.
On "The Martha Stewart Show," Martha added 1 cup of pretzels to the mix.
Cook's Notes
To store, keep at room temperature, up to 1 month.


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Chris Rago, one of the first UConn DEU students, with Saint Francis Nurse Preceptor Helena Connors.
Before students arrive, Carla Patrick, MSN, RNC, invites five of her most experienced RNs to become DEU clinical instructors. She chooses the staff nurses based on their professionalism and their rapport with physicians and other clinicians.
The experienced nurses offer many advantages for their individual students and for nursing education as a whole. Perhaps most importantly, they have expanded Connecticut's limited pool of nursing educators without abandoning their day jobs in patient care.
"There is a big shortage of nursing faculty, so this does help with that issue,'' said Michele McKelvey, PhD, RN-BC, a nurse educator at Saint Francis who is involved in the DEU program.
Chris Rago, who graduated from UConn with a BSN in May, 2012, said his first day at Saint Francis was his toughest. He was assigned to three patients: one with a chest tube, one who needed complex wound care, and two of the three suffering from uncontrolled pain. He felt well prepared to care for each patient's medical issues. But the logistics were overwhelming.
"I was talking to the doctors, talking to the patients, calling the pharmacy,'' he said. "It was the hardest day, organizationally. It forced me to plan my time.''
Carla Patrick said she was a bit worried that using working nurses as clinical instructors might jeopardize patient care. But the result has been just the opposite. She said unit staff members, including physicians, have volunteered to assist teaching nurses and include students in interesting procedures that they might not otherwise see.
"It's working better than I thought,'' Patrick said.
Nursing executives at Saint Francis have said the students appeared to be so well-prepared that they hoped to recruit many of them for full-time nursing positions after graduation.
By the end of the semester, students assume responsibility for four or five patients on a shift, and often comment that they feel well-prepared to walk out of school and into a nursing career.
First Group - Five of the 10 UConn BSN students completing their clinical training on the DEU with their Saint Francis clinical instructors. Back Row (L-R): Cassandra
James-Johnson, Kim Giwa, Romina Sabando, Huong Nguyen, Carla Patrick, Helena Connors, with students Chris Rago and Nisha Wali. Front row (L-R) students Ilyssa Bain, Kimmie Cheng and Emily Roberge.


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FOX Wheels: Detroit Auto Show Recap
It's a car and truck lovers dream: The Detroit Auto Show.
FOX News Radio's Jennifer Keiper takes a look back at it in this week's "FOX Wheels":
Audio clip:
It's FOX Wheels.
Like speed? The Corvette Stingray being shown off here in bright yellow, can go 0 to 60 in under four seconds and it has won the show's "Car of the Year" award.
The new year's resolution for Ford's F-150… lose about 700 pounds… thanks to lighter aluminum for better gas mileage.
Here at Toyota, their concept car is the ruby red FT-1. Very sporty, but listening to designer Alex Shen, I'm not sure whether to drive it or date it.
(Shen) "The deeply sculpted intakes and outlets have sexy, curvaceous surfaces and transitions."
GM's CEO, introduced at this show, has just gotten into the driver's seat and is already dealing with a recall. 370,000 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Pickups from the 2014 model year need a software fix.
Interesting thing is… the Silverado won the Show's "Truck of the Year" award.
Mary Barra says exhaust components could overheat and start a fire.
(Barra) "It's a very specific situation that only happens at the very coldest temperatures."
With FOX Wheels at the Detroit Auto Show, Jennifer Keiper, FOX News Radio.
CLICK HERE for more PHOTOS from the Detroit Auto Show.
Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @JenniferKeiper


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During a routine test of our back-up systems Saturday morning, Xerox's Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system experienced a temporary shutdown. While the system is now up and running, beneficiaries in the 17 affected states continue to experience connectivity issues to access their benefits. This disruption impacts EBT beneficiaries who rely on the system for SNAP and WIC. Technical staff is addressing the issue and expect the system to be restored soon. Beneficiaries requiring access to their benefits can work with their local retailers who can activate an emergency voucher system where available. We appreciate our clients' patience while we work through this outage as quickly as possible.
About Xerox
Since the invention of Xerography 75 years ago, the people of Xerox (NYSE: XRX) have helped businesses simplify the way work gets done. Today, we are the global leader in business process and document management, helping organizations of any size be more efficient so they can focus on their real business. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., more than 140,000 Xerox employees serve clients in 160 countries, providing business services, printing equipment and software for commercial and government organizations. Learn more at www.xerox.com.


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You now have the option to give a gift certificate that can be redeemed at our Arsenal. These gift certificates can be redeemed for fonts, vectors, textures, and anything else on our site! They do not have an expiration date and must be redeemed online through our website. You can either have the certificate emailed or you can print it out.
For more details click here.


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Welcome to The Rock Church. Thank you for joining us for one of our worship services. We would like to introduce you to our church family. As you will see, The Rock is a Family that is filled with a wonderful mix of ages, cultures, gifts and talents. We are all at work loving giving and walking by faith to see God's supernatural Kingdom extend to all we can reach and touch with His love. We hope that you will enjoy and experience His great love and saving grace when you come visit with us.
4027 Trail Creek Rd. Riverside Ca 92505 www.rockchurchsr.com


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You're in Seattle when suddenly there's a burst of sun and blue sky. Quick! What to do when the Northwest's inclement weather suddenly clears? Mt. Baker makes an ideal escape when you're dying to get outdoors, but don't have time to venture too far from the city.
Two and a half hours north of Seattle, the gleaming crest of Mt. Baker rises like a 10,778-foot beacon. At least that's the way my husband and I feel early one Friday evening in March as we drive up I-5 and turn east onto the Mt. Baker Highway. Also known as State 542, it follows the North Fork of the Nooksack River, passing both tree and horse farms and, finally, moss-cloaked stands of fir, cedar, and hemlock. Less than 30 miles from the rocky shores of Puget Sound, we're surrounded by lofty North Cascades National Park's peaks, with Mt. Baker's ice-white mantle framed over the dashboard. Dinner at Milano's in the small town of Glacier makes the ultimate sea-to-ski-slopes meal. We tuck into salmon with a citrus-fennel sauce, and linguine with heaps of succulent clams harvested from Taylor Shellfish Farms, just down the road in Samish Bay.
The next day we awake to sweeping views up the Nooksack Valley and across to Mt. Baker from our room at the Inn at Mt. Baker, a wood-shingled B&B. Over breakfast we ponder the many ways to spend the day, soon realizing why Mt. Baker is so great in March: You can choose which season you're in the mood for. We can dive right into spring with a hike around Nooksack Falls, or trade our hiking boots for ski boots to catch some end- of-season fun at the Mt. Baker Ski Area.
We decide to do both. First we walk along boulders to Wells Creek and Nooksack Falls, which we can hear before we see: two powerful strands of the Nooksack plunging 100 feet off a sheer rock face before crashing in a mess of spray below. A bit farther up the highway, the road turns south, crosses Bagley Creek, and climbs 3 more miles to the base of the Mt. Baker Ski Area. While there still might be 200 inches of snow at the base of Mt. Baker in March, the lift lines are shorter and the days are longer at this time of year. Long enough that we're able to catch a few runs, even after our hiking adventure.
In less than 24 hours, we've had a North Cascades getaway complete with all the elements and then some: sun, rocks, snow, rushing rivers, moss, trees, and rain. Yes, rain. In our case, it starts up as we're coming off the ski slopes. We cruise back amid a steady downpour, realizing why there is so much moss cloaking every tree, and pull into the cozy North Fork Brewery, Pizzeria, Beer Shrine, and Wedding Chapel. We order pizza and two glasses of India Pale Ale, and toast the end of winter, the start of spring, and the fun of having it all in one weekend.
From Seattle, take I-5 about 90 miles north to Bellingham, then head east on the Mt. Baker Highway (State 542) about 50 miles to the Mt. Baker Ski Area (lift tickets from $34; www.mtbaker.us; 360/734-6771). For information on hiking to Nooksack Falls, contact the Mt. Baker Ranger District (360/856-5700).
The Inn at Mt. Baker Spacious guest rooms, queen-size feather mattresses piled with down comforters, and commanding views of Mt. Baker and the Nooksack River. From $140, including breakfast; www.theinnatmtbaker.com; 360/ 599-1776.
Silver Lake Park Six rustic 1940s wood-shingled cabins with stacked-stone chimneys and wraparound porches overlooking a picturesque 180-acre lake. You'll need to bring your own bedding and a sense of adventure: Five cabins share a community bathhouse; only one has an indoor bath. From $65; www.whatcomcounty.us/parks; 360/599-2776.
Milano's Fresh pasta, ravioli, and inventive sauces featuring local seafood and sausages. Also soups, deli sandwiches, and fabulous desserts (try the tiramisu, polenta dolce, or Mt. Baker apple pie). $$; 9990 Mt. Baker Hwy.; 360/599-2863. The North Fork Brewery, Pizzeria, Beer Shrine, and Wedding Chapel A funky pub with excellent handcrafted beers, barleywine, hand-tossed pizzas, and ― of all things ― wedding ceremonies. $; 6186 Mt. Baker Hwy.; 360/599-2337.


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Politicians from Bosnia and Herzegovina discussed changing the country's constitution to end discrimination against Jews and other minorities.
The politicians met on July 13 but did not come up with a concrete plan. Two days earlier, an Irish minister had urged Bosnia's government to allow Jews, Roma and other minorities to run for high elected office. Ireland is the 2012 chair of the Organization for Security in Cooperation in Europe – an intergovernmental body.
"There is no excuse to discriminate against anyone, especially minorities," Irish European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton said during a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. "This is especially important in a post-conflict society."
The Bosnian Constitution, drafted during peace talks in 1995, restricts the highest offices of state to members of three ethnic and religious groups – Bosnian Muslims, Serbs and Croats. The constitution was devised to avoid ethnic strife, following a bloody civil war which ravaged the country from 1992 to 1995.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2009 that the exclusion of Jews and Roma from Bosnia's highest state offices is unlawful discrimination.
Jakob Finci, a Bosnian Jewish lawyer who filed the lawsuit, told JTA that "nothing has been done" since the ruling. He filed it along with a Roma colleague.
"Being a small group of 1,000 Jews, we do not have any power to change this," Finci said. "[It's up to] the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which we do not have even one representative."
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text: The Nike Sportswear roster of footwear continue on its vulcanized "AC" path with the new release of this Delta Force AC High. The tonal upper is comprised of a mix of both ballistic nylon and leather with bits of red highlights on the eyestays and back heel logo. Available now at RPS.


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Shaking the tree
What: Librarian Richard Li offers a class on how to use the library's resources and genealogy sites such as Ancestry.com to research your family's heritage. Registration required.
When: 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Do it: San Rafael Public Library, 1100 E St.; 485-3321
Beyond bikinis?
What: Marilyn Kentz (formerly of the Mommies) performs "Will I Ever Wear a Bikini Again?" a one-woman comedy show about the questions on baby boomers' minds as they get older.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $15
Do it: 123 Bolinas Artisan Wine Bar, 123 Bolinas Ave., Fairfax; 602-8157; www.123bolinas.com; firstname.lastname@example.com
What do you know?
What: Put all of your random knowledge to good use and show off your areas of expertise in a friendly pub trivia contest.
When: 7:45 p.m.
Cost: Free
Do it: Mayflower Pub, 1533 Fourth St., San Rafael; 456-1011
For more places to go and things to do, visit events.marinij.com


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Gold Coast, Australia Whale Watching
Contact For Rates & Specials!
Huskisson, Jervis Bay, Australia Whale Watching
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Kalbarri, Australia Whale Watching
Contact For Rates & Specials!
Go whale watching on your vacation! A whale watch is a great activity for any traveler. Meet the gentle giants of the sea on our Australia whale tours. Get a glimpse of Blue Whales, Grey Whales, Humpback Whales, Minke Whales, Right Whales, and Orca Whales on our whale watching trips. See the magnificent whales breach the surface on our whale trips. Hear the slap of their giant tails hit the water on our whale watching tours. Feel the spray of a whale's splash on our whale adventures. Our Australia whale cruises offer an unforgettable experience and are great for children and families. Help protect and save the whales by educating yourself on our whale watching cruises. Browse our Australia whale watching and plan your vacation today!


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Winnie the Pooh Giggle & Play
Item No.1710202279
Item No.1710202279
Character shaped cover makes your iPhone a suitable toy for your child. Shake Pooh to see him giggle, and touch his face / hands to see different reactions. You can give him honey, a flower, chase bees away, or make him sing a song. It becomes a simple ra
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