text:
UAW Hopes, But Can't Go Back to the FutureBy Dale Buss March 21, 2011
Since the United Auto Workers and the Detroit Three car makers last came up with a national labor agreement in 2007, the Great Recession has come and gone, and General Motors and Chrysler have become wards of the state. Also consider:
- Via its pension trusts, the union actually owns big stakes in GM and Chrysler and agreed not to strike either company as a condition of the bailouts
- The UAWs wage and benefit concessions have made it possible for the Big Three to manufacture small cars profitably in the United States
- The union has a new president, while two of the three companies have new CEOs
- The union is making another stab at organizing foreign-owned transplants in this country though it has failed to crack them for 30 years.
All of those monumental developments have left the future unclear as the UAW opens an internal convention tomorrow in Detroit to discuss forging new labor agreements with GM, Ford and Chrysler that are supposed to be concluded by mid-September.
The only obvious thing is that UAW President Bob King presides over an organization much weaker than it was even four years ago, and with less than one-quarter of its peak membership of 1.5 million in 1979. And the unions fundamentally degraded position though influenced by all these other factors -- is likely to determine the course of bargaining over the next several months.
I dont see any way that the union can go back to where it was, with the the inflexibility of the contracts in terms of compensation and work rules, said David Leiker, automotive analyst for Baird & Co., a Milwaukee-based securities firm. If the industry does, itll start the kind of downward spiral again that it just got itself out of.
UAW leaders understand that the unions future is tied to the future success of the industry, observed David Cole, chairman emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research. The union as an [entity] is not very strong.
Sharing the Risk
The most likely course for the union and Big Three is to strengthen the profit-sharing programs that have been part of the compensation of the rank-and-file for several years but have always been far less important than advances in basic wages and benefits. Tying more UAW compensation to growth and profitability of the companies would allow the 107,000 hourly employees to share in the rebirth theyve helped create without re-saddling the Big Three with the threat of higher fixed labor costs of the sort that led to the demise of GM and Chrysler in the first place.
Theres more UAW interest in profit-sharing than ever before, because they know they wont get those old wages and benefits back, said Ron Harbour, partner in charge of the North American automotive business of Oliver Wyman, a manufacturing-consulting firm.
GM CEO Dan Akerson recently remarked that the company would like to tie workers further gains to improving corporate quality and productivity. Despite the fact that Akerson was an industry outsider until he became chief last year, there is significance in his comment.
This is different from any past negotiation, Cole said. GM executives never would have said this without a prior discussion with the UAW; they meet regularly anyway. And indeed, on the other side of the table, King has said hes open to new forms of profit sharing. One idea would be a two-part bonus, one of which could be paid in the fall as a signing bonus that would help lure rank-and-file workers to approve whatever new contracts emerge.
Any new profit-sharing provisions would have to present the significant potential for larger payback than current programs. Ford soon will pay hourly bonuses averaging $5,000 even under the existing profit-sharing program, while GMs indicated payout is about $4,300, and Chryslers, about $750. Meanwhile, Big Three salaried workers get 10 to 15 percent of their pay in bonuses. And up to 40 percent of the compensation of Japanese production workers is contingent.
Reason to Push Back
Yet King (above) has said that American workers must be rewarded for the $7,000 to $30,000 apiece they have given up in raises, bonuses and cost-of-living adjustments since 2005 to help the Big Three survive. The sacrifices helped GM achieve an average labor cost of $58.15 an hour last year, just $2 more than Toyotas cost, according to the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Center for Automotive Research.
Still, many workers will be pressing for restoration of economic milestones they can count on rather than indeterminate future rewards that will be iffy at best, given the instability in the global automotive market these days.
Members may push heavily to increase their wages and benefits, said Mike Smith, a labor historian at Wayne State University in Detroit. And King faces some internal pressures to do that plus, he doesnt have the sense of crisis that Ron Gettelfinger had that would help him accommodate the automakers as the former UAW president did in 2009 in gaining his members agreement to the concessions that helped the Big Three survive the Great Recession.
Workers also tend to view profits, understandably, as something that companies create rather than as chunks of compensation that union bosses deliver to their members. In that regard, King has to be careful not to undermine the UAWs raison detre. Yet King and his bargaining team may bring what amounts to a big bark without the capacity to deliver a commensurate bite.
Without the ability to threaten a strike at GM and Ford, King is left with the ability to talk but without the ability to get much in the way of clawing back concessions that they made during bankruptcy, said Gary Klotz, a labor attorney at Detroit-based Butzel & Long and analyst of the UAW.
Multiple Dynamics
Other factors influencing the outcome of the talks will be:
Economic uncertainties: Despite big recent gains in profitability and a return to growth by the market, the U.S. auto industry remains in a deep hole compared with four years ago. Sales this year are expected to be only 13 million to 13.5 million units, still well below units below the 16.1 million units in 2007. Higher gasoline prices remain a specter. And for the Big Three, there are even more capable competitors think Hyundai and Audi than there were four years ago, despite the fact that Toyota and Honda have fallen back somewhat.
Executive bonuses: This spring has seen the return of outsized executive bonuses to the Big Three after a few years of understandably flat compensation, most notably the $56.5-million stock award just granted by Ford to CEO Alan Mulally. Such huge awards have long been a favorite whipping boy of union leaders in advance of national talks. And this time around, the UAW has in its corner an Obama administration that has demonstrated no shyness about jawboning corporate fat-cats if their union allies could benefit from the rhetoric.
But at the same time, King hasnt yet made a big deal of the bonuses. Either he apparently doesnt believe such criticism would be helpful; or King figures to simply remind company negotiators that UAW members deserve the potential for huge payouts at their level or hes keeping his powder dry for now.
Two-tier wages: It was anathema to the UAW to allow two-tier wages before the union finally agreed in 2007. Under the provision, the Big Three could hire new hourly workers at total hourly compensation roughly half that of so-called legacy workers up to 20 percent of its total workforce. So far, the provision has had little practical effect because each of the companies still has huge rosters of idled workers who are eligible to be called back at their prevailing traditional wages.
But two-tier wages are beginning to appear. At GMs Orion Township, Mich., assembly plant, for instance, the UAW local agreed to a raft of significant changes in order to cut the costs of manufacturing a new Chevrolet Aveo subcompact so that it could be profitable. Among other things, the union agreed that 40 percent of the workers who build Aveo will receive the second tier even those who were on layoff.
And over the next few years, as rank-and-file retirements continue and the industry recovery strengthens, Harbour expects second-tier hiring to become a bigger factor in the dynamic between the UAW and the companies. For that reason, it could emerge as a bargaining chip this fall. You might have the companies push for more than 20 percent but agree not to do so if the union would agree not to push for compensation that makes the companies non-competitive, Harbour said.
UAWs ownership stakes: Under the bailout packages for GM and Chrysler, the unions pension trusts picked up huge chunks of ownership in each company. The UAW stands to gain financially as those stakes are transformed into shares in public stock offerings such as the new GMs $22-billion IPO last fall. The union trust for Chrysler will own about two-thirds of the companys shares as it goes public again. So if the union strikes a bad deal with Chrysler this time, and it drives the share price down because the stock market perceives it as a bad deal, the union has just hurt itself, Harbour said. The union has never been in that position before.
Still, having this kind of investment in the continued financial success of the companies isnt expected to register significantly with the unions rank-and-file, who will be much more concerned about individual compensation. So it isnt likely to temper their demands. The union wants to move away from that because theres an inherent philosophical conflict when you own part of the company, Smith said. The tradition has been, Give us hourly wage increases.
Transplant organizing: Kings first major pronouncement upon taking the job last fall was that the UAW would be attempting a large-scale organization of foreign-owned auto-assembly operations in the United States for the first time in decades. The goal makes sense for an organization which still faces existential issues. If the UAW is going to re-grow, its not doing to do so at the domestic three, Cole said. There will only ever be small re-growth of employment there.
Yet King faces a dilemma. He has enunciated some principles that foreign automakers must meet or risk being targeted, including no disparaging of the union and the provision of secret-ballot elections. Because these measures naturally they would tilt the playing field in the UAWs favor, both Honda and Toyota already effectively have rejected the unions overtures for compliance. Meanwhile, most workers at the transplants remain disinclined to favor unions in part because they get basically the same compensation levels as UAW members already.
And if the union ever hopes to get any kind of cooperation by any of these automakers, King has to create a much less militant face than historically the UAW has had, Cole said. King has noted the unions gains in cooperation with the Big Three over the last few years, but a reasonable labor agreement with them this fall could advance his case with foreign-brand executives even more.
In any event, few expect Kings drive to bear much fruit for the UAW where it hasnt harvested any for a quarter-century, since the union reportedly came close to getting a vote at Hondas Ohio operations.
The unions best hope might be to target Korean-owned U.S. plants, where experts say workers dont get gold-standard treatment as they do at Japanese plants. Or, King could focus on U.S. plants operated by BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, because the powerful trade unions in Germany might support UAW organizing efforts there by leveraging their influence with the auto makers.
Another possibility is that the UAW actually is more interested in conducting a corporate campaign against foreign auto companies because King recognizes the probable futility of trying to organize their s workers. The union could use the companies non-compliance with its fairness principles to try to force their hand through public relations.
They have a more widely dispersed group of allies in the community than they would have had thirty years ago, when corporate campaigns remained a relatively untested union tactic, Klotz said. Theyve got various interest groups, environmental groups, community activists, Democrats, and church-related groups that they can draw on for support if they want to make the case that these companies are anti-democratic.
The Wisconsin idea: If you believe UAW leaders, the public-union unrest in Wisconsin, Michigan and elsewhere will help rally not only auto workers but also millions of middle-class Americans to the unions own cause. Some UAW officials lately have been sporting red shirts to match the University of Wisconsin teams colors as a way of demonstrating opposition to the Wisconsin idea for balancing budget deficits on the backs of teachers and other public-sector workers.
Only about one-third of UAW members are auto workers any more. A huge portion of them now are direct state employees, especially in Michigan, including staffers at colleges and universities, and workers at health-care organizations and even casinos. Its a moment in time where the UAW might be able to rally its own forces and also more of the general populace to support the goals of the labor movement, Smith said.
On the other hand, tying its goals at the auto-bargaining table with some general notion of American labor resurgence might not fly. The reality is that the situation of public-sector workers probably will be relegated to a point of rhetoric. Unions arent in a position of favor with the American public as they once were, and as a consequence, its just a different world theyre working in, Cole said.


text:
EENI- School of International Business
Subject Description: Religions of the World, Marketing, and International Business
Is the humanity religious?
How does religion influence on international marketing and global business?
This question is difficult to answer, mainly due to two reasons. First; it is hard to know exactly the number of people practising each religion (lack of official data in many countries, religion in China), and secondly because the answer to this question will vary much if the response is from a European, an Asian, an American, or an African. Nor will it be the same answer for a Buddhist or a Muslim, or an Agnostic.
Perhaps the most serious and reliable statistical study of religion in the World is the Pew Research Report. According to this analysis, nearly 6,000
millions of people worldwide, (84% of humanity) states belongs to some religious affiliation, with an average age of twenty-eight years. While 16%, about 1,000
millions of people, have no religious affiliation.
An estimated 32 % of humanity, some 2,200 millions of people, are Christian (besides being the most globalised religion, and the average age of all the Christians is thirty years), 23% is Muslim (1,600 million with a presence mainly in Asia and Africa. The average age of twenty-three years), 15% is Hindu (average age of twenty-six years) and 7% Buddhist (average age of thirty-four years). Furthermore, 73 % of humanity lives in countries where their religious group constitutes the majority of the population.
The Asia-Pacific region has three characteristics from the religious point of view:
Europe and America, are predominantly Christian areas (Catholicism, Protestantism, and Orthodoxy) Although from the business we must take into account the crucial role of the Jewish community in the United States.
These final data should make us reflect on the need to include the "religious variable" in our international marketing strategies.
Project Global Ethics and Business

subset: commoncrawl


text:
French electro, dance-rock duo Kiki and Guigui are Total Warr and the boys are back with a new EP they are calling, Please Never Come Back Again.
The boys like to describe their live gigs as "a powerful, catchy and dancy show; think Best Coast, Panda Bear and Dan Deacon put in a blender and poured over vodka" – We want in on that action.
Stream their latest EP right here:
Get your mits on the above EP HERE.


text:
The following declaration was adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 10 February 2016 at the 1247th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies.
The Committee of Ministers deplores the execution of five persons in the United States since the beginning of 2016.
It recalls that capital punishment contravenes the principles set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the European Convention on Human Rights and reiterates its appeal to the United States authorities to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty as a first step towards abolition.
The Committee of Ministers is following with concern the debate relating to the lifting of the moratorium on executions in the State of California following the possible introduction of a new lethal injection protocol.
It urges the Californian authorities not to go back on the moratorium put in place in 2006 so as to ensure that the death penalty remains a thing of the past.
Source: Council of Europe, Conseil de l'Europe, February 11, 2016
- Report an error, an omission: firstname.lastname@example.com - Follow us on Facebook and Twitter


text:
1/2 Day Taster Session: Throwing
Half-day introductory taster courses throwing on the potter's wheel. These courses offer an introduction to throwing for beginners, covering: clay preparation, wedging, centering clay on the wheel and throwing basic cylinders. The workshop is taught by one of our professional potters.
Monday 24th July - FULLY BOOKED
Monday 4th September - PLACES AVAILABLE
Monday 13th November - PLACES AVAILABLE
- Cost: £50 per person, including tuition, materials, aprons and tools
- 10am – 12.30pm
- Maximum of 4 students
- Firing is not included but you are welcome to take your pots and have them fired elsewhere.
For further details email firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
The Tome of Bill book series has made me laugh out loud so hard, so much, that I can't keep track of how many times it happened. That is saying a lot given that I can't remember the last book that made me laugh out loud! I was not aware the "horror comedy" genre even existed and it ended up resonating tremendously. I suspect the genre as a whole would not work for me, but it works specifically in the context of our protagonist, Bill who is a huge nerd and remains so after being turned into a vampire. Bill's… Read More
The Feedback Loop is the new Ready Player One
I loved Ready Player One. Sadly, Armada, Ernest Cline's follow-up book proved disappointing. Harmon Cooper fills that void with The Feedback Loop. The book is essentially Groundhog Day meets Ready Player One meets The Matrix. Quantum Hughes, the protagonist, is stuck in a virtual reality world called The Loop following a software glitch. As in The Matrix, his body is in the real world in a vat, while Quantum's consciousness inhabits his character in the Loop, unable to escape. The Loop is a Grand Theft Auto-type game set in a noir Sin City-like environment. Quantum plays the game… Read More
Letters to a Young Contrarian is a must read!
In a simple and elegant series of letters written to a hypothetical student, Christopher Hitchens makes an incredibly compelling argument for thinking independently. While showing how important it is, he also clearly highlights the perils of defying conventional wisdom and popular opinion. In making his case, Hitchens shows off his erudition in sharing a lifetime's worth of insights and scholarship. Both the prose and content resonated with me like few books have. The book is both timely and timeless in a world overcome by political correctness and simple minded populism. Read it!… Read More
The Old Man's War Series by John Scalzi is a fantastic space opera
As you know, I am a huge fan of B.V. Larson's Star Force and Undying Mercenaries series. While I really enjoy Ryk Brown's The Frontiers Saga and to a slightly lesser extent Jay Allan's Crimson Worlds series, they take themselves too seriously and don't rival the joy created by Larson's fun light hearted tone. I realize I am late comer to Old Man's War, but I loved the series at every level. Scalzi blows your mind with varying imaginative concepts time and time again. The book pushes us to consider whether we would we be willing to sign… Read More
Sapiens is the most important book you will read all year!
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is incredibly ambitious. It covers the history of humanity starting with modern cognition. It covers everything from why Sapiens ended up on top relative to other hominids, to gender roles, the agricultural revolution, the history of currency, empire and capitalism. It analyses recent developments and speculates as to where we might be heading. It's thought provoking, challenging, compelling and at times downright disturbing. It exposes the myths we created and accept without second thought and truly challenges our preconceptions about who we are. The book is a masterpiece. If you only read one book this… Read More
Modern Romance is insightful and fun
I am a fan of Aziz Ansari's standup comedy routine and his TV show Master of None. Having experienced the travails of dating in the digital age, I looked forward to Modern Romance. The book surprised me. I expected a collection of funny anecdotes with commentary in Aziz's voice. It certainly contained those, but the book offers much more than that. It presents the results of a statistically significant in depth sociological survey covering the dating patterns and behavior of thousands of individuals around the world. I found it truly insightful. The opportunities and challenges presented by dating in the… Read More
What if is an absolute must read!
I absolutely LOVED this book. Randall Munroe's scientifically accurate answers to ludicrous questions are absurdly funny, well written and extraordinarily well researched. I laughed out loud throughout most of the answers. It's funny how he destroys the world and/or humanity in half of the answers. I kept wondering who are those people who send these insane questions? I particularly loved the answer to the question of what happened if you put a hair dryer in a 1 square meter indestructible box, but frankly I laughed out loud so many times I lost count (and I can't remember when is the… Read More
Think Like a Freak
Freakonomics and Superfreaknomics – the bestselling books of Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner are no longer news to the readers of this blog. However, their new work – Think Like a Freak is worth a shout-out. In Think Like a Freak, Levitt and Dubner use their famed unconventional analysis in explaining the hidden side of things. The readers of Freakonomics will recognize the authors' thinking process and their unorthodox approach. But their compelling story telling and the new topics covered make this work a page-turner for anyone interested in behavioral economics, or in simply thinking outside of the box. In… Read More
The Martian is Robinson Crusoe on Mars
Andy Weir's book gripped me from the start. I typically don't like books written in the first person, even more so when the entire book is a series log entries without dialogue. Obviously, I was willing to make some allowances given that he's alone on Mars with no one to talk to. In any case, I need not have worried as his journey was thrilling and the technique surprisingly effective. The entrepreneur in me really related to his experience. It felt he was running a startup which had taken a wrong turn, leaving him with extremely limited resources and desperate… Read More
Command Authority is Tom Clancy's best book in years
It's also the best book he co-wrote with Mark Greaney. I suppose the bar is not very high given the quality of their latest books, but I really enjoyed this one. The topic is uncannily timely given the current events in Ukraine. The book cleverly integrates Red Storm Rising-style sequences, like the fantastic opening passage of the book, with the Jack Ryan intelligence analyst sections. I wish there were more of the former. However, given the gimmick of having the story unfold in parallel both in the present day and 30 years ago, I was happy to see Jack Ryan… Read More


text:
Legislative Reports, Publications and Bulletins
The Legislative Information Office produces a variety of reports concerning the current status of Bills and other Legislative information. This includes Carry Over lists, Title and Section Lists, the History and Final Dispositions of Legislative Documents book, and other lists and reports relevent to each Legislative Session.
Bookmark this page for quick access to:
Committee Information and Committee Calendars
Histories and Final Dispositions of Legislative Documents
Directory of Bills For the 128th Legislature
Quick print access to frequently requested documents:
Department & Agency Bills for the 128th Legislature First Regular Session
128th 1st Regular Session Preliminary List of Working Titles by Sponsor
128th 1st Regular Session Preliminary List of Working Titles by Subject
For an archive of older reports please click here
To obtain reports or publications not listed on this site contact:
Legislative Information Office
100 State House Station
Room 132 State House
Augusta, ME 04333-0100
Contact the Legislative Information Office Disclaimer


text:
Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013 9 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Location: Union Congregational Church of Hancock, 1368 U.S. Highway 1, Hancock, Maine
For more information: 422-3100; hancockucc.org
Hancock – The community is invited to participate in a traditional Christmas Eve Service of Readings and Carols at 9 pm on Christmas Eve, December 24th. The service will include a Children's Pageant. The Union Congregational Church of Hancock is located at 1368 U.S. Highway 1 in Hancock. The church is an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ.


text: Definition Edit A data circuit is equipment used for the transfer of data between a sending device and a receiving device. Retrieved from "http://itlaw.wikia.com/wiki/Data_circuit?oldid=173653" Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you've made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Categories: Definition Telecommunications Data Add category Cancel Save


text:
Welcome to Family Food and Travel's PR info page.
Family Food and Travel is looking forward to partnering with you.
Family Food and Travel is a unique Canadian blog written by myself, Kerrie, a working mom of twin boys (born March 2010). We feature stories about our three loves – Family Food and Travel.
Please contact us (email button in sidebar) to discuss rates for reviews and sponsorship opportunities.
Media Kit: request access to the full media kit. This one is a sample only.
Let's Talk About How We Can Work Together:
- Sponsored Content
- Brand Ambassadorship
- Recipe Creation
- Twitter Parties
- Social Media Promotion
- Conferences
- Events
Current and Past Partnerships:
Chatelaine Tasters & Testers (2014, 2015, 2016)
Hallmark Canada (2014, 2015, 2016)
Netflix Canada (2014, 2015, 2016)
Church & Dwight (2015, 2016)
Past Partnerships:
CAA (Canadian Automobile Association)
Speaking engagements:
Blog Her '14 – San Jose, California
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.
The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.
The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org


text:
The Portage County Society of the Blind will meet at 2 p.m. Nov. 28 at the English Pub Bistro, 320 E. Main St., Ravenna. "Harry Canary" (Harry Arble) will start off the season by singing Christmas songs and carols. The meeting is open to the public.
Current subscribers have full access to all online news content as part of their subscription. If you are a current subscriber, please log in with your website account information for full access. If you are a current subscriber, but have not yet registered for access to the website, please call our Circulation Department at 330-296-8414


text:
Author Archive: Ellen Woods
Do Marketing Measurements Matter in a Real Time World?Monday, August 4, 2014, 10:44 am 1 Comment
Multi-channel marketing in a digital world is a far different cry from the world of reach, exposures and demographic penetrations.
Is Your Focus Strategic or Tactical? Why Not Both?Monday, April 7, 2014, 8:29 am No Comments
As mobile usage becomes more dominant the options for better, faster and more useful information grow exponentially.
Coming Soon – Innovation Just The Way You Like It!Monday, January 27, 2014, 8:10 am No Comments
True innovation accounts for the limitations of the corporate structure and stretches the boundaries (or in some cases blasts through them) with the confidence of a well thought out plan that will lead to success.
The Opportunity For Insights In 2014Monday, December 30, 2013, 14:32 pm No Comments
Market research is at a cross-roads right now. Researchers need to fully utilize the tools (in this case data) that we already have and further there needs to be some thought given to understanding what contributions are actually useful.
MR Needs To Go Back To The Future To Deliver On Client NeedsMonday, November 4, 2013, 8:42 am No Comments
Over the last few weeks I have had conversations with many research managers about the state of research in their organizations and their research needs for 2014. Here is what I have been hearing.
Google Consumer Surveys Unleashes G Force ChangeWednesday, September 25, 2013, 20:43 pm 17 Comments
Google Consumer Surveys just revealed the next phase of their growth plan which was to say the least, aggressive, with clear intent to own as much market share as possible.
Using Predictable Irrationality To Drive The Purchase ProcessFriday, September 20, 2013, 9:17 am 1 Comment
Whether someone is buying a car or a pack of pens, that decision is sealed in the last 30 seconds of the thought. There is no process that can optimize that moment. So how do you close the deal?
The Risk Aversion ParadoxWednesday, August 28, 2013, 7:37 am 8 Comments
There's always been a paradox in economies where the times that generate the best opportunity for risk takers become the times that companies are least likely to take risks.
What Sailing Teaches Us About Navigating ChangeFriday, August 23, 2013, 8:03 am 2 Comments
For many years, marketing and market research charted the course for businesses and they optimized products accordingly. They were the both the secant and the sonar; but today they are the logistics team. What does that mean for market research?


text:
"Let there be light," says the light company; and wiry candles glitter in all the cities of the world, bulbs of light blossom in the street, lights are in the houses, there is gaiety behind bright windows and darkness, enormous, hungry and patient, is compelled to crouch under the ocean or in the corners of closets. All this is expensive and Lawrence F. Jones, a radio dealer, decided that the Brooklyn Edison Co. had charged him too much for lighting his shop. Accordingly, he refused to pay their bill for $21.58.
With what fury the Brooklyn Edison Co. pursued Lawrence F. Jones! First they shut off his power, but his store remained well lighted. The Edison Co. appealed to the Department of Water, Gas and Electricity, supposing that Lawrence Jones was stealing current to illuminate his store. Though his store remained lighted, no one could tell where he got the current. At last, the Brooklyn Edison Co. had Lawrence Jones arrested. He proved himself innocent of theft and went his way.
Last week, Lawrence F. Jones was suing the Brooklyn Edison Co. for $50,000 alleging malicious persecution. He stated in court that he had kept his store bright and cheery with storage batteries charged in another shop. A jury awarded him $10,000.


text:
Related News
NPR: Dee's new novel a must-read for 2010
01/29/10 - MFA instructor Jonathan Dee's new novel "The Privileges" was featured as a "must-read" by NPR. Read the story here.
- Queens Students Published on WCNC
- Queens nominated for another national social media award
- Christiaan Lee-Daigle featured in The Charlotte Observer
- Charlotte Business Journal celebrates Rogers Building design
- WSOC Channel 9: Queens hosts MLK Fun Day for at-risk youth
- The Charlotte Observer: Universities will lead the way


text:
I have 3 air diffusers throughout my house so needless to say I was very excited when I discovered one that I could take in my vehicle. This is the perfect size to fit in the cup holder and it plugs in by USB.
I love these because I find them to be very relaxing and it makes the air so much better especially inside of a stuffy car. The changing colors are very pretty and I liked that it automatically shuts off once the water is gone.
I add a little peppermint oil to these when I am congested and it defiantly helps me breathe better. I purchased this diffuser at a discount from Amazon.ca and I really enjoy being able to have this in my car.
These reviews are the subjective opinions of ChickAdvisor members and not of ChickAdvisor Inc.


text:
Wakesurf Boards, WakesurferProboardshop.com is the leading wakeboarding company on the web for Wake Surf Boards. All wakeboarding brands in stock for next day shipment with up to 50% savings. 29 years of great prices, selection, and service.
Please refine here More in the Outlet Shop.
- Brand: Inland Surfer
Wakesurf Boards, Wakesurfer More in the Outlet Shop.
Inland Surfer 4Skim Keenan Flegal 134 Pro Wakesurfer
Size: 4ft 5inReg: $899.00 On Sale: $859.00
Inland Surfer 4Skim Sean Cummings Pro Wakesurfer
Size: 4ft 3inReg: $749.00 On Sale: $699.00
Inland Surfer 4Skim Squirt Wakesurfer
Size: 5Reg: $749.00 On Sale: $719.00
Inland Surfer Air Series 139 Wakesurfer
Size: 4ft 7in
Our Price: $999.00
Inland Surfer G-Force 142 Wakesurfer
Size: 4ft 8inReg: $949.00 On Sale: $899.00
Inland Surfer Keenan Flegel Surf Pro 140 Wakesurfer
Size: 4ft 7in
Our Price: $999.00
Inland Surfer Mucus V2 Wakesurfer
Size: 4ft 11inReg: $649.00 On Sale: $599.00
Inland Surfer Sweet Spot Wakesurfer
Size: 4ft 8inReg: $849.00 On Sale: $815.00


text: Why do people need cash in churches? Billion Photos/Shutterstock June 22, 2017 Why cash remains sacred in American churches James Hudnut-Beumler, Vanderbilt University ATMs began appearing in churches providing a way for people to come up with ready cash to give to God and their church. But why was cash necessary?


text:
- Age / Gender:
- n/a, Male
- Location:
- Location not disclosed
- Joined:
- 6/15/09
- All Stats >
User Statshot
- Community Stats
Level 3 Blank Slate
Normal Whistle
Ranked as Civilian
Contact Info / Websites
Recent Game Medals
Supasperm 25 Points Beat the first level. Medal Stats.
A WINNER IS YOU 25 Points Beat the game. Medal Stats.
True Face of Evil 25 Points Reveal the true face of evil! Medal Stats.
Flee powder 50 Points Escape the cave. Medal Stats.
Stack the deck 25 Points Defeat Luis' 3rd form. Medal Stats.
Tighty whitey power 10 Points Defeat Luis' 2nd form. Medal Stats.
Rude awakening 10 Points Defeat Luis' 1st form. Medal Stats.
Kaminari Ninja 25 Points Defeat Raijinmaru Medal Stats.
Story Easy 25 Points Beat Story Mode on Easy, Normal, or Hard Medal Stats.
WSW Tribute 25 Points Defeat Final Weapon Medal Stats.
Total Medals Earned: 14 (From 4 different games.)
Latest Audio Submissions
|Make Me Feel
|Dance Song
|Night Tune
|Dance Song
|Dance Song
|Ambient Song


text:
The curve of your cheek,
to rest the flutter of your lashes.
Bow lips and long fingers,
skinny legs and tiny toes.
A life both complete and barely begun.
Deep blue eyes that search mine,
asking questions I have no answers for,
and so I respond with a million kisses
on the softest place of your neck.
Sleeping mostly in our arms
Or at my breast,
where we have conversations
in soft gulps and pieces of myself
dissolved to nourish folds and chicken legs.
We rock together gentle,
the house strangely hushed in
latest night and earliest morning hours.
Finger curled around mine,
brow furrowed in concentration
then relaxed into sleep.
Hair swirled in cowlicks,
dark and soft,
Knees curl into folds of skin
and I caress them again,
obsessed with your newness
and the softest down covering your shoulders.
Sleep comes steady,
just not in the night.
And so instead I study rounded belly,
lines of a nose and furrow of a brow.
Hold tight I remind myself
to these short days and long nights.
To shadows and light
dancing fleeting across your face.


text:
Simplicity 8225; ©1987; Misses' Pullover Knit DRess or Tunic and Pull-On Skirt: Dress and tunic have extended shoulders, long sleeves, neckband, and patch pockets with bands and button trim. V. 2 skirt has elasticized waistline.
Links to reviews/blog postsEdit
Add a photo to the gallery by clicking the "modify" button below.
[insert your username, and make sure your preferences allow for people to contact you via e-mail. Do not list your email address here!]


text:
Destroy Ghost Mansion - Can You Escape In One Hour? - Walkthrough
Destroy Ghost Mansion - Can You Escape In One Hour?
By: Muzi Chen
Welcome to the walkthrough for the iOS game Destroy Ghost Mansion - Can You Escape In One Hour?, if you are looking for ways to make it to the next level, and to improve gaming experience as a master player, you've come to the right place. Here you will find Destroy Ghost Mansion tips, tricks and guides, as well as the opportunity to share your own discoveries to help others move on and beat the game.
If you can't find the answer to your question you are welcome to post it in the comments section below. This way others who know the answer can help you by sharing their own tips and advices.
Destroy Ghost Mansion Game Overview
Destroy Ghost Mansion is available on iOS. For more details on the app, check out our review.
- Publisher: Muzi Chen
- Developer: Muzi Chen
- Genre: Adventure
- Release Date: November 20, 2014
Gameplay & Videos: See it in Action
Want to get a high score in Destroy Ghost Mansion - Can You Escape In One Hour?? Don't miss any of the new videos of Destroy Ghost Mansion gameplays played by pro gamers - Updates July 26, 2017.
Work in progress...
Walkthrough Sections
Work in progress...
Note: Some of the levels still need walkthroughs. If you know how to beat a level, then please submit your level guide here and share your skills.Hit like if this helped you!
Stuck need help? Join the community
Ask questions about Destroy Ghost Mansion and get help from other gamers.


text:
Help, WedgePrimitive problem
3 Attachment(s)
Hi, everyone
I tried to mesh the center triangle area with WedgePrimitive method in Gambit(see first and second picture), and I set the three vertex type as Trielement, End, End. But Gambit always gave the error: "Assertion failed in FullMinMeshTool.cc, Line 538: (stop_offset-start_offset)== num_linear while meshing..."
I can use Quad/Tri+ Pave method(see last picture)and Quad+TriPrimitive method, but not WedgePrimitive. I am a new to Gambit, any suggestion is appreciated~
Attachment 12545
Attachment 12546
Attachment 12544
|All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:57.


text:
Artist's Talk for Street Talk: Chris Daze Ellis in Dialogue with the Collection
2:00-3:00 pm Sun, May 4, 2014
Venue: Addison Gallery of American Art
Phillips Academy, 180 Main Street, Andover, MA 01810
0 people saved this
Please join us as we celebrate the opening of our spring exhibitions. At 2:00 pm, Edward E. Elson Artist-in-Residence Chris Daze Ellis will give an Artist's Talk for Street Talk: Chris Daze Ellis in Dialogue with the Collection in Kemper Auditorium. The Opening Reception for the Spring Exhibitions will follow at 3:00 pm at the Addison Gallery. Explore our new shows, meet Daze and Addison staff, and enjoy music and a bite to eat. These events are free and open to the public.
MA Spotlight on Kay Simpson
Springfield, Massachusetts is a city on the move, with the brand new Union Station opening...
Search All Listings Here.


text:
The 71st Annual Golden Globes
is her head getting larger?
Rihanna called, she wants her forehead back.
My math may be off, but based on her regular height, the heels she's wearing with this dress must be 46 inches long.
Her stylists: "We know you're short, so we thought we'd help you out by creating a hairstyle that makes your head huge and by choosing a dress that makes the lower half of your body appear puny. You'll look a little ridiculous but certain Polynesian cultures will worship you as a simple of fertility."
symbol – darn it.
and this had comment of the week potential too…
Yuck, she looks terrible
She looks like the daughter of Neelix and Kess from Star Trek Voyager.
I thought Smurfs were blue.
terrible hair


text:
While many Sydney suburbs have been performing strongly in the last year, recent findings reveal there are still some yet to take off.
Onthehouse's property research arm Residex has reported that a number of Sydney suburbs may offer potential investment opportunities for buyers in 2014.
The growth in the top performing suburbs over the last 12 months was significant, with people in Northbridge, for example, having increased their net worth by more than $300,000.
Consulting analyst for Onthehouse and founder of Residex John Edwards said while these best performers were indicators of how a market was going, they were not necessarily the place to rush out and buy in.
"Strong performing suburbs are often areas that have already seen a majority of their growth for this current cycle," he said.
"On the other hand, the poor performers are probably yet to see significant growth during this cycle and may offer investors very good growth prospects, and homebuyer's an opportunity to purchase well from despondent vendors."
The Onthehouse research also showed that house and land owners in the top performing areas had done better in all respects compared to those who owned units, which given all the hype around units, may surprise buyers.
Mr Edwards said that knowing where a suburb was in its growth cycle was the key to identifying the opportunity within that area.
"If you combine the knowledge about a suburb's growth cycle along with research data, suburb information and if you find out what the public considers the best streets are, then good buying decisions should result," he said.
"For example, the data suggests that North Parramatta has probably seen a majority of its growth, whereas suburbs like Green Valley and Camden South are yet to see their period of strong growth.
"Recent auction activity and the numbers point to a market where the upper end is beginning to slow and the lower cost areas are currently the most sought-after. Based on the data, it would appear lower cost suburbs will see the strongest growth in the next 12 months."


text:
Would you like to save as your currency permanently or for this visit only?
Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town
Top Business Hotel
800 Rio Grande Boulevard Northwest, Albuquerque, NM
0.2 mi from
Very friendly staff. Pool area was well maintained and covered by Aaron. The restaurant was a big surprise - usually do not expect hotels to serve food as good as we got there. Nothing - perfect for a guys weekend.
Lobby Old bathroom
Staff was very professional and kind. There is a nice pool and a patio. Overall very pleasant. Rooms are standard.
I absolutely loved the style of the hotel. The room and view were stunning! The staff were professional and everything was spotless. The attention to detail was much appreciated. the extra touches such as the Old Town Walkin tour and the cookies at check in we're fabulous. The gym wasn't functioning as it was being refurbished. Also the food in the on site restaurant was very spicy hot....hot...hot, and should have come with a warning. The food was delicious if you can handle the heat!
We were physically assaulted by the security guards on staff at the hotel. Never in my life have I witnessed something like this. Yes we were noisy which led to complaints... but it was for a party we told the staff a month before , and it was only loud because there were 20+ people all in one room since the staff DID NOT PUT ALL OUR ROOMS on one floor like we requested mknths before, several times, to avoid just this. Instead they put us by other guests and mixed our rooms up. This would have avoided other guests hearing us and being upset. Security came and physically attacked two of our guests for arguing with them about the policy as they seemed very aggressive. We were all shocked. Needless to say there is a nice lawsuit ensuing against this hotel. Happy visit!
Employees were really nice and helpful.
View was great. Turned out that Friday night was a party night for a room near us. Loud and drunk young folks. Had to call security and police to get them under control. Room was not really cleaned each day, just a few things done. Chairs not comfortable, not enough electric outlets. No extra blankets in the room. Bed not comfortable.
Nothing Very unattentive front desk. Asked for suggestions for dining in the area and got blank stares. Called front desk about fighting in the hallway at 2am and the yelling and screaming continued for over an hour.
Loved that the hotel was situated where old town and st Claire winery were walking distance easy to get around to places. Hotel rooms were clean and beds were comfortable Didn't like that happy hours was unavailable on weekends and no breakfast was included with room stay
My room was comfortable, the restaurant and reception staff were very friendly. Great location near old town. Free parking I was disappointed that they didn't have the fireplace going in the big hall to make it a bit cozy.
The location was perfect. It was within walking distance of the old town shops and restaurants. The pool was very nice and all of the indoor and outdoor decor was beatiful. The room and bathroom were surprisingly larger than expected. The staff were very helpful and accomdating There was construction going on right next to the hotel that was fairly loud and started relatively early that woke me up.
The bar was comfortable and the cocktails were good. My room was very comfortable, clean, and the bed was great. The housekeeping staff were friendly. The front desk was superb. I love the airport shuttle service. I didn't like the location. The property was located on a very busy street and the walk to Old Town wasn't pleasant. Twice i had breakfast at the hotel and twice i was brought the wrong item.
It's comfortable, the staff is friendly, the price and location are great.
Nice southwest theme. Interesting art - especially the local art behind the front desk, and even better, the explanation of it to the left of checkin. The complementary breakfast was generous, and the waitress/hostess was very nice and accommodating for my wife's special dietary needs. Keep up the good work! Mike Palatas The latch mechanism for the hand wand of the shower in the handicap room we stayed in (112) was broken - would not lock in position on the vertical slide bar.
The included breakfast was excellent. My breakfast burrito was superb. Bathroom was worn out. Come on...can't you replace a worn out toilet seat?
Overall, we had a very nice experience. The room was clean, the bed was comfy, the breakfast was delicious. That's the most I look for in a hotel, especially since we stayed for one night during a cross country road trip. It was a wonderful change from sleeping in our car at a rest area. The only downsides were honestly very minimal, considering we stayed for only one night. I found a small roach in the bathroom that I had to dispose of, and the internet connection was very spotty and, for the most part, nonexistent.
everything was true to the description online. Delicious was breakfast and loved the $5 coupon. Location was right off the highway. Fitness facility was good enough. High-quality staff. The walls of the room were pretty thin. We could hear our neighbors and the cleaning staff in the morning.
Located nr. Expressway, clean and comfortable. Located in the old part of Albuquerque.
The breakfast was excellent & served on real china not that awful plastic or styrofoam stuff...the eggs were the real deal...not the pretend kind from the lsst BW we stayed at. Staff was lovely A little dark and gloomy in the halls but well maintained
I liked the location and the friendly staff. I didn't like the bed, the fickle air conditioning which worked part of the time, the small bathroom, the hidden blackout curtains, the street lamp outside my window, the baby and intrusive neighbors on the other side of my door and the toilet paper. I also didn't like sleeping until noon the first day because we had no idea there were blackout curtains until the front desk informed us the following morning. I had forgot the toilet paper I had bought since they had the cheaper brand and also my watch because I didn't sleep well the following night due to the air conditioning not working correctly and the weird noises it was making. I had enough and got up and left very early the second morning. It was a brutal 12 hour drive that day with very little sleep. Thankfully there were two of us so one of us could sleep in the car while the other drove.
Staff was very helpful and accommodating, even after the website we booked through (getaroom.com), completely messed up our reservation! Breakfast was great. My only complaint was that the beds were way to soft!
Excellent breakfast and value. Elevators too small for luggage carts
Quiet room, comfy beds, smelled pleasant, staff friendly. Breakfast was good. Decorated nicely.
Everything about this hotel is absolutely wonderful. The decor, archatecture, and layout is very charming and southwestern. The service and employees are excellent. The last time we stayed there, I left a pillow of mine, and they mailed it to me! The breakfasts are fresh and full of different options (made to order eggs, fruit, oatmeal, etc.) The dining room is cozy and has a wood burning fire place which is especially nice when visiting in the winter. The individual rooms are cute with comfortable beds, western decor, and some have kitchenettes. I would reccomend this hotel to anyone visiting the city of Albuquerque or near-by areas or even just passing through. It truly is a 'House of Dreams'!
I am sitting at the hotel comuter, one thing that seems to work. Although I travel alot , this is my first time to fill out a review. I was thoroughly disapointed with the hotel. I could deal with the location, setting etc, although it is not as quaint as one would be led to believe. basically it is a hotel built in the 30's with a slight update. neee more be said. However, my real dissatisfaction was the breakfast. It took over 1 hour to be seated and get our food, the one waitress, was also running the entire hotel it seemed. They need help. Next, when our food finally arrived, my omelet was not to be. I received two pieces of french toast, my wifes order was wrong as well. We could have waited another half hour if so desired, but actually after writing this email, Im getting out of here. Think twice before staying here. If you want delapidated lodgeing that is novel because an artist built it 80 years ago, by all means stay here. if you want enought hot water to fill the bath, and breakfast served before lunch, then go somewhere else.
Easy access from the highway. Lcated within easy walking distance to Old Town Albuquerque. Units were clean and well provided. Free internet was alsl provided. Many of the units have private parking right outside the unit. Excellent hot beakfast (Soutwest selections)was served in the morning. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend it.
We spent the night in one of the lovely rooms at Casas De Suenos or House of dreams. We were greeted by a friendly hostess who while walking us to our room told us the history of this wonderful find. As we walked across the beautiful grounds she shared with us that this was once an artist's retreat where people like Georgia O'Keeffe would come to paint. The room was spacious, clean with south west warmth in it's decor. Beds were comfortable. In the morning we were treated to a full breakfast, choice of eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, pastries not just day old bagels like some free breakfasts. The location is within walking distance of Old Town. Delightful, fun place to stay. I highly recommend it.
The staff was very accomodating . The rooms have character and are attractively decorated as is the lobby and breakfast room. It was quite cold so we did not get to enjoy the garden, but we look nforward to returning during warmer weather.
Great location. Cool layout. Great breakfast. Nice pillows. Fountain outside our room gave nice sounds. Unfortunately, it is not in good shape. The locks on my door were almost unusable. The lady from the desk took a couple of minutes to unlock the door...I was never that quick...totally annoying when trying to go somewhere. The paint and fixtures really need an overhaul. The glasses hadn't been washed. The curtains didn't block light. With a little work it could be a four star...but this stay barely rated a two star.
This is a small Inn tucked in between Old Town and the Country Club Golf Course. Beatiful grounds and great rooms. Prices were reasonable and included a full breakfast each morning including Pancakges, Eggs, Green Chili Burrittosm fresh fruit etc. All cooked items were made to order. If you want a new Holiday Inn or Sheraton, dont stay here. If you are like us and want something authentic, historic and unique thtat comes with great service and authenticity we reccommend the casas to anyone. Most guest we met here were repeat customers and well traveled. You can walk to Old Town, museums,. botanical gardens, aquarium etc. We highly reccommend 'Antiquity' our favorite restaurant just accross the street in Old Town.
We had a wonderful time. We stayed in the La Miradora and it was great. Breakfast was fast and friendly every day.
I loved this new B&B, an old artist studio which is being restored. Rooms are large and charming. Sweet little breakfast room overlooks a great garden. Close to Old Town on a quiet street. Not great (yet) for the business traveler.
Expecting just an average, moderate hotel, I was very pleasantly surprised when I arrived and checked in. The staff were terrific and cheerfully answered all questions I had and were willing to assist wherever they could. After being shown through delightful gardens, the rooms are nice and private with great regional decor and very spacious. It was like being in a private home as the room had all the facilities one could need. The breakfast was superb, the usual cereals nad bagels but then you could also or a full cooked breakfast which was cooked to order, not something that had been sitting in a warmer for ages. I will only stay here when I visit Albuquerque and tell everyone about it. A great hotel in a great location which really made the trip memorable.
I have stayed here on several occasions and it keeps getting better. Great rooms, incredible gardens, amenties are perfect, private, peaceful, great location for anywhere in Albuquerque. Kids and wife love the zoo, mucsem, old town and downtown. I love the quiteness, breakfasts are awesome and the beautiful grounds. I have actually had clients met me there for meetings in the gardens. Seems to be a popular place for weddings and a beautiful one was held while we were there.
we had the most wonderful time at casa de suenos. the staff was amazing and the Ivy cottage was so relaxing with it's private patio and soothing waterfall. Even the towels were thick and soft. This was the best, luckiest find ! We would go back anytime!
The value, convenience, and funky charm of the place make Monterey Non-Smokers' Motel a favorite. And in spite of the location on a busy road, the rooms give a very quiet sleep.
The unit was clean, and the facility had unique decor. The location was great, as it was near old town, the zoo, and the aquarium. The owner was a grumpy old curmudgeon. I was chewed out for the on-line room purchase, and for having 2 teenagers with me. I had already paid for the two "extra" occupants on-line, yet got an ear-full at check in. @ $90 /night, I was disappointed that there was no, breakfast or microwave in the room.


text:
TNMIA is an American animated series produced by Warner Bros. Animation.
- Scooby Doo (Voiced By Frank Welker) - The title character and the mascot of Mystery Inc.
- Shaggy (Voiced By Matthew Lillard) - The best friend and owner of Scooby.
- Velma - The nerd of Mystery Inc.
- Daphne - The fashion loving member of Mystery Inc.
- Fred - The leader of Mystery Inc.
- Tom & Jerry - The new pets of Shaggy as thy have learnt to live as friends.
- Bugs - The new pet of Shaggy and the most clever member.
- Daffy - The Comedy member but Velma hates the duck.
- Scrappy - The old member.
- Scooby Dum - Another new member.
Season 1Edit
- Newest Members - When Shaggy & Scooby brought some new members all of them hve to prove by solving by a mystery.
- Ghost or Clown - A ghost of a clown who had died shows up and started joking on everybod harmfully.
- Franky - A real Frankenstein has shown up and the suspect is an innocent man named Franky but the animal friends got to prove it.
- The Return of Black Knight - Black Knight returned but the real one is in jail then who is the another?
- Christmas Time Part 1 - Scooby, Tom, Jerry, Bugs, Daffy & Shaggy goes to save the Christmas from an evil snowman preventing mysteries for twelve days.
- Christmas Time Part 2 - The snowman kidnaps Fred, Velma, Daphne and Scooby Dum and Scrappy and the evil Grinch who is fake is behind it. Later, it was known Butch the cat, Yosemite Sam and the original Pterodactyl ghost were doing it.


text:
We have some new Suave printable coupons this morning. Those $1.50/1 Suave Gold Hair Care coupons always come in handy, plus the kids hair care coupon is a nice value coupon. Here are the preclipped links:
$1.50/1 Suave Gold Hair Care printable coupon (preclipped)
$1/1 Suave Kids Hair Care printable coupon (preclipped)
$1/1 Suave Professionals 28 oz or Treatment printable coupon (preclipped)
Never miss another hot coupon, deal or freebie again! "Like" Couponaholic .NET on Facebook, Follow us on Pinterest, Follow us on Twitter, Follow us on Instagram or Subscribe to our Daily Email Newsletter!


text: You have to hand it to them: ViaHardware picked up a nifty little piece of hardware in the Cybernet Elite-II Zero-Footprint PC, a full-fledged PC packed inside a keyboard. In the site's review, the team cracks open the Cybernet PC and evaluates its pros and cons. It may not be for everyone, but this is the first we've heard of it. Kudos to them.


text:
Case Conclusion Date: 12.30.2013
Practice Area: Criminal defense
Outcome: Reduced to infraction
Description: Client accused of taking $200 value of clothes from Saks and didn't deny the theft when confronted by the police. Client was 72 years old with no criminal record and didn't want to plead to a misdemeanor. Initial DA offer was plead to misdemeanor theft with 3 years probation, 1 day jail and fines. 2nd DA offer was plead to misdemeanor theft with 2 years probation, 10 days community service and fines. Final result was client was convicted of an infraction only – Penal Code section 490.1.


text: Hello, people of this site. Anyway, I will get straight to the point; Thank. You. Mike. And. Bryan. Now a lot of people question why I am thanking them. But, in the first episode the shipping's flopped back and forth, so much. that I got dizzy. Now I thought, Oh what is for dinner. <---- wrong thought,Great now it is SW2.0. or Shipping Wars Two. In ATLA I shipped KatAang, Taang, etc. as friends. Because Aang is 12 not 15 or 16. So, I mean come on who really stays together for 5+ years in MS and HS. Almost no one. Now when the new vid. on LoK came up I was like,Oh, yay more stuff we could debate about 'til our faces are blue. When I watched it I wasn't paying much attention until I saw the sub-title. I was like finally. So now unless you like Borra that much, case is settled. Now we know it's mutual, I will not support it. I will not claim Borra. I will claim the fireferrets as friends. Please don't yell at me. This is my opinion.


text:
Tech Support
The DesignTech technical support team is made up of seasoned artists and techies who are experts in Mac, PC, and the Adobe software suites critical to today's design environments
Our team has skill sets developed through years of design experience in the specific markets we support and we are Apple and Adobe Certified.
We are APPLE & ADOBE Authorized Resellers for all hardware and software needs. We provide expert installation, configuration, and cross platform integration with your network.
• Troubleshooting and problem solving
• New Installations-hardware, software, upgrades
• Back-up checks, PC-Mac connectivity
• Scheduled preventive maintenance


text:
All crops need fertilizers to grow. And what "fertilizer" really means is nitrogen that plants can use. Hell, air is 80% nitrogen, but it's not in a form plants can use. But plants need nitrates (chemically NO3) which is oxygen bound to nitrogen in a particular way. This occurs in nature in two ways: lightening creates NO3, and bacteria eating organic materials (a.k.a. "compost") make NO3. All good. What if you need more NO3? Well, in 1903, two German guys got the Nobel prize for figuring out how: the Haber-Bosch process creates ammonia, which is the basis for synthetic nitrates, and fertilizers.
And guess what you need to make ammonia? Natural gas accounts for about 3/4 the cost. And because natural gas is not easily moved around, nitrate fertilizer is made close to the source. About 1/2 of the fertilizer we use in the US was shipped from all the same countries that ship us other petrochemicals; the other half comes from natural gas produced in the US.
OK, most of this information was shamelessly paraphrased (I'm avoiding the word "plagiarized") from this excellent article in the San Francisco Chronicle by Deborah Rich.
So let's see: plants won't grow without nitrates, and there's only so much lightening and compost for use by organic farms. All the rest, and that means that vast majority of our agricultural produce, uses synthetic fertilizers. So we use natural gas and oil to make fertilizers, then we move it around on ships and trucks and farm equipment (which use fuel oil) to get it into the ground, where it miraculously produces abundant crops. I'll ignore the environmental damage caused by all those nitrates running off into our water to someone else's blog. So back to our food.
We could eat the crops, and yes kids, eating vegetables is a very good thing. Or we could feed the crops to cows, pigs and chickens, and they would eat 10 or 20 servings of feed in order to make one serving of meat. I am not a vegetarian by any means, but meat is … expensive. So whether we eat the crops, or we eat the meat that eats the crops, we grow a lot of crops, and they use a lot of fertilizer.
Based on one estimate I read, about 25% of our consumption of oil and gas is used to make fertilizer. Yes. Not for cars, trucks, ships or airplanes … 25% to grow our food. And that does not count the cost of actually getting the fertilizer (or food) to your dinner table. I think these numbers are about right, but here's my original post on this subject with links to some sources of actual data.
So now, the latest idea is to use ethanol for fuel for our cars. E85 is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, and it's relatively easy to change our current car engines to run on E85 or gasoline. And E85 is made from crops — the same ones we eat, or which we feed to the animals that we eat. If I were a cow, I might be worried that a car was competing with me for food.
So E85 is all the rage these days. But remember to ask: how is E85 made? Some of it is made from materials that might otherwise be wasted — the part of the corn or wheat that we don't eat or feed to animals. And with the push for E85 vehicles from GM (and today, from Ford) demand for ethanol will increase, and this translates to demand for natural gas and oil to grow the crops to make the ethanol.
On the bright side, we are less dependent on other countries for natural gas than for crude oil, and yes, we can produce some E85 from the leavings we might otherwise waste. So as a transitional fuel, it's better than the alternative … a little.
So in the end, ain't nothin' for free. Except perhaps fusion energy, but sadly this is not one of the energy sources Bush was referring to when he said we are on the "threshold" of great technical advances.


text:
20% off Posters, Art Prints, and Art Boards. Use HAPPYWALLS20
This took a lot of work to create – almost as much to arrange and shoot, as it did to add subtle texture layers in editing. I lost count of how many shots I took, positioning and re-positioning the items – phew!
adriana glackin still life fruit berries mood old world vintage textures old masters
It was worth all your effort, really of work of art. Everything in here is so perfect, the lighting and the tones…….and yes the positioning! Bravo!
Thanks so much! :-D
This is so beautiful! Making me hungry though, and there's no fruit in the stores up here….so making me want it even more! :D
Fantastic work!!! Amazing!! aaaaaaaaaaaa
Well done! Love this one! Great comp and low key
Phew! WORTH IT!!!! ( just as well by the sounds of it…) Completely brilliant work.
Definitely worth all your work.This is a superb piece of art… a feast for the eyes ..perfect in every way..the colors the comp,the tones and textures.
love the lighting, arrangement, and tones here adriana… after all that work, a fabulous image
I like this very much Adriana. Fabulous imagery.
Loading more work by Adriana Glackin...
10% off
for joining the Redbubble mailing list
Receive exclusive deals and awesome artist news and content right to your inbox.
Free for your convenience.


text:
Mandingo Goes DeepFavorites [+]
Pay-Per-Minute Viewing
This premium movie consumes minutes at 2.0 times the normal rate. Why?
In an effort to encourage studios to send us their newest and best movies as close to their street release dates as possible, we must offer certain titles at a premium rate. Other content is placed at a premium rate because studios consider those videos to be rare, hard to find or special in some other way. While many premium titles revert to the regular price over time, some studios with rare content, require us to keep their content at premium prices for even longer. Movies at less than 1.0x rate are a limited time special discount streaming rate.
If you have any questions about pricing, please contact Customer Support.
If you have any questions about pricing, please contact Customer Support.
You can now enjoy this movie on your iPhone®, iPad®, or compatible Smart TV & Android devices.
Purchase Options
Pay-Per-MinutePurchase Minutes
Streaming Rentals
Available MP4 sizes:SD 480p (1.97 GB)
DRM-free downloads offer content that is not limited by standard Digital Rights Management (DRM) access technologies. These technologies allow hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals to limit the usage of digital content.
When you purchase DRM-free downloadable content, that content is available for you to download on any computer and save to a disk whenever you like. You can also download to multiple computers. There is no timeframe associated with your purchase and the content will not expire.
Running Time: 128 minutes
Released: 11/2009
Studio Name: Jules Jordan Video
Director: Jules Jordan
Categories: Big Dick Interracial Gonzo Black Dicks/White Chicks
Description: Biggest dick in porn ever! The legendary Mandingo's greatest and most amazing penetrations!
4 Scenes from Mandingo Goes Deep
Mandingo Goes Deep: Scene 1 Free Preview
Sex Acts: Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Modeling
Positions: Cowgirl, Spoons position, Reverse Cowgirl, Standing Doggy Style, Laying, Missionary, Standing
Mandingo Goes Deep: Scene 2 Free Preview
Sex Acts: Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Modeling, Blowjob
Positions: Cowgirl, Standing Missionary, Sitting, Standing Doggy Style, Standing, Spoons position
Mandingo Goes Deep: Scene 3 Free Preview
Sex Acts: Breast Play, Anal Sex, Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Masturbation, Toy Play - Anal, Ass To Mouth, Modeling
Positions: Cowgirl, Standing Missionary, Sitting, Standing Doggy Style, Laying, Standing, Kneeling, Standing Cowgirl
Mandingo Goes Deep: Scene 4 Free Preview
Sex Acts: Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Masturbation, Blowjob
Positions: Cowgirl, Standing Missionary, Reverse Cowgirl, Standing Doggy Style, Laying, Standing
Settings: Bedroom
Recommended Movies
AEBN Cams


text:
In a statement released by the Phillies, Galvis pleaded his case. "A trace amount of a banned substance - 80 parts in a trillion - was detected in my urine sample," the statement read. "I am extremely disappointed in what has transpired. I cannot understand how even this tiny particle of a banned substance got into my body. I have not and never would knowingly use anything illegal to enhance my performance. I have always tried to follow the team's strength and conditioning methods, listen to the trainers, work out hard and eat right. Unfortunately, the rules are the rules and I will be suspended."
It's likely that the suspension won't really mean much, since Galvis can serve the suspension while on the disabled list. Galvis will likely be out of action for at least six weeks, which would take up much of his suspension.
Now for some bad news... David Herndon underwent Tommy John surgery on Tuesday afternoon to repair his right elbow. The surgery, which was performed by Dr. James Andrews, officialy ends the season for Herndon, who has been on the disabled list since May 1.
Then, there's Michael Stutes, who will see Dr. Lewis Yocum to try to find out the cause of the right shoulder inflammation that has sidelined him since April 25. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said that it is possible that Stutes could undergo exploratory surgery to find out the cause of the problem.
Laynce Nix, who has been on the DL since May 10 with a right calf strain, suffered a setback and has been sidelined. Nix was playing in the Phillies extended camp and reported some pain in the calf prompting the Phillies to sit him down.
On the upside, Chase Utley hit his first home run of his rehab assignment Wednesday night with Clearwater and is playing in the field at second base. It's possible that the Phillies could step him up through the system over the next week and have him in Philadelphia right around the end of the month. Might be a little optimistic to hope he could return on the remainder of this homestand.
And, Ryan Howard did some light in-game base-running in his rehab with the extended spring training crew. He is also doing some post-game fielding and light base-running. Don't look for Howard to return until after the All-Star Break.


text:
skip to content
The power to settle financial complaints.
December 2013
So far this year we have received 20% fewer complaints about mobile phone insurance – compared with the same period last year.
This reduction is perhaps partly due to the work we have been doing with the main players in the market. We have seen a real willingness in this sector to learn lessons when things have gone wrong – and we have worked closely with the businesses and the regulator to put things right that weren't working.
However, in the complaints we are seeing, we are finding in the consumer's favour in roughly three quarters of cases – so there is still some work to be done in this area.
Our lead ombudsman, Caroline Mitchell, talks about some of the work we have been doing so far in ombudsman focus.
The case studies that follow illustrate some of the most common problems we see in complaints involving mobile phone insurance, including:
Miss R was out in a bar with some colleagues. They were sitting at a table and Miss R's handbag was between her feet.
When Miss R left the bar a couple of hours later, she realised her mobile phone wasn't in her bag. She knew she'd had her phone earlier that evening – because she had used it to make a phone call outside the bar. And she remembered putting it back in her bag before she went back inside.
Early the next morning, she rang her mobile phone insurance company to say that her phone had gone missing. She put in a claim under her policy.
The insurer turned down Miss R's claim. It said that her policy excluded theft or loss of electronic equipment that was "left unattended when it is away from your home" – where "unattended" means "not within your sight at all times and out of your arm's-length reach".
The insurer told Miss R that, if her handbag had been where she said it was, they couldn't see how someone had reached into it without her noticing. So they said it was impossible that someone could have stolen her phone unless it had been left "unattended".
complaint upheld
We looked carefully at the wording of Miss R's policy. To be "unattended" in line with the definition in her policy, we took the view that Miss R's phone would need to have been both out of arm's-length reach and out of sight at the same time.
We thought that this definition was more restrictive than the everyday meaning of the word "unattended" – and unusual compared with similar policies on the market. Because of this, we would have expected the insurer to have pointed out the exclusion to Miss R.
We asked the insurer to send us all the documentation from around the time Miss R had taken the policy out. We could see no evidence that the insurer had drawn her attention to the exclusion when she took out the policy.
We also found no reason to doubt Miss R when she said that her bag had been between her feet the whole time she was in the bar. Even if that meant that her phone was out of her sight, it would still have been within her arm's-length reach – albeit at a stretch. We reminded the insurer of our established approach – that if an item is next to a consumer, it can't be said to be "unattended".
We told the insurer to deal with the claim in line with the policy terms, adding 8% interest from the date of the theft to the date of the settlement. We also told them to pay Miss R £50 for the inconvenience she had been caused by their delay in handling the claim.
Mr J's mobile phone contract was about to expire. He did some research and took out a new contract online – and got a new handset for free as part of the deal.
About eighteen months later, he noticed that £6.49 had been taken from his bank account each month along with his phone bill payment. When he went back over his statements, he realised that he had been paying that amount each month since the beginning of his phone contract.
Mr J got in touch with the company he had bought the package from to ask what was going on. He was told that the amount related to a mobile phone insurance premium – which would have been added automatically to his phone package at the time he bought it.
Mr J complained to the company. He said he had been paying for insurance he hadn't asked for and didn't even know he had. When he asked the company to repay the money it had taken, it refused. It said it had only been able to offer him such a competitive deal on his handset because of the insurance sold alongside it.
It also told him that after the first month of cover – which was free – Mr J could have cancelled the insurance at any point. Unhappy with this response, Mr J asked us to look into the situation.
complaint upheld
We asked the company to provide a screen-shot of its website – as it would have appeared to Mr J when he was "checking out" online. This showed that the insurance had appeared in Mr J's shopping basket with a notice underneath saying that it could be cancelled later on. But there had been no option for Mr J to remove it from the package he was buying.
We pointed out that the regulator's rules on selling insurance say that a customer must be able to make "an informed decision about the arrangements proposed". The rules also say that simply stating a customer's cancellation rights isn't enough. Businesses must still give the customer enough information to help them make an informed decision about whether to take out the insurance.
We told the company that by selling mobile phone insurance in the way it had, its customers – including Mr J – were not given any choice. All they could do was cancel the policy after they had taken it out.
The company then told us that Mr J should have noticed the premium on his bank statement. But we thought that £6.49 was a sufficiently small amount that it was understandable Mr J hadn't noticed it among the other payments coming out of his account.
We also asked the company about its process for renewing its mobile phone insurance policies. We found that it didn't send out notifications to its customers before renewal.
We felt it was unrealistic to expect customers to actively opt out of an insurance policy they had no option but to take out – without any reminder. We told the company to refund all the premiums Mr J had paid – adding 8% interest to each one.
One Saturday morning, Mrs D was sitting in her local café. She was chatting to a friend on her mobile phone. After the call, she put her phone in her handbag, which was under the table next to her feet. But when she got home, she found her phone was missing. Thinking it must have been taken from her bag, Mrs D immediately called the police and her network provider to report it as stolen.
But when she called her mobile phone insurance provider to make a claim, it refused to pay out. It said the policy did not provide cover for accidental loss – and would only cover the theft of a phone "if force, or the threat of force, had been used". The insurer also told Mrs D that as she couldn't prove her phone had been stolen, it was just as likely she had lost it – or left it "unattended". Mrs D disagreed with the decision and referred the matter to us.
complaint upheld
We asked the insurer to send us a copy of Mrs D's policy documents. When we looked carefully at the wording, we found that the word "force" was not actually defined.
We usually say that "force" does not necessarily mean "violence". For example, turning a handle and opening a closed door could constitute "forcible entry" to a property. So in our view, it would be reasonable to interpret the policy to mean that someone reaching into Mrs D's handbag and removing her mobile phone amounted to the use of force.
We noted the insurer's argument that Mrs D could have simply lost her phone – or left it unattended. But we didn't think it had been fair of the insurer to reject the claim just because Mrs D couldn't prove otherwise.
We thought it was plausible that a thief could have removed Mrs D's phone from her bag without her noticing. And if her bag had been at her feet as she said, then the phone inside it hadn't been left "unattended".
Taking everything into account, we told the insurer to meet Mrs D's claim in line with the policy terms – and to add 8% interest on any amount it paid out from the date her phone went missing to the date of the settlement.
One evening Mr H dropped his mobile phone into a bowl of washing up water. The phone stopped working straight away, and he contacted his insurance company to make a claim.
The insurance company asked Mr H to send them proof of purchase – so they could check that he owned the phone. They also asked him to send them the phone so that they could assess the damage. At first, Mr H couldn't find his receipt. But two months later he found it and sent it to the insurer – who then agreed to consider his claim.
The insurance company noticed that Mr H hadn't yet returned the phone, so they asked him again. But he said he no longer had it. He explained that he had asked his network provider whether the phone would be covered under the manufacturer's guarantee. When the network provider told him that it wouldn't, Mr H said had recycled the phone at a local charity shop.
The insurance company told Mr H that they would only replace a phone once they had established that it couldn't be repaired. And because they had no way of doing so, they said they were not prepared to replace it. However, they said they were prepared to refund the premiums for the remaining six months on the policy, which Mr H had paid up front.
Mr H was unhappy with this response. He insisted that the insurer should replace the phone – and he made a complaint. When the insurer rejected his complaint, he referred the matter to us.
complaint not upheld
We noted that there had been nearly two months between Mr H making the claim and his finding the receipt. So we didn't think the insurance company had contributed to Mr H's decision to take other action in the meantime.
We noted that Mr H's policy document had said that "if we are unable to repair your electronic item, a replacement item will be provided."
We accepted that Mr H had been told by his network provider that his phone couldn't be repaired under the manufacturer's guarantee. However, we explained that this wasn't the same as saying that his phone couldn't be repaired at all. It just reflected the fact that manufacturers' guarantees generally only cover faults – and not accidents.
We noted that Mr H had sent the insurance company photos of his water-damaged phone. And the company accepted that the situation was an accident – and was prepared to repair the phone under the policy. But without seeing the phone to assess the damage, we could understand why the insurer wouldn't replace it. In the circumstances, we decided that their offer to refund Mr H's premiums was fair – and we did not uphold the complaint.
Mr B had agreed that his daughter, Miss B, could have her own mobile phone when she started secondary school. Shortly before term began, he took out a mobile phone contract and mobile phone insurance online. He registered Miss B as an authorised user of the phone.
One afternoon, shortly after Miss B got off the school bus, she was approached by two older girls who forced her to hand over her phone. When she told her father what had happened, he reported the incident to the police and contacted the insurance company to make a claim. But the insurance company told him that the policy "excluded theft when the phone was in the possession of someone under 18 years of age". Miss B was only 12, so the insurer wasn't prepared to pay the claim.
Mr B complained. He said he hadn't been made aware of the exclusion when he took out the insurance policy – and if he had been, he certainly wouldn't have taken it out. When the insurer rejected his complaint, Mr B asked us to look into it.
complaint upheld
We asked the insurer for a copy of the policy documents – and looked carefully at the exclusion the insurer had relied on when it refused to pay the claim. The exclusion said that there was "no cover for theft or damage if the phone was in the possession of any third party outside of the policyholder's immediate family" – defined as "spouse, partner, parents, children, brothers and sisters (all over the age of 18) permanently residing at your address".
Although this definition of the members of an "immediate family" wasn't unusual, we thought that the age limit was significant enough that it should have been brought to Mr B's attention when he took out the policy.
When we asked for evidence of how the policy was sold to Mr B, the insurer sent us screen-shots of the website he had bought it through. Under the heading "What am I covered for?" the website simply said: "This policy covers you for theft, accidental damage and mechanical breakdown".
And the section listing the policy exclusions referred only to "immediate family" – with no mention of any age limit.
We eventually found the age limit in the very last section of a long document under the heading "important information"– which began with references to the Sales of Goods Act and other technical information.
We didn't think it was reasonable to expect a consumer to have to read right to the end of a long document to find such a significant and unusual exclusion. We concluded that the insurer hadn't brought the exclusion to Mr B's attention as clearly as it should have done. And we didn't think that Mr B would have taken out the policy if the insurer had made him aware of it.
In these circumstances, we told the insurer to consider the claim as if the exclusion did not apply – adding 8% interest from the date the phone was stolen to the date of the settlement.
Mrs M was getting her mobile phone out of her bag when she accidentally dropped it into a deep puddle. She knew straight away that her phone was damaged because the screen was blurred. She did her best to dry the phone out, but it still wouldn't work.
Mrs M got in touch with her insurer to make a claim. The insurer accepted her claim and sent her a replacement phone. It also sent her a letter explaining that the handset was a refurbished one, and that it came with a three-month warranty. Mrs M set up the phone and started to use it.
Unfortunately, five months later the replacement phone stopped working properly. Mrs M emailed her insurer to see if they could help. But the insurer told Mrs M that she was "only entitled to one replacement phone a year". They also told Mrs M that because she was claiming outside the new warranty period, they were not required to replace the phone.
Mrs M complained to the insurer. She pointed out that her replacement phone wasn't working properly – and that it didn't seem fair that she didn't have a working phone when she had been paying for insurance. She asked the insurer to replace the phone. When they refused, Mrs M came to us.
complaint upheld
We listened to both sides of the story and looked at Mrs M's policy in more detail.
The policy clearly stated that any replacement phone would be of the "same age and condition" as the phone that was being replaced. So we were satisfied that the insurer had acted fairly when it had sent the refurbished phone to Mrs M.
However, we also noted that Mrs M's original phone had come with a one-year warranty. She had only had the phone for five months when she dropped it – which meant that there were seven months left to run on the original warranty.
We could see from the insurer's records that Mrs M had got in touch with them five months after she had received the replacement phone to say she was having problems with it. But the replacement phone had only come with a three-month warranty.
Mrs M's policy said that any replacement phone had to be of the "same age and condition" as the original. We took the view that this should mean a like-for-like replacement. But the replacement phone had come with a shorter warranty, so we decided that it had not been truly like-for-like.
In these circumstances, we decided that Mrs M's original claim had not been settled properly. So we told the insurer to supply Mrs M with a like-for-like replacement for her original phone.
Mr D phoned his insurance company to say that his mobile phone had been stolen. When he was asked how it had happened, Mr D explained that the phone had been "crashing" a lot. He said that he had been on his way to the shop to have it looked at when he was pushed against a railing by two youths – who snatched his phone and ran off. He said he went to the police station to report the incident.
The insurance company told Mr D it would need more information – and arranged for a claims assessor to visit him at home. A week later, Mr D received a letter from the company asking for some more documents – including a monthly statement for his mobile phone account.
Mr D was unhappy that he was being asked so many questions. He complained to the insurer, saying he didn't understand why they wouldn't just replace his phone. But when the insurer rejected his complaint, Mr D asked us to step in.
complaint not upheld
We asked the insurance company to show us the evidence it had used to make its decision. It sent us the report from its claims assessor – as well as a police report it had obtained with Mr D's consent. We noted that the two accounts Mr D had given weren't consistent with each other – for example, he told the claims assessor that he had been hurt badly by the attack, and gave a description of the youths. But he had told the police he hadn't been assaulted – and couldn't say what the youths looked like.
We asked the insurance company for more details about Mr D's policy. We saw that he had made a successful claim for the same model of phone six months earlier – and that the phone he was now claiming for was the replacement he had been sent.
The insurer told us that it couldn't understand why Mr D had taken the phone to the store rather than contacting the insurer directly – especially given how recently the insurer had sent Mr D the phone.
When the insurer asked Mr D to explain, he said he had phoned the store beforehand to confirm this was the best course of action. But he hadn't been able to give the claims assessor the phone statement showing this call. And the store had no record of the call either.
We understood that Mr D had been upset by what had happened – and that he felt he was being asked for a lot of information. But in the circumstances, we could also understand why the insurance company would want to ask more questions before deciding to pay out. And we didn't think the information it had asked for – for example, a phone statement – should have been particularly difficult for Mr D to provide.
We explained to Mr D that he needed to show it was more likely than not that things had happened as he had said. In the circumstances of this particular case, we did not think the insurer had acted unfairly – and we did not uphold the complaint.
Mr J lived in a ground-floor flat. One night he was asleep in bed with his window slightly open. He was terrified when he woke up and saw an intruder in his bedroom.
The intruder grabbed Mr J's mobile phone from the top of his chest of drawers and escaped through the window.
Mr J phoned the police straight away to report the crime. The next morning he phoned his insurer. He spoke to an adviser on the insurer's claims helpline and explained what had happened.
A few days later he received a letter telling him that he wasn't covered – and that his phone couldn't be replaced. The letter said that Mr J's policy only covered him for theft "if force that resulted in damage to the premises was used to enter or leave the building".
Mr J phoned the insurer to complain. He said he couldn't believe that they were refusing to cover him when someone had actually broken into his house and stolen his phone.
But the insurer wrote to Mr J saying that: "as no damage had occurred to show forced entry, the building was not secured". The letter also pointed out that by leaving a window open – whether Mr J had been at home or not – "the risk of theft was great enough that the theft was not covered as an insured event".
Mr J was still very unhappy, so be brought his complaint to us.
complaint upheld
We looked at the police report from the incident – and we noted that the police did not dispute Mr J's account of what had happened. The report said that Mr J's window had been slightly ajar, and that the intruder had pushed the window further open so he could climb through.
Once we had satisfied ourselves that the theft had happened in the way that Mr J had described to the insurer, we had to decide whether the insurer had acted fairly in deciding that it was "not an insured event".
The policy exclusion the insurer had relied on appeared to us to be designed to protect the insurer where a consumer had been careless – by, for example, leaving windows open while they were out, or by leaving doors unlocked.
At the time Mr J's phone was taken, both his front and back doors had been locked. The only window that had been open was his bedroom window. So we decided that Mr J had taken steps to secure his home, and we did not think it had been careless of him to leave his bedroom window slightly open.
We accepted that no damage had been done when the intruder had entered and left Mr J's flat. However, we decided that that by opening Mr J's window further than he himself had opened it, the intruder had used a degree of force to enter Mr J's property.
Taking everything into account, we decided that the insurer had not acted fairly in the circumstances of this case. We told them to reconsider Mr J's claim – and to pay him £50 to make up for the inconvenience it had caused him.
Ms W caught the train to Manchester to do some shopping. While she was looking around in a department store, she decided to phone her sister to discuss ideas for a present for their mother. But when she looked in her bag for her phone, it wasn't there.
The last place she remembered having her phone was on the train. She had called her partner from the train and she hadn't used her phone since then. So she thought she must have left it on the train.
Ms W asked a sales assistant in the department store if she could use their phone. She phoned the lost property office at the train station she'd arrived into – to ask whether her phone had been handed in. Unfortunately it hadn't. She also phoned her network provider to ask them to lock down her number.
The next day Ms W phoned her insurer to explain what had happened – and to put in a claim. The insurer told her that she needed to report the loss to the police so she could get a loss reference number to support her claim. Ms W did what the insurer had asked her to do.
But when the insurer assessed Ms W's claim, they turned it down. The insurer said that her policy "did not cover lost items that were left unattended in public places". They said that because the phone was left on a train "and not in a place that was inaccessible to the public, the subsequent loss or theft of the phone was not covered".
Ms W thought this was nonsense. She complained to the insurer, saying that she'd taken out that particular policy because it would cover her if she lost her phone. When the insurer rejected her complaint, Ms W asked us to look into it.
complaint upheld
We asked both the insurer and Ms W to send us copies of all the information they could.
When we looked through the policy, we noted that there were some inconsistencies between the wording in the terms and conditions, and the wording in the FAQs document and the summary booklet. The terms and conditions of the policy specifically excluded cover "for items lost while unattended in a public place". Whereas the summary booklet said "don't worry if you lose your phone" and the FAQ document said that loss would be covered – where "loss" meant an item being "left in a public place or a place that people you don't know can easily access."
We took the view that the supporting documentation was there to provide a more user-friendly format than the terms and conditions document. Although the documents might have been worded slightly differently, we took the view that they should have been consistent in what they said.
In this situation, we could understand why Ms W had thought that she was covered for losing her phone if the supporting documents said so.
We also considered the insurer's point about Ms W's phone being "unattended". We thought that the phone was only "unattended" because it was lost. After all, Ms W had not left her phone on the train deliberately.
We concluded that because Ms W had bought the policy in good faith, thinking it would cover her if she lost her phone. So it seemed unreasonable for the insurer to turn down her claim.
In these circumstances, we told the insurer to deal with Ms W's claim.
ombudsman news gives general information on the position at the date of publication. It is not a definitive statement of the law, our approach or our procedure.
The illustrative case studies are based broadly on real-life cases, but are not precedents. Individual cases are decided on their own facts.