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Under Texas law, there are only limited circumstances in which a parent can modify a child custody or visitation order. Such a change will be made only if it is in the best interests of the child, and:
Texas family courts have recognized several situations that would qualify as a material and substantial change in the circumstances of a child or parent affected by a custody or visitation order. Examples include a parent's remarriage, a medical condition that adversely affects a parent's ability to function and work on a regular basis, a parent's criminal acts and convictions, or a parent's changes in residence that make visitation a hardship for the other parent.
In any proceeding to determine parental rights, the court will interview children who are at least 12 years old, in chambers (the judge's private office, rather than in the courtroom). Younger children may also be interviewed.
An older child who expresses a desire to live with the other parent doesn't have the last word, however. Even if a child asks the court to modify a child custody or visitation order, the court may do so only if that change is in the child's best interests.
The court may also modify a custody order if the custodial parent has voluntarily given up the care and custody of the child to another person for at least six months. However, this provision doesn't apply if the custodial parent has only temporarily relinquished the care of the child during a period of military deployment, mobilization or duty.
A parent who files a motion to modify a child custody order within one year after that order was made must also submit an affidavit to the court. The affidavit must include at least one of the following allegations, along with the facts that support the parent's contention:
Unless the other parent fully agrees with your request to modify a child custody or visitation order, you should seek help from an experienced Texas family lawyer. Often, these cases arise when the family's situation has changed considerably (for example, when a parent wants to move out of state with the child or a parent falls on hard times). The outcome of the case could significantly affect your child's development -- and your right to remain close to your child -- for years to come. Given the high stakes, it makes sense to get some help to ensure the best possible outcome.


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Nerds rejoice! The most wonderful time of the year is here – Comic-Con.
The annual comic book convention in San Diego runs through the weekend. So in honor of the geeked-out event, ITK decided to throw on her reporting cape (before promptly taking it off because it was approximately one-thousand degrees in D.C.) and fly to the Capitol to ask senators about their choices when it comes to comic book heroes.
A favorite of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) just happens to have a similar moniker to the junior senator. Said Manchin, "Bazooka Joe, remember that one?" Sorry senator, but besides the bubble gum of the same name, Bazooka Joe's a little before ITK's time. Although Manchin added he also has an affinity for Superman.
The man of steel is apparently the man to beat when it comes to the favorite character of lawmakers. While Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) argues the high-flying hero has "got the whole package," Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) admits, "Superman's really my favorite. I try to be like him, and I fail every time I try."
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) isn't as interested in heroes who can leap tall buildings in a single bound. His favorites include Doonesbury and Pogo. But it's a lovable loser that Kerry likes best: "Charlie Brown, because he's always screwing up."
One of the few female, fictional do-gooders can do no wrong in Sen. Barbara Mikulski's eyes. The Maryland Democrat loves her some Wonder Woman: "I like who she is. I like the way she fought for the little people. I loved her copper bracelets. I loved her verve. And she had to do it with all those guy action heroes when it was a little hard to get some space."
When ITK pointed out that perhaps the senior senator might relate to her beloved cartoon hero, Mikulski replied, "I rather be Wonder Woman than Wonder bread." We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
And forget talk of the debt ceiling, ITK's question touched off a great internal debate for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who wondered aloud, "Batman, is he a superhero? Or is he not because he doesn't have any super powers? He just has a costume and he can't fly or anything." While Rubio couldn't come to an immediate conclusion on the hero/not hero dilemma, his pick for favorite may be the most PC answer yet: "Captain America…as a kid I thought he was pretty cool because he didn't have any special powers. He just had a shield."
ITK will be on the lookout – eyeing Rubio and other lawmakers to see if they start bringing shields to the debt-ceiling debates.

subset: commoncrawl


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CosplayFU Customer Anita(Australia)
"Hi there,
I thought you would like to have some photos of my Italy costume and my Prussia costume that I brought from you guys. I brought the wigs from you both as well and so here are some photos. I simply love my two costumes and wear them quiet a bit."


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The Ravens Wing
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The Ravens wing is the bow that blood raven used in diablo 2. Although a bit weak, it is a very nice looking bow. It also has a cool plus to it. The bow will summon an attacking raven or ravens to your side.
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Adults are supposed to learn better than this.
Especially those adults responsible for protecting us.
In June, a suspected killer was allowed to walk out of an Augusta hospital because Aiken County, S.C., authorities hadn't officially arrested him -- most likely in an effort to avoid paying for his hospital care.
As we said then, it's nice to see public officials try to cut costs -- but in this case, not at the expense of public safety. MCG Health says it can't detain patients if they're not under arrest -- period. Nor do they feel that under federal law they can notify authorities when a patient is discharged.
Law enforcement types don't have to agree with that policy. But they have to live with it.
So if you want a guy treated like he's under arrest, arrest him. Don't expect nurses and doctors to do it. That's not their line of work.
What did we learn from that incident? Nothing.
Again this past week a criminal suspect left MCG Health. This one, from Edgefield County, S.C., was suspected of sexual assault on a minor.
Edgefield Police blame the hospital. They claim federal law allows hospitals to warn police when suspects leave a hospital.
We don't know who's right about that, but we do know what the hospital's current policy is -- and so should every lawman in the two-state by now.
What's it going to take? A beer at the White House? Area hospitals and law enforcement agencies need to get their acts together, for our sake.


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The judge presiding over the murder trial of Frank Chivers said his family's suffering had been "prolonged".
After a jury convicted Sean Conlon of murdering 49-year-old Mr Chivers – the father of missing teenager Paige – Judge Anthony Russell considered a moving victim impact statement from the victim's mother Dorothy and sister Carol.
Judge Russell said: "Frank Chivers was a much loved man who had a very difficult life, losing a wife to illness and a daughter who has disappeared – what has happened to her remains a mystery.
"His mother has suffered other tragedies and the circumstances of the death were particularly distressing.
"Their agony and suffering has been prolonged."
Mr Chivers' mother told The Gazette her son "never coped" with Paige's disappearance.
Preston Crown Court heard Mr Chivers' best friend Sharon Garnett was left to administer CPR after the attack, while making a 999 call to the emergency services.
As she did that, Conlon went around the flat collecting his drugs before walking out the door.
Judge Russell said: "You displayed a callousness after the event which is quite shocking. Although you had some knowledge of first aid, you did nothing to try and help keep Mr Chivers alive."
The judge also said Conlon had shown a lack of concern for the seriousness of the inquiry and "absolutely no respect" for the police, the court or Mr Chivers.
"It has been quite obvious throughout the case you couldn't care less about the unfortunate victim of your crime", the judge told him.
During police interviews he had given what he called "stupid" answers to police because they were asking him "stupid" questions.
Former Montgomery High School pupil Paige, who would now be 21, went missing just months after her mother Sheila died.
She had argued with her father prior to her disappearance and was last seen boarding the number 11 bus on Ashfield Road, near to the then family home in Longford Avenue, Bispham, on August 23, 2007.
Her family put out numerous appeals through the media since she disappeared but heard nothing. Detectives are now treating her disappearance as murder.
Follow us on twitter @The_Gazette and like our page on facebook to keep up with all the latest news.


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Free trade, biosafety and consumer choice
While industry has shown it is willing to segregate and label genetically modified crops for export, governments are still lagging behind, Greenpeace claimed today, as international Biosafety Protocol negotiations begin in Montreal.
130 countries have gathered to discuss the protocol, which is aimed at ensuring the safe handling, transfer and use of genetically engineered organisms which may have an adverse effect on the environment. Last February in Columbia, Australia was one of six countries, dubbed the 'Miami group', which blocked the inclusion of food and fibre commodities in the Biosafety Protocol.
Fresh from informal pre-conference negotiations, Greenpeace International spokesperson Benny Haerlin told The Lab that the same confrontation seen a year ago is evident in Montreal.
"The US and the Miami group are intransigent on all the major issues," Haerlin told The Lab. He said that despite US producers agreeing to segregate and label genetically engineered crops for export, he said the Miami group showed no signs of agreeing to include commodity crops in the Protocol.
While the US does not have an official seat at the negotiations, as its Senate has not ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity, it is a major exporter of genetically modified crops, and opposes the development of a protocol that would restrict these commodity exports.
In a climate of consumer backlash against transgenic crops, however, European governments are claiming the environmental impact of transgenic crops is not yet known, which is why countries should have a choice in whether they accept imports of genetically modified organisms or not.
The BBC reports UK Environment Secretary Michael Meacher as predicting a change in US attitudes, since financial markets have reacted to consumer concern and Deutsche Bank has advised Monsanto to reduce it's involvement with biotechnology.
However US Agricultural Secretary, David Sandelow, is reported by the BBC as saying the US is opposed to any proposal requiring segregation of genetically engineered crops on the basis that it would require 'completely changing the global infrastructure for commodities such as corn, wheat, barley and soy'.
Greenpeace and other environment groups are strongly opposed to the exclusion of commodity crops.
"Most GEO transfers are part of commodity trade so leaving them out would make the protocol useless," says Bob Phelps of the Genethics Network. "Australia should support our trading partners in Asia and Europe who want a strong protocol so their food needs are met in the cleanest, greenest, way possible."
"The US government's position is lagging behind the US industry," says Greenpeace's Benny Haerlin - referring to the willingness of grain dealers to segregate and label commodity crops for the European markets. "The market has moved on."
Greenpeace says the key issues at the centre of the negotiations include:
- whether a country will have the right to say no to all genetically modified organisms entering its territory on the grounds of protecting biodiversity and human health,
- who will pay compensation if a genetically modified crop 'goes wrong',
- whether free trade rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) override the rights created under the Protocol,
- whether products made from genetically modified organisms also be covered by the Protocol, and
- how much information a company need to release on transgenic products and how much can it hide as "confidential business information".


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TEA Correspondence
Home / About / News and Multimedia / TAA Correspondence
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February 1, 2013
SUBJECT: Instructional Materials State Review Panel Members
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has been accepting nominations to the state review panels that will evaluate instructional materials submitted for adoption under Proclamation 2014. Due to the large volume of instructional materials submitted under Proclamation 2014, the Texas Education Agency has extended the timeline for nominations to the state review panels. Proclamation 2014 calls for instructional materials in the following areas: Science, Grades K-12; Science (Spanish), Grades K-5; Math, Grades K-8; Math (Spanish), Grades K-5; and Technology Applications, Grades K-12.
Nominations are especially needed for the following content areas and grade levels:
Grades K-5Spanish Science K-5
Science Electives: Advanced Biotechnology; Anatomy and Physiology; Environmental Systems; Food Science; Forensic Science; Medical Microbiology; Pathophysiology; Advanced Animal Science; and Engineering Design and Problem Solving
Grades K-2Spanish Math K-5
Technology Applications
Computer Science; Game Programming and Design; Digital Art and Animation; and Digital Video and Audio Design
To nominate yourself or someone else to serve on the state review panel, complete the form located on the TEA website. To submit the nomination form, click on the "Submit by Email" button on the upper right corner of the form, fax it to 512.463.8728 or mail it to Texas Education Agency, Instructional Materials and Educational Technology, Room 3-110, 1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78704-1494.
Products submitted for review will undergo a virtual and a face-to-face review. The first phase of the review process will begin in a virtual setting. Every program will be sent to review panel members since all publishers are required to provide samples electronically. During this initial virtual process, reviewers will determine if the program is aligned to the TEKS as indicated by the publisher. The second phase of the review will be conducted face-to-face in Austin. For those reviewers traveling to Austin, TEA will reserve hotel lodging and reimburse panel members for all travel expenses, as allowable by law.
The state review panel is charged with evaluating instructional materials to determine coverage of the TEKS and identifying factual errors. The panel members play a very important role in ensuring that those who rely on State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted instructional materials to educate and to be educated have the benefit of quality instructional materials. The materials adopted under Proclamation 2014 are scheduled for use in schools beginning with the 2014-2015 school year.
Upon initial contact by a TEA representative, state review panel nominees begin a "no-contact" period in which they may not have either direct or indirect contact with any publisher or other person having an interest in the content of instructional materials under evaluation by the panel. The "no contact" period begins with the initial communication from TEA and ends after the SBOE adopts the instructional materials. The SBOE is scheduled to adopt Proclamation 2014 materials at its November 2013 meeting.
If you have questions about the state review panels or nominations process, contact the division of Instructional Materials and Educational Technology at (512) 463-9601 or email at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Wireless innovator Ruckus unveiled two new Wi-Fi improvements today: SmartWay™ and BeamFlex+™.
The new tech will improve the performance of mobile devices and traffic over Smart Wi-Fi networks and simplify their administration, according to the press release. BeamFlex+ will use Adaptive Antenna Technology to bring expanded coverage up to 8x, on top of a 3x increase in performance range.
Ruckus SmartWay is new software that, per the PR, "not only simplifies the administration and optimization of service discovery traffic, such as Apple Bonjour and UPnP protocols over Smart Wi-Fi networks, it also supports advanced facilities to restrict or "fence" these services to a given access point, group of access points or a particular geographic area."
BeamFlex+ is currently available at no extra cost for all Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi access points that integrate dual-polarized adaptive antenna systems. SmartWay will be available in Q2 of 2013 and can be tested using Ruckus ZoneFlex systems after a request for a beta software upgrade.


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Move over Trump, there's a new tallest building in town--well almost.
Construction is set to begin on what is expected to be New York City's tallest residential skyscraper. It is called Carnegie 57.
As its name suggests, the building will be located on 57th Street near Carnegie Hall.
The current tallest residential building is the Trump World Tower, standing at 861 feet.
Carnegie 57 is slated to top that at 1,005 feet tall.
Plans for the building include a Park Hyatt Hotel and more than 130 luxury apartments.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2013.
Published at 11:16 PM EDT on May 26, 2010 | Updated at 6:28 AM EDT on May 27, 2010


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Advances in Pharmacological Sciences
Volume 2013 (2013), Article ID 141683, 5 pages
Extracts of Artemisia ciniformis Protect Cytotoxicity Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide in H9c2 Cardiac Muscle Cells through the Inhibition of Reactive Oxygen Species
1Novel Drug Delivery Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6734667149, Iran
2Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6734667149, Iran
Received 4 August 2013; Revised 19 October 2013; Accepted 19 October 2013
Academic Editor: Neal Davies
Copyright © 2013 Mahdi Mojarrab et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Objective. Artemisia ciniformis (Asteraceae) and A. biennis are two of 34 Artemisia species growing naturally in Iran. In this study we investigated whether different extracts of A. ciniformis and A. biennis have protective effect against hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity in rat cardiomyoblast cells (H9c2). Method. The dried and ground aerial parts of these two species were extracted successively using petroleum ether (40–60), dichloromethane, ethyl acetate (EA), ethanol (EtOH) and ethanol : water (1 : 1) by maceration method. To evaluate whether different extracts of A. ciniformis and A. biennis protect cardiomyoblast H9c2 cells from H2O2 cytotoxicity, we examined the direct cytotoxic effect of H2O2 on H9c2 cells in the presence and absence of different extracts. After then, cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Results. H2O2 induced cytotoxicity in a concentration dependent manner. The IC50 value was 62.5 μM for 24 h exposure. However, pretreatment of cells with various concentrations of EA, EtOH, and EtOH/wt extract of A. ciniformis protected cells from H2O2-induced cytotoxicity. Moreover, pretreatment with EA, EtOH and EtOH/wt extracts of A. ciniformis lead to a decrease in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Taken together our observation indicated that nontoxic concentration of different extracts of A. ciniformis has protective effect on H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in H9c2 cells.


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Best grocery store tea
Twinings English Breakfast, Twinings Earl Grey, Tazo Chai, and Stash Chai are all yummy :)
I haven't had very good luck with Celestial Seasonings because of all the hibiscus they use :( but their packaging is cute!
Is hibiscus the "zinger" in all of the various "Something Zinger" flavors? I've been sort of tired of those lately, but I used to like them.
Yes, I think so. I can't stand hibiscus anymore…it just masks the flavor of the other ingredients.
There are some blends with hibiscus that are blended well. Hibiscus is good because it adds some body and some tart (as well as some nutrients), but, too much is too much, and a carefully blended balance is necessary. I am not a big fan of hibiscus either… but, sometimes, I do encounter a blend with hibiscus that was blended well enough so that the hibiscus does not dominate.
Hmm. Interesting. I think I can buy hibiscus at a local shop, so I might get some to try in herbal tea blends.
if anyone, like me, adores hibiscus… http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/wacky-edibles/c0ce/ YUM! drop one in some tea as a sweetener & decoration!
Okay, kinda digging this thread out from the graveyard, but I just had to share this.
I found Nepali Tea Traders' tea at my local Whole Foods today!!
Yeah, it was only two blends, one was bagged and the other was loose. Apparently they are a local company (to me, that is.)
It seems like supermarkets are getting into some better tea companies! Has anyone seen any good teas at their store?
I actually quite like a lot of Celestial Seasonings teas, and while I've only tried one kind, I was really impressed with the quality of the Lipton pyramid sachets.
Some grocery stores here carry Tea Squared loose tea, but I haven't tried it yet.
Bigelow has a Salted Caramel that is really good. I've got a few ladies at work hooked on it.
The Bengal Spice celestial seasonings is fantastic if you like liquid red hots!
I love cooking with Bengal spice! I made a "Winter Spiced Sangria" with it a couple of times. Oh, and brownies :D
Oh my god you might be a legit genius. I have some super smokey oolong I am reserving to try as a broth addition for savory soup, but I haven't thought about using a cinnamon based tea for anything. I know it takes on a burn similar to red hots when you let it steep for like a year, but does the flavor come out in a brownie?
It does! I used a baking mix. By replacing the water with the tea, it makes it taste all spiced chocolate-y delicious! Oh, and you should try Hojicha ramen noodles. SO. GOOD.
I actually have both hojicha and ramen noodles and we are expecting another several inches of snow this week. This is happening. Now to see if I can hunt down some brownie mix and bengal spice before it comes (as oddly enough, I don't currently own any of either).
Ahhh! I want to know how it goes!
Twinings Irish and English Breakfast teas, Republic of Tea (most black flavours.)
I sometimes buy loose teas from my local Asian grocery store but I find that only one in four is any good.
I totally agree! I get so wrapped up (no pun intended) in the packaging and the names that I don't stop to think that the Dian Hong I just bought is probably like 3+ years old.
Agreed! I buy the Yamamotoyama sencha and genmaicha, it's super cheap at the Asian grocery store. I also found a decent gunpowder green and lichee black tea there…it's just kind of hit or miss. I usually talk to other customers when I'm in the store to get their recommendations.
My local grocers are starting to delve into loose leaf so recently they started carrying Kusmi, teasquared, JusTeas, and Organic Chinese teas even at the Chain stores. I still get better selection and the ethnic grocers with nice flavoured greens and decent Ceylon's at the slavic and Baltic grocer's, Ahmad's teas at the the Halaal stores ( My favourite being Khalami Assam) as well as a very decent Nilgrili, occassionally really nice teas at the Chinese grocer, and my beloved Lopchu and nice CTC at the Indian grocer. I haven't bought bagged black teas for a long time bout I used to carry some of Stashes herbal and the green chai with me when travelling. I like some of 4oclocks teas as well.
I'm lucky enough to have a grocery store with a decent bulk loose leaf section on top of a small selection of loose leaf brands including Rishi, Twinings, Tea Forte, Teatulia, Yorkshire and a few others.
That said, I still drink a bag of plain old Red Rose Irish Breakfast with my meals. I just can't do without it. Definitely my favorite bagged grocery store tea.
I also, in addition to the Asian markets, have a local grocery store called Fairway. They have a gourmet coffee section that also sells loose teas as sort of an addition. They are decent, some of them anyway and in theory fresh. They are a small chain and have five or six stores in NY and NJ.


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At Gamescom 2013, the creative director of the upcoming MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online, Matt Firor, made an announcement regarding the payment model of the game. It is to have a set monthly fee of $15&£9. Almost immediately gamers took to internet to voice their dissatisfaction with the announcement. They were angry that they are going to have to pay over and over to play. But is a monthly subscription really as bad as people are making out?
Now, it's absolutely no secret that the pay to play MMO model has not done well for a while now. A prime example of this notion is Star Wars: The Old Republic from Bioware. At launch, the game had 1.7 million subscribers. Not a bad number by anyone's standards. Then, around three months later, it dipped to 1.3 million. Then, by the time July had rolled around only a couple of months later, it had lost around another 300,000 subscribers. Not so good.


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Viewing jmorth's Garden Diary: Coleus
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Coleusfull sun yielded very reddish, in shade more of a green-tan
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
nice colorPlanted in the southeastern quadrant; few feet west of chain link fence.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
2006Couple of favorite coleus, 2 0f the 3 used that make bulk of garden path along N side of garage.
Monday, December 19, 2005Coleus have been a long-running favorite. I normally overwinter appx. 20+ varieties. The procedure I follow is: take a 2-3" stem cutting, remove lower leaves, stick in water, set in East window A favored variation is to do the cutting, then apply root hormone stimulant, and plant in suitable media. Either way, they are then given locations calculated to hasten their growth. When spring draws close, cuttings are again obtained and started in water before transfer to the garden.
Photo is of Coleus being held to act as mother plants for cuttings in late winter to set out next summer. These cuttings are overwintered in the basement beneath a bank of several fluorescent lights.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005Late season border along path by N side of garage.
Looking east.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005A very green coleus with 'Inky Fingers' and a top favorite coleus.
Part of border by garage.
Sunday, September 25, 2005Different coleus nestled behind and amongst chrysanthemum, blackberry lilies, and nicotiana.
On the map, it is located at NE corner of garage (east side).
Sunday, September 25, 2005Closest to black, reddish one behind it. At their peak this season.
Located on map as 'the black & the red'.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Coleus2nd place in the banner contest for the coleus forum.
Part of border along N side of garage.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005Shades of purple.
Top of photo is a another coleus variety.
These coleus not on map as they are in front quarter of property and map is restricted to the other three quarters that comprise rest of yard.
Monday, August 8, 2005Another favorite.
Part of border along N side of garage; between the garage and a rock path.
Tuesday, August 2, 2005First discovered this ruffled leaf strong grower at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St Louis.
Part of border by N side of garage. This one is actually the end piece on said border's E end.
Sunday, July 31, 2005View of border in late July.
Border lies between garage and a rock path.
Looking west.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005A personal favorite. Have overwintered and propagated for several years.
Part of garage border.
Monday, June 20, 2005A rather unique combination of colors.
Not pictured on map as is located in front quadrant.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005Still viable after well over a year in pots.
Kind of a bonzified.dwarf.
House plant.
Monday, June 13, 2005Fast and robust growth initially, fell prey to some sort of leaf blight later.
Not on map...located in front quarter of yard.
» Return to jmorth's Diary homepage


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Sep 4, 2003 (CIDRAP News) A new study on anthrax in mice indicates that the organism kills its victims by a different mechanism than previously believed, a finding that could change the approach to drug development for anthrax.
The study, by researchers with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), contradicts the previous belief that anthrax lethal toxin (LT) kills its host by causing the immune system to release a flood of proteins called cytokines, leading to septic shock. Instead, the researchers found that the toxin causes extensive tissue hypoxia, liver damage, and pleural edema. The study appears in the September issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Stephen Leppla, PhD, senior author of the study, said the findings should change approaches to the design of anthrax drugs, according to an NIH news release. "The evidence suggests that current efforts to design cytokine-suppressing drugs to treat lethal toxinmediated events in late stages of anthrax may be misguided," the release states.
Leppla and his colleagues injected hundreds of inbred mice with LT and then took carefully timed measurements to assess how various organs and immune system processes responded, according to the NIH. The researchers found "no evidence of a persistent increase in cytokines, or of a link between cytokine increase and anthrax LT effects, contradicting earlier beliefs."
In a commentary accompanying the research report, Alice S. Prince of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons writes, "The most prominent pathology associated with anthrax lethal toxin was extensive tissue necrosis and hypoxic damage in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow." There was no evidence of widespread blood coagulation or kidney failure, which are the typical results of "enotoxin-mediated shock," she adds.
Leppla, in the NIH release, said science has a good understanding of how anthrax toxins work at the molecular and subcellular levels but not of how the toxins affect tissues and animal models. "Ours is one of the first comprehensive studies to critically examine what is actually happening at these higher levels of complexity," he said.
Prince said further studies are needed to determine exactly how LT causes tissue hypoxia, what metabolic processes are affected in the liver and elsewhere, and how these effects may be blocked.
Moayeri M, Haines D, Young HA, et al. Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin induces TNF-alphaindependent hypoxia-mediated toxicity in mice. J Clin Invest 2003;112(5):670-82 [Full text]
Prince AS. The host response to anthrax lethal toxin: unexpected observations. J Clin Invest 2003;112(5):656-8 [Full text]
See also:
NIAID news release


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Clients cannot connect to Apache when using HTTPS to view web pages.
Hello all this is my first post so please take it easy on me. I will try to include all the necessary information, if I leave anything out or include to much please let me know.
I am running an Apache (vs. 2.2.3-22.el5_3.1.i386), Openssl (vs. 0.9.8e-7.el5.i386) and I have downloaded and installed mod_ssl (vs. 2.2.3-22-el5_3.1.i386)
So here is my problem, I have configured Apache, and SSL (I also have PHP, and MySQL configured). I can start Apache using
# /etc/init.d/httpd start
# service httpd start
If you would like to see that my website is up and running please visit http://www.geoginfo.com to see that Apache is working.
About a week ago I started to configure Apache to work with SSL so that I could get people to submit encrypted data to my server via a form that I created, and you can see by going to http://geoginfo.com/memberform.php.
My problem is if you try to access those web pages (above) via HTTPS by typing https://geoginfo.com for the URL then you will get an an Error: 104 (Error Connection Failed)
However, I can connect to that web page on the server (local host) using HTTPS.
I am not sure if this has more to do with Apache or Certificates. Anyways, presently I have no errors being generated in my log files so asking me to post error would not help. I have a clean working installation of apache configured almost the way I want it.
Below is my httpd.conf file
### Section 1: General Settings
Include conf.d/*.conf
ServerTokens OS
ServerRoot "/etc/httpd"
PidFile run/httpd.pid
Listen 192.168.1.1:80
Listen 192.168.1.1:443
<IfModule prefork.c>
StartServers 8
MinSpareServers 5
MaxSpareServers 20
ServerLimit 256
MaxClients 256
MaxRequestsPerChild 4000
<IfModule worker.c>
StartServers 2
MaxClients 150
MinSpareThreads 25
MaxSpareThreads 75
ThreadsPerChild 25
MaxRequestsPerChild 0
### Section 2: Main Settings
#Apache Directives
User apache
Group apache
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php .php4 .php5#.html .htm
AddHandler php5-script .php
TypesConfig /etc/mime.types
DefaultType text/plain
AddDefaultCharset ISO-8859-1
LogLevel warn
#SSL Directives
SSLRandomSeed startup file:/dev/urandom 1024
SSLRandomSeed connect file:/dev/urandom 1024
SSLSessionCache shmcb:/var/cache/mod_ssl/scache(512000)
SSLSessionCacheTimeout 300
SSLPassPhraseDialog builtin
SSLMutex default
SSLCryptoDevice builtin
### Section 3: Virtual Hosts
NameVirtualHost 192.168.1.1:80
<VirtualHost www.geoginfo.com:80>
ServerAdmin email@example.com
ServerName www.geoginfo.com:80
DocumentRoot "/mnt/data/geoginfo"
DirectoryIndex index.html index.php
ErrorLog logs/error_log
<Directory />
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
<Directory "/mnt/data/geoginfo">
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride AuthConfig FileInfo
#AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
AccessFileName .htaccess
<Files ~ "^\.ht">
Order allow,deny
Deny from all
NameVirtualHost 192.168.1.1:443
<VirtualHost www.geoginfo.com:443>
ServerAdmin firstname.lastname@example.com
ServerName www.geoginfo.com:443
DocumentRoot "/mnt/data/geoginfo"
DirectoryIndex index.html index.php
<Directory />
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
<Directory "/mnt/data/geoginfo">
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride AuthConfig FileInfo
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
AccessFileName .htaccess
<Files ~ "^\.ht">
Order allow,deny
Deny from all
# SSL Configuration Part
ErrorLog logs/ssl_error_log
TransferLog logs/ssl_access_log
LogLevel warn
SSLEngine on
SSLOptions +StrictRequire
SSLProtocol all +SSLv2
SSLCipherSuite ALL:!ADH:!EXPORT:!SSLv2:RC4+RSA:+HIGH:+MEDIUM:+LOW
SSLCertificateFile /etc/httpd/conf/server.crt
SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/httpd/conf/server.key
AddType application/x-x509-ca-cert .crt
AddType application/x-pkcs7-crl .crl
SetEnvIf User-Agent ".*MSIE.*" \
nokeepalive ssl-unclean-shutdown \
downgrade-1.0 force-response-1.0
<Files ~ "\.(cgi|shtml|phtml|php3?)$">
SSLOptions +StdEnvVars
<Directory "/var/www/cgi-bin">
SSLOptions +StdEnvVars
Issuing the command:
# netstat -tna produces:
Active Internet connections (servers and established)
Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address Foreign Address State
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:2208 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:3306 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:111 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 192.168.1.1:80 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:631 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:25 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 192.168.1.1:443 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:2207 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:607 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 192.168.1.1:43391 192.168.1.3:445 ESTABLISHED
tcp 0 0 192.168.1.1:43734 184.108.40.206:80 ESTABLISHED
tcp 0 0 192.168.1.1:57266 184.108.40.206:80 ESTABLISHED
tcp 0 0 :::22 :::* LISTEN
I copied the original certs from /etc/pki/tls/certs which were generated when I used #yum to install ssl into the desired directory which is specified in my httpd.conf file above.
Off the top of my head I can't think of anything else that might help others help me.
So to sum things up, I have a working version of apache running. Clients and localhost can access my server's web pages using HTTP. However, when clients try and access my server's web pages using HTTPS the get an error 104 in the browser. However, i can access my web pages via HTTPS using local host on the server its self. I personally believe that it has something to do with certs and keys and ssl, however I am unsure. Please help.
Matthew Hoggan
Something is fundamentally wrong with this picture. 192.168.1.0/24 is a private network. (Read: not routable across the 'net.)
A little investigation reveals:
%host www.geoginfo.com
Contact your hosting provider (or network admin) to request that tcp 443 connections to 188.8.131.52 are forwarded to your host. That's the glaring problem so far.
Derr... Thank you for your help, sometimes I can be so closed minded. I forgot to port foward on my router on port 443. That explains everything.
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:48 PM.


text:
(Archived document, may contain errors)
691 February 16,1989 TEN s ABOUT IlEvERAGED BUYOUTS Thomas M. Humbert John M. Olin Fellow ITEM: October 15,19
87. Ways and Means Committee approves a $12 billion tax bill denying the tax deductibility of interest expense for borrowing to undertake what are called hostile acquisitions of corporations. ITEM: October 16,19
87. The Nau York Tmes reports the Dow Jones plunged more than 58 points and came the day after the record drop of 95.46 points amid growing signs of anxiety among institutional and individual investors. ITEM: October 19,19
87. The stock market crashes. The WaU Street Journal reports the DOW Jones Industrial Average plummeted an astonishing 508 points, or 22.6% to 1738.
74. The drop far exceeded the 12.8% decline on the notorious day of October 28,1929, which is generally considered the start of the Great Depression pressure and eliminates the provision limiting the interest deduction for corporate takeovers. ITEM: December 17,19
87. The Washington Post reports the Dow Jones average soared in the final hour of trading to post a 32.99 point gain and closed at 1974.
47. In the past eight sessions, the Dow has risen nearly 208 points, or 11.9 percent ITEM: December 16,19
87. The Ways a nd Means Committee bows to rising Can Congress learn from history Is Congress risking a repeat of the October 19,1987, stock market crash after it had proposed anti-buyout tax legislation and thus startled investors and helped trigger the free fall of sto ck prices?
It appears so I Sentiment is mounting on Capitol Hill to do something about the alleged problem of leveraged buyouts, the financing mechanism often used in the headline-grabbing acquisitions and mergers of huge American firms. No less than nine congressional committees have scheduled hearings on the subject of leveraged buyouts, commonly known as LBOs. Among the proposals being considered by congressional leaders: the elimination or scaling back of interest deductibility for certain LBO debt, gr eater regulation of buyouts and bank finance, and sweeping reforms of United States security laws.
Playing with Fire. Yet, if recent history is any guide, government interference with business takeovers is playing with fire. On December 13 1987, the Washin gton Post reported that senior Wall Street officials attributed panic sell9 in the stock market to pending anti-takeover legislation in Congress. Wrote the Part On Wall Street, many senior officials still refer to the proposal as the spark that lit a fire s torm of panic in the financial markets on Oct. 19th. They say that the proposed tax revisions, which if enacted would make many corporate takeovers prohibitively expensive, had a profound effect on professional stock investors during the week before Black Monday, triggering a reaction that eventually spiraled into The issue, simplified, is whether news of the tax proposal during the week of Oct. 12 caused professional speculators to engage in massive sales of takeover-related stocks pushing the market down and generating a broader panic.
Proponents of this theory say fears that the takeover market would be quashed by the tax proposal even affected the stock of companies not involved in active merger deals.The prices of these other stocks, some Wall Street e xecutives argue, were supported by valuation theories that depended on a booming takeover market.
It wasnt an accident. This was what knocked the props out from underneath the market, said Guy Wyser-Pratte, head of arbitrage trading at Prudential-Bache Securities.
Somebody pulled the plug on one of the major reasons for the bull market the restructuring of corporate America.
Somebody found the Achilles heel It was irresponsible.
The degree to which the takeover tax proposal was a factor in the 1987 panic market crash will never be determined with certainty. But evidence of such a link is strengthened by a comparison of takeover stocks and the Dow Jones 1 Steve CoU and David A. Vi What Killed the Stock Boom? Some Point at Tax Idea, The Wahingtm Posf, December 13,1987, p. H-1 2 industrial average of 30 blue-chip issues. As the idea of a tax to end the alleged merger mania of 1987 began to gather strength on Capitol Hill, the combine d prices for potential takeover stocks started falling before the rest of the market did and fell faster. The drop in the takeover market immediately after the tax proposal was passed in committee was no coincidence, nor was the upsurge in the market Decem b er 16th, the day that the Ways and Means Committee voted to strip the tax change from the final tax bill Risking Disaster. This episode should give pause to todays policy makers considering proposed anti-takeover legislation. Yet Congress is considering d i sturbingly similar ideas to stop debt-financed takeovers such as last Novembers W billion leveraged buyout of RIR Nabisco by Kohlberg Kravis, Roberts Co KKR Many lawmakers, analysts, and, apparently ordinary Americans think these buyouts are dangerous to t he economy expensive for the taxpayer, and that they need to be stopped. Wall Street investment advisor Henry Kaufman, for instance, notes that over the past five years the debt of U.S. nonfinancial corporations has gone up by an estimated 840 bpn, while total business equity has contracted by nearly $300 billion. This increased indebtedness, says Kaufman, makes American business far more vulnerable to failure in the next recession.
Before Congress risks a repeat of the 1987 stock market crash, however, it should recognize that the discussion of leveraged buyouts and the purported business debt crisis is enshrouded in myths at least ten of them. If Congress is to enact an enlightened policy toward debt and corporate restructuring, it should distinguish cle a rly between fact and fiction and recognize that precipitous action could spell disaster for the stock market and millions of American investors Myth #I: Leveraged buyouts do not increase company growth or prof itabllity Testifying before the Senate Financ e Committee, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan refuted this popular notion, arguing that Congress should not attempt to restrain the leveraged, or debt-financed buyout boom because it has generally enhanced operational efficiency.
Numerous stud ies of companies following takeovers substantiate what Greenspan says. They confirm that there are dramatic increases in returns on operating assets, greater productivity, and higher efficiency. In a study of 80 takeovers of Fortune 500 firms, for example , University of Chicago economists Robert Vishny and Andrei Shleifer discovered that friendly takeovers are often synergistic and motivated by a desire to use combined 2 Henry Kauhan, Bushs First Priority: Stopping the Buyout Mania, Washington Post, Januar y 1,1989 3 resources more efficiently? Hostile takeovers, by contrast, usually are targeted to poorly performing companies. Such takeovers are particularly useful and beneficial, say the economists, because they attempt to impose discipline from outside on a company that has been performing poorly when the internal control mechanism the board of directors has failed.
The truth is that either form of takeover hostile or friendly is a valuable market mechanism to assure that business assets are being used pro ductively and in the shareholders interest Myth #2: Leveraged buyouts have increased business debt to crisis proportions Dire warnings about a business debt crisis simply overlook the facts. These warnings typically are based on single entry bookkeeping f o cusing only on business debt and ignoring the assets and equity values that offset these liabilities. To be sure, debt has soared. According to the Federal Reserve Board, nonfinancial business debt since 1980 has increased from $1.4 trillion to nearly $3. 2 trillion, or a 128 percent increase.
But this is hardly a debt bomb, since the Dow Jones industrial average of stock prices has risen even faster up nearly 140 percent over the same period. A comparison of business debt-to-equity is one of the best measu res of debt burden, because stock values are the best indicators of future cor porate earnings; as such, stock prices indi cate the level of earn ings the market an ticipates will eventually be earned by the firm to meet its debt obligation.
According to the Joint Committee on Taxation of the U.S. Congress the debt-to-equity ratio is not particularly high by recent standards, and it is well below the level of the late 1970s (see Chart).
Other measures of Debt -Equi t y Ratios for Non-Financial Business I I CI I 40 t po n1 corporate liquidity, such as interest charges compared with pre-tax profits which indicates the capacity of businesses to pay for current interest expense indeed have increased significantly in the 1980s. But the main explanation for 3 L a rry Arbeiter, Aims and Aiming in Corporate Restructuring, Chicago Graduate School of Business Magazine, Fall 1988, p. 18 4 Ibid 4 this is that businessmen and women are borrowing heavily for new investment assets. These new investment projects, once they a re completed will begin to generate the profits that will bring the interest expense-to-profit ratio more in line with historical averages. Improved economic growth, high productivity, and fast rates of business investment all point to the conclusion that business borrowing is being used for income-enhancing investment Averting Bankruptcy. Some industries, admittedly, are seeing large increases in debt. Example: the petroleum and natural gas industries. But these were among the least debt-burdened industri e s of the 1970s. Their increases in debt simply bring their debt burdens into line with historical average In many cases, these increased debt burdens reflect economic adjustments or downturns in certain industrial sectors; for example, the increased debt burden in the petroleum industry is a consequence of the drop in oil prices, not part of an economy-wide trend toward greater debt.
Buyouts, moreover, have occurred in many of these depressed sectors and thus have been tested in bad times in these industri es. Not only have LBOs experienced very few bankruptcies, according to Harvard Business School economist Michael Jansen, but those LBOs that do get into trouble "usually are reorganized in a short period of time (several months is common often under n w m a nagement and at apparently lower cost than would occur in the courts throughout various sectors of the economy is the fact that the five most highly leveraged industries in 1969-1974, according to a Princeton University study all experienced declining deb t -asset ratios through the 1980s: In short, policy makers should not look at increases in debt in some highly visible sectors of the economy and conclude that debt is increasing in the economy as a whole anymore than they should look at decreases in debt i n other industries and assume the reverse.
Considering all sectors of the economy, there is no indication that the distribution of debt among firms has become dangerously lopsided or concentrated in some sectors of the economy. Therefore there is no eviden ce that an economic downturn would be more hazardous to business today than in previous postwar years s Underscoring the point that debt burdens are continually fluctuating Myth #3: American business and manufacturing firms are vulnerable to an economic d o wnturn The fact is that the industrial sector has been one of the least debt-laden sectors of the U.S. economy. As even critics of LBOs acknowledge, there has 5 Michael C. Jensen Is Leverage An Invitation to Bankruptcy The Wall S&et Journal, February 1,19 89, p.
A-14 6 Ben S. Bernanke and John Y. Campbell Is There a Corporate Debt Crisis in William C. Brainard and George L. Perry, e Bmkings Papem on Economic Activify (Washington, D.C.: The Brookings InstitutionJ988), p. 115 5 never been a business debt cris is in America, not even in the 1982 recession when real interest rates reached record heights. Today, the debt burden of American businesses is about half that of Japanese firms and well below West European companies.
Important Role for Banks. Many commen tators are worried that sharp increases in interest rates could undercut the solvency of many leveraged buyouts. But Hawards Michael Jensen points out that many LBOs now protect themselves against such a possibility by setting an upper bound on the intere st rates they will pay or by issuing debt that can be converted from floating rates to fixed interest rates?
Jensen argues that even where bankruptcy occurs, it can perform a very important control function to replace what seems to be a failed model in whi ch the public board of directors monitor management and its strategy directly. The presence of greater debt in takeovers gives banks a more direct control over management, essentially permitting another check on corporate managers in the case that they pu r sue flawed strategies. In case of bankruptcy, bondholders can then more quickly replace the management and pursue a different business strategy under a reformulated company. In this respect, Jensen feels that the U.S. may be moving closer to the Japanese model, where banks perform a more important role in supplying capital and management direction to the business community Myth #4: Leveraged buyouts generate mega-conglomerates Just the opposite is true. Business de-glomeration is underway.
Leveraged buyouts in recent years typically have led to the sale of subsidiaries. In fact, a very valuable effect of LBOs is that they undo the failed acquisition strategies of many large corporations in the 1960s and 1970s, when inflation caused many cor p orate assets to be undervalued and thus ripe for absorption by larger firms. Concludes a recent Securities and Exchange Commission study: One source of value in many corporate takeovers, especially hostile takeovers, is recoupment of target equity value t hat had been lost because of the targets poor acquisition strategies prior to the reception of their bids.g At the same time leveraged buyouts are reducing business concentration they are also strengthening accountability by turning managers into owners.
T his appears to benefit the stockholders. University of Chicago economists Andrei Shleifer and Robert W. Vishny and University of Alberta economist 7 Jensen, op. cit 8 Ibid 9 Gregory A. Robb, 5E.C. Study Links Bad Aquisitions to Later December 5,1988, p. D -2.
The Nav Yo& Ties 6 Randall Morck find that incr asing management ownership in a firm tends to increase the value of a firm 1 Myth #5: Leveraged buyouts cost the U.S. Treasury billions of dollars in lost revenue The purchase of RJR Nabisco, claims Busin ess Week, was subsidized by the U.S. taxpayer to the tune of $5 billion?
Business Week reached its conclusion by estimating the first-year deductible interest expense involved in the deal, which saved the company $682 million in taxes. In a far-fetched li ne of argument, Business Week then put the total subsidy at $5 billion, figuring the $682 million tax saving was sufficient to pay the interest expenses on $5 billion of junk bonds. Applying this same logic, a 100 dollar pay hike should actually be consid ered a $l,OOO income boost because that level of additional income could support a $1,000 loan at a 10 percent interest rate.
Not only was Business Weeks arithmetic embarrassingly misleading in itself, but the magazine overlooked at least four streams of n ew revenue that flowed to the Treasury from the deal and offset the alleged loss to taxpayers 1) RJR Nabiscos deductible interest expense is matched, dollar for dollar by taxable interest income to the new bondholders. Even if only two-thirds of the bond i ncome eventually flows into the hands of taxable institutions, about 500 million in new taxes will be paid on interest income 2) At least another $30 million in tax revenue will be generated from taxes paid on buyout fees charged by investment bankers and lawyers 3) The largest revenue gain, again completely ignored by Business Week, is the tax on over $12 billion in realized capital gains resulting from the takeover bids doubling the value of the stock. Since the stock was purchased by KKR at a much highe r price than the original stockholders paid for the stock, those stockholders selling stock to KKR will pay at least $3.4 billion in capital gains taxes as a result of the stock turnover 4) RJR Nabisco is expected to sell off between $5 billion and $6 bill ion in assets. Substantial taxes on the capital gains from these sales will be paid to the Treasury, adding as much as $1 billion to Treasury coffers, based on a 34 percent corporate capital gains tax rate.
The result: The RJR takeover actually could produce more than $4 billion in net. additional revenue to the Treasury.
And what is true of the RJR deal is also true generally of other leveraged takeovers. In fact, to use BurineSs Weeks bizarre method of calculation, there 10 Arbiter, op. cit p. 19 11 Laur a Saunders, How the Government Subsidizes Leveraged Takeovers, Business Week, November 28 1988, pp. 1921 7 would be a benefit of $30 billion to the U.S. government as a result of the buyout, since a 4 billion tax revenue windfall would pay the interest on $30 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds Myth #6: Leverage buyouts hurt existing bondholders Studies show stock price gains at b out announcements typically are between 10 percent and 20 percent.iome critics of U30s claim that this shareholder gain results simp ly from a transfer of wealth from the existing bondholders of the target firm, since the new debt increases the risk for existing bondholders and reduces the value of their asset.
Yet most studies show that existing bondholders suffer only small wealth los ses. One recent major study finds no significant change in bond prices during a short period surroundingthe buyout announcements. One reason why: bondholders protect themselves through protective bond covenants.
These are contracts between management and new bondholders outlining the legal obligation of corporate management to run the firm in an agreed-upon fashion as a precondition for receiving funding from the bond issue. The covenants prevent the companys management from undertaking harmful actions ag a inst bondholders, such as issuing senior debt, selling off assets, or paying too generous dividends Myth #7: Junk bonds are excessively risky and force companies to sell off the best parts of their assets to service the bonds The term junk bond is very mi s leading junk bonds are not junk at all. In fact, over the past six years, junk bond defaults have averaged below 2 percent; historically, that is a manageable rate and not much different than so-called quality bonds. Junk bonds have simply given smaller b u sinesses the same access to capital markets that huge Fortune 500 corporations have always had. This new access to capital markets by the small and medium sized corporations should be welcomed as a positive development that has aready increased economic g r owth, job creation, and productivity in the U.S economy of their buyout loans on their books. The rest is sold or paid back through asset sales to other financial institutions, such as other banks, pension funds and insurance companies 14 Moreover, indivi d ual banks and other institutions keep only a small portion 12 Arbeiter, op. cit p. 20 13 See, for example, Laurentius Mar& Katherine Schipper, and Abbie Smith, Management Buyout Proposals and Corporate Claimholders: Explicit Recontracting and Differential Wealth Effects, Working Paper University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, September 1987 14 Michael Quint, The Rapid Growth of Junk Bonds, The New Yo& Tunes, November 17,1988, p. B-1 8 Thus buyout debt is not concentrated in the banking sector, thr e atening problems in the financial industry if the default rate were to rise. Buyout debt differs enormously in its pattern of distribution from that of oil industry or farm debt, which has caused problems for banks and savings and loans Junk bonds in fact , account for well under 10 percent of nonfinancial corporate debt. And the savixp and loan industry holds only about 1 percent of its assets in junk bonds 15 Myth #8: Leveraged buyouts are driven by tax laws, causing an overextension of debt by companies U .S. tax laws do favor debt over equity, since interest expense is deductible while dividend payouts are not. This creates problems for the economy because it discriminates against savings. But it is not a problem specifically associated with -0s. Nor does this explain why the value of LBOs increased tenfold over the past eight years. Business interest expenses have been deductible for many years. Indeed, the 1986 tax reform act actually reduced the tax benefits of leveraged buyouts by eliminating special d epreciation breaks for acquired companies and by reducing corporate and individual tax rates. So if tax considerations have been encouraging buyouts, the rate of buyouts should be falling, not climbing.
Even before the new tax law, studies of 93 buyouts be tween 1982 and 1986 by University of Chicago economists Katherine Schipper and Abbie J. Smith conclude at tax gains were not a major motivation for most of the buyouts New York University economist Yakov Amihud agrees The argument that management buyouts a re m tivated only by tax benefits needs more support than is currently available."1' Adding to the puzzle is the fact that inflation usually is seen as a spur to debt-financing, since debtors pay back their debt in cheaper dollars. Yet the low-inflation 1 980s have coincided with a high rate of debt-financed takeovers.
Willing Investors. A more plausible explanation for the rise in LBOs is the stability and prosperity of the U.S. economy. When managers feel that interest rates will stay relatively low, and corporate profitability will be healthy in the future, companies are more willing to issue debt and investors more willing to lend money.
It is wrong, moreover, to assume that debt need be "bad" and equity need be "good Some corporate finance economists p ostulate that the value of a company has little to do with its structure of debt and equity. Certainly there is little evidence on which to conclude that there is some optimal P 15 Bernanke and Campbell, op. cit p. 12A 16 Jerry Knight, 'Regulators Worry A b out Risk in FinanCing of Big Takeovers Wahhgfon Post, November 28 17 Arbeiter, op. cit p. 21 18 Yakov Amihud Management Buyouts and Shareholder's Wealth Presented at the Conference on Management Buyout, New York University Graduate School of Business Admi n istration, May 20,1988 1988, p. A-1 9 combination of debt and equity in any business sector or for the economy as a whole. Some experts even speculate that debt actually holds real advantages over equity, irrespective of the tax consequences moreover, tha t there may be a conflict of interest between managers and stockholders in corporations where managers hold a small equity stake in the company. This conflict occurs because the managers do not suffer a direct wealth loss if their decisions adversely affec t share prices. Individual shareholders in such companies also have little incentive to monitor the decisions of managers since the cost and time involved in monitoring corporate management may be prohibitively high.
Some scholars argue that a major reason for management-led leveraged buyouts is to concentrate accountability into the hands of one owner or a small number of owner-managers. Because ownership is not as diffuse as before, the consequences of business decisions are then borne directly by the ow n er-managers. In short, by making managers into owners, leveraged buyouts help overcome any conflict in managerial incentives and stockholders' interests. For these reasons, many economists argue that these transactions create stockholder wealth gains and e nhance productive efficiency Corporate Confidence. Harvard economist Lawrence Lindsay offers another possible explanation for the growth of leveraged buyouts, namely that businesses believe they can safely take on more debt as a result of their experience in 1982, when the combination of indebtedness, recession, and high interest rates did not lead to a major increase in defaults. "Perhaps corporate managers and their bondholders have come to realize in the wake of the 1982 experience says Lindsay that cor p orations can hold more debt than one might initially have expected without facing critical liquidity or solvency problems."1g the target firm. A recent study of 284 publicly traded companies that went private discovers that these takeovers tended to be of firms with low growth prospects and substantial cash holdings?0 As such, takeovers disgorge cash buildup from low-growth firms and prevent capital from being wasted on less efficient investments Concentrating Accountability. Economists long have recognize d Yet another explanation for the LBO is that it reflects a cash surplus within 19 Bernanke and Campbell, op. cit p. 134. 20 Michael C. Jensen Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow, Corporate Finance and Takeovers,"herican Economic Review, May 1986, pp. 323-3
29. See also, Kenneth Lehn and Annette Poulson, "Free Cash Flow and Stockholder Gains in Going Private Transactions Working Paper, The Securities and Exchange Commission December 21,1988 10 Myth #9: Capital that should be used for productive capital expen d itures is diverted toward unproductive debt Borrowed funds used for leveraged buyouts are not lost or withdrawn from the productive economy. These funds go to buy out the stock of existing shareholders. These former shareholders then can use their proceed s for other investments, savings, stocks, bonds, or consumption. In any event, the borrowed funds are funneled right back into the productive economy, most often into the pension funds and insurance companies who hold a large percentage of stock Myth #IO: I n leveraged buyouts, capital which should be used for research and development, or investment, is diverted to pay back heavy debt burdens for new investment or research and development. University of Chicago economists Schipper and Smith have studied buyo u ts from many perspectives, and have found no indication of reductions in discretionary expenditures, that is research and development, maintenance, repairs, or advertising. They also discovered that increases in debt are correlated positively with increas e s in the return on operating assets. Smiths conclusion I agree with the hypoth,esis that in mature industries, precommitting cash flow to debt may not be such a bad thing.21 Investment, productivity, and job growth, moreover, have surged strongly in the l a st eight years, at the same time that leveraged buyouts have increased tenfold. There is no indication that leveraged buyouts have prevented corporate managers from committing funds for long-term investment and research There is no evidence that the press u re of paying off debt crowds out funds CONCLUSION U.S. tax policy long has favored debt over equity, since interest payments are deductible while dividend payments are not. This tax bias, however, has existed for decades and thus cannot be the cause of th e recent upsurge in leveraged buyouts. A more likely explanation for the surge is that LBOs are a bullish manifestation of American economic health and a welcome antidote to the empire building of the 1970s when inflation made mergers and acquisitions more profitable than new investment. For more than six years, a surge in business confidence has helped generate strong growth and investment with enormous job creation and opportunity investment and consumption is a worthwhile goal that should be vigorously p u rsued. Experience shows, however, that eliminating the interest deduction Dangerous Solution. To be sure, a tax code that is neutral between 21 Arbeiter, op. cit p. 21 11 for corporate debt would be a very dangerous way of moving toward such neutrality, a nd that it likely would have virtually no impact on the rate of buyouts. It could, in fact, trigger a stock market panic by raising the cost of corporate capital. This almost surely is what happened in October 19
87. And this may be what Federal Reserve Bo ard Chairman Alan Greenspan was hinting at last month when he urged the Senate Finance Committee not to tamper with the tax deductibility of corporate interest payments because it would have too many potential adverse side effects Natural Mechanism. Lever a ged buyouts may make life uncomfortable for some corporate executives. LBOs may end the business-as-usual atmosphere in some industries. And LBOs may grab headlines. But LBOs are not a problem for the American economy. They neither reflect nor create a cr i sis of business debt. Instead, leveraged buyouts are a natural mechanism which disciplines wasteful business practices and increases productivity productivity gains. Congress should not impede this progress by trying to micromanage decisions best left up to business men and women with their own money on the line The U.S. currently is financing record new investment and strong 12


text:
|Separate WC's
|0 sq. ft.
|Property type
|Minimum Stay
|4 nights
Steps from the renowned shops of the Marais, and convenient to Paris' public transportation, this is a gem of a Parisian apartment. Ideal for a couple or two, or a family. This is an especially relaxing home away from home.
The master bedroom features a very comfortable four poster bed and has French doors that open on to a small terrace in the interior courtyard of the building - a perfect spot in the peace and quiet for a breakfast, a light lunch, or just for reading. The Terrace can also be accessed from the dining room. Alternatively, the dining room is spacious, and can be used for entertaining. Given the well-designed kitchen, entertaining would be a breeze in this apartment. The living room is spacious and gracious with comfortable sofas, and a large desk. The adjacent small study and library is perfect for a quiet read, for watching television, or converts to second Bedroom.
There is a separate toilet near the entrance, and the principal bathroom has an attractive glass-enclosed shower, along with hand basin and toilet. The single bedroom has the distinction of having a bath tub in the room..
From the mid-thirteenth century, the Marais became one of the most important aristocratic areas of Paris. By World War II the Marais had declined, but a major effort was made beginning in the 1950's to renovate the area. The main palaces and mansions were restored and turned into museums: the Picasso Museum, the Paris Historical Museum and the Cognac-Jay Museum are now prominent and worthy of a visit. The Georges Pompidou Museum, France's national Museum of Modern Art and one of the world's most important cultural institutions was built on the western edge of the Marais. Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano were the architects of this architecturally revolutionary building. The Marais has become incredibly chic and you will find trendy shops, countless art galleries, and all varieties of restaurants and cafés. You can shop away and dine very well between museum visits!
We love this apartment! It is stylish, charming and very comfortable. It has a fantastic and luxurious bathroom, eat-in kitchen and all of the other rooms are lovely. The neighbourhood is great with the Place des Voges nearby, as well the Pompidou and the Seine. There is lots of good shopping close by - and unlike many neighbourhoods, with shops open on Sunday. One of our favourite restaurants is also a 2 minute walk away -- Bofinger! There are also metro stops right outside the door making it easy to get to the Gare du Nord. Highly recommend.
Eiffel Tower
We really enjoyed our stay here. Our greeter Eleanor was very welcoming and helpful, as were Susan and Adriana with the organisation beforehand.. The apartment was very comfortable and well-located. Would definitely recommend it.
Our apartment exceeded our expectations! We met our greeter at our determined check in time. She was full of information and passed along her # if we needed to contact her. The location of this apartment is perfect for having access to anything and everything. Everything you may need is available in the kitchen. Ten days was too short, but we hope to visit Paris again. So glad we picked out this place.
My wife and I spent 10 nights in this lovely Paris apartment. It was like being in a comfortable home,in a secure and centrally located area. The metro is steps away, and the whole of Paris is easily reachable. The apartment is well appointed,and all requisite appliances work well. I highly recommend this apartment.
This lovely Paris apartment was perfect for my family of four complete with 2 teenaged daughters. It was lovely and charmingly decorated. The location could not have been better with the Marais district just across the street and all the beauty of Paris within walking distance. We enjoyed the best of both worlds with the living room windows opening out onto the energetic boulevard and quiet privacy of our own bedroom terrace. I highly recommend this apartment for gracious, authentic Parisian style living. The apartment, location and market just around the corner made me feel like a true Parisian if only for a week!
*Plus compulsory or optional charges based on actual occupancy or consumption. The payment has to be made in the currency offered by the property manager, before use of conversion tool. Payments in other currencies have to be negotiated beforehand with the property manager. The currency conversion tool is provided for your convenience only and is non-binding.


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Enlightened Society Assembly
with Acharya Richard John & Shastri Mary Campbell
Above prices include all meals. Accomodation is extra.
Enlightened Society Assembly is a Shambhala mahayana program that emphasizes the view of the intrinsic goodness of all beings, practices that rouse bodhichitta and compassionate openness, and confident activity that engages fully in the world. In particular, living up to its name, this Assembly will focus on how we can create enlightened society on the spot, at home, in our city and nation, and wherever we go.
You should only register with Dorje Denma Ling after you have been accepted by the Office of Practice and Education. To attend this Assembly, there are prerequisites, and you must apply to and be approved by the Shambhala Office of Practice and Education. For more information about this process, click here.
*If you are Interested in Staffing Enlightened Society Assembly click HERE
*Please Note: There will be a materials fee for this program that is NOT included in the above prices. As soon as we know the materials fee we will post it here.
Full program tuition $1,595 plus accommodations:
We invite you to pay the full tuition rate. By doing so, you make it possible for us to offer scholarships to others, while also covering the direct cost of your stay here and contributing to our year round operations. Interest free payment plans are an option for those who choose this tuition level at $ 266 per month over 6 month.
Discounted program tuition $1,395 plus accommodations: If the full tuition is unworkable for you, please pay the discounted rate if you can. The operational costs for this program not covered by program fees come from donations.
Discounted tuition plus payment plan $232.50/month: If having 6 months to pay makes the discounted tuition possible for you, please choose this interest free option. If you select this payment plan option, after finishing your registration, please call the registrar at DDL to set up the payment schedule.
Please Note: Above prices include meals but not accommodations. For summer programs, we offer three lodging options:
Bring your own tent and set up on one of our tent platforms: $10 per night
Hut/cabin: $25 per night, $375 for the program
Dorm tent: $20 per night, $300 for the program
Gyatso Lodge: $50 per night, $750 for the program
Gyatso Lodge has double and triple rooms with shared hallway bathrooms. The huts, dorm tents and cabins have 2 - 8 occupants and share an outdoor bath-house.
Financial Aid Questions:
All program costs at Dorje Denma Ling are workable. With either of the tuition choices above, we can provide a payment plan of up to 6 months. If you require further financial assistance please download our financial aid form here (PDF).
If you have any questions about the financial aid or payment plans, please contact us at 902-657-9085 or via email at [email protected] Please note that we cannot arrange tuition discounts at registration.
Deposits will be refunded up to 30 days prior to the program, less a 10% administration fee. Deposits will be 50% refunded up to 10 days prior to the program.
There is no refund of deposits for cancellations less than 10 days before the start of a program.
To register please click on the "Registration" button below or call us at (902) 657-9085 . Please make a deposit of $250 or more after registering; you can do so with the Paypal page that comes up after registering, or by sending us a check or calling us with your credit card number. You do not need a Paypal account to use the Paypal page; there is an option for credit cards there too.


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Lite Source Inc [1]. has completed its move to a new headquarters located in Chino, CA.
According to company management, the new headquarters enables Lite Source to increase its efficiencies across the board, including getting product to the market in a more time and cost-effective manner.
The new building, purchased by the owners of Lite Source, is located at 4980 Eucalyptus Avenue and occupies 183,000 square feet of space that includes offices, the warehouse and distribution facility.
"The move actually began back in December 2012," explains President David Lu. "We were fortunate with the close proximity to the former building that we leased and we were able to have our staff working at both locations until the move was complete".
For further information, contact Lite Source at 909.597.8892 or by e-mail at [email protected] [2].
[1] http://www.lite-source.com
[2] mailto:[email protected]
[3] https://www.residentiallighting.com/sites/residentiallighting.com/files/LiteSourceNewHeadquarters.jpg


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Glenn Howard has hit the sweet spot in his curling career.
The oldest player in the 2013 Tim Hortons Brier at 50 combines experience few possess with the skill his brother Russ says he's always had, plus some of the best position players in the game as teammates.
Howard, third Wayne Middaugh, second Brent Laing and lead Craig Savill open the Canadian men's curling championship Saturday at Rexall Place as defending champions and Ontario's representative.
Howard will play in his 15th Brier this year, which is more than any curler in tournament history. He'll pass the previous record of 14 held by RuNatiss, who was Glenn's skip for their first seven Canadian championships.
Glenn played in his first Brier in 1986 and won his first title playing third for Russ the following year when it coincidentally was held in Edmonton.
"I'm still flabbergasted, on a personal note, that I've gone that many times," Howard says. "I surrounded myself with great curlers. It's not just me. It's because the other three players I've played with over the 30-some years I've been competing.
"I went to seven with my brother and then I had about a 12-year hiatus from getting back to the Brier and didn't think it was ever going to happen again."
But Howard, Laing and Savill are extending their run of representing Ontario at the Brier to eight straight years. They've won the Canadian title twice and also lost in the Brier final four times during that span.
Middaugh joined the team prior to last season when they won in Saskatoon and then went on to to capture the world championship.
"My first Brier win was '87 and my last was last year, 25 years difference," Howard acknowledged. "I'm proud of the fact I've personally stayed competitive.
"The last seven or eight years has probably been some of the best curling I've done on a personal basis, but you're only as good as your team. You can play great, but if you don't have great guys behind you, it's not going to happen."
The Ontario foursome, Alberta's Kevin Martin and Manitoba's Jeff Stoughton are co-favourites heading into 84th Canadian men's curling championship. The host team of Martin, John Morris and front end Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert are the reigning Olympic champions. Stoughton is a three-time Brier winner.
Howard, Martin and Stoughton were also the first three teams to secure berths in December's Olympic trials in Winnipeg.
The Brier's first draw is Saturday afternoon, but the three headliners play their first games in the evening. Martin and Stoughton open the round-robin against each other, while Ontario faces B.C.'s Andrew Bilesky.
The top four teams at the conclusion of the preliminary round Friday advance to the Page playoff. The winner of the March 10 final represents Canada at the world championship March 20 to April 7 in Victoria.
The Howard brothers won a pair of Canadian championships during their seven years as teammates until Russ moved to New Brunswick and represented that province. Russ, now a television analyst, says his brother was always one of the best in the game.
"He's kind of had three careers in my mind - vicing for me and I thought he was the best vice in the world. He had 10 years that he had to learn to be a skip and get a good team and then he's had this run here, which is incredible," Russ said.
"I would say he's been very similar in ability right from '86 until now. Probably his best attribute is how consistent he's been for so long."
Glenn says working with a personal trainer for the last four years helped him maintain his skills.
"I think at age 50 you have no choice," he says of his workouts. "I've been in the best shape now than I have been in 20 years. Because of that, I have fewer aches and pains and because of that I feel rejuvenated."
Russ still has a curling bauble that his younger brother wants. Russ was on Brad Gushue's team that won an Olympic gold medal in 2006. Glenn Howard wants to win the trials and represent Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
"I think that's big," Savill said. "That's the one thing he doesn't have right now. I think it would mean more than anything to get to the Olympics. I think if he got to the Olympics I think that would just cap off his career nicely."
Savill, 34, remembers rushing home from school during the 1990s to watch the Howard team on television compete the Brier.
"I still feel like a young guy and I can't believe he's the same guy I used to grow up watching," the lead said. "He's been playing this game at a high level for 30 years and he's still tenacious and wants to go and play.
"He's trying to add 'spiels to our schedule and he's the most upset when we lose. Once you lose that fire, you might as well get out of the game."
Saturday's games
First Draw, 3:30 p.m.
Northern Ontario vs. Northwest Territories/Yukon; New Brunswick vs. Quebec; Nova Scotia vs. Newfoundland & Labrador; Saskatchewan vs. Prince Edward Island.
Second Draw, 8:30 p.m.
Newfoundland & Labrador vs. Prince Edward Island; Alberta vs. Manitoba; Northwest Territories/Yukon vs. New Brunswick; Ontario vs. British Columbia.Report Typo/Error


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I have found that http://www.baudville.com/ has some nice stuff.
Try Baudville.com. They have a ton of small recognition ideas.
A day off that doesn't count against PTO is also a great way to recognize/reward someone.
Reasonably priced, you can present your group or individual with a gift from www.successories.com. From pins to awards you can find a variety of products to fit the occasion. Also, this website has a large variety of motivational quotes. Hope this helps!
We had all employees fill out this form and return to their respective manager and managers to their supervisor and so on. This way when an employee deserves recognition, they will get it in the form that they indicated they appreciate the most. here it is:
Please indicate the response that best describes your feelings about each of the reward and recognition ideas.
1. No Importance to Me
2. Minimal Importance to Me
3. Neutral
4. Important to Me
5. Very Important to Me
Verbal words of thanks given privately
Verbal recognition given publicly
Written note of appreciation
Certificate of Appreciation
Gift Certificate
Visa/MasterCard gift card
Team Celebration
Recognition in the Company Newsletter
Recognition by senior leadership
I came to work for (company name) because
I stay with (company name) because
My favorite candy is ________________________________________________________________
My favorite restaurants are ________________________________________________________________
My favorite snack food is ________________________________________________________________
My favorite store is ________________________________________________________________
My favorite hobby is ________________________________________________________________
My favorite form of entertainment
(i.e. movies, sports, events) ________________________________________________________________
I just read an article yesterday that said people are so stressed & worried about making ends meet that productivity is dropping like a rock. I would suggest gift cards, cash, prepaid GAS cards, etc. Don't waste money on frou-frou, feel-good items that are just a slap in the face for those who really could use a RAISE to cope with these terrifying economic times.
We created a team game where the employees do things like volunteer in the community or donate items, recycle etc. They also celebrate birthdays, occasions, bring in food, celebrate sporting events and holidays by dressing in "gear" and jeans. We are a medical facility so celebrating can involve the patients, like giving valentines etc. It created a ton on community involvment in several different ways. And all the above mentioned the employees get points. There is a goal for each quarter; 1st quarter they get a "date night" kit (movie tickets and popcorn money), 2nd quarter they get a "survival kit" (Gas Gift Card, Coffe Gift Card and Lunch Gift Card, all $10.00), 3rd Quarter you get $250 and your team gets 2 hours paid time to go have lunch together one day, 4th Quarter they get an additional day off. If all teams win, which they always do, the owner takes the entire company on an outing paid. We close the office, get on buses and go have fun. The employee moral has inclined over the passed 4 years since we started the game and the patients feel that too so it was a win win for everyone.
We have a program where employees are given stickers and mini certificates for each time someone writes up a "name of award" letter that states why they are being recommended. Letters have been known to come from other employees and/or customers and are read by the bosses in their department meetings and presented to the staff person. They can display their stickers and/or post card size certificates for the award in their cubicle. There is a group luncheon for those who have been nominated 3-5 times during the course of the year. They are recognized at the luncheon by the President and/or top executives of the company. They also get a gift card for $100 which they can spend in the company logo store website.
I'd prefer gift cards from places I'd shop on regular basis. Drug store, grocery, gas et al., but I'm on the practical side.
Brenda, I support a team of 20 people. We have a "Manager's Cup" award that is given monthly to the person that has made a significant contribution...or...had a project with an outstanding outcome...or... has shown leadership/positive attitude in a challenging situation, etc. The award is your typical $25 trophy about two feet tall. The recipient gets to keep the trophy at their desk for the entire month. Then the trophy is given to the next winner to display at their desk for the next month. The trophy is not very exciting to look at, so we decided to do something different to make it fun. Before the trophy is handed off to the next winner, the current winner has to ADD AN ITEM to the trophy. This makes the trophy personal and quite unique! Some of the items that have been added: a string of battery operated lights, a princess tiara, a toy motorcycle, a "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign, a "Patron Saint of Eternal Optimism" charm and a musical greeting card...and lots more fun things that say something about the person that added them. Needless to say, our trophy is the talk of the building! And, it's an honor to receive the trophy not only for what you have done, but for what you can add to it! People on the team look forward to the announcement of the winner and to see what the previous winner has added. So, for a mere $25 and a little imagination from the trophy's winners, we have a highly coveted recognition award.
A tour of another company is a nice reward for a small group of people, especially if it is a company that uses your product, service, etc. Sometimes you don't know exactly how your product/service gets used, or if you are only a small part of the final product, it is nice to see your company's end result.
Check out http://www.octanner.com
They have great ideas and packages in all price ranges and will design a program specific to your company. This is the group that came up with the "carrot" concept!
My boss used to do that too. I started telling him, "those shirts are really cool and I'd like to have one just like the guys". That worked with shirts and then a nice outdoors jacket a few months later. Now he doesn't think twice and just includes me in the "giveaways". Try it!
We have a formal employee recognition event annually at our company. People are nominated for recognition in a number of different categories, and the nominations are reviewed by a series of employee committees. The actual reward is cash and a paid day off. While T-shirts, coffee mugs, etc. are nice, our employees, who are well-paid, really like having that extra day off.
I love the idea of giving gas cards as long as it pays for more than half a tank of gas.
And now a days it is closer to $60 or more to fill the tank.
A nice lunch at their favorite place would be good. Even a day off.
$50 just does not come close to the cost of things these days.
I developed an employee recognition program for my company three years ago and it is quite successful. Most surveys tell you that money and raises are important, however, there is nothing like a public "Thank You" to generate loyalty and that sense of pride in doing a job well or staying at a company through good times and challenging times. We utilize the services of Terry Berry Company. They customize the program to suite your needs and brand your logo onto the items. Check out their website at www.terryberry.com. Good Luck.
our HR department, we have three types of Spot Awards Progams. The
first is the "Pat on the Back Star" which provides immediate thanks for
a job well done. Types of service are Same day acknowdgement, Teamwork,
Acting quickly, rapid resolution and Service with a human touch. For
this we award a silver star which they can display and a $20 Target
gift card. These are given peer to peer (i.e. employees within the
department reward each other)
The second program is the "Flash" award which rewards personal growth and professional achievements with a $100 SuperCertificate which can be redeemed for vaious on-line items. This is designed to recognize strong initiative, courage and other key competencies such as Handling a tough situation especially well, identifying or mitigating a risk associated with their job function, a leap forward in personal development, perserverance in overcoming obstacles, teamwork, collaboration and flawless execution on a key initiative. This is awarded by their director or above.
The last spot award we have is an American Express gift check of vaious amounts. This also is awarded by their director and is for employees who demonstrate leaderhship competencies such as taking action and getting results, talking personal accountability for delivering quality (accurate) results, taking calculated risks - excelling at making risk/reward trade-offs, demonstrating can-do intensity and optimism, understanding and adapting external knowledge to improve the company's performance and using our time and those of others, effectively. Amounts for this range from $100 - $500.
Our company spans over 7 states with roughly 375 employees. Each year we begin in July with employee appreciation days. Each site is assigned a date and management visits with grill and spatula in hand. A barbeque is held with management setting up, cooking and distributing food to employees. Handouts are given, most of the time it is company T-shirts, caps and other small items. Annual service awards are handed out, via plaques and VISA gift card in a denomination associated with years of service. HR is always there for question/answer sessions and with information packets on benefits provided. This seems to maintain morale with the knowledge that management makes the effort.
We have forms to complete if you want to recommend someone for the Way-To-Go award. The management team look them over and choose one to win a $25 gift certificate to the place of their choice. The winner is announce at each monthly saff meeting.


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Our cultural tradition says that love ideally finds its fullest expression in marriage, it says that sex properly presupposes marriage, and that the goal or purpose of sex is to eventually conceive children. Sex also can be seen as a source of pleasure and emotional intimacy, or as a special way of communicating care and concern. These different views have profound consequences for what we take to be moral and immoral, or proper and perverse.
The concept of love changes with time and culture. In ancient Greece, homoeroticism was an accepted expression of love, while marriages involved power, property, and the domestic task of procreation. During the Middle Ages, love was ideally a spiritual or religious phenomenon; only in the 17th and 18th centuries did "romantic love" emerge. It is little recognized that marriages now tend to be more concerned with love than ever before.
©1995 Knowledge Products, Inc.; (P)1995 Knowledge Products, Inc.
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Who Believes In the Big Bang?
While more than half of Americans are skeptical of the Big Bang theory, only a quarter question that there is a creator, according to an Associated Press poll.
The poll also found that a sizable minority question evolution, global warming and whether the earth is billions of years old.
The AP poll asked participants to rate their confidence on several statements relating to medicine and science. Fifty-one percent of surveyed Americans said they are "not too/not at all confident" that "the universe began 13.8 billion years ago with a big bang." Only 25 percent expressed skepticism that "the universe is so complex, there must be a supreme being guiding its creation."
Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/51-percent-of-americans-skeptical-of-big-bang-theory-says-ap-poll-118558/