text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|25 Aug 2009
|Filing date
|10 Jul 2001
|Priority date
|12 Oct 2000
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Rebecca Lynn Siegel, Jeffrey David Finocchiaro, William Fredrick Herberger
|Original Assignee
|Jpmorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (103), Non-Patent Citations (8), Referenced by (8), Classifications (17), Legal Events (5)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/239,277 filed Oct. 12, 2000, assigned or under obligation of assignment to the same entity as this application, and which application is incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to the field of financial support services, and in particular, to the use of advanced account metrics to manage, evaluate and reward customer service representatives or other service agents performing account management in a bank or other institution.
Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) are employed by banks and other companies to handle inquiries by account holders regarding their accounts, and to contact account holders regarding market promotions, delinquent accounts and other programs. The CSRs may handle credit card accounts, mortgages, personal loan or other types of accounts.
When contacting delinquent account holders, for instance, CSRs are often directed to try to obtain a promise from the account holders to pay a certain amount of the balance due. Each CSR may be made responsible for a certain number of late, underpaid or otherwise delinquent or noncurrent accounts. For example, a CSR may be assigned a set of delinquent or other accounts, and may have inbound or outbound calls on those accounts distributed to them via an automated call engine while on shift. The amount that the account holders promise to pay may be determined by discussions between the account holder and the CSR servicing the account.
Large banks and other organizations may spend significant resources, sometimes millions of dollars per year, to staff and employ CSRs around the clock in such concerted service and collection efforts, at call centers, Web centers and other facilities. However, it is difficult to measure whether this deployment of CSRs is beneficial to the bank, or how productive the efforts of the call center or other CSR facility are in terms of improving account performance.
One known method of evaluating collection operations is to measure the percentage of promises to pay by delinquent account holders that are kept within a specified window of time. Another method is to measure the average size of payments which are fulfilled. A third method is to measure the percentage of promises kept per hour worked by CSRs.
However, these and other methods of evaluating CSRs and other personnel encourage those personnel to emphasize behaviors that may not be optimal to the bank or other institution. For instance, one incentive these conventional measurement schemes present to CSRs is to request promises for payment sizes that are smaller than what an account holder may be able to pay. Since an account holder is more likely to make good on a smaller payment, CSRs may tend to be satisfied with promises for smaller payments so that there is more likelihood that the payment will be made. Since the CSRs may receive bonuses or other awards based on the number or percentage of promises to pay that are kept or the number of payments kept per hour worked, regardless of amount, securing the smaller payments may be advantageous to the CSR.
Although a high percentage of promised payments made appears efficient, and may make the CSR appear productive, the total amount of the payments made or the payments made to each particular account may not be fully advantageous for the bank or other institution on an overall basis.
Even when this effect is somewhat taken into account by using a metric such as average payment size, one large up front payment could-raise the average for a given set of accounts handled by a CSR. Securing such a payment may induce the CSR to be satisfied with smaller payment promises or forbearance for the remaining balance on that account, or on other accounts for a measurement period when greater amounts could be secured.
There are moreover further account considerations not addressed by promise-kept or averaging techniques. If the amount of the payments made on account are generally small, such as, for example, a quarter or half of the amount that is owed on the balance for the last month, receiving the payment may not change the delinquency status of the account. That may not serve the goals of the bank or other institution.
Credit cards for instance are unsecured loans. Under financial regulations, if an account is delinquent for a certain number of months, a bank may no longer be able to record or list that account as an asset. Thus, receiving only a portion of one month's regular calculated payment may not be beneficial to a bank if, even after the payment, the account may remain delinquent by the same number or a greater number of months.
In the collections industry accounts may consequently be classified or staged, for delinquency purposes, in categories sometimes called "buckets". Each bucket may represent the number of months that an account is delinquent. For example, the accounts in "Bucket 0" are not delinquent (current), the accounts in "Bucket 1" are one month delinquent, and so forth. Experience has shown that a majority of the accounts in Bucket 1 or Bucket 2 are likely to move back in to Bucket 0 within a relatively short time, and be restored to current status.
However, when an account moves beyond Bucket 2, the account is empirically less likely to move back to Bucket 0 and may be more likely to descend into lower levels of delinquency. Therefore, it is be beneficial to a bank or other entity to efficiently move accounts to lower numbered buckets, that is, to a better state of currency. The bank may then maintain the accounts as recordable assets.
For example, if a bank can not list an account that is over seven months delinquent as an asset, receiving a quarter or a half of a month's payment on such an account may not be enough to change the account's delinquency status. The account will thus progress past the maximum delinquency allowance, so that the bank may not be able to record that account as a receivable asset. At that stage some banks may send or sell the account to a separate collections facility, and the account may have to be written off for tax, regulatory or other purposes.
Thus, a partial payment received by the bank which does not move the account up to a less-delinquent status may not help the institution's bottom line, although it may make the CSR seem efficient and help the CSR earn a bonus or other incentive under promise-kept or other conventional schemes.
Although certain banks have tracked the aggregate movement of accounts through different levels of delinquency in the past, movement of accounts through buckets has not been used as a management tool at least at the level of CSRs or other employees. Thus, managers have not been able to assess the individual impact that CSRs, teams of CSRs or other units have on so-called roll rates (movement of accounts between buckets) and other aspects of financial performance. Other drawbacks exist.
The invention overcoming these and other problems in the art relates to a system and method for supervising account management operations, which in one regard are capable of tracking and quantifying account movement through different stages of delinquency at the level of individual CSRs, groups of CSRs and other organizational levels. The invention in one respect includes a method and apparatus configured to record account movement in a delinquency movement matrix (DMM), and other data and reporting structures. The invention may permit managers to monitor and model the performance of collection and other operations according to results such as balances shifted upward in currency, and other metrics which may be most functionally meaningful to the organization's goals.
According to the invention, account tracking information may be obtained from a set of data tables for a predetermined window of time following receipt of a promise to pay. Information inserted into that table or other record may include an account identifier, updated account information, chargeoff information, payment amount and other information. A server or other resource may generate a report indicating the movement of the accounts between buckets for predefined accounts or groups of accounts, CSRs, teams of CSRs or other units based on the payment history table and other information.
The invention may thus generate one or more metrics related to the accounts in the institution's portfolio, including to track how accounts move through different levels of delinquency over time. The invention may record data reflecting the performance of individual CSRs, in one embodiment by multiplying the number of buckets or levels moved by the account balance so moved.
In another regard the invention relates to data processing and other equipment, software, logic and other resources configured to track the movement of accounts through the different thresholds of delinquency, as well as to generate reports and other information at the level of individual CSRs, teams of CSRs, groups of teams of CSRs and other hierarchical levels in a scalable fashion.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are referenced with like numerals.
As illustrated in
The agent workstations 112 may communicate with an operations server 114 to record account information in the account database 116, generate reports and generally manage collections and other operations. It will be understood that although operations facility 110 is illustrated as a single site, in different implementations of the invention one or more resources may be distributed to different data centers, call centers of other facilities.
As illustrated, negotiations thus may be conducted and payment promises may be made to a CSR or other agent over the telephone, the Internet or any other communication medium, for instance at a call center, Internet center, in person at a banking or other office, or at or through other local or remote locations and facilities.
As shown for instance in the architecture of
The action table 502 may communicate with a rolling activity table 510 reflecting overall activity related to accounts, and communicating with other tables and resources. The invention may retrieve the records of each account added to the rolling activity table 510 since the last retrieval, including records reflecting payment and other activity by or from cardholder 504.
The invention may retrieve the baseline delinquency of each account at the time the promise is received from a cardholder table 508. The baseline delinquency may be recorded with the account and promise information in the rolling activity table 510 or other record.
According to the invention the movement of accounts across different levels of delinquency may be tracked after a predetermined time period. For example, the accounts for which promises have been received may be tracked after 10 days. Other periods of time may be used. A period of time less than a normal account statement period may be preferable, so that movements to higher account status may be reflected within a regular reporting period.
The invention may check to see if the account remains present in the cardholder table 508 after the predetermined time period. If the account is present in the cardholder table 508, the invention may retrieve updated account information from the cardholder table 508 and compare the baseline delinquency of the account to the updated delinquency of the account. If the account is not present, processing of that account may terminate.
In this regard, the network of the invention may obtain the current cardholder table 508 or other information from a separate data warehouse or processing facility, such as via nightly or other periodic download from the commercial First Data Resource or other data service, which may be in CD191 or other file formats. Other data sources, formats and infrastructures are possible.
If an account is not present in the cardholder table 508 the network of the invention may check if the account has been charged off (i.e., dropped from the account database 116 or other records because the delinquency period has extended beyond the maximum allowed delinquency period). If the account has been charged off, the bucket for the account may be set to the highest bucket or delinquency rating number plus one. For example, if the maximum allowable period of delinquency is 7 months, the highest bucket number may be 8 indicating charge off.
If the account has not been charged off, the bucket for the account may be set to 0, indicating that the account is assumed to have become current. Other flags and conditions are possible. Once charged off, accounts may be stored in charge-off table 514.
The network of the invention may obtain payment information from a payment table 518 for a predetermined time period following receipt of the promise. The invention may insert each of the accounts tracked, the updated account information for each account, chargeoff information and the payment information for each account into a processed promises table 516 or other record reflecting which promises on payment have been fulfilled, which have not been fulfilled, have been rescheduled, and other information.
At daily, weekly or other time points, the network of the invention may receive information from the rolling activity table 510, processed promises table 516 and other resources to feed a delinquency movement matrix module 512. The delinquency movement matrix module 512 may generate reports, including reports indicating the transition of different accounts through different currency levels for a time frame of interest. The output of the delinquency movement matrix furthermore may include results derived from individual CSRs, teams of CSRs, groups of teams of CSRs, lines of business, divisions, sites or other units of the processing institution.
The delinquency movement matrix module 512 may also receive information from, or provide access to, other resources including a web interface 520 and an organizational hierarchy 522 to generate selectable reports. Web interface 520 may provide CSRs, supervisors, accounting personnel or other authorized employees, agents or others to view, search, update or otherwise manipulate the delinquency movement matrix 512 and reports generated thereby, or associated information. The Web interface 520 may be accessible through, for instance, dial-up connections, network-enabled wireless or other connections. Different implementations of the Web interface 520 may incorporate security features such as passcode, biometric, Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or other security techniques to regulate access privileges, e-mail availability and other resources.
The delinquency movement matrix module 512 may likewise communicate with the organizational hierarchy 522, such as a database of a corporation's CSRs or other employees, groups, teams, locations, divisions, subscribers or other units or assets of that organization. Interrogation of the organizational hierarchy 522 may permit generation of team-level, division-level or other combined reports on account management and service performance.
In one regard, the ability to generate multilevel reports may be exploited to produce output such as the contribution curve illustrated in
The information collected by the delinquency movement matrix 512 module may be interrogated to generate reports. Those reports may be built to depict the movement of the accounts between buckets for predefined sets of accounts, such as the report 202 illustrated in
The report 202 may be divided into fields representing which delinquency buckets the accounts were in at the time the promises were made and encoded to illustrate whether the accounts rolled backward (went from a higher bucket number to a lower bucket number such as, for example, from Bucket 1 to Bucket 0), rolled forward (went from a lower bucket number to a higher bucket number such as, for example, went from Bucket 2 to Bucket 3) or remained static.
The report 202 and other tables, charts and data generated by the invention may in one regard be used to manage, provide incentives to and reward CSRs or other staff. In one embodiment, the CSRs may be allocated points based on the number of buckets that an account has moved over a given cycle time. That point total may be weighted or multiplied by the amount of the account or other parameters.
For example, if a CSR or other agent is able to move a $5,000 account from Bucket 2 to Bucket 1 by successfully securing a promise to pay arrears which is then fulfilled within one cycle of time in one embodiment, the CSR may be awarded 1�5,000=5,000 points. If a CSR or other agent is able to move a $2,000 account from Bucket 3 to Bucket 0 by successfully securing a promise to pay a balance in full which is then fulfilled within one cycle time, the CSR may be awarded 3�2,000=6,000 points.
On the other hand, if a CSR or other agent successfully secures a promise to pay which is then fulfilled but which does not cause a change in bucket status, the CSR may be awarded zero points. Depending on implementation, the CSRs or other agents may receive negative points if an account for which they are responsible enters a deeper stage of delinquency due to failure to receive further payments during the cycle period. A points chart illustrating points which may be awarded to CSRs is shown in the report 202 of
Other weightings, scalings or point allocations are possible. For instance, in another embodiment the balance-bucket product may be multiplied by a risk factor rating to allow for the fact that some accounts, for instance higher-bucket denominations, present a greater risk of default than others. The risk factor rating may be expressed as a percentage or other numerical estimate that the account will move into default, or deeper into default, during the next regular statement period. If expressed as a percentage, one illustrative risk factor weighting may include the multiplying of the balance-bucket product by the percentage risk, so that CSRs may be awarded a greater number of net points for moving an account at for example 90% risk than an account at say 10% risk, for the same balance-bucket product.
In another embodiment, the balance-bucket product may be further weighted by an outcome factor, reflecting the fact that certain call outcomes may be more desirable to the bank than others. For instance, collecting the entire delinquent balance is generally a better solution than "settling" on the account, that is, writing off a portion of the delinquent balance in exchange for a payment for the remainder. Without an outcome scaling factor, both outcomes could be treated equally. When applied, the outcome factor may modify the points earned, with the most optimal outcomes being associated with the highest scaling factors. CSRs successfully negotiating optimal call outcomes may receive higher point totals than those who negotiate sub-optimal results.
As noted, the predetermined window of time over which the promise to pay may be fulfilled may be 10 or another number of days, generally designed to encourage prompt reconciliation of payments. In one embodiment, telephonic check payments via the Automated Clearing House (ACH) may be processed on the same or a different call with the account holder, or credit card or other payments may be processed in different implementations to help ensure that payments are credited within the 10 day or other window.
The invention may thus be used as a tool by and for CSRs, managers and others to monitor how they are performing and how their oversight affects the overall account posture of the bank or other entity. The invention may likewise be used as a tool for management to identify improper promise-taking, and more intelligently target CSR training. Reports may be generated on the account movements achieved by individual CSRs, groups of CSRs, divisions of an organization or other units or subunits of the operator.
For instance, CSRs who work mainly with certain buckets may be grouped together and compared to each other, so that comparisons of performance are made more fair. For example, a backward roll from Bucket 7 to Bucket 6 may be more difficult to accomplish than a backward roll from Bucket 2 to Bucket 1 so that only Bucket 7 CSRs may be compared to other Bucket 7 CSRs.
In different embodiments, different CSR groups may be provided with different modes of contacting account holders. For instance, for account holders having relatively small account balances at small degrees of delinquency, say Bucket 1, the CSR may operate an automated telephone dialing system which automatically calls customers at home or other telephone numbers, from a database. When the call is not answered, the automated dialing system may proceed to a next number generated by the database.
Conversely, for relatively large accounts at deeper stages of delinquency, CSRs may operate telephones to dial available numbers manually, at times and frequencies of their discretion in order to facilitate constructive contact and negotiation with the consumer.
The CSRs may likewise be divided into teams, and aggregate data on those teams may be analyzed and used for evaluation of teams or groups of teams against each other. The invention may likewise be used to analyze company and generate reports on an aggregate level, for divisions or the entire bank or other institution. For instance, individual banks or credit card brands operated by an overall entity may be individually analyzed, as for instance illustrated in
Overall processing of account management is illustrated in
In step 316, the delinquency movement matrix module 512 may receive a summary data file, such as from a data reporting bureau or other source. In step 318, the delinquency movement matrix module 512 may process data from a variety sources, including any summary data file, the processed promises table 516, the organizational hierarchy 522 and other sources. In step 320, the delinquency movement matrix module 512 may calculate a movement matrix and other outputs reflecting account transitions. In step 322, the delinquency movement matrix module 512 may generate a report 202, such as the type illustrated in
The foregoing description is illustrative, and adaptations of the invention will occur to persons skilled in the art. For instance, while the invention has been described as generally operating to generate individual reports, multiple reports may be generated, separated, merged or otherwise combine, for instance for separate or related entities. Likewise, while the invention has been generally been described in terms of the tracking of credit accounts, other types of accounts or relationships may be managed according to the invention. The scope of the invention is intended to be limited only by the following claims.
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|Method and apparatus for scoring the likelihood of a desired performance result
|3 Dec 1999
|28 Sep 2004
|Dcs, Inc.
|Workflow management system
|Anonymous, Delivering the Right Information to the Right Resource or Every Customer, Interaction; Intelligent Callrouter, www.geotel.com/solutions/icr, 1998.
|Computer Telephony Solutions, The Customer Interaction Specialists, Computer Telephony Solutions, Internet, May 25, 1999.
|Delivering the Right Information to the Right Resource or Every Customer Interaction; Intelligent Callrouter, www.geotel.com/solutions/icr/default/htm, 1998, 1 page.
|Global Corruption Report 2004, Transparency International, Pluto Press, www.globalcorrup.com, ISBN 07453 2231; Jun. 26, 2005.
|Keep the Change Savings Service, Bank of America, Retrieved from the internet on Jan. 27, 2006 at <https://www.bankofamerica.com/deposits/checksave/apps/ktc/ktc-terms.cfm>.
|PCT-International Search Report dated Sep. 12, 2002 for Application No. PCT/US01/31517.
|Rial, Astrid., How to Monitor Collectors, Credit Card Management, Jul. 2000. vol. 13, Iss. 3: p. 65, 4 pgs.
|The Customer Interaction Specialists, Computer Telephony Solutions, Internet, May 25, 1999.
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|31 Dec 2009
|17 Jul 2012
|Corelogic Tax Services, Llc
|Automatic delinquency item processing with customization for lenders
|16 Dec 2009
|26 Feb 2013
|Jpmorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
|Method and system for detecting, monitoring and addressing data compromises
|13 Dec 2010
|8 Oct 2013
|Jpmorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
|Method and system for determining point of sale authorization
|12 Dec 2012
|24 Mar 2015
|Jpmorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
|System and method for managing customer communications over communication channels
|7 Oct 2013
|18 Aug 2015
|Jpmorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
|Method and system for determining point of sale authorization
|31 Dec 2009
|29 Apr 2010
|First American Real Estate Tax Service, Llc.
|Automatic delinquency item processing with customization for lenders
|23 Sep 2011
|29 Mar 2012
|Visa International Service Association
|No preset spending limit analysis system and method
|23 Sep 2011
|24 May 2012
|Visa International Service Association
|No preset spending limit analysis system and method
|U.S. Classification
|705/42, 705/40, 705/41, 705/39
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|14 May 2002
Owner name: FIRST USA BANK, NA, DELAWARE
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|9 Jan 2008
Owner name: CHASE MANHATTAN BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, DE
Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:BANK ONE, DELAWARE, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION;REEL/FRAME:020342/0296
Effective date: 20041004
Owner name: BANK ONE, DELAWARE, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, DELAWARE
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:FIRST USA BANK, NA;REEL/FRAME:020342/0209
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|15 May 2008
Owner name: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NEW YOR
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:CHASE MANHATTAN BANK USA, N.A.;REEL/FRAME:020952/0633
Effective date: 20080512
|25 Feb 2013
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|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8


text:
Democratic Convention Saturday at courthouse
The Milam Count y Demo - cratic Party will hold its county convention at 10 a.m. Saturday at the courthouse, according to Richard Stone, chairman.
Stone said there will be no precinct conventions May 29 (primary day).
"The redistricting battles have pushed the county convention back to just a couple of weeks before the state convention," he said.
Stone said the county convention is open to all voters who registered within 30 days of the convention and signed an oath of affiliation with the Democratic Party.
Bullying, harassment topics for RISD Monday
Rockdale ISD procedures for addressing bullying, cyberbullying, sexual harassment and dating violence are on the agenda for school trustees when they meet in regular session at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Central Administration Building.
Other agenda items include a progress report from district monitor Dr. Nancy Vaughan, adopting of a district drug-testing policy, food service contract and in increase in cafeteria prices.
An executive session is also planned.
'Old Santa Fe' night Tuesday in Cameron
The Milam County Historical Commission will host an evening exploring "Old Santa Fe" at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Milam County Historical Museum in downtown Cameron.
Longtime county resident Gene Mitchan will be the speaker. Refreshments will be served.
Cameron's Old Santa Fe Town, also k now n as Dutch Tow n, recently received a Texas Historical Marker.
Steam train delayed by mechanical problems
"The Big Engine that Could," couldn't.
Plans were for Union Pacific's legendar y steam locomotive No. 844 to chug through Rockdale Tuesday after spending two days in Hearne but as of midafternoon Tuesday the engine hadn't made it to Hearne, and was reported stopped along the tracks in the Hearne vicinity.
Union Pacific said the train crew was making an effort to address "mechanical issues" and said it probably would no be able to continue its westward journey as planned.
No. 844 was trying to participate in the railroad's 150th anniversary observances in Texas.
MCT's 'Barefoot' still playing in Cameron
Milam Community Theater's production of "Barefoot in the Park," continues this weekend at the Williams Civic Center in Cameron.
Performances are set for 8 p.m. Saturday, April 21 and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22.
Tickets to these shows will be available at the door.
More information, including venue directions, may be found on the theater's website, Milam- CommunityTheater.com.
Thorndale Cleanup Day ahead on April 28th
April 28 has been designated as cleanup day by the City of Thorndale.
IESI disposal w ill pick up trash and a few " bulky items" Friday, April 27, and will return the next day for the remaining bulky items.
Call Thorndale City Hall, 898- 2523 for specific information on items accepted.
Open plea nets 5-year probated sentence
CAMERON—An "open plea" to 20th District Court resulted in a 10-year prison term, probated five years, last week.
Prosecutor Kerry Spears said Justin Adam Welsh, 21, of Galveston was charged with possession of a controlled substance (4 to 400 grams) with intent to deliver.
Judge John Youngblood also ordered a 60- day county jail term and $140 restitution as conditions of probation.
Fund-raiser planned to benefit Place of Hope
THORNDALE—The "1st annual Hope Night" fund raiser will be held on Saturday, April 28 at Downtown Cafe, 118 S. Main St. in Thorndale. Buffet opens at 6 p.m. There will be a live auction, silent auction and live Gospel music. The Place of Hope ladies will be busing tables for tips.
All proceeds from the fundraiser benef it Place of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center.
TISD executive session
Thorndale ISD trustees took no action Monday after three-hour executive session with Supt. Casey Callahan. The district is replacing Callahan after he accepted a position with the Llano ISD.
Thorndale approves bids on several items
THORNDALE—The City of Thorndale accepted bids on several items during a regular session last Wednesday.
Hilliard Dozer was awarded the North Second Street drainage project and Four Star Fabrication got the bid for a cemetery fencing project.
The council approved purchase of a welding machine, cancelled the unopposed May 12 election, okayed purchase of a copier, shredder and welding machine and approved sponsoring three volunteers for firefighting school.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Homer Bailey's shiny new six-year, $105 million extension is a clear sign that the Reds believe that his 2013 breakout was no fluke. While Bailey's career up to last year had been somewhat inconsistent, that kind of price requires Bailey to keep pitching at the level he did last year. And there are reasons to think that he may very well do that.
Perhaps most important in his breakout was a sharp uptick in his strikeout rate, which went from 19.2 percent in 2012 to 23.4 percent last year. In terms of ranking against his peers, he went from 27th in the National League two years ago to eighth last year, as even just a few points of strikeout rate can make a big difference. And strikeout rate is the kind of metric that seems somewhat impervious to fluke seasons.
You can either get guys to swing and miss or you can't, and we just don't see too many Brady Anderson-type seasons when it comes to pitcher's strikeout rates. But how much of a strikeout rate spike can we really expect to carry over from one season to the next?
Bailey isn't the only pitcher this question is relevant for, after all. The Orioles are hoping that Ubaldo Jimenez's 25 percent strikeout rate in 2013 is far more predictive than the 18 percent strikeout rate he posted in 2012, and the Tigers chose to keep Rick Porcello over Doug Fister partly due to Porcello's jump from a 13.7 percent strikeout rate to 19.3 percent last year. The Indians are trying to figure out whether to sign Justin Masterson to a long-term deal, and a large part of the question will come down to whether they believe in Masterson's 2012 (17.6 percent) or his 2013 (24.3) strikeout rate.
So, let's look at other recent spikers, and see how well they did after posting big strikeout rate gains from one season to the next. First, the top five starters in strikeout percent increase from 2010 to 2011:


text:
"A democracy is always temporary in nature. It simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government (because) voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will always collapse due to loose fiscal policy."
- Alexander Tytler, 18th-century Scottish historian as quoted by Gerald J. Swanson, in America the Broke
The late editorial cartoon master Jeff MacNelly once depicted Social Security as a vending machine. Near the coin slot, it said, "Insert your grandchildren here."
We've nearly come to that point - with all federal spending.
"With few exceptions," writes Gerald Swanson, professor of economics at the University of Arizona and author of America the Broke, "our political leaders, Republicans and Democrats alike, have abandoned all pretense of fiscal responsibility. Spending is out of control, further ballooning the highest national debt in the history of the world. ... (O)ur current plight could touch off a world financial crisis and another Great Depression."
Even if it never goes that far, the nation's fiscal course is set for a disaster that will be visited upon your children and grandchildren.
And it is this generation that will be responsible.
"Abun-dance," Swanson writes, "can produce selfishness, self-indulgence, greed, complacency and apathy, until liberty itself is in danger.
"That the United States of America can literally go broke is no longer a fantasy but a likelihood ..."
There is some dispute over whether the quote Swanson and others attribute to Tytler really came from the 18th-century historian. But there's no disputing the evidence that the words are proving prescient: Our leaders are spending America into bankruptcy - at our urging.
As of late last week, the national debt was $8.7 trillion - $28,863 per person - but the debt clock has kept spinning since we checked. It's higher today, as it will be tomorrow.
IN HIS STATE of the Union address, President Bush Tuesday confronted three aspects of the coming federal budget disaster: balancing the budget, ending earmarks and reining in entitlements.
The president's remarks were superb - as far as they went. Sadly, he didn't recommend shrinking the actual size of the government, as a financially strapped business would do. But of course, when the GOP tried to do that in 1994, and temporarily shut down the government to dramatize the need, Americans sided with President Clinton and the spenders.
At that moment, it seems the Republican Revolution was lost. And the Republicans with it.
Moreover, President Bush can't just talk the talk of budget reform. His predecessor did that much. We need action. Bold action.
Nor can Washington take much credit for the temporarily balanced budget in the 1990s, or the fact that Bush's goal to cut the deficit in half by 2009 was reached three years early: These things occurred not through any brilliance or courage or discipline of our elected leaders, but through the hard word and productivity of ordinary Americans.
The onus is now on our leaders to act in our best interests - even if the gravitational pull of elections takes them in other directions.
The president needs to mean it, and Congress needs to act, when he tells the joint session of Congress, "Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid are commitments of conscience - and so it is our duty to keep them permanently sound. Yet, we are failing in that duty - and this failure will one day leave our children with three bad options: huge tax increases, huge deficits, or huge and immediate cuts in benefits.
"Everyone in this chamber knows this to be true, yet somehow we have not found it in ourselves to act."
The president is calling on Congress to balance the budget by 2012 - and to end the practice of looting the treasury for pork projects through stealthy "earmarks" that are slipped into bills "when not even C-SPAN is watching," he said.
All that would be a great start. But even as egregious and offensive as the practice of earmarking is, at $18 billion in 2005, it represents less than 2 percent of the federal budget.
And balancing the budget will be meaningless unless entitlement programs are brought under control.
AS IT STANDS now, there really is no Social Security trust fund: Congress takes your retirement funds and uses them for current operations of the government, in an effort to keep the deficit down and to make the finances look better than they are.
In the private sector, they call that a felony.
Even as our leaders fill our retirement coffers with iffy IOUs, they're fiddling while Rome burns: According to the Congressional Budget Office, spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will eat up the entire federal budget - including defense spending - by mid-century.
Much sooner - perhaps before 2020 - Social Security will begin spending more than it is taking in. And while it used to be that as many as 16 workers supported one retiree with their Social Security taxes, by 2030 the ratio is expected to be two workers to each retiree.
What happens when that generation finds it nearly impossible to support their parents?
In short, the makings of generational class warfare.
"Our children may be faced with the choice of paying retirement benefits to their parents or paying for programs that help their own children," says the Web site socialsecurityreform.org.
In the short term, entitlement spending will make it difficult to balance the budget: The Congressional Budget Office last week said entitlements are expected to push the budget deficit to $367 billion by 2012 and $704 billion by 2017 - and that's even as tax revenues are on the increase.
In the long term, even balancing the current federal budget will be pitifully short of what's necessary to avert disaster - like "digging a moat around a sand castle when a tsunami is approaching," writes the Heritage Foundation's Alison Acosta Fraser.
"This tsunami is not so far away, either," she notes. "It will start in 2008 when the first baby boomers retire and the huge tidal wave of spending that will swamp the federal budget starts to come our way."
"Reforming Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is the only way to get the budget under control," says Heritage's Brian Riedl.
Medicare and Medicaid costs are actually growing at a faster rate than Social Security: about 8 percent a year, versus 6 percent for Social Security. And combined, Riedl says, Medicare and Medicaid already account for more spending than Social Security.
As gargantuan as the national debt is, Riedl says it's still below the post-war average of 44 percent of gross domestic product. "The much larger threat is the trillions in future costs associated with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid," he writes.
Here are some ideas:
- As to discretionary spending, Congress should immediately heed the president and end the practice of looting through "earmarks" and pork. Nothing in the Constitution allows the federal government to take your money and simply give it to someone else.
- Congress must balance the budget as soon as possible, and keep it there.
- To impose some fiscal discipline on themselves, we urge Congress to pass a Taxpayers' Bill of Rights (TABOR) that would restrict the growth of federal spending to the inflation rate plus population growth. It's a method touted by the Heritage Foundation's Riedl, and used to great effect in Colorado.
Riedl estimates the TABOR would drop the growth in federal spending from about 6.4 percent a year to 3.3 percent - and save about $4 trillion over 10 years.
- More than anything, Washington has to wake up to the entitlement entanglement this country is snared in. There are many options to consider, including phasing in higher retirement ages, trimming future benefits and perhaps even means-testing some.
We realize the word "privatization" frightens many people when paired with "Social Security." But the truth is, Congress is spending your retirement nest egg today - and that's not threatening you, it's endangering your children and grandchildren.
There's no vending machine into which you must insert your grandchildren.
But the effect is the same.
For their sakes, it's time our leaders actually did some leading.


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Ann provides kind, thoughtful hospitality in a beautiful coastal village; near Applecross and the Torridon Mountains. For many this is the 'real' Highlands. Enjoy clean sea air, wilderness and nature - come to restore your sense of well-being.
Aurora is an award winning, modern, eco-friendly B&B in a beautiful part of the 'real' Highlands providing:
PRICE REDUCTION for stays of 3 or more nights. MINIMUM stay 2 nights for advanced bookings. 1 night stays may be available on the day - phone after 10am.
Shieldaig is a 5 star village, only one and a half hours drive from Inverness, (single track road the last ½ hour). A hidden gem in the Highlands, with a spectacular location nestled amongst the Torridon Mountains, sitting right on the West Coast. A perfect base for exploring Wester Ross; with a shop and pub in walking distance.
Close to Inverewe and Attadale Gardens, Lochcarron weavers, Carron Pottery, Eilean Donan Castle, Strome castle ruins. The Isle of Skye is not so far away with Tallisker whisky distillery. You can visit the ancient Brochs at Glen Elg, use the little ferry and still "go over the sea to Skye". A trip over the Bealach na Ba to explore Applecross? The Munro's of Beinn Eighe, Liathach and Alligin are 20 mins away. Lochs Torridon, Clair and Maree are close. Provide a daily weather forecast and offer local suggestions, tailored to your needs to help you get the most out of your time here. Lots of favourite, secret spots to share with you! 3 nights only gives you 2 full days here - so much to see and do.
"A wonderful 5 days, surpassing all our expectations. Perfect B & B - best we have ever stayed in. It has been a joy & delight & we will return. Thank you."
Arrivals 4-6pm. Non-smoking. Children over 12 years old are welcome. Pets are welcome to stay in your car, not in the house.
|"1 Torridon" Twin/Triple Ensuite
|£47.50 Per person per night (breakfast inc.)
|"2 Skye" Double Ensuite
|£45 Per person per night (breakfast inc.)
|"3 Applecross" Double/Triple Ensuite
|£47.50 Per person per night (breakfast inc.)
Note: Prices are a guide only and may change on a daily basis.


text:
Responding to comments made by Baltimore Ravens Pro-Bowl Linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo in April 2009 in the Huffington Post including: "I think we will lookback in 10, 20, 30 years and be amazed that gays and lesbians did not have the same rights as every one else," on September 29, 2009, Scott Fujita was quoted by The Nation as saying:
I hope he's right in his prediction, and I hope even more that it doesn't take that long. People could look at this issue without blinders on...the blinders imposed by their church, their parents, their friends or, in our case, their coaches and locker rooms. Fujita continued, "I wish they would realize that it's not a religion issue. It's not a government issue. It's not even a gay/straight issue or a question of your manhood. It's a human issue. And until more people see that, we're stuck arguing with people who don't have an argument. [Link]
Freedom to Marry salutes the NFL's Scott Fujita as a Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.
If you're inspired by Mr Fujita's support...get involved!
**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!


text:
Flexible Categorical Program Funds (Deferred)
Funding DescriptionPrior to fiscal year 2008–09, funds for 38 categorical programs were restricted to specific purposes. Per EC Section 42605, these funds are now unrestricted. LEAs may use the funds to provide services under the pre-flexed programs or for other education purposes or programs. This profile addresses the 2 flexible categorical programs, School Safety and Violence Prevention and the Targeted Instructional Improvement Block Grant, which had a portion of the 2012-13 entitlement deferred to fiscal year 2013-14. Refer to the 2012-13 profile for a list of all 33 flexible categorical programs not allocated through the Principal Apportionment, a Fiscal link is provided below under Additional Information.
|Eligible Applicants
|Local educational agencies, nonprofit organizations, other organizations or agencies
|Required Eligibility Criteria
|All entities that received funding in the 2007-08 or 2008-09 base year for programs that are now flexible are eligible for funding.
|Other Eligibility Considerations
|Not applicable
|Eligible Grade Level(s)
|Not applicable
|Eligible Age Level(s)
|Not applicable
|Legal Authority
|EC sections 42605 and 14401.1, Section 92 of Senate Bill 1016 (Chapter 38, Statutes of 2012).
|Source / Type
|State / Apportionment
|State Fiscal Year
|SACS Resource / Revenue Codes
|0000 / 8590
|Total Available
|Recipient Amount
|Refer to the Program Specific Schedules at the Fiscal link under Additional Information.
|Match Requirement
|Allocation Formula
|From fiscal years 2008-09 through 2012-13, funding for the flexible programs was based on base year 2007-08 or 2008-09 funding levels as specified in Education Code Section 42605. In fiscal year 2012-13, each LEA was entitled to the same percentage of the available funding as it received in the base year. Funds for the School Safety and Violence Prevention Program and the Targeted Instructional Improvement Block Grant, that were deferred from 2012-13 to 2013-14 will be allocated in one payment.
Important Dates
|Date Application Available
|Due Date
|Expected Notification Date
Additional Information
|Categorical Index Page [http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/]
|5-5-9 Categorical Consolidations [http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/consolidations559.asp]
|Funding Results
|Res-13: TIIBG [http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r14/tiibg13result.asp]
|Additional information on flexibility is at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fr/eb/yr09budgetacts.asp.
|Action on 2008-09 Budget Acts
|Categorical Allocations Staff Contacts
|School Fiscal Services Division, 916-327-0538
Last Modified: February 11, 2014
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Premium Advertising on Mallow365.com
Mallow365.com offers businesses an opportunity to advertise on a website which is designed and structured for the people of Mallow and its surrounding areas. Mallow365.com is dedicated to Mallow and our content and several thousand photos always ensure that the people of Mallow visit the site to view the latest news on business, sport, education and social events.
Our Premium advertising package is designed to provide optimum exposure to our advertisers. With our Premium package advertisers will receive the following benefits:
- Premium listings will always appear ahead of other business listings.
- Full custom web page designed to your requiremtns with text and photos to best describe your business.
- Contact information and location with interactive map.
- Enquiry form for website visitors to send e-mail enquiries regarding your business.
- Special offers & coupon promotion can be included on your business page.
- Banner advertising on all pages of the website is only shared by Premium Advertisers.
- Premium Advertisers are displayed during our photo slideshow on all photo gallery sets. Currently there are over 5,500 photos which is expanding every week.
- Links to your Facebook & Twitter pages.
- Only Premium Advertisers will appear in our Business of the Week bannner.
With more Irish consumers using the internet to search for local products and services, Mallow365.com allows people to browse through to select the right company to provide a solution to their needs. Your business can reach these consumers and bring your business into focus when you advertise on Mallow365.com.
If there are more than one Premium listings in a business category, the order of those listings is random each time the page is loaded. This gives each Premium Advertiser an equal chance of appearing first.
Wishing you the very best with your business in the future and thanks for considering Mallow365.com to grow your business for the future.
Kind Regards,
Maurice Whelan.
(022) 51024


text:
AN animal sanctuary in Chard were delighted after an abandoned pony gave birth to their first ever foal at the centre.
Staff from Ferne Animal Sanctuary in Wambrook recently witnessed Betty - a three-year-old coloured pony - give birth to her first "beautiful" foal, Vera.
Nikki Haddock, Head of Equine said: "We've never had a foal born here before. Vera's birth was wonderful. It was very easy and straightforward and unusually, during the day. Births like this are normally at night, when there are fewer predators around and more privacy.
"Everyone here absolutely adores Vera. She's very cheeky and already very independent. It's a joy to see that she's feeding and developing so well, is such a happy little person and starting to eat her mum's food. Betty is being a wonderful mum."
Betty was one of a group of 15 abandoned coloured ponies and has only been a resident at the sanctuary for three months.
All the abandoned horses at Ferne are named after famous fashion designers. Mum Betty was named after Betty Jackson and baby foal Vera after Vera Wang.
For fundraising packs and details on how to donate call Ferne Animal Sanctuary on 01460-65214 or visit www.ferneanimalsanctuary.org.


text:
TechNavio's analysts forecast the Global High-speed Server Interconnect market to grow at a CAGR of 7.11 percent over the period 2012-2016. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the emergence of high-speed data transmission mediums. The Global High-speed Server Interconnect market has also been witnessing the increasing virtualization of server infrastructure. However, the overdependence on component suppliers to meet end-user demands could pose a challenge to the growth of this market.
TechNavio's report, Global High-speed Server Interconnect Market 2012-2016, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the Americas, and the EMEA and APAC regions; it covers the Global High-speed Server Interconnect market landscape and its growth prospects in the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.
The key vendors dominating this space are Cisco Systems Inc., IBM Corp., Intel Corp., and Mellanox Technologies Ltd.
The other vendors mentioned in the report are Cray Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Co., Oracle Corp., Qlogic Corp., and SGI.
Key questions answered in this report:
What will the market size be in 2016 and what will be the growth rate?
What are the key market trends?
What is driving this market?
What are the challenges to market growth?
Who are the key vendors in this market space?
What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of these key vendors?
1. Executive Summary
2. List of Abbreviations
3. Introduction
4. Research Methodology
5. Scope of the Report
Market Overview
Product Offerings
6. Market Landscape
6.1. High-speed Server Interconnect Market Size and Forecast (2012-2016)
6.2. Infiniband Server Interconnect Market Size and Forecast (2012-2016)
6.3. Ethernet Server Interconnect Market Size and Forecast (2012-2016)
6.4. High Performance Computing Server Market Size and Forecast (2012-2016)
6.5. Five Force Analysis
7. Geographical Segmentation
8. Key Leading Countries
9. Vendor Landscape
9.1. High-speed Server Interconnect by Vendor Segmentation
9.2. Major Acquisitions
10. Buying Criteria
11. Market Growth Drivers
12. Drivers and their Impact
13. Market Challenges
14. Impact of Drivers and Challenges
15. Market Trends
16. Key Vendor Analysis
16.1. Cisco Systems Inc.
16.1.1. Business Overview
16.1.2. Key Information
16.1.3. SWOT Analysis
16.2. Mellanox Technologies Ltd.
16.2.1. Business Overview
16.2.2. Key Information
16.2.3. SWOT Analysis
16.3. IBM Corp.
16.3.1. Business Overview
16.3.2. Key Information
16.3.3. SWOT Analysis
16.4. Intel Corp.
16.4.1. Business Overview
16.4.2. Key Information
16.4.3. SWOT Analysis
17. Other Reports in this Series
List of Exhibits:
Exhibit 1: Global Automotive Camera Module Market 2012-2016 (US$ million)
Exhibit 2: Global Automotive Camera Module Market 2012-2016 (unit in million)
Exhibit 3: Global Automotive Camera Module Market by Geographical Segmentation 2012
Exhibit 4: Business Segmentation of Fiat S.p.A.
Exhibit 5: Business Segmentation of Ford
Exhibit 6: Business Segmentation of Audi
Exhibit 7: Business Segmentation of BMW


text:
Dr. Seuss's Bartholomew and the Oobleck
Children's book review by Steve Barancik
Ages 5-10
Bartholomew tells King Derwin to apologize
Every good horror movie has one character who can see that the others are headed for trouble. Bartholomew Cubbins is just that character here.
Young Bartholomew Cubbins is King Derwin's loyal page in the Kingdom of Didd.
The king, in his old age (we met him some years ago in an earlier book, also featuring Bartholomew) has become rather bitter, as potentates are wont to do. He's in charge of almost everything he surveys from his lofty castle. But he has no control over what falls from the sky.
And he resents it.
Rain, snow, fog, even sunshine - they're all affronts to his greatness. He resolves to make something else plop down from the heavens.
He calls upon the royal magicians, despite Bartholomew's urging him not to. The magicians are a dark, rhyming lot, and though they've never tried it, they are confident that there's one thing they're capable of conjuring from the sky.
What is it? The king doesn't care. So long as it's never fallen before, and so long as His Majesty summoned it, he wants it.
And he gets it.
Oobleck ("Ew! Blech!") turns out to be green and Super Glue sticky, and the quantities in which it falls threaten the very existence of the kingdom.
Bartholomew and the Oobleck
Bartholomew seems a very different character than he did in The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, and in ways that make this a much better book. (Seuss earned a Caldecott Honor for this one.)
There he was passive, when only his own life was at stake. (And the king was more a benign, hapless dictator.) Here Bartholomew is a selfless fighter for good, standing up to the power-mad king for the sake of the kingdom.
And while he's unable to dissuade the king from ordering the oobleck, it turns out Bartholomew wields the secret to making it stop:
Saying you're sorry. Admitting you were wrong. Bartholomew actually persuades entitled old King Derwin to do just that.
Bartholomew and the Oobleck is a fascinating read for Seuss fans. Published in 1949, future Seuss books are presaged in words, themes and images, perhaps none moreso than his deeper works like The Lorax and Yertle the Turtle.
(There's even a picture of a concerned fish poking his head out of his upended bowl. See if you can spot it!)
Complete Seuss book list. (By the way, Bartholomew and the Oobleck is included in at least one Dr. Seuss collection. Let us show you!)
More Caldecott honorees.
Read more of Steve's reviews.
Best Children's Books - Find, Read or Write home page.


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Discussion in 'Reloading' started by Fear Night, Mar 23, 2013.
Looks like it is up and running today. Hopefully this is a good sign and they are getting caught up.
Midwayusa got me.
I ordered some Hornady bullets in December. At the time you could order quantities of 100, 500, or 1000. I called two of my shooting pards to see if they needed any as I was going to order some, they both said yes.
I placed and order for 2 units of 1000 bullets, they were taking backorders for the .224 55gr. bullets at the time.
About three weeks later, they sent me an e-mail saying they had implemented a 1000 bullet limit per customer. I replied to their e-mail telling them that the bullets were for three customers, and yes this is the true story, and both my friends order from Midwayusa frequently.
I soon received a reply telling me that due to the overwhelming amount of e-mails that they were not being responded to.
I then placed a backorder for the same bullets with Midsouth
Shooters Supply for 1000 of the same bullet, so I could supply the order to my friends.
It will cost me an extra $13.00 shipping charge, but it will cost Midway the bulk of my business in the future.
They use to be one of the top 2 internet companies I ordered from when needing gun related products, but now they are at the bottom.
I received a notification last Thursday that the bullets were on the way, I'll probably give these to my pards, and I'll wait on the others.
Back in January I put in an order to Midway for 1000 rounds of Aguila .22LR ammo. Got a confirmation on my order.
The next day I tried to increase my order to 2000 rounds but they said they had implemented a 500 round limit, apparently in the hours since my original order. I received the 1000 rounds I ordered.
Sometimes life works.
All the Best,
D. White
Their website is still down.....
Website works for me.
At around $150 per 1k for fmj 9mm they can keep their bullets.
Their case is 3750 count for $368 or about $98.00 a K.
precision delta is still a little better buy, but they always were.
Thanks. Their website that I had saved is still giving errors. It appears they moved their website address and didn't re-direct folks.
Looks like you are correct.
I waited 2 months for them to get back online to buy .224 bullets, and I missed the boat because they didnt bother to update the old website with the new address.
Oh well, it looks like they dun got greedy anyways. They jacked their prices from about $80/K to $100/K. Still not a "bad" price, though.
MGB WAS my go to for bullets. Looks like I will keep my eyes out for another source when I can ever find some.
I did the same thing, waiting and checking every other dang night to hopefully place an order. About 3-4 weeks ago I decided to order .45 in lead so when I saw the price and since I already decided to try the lead, I'll hold off for now. I really was hoping to grab some .22 stuff when they came back but as you pointed out, all gone, no back orders as far as I could tell.
Some of these folks are getting real proud of their components,
I have used Everglades Ammo and they now want $139.00 for
500 ea. 55gr. bullets and $259.00 for 1000 count.
I did just place a good sized order for some 9mm and .45acp
with Precision Delta, and Missouri bullet company,
who quote from 4 to 18 weeks out.
I am just going to wait until things settle back down to
start stocking back up.
I can't find the logic in your viewpoint. With email, the emails can come in and wait as you work through them. Trying to handle the same volume of phone calls would require a team of people, as you have to answer the phone whenever it decides to ring, instead of in an orderly schedule. Email also gives you a highly organized record of exactly what and when you dealt with each inquiry.
From the customer's perspective, sending a clearly written email whenever it is convenient and going about your day until you receive a reply is far more efficient than calling, waiting on hold, dealing with someone who perhaps cannot speak clearly, and having to do it during business hours.
Sent via teletype
Best bet is to watch midway. Keep the window open in your browser and refresh when you can. The blem bullets they had listed last week were $49 and $55 per 500 for 55gr FMJ and SP.
Interestedly enough over at BE people were ordering by US. mail and getting their orders filled.
Has gone dead now as well.
It originally linked me to their new website, but it is no longer functioning. Of course, nothing I wanted to buy was in stock at that tme anyway which is why I hadn't checked their site in several days. Now this. I actually liked their old order page better anyway.
I dont know wtf their problem is!!???
This order shipped on 4/03. Looks like they've sold out of everything they had in stock. I wasn't jumping for joy about the pricing, but I just compare it to expensive gasoline--the price will stabilize and flatten out at some point. Besides, they had what I needed for my bench
Best of luck to you guys on finding the components you need.


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Los Feliz Looks Kind of Awesome
Our friends at Metromix took a tour of the soon to open Los Feliz in the Lower East Side, and we have to say, it looks kind of awesome. The former Suba space has been transformed into a multi-level den of tequila themed debauchery, including a "cobblestone-paved and graffiti-covered underground grotto". How can you go wrong with a grotto? Due to its location, we expect this place to be a shit-show on the weekends, but have high hopes for some tequila fueled weeknights.[Metromix]


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|Topic: Paying Zakat Al Fitr with Cash
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| Topic: Paying Zakat Al Fitr with Cash
Posted: 24 August 2009 at 8:24am
By Sa ̔ūd bin ̔Abdullah al-Finisān PhD
All praise is to Allah. May His peace and blessings be Upon the Messenger of Allāh, [Muḥammad], Allahs peace and blessings be upon him.
Zakāh al-Fiṭir is obligatory according to the Majority of Scholars. Some scholars from the Zāhiri, as well as Shafiī and Mālikī schools, held that it was merely recommended, while those who held it as an obligation differed on the method it should be paid falling into two groups:
Those who Prohibited Paying it with its Cash Equivalent:
This group argues that the only way to pay zakāh al-fiṭir is with one of the items mentioned in the Prophetic traditions. Three of the four great Imams held this opinion- Mālik, al-ShāfIĪ and Aḥmed. Their evidence is the Prophets statement, related on behalf of ̔Abdullah bin Omar who said,
The Prophet [sa] prescribed the payment of zakāh al-fiṭir as, a Sa̔ [four handfuls] of dates, wheat or barley. Other narrations state, Or cottage cheese. To be spent upon the elderly and the children.
Proof taken from this Hadith:
If it were allowed to pay zakāt al-fiṭir with its cash equivalent the Prophet [sa] would have mentioned it. A Shariah axiom states,
It is not allowed to delay instructions on how to perform when it is time to be performed.
In addition, the statement attributed to the prophet Enrich them this day has a weak chain or, it could mean,on this day of Eid , share your food with them so they are not forced to ask for food while others are celebrating.
The Second Opinion: zakāt al-fiṭir can be Paid in Cash
Those who allowed this included Abū Ḥanifah and his students. Other scholars approved of it as well such as Sufyān al-Thawri, Ḥassan al-Basri who said,I see nothing wrong in paying it with cash and the Caliph and Omar bin Abdul Aziz who instructed the tax collectors of Basra to Take half a dirham (cash) from everyman. It was also attributed to some of the Companions such as Mu ̔awiyah bin Abi Sufyān.
The Companions Were Concerned with the Value not The Commodity
Ibn Munthir mentioned in his book al-Awṣat:
The companions (ra) allowed the payment of zakāt to be with a half sa of wheat because they saw it equal to the value of a sa of dates or barley. He related this with a sound chain on behalf of a large group of the companions [Allah be pleased with them] such as Uthmān bin Affan, Alī bin Abi Tālib, Abī Hurairah, Jābir bin ̔Abdillāh, ̔Abdillah bin al-Zubair and Asmāh bin Abi Bakr.
Ibn Hajar mentioned in al-Fath: When Abdullāh bin ̔Abbās (Allah be pleased with him) was the mayor of Basra, he ordered that zakāt al-Fiṭ̣ir given with a sa ̔ of dates, barley, cottage cheese or a half sa of corn seeds.
When ̔Ali ibn Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with him) was in charge of Basra, the prices fell considerably so he ordered that all of the above mentioned commodities (in the Prophetic Narration) be combined to equal one sa and paid in bulk. This proves that the Companions (Allah be pleased with them) concern was with the value.
The Companions and the Maqāṣid of al-Sharī ̔ah (Objectives of Islamic Law)
Imām al-Bukhārī mentions the statement of Ibn ̔Omar [Allah be pleased with him] that the Companions used to dispense zakāt al-fiṭ̣ir a day or two before Eid, while the Prophet [sa] was reported to have designated its distribution on the day of Eid. This proves that they assessed the needs of the poor so they could use their charity to prepare flour, dough or bread. (by the Eid celebration)
Definitive Consensus on using what is Most Beneficial
The scholars reached unanimity that a country is allowed to dispense zakāt al-fiṭ̣ir using foodstuffs other than those mentioned in the hadith in order to fulfill the needs of the poor. Today we must ask, Do most of todays poor have a need for anything greater than cash?
Why the Scholars Differed
The crux of this difference centers around the following question:
Is consideration given to the commodity or is it given to the value?
The majority contend the former, going with the explicit meaning of the relevant texts, while the second group looks at the needs of the poor, addressing them based on changes in price and values. This practice is done with regards to zakāt on properties as well. (it is based on looking at the needs of the poor)
Anas mentioned that Abū Bakr , Allah be pleased with them both, wrote to him concerning what Allah had instructed his Messenger, Allahs peace and blessings be upon him, to do in the case of someone whose Zakāt payment should have been one year old she-camel, which he did not have, while he did have a two year old she-camel. It should be accepted from him and the zakāt-collector would give him twenty dirhams (coins) or two sheep in compensation. If he had no one year old she-camel but did have a two year old male camel, it should be accepted from him and he would not receive anything in compensation. Related by al-Bukhāri in his Sahīh.
Ṭāwūs said that Muādh said to the people of Yemen, Bring me small or second-hand garments for zakat instead of barley and millet. It will be easy for you and good for the Companions of the Prophet in Madina. Related by al-Bukhāri in his Sahīh.
Understanding these Evidences
Based on these evidences, if it were forbidden to dispense zakāt al-fiṭir with its cash equivalent or something similar, Islamic law would have made it crystal clear. For example, the Prophet, Allahs peace and blessing be upon him, would have been reported to have said something like:
You are forbidden to pay zakāt in cash. Indeed, zakāt should only be paid with food or something similar. (please note this is not an actual statement of the Prophet, Allahs peace and blessing be upon him.
Since nothing of this sort was related on behalf of the Prophet, Allahs peace and blessing be upon him, it proves that the underlying reason behind zakāt al-fiṭir is serving the needs of the poor and the underprivileged; and a purification for the shortcomings of the fasting person.
There is an axiom in Islamic law that states,
Needs reach the degree of necessities when demanded.
That being said, it is well known that the raw food items mentioned in the Prophets statement above are no longer relevant to people [in their raw form] today. Since it was acceptable to exchange those raw foods, which the Prophet specified with other goods, then it is surely allowable to, based on ijtihad, replace them with what is most needed.
The Opinion
The distribution of those things mentioned in the hadith is contingent to the needs of the poor, just as distributing cash (instead of the items mentioned in the hadith) is as well. This will allow them to purchase what is needed such as different types of food, or to purchase what is satisfying for them and their families on the day of Eid. The hadith related by al-Daruqtuni, although its chain is weak, Enrich them this day strengthens that contention because the needs of todays poor are not restricted to food exclusively, but extend to clothing and other things which are necessities (paying the bills and rent for example). Therefore, the underlying reason for the designation of those things mentioned in the hadith is need.
An important Shariah axiom states,
Rulings run according to their principle causes.
Therefore, it is permissible to pay zakāt al-fiṭir with cash if there is a real need and benefit to the poor.
Those Eligible for zakāt al-fiṭir
It is not allowed to give zakāt al-fiṭir to a person unless he is from the following: the poor, the destitute, those in debt and those who are stranded as noted in the 9th chapter of the Quran verse 60. As for the other groups mentioned in the verse, then they are exempted from taking it because they are allowed to take from the general zakāt fund as well as the spoils of war.
And Allah knows best
Sa ̔ūd bin ̔Abdullah al-Finisān PhD.
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Home Invasion Aftermath Scenario Question?
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January 29, 2012, 08:05 PM
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Join Date: November 20, 2004
Posts: 3,150
Been watching COPS for many years and have seen a few such cases over time. I've seen cops actually prompt the home owner to say he was "in fear" and then heartily agree.
None of the others I've seen resulted in the arrest of the home owner when it was a stranger that entered the home unlawfully.
In my community, Northern Nev., one isn't likely to be arrested, especially if it's established that the home invader is a stranger with a criminal record.
Now, that isn't to say that when the cops arrive they won't be putting handcuffs on people until they get things sorted out. Not to say they will, either.
When we're being ordered to do something by the police, that IS NOT the time to be explaining the situation while refusing to comply. That's the time to be fully complying. Once things are under control, the officers will be in a much better listening mood.
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The Dallas Cowboys have made it pretty clear that they don't believe in such a thing as too many tight ends, a trend that continued on Monday, when, according to ESPN Dallas, the team added veteran Dante Rosario.
Rosario was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round in 2007, out of Oregon. He spent four seasons in Carolina but was cut in 2011 after the team added Jeremy Shockey. He spent time in 2011 with the Broncos and the Dolphins, and then signed with the Chargers prior to 2012.
Last season with San Diego, he posted 10 catches for 99 yards to bring his career totals to 99 catches for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns. In order to clear a roster spot for Rosario, Dallas released tight end Paul Freedman.
Dallas now has six tight ends in the fold--Rosario, Jason Witten, James Hanna, Colin Cochart, Andre Smith and Gavin Escobar, the Cowboys' second round pick in April's draft.
Stay on top of the latest Dallas Cowboys news with NBCDFW.com. Follow NBC DFW on Facebook or have breaking Cowboys news sent directly to your phone with Blue Star SMS alerts. Text "bluestar" to 622339 (NBCDFW) to subscribe, text HELP for more info, and text STOP to end the subscription. Message and data rates may apply.Read more about it here.


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Jared Leto is backstage at a major concert venue in Romania just a few hours before his band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, will headline for throngs of ecstatic fans. Leto could be boasting about the group's triumphant growth over the past decade, from minor opening act to bona fide phenomenon. (Two days before, the group packed a venue in Hungary, and tomorrow it will be Bulgaria, part of a worldwide tour that will extend from South America to South Africa.) Leto could be harping on his Academy Award earlier this year for his role in the movie Dallas Buyers Club. Instead, though, he is talking about enterprise software.
Yep, Leto is a tech geek. "We use Slack, Basecamp, Box," he says, noting some of the tools that his team uses to communicate while he's touring. "Sometimes we suggest, hey we really want this feature. Being deeply immersed in tech is an awesome doorway."
Leto is not just a pretty face, though his pretty face has been getting him noticed since he starred as Jordan Catalano in the ABC sitcom My So-Called Life in the 1990s. He is thoughtful, insightful, often private despite his regular engagement with some 2 million Twitter followers. He is also more than just a talker when it comes to tech. He's invested in startups like Nest and Airbnb and Spotify, and he operates his own streaming video-platform, called Vyrt, as well as a social- and digital-media marketing outfit called The Hive. All this along with touring, recording albums, acting, directing films (his documentary Artifact won a People's Choice award at the Toronto Film Festival). So is he an actor, a musician, an entrepreneur? "I'm a poly-hyphenated whatever," he says. "I enjoy the stimulation of learning."
What Leto has embraced is that he can't engage in all these activities without discipline. "I never wanted to make the most movies, to make the most albums," he explains. "So I like to employ the power of no. We all want to say yes, because with yes comes so much opportunity, but with the power of no comes focus and engagement."
Leto doesn't use the word "mission," but the filter he applies sounds like one: "I am an artist. I make things and I share things with the world, and hopefully that adds to the quality of people's lives." His decisions as an entrepreneur, he says, "come from the same place. I don't compartmentalize. What you're doing, you should be passionate about, and if not, then say no."
Leto turns almost philosophical in explaining why focus is so important in today's world. "In my youth, listening to music was the dominant activity, in terms of consuming content. It captured my attention. Sometimes there was the smoking of a joint, but it was about listening intently, active participation. Today music can be secondary, it's background, a lubricant to other experiences. It's all because our ability to access music is now mobile. Music can be more a part of our lives, but in a more transient way. The same is true for movies. People will watch TV or movies, and they've got their phones out, texting, not solely engaged." His larger point is that valuable interactions require higher engagement. It's what he strives for with his fans (and one reason he loves live performances); it's what he strives for in his films and other artistic ventures. It's also what he's after with his business activities: real impact that matters.
"I've had a standing rule for a couple years: no new projects. With Vyrt, we've been listening and learning, creating social theater that gives artists a way to share with the world without relying on advertising, and we're climbing up the right areas, making progress. There can be attention on service."
"Whatever you do, you have to have deep interest and desire and passion, or you shouldn't be doing it. My work is never a job. My work is my life. If you work your fucking ass off, you can get a lot done."


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A spindly solar-powered aircraft took to the skies Friday from Moffett Federal Airfield, near San Francisco, on a pioneering coast-to-coast flight that will not use one ounce of fossil fuel.
The plane, called Solar Impulse HB-SIA, has an immense 208-foot wing covered with 12,000 solar cells that soak up the sun's rays and power the plane's four electric motors while simultaneously charging batteries. That means the plane can keep flying at night.
The goal is not speed, because it's traveling a leisurely 43 mph. Nor is it endurance, because it's making the trip in five legs.
Rather, the objective is to showcase clean technology.
So while the first leg is an excruciatingly long 18-hour trip from Moffett Field to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the flight was enthralling to pilot Bertrand Piccard.


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Update: Celina Father Found Not Guilty After Improvised Active Shooter Drill
The trial of a Celina father who allegedly threatened workers at his child's elementary school will be in a jury's hands on Wednesday morning.
Ron Miller, 44, is charged with making a terroristic threat against a public servant after he allegedly told employees at Celina Elementary School that he had a gun and was a shooter.
Miller told police he was only conducting a drill to show school employees there were problems with security.
Several school employees and Celina police officers took the stand Tuesday.
Both women said that in January 2013 they knew Ron Miller from previous visits to the school, but did feel threatened when he said he was a shooter and that he had a gun.
The school's secretary testified that she has had to go to counseling because of what happened on that day and said her sense of security has been lost.
Miller's attorney grilled both employees about exactly what happened that morning and asked if they had felt so threatened why did they not call the police immediately.
Both women said their immediate reaction was to get the children who were in and around the school's office out of the way first.
The jury also got insight into Miller's mindset that day in early January 2013.
George Milner III, Miller's defense attorney, told NBC 5 his client was dealing with deep grief, after losing his 16-year-old daughter to cancer not long before the incident at Celina Elementary School.
Milner added the Miller family had dealt with security questions involving Celina Independent School District before, including, he said, that the Miller's 7-year-old son was able to wander away from the school during the fall semester of 2012 – just months before Miller's arrest.
Then, Milner said, the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut had his client thinking hard about school security in his hometown, adding the Millers couldn't bear to lose another child.
"What got this going was the Sandy Hook deal - and they had the Christmas holidays that intervened in between and he had some time to think - is this school really safe?" Milner said. "That was a factor - the child being allowed to wander off on his own was a factor, and personally I believe the loss of his daughter was also a factor. That was the most significant factor in his thinking. I've lost one child - I cannot lose another one."
Milner told the jury what is at stake in this case is not whether or not his client made a good or bad decision in conducting his own drill, but what matters is that the state can prove "intent" – that Miller was not reckless or negligent, but intended to make a terroristic threat.
The lead investigator in the case from the Celina police testified that, in his opinion, Miller's intent was clear, because his behavior "escalated" as he moved from the sidewalk into the school office.
If Miller is convicted of this crime he could face up to a year in jail.


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All about me...Hmmm...
I am a opera singing student who works at a nuclear reactor on campus. I have always been one to challenge the status quo and never say no to a challenge. My family moved quite a bit as a child and I traveled even more once I got into college. I can now say I have lived on every continent but Australia and Antarctica.
I have fun in life by getting completely lost in big cities to force myself to learn the basics of a language and realize the true culture I am experiencing. Although I have had McDonald's fries in every country I have visited just for the comparison I try to never eat anything but the local cuisine.
I am a gay young man but that doesn't change anything when it comes to friendships. I have straight and gay friends all over the world and as long as you accept me for who I am then we will get along just fine.
Let it be, let it be...
Great words to live by if you ask me.
You don't have to accept me you just have to respect me.
Why I'm on Couchsurfing
I am always ready to lend a helping hand.
I accept LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) couchsurfers and will actually give them preference over other requests because I have been turned down by so many hosts because "I don't host your kind". WELL I DO! I am open and accepting (and gay) but most of all I want you to feel comfortable when I host you.
I didn't use CouchSurfing originally since I already had friends on most continents. However, now that I am getting involved with CS I intend to surf as often as possible.
I have also surfed in beautiful Paris and Brussels on one of my European nuclear conference trips!
One of my favorite experiences occurred when I was in China. I was living in Shanghai but was visiting Beijing for the weekend. I met Shang Li and she was so great! She took me all over the city and helped me find the best places for local food and fun. Not to mention she tried to make our time half-English, half-Mandarin so I could work on my language skills.
Music - most types, I am a singer but I also play violin, French horn, and piano with my latest challenge being the Chinese Erhu (a type of vertical violin).
I also love reading and writing. I have composed two symphonies inspired by poetry and am half way through an opera titled "The Figaro of Fusion"
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I love Sci-Fi movies as well as the occasional Chick Flick. Latest one I enjoy is Moulin Rouge, watched it three times this week.
I adore classical music since it's my major but you'll always here my car cranked to the Top 20 in Pop. I know all their lyrics and keep very current on my Top Pop.
One Amazing Thing I've Done
I won second place in the International Arts Festival in Shanghai for my performance of a Figaro aria to an audience of hundreds of millions.
Teach, Learn, Share
I can teach languages that I know and want to learn languages that I don't know.
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