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Chinese Junk Patents Flood Into Australia, Allowing Chinese Companies To Strategically Block Innovation
from the perverse-incentives dept
Techdirt has been writing for a while about China's policy of providing incentives to file patents -- regardless of whether those patents have any worth. That's led to a naïve celebration of the large numbers now being granted, as if more patents corresponded to more innovation.
Until now, this problem of junk patents has been confined to China, and the companies that operate there. But last year China went even further with its subsidy system, offering to pay the fees for filing overseas, presumably to encourage Chinese companies to build up patent portfolios in foreign markets that can be used for defensive or even offensive purposes. We're now beginning to see the effects of this further distortion to the patent system, as Australian businesses struggle with the flood of new patents there. The Patentology blog explains:
A Chinese government scheme providing financial incentives for small and medium sized enterprises, public institutions or scientific research institutions appears to be resulting in abuse of the Australian patent system, and the 'dumping' of numerous low-quality innovation patents on the Australian Register.
This is a perfect example of how granting more patents actively harms innovation. Thanks to China's incentive scheme, which encourages patent quantity rather than quality, Australian businesses must now spend more time searching through them all to see if they are likely to affect their own products, deciding if they are a threat, and what to do about it. All that costs money that could have been spent on real innovation, developing new products. Thanks to the patent system, and China's new incentives, that money will now go to the lawyers.
These 'junk' patents are not being examined or certified. They therefore represent no more than potential enforceable rights. Even so, they generate costs to companies operating legitimately in Australia, which may need to obtain advice on the likely scope and validity of these patents in order to avoid possible infringement. In extreme cases, the existence of junk patents could result in an Australian business choosing not to take the risk of bringing a new product to market, even though the Chinese owner of a patent is not itself offering any products or services in this country.
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and on Google+
Filed Under: australia, china, innovation, junk, patents


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Why it took so long to cross the pond is a mystery because it's one of late director Eric Rohmer's finest.
Nearly 20 years after its release, master French filmmaker Eric Rohmer's "A Summer's Tale" made its Boston debut for a nine-day run at the Museum of Fine Arts.
Why it took so long to cross the pond is a mystery because it's one of the late director's finest, brimming with his usual mix of gorgeous locations and beautiful people caught up in romantic entanglements that challenge their misguided concepts of love. Promises are broken, trusts betrayed and narcissism reigns supreme, yet in true Rohmer fashion, his characters remain extremely likeable be cause they're victims of their own naivety.
The next-to-last installment in his "Tales of the Four Seasons," the 1996 release stars the ultra- charismatic Melvil Poupaud as Gaspard, a 20-something musician on a three-week holiday in France's picture-postcard province of Brittany. Presented like a diary, we follow each day of his romantic encounters from July 17 to Aug. 6. It begins with his daily walks with Margot (radiant Amanda Langlet), a local waitress with a Ph.D. in ethnology who eagerly probes her new friend for information on his love for the elusive Lena (Aure lia Nolin), the supposed girl friend who treats him like dirt.
She's expected to arrive from Spain at any moment, but as each day passes, the story begins to assume a sort of "Waiting for Godot" vibe. Will she get there? And if she does, will it be before Gaspard falls for Margot or Margot's rich and lovely best friend, Solene (Gwenaelle Simon)? It's fun finding out, as Gaspard's loyalties shift as regularly as the tide. Does he truly love any of them or is he just afraid of being alone? Or worse, is he in desperate need of having his ego stroked? Rest assured Rohmer won't let him off easily. Also expect to get an insatiable urge to immediately book passage to the gorgeous beaches of France's northwest coast. They are just as big a tease as the characters, albeit a tad bit warmer and a whole lot purer.
Above all, "A Summer's Tale" is a fitting reminder of Rohmer's unique gift for capitalizing on human foibles and the unknowable nature of love. From the indelible "Claire's Knee" to the sumptuous "Pauline at the Beach" (which starred a then 15-year-old Langlet), Rohmer has always remained true to his New Wave origins. His success is matched only by Francois Truffaut, the movement's other purveyor of art films for the masses. He's gone now, which makes "A Summer's Tale" all the more poignant, making it an ideal aide-mémoire for one of 20th century's finest filmmakers.

subset: commoncrawl


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Waterman Wins 800-Meter Championshipby Brent Harris • May 27, 2012 Share:
After two second-place finishes, Wabash College junior track star Jake Waterman would not be denied. He led from start to finish to win the 800-meter run at the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships and capture his first national title.
Waterman finished in 1:49.41, edging out Mike Hutton from St. Thomas (MN) who finished second with a time of 1:49.78. Waterman finished second in the indoor 800-meter run in March after finishing second in 2011, as well.
View photos from Waterman's victory here.
"I don't think it's all set in yet," Waterman said shortly after receiving his first-place trophy from Wabash Assistant Coach Roger Busch. "It's still a little surreal. This was really the coaches' expectation all year for me. It was my expectation for me too. I feel really good about the effort.
"For the first time this race went exactly the way I had it planned out in my mind. My intention was to lead the whole thing and stay out of traffic. I found out after the race was over that there was a lot of battling for positions behind me, so I was very fortunate to be able to stay out of that traffic."
Waterman raced to the front of the pack from the fifth starting spot and never looked back. With about 200 meters left, he made one final surge that kept him in front and led him to the finish line.
"I'm very, very, very, very proud of Jake and his effort today," Busch said. "Jake just never complains, he loves running on the big stage, he listens, he has matured as a runner and competitor. He's just very coachable. Coming up short twice in the indoor meet and having a rough go at last year's outdoor championships, it's just very exciting to see him reach this achievement."
Waterman becomes the second national champion for the Wabash track and field program this season. Kevin McCarthy won the mile run at the indoor championships in March. McCarthy finished third in the 1500-meter run on Saturday to join Waterman as an All-American at the 2012 outdoor meet.
"We just wanted Jake to be patient until about 150 or 200 meters," Head Coach Clyde Morgan said. "At that point the race was over. Jake wanted it bad. There was nothing else in his eyes. When you're second twice there is nothing else to shoot for.
"Toughness, that's what Wabash is. It's a tough place. When you walk around you can feel it. That's what Jake and these guys are doing out here today. When Jake won yesterday in the prelims you could see that toughness on his face."
"I think we are starting to develop a culture where our guys know that they're in with a good group of guys who are all willing to work hard," Busch said. "Jake said it best earlier in the week. We have guys who work hard when they come to practice every day. That's what our program is about from the 100-meter dash all the way up to the 10,000-meter run. They know if they show up every day and work hard that they can get better and better. That's all we can really coach. Their expectations get higher now."


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Feeling better, staying active, eating well, reducing your reliance on medication...to reach your goals, you need support every step of the way. Finding the right team of skilled health professionals will help you manage your diabetes and get the most out of the healthcare system. Ask your primary diabetes doctor (internist, family practice doctor, or endocrinologist) to help you build a team near his or her office, so you have easy access to the care you need.
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Stay up-to-date on our latest guidelines and standards for diabetes care.


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Cable HDTV, HDMI, and closed captions19 July 2007
We just got a new TV. I've had the same 20-something inch tube for enough years that the cabinet has yellowed for being in the window. We got an insanely good deal on a 50-inch plasma, so it was really impossible to pass up.
Get home, hook everything up just so. Plug the new HD cable box into the HDMI port on the back of the TV. And, no captions. Not even an option on the HDMI menu. *sigh*
I did a bit of research on the intertubes, and there were some vague references to a few things…but one stood out. A guy talked about his cable box that had settings for captions. It seemed weird, but not outside the realm of possibility that there was such a setting. But I couldn't find it. Whenever I hit the 'settings' button for the cable box, the DVR screen came up. So I called Cox. They are generally very good with their customer support. Well, what do you know? The guy told me to hit settings. When I told him the DVR screen came up, he told me that there was nothing else he could help me with. So I asked him to escalate me to level 2 support. He said sure. And then promptly sent me back to the main menu. JERK.
While I was holding, my husband asked to see the remote. He hit the 'menu' button on the cable remote, and VOILA! There was a menu. There was a menu item for captions! Apparently there's a cc-decoder in the cable box. It reads the captions from the signal, and overlays them directly onto the video before sending it out to the TV through the HDMI port.
So, if you have an HDTV and an HD cable box, and you want to use your HDMI port, check the settings on your CABLE BOX. With any luck, it'll have a decoder, and you'll be able to see captions on all your programs, in high def! The quality of the captions depends on the cable box — the box's captions aren't as good-looking as the ones directly from the TV, but they definitely do the job, and that is a GOOD THING.


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Valentine and Simon are done working and horny for each other. They strip each other naked, tear off their stockings and show off hairy bodies. Of course, sexy hairy pussy licking is included too.
Hairy Armpits, Upskirt, Masturbation, Tattoo, Lingerie, Hairy Ass, Hairy Arms, Meaty Lips, Hairy Legs, Brunettes, Curvaceous, Chubby, Stockings, Striptease, Lesbian
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Everybody is saying the same thing. Stimulus plans don't mean tax rebates worth a few tanks of gas and a restaurant dinner. Stimulus plans means new roads and bridges, aid to states so they won't lay off nurses and teaching assistants, and a down payment on a new energy economy with windmills and commuter rail.
Most importantly, people have turned the corner on money. Stimulus will take real money, measured in hundreds of billions of dollars and percents of GDP. Low estimates put the investment at $300 billion. High ones reach $700 billion. Paul Krugman, with his hot new Nobel prize in economics, recommends "figure out how much help [you] think the economy needs, then add 50 percent."
The former but not future Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers has changed his tune. No longer should stimulus be "targeted, timely and temporary." Now it should be "speedy, substantial and sustained." If he changes the first S to "strategic," he'll sound just like the Campaign for America's Future. "Strategic" points towards energy and education, investments that pay back over time.
Increasingly, even the deficit hawks recognize that this is not the time to worry about deficits. This is the time for action. To paraphrase FDR, when the house is burning, you don't fret about the cost of the hose.
Over the weekend, president-elect Barack Obama started to define what the New York Times labeled a Vast Economic Stimulus Plan.
"We'll be working out the details in the weeks ahead, but it will be a two-year, nationwide effort to jumpstart job creation in America and lay the foundation for a strong and growing economy. We'll put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, modernizing schools that are failing our children, and building wind farms and solar panels, fuel-efficient cars and the alternative energy technologies that can free us from our dependence on foreign oil and keep our economy competitive in the years ahead."
He is exactly right, and he's been saying this since the campaign.
In June he told the U.S. conference of Mayors:
"Now is not the time for small plans. Now is the time for bold action to rebuild and renew America. We've done this before. Two hundred years ago, in 1808, Thomas Jefferson oversaw an infrastructure plan that envisioned the Homestead Act, the transcontinental railroads, and the Erie Canal. One hundred years later, in 1908, Teddy Roosevelt called together leaders from business and government to develop a plan for a 20th century infrastructure. Today, in 2008, it falls on us to take up this call again – to re-imagine America's landscape and remake America's future. That is the cause of this campaign, and that will be the cause of my presidency."
Back then he was estimating expenditures in the $150 billion range – and nowadays that's rounding error. But back then the Dow was at 12,000 and 1.5 million more people had jobs. It's nice to see him up the ante.
The American people are behind this too. A June survey by Hart Research showed a country that wants more than quick stimulus. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of voters think the economy is facing "long-term, structural economic problems." Only one-third (30 percent) say it is a "short-term economic downturn."
Investing in physical infrastructure is among the most popular of long-term solutions. A June survey by Rockefeller Foundation found 82 percent support for "increasing government spending on things like public-works projects to help create jobs." Reconstruction will take time and exceed the limits of a single budget cycle – but for long term solutions to long term problems, you don't "pay as you go." You invest over time.
We discussed all of this last week at our conference on Real Investment in America. I wrote all about it in our snazzy new report, The Investment Deficit.
Build, baby, build. The consensus is emerging.


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It's our first recipe swap of 2012, and I'm only a few days late to the party. (Oh well! Better late than never, I suppose…)
As many of you know, I'm part of the Burwell General Store Recipe Swap. The swap consists of 25 foodies and writers from all over the world, and each month we re-interpret a vintage recipe (selected by Christianna of Burwell General Store) and post our creations on the first Sunday of the month.
This month, Christianna selected this recipe for the swap: Zabaglione for Two.
I was a bit flabbergasted by this recipe. First off, I had to google Zabaglione as I had no idea what it was. The images that appeared on my screen horrified me: it looked like a rich, lumpy, custardy mess. Granted, this recipe came at a bad time – I had just started my January detox and was feeling particularly over-sugared from the holidays. I couldn't stomach the thought of a heavy custard. I decided that I needed to transform zabaglione into something light and healthy.
The only problem was that I could not, for the life of me, figure out how to pull off this transformation. I was stumped.
After a lot of thought, I finally decided to make a coconut milk brown rice pudding. It's vegan, gluten free, and it doesn't contain much sugar. And, most importantly, it's easy to digest. It makes my belly happy. And as of right now, a happy belly is a top priority.
I won't bore you with all of the details, but I do think it is worth mentioning that I have IBS.
Meaning: my stomach hates me.
I've tried various medications, elimination diets, fasts, probiodics, kombucha, vitamins, herbs, and more. I've been tested for various diseases and allergies, but everything comes back negative. In my opinion, IBS is the diagnosis doctors give you when they can't figure out what's wrong with your digestive system. So, I just do my best to take care of myself. I try to listen to my body. I started a detox on January 1st, because I wanted to cleanse after the holidays. I drank a lot of chicken broth and ate a lot of veggies. And the funny/tragic thing is, my stomach felt even worse during the cleanse. I was downright miserable. Nothing I ate or drank (or didn't eat or drink) seemed to help.
I just didn't have the heart to cook anything, let alone create a recipe for the swap.
But, I gave it a couple days and gradually I began to feel better. I allowed myself to dream of delicious and tummy-friendly recipes that might work for the swap. And then I remembered an amazing rice porridge I had for breakfast a couple years ago at a local brunch spot in Portland. I specifically remember that I ordered the porridge because I wasn't feeling well and it was named something clever like "The Belly Pleaser". It was made with coconut milk and had fresh mango on top. I loved it (and so did my stomach).
So this is my ode to "The Belly Pleaser". It's no zabaglione, to be sure. But it is a pudding — a pudding that happens to be vegan, gluten free, low-sugar, and is quite easy on the stomach. It also happens to taste wonderful. And that, my friends, is a fabulous thing.
Coconut Brown Rice Pudding
Adapted from The Witchy Kitchen
Note: This recipe uses pre-cooked brown rice, so make sure you factor that into your cooking time. Once the rice is cooked, however, this recipe takes 5-10 minutes to throw together.
2.5 cups pre-cooked short grain brown rice
1 can (14 ounces) of light coconut milk
1/4 cup soy milk (or dairy milk)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon cinnamon (plus cinnamon stick for garnish)
1 teaspoon vanilla*
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cardamom pods
1/4 cup golden raisins (plus more, for garnish)
Slivered almonds, for garnish
*I think this recipe would be incredible with real vanilla bean, I just didn't happen to have any at home when I made this. Vanilla extract works nicely, I just think that real vanilla would be killer.
Heat coconut milk, soy (or dairy) milk and sugar together in a medium sized pot. Until warm. Whisk in corn starch and vanilla. Add in rice, 1/4 cup of golden raisins, and cardamom pods and bring to a simmer. Stir constantly and reduce heat if necessary. Allow mixture to gently simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
Once the pudding has thickened, remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Serve warm, with a dusting of cinnamon. Garnish with almond slivers and extra golden raisins. Can also be enjoyed cold.


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NEW DELHI, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- The Indian government is considering setting up a company specifically for exploration and development of Iranian oilfields, authorities said.
The Economic Times of India reported Friday the government was mulling a separate company for work in Iran. The company would be "fully owned by the government" and work under the direction of the Oil Ministry, sources close to the conversation told the newspaper.
The report said India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. would be kept away from any new company because of the attention it would likely receive from a U.S. government wary of India's relationship with Iran.
Indian imports of Iranian crude oil were limited by sanctions restricting payment and insurance options. New Delhi in June secured a waiver from U.S. sanctions for reducing the amount of Iranian crude oil it imports.
The report Friday said India can't afford to ignore key sources of energy so close to its shores because of rising energy needs. It said India was already in a "catch-22 situation" because it was eager to tap into Iranian natural gas sources while at the same time avoiding additional scrutiny from the United States.
India is the fourth largest energy consumer in the world.


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Wednesday, February 6, 2013
SAVE THE DATE: The Everygirl Turns One!
there's a party happenin' up in here! if you're in chicago the evening of the 21st, mark your calendars, invite your friends, and come ready to partay! details to follow - make sure you've subscribed to the everygirl for the formal invite!
Labels: events, the everygirl
3 comments:
love this! congrats on the 1 year lady!!ReplyDelete
yay! congrats! so exciting for you!ReplyDelete
So exciting, well done ladies! I'm very proud to have been part of this amazing first year you've had! Way to go and thanks again for giving me the opportunity to be part of your dream!! xxxReplyDelete
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argument position of a given function
Major Section: EVENTS
Example: (defcong set-equal iff (memb x y) 2)See congruence and also see equivalence.
is an abbreviation for (defthm set-equal-implies-iff-memb-2 (implies (set-equal y y-equiv) (iff (memb x y) (memb x y-equiv))) :rule-classes (:congruence))
General Form: (defcong equiv1 equiv2 term k :rule-classes rule-classes :instructions instructions :hints hints :otf-flg otf-flg :event-name event-name :doc doc)where
equiv1 and
equiv2 are known equivalence relations,
term is a
call of a function
fn on the correct number of distinct variable
(fn x1 ... xn),
k is a positive integer less than or equal
to the arity of
fn, and other arguments are as specified in the
documentation for
defthm. The
defcong macro expands into a call
defthm. The name of the
defthm event is
equiv1-implies-equiv2-fn-k unless an
:event-name keyword argument is
supplied for the name. The term of the theorem is
(implies (equiv1 xk yk) (equiv2 (fn x1... xk ...xn) (fn x1... yk ...xn))).The rule-class
congruence is added to the
rule-classes specified,
if it is not already there. All other arguments to the generated
defthm form are as specified by the keyword arguments above.


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Malli wrote:Kind of upset. I posted an article about the ineffective BSL in Ont on my fb and someone who I've known for a long time and would think much better of asked this
"What if Oscar suddenly snapped and bit someone- would you consider yourself responsible for the attack? Can you guarantee he will never attack anyone, even you?"
I thought so much better of her then this I can't believe she would ask such ignorant questions. Since she is a friend, and we are also part of a circle of other friends, I kept my response in debate-mode.
I'm so shocked, dissapointed and hurt at the same time.
TheRedQueen wrote:Heading off for a group dog hike this morning...still trying to figure out which dogs to take! I've got another hike tomorrow...so the ones that are left behind today get to go tomorrow.
TheRedQueen wrote:The Wiener pulled one of his sweaters off his favorite chair, put it on the floor...and has heaped toys on top of it...and is now lying on it. All in the sunbeam. Smart boy.
pitbullmamaliz wrote:Inara's prong has disappeared. Searched high and low and it's nowhere to be seen. Guess that's my cue to stop using it as the crutch it is for me!
pitbullmamaliz wrote:lol I asked one of my friends if she broke into my house and took it - she just giggled like she wished she had!
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Story highlights
- Police say the boy was found with his parents in Spain
- Parents took Ashya King, 5, from British hospital prematurely, police say
- Without further care, boy is at "substantial risk," police say
- Interpol issued a international missing-person notice
A 5-year-old boy with a brain tumor who was removed from a British hospital, starting an intense international search, has been found in Spain with his parents, the Hampshire Constabulary posted on its Facebook page late Saturday.
The search for Ashya King, who recently had surgery, began Thursday when his parents, Brett King, 51, and Naghemeh King, 45, took him without authorization from the Southampton hospital, Hampshire police said.
"Ashya has been found," police said on Facebook. "He is in Spain with his mum and dad. Police are speaking to his mum and dad and we are waiting to hear on Ashya's condition. This is all we know at this time -- but, he has been found. ... We will provide further detail just as soon as we can ...."
The boy is not mobile on his own, cannot communicate verbally, and is supposed to be receiving constant medical care because of the surgery and "ongoing medical issues," Hampshire police Detective Superintendent Dick Pearson said earlier.
"Without this specialist 24-hour care, Ashya is at risk of additional health complications which place him at substantial risk," Pearson said in a news release Friday.
Police have not said why his parents took Ashya from the hospital.
After Ashya was taken from the hospital Thursday, the family -- including Ashya's six siblings -- boarded a ferry in nearby Portsmouth, and disembarked Thursday night in Cherbourg, France, according to Hampshire police.
Interpol issued an international missing person notice, otherwise known as a yellow alert, for the boy. Such notices are distributed to police in Interpol's 190 member countries to help find missing people, especially children.


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What's inside? Here are the questions answered in today's reader mailbag, boiled down to five word summaries. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question.
1. Saving for multiple housing goals
2. Children sharing bedrooms
3. Staying positive in volatile markets
4. Early childhoold illnesses
5. Board games as gifts
6. Student loan payoffs or savings?
7. Master limited partnerships?
8. Bigger emergency funds?
9. Upromise credit card
10. Fringe thoughts
Recently, my son's school had a "parent's day," where a parent was encouraged to come to school and eat with their child. I packaged up a lunch at home and took it with me to eat with my son. We ate together in the lunch room of his school, then he showed me his classroom and I met several of his friends. Afterwards, he gave me a big hug. I think it meant a lot to him.
This is something that would have been difficult to do at my previous job. I might not earn money like I once was earning it, but I have something else that's worth a lot more.
Money isn't everything.
Q1: Saving for multiple housing goals
[My question is] specifically about your current house and future dream house–how are you managing holding the two in tension? Are you paying as much as possible on your current house with the hope of using that principal for the dream house or are you diverting some savings to a future house goal (even though you lose the guaranteed return of your interest rate?)? If you had to do it all over again, how would you sequence your house purchase?
– Alison
It would be very easy to simply make extra payments on our mortgage instead of saving ahead for a future home. There are two reasons we don't follow that route.
One, the interest rate on our mortgage is very low. If our mortgage rate was 7 or 8%, we would have a good reason to just wipe out the mortgage first. However, our rate is a lot lower than that. Over a sufficiently long period (the period that we're looking at for these savings), we should see much better returns on other investments.
Two, putting money into our home mortgage isn't very liquid. Putting the money into an investment account is much more liquid if we were to need to access it at some point.
At some point, we may empty out our savings and just pay off our entire mortgage at once. We'll cross that bridge when we get there, however.
Alison has a second question.
Q2: Children sharing bedrooms
Somewhat relatedly, I've noticed that you mentioned have all your kids sleeping in the same room and yet also talking about having lots of extra space–what's your philosophy for having them all in the same room? I would think they would wake each other up? But I know nothing about children.
– Alison
When I was little, I shared a bedroom with my two older brothers. In fact, I shared a bed with them until I was five or so.
This is actually one of the best memories I have of them from when I was little. I remember us all being jammed in there, joking around a bit, jostling for position, someone passing gas, lots of laughing, and things like that. It was probably the best bonding I had with them.
Similarly, my wife shared a bedroom with her sister for many years and she had a similar experience. It really built a bond between them.
We have two rooms we could easily convert into bedrooms if we so chose. For now, though, I think our three kids are getting a lot of value out of sharing a room.
Q3: Staying positive in volatile markets
I was wondering how you stay positive when there are times of wild market volatility. I sometimes see losses pile up for several weeks and I get worried like so many other investors do. Do you have any advice on how to ride out the doldrums of the bear market or a recession?
– Jeff
I just don't look at my balances. Seriously.
Every goal for which I have money in the stock market is a long term goal. I don't expect to have to touch that money until at least ten years from now. Between now and then, I expect that there's going to be rough patches, but the consequences of those patches don't bother me.
The only events I'm really worried about are events that would cause me to lose a lot of money no matter what I was invested in, such as a rapid devaluation of the U.S. dollar.
Q4: Early childhood illnesses
I have a 6-month old. Our first child. I constantly worry about him! He's had a few health issues, but nothing serious. He seems to catch everything, a product of taking him to daycare I suppose. But I worry about all things–health, development, happiness, eating, etc. I know this is very new and overwhelming, and that the worry never goes away. But does it become manageable at some point?
– Todd
You're probably going to keep worrying for a long while. Wait until your child starts walking is capable of wandering off and then when he/she starts climbing on things.
The best thing you can do is just let your child do as much on his/her own as he/she reasonably can and watch. You'll soon realize, step by step, that your child can do a lot on his/her own. For me, that was incredibly reassuring.
At this point, my five year old can wake up in the morning, pick out his clothes, take a shower, get himself breakfast, get his backpack together, and leave for the bus without a single bit of help from me. I can't think of a better sign that he's doing well than that, and it reassures me.
Q5: Board games as gifts
I've been thinking of getting my wife a board game as a gift for us to play in the evenings. She enjoys playing video games that aren't "twitchy" and has played cards quite enthusiastically with my family in the past. Any suggestions?
– Lucas
I would probably choose a game without incredibly complex rules that's not too long and also open-ended and changes each time you play it. I'd also pick something that would work with more players, but works really well with two. Here are some options.
Carcassonne involves building a village out of tiles. As you're building, you place your villagers in the town to score points (essentially claiming fields and buildings for your villagers).
Ticket to Ride involves connecting cities on a map of the United States with matching colored trains. Your goal is to make a series of connections between cities that will enable two distant cities to be connected together, as you have goals that consist of distant cities. For example, you might connect Vancouver to Portland by connecting Vancouver to Seattle, then Seattle to Portland.
Dominion is a card game where you're each assembling a set of increasingly better cards. You have a wide range of cards to choose from to add to your set as the game goes along and the earlier not-quite-as-good cards are used to "purchase" the better cards.
All of these work for at least four players (Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne work for five) and all work very well for two players as well.
Q6: Student loan payoffs or savings?
I am currently 23 years old working as a full time teacher. I am starting my first year of full time teaching, second year of teaching in total. I've been aggressively paying off my student loans since I've graduated. I started at $10,930 when I graduated in May 2010 (I worked all the way through college) and now I'm down to $3000. I pay off my credit card debt every month and I'm maxing out my Roth IRA. I have a $1000 emergency fund, as well as $3300 in other various savings goals (car, wedding, vacation etc) that could be used in case of an emergency. I just started attending graduate school part time in the evenings to continue to develop my skills. Should I continue aggressively paying down my undergraduate student loan debt (400+ per month for me) or should I put that money towards paying for graduate school without taking out more loans? Currently, my district does not offer tuition reimbursement, but I still want to continue my program. I've paid my first class in full, and I'm currently saving up for my second class in January. I only have $400 saved right now, and I will need to pay for the class by January 30. I won't be taking enough classes to qualify for government student loans, so I would have to take out private loans. Should I pay down my undergraduate debt and then take out new debt for graduate school, or should I make a smaller payment on my undergrad loans and save more aggressively for graduate school?
– Reggie
It really depends on how stable your current employment is. The more stable it is, the more I would lean toward graduate school savings. The less stable it is, the more I would lean toward paying off your loans to maximize your monthly cash flow.
What's the state of your school district? Are they making big cuts or are they pretty stable? How does your state handle education policy? Do you have any seniority or are you the first on the cutting block? Are you in a teacher's union?
These are all factors that indicate the stability of your professional position. As I said before, that would be the biggest factor in what I chose to do here if I were in your shoes.
Q7: Master limited partnerships?
A friend recently recommended I get into MLPs (master limited partnerships). I wanted to get your opinion on them. I've started to do some research on my own but I'm a bit of a financial novice, particulary when it comes to investing and I'm having trouble weighing the pros and cons. Also, do you generally have MLPs as part of a tax deferred retirement account or not?
I have an account with Vanguard that consists of a Traditional IRA retirement fund and a non-retirement account for long-term savings – there's about 10K in each. I'm considering moving towards dividend investing in the long run. My husband and I make about 100K (combined) per year and he has an additional 401K. We use a CPA for filing our taxes — I understand that MLPs might add another level of confusion…
– Chelsea
Master limited partnerships are essentially a way of investing in energy companies. The vast majority of MLPs are companies that own oil or gas pipelines, which means that they pay out a pretty steady dividend.
Because they're a partnership, people who own a share of an MLP can claim the depreciation of the equipment as a deduction on their taxes. This is actually one of the big reasons people own an MLP – they provide a steady dividend and usually give a tax deduction to boot. However, the dividend isn't usually a huge dividend – it's the pairing of features that make them attractive.
Because the tax deduction is such a big feature, it doesn't really make sense to put them into a tax-deferred retirement account, so I wouldn't put them in my IRA. As for the other side of the coin, I don't think MLPs really pay off unless you're earning quite a bit more money than you are, as the deductions become more valuable at that point.
Q8: Bigger emergency funds?
At almost every PF blog I've read, including yours (great site, by the way!), there seems to be the standard advice of having 3-6 months in an emergency fund. Many even say only 2-3 months. I find this a little irritating because that's been the standard advice for a very long time and it did not seem to change when the recession and high unemployment came along. Even before the recession, it took me almost two YEARS to find a full time position, and I have both bachelor's and master's degree in the STEM fields. So I think the emergency fund size should be at LEAST 12 months at a bare minimum. I prefer 18-24 months. I know that's extreme and I know it's very hard to save up that much (I currently only have 8 months and I do not feel that is enough). So, why are people still saying 3-6 months, or even at the lower end of that range?
– Ronald
There are a lot of reasons for that.
For one, there's a assumption that if you're unexpectedly downsized, you'll receive some sort of compensation, either in the form of unemployment insurance or in the form of a severance package. This will certainly help.
For another, there's an assumption that your expenses will actually drop a bit if you're not going into work each day. There's no commuting costs, there's reduced food costs, and so on.
The big one, though, is the assumption that you're going to actually get out there and find some form of employment pretty quickly. If I were unemployed more than a week, I'd be applying for a job at pretty much any retailer I could find. I'd then spend my evenings and off days circulating resumes and going to interviews. This would keep some level of income coming into my home, which I could then use my emergency fund to supplement.
You're correct, a six month emergency fund isn't enough to live off of for two years. However, I don't think that one should ever live off of an emergency fund unless absolutely forced to.
Q9: Upromise credit card
Do you think the Upromise credit card is worth signing up for? I have my debit card linked to my Upromise account but I've only gotten $18 in the last 3 years. I think the interest rate is a bit high but the rewards seem good. I would appreciate your thoughts.
– Taylor
The Upromise card mentioned by Taylor is one that puts a small percentage of purchases into a college savings account for your child.
In all honesty, the Upromise card offers rewards at a rate comparable to a lot of other rewards cards. The appeal of it is that it puts those rewards directly into college savings.
Remember, we're talking about amounts that will buy textbooks, not tuition. It's certainly an option for rewards, but it's not strictly better or worse than any other. The rewards program that's best for you is the one that matches how you spend your money, so I'd probably still recommend getting a Visa or Mastercard that matches, say, your gas station or your most frequently used retailer.
Q10: Fringe thoughts
What did you think of the season premiere of Fringe?
– Erik
As I've mentioned on here before, my wife and I watch very few television series. One of the few we do watch is Fringe. We record it, then watch it on a weeknight that's convenient for us.
I think that Peter is in some sort of limbo and I think September is going to end up going against the rest of the Observers and help him. I felt like September was feeling … guilty, maybe … about having done whatever they did to Peter.
I also think I find the alternate universe more interesting at this point. Every character save Olivia is more interesting "over there," in my opinion.
Got any questions? Email them to me or leave them in the comments and I'll attempt to answer them in a future mailbag (which, by way of full disclosure, may also get re-posted on other websites that pick up my blog). However, I do receive hundreds of questions per week, so I may not necessarily be able to answer yours.


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Hi everyone,
I'm a IL and I'm writing an article for the law section of my university's newspaper. I think that TLS is an interesting and relevant topic that people will want to read about and would really appreciate it if some of you took a few minutes to answer the questions below. My article is due on Wednesday at 11:59pm, so I would like to have most of the survey results by Saturday (but feel free to respond until 11:58 pm Wednesday). Thanks in advance!
1. Do you think that individuals considering going to law school and/or current law students should be familiar with the general TLS website? What about the forum? Why or why not?
2. What effect, if any, did the general TLS website have on the schools you chose to apply to during your admissions cycle? What about the TLS forum?
3. Did you use any type of law school acceptance predictor to decide where to apply? If so, what did you use and how did it affect your choice.
4. Did you ever retake the LSAT, defer or delay applying to law school based on anything written on the TLS website, the forum or the admissions predictor?
5. What effect, if any, did the general TLS website have in you choosing to attend your current law school? What about the TLS forum?
6. On average, how much time do you spend on TLS daily? Also, when did you spend the most time: Before applying to school, during the admissions cycle or after the admissions cycle?
7. Who do you trust more in terms of delivering information about post-graduate employment: Your law school or contributors on the TLS forum? Why?
Please include any other comments you would like to make. Thanks again!
Quick Survey for Newspaper Article on Law Students and TLS!
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Phone: 407-518-4540 / Fax: 407-518-4575
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Important Updated Bus Route Information for the 2018-2019 School Year!
The district is utilizing a new bus routing system in its Transportation Department this school year, and a few issues with a small number of routes have been identified and fixed. Parents are encouraged to check their student's route again before school starts by clicking "Click Here to Find My Bus/School" link below and clicking on the "Transportation Eligibility" link). Parents with questions about their child's route are asked to call the Transportation Parent Hotline at 407-483-3673 to speak to a transportation representative. Our goal is to provide parents with a timely response and ensure a great start of school for all students.
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Master of Sustainability – Master of Business Administration Dual Degree
Chatham University's Falk School of Sustainability & Environment Master of Sustainability (MSUS) program, in partnership with Chatham's Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, has developed a dual degree program that prepares graduates for sustainability management and leadership positions across all sectors including business, government, and NGOs. The program includes foundational coursework in both business and sustainability and extends the breadth and depth of students' knowledge bases with advanced work in various aspects of sustainability such as water, agriculture, and ecology as well as business.
The degree requires 57 credits, and is designed to be completed by full time students in two years. An optional first summer is offered for students who require prerequisites or simply want more time to take classes. In the program, students engage in consultation with sustainable businesses, complete individual or group sustainability projects, and apply their knowledge in summer-long professional placements. During these engagements, students will work on projects focused on real world challenges encountered by sustainable businesses, and include activities such as creating business plans for sustainability-focused organizations or collaboration on various projects in the scope of sustainability. Through the curriculum and outside learning opportunities, dual degree graduates will be uniquely prepared to champion and support sustainability initiatives in the business world.
The dual degree program leverages the strengths of Chatham's Master of Sustainability and Master of Business Administration programs to create a curriculum that develops sustainability leadership in business management. Graduates of the dual degree program will be capable of driving sustainability initiatives for companies, government agencies, and nonprofits that return triple-bottom-line success.
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See the latest updates from Eden Hall Campus at edenhall.chatham.edu and learn more about the revolutionary campus from the brochure on the left.


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Clock ticks on Alaska gasline bill
House passes HB4 which now goes to Senate
The Alaska House of Representatives passed HB4 Monday night. The legislation, if passed by the Senate, will build a so-called gas-only natural gas bullet line from the North Slope to the Anchorage area, dimming chances that a large diameter LNG gasline to Valdez will be built.
The bill passed 30-9 in a late-night session at 11:15 p.m. Monday night.
According to reports from the Anchorage Daily news, the late-night session included fart jokes, Kawasaki receiving a drubbing by fellow house members for sticking his tongue out at the cameras recording for Gavel to Gavel, the legislative TV service, and other behaviors some House members said were less than dignified.
Rep. Eric Feige, (R-Chickaloon) who represents Valdez and District 6 in the Alaska House was the lone Republican to vote against the bill's passage. Democrats , Max Gruenberg and Scott Kawasaki voted with the Republican majority.
Democratic leaders had proposed four last-minute amendments to HB4according the spokesman Mark Gnadt. The press release issued by the Democrats said the failed amendments were"an effort to add much needed accountability and assurances Alaskans will get low-cost gas and the maximum benefit from a small diameter gasline…"
Critics of HB4, including officials from the City of Valdez, say HB4 will do little to curb escalating energy costs for most Alaskans, will not maximize state revenues and is worrisome due to language in the bill which will exclude much of the contracts with industry from the open records act.
The City of Valdez has been embroiled in an expensive media campaign against HB4, which includes TV commercials, radio spots and color ads in Alaska's largest newspapers. The campaign's focus is to sway public opinion against HB4 in favor of a large-diameter liquid natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to tidewater, which the city has rebranded at the MVP, or Maximum Volume Pipeline.
Officials have stated publicly that while Port Valdez is the city's preferred terminus for an MVP line, the City of Valdez will not protest a similar MVP line if it benefits Alaskans with low-cost natural gas liquids and maximizes state revues with an export component.
There are two weeks left in the regular 90-day legislative session and HB4 is in the hands of the State Senate, where it is tentatively scheduled for hearings in the resources and finance committees.


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Immersed in the deep jungles and surrounded by the Pacific and the Caribbean, Costa Rica is unlike any other place in the world. 30% of Costa Rica's territory are protected areas, and despite the small size of the country, it has 6% of the World's Biodiversity.
With postcard-perfect lush rain forest, pristine rivers, active volcanoes and tons of wildlife, there is not a secret why Costa Rica is one of the world's top adventure destinations, and in a really short period of time you can enjoy and experience the unique adventure playground that is Costa Rica, with many adventure activities like trekking, river rafting, kayaking, horseback riding, off-road adventures, canyoneering, mountain biking, canoeing, hiking, wildlife photography... and many more!! You will know why our customers feel as if they where part of a National Geographic crew... enjoying first hand what you normally find just in magazines...
"We had a fantastic day with Outdoor Adventures. We got a chance to see the Arenal Volcano before we went waterfall repelling in La Fortuna! It was one of my best days in Costa Rica. Everybody was really easy going and the whole trip was really amazing. I would definitely recommend this company and I hope to come back and take another adventure someday!" Michelle Webb, Minnesota, USA
"I spent my birthday with Mauricio and Outdoor Adventures, and it was one of the best birthdays I´ve ever had! Everything was very comfortable and professional, and I really enjoyed myself the entire time, from the moment we were picked up through until the very end. I will remember this as one of my most exciting and fun adventures in Costa Rica." Amara Lewis, Virginia, USA
Expeditions and Adventure Trips
If you want to avoid the hasless of planning, save time during your trip and just focus on enjoying your vacation time, you can take the advantage and convenience of the pre-packaged Adventure Trips in Costa Rica, designed in a seam-less flowing way and operated for you by Outdoor Adventures, and lead by an expert Adventure Leader that is going to be with you from start to finish.
"Dear Mauricio, We have just returned from the 5 days trip to Corcovado National Park organized and guided by you. We would like to send our apreciation for this outstanding experience. The organization of the equipment needed for camping, the food and the meals you prepared were great!
The depth of knowledge that you have shown about the nature of this special area was amazing. Not to mention your sharp eyes that spotted animals that we would never be able to observe without you... We have learned much about life in the jungle as well about Costa Rican culture and society in general.
Taking you as our guide and trip organizer left us free of worries about the "small details" and enabled us to have a pure enjoyable journey.
We shall strongly recommend Outdoor Adventures to all travelers! Thanks again," Halpern Eyran, MD; Halpern Naama, MD; Halpern Ido; Ram Maayan, ISRAEL
We have different options available for trips around Costa Rica, depending on your interest:
Top 5 Adventure - 6 days
This is Our most popular adventure tour in Costa Rica. In 6 days you will experience the Top5 places that make Costa Rica so famous, and make a lot of people to visit this beautiful country. For the first day you can select and do one of this trips: - the Pacuare White Water Rafting or - the Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Then you will canoe in the jungles of Tortuguero, enjoy the amazing views of Arenal Volcano, explore the cloud forest from the canopy tour in Monteverde, and deep yourself in the pristine Pacific ocean with white sand beaches at Manuel Antonio.
Reef & Forest Discovery - 6 days
Take the road less traveled while enjoying the very best adventures that Costa Rica has to offer. With Outdoor Adventures' Reef & Forest Discovery you will find yourself exploring mysterious caves, canyoneering pristine waterfalls, mountain biking or horseback riding around an amazing volcano, touring forest canopies from over 250 ft, basking in natural hot springs, and diving or snorkeling in beautiful blue water at Isla del Caño. We also offer optional activities for this Adventure package, which include Bungee Jumping, Sea Kayaking, and a second visit to the Hot Springs.
Adrenaline Rush Adventure - 6 days
In the Adrenaline Multi-sport Adventure by Outdoor Adventures you will experience a bunch of adrenaline activities, prepared for normal people. Anyone with good sense of adventure and open mind will enjoy this high-adventure quick-paced physically challenging exploration with hiking in the rainforest, canyoneering in high waterfalls, hanging in the zip-lines to have a birds eye of the cloud forest, exploring awesome caves and relaxing in the hot springs.
Corcovado Trekking Expedition - 6 days
This Trekking Expedition by Outdoor Adventures takes you to Corcovado National Park located in Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, which is "the most biologically intense place on Earth" according to National Geographic. With around 20 Km of trekking per day, you need to be in reasonable fitness level, and Trekking / Camping experience is prefered but not completely required.
All this trips include all the tours as described, all the meals during the trip: breakfast, lunch and dinner, lodging in normal hotels, with private room and private bathroom, private 4x4 or van, depending on group size, up to 12 people; and a Adventure Guide from start to finish.
"Mauricio was our guide for a week in Costa Rica. He was knowledgeable and friendly, and did an excellent job of making us all feel secure. He took care of all the lodging and meals so that we didn't need to worry about anything. I would definitely hire him as a guide again!" Kristina Wanous, USA.
Private Custom Trips
Or, if you prefer, here in Outdoor Adventures we can design a custom made itinerary for you and your family and friends, to suit any special needs or interests, with the level of adventure and activity that you want to travel around Costa Rica.
Also we can arrange any of our tours with customized departure dates. This is the best option for families with kids.
Just tell Us your dreams, the type of travel that you want and the available time for your vacation and we will make a state of the art tour completely designed for you!!! Any trip can be customized with as little as 2 travelers.
"Outdoor Adventures was a unique, exciting, and unforgettable experience. Mauricio was enthusiastic, knowledgable, and accomodated to our every need and desire. My day spent with Outdoor Adventures was one of the best days I spent in Costa Rica." Lauren Trosch, Maryland, USA.
In Outdoor Adventures we are an adventure travel and expedition outfitter, so we directly operate this trips for you, and we have professional specialized adventure guides, with extensive experience and training in mountaineering, Search & Rescue, cartography and GPS, first aid and CPR - to mention just a few.. -, that will make everything posible so you can enjoy the lush beautiful tropic, and turn this adventure in Costa Rica to an unforgettable amazing experience!!
Thank you for your interest in Outdoor Adventures and it will be a pleasure to help you discover Costa Rica, and all that makes this little country wonderful!
Pura Vida!!!
Outdoor Adventures offers tours for all ages and types of guests, from those who seek for relaxing itineraries to those who want to experience a bunch of adrenaline activities, prepared for normal people. Anyone with good sense of adventure and open mind will enjoy our trips. We receive couples, groups of friends, single travelers, etc. Two persons minimum to open the date!
All this trips include all the tours as described, entrance fees to National Parks, all the meals during the trip: breakfast, lunch and dinner, lodging in normal hotels, with private room and private bathroom, private 4x4 or van, depending on group size, up to 8-10 people maximum; and an Adventure Guide from start to finish.
Any tour departs with just two persons, and they can be customized with as little as 2 travellers.
|Map Legend
|Multi-Sport & Adventure Trips in Costa Rica
Costa Rica


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Availability: In stock ships within 24-48 hrsStock Level: LowPlatforms: PS3Publisher: UbisoftDevelopers: UbiSoftGenre: First Persons ShooterESRB: M - MatureUPC: 887256300678Region Free: YesMenus & Interface : EnglishSubtitles: EnglishVoices: EnglishProduct was added to our catalog on Wednesday 21 May, 2014.
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