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All to choose your Routers & Bits, thanks to the web's most comprehensive price comparison and buying guide ! In this category you will find the best deals, consumer reviews, professional tests, photos and videos to help you choose the best products at the best price.
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Porter Cable 690LR Routers / Shapers
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An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect from 6/25/2015 9:00 AM to 6/27/2015 9:00 PM PDT for Mohave County. Learn more about how to stay safe in extreme heat and stay informed about future heat alerts.
Refugee Health
Latest Statistics
In 2013, Arizona received a total of 3,336 new neighbors from 42 countries through the Refugee Resettlement Program.
In the history of the Arizona Refugee Resettlement Program (1980-2013), more than 62,000 people from 109 countries have made Arizona their home. Maricopa County had resettled 80% of refugees, while Pima County has resettled 20%.
Since the Refugee Resettlement Program began recording primary language in 2006, refugees have arrived in Arizona speaking 126 different languages and dialects.
The majority of refugees resettled in Arizona are male.
Refugees of all ages reside in Arizona. The average age at arrival is 26.


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In a 2006 TPAMI paper, Wang proposed the neighborhood counting measure, a similarity measure for the k-NN algorithm. In his paper, Wang mentioned the minimum risk metric (MRM,), an early distance measure based on the minimization of the risk of misclassification. Wang did not compare NCM to MRM because of its allegedly excessive computational load. In this comment paper, we complete the comparison that was missing in Wang's paper and, from our empirical evaluation, we show that MRM outperforms NCM and that its running time is not prohibitive as Wang suggested.
A not-for-profit organization, IEEE is the world's largest professional association for the advancement of technology.© Copyright 2015 IEEE - All rights reserved. Use of this web site signifies your agreement to the terms and conditions.


text: City of San Antonio San Pedro Springs Park Sees Improvements By Paul Flahive • Jun 5, 2015 Paul Flahive, Texas Public Radio San Antonio's San Pedro Springs Park, the second oldest city park in the United States, is getting some needed updates. The city is spending $1.8 million to create a perimeter trail with LED lighting, additional signage and monument walls. The improvements were identified by residents in the 2013 Master Plan update. City Archeologist Kay Hines says the changes will make the park more inviting. The Source: Anti-Annexation Efforts Failing At Statehouse, But What About Here In San Antonio? By Paul Flahive • May 18, 2015 City of San Antonio / cc As the city of San Antonio examines whether or not to annex the largest swath of land in decades, many are pushing back against the city practice. Several bills have been filed in the 84th Legislature to make it more difficult to grab up unincorporated areas. The bills have failed to muster much support with nearly all of them dying in committee, but the number of bills filed gives an indication of how unpopular annexation is to several Texas communities. The Source: Will Downtown Feel Like A Downtown? By Paul Flahive • May 14, 2015 Big changes may be coming to downtown. The first skyscraper in 25 years, a new high-end development that would remove the blighted Solo Serve building, and a Houston Street that is making a comeback are all bringing life to an area that has served as a thoroughfare for tourists heading from San Fernando Cathedral to the Alamo. Will San Antonio see the downtown renewal that is has dreamed about for so long? Guests: The Source: Should We Pay The Mayor And Council A Salary? By Paul Flahive • Apr 28, 2015 Ryan Loyd / TPR News Early Voting continues in San Antonio's municipal elections. In addition to 10 council jobs and a Mayor's chair, a charter amendment was proposed to raise the pay for those elected city officials to a salary level. San Antonio is the only large city in Texas to not pay a full-time salary to its elected city leaders. Under the current system Council Members are paid $20 per meeting and the Mayor is paid a stipend of $4,040. The Source: Competing Mayoral Visions Of San Antonio's Future By Paul Flahive • Apr 22, 2015 San Antonio has a big population and a large footprint. The next Mayor of the city will have to deal with impending issues like urban redevelopment, gentrification, water conservation, growing industry, and a myriad of transportation issues. Where the city goes can be directed by a Mayor's vision. We invited four of the leading candidate in next month's city election to discover their visions for San Antonio. We invite your calls (210-614-8980) and emails (thesource [at] tpr.org). Guests: Pages1 2 3 4 next › last »


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Town Square
Police revive 'Click It or Ticket' campaign
Original post made on May 19, 2009
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 11:21 AM
Comments (3)
a resident of Sylvan Park
on May 19, 2009 at 4:03 pm
It's good that they are enforcing the seat belt law. Especially since there are so many "red light runners" in the area that are causing a concern. How about looking into that also??
a resident of Shoreline West
on May 19, 2009 at 11:29 pm
They have to pay for that $67,000 piece of art in front of their brand spanking new 6.7 million-dollar unnecessary firehouse somehow, now don't they?
a resident of Shoreline West
on May 22, 2009 at 8:22 am
It would be smarter to invest in accident prevention, as opposed to accident survival. Seatbelts can give you a sense of safety, which can lead to complacency. More than anything else, the safest thing you can do when driving is to pay attention.
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Lutticken's owner opens Main & Elm in Redwood City
By Elena Kadvany | 7 comments | 2,412 views
OK I Changed The Title
By Laura Stec | 22 comments | 1,663 views
TV for Tots: A Lesson In Deceptive Marketing
By Caroline Fleck | 8 comments | 671 views
Relay for Life, Menlo Park, August 8
By Chandrama Anderson | 0 comments | 628 views


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Database Tracks Energy Legislation in All 50 States
Colorado State University's Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) has gone live with an online database of energy-related legislation pending in all 50 states.
The Advanced Energy Legislation (AEL) Tracker, which was created in partnership with Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), is available to the general public.
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feedproxy.google.com – Here's the trailer for an upcoming Chinese film called AN INACCURATE MEMOIR, which features a group of characters wearing big masks and shooting big guns, explosions, and a girl showing her sword fighting skills. It sure looks like a lot of fun. The film is directed by Yang Shupeng and stars Huang Xiaoming (IP MAN 2, THE MESSAGE), Zhang Yi and Zhang Xinyi.Synopsis:
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Analysts doing quality assurance exercises generally ask questions such as "Were the right tests ordered? Were the right drugs or other treatments prescribed?" And, of course, "Did the patient get better?" But a different question usually goes unasked, because it is so hard to answer from medical records: "What is the quality of the doctor-patient relationship?" In many cases, the doctor-patient relationship may be the most important element in identifying and treating the patient's problem. Is the patient depressed? Are there stressors in the patient's life that are causing symptoms?
My best clinical shifts are the ones where I know that I am on the same page as my patient and I make clinical decisions incorporating principals of shared decision-making. Emergency medicine presents a unique challenge to the doctor/patient relationship. The first challenge is that patients almost never "want" to be in the emergency department (ED). They typically come reluctantly because they are in need of help for their acute medical problem. The second challenge is the ED is a chaotic environment.
A strong doctor-patient relationship can make all the difference in a patient's treatment and quality of care. In my experience, abiding by a few key principles goes a long way in building a relationship that enables a more successful diagnostic and therapeutic regimen.
The first, and arguably most important principle for me, is to see each patient as a person rather than a patient with cancer. Making them feel comfortable that I'm concerned about their disease process and ready to get through it as a team helps build trust from the beginning.
A doctor-patient relationship represents a collaboration, a shared commitment by both doctor and patient to work towards a common goal of therapeutic success. The importance of this mutual determination cannot be understated as treatment efficacy relies on both parties as neither can be successful in isolation.
When we look at the relationship between doctor and the patient, there is one theme that is constant: putting the patient first. The responsibility stands squarely on the shoulders of the physician from the onset to help make the patient feel comfortable and prepared to engage in an open and honest dialogue to help formulate a treatment plan.
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America®950 F Street, NW Suite 300, Washington, DC 20004
Additional Resources: AccessBetterCoverage.org | FromHopetoCures.org | Innovation.org


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Despite technicalities and frequent disputes regarding the legality of some children, Jamaican singer-songwriter Robert Nessa "Bob" Marley had 13 children. Eleven were his biological children, and two were adopted. He was also rumored to be the father of musician Fabian Marley, although this was never officially confirmed.
Bob officially acknowledge only 11 of his 13 children. His first biological child, Imani, was born in 1963 to Cheryl Murray but was kept secret during his marriage to his wife Rita Marley. Rita Marley had a daughter, Sharon, from a previous marriage; Bob adopted and accepted Sharon as his own. During their marriage, Bob and Rita had three children. Cedella was born in 1967; David, widely known as "Ziggy" Marley, was born in 1968; and Stephen Marley was born in 1972. That same year, Marley had two more sons, both by different women. Robbie Marley was the son of Pat Williams, and Rohan Marley was born to Janet Hunt. A year later, another daughter, Karen, was born to Janet Bowden. In 1974, Rita gave birth to a daughter, Stephanie. Whether or not Bob is her biological father is still up for debate, but as with Sharon before her, Bob adopted and accepted Stephanie as his own. Julian Marley was born in 1975 to Lucy Pounder, followed in 1976 and 1978 by Ky-Mani and Damian Marley, sons of Anita Belnavis and Cindy Breakspeare, respectively.
Bob Marley had 12 children Actually, he had 13 children. People often don't know about Robbie Marley. A.K.A. Robert Nesta Marley Junior.
His official website acknowledges 11 children, including three with his wife Rita, two more of hers that he adopted, and others he had from relationships with different women. There
Bov Marley had 5 children with his wife Rita
Bob Marley had 12 children: three with his wife Rita, two adopted from Rita's previous relationships, and the remaining seven with separate women. His children are, in order of birth


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Actuarial Society of South Africa Convention 2004 Actuarial Responsibility to Current Issues in the Life Product Market Colin Dutkiewicz, FIA, FASSA, FPI Actuarial Society of South Africa Convention 2004 Actuarial Responsibility to Current Issues in the Life Product Market Colin Dutkiewicz, FIA, FASSA, FPI 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Objective ........................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Background .................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................ 2 2 Actuarial Responsibility......................................................................................... 3 2.1 Policyholder Reasonable Expectations .......................................................... 3 2.2 To the Intermediary........................................................................................ 4 2.3 To the Company ............................................................................................. 4 2.4 To the Shareholders ....................................................................................... 5 2.5 To the Industry ............................................................................................... 6 2.6 Ombudsman for Life Insurance ..................................................................... 6 2.7 Financial Press ............................................................................................... 8 2.8 To Society ...................................................................................................... 9 3 Current Issues in Product Design ......................................................................... 10 3.1 Commission ................................................................................................. 10 3.2 Universal Life Premium Reviews ................................................................ 11 3.3 Impairment/Disability Benefits .................................................................... 12 3.4 Benefit Illustration Agreement (BIA) .......................................................... 13 3.5 Access to Financial Services ........................................................................ 14 4 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 15 5 References ............................................................................................................ 16 1 Introduction 1.1 Objective The objective of this paper is to further stimulate debate on actuarial input into the current trends in individual life assurance products in South Africa. This subject was the topic of debate at a panel discussion at the 2003 Actuarial Convention. However on that occasion the document behind the discussion had not been circulated by the organization committee before the convention – this resulted in a poor discussion. This paper therefore presents the issues in a somewhat confrontational manner to stimulate debate. This objective was also addressed by the paper entitled 'Jaguars and Jalopies" by Mike McDougall, presented at the Actuarial Society convention of 2001. Over the past 10-year's there have been several similar papers to question the then conventional wisdom on product design. However few of them have questioned the actuarial profession's responsibility to these issues. In particular this paper looks at the responsibility placed on the actuary within the life office, in the context of the key debates and product changes. This issue is important as the product structures of the last 20 years are being found wanting. Press and intermediary pressure exists to get clients to switch from the previous universal life product structure to 'new-generation' risk only policies. There seems to be an inherent problem in the product development process where products are designed for durations of up to 50 years, but it is in the client's interest to switch product types long before that. This might be because of changing public sentiment to the features and benefits required. The actuary we are talking about is primarily the Statutory Actuary and the Product Development Actuary. It also extends to other senior actuaries in the organization, that are obliged to support both the organization and the other actuary in dealing with actuarial related issues. 1.2 Background The content of this paper is based on my experience as a Product Development Actuary. I have spent 10 years in product development, including group, individual, risk and investment products. My current position at a reinsurer has further improved my insight into the generalized issues of Product Development Actuaries in the industry I have also discussed many of these issues with a number of Product Development Actuaries of major life offices, and I will refer to their comments at times. ASSA Convention 2004 1 August 2004 1.3 Acknowledgements Thanks are extended to those who volunteered their time to discuss some of the topics addressed, including Mark van Der Watt, Carl Coutts-Trotter, Petrie Marx, Philip du Preez, Anthea Tomkyns, Nicky Patchett, Gary Palser and Julie Valentini. The views expressed in this document are the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the author's employer or the profession. ASSA Convention 2004 2 August 2004 2 Actuarial Responsibility 2.1 Policyholder Reasonable Expectations ASSA Professional Guidance Note PGN1061 (2003 version) was strongly built around the following: "Itis incumbent upon all statutory actuaries to ensure, so far as is within their authority, that the long-term business of the company is operated on sound financial lines and with regard to its policyholders' reasonable expectations" PGN106 However the 2004 version of PGN106 has removed this. While there are still several references to policyholder reasonable expectations, the duty of the Statutory Actuary has been altered to have policyholder reasonable expectations born in mind when doing his reporting. Further he or she must advise the insurer of his or her interpretation of policyholder reasonable expectations. But it does not require him to look after the policyholder reasonable expectations. So the Statutory Actuary must certainly have regard for the products being sold and the policyholders' reasonable expectations with regard to the benefits promised. This concept is emphasized in the corresponding Institute and Faculty of Actuaries guidance notes, as well as in the actuarial qualification examination syllabus. In my discussions with Product Development Actuaries, it was clear that they have all taken to heart the concept of concern for the creation of policyholder reasonable expectations. However only one or two of these actuaries commented on the need to worry about the changes in policyholder reasonable expectations of existing policyholders. We will deal with this in some of the examples in Section 3 below. For instance, the tightening up of claims management in respect of disability claims would be appropriate business practice and not involve Statutory Actuary approval. However it may materially change the policyholder's reasonable expectations. In the context of dread disease policies, where the dread definitions have not been guaranteed, there would be a concern that a change in the definitions would materially change the policyholder's reasonable expectations. I would argue that the actuaries involved should have a professional responsibility to draw attention to this, because ultimately it will impact on the image of the life insurance industry. 1 PGN106 (2003). There is also a PGN106 (2004) and a draft revised PGN106 in circulation. ASSA Convention 2004 3 August 2004 2.2 To the Intermediary Some controversy surrounds the Life Offices Associations' (LOA) decision to change the status quo with regards the Replacement Code. It can be fairly argued by a broker, that it is in his client's interest to surrender one policy and effect a new policy, if the policyholder is in a better position now or in the future. I have heard it argued2 that a universal life policy should be surrendered (accepting a surrender penalty), because the value of that policy going forward is lower than the value of the replacing pure risk and pure investment policy. This may be because of new features and benefits such as new investment funds and switching. If the policyholder passes the new underwriting then this may well be the case where the new policy has a more comprehensive list of dread diseases for instance. So what does this mean to the Product Development Actuary? Is there an onus on this actuary to worry about the implications on existing policyholders of introducing newer risk products? I suggest that this actuary should concern him or herself with providing a migration path for existing policyholders that reduces their loss of money or benefits. An actuary who tries to do this is in an unenviable position of providing his or her own thoughts on which benefits are more or less valuable on an actuarial or subjective basis. The only likely result is to have some brokers agree and others disagree. 2.3 To the Company As an employee of an insurance company, the Product Development Actuary is required to develop products that the company can sell, that are profitable within the requirements of its shareholders and to do this with both a short term and long term view. It has often been said that there is a shortage of actuaries in South Africa. And it is my experience that organizations in the UK and USA have far more experienced actuaries doing product development work than in South Africa. Some information on local experience levels3: Position Title Average Average post Average experience Age qualification in current role experience (years) (years) Chief Actuary/Company Valuator/Corporate Actuary/Head 42 9 6 of Actuarial Services Senior Actuary 40 11 4 Actuary 30 2 3 Senior Actuarial student 30 0 3 Intermediate Actuarial Student 27 0 3 Junior Actuarial Student 25 0 2 2 Discovery Life conference, Lord Charles Hotel, 2003 3 Sample of SA companies conducted by 21st Century Business and Pay Solutions, October 2003 ASSA Convention 2004 4 August 2004 It is interesting to note that big jump in experience from Actuary to Senior Actuary and the decrease in experience to Chief Actuary. The Product Development Actuaries interviewed for this paper were typically in the 'Actuary' category –with the addition of 2 years across each measure. To what extent are the onerous responsibilities of balancing market pressures with policyholder reasonable expectations thrust on inexperienced actuaries, or more often actuarial students? I suggest that most insurers do not supply enough actuarial and ethical support to the battling young Product Development Actuary. From personal experience of my own product development and my involvement with other companies' developments, it is not uncommon that the Statutory Actuary does not provide sufficient technical, experiential and political support to the Product Development Actuary. Comments made by other Product Development Actuaries indicates that Sometimes the Statutory Actuary does not have sufficient political strength in the organization to significantly influence product design direction. This is not surprising in a strongly distribution dominated company. McDougall in his ASSA Convention paper of 20014 identified four types of actuary: The Crusader, the Technician, the Trustee actuary and the Company Man. Is it possible that the current or past generation of Product Development Actuaries can only possibly be the Company Man or the Technician by virtue of their relative lack of experience and lack of seniority and influence in the company? 2.4 To the Shareholders The share analyst is interested in the likely profit stream and risks undertaken by the life office. Once these are understood the analyst and shareholder can analyze the future expected earnings of the company to determine a fair price for the shares. Between 2001 and 2003 most major insurance companies launched new risk products, with some closing their existing universal life products. This is somewhat outside of my experience, but from the small amount of analyst's literature I have read, it does not seem that the company has adequately informed its shareholders of the impact of this change in policy type. For instance: Investment Risk: This risk was transferred mostly to the policyholder under a universal life policy, now it is the insurers problem at least until the end of the guarantee period. Many offices priced their guaranteed terms for universal life using 4% interest, at times when interest rates were 12-15%. Now pricing of term products is done with interest rates around 10% when interest rates are falling significantly. Mortality Risk: again this was transferred to the policyholder under a universal life policy since increasing the risk charge to the policy without restriction could protect against mortality deterioration on a portfolio. The insurer would 4 McDougall, M, "Jaguars and Jalopies", ASSA Convention 2001 ASSA Convention 2004 5 August 2004 only be at an increased risk of the policy fund decreasing to zero before the guarantee period was up. Under new term products this risk is the insurers without much ability to make changes until the end of the guarantee period. This risk now needs to be protected against by conservative mortality pricing or reinsurance. Expense Risk: similarly the universal life policy charged a changeable price to the policy fund, while the term policy provides its priced expense margin with no chance to change it until the end of the policy or guarantee term. Benefit Risk: where insurers are experimenting with new benefits, e.g. impairment benefits, there is a risk that, due to a combination of improper marketing and public sentiment, these may become unprofitable. This may be because of receiving more claims than anticipated due to extending the coverage rather than narrowing it. This is The company is unable to change these definitions or its pricing for the duration of the guarantee period. Changing rates thereafter is one issue, changing definitions can lead to a whole different financial press and intermediary backlash. To the extent that a material number of new risk products are sold, the balance of risk bearing between policyholder and insurer in general would tip away from the policyholder over a number of years as the new portfolio built up. However with 'valid' switching into the new risk products because of new benefits and 'better' guarantees, this balance could switch even quicker. Is the share analyst and shareholder community aware of this? 2.5 To the Industry Products that do not live up to the public's expectations tarnish the industry's credibility, fragile as it may be. Actuaries working in the field have a duty to assist in protecting against this. To what extent does this duty extend beyond their duty to their own company to develop and market appropriate products? For instance I suggest that an actuary who truly believes that impairment products in general are being marketed inappropriately as replacements for occupational disability products, should pursue the subject with the life office concerned, with the LOA or via the financial press. It is true that several Product Development Actuaries serve on the LOA committees that address the relevant issues. Is this sufficient to discharge their actuarial duty, or should they pursue issues through the ASSA committees? 2.6 Ombudsman for Life Insurance The industry is influenced by the opinion of the Ombudsman, and by the financial press' reaction to the Ombudsman's opinions and rulings. The role of the Ombudsman is best reviewed from the mission statement: ASSA Convention 2004 6 August 2004 The mission of the Ombudsman for Long-Term Insurance is to mediate in disputes between the subscribing members of the industry and policyholders. In doing so, the Ombudsman will seek to ensure that: He acts independently and objectively in advising on any complaint received and takes no instructions from anybody regarding the exercise of his authority. The subscribing members of the industry act with fairness and with due regard to both the letter and spirit of the contract between the parties and render an efficient service to those with whom they contract; He keeps the scale in balance between the rights of the policyholders on the one hand and the rights of the subscribing members on the other; and Due weight is accorded to considerations of equity. References to actuarial input in the 2002 Ombudsman's report include a comment in connection with the functioning of the Ombudsman's office, 'Specialist legal and actuarial advice is sought from time to time'. There are therefore pressures on such consulting actuaries to provide objective professional advice to the Ombudsman, for or against an offending life office. What happens if this actuary analyses a situation and picks up an area of conflict between policyholders and life offices that may have general implications? It would be useful for the industry if this sort of case was published and an industry solution sought. Judge Nienaber, the current Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance points out5 that the Ombudsman's office reacts to complaints, but does not proactively pursue commonality in cases to find underlying causes, e.g. product design. It would be useful for the actuarial profession to conduct an analysis on the sources of complaint to identify policyholder reasonable expectation issues, specifically with regard to product design to better aid the industry. In particular Judge Nienaber identified contradictions between extravagant advertising and service reality as a common source of complaint. This ought to be the Product Development or Statutory Actuaries greatest source of concern. A key observation from Judge Nienaber is that 'changed future expectations should be communicated' to policyholders. Judge Nienaber followed this comment very shortly with the comment that he did 'not want to venture where actuaries roam'. If the Ombudsman does not, and the actuarial professional will not take up this communication, then it is unlikely that anyone will. The following list of risk products issues were mentioned in the 2002 Ombudsman's report: Dread Disease wording, in particular organ donation benefits to specifically state that these cover recipients, not donors. (And I have heard stories of needing to make sure this refers to human organs only). Disability definitions, particularly marketing literature vs. policy document. Death benefit fraud, particularly suspicious death claims in Ghana and Uganda without adequate evidence. 5 Address to the LOA Convention, 2004 ASSA Convention 2004 7 August 2004 Non-disclosure repudiation: the key issue here is ensuring material non-disclosure, rather than merely procedural non-disclosure. Luckily this is an area that is getting much airtime in the financial press. 'New era disability products': Specific reference was made to the dispute in the industry between 'certain members of the long-term insurance industry and an insurer that offered a 'new era' disability product'. The Ombudsman's office has declined to provide comment or opinion on the likely future implications of this style of product. It did note with concern that even an insurance broker selling the new type of product had not understood its impact on his or her own future claiming ability and closed with the statement 'A failure to understand this and communicate it to a proposer for insurance can be tantamount to mis-selling'. The mission of the Ombudsman extends to the 'spirit of the contract'. Thus the Product Development Actuary would need to ensure that the fine print of the policy that is designed to protect his pricing does not deviate from the 'spirit of the contract'. However the spirit of the contract depends to a large degree on the advertising, the marketing material and the sales process and explanation of the product to the policyholder. The classic example would be the dread disease policy that is marketed as paying out when you have a heart attack. Now a study of standard definitions will show that only a certain type of heart attack is covered, and that survival for a period of time is also required. Does this mean that the spirit of the contract is not going to be upheld at claims stage? Remember at the end of the day, the Ombudsman operates on the contra proferentem rule, i.e. the decision goes against the party responsible for drafting the documentation. Since the ruling of the Ombudsman became binding, the implications of the Ombudsman's opinion are now a critical requirement in evaluating the appropriateness of a policy design. This may well be a consideration in arguing that functional impairment disability cover is 'better' than occupational disability benefits. This is because the Ombudsman will have no choice but to agree with the decision of the life office on the basis of clinical evidence for the impairment, but may have cause for conflict with the 'subjectiveness' of an occupational disability assessment. I suggest that this requirement puts a greater pressure on the Product Development Actuary to check the adequacy of policy wording and claim administration to ensure that the policy will be maintained in accordance with the 'spirit' of the contract. 2.7 Financial Press Many actuaries will see themselves as understanding the complexity of life products very well. They are in a strong position to provide education to others on the current and future implications of these products. Thus it is likely that the financial press would be interested in hearing the views of actuaries on current product trends. The credibility that the financial press places on these views depends on the actuary's ability to deliver them clearly. It will also be influenced by the lack of bias in the actuary's views despite the strong propensity to bias depending on the actuary's employer. The individual actuary or the insurer may build up a track record of being accurate in their predictions of what may happen. ASSA Convention 2004 8 August 2004 2.8 To Society It could be argued, particularly within the transitional society of South Africa, that professionals with skill, financial resources and influence, such as actuaries, have a duty to assist the society in transition. Rather than just providing products and services that are currently demanded, it would be useful for the society if these professionals applied their minds to providing appropriate solutions. In the context of the South Africa risk market, it is thus appropriate that actuaries apply their minds to providing solutions to pressing current and future social issues. Professional Guidance Note PGN106 includes "The essence of a profession lies in upholding its standards, technical and ethical, in the public interest". Discrimination is a societal issue. The actuarial profession has applied its collective mind to this topic, both with convention papers (Tom Moultrie 1996) and formal studies (CSI Committee, ASSA Task Group Paper 2002). ASSA Convention 2004 9 August 2004 3 Current Issues in Product Design In this section we will look at a sample of the product issues that face the industry at present. These can be split into those issues relating to policies in force, and those relating to potential issues from current product sales. This sample is presented based on the results of a survey of several product development actuaries, with additional comment by the author. According to McDougall (2001)6, "Life assurance actuaries pricing risk products operate in a market where, as a general rule: Clients do not understand the financial consequences of risk events; Clients do not understand the products they purchase; The consequences of current pricing decisions are not apparent to the consumers for many years; The product is intangible at the point of sale; The complexity and intricacy of products is such that few, if any, consumer champions and journalists are able to fully comprehend them, or explain them to the general public; The core marketing channel for these long-term products is through intermediaries whose incentives and rewards are strictly short-term." 3.1 Commission A common argument on commission of regular premium business is as that the current maximum commission regulation is inappropriate since commission is paid on a policy life span of 27 years (whole life policy) when in reality it is not going last more than 7 years as this is the average duration of a policy. Now I believe this argument can be challenged as follows: Just because the formula that is used to calculate commission uses a term of 27 years, doesn't imply that anyone from the policyholder to the broker to the insurer presumes that this is the intended term. Indeed with no disclosure, or disclosure of merely the amount of commission paid, it is evident that the intermediary is being paid Rx in cash for getting the case on the books. I believe a reasonable expectation of the policyholder is that the intermediary is being fairly paid for his work. The policyholder can then either reasonably anticipate that that intermediary will be around for some time to maintain the policy, or that that policy doesn't require maintenance. The needs analysis has been done, it has been put in place for its purpose and will just continue until needed. I believe this argument held when universal life policies were sold and a portfolio such as smooth bonus was chosen and there was no anticipation of portfolio switching. It also holds true for a pure risk product where the contingencies insured have been costed, understood (even if not with full medical understanding) and chosen. 6 McDougall, M, "Jaguars and Jalopies", ASSA Convention 2001 ASSA Convention 2004 10 August 2004 So I contend that the current commission calculation mechanism is not against policyholder reasonable expectations. It is reasonable that the policyholder will: accept the advice given, and assume the policy sold is the correct one, and expect some after sales support for a few years after the sale, but would then expect the salesman to either stop giving support, or to be trying to sell them something else. However should the reader believe otherwise, then I would ask what the actuarial profession has done about it? If there is a key cost and incentive element of the product sale process that is creating a serious mismatch of reasonable policyholder expectations from reality, then the actuarial profession should be putting some weight behind changing it. 3.2 Universal Life Premium Reviews A number of industry spokesmen have commented on the possible premium increases likely on old universal life policies. The Product Development Actuary who priced the product 15 years ago knew that he was pricing for a guarantee that the policy would survive with some value until the end of the guarantee term. Thereafter there wasn't much to worry about as the fund value then would more than likely be sufficient. He also knew that it would take increasing expense charges or far lower investment returns to make this guarantee cost money for the insurer. However it is not clear whether he anticipated that if the policy got close to the guarantee biting, that this would also mean a significant premium increase to cover the then appropriate expenses and mortality charges. What did the policyholder reasonably expect? Besides expecting to get the great returns indicated by the policy value projections, he or she probably also expected that at worst, after the guarantee period, the premiums may have to be adjusted 10%, maybe 20%, up if things had gone really badly for the insurer. One assumes that the Product Development Actuary at the time applied his or her mind to the problem adequately. What is not so clear is whether the Statutory Actuary or the Product Development Actuary did what they should have when it became apparent that there was a divergence between policyholder reasonable expectations and reality. Again McDougall wrote about this at the ASSA convention in 2001, and there has been financial press attention to the issue. Has there been an actuarial professional response in general, or a response to manage policyholder reasonable expectations by any particular company? Comment from one Product Development Actuary was that this situation was not so bad where the original universal life policy had been priced as a whole life policy since the reason for this sudden change was due to adverse experience. However where the universal life policy had been priced on a shorter term, then this was negligent on the part of the company concerned. It was his contention that some companies had done this. ASSA Convention 2004 11 August 2004 I am aware of several companies that have looked at migration paths from their old universal life policies to new risk and investment policies, but I am not aware of any success in this process. At least one office has not had success with this because of reduced commission on the replacing policy, since the intermediary can just churn the policy unofficially and get full commission. 3.3 Impairment/Disability Benefits There seems to be a growing concern amongst Product Development Actuaries about the increasing level of complexity of individual life rider benefits. In particular with the new 'Impairment' products where the list of contingencies that will result in a benefit payment are several pages of medical conditions. Publicly this was commented on by Anton Gildenhuys of Sanlam at the 2004 LOA Convention7. Gildenhuys refers to 'overheating innovation' where the innovation speed and complexity exceeds that that can be coped with. In particular he refers to the ability of the intermediary community to adequately incorporate this into their best advice. Now some would argue that this is a little arrogant of the actuarial profession to underestimate the insight of experienced qualified intermediaries, but most of the Product Development Actuaries I have spoken to shared this sentiment. A key issue raised by Product Development Actuaries is the issue that on these riders, the actuary needs to rely far more heavily on other specialists then in the past. Certainly critical illness products required medical input, but eventually everyone was familiar (or thought they were) with standard Heart Attack definitions. The new impairment lists leaves every actuary accepting that their understanding of the contingencies being insured, and the source of statistics to price this, is far from perfect. A related issue in terms of policyholder reasonable expectations is that the branding and marketing of these products should be consistent with their intention and operation. There are two debates here: Product naming: is the company's product brand name and short description consistent with its practice? Scare marketing: is it appropriate to market products on contingencies that are rare, e.g. marketing a critical illness product using the scare of Alzheimer's disease were the incidence is very low? There can be not debating that it is the Statutory Actuary's role to ensure that the insurer is aware of the resulting policyholder reasonable expectations. While all the Product Development Actuaries I talked to had concern in this regard, none of them seem to be taking any sort of stand to limit the problem. This leads us back to the political power of the Product Development Actuary within the organization, and the support or responsibility of the Statutory Actuary in this regard. One actuary stated that this issue could only be solved by industry standardization of products. A further comment is that insurers have proliferated these products, but it has taken the introduction of FAIS to get the intermediary worried about deciding which benefit 7 LOA Convention, Arabella, August 2004 ASSA Convention 2004 12 August 2004 to sell as most appropriate. Each Product Development Actuary I spoke to alluded to the need for their product range to be well marketed to identify which benefit was appropriate in which circumstance. Not many admitted that they were ensuring that this was being done, or had any part in verifying that it was been done. At least one actuary admitted that it was ultimately the actuarial departments responsibility to do this. 3.4 Benefit Illustration Agreement (BIA) The BIA was introduced in the 1970's. According to Desmond Smith, one of the initial drafters of the agreement, it was required to counter intermediaries making outlandish projections of possible policy values that would certainly create unrealistic benefit expectations. This appears to be a sensible reaction to the then market conditions to protect from the divergence of reality and policyholder reasonable expectations. However when inflation and likely investment returns decreased, the BIA interest rates failed to drop as quickly as the rates did. Thus to return to Judge Nienaber's comments, the industry failed to communicate changed future expectations to the policyholder. Was the actuarial profession in general, and the Statutory Actuary in particular negligent in not ensuring that the reasonable policyholder expectations were changed? There are two questions here: 1) Are maturity value expectations being inappropriately set in nominal and not real terms? 2) Should the professional requirement to ensure the company is aware of the Statutory Actuary's interpretation of policyholder reasonable expectations have the reverse requirement to manage policyholder reasonable expectations in line with the operation of the company. This is particularly where changing environmental issues will lead to a policy benefit change that may not be obvious to the public (in this case falling inflation). I would suggest that the answers to these questions are: 1) Yes maturity values set in nominal terms are a problem, but the issue for insurers wanting to remedy the situation is the values illustrated by competing bank and unit trust products. 2) Yes the profession should take a stand and instruct its members to advise the insurer of required communication to its policyholders to manage expectations. ASSA Convention 2004 13 August 2004 3.5 Access to Financial Services Given that the actuarial profession has a core requirement to promote the public interest, and that a current hot topic is the provision of financial services to previously un-serviced communities, what should be done? It seems that in some quarters, the comment is that the industry has not applied itself to supplying services adequately. The opponents of this argument would say that the considerable brainpower and resources of the insurance and intermediary industry have certainly addressed this issue. If there were a way to do this profitably then it would have been developed and implemented. However, in an environment of increased compliance costs, smaller policy size distribution (whether intermediated or dis-intermediated) is not viable. This argument concludes that there are certain barriers to the success of this. Legislative removal of these barriers (e.g. reduced compliance requirements), or provision of incentives (e.g. tax breaks), would then release the creative and entrepreneur spirit of South Africa's sales force. The reality of this debate is beyond my experience, but my question is the extent of energy applied to this from the actuarial profession. Certainly actuaries are involved in the attempts to find solutions through their employers and the LOA committees, but very little from the profession itself. This is either the logical conclusion of 'too few hands on deck', or a major strategic fault of the profession. ASSA Convention 2004 14 August 2004 4 Conclusion From the discussion in Section 2, I believe it is clear that the actuarial profession has a duty to consider policyholder reasonable expectations. Practically it is better that this extends to informing the insurer of consequences, but this is a reduction from the onerous position of having to manage policyholder reasonable expectations. In addition the profession has a duty to be proactive in identifying and fixing issues of public interest. While this is statutorily and professionally regulated to apply to the Statutory Actuary, I believe it is clear that a large amount of this onus expands to include other senior actuaries within the insurer, in particular the Product Development Actuary. From the examples in Section 3 I believe there are 2 sources of concern: 1. New products: actuarial product development is politically driven by distribution factors within most companies. Where these developments are going to lead to unacceptable market conditions, the actuarial voice is not strong enough to avert problems. 2. Existing products: inadequate professional attention and action is expanded on managing policyholder reasonable expectations. When it is evident that circumstances have changed and the policyholder reasonable expectations that have been built up are no longer appropriate, the policyholder needs to be informed. This is generally due to the vastly changing nature of the economic and industry environment beyond what could reasonably be anticipated at the time of the original product development. ASSA Convention 2004 15 August 2004 5 References The Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance, Annual Report 2000, 2001 and 2002 Professional Conduct Standards (PCS) of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Actuarial Society of South Africa, Professional Guidance Note 106 (PGN106) McDougall, M, "Jaguars and Jalopies", ASSA Convention Paper 2001 ASSA Convention 2004 16 August 2004
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Detroit News
Local news for Detroit, MI continually updated from thousands of sources on the web.
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Gen. John Allen Cleared In Inquiry Stemming From Petraeus Scandal
Originally published on Tue January 22, 2013 5:57 pm
Marine Gen. John Allen has been cleared in a misconduct inquiry prompted by the extramarital-affair scandal that led to the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus.
The Washington Post, which broke the story, reports:
"The messages from Marine Gen. John R. Allen were uncovered by the FBI during its investigation of Petraeus last year. The tenor of some of the e-mails, which senior defense officials described as racy and flirtatious, prompted Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta to order a formal inquiry.
"In a letter sent to Allen on Friday, the inspector general wrote that Allen had not violated military prohibitions against conduct unbecoming an officer, the senior U.S. officials said. 'He was completely exonerated,' one of the officials said."
If you need a refresher, we put together a "who's who" guide to the Petraeus scandal. Here's how we summarized Allen's involvement in the case:
"The FBI's investigation that uncovered the emails and revealed the Petraeus-Broadwell affair also led to the discovery of communications between Allen and [Jill] Kelley."
Kelley, if you remember, was the one who received emails from Paula Broadwell, the woman who was having an affair with Petraeus. She was the one who took those emails to the FBI.
NPR's Tom Bowman reports that the Inspector General found the allegations against Allen to be "unsubstantiated."
When the scandal broke, Allen's nomination to head U.S. and NATO forces in Europe was put on hold. Tom tells us that that there is no word on whether that nomination will proceed now that he's been cleared.
Earlier today, Kelley gave her first interview since the scandal broke. As Mark reported, she told The Daily Beast that she and Broadwell were not "romantic rivals" and that the number of emails she traded with Allen were in the hundreds not tens of thousands as had been originally reported.


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Top 3 management tools used by GCC organisations
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Philippines confirms second MERS case
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MIDEAST STOCKS-Gulf likely to be subdued by oil price drop, Greece
Abu Dhabi's TAQA drops 5.4 pct after saying no merger talks
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Pipeline initially flowing 1 mln bpd, total capacity 2.5 mln bpd; Aims to provide an alternate route as Iran tensions rise
November 21, 2011 2:38 by Reuters
The Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP) project, a 480-km pipeline with a capacity of up to 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) will allow the UAE, one of the world's top five exporters, to boost exports from its Fujairah terminal outside the Straits and on the Gulf of Oman, four industry sources told Reuters.
"There's a hurry to get this operational as the noises about an attack on Iran gets louder," an industry source with direct knowledge of the pipeline said.
"Oil could flow through the pipeline from end-December initially at 1 million bpd and gradually increase to 2 million bpd," he said, adding that the start-up of the pipeline would ease a serious bottleneck in the Gulf.
Tension over Iran's nuclear programme has increased since the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Nov. 8 that Tehran appears to have worked on designing a nuclear bomb and may still be working.
The Strait of Hormuz is the most important oil transit channel in the world, with some 15.5 million barrels or about a third of all sea-borne oil passing through in 2009, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). U.S. warships patrol the area to ensure the safe passage.
Even though some analysts believe an imminent military action against Iran rather unlikely, they think the pipeline is crucial for the sustainability of oil exports with political tensions in the region on the rise.
"It is opening up an export channel that is invulnerable to any disruption in Hormuz," oil and gas analyst Saket Vemprala at Business Monitor International said.
"I don't think the military action scenario is likely anytime soon but such routes are useful for the Gulf states. If you remember, the Iraqi crude pipeline through Saudi Arabia was very important during the Iran-Iraq war," he said.
Most of the crude exported from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait and Iraq — together with nearly all the liquefied natural gas (LNG) from lead exporter Qatar — must pass through a four-mile (6.4 kilometre) wide shipping channel between Oman and Iran.
"It is not big enough to get the most of Gulf Arab crude yet, but it enough for the bulk of the UAE's crude," Vemprala added.
The pipeline would link state oil firm Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's Habshan oilfields to the port of Fujairah, one of the top three bunkering hubs and a major oil storage terminal.
Abu Dhabi government-owned International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) is undertaking the project while China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation is the engineering, procurement and construction contractor (EPC).
IPIC officials contacted for this story did not return calls.
"The construction of the pipeline is completed. They are now evaluating the operational costs and the logistics of it," a second source, based in Dubai said. "They are recruiting new people as it is a big operation," he added.
Two other sources based in the UAE confirmed the timeline for the start-up of the project. They all asked for anonymity as the official announcement for the commissioning has not been done yet.
The pipeline will carry Murban crude, another source said, therefore the initial operation of the pipeline will be undertaken by Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO).
The state-owned company will operate and proceed with the preparations for the pre-commissioning, commissioning, start-up, performance testing and handover of the project facilities.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) holds a 60 percent stake in ADCO. Its other shareholders are BP, Royal Dutch Shell , Total, ExxonMobil and Partex Oil and Gas.
Near the pipeline in Fujairah, IPIC is planning to undertake a $3 billion refinery project, which it aims to complete in mid-2016.
"In less than 5 years, the refinery will be completed. I believe they are finalising the tendering process for the refinery," the Dubai-based industry source said. (By Stanley Carvalho and Humeyra Pamuk)
Emarat seeks 1.3M tonnes of gas for 2012
November 21 2011
Govt-owned United Arab Shipping Co eyes debut bond
November 21 2011


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No Man's Land: Where Growing Companies Fail
Penguin, Sep 13, 2007 - Business & Economics - 256 pages
If starting a company is difficult, leading a company once the business has caught fire is infinitely more so. Thousands of startups each year approach the dangerous transition that Doug Tatum calls No Man?s Land?when they are too big too be considered small but still too small to be considered big.
Tatum offers the navigational rules these companies need, and valuable case studies of emerging growth businesses that succeeded or failed during No Man?s Land.
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Kukla's Korner Hockey
Category: NHLPA
NHLPA Responds To Bell Suspension
by Paul on 09/12/07 at 09:09 PM ET
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TORONTO (September 12, 2007): Following today's media release issued by the National Hockey League announcing the suspension of Mark Bell for 15 regular-season games, NHLPA Associate Counsel, Ian Penny issued the following statement:
"The NHLPA sees no basis for the excessive suspension Gary Bettman has imposed upon Mark Bell.Mark has fully accepted the serious consequences of his actions. He faces incarceration at the conclusion of the season and has already been suspended without pay as a result of his placement in Stage 2 of the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health program (SABH). There is no legitimate purpose served by adding a substantial league disciplinary suspension to the severe sanctions that have already been imposed.
We are currently reviewing all of our legal options with respect to this matter."
The NHLPA will have no further comment at this time.
Filed in: NHLPA, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: mark+bell
More Changes Needed For NHLPA
by Paul on 09/08/07 at 09:43 AM ET
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from Spector at Fox Sports,
It's been obvious since the lockout ended two years ago that the PA was in serious need of internal housecleaning. Constitutional changes allowing the players more input into PA decisions, especially in labor negotiations, appear to be a positive step.
But it'll take more than changing the constitution for the NHLPA to move forward.
The priority will have to be on not only healing the rifts within the PA ranks, but also to ensure there is more interest in PA business by its membership in the coming years.
Recently there's been some media concern that the PA, under a new executive director, could bring the current CBA to an end in 2009 by exercising its right to re-open labor talks with the league if the membership believes the CBA is no longer working for them.
Possible, but highly unlikely.
Filed in: NHLPA, | KK Hockey | Permalink
A Bit Of The Block Report
by Paul on 09/04/07 at 12:48 PM ET
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from Liz Mullen at SportsBusiness Journal,
The executive committee of the NHLPA fired former union chief Bob Goodenow without legal authority, and it's unclear whether a secret-ballot election of his successor, Ted Saskin, would have been upheld in court, said sources familiar with a report issued to the NHLPA membership last week.
The long-awaited report, written by Toronto lawyer Sheila Block and details of which were revealed by sources to SportsBusiness Journal, also found that Saskin "reported to Goodenow throughout negotiations" of a labor deal that ended the NHL lockout, and that also included a salary cap, which Goodenow opposed. But the summary of the report also said that "Saskin first suggested the concept of a payroll limit change to the league without discussing it with the players or having the authority to do so."
read the full article and thanks to the folks at SBJ for providing the subscrition only link to KK readers…
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Believers Now
by Paul on 09/02/07 at 05:37 PM ET
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from James Mirtle,
Two years ago, you wouldn't have found Chris Chelios anywhere near the NHLPA's leadership hierarchy.
On Friday, he was the face of the union's rebirth.
Chelios remains a big-time supporter of Bob Goodenow; he is one of the few active NHLers who was playing back when Alan Eagleson resigned in 1991 and his deputy (Goodenow) took over.
As soon as Goodenow was pushed out during the 2004-05 lockout, Chelios became an outsider, a trouble-maker on the fringe, and the only way he was going to get back into the NHLPA's decision-making fold was if Ted Saskin was forced out.
thanks to a KK reader for the pointer!
Filed in: NHLPA, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Someone Like Goodenow
by Paul on 09/01/07 at 10:33 AM ET
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from Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun,
"I was a big Bob Goodenow fan," said Chelios yesterday, just minutes after the NHLPA's three-day general meetings had come to an end. "If we could find another Bob we'd be well off.
"If Bob put in his resume we'd consider it. But I think Bob wants to move on and we want to move on."
Schneider feels the new leader must share the same mandate that Goodenow harboured during his lengthy tenure as the union's executive director.
"When you compare Bob to Ted (Saskin) or (Alan) Eagleson, the thing about Bob was that he always looked out for the best interests of the players. Always," Schneider said.
Filed in: NHLPA, | KK Hockey | Permalink
All In Charge
by Paul on 08/31/07 at 06:56 PM ET
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from the CP via TSN,
The NHL Players' Association could have a new leader within the next two months but he likely won't have the same power as his predecessors.
''The 30 player reps will run the program,'' Eric Lindros said Friday as three days of NHLPA meetings wrapped up. ''Below it will be the executive director and the general counsel.''
Nothing is etched in stone at this point, Lindros quickly added, but the union is undergoing a massive reshaping of its power structure and constitution.
Filed in: NHLPA, | KK Hockey | Permalink
All These Reports
by Paul on 08/31/07 at 10:33 AM ET
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from Rick Westhead of the Toronto Star,
While several players said yesterday they plan to push the union to release Block's report to all its members, they really needn't bother. After all, when the controversy over Saskin's hiring first surfaced, most players' view on the debacle was, "let's just focus on what's happening on the ice."
Instead of parsing down Block's carefully crafted report, a better exercise for players would be pressing for the release of a separate report prepared three months ago by another Toronto lawyer, Chris Paliare. It's shameful that report, which details the NHLPA's email surveillance scheme, remains stamped "PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL."
Filed in: NHLPA, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Calling Fischler's Bluff—Chelios Won't Lead Another PA Revolt
by George Malik on 08/28/07 at 10:57 AM ET
Comments (0)
by George James Malik
As Paul noted on Monday, the inestimable Stan Fischler had some choice words for Chris Chelios, who Fischler believes will succeed Ted Saskin as the NHLPA's chief executive:
One hopes that some good will come of the Sheila Block-Union probe, which is due for a public revelation next Thursday. If the finger is pointed at Ted Saskin it will be old news. Chris Chelios insists that Block's report will confirm the hiring of Saskin as the head of the Union was not within the guidelines of the NHLPA's constitution. What really matters is where the Union goes from here. You can bet that if Chelios becomes the new, chief Association power broker there will be another civil war in two years. …
Ol' Comrade Stan is barking up the wrong tree in looking to unleash his hatred for the PA upon Chris Chelios.
Chelios never intended to run the NHLPA—first, and foremost, he's very busy both managing two successful restaurants and playing hockey for the Detroit Red Wings, which he plans on doing so for at least a few more years. Moreover, he never wanted to stage another lock-out—Chelios wanted to get Saskin's butt kicked out of office, and he wants the NHLPA to act and operate as an honest, open, and accountable union. That's all.
Filed in: NHLPA, George James Malik, | KK Hockey | Permalink
If Chelios Is In Charge- Lookout
by Paul on 08/28/07 at 01:28 AM ET
Comments (0)
from The Maven at the Hockey Journal,
• Media critics such as ESPN's Scott Burnside are beginning to realize that the NHL has become a leader in an important – and vital new area. "No other professional league has attacked new media with the fervor showed by the NHL. Internet, wireless, you name it, and the NHL is in it big time," says Burnside. "That technology savvy demographic, in many ways a new generation of sports consumers, might find the NHL's relatively blemish-free visage attractive. …
• One hopes that some good will come of the Sheila Block-Union probe, which is due for a public revelation next Thursday. If the finger is pointed at Ted Saskin it will be old news. Chris Chelios insists that Block's report will confirm the hiring of Saskin as the head of the Union was not within the guidelines of the NHLPA's constitution. What really matters is where the Union goes from here. You can bet that if Chelios becomes the new, chief Association power broker there will be another civil war in two years. …
much more from Stan…
Filed in: NHLPA, | KK Hockey | Permalink
NHLPA Report- Firing Saskin Was The Right Thing To Do
by Paul on 08/23/07 at 03:39 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Ken Campbell of the Hockey News,
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios said Toronto lawyer Sheila Block's report on the hiring of former NHLPA executive director Ted Saskin will go a long way toward proving the players did the right thing when they fired Saskin from his post in early May.
Members of the NHLPA's executive committee and the 30 team representatives began receiving copies of the 80-100 page report Wednesday and it will be formally disclosed to the rank and file at player meetings to be held in Toronto next week.
Filed in: NHLPA, | KK Hockey | Permalink
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Paul Kukla founded Kukla's Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the 'net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at firstname.lastname@example.com
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43 years of experience
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A medical license is required for a doctor to practice medicine in a particular state. Requirements vary by state but most require, at a minimum, post-graduate training in the doctor's specific specialty. An NPI number is a national identifier unique to an individual health care provider and is managed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
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Dr. Thomas Preston, MD is board certified in Psychiatry.
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Dr. Preston graduated from Tufts University, Boston.
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One of the larger trends in the embedded space, and this is an arena under more change than in decades, is the need for the devices to be connected, often wirelessly and often now using good old TCP/IP. The once untouchable, clamped-down embedded device is morphing into a remotely programmable and up-dateable edge point. This brings in a lot of neat attributes, such as application improvements via updates, and two-way data communications (ala RFID), but it also rears up a potentially ugly underside: security vulnerabilities, from anywhere on the Internet.
It's one thing to get a virus attached to an email, but what if your car got one -- and it decided to execute a funny little routine while you're cruising at 70 mph? Or perhaps a code vulnerability was tapped by a network crawler on a device that was operating heavy machinery in a coal mine where your second-cousin's husband works? Or perhaps terrorists would prefer to hijack airplanes from under the rocks where they live?
The military has long understood the dual-edged sword of connected smart devices. There has been an explosion of edge devices in military supply chains, communications networks, and in battlefield operations. This makes for smart operations, and real-time data-rich views into what is going on across much wider theatres of activity. But at the same time, it makes the entire system vulnerable if the devices at the edge are vulnerable. The military and its contractors have been working to solve this problem for a long time: How to get the most from networked technology without allowing it to get back to you.
So is there a connection between the military's perseverance and your iPod? Could well be. Many of the same technological and architectural barriers designed to protect devices in the most sensitive applications are being diverted for use in commercial, transportation, entertainment, manufacturing, and automotive uses. This week Green Hills Software announced that the U.S. Government's National Information Assurance Partnership is going to evaluate for high security certification its INTEGRITY‑178B operating system.
Now, the highest security-level device might not be right for your toaster oven, but I sure like the idea of them in my car, as well as in my enterprise firewall and network hardware.


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Planning a day trip out from Vienna to cycle along the Danube in September. Casual riders and wanting to ride one-way very leisurely, most probably just the 11km from Spitz to Dürnstein. Registered with nextbike (used to be called Leihradl in Austria, I believe) already, but just wondering if any of you have experience using this bike-sharing program.
We could do Sat, Sun or Mon in early Sept; but are thinking that Monday will be less crowded on the path and less chance of bike rentals running out. Even though there are fewer train connections from Vienna to Spitz in the morning. Other things I should worry about or consider?
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Experience with nextbike / Leihradl? Esp in the Danube Valley?
Planning a day trip out from Vienna to cycle along the Danube in September. Casual riders and wanting to ride one-way very leisurely, most probably just the 11km from Spitz to Dürnstein. Registered with nextbike (used to be called Leihradl in Austria, I believe) already, but just wondering if any of you have experience using this bike-sharing program.
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Early Sept will help (August is just manic) and avoiding the weekend sensible. Don't know the guys sorry.
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Next Bike is a service provided by quasi governmental agency to promote tourism. This done for several years now and very successful.
Note inexpensive prices.
Bikes are in good condition- sturdy -have adjustable seats- a wire basket to hold various items. No helmet- Bike pathways are paved - well marked and passing many vineyards and small villages. Stop on the way for a glass of wine.
Many kiosks to get these bikes - usually always some available.
September is a popular month for biking.Many seniors on the way - schools back in session so fewer families. Monday a better day for travel as many come from the city on weekends for an outing.
This is grape harvest time in this area- look for the drink known as Sturm( newly fermenting grape juice )
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Thanks for the replies. Confirm my initial impression. Other comments welcomed!
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Just want to report back. We did as planned, taking the train and then Wachau Bus to Spitz, arriving just before 10am on the Monday, Sept 9. Very quiet everywhere, and there were about 8-9 bikes on the nextbike rack outside the train station, which is about 3 minutes' walk from the bus stop.
All bikes were in good condition, and we just chose 2 with the fullest tires. But others were okay too. Calling in was easy, though from my international phone, it'd be fairly expensive. We got the code for the lock right away, and everything on the phone was in English.
It was an overcast day with a tiny drop of rain. Route was extremely easy to follow, though parts of it was just the sidewalk along the main route. That'd be a bit dangerous if there were more cyclists.
We visited all the churches along the way, and had a great lunch at a gasthaus in Weißenskirchen. Returned the bike at the rack in Dürstein, right off the bus stop at around 3:15p. The rack was almost full, so we had to lock one of the bikes to the side of the rack. Calling in was just as easy.
Checking the balance later on, the 1€ that was charged during registration was indeed being used as a credit for our rental.
I would highly recommend renting from nextbike. And we saw plenty of people using CityBike Wien in Vienna as well, which offers free rental for 1st hour.
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Here are our photos from the day in the Wachau:
Other photos from our Austrian trip (not completed, still many more to process and upload):
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39 year old man | Pasadena, CA, USA | Seeking women 27-35 within 50 miles
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My friends describe me as alot of fun and someone who really enjoys life! I love outdoor activities such as camping, motorcross, the river, the beach, golfing, and snowboarding. I also love wine tasting and traveling. I'm just looking for someone similar. I'm easy to get along with and a total people person. I have twin 5yr old daughters that mean the world to me and I'm sure they have that figured out. Other than that, if you'd like to find out more, simply ask. Again, I'm really nice, and easy to get along with so don't be shy! If not, well....... best of luck on your journey and I hope you find what you're looking for!
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I have Dogs
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text: What a lovely, comfortable place! We were greeted with a glass of wine (weekend trip away from the kids- yes please!), and the owners were friendly and very hospitable. I told her that I was going for a run, and she said, "Ok! Let me get some wine and fudge for when you get back!" :) We will definitely return... More