text: EMIR - The new margin landscape Share this 11 AUG 2016 Among other regulatory changes introduced by the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 (EMIR), there is now an obligation on OTC derivatives participants to collateralise their non-cleared OTC derivatives' positions. This is aimed at increasing the safety and transparency of the OTC derivatives markets in the EU. Specifically, EMIR requires counterparties to exchange both initial margin (IM) and variation margin (VM) with respect to their non-cleared OTC derivatives transactions. In simple terms, IM is designed to cover potential future credit exposure of a party to its counterparty whereas VM protects against trade exposure arising from market fluctuations. In-scope entities "shall have risk-management procedures that require the timely, accurate and appropriately segregated exchange of collateral with respect to OTC derivative contracts". (Article 11(3) EMIR) RTS and International Policy Framework While the overarching principles for margining trades were established under EMIR, the implementation detail was separately developed under the draft Regulatory Technical Standards on risk-mitigation techniques (RTS). The RTS were developed on the basis of, and as contemplated under, Article 11(15) of EMIR. As part of a joint consultation, draft RTS were initially published in April 2014. Following subsequent engagement with authorities and stakeholders, a second consultation paper and revised draft RTS were published in June 2015. Final draft RTS were published on 8 March 2016 providing clarity on the new margin requirements. As at the time of writing, the final draft RTS were yet to be endorsed by the European Commission (and reviewed by the Parliament and Council) and are therefore still subject to change. The EU margin rules need to be considered in conjunction with the international regulatory framework for non-cleared OTC derivatives: namely, in March 2015, a final policy framework for margin requirements for non-centrally cleared derivatives was set up by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervisions (BCBS) (International Policy Framework). This international structure served as a framework for the European Supervisory Authorities (ESA s) when drafting the RTS. On 9 June 2016, the European Commission announced that the original timeline proposed for finalising the RTS will not apply (i.e. the original proposed adoption date of September 2016), and the Commission instead proposes to finalise the RTS by the end of 2016. As at the time of writing (14 July 2016), the degree to which the timings for phase-in of exchange of IM and VM will change is not clear. The European Commission has come under strong criticism from a number of stakeholders, most notably from the Joint Committee of the ESAs, for its delayed adoption of the RTS, particularly as it is now expected that the delay will mean that implementation of the RTS will not meet the implementation timeline set out in the International Policy Framework. The ESA has asked the European Commission to ensure that the delay in adopting the RTS will be as short as possible. Entities in-scope The following entities (Covered Entities) fall within the scope of the RTS and in principle would be subject to the rules requiring the exchange of IM and VM: 'financial counterparties' (FCs) 'non-financial counterparties' above the applicable EMIR clearing thresholds (NFC+s), and non-EEA entities which would be FCs or NFC+s if they were established in the EU. Timings and Scope The requirements to exchange both IM and VM originally were to be phased in from September 2016. See separate table. The RTS are not retrospective in effect (ie the margining requirements will only apply to future transactions). However, where an existing Credit Support Annex is being amended to ensure compliance with the new margining rules (i.e. such that the legacy transactions and any new transactions will form a single netting set), then the legacy transactions will be brought within the scope of the rules for both IM and VM purposes (subject to the thresholds below). The RTS prescribe, inter alia, the amount of IM and VM that counterparties should post and collect, the methodologies to be used for calculating the requisite amounts, the timing for posting and the collateral eligibility criteria. Collateral that can be used for this purpose and that complies with the collateral eligibility criteria is required to be agreed between the counterparties up front. Key elements of the RTS are further described below. IM Rules: An Overview Two-way exchange: both parties must exchange an amount of IM on a gross basis (ie without any netting being applied). Segregation: IM must be segregated (operationally and legally) to ensure that collateral is available in the event of a counterparty defaulting. This is supplemented with restrictions on the ability of counterparties to re-use collateral. This means that IM will have to be subject to security arrangements rather than title transfer collateral arrangements. Methodologies: under the proposed rules, counterparties can use a standard method provided by the regulator or an IM model, agreed between the counterparties within the scope defined by the regulator. The collecting party is responsible for ensuring its model complies with the minimum requirements set out in the RTS (including, inter alia, recalibration of the model every 12 months and ongoing monitoring and independent validation). These models and the assumptions used have the potential to differ significantly, raising the possibility that counterparties will arrive at different IM figures for similar trades. To counteract this, ISDA has set up a Working Group on Margin Requirements (WGMR) to develop a Standard Initial Margin Model (SI MM) with the aim of developing a common IM methodology to be adopted by market participants globally and aiming to provide open and transparent methodology to all. Structure: on a practical level, in order to ensure successful repapering of their contracts, affected parties will have to choose the most appropriate form of structure and service provider/custodian for the segregation of collateral. Exceptions: covered Entities are not subject to the IM rules in all circumstances. Exceptions include: FX and currency transactions: physically-settled foreign exchange swaps and forwards and crosscurrency swaps (subject to certain conditions). Intra-group: intra-group transactions subject to certain conditions (which may include regulatory approval). Covered Bonds: covered bond issuers or covered pools (again subject to certain conditions). Thresholds: counterparties have flexibility to agree Minimum Transfer Amounts and IM Thresholds on a bilateral basis, subject to caps of €500,000 for the former (when aggregated with the MTA for VM) and €50 million (at group level, on an aggregated basis) for the latter. Original IM implementation timeline1: Both counterparties are Covered Entities with an AANA* (on a group level) in excess of: IM to be posted for derivatives contracts entered into on or after: €3 trillion 1 September 2016 €2.25 trillion 1 September 2017 €1.5 trillion 1 September 2018 €0.75 trillion 1 September 2019 €8 billion** 1 September 2020 *AANA – aggregate average notional amount. This is calculated across its group and recorded on the last business day of the months March, April, and May of the relevant year (including all uncleared OTC derivatives of the group and all intra-group non-centrally cleared OTC derivative contracts of the group, taken into account only once).** Notional Amount Threshold – IM not collected for all new contracts from January of each year where one of the two counterparties has or belongs to a group which has AANA of the preceding year of below €8 billion. Phased-in Implementation: there is a phase-in period linked to the counterparties' uncleared OTC derivatives' volume (see 'IM Implementation Timeline') and there are extended phase-in timings for certain transactions (eg intra-group). Documentation – IM Credit Support Annex: on 3 June 2016, ISDA published for discussion purposes a working draft of its Credit Support Deed for Initial Margin and is expected to produce a final version shortly.2 This document has been prepared based on the existing English law CSD template, with changes to allow parties to agree collateral terms for initial margin that comply with the RTS requirements. VM Rules: An Overview Exchange: the exchange of VM must be in an amount equal to the net mark-to-market exposure of all of the counterparties' non-centrally cleared derivatives transactions. Timings: VM is generally required to be posted daily, which could prove to be operationally challenging for smaller entities and trades across different time zones. For this reason, greater flexibility has been granted to smaller firms but only under strict conditions (including the pre-funding of margin). Exceptions: covered Entities are not subject to the VM rules in all circumstances. Exceptions include: Intra-group: intra-group transactions subject to certain conditions (which may include regulatory approval). Covered Bonds: covered bond issuers or covered pools (again subject to certain conditions). Minimum Transfer Amounts: as agreed by counterparties on a bilateral basis (albeit not exceeding €500,000 when aggregated with the MTA for IM). Original VM Implementation Timeline:3 Both counterparties are Covered Entities with anAANA (on a group level) in excess of: VM to be exchanged for derivatives contractsentered into on or after: €3 trillion 1 September 2016 €0 1 March 2017 (all Covered Entities subject to VM requirements) Phased-in Implementation: there is a phase-in period linked to the counterparties' uncleared OTC derivatives' volume: see 'VM Implementation Timeline'. Documentation: VM Credit Support Annex: ISDA published the Credit Support Annex for Variation Margin (Title Transfer – English Law) on 29 April 2016. Parties will be able to choose between (i) the template ISDA VM CSA (ii) a bespoke new document based on their existing collateral documentation or (iii) an amendment to their existing collateral documentation (see below). ISDA Protocol: it is anticipated that ISDA will in due course produce a protocol regulating the posting of VM, particularly its scope and methodology for calculating the amount of VM required. It is suggested that, when published, the market will generally adhere to the protocol in order to ensure efficient implementation of the VM margin rules (i.e. adopting limb (iii) above). Eligible Collateral Parties may agree to collect, with respect to both IM and VM, the following collateral (provided the counterparty has access to the market and is able to liquidate the collateral in a timely manner): cash (in the form of money credited to an account in any currency or money market deposits accounts) gold (in the form of allocated pure gold bullion of recognised good delivery) sovereign Securities debt securities issued by credit institutions and investment firms corporate bonds the most senior tranche of certain securitisations equities included in a main index, and shares or units in UCITS. It is important to note that, with respect to IM only, the RTS prescribe that any cash must be held in accounts with a central bank or an EU credit institution and the third party credit institution cannot belong to the same group as either of the counterparties. Interestingly, where IM is collected in cash in a currency different to the transaction currency, an additional currency mismatch haircut will apply (to counteract the foreign exchange risk); however, VM is not subject to the additional currency mismatch haircut in line with the International Policy Framework. Summary The introduction of the EU Margin Rules for non-centrally cleared derivatives presents significant commercial, operational and legal challenges for market counterparties, and it is important that, in-scope entities are considering the impact of these changes now so that the necessary contract repapering and related technological build-outs are put in place within the implementation timescales. 1 Based on the European Commission's announcement of 9 June 2016, discussed above, this timeline is now likely to change 2 This is correct at the time of writing on 14 July 2016 3 Based on the European Commission's announcement of 9 June 2016, discussed above, this timeline is now likely to change


text:
Design features
HDDF seals consist of two identical metal sealing rings and two similar Belleville washers (cup springs) made of nitrile or fluoro rubber compounds, specifically developed for these seals (fig 1). The sealing rings are made of wear- and corrosion-resistant cast alloy and have finely finished sliding and sealing surfaces.
The Belleville washers of nitrile or fluoro rubber provide the necessary uniform face loading and effective sealing at the bore and outside diameters. The outside diameter of the washers adapts to the form of the bore in which they are installed. It is critical that the bore diameter and bore depth are in accordance with the dimensions listed in the product table. Adequate tolerances between the seal assembly and its mating component are critical to ensure a proper sealing performance.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Xtreme Ball Adventure is an adventure game , with 60 level , 10 secret levels , 11 balls to play with , 4 General abilities and and over 20 special monster abilities and attacks, a lot of Traps , over 50 Enemies and 20 Boss to defeat , your mission is to collect all SpaceShip parts on your adventure , then you can make the monsters back to there planets , but be careful , that will be not easy
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.


text:
Water bottle manufacturer SIGG has found themselves in the hot seat recently after they revealed that their bottles, which many environmentally-aware, health-conscious consumers and parents fell in love with, have actually contained bisphenol-A (BPA) all along. SIGG claims they never said their bottles were BPA-free, but only that they "did not leach BPA."
Z Recommends was one of the first blogs to break the story with their very thorough and informative post:
"Swiss sports and children's bottle maker SIGG has admitted what many consumer advocates have suspected for years, but never proven: That the epoxy lining used for years in SIGG bottles – which they secretly swapped out for a new liner last summer – contained the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A."
How do you know if your SIGG bottle contains BPA? According to SIGG, "all SIGG bottles made since August 2008 contain our new BPA free EcoCare liner. SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008 have the former water-based epoxy liner which contains trace amounts of BPA. These bottles have been thoroughly tested and showed 0% leaching of BPA.
The photo and information below (from SIGG) should help you determine which liner you have.
|New SIGG EcoCare Liner
|Former SIGG Liner
|* Dull pale yellow coating*Special powder-based co-polyester liner certified to be 100% BPA and Phthalate Free*Utilized in the manufacturing of SIGG bottles since August 2008
|* Shiny copper bronze finish*Proprietary water-based epoxy liner thoroughly tested and showed absolutely no leaching of BPA*Found in SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008
EcoCare Liner:
Former Liner:
In case you didn't just do the math, SIGG is saying they have been manufacturing bottles with the new liners since August 2008. But wait, what year is it now? Oh yeah, 2009. Which means they've been sitting on this information for an entire year. Ouch.
Lynn from Babble discusses the problems with bisphenol-A in her post BPA: How Bad Is It? Get ready to clean out your cabinets.
It is a type of compound called an endocrine disruptor, which means it mimics or alters the effects of a particular hormone — in this case estrogen — in your body, throwing everything out of whack. It is bad for you, and your pregnancy, and your kids, and it is, almost literally, everywhere: in baby feeding items, water bottles, soda and soup cans, PVC pipes, carbon-paper-style sales receipts, dental fixtures, the water supply, even in the goddamn air. (And probably in your body: the CDC has detected BPA in 93 percent of people 6 years old and up.)
… BPA is thought to cause disorders of the neurological, cardiac, immune, and reproductive systems, with adults, children, and developing fetuses all exposed and at risk.
To say that people are upset about SIGG's admission would be an understatement.
Alison from Green Me feels deceived and wrote an open letter to SIGG expressing her outrage.
While pregnant I drank from my SIGG bottle 4 days per week as I had a long commute to a college campus where I did not have easy access to water. When my son was born I breastfed him and carried my SIGG bottle around with me to have water on walks and at the store. Last year, when my son turned one we got him a big boy SIGG water bottle. I would not have made any of these purchases had I known your products were lined with BPA.
I am outraged…
Cool Mom Picks feels disheartened at the news. "It's disheartening to support a brand like SIGG for making safer, BPA-free drinking bottles for kids and adults when it turns out that nope, that wasn't the situation at all. Or as the old saying goes, 'we was played.'"
Miriam from Tripletly Blessed said she will take the replacement bottles from SIGG and donate them because "I have no intention of supporting a company that would blatantly mislead their consumer base." She also plans to tell others of SIGG's betrayal. "Yes, SIGG technically did nothing wrong. They never stated that their bottles were BPA-free. However, the manner in which they marketed themselves left many people with that impression. I'm not a lawyer but I don't see that there is really a case here, though some are suggesting it. What I am, though, is a mom and a blabbermouth. Would you like to guess what I'll be talking about for the next few weeks and whenever I see someone with a SIGG bottle?"
Kellie from GreenHab: The Browns Go Green is feeling disappointed. "I'm feeling kind of like I did when I found out that John Edwards cheated on his wife. It isn't the worst thing to ever happen in this world, but I still feel really disappointed because I thought SIGG to be a genuinely green company. They say 'never trust a politician.' I guess we shouldn't trust companies that claim to sell green products either."
Despite all of this, Sonja from Girl with Greencard says she will continue to use her SIGG from the early 90s. She said she has two old SIGGs, and she's going to keep using both of them. Why? Because "test shows BPA doesn't leak and SIGGs are pricey and I don't use mine on a daily basis." She said she also has no qualms about letting her 1-year-old son drink from her old SIGG bottles either.
Jeremiah from Z Recommends said:
Whether or not you are comfortable using a bottle that contains but does not leach BPA, for us the real story here is how a company using BPA that would have been absolutely sidelined by consumers seeking BPA-free alternatives managed to make itself a central player by carefully controlling information about its products, challenging consumer advocacy organizations when they made statements that were unproven but that the company knew to be true, and "coming clean" only when it suited its own purposes.
Alicia at The Soft Landing believes it's an issue of proprietary versus transparency. She said, "It's not about the 'mere presence of BPA' or that their studies didn't show any leaching – it's about the principle of trust. We as parents, consumers and advocates should demand transparency from companies who build their entire foundation on being healthy and green."
While SIGG encourages dissatisfied customers to contact their customer service department (firstname.lastname@example.com) to trade in their old SIGG bottles for ones made with the BPA-free EcoCare liner, many bloggers would rather find more transparent companies to support. In case you are concerned about what will happen to the bottles that are turned in to SIGG, CEO Steve Wasik assured Lisa from Retro Housewife Goes Green that "All 'retired' SIGG bottles that we receive are always sent to recycling."
Lisa from Condo Blues suggests four BPA-free water bottle alternatives.
Over at Mamanista, Candace recommends Stainless Steel BPA-free water bottles.
I also wrote a post earlier this year about several different reusable water bottles.
Lastly, Z Recommends has some additional information about possible problems with the new BPA-free SIGG liners that you should take a look at before you email to get your replacement bottle. Unfortunately, this information might turn off even more consumers.
What are your thoughts? Are you surprised? Upset? Fine with all of it? Will you trade in your old SIGG bottle for a new one or will you seek out an alternative?
I have to say the only reason I'm not fuming mad is that we never splurged to buy SIGG bottles until a few months ago when my husband Jody got one for Ava and one for himself. Thankfully, they both have the new liners. While I had been thinking about getting my own SIGG bottle in the near future, after learning all of this, I'll stick with my BPA-free Camelbak for now, thankyouverymuch.
Related posts:
– SIGG Controversy: Older SIGG Bottles Have Bisphenol A (BPA)
– SIGG Bottles and BPA
– Really? SIGG bottles contain BPA
Cross-posted on BlogHer
Don't miss a single CDG post, subscribe to my blog.


text:
It includes:
-circle map for local, state, national
-local government graphic organizer
-letter to the mayor template (2 versions)
-What makes a good leader? graphic organizer
-A good leader is...writing prompt
-venn diagram comparing leaders of today and leaders of long ago
-state government graphic organizer
-template for recording information on the governor
-t-chart comparing local and state government
-national government graphic organizer
-poster for U.S. Capitol Building (Legislative Branch)
-poster for White House (Executive Branch)
-poster for U.S. Supreme Court Bldg (Judicial Branch)
-example and template pieces for a tree map art project on the 3 branches of government
-If I were President...writing prompt
-poster on showing patriotism
-Fast Facts handout on Mount Rushmore
-Fast Facts handout on the Liberty Bell
-Fast Facts handout on the Statue of Liberty
-Eagle Research Project with graphic organizer and writing prompt
-Eagle art project with example and templates
-I Have Who Has game using government vocabulary
-Government Scoot! game reviewing important information
-recommended reads and sites to visit
I am so excited about this unit and can't wait to use it in my classroom starting next Tuesday (when we return from winter break)!
Here are some larger pictures from the unit:
The buildings, the tree template, and the eagle template were all hand drawn by my Hubby...who is now referring to himself as "Lirette Sketch." :)
Don't forget to download your freebie from this unit here.


text:
Q: My 4-year-old daughter is very afraid of monsters. She is terrified at bedtime and wants me to stay in the room until she falls asleep. She holds my hand and sometimes cries. Is this normal or should I be concerned that fear is getting the best of her?
A: Not to worry. It is common for children to have specific fears as they grow and develop. And those fears change with age. So, for example, children ages 4 to 6 do have fears about things that are not real like monsters and ghosts. Your daughter is in that age group so her fear is quite normal. Older children (ages 7 to 12) have fears more related to real circumstances that they may have experienced, such as being frightened by an animal that tried to attack.
Typically children grow out of their fears. The most important thing is to validate her fear. Then, try lots of reassurance and a night-light and see if this helps calm her down. A consistent bedtime routine may also help, one that allows her to quiet down and spend time with you. This is also a good opportunity to teach her a Bible verse about fear and pray with her. Pay attention to her level of fear and decide if she is really anxious or simply wants your presence at night. Even if she is anxious, it is part of normal development at this age.
However, if you notice her fear worsening over time, you may want to consider talking to your pediatrician. Anxiety disorders are one of the most common childhood disorders and can develop when fears persist. Anxiety usually appears as sleep difficulties or physical symptoms like stomachaches. The key here is to know the difference between normal developmental fears and anxiety.
What is your child afraid of? How have you helped your child overcome her fears?


text:
A Fortune investigation reveals that the ATF never intentionally allowed guns to fall into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. How the world came to believe just the opposite is a tale of rivalry, murder, and political bloodlust.
FORTUNE -- In the annals of impossible assignments, Dave Voth's ranked high. In 2009 the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives promoted Voth to lead Phoenix Group VII, one of seven new ATF groups along the Southwest border tasked with stopping guns from being trafficked into Mexico's vicious drug war.
Some call it the "parade of ants"; others the "river of iron." The Mexican government has estimated that 2,000 weapons are smuggled daily from the U.S. into Mexico. The ATF is hobbled in its effort to stop this flow. No federal statute outlaws firearms trafficking, so agents must build cases using a patchwork of often toothless laws. For six years, due to Beltway politics, the bureau has gone without permanent leadership, neutered in its fight for funding and authority. The National Rifle Association has so successfully opposed a comprehensive electronic database of gun sales that the ATF's congressional appropriation explicitly prohibits establishing one.
Voth, 39, was a good choice for a Sisyphean task. Strapping and sandy-haired, the former Marine is cool-headed and punctilious to a fault. In 2009 the ATF named him outstanding law-enforcement employee of the year for dismantling two violent street gangs in Minneapolis. He was the "hardest working federal agent I've come across," says John Biederman, a sergeant with the Minneapolis Police Department. But as Voth left to become the group supervisor of Phoenix Group VII, a friend warned him: "You're destined to fail."
Voth's mandate was to stop gun traffickers in Arizona, the state ranked by the gun-control advocacy group Legal Community Against Violence as having the nation's "weakest gun violence prevention laws." Just 200 miles from Mexico, which prohibits gun sales, the Phoenix area is home to 853 federally licensed firearms dealers. Billboards advertise volume discounts for multiple purchases.
Customers can legally buy as many weapons as they want in Arizona as long as they're 18 or older and pass a criminal background check. There are no waiting periods and no need for permits, and buyers are allowed to resell the guns. "In Arizona," says Voth, "someone buying three guns is like someone buying a sandwich.".......................


text:
Skillogic PgMP® Training in India
Professionalism is the key word when it comes to the present day job scenario, especially in the corporate sector. Experience and expertise are essential to live up to the expectations of the company you work for. Job-ready candidates are on great demand and once you qualify yourself in the proper way for the needs of the industry, there's no looking back. However, trained employees need to be groomed according to the industry. When it comes to management courses, you need to get yourself certified rom a reputed place like PgMP® Training courses. This course is extremely helpful in moulding your personality and nature and allowing you to get well groomed for your industry. As the course is internationally recognised, the value of the course is immense when it comes to the arena of jobs.
There are several positive aspects that you will gain from the programme.
Efficiency: Once you complete the course, you will be able to complete mega projects which comprise of a number of aspects like infrastructure, management and software. This proficiency is necessary to grow in your arena.
Command: You will also grow the ability to command over different domains. Adequate training is required is needed to create a perfect professional.
Analyse: You will be able to identify different problems in situational contexts and analyse them. This analytical blend of mind is needed in order to make a successful professional.
Align: The organisational strategy has to be dealt with diplomacy. When you opt for the certificate course, you will be able to deal successfully with all the aspects that come your way.
Planning: You will gain sufficient knowledge to plan for the future, which is essential for assessing the progress of the organisation.
These entire factors make the course extremely beneficial and you will get the value of the money you pay. Skillogic Knowledge Solutions is providing PgMP® training program in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabd.View More View Less


text:
Medical slang and acronyms have always been a part of the pop culture of medicine. The slang often makes humorous reference to characteristics related to patients or patient care. But sometimes, the commentary is crude, sarcastic, derogatory, angry, distasteful or downright hurtful. An addition, medical acronyms and patient mispronunciations have even been known to make it into a patient chart or two. The language of medicine is filled with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of abbreviated reference to medical diseases and funny examples of phonetic misadventures. For example CAD means coronary artery disease while COPD means chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your point of view), doctors and nurses have created their own underground slang and acronym language to describe their experiences around them. Some folks call medical slang an art form. Other folks may consider it unethical.
Whatever your position may be, The Happy Hospitalist is determined to be the goto reference guide for doctors and nurses looking to expand their communication potential during social gatherings. In addition, here are amazing collections of fake medical diagnoses, funny patient quotes and medical mispronunciations and misspelled words to expand your knowledge base. Thousands of Facebook readers were asked for their input and The Happy Hospitalis scoured the internet to provide a central data base of Healthcare Gone Wild. Some of the content detailed below is very funny, tasteful and true. Some of it will be sure to upset those with a gently kitty soul. If you believe you do not have the stomach to experience the darker side of medicine, please do not continue reading. You have been warned.
Regardless of your decision, it's unlikely any compassionate doctor or nurse would ever say any of this stuff in front of their patients or write any of it in their patients' charts. Or they might. Who knows. The next time you see a doctor write "admit to OBS", instead of admit to observation, he could really be meaning admit to obvious bull sh*t. Instead of an admitting diagnosis of COPD for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, your doctor may really mean chronic old person's disease. Remember kids, TIATAAPFE (there is a time and a place for everything). Discussion of medical slang, descriptive acronyms and phonetic irritations should be left for the doctor's lounge, nurse's lounge, social gatherings and your email box. Let's start the discussion with a timeless favorite clean examples of medical slang.
Trachonese: The art of understanding the language of trach patients. Similar to vent speak, but without the ventilator.
So I asked my patient's ICU nurse if my vented and trached patient speaks. "Yes, but you have to be able to speak vent to understand him", she says. Vent speak? Is this something nurses learn in nursing school? Is this something the MARTI interpreter system is capable of providing? Is vent speak a variation of trachonese. Many important questions to ponder!
- 3H enema - high, hot and a Hell of a lot.
- 30 year old well child exam - self explanatory.
- 4 Fs - female fat fertile and 40 (indicates risk of gall bladder disease)
- 5-2-25 - the Haldol-Ativan:Benadryl combo. Also known as the B52 Bomber.
- 7-11 Patient - dirty, someone who spends more time barefoot in 7-11 than being productive.
- Adult Humane Society - dropping grandma off at the ER before a three day weekend trip to the lake.
- A Leaky Sieve - a physician who consistently asks other doctors to consult or to admit far too often.
- Alphabet Soup - MRSA, VRE, HIV, etc...
- Attorney induced symptomology - symptoms that present when a lawsuit is involved.
- A Brick Wall - see "A Wall", only 10x better.
- A Hit - an admission.
- A Wall - physicians who consistently don't ask other physicians to admit or to consult.
- Baby Catcher - an obstetrician.
- Baby Doctors - describing doctors in training.
- Bagged and Tagged - after death, ready for the mortuary.
- Bait Shop - another name for the neonatal ICU.
- Banana - a person with jaundice.
- Banana Bag - saline with assorted vitamins given to alcoholics.
- Bean - the kidneys.
- Benny - a patient on welfare.
- Bingo - a patient with a very long list of medical conditions and needs.
- Black Cloud - doctors who always seem to get the hardest patients and busiest days.
- Blamestorming - the process of figuring out who to blame when something goes wrong.
- Blood Suckers - phlebotomists
- Blow Hole - provided by a Facebook reader with no explanation.
- Blue Pipes - veins.
- Bone Break, Need Fix - describing an orthopedic surgeon.
- Bone Cracker - describing an orthodepic surgeon.
- Bounce Back - patients who return to the hospital or ER in a short period of time after discharge.
- Boyfriends - cute old men that are a pleasant to care for.
- Bug Juice - antibiotics.
- Butts and Guts - referring to gastroenterologists.
- CABG - zipper
- CABG Patch - floor where heart bypass patients reside.
- Campers - kids with diseases that have camps.
- Captain Kangaroo - head of the pediatric department.
- Carrot Stick - provided by a Facebook reader without explanation. I wonder if this means they are really thin.
- Celestial Discharge - death as a cause of discharge from the hospital or a pronounced code in the ER.
- Champagne Tap - a perfect lumbar puncture.
- Chart Dehiscence - when a chart drops and everything falls out.
- City Taxi - ambulance abusers with a free ride to the hospital.
- Co*k Docs - describing urologists.
- Code Brown - poop blowout.
- Code Pink - patients who are thought to be homosexual.
- Code Princess - a doctor acting up and in need of administrative attitude adjustment.
- Code Yellow - incontinent of urine.
- Code Blue Hair - cardiac arrest on a really old person.
- Coffin Dodger - old person that unexpectedly survived.
- Consultosis - hospitalists who consult for everything, like ID for UTI.
- Crash and Burn - patients on the floor who are doing poorly that need to go to the ICU.
- Crispy Critter - a patient with severe burns.
- Cut First, Diagnose Second - slang to describe surgeons.
- Da Motrin -- what to say when a patient asks for that pain medicine that starts with a D.
- Daycare Workers - referring to CNAs
- Departure Lounge - geriatric floor.
- Dermaholiday - everyone knows dermatologists don't work holidays.
- Digging for Worms - trying to find a vein.
- Doctart - female nurses nurses or patients who have a thing for doctors.
- Doughnut - CT scanner.
- Donorcycle - a motorcycle.
- Dragercise - moving patients from bed to chair who can't or don't assist.
- Drama Alert - a BS trauma alert.
- Dr Hopiate - a doctor who prescribes a lot of opiates in the ER.
- Dr Nopiate - a doctor who won't prescribe opiates in the ER.
- Dryalysis - in reference to drying patients out on dialysis.
- Dump Job - pawning off a patient onto another service, usually by unnecessary transfer to another hospital or medical team.
- Dyscopia - the inability to cope.
- Dyphonia - when referring to fake attempts at dystonia.
- Eternal Care Unit - people in the morgue.
- Father of Fetus - patient's baby daddy in the ER.
- Fatty Patty - in for a gastric stapling.
- Fatty Snorkel - morbidly obese patient with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- Flea - an internist.
- Flu In My Knees - referring to a flair up of arthritis.
- Four Acidosis - provided by a Facebook reader without explanation.
- Frequent Flyer - people who frequently come to the ER or hospital.
- Freud Squad - a psychiatrist.
- Fronterior - instead of the correct anterior.
- Garden - the neurosurgical ICU; describes the vegetables on the vents.
- Gas Passer - an anesthesiologist.
- Getting Hammered - getting a bunch of patient encounters all at the same time.
- Going Down The Tubes - getting sick really fast.
- Google MD - believing one is as smart as the doctor because they searched Google for all the answers.
- Gorillacillin - a really powerful antibiotic.
- Greyhound Therapy - to purchase a bus ticket for an uninsured patient get them out of your hospital area.
- Hearing Hoof Beats - to think of common diagnoses (horses), not zebras (see below).
- Hemodynia - referring to pain wherever blood flows.
- Holy Trinity - intubate/ventilate/sedate.
- Horrendoplasty - a long and difficult operation on a morbidly obese patient.
- Hospitel - patients who treat their hospital like a hotel.
- Intubate/sSdate/Family out-of-state - in reference to patients in the ICU on a ventilator with no family around.
- Jesus Bus - about to die and hailing down the Jesus Bus.
- Jocks - describing orthopedic surgeons
- Knuckle Draggers - describing orthopedic surgeons (like gorillas).
- Level II Drama - instead of level II trauma.
- Litter Box - what the neonatal ICU is called because it sounds like a bunch of kittens screaming in there.
- Low Paid Nurse - describing an LPN (vs RN for real nurse).
- Lasofloxalbuterol - ordered when you can't decide between CHF vs COPD vs PNA
- Man In The Boat Pain - in reference to clitoral pain.
- Milk of Amnesia - propofol.
- Monkey Box - in reference to the female genitalia region.
- My Muffin Hurts - in reference to pain in the female bladder or genital region.
- Need Two On The Way To Three Midnightitis - when you try anything to get that third midnight and a disposition to the NH under Medicare benefits.
- Night Timers - in reference to a patient with Alzheimer's.
- Noctor - a nurse acting like a doctor.
- No Hopeamine - dopamine (when things don't look good, try dopamine).
- Nurseoblasts - student nurses.
- Nurslings - student nurses.
- Other Torture (OT) - occupational therapists.
- Pain and Torture (PT) - describing physical therapists.
- Paragod - an EMT who thinks they know everything.
- Patholidy - everyone knows pathologists don't work holidays.
- Pecker Checkers - describing urologists.
- Pediatrician = Geriatrician = Veterinarian - it's all the same field of practice.
- Pocketbook - in reference to a female's vaginal area.
- Pecker Checker - a urologist.
- Pectinosis - when non medical friends have any complaint.
- Peek and Shriek - to open a surgical abdomen, see something horrible and close immediately.
- Physical Terrorists - describing physical therapists.
- Plastic bow tie - describing a tracheostomy.
- Platelet Clot - describing a large team of doctors rounding on the wards.
- Plumbers - referring to interventional cardiologists.
- Poop Scoopers - describing gastroenterologists.
- Puppies - referring to interns and residents.
- Real Nurse - describing a nurse (vs LPN for low paid nurse).
- Refreshments and Narcotics - describing RN's.
- Re-Versed - Romazicon.
- Rheumaholiday - everyone knows rheumatologists don't work holidays.
- Road trip - taking the patient from the ICU for a test.
- Roto Rooters - describing gastroenterologists.
- Scoping for Dollars - describing a gastroenterologist.
- Shotgun approach - ordering every test known to man on a patient when the diagnosis is unknown.
- Slasher - a surgeon.
- Slow Code - doing CPR with less than optimal effort for any number of reasons but usually because the healthcare workers object to the medical assault in front of them.
- Snot Docs - describing pulmonologists.
- Social Admit - admit to the hospital to arrange for a nursing home placement.
- Social Admit Marathon - when the admission and arrangement for placement happens twice a month for 3 years.
- Squash - the brain.
- Steak and Trach - to get a g-tube and trach.
- Stream Team - describing a urologist.
- Strong as a Bull, Half as Bright - slang to describe an orthopedic surgeon.
- Sun Risers - in reference to a patient with Alzheimer's.
- Three Midnight Mountain - the barrier need to overcome a Medicare paid SNF transfer.
- Three Midnight Road Rally - trying everything to get a patient 3 midnights in the hospital and a one way ticket to SNF benefits.
- To Turf - to transfer the patient to another service as an act of success, usually associated with dumping a patient.
- Two Midnight Mountain - the barrier needed to overcome inpatient hospital stay starting October 1st, 2013.
- Trachonese - nurses who understand trach patients.
- Train Wreck - a patient who has every drip known to man going and every piece of equipment on too.
- Trauma Handshake - rectal exam in a trauma.
- Treat and Street - get them out of the ER.
- Troll - someone who gets frequently admitted and causes problems for staff.
- Two Dudes - the answer in the ER when a patient is asked who assaulted them.
- Unclear Medicine - nuclear medicine.
- Vaginacologist - in reference to a gynecologist.
- Vampires - phlebotomists.
- Velcro - family that never leaves a patient's room.
- Vent Speak - nurses who understand vent patients in the ICU.
- Virgin Abdomen - no prior surgeries in the belly.
- Vitamin A - for Ativan.
- Vitamin H - for Haldol.
- Vitamin IQ Deficiency - self explanatory.
- Vitamin L - for Lasix.
- Vitamin V - for Versed.
- Vitamin X - for Xanax.
- Walkie Talkie - they walk and they talk.
- Wallet Biopsy - refers to what community hospitals do to patients before shipping them to tertiary care, ie cath, colonoscopy, several MRIs.
- Weenie Waggling - a psych patient admitted following an indecent exposure bust.
- Whambulance - an ambulance used to carry people who show up whining about little stuff.
- White Cloud - doctors who always seem to have the easiest patients and the least busy days.
- Zebra - a rare diagnosis.
- ADQ - acute drama queenitis; can apply to males or females.
- ADRP - adverse drug reaction printout (handed by the patient to the doctor).
- AEOTO - acute episode of Twitting out.
- AFU - all fu**ed up; congenital vs acquired.
- AGMI - ain't gonna make it.
- AHF - acute hissy fit.
- ALS - absolute loss of sanity (crazy patient).
- AMFYOYO - alright MTFer, you're on your own.
- AOB - alcohol on board.
- APD - acute Prozac deficiency.
- APM - aye-aye-aye-aye's per minute.
- ART - assuming room temperature (patient is dead).
- ASL - assess stupidity level.
- ATFO - asked to f**k off.
- ATTE - actively trying to expire.
- ATS - acute Thespian syndrome (patient is faking illness).
- BFB - big fu**in' baby; not talking about kids either.
- BATS fracture - broken all to sh*t.
- BBCS - bumps bruises cuts scrapes.
- BBLN - busy bee lousy nurse.
- BBS - bath before seeing.
- BCP - bogus chest pain.
- BFH - brat from Hell.
- BFMC - baby's fine mama's crazy.
- BMW - bitch moan and whine.
- BOHICA - bend over, here it comes again.
- BOLFDGB - big old lady fall down go boom.
- BONITA - big ol' needle in the ass.
- BTSOOM - beats the sh*t out of me.
- BUNDY - but unfortunately not dead yet.
- BVA - breathing valuable air.
- BWCO - baby won't come out (needs C-section).
- CAH - crazy as Hell.
- CCFCCP - coo coo for CoaCoa Puffs.
- CFA - cry for attention.
- CFT - chronic food toxicity.
- CKS - cute kid syndrome.
- CLL - chronic low life.
- COPD - chronic old persons disease.
- COSMONAUT - cat owner smells made of nuts and used tampons.
- CNS-QNS - central nervous system, quantity not sufficient.
- CRAP - chronic recurrent abdominal pain.
- CRAFT - can't remember a fu**ing thing.
- CRBD - chronic relapsing benzodiazepine deficiency.
- CRS - can't remember sh*t.
- CRT - can't really treat.
- CTD - circling the drain.
- CTF - Cletus the fetus (born before 23 weeks).
- DAAD - dead as a doornail.
- D & D - divorced and desperate (a cougar that visits the doctor a lot).
- DDP - differential diagnosis printout (handed by the patient to the doctor)
- DFO - done fell out.
- DFOIC - done feel out in church.
- DIB - dead in bed.
- DID - Dilaudid insufficiency disorder.
- DIC - death is coming.
- DNN - doctor needs a nap.
- DNR - dead 'n ready.
- DOV - dead on vent.
- DPC's - dead people cookies, provided for families of unsuccessful codes.
- DRT - dead right there.
- DSB - drug seeking behavior.
- DUB - damn ugly baby.
- EDGATWTTTF - elevator doesn't go all the way to the top floor.
- EEER - erroneously educated ER doctor.
- ELFs - evil little fu**ers (kids).
- EMS - earn money sleeping.
- EMT-P - expensive Medicare taxi provider.
- FABIANS - felt awful but I'm alright now syndrome.
- FACBP - Fellow of American College of Bystander Physicians.
- FDGB - fall down go boom.
- FDSTW - found dead stayed that way.
- FERN - f**ing ER nurse.
- FFDIG - found face down in gutter.
- FLBs - funny looking beats; a type of heart rhythm.
- FLK - funny looking kid.
- FLP - funny looking parents for a pediatric patient.
- FLK and FLP together - when you realize the baby is just fine!
- FOOBA - found on ortho, barely alive.
- FOOSH - fall on out stretched hand.
- FORD - found on road dead.
- FOS - full of sh*t.
- FTD - fixin' to die.
- FTF - failed to fly (failed suicide).
- FUBAR - fu**ed up beyond all recognition.
- FUPA - fat upper pu##y (or pubic) area.
- FURB - funny unusual rectal blockage.
- GDA - gonna die anyway.
- GDFD - got drunk, fell down.
- GF - ghetto fabulous.
- GFPO - good for parts only.
GGF - granny's got a fever.
- GLM - good looking mom (for a pediatric patient).
- GOK - God only knows.
- GOMER - get out of my emergency room (a classic).
- GOMERgram - ordering all tests in the ER because the patient can't say what the problem is.
- GPH - goddamns per hour.
- GTO - GOMER tip over.
- HAIRY PSALMS - haven't any idea regarding your patient send a lot more serum.
- HALS - hit and left standing.
- HBT - high bi**h titer.
- HDAH - heart doctor absent heart.
- HFV - here for vacation.
- HI - human icicle.
- HIBGIA - had it before got it again.
- HONDA - hypertensive obese noncompliant diabetic as*hole.
- HOP - house of pain (nursing home)
- HOPEFUL - hard-up old person expecting full useful life.
- HT - he's toast.
- HT - health tourist.
- ICP - immaculate conception of pregnancy (for those who can't be pregnant, no way no how).
- IJLIHS - I just like it here syndrome.
- ISOBO - inappropriate secretion of offensive body odor.
- ITTR - inverse tooth to tattoo ratio (more tattoos than teeth in the mouth).
- IWIN - I want it now.
- JPFROG - just plain frickin' run out of gas.
- LGFD - looks good from doorway.
- LLS - looks like s**t.
- LMC - low marble count.
- LOBNH - lights on but nobody home.
- LOL - little old lady.
- LOLFDGB - little old lady, fall down go boom.
- LOLINAD - little old lady in no acute distress.
- LOLITS - little old lady in tennis shoes.
- MD - makes decisions.
- MERB - maximum emergency room benefit.
- MFC - measure for coffin.
- MIDI - myocardial infarction during intercourse.
- M & M - morbidity and mortality conferences.
- MTBFU - my toof be fu**ed up.
- MTFer - drunk patient who needs to metabolize to freedom.
- NARS - not a rocket scientist.
- NCS - no coping skills.
- NETMA - nobody ever tells me anything.
- NEWTA - nobody else wants to admit.
- NKDA - not known didn't ask.
- NLOP - no longer our problem.
- NLPR - no long playing records.
- NQR - not quite right.
- NPS - new parent syndrome.
- OADS - over achieving daredevil syndrome.
- OBS - obvious bull sh*t.
- OLPO - one line per opening.
- OMGWTFBBQ - bad car accident victim.
- OPD - obvious personality disorder.
- P4P - penicillin for penile discharge (not to be confused with pay for performance).
- PBS - pretty bad shape.
- PBTB - pine box to bedside (death is imminent).
- PFH - parents from Hell.
- PFO - pissed, fell over.
- PID - pus in dere (rhymes with there).
- PID - poor intercourse decisions.
- PID - physician in distress.
- PITA - pain in the ass.
- PLH - pray long and hard.
- PMJ - premorbid jerk.
- PMS - poor miserable soul.
- POF PRN - pillow over face, prn.
- PON - product of (the) night (in reference to a fetus).
- POPTA - passed out prior to arrival.
- PRDD - persistent recurrent Dilaudid deficiency.
- PPPP - piss poor parental protoplasm.
- PTPED - post traumatic pelvic exam disorder
- PT - pillow therapy.
- PU - paws up (dead).
- PWT - poor white trash.
- QID - queen in distress.
- RN - refuses nonsense.
- RTT with a BBB - Rat-a-tat-tat with a baseball bat; describing injury requiring an ER visit.
- SALT - same as last time.
- SBI - something bad inside.
- SDB - stupid dumb bit**.
- SDS - stupid doctor syndrome.
- SMS - stupid mother syndrome.
- SPAK - status post ass kicking.
- SWI - something wrong inside.
- TATT - talks all the time.
- T&BB - Tylenol and bye bye.
- TBP - total body pain.
- TEETH - tried everything else, try homeopathy.
- TFF - too f'ing fat.
- TFTB - too fat to breath.
- TMB - too many birthdays.
- TMFB - too many f**ing birthdays (for the really old folks who just won't die, no matter what).
- TOBP - tired of being pregnant.
- TPK - trach, peg kindred.
- TSD - Texas sized dose.
- TSTL - too stupid to live.
- TUBE - totally unnecessary breast exam.
- TT - trailer trash.
- TTOAST - take them out and shoot them.
- TWA - third world assassins (refers to poor medical care by foreign medical graduates).
TWSAM - trash will survive and multiply.
- UBF - unborn fart or flatus lateralis on x-ray.
- UBI - unexplained beer injury.
- UFO - unidentified frozen object (homeless winter death).
- UHTEP - using a hospital to escape police arrest.
- VAC - vultures are circling.
- VD - veak and dizzy (old people in the ER at 2 am).
- VIP - very intoxicated person.
- VODKA - violent obese diabetic krazy alcoholic (or a**hole).
- VOMIT - victim of modern imaging technology.
- VSGP - very shallow gene pool.
- WADAO - weak and dizzy all over.
- WAFTAM - wast of f**king time and money.
- WAPOSS - whiny ass piece of s*it syndrome
- WDWNF - well developed well nourished female.
- WNL - we never looked.
- WOMBAT - waste of money brains and time.
- WR - wheelchair rollover.
- WWI - walking while intoxicated.
These original Happy Hospitalist ecards provide insight into these hundreds of medical slang terms and acronyms. Make sure to check out the hundreds of others provided at the ecard link above.
"All ICU nurses at my hospital are bilingual. They speak English AND Trachonese."
"Become an RN today and you too can be an expert in... Refreshments and Narcotics."
"At MY teaching hospital, all my ICU patients get a tube. And by a tube, I mean a Totally Unnecessary Breast Exam."
"You have pain that only responds to that one drug that starts with a D? Da Motrin it is. You know. For da pain."
"Here at UpToDate, we are vigorously competing with Google to make your doctor look smarter than they really are."
"Nursing: We serve vodkas with a smile!. Violent, Obese, Diabetic, Krazy Alcoholic."
"Lasofloxalbuterol. When you just can't decide between CHF vs COPD vs PNA."
This post is for entertainment purposes only and likely contains humor only understood by those in a healthcare profession. Read at your own risk.


text:
Harvard University welcomes coverage of its programs by accredited writers, broadcasters and photographers. Here are some guidelines to make your experience at Harvard University and the cities of Cambridge and Boston an enjoyable one.
Please scroll down for specific policies on media coverage, special requests, photography policies and parking.
Athletic Communications Mailing Address:
65 North Harvard Street
Murr Center, Room 305
Boston, Mass. 02163
Main Phone: 617-495-2206
Tim Williamson
Associate Director of Athletics
(617) 495-2206
Darin Wong
Associate Director of Athletic Communications
(617) 495-2206
Amanda Ferrill
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
(617) 495-2206
Lindsay Graham
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
(617) 495-2206
Devan Horahan
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
(617) 495-2206
Jeff Weinstein
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
(617) 495-2206
Katie Habryle
Athletic Communications Intern
(617) 495-2206
Nate Griesbaum
Athletic Communications Intern
Nicole Schimmenti
Athletic Communications Intern
(617) 495-2206
Philip Tor
Athletic Communcations Intern
(617) 495-2206
Media Credentials
All credential requests to cover Harvard athletic programs should be directed to the appropriate sport contact in the Office of Athletic Communications. Media members should provide at least five business days in advance of requested football games and three business days for other sports. Requests may be made via standard mail, phone or e-mail. Harvard reserves the right to accept or reject credential requests for any reason. Credentials will be issued only to accredited members of the working media.
Credentials will be mailed if time permits or may be picked up at the Murr Center ticket office, which opens two hours before kickoff. Press passes are non-transferrable.
Access to the football press box level is at Gate M, which is located at the open end of Harvard Stadium, adjacent to Section 37. Access to other press areas are well-marked inside their respective facilities.
Guest Wireless Access:
For information on accessing the Harvard University wi-fi as a guest, please click HERE.
Photography Guidelines:
All editorial photo requests are handled by Tim Williamson. The requestor shall forward the following information: requesting editor or writer's name and email address, organization or publication name, deadline information, and a sentence regarding the scope of the story.
To request photo credentials, see the Media Credentials section.
Advertising and other commercial or non-athletic photography projects require special permission. Permission to shoot in interior and exterior spaces is required in all circumstances. Access to administration and office buildings, classrooms, laboratories, dormitories and residences are not allowed. Also covered under this rule are inside dining areas, private or public.
Press Box Services
The Harvard Office of Athletic Communications will provide a game program, current press release, pregame statistics, flip card and the Ivy League weekly report prior to the game in each respective media area(s).
Working press, television, multimedia/video and radio crews are assigned space in the press areas. Seating charts will be located throughout each respective facility. Wireless internet access is available in the press box.
Quickie statistics will be provided to all media members as needed. Cold beverages are available throughout the game.
Postgame Procedures
Following each home football game, a postgame press conference will be held in the Murr Center Lounge, located on the third floor of that facility. The lounge is easily accessible by the external staircase located below the stadium scoreboard. The press conference is open only to credentialed media members.
Writers may file stories from the Murr Center East Conference Room, located adjacent to the lounge. Phone lines and wireless internet connections will be provided.
Final statistics packets, including a scoring summary, individual and team statistics, drive charts and play-by-play, will be delivered to the postgame press conference and made available in the media room.
Postgame procedures for road games are dictated by the host institution.
Harvard maintains a strict closed locker room policy both at home and on the road.
Postgame interviews at basketball and ice hockey are conducted outside the coaches offices in the media lounges.
Interviews with student-athletes, other than those immediately following a contest, must be arranged through Harvard's Office of Athletic Communications, so as not to interfere with the students' academic schedules.
Please note that student-athletes' telephone numbers and email addresses will not be released to the media per Department of Athletics policy. If a telephone interview is necessary, arrangements will be made for the student-athlete to call the requesting outlet. Game-day interviews will not be granted until the conclusion of the contest.
Football Interviews
Head coach Tim Murphy and student-athletes will be available for a weekly press briefing following practice during the season on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Please contact athletic communications if you plan on attending the weekly press briefing.
For interview requests for coach Murphy, please contact Tim Williamson, associate director of athletics, at firstname.lastname@example.com.
For all player interview and game credential requests, please contact Darin Wong, assistant director of athletic communications, at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Men's Basketball Interviews
Head coach Tommy Amaker and student-athletes will be available for a weekly press briefing in Lavietes Lounge during the fall and spring semesters. For all interview requests, please contact Darin Wong, assistant director of athletic communications, at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Schedule is subject to change on a weekly basis.
Radio Broadcasts
Stations wishing to broadcast Harvard athletic events must make arrangements through the athletic communications office at least two weeks in advance of the requested game.
There are two analog phone lines available for visiting stations, and a maximum of four credentials will be provided for any broadcast crew. Please note that ISDN lines are not available in the complex.
Photographers/Television Crews
Arrangements should be made with the Office of Athletic Communications for anyone who wishes to film Harvard games. Sideline passes will be mailed if time permits or left at the Will Call window at the Murr Center box office. Only credentialed media members will be permitted on the sideline.
Parking is extremely limited in the vicinity of Harvard Stadium. Parking passes can be mailed if the credential request is granted five working days prior to the game.
Media members who are issued season-long credentials will be given access to Lot 8M, which sits adjacent to Harvard Stadium at North Harvard Street. Other media members will have access to Lot 175, which is located next to the Soldiers Field athletic complex at North Harvard Street and Western Avenue.
Television production trucks should make arrangements with Harvard's athletic events office (617-496-6767) to schedule arrival times at the designated location.
|Boston Herald
|Boston Globe
|MetroWest Daily News
|The Enterprise
|Lynn Item
|Lowell Sun
|Worcester Telegram & Gazette
|Lawrence Eagle Tribune
|The Harvard Crimson
|Local Television/Radio
|WBZ-TV (CBS, Channel 4)
|WCVB-TV (ABC, Channel 5)
|WHDH-TV (NBC, Channel 7)
|WFXT-TV (Fox, Channel 25)
|Comcast SportsNet
|New England Cable News (NECN)
|New England Sports Network (NESN)
|Harvard Athletics On The Web
|Harvard Athletics Official Youtube Page
|Harvard Athletics Official Facebook Page
|Harvard Athletics Official Twitter Page
|Harvard Athletics Web Streaming Page
|Harvard Athletics Photography


text:
Keller is a city located in Tarrant County, Texas. Keller is a northern suburb of the city of Fort Worth and is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The 2010 estimates of the Keller population released reported the population will be reaching approximately 40,000. Keller has been named as one of the 7 best cities to live in the United States
At Eyler Law Offices we represent clients in various types of civil, criminal, and administrative cases. We have handled numerous cases involving state, federal and administrative investigations into health care providers and businesses. We can help you with any health care compliance issues, HIPAA, regulatory/legal issues, Medicare and Medicaid, health care fraud allegations, or any type of investigation by any state or federal agency e.g. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), United States Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Texas Attorney General, Texas Department of Health and Humans Services, or the Texas Attorney General -Medicaid Fraud Control Units, just to name a few. We also represent clients in various types of state and federal criminal cases, including any misdemeanors and felonies.
In addition, we also represent and defend clients in various types of professional/occupational license liability matters e.g. Texas Medical Board, Texas Board of Nursing, Texas Board of Pharmacy, Texas Board of Physical and Occupational Therapists, Texas Dental Board. We can assist you in addressing any complaints that have been made about you to your respective professional regulatory board. We can also defend you and your license in front of any Texas regulatory board to help protect your professional/ occupational license from corrective action, reprimand, warning, revocation or suspension.
In addition, we also handle civil cases and administrative issues that involve health care compliance, regulatory/legal issues, Medicare and Medicaid, health care fraud, or any type of investigation that the state or federal government may be conducting in regards to your profession/ occupation or health care company or business.
Eyler Law Offices can be contacted at (214) 540-7750 or email us. Our offices are located at 320 Decker Drive, Suite 100, Irving, Texas 75062, which is just south of Texas State Highway 114 off of Wingren (one street east of O'Connor Blvd), across from Omni Hotel in Irving.


text:
A large, modern hospital, specialized in heart and lung care. Medical specialties include cardiovascular internal medicine, cardiovascular surgery, thoracic surgery, respiration internal medicine and tumor medicine.
Director of the Hospital/Chairman of Cardio Surgery Deparment
Cardiac Surgeon, Associate Professor, Chief Physician
Defibrillator Implant (dual chamber)
upon request
Defibrillator Implant (single chamber)
Beijing Hospital of the Ministry of Health is a modern general hospital open to the public, with a special mandate to provide medical and health service to senior officials.
Defibrillator Implant
This information is intended for general information only and should not be considered as medical advice on the part of Health-Tourism.com. Any decision on medical treatments, after-care or recovery should be done solely upon proper consultation and advice of a qualified physician.
What is a Defibrillator Implant?
A Defibrillator Implant is a small electronic instrument that continually checks your heart rhythm. If it notices an abnormal heart rhythm, it reacts by delivering energy to the heart muscle. This in turn causes the heart to return to its normal rhythm again. There are a number of ways the device can be implanted. These include incisions on your breastbone and collarbone. For other heart problems, it could be the case that a defibrillator implant takes place during open heart surgery.
Where is the Defibrillator Implant performed?
Normally the defibrillator implant procedure is performed in a special room in the Electrophysiology Lab.
Is it possible to eat before the procedure?
It is not allowed to drink, eat or chew on anything after 12 midnight before your procedure. This would include drinking water, chewing gum or sucking sweets.
How long does the Defibrillator Implant last?
Generally, the defibrillator implant will last between 3 to 6 years. During your follow-up appointments at the clinic, the defibrillator implant will be closely monitored to analyse when the device needs to be replaced.
Copyright © 2008 - 2020 Health-Tourism.com, All Rights Reserved


text:
Rafael Nadal beat Leonardo Mayer in straight sets on Thursday to reach the semifinals of the Mexican Open, setting up a meeting with Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro.
The second-seeded Nadal won 6-1, 7-5 as the former top-ranked player continues his comeback from a long-term knee injury and builds toward the French Open.
Third-seeded Almagro also had a straight-sets win, defeating Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 6-4.
Top-seeded David Ferrer remained on track for a fourth straight Mexican Open title by breezing past Paolo Lorenzi 6-3, 6-1, notching his 18th consecutive win in this tournament.
Ferrer's semifinal opponent will be Italy's Fabio Fognini, who beat Santiago Giraldo 7-5, 6-4.
Nadal is making a comeback after being away from the tour for more than seven months with a left knee injury. He made the final of the VTR Open earlier this month in Chile before losing to Argentine Horacio Zeballos and a week later beat David Nalbandian to claim the Brazil Open title.
"So far I've played in three semifinals and that's fantastic news and it's even better because my three best games have been here," Nadal said.
"Now I feel like I have nothing to lose no matter what happens tomorrow. Either I will go on to play the final or I will go happy to play in another tournament knowing that the knee is responding better."
Nadal has good reason to be confident of beating Almagro, as he boasts an 8-0 record against his fellow Spaniard, yet the former No. 1 said his long absence from the tour must be taken into account.
"I don't feel as the favorite for tomorrow, it's been seven months without competing and I will be facing a great clay player," Nadal said. "I will do my best to play a great match to reach the final, its that clear."
On Tuesday, Nadal said he may pull out of next week's Indian Wells Masters in California to spare his fragile knees from the hard courts and save himself for the European clay season.
He didn't say whether he would also compete in the hardcourt Key Biscayne Masters, where he's reached the final three times, and which follows Indian Wells.


text: Updated 2016 Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the most confusing recent histories in the world and for a long time will be best known for the brutal war that took place there in the early to mid '90s. The war is long over, but this is still a challenging place to visit. English is not widely spoken within the tourist infrastructure even as many local youths speak it fluently. The cities are calm enough, but the estimated 5 million landmines left over from the wars don't make exploring the wilderness terribly appealing. Read: The Former Yugoslavia: Go Now!


text:
We're sorry, the page or document you are looking for cannot be found. It may have been moved, updated or no longer exists.
We have recently updated our website which has allowed us to remove a lot of out-of-date information. We have also reorganised the site structure which may mean you've clicked on a link which no longer works.
Please try the following:


text:
Computed Tomography Inspection with High Throughput
ZEISS VoluMax CT systems are designed for applications where many components must be inspected quickly. ZEISS customizes the machine and software to fit the inspection job. The ZEISS VoluMax can be configured for both manual and automated loading.
Inline Process Control with Industrial Computed Tomography
Test directly in production
ZEISS inline CT scanners perform 100% of all inspections on manufactured plastic and light metal components in the production flow – even in harsh production environments. They automatically provide good/bad evaluations so that unusable components can be filtered out. Many different product features can be captured and saved during CT serial inspection.
Significant measuring project experience
Many projects for the CT inspection of plastic, metal and composite components have already been implemented using the ZEISS VoluMax systems. For example: ZEISS VoluMax CT scanners have inspected the dimensional stability of plastic components, examined cylinder heads for cavities and sand residue and have been used to test whether or not an airbag has been correctly assembled. ZEISS VoluMax CT solutions are also used inline for 100% inspection and atline for testing large quantities of random samples.
Replace multiple inspections with one scan
An important advantage of 3D tomography is its ability to replace multiple, complex individual inspections. Dimensional variations, discontinuities, inclusions and every type of deformation can be inspected with just one scan. Cycle times of just a few seconds are possible. There's an additional benefit: the results are automatically documented with the ZEISS VoluMax
ZEISS CT Software: From data generation to process monitoring
With ZEISS software, you use ZEISS VoluMax efficiently and utilize the potential to the fullest. The user interface (of ZEISS METROTOM OS) has been simplified so that trained workers in production can operate the CT system easily and safely. ZEISS CALYPSO and the ZEISS CT visualisation software can be used for the metrological evaluation of the CT data. The results can be processed further using the ZEISS PiWeb quality data system.
Using ZEISS VoluMax in the Industrial Process
Inspection with high throughput
Particular strengths
Customized product design
Place of use
In production and near production
3.5–400 μm


text:
Television Accessories
- All Televisions Accessories
- Television Accessories
Home Theater
- All Home Theater
- Audio Accessories
Home Audio
- All Home Audio
- Audio Accessories
Welcome to our website! As we have the ability to list several hundred items on our website (our selection changes all of the time), it is not feasible for a company our size to record and playback the descriptions on every item on our website. However, if you have a disability we are here to help you. Please call our disability services phone line at 252-535-1178 during regular business hours and one of our kind and friendly personal shoppers will help you navigate through our website, help conduct advanced searches, help you choose the item you are looking for with the specifications you are seeking, read you the specifications of any item and consult with you about the products themselves. There is no charge for the help of this personal shopper for anyone with a disability. Finally, your personal shopper will explain our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, and help you place an order if you so desire.
Today's Electronics carries a wide selection of products.
So, if you are looking for products in Roanoke Rapids, Littleton, Weldon, Rocky Mount, Gaston, Scotland Neck, Emporia, Franklin, Wilson, Skippers and Enfield, North Carolina, or if you have any questions about products, please feel free to call us at 252-535-1178 or simply stop by Today's Electronics at any time and we would be glad to help you.
Television Accessories
Home Theater
Home Audio


text:
Owen Wilson Gives His Baby a Normal Name
Bucking the long-held Hollywood tradition of celebrities giving their kids insane names, butterscotch stallion Owen Wilson and his girlfriend have dubbed their new son Robert Ford Wilson. That's it. Yes, a slight outlaw association, but nothing weirder. Rather amazing!
Clearly this puts the Rumers, Scouts, Tallulahs, Roccos, Cocos, Kingstons, Denims, Sevens, Banjos, Reignbeaus, Harlows, Kal-Els, Pilot Inspektors, Apples, Oceans, Blankets, Rockets, Jermajestys, Bronx Mowglis, and Audio Sciences of the world to shame. Or rather, it puts their ridiculous parents to shame, people who, not satisfied enough with being rich and famous, saddled their kids with terrible names just so they could get a little more attention.
Well aren't their faces red now, with little Robert Ford Wilson coming along and being all regular and normal. Not, of course, that we're advocating normalcy above all else. It's just that giving a kid a crazy name for craziness's sake is kind of cruel.
[Photo via Getty]


text:
Former DU skater McConnell gets USHL post, UND's Gregoire to turn pro
Former DU forward Scott McConnell (2000-04) of Colorado Springs has been named head coach and GM of the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League. McConnell, 32, joined the Steel in October and was named interim head coach and GM in February.
McConnell didn't play much at DU (six games) but he has been a terrific coach and executive. He has been an assistant coach for the USHL's Indiana Ice and Des Moines Buccaneers, and video coach for the Wilkes-Barre Penguins of the AHL and Team USA during the recent World Junior Championship in Buffalo.


text:
Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean CM10.1 Nightly builds are not out for the Galaxy S3 I9300 for download. You can get the latest nightly build from the CyanogenMod 10.1 website for your phone. Almost everything works fine and you can use this ROM as a daily driver for your phone. You can update Galaxy S3 I9300 to Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean CM10.1 Nightly custom firmware using the tutorial below.
As you continue reading below, we will guide you through the entire process of how to install Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean CM10.1 Nightly on Galaxy S3 I9300 with complete steps. Don't forget to read all the tips below that you have to keep in mind before proceeding. Please make sure you backup all your data as given below because this tutorial will wipe your data. Let's get to the tutorial now.
Disclaimer: All the custom ROMs and firmwares, official software updates, tools, mods or anything mentioned in the tutorial belong to their respective owners/developers. We (TeamAndroid.com) or the developers are not to be held responsible if you damage or brick your device. We don't have you on gun point to try out this tutorial 😉
Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean CM10.1 Nightly Custom Firmware Details:
NOTE: Since this is a nightly build, make sure you know that after installing this firmware update, your Android device can get FC errors, boot loops, several other bugs, apps might not work or worse, your phone might not boot. To fix, you will have to reinstall stock firmware or any other stable custom ROM.
You might want to read this: How to Install ClockworkMod Touch Recovery 220.127.116.11 on Galaxy S3 I9300.
Samsung Galaxy S3 USB Drivers
You will need to connect your Android phone with the computer. For that, please make sure you have installed the USB drivers for Samsung Galaxy S3 properly. If not, you can download the latest official drivers from our Android USB Drivers section here:
Download Samsung Galaxy S3 USB drivers!
Backup and Other Important Tips
Done with the USB drivers? Perfect. The tutorial is on the next page, but first, please take a look at the following tips and important points you need to take care of. These are important, as we don't want anyone losing their personal data or apps:
Always backup your important data that you might need after you install a new custom ROM, an official software update or anything else. Make a backup for just in case, you never know when anything might go wrong. See below for some tips on how to backup data:
- Backup your Apps. How? –> How to Backup Android Apps.
- Backup your SMS messages. How? –> How to Backup/Restore SMS Messages.
- Backup Contacts, Gmail and Google Data. How? –> Sync with Google Sync.
- Backup Call History. How? –> How to Backup Call History.
- Backup WhatsApp Messages. How? –> How to Backup/Restore WhatsApp Messages.
- Backup APN Settings: GPRS, 3G, MMS Settings. How? Note down everything from: Settings > Wireless & Networks (More…) > Mobile networks > Access Point Names.
Samsung users can also back up data using Samsung KIES. If you backup data manually, you get more options what to choose from and it is very easy to move data across Android devices from different manufacturers, i.e moving Samsung Galaxy Note backup data to HTC One X.
If you already have a custom recovery (ClockworkMod, TWRP etc.) installed on your phone, we strongly recommend a backup using that as it creates a complete image of your existing phone set up.
A few more optional tips that you should remember:
1. Having problems connecting your Android phone to the computer? You need to enable USB debugging mode. See here: How to Enable USB Debugging — for Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean.
2. Make sure your Android device is charged up to 80-85% battery level. This might help you: How to Check Battery Percentage. Why? Because, if your phone goes off suddenly while installing a custom ROM, flashing an official firmware update or installing mods etc. — your phone might get bricked or go dead permanently. No one wants that, right?
4. Most of the tutorials and how-to guides on Team Android are for factory unlocked Android phones and tablets. We recommend NOT to try our guides if your phone is locked to a carrier, unless we have specified the carrier name or device model.
If you find the above tips useful and they were helpful to you, please consider giving us a +1 or LIKE to thank us!
All set and ready? Good. Now, let's proceed with the tutorial on the next page and update Galaxy S3 I9300 to Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean CM10.1 Nightly custom firmware.


text:
Sport Clubs
Sport clubs, under the guidance of Student Organizations and the Department of Recreational Sports, seek to provide a broad-based program of recreational, competitive and instructional sport opportunities. The program is designed to promote participation in a wide variety of sport activities—complimenting the university's intramural, intercollegiate, and wellness programs. Student members administer each sport club.
Experience is not required to join any of the sport clubs listed below. Often, many students that are members of the various clubs have never participated in their respective sport prior to college. Tryouts are held for some of the sport clubs, in most cases, all those trying out will make the club. If none of these clubs interest you, students may always start another sport club.
The competitive sport clubs compete against other regional and national colleges including UT-Austin, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Rice and Baylor. Opponents also include other amateur clubs in the region.
Click on the available links to the right to learn more about each club.
For additional information on a particular club please contact Bonnie Hainline.


text:
This website uses cookies. By navigating around this site you consent to cookies being stored on your machine. Learn more Hide this message from view
Want to see what sunglass brand your favourite celeb is wearing? Check out our celebs in shades to see the very latest trends and styles.
Need to know which style of sunglasses best suit your face shape? Check out our guide to helping you buy the best shape and colour frame for you.
Need to know what goggles your favorite celeb is wearing or do you go for a classic shape that's vibrant and bold? Check out our blog and stay on trend!
Our range of Designer Frames are a must for making the most of your face shape, top quality brands at rock bottom prices. Check out our guide on cutting costs.
Slickster 4185
Frame Material:
Lens Size:
Bridge Size:
Temple Size:
Supplied With:
Arnette sunglasses come with an Arnette retail box, case, cleaning cloth and and information leaflet as pictured
Arnette Slickster 4185 Sunglasses have a flexible grilamid frame on this simple rectangular shape with a raised Arnette logo on the temples.


text:
Apparently your drinking water is not the only substance that could induce a sex change. Endocrine disrupting chemicals, (EDC's) also labeled "gender-benders," have also been found in the air you breathe.
Endocrine disruptors are found in many everyday products, such as detergents, carpets, furniture, electronic equipment, pesticides and building materials. EDC's are more concentrated indoors than outdoors, according to a recent study. These chemicals affect indoor air quality, and long term exposure may cause "adverse health effects."
(Considering that some species of fish exposed to atrazine, a common EDC, have been found with both male and female sex organs – I think "adverse health effects" might be somewhat of an understatement…)
Researchers suggest that concerned people limit their exposure to these compounds by using fewer of the products that contain them. And, of course, we at Filters Fast believe that investing in a high quality, HEPA air purifier couldn't hurt..


text:
Well I love what an irc is, and would enjoy setting one up I can use for me and my friends.
I would like a free one seeing as how it's not like I will be using it for anything serious.
I looked at this one:
I like it because it's 128-bit encrypted. Nice and secure. But I don't know how good the free version is. Was wondering if anyone has used it?
Just any suggestions below


text:
Abundant Water (AW) is a non-profit organization founded by Australian engineer, and AW project manager, Sunny Forsyth. He realized the need for clean drinking water in rural communities in Laos, a developing country, while working as an Australian Government Youth Ambassador in 2007. He sought advice from Dr. Tony Flynn at the Australian National University, whose research demonstrated that clay-pot filters, made from sustainable materials found everywhere, are a low-cost, innovative and effective way to remove over 95 percent of the pathogens found in unsafe drinking water. In August of 2008, Abundant Water was born. Through the website, Sunny generated support for the project and began the process of making clay-pot filters with local potters.
Donations can be made from within or outside of Australia and they go toward training indigenous potters in Laos and elsewhere to make their own clay-pot water filters. Patrons can donate any amount, but the website suggests purchasing a 2011 Abundant Water Calendar (pictured above) for $15. This can provide training for one potter in Laos, and the calendar will serve as a daily reminder of the people your gift will help.
This #charitytuesday, we call attention to Abundant Water – a non-profit organization based in Australia, helping to bring clean drinking water to the people of Laos, through innovative, long-lasting methods.


text:
North America
Latin America
Asia and Australia
Middle East and Africa
Diversity Events
Career Services at Chicago Booth will support you in your job search. Career Services has a strong team of professionals, ready to provide you with coaching, career management tools and programming, and career resources to help you refine your career goals and navigate the recruiting process.
We will help you develop a job search strategy and give you the tools you'll need to go after your career goal. From determining what career path is right for you to positioning yourself in the marketplace, as well as learning how to manage the interview process and handle job offer negotiations, our assistance and training will support you as you start your new professional life.
Research is key to a successful job search. You'll want to know about a particular industry, salary ranges, what a specific job involves, the latest company news, and more. Chicago Booth has several ways to ensure that you'll have all the information you'll need to achieve your career goals.
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business |
University of Chicago |
Privacy Notice


text:
In this, the second of our two-part series on strategies for advisors and their clients to replace their current fixed-income exposure (see part one here), we'll focus on what to look for in an alternative mutual fund or ETF and the use of scenario testing.
So we're mostly in agreement that interest rates will head higher. Whether they come a lot sooner or a little bit later, these rising rates have the potential to destabilize asset allocation models. We can also agree that advisors, unlike their counterparts of years past, have options beyond quality and duration to help manage their way through the coming fixed income challenge.
As discussed in part one, the good news is that investments in categories like High Yield, Floating Rate Loans, Emerging Market Debt, and Dividend Paying Equities can help fill the fixed income space in an asset allocation model. The better news is, we believe there's more.
Enter the Alts
Indeed, beyond what would be considered more 'traditional' approaches, today's investment professionals have access to the rapidly-expanding alternative (or non-traditional) fixed-income space. Broadly speaking, these are fixed income strategies designed to provide just what asset allocators are, or will be, looking for: Uncorrelated returns and lower volatility.
And just how do these strategies perform this kind of magic in a rising interest market? The easy answer is these not-so-easy approaches rely on high active management discretion that is not restricted to any investment style. This space consists of managers who have the ability to buy bonds, decrease duration, short bonds, buy derivatives or go to cash if need be to protect capital. Many utilize leverage. These are classic go-anywhere approaches, in other words, and they are the epitome of short-term, dynamic trading strategies.
Figure 1: Alternative Bond and Hedging Strategies Overview
Well-run funds and strategies, including certain merger-arbitrage and market neutral offerings, can limit interest rate risk by maintaining shorter durations and add alpha through diversification across a broader opportunity set, all with relatively low correlation to bonds and equities. Moreover, these low volatility, low duration strategies can act as a portfolio stabilizer—the same role core bond allocations have played for the last thirty years—in a rising-rate environment.
It's also important to note that alternative strategies, with their flexibility around trade structure and investment horizon, can still provide an attractive yield in the form of short-term capital gains. That's not the same as a bond coupon—there's no guarantee and returns will vary over time—but alternative strategies can produce compelling yields with less sensitivity to interest-rate volatility.
What to Look For in an Alternative Offering
Not too surprisingly, the same complexity that provides these strategies with such alpha opportunity also increases the due diligence requirements. Even more, most alternative fixed income strategies have very short track records and their selection requires developing confidence in the manager. Determining how a manager with broad flexibility has added value through active sector allocation across the fixed income spectrum is critical.
In an ideal world, multiple historical market inflection points can be evaluated in order to see what portfolio shifts the manager made in order to add value. But since most of these funds have very limited track records, it's important to look for other possible data. This can include separate accounts or limited partnerships the manager has been running with the same mandate, other similar funds the manager has run or it may simply be simulated back tests. Ultimately, it's important to develop confidence that the manager is able to navigate shifting market environments.
Portfolio Construction Considerations
In the meantime, rates are so low now that any upward push could potentially have an outsized, negative impact on bond values. If bond values fall precipitously, the so-called 'safe, non-volatile' element of the traditional 60/40 portfolio could be neither secure nor stable. That's why we believe that a portion of the investment grade bonds should be replaced with alternatives. But how big a portion?
As we argued in the first post on this topic, nothing can perfectly replace Fixed Income in an asset allocation model without some kind of interest rate risk. In other words, there is no 'Magic Bullet.' However, there is Modern Portfolio Theory and we can consider correlations and volatility when adding bond replacements. For starters, a 60% Equity/40% Fixed Income allocation might be updated to include 10% Fixed Income Alts in the bond space. Or 10% of Equities could be allocated to strategies that have higher volatility, like High Yield.
In any case, scenario testing like Historical Simulations and Monte Carlo Simulations should be implemented to better understand how the changes might affect the portfolios in different environments.
So to Conclude: What Is a Fixed Income Investor to Do?
If it's true that interest rates are set to increase from their historically low levels, then the fixed income component that has served asset allocation models so well for the last three decades is at risk. In this environment, alternative strategies, with their ability to tactically change their fixed income exposure and actively hedge interest rates, can serve as a valuable complement to a fixed income allocation.
Beyond helping to improve returns, alts—like core bonds over history—may help to stabilize portfolio values during periods of heightened volatility. They also offer attractive, if varying, yields that are not as correlated with moves in interest rates. It will take effort to find a blend that best serves any asset allocation model, but finding the right combination promises to be well worth the effort.
Author's disclaimer: For investment professional use only. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The opinions expressed herein reflect our judgment as of the date of writing and are subject to change at any time without notice. They are not intended to constitute legal, tax, securities or investment advice or a recommended course of action in any given situation. Investment decisions should always be made based on the investor's specific financial needs and objectives, goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Information obtained from third party resources are believed to be reliable but not guaranteed. Any mention of a specific security is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or advice regarding the specific security mentioned. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or guarantee protection against losses.