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Every now and then investors transfer their securities accounts from one broker-dealer to another. While the transfer process usually runs smoothly for most of the thousands of accounts transferred every year, delays occasionally occur.
Here are answers to five questions that'll help you better understand brokerage account transfers.
1. How are accounts transferred between broker-dealers?
Most transfers these days are automated. Broker-dealers transfer customer accounts through the Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS), operated by the National Securities Clearing Corporation. Securities accounts that hold the most common assets, such as cash, stocks and bonds of domestic companies and listed options, are easily transferable through ACATS.
2. How does a customer begin the transfer of an account?
To initiate the transfer process, you must complete a Transfer Initiation Form (TIF) and send it to the brokerage firm where you want to transfer your account. This new firm, called the receiving firm, can provide you with this form. Once the receiving firm gets the TIF, it starts the transfer process by getting in touch with your current broker-dealer, known as the delivering firm, via ACATS.
3. What's involved in the account transfer process?
Although automated, the transfer process is somewhat complicated, and certain protocols and regulations must be followed. Once the receiving firm obtains the TIF, it enters certain customer information into ACATS, including the name on the account, Social Security number and account number at the delivering firm. Shortly thereafter, ACATS automatically lets the delivering firm see that a request to transfer the account has been made. The delivering firm has one day to validate the transfer request.
In order to prevent the unauthorized transfer of an account, delivering firms will reject any transfer request that contains certain data provided by the receiving firm that doesn't match the information in the delivering firm's records — for example, the customer's name or Social Security number. If the account request is rejected, the new firm may correct the customer data or contact the customer to make sure the information on the TIF form is correct.
Once the customer account information matches, the transfer request is considered to be validated. The delivering firm then has three business days to transfer the account. This is known as the delivery process. In total, the validation and delivery process generally takes about a week to complete. After the transfer request is validated, the delivering firm sends a list of assets in the account to the receiving firm via ACATS. The receiving firm then reviews the list to decide whether to accept the transfer of the account. Investors should remember that broker-dealers are not required to open or accept the transfer of an account, or every asset in the account.
The credit policy of new firms is the most common reason they reject the transfer of an account. For example, the new firm may decline an account because of the quality of the securities supporting a margin loan or the account doesn't meet its minimum equity requirements.
4. How long does it realistically take to transfer an account?
Many actions occur simultaneously when a securities account is transferred. Even with today's technology, a successful transfer from a customer's former firm to a new firm usually takes about a week to complete. But certain situations may result in additional time needed to transfer an account. If the delivering entity is not a broker-dealer, such as a bank, credit union or mutual fund, then a transfer likely will take more time. Also, transfers that require a custodian, like an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or a custodial account for a minor child, might take longer to process.
5. How can a customer ensure that the account transfer is successful?
For starters, it's always a good idea to review the account transfer process with the new firm before you consider moving your account. Make sure the new firm is a good fit for your account. Find out if there are any specific policies or constraints at the new firm that might affect the transfer of your account. For example, if you have a margin account, ask the new firm if it will accept it, and if so what are the minimum margin requirements.
If you buy and sell securities during the account transfer process, this often complicates and delays the transfer. Some firms will even freeze an account that is in the process of being transferred. This means that no trades will be permitted until the transfer is completed. It's important to discuss the trading procedures with your current and new firms before initiating a transfer.
It's best to avoid any trades while your account is being transferred. If you hold any volatile stocks that concern you during the transfer process, you might consider selling them before you request a transfer.
FINRA is the largest independent regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States. Its chief role is to protect investors by maintaining the fairness of the U.S. capital markets.


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8-21-10 PNC Park
There was some rain in the forecast for today, so the Pirates started BP a bit earlier than usual. The gates opened at 4:30, and the first group had already finished by that time. Therefore, we missed out on Chris Synder, Andrew McCutchen and Ryan Doumit.
My first ball came off the bat of Andy LaRoche. Nick Pelescak and I converged, and in an attempt for the ball, I lost my balance and began to fall forward, but caught myself by bashing the back of my lower leg on the bleacher. It hurt, but I was able to make the catch.
Daniel McCutchen, aware of the Ballhawk League asked, 'How many points was that one…" "Do you get extra if you draw blood?"
In the meantime, I had noticed a ball on the field, directly against the two foot high fence in foul territory in front of the handicapped seats:
On my way over, I found ball #2 laying in the aisle, and then made my way over to pick up ball #3 off of the track.
Ball #4 was also hit by Andy LaRoche. He hit a foul ball into the seats down the left field, line.
Game: 5 balls ( 2 hit, 1 device, 2 found )
Season: 469 balls (236 hit, 101 thrown, 63 device, 64 found)
Games: 72 games
Average: 6.51 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career: 1,048 balls
Streak: 168 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 28,759
Balls in the month of August: 119 (20 needed to break 1 month record)
Balls needed to break single season record: 74

subset: commoncrawl


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Solvar Jewelry Sterling Silver Celtic Knot Ring With Claddagh $44.95
This sterling silver Celtic knot ring with Claddagh front combines both the knot and Claddagh. It is made by Solvar, Dublin, Ireland.
The story of the Claddagh goes back to the 1600s when the first ring was made in Claddagh on the edge of Galway City. By tradition it is taken to signify the wish that love and friendship should reign supreme. Two hands cradling a crowned heart: The Heart for Love, the Hands for Friendship, the Crown for Loyalty.
Celtic knot-work embodies a richness and pureness of ancient Celtic times. It dates back as far as the 5th century and was used extensively by the ancient monks to illuminate the world famous Book of Kells manuscripts. The interlaced unbroken lines symbolize ones spiritual growth, eternal life and never ending love having no beginning and no end. Each twist and turn has its individual magical and mystic qualities.
This ring is available in size 4-10, including half sizes. Our website is live so if we don't have your size in stock it won't appear. If you wish to order a size that doesn't appear on the list please email email@example.com or call 651-222-5151.


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Little by little, we are spiraling into a place where being tacky, rude, immoral, unethical or stupid is often rewarded with a reality show, book or movie deal.
Little by little, we are spiraling into a place where being tacky, rude, immoral, unethical or stupid is often rewarded with a reality show, book or movie deal.
TV moguls have created a genre that seems to be a bottomless pit. Nothing is prohibitive or sensitive. In fact, crude and rude seem to be in vogue.
Currently you can watch "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," a show predicated on a group of uber-entitled women, one of whom recently declared bankruptcy. It seems Teresa Giudice and husband Joe's spending sprees have left them owing $10.5 million to creditors. However, their lawyers' ability to finagle their case allows them to keep any new income they make, which will then make it possible for Teresa to continue to shop 'til she drops.
If you want a teenage version, you have only to turn on "Jersey Shore." This group takes gauche to an all-time high. Snooki, who seems to get the most press attention, is about to launch a clothing line called Filthy Couture. Now there's something I can't wait to buy. I wonder if the label recommends taking a bath afterward.
Have a need to watch a couple with bad manners? Well, you just got your wish. The Salahis, who crashed a White House dinner party, are set to have their own show. I wonder what the premise will be? Will they simply spend their nights going to parties they weren't invited to, while viewers watch the host and hostess looking shocked?
If none of the above sounds enticing, then I suggest you watch Eliot Spitzer, the former governor of New York who was caught transporting a hooker across state lines, in his new CNN talk show. It seems CNN's ratings have gone down, so why not? In fact, not only can you watch Spitzer, you also can also read Ashley Dupre's column in the New York Post called "Meet Market." It was Dupre who bedded Spitzer, and I guess her expertise is such that she gets to write once a week about sex, love and relationships.
If you're a psychologist, you might want to trade your shingle for a set of sheets. In fact, being refined, tasteful and educated is probably not going to cut it. If you want to have a reality show, you're going to have to get down in the dirt and scratch with the chickens.
Author, humorist, PBS star and Fortune 500 trainer Loretta LaRoche lives in Plymouth, Mass. To share your pet peeves, questions or comments, write to The Humor Potential, 50 Court St., Plymouth 02360, send e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com, visit the Web site at www.stressed.com, or call toll-free 800-99-TADAH (82324).


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i'm an original movie reviewer on youtube dot com.
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Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
Link to the PDF: http://www.copyright.gov/title17/circ92.pdf


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The Art Matchmaker
Berlin wants to be a major art player and its promotion to the world league is assured by the Gallery Weekend and Art Berlin Contemporary events – and Director Maike Cruse
Maike Cruse is perplexed – a rare occurrence. As Director of the art show Art Berlin Contemporary (abc), she has seen many things before now, from black drag queens staging ping-pong performances in occupied buildings to artists presenting their videos on construction sites in the blazing June sunshine, to excited celebrities buzzing around their idol, left-wing U.S. author Susan Sontag, on her 70th birthday – at a party Cruse herself helped to organize at a Berlin gallery. But the sight she's confronted with right now seems questionable to her. Where yesterday there was art to be seen in the windows of Galerie Klosterfelde, now there's a display of beach gear better suited to a provincial department store: deck chairs, beach towels, beach balls, and a mannequin in shorts. So far, she's heard nothing about this exhibition.
So Cruse decides to investigate and bursts into the shop on Potsdamer Straße to ask what the all-but-naked figure is doing in the window. Quick answer: The gallery has been redecorated for a film shoot, that's all. Cruse rarely misses anything that's happening on the Berlin art market. Over the past five years, the 41-year-old has become one of the key figures on the art scene here. She connects the artists of the German capital with the growing art market. She began her career 15 years ago at the famous Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art on Auguststraße, where she was mostly in contact with the artists. Then she began collaborating with gallerists while working for the world's most important art event, Art Basel. For the past four years, she has presided over Berlin's annual art highlights, Gallery Weekend, which takes place in May, and the abc art berlin contemporary event in September – and made such a good job of it that the international art market portal Artnet voted her one of the most influential women in the European art world.
Both events draw thousands of collectors, artists and groupies to the city on the Spree River. For Gallery Weekend, local galleries stage their best exhibitions, and at abc, international galleries present the works of promising new artists. At the art fair, sculptors, painters and performance artists emerge for the first time from off-scene darkness into the spotlight of the art stage – and some of them later become the darlings of the public. "Berlin has the most interesting gallery scene in the world," Cruse claims. She explains why: the presence of galleries second only to those of New York at international art events; low rents – compared with London, Paris and Zurich; the promise of freedom, "that sense of being able to be a part of creating something." These all attract artists to Berlin. Cruse recalls the summer of 2008, when for three months she co-curated a project space in Kreuzberg, the Forgotten Bar Project, which showed a different exhibition every night – without ever having an official license. "We had 1500 people attend the last night. The street was blocked and the police drove by at walking pace, but that was it. Friends from New York couldn't believe it. They said, 'If you did that over here, you'd be locked up after two hours.'"
Berlin has the most interesting gallery scene in the world
Cruse is now sitting in her office on Potsdamer Straße. On the first floor, there's a Turkish import-export store on the left that sells anything im- or exportable, from carpets to food, and on the right, a trendy restaurant that cooks lunch for hungry creatives. Above it, on the second floor, the abc flag is flying outside large casement windows. Cruse talks about the Kreuzberg guerilla event in a tone of astonishment, as though she did not rightly understand how it could have happened herself. And she's also a little amazed that she now holds this responsible post and gets to decide – along with a team – who may show something at the fair and who may not. Cruse is genuinely inquisitive. Anyone who has ever seen her suddenly forget all of her important appointments at Gallery Weekend because she's deep in conversation with a visitor, talking about his job, sincerely asking him "What's next up?" will understand that this is no routine job for her, but a pleasurable journey around the world with unforeseeable stop-offs along the way.
The everything-is-possible promise was what tempted Cruse into the art world in her teenage days. She grew up in Bielefeld surrounded by a cultured family. Her father, a biologist, was a member of the local art club, and on the weekends the family would head to museums to see the like of Picasso and Lichtenstein. Her grandmother encouraged her interest in classical modernism because although, as a young woman, she had studied art herself, she had never been allowed to become an artist. In the early 1990s, he uncle bought a Joseph Beuys piece, a small plastic bag with a greasy corner: "I remember the family wondering whether that was idiotic or interesting," says Cruse. "The plain fact that we spent so long discussing it brought me closer to art."
She realized that art offered an opportunity to comment on the world in a different way than science and politics. It was that insight that set the young woman from Bielefeld heading for Berlin, initially as a visitor in the 1990s, when she discovered Berlin-Mitte, a place she saw as a great adventure playground. "I wandered through back yards with friends who were squatting in buildings there. We climbed onto the roofs. Punks living on Auguststraße had brought their bathtubs out onto the street, put flowering plants in them and turned it into a kind of front garden." These images stayed with here while she continued her art studies in London. Although she attended every exhibition of the then popular Young British Artists, the likes of the Chapman Brothers and Angela Bulloch, she never had the feeling that she could become a part of that scene. The art world there was more elitist and self-contained.
I often find myself in otherwise all-male groups, having to assert my position
Back in the German capital, where she was astonished by the sudden density of galleries, things moved much faster. After a fairly informal job interview that lasted all of two questions ("Do you speak English" and "Do you have a degree?"), she began as an intern with Kunst-Werke. Klaus Biesenbach, a self-made art agent, had turned a virtually derelict margarine factory into a glittering institution of contemporary art. From him, she learned how to put exhibitions together and gain and retain people's loyalty. At Kunst-Werke, there was a strict and welcome policy of everyone being able to do everything. "We could all be sitting in a room on the first floor, say, and when a visitor came in, one of us would go over and play host while the others discussed the next exhibition and I talked on the phone with a journalist." Cruse stayed there for seven years, but then Art Basel offered her a job as head of communications. Moving there in 2008, she realized she might now be working for "the other side," for the market. But director Marc Spiegler explained his belief that galleries are the driving force behind a healthy art market – and convinced her of his mission.
Cruse has no fear of major changes, or of skeptical men in suits, for that matter, be they sponsors or politicians. "I often find myself in otherwise all-male groups, having to assert my position. I just try to speak as loudly as they do and to find the better arguments." It's easy to imagine her voice giving powerful backing to any chorus of soccer fans or getting the best offer for her gallerists. She regards them as "hers" because she really cares about those crazy people who spend years giving encouragement and support to their artists, and in times of crisis helping them back onto their feet. "Gallerists are the greatest idealists in the art world," she says, "a one-man show that only with a little luck will ultimately make money."
Maike Cruse and her partner have two small children; the younger daughter was born last summer. In her calendar, children's birthdays are marked alongside meals with sponsors. When she gave the abc dinner last year, her mother sat in an anteroom and rang through whenever the baby wanted milk. "My parents spent days pushing the baby carriage around after me at the show." Cruse is now flying down the stairs on her way out onto Potsdamer Straße. As she herself says, she has matured over the years in the art world, "even if I do still sometimes like to party."
At the Esther Schipper gallery, not far from her office, Cruse admires the work of Argentinean artist Tomás Saraceno, finely spun cobwebs inside small glass cubes. In Berlin, you're not faced with a dogmatic decision between late-night bar or upmarket restaurant. "I'm just as happy going to Möbel Olfe in Kreuzberg as I am to the Grill Royal in Mitte." Ultimately, both the alternative gay bar and the literary steakhouse deliver on the same promise, says Cruse, "Things can get crazy in both." A good basis for art.
This story first appeared in the October issue of Lufthansa Exclusive, the frequent traveller magazine. For more information about Lufthansa Miles & More offers, please click here.


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The Images Festival is the largest festival in North America for experimental and independent moving image culture, showcasing the innovative edge of international contemporary media art both on and off the screen.
The 24th annual Images Festival takes place in Toronto from March 31 – April 9, 2011
As an Images Festival volunteer you will be rewarded with a festival t-shirt plus free access to festival events (screenings, installations, live events, talks and parties). It is a great opportunity to be involved with a vibrant art scene, see a film festival operate from the inside and help out a dynamic organization.
Volunteer Orientation Sessions & Sign-Up:
Tuesday March 15, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Saturday March 26, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
VTape, Suite 452, 401 Richmond St W (near Spadina & Queen St W)
Fill out the volunteer form at www.imagesfestival.com or email email@example.com.


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Actively managed exchange-traded funds occupy only a tiny corner of the now-vast ETF world. Though small in number, they have been mighty in grabbing attention. So far, though, actively managed ETFs have not lived up to their hype as financial services' Big New Thing.
"The space has been long on smoke and short on fire. It's just a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things. Many were expecting the success of PIMCO's Total Return ETF (BOND) to be the catalyst, but that hasn't happened. It's tough to tell what it will take for the space to really take off, if it does at all. But no singular item will move the needle," says Ben Johnson, director of passive fund research, Morningstar, in Chicago.
Totaling assets of $14,427,770,639, actively managed ETFs represent less than 1% (0.94%) of the big ETF $1,534,310,188,007 market, as of July 31, 2013, according to Morningstar. Of the 1,497 ETFs available, only 321 are actively managed. Further, about two-thirds of actively managed ETF assets are in only one ETF: PIMCO's BOND.
Providers of actively managed, however, are out there pitching.
They stress that in their first five years, actively managed ETFs—which debuted in 2008—have grown faster in number and assets under management than did index-based ETFs in their initial five years. The first ETF came on the scene in 1993. Actively managed ETFs saw a 78.96% increase in AUM from July 2012 through July 2013.
"Now financial advisors can run a portfolio just like institutional investors do. The process of hiring and firing managers is now as simple as a ticker symbol and a brokerage trade," says Noah Hamman, CEO of AdvisorShares, an issuer of actively managed ETFs only and based in Bethesda, Md.
Clearly, the key to success in actively managed ETFs lies with the manager. "The fact that a fund is actively managed isn't a panacea in itself. The manager needs to be skilled and add value, and the approach has to make sense. Advisors need to understand where the advantages are," says Ryan Issakainen, senior vice president and ETF strategist at First Trust Advisors, headquartered in Wheaton, Ill., offering five actively managed funds of a total 72 ETFs.
It's no secret that index ETFs increasingly have been taking big bites out of the traditional mutual fund market. It is this space that is most vulnerable to the power of actively managed, providers say.
"If you push away the 401(k) market and the insurance base, there are probably $6 trillion of taxable mutual fund assets out there, of which about 60% are no-load. That," Hamman says, "is the opportunity in the marketplace for actively managed ETFs."
Right now, most of the action is in bond funds as opposed to equities. As for the buyers: "People investing in actively managed tend to be small investors, and they're not very many of them," says Gary Gastineau, president of ETF Consultants, based in Bonita Springs, Fla., and author of The Exchange-Traded Fund Manual (Wiley Finance, second edition 2010).
So far, the advisors most attracted to actively managed are fee-based versus commission-based, and that trend is expected to continue.
It may be that many FAs shy away from actively managed ETFs because they feel ill-equipped to invest in them. A research study by Cerulli Associates, released in July, shows that FAs are notably hazy on ETF liquidity and how the funds are traded.
Yet, according to a Cogent Research report released this past July, "For the first time ever, advisors say they are as likely to invest new dollars in ETFs as they are to invest in mutual funds."
Seeking Winners
When it comes to actively managed, Step One is to determine if the asset class under consideration would benefit from the active approach. Certain asset classes have inherent "peculiarities" in indexing that active management might overcome, says Issakainen.
"Determine where there are flaws in the index-based approach and a solution through active management," Issakainen continues. As an example, he points to the below-investment-grade credit space. Index-based investing weights a portfolio to the largest issues of debt. "That fails the common sense test."
Step Two is to research managers' strategies and records of risks and returns.
"You don't want to own an actively managed ETF just because it's actively managed," Issakainen says. "You still have to have a manager with a track record that he's developed over three to five years."
Providers emphasize active management's goal to outperform the indexes and managers' risk-management capabilities.
"Now, for the first time, advisors can transition more of their clients' assets into a product that has an alpha-seeking investment objective but with the flexibility and transparency that index-based ETFs have," Hamman says.
With interest rates rising, risk management has become more important than ever. But "it's not just interest rate risk but also credit risk and the risk of certain industries and geographies," Issakainen points out. "An active manager can mitigate those risks. In most instances, with an index-based approach, you don't have that flexibility."
Though a number of firms have filed with the SEC for permission to offer actively managed ETFS, few have launched them. Part of the reason is the lengthy approval process. Another side is that "all the actively managed mutual fund companies have filed because they want to be there should they be forced into the ETF space if they're suddenly unable to compete outside ETFs," Issakainen says.
Also, "the reason we see so many filings but few actively managed mutual fund companies jumping in with two feet is that, in many cases, if they get into the ETF space, they're going to have to cut their fees. So some of the larger fund companies hesitate because they can charge more with an open-end-fund chassis as the vehicle that's delivering their management," Issakainen says.
In addition, firms are filing to introduce actively managed short-duration fixed-income ETFs as an option to protect them against "unfavorable regulation that may come about pertaining to money market mutual funds," according to Johnson.
Actively managed ETFs are not—yet—pulling assets away from mutual funds, with the exception of PIMCO, which in 2012 unveiled an actively managed ETF version of its open-end mutual fund, the biggest fund on the market. According to Issakainen, BOND has in fact outperformed its elder brother.
Notes Johnson: "BOND's success was almost a mathematical inevitability. It was the younger ETF sibling of the world's largest mutual fund, managed by star manager Bill Gross. So I'm skeptical that most firms can replicate the type of success PIMCO has seen in the actively managed space to date."
Johnson continues. "But just by changing the distribution mechanism, PIMCO has done investors a great service: The 'A' share of the Total Return mutual fund has a [3.75%] front-end load; the ETF can be bought in amounts as low as a single share, and there is no load. Also, the expense ratio on the ETF is nearly half that of the 'A' share."
Joint Approach
There are indeed advantages to the actively managed ETF over both the open-end mutual fund and the index-based ETF. But Hamman recommends using index and actively managed ETFs simultaneously in portfolios.
"You have to keep a balance," Hamman says. "Advisors would be smart to use index-based strategies right alongside active, or alpha-seeking, strategies. Active managers have a tendency to shine in an area where there is less availability of information: small-cap stocks, for example. A manager really has to kick the tires on a company and do a lot of due diligence. Also, the fixed-income marketplace has no centralized exchange. So you need to do your due diligence on bonds too."
Hamman even recommends investing in both index-based and actively managed ETFs in the same market sector. "Sometimes indexes are outperforming; sometimes the active managers are shining. Getting your clients exposure to both gives them the best opportunity."
Looking ahead, actively managed is expected to continue to outpace index ETFs in asset growth and, over time, become more significant.
"A lot of money now in actively managed mutual funds will move into actively managed ETFs—you'll see a great deal of conversion," Gastineau says. "Actively managed will surpass index ETFs in [the amount] of assets invested in them."
Further, Hamman sees opportunities in the large-cap space with a "hybrid" index-based approach using "enhanced" index ETFs, which he defines as "passive index ETFs that track more active indexes."
Actively managed hasn't taken the market by storm; nor is it now expected to. Use will be gradual.
Still, Johnson predicts a day when "the ETF is agnostic to what it's delivering to end investors—exposure to the S&P 500 index or, for example, to Bill Gross's strategy—and is just a distribution mechanism. That's the potential upside. Managers using ETFs to deliver their strategy in a lower cost manner to investors has a lot of promise."
Debating Values
Trading actively managed ETFs based on net asset value is the way to go, according to Gary Gastineau, president of ETF Consultants and formerly director of product development at the American Stock Exchange.
Gastineau's concept for NAV-based trading, in which ETFs are non-transparent, was acquired by Eaton Vance in 2010; and it is the first firm to file with the SEC for permission to offer these "Exchange-Traded Managed Funds," Gastineau says. He expects ETMFs to be on the market in about a year.
"You have to trade ETFs so that the exact contents of the portfolio is not known and doesn't create a problem for market makers," Gastineau notes.
His reasoning: "You have no idea what the value of an index ETF is at the time you're trading it; so you could be paying a lot more than you realized. With NAV-based trading, you know that you're buying with some relationship to net asset value, and you can calculate it to the nearest fraction of a penny per share."
Other ETF experts are skeptical.
Non-transparency is unimportant, says Noah Hamman, CEO of AdvisorShares. "I've never seen one research appear that says a non-transparent manager outperforms a transparent manager. I've seen no proof that non-transparency provides more alpha."
When it comes to small-cap stocks, Gastineau contends, "with something that takes longer than a single day to make changes in your portfolio, the cost of transitioning will be very painful—and [with transparent ETFs] you're showing the world that you're selling XYZ and buying ABC and will do more of that for the next few days."
ETF NAV-based trading is philosophically a step backward, in Hamman's view. "I'm nervous about how efficiently they'll trade. It feels like non-transparency is far more about the portfolio manager than the investor whose money they're managing."
Morningstar's Ben Johnson, director of passive fund research, isn't entirely sold on the idea of non-transparency. "It would seem to make an orderly market difficult if market makers can't have a sense of what's actually in the underlying portfolio in real time."
Acknowledging that non-transparent actively managed ETFs could be advantageous with certain asset classes, Ryan Issakainen, senior vice president-ETF strategist at First Trust Advisors, nevertheless, says: "The fact that we have to disclose our holdings in our actively managed funds hasn't been a detriment. The investing public doesn't necessarily know what you're going to do before you do it. They find out after you've already done it."
Gastineau's enthusiasm is undeterred. He says: Once the ETMF is available, "you're going to see an awful lot of people lined up to use it." —JWR


text:
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Heart Stamps
56 comments:
Oh, I love this! Simon is just 19 months, and this would be perfect for him. We just made some footprint dump truck Valentines, but I had to have my older daughter help me finishing decorating those.ReplyDelete
What a cute idea--very resourceful!ReplyDelete
PS. We tried this today, and Simon was way more interested in spreading paint everywhere than trying to stamp hearts. Oh well- he had fun!ReplyDelete
Oh, I love this! So simple and what fun! I can't wait for our daughter to try this.ReplyDelete
AWESOME ideas. Both of them (last V Day too)! I'm going to try them for both my boys (ages 6m and 2 yrs!) Thanks! Found this on Pinterest!ReplyDelete
found you on pinterest. i love this project. super cute.ReplyDelete
Love your ideas Michelle!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 30, 2012 at 9:17 AM
Love this and will be sharing pics of my kids doing it one of these days over at www.raisingnaturalkids.com! DawnReplyDelete
It's a really great idea! I'll try it with my boy! ThanksReplyDelete
Such a cute idea! Not sure if my 15-month old will be into it, but I might give it a whirl anyway. I'll post on my blog if I do!ReplyDelete
Ok, I got so excited about this that we did it today. Thanks again for the inspiration, my little guy had a lot of fun!ReplyDelete
Thanks so much for the adorable idea! I featured it on my blog: http://www.organizinghomelife.com/archives/1998ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 4, 2012 at 8:04 PM
Found this on pinterest. I'm a preschool teacher and I LOVE thid idea:-)ReplyDelete
Such a great idea! My little girl would love this.ReplyDelete
I'd love for you to link up and share: http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/2012/02/pinteresting-party-week-25.html
Great idea!! I will definitely have to try it out:)ReplyDelete
We used your idea but used glue and glitter instead! Wonderful easy craft!ReplyDelete
Just did this with my 2 1/2 year old little guy. He loved it! Perfect for his first "official" art project, thank you!!!!ReplyDelete
We saw this on pinterest and loved the idea for our 20-month-old. I blogged about it here: http://montessoristory.blogspot.com/2012/02/valentines-day-heart-stamping.htmlReplyDelete
Thanks for the great idea!
I did this yesterday with my 18month old. It was so fun!!! Thanks for the idea!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 8, 2012 at 4:09 PM
I did this activity yesterday with my 9 month old and took lots of pics of him stamping to send along with the Valentine. He LOVED it and only ate a few! :) I call that a success!!ReplyDelete
Thanks for the great idea! My girls had a ball and I shared your link on my blog - http://momsecretweapon.com/2012/02/09/valentines-cards/ReplyDelete
Thanks for this idea! I tried it at home with my almost 15 month old and at school with my Kindergarten Art students. I linked back to your post from my blog: http://artteacheradventures.blogspot.com/2012/02/another-jim-dine-post.htmlReplyDelete
Just did this craft with my 22 month old and his 3-yr old friend. It was perfect!!! They loved doing it and I loved how easy it was to get all of our Valentine cards done for tomorrow :)ReplyDelete
This is such a sweet project and your little one just adorable. Happy Valentine's Day! xo KarenReplyDelete
what a clever idea and so effective. thanks for sharingReplyDelete
Thanks for such a fun craft. I just found your blog and am loving it! Happy valentine's day!ReplyDelete
I love this idea!! so simple and I love anything you can recycle! Thanks!!ReplyDelete
Just linked to this here:ReplyDelete
Hi Michelle!ReplyDelete
I came across your blog many weeks ago and love it. You are so creative!! I meant to write sooner and tell you that I made this stamp following your directions and my 17-month-old daughter and I made valentines together. They came out great! I look forward to your posts each day!
Love this!!! Shared link/pin hereReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDelete
Awesome :)ReplyDelete
I am a newest follower..
come & join me for more fun!
Pinned it! Great idea and my children are going to love too! Thank you!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 15, 2012 at 3:54 PM
I'm new to pinterest... how do I pin this? I love the idea!ReplyDelete
There's a "Pin it" button (found here http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/) you can install in your browser to pin stuff from any page, or you can just repin it from here: http://pinterest.com/pin/204421270555895358/ReplyDelete
super cute and so easy! love it!!!ReplyDelete
i love this idea :) thank you so much for sharing! i am going to try this for vday for my LO to make :)ReplyDelete
Hi - just to let you know that I've linked to this post at my blog here: http://craftulate.blogspot.com/2013/01/easy-valentines-crafts-for-toddlers.htmlReplyDelete
Thanks for the great ideas!
I did this with my kids yesterday. Thank you for sharing. I linked to you on my blog,ReplyDelete
We did this this week! What a great idea! I linked to you on my blog http://aztoid.blogspot.com/2013/02/happy-valentines-day.htmlReplyDelete
Hello, I love your blog! Today we are inspired by this post, thanks!ReplyDelete
I'm another one coming over from Pinterest. Me and the 20 months old kid will be making these today to send to the grandparents! What a cute, easy idea!ReplyDelete
It's a really good idea !!!♥ReplyDelete
I see too in pinterest ,it's funny!!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 12, 2014 at 7:07 PM
This would be great for many Special Ed and developmentally delayed kids, too. Thanks so much for posting.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 12, 2014 at 8:49 PM
I tried this with other shapes as well and I think that it is a fantastic activity. It's so easy and fun!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 12, 2014 at 8:50 PM
It's a really easy and fun activity! I think that the children I work with would love it too.ReplyDelete
Did this today - perfect Valentine's craft for my 20-month old. Thanks! :)ReplyDelete
Great idea thanksReplyDelete


text:
Source: Elyse Moody, Aviation Week & Space Technology
Skyrocketing numbers of narrowbody aircraft orders have turned attention to Southeast Asia—and its burgeoning low-cost carriers (LCC), in particular. Twenty-seven percent of the world's narrowbody aircraft—half the global fleet—are operated in the Asia-Pacific region, estimated Lufthansa Technik Philippines in the first quarter of fiscal 2013. More than 37% of the total commercial fleet will soon be based there, many of them in service with low-cost carriers (LCC), it also projects.
Such statistics and the aircraft orders supporting them have brought these LCCs prominence on the global stage. The Wall Street Journal noted in late August that Indonesia's Lion Air was "little known internationally until it surprised the industry last year with record-setting orders." The airline signed commitments for 230 Boeing 737s in February 2012 and for 234 Airbus A320s in March 2013. But Lion Air is hardly the only carrier in the region making notable additions: AirAsia, the world's largest operator of A320s, ordered 100 more in December 2012, on top of the 200 it secured in 2011. And Jetstar Airways, part of the Qantas Group, will have access to its parent company's order for 110 A320s, including 78 A320neos, in addition to the 14 Boeing 787s it expects to receive soon.
Beyond these carriers, Cebu Pacific Air has more than 50 A320-family aircraft on order and TigerAir has signed for 20 A320s.
This run on the order books reflects projected growth in air travel. The Asia-Pacific region stands to see that demand grow 6.4% annually through 2031, according to Bloomberg News projections. Lion Air CEO Rusdi Kirana says in Indonesia specifically he expects a 20% growth in traffic this year.
Those increases in demand and aircraft numbers mean airlines and independent MRO providers alike must figure out how to absorb them. Where will all those aircraft go? As deliveries roll out, maintenance organizations must propose attractive solutions.
As a Singapore Airlines Engineering Co. (Siaec) spokesperson puts it, "The positive outlook for air-traffic demand, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, where the LCC market will continue to grow and fuel the traffic growth, and its buoyant fleet-renewal market, has the attention of most MROs in the region." In other words, a big new fleet is ripe for the capturing.
In the past, total outsourcing was the default mode of doing business for Asia-Pacific's LCCs, especially smaller airlines, but some say that model is being replaced.
"The market has shifted," says Brian Hogan, a principal with XSQ Consulting who worked at Philippines-based Cebu Pacific when it established its first joint venture, Aviation Partnership (Philippines) Corp. for line maintenance, with Siaec. "All these organizations should do their own line maintenance themselves and then make a decision on the C checks or the heavy checks, depending on their critical mass, or whether or not they can make an MRO profitable."
Sticking to the essential core-business approach, some carriers continue to send all of their maintenance to third-party providers. TigerAir, for example, outsources both its line and base maintenance, says Chief Operating Officer Ho Yuen Sang—and he does not anticipate adding in-house capabilities. "Our MRO provider has the capability and capacity to undertake the additional maintenance work for the growing fleet."
But Ho notes that the increased numbers of aircraft operated by TigerAir and its peers certainly will have an impact on the region's MROs. "[The] higher volume of work could translate to higher productivity and lower unit cost of maintenance," he says. This would benefit airlines like his that depend on the total-outsourcing strategy.
Cebu Pacific continues the joint-venture approach that Hogan helped establish. The airline added a second joint venture with Siaec, a base maintenance facility at Clark International Airport in the Philippines, although Cebu Pacific also has partnered with Vaeco in Vietnam for its ATR aircraft; with Haeco in Hong Kong for its A330s; and with General Electric, Rolls-Royce and SR Technics for engine maintenance.
The joint-venture arrangement continues to make sense for the airline, says Chief Executive Adviser Gary Kingshott, because "the scale of Cebu Pacific's maintenance profile requires a large proportion of an MRO's total capacity, and so a joint-venture arrangement with an accredited organization willing to invest remains a viable strategy for Cebu Pacific."
The region's largest LCCs, AirAsia and Jetstar Asia, tackle line maintenance in-house or through shareholding partners. AirAsia has received 127 of the 211 A320s and 264 A320neos it has on order and it has grown accustomed to adding a minimum of 24 new aircraft annually. Performing its own line maintenance is a matter of reputation as well as economy of scale.
"Wherever we go, wherever our new [air operator's certificates]—AirAsia India or AirAsia Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia—we have our own team carry out all of the line maintenance requirements," says group engineering head Anaz Ahmad Tajuddin. "We would rather have that in-house. Then we have full control, because the AirAsia brand is important to us. We need to have full control of the brand, especially in line maintenance, where daily activities more or less interface with the customers."
AirAsia sends the bulk of its base maintenance work to a neighbor, Sepang Aircraft Engineering (SAE), a company part-owned by EADS, but it also patronizes Siaec, Garuda Indonesia and Thai Airways, Tajuddin says.
More than 85% of the carrier's A320s go to SAE for base maintenance, and SAE plans to nearly double its workforce and add new hangars, including ones for A330 maintenance, this year in hopes of drawing more business from its biggest partner.
But Tajuddin emphasizes that flexibility remains vital; he looks for agreements of only 2-3 years. "When you have long-term [contracts], you do not have the ability to go out to the market, especially in the airframe business," in which he says maintenance unit costs may be volatile when man-hours drop.
When asked if AirAsia might consider adding capabilities beyond line maintenance via a partnership or an independent investment, Tajuddin says, "We are actively looking, because our base load with the number of aircraft sometimes justifies our having our own maintenance infrastructure."
Given that AirAsia took delivery of its first aircraft in 2005, landing gear overhauls will soon start to come due in volume. "We have asked ourselves, 'Should we invest in a landing gear shop?'" he says. "We do not have any firm idea yet, but we are actively looking." He notes that he would rather pair up with an independent provider than an airline-affiliated MRO to ensure his fleet has priority.
Jetstar Airways applies a common approved maintenance program across its two main branches, in Australia and New Zealand, as well as its low-cost offshoots in Singapore, Vietnam and Japan. A new affiliate is anticipated to kick off operations soon in Hong Kong, subject to regulatory approval.
In launching Jetstar Japan, which started receiving A320s in April 2012, the group has stuck to that common maintenance philosophy. "Where appropriate, we develop amendments to satisfy local national airworthiness authority regulatory requirements," says Chris Snook, Jetstar executive manager for group engineering. "This allows for common fleet technical management and configuration control across the fleet. It also maximizes our opportunities to apply insights gained from across the organization to improve safety, reliability and direct maintenance costs."
But, like AirAsia, Jetstar considers line-maintenance control particularly important. Jetstar Japan performs its own line maintenance in partnership with Japan Airlines Engineering Co.; along with Mitsubishi Corp. and Century Tokyo Leasing Corp. JAL Engineering conducts A checks for Jetstar Japan at Narita International Airport.
The Hong Kong business will be a joint venture between China Eastern Airlines, Shun Tak Holdings and the Qantas Group. Snook says line maintenance for it will be conducted by its MRO partner in Hong Kong. "Heavy maintenance requirements will be combined with other group activity to leverage economies of scale," he says.
For their part, the region's independent MROs are making plays to accommodate the new work volume, too. The joint venture with Cebu Pacific is only one of 25 that Siaec operates in nine countries, with the aim of offering better cost efficiencies to low-cost carriers, says a Siaec spokesperson. And Lufthansa Technik Philippines recently underwent an organizational restructuring with the aim of capturing more of the Airbus base maintenance work in which it specializes.
Space Jam
Tons of new aircraft and no place to put them? MROs and airlines have been adding maintenance capacity to house new deliveries as work comes due. Perhaps the biggest news is Lion Air's late-August announcement of its intention to build a $250 million maintenance hub on the Indonesian island of Batam, angled to rival the established MRO hotbed of Singapore. Lion Air CEO Rusdi Kirana has designs for his own airline's Lion Technics MRO arm to handle internal needs as well as those of other carriers only a 45-min. ferry ride from Singapore's busy Changi International Airport (see page MRO14).
The campus reportedly will consist of four hangars, each able to accommodate three narrowbody aircraft at once. Two hangars are set for completion by year-end and the remaining two will follow by next summer. The site would complement a smaller one it is building in Manado, Indonesia, as well as its existing facilities at Surabaya.
Partners Cebu Pacific and Siaec are completing a long-planned second hangar at their maintenance campus at the former Clark AFB in the Philippines, which will be able to house aircraft as large as the Boeing 777. And while maintenance activity in Australia tends to be cost-prohibitive, Jetstar is leasing a widebody hangar at Melbourne Airport to undertake Boeing 787 and A320/A321 line maintenance, including A checks and triage, Snook says. About 35 technical and support staff initially will be employed there, he adds.
But new investments seem likely. "It's not going to be easy for the market to absorb a thousand planes in the next 10 years," says XSQ Consulting's Hogan. He points to the possibility of new hangars being built by either independent investors or joint ventures in underdeveloped regions such as Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia—or even Myanmar, Bangladesh and Vietnam. He notes that this growth will be extended once China opens up further.
Snook concurs that these countries are "all establishing credible MRO options."
As Hogan puts it, "it's a huge problem, but it's a huge opportunity."


text:
Brian Armstrong brauchte ein neues Website Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 46 Designs von 6 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
UniversityTutor.com is a growing tutoring site with 14,000 tutors all over the world (English speaking countries only).
I'm taking on big companies like Kaplan and Sylvan who keep 50% of what the tutor makes, and instead letting tutors and students find each other directly online. In this sense the site is a bit like 99designs but for tutoring!
I need your help to improve the design of the site, make it more professional, and bring it up to date.
Two categories:
1. Students & Parents
2. Tutors
Students & Parents are looking for help in school.
Tutors are looking to make money with tutoring jobs.
Note: there is a big geographic component to this site because the majority of students need to find a tutor who lives nearby so they can *meet in person*.
Key conversion for students & parents: *contacting a tutor*
Key conversion for tutors: *creating a tutor profile*
Note: students often first see the site from a landing page that comes up in Google (not the homepage).
I'd like you to makeover the site to accomplish two things:
1. give it a professional, clean, web 2.0, fun look
2. improve the usability and stickiness of the site for first time visitors
You *don't* have to use just what's currently on a page and rearrange it. You can start from scratch and say "how should this page look in an ideal world given all the data I know they have on this site".
To get a feel for the site, you can check out some of these pages. You don't have to send PSD's for all of them - see where you think the biggest contribution can be made.
Landing Page
Tutor Profile Page
Map Search Page
I like clean, simple, minimalist, bright, web 2.0 designs. Here are some examples I like:
the Pro themes on http://www.tumblr.com
gmail.com and most Google products
Final delivery should be a Layered PSD file. Thanks!!


text:
Cleaning up my desk this week I found an Obama '08 HOPE button. After a moment's reflection, I threw it in the trash.
Not because Obama lied or betrayed those of us who hope for a more humane world, although he did both.
I recognize that lies and misrepresentations are basic tools of information management in our socially-structured, media-mediated world. We all use them to manage information in pursuit of our interests, and I see no moral utility in categorically condemning lying, disinformation or persuasion. Advertising – commercial lying -- is an accepted, if not altogether honorable, industry in our society. And the effectiveness of our news media and entertainment depend on tweaking what information is used and how it is presented.
However, the political sphere, where scarce resources are allocated, risky and expensive actions like wars or nuclear power plants are undertaken, and where the public good is defined, is another matter. If the use of tools of information management is concealed, if the interests they serve remain undisclosed, or if their use can be bought with money, democracy will be compromised and individual freedom and integrity as well as social cohesion will be threatened. When we lie to one another we betray basic social bonds that make it possible to live together and fairly share risks, resources and rewards.
Obama also betrayed us, albeit with our consent. He – and we – believed he could successfully lead changes we envisioned by managing the machinery of politics and the engines of economics. We – and he – imagined that we are one nation, with common values, goals and purposes. We fancied we had honest media, a shared morality, democratic processes, and an engaged, well-informed and discerning electorate. Oblivious of the pervasiveness and inertia of the scripts of war, evil, racism, religion and vengeance, and the myths of markets and motivations that dominate our language, discourse, news media and entertainment, we expected Obama to just push buttons, pull levers, sweep out trivia, clarify issues and generally crown our good with brotherhood ... undimmed by human tears ... in the land of the free and the home of the brave ...patriot dreams that see beyond the years...
Crown our good with brotherhood?
We've witnessed our neighbors cheering that an uninsured man deserves to die, asserting that teachers are only in it for the money, that God hates fags, that the poor are lazy, and that justice demands the death penalty but forbids abortion in all circumstances.
.... undimmed by human tears?
We keep our poor, homeless, hungry, jobless neighbors and uninsured sick largely invisible and humiliate them to make sure they are ashamed of their tears and get little comfort from the community.
...land of the free?
Our Constitutional rights and civil liberties have been cancelled or abridged with targeted assassinations, with torture, no-fly lists, secret surveillance of our communications, and now, corporate- designed state legislation to limit collective bargaining, suppress voting and gerrymander legislative districts.
...and the home of the brave?
Never Miss a Beat.
Get our best delivered to your inbox.
We're so brave that on 9/11/11 three people with dusky skins were taken off a plane, jailed and strip-searched by men armed with machine guns. We're so brave we used a drone to murder Anwar al-Awlaki, a disaffected American citizen who had no discernible influence in the Arab world, was not charged with any crime, but who spoke insurrection in fluent idiomatic English. We're so brave we cut taxes for the rich and services to the poor.
"...patriot dreams that see beyond the years..." Our politicians' patriot dreams are of staying in office through the exploitation of resource-rich, poverty-ridden, over-populated areas of the world. Our corporations dream patriotically of endless growth, with future profits from fossil fuels, cheap labor in developing countries, and off-shore tax havens.
All our patriot dreams ignore the reality that when resources are plentiful we can have luxuries like "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." We forget that when populations are low we can afford peace, cooperation, equality, empathy, mutual respect and trust, and fail to notice that when too many people are competing for scarce resources – water, food, farmland, fisheries, forests, fossil fuels – we have competition, violence and wars.
But the present challenge is not social, political disintegration, nor even endless, costly wars.
It is our unsustainable mining of fossil carbon while trying for continuing economic growth for the wealthy and unchecked population growth for homo sapiens. We are already beyond repairing the systems that control the temperature of our planet, and are inexorably headed toward disintegration.
I threw away the Obama button because I've lost hope. It's too late: our present structures, beliefs and habits are driving us toward extinction. Our information structures and media based on lies and misrepresentations have left us cynical, mistrustful and divided. Our beliefs in various magics – markets, powerful leaders, high-tech wizardry – have made us arrogant, and our assumptions of moral, rational and logical superiority have powered our imperialistic wars and meddling in the affairs of other peoples. Our habits of blaming or devaluing others allow us to scorn and punish those we deem worthless and deny them life, liberty and justice, education, healthy environment, equality of opportunity.
When I wrote about these issues six years ago ("Failed Democracy's Challenges Continue" CommonDreams.org July 31, 2005 http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0731-20.htm ) I concluded that although I doubted humans were clever enough to manage our own cleverness, I still hoped that ordinary people might rise up courageously and make a difference.
Today I have a slim hope that the #occupy movement, or local efforts at sustainable communities might enable us to manage our future.
But I'm not wearing any buttons.


text:
Whether you're a first time buyer or looking at ways of expanding your investment portfolio, our LJ Hooker mortgage brokers tailor their advice and recommendations to your needs, helping find the right product for you. Home loans, bridging loans, construction loans and lines of credit.
When you meet with us to discuss your financing options, we can complete your application to issue an indicative, or pre-approval, subject to meeting all requirements. Our main focus is to provide you with a better home loan and make the application process a simple and satisfying experience.
So, take the stress out of property finance and call 0800 79 0000.


text:
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Yo Quiero Agua
How oppressive? There's no point in showering, because it does no good at all against the endless sweating.
It's likely that Alex Capretta, who scored 23 goals and added 11 assists during his recently completed senior season, never once sweated as badly as a Princeton lacrosse player as he did Monday afternoon on a field in Samara, Costa Rica, simply by getting off the mini-bus.
The humidity wasn't lost on the local children, even though they live with it full-time.
TigerBlog was holding a bottle of water, one that was about one-third gone, when a pair of young Costa Rican eyes looked up at him, from inside an oversized Princeton lacrosse helmet, and muttered in Spanish, barely audible:
"Yo quiero agua."
TB isn't sure if that means "I want water" or "I need water."
He did understand that the boy was really, really thirsty, so TB gave him his bottle.
Which the young boy promptly chugged.
The language barrier was not an issue on this field for these two hours. Here were children, holding lacrosse sticks, and there were American Ivy League college lacrosse players, waiting to play with the kids.
It was quite a scene, right from the second the Tigers stepped off their mini-buses.
It started with bags opened up to the children, who put on Princeton helmets, gloves, pads and all. After that, it was a few minutes of stretching, a few more minutes of drills and finally a game among the kids, followed by a 15-minute exhibition intrasquad Princeton game.
The kids couldn't have been more appreciative.
Princeton head coach Chris Bates had one command for his players when they stepped on the field: Make sure no child is left alone.
He didn't have to worry. Each kid was throwing, catching, playing goalie (with tennis balls), running around being chased by three Princeton players.
It was a great scene, and it was such an important moment of this trip. It came on a day that began with bicycling, jogging on the beach, jumping into the Pacific Ocean on a pristine beach at a scenic resort hotel.
And then in the afternoon, it was a, what, one-mile ride to this field, tucked into a community center, for a few hours with children - and their parents - who were so touched by the fact that these Princeton players were there for them.
Those kids will never forget this day.
The question is this:
How does a two-hour stop at this field impact the big picture of lacrosse here in Costa Rica?
Well, this is how it starts.
Combine this with the game that Princeton played against the Costa Rican national team the day before four hours away in San Jose, and the grass roots effort has begun.
The need is to keep the sticks in their hands, so that the next group of kids who sees them gets curious and want to get sticks in their hands. Eventually, there are enough players who move up in age together and actually play and have other teams against whom to compete.
Over time, the sport can grow from the grass roots up. It'll never be anywhere near soccer in this country, but it can became what the English national lacrosse team, whom Princeton played on its international trip four years ago in Spain and Ireland, an alternative to athletes who come up and aren't identified as soccer prospects.
It'll take a long time to get there, and hey, maybe it'll never come close to that.
If it does, then the last two days here with the Princeton men's lacrosse team will have been the turning point for the sport in Costa Rica.
If not, then the Tigers still did something very, very nice Monday afternoon.
Posted by Princeton OAC at 12:30 AM
Labels: men's lacrosse
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text:
On Deck Cup - San Francisco
On Deck Conference
Saturday, October 5, 2013 at 10:00 AM - Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 12:00 AM (PDT)
Event Details
The On Deck Cup is the first ever sports technology hackathon series, focused on drawing together developers, designers and anyone else passionate about how technology will transform the way we analyze, enjoy and understand sports.
On Deck Cup - San Francisco is the 4th event of our four-event On Deck Cup series, to be held the weekend of October 5th-6th. We'll kick things off at 10am on Saturday, October 5th and run through the evening to Sunday, October 6th at 2pm, when we'll start our presentation and judging round. At the conclusion of presentations and awards, we'll shift over to a nearby bar (location TBD) for a post-hackathon meetup and happy hour.
If you're interested in participating, please register above! If you're looking for project ideas or potential teammates, check out the CollabFinder page for On Deck Cup. CollabFinder is a unique collaboration platform that allows participants to list and browse project ideas prior to the hackathon start, so make sure to set up an account and browse the site prior to the 5th.
CollabFinder Page for On Deck Cup
Even if you're not a developer, we'd still love to have you attend the final project presentations and our post-hackathon happy hour, which will commence at 2pm on Sunday, October 5th. Please make sure to register under the "On Deck Cup SF - Slacker" ticket category.
We're looking forward to seeing you all the weekend of October 5th!
-The On Deck Cup Team
For more details, please go to
Special Thanks To Our Venue Sponsor
Thanks To Our Technology Sponsors
Thanks To Our Community & Media Sponsors
When & Where
We Work SoMa
156 2nd St
San Francisco,
Saturday, October 5, 2013 at 10:00 AM - Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 12:00 AM (PDT)
Add to my calendar
On Deck Conference
Founded in 2013, the On Deck Conference is an annual event series designed to shine a spotlight on new technology that is transforming the ways that we follow, enjoy, analyze, and understand sports.
For more information about the On Deck Conference and future events, go to www.ondeckconference.com


text:
Pattern:Witch ; Size and candle type: 3x6 Pillar Orange Candle
Lucid liquid candles never burn unevenly, never melt, never drip or ever need to be replaced. Simply twist the top with a quarter turn to remove it. Fill the candle's reservoir with Lucid liquid and place the top back on the candle. Wait a few minutes for the wick to be primed. Light your Lucid candle as you would any other candle. Lucid liquid is pure parafin, which means it burns clean. There will be no soot or smoke released from burning. If you want to add fragrance, simply purchase a Lucid fragrance stone. There are 12 scents available. Lucid Liquid Candles are the perfect candles! You can purchase the full line of Lucid Liquid Candles online at Distinctive-Decor.com


text:
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Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
Print version ISSN 0004-282XOn-line version ISSN 1678-4227
Arq. Neuro-Psiquiatr. vol.66 no.3a São Paulo Sept. 2008
Stroke in ancient times: a reinterpretation of Psalms 137:5,6
Acidente vascular cerebral nos velhos tempos: uma reinterpretação dos Salmos 137 (versículos 5,6)
Luiz Antonio de Lima ResendeI; Silke Anna Theresa WeberII; Marcelo Fernando Zeugner BertottiI; Svetlana AgapejevI
IDepartments of Neurology, Psychology and Psychiatry Botucatu School of Medicine São Paulo State University, UNESP, Brazil
IIOphthalmology and Othology Botucatu School of Medicine São Paulo State University, UNESP, Brazil
Stroke was probably first described in Psalms 136: 5-6 of the Catholic Bible, and Psalms 137:5-6 of the Evangelical Bible. Based on the Portuguese, Spanish, English, German, Dutch, Russian, Greek, and original Hebrew Bible, the significance of this Psalm is the invocation of a punishment, of which the final result would be a stroke of the left middle cerebral artery, causing motor aphasia and right hemiparesis.
Key words: stroke, history, Bible.
Acidente vascular cerebral foi descrito pela primeira vez provavelmente na Bíblia, nos Salmos 136, versículos 5 e 6, da bíblia católica, e 137, versículos 5 e 6, da bíblia evangélica. Nas bíblias escritas em português, espanhol, inglês, alemão, holandês, russo, grego e no original hebraico, o significado destes Salmos seria a invocação de um castigo, que poderia corresponder a acidente vascular da artéria cerebral média esquerda, levando a afasia motora com hemiplegia direita.
Palavras-Chave: acidente vascular cerebral, história, Bíblia.
In 1861, Pierre Paul Broca reported his patient Leborgne " Tan-tan" , who presented motor aphasia and right hemiplegia after lesion on the left frontal inferior gyrus1. This description is considered a milestone in the history of neurology, but there is evidence that more than 2000 years ago these symptoms were described in the book of Psalms, in the Bible2.
The Bible is considered by many to be the first major encyclopedia written by man. Psalm 136 was probably written about 500 to 600 years before Christ, and relies on punishment for those who forget Jerusalem3.
The aim of this study is to discuss this psalm's contribution to the history of neurology.
Comparisons were made between different Bible sources written in Portuguese, Spanish, English, Dutch, Russian, Greek, and the original Hebrew, in an attempt to find the best translation of Psalm 137, verses 5 and 6 (Evangelical Bible) or Psalm 136, verses 5 and 6 (Catholic Bible). The original Hebrew version was extracted from the Codex Leningradensis, dated 1008 AD, written on papyrus by Aaron ben Moses ben Asher, " The Instructor" 4,5.
Psalm 137 from the Evangelical Bible corresponds exactly to Psalm 136 in the Catholic Bible; Psalms 9 and 10 are merged in the Catholic Bible.
Texts of the Psalm 137, verse 5 and 6:
a) Catholic Bible (Version 1, in Portuguese)6: 5 - Se eu me esquecer de ti, Oh Jerusalém, que a minha mão direita se paralise; 6 - Que minha língua se me apegue ao paladar, se eu não me lembrar de ti, se não puser Jerusalém acima de todas as minhas alegrias...
b) Catholic Bible (Version 2, in Portuguese)7: 5 -Se te olvidar, Jerusalém, fique paralisada a minha destra; 6- apegue-se minha língua ao palato se não me lembrar de ti, se não puser Jerusalém acima de todas as minhas alegrias...
c) Evangelical Bible (in Portuguese)8: 5 - Se eu me esquecer de ti, Oh Jerusalém, que se resseque a minha mão direita; 6 - Apegue-se-me a língua ao paladar, se não me lembrar de ti, se não preferir Jerusalém à minha maior alegria...
d) Spanish version by Matthew Henry, one of the most important " puritans" 3: 5 - Si me olvido de ti, Oh Jerusalén, que mi diestra olvide su arte; 6 - Que mi lengua se pegue a mi paladar, si de ti no me acuerdo com amor y respeto, si no enaltezco a Jerusalén como preferente asunto de mi alegria...
e) English Bible9: 5 - If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither! 6 - Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!
f) Modern German Bible10: 5 - Vergesse ich Dich, Jerusalem, so verdorre meine Rechte. 6 - Meine Zunge soll an meinem Gaumen kleben, wenn ich Deine nicht gedenke, wenn ich nicht lasse Jerusalem meine höchste Freude sein." 5 - " If I forget you, Jerusalem, my right hand side shall dry up, 6- my tongue shall stick to my palate, if I do not remember you, if I do not permit Jerusalem to be my greatest joy "
g) Ancient German Bible, corresponding to a translation by Luther11: 5 - Vergesse Ich Dein, Jerusalem, so werde meiner Rechten vergessen; 6 - Meine Zunge müsse an meinem Gaumen kleben, wo ichDdeiner nicht gedenke, wo ich nicht lasse Jerusalem meine höchste Freude sein." 5 - If I forget you, Jerusalem, the right side of my body will be forgotten; 6 - so that my tongue shall stick to my palate, if I do not remember you, if I do not permit Jerusalem to be my greatest joy...
h) Dutch Bible12: 5 - Mijn rechterhand mag verlamd raken, als ik Jeruzalem zu vergeten! 6 - Als ik Jeruzalem niet zou bezingen als de mooiste en hoogste stad, zou mijn tong krachteloos in mijn mong mogen liggen.. 5 - My right hand shall be paralysed, if I forget Jerusalem, 6 - If I do not sing to Jerusalém as the most beautiful and highest city, my tongue shall lie weakended in my mouth...
The versions written in German, Russian, Greek13 and Hebrew are shown in Figure.
Focusing on the history of neurology, two language versions seem to be crucial for our analysis: 1) the version by Martin Luther, for its historical importance, and 2) the Greek Bible. The so called " original" Hebrew Bible which we find nowadays was compiled in Cairo more than 1,000 years after its original writing. For 500 years, the manuscript was kept by the Massoreta, one of the major scribe groups in antiquity. But the original manuscripts may have been modified during this 1,000 year period, the most well known is the introduction of Hebrew vowels by the Massoreta about 500 to 600 AD. Until this time, Hebrew writing consisted only of consonants14. This may be one reason why there is more than one translation version the original Hebrew Bible5. The Martin Luther and Greek Bible versions are based on the " Septuaginta" . It is known as Septuaginta (LXX) a Greek version of the Old Testament, dated from 300 to 200 BC, written by 72 scholars in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, from where its name originates14.
In Luther's version, " If I forget you, oh Jerusalem, my right shall be forgotten - meiner Rechten vergessen," he probably describes a right hemiplegia. In the Greek version, " If I forget you oh Jerusalem, my right hand shall also be forgotten. My tongue shall stick to my palate, if I do not remember you, if I do not celebrate Jerusalem as the apex of my joy13" - the paralysis is limited to the right hand.
A comparison between Portuguese texts and those in Spanish, English, German, Dutch, Russian, Greek, and Hebrew permits the following translation of Psalm 137, verses 5 and 6: " If I forget of you, oh Jerusalem, my right hand (my right side) shall dry, be paralyzed, loose its ability, its dexterity... That my tongue shall stick (shall be weakened, arrested) to my palate (in my throat), if I remember you, if I do not permit Jerusalem to be my greatest joy (if I do not sing of Jerusalem as my greatest joy)" . For Benton and Joynt2, the tongue stuck on the palate or throat is one of the earliest descriptions of motor aphasia.
As a neurologist, the symptoms of the right hand or forgotten or paralyzed side associated to tongue immobility describe the classic form of stroke with right hemiplegia and motor aphasia. Stroke is a prevalent clinical condition in modern times, and should also have been so in antiquity.
In this way, a neurologist would understand the Psalm as " If I forget you, oh Jerusalem, I will suffer a stroke of the left middle cerebral artery, causing motor aphasia and right hemiplegia, if I do not remember you, if I do not keep Jerusalem as my greatest joy."
This is the best interpretation for the authors, but would perhaps only be understood by neurologists.
Psalm 137 is a relevant contribution from Hebrew culture to the history of neurology. Is this description of a punishment corresponding to the symptoms found in cerebrovascular stroke of the middle cerebral artery a coincidence? Or did the Hebrews know at that time that left hemiplegia may occur without aphasia, did they know of cerebral dominance about 600 years before Christ?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Our special thanks to Gritje Couperus, Professor of Theology, to Helena Euthymios Sazalis, official translator for the Greek language, and to Reverend Ricardo César Toniolo, for their translations of the Dutch, Greek, and Hebraic versions, respectively. Their contributions were highly relevant to this study.
1. Castaigne P, Lhermitte F, Signoret JL, Abelanet R. Description et étude scanographique du cerveau de Leborgne: la découverte de Broca. Rev Neurol (Paris) 1980; 136:563-583. [ Links ]
2. Benton AL, Joynt RJ. Early descriptions of aphasia. Arch Neurol 1960; 3:205-222. [ Links ]
3. Lacueva F. Comentario exegético-devocional a toda la bíblia. Livros Poéticos - Salmos. Tomo I. Barcelona M.C.E. Horeb, 1983:470-471. [ Links ]
4. Francisco EF. Manual da Bíblia Hebraica. Introdução ao texto massotérico. Ed. 2, Vida Nova: São Paulo, 2005. http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex Leningrad. [ Links ]
5. Toniolo RC, Pastor da Igreja Presbiteriana do Calvário, de Botucatu, comunicação pessoal, 2007. [ Links ]
6. Castro JP. Bíblia Sagrada. 157ª ed., São Paulo Ave-Maria Ed. , 2003. [ Links ]
7. Pontifício Instituto Bíblico de Roma. Bíblia Sagrada. São Paulo, Edições Paulinas 1965. [ Links ]
8. Almeida JF. A Bíblia Sagrada. Antigo e Novo Testamento. Barueri, Sociedade Bíblica do Brasil, 1998:434-435. [ Links ]
9. Bible: Revised Standard Version, 2nd ed. Stonehill Green, Bible Society Swindon,1971. [ Links ]
10. Die Bibel - Nach der Übersetzung Martin Luthers. Stuttgart, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1999:624. [ Links ]
11. Die Bibel. Die ganze Heilige Schrift des alten un neuen Testaments. Amerikanischen Bibel-Gesellschaft, 1885. [ Links ]
12. Het Boeh: een eigentijdse verwoording van de Bijbel. Heerenveen, Uitgeverij Jongbloed, 2001:535. [ Links ]
13. Sazalis HE. Tradutora pública da língua grega. Junta Comercial de São Paulo, 2008 (comunicação pessoal). [ Links ]
14. Arnold BT, Beyer BE. Descobrindo o Antigo Testamento. São Paulo. Cultura Cristã, 2001:26-28 [ Links ]
Received 10 March 2008, received in final form 29 May 2008, Accepted 13 June 2008.
Dr. Luiz A.L. Resende Department of Neurology and Psychiatry - Botucatu School of Medicine - 18618-970 Botucatu SP - Brasil. E-mail: email@example.com


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You update your hairstyle. You don't use the first blocky cell phone that ever came on the market. Your new car has more features, gets better gas mileage, and is more comfortable than the one you drove 15 years ago.
So why use the same skis for decades on end?
Between 1980 and 2000, skis underwent a dramatic change. Once relegated to World Cup skiers, the parabolic, shaped or 'carve' ski became available to the public.
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Washburn Law Grads Exceed State Pass Rate on Bar Exam
Washburn University School of Law has announced that for first-time takers, its graduates led the state in bar passage rate on the February 2013 Kansas bar exam. First-time test takers from Washburn Law enjoyed a 96.4 percent bar passage rate. The state bar passage average for first-time takers was 92 percent. Of the 29 Washburn Law graduates who took the exam for the first time, 28 of them passed.
At Washburn Law, preparation for the bar exam is a process that begins during the first week of classes and continues through passage of the exam. All graduates have the opportunity to participate in Washburn Law's free Bar Pass Program, which includes workshops, a bar exam website, and individual counseling. Additionally, a course for third-year students, Mastering Legal Analysis, focuses on problem recognition and analysis, and enhances critical reading, thinking, and writing skills to maximize student performance on the bar exam.
"We continue to encourage our graduates to take advantage of all of Washburn's bar pass services," said Dean Thomas J. Romig. "We are committed to giving students the opportunities they need to successfully pass the bar exam. Those students who participate in our program have a much higher rate of success on the bar exam."


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Furniture Moving services
Whether you're moving across the street or across the country, the process can all too easily become a hassle, especially if you have lots of furniture to haul. When we accept a job, extra padding and protection is included because we want your possessions to furniture in good condition. We pay close attention to detail in everything we do. Please call us today to make an appointment.


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Applebee's will continue its tradition of free thank you meals to veterans and active duty military on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11.
Applebee's is also encouraging Guests to show their gratitude by leaving a message for current and former military members at ThankYouMovement.com. Visitors to the Thank You Movement website will be directed to their local Applebee's Facebook page, where personal Thank You messages will be tallied by neighborhood and tracked in real time on the Thank You Movement website.
On Veterans Day, the Applebee's community with the most Thank You messages will be declared the "Most Thankful Neighborhood" and win a free concert in their city for veterans from Gavin DeGraw, platinum singer-songwriter and the face of the 2013 Thank You Movement. Guests can also submit Thank You messages by using the hashtag #ThankYouMovement on www.facebook.com/applebees, @applebees on Twitter or on Instagram and YouTube.
Hours will vary by location and guests should call their local Applebee's restaurant in advance to inquire about specific location hours or visit www.applebees.com for more information.
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Offer is valid for dine-in only. Traditional sides are included with free entrees; 2 for $20 appetizers, upgraded side items or extras, beverages, desserts and gratuity are not included. Applebee's Thank You Meals will be offered during normal business hours on Monday, Nov. 11.


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The adjuster: Brown wants a crack at Council
(First in our series of HotSeats on City Council candidates)
Published February 12, 2004, in issue#0306 of the Hook
As a chiropractor, David Brown knows that small adjustments can make a big difference to someone with problems. He feels the same way about Charlottesville.
As a first-time candidate for a seat on City Council, Brown has proposals he believes will change the city in seemingly small ways, but ways with the potential to make a big difference in people's lives.
Like many Charlottesville dads, Brown, father of two boys, has long been involved in the local soccer scene. Unlike some other dads, however, this energetic athlete– a runner himself– has gone beyond cheering for his boys from the sidelines. For the last five years, Brown has been involved as an organizer and coach in a soccer outreach program funded by grants from the Charlottesville/Albemarle Commission on Children and Families. The scheme introduces children from low-income neighborhoods to the joys and discipline of soccer.
"One of the teams I was coaching needed players," he explains, "and I went to Winx Lawrence, who had organized a team in Garrett Square.
"Five or six sixth graders joined us. The team came together, the kids became friends, we went undefeated, and then won the local Sunburn Tournament!" he says.
Lawrence, who started a soccer outreach program 12 years ago when her son, Avery, was playing, attributes most of the success of the program to Brown.
"David has brought wonderful organization, enthusiasm, and creativity to ensure the program's success," she says. "The kids adore him and seek his help not only in sports, but also for things like getting their driver's license and other life issues."
It's the connection with his soccer players and their parents that prompted one of Brown's "modest proposals" for improvements in civic life. Having experienced difficulties getting in touch with the parents of his players who live in public housing, Brown thinks it would be a small– but meaningful– contribution for the city to provide local telephone service as part of the rent for low-income citizens.
"All parts of their lives would be improved– job seeking, hearing from their children's teachers, interacting with social services," he says. "This is a small but important way Council could make a difference."
Brown's low-key, self-effacing manner disguises the passion he feels for the sport of soccer and for improving the lives of the kids he coaches– and of their parents.
"I don't do it only for the kids," he says. "As we've stood cheering together on the sidelines, I've gotten to know and enjoy their parents. People whose paths would not have crossed mine are now my friends."
Small adjustments, he has learned from work and play, can make a world of difference.
Age: 49
What brought you here? UVA in 1972; Jean and I returned here in 1982.
What's worst about living here? The fact that Charlottesville is located in such a conservative Republican state, with a shameful lack of support for schools, colleges, social services, and the environment.
Favorite hangout? Mudhouse
Most overrated virtue? Neatness
What would people be surprised to know about you? I can ride a unicycle.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? A little musical ability would be nice.
What accomplishment are you proudest of? Serving as President of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards
What do people find most annoying about you? I'm impatient.
Whom do you admire? Boyd Tinsley and the rest of the Dave Matthews Band for giving back to Charlottesville in a big way. (Boyd was active with the local Democrats before he hit the big time.)
Favorite book? Patrick O'Brian's novels
What subject causes you to rant? Coaches, who should set an example for our kids, berating referees, or worse yet, their own players.
What thrills you about life in the 21st century? Access to information
What creeps you out about life in the 21st century? The rudeness of popular culture
What do you drive? A black 1990 Volvo sedan
What's in your car CD/tape player right now? Steve Earle
What's your next journey? Probably NYC, to visit my brother, who lives in Sri Lanka but will be in NY on business, and my father.
What's the most trouble you've ever gotten in? In high school I totaled my MG Midget.
What do you regret? My regrets are mostly of the small, interpersonal kind: letters I never wrote, condolences I never expressed.
Favorite comfort food? Pecan pie. Spoon bread. Cheese cake.
What's always in your refrigerator? With two teenage boys, milk
Must-see TV? Washington Week in Review
Favorite cartoon? The Simpsons
Describe a perfect day. An early morning run, breakfast and the NYTimes at Higher Grounds, a mid-afternoon nap, and cooking something new for dinner.
Walter Mitty fantasy? Dunking a basketball. Just once.
Who'd play you in the movie? Robert Duvall, if he were a bit younger or I a bit older
Most embarrassing moment? Chairing a disciplinary hearing while a member of the Virginia Board of Medicine, and forgetting the name of a fellow board member.
Best advice you ever got? "Measure twice, cut once." But I still didn't make a particularly good carpenter.
Favorite bumper sticker? "Weasel City, Virginia: Home of the Golden Wingnuts"
David Brown


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I have been reading the police reports on Adam Kokesh and have watched so many different angles of his arrest on May 18, 2013 it's not funny. There are many inconsistencies the reports. There was one video that stood out for me though. The video I found seemed to catch the best angle of the arrest.
Exhibit 1:
On or about May 18, 2013, defendant ADAM KOKESH forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded and interfered with officers and employees of the United States, that is, uniformed National Park Service Rangers while they were engaged in, and on account of, the performance of official duties, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111.
Title 18, United States Code, Section 111
(a) In General.— Whoever—(1) forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, or interferes with any person designated in section 1114 of this title while engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties; or (2) forcibly assaults or intimidates any person who formerly served as a person designated in section 1114 on account of the performance of official duties during such person's term of service, shall, where the acts in violation of this section constitute only simple assault, be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both, and where such acts involve physical contact with the victim of that assault or the intent to commit another felony, be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 8 years, or both.
(b) Enhanced Penalty.— Whoever, in the commission of any acts described in subsection (a), uses a deadly or dangerous weapon (including a weapon intended to cause death or danger but that fails to do so by reason of a defective component) or inflicts bodily injury, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
Park Police officers approached Adam he did not approach them. His only crime was he was exercising his freedom of speech. The Park Police aggressively approached Adam Kokesh. Reports were that Adam Kokesh was charged with resisting arrest. What was Adam under arrest for? Was he smoking marijuana? No. Was he in possession of marijuana? No.
Exhibit II:
Here I have the lies told by the police underlined:
Adam Kokesh and others were first surrounded and then arrested at a peaceful protest after attending said protest four times prior with police present without any problems. The officer testifies that he's been on the force for eight years. The only person Adam Kokesh "locked arms with" was a Park Police Officer. Was the officer in possession of a marijuana cigarette? Lastly the officer claims that Adam "grabbed the ranger by the arm to hold him back." I did not see Adam push anyone. I saw Adam pulling his left arm away from an officer who appeared to be trying to use a pressure point near the thumb.
Exhibit III:
In a park full of marijuana activists a marijuana joint was found. Did the police obtain Adam's fingerprints off this alleged marijuana cigarette? If Adam Kokesh did the things that these police claim he would be required to have a third arm. Last I knew he only had two arms.
I've heard a lot of things about the police in Pennsylvania and none of them were good. At the end of the video I made above I replayed in slow motion what the cops said right after they put Adam Kokesh into a cage like an animal. Take a listen and you tell me why did they really arrested Adam Kokesh. Pennsylvania the world is watching and the people are not impressed with your conduct!
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The tour starts in the heart of Interlaken, where the rakish E-Vespinos are to be collected. Then it is time to dive into the world of the myths and legends that surround this region. Adorning the house mountain of interlaken is the Hardermannli, whose uniqeness we are going to study, as well as speculate how it got there. Follwing the world of fables will the historic part of our journey. We will commence our way to the main town sqare of Unterseen. After this, our journey takes us via Lombach to the beautiful lake Thun, where we will visit Neuhaus and indulge in the picturesque panorama: the view of the lake and the mountains. From Neuhaus we will drive to the well-maintained and refurbished ruins of Weissenau, a medieval castle from the 14th century. Our way back will lead us along the Aare river back to Interlaken and the Swiss Paragliding office.
Importend to Know bevor you book: You need to be able to ride a Scooter and keep a good balance on the Vehicle, There will be no refund given if the quide does put you off the trip, if he thinks you can not controll the vehicle.
We meet up at our Base at Centralstrasse 5 in Interlaken. We will give you all Information about the trip.
Who can do it?
What is inclusive?
What can I bring?
Guided tour with electric scooters and a local guide
Duration is approximately 1.5 hours / from 16 years old
Route: Swiss Paragliding Base / Hardermannli / Stadthausplatz / Lombach / Neuhaus / Weissenau ruins / Swiss Paragliding Base