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Let's talk about Microgaming, the pioneer of casino software, who paved the way for online casino as we know it today. The company was founded in 1994 and since then became one of the best game developers which is behind such incredibly successful games like Mega Moolah and Thunderstruck, Bridesmaids, and Game of Thrones.
Who is Microgaming?
Today Microgaming developer is based in the Isle of Man and has an amazing portfolio of 850 casino games of different kinds, 350 mobile games used by more than 500 casinos and gaming brands in the world. The great successful step for Microgaming was the introduction of The Viper software in 2002, which later turned out to be a golden standard of the industry. Microgaming is one of the leaders in the progressive slots market, so if you're in it to win big, you certainly need to try out one of the slots from Microgaming. A good example of a progressive slot from Microgaming is the extremely popular "Mega Moolah" game, which has jackpots over 2 million pounds, sometimes reaching over 5 million. Up to date, Microgaming progressive jackpots have paid out a whopping 450 millions of pounds in payouts.
In 2003, Microgaming became a founding member of eCOGRA (eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) internationally approved testing agency and player protection organisation based in London. Their games and software have been winning multiple awards every year.
Throughout the years, Microgaming has kept up its high standards and still continues giving us a lot of new slot and card games online such as Texas Hold'em and Blackjack, and also Live casino and mobile casino.
Microgaming games
Microgaming slots are well-known to be not only high-paying, safe and trustworthy but also most entertaining and imaginative. With many games, players can choose either download and flash versions, depending on the situation. In both cases, you are guaranteed to experience excellent sounds and graphics; that create a realistic and fun gameplay. Microgaming offers a mobile casino platform as well, with the games based on HTML5 instead of Java. It allows for the best, smoothest and most convenient mobile gaming.
There is a game for everyone in the Microgaming portfolio, starting from film based slot like Lord of the Rings, Tomb Raider, Terminator, Game of Thrones and Bridesmaids to the release like The Dark Knight, Thunderstruck 1 and 2 added to the list. You can also play fun games like Bar Bar Black Sheep, King Cashalot, Major Millions and newer Hot as Hades slot.
Of course, Microgaming has more on offer than only slot machines – they have developed tens if not hundreds different types of traditional table games like Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Lottery games, Keno, Scratch cards, Video Poker and more.
Try the famous progressive jackpot Mega Moolah slot from Microgaming on Mr Green casino website now. This is a truly record breaking and exceptional slot – did you know that the Mega Moolah slot machine has broken a world record as one UK soldier managed to win an unbelievable £13.3 million with just 25 pence bet. Mega Moolah is a 5-reel, 25-payline slot featuring 12 different symbols, including Elephant, Buffalo, Giraffe, Zebra and Kudu, standard A, K, Q, J and 10 symbols as well as Lion wild symbol and Monkey scatter symbol.
Microgaming Casinos
With more than 500 casinos and gaming brands offering Microgaming software, it's very easy for any UK player to find a casino for their taste. Below you will find a carefully selected list of casinos that not only offer a wide variety of the most popular Microgaming slots and traditional casino games but also give great welcome bonuses and run generous loyalty programmes for the devoted players.
Microgaming casino list
Microgaming bonus
Before starting to enjoy the fun and exciting Microgaming slots, check out which casinos can give you the largest and the most beneficial welcome offer bonus. We believe in smart gameplay and getting you money's worth. And the best thing - we have already done the research and selected the best offers that will get you sorted. Just click the links below and enjoy your freebies.
Microgaming Free spins
Do you feel like jumping into Microgaming slot awesomeness but need some free spins? We prefer it that way too. So here are a couple of excellent Free Spins offers from casinos that will give the UK players the biggest number of free spins. Click on the links below to get the best offers on the market right now!


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As more and more of your hard earned income floods into public school through taxes, our Catholic Community must come together to find ways to increase our support for Catholic Education in our area. Here are some ways you can help Saint Joseph School thrive in an ever changing world; here are some way you can ensure we are preparing a generation of young people ready to make this a better world.
Two of the most substantial financial methods to support the school are through a general donation to the school, a donation to the endowment, or a donation to a specific cause. General donations may be made online by clicking the "Donate" button at the top of this webpage, or you may download the form for Endowment Donations. To donate to a specific cause see the following options: School Supplies or Annual Tuition Appeal
With more an more of our families caught up in the workforce, we need more community volunteers to fulfill roles traditionally fulfilled by parents. Volunteers who work directly with the students are fingerprinted and take an online course, Shield the Vulnerable. Make a difference in the life of a child; become a volunteer!
Social Media
Facebook is a zero cost way to support our school. Help get the word out about what we are doing for our community!

subset: commoncrawl


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NextRoll Email Service Addendum
Effective: September 10, 2019
To see our prior NextRoll Email Service Addendum, click here
This NextRoll Email Service Addendum ("NextRoll Email Addendum") supplements the NextRoll, Inc. ("NextRoll") Terms of Service ("Terms") and together the Terms and this NextRoll Email Addendum govern your use of the NextRoll email services.
1. Additional Definitions:
"Emails" means emails that you create using the NextRoll email services which will be sent by an email service provider ("ESP") that you currently use or that NextRoll uses on your behalf (depending on your implementation), triggered by criteria that you create using the NextRoll email services.
"Email Addresses" means functional end user email addresses collected through the NextRoll email service that NextRoll provides to an ESP to send the emails on your behalf. Email Addresses form part of "Customer CRM Data" as defined in the Terms.
2. NextRoll Email Service Description. Through the NextRoll email service, email addresses are collected by NextRoll from your website through the NextRoll Pixel and any required integration steps performed by you. Email Addresses will be associated with NextRoll cookies, or other tracking devices, so that emails can be triggered to segments of your site visitors. NextRoll agrees to provide the NextRoll email services to you as more specifically set out here: NextRoll Email Product Documentation.
Your responsibilities:
End User Consent. You represent and warrant that you have obtained all permissions (e.g., opt-in consent) from your users as may be required by applicable law, regulation or self regulatory industry guidelines to:
- allow NextRoll to send commercial emails on your behalf for any email addresses that are collected in connection with the NextRoll email services,
- allow NextRoll to collect and use the email addresses for the NextRoll email services, and
- allow NextRoll to collect and use hashed versions of the email addresses for NextRoll's business purposes in accordance with NextRoll's Service Privacy Notice.
If any permissions are withdrawn, or an opt-out or unsubscribe is received by you during the course of receiving NextRoll email services or you become aware that any Email Addresses are inaccurate, you will immediately remove affected Email Addresses from the NextRoll email service either by updating your unsubscribe list in your ESP integration or by notifying NextRoll.
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While NextRoll may provide tools and documentation in the NextRoll email service designed to help you comply, this does not discharge you of your legal obligations to comply with applicable privacy, anti-spam and direct marketing laws. It is your responsibility to seek independent legal advice on how to comply with these laws.
To the extent allowed by law, you agree you are the sole "sender" or "initiator" of the Emails for purposes of US CAN SPAM or similar laws in other jurisdictions.
Fees. NextRoll's fees for the NextRoll email services are described here. NextRoll may cancel NextRoll email service either for you or entirely at any time for any reason without notice to you.
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- your use of the NextRoll email service in breach of the Terms (including this Addendum);
- your breach of any law, including laws relating to privacy and spam; and
- the use by NextRoll of any data collected or obtained by NextRoll in connection with the provision of the NextRoll email service for the uses and purposes set out in clause 4.
NO WARRANTY: To the maximum extent permitted by law, we provide the NextRoll email service as is. That means we don't provide warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
4. NextRoll Responsibilities:
Use of Email Addresses. Except as otherwise described in this Addendum, NextRoll will only use Email Addresses for the purpose of providing the NextRoll email services. NextRoll will not disclose Email Addresses to any third party, other than in connection with performing the services or if required to comply applicable law or as otherwise described in the NextRoll Services Privacy Notice.
NextRoll may collect hashed versions of the Email Address and use these hashed email addresses as well as any other data about your use of the NextRoll email service for any purpose as allowed for by NextRoll's Service Privacy Notice including after you stop using the NextRoll email service. The hashed email addresses is Service Data as defined in the Terms.
Security. NextRoll will provide appropriate security to protect Email Addresses while in NextRoll's possession.
5. Governing Terms. The existing NextRoll Terms of Service (available at http://www.nextroll.com/terms) and our Privacy Notice (available at http://www.nextroll.com/privacy) will continue in effect and will govern this NextRoll Email Addendum. The parties agree to include the NextRoll email service in the definition of NextRoll Services as set forth in the NextRoll Terms of Service. If there is any conflict between the NextRoll Terms of Service and this NextRoll Email Addendum, the terms of this NextRoll Email Addendum will rule.


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The celebration of the Quinceañera is a custom of the Hispanic culture that is often celebrated among families who celebrate their faith in St. Damien of Molokai Parish. Like many celebrations live out their faith, and important times in the lives of the faithful, this is an opportunity for evangelization of our young women, and for their family and friends. Our parish does not celebrate exclusive Quinceañeras. We have designated dates for English or Spanish Quinceañeras. You may read the policies on celebrations in the document Quinceañera Policies. Español
The Quinceañera program falls under the auspice of the Religious Education Program. The Quinceañera program will include classes at designated times, community service, and active participation in parish life which includes youth ministry. Class dates, and Quinceañera dates will be published in the parish bulletin and online Parish Calendar.
The following are the only approved quinceañera dates for 2019. Please contact the office at (248)332-0283 before booking your hall fApril 27th – Spanish
Quinceañera classes for 2019 will start January 25th through March 7th, 2020. Classes primarily will be in Spanish, and will offer English if the demand dictates it.
Dates for 2020 celebrations can be found here.


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The Groswaddle helps young babies feel warm and secure, just like when they were in mummy's tummy. They are perfectly shaped to go round your baby with no need for poppers, Velcro® or ties and the potential for over-tight swaddling that they can cause. With the Groswaddle your newborn baby feels cuddled and safe, a feeling that promotes a good night's sleep for baby and mum alike!
- Machine washable
- Supersoft 100% cotton wrap
- Suitable from birth (up to 14lbs/6.5kg)
Additional Information
- Suitable for over or underarm swaddling,
- Soft stretchy cotton to keep your newborn comfortable for naps and night-time
- Easy to use traditional swaddling
- Wraps around your baby with no need for complicated folding or fastenings
- No Velcro or ties to ensure you can't swaddle them too tightly
Caring for your Swaddle
- Machine wash at 40°C
- Line dry or tumble on low heat
- All Groswaddles are designed to allow up to 5% shrinkage
- Can be ironed on low heat if desired
- For children with allergies: If you wish to wash your Groswaddle at 60°C, you should allow for a little more shrinkage
- We recommend washing dark colours separately for first few washes aswell as using a detergent free from bleaching agents, in order to retain the original colours
Ask Ollie
Got a question about our products? We love to hear from you. Ask our experts and we will get back to you as soon as possible.


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Glorious Jewel
Swamps and industrial wasteland
|Native species
|Other species
- "Adopted homeworld of the notorious Hutt Cartel, Hutta is a planet of semi-toxic swampland broken up by industrial facilities and urban centers. Hutt-aligned gangs control the civilized regions, forever warring over territory and resources. In the swamps, the native Evocii struggle against their Hutt rulers with limited success. The Hutts are officially neutral in the conflict between Empire and Republic, and welcome visitors. Pirates, slavers and spice dealers are all common sights in Hutt palaces, while corporations often establish themselves on Hutta's moon, Nar Shaddaa. Newly arriving shuttles on Hutta are directed to the town of Jiguuna."
- ―In-game Codex (Planets)
Nal Hutta (Glorious Jewel in Huttese), simply known as Hutta, formerly known as Evocar, is the capital of Hutt Space and is located in the Y'Toub system. Hutta is the starting planet for Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent characters.
HistoryIn Huttese, the name translates into "Glorious Jewel", and the planet more commonly called Nal Hutta is considered a paradise to the gluttonous tastes of the Hutts. To anyone else, though, the planet is a living nightmare - a disgusting and dangerous place to visit, and an unthinkable place to live. Current Underworld slang has shortened the name to simply "Hutta" - a place where more civilized people threaten to send their children if they misbehave.
Before the creation of the Republic, Hutta was controlled by the native Evocii, a relatively primitive race who made the mistake of engaging in extensive business deals with the Hutts, ignoring rumors of their legendary greed. Centuries later, the Evocii realized their mistake too late—their entire civilization was mortgaged. When the Hutts' home-world of Varl later became polluted and uninhabitable, the Hutts collected on the Evocii's debts, becoming rulers of the planet and some of the surrounding systems.
In the thousands of years since, the Hutts have subjugated the Evocii—they live in slavery and squalor while the Hutts' insatiable pursuit for wealth pollutes the planet. This pollution is evidenced in the large, metal shoring props that are essential in certain areas for pushing back the mud to create pathways. The result of this environmental approach is corroded metal walls with swamp muck oozing out from the cracks. The swamps themselves have suffered from heavy industrialization. A wide variety of modular pipes and refinery equipment create a patchwork throughout the planet, snaking through the corrosive muck as if the planet were held together by a network of metal and sludge.[1] Hutta has become a breeding ground for the powerful Hutt families who control competing crime cartels that operate across the galaxy. Though petty vendettas keep them in constant conflict with one another, the Hutts have remained neutral in the long-running war between the Republic and the Sith Empire, keeping their world exactly as they like it.
The Hutts are the lords of Hutta's demented society, and all other races, even official foreign emissaries, are seen as expendable fodder in the Hutts' bloated, wormlike eyes. Even the most infamous bounty hunters are hesitant to venture on the Hutts' home turf, and a sane person would never come to Hutta willingly without the most crucial need.
Prior to the Hutts' arrival, Hutta was known as Evocar by the native Evocii. It was a temperate planet characterized by lush rainforests, expansive oceans and towering mountain ranges. Natural resources were plentiful, a fact that no doubt attracted the Hutts as they searched for a new homeworld to settle. The Hutts' occupation of Evocar led to centuries of strip-mining and unchecked consumption that forever altered Evocar, transforming the once-idyllic planet into a polluted, bog-infested wasteland.
Nal Hutta
Hutta was formerly known as Evocar and is the original home world of the Evocii, who were subjugated by the Hutts, who migrated from their original home world of Varl along with their servants the t'landa Til. It is often referred to simply as Hutta. While it remains neutral in the Cold War between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire, it is the starting world of the Empire's Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent classes. It's so overindustrialized and polluted that non-natives barely last a day on this planet.
Hutta Datacron Location Guide
Hutta Codex Entries
In Huttese, the name translates into "Glorious Jewel", and the planet more commonly called Nal Hutta is considered a paradise to the gluttonous tastes of the Hutts. To anyone else, though, the planet is a living nightmare—a disgusting and dangerous place to visit, and an unthinkable place to live. Current Underworld slang has shortened the name to a simple 'Hutta'—a place where more civilized people threaten to send their children if they misbehave.
Achievement: Datacrons
Persons of Note
- Nem'ro the Hutt
- Khem Val
- Fa'athra the Hutt
- Braden (Bounty Hunter)
- Tarro Blood (Bounty Hunter)
- Mako (Bounty Hunter)
- Keeper (Imperial Agent)
- Intelligence Profile: The Red Blade (Imperial Agent)
- Intelligence Profile: Kaliyo Djannis (Imperial Agent)
- This lore can be found on Hutta.
Achievement: Titles
- Heartless
Hutta: Imperial Orbital Station
Available Vendors
-Medical Droid (Hutta: Imperial Orbital Station)
Specific Enemies
External links
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<ref> tags exist, but no
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We have a great summer giveaway. We are giving away to one lucky winner KOOB, the outdoor game played by the entire family. Great for picniks, BBQs, the beach and even the snow.
KOOB, The Viking Game originates from Scandinavia where legend has it the Vikings used to play it!
Easy to play with wooden sticks, the game is a great way to get the children outside, to have fun with their friends or have a friendly competition with the neighbours. This is how it is played:
You have many ways to enter the contest. The more you participate, the more you have chances of winning. We contest ends on August 1st and the winner will be announced on our Facebook page.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


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The cost of living and the need to cut down on electricity and power bills, many people are now turning to other means of lighting. This has seen a big increase in the demand for portable power sources. NEBO flashlights offer bespoke solutions to many people lighting needs and their sizes make them ideal to use whenever illumination is required. With many flashlights flooding the market, it is usually important to get a light which offers multiple benefits.
Whether you are looking for the specialty type or the normal ones for lighting, these are quite portable and their illumination capabilities are quite superior in the dark. On the other hand, the brand is a name you can trust and rely on from such an affordable device. With the various lamp types in the market, it is a challenge to choose the lighting system that meets and surpasses your lighting needs.
These lighting systems come in different types and the one you purchase will depend on the use you need to put them into. For the police and the hunting enthusiasts, the Protec is the ideal torch as this is mounted on the barrel of the gun and once switched on during the night; the powerful and focused beam helps in locating the target as well as confusing it for quick handling.
Another popular type is the wind up make used mostly in homes, offices and industrial areas. Their illumination capabilities are of high quality and the winding mechanism is easy to use and it only takes a while before you fully recharge your batteries. This is ideal in areas which have continuous unanticipated blackout or power outages.
This wind up light is also very handy in your car. It is quite convenient when you get punctures while driving at night. On the other hand, the beam is superb and can help you in flanking down other motorists in case you need help. Many car owners prefer these due to fact that they retain power for long and you do not want to be caught unawares when you have a problem on the highway.
There is a huge selection depending on your specifics whether for your normal daily use of professional purposes, you can not miss a piece that suits your lifestyle. The specialty types are preferred by various industry experts because they are designed to perform specific duties. Taking a keen look at individual light feature is the only guaranteed way of getting value for your money.
When buying these flashlights from your local departmental store or online, you need to be specific on the features and benefits that will make your life easy. Some of the things to consider are their battery consumption levels, the quality of beam and durability as well. You also need to ask if they use LED or convectional bulb technology as LED is better when it comes to quality of the beam and power consumption.
Depending on your individual need, these lights are a trusted brand and are leaders in the portable category. There also some brands which come with relatively dim beams specifically designed to be used in areas or rooms where you do not need to disturb other people. Whether you are on indoor or outdoor enthusiast, NEBO flashlights are the ideal tools for you.
Read more about NEBO Flashlights Have Many Distinct Advantages visiting our website.


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Welcome!Located on Cedar Lane in Teaneck, BV Tuscany, opened by Benny and Vicky Balidemaj in 2008, offers wonderfully simple Tuscan cuisine, an impressive selection of wines, and attentive service. Dine in our warm Tuscan inspired atmosphere of terra cotta hued walls accented with landscape artwork reminiscent of the endless sun drenched Tuscan countryside. Our menu is primarily an ode to traditional Tuscan cuisine however, we also feature steaks, veal chops, baby rack of lamb, cornish hens, as well as various fish entrees. We also feature homemade grappas in addition to a wide array of fine wines. BV Tuscany seats 50 diners in its cozy dining room, centered by a beautifully tiled bar stocked with premium liquors, cordials, and apertifs where diners may enjoy a cocktail before or after their meal or simply indulge in an espresso.
Sun: 3:00pm - 8:30pm Mon: ClosedTue - Fri: 5:00pm - 9:30pm Sat: 4:00pm - 9:30pm
Delivery orders for this restaurant are delivered by Chow Gofer. Please contact Chow Gofer at 201-944-0005 in order to receive any updates regarding your delivery order.


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First look at Navy's experimental railgun that can fire at 4,500 miles an hour
A warning siren bellowed through the concrete bunker of a top-secret Naval facility where U.S. military engineers prepared to demonstrate a weapon for which there is little defense.
Officials huddled at a video screen for a first look at a deadly new supergun that can fire a 25-pound projectile through seven steel plates and leave a 5-inch hole.
The weapon is called a railgun and requires neither gunpowder nor explosive. It is powered by electromagnetic rails that accelerate a hardened projectile to staggering velocity—a battlefield meteorite with the power to one day transform military strategy, say supporters, and keep the U.S. ahead of advancing Russian and Chinese weaponry.
In conventional guns, a bullet loses velocity from the moment the gunpowder ignites and sends it flying. The railgun projectile instead gains speed as it travels the length of a 32-foot barrel, exiting the muzzle at 4,500 miles an hour, or more than a mile a second.
"This is going to change the way we fight," said U.S. Navy Adm. Mat Winter, the head of the Office of Naval Research.
The Navy developed the railgun as a potent offensive weapon to blow holes in enemy ships, destroy tanks and level terrorist camps. The weapon system has the attention of top Pentagon officials also interested in its potential to knock enemy missiles out of the sky more inexpensively and in greater numbers than current missile-defense systems—perhaps within a decade.
The future challenge for the U.S. military, in broad terms, is maintaining a global reach with declining numbers of Navy ships and land forces. Growing expenses and fixed budgets make it more difficult to maintain large forces in the right places to deter aggression.
"I can't conceive of a future where we would replicate Cold War forces in Europe," said Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work, one of the weapon's chief boosters. "But I could conceive of a set of railguns that would be inexpensive but would have enormous deterrent value. They would have value against airplanes, missiles, tanks, almost anything."


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Thank you very much! I downloaded your Exporter-all.js file, went through and converted all the ExtJS3 code from your individual ExtJS4 updates. I modified the code so that exportGrid, exportStore, and exportTree do not return the encoded data. Then I updated the button to call the encode directly. So now, in my code, I make a call to exportGrid to get the data. I check the browser to see if it can use the data urls. If so, I do a redirect to the data url. Otherwise I send the non-encoded data to a java servlet so that browsers like IE7 can export the grid to excel
Everything worked great! I liked the format update to your code from ExtJS3


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One of the great things about owning an Android phone is the ability to use gesture commands. It's something Samsung users are used to with all of Sammy's "smart" features, but some users with other handsets have been left out in the cold. If you're one of those people, Twisty Launcher may be the app for you as it's a new Android App that allows you to use gestures to launch apps.
Most smartphones have some kind touch-based or gesture controls whether it's drawing a letter on the screen to pull up an app or flipping your phone over to mute it – that one is a personal favorite of mine. Twisty Launcher does things a little differently as you actually twist your phone to launch apps at any time regardless of what's going on in the background. Browsing through emails and see something you just have to take a picture of? All you need is a little twist, and you'll be able to snap photos instantly.
The Twisty Launcher has a layout that's easy to navigate which makes setting up gestures and commands a breeze. You simply need to enable a gesture, pick an app, and you're good to go. That said, you're limited to what you can actually do as only one gesture is available for free. You'll get the camera chop gesture for free, but the other two gestures along with the ability to actually pick the app they control can only be unlocked via an in-app purchase. It's nothing new, but a little disappointing considering there's only 3 gestures currently available.
Twisty Launcher is a great idea, and we're happy to report it works as advertised. I had no issue pulling off the camera flip so one can assume the other two gestures (Face Down Up & Twist Twice) work in a similar fashion. Keep in mind you'll only get the camera gesture for free, and the other two can be unlocked via an IAP for $1.00. It's a good price for some handy function – just make sure you don't have butterfingers before flipping your phone about like a madman. You can pick up Prometheus Interactive's Twisty Launcher on Google Play.


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Suppliers for Polishing Machinery, Abrasive Belt
|City, State
|» Divine Brothers Co.
|Utica, NY
Polishing Machinery, Abrasive Belt suppliers are listed below:
» Indicates Expanded Online Showroom.
|City, State
|Acme Manufacturing Co.
|Auburn Hills, MI
|Advanced Finishing Technologies
|Grand Rapids, MI
|» AM Machinery Sales, Inc.
|Warminster, PA
|American Siepmann Corp.
|Rochester, NY
|Automated Cells & Equipment, Inc.
|Painted Post, NY
|» biganodes
|Forest City, NC
|» Divine Brothers Co.
|Utica, NY
|» GPB Distributing, Inc.
|Rochester, NY
|Hammond Roto-Finish
|Kalamazoo, MI
|» Lanco Acquisition LLC
|Sparta, MI
|Leco Corporation
|St. Joseph, MI
|LS Industries
|Wichita, KS
|Maverick Abrasives, Reliable Buff
|Placentia, CA
|Pinnacle Technologies Inc.
|Wyckoff, NJ
|United Surface Preparation
|Anoka, MN


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A new album, a tour across the United States, what more could you possibly ask for from Epitaph Records golden boys from down under, Parkway Drive. Pittsburgh just so happened to be on the list this time around, and it is quite humorous because the last time they were here, it was at Altar Bar (R.I.P.). From Altar Bar to Stage AE is quite the upgrade, the fully packed venue just goes to show how far they have come since they were a small town metalcore band. Having Orange County's Stick To Your Guns and Bad Omens on the card definitely helped. Since that time period, Parkway Drive have definitely matured with their music and have been breaking the barrier of metal music with each and every release.
From the last time Parkway Drive was here to now, expectations were fairly high since they have been really stepping up their game in the performance and props department. The crazy things they have been adding to their sets have been all over social media and they have been nothing short of spectacular. Sadly, we did not get to experience all the extra stage props on this tour, but the natural raw performance we did get to experience was something that was well needed. A lot of bands "oversell" the music with props, so seeing Parkway Drive without the extra props, and seeing them as an actual band who does nothing but constantly raises the bar so far out of reach that they are almost untouchable was more than worth it.
Throughout the night, they played a very odd setlist I felt covering songs from their sophomore album, Horizons, all the way to their latest release, Reverence. When I say "odd" I mean more along the lines of that they didn't play all the songs you would expect them to play. It was kind of nice that the normal everyday setlist was different. Songs like Boneyards, Idols and Anchors, and Dead Man's Chest were played rather than Romance is Dead, Deliver Me, Swing, Dark Days, etc. Fact of the matter is, is that it's nice to see a band still mixing up their sets to keep people on their toes.
The biggest thing I noticed during their set was this, all of the new songs hit so unbelievably hard live! Listening to their newer songs in the car doesn't even come close in comparison to the exact same songs live. The catchy chorus lines, singalongs, and head banging riffs all at once was just overpowering and you couldn't help yourself but to give into every demand Winston McCall had on stage. Luckily all he wanted was for people to jump and scream a lot. Songs like Vice Grip, The Void, and Prey were huge hits throughout the night because of the intense choruses and such.
Overall, we get to hear some of the best songs Parkway Drive has to offer, Wild Eyes and Carrion are always all time favorites for people, Karma is another great fast song of theirs, Crushed and Bottom Feeder to wrap up the night, a lot of great picks for the night and they went hard for every song. There's a reason why they are always nominated for numerous different awards for their work as a band and seeing them live proves every part of it time and time again. This may be the last time we see them for another couple of years, but I will only expect more from them the next time around, and they always seem to never disappoint in the least.
Stick To Your Guns wasted no time in engaging the crowd at Stage AE opening with the hard-hitting The Sun, The Moon, The Truth: "Penance of Self". Jesse Barnett (vox) has a golden throat that can belt hard with the best of them. It took a bit to get the crowd completely engaged prompting Barnett to say, "You know why I love Pittsburgh? You make us work for it!" And work for it they did, entertaining the hell out of their current fans and definitely gaining a ton of new ones who may have never encountered the force that is STYG.
Guitarist Josh James met with us pre-show and post-workout for an interview to discuss all thing True View and much more. Watch here. Josh's grueling workout did not keep him from throwing all his energy into the performance as he jumped, sang, played, and generally crushed all. Along with rhythm guitarist Chris Rawson, Andrew Rose on bass, and George Schmitz on drums the band was extremely tight and packed in a lot of entertainment into the seven-song set (Nobody, Such Pain, Empty Heads, The Reach for Me: "Forgiveness of Self", Doomed By You, and Against Them All. STYG never disappoints.
Parkway Drive photos David Mondine © 2018
Categories: Concert Review, Pictorial, Pittsburgh Event, Pittsburgh Premiere


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Moon & stars themed wedding: Molly + Andrew
Before this wedding became the adorable moon & stars themed wedding that you see now, it was going to be a 60s Hollywood glamour themed wedding. That would have been great too, but when Molly told us that it evolved into a vintage starry night prom theme, and that she wanted to combine florals and paper decor to create a magical transformation of spaces we couldn't wait to see how it would turn out. Oh, and we didn't even mention that she's also a florist. You know what that means… pretty florals await. Click here to jump on over to the full gallery of images.
Andrew's Dad played an instrumental version of Plain Song by The Cure as Molly walked down the aisle. And for their first dance the band (Juke Joint Rhythm Rockers) played Earth Angel.
Coral Charm Peonies, roses, sweet pea, french tulips, cymbidium orchids, helleborus(from my garden), jasmine vine, ranunculus, green trick dianthus and hypericum berry
Molly's bridal bouquet recipe: coral charm peonies, roses, sweet pea, french tulips, cymbidium orchids, helleborus (from her garden), jasmine vine, ranunculus, green trick dianthus and hypericum berry.
Homemade limencello acted as both the favors and escort cards.
As a florist it is so hard to pick a favorite flower. Coral Charm Peonies are just truly awesome. When we decided on May I was so thrilled that they would be available. Every color choice I made was based on the beauty of the Coral Charm Peony. With inspiration like that how could we go wrong…
Now we see the "prom" theme. This little photo op looks way too fun.
And then they topped it all off with an adorable cake decorated with those peonies. Can one ever get tired of peonies? Never!
Congratulations you two!
Photographer: First Mate Photography / Ceremony & Reception Venue: Red Lion Inn Cohasset MA / Event Coordinator: Elizabeth from the Red Lion Inn
Hair: Mel at Solus Hair Creations in Quincy MA / Makeup: Sue MacDonald / Florist: Fleur Girls / Cake: Montilios / Catering: Red Lion Inn / Invitation designer: Wedding Paper Divas / Paper Stars: Fleur Girls / Wedding Dress: purchased at Vows, alterations done by Bridal Alterations by Anahit / Shoes: Miu Miu / Veil: made by Bridal Alterations by Anahit / Necklace: made by bride / Groom's Suit: Vera Wang / Bridesmaid Dresses: ModCloth / Groomsmen: Vera Wang
Social Love
Kristina Juarbe (Thirty Three and a Third) on Sep 17, 2013
Very cute wedding! Love the theme!
Nicole Underwood on Sep 17, 2013
Wowza!! beautiful!!!!
leo tassinari on Sep 17, 2013
amazing!!!! what a gorgouse wedding and an even more gorgouse bride!!!!! congrats! your pictures warmed my heart! leo
My Love Wedding Ring on Sep 18, 2013
Beautiful dresses!
Blair on Apr 30, 2014
Can I get more information about the moon photobooth pictured here? Would love to acquire one similar or make it!
Image Studio on Aug 16, 2014
The photos are really amazing.
Cristian on Jul 16, 2015
absolutely beautiful!
Maya on Sep 16, 2015
Wow! beautiful!!!!
Mike on Oct 14, 2015
Beautiful dresses!
Veronica on Nov 6, 2015
very very very beautiful!


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The Archives contains original art works, letters, photographs, news clippings, bibliographical citations, exhibitions records, biographical information, naval camouflage designs from World Wars I & II, and other important source materials on the life and works of the artist. Any information on ownership or location of his art works would be most appreciated by the archivist. Also, other data such as personal recollections, memorabilia, or information on his works for sale will be equally welcomed. In addition, the Archives will assist in matters of authentication, provide information on dating of works, and answer research inquiries.
All inquiries concerning Everett Warner and his artwork should be directed to:
Everett Warner Archives
Thomas E. Warner, Archivist
10106 East Bexhill Dr.
Kensington, MD 20895


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Toyota Corolla Altis is a mid-size luxury sedan car in India that has stronghold on this market and has enough firepower to compete with the rivals in impeccable manner. It delivers a far more striking style and a sporty look than its previous model. Even the interior has been updated with new exciting equipments and functions. The car comes with more comfort and legroom for the passengers. The Altis is a luxury sedan and even on poor roads in cities, the suspension setup of the Altis works well with the car handling. Sporty and stylish attire of the Altis is gained through its aggressive design. The interiors of this car look excellent and have a lot of features.
Engine and Performance:
The Toyota Corolla Altis comes in both 1.8-liter VVTi petrol engine and 1.4-liter D4-D diesel engine. A 6- speed manual gearbox is standard for both engines and in addition petrol model will be offered a 7- speed CVT gearbox. Toyota Corolla Altis delivers 21.43 kmpl for 1.4 L diesel version and 14.53 kmpl for its 1.8 L petrol version.
Features and Specifications:
The features and specifications of Altis are 7.0 Touch Screen Audio with Bluetooth, Navigation & Voice Command as well as electronically adjustable seats, Xenon lamps, front parking sensors etc are. Daytime running lamp, illuminated scuff plate and ORVM chrome garnish completes its finesse.
It has splendid interior design with beige leather upholstery trim for the seats as well as fake wood inserts. Rear Reclining Seat, paddle shift and more leg space are revised for more comfort in the new model. Rear AC vents, parking sensors, ABS with EBD, electronically adjustable OVRMs, airbags for both driver and passengers etc are standard features of Altis. Rear reading lamp and rear sun shade, smart entry with push start/stop option, cruise control rear power socket etc are features that caters passenger's convenience.
The model excel in its look and appearance. A muscular disguise is attained by inserting a new 16-inch alloy wheels with bulged out wheel arches. It has a chrome grille up front along with LED headlamps, tail-lamps, sleek fog lamp gives it a stunning look. The sporty bumper, slopping bonnet and longer wheelbase add up-to its athletic character compared to its predecessor.
When it comes to price you should remember that the price is quite reasonable and comes within the budget of all upper-middle class people. Corolla Altis one of the new launches from the house of Toyota Motor Corporation a lot of its productions. This is the one which is an advanced version of the Corolla sedan and it also replaces the older generation of Corolla.
This is a sedan that comes with absolutely different redefined luxury and style. It also provides a real fabulous smooth driving experience. When compared to the many old Corolla you will see that the Altis has larger dimensions and is also the one that provides an attractive and adorable look.
It has been seen from a long time that the Toyota Corolla is been of the very premium selling cars across the globe and its product sales is just too high as compared to others. When it comes to performance and other power train aspects you will see that there is a lot to note. There are many variants which are made available in this model and you will also see that this supports both Petrol engines and Diesel engines. These engines come with Variable Valve Timing too. This is one which is tried and tested with other sedans and therefore found that driving this is extremely enjoyable.
When you take a look you will also see that as this car has ergonomically designed interiors it is attractive. Apart from this the seating is also made up in a way that it ensures a complete comfortable drive. It also has an Electronic Power Steering (EPS) which offers a very efficient and also easy handling at any speed. You start looking and you will find that the Altis is the one which comes with really trendy 15-inch, 7-spoke, alloy wheels which ensure a firm grip, and also better on-road performance. They are also very trendy in style and therefore add to its features.
Further when you start to notice closely you will also find that it is a top-end model of Corolla which comes along with few good features. These include headlamp washers, auto dimming inside rear view mirror, 8-way power adjustable driver seats, high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps, electric lumber support and also cruise control.
These cars have attractive cabins and the Altis's cabin is really very attractive eye-catching, user-friendly and is also very much spacious. You will see that it will provide not just the passenger but also the driver with absolute comfort. With this you can always get a feel of complete luxury.
Toyota Corolla Altis Photo Gallery
Hire Honda Corolla Altis


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Man in the Mirror/Asia is an independent ministry based in Malaysia. They are committed to men's discipleship using Man in the Mirror products and resources. To learn more, please contact:
Robert Lim, Man in the Mirror Asia Resources
Email: email@example.com
Mobile: 60122107444
Skype: robhophop
Since 1986, Man in the Mirror has worked with more than 25,000 churches and millions of men. We help churches create an environment where the Holy Spirit inspires men to engage in life-on-life discipleship.
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The Cross House
Repairing a Roof Finial. Part II
Recently, I did a post about repairing the turret finial.
I could just paint the finial and put it back in place. I could.
But just can't.
So I asked Mark from WF Norman to give me a quote on repairing the egregious issues.
Today he got back with me.
About $1200. Gulp.
Mark also warned, ominously:
Now for the "BIG IF" concerning these repairs. Your old finial could very well be made out of pure sheet zinc. We still work in sheet zinc today. And we have worked on a zillion 100-year old zinc ornaments like yours over the years. Over that many years zinc crystalizes in a way that can make it very brittle, and also difficult to impossible to make solder stick to. We have worked on things like your old finial that literally crumble and fall apart in your hands. At a minimum we would have to remove paint where we needed to solder. This in itself should not be a problem since you will no doubt repaint your finial anyway. We would also have to do some light grinding and sanding of the areas that needed to be soldered. And we would have to use some mildly acidic flux to get solder to stick. Even with all this work there are times when the old zinc given to us to repair cannot be repaired given our best efforts. I include this paragraph as a heads-up to one of the bad things we could encounter.
Having said that, my feeling in looking at your photos is that your finial would be worth trying to repair. It doesn't look like a lost cause. We'll have to have it here in our shop to confirm any of these possibilities one way or the other.
The cost is more than I had hoped, but less than I had feared (I feared like $4500). So……..I am going to……..bite the bullet, and go ahead. Of course, I will not be able to afford to eat for the next few months. Or pay the mortgage next month. And electric bill.
On the bright side however…ROAD TRIP! To WF Norman!!!!!!!!
Amy, are you packed?


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What we've learned from the Washington Redskins first week of free agency:
They don't want to spend big anymore. Unless it's viewed as being for an impact player, such as corner Josh Norman last season. They need more help along the defensive line, but let Bennie Logan sign elsewhere for $7 million and weren't in on Dontari Poe, who signed for $8 million. My New York Giants colleague, Jordan Raanan, reported that Johnathan Hankins was looking for at least $10 million a year (if his price tag lowers, the Redskins need to get in on him). Washington would not have pursued receiver Terrelle Pryor had there been a market for him. The Redskins have done a good job of not taking on bad contracts the last several years. Agents who once used the Redskins to drive up prices, now believe the team's goal is to "win the deal." They certainly won on Pryor's one-year, $6 million contract. Call it the mental scars of bad contracts from days gone by. It's allowed them to improve their salary-cap situation. (That said, they are willing to let Kirk Cousins play another year at $24 million vs. the cap). It's also why I can't say players are avoiding the Redskins because of whatever else is going on; they're just not willing to overspend. But the bottom line: They haven't done a good job building the defense, whether through free agency or the draft.
For all the talk about former general manager Scot McCloughan's expertise, a lot of that is on him. (Draft classes take a few years to mature, so it's unfair to be definitive on them now.) But his first free-agent class from 2015 is all gone and never helped. Then again, they can't just blame him because they've made it clear it's never been just one person calling the shots on personnel moves. If you're prudent with money and winning, people view it as a good plan. Otherwise, they are skeptical and lately the Redskins have been average (following an ugly two-year stretch). If you can develop your talent, then it's not a big issue. The Redskins used to own the offseason and never win. There is a middle ground; you look smart when you build a winning team.
They did not view Chris Baker and Ricky Jean Francois the same as others. Baker was productive, but they considered him inconsistent with performance and effort – they did attempt to re-sign him, albeit at a lower price than he received from Tampa Bay. Jean Francois wasn't as productive and was going to cost $4 million vs. the salary cap. Yes, he spoke out vs. the team and if you're slated to be a backup and aren't a top producer, then that's a good way to lose a gig. Jean Francois won the Media Good Guy award last season and was easy to deal with; he was always available in the locker room. But it was not unanimous among teammates that he was a leader. Some players viewed him that way; others rolled their eyes at his comments. I also believe that some of the uproar, if you want to call it that, about his release stems from a distrust of the organization's moves – and the lack of anyone named Logan or Hankins having been signed. Right now, some are saying: Well, duh.
The question then becomes: Will Stacy McGee and Terrell McClain – and the development of others in-house – be an upgrade? The Redskins' track record with defensive linemen the last few years hasn't been great, so the team must pardon the skepticism. Perhaps a more proven line coach – Jim Tomsula instead of Robb Akey – will make a difference. It certainly won't hurt. I don't think the Redskins are done up front and certainly aren't finished adding pieces to the defense, now or in the draft. Then we'll have to decide if there's real improvement or just re-arranging deck chairs. Fortunately, the season answers all questions. But they're also not sweating the loss of two-thirds of their defensive-line starters from last season. The one guy they did bring back, Ziggy Hood, is just a work-hard, do-your-job guy – and also cheaper. Not every signing must be a big-named one; depth is important and when filling out a 90-man roster, you need many players. That's why they signed linebacker Chris Carter. By far, his biggest contribution likely will occur on special teams.
They want secondary help. That's why they signed safety D.J. Swearinger, who could/should end up pairing with Su'a Cravens as the starting safeties. And it's why they hosted Darius Butler on Thursday, although the Colts made a late push to successfully re-sign him. Butler's versatility -- he can play corner and safety -- would have been welcomed in Washington. The Redskins could always re-sign corner Greg Toler, but likely wouldn't make that decision until after the draft. They do have Will Blackmon and DeAngelo Hall among veteran options at safety (DeShazor Everett, too, but he's a bigger help on special teams). The draft is deep at safety and corner, so I doubt this quest ends.


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Minutes of Gibson Park Precinct Meeting
Tuesday 27 February 2018
Library, East Fremantle Primary School
Attendance: Coralie Clarke, Val Cousins, Ron Kawalilak, Karl Paterson, Gerald Shepperson, June Shepperson, Lisa O'Malley MLA, Cr Jenny Archibald
Apologies: Gail & Greg Harper, Cr Ingrid Waltham
Meeting opened – 7.05 pm
Chairperson – Val Cousins
Minutes – Ron Kawalilak
- Approval of Agenda and Minutes – Attendees agreed with the agenda presented. Minutes of the meeting held 5 December 2017 were approved.
- Draft Precincts Policy – The City has prepared a new policy on Precinct Groups (replacing Precinct Guidelines dated August 2012) and this policy is open for public comment until 12 March 2018. The draft policy proposes that all groups have open and cost free membership where any interested community member is welcome to participate, and outlines the range of communication, financial and networking support available to precinct groups from the City. The role of the City's Community Engagement Team in the operation and support of precinct groups is better defined than it was before. Action: Ron to provide the comment on, and support for, the draft policy through mysay.fremantle before submissions close on 12 March 2018.
- High Street and Stirling Hwy/High Street Intersection Upgrades – While no announcements on resolving this long-running issue have been made so far this year, Lisa and Jenny told the meeting that an announcement from the State Government was likely within the next two to three weeks. Postscript: A new draft concept plan for upgrading High Street was released by the State Government on 6 March 2018. The draft concept (see map attached) includes a roundabout at the Stirling Highway intersection, a wide median to separate traffic and preserve a number of mature trees, and a single-lane service road for residents north of High Street. Traffic headed towards the port will be fed through the two-lane roundabout. Traffic coming from the port will avoid the roundabout, turning left via a dedicated slip lane to be cut through some properties on High and Holland Streets. The draft concept plan does not include reference to much needed E/W and N/S pedestrian and cyclist crossings of Stirling Highway and High Street.
- Playground Upgrade and Other Improvements to Gibson Park – Val asked for an update on the stalled plans to upgrade the non-netball parts of Frank Gibson Park. Background: After consultation with precinct members in 2015, the city's parks and garden team produced a three-stage plan for proposed improvements/upgrades to Gibson Park that was discussed at a precinct meeting in February 2016. Stage 1 involved consolidating various fences for a more uniform appearance; installing a footpath and associated plantings along the Forrest Street verge of the park; removing existing equipment from the swing pit; replacing mulch in existing play areas with clean white sand; and installing new adventure play equipment and associated plantings. Work to be carried out in Stage 2 and 3 included installation of new exercise equipment and associated plantings; planting of new shade trees; repairs to the High Street retaining wall; construction of formal car-parking along Wilkinson St verge and more. While further action on the project was delayed in 2016-17 because of changes within the city's parks and garden team, and there was a budget item for this project in Fremantle's 2017-18 draft budget, the proposed upgrade has not progressed. Action: Cr Archibald to look into the status of the proposed upgrade and report back to the Precinct.
- Dogs and Gibson Park – Coralie told the meeting that some of the bins in the park used to dispose of dog poo bags had been broken off and removed and this was causing a problem with disposing of these bags in a proper matter. She also noted that an increasing number of people exercising their dogs in the park were not picking up after their dogs, or controlling them properly, and a recent incident involved a large, boisterous dog that broke the leg of a puppy, causing the leg to be amputated. Rangers were following up on this last incident. Action: Cr Archibald to look into the status of the broken and missing bins and report back to the Precinct.
- Precinct Meeting Schedule – Precinct meetings are held the last Tuesday of every second month at 7pm in the library of East Fremantle Primary School. Meetings in 2018 are scheduled for February 28, April 24, June 26, August 28, October 30 and a pre-Christmas date to be determined.
- NBN Community Forum – Lisa O'Malley said area residents wishing to learn more or ask questions about the National Broadband Network were invited to attend a forum at the Tradewinds Hotel, 6:30pm – 8pm, on Thursday, 15 March 2018. RSVP on 9316 0666 or firstname.lastname@example.com. The NBN has recently been switched on in parts of Fremantle, East Fremantle and Palmyra.
Meeting closed – 8:00 pm
Next Meeting – Tuesday, 24 April 2018
7:00 pm
Library, East Fremantle Primary School
Check Freospace for details: www.freospace.com.au
Contact Person:
Karl Paterson 6161 5890


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Advertising.com Adds Convergent Media Product
Page 1 of 1
Online ad network Advertising.com Tuesday unveiled an update to its ad serving capabilities that enables a banner ad to link to wireless, e-mail and Web creatives, allowing consumers to choose when and how they receive promotions.
The product allows advertisers to provide options for consumers, once they click on a banner ad, to pick whether they want coupons and promotional materials delivered via e-mail, to their SMS-enabled wireless phone, or via the Web for printing.
Another feature of the product is that consumers can select how they want to receive promotional material within the banner, without having to click to another site.
Baltimore-based Advertising.com said the product would shave costs for advertisers and increase options for consumers.
Ferber also said he anticipated wireless phones becoming "consumers' best source for saving money."
Advertising.com has been experimenting with wireless ads -- both SMS, WAP alerts and WAP banners -- since early last year. However, Tuesday's specialized offering wraps together wireless, e-mail and Web communications in a way that might seem more appealing to advertisers than buying Advertising.com's e-mail or standard media offerings individually. It may also appeal to those reluctant to invest heavily in wireless advertising, which is still in its infancy.
"Online couponing and promotions will bridge Web and wireless for many advertisers," Ferber said. "With our service, advertisers will be able to monitor consumers' use and interest in wireless promotions. For many advertisers, it will be their first experience with wireless."


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Throughout history, healthcare providers and the pharma industry generally made the decisions for the patients. This is no longer the case — just go and ask a patient.
"In today's dynamic and rapidly evolving healthcare environment, patients rightfully demand an active and informed role in managing their disease," says Niko Andre, Head of Global Medical Affairs at Roche and a strong advocate for patient-centricity. "And we have a lot to learn from them."
He is passionate and invigorated when contemplating the future of healthcare and the vast potential to transform lives of patients through truly transformational medicines and healthcare services. He clearly envisions a future that will be patient-powered, with the patient perspective firmly embedded in every aspect of pharmaceutical development and care delivery.
Integrating the patient voice into drug development and care delivery is not only part our responsibility to do right by patients and society, but it brings a more personalised approach to healthcare.
"To achieve this, we are developing holistic patient-partnering strategies that encourage listening to patient needs before embarking on the development and project journey," says Niko. But it wasn't always the case.
Physician knows best? Maybe ask a patient.
Early relationships between patients and patient organisations and Roche had a very different flavour to it than it does today. Irmi Gallmeier, Senior International Health Policy Leader at Roche, doesn't mince words: "In the past the relationship was typically financial. It was primarily us providing contributions to patient organisations for their awareness campaigns and capacity building" she says. She describes these early relationships as patient engagement, but the type of engagement that doesn't come close to a partnership. "It was felt there was little, if any, need to strategically include a strong patient input in our business processes."
The patient voice wasn't considered critical to drug development. "The old way of thinking was that patients did what their physicians instructed them to do, especially before the massive proliferation of online health resources and patient communities," says Nina Ahluwalia, Head of Product Development Patient Insights at Roche, whose team works to gather and interpret patient input and acts as expert consultants to the clinician scientists.
"We felt we had a moderate idea of what was best for patients, because our teams contained medical experts and clinical trial experts. There was some thought about patients' preferences, but limited opportunities to engage them directly and actually ask them about their experiences and preferences," says Nina.
"It wasn't really the norm to involve them in planning a clinical trial. If you think about it now from a patient's perspective, and how much we ask of them emotionally, mentally and physically to participate in trials, and how central their participation is to our success, it's rather obvious that they should have a say in our development," she says.
The patient takes control
With increasing competition, the rise in personalised healthcare and an increasingly empowered (and vocal) patient population demanding trials and treatments that better fit their needs, Roche saw a need and a challenge. A group in Product Development (PD) came up with a positive solution. "The objective was to gather patient input and put their experiences, needs, and preferences at the center while planning trials," Nina says.
Moving from simple engagement with patient groups evolved into an increased level of patient partnership in the development process. This has led to a wake-up call in terms of focusing on patient-relevant value; value defined by patients. In the need for better clinical trial design, it is critical to focus on what patients deem successful, as opposed to Roche making assumptions about what "valuable" constitutes.
Currently there is no regulation from main health authorities, such as the FDA and EMA, that require proof of patient input in clinical trial design or drug development; there are only guidelines. "But if you discuss a valuable study goal with the FDA they will ask about patient input. From a regulatory perspective, you'll need to bring proof of patient input, but how companies interpret them is up for debate" says Mathias Leddin, Data Scientist in pRED at Roche.
He stresses the importance of Roche including the patient perspective in clinical trial design, especially when it comes to benefiting the patient. "It's essential to discuss endpoints with patients because it's no longer about just survival, it's about value and quality of life."
It's not as simple as asking: did the tumor shrink or not? When it comes to living with a disease, only patients can define what value means. There's no way to know what a patient-relevant value is if we don't ask them.
The future is a two way street
Irmi explains that "the new paradigm would be a true mutually beneficial patient partnership where we work together directly with patients and patient groups on a more systematic basis. This will bring their perspectives and insights to the entire continuum of our medicine lifecycle and involve them strategically in the major decisions we are making as a company."
"It's about developing medicines and assessing our medicines so that they have a patient-relevant value," she adds.
Talking to individuals with ASD reveals surprises and insights
Early in the planning of a clinical trial, coming together in Patient Advisory Boards — an official meeting and information gathering session between Roche and patients or caregivers — is the moment for us to understand a patient's journey, their motivations and barriers to participating in clinical trials. "The connection established during advisory boards between patients and the team members is powerful, and the mutual empathy we gain drives all of us to work together as partners," says Nina. "Our clinical development teams walk away with a better sense of what patients like and don't like about our trial, practical advice on how to improve upon their experience and more effectively educate patients about trial specifics like the design and purpose, and what to expect with procedures and tests. We are invariably surprised by some of their input; there's always at least a few nuggets where we say 'wow we didn't realise they feel this way'".
Patients have rightfully stepped up to become empowered owners of their decisions, their data and their future.
One such nugget came out of the Patient and Support Partner Advisory Board in anticipation of a clinical trial in autism. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) do not refer to themselves as patients; they are "individuals with ASD" or "self-advocates". "They're high-functioning autistic adults; they're not sick. They just communicate and interact with the world a little differently. It caught us by surprise and resulted in a real change in our approach. The team went back and rewrote communication material to reflect their perspective and respect their unique experience."
The team also gathered that people with ASD don't consider people who support them as caregivers in a traditional sense. High-functioning autistic individuals are assisted by friends and family, most of whom also don't happen to meet the guideline definition of a caregiver. However, the primary endpoint for the planned trial, accepted by regulatory agencies, is completed by a caregiver or support partner - someone who is able to observe the individual with autism and who can complete assessments as part of the clinical trial. The team went back again and rewrote the clinical trial's definition of a caregiver, to better match the real-life relationships between people with ASD and their loved ones.
How to gather patient input: ask them
Donna Murray, Vice President of Clinical Programs & Head of Autism Treatment Network at Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organisation based in the US, played a pivotal role at the Advisory Board between Roche and individuals with ASD. "It was refreshing to bring together self-advocates, families, clinicians, researchers and pharma to discuss the needs and challenges required to successfully do research with this population."
"Clinical trials can be very demanding and it's incredibly important that we work together with families and self-advocates to really find out what they want and need, and to identify the reservations and concerns towards participation in clinical trials," she explains.
"Roche was sensitive to addressing the needs of this community — beyond the specific clinical trial as well. The information they gathered and applied proves how these interactions inform how we can work together to advance care for individuals with ASD more broadly; including how we can improve the ability to successfully run clinical trials for those with ASD."
This partnership with patients was essential to the success in recruiting and retaining participants for the trial, but it also helps produce a more meaningful outcome. Patient partnership is still happening on an ad hoc basis and, according to Nina, that's not enough. In order to establish the patient as a true partner, it has to become more ingrained in the entire product life cycle.
We can only bring the evidence of what is a patient relevant value if we work together with them, only then can we provide it and we can only do that together with patients as partners.
Niko recognises that "patient groups and Roche share a powerful joint vision: to improve patients' access to innovative treatments. This is why we see patients as our partners, and are putting it into practice. We cannot develop successful medicines without the insights and involvement of patients, caregivers and patient groups."
"Embedding the patient's perspective and voice into everything we do has never been more important than today," he adds.
Always a partner, right from the beginning
Patient engagement strategies are quickly being implemented into integral business practices to strengthen the efficiency of our medicines, and meet the needs of empowered patients. Nina describes how "the goal is based on the necessity to embed patient input in our processes. Patient input in clinical trial design must be a systematic and strategic pillar of how we do our business."
One example is the upcoming launch of the Patient Platform which will provide disease education, awareness of Roche clinical trials, and recruitment and clinical trial results directly to patients, making it easier for caregivers and patients to connect to possible clinical trial sites. "Responding to the public and regulatory demand, we have committed to provide lay person summaries with clinical trial participants within one year of study completion," Niko explains.
Another measure is to roll out a systematic and strategic process to design clinical trials based on patient input across the molecule lifecycle, and to discuss the patient engagement strategy in drug development by disease area on a franchise level.
Nina reports that the first pilot was a moderate success. With some adjustments, the model will move to the next phase and be ready for implementation more widely through all of Roche's franchises.
All of these activities are reviewed by patients before being implemented.
At the core of everything
In today's fast-paced, complex and highly competitive business landscape, there's no time to lose. Every medicine and treatment must be developed in partnership with patient groups in order to provide relevant and real value to patients and caregivers. And Niko points out what is at stake.
"The company is very much in a transformation mode and patient partnerships present incredible opportunities to evolve our business model to serve society better. This transformation — to innovate with patients — will require a huge mindset shift. Everyone in the company needs to be on board in order to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape," he says. "The future of patient-centricity lies in a coordinated effort and a dedication to position the patient voice at the center of everything we do.
Find out more about clinical trials
Clinical trials
Find out how we determine whether new drugs, diagnostics or procedures in the laboratory are both safe and effective when used to diagnose or treat people.more


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Honeywell To Provide Turbos To Scuderia Ferrari In Formula 1
March 11, 2014
Honeywell Turbo Technologies will boost the engines of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 car in 2014. Formula 1 is adopting a new rules package that requires cars to be turbocharged marking a new technical era for the pinnacle of global motorsport racing.
Honeywell will support the Scuderia Ferrari team with the unique technical challenge of moving to an all-new turbocharged 1.6L V6 engine from a 2.4L naturally-aspirated V8 configuration used from 2006 through 2013. This downsized 1.6L engine will produce the equivalent power of a production Honeywell turbocharged 16L commercial vehicle engine. The new downsized turbo engines are also designed with the latest in energy recovery technology to support other systems in the race car.
"To win in Formula 1, our powertrain system must have no weak links," said Luca Marmorini, Scuderia Ferrari Engine and Electronics Director. "To ensure that, we choose partners with impeccable reputations and experience in delivering innovative, high quality products and services. Honeywell's turbochargers helped us find the downsizing solutions we needed to meet the new rules without compromising the performance."
Read the press release for additional details.


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The Vatican has announced that Catholics may be cremated, but are unable to keep the ashes of loved ones in urns at home. The new guidelines, produced by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, stipulate that cremated remains (cremains to the word-play lovers among us) should be kept in a "sacred place," most usually a cemetery. The scattering of ashes at sea, in woodland groves, or in volcanoes is now strictly prohibited. Cremation is not anti-Christian, and funerary rites are not to be withheld from those who are cremated, but in general burial is much to be preferred.
This comes as news to the billions of Catholics who thought that cremation was acceptable because the Vatican explicitly said as much in 1963. If cremation was already permissible, why have they issued guidelines?
Skeptics note that this is really all about the money. The funeral industry is big business, and perhaps the Vatican wants a greater slice of the internment pie. Certainly, being buried intact on sacred ground is more expensive than being deposited in ashy form on the mantelpiece. And selling mini-burials for cremains could both be a source of revenue and offer an incentive for relatives with spotty attendance records to return to church. This does, however, seem to be an unfair characterization both of Catholic priests, who officiate at funerals for nominal fees, and of organizations like the St. Joseph of Arimathea Society Pallbearer Ministry, in which volunteers participate in the funerals of the poor free of charge.
Ostensibly the Vatican is reacting to recent innovations in the necropolis industry. Cremains in particular have become a site of commercialization. If your childhood dream was to be an astronaut, well, good news: you can have your remains launched into space. If your grieving loved ones want to keep you close to them, they can have your ashes tattooed onto their bodies or transformed into "diamonds."
But this is not only about a discomfort with new-fangled burial rites; it is also about a sense of religious purity and the formation of Catholic identity. The guidelines explicitly associate cremation with "pagan" religious practices: "When the deceased notoriously has requested cremation and the scattering of their ashes for reasons contrary to the Christian faith," the guidelines rule, "a Christian funeral must be denied to that person according to the norms of the law." There is no room for religious syncretism in the burial of the dead.
The denunciation of cremation as a "pagan" practice is actually nothing new. As early as the eighth century cremation was associated with paganism, and the emperor Charlemagne later insisted that German converts to Christianity abandon their funerary pyres. And when cremation was reintroduced in the 18th and 19th century, it was conceived of as a recapturing of the classical spirit. The eccentric Prussian monarch Frederick the Great is rumored to have requested to be "burned in the Roman fashion." And Jacob Grimm, of fairytales fame, argued to the Berlin academy in 1849 that the introduction of cremation in pre-classical antiquity had actually represented an advance in culture. It was aesthetically pleasing, practical, and, he added, a welcome departure from Christianized burial.
Cremation, as a self-conscious alternative to Christian burial, quickly caught on among Jacobin revolutionaries in France and scientists in Italy. As Thomas Laqueur has written, there were arguments to be made about the ecological and public health benefits of cremation as well as the potentially positive moral influence of grandfather's ashes in the household, but the real motivation for the promulgation of cremation was to strike a blow against Christianity. So, when the Vatican says that cremation is "pagan" they are not being paranoid; cremation advocates have been touting the practice's classical roots for over two centuries.
The Vatican's statement also refers to the foundational Christian belief in the resurrection of the body. The guidelines tie burial to belief that on the day of judgment trumpets will sound and the dead will rise from the grave: "By burying the bodies of the faithful, the Church confirms her faith in the resurrection of the body, and intends to show the great dignity of the human body as an integral part of the human person whose body forms part of their identity."
Linking burial rituals to religious identity and beliefs about the afterlife is also well established. The ancient Greeks believed that unless earth was placed on the body of the deceased their shade (something analogous to their ghost) would wander the earth for a hundred years. And if coins were not placed on the person's eyes, they would have a tough time paying Charon the ferryman to take them across the river Styx to Hades. This is to say nothing of the complex ancient Egyptian burials rituals and rites that mapped onto ancient physics and astronomy, social status, and morality. By and large the afterlife is the endgame of religious practice and that means the funerary rites can be theologically, as well as emotionally, fraught.
For early Christians the resurrection of the dead might have been threatened by the experience of martyrdom. Not only were the bodies of martyrs dismembered and eaten by wild animals, they were frequently burned, and (according to Christians) the Romans delighted in throwing corpses into rivers and secreting away remains so that Christians could not bury their dead. The response to this, from Christian theologians, was to point out that the God who created the universe could surely reassemble a dismembered body. It was an idea they had absorbed from the martyrs of the Maccabean revolt.
What all of this shows is that, historically speaking, both the theology and practice of burial have responded to changing political and social climates. The same can be said of Tuesday's announcement. One of the distinctive notes in the new guidelines is the way that burial is connected to the idea that "the human body [is] an integral part…[of] identity." This we all know to be true. Even if you're a hermetic academic who lives a "life of the mind," you still sit and read in your body. Our experience of the world and, thus, our identities are connected to our bodies.
But when it comes to the immortality business there is a new group of players on the scene who are considerably more interested in your mind and your neural pathways than they are your body. Tech giants like Peter Thiel, Larry Page, and Larry Ellison have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into companies and foundations that fight aging and death. Page has a demonstrated interest in "singularity," the idea popularized by Ray Kurzweil, that at some juncture in the future we will reach a tipping point at which technology will fundamentally alter our existence. One stated goal of these tech-age quests for the holy grail is to map our neural pathways (our consciousness, if you will), upload it to whatever technology we have at the time, and project that consciousness into space. A curious vision of immortality, in as much as it resembles the fate of Zod in Superman II.
Projects that fight death are inherently atheistic in the sense that they eliminate the possibility of a religious afterlife. But they also do something else: they assume that the only thing that makes you you is your brain. (This is why cryonics labs offer the cut-price option of preserving only your brain.) This Cartesian idea ("I think therefore I am") is something that both biologists and critical theorists have been pushing back against for the past fifty years. In fact, one of the reasons that people argue that bodily attributes like gender, race, and ability matter politically is because they matter experientially.
It is in part in response to these new aspirations of immortality that the Vatican is issuing its guidelines: preserving your neural pathways is no substitute for an eternity with God. But equally as significant is their observation that we are not just our disembodied minds. And whatever you think about heaven and hell, burial and cremation, on that second point the Catholic Church is really on to something.


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Tax and NI Calculator for 2018/19 Tax Year
This Tax and NI Calculator will provide you with a forecast of your salary as well as your National Insurance Contributions for the tax year of 2018/19.
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Unless you earn over £123,700 then you are granted with Personal Allowance. Personal Allowance is money you have earned which is not taxed. Your tax is calculated after your personal insurance has been taken away from your salary or your earnings. Any amount of money that is within your Personal Allowance limit will have absolutely no tax taken from it, a tax free earning if you will.
For example, if you have a salary of £30,000 then your Personal Allowance is £11,850 per annum. £30,000 minus the £11,850 of Personal Allowance is £18,150. Only the £18,150 will be taxed. However, if you have not reached the state pension age then you will still have National Insurance Contributions (NIC) taken from all of your income. If you are earning more than £162 each week, or £8,424 each year, then your National Insurance costs will be taken as a percentage rather than a set cost.
What is Personal Allowance?
Personal Allowance is the portion of your income earnings that is completely tax free.
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Toyo Tires Open Country A/T
With its' rigid block design and asymmetric tread pattern, Open Country A/T plus is the perfect tire for drivers who want to go wherever the road leads, from highway to the forest.
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High Turn Up Casing Ply
● Excellent handling and stability


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Taking a Stand Against Animal Cruelty:
It's Easier Than You Think
We are a nation of animal lovers: Fully 97 percent of us tell pollsters that we believe animals should be protected from abuse. But, are we willing to do anything about it? Not if our diets are any indication. Most Americans continue to chomp down on chicken nuggets, ribs and burgers -- inadvertently supporting abuse that they believe they oppose. It's a sad fact that farm animals are exempted from the Animal Welfare Act, and are exploited in myriad ways that would warrant criminal charges if they had the same protections as dogs and cats. This has real implications for the daily welfare of farm animals, as well as for our diets and our health.


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The more advances we make in the realm of artificial intelligence with the advent of deep learning networks, the more we are learning about being human. Quite frankly, this might seem like a strange area of focus for a blog on the future of associations. However, we are facing a future in which being more
-> Continue reading Consciousness


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I've always loved Earth Day, but it is especially meaningful to me now that I have my two Earth themed picture books. It's always a tough choice deciding where to spend my Earth Day weekend; it's great how many events there are to celebrate our planet! Last year, I loved my day at the Greenburgh Nature Center, doing 2 readings of what was then my only picture book: No Place Like Earth.
This year, I'm thrilled to be participating in Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council's day of events on Saturday. You can check out their website or Facebook page for more info, but they have a full day of activities planned, starting with 8 a.m. birdwatching and 9 a.m. park clean ups, and ending with an 8 p.m. lights out (candlelight) dining event at participating restaurants in Tarrytown. I'll be doing a fun, interactive reading of my 2 picture books at the NU Toy Store at 1:30, and Pierson Park around 4:00. More info here.
Sunday will be a quieter day for me at Barnes and Noble in Eastchester. I am participating in a local author's book fair that goes from 12:00-4:00. I'll have some Earth Day giveaways for the kids, and all 4 of my books will be available for sale and signing. Teaching to the Child makes a great gift for upcoming Teacher Appreciation Day; Welcome to Motherhood a great gift for Mother's Day, and of course, the 2 picture books for Earth Day (or for a teacher as an addition to their classroom.) I am happy to personalize the signatures to individuals, classes, or schools. Sunday is educator appreciation day at Barnes and Noble, so teachers save money! More info on this event here.
I have some work to do on my upcoming books, so this will likely be it for events for awhile. I may do a reading at a local farmer's market or 2 this summer, but this may just be it until next April, so this is the time to come visit me in action!
I'll end this post with a thank you to Debbie Manber Kupfer for her including No Place Like Earth in her A-Z April book blog earlier this week.
Wishing you all a happy Earth Day, and I hope to see many of you at the weekend's events!


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Monday, February 25, 2013
Spice jars
We have a huge drawer of spices in baby food jars, but their paper labels are now greasy and all the same yellowy-white colour, so we always have trouble finding the right jars. Alphabetizing the drawer was not a sustainable strategy.
So this is the new approach. I think colour-coding the lettering according to the item contained within will help. Herbs will be green, mustardy and gingery things ochre yellow, curry and turmeric orange, darker spicy things brown, salt and garlic powder white.
I love these chalkboard markers. If I were a teenager all over again I would teach myself hand lettering and drawing with these implements and contract out my skills as a café board artist. I think it would be the perfect part-time college job.
Labels: Creativity
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Though no final decision has been reached, the changes are designed to make Medicare payments better reflect the variation in costs throughout a resident's stay.
Navigating health reform
Proposed Resident Classification System Will Change SNF Reimbursement
Update: 3/28/18
In a CMS open door forum call on March 8, CMS indicated that RCS-1 would not be implemented until at least October 1, 2019, and that no formal time frame has been established. Currently, CMS has not issued a proposed rule and is considering doing additional analysis prior to issuing one. CLA continues to monitor developments regarding the RCS-1 program. Our professionals can help you prepare for this change and the impact on your organization.
At the end of April, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced they are considering changing skilled nursing facility (SNF) reimbursement methodology from Resource Utilization Groups, Version 4 (RUG-IV) to a Resident Classification System, Version 1 (RCS-1). The goal of the change is for Medicare payments to better reflect the variation in costs throughout the resident's stay.
Proposed reimbursement changes
The current reimbursement system considers the resident's therapy needs, nursing needs, and non-therapy ancillary services to determine their RUG-IV classification. Opponents to the current RUGS-IV system claim that reimbursement is too heavily influenced by the number of therapy minutes a SNF resident receives. The RCS-I methodology is believed to use a more balanced approach to reimbursement by incorporating the following five reimbursement components:
- Physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT)
- Speech language pathology
- Non-therapy ancillary (NTA) services
- Nursing (nursing and social services)
- Non-case-mix
In addition to changing the components of reimbursement, RCS would also change Medicare reimbursement from its current constant per diem rate to a variable per diem payment. Payments would be modified for changes in utilization of the services that occur during the course of the resident's stay, which would better align payments to the costs incurred.
Why the change?
As CMS explored alternatives to the existing prospective payment system (PPS), it concluded that constant per diem rates do not accurately reflect changes in resource utilization throughout a resident's stay. Simply stated, payments are likely too low at the beginning of a stay and too high at the end. CMS is seeking to accurately pay for the resource utilization of the resident's care, and they believe that varying per diem payments that are dependent on the services provided best accomplishes this target. Another goal of using the RCS methodology is to improve the identification of extensive services, functional abilities, and clinical conditions by removing the high correlation between therapy minutes provided and reimbursement that exists in the RUG methodology. Payment accuracy would be achieved by setting payments for each resident group reflecting average costs for that group using the following methods:
- Costs per stay would be calculated by multiplying covered charges on individuals' claims by cost-to-charge ratios from their facility's cost report at the cost center level.
- Cost per day would then be calculated by dividing costs per stay by the number of utilization days in that stay.
CMS also suggests the change in methodology will more accurately reimburse for higher cost residents that are currently not separately identified in the RUG system. The RCS methodology would result in higher payments for many vulnerable populations, including residents with high NTA costs and residents using ventilator, respirator, and tracheostomy and infection isolation.
How will this impact your SNF?
Historically, SNF reimbursement was largely driven by therapy utilization, and the profitability of Medicare residents increased at the tail end of their stays. Some providers noted this, and developed strategies that maximized reimbursement through their residents' care plans. The RCS-I methodology will create considerably different financial outcomes, and providers will therefore need to understand how the new payment methodology will impact their specific SNF based on the levels of therapy, nursing services, and non-therapy ancillary services provided. While the RCS-I system is expected to result in an overall 2 percent Medicare payment reduction, the impact to each SNF will vary depending on care practices. Providers optimizing the current RUG-IV fee-for-service payment methodology by providing very-high and ultra-high levels of therapy for many of their residents will be impacted more severely than those providing moderate levels of therapy to their Medicare residents.
How we can help
While CMS has not finalized this change or given any details on how RCS rates would be calculated, it is clear that CMS is seeking to both reduce reimbursement levels and create a more balanced reimbursement methodology that is less driven by therapy utilization. CLA professionals can help you prepare for this change by analyzing your current Medicare practices to identify any opportunities or risks. Once more details of the RCS-I methodology are available, we can help by modeling the reimbursement impact specific to your organization. Finally, this change is one of many reimbursement and regulatory changes that could reduce financial performance. CLA has a range of capabilities that can help SNFs identify the specific activities that will drive financial improvement.