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Bipartisan House, Senate bills push for PSOs
Related Articles
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Discusses Medicare plans in the U.S. Information on Medicare health maintenance organizations; Reasons of clients for choosing traditional Medicare plans; Details on the Medigap policy, a Medicare supplement policy. INSET: Medigap Plans: 'A'dequate to 'J'umbo.
- EFFECTS OF HMOs ON FEE-FOR-SERVICE SECTOR EXPENDITURE: THE US MEDICARE EXPERIENCE. Bae, Jay P. // Research in Healthcare Financial Management;2001, Vol. 6 Issue 1, p21
Focuses on a study which examined the effects of health maintenance organizations (HMO) on fee-for-service sector per capita expenditures within the Medicare program in the U.S. Implication of the spillover hypothesis on HMO penetration areas; Examination of changes in the overall healthcare...
- More HMOs exiting Medicare market. Geisel, Jerry // Business Insurance;10/1/2001, Vol. 35 Issue 40, p6
Reports the withdrawal of health maintenance organizations (HMO) in the Medicare market in the United States. Attribution of withdrawal on the failure of the government payment rates in keeping up with medical costs; Effects of pullout on beneficiaries; Viability of HMO in urban areas.
- M+C payments: too high or too low? // Managed Healthcare Executive;Jul/Aug2001, Vol. 11 Issue 7, p29
Focuses on the Medicare risk contract program payment system governing health maintenance organizations (HMO) in the United States. Formula used in the HMO payment system; Overview on changes enacted by the U.S. Congress in the risk contract program under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997; Impact...
- Do health maintenance organizations work for Medicare? Brown, Randall S.; Clement, Dolores Gurnick // Health Care Financing Review;Fall93, Vol. 15 Issue 1, p7
Discusses the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) encouragement of health maintenance organizations (HMO) to provide Medicare coverage to enrolled beneficiaries for fixed prepaid premiums. Medicare risk program; Increase in costs to Medicare; Impact of HMOs on service utilization,...
- Adjusted Community Rate Reforms to Promote HMO Participation in Medicare+Choice. Encinosa III, William E.; Sappington, David E.M. // Health Care Financing Review;Fall99, Vol. 21 Issue 1, p19
The authors review the financial regulations imposed on health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that participate in the Medicare+Choice program and identify elements of the regulations that may discourage HMO participation in the program. Modifications of the regulations are proposed that could...
- Comparison of Medicare Risk HMO and FFS Enrollees. Murgolo, Maggie S. // Health Care Financing Review;Fall2002, Vol. 24 Issue 1, p177
Presents a study which examined differences in the composition of the population enrolled in Medicare risk health maintenance organizations and those in the same geographic areas in the U.S. Method of the study; Results and discussion; Conclusion.
- How to obtain a Medicare risk contract. Grimaldi, Paul L. // hfm (Healthcare Financial Management);Mar96, Vol. 50 Issue 3, p32
Discusses federal requirements which health maintenance organizations (HMOs) must fulfill to obtain Medicare risk contracts. Documents to be submitted for federal qualification; Obtaining an application kit; HMO's operational experience to enroll members; Benefit requirements for Medicare;...
- At a glance. // hfm (Healthcare Financial Management);Jul96, Vol. 50 Issue 7, p20
Presents a chart showing Medicare health maintenance organization penetration and weighted adjusted average per capita cost.


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The Pew Research Center released a big study focused entirely on Twitter. According to its findings, 8% of American adults that are online are now using Twitter. Below is a breakdown from Pew about how those people are actually using Twitter.
Follow the Chart Of The Day on Twitter: @chartoftheday

subset: commoncrawl


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Baltimore (pronounced /ˈbɒltɨmɔr/, colloquially /ˈbɒlmɔr/) is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the U.S. state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore City in order to distinguish it from surrounding Baltimore County. Founded in 1729, Baltimore is the largest U.S. seaport in the mid-atlantic and is situated closer to major Midwestern markets than any other major seaport on the East Coast. Baltimore's Inner Harbor was once the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States and a major manufacturing center. The harbor is now home to Harborplace, a shopping, entertainment, and tourist center, and the National Aquarium in Baltimore. According to Forbes, the city of Baltimore was rated 3rd best place to shop in 2010. After a decline in manufacturing, Baltimore shifted to a service-oriented economy. Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital are now the city's largest employers.
As of 2009, the population of Baltimore was 637,418. The Baltimore Metropolitan Area has approximately 2.7 million residents; the 21st largest in the country. Baltimore is also the largest city in the surrounding associated combined statistical area of approximately 8.4 million residents.
The city is named after Lord Baltimore in the Irish House of Lords, the founding proprietor of the Maryland Colony. Baltimore himself took his title from a place in Bornacoola parish, County Leitrim and County Longford, Ireland. Baltimore is an anglicized form of the Irish Baile an Tí Mhóir, meaning "Town of the Big House", not to be confused with Baltimore, County Cork, the Irish name of which is Dún na Séad.


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As with any drug rehabilitation programme, individual results will vary.
|What Graduates Say
|What Families of Graduates Say
|Public Service Announcements
"Finding Myself Again"
Narconon Graduate
John W.
The town I grew up in actually was a dry town. There was no alcohol sold in my town. So it wasn't till I went to college and I joined a fraternity that I discovered alcohol and I started drinking heavily. And at the time it was what everyone did.
And then in law school, my college habits persisted but it started becoming an isolation coping mechanism for me.
I finished law school and I, you know, tried to get my career started and get going.
Every night I would drink a fifth of scotch or whiskey.
I would go to work and try to hide it and try to look sober.
The toxic mix of antidepressants and alcohol in my body was—I mean it was destroying my mind.
My mom said, you know, "We found a place for you to go."
It turned out to be Narconon.
It brought me from a very dark place, finding myself again and really discovering what's wonderful in life.
Just having the energy to really do great things every day. You know, that, it wasn't like that before.
I have a purpose, I have a passion.
I've got a fulfilling, meaningful, engaging and productive life because of Narconon.


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Our partner, xWare42 GmbH started this project with an idea and after looking at our quality, capability of our Symfony team, the ability to think along with the client, transparency in our development process and skill to provide a comprehensive solution, our partner developed a trust with us. On the basis of this trust, our partner, xWare42 GmbH, proposed for a dedicated team to work with them for long term.
We have been successful in delivering our best services to our partner. We communicate, as if we are working with our partner at the same location (onsite).
Read More..


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The health and safety of our staff, customers, and community is our top priority. Read our response to COVID-19
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Audio-Technica – "Audio 911"
Audio-Technica knew what they were doing when they brought in Marquese "NonStop" Scott for their Solid Bass headphones ad. The brand is a perfect match for the dance phenomenon whose Pumped Up Kicks Dubstep video has over 35 million YouTube views. Scott and his dancing have already been featured on the Ellen Show and CBS but it was only natural for NonStop to team up with a bass heavy brand like Audio-Technica. We like how subtly and cleverly the brand is used in the Audio 911 commercial. The headphones are perfect as a spoof defibrillator in the E.R., but it's the music (dubstep to be precise) that is needed to bring Marquese back to life after having "no beat" left in his body. At over 3.5 minutes, this advertisement is meant for the web. There's a clever introductory plot, but the focus of the video is on Marquese Scott's dancing, a smart move considering that's what has made him a success. One YouTube comment sums it up: "Wow, I didn't even know this was a commercial."
Dallas ADDYs 2012 – "The Mural"
There was a whole series of ads for this year's Dallas ADDY awards, each one hilariously "ad obsessed." It's not surprising that the advertisements for an ad industry award show were entirely on point, but Dallas outdid themselves. Take a look for yourself at the array of disturbing depictions of our fellow advertising minds here.
We had to narrow it down however and the dad in "The Mural" is just too good … Or too wrong might be more like it. A mom finds her adorable toddler scribbling an interpretive masterpiece on the wall. When daddy comes in the room, we expect him to be peeved about the mess but, while the father is definitely disappointed, he isn't upset about the wall. He approaches the child seriously, berating his sloppiness and lack of talent at 4 years old. The poor boy loves his daddy but, alas, has no knowledge of print advertising concerns like kerning, ligature, and typeface and so the intensely sarcastic father is sure his son has no future. "Keep it up and you'll end up a copywriter," he says. Ouch.
Another gem from the series is "The Sneeze." It's a straightforward depiction of a an ad-obsessed woman who desperately needs a tissue (we repeat, desperately) but the only paper she has is a napkin with mock-up notes scribbled all over. She continues to ride the bus, committed as she is, with snot dripping down past her mouth.
Hyundai Azera – "Modern Life"
Hyundai played it pretty low key for the Super Bowl this year. Their Rocky themed ad didn't receive much attention at all after Chevy, Honda, Kia and Volkswagen pulled out all the stops. This leads us to believe that rather than get lost in the circus of Super Bowl spots, Hyundai waited in the wings for a far less expected Academy Awards debut. They produced a clever and colorful pair of ads for Oscar night that beloved director Wes Anderson shot for the brand. The spots would have been underappreciated by a football audience but they've instead been applauded by the film-loving crowd of the Oscars. Both are beautifully shot in the director's signature style. In "Modern Life," Anderson's uses his knack for scenes of perfectly orchestrated chaos to depict a father trying to prepare what looks like a five-course dinner in a house full of rambunctious kids and retro clutter. His wife calmly gives him instructions over the phone whilst a brood of creative children bang drums, slam doors and run around dressed like it's Halloween. Pan to the serene driveway setting just outside where mom is relaxing in her Azera, pretending to be stuck in traffic as Hyundai muses that they may have made the new car a little too comfortable.
"Talk To My Car" is everything Anderson. We see all of the retro colors, childhood scenery and chopped-up-doll-house camera work for which Anderson is known. Classic imaginary machines like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's flying contraption, an underwater craft that also serves as a nod to Life Aquatic and a Knight Rider knockoff each play a part in this kitschy commercial for Hyundai's Blue Link technology that allows drivers to live the dream and finally talk to our cars.
Miracle Whip – "The Village"
We think this brand's self-aware approach to changing consumer opinion is the best way to go. The ad is a literary spoof on the Scarlett Letter, using the well-known fact that Miracle Whip lovers are often forced to be ashamed of their brand loyalty. Miracle Whip is a brand who doesn't take themselves too seriously. After Stephen Colbert dissed the sweet and tangy mayo alternative, they bought every ad slot during an episode as if to say "We will not be ignored." In their Oscar ad debut, Miracle Whip urges viewers to "keep an open mouth" but they also spark up the decades old debate over the differences between mayonaisse and Miracle Whip which is just as successful a tactic. So I could sit here and defend Miracle Whip for the ways it pairs with avocado and bologna like no other, but why fight with you, stubborn, judgmental, fatty-mayo-lover … when I could be at lunch?


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Nuclear power emerges as new Japan campaign issue
The future of nuclear power in Fukushima-scarred Japan has emerged as a major campaign issue for the first time in weekend polls, but experts warn little thought has gone into how to replace atomic energy.
Environmental issues have rarely topped the agenda in Japanese elections, which tend to focus on the country's moribund economy and a policy drift fuelled by the passage of seven prime ministers in six years.
But Sunday's vote comes as a rising tide of anti-atomic sentiment is forcing an energy policy rethink, putting the fate of a power source that once generated about one-third of Japan's electricity in doubt.
All but two of the nation's 50 reactors now sit idle, switched off after a quake-triggered tsunami slammed into the Fukushima Daiichi plant in March last year, setting off the worst nuclear accident in a generation.
"Restarting (nuclear plants) is absolutely unthinkable," said Hajime Kemuriyama, a Fukushima city resident.
"We are still suffering from the impact of radiation. I want politicians to address our daily problems."
Kemuriyama's view is a typical one in Japan, with recent opinion polls suggesting about 70 percent of the electorate want atomic power phased out.
Fukushima operator Tokyo Electric Power's recent admission that it knowingly played down the risks to the plant before the tsunami disaster added to a feeling that Japan had been duped by a powerful industry in league with its regulator.
An expert declaration earlier this week that one plant sits on a seismic fault which may still be geologically active, has further underlined apprehensiveness in the quake-prone country.
Last month, anti-nuclear parties banded into the Tomorrow Party of Japan, headed by high-profile regional politician Yukiko Kada, on a platform of phasing out atomic power.
"We will create a new party, in response to people saying they don't have any party to choose from," Kada told a press conference near Lake Biwa in a region with a number of ageing nuclear reactors.
The ruling Democratic Party of Japan vowed earlier this year to ditch nuclear power by 2040, bowing to public pressure as thousands gathered to protest outside Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's official residence.
But it quickly backpedalled on that pledge with a more vague promise to work towards a nuclear-free country.
To plug its power gap as reactors have gone offline, Japan has turned to pricey fossil-fuel alternatives, sending energy imports soaring and generating widening trade deficits for the world's third-largest economy.
None of the anti-nuclear parties have specified exactly how the energy gap would be overcome, offering only general discussion about "efficiency" and renewables.
Zero-nuclear advocates say investing in renewable energy would pay off by spawning new industries, stoking job creation and economic growth—vital in an indebted country that has seen nearly two decades of deflation.
But Shinzo Abe, leader of the business-friendly Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and frontrunner to become Japan's next leader, has derided the zero-nuclear goal as unrealistic and "irresponsible".
The LDP has hinted at keeping nuclear power, saying it would decide on reactor restarts in three years and the nation's "best energy mix" within a decade.
His opponents say the LDP's cosy attitude to regulation was a big factor in the lax supervision that worsened the disaster at Fukushima.
The polarising debate on atomic energy is one of the key differences among a dozen parties contesting the election including the Communists who also have a zero-nuclear platform.
But opinion polls indicate that despite their apparently popular stance on ridding Japan of nuclear power, Tomorrow and the Communists are struggling to gain popular support.
Sadafumi Kawato, professor of politics at Tokyo University, warns the debate is not being played out in a serious way that would allow citizens to balance the risks of nuclear safety against those of energy security.
"Not many people have a deep understanding of the nuclear industry," he said. "It's hard for voters to judge the safety of nuclear plants."
That leaves the average citizen wrestling with little more than gut feelings, which they find difficult to weigh against what they know are real needs for an energy-hungry country.
Explore further
(c) 2012 AFP


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Make Fancy Caramel Apples at Our Rosh Hashanah Event - September 14, 1-4pm
Come to ModernTribe's Atlanta shop and make a Fancy Caramel Apple as a sweet treat for Rosh Hashanah!
Tickets are $8 per person. Ticket includes making one Fancy Caramel Apple to bring home with you. (Additional apples are $5.)


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Pay Per Click Marketing
When doing adwords always work with an adwords certified professional.
If you absolutely have to be on a specific keyword today, adwords can get you there quickly.
Its important to use adwords correctly, the system has a lot of features that if used right will save you money and more importantly give you better results.


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Heart Filigree Teardrop Beaded Dangle Earrings are light in weight & fit comfortably from your ear with Stainless Steel Lever Backs. These Earrings will go with just about anything you choose to wear. Many more Earrings to choose from.
Feel Free To Leave a Review. Simply click on Site Reviews. You can leave a Star Review and send me your thoughts.
Receive Special Savings Codes, See Sale Items Posted Weekly, Show Schedule and of course Brand New Products


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Specifically, this project will uncover whether vertically divided authority reduces the delivery of basic urban services through reductions in int...
Governance & Fragility
Governance & Fragility
Governance has become a major concern for both donors and aid recipient countries since the late 1980s. Very poor quality governance is also one of the defining characteristics of state fragility, and social unrest and violence may both exacerbate and be caused by weak institutions. Our work draws on some 80 studies prepared by UNU-WIDER's global network.
UNU-WIDER / Dec 2012
How to rebuild and reconcile countries torn by war has been a dominant theme in the global debate for half a century or more.
CARL-GUSTAV LINDÉN / Nov 2012
The 16th WIDER Annual Lecture was delivered by Professor Lant Pritchett, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, on Thursday 27 September...
UNU-WIDER / Sep 2012
At the recent UNU-WIDER research conference on development and climate change, the communications team took the opportunity to ask participants vis...
UNU-WIDER / Oct 2012
ReCom highlights in the WIDERAngle October issue.
WIDERANGLE / Oct 2012
Over the past decade, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have become a staple of research in development economics.
Gisselquist, Niño-Zarazúa / Oct 2012


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Siteimprove Iceland invites you to attend our upcoming event
huhti 07, 2016
Following on from the huge success of last year's first Icelandic event, held in Reykjavik in September 2015, Siteimprove Iceland is happy to announce the next upcoming event to be held on 4 May 2016. Taking place at The Grand Hotel in central Reykjavik, the event will focus on 'The A-Z of Web Governance'.
Since expanding operations into Iceland in September 2015, Siteimprove has accumulated more than 30 Icelandic customers, from both the public and private sector. Event attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from one of these customers, Halla Kolbeinsdóttir, Webmaster at Reykjavik University.
Halla will be sharing her professional experiences with building a good website foundation, and discuss the various analytical methods available to ensure website managers are able to comprehensively know both the purpose of the website, and the users' goals. Halla will also be touching on Siteimprove's solutions which she says are "the web manager's dream – the system I never knew I always needed."
Apart from Halla, participants will also have the opportunity to enjoy sessions about digital accessibility, search engine optimization, and how to interpret analytical behavior mapping. The event will conclude with drinks, networking, and entertainment from well-known Icelandic stand-up comedian Ari Eldjárn.
To find out more about the conference and secure your place please visit our registration page (in Icelandic).


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Exclusive Carbon quango The Energy Saving Trust has come up with a new reason for Britons to save energy in the home. Our power stations will soon close, and you'll need to do your bit.
That's what one Reg reader discovered, after enquiring about the Trust's calculations on the effectiveness of new low-energy bulbs.
"A reduction in electricity consumption will be essential over the coming decade as a large number of power stations are being withdrawn from service, and as a result there is a gap looming between supply and demand," Graham Crocker was told. "More efficient lighting (which accounts for nearly 20 per cent of domestic electricity consumption) will go some way to alleviating these demand pressures." The answer came from Alex Stuart, assistant manager of services of development at the quango.
"This is the first time anybody has acknowledged that new power capacity will not be delivered on time to replace existing capacity," Peter Lilley MP told us.
There's no doubt that Britain faces a looming energy crisis. CapGemini estimates that a quarter of the UK's energy plant capacity will close by 2015. The nation will also see declining oil and gas output from the North Sea. But new, replacement power generation will not arrive in time.
The capacity crisis is largely a consequence of EU environmental directives. The Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD), which affects coal and oil power stations generating 50MW or more, obliges plant operators to adapt their stations by the end of 2015, or close them down. E.ON has decided that three of its four stations which fall under the directive will shut.
But the directive was introduced in 2001, leaving the state plenty of time to plan ahead.
"There is a gap looming because of New Labour's incompetence," James Woudhuysen, Professor of Forecasting at De Montfort University, and co-author of Energise! told us.
In 2003, then PM Tony Blair had blocked plans for new nuclear power stations, he pointed out. "Today's government is now planning nuclear operations to resume in 2018, but more likely 2025," says Woudhuysen.
But should the public turn out the lights because of years because of the failure of political leadership?


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Rose and Bernard Wait for the Prime Rib Special
13" salad bowl
|It is with great pride that Bubbles the artist presents "Bubbles' Big Bite", her premiere line of handpainted ceramicware. Please click the Buy Bubbles button to purchase the lovely feeding trough pictured here. But remember, any of Bubbles' beautiful paintings can turn into any size dish, bowl or ceramic of your choice! Just hit the Buy Bubbles button to go to the order form.


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Full Cream Milk is a small editing business run by Owen Gregory. He provides professional editing, copy-editing and proofreading services, and is based in Birmingham, UK.
Owen has experience of working with small, independent and digital publishers from manuscript to print and digital editions. His particular expertise encompasses all aspects of front-end web design and development, and he has worked with several well-known authors from the web community, such as Paul Boag, Tim Brown, Andy Clarke, Geri Coady, Anna Debenham, Jon Hicks and Brian Suda.
A website will return here
in the very near future eventually.


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This Abbey features a canvas body with leather trim, rolled leather strap, top zip closure, and interior zip pocket.
Length: 24 cm
Width: 29 cm
Depth: 5 cm
Shoulder Drop: 20 cm
Color : Black
Material : Fabric, Canvas, Leather
In stock
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Please allow 7-10 working days to receive a tracking number while your order is manufactured, packaged and shipped from our facility.
We use encrypted SSL security to ensure that your credit card information is 100% protected.


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Jan 14, 2013– Toulouse, France (Techreleased) – Citilink, the low cost subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia has placed a firm order with Airbus for 25 A320neo. The contract, signed in December 2012, represents the first direct purchase by Citilink from Airbus. It follows an order placed in 2011 by Garuda Indonesia for 15 A320ceo and 10 A320neo aircraft for operation by Citilink.
Citilink already operates a fleet of 12 leased A320s on its fast growing domestic network.
"The A320 has played a key role in the recent success of Citilink" said Mr. Arif Wibowo, Chief Executive Officer of Citilink. "The low operating costs, fast turnaround times and strong passenger appeal of the A320 make it perfect for our operation and we are looking forward to the even greater efficiencies that will come with the NEO"
"We are pleased to welcome Citilink as a new customer of Airbus," said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers, Airbus. "The order underscores the A320 Family's position as the preferred choice for full service and low cost carriers worldwide, both with the current and new engine options."
Incorporating new engines and large "Sharklet" wing tip devices, the A320neo Family will deliver fuel savings of 15 percent. The reduction in fuel burn is equivalent to 1.4 million litres of fuel – the consumption of 1,000 mid size cars, saving 3,600 tonnes of C02 per aircraft per year. In addition, the A320neo Family will provide a double-digit reduction in NOx emissions and reduced engine noise.
With close to 8,900 aircraft ordered and over 5,300 aircraft delivered to over 380 customers and operators worldwide, the A320 Family is the world's best-selling single-aisle aircraft family.


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Guest blog
Ghosts are scary. Reporters are scary. Is there anything scarier than a reporter asking questions about ghosts? Apparently not, according to several priests and professors approached for this story.
As I searched for evidence of the spectral at Catholic sites—rectories, cemeteries, sanctuaries, seminaries, convents—I found rumors of a few hauntings, but near universal reticence to confirm even those rumors. "No idea what you're talking about, and I've been here for years," one priest said when I asked about staff who reported strange sounds coming from the parish school.
The entire theology faculty at a prestigious Catholic university denied my request for an interview. My email to the school's PR person explaining what I was looking for: "I'm just hoping someone can put the pop phenomenon of ghosts into a historical perspective vis a vis church teaching. So, for instance, how has the church explained through the centuries what ghost-sightings are? Where do ghost-sightings fit in with the Catholic conception of purgatory? What are the theological reasons against believing in ghosts? That kind of thing."
No one on the faculty was available for an interview, I was told. Why? "They felt that, from a theological standpoint, they had nothing to add. I think it seemed a little silly to them."
Much of that reserve may stem from context. We live in a rational age. Grown-ups don't believe in ghosts. And yet everyone who said they didn't want to talk was a believer in the supernatural. I wasn't talking to atheists, after all.
This guest blog accompanies "Paranormal activity: Do Catholics believe in ghosts?" which appeared in the October 2013 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 78, No. 10, pages 12-17).
Image: Flickr photo cc by infomatique


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BWW TV: 'Behind the Screams' Video Blog of Goodspeed's SOMETHING'S AFOOT
Find out if the butler did it when Goodspeed Musicals brings intrigue and amusement to the Opera House stage with its production of the musical whodunit Something's Afoot. This hilarious musical send-up of Agatha Christie-style stumpers will complete Goodspeed's 2012 season, running from October 5 – December 9 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn. Something's Afoot will be sponsored by Webster Bank and Connecticut Light and Power.
BroadwayWorld has a video diary capturing some of the fun and unexpected momentsbehind the "screams" at Goodspeed. Check it out below!
Something's Afoot features a book, music, and lyrics by James McDonald, David Vos, and Robert Gerlach with additional music by Ed Linderman.
The killer cast will feature Liz Pearce as Lettie. Ms. Pearce's Broadway credits include Billy Elliot: The Musical and her Goodspeed credits include City of Angels, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and George M!. Flint will be played by Khris Lewin who appeared in Goodspeed's My One And Only. Clive will be played by Ron Wisniski of Goodspeed's A Funny Thing…Forum, Me and My Girl, Finian's Rainbow, Gotham!, andAnnie. Hope Langdon will be played by Julia Osborne who appeared in Goodspeed's Half a Sixpence and The Pirates of Penzance. Dr. Grayburn will be played by Peter Van Wagner of television's "Boardwalk Empire" and Goodspeed's Road to Hollywood and On The Twentieth Century. Nigel Rancour will be played by Benjamin Eakeley of Broadway's On a Clear Day You Can See Forever and Sweeney Todd. The role of Lady Manley-Prowe will be played by Drama Desk nominated actressLynne Wintersteller whose credits include Broadway's A Grand Night for Singing and the National Tours of Company andAnnie.
Goodspeed audience favorite Ed Dixon will play Colonel Gillweather. Mr. Dixon's numerous Broadway credits includeAnything Goes, SUNDAY IN THE Park with George, MARY POPPINS, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Les Miserables. His Goodspeed credits include Big River, Pirates of Penzance, Can-Can, and Starcrossed. Miss Tweed will be played by Audrie Neenan of Broadway's Sister Act, Oklahoma!, Picnic, The Odd Couple, and The Curse of an Aching Heart. Geoffrey will be played by Hunter Ryan Herdlicka of Broadway's A Little Night Music.
The understudies will be Madeleine Doherty, Alyssa Gagarin, and Bronson Norris Murphy.
Something's Afoot will be directed by Casey Hushion, who served as Assistant Director of Goodspeed's George M!,Brigadoon, and Babes In Arms. Ms. Hushion's Broadway credits include Associate Director for Elf and To Be Or Not To Be and Assistant Director for In The Heights and The Drowsy Chaperone. Choreography will be by Vince Pesce, who choreographed Goodspeed's recent hit, Mame and also served as Associate Choreographer of Broadway's Anything Goes, The Pajama Game, Wonderful Town, and Little Shop of Horrors.
Scenic designs will be by Adrian W. Jones whose credits include Broadway's Looped, the Goodspeed Opera House production of How to Succeed…and Cutman at The Norma Terris Theatre. Costumes will be designed by Tracy Christensenwhose ingenious designs for last season's City of Angels truly wowed Goodspeed audiences. Ms. Christensen's numerous Broadway credits include Costume Designer for Souvenir and Associate Costume Designer for A Little Night Music, Shrek The Musical, The Little Mermaid, Fiddler on the Roof, andBeauty and the Beast. Lighting design will be by Jason Lyonswho served as Lighting Designer for Goodspeed's The Bikinis, The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown, andCutman, all at The Norma Terris Theatre. Mr. Lyons' Broadway credits include Bring It On, Rock of Ages, The Threepenny Opera, Barefoot in the Park, and Good Vibrations. Sound design will be by Jay Hilton who has served as Goodspeed Musicals Lighting and Sound Supervisor - lending his talents as designer to numerous productions - for over 26 years.
The Music Director for Something's Afoot will be Michael O'Flaherty who is in his 21st season as Goodspeed's Resident Music Director. William J. Thomas will be Assistant Music Director. Orchestrations will be provided by Dan DeLange, who created the orchestrations for Goodspeed's Carousel, Mame,Show Boat, My One And Only, Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun, 42nd Street, Singin' in the Rain, The Boy Friend, and many more.
Something's Afoot is produced for Goodspeed Musicals byMichael P. Price.
Something's Afoot will run October 5 through December 9, 2012 [Official Press Opening October 24, 2012]. Curtain times are Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (with select performances at 2:00 p.m.), Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. (with select performances at 6:30 p.m.).
Tickets are available through the Box Office (860.873.8668), open seven days a week, or on-line at goodspeed.org.
From This Author BroadwayWorld TV
- BWW TV: Kerry Butler, Gavin Lee, and More Gear Up for A VERY BRADY MUSICAL Benefit Reading
- BWW Exclusive: Ann Harada, Telly Leung, James Monroe Iglehart & More Will Star in THE NICE LIST
- BWW Exclusive: Watch Annaleigh Ashford Sing from THANKFUL: An Album for Jerad Bortz
- BWW Exclusive: Listen to 'Never Coming Back' from Cassondra James' New EP


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Three financial services industry trade groups are signaling to the Department of Labor (DOL) that they will fight tooth-and-nail to sustain the current exemption of the sale of retirement investment products from a fiduciary standard.
The letter was signed by officials of the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI), the Financial Services Roundtable (FSR) and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA).
It implied that there would be dire economic consequences for both the industry and investors if a fiduciary standard was imposed on the sale of investment products in retirement accounts under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) is also part of the industry coalition involved with this issue.
Robert Miller, NAIFA president, said in an interview with the National Underwriter earlier this week that NAIFA members played a key role in the successful effort last September to have the DOL withdraw the original rule.
He said NAIFA members did so by lobbying members of Congress about the potential harmful effects of imposing a fiduciary standard on sale of retirement products.
This was before the IRI, SIFMA and the FSR sent the latest letter.
Miller said NAIFA is girding up to renew its opposition because DOL officials have indicated that a revised rule would likely still contain a provision imposing a higher sales standard on retirement products sold in accounts regulated by ERISA.
In mid-February, NAIFA sent a similar letter to the DOL indicating that it could not provide the data requested by DOL because of privacy concerns voiced by its members.
In comments today, Miller rejected complaints from consumer groups that industry trade groups were not providing the data as part of their effort to thwart the DOL's efforts to impose the fiduciary standard on sale of investment products.
"We have been forthcoming with all of the data we have," Miller said.
He said that in NAIFA's case, "the LIMRA survey we conducted in late 2010 provides a wealth of information, including 41 percent of our members who deal in securities are 'dual-registered' as both registered representatives and as investment advisers under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940."
He said the LIMRRA survey also found that, on average, 77 percent of a NAIFA members' income comes from commissions, 8 percent from salary, 11 percent from assets under management and/or planning fees, and only 4 percent from bonuses and reimbursements.
"We put this and other findings on our website, summarized it in our communications with the Department of Labor, and directed them to the online source in our formal comments submitted last April."
In the most recent response, the IRI, SIFMA and the FSR warned that if the DOL imposes the fiduciary standard on ERISA-regulated products in the next version of its proposed rule and it becomes a final rule, the result "will be limited retirement planning help, as well as the guidance necessary to educate [investors] about the tax consequences of taking a withdrawal, loan or hardship distribution."
It is unclear when the DOL will come out with its revised proposal.
The IRI, SIFMA and FSR letter said that by imposing such a standard, "Even simple discussions regarding saving in the appropriate retirement plan or helping clients make pre-tax or post-tax distribution decisions will become cost prohibitive or obsolete.
"These are education efforts undertaken by many advisors which could turn them into fiduciaries under the Department's proposal which will then limit the availability of these services," the letter said.
"This will impact individual retirement savings and needs to be assessed by the DOL to determine the cost of the proposal," the letter said.
"Unfortunately we do not see any evidence in the request that the DOL sent to us that the Department is even remotely considering these costs," the letter said. "Of course, if the Department already understands and concedes these costs, perhaps it has determined that no further data is necessary."
The letter added that, in responding to the DOL's request for data, it needs to generate an economic impact study of such a standard, the three trade groups said that, "Our members are extremely concerned that the Department is neither looking for the 'right' type of data to complete an appropriate regulatory impact analysis, nor do we believe that if it were to receive all of the data it has requested, it could analyze it in a manner that controls for outside variables."
The letter also says that the trade groups believe "the data requested will be of little use to the Department" in justifying the DOL's stated goal of finding that a fiduciary standard is necessary to protect consumers when purchasing retirement investment products.
Moreover, the letter says, "The request does not differentiate between non-fiduciary advice and fiduciary advice, raising the question of accurate comparisons against a 'control group' population."
Amongst other issues, the trade groups argue that the data requested would also not take into account the situation where an investor has multiple account types, one or more of which may be used for more aggressive and riskier investing."


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Are Obama's critics racist? Jimmy Carter thinks so
Former President Jimmy Carter, who has a habit of stirring controversy, said this morning that "an overwhelming portion" of those opposing President Obama's policies are racist.
In an interview with NBC's Brian Williams, Carter lobbed a bomb into Washington politics, already seething with passions over healthcare, federal spending and whether a congressman named Wilson should apologize to the House for screaming "You lie!' to a president.
Here's what Carter said:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
The charge is likely to ignite a firestorm of anger, and could provoke a backlash among those who would oppose Obama's healthcare reform whatever his racial identity. One site calls it evidence of a "failed ex-President making this ignorant, outlandish charge."
Carter, who has been an ex-president for almost 30 years, has done this sort of thing before. The 39th president angered the Clinton White House with his frequent diplomatic freelancing with various dictators around the world.
Of course Carter has been an equal-opportunity thorn to White Houses of both parties, making life difficult for Republican presidents as well as Democrats. Among other things, he called George W. Bush the worst president in history in international relations.
The current bombshell is likely to make life difficult for the Obama White House, which as MSNBC's Chuck Todd noted this morning, will now have to rebut the impression that it played the race card to win votes on healthcare.
Maybe it's not too late for Carter, who turns 85 on Oct. 1, to learn tact.
-- Johanna Neuman
For Twitter alerts on every new Ticket item. Click here. Or follow us @latimestot


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Family Game Night is something we've begun as a tradition- in part for the fun of it but also because we feel it's something that will keep us connected in just one more way, and it's something both Mr. Bargains and myself grew up doing- playing games with family. While our kids aren't yet old enough to enjoy games like Monopoly: Electric Banking Edition, we certainly are!
It's all about flash, not cash, in this ultra-modern version of MONOPOLY. Wave goodbye to bills and say hello to your sweet new MONOPOLY bank card! Scoop up property with a swipe of plastic. Choose from a selection of cool tokens, including a Segway, flat screen TV and space shuttle. With cards, not cash, you can grab those properties faster than ever before!
Gameboard comes with title deed cards, chance and community chest cards, 6 debit cards, 2 dice, 6 tokens, 32 houses, 12 hotels and instructions. 2-6 Players. 2 "AAA" Batteries Required (not included).
One reader will win Monopoly: Electric Banking Edition!
I received a sample of this product in exchange for my post. Opinions are my own.


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DOHA, Qatar - After morning prayers next Monday, Qatar's most prominent defence lawyer plans to gather his files, drive five minutes to the appeals court and try to convince a judge that a poet doesn't deserve to spend his life in prison for a Web-posted verse interpreted as defiance against the Gulf nation's ruler.
The attorney — a former Qatari justice minister who later helped defend the toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein — knows he has given himself an ambitious agenda.
He first seeks to prove the poet was convicted on an allegedly falsified confession. He is then setting his sights on trying to reform legal codes to give more room for free expression in Qatar, a hyper-rich nation with a rapidly expanding international profile.
And if that's not enough, he also is up against an overall mood from Gulf officials that's becoming decidedly unfriendly to the Web.
Arrests now occur regularly across the Western-backed Gulf states for Twitter posts and blogs — even some poems — considered threatening to the state or offensive to rulers increasingly on guard for perceived threats inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings. Earlier this month, two Kuwaitis received two-year prison sentences for Twitter messages considered offensive to the country's ruler. The United Arab Emirates last year imposed sweeping Internet laws that give authorities wide authority against posts construed as a challenge to the ruling system.
"Do we want this to be a region where any political opinion runs of risk of bringing a criminal charge?" said defence lawyer Najeeb al-Nauimi in an interview with The Associated Press in his Doha office. "The system has to reform itself. This is my mission."
The immediate test in Qatar, though, strikes at some of Gulf's most sensitive issues as leaders grope for ways to keep a lid on possible dissent.
The appeal seeks to overturn the most severe punishment from the Web crackdowns: the life sentence in late November against a well-known poet, Muhammad ibn al-Dheeb al-Ajami, for a verse deemed as encouragement to fight the ruling system.
While each Gulf state has its own legal procedures and laws, the region is moving toward greater integrations of all policies. The poet's case will be closely followed — by both authorities and activists — as a message on how far officials can go in muzzling cyberspace.
"This sentence, in particular, sent a huge chill right across the region," said Rori Donaghy, a co-ordinator at the London-based Emirates Center for Human Rights. "All these crackdowns are meant to make everyone on the Internet think, 'Could I be next?'"
It also has presents a potential quandary for Qatar, which has tried to craft a reputation as a pragmatic power that has benefited from the Arab Spring by exerting its influence with opposition groups in places such Libya and Syria.
The case could put an uncomfortable spotlight on issues such as Qatar's proposed new media laws that — like others emerging in the Gulf — give authorities wide leeway for arrests. Qatar's pan-Arab network Al-Jazeera, meanwhile, has faced criticism for aggressive reporting about rights abuses outside the Gulf but giving scant attention to similar accusations at home.
"What it all shows is that the Gulf has done well with adopting and adapting many aspects of the West in commerce and technology," said Christopher Davidson, an expert on Gulf affairs at Britain's Durham University. "Where it stops is over anything that could challenge the political status quo. There, they fall back on the traditions of coming down fast and hard."
Qatari officials have declined to comment on the poet's conviction or appeal. Even the basis for the charges is difficult to pin down.
Al-Ajami, 37, has been jailed awaiting trial since November 2011. He was taken into custody months after an Internet video was posted of him reciting "Tunisian Jasmine," a poem lauding that country's popular uprising, which touched off the Arab Spring rebellions across the Middle East. In the poem, he said, "We are all Tunisia in the face of repressive" authorities, criticizing Arab governments that restrict freedoms. "Thieves," he called them.
But the actual charges appear to be built around an earlier online dispute in August 2010, before the Arab Spring, said attorney al-Nauimi.
In that instance, al-Ajami claims he was secretly recorded reciting a verse mocking another poet, who was believed close to high-level officials in Qatar. The audio of al-Ajami's poem, recited to a private group at Cairo University, was posted on the Web and became a brief sensation in Gulf literary circles.
In the verse, al-Ajami describes the other poet as an example of a flawed personality unfit to be a leader.
While seemingly tame, the traditions of Arabic poetry often include rich use of allegories and veiled references embedded with sharper meanings. This apparently caught the attention of Qatar's rulers. The case file against al-Ajami includes responses from three poets employed by the Culture Ministry concluding that the poem was an indirect call to challenge the state, said the defence attorney.
"Since when does the Ministry of Culture become the police?" asked al-Nauimi.
He said he tried to get other poets to offer counter-opinions, but "no one would do it."
"They are too scared," he said.
Al-Nauimi plans to undermine the state's case by claiming the prosecutor "cut and pasted" comments from al-Ajami's interrogation to make it appear he said the poem in public when instead it was given among a handful of friends in Cairo, where al-Ajami was studying literature.
Al-Ajami has since expressed his loyalty to the emir, whose family has had friendly ties with al-Ajami's clan for decades. But he won't try to appease the rulers with an apology or writing a poem in their praise.
"We stand behind the emir and the system. No one can deny that," said al-Ajami's brother, Farhad, a law student in Dubai. "But we refuse to go directly to the emir to beg to drop the case. This is not right. He should not be in jail in the first place."
For al-Nauimi, it's also a chance to shoot for a higher goal in a career with bold forays.
Al-Nauimi, who served as Qatar's Justice Minister from 1995-1997, was part of Saddam's defence team in Baghdad and claims he broke the news to the deposed Iraqi leader that the tribunal would likely sentence him to hang. He also says he is ready to defend Syrian President Basher Assad if he ever faces trial.
He views the poet's case as an opportunity to try to roll back some of the hard-line codes on public expression in Qatar as an example to other countries in the region.
"(The emir) can pull the plug on this. I can just pick up the phone. I wouldn't advise that," said al-Nauimi. "I don't want to drop the case. The judiciary system has to correct itself."
"Look," he continued. "They say there is free speech except if it's against the ruler or his family or his relatives or the dignity of the state or the crown prince or his family or the dignity of the crown prince. What's left? A political person can just criticize himself. That's it."


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Posts Tagged 'fish hook necklace'
The Hawaiian Bone Fish Hook Necklace
The Meaning of the Hawaiian Bone Fish Hook Necklace
The meaning behind the Hawaiian bone fish hook necklace came from the deep connection and reverence the Hawaiians had for the ocean. The ocean surrounding them was their source of food and their means of travel. A bone fish hook represents strength, prosperity, abundance, and a great respect for the sea. Today, fish hooks ('Makau' in Hawaiian) perpetuate the Hawaiian way of life through contemporary jewelry. Ancient Hawaiians believed that a bone necklace takes on part of the spirit of those who wear it. The necklace becomes a sacred link between people, spanning time and distance. In this way, it becomes a spiritual link and should be handed down. A carving that has been worn by family members over many generations contains the spirit of all those people and is truly a great and powerful heirloom.
Who wears the 'Lucky' Hawaiian Bone Fish Hook Necklace?
Hawaiian tradition says that fish hooks provide good luck when fishing and safe journey when traveling. Given the relationship that Hawaiians have with the ocean, these fish hook necklaces can be found hanging around the necks of Hawaii's very best anglers, captains and mates. The Makau, the Hawaiian bone fish hook, symbolizes the strength and determination of these fishermen. Additionally, a fish hook is often worn by travelers for safe journey. What a unique lucky charm gift for anglers or non-anglers of any gender.


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OMG!!!! This has got to be my best background ever....I love how it turned out!!!
This is for tiggerola's Kingdom Hearts World group shot covers challenge
I decided to go with Neverland/Peter Pan world thingy
and I love it!!!! What do you think?
I used tiggerola's fancharacter for it Hina(front)along with Sora, Kairi, and little boy(back)
I hope you like it
I used Photoshop Elements 6 with a mixture of a few different brushes
and it took about 4-5 hours.


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1. Pamela's World of Scrap - Sketch #164
2. Scrapaholic Magazine - Issue 4: Recycle items
3. Pile It On - Challenge #18: 3D
4. Tuesday Taggers - Shades of Autumn
5. Scrappy Frogs - Tree Projects
6. Stamp With Us - Anything but a card
7. Method Playground - Challenge #52: Doodling
8. Use Your Stash - October Challenge (O-Orange, C-Clouds, circles, T-trees, trip)
The title says: Little Switzerland
The journaling says: We set with the group a meeting point, in Little Switzerland at Mt. Carmel. The track was easy and nice, walking in the forest and finish in a picnic, as usual...
I used: DCWV patterned papers, brown paper bag, Sonburn cardstocks, Unity Stamps, StazOn jet black, Ink It Up! black ink, Stampin' Up Slit punch, Scrappy Cat Journaling Blocks clear stamp, Quickutz Silhouette, sharpie.


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Compliance Hotline: Online or 1.800.324.5794
Media & News | Jobs | Families | Get Involved | Contact Us
YAP began providing services in New Jersey in 1978. The Division of Youth and Families Services (DYFS) in Camden County initiated the first contract with YAP to reduce the number of young people in residential placements and to expand the continuum of community-based care available for high-risk children and their families in their county.
In the late 1980's, YAP was an instrumental partner in changing the state child welfare system by bringing child family teams, strength-based assessments and wraparound service planning to NJ, and successfully brining 1,400 children back home. Over the past 30 years, YAP has begun successful community-based programs throughout every region of the State.
Today YAP is one of the key agencies in New Jersey working with young people and families with the most complex needs in the communities. YAP primarily contracts with the divisions of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) and some additional services are provided through individual counties, serving over 600 youth per week. Typical YAP services focus on intensive advocacy, case management, mentoring, family support, life skills training, anger management/coping skills training, and supported work programs with youth and teen fathers. YAP can tailor these services for those at risk of out of home placement, detention, incarceration, truancy, gang involvement, and criminal activity. As an approved NJ Behavioral Health provider under the State Medicaid program, YAP also serves an additional 100 youth and their families at any given time and employs bachelor, master and licensed level therapeutic staff. More recently, YAP has begun introducing its model for serving those on the Autism Spectrum through various training programs.


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Capuano ready to return after fielding test
SAN FRANCISCO -- A day after testing a healing groin muscle in a bullpen session, Dodgers lefty Chris Capuano felt well enough Wednesday for fielding drills.
Manager Don Mattingly said Capuano was fit enough to be available to pitch Thursday, but Mattingly said he would probably wait until Friday to try to use Capuano in relief.
Capuano, who hasn't pitched since Sept. 6, is trying to make the Division Series roster as a third reliever, or at least be ready to pitch in a later series if needed. The Dodgers bullpen, however, is crowded without Capuano.
Closer Kenley Jansen is a given, as are lefties Paco Rodriguez and J.P. Howell. Brian Wilson now appears to be the primary setup man, pushing Ronald Belisario down a notch, with Carlos Marmol, Chris Withrow and Brandon League vying for spots in what figures to be a seven-man relief corps.


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Do you have something to sell, to rent, any service to offer or a job offer?
Post it at er.afribaba.com, it is 100% free ✔, local ✔, easy ✔, reliable ✔ and super fast ✔
Sell, Offer, Rent, Bargain, Search, Buy all you want for free. Yes 100% free Eritrea
Are you looking for a job? Upload your resume online at the Job search section of er.afribaba.com 100% free.


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Out side of the top 10, I don'tmind picks that profile as solid utility players, but I'd don't like it being termed as the ceiling for our thrd and fourth round picks....and he has a good shot at being a solid utilityman.
Utility players we can find every year in free agancy for close to the minimum. I'd rather use the third and fourth round picks on guys that have pop and projectability, but may have more risk or are signability questions than use them on utility IFs.


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Sleep-Sensor Maker Lark Takes on Nike+ FuelBand With Larklife
Lark, maker of a sleep-sensor wristband that silently vibrates to cause minimal annoyance to bedroom partners, is turning its attention to your waking hours.
Today, the Mountain View, Calif.-based start-up unveiled a pair of activity-tracking wristbands — one for day and one for night — that work in conjunction with a free iPhone app.
The daytime band measures the steps you've taken, the total distance you've traveled, and the calories you've burned. The nighttime band works a lot like the original Lark sleep tracker, recording and analyzing sleep patterns and using the same vibration technology to wake the wearer.
Unlike some devices that require manual syncing or a physical connection to a phone or laptop to transfer data, Lark says the new Larklife bands use "low-energy" Bluetooth 4.0 to constantly sync with your iPhone in the background. The app will analyze the data and send positive "push" notifications throughout the day, which the company sees as a more effective motivation tool than setting a daily exertion level users are supposed to reach (as the Nike+ FuelBand does).
The company expects the new product to be available for the holiday season. It will cost $150 — right in line with the Nike+ FuelBand, but more expensive than the recently announced FitBit One and the troubled Jawbone Up band.
It's important to note that these products are still a niche thing, even with a big brand like Nike having thrown its weight behind activity tracking. In a report for AllThingsD earlier this year, Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps says while "hardware advances in battery life and the way sensors interact with each other will get us further than we are today," it's really the software platforms that "hold the key to consumer adoption" for wearable technology.
Basically, what will set these devices apart from each other isn't necessarily which one is the fancier wristband with the better tri-axis accelerometer, but the way it interacts with software, and the kind of data and motivation that software provides to the consumer.


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Search Constraints
You searched for: Access Public Remove constraint Access: Public Subject Biology and Ecology Remove constraint Subject: Biology and Ecology Subject Forests and forestry Remove constraint Subject: Forests and forestry Subject Environment Remove constraint Subject: Environment Subject Biodiversity Remove constraint Subject: Biodiversity Place Alaska Remove constraint Place: Alaska Place Arkansas Remove constraint Place: Arkansas Place Arizona Remove constraint Place: Arizona Year 1992 Remove constraint Year: 1992 Bounding Box 50.273438 19.12441 59.589844 28.748397 Remove constraint Bounding Box: 50.273438 19.12441 59.589844 28.748397
Search Results
1. Causes of Forest Fragmentation in the United States (540 Meter Resolution), 1992
1992. Wade, Tim. This raster layer is a 540 meter resolution grid map of the conterminous United States in GeoTIFF format, created from National Land Cover Data (NL... National Atlas of the United States.
2. Classification of Forest Fragmentation in North America, 1992
1992. Ritters, Kurt. This raster layer is a grid map of North America including the Caribbean and most of Mexico in GeoTIFF format. The map layer is an excerpt from a g... National Atlas of the United States.


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Gift Wrap Fundraiser
Description: The traditional holiday fundraiser featuring the catalog sale of gift wrapping paper, gift bags, ribbons, bows, address labels, and other related packaging items. Most catalogs have a wide selection of paper to choose from along with sample pieces so that prospective customers can see and feel the quality of your offering.
Best Suited For: All
Prospective Customers: All
Comments: Catalog prices are higher than store prices so it's important that your sellers know how to present the additional value and quality of your offerings, i.e. thicker paper, unique designs, etc.
Feel Good Rating: Four stars
Gift Wrap Fundraiser Ratings
Financial Aspects (1 – 10 scale): Profitability Ranking 8 Average Unit Price 8 Dollar Volume Per Participant 8 Percentage to Organization 6 Total Dollars to Organization 9 Subtotal (maximum of 50)
Pros & Cons (1 – 5 scale): Community Impression 5 Organizational Impact 4 Quality of Deliverables 5 Risks 5 Hidden Costs (freight, etc.) 4 Subtotal (maximum of 25)
Commitment Required (1 – 5 scale): Preparation Time 4 Selling Effort 4 Collecting Funds 4 Processing Orders 4 Delivering Goods 4 Subtotal (maximum of 25)
Overall Ranking:
(On a scale of 1 to 100)
Related Pages
Ratings System Explained – Complete description of how the ratings are calculated and examples given.
Fundraising Ideas – Ideas for fundraising that focus on the best activities for high school, elementary school, sports teams, and youth groups to raise funds with events, activities, programs, projects and products.
Fund Raisers – Profiles of 400+ suppliers of fund-raisers with complete details on various fundraising ideas.
Fundraisers A – C: Fundraiser Ratings for Americana through CD's (37 categories)
Fundraisers C – D: Fundraiser Ratings for Cheesecake through Donor Walls (37 categories)
Fundraisers D – L: Fundraiser Ratings for Doughnuts through Lollipops (36 categories)
Fundraisers M – R: Fundraiser Ratings for Magazines through Recycling (37 categories)
Fundraisers R – Z: Fundraiser Ratings for Religious through Wreaths (36 categories)
Fundraising Events – Three profitable event ideas for small group or school fundraisers – Fundraiser events that are quick and easy – Fund-raising event ideas you can do in a weekend that work anywhere from Canada to Australia.
School Fundraisers – Easy fundraising ideas for schools that consistently produce excellent results. Includes articles on cheerleading fundraisers, high school football fundraiser, soccer fund-raising, band fund-raiser, plus more great youth sports team activities and events for other high school groups.
Fundraising Letters – Sample letters that you can copy. See which fund raising letters work for other non-profit groups. Includes links to other charity and nonprofit donation letter sources. Guidelines for donor recognition and charity fund raising projects. Sample donation request letter.
Fundraising Software – Listings and descriptions of popular software programs for nonprofit groups. Donor tracking and recognition programs, nonprofit accounting, and capital campaign support.
Fundraising Articles – Full list of articles on high school fundraisers, nonprofit fund raising, and ideas for fund raisers and events.
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Fundraising Ideas
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Publicity Tips
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Sample Fundraising Letters
Sample Thank You Letter
Youth Sports Fundraiser


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I often talk about being conservative as prices rise in the market -- because research and experience have shown that buying in a rising market severely limits returns for long-term investors. Generally speaking, you are better off putting money to work during selloffs. As I've often mentioned, as well, about once a year we'll see a good market pullback of 10% to 15%, and every three years or so we get one of those good heart-bounding declines of 20% or more. By and large, those are the times when you should put your money to work.
Of course, aside from all this is my oft-cited notion of stepping up and buying those stocks that are too cheap not to own, regardless of market condition or prognostication.
This, of course, raises the question of what fits the bill today. The stock market has risen sharply since the bottom in 2009, and it's about due. The political and economic risks are rising now, as well, and there is now much talk about a possible crash or bear market in the press. What stocks fit the bill as being too cheap not to buy in a new portfolio, or not to hold in an established one?
The answer is: not many. But a few make the grade, and these are worth buying. Near the top of my list is Kelly Services (KELYA), the temporary employment and staffing company. Although the firm is seeing short-term weakness, given that hiring has been put on hold and layoffs are rising again in the post-election economy, its long-term prospects are bright. Jobs growth is sluggish, but it is growing, and much of that growth comprises temporary and part-time workers -- which plays to Kelly's strengths.
In addition, the stock is cheap enough, with the shares trading at just 76% of tangible book value. The company has no long-term debt, and has turned a profit every quarter since the end of 2009. It has a very high Altman Z-score of 4.9, as well as an F-score of 6, so it also passes the safety test. If Kelly shares were to go lower in a selloff, I would just use it as an opportunity to add to my position.
I also think the decline in Arbor Realty (ABR), after its October stock offering, has pushed the shares back to very cheap levels. Arbor trades at 75% of stated tangible book value -- and if you accept management's valuation, adjusted for swaps, the shares are at less than 50% of net asset value. I agree with management's assessment of the value, and think the shares are super cheap at this level.
I have written about Arbor a lot, so I will not rehash the whole case here. But I will point out that CEO Ivan Kaufmann has been a very active in his company's shares in the past few weeks. At this level, the stock is too cheap not to own, in my opinion. In addition to being inexpensive on an asset basis, the shares yield more than 8% at the current price. If I were putting a new portfolio together today, I would be a buyer -- and I plan to add to my current holdings on any weakness.
Finally, I now think shares of Zoltek (ZOLT) fall into this category, as well. The company makes carbon fibers for a wide range of industrial uses, but this company is primarily thought of as a wind-power play. It does get a large percentage of its revenue from wind-turbine manufacturers, and that business has slowed. However, Zoltek has growth opportunities in autos as that industry increases the usage of carbon fibers in the manufacturing process. The company has very little debt and solid credit scores, so it appears to be safe, in addition to being cheap.
Not too many stocks make the grade of being "too cheap not to own," and most of the ones that do have miniscule market capitalization. However, these three are large enough to discuss on Real Money, and I would be a buyer of them. As always, I only buy on down days, and I advise you not to chase them higher.
You will note that I did not mention any banks. That is a whole separate discussion, but I do view small banks as a very buyable opportunity right now.


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Flag Day reminds us red, blue states are united (Column)
Flag Day is celebrated every year on June 14, the day when -- in 1777 -- the Stars and Stripes became the official banner of our nation.
It's mind-boggling to think about how much has changed in this country since 1777. It's hard to imagine a day when the flag that we now see everywhere was brand-new, and when Americans looked upon it with fresh eyes.
On the other hand, many of us can remember a day when that flag did look different -- when there were only 48 stars, for instance. I was only a year old when Alaska and Hawaii joined the union, so I don't actually remember those last two stars being added, but it did happen in my lifetime.
Even in one person's lifetime, big change is possible.
In recent years, it's become commonplace to refer to a state that's predominantly conservative as a "red state," and one that's predominantly liberal as a "blue state." The concept of breaking the country down into red and blue started as a convenient way to present election results on television. But more recently, it's almost become the backbone of our country's political discourse.
The colors of our flag are red, white and blue. When our founders presented this flag on June 14, 1777, they never thought about taking those colors apart. They wanted a symbol under which we could be "indivisible" -- unified as a nation.
Throughout my own political career, I've personally resisted -- and at times defied -- these kinds of labels. When I think about a change I'd really like to see happen, and help bring about, during the remainder of my lifetime, it might be to erase the labels that have divided us and allowed us to dismiss each other.
As soon as we put someone into a category -- liberal or conservative, blue or red -- we assume we know them. We believe we know what they're going to say before they say it. At that point, we begin to think we don't really need to listen to them anymore. In our eyes, they become irrelevant.
Flag Day is the day when we're called upon to contemplate our flag, and to think about the fact that America was once a novel concept: something that needed a "logo." That logo that our founding fathers presented was a banner that wasn't just red, and wasn't just blue. It was both, with just enough "white space" to bring them together.
It's a fitting image for our nation, and one we should still aspire to.
Phil Scott is the lieutenant governor of Vermont.


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Man faces sentencing for credit card scam
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A Philadelphia man faces sentencing in Connecticut for stealing credit cards from women's pocketbooks he reached while crawling on movie theater floors.
Anthony Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Hartford. A jury in October found him guilty of charges of using stolen credit cards and identity theft.
Authorities say Johnson and accomplices used the stolen cards to collect thousands of dollars in cash advances at Mohegan Sun casino and make retail purchases of tens of thousands of dollars in Connecticut and elsewhere.
An accomplice testified that Johnson usually bought tickets to movies that were popular with women. She said Johnson slithered like a snake across movie theater floors before reaching inside partially opened purses and taking the credit cards.


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Laparoscopic Rectopexy for Rectal Prolapse
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00946205
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : July 24, 2009
Last Update Posted : July 9, 2015
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Rectal Prolapse
|Procedure: Laparoscopic posterior rectopexy Procedure: Laparoscopic anterior mesh rectopexy
|Not Applicable
Full-thickness rectal prolapse is defined as a "falling down" of the rectum so that it is outside the body. Rectal prolapse can only be treated by surgery.
The choice of procedure depends on the patient's general condition and is based on a clinical judgment. Usually, elderly, high-risk patients are treated by perineal procedures. All other patients are offered an abdominal rectopexy using open or laparoscopic techniques. The general principle for all abdominal procedures is to induce adhesions between the mobilised, elevated rectum and the presacral fascia.
At least 30%-60% develop long-term complications: Obstructive defecation, which may be related to peroperative trauma to rectums innervation. Sparing of the lateral stalks during the rectal mobilisation results in lower frequency of obstructive defecation afterwards, but also higher recurrence rate.
A nerve-sparing laparoscopic technique for rectal prolapse has been developed in Belgium: Laparoscopic anterior mesh rectopexy.
After this procedure, the rate of obstructed defecations afterwards has been reported to less than 10%, that is, much lower than observed after other procedures.
The functional results after this nerve-sparing laparoscopic technique should be compared to those after laparoscopic posterior rectopexy, i.e. the conventional laparoscopic method.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|75 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Laparoscopic Posterior Rectopexy Without Mesh vs. Laparoscopic Anterior Mesh Rectopexy for Rectal Prolapse - a Prospective, Double-blind, Randomised Study
|Study Start Date :
|September 2006
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|February 2015
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|June 2015
|Experimental: Laparoscopic anterior mesh rectopexy
Procedure: Laparoscopic anterior mesh rectopexy
The peritoneum is incised over the right side of the promontory. The incision is extended in an inverted J-form along the right side of rectum and over the deepest part of the pouch of Douglas. Denonvilliers fascia is incised and the rectovaginal (women)/rectovesical (men) septum is broadly opened. A prosthetic mesh (3 x 17 cm) is sutured with nonabsorbable sutures to the ventral aspect of the rectum in the rectovaginal/rectovesical septum and to the lateral seromuscular borders of rectum and fixed upon the promontory using a stapler. The posterior fornix of vagina (women)/floor of the bladder (men) is elevated and sutured to the anterior aspect of the mesh. The incised peritoneum is then closed over the mesh.
|Active Comparator: Laparoscopic posterior rectopexy
Procedure: Laparoscopic posterior rectopexy
The rectum is mobilised down to the os coccygeus, then it is elevated cephalic and sutured with a multifilament suture to the presacral fascia just below the sacral promontory. The lateral stalks should be left intact.
- The severity of obstructive defecation as graded by Wexner's incontinence- and constipation-score and Obstructed Defecation Syndrome score [ Time Frame: 1 year postoperatively ]
- Physiologic testing of the ano-rectum: Anorectal manometry,anal sensibility,anal ultrasound, colonic transit. [ Time Frame: 1 year postoperatively ]
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients with full-thickness rectal prolapse for whom the department otherwise would offer abdominal rectopexy according to the department's recommendation. That is, patient being fit for an abdominal rectopexy procedure.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Age below 18 years.
- Pregnancy or breast-feeding.
- Patients who do not speak or read Danish.
- Dementia or other psychiatric disease, i.e., inability to give informed consent.
- Recurrence of rectal prolapse.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00946205
|Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Surgery P
|Aarhus, Aarhus C, Denmark, DK-8000
|Study Chair:
|Søren Laurberg, Professor
|Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Surgery P
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|Lene H. Iversen, MD, DMSci, PhD, Aarhus University Hospital
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
Lap rectopexy 200660096
|First Posted:
|July 24, 2009 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|July 9, 2015
|Last Verified:
|July 2015
rectal prolapse
laparoscopic rectopexy
obstructed defecation
Rectal Prolapse
Pathological Conditions, Anatomical
Rectal Diseases
Intestinal Diseases
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Digestive System Diseases
Pelvic Organ Prolapse


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Blizzard is expected to release a beta of Diablo 3 later this year, but a group of journalists were recently invited to the developer's California headquarters to get an early look at what the rest of us will be playing. According to reports, the game is as deep and polished as we've come to expect from Blizzard, though it doesn't come without a few hang-ups.
Chief among said hangups is the fact that the game can't be played offline. As Eurogamer reported, the game will save your characters in the cloud and utilizes a banner system to display your in-game exploits and experience. But the cost of these online features is that the game will always have to be online in order to be playable.
The beta itself covers the first eight levels of the game—which apparently can be completed in around an hour if you rush—and lets players use each of the game's five different classes. Kotaku has a great rundown of how the classes are shaping up. The barbarian class utilizes frenzy instead of mana and features abilities such as the power to transform into a giant, powerful beast; the witchdoctor can summon everything from firebats (described as a flamethrower with bats in it) to creatures that can turn enemies into chickens; the wizard can slow down time, coat its skin with protective diamonds, and even has an alternate form; the monk is powered by spirit and features a wide array of martial arts moves; and the long-range demon hunter gets its power from both hatred and discipline, which aid both offensive and defensive abilities.
In short, it looks like the five classes will offer up quite a few options to players.
A life without skill points
One of the biggest changes this time around is that there are no longer skill points. Each character has six skill slots, and both skills and slots upgrade automatically as you progress through the game. You can swap skills in and out of slots as you like. The idea behind the change is to make each decision have more impact.
"Would you rather make 20 small decisions or three big ones?" Blizzard's Wyatt Cheng told Joystiq. "What we find, especially when it comes to defining your character, is that three big ones is more interesting and compelling."
There is a rune system, however, to give players more customization options. Runes add effects to skills and can alter their strength, which should allow for a lot of freedom for higher-level players.
There's a story in Diablo?
Diablo 3 will put a larger focus on narrative when compared to the previous games in the series, but the developers are attempting to do so in a way that's as unobtrusive as possible. Instead of simply reading text-based quests to get story, there will also be lots of audio that lets you listen in to what's happening without interrupting all of the hacking and slashing.
The beta begins in a place called New Tristam, a town built upon the ruins of the town from the original Diablo. It's a mining town, but when it's struck by a meteor and beset by undead creatures, it ends up in need of some help. You end the beta by defeating the skeleton king, another nod to the first game, who just so happens to be the source of all the undead baddies. With regard to the first chapter, Eurogamer explains that "like everything else about Diablo 3, its narrative has an effortlessness about it that belies how carefully put together it is."
No mods here
In addition to the fact you'll always need to play the game online, one other detail popped up during the preview: according to PC Gamer, Diablo 3 won't support mods of any sort. Unlike StarCraft 2, which embraced mods, they will be prohibited in Diablo 3 duo to a "variety of gameplay and security reasons."
No date has been set for when the beta will be playable by the rest of us, but Blizzard has said to expect it at some point this year.


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(Reuters) – After victories for same-sex marriage initiatives in Maryland, Maine and Washington state this week, the two sides in the national debate over gay marriage are positioning for advantage as the issue moves toward the U.S. Supreme Court.
The votes came two weeks before the Supreme Court justices are to meet, on November 20, to decide whether to review six gay rights cases that have been brought before the court.
Four of the cases test the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, which bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in states or foreign countries where they are allowed. Another seeks approval for Proposition 8, a 2008 measure that outlawed same-sex marriage in California. The sixth case concerns gay rights in Arizona.
A critical question for the Supreme Court is how much political clout gays and lesbians have – and that's where Tuesday's votes could come into play.
Under the legal analysis that applies to equal protection challenges, laws that discriminate against politically powerless groups receive greater scrutiny from the court. Some of the lower courts in the current cases found that gays and lesbians are a disadvantaged group that qualifies for more rigorous protection.
Opponents of same-sex marriage are now arguing that Tuesday's voting results, which brought to nine the number of states that allow same-sex couples to wed, show that gays and lesbians have plenty of political power.
Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, said this argument may appeal to Justice Anthony Kennedy, often the swing vote between the court's liberal and conservative camps.
"Kennedy will look at this and think, why create a new culture war and bypass the democratic process to impose gay marriage on the country when this is being worked out on a state-by-state basis?" Brown said.
Finding either the Defense of Marriage Act or California's Proposition 8 unconstitutional would be the equivalent of imposing gay marriage on the populace, Brown said.
But lawyers who have challenged DOMA say Tuesday's ballots could have the opposite effect, helping to convince the justices that gay marriage's time has come.
Historically, the Supreme Court has provided a single national framework on social issues like same-sex marriage, said James Essex, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union. But it generally does so only after much of the country has reached a consensus, said Essex, who helped bring one of the challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act.
In 1967 the court ruled that Virginia could no longer ban interracial marriage, reversing a ruling that had stood since 1883, after several states repealed their anti-miscegenation laws. And in 2003 the court found that Texas could not ban sodomy, noting that the number of states with laws banning homosexual conduct had dropped from 25 to 13 since it had made the opposite finding in 1986.
"Every time it becomes clear marriage equality is more accepted and popular, that helps us in the Supreme Court in some hard-to-quantify way," said Paul Smith, another lawyer who represents people who are challenging the Defense of Marriage Act.
Supporters of gay rights and some academics also note that more than 30 states have passed laws prohibiting same-sex marriage, which they say shows that gays and lesbians still need special protection from the courts.
"The test for whether the court applies extra careful review does not hinge on whether a few ballot measures pass in favor of gay people's equality," said Suzanne Goldberg, a professor at Columbia Law School. Rather, it's a much more far-reaching inquiry into systemic discrimination and underrepresentation, she said.
One thing everyone seems to agree on is that the Supreme Court is almost certain to take up at least one of the Defense of Marriage Act cases before it.
Federal appeals courts in New York and Massachusetts have already found the 1996 federal law unconstitutional, putting pressure on the Supreme Court to create a national standard.
"The court can't live in a world where the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional in the Northeast and constitutional everywhere else," the ACLU's Essex said.
This is especially true after Tuesday's votes, because with more states allowing same-sex marriage, more people are potentially adversely affected by the Defense of Marriage Act, said Arthur Leonard, a professor at New York Law School.
"It becomes much more urgent to get an answer whether the federal government can continue to refuse to recognize same-sex marriage," he said.
Legal experts said Tuesday's ballot results were unlikely to influence the Supreme Court's actions as it deliberates on whether to review Proposition 8, California's ban on gay marriage. While voters in the three states on Tuesday voted to approve gay marriage, California voters took the exact opposite action when they approved Proposition 8 just four years ago.
A sixth case before the Supreme Court challenges an Arizona law that limits healthcare benefits to state employees' spouses and dependents, excluding their domestic partners.
(Reporting by Terry Baynes; Editing by Eddie Evans, Eric Effron, Amy Stevens and Douglas Royalty)
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Recipe from Allison Morris of Belvidere, Tenn.
Cook Time: Slow cook-on high 4-6hrs, on low 7hrs.
2 pounds stewing beef cubes
1 box (2 envelopes) Onion Soup Mix
1/2 stick margarine
1 can golden mushroom soup
Just put all ingredients in crockpot
*You can easily serve this with a side dishes like mashed potatoes and green beans.
Servings: Easily feeds a family of 4
Comments: Sometimes, I add veggies like potatoes and carrots too. It's very versatile!
*DISCLAIMER*: The information contained in or provided through this site section is intended for general consumer understanding and education only and is not intended to be and is not a substitute for professional advice. Use of this site section and any information contained on or provided through this site section is at your own risk and any information contained on or provided through this site section is provided on an "as is" basis without any representations or warranties.


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Canadian retailing giants Best Buy Canada and Sears Canada announced layoffs Thursday and B.C. locations were among the hardest hit.
Five Best Buy stores in B.C. will close immediately, including the Queensborough store in New Westminster, the south Surrey location and all three stores on Vancouver Island (Nanaimo, Victoria, Langford). The Future Shop in west Kelowna was the only B.C. Future Shop to be closed.
Best Buy, Canada's biggest seller of home electronics, laid off an estimated 900 employees nationally and announced the closure of 15 big-box stores representing about 10 per cent of its square footage in this country.
Sears Canada, trying to staunch years of falling sales and profits, laid off 700 employees, about 360 at its department stores, 300 from distribution centres, and the remainder at head office and support areas.
The layoffs come as Best Buy faces pressure from online electronics retailers such as Amazon and Apple and as it follows in the step of its U.S. parent, with plans to open multiple smaller stores that are less expensive to operate, like the new North Vancouver Future Shop.
Target is also weeks away from opening the first of its 124 Canadian stores in what is shaping up to be a turbulent and competitive year for the country's retail sector.
"The retail landscape continues to change and our success is dependent upon our ability to evolve along with it," Mike Pratt, president of Best Buy Canada, told the Financial Post. "By taking a proactive approach in transforming our operations now, I have no doubt we will be in the best position to continue innovating our store experience for consumers and grow into the next decade."
Best Buy will close a total of eight Future Shop and seven Best Buy locations nationally, reducing the company workforce of 17,000 by a little under five per cent.
Over the next three years, the company will begin to open an unspecified number of smaller Future Shop web stores and Best Buy Mobile locations -- such as the North Vancouver Future Shop, which opened in October.
At 5,000 square feet, that store is less than one-fifth the size of a typical 27,000-square-foot Future Shop. It carries only 1,000 of the retailer's top-selling products, with shoppers able to order another 60,000 products through FutureShop.ca for delivery to that store, to another Future Shop or for home delivery.
Target's move north is creating a ripple effect at retailers across the country, from Walmart to Canadian Tire, and more strategic changes are ahead as consumers increasingly shop online or seek out more tailored service from small stores, according to retailing consultant Wendy Evans.
"There is going to be a restructuring and a right-sizing in retail," said Evans, president of Toronto-based Evans and Co. Consultants Inc., who has tracked the steady migration of U.S. retailers into Canada over the past three decades. "Electronics and books are on the forefront of that, with specific names and brands that you can compare anywhere and buy online. I think that fashion is next."
Before the rise of online merchandising, with its low overhead and endless array of colour and size options, big-box stores were known as "category killers," with the best available selection and the lowest prices.
"It has been quite a profligate use of space," Evans said. As the country emerged from recession, traditional enclosed shopping malls have been fighting back by remodelling and leasing increasingly large spaces to their tenants. Traditional department store Sears "also has too much space to be competitively productive, and there are other issues there," she said.
Best Buy's move comes almost a year after the company's embattled U.S. parent announced it would close 50 outlets and open 100 smaller mobile stores with a greater emphasis on smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. Sales at stores open for more than a year were flat over the nine weeks ended Jan. 5 in the U.S. -- higher than analysts expected them to be.
But the company said same-store sales fell 6.4 per cent internationally because of declines in Canada and China — two markets called out by the U.S. parent for sales declines in the first three quarters of 2012. Year-end and fourth-quarter results are due out Feb. 28.
At Sears, the layoffs come amid a tough winter for the Canadian department store chain and as the company approaches its fiscal year-end. They are "part of our initiative to right-size the organization which is working in concert with other initiatives to make Sears successful," spokesman Vincent Power said in an email.
Last winter, the retailer laid off 470 employees. Sears, which has seen its annual sales and profits fall since 2006, now has a Canadian workforce of 29,300. Sears has also exited underperforming locations, closing three stores in Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa last year and selling the leases back to landlord Cadillac Fairview Corp. Ltd. for $170 million.
With files from Canadian Press and Gillian Shaw, Vancouver Sun


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Let's get started.
As our partners in care, you've played a key role in helping us improve the health outcomes of our members. Thanks to your cooperation, we've reduced avoidable hospital readmissions and increased medication adherence for AmeriHealth Caritas Northeast members. This has helped more people to say "I am healthy."
We're working on new initiatives that will support your efforts to help members manage their symptoms and take control of their health. So take a look at some ways to further help our members take good care of themselves and their families. See who's on the way to saying, "Yes, I am healthy."


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- Home
- The ESRF Safety Group
The ESRF Safety Group is under the direct responsibility of the Director General. Its mission consists in:
To accomplish its mission the Safety Group is organised as follows:
The Safety Group's Organisation Chart.
Le bilan d'émmissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES) de l'ESRF pour l'année 2014 est disponible ici.
Please see the links in the left-hand navigation column for the following onsite information (visible to onsite visitors only).