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- What Is Acupuncture?
- Why Do People With HIV Use Acupuncture?
- How Is Acupuncture Used?
- What Are the Risks and Side Effects?
- How Do We Know It Works?
- For More Information
What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a healing technique used in traditional Chinese medicine. Very thin needles are used to stimulate specific points in the body. These points lie on energy pathways called "meridians." Acupuncture treatments are designed to improve the flow and balance of energy along these meridians.
Traditional Chinese medicine is at least 2,500 years old. It views the human body as a system of energy flows. When these flows are balanced, the body is healthy. Practitioners take their patients' pulses and examine their tongue to diagnose energy imbalances. In Chinese medicine, pulses can be taken at three positions on each wrist, and at three depths at each position.
Illness is not defined by symptoms or the name of a disease like "HIV infection." Instead, a practitioner of Chinese medicine will talk about energy imbalances. The language can sound very strange, like "yin deficiency" or "liver heat rising." The Chinese words yin and yang refer to opposing energies that should be in balance, and Qi (pronounced "chee") can be roughly translated as energy or life force.
In traditional Chinese medicine, there are many ways to improve the balance of the body's energy flows. The most common techniques used in the western world are exercise techniques such as Qigong or Tai Chi, or acupuncture or herbalism.
Many practitioners of Chinese medicine specialize in either acupuncture or herbalism. Very few use both methods.
Why Do People With HIV Use Acupuncture?
Because acupuncture deals with energy balance, there are not specific acupuncture points used to treat HIV. Instead, your acupuncturist will use your pulses and will probably look at your tongue to find out how your energy flows are out of balance.
Acupuncture does not cure HIV infection. Many people, however, believe that it has helped them improve their overall energy, or deal with the side effects of antiretroviral medications (ARVs). Some people have used acupuncture to reduce the upset stomach or diarrhea caused by their medications. Other people find that it helps ease the pain caused by neuropathy (see Fact Sheet 555 for more information on neuropathy).
How Is Acupuncture Used?
Based on your energy imbalances, your acupuncturist will select acupuncture points to stimulate. You will lie on a table, either on your stomach or on your back. Needles will be inserted at the selected points. You may feel a little pain, tingling or numbness as the needles are inserted. The needles are left in place for up to 30 or 45 minutes, depending on what the acupuncture is intended to accomplish. During that time, many people fall asleep.
You might receive additional treatments during acupuncture to increase the flow of energy:
The needles might be stimulated with a very mild electric current (electroacupuncture).
Moxa is soft material prepared from dried mugwort, an herb. Moxa may be put on the top end of acupuncture needles or (rarely) right on the skin. Moxa is burned to provide penetrating heat. This is called moxibustion.
Round glass cups can be used to create suction over specific points (cupping). The suction stimulates the flow of energy. If the cups are left on for a long time they can leave a red mark.
Some practitioners use small beads or tiny needles held in place with adhesive to keep pressure on an acupuncture point for a few days.
What Are the Risks and Side Effects?
Some people feel slight pain, numbness or tingling when acupuncture needles are inserted. Be certain that the acupuncturist uses sterile, disposable needles. In rare cases, people will feel dizzy or nauseated during acupuncture. There may be a drop of blood when a needle is removed. Acupuncture has far fewer side effects than most western medicines.
You should not go for an acupuncture treatment if you have had any alcoholic beverage within an hour, or if you are using any recreational drugs.
Be sure your acupuncturist knows if you are pregnant. Some acupuncture points should not be stimulated during pregnancy.
How Do We Know It Works?
Research on acupuncture shows that it is effective in treating some kinds of pain and nausea. This led the National Institutes of Health in 1997 to issue a statement supporting the value of acupuncture for certain conditions. The World Health Organization lists over 40 conditions that may be helped by acupuncture.
A recent study on acupuncture to relieve the pain of neuropathy did not show any benefits. However, the study design has been criticized for using the same acupuncture points for everyone in the study, and for using fake acupuncture points for comparison. Many people with neuropathy believe that acupuncture has helped them.
For More Information
For more information, see the web site of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/.


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Dear readers, sorry for the delay…The winner of my Bobble Head Contest has been chosen (using Random.org). Thank you all for entering! We had a total of 20 entrants, not too bad!
Here the name of the one who will receive a FREE custom bobblehead of yourself from 1minime.com:
Eva Bernini
Laura Crowe

subset: commoncrawl


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THE WHISTLER WALDORF SCHOOL Whistler's Waldorf School - Pre-school to Grade 8. The school is dedicated to nurturing the child's capacity of wonder, reverence, and responsibility. 604-932-1885 or email email@example.com.
L'...COLE LA PASSERELLE French education is offered all day from Kindergarten to grade 7 to eligible children in the elementary level at the Spring Creek Community School. The office is located downstairs. Call 604-932-9602.
WHISTLER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEARNING COMMUNITIES Upscale Executive Boardroom for your next meetings available. All classes held at the Chamber, 2nd floor of Visitor Information Centre. Call Jaime at 604-932-5922 or e-mail email@example.com to enroll.
WHISTLER CHILDREN'S CENTRE Providing care for children aged 3 months to 5 years in their Early Childhood Education Programs. For more info call Kari Gaudet at 604-932-1119.
WHISTLER LEARNING PROGRAM Capilano University is partnering with the Whistler Public Library to provide a free service that offers literacy and ESL support to adults who live and work in Whistler. For more information contact Carol Stretch at (604) 932-0311.


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Cabrera powers Detroit past Seattle
Triple Crown winner drives in four for Detroit
Tue., April 16, 2013
Doug Fister has pitched enough in his career at Safeco Field to know just how difficult it is — even with shorter fences — to hit a line drive out anywhere near center field. Miguel Cabrera made it look simple. "That's a hard spot to hit the ball out and he did it with ease," Fister said. "That guy is such a special hitter." Cabrera hit a two-run homer and drove in Detroit's first four runs, Fister threw seven strong innings against his former team, and the Tigers beat the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Tuesday night. Cabrera's homer came with two outs in the fifth inning off Seattle starter Aaron Harang and was his second of the season. Cabrera drove a pitch off the edge of the plate out to right-center field to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. Cabrera also had RBIs in the first and seventh innings, scoring Austin Jackson both times. Jackson has 19 runs scored in just 13 games. "We're just feeding off each other. Everybody's trying to go up and have good at-bats and let the results take care of themselves," Jackson said. It was Cabrera's second four RBI game of the season after driving in four last week against Toronto when he also hit his first homer of the season. Jackson and Torii Hunter both walked with the bases loaded in the eighth to drive in runs. "I thought we hit very well," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "We took advantage of a couple of breaks and shut them down good." Harang was done after the fifth in his Mariners debut. He was acquired in a trade from Colorado last week after the Rockies designated him for assignment and took Blake Beavan's spot in the Mariners rotation. Harang (0-1) allowed seven hits and struck out six while throwing 95 pitches. Harang's problems all came on two-strike pitches. Jackson led off the game with a triple to deep right-center on a 3-2 pitch and scored with one out when Cabrera singled on a 0-2 pitch. In the fifth, Harang allowed a two-out single to Hunter. He got ahead of Cabrera 2-2 and his fastball was in a good location just off the outside edge of the plate. But Cabrera stayed through the pitch and drove it 395 feet into the right-center field seats to give the Tigers the lead. Cabrera added a single in the seventh after Jackson reached on a one-out single and stole second base. "When you can fight through two-strike at-bats like that, a lot of times it wears a pitcher out," Leyland said. "Making a pretty nasty pitch and you're fouling it off, or hitting it pretty good somewhere and fouling it off to extend the at-bat that takes its toll on pitchers after a point." Detroit added runs in the eighth after loading the bases with one out. Seattle reliever Bobby LaFromboise struck out pinch-hitter Matt Tuiasosopo for the second out and got ahead of Jackson. He barely missed with a 1-2 pitch that was inside and Jackson walked when the 3-2 pitch was outside. Yoervis Medina entered to make his major league debut and walked Hunter on four pitches before getting Cabrera. Fister retired the first 10 batters in order before giving up a one-out double to Kyle Seager in the fourth. It was Seager's seventh double of the season. Kendrys Morales followed with another double to right-center that scored Seager. Michael Morse then lined a single into center and Morales scored although the play at the plate was closer than expected after he slowed down the last few steps. Fister quickly got back into a grove after Morse's single, retiring nine of the next 10 batters and not allowing another hit until Justin Smoak's one-out single in the seventh. Fister threw 32 pitches in the fourth inning and no more than 14 in any other inning. Fister gave up four hits and struck out five in seven innings. "We've got to get the offense going. Loosen things up around here," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. "You get a couple of guys going , you start to gain a little momentum and it gives everyone a little more room to breathe and games aren't always so tight."
NotesThe Mariners held a moment of silence in honor of the victims of Monday's bombings in Boston. The American flag in center field was lowered to half-staff and "Sweet Caroline," a staple at Fenway Park, was played in the middle of the seventh inning. … Jackson has reached base in all 13 games this season and scored a run in 11 of 13. … Tigers DH Victor Martinez had his first three-hit game of the season. He had six hits total coming into the game.
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Courtney Barnes and I have found ourselves chatting to journalist Steven Kurutz about the enduring influence of Luchino Visconti's 1963 film The Leopard. I told Steven that I was first introduced to the film at a suitably glamorous Manolo Blahnik exhibition at the Design Museum in London in 2003, where scenes from The Leopard played on a video loop (a trailer can be seen here, and Kurutz's piece in the New York Times can be read here).
You can easily see why Blahnik would admire The Leopard: almost every scene contains a wealth of visual detail about aristocratic life in Sicily in the 1860s, including sumptuous costumes, lavish (and tellingly fading) interiors and dramatic landscapes.
But with Visconti beauty is never an end in itself. The settings and furnishings speak eloquently about a certain way of life at a certain historical moment, and about how that way of life is changing. In one particularly poignant scene, for instance, Don Tancredi (played by Alain Delon) rushes through his uncle's country house to say his goodbyes before going off to join Garibaldi's revolution. The huge dog scampering alongside him, the billowing curtains and Tancredi's own irresistable, dance-like progress all seem to suggest that the winds of change are blowing through this old, static society.
Even the stark Sicilian landscape, apparently so timeless, hints at the social and political changes that are taking place: traditionally these fields and hills had belonged to the Prince of Salina, the film's protagonist (played by Burt Lancaster), but now they are changing hands as a politically astute nouveau riche class comes to the fore.
The Prince is history, both in the sense that he is yesterday's man and in the sense that we see the changes happening through his eyes. Socially prominent and yet powerless, charismatically virile (he is 'the leopard' of the title) but also philosophically resigned, he is the pivot around which the whole epic spectacle turns.
And yet the film never feels weighed down by its underlying ideas. Visconti's love of visual richness and attention to detail ensure that the story is told directly through the senses and the emotions rather than through the mind.
In this way Visconti is a fantastic inspiration for anyone involved in the heritage business: if we can make the experience of visiting historic houses and gardens feel like watching The Leopard then our job is done. Which is rather a tall order, of course.


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High Mountain Heli-Skiing has been flying in western Wyoming for thirty-eight years. Although things have changed in town, and at the nearby resorts of Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole, HMH is still shuttling people to untracked powder in the Snake River and Hoback Ranges.
HMH is a friendly, casual operation befitting its Wyoming roots, but they take their powder hunting seriously. The daily operations of HMH allow skiers the flexibility to choose to heli-ski just one or two days of a Jackson Hole trip, and stay at any nearby hotel of their choosing. HMH operates early morning shuttles to transport skiers to one of its two bases. Depending on which range you ski, the shuttles arrive at Teton Springs Lodge, Victor, on the west side of Teton Pass, or at the Snake River Sporting Club on the east side.
For anyone looking to add some guaranteed untracked powder to a Wyoming ski trip, or to realize the thrill of heli-skiing without the financial commitment of a full week, HMH is a great option.
If you go:
Travel: Fly into Jackson Hole Airport, approximately 35 minutes from Teton Village, or Idaho Falls Airport, 90 miles from Jackson or 70 miles from Victor, ID
Basic package: HMH is a daily operation, however, they do offer a few packages including the Heli-Ski Get-A-Way package in Victor, ID;
$1499 per person, double occupancy at Teton Springs Resort; includes 3 nights in a Deluxe Lodge room with continental breakfast each morning.
- 1 day (6 runs) guided heli-skiing with High Mountain Heli-Skiing.
- 1 day lift service skiing at Grand Targhee Resort.
Years in Business: Thirty-eight
Size of Tenure: 305,000 acres
Snowfall: 400 inches
Size of Group: Six people in a group; one guide and five guests
Guarantee: Daily operation, any unused portion canceled due to weather is refunded
How They Charge: A full day (six runs) goes for $1150 per day. Extra runs possible for $95 each, time and conditions depending.


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RE: "More Hispanic Resources"
Some of your readers might be interested in knowing that the civil registration list of beginning dates that you posted are incorrect (understanding you got the information from the Latin America Research Outline). A few examples include:
- Brazil - 1889 generally accepted in the genealogical community as the official year of civil registration - it should be noted that civil registration was not really adopted by Brazilians until after 1930ish.
- Peru - 1874 marks the date when municpios began keeping records, some pre-date, however, records from this year and forward had a copy sent to the regional (similar to U.S. state archive).
- Mexico - 1860/1 though even with this date it is highly unusual to find an ancestor in both parish registers and civil registration, it's usually one or the other.
Thank-you for your immediate feedback shedding light on beginning dates for civil registration of births, marriages & deaths. My readers will no doubt benefit from your additional insight and expertise. You have studied hard and have a proven track record for excellence in research as an AG® (Accredited Genealogist) with a specialty in Spain. Your email response to the blog entry illustrates a basic genealogical research challenge that cannot be overlooked:
Learn all you can about a particular region of the world where your
ancestors once lived, even though you may need to study a variety of sources over a number of years to gain a better understanding.
In some cases, our understanding of the time period records were kept is a matter of our own experience level. In other cases, old records that were once thought lost, come to light and expand our research possibilities.
Certainly, the "official date" and that of practical application of a government directive may vary. Researchers of US vital records know the "official date" imposed by the federal government is 1920 for keeping public vital records of birth, marriage and death. Yet, experience has taught us that many states, counties and towns kept records for decades prior to that year. There are almost more exceptions to the 1920 rule than not. Indeed, the colonies in New England kept public vital records from early time periods. How Ol' Myrt wishes she had more ancestors there.
Genealogical research certainly isn't a "quick" study, is it? But it sure is FUN. Thanks, Lynn for adding to the discussion.
Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
Your friend in genealogy.
The ICAPGenSM service mark and the Accredited Genealogist® and the AG® certification marks are the sole property of the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists. All Rights Reserved.


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As a company, DPR Construction has a deep-seated commitment to sustainability, its employees, and the communities it serves. A couple of years ago, when the lease for its Phoenix office came up, the firm seized the opportunity to create an ultra-green environment for its 101-person Phoenix office and field staff.
Working with A/E firm SmithGroupJJR, DPR converted a vacant 16,533-sf one-time "adult-themed boutique" in the city's reemerging Discovery Triangle into a LEED-NC Platinum office, one that is on target to be the first net-zero commercial office building in Arizona.
The Building Team—including sustainability consultant DNV KEMA and consulting structural engineer PK Associates—forged numerous paths to energy reduction. They used an 87-foot zinc-clad solar chimney to create a convection current that draws air into the building through four evaporative cooling "shower towers" equipped with internal misters and showerheads. The pre-cooled air then flows through the open office space, and hot air exhausts back through the chimney.
Phoenix, Ariz.
Building Team
Submitting firm: SmithGroupJJR (architect/MEP engineer), in conjunction with DPR Construction (owner/developer/GC)
Structural engineer: PK Associates Consulting Structural Engineers
Sustainability consultant: DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability
General Information
Size: 16,533 sf
Construction cost: $3,762,000
Construction time: February 2011 to October 2011
Delivery method: Design-build
Twelve eight-foot-diameter fans, three oversized roll-up doors, and 87 operable windows installed along the east and north façades further support the building's passive cooling system. Eighty-two solar optical tubes bring additional daylight into the workspace, helping to cut artificial lighting by 70%.
LEDs provide exterior site lighting, but the team decided against using LEDs on the interior because they did not meet the project goal of a maximum 10-year return on investment. A phantom-load reduction "vampire" switch cuts off 90% of plug loads at night.
The tally: Net energy use intensity was cut to 28.85 kBtu/sf/year; lighting power density was reduced to 0.96 watts/sf. Net-zero energy was achieved through the installation of a 79.6 kW PV-covered canopy over half the parking lot.
To further its commitment to the community, DPR has opened its building to host meetings for local business groups, students, and nonprofit organizations. +


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This week we bring you a supersized episode as we celebrate The Drill Down podcast's 200th episode with interviews with former show co-hosts Reg Saddler & Lidija Davis, as they reminisce over their experiences on the show.
But before that, we cover two weeks worth of tech analysis, including the resignation of Rob 'CmdrTaco' Malda from Slashdot, an Apple television in the works, Microsoft's Windows 8 Explorer layout, iTunes Match's streaming function, Amazon's upcoming Kindle tablet, the US Department of Justice and Sprint move to block the AT&T/T-Mobile merger, Apple loses another prototype iPhone (and attempts to get it back), Starz won't renew its deal with Netflix, Michael Arrington starts a venture fund (and gets ousted from TechCrunch), Conde Nast spins Reddit off into its own company, and Yahoo! fires CEO Carol Bartz.


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Food & Wine Magazine: Best U.S. Coffee Bars
Posted by TheShot on 24 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: Foreign Brew, Local Brew
In the name-dropping department, the September issue of Food & Wine magazine included a brief article on a select assortment of "classic and new places around the country with the most fanatical devotees" in the world of quality coffee: Where to Go Next: Best U.S. Coffee Bars | Food & Wine. Included on the list is SF's Blue Bottle Cafe and a smattering of the usual suspects from around the country: including Chicago's Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, Portland's Stumptown Coffee Roasters, and a few places we're overdue to visit — such as L.A.'s Lamill Coffee.
Spin, however, can be a funny thing. For example, The Ithaca Journal (NY) interpreted the inclusion of local pride, Gimme! Coffee, in Food & Wine's unscientific list with this headline: Gimme! Coffee voted best U.S. coffee bar by Food & Wine Magazine | theithacajournal.com | The Ithaca Journal. Apparently the ace reporters behind The Ithaca Journal are bucking for a Pulitzer in investigative reporting, given that they were able to discover both that there was a "voting system" behind Food & Wine's article and that Gimme! was ranked first on this list — while no other reporter nor reader has been able to detect the existence of either.
3 Comments »
3 Responses to "Food & Wine Magazine: Best U.S. Coffee Bars"
Spin CAN be a funny thing. Outside of the headline itself, which is written by editors not reporters, the Ithaca Journal article indicates nothing of the sort that you report. The very first sentence of the article states that Gimme! has been named ONE OF the 10 best in the US. There's no discussion of a voting system, nor that Gimme! was #1. What the headline is stating is a truth in the figurative sense and common English language usage: In effect Food & Wine has cast its "vote" for Gimme! as one of the best by including it in their article. Could the headline be more precise? Sure. Does it truly mislead in any way? Not really.
I dunno, maybe I'm just giving the Ithaca community too much credit for general "smarts" and a greater likelihood that they'll read the complete article rather than just note the headline, and too little criticism to the staff of the IJ. I must confess my senses have been "desensitized" to journalistic quality to a degree because I'm no longer convinced that it really exists to any great extent anymore–even papers like the NYT are now chock full of bad writing. At any rate, though we differ on our judgment of this issue I truly enjoy your work here. Thanks.


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Walker says budget plan includes huge investment in transportation
Gov. Scott Walker wants to make a multibillion dollar investment into the state's transportation system without raising taxes.
The governor announced a plan Friday, which will be in his budget due out next week.
Walker's new plan calls for putting $6.4 billion into infrastructure, thanks to a higher than expected budget surplus.
"In our roads, bridges, in our freight, rail, in our ports and our airports all across the state both for the jobs it provides for the people working on the infrastructure, as well as for the jobs that are related to having the strong infrastructure in the first place," Walker said.
The announcement at Local 139's Union of Operating Engineers in Pewaukee came as a big relief, especially for Nick Oehlhof.
He's an asphalt plant foreman in Franklin and said the industry has seen dry spells, which has worried this husband and father.
"I've worried plenty of times with the uncertainty. (I) couldn't really help but wonder what could happen and what if," Oehlhof said.
Oehlhof said if the governor's plan is approved, he doesn't just expect jobs to pick up, but business to be busy.
Along with jobs, Walker said the money is going to help ensure that big projects such as the Zoo Interchange finish on time, which would mean sticking to the 2018 end date.
Milwaukee's harbor and railways will also get funding with the goal of expanding business and attracting even more.
Walker said this transportation budget can be done without creating a gas tax or increasing vehicle registration fees.
His budget plan must be approved by legislators before it becomes law.


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Alexander Skarsgard is now apparently the top runner to take the lead in "The Crow" remake. Please update your t-shirts accordingly, Hot Topics of the world.
I'm not the least bit ashamed that I am petrified of Eric Bana. Olivia Munn not so much. But the two of them together will leave me feeling just fine when they hit the big screen on January 16, 2015 in "Beware the Night". The film is Scott Derrickson's follow up to "Sinister" and follows a New York cop who investigating real life demon possessions, exorcisms and werewolves after dark. So that's just shy of two years away. Get pumped kids.
"The Town That Dreaded Sundown", a remake of the 1976 film with the same name, has found it's leading youngster in the form of newcomer Travis Tope. Tope will plat a high school student who lives in a town that is tormented by a serial killer. He's never done anything before. I have no ammo here. Well played Hollywood.
Rob Zombie was miserable making the "Halloween" remakes, he wanted to make "The Blob" remake dark and gritty and he actually paid some poor company to have "Freebird" in a movie of his. That and other exciting news in this new interview.
Five people were shot at a Florida crab fest which actually turned out to be an excuse for a bunch of people to get together and shoot each other. I'm not even sure there was crab being served. What a disappointing day all around for crab lovers in Florida.
Alexius Keys, who I originally read as Alicia Keys, is under arrest after she ran over her ex's new girlfriend with her car. This story would have been a lot more exciting if it was Alicia Keys.


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|Title Information Request
|Vehicle Title Only (New and Replacement)
|Duplicate Title
|Lien Recordation (if vehicle is financed)
|Excise Tax for Vehicle 3,499 lbs or less
|6% of fair market value
|Excise Tax for Vehicle 3,500 lbs - 4,999 lbs
|7% of fair market value
|Excise Tax for Vehicle 5,000 lbs or more
|8% of fair market value
|Excise Tax for Hybrid Vehicles
Credit Cards
DC Government accepts VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit cards.
Excise Tax
Information on the excise tax for DC titles can be found at DC Official Code § 50-2201.03. Many vehicles are exempt from DC excise tax. Review our excise tax exemption list [PDF]. Rates are applied to the fair market value (as defined by the current National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Business Guide for the Eastern Region) of the vehicle at the time of application (reference 18 DCMR §401.16). Obtain an estimate of the excise tax by using the online excise tax calculation tool.
Fair Market Value
Fair Market Value for calculating excise tax on used cars is based on the value indicated in the current National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Business Guide for the Eastern Region (reference 18 DCMR §401.16). If the NADA guide does not provide the fair market value for a particular vehicle, applicable bill of sale shall be used.
Hybrid Vehicle Excise Tax Exemption
District of Columbia legislation limits the hybrid vehicle excise tax exemption to those vehicles which achieve 40 miles per gallon (mpg) during city driving.
The original purchaser (as denoted by the Manufacture Certificate of Origin) of a qualifying hybrid or clean fuel vehicle will be eligible for an excise tax exemption and a reduced registration fee for the first period of registration. Subsequent purchasers of the same vehicle will also be eligible for an excise tax exemption; however, they will not be eligible for a reduced registration fee.
Please refer to the website, FuelEconomy.gov for a list of the vehicles which meet the 40 mpg criteria, and therefore, are eligible for the DC excise tax exemption/reduced registration fee.


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With the British Open starting at Royal St George's on Thursday, and Rory McIlroy hoping for a second major title in a row, we thought we'd get you in the mood with the best golf movies ever...
Caddyshack (1980)
The clothes and haircuts may have dated terribly, but this is still the ultimate source of golf quotes. "Nice shot, right in the beach," and a hundred other lines get rolled out on courses all over the world every day. Also a must for Bill Murray fans.
Tin Cup (1996)
While the love triangle sub-plot is predictable, you're not likely to guess the ending. Washed-up driving-range pro – Kevin Costner at his best – takes a fresh stab at the big time to earn some cash and Rene Russo's heart. Crammed with golfing in-jokes, and worth watching just for downtrodden caddy Cheech Marin's wisetalking.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
Yes, it's very silly. Yes, it mocks everything about golf. Yes, it is Adam Sandler's funniest film by a country mile. Probably the golf movie you're most likely to get your non-golfing friends and family to watch.
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
Ironically, it's the magical, mystical title character of Bagger Vance (Will Smith) that threatens to over-cheese Robert Redford's golfing saga. Does a much better job of capturing US depression-era golf than the overly schmaltzy Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius.
The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)
The remarkable true story of an American amateur golfer and his 10-year-old caddy who took on the best player in the world, Harry Vardon, at the 1913 US Open. An early role for Shia LeBeouf and a solid turn by Stephen Dillane as Vardon, but it's all a little over-Disneyed and conveniently ignores the illness that left Harry Vardon battling a jittery hand when putting. Read Mark Frost's book to find out how much better this could've been.


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From: Jim Cramer
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2012 11:27 AM
To: Nicole Urken
Subject: DECK
This Jefferies recommendation of DECK as a takeover makes sense—get me a file! Next Timberland?
From: Nicole Urken
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2012 11:28 AM
To: Jim Cramer
Subject: RE: DECK
Agreed ! I was just discussing that VF Corp should buy Deckers and manage Uggs better – get at good price. Will send you the Jeffries M&A piece. Of course, DECK floundering now but maybe VFC could do something for that. (They are no Timberland certainly which was in moment of strength when VFC bought them).
Nicole's Research:
If you can manage to catch a breath of fresh air to think about holiday shopping amidst the fiscal cliff debates, you might be thinking about making sure your purchases align with the latest trends.
From an investing standpoint, when it comes to specialty retail in particular, merchandising so that the inventory is "fashion right" is key for the underlying companies to clock in solid results.
Improved merchandising is, after all, behind the turns we have seen of late Gap (GPS) and Urban (URBN)—and largely behind the positive theses for early growth names Michael Kors (KORS) and Tumi (TUMI), as emphasized by Goldman Sachs in their specialty retail note this week. Just on Mad Money on Tuesday, Saks (SKS) CEO Steve Sadove noted that customers want products that are new and different.
With holiday spirit in the air, the idea of thinking about buying the 'right trends' at the 'right time' is key for stocks—particularly for momentum names that carry high multiples.
On Mad Money, we used to look at a cohort of high-growth, high-octane stocks called the CANDIES—Chipotle (CMG), Apple (AAPL), Netflix (NFLX), Deckers (DECK), Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), Express Scripts (ESRX) and Salesforce.com (CRM)—along with later additions of F-Five (FFIV) and Amazon (AMZN).
The concept behind grouping these stocks centered on the idea that their performance could transcend macroeconomic pressures or temporary demands… in other words, we said they are not fads.
But of course, while all of these names had their periods of strong runs, only a couple retain their 'untouchables' status. The most high profile debacles:
(1) Netflix had been crowned a darling that could do no wrong, rising from the $30s at the height of the recession to near $300 per share. Of course, however, we saw the quick demise of Netflix strength in the summer of 2011 after Reed Hastings launched the company's elevated pricing scheme for the legacy DVD business to support the high- cost (and more competitive!) streaming business and international growth. This stock has made for some interesting trades here, but it can't seem to get out of the hotseat, from Facebook post scandals and content cost and churn concerns, even as it signs new partners like Disney.
(2) Chipotle's rocket launch over the past couple of years has been predicated on double digit comps and unit growth (over 10 percent annual growth)—not to mention the health quotient Food with Integrity initiatives, one of the more ethereal drivers of the stock (the "Danny Meyer quotient" we have discussed on Mad Money). The stock has thus fallen from its highs over $400 in April to below $300 currently. At this point, it remains a wait and see name as there is no catalyst to come in at these levels.
(3) Deckers, the company behind the ubiquitous Uggs, has had a rough run since the fourth quarter of 2011 when warm weather and high sheepskin costs pressured sales. The notion that the Uggs brand transcended weather and was more than just a temporary 'fad' (as opposed to Skechers or LA Gear) has caused the stock to drop from almost $120 to under $40. We recently highlighted on Mad Money that the brand is not dead and could be revived by a better manager—something that has recently allowed the stock to catch a bid. It is still well off its highs but certainly the jury is still out so wait for a pullback before starting a position.
(4) Express Scripts, the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), was seen to have transcendent strength based on it being a big beneficiary of the generic drug wave and cost containment efforts for companies and beyond. However, its dispute with Walgreens (even though belatedly resolved) ultimately pounded results. Stay away from this one here – CVS Caremark (CVS) in the winner seat from both a front-end perspective and PBM perspective.
What is the takeaway of all of this?
Now more than ever, in order for a company to be successful (and for its stock price to appreciate as well!), it needs to adjust with changing sentiments, consumer habits, sector trends, and the macro picture… before it is too late.
We know this is true no matter what sector—be it tech, consumer, healthcare and beyond.
Ultimately, the failure of Dell (DELL) and Hewlett Packard (HPQ) to foresee the commoditization of the PC and not to shift into higher growth areas like big data, cloud, and storage have hurt the stocks, making both companies desperate for acquisitions and restructurings which have of late proven to be more disastrous than originally thought (Autonomy scandal!).
Goldman Sachs recently recommended Dell, but even at these levels, the stock looks like a value trap. If you are in it for a trade, don't over stay your welcome.
You could call it the Best Buy (BBY) predicament—ie being late to the party, sticking too long with brick & mortar in the case of Best Buy (point to Amazon!).
In contrast, more forward-thinking peer IBM (IBM) is better situated in the current environment, having diversified away from PCs.
Remember, it takes more than a hot trend to drive a hot stock. The mobile internet boom allowed Apple (AAPL) to soar from under $100 in March 2009 to a peak of $700—though falling of late.
But Research in Motion (RIMM) has suffered, down from its peak of over $140 in 2008 to $12 and change, though it has caught a nice double since the end of September. Oh, and remember Palm Pilot? Bad execution, bad products (ironically acquired by Hewlett—not helping them much!). In other words, execution and products are key.
Avoidance of commoditization: The avoidance of commoditization is the goal of all companies and to make a fad last as long as possible.
Nothing in life is permanent (how's that for some philosophy for you?) and now more than ever it is key for companies to shift with the times.
Ultimately, placing stocks into two groups:(1) game-changing stocks with years of growth ahead of them versus... (2) flash in the pan stocks is not the right way of thinking about investing.
Every company is at risk of being a flash in the pan, which is why on Mad Money, we always emphasize "buy and homework" versus "buy and hold."
Success is based on company being able to shift effectively enough to allow demand for its products to last as long as possible.
While Home Depot (HD) and Lowe's (LOW) remain the darlings of housing retail, Builders Square (Kmart subsidiary)—I'm not old enough to remember this one but Jim Cramer conveniently brings it up—didn't have an execution strategy and the firm was sold for a measley sum.
Branding: How about branding? When you're competing against giants, a company needs to find a niche where it's clearly superior.
That's how Red Bull managed to become such a success despite the dominance of Coke and Pepsi by marketing itself as an energy drink.
That's a stark contrast to Clearly Canadian the soft-drink maker that many thought could become the next Pepsi or Coca-Cola for a brief period in the early '90s—anybody remember that sweet tasting sparkling water? Instead Clearly Canadian went toe-to-toe with Coke and Pepsi on their home turf and got crushed. That was a fad.
Whether or not Washington decides to play Grinch this Christmas with the fiscal cliff debate, keep an eye on catching stocks at the right times.
Certainly, you can catch a trade in fallen darlings like Netflix, Chipotle, or Research in Motion (trade likely over!), but ultimately we need real catalysts before coming in, and at this point those name lack them.
Add Green Mountain (GMCR) to that list of stocks in no-mans land-- why not go with Starbucks (SBUX) which continues to boast strong growth.
What's the bottom line?
No stock is safe from becoming a fad.
Whether it the new social media cohort—Facebook (FB) or LinkedIn (LNKD), behemoths in search and e-commerce—Amazon (AMZN) and Google (GOOG), specialty retail names—Lululemon (LULU) and Under Armour (UA), healthcare—Express Scripts (ESRX) and Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), and beyond, constant shifting is paramount.
So as holiday season and 2013 approach, don't forget how key it is to beware of the 'fad phenomenon' risk… and don't overstay your welcome in trades.
Follow Nicole Urken on Twitter @nicoleurken
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Ashin Nandamāla was born on 22nd March 1940 at the village of Nyaung-bin in Sint-ku, Mandalay, the Union of Myanmar. His parents were U San Hla and Daw Khin, who were pious Buddhists.
At the age of six, he was sent to the monastic school to learn the three R's (Elementary reading, writing and arithmetic) in the Myanmar language. He was ordained a novice at the Sagaing Hills when he was ten years old. His preceptor was Sayadaw U Canda, well-known as the "Sankin Sayadaw", the presiding monk of the prestigious "Vipassanā" monastery. He was given the ecclesiastical name of "Nandamāla".
Ashin Nandamāla started to learn the Pāḷi language and the basic Buddhist scriptures under the tutelage of his own elder brother, Sayadaw U Nārada.
Ashin Nandamāla is one of the founders of the Buddhist Teaching Centre, Mahā...
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By Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits last week fell and planned layoffs hit a 13-1/2 year low in December, adding to a range of data that have suggested the economy is gaining steam.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 330,000 in the week ended January 4, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists had expected them to fall to just 335,000.
Claims are typically volatile around this time of the year because of the weather and the difficulties adjusting the data for unusual and shifting layoff patterns around the holidays.
Still, they have been largely consistent with other labor market indicators that have painted an upbeat picture of the jobs market and the overall economy.
"The labor market seems to have picked up some steam towards the end of the year," said Guy Berger, an economist at RBS in Stamford, Connecticut.
Separately, consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said planned layoffs at U.S. firms plunged by 32 percent in December to the lowest level since June 2000.
The reports helped to lift U.S. stocks, although the dollar was little changed against a basket of currencies and prices for U.S. government bonds rose only slightly.
From employment to consumer spending and industrial production, the economy appears poised for sustained strong growth in 2014 after false starts in prior years.
The brightening outlook gave the Federal Reserve confidence last month to announce that it would reduce its monthly pace of bond purchases to $75 billion from $85 billion.
With the run of fairly strong data continuing, economists believe the U.S. central bank will announce a further reduction at its next meeting on January 28-29.
In an interview with Time magazine released on Thursday, incoming Fed Chair Janet Yellen said she was "hopeful" that economic growth would accelerate in 2014 to reach 3 percent or more, with inflation moving up toward the central bank's target.
Economists think U.S. GDP growth may not have even reached 2 percent last year.
The jobless claims data for last week has no bearing on the government's closely watched employment report for December, given that it falls outside of the payroll survey period.
The Labor Department is expected to report on Friday that non-farm payrolls increased by 196,000 last month after gaining 203,000 in November, according to a Reuters poll of economists.
There is, however, a risk of a stronger number. Private-sector hiring hit its fastest pace in 13 months in December, while small businesses created the most jobs in nearly eight years, according to reports on Wednesday.
"The underlying trend is encouraging," said Jennifer Lee, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto. "Job creation is picking up momentum."
The claims data showed the number of people still receiving benefits under regular state programs after an initial week of aid rose 50,000 to 2.87 million in the week ended December 28.
A total of 4.19 million people were receiving benefits under all programs in the week ended December 21. With benefits for more than a million long-term unemployed Americans having expired on December 28, that figure should decline sharply in the weeks ahead.
Economists believe the expiration of the benefits will lower the unemployment rate as former aid recipients either accept jobs they previously would not have considered or drop out of the labor force.
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani, additional reporting by Steven C Johnson in New York; Editing by Paul Simao)


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Tuesday, November 17, 2020 - 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Drop in anytime between 10AM-12PM or 3:30PM-5:30PM every Tuesday for Kids' Day Out, an event made just for kids! Kids can explore the different fragrances and mix & match their favorites until they find the perfect combination. They can create their very own labels for their unique candles.
*No reservations needed, just walk in!
*$10 per candle (6oz tins only)
*Age limit: 3 to 12 years old
*Safety goggles and aprons are provided
*Parental supervision is required at all times
Be sure to stay tuned into our page for any schedule changes!
Location:Marketplace by Kalamazoo Candle
166 S Kalamazoo Mall
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Contact:Cost: $10 per candle (6oz tins only)
Event Website: Click to Visit
Organizer: Marketplace by Kalamazoo Candle
Organization: Marketplace by Kalamazoo Candle
Organizer Phone: (269) 532-9816
Organizer Email: [email protected]
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We do our best at Kalamazoo Kids to provide accurate, useful information about events and activities. This information (such as times and locations) is gathered from user submissions, press releases, local newspapers, signs around town and word of mouth. We do our best to confirm details before they are posted here. Sometimes details change or we are given inaccurate information. Whenever possible, we link our write-ups to the source in which our information came from and strongly urge you to confirm details before you go. Kalamazoo Kids is in no way responsible for any problems that occur while participating in activities listed on the site, in the newsletter or on Facebook.


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Tarot Card Meanings
The Star
Your time is better spent in reflection and spiritual pursuit.
The Tower
The Moon
Watch Now: The Star Video
Learn the meaning of The Star Tarot card in under a minute!
General Meaning
The Star Tarot card is about reconnecting one's soul with the divine -- the transcending of personality, family, community, and reputation. It has to do ultimately with the freedom to be one's self. The soul is responding to celestial influences -- forces that can provide the personality with a stronger sense of purpose. The Star card helps us to remember our exalted origins and our attraction to a higher union.
This card could also be called The Celestial Mandate -- that which refers us back to our reason for being, our mission in this lifetime. The Star reminds us that, in a sense, we are agents of divine will in our day-to-day lives. If we let go of the idea that we are supposed to be in control, we can more easily notice and appreciate the synchronicities that are nudging us along. In this way, we become more conscious of the invisible helping hand, and we better understand our place within -- and value to -- the larger cosmos.
In the Reversed Position
The Star card reversed suggests that you are temporarily alienated from your brilliance and usefulness. You may feel clumsy, unskilled, at odds within your true nature.
Perhaps you are forgetting your soul's purpose in this lifetime. Focus on your unique gifts and talents -- their source is divine. It's your job to learn how to apply them in any situation your life offers you.
In the Advice Positon
The Star card advises that you rededicate yourself to your higher values, increase your spiritual cultivation and meditation practice, and surrender to the greater good. Connect to your higher self -- a being of a larger realm traveling on an evolutionary course that started long ago and runs indefinitely into the future. This is the part you wish to contact and communicate with.
Now is a period for quiet contemplation. Listen for the voice within. Anything that would interfere with this communion may not be serving your best interests right now.
A powerful message is waiting for you! Get your Reconciliation Tarot Reading NOW...
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CUPSAce of Cups
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SWORDSAce of Swords
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King of Coins


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Notes From A Hospital Waiting Room
This thing in Atlanta. This is really happening? The Braves, 8-1/2 behind the Rockies 18 days ago, have won 15 of 17, are two behind the Rockies in the Wild Card, and four behind the Phillies for first in the division, with five to play? It is of course impossible, even for a team on as much of a roll as Bobby Coxs, to pull this off – except we so easily forget: this is almost exactly what the possible victims here, the Rockies, did to San Diego in 2007. Plus there are two very relevant facts here: since Jim Tracy took over, Colorado has been so hot that they necessarily had to cool down (as will the Braves), and if Atlanta pulls this off they can thank Jair Jurrjens. After he beat the Marlins tonight he rose to merely 9-1 against the NL East (yes, its 4-0 versus the Mets; that still leaves 5-1 versus everybody else). This is one of the more remarkable stats of the last few years. And lets not even start talking about how the Phlounderin Phillies have enabled all this.
20 Comments
I, for one, hope the Phillies will continue to "Phlounder", because I "phreaking" can't stand them, LOL! Go Atlanta! Go Rockies! Go ANYBODY but the Phils!!! 😀
On a serious note, I'm sorry to hear you had to post this from the hospital. I hope your father will feel better soon. Thanks for taking the time to post. We're out here rooting for you and your "Olberdaddy", as he's become affectionately known here on the internets. 🙂
I'd like to see Atlanta pull this off, just for the charm of "holy crap, Atlanta totally pulled that off." But one still can't help but feel sorry for the Mets. Seriously.
Hope everything is okay. Nothing but good thoughts your way, man.
From here in Atlanta, thanks for the comments and the props to J.J., who is indeed The Man–just give him a little run support and he'll get ya there.
Sincere best wishes to you, your father, and your family.
Thank you for posting from such an emotional room. It takes so much courage and strength to think and write about anything but the most cherished ones in our lives. Take care of him and we won't stop praying for his quick recovery. God bless
Please keep us updated
I count six games left, and the key thing (as a braves fan) is that the last four are against the Washington Nationals.
Keith, you and your family are in our thoughts.
As a Dodger fan, I don't know who or what to root for! But since I never thought Jim Tracy was a genius when he was with my team, I am not inclined to want him considered one now with the Rockies. No offense, Rockies fans.
By the way, Keith, my wife saw you on Football Night in America and wondered if you ever sleep. I told her my problem with you was that you were covering such an unimportant sport, compared with baseball.
I've been a Braves fan since I was four and grew up with the Braves of the 90s. While I miss the days of us being 20 games ahead with 15 left in the season, the last two or three weeks have been very exciting for me. As someone who cried in 2006 after the epic 18 inning game that ended in a Braves loss to keep us from the playoffs…I'm incredibly invested in the next few games.
You better believe it is really happening – and it is not impossible. JJ has been great, and so has Vasquez. Both would be Cy Young candidates had they gotten more run support. The Braves can win this – and I mean the division. I'm sorry you are writing from the hospital. I've been missing you on countdown but Mr. L has been holding down the fort. May God bless you and your family.
In Atlanta, we've just come to accept that our beloved team will pull something of a surprise in the end. It does not happen every time, but a lot of really great wins happened after we were behind for the entire game; that it is happening as far as wins are concerned…well…we will just keep grinning about it. Bobby is crediting the pitching, according to the AJC.
I will keep your father, you and your family in my prayers; I think that echoes the feelings of most Countdown viewers, if not all.
Guess if the Giants can't be the one to knock the Rockies out of the playoff picture, it might as well be the Braves, especially now that Cox has announced that next year will be his final year. (Doesn't Bobby Cox hold the record for ejections?)
And having been there, done that and got the T-shirt on the parental hospital watch front (and gearing up to go through deja vu all over again with my husband's parents), I'm holding you and yours in my thoughts and prayers, as are many folks over at a certain "orange" site you've been known to hang out at. 😉
Hey Keith! I hope the Braves make it. Having the Braves back in the post-season kinda means things are righting themselves in a sense. It brings me back to all those great times in the late 90s with the Braves duking it out with my beloved Mets. Though I wouldn't mind the Rockies making it either.
Also my thoughts are with and your family right now. I hope your dad pulls through. Hang in there!
Hey Keith,
How is your father doing? I know it's not really any of our business, but we really do care about you and your family. Even just a brief note now and then would be great. Please? 🙂
I hope he's getting better… and I wish you all the strength in the world. Good luck!
For us Mets fans, the NL race was academic a long time ago.
Best wishes to you and your father — may he rally like the Mets in the sixth game of the '86 Series! Have you tried turning your hat inside out?
Good vibes coming your dad's way, Keith.
And, the Phils' will clinch tonight. See you next year, Braves…
Great story for Atlanta… but as a Mets fan (yes, this year has been a complete disaster) I look forward to a real 3 team division race next year.
Keith, simply put, you are my hero and I'm so sorry for what you are going through right now with your father. I lost mine 3 years ago so I know how you must be feeling. I will keep the both of you in my thoughts.
Good night and good luck.
Big fan of Countdown and your blogs and have been a fan of you since your ESPN days….i grew up watching you and Dan Patrick and have followed you ever since.
This is why I love baseball….the last week of the season where everyone is on eggshells waiting to see how everything shakes out…I love the postseason and even if my Cubbies and your Mets aren't there, it should still be a good one….I'm really hoping the Yankees and Red Sox meet up in the ALCS and give us another great 7 game series like they have over the years…
My prayers are with you and your father….I lost mine many years ago and I know the feeling and how much having that comfort meant to me….but baseball and sports in general helped me get through it all.
A friend once told me:
Baseball isn't that important…..
But it's important.
Words I live by everyday.
Keith: Please know that you and your family are being held gently in my thoughts and prayers.
Keeping you and your family in my prayers!
It's a crazy time, this end of season, this September. My Red Sox clinched their wild card spot by two losses-one when the Rangers lost last night and the other their own against the Blue Jays. The past week, Tito seems to be playing the kiddos from the Paw Sox instead of my Red Sox, so no wonder we've lost and so resoundingly lately! I know, save your A game for the post season, but it's tough to watch your team get spanked by a less capable team.
It's been a tough few months for your family as well…I hope this storm passes quickly and with long-lasting blue skies.
I am a fan of yours from my husband introducing me to Countdown, but I am a baseball fan because of my father.
My thoughts and prayers to you and your family. May baseball and your fans help you through this difficult time.


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There are more than 20 state and regional Christmas Tree associations that have coordinators to facilitate the collection and donation of trees for Trees for Troops. The state/regional coordinator sets goals for the number of trees, secures commitments from growers and retailers in their state, and works with the Trees for Troops staff to coordinate the logistics for FedEx pick up.
If you are selling trees to be donated (wholesale or retail), you must contribute, either yourself or customers, $5 per tree to help defray some costs of the program. The $5 per tree cost is paid directly to the Trees for Troops program.
A pin-up, which is sometimes called a paper plaque, paper icon, scannable, or mobile, is sold in retail locations and any other place that has customers and a cash register. Most pinups are sold for between $1 and $5. When the customer buys one, the donation is added to their bill. They usually sign their name to the pinup, which is then displayed somewhere in the business as a sign of customer support for the cause. Try one in your retail location and let us know how it worked.
It's easy, and consumers tend to give frequently when someone just asks "Would you like to donate a dollar to Trees for Troops?"
We need sponsors at any price point, large or small. If you can't host a trailer drop, you can still provide your community with a method to help ensure trees are available for troops and military families. Ask your local business contacts to become Trees for Troops sponsors. Donations/sponsorships of any amount are appreciated. Those who give $25 or more receive a tax receipt from CSF. You can download a "Thank You" certificate to give to those who give less than $25.


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In 2010, Albridge, an affiliate of Pershing, a BNY Mellon company, commissioned Beacon Strategies LLC, a strategy and tactical consulting firm that focuses on the broker-dealer market, to systematically examine the state of broker-dealer compliance and interaction with sales practice management. The results were published in November 2010 in a report entitled "Broker-Dealer Sales Practices Oversight: Secrets of Their Success."
Albridge believes it is important for the broker-dealer community to have a continuous, updated perspective on this topic. Based on positive feedback to the 2010 survey, we made the commitment to help broker-dealers identify consistent industry standards, as well as gain new perspective on trends and changes.
To that end, Albridge commissioned Beacon to update this study in January 2012. In this process, Beacon Strategies conducted personal interviews and in-depth surveys with 53 broker-dealer firms representing diverse business models and distribution channels. The original study and the update each represent the synthesis of our field work and dialogues with regulators, as well as a diverse cross-section of broker-dealer circumstances and experiences.
Both the original report and the update uncovered gaps and highlighted best practices in broker-dealer compliance practices. In general, our updated findings have reinforced many key points emphasized in the original report. We have briefly summarized many of those points in this update. In this document, we also will draw attention to specific areas and issues where changes are occurring based on our research.
Top Five Industry Challenges—Then and Now
The original study identified the top five challenges of broker-dealers, based on survey responses, as shown in the table on page 59. In the update, the same top four issues continue to weigh on the minds of executives, but the order has changed, with suitability review moving from third into first place. Also, one new issue has moved onto the list at No. 5—social media.
In general, broker-dealers appear to be making slow but steady progress in meeting their biggest oversight challenges. Suitability review is the only one of the original top five challenges to register an increase in response percentage. The increased focus on suitability review is being driven, in part, by increased emphasis on this area by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). FINRA reported 106 cases that involved suitability allegations in 2011, twice the 53 cases reported in both 2009 and 2010. Suitability-related FINRA fines more than doubled from 2010 to 2011, from $3.75 million to $7.7 million.
It is not surprising that social media now appears on the top-five list, and it could go higher in future updates. Other Beacon research indicates a strong trend toward broker-dealer adoption and approval of social media during 2011, due mainly to increased regulatory clarity from FINRA on supervisory review and records retention; and the success of leading software suppliers who are partnering with broker-dealers to address review and retention issues. We believe the major challenge broker-dealers face with social media relates to FINRA standards for supervisory review of advertising, which generally require compliance pre-approval.
Compliance Gaps
The original study concluded that bank and wirehouse broker-dealers had made more progress in adopting modern, efficient sales practice oversight standards compared to their independent and insurance company counterparts. However, we attributed most of the difference to compliance gaps ("weak areas"), rather than to the firm's structure or type.
In the original report, we found a high correlation between firms that have two or more of these weak areas and firms with difficulties in upgrading or modernizing sales practice surveillance.
The update reveals a widening disparity between manual and automated firms in the intervening period. The percentage of broker-dealers using manual processes remained about the same—37% in the original study versus 40% now (the difference is within sampling error). However, results also showed a meaningful shift toward fully automated systems and away from combination systems that blend automation with eyes-on compliance reviews. In the charts below, note that the combination percentage decreased by 15%, roughly comparable to the 12% increase in the automated percentage.
A Beacon Strategies survey of 300 broker-dealers conducted in first-quarter 2012 found that, in general, broker-dealers that were in the process of moving to automated systems in 2010 have continued to advance, while many of those that relied on manual processes have not. As a result, the gap between the "haves" and "have-nots" appears to have widened. We think a major difference between them is the commitment of senior management to upgrading systems and putting more business through brokerage platforms, rather than placing it directly with mutual fund and annuity companies. Also, larger firms appear to have made more progress since 2010 than smaller firms, although there are exceptions.
Regulatory Hotspots
The original study identified several "hotspot" issues that regulators were focusing on in 2010, and we believe they all remain at the forefront today. They include:
- Sensitivity to fraud. According to regulators, broker-dealers' ability to aggregate and monitor all of an investor's holdings and activities is a key to fraud prevention oversight.
- Increased protection for elderly investors. Regulators want to ensure a fair market for seniors, in which sales practices are responsible, the facts are clear and products are suitable.
- Convincing the public. As expected, FINRA has adopted a rule that gives all investors the right to dispute resolution through an all-public arbitration panel.
- Interconnected suitability analysis. FINRA's enforcement activities indicate that suitability is no longer sufficient when transactions are considered in a narrow or isolated manner, apart from a client's other holdings.
- Concentration risk. Regulators want to know that broker-dealers can monitor the impact of each recommendation on an investor's overall concentration. They are skeptical that "silo systems" or paper-based processes can adequately address aggregate risk concentrations.
- Variable annuity (VA) suitability and exchanges. Federal and state regulators are concerned about VA suitability issues, especially those involved in exchanges.
- Mutual fund breakpoints and trails. Broker-dealers and investment professionals must monitor fund purchases and breakpoints and convert trail-based shares to A shares when cumulative fee levels are reached. In these areas, regulators believe manual review processes are notoriously time-consuming and prone to error.
The list of regulatory hotspots that we identified in 2010 remains intact two years later, perhaps with some reshuffling in priority. However, one new hotspot, social media, has come to the forefront only in the past two years, and it is rapidly moving up the list of regulators' priorities.
In 2010, we predicted an increased focus on suitability issues related to elderly investors, and recent trends indicate that this foresight was accurate. We think this issue is heating up for a simple, intuitive reason—the elderly investor population keeps growing, as do their regulatory issues and complaints. Broker-dealers would be wise to devote extra suitability emphasis on any client over a certain age, such as age 65. Ideally, suitability supervision should also periodically revisit the accounts of the elderly to make sure investment strategies remain appropriate at higher ages.
Update on Best Practices for Sales Practice Monitoring
The original report identified several of the industry's best practices in sales practice oversight, including:
Electronic data entry at the source. Real benefits exist when investor information and orders are entered digitally at the source. This step eliminates errors, duplication and delays compared to paper-based and hard-copy systems, or orders placed over the phone and through "check-and-application" correspondence. Entering data electronically at the source is an important step in a broker-dealer's transition from separate "data silos" to a centralized system for managing investor account data.
Elimination of paper. Our original study indicated that more than 60% of broker-dealers are systematically converting paper—at the point of entry—into PDF and TIFF files, and more than 30% said they are using tools to convert scanned documents into digitized data. Significantly, this process integrates with surveillance tools that combine KYC suitability data with compliance reviews of specific recommendations. A few broker-dealers are taking the next step in this evolution by adopting "electronic folder" systems that organize and digitize documents at the source on centralized servers of third-party partners, so they do not need to be mailed or faxed.
Use of a centralized books and records repository. Historically, the technology needs of some broker-dealers (predominantly independents) revolved around one application, the commission payment system. As new compliance needs emerged, legacy systems were retrofitted to meet them. Even now, client data captured by some broker-dealers on check-and-application business is stored in commission payment systems that were not designed for this purpose.
Reduced reliance on exceptions processing. This best practice goes beyond the conversion of paper to digital data. It consolidates electronic data in ways that serve the needs of compliance departments and regulators, such as identifying unusual sales practices or employing risk scoring systems. It requires compliance officers and staffers to creatively rethink one-off review processes.
When broker-dealers focus on measuring the productivity and cost-efficiency of their compliance departments, we have found that other best practices generally follow. Conversely, reliance on outdated processes and legacy systems creates extra costs and often results in lower service levels, increased risks, longer processing times and higher error rates.
Our original study found that most broker-dealers were not attempting to measure how much value the compliance department or individual employers added in relation to cost and productivity. Centralizing data and eliminating paper and one-off review processes can increase productivity and make it easier to set productivity goals and measure progress.
In the original study, two-thirds of broker-dealers surveyed said there was an overall trend of growth in compliance staff. For more than half (53%), staff size had been increasing by more than 10% annually over the past three years.
Beacon Strategies found in the first-quarter 2012 study that 63% of firms said there had been a recent trend toward a growing compliance staff. The graph above illustrates the percentage of firms that indicated various rates of compliance staff growth.
In almost half of firms (45%), the growth rate is a modest 0%–10%, which can be attributed primarily to either increased business volumes or a broker-dealer's response to increased regulatory scrutiny.
As a qualitative measure of compliance growth, Beacon Strategies asked firms to rate the compliance department's visibility and power within the firm. Twenty-three percent said visibility is high, 44% said it is medium and 33% said it is low.
Finally, as a measure of cost and efficiency, Beacon Strategies asked firms to estimate their overall compliance expenses versus firm revenues. The graph below shows the distribution of responses.
Of course, we would expect average costs to be higher (as a percentage of revenue) in small firms than in larger ones. For the industry as a whole, Beacon Strategies concludes a well-automated compliance department should be capable of bringing costs under 7% of revenue. Thus, the update indicates there is still plenty of room for automation-driven compliance cost savings.
What Regulators Are Saying (and Doing)
In 2011, leading securities regulators were emphasizing:
• A combination of "carrots and sticks" (incentives and sanctions) to ensure that all broker-dealers adhere to uniform compliance oversight practices
• Increased regulatory staffing to enforce compliance with financial regulatory reform and related compliance initiatives
• A Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) focus on multi-disciplinary regulatory reviews, including specialists with expertise in trading, risk, operations and technology
• "Reasonable basis" due diligence and suitability analysis of the investor
• A shift toward risk-based FINRA examinations of broker-dealers
More recently, we are seeing regulators put bite behind their bark. In 2011, FINRA filed 1,488 disciplinary actions, a 13.6% increase over 2010, and it levied $68 million in fines, a 51% increase over 2010.
Anecdotally, we are hearing from broker-dealers that the regulatory reach of FINRA has grown steadily over the past two years. Examinations are delving into more details, with less tolerance for deviations from regulations and norms. In the words of one industry observer: "FINRA is turning over more rocks, looking for smaller bugs."
Although the focus of regulators tends to change slowly, we believe regulators are increasingly concerned about problems relating to direct business, with dual or multiple books and records systems. Regulators are connecting the dots between the percentage of a firm's business that goes direct to manufacturer, as opposed to through a brokerage platform, and compliance oversight gaps and shortcomings. Based on our 2012 broker-dealer survey, we conclude regulators may soon begin devoting increased scrutiny to firms with the heaviest dependence on direct business.
For the most part, our 2012 update has confirmed concepts and verified trends identified in the original 2010 study. As one general observation, it has demonstrated the truth of Isaac Newton's first law of motion, "the velocity of a body remains constant unless the body is acted on by an external force."
There is velocity in the securities industry toward automated sales practice oversight. But in 2012, the velocity is most visible and constant in firms that had some momentum in 2010. The same law of physics explains inertia, and this also is apparent in the industry. Old habits die hard, especially "eyes-only" manual compliance review processes and patterns of directed business that result in dual or multiple sets of books and records. We observe that a trend toward placing securities transactions through brokerage accounts versus direct business has been inching forward now for 15–20 years. Yet, it is hard to detect any acceleration in this trend over the last two years, despite more regulatory scrutiny and increased FINRA filings and fines.
It is clear that when Newton's first law is applied to securities sales practices, broker-dealers are being acted on by a meaningful external force—regulators. The increase in regulatory staffs, multi-disciplinary expertise and scrutiny that we predicted in 2010 has become real, and perhaps recently it has begun to accelerate. We believe regulators will hasten the traditionally sluggish pace of change in some critical compliance areas, and they will also continue to use both carrots (cost savings) and sticks (sanctions) to force changes that increase automation while addressing regulatory hotspots.
Cost pressures are another external force driving change. Only a few years ago, broker-dealers of all sizes were enjoying robust revenue growth and healthy profit margins. Some firms did not watch their bottom lines very closely because there was always more money to be made on the top line. Now, of course, brokerage firm executives live on the bottom line, and it is not far from their pillows at night.
By nature of business cycles and the changing needs of investors, brokerage firms have limited ability to control fluctuations in top-line revenues, but all broker-dealers have the ability to control costs, thereby exerting positive influences on their bottom lines.
We see more firms coming around to the idea that old habits of the past, especially high volumes of direct business, have an intrinsic cost factor attached. Although these costs show up in the compliance department's budget, they also have significant ancillary impacts in areas such as operations, trading, account administration, advisor recruiting and retention, and client service and communication.
Modern, integrated sales practice oversight technologies and systems (and the qualified people to manage them) do require spending and commitment. But the industry's experience in the past has been that these expenses are more than compensated by savings from increased efficiencies, avoidance of regulatory actions and fines, and the ability to keep employees focused on productive pursuits rather than compliance and associated impacts.
We think Newton would like what he sees in today's broker-dealer industry. The two big external forces of regulation and cost pressure are causing most broker-dealers to acquire more velocity toward automation and change. Some are moving faster than others, but perhaps even that gap will narrow in the future.


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What Happens When You Mail a Letter (Dec, 1951)
Very cool. This article was written back when they still had a big network of pneumatic tubes connecting all of the post offices in Manhattan.
What Happens When You Mail a Letter
By Herbert O. Johansen
With the Christmas rush on, the complex network of men and machines that speeds the mails is working in high gear.
WHEN you drop a letter in a mailbox and hear the slot lid click, you probably give the lid a couple of extra flips for good measure. In return for that effort, plus licking the stamp, you take it for granted that your message of love, business, sorrow, cheer or complaint will be delivered to the right person at the right place in the shortest possible time.
And it almost certainly will be—along with the other 127,677,738 letters that are mailed in the United States on an average day—enough letters, if their envelopes were laid end-to-end, to reach from New York to Shanghai.
For the inside story of the intricate machinery that makes this possible—to be told by following one letter through its adventures in the U. S. mails—a PS reporter and photographer called first on New York City Postmaster Albert Goldman in the imposing building that has become famous for the quotation across its facade:
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.
Mr. Goldman explained that this quotation from Herodotus was a tribute to mounted postal couriers used by the Persians dur-ing a war with the Greeks in 500 B.C.
Post Office Big Business Now
With that historical note taken care of, we learned a few facts about the modern postal system here:
• It sells about 22 billion stamps a year for more than $900,000,000.
• It employs 500,000 men and women, including 85,188 regular carriers and 32,433 RFD route men. (On an average, a carrier walks from nine to 20 miles a day, wears out a pair of shoes every three months.)
• It has 41,193 post offices of all types throughout the country.
Now, with the blessings of the Post Office Department, we were ready to mail our guinea-pig letter.
We labeled it air mail to mark the 40th anniversary of the country's first air-mail flight—a five-mile hop between Garden City and Mineola, N.Y., on Sept. 23, 1911.
Letter Rides Pneumatic Tube First
We dropped it in a box near Manhattan's Triborough station to give it a good send-off. It could start through the only intra-city pneumatic-tube dispatch system used by the post office.
In operation since 1897, the tube system is 27 miles long, forming a loop that connects 21 stations. Into it go about 95,000 projectile-like carrier cylinders a day, speeding some 5,000,000 pieces of mail to their destinations at 30 miles an hour.
We addressed our letter to Tom Carrell, an automobile dealer in San Fernando, Calif., so we could show you the helicopter-delivery system operating from Los Angeles. Chicago is now the only other city having 'copter mail service, but it undoubtedly will be extended elsewhere when more experience has been gained and helicopters can be released from war service. Their use often saves a full day in the delivery of a letter— two days in case of a holiday or over week ends.
We could, of course, have addressed our letter so that it would have gone by other means of transportation used by the post office: train, boat, motor launch, bus, horseback, and even ski or dog sled.
But whatever the means of transportation,, the post office asks only that a letter be addressed so that it can be delivered. Although this is sometimes a challenge, there are surprisingly few "nixies"—letters so illegible or indefinite in address that they end up in the dead-letter office.
Clerks Must Be Detectives
At times it requires detective work to get a letter through. One clerk, for instance, tabulated 197. spellings for Chicago, including Zizabo, Jagjago, Jaiijo, Hipaho, Hizago, Shehego, Chaque-chico.
Then there are the wags who like to match wits with the post office. Some address letters in Morse code, in musical notes or by telephone numbers (the latter are ignored). The chemically minded use such tricks as H20 Town for Watertown.
You can mail almost anything. Some articles are barred, however, such as poisons, explosives and live animals, except honeybees, day-old chicks, alligators under 20 inches and "other harmless creatures expected to reach their destination in good condition."
And if you want your mail to arrive in good condition on time during the Christmas rush (which is expected to add almost two billion pieces of mail), mail early, address painly, wrap securely.


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04 March, 2013 | (01 hr)
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Studies of executive development and risk management from 2007 and 2012 revealed that assessment programs linked with predictive analytics can positively affect revenue and share price. Data from Yahoo, Hewlett Packard, Apple, Intel and many others show the risk and value of executive succession planning. Risk mitigation involves identifying critical behaviors that predict success, mapping assessments to those behaviors and applying human capital financial analytics to demonstrate and sustain economic value.
Audience: Anyone who wants to know how to design and deliver human capital analytics in a way that positively affects organizational outcomes including human resources, finance and IT professionals
Jeff Higgins
Mr. Higgins is the chief executive officer of the Human Capital Management Institute, a driving force in Workforce analytics at leading companies who transform workforce data into a source of value creation via planning and predictive modeling. With his unique combination of experience ...Full Bio
Dr. Jac Fitz-enz
Dr. Fitz-enz is acknowledged worldwide as the father of human capital strategic analysis and measurement. He published the first human resources metrics in 1978. In 2006, IHRIM presented Dr. Jac with the Chairman's Award for Innovative Excellence in Information Management. ?In 2007, he was ...Full Bio


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Insadong: Culture and Crafts Aplenty
Insa-dong Street is one of the most memorable attractions in Seoul and represents the focal point of Korean traditional culture and crafts. Stores in Insa-dong specialize in a wide variety of goods that can only be purchased or appreciated in Korea: hanbok (traditional clothing), hanji (traditional paper), traditional teas, pottery, and folk crafts.
The Deep Roots of Insa-dong Street
Insa-dong Street stretches over 700 meters between the Anguk-dong Rotary and Tapgol Park (Jongno 2-ga). During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the street was dominated by Dohwawon, a place of study for painters. The area is still a center for the arts, and painters, craftsmen, and art lovers continue to set up shop along the narrow alleys, making it a unique place full of folk crafts, pottery, and paintings. The street offers rich opportunities for visitors to experience Korean traditional culture and arts. Various art events and festivals are regularly held along the street.
From Expensive Ceramics to Daily Use Items
Approximately 40% of Korean crafts are exchanged in Insa-dong. Some products even trace back to the Three Kingdom Period (57 B.C.-668 A.D.) The most popular items are Korean ceramics ranging in price from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars. Other items sold in Insa-dong include earthenware, calligraphy materials, antique furniture, hanji, hanbok, teas, souvenirs, and cute accessories. Nearby shops include cafés, restaurants, ateliers, and galleries specializing in a diversity of items.
Vehicles are not permitted on the street during weekends, making it more amenable for visitors to look around. Insa-dong is also close to other tourist attractions such as Cheonggyecheon Stream and Gyeongbokgung (the royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty).
The information center is located 100m from Ssamjigil, toward Jogyesa Temple. Services offered include interpretation services, tourism information, free internet access, and a program allowing visitors to wear hanbok (traditional Korean clothing). By making a reservation at least a week in advance, visitors can listen to a number of recordings about Korean culture in English, Japanese, and/or Chinese.
Located right in front of Nam Insa Madang, to the south of Insa-dong, the tourism center offers interpretation services along with tourist information.
Located 50m from Exit #6 of Anguk Station (Subway Line 3), the center offers tourist information, interpretation services and information on lodging and various performances.
• Fees
- Small lockers: ₩2,000
- Medium lockers: ₩3,000
• Fees are charged every four hours up to 12 hours, after which fees are charged once every 12 hours.
• Accepted forms of payment: T-Money Card (electronic transit card), credit cards, cash


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In an event in Cupertino on October 16, Apple announced a slew of updates to their iPad and Mac lineup.
As usual, Apple CEO Tim Cook started off with some tidbits, including the how well-received the iPhone 6 has been, the big deal with Apple Pay (which launches on Monday October 20) with offline and online payments, the reception for Apple Watch, the WatchKit SDK availability in November, and as we know, the launch of Apple Watch in "early 2015".
Biggest iPhone Launch Ever
Cook claimed that these are the fastest-selling iPhones in history. In the first 30 days that the iPhones have been available, Apple took the most orders for the devices. Curiously though, no hard numbers were provided. The phones will be available in China on all three carriers simultaneously for the first time, and the pre-orders there have set a high watermark, per Cook.
iOS 8 and OS X
Craig Federighi, the senior Vice President of software engineering at Apple, then came on stage to talk about iOS and OS X. Federighi showed an adoption chart that had iOS 8 on 48% of iOS devices and iOS 7 is on 46%. He made it seem like that it's a good thing that the latest two OSes are on such a large percentage of devices, whereas in the past Apple used to be able to claim that the latest operating system was the one on most devices already. He clearly dodged the issue of slower iOS 8 adoption. However, any such chart will compare very well compared to Android. On the Android chart, Federighi showed that the latest version, Android KitKat was on 25% of the devices only after 313 days of release.
After the competition trash-talking, Federighi moved on to recap all the iOS 8 features which have already been discussed in previous events, and are well-known to most of the audience. There was a focus on Swift, the programming language introduced with iOS 8, and its huge adoption. He also talked about how IBM has devoted many resources on building enterprise line of business apps using Swift.
Federighi also announced an update to iOS 8, iOS 8.1. This update will provide Apple Pay support, iCloud Photo Library (5GB free, 20GB for 0.99 and tiers up to 1TB), and in a cheeky acknowledgement, he said it will bring back the Camera Roll which was inexplicably omitted in iOS 8.
On to Mac OS X, one of the curios facts that Federighi mention was that Yosemite beta had a user base of 1 million just two days after Microsoft announced that Windows 10 Technical Preview (not really a beta) has a user base of 1 million too, but that is only over a period of 10 days.
Similar to the iOS 8 recap, Federighi rehashed various new features already announced in Yosemite, and then announced that it will be available today. In addition, he announced that an updated iWork, Apple's free productivity suite, will also be available for free today.
iPad Air 2
Cook came back to talk about the success of the iPad. He said that there are more iPads sold in the first 4 years (225 million) than any other product Apple has sold, ever. It is the #1 tablet in customer satisfaction, usage, education, enterprise, as well as consumer.
Phil Schiller, senior Vice President of worldwide marketing then came on stage to talk about the new iPads. The focus of the iPad Air 2 is on thinness, with it being only 6.1mm thin. It is 18% thinner than the iPad Air which was already one of the thinnest, if not the thinnest, tablet in the market.
There is no air gap in the next-generation Retina display, so the images and text are even sharper now. Apple has also added an anti-reflective coating on the surface, to reduce reflections by 56%.
iPad Air 2 Key Specifications
- New A8X processor with 2nd generation 64-bit architecture
- 40% faster CPU, 2.5x faster GPU.
- New motion co-processor M8
- Tracks motion
- Calibrates sensors
- Barometer included, like the iPhone 6
- New 8MP iSight camera
- f/2.4
- 1080P HD video
- First time in an iPad:
- Panoramas up to 43MPixels
- Burst mode
- Timelapse
- Slo mo video
- Dual microphones to capture better sound when recording video
- New FaceTime camera:
- Burst selfies
- HDR with single image, so there is no image composition involved
- HDR videos
- Updated image detection
- Faster WiFi: 802.11ac with MIMO delivers up to 886Mbps
- Faster and expanded coverage of LTE with 20 LTE bands
- The most requested feature was adding TouchID to iPad and it is now available
- With TouchID, Apple Pay is now enabled for the iPad, but only for online purchases, not retail stores
iPad Air 2 pricing
Like Apple did with the iPhone 6, the second tier of storage was skipped and bumped up to the next higher tier. So there is no 32GB iPad anymore, and it goes 16GB, 64GB and 128GB.
WiFi only: $499 for 16GB, $599 for 64GB, $699 for 128GB
WiFi + Cellular: $629 for 16GB, $729 for 64GB, $829 for 128GB
iPad mini 3
The iPad mini did not get much stage time, but it's probably because the only thing "new" in the mini is the TouchID. Other than the TouchID, the mini 3 is much like the mini 2. The pricing:
WiFi only: $399 for 16GB, $499 for 64GB, $599 for 128GB
WiFi + Cellular: $529 for 16GB, $629 for 64GB, $729 for 128GB
Apple is keeping both, the original iPad mini as well as the iPad mini with retina (newly renamed to iPad mini 2) in the lineup.
Pre-orders for the new iPads start on 10/17, and they ship by the end of the next week.
The iMac finally gets a Retina display but Apple has packed their 27″ iMac display with a 5K resolution. That translates to 5120 pixels by 2880 pixels. It is the world's highest resolution display. This 5K display packs 7x more pixels than HD TV display of 1080P and 67% more pixels than a 4K display. It is also incredibly thin, at only 5mm. Among other things, Apple has made custom components like the timing controller, oxide TFT material, organic passivation technology and power-efficient LEDs for backlight, which results in a computer that uses 30% less energy than the previous iMac.
iMac Key Specifications
- 3.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, configurable up to quad-core 4.0GHz Intel Core i7
- 8GB memory, configurable up to 16GB or 32GB
- 1TB Fusion Drive, configurable up to 3TB Fusion Drive, or 256GB/512GB/1TB of Flash storage
- AMD Radeon R9 M290X with 2GB of DDR5 memory, configurable to AMD Radeon R9 M295X with 4GB of DDR5 memory
The iMac with Retina 5K Display ships today for $2499.
Mac mini
Finally, Schiller spent a few minutes talking about what he called "the first Mac for many", the Mac mini. It is updated with a spec bump across the board, with 4th-generation Intel processor, Intel Iris HD 5000 graphics, PCI-e Flash storage, 802.11ac WiFi and two Thunderbolt 2 ports. It will be sold for $499 now, instead of the earlier model's price of $599, and it will ship today.
So, that was a lot of stuff Apple announced and is going to take pre-orders for and/or ship. One thing missing conspicuously from the event was Apple TV. Many anticipated some sort of an App Store for the Apple TV but that did not happen.
What did you think of the event and the announcements? Are you going to buy any of the new products?


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Pictures and Review of the 2012 Fall Couture Givenchy Show
2012 Paris Couture Fashion Week: Givenchy
2012 Paris Couture Fashion Week: Givenchy
Riccardo Tisci tapped into Game of Thrones decadence with his Autumn/Winter collection. Setting the stage in an intimate appointment-only landscape, Tisci took his viewers into a luxurious, gypsy-inspired world surrounded by the trees. We can't help but feel transported to Sherwood Forest as the regal-like collection unfolded in rich red beading, embroidery, and laser-cut leather and fur. He tapped into luxury, but like all things Givenchy, the richness was never overworked or too precious. With easy silhouettes, you have the sense that you could carry off the most intricately beaded and embellished pieces as easily as Joan Smalls, who wears her glittering and fringed black and gold ombre top with a perfect nonchalance. That's the cool-girl quality Tisci never forgets; here it was the opulence of his details countered in effortless shapes, like a simple column gown finished with a fur caplet or an intricate, perfectly draped leather and fringe cape.
- Trends: Fur, capes, thigh-high slits, leather, fringe, geometric embellishment.
- Colours: Rich red, black, buttery brown, creamy beige, flecks of gold.
- Key piece: The red beaded, fringe, and fur-trimmed capes and coats in black and brown.
- Accessories: Visor-like shades, open-toe boots (and a German Shepherd).
- Who would wear it: The ultra-luxe gypsy; Carine Roitfeld was made to wear the fringed leather capes.


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Running Time: 94 minutes
Released: 04/2018
Studio Name: Mile High Media Mr. Male Reality
Series: Horny Gay Men
Director: KK
Categories: Muscles Anal Safe Sex High Definition
Description: Benito invites Damien over to sample some fine wine, but they're going to sample each other instead. A frat house party gets crazy and some drinks are spilled, so these boys decide to spill some more juices. After a bike ride, Damian is soar, so roommate Paul rubs him down. Working late can be hazardous to any relationship. Lucky for this employee, he has some good company with him.
5 Scenes from Horny Gay Men 2
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Starring: Julien Falco White ... More Details
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Settings: Living Room
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Settings: Kitchen
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Starring: Paul Bruckmann Damian Dickey ... More Details
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Starring: Benito Moss Damien Dreik ... More Details
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What is a capacitor and what does it do?
A capacitor is a device used to store energy as an electric charge, similar to a battery but they are able to release the charge much faster. The amount it's able to store is known as capacitance, this is measured in Farads (F). They comprise 2 metal plates (conductors) separated by an electrical insulator (dielectric).
What capacitor types are available?
There are many different types available with detailed specifications for their required function. The main elements are available in varying materials and these determine many properties of the capacitor. Some factors to consider are:
- Metal plate material - e.g silver, tantalum, aluminium
- Dielectric plate material - paper, film, ceramic, glass
- Max voltage - cannot be exceeded or the device will break
- Size - capacitance and dimensions
- Tolerance - variance on the capacitance value
- Mounting type - how it is fixed to the circuit
- ESR (Equivalent series resistance) - resistance of the terminals
Applications of capacitors
Capacitors are found all around us, they are used in most electronics from fans to hybrid electric cars - there are over 500 just in a typical smartphone. Here are some of their uses:
- Decoupling capacitors - can control high-frequency noise, removing voltage ripples from the power supply.
- Energy storage and supply - deliver stored energy bursts quickly, like a camera flash for example.
- Signal filtering - they are able to block low-frequency signals and allow higher-frequencies to pass through. Useful in telecommunications.
... Read more