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SUPREME COURT NOTEBOOK: Justices as campaign issue
Sat., Oct. 13, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) — A closely divided Supreme Court. Four justices in their 70s. Presidential candidates with dramatically different views of the ideal high court nominee.
And yet, until late in Thursday's debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan, hardly a word about the court had passed the candidates' lips. When the presidential candidates debated a week earlier, the Supreme Court was not mentioned even once.
Neither President Barack Obama nor Republican challenger Mitt Romney talks about the court in campaign speeches.
In the space of a couple of minutes on Thursday, however, the vice presidential candidates touched on the stakes in next month's election.
The court came up when debate moderator Martha Raddatz asked about abortion.
Ryan made a reference that might have been oblique to many viewers but was well understood by advocates on both sides of the abortion debate as a repudiation of the court's decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973 declaring a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.
"We don't think that unelected judges should make this decision," Ryan said. Instead, "people through their elected representatives in reaching a consensus in society through the democratic process should make this determination."
The tone and substance of Ryan's words are similar to the views of Justice Antonin Scalia, who recently reiterated his belief that the Constitution offers no protection for the rights of women who seek an abortion.
Biden then specifically invoked Roe v. Wade and the threat he believes Romney's election would pose to that landmark ruling.
"The next president will get one or two Supreme Court nominees. That's how close Roe v. Wade is," Biden said. He went on to predict that Romney, if elected, would appoint justices like Scalia who would vote to "outlaw abortion."
Ryan asked whether Obama imposed a "litmus test" on his Supreme Court choices, by which he meant whether Obama had required Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor to offer assurances of their commitments to abortion rights before he nominated them to the high court. Biden said there was no such test. "We picked people who had an open mind, did not come with an agenda," he said.
The discussion ended there.
Conservative and liberal interest groups have been pressing the candidates to talk more about the court with the argument that just one retirement could move the court decidedly left or right.
"We might wind up with the first true conservative majority since the 1930s," said Curt Levey of the conservative Committee for Justice. Or, "the most liberal court since the (Earl) Warren era" in the 1950s and 1960s.
Nan Aron, president of the liberal Alliance for Justice, said the next appointment "could change the course of the court and the nation, not just for four years but for 40."
Still, the last time the Supreme Court was a real campaign issue was Richard Nixon's law-and-order campaign in 1968. In that year of antiwar protests and political assassinations, Nixon criticized the Supreme Court, then led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, for rulings in favor of criminal suspects that "effectively shielded hundreds of criminals from punishment."
In that era, the Warren Court — though led by a chief justice who was a former Republican governor of California and vice presidential nominee — was decidedly liberal and Nixon's attack on it fit with the thrust of his campaign, which included reaching out for support from conservative Southern Democrats upset with the high court over its civil rights rulings.
But social issues have not played as large a role in 2012 as they did in 1968. The focus on the economy has left little room for anything else.
Even so, several hot-button issues are before the court this term. The justices already are weighing the future of affirmative action in college admissions and could take up momentous cases involving gay marriage and a cornerstone of civil rights law.
Justice Samuel Alito took no part in the Supreme Court's rejection this week of appeals in cases involving Chevron Corp. and the nation's largest telecommunications companies.
When justices take themselves out of cases they rarely offer an explanation, but it is often not hard to figure out why, or at least make an educated guess.
Financial holdings, revealed in annual disclosure reports, often make clear the reason for justices' withdrawals. In the case of Elena Kagan, her prior job in the Justice Department caused her to sit out the fight over affirmative action in higher education among dozens of other cases since joining the court in 2010.
But Alito did not own either Chevron or telecommunications stock last year, the latest period for which information is available. In addition, neither case came from the federal appeals court in Philadelphia where he was a judge before coming to Washington in 2006, so his recusal would not have been based on previously participating in the case.
And Alito declined to say why he didn't take part in either case, when asked through the court's public information office.
The justices are under no obligation to explain themselves, and most often, they do not.
Last month, the New York City Bar Association issued a report calling on justices to explain their decisions to withdraw from cases as well as their intention to hear cases in which questions have been raised about their ability to be impartial. Kagan and Justice Clarence Thomas ignored calls to sit out last term's health care cases.
Legislation introduced by Rep. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., to accomplish disclosures like the bar association advocated has languished without a hearing since its introduction in March 2011.
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Even after racking up tens of thousands of dollars in student loans, many graduates find their college degree isn't enough to get a job. So more are opening their wallets again to attain pricey credentials to help prove to employers that they really do know what they're doing.
Career counselors and job experts say more job hunters are being sold assessments and certifications they are told will give them a leg up in their job search. Though many of these certifications—such as those earned by radiologists after learning to use certain machines, and safety certifications for people who work in manufacturing—prove worth the expense, other workers may be better off holding onto the cash. Some of the certifications being targeted to business school grads and tech workers, for instance, may not say more about their expertise than their M.B.A.s or the software programs they've coded, career pros say. "Some of them are credentials to nowhere," says Roy Swift, senior director of personnel credentialing accreditation programs for the American National Standards Institute, a non-profit organization that reviews and accredits professional certifications.
The main problem, according to critics and even some supporters of the credentials, is that the majority of the certifications being sold to job seekers are unregulated, making it hard for individuals and employers to measure their worth. They are also popping up across various industries, requiring leaders in those fields to step up and standardize the requirements. For instance, there are more than 50 senior designations used by financial professionals, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is calling for more rigorous training standards in order to make things clearer for consumers confused by overlapping credentials.
There are no hard numbers on the size of the certification industry but Swift estimates that less than 10% of the more than 4,000 personnel certifications that exist have been accredited by a third party. That stamp of approval generally means the certification meets the standards set by experts in that industry, be it finance, manufacturing, health care or technology. "That leaves the other 90% for buyer beware," says Swift.
Job seekers have good reason to think the credentials are important. For one, they're often mentioned in job ads. Job hunters may also get email pitches for these certifications as a way to make them more appealing to hiring managers, career coaches say. Normally, the certification involves taking a standardized exam and paying a fee, sometimes up to several hundred dollars. Often the organizations will award the certification to anyone who earns a score above a certain threshold. These certifications are different from certificates, which are typically awarded by universities and community colleges to students who take required courses in one subject matter.
And workers who decide to pursue the credentials usually don't stop after earning just one. "If you've got one you've probably got three," says Anthony Carnevale, professor and director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce who says some certifications can help people land better jobs. "They're like badges."
But telling a valuable credential from a worthless one isn't as simple as finding one that's accredited. Some employers may prioritize candidates with a certification that confirms their competency with a certain program, while others prefer to see specific examples of instances when that person applied those skills on the job. And some credentials that may seem general, such as a project management certification, may be well respected in various industries as a sign that the worker was trained to be efficient. A job seeker's best bet is to talk to employers about how important it is that the employee have a certain credential, says Steven Rothberg, president of CollegeRecruiter.com, a job board for students and recent graduates. "If it's not being valued by the employer, it becomes a tree falling in the forest," says Rothberg. Workers can also talk to people in the industry who already have that certification about how much it helped them advance their careers, says J.T. O'Donnell, chief executive of Careerealism.com, a career-advice and job-search site.
ALSO SEE: 10 things grad schools won't tell you
Kisha Browning, who has 10 years of experience in manufacturing, has paid about $1,500 on preparation courses and test fees to earn three certifications—in management, auditing and pharmaceutical sales—since being laid off as a manager at a manufacturing plant three years ago. To boost her chances at landing a management job, Browning decided to earn the certifications after seeing them mentioned repeatedly in job postings. She has learned more about auditing and managing resources efficiently, but she is still looking for the right job where she can put those new skills to work. "I'd like to make myself stand out above somebody else," says Browning, who recently moved to Houston when her husband changed jobs. Plus, she says, each certification gives her a sense of achievement. "It makes me feel good that I've accomplished something else," she says.
To be sure, certifications can often help employers sift through job applicants to find the most qualified workers. Industry leaders are working with educational groups to standardize the requirements and processes for attaining certain certifications. For instance, the Manufacturing Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to improving manufacturing, in 2009 created the Skills Certification System, a set of industry standards for the competencies workers need to meet to land certain positions in the field. The group says the standards are helping the industry address a shortage of skilled workers.
It's a good sign when the current or potential employer is willing to cover the costs of the assessment. Most companies that require new hires to pass a certain test will pay for the exam, says O'Donnell. Some people who are working may find that their employers are willing to cover the costs of the training and assessment for a certification that's respected in their industry. Gary Werner, who works for the construction management arm of an engineering firm based in New York City, is currently working toward earning a project management certification from the Project Management Institute, a nonprofit that provides resources to project management professionals. Werner's employer agreed to pay up to $1,000 to help him prep and take the exam for the certification, which he says some potential clients had asked about. "It helps the company but it also helps me," says Werner. As an employee, "you want to show that you're looking to improve yourself," he says.

subset: commoncrawl


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'This was the 10 year anniversary of me introducing my invention, The PikCard, at messe Frankfurt.
I've hired many hostesses, models, interpreters, etc and Yuki was the most professional, friendly,
intelligent assistant I ever had the pleasure of working with.
I have sold over 200 million PikCards worldwide and this past Musikmesse has been the most successful show I've ever had.
A big part of that success was because of eventas and Yuki.'
PikCard, Inc. - Neil Rapaport
"Svenja did really good job at Hanover Fair and all my clients liked her a lot! Thank you very much for your great work and please send her our warm regards.
Thank you again, and best regards"
Tokyo International Planning, Inc. - Haruna Mori
'I would like to note that Anja was fantastic! She is a fast learner and has a
positive attitude & a hands on approach. We had a great experience with her
and I will definitely recommend her to any of your clients! Thanks!'
RIF Jewellery - Eddie R.,
'…nous avons été très satisfaits de toute l'équipe de vos hôtesses et nous
nous réjouissons d'ores et déjà de pouvoir continuer cette agréable
collaboration l'année prochaine.'
Atout France - Francois Dumont,
'... This staff, the whole team was absolutely fantastic.. You always provide a good team,
but really I cannot say enough about how professional, dedicated,
hard working and sincerely pleasant they were...every one of them.'
HUWAEI - Mr. Sui Shen
'I'm fully satisfied with your team. All girls worked very good. I'm looking forward
to work with your company again next year.'
Panasonic Avionics


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Yes, I´ve bought her book, "The Seeds of Yggdrasil" and watched all her videos too. She is excellent on the etymology of the ancient Norse language.Grey Cloud wrote:Soundwaves and the Big Bang in the Poetic Edda - Hidden Knowledge in Old Norse Myths pt.1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evE6aLg ... JRZB8Z1qSa
Just started watching these. Seems like a very clever lady.
In my mind though, she kind of restricts her interpretations to "the pshycological realms", but I can anyway use her etymologic explanations mytho-cosmologically, which Maria Kvilhaug and I´ve agreed to disagree about


text:
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text:
White House salutes Venezuelan people on election
The White House is congratulating the Venezuelan people for peaceful elections and for high voter participation while noting that the U.S. has differences with re-elected President Hugo Chavez.
White House spokesman Jay Carney noted that the challenger in the contest, Henrique Capriles, conceded in an election that Venezuela's election commission announced Chavez won 54-45 percent with 90 percent of the votes counted. Carney spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One as President Barack Obama traveled in California.
It was Chavez's third re-election in nearly 14 years in office. It was also his smallest victory margin. In 2006, he won by 27 percentage points.


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If you thought the forthcoming Rugby World Cup was going to be brutal, you need to watch this lot...
Rollerball (1975)
James Caan is Jonathan E, the star player of rollerball – a sport that looks a bit like a roller disco full of young offenders. Once your blood's up from watching this, download Speedball 2: Evolution for your iPhone to take part in similarly brutal action.
Death Race 2000 (1975)
Yes, this also made it into our list of the 25 best car movies ever. Stallone and David Carradine head up a field of drivers not only racing each other but picking up extra points for pedestrian roadkill.
The Blood of Heroes (aka Salute of the Jugger, 1989)
If you like grim post-apocalyptic visions, this is about as bleak as it gets. Rutger Hauer leads a team of "juggers", travelling between villages to take on the best at The Game (which you'd assume was called jugging, but no one actually says so). He's forced to recruit a new player, Joan Chen, who persuades him to take on a league side in the Red City. Dun dun duhhhhhn.
Solarbabies (1986)
This is the film starring Jami Gertz and Jason Patric that isn't Lost Boys. It's set in a silly future world where there's hardly any water and a group of kids in a prison-like orphanage find escape from their oppression by playing a variation on hockey. The real adventure starts when they find a magic orb that starts talking to a young, mousey Lukas Hass. All very silly, but fun nonetheless.
The Running Man (1987)
So, what did happen to Buzzsaw? "He had to split," replies Arnie in his relentlessly mechanical manner. Everyone's favourite Austrian is a man wrongfully imprisoned for mass murder and sent on a game show where people bet on the time and harbinger of his death. The "Runners" are sadistic heroes with ridiculous names such as Captain Freedom, Dynamo, Fireball, Buzzsaw and, of course, Subzero – who becomes "plain zero!" Oh Arnie, how we miss thee so.


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I have plenty now, thanks!
Done, finished, well past what I need, stop giving and thanks!
Should take you to my paypal page, my paypal email is darksydothemoon [break-remove]-'at'-aol-dot-com name Steve Andrew. Physical address available at request in comments.
Once again I'm desperate, this time facing homelessness. See, one of the ways apartment complexes for the less well to do prey on poor tenants these days is by cooking up charges on top of the stated rent, clearly intended to transfer costs from the owner to the tenant and generate lucrative late fees in ther bargain. My complex has done this to me several times; they accept my rent, a cashiers check since I have an out of town account, then I find out a week or two later there was another fee so they didn't deposit the rent and retroactively tossed in all kinds of later charges. They've done this twice while I was recoveing from the widowmaker,
To make a long story short I couldn't swing it this time; $ ~1200 they're now demanding for my $500 shitty studio apartment. It's bizarre, it's surreal to write this and read what I've written, but the truth is I'm about to be homeless. I'm ashamed to ask for any help, but homelessness is even more shameful, in my current state of health it could be fatal. You guys are under no obligation to kick in anything, if I don't get a dime out of this I won't hold any resentment and I'll keep on blogging for as long as I can.
Coming off of disability, 60% base pay, calculated by using 60% of the disability period my doc recommended which means an efective rate of 0.36 base pay, while my medical expenses doubled, left me broke, I just didn't have any reserve. I asked if they could would accept $800, every dime I had and could pawn or borrow. They said they'd see if that were acceptable — the next day eviction papers were served, which I take to mean the answer was no.
I work two jobs plus FTB, every single day I work, seven days a week, between six and 12 hours, with no hobbies, no vices, no social life, and yet I still simply don't make enough to cover the expenses incurred from a heart attack, disability calculated from already terrible base pay, and subsequent surgery, heart meds, copays, utitilies and rent. It's not a moral failing, it's sure not laziness on my part, it's just math.
I'll tell you, it's good I'm not the suicidal type, my whole problem is I want to live, I love life, I like everything about it. So I'm not going to end it over this or anything else. And yet I found myself toying with the best and easiest way to clock out in case that becomes the only option.
I have a plan, I'm going to have to stiff the landlord for now and use that money and future checks to buy a tiny piece of property. It's very cheap and that way I can at least pitch a tent if need be and not worry about sleeping under a bridge or straining frendships by couch serfing, or trying to shuttle between homeless shelters. It stressed me out so bad my heart went into an irregular beat and I had to go to the ER, creating yet another huge bill to come.


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Are annuities too tough a business for insurance companies to be involved in?
The question naturally arises from Canadian life insurer Sun Life Financial's decision to unload its U.S. annuity business through a $1.35 billion sale to Guggenheim Partners' Delaware Life Holdings unit.
Notably de-emphasized in its announcement on Monday was the usual corporate ballyhoo about profit taking; rather, the company's news release was mainly about risk reduction and seemed only to omit the word "Pheww!" in announcing the sale.
"This transaction represents a transformational change for Sun Life," the company's CEO, Dean Connor, was quoted as saying. "It significantly advances our strategy of reducing Sun Life's risk profile and earnings volatility, focuses our U.S. operations on our areas of greatest strength and opportunity, and crystallizes future earnings and capital releases that will further support our growth and shareholder value creation."
Steve Cooperstein, a California-based actuary and strategic marketing and product development consultant, told AdvisorOne that the sale brings to light the difficulties of operating an annuities business profitably.
"It has to do with regulation and the amount of capital they have to put up behind the instruments they have to hold," he said. "It makes it capital intensive and not as profitable because you have to hold back that capital."
Cooperstein added that the financial downturn of the past several years has also exposed the fault lines of operating in this business, namely the difficulty of fully hedging risks.
"Actuaries are Johnny-Come-Latelys to the markets and to the whole field of hedging. It is a risky endeavor to try to hedge whatever you're guaranteeing. Insurance companies have big downside risks if these hedges don't work. I think companies are just seeing that. Companies are pulling back from these things, increasing their rates."
The high level of financial risk was reflected in Moody's reaction to the news, downgrading Sun Life's U.S. subsidiary "in anticipation of the removal of financial support from SLF upon the transaction's closing" while affirming the rating of Sun Life's Canadian operations, saying the sale alleviates concerns the U.S. operation will remain a drag on earnings.
Moody's put Sun Life's Canada-based holding company on review for upgrade, saying the proposed transaction "is positive to the credit profile of SLF as it will eliminate the group's exposure to the chronically poor earnings performance of the U.S. subsidiary, possibility of future charges associated with the U.S. subsidiary's business, as well as the equity market and interest rate sensitivity of the run-off businesses."
Mike Henkel of Achaean Financial, a developer of retirement advice software, agreed with Cooperstein that variable annuities are especially challenging to hedge.
"While they're nominally an insurance wrapper, they're more like structured notes than an annuity," he told AdvisorOne.
"Insurance is a pooling thing. We all put our money in and if the house burns we all pay for the house that burned down," Henkel said.
But there's no pooling with variable annuities, he added.
"As such, the insurance companies have to do things differently. They have to hedge.
"Depending on the type of policy–GLWB [or others]–they promise to give investors some guaranteed payment stream for a long time. If you've got the right assumptions about longevity, the insurance company can make money off it," Henkel said.
As for the buyer, Guggenheim Partners, Henkel speculates:
"They've either got a price that's low enough that they think they can live with it; or they think the behavior of policyholders will be different than Sun Life thinks; or they operate under different capital requirements because it's a U.S. business (rather than one based in Canada, which has strict hedging requirements).
Check out these stories related to Annuities at AdvisorOne:
- Warning on VAs to Advisors: Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.
- Annuity Sales Struggle Due to Low Rates: LIMRA
- Guaranteed Income Without an Annuity: A Product Whose Time Has Come?
From LifeHealthPro.com, see:


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Is Zayn Malik Collaborating With Emeli Sande?by Amy Sciarretto | PopCrush
Finally! All the One Direction dudes have been working with other artists, save for Zayn Malik. Until now.
Harry Styles has been doing it up with John Legend and Kodaline, while Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson got their Good Charlotte on. Then, Niall Horan was working with McFly. Now, the broody Malik has staked his collaborative claim.
DJ and songwriter Naughty Boy tweeted that he was in the studio with Malik — the fiance of Little Mix's Perrie Edwards — and English singer Emeli Sande, who is a HUGE deal in their native U.K. Sande has been trying to break through in the U.S. market as well.
Below is the tweet name checking Malik and Sande:
sick studio vibes with @emelisande & @zaynmalik – forget what you think you know. #doitanyway
— Naughty Boy (@NaughtyBoyMusic) March 18, 2014
Malik has the richest vocal tone in 1D, and it's also super emotive. We don't know what his studio time with Sande will yield, but consider us perked up and excited about it.
It's about time Malik joined the conversation about 1D collabos. The boys are flexing their creative muscles in the right way, but none of the talk centered on Zayn. Until now. And Emeli Sande is no joke. Good one, Zayn.


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There are many things to consider when a child is affected by allergies. Listed in the directory below are some of these considerations, for which we have provided a brief overview.
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Ripley's Davy Crockett Mini-Golf in Gatlinburg, TN
On the Parkway at Traffic light #1 • Gatlinburg, TN 37738View on Map
Play Gatlinburg's most entertaining mini-golf with two amazing 18-hole state-of-the-art golf courses including interactive displays and animated animals. Themed courses replicate the 'old days' when a Tennessee hero named Davy Crockett roamed 'them thar hills.' You will find some of the world's most original golf holes complete with steep drops, over and under ramps, splits, and lots of water!
|Hotels & Lodging
How many mini-golf courses are available?
Ripley's Davy Crockett Mini-Golf offers two 18-hole mini-golf courses for a full day of fun.
Where is Ripley's Davy Crockett Mini-Golf located?
At traffic light #1 on the Gatlinburg Parkway.
What are the hours of operation?
The mini-golf course is open Sunday through Thursday from 10:00 am – 11:00 pm and Friday through Saturday from 10:00 am - 12:00 am, weather permitting.


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The mentally and physically challenged have been making headlines recently, what with the protests over use of the word "retard" in "Tropic Thunder" and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's 4-month-old daughter with Down syndrome. While these two events run the risk of politicizing and exploiting the handicapped, DVD release "Special Needs" doesn't let political correctness get in the way of a good joke while, at the same time, bring out the humanity of those who are supposedly disadvantaged.
This Troma-distributed social satire, in the guise of a mockumentary, takes aim at reality TV. From writer-director Isaak James' warped mind, the premise revolves around a narcissistic TV producer (played by James) and his casting cohorts — including a failed actress and a former prison guard — as they audition the physically and mentally disabled for a new reality show called "Handicaps."
In less capable hands, this subject could have evolved into awkward self-parody, but James instead offers auds a rip-roaring good time. "Special Needs" exposes the shallow, self-absorbed decisionmakers responsible for so much awful reality television that clogs the airwaves.
Extras include deleted scenes, original trailer and "Troma Treasures" — videos and previews of other Troma fare, in addition to an intro by company president Lloyd Kaufman.


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This seemed very nice at first, but turned out to be a rebuilding trade that didn't lead to any rebuilding. (click to embiggen)
The Bucs did will to sign Ritchie, get a good season from him and then spin him for young pitching depth. Wells looked to have promise early but never could take the next step.
I am of the opinion that if you can trade a reliever for an everyday player you should always do it (See Rincon, Ricardo for Giles, Brian). I still like the Chavez for Iwamura deal based on what was known at the time. Boy, did that turn out to be a clunker though.
Today's tree was suggested by Patrick Byrne from Forever Rebuilding. Suggest a player that I use in a Trade Tree post and your name too could be read by literally tens of people!
Filed under: baseball, Pirates, Trade Tree | Tagged: Akinori Iwamura, baseball, Jesse Chavez, Josh Fogg, Kip Wells, Lee Evans, Pirates, Sean Lowe, Todd Ritchie, Trade Tree |


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and i really like the quoteRosalie's Twin wrote:
Edward: Bella, I've already expended a great deal of personal effort at this point to keep you alive. I'm not about to let you behind the wheel of a vehicle when you can't even walk straight. Besides, friends don't let friends drive drunk.
Bella: Drunk?
Edward: You're intoxicated by my very presence
"are you still faint from the run or was it my kissing expertise?"
or something like that. i am pretty sure that was in the book. and i like alice's line
"do you think any of us want to look in his eyes the next 100 years if he loses you?" i think that describes
everything right there!


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NEW YORK, NY – 14 Jun, 2017 – Content distribution has long been a challenge, until now. BONBON Networks has created a push button system to help content creators get featured on popular OTT Platofrms like: APPLE TV, ROKU, SONY, SAMSUNG, and many others. They have allowed YouTubers and other content creators to up-level and be seen where people are looking fortheir content.
"In creating out television show, I started to get exposed to some truly amazing shows. Shows like Curvy Girl, produced by Chrystal Bougon, featuring plus size women in lingerae, with a truly touching story. Top Docs, starring Dr. Jay Goodbinder that helps people with debilitating illnesses, around the world. The No Judgement Diet, created by Katherine Mc Intosh. These episodes were truly inspirational and life changing, as they inspire people to think, behave, and heal differently. I felt a responsibility to use what we had created with our show's distribution, to get these shows out to the world".
BONBON Networks has recently launched their "First 100 Founders" program, where they are looking for 100 content creators, with excellent inspirational content, to feature on their network, on 30 different media outlets. They have created the perfect opportunity for the home chef, the author, speaker, DIY enthuaist to be able to broadcast on the major OTT players, without the major expense and development that it usually takes.
The goal is to find the first 100 content creators by August 2017 with 1,000 content creators by the end of 2017. They are looking for videos on lifestyle, insrpitation and entrepreneurship.
You can submit at: firstname.lastname@example.com
Media Contact
Contact Person: Bonnie Bruderer
Email: email@example.com
Phone: 4153025263
Country: United States
Website: www.bonbonnetworks.com


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The week in review
Worst constitutional tampering: Both houses of the General Assembly pass resolutions to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage– as if the Commonwealth didn't already have enough laws on the books on that topic. And the House passes a resolution to allow prayer and recognition of religious beliefs on public property, including schools.
Best reminder of Virginia's Bible Belt muscle: The Staunton School Board votes 5-1 February 14 to keep Weekday Religious Education, in which elementary children leave during the school day to learn about the Bible.
Best reminder of Virginia's tobacco industry muscle: The Senate slaps down a bill to ban smoking in most public buildings, including restaurants, February 8.
Closest step to charter status: Both houses in the General Assembly pass versions of bills to give state universities, including UVA, more autonomy.
Latest in the latest UVA scandal: Prof James Sofka demands a formal hearing following his ouster as director of the Echols program over allegations of inappropriate behavior with female students.
Juiciest memo: A February 3 letter allegedly written by Assistant Superintendent Laura Purnell slams her boss, beleaguered Charlottesville School Superintendent Scottie Griffin, as "punitive," "verbally abusive," and "bullying."
Oddest apology: Superintendent Griffin releases a February 4 apology email– allegedly from Purnell– but won't release the original letter that sparked the alleged apology, the Daily Progress reports.
Worst part of town to try to order a pizza: Hardy Drive, to which neither Domino's not Papa John's will deliver, Claudia Pinto reports in the Progress. Friendship Court and parts of Prospect Drive are among other locations on the pizza chains' do-not-deliver list.
Worst child porn case: Edward Reece Brown, 55, a former UVA dining services supervisor, is held without bond on charges of making child pornography.
Worst week for Louisa: Sixteen-year-old Thomas Cameron of Bumpass dies following a February 9 school bus crash that injures seven other students. Driver Lorrie Ann Batten is charged with reckless driving, according to a report by John Yellig in the Progress.
Most brazen bike theft: A man pedals away on an $1,800 mountain bike February 9 after test riding it four times earlier at the Bike Factory at Seminole Square, Reed Williams reports in the Progress.
Worst Valentine for Clark Howard fans: WINA drops his consumer affairs show in favor of Fox news personality Bill O'Reilly's "Radio Factor.
Saddest Death of a Salesman : Playwright great Arthur Miller dies February 10 at age 89.
Most inevitable detail in Miller obits: He was Marilyn Monroe's third husband.
Happiest couples: Prince Charles finally proposes to his longtime mistress, Camilla Parker-Bowles, and announces an April 8 wedding date. And Mary Kay Letourneau plans an April 16 wedding to Vili Fualaau, her former sixth grade student. Letourneau spent seven-and-a-half years in jail for statutory rape. The couple has two children and is registered online at Bon-Macy, Target, and WalMart.
Biggest Scottsville buzz: The IGA sells the winning $10.3 million lottery ticket in the February 12 drawing, but at press time, the winner had not stepped forward.
Most meat: Hunters for the Hungry provided 333,536 pounds of venison this season, a new record, thanks to the 6,600 deer that participated.
Most honored bat: The General Assembly moves toward endorsing the Virginia big-eared bat as the state's official plecotus.


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When the topic is health IT, it's easy to get caught up in discussing the major EMR players.
And because of Meaningful Use, there's a tendency for everyone to do the same things — even if they go about it in different ways. Whether you're a giant like Epic, an upstart like Kareo or a specialty firm like the gastroenterology-focused gMed, you're likely making sure, for example, that your customers will be able to exchange structured care summaries with other providers and with patients.
But there's still plenty of innovation in health IT, much of it with little or no connection to MU2 or other federal requirements. Startups all over the country are trying to improve lives through more efficient collection and use of data.
Here's a sampling of startups and specific innovations:
- HealthLandscape. This Cincinnati-based firm markets a mapping application that lets you input data from a variety of sources. The idea is to better understand health information by visualizing it. The company is a subsidiary of the nonprofit Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, which worked with the American Association of Family Physicians and the Robert Graham Center to develop the platform.
- SwiftPayMD. This iPhone and iPad app from Atlanta-based Iconic Data allows physicians to note diagnostic and billing codes by voice right after seeing a patient. I have to admit, when I stopped to think about it, I was surprised that doctors couldn't already do this. The major selling point: It helps practices to get paid as much as two weeks sooner.
- Vivify Health. Based in Plano, Texas, this startup has created a cloud-based platform for monitoring and testing patients remotely. Its system works with just about any consumer mobile device to provide customized care plans, coaching, educational videos and interactive video conferencing. In a press release, Vivify Health said it's helping hospitals, home health agencies, payers and others to reduce readmissions, manage chronic diseases and improve care transitions. It received funding this year from Ascension Health Ventures and Heritage Group.
- Drchrono. This Mountain View, Calif.-based company bills its flagship product as "the original mobile EHR built for the iPad." It was part of the Y Combinator, a Mountain View-based seed accelerator, in 2011. Drchrono in 2012 raised $2.8 million in funding led by venture capitalist Yuri Milner.
- Doc Halo. This firm, based in Cincinnati, makes possible HIPAA-secure texting. (If this list seems slightly Cincinnati-centric, it's because I worked in the city for eight years and know the market better than I know others.) Many doctors use regular text messaging to discuss patient information, but they shouldn't. Doc Halo's mobile app system uses several levels of encryption.
These are just a few projects that I thought were cool. Based on what they're doing, there's plenty to be hopeful about in health IT. There are, of course, many other firms equally worthy of mention. And there are now accelerator programs all over the country specifically for health IT startups.
I often get the feeling that the federal government's involvement is taking the joy out of health IT. That's not the case, but amid the push to meet MU2 requirements, you might have to look a little harder to find it.
And with these startups, here it is.
Disclosure: gMed and DrChrono are both advertisers on this site.


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235/60R18 Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring , Blackwall
The Assurance ComforTred Touring is Goodyear's Grand Touring All-Season tire developed for the drivers of mid-range and upscale coupes, sedans and minivans. The Assurance ComforTred Touring was designed to combine looks, ride comfort and long wear with all-season traction, even in light snow.
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