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- Hot Tub Chemicals
- Equipment
- Hot Tub Filters
- Hot Tub Accessories
- Hot Tub Parts
Merchandise Return Procedure
You may return most new unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a refund minus 15 % restocking fee. We will pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error ( you received an incorrect item ). All warranty items are to be returned to our Distribution Center freight prepaid. If the item is deemed to be defective , Canada Hot Tub Parts will reimburse the customer " company " freight rate to the consumer. There is "no return " on all electrical parts due to the nature of the product.
Notice: Returned products without a Return Authorization Number will result in the product being rejected at the distibution centre. Damaged product is to be documented on the Way Bill and pictures must be taken or we will be unable to assist you in the claim process.
FREE Shipping on Minimum Orders:
Unlike many other web sites that have special rules and lots of fine print, Canada Hot Tub Parts, offers free shipping on MOST orders placed on our website, as long as the pre-tax amount is greater than $149 and $14.99 Flat rate under $149 for most destinations within Canada. Canada Hot Tub Parts reserves the right to charge shipping on all orders where the customer lives in remote areas and excessive shipping charges apply. You will be notified within 24 hrs of placing your order if this applies. Customer has the option to cancel the order for a full refund at that time.
Please also be aware that we can not ship to a Post Office Box. Please provide a proper street address with your order to avoid any delays im receiving your product.
Just because shipping is free does not mean it should take a long time. Canada Hot Tub Parts understands that getting your items quickly is important to you, so we make every effort to process your order quickly. When you order from our website, you can expect to receive your order within 3 to 5 business days in most areas.
Product Damage During Shipping
It is unfortunate but some times through shipping product arrives damaged. All products/packages leave our distribution centre undamaged. If product arrives damaged, you must note it with the driver in writing on the receipt you sign. Failure to do so will nullify the shipping insurance. To properly document damage , please take picture and details.
All refunds are processed after the product is received at the distribution centre and the return dept approves it. You should see the credit on your payment method within 7 days after it is approved. If you need to return an item you can email firstname.lastname@example.com They will need the invoice number , the product you are returning , the reason for the return and pictures.


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Our Parish Undercroft-Coleman Hall is available for rental for social events, weddings receptions, repast and organizational gathering.
The meeting room/reception hall is furnished with 12 tables and 120 chairs. There is a full operational kitchen equipped with stove, sink, refrigerator and a counter top.
For reservations and more information please contact Susie Mulligan @347-281-8779 ,or you may call our Parish Office at 718-828-6078 or
via email@example.com
Reservations & Deposit should be made one month prior to function.
Party planning and hall decorations are available upon request.
Please contact Raquel Hewitt @ 718-320-4872 for more information
To place an order for a cake for any occasion
Please contact Althea Francis @845-282-2586
or Dion Howell-917-690-0190

subset: commoncrawl


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Author : Hitler Adolf
Title : Mein Kampf
Year : 1924
Link download : Hitler_Adolf_-_Mein_Kampf.zip
AUTHOR'S PREFACE. On April 1st, 1924, I began to serve my sentence of detention in the Fortress of Landsberg am Lech, following the verdict of the Munich People's Court of that time. After years of uninterrupted labour it was now possible for the first time to begin a work which many had asked for and which I myself felt would be profitable for the Movement. So I decided to devote two volumes to a description not only of the aims of our Movement but also of its development. There is more to be learned from this than from any purely doctrinaire treatise. This has also given me the opportunity of describing my own development in so far as such a description is necessary to the understanding of the first as well as the second volume and to destroy the legendary fabrications which the Jewish Press have circulated about me. In this work I turn not to strangers but to those followers of the Movement whose hearts belong to it and who wish to study it more profoundly. I know that fewer people are won over by the written word than by the spoken word and that every great movement on this earth owes its growth to great speakers and not to great writers. Nevertheless, in order to produce more equality and uniformity in the defence of any doctrine, its fundamental principles must be committed to writing. May these two volumes therefore serve as the building stones which I contribute to the joint work. The Fortress, Landsberg am Lech. ...
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In downtown Santa Cruz on April 20, LGBQT community members from the Diversity Center's Youth Program and their family members and allies held a "Breaking the Silence" rally in front of the Del Mar Theatre before a showing of the film "Bully". People held signs and shared stories There was a group shout out, and many involved with the youth program wore tape x'd over their mouths to both symbolize the silencing effect of bullying on the LGBQT youth community, as well as to be an expression of solidarity with those who could not attend the rally in person for many different reasons of privacy.
During this segment of the rally, a woman talks about why some bullies might want to hurt others.
To read more and view photos from the rally, see:
Community Members "Break the Silence" at LGBQT Youth Rally in Santa Cruz


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Close X
At the office of Dr. Camille VanDevanter, we provide the highest quality of orthodontic care to adults, children and teens in and around the Federal Way, Washington area, including Tacoma, Puyallup, Fife, Milton, Edgewood, Sumner, Auburn, Kent, Des Moines, and SeaTac. Dr. VanDevanter and her staff know what a significant difference in health and self-esteem a beautiful smile can make, which is why we are dedicated to giving each of our patients the beautiful, straight smile they deserve!
We offer a variety of treatment options, including metal braces, ceramic brackets, SmartClip self-ligating braces and Invisalign®. Invisalign is a series of clear aligners that straighten teeth without traditional brackets and wires. It is ideal for patients who want to enhance their smile, but are concerned about the appearance of braces. In fact, our office is an Invisalign and Invisalign Teen Preferred Provider!
Thank you for your interest in our website. If you have any questions, please contact us or come by our office. We look forward to seeing you smile!
Meet Dr. VanDevanter
33507 9th Ave. S., Bldg. G
Federal Way, WA 98003
Monday: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.


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In the fast-food business, imitation isn't just a form of flattery - it's a proven way
The Taco Bell value menu, for instance, gave rise to the Wendy's Super Value Menu, the McDonald's Dollar Menu and the Burger King Value Menu. The Angus beef burger from Back Yard Burgers begat similar burgers at McDonald's, Burger King and Hardee's.
In the latest appropriation of a popular product, McDonald's has just introduced a Southern Style Chicken Sandwich — one that looked suspiciously like the signature sandwich of the Chick-fil-A chain.
"We knew this was coming," said Don Perry, a Chick-fil-A spokesman.
McDonald's is rolling out the sandwich in all 14,000 of its restaurants in the United States, in what the company says is one of its biggest product introductions this year. Television ads in five languages started running May 6, and on May 15 free Southern Style Chicken Sandwiches (and a breakfast version) were offered with the purchase of a drink in all McDonald's restaurants.
Ads for the product are in print, on billboards, online and on the radio. A Web site, whatcamefirst.com, pits a chicken versus an egg in a dance-off, sort of like the "Subservient Chicken" site that Burger King put up in 2004 to promote its chicken sandwiches. McDonald's says that its new site, put up in late April, is meant to appeal to young adults and has so far attracted 150,000 visitors.
But McDonald's disavows any similarity to the Chick-fil-A sandwich.
"Absolutely not," said Marta Fearon, the marketing director for McDonald's in the United States, when asked if the company was going after the smaller chain's customers. "It is all about McDonald's chicken."
The sandwich is a breaded chicken breast garnished with two pickles — exactly what Chick-fil-A offers. It was thought up by a group of McDonald's franchisees in Atlanta, where Chick-fil-A is based. And it comes in breakfast biscuit or sandwich form, just as it does at Chick-fil-A.
According to Chick-fil-A, a promotion in the Atlanta area for McDonald's has promoted the fact that the Southern Style Chicken Sandwiches are available on days ending in "y" — an interesting approach, given that Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sundays.
Chick-fil-A, a private company with about 1,380 restaurants in 37 states and the District of Columbia, says that it is the second-largest quick-serve chicken chain (KFC is largest), but that it does not have the marketing resources to retaliate directly.
"We really encouraged the stores, 'Don't even waste time working on pushing back on McDonald's; you've got more important battles,' " Mr. Perry said.
The franchisees have been watching McDonald's test the product over the last two years in 2,000 stores. But Chick-fil-A was focused on its own new menu effort, a line of healthy foods (more salads, among other things) that was announced on Monday.
"We're very proactive with the media," said Steve A. Robinson, the chief marketing officer for Chick-fil-A, but "we have very limited budgets" for advertising. The focus of the national marketing is on college-sports sponsorships like the Chick-fil-A Bowl, and these efforts do not get going until the fall, he said.
"Why would we not pointedly come back and try to communicate something about Chick-fil-A versus McDonald's?" Mr. Robinson said. "The answer is we simply do not have the media resources to get into that contest. We're not going there."
At least one Chick-fil-A franchisee could not resist a swipe. Arthur Greeno of Tulsa, Okla., saw a billboard near one of his franchises — and near a McDonald's — and found out it was available on May 15. For that day, he posted the message: "Trade in Any ½ Eaten Copied Sandwich and Get the Original Meal Free at Chick-fil-A."
Mr. Greeno said about 50 or 60 sandwiches were exchanged.
"They said, 'Don't spend any of your time focusing on it,' and I wouldn't have, but to be honest this opportunity kind of fell in my lap," he said.
At McDonald's, the May 15 promotion was a bit less successful than expected: the company had estimated it would give away eight million sandwiches, but the actual figures came to two million biscuits and a little over five million sandwiches, said Ms. Fearon, the marketing director.
"In the northern part of the country, they may not be used to eating chicken at breakfast or chicken without a lot of toppings on it," she said. "So we had a very large effort to promote this product with a sampling."
As for the ads, the mass-market spots talk about the juiciness and simplicity of the chicken. Others, aimed at African-Americans, are "grounded in this notion of their upbringing and their memories of Southern-style chicken," Ms. Fearon said. Those for the Hispanic market are mainly in Spanish, while ads for Asian consumers are running in Korean, Mandarin Chinese and a Tamil-English mix called Tanglish.
DDB Chicago, part of the DDB Worldwide unit of the Omnicom Group, created the general consumer ads; Burrell Communications did ads for the African-American market; Alma DDB (also part of Omnicom), the ads for the Hispanic market; and IW Group (part of the Interpublic Group of Companies) the ads for the Asian-American market.
McDonald's is not the only chain starting to embrace the Southern-style sandwich. Not long ago, many quick-serve restaurants rushed to add wrap sandwiches to their menus in rapid succession; now the same thing seems to be happening with Southern-style chicken.
Arby's announced in March that it would offer its Southern Style Chicken at two for $4 as a limited-time menu item; soon after, Hardee's said it would roll out its Chicken Fillet Biscuit nationwide.
"The fastest-growing food over the last 10 years in the restaurant industry has been fried chicken sandwiches," Harry Balzer, who researches the food industry for the NPD Group, said.
Analysts gave the new McDonald's sandwich positive reviews in both taste and sales potential.
"We like the flavor and portion size" of the new product "and think that it may be the closest offering we have seen to Chick-fil-A's signature chicken sandwich, which we consider to be a leader," Jeffrey Omohundro, a senior analyst for Wachovia Capital Markets, wrote in a recent report.


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Add Credentials to a User Profile
You can add any set of credentials to a user profile as a Hub login. If a user has deleted or disabled an existing login, you can provide the user with a new set of credentials and add them manually to the user profile. The user can then log in to Hub with the new credentials, however, they are required to change the password immediately.
When you add credentials to a user profile, Hub checks these credentials against the list of existing Hub logins and the credentials that are stored in connected authentication modules.
- If no match is found, you have the option to add these credentials to the current profile as a new Hub login. To add these credentials successfully, the password must meet the password strength requirement that is set for the Hub authentication module.
- If Hub finds existing Hub credentials that belong to another user or matching credentials in a connected authentication module, you cannot add these credentials to the current account. If you are certain that these credentials belong to the current user account, use the merge feature to combine the two accounts.
To add credentials to a user profile:
- Open a user profile.
- In the Logins section of the page, click the Add credentials button.
- Enter the username/email address and password that you want to add to this account.
- Click the Verify credentials button.
- Click the Add credentials button.
Last modified: 20 November 2017


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Makaha Cane Corso
Since 2005
Independently owned, Hawaii Cane Corso is the premier breeding program here in the Islands. Thru internationally re veered champion bloodlines and highly esteemed pedigrees, Makaha Cane Corso Hawaii owns, creates, trains and develops Cane Corsos natural demeanor of being a loyal friend pet and family oriented companion. The American Kennel Club AKC has excelled this breeds popularity to all genres of dog lovers, helping them become highly sought after additions to one's home.The Italian Cane Corso breed is known for their unmatched intelligence, superior temperaments, statuesque show stopping build and most importantly their absolute passion to gratify their owner. I look forward to sharing their legends with you.
We have been training and raising Cane Corso since 2005!! Socialize and obedience is a must in this breed !!
We Health test our Females prior to breeding in order to produce the healthiest pup possible. ALWAYS ask to see Orthopedic hip score. We use OFA and Penn Hipp. We also produce our documents at your interview for varification .


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Apple Approves Another Google Voice App for iPhone
The developer of another Google Voice app for iPhone — "GV Mobile +" — said that Apple approved his app today. Yesterday, GV Connect appeared on the App Store, marking another reversal of Apple's policy. Apple initially allowed Google Voice apps, but then banned them from the App Store because they "duplicated" existing iPhone features.
Anyone familiar with Google Voice knows that's not a fair assessment. The apps provided a completely different spin on said features (the phone dialer, text messaging and others) through the Google Voice service, which allows you to create and use a virtual phone number of your choosing, chock full of unusual extras not currently possible on most cell phones or land lines.
Those features include the ability to listen in on voicemails as they're being recorded, digital transcription of voicemails and calls, and assigning different rules or voice greetings to different contacts.
Sean Kovacs, developer of GV Mobile + [iTunes link] assured everyone on Twitter that the app is coming (it hasn't appeared just yet), and promised to make it free for the night if it starts trending.
Like GV Connect, GV Mobile + is priced at $2.99 and supports transcription and playback of voicemails, call initiation using your Google Voice number and most other features features you're looking for or have been using for a while if you have a jailbroken iPhone or an Android device.
If Apple has really changed its policy on this, don't be surprised if you see a lot more of these coming.
[Via The Boy Genius Report]


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Industry News
Roseburg employee participates in Forest Field Days
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Forest Field Days are an educational opportunity for local students to learn more about forestry. This year, one of Roseburg's newest forest engineers, Ben Hainley, represented our organization at the event. Thank you Ben for contributing to this valuable educational experience which is so important for students.


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If you've followed any of our blog posts in the past, then you've probably taken note that most of our posts tend to revolve around…well, insurance and insurance-related matters. Of course, that shouldn't be surprising for a company that specializes in Ottawa house insurance and other personal insurance services, right? Following this logic, you may have read the title of this post wondering, "What on earth do smells have to do with home insurance?" That's a completely fair question.
Sniffing Out The Best Deals On Personal Insurance
We're looking at (or sniffing, if you will) various good smells in today's blog post because moving into a new home — or a "new to you home" — is often associated with a particular smell, or at least a smell that you're not quite used to. Overall, moving somewhere new involves feelings of excitement, hope, exhaustion, joyfulness, and maybe even a little bit of anxiety. Our point here is that when you've finally chosen the house that feels right, signed all of that seemingly endless final paperwork and locked down on your Ottawa house insurance policy, you can then step inside and soak in the energy of your new home…with all of your five senses, including your nose!
New Things Are Good. Celebrate Them With Bradley's Insurance!
Smells tend to evoke many specific thoughts and feelings within us that may be tied to past experiences, good or bad. Since buying a new home and getting the right homeowners insurance policy for it is such a celebratory matter, your personal insurance experts here at Bradley's Insurance are going to cover some of the best smells out there that we tend to associate with positive, happy feelings.
As always, feel free to expand your insight about Ottawa house insurance and other home insurance-related matters by checking out the rest of our website.
The Smell Of A New Car
It's hard to really beat the smell of a brand new car, isn't it? We're not entirely sure what goes into the smell of a new car, or what chemicals are at play. Maybe it's just the fact that you're the first one to really put any miles on the vehicle, or maybe the smells are from the fact that everything was recently assembled. Either way, whether you go on a simple test drive with a car salesman or you're proudly driving your new vehicle right off the lot, it's fair to say that most people tend to really enjoy how a new car smells.
The Smell Of Freshly Cut Grass
Take note that we're treading with caution here because there are plenty of people out there who are allergic to grass. Even walking near grass that's recently been cut may be enough to trigger a few sneezes. Heck, maybe certain individuals exhibit an allergic reaction when they hop inside a brand new vehicle like we mentioned above. However, for all of those people who don't appreciate that satisfying scent of freshly cut grass, there are plenty that do. Perhaps this smell has something to do with the visual satisfaction of a mowed lawn, or even just from the accomplished feeling of a job well done. Could you imagine how nice it would be to mow your lawn with a new vehicle parked on the driveway of your new home? Talk about borderline sensory overload!
The Smell Of Popcorn
If you work in a small office space, then you've probably been in the zone, working diligently, when a wafting distraction enters your nostrils. Sure enough, a nearby coworker has freshly popped some good ol' popcorn, and the smell is so nice that it actually forces you to remove yourself from work and throw them a compliment or two in hopes of getting access to this delicious mid-day snack. You know that a smell is powerful when it draws you away from the focus of pure workflow!
The Smell Of Fresh Mountain Air
Have you stayed in the city too long? Our nation's beautiful capital city is a wonderful place to live, but the masses of people may leave you yearning for some truly fresh, alpine air. That's where the head-clearing satisfaction of mountain air comes into play. Complete with seemingly meditative qualities, breathing in the scents of nature just feels right. Whether you need to make a clear decision about your life or just escape the hustle and bustle of city life for even a few hours, taking a nice mountain drive is always a good idea. Bonus points if you take a new car all the way up the mountains!
The Smell Of Nearby Barbecue
If you want your neighbors to flock over to your place when you didn't invite them over in the first place, grilling out in your backyard (or using a smoker if you're really trying to draw in the masses) is an olfactory invitation to your residence. Between barbecue cooking and grass being cut, there really are no other classic summer smells that top these. Except for…
The Smell Of A Campfire
Though the smell will stick on your clothing, it's worth it. Campfires have this magical quality that draws people together, and the intoxicating smell is definitely a valid factor at play.
Enjoy The Smell Of Your New Home With The Help Of Ottawa House Insurance
You got us — a homeowners insurance policy doesn't really have a particular smell. However, enjoying your new home and its brand new smell is all the more enjoyable knowing that your new place is in the best hands possible. Get the right home insurance in Ottawa by working with Bradley's Insurance today!


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Thompson, Algernon P. (1818–1871)
Algernon P. Thompson, soldier, jurist, and author, was born in England in 1818. In New York on November 21, 1835, he accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in a battalion of New York volunteers in the Texas army commanded by Maj. Edwin Morehouse. Among his comrades were fellow printers James Decatur Cocke and Martin Carroll Wing. The battalion, under the command of Capt. Edward H. Stanley, sailed for Matagorda aboard the Matawamkeag, but the ship was intercepted by British authorities off Florida on suspicion of piracy and taken to Nassau, where the crew and passengers were held for a month. Thompson at last reached Texas on March 2, 1836, but failed to be elected when his company insisted upon choosing its own officers. He enlisted as a private in Capt. Louis P. Cooke's company, but, with Cooke's permission, left the company to join Sam Houston's retreating army at Mill Creek in Austin County. There he joined Capt. Robert J. Calder's Company K; he was transferred on April 20 to Capt. William S. Fisher's Company I of Col. Edward Burleson's First Regiment, Texas Volunteers. He served under Fisher at the battle of San Jacinto but thereafter returned to Calder's command. He was furloughed on September 30, 1836. From 1836 until 1840 Thompson worked as a clerk in various government offices. He was elected assistant secretary of the Senate for the Third and Fourth congresses of the Republic of Texas. On June 11, 1842, he was elected chief justice of Harris County to fill the unfinished term of Isaac N. Moreland. He served until July 27, 1846, and did not run for reelection, but turned instead to the practice of law. During Rafael Vásquez's campaign in 1842 Thompson served as a volunteer in Capt. John N. O. Smith's company but was discharged at Columbus after seeing no action. From July 4, 1842, until June 1, 1846, he served as president of the board of land commissioners of Harris County. In 1859 he ran for the state Senate but was defeated by Abram Morris Gentry.
Thompson is best remembered as the ghost writer and publisher of an 1837 pamphlet attributed to Robert M. Coleman, Houston Displayed, or, Who Won the Battle of San Jacinto?, a caustic attack on Sam Houston's skill and courage during the decisive campaign of the Texas Revolution. In February 1838 Thompson, in partnership with Dr. Theodore Léger, began to publish a pro-Lamar newspaper at Brazoria, The People. Mirabeau B. Lamar ended the enterprise about August 1, 1839, however, when he sold the printing press. In 1838 and 1839 Thompson published three poems in the Houston Telegraph and Texas Register. In Houston on March 9, 1839, Thompson married Louisa Lagrange Terhune Stanley, the widow of Edward H. Stanley, with whom he had come to Texas. The couple were known to have had three children, including Edgar W. Thompson, who, after service in the Confederate Army, returned to Houston to enter partnership with his father in the practice of law. Thompson died in Houston on July 3, 1871. The location of his grave is now unknown. He was a Catholic, but his wife and children were Episcopalian.


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The government now hopes to launch the construction of long-delayed Inga 3 hydroelectric project in DRC and hopes work can start by early 2017, the country's prime minister has announced.
Augustin Matata Ponyo told the media in London on the sidelines of an African investment conference in London that the construction OF 3 hydroelectric project in DRC is in very advanced stages and that the government was in the selection process to decide who will be the main players in this project.
Congo's government has said it would choose a developer for Grand Inga from three groups of companies: China Three Gorges Corp. and Sinohydro Corp.; Posco and Daewoo Corp. of South Korea in partnership with Canada's SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.; and Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA, based in Madrid, and Spain's Eurofinsa SA.
The project, to be built along the river Congo, would be an expansion of two existing Inga hydroelectric dams, making it potentially the world's largest hydropower site.


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In any computer software, it's not unusual to have a set of preferences to allow customization to the settings. JMP is no exception. For example, in JMP 12, the Categorical platform allows for a great deal of the output to be tailored to the user's preferences. Here's what we see under Preferences for the Categorical platform:
There are a number of check boxes, drop-down options and editable number boxes. Imagine trying to test if there were certain combinations that would cause a failure in the software. Keeping the choices where numbers can vary to a minimum, we still have two options with four choices (levels), four options with three choices, and 39 binary options. If we were to test every possible combination, we have a whopping 4^2 * 3^4 * 2^39 = 712,483,534,798,848 combinations. Obviously, testing every possible combination is not feasible.
However, it turns out that faults in software are usually due to the interaction of just a few options. For example, if I wanted to test only two check boxes, I would have four cases to consider: both boxes checked, two cases with one box checked and one not, and both boxes unchecked. Following this idea, why not first consider all pairwise options? Even if I just wanted to check all of the two-option possibilities, a little math shows that I have 4,690 combinations to consider.
A different way to test?
Luckily, in JMP 12 we have covering arrays! They can help us derive test scenarios for testing software. With a covering array, if I specify strength 2, I know that all of the two-option combinations will be covered. I use DOE->Covering Array (JMP Pro only), and add factors corresponding to each option. Part of my factors setup is shown below, but I've included the Factors table on the File Exchange. You can load this under the Covering Array platform by having the factors table open and selecting Load Factors under the red triangle menu.
Keeping the Strength = 2 means that I want to ensure that all combinations of all pairs of options will be included somewhere in the design. When I chose Continue and then Make Design, I ended up with a 20-run design (your results may vary, but usually the run size will be in the range of 19-21 runs). It's astounding to think that with the 45 options, all combinations of all possible pairs appear in just 20 runs.
Can I do it in fewer runs?
Since the two factors with the largest number of values have four levels each, the lower bound on the size of this strength 2 covering array is 16 runs. For this example, having four extra runs doesn't seem like a big deal, but there are cases where a 20 percent savings in the number of runs is substantial in terms of time and money. It's easy to try and find a smaller design using the Optimize button. Selecting 10,000 iterations, I was able to find the 16-run design on the File Exchange.
But wait, there's more!
Let's take a closer look at the Metrics from the Covering Array platform:
The coverage numbers represent the percentage of combinations involving t factors that are covered by the design (i.e., how many of the possible combinations appear somewhere together in the design). If the Categorical platform passes the set of tests defined by the covering array, we've covered all combinations from any pair of options, hence the 100 percent coverage for t=2. But, if everything passes, then we've also tested (and passed) over 85 percent of the combinations from three options, and 57 percent of those from four options.
This seems too good to be true
With all those options, do 16 runs really give me all that information? Keep in mind that I only know that all those combinations appear in the design -- if everything passes, we know that there are no faults due to two options together as well as many of the three- and four-option combinations.
What happens if I do see a failure? Then the covering array has helped us identify that there's a problem, but not the direct cause of that problem. Can it help us find the cause of the failure? It turns out that we do have a lot of information contained in the covering array based on not just the failure, but also the successful tests. Next time, we'll look at how it can help us to find a cause.
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I wonder how Covering array design calculate the total runs and combination needed for a problem with 4 factors, t=3, each factor has 4 levels? When I applied disallowed combination, how it decides additional runs?
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Dental Sedation In South Vancouver
Helpful Links
When Should I Consider Dental Sedation?
Visiting the dentist is a necessary part of life, but for some, these visits have the potential to be anxiety-provoking and even traumatic.
At Fraserview Dentist, we address these fears by offering our patients a comfortable setting, a calm and communicative dental team, and if needed dental sedation. Dental sedation is available as an option to help patients relax and get comfortable during procedures, from mild teeth cleanings to root canals, extractions, and dental implants. Offering dental sedation allows us to give just the right amount of help that each patient requires and requests.
What Makes Fraserview Dentist So Great?With benefits like financing options, and evening and weekend hours, we're here to accommodate you! Find out why we are so highly rated in our reviews. Call Now (604) 325-1711Book An Appointment
About Dental Sedation
Dental sedation comes in a variety of forms and sedation levels, allowing it to be tailored to the needs of the dental professionals, as well as the comfort level of the patient. From very mild sedation in which you're relaxed but lucid, to moderate sedation which leaves you feeling half-asleep. Dental sedation offers a reprieve for patients who get anxiety before dental procedures.
Patients often receive dental sedation for:
Getting procedures done under time constraints
Treating anxiety that has prevented a dentist visit in the past
Discomfort or inconvenience due to multiple visits
Some people are so terrified of the dentist, they allow tooth pain to endure and cavities to grow rather than visiting a dental professional. Dental sedation allows these people to receive the care they need without provoking anxiety or distress. Whether you have mild anxiety or total fear of the dentist, dental sedation can help, just contact us and we'll walk through the process, and your fears with you.
Oral Sedation
Our office offers oral sedation. This method diminishes pain and reduces anxiety, though you are not sedated to the point of unconsciousness.
Oral sedation comes in a pill or tablet which you'll either swallow or dissolve under your tongue. Depending on the desired effect, sedation could be extremely mild (where you're relaxed but conscious) to moderate (you're conscious but might slur words and probably won't remember the procedure very well or at all).
Usually, you take one of two pills, both of which are in the class of benzodiazepines. One, called Ativan© (generic name: lorazepam), is taken about an hour before your procedure begins. The other, called Halcion© (generic name: triazolam) has one of the shortest onset and duration of action in the category and is taken roughly 30 minutes before your procedure. The drugs are designed to cause drowsiness and fight insomnia. Some patients are able to fall asleep under this kind of sedation, but you can still be gently shaken awake if need be.


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A Conversation for Rainbows End - Fact and Fiction
reaching a rainbow
the incomproble tony boyd and his ever present need for a 420 break Started conversation Mar 5, 2003
i drove through a rainbow once. how does that work?
reaching a rainbow
Recumbentman Posted Mar 7, 2003
And came out with it behind you? Wow.
They can appear very close; in your garden hose spray.
By working it out we realise they're all very close (if we complete the projection).
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"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."


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By Marty Denzer
Catholic Key Reporter
KANSAS CITY — For most students in the Kansas City area, school started last week. The weeks before that first day families were crowded with shopping for school supplies. Remember that pencil case, with your name decoratively printed on it, filled with sharpened pencils and blue or black pens? Many children might not have memories like that, because their families simply cannot afford those items.
Children in need at Holy Cross School and in St. Anthony's Parish, returned to their classrooms last week with supplies to start the new school year right. They did so thanks to the Junior Board of Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph.
About 20 Junior Board volunteers gathered the evening of Aug. 6 on the top floor of the Catholic Center to stuff plastic bags with pencils, crayons, pens, notebooks, rulers and other school supplies by the light of the late afternoon sun. Music played, the young adults talked, laughed and formed an efficient assembly line filling the bags. They worked quickly, first one bag was filled, blink an eye and 10 were filled, then 30 and within 2 hours, 450 bags were filled with school supplies.
Catherine Hooper, Catholic Charities liaison to the Junior Board, said this was the second year for the school supply drive and distribution. In 2012, the Junior Board provided school supplies for St. Anthony's Parish only. This year, they expanded to include Holy Cross Parish/School and homeless students who frequent the Morning Glory Café at Donnelly Hall across the parking lot from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Hooper said the parishes were selected based on demographics and demand for essential back-to-school supplies.
All the supplies were purchased with funds raised from the Junior Board Soiree, an annual springtime fund raiser. The Junior Board purchased the supplies in late spring and summer, except for Crayola products which were donated by Good 360, with the assistance of YRC Worldwide.
The volunteers filled 250 bags of school supplies for kids in St. Anthony's Parish. Catholic Charities has a long-standing relationship with the parish — for several years the agency operated the Father Hix Center at St. Anthony's — 190 bags for students at Holy Cross Parish and 10 bags for students at the Morning Glory Café. The bags were distributed after Mass on Aug. 11.
Students and their families both benefited from the school supply distribution. The families were able to spend money on other necessities and the students were able to feel happy about returning to school; the new supplies served as a boost to their self-esteem.
The Junior Board plans to make the school supply donation an annual event.
The Junior Board of Catholic Charities is a volunteer group of young adult professionals, age 21 and older, who are committed to serving people in need and wanting to make a difference. They participate in a number of social events and volunteer opportunities throughout the year. The Soiree is the big event, held each spring at Union Station's Science City, and raises funds for Catholic Charities programs, including school supply purchases. There is also a holiday social event in early December.
Young adult professionals who are interested in learning more can "like" Catholic Charities Junior Board on facebook or visit www.catholiccharities-kcsj.org. Click on "Ways to Help," and go to "Join Junior Board" for registration forms and email requests.


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AWR Offers an Array of Technical and Social Activities at IMS2011
AWR Corporation, the innovation leader in HF EDA, will offer a broad range of opportunities for current and prospective customers to learn more about its AWR 2011 software release, inclusive of Microwave Office™ ,AXIEM® and Visual System Simulator™ software. In addition to in booth #1618 demonstrations of key new features and enhancements contained with AWR 2011, AWR will present 9 talks within the MicroApps Theater as well as host "Spotlight Talks" within the AWR booth that highlights key customers/partner adoption of AWR software. SPOTLIGHT TALKS (AWR Booth 1618) AWR partner companies like Anritsu, Cadence, Cree, M/A-COM, National Instruments and Rohde & Schwarz, will demonstrate their use of AWR software as it pertains to their own product development efforts within the AWR booth on Tuesday, June 7th and Wednesday, June 8th beginning at 1:00pm. The full schedule for these "Spotlight" Talks can be found at: www.awrcorp.com/IMS-2011/. MicroApps (MicroApps Theater) AWR will also present and/or co-present at 9 MicroApps talks during IMS2011. Schedule includes: Tuesday, June 7th: 9:50 Practical Methods for Estimating the Q of Spiral Inductors Using EM Planar Simulators (AWR) 10:10 Tools for Creating FET and MMIC Thermal Profiles (AWR & CapeSym 14:50 Emergence of the Online Design Center (AWR & Transim Technology Corp.) 15:10 Design for Manufacturing: Yield analysis During EM Simulation (AWR) Wednesday, June 8th: 9:50 Customized, Deembedded Ports in 3D Planar EM Tools: Extending Deembedding to Arbitrary Geometries (AWR) 11:30 Design Benefits of Integrating Simulation and Measurement Environments: An LNA Example (AWR) 13:50 Simulation and Evaluation of Communications Systems in Conformance With Third-and Fourth-Generation wireless Standards (AWR) Thursday, June 9th 9:10 System-Level Simulation in the Design of Advanced Radar Systems (AWR) 14:30 Beyond the S-Parameter: The Benefit of Nonlinear Device Models (AWR) Lastly, AWR will also host two additional social events during IMS that offer the opportunity for more casual conversation and camaraderie. AWR's 7th Annual Appreciation Party "AWR GAMES 2011" (Hard Rock Café) You are never too old to have more fun! Mark your calendars now and reserve your seat at the 7th Annual AWR Appreciation Party. This popular, annual event will be held on Wednesday, June 8 from 7 pm to midnight at the Inner Harbor waterfront Hard Rock Cafe. Advance registration is required at www.awrgames.com. Customers, partners, prospects and friends of AWR are all welcome to enjoy this fun event with us. IEEE-MTT-S Women in Microwave (WIM) Engineering Reception (Hilton Lobby Bar) AWR Vice President of Marketing Sherry Hess has again organized this event, which will take place on Tuesday, June 7 from 6 to 8 pm at the Lobby Bar at the Hilton Convention Center Hotel. This event is open to both woman and men however advanced registration is required: email@example.com


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The Savannah Way is a great road journey linking Broome in the west with Cairns in the east.
In this DVD a travelling group journeys along the Savannah Way, starting their adventure at Kununurra in the Kimberley of Western Australia. In Katherine the group visited Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park, before deviating north to Adelaide River and Litchfield National Park. Here the waterfalls of Florence Falls and Wangi Falls are a magnificent attraction.
Following exploration of Darwin, the group headed for Mary River and some time in Kakadu National Park where the boat trip on Yellow Waters and a visit to Gunlom Falls were among many highlights.
Now it was time for some more adventure as the group took in Limmen National Park, Lorella Springs and some challenging river crossings before leaving the Northern Territory.
Now into Queensland and Lawn Hill National Park was a top spot to visit with a canoe trip in the gorge a highlight.
There were still more highlights on this Savannah Way adventure with a boat trip on the very narrow and impressive Cobbold Gorge top of the list.
And finally, another highlight for the group was the Undara Lava Tubes, with amazing caverns and formations displayed there.
Time ran out for the group and they didn't reach Cairns, but they will never forget their adventures along the Savannah Way.
'Just finished watching this DVD and was most impressed both with the quality of production, photography and the music.
My wife and I have visited many of the locations in the DVD and were able to really relive them. A wonderful job.'
Max and Dot Houston, Bendigo.


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A study of mobile phone calls suggests women call their spouse more than any other person.
That changes as their daughters become old enough to have children, after which they become the most important people in their lives.
The Oxford University study has been published in the journal, Scientific Reports.
It also shows that men call their spouse most often for the first seven years of a relationship.
They then shift their focus to other friends.
The results come from an analysis of nearly two billion phone calls and text messages made by 3.2 million people over seven months.
The findings back evolutionary theory about the role of women in the survival of the genes, according to the probe by researchers in Britain, Finland, the United States and Hungary.
"This suggests that the intimate structure of human social networks are driven much more by women's interests than by men's," said Robin Dunbar from Oxford University's Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology.
"Men are more casual in their social relationships, whereas women know what their social goals are and go for them."
Co-author Kimmo Kaski of Finland's Aalto University said the results were "maybe sort of obvious", but this was the first evidence borne out by actual data.
The researchers knew only the age and gender of the subjects, the duration of their calls and the number of messages sent, as well as their postal codes.
The information was provided by an unidentified phone company in a European country.
Identities and other data were withheld.


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Melbourne and Ballarat will shine more brightly than ever in 2018, with new projections, more live music and some old crowd favourites highlighting White Night 2018.
Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren launched the programs for White Night 2018 in Melbourne and Ballarat, which will deliver a feast for the senses right through the night.
Celebrated producer David Atkins OAM has worked with some of the best creative minds to curate the programs.
Melbourne's theme is designed to make people question and dream. The Serpent Mother, fresh from Burning Man, will create a world of magic and chaos, while Little Bourke street will become a snowy wonderland to the backdrop of a 12-hour music marathon.
In the skies, the Verandah Virtuoso will serenade crowds across the city, with musicians performing from balconies and rooftops. A huge video mapping installation will also transform the Royal Exhibition Building.
In Ballarat, the beauty and character of the Australian bush will take centre stage with the Ghosts of Eureka street art, Dreamscape, Techtonic Grounds, the Magic Lantern Tree and Post-Colonial Women in the Landscape.
Overhead skyline drone imaging will be used to create Ballarat from Above, while the Town Hall and Craig's Royal Hotel projections will bathe the city in colourful lights.
Almost 600,000 people took to the streets of Melbourne for 2017's event and more than 40,000 flocked to Ballarat to witness the historic event in regional Victoria, boosting local businesses and creating jobs.
White Night Melbourne will take place on Saturday 17 February 2018, before returning to Ballarat on Saturday 17 March 2018.
Source: Vic Government


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Simmons Machine Tool Corporation has been a part of the Albany and Capital District of New York community for over 100 years. This area is not just where our machine tool manufacturing facility is headquartered - it's where our employees and their families live, so it is important to us that we positively contribute to the region.
Supporting manufacturing educational initiatives is one of our priorities, with the goal of strengthening STEM education and addressing the manufacturing skills gap. At Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York, we sponsor the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Program and offer a scholarship for students to gain hands-on manufacturing experience. We have also sponsored Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Formula SAE team Rensselaer Motorsport for several years.
We are a partner of the Troy Riverfront P-TECH program, a high school curriculum that puts students on the path to careers in the region's most in-demand fields, such as technology, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing. Simmons' employees frequently host tours of our manufacturing facility for students of all ages from across the region with the purpose of showcasing what modern manufacturing entails.
Simmons' employees regularly contribute to donation drives for the Menands elementary school up the street, collecting food, school supplies, and holiday gifts for children in need. Simmons also regularly donates to the State University of New York - Albany, the Capital City Rescue Mission, and the Capital Region Youth Tennis Foundation.


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Digital Pressure Gauge
Manufacturer: Vinci Technologies
Model Number: DGP
The Digital Pressure Gauge series is designed for extremely accurate pressure measurement to meet your most demanding requirements for precision laboratory or field measurement instrumentation. The instrument includes a high precision analog pressure transducer, a rupture disc for over pressure protection, a five digit digital display and a data logging software for automatic data acquisition.
Model: DPG series
Pressure range: up to 10,000 psi (other upon request)
Accuracy: 0.1% FS
Port connection: 1/8" autoclave type
Wetted part: titanium
Power supply: 110-220 VAC , 50/60 Hz
Categories: PVT, PVT Accessories


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Leading up to our annual Best of Dallas® issue, we're counting down the 50 most interesting restaurants in Dallas. These spots bring something unique or compelling to the city's dining scene, feeding both your appetite and soul. Find more interesting places on our all-new Best Of app for iTunes or Android.
It's impossible to walk into Lucia and suppress the excitement that's been welling up inside you. If you're not sitting at the bar on any given evening, you've likely made your reservation a month in advance. That's a lot of time to sit around marking Xs in your calendar while you fantasize about tender, delicate pastas and ribbons of lardo draped over hot toast.
So when you walk in the door of Lucia and you're greeted by the staff, there's already a smirk on your face at the very least. But it will yield to a gracious smile as your plates hit the table, and you're reminded just why a reservation at Lucia is such a pain in the ass to secure. The food here consistently lifts your spirits in a way only the most passionate cooking can -- the very best sort of eating.
By truly embracing the ideals of Italian cuisine, David Uygur draws upon some of the most soulful and emotional culinary traditions. Italian cooking is about celebration. It's about simplicity and letting high-quality ingredients shine brightly by interfering with their integrity as little as possible. Italian food is the twirl of a fork and the difficulty you'll have remaining silent while you eat. The odd noises that come from your face may not be found in the dictionary but everyone around you will understand. This is food that truly moves you.
We Believe Local Journalism is Critical to the Life of a City
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No. 50: Joyce and Gigi's No. 49: East Hampton Sandwich Co. No. 48: 20 Feet Seafood Joint No. 47: Taj Chaat House No. 46: Mot Hai Ba No. 45: La Nueva Fresh and Hot No. 44: Pera Turkish Kitchen No. 43: Tom's Burgers and Grill No. 42: Mughlai No. 41: Russian Banya No. 40: Off-Site Kitchen No. 39: Bachman Lake Taqueria No. 38: Carbone's No. 37: Babe's No. 36: Barbacoa Estilo Hidalgo No. 35: Zaguan No. 34: Royal Sichuan No. 33: Spoon No. 32: Bambu No. 31: Pecan Lodge No. 30: FT33 No. 29: Keller's Drive-In No. 28: La Pasadita No. 27: Ten Bells Tavern No. 26: El Ranchito No. 25: Cafe Urbano No. 24: Nova No. 23: Jeng Chi No. 22: Omi No. 21: Tei-An No. 20: Jonathon's Oak Cliff No. 19: Yutaka and Sharaku No. 18: Local No. 17: Ibex No. 16: Pakpao No. 15: Chennai Cafe No. 14: Smoke No. 13: Nonna No. 12: Kuby's No. 11: Sushi Sake No. 10: La Banqueta No. 9: Kalachandji's No. 8: Mesa No. 7: Teppo No. 6: Stampede 66 No. 5: Crossroads Diner No. 4: Bolsa No. 3: Lalibela No. 2: Cuquita's


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Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is receiving $1 million to continue their work with young men in target cities through their Go-To-High-School, Go-To-College® national program. The program concerns the 2015 Youth Mentoring Grant Opportunity that the fraternity has applied for through the United States Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
The Go-To-High-School, Go-To-College® program is one that will be a United States Department of Justice "Category 2," one-on-one and group-mentoring program for participants ages 6-17 years old in twenty-five (25) geographical locations across twenty-two (22) states and five regions of the country. The Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College® program, established in 1922, concentrates on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a road to advancement.
Global Image Consulting assisted the fraternity with submitting the grant that "will focus on 6 goals: Reduce Juvenile Delinquency, Increase Graduation Rates, Develop Mobile Application, Promote Public Safety, Reduce Juvenile Victimization, and Provide Readiness Training," explained Elvin Dowling, founding partner withGlobal Image Consulting and Alpha Phi Alpha Member. "The program will target 5 regions," Dowling continued, "Some of the states included are: Maryland, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, and California."
Recognized as the world's oldest intercollegiate fraternity founded by African-American men, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University. Since its inception, the organization has truly established itself on leadership and service.
"We aim to engage at least 5,000 student participants with caring mentors who serve as advocates and role models for achieving greater successes in life. Just as importantly, this comprehensive truancy and juvenile delinquency prevention effort offers high school and college readiness training and common sense direction for program participants, providing them with the resources, skills and relationships they need to make positive decisions that help them to become productive members of society," said Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity executive director and COO, William Douglass Lyle.
For more information on the many efforts Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity is currently leading and supporting, please visit http://www.apa1906.net or contact the International Headquarters at 2313 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218.
Media Contact:
Monica Wood | firstname.lastname@example.com
Bryan J. A. Kelly | firstname.lastname@example.com
About Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
Founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity has continued to supply voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. The fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community's fight for civil rights through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, Andrew Young, Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity, through its more than 600 college and alumni chapters and general-organization members, serves communities in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. Visit http://www.apa1906.net and follow on Twitter @apa1906network.


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Indian Archers won World Cup with old equipment
It is creditable for the Indian recurve trio of Bombayala Devi, Deepika Kumari and Rimil Buriuly to have shot their second straight Archery World Cup title with equipment they used at the London Olympics. What tilted the scales in their favour in Poland was the presence of Korean coach Lim Chae Woong.
The archers arrived here Tuesday to a tepid welcome two days after stunning London Olympics gold medallists South Korea in the World Cup Stage 4 final in Wroclaw, Poland, Sunday. They had defeated China in Stage 3 of the tournament in Medellin, Colombia last month.
Bombayala, the seniormost member of the team, told IANS that Lim made a big difference for them in standing up to a champion side like Korea.
"It was a blessing to have him by our side during the tournament. It was very windy in the final and his tips made us shoot really well. Most of the top teams have Korean coaches as they are the best in the business," Bombayala told IANS after landing in Aurangabad later Tuesday.
"He told us how to shoot adjusting to the wind direction, where to aim and things like that."
The women's team's remarkable success in the last two months has raised expectations besides erasing the disappointment of the London Games.
Bombayala, Deepika and Rimil have been getting support from Olympic Gold Quest, but they expect more from the Archery Association of India (AAI).
"We have no new equipment since the London Olympics. It has been a while since the camp was shifted to Aurangabad and we have been asking for the equipment. Shooting with used bows is not a major issue, but it becomes really difficultly to get grip with the old arrows. Hopefully, we will get the new equipment before the World Championships next month," said Manipur-born archer Bombayala adding that they also need a physio to travel with them overseas.
"The weather conditions keep changing from country to country and there are times our bodies get stiff. It would be great if we get a full-time physio," said the 28-year old.
AAI assistant secretary Gunjan Abrol told IANS that the federation has forwarded the archers' request to the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
"We have already asked SAI to order the equipment. It takes some time as the equipment is imported from place like the Netherlands and Sweden," Abrol said.
And what is the secret of the recurve combination clicking?
"The three of us (including Deepika and Rimil) understand each other well. We are always standing close to where the other team member is setting the target. We also go out in the arena with a free mind. So far it has worked well," said Bombayala.
When asked about the chaos at the felicitation here in the morning, she said: "We were dog tired and had a 3 p.m. Aurangabad flight to catch. The electronic media would not let us breathe. Deepika was so harassed she got worked up and was in tears." - IANS


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At Crookston Floral, we are committed to offering only the finest floral arrangements and gifts, backed by service that is friendly and prompt. Because all of our customers are important, our professional staff is dedicated to making your experience a pleasant one. That is why we always go the extra mile to make your floral gift perfect. Let us be your first choice for flowers.
Our shop serves the following areas: We serve Crookston and the surrounding communities. We serve Erskine, Fertile, Neilsville and Shelly, each with a $45 minimum order and $25 delivery fee. We serve Mentor with a $40 minimum order and a $25 delivery fee. We serve Beltrami, Climax, Eldred and Euclid, each with a $35 minimum order and a $20 delivery fee. We serve Red Lake Falls with a $30 minimum order and a $15 delivery fee. We serve Gentilly with a $30 minimum order and a $10 delivery fee. We serve Fisher with a $25 minimum order and a $10 delivery fee. Additional delivery fee may apply for rural route deliveries.
We specialize in the following services: · Large inventory of fresh flowers · Tropicals · Plants · European/dish gardens · Contemporary and traditional arrangements · High-style floral arrangements · Silk arrangements · Weddings · Funeral designs · Extensive gift line · Gourmet and fruit baskets · Gift baskets · Greeting cards, High quality antiques, large selection of Gourmet foods.


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At times the challenge with introducing a new travel procurement plan is that your staff can consider that you have just hired a travel agency to help them with travel. To check for savings, evaluate on the web value listings to prices provided by the agency. However, a handful of travel agencies have confirmed that, even if you can locate very good bargains your self, there are nevertheless situations where a travel agency can locate you an even far better a single. Organization travelers can take benefit of savings linked with discounts accessible only to travel agents. Managing on the internet travel agency can be gratifying only when you know what you are undertaking.
IATA accreditation: IATA accreditation offers agencies with a Sales Agency Agreement and a TIDS number that authorizes sales of international and domestic airline tickets. Itemization of charges and charges: Even though there is no law requiring travel agencies to supply an itemized breakdown of expenses and fees, shoppers can request this details to make certain costs are reasonable. A private statement explaining the goal your trip is required for residents of Miami and Chicago (for stays over 30 days).
Hotel and flight packages: Using a travel agency to book international hotel and flight packages can cut costs even right after agency fees are added. Consider your individual needs, preferences, and trip objectives when deciding on your travel agent. The Miami web site says up to 15 company days for a pal/family members, and I can have a family members member get there as quickly as I get them the docs. The very best element of on the internet travel agency is that you can work full-time or element-time, what ever suits your comfort.
Large-group discounts: Travel agencies have access to discounts primarily based on established relationships with hotels and airline companies to safe the best price for group bookings. Consumers can confirm a travel agency's accreditation by searching for the accrediting body's logo on a travel agency's web site or brochure. As an on the web travel agent you will deal with consumers largely over the phone and by means of email. Properly it's beyond belief for several to know that On the web Travel Agency does not require any license or certification. Travel agencies aren't required to acquire licensing or certification, although recognized organizations accredit and certify members.
Also if you wish to begin your personal on the internet travel agency and still don't know how to go for it, you can take support of on the internet business consultants. 3 years in the preparing, Scenic's recently established Ocean Cruising Line embarks on a new adventure for the award winning luxury travel operator, at present celebrating its 30th anniversary.


text: Freyr, like his father and sister, Njord and Freyja, was associated with fertility, but was especially known as the god of prosperity and wealth. Freyr became a symbol of masculinity, which is also reflected in his name, originally meaning "master". This is also seen clearly through Njord Jewels' "Freyr collection", which is not afraid to show the masculine side that radiates wealth.


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To get 75% off ebooks at Knowledgebox Central, use code Facebook75 at checkout.
Welcome to Knowledge Box Central! You may have seen Lapbooks before, but NOT like this! What makes ours different? We use Color Psychology in all of our Lapbooks, and this helps to improve information retention. Click on the tab at the top of the page to learn more about Color Psychology.
What is a Lapbook? Glad you asked! It a wonderful way for your student to document whatever topic he is studying. He will create small booklets along the way, and put them all together at the end of the study to create a keepsake called a Lapbook. Lapbooks are great ways to review, and children really enjoy displaying their work in this way. All of the planning is done for you ~ It really is easy! Just give it a try!


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P.O.S roars back from health woes with 'Chill, Dummy'
There is struggling to make a record, and then there's what P.O.S went through.
The 35-year-old Minneapolis rapper born Stef Alexander underwent a kidney transplant back in 2014. He spent more than a year on dialysis before that, forcing him to cancel an extensive tour in support of his last album, 2012's We Don't Even Live Here.
His recovery over the past three years — in between rare solo shows and live gigs alongside his Doomtree crew — has been arduous, he says, but the surgery abated the chronic kidney disease he's suffered from since his teens.
"I feel like I'm as close to full strength as I can be," P.O.S reports. "I'm older than I was when I got the transplant, but I feel way better than I did back then."
Last January, as his strength returned, P.O.S began constructing the skeletal parts of what would become his new record, Chill, Dummy. Serious recording sessions began in earnest four months ago at the Hideaway Studios in northeast Minneapolis, as well as in the home studios of P.O.S and some friends. There is a fitful urgency that courses through the album's 12 inventive tracks, with P.O.S conjuring the lyrical intensity of a man who knows how fortunate he is to still be here.
Chill, Dummy serves as P.O.S' playful but pragmatic advice to himself: to slow down and not overthink every detail.
"The title is definitely directed at me," P.O.S says with a laugh. "Anybody who relates to some of the songs can turn it in on themselves, too. But so much of the lyrics are written at me, kind of freaking out about reconnecting with my friends and reconnecting with life after being sick."
P.O.S reunites with his friends in a major way on the new record, which drops Friday. In addition to longtime collaborator and primary Doomtree beatmaker Lazerbeak, he called on Kathleen Hanna, Busdriver, Lizzo, Open Mike Eagle, Allan Kingdom, Astronautalis, Lady Midnight, and several others to add to the feisty collaborative spirit of the record.
On "Pieces/Ruins," Busdriver's hook — "All of the places we love have been left in ruins" — forms the wistful centerpiece, illuminating the longing for lost, special places from our past.
"We had been having a long talk about gentrification," P.O.S says. "When you're a kid, you hang out at your spot every day. You've got your nooks, and your corner store, and your block. You make yourself, you make your personality. But just like the hook says, you get older and you stop looking so hard for those places. Other people see your corners as potential parking lots or ways to get money."
Another highlight of the album is "Faded." On it, P.O.S transforms "Faded High" — a 2010 song from his soft-rock supergroup GAYNGS — into something that feels entirely new.
"When ["Faded High"] came out, I thought it was really awesome and I wanted to make my own version of it," he says mischievously. "When it was time to make this record, I had an idea and just asked [GAYNGS ringleader/producer] Ryan [Olson], 'Can you send me the stems of that song so I can make a new one?'"
The reworked version features P.O.S' exuberant rhymes blending with original vocals from Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Minneapolis upstart Lady Midnight. Her rich, soulful voice is featured all over the album.
"I came to the Hideaway studio and it was extremely enjoyable and effortless," Lady Midnight says of the Chill, Dummy recording process. "[P.O.S] had a very clear idea to start with, very much a director of his vision, but once that foundation was set, Stef encouraged me to just open up and vocalize my heart. The energy and chemistry felt very electric — even victorious — in the studio that day."
That session might not have been possible without the help of P.O.S' fans, who assisted financially and emotionally throughout his long recovery. Doomtree managed to crowd-fund more than $40,000 to help pay medical bills, and P.O.S says the supportive comments from fans kept him going through the darkest days of his dialysis and transplant surgery.
"That was the stuff that kept me wanting to wake up every morning," P.O.S says. "Without my family, my close friends, Doomtree, and these comments, I would have lost it. Mary [Thayer], my manager and good friend, actually went through and wrote everybody's comments down in a book and gave it to me while I was in my bed sick. Even now, I still flip through it and read everything people wrote."
Making Chill, Dummy proved to be cathartic, a way for P.O.S to work through the emotions that mounted during his health scare.
"A lot of this record is very much just me being really mad at me, it's really inward," he reveals. "There were some really hard times during when I was sick that I didn't even really acknowledge until I was feeling a lot better. And then I got to look back and say, 'Wow, I was really struggling.'"
To give some love back to his hometown fans, P.O.S lined up two local shows in support of Chill, Dummy. The intimate 7th St. Entry gig this Friday sold out in a matter of minutes, but he'll return to First Avenue's Mainroom on March 17. Both those spaces hold special significance for P.O.S.
"If I'm being honest, I didn't have any other goals in my music career aside from playing First Avenue," he admits. "So, once I hit and then surpassed that goal, I had to reassess my whole life. Like, OK, so what do I want to do now?"
No matter what he does now — or next — it's clear the music world is invested in his success.
7th St. Entry: 8 p.m. Fri., Jan. 27; sold out; more info here
First Avenue: 8 p.m. Fri., March 17; $15-$18; more info here


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For most of human existence the espresso martini was not a thing. So what a delight it must have been when in 1983, it was created.
Legend has it that the late British bartender Dick Bradsell (who also invented the Bramble) was asked for a drink that will "wake me up, and f*** me up" by an upcoming, now famous but never-named model.
Bradsell combined fresh espresso, vodka and coffee liqueur into a shaker (unfortunately Quick Brown Fox wasn't around then), shook it with ice and then served it into a martini glass with three coffee beans to garnish. The Vodka Espresso was created and Fridays have never be the same since.
Traditionally the term "martini" should be reserved for a cocktail made with gin and vermouth. A vodka martini is acceptable to many but 'espresso martini' is a name those purists will sniff at. I am not one of those purists but I acknowledge their reasoning.
Any good cocktail will have balance, so while there are many iterations of an espresso martini the first goal is to maintain balance. Espresso is intense and generally perceived as bitter and vodka is sharp. Both of these ingredients can be balanced with sweetness. If you just mixed vodka and espresso the result wouldn't be pleasant – so we must bridge those flavours and that normally comes in the form of a coffee liqueur, and/or honey or sugar.
Bartenders can opt to switch the vodka for another spirit: golden or white rum, tequila, vanilla vodka, even whisky. Even switching the coffee liqueur to a different liqueur. Any decision requires tweaking the recipe. For example some golden rums, and vanilla vodka are sweeter than vodka so they may opt for less sweetness from other sources.
Here's a video from Sai Charan of the bar Rich Heart in Auckland's CBD showing us how he makes his (perfect) espresso martini with Rum Diplomatico and Quick Brown Fox:
The garnish is important because well, it looks great. The typical garnish of three roasted coffee beans represents health, wealth and happiness. You could also consider a sprinkling of spices or chocolate.
Here's a very simple espresso martini you can make at home, and use as a base for further experimentation:
Harpoon Cold Brew Martini
- 30ml Harpoon Cold Brew Concentrate
- 30ml Quick Brown Fox Coffee Liqueur
- 30ml Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
- 1/4 tsp Heilala vanilla paste
Pour all ingredients into a shaker, top with ice and shake hard. Double strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with three coffee beans.
A fact on this feature image.
There were a number of articles published after the death of Dick Bradsell, and I couldn't help but notice the image used on many of them was my own! A Google search revealed this image had been used over 1000 times!
The cocktail was created by Jamie Hughes at Toast Bar in Dunedin and the photograph was taken by Emily Hlavac Green. They really did create a delicious looking cocktail! I really should have put a Quick Brown Fox bottle behind the cocktail eh… The lessons we learn…
Read more about Bradsells legacy and the vodka espresso here
See my image in action in WJ London Lifestyle
What's the best espresso martini you've ever had?


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Orca attacking Sea Lions
I filmed this from my kayak near Hornby Island, B.C. in Febuary 2015, just af
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Over the past decade, saltwater fly-fishing has become increasingly popular. Along with this popularity has come some additional problems to plague the uninitiated. Larger fish, stronger winds, sand, surf, swells, and salt all add to the arsenal that Murphy utilises to enforce his law. There are things, however, that can be done to stave off frustration and problems.
Larger, fast running fish such as coho and chinook require large capacity reels with at least 200 meters of backing. Larger fish also require heavier weight systems to subdue them, especially the coho, which are now catch and release only throughout British Columbia. A heavier weight system also aids in dealing with the sea breezes that have a nasty habit of showing up at the wrong times.
Worst of all, though, is having to deal with the saltwater. It permeates everything that gets near it and anything that can corrode or rust usually succumbs to it, especially if left unmaintained for any length of time. Reel seats on rods and reels themselves are the main victims of the salt. Fly fishers must ensure that their gear is either constructed rust proof materials such as graphite or stainless steel, or has corrosion resistant coatings such as anodised aluminum.
The system you choose to do battle with is always a personal choice and is usually made with a specific species of fish in mind. Particularly so in the case of saltwater fly-fishing because of the wide range of sizes between the different species of saltwater fishes.
For pink salmon I prefer a six-weight system. Although the smallest of the pacific salmon, some pinks can exceed eight pounds in weight and none of them come to the net easily. While I have seen anglers use lighter rods, they inevitably have to play the fish longer. This causes problems if they want to release it, since the angler must tire the fish to near exhaustion in order to land it. A six-weight system allows you to manhandle the salmon to the net a bit more and thus greatly increases the fish´s chances of survival if released. If you plan on keeping the fish (pinks are great eating fresh or smoked), a six-weight system lets you land it faster so you can bag it and be casting for another while the person using the five-weight beside you is still being led slowly out to China.
For larger fish like coho and chinook I prefer an eight-weight system. Lighter systems just don´t have the backbone to slow down and turn a fast-running coho. With the new catch and release laws in effect now it is essential that you land and release any coho as quickly as possible, and with the mandatory barbless hook regulation, the longer you play the fish the greater your chances of losing it.
While systems weights are important, reels are the real key to success when saltwater fly-fishing. As I mentioned earlier, spool capacity and rust/corrosion proofing are the main things to look for. Also extremely important is a durable, smooth drag system. Coho are known for their long, fast initial runs and I have seen many reels seize or simply fall apart in the middle of one. There is nothing more disconcerting (or funnier to onlookers) than having your spool literally separate from its housing and fall into the drink in the middle of a screaming run. Unlike trout fishing, where you usually set the drag to nearly nothing and palm the spool, you will have to rely on the drag to slow a salmon or bonefish. If you don´t, there is a very good chance that the fish will spool you regardless of how much backing you have. Trust me, I know this from first hand experience.
There are several good brands of reels to choose from for saltwater angling, and while the quality varies a bit the prices vary a lot. Do yourself a favour and talk a lot to people who already saltwater fly-fish (you can e-mail me if you like at email@example.com ), and discuss saltwater reels with different tackle shop owners as well before making your purchase. Better yet, go to the sportsman´s shows in the spring and do your looking and talking there. There are always lots of us "professionals" hanging around looking for someone to talk to. You´ll be very glad you did.
Lines for saltwater fishing depend more on the method of fishing than the species. If you are beach fishing, you will want a neutral density sinking line to get the fly to the level of the fish and keep it there throughout your retrieve without hitting bottom. If, instead, you are cruising around in a boat looking for salmon off the kelp beds, you will need an extra fast or high-density sinking line to get down fast before the currents pull the line away.
While line colour in deep open water doesn´t seem to affect the fish, it does when shallow water beach fishing. Salmon in the shallows become increasingly spooky and fear just about anything that moves. The new clear "slime" lines such as Scientific Anglers "Stillwater" line or Mastery´s "Illusion" line have proven to be much more productive than standard coloured lines in these situations and I have noticed more and more fly-fishers using them.
Rods are a personal choice as well, especially the action. Length, however, should be seriously considered before making your purchase. Saltwater fly-fishing requires long casts, often while standing in chest deep water. A minimum of a nine-foot rod is needed to be effective out there. Some individuals have gone to 10-foot or longer rods, but they can be hard on the wrist to cast, especially in the heavier weights of eight or nine, and will tire you out much quicker than a nine-footer.
Regardless of the type of system you go with, or the species you pursue, you must take the time after fishing to maintain your gear. This is essential and I cannot stress this enough. Ten minutes of maintenance can save you hundreds of dollars in damaged gear. If you are returning to a residence or somewhere that has fresh running water, flush everything in lukewarm water. Anything that can be disassembled (such as your reel) should be before flushing. I usually fill the sink with warm water, separate my spool from the reel housing, slide off the drag wheel, and swish all the parts around for a minute or two and then allow them to soak for half an hour. While the reel parts are soaking I flush out the reel seat of my rod and anything else, such as fly boxes, that got submerged or wet. After soaking, the reel gets flushed under the tap again and then everything gets dried. Once dry, all moving parts get a fresh application of lubricant.
If you are camping or don´t have access to fresh running water, warm up some of your drinking water and partially fill a basin with it. Swish the reel parts and everything else around in the water and allow them to dry. Then apply some silicone or other lubricant to the moving parts. The worst thing you can do is leave the saltwater on your gear overnight. Even if your equipment is treated to resist corrosion and rust, the saltwater will eat it sooner or later. There´s a very good reason why manufacturers label their equipment "Corrosion Resistant" and not "Corrosion Proof", and saltwater is the best reason I can think of.
Saltwater fly-fishing is great sport. There´s nothing like watching the wake of a 12-pound coho as the fish closes in on your fly, and then having it strike and head for the open Pacific at top speed after you set the hook. It´ll get you heart racing every time, I guarantee it. If you apply a little educated forethought before buying your gear, and perform some rudimentary maintenance during the season, you can enjoy years of trouble-free saltwater fishing for all kinds of different species.
Bill Luscombe has been hunting and fishing for most of his 42 years. He has been flyfishing for 20 years. He instructs flyfishing, and has done so for the past 12 years. He also instructs the federal FSET firearms course and the BC CORE hunter training course. He is an award-winning outdoor writer and has been writing freelance since 1987. He has been published in BC Sport Fishing Magazine, Outdoor Edge, BC Outdoors, Western Sportsman, Island Fish Finder, and the BC Hunting Guide.
Bill Luscombe was born an army brat and raised in Ladner (Delta, BC) where he was raised hunting waterfowl and pheasants. He presently resides in North Cowichan on southern Vancouver Island where he has lived and worked full time as a professional forester since 1982.
He presently works in Nanaimo for the BC Forest Service and continue to write the fly-fishing column for BC Sport Fishing Magazine as well as contributing articles freelance to various outdoor magazines in western Canada. Bill Luscombe is also a BC Director of the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association.
"Catching fish is not hard. You simply need to understand what makes them tick. If you think like a fish, you will catch fish. It´s as simple as that."- Bill Luscombe


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Customer-facing communication following a breach is a critical component of incident response and the first step in reassuring consumers that your organization is handling the incident appropriately. Botch the response, and you'll never be able to regain customer trust. Nail the response, and you have an opportunity to not only regain their trust but also strengthen the relationship.
OPM communicated publicly that it would be sending all notifications from a specific email address: "email@example.com". The notification wasn't a bad thing in itself. However, OPM and CSID made a couple of key mistakes:
› First, they used a third-party domain, csid.com, rather than their own. This is confusing for the people being notified, who
don't understand the relationship of CSID to OPM. It opens the door for other, similar third-party domains to make similar
claims of being authorized.
› Second, and even more critical: the address was not secure.Anyone could send emails claiming to be from it, and the
recipients couldn't tell the difference. So, in effect, they told the criminals exactly what address to spoof to be as effective as possible.
›Keep it simple:
Choose one, simple, easily communicated email address for breach notification. Use a primary brand domain and a short email address, e.g. firstname.lastname@example.com that is easy for your customers to recognize and remember. Use the same, simple domain as the destination URL for the customer
call to action and avoid any embedded links. We strongly advise against using third-party domains or sub-domains, as they will introduce confusion that criminals will exploit.
›make it clear:
How you will direct them to take advantage of any offers, specifically that you will provide URLs but never ask them to click a link in the email
›Turn on Dmarc for visibility and protection:
Gain visibility into current email traffic on the target domain now, then bring it to a protected status to lock the phishers out and assure that only you can send to your customers. Enterprises also need to publicly disclose the breach and start notifying clients. It is during this period that email
becomes key to every data breach notification plan, and should include steps to ensure a secure and authenticated email channel to communicate through.
›identify secure vs. insecure email addresses:
Configure your email sending software to deliver important information only to recipient email domains that validate DMARC, and thus are secure. A list of secure domains—covering the vast majority of consumer inboxes in the U.S. and much of Europe—is available at DMARC-ISPs
›use web, press, and social to communicate the plan:
Theseone-to-many channels are great for setting expectations of what and to whom you'll be communicating personalized information via email. Include:
•When and from which email address you will communicate
•Which email domains you will send to and why (it's secure!),
and make it clear that no other domains will receive email
•Set expectations for the content in the emails
•Clarify how you will direct them to take advantage of any offers, specifying that you will provide URLs but never ask them to click a link in the email
›Take credit for your readiness:
Regularly update and test your email notification process end-to-end, using the opportunity to
tell customers what you're doing to help keep them secure.
For more information about DMARC


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Given that we were "camping" in a corporate office, it was really more of a geek pajama party than a "camp" (though there WAS a tent). More coverage here and here gives a really good sense of what went down. Some cool things that I saw, in no particular order…
Pandora: An awesome (Laszlo-based) implementation of the old savage beast music recommender system. A GREAT way to find new music based on music you like, based on the "Musical DNA" (as analysed by 100s of musicians along a number of dimensions). You can make a music channel based on the music you know you like, and find new music that way! The technology is great (and has been for some time), it's great to see that someone understands Recommender Systems work better in a Service context (like netflix) than in an ecommerce context (like Amazon).
Flock: A Web 2.0 layer on top of firefox that makes using del.icio.us, technorati, flickr, etc, etc, super-easy. I missed this demo, but boy were people fired up about it.
A REALLY cool app that modelled telephone activity as a non-interupting process (the computer calls both people when they signal that they are accepting calls, the interface looks like an email client). Sorry I didn't get the name for this one.
Ross Mayfield of SocialText demoed WikiWYG, a nice innovation in editing paradigm for WIKIs. More generally, he sold me on the idea that blogs and wikis will come into the enterprise "through the back door", the way all useful technology (PCs, LANs, email, the web) has.
Generally, I think it's pretty amazing how the internet has made it easy to organize this kind of thing. The collectivist spirit reminded me of my old hippy days a little bit, and I bet the old computer clubs in the 70s in Silicon Vally had a similar vibe.


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Home > News & Events > Speeches & Testimony
Speeches & Testimony
Remarks by Sheila C. Bair, Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to the Greenlining Institute's 14th Annual Minority Economic Development & Homeownership Conference – Los Angeles, Calif. -- 4/19/07
Thank you very much. It's great to be here in Los Angeles.
As the head of the FDIC I wear two hats. One is the safety and soundness of our banking system. And the other is consumer protection.
Some might say you need a split personality to run the FDIC. But the fact is safety and soundness, and consumer protection are closely linked.
Banks can't make money without customers, and consumers can't live out their dreams, such as buying a home or saving for a child's college education, without affordable credit. It's a peaceful co-existence, a balancing act between two powerful forces that ultimately have a major impact on our communities as well as our national economy.
Today I'll be primarily wearing my consumer protector hat. I want to cover two areas: How we can include more people in the banking system, and then focus on the troubles borrowers are having with subprime mortgages.
Economic Inclusion
As most of you know, I've made it a priority at the FDIC to explore ways that we can help more consumers enter the mainstream financial system. Too many people, especially those with lower incomes, rely on a mix of high cost non-bank financial service providers for their credit needs. And their numbers are growing.
Some estimates put the number at 40 million households.
The growth in the payday lending industry alone, for example, shows how many people are shunning banks for their credit needs.
By some estimates, payday loans topped $28 billion last year, and have doubled every year for the past five years. These numbers are really frightening.
Many borrowers who use payday loans have a checking account and a steady paycheck. So, why aren't they borrowing from their bankers?
Why isn't lower-priced credit more available in underserved neighborhoods, especially inner cities?
A Federal Reserve study says that higher-priced lenders may disproportionately work with and market to borrowers from minority neighborhoods. The study found that metropolitan areas with larger minority populations and higher unemployment rates are more likely to have greater amounts of higher-price lending.
Other studies found that subprime lenders are more active in lower income, urban areas and that minority access to credit is dominated by these higher-cost lenders.
High cost, predatory lending strips wealth and locks hardworking families into an endless cycle of debt and financial distress, undermining faith in our financial systems.
The FDIC will continue to act as a catalyst for productive partnerships between financial institutions and community development organizations ... organizations such as Greenlining ... to improve access to the banking system for low- and moderate-income, minority and other underserved communities.
Let me tell you about one way that we're working on this.
The Alliance for Economic Inclusion, or AEI, is our national initiative to create grass roots coalitions across the country to get more people into the financial mainstream.
The goal is to expand the availability of low-cost savings products, small loans with a savings feature, and other affordable services.
Why is this effort important? Low income consumers have a need. And for Main Street bankers, this is a business opportunity.
The 40 million under-banked people in the U.S. earn $1.1 trillion a year, (of which half don't have a banking relationship). All told, Americans spend at least $11 billion annually on alternative financial transactions.
This is why we picked the City of Angels as one of nine cities to promote economic inclusion.
I met this morning with members of the new Los Angeles AEI, all of whom are here in this room ... some 35 accomplished individuals who are committed to promoting financial inclusion. They are leading local AEI's efforts in expanding new and affordable financial products and services for the underserved. And I thank them for their service.
They have a youth group that is encouraging elementary school students to start saving with as little as one dollar. The group is also pushing to integrate financial literacy into the elementary education curriculum.
Another early result of these efforts is the Los Angeles Small Business Loan Portal. This website is paid for by banks and enables local nonprofit small business development groups to match up the emerging small business loan needs of their clients with local banks that may be interested in meeting these needs. This is a wonderful innovation.
I believe banks can offer alternatives to high-cost and often predatory lending to low- and moderate-income people.
And it can be done profitably in a way that will enhance a bank's reputation and build long-term relationships with customers.
The FDIC wants to be at the forefront of this effort.
Last December, we released Affordable Small Loan Guidelines for public comment. These would cover several aspects of product development, including affordability, streamlined underwriting and built-in savings components.
In addition, at the first meeting of the FDIC's new Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion, The Committee recommended a proposed pilot project to encourage banks to develop and offer small-dollar loans, through incentives including CRA credit and deposit funding.
Subprime Lending
Let me now turn to subprime mortgage loans. It's become a front page story. It's on TV. And newspapers are even writing editorials about the problems facing subprime borrowers, and the brewing crisis.
Home ownership has great social value and it needs protecting. It contributes to neighborhood stability ... enables individuals and families to build wealth ... and traditionally has been a low-risk, stable investment representing the largest asset for many families.
While bank regulators have taken steps to prevent future problems in the subprime market, there is an urgent need to deal with hundreds of thousands of lower-income borrowers who are at risk of losing their homes in today's sinking housing market.
Many borrowers who took out loans in the last few years are having difficulty making payments as their loans are "reset" to higher payments after the initial two or three years of low "teaser" payments. Monthly payments are jumping by 30 percent or more.
According to one study, the interest rates for an estimated 1.1 million subprime loans will reset in 2007. 882,000 more will reset in 2008.
Fewer and fewer of these borrowers are able to refinance because of the deteriorating housing market. And many loans weren't based on borrowers' ability to pay when the payments reset.
There is no doubt that many subprime borrowers have benefited from the expanded access to mortgage credit. However, rather than building wealth, many borrowers are now struggling to keep their homes.
In previous years, many of these borrowers could have refinanced their mortgages (as many did do). Now, as home values have stagnated or even declined in many areas of the country, borrowers find themselves trapped in mortgages they cannot afford to pay.
Subprime borrowers are particularly at risk because they have very little financial cushion. On average, they spend over a third of their after-tax income on housing roughly 20 percentage points more than prime borrowers spend. One quarter of adjustable mortgages originated in 2006 are now under water. In other words, borrowers owe more than their homes are worth.
Non-bank, subprime lenders are also at risk. Some 50 of these have already gone out of business.
As for insured banks, the FDIC and the other federal regulators have addressed these risks through supervisory guidance, examinations and enforcement actions.
For example, we've issued more than a dozen formal and informal enforcement actions against FDIC-supervised institutions that failed to meet mortgage lending standards.
But the most visible problems are among independent mortgage lenders, which we don't regulate. And this is where coordinated action is needed most.
We believe that the entire mortgage industry ... regardless of whom the lender is ... should be subject to similar anti-predatory standards.
A national standard would give basic uniform protections for all borrowers. What we need are common sense rules that reinforce market discipline while preserving an adequate flow of capital to fund responsible home-lending.
There are two core aspects to developing a national standard. They are: One, an underwriting standard based on the ability to repay; and two, marketing standards that require early and clear disclosure of the full costs of adjustable rate and non-traditional loans. A national standard should also address abusive prepayment penalties and widespread use of "stated income" loans which mortgage brokers aggressively market to justify higher rates.
This would assure that in the future, both the borrower and the lender know exactly what they're agreeing to. But today, many borrowers are facing imminent financial danger as their loans reset.
In many cases, subprime loans have been securitized. Last year, 75 percent of the $600 billion in subprime loans were packaged and sold as securities.
This makes it harder to restructure troubled loans and keep borrowers in their homes. The terms of these securitizations can limit the ability of loan servicers to modify mortgages.
The FDIC is working with consumer groups, other regulators, and people from the mortgage industry to help these borrowers.
On Monday, we hosted an industry summit in Washington. Unanimous agreement was reached on the need to be flexible with distressed borrowers as these high cost loans are restructured and replaced with affordable mortgages.
And all agreed that keeping people in their homes is nearly always the best option. Borrowers want to stay in their homes, and investors don't want to be landlords.
To help move the process forward faster, we're urging early contact between troubled borrowers and their loan servicers. This increases the chances of working things out. Servicers tell me that when contact is made, 85 percent of troubled loans are successfully restructured.
On Tuesday, the FDIC and the other regulators officially encouraged banks to pursue workout arrangements that are more affordable, and based on the ability of borrowers to pay not just today, but for years to come.
The good news is that the market is moving in the right direction, based on what we heard at the summit.
Responsible industry leaders want to help. And many want to partner with consumer groups like Greenlining as they work with borrowers.
Lenders and Wall Street understood the risks associated in funding these mortgages. And now that the market has turned, we all need to roll up our sleeves, and work our way out of this. Deserving borrowers should have loans that they can repay. Foreclosure will be far more costly for borrowers, investors, and the housing market.
Let me end by repeating my commitment to opening up the mainstream financial system to the millions of consumers who are on the outside looking in. America's is one of the richest economies on the planet. California's is the 7th largest on the planet.
There is no reason why all Americans ... and Californians ... can't enjoy more of the benefits that this wealth brings.
Every challenge has a solution—an opportunity if you will. I ask that Greenlining and all of you here today join the FDIC in helping the underserved. Doing so will lead to solutions that create opportunities and better lives for everyone.
Thank you very much.
|Last Updated 4/20/2007