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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Changing the security code for your debit card may be as easy 1-2-3 following a widespread data breach at Target but guarding your personal information from hackers is a longer-term battle, according to experts.
Even though the government protects consumers from this type of fraud, you are not guaranteed the store or bank whose computer system is hacked will tell you about the theft of your personal data.
State laws vary on notifying consumers about such theft.
So it's ultimately up to the consumers to make sure their personal data don't fall into the wrong hands or at least limit the damage if were to happen.
Report unauthorized charges as soon as possible to your credit/debt card companies and monitor regularly your credit activities via the three major credit bureaus, experts say.
Most importantly, don't answer calls and emails from people posing as agents of banks and card companies because they are scamming for more information about you, they say.
"Consumers are freaked out about it but as long as you report suspicious activities right away, you have zero liability," said Greg McBride, senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com in North Palm Beach, Florida.
Target, the No. 3 U.S. retailer, said hackers stole the personal data of at least 70 million customers including names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses during the year-end holiday shopping season. Earlier, it had said data from 40 million credit and debit cards were stolen.
Neiman Marcus on Friday said it was too a victim of hackers but it was unclear how many of its customers were affected.
Sources familiar with these attacks told Reuters hackers broke into at least three other well-known U.S. retailers' financial networks during the same period.
A first step for consumers, particular those who used their personal identification numbers (PINs) with their debt card purchases during Christmas, is to change the PIN, but make it that makes the combination tough on hackers.
"Don't use your birthdate or your dog's name. Use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols like hashtags and question marks. Make your PIN harder to crack," said Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director at U.S. PIRG, a Washington-based consumer group.
Even a tough PIN combination is not foolproof against hackers who have becoming increasingly sophisticated. "If they got it, they got it," Mierzwinski said.
Rather than changing your security code and risk another hacking, request for a new credit or debt card.
As the fallout of this latest cyber attack mushrooms, banks might end up issuing millions of new cards anyway because they could be on the hook for millions of bad charges.
"Fraudulent transactions could pile up pretty quickly. We might on the verge that card issuers might issue a lot of new cards and accounts," Bankrate.com's McBride said.
Changing your PIN and getting a new card are quick fixes. You still need to make sure hackers haven't racked up purchases under your identity, analysts said.
Watch for suspicious purchases online and notify your card issuer right away. Don't ignore even small charges because the scam artists might be testing to see whether they could get away bigger ones later.
Consumers are entitled to a free annual credit report from each of the major bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
These credit reporting agencies also offer monitoring services for a monthly fee, but PIRG's Mierzwinski said they are pricey and unnecessary.
In cases of breaches like Target, a company often buys them for its customers for a period of time, according to experts.
Perhaps most important of all, high-tech con men who already have some information on you will likely want more.
Don't give your PIN, birthdate and Social Security number over the phone or email, which are vital data to open new card accounts and apply for loans. These "phishing attacks" often pose as inquiries from bank and card companies.
If you get such type of calls, hang up, call the number on your card and tell the bank you received a phishing call.
Or it comes via email, don't open it because it might contain a computer virus that is created to retrieve personal data. Just delete it, said PIRG's Mierzwinski said.
While Target's data theft which is still unfolding is unsettling, "don't panic, you are protected," Mierzwinski said.
Reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by Bernard
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Security Assertion Markup Language 2.0 (SAML 2.0) is a version of the SAML OASIS standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between security domains. SAML 2.0 is an XML-based protocol that uses security tokens containing assertions to pass information about a principal (usually an end-user) between an identity provider (IdP) and a service provider (SP, usually a web service or cloud application). SAML 2.0 enables web-based authentication and authorization scenarios including Single Sign-On (SSO).
DualShield unified authentication platform includes a Single Sign-On server that is fully compliant to SAML 2.0 standard.
The complete solution consists of the following components:
- DualShield Authentication Server
- DualShield SSO Server (IdP)
- Third-Party SAML 2.0 enabled application (SP)
For a SAML enabled application, such as Google Apps and Salesforce, DualShield Single Sign-On server acts as an identity provider that authenticates users and provides information used to authorize users.
When a user attempts to login to a cloud or web application that is SAML 2.0 enabled and integrated with DualShield SSO, the request is automatically redirected to DualShield SSO. DualShield SSO parses the request, authenticates the user with multi-factor authentications and to an organization's AD/LDAP directory, and generates a SAML response to the cloud or web application. Once successfully verified, the user is automatically logged in to the application.

subset: commoncrawl


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Manicure, Pedicure and Advanced Nail Techniques 1e
Elaine Almond 9781861526892
This comprehensive title provides all the information a manicurist/nail technician should ever need in their career, from the basic information and techniques through to advanced nail extension work. Subjects covered include hygiene, cosmetic science, use and choice of equipment, anatomy and physiology, nail disorders and diseases and business management all supported by clear, step by step technique guidance and illustrations.
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Casa Luna
|Art and Culture in the centre of Rome, Relax
Casa Luna is an independent apartment located right beside Saint Peter's in a pretty and very central district. The large well-lit apartment, which has a fine view over the clear air of the city, has a lovely terrace where the guests can enjoy moments of real relaxation in between their various trips around the city discovering the amazing wonders of Rome. Furnished in a sober and functional manner, the B&B has two bedrooms, a lounge and a kitchen. This B&B is the ideal solution for those who are looking for independence, tranquillity and comfort.
The impeccably-clean apartment has room for up to seven people, as it has two large double rooms which can be supplied with a third bed. The large well-lit lounge looks onto the terrace and is a fine dining area. The kitchen, which has all mod cons, can be used by the guests at all times.
The best thing about this apartment is the terrace, which has a table and chairs and a marvellous view of this part of the city. The apartment dominates the area and provides a clear, far-ranging panoramic view of the surrounding buildings.
You can get to Saint Peter's and the Vatican in five minutes on foot. The area is also very well-connected with the local public transport services. Getting around has never been easier.
Casa Luna is the ideal solution for those who are looking for independence, tranquillity and relaxation right in the centre of Rome.


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Fifteen Minutes Of 7 Days To Die
It's hard not to be impressed by the grisly ambition of 7 Days To Die. It's a voxel-based, open-world take on the ol' zombie survive 'em up, and they're trying to do almost everything you can think of within that space. That list people make regarding "would it be cool if…" for zombie games? That's this game. Granted it's still at an early stage, so it's hard to see how much those rough edges are going to be smoothed off, but go take a look, this could be significant.


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Super-Organized and Neat Teenager's Room Interior
This room with the total area of just 14 square meters belongs to a teenage girl. And the problem of this room was typical of almost any other room occupied by a very young person: it was just packed with stuff. Versatile pieces of free-standing…
How to Arrange a Home Theatre: All You Have to Know (P.2)
Now that you know how to prepare your home interior for the coming of a home theater, it's time to choose the equipment right. The market has much to offer you, and it's very important to understand the difference between different types of equipment and…
The Coolest School Laboratory Interior We've Ever Seen
Well, someone is so lucky to study in such a creative, bright and non-standard place! Maybe, if our schools looked like this, we would have never missed our classes!
Mattel's New Office: How Toys Sellers Work, Dine & Relax
Mattel is the world's biggest transnational corporation creating Barbie and Monster High dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, and baby toys by Fisher Price and owning loads of other brands. Its Moscow headquarters has recently moved to a new office with the total area of…
Airy and Minimalistic One-Room Apartment with Eco-Style Motifs
In this tiny flat the designer team had to envisage all possible and impossible details. The clients are young spouses, who wanted their apartment to be minimalistic, light and airy. Besides, the list of their wishes included an isolated sleeping place (not a folding sofa),…
"Soft Brutality" Interior Design Project for a Young Family
Can harsh "concrete" interior feel cozy? Is there a golden mean between brutality and softness? Can bricks give the sense of spaciousness? Let's find the answers to these questions together!


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2006 Toyota Alphard Executive Deluxe Camper
- Four berth
- 2.4 Petrol automatic
- 55,000 miles
- Two-wheel drive
- 12-months warranty
- Year base vehicle: September 2006
- E.T.A.: Base vehicle arrives February 2020
Toyota Alphard AX-L features:
- Electric front windows
- Twin airbags
- Seats four
- Sleeps four
- Power steering
- Power slide door (nearside)
- FM Stereo
- Tinted glass
- Child lock
- 16″ Alloys
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Grade 4
Brand new Executive Deluxe features:
- Elevating or Hitop roof with bed
- Sleeping platform in roof to sleep two (and two in the lower area)
- High quality, hand-made full-side, 4-berth conversion
- Solid wood worktop for durability (eg beech, oak or walnut)
- Wardrobe/rear storage
- Kitchen cupboards with overhead storage units with optional access to rear of units from offside sliding door
- Rock-and-roll bed (crash-tested) that seats or sleeps two, with fire retardant upholstery and two three-point seatbelts
- Swivel passenger seat (drivers seat also possible)
- Optional toilet unit available
- SMEV (flush-fitted) or CAN kitchen sink with toughened smoked glass top
- Double ring gas cooker (SMEV or CAN)
- Durable floor with non-slip coating
- Fitted internal water tank with external filler cap
- Fitted dual-power or 49 litre compressor fridge
- New design allows access to fridge when the bed is lowered in some models
- Electric 240v hook-up with sockets and fitted swivel spotlights
- Leisure battery with additional 240v smart charger
- Detachable dining table
Only £20,995 fully converted and warranted (by us and not a 3rd party)! For more details or to reserve call 01324 489211 or email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text: Child Nutrition Programs Income Eligibility Guidelines 2015-04-02Adjusted eligibility guidelines to free and reduced price meals and free milk for the period from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016, have been posted. The typical annual income limit for a family of four to qualify for reduced-price meals in the next school year is $44,863 (although that number is higher in Alaska and Hawaii), up $740 from last year. The annual adjustments are intended to direct benefits to those children most in need and are revised annually to account for changes in the Consumer Price Index. Click here to read the Federal Register notice containing the income eligibility guidelines.


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We're happy to announce we now have a downloadable User Guide you can easily put in iBooks on your iPad or iPhone, or keep on your Mac in case you need to reference the documentation when you don't have access to the internet. We always recommend checking our Knowledge Base if you can as it will be the most current, but there's times when having a manual on hand is really useful. So for all of you who have been patiently waiting and asking for this, here it is!
You can download the LogTen Pro User Guide now!


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The poker attitude that will take you far and help you improve your poker game
1.Define your bankroll (amount of money you are willing to put at risk to play & learn). By definition you should consider that this money is already lost (or that you will not put yourself or your family at risk financially if your bankroll happens to drops to zero)
2.Respect all bankroll management principles depending on the game you are playing (cash game, sit & go's, multi-table tournaments….) and stick to it. They have been confirmed again and over again and there is no reason why you in particular could be allowed to move away from them.
3.Define your objectives and review them regularly. Setting yourself some objectives over a defined period of time (for example extracting a 7% ROI from NL 20 or hitting the 18% ITM mark in MTTs…) is the best way to assess objectively your performance, to stay focus and then take necessary steps and actions to improve your game.
4.Keep track of your performance. I personally keep track of all profits and losses for all games played since the first day I started. I know exactly where I stand today in terms of ROI by game type, limit and overall. It helps me understand in which direction I can go and on which games I should focus depending on my skills and objectives. It is easy to do and once you get organized will not take you more than 10 minutes after each session. But you have to be comprehensive. All games should be tracked (online and offline) meaning games with friends also.
5.Be result oriented and though on you. Be realistic also at any point in time on your performance. The last thing you want to do is dream about the player you wished you were and go down the bankruptcy road in the process.
6.Know when you are on tilt and move away from the game when it is the case. One key thing about becoming a positive player is to start by limiting your losses (try to lose less every time you lose a pot). This will probably be the first most important leak in your game that you have got to fix as much as you will try extracting some bigger value out of each pot.
7.Identify your leaks and one by one and try to fix them. Is my preflop raise % to low? Do I fold too often my BB when faced to a raise? You should use a tracker to help you understand your game patterns. I personally use poker copilot on Mac and i find it very useful. Analyse and review the hands that generated great losses (hands replay functionalities of all trackers are a great tool to do so).
8.Read as much as you can (engage on forums, read books) to get a grasp of the reality of the game and also of all efforts that are required to become a fair player and improve your poker game.
9.Do not blame it on the cards. Poker is variance. You will get busted by donkeys and lose 80/20. It will happen all the time and never stop. Your game has to be above that and you need to digest these spots not blinking.
10.Have fun trying to apply the above.
And remember « Poker may be a branch of psychological warfare, an art form or indeed a way of life – but it is also merely a game, in which money is simply the means of keeping score. »


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Schumer requests federal funds to expand security at Boulevard Houses
Khorri Atkinson | 8/14/2014, 5:36 p.m.
The tragic stabbing death of Prince Joshua Avitto, 6, and the stabbing of his friend, Mikayla Capers, 7, last June at the New York City Housing Authority's Boulevard Houses in East New York, Brooklyn, underscore the reason why protection and federal intervention are needed at the apartment complex.
This argument was used by Sen. Charles Schumer last Thursday, when he urged the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to approve $250,000 in federal funding for NYCHA to have more resources to monitor the property and address safety and security needs at the housing complex. Boulevard Houses comprise 18 buildings that contain 1,423 units, with nearly 3,000 residents. In his request, Schumer said funds will specifically be used to install more cameras and set up a security operations center.
"Half of the eighteen buildings at the Boulevard Houses are without security cameras, and following the tragic stabbing of two young children at this site, it's clear that additional security measures are needed to keep residents safe," said Schumer in a statement released by his office. "I am urging HUD to provide federal funding that can supplement the city's laudable efforts to expand the security camera system at Boulevard Houses. A better camera security system will help keep residents safe and improve law enforcement's ability to track down and arrest wrong-doers."
If approved, the funding will be available through HUD's Emergency Safety and Security Grants program, which Schumer said would be a critical supplement to the work that the city has been doing to improve safety at the site. Funds from HUD's Emergency Safety and Security Grants program are awarded to public housing authorities to address emergency, safety and security needs, including the funding of measures to combat crime and drug activities at the public housing properties they operate.
The tragic stabbings have prompted Mayor de Blasio and NYCHA Chair Shola Olatoye to install security cameras at Boulevard Houses and five other developments around the city. In addition to this major overhaul, de Blasio announced a $210 million comprehensive citywide spending plan that will help to reduce violent crime and expand social services, educational programs and security measures.
"We are making investments in our public housing— investments that should have been made long ago," said de Blasio at the time of his announcement in early July. "We believe that the challenges facing public housing need to be addressed aggressively. They have to be addressed now, and all of this is the kind of investment that will have real and immediate impact."
Both children were stabbed by Daniel St. Hubert, an ex-convict who has mental problems. St. Hubert, who is still in police custody, has been indicted on second-degree murder and attempted murder charges. Authorities are also trying to connect him to the stabbing death of Tanaya Grant-Copeland, 18, also from the East New York community, whose body was found with multiple stab wounds by a passerby, the same weekend the two children where attacked.


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Borouge is a leading supplier of advanced polyolefin plastics used for blown film.
Blown film technology finds it way into a wide variety of applications ranging from simple mono-layer films for grocery and shopping bags to very complex and enhanced multi-layer structures for food packaging.
Blown film technology can process a variety of polymer types, although the majority use grades of polyethylene (PE)LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE.
Today, our product portfolio includes materials for:


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Saturday, October 24, 2015
Two Weeks in a Row
My Tinkerbell card was chosen as a Top Pick on the As You See It Challenge blog.
My black and white floral card was a winning entry chosen on the Freshly Made Sketch of the week.
Posted by STASIA SLOMA at 8:49 PM
Labels: accomplishments, cards
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A vast majority of the Miami Dolphins' time, energy and resources will go toward bolstering an offense that finished 27th in the NFL in 2013, but that doesn't mean there's no work to be done on the other side of the ball.
In fact, one of Jeff Ireland's most pertinent decisions concerns a defensive back: Sean Smith.
As badly as the Dolphins need playmakers and weapons for Ryan Tannehill, they need a cornerback...or two...or three, just as badly.
The only cornerbacks Miami currently has under contract are Richard Marshall, Dmitri Patterson, Nolan Carroll and Jimmy Wilson. Marshall was underwhelming in four games, Patterson signed with the team in Week 16, Carroll is yet to prove he's anything more than serviceable and Wilson looks like he belongs at safety.
Despite his maddening inconsistency, Smith alone provides a significant boost to this cornerback corps. But, it's impossible to overlook that erraticism. One week, he's shutting down A.J. Green, and the next, he's getting torched by T.Y. Hilton. His year to year fluctuation is just as frustrating.
Smith will demand a relatively big contract, but can the Dolphins justify paying him big money?
Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald doesn't believe so, and he also shoots down the notion that the Phins will consider tagging Smith if they can't negotiate a new deal:
On defending the pass, let me share something about Sean Smith. Another publication "reported" [on December 30] that Miami might use the franchise tag on Sean Smith. That is not accurate. The Dolphins have no intention of using the franchise tag on Smith.
Smith's a contributor. He's solid against taller, bulkier wide receivers. But he is not elite and not consistent enough to merit the $10 million tag for corners. The Dolphins will have to think long and hard before they even offer Smith half that amount on an annual basis.
Miami needs playmakers and Smith has not been that the past four seasons.
It's also worth noting that Smith told Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald after the season, "[Miami] is where I want to be forever. I'm confident something will work out." Well, the only way something can actually work out is if Smith puts his desire to stay with the Dolphins above his desire to receive a considerable raise—which he surely would get on the open market.
Cornerbacks with Smith's physical tools—6'3", 214 pounds, 4.50 40 at '09 combine—don't exactly come around very often. Rest assured, there's a long list of teams that would love to get their hands on him and try to mold him into a consistently dominant player.
Even if the Dolphins don't want to pay Smith more money than he has warranted, how many better options are out there?
The consensus top-rated corner in the 2013 draft class, Alabama's Dee Milliner, is a very possible and likely option for Miami with the 12th overall pick...if he's still on the board. And that's a big if, especially with the Detroit Lions picking at five.
Then, there's Mississippi State's Johnthan Banks, whose 6'2", 185-pound build makes him a bit reminiscent of Smith. However, he looks like a reach at 12 at this point in time, though that's definitely subject to change over the next few months. Plus, the Dolphins would be leaving some blue-chip prospects on the board by taking Banks that early.
The free-agent route isn't all that appealing, either.
There are a few quality cornerbacks slated to hit the open market, but the keyword here is "slated." If players such as Derek Cox, Cary Williams, E.J. Biggers, Brent Grimes or others actually enter free agency, then the Dolphins will have options.
There's just no guarantee any of them will.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tracy Porter and Aqib Talib are also in the final years of their respective contracts, but is Joe Philbin willing to bring on players with red flags after dealing Brandon Marshall and cutting Chad Johnson.
Ultimately, the answer to the Sean Smith debate is easy.
He hasn't done anything to warrant the kind of money he'll likely receive on the open market, but replacing him won't be as easy as it sounds—and this complicates things. If the Dolphins lose Smith to free agency, then there's really no guarantee they'll find an upgrade.
They can find a cornerback with similar talent for less money, but rest assured, this decision will keep Jeff Ireland up at night.


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If you're a fan of Rachael's, you probably know that she literally grew up in restaurants.
"Working in restaurants is hard," Rach says, "but it also becomes a part of you."
"This little girl may have started even younger than me, though!" Rach says of Eleanor, a baby who went viral for "helping" her mom, Tate, wait tables during a snowstorm.
RELATED: This Amazing 7-Year-Old Raised a Whopping $23,000 With a Lemonade Stand
Tate works at a pub in North Carolina with her boyfriend and Eleanor's dad, Patrick. When a severe snowstorm hit the area, Tate and Patrick volunteered to work the shift that day — and they brought baby Eleanor along!
Strapped to her mom's chest, Eleanor hung out with Tate while she waited tables and Patrick worked the bar.
RELATED: Find out How This Waiter Saved a Baby Boy's Life
"She became kind of the hostess with the mostess that day!" Rach says. "Is that not adorable?"
Rachael caught up with the family on FaceTime and asked how Eleanor liked coming into work that day.
"She loved it," Tate says. "She had so much fun. She got to wave at everyone that walked in the door, she just smiled at every person that came in and everyone loved seeing her."
Rach was able to share some fun news with the family, too! A local North Carolina children's boutique, Polliwogs, heard about Tate, Patrick and Eleanor's sweet story and gifted them with an extremely generous gift card to their store. Now that's a tip!


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LGBTQ Art Installation Revealed at Chicago's Northalsted Market Days
The Illinois Office of Tourism debuted a new larger-than-life art installation celebrating its "Amazing for All" LGBTQ and diversity campaign during Northalsted Market Days in Chicago's Boystown neighborhood. Designed and created by local Chicago artist, Matthew Hoffman, the 6 by 23-foot wooden #AmazingForAll sculpture was made to both celebrate and welcome the LGBTQ community from around the world to Chicago and Illinois.
"The #AmazingforAll sculpture is a visual representation of our commitment to continue to make Illinois a welcoming and inclusive place to visit and explore," said Cory Jobe, director of the Illinois Office of Tourism. "As America's first recognized gay village, Boystown is the perfect location to unveil this incredible piece of artwork that champions diversity."
Launched in March 2018, the Amazing for All campaign was launched by the Illinois Office of Tourism to welcome locals as well as domestic and international visitors to experience the places and people that make Illinois amazing. Later this year, the #AmazingForAll will move to a permanent location in Boystown on the southeast corner of Halsted and Addison.
Known for "You Are Beautiful," a global project that aims to better the world in little ways, Hoffman was the ideal partner for the Illinois Office of Tourism to create this meaningful piece of art. His public art displays featuring positive messages have been exhibited around the world, with nearly 30 currently featured in the Chicagoland area.
"The fact that you can put a message out into the world that might stop someone in their tracks and completely change their outlook for that moment -- it doesn't get any better," said Hoffman. "To me, everyone is amazing in their own way."
During the art installation event, thousands of festival-goers engaged with the installation and shared photos. They also sent postcards to friends and family as a way to encourage visitors to experience Chicago and celebrate the local LGBTQ community.
Northalsted Market Days is the largest street festival in the Midwest with nearly 200,000 attendees. Founded in 1980, the celebration spans a half mile of North Halsted in Chicago's Boystown neighborhood -- America's first recognized gay village.
"Boystown is the perfect neighborhood to showcase this stunning sculpture," said Chad Honeycutt, executive director of Northalsted Business Alliance. "The Amazing for All campaign embodies our spirit of pride and mirrors our mission of equality."
Also in Nightlife


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Unconscious People Can't Consent to Police Searches
A reasonable expectation of privacy is one of the most fundamental rights people hold in a free society. Accordingly, the Fourth Amendment prohibits warrantless searches, with few exceptions. Police officers in Wisconsin violated that right when they drew Gerald Mitchell's blood while he was unconscious—to test his blood alcohol content after a drunk‐driving arrest. The state has attempted to excuse the officers by citing an implied‐consent statute, which provides that simply driving on state roads constitutes consent to such searches.
The right to privacy is not absolute; police are allowed to search for evidence of a crime. But in doing so, they must follow procedures that comport with the Constitution. Before police conduct a search, Johnson v. United States (1948) indicates that the evidence should be judged by "a neutral and detached magistrate instead of being judged by the officer engaged in the often competitive enterprise of ferreting out crime." The Fourth Amendment contains a simple requirement for law enforcement that is an effective bulwark against unreasonable searches: get a warrant first.
Unfortunately for Mitchell, the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld this unconstitutional search under the "pervasively regulated business" exception, which allows for warrantless administrative inspections of certain highly regulated businesses. But this exception is quite narrow and designed to ensure regulatory compliance, not to facilitate evidence‐gathering in cases of suspected of criminal activity.
The U.S. Supreme Court has only recognized four types of business to which the exception applies: liquor sales, firearms dealing, running an automobile junkyard, and mining. None of these resemble the simple act of driving a vehicle. The state court thus erroneously conflated the licensing of a driver with a highly regulated business order to justify an otherwise unreasonable search.
Gerald Mitchell is thus asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Wisconsin Supreme Court and find that this warrantless, non‐consensual search violated his Fourth Amendment rights. Cato has joined the Rutherford Institute in filing an amicus brief in support of his petition. We argue for the basic notion that unconscious people can't consent to anything, especially police searches, and that inspecting a coal mine for safety compliance—a justified exception to warrantless searches—is not the same as searching a driver's blood in an attempt to convict him of DUI.


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BROOK PARK An expert on urban sprawl warned suburbs in Cuyahoga County their fiscal lives depend on the success of the inner city.
The bottom-line suggestion made by Tom Bier, of Cleveland State University, was the new annual windfall of money from the casino should go to Cleveland, not the suburbs.
"It's criminal for any of the gambling kitty to be used outside the central city," Bier, a senior fellow at CSU's college of urban affairs, said during a May 17 meeting here.
"That may be a tough pill for a lot of mayors to swallow, but that's it," Bier said.
Bier's speech to members of the Northeast Ohio City Council Association preceded by days debate under way this week at the county council. The council is debating how much of the $13 million a year should be spent in suburbs.
Bier has long used housing trends to predict the value of the housing stock in the county and outlying counties.
What he sees these days is not good for Cuyahoga County suburbs or Cleveland.
The main problem is the county has nearly no more greenfields on which to build new houses, he said.
That fact, combined with various others, causes persons to move to other counties for newer or better houses. A result is a stagnant or waning tax base, which threatens the viability of the suburbs and county.
Bier said it was an "enormous" fact the county was built out. He said the word enormous with extreme exaggeration.
"There isn't going to be another Westlake or Strongsville," he said. "The next Westlake is Avon, or it's called Medina or Bainbridge."
He recommends leaders in this county provide new housing to stem population flight. Specifically, leaders need to reduce annual population flight by 3,000, he said.
"Families are going out and they ain't gonna' stop," he said, although he said the recession is slowing the trend.
He estimates the county loses $250,000 a year in taxable income from persons who move to other counties.
If the trend of the past 25 years continues, the county will have 75,000 more abandoned houses, he said. About 65,000 will be in Cleveland, he said.
By his counting, more than 50 percent of all houses in the county will be 200 years old in 40 years.
The only alternative is to add 25,000 new jobs a year for 20 years, he said.
"But we aren't going to get that kind of growth."
The net possible effect, according to Bier:
• The tax value of the county will decline by $1.5 billion.
• The loss of personal income in the county will be $5 billion.
• The population of the city will decline to below 300,000.
Facing such pressures, cities will have to increase taxes. Higher taxes would give households more reason to leave, he said.
As an example, Bier said consideration by Shaker Heights to increase income taxes in August might be a bellwether election.
Bier said higher income taxes could be enough to prompt affluent Shaker Heights residents to move to townships, such as Bainbridge, in Geauga County, where income taxes, real-estate taxes and auto insurance are cheaper.
Bier said townships — which have no income taxes — are the only places of all municipalities in northeast Ohio that had a net gain in population between 2000-10.
Another of his suggestions is to give working residents a credit on income taxes.
He said houses in Cleveland Heights, Euclid and Parma need to be razed and replaced with houses sought by persons over age 50 or under age 30.
He cited as examples the building of luxury townhouses on Sloane Avenue, Lakewood, and of lakefront houses in Euclid.
In the inner city, the same renewal and redevelopment are needed, he said.
"The less that happens, the more this county sinks," Bier said. "It must be a central priority today. It is not a central priority.
"I'm calling on your mayors to make it a central priority."
Bier also said that despite the recent change in county government, the system of government was "not orientated to promote" his suggested solutions.
His speech foreshadows a separate bigger effort called Regional Prosperity Initiative. Its sponsors are preparing to launch a wider campaign soon. In RPI, cities might be asked to share revenues with each other.
See more Brook Park news at cleveland.com/brook-park
Contact Baka at (216) 986-2355 **C**
On Twitter: @kbaka


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One of the most significant changes that occurred in my recent transition to this URL as my blog instead of my landing page happened in the backend and wasn't obviously visual.
What was it? It's the fact that I no longer use categories for my posts. None.
Technically-speaking, that's not 100% true since I'm forced to choose at least one category when publishing so I am using one category but I don't actually choose it manually in the publishing process since I've set it as my "default" category.
It's one less button to click and it's honestly quite nice to have one less decision to make (oh, and don't forget, I don't use tags either).
Shocked? You might be.
Technically-speaking, I have two categories, the first being "Start" and the other being "Omega" – the former is any post since the old TentBlogger brand was established, starting back in September of 2010. The latter is a previous brand called Human3rror – some of you (maybe a very few of you) will remember this previous brand.
When I hit the publish button today it sits in the "Start" category. And that's about it. I don't plan on adding a new category anytime soon and I'm not sure I ever will because if I did I would be tempted to re-categorize over 1,000 posts and ain't nobody got time for dat!
Now, for to answer the question that's on everyone's mind… Why are you not using any categories? I thought that was great for SEO, XXXXXX, YYYYY, and ZZZZZZ?!?
You're right, by the way (on the last part) and I do coach and counsel bloggers to choose focused categories and limit the amount to about 6-8, if you can. I still believe that for 99.99% of bloggers that categories are both meaningful and helpful for search engine ranking, usability, and user experience.
But for where I sit today with this blog I honestly just don't care enough about categorizing the content and the benefits that I might lose are trumped by the fact that I'm not fighting for keywords anymore (or ranking) – I've just been around for so long that I've got legacy with the search engines to start.
And most of my readers simply come in via my two marketing protocols: Twitter (@saddington) and RSS (Feedburner). I tweet every single post and I've got thousands of readers who consume it through their RSS Reader (I use Feedly, btw… what about you?).
Finally, I suppose I'll just sum it by saying that I am part of that .01% who have been blogging for so long that my personal brand has been established in the eyes of search engine and my readers and I don't need categories to enhance either one in super-strategic ways.
Oh, and perhaps I'm just lazy – when I get done drafting I just want to hit that "Publish" button more than anything in the world – I could care less about the categories at this point.


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Hospital added new medical doctors, technologies
From the completion of the United Regional Health Care System's Bridwell Center for Emergency Care (Emergency Room) in January 2017 to the two new hospitalist groups added at the end of 2017, United Regional had an excellent year, according to Phyllis Cowling, president and CEO of UHRCS.
Throughout the year, Cowling said the hospital added new medical doctors and technologies in its continuous effort to improve, "to make sure we're always providing high quality and safe patient care."
The hospital added electro physiology services to its complement of local cardiology care in the middle of the year. They recruited Electrophysiology (EP) specialist Dr. Darpan Kumar who joined the hospital to introduce this new service.
"From August to the end of 2017," she said, "we successfully treated about 50 patients that otherwise would have had to leave our area to access this service." Cowling said that the Kumar's father used to work in their Cath lab and knew the hospital well.
Hospital gastroenterologists Dr. Ronald Andari and Dr. Josh Stagg introduced endoscopic ultrasound, which is a minimally invasive way of looking at the digestive track.
"It's more accurate than non-surgical diagnostic tests, and the bottom line is it allows earlier detection of tumors, metastatic diseases and other changes in the digestive track," she said.
It's still fairly new, she said, and before August, patients had to go to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex for it.
Urologist Dr. Paul Benson, new to the hospital, is performing minimally invasive robotic surgery for treatment of urological issues for both females and males.
"It's something for a long time that people would have to go to Dallas or Fort Worth to receive, but now we can do it here locally," she said.
Cowling said that while there are some services like transplant services they will probably never be able to provide, "we continue to look for opportunities to add both talent and technologies to provide a greater array of services here."
In terms of enhancing the hospital's patient care services, UHRC changed its hospitalist care services near the end of 2017 to a locally owned and managed organization, La Magna Health.
Two area cardiologists, Dr. Andre Desire and Dr. Ved Ganeshram took the lead in putting the hospitalist care service together and recruiting physicians to Wichita Falls to serve as hospitalists.
Hospitalists are physicians who don't have an office practice, but are experts in hospital medicine, she said.
Usually patients admitted to the hospital have 4 or 5 physicians in various specialties on their case. A hospitalist communicates and coordinates the care of those specialists with the patient's primary care physician along with the patient and their family members.
Cowling said that in the space of the past six to seven weeks, "we have seen substantially improved communication and coordination with our hospitalist care."
They also added an OB hospitalist group at the end of 2017 with 24-seven in-house obstetricians.
She said that after the hospital completed its new emergency room in January 2017, they saw over 7,500 flu patients in January 2018 alone.
"Likewise, we saw over 2,700 people in our CarePlus Primary Care Walk in Clinic on Barnett Road," Cowling said. "That's over 10,000 patients, 10 percent of the Wichita Falls population."
The hospital celebrated its 20th anniversary in October 2017, the month when Bethania Hospial and General Hospital originally joined together in 1997 to form United Regional, she said.
In 2017, the Leapfrog Group bestowed its 2017 Top Hospital Award on United Regional Health Care for safety and quality. "We were one of 109 hospitals or so recognized," she said.
"We had a great year in 2017," Cowling said, "and we expect 2018 to be just as great, if not better."


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Side 2
Electric Ink, Acrylic
Sea Horses- upcycled. Better photos soon to come!
We all live with our own silent struggles. Whatever is happening in your life fight through it with a smile. You can persevere! Don't let the darkness swallow you whole. You are amazing, don't stop believing in yourself.
The Eye of The Beholder
Indefinitely Watchful
A Touch of the Sea
Passionately Vulnerable
Finding Your Sea Star
Life is too deep for words, so don't try to describe it, just live it.
C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis
Poinky, The Tail of a UniSeaHorse…


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We've been in the middle of a series on relationships at Jubilee. It has been interesting. For one, I can't seem to find one example of what seems like a healthy relationship in the whole Bible! Does anyone know of one? Perhaps it's a healthy reminder that God does not choose perfect people to lead. Perhaps it's also a reminder of the very patriarchal culture in which the Bible was written. This is the talk I have been praying and stumbling through…I'd love to hear any thoughts you have:
Scenario #1
You and your partner are in a train station in Indianapolis. You're headed to be the groomsmen (or bridesmaid) at your brothers wedding. The wedding starts in 48 hours and your very generous aunt just purchased you two tickets (one for you and one for your partner) to make it to the wedding! Your bags are packed, your suit is pressed, your shoes are shined…it's go time. There are 3 trains leaving the station in the next half hour. One heads to LA, one to Atlanta, and one to New Jersey. One will take you to the wedding. Which one do you get on?
Scenario #2
You're driving in town and your car breaks down at a 4-way intersection, and your cell phone just ran out of batteries. (Should have remembered to charge it last night!). As you hop out of the car, 4 cars drive up, one from each direction. The driver of each car rolls down his/her window, says they're headed up the road…and asks if you'd like a ride. What do you do?
Scenario #3
You've signed up to take a month long wilderness excursion. For one month you'll be in the wilderness with no food, no water, nothing but the bare minimum supplies with the intention of living off the land. There will be no cell phones to contact the outside world if anything goes wrong. BUT, you'll be taking one guide with you. You either take a) an Eskimo from the arctic circle who has made a living ice fishing in the bitter arctic cold, b) a Native American who has lived off the land on an Arizona reservation for his whole life, or c) a tourguide with 30 years of backpacking experience at Yosemite National Park. Who do you take?
Stumped? In each of these scenarios, you're missing a key piece of information…right?
You can't know who you're supposed to go with, until you know where it is you're going.
You can't pick which train to get on if you don't know where the wedding is. You don't know which car to get in (or whether you should even get in the car at all) if you don't know where the driver is going, and where You are going. You don't know which guide to take with you if you don't know where your wilderness excursion will be.
So then…do we know where we're headed?
Is it a place? – a specific city that you'd love to end up in? Or living back with you're parents (probably a reasonable reality for a number of college grads). Is where we're headed a physical place? – cause then what happens if we move, and the person you're with thought you were headed to Atlanta, but then you decided that you think your place you're headed is Chicago? Like if your job changes…what do you do then? Wait…Jobs!
Is it a Job? A Career? The place we spend 40 hours a week in exchange for financial compensation that will give us security and fulfillment and purpose and pride? Is that where we're headed? But then what happens when we we change careers (which, I hate to say this, but it WILL happen), or if what you think your major is now changes, or if you have that career until you're 3 years from retirement and then you get fired because you're too old…what happens to where you're headed then?
Is it a family? A partner? Kids? Are KIDS where I'm headed? But then what happens after I've had them, or they leave, where do I head then? Wait…can I even HAVE kids?
All of a sudden this is starting to feel kind of complicated. We want to know where we're headed to know who should come with us. If I'm headed to Chicago to be a lawyer and my partner comes with me but loves molding pottery in west Texas…what happens when that pottery position opens up? Is that it?…just a hand shake and a shrug, and a 'well, I'm headed this way, you're headed that way…good luck out there!'. Or what happens when you've been together for 30 years and your partner decides that they no longer want the family they thought they did…it doesn't fit into where they're headed anymore. What do you do then? How can you know that you're headed in the same direction?
And where am I headed, anyway?
In Matthew 4:18-19, Jesus calls his first disciples. They think their life is headed in one direction, that it has a certain trajectory and path and career…but Jesus changes that. Suddenly fishing's not their thing (and maybe it never really was to begin with). Soon they've dropped their nets and are following this first century carpenter wherever he goes…so close the dust his sandals kick up are getting on their clothes, caking on their faces, clogging up their boogers… Where he goes, they go…what he says, they listen to. For Peter and Andrew it turns out that what they're headed towards isn't a place, it isn't a career…it's towards Jesus!
So here's my relationship advice: Run as fast and as hard as you can towards Jesus, and then look to your left and your right, and see who's running with you.
Hopefully that's where we're headed…towards Jesus…and we want to find someone else who wants to head there too.
Life is difficult, it's full of transitions…and relationships are messy because people are messy (and we often don't know just how messy we can be until we're in relationships). We are never finished forming, and are constantly changing, growing, transforming. I'm not married to the same person I was engaged to, even though it's the same woman. And if we're not headed in the same direction…and working towards it…something will come along and try to claim a new direction for you…
But here's the good part:
God is calling out to each of us, calling us by name, asking us to put down our nets and follow. There is a global rebuilding project underway – it has already begun – and God is asking You and I to be a part of it! It's a calling that no person can take away from you or deny you…you can't get fired from it, and you can't move away from it because it happens in every place and it happens in every career (although God may have some specific places/careers you are called to…) And it doesn't even take a partner to take part in this. But, when you find someone else who is hungry to chase after that God who is calling to us – when both of you are running full speed towards God, bearing your hearts and souls to each other and your creator and asking what you were created to do and who you were created to be…when you can begin to notice and to share the blessings that God has placed in your life – and to be able to see the opportunities that God has give to you to be a blessing to others, and then you realized you're blessed by being a blessing and this whole blessing cycle thing starts happening… if that's where you're headed together, then you can begin to let go of the other directions and paths you could go down…because you both begin to realize that where God is leading you is far richer than where you would have led yourself.
And a Christ-centered marriage is not perfect. It's not a magic bullet. But I do believe in it with every part of my being.


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Maple Leafs still searching for offensive touch after latest shutout loss
TORONTO - It's a lesson the Toronto Maple Leafs have been taught several times this season—you can't win if you don't score.
After getting blanked 5-0 on Thursday night by the visiting Edmonton Oilers, Toronto has been shut out six times in 24 games this season, including three times in their past six outings.
To make matters worse, Edmonton, last in the Western Conference, was playing its third road game in four nights.
"No excuses, we've got to figure out a way to get some goals," said rookie Nazem Kadri, who's had several great chances in nine games since being called up, but is still looking for his first career NHL marker.
"I'm happy I'm getting chances, but the bottom line is that I need to put those in the back of the net."
Kadri isn't alone on a Leafs team struggling to find its offence. With 51 goals in 24 games, Toronto is 29th in the league in scoring, ahead of only the struggling New Jersey Devils.
Phil Kessel, Toronto's coveted first-line sniper, leads the Leafs with 10 goals but has scored just once in his past six games and three times in his past 16 games.
Clarke MacArthur, who was challenging Kessel for the team scoring lead early in the season, hasn't scored in 13 contests. Tyler Bozak has one goal in 12 games.
The list goes on.
"We've got three or four guys who should be scoring on some of the chances they've had, and they're not," said coach Ron Wilson, who was the subject of a "Fire Wilson!" crowd chant late in the game. "And when they don't score on those chances, it affects the rest of the team."
Since starting the season 4-0-0, the Leafs have gone 4-12-4 in their past 20 games and lost five of their past six. They're last in the Northeast Division, 13th in the Eastern Conference and 28th overall in the NHL. Their 2-7-1 road record is the worst in the league. Their penalty killing is 29th, their power play is in the NHL's bottom one-third.
"It's frustrating, but I still believe in this group," said goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who replaced Jonas Gustavsson early in the second period after the starter gave up two goals on six shots. It was Giguere's first action since Nov. 16.
"We've got more to offer," he said. "I know we can score goals, no doubt about that."
With their next few games against high-scoring opponents, the Leafs need to find their scoring touch soon. After hosting Boston on Saturday, Toronto has three games in four nights, including Washington, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
"The points we got at the beginning of the year were important," Giguere said, "and the points we're not getting now are important.
"At the beginning of the year we had so much enthusiasm, and we want to get that feeling back."


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Every week, Caroline Wright creates simple, civilized recipes for Food52 that feed four -- for under $20, in under 20 minutes.
Today: Grilled cheese and tomato soup -- all grown up.
Tomato soup and grilled cheese is an inarguably classic pairing that holds strong in the memories of children and adults. But I have never been able to recreate it to match my memory -- a common occurence among many cooks and eaters I know.
This recipe is my attempt to capture the tomato soup I remember from childhood in a way that reflects my adult palette. The soup's base is a pile of plum tomatoes, seasoned with touches of fresh thyme, garlic, and vinegar. I served mine with half of a very thick grilled cheese -- we do things bigger in Texas, after all -- though a thinner, more traditional sandwich works great here, too. Fill it with whatever cheese you prefer, and enjoy.
Fresh Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
6 tablespoons softened butter, divided1 tablespoon tomato paste8 plum tomatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), quartered1 sprig fresh thymePinch of sugar1 medium garlic clove, halvedKosher salt and freshly ground black pepperWhite wine vinegar to tasteFive 1 inch-thick slices of white sandwich bread (2 ounces each)4 ounces Raclette cheese, sliced
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
As a freelance food writer and cook, I first wrote this style of recipe as a column on my blog, The Wright Recipes, as an excuse to cook good food for my friends in a quick and simple way.
Twenty-Dollar, Twenty-Minute™ Meals grew into a cookbook that was published by Workman in May 2013. The recipes found here are original, made especially for Food52 to once again celebrate simple food with friends.
Photo by Caroline Wright
See what other Food52 readers are saying.


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Here's a stunning example of 'music meets technology' to achieve a sublime artistic result. Composer Eric Whitacre had people submit videos of themselves singing the individual parts of his hauntingly beautiful choral composition Lux Aurumque (Light of Gold). He awarded scholarships to the top people in every section, and they will perform with him in New York at a live concert. The singers come from twelve countries: Austria, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, The Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The music is simply ravishing.
See and hear Eric Whitacre's YouTube choir performing Lux Aurumque.
Naxos will release a CD of Eric Whitacre's choral music, including Lux Aurumque, on CD in June 2010:


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Dr. Critter has local service teams right here in Eagle Lake, FL to personally handle your wildlife problem.
Here at Dr. Critter, we offer unique programs specifically designed for rats, bats, and snakes.
We also offer humane removal of:
Your local Dr. Critter technician will resolve your animal problems humanely, using proven techniques that are safe for your family and pets. Our commitment to provide quality, affordable services makes us the best choice for homeowners, property managers, businesses, and governments.
Thank you so much for ridding my home of RATS. This was a harrowing two month adventure. The first company I called spent a lot of time telling me how hard it was to rid a house with a flat roof of these pests. I travel for business often, leaving my wife at home in a rat infested house, complete with noises in the night and bites taken from food in the kitchen. You guys were instrumental in isolating and catching the rats, which required many visits. Thank you so much!
- Ray T., Orlando, FL
Eagle Lake is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,255 at the 2010 census. It is part of the LakelandWinter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6km2), of which 1.4 square miles (3.6km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26km2) (3.50%) is water.
Eagle Lake is located in the humid subtropical zone, as designated by (Kppen climate classification: Cfa).
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,496 people, 879 households, and 637 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,800.5 inhabitants per square mile (693.3/km). There were 964 housing units at an average density of 695.4 per square mile (267.8/km). The racial makeup of the city was 82.09% White, 4.73% African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 9.86% from other races, and 2.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.47% of the population.
Learn more about Eagle Lake, FL


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Series 66, or Uniform Combined State Law Examination practice test questions. See also Series 66 Practice Test Questions Part I
1. James Walker owns a small but profitable pharmaceutical company in New Jersey. His company has a new arthritis pain reliever in the pipeline for FDA approval, and he is conducting extensive research and clinical trials. The FDA has just announced that all new clinical trials must now include the use of an expensive heart monitor to ensure safety to heart patients. This is an example of which type of risk:
A. Health risk
B. Investment risk
C. Business risk
D. Regulatory risk
E. Market risk
2. The Baker family bought a new house next to their current home. Their children are grown up and are now having children of their own. Their Baker parents want to keep them nearby and would also like to pass the new house to their children. Mr. Baker worries about debt and Mrs. Baker worries about taxes. The family's financial advisor recommends a family limited partnership. Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding family limited partnerships?
A. It is used as a means of minimizing estate and gift taxes.
B. It does not require a legitimate business purpose.
C. It is difficult for the children"s creditors to attach the partnership's assets.
D. The children would become the limited partners of their parents
3. A company has just suffered a huge loss as a result of poor management and a massive strike; they may need to file Chapter 11 soon. This is an example of which type of risk:
A. Market risk
B. Interest-rate risk
C. Business risk
D. Opportunity risk
E. Inflation risk
4. Which of the following does not describe dollar cost averaging?
A. A fixed amount is invested at regular intervals.
B. Investors are protected against losses during steady declines.
C. An investor buys more shares when prices are low and fewer shares when prices are high. D. Investors must consider their ability to continue funding the account whether prices are high or low
5. Mr and Mrs Smith have a very comfortable income from their import business, which is a limited liability company (LLC). They seek advice from their financial advisor regarding a new investment that would simultaneously act as a tax shelter, which they hope will allow them to have more money to leave to their estate. Which two of the following should their advisor consider when making a suitable recommendation?
I. Tax Situation
II. Heirs
III. Cash Flow
IV. Executor of Estate
V. General Partnership
A. III and IV
B. I and V
C. II and IV
D. I and III
6. Jewels Unlimited plans to offer $200,000 in securities to finance its expansion into two neighboring states. It does not plan to register federally with the SEC. What method of filing is required at the state level?
A. Filing by coordination
B. Filing by letter of intent
C. Registration by qualification
D. Notification by filing
7. John Dormer is an investment advisor for Land Star Capital Investments. His wife, Sheryl, is also an advisor at the same firm. Their 10th wedding anniversary is coming up and Sheryl wants to take John on a holiday. In order to fund the trip, Sheryl has collaborated with a friend outside of the firm and is selling interests in a promising start-up to wealthy colleagues. This practice is known as:
A. Initial Public Offering
B. Capitalism
C. Venture Capital easement
D. Selling away
8. Karen is the executor and sole heir for her parents" modest estate. Upon their death, she receives instructions that she will inherit all of their money on the condition that she invest according to a Prudent Person Rule. Her parents know that Karen has been a bit of a spendthrift and they want her to use her inheritance wisely. Which of the following best represents their philosophy?
A. Marginable securities
B. Reasonable income and preservation of capital
C. Short-term gains, long-term income
D. High-yielding blue-chip stocks
Comprehensive Series 66 Study Guide and Practice Questions
Complete Series 66 study guide prepared by a dedicated team of expert researchers. Effective, affordable help from the most comprehensive test preparation company in the world!
Series 66 Study Guide & Practice Questions
Answer Key
1. D This is an example of regulatory risk, which is the investment risk that may result from changes in state or federal laws.
2. B Family limited partnerships are set up in order to minimize estate and gift taxes, but they must have a legitimate business purpose other than just to avoid taxes. All of the other choices are true. Additionally, the parents set themselves up as general partners and transfer the property to the partnership. While they must pay taxes on the gift to the children of the limited partnership, that tax rate would be less than if they transferred the assets directly.
3. C The common stock of this company would be a valuable investment vehicle if the business were successful. When business fails or declines, however, common stock value suffers. Because common stockholders are at the bottom of the priority list in the event of bankruptcy, the stock could become worthless. This is business risk.
4. B All choices are true about dollar cost averaging, with the exception that investors are not protected from losses that come from steadily declining markets. In addition, investors may sustain a loss at redemption if the total cost of their shares exceeds the current market value.
5. D When determining a suitable investment, it is important to understand the client's current financial situation. A profile should be created with includes, current income, cash flow, company balance sheet, current tax situation, net worth, amount of liquidity and the investment strategy currently in place. The Smith's has a specific goal in mind: to shelter their income from tax. Of the choices listed, cash flow and current tax situation are the only possible correct answers. For this particular goal, the heirs or the executor of the estate are not relevant factors.
6. C Jewels Unlimited will need to register by qualification, which does not require registration with the SEC.
7. D This practice is known as selling away and is considered fraudulent activity under the Uniform Securities Act. An agent who is executing transactions that do not appear on their broker-dealer books is said to be "selling away."
8. B The Prudent Man/Person Rule is an investment standard applied to fiduciaries or trustees to guide their actions. The rule suggests that investment decisions should be made wisely and intelligently, as a prudent person would. The basic premise of the rule is to preserve capital and create a reasonable level of growth.
Also see our Financial Math Practice Questions
Comprehensive Series 66 Study Guide and Practice Questions Complete Series 66 study guide prepared by a dedicated team of expert researchers. Effective, affordable help from the most comprehensive test preparation company in the world!
Series 66 Study Guide & Practice Questions
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I tend to be highly suspicious when I perform statistical tests and they come out significant. Permutation sampling (or bootstrapping distributions to empirically calculate an estimate of the p-value) tends to allay my fears that the test I have chosen is in some way inappropriate. This page gives a great overview of using bootstrapped distributions to calculate confidence intervals around a statistic, and p-values in Python. I have used the permutation_resampling function used in the page as the basis for the foregoing.
import numpy as np import numpy.random as npr import pylab def permutation_resampling(case, control, num_samples, statistic): observed_diff = abs(statistic(case) - statistic(control)) num_case = len(case) combined = np.concatenate([case, control]) diffs = [] for i in range(num_samples): xs = npr.permutation(combined) diff = np.mean(xs[:num_case]) - np.mean(xs[num_case:]) diffs.append(diff) pval = (np.sum(diffs > observed_diff) + np.sum(diffs < -observed_diff) )/float(num_samples) return pval, observed_diff, diffs
In the particular case that I was applying this, my two original tests, an independent two sample t-test, and the Mann-Whitney U both gave p-values less than 10^-7 and so I would need at least 10 000 000 samples to calculate anything as my empirical p-value. For the simple case I was working in this was not entirely intractable, but I wanted to take advantage of all the computing power that I had available to me.
Fortunately, as well as giving an interactive, graphical environment for Python, iPython notebook also makes it very easy to launch parallel computing engines. Although it seems like the for loop in the above function could be easily parallelized, the use of non-encapsulated functions and variables actually makes it difficult for iPython's native parallelization to directly implement.
iPython uses the Python pickle library to serialize objects to be distributed to each of the engines – unfortunately, pickle does not support properly serialization of a range of objects, including functions containing closures. To get around this, a drop in replacement for pickle, dill, has been developed that greatly increases the serialization capabilities of pickle. This article gives an overview of the steps required to set up dill for use within iPython – the ones required for this are shown here:
import pickle import dill from types import FunctionType from IPython.utils.pickleutil import can_map can_map.pop(FunctionType, None) from IPython.kernel.zmq import serialize serialize.pickle = pickle
This code snippet has now replaced standard iPython serialization with the dill module. This allows us to change the above permutation_resampling function – now calling a nested function to create random resamples of the data, which can then be farmed out independently to all the parallel computing engines.
import pylab from IPython.parallel import Client def permutation_resampling(case, control, num_samples, statistic): """ Returns p-value that statistic for case is different from statistic for control. """ # Set up the parallel computing client c = Client() # Create a reference to all the parallel # computing engines dview = c[:] # Block execution while processing dview.block = True observed_diff = abs(statistic(case) - statistic(control)) num_case = len(case) combined = np.concatenate([case, control]) # Do permutation sampling as a callable function def sample_it(i): import numpy as np import numpy.random as npr xs = npr.permutation(combined) diff = np.mean(xs[:num_case]) - np.mean(xs[num_case:]) return diff # Create list of differences in means by mapping # function - repeating the function call as many # times as required by the number of samples diffs = dview.map(sample_it,range(num_samples)) pval = (np.sum(diffs > observed_diff) + np.sum(diffs < -observed_diff) )/float(num_samples) return pval, observed_diff, diffs
And there it is! Parallelized bootstrapping of distributions – with 10 000 000 samples able to be created in a short amount of time (barring overheating of the CPU).
This post is the result of a relatively extended twitter conversation between myself, @teachingofsci and @informed_edu. The initial impetus for the discussion was the announcement by the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, that schools should be allowed to push their brightest students to skip GCSEs entirely and move onto A-Levels at 14.
The consensus was, that rather than push students into harder sets of exams – it would be better for students to deepen and broaden their areas of strength. This could be done by giving students opportunities to engage with global and community issues (perhaps using sites like Interrobang or We Are What We Do) rather than simply push them to go down the same road faster – incidentally, surely encouraging such broader participation would dovetail nicely with the promotion of a 'Big Society'?
The main road block to opportunities for such exploratory learning is the pervasive mindset that everything that is taught and learned must be assessed, and that the majority of that assessment (in order to be valid and unbiased) must take place through public exams. In addition, the current scheme of modular exams poses a particular road block, as rather than giving students opportunities to more deeply explore issues, the emphasis is on a cycle of learn, prep, and test.
My suggestion to help with this was to set up computer based testing that was taken when ready, rather than at a set time of a public examination. This suggestion would also deal with one of the often quoted issues with computerized testing – the need for schools to have hundreds of dedicated machines that are available for the examination period, but unused the rest of the time. On an examine when ready basis, a school could have one suite of examination computers, and students would book their testing time when ready to take the tests for a particular module of study. In some ways, it is surprising that the government has not considered this possibility for testing, as this scheme has been used for testing Literacy, Numeracy and ICT skills for those seeking Qualified Teacher Status in England and Wales.
@informed_edu's suggestion then was to use portfolios to complement examination testing in order to assess a broader range of skills and competencies than those that can be assessed in an exam. He expands on his ideas for the scheme in this blog post. To summarize briefly, not only do exams limit the range of competencies that can be assessed, the ultimate assessment of student skills comes down to the students' ability to perform in exams, rather than the particular skills and competencies that are meant to be being assessed. In thinking about how this plays out in the real world, he considers the chain of trust and vouching that takes place as people progress in their careers. To your first employer, the grades you took for an examination may be of interest, and perhaps to a second employer – by the time you get to your third employer, however, the chances are that the vouchsafing of your competencies and skills by your previous employers will be of far more interest to your new employer than any examination results you accrued. For students then, instead of examining their abilities, teachers would vouch for their students skills and competencies, as demonstrated through a student's portfolio of work. Teachers in turn can also be vouched for by colleagues, professional development institutions, mentors and the like.
@teachingofsci pointed out a potential difficulty, where some teachers would then be faced with in excess of one hundred GCSE student portfolios to assess (a portfolio being far more work to assess than the current coursework requirement of Science GCSEs). My response to this is that firstly, the portfolios should be published online, and secondly, the assessment of these portfolios should be crowd sourced. Good portfolios will be vouched for by many professional educators, in addition to the other students. The value of a 'vouching' can be determined through several means: firstly through the social metrics of the network – 'vouching' for people who have a very long social distance from you will carry far more weight than vouching for people that are close to you (this should prevent abuse by closed vouching loops); secondly, the quality of the individual's work (as assessed by other people's vouches) could increase the weight given to that person's vouches.
The transparency and openness of the system is important, not just to ensure that everyone is able to contribute to the network, but also so that any abuses of the system readily become apparent and can be rectified in order to produce the ideal outcomes. In many ways, this system replicates many features of Cory Doctorow's Whuffie in Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, as an attempt to give a metric to vouch for people that is non-exhaustible, while also building an online portfolio that will allow a student to be appraised based on their best work, not on what they were able to squeeze onto a page in some time between 45 minutes and 3 hours.
Finally, some concerns that could arise:
How could you prevent a student from being penalized just for being bad at social networking? I would say that this is where the professionalism of teachers would have to play a role – part of the system could ensure that portfolios that have generally been overlooked are flagged and promoted for review, in order to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to receive vouches that they deserve.
How is a teacher meant to keep track of all his/her students' portfolios and offer formative feedback in order to help them improve? This could wind up being a massive burden – by requiring portfolios to be available online, the opportunities for formative feedback from a wide range of sources are much higher (for example, mentors from outside teaching – non-profit volunteers, business people, university faculty, could be engaged to act as mentors for portfolios – that's the 'Big Society', right?) In addition, by shifting part of the burden of assessment away from exams more time would be freed up from revision classes, grading mock exams and the like to be available for ongoing formative assessment of student portfolios.
I think it is important to return to the point that started this whole discussion – the best way to challenge and stretch bright students is not to make them go the same route they would go anyway, only faster. While many bright students will enjoy the challenge of more complex material, we do them a great disservice if all that they ever learn is more content, and not a broader range of skills and competencies to help them to use that knowledge to great effect within society.
Many thanks to @teachingofsci and @informed_edu for the lively twitter discussion that prompted this blog post – I welcome comment and criticism below.
Consequentialism requires the maximization of some singular good – pleasure or preferences are frequently cited as being the singular good.
Ben Mackay asked me to consider two people A and B. A is very rich and gives, for example, 500,000 pounds to charity. B has an average income and gives 1000 pounds to charity. In addition, it is assumed that A is rich enough that the remaining disposable income he still has available after his generous donation is sufficient for him to have a millionaire's lifestyle.
Ben argues that because the consequences of A's actions will produce more happiness (or some other good), then A is a morally better person than B. (The underlying assumption here and in the foregoing is that giving more money will produce more good).
What we seek, however, is the maximization of the good in question – not simply the increase of it. When A donates his money, while he donates significantly more than B, the amount that he could have donated but did not, is far larger than the amount that B could have donated, but did not. As such, A fell far shorter of maximizing the good than B did.
Now, it may be argued that without the incentive to have his millionaire's lifestyle, the rich man, A, will not continue to earn as much, and hence will produce no additional good over the average person, B, if he gives nearly all his earning. This may be the case, but there are counter-examples (some of which are detailed in Peter Singer's 'The Life You Can Save'). Even if this is practically the case, for A to act in this way is to act in a way that explicitly fails to maximize the good, and hence his actions are even less moral than B's.
There is a corrolary question of whether holding people to this high moral standard publicly will actually produce the results that we want – and the answer is probably not – but that does not mean that the actual moral value of their actions is any different, rather that in the face of practical concerns we should moderate the actual blame and praise we apportion in order to maximize the good.
Intelligent Design has failed to get much press lately as far as I have seen – but the pressure to have it edged into school curricula (particularly in Texas, where it can begin a domino effect due to the size of that state's textbook market) has not ceased.
As I see it, Intelligent Design can be appraised in one of two ways: it is either an earnest attempt to present an alternative scientific theory to evolution that happens to involve something akin to the Christian God, or it is a cynical attempt to keep teaching of the scientific theory of evolution out of the classroom by any means necessary, as a precursor to backsliding all the way to New Earth Creationism (in order to maintain a literal reading of the bible).
If it is earnest – and I find it hard to have so little faith in humanity as to suspect every proponent of Intelligent Design of being a cynical, two-faced liar – I believe there are some significant problems with the basis of the theory as both a scientific position and as a credible theological position. The specific biological points have been rendered time and again, and far better than I would do justice to them (the NCSE have a quick primer, and there are many others available) – however, there are matters of physical science that impact as well.
Firstly, Intelligent Design proponents are carefully agnostic in their proclamations about the exact nature of the intelligent designer who is responsible for some of the irreducible complexity of life. This either means that there is some other intelligent life form who acts as the designer, or that it is some God-like entity. In the case of the intelligent life-form, it is conceivable that they might physically be able to travel to our planet and carry out their design work – but what we then find lacking is an explanation of how those life forms came to exist (as presumably they would also possess some level of irreducible complexity also). What is an additional problem for these life forms, however, is the difficulties of interplanetary or interstellar travel (as one assumes they are either no longer here, or came here from somewhere else).
In the case of a God-like entity, the physics becomes more puzzling. How exactly do we explain the intercession of a being who is not part of the universe in terms of physics? I am sure someone wishing to claim for the intercession of God would claim that it was simply a miracle, and hence not explicable by physical laws – so, in essence, what the Intelligent Design proponent is asking for is that not only should the teaching of Biology as it is understood and agreed upon by working scientists be altered, but also the teaching of Physics. Physical laws are no longer immutable and universally applicable. They are instead changeable on the whim of a creator, regardless of evidential basis to the contrary. To undermine our most successful scientific theories for the sake of finding a mechanism to support a theory in Biology seems somewhat absurd. If an evolutionary biologist demanded that the laws of physics be suspended in order to account for their theory, the scientific community would rightly condemn their work.
For the earnest proponent, however, I feel that the theological point is most telling. Assuming that we are talking of a designer who is in fact God, we are asked to imagine an all powerful, all knowing being who creates an immensely complex physical universe. Not only is this universe immensely complex, its complexity derives from what appears to be a set of physical laws, constants and fundamental particles (if Grand Unified Theories of Physics pan out, then this universe is ultimately the expression of an even more limited set of interacting fundamental entities). To think that the God who created this mind numbing complexity from a highly limited set of raw ingredients would need to come back 11 billion years later (as the first bacteria began to emerge on Earth) and tweak the system to add a flagellum for motion, is to limit the power and foresight of a glorious omnipotent God. It simply makes no sense to think that God could create the universe through simple interacting parts, and fail to set up the universe in such a way as to ensure the evolution of all organisms from the simple rules he set in place.
So, we either have God as the creator of the ultimate Rube Goldberg machine – with the universe unfolding from his initial conditions, including all of physics and the evolution of all living things – or he is an ineffective tinker, setting off the universe and having to continually return to it to set it right, and to fix his broken design.
Finally, if it is a cynical ploy to ultimately put New Earth Creationism into the science classroom, then take up the virtue of honesty, and say it straight out, rather than hiding behind a lie.
In this article Tim Harford puts forward an interesting reflection on the value of money over time. Roughly summarized, because of the much higher base level of goods and services (e.g. central heating, cell phones) available today, $7 today could to many people be worth more than $7 one hundred years ago, in spite of what inflation indices tell us.
This led me to think about the size of gaps between rich and poor. If it is preferable to be given $7 extra for goods and services now than 100 years ago, then it is more of a detriment to be $7 worse off than someone else now than 100 hundred years ago. This means that today the gap between rich and poor is actually far larger than it was 100 years ago. The main assumption for this of course is that you can use all that additional money to buy additional goods and services – I think this is a reasonable assumption, as there are goods and services enough to spend almost any amount of money on.
There are two ways to analyze these scenarios. Firstly, a utilitarian conception – in this case, as Tim Harford suggests, the greater purchasing power of $7 today due to the sheer availability of goods and services greatly increases the general happiness. Secondly, we can try to think about it in terms of a preferred distribution of wealth/opportunities – in this case, the situation preferred by a neutral observer (as per Rawls' idea of a just society) would be one where it was more equally distributed, and due to the lesser disparity due to the lower purchasing power, the situation 100 years ago would be preferable. While we may be happier now, we may live in a less just world. It is perhaps our perceptions of injustice in this way that prevent us from using rose tinted spectacles to look at the present.


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Hall of Fame
The slam race is tightening up now. Perhaps it's closer than you initially thought it might ever be. Federer still sits 2 slams in front of Nadal, and 5 in front of Djokovic. Both might not equal or surpass him, but my question to y'all is is Federer in part to blame for it being so close? I know he is 5-6 years older than Djokodal which gives him a disadvantage in the physical department for some years now, but are you satisfied that he did enough in the position he's been in, or are you slightly disappointed that he wasn't able to put up more of a fight in the past 9 years or so? Answer honestly.
Edit: Let's keep it civil. Federer fans only please.
Edit: Let's keep it civil. Federer fans only please.
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Dodávka zařízení a vybavení pro zřízení nové hygienické skládky na území vesnice Kemal ve správní oblasti Çanakkale, Turecko.
Počet a názvy položek:
Položka č. 1: vybavení pro provoz skládky.
Položka č. 2: zařízení pro provoz kompostárny.
Lhůta pro doručení nabídek je 19.6.2007. Nabídka do tendru musí být zpracována v anglickém jazyce.
TR-Ankara: MEDA — supply of landfill and composting equipment to the Çanakkale solid waste management project
Location — Çanakkale, Turkey
Supply procurement notice
1.Publication reference:
International open tender.
2005 national pre-accession assistance programme for Turkey.
Item 22.02.04.01 of the general budget of the EC (71,5 %) and national co-financing (28,5 %).
5.Contracting authority:
Central Finance and Contracts Unit (CFCU).
Contract specifications
6.Description of the contract:
The subject of the contract is delivery, installation, putting into operation, inspection, testing, training and warranty services by the contractor of the following goods:
landfill equipment consisting of 1 landfill compactor, 1 bulldozer, 2 wheeled loaders, 1 flat bed tipper truck 4 × 4 operating on landfill, 1 pick-up for services, 1 tractor with trailer and 1 set of auxiliary equipment and, composting plant equipment consisting of 1 crusher for composting, 1 screen for raw composting and 1 turning machine for turning of windrows for the establishment of a new sanitary landfill within the territory of Kemal village of Çanakkale province.
7.Number and titles of lots:
Lot 1: supply of landfill plant equipment.
Lot 2: supply of composting plant equipment.
Terms of participation
8.Eligibility and rules of origin:
Participation is open to all legal persons participating either individually or in a grouping (consortium) of tenderers of the Member States and the countries and territories of the regions covered and/or authorised by the Regulations on access to Community external assistance (http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/tender/practical_guide_2006/documents/annexes_general/en/a2_ecprogrammes_en.doc) and other specific instruments applicable to the programme under which the contract is financed (see also point 22 below). All goods supplied under this contract must originate in 1 or more of these countries. Participation of natural persons is directly governed by the specific instruments applicable to the programme under which the contract is financed.
9.Grounds for exclusion:
Tenderers must submit a signed declaration, included in the tender form for a supply contract, to the effect that they are not in any of the situations listed in point 2.3.3 of the `Practical Guide to contract procedures for EC external actions`.
10.Number of tenders:
Tenderers may submit only 1 tender per lot. Tenders for parts of a lot will not be considered. Any tenderer may state in its tender that it would offer a discount in the event that its tender is accepted for more than 1 lot. Tenderers may not submit a tender for a variant solution in addition to their tender for the supplies required in the tender dossier.
11.Tender guarantee:
Tenderers must provide a tender guarantee of 2 % of the financial proposal of the lot(s) when submitting their tender. This guarantee will be released to unsuccessful tenderers once the tender procedure has been completed and to the successful tenderer upon signature of the contract by all parties. This guarantee will be called upon if the tenderer does not fulfil all obligations stated in its tender.
12.Performance guarantee:
The successful tenderer will be asked to provide a performance guarantee of 10 % of the amount of the contract at the signing of the contract. This guarantee must be provided together with the return of the countersigned contract no later than 30 days after the tenderer receives the contract signed by the contracting authority. If the selected tenderer fails to provide such a guarantee within this period, the contract will be void and a new contract may be drawn up and sent to the tenderer which has submitted the next best compliant tender.
13.Information meeting and/or site visit:
No information meeting is planned.
14.Tender validity:
Tenders must remain valid for a period of 90 days after the deadline for submission of tenders.
15.Period of implementation:
The delivery, installation, putting into operation, inspection/testing together with training of supplies must be completed within 180 calendar days starting from the date of signing of the contract by both parties and following 1 year for the warranty from the issuance of the provisional acceptance. Provisional acceptance shall be completed within 30 calendar days following completion of the delivery period.
Implementation of this project depends on successful completion of a separate works contract of Çanakkale solid waste management project. Therefore start of the implementation is conditional to the official written commencement order of the contracting authority. The indicative starting date is foreseen late 2007.
Selection and award criteria
16.Selection criteria:
The following selection criteria will be applied to tenderers. In the case of tenders submitted by a consortium, these selection criteria will be applied to the consortium as a whole:
1) Economic and financial capacity of tenderer (based on i.a. item 3 of the tender form for a supply contract):
— the average annual turnover of the tenderer in the past 2 years (2004, 2005) must exceed the financial proposal of the tenderer,
— change in the cash and cash equivalents should be positive for the last 2 years (2004, 2005). For companies, which have been operational for less than 2 years, they will have to demonstrate that their operational cash flow for the last year was positive.
2) Professional capacity of tenderer (based on i.a. items 4 and 5 of the tender form for a supply contract):
— tenderer should have at least 3 staff working permanently in fields related to this contract.
3) Technical capacity of tenderer (based on i.a. items 5 and 6 of the tender form for a supply contract):
— the tenderer should have completed at least 1 contract relating to the supply of special and/or modified vehicles such as landfill compactor, wheel loader, platform vehicle etc. during the last 3 years (2004, 2005 and 2006) (the start and end/completion dates of the references should be specified as day/month/year information. The references which do not contain this detailed date information may be ignored during the evaluation),
— an economic operator may, where appropriate and for a particular contract, rely on the capacities of other entities, regardless of the legal nature of the links which it has with them. It must in that case prove to the contracting authority that it will have at its disposal the resources necessary for performance of the contract, for example by producing an undertaking on the part of those entities to place those resources at its disposal. Under the same conditions, a consortium of economic operators may rely on the capacities of members of the consortium or of other entities.
17.Award criteria:
The contract will be awarded to the cheapest technically compliant tender.
18.How to obtain the tender dossier:
The tender dossier is available from the following Internet addresses:
Tenders must be submitted using the standard tender form for a supply contract included in the tender dossier, whose format and instructions must be strictly observed.
Tenderers with questions regarding this tender should send them in writing to:
Central Finance and Contracts Unit, attn: Mr Muhsin Altun, PAO-CFCU Director, Eskişehir Yolu 4.Km 2.Cad, (Halkbank Kampüsü) No: 63 C-Blok, 06580 Söğütözü, Ankara, Turkey. Fax (90-312) 472 37 44. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com,
(mentioning the publication reference shown in point 1) at least 21 days before the deadline for submission of tenders given in point 19. The contracting authority must reply to all tenderers` questions at least 11 days before the deadline for submission of tenders. Eventual clarifications to the tender dossier shall be published on the EuropeAid web sites at:
19.Deadline for submission of tenders:
19.6.2007 (14:00), local time.
Any tender received after this deadline will not be considered.
20.Tender opening session:
19.6.2007 (14:30), local time at the CFCU premises:
Central Finance and Contracts Unit, Eskişehir Yolu 4.Km 2.Cad, (Halkbank Kampüsü) No: 63 C-Blok, 06580 Söğütözü, Ankara, Turkey.
21.Language of the procedure:
All written communications for this tender procedure and contract must be in English.
22.Legal basis:
Council Regulation No (EC) 2500/2001 of 17.12.2001 concerning pre-accession financial assistance for Turkey modified by Regulation of the Council on access to Community external assistance, No 2112/2005 (OJ L 342, 27.12.2001, p. 1 as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 2112/2005 (OJ L 344, 27.12.2005, p. 23)).


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What is Care Act Advocacy?
The Care Act (2014) guarantees the right for anyone with a need for care to be entitled to a needs assessment. It also entitles the person supporting them to a carer's assessment if they have their own need and meet national eligibility criteria.
Local authorities must involve people in decisions made about them and their care and support. No matter how complex a person's needs, local authorities are required to help people express their wishes and feelings, support them in weighing up their options, and assist them in making their own decisions.
Under the Care Act you are entitled to a carer's assessment where you appear to have needs, this matches the rights to an assessment of the person being cared for. You will be entitled to support if you meet the national eligibility criteria.
The person you care for is entitled to a 'needs assessment' if they appear to have needs for care and support.
Local authorities are allowed to arrange for other organisations such as charities or private companies to carry out assessments.
Who is it for?
Care Act advocacy is available to a person in need of support if:
- The person has substantial difficulty in being fully involved with their assessment, care and support planning and review or safeguarding.
(Substantial difficulty is defined as issues with understanding, remembering, using relevant information and communicating views, wishes and feelings).
- There is no one appropriate and available to support and represent their wishes
An appropriate person could usually be a family member, but cannot be:
- already providing care or treatment to the person in a professional or paid capacity.
- someone the person does not want to support them
- someone who is unlikely to be able or available to adequately support the person's involvement
- someone implicated in an enquiry into abuse or neglect or who has been judged by a safeguarding adult review to have failed to prevent abuse or neglect.
What can an advocate do?
The advocate can:
- Speak with you to discuss your views, wishes and feelings about your care
- Provide information about the Care Act assessment process
- Support you at a carers assessment
- Signpost you to other support organisations
- Speak on your behalf when necessary
- Speak with your social worker when necessary
The advocate cannot:
- Provide advice, or tell you what to do or say
- Provide support for financial, housing, or welfare issues you may have
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have an advocate instead of my family member to support me?
Yes. You have the right to support from someone of your choosing who is appropriate and available to support you. You do not have to be supported by an unpaid carer, friend, or family member if you do not wish to be.
I provide care for my disabled child. Can I have an assessment separately to my child?
Yes. The Children and Families Act 2014 gives you a standalone right to an assessment as the parent of a disabled child.
I'm a carer for my child who is turning 18 soon, what will happen to their care?
The Care Act 2014 introduced a new duty on local authorities to carry out Child's Needs Assessments (CNA) for young people where there is 'likely to be a need for care and support' after they reach 18. The CNA should look at what adult community care services a young person might qualify for when they turn 18 and should include a predicted personal budget.
Young people or their carers can request a CNA at any time before a young person turns 18 at a time when it is of 'significant benefit' to their preparation for adulthood.
The Care Act also ensures that if the local authority has not carried out a CNA, then they must continue to provide community care services to the young adult until a either a decision has been made that they do not qualify for services under the Care Act or the care they have been assessed as needing is actually in place.
What if I disagree with a decision social services have made?
If you are not happy with the way you have been treated, or with the outcome of any of the assessments, you can complain to social services.
If you are not happy with the outcome of the complaint, you may be able to take a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman. Your social services department should be able to give you more information about this.


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Portland rockers The Thermals are gearing up for their latest release, "We Disappear", which is due out next month, March 25th.
The guys recently premiered a new song from the album titled "My Heart Went Cold", which you can listen to here.
Additionally, the band is heading out on tour to promote the new work during the months of April and May. You can have a look at all the tour dates and locations below.
Pre-orders for "We Disappear" are available here.
04/16/16 Spokane, WA The Bartlett
04/19/16 St. Paul, MN Turf Club
04/20/16 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
04/21/16 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig
04/22/16 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
04/24/16 NYC Bowery Ballroom
04/25/16 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair
04/26/16 Providence, RI Columbus Theatre
04/28/16 Brooklyn, NY Market Hotel
04/29/16 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
04/30/16 Washington, DC Black Cat
05/01/16 Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe
05/03/16 Indianapolis, IA The Hi Fi
05/04/16 Paducah, KY Maiden Alley Cinema
05/05/16 St. Louis, MO Firebird
05/06/16 Omaha, NE Slowdown
05/07/16 Denver, CO Lost Lake Lounge
05/08/16 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge


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Lebanese food at The Grand at Moon Palace
Lebanese food at The Grand at Moon Palace
By Meagan|2018-10-29T18:35:57-07:00September 27th, 2018|0 Comments
About the Author: Meagan
Meagan is the author and host of Mommy Travels, a family travel and lifestyle blog. She has been traveling the world with her three kids for over a decade and loves sharing her adventures and tips with others.
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