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(This is Part 2 of a three-part series. See Part 1 and Part 3.)
Last week I pointed out that most borrowers don't shop for title insurance, accepting the recommendations of their Realtor, lender or builder. Competition for business by title agencies is thus directed not at borrowers but at entities with referral power, which often results in kickbacks to referrers rather than lower prices or better service.
Kickbacks are illegal unless they have been sanitized by creation of an affiliated business arrangement (ABA) between a referrer and a title agency. ABAs make kickbacks legal but costly. The price of title insurance cannot be reduced by allowing kickbacks to be legalized at high cost, nor can it be reduced by suppressing illegal kickbacks.
The way to reduce the cost of title insurance (and also mortgage insurance and credit insurance) is to have the federal government mandate a general policy that any insurance that protects only lenders must be paid for by lenders. On any real estate transaction that involves a mortgage, lenders should pay the policy premium on the lender policy, plus related title costs.
Implications of Lender-Paid Title Insurance
If lenders had to pay for title insurance, prices would drop. Instead of millions of buyers a year taking one policy each, there would be thousands, each one purchasing many policies. The buyers would be knowledgeable rather than ignorant; they would be in the market continuously rather than once or twice; they would shop alternative sources rather than accept recommendations from interested parties; and they would have the clout associated with their purchase volume.
Of course, borrowers would pay for the lender policy in the price of the mortgage. The incremental price, however, would be a faction of what they pay now.
Lender Insurance Versus Borrower Insurance
On mortgage refinance transactions, lenders would pay for lender policies, and borrowers would have the option to buy or not to buy title policies that protect them. On home purchases in areas where home buyers purchase their own title insurance, they would have the same option. In both cases, borrowers would have to be persuaded that the incremental protection provided by owners' policies are worth the price. This is as it should be.
In some areas, by law or custom, home sellers are obliged to purchase homeowner policies for the buyer. Lender policies are a "simultaneous issue," often priced at a discount. Since home sellers, in selecting a title agency, will continue to be influenced by Realtors, instituting a lender-pay requirement on lender policies may not have much immediate impact on title costs. Hopefully, over time, the evidence of price declines elsewhere will generate pressures to eliminate the practice of having home sellers purchase title policies for buyers.
State Regulation a Partial Barrier
A potential impediment to price declines would be state regulation of title insurance premiums. Such regulation is supposed to protect consumers, which it doesn't. In some states, it may provide the major title insurers with a convenient way to collude on premiums.
In Texas, New Mexico and Florida, the state actually sets the premiums. In some others, insurers are allowed to band together to propose premium rates that the state will then approve for all of them. In a third group, each company posts its own premium rates with the state; in some, the state must approve ("File and Use"), in others no approval is needed ("Use and File"). In all cases, the information is public and available to other insurers.
Resistance to declines in posted insurance premiums will be strong. The title insurance industry is highly concentrated at the insurer level, with the five largest companies writing about 90 percent of the policies. These companies also have a demonstrated ability to influence state legislatures.
Prices will drop nonetheless. Large lenders probably will negotiate package deals with the major insurers, who will be obliged to reduce their posted prices. Smaller lenders probably will negotiate deals with local agencies, which have cost structures swollen by high marketing expenses, including legal and illegal kickbacks. (On average, agencies retain more than 70 percent of all title insurance premiums). Large lenders could also deal with the agencies if the large insurers refuse to drop their posted prices.
The prospects for legislation that would require lenders to pay for their own title protection depend on the attitudes of the major groups that would be affected by it. This will be discussed next week.
The writer is Professor of Finance Emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Comments and questions can be left at www.mtgprofessor.com.


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CHEC is running a home education conference on Mon 01 and Tue 02 of March 2020. It will be an opportunity to come together as a Home-education community, to set a focus for the year, and to be ministered to through fellowship, seminars, prayer, prophecy and an expo of events and resources in the Canberra region. The theme of the conference is 'At the Heart of the Matter': two days journeying through HE from new beginnings, muddling middle years, and what happens at the end – not only for your children but also what it looks like for mum when it's all done.
More information
To register please fill in the forms below:
Registration form (fill in online using google forms):
CHEC CONFERENCE Registration Form
Permission form, please submit before the 21st Feb.
Payment Details
All Registrations are due before 21st February. Registration will only be accepted after payment is received. Your early registration would be appreciated.
Payments to Christian Home Education Canberra
BSB 325 185, Account No. 03765999
Use the following reference: Surname, Initial and Date of Birth……..Thank You 🙂
1437 Cotter Rd, Stromlo ACT 2611, Australia

subset: commoncrawl


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Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Insulin is a type of hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body.
The association between diabetes and inflammatory periodontal (oral) diseases has been studied extensively for more than 50 years.
"Research suggests that, as an infectious process with a prominent inflammatory component, periodontal disease can adversely affect the metabolic control of diabetes. Conversely, treatment of periodontal disease and reduction of oral inflammation may have a positive effect on the diabetic condition, although evidence for this remains somewhat equivocal."
Dr. Brian L. Mealey, University of Texas Health Science Center
The most common oral problem with diabetic people is gum disease but diabetes can also make you prone to other mouth problems.


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Yes. I Am Judging You, Sports Parents.
Years back, I went into a full-on rant about judging other parents, and how I do not want to do it. Even though sometimes it is really hard. And, yes, I still agree with my years-ago ranting. And I remain committed to not consuming media that judges parents, like, for sport. But, honestly? It's getting … [Read more…]


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GAWQO Shirring Bell Sleeve Asymmetrical Hem Shirt Dress
GAWQO Shirring Bell Sleeve Asymmetrical Hem Shirt Dress
Sale Sold out
Regular price $51.00 USD
Regular priceUnit price per
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- Sizing: Fitted
- Pattern: Solid
- Features: Shirring detail, bell sleeve, asymmetrical hem
- Neckline: Mock neck
- Stretch: No
- Product measurements:
S: length 36 in, shoulder 19 in, bust 48 in, sleeve 26 in
M: length 37 in, shoulder 19 in, bust 50 in, sleeve 27 in
L: length 37 in, shoulder 20 in, bust 51 in, sleeve 27 in
- Material composition: 100% cotton
- Care: Machine wash cold. Tumble dry low.
- Imported
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GAWQO strives to showcase the diverse beauty of high-street fashion and is targeted towards young women who embody individuality and independence. GAWQO always follows the newest fashion trends and incorporates these elements into its products. They always aspire to provide cost-effective and fashionable products for women who love our style, which is both contemporary and comfortable.


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6 mentions on Trippy
Here's what Trippy members say about Bacara Resort & Spa:
"I just took my Mom (for her 80th) to the resort Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara." See More
"I'd recommend the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, Bacara Resort & Spa, or El Encanto Hotel, which is my favorite." See More
"I would say unless you are spending time at a resort such as Bacara Resort & Spa or Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara doesn't need a night." See More
"Or go north to Santa Barbara and stay at Bacara Resort & Spa." See More
"Second choice is Santa Barbara - stay at the Bacara Resort & Spa, and enjoy the town." See More
"Bacara Resort & Spa People really seem to like this spot and it always makes a lot of Top 10 lists, but it's comprable in price to the Montage in Laguna and not nearly as spectacular, IMO." See More


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Trump triumphs in Florida
WASHINGTON – Donald Trump cruised to an easy victory in Florida's GOP primary Tuesday.
Early returns showed Trump with about 46% of the vote compared to 27% for home-state senator Marco Rubio, mirroring polls that showed the real estate mogul with a 20-point lead.
A victory in the state gives Trump all 99 of the state's delegates, bringing him closer to the 1,237 needed to wrap up the presidential nomination.
Clinton clobbers Sanders in Florida primary
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas followed in third place with 17%. Ohio Gov. John Kasich was in fourth place with about 7%.
More than 1.1 million Republicans already had registered their choice -- 689,000 by absentee ballot and more than 490,000 in early voting -- by the time precincts opened Tuesday, according to state officials.
Still, Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner told reporters he expected Tuesday's turnout would be "heavy and historic."
Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio also held primaries Tuesday.
Even apart from the polls, Trump's frontrunner status seemed clear in the Sunshine State. While Rubio spent the past week barnstorming the state at restaurant meet-and-greets, rallies for Trump filled high-school football stadiums and airport hangars.
Rubio's campaign had also run out of money to run ads in his home state, although Super PACS funded a a blitz of anti-Trump ads that blanketed the airwaves.
Rubio, a former Florida House speaker, initially ran an optimistic campaign. His eloquence, uplifting family story and a string of strong debate performances helped vault him past former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush whom Trump derided as "low energy."
But Rubio's decision a couple of weeks ago to trade insults with Trump, a move he later said he regretted, went nowhere. After picking up only one state, Minnesota, Rubio made Florida his Waterloo.
He often said himself that whoever won the Sunshine State would be the Republican nominee.
Rubio arrived in the Senate in 2010 as part of a tea party wave, but he had trouble holding on to voters who had backed his Senate run.
Julio Martinez, a retired bailiff from Hialeah where Rubio enjoyed strong support six years ago, said he decided in June last year to back Trump after hearing the real estate mogul spoke at the nearby Trump National Doral Golf Club.
"I think (Rubio) is doing a good job, he's intelligent, he understands foreign policy," said Martinez, a former mayor of Hialeah. "But to me, the biggest problem we're facing is the economy, and Donald Trump is the one who can fix it."
Von Giessler of Estero near Fort Myers expressed similar sentiments about why he supported Trump.
"We need a change" he said. "I think he's the one who will do it."


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I don't have a feeling of inferiority. Never had. I'm as good as anybody, but no better.
It is the mind that makes the body.
Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.
I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn't photograph them.
Law and order are the medicine of the body politic and when the body politic gets sick, medicine must be administered.
My relationship with my body has changed. I used to consider it as a servant who should obey, function, give pleasure. In sickness, you realise that you are not the boss. It is the other way around.
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.
Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
Nobody ever defended anything successfully, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.
Everybody has the idea of Santa in their head and in their heart.
Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body.
If obstacles are large, jump higher.
You don't need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are!
Mix with positive-minded people as a means to tap into your unexploited potential.
If you think nobody cares about you, try missing a couple of payments.
A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown.
There's nobody in the world that knows me better than my sister.
Do not be afraid to ask for help. Nobody gets through college on their own.
Copyrighted © 2022 — Quotation.io. All rights reserved.


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Contraception, sex, and gay marriage
Last year when I first started to feel drawn to Christianity I spent a lot of time worrying about how this would affect my relationship with our friends who are gay. Three of our very dearest friends are homosexual men and it made me cringe to think about having to defend Christian beliefs on their lifestyle.
Though I was eager to tell everyone else about my spiritual journey, I kept this part of my life hidden from my gay friends. Also, at the time the issue of gay marriage was the hot topic in our state. When I thought of the subject coming up at an upcoming dinner party where we'd be the only heterosexual couple there I decided I'd just have to pretend to choke to death on my food to avoid having to talk about it.
My guilt around the issue should have been a sign that something was amiss. I didn't feel guilty about defending other areas of Christian teaching, but this stood out as an uncomfortable issue for me. And now I understand why.
Back then I was arguing from our modern, contraception culture's view of marriage. If I'd taken the time to write out a definition of "marriage" it would have been something like: a commitment to sexual monogamy that you enter into when you really like someone, usually involving an exchange of rings. That's it. The beauty I saw in it is that it was two people coming together who really, really liked each other. Coming at it from this point of view, where many married couples are not much different than roommates, the whole thing about it being between a man and a woman seems pretty arbitrary. I still had a vague gut feeling that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and I believed that that was probably also the "correct" point of view to hold as a Christian, but I had a hard time defending those beliefs.
Until I discovered the Catholic Church. As with so many other things in my life, it all fell into place. I shouldn't have been surprised that looking at it through the lens of Church wisdom, sanctioned by God and honed over 2, 000 years by some of the greatest minds in Western civilization, made everything clear.
It immediately struck me that I was applying God's laws unequally. I saw one standard for behavior applying to those who are attracted to people of the opposite gender, and another applying to those who are attracted to people of the same gender. By arguing from the modern, pro-contraception view of marriage I was saying to my gay friends, "We can use sex as a recreational activity but you can't." It didn't feel right.
My acceptance of contraception — something I'd never even thought to question before I discovered Catholicism — necessitated the view that marriage does not have to go hand in hand with the creation of children. That makes the purpose of marriage difficult to discern but it's basically just sexual monogamy. And (per that acceptance of contraception) sex isn't even that big of a deal anyway. From there it seemed downright rude to tell gays and lesbians that they couldn't get in on that.
It didn't take too much reading of the Cathecism to realize where I'd gone wrong.
As I delved further and further into the Church my view of marriage changed drastically. I was intimidated by the huge, almost crushingly heavy responsibility that comes with accepting Catholic teaching. Yet I knew I'd found truth here. And I knew that I would no longer be holding myself to a different standard than my friends who had same-sex attractions.
Though my opinion is that gay marriage is not the same thing as heterosexual marriage, I don't feel guilty about it. As a Catholic, those opinions are based on teachings that are heavy for me as well as for my friends with same-sex attractions. Just because I'm married doesn't mean that I get a "Get Out of Sin Free" Card when it comes to sex; that by virtue of being heterosexual all I had to do was exchange some vows and then go on my merry way; that casual sex is OK as long as it's done by a married man and woman. To practice what I preach when I say that respect for the gravity of the sexual act is what separates us from animals, that it's not to be used for solely for personal pleasure, that the act should always involve openness to life, is not easy.
As demanding as Catholic teachings on sex and marriage are, it's actually been easier to defend. I no longer get wrapped up in the confusing back-and-forths and circular logic involved in trying to defend the sanctity of marriage while accepting pretty much any two people as "married" as long as they're heterosexual and they exchanged some rings. I actually have even more sympathy for my gay friends on this issue now. They don't see anything particularly unique about the unions that our anti-life, pro-contraception culture calls "marriage" that would exclude them. And, frankly, neither do I.
UPDATE: I posted on this here as well.
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9 Comments
Jim McCullough on September 2, 2006 at 11:24 pm
Compared to the culture, and to many, many of us in the Church who have only learned gradually to swim against the riptide of the culture, you are a fast learner. Congratulations, thank you for joining, and pray for us all.
DRE in Greensboro, NC
Adoro Te Devote on September 3, 2006 at 12:10 am
Thank you, thank you, and thank you again. You have put a certain clarity on this issue which is difficult to find! God bless you!
Jennifer F. on September 3, 2006 at 2:40 am
Jim – you're too kind. I don't think it's as much that I'm a fast learner as it is that the truth of Catholic teaching is so obvious that it hit me upside the head like a 2×4. It's hard to deny. 🙂
John Weidner on September 3, 2006 at 4:31 pm
You might find interesting DREADNOUGHT, the blog of conservative gay catholic John Heard…
Or maybe not. It's pretty strange stuff, and I'm not sure what to make of him myself. He's definitely thought-provoking…
Bekah on September 4, 2006 at 6:30 pm
Yes, I've long argued, even in my pre-Catholic days, that contraception leads directly to gay-union. What is the difference, if we accept fruitless-by-choice unions between heteros? There is none. Thank you for your well-stated observations of the issue.
Jason on September 5, 2006 at 3:09 am
Those are some compelling thoughts even for an extremely protesty Protestant like me. I don't think the whole gay marriage argument hinges on reproduction (or lack thereof), but it's clearly a significant part of it.
ELC on September 6, 2006 at 8:45 pm
I blogged about this a few years ago: "I would like to add that our society was set on this course [accepting, first, homosexuality, and next pedophilia] when it became widely accepted that (1) sex is not properly related to procreation, (2) sex is not properly related to marriage, and (3) marriage is not really a life-long exclusive commitment. IOW, when immoral behavior among heterosexual adults became widely accepted."
Amy Caroline on September 7, 2006 at 4:18 am
This has always been a hard issue for me, as my sister is a lesbian. I, of course, would want her to know the beauty of a committed marriage sanctioned by God and all. It is hard to look at her and say she can't have it. But that is the thing, it isn't sanctioned by God. It is hard to have those you love, friends or family, choose this lifestyle. As I was practically raised by her I have such a hard time.
Everything you say here is true, I just wish… ah sigh… just pray, wishing is a waste of time.
Dan Muhlenkamp on February 11, 2010 at 8:33 am
Well put. I especialy like the fact that you recognize what society calls marriage as different from what the sacrament of matrimony is.
This is why I like the idea of "civil unions". If what society calls marriage was called "a civil union", the it would be much more difficult for everyone to confuse their unity of couples with the sacrament of matrimony, a unity of souls.
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Trust Issues and Safety Bubbles
I've had trust issues all my life. From a very young age, I got taught that it was unsafe to show emotions, that showing weakness meant punishment. I realized that trusting someone with who you are, and with what you are feeling, could mean that they would use that information against you. This didn't only mean that I only focused on the person in front of me, it also meant that I was unable to reach out for support. That in turn led to a lot of situations where I was unable to speak up, to talk about what was going on with me. We are conditioned by how we grew up, by what we got taught is safe, and what is a risk.
Trust Issues
So I basically went most of my life being in shallow friendships and relationships. No one knew who I really was, what I was struggling with, my weaknesses, my likes or dislikes. I often voiced my opinions but always was extremely careful to not make them personal. I was known to be easy going, fun, and a supporter. Everyone always turned to me for a shoulder to cry on. The few times I tried to share something about myself, it got used against me.
When I was unable to hide my struggles and who I was anymore, my longest relationship up to date, fell apart. I wasn't even sharing anything about myself, it was just that I couldn't even hide the surface stuff anymore. But even that was too much for my husband at the time, and I was told more than once that I was a burden. Words like that really stick with you.
You could say that my trust issues didn't get better, they accumulated. So when I began working in mental health, it was so very natural for me to focus on other people's problems, and felt safe being in a position where I didn't need to talk about me. I didn't matter, what I did mattered. That was a beautifully freeing concept for me at the time.
That of course didn't mean that I didn't have a need to fully trust someone, to feel safe with someone. I wanted to be in a BDSM and D/s connection, but without being able to trust someone, how would I be able to truly let go? I tried being with someone who was very passionate but who unfortunately used the trust I put into him against me when things weren't as lovely between us anymore. Another hurt, another valuable lesson of trust learnt.
The Safety Bubble
But then, then I got closer to my current boyfriend and Master. We started off as peers in the mental health support organisation we worked in. I felt a really strong connection with him right from the start! It took a long time to become friends with him because he was even more protective of who he was than I was with who I am! We tread carefully and started to get to know each other. I felt incredibly safe in his presence and eventually opened up to him. He became my strongest support in my life. He was the person I turned to for everything. And here is the thing: he never betrayed my trust. He never lied to me. And I gave him the same: honesty.
We started to build up something that I called our safety bubble. He was still careful with sharing things about what he felt and about his private life. But I was patient. I wanted him to trust me just as much as I had started to trust him. I had never felt that safe with anyone. And right up to this day, he has not betrayed my trust. He has not hurt me with what he knows about me. Instead, he thrives on that I trust him. He likes that I don't hold back, that I communicate and share my thoughts and feelings.
The safety bubble that we had and still have with each other, became the foundation of our relationship. We first were peers, then friends and then, after a lot of communication (and hardships), we became romantic partners in a D/s relationship. Having friendship and trust, the safety bubble, first between us, was such a blessing. We know how to communicate with each other. I know that he never lies, that he only expresses emotions when he actually experiences and means them. When I ask him a question, he always gives me an honest answer. And I give him the same. There is nothing that we hide from each other, there is nothing that we want to hide from each other.
Without the trust that we have, I wouldn't be able to let go the way I do with him. For the first time in my life, I am not worried being naked in front of someone. I feel attractive, and I feel able to let go sexually with him. I am not afraid to talk about my needs and fantasies anymore. For the first time in my life, it is actually expected of me to express those things. I am not worried to be judged, and I am not worried to get hurt. I trust him, with everything.
And it is not only that. I am a masochist, and I love humiliation, I love being controlled. For those things to be enjoyable for both of us, we need to trust each other. I need to know that he respects my limits, that he can read my reactions, and that he respects the safeword. And he needs to trust me to use the safeword, and to be communicative if any of my limits change. At the same time, I trust him to push me beyond my soft limits, to help me understand my real limits, and to take away certain fears. I trust him with my life, with my feelings, with my everything, and I trust him to guide me. I trust to hand over control to him, and I trust him enough to give him my submission.
And as we are now working more and more towards having a structured D/s relationship, I need to be able to trust that his intention is to help me grow, and to be good for us, for our relationship, and help me improve. And I believe that his intentions are exactly that, and you can't imagine how safe, happy and free that makes me feel!
Trust is one of the main pillars of my D/s relationship, and I believe that it should be the main pillar of any D/s connection. Safe and consensual play, and safe and consensual power exchange, can only happen if all parts involved are trustworthy. Don't make promises you can't keep. Be communicative about your limits and your needs. Use the safeword when needed. Speak up when something doesn't feel right. Some of those things are important in vanilla relationships too, but I feel they are even more so important in D/s relationships. If one of those areas is infested with lies or betrayal, then your dynamic is not safe anymore.
I am combining two memes with this post: the 30 Days of Submission Challenge and the SafeworD/s Club meme!! Day 17 of the 30 Days of Submission challenge poses the following question (you can read all of the question of the challenge here):
What does trust mean to you in the context of submission?
(Picture is of and by me)


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Starring: Vanessa Paradis, Kate Moran, Felix Maritaud
Runtime: 1h50min
Paris, 1979. Gay porn director Anne Parèze (Vanessa Paradis) is on a mission to find new ways to inject 'real passion' into her work, in a desperate attempt to impress her ex-girlfriend Loïs (Kate Moran), who also happens to be her film editor. When a masked killer begins hunting down her cast members with a dildo switchblade, Anne takes the opportunity to draw inspiration from the grotesque murders, incorporating them into her latest film. As the death count continues to rise, Anne begins to investigate the man behind the mask, and becomes eerily fascinated with the killer's own tragic tale.
A kaleidoscope of blood, sex and neon lighting, Knife + Heart is an experimental ode to the '70s gay porn scene, appalling yet delightful in its seediness. This is a world where the grotesque murder of a friend offers the central narrative for the next in a series of blue movies; where pretty young men are picked up off the streets to become stars for 500 francs a scene, and where on-set 'issues' are solved by the aptly named 'Mouth of Gold' – a crew member who exists simply to provide blowjobs to the actors between takes.
And yet, there exists a sense of camaraderie beneath this (literally) cutthroat industry. Anne often refers to ex-workers as 'her boys', a nod to her role as the matriarch of this strange almost-family. Each death adds a heavy burden, as she finds herself running in circles attempting to find the culprit, protecting not only her own livelihood, but that of her beloved friends.
To see Knife + Heart as a murder mystery, however, is reductive: this hyper-stylised erotic slasher is more of a lucid dream, tracing a plot-line but never delving too far into a concrete story. Director Yann Gonzalez has instead created an experience of disgusting beauty, a commentary on self-contained queer violence.
A garish colour palette pays homage to the conventions of giallo - excessively gory Italian thrillers - and heightens the senses within the film's surreal atmosphere, creating a world knowingly detached from our own. Knife + Heart may not be an eye-catchingly tense thriller for the masses, but it is likely to become a cult classic – an irresistible beckoning into a space where truth and fiction cannot be strictly separated.
|Knife + Heart review
05 Jul 19 – 05 Jul 20, TIMES VARY
|£ determined by ciniemas
|Click here for more information


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"My name's Wyl. Tell me the waiting's not getting to you, too."
There are many things to love about Wyl Lark - the way he flies, the way he tells stories, the way he talks to his ship in combat. But it's his goodness that sets him apart from the rest.
Let every village send a warrior, for the battle against the Empire has become our battle; and no people in the galaxy fly as the people of Home fly.
This proclamation from the elders on Polyneus would completely turn the world of Wyl Lark upside down. At just nineteen years old, he would answer this call and begin a long and arduous fight against the Galactic Empire.
While an A-Wing may not be as smooth as the down feathers of his homeworld's flying beasts, the sur-avka, Wyl deftly proved that his piloting abilities stand among the best pilots we've ever seen.
As a pilot for Riot Squadron in the Rebel Alliance, he found himself revered amongst friends, becoming lovingly referred to as "Wyl Lark, the beloved! Gift to the galaxy!" Easy going and gentle in demeanor, he was quick to find camaraderie amongst his peers - even to the point of some short-lived romances. He was young and full of hope.
Unfortunately, he was also in the middle of a war.
After the battle of Endor, the little-known Imperial TIE fighter group known as Shadow Wing became notorious for decimating squadron after squadron in the fledgling New Republic. The longer the fighting continued, the more Wyl found himself surrounded by loss and confronted with choices he didn't feel qualified to make.
He just wanted to go home.
Galactic warfare has a way of changing people, though, and Wyl is not immune. Getting to know his squadmates, and even those he pursues in Shadow Wing, Wyl found himself conflicted by the ongoing struggle. There are people on the other side of this war with stories, homes, families, and loved ones. Though he wrestles with this internally, it affects the way he flies, alters his decision-making in combat, and even adjusts the ways he communicates with his family back home.
This isn't so simple anymore, and he isn't sure how those closest to him will take it.
When an extended cat-and-mouse chase through a dangerous star cluster leaves Wyl nearly dead, he wakes to find himself the lone surviving member of his squadron. Rescued by allies, he is now a member of a new team filled with difficult strangers, each with a unique ship of their own. Alphabet Squadron.
Though he may be broken, he is quick to adapt to his surroundings and finds ways to dig deep within himself to do whatever is required of him. Whether it is a run in a training simulator, another dangerous dogfighting mission, or even leading his own makeshift squadron for a time during the events of Alphabet Squadron: Shadow Fall, Wyl consistently demonstrates that he is loyal to his new family.
He is a proven leader, he just needs to believe it within himself. And after all of the breadcrumbs Alexander Freed has given us, it is no surprise that Wyl takes the forefront in the dramatic conclusion to this high-flying series, Alphabet Squadron: Victory's Price.
Though he has only appeared in the Alphabet Squadron Trilogy of novels thus far, Wyl's legacy has already been cemented as one of the most graceful pilots, and kind beings, in all of the galaxy. For more on Wyl's story, be sure to check out the titles below.
Coming Soon
Our team is hard at work building out this collection. Stay tuned!


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Yearn.finance (YFI), Aave (LEND), and Maker have surged 12% to 30% overnight. The decentralized finance (DeFi) market strongly rebounded in a short period, lifting the overall market sentiment.
Two factors primarily triggered the resurgence of DeFi in the last 24 hours. First, Bitcoin and Ethereum rallied overnight ahead of the quarterly close. Second, the DeFi market comes off a steep correction of nearly 60%.
YFI, Aave, Maker benefit from Bitcoin and Ethereum resilience
In the past 12 hours, both Bitcoin and Ethereum have recovered by around 2% to 3%. BTC rose higher after the quarterly close on October 1, causing the market sentiment to turn increasingly positive.
When the price of Bitcoin initially fell to as low as $10,665 on September 30, YFI plunged to $21,800. In recent weeks, after YFI reached a billion-dollar market cap, it has led the performance of many small-cap DeFi tokens.
Since then, in the last 12 hours, YFI has recovered to $24,000, rising by 10%. At the daily peak, YFI hit $26,250 across major exchanges, recording a 20% rally.
In the same period, Aave's LEND token rebounded by nearly 12% and Maker posted an 18% rally. In the past 24 hours, Maker gained 30% after a surge in total value locked.
Product launches and rising DeFi demand are buoying investor confidence
The recovery of Bitcoin and Ethereum aided the rebound of DeFi tokens, but major DeFi projects also released major updates.
Yearn.finance, for instance, announced the release of Yearn v2 Vaults. One of the major factors behind the meteoric rise of YFI was the demand for its vaults. They allow Ethereum and other token holders to earn passive yield with minimal risk.
The Yearn.finance team wrote:
"Yearn v2 Vaults are under active development. Will include new vaults and strategies. We are very excited for this. Additional details will be shared when available."
Yearn.finance developers also shared the official Github contribution of the new vaults, formalizing the update.
Maker's uptrend also coincides with a key upgrade that brings the peg of the DAI stablecoin closer to $1. Upon the change, the total value locked in Maker rose by $400 million, primarily in USDC.
Jack Purdy, a cryptocurrency researcher, explained:
"While new governance tokens and sky-high APYs stealing all the attention during the latest DeFi Summer Maker has quietly grown to almost $2 billion in value locked."
The confluence of the overall market recovery, key product launches, and crucial network upgrades aided the recovery of DeFi.
Data from Defipulse.com shows that the total value locked across all DeFi protocols is steadily recovering. The TVL is now at an all-time high above $11 billion, depicting strengthening investor confidence amid a market draught.
Maker, currently ranked #35 by market cap, is down 2.09% over the past 24 hours. MKR has a market cap of $520.11M with a 24 hour volume of $41.96M.
Maker Price Chart
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The SIG100 EVB contains all the required hardware for device operation such as a line protection network, filter, 16MHz crystal, and a 3.3V switching power supply. The board is a physical layer of the UART/LIN protocol over DC powerlines at data rates of up to 115.2kbit/s. The SIG100 may also be used as a new physical layer to the LIN protocol. The EVB connects directly to a UART/LIN controller (ECU) through its TX and RX pins connected to HDI and HDO pins in the Host connector. The EVB block diagram is depicted in the Figure below.
At the transmitter side, each data from the ECU transferred to the SIG100 on HDI pin. The SIG100 process each data byte and modulate it on the selected carrier frequency on TXO pin that drives the DC powerline via the protection network and coupling capacitor.
At the receiver side, the received data signal from the DC powerline passes through a protection network into the SIG100 device. The SIG100 decodes the data and output it on HDO pin of the Host interface connector.
The built-in switching power supply provides the 3.3V voltage required for the SIG100 operation. The power supply operates in a wide input voltage range between 10V and 36V. The EVB current consumption is in the range of 30mA depending on the supply input voltage (powerline voltage).
The SIG100 internal registers, as described in the SIG100 datasheet determine the EVB operation conditions such as carrier frequency, bit rate, etc. When HDC signal low the data is directed as a command, allowing WRITE-REG and READ-REG to/from the SIG100 internal registers (see SIG100 datasheet).
Please leave this field empty.
A fabless semiconductor company since 1994. We develop and sell our unique devices for DC power line communication targeting wire saving. Customers in more than 51 countries use the devices in a wide range of applications; Automotive, Aerospace, Lighting, Battery monitoring (BMS) and more. The devices meet existing protocols such as UART, LIN, CAN, SPI, DMX512, and I2C keeping it simple to operate. Yamar engineers lead the LIN over DC powerline (DC-LIN) ISO 17987-8 standardization workgroup.
The innovation team continues to develop new technologies and products.


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Apocalypse WOW! Man photographs beauty and the beast as pretty wife poses in front of giant storms
A man has photographed a stunning set of images of beauty and the beast – as his pretty wife poses in front of epic storms.
Nicolaus Wegner, 34, snaps other half Daow, 32, dangerously close to tornados, hurricanes and lightning storms.
But the results are spectacular – as she stands fearlessly looking towards Mother Nature's most extreme creations.
The couple use forecast tools to predict where storms will show before chasing them down and waiting for them to materialise.
Most of their shots are taken across Wyoming, USA, but sometimes they travel to neighbouring states like Montana and Nebraska.
The pair, who live in Casper, Wyoming, admit there is an element of danger in their work.
Daow said: "I'm a little nervous sometimes – but I find the experience exciting and scary at the same time.
"Life is short so I try to enjoy the moment."
Nicholaus revealed lightning is the most dangerous element to deal with and has halted their shoots in the past.
He added: "I try usually to set up well before the storm gets to us.
"Daow does well with the danger but we communicate and if either of us feels unsafe then we pack up and move on.
"My two favourite subjects to photograph are storms and mountains.
"Mountains are epic in their scale but nothing compares to being next to a dramatic supercell."


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My husband and I decided that we wanted to update our deck to have a modern cable railing...our house is very "treehouse" like, sitting high up in the words and the new cable railing really opens up the view. The guys striped the deck of its old paint and got started on taking down the old railings--they actually added an extra 6" around the perimeter of the deck to serve as a better support for the new posts that were put in and what a difference! Johnny and Robert, who worked together on the labor intensive deck, are truly artists.....cutting perfect curves into areas of the railing where we have a large boulder in our yard and using their creativity to further enforce our deck--talk about attention to detail! Its really hard to believe that we're living in the same house and thanks to Rome, there was never a time when I felt stressed or pressured to make a decision. I can't forget to mention that Rome is very reasonable when it came to giving us a quote for the entirety the work we had done, we were VERY pleasantly surprised!! Home Painters
Since 1997, Color World Housepainting has been providing home and business owners with quality interior and exterior painting services and so much more. We are a one-of-a-kind home painting company that also offers commercial painting, power washing, carpentry and drywall repair, staining, and gutter installation. We can even assist you with your holiday lighting display! Color World is a one-stop-shop and is dedicated to making your home or business the best-looking property on the block. Home Painting
Some service pros are employees, franchisees, dealers or independent contractors ("Corporate SP's") of larger national or "Corporate Accounts". When this is the case, you may be matched with the Corporate Account or with one of their Corporate service professionals. The above screening process is not applicable to Corporate Accounts, as HomeAdvisor does not screen Corporate Accounts or Corporate service professionals. Home Painters
Rome came to our house to take a look around back in May and promised me a quote by the end of the day-unlike other workers that we've had in the past, Rome stuck by his word and had it to me via email by dinnertime....something that reinforced the initial positive feeling that I had about him as he surveyed our home and listened to my ideas. We hired Rome and he and his crew began working on our home within the following couple weeks. Something we love about Rome is how knowledgable he is when it comes to the range of paint products and colors (we had a general idea that we wanted a light neutral color with a little tint of green and the easiest way for me was to have Rome narrow it down to 2-3 colors), for whatever advice or guidance we needed, he was always (and is always) a phone call away! Home Painters
Location: Stamford, CT Date: 01/03/2021 Number of Rooms: 1 - 2 What is the total square footage of the rooms to be painted?: Under 1500 sqft Which rooms need to be painted? (Check all that apply): Living Areas, Hallways, Stairways What is the average ceiling height of the rooms you want painted?: 8 ft What needs to be painted? (Check all that apply): Ceiling, Wall What is the occupancy of the house?: Furnished and occupied Request Stage: Ready to Hire Desired Completion Date: 1 - 2 weeks What kind of location is this?: Home/Residence Comment: Hi there, I have a finished basement that i?d love to have painted over. Basement consists on a ?living? area as well as a hallway and brief stairwell Home Painters
06/14/17: Renato completed an exterior painting project for our relatively large single family home in Stamford, CT last weekend. Project did not begin well especially with the prep, repair/carpentry work, but then Renato took full control and ensured that the work done was to our satisfaction. The final result is outstanding. Minor damage to window screens, gutters and plants. Ensure that your window screens, gutters, and shutters are numbered and stored indoors or if kept outdoor covered properly against the elements. The project can be extensively delayed due to rain and you may find yourself dealing with insects and/or flooding in basement and dirty/bent/ mismatched screens/gutters/shutters. Overall we had a good team working on our project and we are satisfied with the finished product. The house looks great!
A thorough scrubbing is a must before painting any exterior surface. It removes the dirt and broken-down paint residues that keep fresh coats from adhering and gets rid of mildew that grows on paint in all but the most arid climates. Most contractors clean with pressure washers, but in the hands of someone unfamiliar with the equipment, these can gouge wood, shatter glass, and drive water behind siding and trim. Using a hose, a pump sprayer, and a scrub brush is slower but safer, and just as effective. Home Painting
While you may choose to paint a door, ground-level window trim and other parts of your house's exterior, it's really a job best left to the professionals. One of the main reasons is experience. An experienced painter knows how to handle the prep work, spot problems and identify sources of future trouble, all while getting the job done more efficiently. They are also experienced with spending long hours on tall ladders. If you want high-quality work, it's best to hire a professional painter near you.
Generally speaking, a gallon of paint will cover about 350 square feet. If this is the first time drywall is painted, it will soak up more paint. And remember to factor in whether your job will require one or two coats of paint. Dark and bright colors will require more coats of paint, as will painting a lighter color over an existing darker color. Divide the paintable wall surface by 350 to determine how many gallons of paint you will need to buy. If there's an odd number with less than .5 leftover, round down, if it's over .5 round up.
If you have ornamental or colorful trees, shrubbery or floral selections around your home you should figure their colors into the color scheme selection that is made. These landscaping attributes will have an effect on how appealing the property is as a whole throughout the year. Homes that have a great deal of trees can make the property darker and cast shadows onto the home. Individuals will want to avoid darker colors for these situations.
This was a wonderful experience. Peter Smith is professional and expert in his assessments and knowledge. During our initial meeting he answered most of my questions before I asked them. This is quite an accomplishment as I ask a lot of questions. Products used were high quality. Before work began, Peter said that punctuality is key. The teams arrived about 15 minutes prior to starting each work day. His teams were skilled, meticulous in their work, and responsive to any questions or comments. Cleanup at the end of each day was impeccable. They completed the job less than an hour ago. Their excellent work has restored the appearance of my house. Peter Smith is responsive to one's comments whether email, phone or in person discussion. I have high standards and am pleased with the fine results and good value and therefore recommend Peter Smith Painting. House Painting CO
At CertaPro Painters® of Greenwich & Stamford, CT we offer a variety of interior and exterior home painting and staining services, including your home's deck and fencing. Regardless of the room inside your home that needs an update or the area of your home's exterior that needs protection from Mother Nature, our team works with you to determine the best plan of action for your home.
Climate is another factor to consider. Sunlight, wind, rain and salty weather can all wear out exterior paint. Oil-based paint is durable against wind, rain and temperature changes, but sunlight tends to degrade it. Alkyd paint chalks and sheds very thin layers when it begins to wear. Latex paint is the more durable option for very sun-drenched and relatively dry climate areas. Latex paint with high vinyl content should be avoided, however. Acrylic resin is by far the more durable binder for outdoor latex paint.
HomeAdvisor uses an extensive screening process to screen businesses and business owners/principals. We perform this screening when a business applies to join our network and, if the business is accepted, once again every two years following — or whenever concerns are brought to our attention. If you have concerns that a pro in our network doesn't meet these standards, please contact us so we can investigate. We're committed to maintaining a network of trusted home service businesses, and those who don't meet our criteria will be rejected or promptly removed from our network. House Painting


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Novelis to invest $50 million for new coating line in Brazil
Novelis, a leading producer of rolled aluminium, has announced that it will invest approximately $50 million to install a coating line for beverage can end stock at its operations in Pindamonhangaba, Brazil.
Novelis, the leading supplier of can body stock and can end stock in South America, forecasts the demand for aluminium beverage cans in the region to grow by seven per cent per year until 2020.
"This expansion is the most recent step in an ongoing program to expand our leadership position in supplying Brazil and South America with high-quality beverage can sheet for this growing region," says Phil Martens, president and chief executive officer for Novelis.
Marco Palmieri, senior vice president of Novelis and president, Novelis South America, added: "This investment will help round out our can sheet offering for our customers in the region and allow us to keep pace with the surging demand for our products. The new line will allow us to increase our capacity to meet customer demand while shortening delivery lead times."
The new coating line, which will be fully integrated with in-line levelling and trimming using the latest technology, is expected to come on stream in late 2013. The line will have the capacity to process 100,000 metric tons of aluminium sheet per year.
The Pindamonhangaba facility is an integrated aluminium rolling and recycling complex located in the state of Sao Paulo. The plant is currently in the midst of a $300 million expansion of its rolling mill and a $32 million expansion of its aluminium recycling capacity.


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(Roswell Invaders, Salina Stockade, Santa Fe Fuego, Trinidad Triggers, Tucson Saguaros) The regular season would conclude on August 24 and the playoffs would begin on August 25. The playoffs would be completed on or before August 29.
Players seeking to play should plan to register and attend training camp (http://www.pecosleague.com/pecosleague.asp?page=77)
The Pecos League plans to have a Pacific Division beginning September 1, 2020 in California. This assumes restrictions of gatherings are reduced in California and or Arizona. Five teams would play and the season must be completed on or before October 31, 2020.


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|John Macurdy (born in Detroit on
March 18, 1929) has received international acclaim as a leading Bass
(basso cantante). Since his debut at the Met in 1962, he has performed
over 1,000 times and has sung over 40 roles with that company alone.
Following his service in the military during the Korean War, Macurdy made his formal debut with the New Orleans Opera Association on the opening night of the 1952-53 season, as the Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila, with Ramón Vinay and Blanche Thebom in the cast, which was conducted by Walter Herbert and staged by Wilhelm von Wymetal. He went on to appear with that company until 1959, in Thaïs, Die Entführung aus dem Serail (conducted by Julius Rudel), The Consul by Menotti, and Norma. He was to return to New Orleans for Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, in 1979. During those years, he also occasionally performed with other companies, notably portraying Mr Earnshaw in the world premiere of Carlisle Floyd's Wuthering Heights, at the Santa Fe Opera in 1958.
In 1959, Macurdy made his New York City Opera debut, as Dr Wilson in Street Scene. Among his other roles there, until 1962, were Jabez Stone in The Devil and Daniel Webster, the Basso Cantante in Six Characters in Search of an Author (world premiere, with Beverly Sills), William Jennings Bryan in The Ballad of Baby Doe, Mr Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights (opposite Phyllis Curtin and Patricia Neway), Créon in Œdipus rex (conducted by Leopold Stokowski), Colline in La bohème, Timur in Turandot, President Prexy in The Cradle Will Rock, a Priest in Il prigioniero (with Treigle), Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, the King of Egypt (later Ramfis) in Aïda, Reb Bashevi in The Golem (world premiere), and the Reverend John Hale in The Crucible by Robert Ward (with Chester Ludgin). He made a return to that ensemble in 1979, for a single performance of Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor.
It was the Metropolitan Opera that would become Macurdy's artistic home, starting with Tom in Un ballo in maschera, in 1962. From then, until 1997, he would sing more than 1000 performances in a great variety of roles, including the King (later Ramfis) in Aïda, Alessio (later Count Rodolfo) in La sonnambula (opposite Dame Joan Sutherland), Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, the Commendatore in Don Giovanni (perhaps his most acclaimed role), Ferrando in Il trovatore, Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin, Colline, Count des Grieux in Manon, Daland in Der fliegende Holländer, Sparafucile, Agrippa in Antony and Cleopatra (world premiere), King Heinrich in Lohengrin, Sarastro, Ezra Mannon in Mourning Becomes Electra (world premiere), Alvise in La Gioconda, Hunding in Die Walküre (with Jon Vickers), Count Walter in Luisa Miller (with Montserrat Caballé), Timur, Raimondo (to Renata Scotto's Lucia), the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlos (with Franco Corelli), Titurel (later Gurnemanz) in Parsifal, King Marke in Tristan und Isolde, Rocco in Fidelio (with Anja Silja in her Met debut), Méphistophélès in Faust, Pimenn in Boris Godunov, Oroveso in Norma, and Tirésias in Œdipus rex (in John Dexter's production). In the year 2000, he returned to the Met, for Hagen in Götterdämmerung, under James Levine.
Macurdy has performed throughout Europe, debuting in 1965 as Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin in Marseille. He has also appeared at the Paris Opéra (Arkel in Pelléas et Mélisande, 1973), Teatro alla Scala (Rocco in Fidelio, 1974), Teatro Colón, and the Gran Teatro del Liceo in Barcelona, and has sung in all the major European centers as well as numerous productions in Lyon, Strasbourg, Bonn and Stuttgart. He appeared at festivals of Ravinia, Tanglewood, and Salzburg, and often appears at the Orange Festival in France.
In 1978, he portrayed the Commendatore in Joseph Losey's famous film of Don Giovanni, with Ruggero Raimondi, Edda Moser, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Kenneth Riegel, José van Dam, and Teresa Berganza, conducted by Lorin Maazel. [See poster farther down this webpage.]
Throughout his career John has received critical acclaim on the concert platform. He has sung with many major orchestras and collaborated with some of the greatest conductors of our era including Carlo Maria Giulini, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Chailly, Rafael Kubelik, Erich Leinsdorf, James Levine, and Robert Shaw, Karl Böhm and Charles Munch.
-- Names which are links (in this box and below) refer to my interviews elsewhere on this website. BD
To read my Interview with Walter Berry, click HERE.
© 1980 Bruce Duffie
This conversation was recorded in Chicago on December 11, 1980. This transcription was made in 2015, and posted on this website at that time. My thanks to British soprano Una Barry for her help in preparing this website presentation.
To see a full list (with links) of interviews which have been transcribed and posted on this website, click here.
Award - winning broadcaster Bruce Duffie was with WNIB, Classical 97 in Chicago from 1975 until its final moment as a classical station in February of 2001. His interviews have also appeared in various magazines and journals since 1980, and he now continues his broadcast series on WNUR-FM, as well as on Contemporary Classical Internet Radio.You are invited to visit his website for more information about his work, including selected transcripts of other interviews, plus a full list of his guests. He would also like to call your attention to the photos and information about his grandfather, who was a pioneer in the automotive field more than a century ago. You may also send him E-Mail with comments, questions and suggestions.


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Private equity's requirement for great C-suite leadership is proving to be pandemic-proof.
Though platform origination has slowed amidst the Covid-19 outbreak, PE firms continue to pursue elite talent. While Falcon has delivered several high-impact placements in recent months, filling a PE-backed C-suite position in the age of social distancing presents unique challenges.
Hiring Without Handshakes Now a Reality
Covid-19 has either paused or greatly reduced sponsor reliance on face-to-face interviews during the hiring process. Many recent C-suite offers have been extended and accepted with the parties never meeting in person.
This once unthinkable practice reflects the growing urgency for exceptional portfolio company leadership.
With decision-makers striving to ensure no detail is overlooked, the average number of interviews required to reach an offer has increased.
"The move to virtual has intensified the process," says Falcon's Lindsay Guzowski. "Every candidate who is coming through the process seems to be undergoing extra steps or engaging with additional interviewers."
Certain sponsors have leveraged creative tactics to facilitate in-person interaction – one firm seeking a locally-sourced executive utilized carefully coordinated outdoor walks as de facto interviews.
While the viability of in-person meetings is slowly returning, PE professionals forced to redefine essential travel have been impressed with the efficacy of modern remote work technology.
We anticipate virtual tools will play a larger role in both talent acquisition and portfolio management post-Covid-19.
Uncertainty Condenses the Candidate Pool
Though top-tier executives continue to enter new deals, the pandemic's ongoing impact has impacted the overall pool of candidates.
Many sitting executives who believed they were close to an exit (and thus willing to explore their next position) prior to Covid-19 have been stuck in stasis due to the decline in deal flow, and more executives coping with pre-existing personal or family health issues have removed themselves from consideration.
Candidate location heavily influences attitude around the pandemic. Leaders in New York City are responding very differently than those in rural or midwestern states; the proximity to people who have suffered from Covid-19 has an exponential impact on the attitude of jobseekers and their willingness to take risks.
Overall flexibility for relocation has also decreased, in part because the current circumstances have rendered many candidates' spouses or families more likely to oppose such a change.
Generally, the modern candidate will only put themselves and their family through the associated uncertainty of a potential career move if there is unified commitment to the opportunity.
As Falcon's Rob Huxtable notes, "the pandemic has intensified candidates' initial assessment of the opportunity. Those committed to pursuing the role are moving boldly, while those who are hesitant are quickly opting out of consideration."
Negotiations Reflect a New Normal
Once in process, prospective C-suites have sought greater clarity on organizational liquidity and resiliency of the investment thesis. Covid-19 has created forceful headwinds for all but a handful of portfolio companies.
In response to this uncertain future, candidates have prioritized relatively higher base salaries while exhibiting a slightly reduced focus on equity. While skin in the game remains an essential element of alignment, the inherent variability in many sponsor-provided equity models have decreased overall appetite for risk. Determining an appropriate option grant strike price is more critical than ever, as executives who do not conduct thorough diligence risk joining a deal with their equity already underwater.
Another marked shift is the increased emphasis on work flexibility: Falcon has witnessed greater candidate demand and increased sponsor tolerance around remote work.
Many roles that previously required constant on-site presence now carry greater optionality for virtual management, a trend we expect to continue beyond the eventual application of an effective vaccine. This newfound flexibility may lead the average age of PE-backed C-suites to skew younger as an increasing number of adaptable, tech-savvy candidates are tapped to run portfolio companies.
For positions that do require leaders to consistently be in-office, the radius of willing commuters has tightened.
Candidates with school-aged children have also had to become more flexible in their scheduling. As Guzowski notes, there are far "more calls in the evenings with people who have younger kids … there have been times we are coordinating our kids' bedtimes to find time for a call."
Despite the far-reaching impact of the virus, the qualities of a successful recruitment have remained largely unchanged.
Sponsors require highly adept C-suite talent to create value and boldly lead their investments through uncertainty. Savvy executives who diligence the role and step in with a plan to navigate near-term headwinds remain poised to achieve winning outcomes with substantial upside.
Falcon provides C-suite talent solutions for middle-market private equity firms across North America. Follow us on LinkedIn.


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"I'm truly excited about the engagement and the presence of a business incubator and accelerator in Ontario. I'm also eager to see the amazing things we are doing through our collaboration to create value to our residents and businesses."
Jiimy Chang
Director of Innovation, Performance Management and Audit,
City of Ontario, California
A complete solution for your community
Our approach is to understand your city's realities, reimagine a compelling vision for the future, and execute a feasible plan to get there.
While we support city's that have their back's against the wall and those that are experiencing tremendous growth the common thread of all our efforts is to work with communities that are far too often overlooked.
We are committed to the communities we partner with. We hire and train local talent. We invest in and we bring our complete dedication as an extension of areas that would significantly benefit from the motivation of entrepreneurship and innovation.
The purpose of our 4th Sector Collectives is to elevate human potential by making the power of innovation and entrepreneurship accessible to those who want to create meaningful value.
Case study: Ontario, California
We are proud to share the growth and value we have already been successful in bringing to the Inland Empire through our programs.
Through our commerce and logistic tech startup cohorts, we have been able to give local companies access to premiere curriculum and mentorship that has propelled them one step closer to success. Our proven methodology has been cultivated for over a decade.
The 4th Sector Ontario location is over 10,000 square feet of creative and collaborative space for the whole community to enjoy. During times such as this, when each day brings new challenges, it also brings new opportunities for growth and development.
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We believe every city has strengths that make it special. We work with you to cultivate your empower your industries and help them radiate globally.


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Properties in this location are rarely available, non-estate location and walking distance to the village centre make this extended semi-detached home very desirable. The property needs some modernisation but boasts exceptionally good size living space, the extension to the ground floor offers an additional living space and handy second reception room. The L-shaped lounge and dining room measures 24ft2 x 18ft9 at its max points (see floor plan for exact measurements), the versatile reception room has been used as a bedroom, could be a study or a playroom. The kitchen has been upgraded, there are integrated appliances, a good range of cupboards, granite work tops and a pantry. Upstairs is home to the bathroom and three double bedrooms, the smallest measuring 9ft8 x 9ft1. Externally the garden is not over-looked it is very private and measures 130ft approx., there is a driveway for two cars and single garage.
LocationPerry Road is walking distance to Tiptree village centre and Tiptree Heath Primary School. Tiptree offers a selection of shops and amenities including Tesco, Asda and more local businesses. There are a number of schools in the area including Thurstable Sports College and a number of respected primary schools. Tiptree is a sought-after village being within easy reach of major road and rail links with nearby Kelvedon and Witham offering links to London Liverpool Street making Tiptree a desirable area for commuters or those who wish to enjoy the benefits of living its beautiful countryside.
Accommodation comprises
Entrance Porch
UPVC entrance door, laminate flooring, under stairs cupboard (plumbing for washing machine) and stairs to first floor.
Shower Room
Obscure port hole window to front, shower cubicle. Wash hand basin, toilet, heated towel rail, laminate flooring and radiator.
Obscure UPVC window and door to side, Granite work tops and upstands with drawers and cupboards beneath, eye level units, space for a five-burner cooker, integrated dishwasher, microwave and fridge freezer, Butler sink and pantry.
Lounge and Dining room
UPVC box bay to rear, York stone chimney and open fire, two radiators.
Second Reception Room
UPVC window to rear and radiator.
First Floor
Obscure UPVC window r=to front, bath, wash hand basin and toilet, part tiled walls and radiator.
UPVC window to front, and radiator.
UPVC window to rear and radiator.
UPVC window to rear, built in cupboard, (newly fitted Worcester Boiler) and radiator.
Rear Garden
The rear garden measures 130ft approx.. it is not over-looked, there is a paved seating area, pergola, grass and mature flower and shrub boarders, there is a potting shed and shed to remain.
Parking for two cars.
Up and over door, power, and light.
The details above do not form any offer or contract. We make detailed enquiries of the seller to ensure the information provided is as accurate as possible. The purchaser should satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to the accuracy of statements within the details. All measurements and floor plans are approximate
Hardy-King Estate Agents do not test services or appliances in any property offered for sale. Such detail should be verified by the purchaser.


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|App Name
|Gay guys chat & dating app - GayFriendly.dating v1.45
|Apps, Dating
|Latest Version
|Get it On
|Package Name
|10.0 ( 5994 )
Gay dating and chat app GayFriendly.dating was developed with great love and attention to details. Our team has more than 10 years of experience in dating sites development and we tried to combine most important features without overloading. If you want to connect with gay men,
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Madras Vegetable Curry (Vegetarian)
Recipe: #17166
February 04, 2015
Categories: Fresh Tomatoes, Main Dish, Curries, Vegetables, Asian, Indian, Budget-Friendly, Easy/Beginner Cooking, Quick Meals, Weeknight Meals, Skillet, Stove Top, Gluten-Free, Kosher, Low Calorie, Low Cholesterol, No Eggs, Non-Dairy, Vegan, Vegetarian, Spices, Herbs, Spicy more
"Although I didn't choose this vegetarian dish from the cruise menu, I found it in the "Carnival Creations" cookbook by Cyrus Marfatia (Exec Chef of Carnival Cruise Lines). The recipe intro stated that "An assortment of distinctive spices makes this Indian vegetable dish dance w/tremendous flavor" & it was later suggested that it be served w/cinnamon-flavored cooked rice, which I see as an especially appealing option. (Times were not given, so I estimated 20 min for ingredient prep + 20 min cook time). Enjoy!"
- Serving Size: 1 (258.3 g)
- Calories 232.8
- Total Fat - 14.7 g
- Saturated Fat - 7.4 g
- Cholesterol - 0 mg
- Sodium - 67.5 mg
- Total Carbohydrate - 25 g
- Dietary Fiber - 8.6 g
- Sugars - 5 g
- Protein - 5.5 g
- Calcium - 93.8 mg
- Iron - 2.6 mg
- Vitamin C - 165.6 mg
- Thiamin - 0.2 mg
Step 1
In a lrg frying pan, heat oil until hot over med-high heat. Stir in onion, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom + bay leaves & cook till onion begins to brown (See NOTE below).
Step 2
Stir in garlic, gingerroot + curry powder & cook till flavors are released (I assume aroma is the test of this point).
Step 3
Add tomatoes & cook for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in potatoes & continue cooking until potatoes are partially cooked.
Step 4
Stir in carrot, cauliflower, eggplant + coconut milk & simmer till vegetables are tender, stirring occ.
Step 5
Remove whole spices & bay leaves. Stir in peas, season to taste w/salt, stir in the cilantro & serve immediately.
NOTE: Altho not mentioned in the recipe, stirring in the whole spices + bay leaves & then removing them as above seems like a big challenge unless they are introduced to the dish in 1 of those porous spice cooking bags
Tips & Variations
- No special items are required


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Billionaire Kidnapper, Evans Pleads Guilty; Remanded in Kirikiri PrisonsFeatured, Latest News, News Thursday, August 31st, 2017
LAGOS, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudubem Onwuamadike aka Evans Wednesday pleaded guilty to the two count kidnapping charges preferred against him in court.
Evans who was arrested by the police special team in July inside his Magodo, a Lagos suburb mansion is being arraigned with other five suspects before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
It would be recalled that Justice Abdul Aziz Anka yesterday (Tuesday) adjourned the next hearing on the suit filed by the notorious kidnapper, challenging the Nigeria Police over his alleged illegal detention without trial, till Tuesday, September 5, 2017.
The prosecution led by the State Attorney-General Commissioner for Justice Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said due to the arraignment, "we will like to apply for the defendants to be remanded in custody and obtain trial dates for the ones that have pleaded not guilty.
He added: "While for those that have pleaded guilty, we will like to lay out our statement of facts following which Your Lordship will adjourn for sentencing".
Evans Counsel and other accused, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, told the court that he and his team had not got the opportunity to "confer" with his clients.
"With respect to the application from the learned Attorney-General, we shall not be opposing same.
"However, the defence team just had the opportunity of meeting our clients this morning in court for the first time, we were just served with documents in the open court this morning.
"All the defendants have since been in the custody of the Police and we have not had the opportunity of conferring with them regarding the offences which are capital in nature," Ogungbeje said.
The vacation judge Justice Hakeem Oshodi in his ruling, asked the Attorney-General for his choice of prison for the defendants to be remanded, which he said is Maximum Kirikiri Prisons.
Justice Oshodi therefore ordered the remand of Evans and his alleged accomplices, the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons. He added that the third defendant shall be remanded in the female wing of the Prison,"
Justice Oshodi subsequently adjourned trial till October 19, 2017.
Evans is being tried alongside with other suspects including: Uche Amadi, Ogechi Izechuwku, Okechukwu Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and one Victor Chukwumonso. /NAN.
Related Posts
Short URL: https://www.africanexaminer.com/?p=40602


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In order to engage individuals that are unable to attend the workshop in person, we plan to make all materials including presentation slides available online.
Following the inaugural PeRSonAl tutorial, held in conjunction with ASPLOS 2020, you can find all slidedecks and pre-recorded talks on the PeRSonAl at ASPLOS 2020 website. The presentations review several open-source projects related to personalized recommendation systems that are summarized here. The links to the projects are listed below:
- RecoGym: A Reinforcement Learning Environment for the problem of Product Recommendation in Online Advertising
- Deep Learning Recommendation Model (DLRM) for Personalization and Recommendation Systems (MLPerf)
- Microsoft Recommenders
- DeepRecSys: A System for Optimizing End-To-End At-scale Neural Recommendation Inference


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All rights reserved.
Traffic Reporter/Broadcaster
Promotions/ Internet
Interview with Howard Stern
: In May 1996, WQXA in
York, PA became an affiliate of Howard Stern. So Howard
had an on-air press conference for the new station. Click
the picture to hear my time with Howard on the air.
Listening to it 12+ years later, I can tell I was nervous!
WUSA-TV 9 Traffic
: While employed with Metro Traffic
in Washington, DC I did reports for many stations. One
of them was as a weekend/fill-in traffic reporter for
WUSA Channel 9. Click on the picture to see my demo
from 4th of July weekend, 2003.
Photo Gallery:
A collection of various pictures from
over the years.
The Coast/Ocean City, MD -1998/1999
:As a traffic
reporter, I was also a part of the morning team, The Big
Fat Radio Show on The Coast (Show hosted by Sean
Rima of late at KOA, Denver, KFI, L.A.). This clip is typical
of the shenanigans we pulled on a regular basis.
Daniels & Webster 5000th Show
: Daniels and Webster
are perhaps the longest lived morning team in the U.S.
On the air in Scranton, PA for the past
24 years
! In 1986
I was their first producer, and in October 2008, I was
interviewed as part of their 5000th Show celebration. A
fun interview which delves into a lot about my past.
Click on the picture to listen.


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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan supports members, providers and community during COVID-19 pandemic.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBS Michigan) is committed to protecting the health of Michigan citizens. As a trusted advisor and advocate for population health, BCBS Michigan is actively supporting members, customers, providers and communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.
From the outset, BCBS Michigan has been proactive in addressing the pandemic, investing nearly $600 million in expanding no-cost benefits for members, advancing millions of dollars to support health care providers, returning money to customers and members, supporting community based organizations to address food insecurity, expanding access to telehealth services, and expanding COVID-19 mobile testing.
Overview of Response Efforts
Supporting Members
BCBS Michigan has waived all member copays, deductibles and coinsurance for COVID-19 testing and treatments. BCBS Michigan is covering the full cost of medically necessary laboratory tests to diagnose COVID-19 infection.* Additional support includes:
- Providing no-cost telehealth medical and behavioral services so our members can easily see a doctor or therapist safely from their homes using their phone, computer or other device.
- Expanding home care management services for seniors, and proactive outreach to connect patients with resources and community services and targeting high-risk seniors with extra help including the delivery of more than 700,000 care packages with needed supplies such as thermometers and reusable face coverings.
- Returning more than $100 million in 2020 to customers and members for medical, dental, and vision premiums because of the significant disruption in health care services that could not be performed as a result of stay-at-home guidance during the pandemic.
Partnering with Providers on the Front Lines
BCBS Michigan is accelerating incentive payments to Michigan-based physician organizations and practices to give immediate financial support to purchase equipment and treat patients with COVID-19, extending deadlines to submit claims and providing financial incentives for providers to build telehealth capabilities. BCBS Michigan is supporting health care workers as they tackle COVID-19. Together with 35 hospitals in Michigan, BCBS Michigan started a COVID-19 data collection effort to help identify best care practices and possible treatments. More than 30 of our BCBS Michigan employees with medical backgrounds volunteered to help on the front lines.
Supporting Our Communities and Addressing Health Disparities
BCBS Michigan provided $500,000 to support the efforts of community-based organizations across Michigan to provide meals to vulnerable kids and support other efforts to protect seniors and other populations in need.
The pandemic has also placed a glaring spotlight on the racial disparities and inequities in health care. BCBS Michigan is taking steps to act now and, in the future.
BCBS Michigan joined forces with the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and other community-based organizations to award nearly $3 million to accelerate the expansion of telehealth services within federally qualified health centers, behavioral health providers, human service agencies, PACE programs, Area Agencies on Aging, and other safety net providers.
BCBS Michigan is partnering with Wayne State University, the Wayne State University Physician Group and ACCESS to expand COVID-19 mobile testing to include free testing directly to people where they are. The funding covers testing and supplies and operations costs for mobile units to test for COVID-10 at nursing homes, care facilities, churches and other sites throughout Detroit and the region.
BCBS Michigan implemented community outreach efforts to educate and inform residents about Coronavirus including the distribution of culturally competent informational resources and a tool kit through more than 500 churches, community and grassroots organizations throughout the state.
BCBS Michigan works with the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities investigating racial disparities related to COVID-19 to make recommendations that address transparent reporting data, reducing medical bias in testing and treatment and reducing barriers to physical and mental health care.
Through involvement with the Michigan Opioid Partnership, BCBS Michigan provided more than $100,000 to support telehealth services in fifteen Michigan county jails including rural, urban and metropolitan population centers. This expansion of telehealth services will improve access to mental health and opioid use disorder services for detainees and inmates in county jails.
And BCBS Michigan remains the largest private donor to Michigan's free clinics, providing free or low cost medical, dental and mental health care for safety net providers for the uninsured and undersinsured.
* This information is a summary as of May 2020 and coverage benefits are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 coverage, contact your BCBS company or the Customer Service number of the back of your member ID card.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, an association of independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies.


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Multiple reports in the past have indicated that Lenovo-owned Motorola is planning to launch a new One series phone, which is expected to arrive as the Motorola One Hyper. The One Hyper is rumoured to arrive as the company's first smartphone to flaunt a pop-up selfie camera. Ahead of the launch, a couple of live images of the device were leaked on the interwebs, which revealed its design. Most recently, the Motorola One Hyper was certified by the Federal Communications Commission, which suggested towards an imminent launch. Now, Motorola has officially confirmed that the One Hyper will be released at an event in Brazil on December 3rd.
The teaser image for the Motorola One Hyper's launch event doesn't reveal the name of the smartphone. However, the photo does include a sketch of a phone that has a pop-up selfie camera. The earlier leaked images of the Motorola One Hyper also showed off a pop-up lens towards the top-right corner of the handset. No other details regarding the smartphone's features have been revealed by the brand at the moment.
Motorola One Hyper specifications and features
According to the earlier leaked photos, the Motorola One Hyper will have slim bezels on all the sides of the screen. At the rear, the smartphone is expected to come with a dual primary camera setup. The camera module will be placed on the top-left corner of the handset. The back of the device will be curved towards the sides, and it will have a fingerprint sensor in the middle towards the top.
As for the specifications, the Motorola One Hyper is expected to offer a 6.4-inch display with full HD+ resolution and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The phone is rumoured to be powered by Qualcomm's octa-core Snapdragon 675 processor, which will be aided by 4GB of RAM and 128GB of native storage. For imaging, the device is said to offer a 64MP main camera on the back, which will be accompanied by an 8MP secondary snapper. The primary camera module is tipped to be able to record 4K videos at 30fps. The other rumoured specs include a 3.5mm headphone socket, Android 10, and a 4,000mAh battery with fast charging support.


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Vintage Brooks Robinson Louisville Slugger baseball bat BRAND NEW
BRAND NEW , unused vintage Brooks Robinson Louisville Slugger base ball bat. This bat as well as many others have been stored in a closet in my parent's home since the late 1960's. It is part of my late father's estate. Price includes high quality bat display tube. Check out my other unused vintage bats. Ships to continental US only.
The item "Vintage Brooks Robinson Louisville Slugger baseball bat BRAND NEW" is in sale since Thursday, January 23, 2020. This item is in the category "Sports Mem, Cards & Fan Shop\Autographs-Original\Baseball-MLB\Bats". The seller is "mypetcaesar" and is located in Kenner, Louisiana. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Product: Bat
- Player: Brooks Robinson
- Sport: Baseball-MLB
- Team: Baltimore Orioles
- Original/Reprint: Original


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Bogue: I'm glad they're so concerned about the state of our country.
Kois: It'll be their country soon enough!Photo: AP
Jonas Brothers Coyly Decline to Endorse a Candidate
Bogue: I'm glad they're so concerned about the state of our country.
In a visit to their future home, the White House, yesterday, the Jonas Brothers were busy: signing the wall of that former swimming pool where celebrities sign their names, attending a meeting on diabetes, meeting Dick Cheney's (presumably weeping) granddaughters. They also demurred from endorsing any presidential candidate … for now.
Surely aware that any endorsement would result in a landslide victory for the candidate in question — as tween girls lock their mothers in the basement and take their places at America's polling stations — the brothers are content to wait until a few weeks before the election, by which time their endorsement will surely be worth a Cabinet position at least. But be careful, candidates: A Jonas appointment as secretary of Defense just means the Jonases will finally have the standing army they've long coveted, and soon you'll be out of a job.
Jonas Brothers drop in on White House press corps [CNN]Jonas Brothers Coyly Decline to Endorse a Candidate


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Stretch jacket (all season) Blue | Womens
✓ Free shipping & free returns in E.U. & U.S.
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Lightweight and made of the Primaristo™ fourway stretch fabric from Toray, it's durable and offers ultimate comfort. The stretch jacket feels like a second skin, keeping you warm during an active day in nature or the city. Whether you ride a bike in the mountains or take your kayak to the river. We believe it's a must have for every outdoor enthusiast.
Type of use: Wear it as a standalone piece or as layer underneath a shell jacket to keep you warm in colder conditions.
Secure transactions
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https://partyhosthelper.com/6q3fdkv Feb162015
Strategic mortgage default spreads like a virus when conditions are right
When house prices are falling and it's cheaper to rent than to own, strategic default becomes widespread, and banks are powerless to prevent it.
https://www.bobbimccormick.com/b0063rvgd2 One of the great advances which has come from the Internet is the quick dissemination of useful information. In short, secrets don't remain secret very long.
Lenders didn't want borrowers to know that their friends and neighbors stopped paying their mortgages, and their lives improved. Lenders want borrowers to remain in the dark and fall victim to old beliefs and habits which prompt them to keep paying even when it is not in their best interest to do so.
https://care4needycopts.org/a2zuvzan Unfortunately, the quick spread of information on the Internet got out the word, and "mavens" like myself did not helping lenders out. Too bad for lenders.
What disease and strategic default on mortgages have in common
https://care4needycopts.org/m6tx2k0xg November 17, 2011 — Jamie Smith Hopkins
https://kevinreillycollection.com/iz13rn0 A new report conducted for a mortgage-industry trade group likens "strategic default" — walking away from a mortgage you can afford to pay because you owe more than your house is worth — to a contagious disease.
https://markmadsen.com/2022/11/17/n9hb6g1r2 It's an interesting analogy I imagine lenders embrace. To them it is disease, but to borrowers it is medicine for their debt disease. It depends on your point of view, doesn't it?
https://www.bobbimccormick.com/d1rutjc5y It's not just the idea that strategic defaulters spawn more strategic defaulters. The report's authors focus much of their attention on real estate experts — "mavens" — who advocate such a move and sway underwater homeowners to their way of thinking.
"Much the same way as a disease spreads throughout a population, so too do decisions to 'strategically' default," the report concludes, adding: "Mavens are more contagious than non-Mavens because people place greater trust in their opinions. … In fragile markets, advice by influential Mavens can result in a flood of strategic defaults, causing a contagious downward spiral of home prices and potentially a market collapse."
I had no idea I was so powerful. I certainly advocated strategic default for many reasons, not the least of which is that it's very often the best thing for the families — the fact that it punishes the banks who created this mess is a bonus.
https://thebirthhour.com/caitdqxco I have a hard time believing any voice, no matter how influential could really impact a housing market. People are going to do what they are going to do irrespective of what supposed experts say.
https://pastiebap.com/site-news/8qp7j7golz7 The report was sponsored for the Mortgage Bankers Association's Research Institute for Housing America. Last year, the bankers association's then-CEO said would-be strategic defaulters should think about the damage they would do to their neighbors' property values and their own reputations. " What about the message they will send to their family and their kids and their friends?" John Courson told The Wall Street Journal at the end of 2009.
https://missafricausa.org/bmaj7w8q2h Let't think about that one. What message does strategic default send to a family, kids and friends? It says I am strong enough to admit I made a mistake and change course. It says I value my families financial future more than the profits of a lender.
That just before the Mortgage Bankers Association sold its headquarters building for millions less than its 2007 purchase price — and millions less than its financing, too. The WSJ reported at the time that the association would not disclose the terms it negotiated with its lenders, but sources thought the group would be paying back only part of the $30 million that the sale price hadn't covered. Irony lovers had a field day.
https://www.angelinvestmentnetwork.net/m7uthy5bnlz Yes, the mortgage bankers themselves strategically defaulted while simultaneously decrying their borrowers from doing the same. I guess when it is a business decision, the agreements signed in the past go out the window. What message does that say to the families, children and friends of the bankers?
https://integraleuropeanconference.com/2022/11/17/jb6lx9cow9 People have debated the ethics and bottom-line considerations of walking away for several years now. The ethics argument boils down to whether paying your debts is a moral obligation or a contractual one (i.e. "I pay the mortgage or I give you back the house, so here's the house, buddy"). On the financial side, there's the chance to get out from under a house that might never be worth what you paid for it vs. the effect on credit scores, the ability to get security clearances and the possibility of future dunning attempts.
https://partyhosthelper.com/m2xzay9 Some states are non-recourse, meaning that mortgage holders can't come after you for the difference between what you owe and what they can sell the house for. Others — including Maryland — allow the debt collectors to come calling.
Last year I wrote about a strategic defaulter who was planning to file for bankruptcy protection after he walked away from his Baltimore home.
So, folks: What do you think of strategic default nowadays? Do you think the "disease" theory is apt?
People form strong attachments to their homes. Walking away is never a decision they take lightly. We can discuss the pros and cons and come up with our own beliefs and attitudes about it, but the turnover of our housing stock caused by the housing crash will be very painful for those who go through it.
Ruthless default or accelerated default?
There is no accepted definition of strategic default. Lenders tried to define the issue as any borrower who is capable of making a payment and chooses not to; on the surface that sounds reasonable, but that misses a very important distinction: some people chose to default because they know they can't afford the home and they are merely choosing the timing of the inevitable.
When I think about strategic default, I think about people who chose the timing of their default when there is little reasonable hope of having equity and they are facing escalating payments. The only thing strategic about the default is the timing, not whether or not they will lose the home.
True strategic default — a default by a non-distressed homeowner who can afford the payment on a fixed-rate amortizing mortgage — is rare. In cases where the owner is severely underwater and they can rent for far less than their current payment, the incentive certainly exists, but most borrowers in that circumstance with a fixed-rate mortgage will chose to ride out the collapse. The borrowers with most incentive to default are those with toxic financing or temporary loan modifications that know they are facing an increased debt and an increasing payment. https://victoriamapperley.co.uk/07ijh2otk When those borrowers default on their own schedule, is their default truly strategic or merely accelerated?
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Yesterday I showed a billboard with a photo of this model to advertise a housing development. Here is another use of the same advertisement, except the ad is on the back of the shuttle bus that runs between the Garden Plaza shopping center and hotels and resorts in Tamarindo.
I can imagine the dialogue between the model and her agent. It probably went something like this: "Hey, buttercup, I got a great gig for ya. You wear an elegant, sparkly evening gown with spaghetti straps."
She might inquire: "Swifty, where will my photo be displayed? I want to make sure that it fits my image for sophisticated modeling jobs."
The agent would respond, "It'll be first class all the way, baby. Your photo will be on billboards and magazine ads. And there will be a giant photo of you plastered all over the back of a bus, with taillights coming out of your neck like giant moles. It'll be great."
Here is a photo of what the rest of the bus looks like. It is a shuttle bus that takes people back and forth from hotels and resorts in Tamarindo to the Garden Plaza Shopping Center, which is at the entrance to town and, unlike most of the shops in Tamarindo, is not in walking distance from the center of town.
Tomorrow, I will show you method of promoting a business that definitely was not created by an ad agency.


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显苞芒毛苣苔 xian bao mang mao ju tai
Aeschynanthus bracteatus var. orientalis W. T. Wang; A. bracteatus var. peelii (J. D. Hooker & T. Thomson) C. B. Clarke; A. peelii J. D. Hooker & Thomson.
Stems 25-150 cm, glabrous. Leaves opposite; petiole 5-20 mm; leaf blade broadly lanceolate to elliptic, ovate, or obovate, 4.4-13 X 1.5-6.1 cm, leathery to papery, glabrous, adaxially drying wrinkled or smooth, abaxially few punctate, base cuneate to rounded or subcordate, margin entire to shallowly dentate, frequently undulate, sometimes revolute, apex caudate to acuminate; lateral veins indistinct. Cymes axillary or pseudoterminal, 2-7-flowered; peduncle (0.5-)3-7 cm; bracts usually persistent, red to purple, lanceolate to ovate, 1.5-3 X 0.6-1.4 cm. Pedicel 6-12(-20) mm, glabrous. Calyx red, 5-sect from base; segments linear to lanceolate, 1.2-1.9 cm X 2-4 mm, outside glabrous. Corolla red to pink or purple, 3.2-4.2 cm, glabrous, mouth strongly oblique; limb indistinctly 2-lipped; adaxial lip erect, 6-8 mm; abaxial lip reflexed, 6-8 mm. Stamens exserted; filaments ca. 2.5 cm; anthers coherent in pairs at apex, 1.8-2.5 mm; staminode ca. 0.5 mm. Pistil ca. 2.8 cm; ovary glandular puberulent. Style 4-6 mm, glandular puberulent. Capsule 7-16(-21) cm. Seeds with 1 hairlike appendage at each end, appendages 1.8-3 mm. Fl. Jun-Oct, fr. Jul-Jan.
On trees in forested valleys and on streamside cliffs; 900-3200 m. NW Guangxi, SE Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Myanmar].
There are apparently two distinct races in Aeschynanthus bracteatus which have been called varieties. We do not consider the distinctions strong enough to recognize taxonomically; however, in SE Yunnan there is a race which can usually be distinguished from typical A. bracteatus. This race usually has leaf blades broader (elliptic to oblong or obovate) and thicker (leathery), and which dry flat adaxially and frequently abaxially cinnamon reddish. In contrast typical A. bracteatus specimens have leaf blades lanceolate to narrowly ovate and thin leathery to papery which dry rugose adaxially and abaxially usually yellowish green.
Treatments in Other Floras @ www.efloras.org
Chinese Plant Names
Other Databases
Other Databases


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Set contains 160mm long nose, 160mm combination pliers & 160mm side cutting pliers.
Pliers Set 3 Piece
Width: 75mm
Length: 500m
Thickness: 30 microns
Inner core: 76mm I/D
PE waterproof film
In case you are dissatisfied with your purchase, simply write to us within 30days from purchase detailing why the product disappointed and we will be happy to exchange for another item of similar value from the range.
For orders placed through our Amazon shop, please refer to the Amazon refunds and returns policy.