Toronto, Canada, September 03, 2013 --(PR.com
)-- WSI, the world’s largest network of digital marketing consultants, hosted its 2013 Global Convention in Toronto, Canada on August 22-25. WSI Digital Marketing Consultants from over 28 countries were in attendance at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle Hotel to exchange cutting-edge online strategies as well as explore state-of-the-art industry tools, all geared to enhance their services in their local regions. WSI consultants were also joined by industry leading subject matter experts from organizations like Google, LinkedIn, ReachLocal, and Constant Contact.
“Regardless of tenure among WSI’s Digital Marketing Consultants, our annual Global Conventions gear each of our consultants to the fore-front of this fast-paced industry. This year’s Convention in Toronto was no exception and through the extended 4-day schedule, we facilitated a highly collaborative atmosphere,” says Doug Schust, President of WSI. “The unique environment was shaped by Consultants from all corners of the globe, with just as many, if not more, leading-edge strategies and insights to share. Each year, as the digital space evolves, the WSI network aims to adapt, progress, and continue to secure our brand as a thought leader within the digital industry. The 2013 Global Convention achieved just that, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the spirit of collaboration that seems to amplify year after year.”
Attending his second WSI Convention as a guest speaker, was Google’s Sher Khan, Strategic Partner Manager. Sher praised the significant progress that the WSI-Google partnership has made in the past year. He also spoke about the importance of the web for businesses as well as about some of Google's most recent innovations.
New to the WSI speaker lineup this year was Brian Church, Country Manager for LinkedIn Canada, who spoke on the invaluable credence LinkedIn lends brands and professionals alike.
“From hiring, to marketing, to selling, LinkedIn enables organizations and professionals – regardless of position or industry – to create boundless opportunities for themselves,” said Brian Church. “At this Convention my goal was to present a unique view into how social networking can substantially transform any brand. Integrating a tool like LinkedIn will prove invaluable to one’s digital marketing strategy. I was very pleased to be a part of WSI’s Convention in Toronto this year.”
The 4-day event featured a lineup of interactive presentations and breakout sessions discussing advanced techniques on business operations, marketing and sales, and delivery and results. Franchise offices from over 28 countries around the world, including UK, USA, Canada, Europe, South Africa, Latin America, Australia and the Middle East attended the Convention to share and discuss cutting edge site, search, social and mobile strategies.
For more information about WSI, please visit www.wsiworld.com.
About WSI – we simplify the Internet:
WSI is the world’s leading Internet franchise offering digital marketing services to suit the needs of multiple industries. The company has the world’s largest Digital Marketing Consultants’ network with its head office in Toronto, Canada. WSI Digital Marketing Consultants have helped thousands of small and medium-sized businesses realize their online marketing potential. By using innovative Internet technologies and advanced digital marketing strategies, businesses can have a WSI Digital Marketing System tailored to their individual needs to elevate their Internet presence and profitability to new levels. In 2012, WSI was the proud recipient of 6 Standard of Excellence Awards at the Annual WebAwards Competition organized by the Web Marketing Association (WMA). With the support and cooperation of its customers, franchise network, employees, suppliers and charitable organizations, WSI aims to help make child poverty history through its global outreach program www.makechildpovertyhistory.org.
For more information about WSI’s offerings and business opportunities, please visit our website at www.wsiworld.com. For digital marketing tips, strategies and ideas, visit our blog at: http://www.wsiworld.com/blog. Please follow us online at: http://twitter.com/wsiworld, http://facebook.com/wsiworld, http://www.linkedin.com/company/wsi-internet-consulting, http://youtube.com/wsiworld.


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A stay at St Mark Hotel places you in the heart of London, within a 15-minute walk of Kensington High Street and Natural History Museum. This hotel is 0.9 mi (1.5 km) from Victoria and Albert Museum and 1.1 mi (1.7 km) from Kensington Gardens.Rooms
Make yourself at home in one of the 25 guestrooms featuring refrigerators and flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available to keep you connected. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as microwaves and electric kettles.Amenities
Make use of convenient amenities such as complimentary wireless Internet access, a television in a common area, and tour/ticket assistance.Dining
A complimentary continental breakfast is served daily from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM.Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include express check-in, express check-out, and a 24-hour front desk.Attractions
Distances are displayed to the nearest 0.1 mile and kilometer.
Kensington High Street - 1 km / 0.6 mi
Natural History Museum - 1.2 km / 0.7 mi
Kensington Gardens - 1.4 km / 0.8 mi
Victoria and Albert Museum - 1.5 km / 0.9 mi
Kensington Palace - 1.6 km / 1 mi
Royal Albert Hall - 1.7 km / 1.1 mi
Hyde Park - 2 km / 1.2 mi
Stamford Bridge Stadium - 2.1 km / 1.3 mi
Saatchi Gallery - 2.5 km / 1.6 mi
Sloane Square - 2.6 km / 1.6 mi
Eventim Apollo - 2.8 km / 1.7 mi
Battersea Park - 3.2 km / 2 mi
Piccadilly - 3.2 km / 2 mi
Green Park - 3.4 km / 2.1 mi
Westfield London Shopping Centre - 3.4 km / 2.1 mi
The nearest airports are:
London (LHR-Heathrow) - 22.2 km / 13.8 mi
London (LGW-Gatwick) - 60 km / 37.3 mi
London (LCY-London City) - 21.3 km / 13.3 mi
The preferred airport for St Mark Hotel is London (LHR-Heathrow).
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- No onsite parking is available. Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property. The policies listed are provided by the property.
The credit card used to book the reservation must be presented by the cardholder at check-in. Any other arrangements must be coordinated with the property prior to arrival. For more details, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Please note, there is important information about this property to know before you arrive.
- Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Rollaway beds are available for an additional fee
- Credit card charges are subject to a surcharge
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
- -Free WiFi
- -Smoke-free property
- -24-hour front desk
- -Safe-deposit box at front desk
- -Free breakfast
- -Television in common areas
- -Tours/ticket assistance
- -Express check-in
- -Express check-out
- -Luggage storage

domain: travel


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ATB Financial’s Economics & Research Team has pulled some interesting data on mortgage debt from Statistics Canada.
According to the federal agency, after adjusting for inflation, median mortgage debt in Canada nearly doubled between 1999 and 2016. It went from $91,900 to $180,000 in 2016 constant dollars.
But ATB says that for families with a mortgage in the census metropolitan area (CMA) of Edmonton, the debt increased by 178 per cent between 1999 and 2016, compared to 119 per cent in the CMA of Calgary and 154 per cent in the rest of Alberta.
“The relatively high cost of housing in Calgary and Edmonton explains why median mortgage debt in the two CMAs is higher than the national level, at $260,000 in Calgary and $250,000 in Edmonton compared to $180,000 for Canada as a whole. Toronto has the highest level of median mortgage debt among the communities included in the study at $280,000,” ATB says in its daily economic update The Owl.
ATB says that about eight in 10 Calgarians and Edmontonians with a mortgage have a fixed rate compared to about nine out of 10 for families outside of Calgary and Edmonton.
“Homeownership rates in Calgary and Edmonton differ, with 67.5 of Calgary families owning their home in 2016 compared to 60.7 per cent in Edmonton. The homeownership rate for Alberta – excluding the CMAs of Calgary and Edmonton — was 69.4 per cent. At 50.5 per cent, Montreal had the lowest rate of home ownership among the communities included in the study. The Canadian average was 62.8 per cent,” the financial institution says.
“Statistics Canada attributes the increase of median mortgage debt to the rapid rise of house prices and low interest rates. With (inflation-adjusted) mortgages much larger than they were less than 20 years ago, there is concern that a rise in interest rates could make it difficult for some families to afford their mortgage payments.”

domain: finance


Live Music: Sunday, Jan. 27
Arnie Krakowski, Greg Wardson, Alan Bernstein and Mike Coffey: jazz, Johnny’s at the Atlantic Resort, 240 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown. 847-2750. 3-7 p.m.
Bobby Ferreira: jazz brunch, Clarke Cooke House Restaurant, 1 Bannister’s Wharf, Newport. 849-2900. 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Cal Raye: pop and oldies, Mulhearn’s Irish Pub, 507 North Broadway, East Providence. 438-9292. 8 p.m.-midnight.
Coach Ed and Friends: Newman Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, 100 Newman Ave., Rumford. 434-4742, ext. 10. $5 advance; $8 door. 3 p.m.
Joshua Nelson: gospel, Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence. singingthedream2019.eventbrite.com. $18 advance; $25 door. 3-5 p.m.
Mac Odom and Chill: rhythm and blues, 133 Club, 29 Warren Ave., East Providence. 438-1330, 133club.net. 7:30 p.m.
Marrowfields, Blacksoul Seraphim, Faces of Bayon, Mourn, The Light, Oxblood Forge: metal, Fete Music Hall, 103 Dike St., Providence. 383-1112, fetemusic.com. $10. 7 p.m.
Marty Ballou with Jamba: The Pump House Music Works, 1464 Kingstown Rd., Wakefield. pumphousemusicworks.com. $10. 7 p.m.
Milt Javery: jazz brunch, Eleven Forty Nine, 1149 Division St., Warwick. 884-1149. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers: music of the 1930s-'60s. Twin River Casino, Lighthouse Bar, 100 Twin River Rd., Lincoln. 723-3200, twinriver.com. 2 p.m.
Priscilla Renea: pop, soul, rhythm and blues, Mohegan Sun, Wolf Den, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville, Conn. (888) 226-7711, mohegansun.com. No cover. 7 p.m.
Rag Doll: tribute to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, Mohegan Sun, Wolf Den, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville, Conn. (888) 226-7711, mohegansun.com. No cover. Noon.
Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Jazz Ensembles: jazz, Rhode Island Philharmonic’s Carter Center for Music Education and Performance, 667 Waterman Ave., East Providence. musicschool.riphil.org. 5 p.m.
Ricky Vinniti: rock, Broadway Lounge, 535 North Broadway, East Providence. 434-9742. No cover. 8 p.m.
Steve Burke: jazz, Lake Pearl, 299 Creek St., Wrentham. (508) 384-3003. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Traditional Irish Seisun: Aidan’s Pub, 5 John St., Bristol. 254-1940, aidanspub.com. No cover. All ages. 5 p.m.
Traditional Irish Session: featuring Tony Gutierrez, Jack Wright and Tim May, Fastnet Pub, 1 Broadway, Newport. 845-9311, thefastnetpub.com. 5-8 p.m.


V860II-O guarantees good light shooting experience with GN60 high guide number, and 10 to 100mm (4/3 system) or 20 to 200 mm (135 system) flash coverage, 22 steps from 1/1 to 1/128; Stable consistency and color temperature with even illumination and stable output
Fully Supports for Olympus / for Panasonic series TTL camera flash, which includes TTL Auto flash, Manual Flash, Multi Flash; 1/8000s High-Speed Sync, Flash Exposure Compensation, first-curtain sync, and second-curtain sync etc.
Built-in Godox 2.4G wireless control system and offers all-in-one functions and 100 meters further transmission distance; Optical FT-16S to adjust flash parameters & trigger the flash
TT685O can work as a master unit in TTL/M/Multi/OFF modes; Available to set three slave groups flash for TTL auto flash shooting to create various lighting effects. As a slave unit, TT685O is compatible with Godox X1 series transmitter e.g. X1T-C (Canon), X1T-N (Nikon), X1T-S (Sony), X1T-F (Fuji), X1T-O (for Olympus or for Panasonic)
User-friendly LCD panel to make clear and convenient operations; support firmware upgrade.


New Zealand produced the nation’s biggest win in FIFA U-20 World Cup history with a 5-0 rout of Honduras to open Group C play at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019.
Darwin Diego inadvertently steered the ball into his own net just eight minutes into the match, and that unfortunate moment seemed to deflate Carlos Tabora’s side. After that, New Zealand took full control of the match as Ben Waine had a brace to his name midway through the first half.
The second half continued in much a similar vein to the first. New Zealand maintained their dominance with Sarpreet Singh and Matt Conroy adding a fourth and fifth goal to ensure the Kiwis made history to commence their Poland 2019 campaign.
Next up in Group C (27 May)
Honduras – Uruguay (18:00 local time)
Norway – New Zealand (20:30 local time)


Whether you’re a Washington Redskins fan or not, it’s hard not to see that Robert Griffin III was nothing short of incredible last season. Any time a rookie comes into the NFL and dominates as Griffin did, you know they are a special player. With Griffin under center, the Redskins offense was outstanding, this kid can run, he can throw and he has a knack for reading defenses.
Last season, Griffin suffered an ACL injury for the second time in his football career. Currently, Griffin is still rehabbing and he has not seen any playing time at all this preseason. He is expected to be back for the Redskins’ season-opener on September 9.
Without seeing any live playing time, how effective can Griffin really be? Will his knee hold up after undergoing his second ACL surgery?
What makes Griffin a great quarterback is his ability to sense the pressure from the defense, pull the ball down and take off running for a huge gain. Will Griffin still be able to do that this season?
We saw Adrian Peterson come back from the same type of injury last year and have the best year of his career. Peterson was unstoppable, and his knee was never an issue. If Griffin’s knee holds up as well as Peterson’s, I think we will see him dominate this league again this season. Griffin is a talented player, and I think he is going to be an outstanding quarterback for many years.


The Las Vegas Democrat who allegedly killed Jeff German, the reporter who unearthed dirt on him, tried to hide the evidence of the crime, according to a report.
Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles was arrested Wednesday in connection with the stabbing death of Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German.
Authorities say Telles left a trail of evidence linking him to the killing, according to the Nevada Current. Police reportedly found a photo and a video showing Telles in an orange shirt with reflective tape and a straw hat walking toward German’s home on the day he was killed.
“[Telles] approached Mr. German’s home and went to the side of the house shortly after German came outside of the garage door and then went to the side of the house and ultimately an altercation took place between the suspect and the victim,” Homicide Captain Dori Koren told reporters, according to the Nevada Current. Police reportedly say they have video footage of the attack, which happened around 11:18 a.m.
Authorities served a search warrant Wednesday at Telles’ home in connection with the death. Authorities found Telles’ DNA at the crime scene, as well as a pair of bloodied sneakers at the alleged suspect’s home. (RELATED: Reporter Asks Whether Sheriff Condemns Trump After Democrat Allegedly Murdered Journalist)
German had been working on a potential follow-up piece about Telles the week he was killed, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The reporter had also recently filed public records requests for messages and emails between Telles and other county officials, the outlet noted.
Telles lost his reelection bid in June after German’s reporting, which detailed a hostile work environment under Telles, was published.
It’s official. County Public Administrator Robert Telles has lost his reelection bid. County commissioners certified the primary results on Friday … https://t.co/1g1yLjPBIr via @reviewjournal
— Jeff German (@JGermanRJ) June 25, 2022
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo called the case “terrible and jarring,” according to Nevada Current.
“This has been an unusual case from the beginning — the murder of an investigative journalist and the main suspect, an elected official here in Clark County. This is a terrible and jarring homicide — one that has deeply impacted Las Vegas,” Lombardo said, according to the outlet.


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We left Bishkek around noon in a minibus. While at the bus station we had lots of time to people watch and thought these guys looked like gangsters.
The road was decent and there were lots of irrigated fields-- green where the rest of the landscape was yellow and brown. Before we started, an older man wearing a traditional Kyrgyz felt hat, his daughter and and his granddaughter sat behind us. Rowshan was taking the little girl's photo and showing it to her. She was delighted and laughed.
The grandfather asked where we were from. I said the USA. Before even asking our names, he invited us to his house in Bokonbaev. I explained we were grateful but already had reservations elsewhere. His daughter reconfirmed the invitation and said if we go through Bokonbaev on our way back to call.
Not far from Bishkek, the driver stopped by a market where the main product was large watermelons. Several women returned to the van carrying huge watermelons (one was 16 Kilos).
I dozed off for a few minutes and when I woke up we were in the mountains-- jagged and rocky with tufts of dry grass.
A small rapid river foamed next to the road. The mountains were grayish with occasional outcrops of red rock, eroded into finger-like walls and ropey waves.
There were only 3 other guests at the yurt camp. Briony, Rob and Dominique were participating in a car rally for charity where everyone drove a car from England, Spain, or Italy to Ulan Batar, Mongolia, by the route of their choice. Some took a northern route through Russia, others went through Turkey, Iran and Tajikistan. They went through Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, then were heading back into Kazakhstan, into Russia, then to Mongolia. They had been driving for about 10 days straight and had their first real break here in Manjily, where they'd spent a day lying on the beach at the lake and gotten a bit too much sun.
The camp had a view through the owner's rather sparse experimental apricot orchard, across reddish gray sand and dirt speckled with scrubby green brush. The lake, a soft blue that blended into the sky was so large, I couldn't see the opposite shore. The view of dryness, softened by water made me think of Baja without cacti. Behind the yurt camp rose variegated clay hills and beyond that, the mountains with scrubby heads of pine trees.
We were served tea and dinner. The plov was quite good--not greasy like all the other plov we've had. We also had salad and nice bread. Towards the evening, as I was relaxing in the yurt, I heard the sound of a sheep. The our fellow guests reconfirmed it was a sheep that had been pulled out of the trunk of a car after bunches of other groceries and beer had been produced. It was presumably the meals for the next few days. We were all relieved that we weren't invited to witness the sheep's final moments.
After dinner, the women busied themselves in the kitchen preparing little fried bread pieces. Rowshan discovered the grandmother understood some Turkish so he was soon chatting with them.
A little later, they dumped piles of fresh fried dough pieces on the table. Hot, fresh out of the fryer, they were delicious. Rowshan had been presented with the first one. We all tried to go to bed early but a little after we turned off the light, a group came from Bishkek talking and laughing late into the night. They were up around 6AM in the morning, practicing. Food was being prepared and occasionally a car would pull up and 2 to 4 tourists would pop out. By the end of breakfast, the long table was almost full. The girls from Bishkek sang some songs and did some dances. Baykut, the owner of the yurt camp, told us about the history and legends of the region. Then we set off into the hills for a walk by several sacred springs. The first couple were small, leaving traces of heavier green amongst the gray rocks. We continued up and down hills until ahead of us we saw a large tree with leaf filled branches.
This was the strongest spring and it created a miniature oasis. A broad tree created a shady paradise. Lush green grass covered the ground. A family was having a picnic. Being a bit wary of springs, we didn't drink from it choosing our bottled water instead.
Back at the camp, we had another concert. By this time, a sound system had been brought in and several people performed on the komuz, the 3 stringed national instrument of Kyrgyzstan. The performances were very good. One woman played it with strange fluttering motions to express the conversation of birds.
The dances as a group were a bit disorganized, but the individual dancers' movements were graceful with lots of delicate hand gestures.
We had a huge lunch feast.
Afterwards, the highlight of the day began to show up: 3 eagle hunters (burkutchu) and their eagles. The men were dressed in matching brown velvet with gold swirl designs and traditional white felt hat.
They each had a giant golden eagle who perched on their heavy leather gloves, iron talons curled.
They were very elegant and dignified men of different ages. For the demonstration, they ceremoniously marched up a hill with eagles on their arms, while a man with a bag of rabbits walked out to the field below.
The first eagle was told to fly. She outstretched her wings and soared down directly at the rabbit, slamming it to earth.
The eagle hunter went racing to his eagle. The 2nd rabbit and 2nd eagle followed. then the 3rd. After the 3rd, we all raced down. Each hunter stood by his eagle and determined how much she could eat. The eagles were tearing the guts out snapping veins and inner organs.
The rabbits were removed and placed back in the bag. We are not sure what happened to them. Then we took turns taking photos with one of the eagles perched on our arms.
Two of the eagles and hunters left. One eagle remained, masked, by the dining area. Then we had free time which some of us utilized by taking a trip to the beach. It was crowded and there was a lot of trash, however one of the foreigners, a man from Switzerland, said he had swum in the morning and not only was the beach empty, it had been clean. The water was beautiful--clear but not too cold. By this time the sun wasn't too hot either. We relaxed on the beach with several other people we met visiting Manjily for the Birds of Prey festival. Then we headed back to the camp for tea with the family.
Before dinner we had an additional treat of a professional komuz performer, playing a mini concert. He played the bird song with fabulous bird motions and taps with one of the "birds" eventually flying away. The music of the komuz is surprisingly rich for its few strings.
Dinner and some more performances (Rowshan and I heard from a distance since we took a walk at sunset to see the graveyard, eventually getting distracted by a wild jack rabbit fleeing through the desert.) Then the DJ music was blasted until the electricity died. They changed the entertainment to games and we fled up a hillside where some of the other foreigners had already escaped.
As it got dark, they built a fire and we came down. The electricity came on to my disappointment because I thought the disco had been canceled and we would be able to go to sleep. Instead, the music seemed to be doomed to blast into the night, disturbing the serenity of watching the stars through the ceiling cross beams of the yurt. Rowshan was impressed how the dancers imitated dances from video clips.
The yurts were quite comfortable. When the top is open, the wooden cross pieces seem to frame the sky. There is a decorative piece above the door which makes a path to the cross piece-- a kind of ladder to the sky. The bottom is lined with felt carpets. The wooden frame also serves as hooks to hang things on or tie things to. A felt piece can be pulled over the top hole when it rains by pulling a rope. It is quite a feat of practical engineering. Everything has its purpose but is also decorative. The door flap-- a piece of felt with a reed mat inside, roles up and tucks into a flap of felt formed by the roof felt.

domain: geography


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In Friday's Middle East papers
05 September 2008 05:00 [Source: ICIS news] OMAN TRIBUNE
Bashar sends peace proposals to Israel
Leaders of Syria, Turkey, France and Qatar on Thursday held a four-way summit in Damascus aimed at promoting peace and stability in Middle East. Syrian President Bashar Al Assad said a list of proposals has been sent to Israel via Turkish mediators aimed at laying the groundwork for direct peace talks between the two countries.
Situation still grim in Bihar
Efforts to rescue tens of thousands of villagers in northern India still cut off by a monsoon-swollen river have entered a critical stage, aid workers and evacuees say.
ECB, BoE keep rates steady
The European Central Bank (ECB) and Bank of England (BoE) left their key interest rates steady on Thursday with most analysts forecasting no change for the rest of the year despite recession fears.
After years, Iraq’s economy shows improvement: IMF
Iraq’s economic prospects are improving with increased security helping to boost oil output and exports, while inflation has declined, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said late on Wednesday.
Bush advised to delay troop cuts in Iraq
President Bush's top defence advisers have recommended he maintain 15 combat brigades in Iraq until the end of the year contrary to expectations that the improved security in Iraq would allow for quicker cuts, The Associated Press has learned.
Rescuers can't get aid to starving Haitian city
The convoy rumbled out of the UN base toward a flooded, starving and seething city Thursday, carrying some of the first food aid since Tropical Storm Hanna killed 137 Haitians and drowned Gonaives in muddy water three days ago.
Credit Insurance Facility for Exports
For more than two weeks now exporters in Dubai and the whole UAE have the chance to insure their transactions with a credit insurance office, which ensures payment for their delivered products should buyers in the Gulf and overseas renege on their trade obligations.
Stock Market Declines 1%; Reliance Down
Indian shares dropped 1% on Thursday, weighed down by Reliance Industries Ltd, following a rise of more than a dollar in global oil prices and lingering worries about a slowing global economy.
Emergency session on expat labour set; MPs fear repeat of summer strikes
Kuwait’s parliament is to hold an emergency session on Sept 10 to debate violent protests by foreign workers over pay and living conditions, Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi said.
‘Dial 5730098 to check for solutions to problems’; ‘Interior’ sets up hotline for illegal expatriates
Expatriates eager to legalise their illegal residency status would be more than welcome to do so and the Interior Ministry would help on this aspect, said an official.
GCC economic figures the real deal
The following is a report prepared by National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) which focuses on GCC budget balances.
Kuwait lets dinar ease as dollar rallies
Kuwait unusually allowed the dinar to fall twice against the rallying dollar on Wednesday as the central bank decided not to move in lockstep with the greenback.
Women’s varsity to have new campus - King Abdullah to lay foundation soon
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will lay the foundation stone of the new campus of Kingdom’s first women university shortly, Princess Al-Jowhara bint Fahd, president of the university, announced yesterday.
Stream of visitors from Riyadh head to Makkah, Madinah
Many people from the capital have left for Makkah and Madinah in the first three days of Ramadan. Besides people traveling by air, more than 75 luxury buses left for the two holy cities on Wednesday afternoon.
Oil Scene: No warning bells in OPEC capitals yet
All eyes are focused on Riyadh. With calls from within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to have a close look at its current output practices, the Saudi stance on the issue is eagerly awaited.
Nissan unveils first clean-diesel car in Japan
Nissan Motor Corp. launched yesterday its first clean-running diesel vehicle in Japan in a bid to open up a new market by rebranding the fuel as eco-friendly.
Iran flatly rejects PGCC statement @H= Tehran calls PGCC statement ‘baseless and unacceptable’
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi on Wednesday said the statement released by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) over the Iranian islands is a manifestation of "interference in Iran’s internal affaires" which are "baseless, repetitious and unacceptable".
Rare manuscripts of Quran on display at Tehran exhibit
A collection of rare manuscripts of the Holy Quran attributed to the Imams are currently on display at the 16th annual International Holy Quran Exhibition.
Spain’s radical plan for migrants
On the northern outskirts of Madrid, the Tres Cantos railway station is getting a makeover.
Inflation control to be focus of new India RBI chief
India’s monetary policy is likely to retain its inflation-control focus even after Duvvuri Subbarao takes over the reins at the Reserve Bank of India later this week, as consumer prices remain way above the central bank’s target, according to analysts.
McCain accepts party nomination
John McCain, the US Republican presidential candidate, has formally accepted the party's nomination in a speech at its convention in St Paul, Minnesota.
US troops 'should stay in Iraq'
Senior military advisers have recommended that the US president maintain current troop levels in Iraq until the end of the year, Pentagon sources say.
Deal agreed over TNK-BP oil venture
British and Russian shareholders have announced an end to a months-long feud for control of TNK-BP, the joint oil venture.
German bank to slash 9,000 jobs
Commerzbank aims to cut almost $2.95bn in costs by slashing 9,000 jobs after buying Dresdner Bank.
THE DAILY STAR
Nasrallah reaches out to family of slain LAF helicopter plot
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Thursday that his group will not surrender its weapons "as long as Israeli threats persist." "These weapons will remain because they are used for defence," Nasrallah said in a televised speech during an iftar hosted by the Hizbullah Support Committee.
Siniora vows to raise wages, predicts 'calm' dialogue
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Thursday his government will approve salary raises in a Cabinet session next week, adding that the Lebanese should double efforts to preserve stability in their country.
Lebanon's minimum-wage row on next week's Cabinet agenda
The Cabinet is expected to meet next week to look into the proposal of finance minister Mohammad Shatah to raise the minimum wage to LL500,000 ($333) amid indications that this suggestion may not be settled in one session. Labour Minister Mohammad Fneish told the daily star on Thursday that he would give his opinion.
Forex? What is it, anyway?
The currency trading (FOREX) market is the biggest and fastest growing market on earth. Its daily turnover is more than 2.5 trillion dollars.
GULF DAILY NEWS
BD17m library opening set
The new BD17m Shaikh Isa National Library in Juffair is to be officially opened before the end of the year, it has been revealed.
Lone man's protest put on hold
A Bahraini worker has agreed to put his one-man protest against Bapco on hold, while union officials investigate his victimisation claims.
Banks hold key rates despite recession fears
The European Central Bank and Bank of England left their key interest rates steady yesterday with most analysts forecasting no change for the rest of the year despite recession fears.
Bahrain city centre has recruited over 140 security staff and installed nearly 300 closed circuit television cameras to make the mall one of the safest places to shop in the GCC. By: Staff Reporter+44 20 8652 3214
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domain: politics


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The same thing happened to us as the other reviewer. Went to a different motel and was told everything was booked in town and to go to this place. The man at the desk kept asking me over and over how many people we had even though I kept telling him two. He had signs at the counter listing the... More
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Inspired by the works of the Bloomsbury Group, the “Omega” collection has been created exclusively for The Courtauld Shop by jewellery designer Aliyah Hussain.
The Omega workshop were set up in 1913 by artist and writer Roger Fry and joined by fellow Bloomsbury group artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. The workshops sold furniture, fabrics and household accessories designed and made by artists and was founded with the intention of providing graphic expression to the essence of the Bloomsbury ethos.
Using polymer clay, the pieces start out large and are then compressed and stretched to form long sticks, that contain patterns, which are then sliced. Each slice is unique as the patterns shift slightly throughout.
- Materials: Polymer clay, 24k gold plated brass
- Hand made in the UK
- Presented in a padded gift box
All jewellery is handmade so please expect slight variations from the images, in either form or decoration.

domain: design


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Home > Find a Doctor > Physician Profile
Dr. Brown received her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. She also completed her internship and residency at MUSC. Dr. Brown has a special interest in adolescent gynecology. She is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Thank you for your feedback!
© 2018 Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. All Rights Reserved.

domain: medical


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LAST UPDATED : Jun 10, 2019, 06:12 AM IST
- Gujarat: Private suppliers ‘rob’ ground of water
Thousands of litres of ground water is drawn out and sold on a daily basis in several cities and towns of Gujarat. What’s worse, the authorities – both at the local level and the state level – have no clue how much of this precious natural resource is being drawn out of the ground and by how many persons.
- Residents pin hopes on KMC plan for filtered water
Sudhir Karmakar, a retired bank employee and a resident of Kayasthapara, an area located off EM Bypass has been waiting for new drinking water supply from Dhapa water treatment plant. Karmakar has been fed up with extra salinity in the ground water, which not only tastes bad but also harm the clothes losing colour due to hardness.
- Villagers strive to revive dying Nalluralli Lake near Whitefield
Nalluralli Lake, spread over 48 acres and located near Whitefield, is dying a slow death. The water body and its vicinity have turned into a dumping ground for construction debris and medical waste, prompting locals, who grew up swimming in the lake, to helm efforts to rejuvenate it.
- ‘Non-ODF areas 13 times more prone to ground water pollution’
Villages where people still defecate in open face nearly 13 times higher risk of faecal contamination of ground water as compared to open defecation free (ODF) villages, says a study by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The assessment has also found that risk of ground water contamination in Bihar is maximum at nearly 36%.

domain: news


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Last month was second warmest February on record: NASA
Washington: February 2017 was the second warmest February in 137 years of modern record-keeping, scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York have found.
Last month was 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer than the mean February temperature from 1951-1980, according to the monthly analysis of global temperatures by the GISS team.
Overall, February 2016 was the hottest ever on record, at 1.3 degrees Celsius warmer than the February mean temperature, NASA said in a statement on Wednesday.
February 2017’s temperature was 0.20 degree Celsius cooler than February 2016.
The monthly analysis is assembled from publicly available data acquired by about 6,300 meteorological stations around the world, ship- and buoy-based instruments measuring sea surface temperature, and Antarctic research stations.
The modern global temperature record begins around 1880 because previous observations did not cover enough of the planet.


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CEDAR RAPIDS – It’s been a long time. A real long time. We’re approaching the 30-year mark since Trevor Hoffman pitched professional baseball in Cedar Rapids. He was a member of the 1991 Cedar Rapids Reds, to be exact.
The major league Hall of Famer returned to these parts this weekend for the first time since then, taking part Saturday in a youth clinic and celebrity softball game that benefited the Perfect Game Cares Foundation.
PG is the renowned national baseball scouting service, showcase event holder, etc., that was created by Jerry Ford in Cedar Rapids. Its national headquarters still are located here.
“I have these visions, like when you go back to the house you grew up in,” Hoffman said. “You go back to that house, and it’s like ‘How the hell did we play Whiffle Ball in that front yard?’ Or play basketball or football? Looking forward to seeing the new stadium, for sure. Just being back here is a pleasure.”
Hoffman, 51, was a struggling infielder in the Cincinnati Reds farm system until Reds brass decided to turn him into a pitcher. He’d hit just .212 for Class A Charleston in the 1990 season.
A then 23-year-old right-hander, Hoffman took immediately to this pitching thing. He posted a 1.87 earned run average and 12 saves in 27 games for Cedar Rapids, earning himself a promotion to Double-A Chattanooga.
The rest, as they say, is Hall of Fame history. Hoffman made it to the bigs just two years later and went on to record a MLB-record 601 saves for Florida, San Diego and Milwaukee.
He retired after the 2010 season and works now in the Padres organization.
“A lot of transition in my career at the time when I was here,” Hoffman said. “I’d come from Charleston, West Virginia, which was an affiliate of the Reds at the time, as an infielder. Things weren’t going to progress in that role. (Charleston Manager and former C.R. Manager) Jimmy Lett there had recommended to (farm director) Chief Bender that I try pitching, after what they saw. So I got a chance, a fresh start to get it going here.”
Hoffman said the writing was on the wall, that he knew he would never make it to the major leagues as a position player. He was drafted by Cincinnati in the 11th round in 1989 out of the University of Arizona.
“Frank Funk was our manager in Cedar Rapids and Mark Berry was our assistant coach. They couldn’t have been better, demeanor wise, for my situation. Frank with a background in Kansas City (previously) as a pitching coach, and Mark on his way up to do what he did with the Reds. It worked out great, a second chance on life in baseball and being able to make the most of it.”
Hoffman said he thoroughly enjoyed his time here and spoke glowingly of former general manager Jack Roeder. He shared a story that Roeder found an old car for $200 that Hoffman and three teammates divvied up $50 apiece for so they could get from their apartment to the ballpark and back every day.
Hoffman ended up paying another $150 to buy the car lock, stock and barrel from his teammates. It got him to instructional league after the 1991 season in Plant City, Fla., and around Miami when it made it with the Marlins.
“I loved being on the other side of the game, not being on the side that is built on failure (hitting),” Hoffman said. “I couldn’t handle that. Just being embraced by the general manager here, Jack Roeder, and all his staff, it was just an amazing opportunity to get started here. I don’t think I would have had the same outcome had I started some other place.”
Others taking part in the kids camp and celebrity softball game Saturday were former big leaguers Bo Jackson, Tom Gordon, Todd Coffey, Junior Spivey, Greg Vaughn, Brooks Kieschnick, Dmitri Young, John Cangelosi, Tom Gorzelanny, Wes Obermueller, Ben Ford, Brian Dinkelman (now Cedar Rapids Kernels manager) and Luis Gonzalez.
Former NFL players Tim Dwight, Adrian Arrington and Dedric Ward also took part, as did other celebrities such as model Alana Arrington and comedian “Stuttering John” Melendez. An official crowd count wasn’t immediately available but it seemed to be in the 2,000 to 2,500 range.
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There’s an uncomfortable concern lurking in numerous parents’ minds, yet few are asking it. That concern, covered in levels of shame and uncertainty, is the one that needs to be addressed. Could it be certainly normal for siblings and youth friends to take part in experimental play that is sexual each other? At just exactly exactly exactly what point does it go over from inquisitive young ones to abuse that is sexual?
Intercourse play, thought as any discussion between kiddies that mimicks behavior that is sexual including kissing, touching, or any other more explicit functions, is normally mentioned in hushed tones between adult nearest and dearest as “natural and “normal, ” yet hardly ever can it be discussed outside the confines of house. This results in a strange taboo that has moms and dads too ashamed to inquire about specialists if this behavior is definitely “normal. ”
In 2014, right after the production of Lena Dunham’s memoir Not too variety of Girl, by which she published about intimately charged experiences along with her more youthful sibling, Dunham ended up being slammed by experts for freely admitting from what they advertised ended up being abuse that is sexual. Dunham and her sibling denied the accusations, nevertheless the fury launched the entranceway for individuals to finally start speaking about this painful and sensitive problem. Could be the behavior, from the mental standpoint, really normal at all, or something like that more troubling?
To know this more obviously, SheKnows talked with youngster and adolescent family members therapist Darby Fox, who may have a lot more than two decades of expertise providing specific and team treatment for families, kids and adults.
SheKnows: just just just just How typical is intercourse play between young ones?
Darby Fox: intimate play just isn’t typical. Touching and acting away a kiss is quite normal. Most kids go through a period where they perform as mom and dad or explore, but curiously intercourse play is certainly not normal.
SK: Is intercourse play between kiddies and siblings normal, or something like that moms and dads ought to be concerned with?
DF: desire for physiology is normal, however it is extremely important to determine boundaries regarding privacy during the earliest age feasible. Moms and dads should be specific about pressing somebody else’s personal components or having their very own systems touched. Siblings need not touch one another in virtually any real method in which might be considered intimate, ever.
SK: exactly just What should a moms and dad do when they discover their child is engaging cameraprive or has involved in intercourse play?
DF: in case a parent discovers their kiddies participating in any variety of intimate play, they first need certainly to stop them and discover where they discovered the behavior they have been imitating. It requires to be stopped, and you also must explain why exactly what they’re doing just isn’t permitted. Your kids should move on to quickly another thing. When it is duplicated, you will need to explore further just what their fascination is. It is vital to get the aid of an expert in the event that behavior continues. You will not want to use the potential for a kid applying force on a more youthful youngster or sibling. This really is a slope that is dangerous. Moms and dads ought to be clear in regards to the boundaries.
SK: can there be a big change between intercourse play and abuse that is sexual?
DF: once once once Again, let’s be clear: Intercourse play must not occur. No son or daughter must be doing this kind of behavior. Intimate functions aren’t “play. ” Fascination with physiology, playing physician or hugging like boyfriend and gf is normal, however your young ones must not understand what intercourse reaches age they’ve been participating in imitative play. It is not normal or OK. Intercourse play is a type of intimate punishment we become sexual beings because it is not appropriate to explore in this way before puberty sets in and. It is likely that pressure is being put on someone to participate, and that is not acceptable if it is taking place. Intimate abuse is any style of intimate behavior that certain is coerced into by another and may be extreme or mild.
SK: performs this experience traumatize kiddies or cause lasting damage?
DF: Yes, it may be quite harmful, and because a kid does not realize intercourse or the responses they could be having, it probably becomes suppressed and areas later on when they’re in genuine, age-appropriate, intimate relationships. It’s very severe and certainly will have quite far-reaching impacts.
Whenever a kid is confronted with intimate behavior before these are generally mentally or actually prepared, they will certainly probably maybe not realize the complete implications associated with functions these are generally therefore keen to imitate. It is okay to fairly share this behavior, and much more essential, it’s essential that moms and dads treat it due to their kiddies and perchance a qualified health that is mental so they really could work on assisting the little one procedure their experiences and move ahead.

domain: sociology


Apr 19, 2017 06:13 PM EDT
LG started allowing users to unlock the bootloaders in certain LG smartphones in 2015. Thereafter, many of their latest smartphones have showcased this feature. The G5 SE (H840) is the newest addition to this list. The company announced on their website that they will allow this bootloader unlock feature in select releases of LG Smartphone.
Now, the variant G5 SE (H840) was released in June 2016. The handset comes with Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 operating system, Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 chipset, 3 GB RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. Other specifications include a fingerprint sensor, fast battery charging, and Corning Gorilla glass.
The G5 SE (H840) will now also be included under the bootloader unlock program. However, also declared in the LG Developers site was that the unlocking feature is solely intended for developers. The handset would operate fine with the inbuilt software and it is not necessary to unlock the bootloader.
One can unlock the bootloader and download the Customized kernel and Android binary by first logging into LG's website. The next step is entering the first 15 digits of the phone's IMEI number into LG's site. One also has to download and install the latest Android SDK (or Fastboot Installer, if preferred) to generate an unlock key.
LG made it clear that once the bootloader has been unlocked, no software defects in the device will be covered by LG warranty. Unlocking bootloader will change the certified Android version and the company takes no responsibility of how the device will run on the custom software, as mentioned in GSM Arena. Probable side effects of unlocking that would not be covered by the LG warranty include overheating of the device, features, and functions of the device getting disabled and data on the device disappearing.
Despite the tedious process of unlocking the bootloader and the risk of losing warranty, certain users of the G5 SE (H840) are of the opinion that being able to use custom ROM. Meanwhile, for more updates on LG G5 stay tuned with us!
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Costain Green is a green space in the District of Oak Bay, a community in the Capital Regional District of British Columbia. This small nature park is at the junction of Beach Drive and Midland Road in the Upland Estates. This park is unique in that it has preserved as a patch of grass that help to form a Garry Oak meadow and many unique seasonal wildflowers. Deer are seen frequently in this area.
Geographic location N48° 27′ 10″ W123° 18′ 3″
Costain Green can be reached from McKenzie Avenue. Follow Mckenzie Avenue east toward the University of Victoria. The avenue becomes Sinclair Road as it descend into Cadboro Bay Village, with some excellent cafes and shopping. Turn right onto Cadboro Bay Road and follow to the junction with Beach Drive. The first junction along Beach Drive is past this green space. There is limited roadside parking in this neighborhood. A city bus travels past Costain Green.


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The Lancet, Volume 352, Issue 9144
, Page 1945, 12 December 1998
doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)60453-9Cite or Link Using DOI
Copyright © 1998 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
Industrial pollution, pesticides, and cancer
Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1997
When Sandra Steingraber was 20, she was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Cancer runs in her family: it has stricken her mother as well as various aunts and uncles. Ah-ha, one thinks, a clear genetic link. As it happens, Steingraber is adopted.
Living Downstream is a richly detailed and powerful exploration centred on the observation that “families share environments as well as chromosomes”. Citing a host of factors—including findings that cancer rates among adoptees correlate with cancer deaths of t ...
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domain: health


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A memorial service was held at the Kashveti Church yesterday and the day before yesterday. Now the coffin with the body of the actor and singer has been transferred to the Philharmonic concert hall, reports RIA Novosti. Well-known artists, as well as politicians and foreign guests came to see the artist off.
It is noticeable that the room is full of people, in front of the Philharmonic there was a line of people who wanted to say goodbye to the artist. According to TASS, hundreds of people gathered.
A screen lights up in the hall, where excerpts from films with the participation of Kikabidze are broadcast, songs performed by him are heard.
The artist will be buried today at the Veriy cemetery in Tbilisi.


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Degree Granting Department
Carolyn Ellis, Ph.D.
Arthur P. Bochner, Ph.D.
Jane Jorgenson, Ph.D.
Kathleen de la Peña McCook, Ph.D.
Engaged scholarship, CASA (Community Action Stops Abuse), Action research, Feminist research, Poetic activism, Life stories, Narratives
This dissertation is an experiment in thinking with the story, not about the story in order to erase the boundaries between analysis and narrative. CASA, Community Action Stops Abuse, is the context for this research on the lived realities and meaning of working with an empowerment philosophy. A University-Community Initiative (UCI) grant with CASA and the University of South Florida is the occasion to study the communicative aspects of individual and collective perceptions of empowerment. The dissertation focuses broadly on two UCI project goals: developing a collaborative relationship and producing a booklet of stories about the work of paid staff and volunteers. The heart of the dissertation is my relationship with the CASA workers and how scholarship and advocacy intersect with a philosophy of reciprocal and compassionate empowerment. This layered account of my CASA experiences is framed by my observations at the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence conference.
The narrative methodology supports a feminist philosophy that extends the personal and the political to the personal as the theoretical. The CASA workers and I engage in what Kenneth Gergen calls poetic activism, writing or speaking about something in order to cause change, a form of communication activism. My dissertation is based on feminist research principles in the form of engaged scholarship and participatory action research accomplished through participant observation and interactive interviews, written as ethnographic narratives, life stories, and autoethnographic stories.
I coined the term research novel because my research data is reported in a creative, narrative format that integrates the literature review, methodology, and analysis throughout the story. The boundary between analysis and narrative is dissolved with an emphasis on connected knowing, the language of possibilities, appreciative inquiry, strengths-based service, and positive reframing. Rather than oppositional approaches of either/or thinking, my work embraces the ambiguities, contradictions, multiple identities and blurred boundaries of our lived experiences.
The concept of empowerment can be ambiguous, particularly for women who are seeking ways to redefine power and empowerment. An area for further study is the connection between empowerment and the framing of vulnerability, including individuals’ perceptions of the paradoxical nature of compassion for self and others.
Scholar Commons Citation
Curry, Elizabeth A., "Communicating Collaboration and Empowerment: A Research Novel of Relationships with Domestic Violence Workers" (2005). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.

domain: literature


WASHINGTON — The Senate Intelligence Committee held an open hearing to discuss Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) legislation with top intelligence officials on Wednesday, and lawmakers homed in on the circumstances surrounding former FBI Director James Comey’s firing.
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner told witnesses NSA Director Mike Rogers, acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats that it was “jarring” to hear “recent reports of White House officials — perhaps even the president himself — attempting to influence and enlist our intelligence community leaders in attempting to undermine an ongoing FBI investigation.”
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Trump had asked Coats how he could prevent Comey from investigating his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, over his ties to Russia. Trump fired Comey on May 9, amid the FBI’s probe into Russian election interference and whether Trump’s campaign colluded with Moscow during the election.
“If any of this is true, it would be an appalling and improper use of our intelligence professionals — an act that could erode the public’s confidence in our intelligence institutions,” Warner said. “The [intelligence community] fiercely prides itself on its apolitical service to the country. Any attempt by the White House or even the president himself to exploit this community as a tool for political purposes is deeply, deeply troubling.”
Warner asked NSA Director Mike Rogers whether, in his experience, he thought it was “typical for a president” to discuss an ongoing FBI investigation that could concern his campaign with top intelligence officials.
Rogers replied he could not discuss specifics, but said that in his three-plus years as NSA director, he had never felt “pressured” to intervene in, or alter, the course of an investigation. He added that he had never been “directed” to do anything “immoral” or “illegal.”
Coats had a similar response, saying he did not feel it would be “appropriate” to address “confidential information” about his conversations with Trump in a public setting. With regard to the Washington Post report, Coats would not mention Trump by name. But he said he had “never felt pressured” by anyone “to intervene or interfere in any way to shape intelligence” in an ongoing investigation.
Warner replied that if Trump is “even asking,” however, “to me that is very relevant… at some point these facts have to come out.”
Sen. Marco Rubio chimed in later, saying he thought that what was being said in the media “is untrue, and is unfair to the president,” but that if it is true, the American people need to know.
Coats replied that he is willing to come before the committee “to tell you what I know and don’t know,” but he said he is “not prepared to answer your question” in an open hearing. Rubio replied that he is not asking for classified information. But Coats insisted he would “not go down that road in a public forum.”
Rogers echoed Coats’ statement. McCabe and Rosenstein said they were not aware of anyone in receiving a call from the president or his allies asking how they could intervene in any ongoing investigations.
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden asked if any of the witnesses had taken notes or recorded any of their conversations with the president that concerned the Russia investigation, as Comey reportedly did. None would comment.
This story is developing.
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What is currently known about endometrial cancer in Lynch syndrome? - review
KeywordsLynch syndrome, endometrial cancer, mismatch repair, IHC, MRR, MSI.
AbstractIntroduction: About 5% of endometrial cancer cases can be genetic and inherited. Lynch syndrome, also called hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), is an autosomal dominant syndrome. Caused by a germline mutation in one of the DNA mismatch repair genes, it is responsible for most hereditary cases. Lynch syndrome is associated with the early onset and the development of many types of cancer, especially colon and endometrial cancer. Methods: The review of publications regarding Lynch syndrome-associated endometrial cancer and methods for screening, diagnosis and its prevention. State of knowelage: Endometrial cancers related to Lynch syndrome are mostly sentinel (they reveal the predisposition in 50% of families) and are characterized by young age at onset (commonly before 60 years). The lifetime cumulative risk of endometrial cancer for women with Lynch syndrome is about 40% to 60%, which equals or exceeds their risk of colorectal cancer. Lynch syndrome, the current gynecologic cancer screening guidelines include annual endometrial sampling and transvaginal ultrasonography beginning at age of 30-35 years, which is very important in the early detection of this cancer. Risk-reducing surgery consisting of prophylactic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingooophorectomy should be offered to women aged 35 years or older who do not wish to preserve their fertility. Summary: Diagnosis of endometrial cancer in patients with Lynch syndrome has important clinical implications for the individual and family members.
How to Cite
The periodical offers access to content in the Open Access system under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
Number of views and downloads: 115
Number of citations: 0


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The wild foods and foraging to be found in Scotland's woods
- Andrea Pearson
- 2 July 2013
Wild foods, once a common means of seasonal sustenance, are enjoying a renaissance in Scotland
Wild foods, once a common – and very cheap – means of seasonal sustenance, are enjoying a renaissance in restaurants and homes. Andrea Pearson looks into the rich pickings of Highland gathering
Expansive views and dramatic, panoramic vistas of the snowy hills are usually what the tourists come to the Cairngorms National Park to see. ‘If you suggest they go for a walk in the woods, they say, “Why would I do that?” They see trees as an obstruction,’ says Rebecca Field at Scotmountain Holidays in Boat of Garten.
But locals know that it’s the forests that contain a mouthwatering array of wild foods, all there for the taking, if you know where to look. ‘Because we are so far from supermarkets, a lot of people use wild food. We harvest garlic, we know the good spots for berries and almost everyone knows about the chanterelle mushrooms,’ she adds.
Field runs ‘fruits of the forest’ walking weekends which include the chance to gather food found in the woodland. The trips are sold mainly as walks, with foraging as a bonus – walkers don’t set off with huge wicker baskets and tramp into the back of beyond to find the biggest chanterelles or the sweetest raspberries. Rather, the route is planned to pass through picking areas, to scoop up a few handfuls of mushrooms, berries or herbs for the evening meal.
Yet when it comes to customers, pickings are slim. The experience appeals predominantly to European travellers – Swedes, Poles and Finns all understand and enjoy the wild smorgasbord. It is normal to them. Field concludes: ‘I think our urban population is disconnected from the countryside.’
This is a view shared by Rebecca Ferrand at Muckrach Lodge in Dulnain Bridge near Grantown-on-Spey. ‘We have forgotten how to eat according to the season. We are not tasting the joys that seasonality can bring. I look forward to each season, it is a great passion for me,’ she says.
Ferrand, who took over the hotel in 2007, has amassed a vast knowledge of the wild food at her disposal. She regularly picks garlic, lemon balm, mint, bright purple borage flowers and yellow gorse to add colour and excitement to her guests’ food.
There are about 10 different edible types of berries in the woods. Wild cherries, blaeberries, sloes, rowan and juniper berries all make their way into the restaurant’s puddings, or are boiled up for the jam store in the cellar. Bog myrtle is a real favourite: ‘Boar and deer feed on bog myrtle in the wild. It is what gives them their flavour. If cooked with bog myrtle they’re delicious.’ But it is the chanterelles that are the stars. ‘The ones here are fat and beautiful. A chanterelle with a bit of cream and parmesan cheese – it’s just amazing,’ says Ferrand.
Sharing Ferrand’s foraging passion is Chris McCall, head chef at the Old Bridge Inn in Aviemore. ‘We spend a lot of time foraging in late summer and autumn for wild mushrooms, berries, juniper, etc, which we pickle or dry. Pickled chanterelles and dried blueberries reconstituted in sweet vinegar are some of my favourite accompaniments.’
The products of the forest may be free, but there is no doubt that harvesting them requires knowledge and patience. And it is easy to get carried away with the romance of foraging. ‘There is a myth that you can live comfortably off the land. You can’t,’ says Neil Foote who teaches foraging skills as part of an all-day bushcraft course at Backcountry Survival.
Foote teaches participants how to identify and prepare food. His location in the Park is ideal. During the Second World War, the area was used to train Norwegian troops in survival – they managed to survive four months on a high Norwegian plateau on just cladonia lichen. ‘Most wild foods have a very low calorific value. This lichen is the only thing that can sustain life beyond a few days,’ says Foote.
Whether it is a matter of survival, or for a sweet burst of gourmet flavour, there is no doubt that there is a rich reward awaiting those who cast their eyes down from the hills and choose to venture into the wild woods of the Cairngorms National Park.
Scottish Wild Mushroom pickers’ Code
• Wildlife, especially insects, need mush-rooms too, so only pick what you will use.
• Only collect what you know and take a field guide with you.
• Do not pick mushrooms until the cap has opened out.
• The main part of the mushroom is below the surface; take care not to trample or disturb its surroundings.
• In a nature reserve seek advice first.
See forestharvest.org.uk for a full version


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See what it takes to produce a famous livestream freeski event at 10,450 feet in Corbet’s Couloir at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
For most, skiing Corbet’s Couloir is gnarly enough. Hucking tricks off of and into it is next level.
Covering it to produce a live show for a worldwide audience of millions each year? Well, that’s a whole ‘nother animal. Evaluating the site for athlete safety, preparing the venue, dragging equipment to the site, and then, finally, setting up the show all pose major obstacles at the Kings & Queens contest.
“The gnarliest thing about this event is the week leading up to it,” 2021 King of Corbet’s Karl Fostvedt says in the clip.
So … not the actual skiing, then?
See how the folks who bring us the world-famous freeskiing event make it happen in this clip.
Runtime: 11.5 minutes

domain: entertainment


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Mashups using the same API (174)
This is a mashup of U.S. Air Force recruiter office locations with a Virtual Earth map.
Maps the addresses of your Windows Live Contacts from Messenger, Mail, etc., using Virtual Earth
A SaaS solution for map apps on websites. Geocubes clusters geo-referenced data into squares, improves the performance of the site, and presents POIs in a well-structured way.
A murder in New York is twice as likely to occur at night. And thankfully, we've just finished June, which statistically has slightly more murders than other months. For more, the New York Times has a created a rich mashup to keep you up to date.
In this post I'll describe how we planned, built and tested a truly real-time location-based game with Socket.io, Redis, Node.js, and what we learned along the way. Over the past few months, we've spent the majority our free time building a real-time game as a test for our location platform, Geoloqi. We call the game MapAttack! due to its map-based nature. Two teams compete to capture the most points on the gameboard. The gameboard, in this case, is the city streets of the neighborhood the players are in.
||Episerver is a platform for brands to manage and connect content, ecommerce and digital marketing. With the interface, developers can integrate catalog, inventory, pricing, and order information. The...||eCommerce||11.18.2015|
||Tradable Bits Media offers social media marketing services for sports, tourism, entertainment, hospitality, retail, and other agencies. The Tradable Bits API allows developers to implement marketing...||Marketing||11.18.2015|
||The MOCA API offers a variety of services which can be accessed via MOCA's SDKs. The API can be used to automate beacon fleet management, connect your CRM data, schedule proximity campaigns, and...||Analytics||11.13.2015|
||The SHOP.COM API allows developers to integrate SHOP.COM services and content into their applications. This enables users of the developer's applications to search and view product details for...||Marketplace||11.11.2015|
||The UKMap API allows developers to integrate UKMap's detailed, large-scale maps of Greater London into their own applications. UKMap can display over 100 million information items, including...||Mapping||11.06.2015|


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Your sloppy, unmotivated child might actually be a perfectionist!
By Judith E. Lipson, M.A., LPC
The irony of perfectionists is that they are often the ones who appear uncaring and unwilling. They appear to have no, or low, standards yet the paradox is that they have set the bar so high that it can’t be achieved. Therefore they offer no effort or attempt given at all. After all, why try when success is unexpected?
Parents and educators observe: [Read more…]

domain: psychology


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Kothrud, which has gained popularity due to its strategic location, educational institutions, and residential neighborhoods. This article will delve into the Pune Kothrud pin code and explore the various aspects that make this locality unique and appealing.
Kothrud is a significant place in Pune’s history, originally a quiet village. Over the years, it has transformed into a bustling suburb blending old-world charm and modern development. Its historical roots provide an intriguing backdrop to its present-day vibrancy.
Kothrud has emerged as an educational hub, housing some of the city’s finest schools, colleges, and universities. Students from all over the country come here to pursue education, making it a melting pot of cultures and ideas.
Unveiling the pin code: Decoding Kothrud’s location:
The pin code of Kothrud, Pune, is 411038 This code is essential for accurate addressing and location identification within the locality.
Residential landscape: Housing diversity in Kothrud:
Apartments and flats: Kothrud offers a plethora of residential options, including modern apartments and flats. The real estate market here caters to various budget ranges, making it a sought-after destination for both renters and buyers.
Bungalows and Villas: For those who prefer a more spacious and luxurious living experience, Kothrud boasts elegant bungalows and villas. These properties often come with lush gardens and upscale amenities.
Connectivity and accessibility: Navigating Kothrud with ease:
Road networks: Kothrud enjoys excellent connectivity via well-laid road networks. Main arterial roads and highways make commuting within the area and to other parts of Pune seamless.
Public Transport: The locality is well-served by public transport options, including buses and auto-rickshaws, ensuring that residents can travel conveniently to different parts of the city.
Commercial hotspots: Shopping and entertainment in Kothrud:
Malls and markets: Kothrud offers many shopping experiences, from bustling local markets to modern malls. Here, one can find everything from daily essentials to fashionable clothing.
Restaurants and cafes: Food enthusiasts will delight in Kothrud’s culinary scene, which boasts a variety of eateries ranging from traditional Maharashtrian cuisine to global favorites.
Educational institutions: Knowledge centers of Kothrud:
Schools: Kothrud is home to several renowned schools known for their academic excellence and holistic development approach. These institutions contribute significantly to the city’s educational landscape.
Colleges and universities: From engineering to arts, Kothrud hosts a diverse array of colleges and universities that offer a wide range of courses, attracting students from different parts of the country.
Parks and recreation: Green spaces for relaxation:
Jogging tracks: The locality emphasizes a healthy lifestyle with its well-maintained jogging tracks and parks, providing residents with a serene environment for outdoor activities.
Playgrounds: For families, Kothrud’s playgrounds serve as spaces where children can engage in sports and recreational activities, fostering a sense of community.
Healthcare facilities: Wellness services in Kothrud:
Hospitals: Access to quality healthcare is essential, and Kothrud boasts modern hospitals and healthcare centers offering residents a range of medical services.
Clinics and pharmacies: In addition to hospitals, numerous clinics, and pharmacies ensure that residents have easy access to medical attention and essential medications.
Cultural essence: Festivals and celebrations:
Local Events: Kothrud celebrates various cultural festivals and events throughout the year, bringing the community together and fostering a sense of belonging.
Temples and spiritual centers: For the spiritually inclined, Kothrud is dotted with temples and spiritual centers that provide a space for prayer, reflection, and community engagement.
Real estate trends: Property outlook in Kothrud:
Rental market: The rental market in Kothrud caters to students, professionals, and families, offering a range of housing options to suit different preferences and budgets.
Investment opportunities: With its continuous development, Kothrud presents attractive investment opportunities in real estate, promising potential returns for those looking to invest.
Safety and security: Ensuring a protected environment:
Police stations: Kothrud’s safety is a priority, and the presence of local police stations ensures that residents feel secure and protected within their neighborhoods.
Emergency services: Emergency services are readily available, with hospitals, fire stations, and police assistance just a call away, providing peace of mind to residents.
Changing emographics: Diversity in Kothrud’s population:
Age groups: Kothrud’s demographic makeup includes people of all age groups, creating a dynamic community contributing to the locality’s energy and vibrancy.
Socio-economic profiles: The locality’s diverse socio-economic profiles contribute to its cultural richness, with a harmonious coexistence of different backgrounds and lifestyles.
Future prospects: Development projects in Kothrud:
Infrastructure upgrades: Kothrud’s development is ongoing, with infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life for residents, including improved roads and amenities.
Urban planning initiatives: Thoughtful urban planning shapes Kothrud’s growth, ensuring it remains a well-organized and livable locality for its present and future residents.
Preserving the past: Heritage sites in Kothrud:
Historical monuments: Amidst modern development, Kothrud preserves its historical legacy through well-maintained monuments that glimpse its rich past.
Architectural landmarks: Architectural enthusiasts will delight in Kothrud’s blend of old and new, with structures that reflect various architectural styles from different eras.
Embracing Kothrud’s Multifaceted Charm:
Pune Kothrud is a microcosm of Pune’s essence, seamlessly blending history, modernity, education, and cultural diversity. Serves as a key to unlocking the treasures of this vibrant locality.


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No, it’s not a still from “How to Train Your Dragon.” The dark-haired woman encircled by a fearsome monster, her deep red cloak clearly caught between its jaws, is St. Margaret, and she has just escaped from the belly of the beast, thanks to the miraculous cross she holds with four fingers. The fifth, her slender pinky, pokes daintily into the air.
The painting, by the 17th-century French artist Simon Vouet, offers plenty to ponder, with its juxtaposition of swirling ferocity and calm faith. But there’s even more to mull when you consider his painting of St. Ursula, which hangs beside “St. Margaret” in the Wadsworth Atheneum’s small, alluring show, “Reunited Masterpieces.”
Although Vouet appears to have used the same model for both saints, Ursula has more in common with the pugnacious dragon than with the demure Margaret: Ursula gazes directly at us, her strong right hand and boldly pointed forefinger urging us onward and upward while her left hand grasps the furled banner with which she led her virgin followers to their deaths at the hands of the Huns. Vouet is generally credited with bringing the exuberant Italian Baroque style to France, and “St. Margaret” and “St. Ursula” exemplify it in very different ways.
Both paintings belong to the Wadsworth, which is not the case for some of the other works on view in “Reunited Masterpieces,” the second in the museum’s series of exhibitions focused on its own collections. The idea was to bring to Hartford pictures that were originally meant to be seen alongside those already at the Wadsworth — pendant paintings, as they’re called — and to hang them together once again.
Most of these usually divorced couples are just that — couples: the Wadsworth’s gentle 1613 “Adam” and his matching “Eve,” on loan from a French museum, as depicted by Hendrick Goltzius; a kindly Dutch husband who lives in Hartford and his patient-looking wife from Baltimore, painted in their crisp black-and-white finery in 1644 by Frans Hals; George Romney’s imposing 1786 portraits of a Devon baronet in a long scarlet riding coat, a permanent resident of the Wadsworth, and his elegant, satin-gowned wife, who makes her home not so far away, at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
But the more intriguing comparisons arise from the show’s two sets of large-scale pendants on big themes: a pair of allegorical paintings contrasting the pursuit of heavenly bliss with the pursuit of worldly gratification, and two works alluding to the differences between nature and civilization.Continue reading the main story
The Wadsworth’s “Allegory of Vanity,” painted in 1660 by the Spaniard Juan de Valdés Leal, overflows with goodies — the goodies that distract us from looking out for our souls. Pearls and ribbons spill luxuriantly onto a table strewn with coins and playing cards, as well as unruly stacks of technical books and scientific instruments. But behind all of these lovingly rendered items stands an angel with the antidote to these ungodly pleasures: a framed painting of the Last Judgment.
Seen alone, the work makes its meaning plain enough, especially when you take in the warnings visible at the edges of the picture: a skull, a pocket watch, flowers and a candle, all symbolizing the transitory nature of diversions. But seen alongside its pendant from the York Art Gallery in England, “Allegory of Salvation,” it makes an even larger point. Because it is not just the nature of the objects in the Hartford picture that implies worldly dissipation; their heedless tangle contrasts tellingly with the serenity and order of the things in “Salvation.” Along with the rosary beads, religious texts and blazingly white lilies, the tranquillity itself proclaims moral seriousness.
In the other remarkable if more cryptic pair, the Italian Renaissance painter Piero di Cosimo depicts “The Finding of Vulcan” and “Vulcan and the Beginnings of Civilization.” The first, a tender pastoral scene with six nymphs and the young god, belongs to the Wadsworth. The second, in which Vulcan, now grown, fashions an iron shoe for a waiting horse and rider while four men in the background erect a crude shelter for a nearby family, comes from the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. They are before-and-after pictures, and, as with all such pairings, it’s sometimes difficult to tell if you’re supposed to prefer the before or the after. But without this show, that question wouldn’t even come up. So “Reunited Masterpieces” does more than illuminate 10 works and their intended mates. The exhibition invites us to ponder all the paintings we’ve looked at over the years, in all the museums we’ve visited, and wonder how many have been incomplete, prevented by the random winds of commerce from being fully understood.Continue reading the main story

domain: artistic


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Online dating is actually a thorough process. You search through profiles, e-mail back and forth answering concerns, talk over the phone, and in the end you fulfill in person. It’s likely that in the process, you’re reject a few applicants before some one passions you.
Exactly what if telling some body you aren’t interested is actually a hard thing to perform? would you get “disappearing” by perhaps not answering email messages or texts? Will you try to let your time’s phone calls head to voicemail?
If you find yourself wishing that your times have the sign by the insufficient interest, this is not a beneficial practice. Most using the internet daters realize that you’re dirty talking chatting with multiple applicants and biochemistry isn’t necessarily indeed there. This does not indicate that you certainly can do what you may wish and wish they have the information, because you are feeling unpleasant telling them how you feel. The times need the thanks to a response.
Let us change the tables. How often have you been frustrated by the love interest’s sporadic phone calls and frantic schedule? If he isn’t offered, almost certainly he’s not interested. But how often have you asked that assumption, recalling exactly how great their laugh was actually or exactly what wonderful biochemistry you thought you contributed? Maybe you’ve done a similar thing to another person?
When you have a date you do not care and attention observe again, send a good but quick email or generate a telephone call (no texts please!). Let him know you aren’t interested without being rude. For instance:
It was wonderful meeting you last night and thank you for supper. Sadly, i simply didn’t feel there is biochemistry between all of us. I wish you the best.
Even when the big date seems slightly hurt and denied, it’s a good idea which he knows instead of questioning how it happened. When individuals understand where they remain, they can progress and find the partnership that is right for them.


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Blueberries originally grew wild in North America, and in many places they still do. By 1910 there were at least two varieties being cultivated for market. Breeding and selection have made these berries popular, but wild fruit is also marketed.
Blueberries are available from early May through August, and the peak month is July. Canada and the northeastern United States produce the greatest amount of blueberries, because they grow best when the days are long and the nights cool. In any one area the blueberry season usually lasts from six to seven weeks.
Quality blueberries are plump, look fresh, clean, and dry, are fairly uniform in size, and are a deep blue, black, or purplish color. Overripe berries are dull in appearance, soft and watery, and moldy.
Therapeutic Value of the Blueberry
Blueberries contain silicon, which helps rejuvenate the pancreas. They are said to be good for diabetic conditions.
Nutrients in one pound of Blueberries
Vitamin A: 420 I.U.
Ascorbic Acid: 58mg

domain: agronomy


OFFICE OF THE
[Filed November 12, 2021, 2:42 p.m., effective December 13, 2021]
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: To clarify the purpose, membership, and annual reporting requirements for the Washington state health insurance pool (WSHIP).
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: New WAC 284-91-100, 284-91-110, 284-91-120 and 284-91-130; and amending WAC 284-91-001.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 21-19-140 on September 21, 2021.
A final cost-benefit analysis is available by contacting Shari Maier, 302 Sid Snyder Avenue S.W., Suite 200, Olympia, WA 98501, phone 360-725-7173, email firstname.lastname@example.org.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 4, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: November 12, 2021.
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 03-07-007, filed 3/6/03, effective 4/6/03)
WAC 284-91-001Plan of operation approved.
Under RCW 48.41.040
(4), the commissioner approves the plan of operation submitted by the board of directors of the ((Washington state health insurance
)) pool (((WSHIP)
)). The plan of operation is composed of the following documents:
(1) Articles of organization approved by the WSHIP board on September 5, 2002, and amended by the insurance commissioner on March ((4))5, 2003;
(2) Bylaws approved by the WSHIP board on September 5, 2002, and approved by the insurance commissioner on March 5, 2003. The WSHIP board subsequently amended and restated its bylaws on January 8, 2020, which were approved by the insurance commissioner on January 27, 2020; and
(3) Operating rules approved by the WSHIP board on September 5, 2002.
The Washington state health insurance pool (WSHIP) was created with the intent of ensuring the availability of comprehensive health insurance to residents who are denied health insurance and are otherwise unable to obtain such insurance coverage directly under any individual or group health plan.
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Accounting year" means a 12-month period determined by the board for purposes of recordkeeping and accounting. The first accounting year may be more or less than 12 months and, from time to time in subsequent years, the board may order an accounting year of other than 12 months as may be required for orderly management and accounting of the pool.
(2) "Administrator" means the entity chosen by the board to administer the pool under RCW 48.41.080
(3) "Board" means the board of directors of the pool.
(4) "Commissioner" means the insurance commissioner.
(5) "Health care provider" means any physician, facility, or health care professional, who is licensed in Washington state and entitled to reimbursement for health care services.
(6) "Health care services" means services for the purpose of preventing, alleviating, curing, or healing human illness or injury.
(7) "Health carrier" or "carrier" has the same meaning as in WAC 284-43-0160.
(8)(a) "Health coverage" means any group or individual disability insurance policy, health care service contract, and health maintenance agreement, except those contracts entered into for the provision of medicare.
(b) "Health coverage" does not include:
(i) Short-term care, long-term care, dental, vision, accident, fixed indemnity, disability income contracts, limited benefit or credit insurance;
(ii) Coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance;
(iii) Insurance arising out of the worker's compensation or similar law;
(iv) Automobile medical payment insurance; or
(v) Insurance under which benefits are payable with or without regard to fault and which is statutorily required to be contained in any liability insurance policy or equivalent self-insurance.
(9) "Health plan" means any arrangement by which persons, including dependents or spouses, covered or making application to be covered under this pool, have access to hospital and medical benefits or reimbursement.
(a) This includes any: "Health coverage," as defined under this section; uninsured arrangements of group or group-type contracts, including employer self-insured, cost-plus, or other benefit methodologies not involving insurance or not governed by Title 48
RCW; coverage under group-type contracts which are not available to the general public and can be obtained only because of connection with a particular organization or group; and coverage by medicare or other governmental benefits.
(b) "Health plan" excludes the types of insurance excluded under the definition of "health coverage" in this section.
(10)(a) "Member" means:
(i) Any commercial health carrier which provides disability insurance or stop loss insurance, any health care service contractor, any health maintenance organization licensed under Title 48
RCW, and any self-funded multiple employer welfare arrangement as defined in RCW 48.125.010
(ii) The Washington state health care authority as issuer of the state uniform medical plan; or
(iii) When authorized by federal law, employers and other entities, including self-insured employers, other self-funding entities, and employee welfare benefit plans that provide health plan benefits in this state.
(b) "Member" does not include any carrier, health care service contractor, or health maintenance organization whose products are exclusively dental products or those products excluded from the definition of "health coverage" in this section.
(11) "Plan of operation" means the pool, including articles, bylaws, and operating rules, adopted by the board pursuant to RCW 48.41.050
(12) "Pool" means the Washington state health insurance pool.
WAC 284-91-120Health insurance pool—Membership.
All entities in this state, on or after May 18, 1987, meeting the definition of a member (as per WAC 284-91-110), shall be members of the pool.
WAC 284-91-130Financial participation in pool—Computation, deficit assessments.
(1) Following the close of each accounting year, the pool administrator shall determine the total net cost of pool operation which shall include:
(a) Net premium (premiums less administrative expense allowances), the pool expenses of administration, and incurred losses for the year, taking into account investment income and other appropriate gains and losses; and
(b) The amount of pool contributions specified in the state Omnibus Appropriations Act for deposit into the health benefit exchange account under RCW 43.71.060
, to assist with the transition of enrollees from the pool into the health benefit exchange created by chapter 43.71
(2) Each member's proportion of participation in the pool shall be determined annually, by the board based on annual statements and other reports deemed necessary by the board and filed by carriers with the commissioner, by multiplying the total cost of pool operation by a fraction. The numerator of the fraction equals that member's total number of resident insured persons, including spouse and dependents, covered under all health plans in the state by that member during the preceding calendar year. The denominator of the fraction equals the total number of resident insured persons, including spouses and dependents, covered under all health plans in the state by all pool members during the preceding calendar year.
(a) All carriers that meet the definition of a member, regardless of whether they actually provided applicable health coverage during the accounting year, must file these statements and other reports.
(b) For purposes of calculating the numerator and the denominator under this subsection:
(i) All health plans in the state by the state health care authority include only the uniform medical plan;
(ii) Each ten resident insured persons, including spouse and dependents, under a stop loss plan or the uniform medical plan shall count as one resident insured person; and
(iii) Health plans serving medical care services program clients under RCW 74.09.035
are exempted from the calculation.
(c) Except as provided in RCW 48.41.037
, any deficit incurred by the pool, including pool contributions for deposit into the health benefit exchange account, shall be recouped by assessments among members apportioned under this subsection pursuant to the formula set forth by the board among members. The monthly per member assessment may not exceed the 2013 assessment level of $2.57. If the maximum assessment is insufficient to cover a pool deficit, the assessment shall be used first to pay all incurred losses and pool administrative expenses, with the remainder being available for deposit in the health benefit exchange account.
(3)(a) The board may abate or defer, in whole or in part, the assessment of a member if they determine that payment of the assessment would endanger the ability of the member to fulfill its contractual obligations.
(b) If an assessment against a member is abated or deferred, in whole or in part, the amount by which such assessment is abated or deferred may be assessed against the other members in a manner consistent with the basis for assessments set forth in subsection (2) of this section. The member receiving such abatement or deferment shall remain liable to the pool for the deficiency.
(4)(a) Subject to the limitation imposed in subsection (2)(c) of this section, the pool administrator shall transfer the assessments for pool contributions for the operation of the health benefit exchange to the treasurer for deposit into the health benefit exchange account.
(b) If assessments exceed actual losses and administrative expenses of the pool and pool contributions for deposit into the health benefit exchange account, the excess shall be held at interest and used by the board to offset future losses or to reduce pool premiums. As used in this subsection, "future losses" includes reserves for incurred but not reported claims.
The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is decodified and recodified as follows:
Old WAC Number
New WAC Number


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It seems that lately, prices for air travel have certainly seemed to skyrocket. So how can you score some airline tickets at a bargain rate?
Research the average fare cost
If you’re not well traveled, this is an important first step. If you’re not sure what the average airfare for a particular route goes for, it can be difficult to gauge if the fare you’re looking at at any given time is a great deal, average price, or absurdly expensive. Do some research to see what the average cost is, but make sure you aren’t looking at statistics that are too old.
Book in advance, but not too far in advance
It’s certainly possible to score some last-minute bargains, but highly unlikely. On the flip side, booking very far in advance might possibly result in a great deal, but not always the best. While there isn’t, unfortunately, an exact science to it, the sweet spot for booking airfare at its lowest price is approximately six to eight weeks before your travel dates.
The day of the week can make a difference
Prices can fluctuate drastically in just one day—sometimes even in a matter of hours. The price you see on a Friday, throughout the weekend, and on a Monday will likely be higher than the fares available from Tuesday to Thursday. In other words, you’re likely better off booking your plane tickets in the middle of the week.
Compare search tools and use different resources
Don’t just book the first ticket you find because it seems like a great deal—you may be able to score an even better deal. Compare different airlines, but also compare different resources. Try large booking engines, such as Kayak and Expedia, and also try directly looking at various airline websites. You should also contact a travel agency to see if they can get you an even lower price than what you found online. And if you’re booking a hotel room and/or a rental car at the destination you’re headed to, enquire about packages. In some cases, a packaged deal will save you a lot of money and significantly lower the cost of your airfare.