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February 8, 2019	• 0
Review of The Military Wife
This review contains Amazon affiliate links, which means by clicking on the link and making a purchase you are helping to support Sascha Darlington's Microcosm without any cost to you whatsoever. Many thanks, Sascha.
The Military Wife
A Heart of a Hero Novel
Laura Trentham
St. Martin's Press
Blurb: A young widow embraces a second chance at life when she reconnects with those who understand the sacrifices made by American soldiers and their families in award-winning author Laura Trentham's The Military Wife.
Harper Lee Wilcox has been marking time in her hometown of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina since her husband, Noah Wilcox's death, nearly five years earlier. With her son Ben turning five and living at home with her mother, Harper fights a growing restlessness, worried that moving on means leaving the memory of her husband behind.
Her best friend, Allison Teague, is dealing with struggles of her own. Her husband, a former SEAL that served with Noah, was injured while deployed and has come home physically healed but fighting PTSD. With three children underfoot and unable to help her husband, Allison is at her wit's end.
In an effort to reenergize her own life, Harper sees an opportunity to help not only Allison but a network of other military wives eager to support her idea of starting a string of coffee houses close to military bases around the country.
In her pursuit of her dream, Harper crosses paths with Bennett Caldwell, Noah's best friend and SEAL brother. A man who has a promise to keep, entangling their lives in ways neither of them can foresee. As her business grows so does an unexpected relationship with Bennett. Can Harper let go of her grief and build a future with Bennett even as the man they both loved haunts their pasts?
SASCHA DARLINGTON'S REVIEW
The Military Wife by Laura Trentham worked for me on all levels. Told in two povs, Harper's and Bennett's, the novel moves between the past when Noah pursued and won Harper's heart, when Noah and Bennett became friends during SEAL training and then to the present day as Harper discovers that the sizable amount of money Bennett had given to her after Noah's funeral was not really a courage award.
Have you ever read a romance in which the widow starts a new relationship, but then the author slowly destroys the character of the man she was married to? That is a huge pet peeve of mine so I was so very glad that Trentham allowed Noah to remain a good guy, the guy that Harper fell in love with. And, it's because of this that when I was presented with Noah's death scene and Ben's birth that my tears were falling. I almost thought it might be a mistake to have Noah be such a huge part of this novel, but it wasn't. I think it made the reader miss him as much as Harper and Bennett missed him.
All of the characters were believable, their reactions on target.
The Military Wife had so many emotions on its pages, so many feels, that it was a difficult novel to put down. I am very much looking forward to reading future entries in the series.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5 out of 5 butterflies
-EXCERPT-
Winters in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, were temperamental. The sunshine and a temperate southerly breeze that started a day could turn into biting, salt-tinged snow flurries by afternoon. But one thing Harper Lee Wilcox could count on was that winter along the Outer Banks was quiet.
The bustle and hum and weekly rotation of tourists that marked the summer months settled into a winter melancholy that Harper enjoyed. Well, perhaps not enjoyed in the traditional sense . . . more like she enjoyed surrendering to the melancholy. In fact, her mother may have accused her of wallowing in it once or twice or a hundred times.
In the winter, she didn't have to smile and pretend her life was great. Not that it was bad. Lots of people had it worse. Much worse. In fact, parts of her life were fabulous. Almost five, her son was happy and healthy and smart. Her mother's strength and support were unwavering and had bolstered her through the worst time of her life. Her friends were amazing.
That was the real issue. In the craziness of the summer season, she forgot to be sad. Her husband, Noah, had been gone five years; the same amount of time they'd been married. Soon the years separating them would outnumber the years they'd been together. The thought was sobering and only intensified the need to keep a sacred place in her heart waiting and empty. Her secret memorial.
She parked the sensible sedan Noah had bought her soon after they married under her childhood home. Even though they were inland, the stilts were a common architectural feature up and down the Outer Banks.
Juggling her laptop and purse, Harper pushed open the front door and stacked her things to the side. "I'm home!"
A little body careened down the steps and crashed into her legs. She returned the ferocious hug. Her pregnancy was the only thing that had kept her going those first weeks after she'd opened her front door to the Navy chaplain.
"How was preschool? Did you like the pasta salad I packed for your lunch?"
"It made me toot and everyone laughed, even the girls. Can you pack it for me again tomorrow?"
"Ben! You shouldn't want to toot." Laughter ruined the admonishing tone she was going for.
As Harper's mom said time and again, the kid was a hoot and a half. He might have Harper's brown wavy hair, but he had Noah's spirit and mannerisms and humor. Ben approached everything with an optimism Harper had lost or perhaps had never been gifted with from the start. He was a blessing Harper sometimes wondered if she deserved.
"Where's Yaya?" She ruffled his unruly hair.
Of course, her mom had picked an unconventional name. "Grandmother" was too old-fashioned and pedestrian. Since she'd retired from the library, she had cast off any semblance of normalcy and embraced an inner spirit that was a throwback to 1960s bra burners and Woodstock.
"Upstairs painting." Ben slipped his hand into Harper's and tugged her toward the kitchen. Bright red and orange and blue paint smeared the back of his hand and arm like a rainbow. At least, her mom had put him in old clothes. "Yaya gave me my own canvas and let me paint whatever I wanted."
"And what did you paint?" Harper prayed it wasn't a nude study, which was the homework assignment from her mom's community college class.
"I drew Daddy in heaven. I used all the colors." The matter-of-factness of his tone clawed at her heart.
No child should have to grow up only knowing their father through pictures and stories. Her own father had been absent because of divorce and disinterest. He'd sent his court-ordered child support payments regularly until she turned eighteen but rarely visited or shown any curiosity about her. It had hurt until teenaged resentment scarred over the wound.
Noah would have made a great dad. The best. That he never got the chance piled more regrets and what-ifs onto her winter inspired melancholy.
"I'm sure he would have loved your painting." Luckily, Ben didn't notice her choked-up reply.
He went to the cabinet, pulled out white bread and crunchy peanut butter, and proceeded to make two sandwiches. It was their afternoon routine. Someday he would outgrow it. Outgrow her and become a man like his daddy.
She poured him a glass of milk, and they ate their sandwiches, talking about how the rest of his day went—outside of his epic toots. His world was small and safe and she wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.
Her mom breezed into the kitchen, her still-thick but graying brown hair twisted into a messy bun, a thin paintbrush holding it in place. Slim and attractive, she wore paint-splattered jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt that read: I make AARP look good. Harper pinched her lips together to stifle a grin.
"How's your assignment coming along?" Harper asked.
"I'm having a hard time with proportions. It's been a while, but I'm pretty sure my man's you-know-what shouldn't hang down to his kneecaps."
Harper shot a glance toward Ben, who had moved to the floor of the den to play with LEGOs. As crazy as her mom drove her, she was and would always be Harper's rock. The irony wasn't lost on her. As hard as she'd worked to get out of Kitty Hawk and out of her mother's reach when she was young, she'd never regretted coming home.
"It's been a while for me, too, but that's not how I remember them, either."
"A pity for us both." Her mother pulled a jar of olives out of the fridge and proceeded to make martinis—shaken, not stirred. She raised her eyebrows, and Harper answered the unspoken question with a nod. Her mom poured and plopped an extra olive in Harper's. "How was work?"
Harper handled bookkeeping and taxes for a number of local businesses, but a good number closed up shop in the winter. "Routine. Quiet."
"Exactly like your life."
Harper sputtered on her first sip. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I hate seeing you mope around all winter." Her mom poked at the olive in her drink with a toothpick and looked toward Ben, dropping her voice. "He's been gone five years, sweetheart, and you haven't gone on so much as a date."
"That's not true. I went to lunch with Whit a few weeks ago."
"He was trying to sell you life insurance. Doesn't count."
Harper huffed and covered her discomfort by taking another sip. "What about you? You never date."
"True, but your father ruined me on relationships. I have trust issues. You and Noah, on the other hand, seemed to get along fine. Or am I wrong?"
"You're not." Another sip of the martini grew the tingly warmth in her stomach. Their marriage hadn't been completely without conflict, but what relationship was? As she looked back on their fights, they seemed juvenile and unimportant. It was easier to remember the good times. And there were so many to choose from.
She touched the empty finger on her left hand. The ring occupied her jewelry box and had for three years. But, occasionally, her finger would ache with phantom pains as if it were missing a vital organ.
"You're young. Find another good man. Or forget the man, just find something you're passionate about."
"I'm happy right where I am." Harper hammered up her defenses as if preparing for a hurricane.
"Don't mistake comfort for happiness. You're comfortable here. Too comfortable. But you're not happy."
"God, Mom, why are you Dr. Phil–ing me all of sudden? Are you wanting me and Ben to move out or something?" Her voice sailed high and Ben looked over at them, his eyes wide, clutching his LEGO robot so tightly its head fell off.
"You and Ben are welcome to stay and take care of me in my old age." Her mom shifted toward the den. "You hear that, honey? I want you to stay forever."
Ben gave them an eye-crinkling smile that reminded her so much of Noah her insides squirmed, and she killed the rest of her drink. She was so careful not to show how lonely she sometimes felt in front of Ben.
"Harper." Her mom's chiding tone reminded her so much of her own childhood, she glanced up instinctively. Her mom took her hand, and her hazel eyes matched the ones that stared back at Harper in the mirror. "You're marking time in Kitty Hawk. Find something that excites you again. Don't let Ben—or Noah— be your excuse."
Harper looked to her son. His chubby fingers fit the small LEGO pieces together turning the robot into a house. She had built her life brick by brick adding pieces and colors, expanding, taking pride, until one horrible day she'd stopped. Maybe her mom was right. Was it time to build something new?
Laura Trentham is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance. She is a member of RWA, and has finaled multiple times in the Golden Heart competition. A chemical engineer by training and a lover of books by nature, she lives in South Carolina.
Categories: Book Review, romance, Women's fiction
Tagged as: a heart of a hero, laura trentham, north carolina, outer banks, SEAL, st. martin's press, the military wife
The Truth About Cowboys Cover Reveal with Giveaway!
Gutenberg Experiences


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5/31-6/3 Friday-Monday
Guiding Question:
What did we learn in Second Semester?
Collaborative: Students will review information learned during semester 2 by completing a Final Exam study guide with at least 80% accuracy.
CA HSS 8.5 - 8.11
What should you do to study for a final exam? Where can you find information to help you with a study guide?
Final Study Guide Tips
Collaborative (Voice Level .5) 60 minutes:
Task 1: Final Exam Study Guide
Guiding Questions: How did Hamilton & Jefferson feel about the creation of a National Bank? Objectives: Collaborative: Students will understand the conflict between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson in regards to the creation of a National Bank by participating in a Save the Last Word for Me with a score of at least 3/4 according to the rubric. Independent: Students will work to increase their lexile levels by reading an Achieve article about George Washington, complete all summaries , and score at least 75% on the activity. Standards: HSS.8.3.4- Understand how the conflicts between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton resulted in the emergence of two political parties (e.g., view of foreign policy, Alien and Sedition Acts, economic policy, National Bank, funding and assumption of the revolutionary debt). SL.8.1 - Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
5/20-30 Legacy of Reconstruction Project
5/16-17 Thursday-Friday
5/14-15 Tuesday-Wednesday
5/10-13 Friday-Monday
Advisory Student Surveys
5/8-9 Wednesday-Thursday
5/6-7 Monday-Tuesday
5/2-3 Thursday-Friday

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Diana A. Jeschke
Sharon A. Rose
Corporate Governance Under Sarbanes-Oxley
New Realities and Their Effect on Public Markets — an interview with Cary Klafter of Intel Corporation
Posted Sunday, May 1, 2005
5 U.C. Davis Bus. L.J. 18 (2005)
Cary Klafter is the Vice President of Legal and Government Affairs, Director of Corporate Affairs, and Corporate Secretary at Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, California. The Corporate Affairs Group is responsible for the company's corporate-level legal activities, including SEC matters, finance and treasury, mergers & acquisitions, investor relations, Board of Directors and other corporate governance matters. Intel is the world's largest computer chip maker, as well as a leading manufacturer of computer, networking, and communications products.
Prior to joining Intel in 1996, Mr. Klafter was a partner in the San Francisco firm office of Morrison & Foerster. Mr. Klafter was also a Director of the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals. He is a speaker at various legal and business programs. Mr. Klafter holds a JD degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1972. He earned his BA and MS degrees from Michigan State University in 1968 and 1971, respectively.
Q: Sarbanes-Oxley and a host of other SEC regulations require additional disclosures for corporations. What are some of the specific disclosures corporations are now or will soon be required to provide? What do you see coming down the road from here?
A: Sections 302 and 404 (302 and 404) are two of the provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley with the greatest impact. Each of these sections has required major in-house activity related to quarterly and annual disclosures as part of the 10K/10Q reports. These provisions require that the company CEO and the CFO sign a statement that then gets published in the 10K or the 10Q, stating that the document in question doesn't have any untrue statement of material fact, and that the financials fairly present the financial condition of the company. The Section 302 certification introduced a concept which was just created out of whole cloth by the SEC and its regulations under the statute, relating to "disclosure controls and procedures." These provisions effectively mandate that the issuer had to have a formal set of disclosure controls and procedures described as intending to ensure that all material information is known to the CEO and CFO at the time they're signing the document. Then nested within disclosure controls are internal controls over financial reporting which is the heart of the 404 requirement. Section 404 requires a really elaborate procedure concerning the various controls over the bookkeeping and financial reporting process in the company to better ensure the numbers that are generated are as close to accurate as practicable. The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), which was invented by Sarbanes-Oxley, adopted 404 auditing standards as one of its major acts to date. It created an auditing standard which is imposed upon the external auditing firms, in our case Ernst and Young, to audit management's assertions concerning internal control over financial reporting. Then the internal auditors also have to do their own report with respect to the internal control over financial reporting. The company actually has three separate reports generated on an annual basis under 404. We're a large company and the 404 work costs us more than $25 million for 2004, so it's an extraordinary state of affairs.
All of these 302 and 404 reports are gigantic efforts and require a tremendous number of people. They put a lot of stress and workload on the finance and legal staff to get this work done and to do it right. The quarterly 302 cycle culminates in a series of meetings that demand the personal attention of the most senior officers, specifically the CEO, the president, and the CFO. Their involvement was explicitly intended by these statutes. As you may recall, in the hearing involving Enron, you had a bunch of Enron guys up in front of Congress, effectively saying, "Well, we don't know anything about these partnerships," or "we're not familiar with this line of business." In effect, the CEO was saying, "I'm just not familiar with the way we earned 80% of our profits." One can very easily track the various recent episodes and scandals to very specific provisions in Sarbanes-Oxley, directly related to those guys getting up and saying "I never looked at the financials. I don't know anything about this."
The new reporting regulations also affect the time-frame corporations have to submit reports, requiring closer oversight sooner and more often in the process. What you have, separately from Sarbanes-Oxley, is the SEC moving to shorten the time to produce both the 10Q and 10K reports. The 10K used to be filed within ninety days after the end of the fiscal year, but they've been dropping it in stages. They actually delayed it this year. It would have been sixty days this year; it'll be sixty days next year. Out on "the street," the difference between sixty and ninety days may not sound particularly meaningful, but it's effectively a dramatic difference in terms of who has to do what and when. That intersects with the 302 and 404 provisions because the 302 and 404 reports for the annual period are part of the 10K, and they have to be done for a calendar year company by the end of February. For a practitioner at a large company, what it means is that documents like the 10K, or even the proxy statement, are getting to be like the basketball season - they seem to run about ten months out of the year. You finish up one, you take a deep breath, and do your post-mortems and a couple of months later, off you go again.
Q: You mentioned that the CEO, CFO and other senior officers are now involved in a number of oversight meetings. Can you comment further on specific accountability issues for senior management and boards now required by the new regulations?
A: What you have in something like 302 and 404 is the necessity of reaching out on a worldwide basis to gather the data and make sure you have it in hand and analyzed on a quick, timely basis. The location where events occur, where contracts are signed, or financials are rolled up, can be anywhere in a large organization. You can visualize the tentacles reaching out to all the finance controllers and all of the general managers and the compliance review committees for each business unit at various times during the course of the year when you are working on this kind of process. When we were taking a fresh look at our disclosure activities as we built and documented our disclosure controls and procedures, one of the new things we put in place was a very formal reportable events process. For example, we go out formally through emails four times a quarter in advance of the earnings release, in advance of the 10Q, in advance of the certification meeting, on a worldwide basis, to pre-selected contact people. We're effectively asking them, "What's new? What don't we know? What hasn't been reported up through normal legal or finance channels? What excursion might have occurred that we are unaware of?" This better ensures that we have that data in hand. Then we created a disclosure committee to review and consider that data and to determine what to do with it. This touches on a large number of people. At some companies, but not our own, various sub certifications have been created and involve controllers and business unit managers signing up to their own miniature certifications, all of which get rolled up to the top.
Q: In a situation where a company has numerous business units around the world, how are the field managers held accountable? What if these managers run their operations fraudulently, but report positive results to upper management. If upper management learns that something was different two or three years later, who, in the end, is ultimately accountable?
A: This plays into accountability down the line, as well. The import of the 302 and 404 requirements is that it demands "reasonable assurance," reasonable assurance is the term of art, with respect to all of these requirements on an enterprise-wide basis. Therefore, part of the function of creating, for example, the internal control over financial reporting is that it has to get down to an immaterial level of detail. You have to make sure your systems have sufficient controls in them, and that might entail increasing control over regional managers or managers of sub units. In some cases where you can't otherwise deal with risk, you put in some sort of control which helps to mitigate or compensate for the potential risk. There are all sorts of ways that you have to reach out to the end of the line, to make sure that everybody is part of the relevant system so that the financials can be documented, tested, and audited.
Q: How have these requirements impacted the ability of corporations to effectively respond to market changes in pursuit of their business plans and corporate goals?
A: In our case, we can absorb twenty-five million ($25M), although that's not chicken feed. As a practical matter, we're not skimping elsewhere because of this, but its still $25M that could have gone elsewhere, to the treasury or to the stockholders. I've read a number of articles in the newspaper about smaller companies that have said, in effect, "that they couldn't afford to remain publicly traded and were going to go private." They had gone public at a time when they thought there was value to that because it allowed them to tap into publicly available capital, but now they're in a circumstance where the compliance overhead related to being public, and their own financial situation is such that it's simply uneconomic. If it's $25M for us, we can write that check, but an extra million for a much smaller company might be simply more than they're able to bear.
Q: What effects will the increased oversight have on institutional investors' evaluation of the securities they purchase for their portfolios?
A: It obviously gives them more data points. One of the things that is going on right now is the rollout of the 404 reports for the first time. This is the first season that they're coming out, and I've seen data suggesting that so far approximately 8% of the companies that have reported, have reported what's known as a "material weakness." A material weakness is one of the key defined terms in this whole procedure because if you have a material weakness in your internal control, then management and auditors are unable to deliver a clean report. That doesn't mean you can't file your annual report, your 10K, and it doesn't mean you can't have audited financial statements. It does mean you'll get the scarlet letter with respect to the internal control, and there was a lot of concern early on, and there still is, as to the market reaction. Will the market overreact? I haven't seen any data as to price fluctuations with respect to that sort of thing. In fact, there were a series of major groups coming together, both securities analysts and auditor firms, in effect trying to allay the fears of the investing public by pointing out that all material weaknesses need to be fixed, but that some are more material than others. The analysts are trying to put reported material weaknesses into context.
In a slightly related context, this creates a lot of interesting issues with respect to mergers and acquisitions, which is another way to tap the capital market. It has always been the case that major concerns of the acquiring company include hidden and unknown problems that will be acquired but won't be known until you actually take the company and integrate it into your own. Maybe even the management of the other company doesn't know about the problem until you discover it once you have already bought it, and it comes to you unknowingly broken. Tremendously elaborate sets of representations, warranties, and the responsibilities of doing due diligence are used to try to deal with this concern. The fact is that not every company knows everything about itself, and not every acquirer can know everything about the company that it is acquiring, even putting fraud aside. Then a year after you acquire a company, its financial systems are now subsumed into your 404 report. This raises the ante with respect to acquisition of companies. This creates a concern that you may be purchasing something that may turn out to create a major flaw within your larger system.
So you need a lot more due diligence up front and a lot more oversight early on to ensure that everything is known that can be known -- you really have to get into the details. As an acquiring company, you hopefully were always doing this sort of research, but now you do it even more. It's not just a function of figuring out how might we get our money back, because if you're buying a public company, you can hardly ever get your money back, but how can we avoid damage to our own enterprise if we bring some sort of broken or diseased organism into our system.
Q: Will the new rules change the process by which corporate boards are selected?
A: There are many effects relating to boards and their various responsibilities. The new rules will have a direct impact with respect to how boards are chosen. You may have seen a number of commentators talking about whether, at the margin, there will be a number of people who simply won't want to sit on a board because of the potential danger of personal liability. As a potential candidate, if you get over the personal liability issue, then there's the time commitment. You can expect the time commitment to be much greater than it has been in the past. You have to figure out how much time you're spending on your day job and whether you're willing to go along with this system. If you're a board candidate and you read about what's going on with respect to institutional investors and their interests in changing the system of how boards are being elected, you may think twice since you might be facing, in effect, a contested election every year. Do you have sufficient motivation to step into that kind of process?
Q: What impact will the regulations have on the current proxy voting process of retail investors? What concerns emerge from an often ill-informed group of people making decisions about board members, and does their ratio of votes compared to institutional investors impact the ultimate decision?
A: There's a tremendous amount of activity which is going on, on that side of the world. As you know, there has been a lot of commentary relating to institutional investors, basically chiding them and saying, "You're an owner of these companies. You're a key player and need to become more active." A lot of proxy voting advisory services are springing up which are being very active in terms of effectively setting non-governmental standards with respect to boards and voting on account of their power and authority, and over voting on behalf of numerous clients. Retail investors tend not to vote as much as institutional investors. Institutional investors are compelled to vote for a number of reasons. If you're an ERISA pension plan, the Department of Labor, a number of years ago indicated that the vote is an asset of the pension plan and implicitly stated that it shouldn't be wasted. Theoretically, you might decide not to vote because it doesn't deliver value to do so, but as a practical matter, pension plans in particular have become extremely active in the voting process because they feel impelled by law to do so. In the same way, they might hire an investment manager to manage the buy and sell decisions; they hire organizations like Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) to manage the voting decisions. They pay a lot of money to have a theoretical professional handle the process and they may or may not feel happy about it, but that means that all of those shares get voted.
Just starting this year, there are new rules under the Investment Company Act of 1940 which require that mutual funds actually publish their voting policies and voting records so all stock holders are able to see them. This means that mutual funds and mutual fund managers are automatically under pressure from various interest groups with respect to the ways they vote. Union pension funds in particular have announced that they look at this very closely, and they will withdraw their assets under management from these managers if they aren't voting the right way. So you have a politicization of the voting process, and more scrutiny. All of which means institutional investors are going to vote 100% of the time, and retail investors are not. There are a number of rule proposals, for example, proposed changes to New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Rule 452 which would effectively strip a large amount of the retail vote out of the system, so proportionately the institutional voters will have even more sway.
As to the impact on the retail market and the investment practices of retail investors, I don't know if it will necessarily change their investment practices if they're not focused on voting. They still want to buy and sell stocks on an individual basis. I don't know that the rule change will directly affect them. They can always vote if they want to. From an issuer's perspective though, this creates a big issue because much more voting power now is being delivered to a small group of institutions. Every company regardless of its size is going to have a top ten or top one hundred list of investors who will, except in rare circumstances, tend to be unaffiliated institutional investors of various types.
Q: What effects will the new regulatory environment have on the relationship between federal and state laws governing corporations?
A: There is a tremendous amount of that is going on. A couple of years ago, the SEC, as it does every five or ten years, took a look at the proxy process relative to its regulations. It ultimately came out with what were known as the Shareholder Access Rule Proposals which effectively, for the very first time, would have allowed investors to place their own director nominees into a company proxy statement. A company proxy statement is the proxy statement of the entity. It's the board of directors reporting to the stockholders on the board of directors' slate of nominees who are in the proxy statement. As you know, you or I could create a competing slate to run against a directors' slate of nominees, but as a practical matter that's hardly ever done in the absence of a group willing to spend a lot of money to go through that proxy solicitation process. Also, in such a case, they typically want to take over the control of the company. Short of wanting to take over control of a company, you rarely have competing nominees because no one wants to spend the money to do so. Our solicitation costs in a routine year, for a proxy voting, are five to six million. We have over four million stockholders and you have to print proxy statements and mail them to everybody, and it just takes lots of money. That intersects with state law, of course, because it is state law which sets up a corporation, controls its internal governance, and has traditionally controlled the fundamentals of the voting and nomination process with respect to directors. So there was a lot of debate over whether the SEC had the authority to establish the Shareholder Access Rule. There was a case about fifteen years ago where the SEC also tried to change a rule with respect to the voting rights of particular classes of shares; they were sued, and they lost. It was held that the SEC did not have the authority, and it was a matter of state law, so this was a matter of concern to the SEC and a big topic of debate.
The controversy over the Shareholder Access Rule also intersects generally with all that's been going on in the corporate governance arena because states like Delaware have been concerned that, on account of Sarbanes-Oxley and new stock exchange rules, the states were effectively losing relevance with respect to a lot of their core corporate code provisions. Under Delaware law, you have the business judgment rule, which is basically a procedural standard, but behind it are these core responsibilities of loyalty, care, and good faith by directors. Now you have all of these new federal-law standards, all of these prescriptive and proscriptive responsibilities under Sarbanes-Oxley. The question is does the business judgment rule mean anything anymore? Is it too lax? Are these guys at Enron, WorldCom, and Tyco able to get away with bad acts and still be covered by the business judgment rule? A very specific subset of the discussion on this topic has been related to executive compensation. You're probably familiar with the Disney case, which is a Delaware case. Then you have the Dick Grasso case (the NYSE president), which is not under Delaware law. Here was an analogous circumstance in considering whether the compensation committee of the board of that enterprise engaged in the proper level of oversight, due diligence, care, and loyalty when it was setting the compensation of Dick Grasso.
Q: How have the new regulations played a part in changing the roles of these compensation committees and the methods used to establish an executive's compensation package?
A: There have been some very specific changes. Committees have to determine the compensation of the senior executives, basically the Section 16 officers of the issuers. Counsels are looking to lessons from the Disney case and the Grasso case and other similar circumstances. Plus you have the Delaware judiciary giving speeches saying, "We're still relevant, and the business judgment rule is not changed," and specifically talking about executive compensation practices. The bar gets raised by matters of common practice and best-known methods over the years, though. I think all compensation committees are well advised to spend more time to be more conscientious about considering what data they should receive and what data do they really need to understand and determining what are the compensation tools that are going to be utilized in determining the compensation of the senior executives. The fundamental point is that they shouldn't be captured by the CEO or others, but should make an independent determination. Effectively, the subliminal message is "do not overpay these guys." Link their pay to the performance of the company or to generated value for the stockholders. That's not the easiest thing to do in a lot of circumstances, but there are places to do it better than it has been done in the past. All of that means more time, more effort, more stress, and more potential liability. What you also find is those compensation committees, and all committees, have the official authority now, though they should have had it in the past as a matter of practice, to go out and hire independent consultants and have their own counsel. There are more circumstances at the margin where the board or the committees are going to have their own consultants and their own counsel as opposed to the corporation's counsel. Notwithstanding the addition of these separate counsels for the various committees, Section 307 of the Sarbanes-Oxley makes clear that in-house counsel is counsel to the board of directors - to the corporation as a whole. You may spend a lot of time with the CEO, the CFO, or head of business unit number 7, but that's just because that's one of your jobs. Your ethical responsibility is to the enterprise as a whole. As a practical matter, this always increases the stress and tension level when you have dueling counsels.
Without a doubt, institutional investors will impact the compensation committees, as well, by directly entering into the compensation debate and forcefully making their voting views known. A prominent local circumstance is the CALPERS shareowner's forum website. You will see a very elaborate set of guidelines and standards which they have developed basically saying to the thousands of portfolio companies, "this is how we want you to establish executive compensation." They've also recently announced a three-year program of engagement with regard to (a) companies and compensation consultants that just aren't getting it on executive compensation and (b) engagement with the SEC to try and increase disclosure relating to executive compensation and with the executive compensation consultant industry. They're operating under the belief that the consultants are often times as much of the problem as the companies themselves. CALPERS has been, for many years, very active with respect to corporate governance, but this a good example of the sort of thing that you see coming out of institutional investors.
Q: Do you see special interest groups playing into an individual corporation's decisions rather than the board making decisions wholly on their own?
A: Clearly that's the case now. It is always an appropriate practice to listen to your stockholders and understand that someone else might have a better or different idea than you do. It's always useful to engage with your investors and to hear other views. One of the underlying messages of so many of these regulations is to try and make sure that there's an appropriate level of communication and that companies aren't simply stonewalling interested parties with respect to these areas. Ultimately, most companies have more sense of the internal company detail than do any outsiders so there is always the issue of trying to figure out the right balance between what interesting ideas you can take from other folks. At a bare minimum, what this really means is maybe you won't adopt the views of the third parties, but by engagement with them, they're able to better understand exactly what it is that you're doing. One of the methods to do this is in the report to the compensation committee in the proxy statement, plus all of the other supplemental data in the proxy statement concerning executive compensation. As a general matter, reports of compensation committees are getting bigger, more detailed, and better at dealing with a large number of topics that had previously not been dealt with because they were seen as immaterial from a dollar point of view. The "perks" area is a classic example. The SEC has all but said that they're going to revamp the disclosure rules on executive compensation sometime this year, so all issuers can expect that next year's proxy season will have more mandated disclosure. The bar will be raised for everybody with regard to what it is that you need to disclose on executive compensation.
Q: What are the long-term consequences of Sarbanes-Oxley and these other regulations for corporate legal departments? Will they increase litigation? Will they divert critical corporate resources to legal departments instead of to research & development departments? What effect will the regulations have on the competitiveness of American corporations with respect to foreign companies?
A: There's no doubt that this generates the requirement of greater compliance related activity. Compliance in its broadest sense means internal control, disclosure, and oversight by the board of directors. By definition, lawyers will have a piece of that action because lawyers are the proper and trained people with respect to much of this. All of this costs money. This all has to be taken into account by companies in their development or venture capital stage. Will we be in a position to afford this going forward? Are we able to do this in such as way as to meet those responsibilities and at the same time have enough money for normal business operations and be able to deliver a return to our stockholders? Foreign companies are looking at the US market and saying at the margin, "it would be great to tap into the US public capital markets, but do we want to put ourselves into the system which might be quite different from systems in other countries?" There are very few provisions in Sarbanes-Oxley and the PCAOB rules that allow for different arrangements for non-US issuers. That is a non-traditional way of doing things. Traditionally, the SEC has created a large number of regulations to take into account the fact that a German company will have a different board of directors' structure, a different kind of audit committee, and different financial statements. Sarbanes-Oxley didn't take any of that into account, and the PCAOB is taking it into account on a very modest basis.
With respect to companies generally, these new regulations will create more opportunities for more litigation. There are simply more things that can go wrong and more opportunity to create other causes of action when plaintiffs file suit. In the long run, you can expect more litigation to take place and more opportunities for litigators. At the margin, it will have an impact with respect to competitiveness because you'll have more of senior management's time being spent with regard to compliance as opposed to strategic activities. Similarly, at the board level, you'll have some companies that won't go public, but could have really done well as a public company. This is impossible to quantify. My $25M figure can be, to some reliable extent, extrapolated on a US-wide basis. The more overhead costs, the less goes into anything else. Overall, you hope that the increased costs still deliver value. Take the Enron situation, for example, where the lack of additional overhead destroyed the entire value of the company. These new regulations want to reduce the future likelihood of cases such as that where all of the investors lost all of their money, all of the Enron employees who lost jobs, and all the other fraud related to Enron, including all of the dramatic increases in California's electricity rates. There shouldn't be a corporate counsel in the US who doesn't feel some degree of animus to the Enrons of the world, just on account of the fact that it increases our workload.
It's impossible to come to a definitive conclusion on the cost-benefit analysis of the new laws and whether the balance was properly struck. To some level, this has all been good stuff, but it is always important to do a post-mortem and take a second and third look at the operation and value of a system. Right now, the SEC is doing a roundtable, soliciting comments concerning the whole 404 process, and asking for the first time, if 404 is doing its job. They're asking thirty to forty questions and hopefully they'll take all of that into account, as will the PCAOB, and there will be adjustments going forward. As you might imagine, nothing that the SEC or PCAOB adopts will be perfect because very few things are perfect for everyone, so there's always the possibility for adjustment. I'm already reading news articles about how the SEC has "caved into evil corporate interests" in holding this roundtable, but that's just silliness to believe that someone has got it exactly right the first time. There's obviously no political appetite to repeal Sarbanes-Oxley. Who wants to be the one decried as the guy who decided to let the bad guys run rampant in the streets again? The structure of securities laws has traditionally given a lot of authority to the primary regulator. The SEC, and now the PCAOB, adopt rules so it is appropriate public policy that they should use their rulemaking authority to make adjustments to the process so that they can get closer to the proper balance.


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You are here: Home / Conservation Projects / WPC Protects 156 Acres, Added to Buchanan State Forest
WPC Protects 156 Acres, Added to Buchanan State Forest
On January 4, The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) announced the protection of more than 156 acres along the Evitts Mountain ridgeline in Bedford County. The property was immediately transferred to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Forestry to become a new addition to Buchanan State Forest.
This land is adjacent to the 1,769-acre Hardwood Trails property the Conservancy acquired in 2011 and conveyed to DCNR as part of the state forest. This newest addition to Buchanan State Forest brings its total acreage to 69,859, spanning across Franklin, Fulton, and Bedford counties.
"Bedford County is an important place for land protection for the Conservancy. To date, we have added more than 2,000 acres to Buchanan State Forest," said Tom Saunders, president and CEO of WPC. "We are glad to protect more of this Evitts Mountain ridgeline, with its expansive forest and great views, tying together protected forests across Pennsylvania and Maryland with this connection."
Located at the border of Maryland, the property protected today connects the former Hardwood Trails property to Rocky Gap State Park in Maryland, creating an unbroken corridor of protected land across the two states.
"Now hikers and hunters can explore nature across two states without worrying about public access to the land – from Allegheny County in Maryland to Bedford County in Pennsylvania," said Michael Knoop, land protection manager at WPC.
Beyond its scenic and recreational value, this property is forested and sits on the edge of more than 16,900 acres of core forest that spans from Martin Hill along Evitts Mountain to Maryland.
"Just as valuable to DCNR as its people and programs are its strong partnerships with conservation-based organizations, and for decades there have been few stronger than that with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy," said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. "We applaud this acquisition and are appreciative of the value it brings to Buchanan State Forest's almost 70,000 acres. Birders, hikers, hunters and other visitors to this Bedford County tract can only feel the same."
DCNR provided the lead funding for the purchase of this property through a grant from the Community Conservation Partnership Program and funding from the Bureau of Forestry. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation provided additional funding to support transaction-related expenses.
Filed Under: Conservation Projects Tagged With: state forests
categories: Conservation Projects


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Topic of today's conversation? Leather skirts. If you told me three years ago that I'd be rocking one of those bad boys on my blog I would have said you were crazy. But today? I'm rocking a leather skirt with pride and I'm loving every second of it. I'm not a big fan of wearing leather in general and the last time I remember rocking some was when I had a burgundy leather jacket in middle school (apparently I thought I was a badass). But seeing how this one was made of vegan leather convinced me to give it another try.
My favorite part about the vegan leather skirt is definitely how soft and warm it is. I always imagined leather to embody the tough girl attitude but the fit of the skirt makes it somewhat romantic. Plus, in comparison to my flimsy cotton skirts, this guy can combat the winter winds perfectly.
i adore this outfit jen! simply stunning!
I love this outfit! Your vegan leather skirt, fluffy earmuffs, & cap toe shoes are too cute.
Love love love your leather skirt!
This entire outfit is pretty amazing. I agree - the fit of the skirt is somewhat romantic and it pairs perfectly with your cropped sweater. And those cap toed pumps? So versatile and so darn pretty!
Also. Fifty-five degrees in January? That sounds amazing!
with?!! if i can only bare my legs like you do!!!! aaaahhh!!! winter is taking too long! hahaha!
You are so sassy in the first picture. I love it! I've been wanting a leather skirt for awhile now but haven't been able to jump on the bandwagon. You may have convinced me to take the plunge.
Hope the rest of your week is stellar and just as warm!
The fact that it's a VEGAN leather skirt makes me love it even more! You have great ethical views!
Just wondering, Jen, how tall are you?
Ooooh, so they aaare warm? Perhaps I should get one, too, and be just like Jen. :D That's lovely that you found out you really like it, though. It's amazing how much our perception of certain styles changes over the years!
You are too cute in your silly expressions! Love this post. You seem so comfortable in front of the camera, compared to when I first started reading a year or more ago. And cute skirt!!
These photos are freaking adorable...I don't know how you manage to be SO photogenic, I'm jealous :) Love the leather skirt too, it's spunky but still feminine.
wow i love that skirt! ive been debating about getting one as well. such adorable photos and your lucky you got to embrace warm weather if only for a second!


One of the problems with typical games is that the Baccarat rules are made slightly too complicated and slightly too dull for the tastes of a lot of players. The banker bet in particular is a problem because it pays at 0.95:1 with a five percent commission, and this is one of the main sources of complication in an otherwise relatively simple game. This led to the invention of EZ Baccarat, a form of the game with slightly different rules and a couple of fun side bets that inject some simplicity and fun into the experience.
The old banker bet is replaced with a new version in EZ Baccarat. The idea is that the new banker bet pays 1:1 instead of the awkward, commission-based 0.95:1. As compensation for the commission being removed, three-card totals of seven for the banker bet result in a push when betting on the banker if the banker wins. This is a slight concession to make, and it's not such a big deal when you consider the fact that the house advantage on this version of the game with an eight-deck shoe is slightly smaller at 1.02 percent. This is compared to the 1.06 percent you see in standard Baccarat games.
Action is one of the problems that Baccarat has ran into since it has been played for smaller stakes since the widespread introduction of online casino games. The idea here is that there's not usually much fluctuation for a player over a single session except in rare instances of a big upswing or downswing, and this can lead to fairly boring play when the social factor of the game atmosphere has been removed. Along these lines, two new side bets have been introduced to EZ Baccarat to make things more interesting and to give players more options.
One of the new wagers available in this game is called the Dragon 7. It's related to the changes made to the banker bet. Specifically, you'll win on this bet when the banker bet wins on a total of seven that uses three cards. This side bet pays a nice 40:1, and this gives it a house advantage of 7.6 percent. This is better than the tie and pair bets, but it's still nowhere near as good as the banker or player bets.
A very similar side bet is called the Panda 8. It's important to note that the number eight is lucky in a lot of Asian cultures, and that could be why they chose this number for the additional bet since the Dragon 7 has the lucky number seven for Western cultures covered. If the dealer wins with a total of eight that uses three cards, then you get a bonus payout. The payout here is slightly less at 25:1 because you have a better chance of hitting than the Dragon 7. This leads to a house advantage of 10.2 percent, relatively in line with the tie and pair bets.
It's possible to card count in EZ Baccarat to some degree to figure out when the Dragon 7 and Panda 8 bets have better odds. While the systems required to card count either of these bets are extremely complicated, it is possible to get an advantage in the game using them. It would take an overwhelming amount of practice and studying to be able to get an advantage on these games, but it's possible with a lot of work.


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Q: How to loop according to a multiple of a value (R) I have a set of observations, with nest IDs and date of the observation. I have created a variable that gives the interval between each observation for each nest. I need to create a new variable, that for each nest, assigns a unique value for each observation that falls within an interval period of 145 days. Essentially, a shortened version of my data looks like this:
   Date       Nest_ID interval total_interval

 1 2015-02-22 a              0              0
 2 2015-05-26 a             93             93
 3 2015-07-08 a             43            136
 4 2015-12-07 a            152            288
 5 2016-01-29 a             53            341
 6 2016-04-02 a             64            405
 7 2016-07-06 a             95            500
 8 2016-11-05 a            122            622
 9 2017-06-29 b              0              0
10 2015-02-22 c              0              0

and I need it to look like this:
    Date       Nest_ID interval total_interval      Nest_period

 1 2015-02-22 a              0              0                 1
 2 2015-05-26 a             93             93                 1
 3 2015-07-08 a             43            136                 1
 4 2015-12-07 a            152            288                 2
 5 2016-01-29 a             53            341                 2
 6 2016-04-02 a             64            405                 2
 7 2016-07-06 a             95            500                 3
 8 2016-11-05 a            122            622                 3
 9 2017-06-29 b              0              0                 1
10 2015-02-22 c              0              0                 1

If I could get the total_interval count to restart whenever it reaches 145 that seems like the ideal solution, however I have not been able to figure that out yet.
Here's some code to get the sample data:
Date <- c("2015-02-22", "2015-05-26", "2015-07-08", "2015-12-07", "2016-01-29", "2016-04-02", "2016-07-06", "2016-11-05", "2017-06-29", "2015-02-22")

Nest_ID <- c("a", "a", "a", "a", "a", "a", "a", "a", "b", "c")

interval <- (c(0,93,43,152,53,64,95,122,0,0))

total_interval <- (c(0,93,136,288,341,405,500,622,0,0))

df <- data.frame(Date, Nest_ID, interval, total_interval)

Any help greatly appreciated! Thanks!

A: It's very messy but I can't find out the way to do this simple.
df <- df %>%
  mutate(interval = as.numeric(interval),
         total_interval = as.numeric(total_interval))
groups <- unique(df$Nest_ID)
res <- c()
for (i in groups){
  df2 <- df %>%
    filter(Nest_ID %in% i)
  n <- 1
  for(i in 1:dim(df2)[1]){
    if (df2$total_interval[i] < 145) {
      res<-c(res,n)
    } else {
      n <- n + 1
      df2$total_interval <- df2$total_interval - df2$total_interval[i]
      res<-c(res,n)
    }
    print(n)
  }

}
res
df$idx <- replace_na(res, 1)
df

result is like below. idx is Nest_period you wanted
         Date Nest_ID interval total_interval idx
1  2015-02-22       a        0              0   1
2  2015-05-26       a       93             93   1
3  2015-07-08       a       43            136   1
4  2015-12-07       a      152            288   2
5  2016-01-29       a       53            341   2
6  2016-04-02       a       64            405   2
7  2016-07-06       a       95            500   3
8  2016-11-05       a      122            622   3
9  2017-06-29       b        0              0   1
10 2015-02-22       c        0              0   1

A: In this cases I normally use a simple for-loop:
nest_period=vector()
for (i in seq_along(df)){
    nest_period[i]=df$total_interval[i]%/%145
}

df <- as.data.frame(cbind(Date, Nest_ID, interval, total_interval, nest_period))

You will treat all the data along your dataframe and assign for every index the module between total_interval and 145 to nest_period.

A: I provide one solution based on the case of mod(total_interval, 145).
I find the mapping between Nest_period and mod(total_interval, 145) which can be used to avoid the inefficient loop.
library(data.table)
setDT(df) #set df as data.table
df[, tmp := total_interval %/% 145, by = Nest_ID]
df[, tmp := fifelse( tmp > 0 & (tmp %% 2 == 0), tmp - 1, tmp)]
df[, Nest_period := fcase( tmp == 0, 1,
                           tmp %% 2 != 0, (tmp + 1)/2 + 1 )]
df[, tmp := NULL]
df
#>           Date Nest_ID interval total_interval Nest_period
#>  1: 2015-02-22       a        0              0           1
#>  2: 2015-05-26       a       93             93           1
#>  3: 2015-07-08       a       43            136           1
#>  4: 2015-12-07       a      152            288           2
#>  5: 2016-01-29       a       53            341           2
#>  6: 2016-04-02       a       64            405           2
#>  7: 2016-07-06       a       95            500           3
#>  8: 2016-11-05       a      122            622           3
#>  9: 2017-06-29       b        0              0           1
#> 10: 2015-02-22       c        0              0           1

Data:
Date <- c("2015-02-22", "2015-05-26", "2015-07-08", "2015-12-07", "2016-01-29", "2016-04-02", "2016-07-06", "2016-11-05", "2017-06-29", "2015-02-22")

Nest_ID <- c("a", "a", "a", "a", "a", "a", "a", "a", "b", "c")

interval <- c(0,93,43,152,53,64,95,122,0,0)

total_interval <- c(0,93,136,288,341,405,500,622,0,0)

df <- data.table(Date, Nest_ID, interval, total_interval)

Created on 2021-09-16 by the reprex package (v2.0.1)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home Cable & DTH
NTO 2.0: Supreme Court refuses to stay Bombay HC order, issues notice to TRAI
in Cable & DTH, Featured
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court refused to stay the Bombay High Court's order on most provisions of the Tariff Orders issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on NTO 2.0. The apex court bench comprising the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justice Surya Kant, and Justice Aniruddha Bose agreed to issue notice to TRAI. It is said that interim relief cannot be considered at this stage.
The constitutional validity of Section 11 of the TRAI Act related to regulator's powers and functions over television broadcasters was upheld by a division bench of the Bombay High Court on June 30. The court also upheld TRAI's 2017 and 2020 Tariff Order(Rules) and regulations. At the same time, set aside one of the twin conditions in the 2020 Order according to which the MRP of an a-la-carte channel could not be more than 1/3rd the maximum rate of a channel in the bouquet.
The Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) and various other media houses, namely TV18, Zee, Sony, TV 18, Star India, and Film and Television Guild of India Ltd, had challenged the judgment by the High Court of Bombay. The apex court has listed the matter for further hearing on September 7 to consider interim order.
Tags: Bombay High CourtSupreme CourtTelecom Regulatory Authority of India
Shemaroo Entertainment bolsters leadership team with key appointments
Indian MSMEs optimistic about business and economy, despite global slowdown: Study
As per Kantar's ITOPS 2022 study, which completes 27 years of tracking the MSME market in India and covering MSMEs...


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Lectureship available at University of Manchester
The School of Biological Sciences invite applications for a Lecturer in Stem Cell Biology/ Regenerative Medicine to further our world-leading research and teaching in this field. You will have complementary research interests that not only span stem cells and regenerative medicine, but can capitalise on the opportunities available from the unique environment offered in Manchester for collaboration with colleagues working in basic biology through to translational therapies.
You will be supported in developing your own lab and research programme at the University of Manchester from which you will grow an international reputation in the field. You will benefit from joining an established community of collegiate researchers including membership of the Manchester Regenerative Medicine Network and affiliation to the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research.
Author Nick EvansPosted on 15th April 2019
PhD studentship available at Loughborough
Please follow the link to find out more about a PhD studentship at Loughborough University


Millions of Americans age 65 and older suffer from a condition called osteoporosis, which weakens the bones and makes them more likely to fracture.
As people age, their bones become more brittle, and fractures could lead to great pain, loss of mobility or force people into assisted living. Fractures can also require surgery, such as hip replacement, which can lead to additional complications.
Maintaining bone health is also important because osteoporosis is a disease that sneaks up on people and often times has no symptoms until a fracture occurs.
Adopting healthy personal habits is important for people to avoid having brittle bones and protect themselves from the consequences of poor bone health.
Eating right is extremely important to maintaining strong bones. Calcium consumption is important to reduce vulnerability to osteoporosis. Calcium is found in dairy products, vegetables like broccoli and kale. Many foods like orange juice, nuts and tofu are often enriched with calcium.
Vitamin D is also important because it helps the body absorb calcium. Sunlight helps the body create vitamin D, but there are also food sources like salmon, eggs and liver.
Honey glazed salmon: Salmon fillets are a great source of vitamin D and don't take much preparation.
Wheat pasta with sun-dried tomatoes: Wheat pasta provides calcium.
Macaroni and cheese: This comfort food can be made healthier by using whole wheat macaroni and low-fat cheese.
Apricot and yogurt parfait: Just in case you're craving a calcium-rich desert.
The longer a person smokes, the higher the risk of fractures in old age.
Smokers take longer to heal from a fracture.
Secondhand smoke may increase a person's risk of low bone mass.
Quitting smoking may reduce the risk of fracture.
Chronic alcohol consumption is also linked with an increase of bone fracture. Alcohol interferes with calcium balance in the body and affects hormones and vitamins, which are healthy for bones. Alcohol can also disrupt someone's balance and cause them to fall, which can also lead to fractures.
Bone is similar to muscle in that it becomes stronger in response to exercise. People who exercise at young ages achieve greater bone mass, and regular exercise allows people to maintain strength, coordination and balance, which can prevent falls.
People who dislike exercising may not realize that there are a variety of physical activities they can do to help build bone strength. Activities include weight training, walking, hiking, jogging, dancing, tennis and stair climbing. Exercises that force a person to bear weight and work against gravity work better at building strong bones.
Before beginning an exercise program, a person should consult with their doctor to find out which ones are safest for them to try. The goal is to get in at least a half hour most days, if not daily.
Bone density tests are painless, non-invasive and quick. Tests involve an X-ray machine. A person needs a prescription to have the procedure done.
Have eyes checked and keep eyeglass prescriptions up to date.
Keep rooms free of clutter.
Remove slippery rugs or carpets.
Wear shoes with rubber soles and great traction.
Seniors should do everything they can to protect their bone health.
Although there is no cure for osteoporosis, it can be treated and prevented. There are also medicines on the market that doctors can prescribe, but they may come with side effects.
Sometimes the solution to a problem can cause problems in itself. For example, hip replacement may be required after a hip fracture, but some hip implants can cause complications.
Hundreds of people have filed lawsuits against Stryker after a hip implant caused them additional injuries.
The best plan is to build strong bones and thus avoid fractures and surgery. When it comes to bone health and fractures, prevention is definitely the best medicine.


There's a fair chance that this is the first time you've heard of Sacred Heart (unless you travel US 212 frequently) , so we provide this glimpse into the new snow capital of Minnesota.
* The city is one square mile big, according to the Census Bureau.
* The median house price there is about $47,000, compared to $200,000 in Minnesota as a whole. The median rent is $481 a month.
* Unemployment is 4.5% but 11 percent of the people live below the poverty level.
* At one point, thanks primarily to the railroad (Hastings & Dakota Railway), Sacred Heart had two elevators, two hardware stores, three general stores, two hotels, a blacksmith shop and a saloon, according to the city's website. These included: Paulson's General Store, Nordstrom's Drug, and Oslund's Cash Store.
* There is a payphone booth on the main drag.
* The most photographed building in town appears to be the Hotel Sacred Heart.
* It has four churches, all Lutheran.
* There's no mail delivery. You have to go to the Post Office.
* It used to be called Reishus. Olaf S. Reishus was the postmaster.
* Here are some historical photos from the city.
I'm on Highway 212 pretty regularly for my job, and I have stopped in Sacred Heart for fuel, but have never visited the business district. Looks like a nice little town. I'll pay them a visit next time I'm in the neighborhood.
I spent some time in the Willmar area this past summer and visited some of my favorite towns along Highway 212. Sacred Heart had it's own high school until the '80s (the building is closed but still exists in town). In fact, there were 9 high schools in the 45 mile stretch of Highway 212 from Brownton on the east end to Sacred Heart on the west end (Brownton, Stewart, Buffalo Lake, Hector, Bird Island, Olivia, Danube, Renville, Sacred Heart). All but Olivia were part of the former 212 Conference for athletics from 1947 to 1973 when consolidation of schools along the route started to occur. I still groan a little when I read a sports score today in the St. Paul/Minneapolis papers for Sacred Heart; they mean the private school in East Grand Forks, not Sacred Heart, Minnesota. The students today attend school in Renville which is called Renville County West. The current superintendent I talked to this past summer indicated the Sacred Heart school building is for sale.


text:
YOUNG AUSTRALIANS in
The Political Polarisation of Bangladeshi Politics
The recent killing of USAID worker and gay rights activist Xulhaz Manna in conjunction with the barbaric murder of secular bloggers, an Italian diplomat and a series of attacks in Bangladesh over the last three years has become a transnational terrorist concern. Despite Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the Awami League (AL) Government denying that the recent spike in violence is the result of international terrorist groups, Bangladesh is in a precarious position where extremism threatens to erode the secular foundations of the state. The advent of extremism has further geopolitical ramifications for the region, threatening a spill over affect into India and into Myanmar. Metaphorically, the positioning of Bangladesh as a gateway to Asia is like a dam wall and if the dam wall of security breaks, then the potential for further violence increases.
Hasina's AL government has been pre-occupied with alienating the opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The political rivalry between the AL and the BNP has constructed a hostile environment, where AL has sought to persecute the opposition and voices of dissent. The AL government has issued an arrest warrant for leader of the opposition and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and twenty six BNP leaders over a deadly firebombing attack in 2015. Consequently this has led to a situation of political instability, which has created a vacuum allowing extremist groups to gain traction and support. This raises questions over the erosion of Bangladeshi democracy and how political polarisation has indirectly created a situation that has allowed extremist groups to prosper and fuel a cycle of violence.
Although historical factors also play a role in the characterisation of political polarisation. The 1972 Constitution which placed an emphasis on secularism and tolerance in the aftermath of a bloody-civil war with Pakistan, was followed up by a series of amendments which laid the foundations for oppression. Specifically the second amendment of 1973, gave executive power to declare a state of emergency and the third amendment of 1974 'The Special Powers', act authorised warrantless detention. Secularism was subsequently replaced with Islam as the state religion in 1988 during the military rule of Hussein Muhammad Ershad. The 1975 military coup that led to the assassination of the first President Mujibur Rahman, subsequently laid the foundations of the present political hostility between the AL and the BNP. With current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Rahman blaming military ruler Ziaur Rehman, the husband of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and leader of the BNP.
The political hostility between Hasina and Zia has at times turned into violent clashes of supporter bases, and judicial oppression of opponents during elections. There are further complications with the Islamist group Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI), an ally of the BNP being continuously blamed by the AL as an instigator and supporter of violent extremism, going as far to allege that JEI has a strong supporter base in East London and the British government should urgently tackle financial contributions from this network.
Against this historical backdrop of political hostility and polarisation, which at times has been characterised by politically-fused violence, non-state actors such as the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) have been able to launch an array of attacks evidenced in the coordinated murder of secular bloggers. Furthermore the ABT has published a global hit list of secular bloggers, writers and activists, leaving secular and liberal thinkers in Bangladesh fearing for their lives. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, including the killing of an Italian diplomat and Japanese agricultural worker. Even though Bangladeshi authorities deny the role of international terrorist-groups, and shifts the rise of extremism to both the opposition and the notion of radical Islamist groups such as the ABT, global terror linkages in Bangladesh are evident. The first sectarian attack with the bombing of the Shiite Muslim holiday of Ashura in October 2015 provides evidence of possible linkages to international terrorist influences in a predominantly Sunni Bangladesh.
Without rapid action to prevent the spread of extremism and the subsequent erosion of secularism in a majority-tolerant Bangladeshi society which fought a bloody civil war for independence, violent extremism could reach further than Dhaka and into East Asia.
Thomas Penfold holds a Master of International Relations from the University of Melbourne, has worked in Laos and has a profound interest in international security and risk analysis.
This article can be republished with attribution under a Creative Commons Licence. Please email publications@youngausint.org.au with any questions or for more information.
Image Credit: Sudipta Arka Das (Flickr: Creative Commons)
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Rugby 7's is quickly becoming a very popular off-shoot of the traditional 15's game. Certainly the inclusion of seven's in the Summer Olympics will continue to promote the sport of rugby all over the globe. The Niagara Rugby Club is proud to boast its own Rugby 7's tournament which coincides just at the end of the Ontario rugby season in early November and just prior to the New York 7's tournament on American Thanksgiving weekend.
The Niagara Rugby 7's Tournament is held over multiple days to host a Junior & High School Division for both Boys and Girls on Day One as well as Senior Club & Premier Divisions for both men and women on Day Two.
Make a point of capping your rugby season or preparing for the New York 7's with a stop at the Niagara Rugby 7's Tournament. The city of Niagara Falls has a variety of accommodations that offer special tournament rates and there is certainly no shortage of tourist attractions to try during your stay. The tournament is also capped with a reception on the Saturday night for all the players, coaches, and supporters to revel in the tournament's highlights, gaffs, and stories.
The Niagara Rugby 7s Festival offers teams from far and wide a memorable experience within the confines of Niagara's bustling sport community. In what is becoming an increasingly popular sport, the Niagara Sport Commission, in partnership with the Niagara Wasps, is proud to showcase this annual display of athletic prowess and energetic atmosphere. The Niagara Rugby 7s Festival is a two-day November offering that brings together athletes from various divisions, various experience levels, and various regions, all looking to take part in this festival-like event. More than just the high-paced action on the pitch, this event looks to celebrate the sport of rugby sevens, highlight not only the impressive talent, but also the sense of camaraderie, sportsmanship, and overall excitement.
Across the province, across the country, and even across the border, the Niagara Rugby 7s Festival continues to strive to become a standout event for the sport and for the Region. Regardless of the experience, the talent, or the location, this Niagara-based event has a spot for your teams. Past divisions have included: Boys High School and Girls High School; Men's Premier and Women's Premier; Men's Club and Women's Club; and Men's College/University and Women's College/University, so whether you want to test your skill against some formidable competition, experience the thrill and excitement of a rugby sevens event, or simply see what this incredible event has to offer, the Niagara Rugby 7s Festival has it all.
Rugby sevens, as the name suggests, involves teams made up of seven players, as opposed to the traditional 15, and is played across two seven-minute halves. Aside from these critical adjustments, much of the play is kept unchanged from the traditional running, as the athletes look to push the ball forward via crisp lateral or backward passing, determined forward runs, and hard-fought battles for possession. Overall, rugby sevens offers plenty of action, some intense speed and skill, and a number of impressive plays that excite fans like few other sports can.


text:
Manchester Mark I
Manchester Mark I The world's first operational stored-program computer, running its first program in June 1948. It was designed by T. Kilburn and F. C. Williams at the University of Manchester, UK, commencing in 1946. Several improvements were added and the first realistic problem to be solved by the machine was achieved in April 1949, shortly before EDSAC began operations. It became the world's first commercially available computer when marketed by Ferranti Ltd in 1951 as the Ferranti Mark I. The effectiveness of the machine was due to its use of electrostatic (Williams tube) storage.
A Dictionary of Computing
"Manchester Mark I ." A Dictionary of Computing . . Encyclopedia.com. 16 Jan. 2020 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"Manchester Mark I ." A Dictionary of Computing . . Encyclopedia.com. (January 16, 2020). https://www.encyclopedia.com/computing/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/manchester-mark-i
"Manchester Mark I ." A Dictionary of Computing . . Retrieved January 16, 2020 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/computing/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/manchester-mark-i


text:
Q: mysql function display users under 25? can someone help i am trying to get my mysql query to display all the users on my site who are 18-25 and its currently doing that but it's echoing out the same result/same user about 20 times.
i only want to display each result/each user once in the query. can someone please show me where im going wrong thank you.
the age is currentlt recorded in the database as a varchar (11) im using age seperate from my date of brith which is a time_stamp but i need the age to be set up seperate from the date of birth so im using a varchar column.
so to be clear im trying to display all users under 25 (without it duplicating the result and echoing out more than one user per result)
function:
function categories_agegroup_under25() {
            global $connection;
            $query = "SELECT *
                        FROM ptb_users, ptb_stats
                        WHERE ptb_users.account_type = \"User\" AND ptb_users.account_status = \"Active\" AND ptb_stats.user_id = ptb_users.id
                        AND ptb_stats.user_age='18' OR  ptb_stats.user_age='19' OR ptb_stats.user_age='21' OR  ptb_stats.user_age='22' OR ptb_stats.user_age='23' OR  ptb_stats.user_age='24' OR  ptb_stats.user_age='25'

                        ORDER BY ptb_stats.user_age DESC
                        LIMIT 0,40";
            $categories_under25_set = mysql_query($query, $connection);
            confirm_query($categories_under25_set);
            return $categories_under25_set;
        }

php:
 <?php
        $categories_under25_set = categories_agegroup_under25();
        while ($age = mysql_fetch_array($categories_under25_set)) {

            echo"

            <h58> {$age['display_name']}, {$age['user_age']}</h58>

";
        }
    ?>

A: ptb_stats.user_age between 18 and 25
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/comparison-operators.html#operator_between

A: Try something like
SELECT DISTINCT username FROM ...

Also the reason you get duplicated results is because you use FROM table1, table2 where instead you should be using a JOIN statement as the first statement will do a table cross product.

A: you are having comflict with AND and OR
try this
   SELECT *
                    FROM ptb_users, ptb_stats
                    WHERE ptb_users.account_type = \"User\"
                    AND ptb_users.account_status = \"Active\"
                    AND ptb_stats.user_id = ptb_users.id
                    AND ptb_stats.user_age in (18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25)
                    GROUP BY ptb_stats.user_id
                    ORDER BY ptb_stats.user_age DESC
                    LIMIT 0,40


We've brought together articles from many sources here; besides those commissioned by us, there are re-publications from websites, magazines, and online discussion boards. All are copyrighted to the authors unless otherwise marked, and the opinions expressed are those of the writer alone. Please remember that there are many different points of view and training techniques–not all of them will be appropriate for your dog, or your situation.
A list of books and videos helpful in training loose-eyed breeds may be found on the FAQ page.
About Ranch Dog Trainer: This bimonthly magazine, published from 1985 to 2002, contained a wealth of material useful to working Australian Shepherd owners. Working Aussie Source obtained copyright permissions from the publisher and is republishing the most relevant articles.
We Welcome Submissions! If you have an Aussie stockdog story or article to share, please send it to us! Don't forget the photos if you have them.


In Timestorm, Shakti Haddad was a mutant undergoing experimentation at a Synthia research facility in New York. Her mutation operated differently, as she demonstrated telepathic, precognitive, and psychometric abilities. She also had enormous exterior brain matter, growing like hair from her scalp. Shakti met Peter Parker after he was snatched into the future thanks to Tyler Stone and Alchemax. The two of them then escaped and made contact with the newly-powered Miguel O'Hara as Spider-Man 2099. After meeting the Wolverine of the past and the Ghost Rider of the future, Shakti learned Alchemax was deliberately manipulating the timestream to their advantage with a Chronosphere, but Stone's A.I. Lyla was destabilizing the timestream even further without his knowledge. The original 2099 future was apparently lost as a consequence of their machinations, with the timeline held together only thanks to Doom. With Doom's passing, he charged Shakti with carrying on his role of keeping the timestream from ripping apart. Shakti accepted the responsibility, stepping between the ages to act as an anchor, holding the future together in the wake of the timestorms.


text:
Introducing: See Us Outside
In Collaboration with The Cairn Project
A Mini-Series that explores the relationships girls and women of color have with the natural world and outdoor recreation.
Introducing See Us Outside, a new She Explores mini-series made in collaboration with The Cairn Project, made possible with support from the Walton Family Foundation.
Host Gabaccia Moreno is our guide in exploring the unique relationships girls and young women of color have with the natural world and outdoor recreation. Through the voices and stories of leaders and participants from diverse outdoor organizations doing the work to help young people of color thrive in the outdoors, this four-part audio miniseries will highlight the joy, connection, and community these girls find in nature, as well as the importance of organizations doing the work to expand outdoor opportunities.
We want to stress that when we say this series highlights women and girls of color, this is inclusive of all cis and trans women and girls, as well as folks of all gender identities who feel comfortable in spaces that center women. That said, for the most part, when we talk about gender we most often do so in terms of those who are socialized as girls and women in a more heteronormative, binary way.
We've been hard at work on this 4-part miniseries, talking to leaders and instructors at organizations that are helping to break down barriers to expand outdoor opportunities and facilitate community in the outdoors for BIPOC youth and women. We're also including stories and reflections submitted from women of color in the outdoor community and beyond.
Mark your calendars – the whole series drops on December 18th, 2020 on the She Explores podcast feed. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find podcasts.
About the host:
Gabaccia is a first-generation Mexican-American multi-disciplinary creator, consultant, and passionate outdoor advocate #ExploringResponsibly wherever life takes her. Having grown up in Veracruz, Mexico to a family of hunters and ranchers gave her an appreciation for the land and its wildlife at an early age, one that prevails today. Her works, whether artistic, creative, or entrepreneurial, have always intersected with the social and environmental issues that surround her.
About the Organizations Highlighted:
Brown Girl Surf works to build a more diverse, environmentally reverent, and joyful women's surf culture by increasing access to surfing, cultivating community, amplifying the voices of women of color surfers, and taking care of the earth.
Young Women Who Crush is a climbing and leadership development program that provides opportunities for high school girls in NYC to experience the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of rock climbing.
The Charles Roundtree Bloom Project provides healing-centered outdoor experiences and culturally relevant environmental education for youth of incarcerated parents in San Antonio, Texas. The Bloom Project helps youth develop healing practices by reconnecting them with nature through experiences like meditative hikes, camping, community gardening, and healing circles.
Women's Wilderness shares the gifts of the wilderness with people of all colors, backgrounds, sizes, gender identities, and experience levels. Our specialty is helping girls and women become their strongest, best selves while providing solid instruction in wilderness travel and outdoor skills.
About The Cairn Project:
For girls and young women, The Cairn Project expands outdoor access by supporting community-based wilderness and outdoor education groups around the country through a small grants program. For women, they're bringing together a community that is inspired to catalyze outdoor passion into a force for good, share learning and stories, and raise the profile of women and girls in outdoor adventure.
See Us Outside Podcast Art by Susana Castro @susdraws
« Previous Post: Episode 176: Expanding the Conservation Conversation – Gabaccia Moreno
Next Post: Episode 175: Ripple Effect – Documentary Filmmaker Biz Young »
Our Cultural Connection - See Us Outside, Episode 1 In the first episode of "See Us Outside," Gabaccia talks…
Empowerment Through Access - See Us Outside, Episode 2 In the second episode of See Us Outside, Gabaccia explores…
The Joy of Community - See Us Outside, Episode 3 The four organizations highlighted on this series are in many…


text:
Three Day Training Camp Sets ITTF-Oceania Hopes Week and Challenge in Action
by pbsmick on Apr.03, 2013, under News
Organised by Health, Wellness and Table Tennis, a company based in the Australian city of Melbourne; the inaugural ITTF-Oceania Hopes Week and Challenge commenced on Tuesday 2nd April 2013 with a three day Training Camp.
Home for the event is the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
At the helm is Simon Gerada with Melissa Tapper and Ivan Sulfrano in support.
All have considerable international experience.
Olympian and Paralympian
Notably Simon Gerada represented Australia in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, whilst Melissa Tapper competed in the World Junior Championships in Kobe in 2004 and recently was in action at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Melissa Tapper in action at the London Paralympic Games.
Ivan Sulfrano is currently a member of the Australian Junior Boys' Team.
Chance for International Play
"The event is designed to give young athletes within the region an opportunity to compete at an international level at a very young age", explained Matthew Brown, the Oceania Development Officer. "The athletes targeted are between 11 and 12 years of age."
A positive Oceania Development Officer and equally Melissa Tapper was positive.
"It was great to see the many young faces here today", she said. "I'm sure this will be an experience which this group will remember for a life time."
Equally, Ivan Sulfrano was upbeat.
"The stadium looked great this morning when I walked in, so many youngsters and so much talent", he said. "We'll show them how to work!"
Successful First Day
Hard work is the key to success and very necessary.
"The morning started with an introduction made by myself where I thanked everyone for coming", explained Simon Gerada. "Following a warm up led by Ivan, which I explained we had learned the warm up from the Korean National team, a warm up designed specifically for table tennis concentrating the muscles used in table tennis, the morning session involved multi-ball for two and a half hours where we focused on placement, movement and accountability."
Paired with Senior Players
A well organised session the international players were paired with senior players to gain the best possible value from the session.
"The session concluded with a warm down and an explanation of recovery and preparation for the afternoon session", continued Simon Gerada. "In the afternoon we began with a warm up which was again run by Ivan, where we explained that the warm up was used in China; a warm up we had learned as a team several years ago and was a more dynamic increasing heart rate."
Footwork the Focus
Each player was paired with a player of a similar level, a total of 28 players being involved in two distinct groups.
"Footwork with service drills to follow was the basic plan with a general focus on match play; keeping the ball on the table was the key focus", added Simon Gerada. "Overall the day went really well; we will provide the international and interstate guests with a MyKey card to explore the city of Melbourne on Wednesday"
However, for the players it will be another full day's training with a distinctive goal..
Ideal Preparation
"The training camp will provide the young athletes with the ideal preparation for the ITTF-Oceania Hopes Challenge to be staged over two days on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th April 2013", explained Michael Brown. "The competition sees 16 boys and nine girls competing; thanks to the assistance of the ITTF Development Programme, the highest placed finishers in the Boys' and Girls' Singles events will receive financial assistance to attend the ITTF Hopes Week to be staged at the Werner Schlager Academy in Austria, Vienna later this year."
A definitive goal, an exciting challenge lies ahead.
In addition to the International Table Tennis Federation the week is endorsed by the Oceania Table Tennis Federation, Table Tennis Australia and Table Tennis Victoria.
:pbsmick news
China Women's Team Training HD!!!


text:
St. Patrick's Cemetery opens endowment fund with Jackson County, LincolnWay Community Foundations
With five acres of land described as being "as picturesque as a park" and more than 800 gravesites, St. Patrick's Cemetery in Delmar has attracted a lot of attention. Pioneering Hollywood sound technician Eugene Grossman, who grew up in Delmar, left a gift to the cemetery. Babe Ruth sent a check for the building of the associated church. And many local people have made gifts to ensure the site's perpetual care.
Gerry Farrell and the rest of the St. Pat's Cemetery board members have decided to invest these gifts in an endowment fund created in partnership with the LincolnWay Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of Jackson County. Endowment funds hold principal in perpetuity and pay out interest annually, forever.
"Our investment will grow faster here than it will anywhere else," said Gerry.
Payouts will be used for cemetery maintenance, such as landscaping and care of aging headstones, or reinvested to grow the principal. St. Pat's is 115 years old and is still active, with about five new burials each year. Most who are buried in the cemetery were local or were brought to Delmar to be buried with relatives. There are 51 service people laid to rest within its boundaries.
"We're not investing for our own good," Gerry said. "It's for the people who are buried in the cemetery, and for the children and grandchildren after us."
Home / News & Media / St. Patrick's Cemetery opens endowment fund with Jackson County, LincolnWay Community Foundations
jeff@dbqfoundation.org
The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque envisions a vibrant and inclusive Dubuque region where everyone can thrive. Since 2002, we have inspired people to give back to their community, and we turn this generosity into lasting change across our region, increasing access to resources and opportunities that help all people succeed.
Connect with us to learn about the many ways we are building a strong, thriving Greater Dubuque for all.


This is a letter by Srila Prabhupada to a married disciple explaining that both the husband and wife should be responsible toward each other or else it would be difficult for them to continue in harmony.
Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated September 8, 1972, and have noted the contents therein. Marriage between husband and wife means that the husband must forever be responsible for the wife's well-being and protection in all cases. That does not mean that now there is agreement between us, therefore I am responsible, but as soon as there is some disagreement then I immediately flee the scene and become so-called renounced. Whether your husband likes to take responsibility as your spiritual guide or not, that does not matter. He must do it. It is his duty because he has taken you as his wife. Therefore he must take full responsibility for you the rest of his life. And you also must agree to serve him under all circumstances and assist him in every way so that he may make advancement in Krsna Consciousness. By his making advancement in Krsna Consciousness, automatically the wife will make advancement in the husband's footsteps. But if you do not assist him and be very obedient to his welfare, then he may become disgusted and go away. So there must be mutual responsibility by both parties, and now that you are married couple there is no question of your separation, but you must both strive very hard to serve Krsna together in harmony. What are these nonsense emotions that cause you to go this way and that way, the real thing is your duty. Now you are married couple, you know what your duty is, so best thing is to perform your duty and always think of Krsna. Never mind some temporary inconveniences, we must remain steady in our duty to Krsna.
Regarding Siddhasvarupananda, these things which you have heard are simply rumor and there is no substance. Siddhasvarupa does not want to take disciples, neither he should have disciples while I am alive. That is the process. I have never said that Siddhasvarupa is a pure devotee. That is simply concoction. Now I am going to India in few weeks and I shall stop at Hawaii and take Siddhasvarupananda to India for training him up properly.
But everyone can become a pure devotee if he has no other desire than to serve Krsna and the Spiritual Master.


At Mobixed, we analyze your business roles and models. We study your target market, goals and call to actions, before we get down to frame out the perfect strategy to take your mobile app to the next level.
A great app template needs to provide users with a free flow functionality that makes interaction visually appealing. UI and UX designs give smooth user experience to make users want to come back again.
Mobixed was founded by very successful web development entrepreneurs. Our 16 years + quality driven expertise ensure you to stay ahead of the competition. We are a process driven company with solid years of coding experience.
We build, test and launch applications with Agile Application Development Methodologies. Our apps are guaranteed to run smoothly across platforms like iOS and Android to accelerate your business returns.
Mobixed will not sell, rent or distribute your email address or phone number to any 3rd party. Information supplied will be used only for proposal Request.


was born 21 November 1944 and registered to vote, giving the address 919 W D AVE in ELK CITY, Oklahoma, U.S.A. 73644. WHITE registered as a Republican. WHITE voted in person on 4 November 2014, voted in person on 13 January 2015, voted in person on 7 April 2015, voted in person on 1 March 2016, voted in person on 8 November 2016, voted in person on 13 February 2018, voted in person on 26 June 2018, voted in person on 28 August 2018, voted in person on 6 November 2018 and voted in person on 12 February 2019.


The Cape Lookout Shootout Tournament Series is an elite king mackerel tournament series where the best of the best compete and provide a positive environment for youth anglers, while bringing recognition to and raising funds for Military Appreciation Day.
The series takes place at The Boathouse at Front Street Village in Beaufort, NC. Each events host a Captains meeting and dinner provided by Military Appreciation on the Friday before the event. Weigh in's kick off at 3 PM (at the Boathouse) and we encourage families to attend.
Fishing – 6:30 AM – 5:00 PM.


text:
Media Relations /
Fake news regularly appears in the media
by Laura Stanley on 08/11/2017
Collins Dictionary has named 'fake news' as its 2017 Word of the Year, presumably due to the momentum the phrase gathered after being repeatedly tweeted out by American President Donald Trump since his election last year.
Defined by Collins as 'false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting', media monitoring firm Signal Media points out that the phrase it has also become 'synonymous with something that the fake news claimant disputes or merely disagrees with'.
Such is its newfound prevalence that Signal Media used its bespoke Signal Monitor to determine exactly how much 'fake news' had been used in global media in the last 12 months, along with other words on the Word of the Year shortlist, including Antifa, the conglomeration of anti-fascist movements; Corbynmania, fervent enthusiasm for the Labour leader; and Fidget Spinner, the must have toy.
It found that term 'fake news' had been used 403,609 times in the media, making it far and away the most used word on the shortlist. The second most prevalent word in the media was Unicorn, defined as a start up with a value in excess of $1 billion and a mythical creature. It appeared 120,030 times.
Insta came third, appearing more than 50,000 times; Antifa was used 38,223 instances, whilst gig economy rounded out the top five, having appeared more than 29,700 times.
The least used word from the shortlist was Corbynmania, perhaps due to the fact that such fervent enthusiam is almost entirely unique to Great Britain. It was only mentioned 412 times.
The interview starts as soon as you enter the newsroom
To injunct or not to injunct?
FTSE 100 organisations are not media friendly
The end of press releases