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Festival Miami Celebrates 25 Years of Diverse Musical Offerings
Posted in News on November 13, 2008
The 25th Annual Festival Miami, presented by University of Miami's Frost School of Music, opened South Florida's art season October 9 and concluded November 3. BMI was represented at the festival, which comprises a four-week series that contains a blend of artistically and culturally diverse music and educational opportunities. Festival Miami offers 20-30 concerts each season, providing for people of all ages and income levels the chance to be enriched by live musical performances. This festival strives to combine three distinct components into each season: the presentation of internationally known renowned gust artists; world-class performances by the Frost School's widely known artist-faculty and student ensembles; and an educational component, which includes open rehearsals, master classes, and lectures.
(Photo l-r) BMI affiliate Dave Koz; BMI Associate Director, of Film & Television/UM School of Music alum, Anne Cecere; BMI Affiliate/UM School of Music alum Will Lee
Some of the highlights included Festival Miami's Bruce Hornsby & Friends concert with performances by BMI composer/artists/UM alums Tom Scott, Dave Koz, Jorge Villamizar, Jon Secada and Will Lee. In addition, BMI songwriter/artist Lari White visited music business and music engineering students to discuss running her own label while being a recording artist. BMI Associate Director, Film & Television, Anne Cecere was also on hand to conduct a lecture at the School of Music where she shared her knowledge on music publishing and the significance of a performing right organization.
(Photo l-r) BMI Affiliate/UM Alum, Jon Secada; BMI Associate Director of Film & Television/UM School of Music alum, Anne Cecere; BMI Affiliate/UM School of Music alum, Will Lee
(Photo l-r) Head of The Frost School's Music Business and Entertainment Industries program, Ray Sanchez (MBEI); BMI Associate Director of Film & Television/UM School of Music alum, Anne Cecere; Chair of the Music Media and Industry Department, Frost School of Music, Jim Progris
(Photo l-r) President of University of Miami, Donna E. Shalala and BMI Associate Director of Film & Television/UM School of Music alum, Anne Cecere
SOURCENews TAGS Singer-Songwriter Miami Tom Scott Jon Secada Jorge Villamizar


Hey Johnny. New serif handmade font in hipster style and very colorful. Pop art. American style 50th.
Abstract light and shade creative background. Vector illustration.
Beautiful watercolor seamless wedding pattern with eucaluptys, peony and rose.
White paper checkered textured banner.


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Estación Gobernador Urquiza es una estación de ferrocarril ubicada en Villa San Marcial en el Departamento Uruguay, Provincia de Entre Ríos, República Argentina

Servicios
No presta servicios de pasajeros. Por sus vías corren trenes de carga de la empresa estatal Trenes Argentinos Cargas. Pertenece al Ferrocarril General Urquiza, en el ramal que une las estaciones de Zárate en la Provincia de Buenos Aires y Posadas en la Provincia de Misiones.

Ubicación
Se encuentra ubicada entre las estaciones Líbaros y Las Moscas.

Referencias

Gobernador Urquiza
Gobernador Urquiza
Epónimos de Justo José de Urquiza
Ramal Federico Lacroze-Posadas del Ferrocarril General Urquiza

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Apuli Brothers play a blend of genres ranging from pop, soul, blues and country. The combination of acoustic and electric guitars, topped with soft blending vocals, results in an ambience that will make for a memorable experience on your special day.
Music has been engrained in their upbringing and over the years they have performed in notable venues such as Hard Rock Cafe, UIC pavilion, House of Blues in Chicago, as well as the main stage at the NAMM music convention in California. The combined inspiration of the two brothers covers a wide-spectrum that consists of both retro and a modern influences such as: Nat King Cole, Van Morrison, John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, and Bruno mars.
What is 24 − 14?


Yeah you read that right, a statue erected in honor of the enema.
The Mashuk Akva-Term sanatorium in the spa town of Zheleznovodsk, Russia thinks enemas are beautiful and have bought a $42,000 bronze bulb syringe held up by angels to prove it.
The monument weighs 350 kilograms and stands 1.5 meters high.
More than 100 enemas are carried out daily at the sanatorium. "It's high time that enemas got a monument," director of the spa said. "We wanted to make people see this procedure as more pleasant and fun," the sculptor said.
Unfortunately for all you who may want to make a trip to see the bronze bulb masterpiece, the statue stands in the park of the sanatorium and will not be accessible to the general public. I guess you have to get a good rectal flushing in order to view the statue.
Guess I will have to scratch this off of my itinerary.


There's far more to France than just Paris, although the appeal of seeing some of the top museums on the planet (including the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and the Centre Pompidou) and the iconic Eiffel Tower is undeniable. You can save money while doing so with our wide array of budget Paris accommodation.
Looking beyond the City of Lights? Well, then, you will find superb religious architecture and a jaw-droppingly monumental central square (the Capitole) in Toulouse, fantastic cultural venues in Lyon and charming old quarters and seafronts in the likes of Marseille, Nice and Cannes, on the Côte d'Azur. We offer numerous hotels in the South of France for you to discover these ever-popular destinations.
France is also the birthplace of the gourmet, and there can be few better places for satisfying your culinary desires, whether it's sampling hundreds of distinctive cheeses or having a tipple at one of the picturesque wine cellars in the Burgundy, Loire, Rhône Valley, Bordeaux and Provence regions.
So whet your appetite for a fantastic trip with our unbeatable range of budget hotels in France, not to mention our tasty selection of hostels, apartments and B&Bs nationwide.


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Q: Linearly independent eigenvectors of $2 \times 2$ matrix with same eigenvalue Suppose $M$ is a $2 \times 2$ matrix over $\mathbb{C}$ with characteristic polynomial $\chi =(x-\lambda)^2$ and minimal polynomial $m= (x-\lambda)^2$. My text claims that the geometric multiplicity of $\lambda$ is $1$.
I can only show this by "cheating":
$M$ diagonalizable (here) iff $\lambda$ has geometric multiplicity $2$ iff $m$ decomposes into distinct linear factors. Since $m$ does not decompose into distinct linear factors, we know that $\lambda$  can't have geometric multiplicity $2$.
Is there a way to show this without "cheating"? A more direct solution? Many thanks!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


R-squared measures how closely the data fit the regression line, so the R-squared in a simple regression is related to the correlation between the two variables. In particular, the magnitude of the correlation is the square root of the R-squared and the sign of the correlation is the sign of the regression coefficient.
In this exercise, you will start using the statistical package statsmodels, which performs much of the statistical modeling and testing that is found in R and software packages like SAS and MATLAB.
You will take two series, x and y, compute their correlation, and then regress y on x using the function OLS() in the statsmodels.api library. Most linear regressions contain a constant term which is the intercept (the \(\small \alpha\) in the regression \(\small y_t=\alpha + \beta x_t + \epsilon_t\)). To include a constant using the function OLS(), you need to add a column of 1's to the right hand side of the regression.
The module statsmodels.api has been imported for you as sm.
Compute the correlation between x and y using the .corr() method.
Regress y on x by first converting the Series x to a DataFrame and adding a constant to it using sm.add_constant(). Then fit the regression using sm.OLS(y,x).fit().
Print out the results of the regression and compare the R-squared with the correlation.


As your attacker throw the punch, block it with a basic inside forearm block and step forward with your left foot.
Take your head down to your left knee to throw your attacker off your back.
Hold your attackers right wrist with your left hand and stamp on their head with your left foot.
After the stamp, slide your left foot forward off your attackers head and pull your heel back under their chin.
Lift your attacker up slightly using their right arm and kick them in the back with your right foot. After the kick you should slide your foot under their back as far as possible.
Now sit down and pull your attackers right arm across your right knee with both hands.
A variation of the arm-lock above is to lay back with your attackers right arm along your stomach and chest. To apply the arm-lock you only have to raise your hips slightly.


"You know the rule; you do dishes after dinner, it's always been that way," I heard as I sulked to the sink. I grabbed a plate and started washing it before putting it in the dishwasher to clean off what I didn't get. I began to wonder why it's always the same cycle every day, again and again. Why we never, shake it up a bit.
Whenever we hear "office job" it's tempting to think, "Oh, the same stuff every day," and while we don't always recognize it, almost all of us do the same thing every day whether it be writing up a report for something or even going to school. So many lives revolve around a schedule they or an authority figure make for them. It is rare that anyone is able to get a job making music for God. With a job like that, we are able to throw away the standard we have become accustomed to and go by what God planned for us. What if, every day, each one of us did a random act of kindness to stir up someone's bland schedule (along with ours).
We have become used to the same thing every day, never really making a large dent for God. So what if, instead of having a bland schedule we always shook it up? What if we gave that homeless man a sandwich and water every once and awhile? Or payed an extra tip or paid for someone's groceries or meal?
Something that seems to be missing is the outstanding work of all of us. Maybe instead of hearing about a robbery, we could hear about another person getting a kindness award for work in their community.
It's your choice. Fall in with the world or show the love of God? How can you impact your community? Enter your answers in the comments below!
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17 — God rewards us for showing His love, no matter the circumstance.
Yes, shake things up a bit. Trying a new volunteer opportunity can be a wonderful blessing to you and to those you help. 🙂 God has the most amazing ways we can show His love.
Thinking of others rather than self would make a drastic difference in our lives. Sending a text, a card, or even a phone call can make all the difference in the life of someone alone.


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Semester protest fails to draw support
alexandriascott.md@gmail.com
"We want quarters, where are our supporters?" the group chanted to students lounging in the sun on Dexter Lawn.
But Pixy Stix, free hugs and the opportunity to speak on a megaphone did not excite Cal Poly students to join the protest against semesters this past Thursday.
In an online poll of 7,250 students put on by Associated Students, Inc. (ASI), 89.9 percent voted to keep Cal Poly on the quarter system, but one could count the number of activists at the protest on fingers and toes.
"The reason people voted for quarters was because they thought it would effect us, and now that the changes are happening in 10 years, no one cares," construction management junior Tyler Menard said at the protest.
Menard's sentiments were echoed among other students who chose to sit on the grass rather than join the demonstration. The nice weather kept city and regional planning junior Andrew Levins situated on the lawn. Even though he voted in favor of quarters, the group of protestors was too small to make a difference in changing the chancellor's decision, Levins said.
"They took our vote and then we were told (the decision) is inevitable and they just did it," Levins said. "The chancellor coming isn't to ask us what we think, it just looks good on paper."
Other non-protesting students said they might join if they didn't have to deal with the academic constraints of week five. Psychology junior Carissa Lane said she might have joined if she didn't have to go to class and take a midterm within the hour. She also mentioned that even though the vote indicated students favored quarters, all decision making was done without regard to student opinion.
"I don't feel like I have a voice," she said. "If I protested, it wouldn't do anything."
Those who did protest repeatedly passed out flyers about their stance against quarters and asked students who walked by to join them in the demonstration. Business administration senior Alex Schafle actively approached groups of students on Dexter Lawn with a handful of Pixy Stix in efforts to increase the number of students involved in the rally.
"If they are going to ask us for our opinion, they should probably take it seriously," she said. "Personally I don't care about semesters versus quarters, but the fact they didn't listen to us bothers me."
Tags semester protest

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The last decade of the millennium has brought a multitude of changes to the real estate market of Puerto Vallarta. The effects of this can be seen by the expansion of the market itself beyond the confines of the Bay of Banderas. New phrases have been coined to describe the growing residential areas. It is no longer referred to as just Puerto Vallarta, but rather Costa Vallarta, which now defines the region between Mismaloya and Punta de Mita.
Vacation condos have been joined by luxury dream homes. New laws and international agreements have made purchasing properties easier than ever before. Up markets and down markets have been weathered. Industry professionals established an association of conformity to keep up with the demands of an expanding marketplace.
In this article several local realtors give their views on the past decade of real estate activities in Puerto Vallarta and their predictions for the future.
Ten years ago, it was very hard for realtors to explain the trust system that was then in place for acquisition of Mexican land rights for foreigners who would be purchasers This trust system, or Fideicomiso, was implemented in 1973 by the Mexican government and established a way in which foreigners could get the equivalent of an actual title. The law was codified in December, 1993, providing foreigners with the ability to acquire residential real estate through a bank trust. It requires any one of the privately held Mexican banks to act as trustee. The bank holds title to the property, in trust, to which the purchaser/s are the beneficiary. They have all the rights of ownership to the property and may sell, lease, mortgage, improve, and pass as inheritance, just as with a regular title.
In 1992, NAFTA institutionalized the consistency of how business is done between Mexico, The United States and Canada, giving purchasers investment protection and reducing the distortions of the industry. According to Silvia Elias, of PV Realty and President of AMPI, Mexico's association of professional realtors, the NAFTA agreement "was the major reason for the real estate boom in the coastal areas of Mexico. It gave security to buying real estate in Mexico. This, as well as the modernization of Mexican laws pertaining to the conversion of ejido-agrarian land to private status for investment, have increased real estate opportunities tremendously."
The agrarian law of 1992 opened up ejido beach and farmlands for foreign development. This is significant because approximately 50% of the entire land area of Mexico are ejido-agrarian lands and sale/purchase of these properties are banned. Converting ejido land for private use at one time required a presidential decree; but it is now within the jurisdiction of local municipal governments.
With the advent of increased property available for foreign investments, including rights to and deeds for, came long term financing and title insurance. These American services enabled the real estate market to gain the faith of an ever-increasing North American market. Brock Squire of Brock Squire Y Asociados states, "There was no financing 10 years ago, it was all cash or the vendor would take back short term loans of two to three years. Inland Mortgage started making loans here after 3 years of research and due diligence, allowing US residents to borrow US funds with Mexican property as collateral. These special programs are designed for Mexican property purchase with FHA underwriting standards, with long term fixed interest rates of 9 ¾ to 10%, plus points."
These factors along with a good U.S. and Canadian economy have kept the market strong and have added to its forward growth. While properties have retained the "Vallarta style and charm," they have changed to meet demands. Items such as Sub Zero refrigerators, central air conditioning, and solid wood kitchens were unheard of and unavailable ten years ago. Another new advancement is the "turn-key" concept. Condos and villas are now designed to include everything needed to move in the day of closing. These homes are completely outfitted from sheets to staff.
Unheard of in 1989 was the million-dollar plus market. According to Multi-List Vallarta, the most expensive home on the market at that time was $900.000, which sold for considerably less. In 1999, the market is off to the races with seven properties currently listed in the one to two million-dollar price ranges. The two million-dollar plus marketplace exists - there are four now listed from $2,450.000 to $3,875.000 -- but is the subject of controversy among industry professionals. Some say it is a case of over-reaching the market while others say that it shows a confidence in it.
The number of new construction starts in the "spec" home, custom, and pre-sale market, as well as the volume of re-sale properties in all price ranges, have steadily increased over the last five years, another sign of consumer and lender confidence.
The most sought-after property still contains the same ingredients: view, value, design, location, and price. The highest selling market remains the two-bedroom condominium and the three-bedroom single family residence, which has had the largest inventory. In 1990, there were 98 two bedroom condos withh an average list price of $116,564.79. In the second quarter of this year, the number is 74, with the average list price of $205,925. These numbers are somewhat inflated due to a small number of higher priced luxury units in the Conchas Chinas area.
The average 1999 Marina Vallarta property list price of $122,663 is a truer reflection of the 2bedroom condo market. The number of 3 bedrooms homes on the market in 1990 is the same as today, forty. Ten years ago these 3-bedroom houses had an average list price of $217,942. Today the same house would cost $241,215. The 1999 prices are within the $150,000.00 to $250,000.00 price range that the realtors agree is the main marketplace at this time.
However, houses with four and five bedrooms have doubled in asking price with very little inventory growth. That market had seventeen homes available in '90 compared with twenty three today. Yet, in 1990, an average 4-bedroom home was asking $257,000, now it is $492,626. The five bedroom market has doubled in not only price but inventory as well. Ten years ago there were only eight such houses on the market at an average price of $553,750.00. Currently, there are nineteen listed with the average asking price of $908,139.
These statistics show steady upward market growth and return of investment for foreign investors of property in Puerto Vallarta.
Real estate professionals agree that buyers today are more sophisticated. They have educated themselves with market trends and thus are more market savvy than ever before. Moray Applegate of Applegate Realtors defines them as a "highly successful, high end type of clientele who force us to be cutting edge." He goes on to say, "more East Coast Americans, Canadians and Europeans are purchasing here, yet 60% to 70% of the buyers are from the Mid West and West Coast of the U.S. They range from 45 to 70 years old, retired or semi retired, who want to spend 2 to 3 months out of the year here."
Giovanna Mosqueda of Century 21 Giovanna concurs, adding, "We are seeing younger buyers today, buying with cash -- couples in their 30s and 40s who are buying condos. And, the alternative lifestyle market is also growing substantially." Sra. Mosqueda also notes that there is "a growing national [Mexican] market of businessmen and their families who are purchasing here."
Sr. Applegate explains that, along with homebuyers, "foreign developers are also investing, as they know what the buyers want and can produce it." Sra. Mosqueda agrees, stating "the developers are answering the buyers demands." Puerto Vallarta has been and remains an attractive market due its close proximity to the United States and Canada. Buyers are also now being attracted to the properties here because of the state of the art product these developers build. They know that their investment dollar will be spent on a home with all the conveniences they are used to and want.
Current prosperity in real estate has driven the market beyond the borders of Puerto Vallarta. Today realtors represent properties south from Boca de Tomatlan and north to San Pancho. Local satellite offices are popping up to serve these outlying areas. Mega-resorts with residential communities including golf courses, spas, upscale club houses, and ultra modern homes can be found in varying degrees of completion all along the coast of Nayarit. Development trends between Nuevo Vallarta and Punta de Mita, according to realtor Brock Squire ,"Are being driven by the new four lane highway and pulled by the 150 million dollar Punta de Mita 4 Season resort and 1500 acre planned development."
Moray Applegate further explains this trend; "Real estate is going where the land and the nicer beaches are. Sayulita, Punta de Mita and San Pancho attract many with their sleepy village feeling. The new road is a major force that has exploded Nayarit. Soon, with the driving time reduced, Punta de Mita will only be a 15-minute longer drive (from Nuevo Vallarta) than it is to Conchas Chinas. There are gains in the north shore market as well. In 1989 a beachfront home with three lots in Nuevo Vallarta listed at $850,000. Currently there is a comparable property listed in the same area for 3 million dollars. Furthermore, in today's market just a residential beachfront lot in the same area lists for $700.000 to $950.000.
However, Silvia Elias reports, "there are only spotty areas of double and triple gains, not all markets experience this." Not to be overlooked is the even further expansion of development up the Nayarit coast to Plantanitos. Along this shoreline, two major ecologically conservative housing developments have taken the market to the pristine beaches of these outer reaches, proving that to "get away from it all" may take a little more travel in the next century.This northward expansion shows the continued popularity and security that foreign investors find in Costa Vallarta.
Estate markets are cyclical. It is a matter of supply and demand. The last upswing began ten years ago with the development of Marina Vallarta. This took the stress off the downtown area by providing a new type of residential product, the beachfront and/or golf course home. This saved the downtown core for hotel chains and condominium projects without sacrificing the colonial village image. Within six years the Marina was basically sold out, just as market demand was dwindling. By 1994, there were essentially no new developments or projects starting and the Mexican economy soon put a stop to whatever market there was. Transactions then consisted purely of re-sales, which ultimately took care of the excess supply. Prices reflected this down swing and began to moderate and in some markets show a loss. By 1997 there began to be more of a demand for product than what was available. Now at the dawn of a new millennium Puerto Vallarta is experiencing unprecedented growth.
The main issue on the minds of realtors today is the need for more regulation within the real estate industry. AMPI was formed ten years ago to provide a professional structure for a uniform industry and to maintain a measure of congruity and ethical values. Today, many realtors agree that real estate practices need to be more closely policed. Moray Applegate explains: "Real estate practices are not regulated by the government for licensing, and, as owner of the oldest real estate office in Puerto Vallarta, it irritates me that people come in here with no real estate background or training and try to sell. This leads to unethical and unknowledgeable people selling real estate and needs to be addressed, as it effects national and local interests."
Giovanna Mosqueda further states: "The biggest concern within the industry is the need for AMPI to deal with professionals who get into trouble. Suspensions, fines, or other tactics need to be imposed; there is a real need for regulation. It does not cost more to do things right."
Realtors agree with Brock Squire who states: "If there continues to be perceived value in the market place, and if the US economy maintains itself and lasts for another two or three years, the future of real estate in Puerto Vallarta could be very positive." Moray Applegate also says:"The market strongly depends on the economy of the United States, as well as the Mexican elections in the year 2000."
The internet is also contributing to the future of real estate in Costa Vallarta. Nearly all of the local realtors maintain web sites promoting this area and their businesses. Many prospective buyers have and will continue to use this invaluable tool to research the area when choosing a foreign investment. List Vallarta, the oldest multiple listing service in Mexico, will soon be available for local realtors online. They will then be able to download specific listing information electronically to keep them informed of new property listings. Frontiers in land, properties, and acquisition have contributed to the sophistication, advancements, as well as the difficulties of a progressive real estate industry in Puerto Vallarta. All of these have been accomplished in the last ten years without losing the charm and truly Mexican feel that has attracted people to this area, and will attract more for decades to come.
Reprint from "Vallarta Lifestyles," Summer 1999, http:\\www.virtualvallarta.com.


Originally graduating in Fine Art, Kevin started working professionally as a potter in 1991. His collection available at The Harbour Gallery is largely reduction fired stoneware using subtle glazes with minimal decoration. This is either applied by freehand drawing with latex resist, with incised lines or more recently with applied strips of clay to give a raised pattern area. His decoration is individual to each piece of work and often reflects his interest in ethnic art. Kevin's work is usually thrown, but occasionally altered or built using slab technique and wall pieces are mounted sets of ceramic tiles.


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2017 Top 40 Undergraduate Professors: Bill Moncrief, Texas Christian University (Neeley) - Poets&Quants for Undergrads
2017 Top 40 Undergraduate Professors: Bill Moncrief, Texas Christian University (Neeley)
by: Andrea Carter on September 18, 2017 | 0 Comments 314 Views
Bill Moncrief
Charles F. and Alann Bedford Professor of International Business
A lifetime achievement award granted by the American Marketing Association and more teaching awards than we can count are proof that Texas Christian University's Bill Moncrief is the perfect blend between top notch scholar and an educator who makes a tangible, noticeable difference with students. His resume boasts dozens of research articles while he holds a reputation for knowing nearly all 1,600 students in the Neeley School by name. At Neeley, he is also actively involved in various groups and committees for the betterment of the college. This includes being chair of the undergraduate curriculum task force and chair of the school's enrollment task force. Professor Moncrief has taught Marketing at Neeley since the beginning of his teaching career in 1982. "I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know our students then seeing them develop into great business leaders and begin their families. I've had about a dozen students who are children of former students. What an incredible opportunity to teach two generations of Horned Frogs," he said when he was recognized at the university level with the institution's highest award for teaching.
At current institution since: 1982
Education: PhD in Marketing from LSU in 1983
List of courses currently teaching: Marketing management for our Neeley Fellows (business honors) undergrad; International marketing – undergraduate and MBA; and a special International marketing for Masters of Accounting students.
"I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when…" I was an MBA student working for a professor who had a health issue and he told me to teach his classes for the next two weeks. I loved it and it changed my career direction.
"If I weren't a business school professor…" I'd be a professional baseball player. Ok, maybe not. I never could hit a curve ball. Honestly, I can't imagine doing anything else!
"One word that describes my first time teaching…" Exhilarating
What do you enjoy most about teaching undergraduate business students? I've taught long enough that I've seen former students become business executives and successes. They still come back to see me and talk about their careers. I had someone mentor and mold me and I've always felt it my duty to do the same for TCU students.
What is the biggest challenge that comes with teaching undergraduate business students? Giving them a real feel for the business world. I don't want them to only have book knowledge, but also build skills that will carry over in the business world. Every class I teach requires a project that relies on creativity and innovation. I talk about business five years out rather than what is going on now. This requires that they read, think, interview and imagine the near future.
What is the most impressive thing one of your undergraduate students has done? The most impressive alumni are those who come back to mentor and help current students. I have hundreds of former students who are business leaders, but the former student who comes back to Neeley and TCU and realizes the importance of giving back are the true successes.
What is the least favorite thing one has done? Being accused of arrogance. It's ok to be confident and even cocky, but the arrogant individual is all about themselves.
What does a student need to do to get an A in your class? Study, study, study. They also need to be able to sell their abilities to me with creativity and thought. I do essay exams which are harder to grade but allow the student to truly indicate their level of understanding of the material.
"When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as …" Challenging, but fair
"But I would describe myself as …" The same: challenging, but fair
What are your hobbies? Tennis and baseball
How did you spend your summer? Working on some research. One of my discipline's journals asked me to submit an invited manuscript. It is quite an honor but takes a lot of time to put together especially without co-authors. Being able to sit down and think about the future of my discipline's research was challenging but also enthralling.
Favorite place to vacation: Destin area in the Florida panhandle
Favorite book: John Grisham's A Time to Kill. I was at Ole Miss at the same time as John and have followed his career closely. This was his first book and one of his best.
Favorite movie and/or television show: Survivor. My wife and I have been addicted to the show since it began 17 years ago. It is a great experiment in social behavior. I am a very competitive person and I love the competition and strategy that emerge in the show.
Favorite type of music and/or favorite artist: Classic Rock. It's on in my office and car as loud as I can have it without disturbing colleagues.
Bucket list item #1: Visit all 50 states. I have seven to go. If it works right I will finish with Hawaii.
What professional achievement are you most proud of? 1. The Chancellor's award for Distinguished Research and Teaching and 2. The national American Marketing Association's "Lifetime Achievement Award." Of course, this award means I'm getting up there in age!
What is your most memorable moment as a professor? I went to Honors Convocation and in front of a large crowd was named the Honors Professor of the Year. The reason it was so memorable was that no business professor had ever won this award and no business professor has won it since. I was totally caught off guard but really very moved by the award. I had to go up and give an acceptance speech and was struggling to not get overly emotional. One of the few times some might say that I was speechless.
Professor you most admire and why: Dr. Ron Bush (retired). He was my major professor at Ole Miss in my MBA program. He was moving to LSU and convinced me to go with him to obtain a PhD. He stayed on me for a solid year and I finally acquiesced at the last moment. Best decision of my life. He changed my life and all that I have is because of his faith and believe in me.
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you've made from it? The majority of my research is in sales. I'm currently working on sales and social media. I've had three articles published on the topic and social media is totally changing the way salesforces approach the field of sales.
Twitter handle: I don't have one. I'm a Dinosaur. The Neeley School's is @NeeleySchoolTCU.
"If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this…" Innovative courses away from the standard business silos (accounting, finance, marketing, etc). We have to have the business basics but I would love to have more cross-discipline courses in the business school and across campus.
"And much less of this…" Multiple choice standard courses. It is difficult to integrate innovation and creativity with multiple choice formats.
Looking ahead 10 years from now, describe what "success" would like for you: I most likely will be retired for about five years. Success for me is simple: knowing that I made a difference in the lives of my students.
Students say…
"His lectures are awesome because he uses personal stories."
"Dr. Moncrief is hilarious and will make your lectures interesting."
"Moncrief makes class interesting and fun, but his tests will hit you like a freight train."
"His stories make abstract concepts have real-life implications."
Tagged: Bill Moncrief, Neeley, Neeley School of Business, Texas Christian University, top 40 undergraduate business professors
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Please select options for Rugged Ridge 22-Piece Body Mount Kit - Black (87-95 Jeep Wrangler YJ) at the top of this page.
Specs. Designed for those who prefer black bushings to red ones, this Black Body Mount Kit by Rugged Ridge includes the 22 polyurethane bushings and 10 metal washers needed to change out every body mount bushing on your Jeep Wrangler. The polyurethane is extremely durable, adding a big upgrade to your body mounts compared to stock, and is manufactured in a black color.
Construction. The Black Body Mount Kit, fabricated by Rugged Ridge, is both comprehensive and is designed for precision, easy direct fit installation. This bushing set gives your Wrangler a superior ride which, in many cases, is noticeable as soon as the kit is installed. Protected overall by a 5 year limited manufacturer's warranty, this set includes 22 polyurethane bushings (many with metal fittings) and 10 metal washers.
Are their process / install instructions included with this product?
This would come with instructions.
Do you sell a hardware (everything needed to put on new bushings) kit to go with the body mount kit ? Is this body mount kit easy enough to swap out 22 year old mounts for an amateur ? Thanks PS In the questions at the end I was not sure what motor I have, Mine is a 4 cyl, no AC, 5 speed manual if that makes a difference.
The Rugged Ridge 22-Piece Body Mount Kit is going to include all the body mounts and washers, but will not include new bolts. This is a fairly in depth job, so we recommend looking over the procedure before getting started to ensure you have all necessary tools, and understand the procedure and all safety precautions. Your engine should be a 2.5L 4 cylinder. This will have no issues working with that engine.
if I wanted to get rid of my body lift on my jeep from the previous owner would i get this?
Hello, yes, you can use this kit as a factory replacement kit.
product appears to well constructed and fairly easily installed wish I got new hardware with.


A metamorphosis is a gradual, but radical change. It's the tadpole becoming a frog. It's a caterpillar becoming the butterfly. And it's us -- becoming increasingly and profoundly more like Jesus. Join us as we explore how this supernatural metamorphosis takes place in our lives as we study the second letter from the Apostle Paul to the new Christ-followers in Corinth.


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Letter: State Child Protective Service failures are worse – far worse – than initially reported – The Suburban Times
Letter: State Child Protective Service failures are worse – far worse – than initially reported
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee wants to "provide universal home visiting and universal newborn assessments to all families in Washington."
To commence three weeks following the arrival of your newborn baby.
The startup costs are estimated at $43M.
That is the exact amount the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) paid out in settlements in 2018 across all departments.
Now, we are learning today, according to a report in The Seattle Times by Asia Fields, that this current fiscal year the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) – a reformatted version of DSHS – forked over nearly twice that amount, paying victims of their ineptitude a whopping $84 million.
From just this one department alone.
In just one year.
Soon we'll be talking real money and those expenditures were not for day-to-day operations.
Over $100M in two years is for day-after-day failures.
And the 2020 Legislature, which convenes January 13, will attempt – yet again – based on Gov. Inslee's Commission recommendations, to reformat – yet again – the very departments that aren't doing their job now: protecting children.
Such legislation has been introduced multiple times by the Legislature.
Legislation did not pass when last introduced in 2005 and 2006.
However, during the 2016 legislative session, the Governor – again – floated this ship-of-an-idea to create a new department.
And the Governor appointed a 16-member crew to sail (sell) this ship-of-an-idea to the public.
But did this so-called Blue-Ribbon Commission do their due diligence to figure out how this proposed new agency would get to where it wanted to go?
No, it did not.
The Commission admitted it "did not have enough time to analyze specific programmatic approaches to achieving the vision of the new agency."
Did this Commission examine the track record of child protective organizations who are supposedly organized to protect children?
In fact, the 16 experts crewing this rather derelict vessel further admitted that they "did not conduct an in-depth analysis of performance of those agencies currently providing child, youth and family services to develop its recommendations."
And yet the Blue-Ribbon Commission had the audacity, in its 75 pages, to write, "making large, structural changes to state government requires careful planning."
And to think we were appalled – rightly so – at the $1.7 paid by DCYF in May of this year to a woman severely abused as a child.
The same attorney, Michael Pfau, who defended successfully the plaintiff in that case, has now won an $8.5M judgment against DCYF for what he calls their "cascade of mistakes" by multiple state employees who abysmally failed two girls the agency had placed with a sexually abusive foster parent.
Pfau has hope they'll get it right.
"What I would like to see is a stronger statement that because of how poorly they handled this case, they will use this to make policy changes."
A stronger statement?
Child protective services should say it all.
Policy changes?
A promised new-and-improved state agency to follow birth announcements with a knock at your door shouldn't be one of them.
Scuttle this ship.
Return to port.
Protect children.
Do not pass Universal Visitation.
That seems to be the reaction of 18,000 folks – and counting, averaging one every 40 seconds over the last five days – having responded to the first salvo fired across the bow.
Not just no.
Hell no.
Bob Warfield says
There are, inherent by task and nature, some essential agencies of social order and public concern that warrant standing relationships with university. Over time, applied research warrants renewal toward progressive efficiencies and result to the benefit of society. The big ones peak with cabinet posts under a president or governor. Social health services, by any rubric, is certainly among these, and worthy of timeless, informed public investment. If we're not about child care and education, nothing else much matters.
Legal complaint after the fact, however satisfying, is neither remedy nor solution, and likely affords no substantive policy fix for the iceberg of related public commitment that serious social assistance and intervention require, and about which most of us living above need are scarcely aware.
Mr. Anderson,
Thanks for keeping this proposed Constitutional Rights gutting idea from our governor alive so anyone with influence and an honest desire to do what is right can help sink his ship.
While because it was so long ago, I can't recall specifics, I do remember being disappointed with CPS everytime I made a referral in my official capacity as a police officer.
I clearly remember that the organization did not live up to their name, "Child Protective Services". That was a longtime joke. CPS always appeared to me to be a CYA organization.
Because this is a family newspaper, allow me to be creative in defining CYA. CYA is a common acronym that stands for Cover Your (Now insert the part of your carcass that touches the chair first when you sit down.) CYA.
Lastly, after confirming that our government has not done a good job with the relatively small number of children, when compared to all the children, who inarguably need protection, how is government going to perform well when they add thousands more to the government workload?
It appears to me Governor Inslee, himself, might have benefited from having government force their way through the front door of his parents home. His parents should have been brought up on child abuse charges. Apparently when they reared their son, Governor Jay Inslee, they failed to teach him about common sense.
That leaves us with a governor who is partially brain dead as he guides his ship designed to violate the constitutional rights of new parents.
If respresentatives of our government try to bust my front door down to check on my newborn (A newborn is not likely since I am closer to 80 than 70), I will sick my dogs on them. I do not have any dogs, but I will get some if Inslee gets his new law passed.
Judi hunter says
No! It is the social agencies who should be under scrutiny for not doing their jobs! That is what they are being payed for! II am with you Joe. …
Eric and Jennifer Chandler says
We settled in Lakewood in 1987 after a 20-year career in the US Army.
During those 20 years we have lived in Belgium, Germany, Kentucky, and New Jersey (3 times), and we have heard/read about problems associated with government-sponsored Social and Health Services in all of those places, but NOTHING like we have observed occurring here in Washington State.
In the 32 years we have lived here there has been a nauseating plethora of stories concerning WA state's so-called Dept of Social & Health Services' consistent inability to provide even partially adequate services for all of their citizens (in particular protecting children) resulting in deaths, injury (physically and mentally), and a considerable drain on state funds due to lawsuits and settlements. We get very upset when we read/hear about such stories, particularly when it is obvious DSHS employees have failed to execute their duties in even a minimal way.
It is obvious to us there needs to be an intense/non-partisan investigation about this circumstance, say over the past 20 years to determine:
Who has been impacted most negatively (i.e., age groups, income level, gender, etc.)?
What types of failures are there (e.g., laws/legal, employee competency/training, etc.)?
When have these failures occurred most frequently?
Where have these failures occurred most frequently?
How many state citizens have been negatively impacted by these failures?
How much has the state expended in settlements for these failures?
Why has this been allowed to occur for so long and at such a cost (i.e., lives and $)?
How can these failures be fixed (i.e., who are the experts; what are other states doing right)?
In our opinion, this situation has gone on for far too-long, and that a comprehensive analysis is absolutely essential to properly correct this criminal assault by a misnamed state "Services" agency on our most-vulnerable citizens.
Eric and Jen Chandler says
This is a re-send of our reply….just to make sure it gets read.
Amy Zimmerman says
Good afternoon I am hoping for some resolution on getting my family reunified – my wife and I live in Oregon- we have a 3 -year-old little girl who was visiting with her father who lives in Washington this summer and he abused her -DCYF in Centralia Washington removed her from his care and is refusing to give our daughter back to us and is refusing to transfer our daughter back to Oregon even though the father is now in jail in Washington and we have done no harm to our daughter- we own a lovely home in South Salem we attend church we had our daughter in Headstart in our family lives in Salem Oregon we even had a caseworker in Oregon named Rose Surkamp willing to take the transfer and Washington is refusing to reunify us please help 503-496-8228 I have attempted to reach out to James Schuttie Brooke Brooling and John Macejunas without any response or plan for reunifying our family- I'm even copying them on this email in hopes for resolution-we are devastated as is our little girl who is now amongst strangers out of her routine and has even contracted hand foot and mouth disease which is trivialized by the social workers in Centralia. Over a year ago my wife and I had a domestic violence incident which did not involve our child and we are both in counseling and Centralia is exaggerating this incident using it against us when it is irrelevant to our daughter being with one or both of us. I hope to hear from you soon about what to do to get our daughter back to us her family
sincerely AMY ZIMMERMAN 503-496-8228 thank you- we are willing to take this to the Supreme Court if necessary- this is causing major emotional trauma on our whole family.
Here's a suggestion Amy. Contact Chris Branson, 832-794-3338, cpsdefense.com/attorney-profile/. You can also correspond on his contact page: cpsdefense.com/contact/
From his profile:
"Chris Branson is a Houston, Texas based attorney who fights Children's Protective Services (CPS) in the trenches – and wins. He has a passion for protecting families from false child abuse or neglect allegations, and the trauma caused by needless government intrusion.
"And by fight he means just that. Many – if not most – attorneys think 'you can't fight the system.' But Mr. Branson does it every day. He has dedicated his practice to providing aggressive, attentive, and personal service to families that have been targeted by this out-of-control agency.
"Mr. Branson uses the experience gained in those battles to teach other attorneys throughout the state to carry on the fight. As a lecturer at the Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) 'Defending the Family from CPS' seminar, he has trained attorneys in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, and Lubbock.
"Mr. Branson is also THSC's Special Counsel for CPS issues, advising that organization on specific legal matters regarding CPS, and on pending legislation while the Texas legislature is in session.
"Chris Branson is an unapologetic Christian, married to his high school sweetheart, and the father of two fine young men."


2 Dakota, relating to the process for approving constitutional amendments.
8 amendments to be submitted to voters only at general elections.
14 Constitution of North Dakota.
2 measures apply heretoto initiative measures for constitutional amendments.


This is preview of ArmKatil Regular Armenian font with Armenian letters, english letters and numbers. ArmKatil font family is a group of proportional sans serif fonts. Here are represented next font variants: ArmKatil Regular Normal TrueType.


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Q: Possible null reference argument for parameter 'connectionString' ind 'DbContextOptionsBuilder' I am working on a .NET ASP CORE application with a SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio) database.
I added my DatabaseContext to the IServicecollection in the startup.cs file like this
services.AddDbContext<DatabaseContext>(options => options.UseSqlServer(_config.GetConnectionString("MvcMovieContext")));

and this worked perfectly.
But when i wanted to implement Healthchecks with the Microsoft.Extensions.Diagnostics.HealthChecks;, I suddenly had an ERROR at the line above.
Possible null reference argument for parameter 'connectionString' in 'DbContextOptionsBuilder SqlServerDbContextOptionsExtensions.UseSqlServer(DbContextOptionsBuilder optionsBuilder, string connectionString, Action<SqlServerDbContextOptionsBuilder>? sqlServerOptionsAction = null)
screenshot of the error inthe code
I tried to implement the HealthCheck service of Microsoft.Extensions.Diagnostics.HealthChecks but suddenly my connectionString (or IConfiguration _config) is nullable.
Any idea how to fix it?
Note: if I want to check if the connectionString is null and try to save it in a variable(like this: 'string conn = _config.GetConenctionstring("MvcMovieContext");' ), it gives an error: "converting null literal or possible null value to non-nullable types"

SOLVED: Solved by the comment from @MindSwipe:
You can simply check for it, like var connectionString = _config.GetConnectionString("MvcMovieContext"); if (connectionString is not null) { ... }
Thanks!


Iasos' 1975 debut is a New Age landmark. It's one of the first fusions of synthesizers, environmental sounds, world music and post-hippie psychedelia that were created for the specific purpose of consciousness expansion. Inter-Dimensional Music might feel a bit extravagant, maybe even fruity at times.; there's a definite exotica influence at work here. Yet that's kind of cool. Like fellow New Age pioneer Robert Anton Wilson, Iasos knew that playfulness is a fundamental component to any successful mystical process.


COLUMBIA, S.C. – Safeplast NA Company, a manufacturer and provider of hose protectors and hose binding products, is launching a new facility in Pickens County. The $4.3 million investment is projected to create 30 new jobs.
Affiliated with Safeplast Finland, Safeplast NA began manufacturing and distributing its signature Safeplast Spirals in 2007. Designed to protect hydraulic hoses from abrasion that can lead to premature equipment failure, the company's state-of-the-art products are generated through a unique manufacturing process with technology only available in two places worldwide – Finland and this new facility in Pickens County, S.C.
Located in Pickens County Commerce Park, Safeplast will be constructing a new 30,000-square-foot facility that will function as the company's North American headquarters. Hiring for the new positions should begin in the first quarter of 2018, and interested applicants should contact info@safeplast.com for more information.
Safeplast NA Company is launching a new facility in Pickens County.
$4.3 million investment to create 30 new jobs.
Safeplast NA Company is a manufacturer and provider of hose protectors and hose binding products.
Located in Pickens County Commerce Park, the company will be constructing a new 30,000-square-foot facility that will serve as its North American headquarters.
Hiring for the new positions should begin in the first quarter of 2018, and interested applicants should contact info@safeplast.com for more information.


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Ramón Mendoza Fontela, född 18 april 1927 i Madrid, Spanien, död 4 april 2001 i Nassau, Bahamas, var en spansk advokat och affärsman.

Mendoza var  klubbpresident i fotbollsklubben Real Madrid åren 1985-1995. Hans första år som president i klubben var väldigt framgångsrika. Real Madrid vann spanska ligan fem gånger i följd och sågs som ett av Europas främsta klubblag. År 1995 var han dock tvungen att avsäga sig presidentskapet efter att ha byggt upp ett jättelikt skuldberg. Hans position togs över av Lorenzo Sanz, vilken tidigare varit vicepresident.

Under Mendoza vann Real Madrid 6 ligatitlar, 2 spanska cuptitlar, en UEFA-cuptitel och 3 supercuptitlar.

Födda 1927
Avlidna 2001
Personer inom Spaniens näringsliv
Real Madrid
Män


The quintessential prestige destination, the Provence Alps Riviera region offers an unlimited choice of prestige services for VIP clients: private hire of exclusive premises, hire of luxury villas for a stay or an evening, yacht or sports car hire, limousine transfers, reception in the VIP enclosure of a sports or cultural event, etc. To ensure transfers are as quick, comfortable and enjoyable as possible, key elements of a prestige service, Longitude 7 offers a wide selection of exclusive activities combined with a helicopter transfer: helicopter drop off at a golf course or on a mountain top for some downhill skiing, helicopter transfer to a gourmet restaurant in the backcountry, etc.
State-of-the-art equipment for the most exclusive relaxation, incentive or team building activities: fast technical circuits for driving racing cars, renowned golf courses, exceptional spas, etc.
The possibility of tacking your event on to one of the numerous internationally renowned sports or cultural events: Monaco Grand Prix, Monte-Carlo Tennis Tournament, International Jazz Festival at Antibes Juan-les-Pins, Nice Carnival, Cannes Royal Regattas, Monte-Carlo Rally, Voiles de Saint-Tropez, etc.
The numerous possibilities on offer for organising prestige nautical events: yacht hire, private hire of yachts or old sailing ships, organisation of triangular Olympic or long distance regattas, etc.
A very wide selection of original possibilities for VIP event transfers: limousine, classic car, helicopter, yacht, fast launch, etc.
"Revitalising" stay in the exceptional spa of a 4 star luxury hotel in the Cannes hinterland, a veritable sanctuary of rest: relaxing treatments or customised tonics, relaxation in the jacuzzi, sauna or hydrotherapy pool, etc.


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Fresenius Medical Care and Humacyte Announce Strategic Global Partnership Supported by a $150M Equity Investment
GERMANY June 11, 2018 – Fresenius Medical Care, the world's largest provider of dialysis products and services, and Humacyte, Inc., a medical research, discovery and development company, today announced a strategic, global partnership and a $150M USD equity investment. This agreement has the potential to make Humacyte's investigational human acellular vessel, HUMACYL®, available to more patients worldwide following approval of the product. HUMACYL is currently being investigated for vascular access for hemodialysis and may prove more effective than current synthetic grafts and fistula. Under the terms of the agreement, Fresenius Medical Care will obtain the exclusive global rights to commercialize HUMACYL.
Fresenius Medical Care will be responsible for the marketing, sales and distribution of HUMACYL following approval by the relevant health authorities. In addition, Fresenius Medical Care will make a $150M USD equity investment in Humacyte to gain a 19% fully diluted ownership stake in the company. With the investment, Fresenius Medical Care will have the opportunity to bring transformative clinical innovation in the form of Humacyte's bioengineered human acellular vessels to the worldwide end stage renal disease (ESRD) patient population following product approval. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and is expected to close in July 2018.
"By partnering with Humacyte, Fresenius Medical Care has an opportunity to offer a dialysis vascular access option with the potential for significant clinical efficacy and safety improvements, including the potential to minimize catheter contact time to the benefit of our patients," said Franklin Maddux, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Fresenius Medical Care North America. "Our exclusive rights to distribute this innovative technology to dialysis patients worldwide may have significant benefits not only to patients, but health systems as well. With the potential for fewer anticipated complications and interventions compared to synthetic grafts, we may see increased safety for patients and reduced medical and economic burdens to the healthcare system."
The current vascular access modalities necessary to deliver dialysis treatment include fistulas, grafts and central venous catheters. All three options have limitations. Half of fistulas fail and do not mature in patients, delaying vascular access for dialysis treatment. In the meantime, many patients need a central venous catheter, which significantly increases the risk of infection. Humacyte has developed a novel human tissue-based investigational product, HUMACYL, for patients with ESRD requiring hemodialysis. Compared to an arteriovenous fistula, HUMACYL can be available for use in hemodialysis within weeks and may have an overall higher rate of maturation. It also may offer a more durable, biologic alternative to synthetic grafts.
"This is a transformational milestone for Humacyte, giving us the world's strongest partner to help bring our product to more patients globally," said Carrie Cox, CEO and Chairman of Humacyte, Inc. "Our partnership will allow Humacyte to focus on advancing the potential for HUMACYL as a substantial breakthrough in the science of regenerative medicine, and to continue our development of an exciting future pipeline."
Humacyte's bioengineered blood vessel is currently in Phase III pivotal trials in the U.S. and Europe, and the company plans to seek regulatory approval in both regions upon completion of the trials.
About Fresenius Medical Care
Fresenius Medical Care is the world's largest provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases of which around 3.2 million patients worldwide regularly undergo dialysis treatment. Through its network of 3,790 dialysis clinics, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatments for 322,253 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the leading provider of dialysis products such as dialysis machines or dialyzers. Along with its core business, the company provides related medical services in the field of Care Coordination. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME) and on the New York Stock Exchange (FMS).
For more information visit the company's website at www.freseniusmedicalcare.com.
About Humacyte
Humacyte, Inc., a privately held company founded by Dr. Laura E. Niklason, M.D., Ph.D., in 2004, is a medical research, discovery and development company with clinical and pre-clinical stage investigational products. Humacyte is primarily focused on developing and commercializing a proprietary novel technology based on human tissue-based products for key applications in regenerative medicine and vascular surgery. The company uses its innovative, proprietary platform technology to engineer human, extracellular matrix-based tissues that can be shaped into tubes, sheets, or particulate conformations, with properties similar to native tissues. These are being developed for potential use in many specific applications, with the goal to significantly improve treatment outcomes for many patients, including those with vascular disease and those requiring hemodialysis. The company's proprietary technologies are designed to create off-the-shelf products that, once approved, can be utilized in any patient.
The company website is www.humacyte.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including changes in business, economic and competitive conditions, risks and uncertainties in research and development and the regulatory approval process; failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the transaction, including the receipt of regulatory approval; regulatory reforms, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings, and the availability of financing. [Certain of these][These] and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Without prejudice to its obligations under capital market laws, neither Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA nor Humacyte, Inc. undertakes any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.


When the ACA exchanges first launched for the 2014 Open Enrollment Period, the law included three individual market stabilization programs. One of the programs was called reinsurance, and as far as I know it worked pretty well. Unfortunately, the federal ACA reinsurance program sunsetted after only three years, at the end of 2016, which is part of why rates spiked so much in 2017 (they shot up in most states in 2018 as well, but for very different reasons).
In response, several states (Alaska, Minnesota and Oregon) have enacted their own, state-level reinsurance programs, and several more are on the way (New Jersey, Maryland and Wisconsin). It's a fairly cut & dried way of keeping premiums down (or even lowering them in some cases) which requires no additional federal spending and much less state spending than you would think.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), around 1% of those in a given risk pool rack up 23% of total healthcare expenses, and 5% rack up about 50% of the total.
Let's say you have exactly 1,000 enrollees in a risk pool, with 950 of them only racking up average medical expenses of $5,200/year; 40 of them have expensive problems which cost $69,000/year apiece; 9 of them cost $200,000 apiece and one enrollee has really expensive problems costing $500,000/year, for a grand total of right around $10,000,000 even. Since all 1,000 are part of the same risk pool, the total healthcare cost per enrollee averages around $10,000 apiece.
Under a reinsurance program, the government agrees to pay for a percentage of the cost of the really expensive, high-risk enrollees...basically, that last 5% or so...in order to lower the premiums for everyone else. In serves a similar function to the pre-ACA "High Risk Pools", except that it's done behind the scenes, there's no individual medical underwriting needed, there's no stigma attached to the enrollees (since they aren't shunted off into a separate program), and there's no funding discrimination.
To use a real world example, the reinsurance law just passed in New Jersey will pay 60% of insurers' costs for enrollees whose medical costs exceed $40,000 in the year, up to a cap of $250,000 per enrollee.
Let's suppose we applied these parameters to my example above.
40 of the enrollees have total expenses of $69K apiece. Subtracting the first $40K leaves $29K. 60% of that is $17,400. Multiply by 40 enrollees and that's $696,000.
9 of the enrollees have total expenses of $200K apiece. Subtracting the first $40K leaves $160K. 60% of that is $96,000. Multiply by 9 and that's $864,000.
The final enrollee has total expenses of $500K. The upper bound on the reinsurance program is $250K, so subtracting $40K leaves $210K. 60% of that is $126,000.
Add it up and the reinsurance program would cover $1,686,000 out of the $10,000,000 grand total...or around 17% of all medical expenses for the entire pool.
This should translate into premiums being 17% lower than they would be otherwise. It doesn't necessarily mean a net 17% drop, of course, because there are other factors each year (normal inflation, medical cost trend and so on), but at the very least, it should mean the difference between a 20% increase and a 3% increase.
Of course, the actual impact will vary greatly depending on the state and how robust the percentages and thresholds are set at, but you get the idea.
OK, so let's multiply the numbers above by 100 to get more real-world numbers. Instead of 1,000 people, let's call it 100,000. Instead of $10 million in total costs, you're talking about $1 billion. And instead of $1.7 million, the total cost of the reinsurance program might be $170 million per year.
But here's the cool part about how state-based reinsurance waivers work within the ACA framework: If approved by CMS, the state would not have to come up with the full $170 million!
Of the 100,000 total enrollees, around 62% of them, or 62,000, receive federal ACA subsidies.
Those subsidies average around $520/month apiece, or $6,200 for the year.
That's a total of roughly $387 million in federal spending on ACA subsidies.
By lowering the unsubsidized premium cost by 17%, that also means the amount needed for subsidies drops as well.
The subsidies may not drop by the full 17% for various reasons, but they should come close...let's say 15%.
That means the federal government would save $58 million on ACA subsidies for the state.
The $58 million in federal funds instead go to cover about 35% of the total program cost, so the state only has to come up with $112 million.
Put another way, in this example it would cost the state $112 million per year to lower premiums by 15% for 38,000 residents.
In addition, there should be a residual effect: By lowering rates 15%, this should also encourage at least a few thousand more people to go ahead and enroll in a policy who otherwise wouldn't do so. If total enrollment increases by, say, 5,000 people, you now have a total risk pool of 105,000...and assuming most of those folks are lower risk (i.e., not part of that 5% high risk crowd), that should in turn improve the risk pool somewhat the following year, and so on.
Obviously the actual cost and impact on premium reductions could very widely depending on what the actual claim breakout is across the risk pool, how the program is structured and how much medical claims for high-risk enrollees are. If you make the thresholds more generous (70% instead of 60% of the cost, or starting at $30K instead of $40K, for instance), the impact would be greater. In New Jersey, they expect rates to be about 15% lower than they would be otherwise next year.
If you want some real-world examples of how effective reinsurance programs have already been, in Alaska, premiums dropped by a whopping 23.6% this year. In Minnesota, they only dropped by 6.3%, but next year are estimated to drop by another 8% or so even with the impact of mandate repeal sabotage. Oregon's reinsurance program isn't quite as robust; it only kept rates down by around 6% this year vs. what they otherwise would be, but that's still hundreds of dollars in savings per unsubsidized enrollee.
REINSURANCE: IT'S A VERY GOOD THING.


RED BULL SALZBURG defender Martin Hinteregger has confirmed that Manchester United are interested in signing him.
The 21-year-old is also being tracked by Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus after impressing in the Austrian Bundesliga.
And now the player himself had thrown Manchester United's name into the mix, saying he is flattered by their attentions.
I confirm, there is interest in me from Manchester United and a top Italian club.
He is quoted by TuttoJuve.com as saying: "I confirm, there is interest in me from Manchester United and a top Italian club.
And while the youngster claims he is in no hurry to move, he suggests the interest is sufficient for him to have discussions with his agent about the possibility of a move.
He added: "Actually my goal is to stay here, but in any case I will talk to my agent and consider whether a transfer might be beneficial."
United have been linked with a number of defenders with both Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand already in the last year of their current contracts.
And it now seems that David Moyes is keeping a close eye on Hinteregger as he begins to usher in a new era at Old Traffford.


No, this is not an April Fool's Day joke – it's time for school again in SD57, as of Monday, April 1st.
School District 57 is listed as receiving an operating grant of $118,110,509, which a decrease from last year's operating grant of $119,861,500.
In 2012-13, the school age funded FTE was for 12,918.7 students, while the number estimated for 2013-14 is 12,680.0 school age funded FTE – a decrease of 238.7 students, and $1.7 million dollars.
The province has also apparently has told boards to find the funds for increased employee remuneration within existing budgets. Additionally, there seem to be changes in how hold-back funds are dealt with, with reductions seen on the horizon.
There are two DPAC representatives on an expanded committee of the whole for the school district, who will be reviewing what these revenue challenges will mean to our school district. We are seeking parent input on what parents see as budget issues and challenges for the district.
So what's a parent or to do? Here are steps parents can take to stop the girl cruelty and raise emotionally-healthy, caring and strong young women.
She is "picked on," shunned, or excluded often.
She speaks negatively about certain girls or a certain group of girls or clique.
She has a sudden marked and uncharacteristic change in mood.
She doesn't speak of having any friends.
She suddenly avoids certain social situations.
She seems jittery, concerned or even afraid when an email, text, message, or phone call comes for her.
She has a sudden change in her eating or sleep habits.
She starts to speak about girls in a mean way.
Watch for downslide. If you think your daughter is really having a hard time, be available. Schedule a few weekends together. Take her to the gym with you. Take her to lunch. Talk with her school.
The goal is to raise strong, confident, and respectful young women. So open up the dialogue: Talk to your daughter.
Here are ideas that teachers, counselors and parents are doing to end the girl wars and cease the cruelty.
Don't let your child buckle into the cruel mentality of the other girls.
But also be clear that there can be no excuses: you expect her to be respectful and to find others who share those values.
If you are interested in running for any of these positions please contact Chris Finke, Dennis Fudge, and/or Darlene Campbell indicating which position you are interested in running for. If you would like a description of the duties for these positions, please let us know. We would be very pleased to hear from you before April 8th, if possible, so that we can put your names forward at the meeting that evening.
Interested in attending the BCCPAC Conference in May?
If you wish to attend the conference as a delegate from DPAC, you will need to submit a brief written application detailing your reasons for wanting to attend the conference, and how you believe this conference will benefit DPAC and/or your PAC.
At the latest, expressions of interest should be received by April 7th.
A delegate selection committee has been established, consisting of Darlene Campbell and Gillian Burnett.


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Where Does NC Stand on the Death Penalty?
The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled last week that capital punishment is unconstitutional in that state. Connecticut had recently enacted a law under which the death penalty could not be enacted in future cases but convicted criminals who had been sentenced to death would have their sentences carried out. This new ruling, however, commutes all such sentences. So where does North Carolina stand?
The Connecticut high court's ruling raises again the question about when the decision is going to be made here in North Carolina about the death penalty and the Racial Justice Act. In April 2014, the North Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments about the Racial Justice Act – but has yet to deliver a ruling. While the media seems to focus on the criminals on death row, the question still remains: What about the victims and those they left behind? The families who are waiting for the North Carolina Supreme Court to rule have been living this nightmare since 2001 or 1997 or 1992. Could you imagine not having closure to the death of your loved one because our courts don't know what to rule?


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All Staff have been trained in child protection procedures and any volunteers or students complete an on-line safeguarding training course prior to commencing their placement. Mrs Cocker is the Designated Safeguarding Leader and if you have any concerns regarding this subject please do not hesitate to contact her. Children regularly receive guidance on e-safety and anti–bullying. Please would you remind the children that there are many adults in school, including class teachers and teaching assistants, that they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns.
We follow the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board's procedures and all policies related to safeguarding are available on our school website. All staff in school have received appropriate safeguarding training.


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Mark Littlewood: The winner of the Brexit Prize provides a blueprint for an open, independent Britain
By Mark Littlewood
Follow @MarkJLittlewood
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Mark Littlewood is Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs.
Though you wouldn't know it if from watching the BBC, opinion polls suggest that about half of British people want to leave the EU. But, what would we do if we left? If there is a referendum on continued British membership and the "out" camp have no feasible alternative plan there is little doubt that the electorate would vote to remain in.
The IEA's Brexit competition sought to provide an answer to this question. The winner, Iain Mansfield, who is a 30 year old member of the diplomatic service based at the British embassy in Manila came up with a very important contribution to the debate.
He notes that trade with the rest of the world is now greater than trade with the EU. At the same time, the rest of the EU have a strong incentive to conclude a trade deal with the UK should we leave. So, as far as trade is concerned, Iain, suggests negotiating free trade agreements with a range of countries whilst also becoming part of the European Free Trade Association. Top priorities for a trade deal would be China, Russia and the USA.
There is nothing to gain, the author argues, from going gung ho into negotiations with the EU. Exit and favourable conditions in any trade deals are likely to be eased if we end our contributions to the EU budget gradually and give migrants some continued rights to remain in the UK. But perhaps the biggest benefits would come from the ability of the UK government to have greater control over regulation.
A whole range of regulatory provisions in the field of employment law, agriculture and the environment, financial services and business and commercial law should be reviewed. This would range from not implementing the proposed directive relating to gender quotas on boards to the important, but technical and rarely discussed Prospectus Directive which imposes unreasonable burdens on small businesses seeking to raise equity.
What would be the economic costs and benefits of all this? The author suggests that overall, Brexit would have a negligible impact on the economy. The worst case scenario would suggest a loss of about 2.6 per cent of national income and the best case a gain of 1.1 per cent. However, perhaps Iain is being a bit cautious here. Regulation imposes costs by impeding competition and reducing innovation – these are hidden costs, rarely included in surveys of costs of regulation. And the worst case of no free trade agreement, even with friendly countries such as Canada and countries eager to grow their economies such as China is hardly plausible.
Nevertheless, these figures do indicate that the decision to leave is, perhaps, largely a political decision. The economics are not decisive in the short run – though maybe they will be in the long run if the EU continues down its current path.
So, the IEA Brexit prize has provided a draft blueprint. It is a piece of work which can begin to shape the debate. And I will end with a warning to those politicians who wish to leave the EU: ignore this at your peril. If you wish to leave by a different exit, fair enough. However, merely to campaign to leave without having any real idea of how Britain should develop its policy in the field of trade, regulation and all the areas in which the EU has competence will lead to a victory for those who wish to stay in.
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50 comments for: Mark Littlewood: The winner of the Brexit Prize provides a blueprint for an open, independent Britain


I will admit, I was once a cookie pusher for the Girl Scout of America. And I was dang good at it, too. So now I feel a sense of duty to buy cookies from whomever asks me. This wasn't a problem when I was working at a school where several of the girls sold cookies every year. I'd just buy two boxes from the first person who asked me and then one box from the next two or three girls. Then I would have a decent stash of cookies to share with coworkers, my writers' group, roommates, friends.
But this year it was like the night before a big storm when everyone high-tails it to the grocery store to stock up because who knows when the roads will be clear enough for you to make it to the store again. I was forced to buy more cookies than I care to admit from the first person who asked me because I wasn't sure anyone else would ask. And it's a good thing I did!
While only three boxes are pictured here, let me assure you that there are more where they came from. After all, I was just trying to support a good cause.
When I was a kid, Tagalongs were my favorite, but I think I like Thin Mints best now. Which is your favorite?
Do you think the GSA can supply me with cookies intravenously?


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House clarifies "pompous" SONA expenses
By Lilybeth G. Ison
MANILA, July 15 — The House of Representatives on Wednesday clarified it is spending about P2.1 million for the preparations for the coming State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on July 27, contrary to reports that it is spending P22 million, which critics qualified it as pompous and most extravagant SONA in Philippine history.
"This is a yearly constitutional mandate for the President to report to the Filipino people on the national government's accomplishments, current and new programs for the coming year through the SONA before a joint session of Congress," said House Secretary General Marilyn Barua-Yap.
Under the Constitution, Congress is the policy-making branch of government. It is the national forum for public debates on all issues that concern public interest.
The Executive Department, through the President, executes these policies and laws passed by Congress.
The President also proposes policies which need the concurrence of Congress.
Yap said the reported P22-million allocation for the President's SONA is "an unintentional miss-appreciation of facts."
Last year, some P1.9 million was spent for the SONA.
Reports said the House had been undergoing repairs at the cost of P20 million allegedly in preparation for the SONA and another P2 million for food, SONA kit, identification cards, security, etc.
"The renovation within the Batasan complex is a continuing program and implemented mostly when Congress is in recess, not when Congress is in session. The program is just coincidental to the President's SONA," Yap clarified.
"It's not fair to lump the two activities together just to come up with what reports say as pompous and extravagant spending," she said.
Relative to the funds for office rentals of the additional party-list representatives who, at the moment could not be accommodated within the premises of the Batasan Complex, Yap said, "we have to follow a constitutional mandate promulgated by the Supreme Court."
She explained the renovation is being done to prevent a more costly physical depreciation within the complex and make the House of the People reflective of the dignity of the Filipino nation.
"Sooner or later, critics will themselves appreciate our efforts to make the Halls of the People, the center of national policy debates, an iconic symbol of the Nation. Congress, after all, is the crucible of ideas that mold the dominant will and sentiments of the people," she said. (PNA)
LDV/LGI


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Q: Matrix equations question? I have to solve $B(Y+C)+3A=5(A+Y)$ for given matrices of $B$, $C$ and $A$.
so what I do is $BY+BC+3A=5A+5Y$, and then $BY-5Y=2A-BC$ and then $Y(B-5)=2A-BC$. here I subtitute $B-5=M$ and $2A-BC=N$ and I know what I have to do next, but how do I find that $B-5$?

A: 5 is not a matrix.  The step $BY - 5Y = (B - 5)Y$ should really be $BY - 5Y = BY - 5IY = (B - 5I)Y$ where $I$ is the identity matrix.  Then $Y = (B - 5I)^{-1}(2A - BC)$ (assuming $B - 5I$ comes out to be invertible).
Edit: Note that the $B - 5I$ term needs to be to the left.


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Portrait convener
Dr Charlotte Alston
Introductory lecture
https://projectintegrity.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/tolstoy-intro.m4a
Leo Tolstoy, What Then Must We Do? (London: Oxford University Press, 1934) Introduction by Jane Addams, pp. vii-xiii, and chapter 38, pp. 304-328
Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (London: Oxford University Press, 1935) chapter 11 and Conclusion, pp. 316-444
Introduction to readings
Tolstoy devoted the last thirty years of his life to writing a series of tracts, plays, short stories and a novel that expounded his Christian anarchist philosophy. This embraced vegetarianism, chastity, a refusal to use money or swear oaths, and a rejection of violence in all its forms. In this session we discussed extracts from two of the key texts in the Tolstoyan canon: What Then Must We Do? (1886), and The Kingdom of God is Within You (1893). The first is a polemic about the pointlessness and hypocrisy of philanthropy, in which Tolstoy argues that the only solution to inequality in society is to 'get off men's backs', and provide for one's own needs. The latter argues that all government is based on violence and coercion, and anticipates the arrival of a new order which will come about when 'each of us begins to do what he ought to do and ceases to do the contrary'. In both texts, Tolstoy emphasises the need for honesty and integrity – it is important not to lie to oneself, and not to take part in collective lies perpetrated in order to hold up the current system. In this session we discussed the challenge Tolstoy's writings presented to his contemporaries; the conundrum for Tolstoyans of following both Tolstoy and their own conscience; the image of Tolstoy as a hypocrite; and the extent to which it was, is (or was intended to be) possible to adopt the programme Tolstoy sets out here.
1 Response to Tolstoy
ack77 says:
I was taken with Tolstoy's optimistic and faith-based view of human nature. He seems to identify conscience with an anti-individualistic and kind set of motivations that we (supposedly) all have. I like that way of looking at things. If we all chose to believe that all people, at their foundation, have such a conscience and we acted on that belief then I think human social reality would be much more harmonious. Does that resonate with Arendt's thoughts on speech, action and the human condition, R?
Portraits of Integrity pages
Captain Vere
Elizabeth Costello