I can appreciate their sentiment and wanting to provide support, but I can only imagine how you felt. I was rejected off of the waitlist last year, too. Though, because of geography, I had a phone call for feedback. I would have kindly told my parents to kick rocks if they wanted to be included in that conversation.
You both are likely to receive offers from an Ontario school with your stats. It is still very early in the cycle.
Dude. It's January. Relax. This is by no means "late in the game" come on.
Thank you, you too. And including the online modules and the homework assigned each day, it was probably 30-50 pages. Some much more, some less.
I echo what @romesmj4515 says. Get perfect on 3, that will bring you around 18 questions.
Nobody will think you're dumb. If they do, remind them that they too, needed an instructor. Also, I worked full time and commuted from Hamilton each time. I didn't miss a class nor a diagnostic day. It was draining, but worth it. I took the Sept-Nov course that was obviously geared for the November test, but because I spent so much time commuting, I needed the Nov-Jan to finish the homework. Something to bear in mind.
It's closer to 30-50 pages per night.
Absolutely tremendous course. 10/10. Good luck on upcoming tests!
If they are referring to the acquisition of the material, then the person they met must have not gone to class. Because if you missed class all you had to say was, "I didn't get the last booklet" and he would hand it to the person.
In my anecdotal experience, HR was fantastic. I will agree that if you fall behind in homework, that won't be good. But I think that's kind of assumed, no? And not particularly a knock against HR. If you don't do enough PowerScore chapters you likely wouldn't do as well either. If you mean in terms of "get" as in, understanding and not the acquisition of the tangible material, I will have to wholeheartedly disagree. If someone asked a question, Yoni would not move on until he felt that you understood it. He wouldn't let other people interrupt, if you said the typical "uhh yeah I think I get it" he would ask, "are you sure?" With the explanation of material, I haven't had a better instructor. And that includes my four years of undergrad.
And you don't have to buy any of the tests, you have more than enough from HarvardReady (1-82).
I echo @NeverGiveUp - you should go to as many proctored exams as you can at HR. Moreover, you don't have to retake the course to use the material? Assuming you still have the books and access to the online system. HarvardReady material is, at least for me, much better than PowerScores and LSAT Trainer. I have used all of them. I would seriously reconsider, but good luck regardless.
Good work! It's good that you're okay!
But being in queue doesn't mean much anyway. I've been in queue (as well as others) since November. And if I recall correctly, some people skip the queue process and go straight to admitted. All is okay people.
Definitely does not justify a check-in email. It's January 14th.
You're welcome - good luck.
Just keep going, it will get better. Good thing this wasn't test day! Trust your fundamentals - you still have 15 days.
So do a full practice test (to determine your score), and then add in a random one. Score it for yourself, but obviously you cannot count it towards your mark.
No judgement. So there is a fifth one, it is not marked but you don't know which one it is. It has never been the fifth section, very rarely the fourth, though it has happened. Typically sections 1 to 3 will have one. Not that it particularly matters. But you can gauge which one it is. (Have 2 RC's, 2 LG's or 3 LR's). On an undisclosed test like January, you won't know. Though the Powerscore forum does a good job at disseminating information to figure it out. Adding in a fifth section on your own helps for stamina. I am glad I told you now so that you are mentally prepared. There is also a written section at the end (if you didn't know).
Well waddya know. I like the cut of your jib.
Where are you finding this? Provide your sources, amigo.
Being that it's two weeks out, I would recommend focusing on doing full timed tests. Do 3 sections in a row without break and then do your last section. If you want full simulation, start at 9:00am and add a fifth section. Do not make the mistake I made by not doing timed simulation. You seem to have the fundamentals down. Focus on putting it all together. 161 and 164 are good scores.
I would love to see where it says 3.59/78%. Not /s either. Both of those would surprise me.


text:
The Brook Trout Equation
The watershed's native trout are an early indicator of Bay health.
Photo by Chesapeake Bay Program
By David Hart
It might be difficult to connect a stream like Beaver Creek to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. This unassuming creek that starts in the Shenandoah Valley is 150 miles from the Bay's western shore. Besides, it isn't much wider than an urban bike path. Cross it at 50 miles an hour and you may never even know
it exists.
Jerry Black not only crosses it every day, he grew up near Beaver Creek and owns a home on a knoll overlooking it. For landowners like him, the relatively short and entirely unassuming stream is the Bay.
"This is the starting point. What happens here affects everything downstream all the way to the Bay," says Black, 68. "I've seen a lot of changes in this area and many of them have not been for the better."
Years before he bought 29 acres bordering this spring-fed creek, it was home to a thriving population of brook trout—the eastern United States' only native trout. Few species of fish are as sensitive to their environment as brook trout. They are an indicator species, the proverbial canary in the coal mine.
"The older residents who used to fish Beaver Creek told me those trout were 15 or 16 inches, which is unheard of these days. The brook trout we catch in the mountain streams these days are eight or nine inches, tops," he says.
Countless other waters from central New York south to western Virginia also supported populations of wild brook trout decades ago. Like the fish in Beaver Creek, those native trout are also long gone, victims of apathy, ignorance or greed.
Careless farming, rampant development, and unrestricted logging and mining contributed to the demise
of brook trout in lower elevation streams throughout their range. Creeks that used to run cool and clear, even in the summer, now suffer from excessive nutrients, siltation, and increased temperatures.
Although brook trout are still thriving in places too steep to farm or graze, their range is just a fraction of what it once was. Maryland biologists estimate that just ten percent of the state's historic brook trout range still supports these fish.
Black, along with thousands of other landowners, scientists and volunteers throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, wants to reverse that trend. With the help of groups like Trout Unlimited, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the federal government, Black is restoring the section of Beaver Creek that flows through his property.
"I would love to see native trout return to Beaver Creek, but I also understand that what takes place on my land has a positive impact all the way to the Chesapeake Bay," he says.
He's right, of course. Although they may live hundreds of miles apart, brook trout are directly connected to speckled trout, striped bass and blue crabs by those thin blue ribbons that start in the mountains and end at the Bay. As trout go, so goes the health of the Bay. It's not a coincidence that crabs, oysters, aquatic grasses and other organisms in the Chesapeake have followed the same downward spiral as brook trout and other denizens of headwater streams.
"Much of the nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment that enters a small stream in New York or Maryland or Pennsylvania ends up in the Bay," says Chesapeake Bay Foundation scientist Harry Campbell.
Photo by David Hart
Those nutrients can have a profound impact on the Bay. Nitrogen and phosphorous help fuel algae blooms, which block sunlight from reaching sprigs of young aquatic vegetation. Without adequate light, those plants die. Grass beds not only help filter the water, they serve as nurseries for young fish and crabs. Excessive algae also create "dead zones," large areas of the Bay with oxygen levels too low to support
aquatic life.
So, where are these nutrients coming from? Stand on the highest vista above Beaver Creek and look in any direction and you will probably see a cluster of grain silos guarding a red or white barn or a long, narrow broiler house. It's virtually impossible to find a patch of ground in the Shenandoah Valley that isn't a farm of some sort. Many are poultry or dairy operations, where dozens or even hundreds of Holsteins graze in pastures between twice-daily milkings. Rockingham County, where Beaver and other spring creeks are born, is home to as many as 25,000 dairy cows, according to the US Department of Agriculture. It's not unusual to see those animals standing knee-deep in a stream, trampling the banks into a muddy mess and sending clouds of sediment downstream with every hard rain. What isn't pasture is a corn or soybean field, where farmers spread tons of fertilizer, including cow manure, each spring.
The Shenandoah Valley is hardly unique. In 2016 alone, 241 million tons of nitrogen and 13.6 million tons of phosphorous flowed into the Bay from the 64,000-square mile watershed. Some of those nutrients come from water treatment plants and suburban lawns, but most don't.
"Eighty percent of the nitrogen that enters the Susquehanna River is from non-point source pollution, and the majority of that is from agricultural run-off," says Campbell, who is the executive director of the CBF's Pennsylvania office.
It's not just excess nutrients that have led to significant declines in Bay health over the last several decades. Drive across any major tributary of the Chesapeake after a few days of heavy rain and you'll see a river of chocolate-brown water rushing downstream. Much of that sediment is coming from plowed fields and denuded stream banks as far away as West Virginia, central New York and southern Virginia.
"Banks that don't have vegetation on them are prone to severe erosion. Over time, high water events basically straighten the stream channels, which results in even larger amounts of sediment flowing downstream into rivers and ultimately into the Chesapeake Bay," explains Trout Unlimited fisheries supervisor Seth Coffman, who oversees the conservation group's headwaters program in Virginia.
Mossy Creek, another Shenandoah Valley spring creek, is a perfect example of that. Just a short cast from Beaver, it also supported a population of large brook trout decades ago. And like Beaver, it suffers from erosion and sedimentation in places.
"As many as 140 tons of sediment were being washed away just from one 2,200-linear foot section of stream every year," says Coffman.
What doesn't settle in a tidal river ends up in the Bay, where it smothers aquatic vegetation and suffocates
fish eggs.
That's gradually changing, thanks to conservation groups and cooperative landowners like Black. Coffman helped oversee restoration projects on Mossy and Beaver creeks that not only reduced erosion, but provided better habitat for aquatic life.
"At Mossy, we came in and basically rebuilt the channel to its original path in a few places, reshaped the eroded banks, placed log baffles to slow down the water and replanted the banks in native grasses, shrubs and pollinator plants. Erosion is down to almost nothing now and what sediment is lifted into the water column during high-water events is deposited in the flood plain adjacent to the channel like it should naturally," he says.
That's 140 tons of dirt every year that isn't being carried into the Bay any more. Multiply that by thousands of restoration projects throughout the Chesapeake's watershed and it becomes obvious why these conservation efforts are so vital to the health of the Bay.
"The work that is conducted on these headwaters streams has a much more significant and direct impact than if the same work was conducted on the banks of a larger stream or a river below these headwater streams," says Coffman. "By stopping excess nutrients and sedimentation from entering these streams in the first place, we are preventing them from affecting the entire watershed all the way to the
Bay itself."
Photo courtesy Chesapeake Bay Program
Campbell agrees, adding that, for that reason, much of the CBF's work is conducted a hundred or more miles from the Bay. Since 1997, the Foundation has partnered with over 5,000 landowners in Pennsylvania to restor or protect more than 2,000 miles of waterways. That may not seem like much, considering the state has 86,000 miles of headwaters streams. Campbell, however, says efforts are targeted at watersheds with the highest conservation needs. Some work is as simple as fencing cattle out of the stream bed and providing alternative water sources. Other projects are far more involved, including rebuilding stream channels, installing natural water flow controls and planting grasses, shrubs and trees.
"The most beneficial thing we can do is create forested buffers where there were none before. By planting native grasses, shrubs and trees, we can reduce large amounts of nutrients from entering the water and we can practically eliminate erosion where it might have been severe prior to restoration efforts," he says. "Research has shown that streams with a forested buffer remove pollutants at a much greater rate than those without a canopy of trees. The entire ecosystem within a stream is more active and diverse and pollution is taken up at a greater rate in streams with a forested buffer. Stream buffers are also the most cost-effective conservation work we can do."
Those trees also provide another benefit, one that is critical to brook trout—shade. These fragile fish can't survive in sustained water temperatures over 72 degrees. Shade keeps lower-elevation streams cooler for longer distances, creating more potential trout habitat.
Providing that shade isn't cheap. The estimated value of the work done on Black's section of Beaver Creek alone was about $23,000. That included costs for everything from heavy equipment to native grass seed, as well as the value of in-kind donations by Black and other landowners, plus volunteer labor by TU members. Much of the cash outlay was covered through the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service as well as matching conservation grants. Trout Unlimited also provided technical assistance. That may seem like a lot of money and effort for a few thousand feet of stream, but Campbell insists it is money worth spending.
"We have to keep in mind that everyone benefits from these projects, even people who may never see or catch a brook trout or even a striped bass," says Campbell. "They help provide clean, safe drinking water, better soil health, cleaner air for everyone, and better wildlife habitat. If you add up the economic benefits
of these various conservation projects aimed at protecting the Bay, it comes to $6.2 billion, so it is money
well-spent."
It's not just the Chesapeake that benefits, of course. What was once a two-foot layer of soft, wader-sucking muck on Mossy Creek's stream bed is now a solid substrate of rock, sand and gravel where the reclamation work took place.
"That is ideal spawning habitat for trout," says Coffman. "If we can restore more habitat like that section, then there is hope we can see brook trout return to Mossy Creek."
That's already happening in Beaver Creek, if only gradually. Native flowers and thick grass line the banks where only bare dirt once lay. Shrubs and trees planted six years ago are starting to lean out over the stream bed, providing abundant shade where there was none before.
Sampling efforts by biologists occasionally find small brook trout in the spring creek now, likely fish migrating downstream from mountain tributaries that still run cold and clear. They aren't staying in Beaver Creek for long, at least not yet. If those fish are a sign, though, Jerry Black might actually catch a wild 15-inch brook trout from the stream he helped restore.
David Hart is a freelance writer, avid outdoorsman, angler, hunter and bird-watcher based outside of Farmville, Va.
The Oldest Tugboat Man in Baltimore
Chestertown Marina Gets New Name, New Manager

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


HOW TO INSTALL TOMTOM HOME ON MY WINDOWS?
The steps below refer to Internet Explorer. If you're using another browser the steps may change.
To download the latest version of TomTom HOME, Click on the Download button below. We recommend you to download the file to your computer by clicking Save.
Once the download is complete, click Run. If you accidentally close the Download complete window, find the file WinLatest.exe on your computer and double-click it. Or start the download again.
Read the end user licence agreement and click on the provided link.
To accept the terms in the licence agreement, select the box, then click on Next.
Click Install. If you get one or more User Account Control messages, click on Yes.


This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own the Premier West Lake Okoboji building lot with 75' of low lakeshore facing south. With great views of the Amusement Park and with an average depth of over 389ft and .64 acres of land. This is the first time offered for private ownership in 122 years. Make this your family lakeside estate for the generations.
I was searching for a Property and found this listing (MLS® #18-1310). Please send me more information regarding 000 Lakeshore Drive # 2, Okoboji, IA, 51355. Thank you!
I'd like to request a showing of 000 Lakeshore Drive # 2, Okoboji, IA, 51355 (MLS® #18-1310). Thank you!
Michael Jensen, Jensen Real Estate.


text:
El Perxe de Ca Felip és una obra de la Fatarella (Terra Alta) inclosa a l'Inventari del Patrimoni Arquitectònic de Catalunya.

Descripció
Perxe de considerable fondària conformat per dos trams amb tres arcs, dos d'ells apuntats i el central quasi de mig punt. Estan realitzats en pedra i les parets amb maçoneria. Per sobre es troba una vivenda.

Les bigues són de fusta, sense mènsules, recolzades sobre els arcs en sentit longitudinals (sentit del carrer)

Era un perxe interior de la vila closa, proper a la porta de Vall de l'Estudi.

Història
Segons documentació, l'any 1570 la vila era closa, amb tres portals al perímetre: el de Can Mossenye, Ca la Giralda i Can Cabús, tots perduts actualment.

Posteriorment n'aparegueren altres dos: Can Bó i Ca la Monja.

Els perxes interiors es conserven.

Referències

Patrimoni monumental de la Fatarella
Perxes de la Fatarella

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Fantastic Beasts On Course For $200 Million Worldwide Opening
by Chris Agar
Fans of the Wizarding World are eagerly awaiting the theatrical premiere of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a Harry Potter spinoff/prequel that details the misadventures of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) as he attempts to recollect his magical creatures that are lost in 1920s New York. Warner Bros. is very bullish on the property, as J.K. Rowling has already confirmed a series of five Fantastic Beasts films, which will apparently cover the rise of the dark wizard Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). Viewers will get to see a young Albus Dumbledore in the sequel that's due in 2018.
After a sluggish start, the fall box office has received a much-needed shot in the arm in November. Doctor Strange, Trolls, and now Arrival have all exceeded commercial expectations. Fantastic Beasts is poised to continue this hot streak as it opens this week, with projections set for $75 million domestically in the first three days. Of course, these days the global marketplace is more important than just North America, and fortunately for WB, their latest tentpole is in great shape in that regard as well.
In a report from Deadline, it's said that Fantastic Beasts could make as much as $205 million worldwide in its first weekend. Per their figures, the split is estimated at $70-80 million in the U.S. and $90-125 million overseas. That would be a strong start, especially considering that the film's production budget was $180 million. Recouping all of that in one week would mean Fantastic Beasts will turn a nice profit for the studio and kick off a new franchise in style. Its numbers obviously won't be as high as some of the Harry Potter films, but the forecasts are an illustration of the power of the brand. Audiences haven't gone back to this universe in five years, yet it still remains a vital part of the zeitgeist.
There's little reason to believe Fantastic Beasts won't be able to perform well. The early reviews have been mostly positive, and the two week cushion from Doctor Strange gives WB some breathing room. The hype surrounding Marvel's latest has somewhat died down now, and it's time for Newt Scamander to take the spotlight. Additionally, it is the only high-profile newcomer this weekend (some smaller dramas are also opening Friday), so Fantastic Beasts doesn't have much in the way of direct competition.
A great debut is always welcomed, but the real test for Fantastic Beasts will be how it holds over the course of its run. It's smartly positioned a month before Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, though Disney's Moana looks like it will be a massive hit over Thanksgiving. It will be interesting to see what the movie's final tally is given that WB already has a great deal invested in it. Chances are, Fantastic Beasts proves to be an extension of the Harry Potter legacy and enthralls another generation with a captivating tale. Following the franchise's extended break, interest and demand in any continuation are high.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) release date: Nov 18, 2016
Tags: fantastic beasts and where to find them
MCU Fan Art Imagines Wakandan Kraven the Hunter in Spider-Man 3


text:
U.S. warns Russia could attack Ukraine with "very short notice"
Used Car-Buying Do's And Dont's
August 30, 2008 / 9:54 AM / CBS
Is your high school or college-bound kid nagging you for a new car this fall?
Well, according to David Champion, the director of automobile testing for Consumer Reports, a quality used car can be a smart and affordable alternative for a new driver — or for anyone, especially in a tough economy.
On The Early Show Saturday, Champion offered pointers to make sure you don't get taken for a ride when buying a used car.
You'll benefit most by buying a model that's reliable, in good condition, and reasonably priced. Here's what to do, and look for — first, tips from the magazine, then, from Champion:
Think safety
Look for a model with critical safety features, such as electronic stability control, side and curtain air bags, and antilock brakes. To see how a model has performed in government and insurance industry safety tests, go to www.safercar.gov and www.hwysafety.org. Free videos of insurance industry crash tests are available on ConsumerReports.org and safety ratings are available to the Web site's subscribers.
Check the car's reliability and worth
Reduce the risk of purchasing a trouble-prone vehicle by selecting models with a good reliability record. In Consumer Reports' used-car reliability history charts, you'll find detailed ratings for 17 trouble areas over 10 model years, so you can see the areas in which a model has had problems. The ratings are included in the April issue and special Consumer Reports Cars publications, and are available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers.
A car's value depends on its age, mileage, condition, features, and local demand. You can get a car's overall retail value for free from online auto pricing Web sites or from a Consumer Reports Used Car Price Report ($12), which also includes reliability ratings. Then, to help gauge how much money sellers are asking for a model in your area, check out the classified ads in local newspapers and other publications. Also check online car-buying sites such as Autotrader.com, Cars.com, and eBay.
A nice feature of eBay is that you can see how much cars have sold for. Usually you'll get a lower price from a private seller than from a dealership, but it might take more effort to assess the vehicle and complete the transaction.
Do a thorough inspection and test drive
Check inside and out. Walk around the car and look for dents, rust, and mismatched body panels. Check for paint overspray on exterior trim or on wheel wells, which is a sign of repair work. Make sure all interior components are in good condition. Frayed safety belts or belts with melted fibers might indicate a frontal crash above 15 mph.
Stay away from any vehicle with lighted warning lights. A mildew smell, discolored carpeting, silt in the trunk, or electrical problems are indicators of flood damage.
Wear on tires should be even across the width of the tread and the same on both sides of the car. Heavy wear on the outside shoulder near the sidewall indicates that the vehicle has been driven hard.
All components under the hood should be relatively grease- and corrosion-free. Belts and hoses should be pliable and unworn. Look for damp areas in the engine compartment and under the vehicle, which might point to fluid leaks. Melted or burned areas might be signs of overheating or even an engine fire. Check that all fluids are at the proper levels. The transmission fluid should be checked after the car is warmed up. Motor oil should be brown and not gritty, frothy, or gelatinous.
Take a test drive: Drive a vehicle for at least 30 minutes on a variety of roads. Make sure the car takes off briskly, shifts smoothly in all gears, and brakes without pulling right or left. On the highway, note whether the car is tracking straight or pulling notably to one side. Once warm, there should be no tailpipe smoke. Try every button, switch, and control, and note any that don't work.
Ask a trusted mechanic
When you've found a vehicle you're interested in, take it to an independent, certified mechanic for a diagnostic checkup. That inspection, which usually costs about $100 to $150, is well worth the investment.
Do a background check
While far from foolproof, a vehicle history report from CarFax (www.carfax.com) or Experian Automotive (www.autocheck.com) might alert you to possible odometer fraud or past fire, flood, or crash damage. To get one, you'll need the vehicle identification number, or VIN. Reports usually cost $25. Also check with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.nhtsa.dot.gov; 800-424-9393) to see whether any safety recalls were issued for the model. If so, ask the seller or a franchised dealer for documentation that the recall service was performed.
OVERALL TIPS, FROM CHAMPION
(There's some repetition here, but it's well-worth reading!)
When beginning your search for a new car, head to the Web first. A lot of used cars are for sale online, and search capabilities make it easy to quickly track down the features you want in a vehicle. Of course, the classified section of a newspaper is always a good option as well.
What's the best place to buy a used car? It doesn't matter — you just need to find the car you want. You'll probably get the best deal if you buy from an individual. But if you buy from a dealership, you have more recourse — if something's wrong with the vehicle, you can take it back to the dealership.
Many people like the comfort of buying a "certified" used car. Typically, "certified" means the car has been checked over by a dealer and deemed to be in good shape. Dealers sell a variety of used cars, but the certified are the cream of the crop. They come with a warranty AND a higher price tag. They can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars more than non-certified vehicles.
Consumers should be aware that the term "certified" has no legal definition, and any used-car dealer can legally call their cars "certified." So, don't take it for granted that you're getting a car that's in top shape just because it's labeled "certified."
Once you've found the car you want to buy and made an initial phone call to cover basics such as the color, mileage, maintenance record, why the owner is selling, etc, it's time for a physical inspection. Most people will automatically see if the seats are comfortable, if the sightlines are good, if there are any big scratches or dents.
But there are a few things the average car buyer might fail to check.
When you're inspecting a car, you want to make sure the seller isn't lying about the mileage, telling you it's low when actually it's quite high, or the car's accident record.
Here are some things to look for.
Take a walk around the car and closely examine all body panels. They should each be exactly the same color and have the same finish. Any variations indicate the panels have been replaced or repaired. Also, if a car has been repainted, you can check for "overspray" — paint that's adhered to the rubber seals around the hood and trunk lids.
When you open the trunk to look for overspray, lift the carpet and look at the trunk's floor. The condition of the floor will indicate if the car has been rear-ended or suffered another type of rear impact.
You can tell a lot by looking at a car's tires. You want to make sure all of the tires are the same, and appear to be the same age. A tire's tread should wear evenly across the tire itself and on both sides of the car. Aggressive drivers tend to put heavy wear on the outside shoulder of the front tires, at the edge of the sidewall. Assume that a car has been driven hard if that area is badly worn relative to the rest of the tire. Also, be wary of a car with relatively low miles and brand-new tires — a sign the odometer may have been rolled back.
Another way to check for hard driving and high mileage: Take a look at the gas and clutch pedals. If the pedal rubber appears quite worn, it indicates high miles. While you're inside the vehicle, be sure to check all the electronic aspects — all the automatic windows, stereo buttons, etc. Consumer Reports studies show that these electronics are the parts of a used car most likely to break, and they're quite expensive to fix.
Finally, nobody wants to buy a car that's been damaged in a flood, and consumers in the South may be the most vulnerable to vehicles in this condition over the following months. For starters, get a car's vehicle identification number — a 17-digit number that's stamped in several places on a car, including where the windshield meets the dashboard. Using this number, you can investigate the car's history at www.carfax.com. The Web site compiles info from motor vehicle records, police departments and other sources.
Luckily for consumers, cleaning all of the muck out of a flooded car is difficult. Look under car carpets and in other nooks and crannies for mold or mud. The small crack where the interior front and back panels meet is a good place to look for mud and other debris.
Of course, you should always have a car inspected by an independent mechanic before you buy. In addition to finding problems you can't spot yourself, this also gives you some negotiating power. If a repair is required, you should approach the seller and ask that some money be knocked off the price.
'Jeopardy' King Relieved He Lost
Merv Griffin's Only Child Discusses Loss
'Salt In Your Sock'
'Essential Manners for Couples'
Crystal Meth's Weight Loss Dangers
First published on August 30, 2008 / 9:54 AM
© 2008 CBS. All rights reserved.


Birmingham, United Kingdom – 8th August 2016 – Established UK based indie developer VooFoo Studios has unleashed another big update to Mantis Burn Racing currently onSteam Early Access and coming soon to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Right in time for the start of the 2016 Summer Olympics, players are urged to race for glory with the addition of new Weekly Challenges. Players are invited to race to the top of the Global leader boards in unique challenges each week for the ultimate in bragging rights. An online leader board will display the best times throughout the week. At the conclusion of the event, players will be recognised for achieving server-best times with the best awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze status on the game's front end menu the following week.
The update also brings a new static camera option to Mantis Burn Racing, controller vibration and support for new languages. Add in bug fixes and polish just for good measure, and there's never been a better time to try out the Early Access for VooFoo's first self-published game.
Mantis Burn Racing will be playable in the Business Area at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, from 17-19 August, 2016. Appointments to speak with the team are available for members of the press and media. Please contact Yunus or Tom, below, to schedule an appointment.
VooFoo Studios Ltd is an independent UK based video games development studio, founded in 2007 by a small team of experienced industry professionals. Utilising its own proprietary cutting edge technology, VooFoo's first game, the critically acclaimed Hustle Kings, was released for PlayStation 3 in 2009, reaching the top of the PSN charts and earning VooFoo nominations for two highly coveted Develop Awards. Building on this early success VooFoo have gone on to develop Hustle Kings on PlayStation Vita, Backgammon Blitz and the acclaimed 'Pure' series of games – Pure Chess, Pure Pool and Pure Hold'em – all of which have further established our reputation for developing visually stunning, commercially successful games. VooFoo's first self-published game, Mantis Burn Racing, is now available on Steam Early Access and will release on PS4 and Xbox One later in 2016.


text:
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Drawing2D;
using System.Globalization;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace MicroMachinesEditor
{
    public sealed partial class TrackRenderer : UserControl
    {
        private Track _track;
        private bool _showGrid;
        private bool _showPositions;
        private bool _showMetaTileFlags;
        private readonly Pen _gridPen = new Pen(Color.Gray);
        private readonly Brush _nonTrackBrush = new SolidBrush(Color.FromArgb(127, Color.Black));
        private readonly Font _positionNumberFont = new Font(SystemFonts.DefaultFont.FontFamily, 30);
        private readonly StringFormat _positionNumberStringFormat = new StringFormat { LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Center, Alignment = StringAlignment.Center };
        private readonly Pen _hoverPen = new Pen(SystemColors.HotTrack, 2) { Alignment = PenAlignment.Inset };
        private Point _hoveredTile;

        public TrackRenderer()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            MinimumSize = MaximumSize = new Size(32 * 96, 32 * 96);
            DoubleBuffered = true;
        }

        public Track Track
        {
            set
            {
                _track = value;
                Invalidate();
            }
        }

        private void TrackEditor_Paint(object sender, PaintEventArgs e)
        {
            if (_track == null)
            {
                e.Graphics.FillRectangle(SystemBrushes.Window, e.ClipRectangle);
                e.Graphics.DrawString("No track data", SystemFonts.DefaultFont, SystemBrushes.WindowText, 0, 0);
                return;
            }

            // Calculate the tile index ranges
            int minX = e.ClipRectangle.Left / 96;
            int maxX = (e.ClipRectangle.Right - 1) / 96;
            int minY = e.ClipRectangle.Top / 96;
            int maxY = (e.ClipRectangle.Bottom - 1) / 96;
            for (int y = minY; y <= maxY; ++y)
            {
                for (int x = minX; x <= maxX; ++x)
                {
                    Point p = new Point(x, y);
                    int index = _track.Layout.TileIndexAt(p);
                    Rectangle tileRect = RectForTile(p);
                    if (index < 0 || index >= _track.MetaTiles.Count)
                    {
                        // Error
                        e.Graphics.FillRectangle(Brushes.Red, tileRect);
                        e.Graphics.DrawString($"Invalid metatile index {index}", SystemFonts.DefaultFont, Brushes.White, new RectangleF(0, 0, 96, 96));
                        continue;
                    }
                    MetaTile metaTile = _track.MetaTiles[index];
                    lock (metaTile.Bitmap)
                    {
                        e.Graphics.DrawImageUnscaled(metaTile.Bitmap, tileRect);
                    }

                    if (_showPositions)
                    {
                        int trackPosition = _track.Layout.TrackPositionAt(x, y);
                        if (trackPosition == 0)
                        {
                            e.Graphics.FillRectangle(_nonTrackBrush, tileRect);
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            e.Graphics.DrawString(trackPosition.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture), _positionNumberFont, Brushes.Black, tileRect, _positionNumberStringFormat);
                            tileRect.Offset(-1, -1);
                            e.Graphics.DrawString(trackPosition.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture), _positionNumberFont, Brushes.White, tileRect, _positionNumberStringFormat);
                        }
                    }

                    if (_showGrid)
                    {
                        e.Graphics.DrawRectangle(_gridPen, tileRect);
                    }

                    if (_showMetaTileFlags)
                    {
                        // *
                        // These relate to AI?
                        int flags = _track.Layout.FlagsAt(x, y);
                        // We look up depending on the flags
                        int lookupOffset = 0x1d87;
                        if ((flags & 2) == 0)
                        {
                            lookupOffset = 0x1da7 + metaTile.UnknownDataValue.LookupIndex * 16;
                        }
                        // Then we iterate over the metatile
                        e.Graphics.SmoothingMode = SmoothingMode.HighQuality;
                        for (int yy = 0; yy < 6; ++yy)
                        {
                            for (int xx = 0; xx < 6; ++xx)
                            {
                                // Get the data for this square
                                var behaviourLow = metaTile.behaviourLowAt(xx, yy);
                                // Look up the value
                                int dataOffset = lookupOffset + behaviourLow;
                                int data = _track._file[dataOffset]; // TODO stop accessing this like this
                                // Flip if flag is set
                                if ((flags & 1) == 1)
                                {
                                    data = (data + 16) % 16;
                                }
                                // TODO draw as an arrow
                                var transform = e.Graphics.Transform;
                                // Transform to our arrow position
                                e.Graphics.TranslateTransform(tileRect.X + xx * 16 + 8, tileRect.Y + yy * 16 + 8);
                                e.Graphics.RotateTransform((int)data * 360.0f / 16);
                                // Draw an arrow upwards in the transformed context
                                e.Graphics.DrawLine(Pens.Black, 0, -7, 0, 7);
                                e.Graphics.DrawLine(Pens.Black, 0, -7, 2, -5);
                                e.Graphics.DrawLine(Pens.Black, 0, -7, -2, -5);
                                // Restore the transform
                                e.Graphics.Transform = transform;
                                e.Graphics.DrawString(data.ToString("X1"), SystemFonts.CaptionFont, Brushes.Fuchsia, tileRect.X + xx * 16, tileRect.Y + yy * 16);
                            }
                        }
                        e.Graphics.SmoothingMode = SmoothingMode.Default;
                        // */

                    }

                    if (p == _hoveredTile)
                    {
                        e.Graphics.DrawRectangle(_hoverPen, tileRect);
                    }
                }
            }

        }

        private static Rectangle RectForTile(Point p)
        {
            return new Rectangle(p.X * 96, p.Y * 96, 96, 96);
        }

        public bool ShowGrid
        {
            set
            {
                _showGrid = value;
                Invalidate();
            }
        }

        public bool ShowPositions
        {
            set
            {
                _showPositions = value;
                Invalidate();
            }
        }

        public bool ShowMetaTileFlags
        {
            set
            {
                _showMetaTileFlags = value;
                Invalidate();
            }
        }

        public Point HoveredTile
        {
            set
            {
                if (_hoveredTile == value)
                {
                    return;
                }
                InvalidateTile(_hoveredTile);
                _hoveredTile = value;
                InvalidateTile(value);
            }
        }

        public void InvalidateTile(Point p)
        {
            Invalidate(RectForTile(p));
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Get your infant this Notre Dame Fighting Irish Little Jersey bodysuit, bib and bootie set for his first batch of team gear.
Infant_Navy_Notre_Dame_Fighting_Irish_Little_Jersey_Bodysuit_Bib_And_Bootie_Set http://images.fanatics.com/lf http://dmimages.ff.p10/chains/2003361.txt false We are unable to customize this item with the text you have entered. Please try a different entry again. Your current entry cannot be processed due to guidelines for past and present player names. Please create a new entry.


Modern science would want you to believe that it has all the answers to every single disease out there. However, contrary to popular belief, science doesn't have all the solutions to most of the conditions people have that are related to their spine and their posture.
Holistic chiropractic care can be a great alternative for people that are suffering from pain, spine misalignments and nervous system issues. Holistic Chiropractic Care Tacoma is absolutely amazing and the results have been proven from hundreds of cases in the past. There are many folks on the internet where the person was suffering from back pain, misaligned bones and even a misaligned posture. Holistic care was able to rectify all of these problems without any modern medicine or invasive surgeries.
To help you understand exactly how holistic chiropractic care is good for you, we'll talk about the differences between this method and modern medicine.
How Is Holistic Care Different From Other Types of Medicine?
There are many variations between these two techniques, but almost all of them can be incorporated into three major points.
In holistic care, the chiropractor will aim to heal every part of the body instead of just treating the part that is currently problematic.
If you're already using modern medicine, you could also use holistic care. The two complement each other and produce amazing results that neither of them could on their own.
Regular Chiropractic care can act as a proactive treatment that can heal the body and prevent problems from surfacing in the future.
Dr. Dave, a Tacoma Chiropractor, is trained to do things differently as compared to regular doctors. His job is to focus on the whole body and treat the root of the problem. If you're having back pain, he won't give you an x-ray and a few pain killers. Instead a holistic chiropractor will work on your whole body to understand what caused the problem in your back.
This happens because chiropractors aim to fix your entire body instead of just the part that is troubling you. This might seem a bit unnecessary, but it will save you from future problems. Holistic care is more of a permanent solution as opposed to medicine that may make the problem return with a vengeance after a few weeks.
There are quite a few benefits of chiropractic care that medicine fails to provide. Some participants lose weight, feel limber and feel more balanced. On the other hand, medicine can have side-effects instead of having these small benefits. So, we're pretty sure that it's clear as to what you need to do.
If you're currently using modern medicine, we encourage you to give holistic care a shot. We don't recommend just abandoning modern medicine. You can use both to see how holistic care boosts your health. And, maybe in the near future, you'll switch completely to this method.


I missed the beginning, who gets the ball at halftime?
Phil radio is still talking about how Djax isn't part of the problem with their O and McCoy not running well.
We really need Jim Harbaugh. Thats probably a long shot,I heard his wife is a california girl and wants to stay on the west coast but he would bring some intensity that we desperately need. The Jay Gruden experiment isn't working.
Please tell me that was Sherman that got toasted.
Remembering that scoring in Gibbs I was not the same indication as now.
As I said this is not intended to forecast, just meant to show change over can be ugly but eventually successful. Of course Schotty not given opportunity to show if it was successful.
And it doesn't make watching easier.
We had a much better FO with Gibbs I though.
Our current set up is abysmal.
Kearse is really showing up in this dame. Doc Walker said he was our best lineman last week.
Are we really this inept that this is all we have to cheer for?
It wasn't Sherman's man, he went inside and tried coming back to make the play although he did miss the tackle.
Love that shot of Rak getting run upfield. As usual. But, I forgot...according to him he's elite.
that remains to be seen with shanny now gone out of the draft room, we're not spending half our draft on June Jones college players and grabbing players based solely on their highlite reel.
lets see how long & moses pan out before crapping allover the FO.
Scott Campbell has been there for 100 years. You telling me in all his time of employment he was never listened to?
What the heck was Garcon doing to Sherman there....we were lucky to not get a penalty there.
Isnt yanking someone down by their hair actually legal?
That second down play in the hands of Bill Parcells would have been a run. Over a minute on the clock, don't want a quick 3 and out and leave time for Seattle to get something. Run it, get the clock going, expect to pick up 4-5 yrds and keep the 3rd down situation short.
Desperately need a replacement for Perry Riley in the offseason.
Well, it's not a total disaster. Just got back from dinner. Expected to see us down by 20. And go NATS!!
I think it would be silly to fire Gruden after one year....would be typical Snyder. You gotta give a coach a chance.
This isn't nearly as bad as I was afraid it would be at halftime.
If we can manage a decent sustained drive and score a td coming out of the half, we've got a game on our hands.
Tackling by the hair is legal, but a WR yanking down a CB is offensive pass interference. The official looked like he just let Sherman and Garcon duke it out a bit as a penalty could have been called on both of them.
Well, it's not a total disaster. Just got back from dinner. Expected to see us down by 20. And go NATS!
True, defense is trying, but we only had 100 yds of offense and that all pretty much came on one play. At least we can watch the second half now.
The WR's gotta give Kirk some help by catching the ball. Jackson has dropped 2 and Roberts ahould have had the other one. It wasn't a great throw but they gotta help him out. The bomb was a great throw though.
We're still in this game though. Someone on offense has to step up and help out. Plus Biggers needs to be benched. He's running around in circles out there.
But that's okay because we're still in it and we can still win this game.


Danish Energy Agency (DEA) has received an additional application from Nord Stream 2 AG for permission to construct transit pipelines south of Bornholm on the continental shelf.
The application is accompanied by an environmental impact assessment with a number of annexes in order to assess possible environmental impacts in Denmark or cross-border environmental impacts from the project in Denmark.
The Danish Energy Agency will now process the application and initiate the environmental assessment process. This includes, among other things, a public consultation of the environmental impact report for the project with accompanying appendices.
In March 2019, the Danish Energy Agency requested Nord Stream 2 AG to investigate a South-Eastern route on the continental shelf. The reason for this request was that the DEA must ensure that a permit to the most optimal route in relation to environment and safety is granted.
Nord Stream 2 AG now applied for two route alternatives on the continental shelf south-east of Bornholm.
In relation to the routes on the continental shelf, a permit can only be issued when it has been clarified which of the routes is the most optimal from an environmental and safety perspective.
Posted on April 15, 2019 with tags application, Denmark, Nord Stream 2.


text:
Joab Jackson
Annotated Histories
Music Writing
Ray Wylie Hubbard: Don't Peak Too Soon
Ray Wylie Hubbard has got to be one of the great second acts in country music -- maybe for all popular music, an art form overwhelmingly favoring the energy of the young. He briefly made a name for himself with the outlaw country classic "Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mother" in 1978, though only in the last few decades or so has he started truly refining his distinctive -- and highly-addicting -- country blues swamp shuffle, with each successive album stronger, more defiantly individual than the previous. His slim yet bountiful 2015 autobiography shares two secrets for this late blooming success: Sobriety and the E chord without the third. Click to Read More...
Soundtrack of My Life: Maceo Parker and the Southern Funk
With his relentless touring schedule and full discography, saxophonist Maceo Parker picked up more than a little of the obsessive work-ethic from his one-time mentor James Brown, not to his taste for the hottest musicians. After a time as right-hand man for the Godfather of Soul, Parker joined Parliament Funkadelic just in time to land the Mothership. Decades later, he helped Prince through a 21-night stand in L.A. Today, he is the keeper of the OG funk, the South Carolina variety, similar but leaner than New Orleans. He also does a pretty mean Ray Charles cosplay. Click to Read More...
Soundtrack of My Life: The Full-Tilt Boogie of J.J. Cale
The recent release of a new album of outtakes from J.J. Cale (who passed in 2013) reminds me of the cruel promise of these posthumous releases. I buy these collections because I like the music of the artist -- here,a wizened drawl over a chill shuffle. I always subconsciously calculate an album of outtakes would possess even more of these addicting qualities. But it never works out that way. Almost always, the previously-deemed inferior tunes are mostly the sound of the artist trying to get to that essence. It is less pure, not more, weirdly enough. Click to Read More...
Soundtrack of My Life: Door into Summer
The problem with the idea of admitting The Monkees to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is who, exactly, who would they induct? Show creator Robert Rafelson? Really, he is a Hollywood guy (He used the windfall from The Monkees to finance his next project, the 1969 movie Easy Rider). The four actors? Though they brought considerable personality to the project, they were not at the center of it... Read on for a review of The Monkees at Beacon Theater, NYC, 2019-03-09. Click to Read More...
Soundtrack of My Life: The Guttural Punch of Harry Nilsson
Hottake: John Lennon legit fucked up the voice of Harry Nilsson. But being a good friend of Nilsson, Lennon tricked RCA into paying for it, by way of talking the record company into a sizable advance for what was then already a fading career. Fame did Harry no favors -- nor did his refusal to tour, leaving him with a lot of free time to party. It would be easy to see his life as a tragedy, or at least as a series of missed opportunities, but he left a remarkable body of work that, at its best, rivaled the Beatles. Click to Read More...
Soundtrack of My Life: Songs From the Wood
Mon, 25 Feb 2019
If, for some reason, you should find yourself in the country late at night -- maybe a weekend vacation rental perhaps -- and also in possession of a good powerful set of speakers, then aim them outside, into the forest, and fill these speakers with Led Zeppelin(first three albums recommended) and/or Black Sabbath (same). Let the guitar of Jimmy Page thunder through the land or the wicked bellow of Ozzy shiver the trees. Let their maul pour into the valley below, echoing a sound fuller, deeper and darker than any you will experience on headphones. Click to Read More...
Soundtrack of My Life: Amy Rigby, Obscure Hippie Electronic Music
The Mercury Lounge in New York City celebrated its 25th birthday with a series of shows by a number of bands who got their starts there, back in the day. One of those acts (Tuesday, February 4) was singer/songwriter Amy Rigby and her crew. But I did not know any of this. I just saw Amy Rigby was playing at Mercury, an early show between 8 - 9, so I walked over and paid my $12, just like it was 1994 all over again. Click to Read More...
Music Finds: Ace of Cups, Neko Case, Pink Floyd Tribute Bands
I guess by now, most Pink Floyd tribute bands are probably better than Pink Floyd itself. Except for the light show, which can be recreated on a phone. Sort of. Also: Ace of Cups, the greatest late-1960s psychedelic all-female proto-punk band you have never heard of... Click to Read More...
Everything You Know About James Brown is Probably Wrong
James McBride's "Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul" is not the definitive biography of James Brown, nor was it intended that way. But McBride makes a good argument here that the definitive James Brown biography perhaps could never be written, so rich was Brown's legacy, but also so maligned his public persona, so opportunistic his handlers, and so profound (and largely undocumented) his influence on America as a whole from the late 1960s.
For this book, McBride focuses in on a handful interviews from close personal and professional associates of Mr. Brown, each one telling their story illustrating a different aspect of JB - his hardscrabble Georgia upbringing, his relentlessly touring band, his family, his - sometimes quirky - affairs with money. Click to Read More...
Stir a Cauldron, Point a Bone, Paint a Throne, Crown a King: Prog Rock in the 1970s
Like so many artifacts of the 1970s, progressive rock was something that seemed perfectly normal at the time, but in hindsight was pretty much another batshit crazy relic of that era, alongside leisure suits, shag carpeting, and waterbeds. Dave Weigel's "The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock" does an excellent job of capturing both the madness and the occasional shimmers of brilliance from this curious genre of music. Click to Read More...
Women Singers in Country Music: The Gregarious Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline, in today's parlance, gave zero fucks.
I feel a certain kinship to Cline, if only because I attended the same school she did, Gore Elementary, 12 miles west of Winchester, Virginia (though I attended 30 years after she did). Back up against the Blue Ridge Mountains, Gore is a tiny unincorporated town, mostly a few buildings coalescing around a single road breaking off Route 50.
Many of the refined folk in the nearby metropolis of sorts, Winchester, had looked down on Patsy Cline, as being from the wrong side of the tracks, even after she became famous. Click to Read More...
The Surprisingly Short History of Women Singers in Country Music
A few months back, a country radio consultant remarked that "If you want to make ratings in country radio, take females out." The comment ignited a brief wave of indignation. This is 2015, after all! But the comment was just the latest example of how country music marginalizes women, a tradition as old as the genre itself, and one that singers from Kitty Wells to Miranda Lambert have fought against through song and their presence, I've learned. Click to Read More...
Records, Back in the Day
Sun, 19 Apr 2015
Bo Diddley's booming voice sounded so solid on tiny, crappy speakers, able to cut through the din of any rent party or jukejoint. Chess Records knew what was what. Click to Read More...
The Reckoning of Sun Kil Moon
"Beard oil," I thought when I first heard Sun Kil Moon. From a remove, it rang out at similarly rarefied level of attention, a fussy rough-hewn acoustic guitar traveling at a somber pace of introspection, accompanied by vocals of unrelenting gravitas. But while "Benji" comes in the husk of hipsterism, there's something much more going on here. I've never heard an album quite like this, an intensely personal musical novella where each song is a chapter that builds on the others, that, all totaled, offers an almost uncomfortable intimacy of one man's life at 50, both the wisdom and the warts. Click to Read More...
Out There a Minute
A friend of mine who lives in the hood, Zach, is just about to release a new album, called "Sun Songs" The name of his band is The Adventures of the Silver Spaceman. "Sun Songs" is actually his/their second release. Click to Read More...
Cloudwatch, Ambient Techno in Baltimore
Fri, 01 Mar 1996
What is it with youngsters these days? They were throwing a house party all right, with DJs spinning and everything, but nobody was dancing. Most everyone--and there must have been 300 in this southwest Baltimore warehouse--were lounging on blankets and sleeping bags. Some even wore pajamas. They could barely see each other. It was almost dark, except for the slide and film projectors, the Christmas lights blinking, and the abstract colored shapes oozing on a television-like screen. Click to Read More...
Pie in the Sky: How Crack the Sky Became Famous in Nowhere but Baltimore
1975 w as the Indian summer of progressive rock. Procol Harum and King Crimson released their respective swan songs. ELP, Yes, Pink Floyd and Genesis were still popular. Younger art rock upstarts like Kansas, 10CC, Supertramp, and Gentle Giant were weighing in with strong new releases. Crack the Sky, from a small steel town 30 minutes west of Pittsburgh, was then one of most promising of these young upshots. Click to Read More...
Godless: An unpublished interview with Brian Eno
A few years back, I got a chance to talk with musician and producer Brian Eno, who was promoting his then-new album Nerve Net with a day of phone interviews w/ the press. I was writing for a small publication, New Route, which wanted a short profile on Eno. Sadly NR went out of business a few weeks after the phoner was completed, and the material was never published. Click to Read More...
Jaxbox On The Road
I am sitting in Berthas in Baltimore one night, and strike up conversation with the thick-haired hardfaced mug beside me. Turns out he is in a prominent area band. He talks shop, mentioning some friends in the group Jawbox, who just signed with Atlantic. Previously, they released two albums and five singles on Dischord, but just received a generous advance from the major label. But instead of blowing it on drugs, leather and tattoos, the band, so says my newfound bar-stool buddy, is endeavoring to keep their expenses down. Click to Read More...
Cracker's Desert Songs
It has been a good 40 years since Pioneertown has been of any use, at least to the entertainment industry. You have seen its western storefronts as the backdrops of High Noon, Shootout At O.K. Corral, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean and other westerns that Gene Autry and Roy Rogers rode through. But it is not a real wild west ghost town. Rather, Pioneertown is a movie set ghost town built by the industry in the 1940s as a backdrop for westerns. As westerns fell from popularity, the town fell into a state of disrepair. But its a perfect place to record an album. For Cracker, anyway. Click to Read More...
Q&A with Mercury Rev's David Baker
A 1993 interview with David Baker, founder and then-lead singer of Mercury Rev. This interview came some time after the band's debut album, Yerself is Steam, was released. In addition to Baker, the band at the time consisted of Jimmy Chambers (drums), Jonathan Donahue (guitar), Suzanne Thorpe (flute), Dave Freidman (bass) and Grasshopper (guitar). Click to Read More...
Death and the Gospel According to Chuck Schuldiner
Individual Thought Patterns, the new album by Death, is a bottomless pit of twisted guitar lines, drum blasts and unreasonable bass, all swirling together in a dizzying war dance.
Embedded in this inferno is the coarse, inhumanly gruff voice of Chuck Schuldiner, the guitarist, vocalist and master of puppets for Death, probably the premier band in death metal. But if you set out to decipher the song lyrics you will find that they are not about decapitation, necromancy or even lust for blood.
No, the 10 songs are full of false prophets, corrupt leaders, the emotionally crippled, the mentally blind, the out-of-touch. Ten songs, 10 depraved characters, 10 moral lessons. Click to Read More...
Catching Lungfish
Lungfish may be one of the most successful bands in Baltimore. With three albums on Dischord, they tour and sell records world wide. Yet their success is little heralded locally. Mitchell Feldstein is the drummer. John Chriest plays bass. Daniel Higgs is lead singer. Asa Osbourne is the guitarist. Here is their story, in their own words... Click to Read More...
The Sordid Story of the Psyclone Rangers
It was not the Breeders who the manager of the San Francisco studio remembered. Nor was it Dick Dale, who rode into the studio with his surf guitar two weeks prior. Kurt Cobain, who rolled in the previous week to record some tracks with the Melvins caused no stir. And those young dudes in Grant Lee Buffalo? Wonderful fellows.
But that band from Allentown, Pennsylvania. . .Who were they? Oh yeah, the Psyclone Rangers. He remembers them all right. Click to Read More...
Motorhead: Back Down To The Pub
It's hard to believe 10 years ago Motorhead gained the auspicious title of World's Loudest Band. These days, the band skirts respectability. Their songs have found a sizable audience between the curious metal mongers and gutsy progressive rockers. They were even nominated for a Grammy last year, for the album 1916. They're in LA. now, finishing up the band's next album. They'll start touring in July, supporting Ozzy Osbourne. By phone, I talked to the good-natured, but sleepy-eyed guitarist Wurzel just as he was waking up in his LA. hotel room. Click to Read More...
Velocity Girl: The Shirelles Meet My Bloody Valentine
They were pictured on the cover of Alternative Press and the Washington Post Weekend Magazine. The Silver Spring Maryland band was recently profiled in Melody Maker, Rockpool, Spin, Musician and Rolling Stone. But now they're in Missoula, Montana. Guitarist Archie Moore, weary from a day of riding in the group's white Dodge Ram, walks across a Taco Bell parking lot toward a phone booth to call Rox for an interview. Moore wipes a bead of sweat from his brow, reaches into hits jeans and pulls out Sub Pop's calling card number. Velocity Girl are on tour, opening for Belly. Tomorrow they'll be in Vancouver, Canada. Yesterday they were in Boulder, Colorado."We really haven't had a day that wasn't devoted to driving," Moore tells me. Click to Read More...
An Evening With Jesus Lizard
Yow, wearing blue jeans and no shirt, cavorts his body as if his lyrics are possessing him. He hocks a loogie on the floor, sings, hocks a loggie on the ceiling, grabs his nipples, and stage-dives into the audience. He floats on a sea of hands, not missing a word. He glides about, steering himself with his boots against the ceiling (next time in you're in Max's check out the ceiling stage front--most of he boot marks there are Yow's). Click to Read More...
Boo Radleys: The Difficult Spectre
The Boo Radleys' new album, Everything's Alright Forever is pop's difficult spectre. Not one song falls into pat sentimentality, pat anger, pat love or pat anything. Rather it mars the environment with its blunt presence, like ugly furniture. Only when you pay close attention does Everything's subtle charms appear. Everything's Alright is simultaneously distant, with eerie guitars far off in the mix, and all too immediate. Click to Read More...
Helmet: Nothing Spontaneous
I ended up talking with Helmet guitarist Peter Mengede who, according to a recent Spin article, was the funny one. Indeed. Page Hamilton may be the leader, but Mengede gives you better copy. He is humorous, but thoughtful. Upstairs at the posh Michaels 8th Avenue (where Helmet was about to open for Faith No More), we sat down to do the interview at an elegantly prepared dining table. The lanky Mengede promptly grabbed one of those dainty saucers to use as an ashtray. He looks around and laughs, "I feel we should be doing Billy Idol songs, like 'White Wedding'," he said. Click to Read More...
The Meat Puppets, Such Good Students
The London publicity rep allotted me 30 minutes of telephone conversation with Cris. After about 20 minutes I ran out of questions, and so, with one finger on the stop button, I asked if he wanted to add anything. He did, about another 40 minutes worth. Click to Read More...
How They Might Be Giants became the NASA house band
After finishing up their fourth LP, John Linnell, who plays accordion, and John Flansburgh, who plays guitar and wears glasses, were in a quandary for an album title. Flansburgh suggested Apollo 18, thinking of the Apollo 17 spacecraft., which successfully completed NASA's last moon mission in 1972. Click to Read More...
All Mighty Senators, More Fun With an Audience
The All Mighty Senators learned their chops playing for the Maryland Institute College of Art crowd, playing at uptown bars, at houses and at the Institute itself. Though they have since progressed to venues like Hammerjacks, it was during those early gigs they learned to demolish the line between the crowd and the band. Click to Read More...
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Nothin' Fancy
Lynyrd Skynryd is back. What? What kind of scam is this? What fools dare try to suckle from the memory of the might Skynyrd maul? And for this new album to be rendered with the same name that graced Gold and Platinum, well that's like filling an empty Jack Daniels bottle with lemon juice. Click to Read More...
Cheap DJ: Songs of Note
Stats: Music I've Listened To
Quiz the Void Inquire Within


text:
Q: Having troubles with a List I have a model with a List<System.Drawing.Color>, as I mentioned, which comes to use in the Seed() like this:
    protected override void Seed(DatabaseContext context)
    {
        var somethings = new List<Something>
        {
            new Something
            {
                Name="blah blah", Colors= { Color.Black, Color.Red }
            }
        };
    }

And as long as I have the Colors over there like that, I always recieve
Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at line var somethings = new List<Something>.
When I remove the Colors, it goes away and everything works perfectly, what causes this and how can I solve this problem?
Thanks.
EDIT:
Something's model:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Drawing;

namespace MVCApplication7
{
    public class Something
    {
        public int SomethingID { get; set; }
        public string Name { get; set; }
        public List<Color> Colors { get; set; }
    }
}

Controller:
    ........
    private DatabaseContext db = new DatabaseContext();

    //
    // GET: /Home/

    public ViewResult Index()
    {
        return View(db.Somethings.ToList());
    }

View: (I'm sure it's irrelavent because the debugger shows the Colors is empty.
        @foreach (var itemColor in item.Colors)
        {
            Html.Raw(itemColor.ToString());
        }

Global.asax
    .........
    protected void Application_Start()
    {
        AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();

        RegisterGlobalFilters(GlobalFilters.Filters);
        RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);

        Database.SetInitializer<DatabaseContext>(new DatabaseInitializer());
    }

A: Chances are your Something constructor is returning without setting the Colors property to an empty list. Your collection initializer is just calling Colors.Add(Color.Black) and then Colors.Add(Color.Red) - that's not going to work if the Colors property is returning a null reference.
Either set it to an empty list to start with (e.g. in the constructor) or create a new list and set the property itself:
new Something
{
    Name = "blah blah",
    Colors = new List<Color> { Color.Black, Color.Red }
}

It's important that you understand the difference between the above code and your original. Your code is currently equivalent to (within the List<Something> collection initializer):
Something tmp = new Something();
tmp.Name = "blah blah";
tmp.Colors.Add(Color.Black);
tmp.Colors.Add(Color.Red);
// Now add tmp to the list we're building.

My code above is equivalent to:
Something tmp = new Something();
tmp.Name = "blah blah";
List<Color> tmp2 = new List<Color>();
tmp2.Add(Color.Black);
tmp2.Add(Color.Red);
tmp.Colors = tmp2;
// Now add tmp to the list we're building

See the difference?

A: In the constructor for your Something object, make sure you are instantiating a new object Colors. My guess is that's your problem. You didn't post much code to work with.
Something like this:
public Something()
{
     this.Colors = new List<Color>();
}

This way you'll always have a valid list object within the Something object.
Ok change your model code to be like this:
namespace MVCApplication7
{
    public class Something
    {
        public int SomethingID { get; set; }
        public string Name { get; set; }
        public List<Color> Colors { get; set; }
        public Something()
        {
            this.Colors = new List<Color>();
        }
    }
}

This will instantiate a new list of colors every time you create a new something object and will prevent the object reference error.
UPDATE
Ok with what I have listed above as your model, here is your solution to the original question:
var list = new List<Something>()
{
   new Something(){SomethingID = 1,Name="John", Colors = {Color.Red,Color.Black}},
   new Something(){SomethingID = 2,Name="George", Colors = {Color.Bisque,Color.Blue}},
   new Something(){SomethingID = 3,Name="Chris", Colors ={Color.Khaki,Color.Cornsilk}}
};
foreach (var item in list)
{
    Console.WriteLine(item.Name);
    foreach (var color in item.Colors)
    {
        Console.WriteLine(color.ToString());
    }
    Console.WriteLine("");
}

You can see that each Something object has it's own unique list of Colors.
Please mark this as the answer if this solves your issue.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Rising to 3,718 metres above sea level, Mount Teide is the highest mountain in all of Spain and its total height of 7,500 metres from its base on the ocean floor also makes it the third tallest volcano in the world (the other two being in Hawaii). The Cañadas del Teide National Park which surrounds the volcano covers nearly 19,000 acres and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2007. With its otherworldly volcanic scenery, the park is one of the top visitor attractions in the Canary Islands and as such receives its fair share of day-trippers, but the best way to fully explore this unique landscape is by staying in the park's only hotel, part of Spain's prestigious, state-owned Paradores chain.
Situated at an altitude of 2,152 metres, the Parador was built in the style of a traditional mountain lodge. Following recent refurbishment, its interiors offer a far greater level of comfort than its official 2-star rating would suggest. The 37 guestrooms are attractively furnished and decorated, and come complete with flat-screen TVs, safety-deposit boxes (local charge applies), minibars, modern en-suite bathrooms and central heating (as it can be considerably cooler at this altitude than down on the coast, especially at night time).
The hotel's public areas include a comfortable lounge with an open fireplace, a bar and a restaurant with panoramic windows serving a wholesome buffet breakfast and authentic Canarian dishes in the evenings. There is also a daytime cafeteria serving sandwiches and snacks, popular with day trippers visiting Mount Teide.
Being some 50 km from the beaches of the south coast, the Parador won't suit those who intend to spend most of their holiday sunbathing, but using the hire car included in your holiday, it is possible to visit the beaches in the south, or some of the historic towns in the north and east of the island for the day, should you feel like a change from following the various hiking routes inside the park. Whether you spend your days exploring on foot or by car, the small indoor swimming pool and sauna come in handy for unwinding when you return to base. After dark, another aspect of the hotel's location becomes apparent, as the lack of light pollution in the National Park, coupled with the altitude above the typical cloud line, usually results in wonderfully clear night skies, which can be observed through the hotel's two telescopes.
For those keen to spend some but not all of their holiday in the heart of Tenerife's unique mountain scenery, we can arrange multi-centre holidays combining the Parador with any of our other properties on Tenerife or even on one of the neighbouring islands.


text:
Week #18 Top Performers Presented By Vaughn and Verbero
By EHL/EHLP, 01/24/23, 9:00AM EST
Peremba Anchors League-Leading Avalanche to Two More Victories
BOSTON, MA -- The trade deadline and roster freeze dates are quickly approaching in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) and the Eastern Hockey League Premier (EHLP).
Below you'll find the 18th set of weekly top performers for the 2022-23 season. The forward and defensemen awards are presented by Verbero Hockey, while the goalie honors come courtesy of Vaughn Custom Sports.
EHL STARS OF THE WEEK #18
The EHL is pleased to announce that George Kolovos (East Coast Wizards), Jacob Gates (Protec Jr. Ducks), and Shane Peremba (New Hampshire Avalanche) have been named the Top Performers for Week #18.
Kolovos and the Wizards hit the ice for a pair of games this past week, beating the Connecticut Chiefs by a 4-3 margin on Thursday and then making it two wins in a row with a 4-1 victory over the Express Hockey Club on Saturday. As for the '03 native of Canada, after picking up an assist against Connecticut, Kolovos factored into all four goals his team scored against the Express, finishing the contest with a pair of goals and a pair of assists each to his credit. In total this season, Kolovos has notched 37 points in 30 games to date.
The EHL All-Star has nine points in his last four contests, and he'll carry his four-game point streak into this week's matchups for East Coast. The Wizards will travel to take on the Boston Jr. Rangers on Thursday and then return home for an important game with the Valley Jr. Warriors on Friday. At 15-12-6, Kolovos and the Wizards are right in the thick of things in the East Division, as we get set to turn the calendar over to the final full month of the regular season.
Speaking of tight races, Gates and the Ducks are in a battle as well, as they are right on the heels of the New Jersey 87's for 1st place in the South Division. Part of the reason for the tight margin has to do with another two-win week for the Ducks this past week, which included a victory over their in-state rivals on Friday. Along with the win over the 87's, Gates and the Ducks also picked up a victory over the New York Apple Core yesterday afternoon.
As for the '02 native of Clifton, ME, Gates chipped in well from the blue line, finishing the two-game set with three total points, including the game-winning goal over the 87's. For the season, Gates now has 30 points in 36 total games to date, which ranks him as the third leading defensive scorer in the league. The upcoming schedule is tough for Gates and the Ducks, as they take on the Philadelphia Little Flyers on Friday, before hosting Team Maryland for three games in three days next week.
Wrapping things up in goal, and keeping with the theme of teams that won a pair of games this past week, Peremba and the Avalanche did just that by claiming victories over the New England Wolves on Thursday and the Boston Jr. Rangers on Saturday. As for the Peremba, the '02 native of South Park, PA was in net for each contest, stopping 73 of the 76 shots he faced.
The pair of wins improved Peremba's record up to 16-4-2 for the season, to go along with a 2.47 GAA and a .932 save percentage. Peremba and the Avalanche are starting to pull away from the pack in the North Division, as they get set for a big weekend series this upcoming weekend against the Vermont Lumberjacks. If the postseason began today, it would be the Avalanche vs. the Lumberjacks in the First Round of the playoffs, with Wolves taking on the Seacoast Spartans in the other North Division matchup.
EHLP STARS OF THE WEEK #18
The EHLP is pleased to announce that Vasily Vasin (New Jersey 87's), Jack Randall (Adirondack Jr. Thunder), and Charles Healey (Adirondack Jr. Thunder) have been named the Top Performers for Week #18.
Vasin and the 87's took care of business in both of their games this past weekend, beating the Philadelphia Little Flyers by the score of 7-1 on Saturday night and the Pennsylvania Huntsmen by an 8-3 margin on Sunday evening. After tallying a goal and an assist against the Little Flyers, Vasin followed things up the next day with a hat-trick against the Huntsmen, plus an additional assist.
The '04 native of Russia joined the 87's back in the beginning of the month, and through five games to date, he's already tallied seven points to his credit. New Jersey is now 21-6-3 in 30 games so far this season, which gives them a five-point advantage over Pennsylvania at the top of the Mid-Atlantic Division standings. The 87's also own a game in hand over the Huntsmen, which could prove key down the final stretch. Vasin and the 87's hit the ice next on Saturday, when they travel to take on the Union Jr. Thunder.
Randall, Healey, and the Thunder continue to motor along as the hottest team in the EHLP. Adirondack owns the longest active winning streak in the league at eight games, which includes a pair of wins this past weekend over the Vermont Lumberjacks. It's also worth noting that Vermont had won seven straight games of their own heading into the two-game series.
As for the Randall, the '02 native of Queensbury, NY scored three goals and picked up an assist, increasing his point total up to 33 for the year. By finding the back of the net in each game, Randall has also now scored a goal in four straight contests, and has tallied at least a point in six of seven games since returning from the holiday break.
As for the '04 native of Rochester, NY between the pipes, Healey claimed victories #3 and #4 of the year, as he's now 4-1-0 in four starts since joining the team in mid-December. Alongside '06 Kian Hodgins and '03 Andy Buser, Adirondack owns a goaltending trio rich with as much talent as any group in the league.
With an overall mark of 21-6-5, Adirondack has claimed their spot at the top of the New England Division standings, heading into a short break in their schedule. The Thunder will return to action next on February 8th, when they host the New England Wolves for three games in two days at the Cool Insuring Arena.
Tag(s): News Wizards Avalanche Jr Ducks 87s ADK Thunder


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text:
Q: ViewModel unit tests fail when run together but pass when run individually I am testing a suspended method from my ViewModel that triggers LiveData to emit an object when coroutine is completed. When
   I run each of those tests individually they pass, when I run them together always the first test fails. Surprisingly, when I run them in debug and I put break points at assertValue to check what the vaule is, both of the test pass. My guess is that the problem is with the state of LiveData or the whole PaymentViewModel. What am I doing wrong?
class PaymentViewModelTest : KoinTest {
private val paymentViewModel : PaymentViewModel by inject()

@get:Rule
val instantTaskExecutorRule = InstantTaskExecutorRule()

private val mainThreadSurrogate = newSingleThreadContext("UI thread")

@Before
fun setup(){
    Dispatchers.setMain(mainThreadSurrogate)
    val modules = KoinModule()
    startKoin {
        androidContext(mock(Application::class.java))
        modules(listOf(
            modules.repositoryModule,
            modules.businessModule,
            modules.utilsModule)
        )
    }
    declareMock<AnalyticsHelper>()
    declareMock<Printer>()
}

@After
fun after(){
    stopKoin()
    Dispatchers.resetMain()
}

@Test
fun successfully_initializes_payment_flow() {
    declareMock<PaymentRepository> {
        runBlockingTest {
            given(initPayment())
                .willAnswer { InitPaymentResponse(0, PaymentStatus.INITIALIZED, 0) }
        }
    }
    paymentViewModel.initPayment(BigDecimal(0))
    paymentViewModel.paymentStatus.test()
        .awaitValue()
        .assertValue { value -> value.getContentIfNotHandled()?.data == PaymentStatus.INITIALIZED }
}

@Test
fun fails_to_initialize_payment_flow() {
    declareMock<PaymentRepository> {
        runBlockingTest {
            given(initPayment())
                .willThrow(MockitoKotlinException("", ConnectException()))
        }
    }
    paymentViewModel.initPayment(BigDecimal(0))
    paymentViewModel.paymentStatus.test()
        .awaitValue()
        .assertValue { value -> value.getContentIfNotHandled()?.status == ApiResponseStatus.ERROR}
}
}

Here is the method that I am testing:
fun initPayment(price: BigDecimal) {
    paymentStatus.postValue(Event(ApiResponse.loading()))
    viewModelScope.launch {
        runCatching {
            repository.initPayment()
        }.onSuccess {
            paymentSession = PaymentSession(it.paymentId)
            paymentSession.price = price
            postPaymentStatus(it.status)
        }.onFailure {
            postApiError(it)
        }
    }
}

private fun postPaymentStatus(status: PaymentStatus) =
    paymentStatus.postValue(Event(ApiResponse.success(status)))

A: This might not be a complete answer because there is so much in your question. Start by trying to use a CoroutineTestRule:
@ExperimentalCoroutinesApi
class CoroutineTestRule(
    private val testDispatcher: TestCoroutineDispatcher = TestCoroutineDispatcher()
) : TestWatcher() {

    override fun starting(description: Description?) {
        Dispatchers.setMain(testDispatcher)
    }

    override fun finished(description: Description?) {
        Dispatchers.resetMain()
        testDispatcher.cleanupTestCoroutines()
    }
}

Your test will be something like:
class PaymentViewModelTest : KoinTest {
    private val paymentViewModel : PaymentViewModel by inject()

    @get:Rule
    val coroutineTestRule = CoroutineTestRule()

    @Before
    fun setup(){
        startKoin {
            androidContext(mock(Application::class.java))
            modules(
                modules.repositoryModule,
                modules.businessModule,
                modules.utilsModule
            )
        }
        declareMock<AnalyticsHelper>()
        declareMock<Printer>()
    }

    @After
    fun after(){
        stopKoin()
    }

    // Other methods are the same.
}

You can use an AutoCloseKoinTest to remove that after() method.
You say that the test is passing when you run it isolated, so maybe this is enough. But there is more to dig into if this doesn't work. For example, I find it strange that you use runBlockingTest inside a mock and the assert is outside that block. Usually I would use MockK to mock suspending functions and test and assert any of them inside a runBlockingTest.


Let's face it. Finding out that the IRS wants to poke around is not going to be the highlight of anyone's day. Voluntarily admitting a mistake to the IRS and asking for forgiveness is probably even lower on the wish list! So hearing about new voluntary corrections from our friends at the Service might seem like a waste of time.
Not so fast! Believe it or not, the division of the IRS responsible for qualified retirement plans actually does not want to find problems and hand out sanctions. Their goal is to help preserve tax-favored retirement benefits that exist within retirement plans. Of course, if someone doesn't play by the rules, they shouldn't then be able to claim the same benefits as someone who does satisfy the various requirements.
That is where the various voluntary correction programs come into play. The IRS recognizes that there are a lot of moving parts involved in the proper care and feeding of a retirement plan. More than 20 years ago, they created the first iteration of a program that allowed companies to voluntarily get their plans back on track, provide participants with any missed benefits and avoid most, if not all, of the penalties the IRS might otherwise assess. Over the last two decades, the IRS has continued to evolve, update and consolidate these programs to make them more accessible and meet the needs of an evolving business climate.
That evolution continued earlier this year when the IRS expanded the correction options for situations when participants are not signed up to make 401(k) deferrals when they are supposed to be. The Service also finalized a pilot program for certain single-participant plans that file their Forms 5500-EZ after the deadline. Let's take a look.
Deposit the sum of steps 2, 3 and 4 into the participant's account in the plan.
Prior to 2008, the qualified nonelective contribution in step #2 was required to be 100% of the missed deferral opportunity, so the reduction to 50% was a welcome change.
The IRS provides guidelines for determining how much the employee would have deferred. For example, if an employee enrolled but the enrollment was never implemented, the missed deferral opportunity is based on the actual enrollment. If the employee wasn't given the opportunity to enroll, the missed deferral opportunity is equal to the average of the employee's group (either highly compensated or non-highly compensated). There are several other parameters for different situations, but we will spare you those gory details here.
Fortunately, this correction methodology is still completely acceptable. In a Revenue Procedure published in the spring of this year, the IRS provided a couple of new options for correcting missed deferral opportunities, one for automatic enrollment plans and one for traditional 401(k) plans.
Before getting into some of the details, it is helpful to note that the new options only apply to the calculation of the qualified nonelective contribution (step #2, above). Any missed match must still be corrected as noted in step #3, i.e., applying the match formula to the full amount the participant would have deferred if timely enrolled.
It is also worth noting that unless the plan's investments suffered a loss for the time period in question, corrective contributions must always be adjusted to compensate for lost investment earnings.
For traditional plans that require participants to make an affirmative deferral election, the new option creates a rolling three-month correction window. In a nutshell, if the participant in question is properly enrolled and has deferrals withheld no later than three months following the initial failure, then no qualified nonelective contribution is required. If correct deferrals begin after more than three months but less than two years, the qualified nonelective contribution is reduced to 25%.
There are a couple of small strings attached. The first string is that if the missed employee catches the problem earlier than three months after the initial failure, the company must implement the correct deferrals no later than the first pay period of the month after the employee brings it to the company's attention. In other words, the company can't sit back and say, "Bummer, but we can wait up to three months before we do something about it." Seems like that would have been obvious, but they probably have to plan for that one person who tries to get snarky.
The second string is that the company must provide written notice of the failure to all affected participants. More on that later.
Ever since Congress passed the Pension Protection Act of 2006, automatic enrollment has become an increasingly popular concept. One of the challenges in getting it from concept to implementation has been the fact that it is easy for new hires to fall through the cracks, especially in plans that have eligibility requirements that extend beyond a month or two after date of hire. And it has been a pain in the neck to go through the corrective calculations every time it happens.
In response to that concern, the IRS also created a new correction for automatic enrollment plans. As long as the failure to automatically enroll a participant on a timely basis is caught and correct deferrals withheld no later than 9½ months after the close of the plan year of the failure, then no qualified nonelective contribution is required. In addition, if the participant did not make an investment election, the lost earnings calculation for the match can be determined using the plan's qualified default investment alternative.
The same strings are attached. Specifically, the correct deferrals must begin earlier if the participant in question brings it to the company's attention, and the company must provide written notice to the impacted participants.
Some may wonder why a company wouldn't take advantage of the new correction options. I mean both of them are less expensive than the standard 50% qualified nonelective contribution. There are several reasons that come to mind, both related to the notice. First, some companies may be reluctant to provide to employees a written statement of an error involving payroll and retirement accounts, especially in a case of already strained employee relations.
The second relates to the timing of the notice. If a company catches the failure and starts withholding the correct deferrals but doesn't provide the notice within 45 days, they are no longer eligible for the reduced qualified nonelective contribution and must revert to the 50% level.
Most retirement plans are required to file a Form 5500 each year, and the deadline is the end of the 7th month following the close of the plan year (July 31st for calendar year plans). The deadline can be extended by 2½ months (to October 15th for calendar year plans) by filing Form 5558. Hefty penalties could apply ($1,100 per day to the Department of Labor and up to $15,000 to the IRS) for failure to file timely.
For many years, the Department of Labor has had a delinquent filer program that allowed late/non-filers to get caught up and pay a very reduced fee, as low as $750 in some cases. However, that program only applies to companies that must file a Form 5500-SF or Form 5500.
Plans that cover only the owner or partners of a business and their spouses do not normally file one of these forms. Instead they file Form 5500-EZ. If an EZ filer happened to be late, the only option has been to write a so-called "reasonable cause" letter to the IRS to ask them to accept the late filing and forego any fines.
In 2014, the IRS created a pilot program that formally addresses late filing of Form 5500-EZ. After running that program for a year and soliciting feedback from the community, the Service finalized the program earlier this year.
Under the permanent program an EZ filer, as described above, can submit delinquent returns for a plan and pay a reduced penalty of $500 per delinquent filing, up to a maximum of $1,500 per plan if more than three years of returns are submitted. The returns that are submitted must be the forms that applied for the year in question. There are certain limited exceptions that allow use of the current version of the Form 5500-EZ.
In addition, the submission must include a completed Form 14704, attached to the front of the oldest delinquent return in the package, along with a check payable to the United States Treasury for the reduced penalty amount.
The Revenue Procedure that described the correction program makes it clear that EZ filers still have the option to submit a reasonable cause letter in lieu of using the program. However, the IRS also makes it clear that if the reasonable cause is not accepted, the plan will no longer be eligible to use the delinquent filer program and will be assessed the otherwise applicable penalties. If past experiences with government agencies are any indication, they tend to be much less accepting of reasonable causes once there is a formal correction program available, so proceed along that route with caution.
Unfortunately, retirement plans are complicated and have many moving parts that can lead to the occasional OOPS! Fortunately, the IRS continues to provide newer and easier ways to correct many of the more common oversights that can occur without breaking the bank in the process. If you think there might be a mistake lurking in a dark corner of your plan, let your team of service providers know so that they can help you fix it voluntarily rather than after the IRS finds it.