Galápagos Adventure Mission – Creatio – Adventure in Nature. Journey in the Spirit.
Your opportunity to serve and explore one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
Serve the poor and spread the faith while getting up close and personal with some of the most diverse marine life on the planet. This includes visiting National Parks and Reserves of the Galápagos Islands while partnering with the local church on a service project.
Each morning you will be helping parish families with a housing construction or similar project. The afternoons will be your chance to visit the people of Santa Cruz Island and experience the ecology of this one-of-a-kind archipelago. Whether snorkeling, exploring, or relaxing on the island's beaches, the Galápagos Islands have something for every sort of adventurer.
Daily Mass and Adoration may be available throughout the trip. Through a combination of manual labor and catechesis to the community, we will work to spread the faith and live in solidarity with the people of the Galápagos. Expect your life to be changed as we work to bring Christ to the island and in turn encounter Christ himself in the people of the Galápagos.
*Dates and cost subject to change; additional charges may apply for some adventure activities such as snorkeling.
Day 8 Afternoon departure to Quito and connecting flight to U.S.
"The most humbling and eye opening experience I have ever had, I was truly blessed to have touched so many different lives and expirience a new culture while also strengthening my relationship with the Lord.
Creatio's spirituality is focused on strengthening the four relationships: relationship with self, with one another, with nature and with God. We encourage all of our missionaries to be open to experience a deepening of these relationships while on our trips.
Creatio is a Catholic organization. Missionaries are not required to be Catholic; however, Ecuador is strongly Catholic in culture. Tours will include churches and religious places that have contributed largely in forming of the culture of Ecuador. Daily Mass and Adoration will also be a part of the experience.
Creatio partners with local communities, families and hotels to host the missionaries and ensure all accommodations are satisfactory throughout the trip. We will be staying at the rectory in the Galápagos (subject to change). Because this is a mission trip, conditions may not exactly be 5 star, but basic needs for missionaries will always be met (warm place to sleep, blankets, etc).
Due to widespread coverage and worry over the Zika virus in South America, Creatio has thoroughly researched the disease and its prevention in order to make sure our missionaries will be safe while in Ecuador.
Ecuador is currently rated by the CDC at "Alert-level: 2", meaning that travelers need to practice enhanced precautions.
Precautions include: Regularly applying EPA registered bug sprays, using mosquito nets when possible, wearing long sleeves and pants or wearing permethrin-treated clothing.
Creatio does not recommend that women who are pregnant or may become pregnant go on this mission trip. Creatio also asks that missionaries abstain from any sexual activity during the trip, as this is the only other proven method of Zika transmission.
If a missionary should experience symptoms of Zika infection during or after the trip, they should get tested as soon as possible.
We recommend you undergoing a medical check-up before traveling to make sure you don't have any kind of medical condition that could obstruct your participation in the mission trip.
Food safety is an important issue when traveling internationally. Local tap water in Ecuador is not potable. Only bottled or treated (disinfected) water should be used for drinking. Do not use ice, avoid getting tap water in your mouth when showering and brushing teeth, and do not use tap water to wash fruits and vegetables. Meats and fish should be thoroughly cooked. Avoid cheap restaurants or food sold in the streets. If you don't follow these instructions, you will probably go through an episode of diarrhea that can make traveling a rather uncomfortable (although memorable) experience, to say the least.
Quito: Medical care in Quito is generally good. Hospital Metropolitano was founded by American medical professionals and is the primary hospital here.
Galápagos: Care on the Galápagos is more limited than on the mainland. The primary hospital is República del Ecuador. It is important to make sure your travel insurance includes medical transportation (should you need it) to a more advanced hospital.
For more country-specific health and safety information, visit www.travel.state.gov for details.
Creatio trip leaders have years of experience leading trips to Ecuador. The local guides are fluent in Spanish and English, and are knowledgeable about Ecuadorean and Galápagos geography, history, culture, and safe travel procedures.
During our trip, we will not visit areas that either the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador has categorized as dangerous. Click here for access to the Embassy website containing the contact information of the Embassy and Consular Agent.
Ecuador is a developing country that may go through periods of political and economic instability. Labor-related strikes can occur with some frequency in urban or rural areas, and generally cause serious disruptions to road, air, and rail transportation. Demonstrations are often announced, yet not always. We may have to make some modifications to our schedule due to marches or strikes. Participants should be open to unexpected changes.
Like many large cities around the world, Quito suffers from crime. Pay attention while traveling, despite the fact that we are visiting generally safe places. In these cities we will visit museums, historic places, and other tourist areas that attract large crowds. As you know, thieves operate in places that gather large crowds and therefore you should be especially careful. You are advised to keep your credit cards, cash, and identification in your front pocket or a secure money holder. You should not carry your original passport unless you are traveling by train, bus or plane. If the police request identification, a copy of the passport is acceptable. You don't want to waste time replacing your driver license, passport, or other identification during your trip. You should limit your cash in hand (just carry what you will need for the day) and unnecessary credit cards. It is better to avoid handbags or objects that hang freely, because those are easy targets for pickpockets.
We urge you to be watchful of your belongings, because if you leave them behind in a tourist area or other location, you will probably not see them again (even if you notice a few minutes later). The idea of a place for "lost and found" objects is unfamiliar in rural areas or shanty towns. During overnight bus or train rides, stay close to your belongings. If you leave the bus during scheduled stops, take your valuable objects with you.
In many cities, you will see plenty of moneychangers in the streets. Even though they may give you a higher rate than the one offered by banks and money exchange agencies, you are advised to avoid them because some of them are a conduit for counterfeit currency.
Pirated goods are widely available. Do not buy them. You will be breaking the law. Additionally, if you bring them back to the US, you could face severe fines (e.g. $ 250,000). Certain drugs that are sold over-the-counter in Ecuador are illegal in the US. Please be sure you check before attempting to bring them back into the US.
For additional security information about Ecuador, you can go to the U.S. State Department's website or the website for the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador.
Passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the final day of trip. Passport must have at least one blank visa page.
Visit travel.state.gov to understand visa and vaccine requirements regarding the country from which you are coming.
Please contact us to confirm non-US citizen visa requirements.
Wet ones or other body wipes for a quick freshen up!
Be the first to hear about upcoming adventures, pilgrimages and mission trips!


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Hello guys, today we will share with you some tips to keep your skin clean and make it fairer/how to get fair skin.
The thing to remember here is that no medicine or natural remedy will change your skin color in just 1 day. It must be used for at least 2 or 3 months continuously. Only then you will get benefit.
Always do this simple test before applying anything in your skin.
These things we should use three times a week continuously for 3 months to get good results.
The most commonly used substance to whiten the skin is LACTIC ACID. Which is a very good ALPHA HYDROXY ACID and is found in considerable quantities in sour yogurt.
Make a mask of sour yogurt and keep it in the face for 20 to 25 minutes. You should do this for 3 times in every week and continue for 2 to 3 months. By this your skin will become clear and fair.
The second is GLYCOLIC ACID, it is also an ALPHA HYDROXY ACID and is used to make the skin fair.
A chemical present in green-mulberry and pear named ARBUTIN which makes skin whiter. So you can apply this fruit juice in your skin.
Vitamin C is a very good antioxidant that is very effective in making the skin white. You can get Vitamin-C cream on the chemist's shop near you.
Vitamin C is also found in good quantities in lemon.
Many people apply direct lemon juice on their skin. You should know that in lemon juice an ACID present named CITRIC ACID, if there is any infection in your skin or the skin is weak, then the acid found in lemon can burn your skin. Therefore lemon juice should be used on directly only on Healthy Skin.
Vitamin B3 is used to whiten the skin, to treat the acne, to soften the skin and to reduce wrinkles.
You can write your tablet or cream or gel with your doctor.
HYDROQUINONE is another chemical that is used to lighten the color of the skin.
But by using it more, it kills melanocytes(skin color making cells) forever. From which skin slowly starts to be replaced by white spots.
HYDROQUINONE is found in most of the fairness creams which available in the market. If any any one uses those creams for very long time then his skin will become dry and white spots could also be seen in his/her skin for forever That's why we do not recommend to use fairness creams.
To keep your skin soft and naturally healthy, you have to reduce the use of soap.
Our skin forms a natural oil to keeps it healthy. When we wash our skin with soap, the chemicals present within it washes the natural oil so our skin becomes dry. Then we have to use plenty of cream, moisturizers and lotions to soften the skin.
Many times the fragrance, color, or chemicals found in these things also make us allergic. Therefore, the use of soap should be minimized on the face and on the body.
It is good to wash with lukewarm water or warm water. After this, coconut oil or olive oil should be applied to keep the skin soft.
If you apply coconut and olive oil regularly on your skin once after taking bath and before sleep your skin will always remain soft and beautiful.
The things I told you are used in the cleansing creams, lotions, tablets, etc.
If you want to use these things in a natural way, then you should use only by using a skin test.
Or you can also write your cream, gel, lotion and tablet prescription with your doctor.
Friends, hope you have liked this article, If there are any questions on it, then you must put them in the comment box, I will try to answer you.


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Ebix to Expand in Brazil
By staff Writer | September 27, 2010 at 08:00 PM
Ebix Inc. has agreed to acquire USIX Technologies Inc., a South American insurance exchange company.
Ebix, Atlanta (NASDAQ:EBIX), runs AnnuityNet in the United States, and it also runs an annuity portability exchange in Brazil.
USIX, Rio de Janeiro, operates exchange systems for insurers and brokers in Brazil's life and property-casualty markets.
Ebix is not saying how much it is paying for USIX, but it says it expects Ebix Latin America, Sao Paulo, a subsidiary of Ebix Singapore, to complete the USIX deal Tuesday.
-ab
Here Are the States With Best-Interest Rules for Annuities
Melanie Waddell | January 14, 2021
Five states have approved these rules, and eight more have proposals in progress.
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Guidance For Cannabis Science Brand Products To Be Released October 2011 In Colorado Based On Accumulating Anecdotal Reports Of Successful Cancer Treatments With Cannabis Extracts.
Cannabis Science, Inc. (OTCBB: CBIS), a pioneering US biotech company developing pharmaceutical cannabis products, is pleased to announce shareholder guidance on the upcoming release of the first Cannabis Science brand of products. Cannabis extract-based products will initially be made available to licensed medical marijuana patients in Colorado. The Company is excited to announce that its proprietary brand of pharmaceutical products is nearing commercialization.
It is expected that in October 2011, Cannabis Science will contract the production and manufacturing of its branded products for distribution and sale through selected Colorado State licensed dispensaries. The first products will address the needs of patients choosing to use concentrated cannabis extracts to treat their ailments. For example, Cannabis Science has frequently been contacted by cancer patients seeking extract-based formulations for topical or internal use. Cannabis Science is responding to these patient requests for quality products. In the very near future, Cannabis Science will announce details of availability.
In light of the accumulating anecdotal reports of the successful cancer treatments with cannabis extracts, the Company will continue to keep patients updated on current peer-reviewed scientific literature supporting the historical and modern use of cannabis to treat "tumors". Unlike conventional methods, cannabis medicines have an outstanding safety profile allowing patients in states with medical marijuana laws to safely make informed decisions to legally self-administration of various cannabis-based preparations.
Dr. Robert Melamede Ph.D., Cannabis Science president & CEO, stated, "Based on our continued commitment to educate people about the medical value of cannabis, and increasing shareholder value with revenues, releasing these products is a natural progression for us as the world has it's cannabis awakening. Cannabis Science believes everyone has the right to fair and equal access to cannabis-based treatments worldwide.
We believe marijuana prohibition is unconstitutional. It denies people Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Additionally, furthermore, the current legal status violates the equal protection clause. People have legal access to cannabis-based medicines in some states, while others are criminal for using their medicine. Cannabis Science will remedy this situation through educating the masses and by taking our cannabis-based products through the FDA process for nationwide distribution. Eventually, all Americans will have access to a safe and effective FDA approved medicine regardless of which state they live in. To maintain that marijuana is a dangerous, addictive drug with no medical value is scientifically absurd. Cannabis medicines, with no effective lethal dose, are far safer than aspirin, acetaminophen, and most other OTC drugs that kill thousands of Americans every year.


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Tag: schumer
My Advice to Republicans: Don't Vote on the Bill Until we Have a New Speaker
Am I angry? No, I am enraged at Pelosi's speech. It seems intended to politicize this and ensure that there is no fix. The Dems are not happy unless we are all poor victims and the economy is tanking because they are party-power first people.
The title of the post says it all.
The American people know who has held the US economy hostage for housing the past few years, it's time for a new speaker. If the Dems want a vote on this, they can put forward a speaker who is less incendiary. IHT 11/08/2006:
Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, who will soon become the head of the House Financial Services Committee, said he and other Democrats who have been advising Pelosi, the party's leader in the House, were planning to propose a "grand bargain" with business interests.
If the Republicans support the Democrats' efforts to increase minimum wage, extend student loans and expand affordable housing programs, Frank said, then the Democrats would support efforts to reduce trade barriers and burdensome regulation.
Representative John Dingell, who will head the Energy and Commerce Committee, said that he intended to focus on an energy bill that would make America more independent of foreign oil and another one outlining a bill of rights for patients. He also plans to hold hearings on unfair trade practices that have hurt American industries and workers.
Dingell, who is the chamber's senior member, said he intended to work with Republicans in crafting legislation because "it's best to legislate from the middle." But he also said that "it won't be the easiest task because the far right has controlled the House and I'm not sure how we can emancipate the Republican party and work with them."
For some large companies, the Democratic victory is a major one. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two mortgage finance giants, which have been recovering from accounting scandals, had faced the possibility of tight new oversight laws pushed largely by Republicans. But some powerful Democrats had resisted, preferring to promote the companies' housing mission over tighter capital standards and portfolio limits.
Here's a prime example of Pelosi's dangerous leadership and demagoguery:
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the largest U.S. mortgage-finance companies, would be allowed to expand their $1.5 trillion mortgage portfolio to buy subprime loans under a Democratic plan to help struggling borrowers.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other leading Democrats also called on President George W. Bush to increase funding for foreclosure prevention and appoint a coordinator to oversee the administration's response to the mortgage-market turmoil in the plan they unveiled today in Washington.
"Our country faces a challenge that threatens the economic security and the dream of homeownership of many of America's working families," Pelosi, of California, said at a news conference.
Just a year ago she was begging to shove more crap loans down the american taxpayer's throats.
Here's her friends Chuckie Schumer and Barney Frank trying to lower lending standards on homes costing nearly half a million dollars — yes we should give half million dollar homes to people not worthy of credit Chuck & Barney, I mean the taxpayers are always willing to take it up the bum from Dems in congress right?:
Schumer and other Democrats have called on the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight to relax government restraints barring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from buying home loans exceeding $417,000 and from expanding their assets.
The senator introduced legislation last month to let Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac temporarily increase their mortgage portfolios by 10 percent. The bill would also allow the companies to buy loans in "high-cost areas" where values are 50 percent higher than the current $417,000 cap.
U.S. Representative Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said Congress would pursue "sensible regulation" to restore investor confidence in the mortgage markets. Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat, said he wants to meet with mortgage lenders to urge them to help borrowers refinance.
"We need the people who hold the paper to be more flexible," Frank said.
Am I angry? No, I am enraged at Pelosi's speech. It seems intended to politicize this and ensure that there is no fix. The Dems are not happy unless we are all poor victims with a tanking economy because they are party-power first people.
UPDATE: John McCain's Comments:
"From the minute John McCain suspended his campaign and arrived in Washington to address this crisis, he was attacked by the Democratic leadership: Senators Obama and Reid, Speaker Pelosi and others. Their partisan attacks were an effort to gain political advantage during a national economic crisis. By doing so, they put at risk the homes, livelihoods and savings of millions of American families.
"Barack Obama failed to lead, phoned it in, attacked John McCain, and refused to even say if he supported the final bill.
"Just before the vote, when the outcome was still in doubt, Speaker Pelosi gave a strongly worded partisan speech and poisoned the outcome.
"This bill failed because Barack Obama and the Democrats put politics ahead of country." — McCain-Palin senior policy adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin
More History from 2006 — When the Bankers and the Dems shot the fix for this down in flames.
Here's the timeline:
Along the same vein, I want to know who in the WUSSANIMOUS Republican leadership decided not to put John McCain's bill up for a vote in 2006. What are the names?
More at Robert Bidinotto's Blog
UPDATE: I'm taking a bit of heat over this post, so let me clarify, I am in favor of doing this save for the credit markets, and unlike most I always have been. What I don't think we need to do is rush into it and be hammerlocked by expediency into bad choices. Like Steve Forbes I do think it absolutely necessary to prevent a deep recession. However I also have a lot of faith and confidence in both the breadth and depth of our economy, and do not think it would lead to depression.
What we don't need with it is political posturing of the sort Pelosi pulled that is transparently false and riddled with Bush derangement syndrome. The Dems in the house have fought off any reform or any change to FNMA GMAC and CRA since 2001, to point at Republicans as the cause is very heinous demagoguery and a flat out big lie. She needs to be replaced by the Dems, or she needs to resign, or she needs censure. Holding this bill hostage a day or two until she at least does a mea culpa isn't going to absolutely kill the economy, and it will give people a couple more days to digest why it's necessary, and to improve it.
Update: More at Hot Air
Author ThanosPosted on September 29, 2008 September 30, 2008 Categories BloggingTags acorn, bankers, barney, charles, chuck, countrywide, democrat, democrats, fannie, fnma, frank, freddy, gmac, hostage, house, houses, housing, johnson, mac, mae, partisan, Pelosi, raines, schumer, speaker, speech, st., wall3 Comments on My Advice to Republicans: Don't Vote on the Bill Until we Have a New Speaker
History of a Scandalous Rape of Taxpayers: Once Again Congress is the Culprit
Watch and weep at this extensive history of legislative malfeasance
Watch and weep at this extensive history of legislative malfeasance. H/T Jawa.
Author ThanosPosted on September 25, 2008 Categories Politics, The FutureTags blockage, Bush, charles, Congress, Corruption, culprit, fannie, freddie, greenspan, history, legislative, mac, mae, malfeasance, mccain, schumer
Friends of Fannie and Freddy
The real impact of all of this will go against the taxpayers, the thrifty, those who have thought of their future and saved. This will impact your pension, your 401K, your life savings. Meantime Jamie Gorelick, Democrat operative, is waltzing away with a cool 26 Million.
The friends of Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac in government turn out to be the usual cast of culprits. We have Obama, Gorelick, Johnson, Raines, Dodd, Frank, and the Congressional Black Caucus who all fought reforms even though this speech in 2005 clearly indicated they were needed. McCain was campaigning for reforms (see enough is enough) but they were beat down.
The real impact of all of this will be felt by the taxpayers, the thrifty, those who have thought of their future and saved. This will impact your pension, your 401K, your life savings. Meantime Jamie Gorelick, Democrat operative, is waltzing away with 26 Million. Special shame should also be attached to the Republicans who assisted the lobbyists and Democrats who fought these needed reforms, and we will be hunting those names down in the future as well.
Meantime this is definitely not leadership, this is definitely not change, it's despair:
Lawmakers say they are unlikely to take action before, or to delay, their planned adjournments — Sept. 26 for the House of Representatives, a week later for the Senate. While they haven't ruled out returning after the Nov. 4 elections, they would rather wait until next year unless Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, who are leading efforts to contain the crisis, call for help.
One reason, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said yesterday, is that "no one knows what to do" at the moment.
At a campaign rally in Elko Obama had this to say:
"I will crack down on predatory lenders — who all too often target the African-American community, target the Hispanic community — with tough new penalties that treat mortgage fraud like the crime that it is," he said.
Obama and his compadres in the Democrat caucus have been "cracking down on predatory lending" since 2000 1990's, and that's exactly what has led to this mess. They systematically took away the profit from high risk loans, making it a losing, giveaway business backed by your tax dollars. They cut options to have high risk loans credit insured and rolled into loan cost, which led directly to increased foreclosures.
More on this from IBD Editorials:
A visibly annoyed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected suggestions that Democrats share blame for the meltdown. "No," she snapped at reporters who dared ask.
Stick to our narrative, she scolded: The bursting of the housing bubble was another story of market failure and deregulation.
"The American people are not protected from the risk-taking and the greed of these financial institutions," she said, while calling for investigations of the industry.
Only, the risk-taking was her idea — and the idea of all the other Democrats, along with a handful of Republicans, who over the past 30 years have demonized lenders as racist and passed regulation after regulation pressuring them to make more loans to unqualified borrowers in the name of diversity.
They were the ones who screamed — "REDLINING!" — and sent banks scurrying for cover in low-income neighborhoods, where they have been forced to lower long-held industry standards for judging creditworthiness to make the subprime loans.
If they don't comply, they are threatened with stiff penalties under the Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA, a law that forces banks to make home loans to people with poor credit risks.
Here's an example of one of these shakedown programs that started way back, under guise of fighting predatory lending Chuck Schumer and Jesse Jackson fight to have Freddy and Fannie lower standards:
Also from IBD :
The [CRA] revisions also allowed for the first time the securitization of CRA-regulated loans containing subprime mortgages. The changes came as radical "housing rights" groups led by ACORN lobbied for such loans. ACORN at the time was represented by a young public-interest lawyer in Chicago by the name of Barack Obama.
Obama 2nd Biggest Recipient of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Money in Last Ten Years
More at Big Lizards
Author ThanosPosted on September 18, 2008 October 13, 2009 Categories PoliticsTags black, caucus, cbc, congressional, Corruption, crisis, dodd, donation, donations, fannie, frank, freddy, funding, gorelick, housing, institutions, jamie, loans, lobby, lobbying, lobbyists, mac, mae, michelle, mortgage, Obama, schumer, subprime, urban


Mining typically involves material being excavated from the ground and sold off-site for commercial, industrial or construction use. Back to top... What is reclamation?
In 2006, Iowa's limestone mining operations produced and sold 32.2 million metric tons of material.


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The Pineapple Thief offer Simple As That download
By Martin Kielty
Get track from 10th album Magnolia in return for your email address
The Pineapple Thief have made latest track Simple As That available as a download in return for your email address.
Get your copy now.
It's taken from upcoming album Magnolia, their tenth studio outing, due for launch on September 15 via Kscope.
Mainman Bruce Soord says: "Here's the opening track from the new album – the beginning of a deep and varied journey. I hope you get as much from our new music as we do."
The follow-up to 2012's All The Wars is their first to feature drummer Dan Osborne, who joined Soord, Jon Sykes and Steve Kitch in February. It's available for pre-order on CD, vinyl and digital formats.
The Pineapple Thief tour the UK in December at the end of a wider European trek:
Dec 03: London Islington Academy
Dec 04: Bristol Fleece
Dec 05: Manchester Ruby Lounge
Dec 06: Edinburgh Liquid Room
Freelance Online News Contributor
Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he's also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band (opens in new tab), a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories (opens in new tab) about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He's appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK's vast canal network.
Watch earliest known footage of Genesis with Phil Collins as lead singer
Cynic make live comeback in LA secret show
Meshuggah to reissue sixth album ObZen in March
Pete Gee shares video trailer for new solo album Pilgrim
ZIO announce guest vocalists and tour dates for April tour


J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2010;20(4):289-94.
DesRoches A, Infante-Rivard C, Paradis L, Paradis J, Haddad E.
BACKGROUND: Peanut allergy is an important public health problem in western countries. However, the risk factors associated with this allergy remain uncertain.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the consumption of peanuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding is a risk factor for peanut allergy in infants.
METHODS: We enrolled 403 infants in a case-control study. The cases were infants aged 18 months or less with a diagnosis of peanut allergy based on a history of clinical reaction after exposure to peanuts and the presence of peanut-specific immunoglobulin E. Controls were age-matched infants with no known clinical history or signs of atopic disease. The mothers of the children filled out a detailed questionnaire about maternal diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding, the infant's diet, the presence of peanut products in the infant's environment, and family history of atopy.
RESULTS: The mean (SD) age of cases was 1.23 (0.03) years. The groups were comparable in terms of the rate and duration of breastfeeding. However, the reported consumption of peanuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding was higher in the case group and associated with an increased risk of peanut allergy in offspring (odds ratio [OR], 4.22 [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.57-11.30 and OR, 2.28 [95% CI, 1.31-3.97] for pregnancy and breastfeeding, respectively). Overall, the infants with peanut allergy did not seem to be more exposed to peanut products in their environment than the controls.
CONCLUSION: Early exposure to peanut allergens, whether in utero or through human breast milk, seems to increase the risk of developing peanut allergy.
Posted in 00.about breastfeeding-lactation, 02.research, 04.review-articles, 05.update-issues, 07.professional resources, 11.breastfeeding problems, 15.nutrition dietary, ASI-bayi alergi | Tags: Peanut allergy: is maternal transmission of antigens during pregnancy and breastfeeding a risk factor?
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Home » Disclosures » It's a Good Time to Review Fee Disclosure for Accuracy & Transparency
Blog | Disclosures | Due Diligence
It's a Good Time to Review Fee Disclosure for Accuracy & Transparency
September 5, 2019	by	Core Compliance
When it comes to the all-important topic of management and other fees or expenses, investment advisors are charged with the fiduciary responsibility of making certain they disclose all related information comprehensively and transparently.
The alleged failure of Stuart Frost and Frost Management Company, LLC, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., to disclose $14 million of hidden and excessive incubator fees prompted the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to file charges of fraud on August 14, 2019.
The SEC's charges offer a textbook example of how investment advisory firms can run afoul of regulators when their compliance departments don't "follow the money," a popular catchphrase from the Watergate scandal of the 1970s.
In its complaint, the SEC said Frost and his investment advisory firm raised nearly $63 million for five venture capital funds between 2012 and 2016 and invested it in a portfolio of start-up companies. The nascent companies then paid incubator fees to a Frost-owned company called Frost Data Capital, ostensibly for operational support and other services.
Frost allegedly used a significant portion of the excessive and undisclosed fees to fund a lavish lifestyle that included a personal chef and housekeeper, an archery range, beach club membership, a boat, and luxury cars. According to the SEC complaint, Frost took in $3.4 million from 2012 through 2016 and expensed over $867,000.
The SEC alleged that when Frost got short on cash, he created new portfolio companies, invested more money from the venture capital companies, and had Frost Data Capital extract more incubator fees. He also failed to disclose the existence or the actual amount of the fees and charged the venture capital funds hidden and improper management fees.
The biggest takeaway for investment advisors from the Frost case is that detailed transparent disclosures are mandatory, especially when it has to do with compensation arrangements with service providers, affiliated companies that provide services to clients, or any of the underlying companies you invest in. It is critical to disclose all conflicts of interest to all clients through comprehensive disclosures in offering and other regulatory documents.
Regardless of whether Frost and his firm profited from the fees, they did not disclose it properly. They had misleadingly represented that the incubator fees that would be charged on a case-by-case basis, which is insufficient, and that the charges would be at or below market rate for the services.
One of the main points the SEC keeps telling advisers and companies through enforcement action is that a firm must have very detailed and transparent disclosure. When chief compliance officers do their reviews, they must be sure that they always 'follow the money.' If the firm won't give them copies of the financials, there could be an issue.
Every investment advisor registered with the SEC is required to have a CCO. The firm itself has a fiduciary duty as an advisor, and it's the CCO's job to make certain the proper documentation is on file. The CCO should make certain the firm could substantiate fee disclosure made in the Form-ADV or in the offering document.
There have been times that CCOs have been named in SEC complaints. When a small firm has a CCO that's also the head of the firm or has other hats in the firm, there's not enough time for them to do compliance and attend to their other job responsibilities. Having personnel devoted to compliance or external compliance resources to assist are best practices for investment advisory firms.
If an advisory firm recommended Frost funds to their clients and did not perform detailed due diligence on the funds, the SEC could go bring potential action against the advisor because there was information that was not properly disclosed or was misleading. The fact that you're recommending a fund to an accredited investor doesn't get you off the hook if you're not performing ample due diligence.
Core Compliance can help your firm establish best practices in fee disclosure. For more information, please contact us today.
Tags:Compliance Risk Management Fees Investment Advisers
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Complaints regarding snow and ice control or damage shall be taken during normal working hours and handled in accordance with the City's normal complaint procedure by emailing Public Works or calling at 763-785-6165.
Complaints or questions are taken by the secretarial staff in the department. Many of the problems are resolved at that level. Complaints needing further attention are answered by a supervisor or the Public Works Director.
Some of these problems can be resolved or answered by a return phone call. However, many require a visit to the resident to see the complaint or problem. All calls are answered and logged during working hours. After hours calls can be left on the City Hall answering machine and are dealt with during the next business day.
It should be understood that complaint responses are to ensure that the provisions of the Snow and Ice policy have been fulfilled and that all residents of the City have been treated uniformly. Complaints regarding the provisions of this policy may not be satisfied with the initial response. It is the City's intention to log all complaints and upgrade this policy as necessary and in consideration of the constraints of our resources.
High priority complaints (those involving access to property or problems requiring immediate attention) shall be handled on a priority basis. Response time should not exceed 24 hours for any complaint.
You may report an problems or concerns using the Public Works Request Tracker.


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2012 Internet & Mobile Trends [INFOGRAPHIC]
Mark O'Neill December 23, 2012 23-12-2012 1 minute
As we come to the end of another year, it's time to look back and see how things have progressed up to now, and being a tech blog, we are naturally going to examine the tech scene during the past year or two. The following infographic breaks down and dissects the stats with regards to the way we consumed Internet content up to now. Did the regular PC win out or was it roundly defeated by other forms of communication? And where in the world does the Internet rule supreme?
Yup, as you may have already guessed (or known) by now, the PC is being trashed in favour of smartphones and tablets. But that isn't really a surprise (especially if you are a regular MakeUseOf reader and you've seen our coverage slanting a lot towards mobile and tablet applications). Everyone and their dog has a smartphone in their pocket and a tablet under their arm. And according to today's infographic, that smartphone is more likely to be an Android phone, rather than an iPhone or Windows phone.
And where does the Internet reign supreme? According to the infographic, China is soaring out ahead with an unassailable lead, with the USA and India in second and third place respectively (but our US readers can console themselves with the fact that they are beating China when it comes to 3G subscribers).
Let us know in the comments what you think of the infographic. Do the stats look accurate to you? Do you agree that the PC is slowly being relegated to history while smartphones and tablets are poised to take over the earth? Let us know what you're thinking.
Infographic Source: www.backgroundcheck.org
Image Credit: Man Looking At Internet Wordcloud via Shutterstock
How to Find Cheap Flights With Google Flight AlertsWhy Internet Monitoring Laws Will Make Criminals Harder to Catch [Opinion]
Catherine MacArthur
Im surprised UK isn't in top 10! What about Germany? I think there should be a 'Europe' category .. That's gotta be massive (as in countries in the EU).
James Hudson
apple hold a lerge area of the internet
Marks Adwin
Android is the leader in smartphone market. Apple should think about new innovations. While Windows Phone failed to gain users interest.
Phúc Ng?c
Tks Mark. My company is going to expand this year to South East Asia and Indonesia could be a promising land.
Lisa Santika Onggrid
My country won the fifth place...
There's a surge of Internet adoption over the last few years and carriers fail to catch up with the needs, despite adding more flame to the trend. Result? More people are online, but the connection speed gets slower and slower. It's not uncommon to see a new carrier offering 'high-speed' access for a while, and get bogged down by massive subscribers till the speed is one-fourth the first weeks. Another carrier appears, and customers move again. Cue the cycle. We're not afraid of switching carrier. it's part of daily life. Use this bundled USB modem till the promotion date ends, then buy another one. I'm curious to see how is it in other countries.
Sarah Lam
Not surprising that android is more popular than IOS. But it's good to have both side by side.
The internet users figures are not correct. What about Western Europe? Germany, UK and France all have more than 50m users and should be in the Top 10.
Nevzat Akkaya
I liked my country Turkey to be listed in the top 10 :)
Arpit Nadda
Nice article... Android has a big costumer reach... Glad i possess one
Mark O'Neill 468 articles
Mark O'Neill is a freelance journalist and bibliophile, who has been getting stuff published since 1989. For 6 years, he was the Managing Editor of MakeUseOf. Now he writes, drinks too much tea, arm-wrestles with his dog, and writes some more. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook.
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(CNN) — The notion of a bona fide desert lapped by the waves of the Caribbean Sea seems so far-fetched that Google automatically changes most searches for "Caribbean desert" to "Caribbean dessert."
Delightful as the ensuing search results might be, they deny netizens the glory of the La Guajira Desert.
Here, at the northernmost tip of South America, sand extends far beyond the spotless beaches, and cacti dominate a parched landscape.
Colombia's wild northeast is slowly making its way onto the tourist map. But patience and a fair dose of discomfort are required to enjoy this barren outpost. Accommodation is basic and extremely limited.
In La Guajira, desert dunes tumble straight down into the Caribbean.
This is the land of the Wayuu people, indigenous South Americans who eke out an existence in this harsh environment by herding, weaving and generally hanging on by any means they can.
The arrival of international visitors has prompted a cottage industry in makeshift road tolls.
Adults let down their ropes that block passage on roads for a couple of thousand pesos (about 60 cents). Children let them down for candy -- their teeth betray their diet.
Barely more than a hundred miles from the world's highest coastal mountain range, where glaciers cap 18,000-foot peaks just 25 miles from the sea, the La Guajira Desert receives just a handful of days of rain each year.
But the blazing sun accentuates stark contrasts of orange sand against turquoise sea. And clear night skies offer stargazers glorious cosmic shows from their beach-side hammocks.
La Guajira's only vacation spot per se is the kitesurfing mecca of Cabo de la Vela.
Just a couple of tour companies with strong ties to the Wayuu currently make the long journey to bleak Punta Gallinas and the neighboring Taroa Dunes, more than half a day's drive to the north.
Smart travelers bring a sense of adventure, a bagful of gummy bears and a cushion for the car.
For those who have done it, the trip to a geographical extremity most people have probably never heard of is well worth the rough ride.


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HEC Notification 2023
HEC Law Graduate Test (LAW-GAT) For Advocate 2022
The Higher Education Commission, Pakistan has issued the official advertisement on 25th January 2022 in connection with HEC Law Graduate Test (LAW-GAT) For Advocate 2022. The HEC Law Graduate Assessment Test (Law-GAT) For Eligibility to Seek Enrolment as an Advocate with Bar Council. The Honourable Supreme Court vide its Order dated March 6, 2018 has directed restoration of the Law Graduate Assessment Test (Law-GAT) by the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) through the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
The objective of the assessment test is to ensure proper scrutiny and evaluation of a law graduate desirous to join the legal profession so that only competent individuals possessing necessary basic knowledge of law may enter the legal profession for practicing law. Therefore, a law graduate only becomes eligible to apply to a Bar Council for enrolment as an Advocate if he/she qualifies the assessment test to be conducted by the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan having been so authorized by the PBC, pursuant to the aforementioned Order of the Honourable Supreme Court and read with Section 26 (CC) of Legal Practitioners and Bar Council's Act 1973 and rules of PBC.
1 HEC Law-Gat Test 2022 Eligilbity Criteria
1.1 Test Type
1.2 Curriculum Revised
1.3 Detail of Test Centers
1.4 How to Register
1.5 Deadline for Online Registration
HEC Law-Gat Test 2022 Eligilbity Criteria
Persons having passed Bachelor's degree in Law or equivalent from a university recognised by HEC/PBC are eligible to apply
The test will consist of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Curriculum Revised
Curriculum of Law GAT Test can be downloaded from: https://www.hec.gov.pk/english/HECAnnouncements/Documents/Approved%20Syllabus%20for%20LAW%20GAT.pdf Date of Test The Law-GAT test tentatively will be held on July 03, 2022.
Any change in test date will be communicated through http://etc.hec.gov.pk Applicants who register through HEC online registration process will download their Roll Number Slip through http://etc.hec.gov.pk a week before the test date. Email/SMS will be sent to registered applicants for test date, time and venue.
Candidates are required to provide valid email/mobile number while filling online application form.
A print of Roll Number Slip and original CNIC will be required to enter in test center.
Detail of Test Centers
The examination will be conducted in the following test centers:
Applicants may select any test center from the list available in the application form. Please note that said test will be held on any of above center if minimum 250 applicants will select that center. Please also note that test center once selected will not be changed after registration.
Please visit the following link: http://etc.hec.gov.pk for online registration. In case of any difficulty during online registration, please send email at etc@hec.gov.pk or visit HEC Secretariat or HEC Regional Centers for guidance. Application submission comprises of two steps; profile completion using "My Profile" section and application submission using "Law Admission Test" link on menu panel in left hand side bar of online portal.
Only SUBMITTED applications will be considered for Law-GAT test and applications in SAVE or INCOMPLETE mode will not be entertained. The test fee, i.e., Rs. 3000/- is to be deposited online/ATM in the Account No. 01127900567403 Account Title: Higher Education Commission Bank: Habib Bank Limited, Branch Code: 0112. Bank Draft/Pay Order will not be accepted. Applicants are required to submit Original fee deposit slip/ATM/Online transfer through courier at Member's House, HEC Sector H-8, Islamabad on or before the last date of registration. Please mention your CNIC number at the back side of the deposit slip. The examination fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
Deadline for Online Registration
Last date for online registration is June15, 2022.
50% score is required to pass the Law-GAT test. Applicants will have to meet other criteria, if any, as per Rules and Regulations of the Pakistan Bar Council. Applicants will have maximum of three chances to clear the test. HEC will conduct the test on quarterly basis.
Official Website Online Admission
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Westfield Sydney, located underneath the iconic Sydney Tower on Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW.
The site was redeveloped between 2010 and 2012 to combine four shopping centres in the area: Westfield Centrepoint, Sydney Central Plaza, Skygarden and Imperial Arcade.
A new and unique bar/nightclub space.
Must integrate brand values relating to health, sustainability, interactivity and culture.
Bondy's bar in Sydney was a major inspiration for the aesthetic of this project.
A socially inclusive, interactive, sustainable bar, designed as an homage to design and culture from the 1980s.
Aesthetic of the space was heavily influenced by a previously existing nightspot in Sydney – Bondy's.
Inspiration for the space's materiality was taken from commercial interiors of the 1980s – black and red leather, subway tiling, neon lights – all elements competing for attention.
Sufficient circulation, adjustable furniture, and a dipped bar area make access to the venue for people in wheelchairs or people with a disability much easier.
Triple pane glass and window frames with exterior shading will assist in the conservation of energy, as well as the control of temperature within the space.
Size adjustable tables are a main feature of the space, designed with inclusivity and interactivity in mind.
A large variety of board games have been integrated into the space and the furniture, in the hope that binge drinking is discouraged, and interaction between friends is encouraged.
The end product is a display of socially responsible design.
Central bar with dipped service area.
Triple pane glass for energy conservation and temperature control.
Male & Female restrooms in compliance with BCA.
Software used: 3Ds Max, Revit, Photoshop.


Today I made my first Dutch Oven meal. Your Mountain Man breakfast. It was a success. My husband had two plates. Normally he does not eat a heavy breakfast but he loved that. I really enjoy your books. Tonight after supper I plan on making peach cobbler. Thank you again.
Hey! I'm glad I was able to help out! Come back often!
Earlier this week I made roasted chicken with carrots and potatoes in a 14inch dutch oven. Came out great. I used my own recipe this time, stuffing the bird with fresh lemon and using lots of fresh sage and rosemary. My son has asked me to make a mashed potato dish for the dutch oven. Do you have any suggestions for shepherds pie? I am thinking of using pot roast instead of ground meat.


I went in for a balance problem and would never have believed it would work but it did. The staff is wonderful. I was so surprised that just a little balance could solve so many problems I had. I would recommend this PT place to everyone.
Have you been suffering from inexplicable falls, unsteadiness or balance issues? Do you find yourself struggling with knee, hip, or other joint pain, due to changes in the way you stand and walk? Do you get occasional bouts of the "spins?" If so, you're probably finding that your balance or gait disorder disrupts your life in all kinds of ways. A variety of underlying musculoskeletal and neurological disorders can cause or aggravate the development of a balance or gait problem. Fortunately, physical therapy can help you get your feet back under you safely and effectively — so Contact Us Today at Fairfield & Corsicana, TX Centers to restore some balance to your everyday life!
Balance and gait disorders belong to a family of functional problems that interfere with your positional awareness, ability to keep yourself upright, and normal means of walking or running. As described by the Mayo Clinic, a balance issue can make you feel as if everything is spinning around you or that you're in danger of falling over, even if you are safely sitting or lying down. A gait disorder is any condition that causes you to walk or run in an abnormal, unstable manner. These two issues are closely connected — a balance disorder can cause gait problems, and Move Forward Physical Therapy notes that gait disorders cause up to 17 percent of falls in seniors.
Balance and gait disorders can spring from very different causes. Many balance problems are related to problems in the vestibular system, a delicate collection of fluid-filled chambers and sensory nerves in the inner ear. This system is responsible for proprioception, or your sense of position. In the common condition known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), calcium debris in the inner ear produces balance issues. Neurological problems such as a stroke, Parkinson's disease, or a brain injury can all interfere with your balance. Even if your brain and nervous system are working well, muscle weakness, injury, or disease can make it all but impossible for your legs and feet to keep you upright.
Like balance disorders, gait disorders can be caused by neurological or neuromuscular ailments or injuries. Any condition that impairs nerve or muscle function may lead you to walk in an abnormal manner. But gait problems can also be caused by musculoskeletal issues such as abnormal foot arches, overuse injuries such as plantar fasciitis, or uneven muscle support that favors one side of the body over the other. An old injury that never healed properly may affect your gait if internal scar tissue limits the range of motion in a foot, knee, or hip.
Gait retraining exercises – A faulty gait can often be corrected through retraining. The Arthritis Foundation cites a study in which participants with gait problems due to osteoarthritis successfully altered their gait through treadmill exercises.
Vestibular rehabilitation training – This form of physical therapy can help you reconcile your vestibular system, vision, nerves, and muscles for improved balance. Special exercises can even help stabilize floating debris in the inner ear.
Strengthening exercises – By building up the muscles that govern your gait and balance, we can help you maintain your equilibrium and make yourself less injury-prone.
Stretches – Exercises that improve your flexibility and range of motion give you more control and enable quicker reactions to shifts in balance.
If you are ready to stop stumbling and get back to your stable everyday existence, physical therapy can throw you an anchor. Contact Lott Physical Therapy today to speak with a physical therapist!


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Valerie R. Roberson Appointed President of Roxbury Community College
Filed in Breaking News, Leadership on May 31, 2013
The board of directors of Roxbury Community College in Massachusetts voted unanimously to select Valerie R. Roberson as the college's 15th president. Roxbury Community College enrolls about 2,700 students in degree programs and Black students make up a large percentage of the student body. Dr. Roberson will take office on July 22.
Dr. Roberson has been serving as vice president for academic affairs at Joliet Junior College in Illinois. She is the former president of Olive-Harvey College of the City Colleges of Chicago. Dr. Roberson is a graduate of Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. She holds a master's degree from Roosevelt University and a doctorate in higher education administration from Illinois State University.
"I couldn't be more humbled and proud to have been given this great responsibility," said Dr. Roberson. "We have a once in a generation opportunity to create a community college that will be recognized as a national leader. I look forward to beginning by listening and learning from the students, staff, and community about their dreams and hopes for Roxbury Community College."


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Miami Twilight
By Tom Coffey
LIST PRICE: AU$ 5.99
Tom Coffey's The Serpent Club was hailed as "hypnotic" (Publishers Weekly). Now, he returns with this sultry tale of sudden violence, overpowering lust, and brutal retribution -- all under the shadows of a Miami Twilight.
Slick public-relations executive Garrett Doherty is jeopardizing his marriage, his career, and his life -- all for an enigmatic beauty known as Magdalena. The affair has also connected Doherty to Cuban expatriate and land developer Ernesto Rodriguez, a man whose associations with U.S. intelligence agencies and the underworld have placed him in the center of the anti-Castro movement and a far-reaching cocaine empire.
Rodriguez wants Doherty to help him promote Tierra Grande, a gated playground for millionaires and his final shot at legitimacy. But as Doherty's obsession with Magdalena consumes him, he is pulled into a maelstrom of violent dealings and betrayals that just may be the handiwork of his alluring temptress. Will Doherty follow his fixation to a new life...or a cold grave?
I slipped into the party and admired the view of Biscayne Bay and nodded to my boss to make sure he knew I'd shown up. I had not wanted to attend and my impression was of an evening as dull as all the others. My company kept renting nice rooms in nice hotels, and the same nice people kept attending.
I got a beer and made small talk with some of our current and prospective clients. I also tried to avoid looking at my watch, although it was difficult to stop thinking about the Yankee game that started at seven-thirty.
My back was to the door when I heard a sharp whoosh behind me, as if the outer edge of a hurricane had just blown in from the Atlantic. I felt a surge of tension and excitement, the buzz of kinetic energy. My boss hurried past, almost knocking the beer out of my hand, and I heard him say, "He's here, he's here," in the tones of a six-year-old whose father has just returned from a business trip.
I turned to look. So did everyone else.
I saw a man surrounded by acolytes and sycophants. He was about six feet tall, with graying hair and a thick, dark mustache. He had handsome features and I pegged him at around sixty but there was more to him than looks; he had an aura that inspired fear and deference.
I suspected that I was supposed to know who he was.
He shook hands and smiled a lot while joking in Spanish with people who made a lot more than I did.
When I returned to the bar for my second beer I told myself I was reaching the limit. My plan was to drink slowly and circulate awhile before returning to a house that still had more boxes than furniture.
As I pulled away from the bar I nearly bumped into the distinguished-looking man whose name I should have known. I mumbled an apology in my imperfect Spanish.
"Don't worry about it," he said.
I was surprised to see him there. I figured that if he wanted a drink, somebody would get it for him. Perhaps he just wanted to get away from the crowd.
I tried to step away. He asked if I was in a hurry. I looked at my watch and decided to tell him the truth. He looked like a man who heard it rarely.
"Actually, I'm hoping to catch the Yankee game on ESPN," I said. And then I grinned.
"El Duque is pitching tonight."
"I know," I said. "I love to watch him."
It turned out the man was a huge Yankee fan and by the time I finished my beer the short twilight had turned dark and we were leaning against the bar, talking about the current team and favorite players from the past and memories of the best games we'd ever seen.
At the end, as I was about to leave, after I'd had one beer too many, I gave him my card.
My boss called me into his office as soon as I got to work.
"You were busy as a beaver last night," he said.
I shook my head in an "aw shucks" manner and asked what he meant.
"Ernesto Rodriguez. We all saw you buttering him up. Like he was freaking popcorn."
I resisted the urge to tell him he meant "friggin'."
"He called us today. Said he wanted to do business with us. Asked for you specifically. Said you were the cream of the crop. That's what he said: 'the cream of the crop.'"
"We've been trying to do business with him for a long time. A long, long time. So call him up. He's expecting you."
My first inclination was to do some research and find out who this man was and what he did and why everybody seemed so interested in working with him. But my boss was the type who'd check ten minutes later to see if I'd made the call. So I phoned Ernesto Rodriguez's office and hoped I would get away with leaving a message.
I gave my name and the company I worked for. I had booted my computer and accessed the Web and was ready to launch a global search for Ernesto Rodriguez as soon as I was told he wasn't in.
"Wasn't El Duque magnificent last night?" asked a voice that was becoming familiar.
I had to agree.
Ernesto Rodriguez worked out of a storefront in the middle of a nondescript commercial stretch in Hialeah. No sign on the door or in the windows said what the name of the company was, and an enormous overhang blocked almost every trace of sunlight from reaching the building.
The door was locked, so I rang the bell. After a few seconds, somebody inside buzzed me through.
I had only a moment to look around the large square room, which was filled with women who were tethered to their desks and speaking urgent Spanglish into their headsets. A door opened on the other side of the room and Ernesto Rodriguez came toward me with his arms outstretched, as if we were best friends who had been separated for years. He put both his hands on my shoulders. Not knowing what else to do, I returned the gesture. For a second I thought we were about to engage in sumo wrestling. "Mr. Doherty," he said, pronouncing my surname in the anglicized way I abhorred. I decided to let it pass and then he asked if I wanted coffee and I said I did. As he guided me across the room he issued a soft-spoken order for cafés con leche, and the woman outside his door began rushing about.
Like the offices of many Cuban exiles, Ernesto's was furnished in a utilitarian manner, as if he didn't want to spend too much on his surroundings because he thought they were temporary. The only personal touch was a wall calendar that showed scenes of Havana, pre-1959. I was surprised by the lack of photographs of wife and children and grandkids.
We talked a little about El Duque and Derek Jeter and how dominant a reliever Mariano Rivera had become. The coffee arrived, and it was excellent. I suspected the beans were freshly ground.
"Señor Rodriguez," I said at last.
"Ernesto. Por favor."
"What's on your mind?"
He leaned close to me and lowered his voice, as if he were afraid his own office was bugged.
"My project," he said.
"It's big," he said. "Huge. The biggest thing I've ever done."
I nodded again. I still had no idea what he did for a living.
"I want you to help me," he said. "To handle the publicity."
"That sounds good."
"It's agreed, then."
"There's just one thing."
"And what is that?"
"Publicity for what?"
Ernesto Rodriguez looked startled, as if I were joking about the only matter in the world he regarded as sacred.
"They did not tell you?" he asked.
I shook my head and grinned. "Nobody ever tells me anything."
He reached into his desk and took out a huge key chain.
"Come with me."
I followed him to the rear of the building, which led into an alley that separated his office from a Laundromat. He pointed out a fleet of vans he had leased for his company -- the firm was growing; he had to be able to send his people out -- before guiding me by the elbow to a new Cadillac.
As we headed west, Ernesto asked if I had any children and I said no and he told me I should get started; a man is not complete until he's a father. He asked why I had moved to Miami and I said I'd been transferred from New York. My wife and I had lived in South Florida for more than a year and were beginning to like it.
"Yes," he said. "It's like that. This place can be seductive."
We reached the turnpike and went south on wide smooth concrete, so unlike the potholed streets of home. I told him how I started rooting for the Yankees while I was a kid in the seventies, in love with the brawling teams of Munson and Reggie and Billy Martin, and Ernesto nodded and said those players had a certain panache and seemed to enjoy themselves. Today's young men take things far too seriously.
When we got off the turnpike, Ernesto turned west again and drove through piney scrubland. We passed trailer parks and shacklike mom-and-pop stores and even a couple of barns that seemed to be in danger of falling over.
Finally I asked, in what I hoped was a pleasant tone, "Where are we going, Ernesto?"
It was his turn to grin. "We're almost there, my friend."
We stopped in the middle of a vast flat field. In the distance I saw dark vegetation that I assumed was the Everglades. Helen and I kept talking about going there, but so far we hadn't gotten around to it.
Ernesto wrapped his right arm around me and began making broad gestures with his left. I imagined Ponce de León doing the same thing to his first mate that fateful Easter morning.
"The whole expanse," he said. "Imagine it. Can you imagine?"
"I'm trying to."
"Three-thousand-square-foot homes. At the least. Some as large as six. We'll have several models for customers to choose from. The architects are drawing up the plans."
The field was muddy. I tried to avoid looking at my shoes.
Ernesto described a gated community that would contain more than five thousand houses, a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus and a six-hundred-acre park with a duck pond and the largest playground in Miami-Dade. The streets would curve gently and be flanked with palms and jacaranda.
"Magnificence," he said. "Every home has a built-in swimming pool. Every one. No amenity will be spared. Sub-Zero refrigerators in every kitchen. Every one. Plus built-in microwaves over the stove. I will spare nothing."
"Sounds nice."
"There will be video cameras on every block. Every one. For security."
Over the next few days Ernesto and I had several conversations in which he told me that his main concern was dealing with The Herald. Like many prominent Cuban exiles, my client had a problematic relationship with Miami's leading newspaper, which he regarded as a leftist, pro-Castro rag. But he needed good publicity for his project, which he had named Tierra Grande.
"That is where you come in, my friend," he said. "You are someone new to the scene. Fresh. With a different perspective. I hope you can talk to them."
I told him I had a good relationship with a number of editors at The Herald.
"I know," he said. "I've asked about you. The reports are excellent."
I had done asking of my own. Ernesto Rodriguez had arrived in Miami as a teenager in 1960 and immediately volunteered for the force that blundered ashore at the Bay of Pigs. After he was released to the United States, he went into business for himself. Military ventures aside, Ernesto Rodriguez was not the type of man who liked to work for other people. He made his first fortune battling tropical insects in the years before anyone took the environment seriously. But in the seventies and early eighties, his business was ruined by inflation and recession and eco-freaks. Ernesto Rodriguez declared bankruptcy and faded from sight. In a "Where Are They Now?" article in 1984, The Herald had reported that Ernesto Rodriguez was working as a janitor in a run-down hotel in Miami Beach and living in a three-bedroom house in Little Havana with his wife, Luisa, their four children, and both sets of grandparents.
But there are second acts in American business, although never in exactly the same line of work. Ernesto bought that hotel, the Orlando, for a price he never divulged publicly. He kicked out the tenants and renovated the place and sold it when the area began to take off. Since then, he had become one of South Florida's leading real-estate developers.
There were rumors about drug money.
As I entered the pastel-laced restaurant with my wife, Ernesto Rodriguez jumped up to embrace me. I tried to return his gesture with suitable enthusiasm before introducing him to Helen. Ernesto kissed her hand and murmured that it was a pleasure to meet her. You can tell a lot about a man by the woman he chooses and I had obviously chosen well. Helen smiled.
"This is good," Ernesto said as we took our seats. "It's good to see you outside of work. The pressures."
I agreed that it was good, and that we were both under pressure. The waiter handed Ernesto a wine list, from which he immediately ordered a Chilean merlot that proved excellent. When I asked where Luisa was, my client dismissed the question, and her, with the kind of wave one uses to shoo away a fly.
"Obligations," he said. "Children. She is what you would call a homebody. But business requires you to be social." He raised his glass.
As Ernesto and I talked about baseball, I caught Helen studying the wallpaper intently, as if she thought this pattern would be perfect for our still-unfinished living room.
"I am sorry," Ernesto said to her. "We're boring you."
Helen said she was the one who should apologize. Her mind was wandering.
"What would you like us to talk about?" Ernesto asked.
"Garry's told me about your project," she said. "It sounds interesting. Ambitious."
She smiled at him and I could tell Ernesto liked her. Almost every man I ever met liked Helen. She seemed open and sincere and totally without guile, and her short hair was highlighted in a way that made it seem as if she'd just walked out of the sun. She also had a husky voice that more than a few men told me they found sexy.
Ernesto talked about Tierra Grande, but most of it was stuff I already knew. Now it was my turn to zone out, and I wondered if Helen could really be serious about the wallpaper, which I found overbearing.
"Now your husband is getting bored," Ernesto said. He threw out his hands. "I don't know what to do. I can't keep both of you interested at the same time."
I grinned. "I am interested, Ernesto. I think Tierra Grande will be where everyone wants to live. Everyone who can afford it."
We all laughed. Politely, as I recall.
And then Helen raised a question I'd been wondering about, but had considered improper to pose. Coming from me, it would have sounded as if I were suspicious or had a hidden agenda. Coming from Helen, it sounded like genuine curiosity.
What my wife asked was this: "Where are you getting the money?"
Ernesto raised his wine to his lips. I noticed a cloud over his eyes, but then they brightened, as if he had just thought of the perfect answer.
"The money comes from many sources. I have access to lots of capital. As do you, I understand."
Helen smiled again and blushed a little. "It all depends," she said. "I deal with emerging markets. At least we hope they'll emerge someday."
Halfway through the bar, on our way to the parking lot, we all stopped when we heard a voice call out Ernesto's name. The voice was hard and flat and twanged, and it reminded me of cactus and tumbleweed.
Ernesto froze. I glanced at him and saw the side of his face for only a second but he looked like a man who had just unearthed something that he thought was buried forever.
He turned around and straightened and assumed a dignified mask.
We were approached by a man in his mid-forties. He was more than six feet tall, with salty hair that had once been blond. The crinkles around his eyes gave away a life spent outdoors.
"Ernesto Rodriguez. I thought it was you."
He put out his hand, which Ernesto accepted without enthusiasm.
Ernesto asked the man why he was in Miami.
"Bidness," he said. "The same as always. Bidness and opportunity."
Suddenly I stopped seeing him. Because a woman had come up beside. She was almost a foot shorter than he was and should have been overwhelmed but she had dark skin and darker eyes and long straight hair parted in the middle and she wore diamond earrings and a necklace with a crucifix and a simple black dress that showed a hint of cleavage.
I heard Ernesto murmur in Spanish how good it was to see her again and heard him say the name: Magdalena.
Soon there were introductions all around. I was pleased that Ernesto now pronounced my surname the way I preferred -- Dock-er-ty, a set of syllables that rise from the mists of Gaelic. The man with the tumbleweed voice was Frank Hedges. He and Ernesto had been in bidness together a long time ago. The woman was Hedges' wife.
"I'm glad I found you, Ernesto," Hedges said. "There are some things I want to discuss. Bidness opportunities."
"Now is not the time or the place," Ernesto said.
"Then I'll call you tomorrow. Bright and early."
Copyright © 2001 by Tom Coffey
Tom Coffey
Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) An intriguing tale of obsession and betrayal.
Booklist A nicely constructed, atmospheric thriller.
Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) The ending is an edgy thrill...Coffey captures South Florida like a native.
Book Cover Image (jpg): Miami Twilight
More books from this author: Tom Coffey


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Q: HTML find and replace href tags
Possible Duplicate:
What is the best way to parse html in C#?

I am parsing an HTML file. I need find all the href tags in an html and replace them
with a text friendly version.
Here is an example.
Original Text: click here
replacement value: click here <http://foo.bar>

How do I achieve this?

A: You could use the Html Agility Pack library, with a code like this:
        HtmlDocument doc = new HtmlDocument();
        doc.Load(myHtmlFile); // load your file

        // select recursively all A elements declaring an HREF attribute.
        foreach (HtmlNode node in doc.DocumentNode.SelectNodes("//a[@href]"))
        {
            node.ParentNode.ReplaceChild(doc.CreateTextNode(node.InnerText + " <" + node.GetAttributeValue("href", null) + ">"), node);
        }

        doc.Save(Console.Out); // output the new doc.

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