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Conservative Party Conference 2021
Labour Party Conference 2021
Capture of independent sectoral regulators
Capture is an ever present risk to the benefits of independent sectoral regulation. The primary mode of capture may shift over time. Political capture', or undue influence, is a key current threat.
Conventionally, 'capture' is the tendency for regulators to take decisions that are biased in favour of the interests of the industry they regulate rather than the customers or wider society on whose behalf they regulate.
The archetype is capture of appointment of the regulator him or herself. In 1887, the Interstate Commerce Commission was established to regulate prices of the US railroad "robber barons". The industry secured the appointment of a lawyer as chairman, with strong experience of railroad industry … acquired by acting on behalf of his railroad clients. The regulator soon operated as the co-ordinator of the railroad cartel.
But even without such blatant capture, regulators commonly suffer from capture in more subtle ways.
One way is encroaching capture of a regulator's staff through sheer weight of engagement with the regulated industry. Regulatory staff have frequent contact with the industry to secure the information and deep sectoral expertise they need. It's human nature for views to tend to become 'socialised' with those whom we come frequently into contact with. As John Kay has put it: "…Many of the people who run regulated companies are agreeable, committed individuals who are properly affronted by any suggestion that their activities do not serve the public good. Few members of the public, by contrast, ever make contact with a regulatory agency … .So even the regulator with the best intentions comes to see issues in much the same way as the corporate officers he deals with every day. You require both an abrasive personality and considerable intellectual curiosity to do the job in any other way."
This form of capture may act principally to influence the regulatory agenda: the set of issues that are looked at and prioritised by the regulator. It may therefore be less easy to spot than capture of the decisions themselves. Some believe that one example was Oftel's
prioritisation of the issue of resale over Local Loop Unbundling and challenging the dominant telecoms operator BT. Another example may be the attention that has historically been paid to the issue of financing costs in the water sector.
How can regulators guard against this route to capture … apart from cultivating more abrasive personalities?
Regulators need regular external review and challenge of their priorities – from strong non-executive board members, quinquennial reviews, outside advisers like Ofwat's Future Regulation Advisory Panel, and from the OFT (in future, the Competition and Markets Authority). Regulators must spend enough time engaging directly with voices other than the regulated industry, including entrants, and customers (unmediated by regulated industry).
Negotiated settlement – direct negotiation between the regulated industry and customers under regulatory oversight – is one important approach to countervailing regulatory capture, where it can be made to work in a given sector. The Civil Aviation Authority has used negotiated settlement. Both Ofwat and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland are experimenting with Customer Challenge Groups: local, independent groups including customers and customer representatives, who are playing a key role in the price reviews by challenging companies' business plans.
A third form of capture is when a sectoral regulator effectively 'captures' itself, though its own historic way of doing things. A regulator may naturally be committed to particular regulatory processes that it has spent time and effort honing, but that commitment may outlive the usefulness of the processes. Relatedly, a regulator may become captured by a way of thinking that its historic regulatory approach nurtures. For example, a certain 'command and control' way of thinking may arise from an historic regulatory approach – like Ofwat's – of prescribing the details of standards, outputs and tariffs. These effects may be reinforced by regulatory staff simply becoming comfortable doing what they have long done.
What may have worked in a previous period is not necessarily best approach today. The world is constantly changing: more demanding customers; environmental and economic challenges; technological developments; rising commodity scarcity; increased sector maturity; opportunities for new markets; new entrants. A regulator captured by its historic approaches will tend to overlook, or even resist, a need for change in regulatory approach in response.
'Self-capture' can be reinforced by external interests vested in the historic ways of doing things. Stakeholders who wish to see a market made to deliver certain outcomes may not, for example, welcome a change of regulatory approach away from command and control. The regulated industry too may act reinforce this form of capture if the historic regulatory processes tend to protect incumbents, if the industry has learnt how to 'game' current processes, or if a culture of 'dependency' on the regulatory processes has developed.
It is hard for regulators not to suffer from some 'self-capture'. Again John Kay: "It requires a considerable effort of imagination to visualise that any industry might be organised very differently from the way that industry is organised now."
To combat this tendency, there is a case for regular disruptive change, to stop processes and cultures getting too entrenched. Disruptive change could focus on overhauling the overall regulatory model. Ofwat's Future Price Limits project is an example. Current market reform in the water sector is also a key disruptive change. Change could focus on personnel, perhaps substantially slimming down a regulator between each regulatory cycle. For Ofwat, opening a London office helped refresh the organisation. Most radically, change could be institutional, replacing or merging regulators, as has happened to Offer, Ofgas, Oftel, Postcomm and others: Of course the benefits need to be weighed against the inevitable costs of institutional change.
The fourth mode of 'capture' is through politics, in other words the undue influence of politics over the proper domain of independent regulation.
A quarter century ago, one key reason for the policy innovation of independent sectoral regulators was to secure independence from politicians. Politicians are lobbied by industry and other sectional interests and politicians feel understandable pressure to respond to this and to the short-term political imperatives of the day. Independent sectoral regulators were created to take a number of – narrow – decisions, sheltered from political pressure and volatility (within clear statutory duties). Regulators' decisions often shape the environment for major investments in long-lived assets, and stat independence reduces the political risk premium for investors. In water, huge investment – well over £100 billion in 23 years – has been achieved at low cost.
But are some now forgetting the reasons for such independence from undue political influence? Politicians are naturally tempted to secure their objectives using tools that are available, and economic regulators can be potentially powerful tools. Over time governments have increasingly acted on this temptation.
Of course political involvement in the regulated sectors is inevitable, and appropriate. But where, and the way, politicians get involved affects the unintended costs of that involvement. John Kay: "There needs to be ultimate political responsibility, but the wise minister will exercise it extremely sparingly, and may wish to tie him or herself to the mast to avoid the siren voices of the Today programme."
The way politicians have sought to achieve their – legitimate – political objectives on the environment has been the main case study in increasing political influence over sectoral regulators. Beginning with the Renewable Obligation through to the Energy Bill and Electricity Market Reform, governments have increasingly taken into their own hands the detailed specification of contracts and market outcomes, increasingly limiting the role of the market and economic regulator. Moreover, rising energy bills – as a result of higher international energy prices and government energy policies – have led to strong political pressure on the independent regulator to take action … about something else: "improving competition" in the energy retail market. This has led to joint government / independent regulator proposals to restrict numbers of energy tariffs.
Fiscal policy, and particularly deficit reduction, is another driver of costly political influence. For example, governments have resisted the regulator's proposals for more on-rail competition – and the potential benefits for customers and the economy – instead prioritising economic rents to the Exchequer from monopoly franchises.
There also appears to be a trend towards directly reigning in the independence of sectoral regulators' boards. A number of board appointments have recently been for shorter terms, and ministers have taken an increasingly hands-on role in the appointment processes of non-executive directors.
There is a risk that increasing willingness of governments to interfere in regulated sectors emboldens vested interests, who try to influence economic regulation by going around the independent regulator to government.
But it is important not to paint too gloomy a picture. Independent regulation continues to deliver benefits through providing a degree of regulatory certainty. And the Department for Business is implementing a strong new competition regulator, in the Competition and Markets Authority. Can steps be taken to maintain the benefits of independent regulation in the face of the emerging trend toward politicisation?
Of course regulators must maintain a clear-sighted focus on discharging their statutory duties, including to protect the interests of customers. But there can be immense pressure on regulators to roll with the political tide. It may be that independent regulation is an innovation that can't be sustained in the long term. Stephen Littlechild's original report did envisage economic regulation as a largely transitional phenomenon (on the road to competition). Or can we envisage a new settlement? Perhaps with a greater role for the Competition and Markets Authority, which may be more protected from undue political influence. And perhaps there is scope for a greater role for the Department of Business in relation to sectoral regulators, drawing a clearer line between independent sectoral regulation and the delivery of wider government policy objectives.
This article originally appeared on the Regulatory Policy Institute's website
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SingularityNET partners with Entertech to create AI-powered neurotech
SingularityNET, a full-stack AI solution powered by a decentralized protocol has announced a new partnership with Chinese neurotechnology firm Entertech to create AI-powered neurotech for the consumer and the enterprise markets.
Entertech is a Hangzhou-based electronic technology company, focused on neuroscience R&D and the creation and application of state-of-art consumer-level EEG products. The firm's experience with applied EEG analytics is extensive, including applications in education, psychological health, VR and many more areas. As a result of this work, Entertech has accumulated millions of instances of first-hand EEG data from individuals engaged in various sorts of tasks.
The purpose of this partnership is to use SingularityNET's AI to analyze the data gathered from Entertech's EEG measurement products. This will allow people to regulate their states of mind better so as to guide their daily lives and their meditative experiences. It will also help enterprise employees better monitor and self-regulate their states of consciousness on the job to improve both their job performance and their satisfaction.
At present, the main products of Entertech include mind-controlled racing cars, a brainwave analysis eye mask, a fatigue-level detection helmet, and a meditation headband. Enterprise applications are a major focus; for example, Entertech has already deployed more than 10 thousand customized helmets, as one of many future orders to come, for the China State Grid to measure its workers' fatigue levels by analyzing their brainwaves.
On the consumer side, by the end of 2018, Entertech will launch a pioneering meditation headband, called Flowtime, with a dual channel of brainwave and heart-rate sensors.
Flowtime will be the world's first dual-channel acquisition product supporting EEG and heart-rate observation at the same time. Designed to be elegant and comfortable, and weighing only 22g — the lightest EEG headband on the market — Flowtime will enable the monitoring of brainwaves (4 EEG channels), heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) during meditation and other states of mind. The hardware generates detailed reports, giving the user information about their level of meditation, arousal, and effect.
Mental and Physical Health
Lately, an ever-increasing number of individuals have embraced meditation, yoga, and other consciousness expansion techniques to enrich their lives and to achieve a greater mental and physical health. Various Apps, such as Headspace, have emerged to provide guidance in weaving such methods into our busy modern lifestyles.
The next step in the evolution of these apps is biofeedback and neurofeedback, which will enable individuals to monitor signals reflecting their mind and body states and thus tune and self-regulate their experiences more effectively.
At the same time, awareness about the importance of attending to the human mind and body states is also pervading the enterprise. Modern companies are increasingly realizing that to optimize their effectiveness, they need to pay closer attention to their employees' mental and physical well being. Some aspects of this are old-fashioned and commonsensical, such as allowing flexible work hours and building venues for creativity and re-energizing relaxation into the work environment. Other aspects are more hi-tech — such as the use of AI and neurotechnology to enable the employees to understand their mind and body states better so that they can self-regulate in a more knowing and nuanced way.
Technological advances have now made it possible to inexpensively manufacture lightweight devices measuring brain waves and the associated physiological signals, such as heart rate. The data gathered by these devices is complex and requires advanced artificial intelligence for its full interpretation. By putting next-step neurotech devices together with advanced AI, we can provide individuals with a detailed understanding of what is going on in their bodies and minds — measuring a person's emotions, arousal and alertness, and even the depth of meditation an individual is undertaking.
SingularityNET to port a portion of its AI network to Cardano blockchain
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SingularityNET, a decentralized AI marketplace powered by blockchain, announced today an updated roadmap for the SingularityNET platform Beta development for the first half of 2020. The roadmap includes a series of important steps oriented...
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SingularityNET, a provider of decentralized AI technology, announced today the successful integration of PayPal payments into their blockchain-based artificial intelligence (AI) marketplace. The PayPal integration was first announced during the initial SingularityNET V2...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Chimpanzee Tea Party: What do you want to be when you grow up little Sammy?
What do you want to be when you grow up little Sammy?
How about a Supreme Court Justice?
Wednesday's meeting was described as a relaxed, get-acquainted session. It included Roberts, seven associate justices and Vice President-elect Joe Biden.
The absence of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who was at the court Wednesday morning for arguments in two cases, was a mystery. He has, however, voiced lingering anger over Senate Democrats, including Obama and Biden, who voted against his confirmation three years ago. When walking on Capitol Hill, Alito has said, he crosses to the far side of the street whenever he nears the Senate Office Building.


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Horoscopes 2023
Joe Jonas Biography, Life, Interesting Facts
Birthday :
Also Known For :
Pop Singer, Actor
Casa Grande, Arizona, United States of America
Chinese Zodiac :
Birth Element :
Joseph Adam Jonas is an American actor and singer born on August 15, 1989. He is known as a member of the pop-rock band Jonas Brothers, which consist of his two other brothers. Though their debut album It's About Time, 2006 failed commercially; they went on to release a second studio album that was successful selling about two million copies in the United States alone. In 2011, Joe Jonas debuted as a solo artist and released the album Fastlife consisting singles like See No More and Just in Love.
In 2015, he formed the band DNCE and had since released the single Cake by the Ocean. Efforts to reunite the Jonas Brothers in 2013 had failed. Jonas and his brothers also ventured into acting, starring in Disney Channel series like Camp Rock: The Final Jam and Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream.
Joe Jonas was born to Denise and Paul Kelvin Jonas on August 15, 1989, in Casa Grande, Arizona. He was the second child of four by his parents. Jonas and his brothers interest in music may have been inspired by their father since he was a musician and songwriter. His father was also a minister at the Assemblies of God church which resulted in Jonas and his other brothers being brought up religiously. Despite his upbringing, Jonas once stated that "I believe in God, and that's a personal relationship that I have, but I'm not religious in any way."
Career, Jonas Brothers
Joseph Adam Jonas and his two brothers Nick and Kelvin made a music debut in 2005 after recording the song, Please Be Mine. The song caught the attention of the President of Columbia Records Steve Greenberg, who saw the prospects of the boys and therefore signed them in 2005. They later arrived at the name Jonas Brothers after the previous suggestion of names like Sons of Jonas. That same year, they had the opportunity to tour with big guys in the music industry like Kelly Clarkson, Jesse McCartney, Jump5, The Click Five and the Backstreet Boys. All this while, they were working on their debut studio album. I the latter part of 2015, Jonas Brothers released the single Mandy.
However, their much-awaited album delayed due to managerial changes and structuring of Sony, the parent company of Columbia. To keep them active, the band was involved in Disney Channel linked soundtracks and rolled on tour with Aly & J. Eventually the band released its debut album It was About Time on August 8, 2006. However, with a declined interest in the band, Columbia records did push the album resulting in the release of 50,000 copies and later a total sale of 67,000 in the US. The Jonas Brothers were dropped from the Columbia label in 2007. The band signed a contract with Hollywood Records to release their second album. Prior to that, they were engaged in several promotional activities, to build on their popularity. On August 7, 2007, the group released their debut self-titled album with Hollywood Records.
The album was a huge commercial success as compared to their previous ones selling over two million copies in the U.S alone. The album also made it onto the top five on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. They later released the single S.O.S, which sold 1.5 million copies and made it into the top 20 hit in the Billboard Hot 100.
Jonas Brothers continued with their electrifying career with the 2008 release of the third studio album A Little Bit Longer. The album sold 525,000 in the first week and made a total sale of over two million in the United States. The album reached platinum status and topped the Billboard 200 chart.
The band later released their fourth albums like Lines, Vines and Trying Time in 2009. In September 2012, Jones Brothers performed in Russia. The group, which has gone on hiatus since 2011, decided to make a comeback in 2013 with the release of their fifth album to be titled V. Nonetheless, the comeback canceled all their comeback activities including their tour, and the band was disbanded in 2013.
Gaining popularity in the music circles, Joe Jonas and his brothers ventured into acting. Their debut role was in the 17 episode of the Disney series Hannah Montana's Me and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas. With their debut success on acting, the brother starred in the Disney series Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream.
The brothers then graduated to the big screen making a film debut in 2008 in the Disney Channel film Camp Rock. Their next film was Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience released on February 27, 2009. It was a huge success and placed sixth in a highest-grossing concert film. On May 2, 2009, Jonas and his other brothers featured in their second Disney Channel series, JONASwhich at the final season changed to Jonas L.A.Jonas also starred in Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.
Solo Career
Joe Jonas ventured into asolo career and released his debut duet. This Is Me. The song sold about 900,000 copies in the United States and made it to the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2011 he released the single See No More from the album Fastlife which was not a commercial success and did bad on the Billboard Hot 100 chart reaching 92. Fastlife was released on October 11, 2011, making an 18,000 copies sale in the first week and made a total sale of 45,000 copies by the end of 2015.
2015–Present: DNCE
After the disbandment of Jonas Brothers, he worked on some personal projects working with singers like Justine Tranter as well as producers like Malay and Mattman& Robin. That was when he decided to form a new band with Jack Lawless and JinJoo Lee and Cole Whittle former member of the band Semi Precious Weapons. The band was named DNCE and released a debut single Cake by the Ocean in 2015. It was followed by a debut extended play that made it to 72th on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S.
August 15 Horoscope
More Singers
Bobby Vinton
More People From Arizona
Chase Hudson
Jared Lee Loughner
FaZe Adapt
R. C. Gorman
More People From United States of America
Steve Ballmer
More Leo People
John Stamos
Andrew Taylor Still
More Chinese Snake People
Nia Kay
Peter Mandelson
Patricia Dunn
© 2017 SunSigns.Org


What has happened between 2007-2012?
In most areas smaller unit sizes (1 bedroom flats), which are more dependent on availability of credit/mortgage finance, have underperformed the capital performance of houses.
The exception is Balham where yields on 1 bedroom flats were 6% in 2008 thus attracting buy-to-let investors along the Northern Line spine (small flats in Balham have outperformed thosein Battersea).
The house market has benefited as capital/equity has been redeployed from other areas.
In the last three years, as infrastructure projects have been given the go ahead, all unit sizes in Battersea Park have outperformed other areas.
In Battersea Park, Battersea, Clapham and Balham all unit sizes have protected real income by delivering above-inflation rental growth.
Over the past 15 years the area has benefited from a significant growth in overseas buyers and renters moving into grids popular with domestic residents.
With current standing yields for 1 bedroom flats at 5%, and re-rating infrastructure projects imminent, we expect the area to continue to outperform much of the rest of D&G (S/W) land*.
At an annualised rate of 4% over 15 yearsinflation will erode your real income by 44%.
To protect real income an asset must generate income growth that matches inflation.
Different property unit sizes across D&G (S/W) land have shown different rates of rental growth but all have matched or exceeded inflation.
Chart 3 compares the annual dividend growth for equities versus annual rental growth for a standard 2 bedroom flat in D&G (S/W) land between 1997–2012.
The right-hand bars show that the initial yield was higher on the 2 bedroom flats (7.5%) than on the FTSE 100 (3.2%).
The middle bars show that rental growth (4%) was higher on the 2 bedroom flats than dividend growth (2%) on equities. RPI was close to 3%.
The left-hand bars show that the annualised capital return for the flat (8% p/a) was much higher than for equities (1%).
D&G Research covers all 14 of the London areas where Douglas & Gordon has an office, a full sales and lettings team and long-standing, proprietary and reliable data. The chart (above) gives an idea of the relative position of the different areas from the perspective of average PSF and rental yields. If you would like to read research on other D&G areas, or talk to either our research team or a negotiator in one of the offices, please contact Andrew Monteath, Head of Research D&GAM on info@dngam.com.


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Tags: News, Local
San Antonio father needs bone marrow match to beat leukemia
01/20/2020 KSAT12 News at 6 p.m.
The realities of being a foster parent
Stinson Municipal Airport tower to close in April
Stinson closure part of FAA sequestration plan
The Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday that the tower at Stinson Municipal Airport will close due to sequestration.
Pilots who use the airport said the closure will have an impact on safety.
According to Michael Welborn, KSAT 12's helicopter pilot, it's not a question if an accident will happen, but when it will occur.
"There are times when you have five or six airplanes in the air, and there's going to be a lot of chatter," Welborne said. "It's going to be very confusing, I believe. In my opinion, they're going to have a major accident out here because of this tower not being open."
Currently, the tower is unmanned from 10 p.m. to 7 p.m. During that time, a communication system allows pilots to let each other know what they are doing.
Municipal airports in New Braunfels and San Marcos are also among 149 towers on the nationwide closure list.
The closures are expected to be conducted over a four-week span beginning April 7.
"We heard from communities across the country about the importance of their towers and these were very tough decisions," Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a news release. "Unfortunately, we are faced with a series of difficult choices that we have to make to reach the required cuts under sequestration."
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said the agency will work with airports and operators to make sure "procedures are in place to maintain a high level of safety at non-towered airports."
Copyright 2013 by KSAT.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


New additions to Santa Ynez Valley's charming town of Los Olivos make a fun-filled summer road trip or weekend.LOS OLIVOS, CA – 08-22-2017 (Press Release Jet) — The small and quaint town of Los Olivos – the jewel of Santa Ynez Valley smack dab in the middle of Santa Barbara wine country— is a step back in time. Dating back to its origin in 1887, this historic town is also a hub of award-winning wines, world-class cuisine and chic fashion and art.
Downtown Los Olivos, with its flagpole in the center of town, is a walkable 5-block area, full of wine tasting, art galleries, boutique shops and restaurants, many of which are housed in 100-year-old buildings. Near the flagpole is the new location of Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. where you can sip on locally crafted beers in the garden. Just up the street is the new tasting room of Ca' Del Grevino winery, pouring Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from vineyards in the famed Santa Maria Valley AVA. Other places to taste are Epiphany Wines and The Bubble Shack, with their gorgeous outdoor lounge, plus specialty beers and small-lot wines at the newly opened Community Craft and Story of Soil.
When you need a bite to eat, try the classic Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café or new eatery The Bear and Star at the family-run Fess Parker Wine Country Inn. (And yes, we mean actor Fess Parker of Davy Crockettand Daniel Boone fame.) After years at Big Sur's acclaimed Post Ranch Inn, Chef John Cox is now cooking up farm-to-table, refined ranch cuisine 3 meals a day at the Inn. The menu revolves around heirloom produce and animals that are all grown and raised on the Parker family's 714-acre cattle ranch nearby. Rooms are luxurious and newly updated, also a pool and spa.
Then check out vintage and new designer women's apparel (men's rack coming soon!) at The Style Junction in their new location across from St. Mark's-in-the-Valley church—where public restrooms and free wi-fi is offered. Don't miss the whimsical J. Woeste in Los Olivos, a magical place full of wonderful must-have plants, garden art, and home accessories. You can pamper yourself with a massage or facial at a santé spa, then relax with a glass of wine or cocktail at Ca' del Grevino or The Bear and Star—both stay open late for thirsty guests.
For the original news story, please visit https://pressreleasejet.com/news/food-wine-beer-style-in-historic-los-olivos-ca.html.


The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association has identified the following priorities for 2016.
1. Pre-emption of Local Paid and Unpaid Leave Ordinances (SB 333 and HB 184) — Work to pass legislation that would prohibit local municipalities and political subdivisions from passing paid and unpaid leave ordinances. All leave legislation would be implemented on the state level which would offer much needed uniformity for multi-store operators.
2. Raising the Minimum Presumptive Price for Cigarettes (Hennessey and SB 691 Mensch bills) — Provide an increase in the minimum presumptive price for cigarettes by raising the percentage mark-up from 6 percent to 7 percent for retailers. The language for this legislation is also currently contained in HB 1327 (fiscal code).
3. Alcohol Wholesale and Retail Sales Reform — Work to update state alcohol sales and distribution laws to allow our members to sell adult beverages (beer, wine and spirits) in their store locations. *PFMA is neutral on HB 466 (Turzai).
Convenience Store Permits (HB 1733) — PFMA supports HB 1733 which would create a convenience store permit for off-premises sales of malt and brewed beverages. This legislation will enhance the choice, convenience and selection Pennsylvania residents are demanding from companies and elected officials.
4. Change the SNAP Disbursement Schedule — Adjust the SNAP disbursement schedule to allow for a staggered approach to providing benefits to recipients across the Commonwealth. Currently recipients receive their benefits in the first ten days of the month.
5. Increase Retailer Incentives and Commission For Lottery Sales — Work with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, the Pennsylvania Lottery and the state legislature to increase the commission for retailers selling lottery tickets. Currently retailers receive a 5% commission on every ticket sold.
6. Creation of Commerce Courts (HB 323 and SB 1043) — PFMA supports this concept generally, and legislation by Rep. Seth Grove (HB 323) and Senator Stewart Greenleaf specifically, which would allow the Superior Court or a court of common pleas to establish from available funds a commerce court program that shall have specialized jurisdiction over appeals relating to the internal affairs, governance, dissolution, liquidation, rights or obligations between or among owners of business enterprises; and disputes between or among business enterprises relating to a transaction, business relationship, or contract.
7. Maintaining current retail application process for WIC during E-WIC transition — Allow retailers to continue to apply and receive approval for pending and future WIC applications during the transition to E-WIC by the Pennsylvania Department of Health from 2017-2020.
1. Mandatory GMO Labeling — Oppose attempts to mandate GMO labeling on consumer products.
2. Increasing the State Cigarette Tax or Instituting New Taxes on OTP or E-Cigarettes — Defeat any proposed increases to the state cigarette tax as well as the implementation of new taxes on e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.
3. Increasing the Minimum Wage (multiple House and Senate proposals) — Work to stop minimum wage increases on the state level from its current rate of $7.25 per hour.
*SB 610 (Wagner — PFMA is neutral on Senator Wagner's bill to increase the minimum wage to $8.75 over three years.
4. State Sales Tax Rate Increase and Base Expansion — Halt attempts to raise the state sales tax from 6% and expand the base to additional products.
5. Reducing or Eliminating the Sales Tax Vendor Allowance — Maintain the current 1 percent Vendor Sales Tax Collection Allowance so that retailers can continue to be reimbursed for the administrative costs they incur for functioning as tax collectors for the State.


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Philips Launches New Hue Smart Lighting Products
By Tyler Lee, on 06/16/2020 02:57 PDT
A report from a couple of weeks ago suggested that Philips could be working on new Hue bulbs that could be brighter than its predecessors. If you've always felt that smart lighting solutions like the Hue bulbs were a bit too dim compared to regular bulbs, then you might be interested to learn about the company's latest offerings.
Starting with a more regular bulb, this bulb will offer a 1,600 lumen output that's equivalent to a 100W bulb. It features an A21 fitting but unfortunately, it is only available in a white color option, so no RGB if that's what you were looking for.
Next up, Philips has also introduced an updated version of the Hue Lightstrip Plus. Unlike the previous Lightstrip series, this new model will be Bluetooth enabled. This means that users won't need to deal with owning a hub, although if you already own the Hue hub, it will be compatible as well. It will also support up to eight extensions.
Last but not least, Philips has given its Hue Bloom table lamp an update and slight redesign. It will be brighter compared to the previous Hue Bloom and offers white light of up to 500 lumens. If these new lighting products are of interest to you, the Hue White A21 bulb will be priced at $20, the Lightstrip Plus at $79.99 with extensions priced at $24.99 each, and the Hue Bloom at $69.99.
Filed in Gadgets >Home. Read more about Connected Objects, IoT (Internet of Things), Philips and Social Hit. Source: macrumors
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LET THERE BE WHITE | Swiish - Fashion, Beauty, & Lifestyle.
A Little White Dress (LWD) is as essential to warmer weather as sunscreen and ice blocks. It's something that we can't live without and just like a Little Black Dress, we wear it with anywhere and everywhere.
We can't think of anything chicer than wearing a gorgeous white dress with leather tie-up sandals to a weekend brunch on a sunny day or with heels to a summer cocktail soirée. Ahhhh, can you tell we love summer?!
Because the LWD is a staple in every woman's wardrobe, we love seeing the modern update on it each year. This year, the LWD is all about fringing and lace. Both styles are incredibly versatile and can be styled to suit any occasion for work and play.
Below, we've rounded up our favourite ways to wear the LWD.


Life is a beautiful thing, filled with adventure, opportunity, and potentially blissful moments with the people we care about most.
But, unfortunately, life isn't just those positive things. Life also has plenty of hardship, disappointment, turbulence, and stress in store, and no matter how carefully we manage our own lifestyles, it's inevitable that we will have to find ways to push forward despite being disheartened and facing hardship, from time to time.
A key message to take from the example of the great thinkers and doers of history, however, is that the human spirit has what it takes to surpass those hardships and live well, as long as we keep our focus directed properly.
Here are a few tips for keeping your spirits up when times are tough.
Often, when times are tough, one of the first things that happens is that people neglect themselves aggressively – in a way that they could never justify doing to a loved one.
If you feel like your plans are falling apart around you, and everything is going wrong, one of the worst things you could do would be to completely give up on taking care of yourself.
If you feel that you're compelled to throw your hands up in the air, stop cleaning your house, and just collapse into bed with the curtains drawn, it's very important that you maintain positive momentum in the opposite direction, by forcing you to go through the basic motions of taking care of yourself.
If you have a hearing aid, for example, don't neglect your hearing aid care routine. If you work from home and could easily spend three days in the same pair of clothes, force yourself to get dressed each morning.
Small lapses in self-care compound and can lead to real personal crises in a short space of time.
When times are tough, it often becomes painfully obvious to us that we are pretty vulnerable in a variety of ways.
One of the most essential keys to moving past these moments of hardship, and doing meaningful things with our lives, all the same, is to look to a higher force or purpose to direct our efforts.
If you're religious, this would naturally be a deity. If you're an agnostic, it could be "the universe" or "your ancestors." If you're an atheist, it could just be the potential future self that you're working to do the best for.
Regardless of your beliefs, you could be motivated to look past your own problems in order to do the best for your loved ones.
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" is how a famous quote from Lao Tzu runs, and there's a very deep message contained in that excerpt.
When times are tough, it's important not to project your vision too far into the future, and sabotage yourself as a result. Instead, narrow your time horizon, and focus on what you have to achieve this week, this day, or even this hour.
Work on doing whatever you can each day to move things in a better direction, even if all you can manage are small steps. Simply tidying up the house and washing the dishes is a lot better than nothing.
Looking after your finances can be stressful, and as much as we don't want it to dictate our lives, it can at times be an issue. But there are plenty of options to help you generate money when you need it, and this guide will help you with just that! Everyone should be able to live a little more comfortable and having the finances certainly helps with that.
There's so much money to be made from using the internet nowadays, whether that's getting your head around matched better or filling in online surveys. Businesses and organizations need data, so they look to surveys, and statistics to provide just that. Online surveys are everywhere and there are a few websites that offer those willing to spend a little bit of time answering questions, a cash incentive. Each one offers a varying amount, so sign up to a few and work out which one is best for you. Surveys will be varied and can cover any aspect of your life and lifestyle. They can also vary in length so if you have plenty of spare time on your hands, then online surveys are definitely worth your time.
Loans should always be taken with caution as taking out too many can cause more financial problems in the long run. However, sometimes a loan is needed when going through some financial difficulty. It's always best to use what savings you have to pay towards something or alternatively a credit card. If you do take out a loan though, try to stick with a bank loan rather than one from an unfamiliar organization that might end up being a loan shark. When you get a loan, make sure you pay it back as soon as possible and don't allow it to just sit there, especially if it's gaining interest. Use a finance calculator to help calculate the monthly repayments. The sooner you pay it off the better and just remember that at the end of the day, it isn't your money.
It's always good to set aside some savings for the unexpected things in life. Life can end up throwing you a few curveballs so it's a good idea to have an emergency fund that you put any spare money in when you can, either on your own or with your partner. A good way to make sure you save is to set up a regular transfer into a bank account that you're unable to touch or have access to for a period of time. It'll then seem like another weekly or monthly expense and something you'll forget about eventually. Before you know it, you'll have a nice, sizeable fund to lean back on as a safety net when needed.
Set yourself a financial goal, whether that's weekly, monthly or yearly to help keep you motivated when saving money. The more goals you achieve, the more motivation you'll have to continue.
Have a side business or side hustle is useful for generating some extra income alongside your usual paycheck. Perhaps there's something you've always been passionate about pursuing whether that's selling knitted clothing on Etsy or running your own blog. With the internet, there's so much power available at your fingertips, and with the right knowledge and drive, you can end up creating a successful business that will come in handy when funds may be lacking.
If you need some inspiration, jot down everything you're skillful at and do a little research about setting up a business and whether there's room in the industry or market for you to sell your products or services. Don't be afraid to ask around to see whether your friends or family members do anything on the side that you might not have even known about.
Investing your money when you are able can be a great way of paying yourself a passive income in the future. Stock markets are a typical investment opportunity, and with enough knowledge, you can make anything from a few dollars to hundreds and thousands. Investing in property is also something that a lot of individuals will do in order to help pay towards big expenses and more importantly, retirement. If you are financially in a sweet spot, it might be a good idea to take advantage of this.
Generating extra money is a lot easier nowadays then it was before, and with enough determination, you can make some additional income that will help ease the stress of life and enables you to enjoy more of what life has to offer!
Beautiful, flawless, and always picture-perfect skin is sadly something that only the few genetically blessed are able to experience. The rest of us, on the other hand, will have to learn to know ourselves and what our skin prefers – as well as what it absolutely does not prefer.
Luckily, there are a few rules of thumbs when it comes to good skin health that might help you a bit along the way. It won't guarantee you that dewy look you've been looking for, of course, but it's going to make it a bit easier to prevent disastrous skin when you see it coming.
Here is a handful of things you should know about good skin care so that you can start to feel a bit more comfortable in the skin you're in.
The products you use on your skin during spring and summer won't necessarily be as good for you when the temperatures drop. Just like you tend to crave warm blankets and bottomless cups of tea during the cold season, your skin is going to crave moisture.
Take a look at the skincare products you have in your cabinet at the moment and consider if a few of them should be allowed to rest until summer is back for good.
Light creams, for example, and cleansing facial cleaners may not be as nourishing as richer products. Try to find some all good face exfoliators if you struggle with oily as well as dry skin, by the way, so that you can clear away dead skin cells without drying out your skin even more.
The most important thing you can do for your skin, after all, is to make sure that the creams you apply are suitable. Remember to use a rich hand and body lotion as well, by the way, and apply it as soon as you're dry after a shower.
Psoriasis is a common skin condition but this doesn't make it any less painful. The flare-ups do vary, though, and some people only have it on certain spots on their bodies – while others see their entire body covered in it from time to time.
Luckily, there are a few ways to make sure that the flare-ups are a bit fewer and less intense. Try to steer clear of alcohol the best you can, for example, as well as members of the nightshade family. Have a look at this article on psoriasis symptoms as well, by the way, in case you think you're about to develop the condition.
Finally, it's a good idea to think about the air you're in now that it's still rather cold and dry outside. This tends to affect your skin, after all, and it's typically dry skin that suffers the most. If you struggle a lot with this during the winter months, you should consider investing in an air humidifier at home. That way, your skin and hair will be just a bit happier when you're resting out after a long day.
Remember to cover your skin up when you're outside as well, though, and particularly in very sunny or cold weather. That way, you won't see any premature signs of ageing anytime soon and can focus on making your skin happy and healthy.


Image Description: Rash outbreaks tend to be triggered by external stimuli. Image shows children scratching effected areas.
Rash outbreaks tend to be triggered by external stimuli. Image shows children scratching effected areas.
Photograph of facial rash of scarlet fever.
3-d rendering of a dog highlighting common areas of atopic allergy.


I wish some old-fashioned things would come back into fashion. For instance, don't you wish you had a nice ice cream/dessert parlor you could take your date or kids to? The kind where you sit in a booth or at the counter and order an ice cream sundae, a shake, or some other kind of drink from the soda jerk. I vaguely remember the old Woolworths stores having a counter like that and once in a while you still see a retro ice cream parlor around. My husband and I used to go to one in Brooklyn (it could still be there) and I loved seeing the waitresses in their white uniforms and ordering some ice cream that came in one of those cold stainless steel bowls.
One of my favorite things in the world is ice cream soda. I love a Coke float! A couple of scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream with Coke poured over the top in a freezing cold glass makes me so happy. But now that I'm older, I've cut back significantly on treats like that (soda is pretty much out of my diet). However, I'm always on the lookout for lower calorie alternatives. I think the old-fashioned chocolate egg cream is a great option. It is so delicious and a much lighter alternative to a milk shake.
I always thought an "egg cream" would have eggs in it. Apparently not. In fact, there's no eggs, no cream, no ice cream even. I remember watching a cooking show a while back where they talked about this and I was intrigued, thinking "I have to get me one of those!" I never got around to it but with this blog in my life now, I've been motivated to try all these things I've been meaning to so here we are. The only things in the chocolate egg cream are milk, chocolate syrup (make it with a little cocoa powder, sugar and water), and seltzer. If you like chocolate and fizzy drinks, this is something for you. If you have a hankering for a milk shake, give this a go instead.
The chocolate egg cream was created a long time ago (like late 19th century long ago) and is said to have originated in Brooklyn, New York. Go Brooklyn! It is a 3-ingredient beverage. Ok, it's 4 ingredients if you make the syrup like we do here (I'm not counting the water). You need milk (go with lowfat or even skim to keep it healthier but whole milk would obviously work), seltzer water, and chocolate syrup.
This recipe comes from Ellie Krieger via the Food Network. I love Ellie Krieger, who is a nutritionist, and I really wish the Food Network would develop some more shows with her soon. She has great food and nutritional tips and healthy recipes that I can relate to and want to eat. This one for chocolate egg cream came out great.
This recipe makes enough to fill a large 16 oz. glass so you may need to adjust it a bit according to the size of your glass. Mine holds 12 ounces so I made some minor adjustments but this drink is very much to taste and we don't need to be too scientific about it.
You start by making your own chocolate syrup. It's very simple and better for you than something that comes in a squeeze bottle. It's made with about a tablespoon of cocoa powder, 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar, and a tablespoon of boiling hot water that you mix thoroughly together into a paste.
Once the syrup is made, add 1/2 cup cold milk into your glass. Slowly add the seltzer water and stir the bottom gently with a tall spoon. You'll see it foam and create a milky foam on top. Then, slowly drizzle in the chocolate syrup you made earlier. Stir the bottom gently, trying not to disturb that foam top, which does dissipate pretty quickly.
One more note, I tried making this with whole milk first since I had some in the fridge for baking. I also have skim milk, which I use for my morning cereal. I had read somewhere that low fat and skim milk will not foam up as well as whole milk. In my experience here, I didn't see much difference either way (the foam tends to disappear pretty fast either way) so I'll be sticking to the skim version for myself. Taste-wise, I thought it was very similar also. The picture below is one I made with skim milk. The first photo on the top of the post is one with whole milk. Looks about the same to me.
Make chocolate syrup: In a small cup or bowl, stir cocoa powder and sugar together. Add water and stir to make a paste. Set aside.
Put milk into a tall fountain glass. Slowly add seltzer water, stirring gently, with a long spoon. Drizzle the chocolate syrup in slowly, trying not to disturb the signature foam on top. Stir gently, and serve immediately with a pretzel rod (is using), as the white foam on top goes away quickly.
Note: I've used a slightly different technique that also works and might be easier to remember. First pour the syrup into your glass, add the milk and stir the two together until combined. Then add the seltzer water, beginning to stir with a tall spoon about midway. Fill the glass up to the top with seltzer, giving it one last gentle stir before serving.


text:
OPINION | EDITORIALS
Are we inching closer to World War III?
There are few things more terrifying than the unknown of a nuclear war. The simple press of a button could wipe out entire countries — entire continents.
The uncharted territory of nuclear destruction is what caused Cold War-era Americans to live each day in fear. They lived in a constant panic. They existed on edge, knowing that a nuclear war could erupt at any moment and life as they knew it would cease to exist — they would cease to exist. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the Cold War is believed to have concluded. Unfortunately, I suspect we are on the verge of a similar scenario, with a much less level-headed man sitting behind the big red button.
North Korea has long been boasting about its ability to send nuclear missiles and bombs to the U.S. mainland and our Pacific holdings. In response, President Donald Trump has gleefully announced his "Mega-Bomb" capable of reaching North Korea. While these bombastic declarations may appear to be nothing more than a pissing match between power-hungry world leaders, I fear our nation and world are in great danger.
In the past few months, Trump has said many things that shake me to my very core. His position on nuclear war, however, is possibly the most petrifying. Far too many times, our commander in chief has spoken about the prospect of nuclear war with a ghastly glimmer in his eye.
As tensions between the U.S., Russia, China and North Korea intensify, America is creeping closer and closer to a second Cold War era leading up to World War III. In 2016, North Korea conducted two nuclear tests and just recently conducted a ballistic missile test. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has accused the U.S. and South Korea of conspiring against his country and has warned the U.S. not to "recklessly provoke" the nation, implying that a full-on nuclear war could be the result.
After Trump's missile strike on a Syrian military base last month, he showed Americans, as well as the world, that he has no problem with launching attacks when he sees fit. World leaders voiced their opinions of the attack with Syria, Russia and Iran criticizing the decision, while Saudi Arabia and Israel exulted the act.
It is my hypothesis that a nuclear attack will be the start of World War III and the end of the world. Despite our general lack of knowledge about nations like North Korea and Russia, they aren't the nations that I'm worried about causing the world to combust in combat. What concerns me most is the uncertainty of our own nation. Trump has blustered about our military's impressive weaponry and even claimed we should want to be "unpredictable" with nuclear weapons.
A world war this day in age would annihilate us all. With nuclear and chemical warfare on the table, conflict would escalate beyond what was seen in World War I and World War II.
I can certainly understand why people believe we shouldn't shy away from international attacks. We are a strong nation, and we want to be seen as such. But is it really worth it if it brings us to war? I feel our nation can remain strong and respected without bringing the world to the brink of destruction.
I hope as a nation we can begin to strive for peace, rather than escalating an already dangerous situation. With such high-risk weaponry in play, we have much more to worry about losing than our reputation.
Gecko goose chase: Police can't confirm if Facebook sleuths found missing $1,800 gecko


text:
Home Genome The Nightmare of Project Destiny
The Nightmare of Project Destiny
Posted By: Vicky Davison: May 15, 2009 In: GenomeNo Comments
That there would not be a connection between the Project Destiny as an initiative of the Pharmaceutical Industry Associations and the American Insurance Group's (AIG) secretive Project Destiny is unthinkable. But even if there isn't, Project Destiny deserves close scrutiny.
According to the Congressional testimony of Edward Liddy, CEO of AIG in yesterday's hearing, if AIG were to reveal the details of their version of Project Destiny, it would inhibit their ability to "restructure" the units of AIG's business that the taxpayers bought – and it would put their competitors at an advantage. In view of what the Pharmaceutical Industry's Project Destiny is about – and when coupled with the plans for the 'New Health Care' system, it makes me wonder if AIG isn't packaging up and selling off their professional liability policies for health care providers because my own seat of the pants risk analysis is that professional liability insurance isn't going to be a desirable business once the full picture of the 'New Health Care' system is revealed. And if that is what they are doing, then the American taxpayers are being set up for another bailout – or other insurance companies are being setup to buy toxic assets that will put them under – and then AIG will step back in and pick up the profitable assets after the "unlucky" insurance companies fail.
The Project Destiny that is being promoted by several large pharmaceutical corporations and pharmacy industry associations is to have a new health care specialty recognized – but before describing that, who's behind the initiative is most interesting:
Pharmaceutical Industry Supports Visionary Project Destiny Initiative, USA
The contributing companies are sanofi-aventis, GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer U.S. Pharmaceuticals and Wyeth. Representatives of these five pharmacy industry leaders will join with representatives of three pharmacy associations on the Project Destiny Industry Advisory Committee.
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) announced the initiative last month. The end result of Project Destiny will be the development of a strategic plan that validates community pharmacy's future role in the delivery of health care as a valuable and integral component, which is accepted and recognized by patients, payers and policymakers for the patient care services that they deliver.
The associations selected BearingPoint to execute the initiative, which will position the pharmacist as the medication expert and the key provider of medication therapy management services to patients. Bearing Point's evaluation is nearly half-way completed.
Who is Bearing Point?
See Note at the Bottom about this Source Watch entry.
Bearing Point – from Source Watch (go to the original article for hyperlinks)
BearingPoint was formerly KPMG Consulting Inc., the consulting division of the huge accounting firm KPMG LLP that was brought down in the Enron/Arthur Anderson scandal of 2002. On February, 8, 2001, the consulting branch was officially separated from its parent due to a public offering on the company. When the Enron scandal broke, they changed their name to BearingPoint and subsequently acquired the operations left behind by the deteriorating Arthur Anderson. [1]
In July of 2003, BearingPoint was awarded a contract by USAID worth $79.5 million to facilitate Iraq's economic recovery with a two-year option worth a total of $240,162,688.[2][3] Responsibilities in this contract include:
1. Creating Iraq's budget
2. Writing business law
3. Setting up tax collection
4. Laying out trade and customs rules
5. Privatize state-owned enterprises by auctioning them off or issuing Iraqis shares in the enterprises.
6. Reopen banks and jump-start the private sector by making small loans of $100 to $10,000.
7. Wean Iraqis from the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program, the main source of food for 60% of the population.
8. Issue a new currency and set exchange rates. [4]
In January 2003 BearingPoint won a $3.95 million contract financed by the World Bank to aid the Afghanistan government upgrade its accounting system.[5]
In March of 2003, USAID awarded BearingPoint a $39.9 million contract to help rebuild the economy in Afghanistan.
[Note: There is more about KPMG on SourceWatch – do read it because it's significant. Also, it's useful to know that it was KPMG that set up the European Infrastructure tax shelters that allowed U.S. corporations to lease infrastructure and to write it off their American tax returns. And that initiative was a plan by the European Union to get money to pay for common infrastructure documented in Global Ponzi Scheme]
Senate Hearing on KPMG's corrupt tax shelter business, November 2003
[Note: My original article: Nightmare of Project Destiny was written in 2009 and is published on my old website channelingreality.com As I was copying it here I was checking links and I noticed that on SourceWatch, they identify Bearing Point as being the firm that was brought down in the Enron scandal. This was news to me because the accounting firm that the media most focused on was Arthur Andersen (AA). Regardless, the aftermath was that accounting firms were prohibited from being both consulting firms and accounting firms in the same company. Arthur Andersen went out of business under that name and re-emerged as Accenture. In this article in the Baltimore Sun, KPMG which is the international parent company of Bearing Point wanted to buy the AA consulting business as a consequence of the new rules in the industry. May 9, 2002, KPMG vies for pieces of Arthur Andersen]
In another article at the same industry website, this article was found:
Pharmacy Groups Unveil Findings, Future Of "Project Destiny"
According to initial results of the landmark "Project Destiny" initiative, community pharmacy can ensure its healthcare services beyond dispensing medication are embraced broadly, if it acts decisively and cooperatively with healthcare industry stakeholders. The three pharmacy groups advancing the initiative now are developing a strategic plan to advance the concepts identified in the first phase, which hold promise for healthcare quality, access and affordability.
One key concept that emerged from the first phase of the project is that of a "primary care pharmacist," who would work collaboratively with the healthcare delivery and financing systems and focus on managing medications, positively impacting health outcomes, reducing overall healthcare system costs and empowering consumers to actively manage their health. Putting this concept into practice would require the development of pharmacy-based Patient Care Management Services that are consistent nationwide while maintaining the autonomy of individual pharmacies.
The Patient Care Management Services envisioned in the model go beyond a narrow definition of medication therapy management and include interventions targeting 15 conditions plus polypharmacy (the use of multiple medications by a patient) that drive demand for avoidable healthcare utilization. Project Destiny would seek to leverage, and not reinvent, the work of entities already demonstrating value in some segments.
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores had an Executive Summary for Project Destiny posted on their website that is no longer there. Fortunately, it was captured and saved by this writer:
Project Destiny Executive Summary
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) have joined together for Project Destiny, an initiative intended to foster the broad embracing of community pharmacy's healthcare services beyond dispensing medication. Pharmacists, as medication experts, are well-suited for providing patient care that ensures optimal medication therapy outcomes and can contribute to the lowering of overall healthcare costs. Project Destiny has identified potential mechanisms for offering services to patients that are valued by the healthcare system which can be replicable, scalable and economically viable for community pharmacy.
In addition, in October 2007, the Milken Institute released a report that indicated the seven most common chronic diseases in the nation put a $1.3 trillion annual drag on the economy. The report estimated the drag could reach nearly $6 trillion by the middle of the century.
The Model aligns services that are managed and delivered directly to consumers through primary care pharmacists and their teams:
Dispensing and Administering – Services related to the coordinated preparation, filling, and delivery of a customer's prescription medications as well as administering of other medications (e.g., vaccinations).
Patient Care Management Services – Services that leverage the pharmacist's clinical knowledge and skills related to medication management to address consumers' health issues or concerns.
Related Health Product Recommendations – Services designed to augment consumers' total medication and healthcare product needs through the pharmacist's recommendations based on prescriptions, purchases or customer profile.
In addition to the services delivered directly to consumers by primary care pharmacists, the model includes Consumer, Service, and Outcomes Data services. These services focus on reporting detailed and aggregate data related to patients, services, and outcomes to prescribers, payers, funders, and consumers.
As a result of the Milken Report, the pharmaceutical corporations named above and the pharmaceutical industry associations, the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties prepared a petition for recognition of a new specialty.
BPS analyzed these functions in 2006 in the afore-mentioned role delineation study, which describes and empirically validates the domains, tasks, and knowledge that comprise ambulatory care pharmacy practice. According to the task analysis performed for that study, the following are the domains of ambulatory care pharmacy specialty practice that are performed regardless of practice site:
• direct patient care
• practice management
• public health functions
• medical informatics and professional development
• patient advocacy
Since by appearances, it was the report from the Milken Institute report that was behind the Pharmaceutical Industry initiative for Project Destiny, I did a search on Federal Reserve and Health Care to see how much of a part the Federal Reserve was playing in this attempt to circumvent physicians in the prescription medications business. I was sure I would find information on it because I heard Alan Greedspan testify to Congress around 2004 that the health care system needed to be changed to stop spending all that money on sick people – and instead spend it on "wellness".
Chairman Ben Bernanke,
Senate Finance Committee Health Reform Summit
Challenges for Health-Care Reform
Then something really interesting came up in my search, Tax Cheat Daschle Favors "Federal Reserve for Health",
But while President Obama was bashing greed on Wall Street, in terms of the big bonuses paid to executives, the details of the Daschle tax scandal were starting to emerge. The scandal not only threatens to derail Daschle but undermine Obama's national socialist health care plan.
Wall Street operator and Democratic Party moneybags Leo Hindery, who hired and paid Daschle millions of dollars and gave him a limousine and chauffeur, wrote an article for the Huffington Post in 2008 saying that he was endorsing Obama for president because the candidate believes in every American "once again paying his or her fair share" of taxes. That didn't happen in Daschle's case.
Follow the money….. Who is Leo Hindery? According to Forbes in 2000
Time flies when Leo Hindery is having fun. A year ago, Hindery was sitting pretty leading AT&T's coveted Internet and broadband division.
A lot has happened since then. During his stint at AT&T (nyse: T – news – people), Hindery was caught with his pants off when he categorically denied rumors that AT&T would consider selling its stake in Excite@Home (nasdaq: ATHM – news – people). Shortly after, AT&T issued a release saying it was continuing to "explore its investment strategy in Excite@Home." Oops–either Hindery was lying, or he wasn't invited to any of the discussions. A week later, Hindery unexpectedly resigned from AT&T.
And he certainly didn't stick it out much longer at his next position, but this time the circumstances were in his favor. Shortly after resigning from AT&T, Hindery accepted the position of chief executive of Global Crossing (nasdaq: GBLX – news – people) in December 1999. As chief executive of Global Crossing, he was also the head of its Web-hosting division, Global Center, which was just bought by Exodus Communications (nasdaq: EXDS – news – people) last month. Hindery will continue as chief executive of Global Center until Exodus completes the acquisition, which is expected to happen early next year.
It doesn't look good for a young kid to change jobs like underwear, and it looks even worse for a 53-year-old high-level executive. But the last couple of years appear to be the exception to the Hindery rule. In 1988, Hindery helped found InterMedia Partners, a cable operator. Then, in February 1997, he was named president of TCI, before TCI was acquired by AT&T in March 1999. At TCI, Hindery established the reputation of a make-things-happen man. By all accounts, Hindery stuck the rough times out and was responsible for TCI's turn around.
Most reports suggested that Hindery was hired to take care of Global Center. After Exodus bought it last month, his purpose had been served. And a profitable purpose it was. One report said that Hindery's compensation package will entitle him to 5.5% of Global Center's value over $2 billion. Since Global Center sold for $6.5 billion, he certainly won't leave empty-handed.
Refresher on Global Crossing
More on Leo Hindery
And then – the icing on the cake. The best for last – and what I live to find – the designers – movers and shakers of "New America". My only question is – who asked them?
The New America Foundation – Programs
John C. Whitehead, Chairman The Goldman Sachs Foundation, New America Foundation
From Whitehead's bio: "In late 2001, he was appointed to chair the Board of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation."
Susan Chambers
Executive Vice President, Wal-Mart (Info on Walmart's Trojan Horse Store Clinics HERE)
Lewis B. Cullman
Founder & CEO, Cullman Ventures, Inc.
Bal Das
Vice Chairman, Kailix Investment Advisors
Scott Delman
Managing Partner, DGZ Capital
Thomas D. Gallagher
Senior Managing Director and Head of Policy Research, International Strategy and Investment Group, Inc.
Noosheen Hashemi
President, HAND Foundation
[Note: I couldn't find the exact page in the archive of when I extracted this info. Apparently they were going through website changes. I did find a later page in 2009 that lists Leo Hindery as a member of the leadership council.]
Leo Hindery, Jr.
Managing Partner, InterMedia Partners
Carolyn Kaplan
President, George Wasserman Family Foundation
Zachary Karabell
President, River Twice Research
Justine Kilpatrick
Jeffrey Leonard
President & CEO, Global Environment Fund
Peter Marber
Global Head of GEM Fixed Income and Currencies, HSBC Halbis Partners
Aria Mehrabi
Principal & Co-Founder, Pacific Star Capital
Lenny Mendonca
Chairman, McKinsey Global Institute
Eric Mindich
Founder, Eton Park Capital Management
F. Noel Perry
Founder, Next Ten and Managing Director, Baccharis Capital Inc.
Chairman & CEO, Google, Inc.; Chairman-elect, New America Foundation Board
Bernard L. Schwartz
Chairman & CEO, BLS Investments, LLC
Jonathan Soros
President & Co-Deputy Chairman, Soros Fund Management, LLC
Alan Stoga
President, Zemi Communications
John Thornton
Austin Ventures
Update – Infonet Grapevine:
Vicky,
I don't know if there is a connection here or not, but I was reviewing the list of registered lobbyists for 2009 at the Oklahoma Legislature and found several of interest.
Among many others are:
1. AIG
2. GlaxoSmithKline (2 different lobbyists) –
3. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. (2 lobbyists)
4. Pfizer Inc. (2 lobbyists)
5. Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) (4 lobbyists)
6. Sanofi-Aventix Group [Aventis LTD]
7. Wyeth
The highlighted firms are on your Project Destiny list of participants.
I do not have a way to determine if they worked together, separately, or if they proposed any legislation this session that would fit in with Project Destiny.
I thought it interesting that the very firms you discovered are lobbyists in Oklahoma.
Signed A-
Originally published on Channelingreality.com on May 15, 2009
https://www.corp-research.org/e-letter/strategic-errors
https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/sleeping-with-the-auditor/Content?oid=2145288
Contractors in Iraq
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https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PCAAB553.pdf
Leo Hindery
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Q: Validate name and address with the card number I'm using Paypal Pro API to process my purchase. It works well with card number, expire date and security code but I need to validate the address and the owner name of the card as well.
Is there any parameters or functions in the API to do this? I didn't found anything in the docs. Or maybe it is an additional option in the Paypal developer control panel?

A: Assuming that we're talking about the Payflow Gateway API (for PayPal Payments Pro and other things), it appears you can do address verification--see the section entitled Using Address Verification Service. Notice the note there that says it doesn't check street names, in case that's a deal-breaker for you.
As for name validation, I can't find anything about that other than that it's typically passed in the sale transaction itself (section: Typical Sale Transaction Parameter String). Whether it's then validated by the banks as part of their end of the transaction, I couldn't say.
Hope that gets you a bit further. I haven't worked with any of this stuff myself.

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It may be hard for some to believe the Sandy Hook elementary school tragedy was almost two months ago, but the lingering effects of a mass shooting remain close to its victims forever; a prime example being former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The Democrat, who stepped down from her seat last year to recover from injuries she sustained from the 2011 Tucson massacre, spoke at last week's Senate Judiciary Committee's gun violence hearing, where she proved that something must be done to decrease gun violence in our country.
"Thank you for inviting me here today," Giffords said alongside husband Mark Kelly. "This is an important conversation for our children, for our communities, for Democrats and Republicans. Speaking is difficult, but I need to say something important. Violence is a big problem. Too many children are dying. Too many children. We must do something. It will be hard but the time is now. You must act. Be bold. Be courageous. Americans are counting on you. Thank you."
"As a Western woman and a Persian Gulf War combat veteran who have exercised our Second Amendment rights, we don't want to take away your guns any more than we want to give up the two guns we have locked in a safe at home. What we do want is what the majority of NRA members and other Americans want: responsible changes in our laws to require responsible gun ownership and reduce gun violence."
"Gabby would trade her own life to bring back any one of those you savagely murdered on that day ... We are a people who can watch a young man like you spiral into murderous rampage without choosing to intervene before it is too late ... Mr. Loughner, pay close attention to this: Though you are mentally ill, you are responsible for the death and hurt you inflicted upon all of us on January 8th of last year ... You have decades upon decades to contemplate what you did. But after today. After this moment. Here and now. Gabby and I are done thinking about you."
As Kelly said, that was the first and last time Loughner would hear directly from Giffords and her husband, but they're far from done spreading their message and promoting safe gun use. Giffords and Kelly have handled their circumstances with grace and tried to use their awful situation to improve society, so if Giffords can't bring civility to this debate, which has been made messier post-Sandy Hook, nobody can.


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Documentary examines 'The Castle,' legendary Navy prison
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, also known as "The Castle," is the subject of local lore and legend. Filmmaker Neil Novello will offer a video presentation of its history at a Dec. 17 event at Rice Public Library in Kittery, Maine. Courtesy photo
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It's one of the most prominent features of the Seacoast landscape, but few living have ever seen it up close, much less entered inside.
The former Naval prison at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was appropriately dubbed "The Castle" in its heyday, and the moniker holds fast today – even 40 years after the prison closed its doors.
On Dec. 17, the Castle will be brought to life again at Rice Public Library in Kittery, through a free event featuring a video presentation by filmmaker Neil Novello.
The Castle has for decades been a source of local myth and urban legend. Novello's presentation will enlighten viewers to the factual history of this landmark institution.
The event will include film footage from inside the prison not seen by the public for more than 90 years, from a 1917 silent movie produced by the only civilian commander of the prison, Thomas Mott Osborne.
Novello also provides rarely seen video filmed in 1945 of captured German U-Boat crews escorted to the naval prison at the end of the World War II. Fifteen U-boats were brought to the shipyard after Germany's surrender, according to the filmmaker.
Novello's presentation will cover eras including World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War. National archival photos of the building of the prison in 1904 will also be included, as will interviews with prisoners filmed during the Vietnam era as part of a U.S. Navy documentary about the facility.
"As far as I know, I'm the only filmmaker to make any documentaries about the history of the Naval prison outside of the Navy," Novello said.
Lording over the Piscataqua River for several decades now, the long-abandoned prison has inspired some tall tales over the years. Perhaps most famous is the legend of a young inmate named Walt Disney, who supposedly served time at the facility and found there his inspiration for Cinderella's Castle years later. Tour boat captains have frequently repeated this story during river cruises.
That story, though fascinating, is not true. Disney never served time at the prison, and the design for Cinderella's Castle was inspired by 15th-century German castles, according to Novello.
However, it is a fact that Navy sailor Humphrey Bogart was escorting a prisoner to the Castle when the convict smashed his handcuffs into Bogart's mouth during an escape attempt. The future movie icon's famous scar and lisp reportedly resulted from the incident.
And in the classic 1973 film "The Last Detail," Jack Nicholson portrays one of the Navy sailors escorting Randy Quaid to the prison for an eight-year sentence. However, none of the filming took place here.
The prison's construction was completed in 1908, and at the time it was the largest poured concrete building in the world. But even before that, more than 1,600 enemy prisoners from the Spanish-American War were held at the site toward the end of the 19th century.
For nearly seven decades, the Castle housed Navy sailors and Marines sentenced for a wide range of offenses, reaching a peak of more than 3,000 during World War II.
A sneak preview of the production assures it's quite a kick seeing a place that most people have only known as a monolithic ghost of a building teeming with life again. The footage includes interviews with several individuals who worked at the Castle before it finally closed its doors for good back in 1974.
Novello has provided a wide range of productions over the past quarter-century, specializing in documentaries. He produces both family biographies and Internet business videos. Previews of his documentaries can be found on his production company's website at www.iguanadivision.com.
Copies of Novello's DVD will be on sale at the Wednesday, Dec. 17 event, which starts at 6 p.m. Those interested in attending should register at Rice Public Library or through the library's Web site, www.rice.lib.me.us.
D. Allan Kerr is the author of "Silent Strength," the story of the crewmen lost aboard the USS Thresher in history's worst submarine disaster based upon a series of articles that ran in the Portsmouth Herald in advance of the 50th anniversary of the 1963 Thresher disaster. He is also a member of Rice Public Library's board of directors.
This entry was posted in General Town News on December 9, 2014 by Chuck Denault.
← Shipyard bridge work to begin Monday Wreaths across america stops in Kittery →
When your voices are not heard, you can't become silent.
When signs don't work. DOGS, POOP, PARKING and More
Kittery Police Logs 7-18-2014 to 8-4-2014 from the Portsmouth Herald
The Spinney Creek Problem--Tomorrow Night at the Rice 10-19-18
Kittery Police Logs for 11-02-2016 to 11/08/2016
Kittery Fire logs for May 2017


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Passau, Bavaria, Germany
Passau is a town in Niederbayern, Eastern Bavaria, Germany, known also as the Dreiflüssestadt (City of Three Rivers), because the Danube River is joined there by the Inn River from the South, and the Ilz River coming out of the Bavarian Forest to the North.
Passau was an ancient Roman colony of ancient Noricum called Batavis, Latin for "for the Batavi". The Batavi were an ancient Germanic tribe mentioned often by classical authors, and they were regularly associated with the Suebian marauders, the Heruli.
During the second half of the 5th century, St. Severinus established a monastery here. In 739, an Irish monk called Boniface founded a bishopric here and for many years this was the largest diocese of the Holy Roman Empire for many years.
In the Treaty of Passau (1552), Archduke Ferdinand I, representing Emperor Charles V, secured the agreement of the Protestant princes to submit the religious question to a diet. This led to the Peace of Augsburg in 1555.
During World War II the town housed three sub-camps of the infamous Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp: Passau I (Oberilzmühle), Passau II (Waldwerke Passau-Ilzstadt) and Passau III (Jandelsbrunn).
Tourism in Passau focuses mainly on the three rivers, the St. Stephen's Cathedral (Der Passauer Stephansdom) and the "Old City" (Die Altstadt). With 17,774 pipes, the organ at St. Stephen's was long held to be the largest church pipe organ in the world and is today second in size only to the organ at First Congregational Church, Los Angeles, which was expanded in 1994. St.Stephen is a true masterpiece of Italian Baroque,built by Italian architect Carlo Lurago and decorated in part by Carpoforo Tencalla. Many river cruises down the Danube start at Passau and there is a cycling path all the way down to Vienna. It is also notable for its gothic and baroque architecture. The town is dominated by the Veste Oberhaus and the former fortress of the Bishop, on the mountain crest between the Danube and the Ilz rivers.
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A functional farm safety net is essential for wheat producers, who are involved in one of the riskiest industries in our economy.
On December 20, 2019, President Trump officially signed The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly known as the Farm Bill, into law. The bill contains programs not only beneficial to wheat growers but all of agriculture. It includes a strong safety net program that provides meaningful coverage for producers throughout the country. Working lands programs (EQIP, CSP and CRP) were NAWG's conservation priority in the bill which commits to making these programs stronger. The 2018 farm bill also includes provisions that are mindful of the worldwide marketplace in which our commodities are traded. NAWG will work with Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill and are using our grassroots resources to develop priorities for the next Farm Bill.


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Apple Bars with caramel glaze are the perfect melt in your mouth combo of tart and sweet. Packed with Granny Smith apples coated with cinnamon.
Apple Bars are a gift from Granny. They are just sweet enough to balance out the wonderful tartness of the apples, and the cinnamon really rounds out the flavors. I remember making these Apple Bars for the first time, and I just couldn't wait for them to cool. To me, they taste a lot like an apple bread pudding cake. This recipe calls for sour cream which provides a lovely dense texture that is perfectly complemented by its crumbly topping. They're even delicious without the glaze! Then again apple bars with cream cheese…yikes! These Apple Bars are great any time of day, but I love them on a lazy weekend morning with coffee. Speaking of coffee, have you tried my Apple Coffee Cake?
Can't stop myself… Caramel Apple Bars are great, the caramel adds salty and gooey – like an apple pie candy bar! Change the batter a bit and you get Apple Crisp Shortbread Bars, for something totally different and exciting. Did I mention apple crisp bars – I think you'll gonna enjoy these tasty treats.
On the subject of things to try… our Applesauce Cake has a wonderful pairing of cinnamon and cloves that fills your home with delightful aromas. Another apple/cake combo is my Apple Dump Cake. It is really quick, easy and soooo worth it.
If you're in a hurry try easy apple bars with cake mix, but I prefer homemade (always).
To make these quick and easy Apple Bars, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and butter a 7 X 11 baking pan. Next, whisk together the dry ingredients (minus the cinnamon). Peel and cut the apples add the cinnamon. In a separate bowl, beat the cooled melted butter with the sugar and egg. Add walnuts and apples, and fold to coat them. Add the dry ingredient mixture and fold again. Transfer into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.
Make the glaze by melting the butter in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, approx. 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add the powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of milk, and the vanilla. Stir until smooth. Quickly glaze bars!
Try Making Apple Pie Bars Next!
Easy apple pie bars make it possible to serve pie to a large group without making multiple pies. They have all of the much-loved characteristics of apple pie, but in one big dish that can be cut into squares for guests to easily self-serve.
Anything with cheesecake in the name, and I'm sold! Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars have a lusciously soft center, a crispy top, and drizzled caramel to boot! Yum-ee!
The taste and consistency of these Fresh Apple Bars significantly improves with refrigeration. When they're served cold they have a wonderful moist texture. Because it has so much apple, the apple to batter ratio causes it to kinda crumbles at room temperature. Either way due to its fragility, if served warm it's better eaten on a plate with a fork than it is eaten out of hand.
Work quickly with the caramel glaze, as it sets fast.
You can make Healthy Apple Bars by melding the apples together with a mixture of oats and honey. A homemade energy bar!
I know you're going to enjoy this wonderful recipe. Please share your thoughts and variations in the comment section.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 7x11 in baking pan.
In a small bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
In a separate medium bowl, with an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and egg for about 2 minutes on medium speed. Add walnuts and apple and mix in until well distributed.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake about 40 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of cakes comes out clean. Allow cooling completely.
When cake is cool make glaze by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add the brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, continuing to boil for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of milk and vanilla and stir until smooth. If you prefer a thinner glaze add more milk.
Using a large spoon, drizzle over the cake.
Thanks, Maria! Baking with friends is so much fun!