Buying your first home is a once-in-a-lifetime experience—it's thrilling, challenging and immensely rewarding. However, in a crowded and competitive housing market, it might feel like there's little margin for error, especially if you're buying a home for the first time. But never fear! We're here to help, by offering our top tips on how to be a successful homebuyer.
Buying a home is a huge investment, so to prepare you'll want to practice good financial habits (if you're not already) to get ready for this life-changing purchase. Even though it's not necessary to anymore to be able to put down a 20% down payment in order to buy a home, every bit you can put towards the down payment is a huge help. You might want to look for where in your budget you can spend less and save more, like eating out less at lunch or ditching those expensive coffee drinks. You can also make great strides by automating your savings. Even if it's a small amount, create a recurring transfer into a savings account dedicated to your new home purchase, scheduled for a couple days after you typically cash your paycheck.
Once you've done your pre-search homework like determining what neighborhoods you'd like to live in, your price range and your dream home 'wish list and deal-breakers,' it's time to start the hunt. Know that things can move pretty quickly in a tight housing market, so when a home that meets your criteria pops up, you'll want to move quick. Try to keep your schedule open so you can attend any last-minute open houses you discover online or hear about through your realtor. If you find a place that checks all your boxes, be sure to get background information like property reports and disclosures, as well as find out when offers are due so you don't miss your deadline.
When it comes to best properties, you can often expect strong competition from multiple buyers. When you're ready to make an offer, having a pre-approval letter from a reputable lender shows buyers that you mean business. With Guaranteed Rate Affinity's industry-leading tech and automated underwriting, homebuyers can complete the Digital Mortgage and receive a fast pre-approval letter to help make a compelling offer on their dream home. Along with a pre-approval letter, you'll also want to include proof of funds for your down payment, as well as that personalized letter. And if you do get involved in a bidding war with other buyers, consider the amount listed on your pre-approval letter as your maximum, and work within those limits.
*Guaranteed Rate Affinity does not provide credit repair or credit counseling services.


Fashion meets tradition...The lovely exhibition Jawaher by Swarovski Elements in Central London...It'll end this monday. Sorry I didn't post this before, but I only went to see the exhibition on Friday and just briefly posted about the details on twitter and facebook page.
Everything is so beautiful! Great post!


Corpus Christi, TX, USA – Port of Corpus Christi's new breakbulk cargo laydown yard, the Rincon West Yard, received its first shipment of wind turbine components on July 14th. Top wind turbine manufacturer, Vestas, is scheduled to import wind turbine nacelles, hubs, drive trains and blades for the Blue Cloud Wind Farm, located in Texas Panhandle counties Baily/Lamb. The Rincon West Yard will serve as the first point of rest for the imported breakbulk cargo prior to components being shipped via truck to the job site. Developed by Tri-Global Energy, the 148 MW Blue Cloud wind farm is comprised of 19,000 leased acres of privately owned farm land.
Recently available at the Port of Corpus Christi, the Rincon West Yard is a 25-acre laydown yard in close proximity to Cargo Dock 9, located on the north side of the ship channel. Developed for Heavy Haul and Breakbulk Cargo with a 20" stabilized limestone base, the Rincon West Yard includes potential for on-site railroal tracks. Adjacent highway systems and barge docks represent added logistical benefits for the new yard.
As America's energy port, the Port of Corpus Christi is the nation's number one port for handling wind energy components in the Gulf of Mexico. By the end of 2017, the Port reached a new wind turbine cargo milestone by handling more than 3,000 wind turbine components, including blades and tower sections. That number is up from 2,603 and 2,875 in 2015 and 2016, respectively.


THE openly-gay grandson of Hollywood legend Omar Sharif has appeared on national TV in Egypt in an interview that did not shy away from the culturally-taboo subject of his sexuality.
Appearing on Deutsche Welle Arabic news program Shabab Talk, Omar Sharif Jr said his homosexuality was never an issue with his late grandfather.
[showads ad=MREC]"Before anything, in the eyes of my grandparents, I was their grandson," Sharif Jr told journalist Jaafar Abdul Karim.
It was also Sharif Jr's first appearance on Arabic TV, which was also used to promote the actor's upcoming film The Secret Scripture.
With over four million people reportedly tuning in, the interview has been hailed as the first time many in the Arabic-speaking world have heard stories of being gay in an Arab culture coming directly from a gay person.
In Egypt alone, while homosexuality is not explicitly illegal authorities have a history of cracking down down on gay citizens via the supposed abuse of public decency laws, scorning religion or "debauchery".
A recent surge in the state-sanctioned persecution of LGBT Egyptian citizens has also attracted worldwide criticism, such as the arrest of 26 men after a Cairo bathhouse raid in December. The men were all eventually cleared of charges in January.
Sharif Jr, who is also an ambassador for US-based Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), said in his interview that he hoped the Arab world realised he is still a human being.
"I'm a son, I'm a brother, I'm a coworker, I'm a friend. I am not a fact, or a figure or a statistic. I'm not a moral an ethical debate," he told Karim.
The 32-year-old was also asked to respond to those who accused him of "smearing" his grandparents' image and reputation.
"I think the best thing I can do in life is to live openly, authentically and happily, and I am doing that," he said.
"I know I am making them happy because that's all they would want me; they would want me to be happy.
He also provided advice for Arab youth who were struggling to come to terms with their identity in cultures where homosexuality is a serious taboo.
"If I had one advice to give, is to be open enough to be who you are," Sharif Jr said.
The Montreal-born actor told Out magazine afterwards that he was "thrilled" with how his interview turned out.
"The topics of religion, sexuality, and politics we're covered respectfully," he said.
Both of Sharif Jr's paternal grandparents are much-loved actors in the Arab world. His grandfather, who is best-known in Hollywood for his roles in Dr Zhivago and his Oscar nomination in 1962 classic Lawrence of Arabia, died in July after suffering a heart attack. He had been living with Alzheimer's disease in the months leading up to his death.
Sharif Jr was educated both in Canada and in Egypt and had a fledgling acting career in the Middle East before he moved to the US in 2011. He grabbed headlines after sharing his coming out story with The Advocate in 2012, in which he also disclosed he is half-Jewish.
Other well-known openly-gay identities in the Arab world include Hamed Sinno, the lead singer of Lebanese rock band Mashrou Laila, and Morrocan filmaker and writer Abdellah Taïa.


Fir Balsam is the perfect ingredient to talk about as we approach Christmas. It's extracted from Fir, a large coniferous tree from the pine family that looks similar to a Christmas tree, and is native to North America and Canada. The absolute is a deep blue green colour and is completely solid, needing heat to become usable. The smell of Fir Balsam is more balsamic and ambery than it is fresh piney, whilst also having a sweet and slightly fruity facet of apricots and strawberry. Great in masculine, woody, oriental and aromatic compositions.
Extracted by heating the bark from the hardwood birch tree to extreme temperatures, birch tar is likened to the smell of smoke, charred wood and a burning fireplace. It adds leathery, balsamic and burnt notes to give perfume an animalic and leathery touch. Mainly used in suede and leather fragrance to give a smokey note. It can be difficult to use in perfumery due to its overpowering scent: use with caution (and very very diluted!).
A common ingredient from the Dipteryx Odorata ("Cumaru") seed which is native to the South American plant. The word "tonka" originates from Galibi language, native to French Guyana. The Galibi word tonqua or tonquin translates to "bean", so really this ingredient should be called "Bean bean"! Its aromatic yet edible scent is similar to that of marzipan, due to its almond facet. It will remind you of vanilla with a hint of spice and almond or the smell of hay. But what is really interesting in Tonka Bean is it's star molecule, what makes up to 60% of its composition: Coumarin, an iconic molecule used in fragrance and a must in Fougere structure. Coumarin smells in fact very close to Tonka Bean itself.
If you want to experience some of these scents first hand (and many more) check out our online shop where you can get creative at home with our ingredients kits!


It takes more than Scrum to make Scrum work. And it takes more than Agile to make Agile work. Therefore, we cover areas such as facilitation, leadership, joy of work, positivity and leading change in our flagship course in Agile Project Leadership. Titled "Creating project leaders who create results," this course provides more advanced learning about Agile leadership, facilitation and collaboration skills.
The course is a mix of lecture, practical hands-on exercises and cases from various Agile projects to illustrate the principles being explored. Agile Project Leaders understand the differences between traditional project management – where the team works for the project leader – and Agile Project Leadership where project leaders work for the team. The result is that the best possible environment is created to increase productivity and deliver the right product. Certification is possible.
The goAgile "Creating project leaders who create results" course provides more advanced learning about Agile leadership, facilitation and collaboration skills. The course is a mix of lecture, practical hands-on exercises and cases from various Agile projects to illustrate the principles being explored.
Agile Project Leaders understand the differences between traditional project management – where the team works for the project leader – and Agile Project Leadership where project leaders work for the team. The result is that the best possible environment is created to increase productivity and deliver the right product.
The course covers "classic" Agile Project Leadership disciplines such as facilitation, planning game, demos and reflection workshops. And we go deeper. We talk about why Agile works – covering areas such as joy of work, people's various thinking styles, and how to lead an Agile transformation.
The course book is in English and the course is run in Danish. The course is led by Ole Jepsen.
Ole is a founder of the Agile Leadership Network (ALN), having started the "Learning and Recognition" Committee—working on defining and implementing a three-level certification programme for great Agile Project Leaders.
He is renowned in Europe as a highly esteemed collaborative facilitator and mentor for organisations looking to lead change. Using his expertise in Agile methodologies, Ole shows how gaining varying perspectives and sharing experiences brings about the best ideas that can be used throughout the organisation.
In addition, Ole is the founder and leader of the Danish Agile User Group, co-organiser of Agile Coach Camp Denmark – and he is active in the international Agile community.
goAgile offers mentoring and training to companies who want to change to Agile and Iterative development processes. Ole has more than 25 years experience in software development, project management, team facilitation and training with many companies worldwide.
Are you and product owner in a Agile organization? Our 3-days Product Owner 360˚ course might catch your interest, too.


(businesspress24) - October 27, 2016: The Broadband Forum today announced it is making significant progress on projects leveraging new technology and developmental approaches as it looks to deliver on the actions decided at its Special Meeting in Atlanta earlier this year.
• The Cloud Central Office (CO) project, which delivers a services-led, software-defined Broadband platform combining SDN, NFV and cloud aspects, has kicked into high gear with many leading operators and manufacturers pushing this forward.
• The User Services Platform (USP) – the natural evolution of the popular TR-069 protocol into the world of the Internet of Things (IoT) and consumer electronics – has hit a significant milestone, with its first 'hackfest' taking place, where prototype implementations showed the first proof-of-concept of the protocol. Demonstrations included the control of Z-wave lights through a proxy gateway, automation using a sensor/camera combination, control from both cloud and local controllers, and interoperable on basic request/responses between three different implementations.
• Preparation for a significant cooperation with 3GPP that will lead to the advance of 5G on a unified network.
For more information about the Broadband Forum, please go to http://www.broadband-forum.org or follow (at)Broadband_Forum on Twitter. For further information, please contact Brian Dolby on +44 (0) 7899 914168 or brian.dolby(at)proactive-pr.com or Jayne Garfitt on +44 (0) 1636 812152 or jayne.garfitt(at)proactive-pr.com.


text:
Housing Needs Assessment & Workforce Housing
HOUSING CHALLENGES
HOUSING RECOMMENDATIONS
The challenges faced by Bay Minette are similar to most rural communities. There is still a notable gap between the cost to develop housing and the purchase prices and rental rates developers can expect to receive for new or redeveloped units. Lack of quality entry-level and mid-priced housing is an impediment to attracting and retaining a local workforce, thus affecting the growth potential for business and the community as a whole.
To determine development solutions to support new and renovated housing development, Alchemy Community Transformations reviewed and leveraged existing reports and conducted new research to create assumptions for total number of units. Analysis assessing blighted properties helped identify potential sites for redevelopment in existing neighborhoods and new development surrounding the community. The resulting housing action plan will include recommendations for how best to use existing development tools and create new options to achieve Bay Minette's goals.
Population in Bay Minette has experienced stable growth since 1950 with only a slight decline between 1980 and 1990. In the past decade population growth has grown by 1,247 people or 15.5%. That's an increase in population of 2,123 people or nearly 30% since 1990.
Table 1 – Population (1990-2018)
CENSUS POPULATION PERCENT CHANGE
1950 3,732 –
1990 7,168 -3.8%
2000 7,820 9.1%
2018* 9,291 15.5%
*Population estimate provided by US Census.
SOURCE: US Census Bureau, Decennial Census
When a community experiences population growth, new housing will follow. When comparing Bay Minette's housing growth to Baldwin County and the state of Alabama, it appears to have fallen short with "new house" starts. Since 1990, an estimated 1,031 housing units were constructed in Bay Minette accounting for 32.4% of all housing units. These figures are slightly lower than what was experienced at the state level with 866,240 housing units built in that 30-year period accounting for 38.8% of all housing units. However, Baldwin County as a total produced 65,941 units in that period since accounting for 60.0% of all housing units. More recently, fewer than 100 housing units have been built in Bay Minette since 2010, considerably lower than Baldwin County or the state overall. The lack of new housing units coupled with a continued population growth of Bay Minette results in a tight housing market.
Table 2 – Age of Housing Units
Bay Minette Baldwin County State of Alabama
YEAR BUILT NUMBER PERCENT NUMBER PERCENT NUMBER PERCENT
2010 to later 86 2.7% 5,512 5.0% 91,630 4.1%
2000 to 2009 369 11.6% 32,970 30.0% 365,930 16.4%
1960 to 1969 381 11.9% 5,744 5.2% 253,565 11.4%
1950 to 1959 274 8.6% 3,581 3.3% 195,444 8.8%
1940 to 1949 149 4.7% 2,035 1.8% 94,744 4.2%
1939 or earlier 116 3.6% 2,142 1.9% 118,294 5.3%
TOTAL HOUSING UNITS 3,193 110,023 2,231,126
SOURCE: US Census via American Community Survey, Five-Year Estimates (2017)
Reviewing the housing occupancy and tenure data help explain where much of Bay Minette's residents lived. For instance, Bay Minette has a vacant housing rate of 13.4% which is lower than the county or at the state level with 30.8% and 16.8%, respectively. Furthermore, Bay Minette's vacancy rate for both owner-occupied (2.2%) and rental (8.8%) units is relatively lower. These factors together signal a need for new housing.
Another factor to consider is the ratio of owner-occupied versus renter-occupied units. The rate at the national level is estimated at 65% owner-occupied to 35% renter-occupied which is similar to the ratio at the state level, 68.6% owner-occupied to 31.4% renter-occupied. However, Bay Minette's housing market is nearly equal with 49.2% owner-occupied to 50.8% renter-occupied. A portion of this can be attributed to student population of Coastal Alabama Community College. As a result of lower than average household income, Bay Minette suffers due to issues such as a lack of down payment funds or being priced out of the local market.
Table 3 – Housing Tenure & Occupancy
NUMBER PERCENT NUMBER PERCENT NUMBER PERCENT
Vacant housing units 429 13.4% 33,890 30.8% 374,431 16.8%
Homeowner vacancy rate 2.2% 4.9% 2.2%
Rental vacancy rate 8.8% 41.0% 10.0%
Occupied housing units 2,764 76,133 1,856,695
Owner-occupied 1,361 49.2% 55,470 72.9% 1,273,217 68.6%
Renter-occupied 1,403 50.8% 20,663 27.1% 583,478 31.4%
Owner-occupied 2.95 2.69 2.59
Renter-occupied 2.75 2.48 2.46
The table below outlines the median and mean household incomes. The median describes the middle of a set of data to reduce outliers or extremes. For instance, if 100 people lived in a town and Nick Saban was a resident, his $8 million salary would not be typical of other residents. The mean household income would be dramatically skewed due to this single outlier. To correct for this outlier, household incomes would be tallied, sorted in ascending order, and then the 50th household income would be selected for the median household income for this fictitious community.
Bay Minette's median household income is nearly half of Baldwin County and nearly 25% less than the state overall. While the mean household income skews positively for all three regions, Bay Minette still has considerably less buying power. As a result, such as a lack of down payment funds or being priced out of the local market due to lower than average household income.
Table 4 – Median & Mean Household Income
Median Household Income $31,310 $52,562 $46,472
Mean Household Income $47,790 $73,061 $64,476
The list of challenges below was developed through a thorough review of past studies and extensive interviews with key stakeholders in Bay Minette. While not exhaustive, these are the top issues that can be addressed through intervention by the city and other local partners.
1) Barriers to Developers/Investors
The problem lies in the cost gap; in other words, the cost to build new housing does not equal the return on investment to sell or rent this product. For this reason, a majority of new development is being built in communities much larger than Bay Minette further south toward Mobile and the gulf coast.
Another barrier that may impact a developer's ability or desire to build in a community is the local permitting process. A community that seeks growth needs to make the process of investing in the local housing market as transparent, predictable, and competitive as possible. The alternative is these developers will follow the path of least resistance to unincorporated Baldwin County or nearby cities that may be more challenging to get permitted but result in a higher return on investment.
2) Buyers' purchasing challenges
Stakeholder feedback and statistical analysis have identified challenges Bay Minette buyers face in affording for-purchase housing. Whether it is insufficient resources to afford a down payment, difficulty qualifying for traditional housing loans, or becoming cost-burdened by mortgage payments requiring more than 30% of their monthly income, these issues cause weaknesses in Bay Minette's ability to transition residents from rental units to owner-occupied housing.
The National Association of Homebuilders conducted a study in 2017 to determine the average construction cost for a single-family home across the country. Their study looked at 4,267 homebuilders. The study found that the average home size was 2,776 square feet with an average lot size of 11,186 square feet. The study found that the average cost of a new construction home is estimated to be $237,760 or a cost of $88 per square foot of finished construction. If a buyer chooses to make a 5% down payment (typically the minimum amount allowable), a home at this price would require an upfront investment of $11,888. The remaining mortgage balance would be $225,872. A mortgage with the dynamics listed below would cost the Bay Minette buyer $1,481 per month.
Table 5: Estimated Monthly Payment (PITI)* – New Construction
Principal & Interest $1,111
Calculated for Bay Minette, Baldwin County property taxes $78
Homeowners Insurance $198
PMI insurance
Required for down payment less than 20% $94
Total Monthly Payment $1,481
*30-year fixed loan at 4.25% w/ 5% down payment
Source: Nerdwallet mortgage calculator and Navy Federal Mortgage Loan Calculator
The $1,481 monthly housing payment estimate helps to understand the cost of a new home, but who can afford a house at this price point? Housing costs that account for more than 30% of a household's overall income, is considered cost burdened. To avoid this issue, household incomes should be at least $59,259 to afford a new home priced at $237,760 with the current dynamics (i.e. down payment, interest rates).
Table 6: Gross Income Required to Afford – New Construction
Home Price $237,760
Monthly Payment (PITI) $1,481
Monthly Household Income Required $4,938
Annual Household Income Required $59,259
As seen in the following table, the annual cost of a new construction home is beyond the reach of the average Bay Minette household. In fact,
66.9% of Bay Minette households earn less than $50,000 per year and would be cost burdened if they attempted to finance a newly constructed home.
Table 7: Median Household Income (2017)
Median household income: $31,310 $52,562 $46,472
Mean household income: $47,790 $73,061 $64,476
Source: American Community Survey via US Census
Let's compare the scenario for new construction homes to the purchase of existing homes in Bay Minette sold in the same ten-year period. The estimated average sale price was $121,400. A home at this price in Bay Minette would require a minimum 5% cash down payment which is an investment of $6,070. The remaining mortgage balance would be $115,330. A mortgage with the dynamics listed below would cost the Bay Minette buyer $756 in total monthly outlays.
Table 8: Estimated Monthly Payment (PITI)* – Existing Home
Principal & Interest $567
Property Taxes (Calculated for Bay Minette, Baldwin County property taxes) $40
PMI insurance (Required for down payment less than 20%) $48
Total Monthly Payment $756
Based on both mean and median household incomes, the average Bay Minette household would be able to afford an existing house, but the challenge stakeholders reported is that many existing homes require major renovation work or else do not have the features and amenities that appeal to a modern buyer. Additional financing may be necessary to make the required improvements.
Table 9: Gross Income Required to Afford – Existing Home
Monthly Payment (PITI) $756
A variety of housing needs persist in Bay Minette from attainable single-family housing ($150,000-$250,000) to multi-family housing to serve workforce and student housing needs. As such, the focus of these recommendations is creating a model project for rental, multi-family housing, one of the top issues highlighted in the visioning sessions. Further evidence of this need was provided by Coastal Alabama Community College whose dormitory facilities are filled and have a waiting list of 100 students. Furthermore, there are surely other commuting students that would live in Bay Minette, but don't even attempt to find housing due to the tight housing market.
The survey made available through the visioning process helped to identify the type of rental units most sought after by renters seeking new housing. Some survey participants were single person households looking for a one-bedroom unit while others requested two- or three-bedroom units with roommates to help share the cost. A number of survey participants also included families seeking units with three-bedrooms or more. As a result of this input, a mix of one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units was determined for this pilot project:
One bedroom 5 units @ $700/month
Two bedroom 6 units @ $950/month
Three bedroom 4 units @ $1,200/month
The Steering Committee identified a total of seven sites (11 parcels) as potential development options for the proposed multi-family / restaurant project. Figure 1 displays the varied locations primarily adjacent to US Highway 31/ State Highway 39. Only two sites are within a designated Opportunity Zone Census Tract. However, the remaining parcels are adjacent to and eligible candidates for investment by Opportunity Zone funders. The tax incentives for investors through the Opportunity Zone program will help make this proposed real property viable. Also, the site location north of Baldwin County High School (one site, three parcels) were designated as brownfields sites and would be eligible for additional financial support to clean up and reuse the site.
When developing the pro forma, there is a challenge since these sites vary in size and assessed value. The seven sites overall have an average assessed value $15,267.64 per acre and an average of 21.2 acres. Utilizing these figures, the estimated site cost would be $323,674.
In addition to housing, the proposed project will include a ground level 3,850 square foot restaurant space (see Sports Bar business plan). The tenants will likely patron the restaurant as well as provide an opportunity for employment. Any of the selected development options would be very accessible to the larger community and passersby with its location on US Highway 31.
Figure 1: Development Options – Multi-Family Development Sites
Table 10: Development Options – Site Details
ID PIN OWNER ADDRESS / LOCATION VALUE ACRE OZ BROWNFIELD
0 378518 Slate And Stone LLC 708 HWY 31 S $90,000 10.0 NO YES
1 378519 Dempsey, Hampton Eugene etal Dempsey, Ve Highway 59 and Jaycee Rd $90,000 10.0 NO YES
2 10580 Dempsey, Hampton Eugene etal Dempsey, Ve Highway 59 and Jaycee Rd $54,800 10.0 NO YES
3 47723 Young, Virginia Lee 46611 ST HWY 59 $172,600 39.0 NO NO
4 61953 Bay Minette Land Co DOBSON AVE N $122,000 6.1 NO NO
5 61945 Bay Minette Land Co DOBSON AVE N $201,600 11.2 NO NO
6 61936 Bay Minette Land Co Tiger Drive and McCleans Ave $252,000 11.2 NO NO
7 67848 McDill, L Vermelle etal Gibson, Maxine; McCleans Ave and McMillian Ave $455,000 13.0 YES NO
8 20751 Stevens Automotive LC US Hwy 51 and Stevens Parkway (East) $156,400 17.0 YES NO
9 102327 Bay Minette Land Company US Hwy 51 and Stevens Parkway (West, South) $135,200 12.4 NO NO
10 42490 Thompson, Albert M Iii US Hwy 51 and Stevens Parkway (West, North) $162,300 8.4 NO NO
Development Incentives
Building a market rate apartment at these rental rates will require incentives to make this a reality. Most state and federal loan and grant programs targeted at addressing "affordable" housing could help fulfill the housing needs but would restrict renters to incomes of 80% of the area median income or about $25,000. These programs also typically come with other restrictions and requirements that is not appealing to some developers. The intent of this proposed project is to provide housing targeted at people earning at or above the median household income ($31,310).
A long-term tax abatement agreement is one such tool that could help make this project possible. Granting a 10-year tax abatement on a project of this scale could save nearly $200,000 over a 10-year period which equates to nearly a 30% savings of the projected monthly operating fees ($1,600/month). This savings would be taken into consideration by a bank or other investor when making a decision to finance this proposed project.
Even with this tax abatement incentive, the project at these lease rates are require additional incentives to work financially. Other incentives could include:
Special Financing- lower interest rate to lower monthly payments
Rental Assistance – employers provide a monthly payment of $100+ to help offset high rents
Free Land – local municipality or development group donate the land to reduce financing costs
Identify city-owned/attainable land parcels located in an Opportunity Zone and New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) low income census tract(s)
City of Bay Minette
Using city/county GIS mapping resources and CDFI Fund, identify all city-owned/attainable (financially feasible for purchase/lease) land parcels to be considered for new housing development.
Create and approve incentives for housing development
Position the project locations in areas eligible for Opportunity Zone investment and NMTC. Layer these federal programs with local incentives such as tax abatement (for 10 years) or tax exemption.
Publish Request for Proposals (RFP) for development of city-owned property (if applicable)
If the city chooses to maintain ownership of the identified land parcels for new development then it should publish an RFP for developers to respond to, including but not limited to, a description of the proposed project, developer's experience, timeline, and benefits (e.g., property tax revenues, sales tax revenues, projected job creation, etc.) of the proposed project.
Meet and negotiate incentives with prospective developers
Based on the vision and proposals provided by prospective developers, offer incentives equal to the economic impact of the proposed development (especially if more than one developer responds to the RFP).
Select and approve developer(s) to begin the housing development process
Depending on the procurement policy for the city, this will likely require a city council vote for final approval.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Red meat and food waste will blow climate targets out of the water, scientists say
University of Oxford research warns emissions from global food system alone could push temperatures up by 1.5C
By Madeleine Cuff
The world must eat less meat to stop runaway climate change, scientists say (Photo: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg/Getty)
The global food system is responsible for enough pollution to blow past global climate targets, even if fossil fuel emissions stopped tomorrow, scientists have warned.
Food waste and public predilection for too much red meat and dairy is driving high emissions in the food sector, the team led by the University of Oxford said.
Green Shoots: i's Guide to Helping the Planet in your Everyday Life
Unless there is dramatic change to global diets global temperatures will soon rise by more than 1.5C, the safe threshold of warming agreed by nations around the world.
Red meat should be a rare treat if we are to stop climate change (Photo: Lam Yik/Bloomberg/Getty)
"Discussions on mitigating climate change typically focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, for instance, from transportation or energy production. However, our research emphasises the importance of reducing emissions from the global food system," said lead author Dr Michael Clark.
"The good news is, there are many achievable ways rapidly to reduce food emissions if they are acted on quickly. These include both raising crop yields and reducing food loss and waste, but the most important is for individuals to shift towards predominantly plant-based diets."
The paper, published in the journal Science this week, reveals that on current trends emissions from the food system would blow past the 1.5C target set out in the Paris Agreement within 45 years, and push past the upper threshold of 2C in under 90 years. That is the case even if emissions from all other sources stopped, the paper warns.
Taking action will not only be essential for averting runaway climate change, but would bring benefits for water quality, biodiversity and public health, the scientists stressed.
Plant-based 'meat' is growing in popularity as climate-conscious consumers cut back on real meat and dairy (Photo: REUTERS/Francois Lenoir)
Meat tax
As the scientific consensus around the impact of animal agriculture on the planet grows, governments are facing mounting pressure to take action.
One favoured solution is for a meat tax, that would see a levy introduced on foods that are climate intensive to produce.
This week a coalition of the UK's top health professionals called for carbon labels on food and extra charges for carbon-intensive foods like red meat and cheese.
Professor Andrew Goddard, the president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: "I am the first to admit that I enjoy a steak every now and then, but it's clear that if we are to avoid dangerous global warming we must start to reconsider our attitudes to food. We each have a responsibility and an ability to make a difference as individuals."
Iweekend


text:
Q: extract_first() and extract() methods on Scrapy selectors are not returning the same value I am using Scrapy to collect data from a cinema webpage.
Working with the XPath selectors, if I use the selectors with the extract() method, as such:
def parse_with_extract(self, response):
    div = response.xpath("//div[@class='col-sm-7 col-md-9']/p[@class='movie__option']")
    data = i.xpath("text()").extract()
    return data

It returns:

If I use the selector with the extract_first() method as such:
def parse_with_extract_first(self, response):
    div = response.xpath("//div[@class='col-sm-7 col-md-9']/p[@class='movie__option']")
    storage = []
    for i in div:
        data = i.xpath("text()").extract_first()
        storage.append(data)
    return storage

It returns:

Why is the extract() method returning all characters, including the "\xa0", and the extract_first() method returning an empty string instead?

A: If you look closer at the response, you'll see that @class=movie__option element looks like this:
'
\n                                    Thursday 3rd of May 2018:\n                                    11:20am\xa0 \xa0  \n
'

If you extract text() of this element you basically get two strings: one which is before strong tag and one which is after (text() takes only first-level text):
['\n                                    ',
 '\n                                    11:20am\xa0 \xa0  \n                                ']

What extract_first does is just taking the first of these two strings:
'\n                                    '

A: Well, as of your output, which looks something like the following:
['\n                                    ',
 '\n                                    11:20am\xa0 \xa0  \n                                ']

contains two strings.
My suggestions for everyone who is getting the same data in return like new lines and empty space, use Python's built-in method strip(). This method applies to a string. So, you can apply this method by following:

data = response.xpath("//path/to/your/data").get().strip()

This will make your output looks something like this:
'11:20am'

Also, have a look at what's the difference between extract() and extract_first().

*

*
extract()

This method returns the list. This is an old method in Scrapy. The method used nowadays, instead of extract(), is getall(). It's the same as extract().

extract()   -- updated to -->   getall()

Now let's take a look at extract_first() method

*
extract_first()

This method returns the str instead of the list. This is also an old method in Scrapy. The method used nowadays, instead of extract_first(), is get().

extract_first()   -- updated to -->   get()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Nevada man is first US COVID-19 reinfection; was worse second time – Business Insider – Business Insider
A Nevada man was infected for a second time with COVID-19 one month after recovering from a first bout, a new study found.
The case has a "significant" impact on how we understand immunity, one of the authors told the BBC.
The 25-year-old man — who had no underlying conditions — suffered worse symptoms the second time, the study said.
It is the first such confirmed case in the US and one of only a handful worldwide. Other reinfection cases have been in Belgium, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Ecuador.
A Nevada man who had already gone through a bout of COVID-19 was infected a second time with even worse symptoms, doctors say.
They believe it is the first documented case of reinfection in the US, a rare occurrence that nonetheless suggests having had COVID-19 does not automatically confer immunity.
The 25-year-old's case was reported in the peer-reviewed journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, which outlined how the man, from Washoe County, first got his symptoms on March 25.
Suffering from a sore throat, a cough, a headache, nausea, and diarrhea, he attended a community testing event on April 18 and was found to be positive for the coronavirus. He had no underlying conditions or immune weaknesses. After he self-isolated for nine days, his symptoms receded and he got well again.
He took two tests in May, both of which came back negative. But two days after his second negative test, he began to feel unwell again, and a test on June 5 found him to be positive — this time with symptoms that sent him to the hospital. The man has since recovered.
Symptoms were worse 2nd time around
Differences in the genetic sequencing of the virus indicated that the new infection was not simply the original, dormant infection flaring back up, according to the study.
The chances of the same strain mutating in a single person in that time are "remote," the report said. It also ruled out the possibility that the man had been infected with both strains but that one had lain dormant until later.
The Lancet Infectious Diseases report confirms early, non-peer-reviewed findings published in an August online preprint.
During the second infection, the man was found to be short of breath and hypoxic — meaning his blood was short of oxygen. He was sent to the emergency room for oxygen, the report said.
It's still unclear why the second infection was worse than the first, but the report's authors suggested three possibilities:
He could have just had a higher dose of the virus on the second infection.
The second virus could have been a stronger version.
The immune response from the first infection could have made the second infection worse, the BBC reported.
There's a lot still to know about coronavirus immunity — despite Trump's tweets
Discussion of immunity after infection has had even more intense interest than usual since President Donald Trump's doctors announced that he had recovered from the virus, as Business Insider's John Haltiwanger reported.
The president has claimed multiple times that he is now "immune" — a claim Twitter flagged as "misleading." As Business Insider's Morgan McFall-Johnsen has reported, the science behind this is far from conclusive.
The Lancet Infectious Diseases study's findings have "significant" implications for how we understand immunity, Dr. Mark Pandori, an associate professor of pathology at the University of Nevada who was a coauthor of the study, told the BBC.
"Our findings signal that a previous infection may not necessarily protect against future infection," he said.
Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, told the BBC the findings were "very concerning."
But he pointed out that we would have heard by now if cases like this were common.
There have been only a handful of confirmed cases of reinfection with the virus — a man from Hong Kong was announced as one such case in August, followed quickly by two more such cases in Belgium and the Netherlands. An Ecuadorian reinfection has also been confirmed, according to the study.
"It is too early to say for certain what the implications of these findings are for any immunization program," Hunter told the BBC. "But these findings reinforce the point that we still do not know enough about the immune response to this infection."
← Letting COVID-19 spread to achieve herd immunity is "unethical," WHO chief says – CBS News
More Companies Are Using Technology To Monitor For Coronavirus In The Workplace – NPR →
Coronavirus in Ohio Monday update: 4,312 new cases, 81 additional deaths – NBC4 WCMH-TV
Where will you get the COVID-19 vaccine? Target, Walmart, Walgreens, stadiums, more – CNET
Michigan reports 2,843 new coronavirus cases, 20 deaths over 2-day period – Detroit Free Press
It's okay to let kids play Fortnite during a global pandemic – The Verge
The New CDC Director Just Issued This Very Dark COVID Warning – Yahoo Lifestyle
https://www.cnet.com/health/where-will-you-get-the-covid-19-vaccine-target-walmart-walgreens-stadiums-more/


In this blog, we provide the best green gifts for the eco-lovers.
As we know today our world is taint with pollution, waste & toxic effluents. And that's why everyone is running towards an eco-friendly nature.
Even web designing field is working on the same issue. So, keeping these aspects in mind, we have gathered together an eco WordPress themes which would be suitable to build eco, green and other environmental websites to spread awareness about environmental issues.
You can utilize these eco WordPress themes to create environment based websites, like – a website for an environmental non-profit organization, green earth organization, a wildlife conservation organization and anything else to do with the environment.
Each and every theme in this blog comes with tons of features like – custom mega menu panel, revolution & layer slider, browser-compatible that will make your website be a great online presence.
Just like we would like to suggest that, make your beautiful eco WordPress site stand out from the pack of these themes. And, feel dazzling and encouraged now!
As the name suggested, the eco-consulting agency is one of a leading eco WordPress theme. It provides the guidelines & eco-consultants to bring awareness about an environment throughout the world.
So, if you are an eco-lover & want to create your environmental consulting firm online. Then you must utilize this wonderful template for creating the business website that helps to publicize you more on the web.
GoEco WordPress theme is furnishes you with the lovely features – like free to use or strong compatibility in all browsers, the stunning number of layouts, easy to install and many more.
Let's take a glance at features overview.
You can start your own online eco-consultancy only at $79.
A full-width slider at the front, where you can set beautiful pictures of your latest eco-green events. Also, this slider has a slideshow functionality that gives a beautiful glance to your website.
The theme has 4 column features area where you can showcase your related features & services. Also, you can affix some related images here.
This template gives you the separate blog section. That can help you to share your intelligence about the environmental issues and awareness among your users.
Without the feedback from your users, you can not find out the information you consult through the website, whether they like them or not? Because of that, this template has a testimonial section, where you can receive feedback from the others.
The 9 column gallery listing is here to roll out business related images and pictures.
The EcoTree WordPress theme is basically for those who want to showcase their work towards the environment. The template comes with so many features like gallery section to promote your related images, blogging area to interact with outsiders, number of widgets etc.
And these features are best suited on ecological communities, nature conservation clubs and related companies. So, build an informative website with this theme and start exploring ways to save the environment.
This Eco -WordPress theme is your's at just $79.
The theme has slider area with 6 slides, you can set images in the background and add some relevant intro text to them. Also, you can find a call to action button by which your viewers get to navigate to other pages.
After that tagging section is there for you, by which you can give a suitable tagline with its sub-description to your business entity.
As we mentioned above, the theme has 3 featured blogging area where you can put some informative blogs or articles related to your work.
You can add relevant menus in menu panel. Suppose, if you want to show the programs that you are running to save the nature, then you can create different menus for that.
So far we have to talked about the awareness of nature, but here we will discuss that how to keep our nature neat & clean.
You can utilize this theme to create an online site, which is responsible to make a better sanitation system all around. This eco WordPress theme is best suited for those who want to exhibit their services of cleaning environment like – cleaning services provider, sweepers, Governmental agencies etc.
The theme accommodated certain features that will help the user to deliver its services online in a well-organized manner.
Features are well described below.
This CleanLocality WordPress theme is your's at just $79.
The theme has a full-fledged slider with parallax images. Here, you can provide lead generation form to get general information about your users.
You can set suitable tagline for your business.
This theme has 4 column featured area that flaunts images with hover effects.
You can showcase your business related blogs on the homepage.
The theme provides a widgetized footer section, where you can affix related features and services.
Eco responsive environment WordPress theme is one of the modern themes that can be utilized by environment-related project, nature conservation agencies, NGOs, animal care.
This eco WordPress theme is a well-designed template for a blog, galleries, unlimited colour schemes, WooCommerce functionality, layer slider and many pages. Also, the theme is a responsive design, a perfect fit for all devices.
This Eco WordPress theme is your's at just $79.
Beautiful full-width animated slider with intro text description. You can provide suitable tagline at the front of your homepage.
The theme has 4 column featured area to showcase your features & services. This section is covered with hover effect.
You can describe your ambition as a note on the homepage in slider manner. In each slide, you can put relevant image and texts.
Separate blogging area to share your business-related knowledge. Also, you can set some relevant pictures to each blog.
This theme comes with the spotlight section for upcoming events, programs schedule, related conferences in accordance way.
You will find a 2 layered widgetized footer area.
ColourWay WordPress theme is beautifully designed to create a website within a couple of minutes. Because It has a quick installation feature.
In inclusion, there are tons of features like – compatible with all major browsers, SEO supportive, slider area etc.
Colourway by InkThemes.com can be easily installed FREE of cost from wordpress.org.
You can showcase the related images and videos in the slider.
This theme comes with a notification bar for lead generation.
The template has many customization options which can be modified using theme options panel.
The ColorWay has integrated with social icons like that will make your site socially connected.
Infoway WordPress theme is simpler and features integrated with the alternatives. You can use this theme by InkThemes.com to build a beautiful website for your business.
Moreover, we talk about the features, the theme has 'n' number of features like – simple to use, customizable option panel, widgetized sidebar & footer area.
I am sure, you would love to create your website using InfoWay.
The InfoWay by InkThemes.com can be easily installed FREE of cost from wordpress.org.
Separate testimonial section to showcase reviews from your clients.
The theme has blogging area where you can share your business related intelligence.
So here you must proceed with any one of the Eco WordPress themes to build your website. I guess the information that we provided here will bring a positive turning point in your business.
You can freely ask queries related to this article through comments.
We like to hear a word from your side.


text:
module.exports = function(x) {
	return x;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home / Android / Top 10 Best Android Emulator for PC 2019
Top 10 Best Android Emulator for PC 2019
Akanksha Priya Android, General, How To, Mac Apple, Windows Leave a comment 943 Views
Top 10 Best Android Emulator for PC 2019– We all want the Android emulators on our PC due to a lot of valid reasons. Some of the valid reasons are that App developers may want to test their application before shipping it out. Gamers want to use a mouse and keyboard on their games. In any case, Android emulation on PC is possible and in today's article, I am going to tell you some of the 'best Android Emulator'.
Who uses emulators?
#1.Android Studio's emulator
#2.Bliss
#3.Bluestacks
#4.Droid4X
#5.Genymotion
#6.KoPlayer
#7.MEmu
#8.Nox
#9.PrimeOS
#10.Xamarin
There are three main uses for emulators:
One of the most common and it's for gaming. Gamers can use emulators on their computers to make some games easier to play by using a mouse and keyboard. They don't have to depend on the battery life of their devices. Best emulators for gaming include Bluestacks, MeMu, KoPlayer, and Nox.
The second most common use case is for development. Android app and game developers like to test apps and games on as many devices before launch to check its functionalities.
The final main type is productivity. Any emulator also works as a productivity emulator The emulator used for productivity is ARChon and Bliss.
Also read- Top 10 Best Android OS for PC 2019
Let's dive in and have a look at the 'Top 10 Best Android Emulator for PC 2019'.
It is the default development console for Android and its absolutely free. It has a lot of tools to help developers to make apps and games specifically for Android. This is also a built-in emulator that one can use to test out your app or game. But the setup is complicated, and it can take a very long time. It also supports Kotlin and one of the excellent emulators for developers.
It works as an Android emulator for PC via the virtual machine. It can also run on the computer through a USB stick. The USB installation method for this emulator is even more complicated, but it lets your computer actually run Android natively from the boot. The system runs Android Oreo and that's among the newer versions of Android offered on an emulator.
Price: Free / $2 per month
It is one of the heaviest emulators on the list. It is the most mainstream of all Android emulators. There are several reasons to use this emulator. The first reason to use that it is compatible with Windows and Mac. Also, it gets regular updates. This emulator targets mobile gamers. Special features include key-mapping and settings for many games installed. That should help make things much easier.
It is one of the classic Android emulators for PC. It has a simple design and is very easy to use. It is mainly popular for gamers. However, like most Android emulators but you can do productivity stuff if you want to. Its last update was on March 28th, 2016. It is also compatible with Mac.
Price: Free with paid options
This Android emulator is mostly for developers. It provides you the feature to test your apps on multiple devices without owning them. The great thing about this app is it is available on both a desktop computer and the cloud. You can configure the emulator for a variety of devices with various versions of Android to help suit your needs.
This is a newer Android emulator for PC. Its main focus is for gaming. Players will also be able to record gameplay and upload it wherever they want. The install process is quite easy. It also runs in a virtual machine like most other Android emulators.
MEmu is another of the upcoming Android emulators that is very good for gamers but also you can use for productivity. One of its biggest features is that it supports both AMD and Intel chipsets. It is very for the developers that specifically pay attention to AMD's platform. Apart from this it also supports Android Jelly Bean, Kit Kat, and Lollipop. You can run multiple instances at once for multiple games or testing features.
Nox is a famous Android emulator for PC for gamers. This includes key-mapping with your keyboard, actual controller support, and even the ability to key-map gesture controls. you can also assign the function to swipe right to an arrow key and use that in a game without actual hardware controller support. Using this emulator is a lot of fun. It's absolutely free.
It is kind of a standout in the Android emulator space. It's not actually an emulator. To install this, you have to do partition on your computer, and it boots up running native Android. It's fully focused on Android gaming experience, but you can use this for productivity also. It includes a gaming center, support for mouse and keyboard, and access to most Android apps and games. It has a very amazing feature as you can multitask, watch the video, or play games.
Price: Free / Enterprise options
Xamarin is an IDE and very much similar to Android Studio. This comes with a built-in emulator for an app or the testing of the game. This is highly recommended for the developers. The setup is simply too tedious for regular consumer use. Xamarin's emulator is not as powerful as something like Genymotion, but if you intend on using this and it provides you to get work done. And also configurable for your needs. It's free for personal use.
About Akanksha Priya
She is a Software Engineer and Software Quality Analyst with a keen interest in the latest technologies. She has a bachelor's degree in Technology with specialization in Computer Science and Engineering.
Previous Top 10 Best Android OS for PC 2019
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Google claims that it keeps track of all it's user's activity to personalize the search result and improve user experience. I personally feel that it's a kind of breach into my privacy.
five × four =


The home button in the Samsung Galaxy S5 doubles as a fingerprint reader. The fingerprint reader functionality relies on a fragile cable assembly that is commonly broken upon opening the device. Follow the instructions in this guide to replace a broken home button, or transfer your old home button to your new screen if your replacement screen did not come with one.
This guide is a conditional add-on to the Display Assembly guide, and begins after the last step of that guide.
This guide is a conditional add-on to the Galaxy S5 Display Assembly guide. If you need to replace your home button but have not yet opened your device, start here.
The clear rubber backing of the home button assembly is lightly adhered to the back of the display. The adhesive should be easy to cut through with an opening tool. If you have trouble removing the assembly in the following steps, try heating the area using an iOpener or a hair dryer to loosen the adhesive.
Insert either end of an opening tool into the gap between the white rubber backing of the home button assembly and the screen.
Work your way around the bottom edge of the button, gently cutting through the adhesive holding it in place.
Once most of the adhesive around the bottom of the button has been broken, use your opening tool to pry it up.
Grab the lifted portion of the home button assembly and gently pull it away from the display, tearing the rest of the adhesive.
As you pull the assembly away, the rubber backing may begin to separate from the home button. The home button is only connected to the rubber backing by a fragile cable, so do your best to keep them together as you pull the assembly out.
If you are transferring your home button to a new display, the original adhesive should be strong enough to keep it in place.
If the original adhesive is not strong enough to hold the button in place while you re-install the display, you can lay the button in the chassis, and then install the display over it—the display assembly will keep the button in place.
If you are installing a new home button, remove the plastic film covering the adhesive, then carefully align the button with the display and press it into place.
To finish reassembling your device, head back over to the Display Assembly guide!


SfN is very happy. Now, here are some ideas on how to spend it.
From Olivia Judson's NYT blog: Stanford's Steve Quake proposes a new type of funding model that lets scientists focus on science.
Such a system does not come without its own perils. It is not so easy to ask our young scientists to think out of the box when a significant portion of their salary (and mortgage payments) depends on guaranteeing a steady source of funding. Consequently, professors become highly attuned to the institutional priorities of various funding agencies — often at a cost to their own creativity and desired research directions.
Science at its most interesting is provocative, surprising, counter-intuitive and difficult to plan — and those are very difficult values to institutionalize in an organization or bureaucracy of any size. I have seen my own grant proposals get chewed up and rejected with comments like "typically bold, but wildly ambitious," and wondered why it is wrong to be ambitious in one's research — but perhaps that is a conclusion fully consistent with science by committee.
Since President Obama started discussing his plans for funding science and economic stimulus, I think many scientists have been excited with the possibility of a sea change in levels of federal funding for science. Happily, the Senate just passed an amendment to increase the NIH's stimulus funding to a big $9.2 billion (the House version however is still at $3.5 billion, so we won't know the actual number for some time). Even though these numbers seem small compared to the overall NIH Budget ($29 billion last year), remember this is a stimulus (well, one kind of stimulus, here's another interesting idea from Harvard's Greg Mankiw), meaning funding in addition to the regular budget to help stimulate the economy.
to trim the size of the stimulus appear to take a chainsaw to the physical sciences and leave the N.I.H. money untouched at $10 billion.
According to a version of a memo describing the cuts, the stimulus for N.S.F. and the energy department's Office of Science would be cut to zero and there would be cuts to the NASA and NIST portions as well.
Clay Westrope, Sen. Nelson's spokesman, said the senator was not anti-science, but that he felt the stimulus bill was the wrong place to add financing for long-term research. "If they were in a spending bill, he would probably support them," Mr. Westrope said.
Mr. Westrope said he could not explain why biomedical research was regarded as a stimulus, but physics research would not.
Puzzling. At least, it's reassuring to see the support for the NIH, which, according to an article in Science this week, will result in new challenge grants for high risk projects along with increased large RO1 grant funding. (I highly recommend the Science article which has a nice summary of the recent legislative motions and what the funding agencies are planning to do with the stimulus money.) I'm pleased to see such strong support in the Senate and this kind of action is one of the reasons that I was happy to renew my SfN membership earlier this week (yes, I know I should have done it back in December). Among those lending his support to the Senate's increased NIH stimulus funding was Patrick Swayze, writing in the Washington Post: I'm Battling Cancer. How About Some Help, Congress?
NSF's Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) office funded 4 very futuristic neuroengineering grants.
Disclaimer: I was involved with the second proposal on this page.


Non-medicinal ingredients: Hypromellose, dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate, silica, vegetable magnesium stearate, cellulose, soy phosphatidylcholine, corn starch, vitamin E.
Adults: Take 1- 2 capsules daily with food, in divided doses, or as directed by your healthcare professional. Consult a healthcare practitioner for use beyond 12 weeks.
Caution: Consult a healthcare practitioner prior to use if you are taking any medications, if you have a liver disorder or develop symptoms of liver trouble, if you have an iron deficiency, if you are taking anti platelet medication or blood thinners, if you have gallstones or a bile duct obstruction, if you have stomach ulcers or excess stomach acid, if you are attempting to conceive, or if you have or are pre-disposed to cancer. Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Discontinue use if you are experiencing joint pain or hot flashes. If seal around cap is broken, do not use. For optimal storage conditions store in a cool, dry place.
Yeast, wheat gluten, corn, sodium, sugar, artificial colouring, preservatives or flavouring.


Spring 2012 Newsletter : Compensation Planning Inc.
Why is Fee Disclosure such a Big Deal?
Are all Service Providers Required to Comply?
When must the Information be Disclosed?
Nearly five years in the making, the Department of Labor (DOL) has published its long-awaited plan sponsor fee disclosure regulations under ERISA section 408(b)(2). With these new regulations taking effect on July 1, 2012, plan sponsors and service providers alike will be scrambling to prepare.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is one of the main federal laws that govern the operation of employer-sponsored retirement plans. Among the many topics it covers, ERISA sets forth the rules that apply to plan fiduciaries. Generally speaking, plan fiduciaries include those who have discretion over the administration or assets of a plan as well as those who provide investment advice to a plan for a fee. Since its passage in 1974, ERISA has included a requirement that a plan can only pay reasonable fees for required services such as recordkeeping, compliance or government reporting. If a plan pays fees that are not reasonable, such payments are prohibited transactions subject to penalties by the DOL and IRS.
While this requirement may seem, well… reasonable, service providers have not been legally obligated to disclose their compensation. That was not as much of a challenge in 1974 when the predominant type of retirement plan was the defined benefit plan. However, as the retirement plan world shifted from defined benefit to defined contribution daily-valued, participant-directed 401(k), the platforms and financial products became more sophisticated and complex. Service providers began receiving compensation via expenses built into plan investments rather than by directly billing plan sponsors. Some providers began marketing their services as no- or low-cost since their fees were being subsidized by the investments rather than being billed to the plan or the plan sponsor.
Having a plan automatically pay to operate itself might be convenient, but it may result in plan fiduciaries who are unable to dissect complex fee structures to determine how much each service provider is being paid. If fiduciaries do not know the amount of the fees, there is no way they can determine whether those fees are reasonable. With fee structures differing from provider to provider, it has also become difficult for fiduciaries to compare the fees and services of multiple vendors to determine which offers the best value.
Recognizing this growing disconnect, the DOL embarked on a three-pronged initiative to help ensure that fiduciaries have access to information they need to fulfill the reasonableness requirement. First is the expanded fee reporting on Form 5500, Schedule C, which was effective for plan years beginning in 2009 and is generally required for plans with more than 100 participants. The second prong is the required disclosure to plan participants at various times throughout the year.
Third is the requirement for service providers to disclose fee and service information to plan sponsors. Regulations implementing this requirement were first proposed in December 2007. After being revoked, re-proposed and semi-finalized, the sponsor-level fee disclosure regulations were finalized in February of this year.
Service providers who receive indirect compensation, e.g. revenue sharing, commissions, etc.
These might seem straightforward, but the devil is in the details. Let's consider several examples to help clarify.
The first category clearly indicates that Registered Investment Advisors and other fiduciary advisors are CSPs. But, what about those who are non-fiduciary brokers? Such individuals do not fit into the first category; however, since they typically receive commissions, they are CSPs under the third category.
This group seems relatively clear-cut. Any vendor, regardless of how it is compensated, that provides the investment platform to a participant-directed, defined contribution plan is a CSP. However, there are some nuances. Assume an investment professional provides the investment platform and partners with a separate firm who provides recordkeeping. In this case, the investment professional, not the recordkeeper, is likely the platform provider; therefore, the recordkeeper would probably not be a category 2 CSP. However, since most recordkeepers receive revenue sharing payments, they will typically be category 3 CSPs.
TPAs cannot be classified as a group because their services and compensation arrangements can vary widely. Consider a TPA that provides annual compliance testing and government reporting services but does not provide recordkeeping. If all fees are paid by the plan sponsor or directly from the plan, that TPA is not a CSP and is not subject to the new fee disclosure requirements. This is due to the fact that all fees are being paid directly and are, presumably, readily identifiable.
However, assume that the same firm regularly partners with an insurance company for recordkeeping services. The insurance company pays the TPA a marketing allowance based on the combined assets of all mutual clients. That marketing allowance is indirect compensation, making the TPA a category 3 CSP.
Whether other providers are CSPs depends largely on how they are compensated. Attorneys and accountants generally will not be CSPs since their typical compensation structures do not include indirect compensation. The regulations require that the fees paid to affiliates or subcontractors of a CSP must also be disclosed, so it is important to consider the relationships service providers may have with other companies. Since those affiliates often have no direct relationship with the plan, the CSP must include their compensation with its disclosure.
Regardless of the category, a service provider must have a reasonable expectation that its fees will be $1,000 or more under the life of its contract with the plan in order for it to be a CSP.
There is quite a list of information a CSP must provide to a covered plan. It is all designed to help plan fiduciaries understand the fees being paid and the services to which they relate. In addition, full disclosure of all compensation will help highlight any potential conflicts of interest in the recommendations that service providers make to their clients.
Who: The CSP must identify itself and, if applicable, provide a written statement that it will provide services as a fiduciary or a Registered Investment Advisor.
What: The CSP must identify the services it provides to a plan under the contract or arrangement.
How: The CSP must describe how it will receive each category of compensation. For example, some fees may be directly billed to the plan, while others may be deducted from investment returns or paid via revenue sharing.
How Much: The CSP must report all direct and indirect compensation paid to itself and/or any affiliates and should include anything of monetary value, e.g. gifts, trips, etc. The fees should be tied to the services to which they relate, and for indirect compensation, the payer must also be identified. If recordkeeping is part of a bundle of services and the CSP is unable to determine the portion of total compensation related to that service, the CSP must provide a reasonable, good-faith estimate or use the prevailing market rate for similar services. If there are any fees related to the termination of the agreement, the CSP must disclose those in addition to providing a description of how any pre-paid amounts will be pro-rated and refunded.
In addition to the above, fiduciary CSPs are required to provide general information about the investment options offered under the plan, including expense ratios, wrap fees, historical rates of return, comparisons to benchmarks, etc.
The goal of the regulations is to ensure plan fiduciaries have the information to determine if a service provider's fees are reasonable in advance of making the hiring decision. If a plan has already hired a service provider that is a CSP, the CSP must provide the initial disclosures no later than July 1, 2012. For all future arrangements, the CSP must disclose "reasonably in advance of the date the contract is entered into, extended or renewed." The inclusion of the words "extended or renewed" can present a trap for the unwary. It is not uncommon for a contract to expire (after one or two plan years) and automatically renew each year thereafter. In those instances, the disclosures must be provided each year prior to the renewal date.
In many situations, the investment menu is not determined until after the contract is signed. How can the CSP provide all the investment disclosures in advance? If this circumstance occurs, the investment information must be provided no later than 30 days after the CSP knows which platform, funds, etc., will be used.
When any of the previously disclosed information changes, the CSP must communicate those changes as soon as possible but no later than 60 days after becoming aware of the change.
The DOL has made compliance an integral part of the reasonable fee requirement; therefore, if there is no disclosure, the fees are automatically deemed unreasonable. That means there is a prohibited transaction. The non-disclosing CSP is subject to an excise tax equal to 15% of the amount involved and may be required to unwind the arrangement by returning the fees collected.
Prohibited transaction penalties usually apply to all parties involved, which means the plan representative making the hiring decision (the responsible plan fiduciary) may also be on the hook. However, the regulations provide some relief if the responsible plan fiduciary did not know the CSP was non-compliant and, immediately upon discovering the failure, made a written request to the CSP for the required disclosures. If the CSP does not respond to the request within 90 days, in order to avoid liability for the prohibited transaction, the responsible plan fiduciary must notify the DOL in writing of the CSP's failure and may be required to fire the CSP.
The service provider fee disclosure rules are effective on July 1, 2012. In addition, since the participant-level fee disclosure rules are so closely linked, their effective date has also been pushed back to July 1st. For existing service provider arrangements, plan sponsors should expect to receive the required disclosure information no later than that date. The initial annual participant disclosure is due August 30, 2012 (60 days after the effective date) and the initial quarterly participant disclosure is due November 14, 2012 (45 days after the close of the first quarter after the effective date).
It will be interesting to see how these new rules unfold. But one thing is for sure… plan sponsors and participants will not have any shortage of reading material by the end of this year.


text:
La saison 2016 des Reds de Cincinnati est la  en Ligue majeure de baseball et la  en Ligue nationale pour cette franchise.

Contexte

En 2015, les Reds connaissent une saison difficile et font largement confiance à des recrues inexpérimentées dans les deux derniers tiers de la campagne, pour finir avec seulement 64 victoires et 98 défaites, le  haut total de défaites en une saison dans leur histoire, et leur pire saison depuis leur record de 101 revers en 1982. Perdants de 12 matchs de plus qu'en 2014, les Reds terminent derniers de la division Centrale de la Ligue nationale et seul Philadelphie perd plus de matchs dans les majeures. Les Reds battent un record des majeures vieux de 1902 en alignant des recrues comme lanceurs partants dans 64 matchs de suite, et ont une recrue au monticule pour amorcer 110 de leurs 162 matchs.

Intersaison

Calendrier pré-saison
L'entraînement de printemps 2016 des Reds se déroule du  mars au .

Saison régulière
La saison régulière de 162 matchs des Reds débute le  à Cincinnati avec la visite des Phillies de Philadelphie et se termine le  suivant.

Classement

Effectif

Notes et références

Liens externes
 Site officiel des Reds de Cincinnati
 Calendrier 2016 des Reds de Cincinnati

Cincinnati
2016
Cincinnati
Sport dans l'Ohio en 2016

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Classes are grouped by age, and skill level. Tumblers work at their own pace through the skill levels, beginning through advanced. Tumbling classes also focus on overall strength, flexibility, and body awareness. Teachers help each student achieve his or her own personal best, and Tumbling classes are a fun way to learn great tumbling skills and build a strong healthy body.
You can give us a call at 801-572-4905 and we'll be happy to help you select an appropriate class for your child's age and skill level and get you signed up for an appointment right over the phone. If you call outside of our office hours or happen to get our answering machine, no need to worry. In almost all cases we can return your call by the end of the day.
Or, if you'd rather browse the classes yourself, you can use our online class schedule.
There is a Registration Form that will need to be filled out for each student PRIOR TO participation in the Trial Class.
This does not obligate you to sign up, but the waiver on the form does need to be filled out before we can have your child participate in the class. You can arrive a few minutes early for your Trial Class and pick one up in our office, or print one out here and bring it in with you.
Come on in and try out your class! Your child can wear whatever clothing he/she feels comfortable in that is easy to move in and that won't get in the way when going upside down. Long hair should be pulled back out of the face and secured with clips or elastics that won't be a bother when doing rolls.
Please bring your child into the office upon arrival so that we can get you checked in. You are welcome to stay and watch your child's class from our observation areas, or you can leave the facility and come back, whatever works better for you.
After the class, just let us know if you would like to sign up! If the program was not what you were looking for, we appreciate your feedback as we are constantly looking for ways to improve our program and meet the needs of our customers. There is no charge for the Trial Class if you decide not to enroll. If you would like to sign up, we will pro-rate your first month's tuition to match the number of lessons you will receive that first month. So you do not need to wait for the first of the month to enroll! Please note: If you have any coupons (pssst...click here to get a free class coupon) or other special offers, please bring them with you on your first appointment, as we will count your first Trial Class lesson as the first paid lesson.
Then that's it! You're all signed up and ready to go. We use an Auto-Pay System for our payments. You can put a Visa, Mastercard, or Discover card on file and your tuition will be charged automatically each month. If you need an exception to this policy, please let us know and we will discuss other payment options with you.
If you miss a class and would like to schedule a make-up lesson, you are welcome to do that by calling or coming into the office anytime during the month you missed or the following month, so don't worry if you have something come up that causes a missed class.