In 1769 Captain Cook cast his eyes on a New Zealand location with plentiful, bountiful coastlines with a very hospitable sub tropical climate. And decided call it the Bay of Plenty. And since I've decided to spend Easter weekend there, I thought that I'd once again help promote NZ as a golfing destination.
The Bay of Plenty is also fortunate in having plenty of good golf courses. The "name" ones, Wairakei and Kinloch are located adjacent to Lake Taupo in inland Bay of Plenty and world famous for its trout fishing.
Aha! Now that's how they managed to attract Jack Nicklaus to come and design Kinloch.
However since I'm playing some of the coastal courses I'll focus on commenting on their attributes.
Tauranga Golf Club, sits side by side a race course and reminds me of Royal Durban.
How can I forget Royal Durban, it's where I chose to play the morning of my wedding day - Yes I'm that much of a golf nut.
Tauranga is not nearly as tough as Royal Durban but well worth playing if you've got plenty of time to spend in the Bay of Plenty.
Day 2 and it's Omanu. The newest course of the three I'll play. It's close to the Mount Maunganui hot pools, which if my memory serves me right, are the only sea-water hot pools in the world. And Mount Maunganui is where you'll want to stay if you want to be beside the seaside.
Day 3 is Mount Maunganui, my favourite course in coastal Bay of Plenty and their web site has some great shots of the course and the Mount itself.
This from their web site.
Since I have a preference for links-style golf courses, I've just got to mention Ohope Golf Club which isn't all that far from Tauranga and is close to Whakatane.
Ohope isn't St Andrews but it's really worth keeping in mind if you're planning to visit White Island.
This from White Island Tours.


When it comes to historic preservation and the pleasures in restoring a vintage home, as a contractor here in Old Towne I realize that each home has its own unique challenges. We embrace difficulty, even in the most severe cases, such as . . .
Built around 1905, the records tell us this building is one of only two remaining barns in all of Orange. Understandably, there was an intense focus from the City of Orange and the OTPA to preserve the structure and to not have it dismantled or torn down. As you may know, when you own a historic home in Old Towne and hope to tailor it to your needs, the first step is to propose your plan to the City.
Truly, there are only a few people here in Old Towne who fully understand what the City needs and how they base their responses according to code and guidelines set by the California Secretary of Standards. If you are about to take on a project that alters a historic structure, you will find it less aggravating and stressful by calling us at Cross Design & Construction or finding a local Old Towne architect who knows historic preservation.
It takes comprehensive understanding of how these old structures were built and even more when it has to be lifted in the air and moved. The Glos barn was originally built with bat and board construction and leaned to the east considerably.
This one took some thought… How do you lift and move a barn that is held together with rotten boards and rusty nails? The answer is YOU DON'T! First we had to do a certain amount of pre-construction in order to make it sturdy enough to move and then we were on our way.
One of the most important aspects of the restoration requested by Chris was to use as much of the original lumber as possible on the barn—either by having the lumber remain exposed, or if it was removed, using it for architectural and design features that would complement the barn's living areas. This was a wonderful phase of construction in which Chris and I enjoyed working together, bouncing design elements back and forth, bringing his vision into reality.
In addition to enjoying each opportunity to preserve a historic structure, it is a true pleasure during the restoration process that Old Towne clients often become friends. Getting to know each other during the project enables me to ensure that the restorations are an ideal fit for my clients.
Select to view Jul/Aug 2012 "Cross Design & Construction" article.


text:
HMRC: Residential transactions see monthly increase of 15.6%
Uinsure appoints chief commercial officer
Kent Reliance unveils new products
Residential transactions saw a monthly increase of 15.6% in August according to the latest UK Property Transactions Statistics by HMRC.
Despite the monthly increase, year-on-year the figures show that the August figures (81,280) are 16.3% lower than August 2019.
There were 8,350 non-residential transactions in August, which is a yearly decrease of 15.5% and monthly increase of 7.5%.
Half of FTBs delaying home buying plans due to COVID-19
HMRC's data reveals that the residential transactions for Q2 was the lowest quarterly total since Q1 2009 following impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mark Harris, chief executive of SPF Private Clients, said: "Despite only being introduced the previous month, the stamp duty holiday was already filtering through to transaction numbers in August as buyers rushed to take advantage of the saving.
"Despite the recovery in number of transactions compared with the previous month, the pandemic has had a significant impact on the market with August's numbers down significantly on last year's.
"The data illustrates just how long it takes for property transactions to complete and at the moment, with some lenders struggling with service levels, along with surveyors and lawyers, it is all taking longer than it usually would.
"Buyers need to be patient, as well as engage good advisers who can help steer the transaction through in as prompt a fashion as possible."
Alan Cleary, managing director for mortgages at OneSavings Bank, added: "After a rocky start to the year, the continued uptick in activity is not only good for the market, but for buyers and sellers who are finally making progress with their property plans.
"People on both sides want to make the most of low borrowing costs and the temporary removal of stamp duty which for now at least is helping to bolster the market.
"However, as we head into the often quieter months of the year, the uncertainty around the UK economy could mean that the strong levels of activity leading up to this point may start to wane."
Jeremy Leaf, a former RICS chairman, believes that the market is showing determination to get transactions through.
Leaf said: 'Transactions are a better barometer of market health than more volatile house prices.
"Although a little historic, and there is a delay between the point when the sale is agreed and completion, these numbers still demonstrate considerable resilience when we were emerging from the previous lockdown and before the stamp duty holiday could have much impact.
"On the ground, we have noticed no sign of sales collapsing, renegotiating on deals or price reductions in the past few days – more of a determination to carry on."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: JSF2 "f:ajax render" renders more than the specified id I've searched and tried various things from around here and the web; prependId, using full id paths (:form:panelid:componentid kinda thing), and others.
I'm still confused. I'm still a JSF noob :)
My problem is that whatever I specify in the f:ajax render part isn't the only parts the get "executed". What I mean is, the id specified in render won't get rerendered on screen, but the value of that component do get called.
So:
inputText's f:ajax render=outA event=blur
when blur happens, outA's getter is called and it rerendered, but also the getter of other components are called, but they're not rerendered.
Specifically, in light of the listed code below:
A) When val1 loses focus, it's blur event fires, which has it call getValue1() and rerender outval1. Happy. But, getStuff() is ALSO called (it happens for the other blur and btnCalc also) BUT the result from getStuff() is NOT rendered to tblStuff dataTable.
Why?
How can I fix it, so that on the blur event, only the getters relevent to the render=".." component is executed?
Should I maybe use different  sections?
B) when the refresh button is clicked, then it will call getStuff AGAIN, and now show the new dataTable / ie that new data with ALL THE MANY ValueTO's that was added during the blur events and the btnReload click event.
C) For any one event named in A, the getStuff method is called exactly 8 times. ie, click inside inputbox, click outside input box, getStuff() * 8.
Yet, getValue1 is called only twice?
D) Any good JSF2 books out there?
Here is the page:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

<h:head>
    <title>Stuff</title>
</h:head>
<h:body>
        <h:form id="frmTrxMain" prependId="true">

                Stuff

            <h:dataTable title="Stuff" id="tblStuff" var="s" value="#{bean.stuff}" border="1">

                <h:column>
                    <f:facet name="header">
                        <h:outputText value="ID" />
                    </f:facet>
                    <h:outputText value="#{s.id}"/>
                </h:column>

                <h:column>
                    <f:facet name="header">
                        <h:outputText value="Name" />
                    </f:facet>
                    <h:outputText value="#{s.name}" />
                </h:column>

            </h:dataTable>

            <h:outputText value="No stuff to display" rendered="#{empty bean.stuff}"/>
            <h:commandButton value="Refresh" id="btnReload">
                <f:ajax render="tblStuff" event="click"/>
            </h:commandButton>

            <h:panelGrid columns="3" id="pnlTwo">
                <h:outputLabel value="Value1"/>
                <h:inputText value="#{bean.value1}" id="val1">
                    <f:ajax event="blur" render="outVal1"/>
                </h:inputText>
                <h:outputText id="outVal1" value="Entered: #{bean.value1}" />

                <h:outputLabel value="Value2"/>
                <h:inputText value="#{bean.value2}" id="val2">
                    <f:ajax event="blur" render="outVal2"/>
                </h:inputText>
                <h:outputText id="outVal2" value="Entered: #{bean.value2}" />

                <h:commandButton value="Calc" id="btnCalc">
                  <f:ajax event="click" render="outSum"/>
                </h:commandButton>
            </h:panelGrid>

            <h:outputLabel id="outSum" value="#{bean.sum}"/>
        </h:form>
</h:body>

And the backing bean:
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import javax.faces.bean.ManagedBean;
import javax.faces.bean.SessionScoped;

@ManagedBean(name = "bean")
@SessionScoped
public class TestStuffBean {

private int id=1;
private String name="a";
//test.xhtml
private String value1;
private String value2;

private List<TestVO> stuff = new ArrayList<TestVO>();

public String getValue1() {
    return value1;
}

public void setValue1(String value1) {
    this.value1 = value1;
}

public String getValue2() {
    return value2;
}

public void setValue2(String value2) {
    this.value2 = value2;
}

public String getSum() {

    String result = "";

    int sum;
        try {
            sum = Integer.parseInt(value1) + Integer.parseInt(value2);
            result = Integer.toString(sum);
        } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
            result = "Enter two integers";
        }

    return result;
}

public List<TestVO> getStuff() {
    //the VO is just a POJO with a contructor that takes
            //two strings and a getter/setter for each id and name
        stuff.add(new TestVO(Integer.toString(id), name+id));
        id++;

    return stuff;
}
}

A: I'm not a JSF 2 expert since we're still using 1.2 but I guess they have the same properties here: the getters are called often, e.g. when reconstrucing the view in the restore-view phase. Thus you can't rely on the getters only being called for the actually rendered part. In fact, you shouldn't do any costly operations (like db access) in your getters - in most cases you don't know how often they're actually called in one cycle.
Especially your getStuff() method should be changed, it's also almost always bad design to have a getter cause side effects like something being added to an internal list, like in this case.
Edit: To clarify the comment on getters:
Normally a getter should not do costly operations, since you don't know how often JSF will call them.
Since you still have to get some data from some source (like a database) you might provide methods to only do that (like loadDataFromDB()) and fill some data structure in the managed bean. The getter might then just deliver that data structure.
You might add a check for the data structure not being initialized and if not call the load method in the getter, but I'd only use that as a last option. Generally you should be able to separately call the load method, e.g. by clicking a refresh button or when navigating to the page - that's what we do.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Wooden Boat Expo
About Oriental
The 2023 Oriental In-Water Boat Show April 14-16
Springtime, a historic boating village, a great array of exhibitors, and visitors from ten states all make for a great Oriental In-Water Boat Show.
Oriental's annual In-water Boat Show has grown exponentially since its beginnings in 2009. The most recent show drew over 100 exhibitors from as far away Hampton, Virginia, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Bryson City, NC. In addition to nautical goods and services, dealers and brokers brought in boats on land and in the slips at Oriental Harbor Marina, many of which were available for in-water sea trials.
Based on the combination of number of vendors, number of boats, sales attributed and number of attendees, the Oriental show has become one of the largest and most successful in-water shows between Annapolis and Savannah. We look forward to seeing you April 14-16, 2023.
If you are a vendor and are interested in the 2023 show, contact show organizer Sam Myers 252-249-0228 or via email, director@orientalboatshow.com.
2023 Boat Show Registration
>> The 2023 Oriental Boat Show Exhibitor contract can now be completed online. <<
Old school? The 2023 Oriental Boat Show Exhibitor contract can be downloaded at this link.
The Oriental Boat Show is produced by the Oriental Rotary Club
Site design & hosting courtesy TownDock.net


This pair had such a perfect wedding at their own home, and I can't wait to show you all.
Kellie was glowing. I love this girl!
First look = the sweetest.
You guys look so GOOOD!
The way her dad's looking at her. Melts me.
Kellie's has mom passed away, and I adored all the ways they thought of to make sure she was still a big part of their day.
Kellie DIY'd almost EVERYTHING for this wedding, and it was all so adorable! I was so impressed with her skills.
Ending with a few sundown portraits. Love these!
Kellie and Josh, you two couldn't be sweeter and I'm so happy you're together!
Advice for future Brides and Grooms: Don't worry about anyone else's drama. It's your day to enjoy!
Describe your wedding in 5 words: I married my best friend.
Emotional Memory: Seeing Kellie walk down the aisle with her dad.
Advice for future Brides and Grooms: Enjoy your moment, it goes by quick!


text:
WATCH: Man Assaulted for Wearing MAGA Hat at Christchurch Mosque Vigil
Violent Left
The man was behaving peacefully before being attacked by radicals.
Another peaceful supporter of President Donald J. Trump was assaulted simply for wearing a MAGA hat – this time at York University in Toronto.
The man was attending a vigil for the victims of a mass shooting at a mosque in New Zealand last week. The mainstream press has rushed to blame Trump and his supporters for the attack, despite the fact that most of the shooter's manifesto was either incoherent rambling or leftist eco-fascism and communist garbage.
The man was surrounded by a group people yelling at him to leave the vigil.
"These people don't owe you an explanation, just leave," one person can be heard saying in the video.
Others were more profane.
"This was a f****** massacre and you're wearing a symbol of racism," one woman said. "Get the f*** out."
As the man turned to leave, one of the attendees of the vigil hit him in the head, knocking the hat off.
At the end of February, an illegal alien living in Massachusetts did almost the same thing to a Trump supporter wearing a MAGA hat. She was arrested, charged with assault, and then turned over to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Someone wore a MAGA hat to a vigil for New Zealand mosque shooting victims at York University #Toronto pic.twitter.com/D95UAezl1J
— blogTO (@blogTO) March 19, 2019
Follow Peter D'Abrosca on Twitter: @pdabrosca
Like Peter D'Abrosca on Facebook: facebook.com/peterdabrosca
Preorder Peter D'Abrosca's Book: "Enemies: The Press vs. The American People"


As among kings he is the King of kings, as among priests he is the great High Priest, as among prophets he is the Messiah, so is he the Prince of preachers, the Apostle of our profession. They who are most excellent as preachers are those who are most like him; but even those who by being most like him have become eminent, are still far short of his excellence. "His lips," says the spouse, "are like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh." He is a prophet mighty in word and deed.
To form a right conception of our Lord's ministry, it is necessary to note the whole of it, and we may do so without departing from the text; for though the officers did not hear all that Jesus said, I have no doubt that the qualities which shone in his entire ministry were many of them apparent in the discourse which he delivered on that particular occasion. Follow me, therefore, as I note the leading qualities of his unrivalled eloquence.
The most casual reader of Christ's discourses would observe that their style is singularly clear and perspicuous, and yet their matter is by no means trivial or superficial. Did ever man speak like this man Christ Jesus, for simplicity? Little children gathered around him, for much of what he said was interesting even to them. If there be ever a difficult word in any of Christ's discourses, it is because it must be there owing to the faultiness of human language, but there is never a hard word inserted, for its own sake, where an easier word could have been employed. You never find him, for the sake of display, careering upon the wings of rhetoric; he never gives forth dark sayings that his hearers may discover that his learning is vast and his thinking profound. He is profound, and in that respect, "never man spoke like this man;" he unveils the mysteries of God, he brings to light the treasures of darkness of the ages past which prophets and kings desired to see, but into which they could not pry; there is in his teaching a depth so vast that the greatest human intellect cannot fathom it, but all the while he speaks with plain words, in parables with multitudinous illustrations of the most homely kind — about eggs, and fish, and candles, and bushels, and sweeping houses, and losing pieces of money, and finding sheep. His speech abounds in the truest and most natural of images, and is ever constructed not to display himself, but to make clear the truth which he was sent to reveal, "Never man spoke like this man!" The common people with their common sense heard him gladly, for even if they could not always grasp the full compass of his teaching, yet upon the surface of his plain speech there glittered lumps of golden ore well worthy to be treasured up. For this quality our Savior, then, remains unrivalled, perspicuous yet profound.
His speech had this also about it that he spoke with unusual authority. He was a master dogmatist. It was not "it may be so," or "it can be proven," and "it is highly probable;" but "Verily, verily, I say unto you." And yet side by side with this was an extraordinary degree of self-sinking. The Master spoke dogmatically, but never with proud self-sufficiency, after the manner of the children of conceit; he never pestered you with assumptions of superiority, and claims to official dignity. He borrowed no assistance from a priestly robe or from an imposing title. Meek he was as Moses, but like Moses he spoke the word of the Lord with absolute authority. Coming out of the ivory palaces, fresh from the bosom of the Father, having looked into the unseen, and heard the infallible oracle, he spoke not with bated breath, with hesitancy and debate as the scribes and lawyers, not with arguments and reasonings as the priests and Pharisees, creating perplexity and pouring darkness upon human minds. "Verily, verily, I say unto you," was his favorite word. He spoke that he did know, and testified what he had seen, and demanded to be accepted as sent forth from the Father. He did not debate, but declare. His sermons were not guesses, but testimonies. Yet he never magnifies himself, he lets his works and his Father bear witness of him. He asserts truth from his own positive knowledge, and because he has a commission from the Father to do so, but never as mere dogmatists do with an extolling of their own selves, as though they were to be glorified and not the God who sent the truth and the Spirit by whom it is applied.
Further, in our Lord's preaching, there was a wonderful combination of faithfulness with tenderness. He was indeed the prince of faithful preachers. Not even Nathan when he stood before King David, and said, "Thou art the man," could be more true to human conscience than Christ was. How those cutting words of his must have told like rifle-bullets when they were first hurled against the respectability of the age, "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" "Woe unto you, lawyers," and so forth. There was no mincing matters, no winking at wickedness because it happened to be associated with greatness, no excusing sin because it put on the sanctimoniousness of religion; he neither fawned on the great nor pandered to the populace. Jesus reproved all classes to their faces concerning their sins. It never occurred to him to seek to please men. He looked to the doing of his Father's business, and since that business often involved the laying of righteousness to the line, of judgment to the plummet, he spared not to do it. Perhaps no preacher ever used more terrible words with regard to the fate of the ungodly than our Lord has done. Those awful sentences which fell from the lips of the Friend of Sinners prove that he was too much their friend to flatter them, too much their friend to let them perish without a full warning of their doom. And yet though he thundered, how gentle were his words! He did not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax. For the woman taken in adultery, he had no word of curse; for the mothers of Jerusalem bringing their babes, he had not a syllable of reprehension. Kind, gentle, tender, loving, the speech which at one time sounded as the voice of Jehovah which breaks the cedars of Lebanon and makes the hinds to calve, was at other seasons modulated to music, softened to a whisper, and used to cheer the disconsolate, and bind up broken hearts. "Never man spoke like this man," so faithful and yet so tenderly affectionate, so mindful of the least good which he could see in man, and yet so determined to smite hypocrisy wherever his holy eye could discover it.
One memorable characteristic of our Lord's preaching was his remarkable commingling of the excellences which are found separately in his servants. You know, perhaps, a preacher who is admirable when he addresses the head, who can explain and expound very logically and clearly, and you feel that you have been instructed whenever you have sat under him; but the light though clear, is cold like moonlight, and when you retire you feel that you know more, and yet are none the better for what you know. It would be well if those who can enlighten the head so well would remember that man has also a heart. On the other hand, we know others whose whole ministry is addressed to the passions, and the emotions; during a sermon, you shed any quantity of tears, you pass through a furnace of sensation, but as to what is left which is calculated permanently to benefit you, it were difficult to discover; when the sermon is over, the shower and the sunshine have both departed, the fair rainbow has disappeared from sight, and what remains? It would be well if those who always talk to the heart, recollected that men have heads as well.
Now the Savior was a preacher whose head was in his heart, and whose heart was in his head. He never addressed the emotions except by motives which commended themselves to the reason nor did he instruct the mind without at the same time influencing the heart and conscience. Our Savior's power as a speaker was comprehensive. He aroused the conscience, who more than he? With but a single sentence, he convicted those who came to tempt him, so that beginning with the eldest, and ending with the youngest, they all went out ashamed. But he was not a mere render open of wounds, a cutter and a killer, he was equally great in the arts of holy consolation. With intonations of matchless music, he could say, "Go thy way; thy sins, which are many, be forgiven thee." He knew how to console a weeping friend as well as to confront a boisterous enemy; his superiority was felt by all sorts of men; his artillery struck at all ranges; his mind war, equal to all emergencies; it was for good like the sword of the cherubim at the gates of Eden for evil, it turned every way to keep the gates of life open for those who would fain enter there.
My brethren, I have entered upon a theme which is boundless; I merely touch some of the outer skirts of my Master's robes; as for himself, if you would know how he spoke you must hear him. One of the ancients was wont to say that he could have wished to have seen Rome in all its splendor, to have been with Paul in all his labors, and to have heard Christ when preaching. Surely it were worth worlds, but once to have caught the round of that serene, soul-stirring voice, to have beheld for once the glance of those matchless eyes as they looked through the heart, and that heavenly countenance as it glowed with love.


Following a post on the "Stellies Rage" Facebook page, which accused bouncers of violent conduct at the popular Stellenbosch nightclub, Catwalk, attention has fallen upon the nightclub and its bouncers.
The post, anonymously created on 5 May 2018, read that "a girl was brutally pushed, shoved, spat on and pepper-sprayed" by the bouncers after she attempted to retrieve her valuables from inside the club.
A Stellenbosch University (SU) student who asked to remain anonymous alleged that she, too, had a violent experience with the Catwalk bouncers when celebrating her birthday at the club.
The incident took place after she exited the club bathroom with the intention of going back to the dance floor, which was three flights of stairs below. She explained that the bouncer stopped her outside the bathroom, swore at her and threatened to remove her from the club for being overly intoxicated.
She adds that she tripped down the second flight of stairs. Thereafter, "the bouncer gripped [her] arm again and forced [her] down the third flight of stairs. At the bottom floor [she] escaped the bouncer and exited the club".
Another student, Melandi de Kock, said that bouncers threatened to remove her from the club after falsely accusing her of throwing a glass off the balcony. De Kock said that the bouncer "pulled [her] by the arm and forced [her] down the stairs and pushed [her] out of the place".
Both girls reported that they had bruises on their arms where the bouncers had handled them.
Former Catwalk bartender, Ryan Seebregts, maintains a different view of the club's bouncers. Seebregts said that "a lot of the bouncers are very friendly with most barmen".
He added that "they are generally very helpful people, often helping handicapped or injured people to the bar".
William Bruce, owner of Tin Roof, explained its bouncer policy. He told Die Matie that Tin Roof will only condone violence from the bouncers when "a patron refuses to leave the club or is a threat to the property of other patrons at the venue".
Bruce adds that "the only time a bouncer is ever allowed to be physical or use force is if the patron is aggressive and a threat, and even then, it must be controlled force".
When questioned about the Stellies Rage post, Catwalk owner Gian Brink said that the situation described was "not true" but is currently being handled by the police.


text:
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From 'The Wire' To 'Luther' And (Nearly) James Bond: Happy Birthday Idris Elba
Simon Binns in Entertainment
Last updated 5:34 PM, Thursday September 06 2018 GMT+1
Despite the fact he seems to be really good at everything, it's hard to dislike Idris Elba.
The London-born actor turns 46 today and although it looks like he probably won't be the next James Bond, fans won't have to wait too long to see him back on screen as he gets ready to reprise the role of troubled detective John Luther for the BBC.
It was the role of Stringer Bell that brought him to the attention of UK audiences and critics though, as slow burner hit The Wire became THE must-watch box set. So convincing was he was as the Baltimore drug runner that many thought he was American.
But he's all ours.
Elba based himself in New York though and after grabbing the attention of virtually every casting director in America, another decent TV role soon followed The Wire, as he bagged himself a six episode stint in the US version of The Office in 2009.
A year later though, Elba was cast as Luther - the moody BBC detective drama that sent his UK profile into orbit and probably drove a massive increase in sales of long dark coats that swish about dramatically when you leave the pub/office/kebab shop. It also bagged him a Golden Globe in 2012.
Big screen roles followed, most notably as the lead in Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom, Captain Janek in Ridley Scott's Prometheus and In 2015, Elba appeared as Thor's trusted lookout Heimdall in Avengers: Age of Ultron .
He was killed off in the first few minutes of Infinity War, but you can't have it all I suppose.
He'll have taken comfort from the fact hat his own film, Yardie, opened in cinemas earlier this month.
He doesn't just do acting though. As a DJ he's played a raft of music festivals and he's also worked with Jay-Z, Giggs and Angie Stone.
Idris Elba in Luther. Credit: BBC
What else? Well, there was that time he got himself absolutely UFC ripped in Sky's Fighter, where he had a shot at being a kickboxer and showed himself to be fairly nails as it happens.
He's also worked with the UN to try and help tackle Ebola in Sierra Leone. Oh, and he presented the FIFA Football Awards in 2017 and hung out with Neymar and co.
Which is just showing off frankly.
Add to that his triumphant Rear of the Year 2017 win and the fact that pretty much any female you mention his name to starts swooning, you do wonder why other blokes actually bother.
He's talented, cool and likable though - a tricky combo to pull off.
Credit: PA
So what exactly does Idris Elba put in his passport? Actor, producer, director, musician, DJ, activist...arse champion?
Maybe just 'DUDE'.
Anyway, Happy Birthday Idris. Bond might not be happening - but Luther definitely is. And John would probably batter James anyway.
Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: idris elba, Celebrity, Luther, UK Entertainment
Simon Binns
Simon is the editor of LADbible. He's also the former CityLife editor at the Manchester Evening News and has worked as a journalist for the BBC, The Guardian and loads of places you've never heard of. Boro fan. Parmo expert.
Follow @simonbinns
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text:
Home»All Films»Pop Culture
Rock guitarists spanning three generations talk about the electric guitar and the sounds of music that influenced their careers.
The documentary follows Jimmy Page founder of the band Led Zeppelin, David Evans from U2 and Jack White of the White Stripes for a better part of 12 months to give fans an insight into their private lives, past and present.
Jimmy Page's history with a guitar goes back to childhood when he was a member of a skiffle band. Wanting to do more than just play pop music, Page gave up the guitar to enroll in art school. Reviving his musical career as a session guitarist, he soon loses enthusiasm after realizing he is only playing others music and limiting his creativity.
David Evans aka the Edge, who created one most distinctive sounds of the last 30 years opens up about building a guitar with his brother Dik and learning how to play. Evans recalls how U2 was formed and demonstrates his playing style, including how he removes individual strings from chords.
Jack White discusses his musical background from childhood in a rundown neighborhood of Detroit. Removing his bed and sleeping on a piece of foam so he could two drum sets and a guitar in his bedroom, White reveals how he struggled to find a musical identity, as it wasn't cool to play an instrument.
Dubbed The Summit, the three guitarists gives us more than just their thoughts on their musical influences and techniques; they also play each other's songs showing each other how it's done.
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Played out entirely on a teenagers's computer and iPhone screen, this film illustrates how we receive information today.
Conspiracy doc revealing the overwhelming evidence that the music industry has been taken over by Illuminati elites who use occult symbolism in music videos.
6 years ago at 11:52 am
amazing! a must see if you like music


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Home » Weekly Torah Portion » Advanced » Covenant & Conversation
https://www.aish.com/tp/i/sacks/The-Miracle-of-a-Child.html
The Miracle of a Child
Vayeira (Genesis 18-22)
by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Judaism is a sustained discipline in not taking life for granted.
There is a mystery at the heart of Jewish existence, engraved into the first syllables of our recorded time.
The first words of God to Abraham were: "Go out from your land, your birthplace, and your father's house ... And I will make you a great nation ..."
In the next chapter there is another promise: "I will make your children like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, so shall your offspring be counted."
Two chapters later comes a third: "God took him outside and said, 'Look at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.' Then He said to him, 'So shall your children be.'"
Finally, the fourth: "Your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations."
Four escalating promises: Abraham would be the father of a great nation, as many as the dust of the earth and the stars of the sky. He would be the father not of one nation but of many.
What, though, was the reality? Early in the story, we read that Abraham was "very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold." He had everything except one thing – a child. Then God appeared to Abraham and said, "Your reward will be very great."
Until now, Abraham has been silent. Now, something within him breaks, and he asks: "O Lord God, what will you give me if I remain childless?" The first recorded words of Abraham to God are a plea for there to be future generations. The first Jew feared he would be the last.
Then a child is born. Sarah gives Abraham her handmaid Hagar, hoping that she will give him a child. She gives birth to a son whose name is Ishmael, meaning "God has heard." Abraham's prayer has been answered, or so we think. But in the next chapter, that hope is destroyed. Yes, says God, Ishmael will be blessed. He will be the father of twelve princes and a great nation. But he is not the child of Jewish destiny, and one day Abraham will have to part from him.
This pains Abraham deeply. He pleads: "If only Ishmael might live under Your blessing." Later, when Sarah drives Ishmael away, we read that "This distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son." Nonetheless, the decree remains.
God insists that Abraham will have a son by Sarah. Both laugh. How can it be? They are old. Sarah is post- menopausal. Yet against possibility, the son is born. His name is Isaac, meaning "laughter":
Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
Finally, the story seems to have a happy ending. After all the promises and prayers, Abraham and Sarah at last have a child. Then come the words which, in all the intervening centuries, have not lost their power to shock:
After these things, God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you."
Abraham takes his son, travels for three days, climbs the mountain, prepares the wood, ties his son, takes the knife and raises his hand. Then a voice is heard from heaven: "Do not lay a hand on the boy." The trial is over. Isaac lives.
Why all the promises and disappointments? Why the hope so often raised, so often unfulfilled? Why delay? Why Ishmael? Why the binding? Why put Abraham and Sarah through the agony of thinking that the son for whom they have waited for so long is about to die?
There are many answers in our tradition, but one transcends all others. We cherish what we wait for and what we most risk losing. Life is full of wonders. The birth of a child is a miracle. Yet, precisely because these things are natural, we take them for granted, forgetting that nature has an architect, and history an author.
Judaism is a sustained discipline in not taking life for granted. We were the people born in slavery so that we would value freedom. We were the nation always small, so that we would know that strength does not lie in numbers but in the faith that begets courage. Our ancestors walked through the valley of the shadow of death, so that we could never forget the sanctity of life.
Throughout history, Jews were called on to value children. Our entire value system is built on it. Our citadels are schools, our passion, education, and our greatest heroes, teachers. The seder service on Pesach can only begin with questions asked by a child. On the first day of the New Year, we read not about the creation of the universe but about the birth of a child – Isaac to Sarah, Samuel to Hannah. Ours is a supremely child-centred faith.
That is why, at the dawn of Jewish time, God put Abraham and Sarah through these trials – the long wait, the unmet hope, the binding itself – so that neither they nor their descendants would ever take children for granted. Every child is a miracle. Being a parent is the closest we get to God – bringing life into being through an act of love.
Today, when too many children live in poverty and illiteracy, dying for lack of medical attention because those who rule nations are focused on fighting the battles of the past rather than shaping a safe future, it is a lesson the world has not yet learned. For the sake of humanity it must, for the tragedy is vast and the hour is late.
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Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt"l was an international religious leader, philosopher, and respected moral voice. The author of over 35 books, he received multiple awards in recognition of his work including the 2016 Templeton Prize. He was the recipient of 18 honorary doctorates, and was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen in 2005 and made a Life Peer, taking his seat in the House of Lords in October 2009. Rabbi Sacks zt"l served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. Rabbi Sacks zt"l was born on the 8th March 1948 and passed away on the 7th November 2020 (Shabbat Kodesh 20th MarCheshvan 5781).
These weekly teachings from Rabbi Sacks zt"l are part of the 'Covenant & Conversation' series on the weekly Torah reading. Read more essays from the series on www.rabbisacks.org.
Also available: The FAMILY EDITION of Covenant & Conversation, designed to enhance your parsha conversation with everyone from teenagers to great-great-grandparents. To read and print this family-friendly learning resource, for an inter-generational discussion around your Shabbat table on Rabbi Sacks' ideas for the week, please click here.
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Nella stagione 1970-1971 la Promozione era il quinto livello del calcio italiano (il massimo livello regionale). Tuttavia nel 1970-1971 in Trentino-Alto Adige il massimo livello regionale continuò ad essere la Prima Categoria.

Il campionato è strutturato in vari gironi all'italiana su base regionale, gestiti dai Comitati Regionali di competenza. Promozioni alla categoria superiore e retrocessioni in quella inferiore non erano sempre omogenee; erano quantificate all'inizio del campionato dal Comitato Regionale secondo le direttive stabilite dalla Lega Nazionale Dilettanti, ma flessibili, in relazione al numero delle società retrocesse dal Campionato Interregionale e perciò, a seconda delle varie situazioni regionali, la fine del campionato poteva avere degli spareggi sia di promozione che di retrocessione.

Girone A

Classifica

Verdetti
 Bersone, Borgo e G.R.A. Condino sono retrocesse in Seconda Categoria.
 Il G.R.A. Condino è penalizzato di 10 punti.

Girone B

Classifica

Verdetti
 Europa e Virtus Voltolini sono retrocesse in Seconda Categoria.
 Il Gardolo è penalizzato di 13 punti.
 La Virtus Don Bosco è penalizzata di 2 punti.

Bibliografia
 Annuario 1970-1971 della F.I.G.C. - Roma (1971)
 Almanacco del calcio regionale Trentino Alto Adige di Antenisco Gianotti, Sergio Braghini e Lucio Gerlin - Ed. G & G.

Voci correlate
 Serie A 1970-71
 Serie B 1970-71
 Serie C 1970-71
 Serie D 1970-71

Trentino

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Figured it's would be way cheaper to buy an already converted car, so I found out Jamie's was for sale and I bought it.
The conversion works 100 percent how it should, so props to Jamie and Scott!
Can you drive it on P's Wob?
Nice, I like this car.
Just needs a ecu and some engineering. How long until you are on fulls?
Makes good power for the moment, haltech platinum sport on the cards in the very far future.
Whered you score them from?
Very nice buy man. Well done. I'm keen to see what you do with her.
Washer bottle doesn't fit into location because of IC pipe work..... That would annoy me.
Headlight lenses need polishing STAT!
Going to have a crack at heating up the bottle to manuiplate it a bit, without remaking the piping i think that's going to be the easiest way!


(PNS) On Feb. 6 the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) A Corporation authorized its President Search Committee to conduct a search for a president and to engage Boardwalk Consulting, a national firm that specializes in recruiting chief executives and senior leaders for nonprofits and foundations.
The board of the A Corp, the principal corporate entity of the General Assembly, announced its actions following a closed meeting.
In other action Wednesday, the board approved a leadership profile, which spells out the qualities the board is looking for in the president.
Developing a "customer-centered service organization" to deliver "high-quality, efficient, and effective administrative services" to various PC(USA) entities, including the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency. That will include the development of translation services.
Assessing organizational capacity in part to identify gaps in systems and staffing.
The President Search Committee is looking for someone with substantial experience in the nonprofit sector and senior strategic leadership experience. Membership and experience in the PC(USA) or other Reformed denomination is preferred. Knowledge or experience in accounting, budgeting, finance, human resources, information technology, legal, property management, risk management and research are a must.
The successful candidate will have a demonstrated track record of promoting diversity and the ability to build collaboration, as well as implementing complex initiatives on time and within budget. A "high level of intelligence and intellectual curiosity and a desire to explore new ideas and innovative approaches to solving problems," as well as excellent verbal and written skills, are also required.
The Leadership Profile does not include a proposed salary range.


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Ella Dorsey Bio, Age, Height, CBS46, Net Worth, Salary, Parents, and Husband
Ella Dorsey Bio, Wiki
Ella Dorsey is an Emmy Award Winning American Meteorologist working at CBS46 in Atlanta Georgia serving as a Weeknights Meteorologist from 4:30-7 & 9-10 am. She has been working with this station since January 2016.
Ella Dorsey Age
Dorsey is 31 years old as of 2022. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland on 2nd May 1991. Her birth sign is Taurus and she celebrates her birthday on the 2nd of May every year.
Ella Dorsey Height/Measurements
Dorsey stands approximately 5 feet 7 inches (1. 7m) and weighs around 64 kg.
Ella Dorsey Education
For her education, Ella enrolled at the University of Georgia where she graduated Cum Laude earning a B.S. in geography and a certificate in Atmospheric Sciences.
Ella Dorsey's Photo
Ella Dorsey Career
Dorsey works at CBS46 in Atlanta Georgia as a Weeknights Meteorologist from 4:30-7 & 9-10 am. She came to Atlanta News First in January 2016 as a weekend meteorologist. Ella fell in love with the weather at the age of four when her father gave her a Discovery Channel VCR titled " Hurricane, Tornado, Flood".
Prior to working at CBS46, Ella served for WBIR-TV in Knoxville Tennessee where she reported everything from snow to tornadoes and ice storms. Her interest shines through in her forecasts. In addition to the weather, Ella is a HUGE football supporter. She made frequent appearances on sports radio talk shows in Knoxville. You can spot her sporting Georgia Bulldogs gear & Baltimore Ravens year-round.
She has also been rewarded with the Certificate of Broadcast Meteorology (CBM) which is the most prestigious designation given to on-air meteorologists. If Ella isn't watching football or radar, you can find her traveling or cooking.
Ella Dorsey Net Worth Worth
In Ella's career as a meteorologist, he has been able to amass a net worth ranging between $1 Million-$ 3 Million.
Ella Dorsey Salary
Dorsey acquires annual earnings that range between $ 76,149 and $ 155,405.
Ella Dorsey's Parents and Siblings
Dorsey was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and then relocated to Atlanta with her family at the age of 13. Ella is an only child to a motivational speaker father and a CNN digital editor mother. Growing up, her dad motivated her to be a meteorologist. Besides this, Ella has not revealed any further data about her parents.
Ella Dorsey Husband
Dorsey is not married but she is off the market. She is allegedly engaged to Michael Strahl.
Ella Dorsey's Kids
Information on whether Ella has a child or not will be updated soon.
Ella Dorsey Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
Dorsey is vocal on her social media accounts where she posts often. On her Twitter account, she has about
27.6K Followers around 52K followers on her Facebook page and about 32.5 K on her Instagram account.
Ella Dorsey CBS46
Dorsey works at CBS46 where she works alongside her fellow anchors, reporters, and meteorologists such as;
Rebekka Schramm
Harry Samler
Emily Gagnon
Fred Kalil
Rodney Harris
Fred Campagna
Jennifer Valdez
Allen Devlin
Meghan Packer
Gurvir Dhindsa
Tracye Hutchins
Karyn Greer
Rick Folbaum
Shon Gables


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The video ads Facebook originally planned to launch this month or in July are now on hold until at least mid-October, AdAge reported, with sources telling the magazine more development is needed on new features the social network plans to release simultaneously with its video ads. One of those new features, according to AdAge, is the incorporation of metrics from Nielsen that would provide reach estimates in terms of gross ratings points, including for ads that were viewed without audio having been activated. Inside Facebook Users were understandably enraged upon learning that Facebook might adopt this controversial ad unit. It was reported back in December that the company was still debating whether or not to have the sound automatically play with the video, which would probably lead to fewer time spent on News Feed. Mashable A source told Mashable that Facebook is still trying to convince advertisers of the merits of the ad units, which will fetch around $1 million. The 15-second ads would count as an impression even if consumers don't watch them. Reuters In other Facebook news, the social network said on Tuesday it now has 1 million active advertisers globally who used the platform in the last 28 days, a milestone for the company that is seeking to revive its revenue growth. A vast majority of those advertisers are small business owners who have flocked to the world's No. 1 social network. AllThingsD Facebook-owned Instagram plans to release a video product this Thursday at a press event at the social network's headquarters, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter, marking the first time the robust, 100-million user network will stray from being strictly a photo-sharing app and dive head first into the world of moving pictures. The new video product is something that the service said it was planning to do for two years now, and there have been numerous rumors about it in recent weeks.
Google has petitioned a secret U.S. national security court to relax restrictions on the information the tech giant can reveal about government data requests, claiming such restrictions violate the company's right to free speech under the First Amendment. Google's motion, filed on Tuesday with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, is the tech giant's latest attempt to address recent media reports that suggested it gives the National Security Agency (NSA) unfettered or "direct" access to user data. USA Today Among the nine tech companies shown by whistle-blower Edward Snowden to have been handing over consumer data to the government, Google has been the most aggressive in attempts to cast itself as cooperating the least. "We have long pushed for transparency so users can better understand the extent to which governments request their data — and Google was the first company to release numbers for National Security Letters," the company said in a statement. The Guardian The search firm already publishes a widely imitated "transparency report" that documents demands from the U.S. government and from other governments worldwide. The report documents criminal requests and national security letters, which the government uses to gather information about U.S. citizens in the United States.
Yelp Tuesday introduced a "Call to Action" feature that allows merchants to support a single type of transaction on their business listing page on the website. Yelp is selling the feature as a form of advertising and will allow businesses to customize the transaction their listing supports.


text:
#Giveaway Interview SCENT OF BUTTERFLIES by DORA LEVY MOSSANEN @doralmossanen @sbkslandmark
January 24, 2014 By Mary 19 Comments
Scent of Butterflies
A novel singed by the flavors of Tehran, imbued with the Iranian roots of Persepolis and the culture clash of Rooftops of Tehran, this is a striking, nuanced story of a woman caught between two worlds, from the bestselling author of Harem, Courtesan, and The Last Romanov.
A Love So Deep Can Forever Scar the Soul
Such audacity she has, Soraya, a woman who dares to break free of the diamond-studded leash of her culture. A woman who refuses to accept the devastating betrayal her husband has perpetrated. A woman who refuses to forgive her best friend.
Soraya turns her back on Iran, fleeing to America to plot her intricate revenge. The Shah has fallen, her country is in turmoil, her marriage has crumbled, and she is unraveling. The cruel and intimate blow her husband has dealt her awakens an obsessive streak that explodes in the heated world of Los Angeles.
Yet the secret Soraya discovers proves far more devastating than anything she had imagined, unleashing a whirlwind of unexpected events that will leave the reader breathless.
Dora Levy Mossanen is an American author of historical fiction. Her published works include Harem (2002), Courtesan (2005), The Last Romanov (2012) and Scent of Butterflies (2014). She is a graduate of the USC Masters of Professional Writing Program and is the recipient of the San Diego State University Editor's Choice Award.
Dora was born in Israel as the country was gaining its independence. She moved to Iran with her family when she was nine.
Joining a family whose roots went back 2,500 years in Persia, her first inspiration and invaluable source of history was her grandfather and renowned historian, Doctor Habib Levy. Dr. Levy introduced Dora to life in Mahaleh, the Jewish ghetto, anti-Semitism, and the challenges of being Jewish in a Moslem country.
The Islamic Revolution of 1979, the fall of the shah, and arrival of the Ayatollah Khomeini forced Mossanen and her family to leave Iran. They settled in California and became part of what is now the largest Iranian community in the United States.
In 1986, Dora obtained a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of California Los Angeles, and in 1990 completed her master's degree in Creative Writing from University of Southern California.
GOODREADS – WEBSITE – FACEBOOK – TWITTER
PLEASE WELCOME DORA TO BOOKHOUNDS
Is there a song that really reminds you of your book?
Yes. "Bridge," a song by Googoosh, a popular Iranian singer tjat reminds me of Aziz and Soraya's love in Scent of Butterflies.
There's a scene in the book, where I describe musicians tuning their instruments in preparation of a party in a neighbor's garden. It is Sunday. A luncheon. Cars are arriving. The band begins to play "Bridge," an old song of Googoosh. "Help me weave a bed of flowers for our innocent sleep of love…help me weave a tent of songs to shadow us…I am not scared of night because you handed me the sun…let our hands be a bridge to …." I created this scene with a measure of sadness and nostalgia for a time I remember back in Iran, when music was revered, but that might have been forever lost now.
What was the easiest thing about writing this book?
Easiest? Is there anything easy about writing a book? If there is, I don't know much about it. I wish you'd asked what was the hardest thing about writing Scent of Butterflies, and I'd easily come up with a long list. But for the sake of answering the question, I'd say that although not necessarily the easiest, but the most rewarding, which in a way feels like easy writing, was the way fiction gave me license to give life to my protagonist, Soraya, an exceptional woman who dares act in ways I would have loved to, but never had the courage to act.
Is there a word you love to use?
Yes. Thrust. Yank. Resonate. And many others that I won't trouble you with, since I make sure to search and delete or change these words once I get to the last drafts of my books. These are the words that resonate with me, so I make sure to yank them off the page, thrust them back into oblivion …. Ok, enough of that. You get my gist.
What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?
I remember my mother getting me a library card in Israel when I was three-years-old. The sad fact is I don't remember the first book I read, until we had moved to Iran, and even then, I remember reading comic books first, my favorite was Little Lulu, a curly-haired girl, who was a mischievous leader and the first feminist I came to know. But, the first real book I remember reading was at the age of twelve. Are you still considered a child at twelve? I got my hands on Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, but my mother, who didn't speak English and had read the novel in Farsi, announced that the book was not age appropriate and forbade me to read it, which made me more eager to read it, of couse. Night after night, I'd sneak the book out from under my mattress and read it hungrily, shaking from fear and suspense. Little did my mother know that it wasn't the classic gothic story of Rebecca that she should have banned, but the cheap romance novels I bought from our corner mom and pop shop that summer, devouring them at the rate of one a day.
My garden grows fast and furious and lush like Soraya's garden in Bel Air.
Here's an excerpt from Scent of Butterflies that will give you a pretty good idea: "my garden has evolved into, the lewd excess of raging colors, overpowering scents, and dizzying array of butterflies reminiscent of a whore's den. A violent kaleidoscope of climbing jasmine overwhelms the gazebo. Rodents nestle in dense bushes, water lilies in ponds, mites in blossoms, and grasshoppers on the birds of paradise."
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Jill Marie says
Thanks for this post! I'll definitely be adding this to my TBR. Enjoyed the interview as well. :))
My favorite butterfly? There are several different types of Swallowtail butterflies and I love them all! Especially the Emerald Swallowtail.
Dora Levy Mossanen says
Hi Jill, I wish you luck and know you'll enjoy Scent of Butterflies and the depth of research that went into studying butterflies. You'll be surprised at some of their strange habits
Erin Al-Mehairi says
Thanks for the great post, I'd really love to read this book and the interview as great. 🙂
http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com
Hi Erin, thanks for your kind words. Stay in touch and let me know what you think of my protagonist, the marvelous Soraya!
Thanks for interview would love to read the book. Lomazowr@gmail.com
Enjoy Scent of Butterflies and don't be shy about sharing your thoughts with me. Soraya, my protagonist, has a way of stirring the emotions of readers.
JJT says
Sounds great. Thanks for the giveaway. jtretin at aol dot com.
Hoe you enjoy Scent of Butterflies and share with your book club.
Monarch is my favorite butterfly.
oh, my! You'll love Soraya's obsessive luring of monarchs to her garden. Did you know that monarchs are poisonous?
Cozy in Texas says
Interesting interview.
Thanks. I'm sure you'll also find Scent of Butterflies an interesting journey into a different culture and the world of love, obsession, and butterflies!
Linda Kish says
I like Monarch butterflies.
traveler says
The Swallowtail Butterfly. Congratulations and best wishes on the release of Scent of Butterflies which would be unforgettable and very profound. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
I like Monarch butterflies
Anita Yancey says
I like the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly.
Katherine Ivan says
My favorite is the Viceroy, whose major defense against predators is purported to be mimicry, specifically of the Monarch (though whether that mimicry is Batesian or Müllerian is a subject of some dispute).


text:
Fish Smashes Windshield; Will Insurance Cover It?
December 24, 2019 Jeff Dunsavage	Leave a comment
Sometimes the blog posts just write themselves.
ABC News in North Carolina reports that a driver in the state looked up and saw a bird carrying a huge fish.
"It was one of those slow-motion moments in life. I saw the fish and I saw him drop it," said Rhesa Walston of Beaufort, North Carolina.
The catfish smashed straight into her windshield.
It happened so quickly she didn't have time to react.
"There was glass all over my front seat…glass on my lap," Walston told ABC News.
After making sure her daughter in the back seat was safe, Walston contacted her family and her insurance company. Family members tracked down the fish (apparently, catfish dropped from high altitudes bounce) and took pictures to corroborate her catch.
Walston told ABC News she will have to pay the $250 deductible on her comprehensive auto policy — not a huge price for a story the family will be telling for years to come. Animal damage is covered if you have optional comprehensive coverage. If you only have collision coverage, then you're not covered.
The eagle could not be reached for comment.
Animal damageauto accidentscatfish
I.I.I. RADIO SATELLITE MEDIA TOUR: CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
It's getting harder for California homeowners in fire-prone areas to buy and keep insurance.
Homeowners insurance non-renewals were on many listeners' minds during last week's Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) radio satellite media tour (SMT) on the aftermath of the 2017-18 California wildfires.
With 20 media outlets throughout the state participating, I.I.I. CEO Sean Kevelighan, Head of Media and Public Affairs Michael Barry, and Director of Strategic Communications Janet Ruiz were on hand to answer questions from journalists.
As the frequency and cost of California wildfires increase, it's getting harder for homeowners in fire-prone areas to buy and keep insurance. In August 2019, the California Department of Insurance released data showing insurers are non-renewing an increasing number of residents in areas with high wildfire risk.
The guidance the I.I.I. provided to Californians faced with this dilemma included:
If your insurer says they won't renew your policy, ask them to reconsider. Your situation may involve factors they don't know about.
Try another insurer. The insurance market is competitive, and insurers don't profit from not writing business. Risk appetites and underwriting vary.
When all else fails, California's Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) plan is available as an insurer of last resort, after "a diligent effort to obtain coverage in the voluntary market has been made."
The I.I.I.'s speakers also emphasized during the SMT that property owners can make their homes more resilient to wildfires by mitigating their own risks; how California's insurers disbursed nearly $25 billion to their customers to help them recover financially from the 2017-18 wildfires; and how state regulators are working with insurers to price accurately the risks of covering homes in wildfire-prone communities.
Within hours of I.I.I.'s SMT, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced mandatory protections from insurance non-renewals extending into new areas of Northern and Southern California. The one-year moratorium covers residential policies in ZIP codes adjacent to recent wildfire disasters. The law cited by Commissioner Lara (Senate Bill 824) protects homeowners adjacent to a declared wildfire emergency who didn't suffer a total loss — recognizing the disruption non-renewals cause in communities after wildfire disasters.
Below is a list of the participating radio stations and podcasters who taped the I.I.I. conversations for either broadcast or streaming in January 2020:
KCAA 1050-AM/KRLA 870-AM/KSPA 1510-AM Los Angeles/KDIA 1640-AM/KFAX 1100-AM Radio San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose "Bill Martinez Live"
Business Radio X-IND Podcast National, "The Mark Bishop Podcast"
KOCI 101.5-FM Los Angeles/Liberty Express Radio Network-AM/FM Radio Syndicated "School for Startups"
KSZL 1230-AM Radio Los Angeles "America Tonight with Kate Delaney"
KMET 1490-AM Los Angeles – KEST 1450-AM Radio San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, "Talk! With Audrey"
Transformation Talk Radio-Online Podcast National, "The Dr. Pat Show"
KVTA 1590-AM Radio Los Angeles, "The Kim Pagano Show"
KSTE 650-AM Radio Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, "The Chad Benson Show"
Business Risk, Flood Insurance, Terrorism Risk
House approves TRIA, NFIP extensions as part of $1.4 trillion spending package
December 18, 2019 Maria Sassian	Leave a comment
On Tuesday, December 17, the House approved a package of bills that includes a seven-year reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) and funding for the National Flood Insurance Program until September 30, 2020.
Numerous insurance industry groups applauded the extension of TRIA. The act has been an important support in the effort to supply terrorism insurance through the private market. Since it was enacted, the percentage of companies purchasing terrorism insurance has risen to 80 percent, and the price of coverage has fallen more than 80 percent.
The $1.4 trillion spending package also includes:
Federal funding ($25 million) for gun violence research for the first time in 20 years.
A repeal of Obamacare taxes, including a 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices, a health insurance industry fee that would have taken effect in 2020, and the 40 percent "Cadillac" excise tax on the most expensive health-insurance plans.
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019, which features provisions that make it easier for smaller employers to join open multiple-employer plans, ease non-discrimination rules for frozen defined benefit plans, and add a safe harbor for selecting lifetime income providers in defined contribution plans.
The bill is expected to pass the Senate and be signed by President Trump before government funding expires on December 20.
Interconnected Perils Demand Holistic
Few risks exist in isolation.
The most primal ones – those associated with wind, fire, and water – often travel in pairs. Modern, more complicated risks – supply chain, business interruption, cyber, political, and financial – are like tapestries so tightly woven that any effort to address this or that hazard can threaten to unravel much of what you're trying to protect.
A new report from Verisk looks at complex emerging risks and why they matter to insurers and risk managers.
Between 1990 and 2008, natural hazards were the cause of 16,600 hazardous material releases.
When nature meets technology
Ever heard the word "natech"? I hadn't until I read the 2019 Verisk Perspectives.
"Accidents in the industrial sector can be catastrophic, and up to five percent of all accidents in this sector are caused by natural events," writes Alastair Clarke of Verisk's AIR Worldwide in an article titled "Where Climate Change and Natech Risk Meet."
Between 1990 and 2008, Clarke reports, natural hazards were the cause of 16,600 reported hazardous releases.
"In each case," he writes, "a natural event triggered a technological malfunction that led to the release of hazardous material."
That's a natech, and the insurance implications are significant.
Many examples exist of catastrophic casualty claims from natechs. The report cites the 2010 collapse of a dam at the Ajka alumina plant in Hungary. The dam broke after days of heavy rain, releasing toxic sludge and causing 10 deaths and 150 injuries, along with the contamination.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina triggered 200 hazmat releases. When storm surge ruptured a storage tank at a Louisiana oil refinery, Clarke writes, "the release of 25,000 barrels of crude oil affected 1,800 homes and resulted in a $330 million settlement."
"Natechs show how liability can arise from natural events that can be traced back to the suppliers of a faulty service," Clarke writes. "With climate change, the threads are deeply tangled. "
IoT unites us, for better and worse
Globalization has connected the world through commerce and culture as never before, and the Internet of Things (IoT) aims to finish the job. But supply-chain risks – already subject to the vagaries of weather, politics, and global finance – only become more complex as machines whisper among themselves.
Utilities alone are expected to deploy more than 800 million connected IoT devices by the end of 2019. Each one is a potential cyberattack portal.
In "Cyber Risks Loom Large in an Interconnected World," Tim Campbell of Verisk Maplecroft and Kamban Parasuraman of AIR report that a survey of more than 1,000 U.K. and U.S. risk professionals indicated the average company shares confidential information with about 583 third parties. Of those surveyed, 59 percent experienced a data breach linked to a vendor or other third party in 2018.
"Just as companies need to be aware of the cyber risks introduced by third parties in their supply chains," Campbell and Parasuraman write, "insurers may need to consider how the insureds within its own book of business are interconnected. In fact, the lack of full visibility into each insured's interdependencies may create risks that are unidentifiable from an underwriting standpoint."
Utilities alone are expected to deploy more than 800 million connected IoT devices by the end of 2019, reports Ben Kellison of Verisk's Wood Mackenzie in "Power Utilities Face Emerging Cyber Threats."
Each one is a potential cyberattack portal.
"The power grid is also becoming more decentralized," Kellison writes. "Tens of millions of small generators and loads are being integrated into more power markets and local power systems that may or may not be owned or operated by the utility."
The risks go on
The Verisk report, produced by the data and analytics provider's ISO Emerging Issues team, examines these and other risk areas. As I reflect on these articles in the context of many hours spent reading about, discussing, and listening to others discuss risk and insurance, it becomes clear – from a resilience perspective – that a more holistic, epidemiological approach to risk management is needed.
Your building can be designed and built well above code; if your neighbors' buildings aren't, you're at risk when a tornado turns their HVAC units into projectiles. This reality becomes more insidious when your billing system is threatened by malware introduced through a customer's "smart" lightbulb.
ClimateIoTSupply Chain Risk
Algorithms, A.I.
and Insurance:
By Max Dorfman, Research Writer
A couple of articles crossed our desk recently that discussed the benefits and pitfalls of algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI). Neither discussed insurance, but they offered important lessons for the industry.
Algorithms and AI can work quickly, but they aren't perfect.
An algorithm is a simple set of instructions for a computer. Artificial intelligence is a group of algorithms that can modify and create new algorithms as it processes data. Broadly, these smart technologies can drive untold change for the industry.
As the Financial Times wrote earlier this year, "Insurance claims are, by their nature, painful processes. They happen only when something has gone wrong and they can take months to resolve."
Chinese insurer Ping An uses AI to accelerate decision making, and New York-based insurance start-up Lemonade employs algorithms and AI to help pay clients more quickly. Other insurers use smart technologies for fraud detection, risk management, marketing, and other functions.
Algorithms and AI can work quickly, but they aren't perfect. A recent article by Osonde A. Osoba, an information scientist and professor with the RAND Corporation, details what data scientists call an "algorithm audit." An algorithm audit detects biases or blind spots that skew results, making it necessary to review and test the underlying data.
In the case Osoba discusses, Apple Pay was assailed on Twitter by tech executive David Heinemeier Hansson for giving him a credit limit 20 times larger than his wife's, despite their sharing all assets, among other factors. Hansson concluded that the algorithm was sexist – causing a furor on the social media platform among both those who vehemently agreed and disagreed with him.
Apple Pay said it doesn't have information about applicants' gender or marital status. Yet no one from Apple could answer why Hansson received a significantly higher credit limit. They responded: "Credit limits are determined by an algorithm."
Still, these algorithms and AI are informed by something – perhaps the implicit biases of the programmers. For example, systems using facial recognition software have yielded decisions that appear biased against darker-skinned women.
Are algorithms easier to fix than people?
An article in The New York Times by Sendhil Mullainathan, a professor of behavioral and computational science at the University of Chicago, discusses human and algorithmic biases. He cites a study in which he and his co-authors examined an algorithm that is commonly used to determine who requires extra levels of health care services. This algorithm has affected approximately 100 million people in the U.S. In this case, black patients were routinely rated to be at lower risk. However, the algorithm was inherently flawed: it used data on who receives the highest amount of health care expenditures.
Black patients already spend less money on health care than white patients with the same chronic conditions, so the algorithm only served to reinforce this bias. Indeed, without the algorithmic bias, the study estimated that the number of black patients receiving extra care would more than double. Yet Mullainathan believes that the algorithm can be fixed fairly easily.
Contrast this to a 2004 study Mullainathan conducted. He and his co-author responded to job listings with fabricated resumes: half the time they sent resumes with distinctively black names; the other half with distinctively white names. Resumes with black names received far fewer responses than those with white names.
This bias was verifiably human and, therefore, much harder to define.
"Humans are inscrutable in a way that algorithms are not," Mullainathan says. "Our explanations for our behavior are shifting and constructed after the fact."
Don't write algorithms off
As RAND's Osoba writes, algorithms and AI "help speed up complex decisions, enable wider access to services, and in many cases make better decisions than humans." It's the last point that one must be particularly mindful of; while algorithms can reproduce and intensify biases of their programmers, they don't possess inherent prejudices, as people do.
As Mullainathan puts it, "Changing algorithms is easier than changing people: software on computers can be updated; the 'wetware' in our brains has so far proven much less pliable."
AlgorithmsArtificial IntelligenceMachine Learning
From the Triple-I Daily: Our most popular content, November 29 to December 5
December 7, 2019 Maria Sassian	Leave a comment
Here are the 5 most clicked on articles from this week's Triple-I Daily newsletter.
'It appeared that we had time:' How the FAA missed a chance to save Jennifer Riordan, Washington Post
Parents sue Cal State Fullerton and sorority, alleging 19-year-old daughter died due to hazing, KTLA
When must insurers defend hotels in trafficking cases, Triple-I blog
New risk reality, A.M. Best
Insurance careers get high marks, Business Insurance
To subscribe to the Triple-I Daily email daily@iii.org.
Triple-I Daily
What's Insurtech, Anyway?
December 6, 2019 Jeff Dunsavage	Leave a comment
Perhaps it's a symptom of buzzword fatigue that everyone in the insurance industry seems to use the word "insurtech" without agreeing on – or maybe even really thinking about – what it means.
Some use it as a noun, suggesting a type of company – typically a startup – that applies cutting-edge technology to insurance-related challenges. Others use it as an adjective to describe the technologies and applications themselves. Still others seem to take the position of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, writing on a very different topic: "I know it when I see it."
Whatever it is, insurtech is a rapidly growing feature of the insurance landscape, and many traditional insurers and venture capitalists are investing in it.
Insurtech doesn't just mean offering products more quickly online. It means transforming the offerings and the customer experience.
Modernizing the value chain
Insurtech emerged around 2010 as an offshoot of a similar movement in banking, known as "fintech." With providers of just about every other product and service embracing "Amazonation," consumers have come to expect absolutely seamless service – wherever and whenever. Like those industries, insurers need to satisfy their customers while growing profitably and managing operational costs.
But insurtech doesn't just mean offering products more quickly online. It means transforming the offerings and the customer experience.
Insurtech most consistently refers to the use of apps, wearables, big data, machine learning, and other technologies to automate and improve processes across the insurance value chain – from marketing and policy origination through underwriting, services, and claims.
Some applications focus on reducing friction in transactions; the time required to fill out an application and receive a quote is a classic example. Others seek to streamline and enhance back-end functions, such as risk assessment, pricing, loss control, and settling claims.
Claims: Ripe for insurtech
The claims process is particularly well suited for transformation. Insurers typically hire adjusters to determine the extent of their liability for a loss, damage, or injury and come up with a settlement. This can be time consuming, expensive, error prone, and, in some cases, dangerous.
Drivers can submit photos to their insurers via app immediately after an accident. Some insurers use machine learning and publicly available data to detect fraud.
Today, new approaches aid the claims process.
For example, drivers can submit photos to their insurers via app immediately after an accident. Some insurers also use machine learning and publicly available datasets to detect and flag potentially fraudulent claims.
As technology helps improve underwriting, policy administration and claims, new products are being developed and traditional ones can be handled differently.
One emerging approach – enabled by the intersection of telecommunications and big data known as "telematics" – is usage-based insurance (UBI), priced according to drivers' own voluntarily provided behavioral data. A more recent stage in UBI's evolution is pay-as-you-drive insurance, with monthly billing that varies based on mileage driven.
A similar trend involves using data from smart-home technology, such as water-monitoring systems that can anticipate and prevent leaks that might otherwise lead to claims. Advances in telematics and the Internet of Things are increasing the quantity and range of the data insurers will have at their disposal.
Obstacles remain
Insurtech offers tremendous opportunities for innovation, but – as one of the most heavily regulated and publicly scrutinized industries – it faces obstacles. Many technologists driving the movement come from outside insurance. Few have navigated the legal, regulatory, and cultural minefields surrounding personal privacy and security.
Unlike many other industries, in which maximizing speed and satisfaction has become the prime directive, insurers are required by law to protect customers from privacy breaches and bias. Perusing social media for insights to help optimize user experience or using machine learning to anticipate and address changes in users' buying behavior may be acceptable if you're selling cars or cosmetics – but for insurers, their clients, and regulators it raises a host of red flags that have to be addressed.
Business Insurance, Business Risk
Is a Global Recession Imminent? If So, Businesses Can Protect Themselves with Credit Risk Insurance
December 5, 2019 Maria Sassian	1 Comment
By Loretta Worters, Vice President – Media Relations
The credit crisis of 2007-2008 was a severe worldwide economic crisis considered by many economists to have been the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, to which it is often compared. "Everyone was impacted, not just those working in banks. Because the price of debt, the ability to get financing changed, a lot of things happened. So, everyone is impacted by credit every day, whether they know it or not," said Tamika Tyson, senior manager, credit with Noble Energy, in this video interview.
Tyson, who is also a non-resident scholar with the Insurance Information Institute, said what she is most concerned about is debt repayments that are coming due. "If a global recession happens, as economists are predicting, and it happens in conjunction within an election, it can be difficult for companies to refinance any mature debentures they have coming in 2020," she said. "Leadership needs to be thinking about the risks in their company. Not just the credit risks, but all risks related to their business."
What leads to credit risk and how can companies protect themselves?
The main microeconomic factors that lead to credit risk include limited institutional capacity, inappropriate credit policies, volatile interest rates, poor management, inappropriate laws, low capital and liquidity levels, direct lending, massive licensing of banks, poor loan underwriting, laxity in credit assessment, poor lending practices, government interference and inadequate supervision by the central bank.
Doing a comprehensive risk assessment is a great idea for everyone within an organization, noted Tyson. "Once an assessment is made as to how much risk they are exposed to, then they can develop a strategy to help protect the company. If there's more risk in the system than a company is willing to take, then they should consider obtaining credit risk insurance," she said.
What is Credit Risk Insurance?
Credit risk insurance is a tool to support lending and portfolio management. It protects a company against the failure of its customers to pay trade credit debts owed to them. These debts can arise following a customer becoming insolvent or failing to pay within the agreed terms and conditions.
What can impact credit risk?
The factors that affect credit risk range from borrower-specific criteria, such as debt ratios, to market-wide considerations such as economic growth. Political upheaval in a country can have an impact, too.
For example, political decisions by governmental leaders about taxes, currency valuation, trade tariffs or barriers, investment, wage levels, labor laws, environmental regulations and development priorities, can affect the business conditions and profitability.
"At the end of the day, political risks have the ability to impact credit risks. Credit risks rarely impact political risks," she said. "We have a lot of different views right now on the political spectrum so until we know how that's going to work out, it's going to create risk in the system, and we'll see how different companies react to that," Tyson said.
"We all talk about biases. Everyone thinks they're better off and it's always someone else that has the issue. It's the same when looking at a risk assessment or reviewing someone's financials; everyone thinks they're doing fine, but then they discount what's going on with other people. That's why it is imperative companies self-evaluate as they evaluate those they transact business with."
"Know your portfolio, know your customers and understand your risk tolerance," said Tyson. "Know, too, there are a lot of tools available to help you mitigate against those risks."
credit risk insurancerecession
When Must Insurers Defend Motels
in Trafficking Cases?
Hotels and motels are routinely used for sex trafficking. Two recent lawsuits highlight the complexity of determining who bears legal costs associated with trafficking.
Human trafficking is a crime with enormous individual and societal impacts, and it relies on legitimate businesses to sustain it. Motels, for example – and, arguably, insurers.
"Hotels and motels are routinely used for sex trafficking," reports the Polaris Project, a nonprofit that aims to "eradicate modern slavery." Two recent lawsuits involving insurers of motels used by traffickers highlight the complexity of determining who bears legal costs associated with such activities.
Duty to defend
Both cases revolve around "duty to defend" — an insurer's obligation to provide a legal defense for claims made under a liability policy. Before proceeding, let me say: I'm not a lawyer. Everything that follows is based on published reporting, and no one should act on anything I write without first consulting an attorney.
In the first case, a woman sued motel operators for letting her be trafficked at their motels when she was a minor. The Insurance and Reinsurance Disputes Blog says, "The allegations of physical harm, threats, being held at gun point, and failure to intervene were wrapped up into claims ranging from negligence per se to intentional infliction of emotional harm."
One of the motels sought defense from its insurer, Nautilus Insurance Co. Nautilus argued it was not obligated to defend based on a policy exclusion for claims arising out of assault or battery. The court agreed, and an appellate court affirmed.
In other words, the motel owners were on the hook for their own legal costs.
In the second case, a court found the insurer – Peerless Indemnity Insurance Co. – must defend its client in a suit brought by a woman claiming she was imprisoned by a man grooming her for prostitution while the owners turned a blind eye. A lower court had dismissed the case, finding insufficient evidence the motel was engaged in trafficking. An appeals court overturned that decision.
"The relevant question," the judge said, is whether the victim's injuries constitute personal injury. This is because the definition of personal injury under the policy included injuries arising from false imprisonment.
Because her injuries, at least in part, arose from false imprisonment, the judge said, "the answer to that question is 'Yes'."
So, the court said, Peerless must pay to defend the motel.
Trafficking is a $32 billion-a-year industry. Insurers might want to review their policy language to avoid funding defenses of criminals and businesses that enable them.
Language matters
The differences between these rulings seem to have more to do with nuances in policy language than trafficking facts.
In the Nautilus case, the appeals court found the exclusion – stating Nautilus "will have no duty to defend or indemnify any insured in any action or proceeding alleging damages arising out of any assault or battery" – unambiguous. It declared: "Nautilus had no duty to defend and indemnify" because the claims "arose from facts alleging negligent failure to prevent an assault or battery."
The Peerless case involved two policies – a general liability and an umbrella – both of which contained exclusions for "'personal and advertising injury' arising out of a criminal act committed by or at the direction of the insured."
The "personal" in "personal and advertising injury" includes false imprisonment.
To a non-lawyer like me, this seems as unambiguous as the Nautilus case: the Peerless policies excluded personal injury "arising out of one or more" of a variety of offenses, including false imprisonment.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts disagrees. Its analysis goes into semantic tall grass, parsing phrases like "arising out of" and "but for" and is peppered with case law citations like:
"Ambiguities are to be construed against the insurer and in favor of the insured" and
"The insurer bears the burden of demonstrating that an exclusion exists that precludes coverage."
It would exceed the bounds of my non-existent legal training – and the length of a blog post – to critique the court's analysis. I recommend reading the decision.
But it doesn't take a lawyer to see insurers have a stake in reviewing and possibly tightening their policy language to avoid having to fund defenses of criminals and businesses that enable them.
Trafficking is a $32 billion-a-year (and growing) industry, according to the Polaris Project. With that kind of money involved, cases like these won't just go away.