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Active Aging: A Global GoalView this Special Issue
The Theory and Practice of Active Aging
"Active aging" connotes a radically nontraditional paradigm of aging which posits possible improvement in health despite increasing longevity. The new paradigm is based upon postponing functional declines more than mortality declines and compressing morbidity into a shorter period later in life. This paradigm (Compression of Morbidity) contrasts with the old, where increasing longevity inevitably leads to increasing morbidity. We have focused our research on controlled longitudinal studies of aging. The Runners and Community Controls study began at age 58 in 1984 and the Health Risk Cohorts study at age 70 in 1986. We noted that disability was postponed by 14 to 16 years in vigorous exercisers compared with controls and postponed by 10 years in low-risk cohorts compared with higher risk. Mortality was also postponed, but too few persons had died for valid comparison of mortality and morbidity. With the new data presented here, age at death at 30% mortality is postponed by 7 years in Runners and age at death at 50% (median) mortality by 3.3 years compared to controls. Postponement of disability is more than double that of mortality in both studies. These differences increase over time, occur in all subgroups, and persist after statistical adjustment.
1. Introduction
"Active aging" and the related terms "healthy aging," "successful aging," "productive aging," "aging well," "living well," "senior wellness," and "compression of morbidity" endorse a radically nontraditional paradigm of human aging, which includes gains as well as losses and which posits possible improvement in future human health despite increasing longevity. Each of these terms, discussed briefly below, foresees a new paradigm for gerontology, based upon postponing functional declines into older ages with a goal of postponement of morbidity more than mortality, compressing morbidity into a shorter period later in life, and decreasing cumulative lifetime morbidity [1]. The new paradigm contrasts strikingly with the old "Failures of Success" paradigm, where improvements in longevity would inevitably lead to ever larger numbers of persons in ever poorer health [2].
There are differences in nuance between these terms and in the metrics by which they might be measured, and confusion might be reduced by greater agreement on terminology. We are most comfortable with "Compression of Morbidity" since it implies a strategy for improving health, the theory behind the strategy, and the means of testing progress, albeit a more technical term than alternatives. Of alternative terms, we prefer the term "healthy aging" since it includes the notion of improving each of physical health, mental health, and social health, whereas "active" seems more focused on the physical component of health, "productive" on some form of work product, "successful" on a quite narrow definition of aging, and "well" on the absence of disease. None of these terms are universally endorsed, but we need to recognize the common themes in these various restatements of the new paradigm.
Morbidity, in common usage, is a general term for the absence of health, and disability is the most frequently used metric for estimation of morbidity. Morbidity itself is an imprecise term often defined in different ways, usually denoting impaired health of some kind other than death. Morbidity itself does not have an agreed metric for its study. In practice, the most frequently used metric for estimation of morbidity has been ability at activities of daily living (ADL) as measured by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) Disability Index [3] or similar instruments [4]. Such instruments measure physical capacity and disability on a continuous scale and indirectly include the cognitive abilities which ultimately direct the physical activity and the social environment which enables it [5].
This paper attempts to pull together evolving theory and evolving practice, with an emphasis on the history of the compression paradigm and the presentation of new longitudinal data over a twenty-year period now confirming compression of morbidity by lifestyle choices under certain conditions.
2. Theory
Over thirty years ago when I first began to examine the postulates of gerontology and human aging I did so from a background in medicine, rheumatology, clinical epidemiology, health outcomes research, and health policy, with an emphasis on prevention and on outcomes of chronic illness [6]. From this perspective, it seemed clear that much diminished capacity could be postponed or even prevented at the individual level and thus potentially at the population level. It also seemed clear that overall national improvements in health would likely require reduction in health risks [7, 8]. Thus, the marked reduction in heart disease mortality beginning in the nineteen-sixties was associated with decreases in risk factors such as smoking and cholesterol levels. These clearly affected both age-specific incidence rates and mortality rates. Disease-associated morbidity from heart disease now developed later in life and mortality also was postponed. An evolving challenge was to develop risk factor models on a population basis rather than a disease-specific one, since allocation of disability and other outcomes to specific diseases is difficult and competing risks make apportionment inaccurate as well.
There is a clear dynamic between changes over time in morbidity and in mortality, since fatal and nonfatal outcomes are generally correlated. However, postponement of morbidity by itself would improve health, while postponement of mortality by itself would increase ill-health. The dynamic interaction of morbidity trends and mortality trends was critical to accurate prediction of future health. If mortality was delayed the most, cumulative lifetime morbidity would grow; if morbidity was postponed more than mortality, cumulative lifetime morbidity would be likely to decrease. The prevalent aging paradigm of 1980, however, implicitly maintained that morbidity would continue to develop at a specific age, but that mortality could be postponed to an ever later age. Some even postulated no upper limit to human lifespan [2, 9, 10].
In retrospect, the inadequacy of the old paradigm is evident. At the time it began to be questioned, however, there were few data on trends in morbidity and trends in onset of morbidity could not be reliably estimated. Trends in mortality rates over many years, on the other hand, were readily ascertainable, reasonably accurate, and these rates were declining quite consistently over time. Gerontology was colloquially referred to as "the science of drawing downwardly sloping lines." The concept of the plasticity (modifiability) of aging, where markers of aging could sometimes improve instead of inevitably decline, was not often discussed. More complicated models were needed, where the dynamic relationship between morbidity and mortality rates could be understood. In turn, we needed longitudinal population data on morbidity. We needed to be able to track the results of risk factors on both morbidity and mortality. Only as data became available could hypotheses of Compression of Morbidity be tested.
3. Science
Scholarly studies of Compression of Morbidity took several forms, the most definitive have involved (1) longitudinal study of morbidity in populations with differing risk factors, (2) population studies establishing decreases in population disability over long time periods, and (3) randomized controlled trials of health risk reduction in senior populations which showed decreased morbidity.
Other productive areas of study [11–16], noted but not elaborated here for reasons of space, include associations of health risk factors, morbidity, and increased medical care costs [11, 12]. Moreover, supercentenarians, over age 105, have proved to have had less lifetime cumulative morbidity than those dying at age 85 or 100 [13]. Programs based upon "active aging" concepts, most importantly exercise, have generally been found effective although many such studies were small, short-term, and not well controlled [14–16]. On the other hand, we are not aware of long-term studies of exercise which were not associated with reduction in disability [17]. Internationally, some populations studied over time have not experienced postponement of morbidity and some may have increased it, suggesting that while it is clearly possible to postpone morbidity under some circumstances [16], this result is not an inevitable one.
4. Longitudinal Studies of Disability: Runners Club versus Community Controls
We began our two longitudinal studies of aging in 1984 and 1986 and results have been reported formally every few years [18–23]. These studies were designed to directly test the hypothesis of compression of morbidity by lifestyle choices. Here, we describe these studies informally, and readers wishing study details should refer to the referenced papers. In this paper, we present new data including mortality rate trends beyond the median age at death and analyze mortality data out to 24 years of study. We are now able to directly compare postponement of morbidity and mortality in the same cohorts, and postponement of disability is greater than that of mortality.
The "Runners Study" began in 1984 with recruitment of 538 senior runners and 423 age-matched (average age 58) controls. Runners were deliberately recruited from the "50 Plus Runner's Club," for the most part jogged or ran over 2000 miles a year and were exercise enthusiasts. The control group was drawn randomly from the same community; about 25% of controls also ran recreationally, although they only averaged about 10% of the yearly distances logged by Runners Club members. Thus, the study allowed self-selection bias into the Runners cohort, conservatively included a very healthy control group. Analyses were focused in large part upon identifying, and if necessary adjusting for, selection biases [18–20].
The design was intended to achieve as great a difference as possible between groups in the independent variable of interest. In this case, we wanted a large difference between the exercise group and the controls in "vigorous exercise minutes per week." We also wanted to create groups which were similar in educational attainment and income levels; lower levels of these socioeconomic factors are well known to be associated with poorer health and were potentially confounding variables for our study. Initial differences between groups in the exercise variable were tenfold, sufficient to dwarf possible confounders such as increased body mass index and cigarette smoking, which were rarely reported by either cases or controls. In analyses we also controlled for gender, ethnicity, physical injuries, family histories of arthritis, baseline X-rays for arthritis, chronic illnesses, whether they had ever run for exercise for a month or more, initial disability levels, and many other variables. Statistically adjusted data never differed significantly from raw data in any analyses. More complete discussion of these analytic issues may be found elsewhere [18–20].
Our primary analyses have been longitudinal study of the two original cohorts established in 1984. We also analyzed the "ever-runners" versus the "never-runners" cohorts formed in 1984 in order to exclude a bias where those who ran but stopped because of some physical difficulty and ended up in the control group; results were similar to those when we used the original runners and control cohorts but even more striking. Primary endpoints were between cohort differences on the horizontal axis over time rather than cross-sectional differences on the vertical axis (Figures 1–4). We sought to determine how long, if at all, disability was postponed in the Runners cohort compared with Controls [21].
Figure 1 shows disability levels [3] and 95% confidence limits from 1984 to 2005, comparing the Runners with the Controls. The Runners had slightly less disability at study onset in 1984, believed due to their prior 10 years (on average) of vigorous exercise. Over the years through an average age of 80, the differences in disability between the runners cohort and controls grew steadily greater and regression lines continued to diverge (). The postponement of minimal (0.1 units) disability was 14 years over controls, and postponement of a higher disability level of 0.2 units was 16 years [3]. In other analyses, runners reported substantially less bodily pain and utilized substantially fewer medical resources [22]. In an X-ray subset, runners had a nonstatistically significant trend (4 versus 12) toward fewer knee replacements and totally destroyed (bone-on-bone) knee joints [19].
These findings were robust to statistical adjustments. We believe that developing cohorts with a large difference in the independent variable, exercise, materially strengthened these results. It was similar in design to choosing to study lung cancer incidence in 4-pack-a-day smokers versus nonsmokers; the differences in lung cancer incidence would be very large and study would not require very many subjects to reach statistical significance. Of interest, about a third of runners in both cohorts discontinued running over the years. Reasons for discontinuation were generally social: the dog died, the subject moved to another climate, and running got boring. Essentially no one stopped running because of pain or arthritis. Almost all who stopped running continued other vigorous exercise through swimming, bicycling, brisk walking, or other activities. Thus, this is a study of regular vigorous activity rather than solely of long-distance running.
5. Longitudinal Studies of Disability: Risk Factors of Inactivity, Obesity, and Smoking
In the health risks cohorts (University of Pennsylvania) study, we have followed 1741 University of Pennsylvania attendees in 1939 and 1940 who were studied again in the College Alumni Study in 1962, and annually by our group beginning in 1986 at an average age of about 70 years. We formed three cohorts using data obtained in the College Alumni Study when they were in mid-life with an average of 43 years old. We did this to lock subjects into study cohorts with their mid-life health habits well before the media or the public knew much about these health risks, a conservative approach. Also conservative was to score only three health risks, arguably the most important ones, and to use simple sums of binary variables to define cohorts.
The risk factors were current smoking, body mass index (BMI) 25 or higher (overweight), and absence of vigorous physical activity (inactivity), including jogging, brisk walking, and other activities which resulted in a sweat, all as measured at age 43. The risk factor score was based upon low risk (no risk factors), moderate risk (1 risk factor), and high risk (2 or 3 risk factors). Thus, the risk score used to define the three cohorts was a priori, arbitrary, and simple, and did not permit "data mining" of baseline scores of multiple variables to bias results. Some study power was probably lost through use of a simple index, but objectivity was increased and, as it turned out, there was plenty of statistical power. Study details may be found in previous reports [21–23].
The dependent variables were mortality and morbidity (disability), as measured in the Runners study, at yearly intervals. The plan here was to begin with cohorts about 10 years older than in the Runners study so as to study aging effects at higher ages, to use college classmates so that entry ages were clustered, and to select university alumni as a means to reduce confounding by poverty and other social disadvantage, as well as to maintain good follow-up rates and accurate reporting. Subjects were not aware of their membership in a particular cohort [23].
Figure 2 shows disability scores by age and by calendar year for the three cohorts from 1984 to 2005. The risk factor cohorts of low (0 risk factors), moderate, (1 risk factor), and high risk (2 or 3 risk factors) had initial scores in the postulated order, where the low risk cohort had less initial disability than the moderate risk cohort, which had less than the high risk cohort. Initial disability levels were all close to zero, however, and baseline effects were small. Disability levels and differences between cohorts increased monotonically over time. At last observation in 2005, high-risk subjects were about twice as disabled as low risk. Similar results obtained when we looked at cumulative disability, those living, those who had died, and men and women, and when we adjusted for covariates [23].
A disability score of 0.3 units (moderate disability) was postponed by 10 years in low-risk subjects compared with high risk. Since there were also differences in mortality, which was highest in high risk, noncompleters due to death were occurring particularly in the high-risk subjects with the very highest risks, acting against the primary findings. Attrition other than by death did not differ between cohorts. The relative contribution of each of the three risk factors was difficult to estimate because of autocorrelation of the risk factors [23].
6. Longitudinal Studies of Mortality: Runners versus Controls
In our study of runners and controls we have complete mortality data confirmed by the National Death Index from 1986 through 2009, a period of 25 years [18]. Two hundred and seven controls, out of 423 (48.9%) had died, compared with 164 out of 538 in the runners cohort (30.5%). Thus, we are able to compare differences between cohorts at the level where at least 30 percent had died in each cohort, but not at the median.
Figure 3 displays a life table comparison of the two cohorts. The runners had only 25% of the mortality rates of the control group over the first eight years, but there was subsequent convergence as subjects aged so that at year 25 the runners have 60 percent of the mortality rate of the Controls. Over the most recent five years the mortality curves are parallel or even closing slightly [18]. Median death for the controls is about 83 years of age; median age at death cannot yet be estimated for the exercising group but will be higher.
There are differences in the morbidity and mortality outcome variables in that mortality is binary with a metric of years to death, while morbidity (disability) is considered as a continuous variable scored from zero to three, usually with a monotonically upward trend in the individual once nonzero disability has been noted. It is difficult to estimate these outcomes validly until most subjects have died in all cohorts and one can compare median values. In Figure 3, the postponement of mortality is about 7 years in the runners at last observation, but this difference seems likely to close during the age period of 83 to 93 years by which time most of the subjects in each cohort will have died. Postponement of morbidity (Figure 1) is 14 to 16 years. Spousal validation studies did not reveal questionnaire or interview responses of morbidity of either runners or controls to be biased in either direction [18–23].
7. Longitudinal Studies of Mortality: Health Risk Factors
The low risk (no risk factors), moderate risk (1 risk factor), and high risk (2 or 3 risk factors) cohorts had overall mortality of 60%, 65%, and 72%, respectively in 2009, so that all cohorts had passed the median death and all had at least reached the 60% mortality level. Figure 4 shows Kaplan-Meier survival curves for these cohorts. Differences favoring the low-risk cohort tended to diverge increasingly from the high-risk cohort over the first 12 years and then to stabilize and to slightly converge subsequently.
Postponement of mortality is seen more clearly here than in the Runners study since a greater fraction of subjects have died. We estimate this difference by measuring the horizontal difference between the high- and the low-risk groups at each decile mortality line which meets or crosses all three curves (0.1–0.6). At last observation, mortality postponement is about 3.5 years, and it has been three to four years throughout. The median death occurred about 3.7 years later in the low-risk group as compared with the High risk [21, 23]. Using linear regression analyses to smooth the curves, postponement of death is 3.3 years in low risk versus high risk, with moderate risk always intermediate. This postponement was 2.5 years in men and 4.0 years in women.
Our estimates of postponement of disability in the two studies thus range from 10 to 16 years, and postponement of death ranges from 3.3 to 7 years. These results are specific to these risk factor distributions and these patient cohorts. The data, replicated by these parallel studies and backed by the general literature, suggest that exercise improves health, that nonsmoking is a healthy habit, and that a normal body weight is good for you, both in terms of mortality and also in terms of cumulative lifetime disability and other life quality measures. They suggest that postponement of disability absent these risk factors is several-fold the postponement of mortality and thus that the onset of disability draws closer to the age at death, compressing morbidity between a 10- to 16-year later onset and only a 3.3- to 7-year postponed age at death [21].
Contrasting the two studies, effects are similar for both mortality and morbidity, but the differences are less in the health risk cohorts than in the runners. These results suggest that lack of exercise may be the most important risk factor of them all, particularly in nonsmokers. However, the Runners study had a very large difference in the independent variable, vigorous physical exercise, by design. The risk factor cohorts were derived from a more homogeneous population with lesser differences in the prevalence of risk factors between cohorts.
8. Population Studies of Morbidity
Another major effort to test the Compression hypothesis has involved population studies over time. In the United States, two premier population studies in the United States were begun shortly after the Compression of Morbidity hypothesis was raised. The National Long-Term Care Survey (NLTCS) [24, 25] studied Medicare eligible subjects 65 years old and older whether institutionalized or community-living (1982–2004) and the National Health Interview Study (NHIS) noninstitutionalized individuals over age 70 (1982–1999) [26]. Disability in the NLTCS declined 1.27% over the entire period and 2.1% in the last five years. NHIS had similar results, as did the next five studies as ranked by quality [27]. Mortality rates declined nationally about 1% per year over this period [28]. This documents the possibility of Compression of Morbidity on a national basis. It should be noted that not all studies have shown morbidity compression, particularly some European studies, and there has been speculation, and a little data, suggesting that the current obesity epidemic might reverse improvements of the prior two decades; the data presented here in the Risk Factor study could be considered to support this possibility. Unfortunately, the NLTCS had its last survey cycle in 2004, and more recent data from other sources cannot be directly compared to the NLTCS because of multiple changes in sampling designs and outcome variable definitions.
Population studies, because of their broad reach and policy implications, are of great value. Nevertheless, they are not particularly sensitive to change, and they generally offer little insight into the causes of the changes. National mortality and morbidity rates are influenced by economic cycles and offsetting trends in risks, as in rising population obesity and declining population cigarette smoking. They do not necessarily reflect a coherent population trend in health risks. It is not surprising that different countries have reported different trends, some of which differences do not appear to be attributable to methodology [29].
These studies provide proof-of-concept, in that the best studies since 1982 in the United States show convincing rates of Compression of Morbidity [30]. But, Compression of Morbidity, almost a necessity for progress in health improvement, clearly has not occurred in all populations and all subgroups [31].
9. Need and Demand Reduction
The Compression paradigm is central to health policy issues. If Compression of Morbidity occurs, it seems likely that the medical care burden would also go down. Costs of chronic diseases in senior citizens are a large driver of medical costs. Medical care costs are threatening the viability of the economy. Disability is a strong predictor of medical costs [32–34]. Health promotion programs which reduce senior health risks, as studied with large randomized trials, can reduce health risks and also reduce costs [11, 12, 32]. The policy formulation "reduction in need and demand for medical services," suggests an approach to reducing medical care costs by reducing the illness burden and thus reducing the need for medical services [33, 34]. The "demand" side reflects a population tendency to desire the new and the expensive rather than the older and traditional.
Medical need theoretically may be moderated by improved lifestyle choices as described here, as well as use of medical self-care, hospices, advance directives, and other low-cost interventions. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services currently is studying the role of interventions directed at the twin goals of improving health and reducing costs, and preliminary results of a large randomized multiyear study of such interventions in Medicare populations should be available soon [35]. The "Compression of Morbidity" is an important theoretical approach to both health improvement and medical care cost reduction [36].
10. Trajectories of Morbidity: The Algebra of Health
Another promising research agenda involves study of the discrete trajectories which collectively describe overall health outcomes in a population. Many factors other than personal health risks affect both population mortality and morbidity, and a current challenge is to catalog the positive or negative effects of such factors upon mortality and morbidity. In addition to health risk reduction and its association with compression of morbidity, other potential factors include safer cars, super highways, seat belts, neighborhoods, ethnicity, prompt treatment of stroke, hypertension control, glucose control, cholesterol control, total joint replacement, HIV/AIDS, gang murder, and suicide before mid-life.
Moreover, there are subsets of disease conditions that result in opposite trajectories, as with fatal and nonfatal heart attacks, fatal and non-fatal strokes, or resectable versus non-resectable cancer. For example, coronary artery disease has a trajectory of sudden mid-life death as the first symptom, a trajectory of sudden death with first symptom at an advanced age, a trajectory of multiple acute coronary events, and a trajectory of slow progression of chronic congestive heart failure.
The effects of coronary artery disease on the national morbidity and mortality thus require descriptive information on the several trajectories, the incidence of each, and the algebraic sum of trajectories as the impact of the disease condition. Deconstruction of the possible trajectories of a disease is followed by reconstruction. Presently available data as to the direction and magnitude of effect of disease trajectories permits conjecture but not conclusion [21, 36, 37]. Future advances in health assessment and health policy will require detailed study of the different trajectories of the same disease.
The new paradigm of "Active Aging" or "Compression of morbidity" aspires to improve human health. There is proof-of-concept. Future population health improvement will require theory, science, and strategy and will involve multiple disciplines of inquiry.
Daniel Bloch, Bonnie Bruce, Eliza Chakravarty, Jack Farquhar, Sarah Fries, Alison Harlow, William Haskell, Helen Hubert, Nancy Lane, Bharathi Lingala, Ralph Paffenbarger, James Standish, Benjamin Wang, Peter Wood, Ernesto Zatarain, and Anthony Vita have made major contributions to these studies over many years and their help is sincerely acknowledged.
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by Scrapbook Your Family Tree
Collection : Oak Tree 6″ x 8″ – Family Chart 4 (2 pages)
Space for information of father and mother on first page, as well as space for a wedding picture.
4 children on the first page and additional 8 children on the second page.
Part of the 2020 – 6″ x 8″- Oak Tree Collection
Design: Oak Tree
This 2-page layout 6″ x 8″ chart fits the
Sn@p and Project Life – 8×9 inch 2-ring binders.
Pages fit into the Project Life 6″ x 8″ photo pockets and the Sn@p 6″ x 8″ Photo pockets.
Printed on 67lb white cardstock
Acid & Lignin free
Buy other charts in this series HERE

subset: commoncrawl


text: Whether you're a beginner cheesemaker, or an advanced chef that wants to broaden their range of cheesemaking techniques, The CheeseMaker has the best, most straightforward recipes to make the most delicious cheese at home. Not only can you find a guide for any texture or taste, The CheeseMaker also offers the freshest, most reliable ingredients and supplies to make your cheesemaking dreams come true. Check out our recipes, in order of difficulty, and order your cheesemaking kits and supplies today!


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I just posted about Kenya selling a bullshit story to Life & Style. Now I see a link in that same story to the one Cynthia sold and it is even WORSE. How badly do these women need money? Cynthia's story is that Peter wanted a divorce because Cynthia was ill. AND that at the very least he was going to find someone else to sleep with because she didn't want to FOR THREE WHOLE MONTHS.
There are two options here and both are pretty disturbing. Cynthia sold this story (with Peter, both are DIRECTLY quoted so this is not one of those "friends close to Cynthia" stories) which is true to the tabloids for money. HOW BADLY DO YOU NEED MONEY CYNTHIA? Bad enough to admit your husband does not stand by you during your time of need and instead plans a trip to go fuck in another country, bad? Is this a ploy to sell your book about your marriage? Are stories like this supposed to HELP?
The other option is that the book is not doing well and they are making this shit up to sell books. Again, I ask HOW BADLY DO YOU NEED MONEY, CYNTHIA? Who in their right might would ring up the Tabs in either situation and put it out there that your husband doesn't really love you and is unwilling to uphold the whole IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH part of his vows. This is insane on every level.
Click through for the down and dirty tea….
The reality star now admits to Life & Style that if she hadn't undergone corrective surgery this summer, her husband would have left.
"We'd be divorced for sure," Cynthia reveals to Life & Style, on newsstands now.
Peter's quick to agree: "I know we would have been done," he tells Life & Style. "There is absolutely no way we could have survived another year if things hadn't changed."
The main issue plaguing the couple was Cynthia's suddenly nonexistent sex drive, due to bloating and discomfort from the fibroids. Cynthia admits to the mag that sometimes they went three months without sex.
At one point, he confesses, he thought of cheating on his wife: "Me and my buddies were planning a trip to Venezuela because nobody knows us there."
What the motherfuck? Whose husband says that kind of shit? And what kind of wife sells the story to the Tabs herself. Totally fucked up.


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Use Case: An Investment Advisor firm has required paperwork that needs to be completed when they bring on a new customer. New client onboarding has been considered one of the most stressful things that Investment Advisors and their firms go through. Every company in the industry has invested a lot of time, thought, money and energy into streamlining the process. Some try to offload as much of the process as possible to a third party and others take the burden on themselves. A universal challenges is asking customers to fill out and return complex forms and sign paperwork in a timely manner.
Key Challenges
- Today, customers expect convenience which includes digital access to their Investment Advisors. Customers' needs go beyond online access to balances and account statements. They want multiple access points and they want to decide whether or not they visit a branch, make a phone call or video conference.
- Firms use technology to create efficiency which ultimately allows them to scale their practice. As the advisory firm grows, it becomes more and more important to have solutions in place to ensure that clients receive the high level of service that they expect. In today's digital society, customers expect their Investment Advisors to be on par with their other daily digital interactions.
- Some firms still see the customer onboarding process as either a back office function that needs to be cost contained or a front-office automation tool. These firms do not realize that their client onboarding process and digital customer access is a way to differentiate from the competition.
- Onboarding a new customer takes time and energy due to paperwork, signatures and regulatory requirements. As mentioned above, every firm has attempted to streamline this process. Delays in paperwork ultimately delays revenue and the official start to the client relationship.
- With today's regulations and compliance, Advisors and their staff are always on the lookout for how changes in technology might impact their ability to follow regulatory rules and procedures. When asked about ongoing concerns, Advisors and their staff have stated that they are concerned that regulatory and compliance issues might slip through the cracks.
- One of the most significant issues for the financial services industry is that over the next several decades, the aging Baby Boomers will transfer an estimated $30 trillion in assets to Gen X and Millennial children. If studies are accurate, financial advisors will need to reinvent and adapt their business to have a chance at retaining assets.
"With the right tools in place, Advisor firms can turn client onboarding into a scalable and efficient practice instead of something that causes stress and worry to the entire team."
Current Workflow Considerations
Some investment firms onboard customers by sending out a form package in the mail. Others publish pdfs through their website and ask clients to download, print, sign and return by mail (or email). Some firms use an eSignature provider to help expedite the process and other firms have a digital process in place.
According to a 2019 Digital Transformation Survey by BDO, while digital transformation is a priority in financial services (68% have a strategy in place), the industry in general is still behind the curve with only 14% are in the process of implementing their strategy.
BDO 2019 Digital Transformation Survey
Typical new account workflow in Advisor firms includes a blend between digital tools, traditional paperwork and wet signatures. For the most part, paperwork continues to represent a burden for both clients and administrative staff. The primary reason is that most clients need to be walked through complex paperwork and forms. The forms are full of proprietary checkboxes and selections that are either specific to the fiduciary or to the Advisor's firm.
With new trends in investment management, digital solutions can help make the customer onboarding process easier. However, with more complex paperwork – a hybrid approach that blends human expertise and digital tools works best. With the right tools in place, investment firms can turn client onboarding into a scalable and efficient practice instead of something that causes stress and worry to the entire team.
Top management priorities for investment firms
- Improving the efficiency of their firms
- Enhancing client service and delivery
- Investing in new technology
- When it comes to technology, security is a top priority
How does Liveoak improve workflow?
Our team here at Liveoak has had the opportunity to talk and correspond with many Advisor firms about how we can help improve their customer onboarding process. Our primary observation is that all firms are different and some have adopted more technology than others. What is also true is that because technology is rapidly changing, not all Advisors are fully aware of the tools that their firms have adopted.
Customers expect Advisors to provide omnichannel access
Today's customers expect omnichannel access to their Advisor. Meaning, customers want the flexibility to choose how they communicate with their advisor – digital/remote, branch/office, phone, email etc. For digital/remote customer experiences, the Liveoak digital platform provides Advisors and their staff with the ability to quickly create private, digital conference rooms. The purpose of the digital conference room is for Advisors and staff to meet and complete work face-to-face with remote clients that they might not otherwise be able to meet with in person due to location or other circumstances.
All the work is completed through a single, digital platform
Inside a Liveoak powered conference room, paperwork and forms can be completed, supplemental information can be gathered, customer identity can be verified and both the customer(s) and Advisor can securely sign documents through Liveoak's secure integration with Docusign.
Work gets completed (including eSignature) while inside the Liveoak powered conference room which is different from standard videoconferencing and web meeting technology where folks are talking with one another or presenting information.
Liveoak can stand alone and run in parallel to existing systems or seamlessly integrate into a wealth management workstation (WMW). Liveoak's platform creates an incredibly convenient, branded experience for clients – to be able to complete the entire process in one single, digital conference session from any location.
Prevent customer procrastination and quickly engage
With Liveoak's platform, work is completed in minutes vs. days or even weeks. Having a representative use Liveoak's platform to personally walk a customer through the onboarding or transaction process yields the best results in the shortest amount of time for both customer and Advisor. No paperwork procrastination or customer confusion happening with Liveoak.
Liveoak helps promote business growth by creating and supporting efficient customer interactions.
The above image demonstrates how Liveoak can be used to provide live assistance to remote customers who wish to complete paperwork and forms online. In this example, a representative walks the customer through the forms and the customer signs the forms while still inside the Liveoak powered conference.
Liveoak's digital platform supports compliance
To alleviate Advisors and their staff's concerns about compliance and regulations slipping through the cracks, Liveoak offers the Complete Audit, full tracking and recording of all activity that happens inside each conference. All conference activity, keystrokes by participant, data and supplemental files are recorded (i.e. keys typed, files uploaded, each individual action is recorded), which includes conference session audio and video recording. The conference data collected creates a full audit trail which can be used for compliance records and integrated into customer CRM or other data systems.
When Advisors onboard customers through Liveoak's digital platform, forms and information can be checked for completion which reduces errors and ensures that the forms are in good order. An updated client onboarding process has the ability to reach across a firm's CRM platform, data and compliance which can help improve the system as a whole which supports growth.
Digital customer access is a way to differentiate
The great transfer of wealth from Baby Boomers to Gen X and Millennials that is now underway is guaranteed to bring about many changes to the financial services industry. Firms today are vying to position their products and services in a way that will be relevant, appealing and sticky to the younger generations. Without adapting and changing, today's firms are at great risk.
Through Liveoak's platform, Advisors have the ability to differentiate by offering a hybrid approach – personal service combined with digital access. Meeting customers where they are and offering flexible access is an important step towards winning over current and future customers.
As time goes on, Advisor firms will increasingly rely on technology to enable a digitally-driven customer experience.
Early results from Advisor firms using Liveoak's platform:
- New customer onboarding time dramatically reduced
- Client friction points reduced by providing real-time, remote assistance in completing complex paperwork and transactions
- Client satisfaction increased by having remote access availability
- Advisor and support staff satisfaction increased due to increased productivity
- Increased closing ratios for asset rollovers
As previously stated, Liveoak is different from web and video conferencing technology on the market today. The Liveoak platform includes conferencing as a feature but this is not what defines Liveoak. Liveoak is fully focused on providing digital solutions that enable Advisors to transact business and offer a high level, branded experience to their customers who are not in the same physical location.
About Liveoak Technologies
The Liveoak cloud platform seamlessly integrates best-in-class video conferencing, screen-sharing and data/ID capture with forms collaboration and e-signature capabilities that let your teams deliver white-glove service to your customers. We help enterprises close more business, eliminate nearly all "not in good order" paperwork and turn customers into passionate brand advocates.
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Thursdays frequently wind up being frustrating for me. Ostensibly, they are my day off, but I typically have them so carefully orchestrated so that the whole day is spent rushing from one task after the other, for fear of being late and causing the whole house of cards to tumble down.
For the past six months, I've been spending a good bit of my Thursdays working off board for my two horses at the 'retirement' farm. My Old Man has been there for years now; this past spring, I had to move my no-longer-young mare there for financial reasons. Since caring for a community of horses, many of which are blind, lame, and need medication, is time consuming, I spend about 2 hours in the morning taking care of the herd–only to have to come back in the evening and do it again. My goal has always been to get out there early, hurry through my tasks, and rush home so I can do laundry, get groceries, and try to get some writing done before I have to head back out again. Thursdays are also the only night I can get to my yoga classes, and for the last month I've been skipping it. Well, that's catching up with me, especially since I dropped all the other expensive manage-the-pain therapies I'd been doing for years.
I already had to skip the morning walk with the dog in order to meet a client before doing the first feeding, but today, instead of rushing through the chores, I decided, "Screw it. I'm taking my time." Why? Well, the biggest problem about Thursdays is not how much I have to do but my attitude toward it. Far better to let go of the expectation of 'getting something done' and just be there in the moment doing what I'm actually doing.
So I took the time to appreciate the choreography of herd interactions–how the horses all know where they are supposed to go, and how doing things out of order upsets them. The last thing you want to do with a herd is let a submissive horse get pinned in a corner by a dominant one, so at feeding time, there is a lot of opening and closing gates so that the right horses end up in the right slots in the right order. It's kind of beautiful when it all works smoothly. When you make a mistake, however, or one horse slips past you, ears pinned and teeth bared, there is the potential for serious injury (yourself included) if you don't intervene right away.
I also took the time to appreciate the Old Man. He's thirty years old now, and he no longer has any front teeth. He's swaybacked, and despite eating $75 worth of grain every 2 weeks, I can't keep any weight on him. But he is still happily puttering around the property, gumming grass and eating his mush–as much as I will give him twice a day. He still comes up to me looking for scratches and snuffling my pockets for treats. I'm sure if someone who didn't know better saw him, they would accuse me of animal neglect, but he's the equivalent of a 95 year old man and he looks it. I worry about him with the coming winter, but I also know he's had wonderfully long life. I don't regret a single moment since the day I bought him as a three year old for 89 cents a pound.
I also came to a decision today about the Mare Who Lived. This weekend, I'm going to bring my tack out to the farm. I've received permission to ride the fields out there. There's no arena–just open fields–and my mare is a bit hot for just a simple trail ride, but I feel like I have to give this a try. If we survive the attempt, I'll let you know. I've just put far too much of my life on hold to let *this* go. I look back at all the things I've let slip through my fingers waiting for 'the right time' or a better situation and I should have taken them when I could. When I had the chance.
There are other things we need to let go of, however. While I was taking my time at the farm this morning, I got a text from work: could I come in and see a patient that can't wait until tomorrow? Well, there goes the carefully orchestrated day… but since I had accepted that I wasn't going to rush around like a chicken with its head cut off, I was able to shrug, pick a time that would fit into the schedule, and say yes.Had the call come in before I'd made the decision not to rush, I probably would have been seething as I hurried through my chores, anxious to get home in order to salvage a little writing time.
All I needed was an attitude adjustment.
I know that attitude is everything, and I wish I could understand how to make that work for you when deep down you don't believe you have what it is you're faking. I can't fake feeling beautiful and sexy when I don't. I can't fake confidence in my writing when I don't have it. But I look at that picture of the cat in the flowers I posted above and recall how this little tomcat could prevent my 95 pound German Shepherd from leaving the house simply by sitting on the porch and staring at him through the door.
My boy would get to the door and back up, saying, "I can't go out there. Dat bad cat's out there." And nothing I could do could persuade my dog it was safe to come out with me. The tom has since tamed down and been neutered and vaccinated. The dog will now walk past him without batting an eye, and occasionally will try to engage in play. The cat runs up to us when we're outside and shoulders into the dog, taking a swat at his legs as the dog re-enters the house. They've reached a level of detente that they are comfortable with. But I am still amazed that a ten pound cat could stare down a dog ten times his size without even hissing.
That's attitude. Or Catitude, depending on your POV. Because that cat was utterly confident of his ability to take on my dog and win–and my dog knew it. I think I could use a little Catitude. I'm a little too quick to listen to the negative self-talk because it is familiar, something I've heard my entire life: from family, from frenemies, but perfected by my self. I've been working on it. On dressing up for no particular reason, other than I know it makes me look good. Wearing something I like is empowering to me, be it a favorite necklace or a good pair of boots. That's why I am so fond of International Walk Like Beckett Day. It's not about how you look–it's about how you think you look. And with little feel-good boosters, I can get there sometimes.
Writing is a different story. Or is it? I strongly suspect the only thing holding me back is my own negative self-talk. Chuck Wendig wrote this great blog post the other day about self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy, and it's simply brilliant. This one line jumped out at me: And suddenly your doubt has the hunger and gravity of a collapsing star. Wow. Yes. Been there, done that, own the T-shirt, sing the song almost every day. Go read the rest of his post, it's awesome.
But as I'm sitting here, just as earlier I contemplated the stupidity and necessity of trying to ride my horse again, it occurs to me that I'm my biggest roadblock. And I don't have as much time left as I used to. So it's kind of now or never, you know? I got an email last night from one of my friends who is an author–a 'real' author, someone who got published back when you had to have an agent and legacy publishing was the only way to go, and the walls were steep and topped with guards ready to pour boiling oil down upon your head for daring to approach the gate. I know, I'm a real author with a real press behind me, but there's that doubt, you know? The one that says if not for the digital revolution, you'd be papering your walls with rejection slips. Anyway, in response to my saying I'm not good enough to write x-y-z, she tells me that I'm capable of writing anything I put my mind to, that is it the voices of little-minded people running down my confidence that's holding me back. So… what if she's right? What's the worst that can happen if I assume she is? I've got nothing to lose by trying.
I've got two hours before I have to be at the next task on my list of things to do today. I can get a lot done in two hours.


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The decision by the Islamic State group to proclaim a 'caliphate' in June 2014 was a watershed moment in the history of jihadism, but it was far from the first attempt at jihadist state-building. Examining the reasons for the failure of one such project, the Caucasus Emirate (IK) in Russia's North Caucasus, and the demise of the regional insurgency under the banners of both IK and IS can help us better understand the relationship between a group's ideology and its composition and operating environment.
Click here to view the rest of the article for CREST Security Review.


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A Rockstar Stepbrother Romance
Publisher Description
He's JAX.
He's a rockstar. He's a screw-up. He broke my heart.
He's my new stepbrother.
Jaxson Blue is rock royalty: the son of one of the biggest names on the planet. He was my first...everything.
Then he broke my heart in the most public way possible.
I never want to think about Jax again.
Too bad his music seems to follow me wherever I go.
Now my hard-living roadie of a father is marrying Jax's rock star mother and the four of us have to co-exist in the same house for two weeks. Jax is still the same sexy, arrogant jerk I fell in love with, and I'm too weak to resist him for long.
So I make a deal with myself.
It's only until the wedding.
It's only a fling.
It doesn't mean anything.
I'm not doing anything wrong...right?
NOTE: All characters are over the age of 18 and are not blood-related.


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Student Outcomes
- Students understand that the product of two polynomials produces another polynomial; students multiply polynomials.
Student Outcomes
Resources may contain links to sites external to the EngageNY.org website. These sites may not be within the jurisdiction of NYSED and in such cases NYSED is not responsible for its content.
|State Standard
|Understand that polynomials form a system analogous to the integers, namely, they are closed under...


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Q: What steps should I take in case my child is lost at the beach or Santa Monica Pier?
A: Before leaving home to go anywhere with your child, here are some steps you could take to help in the unfortunate event he/she becomes lost:
• Know the physical description of your child, age, height, weight, hair and eye color, and a detailed description of their clothing. Even better, like the saying goes, "A picture says a thousand words." If you have a cellular phone with a camera feature, or are taking a camera with you, take a photo of your child in the clothes he will be wearing on your trip so you can show it to the people who will be searching. If your child is not located within a reasonable time, we can use the photo to make flyers if necessary.
• Make sure your child has contact information for you or a responsible relative or friend. If your child is too young to memorize cellular phone numbers, provide them with a note/I.D. card, and have them keep it in their pocket. The note should include their name, parents' names, date of birth, address, vehicle description (including license plate) and several phone numbers where a guardian can be reached.
• Show them a specific location where they should go if they are lost, such as a lifeguard tower (show them the number painted on the back), specific business, or public safety facility.
If your child does become lost, and you cannot find him within close proximity to you, don't try searching everywhere by yourself. Call 9-1-1 or our communications center at (310) 458-8491 and police will be dispatched to your location (stay where you last saw your child). A lost child is not taken lightly, so we need to know exactly who we're looking for, and what they look like.
We hope you never have to experience a lost child, but if you do, be prepared!
Q: During summer months, I see an influx of vendors selling fruit, body boards, inflatable objects, and other items on the beach. Is this legal?
A: No, it is not. Currently the city of Santa Monica does not allow the vending of these products on the beach. Thus, permits are not issued for such activity, and the subjects you see vending these items are doing so illegally. Santa Monica Municipal Code 6.36.020 defines vending as: to sell, offer for sale, expose for sale, solicit offers to purchase, or to barter food, goods, merchandise, or services in any public area from a stand, pushcart, motor vehicle, or by a person with or without the use of any other device or other method of transportation. To require someone to pay a fee or to set, negotiate, or establish a fee before providing goods or services constitutes vending. Requests for donations in exchange for merchandise also constitute vending.
Although the food products which are sold "may" be safe, there is no current method for the Los Angeles County Health Department to keep track of the vendors, nor the procedure in which the food items are prepared and cared for prior to being transported, and while in transit to the consumer. Some food items require a temperature range in which they must be kept in order to be safe from bacteria. Many of the items you see are carried in plastic containers merely with a wet towel placed on top. Also, there are no facilities in place for sanitizing hands and other utensils which may be required between the handling of money and other unsanitary items while on the beach.
All inflatable objects such as rafts and tubes are not only illegal to sell, they are illegal to use at all Los Angeles County beaches, unless approved by the U.S. Coast Guard (17.12.460 LACMC). Beachgoers who use inflatable rafts or tubes are in the water with a false sense of safety. If you cannot swim, or are not a good swimmer, your safety is at risk if the inflatable is punctured or deflated.
Although foam body boards are legal to use at the beach, it is not the preferred type of body board for novice swimmers use. According to Los Angeles County Lifeguards Headquarters Capt. Tom Seth, the preferred type of body board is one made of quality core materials such as Polypropylene. Ask your local surf shop representative to show you the different quality materials available to you. Boards made of this material are more expensive, but they do not break apart during normal use while riding the waves or surf.
As tempting as it may be, please refrain from encouraging the sales of potentially unsafe foods and/or goods.
This column was prepared by Neighborhood Resource Officer Richard Carranza (Beat 1: coastal zone). He can be reached at (424) 200-0681 or email@example.com.


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This trail begins at the Griffith Park Visitor Center and heads up a gravel fire road and follows a wide single track that climb and drop down a number of steep ridges. The trail intersects and follows an asphalt road that leads to the very top of Griffith Park, right above the Hollywood sign.
Use LocalRaces for simple, beautifully designed online event hosting and registration.


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"Once you lose your historic downtown, it's like heck to get it back," says Bozeman, Montana's Deputy Mayor Chris Mehl in a recent Next City article by Cinnamon Janzer.
Historic Main Streets across the country are working hard to keep their sense of place and their economic relevance. Some historic towns, like Bozeman, have formal five-point plans to preserve local vitality:
- Maintain downtown as the heart of the community.
- Focus on more than just the Main Street Historic District.
- Ensure that downtown is walkable and accessible.
- Design downtown to be welcoming to everyone.
- Connect downtown to both nature and culture.
Ellicott City is similarly hard at work preserving its sense of place and economic relevance, and like other towns across the country, the work involves far more than just rebuilding those historic structures that have been devastated by floods.
The work requires close partnerships between property owners, business owners, and County government, because as Patrice Frey, CEO of Main Street America observes, "[w]ithout that support, you can easily get a reputation of being [a place where it's] difficult to get business done."
Frey also observes that unlike large urban centers, "in most smaller places . . . gentrification is not the issue." Instead, particularly with respect to housing, "creating some density means that it's easier for the corner store and the local coffee shop to stay open — it's a vital element."
All of this holds true for Ellicott City as well. To keep Main Street alive, we need a business-friendly environment for employers and cultural institutions, we need sufficient housing stock to supply Main Street with a robust base of customers and employees, we need a historic district that is welcoming and accessible to all residents, and we need a surrounding commercial landscape that contributes to, not drains from, our Main Street businesses.
And as with everything that's worth doing in life, maintaining a Main Street requires "a can-do spirit." As one rural town in Mississippi realized, "we're going to do it ourselves [because] if you wait for someone to help you, it will never happen."


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Don't Wait Till I'm dead; Celebrate Me Now – Patapaa Tells GhanaiansEntertainment, News June 20, 2019, Comments Off
Factually, Justice Amoah who's well-known as Patapaa can't be listed among real musicians in the country. Even to the best knowledge of ace producer Zapp Mallet, Patapaa doesn't qualify to be called a musician.
Regardless of Patapaa's shortcomings in terms of the craft, he's the most sought after musician in the county. His demeanor as well as stage performance has what it takes to console every sorrowful soul.
He's just a definition of a complete performer. You remember how he delivered an electrifying performance at the just ended Ghana Meets Naija. He became the talk of the country after the show especially when his infamous German girlfriend joined him on stage.
It's in the light of the mileage he's enjoying that Patapaa has admonished Ghanaians to start celebrating him and not wait after his unfortunate demise. Remember that Ghanaians take delight in celebrating the dead more than the living.
Taking to his page on the micro blogging platform otherwise known as Twitter, Patapaa reiterated that: "Why wait till I'm dead to write on my timeline telling everyone how much you loved me. That's something you should tell me now. Why wait till I'm dead to share/post my pics with sad captions/emojis. I won't be there to see any of those. Appreciate me now"
Source: ghbase.com


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A ton of stars from the R&B world attended last nights (May 20) Billboard Music Awards 2012 in Las Vegas. Singers Monica, Brandy, Usher, Miguel, Jordin Sparks, Alicia Keys, Eric Benet, Robin Thickie and more walked the red carpet as they celebrated one of music's biggest night.
As previously reported, Beyonce, Chris Brown, and Kelly Rowland swept the R&B categories winning Top R&B Album, Top R&B Artist and Top R&B Song respectively.
The 2012 Billboard Music Awards aired live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with hosts Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen Sunday.
Performances from Usher, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and LMFAO kept the audience on their feet while tributes to Whitney Houston, Donna Summer, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys and Robin Gibb of the BeeGees were somber yet needed moments.
Whoppi Goldberg, John Legend and Jordin Sparks gave a strong tribute to Whitney Houston, while Natasha Bedingfield performed a song for Donna Summer. Alicia Keys paid tribute to and performed with Stevie Wonder closing out the show


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Mocha Me Hoppy is made up of coffee ice cream with a hazelnut flavored mocha coffee swirl and cake pieces. Salted Caramel Craze features sea salt caramel ice cream with sea salt caramel swirls and chocolaty sea salt caramel bunnies. And the limited edition Vanilla Cupcake has vanilla flavored ice cream with a chocolate frosting swirl, cake pieces and rainbow-colored sprinkle candies. (Spotted by Carla at Safeway, Erin K at Cub Foods, and Rachel C at Target.)
If you're out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and "Spotted" in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you've tried the product, share your thoughts about it in the comments.
Also, if you're wondering if we've already covered something, search our Flickr photos or use the search box on the right (or below if you're on a mobile device) to find out.


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FREE Download & FREE Trial
Billionaire Mentor Magazine – Helps in Makin Up your Personal Dreams and Money Maker Business Success
What is it about?
FREE Download & FREE Trial! Download now.
Billionaire Mentor Magazine is FREE but there are more add-ons
Billionaire Mentor Magazine
Premiere Issue
Billionaire Mentor Magazine Issue2 April 2014
App Store Description
FREE Download & FREE Trial! Download now.
World's first and only digital magazine for startup Entrepreneurs, Coaches, Consultants and other Service Professionals that puts "cracking the code to wild success" at your fingertips. Discover the Billionaire Mentor secrets to accelerated your cash flow and becoming more productive faster, better and with less effort! Download for free Now!
Magazine app is unique through its slick, responsive app and the magazine brings you some exclusive content through in-depth videos interviews from thought leaders.
Here's our promise: If you consume each page of Billionaire Mentor Magazine with a "beginner's mind," you WILL achieve wild success in your personal and professional life and repeatedly convert your passions into profits. That's a lofty promise we know. But we're just 49% of the equation. The remaining 51% rests in your hands.
Look, your life today … no matter how good or bad, is a result of the micro-decisions you made in your yesterdays. The premise of this magazine is that billionaires think, feel and act differently than millionaires. They have different mindsets. Millionaires are good at making BIG decisions and tend to prosper episodically. Billionaires are great at making "micro" decisions and typically prosper daily.
Magazine is full of interesting value-added articles and informative practical tips to help grow your entrepreneur's income. For others, the magazine may just be the catalyst they need to take the first step and get started in the business. We have video interviews that helps to explain visual learners.
It is a FREE download. Upon free download, you can start 7-day FREE Trial by tapping a button. Once FREE trial period it is expired, it is only $9.99 charged bi-monthly (every other month) subscription.
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Sam Feldt releases 'After the Sunset' remix album
by: Robyn Dexter Feb 19, 2018
With the release of his debut album in 2017, Dutch powerhouse Sam Feldt showed the world just how versatile his sound can be. Over the course of 24 tracks, Feldt brought together tropical house, deep house and a more commercialized pop sound for an album that appeals to listeners of all persuasions.
Now, Feldt returns to release a follow-up remix album to From Sunrise to Sunset called After the Sunset. This 16-track remix LP features fresh takes on Feldt's iconic tracks by artists like Breathe Carolina, Joe Stone, Zonderling, De Hofnar, and many more. Overall, the artists' featured remixes bring energetic, club-ready sounds to Feldt's original tracks, priming them for the dance floor. The LP is out now on Spinnin' Records.
Categories: Music


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Since I started this blog thirty months ago, I've had almost 360,000 visitors–more than double last year, 1300 on my busiest day, visiting the 520 articles I've written on
every facet of writing. As with most bloggers, I write what's on my mind 3-4 times a week. It may be about the craft of writing, trends in the industry, or how my writing business is doing. I have regular features, like Tech Tips for Writers and Writing Tips. It's a fast changing writing world. I'm just trying to hang on and share the ride.
It always surprises me what readers find to be the most provocative–as surprising as what holds no interest for anyone but me! It's usually a post I put heart and soul into, sure I was sharing Very Important Information, and I get three readers who slog their way through it. Talk about humility. Here they are–my top 10 and bottom 10:
Top Ten Hits
- How to Describe Dogs–almost double last year's top post which included a creepy picture of a spider bite. Yuck!
- My Character is Sick–How to Show (Not Tell) Some Illnesses–need a disgusting illness for your character? Click here.
- Ten Favorite Geek Words–Part I–vocabulary is far more popular than I ever thought it would be–especially geek words. Maybe techno-thrillers re making a comeback
- Do You Have a Character Who's a First Lady?–I think this one got a lot of non-writer hits from people seeking info on Michelle Obama
- 178 Ways to Describe Women's Clothing–I learned a lot writing this post, so I'm not surprised readers were curious
- How To Write Descriptions People Want to Read: Wild Animals
- How To Write Descriptions People Want to Read: Horses
- How to Show (Not Tell) an Emotion–A to D
- How to Tell if Someone is Lying: Body Language
- How To Describe Your Character's Appearance
Overall, the craft of writing articles were more popular than the business end of the job.
Top Ten Misses
- Science as Storyteller
- The Business of Blogging: Reviews
- Book Review: Cold Glory
- Recognize the Early Warning Signs of a New Book Inside You
- Selling on Amazon
- File This Under 'Fact is Stranger Than Fiction'
- Tech Tip for Writers #21: How to Make a Small Webpage Window Big
- Calling All Thriller Writers–ThrillerFest is Here
- Book Review: Act of Deceit
- How Do You Use Twitter
If you're a writer, what were your most popular posts about?
Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-fifth grade and author of two technology training books for middle school. She wrote Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter's journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a tech columnist for Examiner.com, Editorial Review Board member for ISTE's Journal for Computing Teachers, IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything. Currently, she's seeking representation for a techno-thriller Any suggestions? Contact Jacqui at her writing office, WordDreams, or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.


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Scioto County Commissioners met Thursday morning in regular session when Commissioner Mike Crabtree explained that he does not have much hope for the opening of the Splash Park in West Portsmouth this season.
The Doug Coleman Memorial Splash Park was originally scheduled to open in May; however, opening day never came after a after a delay caused by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). The ODH approved plans for use of a non-pressurized drain pipe to carry used water back to be filtered for reuse.
After construction was completed, the ODH came back saying that the contractor, Vortex, should have used a pressurized pipe. Commissioners have been waiting to hear back from contractors, who they say are completely liable for the issue. However, the contractors involved with the splash park have not provided any updates.
Crabtree explained that they were already two weeks behind, and, if the pipe does have to be replaced, it will take an additional three weeks to make the necessary adjustments. Commissioners are not even sure if they have to replace the pipe yet and, as a result, are preparing for weeks of additional delay.
"It was supposed to be a six week project," Crabtree commented. "It has already been drug out ridiculously."
In regular session, Commissioners also approved various items including payments and transfers for services rendered and an agreement between the sanitary engineer's office and AJR Engineering, LLC, for professional engineering services.
Engineers are being hired for the sewer treatment center to be installed in Lucasville near the Briar Patch and serving those living in the trailer park located in that area of Lucasville. Commissioners did not give detail as to when the project would begin or be completed.
The Scioto County Commissioners meet at 9:30 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday on the first floor of the Scioto County Common Pleas Court, located at 602 7th Street in Portsmouth.
Reach Nikki Blankenship at 740-353-3101 ext. 1931.


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I don't think anyone who remembers Sept. 11, 2001 would have imagined that nearly two decades later, we'd not only still have troops in Afghanistan, but it would be a Republican trying to extract them against fierce Democrat opposition.
Indeed, the last few weeks have demonstrated that the Military-Industrial complex has bought out the Democrats and now calls the shots. The party that rode anti-war sentiment to victory in 2006 and 2008 is now all about creating new and exciting conflicts that will claim the lives of people who come from social classes the elite openly despise.
Terrorism was once an affront to America's security and pride, but then it became a problem that could be handled with optics and spin.
The official observance has been banned in New York, but block parties and demonstrations go on, demonstrating yet again that COVID is nothing more than a convenient way for Democrats to punish groups they don't like, such as Orthodox Jews and religious people.
Looking back at Edwardian English, Winston Churchill remarked that "the Old World in its sunset was fair to see."
So it was on a sunny morning in 2001. Every year it becomes harder to imagine a world like it.


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These guys have as much chance as Danny Dyer of being the next 007.
After a rather lukewarm critical reception in comparison to its predecessor, 'Spectre' has left us feeling that the whole James Bond franchise could do with shaking up a bit. And what better way to do that than getting Danny Dyer on board? (Don't answer that.)
Danny Dyer wants to inject some working class charisma into the role
The 'Eastenders' star is willing after all, revealing to The Sun that he's seriously considering applying for the role when Daniel Craig leaves. 'I'd love to do the Bond. Bring something different to the Bond, you know what I mean?' He said. 'Bit of charisma. A working class Bond.'
More: If James Bond were a woman...
A working class Bond? That's a strange thought. Here are 10 more unlikely Brits we're sure could do blue-collar Bond justice:
1. Plan B - This London-born rapper (real name Ben Drew) has certainly got the looks and the charm for Bond, and he has been getting into acting seriously recently. He directed 'Ill Manors' in 2012, and while he only made a cameo in the actual film, he did have a starring role as a gun-toting detective in the reboot of 'The Sweeney'.
If in doubt Bond producers, there's always Plan B
2. Gerard Butler - Not an altogether ridiculous notion, actually. He's slightly younger than Craig, has that ruggedly handsome thing going for him and he's Scottish just like the best Bond EVER Sean Connery. Plus, he had a similar role in 'Olympus Has Fallen'.
Actually, Gerard Butler isn't a bad suggestion
3. Noel Clarke - The Laurence Olivier and BAFTA award-winning actor certainly has the talent to play such a high profile role, and his role in 'Adulthood' rendered him formidable enough to hold a license to kill. It's also about time we had a black 007 anyway.
The name's Clarke. Noel Clarke.
4. Riz Ahmed - Whilst we're talking diversity, this handsome Londoner shouldn't let his Pakistani heritage prevent him from going for gold(finger). Best known for his roles in 'Four Lions', 'Ill Manors' and 'Nightcrawler', if Ahmed can star next to Jake Gyllenhaal, he can surely do Bond.
Riz Ahmed could bring some much needed diversity to Bond
5. John Simm - What's more working class than a broad Lancashire accent? His role as Sam Tyler in 'Life On Mars' proves he can run around with a gun catching baddies and that's all Bond is, really, right? He's another one slightly younger than Daniel Craig.
There will probably be 'life on Mars' before John Simm is Bond
6. Ray Winstone - Because why the hell not? Sure, at 58-years-old he's getting on a bit but, seriously, who's going to mess with this Hackney hard-man? And while he might not be traditionally handsome, he's still a charmer.
Who says Bond has to be young and sexy?
7. Ross Kemp - It might be another laughable suggestion but he's practically SAS anyway after his long stretch on 'Ultimate Force'. He's not scared of anything either; he has taken a documentary crew to literally the most dangerous places in the world from pirate infested waters in Somalia and war-torn Afghanistan to the ganglands of Compton and Cape Town prison.
Bond is probably a bit too tame for Ross Kemp
8. Neil Maskell - He's probably one of the most underrated British actors out there and he's already played the part of a hitman in 'Kill List' - which means Bond is just a walk in the park for Maskell.
Who'd be on Neil Maskell's 'kill list' as James Bond?
9. Marc Warren - Warren would be utterly terrifying as a proper cockney MI6 agent, plus he even looks a bit like Craig. He might be a little typecast, but stints in 'The Hogfather' and 'Doctor Who' proves he's versatile.
It's about time Bond had a cockney accent
10. Christopher Eccleston - He's played The Doctor, he's played the Second Coming, he's played the Duke of Norfolk, he's played Marvel supervillain Malekith the Accursed and he's even played John Lennon. He's out to prove Northerners can do anything.
From The Doctor to 007!
James Bond, the legendary MI6 spy we all know and love, is starting to struggle...
Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his licence to kill. But Bond is...


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a1502 за час.
Английский - Испанский - Французский - Русский
a10511 за день
Higher education as an interpreter in English and French. Have studied Spanish for 3 years with a native speaker.
Have been working as a personal interpreter and translator of a French cook in the restaurant Sodexo. Translator of French and English in the company Delarom (cosmetics).
Also have been working at different exhibitions in Moscow as an interpreter, hostess.
Have an experience of working as a guide around Moscow.


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Watch this webinar hosted by Carson's Ryan Yamada, Senior Wealth Planner, and Tom Fridrich, Senior Wealth Planner, as they dive into estate planning strategies to minimize taxes.
How to Optimize Social Security
Posted on September 19, 2022
Optimizing your Social Security benefits can have a big impact on your quality of life in retirement. Carson's Senior Wealth Planner Ryan Yamada hosted the webinar How to Optimize Social Security, which is now available on-demand.


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The European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and the Bioeconomy (EFIB) is now in its 10th year and is renowned for providing attendees with key insights from across the biotechnology spectrum, this is the largest European event dedicated to driving the most pressing issues surrounding bio-based value chains through business, science and policy.
EFIB is back for its 10th year in 2017 with a programme focused on Bioeconomy 2.0: Commercial success and the path towards a brighter bio-based future.
Designed with a clear objective to drive and shape the future of the bio-based industry, this renowned European event will address key issues related to the future of the bioeconomy and challenges and opportunities for the bio-based sectors through discussions on business, policy and innovation.
Join over 650 of your peers for:
- Hard-hitting keynotes from the likes of Mathieu Flamini and Avantium's CEO
- Brand insights from PepsiCo, Renault, L'Oreal, Michelin, LEGO, IKEA, Unilever and more
- The latest innovations and new bio-based solutions in the ever-popular Innovation Track
- Track sessions on successful commercialisation of bio-based products, the role of bioplastics in a circular bioeconomy, finance and investment and updates on national bio-based strategies


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by Neil Crowther
Many people welcomed today's social care report by the House of Lords Committee on Economic Affairs, which calls for an immediate injection of £8 billion to fund social care, followed by the phased introduction of free personal care over the next 5 years, to be 'available universally by 2025/26.' The report is significant, both given the political support it indicates but also because it comes hot-on-the-heels of reports by the left-leaning think tank IPPR and right-leaning think tank Policy Exchange (with explicit support from Jacobs Rees Mogg) both calling for free personal care paid for through general taxation. There would appear to be a definite shift towards an idea that only a few years ago seemed like a pipe-dream in England and one which seems, on the face of it, fairer and more progressive than any other funding option that has been mooted in recent times.
I absolutely support access to care and support being based on the same principle as the NHS: free at the point of need and funded through general taxation. But I have some big caveats about this and similar proposals.
'Personal care' is very narrowly defined
The cost of moving to the principle of free personal care appears to be to lose the principles of wellbeing on which the Care Act is founded. Included in the definition of 'personal care' is:
- Personal Hygiene: bathing, showering, hair washing, shaving, oral hygiene, nail care;
- Continence Management: toileting, catheter/stoma care, skin care, incontinence laundry, bed changing;
- Food and Diet: assistance with the preparation of food and assistance with the fulfilment of special dietary needs;
- Problems with Immobility: dealing with the consequences of being immobile or substantially immobile;
- Counselling and Support: behaviour management, psychological support, reminding devices;
- Simple Treatments: assistance with medication (including eye drops), application of creams and lotions, simple dressings, oxygen therapy;
- Personal Assistance: assistance with dressing, surgical appliances, prostheses, mechanical and manual aids. Assistance to get up and go to bed. Transfers including the use of a hoist.
Excluded are 'other needs, such as housework and shopping' according to the report. But it's clear that a whole raft of other supports that can be instrumental to promoting the wellbeing principles in the Care Act are also missing here. On the one hand, we might conclude that by relieving people of the costs of these elements of life and limb care, people may be better positioned to re-direct their personal resources towards achieving wider matters of personal and family wellbeing (the 'partnership approach' to funding talked of in the report). I also think Caroline Abrahams makes a good point in the report when she is quoted as saying:
'If you provide people with a bit more support, they are more inclined to want to care informally. For example, neighbours and friends are often terrified that if they start doing help for someone, they will suddenly be landed with it—they will carry all the responsibility themselves and be left holding the baby, as it were—but if they thought there was better support around them, they would be more inclined to help.'
But many people, including many adults with learning disabilities, don't have access to such resources at all. For many others, networks of informal support are not self-executing but rely upon expert organisations sourcing and marshalling support and making connections, such as the work of Circles, Local Area Coordination or Community Catalysts for example. The sheer number of older people expressing loneliness as their primary concern should also be a clue to the fact that reducing social care to 'personal care' – even if free – could prove to be a false economy if it means other support is not funded.
Would free personal care be the only available support that people can access without payment? If so, a measure which nobly aims to protect people from the catastrophic costs of paying for life and limb care could come at a catastrophic cost to anyone who needs some support to secure or maintain a life to live. In fact it could extinguish the vision of personalised care and support to promote wellbeing in the Care Act altogether, while creating a raft of other social and economic problems.
Related to this, the report also contains another problematic (in my view) argument that appears to have become received wisdom, when it says a principle of policy should be to:
'Reduce the disparity between entitlement to help in the National Health Service and the adult social care system, ensuring that entitlement is based on the level of need, not the diagnosis.'
This is misleading. Arbitrary and inconsistent though it may be, access to Continuing Healthcare is based neither on level of need or diagnosis, but on the nature of a persons need and whether they have an ongoing need for healthcare. Of course, if they do, then the totality of meeting the costs of their care transfer to the NHS and is free to them. But there are many people who require care and support who do not have ongoing healthcare needs. We should in my view support extending the same free at the point of need principle to social care, but arguing for parity of esteem with Continuing Healthcare as though comparing apples with apples further obscures crucial features of social care as embodied in the Care Act wellbeing principles and seems dangerously reductive. The fact that our forthcoming research into media discourse on social care finds its recipients frequently referred to as 'patients' as in this recent article should give us reason to pause for thought about the impact of not distinguishing social care from healthcare in this way.
Only for those with substantial and critical needs
The proposals are also targeted only at those assessed as having substantial and critical needs, in line with the baseline eligibility threshold introduced in the Care Act. This isn't new of course and reflects what the majority of local councils already do. But this generally means people have to reach crisis point before accessing free personal care, and presumably self-fund or go without up until that point. How does this support both the emphasis on prevention in the Care Act and the forthcoming Prevention Green Paper? Won't this proposal further shift all resources – including for prevention and short term care – towards – to borrow the metaphor – placing more ambulances at the bottom of the cliff, rather than stopping people from falling over the cliff in the first place? Where is early action and invest-to-save in all of this thinking? Is focusing all public resources on personal care for people with substantial or critical needs, in the absence of wider investment, really the best use of public resources?
Make a crisis out of social care and get a crisis service
I know some will count today's report as a success of the crisis narrative – as evidence that it has cut through. They are probably right. But as Julia Unwin has said of social housing 'If you talk about housing in terms of desperation and need, then you can't be surprised if it becomes an emergency service'. Likewise, if we frame policy as a response to a crisis, don't be surprised if we just get a crisis response.
We should very much welcome the principle of free at the point of need care and support, paid for out of general taxation. Evidence shows that while the public struggles to understand what social care is, they express shared values of mutual obligation and the need to support others in society, which are foundational to any model of shared investment. Social care is in a mess and the debate on funding has gone and on. Today's report does feel like a breakthrough, but it is set against a highly regressive vision of what social care should be and do in modern Britain.
Let's treat the House of Lord's report and others advocating free at the point of need care and support as valuable building blocks. But let's not lose sight of the vision of the future we want, where we can all: 'live in the place we call home with the people and things that we love, in communities where we look out for one another, doing the things that matter to us."