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From Mother Jones. The comment section is worth reading; some debate about whether this is the only state-owned bank in the United States. (Doesn't the FDIC own many banks at any given time?) I weighed in, even though I am not so big on commenting on articles, just to contradict some guy who claimed that hedge funds never fail (he was arguing, preposterously, that over-regulation caused the banking crisis).
How the Nation's Only State-Owned Bank Became the Envy of Wall Street
By Josh Harkinson | Fri March 27, 2009 6:33 PM PST
The Bank of North Dakota is the only state-owned bank in America—what Republicans might call an idiosyncratic bastion of socialism. It also earned a record profit last year even as its private-sector corollaries lost billions. To be sure, it owes some of its unusual success to North Dakota's well-insulated economy, which is heavy on agricultural staples and light on housing speculation. But that hasn't stopped out-of-state politicos from beating a path to chilly Bismarck in search of advice. Could opening state-owned banks across America get us out of the financial crisis? It certainly might help, says Ellen Brown, author of the book, Web of Debt, who writes that the Bank of North Dakota, with its $4 billion under management, has avoided the credit freeze by "creating its own credit, leading the nation in establishing state economic sovereignty." Mother Jones spoke with the Bank of North Dakota's president, Eric Hardmeyer.
Mother Jones: How was the bank formed?
Eric Hardmeyer: It was created 90 years ago, in 1919, as a populist movement swept the northern plains. Basically it was a very angry movement by a large group of the agrarian sector that was upset by decisions that were being made in the eastern markets, the money markets maybe in Minneapolis, New York, deciding who got credit and how to market their goods. So it swept the northern plains. In North Dakota the movement was called the Nonpartisan League, and they actually took control of the legislature and created what was called an industrial program, which created both the Bank of North Dakota as a financing arm and a state-owned mill and elevator to market and buy the grain from the farmer. And we're both in existence today doing exactly what we were created for 90 years ago. Only we've morphed a little bit and found other niches and ways to promote the state of North Dakota.
MJ: What makes your bank unique today?
EH: Our funding model, our deposit model is really what is unique as the engine that drives that bank. And that is we are the depository for all state tax collections and fees. And so we have a captive deposit base, we pay a competitive rate to the state treasurer. And I would bet that that would be one of the most difficult things to wrestle away from the private sector—those opportunities to bid on public funds. But that's only one portion of it. We take those funds and then, really what separates us is that we plow those deposits back into the state of North Dakota in the form of loans. We invest back into the state in economic development type of activities. We grow our state through that mechanism.
MJ: Clearly other banks also invest their deposits. Is the difference that you are investing a larger portion of that money into the state's own economy?
EH: Yeah, absolutely. But we have specifically designed programs to spur certain elements of the economy. Whether it's agriculture or economic development programs that are deemed necessary in the state or energy, which now seems to be a huge play in the state. And education—we do a lot of student loan financing. So that's our model. We have a specific mission that was given to us when we were created 90 years ago and it guides us throughout our history.
MJ: Are there areas that you invest in that other banks avoid?
EH: We made the first federally-insured student loan in the country back in 1967. So that's been a big part of what we do. It's become almost a mission-critical thing. I don't know if you have been following the student loan industry lately, but it's been very, very interesting as many have decided to leave. We will not though.
MJ: So you are able to invest in certain areas because they provide a public good.
EH: Yeah, or a direction, whether it's energy or primary sector type of businesses. We have specific loan programs that are designed at very low interest rates to encourage activity along certain lines. Here's another thing: We're gearing up for a significant flood in one of the communities here in North Dakota called Fargo. We've experienced one of those in another community about 12 years ago which prior to Katrina was the largest single evacuation of any community in the United States. And so the Bank of North Dakota, once the flood had receded and there were business needs, we developed a disaster loan program to assist businesses. So we can move quite quickly to aid with different types of scenarios. Whether it's encouraging different economies to grow or dealing with a disaster.
MJ: What do private banks think of you?
EH: The interesting thing about the bank is we understand that we walk a fine line between competing and partnering with the private sector. We were designed and set up to partner with them and not compete with them. So most of the lending that we do is participatory in nature. It's originated by a local bank and we come in and participate in the loan and use some of our programs to share risk, buy down the interest rate. We even provide guarantees similar to SBA to encourage certain activity for entrepreneurial startups. Aside from that, we also act as a bankers' bank or a wholesale bank. So we provide services to banks, whether it's check clearing, liquidity, or bond accounting safekeeping. There's probably 20 other bankers' banks across the country. So we act in that capacity as kind of a little mini-fed actually. And so we service 104 banks and provide liquidity to them and clear their checks and also we buy loans from them when they have a need to overline, whether it's beyond their legal lending limit or they just want to share risk, we'll do that. We're a secondary market for residential loans, so we have a portfolio of $500 to $600 million of residential loans that we buy.
MJ: So what's the advantage of a publicly owned "bankers' bank" instead of a privately owned one?
EH: Our model is we use our deposit base to help [other banks] with funding their loans, even providing fed funds lines with our excess liquidity—we buy and sell fed funds and act as a clearinghouse for check clearing activity. That would be the benefit or different model. We're a depository bank and can bring that to bear.
MJ: If other states had a bank like yours, do you think they would have been more insulated from the credit crisis?
EH: It all gets down the management and management philosophy. We're a fairly conservative lot up here in the upper Midwest and we didn't do any subprime lending and we have the ability to get into the derivatives markets and put on swaps and callers and caps and credit default swaps and just chose not to do it, really chose a Warren Buffett mentality—if we don't understand it, we're not going to jump into it. And so we've avoided all those pitfalls. That's not to say that we're completely immune to everything, certainly we've bought some mortgage-backed securities and we're working through some of those issues, but nothing that would cause us to be concerned.


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Uhaul of California cannot compel a non-party to a contract clause requiring mandatory arbitration.
Virgil Nelson was an employee of CTS. His employee instructed him to haul equipment using a rented Uhaul truck. A tire blew out while he was driving the truck. Nelson was injured, and subsequently sued. Uhaul attempted to compel arbitration.
However, the Appellate Court reasoned:
"More specifically, as a general rule, "[t]he right to arbitration depends on a contract, and a party can be compelled to submit a dispute to arbitration only if the party has agreed in writing to do so." (Matthau v. Superior Court (2007) 151 Cal.App.4th 593, 598 (Matthau).) "Even the strong public policy in favor of arbitration does not extend to those who are not parties to an arbitration agreement or who have not authorized anyone to act for them in executing such an agreement." (County of Contra Costa v. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. (1996) 47 Cal.App."
Thus, Uhaul lost is motion to compel arbitration at trial, and the Appellate court affirmed.
Sponsored by: Ted Broomfield Law, a leading San Francisco Bay Area personal injury, privacy and eviction law firm.
Source: http://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions-slip.htm.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Monday, October 17, 2011
Monarchists and the Occupiers
At first glance monarchists might appear to have little in common with the values and rhetoric of participants in the ongoing "Occupy" protests. Radicals such as the speaker in Los Angeles who praises the violence of the French Revolution and ignoramuses such as the transgender Maoist (?) in Philadelphia who denies that Stalin killed millions of people are as offensive to monarchists as they are to mainstream republican conservatives, if not more so. Yet if one looks beyond the wild leftist fringe to the motivations prompting at least some relatively sane people to participate in these demonstrations,
Posted by Theodore Harvey at 1:37 PM
Labels: United States
2 comments:
- Servant of the Chief said...
The Occupy movement is too far gone to be salvageable regardless of whether or not their grievances bring to light said key point. Distrubists (political traditionalists who believe in distributism economics) have tried infiltrating the various movements to no avail thus far, it is obvious what road this movement is going down.
- October 17, 2011 at 6:08 PM
- Theodore Harvey said...
Unfortunately you're probably right. Notice that in saying monarchists should remain aloof from the modern "Right," I did not say that we should join with the modern Left. A plague on both their houses.
- October 17, 2011 at 6:18 PM
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The effectiveness of e-learning depends on the users, or more precisely on their willingness to go through the assigned contents and to study. However, the users often tend to avoid studying and fulfilling their tasks, and this is despite the fact that they are aware that their superior will actually see whether they did study the assigned contents or not in the report. As an excuse, the users usually say that they were too busy or that it was too difficult to find the study material.
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Campbell is an archeologist and his article mentions Islamic State and blood antiquities. Those claims might be overblown but the technical scheme described by the article seems workable for medium and high values items. The startup Kapu already conducted a test of using a digital 'coin' to create a provenance ledger.
Were an artifact to have a blockchain record, each time it crossed a border or was sold to a new collector the record could be updated to show it was legitimate. Conversely "blood antiquities" would have no record and faked records could not be manufactured as they often are today. Border security could then compare records of artifacts declared at customs to databases such as INTERPOL.Some of the ideas, like swabbing antiquities with synthetic DNA, seem fanciful. The basic claim seems solid. Using blockchain technology for art isn't science fiction. An article by Jason Bailey on Artnome explains that the technology is already in use for proving ownership of digital artworks. Verisart and Codex are startups in this space. They hope to convince auction houses to use their technology to record sales.
Codex Protocol is designed as industry infrastructure for art and collectibles. So it's fine wine, classic cars, jewelry, fine art, anything else that sort of fits into that category of items.For ancient coin collectors one problem is that we would like to be able to prove ownership before 1970, or before the 2007 agreement between the United States and Cyprus. These technologies are for recording transactions now, not 50 years in the past. I would be interested to learn what the legal community thinks of these things.
The SciTech Lawyer, a publication of the American Bar Association, just published an article on that very topic. Unfortunately for me, law professor Derek Fincham's article "Can Blockchain Technology Disrupt the Trade in Illicit Antiquities?" is not available to non-subscribers.
In the comments section, discuss if you would be interested in using blockchain to record your ownership of coins, and if you would pay a premium to know the previous owners of a coin back to 2019.


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Over the past few a long time, know-how has grown at an exponential fee providing fashionable society with many of it is creature comforts. In no specific order, listed below are 10 of the most effective movies for contemporary tech fanatics. So it seems that having the proper tech in place, along with a company tradition that embraces flexible working are two of the key elements essential to creating this work. Bartik instructed a reside audience on the Laptop History Museum in 2008 that the job lacked prestige.
Trendy 'lively' programs use radars and cameras to measure the gap to the car in front and may, within the case of BMW 's 'Energetic Cruise Control with Cease & Go Perform', for instance, navigate you through a boring morning commute on a clogged motorway. Its plot reads like one thing out of a cyberpunk novella, which in and of itself, would most likely make for attention-grabbing tech geek viewing.
Is a world chief of specialty display technology providing hardware and software program solutions for the world's most demanding environments. We source internationally to bring you modern products at unbeatable costs, delivered straight to your door. However we want new battery tech that's safer to use and provides a lot higher vitality density. For pundits and politicians, stoking the flames of tech dysphoria is all enjoyable and games.
Yet, the modern furnishings stands out with its elevated functionality to help you to maintain everyday things and cut back litter in your house. We source internationally to deliver you fashionable products at unbeatable prices delivered straight to your door. Many years later, it's thought-about probably the most influential and vital movies in fashionable historical past.
The reason behind this preference is not only the attractiveness of the furniture however all the favorable traits that it brings with it. Trendy office furniture is manufactured preserving your needs in thoughts therefore has a customized really feel to it. The designs and shade of these furnishing objects aren't loud or overwhelming and goes hand in hand with the demand of an austere place just like the workplace.


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Be honest now. Imagine you're mentoring a starry-eyed 1L starting law school. How would you explain how to "spot issues" in an essay? How exact and specific can you get?
Is it just a mystical process where the crystal ball in your head somehow divines issues from the heavens?
The MBE isn't the only section you gotta worry about. Every fellow repeater who retook the bar exam with me had to improve on their essays. Unlike multiple choice with an objectively correct answer, essays are subject to the whims of the grader.
On its surface, an essay is simply a string of IRACs (easier said than done of course). Prep companies and law school tend to focus on the "R" and "A" and assume that you already know how to find the "I" naturally.
That's funny (not really) because an issue that's never raised, or an irrelevant issue, is completely worthless.
But has anyone actually taught you how to identify those issues? They give you the IRAC framework and leave you to figure it out.
That's why I'm going to explain it to you in more detail than this:
To spot issues, try your best.
Let's try something more reliable, shall we?
- It's the other way around
- Identified issues must be relevant and comprehensive
- A checklist system for identifying issues (without "issue spotting")
- Let's look at a simple example of how the "issue checking" process works
- What's going on here (and how do you do this yourself)?
- Here are two demonstrations where I walk through essays, fact by fact, issue by issue:
- Bottom line, what is the essence of this approach? Two things: finite list of issues + actually seeing these issues play out in past essays.
It's the other way around
"I" is the most important component. Once you get the "I" and "R" down, the rest takes care of itself. You're pretty much home free.
In other words, issue identification is where everything starts. You get ZERO points for an issue that you never raise, even if you know the corresponding rule. An IRAC can't sprout from a seed that's never planted.
My second time around, I focused on having issues down pat, instead of being able to recite beautiful rule statements (which were beautiful, except memorizing or being able to recite rules is useless if you can't use them properly).
Particularly, I checked that I got all the issues correctly. Graders only care about what they see. If they don't see the fruits of the seed you planted, then you're not getting points.
Since presenting issues is critical, we don't randomly "spot" (we try not to use the s-word around here) issues that we happen to catch in the stream of facts. We make sure that we identify them to get the points we deserve.
Identified issues must be relevant and comprehensive
Ugh, where's the warning label that says "life choices are irreversible"?
You've had that feeling, right? You think of the perfect thing to say—right after the moment has passed and you said some dumb shit instead. That feel when a perfect witty response comes to you too late and you agonize over your scumbag brain. It's called esprit de l'escalier (staircase wit).
According to the essay instructions, discussion of the issues should be the opposite of that (see example from CA bar): "Your answer should be complete, but you should not volunteer information or discuss legal doctrines that are not pertinent to the solution of the problem."
It sounds like there are two parts to the spectrum. Imagine an upside-down V:
- The more relevant issues you identify, the better. You don't want staircase wit here. You want to feel smug knowing that you've said your piece instead of agonizing over missed issues. This includes issues that travel together like a chain of high schoolers blocking the entire width of the hallway.
- After a certain point (when, ideally, you've exhausted all the pertinent issues meant to be identified), volunteering information beyond that peak point will hurt your answer. In fact, at no point do you want to volunteer stuff that doesn't fit, like talking about rescission when you're dealing with tort liability, or negligence when you're asked intentional torts. We'll go through an example together below.
Ask law students how to identify the issues in a fact pattern, and they'll immediately chirp the dreaded phrase "issue spot" (there's that s-word)!
"Issue spotting" doesn't mean anything to me because it's vague and meaningless and implies that you pull issues out of thin air. It's almost like you scan through the text until you sort of feel it out and "spot" an issue sitting there in its natural habitat.
Ask those same students to explain issue spotting, and they'll tell you to "just find the issues" or "do practice essays" or change the subject. "Practice" isn't a bad answer actually. See enough essays and you'll probably get to know which issues are important. You'll start to see not just fact patterns but also issue patterns.
But what if you're still lost on how to even begin an essay? Wondering how you can make sure your answers look like model answers that know what they're talking about?
A checklist system for identifying issues (without "issue spotting")
I think there's a more reliable way than "issue spotting" to increase your chances of delivering a relevant and comprehensive answer that racks up points. It's based on these principles:
- The ways they can test you are limited by the scope of the exam and the scenarios they can come up with (they're called fact patterns for a reason).
- Issues often come grouped together. If you see one issue, you can expect related issues. You miss out on points if you forget to talk about the related ones. No staircase wit allowed!
- Facts trigger rule elements, which trigger issues. FACTS → RULES → ISSUES. Through practice, you'll be able to skip from facts to issues accurately.
- Checklists are effective.
I call it issue checking.
Rather than thinking of it as "spotting" issues randomly, you are now "checking" for issues.
To me, "spotting" implies that you just wing it like you're playing "Where's Waldo?" and see these issues out of happenstance rather than deliberately matching up the facts to preexisting issues that are known to be tested.
"I'll know it when I see it. Just wing it. #YOLO" → "If it's meant to be, it will happen. You just gotta go and have an adventure." → "What am I doing with my life."
If you knew that there was a tendency for Waldo to be near blue buildings (I'm making this up), wouldn't that make the game more trivial, more systematized? When you see the blue cue, you know you're onto something.
If you think that makes the process robotic, great! You want to be robotic when you IRAC. You don't need to be a creative artist here.
Because essays aren't real life, you don't need to be inventive or creative with issues. The examiners plant each fact intentionally and want to see if you can see the signals. The four corners of the essay question contain the truth.
So what you want to have is a finite list (or knowledge) of testable issues + the experience to tell you which issues appear often. Then, narrow down the possible issues based on the facts, and check whether each of the available issues is relevant.
People sometimes ask me where they can find a list of testable issues…[CA only] Check this editable "wiki" table of California essay and issue locator for MTYLT readers. [CA only] BarEssays.com also has brief lists of issues that were tested in each administration since 2000. You can get $25 off a subscription. Let me know where to send the coupon. [MEE only] Although it doesn't tell you the frequency, there's an updated skeletal subject matter outline for the MEE available here (2020 MEE Subject Matter Outline).
Or just grab Approsheets, which have fact-issue triggers listed out for you.
Let's look at a simple example of how the "issue checking" process works
Consider this excerpt from a California essay from 2011 July:
When [Vicky] saw Dan loading computers into the back of the truck, she stepped between Dan and the truck and yelled, "Stop, thief!" Dan pushed Vicky out of the way, ran to the truck, and drove off. He immediately went to Fred's house where he told Fred what happened. In exchange for two of the computers, Fred allowed Dan to hide the truck behind Fred's house.
What crimes, if any, have Dan, Eric, and/or Fred committed?
So this is a Crim Law question for D and F (for simplicity, E is not in this excerpt). Things to consider:
- D touched someone → check for personal crimes
- D took something away or intended to → check for property crimes
- D and F interacted → check for conspiracy or accomplice liability
What issues are available? BTW, learning all these issues is part of your general studies. We're going to narrow these down later:
- What personal crimes are available? Battery, aggravated battery, assault (2 types), aggravated assault, kidnapping
- What property crimes are available? Larceny, larceny by trick, embezzlement, false pretenses, robbery, burglary, receipt of stolen property
- What about for "helping another"? Accomplice liability
- Any DEFENSES for each issue? Crim Law has plenty, so it's especially important there
Now looking at the facts, which issues are relevant for D? Let's check:
- Since touching was involved (and is a rule element of battery), discuss battery
- Related is aggravated battery. However, since none of its rule elements are met by the facts, it is quickly raised and disposed of (at most) as a non-issue. Any more and you risk telling the grader you don't understand the issues or at best risk wasting precious seconds
- Since D took possession of the computers, discuss larceny
- Since D invoked force against V to get away while/after taking possession, discuss robbery (conclude either way you want)
- Any DEFENSES for each of the above?
Which issues are relevant for F? Let's check:
- Since F helped D knowing "what happened," discuss accessory after the fact
- Since F knew the computers were stolen, discuss receipt of stolen property
- Any DEFENSES?
Here's a real-time walkthrough of issue checking (or issue "spotting" 🙄) an example essay:
What's going on here (and how do you do this yourself)?
Our pool of discussable issues narrowed down as we matched specific facts to the bank of available issues and their rule elements, methodically checking through each of the possibilities.
For example, when only touching was involved, battery and aggravated battery were left. If you talked about assault (too extensively) or kidnapping, that would be "volunteer[ing] . . . legal doctrines that are not pertinent to the solution of the problem."
Sometimes, the issue may be more direct and straightforward (particularly for MEEs on the UBE). For example, the call of the question could ask, "Is Defendant guilty of attempted robbery?"
In this case, the things to check for are the elements of attempt, robbery, and any exceptions or any defenses for each (such as abandonment and legal impossibility). The scope is narrowed down, but this just means checking for all the sub-issues and related points becomes important.
Approsheets are issue checklists and flowcharts that keep you on track to go from blank page to finished essay (even if you have no idea how to start them) by ensuring that all the relevant issues are raised and discussed. If you see X, then you talk about Y. These checklists and flowcharts are available to you here if you want extra assistance hitting the issues, sub-issues, and defenses.
Here are two demonstrations where I walk through essays, fact by fact, issue by issue:
A Corporations essay:
A Torts essay:
Bottom line, what is the essence of this approach to getting better at issue spotting?
Two things: finite list of issues + actually seeing these issues play out in past essays.
Regardless of your jurisdiction, focus on the testable issues (and any elements, if you want to get deeper), related minor issues, exceptions, defenses, etc. It doesn't have to be super detailed, just something you can quickly check through mentally, or even visualize on the exam as some have reported.
Start with this, and as you do more essays, you'll see which issues are important and how to solve certain issues step by step. You can then focus on the important ones and keep the fluff secondary.
Accordingly: To ensure that you identify as many relevant issues as possible in an essay, use a systematic approach such as "issue checking" to check for issues in the fact pattern rather than happen to spot them.
There you have it. How to virtually guarantee that you identify issues, which law schools don't teach you (at least mine didn't).
This is a different and targeted approach that doesn't rely on hoping you'll "spot" all the issues. Hope is not a strategy. Gamble with your future at your own risk.
Combine this with practice, and you'll be able to open that essay leaflet with confidence knowing that points are forthcoming. Remember, IRACs (your "units" of argument) get you points. IRACs sprout from issues. Make sure to plant those issues.
You don't get better by reading a strategy. What matters is that you actually implement and attempt the strategy. Putting things off until later is another common regret of the dead.
If you want to continue getting more tricks and insights like this for your bar exam (in any state), sign up for my weekly emails here.
Now your turn: Do you have your own way to identify issues in an essay? Show it off in the comments.


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Module 4 builds on students' work with teen numbers to now work within 40. Working within 40 helps students focus on the units, tens and ones, which can be easily modeled pictorially and concretely with these smaller numbers. The smaller numbers also allow students to count all while having an important experience of its inefficiency. Students' innate ability to subitize to 4 keeps the numbers friendly when both adding and subtracting tens for the first time and managing the new, complex task of considering both tens and ones when adding. Through their work within 40, students develop essential skills and concepts that generalize easily to numbers to 100 in Module 6. In Lesson 1, students are presented with a collection of 20 to 40 items. They discuss and decide how to count the items, and then compare the efficiency of counting individual ones with counting tens and ones. Through this exploration, students come to understand the utility of ten as a unit: both as a method for counting, and for efficiently recording a given number (1.NBT.1, 1.NBT.2). Students keep their own set of 40 linking cubes, organized as a kit of 4 ten-sticks, to use as they progress through the module. In Lesson 2, students represent and decompose two-digit numbers as tens and ones, and record their findings on a place value chart, supported by the familiar Hide Zero cards. Students share thoughts such as, "The 3 in 34 stands for 3 tens. And the 4 in 34 is just 4 ones!" Up to this point, students have worked with representations of ten where 10 ones are clearly visible (e.g., as two 5-groups). While the digit 3 in 34 may appear smaller than the digit 4, its value is determined by its position. Use of the place value chart represents the students' first experience with this additional layer of abstraction. Lesson 3 allows students to explore two-digit numbers as tens and ones, and as just ones. Students use their fingers to represent "bundled" tens and "unbundled" ones by clasping and unclasping their fingers. For example, students model 34 with 3 students showing their hands clasped to make a ten, and a fourth student showing 4 fingers to represent 4 ones. Taking student understanding of place value a step further, Lesson 4 asks students to decompose and compose two-digit numbers as addition equations. Students develop an understanding that "34 is the same as 30 + 4," as they move between writing the number when given the equations and writing the equations when given a number. Throughout these lessons, students use concrete objects and/or drawings in order to support their understanding and explain their thinking. Topic A concludes with Lessons 5 and 6, where students use materials and drawings to find 10 more, 10 less, 1 more, and 1 less than a given number (1.NBT.5). In Lesson 5, students use the familiar linking cubes (organized into tens) and 5-group columns. They engage in conversation about patterns they observe, "I see that 10 less than 34 is just 1 less ten, so it must be 24!" Students represent how the number changed using arrow notation, or the arrow way, as shown to the right. Lesson 6 then introduces the dime and penny as representations of ten and one respectively. Students make the connection between the familiar representations of tens and ones to the dime and the penny, and work to find 10 more, 10 less, 1 more, and 1 less.
Grade 1 Mathematics Module 4, Topic A
Downloadable Resources
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.
Common Core Learning Standards
|State Standard
|Count to 120, starting at any number less than 120. In this range, read and write numerals and...
|Understand that the two digits of a two-digit number represent amounts of tens and ones. Understand...
|Given a two-digit number, mentally find 10 more or 10 less than the number, without having to count...


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Allergy Treatments
Allergy treatments can help you whether you're allergic to something in the air, like dust, mold, or pollen, or to food or other substances. You can develop new allergies at any time. You might initially think that a runny nose or sneezing is due to a cold, but if it persists, it could be some type of allergic reaction to something simple. Allergies can have a number of other symptoms as well, including itchy skin or hives, watery eyes, or vomiting. They can also be triggered by food, environmental elements, or even our furry pets. When their allergy annoyance becomes too much to handle, make an appointment to talk to a women's health care provider at HerKare.
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What Causes Allergies?
One way to think about allergies is that your immune system is in overdrive. It mistakenly thinks that harmless substances are dangerous, and it reacts to protect you. In rare cases, an allergy can be life-threatening, but it is much more common that the symptoms are merely irritating and unpleasant. Sometimes with minimal allergy treatment, symptoms disappear quickly.
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Severe allergies can cause symptoms like fatigue, mental fog, and moodiness by interrupting breathing and sleep patterns which can affect your overall health and quality of life. When your body is fighting off an allergen, it is in a state of agitation and inflammation.
Diagnosis and treatment of allergies vary based on what your specific allergies include. Allergy management could mean avoidance or it might mean medication or injections in the case of allergies that aren't so easily avoided. We test for over 60 environmental allergens, including dust, pollens, grasses, and pet dander. If you are allergic to one of these common allergens, we can help you identify it and find solutions.
Allergy Treatments
If you think you might be suffering from an allergy, have symptoms you can't explain, or just feel tired and run down, contact our team at HerKare. Make an appointment online for allergy testing and we'll start investigating what might be behind your symptoms.


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Not all fields are created equal
Jun 13, 2013
Speech given by Matthias Bichsel, Projects & Technology Director, Royal Dutch Shell plc, at the EAGE Conference, London on June 13, 2013.
A defining characteristic of the "tight" rock formations that are increasingly being tapped for natural gas in the USA and – tentatively – elsewhere is the heterogeneity of their geology. This variability is compounded by uncertainty regarding their in-situ stresses.
For this reason, says Matthias Bichsel, Projects & Technology Director, almost nothing definitive can be stated about an untested tight gas resource until a lot of exploration data have first been collected and analysed. This a priori unpredictability of how a tight gas field will be developed – if it is developed at all – also calls for increased flexibility in planning and execution. And outside of North America, it requires increased flexibility in production-sharing contracts. A bigger technological toolbox is needed too, so that operators can better deal with the wide array of geological and non-geological variables.
Not all fields are created equal
Good morning everyone.
I'm pleased to join this executive session on the global gas challenge, because Shell sees natural gas as increasingly crucial to meeting the world's energy needs.
We also believe it is imperative to make the most of all the gas resources available, both conventional and unconventional.
Today I want to touch on some of the inherent challenges of developing unconventional gas resources: first, in terms of geological factors; then non-geological factors. Along the way, I will highlight how unconventional resources differ from conventional ones – especially in terms of the predictability of their production potential and ultimate recovery.
That difference is crucial. It explains why, when you're considering the development of shale gas resources, a lot more information and a more flexible mindset is needed.
Geological variability & uncertainty
First, a word about terminology. I'm using the term "tight gas fields" to refer to fields that produce natural gas from formations consisting of ultra-tight sandstones, carbonates, shales and coals, and where the gas is not confined by a conventional trap of a structural or stratigraphic nature.
Having cleared that up, let's now consider what's so special about them.
The first geological factor to consider with tight gas fields is their lithology. These fields vary widely in their rock properties – much more so than conventional fields.
Some rock formations are clayey and thus, at certain temperatures, ductile. Others are brittle, making them easier to crack. Some have no pre-existing fractures, but some do. And these pre-existing cracks can contribute to well productivity…unless they don't.
There's no way of knowing what type of rock formation you're dealing with until you actually drill and production-test the formation.
These lithological properties – and their implications for well completions – are difficult to predict at the exploration stage, but they can drastically affect field development plans. And what's more: they can vary even from one well to the next in the same formation!
A second important factor is the geomechanics of these formations. There is a lot of uncertainty about the magnitude and orientation of principal in-situ stress axes around a well. This can make it difficult to get hydraulic fractures to grow in exactly the way you want.
Conversely, the more you understand the geomechanical stresses, the better you can get them to work in your favour – perhaps even reducing the needed scale of hydraulic fracturing.
Gathering & assessing facts
All this variability and uncertainty means that, before one can decide whether a shale play is worth developing or not, one needs to collect and analyse a lot of appraisal data. Usually, a few good 2D seismic lines are required to understand the basic tectonic framework and layout, perhaps with a few limited 3D seismic surveys where more complicated structures are expected.
Then a dozen or so wells need to be drilled, logged and tested. And it's not just a short production test as it generally is for conventional gas plays.
Longer production tests are necessary, because unconventionals are exactly that: unconventional. The traditional approach won't do; they need a more in-depth approach for an operator to get a good idea of the ultimate recovery per well and the likely production profile. Both data are crucial since they determine the economic viability of these challenging plays.
So it's quite crucial to ensure geoscientists and petroleum engineers have enough time to take a good, thorough look at the situation under the ground.
This can try the patience of people who want immediate yes/no answers: the investors who are putting their money on the line, for example…or the communities who feel that their way of life may be threatened. But there's no other way to avoid false expectation other than through a thorough exploration and appraisal campaign.
That's why I don't like all the hype about the potential – good or bad – of untested tight gas plays. We first need to collect all the facts and soberly assess them before we can reasonably talk about their commercial potential.
If you don't succeed…
Yes, there have been some great success stories in producing gas from shale formations, with some big ones such as the Bakken, the Barnett, the Eagle Ford, the Bossier-Haynesville in the US or the Montney in Canada.
But let's not forget that there have been a fair number of disappointments too. We don't hear much about them.
In the US states of Wyoming and Utah, for instance, the industry could not get the Green River basin to really work. And I'm afraid that some countries may be setting themselves up for dashed expectations. Take Poland, for instance, where a number of operators have announced that they're pulling out.
Getting definitive results requires tenacity, but tenacity driven by a good understanding of the petroleum geology. Only production geologists can know where the rocks are favourable and therefore where persistence is warranted.
Non-geological factors
The geological factors I've mentioned make tight gas plays quite different from traditional gas fields. But there are several non-geological factors that also call for an approach to field development that's different from what we're used to in conventional fields.
For Shell, a tight field development is largely about safe manufacturing techniques with mass-production-like drivers: speed, cost control, streamlining. But unlike product manufacturing, where feedstocks are quality controlled for uniformity, we have to deal with what Mother Nature gives us – and she can surprise us.
Nor should we dismiss the possible impacts such developments have on local land, water and air. Or the dust, noise and road accidents that heavy-goods traffic can cause.
Clearly, it will take a bigger technological tool box to enable operators to deal with both geological and non-geological factors. But before I describe some tools that can help, I'd like to stress again what these factors lead to in practice: unpredictability – much more so than in conventional developments.
Who knows?
So it's very difficult to say with certainty how – or even if – an undeveloped shale gas play can realistically be successfully developed.
And that's why it's so important that high expectations be kept in check.
A recent report by the Institute of Directors called UK shale gas a 'new North Sea'. But this is premature: the geology still needs to be investigated.
Let me remind you that the Alum shale in Sweden was described as 'one of the thickest and richest marine source rocks in onshore northern Europe'. Yet Shell's exploration wells revealed it to have only low gas saturation.
Equally, a blanket moratorium on exploration seems rash if the underlying geology has not been investigated – as, for example, in Romania, France and elsewhere.
Hence my underlying point: the need for greater flexibility to assess the geology properly, to avoid both overblown optimism and ungrounded pessimism.
That's why I was gladdened by EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger's recent statement. He wants Germany not to completely reject hydraulic fracturing, but instead create an appropriate regulatory structure – one that will enable the country at least to allow exploratory drilling. Subsequent decisions will then be "smarter" and based on a better understanding of the costs – and benefits – of a field development.
Greater flexibility in planning and execution is also needed – particularly where production-sharing contracts apply. A development plan for an unconventional field needs to give the operator the opportunity to adapt the plan according to the geological realities as and when they become apparent. The production-sharing contractor must be able to adapt a field development plan on the fly. Regulations need to allow this.
A key ratio
Where greater flexibility in exploration and development has been achieved, there are several tools that can help to deliver good outcomes. From an operator's point of view, the outcomes can be measured in terms of a key ratio: productivity over cost.
One way to increase well productivity without appreciably increasing costs is to make sure that the hydraulic fractures work as intended. We've discovered that about a quarter of ours are ineffective: they don't really contribute to a well's production.
By modelling fracture mechanics better, we can understand how multiple hydraulically induced fractures will grow and interact with one other in heterogeneous formations. Shell has been studying this using advanced numerical models. The model is able to capture the influence of key parameters such as fluid-injection rate, fracture spacing and formation properties. We're currently working to extend the model to gain insight into the interaction between hydraulic fractures and natural fractures.
And that leads me to another productivity-enhancing technique: what we call "domain stimulation".
It turns out that the prevailing stress field occasionally enables one to enlist the help of pre-existing fractures. These natural fractures are normally shut tight, but the ones near a wellbore can – under the right in-situ stress and injection conditions – be forced open during hydraulic stimulation operations.
In such a case, the planes on either side of the fracture shift ever so slightly with respect to each other. When the hydraulic pressure is relieved, the planes no longer fit together perfectly. The result is a flow path for gas. In Canada, we've used domain stimulation in openhole completions to successfully increase well productivity.
Automation & standardisation
Now let's look at the denominator in our key ratio. How can we decrease the cost per well?
Tight and shale gas fields require hundreds or even thousands of wells to extract the gas. Our industry simply doesn't have the manpower to handle that increase in activity. So we need more automation in drilling, completing and operating wells.
That's why Shell developed the SCADAdrill autonomous control system, for instance. It connects to the existing instruments and controls of a drilling rig, operating the rig machinery and monitoring all aspects of the well-making process. Letting a machine handle the mechanical and hydraulic drudgery means that the driller can focus on things that require more thought and care – safety, for one.
The driller at the rig site is always in control, though. And he can intevene at any time if necessary.
SCADAdrill also enables expert directional drillers and well engineers at a real-time operating centre to monitor the rig remotely. They can adjust the control settings as required. Using such real-time operating centres, one directional driller can monitor several wells at once rather than just one at a time.
More standardisation is also needed in drilling and completing wells – the kind of approach that Shell is pursuing in a well-manufacturing joint venture with the China National Petroleum Corporation. We're pursuing a 'conveyor belt' approach in which standard pieces of equipment carry out different stages in the drilling and completion process. In this way several wells can be worked on in parallel, rather than having one customised drilling rig working on one well at a time.
Finally, both productivity and cost can be optimised with better well monitoring – which Shell is addressing by integrating fibre optics with existing monitoring equipment.
An optic fibre can act as one continuous thermometer capable of measuring temperature anywhere along its length. Such distributed temperature sensing – or DTS – has become a well-established technique for monitoring wellbore activity, such as hydraulic fracturing. To this end, a fibre-optic cable is clamped on the outside of the production casing, and data are recorded and visualised as the treatment is carried out.
Recently, we've begun to deploy cables containing two optic fibres – one for thermal sensing and one for acoustic sensing, to pick up the sounds of fluids flowing. With this arrangement, we get immediate readings of how the treatment is progressing and can derive a better description of the actual result.
Tools for non-technical challenges
Shell is working just as hard on solutions to the non-technical challenges. One of these is reducing the environmental footprint of tight-gas activities.
Advanced water management practices are making a significant difference here. Through reuse and disposal practices, we're able to reduce water consumption in drilling. At the Groundbirch gas field in Canada and the Pinedale gas field in the US we reuse gas-processing water for hydraulic fracturing. This reduces our freshwater requirements significantly – by as much as 50% or more.
And wherever possible, we use non-potable water for drilling and completion fluids. At Groundbirch, we're using sewage water – treated, of course – from the neighbouring city of Dawson Creek. In fact, the combination of reusing frack water and topping up with treated waste water means that we won't need any fresh water at all in our operations there.
A while ago, we published the Shell Operating Principles for tight sand and shale oil and gas operations. This is not so much a tool as it is a handbook, but we nonetheless keep it in our field-development toolbox.
The principles are specifically designed to protect water, land, air and communities. For us, adhering to them is an important part of building trust locally, nationally and internationally.
And we're constantly looking for other opportunities to raise the standards for the industry. The Marcellus play is a good example. We've formed a coalition there with several operators who are willing to give audit rights to an independent third party. We hope to see more initiatives like this. They might set the bar high enough to meet the public's and government's expectations and to weed out irresponsible operators.
To wrap up…
Let me end by emphasising three points:
First, natural gas is at the heart of a sustainable energy future, and we need to make responsible use of all possible sources, conventional and unconventional.
Second, with unconventional plays, it is not possible to know the cost and benefits of a field development without due diligence – and that requires exploration and appraisal wells. If the results are favourable, then flexibility for planning and execution is also required in production-sharing contracts and regulatory regimes.
Third, innovation – in both technical and non-technical areas – holds the key to lowering costs and increasing benefits. I've mentioned a few new technologies today, but there are many more that should be developed.
The good news is: the current pace and quality of innovation make me optimistic that natural gas from unconventional sources can help to keep the lights on and people and goods on the move – and to do it ever more sustainably.
Thank you.


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Want to be a better employee? Try desire, motivation and engagement
We always talk about managing our own career and the need to make things happen for yourself.
A good friend of mine, business book author Don Phin, recently produced a series of videos about what employees can actively do to excel in their jobs. They were so well done that I want you to hear what he had to say.
Follow Don's guidelines below and you will be favorably noticed by management. The effort spent will move your career along faster than you ever thought possible.
1) Be trustworthy
Trust is the most important fabric in any relationship and for employees, that equation is based on two essential factors.
First comes skills and knowledge.
Generally, this is something you can be tested for. For example, half of the JAVA programmers are more skilled than the other half. Without proper testing, you'll never know how your own job performance stacks up.
The second part of the trust conversation centers on desire, motivation, and engagement. If you lack desire, what good are your skills? Remind yourself that it's your choice whether to have a positive attitude or not.
Then ask yourself to define how you are doing in these critical trust factors:
· Accountability: You understand your job
· Responsibility: The buck stops with you
· Honesty: You're willing to do the "right thing"
· Integrity: You do what you say you'll do
· Confidentiality: You keep private what should be
2) Be productive
In Don's executive workshops, he often has a CEO invite their HR executive to be a guest. Then they both go through a simple exercise.
He asks them to take out a blank sheet of paper and write down what each believes are the three most important strategic objectives of that HR executive.
He has them show their lists to each other. Guess what? They rarely match.
Getting yourself on the same page as the company is where to start. Whether you call it bottom-line results, objectives, key indicators or some other name, what quality and quantity benchmarks define great results for you? Are they the same as the company's?
All employers want their employees to be responsible for their performance. They want you to know your job, and know whether you are succeeding or failing, without having to be asked or without having to be told, because you understand your job so well.
To be productive, make sure you manage your time, follow performance agreements, and focus on results.
3) Have a plan with goals
As Mary Kay Ash famously said, "Most people plan their vacations better than their careers."
And this is true. When people don't have a plan for their career, they are working in what Don calls "the gray zone." That's not who I want working for me.
He encourages employees to define short-term performance goals (90 days) and longer-term career goals (3 to 5 years out). He also stresses the importance of having defined deadlines and provided tools they can use for long-term career planning and short-term, 90-day "rolling" plans.
4) Keep learning
It is a sad fact that only a handful of employees make a concerted effort to educate themselves once they've graduated from school.
Many do the same job, at the same level, year after year. Given tight budgets and time constraints, many employers have backed off their training initiatives which further reduces continuing education.
To combat that, Don likes to remind employees of one of the great truths of success -- to earn more, learn more. And doing so is the employee's responsibility.
5) Be a team player
Like life itself, running a business with at least one employee and more is a team sport. Same with being an employee. Helping foster a spirit of teamwork gives your fellow employees a sense of belonging to a bigger cause than themselves.
Cooperation, collaboration, and contribution really do work wonders.
There it is, a condensed version of Don Phin's Holy Grail of career success.
If you are in management, what will you do to help employees embrace these truths? If you are an employee, what are you waiting for?
Phil Blair, co-founder of Manpower San Diego and author of "Job Won;" email@example.com
Twitter: @PhilManpowerSD
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Proudly Sponsored by Nick Rowland Auctions
Grafton Antiques and Collectables Show & Auction
25th October 2019 - 3pm vendor set-up and early birds.
26th Saturday 2019 - 8am to 3pm, The Barn, Grafton Showgrounds, 149 Prince Street, Grafton, NSW
Early Birds - $20
Entry $6 Adults/Pensioners - Come and go as many times over the weekend as you wish
Accompanied Children 12 and Under FREE
Note: Due to Workplace Health and safety the event will close at 3.00pm sharp on the Saturday so that dealers can pack up.
Dealer enquiries welcome, call Nick Rowland 0401 641 202
Invitation to attend
Dear Collectors,
Last year's Grafton Antique Bottle and Collectors Show was a great success. With approximately 100 displays, 100 metres of swap & sell and 300+ people through the door. Considering this I have planned to hold the event again this year on 27 October 2018. I am contacting you to formally invite you to attend this year's show.
We need Exhibitors or Collectors like you to keep our hobby alive. Even if you come down for a look and a catch up, your support would be welcome. If there are others you know of who may be interested attending please feel free to pass on my details.
The show this year will consist of Friday setup as usual along with an evening BBQ and an auction of about 100 lots conducted by yours truly. If you have items you wish to consign please let me know. Saturday will be a Swap and Sell day open to the public. Being a show there will also be some of Australia's finest items on display and a 3pm pack up in the afternoon.


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Sierra Bancorp Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
October 20, 2017
Porterville, CA – October 20, 2017 – Sierra Bancorp (Nasdaq:BSRR), parent of Bank of the Sierra, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per share. The dividend was approved subsequent to the Board's review of the Company's financial performance and capital strength for the quarter ended September 30, 2017. It will be paid on November 16, 2017 to shareholders of record as of November 2, 2017. Including dividends paid by Bank of the Sierra prior to the formation of Sierra Bancorp, the Company has paid regular cash dividends to shareholders every year since 1987, comprised of annual dividends from 1987 through 1998 and quarterly dividends since then. The dividend noted in today's announcement marks the Company's 75th consecutive regular quarterly cash dividend.
Sierra Bancorp is the holding company for Bank of the Sierra (www.bankofthesierra.com), a community-centric regional bank which is in its 40th year of operations and has grown to be the largest independent bank headquartered in California's South San Joaquin Valley. On October 1, 2017, the Company acquired OCB Bancorp and merged Ojai Community Bank into Bank of the Sierra, thereby expanding its coverage to the communities of Ojai, Ventura, and Santa Barbara, California, and enhancing operations in the city of Santa Paula. Subsequent to the merger we have over $2.3 billion in assets, and offer a broad range of retail and commercial banking services via full-service branches located throughout the South Valley, the Central Coast, Ventura County, and neighboring communities. We also maintain an online branch, and provide specialized lending services through our agricultural credit center, real estate industries center, and SBA center.
Forward-Looking Statements
The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on the Company. Readers are cautioned not to unduly rely on forward looking statements. Actual results may differ from those projected. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including but not limited to the Company's ability to maintain current dividend payments or increase dividend payouts to shareholders, the Company's ability to generate adequate financial results, changes in economic conditions, interest rates and loan portfolio performance, and other factors detailed in the Company's SEC filings. Sierra Bancorp undertakes no responsibility to update or revise any forward-looking statements.


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J & D Good Taste Restaurant is committed to serving the best in Jamaican and Haitian cuisine. We're a family-owned operation located in the heart of the Caribbean community of Uniondale, New York. At J & D you will find jerk chicken, rice and peas, oxtail, curry goat, shrimp creole, black rice, poule en sauce (stew chicken), griot (fried pork) and, other Jamaican and Haitian delicacies.
Whether you are looking for a delicious meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner you are sure to be satisfied with J & D. Call us at 516-483-0126 to ask about any of our special services.


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We've all been there. You sit down at your computer eager to begin working on the task at hand, but within a few short minutes, you're overwhelmed with distractions. Facebook messages, emails, news feeds, applications, push notifications; the list goes on and on.
Unfortunately, true concentration is getting harder and harder to achieve. Distractions these days are everywhere, especially if you work in an open-concept space or a freelancer who regularly makes the local coffee shop their office.
According to experts, the average person looks at the phone every 12 minutes during the day. This means that, on average, we stop what we're doing 80 times a day to mindlessly check our phone.
Having a short attention span can become a serious issue, especially when trying to concentrate on fixing a problem that requires added focus. On average, it takes a person up to 23 minutes and 15 seconds to fully regain concentration after looking at their phone. It's no surprise that many experts consider concentration one of the most valued skills of the 21st century.
"There are two key skills for success in the new economy: a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and a skill to produce better results in less time," wrote Cal Newport in his book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. In his book, Newport outlines a concept, which he describes as deep work; a skill of concentrated focus which is quite rare in today's world.
Newport explains deep work as a state of undisturbed concentration that forces a person to use their cognitive abilities to their maximum potential.
On the other hand, there's shallow work. Unlike deep work, these tasks are cognitively undemanding and can be performed without the need for deep concentration. Although tasks that fall into the shallow work framework are easily achieved (think of them as busywork), they rarely bring added dimensions of value to more complicated tasks.
In his book, Newport states. "The ability to do deep work is becoming more and more rare, while it is increasingly sought after in our economy. As a result, the few people who will be able to master it and then make it the foundation of their working life will be exceptionally successful."
The bottom line of deep work is: work smarter not harder. It stems from the idea that only high-quality work = (spent time) x (intensity of concentration) for desired results.
Newport described the four basic rules of deep work as:
Rule 1: Work deeply
In the beginning, create clever routines and rituals to aid you in your working life. Newport describes (again) four strategies that will help you put these concepts into practice:
When testing these methods, you'll learn which suits your particular work style best. A good rule-of-thumb is to reserve some time in your calendar solely dedicated to deep work. This will help you build a strong work ethic over time.
Rule 2: Get bored
Although boredom may seem antithetical to high productivity, the truth is rest and boredom have profound effects on influencing our thoughts and concentration in positive ways.
Newport lists several reasons:
The important thing to remember: you're taking a break from concentration, not from distraction.
As Newport explains, "Rather than planning a break from distractions from time to time in order to be able to concentrate, you should plan a break from concentration so you can confine yourself to distractions."
Fortunately, this strategy works even if you need to use the internet or quickly respond to some emails. Newport recommends planning your time spent on the internet wisely, never using it outside of your predetermined schedule (not only at work but also at home). This exercise is incredibly helpful for establishing your concentration training as part of your daily ritual.
Rule 3: Leave social media
According to Newport, being aware of the problems social media creates for concentration is something everyone should be concerned about. "Using a networking tool is justified if you can find some potential benefits of using it or if there is anything you could miss while not using it."
Our brains tell us all sorts of stories about why we shouldn't leave social media. To learn for yourself if these stories are true, perhaps try stopping the use of social media for 30 days (not necessarily all at once). After these 30 days, try answering the following questions:
If the answer to both questions is yes, you should consider stopping the use of social media permanently. If you answered no, perhaps it's time to return. If your answers were more ambiguous, it is up to you to decide what's best. However, Newport suggests opting to leave social media if you're intended goal is to maximize your concentration potential.
Rule 4: Get rid of shallowness
The last, and perhaps the most vital rule: get rid of shallowness. As Newport puts it, "You should approach shallow work with distrust because the damage it can do is often underestimated and its importance is greatly overestimated. This type of work is necessary, but you must not let it undermine your deep activities, which are the ones that will ultimately determine your success."
Lessening the time spent on shallow work helps improve daily efficiency. For example, if you schedule small amounts of time a day for shallow work (similar to time spent on the internet) you will learn to complete these tasks quicker (instead of allowing something that should have taken just a few minutes, take an hour).
Keep in mind, there's no need to follow this schedule religiously. Your goal should simply be to observe the schedule, using it to help progress your projects further. Based on your own experience, you'll learn which organizational method works best for you.
Newport concludes, "Deep work, of course, is not for everyone. It takes focus and a radical change in your habits. While many enjoy being "busy," exchanging emails or showing off on social media, we must get rid of many of these activities in order to achieve a deeper life. Trying to do your best always leads to a bit of anxiety because you have to face the possibility that your best might just not be enough yet."
"If you are willing to put aside comfort and anxiety and make full use of your mental capacity to create something that makes sense, you will see, like others before you, that deep work leads to a life full of productivity and fulfillment.


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Research from tyre-manufacturers has revealed the spare tyre might be joining the cassette player and roll-up windows in the big scrap heap in the sky.
Tyre-maker Continental found spare wheels are only really only effective 70 per cent of the time because they are often unroadworthy, and drivers are unable or unwilling to change them by the roadside.
The inherent danger of changing a tyre was also highlighted in the study. Getting out of a stricken vehicle on a motorway at night in a thunder storm is hardly a good idea, even if you have bothered to pack a high-visibility jacket and a safety triangle.
Other negatives of the spare tyre include their weight — an average example weighs upwards of 20kg — and the resulting effect on fuel economy, not to mention the fact all that rubber takes up a great deal of space in the boot.
What are the alternatives, you ask? Well, you could use the old space-saver, a funny-looking mini tyre that saves about 7kg in weight, a bit of space and probably a few extra miles per gallon. This sort of tyre also gives you an incentive to get your original blowout properly repaired and refitted, because of how out of place it looks next to your standard rims.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Jaguar Land Rover's Brian Cooper, senior manager for wheels and tyres said: "Customers now accept that space-saver spares are robust and they appreciate the extra boot space they yield and the weight saving that helps reduce fuel consumption. But we see the improvement in tyre repair systems as beneficial as they liberate even more luggage space and save even more weight."
Such systems involve the user pumping a special chemical concoction into the stricken tyre to repair it in situ, but you often you need a compressor to re-inflate the tyre. They're hardly reliable, though. Continental says the success rate of its own kit is only 80 per cent. Plus many such systems require you to stick to a very low speed limit for a number of miles after the repair.
Trusty run-flat tyres get a mention, but the rigid-walled variant turns the ride of a car into one that could shake you to bits.
Regardless of whether the spare tyre is on the way out or not, it's worth preparing for the inevitable as nobody likes being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal, and a tyre flatter than a pancake.


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Go'd Forbid Inc'est
I could have committed ince'st' sha. EURGH! I was talking to my egbon today (blood egbon o, not village egbon. I don't come from a village. I'm a proper Isale Eko girl) and he casually mentioned that our grandfather, Papa Idunmota's mother was a Shitta Bey! Jesus is Lord! I did not know that? I know my paternal grandfather, Samuel Ogunseye Ajai AKA Papa Idunmota, was born a Muslim and had converted to Christianity when he was a child on his own accord. Family history has it that he used to go past a Christian primary school on his way to Keu (Quranic) classes. And those Keu lemamus (teachers) were notorious for severely beating their students. He would go past this Christian primary school where his age mates were learning in tranquillity and he wanted that for himself. So, even as a young lad, he decided to approach the school and tell them how he wanted to change to this school of tranquillity as he did not like the severe beating he was collecting at the Keu class. And the rest is history. He faced serious backlash from his family over his decision to stop attending Keu and start attending a Christian school. But he was undeterred.
So, my dad, was actually a first generation Christian. Me and my sisters used to make fun of him behind his back because my Dad took his Christianity very seriously. For example, he did not like us going to watch the Adamu orisa – Eyo festival. Thank Go'd for my mum who loved watching it. So, my dad would drop us off at his dad's for the day and come back for us in the evening. Those were happy days. A lot of my male cousins were Eyos. Most of my grandfather's descendants would just descend at our family house at 128 Enu Owa Street, Idunmota. Everyone came with food and drinks so, we would eat eat eat, drink, drink, drink, play, play, play. And sometimes, my Eyo cousins, would take us kids under their wings and take us with them on their outings. In those days, the Eyos were not consigned to Tafawa Balawa Square. They roamed the whole of Lagos Island from Obalende to the edge of Iddo on Carter bridge. So, my sisters and I would be like 'Ki lo ti'en se Daddy yi? What's wrong with this Daddy? With all his Brodami Sikiru and Kozinmi Sabitiu, and Antimi Shaki, he will be forming Christian Christian. While my Mum, who did come from a more established Christian family was laid back about these things.
So, back to my 'inc:est' story. Some years ago, I had a 'toaster' who is a Shitta-Bey. I did not go out with him, thankfully. The guy was a good match. On paper. Tall? Check. Rich? Check. Good looking? Check. These were all on paper. But in reality? He was condescending and vainglorious. And he used to wear Michael Jackson type jackets – with fake military medals all over. We were supposed to be going on a date to the movies. I was dressed up to the nines. I was a hot'tie then. No childbirth and old age to dull my swag. Mini skirt, turtle neck wool top, black wool tights, black knee length boots. I knew I was looking hot. And I used to go to 'Jamo' saloons in those days. Those people know how to style permed hair, no be joke. So, the Shitta-Bey guy arrives at my Ealing flat and tells me we are not going out. That we would stay in my flat and watch TV. Yeah right. Lol. Bobo fe se 'sumtin sumtin'. He wants to do sumtin sumting *in Maxwell's voice*. So, I told him, no sir. We are not sitting in the flat to watch TV. My self-esteem was still high in those days. That was before London dating started eroding my self-esteem. Kai! Dating in London suc'ks! Allah kwa. I should do a piece or a series on my dating experiences as a single girl. Actually, come to think of it, let's do a competition of the worse dating experience in time for Easter. Send in your horror dating story and whoever wins gets a Simnel* Cake for Easter. Deal?
I showed him the door, he did not want to go, he wanted to start doing touching stuvs. I said Nope. Vaya con Dios sir. Go with Go'd. So, thankfully, there was no second date. I told my friend who was trying to match-make us not to try that again please. But what if? What if we had gotten on and then proceeded to get together and start making Shitta-Bey babies? EURGH! Thank Go'd for my high self- esteem.
So, send in your horror dating story. Even if you are now married. Let's see who has the worst story. There will be a 3-person panel to judge. The judges will be announced later. You can see that I have not thought this through. Lol.
*If the Winner is based in Nigeria, they will get what the baker can make for them.
This Post Has 19 Comments
I'm Lagosian. My ex husband is from the same family (same surname and all) with my great grand mother on my dad's side. Infact my dad is the family representative at my great grand mother's family meetings…so i guess i committed incest then. But Lagosians will find it difficult not to, we have only 3 degrees (not 6 degrees) of separation
Thank God for your self of stem Jopasdaughter????
I shall be a judge. Seeing as I have no horror stories to tell. Tehhehehe
It may not be incest naa if una distance well well
Sister you fe pa mi ?
Loved Eyo to bits as a kid. Spent a lot of time with my grandpa at Berkley Street and my cousins at Inabere . Best times ever. Lovely memories
Eyo o eee Eyo o! Eyo Baba ntawa, o fi gooolu seere, awa o le sanwo onibode…..odile…… Kilenwa ? Owo …Owo lenwa….Kilefise, Aso … aso lo fi ra…!!!
Hmmmm! Bunmi u seem to want to open Pandora's Box(es). Anyway, kindly post all enteries.
Another "blogbuster" from aunty B. Your posts are so imaginative which I loooooove. I already have a picture of that your hawt combo in my head. Thank God we're not having shitta bey babies in the house.
So the dating stories would be sent in via which medium?
Very funny! After dressing up and Jamo styled hair? Uncle shitta-bey is wicked ….haha!
After dressing up somebody wants to stay in and do what? Hell no! Na real thank God for self esteem o.
Hahahaha.Thank God u didn't do d do
Comments are closed.


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Dangers in Your Garage
Did you know that large numbers of maiming injuries and deaths of children and pets are happening with alarming frequency due to garage doors? If you have a garage door that was installed before 1993, your garage door could be at risk for causing one of these injuries or deaths. Here are some ways to prevent that from happening.
1) Make sure your garage door opener automatically reverses before anything actually collides with it. Garage door openers installed before 1982 do not reverse at all, and some doors installed after that time will only reverse on impact. If your garage door was installed within the last ten years you can assume that it has a reverse feature, but it's always a good idea to double check that it's working by placing something in front of the sensors to be doubly sure. We recommend doing this check monthly to ensure the safety of your garage door. If installed prior to 2004, it's a good idea to consider an upgrade, especially if you have children or pets in the home.
2) Check the springs and cables on your garage door. Springs should be installed around the torsion shaft so that if it breaks, it cannot spring off and cause an injury. These springs are extremely heavy and can cause significant injury if one hits you. You should have your springs regularly inspected by a garage door professional and replaced if necessary. The same goes for your cables. Check for fraying ends, loose, hanging down strands or any other signs of wear that indicate your cables may be on their way out. Have worn cables replaced as soon as possible, and be sure to replace both sides at the same time to avoid the newer cable taking more weight or causing strain on the older one. There are certain brands that can safely be installed by the homeowners, although this can be a dangerous job, so be sure that you know what you are doing.
3) Make sure all remotes and the keypad are installed at least five feet above the ground so that children cannot operate them. Be sure to instruct children never to play the "beat the door" game where the try to get in or out before the door closes as this can be a recipe for a serious injury. Your garage door is often the heaviest item in the household and gets major every day use in most families, so educate you children that the garage door is not a toy, and about the dangers of playing with the controls.
4) Learn how to operate the garage door's emergency release feature in the case of an accident. There will be instructions on how to do this in your garage door opener's manual and/or the garage door opener website.
5) Never leave your garage door partially open. This is liable to cause injury when you go to close it all the way as it may go down crushing whatever is in its path, especially if your sensors are not working properly.
As a homeowner, you must protect those who enter your home via the garage door, and by utilizing the above methods you can ensure that your family and friends stay safe.


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IRISS 2020, 13 to 14 February, IIT Gandhinagar: Call for Papers
October 9, 2019
The Inter-Research-Institute Student Seminar in Computer Science (IRISS) is an annual student seminar co-located with the ACM India Annual Event. The purpose of the seminar is to provide a platform for CS research scholars in India to showcase their recent research work and for the potential employers from academia and industry to interact with them. It provides an opportunity for the participants to interact with their peers and experienced researchers from other institutes and industry apart from getting to listen to distinguished speakers.
IRISS has a rich tradition of being an open and inclusive platform for showcasing research trends in computer science, and providing a forum for interactions between scholars from diverse backgrounds. IRISS invites research scholars of computer science and allied areas in India to showcase their recent work (either published in 2019 or accepted in 2019 for publication) to a conclave of researchers and potential employers.
Submissions should begin with a title followed by the names and affiliations of all co-authors. This should be followed by a detailed abstract and the details of the venue where the work has either appeared or been accepted for publication. Submissions should be no more than two pages long. Please use reasonable margins and font sizes.
The submissions will be evaluated by a program committee and selected papers will be invited for oral/poster presentation. Partial funding will be provided to the selected submissions. Limited accommodation on campus will also be available. The deadline for submissions is 31 October 2019.
Informal inquiries may be sent to firstname.lastname@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The fallout from Tuesday's big news that the Vancouver Canucks fired president and general manager Mike Gillis continued the next day.
Not only was Trevor Linden hired as the new president of hockey operations on Wednesday, but players, head coach John Tortorella and chairman of Canucks Sports and Entertainment Francesco Aquilini were able to publicly reflect for the first time on the end of the Gillis era in Vancouver.
For the first time since 2008, the Canucks will not make the playoffs. The team has been trending downward since it made it to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. And Gillis, in his sixth season in Vancouver and with highly publicized criticism for his decisions over the years, took the fall.
"Whenever a GM gets fired, it falls on the players. It's our performance on the ice that cost him a job," said forward Daniel Sedin, as per Metro News.
"That's the bottom line. It's always tough to take as a player. That was tough. But then waking up this morning, seeing Trevor's name, that brought some excitement back for sure."
Change in Vancouver might not be restricted to just the front office. Tortorella, in his first season with the Canucks, could also be on his way out at the end of the season, as the coaching staff will undergo an evaluation from the new man Linden.


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- This event has passed.
December 23, 2016
It's non-denominational. So, everyone can partake. The Festivus slogan is "A Festivus for the rest of us!" Festivus came into being as the direct result of a Jerry Seinfeld television show episode. It first aired on December 18, 1997. The holiday was promoted by Kramer (who else!?)
Festivus Traditions:
No, there isn't a Festivus Tree. Rather, an unadorned aluminum pole is the symbol of Festivus.
The Festivus holiday is celebrated with a dinner. Meatloaf is the suggested main course (I betcha can't wait for a slice of that!).
Dinner is followed by a "Feats of Strength".
Get your equipment to prepare for the the feats of strength here.
Another popular Festivus tradition, is an "Airing of Grievances" . This is where you can tell someone how disappointed you are over what they did or didn't do during the past year.


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The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius consist in a journey of prayer and meditation with the aim of heightening and deepening our relationship with Christ and our joy in our creator God, who is in love with each one of us. Although the 'programme' is rather formally set out, the experience is always unique and personal, and frequently becomes a life-changing event. The Exercises are particularly appropriate when our lives seem to have become rather meaningless and empty, or when we feel ourselves at a turning-point.
Traditionally they are 'given' over the course of a thirty day silent retreat. But they can also be followed as a scheme of regular prayer in 'daily life' over, typically, an eight month period.
Over the last few years I have directed several people from the Anglophone community in Luxembourg in the Exercises in 'daily life'. I would be happy to do so again during this coming academic year, starting in the autumn, for anyone who is interested and prepared to 'take the risk', and to make the necessary commitment of time.
If you want to find out more, or think you might be interested, please contact me either on 621 31 91 10 or by email here. All contact and discussion is confidential.
Steve McCarthy


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PlayStation Network : Trophies
PlayStation XMB Trophies - There are four types of trophies: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Each is associated with a certain type of challenge. As you play a game you earn different trophies-specific to that game-based on your accomplishments. Your entire trophy collection is combined to determine your level.
Trophies is part of the PlayStation Network category.
You are currently viewing games for PlayStation 3 that are marked as PlayStation Network : Trophies. Games for other platforms are also tracked by this attribute. You can restrict the list of games below to any of the following platforms:
All Platforms, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PS Vita
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Challengers of the endorsed Democratic and Republican candidates for City Council have been kicked off the ballot for September's primary after their parties filed objections against their petitions.
Democrat Robert Sanders, who wanted to challenge City Councilwoman Marion Porterfield, had his petitions thrown out Tuesday after the Board of Elections agreed that one of his petition carriers might have misrepresented where they live. Sanders said the charge is false, and said in the next few days he'll be filing an order to show cause in state Supreme Court.
Meanwhile last week, Republican Mary McClaine also had her name removed from September's primary after she had 22 signatures thrown out by the board. McClaine, a government critic who has repeatedly sought over the years to get on a major party line, wanted to challenge Union College buildings supervisor Richard Patierne.
If Sanders does not succeed in a lawsuit, Porterfield and Patierne will be facing each other solo in November.


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The article you're about to read is from our reporters doing their important work — investigating, researching, and writing their stories. We want to provide informative and inspirational stories that connect you to the people, issues and opportunities within our community. Journalism requires lots of resources. Today, our business model has been interrupted by the pandemic; the vast majority of our advertisers' businesses have been impacted. That's why the SC Times is now turning to you for financial support. Learn more about our new Insider's program here. Thank you.
By Fred Swegles
It'll be cool to see San Clemente's PierPride Foundation upgrade seven aging signs along the railings of the Pier.
The signs tell visitors and locals about things you can see from the Pier. Whenever I pass the sign that describes San Clemente and Santa Catalina Islands, my eye is drawn to a glitch I'd love to see corrected.
It states that the name San Clemente Island "came from the Spanish explorer Vizcaino on Nov. 25, 1602, Saint Clement's Day."
Not so.
Nov. 23 is the feast day of St. Clement on the Roman Catholic calendar. Nov. 25 is the feast day of St. Catherine.
It's good to know because that island off our coast was the inspiration for our town's name.
I've learned a bit about Nov. 23, having visited San Clementes in Spain, Italy, France, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and the Philippines, plus places called St. Clement in Cornwall, the British isle of Jersey, Scotland's Hebrides Islands and Maryland.
And, yes, I've been to our own San Clemente Island.
Photo Gallery
On Nov. 23, 2010, San Clemente del Tuyu, Argentina, celebrated Nov. 23 with a St. Clement's Day procession that started at the pier, then headed downtown. Photo: Fred Swegles
On Nov. 23, 2010, San Clemente del Tuyu, Argentina, held a St. Clement's Day procession through the streets. Photo: Fred Swegles
01 clement
A stained-glass window in the English church at St. Clement, Cornwall, shows an anchor with a cross. The looping rope appears to form the letters SC. Photo: Fred Swegles
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You know you've reached the community of St. Clement on the Isle of Jersey's coastal road when you pass this anchor and cross. Photo: Fred Swegles
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A cross, an anchor and a crown form the city seal for the historic walled community of San Clemente, Italy. The same trio of images tops the church tower. Photo: Fred Swegles
All those places share a common heritage—a pope from the first century A.D.
Pope Clement I is said to have achieved Christianity's crown of martyrdom after Roman authorities tied him to an anchor and tossed him into the sea.
In the walled-in, hilltop village of San Clemente, Italy, you can find a church tower topped with a cross, an anchor and a crown.
In the English village of St. Clement, Cornwall, the historic church's stained-glass windows display an anchor with a cross.
On the isle of Jersey, instead of a roadside sign announcing you're entering St. Clement, there's a large anchor with a cross.
Our sister city, San Clemente del Tuyu, Argentina, celebrates Nov. 23.
Our own town's first church, St. Clement's Episcopal, displays an anchor outside its door.
I learned of this feast day connection one Nov. 23 during the 1980s while in Manila, Philippines, reading a local newspaper. A brief announcement said there would be a religious procession in San Clemente on the Day of San Clemente.
It wasn't far outside the city, so I went. It wasn't a town of San Clemente but a church parish in the city of Angono. The costumed procession was very colorful. Years later, I revisited the Philippines to find the Philippines' town named San Clemente, several hours north of Manila by bus.
Still later, I visited St. Clement's Island, Maryland. It's "where Maryland began," the St. Clement's Island Museum proclaims. Each year, Maryland school children take field trips there to learn their heritage.
Tired of religious intolerance in England, Catholics led by nobleman Lord Baltimore petitioned King Charles to grant them a colony in America. The king said yes, if they would tolerate other faiths and name their colony after the king's wife, Maria.
The Catholics departed England on Nov. 23, 1633. Sailing up the Potomac River in March 1634 with royal charter in hand, they chose a safe place to land, a defensible island.
They named it St. Clement's and gave thanks for safe arrival. St. Clement was the patron saint of mariners.
So, how could someone put the wrong date for St. Clement's Day on the sign on the Pier? Maybe because Sebastian Vizcaino's diary was a bit vague.
Three decades before those English Catholics set out to found Mary's Land, Spain tasked Vizcaino with mapping the California coast, naming landmarks.
As he headed north, the southernmost channel isle he spotted became San Clemente Island. His journal doesn't mention that, just says he spotted three large islands on Nov. 24, "the eve of the feast of the glorious Santa Catalina."
He named the island he landed on Santa Catalina.
If you backtrack a bit, it's logical San Clemente Island could be named for Nov. 23. Saints Clement and Catherine both were revered Catholic martyrs.
In 2016, while exploring St. Clement's Island's Maryland mainland, I had a déjà vu moment. I photographed an island that the Catholic colonists founded in 1634 just past St. Clement's Island. And, oh my gosh, what did they name it?
St. Catherine's.
As in Santa Catalina.
Fred Swegles is a longtime San Clemente resident with more than 46 years of journalism experience in the city.


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Dental crowns, which are sometimes known as "caps," are precisely that — a dental treatment designed to cap off a tooth with the purpose of enhancing its appearance and, more importantly, repairing it so that its size, function, strength, and shape are not compromised.
Crowns can be made from many different materials, including:
Your Empress Walk Dental dentist will recommend a crown if your situation warrants it. Many patients who have crowns have them as a result of one of the following conditions:
Getting a crown requires two visits to our office.The first visit consists of what might be termed "damage control" – the dentist will get rid of any decay that is present in the tooth, prepare the tooth for the new crown, and provide the patient with a temporary crown that will serve as a placeholder until the permanent crown is ready. At the followup appointment, the dentist will replace the temporary crown with the new permanent one and cement the permanent crown into place.
The cost of your crown will take into consideration many different factors, including the location where you have the crown done, the material used in the crown, whether you have dental insurance or not, etc. Our friendly office staff at Empress Walk Dental will be happy to help you file your dental insurance and determine what types of treatments are covered so that you can be confident in your financial choices.
The average life span of a crown is somewhere between 5-15 years, but if you maintain proper oral hygiene, including regular brushing and flossing, you will be able to maximize the life of your crown. In addition, your crown will last much longer if you avoid behaviors like biting your fingernails, using your teeth to open packages and parcels, chewing ice, grinding and/or clenching your teeth, etc.


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HILO, Hawaii, September 21, 2011 – HOPE Services Hawaii has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Public-Private Partners for Literacy Trust Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation to create a literacy program for families in HOPE's emergency and transitional housing shelters.
HOPE's new Literacy and Family Strengthening Program is based on the Kenan Trust Family Literacy model. This model integrates four crucial components, including adult education, early childhood education, parenting, and parent and child together time. This model is recognized by the National Center for Family Literacy and has shown to produce positive literacy outcomes for primary care-givers and their children. HOPE will coordinate adult high school diploma and English as a Second Language classes and programs focused on fostering quality parent-child interaction. As the literacy program progresses, it will be fully integrated into all of HOPE's emergency and transitional shelter programs.
HOPE's partners in this innovative program include the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture Keiki Steps, Hilo Community School for Adults, and Hawaii Community College.
"This opportunity will allow us the privilege to implement a best practice model that encourages family time together, playing, laughing, learning and enjoying one another," said Brandee Menino, Chief Executive Officer of HOPE Services Hawaii. Ms. Menino goes on to say, "We truly believe that by strengthening the family unit it will lead to improved choices and better life outcomes."
HOPE is a statewide non-profit agency providing innovative safety net programs to the vulnerable and marginalized in the state of Hawai'i. These programs include homeless outreach, mental health outreach, drop-in centers, emergency and transitional housing programs, permanent supportive housing programs, representative payee services and SNAP (formerly food stamps) outreach. In 2010, HOPE served nearly 3,500 individuals.
For more information:
Brandee Menino, HOPE Services Chief Executive Officer – Phone 808. 933.6013 or email email@example.com