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By Josefa Paganuzzi, Thompson & Bender for NYP-Lawrence Hospital
Nov. 11, 2020: Every three and a half minutes, someone in the United States will die from lung cancer, accounting for one in four cancer deaths.
During November, the oncology staff at NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville is observing Lung Cancer Awareness Month as part of an international effort to help increase awareness of prevention, causes, and treatments of lung cancer.
"Our lung cancer program was designated a Center of Excellence by the GO2 Foundation—the first hospital in New York to achieve this honor," said Dr. Stephanie Smith-Marrone, a NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital oncologist with a particular expertise in the treatment of lung cancer and head and neck malignancy. "By collaborating with renowned specialists at NewYork-Presbyterian/CUMC, our experts offer access to clinical trials and the latest treatment advancements such as immunotherapy and targeted therapies.
The hopeful news about lung cancer is that the survival rate of people who are still alive five years after being diagnosed is improving. According to the American Lung Association's 2019 "State of Lung Cancer" report, the national survival rate was 21.7 percent, up from 17.2 percent a decade earlier.
The rising survival rate is due to two factors—earlier detection and advancements in lung cancer research and treatment options, both of which are specialties of NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital.
Dr. Smith-Marrone is the Director of Cancer Clinical Trials at NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital. Her patients often have access to clinical trials that have resulted in the approval of new immunotherapies and targeted therapies.
"Our clinical trial program provides patients with access to the cutting-edge science that is giving them hope," said Dr. Smith-Marrone.
Those most at risk from lung cancer are former and current smokers. If you are a smoker, ex-smoker, or live with someone who smokes, you should consider the following simple steps to ensure lung health:
-Get a lung cancer screening. If you are between 55 and 80 years of age and have smoked one pack a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years and currently smoke or quit less than 15 years ago, ask your doctor about low dose CT lung cancer screening. Less than 4 percent of the high-risk lung cancer population gets the CT screening that can detect lung cancers in their earlier stages when there is a better chance of cure. At NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital, low-dose CT scanning is available to people with an increased risk of lung cancer due to age and smoking history.
-Stop smoking! Cigarette smoking is the major cause of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which encompasses chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Over time, cigarette smoke destroys lung tissue and may trigger changes that grow into cancer. Ending the use of tobacco can be a challenge, but with the proper support, it is possible to achieve this goal.
-Consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. A recent Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study shows that a higher intake of antioxidant- and flavonoid-rich fruits, like apples and tomatoes, was associated with a slower decline in lung function, especially among ex-smokers. Eating about four servings of fruit per day can help support the long-term health of your lungs.
-Exercise more. Aerobic exercise can improve lung capacity, meaning the amount of oxygen inhaled with each breath. Exercise should include some resistance workouts, such as going uphill during your daily walk or using the interval setting when running on the treadmill.
-Get a flu shot. Respiratory infections can become very serious quickly. Incorporate small habits into everyday life, such frequent hand washing, brushing teeth twice a day, and avoiding crowds during cold and flu season.
Pictured: Dr. Smith-Marrone
Editor's note: As a public service, MyhometownBronxville publishes articles from local institutions, officeholders, and individuals. MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements therein, and any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff.
By Staff Nov. 25, 2020: Bronxville School In a communication to the Bronxville community on Friday, November 21, Dr. Roy Montesano, Superintendent of the Bronxville School, announced that the...
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The Maxwell Institute is grateful for the support of The Community Fund of Bronxville-Eastchester-Tuckahoe.
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Founded in 1971, the mission of the Counseling Center "is to provide a wide range of psychotherapeutic and counseling services to individuals, couples and families by a staff of highly trained, experience and dedicated psychotherapists. Director: Virgil Roberson The Counseling Center 180 Pondfield Road Bronxville, New York 10708 914-793-3388 www.counselingcenter.org
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NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital
In July 2014, Lawrence Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital established a new relationship aimed at enhancing care, improving access and lowering health care costs for residents of Bronxville and surrounding communities in Westchester County. Lawrence was renamed NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital.
Lawrence Hospital Center was founded in 1909 and is a 291-bed acute care facility with over 1100 employees and 400 physicians. It provides emergency care to approximately 35,000 individuals every year. It became a designated New York State Stroke Center in 2006. Its physicians provide expertise in virtually every area of medical specialty and include over 100 primary care physicians. And, Lawrence delivers about 2000 babies every year in the home-like setting of newly designed Labor and Delivery recovery rooms.
Outpatient services include diagnostic testing and laboratory services, ambulatory surgery options, and rehabilitation and sports medicine services. The Hospital has a Women`s Imaging Center where female patients receive diagnostic services in a private setting. Outpatient physical therapy, lymphedema therapy, speech and occupational therapy services are provided both on-site at the Hospital and at Lawrence`s satellite center, The Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, in Scarsdale.
The Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The Hospital is fully licensed by the New York State Department of Health. Lawrence`s laboratory is accredited by the College of American Pathologists.
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Westchester Health Pediatrics (formerly Children's Medical Practice of Bronxville)1 Elm StreetTuckahoe, New York 10707914-337-7474
Scarsdale Pediatric Associates2 Overhill Road Suite 220Scarsdale, New York 10580 914-725-0800
Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine495 Central AvenueScarsdale, New York914-725-7555
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text:
Studies in Ampullaria
W. Heffer & Sons Ltd, 1925. Hardcover. Rare Limted Ediiton - One of only 15 copies which have been hand coloured & Signed by the Author. 4to. pp. xx, 102 + 19 plates (collates complete). Later half pigskin with marbled boards. Raised bands to spine with gilt device between. Jade..... More

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Woodbury, Vermont
|This article is a stub. Help us to expand it by contributing your knowledge. For county and town page guidelines, visit U.S. County Page Content Suggestions.
Woodbury is a town in Washington county, Vermont. It was formed in 1781 in Vt. from Caledonia county. The probate district for Woodbury is Washington. For more information, contact the town at P.O. Box 10, Woodbury 05681. On the attached map, Woodbury is shown as 1 in Washington county.
For information about the state of Vermont see Vermont Family History Research.


text:
Mysteries of Japan – the Land of the Rising Sun
The most mysterious country on our planet – Japan – annually attracts more than 25 million tourists from all over the world, and visitor discovers their Land of the Rising Sun.
Japan is ready to surprise its guests all year round. In winter, fans of winter sports come here. Popular places for skiers and snowboarders include Furano, Naeba and Hakuba. In the spring, streams of lovers of beauty flow here – the blooming cherry blossom turns the whole country into one wonderful garden! This season is a good time to visit Kyoto's places of interest with its record number of temples and Japanese gardens, the incredible Monut Fuji, and the famous thermal springs and health resorts of Atami, Ibusuki and Hakone. In summer, you can bask in the sea by the Okinawa islands in Japan and in the autumn get acquainted with the ultramodern metropolis of Tokyo and plunge into its thriving city life.
As your country guide will point out, there are 21 World Heritage sites in Japan. As for local transport, if you look at the map, you can see that the whole country is literally rugged. The railway network covers 1.2 million kilometres and is the most popular way for passengers to get around. Also buses, ferries and taxis are popular for tourists.
|Brief information
|The abbreviation of the country, ISO
|The country flag


text:
Spicy Tuscan-Style Sausage Ragu (Slow Cooker Recipe)
Recipe adapted from "The Italian Slow Cooker" by Michelle Scicolone
Shared from the kitchen of OnceUponaPlate1.com by Mari
Recipe makes 10 cups
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 pound sweet Italian Sausage, casings removed (may substitute some hot Italian Sausage for part of the sweet)
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 -28 ounce can whole Italian tomatoes, chopped, and the juice
1 -28 ounce tomato puree
1 cup heavy cream
Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the sausage; breaking up into smaller pieces as you cook it to a light brown color. Add onion, cook until tender and translucent, add wine and scrap pan to loosen and release browned bits.
Pour mixture into slow cooker, add tomatoes, a pinch of salt, then cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Stir in cream and cook for 1 additional hour. Taste for seasonings and adjust. This ragu is best served on chunky, substantial cooked pasta such as rigatoni or rotelle.
There are so many wonderful slow cooker recipes in this book ~ I highly recommend it. It can be purchased from amazon.com:
Please click HERE to return to Once Upon a Plate.


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SEC won't suspend Alabama's Dial for hit on Murray
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference won't suspend Alabama defensive end Quinton Dial for a hit on Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray.
The league said in a statement Friday that it had reviewed video of that play and others in the SEC championship game and that the two schools would handle any punishments internally.
Dial leveled Murray during a second-quarter interception return. He was not penalized on the play.
The SEC statement says the conference is satisfied with actions taken by the schools. The Crimson Tide plays Notre Dame for the national title on Jan. 7 in Miami.
Coach Nick Saban typically doesn't disclose any internal punishments.
Dial has played in all but one game and his 21 tackles, include 4.5 behind the line of scrimmage.


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text:
David Wright Update
erry Manuel tells the Media at this hour that he does not think David Wright lost consciousness although he saw Wrights eyes go back and forth in his head but heard Wright tell everybody Im all right – but they have no update on his examination yet. Manuel is convinced there was no intent on the part of Matt Cain; that the book on David is to pitch him up and in and that he did not talk to Johan Santana about what appeared to be a retaliatory throw behind the back of Pablo Sandoval an inning after Wright was hit. Baseball has its unwritten rules, he said. He did not disagree that Wright would certainly miss time but did not say the problems with Ryan Churchs post-concussion syndrome would influence how gingerly he would handle Wright.
3 Comments
As a life long Mets fan I am surprised to say that all of the strange things that I could dream up for a season to go down in flames they have now officially happend.
Keith after reading all of your Cooperstown entries I was inspired to drive the 4 hours from Boston to pay my respects to Baseball's greats. of course while standing in front of Pete Rose's jersey someone brought up whether or not he should ever be inducted into the hall. I know you wrote extensively on this in the past weeks but I have one question do you think that if they let Pete Rose in they should let Shoeless Joe Jackson in?
I know that what the so called "Black" Sox did goes way beyond Rose's gambling but they have never been able to prove that Jackson had anything to do with throwing the games so if we take away what it means to be "band for life" wouldn't we have to reexamine banning someone who's actions can't be proved?
Thanks for your time and keep up the great work here and on Countdown
Throwing behind the batter is unacceptable since, as we know, the instinct is to fall backward as the pitch comes in at you. The stupidity here is the inability to distinguish between pitching inside and head-hunting, both on the part of the batter and on the part of the umpire. Further, the umpire should immediately eject someone who is clearly throwing AT someone with the intent to hurt, and if you are a good umpire who has been around a while, you know the difference–or should.
Hi Keith,
Wanted to say thanks for the great updates from Cooperstown! Awesome stuff! Also thanks for the update on David Wright! That was just scary. It makes me cringe to see that happen to any baseball player. I heard he was released from the hospital and was going on the 15 day DL. I hope the Mets play it smart and not botch this like they did Ryan Church. David, who is my favorite player, is the cornerstone of this Mets team and they need him healthy. Concussions are not something to screw around with.
Keep on keeping on!


text: Pinkalicious, the popular picture book about a girl who loves the color pink and eats too many pink cupcakes, has expanded its franchise to board and card games, which are newly licensed under POOF-Slinky, the manufacturer of the world famous Slinky and top-selling foam sport balls in North America. The games include Pinkalicious 3 Cupcake Card Games, Silverlicious Sweet Tooth Game, and Pinkalicious Cupcake Party Game. Additionally, Pinkalicious is now a live and touring musical production.


text:
CAO Brazilia
Dark, toothy Brazilian maduro wrappers surrounding an aged blend of Nicaraguan long-leaf tobaccos, bunched inside a thick Nicaraguan binder. That's the recipe CAO cooks up for this flavorful, big-ring line, and it sure does deliver an enjoyable experience filled with flavorful goodness. The Gol! opens with a "charry", spicy eruption that instantly calls my palate to attention. The flavor mellows shortly after lighting, losing any hints of char or burnt toast, while gaining an oakiness that's chewy and rich. Ahhh...smooth sailing from here on out, folks. Time to sit back and enjoy the rich, robust flavors of well-aged Nicaraguan tobaccos, complemented by a slow-burning wrapper leaf that lends just the right amount of pepper after each puff. It's not the most complex cigar, by any means, but it's damn flavorful and quite consistent from cigar to cigar. The construction is quality – strong, white ash, cool, even burn and a perfect balance between semi-strong strength and flavor. Bottom line, this blend is good across the board and is a must-try for anyone who appreciates a full-flavored maduro.


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Introducing the all new
the fun new Bible-based game for Discernmentalist families to practice their pretzel-logic skills.
A sample logic puzzle from our game:
According to the Bible, God not only knows the future, (God is omniscient) but He has unchangeably ordained everything from the beginning, and He infallibly brings to pass all things according to His perfect plan. Also according to the Bible, Jesus is God but Jesus does not know the future nor the hour of the end of the world. Giving these facts Jesus is either:
a) a liar; not who the Bible says He is;
b) God does not know (all of) the future, He takes risks, learns lessons, makes mistakes and changes His mind (Open Theism);
c) of course, Jesus is God—THE BIBLE is Inerrantly clear!;
or d) a black & white answer that doesn't satisfactorily answer this question.
The answer of course is d. Thank you for playing Black-n-White-o-poly!!!


text:
Have you been looking on ebay and something caught your eye and you thought "But how would I get it here?".
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Automobile Shipments between Australia and North America.


text:
|2009-12-27, 21:06
|Link #201
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Siron and Azmaria were only honorable mentions if one of my favorites was not already nominated or I added anyone new.
I made sure Mikoto is in my current nomination list. Airi (Queen's Blade) I added in just recently. Mikan and Hime are still on the list.
|2009-12-27, 21:25
|Link #202
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
I'd say Kotomi [55.25%]-Misaka [44.75%] so we're pretty close there as well. I'm not too sure how well Fuuko would do since Fuuko shot up like a rocket in Ruby and Diamond. I'm not sure if I think that's power Fuuko will keep or if the ISML Round Robin just happened to end before Fuuko's boost did. Without the boost, Fuuko could still beat Misaka, it just wouldn't be a stomping.
|2009-12-27, 22:21
|Link #205
ISML Technical Staff
Graphic Designer
Fuuko is not top 16 material and not even close to Nagisa strength-wise. Yes, I'm disregarding her Ruby/Diamond run, which is the obvious thing to do. Therefore, she's around #20.
|2009-12-27, 22:39
|Link #206
Ass connoisseur
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Florida
Age: 33
Yui is unquestionably the second strongest K-on character. I'd say a good comparison would be Mio (Fate), Nanoha (Yui) In terms of strength between the two - not that Nanoha and Fate have a similar strength to Yui and Mio... Only estimating from what I've seen so far, but Mio has the potential to match Shana, and while Yui can not, I don't see why the main character in an insanely hyped and popular series would only rank around 20th when Mio is top 4 material.
Last edited by Demi.; 2009-12-27 at 23:13.
|2009-12-27, 23:15
|Link #207
ISML Technical Staff
Graphic Designer
Oh here we go again, K-ON! is insanely popular but alas MSLN is insanely unpopular. Your opinion of what is popular is warped, so that whole analysis is void. K-ON! is not even close to Clannad. It's at best between Clannad and Kanon in terms of popularity, closer to Clannad, so they can beat Mai, and that's it.
Bakemonogatari is "insanely popular," and I don't see Hitagi matching Fate or Nanoha.
Wait, but K-ON! is Kyo-Ani, you say? Well yes! But K-ON!, unlike Clannad, is an anime where opinions are mixed. Do you know which other Kyo-Ani series where opinions are mixed? Lucky Star. Mio is effectively Kagami and Yui is Tsukasa/Konata-level, which is 19-25th after final standings, which converts to 20th for 50-characters.
|2009-12-27, 23:34
|Link #208
Ass connoisseur
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Florida
Age: 33
Popularity does't equal ISML rape if many people don't find the character moe, but it still gives a undeniable boost to the character. And while Kagami might have been similar in strength to Mio over two years ago, she would have no chance to defeat her now. 55 - 45 at best. Also, Konata is the one with the most screen time in LS, as most the focus was directed towards her, not Tsukasa, or even Kagami. Yui on the other hand garners more screen time than any other character in the series. Yui is a tier above Tsukasa/Konata which amounts to 5-12 places higher in the standings.
Last edited by Demi.; 2009-12-27 at 23:50.
|2009-12-27, 23:48
|Link #209
ISML Technical Staff
Graphic Designer
Yeah, that's what you think. Yui is a tier below Konata. Screentime? Lol please. That must mean Nagi > Hinagiku. Yui is one of the most hated characters of K-ON! Tsumugi and Ritsu don't have as much popularity, but they're also not hated. When people start calling Yui a side character because she is useless, something's wrong. In short, Yui has the popularity of secondary characters (Konata/Tsukasa) while having the hate of Shana. That's a bad position to be in.
I already gave you statistics, MAL clubs, which is IMO the best indicator of ISML rape. Popularity doesn't equal ISML rape, but obsession does, which are MAL clubs.
|2009-12-27, 23:58
|Link #210
Ass connoisseur
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Florida
Age: 33
uhm, that's true, and I don't disagree with it, but the more popular a series is, the more opportunity a character has to amass rabid fans. (and fans in general) Obsession/popularity, they both aid in ISML results.
|2009-12-28, 00:12
|Link #211
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Brazil
I agree with KS about the Yui/Nagi, Hina/Mio comparison. As Hina/Mio is much more popular than the actual main, it makes lots of people dislike Yui/Nagi cause they would prefer if Hina/Mio was the main...
Well, all in all, I have my doubts about K-On power, maybe sometime back but when the main round starts, K-On already will start to be part of the "old news". There is that extra ep released with 8th DVD but still shouldn't do much. And a second season should be very far.
|2009-12-28, 00:13
|Link #212
ISML Technical Staff
Graphic Designer
chaosprophet used a better example than Lucky Star, and I concur. Yui will hang around the ranks of Konata/Tsukasa/Nagi, and Mio will undoubtedly be among the ranks of Hina at her best. Nagi has more screentime, kugyuu hate, and Yui has more screentime, airhead hate. QED, sleep, etc...
|2009-12-28, 00:22
|Link #214
ISML Technical Staff
Graphic Designer
So you're just blindly guessing their performance while we use induction to hypothesize that Mio/Yui will be similar to Hinagiku/Nagi. My point is we always have a reasoning behind our arguments, while yours seems to be "because my guts say so." Which is why it doesn't make sense.
|2009-12-28, 00:23
|Link #215
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
K-On being around Lucky Star is about right. Going by Round Robin, Kagami was 7th, Konata was 12th and Tsukasa was 16th. That's a decent area for K-On to land in. We could use DE standings which are even more favorable to Lucky Star as well. We are comparing peak K-On to peak Lucky Star, right? It wouldn't make any sense to use 2009 Lucky Star where the Lucky Star characters have had a year to cool off since K-On is still relatively new, right?
|2009-12-28, 00:26
|Link #216
ISML Technical Staff
Graphic Designer
Wait, are you using ISML 2008 stats where no one participated to predict for ISML 2010? Also, Lucky Star was memorable. K-ON! is a one-hit wonder, like Saki. No one cares about K-ON! anymore.
|2009-12-28, 00:30
|Link #217
Ass connoisseur
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Florida
Age: 33
Edit: NM, seems we are thinking the same.
Mio (Kagami) Yui (Konata - she won't rank 4th like Konata, but she's still inbetween Mio and Azusa) Azusa (Tsukasa)
And I've seen enough of Mio's performance to know she is going to rape.
|2009-12-28, 00:39
|Link #219
Pretentious moe scholar
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Age: 33
I suppose I should start looking at a list. Looking at Wonteak's list, I'm definitely going to be giving close consideration to Isara, Yuuko, Matsuri, and Kagura. EF's Chihiro is also quite likely - if I like a character enough to try my chances with a girl who cosplays her, I like her enough to nominate her for Saimoe.
I'm not that familiar with who is already in for this year. Is Nadeko in? Because if not, she's definitely going to be on there.
Debating whether to use some slots for long shots such as Iriya Kana, Mashiro Mito, Ochibana Ame, Teletha Testarossa, or Murasaki Kuhouin.
|contest, isml, moe, saimoe, tournament, voting
|Thread Tools


text:
Simple and smart to bring your cards everywhere with you.
- Card holder
- Two parts
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- Genuine cowhide leather
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Find all our care instructions: here.

Discover all our survival kit on our e-shop here.

Unfortunately, we do not offer gift wrapping. But the accessories are sent in their protective cover with tissue paper in a cardboard box bearing the nat & nin brand name and a priceless order form.
In view of the current situation, our delivery times may be extended. Returns are extended until 05/01/2021.


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Yes, this project was definitely one for the annals of computer history and I am glad to be a part of it. MrMind,
a humble chatbot, conducts The Blurring Test, a timely reversal of the Turing Test. Since 1998, MrMind has challenged visitors to the site to
convince him that they are human and so far, no one has. MrMind's creator, Peggy Weil,
suggests that a new definition of human is in order: Who or what do we think we are in relation to our creations? As Peggy was giving another presentation
of the application she developed in the late 90's, she had problem. The MrMnd website was in Flash and unpresentable. Under a tight time-constraint,
using both my knowledge of the Flash application and new technologies, my job was to redesign the site so that it was presentable on all devices. However,
my challenge, upon Peggy's request, was to mirror the animation within Flash and have it play out in the HTML environment utilizing a combination of
Javascript, J-Query and CSS4.The extreme challenge was to make all of the animation responsive so that it played out well on all devices. Read On
Read On


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Some believe that having a big-time college football team is the key to boosting enrollment. George Mason University has found that offering a degree in video game design does the trick, too.
GMU, located in Fairfax, Va. and the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, says the Fall 2010 anticipated enrollment in its newly created Computer Game Design program is five times what it expected. "We've been overwhelmed," said Scott M. Martin, assistant dean for Technology, Research and Advancement.
The program had hoped to enroll 110 students by 2012; they're already over 200.
Naturally, game design is an extremely popular offering, considering the desire many have to work in the games industry and the small ratio of dedicated game design programs to more traditional computer science and graphic arts sequences at American universities. Mason also benefits from its location, close to heavy hitters such as Bethesda Softworks and BioWare Mythic.
"This course bodes well for the future of gaming in this region," Eugene Evans, the BioWare Mythic general manager, told the Fairfax Times. "The team at GMU is putting a strong emphasis on a broad set of disciplines and instilling an entrepreneurial spirit - which could mean many new start-ups within a few years."
Though it is the largest university by enrollment in Virginia, to most before now, George Mason may have been more commonly known in the U.S. for its basketball team's run to the 2006 Final Four. Maybe games design can raise its profile even further, on a longer-term basis.
New Gaming Degree Program 'Wildly Popular' at GMU [Fairfax Times via Game Politics]


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The Walking Dead's makeup artists are second to none when it comes to the rough and grisly zombification of their walkers, but there's a subtlety to the work of photographer Carsten Witte that TWD's moaning roamers can't lay an undead finger on.
The photos below come from a series titled Intuition, and feature the types of women you'd expect to find on the runway of some high-fashion event, only they're sporting ghoulishly detailed, skull-painted faces. Speaking to the motivation behind his photos, the Hamburg-based artist writes:
"One main idea behind my work is the belief that everything is constantly changing but photography can preserve the moment. Beauty is almost nothing without the knowledge of how fast it will fade..."
We don't know if that's what you'll pick up from these photos or not, but we think you'll agree: there's something about this series that makes these images as captivating as they are unsettling.
You'll find more of Witte's work on behance, as well as his website (both links NSFW).


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2 Nights 3 days Jungle safari package in Chitwan:
Chitwan is 120 km south from Kathmandu Nepal where you can access by bus, car van. specially there are 2 night 3 days safari itinerary.Safari is in National park of chitwan which is first National park of Nepal as well as listed world heritage site by the UNESCO. Mainly troptical forest occupied the 932 sq km at the height of 200 m from the sea level. Safari is one of the popular activity for the travellers in Nepal. Nature guide will describe flora and fauna there in the jungle walking itinerary. According to your budget there are diffrent variety of the Hotel, resort.
Itinerary of the 2 night 3 days package in chitwan jungle safari:
1. Bus Drive 5 hours to chitwan, then hotel representative pick up you offering welcome drink and launch. After that briefing about your programmae for safari , then elephant riding begining. In 6 o'clock dinner in the Hotel.
2. Full days programmae , Jungle walking by Nature Guide inside the park, canoning trip in Rati river, visiting Elephant and crocodile breeding places, evening Tharu cultural stick dances.
3. wake up call in the morning, then bird watching then breakfast , after that deparature to your destination such as pokhara.
Cost of safari package of chitwan per person $90 USD.
Note:Similarly we can arrange the trip in Bardia National park which is western part of Nepal
See also, Do you know Tibet in Nepal? where exotic and orginal culture more than tibet that is the part of the mustang region of Nepal. Can you imagive the tibet outside the boundary of the Tibet? Upper mustang trekking , the best tea house trekking in Nepal in the restrication areas of the Nepal. we manage restrication areas , permit and best package for your family, freind holidays trek in Nepal.
Hirring a best trekking Guide in Nepal who helps you about the info , culture geography in Nepal. Book a trekking guide in Nepal in a cheap prices.


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Warner Bros. has acquired North American distrib rights to "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins," triggering an early 2008 production start for a film that seeks to reinvent the cyborg saga with a storyline to be told over a three-pic span.
WB plans to distribute "Terminator Salvation" in summer 2009.
The Warner deal dashes MGM's hopes of corralling distribution rights to the film. The Lion planned to pepper its slate with tentpoles such as "The Hobbit" and "Terminator," but neither project has worked out for the distributor.
Halcyon sued MGM in July in Los Angeles Superior Court, claming the distrib was interfering with its distribution plans on the fourth "Terminator" film on the basis of an MGM claim that it had acquired an exclusive 30-day negotiating window.
The "Terminator" pic franchise got a new lease on life in spring, when privately funded Halcyon and its co-CEOs Victor Kubicek and Derek Anderson teamed with "Terminator 3" exec producer Moritz Borman to acquire film, merchandising and licensing rights from ex-Carolco partners Andy Vajna and Mario Kassar. Kubicek, Anderson and Borman are producing the new film, with Peter D. Graves as exec producer.
WB had first right of negotiation for domestic theatrical and TV distribution rights because the studio played the same role on 2003's Jonathan Mostow-directed "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines." That pic posted a domestic gross of $150 million and a worldwide total of $427 million.
The producers said that the new film will carry the size and scale of "Terminator 3," and will have an event-sized budget. It will likely be less than the $200 million pricetag of "Terminator 3," which was saddled with extravagant costs that included above the line payouts, rights payments and heavy fees incurred through a complex financial structure.
Warner Bros. is also producing a smallscreen "Terminator" adaptation, "The Sarah Connor Chronicles," for Fox's midseason sked.
WB's commitment solidified the pic's financing structure and ensured a start date, producers said. They will now zero in on overseas distribution. Sony Pictures Entertainment, which distributed "T3" in most overseas territories, is expected to get first crack at a reprise. Several other territories are spoken for, including Japan, where Toho-Towa is expected to distribute once again.
A screenplay has been completed by "Terminator 3" scribes John Brancato and Michael Ferris, and the financiers and studio are close to locking a director. While industry buzz has "Charlie's Angels" director McG as the odds-on favorite for the assignment, the producers said no final decision had yet been made.
The first two "Terminator" films, directed by James Cameron, used contemporary settings to pit Sarah and John Connor against indestructible cyborgs. "T3" was also set in the present day and ended just as the machines initiated a nuclear apocalypse. "Terminator Salvation" was deliberately not given a number after its title, because Halcyon is eager to make it clear that the fourth film heads into an entirely different setting.
"This is set in the future, in a full-scale war between Skynet and humankind," Anderson told Daily Variety.
Borman said: "The third film was really the conclusion of what happened in the 'now.' You will find the most-loved characters, but the intention here is to present a fresh new world and have this be the first of a trilogy."
The producers said it wasn't yet clear whether Arnold Schwarzenegger will be back for his fourth appearance in the franchise that launched his movie career. "T3" was the last film in which he starred before becoming governor of California.
"We've left it open for him to maybe do a cameo," Borman said. "He has an important job, as we know, and the final decision will be based on his desire and availability, along with what the director wants."
The move on "Terminator" comes after Halcyon secured first-look rights to the literary works of sci-fi master Philip K. Dick.


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Celebrations Activities & Events
Stay active and continue to enrich your life with Regency Pointe's Celebrations program. Our full-time Activities Director ensures there's always a variety of activities and events going on. From crafts to parties, line dancing to games, you'll find something to enjoy with friends and neighbors each day. Whether at the community or on-the-town, you'll find it difficult to decide what to do next!
Take a look at our November Activities Calendar!
Learn more about Dimensions Wellness.


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Los Angeles Dodgers Coolbase Away Jersey
Regular price $149.99
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Los Angeles Dodgers Away Jersey Brand new for 2015!! Majestic introduces a new jersey material for their MLB fan jerseys! The Cool Base material results in a new breathable jersey!! Much more comfortable to wear in that warm weather while watching the boys of summer play ball!!


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John Lithgow will be monkeying around soon as he joins the cast of "Rise of the Apes", Fox's prequel to their "Planet of the Apes" franchise starring James Franco.
Moonstone Entertainment has finally released plot details for their planned reboot "The Howling Reborn". The real question remains; will Moonstone ever get this movie off the ground?
Yesterday was Bruce Campbell's birthday. You should celebrate by printing out these 4 custom Bruce Campbell soup labels and confusing your mom!


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Technology has fundamentally changed how businesses, acquiring banks, and card networks work together. The rise of software platforms has accelerated the change: increasingly, these platforms are connecting buyers and sellers in new ways, adding payments functionality, and creating new purchase experiences.
In this guide, we'll explore what a payment facilitator (often abbreviated as payfac or PF) is, identify whether your business needs to become a payfac to achieve your goals, and examine the considerations and costs of becoming a registered payfac.
If you have any questions or would like to review your specific platform and business model with Stripe, just get in touch — we'd be happy to help.
What is a payment facilitator?
Today, many platforms and marketplaces help merchants accept payments by providing online services for companies of all sizes. Payments functionality has become integral for these platforms to differentiate their product and create stickiness, and merchants using the platform no longer need to establish direct relationships with acquiring banks or payment gateways.
Below are some of the most common types of platforms and marketplaces:
- E-commerce: Platforms, such as Shopify and Squarespace, which help businesses or individuals sell physical goods online.
- Invoicing: Platforms, like Xero and FreshBooks, which help businesses invoice their clients.
- Fundraising: Platforms, such as Blackbaud and Kindrid, which help nonprofits and charities raise money or collect donations.
- Booking: Platforms, like MINDBODY and FareHarbor, which facilitate the scheduling of appointments.
- Travel and ticketing: Marketplaces, like Airbnb and Victor, which help connect individuals with accommodations and experiences.
- Retail: Marketplaces, such as Tradesy, which help individuals sell to each other.
- On-demand services: A range of services falls into this category, including ride-sharing (e.g., Lyft, Uber), restaurant delivery (e.g., Deliveroo, DoorDash), and professional services (e.g., Handy).
- Other: We're constantly seeing platforms emerge that are either hybrids or something entirely new, supporting services like online health, pharmacy delivery—even horse rentals.
While each type of platform or marketplace is different, many have made payments a core part of the customer experience. Adding payments capabilities is a relatively new way to differentiate service offerings and brands.
Traditionally, adding payments functionality required a platform or marketplace to register and maintain status as a payment facilitator with the card networks (e.g., Visa or Mastercard) since it was seen as controlling the flow of funds (i.e., how money moves between buyers and sellers).
Payment facilitation operates at the nexus of banks, card networks, and regulatory organizations. All three share a responsibility to ensure the security and soundness of the payments ecosystem, and payment facilitators are a unique operating category with associated requirements.
In general, payment facilitators fall into three categories:
- Commerce platform providers like Stripe, which enable digital transactions through innovative or enhanced technology on a white label basis. The platform owns payment flows and is responsible for paying out funds to its merchants (referred to as sub-merchants) directly.
- Independent software vendors — or ISVs — that white label another solution. The ISV directly offers payment solutions but does not control the underlying technology.
- Marketplaces or platforms that aggregate a set of sub-merchants, generally serve as the merchant of record, and control the flow of funds and payouts to sub-merchants.
Even though there are a variety of models, payfacs are actually quite rare. (There are only a few hundred registered payfacs in the US.) Today, it's easy to add the payments functionality that most platforms and marketplaces require without becoming a payfac—by using a solution like Stripe Connect.
History of payfacs
The payfac model was popularized in the late 1990s as a way to help small- and medium-size businesses accept online payments more easily. Historically, a bank's onboarding requirements catered to larger businesses that could manage the complex, costly, and time-consuming legacy setup processes. Essentially, these companies had to become experts in payments while also building their core business and product.
The payfac model emerged to give companies that specialized in payments the ability to reduce the complexity of getting started with online payments and offer services to a broader array of businesses, allowing them to focus on their core competencies.
The payfac takes on setting up and managing multiple relationships and systems—the ones the merchant would otherwise need to establish and maintain with each individual party.
Payfacs vs. ISOs
For historical context, the card networks (e.g., Visa and Mastercard) created the concept of a third-party agent (TPA), which is a category that broadly includes independent sales organizations (ISOs), payfacs, and other businesses that provide payment services to merchants. The card networks require banks to register these TPAs to ensure the following:
- Merchants and TPAs adhere to the card networks' rules.
- Merchants are properly underwritten and monitored.
- Settlement, funding, and reserve requirements are met.
- Payment card data collection and storage meet security requirements.
ISOs often come up in conversations related to payfacs, but they're not the same thing. Here's how to distinguish a payfac from an ISO:
|Usually the merchant of record
|Not always the merchant of record
|Onboards sub-merchants directly
|Outsources onboarding
|Controls the flow of funds
|Does not control the flow of funds
|Pays out funds to sub-merchants
|Relies on acquiring bank to pay out funds to sub-merchants
|Responsible for sub-merchant underwriting (i.e., compliance, risk, etc.)
|Acquiring bank responsible for underwriting (i.e., compliance, risk, etc.)
|Skews toward online payments and e-commerce
|Skews toward legacy or offline payments
In short, the payfac controls the flow of funds and assumes responsibility for paying out funds to merchants directly, which has stricter verification and security requirements and is subject to additional compliance regulations. An ISO serves as an extension of the acquiring bank and provides merchant processing services on the acquirer's behalf and does not control the flow of funds.
What do payfacs do?
Payfacs open a merchant bank account and receive a merchant ID (MID) to acquire and aggregate payments for a group of smaller merchants, typically called sub-merchants. Payfacs have embedded payment systems and register their master MID with an acquiring bank. Sub-merchants, on the other hand, are not required to register their unique MIDs—instead, transactions are aggregated under the payfac's master MID. This is meant to reduce the complexity that sub-merchants would face setting up online payments on their own by eliminating the need for them to establish and maintain relationships with an acquiring bank, payment gateway, and other service providers.
Payfacs simplify the online payments setup for sub-merchants.
What are payfacs responsible for?
Financial partners, card networks, regulators, and acquirers are most concerned with the following when it comes to payment facilitation:
- Controlling who is on the platform: Setting up the right onboarding processes and building trust in those processes.
- Meeting KYC, AML, and OFAC compliance requirements: Ensuring sub-merchants are verified to control for money laundering, terrorist financing, and other risks and meeting Know Your Customer (KYC), anti-money laundering (AML), and the US Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) requirements. If operating internationally, there are many other regulatory bodies to consider.
- Auditing account activity on the platform: Putting controls in place to track and mitigate high-risk financial activity on an ongoing basis.
- Being PCI compliant: Ensuring the platform is Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant and all sub-merchants are accepting payments from customers in a compliant way. To learn more, review our guide to PCI compliance.
Though these four categories are clear, it's difficult to find a consistent description of a payfac's granular responsibilities. Even the card networks have their own nuanced definitions.
Visa defines a payment facilitator as a third-party agent that may do the following:
- Sign a merchant acceptance agreement on behalf of an acquirer.
- Receive settlement of transaction proceeds from an acquirer, on behalf of a sub-merchant.
Mastercard defines a payment facilitator as a service provider, registered by an acquiring bank (merchant processor, to be more specific), to facilitate transactions on behalf of sub-merchants. Under Mastercard's rules, a payfac has several responsibilities:
- Conduct due diligence on each sub-merchant.
- Monitor all sub-merchant activity to ensure compliance with Mastercard's standards.
- Maintain PCI compliance.
- Only use settlement funds to pay sub-merchants.
- If a sub-merchant exceeds 100.000 € in annual Mastercard transaction volume, the sub-merchant is required to enter into a direct merchant agreement with the acquiring bank.
Each acquiring bank also has different rules for payfacs, which form a complex web of requirements between card networks and banks. Combined, think of a payfac as an entity that handles the relationships with card networks, sub-merchant onboarding, and payment services for merchants. The payfac directly handles paying out funds to sub-merchants.
Most of the requirements for payfacs are enforced by the card networks and acquiring banks. However, regional differences influence how stringently card networks and banks enforce these requirements in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For example, Visa and Visa Europe are two different entities and may apply rules differently.
How to become a payfac
Becoming a payfac requires building and investing in multiple systems for payment processing, sub-merchant onboarding, compliance, risk management, payouts, and more. Payfacs also have ongoing requirements to maintain their good standing and credit requirements with acquiring banks and card networks.
The Electronic Transactions Association (an advisory organization with members from banks, card networks, and payment processors, also referred to as ETA) strongly recommends engaging industry experts and legal counsel to ensure adherence to laws and guidance that span card networks, acquiring banks, state and federal governments, and global regulatory organizations (e.g., OFAC).
Set up payment systems:
- Find an acquiring bank: Prospective payfacs approach acquirers with a business plan in order to establish a partnership and get sponsored to facilitate payments for sub-merchants.
- Integrate payment gateways: Payment gateways provide functionality for sub-merchants to process online payments.
- Obtain Level 1 PCI DSS certification: To ensure the security of sensitive data, the payfac is required to be Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (known as PCI DSS) certified, which may also include Europay, Mastercard, and Visa (EMV or chip) certification if the payfac supports in-person transactions.
- Build merchant management: This includes merchant dashboards, payout systems, and dispute management systems to handle chargebacks.
Set up merchant onboarding and compliance systems:
- Create underwriting policies and systems to ensure only lawful businesses that comply with card network and acquirer rules are onboarded. The payfac's system and employees will need to do the following:
- Verify identities of sub-merchants, including KYC, ownership structure, and business details.
- Check OFAC and MATCH lists for sub-merchants before onboarding; Mastercard manages the Member Alert to Control High-Risk Merchants (MATCH) list.
- Assess sub-merchant's financial health and risk, including fraud, credit, financial, compliance, regulatory, or reputational risk.
- To manage and mitigate risk, build systems and internal policies to conduct due diligence. The payfac's system and employees will need to do the following:
- Comply with AML laws by encoding rules and requirements from card networks and regulatory organizations.
- Identify suspicious activities (including indicators of terrorist financing).
- File Suspicious Activity Reports (known as SARs) with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) or acquirer, as required.
- Submit registrations and apply for any additional required licenses:
- Register as a payfac with each card network.
- Apply for money transmitter licenses (MTLs) in each state the payfac operates in, if required to support certain fund flows.
- Apply for regional licenses if required. (Brazil, Malaysia, and the EU—to name a few—require separate licenses.)
Manage ongoing processes and systems:
- Onboard and underwrite each sub-merchant: Verify the identity, business model, and owner information for each sub-merchant. Set up payment processing for sub-merchants.
- Monitor risk and update risk systems: Perform due diligence, monitor sub-merchant activity on an ongoing basis, and mitigate risk as needed (e.g., apply processing caps, delayed funding, or reserves).
- Prevent and block fraud: Proactively prevent fraud on the platform and block or review suspicious transactions. Best practices include using adaptive machine learning for fraud detection. Submit evidence to card networks when needed for chargebacks on behalf of sub-merchants.
- Pay out funds to sub-merchants: Ensure sub-merchants are paid their earnings on time.
- Reporting and reconciliation: Generate and distribute 1099s or other tax forms as needed annually.
- Maintain PCI DSS compliance: Ensure the platform remains compliant even as data flows and customer experiences evolve. Note that some card networks may require payfacs to submit quarterly or annual reports or complete an annual on-site assessment to validate ongoing compliance.
- Renew payfac registration and licenses: Re-register as a payfac with card networks annually, and update or renew MTLs on the required cadence.
Global expansion
If the platform needs to operate internationally and support sub-merchants in other regions, partnerships with local acquirers, gateways, and other service providers may be necessary. In general, platforms build local systems from scratch in order to adapt to local requirements or support multiple regions.
Governments and regulators may also have different requirements based on geography. The new European payments law, known as the second Payment Services Directive or PSD2, recently introduced major changes that significantly impact multisided platforms, or marketplace businesses, in Europe. Many of these businesses can no longer rely on an exemption from licensing that they availed of previously. Platforms that control the flow of funds need to acquire an e-money license, which can take months and millions of euros to obtain.
Adapt to changing landscapes
The definition of a payment facilitator is still evolving—so is its role. (The Electronic Transactions Association, or ETA, published a 73-page report with new guidelines in September 2018.) Any investments made now to become a payfac will require updates over time to meet changing regulations and requirements.
The technology landscape is evolving as well: Consider that different providers and vendors may be required to offer solutions for local payment methods (like SEPA, Alipay, or iDEAL), multiple currencies, mobile payments, in-person transactions, billing systems for invoicing or subscription payments, and much more.
The cost of becoming a payfac
|Minimum time required
|Approximate minimum cost
|Payment systems setup
|Acquirer sponsorship
Put a strong business plan in place and potentially hire a consultant to assist
Hire a payments attorney
|3–6 months
|Varies by acquirer
|Payment gateways
|Negotiate, contract with, and integrate payment gateways
|1–4 months
|Varies by gateway, but typically a combination of fixed and per transaction fees
|PCI compliance (and EMV certification, if needed)
|Validate Level 1 PCI DSS compliance (includes on-site auditor visit)
|3–5 months
|50.000 €–500.000 €
|Merchant management system
Build merchant dashboards
Build merchant payout systems
Build dispute management systems for different card networks
|6–12+ months
|600.000 €+ (minimum 4 FTEs at 150.000 € per year)
|Merchant onboarding and compliance systems setup
|Compliance program
Encode card network requirements
Build data retention and privacy systems
|2–8 months
|300.000 €+ (minimum 2 FTEs at 150.000 € per year)
|Underwriting policies
Integrate with ID verification providers
Build risk-scoring systems
|3–12 months
|500.000 €+
|Optionally, use a third-party vendor:
|Third-party vendor
|Select, contract with, and integrate third-party vendor systems
|3–6 months
|150.000 €–250.000 € per year
|Registrations and obtaining licenses
|License fees and regulatory registrations
Initial fees paid to Visa (5.000 €) and Mastercard (5.000 €)
MTLs required when payfac controls fund flows (150.000 €/year for approximately 3 years to set up 50 states = 450.000 € minimum)
International licenses (e.g., EU e-money license) if needed
|6–18 months
Network fees: 10.000 €
US and international licenses: >1.000.000 €
|Approximate minimum cost
|Merchant onboarding and monitoring
One-time fees include 1 €–2 € for onboarding and initial risk review and 2 €–3 € for ID verification
Ongoing monitoring system
|5 € per month per account
|Risk monitoring and mitigation
Due diligence and risk management to ensure all sub-merchants stay in compliance
Update risk systems on regular cadence
Maintain platform-level balances or reserves on sub-merchants to protect against credit risk
|250.000 €+ per year (1 FTE at 150.000 € per year and 1 risk analyst at 100.000 € per year)
|Fraud prevention
Operate or integrate with third-party systems to prevent and block fraud
|0,04 €–0,10 € per transaction
|Chargeback management
|Handle chargeback and evidence submission
|15 € per dispute
|Payouts and funds routing
|Ensure merchants get paid out on the right schedule
|0,25 € per transaction
|Reporting and reconciliation
Generate and distribute 1099s or other tax forms as required (1099s cost as little as 5 € per form to generate, but can incur up to 250 € in fees if filed incorrectly)
Run platform-level financial close processes and financial audits as needed
5 €–255 € per form
100.000 € per year (1 finance FTE)
|Annual PCI validation
|Validate Level 1 PCI DSS compliance every year and re-validate any time changes are made to payment flows throughout the year
|200.000 €+ per year
|Renew payfac registration (and other licenses, if needed)
Re-register as a payfac with Visa and Mastercard (5.000 € per year each)
Renew money transmission licenses every 2 years
|10.000 €+ per year
Alternatives to becoming a payfac
Becoming a payfac requires significant time and monetary investment. The good news is that for most business models, including platforms that want to help their users accept payments, becoming a payfac is not necessary. Platforms that use Stripe Connect, which is a product built specifically for platforms and marketplaces, stay outside the flow of funds while still providing customized experiences to sub-merchants for accepting payments.
Stripe Connect is API-first and lets platforms design the best experience for their customers. Platforms get the ability to do the following:
- Fully customize onboarding flows or leverage prebuilt UI components for onboarding.
- Set payout timing.
- Set pricing and fees.
- Manage complex money movement.
- Integrate and unify financial reporting.
- Scale the business globally without having to establish local bank accounts and company entities in each market.
Meanwhile, Stripe takes on the payment processing responsibility and handles the flow of funds, which simplifies not only the integration work required but also the operational overhead of managing payments.
Today, there are only a few scenarios where becoming or staying a payfac is required for platforms and marketplaces:
- If the platform needs to hold money in escrow or for an extended period of time.
- If the platform has set up specific fund flows that require money transmission licenses in certain states.
- If the platform has existing legacy systems that require registering as a payfac.
Even in these cases, simple workarounds could allow the platform to use Stripe:
- Determine if funds really need to be held for more than 30 days or if there are other ways to manage user funds.
- Consider similar fund flows that accomplish the platform's goals without requiring money transmission licenses, or use Stripe Connect to remain outside the flow of funds.
Even though there are a lot of considerations, costs, and risks to becoming a payfac, there are a lot of benefits to adding payments to a platform or marketplace. Payments functionality can help differentiate the platform in competitive markets and improve the experience for sub-merchants.
If you'd like to learn more about Stripe Connect, visit our website. If you'd like to talk to our team about your specific use case and brainstorm approaches, please get in touch.Back to guides


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Buying home with EstateBlock
Buy your home through us; get more for your money, save money…Learn more
Use our home search tool to access the largest and fastest database of properties for sale in Vancouver. EstateBlock's MLS® search and New Homes centre come together to offer the most expansive bank of houses for sale in Lower Mainland on the web.
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EstateBlock Advice is a community where you can get advice and share your knowledge with local experts.


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VANCOUVER, BC (February 4, 2014) – Centum Financial Group, part of the Charlwood Pacific Group of companies (CPG), is pleased to announce the appointment of Martin Charlwood to the role of Chief Executive Officer.
Concurrently, Don Lawby will be retiring from his important role as President and Chief Operating Officer of Centum Financial Group.
"We're very thankful to Don for his significant contribution to the success of our enterprise since its inception," said U. Gary Charlwood, Executive Chairman of the Charlwood Pacific Group.
CPG is committed to Centum Financial Group's long-term success with several exciting initiatives planned for 2014, including the upcoming CENTUM Chairman's Circle meeting in California. This annual meeting is held exclusively for the top CENTUM franchises nationally.
"Don has been an inspirational leader for the CENTUM brand, and we wish him all the best in his upcoming retirement and less hectic schedule ahead," said Paul Therien, Vice President, Operations, Centum Financial Group. "I look forward to working with Martin. He is a dynamic young executive who brings extensive leadership experience to the table to launch the next chapter for the CENTUM brand in Canada."
The Vancouver-based CPG has an impressive record of accomplishments in building successful franchise organizations. CPG has expertise in all facets of the franchise industry: founding Centum Financial Group, one of the fastest growing mortgage brokerage companies in the country, developing the CENTURY 21 Brand into one of the leading real estate organizations in Canada and the Asia-Pacific region, and recently launching Real Canadian Property Management to fill the lucrative and underserved property management market.
Collectively, CPG, including its travel division Uniglobe, operates in over 60 countries with more than 1,600 franchised locations and over 20,000 support associates worldwide, making it a true franchising leader.


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Thumbs up, thumbs down
Thumbs up to all the area emergency agencies taking part in the disaster drill as Asmus Farm Supply last Saturday. These dedicated men and women devoted a day off to make sure they're prepared to help us all in the event of an emergency.
Thumbs up to all the great entertainers who performed at CAASA Idol last Saturday at the Estherville VFW. A special congratulations should go to Serena Lynch, winner of the CAASA Idol 2014 trophy, and Mark Howell and Scarlett Rose who were among the top three finalists. A huge thumbs up also has to go to the many sponsors, donors, celebrity servers and guests who attended.
Thumbs up to the Emmet County Board of Supervisors on holding the line as much as possible in pulling together a 2014-15 budget. Like a lot of local governments, they did the best they could with the state tying their hands behind their back with the commercial property tax rollback and beating them over the heads with unfunded state mandates.
Thumbs up to Iowa Lakes Community College students on a great coffee house performance this past Tuesday night at The Max. There's a lot of talent coming out of the college music program, and the coffee house shows it.
Thumbs up to Pizza Hut on a great Business After Five Wednesday night. They put on a great feed – as always.
Thumbs up to Estherville High School music students on a great pops concert Thursday night at Roosevelt Auditorium.
Thumbs up to the Excel Estherville Arts & Culture Committee on bringing Elixer of Love to Roosevelt Auditorium Friday night and the Three Little Pigs for a children's performance Friday afternoon. And who says the arts aren't alive in Estherville?
Thumbs up to the Black Knights Car Club that's hosting the Senders Dance starting at 8 p.m. tonight at the Estherville
Elks Lodge. Come join the fun and dance your feet off!
Thumbs up to the Estherville firefighters who are holding a pancake breakfast to raise funds for their new rescue truck from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. Drop on by and have a great breakfast and contribute to a good cause.


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"Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position."
-Mohandas Gandhi
Hang on – we're about to embark on a strange, yet fascinating, journey across the fields of physics, economics, and then boating! Yes boating. What on Earth do these things have in common? They all must operate within the one true physical reality that is our universe, and progress in all these fields is held back by hanging onto false assumptions.
Splash! Goes the casting off of beliefs that are not true!
The world is flat, remember, and so exploring across the horizon carries the risk of falling off the edge. And we're at the center of the universe, why just look at the stars and planets that obviously revolve around me!
The world is flat, remember, and so exploring across the horizon carries the risk of falling off the edge. And we're at the center of the universe, why just look at the stars and planets that obviously revolve around me!
|Galileo Galilei
Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake in the year 1600 for smashing that self-centered assumption. In the mid 1600s, following the Roman Inquisition, Galileo was famously jailed and held under house arrest for his heliocentric beliefs.
Now those are some serious barriers to the progression of knowledge!
At the dawn of the twentieth century, the consensus was that man could never break the speed of sound. It was considered a physical impossibility. Then on October 14th, 1947, Chuck Yeager broke it, smashing that false assumption. Today the speed of sound is routinely exceeded in flight; even I have done it and can tell you that were it not for my airspeed indicator would not have perceived the difference.
|Chuck Yeager
In the year 1905, a 26 year old named Albert Einstein postulated in his paper on Special Relativity that E=MC², and that nothing with mass can attain or surpass the speed of light (186,282 miles per second – 11.2 billion MPH). This past week scientists at CERN made the claim that neutrinos measured in Italy, which are extremely small but do have mass, repeatedly exceeded lightspeed by their measurements!
Cautiously, they spent the last two years ensuring that they are measuring correctly, that they have accounted for all factors such as the rotation of the planet, and yet they are confident they have a margin of error that is less than 8 inches measured over a course longer than 400 miles!
|CERN Neutrino course
Of course their experiment needs to be reproduced and confirmed elsewhere, and in the mean time mainstream scientists are cautious. Several have gone so far as to insinuate that it is blasphemous to think that Einstein could be even partially wrong! The claim has been openly criticized by many, including Dr John Costella, an Australian-based physicist, who accused the researchers of making an "embarrassing gaffe" in their calculations; "Any physicist worth even a fraction of their weight in neutrinos will be shaking their head, knowing intuitively that the OPERA result is simply wrong," he wrote in a paper published online.
…Just like people intuitively used to think that the speed of sound could not be exceeded. The result goes against what he "knows" to be true, and thus his mind is closed to other possibilities.
|Albert Einstein
This is the progression of science if one looks back in time. Newton, for example, was right in his descriptions of orbital mechanics and laws of motion, but only to a point – they were incomplete. And every experiment over the past century, until now, has proven that Einstein was right with his explosive equation Energy equals Mass times lightspeed squared (E=MC²).
While looking at the negative implications of that simple equation, it is easy to forget that what's true on one side of the equation is also true on the other. On one side is Energy – but on the other is Matter (in motion). Catch that? Energy = Matter. Equations are interchangeable across that equals sign, and therefore Matter = Energy.
Let that sink in, it is profound and far more important than the way we usually think about that equation. Energy therefore, has to be everywhere; it is the basis of every thing. Energy is the very fabric of rocks, of space, of time, of you.
Every day you witness and participate in matter turning into energy – fuel is burned in your car's engine. Food you consume is matter turning into energy within your body. The burning logs in your fireplace are matter releasing their energy. This is entropy in motion, you can see it. It is the principal of entropy that underlies the completely accepted as fact Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states in many ways that over time organized systems tend to wash out and will become unorganized.
While we can back up the Second Law with experiment after experiment, we fail to adequately address the fact that our physical universe in fact does exist, is organized, contains extreme temperature variations, and especially that Energy not only equals mass, but that some of that mass has the ability to reason and even has consciousness – life! Even the former tree that is burning in your fireplace (entropy) at one time was nothing but soil and water with the seed that passed on the information to make matter (a tree) grow from the energy within the soil and water (an organized system). Does not life, then, fly in the face of the second law of thermodynamics? Or is it just also incomplete in its description? Perhaps it is correct, except when information/ instructions are given that create the organization of matter from energy?
Question? If man can give the instructions to turn energy into matter, or even more profound, if man can give instructions to organic matter to assemble into another previously nonexistent life form, does that make man a god (to that life form)? Did you know that this has already been done by Craig Venter?
I like to think that I don't have to have a label on everything, some things are simply not knowable, at least during my life time they are not. By not placing a label on the big questions, we keep our minds open to at least examine the possibilities. Once convinced that something is a particular way, then we begin to move down a path that may, or may not, be correct.
Stephen Hawking, for example, makes the assertion right in the beginning of his book A Brief History of Time, that time before the "Big Bang" is "irrelevant."
Wow, that's a major league assumption! One that can hold back the progression of knowledge because it leads to a circular argument, and that excludes other possibilities.
The term "Big Bang, conjures up that supposed tiny, but spectacularly dense, spot of matter. According to Hawking, and others who now firmly believe in that theory, we're supposed to believe that because all matter was perfectly still in a tiny dense spec that time did therefore not matter or even exist prior to the spontaneous explosion that expanded matter which created what we now think of as "space."
Okay. Then what surrounded that infinitesimally heavy spec of matter before it exploded? And in what space did it expand into to create our new space? And why, exactly, if the matter was perfectly still did it spontaneously explode?
That's quite the yarn if you really apply a little common sense. You know, I don't pretend to have the answers to those questions, but I know that assumptions are being made at the expense of what is probably true. Heck, science still can't tell you how water is formed or how it got on this planet to begin with. And I can't help but think about E=MC², and that everything is comprised of, and surrounded in, a field of energy. I'm thinking there's a lot more going on within that energy field than we can even imagine at this juncture in history.
E=MC² not only unlocked the atom (along with its negative connotations), but it is profound in describing the physical universe which places real limits upon human engineered enterprises – like economics. Economics, and "money," while human constructs, must still operate inside of the real physical world. Should it conflict with the real physical world, guess which one wins? False beliefs are not a cool thing to hang onto.
People are self-interest driven creatures, just like all creatures on the planet are. Ultimately we are in a struggle for survival with and against the physical forces which we struggle to understand. Those who understand them best are most likely to succeed, while those who don't go the way of the dinosaur. Some of us realize that to survive into perpetuity, we must learn how to live in harmony with nature – sometimes, though, our self-interest begins to think of the short run while ignoring the long run, and that's when we get into trouble.
Most people don't give the importance of sound economics the proper credence to the way in which humanity progresses. Behind all the important events of history is found important economic turning points – we are at such a point in history now.
|Nikolai Kondratiev
Unlike physics, we still imprison people for economic heresy. Back in 1930 Nikolai Kondratiev was imprisoned in Russia for his large cycle beliefs (Kondratiev wave, aka K-Winter), and later was retried on his "crimes" and then executed by firing squad! He simply observed the same cycles later refined by Martin Armstrong who was just recently released from prison after 11 years, one of the longest people ever imprisoned for "contempt of court." He was tortured in prison and allowed to be beaten nearly to death by placing a homicidal inmate in his cell, then refusing to stop the beating until the guards thought he was dead. That happened right here in modern day America – and there is no doubt that he was held to silence his beliefs as his ideology represented a threat to the powers that control the production of money and markets.
We are all living a big lie, economically, and have done so our entire lives not knowing what exists outside of the box presented to us. In the year 1913 the "Federal Reserve Act" gave the power to control the production of money to the "Federal Reserve Banks" which are not Federal, they possess no reserves, and they are not even a bank. What they are is private corporations owned by private banks, who in turn are owned by private individuals.
This is not only an outright lie in name, but it is clearly a conflict of self-interest. Giving a few private individuals the right to control the production of money inevitably leads to them producing money and using it to buy the political system they desire – one that benefits them. Their benefit is at the expense of others, the further away from the production of money you are, the more it damages you.
There is a natural way of being in regards to money – money is simply an agreed medium of exchange. Its production should never benefit individuals, it absolutely can be created and controlled in such a way that its production benefits everyone equally. There is no need, for example, for a nation to have a national debt. A sovereign nation can simply produce money and spend it into existence instead of borrowing it into being as we do now. Take a look at the money in your wallet, you see that it says "Federal Reserve Note" on top. The term 'note' means debt. That debt carries interest paid mostly to the private banks who hold the majority of our nation's debt.
That debt is their power base. They wield their power to control the government, to control the markets, to control the media, to control our defense industry, to control the medical industry, the nuclear industry, our higher institutions of learning, etc. The production of money is all about control – those who produce it are in control, those who do not are not. If you covet a truly representative government, one that represents YOU, then you must work to return the money creation power to the people as is meant to be the case and as has been the case before in this nation.
So, we've been living a central banking lie that has placed us all into a false paradigm – a box with walls that are false. Within that box is found impossible math. There is simply no way that incomes can ever come close to servicing all the debt, and that has led to Macroeconomic Debt Saturation which I can prove has occurred in about five different ways.
|Diminishing Productivity of Debt
Once debt saturation occurs, then "stimulating" the economy with more debt money only works to drag the economy down and to create higher unemployment. This build up of debt must be cleared in order for the economy to create real productive growth. Unfortunately the math of debt has gone exponential – yet another fact that is ignored leading to still more false beliefs.
But the debt cannot be cleared when the political system is controlled by those who produce the debt and got us into this situation to begin with. And this highlights the fact that allowing private individuals to control the production of money goes against the very nature of nature. Math is a part of nature after all, it just is, and there are limits imposed by it.
The impossible math that has taken root around the world is entangling all who get near it. Below is a video called Battling Bad Science by Ben Goldacre who describes many of the ridiculous false beliefs that get propagated in the health industry by the media which is driven by special interest groups' self-interest:
This same type of twisted self-interest is happening all over the fields of medicine, food production, what we formerly thought of as free markets, the military industrial complex, and really all facets of modern day life. We are living in a central banker backed special interest box.
This box is not good for society. It creates all sorts of false economic beliefs. It is much closer to voodoo than it is to science, because keeping humanity in the dark is profitable to those controlling the population.
There are no solutions to the impossible math that work as long as we continue to live inside of their false box. Tear down the walls to their box, however, and true solutions are immediately clear. Just such a solution can be found within the framework of Freedom's Vision.
So you see, economics is rooted in and intertwined with science, there is a natural order to the universe with real boundaries that cannot be exceeded.
The proper foundation to a well functioning economy is found in a rule of law that keeps itself well-centered within the natural limits imposed on it. From that proper rule of law the next step is to form a monetary system that benefits everyone equally. Then you can begin to develop human and natural resources to create jobs, wealth, and prosperity.
Right now people are not feeling good about their relationship with their money, they are finally beginning to get focused on the root of the money problem – WHO it is that controls its production (central banks). This is why we are seeing the current set of "Occupy Wall Street" riots – note that each set of riots is getting closer to the root of who controls the production of money.
And so the money and political environment is about to change, but unless we smash a few false assumptions what we wind up with may not be a whole lot better than what we have now.
All industries must operate within the confines of both the physical world, and the economic world that mankind has created. All industries have their false beliefs, and the boating world is no different – I recently wrote about one when discussing Two Engines or One…
Being a life-long boater and economic writer, naturally I realize that the boating industry is in poor economic condition. However, until starting Gateway Yachts and participating in boat shows, I did not fully realize just how anchored the industry is.
My observation is that there are far fewer boats in the shows to go along with fewer attendees. After discussions with those inside the industry, it is clear to me that the boating industry is still living inside of a bubble that is very similar to the housing bubble – with all the same mistakes and more. Boats have become massively expensive on the back of the overall credit bubble. Today boats are financed for far too long of a timeframe, up to 20 years! People simply don't own boats that long, nor do they hold up their serviceable condition that long without large investments in keeping them that way. Interest rates too, are artificially low – thus people who really can't afford them own them.
Since the banks "securitize" the debt created from boat loans, they no longer have a vested interest in assuring that the boat remains "above water." The result, then, is that most boat purchases immediately go underwater because the financial institutions require too little money down and finance them for far too long a term. In fact, most boat owners who have purchased in recent years are now underwater on their loans, meaning that they owe the bank more than they can sell their boat for – same thing that happened with houses.
And just like the housing industry, the boat industry has seen people simply walk away from their boats and their loans. Now even the boat "short sale" is becoming vogue but requires the bank to play along, taking the commensurate write-off. And just like the housing industry, inventories of used boats are high while sales of new boats are stagnant. This is a very slow and painful process, one that promises to keep the industry anchored for years to come.
While I've enjoyed boating for a large portion of my lifetime as an industry outsider, it is a different view when looking at the industry with fresh insider eyes.
As I gaze down the rows of stainless towers, flags astern, flybridges up high, antennae, and other expensive appendages piled high, I see a lot of very large, very heavy, and very fuel inefficient boats. Money pits and maintenance nightmares lined up at the docks with their brokers and listings in tow, I can't help but see dinosaurs sinking deeper into the tar pits of time.
The docks are largely empty, brokers excluded. The economist in me recognizes that there is a part of the economic upheaval that is good. It has a cleansing action that removes the weak and infirm, thus giving rise to another cycle of innovation and less bureaucratic, more nimble companies.
But wait, look over yonder! Behold the light and the pocket of people on the docks! There, behind the one with moniker ASPEN on her transom, people are flocking and squawking like gulls over a school of herring. What I see there is electric – remember, matter = energy. Rows of empty docks, and yet look over there!
What I see over there is innovation rising from the depths of a sunken industry. Innovation that considers both the physical reality that is our universe AND the economic reality in which we all live. You see, Larry had a better idea.
|Larry Graf
Aspen Founder and boat designer, Larry Graf, owned Glacier Bay Power Catamaran Company for more than two decades, selling more than 3,000 boats before leaving to found Aspen. He knew that a catamaran's twin hulls were inherently more stable and much more efficient than the typical V-hull, but he also saw the reality of high fuel and operating costs. Typically a power catamaran requires two engines to remain symmetrical; it took Larry's artistic eye to innovate through the symmetrical realm into the efficiencies possible with just a single engine powering a two hull design.
To accomplish this, Larry developed a proa hull, which means that one of the two hulls is larger than the other. In this case, the starboard hull is 35% larger than port! The single engine is located in the larger starboard hull – normally this arrangement would produce a constant left turning tendency due to the asymmetric thrust, but that was mitigated via a slight curve, like an airplane's wing, built into the boat's hull. The result, after painstaking testing, is an international patent on the technology and a boat that goes straight as an arrow while burning far less fuel than any other boat with a similar displacement. An Aspen is an artistic act of balance, form, and function that equals efficiency.
The hull of the Aspen is a displacement hull, meaning that it does not plane up on top of the water, it cuts through it like a knife, and thus it does not pound on top of the waves, its' ride is smooth and stable while it slices through the waves. In doing so it produces almost no wake, an indication of just how little drag is present.
We're talking about a boat that is extraordinarily safe, stable, comfortable, and yet for a nearly 10,000 pound boat burns only a little more than four gallons per hour at a normal cruise speed of about 17 mph. And if you pull it back to trawler speeds, less than about 9 mph, you will sip a miserly 1.2 gallons per hour! Do the math, you are going places in a boat while talking fuel burns measured in miles per gallon, while most of the dinosaurs are measuring their fuel burns in gallons per mile!
And the Aspen is loaded with good engineering, quality hardware, and many other innovative features such as solar panels capable of powering much of the boat's electrical needs. When you see a product that blends with the physical world, efficiently, you know it – it has the same ring of truth behind it as does the term debt saturation.
Those who know me or have followed my writing for any length of time know that I simply do not say or get involved in things that I don't believe in, so please don't just take my word for it, view other testimonials, and see for yourself how the Aspen glides through the water.
I sincerely believe in this design and I believe in Larry. I can't say enough good about them, that is why I chose the boat for Gateway's Fractional Ownership Program – it is simply the future of boating. Aspen is currently building the 28' C90 Aspen, and has plans to build fantastic 36' C110 and 54' C150 versions of this boat, and I can't personally wait to see them on the water.
Of course building new boats is very expensive. Larry takes the extra step to turn his drawings into a mockup, and then invites potential customers to tour the mockup and provide feedback. This is invaluable in developing a product that people actually want. Investment money is needed for these larger vessels, again Larry has done this many times before and knows how to produce returns that are as exciting as his machines (like 50% returns on investment). If you're interested in backing a real product, an innovative product made here in America, you can contact me and I'll put you in touch.
While his product is terrific and almost anyone can actually afford to operate it, he still must buy his parts, products, and labor from the central banker bubblishish world, and that means the boat is not inexpensive to acquire – none are. And this is where my own creative mind works in concert with Larry's by blending in the fractional ownership concept.
To combat the rough economic seas created by private central banking, the Gateway Program sells shares in the Aspen and other (less efficient) boats in 1/8 increments, each bringing with it 5 weeks, or about 35 days, of use each year. This drastically reduces the ownership costs, and in fact is less than 1/8th the cost when financing is considered, all while providing a better ownership experience because the work of cleaning and maintaining the boat is taken care of by us.
The best part is that we are matching private investors, the old fashioned conservative way, to customers who wish to finance their share, thus bypassing the aforementioned central banker box.
And that is how we blend the topics of boating and economics into the physical world.
My cast off to humanity? Be aware that you, everyone, and everything else are all a part of the same field of energy that permeates and surrounds us all. Each one of your actions casts waves into that field of energy - we are all a part of the same fabric – the waves you cast are the information/ instructions of the future. The waves you cast will ripple throughout time. And so when you cast out assumptions, make sure they're good ones like Larry's!


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With Turner stations like TNT getting some of the preliminary NCAA Tournament games, they'll be forced to use their NBA announcers not well-versed in the college scene. Billy Packer, formerly of CBS, levelled the criticism in an interview last month. But last night, someone finally told Barkley.
On one hand, it's always fun to see Sir Charles spout off, and call a colleague a jackass. On the other hand, he just admitted his crew isn't very good and don't know much about college hoops.
Charles Barkley Rants Against Billy Packer, Calls Him A "Jackass" [SportsGrid]


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Whitehaus Collection's exquisite additions offered in our Isabella Plus Collection combine both beauty and durability. This above mount sink is crafted from the highest quality vitreous china available. The fine craftsmanship shines through with its luxurious, unique and bold seamless design. The WH1302–F20 rectangular above mount sink features an embossed, silver tone exterior and smooth solid black interior, has a center drain and no overflow. Redefine your home with a new level of sophistication by enhancing your bathroom décor with this elegant Isabella Plus above mount basin.
Isabella Plus Collection Rectangular Above Mount Basin with an Embossed Exterior, Smooth Interior, and Center Drain
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Two interesting things to watch on the intersection of social capital and housing:
1) The claimed growth of "pocket neighborhoods" (a handful of houses around a shared common yard) to reduce the necessary land for a house but still leave homeowners and children with a safe outdoor space to play in and entertain in. (See USA Today article.) This obviously could increase social interaction since there is far less private space. I haven't seen any studies of this, but it would be hard to test, because families that move into pocket neighborhoods undoubtedly desire greater interaction than families moving into houses with private yards. So, even if there were more social capital in pocket neighborhoods, it is hard to disentangle how much is the shared yard and how much is the community-mindedness of the residents. [For more examples of pocket neighborhoods see Ross Chapin, Cottage Company, and this blog post.] A wikipedia article describes pocket neighborhoods in other areas like Boston (MA), Duluth (MN), Beloit (WI), Redmond (WA), among others. Pocket neighborhoods are somewhat related to other attempts to engineer more social capital through physical design, such as co-housing or New Urbanism.
2) Bob Putnam has written about the challenges of building social capital amidst greater diversity. One interesting approach to this challenge, is Singapore's policy of rough ethnic quotas in public housing at the block and neighborhood level, begun in 1989, In theory this policy could be quite successful in building social cohesion and trust across the 3 major community groups in Singapore: the Malay (14%), the Indians (8%) and the Chinese (77%). Given the fact that 82-86% of the Singaporean population lives in public housing, the impact could be quite widespread. We're not aware of good, careful studies of the social consequences of this mixing, and one should be wary of declaring victory based on the chastening US experience with HOPE VI. Mixed income housing under HUD's HOPE VI program may be successful along some lines, but hasn't led in general, in the studies we're aware of (or see this report), to strong cross-class mixing in these neighborhoods. Read this Singapore Online Citizen piece for an update on Singapore's Housing Integration (2/17/11).


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Our video selection was produced at one of our haircut events in Calgary by one of our enthusiast participants HT. Our resident stylist gives our model 2 bob styles from long to chin length. This video comes with a second feature. Click on one of the pictures below for more info.
Duration: 30:27 minutes
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