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I just got my new PC set up. First new one in 3 years and it's a monster.
I mostly got it for the Core i9 which has 18 cores. The reason for this is, basically, I compile a lot. Most of my programming involves AI coding and that means doing lots of recompiling and running. I highly recommend 18 cores for most people as it's wasted.
The other reason I wanted so many cores is for Nitrous/Cider work which is Stardock's new engine. I want to make sure that Ashes of the Singularity and Star Control and Game X are all scaling up as you add more cores as this is a major part of our ongoing effort here.
Can you build me one to?
Looks like a solid build.
I thought you were an AMD guy.
So I heard you were going to add an Easter egg into the game and gift a set up like that to the player who finds it. Right?
You'll need all those cores....core 11 of mine is currently at 100% and stuck there thanks to Skype.....needs another cull and restart yet again...
I'm happy with my 24 core Xeon and my Ryzen 5 with 12 cores.
I have that same gfx card, Brad.....nice!!!
It looks like 32 GB ram, I can't really tell, the image won't expand. I can't seem to get mine to see more than 16gb.
My AMD Ryzen 1700 pales into insignificance compared to your i9, but with all the other stuff I had to buy [mobo; RAM; GFX; and other accessories] it was all I could afford. However, I'm not complaining. It will more than meet my needs.... and I can overclock it some if needs be.
I'm still in the process of building mine, though, with a couple of bits n' pieces for cable management yet to arrive. I have installed all the major components so could actually boot the big beastie up now, but as I plan for this to be my last ever build, I'll just be patient and take my time so it is exactly as I want.
Yeah, I'm fussy and take pride in my work, but there's nothing wrong with that. I see that you have paired your Intel i9 with an AMD GFX card, which is something I personally wouldn't do. If my CPU is AMD, then my GFX card is also AMD, and if my CPU is Intel, then my GFX card is Nvidia. Doesn't have to be that way, I know, but it's the way I roll.
I recall having a similar issue with an earlier Intel build, seeing only two sticks, and I believe it was yrag who PMed me as to how I could modify a BIOS setting to show all the installed RAM. It was some years ago now so I don't have that PM anymore, but I reckon if you Googled it you'd find some info on it.
Damn, i9 has 36 cores after hypering. Oh shit!! Wow. That must be a quantum computer!
I have to ask why with being in the midst of the worst computer problem in a long time, and intel taking the worst. Why not wait until they get the bios fixed, so it won't have to use the operating system, and slow down the computer. At least in the beginning Amd is going tocome out dominating. Current processors will have to rely on a patch which Amd will fare the best right now, but to be honest being a Cdo you will just buy another computer when they fix this thing while we have to live with the mistake due to finances.
If I had less limited money, I'd be looking at a dual socket Epyc system with 64 cores total. As it is, I'll stick to my combination of a Ryzen 7 1700 and a Opteron 6176x2 24 core system. The latter is old, but it's not bad for compiling. Probably not as fast as an 18 core modern system though, as it just barely beats out my current 8 core modern system for highly parallel workloads.
I'm still assembling my system so would like to know your impressions and thoughts regarding the Ryzen 7 1700. I expect that we have different hardware, but I'd still be interested in your thoughts on the CPU itself. My Ryzen 7 1700 is mounted on an ASUS Crosshair VI Hero motherboard with 24GB of 2666mhz Corsair RAM.
Wow that settup is AWESOME! I am going to go I7 8700K +32gig and a GTX 1080 but I only use 1 monitor.
What is your storage? Are you using NVME? SSD? What sizes?
What is your cooling solution for the I9? Did you go liquid or a beefy air cooler?
I would say wait until this dies down
Good stuff, congrats. 32 GB RAM though is soooo 2016 and Radeon 580? Where are 2 Titans V?
...and btw, this is supposed to be first computer upgrade after 3 years? I would have sworn i have read somewhere that you bought 6950x CPU last year....
From what I see, Brad is using a Samsung 960 Pro 512GB, but it doesn't say whether that's a regular SSD or a M.2 of either NGFF or NVMe format.
On the advice of Willistuder, I went with a NVMe version M.2 SSD as it will have better, faster results than a NGFF version. Mine is also 512GB.
From what I see, Brad is using a Samsung 960 Pro 512GB, but it doesn't say whether that's a regular SSD or a M.2 of either NGFF or NVMe format. On the advice of Willistuder, I went with a NVMe version M.2 SSD as it will have better, faster results than a NGFF version. Mine is also 512GB.
It is NVMe M2 no doubt. Afaik 800 series SSD were SATA and 900 are NVMe.
Thanks for the clarification, Tim. I wasn't even sure if it was a M.2, given there was no mention in the specs. I need to read up more on modern hardware, me thinks.
I'm still assembling my system so would like to know your impressions and thoughts regarding the Ryzen 7 1700. I expect that we have different hardware, but I'd still be interested in your thoughts on the CPU itself. My Ryzen 7 1700 is mounted on an ASUS Crosshair VI Hero motherboard with 24GB of 2666mhz Corsair RAM.
Oops, I haven't visited the forum and a while and came back to a bunch of replies.
It's perfectly adequate for my uses here. It roughly ties my old Opteron 6176x2 system on compilation despite having 1/3rd of the cores, and it beats the opteron on almost every other use case, and uses less than a quarter of the power. I think I'll be fine with this system for a long time. I might upgrade when 16 core Ryzens get cheap enough.
Wow, this was a year ago...time flies.
Meanwhile that "Toad" is not so uber anymore - if the rumors about 16 cores AMD Ryzen 2 CPUs at high clocks for mainstream platform turn out to be true, you will be able to get about the same performance for 1/4 price... crazy.
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Professional Community for Car Dealers, Marketing, Advertising and Sales Leaders
Danielle Davis has not received a gift from an ADM Member
Posted on July 31, 2012 at 6:27am 0 Comments 1 Like
Studies show that over 80% of internet purchase sales request prospects you engage with will actually buy something DIFFERENT! In this video one of the coordinators gives an example of exactly how long she had made contact with a prospect trying to find her a specific vehicle then at the end exactly what happened with that prospect. Make it count sell the appointment NOT the vehicle.…Continue
Posted on July 31, 2012 at 6:11am 0 Comments 1 Like
So many coordinators get hung up when engaging with a prospect about price. Never wanting to give the prospect the wrong information but at the same time not wanting to seem like they don't know their own job or what they are talking about. This video gives you some tips, ideas, and rebuttals on exactly how to handle thr PRICE question! Check it out!
Posted on July 30, 2012 at 8:16am 0 Comments 1 Like
GREAT video! This video gives you an idea of different objections prospects use and shows you the types of rebuttals you can use and also shows that no matter what there is always an alternate way to close an appointment and get the prospect into your dealership.…Continue
Posted on July 30, 2012 at 7:30am 0 Comments 1 Like
The one and only SEAN V. BRADLEY live at the Toyota dealership doing hands on training on the 10 step phone "Road to the appointment" process for the internet sales department. I personally thought this video was AWESOME training! This training made me realize how important it is to ask the right questions and always make good use of your rebuttals. Your own energy and being spontaneous with the customers is what gets you to close the appointment. Check it out!
Thanks! I will!
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How teenager Arye Abraham became the go-to source for Dwight Howard News
At its core, this is a story about resourcefulness, a hotel doorman, two Brazilians, a little bit of luck and the frenzy created by the biggest prize on the NBA free-agent market.
But really it's about a 16-year-old kid from Beverly Hills who decided he wanted to do something memorable to kick off his summer vacation.
And succeeded.
But more about all that in a bit.
Unless you just touched down from Mars, you've probably noticed that most of Los Angeles is anxiously waiting on center Dwight Howard to decide where he wants to spend the next four or five years of his career.
And by now, you probably know Howard has met with, and will decide among, the Lakers, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks.
You probably even know Howard took meetings with all five teams between Monday and Tuesday near his home in Beverly Hills.
What you might not know is, some of the key elements of that story were brought to you by a kid who just finished his sophomore year at Beverly Hills High.
Meet Arye Abraham, full-time Lakers fan, part-time photo/autograph hound and current Twitter sensation.
"I honestly didn't set out for all this," Abraham said Wednesday. "Mostly I just wanted to maybe have some sort of impact on Dwight's decision by showing him how much we want him to stay with the Lakers."
But in the process, he became a go-to source for the latest news on the Howard sweepstakes.
It was Abraham who put two and two together and figured out the team executives heading to Los Angeles to woo Howard would probably stay at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
"That's pretty much where a lot of teams stay during the season," Abraham pointed out.
It was Abraham who cultivated a relationship with a hotel doorman all those long afternoons hanging out at the Beverly Wilshire during the NBA season hoping to get a glimpse of his favorite players - then tapped into that relationship to gather some key information on who was coming and going at the hotel early this week.
Turns out, it was a who's-who of the NBA, everyone from Warriors coach Mark Jackson and star guard Stephen Curry to the front office and coaching staff of the Houston Rockets.
"He definitely hooked me up," Abraham said of the doorman.
And it was Abraham who deduced if the actual meetings with Howard weren't taking place at the Beverly Wilshire - a tip from the doorman - undoubtedly they'd happen at one of the swanky hotels near Howard's home.
"That's how I kind of figured out the Rockets meeting would be at the (Hotel Bel-Air)," Abraham said.
And finally, it was Abraham who had the foresight to hit up Brazilian basketball players Lucas Nogueira and Raul Neto - whom he stumbled upon in Beverly Hills - once he learned they were clients of NBA agent Dan Fegan - the same agent representing Howard.
"We asked them where Fegan's office was," Abraham said.
"Right down the street," they answered.
"When we figured out Fegan's office was so close, it was pretty easy to figure out some meetings would be held there," Abraham said.
And that is how Abraham just happened to be present when the Rockets and Lakers made their individual pitches to Howard - showing up at the Hotel Bel-Air just as Howard was sitting down for dinner with the Rockets contingency Monday and then arriving at the lobby of Fegan's office in time for the Lakers to sit down with Howard on Tuesday afternoon.
Armed with an iPhone 4s and a mindset groomed by the social media age in which he lives, Abraham began clicking pictures and tweeting them out along with a near blow-by-blow account of what he was witnessing.
"It just all sort of came together perfectly," Abraham said.
What happened next is a tribute to a teenager's ingenuity and proof of the power of social media.
"My phone just started going nuts," Abraham said.
Not by calls, but by Twitter notifications.
"Pretty soon I had a bunch of new followers," he said.
As in hundreds more.
In fact, @arye_abraham followers grew from 20 to more than 1,000 seemingly within hours. Late Wednesday afternoon, Abraham had more than 1,340 followers.
And not just any followers.
National NBA reporters from across the country got wind of the kid from Beverly Hills staking out the Howard meetings and began following him, some even retweeting the information to their followers.
Such as:
They have entered the Bel Air Hotel. TWEET!
Currently eating dinner at the Bel Air Hotel. TWEET!
Dwight's meeting has NOT ended yet. The Mercedes luxury van is still waiting outside. TWEET!
And on and on and on through the Lakers' meeting with Howard on Tuesday.
Along the way, Abraham earned the respect of grizzled reporters who couldn't help admire the 16-year-old kid scooping them left and right.
"That was pretty awesome," Abraham said.
All because he wanted to do something cool this summer - and perhaps somehow sway Howard into staying.
"It's been surreal, but it's been a complete blast," Abraham said.
And it might just propel Abraham on a career path.
"Something in journalism sounds pretty cool," Abraham said.
But first he has to finish high school.
When he's not scooping everyone, that is.


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Latest Mac trojan spreads through Microsoft Word documents
The latest variant of the attack known as "LuckyCat" was discovered and detailed by Costin Raiu, Kasperskky lab expert. He found that a dummy infected machine was taken over by a remote user who started analyzing the machine and even stole some documents from the Mac.
"We are pretty confident the operation of the bot was done manually â which means a real attacker, who manually checks the infected machines and extracts data from them," Raiu wrote in a post to SecureList.
The new Mac-specific trojan, named "Backdoor.OSX.SabPub.a," uses a Java exploit to infect targeted machine. It spreads through Microsoft Word documents that exploit a vulnerability known as "CVE-2009-0563."
The new trojan is noteworthy because it stayed undetected for more than a month and a half before it came alive and data was manually extracted from the machine. That's different from MaControl, another bot used in attacks discovered in February 2012.
There are currently at least two variants of the "SabPub" trojan, which remains classified as an "active attack." It is expected that new variants of the bot will be released in the coming weeks, as the latest was created in March.
Security on the Mac has been in the spotlight of late as a result of the "Flashback" trojan that infected more than 600,000 Macs worldwide. Apple addressed the issue with a series of software updates last week designed to remove the trojan from affected machines.
The Flashback botnet harvested personal information and Web browsing logs fron infected machines. The trojan, which disguises itself as an Adobe Flash installer, was first discovered last September.


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Los Angeles: Tacos, Quesadillas, and More at Downtown's Mercado Olympic
Downtown Los Angeles' Mercado Olympic is the stuff of Mexican food legend. With weekend-only hours, the largely unregulated stalls that pop up along Olympic Boulevard just west of Central Avenue pump out delicious tacos, tortas, burritos, sopes, quesadillas, aguas frescas, and even—deliciously enough—fish sticks. Churros, chorizo, and chicharrones are hawked from stall to stall as you make your way down the cluttered sidewalk, stopping to sort through cheap trinkets or boxes of dried chiles. And since this is the heart of downtown's Piñata District, you'll find plenty of, ahem, close resemblances to popular children's characters, all in destroyable piñata form.
But be forewarned, it can crowded at the Mercado Olympic. With tight walking spaces and slim hours (Saturday and Sunday only, 9 a.m. to 5ish), the warm weekends can sometimes get even hotter when you're crammed under some tents on a strip of sidewalk in treeless downtown Los Angeles. Plus, with sizzling oil and warm planchas for grilling, it's almost guaranteed to be a sweat lodge by 1 p.m. A tasty, delicious sweat lodge of Mexican delights.
Check out the slideshow for some of the best that the Mercado Olympic has to offer.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Invictus Marketing Inc (2) - Ottawa
Job Description Benefits Include:Guaranteed pay plus incentivesAmazing family environmentWEEKLY PAY Make $500 to $800 a WEEK!
Added incentives availableRapid Advancement Our Team Leaders, Managers, and Owners all started as Donor Acquisition Representatives.
With most Representatives becoming Leaders within their 2nd month in the business Work week is Monday to Friday – YES, THAT MEANSWEEKENDS OFF!
Experience in sales and customer service is valued but is not required – we provide 2 weeks of hands on trainingFun and competitive culture with team events such as team nights, sports games, team building activities & holiday parties Extended health care benefits (after 6 months of employment)Expected Daily & Weekly Tasks:
· Participate in daily training and goal planning sessions with the management team
· Develop strategies to encourage new or increased engagement
· Receive weekly feedback and coaching sessions from management
· Interacting with up to 80 potential customers a day One-on-one engagement is a very personalized and cost-effective way to receive customer support
· You will be responsible for engaging with members of the public, raising awareness and welcoming on new team members for the NGO's we represent
· You will be participating in local community campaigns in residential communities, through commercial means or occasionally participate in some of our live sporting events or spring/summer festivals to seek out new support and advertise our client's mission.
· Opportunities to travel to different cities, states and provinces to gain more potential customers during some of our larger community campaigns.
· Learn to apply our system and achieve personal and company goals on a consistent basis Candidates will be considered with a background in or as: sales, outdoor sales representative, fundraising, canvassing, promotions, administration, humanitarian, international development, charity, volunteering, hospitality, event staff, retail, campaign managers, brand ambassadors, marketing, public relations, customer service, entrepreneurship, door to door sales, coach, retail sales associate DON'T WAIT, APPLY TODAY!!!Please check your spam folder if you haven't heard back from us within 1 business day, thank you! Check our new video to learn more:


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Fashion friendly western boots - whimsical to traditional, there is a boot for every cowgirl! Choose from hundreds of styles from Tin Haul, Corral, Cinch, Tony Lama, Roper, Stetson and more.
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text:
Microsoft's Andy Lees Loses President Title, Picks Up New Duties
Andy Lees, who headed the Windows Phone team until being replaced late last year, has been given a new job as corporate vice president in charge of corporate strategy and development.
In the new role, he will oversee the corporate development team headed by Marc Brown and the corporate strategy group led by Charlie Songhurst. He also reports to CFO Peter Klein now as opposed to CEO Steve Ballmer.
For the past year, Lees has retained his President title but had a rather vague role overseeing matters related to the launch of Windows 8 and Windows Phone (though not the responsibility for those products).
He was quoted in a press release announcing the partnership between Barnes & Noble and Microsoft. The companies promised that among the first fruits of that deal would be a Nook app for Windows 8, though one is not yet in the store. (Update: It looks like the Nook app is now available.)
Lees, who spoke at AsiaD in October 2011, has, according to the company, been in the new role for about a month.


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Travel Policy
- Application of Policy
- Policy Statement
- Policy Purpose
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Policy Review
- Further Assistance
- Policy
This Policy applies to all staff, non-staff and students of the University who are required to travel for University business, on University funds. The Policy includes air travel, accommodation and car hire. Approval for travel expenditure must be done in accordance with the University's financial delegations and this Policy.
For the purposes of this Policy, the terms 'The University', 'University' and ''ACU' refer to Australian Catholic University.
A staff member will be provided with appropriate travel and accommodation arrangements to support their business travel requirements.
This Policy has been developed to ensure that:
A University staff member must obtain prior approval from their nominated supervisor before booking travel for University business.
The University may make changes to this Policy and its procedures from time to time to improve the effectiveness of its operation. In this regard, any staff member who wishes to provide comment / feedback about this Policy may forward their suggestions to the Chief Financial Officer.
Before starting your business trip:
Approve, as required, business-related travel in advance of the commencement of your travel.
Ensure that any expenses paid or reimbursed comply with the Travel Policy.
Ensure staff, students as well as non-staff are not travelling to areas where the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) advises against travel. Staff members seeking further clarification of this Policy should consult with their nominated supervisor. Further advice can be obtained from the Finance Directorate office in Brisbane, North Sydney or Melbourne. For contact details please refer to the ACU Staff Website for Finance.
The University acknowledges that travel is often an integral part of the work of staff at the University. The University requires all staff who book travel for University business to make use of all available travel resources.
Staff are expected to utilise the best available fare:
The authorised standard for staff members travelling intra or interstate on University business is economy class air travel or first class rail travel, including sleeping berth. Upgrades can be obtained through use of frequent flyer points or personal funds.
Table 1 (below) indicates the class of travel determined for all staff (both international and domestic).
|Class of travel
|First Class
|Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor (International travel only)
|Business Class (includes premium economy)
|Economy Class (excludes premium economy)
Notes: Staff members who elect to travel at a higher class must personally pay the difference at the time of booking.
Definitions of Senior Executive and Executive can be found in the Delegations Policy.
Staff members travelling business class should also consider using business/premium economy/economy class travel mixes.
Campus Travel is the sole authorised Travel Agent and all airfares and domestic hotel bookings must be booked via Campus Travel for University travel.
The corporate airfares agreement between the University, Qantas, and Virgin Australia offers generous discounts on advertised fares (including web-based airfares) that provided when booked either directly with Campus Travel or via the online booking tool available on the Travel Hub.
Domestic travel (including airfares, accommodation and car hire), as well as travel to Timor and New Zealand, can be booked using the online booking tool available on the Travel Hub. All other bookings require Campus Travel to be contacted by phone or email.
Website https://travelhub.acu.edu.au
Telephone +61 2 9423 8010
Email email@example.com
Telephone +61 2 9423 8010
Email firstname.lastname@example.com
Toll free 1300 555 062
Tel +61 2 9423 8010
Fax +61 2 9423 8019
Email email@example.com
Campus Travel Office Hours 8.30am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday AEST) during Daylight Saving Time Office Hours are extended to 8.30am - 6pm (Monday to Friday AEDT).
Account Manager: Tim Hunt email@example.com
Team Leader: Jon Stevenson firstname.lastname@example.com
Travel Manager: Jessica Bujeya email@example.com
Travel Manager: Belinda Lorusso firstname.lastname@example.com
Group bookings for international travel require quotes from a panel of travel agents and are co-ordinated via ACU Finance Procurement (email: email@example.com ) to achieve the best travel results.
The Campus Travel mobile app allows users to access their itineraries and flight status notifications and much more on their mobile device. It can be downloaded from the App store or Google Play by searching for Sam Trip Planner and Assistant. More information, including instructions on how to downloand and register the app can be found on the Help Page of the Travel Hub.
Campus Travel and the University have an agreed list of preferred hotels that are provided at a significant discount when booked via Campus Travel. Accommodation should be selected from ACU's Preferred Hotels listings and as listed in the online booking tool as "Corporate Preferred".
When alternate accommodation is booked, it must be due to unavailability of hotels on the Preferred Hotels listing, accommodation must be booked via Campus Travel, and price must be within the stated cost limits for each capital city and align with the University's Reimbursement Policy:
|All Staff**
|Executive Group**
|Senior Executive Group**
** Rate inclusive of club floor access.
|All Staff
|Executive Group
|Senior Executive Group*
|International Accommodation (dependent on the cost of the country)
* Rate inclusive of club floor access.
All Domestic hotels must be booked via Campus Travel or via the online booking tool and international hotels via Campus Travel or directly with the international hotels within the policy pricing limits. If hotel rates aren't available within the pricing limits, the traveller must book via Campus Travel, who will obtain the required approval via ACU.
In the event that the traveller elects to stay in accommodation with a rate in excess of the above limits, or outside of the preferred hotel listings (unless hotel availability pushed the price above the hotel limits), then the traveller must personally pay the excess cost and this must be paid at the time that the booking is made.
The safety and security (including fire service installations) of overseas accommodation should be considered, when booking accommodation outside of the preferred hotels.
Car hire bookings should be made through Campus Travel or via the online booking tool, to utilise the University's preferred supplier arrangements with Hertz and Avis. Public transport and carpooling should be utilised where practical.
A Campus Travel profile is required for all travellers and must be established prior to making any bookings.
Staff profiles are created automatically in the system without the need to be manually created by users. Once a staff member's profile is created, the details are automatically generated and included on all booked travel for that staff member.
Before booking travel, the travel profile should be checked to ensure the name is correct as per the traveller's passport, that it includes their current contact information and the details of any delegated person who can book travel on their behalf. It should also include details such as the traveller's cost code, mobile phone number, membership details (e.g. Qantas Frequent Flyer), specific requests or medical conditions.
Instructions on how to create a profile for guest or student travellers are available here. Check first to ensure that a profile does not already exist for any travel profile you are about to create.
Should a travel booking need to be made using a different cost code to the one on the profile, the staff member must quote the alternate cost code to Campus Travel when making the booking or enter the code in the Project Code field on the online booking tool. All travel itineraries must be checked by the staff member for accuracy of information.
Itinerary changes or cancellations must be approved by the relevant supervisor / approver. Change requests for all itineraries (whether originally booked via email or using the online booking tool) should be emailed to Campus Travel who will confirm a revised or cancelled travel itinerary.
Non University Staff and Students who need to travel for course-work, or other University related activities, must have their travel approved by the National/State Deputy Head of School or Manager of Unit or Department Director. Bookings must be made by a designated staff member.
All international travel requires an approved Travel Authorisation Number to be issued prior to Campus Travel creating a booking.
To obtain a Travel Authorisation Number, please contact the following:
The Chancellor approves the travel of the Vice-Chancellor as well as the Pro-Chancellor and Senate, the Vice-Chancellor approves the travel of the Vice-Chancellor's Direct Reports.
Executive staff may delegate authority to book international travel or accommodation on their behalf to their respective assistants.
The above authorisation form and process must be undertaken for University funded Non-University Staff (including overseas visiting academics) and Students who need to travel for course-work or other University related activities. Following approval, a designated staff member will need to book the travel.
A staff member should not be out of pocket as a result of incurring expenses associated with the carrying out of University business, where such expenses are reasonable and have been approved by the staff member's supervisor prior to travel.
The University Visa Purchase Card is to be used as a first preference for purchasing travel-related expenditure.
Travellers who do not have a University Visa Purchase Card may apply for a card, with approval from an Executive or SEG member.
The University Purchase Card must not be used for private expenses and personal credit cards should not be used for booking airline tickets.
All requests for payment or reimbursement of costs associated with University-related travel will require the following documentation to be forwarded to the Finance Office (Nth Sydney):
A staff member, without a credit card may request a cash advance for anticipated expenses by completing the Overseas Travel Advance form. However, prior notice of five working days is required to transfer the advance to their bank account. The advance must be acquitted and unspent funds returned within 14 days on return from travel, by completing and forwarding the Overseas Acquittal Form and above documentation to the Finance Office (Nth Sydney).
Where a staff member or their spouse is eligible to partly funded travel, the costs should be initially incurred by the staff member and reimbursed in accordance with the Reimbursement of Actual Expenses Policy.
Schedule 1 of the Human Resources Policy – Reimbursement of Actual Expenses outlines guidelines for claiming reimbursement of actual expenses and includes a guide to limits on amounts claimable based on Australian Taxation Office (ATO) ruling TR 2004/19 (TD2019/11).
The Schedule covers local and overseas travel and provides guidelines on limits in relation to accommodation, meals and incidental expenses. Also provided are guidelines on reimbursement of fares and motor vehicle expenses. It is important that staff members familiarise themselves with the requirements of this Schedule. Please note that only actual expenses incurred within the ATO limits will be reimbursed and will only be paid where appropriate receipts/documentation has been provided and will be paid to an Australian bank account.
The traveller is required to pay any costs that exceed those outlined in Item 7.3. These costs must be paid at the time of booking.
Where private travel (approved annual/long service leave, at the manger's discretion) is combined with official University travel, the trip must be principally for business purposes; the private travel component must only be incidental to the overall purpose of the trip and cannot exceed 15 annual / long service leave days for it to be accepted as 'No Private Use'.
'Private Use'; attracts liability for Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT).
In circumstances where approved annual/long service leave is not incidental or is greater than fifteen (15) days, even where incidental, the purpose of travel will be considered 'Dual Purpose' and the private travel component of the University business related airfare will not be treated as a University expense. To avoid incurring FBT, the traveller will be required to pay 50% of the University business related airfare, 100% of personal flights and all other associated private travel expenditure including but not limited to accommodation and meals from personal funds.
Please note that regardless of whether travel is considered dual purpose or no private use, all private/personal flights and associated private travel expenditure including but not limited to accommodation and meals must be paid for from personal funds.
Any charges put on a University account, including an 'Academic Pursuits Account' or a Purchase Card, are considered University expense. The private component of travel cannot be paid for from a University account.
Please find a link to the Calculation Form to assist in the assessment of 'Dual Purpose' travel. The Form needs to be forwarded to Finance (Qld) who will be responsible for ascertaining the airfare and amount payable by the employee. Repayment will be made directly to ACU's bank account or via Payroll who will make an after tax deduction from the employee's pay.
To comply with Australian Tax Office requirements and minimise the University's tax liability for Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT), travellers must provide a travel diary record whilst on University travel for a period of more than five nights both domestically and internationally.
Travelers must complete:
The University has a duty of care to its travellers to ensure their safety and wellbeing at all times. It is the traveller's responsibility whilst travelling to be mindful of potential risks in the local area (including field excursions or laboratories) and to act in a manner that will minimise harm.
To meet this duty of care, the University will:
Supervisors aware of staff travelling with a significant medical condition should:
To minimise a potential operational impact to the University, no more than two SEG members should travel on the same flight.
All staff, students and volunteers who travel internationally for University business are required to register their trip with International SOS (automatically completed when booked via Campus Travel) and are encouraged to use its services before and during international travel.
Travel booking details are passed on from the University's travel manager, Campus Travel, to International SOS who register the traveller on their system. Once registration is confirmed, a traveller will automatically receive travel advice by email before departure. These advisories provide security, medical, cultural and other relevant travel information for the countries shown on the traveller's itinerary.
ACU's International SOS Membership number is: 12AYCA080047.
Travellers may call International SOS at any time before or during international travel to receive information or help with:
The International SOS website is available to all University staff and students. It provides comprehensive details for all countries as well as warnings regarding disease outbreaks, natural disasters, terrorist attacks and labour disputes.
The International SOS mobile app is available for download at http://app.lk/sos-member (enter ACU's membership number 12AYCA080047) and can be used for up-to-date alerts while in-country.
International SOS can be contacted on 02 9372 2453 for advice and can provide a private consultation with a doctor prior to travel to discuss any medical conditions that may impact travel arrangements.
The University uses DFAT Travel Advice Ratings to approve international travel. DFAT Travel Advice Ratings fall into four broad categories:
Do not travel means travel must not be taken to the specified country. Travel to a country or region with a Travel Advice Rating of 'Do not travel' requires the specific approval of a SEG member. The SEG member may impose a complete travel ban to certain countries or areas and may require travellers already in those areas to return home.
Reconsider your need to travel means travel is discouraged unless absolutely necessary and will require a Risk Management Assessment to be approved by the appropriate dean/director.
Exercise normal safety precautions and Exercise a high degree of caution should not impact on travel but may require caution by the traveller as well as a full understanding of the International SOS travel advice provided by email or online.
Before departure for international travel, travellers must provide a complete copy of their itinerary, via International SOS including accommodation phone numbers. In the event of an emergency, authorised University staff are able to view details on International SOS "MyTrips" to establish the location of travellers.
It is the responsibility of the traveller to ensure they have the required inoculations and vaccinations prior to departure. Costs related to immunisation required for University travel will be paid for by the University. General travel health information is available on the International SOS website, by selecting the country or countries being visited.
Before departing on approved University Travel, it is the responsibility of travellers to ensure that they possess a valid passport (a minimum validity of six months is preferred at all times) and the required visas for their intended journey. The University will fund the cost for visas required for University Travel.
Where an emergency occurs of a personal nature for the traveller and travel plans need to be changed, then the traveller will be responsible for the additional cost, if any, in excess of the original travel cost.
To ensure travellers do not incur initial out of pocket expenses for which they have not budgeted, ACU may pay this additional cost up-front and then seek re-imbursement from the traveller. At this point the traveller may make a submission for ACU to accept this additional cost (or part there-of) by showing just cause. "Just Cause" will be at the discretion of ACU and may include consideration of personal hardship, compassionate grounds, the extent of the additional cost (or part there-of), the willingness of the traveller to mitigate costs and the options that were available to the traveller at the time.
Staff and students are covered for approved business travel by the University's insurers. Non-staff traveling on University business should obtain adequate travel insurance and must purchase travel insurance prior to the travel. Where a spouse is required by the University to travel with a staff member on University business, they are covered by the University's insurance policy.
Only standard insurance included in a car hire fee should be undertaken. Additional insurance to reduce excess is not required.
Any private travel component of greater than fifteen (15) days, the traveller will be responsible for their own travel insurance, for the entire portion of private travel.
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Frequent Traveller: an employee who travels more than ten times per year.
Accountable Officer: Chief Operating Officer.
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Implementation Officer: The Chief Financial Officer
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A classic prop - a metal cylinder to produce silks, currency notes, etc. Made of stainless steel. Large 4" diameter and 6.75" high holds a big load of silks, currency notes, etc. Made with stainless steel to give you a sturdy and long lasting prop.
The stainless steel leak proof load chamber allows you to use these tubes with liquids as well.
Do you own this product? Write a review.


text: Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums :: View topic - Is the word "foreigner" unpolite?? Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Is the word "foreigner" unpolite?? Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Culture View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message Shu-Yu, JhangJoined: 31 Mar 2010Posts: 2 Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 11:20 pm Post subject: Is the word "foreigner" unpolite?? Dear teacher: When I talk to foreigners, I use the word "foreigner" sometimes. But they feel that I am not polite. Why is the word "foreigner" unpolite for foreigners?? thank you. Back to top Bob S.Joined: 29 Apr 2004Posts: 1767Location: So. Cal Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:23 am Post subject: Re: Is the word "foreigner" unpolite?? Shu-Yu, Jhang wrote: When I talk to foreigners, I use the word "foreigner" sometimes. But they feel that I am not polite. Why is the word "foreigner" unpolite for foreigners?? It depends on how it is used. When you say "foreigner", you are basically saying that this person is an outsider, not one of us. And not many people like their sense of personal identity reduced to being merely "the outsider". They may self-identify with other various factors, but simply "the outsider" is a very alienating feeling. It should not be used unless it is pertinent to the discussion, and is an important part of the person's description. For example, it would be rude to say: I saw a foreigner in the bookstore today. So what? What kind of foreigner? Foreigners come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and genders. Better to say, I was surprised to see a white guy in the bookstore today. The store is well off the usual tourist routes and doesn't get many foreign tourists. or I saw an Indian woman in the tea shop today. She had on a beautiful sari. Don't say: I talked with a foreigner at the park. Say, I talked with an (American, Australian, Russian, etc.) at the park. Use "foreigner" only when it is relevant to the discussion. For example, it is generally not so rude to say, Bill likes natto? That's surprising. Most foreigners don't like natto. or Janet cannot vote in the local elections. Even though her mother is from around here, Janet was born overseas and is still a foreigner._________________"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper Back to top ClarissaMachJoined: 18 May 2006Posts: 644Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:37 am Post subject: In some circunstances, you can use "foreign internationals" (in formal texts). By the way, I think it was Bob who taught me that when correcting one of the compositions I posted here a long time ago. In my native language (Portuguese), it's not rude to say "estrangeiro" (foreigner). But there's another word - "forasteiro" that is a little bit rude (it's the same as "outsider")._________________Stormy Weather. Back to top AnaMilenaJoined: 12 Mar 2011Posts: 25Location: 404 - Not Found Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:33 pm Post subject: In any context and language, I think the word foreigner generates a kind of distance, which is not the intention in many occasions. Yet, it does depend on the context. I don't mind being called a foreigner, but I don't know I don't like calling the foreigners or outsiders. Instead, I call them visitors, which also implies we, as hosts, must welcome them as much as we can. _________________ http://english4fun.freeforo.com Back to top sodiaJoined: 02 Mar 2012Posts: 2 Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 8:52 am Post subject: I do not think that this term is inpoilte many ethnic groups use the term and it is just to diffrentiate between who is from theh Country and who is from overseas. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Culture All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Student Forums----------------ComputersCurrent NewsCultureEnglish SchoolsFamilyFilm and CinemaFoodHealth and FitnessHelp CenterHobbiesHolidaysLearning EnglishLiteratureMaking FriendsMusicOpinionsPetsScienceSportsThe Strange and MysteriousTOEFL and Other English ExamsTravel You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Dave's ESL Cafe is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Banner Advertising | Bookstore / Alta Books | FAQs | Articles | Interview with Dave Copyright © 2018 Dave's ESL Cafe | All Rights Reserved | Contact Dave's ESL Cafe | Site Map Teachers College, Columbia University: Train to Teach English Here or Abroad Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group


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JSR 286 Portlets: Action-scoped Request Attributes
This article illustrates the use of action scoped request attributes runtime option, which facilitates Java objects created during action phase being accessible during render phase in the form of request attributes.
The core features of any Internet portal are content aggregation from different information sources, web-page personalization and single sign-on. Java portlets act as the building blocks of any J2EE based portal implementation. Java portlets are very similar to Java servlets in many ways. They too are web components, managed by a container, that generate dynamic content. Java Portlet Specification v1.0 (JSR 168) defines the portlet API, container-portlet contract and packaging requirements for Java portlets. The recent Java Portlet Specification 2.0 final draft (JSR 286) facilitates implementing portlets with more advanced capabilities. This article illustrates the use of action scoped request attributes runtime option, which facilitates Java objects created during action phase being accessible during render phase in the form of request attributes.
Portlet Spec v1.0 (JSR 168): Action phase and Request attributes
As defined in the portlet specification v1.0, the portlet lifecycle is split into two distinct phases: Render and Action. When the portlet is rendered in a web page for the first time, it is said to be in render phase in which it returns the initial HTML fragment to be displayed. The portal aggregates this HTML fragment with the fragments of other portlets to form a complete web page. When the user takes an action (form submission for example), it enters action phase in which it processes the request and update its internal state (data).
To reflect the state changes in the user interface, the portlet enters render phase again. This means every action phase is followed by at least one render phase invocation. The portlet might receive additional render requests under various circumstances like when the user refreshes the browser or when he/she makes a request on some other portlet on the same page. This refined request-handling model is required with portlets since they generate only segments of the web page and are hosted along with other portlets in the same page (alternatively, in the servlet model the implementation of service() method takes care of both request processing and response rendering; also it renders the entire web page).
The interface javax.portlet.Portlet abstracts the portlet API and has render() and processAction() methods to represent render and action phases respectively. The portlet container is responsible for invoking these methods as appropriate. During action(), you can call ActionResponse.setRenderParameter() method to set any String values and retrieve the same using RenderRequest.getParameter() in the following render calls. However there is no similar mechanism in case of request attributes. For example, the following portlet will not print the request attribute that is set in processAction().
package samples.actionscope; import javax.portlet.*; import java.io.IOException; import java.util.Date; public class DateTimePortlet extends GenericPortlet { public void doView(RenderRequest req, RenderResponse res) throws IOException, PortletException { Object actionAttribute = req.getAttribute("datetime"); res.getWriter().println("Date Time:" + (actionAttribute != null ? actionAttribute :"Unavailable")); res.getWriter().println("
"); PortletURL u = res.createActionURL(); res.getWriter().println("Trigger an action."); res.getWriter().close(); } public void processAction(ActionRequest req, ActionResponse res) throws PortletException { req.setAttribute("datetime",new Date()); } }
Below is a screenshot of the resultant portlet window after clicking Trigger an action action URL.
With MVC-based web applications, you are very likely to create view objects after request processing, set them as request attributes and use the same for display purposes. Due to the separated action and rendering model, the action request attributes will not be available in any of the view components that are included in the render phase (JSP, Servlet etc).
The only workaround is to use HTTP session (javax.portlet.PortletSession interface) to store and retrieve the attribute explicitly during action and render phases respectively. The problem with this approach is that you, not the container, are responsible for managing session attributes. The attributes are scoped only to the current action request and following render requests and, must be cleaned up when the portlet receives next action request. If you don't code it properly, you might end up retaining lot of unused objects in the session, thus causing performance issues (IBM Struts Portlet Framework and Apache Struts Portal Bridge also use session as the underlying mechanism). Won't it be good if the container itself takes care of managing the attributes thus relieving portlet/frameworks from doing the same?
JSR 286 Container Runtime Options
With JSR 286 compliant portlet containers, you can specify additional runtime behavior. The specification defines the following options:
- javax.portlet.escapeXml
- javax.portlet.renderHeaders
- javax.portlet.servletDefaultSessionScope
- javax.portlet.actionScopedRequestAttributes
Support for the first three are optional whereas the last one is required, which is the one we are interested in.
As the name implies, the purpose of this runtime option is to provide the portlets with the action scoped request attributes during render phase. You specify this option in the portlet deployment descriptor (portlet.xml) at either portlet level or application level.
Portlet level (only this portlet):
<portlet-app> <portlet> <portlet-name>DateTimePortlet</portlet-name> <display-name>Date Time Portlet</display-name> <portlet-class>samples.actionscope.DateTimePortlet</portlet-class> … <container-runtime-option> <name>javax.portlet.actionScopedRequestAttributes</name> <value>true</value> <value>numberOfCachedScopes</value> <value>10</value> </container-runtime-option> </portlet> </portlet-app>
Application Level (All the portlets in the application):
<portlet-app> <portlet> <portlet-name>DateTimePortlet</portlet-name> <display-name>Date Time Portlet</display-name> <portlet-class>samples.actionscope.DateTimePortlet</portlet-class> … </portlet> … <container-runtime-option> <name>javax.portlet.actionScopedRequestAttributes</name> <value>true</value> <value>numberOfCachedScopes</value> <value>10</value> </container-runtime-option> </portlet-app>
This specification instructs the portlet container to retain the action request attributes across requests and make them available in all the following render requests. The attributes are valid until a new action occurs or session timeout. Internally, portlet containers use an action scope id to keep track of the action scope, thus associating the attributes with it.
Below is a screenshot of the portlet running the same code with javax.portlet.actionScopedRequestAttributes specified after clicking Trigger an action action URL.
This feature makes the request attributes lifecycle model same as it is in Servlets. It can now be taken advantage to pass form beans back to JSPs in case of errors, resultant objects after processing a request or any object that is used for display. There is no need to manage the session attributes within portlet/framework. Note that the internal implementation mechanism will most likely use an HTTP session only. Hence , best practices related to keeping the session size to the minimum should be followed. For example, you have to design specific view data beans containing only information that is absolutely required (instead of using existing complex objects) to render the web page.
Along the same lines, javax.portlet.servletDefaultSessionScope runtime option can override the visibility of session attributes in the JSP/Servlets. By default, included JSP/Servlets have access to session attributes stored within application scope. Unless the portlet stores session objects at the application scope, they are not visible within JSP/Servlets. This option can be used to change this behavior to portlet scope.
<portlet> <container-runtime-option> <name>javax.portlet.servletDefaultSessionScope</name> <value>PORTLET_SCOPE</value> </container-runtime-option> </portlet>
Portlet containers may choose not to support this runtime option, as this is not required according to the v2.0 specification.
As we saw, the Java Portlet Specification 2.0 has added the new container runtime option to support action scoped request attributes. In addition, it includes many features including events, public render parameters, serving resources, and new servlet features like cookies, lifecycle listeners, filters etc thus facilitating porting of existing servlet based applications into portal environment easily. Currently Sun Java System Application Server 9.1 (GlassFish v2) provides a Java Portlet Specification 2.0-compliant container that can be used to develop portlets leveraging new features.
- Java Portlet Specification 1.0 (JSR 168): http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=168
- Java Portlet Specification 2.0 (JSR 286): http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=286
- Learn more about new features in JSR286 here: What's new in the Java Portlet Specification V2.0 (JSR 286)? (http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/library/techarticles/0803_hepper/0803_hepper.html)
- You can download Sun Java System Application Server 9.1 from http://java.sun.com/javaee/downloads/index.jsp
- Developing JSR168 Struts portlets: Part 1. Creating a simple portlet (http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/library/techarticles/0601_patil/0601_patil.html)


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This evening was the first of the three Bridegroom Services that will be held this week, the remaining two being Monday and Tuesday nights. The icon of Christ the Bridegroom is brought out on this night, to remain in the front of the chancel for several days, for the faithful to venerate. It looks like this.
Or, like this.
A propos of previous posts about "bridal mysticism", especially this one, here is an icon bearing the same title by a Catholic monk.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Christ the Bridegroom
This evening was the first of the three Bridegroom Services that will be held this week, the remaining two being Monday and Tuesday nights. The icon of Christ the Bridegroom is brought out on this night, to remain in the front of the chancel for several days, for the faithful to venerate. It looks like this.
Posted by Anastasia Theodoridis at 11:13 PM
Labels: Orthodoxy, Other Faiths
7 comments:
- Byzantine, TX said...
FYI, you were nominated for an Eastern Christian Blog Award. The voting should start shortly.
- April 21, 2008 at 10:32 AM
- Anastasia Theodoridis said...
Really? How embarrassing!
This blog isn't even to be compared with others I know. Please. please, give the award to Fr. Stephen Freeman!
- April 21, 2008 at 11:36 AM
- 123 said...
The Bridegroom Matins services were the theme of our Church School retreat this past Saturday complete with a wedding reception to kick it off with all the guests (the kids) introduced as "friends of the Bridegroom", the Bridegroom icon processed in by the priest singing the appropriate hymn and placed at the head of the table; we made toasts to the Bridegroom and had a lenten wedding cake. My group helped clean lampadi in the sanctuary making a connection between the 10 virgins and their lamps with the physical lamps in front of the iconostasis and with the lamp of our hearts- all of which must be kept clean, full of oil and trimmed. I never saw kids so excited to be cleaning.
- April 21, 2008 at 1:37 PM
- JTKlopcic said...
I don't know if you have read The Church Impotent by Leon Podles. FMG reviewed his work a while back. Podles is a Roman Catholic, but he outlines very clearly the history and dangers of "Bridal Mysticism", which do exist in Christianity today. Unfortunately, so much has been lost that attempts to replace Bridal Mysticism with a revived masculinity ring hollow -- the churches have forgotten what to do with their men.
- April 22, 2008 at 11:50 AM
- 123 said...
Bridal mysticism is dangerous when it does what all heresies and errors do: sets itself up as preeminent. There is a conciliarity of theology and metaphor that is meant to dovetail with conciliarity in ecclesiology. One over emphasizes penal, accounting or juridical metaphors, another overemphasizes bridal mysticism or ascetical excercises or aesthetics, another over does it with obedience, akrivia, economia or prerogatives. We are called to the royal way, the middle way of the consensus of the Fathers and the lex orandi of the Church.
- April 23, 2008 at 10:34 AM
- Anastasia Theodoridis said...
Christopher, while I agree with you, I have another take on that. Which is, there's bridal mysticism and then there's bridal mysticism. There's the right kind and then there's the thinly-veiled sexual kind.
In the case of the last icon depicted in this post, it frankly strikes me not only as sexual, but even homosexual in its implications.
- April 23, 2008 at 3:41 PM
- JTKlopcic said...
Another hidden danger, which I alluded to above, is what happens when the pendulum swings back? In place of Bridal Mysticism, many churches adopt a Christian Machismo which is just as damaging, if not more so. I've seen both -- I'm not really fond of either.
- April 23, 2008 at 11:02 PM


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In my last post, I talked about the main project I'm currently working on, which is studying the stone tools made by the last Neanderthals at the site of La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey. This collapsed cave site is well-known not only for the richness of its deposits, but also for the famous 'bone heaps' of woolly mammoth and woolly rhinoceros remains found in the 1960s-70s excavations. These have been interpreted as the remains of a mass-kill by early Neanderthals driving herds off the cliffs into the ravine.
Another project I am working on today is aimed at testing this theory, as well as providing rare information about the migratory behaviour of ice age megafauna. These are the large, often formidable beasts that lived alongside the last Neanderthals: mammoth and woolly rhino, giant deer, horse, bison and the extinct ancestors of today's domesticated cows.
In 2010 I set up a project with Geoff Smith and Sarah Viner that uses isotopic analysis of ancient teeth to determine mobility of Pleistocene megafauna. The Pleistocene covers roughly the million years before the end of the last ice age, but at the moment we are focusing on investigating sites during the time of the Neanderthals, which is mid-late Pleistocene. Our first site is La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey, which we are working on with the Quaternary Archaeology and Environments of Jersey project. We can use the Strontium isotopes present in an individuals' teeth to determine their movements over different periods. Simply put, we can find out if an animal whose remains ended up at La Cotte had spent time in other regions of the landscape. Isotopic analysis works based on how different geology affects the levels of Strontium isotopes present in drinking water, which gets laid down in animals' and peoples' teeth.
This kind of direct measure of animal (and human) mobility is still quite rare for this period, although one Neanderthal from Lakonis in Greece has been published. We want to understand how animals that Neanderthals were hunting were moving around: for example, were mammoths great travellers as African elephants today can be? And were Pleistocene reindeer going on vast annual migrations as we can see in herds from Alaska in modern times? This information will help build models about how Neanderthals may have been following or intercepting megafauna at various points in the landscape. As Neanderthal fossils themselves are so precious, it's unlikely we will be able to directly measure the mobility of many more individuals for some time. Until then, we can use animal movements to provide a framework alongside other measures for Neanderthal mobility such as transport of stone tools. At La Cotte, we may also be able to test whether the bone heaps are really mass-kills by determining if the bones represent herds that had moved around together, and then were killed in one event.
We received funding this year from the Societe Jersiaise, the island of Jersey's learned society, to do pilot analysis on six samples of mammoth and horse teeth, which Sarah will be undertaking very soon. Today I am working on finding more funding to allow us to increase the number of samples from the site. This involves trawling various websites of funding bodies to see whether we are eligible or not for different grants. We're in a difficult situation, as only one of us (Sarah) currently has a Postdoc, and is therefore affiliated to an Institution, which rules us out of a lot of grants. At the same time, current Postdocs are ineligible to apply for other kinds of funding, meaning that early career researchers in our position really struggle to get projects off the ground independently.
We are hopeful however that the pilot study will provide positive results which will allow us to apply for more extended funding from particular sources, and keep building up the project profile while I apply for Postdoc funding separately.
My last post for today will be a round-up of the other things I've been working on, including writing a funding application to work on a French project on Neanderthal landscape use.


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New products introduced over the last week include a digital retirement center launched by BlackRock, four new core ETFs from iShares and two new SPDR Tilt ETFs from State Street Global Advisors.
In addition, RiverNorth launched a buy-write fund, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and the Options Industry Council signed a memorandum of understanding regarding joint options research and education, and Aegon launched three volatility-capped risk profile solutions.
Here are the latest developments of interest to advisors:
1) BlackRock Launches New Digital Retirement Center
BlackRock launched a new digital retirement center providing insights, resources and tools at www.blackrock.com/retirement. The Oct. 22 launch was timed to coincide with the congressionally sanctioned National Save for Retirement Week, which ran from October 21 through 27. The BlackRock Retirement Center features age-based content and insights to help individuals better prepare for retirement in what BlackRock has called a "new world of investing," in which yields are low, markets are volatile and confidence is scarce.
The age-based content assists investors with defining needs, identifying goals and providing actionable steps when saving and investing for or during their retirement. Features and the age groups they are intended for include Just Starting Out (20s and 30s); On Your Way (40s and 50s); Nearing/At Retirement (60s and& 70s); and Enjoying Retirement (70s+). The website also features the Define Your Retirement Tool; a weekly tip subscription titled Just One Thing; and additional features.
2) iShares Launches International Equity and Fixed-Income Core ETFs
BlackRock announced Oct. 22 that its iShares ETFs business has launched four new core funds designed to meet the needs of long-term investors looking for exposure to international equities and U.S. fixed income. These new funds will complement the six existing funds in the iShares Core Series, which is designed to provide broad equity and fixed-income exposure and allow long-term investors to tailor the mix of funds in their portfolio to match their individual choice.
The funds are iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (IXUS), which tracks the MSCI ACWI ex USA Investable Market Index (IMI), with management fees of 0.16%; iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG), which tracks the MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index, with management fees of 0.18%; iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA), which tracks the MSCI EAFE Investable Market Index, with management fees of 0.14%; and iShares Core Short-Term U.S. Bond ETF (ISTB), which tracks the Barclays U.S. 1-5 Year Government/Credit Bond Index, with management fees of 0.12%.
3) State Street Global Advisors Launches Pair of SPDR Tilt ETFs
State Street Global Advisors, the asset management business of State Street Corp., announced Thursday the launch of the SPDR S&P 1500 Value Tilt ETF (VLU) and the SPDR S&P 1500 Momentum Tilt ETF (MMTM). The new SPDR ETFs offer investors an opportunity to access potential sources of outperformance with advanced indexing methodologies that reconfigure how index components are weighted.
VLU seeks to track the performance of the S&P 1500 Low Valuation Tilt Index, which applies an alternative weighting methodology to the S&P 1500 Index so that stocks with relatively low valuations are overweight relative to the S&P 1500 Index and stocks with relatively high valuations are underweight. VLU's expense ratio is 0.35%.
MMTM seeks to track the performance of the S&P 1500 Positive Momentum Tilt Index, which applies an alternative weighting methodology to the S&P 1500 Index so that stocks with relatively high momentum are overweight relative to the S&P 1500 Index and stocks with relatively low momentum are underweight. MMTM's expense ratio is 0.35%. 4) RiverNorth Launches RiverNorth Dynamic Buy-Write Fund
RiverNorth Capital Management announced on Tuesday the launch of the RiverNorth Dynamic Buy-Write Fund (RNBWX), a new options/volatility mutual fund. Different from most other buy-write—also known as covered call—investment strategies, in which an investor buys a single security or portfolio of securities and writes (sells) calls against the underlying positions, RNBWX is constructed by selling what the fund advisor believes to be the most attractive covered equity options.
RNBWX is a no-load vehicle and utilizes a strategy that capitalizes on implied volatility mispricing in the equity options market, seeking to generate alpha through the volatility management of risks inherent in options portfolios, rather than through individual security selection. Assets are allocated across U.S. exchange-listed equity options, equities and exchange-traded funds. It is designed to complement or replace alternative equity allocations and seeks to provide a greater risk-adjusted return than the S&P 500 Index.
5) Shenzhen Stock Exchange and Options Industry Council Sign MOU
The Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) and The Options Industry Council (OIC) announced Tuesday that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding joint options research and education. The ceremony was held with members of the OIC and SZSE in Shenzhen, China.
As China focuses efforts on diversifying investment products, both OIC and SZSE recognize the need for investor education and research programs to contribute to the development and responsible use of suitable financial products. The MOU also addresses mutual cooperation and sharing of information about the U.S. and Chinese financial markets.
6) AEGON Launches Volatility-Capped Solutions
AEGON announced Thursday the launch of three volatility-capped risk profile solutions that invest in funds managed by investment manager J.P. Morgan Mansart Investments, aligned with JPMorgan Chase & Co. These solutions are available to U.K. retail investors and will be available exclusively through AEGON. There are three AEGON funds at launch of the same name: the Scottish Equitable J.P. Morgan Mansart Risk Profile 10, the Profile 12, and the Profile 14. Each aims to keep volatility at or below a yearly cap of 10%, 12% and 14% respectively.
The funds differ from most other risk profile solutions currently on the market because they use daily risk budgeting with the aim of keeping risk at or below a volatility cap. The J.P. Morgan Mansart Investments funds follow a systematic investment strategy using swaps, which allows the new funds to efficiently gain exposure to the returns of U.K. fixed interest and developed market and emerging market equities, while aiming to maintain risk in line with the respective risk profile. The AEGON funds will fully benefit from this approach through their investment in the J.P. Morgan Mansart Risk Profile Funds.
Read the Oct. 19 Portfolio Products Roundup at AdvisorOne.


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Random note of interest:
R.A.D. Stainforth tells me he lost one of his eyes as a child, in a freak beaver accident. When he's not wearing it, he keeps the faux eye in an icy-cold glass of Russian vodka. He won't say which eye. It's hard to tell. I'm thinking maybe it's the left.


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From Impact Protection to UV Defense, Pella Windows Help Bring Comfort in Severe Weather
Regardless of which region of the country you call home, some form of severe weather can impact your life. Be it from strong thunderstorms, hail, winds or extreme heat, it's important to and keep your home safe and free from damage. Are you certain that your windows will help protect you from whatever severe weather comes your way? Pella offers a selection of options to help you and your home stay comfortable with whatever Mother Nature brings.
Impact Resistance
Products with impact-resistant glass, including Pella's HurricaneShield® replacement windows and patio doors, are made with exceptionally resistant glass. A polymer interlayer between two sheets of glass helps to keep window panes together when one pane is broken, making it harder to break through the window completely. These windows can even stand up to damage from wind, water or hail and can even endure the impact of a 2-by-4 traveling at 50 feet per second!*
HurricaneShield windows are tested with industrywide impact-resistance standards and are built to maintain your home's structure and stability during strong weather. Impact-resistant windows like HurricaneShield also reduce the need for storm shutters. So not only will you be protected when the weather turns bad, but you'll also gain peace of mind knowing your windows are more safe and secure even when you aren't there.
Performance Against More Than Storms
While impact-resistant glass helps to guard against intense winds and flying debris, these windows also offer protection against home intruders. The same resistant polymer interlayer between the two sheets of glass helps prevent forced entry in the same way it protects against high winds. It also provides improved noise reduction and peace from external noises such as traffic or lawn mowers.
Energy Efficiency
While some parts of the country have to deal with the threat of extreme storms, others meet challenges from intense heat and sunlight. Many lines of Pella windows include Low-E insulating glass options. Low-E glass is created to hold heat in your home during the winter and reduce outside heat from coming into your home during the summer to help keep things temperate.
For severely hot areas, windows made with SunDefense Low-E Insulating Glass with Argon are a helpful option. Coated with SunDefense Low-E protection and insulated with argon gas between the panes, these windows don't just help bring comfort from the heat, they defend furniture and carpets from fading in sunlight. And SunDefense can help you save money on your cooling bill, thanks to increased energy efficiency.
There are also additional energy-efficient glass choices available for patio doors.
Finding the Right Impact-Resistant Window for Your House
There are impact-resistant windows and doors available for nearly any kind of home, built from a variety of materials.
When selecting products, remember these four simple steps:
- Identify your window style
- Choose which material is best for your home
- Customize window features
- Plan installation
Whether you live on the East Coast where hurricanes are more prevalent or the blazing-hot Southwest, impact-resistant hurricane windows and Low-E glass with argon from Pella can help keep you and your family safe and comfortable.
Are you ready to greatly improve the overall energy efficiency and performance of your home by installing our impact-resistant glass? Discover more about HurricaneShield®, Low-E insulating glass and other options that Pella Windows and Doors offers for your home by visiting your local Pella Windows and Doors showroom. Any of our professionals would be happy to help you find the window that protects best against the elements in your area. Give us a call at 518-310-2118 or book an in-home consultation using our online scheduler.
* Pella's impact-resistant glass in HurricaneShield® products is made up of a sheet of standard or tempered glass combined with a sheet of laminated glass, rated to ASTM E1996 missile D rating. For best performance, the laminated glass may be in the interior or exterior pane of the insulating glass, depending on the product.


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Petit looking ahead to next start
SAN FRANCISCO -- Just five days after nearly pitching a perfect game against Arizona, Giants right-hander Yusmeiro Petit will make his next start Wednesday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park.
Petit has been flooded with phone calls and emails from friends, family members and fans, congratulating him on his one-hit shutout and brush with perfection that ended with Eric Chavez's single with two outs in the ninth.
Petit said job No. 1 for him now is to put Friday night's emotional outing in the past and concentrate on the present.
"The key element now is to try and keep my concentration, to go ahead and study the hitters I have to face tomorrow and remind myself that the page that I wrote was a very beautiful page, but it's in the past," Petit said Tuesday. "So I have to concentrate on tomorrow's game."
Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he's not concerned about Petit getting too amped up or losing his focus.
"You saw how he handled that game," Bochy said. "He stayed composed. He wasn't caught up into what he was about to accomplish or close to accomplishing, and even when he gave up the hit, it didn't fluster him. He was just excited about a one-hit shutout. ... That's how excited he was about the game itself."
Petit is 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA in his first three starts with San Francisco. That streak started with a 5-3 Giants win at Colorado on Aug. 27. He allowed two runs on six hits over six innings, striking out six and walking three. In his next start, at Arizona, he gave up two runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out a career-high 10 and walking one in an 8-2 Giants win.
That set the stage for the first career shutout and complete game of his career when he struck out seven, allowed just one hit and walked none in a 3-0 Giants victory over Arizona.
What's been the key to his success?
"First of all, you have to keep the ball down and throw strikes," Petit said. "Secondly, I have been fortunate to get ahead of the hitters and especially the big guys in the lineup, keep them from hitting with the barrel of the bat, the middle of the lineup guys. Not that I'm not concentrating on the other guys, but the key thing for me is that I try to dominate those guys, and that has been very important for me."


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New Costumes For Halloween
Welcome to Anytime Costumes where you can get the best Halloween costumes as well as costumes for anytime of year. Of course, Halloween is the biggest time a year for costume shopping so you can count on us to have the best selections, sizes and competitively low prices on all brands, licenses and in-demand Halloween Costumes for the entire family. This also includes a full range of accessories such as hats, wigs, mask, shoes, makeup and more.
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New Halloween Costume Ideas
We have literally thousands of items in stock and every season we add more so you will always find hottest costumes based on the latest crazes. Halloween costumes this year will be the best yet. Kids' costumes offer familiar characters from their favorite shows such as cartoon characters, superheroes and princesses. Adult costumes for Halloween offer grown-ups a range of options including plus size costumes and sexy costumes. Our philosophy is, if you can't find it here it probably doesn't exist.


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Employee Salary Database
The Employee Database tracks salary information on state employees from the current year as well as previous years. Search by agency, individual name, position, salary, or even year of service.
Your request has generated over 2,500 records. Please refine your search and submit again
Issue Year: 2018
Agency: CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES


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Decision : CONF 001 VI.A(f).38
Procedure and calendar for the submission of nominations
The very tight calendar proposed was discussed in some detail, with many participants referring once more to the difficulties their own governments would have to face in preparing in time their nominations. The question of limiting the number of nominations to be submitted by States was again raised, and whereas the decision previously taken in plenary not to impose any limit was maintained, it was decided that States would be requested to indicate an order of priority among the nominations submitted. States would, at the same time, be reminded that the process of submitting nominations was ongoing and that nominations not considered at the second session of the Committee would be examined at later sessions.
Decision Code: CONF 001 VI.A(f).38
Themes: Inscriptions on the World Heritage List, Working methods and tools
Year: 1977


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Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes.
As the topsite owner in question here, I concur that the owner should be able to see the IP addresses of anyone that leaves a comment on my topsite. How can I possibly put someone's IP on the ban list if I have no way of seeing it? It's not just for the case as stated above. People that randomly give low ratings for no reason is a minor part of this problem. You also have bots that are set specifically to do things like this. And people that come in from other websites and rate down while posting inappropriate links (I've seen them for Adult Webcams, adult dating sites, etc). I would like to be able to ban these people from posting their garbage.
I also think topsite owners should be able to entirely remove comments (as you would remove a single post from a thread on a forum if it were found inappropriate). I shouldn't have to go through the trouble of resetting everything when there's ONE bad apple that's causing a problem.
Also, another suggestion? I think it's a great invasion of privacy for the topsite owner to be able to see everyone's passwords. I didn't even realize this feature was there until I made my own topsite. I could easily use that password to try and get into someone's proboards admin account and ruin them (I'm not saying I would, but there are people that do things like that to be vindictive). It's not a difficult task, and I doubt that many people know, when making a name and password, that the owner can see it. I've actually had my topsite hacked into already and it's not even a month old, and I have a feeling that the reason is I'm on another topsite where the owner can see my password (has now been changed). I've actually contemplated leaving this site entirely because of the privacy issues at hand.
Please address these issues. I know I'm not the only one that is looking for a change, and these are legitimate complaints that need to be dealt with in a timely manner.


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Stock intended to eventually earn taxpayers a profit as part of the Bush administration's massive bank bailout has lost a third of its value — about $9 billion — in barely one month, according to an Associated Press analysis. Shares in virtually every bank that received federal money have remained below the prices the government negotiated.
Even as stocks dropped steadily at the opening bell on Friday in reaction to a larger-than-expected number of job losses, a top Treasury Department official told the Mortgage Bankers Association that the tax dollars are being invested in "very high-quality institutions of all sizes."
"We're not day traders, and we're not looking for a return tomorrow" said Neel Kashkari, the director of Treasury's Office of Financial Stability, which oversees the $700 billion financial rescue fund. "Over time, we believe the taxpayers will be protected and have a return on their investment."
Most of the Treasury Department's investments since late October have been in preferred bank stocks, more than $180 billion worth, with investments in giants like Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase, and many small community banks. But the government also negotiated options to buy up to 1.2 billion shares of common bank stock that was valued at $27 billion.
The Treasury Department said it did not expect these common stock options to be profitable immediately and negotiated them so taxpayers could share in the wealth if the bank stocks recover.
Now, however, the value of that common stock is less than $18 billion. If the government exercised all its warrants to purchase the stock today, it would lose money on 51 of its 53 agreements. Taxpayers would be out $9.3 billion.
The government can exercise its options to buy the common stock anytime over the next decade, but the options were "immediately exercisable," according to banks' securities filings.
"The markets are saying this plan isn't going to work for the banks," said Ross Levine, Tisch professor of economics at Brown University. "They're asking where this plan is going."
Potential losses among these common stocks include more than $3 billion for the administration's biggest deal, a $45 billion injection into Citigroup Inc. The government gave the New York-based giant $25 billion on Oct. 28. In addition to preferred stock worth $1,000 per share, the deal included warrants to pick up 210 million shares of common stock at $17.85. In late November, the White House put together a plan to give Citibank another $20 billion. The deal also included warrants to pick up 254 million shares, with the price set at $10.61.
Citigroup stock has since fallen below $8.
The government would only earn a profit if the share price eventually exceeds the negotiated warrant price. Under the bailout plan, the common stock warrants — effectively treated as stock options for non-employees — would allow taxpayers to share the wealth as banks recover.
"We're not exercising the warrants today," Treasury spokeswoman Brookly McLaughlin said. "We have 10 years to exercise the warrants, so it's more accurate to look at what the market believes are the 10-year prospects for these banks."
The Treasury Department projects that the $180 billion in preferred stock will generate roughly $9 billion per year during the first five years and $16.2 billion per year afterward, assuming the banks remain solvent.
The preferred stock has a fixed value of $1,000 per share, and a 5 percent annual dividend for the first five years of the investment.
Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. describes the cash infusion as "an investment, not an expenditure."
So far, however, only two of the 53 banks can be considered a good investment.
The AP's analysis found that only HF Financial Corp. of Sioux Falls, S.D., and First Niagara Financial Group of Lockport, N.Y., would make money for taxpayers if the common stock options were exercised today. According to records filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, both are small banks, far removed from the wheeling and dealing of federally insured giants that ravaged the global economy by making bad bets on subprime mortgages.
The South Dakota bank, for example, has a market value of $54 million, a tiny fraction of the size of JPMorgan Chase, the nation's largest. The Treasury Department gave $25 million to HF Financial on Nov. 21 in exchange for 25,000 shares of preferred stock and warrants that allow taxpayers to buy 302,000 shares at $12.40 within the next decade. For now, it's a good deal; the bank's stock is trading around $13. If the government exercised its option to buy HF stock today, taxpayers would collect $63,500.
More companies would be in the black, but the government used a 20-day stock price average to set the warrant price, meaning it willingly negotiated to pay roughly 25 percent more than the stock was worth on the day it signed the deals on behalf of taxpayers.
Nara Bancorp, created in 1989 to serve Southern California's growing Korean-American community, borrowed $67 million from taxpayers on Nov. 21, when its stock was trading at $7.50 per share. But the government negotiated the option to buy 1 million shares of Nara common stock at $9.64, higher than its stock is currently trading.
"It's a complete mistake to think this is a good investment for us," said Paola Sapienza, a finance associate professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, who spearheaded a September protest of the bailout by more than 200 of the nation's leading economists. "It's a gamble. It's like going to Las Vegas."


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Jerry W. Lewis
Founder / CEO
Upstream Communications LLC in Boulder, Colo. works with innovative companies on PR, marketing and social media strategies.
My mission is to help business CEOs and their marketers to focus on straightforward, cost-effective strategies to increase customers, sales and product/service branding.
As a former editor with Boulder County Business Report, Denver Post and Boulder Camera, I know firsthand the value of quality media and community relationships. I'll work closely with your business to develop PR and marketing that get the job done.


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Save an Extra 10% Off* Outlet Styles! Simply Use Code: BF10
Your legs will love the new Joe Browns' collection of women's skirts! From floral print skirts, to polka dot print and women's check skirts, there's a distinctive design to suit you this autumn!
Select from gorgeous midi skirts, vintage style fishtail skirts and classic a-line finishes. No matter which you choose, you'll feel confident and stylish stepping out in our unique skirts!
2 Items


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Auto, home, and business insurance from Maps Insurance Services.
Maps Investments, through our broker dealer CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (CFS), provides comprehensive financial services.
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Speedbump Modal Called Incorrectly!
Simple Modal Called Incorrectly!


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The MDG Gap Task Force was created by the Secretary-General of the United Nations following the discussion of the Policy Committee on 1 May 2007 (Decision No. 2007/22) to improve monitoring of the global commitments contained in MDG 8, the Global Partnership for Development.
The main purpose of the Task Force is to systematically track existing international commitments and to identify gaps and obstacles in their fulfilment at the international and country level in the areas of official development assistance, market access (trade), debt relief, access to essential medicines and new technologies.
The Task Force integrates more than 20 UN agencies, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat (UN/DESA) are the lead agencies in coordinating the work of the Task Force.


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|International orders may be delayed up to 15 days or more due to carrier labor challenges.
Got this as a gift for my dad and he adores it! The quality is amazing! The dice don't bounce when thrown onto the board, the pieces are high quality. Everything about this backgammon set is superior. Will definitely buy from again!
Hand-made in Greece, this beautiful wood backgammon set offers quality materials and gorgeous design, at an unbelievable price.
Made of various woods and wood composites, this backgammon set is built to last forever. The playing surface is a German made printed field and features a lovely wood grain design, with perfectly contrasting oak and maple points.
This wooden backgammon set comes with upgraded marbleized checkers (8mm thick and 30% heavier than standard checkers), and is fully equipped with 2 dice cups, 2 pair of dice, and doubling cube.
|Backgammon Set Dimensions:
|Closed Length:
|18 3/4"
|11 3/4"
|Open Length:
|18 3/4"
|23 3/4"
|1 1/2"
|Backgammon Set Materials:
|Case Material:
|Wenge Laminate
|Case Color:
|Field Material:
|Printed Wenge
|Field Color:
|Points 1 Color:
|Oak - Inlaid
|Points 2 Color:
|Maple - Inlaid
|Clasp Style:
|Brass Clasp
|Backgammon Stone Dimensions:
|1 1/2" (36 mm)
|5/16" (8 mm)
|Marbleized Plastic - Finger Dish
|Stones 1 Color:
|Stones 2 Color:
|Backgammon Dice/Cube Dimensions:
|Dice Size:
|Dice Set 1 Color:
|Dice Set 2 Color:
|Cube Color:
|Backgammon Cup Dimensions:
|Cup Height:
|2 1/2"
|1 1/2"
|2 1/2"
|Cup Exterior:
|Cup Interior:
|Cup 1 Outer:
|Light Brown
|Cup 1 Inner:
|Light Brown
|Cup 2 Outer:
|Light Brown
|Cup 2 Inner:
|Light Brown
USA & CANADA - shipping via UPS
We offer FREE ground shipping to the contiguous USA and Canada (Hawaii and Alaska are excluded) for many products. Look for the "FREE SHIPPING" designation.
For all other items, and for Express Shipping options, we use an integrated online UPS shipping calculator. The shipping charges are calculated in real time by UPS. 1
Once you have finished shopping, you will be able to select Express Shipping options (Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, 3-Day Select) on check-out. Only after you know the total charge, will you be asked to enter your payment information. 2
For same day shipping, where indicated, orders must be received before 2pm Eastern Time (New York) in order to ship same day. Orders received after 2pm will be sent out the following business day. Orders received on weekends and on holidays will be processed the next business day.
INTERNATIONAL - shipping via USPS
We offer shipping to over 190 countries with United States Postal Service using Express Mail International. Packages are insured and fully trackable.
International orders can take up to 5 business days to ship. Once your order ships, you will receive a tracking number by email. Customers are responsible for any import charges (tax, duty, etc.)
APO AND MILITARY ADDRESSES - shipping via USPS
Unfortunately, we cannot supply tracking numbers for shipments to APO/FPO addresses. The U.S. Government requires that we send all shipments to APO/FPO addresses using the U.S. Postal Service.
When completing your Shipping Address during checkout, please make note of the following.
* The Country must be "USA"
* The City must be entered as either "APO" or "FPO"
* The State must be selected as either "APO/FPO AA" "APO/FPO AE" or "APO/FPO AP"
* You must enter the zip code for your shipping address
* Always remember to enter your full name, grade, and PSC or unit number.
If you have any questions, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com, or call us toll free in USA & Canada at 1- 866-260-2058.
1 Shipping charges at all times are based on weight and not on ticket price. There is a minimum 1-pound shipping charge on any item, including small items such as dice or checkers. In these cases, shipping charges can exceed the cost of the item.
2 We offer Express Shipping options on all items except Hillsdale game tables. All Hillsdale game tables ship ground freight.


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The bill to stabilize the Obamacare exchanges, written by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA), now has 60 votes — including 12 Republican co-sponsors — but it still has a long way to go to become law. For one thing, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who leads the crucial Finance Committee, is not a supporter. Hatch has called for more radical changes, such as eliminating the individual mandate and some insurance-related taxes, telling Talking Points Memo: "I'm concerned we're just perpetuating a bad process. They want to do it for another two years. I'd rather face the problem now." The other big challenge is President Trump, who has sent conflicting signals about his position. The White House has said the president would support the bill if it includes conservative changes along the lines Hatch wants. But those demands may be non-starters for Democrats.
Health Care