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An employer-sponsored retirement savings plan that lets employees withhold and invest a portion of their income before it is taxed. From an employer-selected list of investment options, employees choose how they want their money invested. Employers sometimes contribute to employees' 401(k) plans based on a percentage (such as contributing 50 cents for every dollar an employee invests).
A tax-deferred retirement savings plan similar to a 401(k), but aimed at teachers and employees of some non-profit organizations. Participants contribute to either annuity contracts (often called a TSA) with insurance companies, or directly with mutual fund companies.
Accumulation Unit Value (AUV)
For Variable Annuities only. An annuity's subaccount price per share during the accumulation phase. An AUV is the net asset value after income and capital gains have been included and subaccount management expenses have been subtracted. Many insurance companies keep daily charts for the tracking of AUV's and also offer performance summary sheets.
Accumulation Phase
The accumulation phase is the period when an annuity owner can add money and accumulate assets in a tax-deferred manner. Now that the national trend is individuals wanting to save money for retirement, it is common for people to ask, "How am I doing?" This really means, "Will I have enough to retire on—because I don't want to run out." Understanding the accumulation phase can better prepare you to avoid confusion as you save money for your retirement.
Annual Gift
An annual gift is a donation that is made every year and is a way to provide significant tax savings for many individuals. Annual gifts provide ongoing support for university campuses, schools, departments, and other programs or organizations. An annual gift is often associated with annuities.
Application for Benefits
To receive Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, or Medicare, you must complete and sign an application.
You can apply for retirement, disability, Medicare, and spouse's benefits online, in person at a local Social Security Office, or by telephone at 1-800-772-1213. The TTY number is 1-800-325-0778.
Annual Insurance Fee
For Variable Annuities only. An annual insurance fee covers mortality and expense risk charges and other administrative expenses. It also provides for a guaranteed death benefit and for lifetime guaranteed income payouts. Annual fees are usually smaller than upfront charges and are often considered less important, but this isn't really the case. The percentage of the annual fee may be small, but remember that your investment or policy may reasonably be expected to grow and, assuming it does, then the amount of money you actually pay in annual management charges grows with it even though the percentage levy remains unchanged. It is important to consider special offer investments; these investments often waive the initial charge but have an annual fee that is considerably higher.
Annual Policy Fee
For Variable Annuities only. An annual policy fee covers the costs of maintaining and administering an account during the accumulation phase. It is often waived, however, when an account's value reaches a certain level (which is stated in the contract). An annual insurance fee covers mortality and expense (M & E) risk charges and other administrative expenses. It also provides for a guaranteed death benefit and for lifetime guaranteed income payouts.
Annual Subaccount Fee (similar to annual fees)
A fee deducted for fund operating costs, management fees, and other asset-based costs incurred by the fund. This charge is assessed at the subaccount level and is not deducted from policy values.
The person, usually the annuity owner, whose life expectancy is used to calculate the income payment amount on the annuity.
An annuity is a contract issued by a life insurance company that provides for tax deferral of investment income until withdrawn from the contract. An annuity can also be referred to as a contract or agreement by which one receives fixed payments on an investment for a lifetime or for a specified number of years.
Annuitization (annuitize)
When you annuitize your contract, you trade the value of your annuity for the issuing company's guarantee to make payments to you periodically for a certain time or for the span of your lifetime.
Annuity Owner
The annuity owner is the person or people who make decisions about an annuity's investments. The owner or owners have the rights to make withdrawals from the annuity, surrender or change the designated beneficiary or other terms of the annuity.
Anticipated Initial Investment
The anticipated initial investment is the amount of money you want to invest at the beginning. Most companies have certain minimum initial investment amounts for annuities or other investments.
An average is an arithmetic mean of a group of stocks designed to represent the overall market or some part of it. An average differs from an index in that it is not weighted. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is the most common average.
A beneficiary is the person designated to receive payments due upon the death of the annuity owner or the annuitant themselves. Annuities are an example of an investment that can give you peace of mind for your family's financial future.
A bequest may be of a specific sum, a percentage, or the residue of an estate, and may consist of cash, securities, life insurance proceeds, real estate, and/or personal property. A bequest may be made through a will or by a living trust.
Certificate of Deposit (CD)
Short or medium-term, interest-bearing, FDIC-insured debt instrument offered by banks and savings and loans. A low risk investment vehicle with low returns, there is usually an early withdrawal penalty.
Charitable Annuity (Gift Annuity)
A charitable gift annuity is a contract between a donor and a foundation, under which the foundation guarantees payment of an annuity, unlike a trust which pays the annuity from its assets alone. Two features in particular make charitable gift annuities appealing. An individual may specify whether he or she wants an immediate annuity, with payment to begin not later than one year from the date of the gift, or a deferred gift annuity, from which payments are not to begin until a specified future date. In addition, the income stream from such an arrangement can be higher than current market rates.
Compounding of Gains
Interest that is credited to your policy is added to your principal as well as interest credited in prior policy years.
CPI-W (Consumer Price Index)
An index prepared by the U. S. Department of Labor that charts the rise in costs for selected goods and services. This index is used to compute Cost of living adjustments.
Contingent Annuitant
The person who is entitled to receive the annuity benefits based on other specified events.
Cost Basis
Your initial payment/premium(s) paid to a non-qualified annuity is known as the cost basis in your contract. Since it was previously taxed, your cost basis will not be taxed upon withdrawal. If a previous distribution was not fully taxable, the cost basis would be reduced by the amount that was not taxable. For contracts purchased after August 14, 1982, a "withdrawal" must come from earnings first for tax purposes, and any amounts in excess of your cost basis will be taxed as ordinary income (an additional 10 percent "federal income" tax penalty may apply for those less than 59 1/2 years of age) upon withdrawal.
Cost of Waiver
Waiver of premium is a benefit available on qualified life insurance contracts that provides for the waiver or payment of premiums that fall due while the insured is totally disabled. Under a qualified retirement plan, contributions used to purchase waiver of premium benefits are taxable to the plan participant and must be included in gross income in the year in which they are paid.
Current Interest Rate
This is the interest rate that an annuity is paying, including the sum of the base rate, if any, and the bonus rate, if any. The current rate is set by the insurance company at the time of issue and is guaranteed for specific length of time.
Death Benefits
The payment the investor's estate or beneficiaries will receive if he or she dies before the annuity matures. There are several types of death benefits with variable annuities, including: Current account value or initial investment (whichever is greater), in which the beneficiary receives the value of the annuity when the policyholder dies; Rising floor, in which an investment company guarantees a minimum return on premium deposits, regardless of subaccount investment performance; Ratchet, a benefit equal to the greater of (a) the contract value, (b) premium payments less prior withdrawals or (c) the contract value on a specified prior date; and Stepped-up, which guarantees the account value to the beneficiary as of a particular anniversary date (e.g. every 5 years).
Deferred Annuities (Tax Deferred)
Deferred annuities are annuity contracts for people who want to save on a tax-deferred basis for many years, and then convert to a payout schedule once they retire. Contrary to an immediate annuity, taxes on deferred annuities do not become payable until some years after its purchase. The single premium or regular premiums are capitalized during the deferred period, then the built up capital is converted into an annuity. Deferred annuities typically stipulate that payments be made to the Annuitant at a later date, such as when the annuitant reaches a certain age.
Direct Rollover
This is when an eligible qualified retirement plan or Section 403(b) distribution is moved directly from a qualified retirement plan or Section 403(b) tax-deferred annuity to an IRA or to another qualified retirement plan or Section 403(b) tax-deferred annuity. The individual's employer will not have to withhold 20% for federal income taxes from a direct rollover.
Effective Interest Rate
The actual annual interest rate that accrues, after taking into consideration the effects of compounding.
Employer Plan or Qualified Plan
A tax-qualified retirement plan is an advantage that an employer establishes to benefit employees. Permissible contributions will depend on the type of plan (such as a defined benefit plan or a profit-sharing plan, including a Section 401(k) plan) and on what the particular employer elects. These plans are highly regulated and subject to significant IRS restrictions.
In an endowment fund, the principal is invested and only a portion of the investment earnings is spent. The rest of the earnings are channeled back into the fund, so that the endowment grows over time. In this way, the endowment becomes a perpetual source of funding for whatever the donor wishes to achieve.
Equitable Owner
An equitable owner is the beneficiary of a property held in a trust.
Equity Indexed Annuity
An annuity whose returns are based upon the performance of an equity market index, such as the S&P 500, DJIA, or NASDAQ. The principal investment is protected from losses in the equity market, while gains add to the annuity's returns.
Excess Contributions to an IRA
An excess IRA contribution is one that exceeds the combined deductible and nondeductible limits established by the IRS. If an excess contribution is not removed prior to the tax return due date (including extensions) by the contributing individual, the excess contribution is subject to the 6% excise tax in the year of contribution. The excess will be carried over and subject to excise tax each year thereafter until it is removed. It is the responsibility of the client to file Form 5329 to calculate his or her penalty.
Exclusion Ratio (Nonqualified Income Annuity)
This is the ratio that determines which portion of an annuity distribution is earnings and which portion is a return of your original investment. Only the portion consisting of earnings is taxable.
Five-Year Annualized Total Return
For Variable Annuities only. This percentage figure reflects annuities subaccounts total return (gain or loss) averaged over 5 years.
Fixed Annuity (Fixed Rate Annuity)
Fixed annuities are savings instruments offered by insurance companies that guarantees principal and a modest interest rate and also offers a stream of fixed payments over the life of the annuitant or owner. The insurer, not the insured, takes the investment risk. Fixed annuities are sometimes called a fixed dollar annuity.
Fixed or Equity Indexed Annuity
A Fixed Indexed Annuity is an annuity based on a statistical indicator, the equity market index, which provides a representation of the value of the securities, which constitute it. An index annuity is a hybrid of both fixed and variable annuities. Indices often serve as guides for a given market or industry and benchmarks against which financial or economic performance is measured. An indexed annuity can be based on the S&P 500, Nasdaq, or the DJIA.
The principal investment into the indexed annuity is protected from losses in the equity market, while gains add to the annuity's returns. This means that once you make a premium payment, you will never have less in your Fixed Indexed Annuity account than your premium payment, and as the index appreciates in value, so does the Fixed Indexed Annuity. Fixed Indexed Annuities can be a wise choice and become a great source of additional income revenue.
Immediate Annuity
An immediate annuity is an annuity which is purchased with a single payment and which begins to pay out right away. When you purchase an immediate annuity, it is generally with a single lump sum, and your income payments begin within 12 months of the date of purchase. With fixed immediate annuities, your payment from the annuity is based on a fixed interest rate. With variable immediate annuities, your payment is based on the value of the underlying investment, usually a stock portfolio.
After choosing an immediate annuity, the annuity owner determines the schedule of payments. This can be done either monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually. Another important decision to make with your immediate annuity is how long the payments will last. The annuity owner can choose to receive payments for a specified period of time, an entire lifetime, or even for the life of a beneficiary.
Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
An IRA is a tax-advantaged personal savings plan that lets an individual set aside money for retirement. All or part of the participant's contributions may be tax deductible, depending on the type of IRA chosen and the investor's personal financial circumstances. Distributions from many employer-sponsored retirement plans may be eligible to be rolled into an IRA to continue tax-deferred growth until the funds are needed.
Interest Only Option
A settlement option for annuities in which an individual is paid only the interest on the maturity proceeds. A Form 1099-R is issued in the year the annuity matures, and will report any taxable gain. From that point on, the owner receives interest on the maturity proceeds left on deposit.
Market Value Adjustment
Adjustments or deductions made to charge off a loss.
Money Market Portfolio
Your portfolio is a collection of investments all owned by the same individual or organization. A portfolio could contain annuities, stocks, bonds or a 401(k) plan.
Morningstar Rating
A rating of annuity products based on their quality as measured by Morningstar, a leading independent provider of investment information. Annuity subaccounts are rated with 1-5 stars, with 5 being the best possible rating.
Mortality and Expense Risk Charge (M&E)
For Variable Annuities only. A fee for insurance guarantees, including the death benefit, the choice of guaranteed lifetime payout options, and the guarantee that insurance charges will not increase.
Non-Qualified Sources
Sources of money where the money has already been taxed, such as cash, mutual funds, certificates of deposit (CDs), and money market funds.
One-Year Annualized Total Return
For Variable Annuities only. This percentage figure reflects a subaccount's total return (gain or loss) averaged over a year.
An individual who participates in a retirement plan sponsored either by his employer or, if self-employed, by himself or herself.
Participation Rate
The amount of the percentage change (which is set by the company) used to determine the amount to be credited to your policy for that year.
Payout Phase or Payout Period
The period during which the money accumulated in an annuity is paid out as regular income payments.
Percentage Change
The change in the S&P 500 Index from the beginning of the term to the end of the term expressed as a percentage.
Periodic Transfer
A changing of ownership, such as real estate, a security, or a financial account, from one party to another, or a movement of funds from one account to another.
Premature Distribution
(Premature Distribution Penalty.) Withdrawals made from certain tax-favored plans may be subject to an additional 10% federal income tax if the withdrawal is made before the contract owner reaches age 59 1/2. Certain exemptions do apply. The contract owner should seek legal and tax advice before making plan withdrawals.
Premium Bonus
A Premium bonus is additional money that is credited to the accumulation account of an annuity policy under certain conditions.
Premium Taxes
Some states charge a tax on the contributions made to an annuity. The issuing company generally charges the annuity contract for any premium tax and other taxes based on premium it pays to the state.
Qualified Annuities
Qualified annuities are annuities purchased for funding an IRA, 403(b) tax-deferred annuity, or other type of retirement arrangements. An IRA or qualified retirement plan provides the tax deferral. An annuity contract should be used to fund an IRA or qualified retirement plan to benefit from an annuity's features other than tax deferral, including the lifetime income payout option, the death benefit protection and, for variable annuities, the ability to transfer among investment options without sales or withdrawal charges.
A rollover is a distribution from a qualified retirement plan or Section 403(b) to an individual and then from the individual to another qualified retirement plan, Section 403(b), or IRA. After constructive receipt of the distribution, an individual has 60 days to roll the funds over into another qualified funding vehicle in order for the funds to remain qualified.
Roth Conversion
You can roll over funds from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA if you meet certain requirements. The taxable amount of the rollover funds will be included in the gross income for the year in which the conversion is made.
Roth IRA
A Roth IRA is a special type of IRA under which distributions may be tax exempt. Individuals may make nondeductible contributions into a Roth IRA if certain income requirements are met. Qualified distributions from a Roth IRA are tax-free.
Source of Funds
Where you'll get the money you plan to invest. Your source or sources can be qualified or non-qualified. Qualified sources are pre-tax sources such as 401(k) accounts, traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 403(b) retirement plans for teachers, and other employer-sponsored plans. Non-qualified sources are after-tax sources such as cash, mutual funds, certificates of deposit (CDs), money market funds, and exchanges of other non-qualified annuities (1035 exchanges).
Standard & Poor's (S&P) Rating
Standard & Poor's analyzes and rates insurance companies' financial strengths in part on their ability to meet their contractual obligations to policyholders. Standard & Poor's ratings are in letter grade form as follows:
An insurer rated 'AAA' has EXTREMELY STRONG financial security characteristics. 'AAA' is the highest Insurer Financial Strength Rating assigned by Standard & Poor's.
An insurer rated 'AA' has VERY STRONG financial security characteristics, differing only slightly from those rated higher.
An insurer rated 'A' has STRONG financial security characteristics, but is somewhat more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than are insurers with higher ratings.
An insurer rated 'BBB' has GOOD financial security characteristics, but is more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than are higher rated insurers. An insurer rated 'BB' or lower is regarded as having vulnerable characteristics that may outweigh its strengths. 'BB' indicates the least degree of vulnerability within the range; 'CC' the highest.
An insurer rated 'BB' has MARGINAL financial security characteristics. Positive attributes exist, but adverse business conditions could lead to insufficient ability to meet financial commitments.
An insurer rated 'B' has WEAK financial security characteristics. Adverse business conditions will likely impair its ability to meet financial commitments.
An insurer rated 'CCC' has VERY WEAK financial security characteristics, and is dependent on favorable business conditions to meet financial commitments.
An insurer rated 'CC' has EXTREMELY WEAK financial security characteristics and is likely not to meet some of its financial commitments.
An insurer rated 'OR' is under regulatory supervision owing to its financial condition. During the regulatory supervision, the regulators may have the power to favor one class of obligations over others or pay some obligations and not others. The rating does not apply to insurers subject only to non-financial actions such as market conduct violations.
An insurer designated 'NR' is NOT RATED, which implies no opinion about the insurer's financial security and contracts in accordance with their terms.
Standard Deviation (3 year)
For Variable Annuities only. A statistical measure of a subaccount's range of performance. When an annuity subaccount has a high degree of deviation, chances are greater that it will fluctuate.
For Variable Annuities only. The various investment portfolios in which your annuity funds are invested. You choose which subaccounts you want your money invested in and how much you want to allocate to each.
Surrender Charges
The charge for withdrawing excess amounts above and beyond the stated terms of the annuity. Surrender Charges would also apply if the contract is terminated before the maturity of the contract. Surrender charges typically are a percentage of the total premium deposited, and the charge decreases to 0 over time, as the annuity gets closer to the date it will mature.
Surrender Value
The surrender value is the amount that is available in cash for loans and that may be available for withdrawals. Accessing Cash Surrender Value may reduce the death benefit and may increase the risk of lapse.
Tax Incentives
Tax incentives allow corporations to receive credits or deductions ranging from 10% to 35% against the cost of equipment or installation to promote renewable energy equipment. In some cases, the incentive decreases over time. Some states allow the tax credit only if a corporation has invested a certain dollar amount into a given renewable energy project. In most cases, there is no maximum limit imposed on the amount of the deductible or credit.
Variable Annuity
With billions of investment dollars going into mutual funds, insurance companies created a competing product called Variable Annuities that allows you to invest your money within investment portfolios called subaccounts. Unlike other annuities, a variable annuity does not guarantee a set rate of interest or earnings, being based instead on fund performance and account averages. However you can buy, sell, and switch funds at any time without incurring taxes until you begin to withdraw your original investment and income after age 59. At that time your gains are taxed as ordinary income. Transfers between your portfolios can also reduce tax burdens.


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Ohio church apologizes for video of kids spitting on, hitting pastor as part of Easter lesson
A Pataskala, Ohio, church has posted an apology video after students attending a youth gathering there put up videos of children slapping, spitting and cutting a pastor.
The incident took place Monday night at an "after school hangout" at Impact City Church, where high and middle school students spend time doing such things as listening to a short gospel message, lead pastor Justin Ross said.
Ross said in the video on the church's Facebook page that it was meant to help students learn about Easter and the crucifixion. While at the gathering, Ross said he did not lead it. Associate pastor Jaddeus Dempsey, 37, did, he said. Dempsey sat next to Ross in the apology video.
″(Jaddeus) chose to use an illustration to explain a very important topic about the crucifixion but the illustration went too far and it was inappropriate," Ross said.
Dempsey told students that anyone who wanted to spit in his face, slap him or cut him with a steak knife that he had provided could do so without repercussions, Ross said. Several students took him up on the offer, with many of the youths recording their actions on their cellphones. Ross said many of the students were "excited" to spit on Dempsey and one cut him on the neck.
Many people who viewed the students' videos on social media sites weren't as enthusiastic.
"Many of you were disgusted, many of you were hurt by us, many of you were very confused on why this would be taking place at a church in the youth (group), and we agree it was inappropriate for this audience and there's really no excuse for why it happened," Ross said.
He added that the intent of the activity was to show how Jesus had been hurt by people who had done the same things to him.
"He chose to allow them to spit on him and beat him and crucify him in order to take the payment of our debt that we call sin," Ross said. "So Jaddeus, in an effort to share that message of love with the gospel and the story of Jesus' crucifixion, he shared this illustration and tried to share in some of the pain that Jesus took on that day."
Dempsey apologized and said the idea was his and that he "crossed the line."
Ross said the church doesn't condone what happened and it doesn't reflect their teachings or values.

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm so excited! It's the 1st of July, and officially the start of the #31Days31Writers – mid year edition! Why am I super excited? Well, so I've been all over the place this past month, and by the 26th I wasn't sure I would still be able to pull this off. But, here we are, and I've got such a spread of voices from around the world I'm mega excited!
We start with my friend Yama! Yama was our designate driver the night we went from The Hague to Amsterdam to see the Red Light District; he's a fantastic, super brilliant guy, and it's my privilege to start the month with a voice from Afghanistan!
Hi there,
First of let me start by saying: You look absolutely stunning today!
My name is Yama Akbari. Born in Afghanistan, living in The Netherlands. Student and business owner.
What I've learned in the past 6 months is that life is so incredibly difficult to plan. I'm not much of a planner anyway, I usually take things as they come. But I decided that needed to change a little (a part of growing up maybe…). Didn't really pan out the way I wanted. I planned to focus more on my studies, but ended up working way more than studying. Was really planning on staying single, instead got to know someone I really could not let go of. This made me wonder: Why do I suck so badly at planning my life? I came to the conclusion that life is pretty much 'unplannable' for the most part when I started thinking about 'planning' on a larger scale.
For example, who could ever 'plan' the following: a kid born in Kabul in 1990, wanting to leave for the gym on the 30th of June 2014 (should have been studying for his exams, shame on him) would remember; promising a very inspiring Nigerian girl he met at a conference in The Hague, to write a few words for her blog. Crazy right? But kind of beautiful at the same time. Imagine the string of events that had to take place before this moment. Unfortunately, a lot of those events weren't as joyful as this one, which leads to the second thing I learned in the past 6 months: Andre 3000's fashion sense isn't the only thing that's spot on, his cryptic life lessons are as well. On the Outkast song 'Ms. Jackson' he sings: 'you can plan a pretty picnic but you can't predict the weather'. I finally got it Andre, you keep on spitting mad truth and dressing dapper as hell!
That brings me to what I'm looking forward to for the second half of this year .. Not really easy to say after all of that 'life is crazy and unpredictable' stuff. I am actually thinking about what I'm looking forward to while writing this sentence and I'm realizing that it's such a blessing that I'm not sure what to look forward to (huge smile on my face right now). All those unplanned moments of joy; that feeling of relief when everything turns out well after a moment of uncertainty, an unexpected phone call from an old friend, coming home and getting served your favorite meal, being the best at something very random and useless, witnessing a cute moment between two lovers, stumbling upon a family of ducks swimming in a pond (I'm running out of ideas..), seeing an old lady feeding those ducks and making sure the weakest one gets as much as the rest. All I'm planning and looking forward to (apart from studying and working, duh) is actually enjoying and appreciating all those little unexpected moments of joy.
I urge you to do so as well. Even if it's something very unexpected and random. Let's say: a guy from halfway across the world, at the start of his post on this blog, complimenting you that you look stunning without even knowing what you look like …


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More than 1,200 unaccounted for in deadly Colo. floods
The number of people unaccounted for in flood-ravaged Colorado rose Sunday to 1,254 as flooding spread to 15 counties and rain continued to fall.
Many of those unaccounted for were reported unreachable on the phone by family members.
"We don't expect to find 1,254 fatalities," said Micki Trost, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Five fatalities -- four in Boulder County and one in El Paso County -- have been confirmed since the bulk of the rain began Wednesday evening. Still the number of fatalities could rise. An 80-year-old woman in Larimer County's Cedar Grove was missing and presumed dead after her home was washed away by the flooding Big Thompson River , the county sheriff's office said Sunday. The woman was injured and unable to leave her home Friday night, sheriff's spokesman John Schulz said. A second Larimer County 60-year-old woman is also presumed dead after the river destroyed her home the same night.
Some 1,500 homes have been destroyed and about 17,500 have been damaged, according to an initial estimate released by the Colorado Office of Emergency Management.
Some people just don't know what's come of their relatives. A Dallas man saw a photo of his mother's Big Thompson Canyon home in ruins on a Denver TV website. "I don't know that she's even OK," Rob Clements told The Coloradoan about his mother, Libby Orr, 73, with whom he last spoke on Thursday. "I presume she is. But her house, if not completely gone, fell into the river and is most of the way gone."
Many roads and bridges in the state are damaged or destroyed, said Amy Ford, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Crews are assessing the extent of the damage, which will cost "hundreds of millions" of dollars to repair, she said.
The actual number of roads damaged or destroyed is unknown, Ford said. Sections of three U.S. highways — 34, 36 and 72 — and various mountain roads are heavily damaged, she said.
Thirty highway bridges are destroyed, 20 are seriously damaged, and transportation officials suspect 20 others are damaged.
"Our first priority is looking at roads to repair," Ford said. "We're also looking at roadways near water that weren't closed to make sure they are safe."
Recovery "will take weeks, if not months," she said.
Long-time Boulder resident Tom Kahn said there were some mudslides in his neighborhood near the base of a mountain that overlooks the city of Boulder, but his house did not suffer any major damage. Water "poured" into some nearby houses, he said.
"It's very sad," said Kahn, a Realtor who has lived in Boulder since 1967. "Our beautiful Boulder is hammered. Mother Nature wins."
He said Four Mile Canyon, one of several canyons where people live outside of Boulder, is "a total wipeout."
"Life goes on, but it's so heartbreaking."
Boulder resident Rudy Harburg said the most prevalent problem in the city of Boulder is flooded basements. He said the local Home Depot sold 700 sump pumps in four hours.
"I have not seen as much rain in the 55 years I have lived in Boulder," said Harburg, who owns apartments in the city.
In front of a house on a hill above the University of Colorado campus, he said he saw people piling a couch and other furniture in front of the front door to keep water from rushing into the house.
A few days ago, a major street in Boulder, Baseline, was "a torrential river," and Boulder Canyon, the big canyon leading into and out of the city, is "a disaster," he said.
The Boulder Sheriff's Office has reported that mudslides, debris and water have destroyed or made impassable mountain roads in Boulder Canyon and other canyons west of the city.
Harburg said, though, that media pictures showing extensive flood-related damage – particularly in hard-hit, nearby Lyons — are not representative of downtown Boulder. He said he has encountered roadblocks blocking some city streets, but he has usually been able to drive without obstruction through the city.
He said many college students were making the best of the situation, "dancing in the rain and running around in bikinis" on the hill above campus.
He praised city officials, because "our infrastructure — roads, storm sewers and drainage systems — has held up."
About 14,500 people have evacuated from flooded areas in 15 counties, and 1,329 stayed overnight Saturday in 26 emergency shelters, Trost said.
Many displaced residents are staying with family or friends or in hotels, she said.
Rain fell intermittently Saturday, and 4 inches of rain were expected Sunday.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said Sunday he expects the weather to clear Monday morning or afternoon.
The state has "a lot of broken roads and broken bridges, but we don't have broken spirits," he said.
Hickenlooper said helicopters rescued more than 2,000 people in need of evacuation in flooded areas.
The size of the flood-affected area is growing.
Flooding has impacted the foothills on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains from Fort Collins in northern Colorado to Canon City, about 180 miles away in southern Colorado.
The hardest-hit counties are Boulder and Larimer in the north and El Paso in the south. The state's two largest public universities are in the two northern counties — the University of Colorado in Boulder and Colorado State University in Larimer's most populous city, Fort Collins.
In El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs, the Manitou Springs area has been most affected by the flooding, Trost said.
Floodwaters have now spread east to the Great Plains in eastern Colorado. An emergency shelter has been set up in Sterling, about 102 miles east of Fort Collins and the Rocky Mountain foothills.
Want to help out Colorado flood victims? Trost says anyone wishing to send financial assistance should go to helpcoloradonow.org.
Liz Erley, chairwoman of the Lyons Community Foundation. , says anyone wishing to help Lyons residents whose homes were destroyed or damaged should send a check to the Lyons Community Foundation/Relief Fund, The Community Foundation, 1123 Spruce St., Boulder, Colo., 80302.
Contributing: The Associated Press; The Coloradoan.


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Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) signaled a stable recovery for Indian outsourcers when it reported on Monday strong revenue and profit growth in dollar terms for the quarter and fiscal year ended March 31.
TCS, India's largest outsourcer, as well as other services vendors like Infosys Technologies, were hit for a large part of last year by the economic recession.
TCS said that its revenue for the quarter ended March 31 was $1.7 billion, up by 17.6% from the same quarter in the previous year. Profit was up 60% to $420 million.
The company has registered revenue growth in all the industry segments in which it operates, said N. Chandrasekaran, the company's CEO and managing director, at a press briefing in Mumbai.
For its fiscal year ended March 31, the company posted revenue of $6.34 billion, up by 5.38% from the previous year. Profit was up 29% to $1.45 billion.
The results are in accordance with U.S. GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles).
It may be back to business as usual for Indian outsourcers, analysts said. Infosys, the country's second largest outsourcer, also reported earlier this month a growth in profit and revenue in dollar terms for the quarter.
The company said that revenue for the quarter ended March 31 was $1.3 billion, up 15.6% from revenue in the same quarter a year ago. Profit increased by 8.7% to $349 million. The company forecast that revenue for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011 will range from $5.57 billion and $5.67 billion, or year-over-year growth of 16% to 18%.
Worldwide spending on IT services is expected to reach $821 billion in 2010, up 5.7% from 2009, Gartner said earlier this month.
The market for outsourcing has improved, but it is too early to predict a return to the boom time before the recession for Indian outsourcers, said Siddharth Pai, a partner at outsourcing consultancy firm Technology Partners International (TPI).
Customers are looking at outsourcing options including offshoring, primarily with an eye to cut down costs, Pai said. They haven't started investing in automation and new technologies in a big way for business or revenue growth, he added.
There is also concern that as companies resume large-scale hiring in India, there will be a return to the spiraling salaries before the recession. TCS, for example, added 10,775 new staff in the quarter ended March 31. The company has made offers to 20,000 students in campuses for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011, and is also planning increments for its staff in India, said Ajoy Mukherjee, TCS' vice president and head of global human resources.
These new staff additions by Indian outsourcers may not however push up salaries in the short term, as there are still students who graduated in 2009 that have not been absorbed by the IT sector, Pai said.
Just as challenging for Indian outsourcers is the appreciation of the Indian rupee against the U.S. dollar and some European currencies. Most of the revenue of Indian outsourcers comes from Europe and the U.S. A strong rupee reduces the money available to Indian outsourcers for spending on staff and facilities offshore in India.
While the rupee appreciated by 2% against the dollar in the quarter ended March 31, the appreciation was higher at about 7% against some European currencies, said S. Mahalingam, TCS' chief financial officer. The company improved its margins by trimming costs and getting more efficient, he said.


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Certified nutritionist Deborah Enos recently reported on which foods are especially fabulous for your hair. While she was talking specifically about the millions of people who suffer from some kind of hair-loss (and it can happen to young women, especially if you're super-stressed), these tips are good for thick, shiny, healthy hair no matter what. She recommends beans for iron, zinc and biotin, walnuts and salmon because they're rich in omega-3's, and dark leafy greens for Vitamins A and C. It sounds like a delicious salad, right? Also on the list: Almonds, pecans and cashews, so if you like mixed nuts, you're in luck.
However, if you're not the salad-eating type, you can still give your hair (and nails!) a boost. There are tons of supplements out there that contain essential fatty acids and biotin. We recently chatted with Susanna Romano, a co-owner of Salon AKS in NYC, and she recommended Phyto's supplements. She said she noticed a huge difference in her own hair—that it was thicker and shinier—after taking them. They also make your mane grow faster, so if you're trying to get rid of some unfortunate bangs, they may be the answer.
Would you ever try hair supplements?
More From Cosmopolitan
More Hair & Beauty articles you'll love:
Your Complete Hair, Makeup and Fitness Guide for Fall
Update Your Makeup Bag for Under $10


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Alex Druce
(Australian Associated Press)
The worst unemployment rates in the nation in the month before the federal election were largely in areas of Queensland and WA.
CommSec's analysis of ABS Labour Force data showed more than a quarter of 87 regions across the nation had an unemployment rate of 6.0 per cent or above during April – well above the 5.2 per cent national figure – while two thirds of regions had a jobs rate below their 10 -year average.
CommSec analysts on Tuesday said a widely tipped June cut to the cash rate would not be enough to improve the situation on its own, and urged governments to focus on infrastructure spending and population policies to boost jobs.
"Rate cuts can only do so much in stimulating the economy and getting the jobless rate down," CommSec's chief economists said in a note.
Unemployment rates across most of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra came in well under the national figure, but outback Queensland recorded a national high of 14 per cent.
The Sunshine State was also represented in the top six by Townsville, Moreton Bay North, Wide Bay, and Logan-Beaudesert.
Darling Downs, Outback QLD and Moreton Bay were also among the worst performing jobs markets over the past 12 months.
Queensland's economic landscape has been the subject of much backwards-looking analysis as pundits search for reasons why voters turned away from Labor in favour of Scott Morrison's Coalition at this month's election.
Labor MPs have since stressed their party needs to focus on jobs, after its election hopes fell short in Queensland with huge swings against it.
Grafton-Coffs Harbour in northern NSW had the third highest unemployment rate in April at 8.2 per cent, while North Adelaide had 7.4 per cent.
Outback WA and three regions of Perth registered between 6.7 and 7.1 per cent.
North East and South East Perth and the WA Outback were also in the worst five performing jobs markets over the past 12 months.
CommSec said it was in the regions that the nation had to boost its jobs performance.
"The Reserve Bank governor said (in May) that we can do better on unemployment and shouldn't be satisfied with a jobless rate near 5.0 per cent," CommSec said in a release.
"When he made that statement he wasn't really thinking about Sydney and Melbourne."
HIGHEST REGIONAL JOBLESS RATES IN APRIL (per cent)
1. QLD – Outback Queensland – 14.0
2. QLD – Moreton Bay North – 9.4
3. NSW – Coffs Harbour-Grafton – 8.2
4. QLD – Logan-Beaudesert – 7.9
5. QLD – Townsville – 7.8
=6. QLD – Wide Bay – 7.4
=6 . SA – Adelaide North – 7.4
=8. WA – WA Outback – 7.1
=8. WA – Perth South East – 7.1
10. WA – Perth North East – 7.0
LOWEST REGIONAL JOBLESS RATE IN APRIL (per cent)
1. NSW – Sydney Sutherland – 1.9
2. NSW – Sydney Northern beaches – 2.5
=3. NSW – Sydney Inner West – 2.8
=3. NSW – Far West and Orana – 2.8
5. NSW – Sydney City and Inner South – 2.9
6. NSW – Sydney Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury 3.0
=7. NSW – North Sydney and Hornsby – 3.4
=7. VIC – Melbourne Inner South – 3.4
9. VIC – Melbourne South West and Warnambool – 3.5
10. VIC – Hume – 3.5
* CommSec analysis of ABS Labour Force data for April 2019


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Just spotted that Timespanner is one of the blogosphere links on the Ematejoca blog: thank you! I can't understand the language, but Ematejoca is certainly a very beautiful blog to visit.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
My thanks to the owner of Ematejoca
Posted by Timespanner at Sunday, March 01, 2009
3 comments:
Ice here's the Translated Link for you. It's a cool blog. German dedicated to the arts,movies,news etc. Very cool blog.ReplyDelete
Cheers, Liz.ReplyDelete
Hey you're welcome Ice.ReplyDelete
Love and hugs hang in there
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text: Differentiation: 1 The process by which cells become progressively more specialized; a normal process through which cells mature. This process of specialization for the cell comes at the expense of its breadth of potential. Stem cells can, for example, differentiate into secretory cells in the intestine. 2 In cancer, differentiation refers to how mature (developed) the cancer cells are in a tumor. Differentiated tumor cells resemble normal cells and tend to grow and spread at a slower rate than undifferentiated or poorly differentiated tumor cells, which lack the structure and function of normal cells and grow uncontrollably.


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The balmy, semi-tropical climate, dramatic landscapes, and famous eponymous wines of Madeira have been attracting visitors ever since the Portuguese settled this lovely Atlantic island in the early 15th century. Cristóvão Colombo called at the port of Funchal on his epic voyage to the Americas, and the harbor of this picturesque capital city is now often crowded with cruise ships.
During a recent visit with David, I discovered a world-class sandwich at the Mercado dos Lavradores, Funchal's down-home farmers' market, which is open daily but busiest on Fridays. This local specialty is known as porco com vinho e alhos, after the vinegar-and-garlic marinade used to flavor its filling: tender chunks of pork loin braised with summer savory, oregano, and fresh bay leaves from the laurel trees that grow wild on Madeira's soaring volcanic peaks. The meat is scooped into a round, pillowy bolo de caco (griddle bread) and doused with a ladle of the vinegary jus spiked with fiery malagueta peppers — which are larger than Portugal's famous piri-piri peppers, but just as incendiary. Accompanied by a frosted pint of Sagres lager, it was a fine lunch for a hungry traveler. In a moment of heroic self-sacrifice, I wrapped half the enormous sandwich in a napkin for David, who was stuck in his hotel room resting that torn Achilles tendon, which is starting to get far too much press, if you ask me.
Funchal's waterfront is filled with restaurant hawkers and garish menu boards offering "local seafood" (read: Anglicized or Americanized touristy fare), but that night David and I ferreted out the narrow cobblestone back alleys of the old port district, where we were told we could really find the city's best seafood in the quarter's tascas, or hole-in-the-wall eateries.
Seduced by Restaurante Gavião Novo's excellent reviews, and its hawker who simply wouldn't take no for an answer, we squeezed into the last empty table just ahead of a queue that suddenly started forming in the alley. Menus arrived promptly, along with an aperitif of crisp dry Madeira. (Sweet Madeiras are more well-known, but there's no better way to kick off a meal, we discovered.) We enjoyed it with excellent dense bread, olives, and the wonderful generic soft cheese simply known as amenteigão, a term referring to its butter-like texture.
I ordered the catch of the day, a red mullet, which came expertly grilled, drizzled with olive oil, and with a side of those fabulous creamy Portuguese potatoes David has been talking about forever. But it was his lapas com manteiga e alho (limpets with butter and garlic) that won, hands downs, our ongoing best-dinner competition. The saffron-colored gastropods cradled in their frilly-edged lavender-blue shells were drizzled with melted garlic butter and came sizzling to the table in a beat-up iron pan. We quickly demolished the first order and called for a second, slurping buttery limpet juice from the empty shells while we waited. David, who has quested far and wide to satisfy his obsession for these highly prized and hard-to-find shellfish, said these were the best ever. Óptimo, to use his word. I couldn't have agreed more.
Restaurante Gavião Novo | Rua Santa Maria, 131 | Funchal, Madeira
Tel: +351 291 229 238
Hours: Open daily, 12:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.


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The Gallery VIII pages of C. Marie Renfro and Martha Rea Baker have been updated. Please visit soon to enjoy new paintings!
Tag Archives: Watercolor
2017 New Year Inspiration at the Hill Country Arts Foundation
This year a record six Gallery VIII artists and partners attended the annual January art retreat at the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram, TX! Marie Renfro, Maryanne Reeves, Martha Rea Baker, Deborah Shannon, Donna Shuford and former partner, Carmen Haggard enjoyed ten days of uninterrupted studio time along with eleven additional artists.
The Hill Country Arts Foundation mounted an exhibition of work created by the seventeen artists, known by the title AWOL, Artists Without Limits, in the Duncan-McAshen Visual Arts Center on the HCAF campus.
We will post more work completed by the artists this year in the weeks ahead.
Paintings by Martha Rea Baker
"Portal I" and "Portal II" 30″ x 30″ x 2″ each Acrylic on Panel
"Canyonlands" I and II 24″ x 12″ x 2″ each Acrylic on Panel
Paintings by Marie Renfro
"Embracing Life" 30″ x 22″ Acrylic Painting on Paper
"Entrance" 22″ x 30″ Acrylic Collage on Paper
"Overlay" 30″ x 22″ Acrylic Collage on Paper
Paintings by Donna Shuford
"Ready to Bloom" 22″ x 22″ Watercolor
"Cyclamen" 14″ x 11″ Watercolor
"Shape Escape" 6″ x 6″ Watercolor
Welcome to Gallery VIII
Founded in 1982 by eight professional women artists, Gallery VIII is a unique fine art gallery offering original art in both traditional and contemporary styles. With one of the largest selections of watercolors in the Dallas metropolitan area, the gallery also features oil, acrylic and encaustic paintings, collages, etchings, and monotypes. In addition, wearable fine art jewelry and fused glass can be found among the artists' mediums. Following twenty-one years as a vibrant retail art gallery, Gallery VIII is now a creative on-line gallery offering all-original art. Now in its third decade, Gallery VIII continues with creative endeavors, including indivudual and group exhibitions, and an annual studio tour.
Gallery VIII artists are well represented by galleries throughout the United States. Please view each artist's page to learn more about them & their work, gallery listings, and links to their personal web sites. If you would like to receive online updates from your favorite Gallery VIII artists, please subscribe to this site by selecting the "Sign Me Up!" button on the right.


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Anand Chandrasekher, the senior vice president of Intel's ultra mobility group, showed off a handful of sleek prototype mobile devices containing its upcoming Moorestown platform at the Computex exhibition in Taipei on Thursday.
Moorestown is a chip platform designed for handheld computers that Intel calls mobile Internet devices (MIDs). The heart of Moorestown is a more power-efficient version of the Atom processor, named Lincroft, which is paired with a chipset called Langwell. Intel claims Moorestown uses one-fiftieth the idle power of its predecessor, the Menlow platform. The new platform is available with a range of wireless options, including Wi-Fi, WiMax, and 3G cellular connectivity.
[ Dive deep into next-gen mobile with InfoWorld's 20-page PDF featuring hands-on reviews, analysis, and insights from our editors. | Check out other news from Computex Taipei. | And keep up on the day's tech news headlines with InfoWorld's Today's Headlines: First Look newsletter and InfoWorld Daily podcast. ]
"We're not yet in [volume] production. We're getting close," Chandrasekher said, declining to be pinned down on a precise date. The chips are currently available in samples, he said.
During his speech, Chandrasekher was joined on stage by executives from hardware makers Inventec Appliances, Quanta Computer and Elektrobit, who all have working handheld devices based on the chips. The devices were all running the Moblin 2.0 version of Linux and are expected to hit the market early next year, company executives said.
Engineers managed to get the three devices working and ready for Computex in less than two months, a source familiar with the situation said, adding that Intel originally hoped to show five working prototypes at the show.
While Moorestown is nearing volume production, the current MID platform -- called Menlow -- continues to be used in new designs, a trend that is likely to continue into next year and overlap with the availability of Moorestown, Chandrasekher said.


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You Don't Have a Right to Anonymity
A British court has ruled that the Times of London is free to unmask an anonymous British blogger, just ten days after the National Review caused and uproar by outing a left-wing blogger named Publius. This is a good thing.
When the National Review's Ed Whelan revealed Publius, who writes for Obsidian Wings, to be a professor of law at the South Texas College of Law named John F. Blevins earlier this month, the palpable online outrage forced Whelan to apologize. Now the case of "The Author of a Blog v. Times Newspapers Limited," which was decided this morning by a British judge in favor of a newspaper seeking to publish the identity of a crimeblogger in the UK, has bloggers worried about the future of anonymity online. But nobody ought to have a right or privilege to publish whatever they please without the consequences of their ideas redounding to them.
The British case—which, given the vagaries of British law surrounding the press, could never happen here—centers around Richard Horton, a detective in Lancashire whose blog Night Jack was, as his attorney Dan Tench describes it to Gawker, "an on-the-ground, thoughtful reflection about criminal justice policy." Night Jack received about 3,000 visitors per day, and won the prestigious Orwell Prize last year, the first in which blogs were eligible. As Night Jack's readership and prominence grew, the Times of London decided to find out who was behind it. By tracing out Night Jack's online tendrils, through relatives' Facebook pages and other publicly available means, they determined that Horton was the author. When Horton learned that the Times was on to him, he pulled the plug on Night Jack and sought an injunction to keep the paper from publishing his identity, which a judge granted temporarily. The ruling this morning lifted it, and the Times published Horton's name and photo. Horton has been reprimanded by his police department for discussing cases publicly, but is keeping his job and working on a novel.
"There is clearly a moral case that some people should be able to join the public debate and retain their anonymity," Tench told Gawker. "And I think this will have a chilling effect. Blogs like this can only exist anonymously, and I imagine that anyone who wanted to set one up is thinking about this case."
As well they should. But the notion that anonymous publishers have a right, in perpetuity, to keep their identities a secret—or that people who learn their identities are honor-bound not to reveal them—is nonsense. In both Blevins' case and Horton's, the motive behind their anonymity involved the inconvenience to their personal lives that would be entailed if they were revealed as the authors of their own ideas. Horton risked the ire of his employers, not to mention the victims and their relatives involved in the cases he discussed. And Blevins wrote that he didn't want his left-wing advocacy to interfere with his private law practice, his law-school classroom, or his relationships with conservative family members. There's nothing noble in proclaiming the value of ideas that you don't have the courage to advocate to your own family. More power to Horton and Blevins for finding a way to write what they wanted to write without suffering the inconvenient consequences. But the cushiness of the arrangements they've made in no way obligate the rest of us not to topple them if we think there's a good reason. Whelan believed that Blevins was an ideological "hitman" for the left. The Times clearly thought there was public interest in who was behind Night Jack. Maybe their reasons weren't pure—Whelan's certainly wasn't—but Horton and Blevins should have thought about, and come to terms with, the likelihood that their online adventures would end in the revelation of their identities before they began.
"One of the odd things about this case," Tench told us, "is that a newspaper that commonly relies on anonymous sources was deprecating the use of anonymous material." Indeed, anonymity is a crucial component of good reporting and a pillar of online culture. And that's great! When we promise to protect a source's identity, we keep that promise. But the Times made no promises to Horton, nor Whelan to Blevins. And the outing of anonymous sources is not in and of itself an objectionable act. It was a good thing when Scooter Libby and Karl Rove were outed as a sources about Valerie Plame, and when the CIA operatives were revealed to be editing the agency's Wikipedia page. People ought to be held accountable for the things they do and say, for good or for ill.
There's nothing inherently wrong with blogging anonymously (as say, The Cajun Boy), though some motivations are more cowardly than others. And much good can and has come from people who are free to write the truth without bearing the consequences. But the decision to do so carries with it certain exceedingly obvious risks, and when the jig is up, it's best for anonybloggers to endure the scrutiny with dignity rather than complain that people who had no obligation or interest in preserving their anonymity have behaved as such.


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Dataflow is a managed service for executing a wide variety of data processing patterns. The documentation on this site shows you how to deploy your batch and streaming data processing pipelines using Dataflow, including directions for using service features.
The Apache Beam SDK is an open source programming model that enables you to develop both batch and streaming pipelines. You create your pipelines with an Apache Beam program and then run them on the Dataflow service. The Apache Beam documentation provides in-depth conceptual information and reference material for the Apache Beam programming model, SDKs, and other runners.
Use cases
Explore use cases, reference architectures, whitepapers, best practices, and industry solutions.


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AdBlocker Lite is a browser add-on that enables you to block annoying ads seamlessly on popular websites. It has 2 modes, Lite and Full. In lite mode, the extension uses the least amount of CPU power and memory and it runs based on pure CSS. Lite mode is ideal for slow machines. In full mode, more ads are targeted and more CPU power and memory are required.
Some important features:
1. It allows you to block annoying ads, scripts, images, iframes and many more.
2. Ultra-lite extension with no significant memory and CPU usage.
3. Unlike other similar products, AdBlocker Lite uses hard coded filtering rules for fast and reliable performance.
4. Provides an easy access filtering list if you wish to allow advertisement on some websites.
5. Includes ON|OFF button to quickly disable or enable the extension.
6. Includes Highlight/Block modes; in highlight mode, you can only highlight ads without blocking (hiding) them, but in block mode, ads are blocked.
7. Easily switch between full and lite modes (default is lite mode).
8. Add custom blocking rules. Currently, only rules in the form of css-selectors are accepted.
9. Badge icon text shows the number of blocked ads (active in full mode only).
Note 1: In AdBlocker Lite you can allow some websites (including its homepage) to show non-intrusive advertisements. By doing this you support websites that rely on advertising. Some websites are added by default, but this list can be modified at any time.
Note 2: AdBlocker Lite is designed to block ads on popular websites only (i.e. facebook, youtube, gmail, yahoo mail, etc). Besides, it does not block popup-ads, if you need a full-featured adblocker please use other adblocker addons in the addon store.
Note 3: To add a custom rule, please use css-selectors. For example, the following rule hides a div element with class test: div[class='test']. Please note, you can only add valid CSS rules, otherwise, it won't be added to the list.


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Jinnah, Muhammad Ali
Jinnah, Muhammad Ali məhäm´əd älē´ jĭn´ə [key], 1876–1948, founder of Pakistan, b. Karachi. After his admission to the bar in England, he returned to India to practice law. Early in his career he was a fervent supporter of the Indian National Congress and an advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity. Jinnah was a member of the legislative council of the viceroy from 1910 to 1919. He joined the Muslim League in 1913 and was elected its president in 1916 and 1920. He played a major role in negotiating the so-called Lucknow Pact (1916) between the League and the Congress, in which the latter conceded that Muslims should have a separate communal electorate to ensure them adequate legislative representation. Hindu-Muslim cooperation soon broke down, however, and the Congress reversed this position. Finally totally disillusioned with the Congress, Jinnah resigned from in 1930. From 1934 until his death he headed the Muslim League and guided its struggle for an independent Pakistan, a state that would include the predominantly Muslim areas of India. His support of the British during World War II increased his influence. Jinnah's claim that the Muslim League represented the Muslims of India was substantiated in 1946, when in the elections for the Indian constituent assembly, the League won all the seats assigned to the Muslim electorate. Jinnah's firm stand and widespread Hindu-Muslim riots forced the Congress to accept establishment of the separate state of Pakistan, and in Aug., 1947, India was partitioned. Jinnah was appointed the first governor-general of the dominion of Pakistan and, although dying of tuberculosis, was elected president of its constituent assembly.
See H. Bolitho, Jinnah (1954); A. S. Ahmed, Jinnah, Pakistan, and Islamic Identity (1997); A. von Tunzelmann, Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire (2007): J. Singh, Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence (2010).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: South Asian History: Biographies


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Medicaid Data Warehouse (MDW) Replacement/OHIP Data Mart Operational Support Quality Assurance (QA) Project
FAU Control # 0904061149 Task 6249
Issued by New York State Department of Health - Office of Health Insurance Programs
Schedule of Events
|Offerors' Library Available
|December 7, 2009
|Written Questions Due
|December 22, 2009
|Response to Written Questions Due
|January 8, 2010
|Proposals Due
|January 29, 2010 by 3 P.M.
Contact Information
Designated Contacts
Pursuant to State Finance Law §§ 139-j and 139-k,the Department of Health identifies the following designated contacts to whom all communications attempting to influence this procurement must be made:
- Mr. Jonathan Mahar
New York State Department of Health
Grants & Procurement Unit
Empire State Plaza
Corning Tower, Room 1341
Albany, New York 12237
Phone: (518) 474-7896
Fax: (518) 474-8375
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Permissible Subject Matter Contacts
Pursuant to State Finance Law § 139-j(3)(a), the Department of Health also identifies the allowable contacts listed below for communications related to the following subjects:
Submission of Written Questions:
Submission of Written Proposals or Bids:
- Mr. Joseph Zeccolo
New York State Department of Health
Office of Health Insurance Programs
Empire State Plaza
Corning Tower, Room 2019
Albany, New York 12237
Phone: (518) 486-6830
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Requesting the Offerors' Library or Questions Related to Technical Help:
- Mr. Henry Stone
New York State Department of Health
Office of Health Insurance Programs
800 North Peark Street, Room 322
Albany, New York 12204
Phone: (518) 408-0816
E-mail: email@example.com
- Request for Proposals (PDF, 3.43MB, 116pg.)
- Attachment A: Bid Form (DOC, 41KB, 2pg.)
- Attachment B: No Bid Form (DOC, 35KB, 1pg.)
- Attachment G: Form A (DOC, 79KB, 2pg.)
- Attachment M: Pricing Schedule (DOC, 61KB, 3pg.)
- Questions and Answers (PDF, 266KB, 9pg.)
- Response to Question 37 (PDF, 87KB, 1pg.)


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Foursquare, Quora, Path. Each is (or was) a Valley darling; each has millions of loyal users; each has raised more than $50 million, albeit nontraditionally, and been valued at $400 million or more — and each has recently done something remarkable. Foursquare and Path pivoted, hard. Quora, bizarrely, joined Y Combinator.
Are they just flailing, or is there method to this madness?
Foursquare, which started life as "the check-in app," is ripping check-ins out of its eponymous app and moving them to its new ambient-social app called Swarm. What's more, it's planning to start charging for heavy use of its API, which is much beloved by third-party developers (including me.)
Which leaves it seeming more than a little unfocused. The main Foursquare app has essentially become a Yelp competitor. Swarm is now a side business, presumably because check-ins are no longer a growth industry, and haven't been for some years now. Foursquare is allegedly on course to bring in $30-$40 million in revenue this year, which sounds good — but is not a lot for a company which has raised more than $160 million at valuations north of $600 million … if its growth has slowed.
Path, the mobile social network whose superb design wowed the Valley some years ago, before it began to look like a beautiful solution in search of a problem, has pivoted almost as dramatically. First they ripped a page out of Snapchat's book and suddenly retroactively made all Path messages ephemeral. A week later they launched a new messaging app and acquired consumer-to-business messaging service TalkTo.
Again, an odd sudden change of direction for a four-year-old company which has raised $65 million. Everyone loves messaging apps today, in principle, thanks to WhatsApp — but the world already has Line, Viber, Kik, Snapchat, WeChat, Tango, etc, to say nothing of Facebook, Twitter, and Skype. It's hard to see how (maybe) the sixth-place social network, which has struggled with layoffs and executive exits, benefits from branching out to become (maybe) the thirteenth-place messaging app. But Path has to do something … if its growth has slowed.
Quora is the strangest case of all. Why join Y Combinator? I mean, it didn't cost them much, and it's nice that it'll be "fun personally to participate" for Adam D'Angelo, but how is it anything other than a distraction? "We'll have Sam and all the other partners to help us," D'Angelo says, without specifying what kind of help they want.
I think we can all make a pretty good guess, though. Quora was recently valued at some $900 million, but as Josh Constine puts it:
Quora has been cagey about its stats since forever, only talking in relative growth and vanity metrics rather than absolute user counts … This makes it tough to know exactly how popular it is, but the general consensus hovers around "known amongst Silicon Valley intellectuals" and "just not big enough".
Joining YC might seem weird or even desperate, but weird or even desperate is actually the right move for Quora … if its growth has slowed.
You might be noticing a theme here.
As Paul Graham once put it: "A startup is a company designed to grow fast. Being newly founded does not in itself make a company a startup." But, similarly, just because you're "late-stage" — big, massively well-funded and relatively mature — doesn't mean you're not a startup. A corollary of Graham's definition is: if you need to grow fast, then no matter how big you are, you're still a startup … meaning you're still extremely vulnerable.
Foursquare, Path, and Quora don't yet have mature business models lucrative enough to justify their funding and valuation. Meaning all three are still startups, and have no choice but to keep growing, fast. That's a huge challenge. It's relatively easy to double a userbase when it numbers in the thousands; much harder when it's already in the millions, unless you benefit from network effects. Doubly so when you've lost your cool and become yesterday's news, no longer the talk of the Valley's chattering classes:
Does it sound like I'm being hard on them? That is not my intent. All three companies have done genuinely extraordinary things. They have scaled from scrappy outsiders into significant players. They have millions of faithful users. While it's true they have succeeded well within their founders' wildest dreams, they are still among the best of the best, or they wouldn't have gotten to where they are today.
But the lesson here is that even that's not good enough. Not if you stop growing before you start making money. Today's tech industry will eagerly accept hypergrowth in lieu of revenue, but it will not accept neither. If you're not yet raking in money, then you must grow, and keep growing, fast … or suffer and eventually die. And the bigger you are, the harder it is to keep riding the hockey stick — and the harder you fall if you fail.


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Here's a startup idea that's close to my heart. If at any point in your adult life you've ever entered a bar, pub, night club, lounge, or other fine watering hole, you've probably dealt with the problem of waiting in line to order a drink.
It's a huge pain in the ass for all involved: You've got the gal who's just standing there and can't figure out what it is she wants to drink, the bro ordering 12 shots of Fernet for all his friends, the poor guy who just wants to close out his tab, and the other guy who forgot his credit card and doesn't have any cash, all those people holding up the line. And then there's the bartender who's running between them, trying to keep everything straight. Meanwhile, your date's sitting alone by herself getting hit on while you spend 20 minutes trying to get her a raspberry martini.*
Or you could just use Coaster and save yourself the trouble of waiting in line. Instead, you just place an order from your phone, sit back, and wait for your drinks to be made. When they're ready, you get a push notification telling you to pick them up, as well as a unique identifying code to make sure that you're the person who gets those drinks. And the best part? There's no worrying about running a tab or closing down at the end of the night — all payments, tips included, are done on their phone.
Sounds great for patrons, but what do bars get out of it? Well, a few things: Coaster streamlines the order and drink-making process, since bartenders can make drinks that have already been ordered while patrons in line figure out what they want. It means better tips, since users can choose to pay from right within the app. It also means no dead or declined credit cards holding up things, and no cards left at the bar at the end of the night.
Co-founder Inderpal Singh tells me that the idea for Coaster came from DJing at various bars and clubs over the last 15 years. After seeing the pain point that comes with ordering drinks first hand, he set out to do something about it and built an app. Now he and co-founder Kevin Callaghan are pitching it to bars and clubs and trying to get them signed up.
So far, they have about 15 different bars on board in San Francisco, including places like Public Works, Wish, Jones, Harlot, Eve Lounge, Temple, and 111 Minna. But they're always looking to add more. Check out the app, drink up, and let us know what you think.**
* I have never actually dated someone vapid enough to order a raspberry martini. Although my girlfriend once did order something called a Junior Mint. It tastes just like it sounds.
** That's right, comment drunk. Please.


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The Corrosion is Preventable by Washing the Dental Instruments
Every day dental offices are taking care of many people and this makes proper infection control practices essential to everyones well-being. Dental offices that stay up-to-date with infection control practices are those that help to prevent the transmission of blood borne viral diseases such as Hepatitis B. One of the main reasons why most people are afraid to see a dentist is the bunch of weird-looking instruments that dentists use to carry out their duties. However, by taking a closer look and knowing the purpose of those tools, the fearful patients can be able to relax and see a dentist for regular dental checkup. One of the most commonly attributed instruments to a dentist is the mouth mirror. It is a little handheld mirror that lets the dentist see through at all the angles inside the mouth of the patient. Mouth mirror provides an indirect vision of the mouth, reflect light and even give a significantly magnified view for the dentist.
After dental equipment and instruments are used, they must be sterilized. Although some dental instruments are for single-use, most are not. There is a two-stage sterilization process that all dental instruments must undergo after each patient. Sterilization kills living organisms such as Hepatitis B and HIV. In addition to the sterilization process, testing the sterilization equipment must be conducted on a routine basis so that dental patients are given the reassurance they need.
One of the common reasons for dental device re-tipping is corrosion on the blade of the instruments. The corrosion is caused by blood pathogens in the saliva. If these pathogens are not washed off thoroughly, it will cause corrosion on the device. This corrosion will destroy your mirrors and need new mirror ends be installed. Scalers and other instruments can corrode on the sharp fringe of the device causing the necessity for re-tipping. This can be annoying when your instruments are new or newly sharpened and already need to be re-tipped. Ought to I mention the cost, it can add up speedy. Improper cleaning and then using the autoclave will only make the corrosion worse.
This corrosion is preventable by washing the instruments after each use. Take the time to wash each device. Use a stiff brush and an antibacterial wash. When all saliva and blood are removed, then autoclave. Cover proper procedures together with your staff to make sure everyone is on the same page. You may have an interest to know that most of my re-tipping work is from improperly cared for instruments and not instruments that have been worn out. Dental Instruments are made of high grade stainless steel and will last a long time with proper care. This easy procedure can save your practice hundreds of dollars per year.
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Looking for more dental equipment australia at zeta-dental.com.au


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Posted 11 years ago
(6 items)
In 1951, the Japanese Marusan Company was trying to become a viable tin toys business. With the financial and managerial help from the American Armed Forces under General MacArthur's command, the reborn Japanese toy industry was able to become the country's largest exporter, bringing much-needed currency to the nearly-destroyed country.
Marusan secured the services of Matsuzou Kosuge, a well-known toy maker before the war, to produce what would become one of the all-time classic toys ever made, the 1951 Cadillac. This was produced as a friction-powered toy, as a self-propelled battery-powered version as well as a cable-controlled version with a steering wheel on top of a battery box.
The toy was made of stamped steel with a painted body and chassis base, with a lithographed steel-sheet interior. The tires are real rubber but the whitewalls are stamped and painted steel rings. The wheels are steel as well as the whole friction mechanism. The windows are acetate, stamped from flat sheet. The paint quality is outstanding for a toy, and there are over 150 pieces in each, over 200 in the electric versions. All were assembled by women over long tables, the final product boxed, then packed into large wooden crates for export to American toy stores.
The colors were very precise, the more common friction-powered model painted in gray, with less common versions in black or red, and in 1953 after the success of "A Solid Gold Cadillac" movie featuring Judy Holliday, a... gold version.
The self-propelled electric battery powered models were yellow with a green roof, and that was an actual Cadillac factory color scheme
However, the friction-powered models were never produced in that color scheme. At least that is what all the books and documentation, including that of the still existing Marusan company itself, advanced.
Out of the blue surfaced this brand new, mint in its original box model, that contradicts all previously known information, a yellow and green model, but friction-powered and without the electric headlights and taillights of the "electric" model.
After insuring myself that this was not a restored car, stripped and repainted in the "wrong" color, I had to accept that it is real. Here is the beast, recently discovered in an online estate sale:
It is always nice as a collector, to find something that is supposed to never have existed... but does!
The question now, is why American toy companies appear to have been unwilling or incapable to produce such beautiful toys in the early 1950's, when the market was so ripe for them, and left the market wide open for Japan? The products of toy companies like Tonka or Smith-Miller were never this nice. And Japan produced over the years and until the dreaded advent of plastic, many more tinplate models of Ford, Chrysler, Chevrolet, Buick, some even nicer than this Cadillac.
I have often wondered.


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A guide to London's classic dishes
From a hearty Full English breakfast to Britain's love affair with curry, food blogger Chris Pople reveals nine must-try dishes and drinks for your next visit to the capital
Make a stylish entrance
Population est.
9.3 million
Time difference
GMT +1 hours
Touch down to London in British style, when you fly with British Airways. Arrive feeling relaxed, refreshed and ready to explore England's capital. Get close-up to Buckingham Palace, see the bright lights of Piccadilly Circus and visit the almighty Tower of London – your journey starts here.
Calling all city breakers, luxury holiday-makers and business travellers – get ready for take-off to London. Choose from our selection of cabin classes, and wherever you sit, you will enjoy comfort and exceptional service. Our friendly cabin crew will be on hand to ensure a smooth and pleasant flight. Choose to fly to London with British Airways – the finest way to begin your British adventure.
British Airways offer flights to London from over 200 destinations worldwide, arriving into four major airports. Find the perfect starting point for your trip, whether you're visiting for work, a short-break or a leisurely holiday. You can fly direct into London Heathrow (LHR), London Gatwick (LGW), London City (LCY) and London Stansted (STN) – just choose the days and times to suit you.
Stay at a London airport hotelAs Europe's most visited city, London has year-round charm. Visitor numbers spike around the British school holidays, especially during summer and the Christmas period, when fares may be higher.
British Airways operates up to 457 flights from 207 destinations, flying into four London airports.
Stay at a London airport hotel
Taxis to central London cost around £40 one-way from London Heathrow and London City, and from around £60 one-way from London Gatwick and London Stansted. You can pre-arrange your transfer when you book your British Airways flight.
If you're travelling on a European Union (EU) passport, at present there's no need to get a visa before you travel to London. Those from countries outside the EU may need to apply for a visa in advance. To check your visa requirements and apply, visit the UK Border Agency website.
Which cabins can I book when I fly to London?
Our economy class cabins offer great value for those looking for cheap flights to London. Choose your seat for a fee when booking or select it free of charge 24-hours prior to departure.
Premium economy gives you more legroom and a smaller, more private cabin for an even more relaxing experience.
Our business class and first class cabins, available on long-haul flights, have luxurious fully flatbeds for the ultimate flying experience.
Economy class passengers can check in one bag weighing up to 23kg. In premium economy, a generous allowance of two 23kg bags is included. For those in business class, two bags at 32kg each can be checked, while in first class three bags at 32kg are allowed.
If you have any additional baggage requirements, read our baggage guide.
Want a chic touch down into the heart of London from New York JFK? Try our exclusive business-class only service Club World London City. With just 32 flatbed seats, it's a tranquil, luxurious way to fly, ideal for business travellers.
Which cabins can I book when I fly to London?
Our economy class cabins are a good budget option when travelling from Europe to London, with a range of wallet-friendly fares:
Business class cabins are located at the front of the plane, with the middle seat kept free for extra legroom and added comfort.
Find out more about our travel classes
Economy class customers can check in hand baggage on a Basic fare, those on a Plus or Plus Flex fare can check in one bag weighing up to 23kg. Those in business class can check in two bags at 32kg each.
Get the inside track on London with these hints and etiquette tips:
Tipping in restaurants and bars isn't required, but is appreciated. Somewhere between ten and 12.5 per cent when dining is the norm. In luxury hotels tipping staff and doormen a small amount (£1) will go down well, ditto rounding up taxi fares to the nearest pound.
Buy an Oyster card or use contactless cards as payment when travelling on the Underground for the cheapest fares. Also stand on the right when on escalators, the left is for those walking.
Taking afternoon tea is a national pastime in the UK. Not only is nibbling on sumptuous cakes and sipping tea good fun, but it's a cheaper way to experience a luxury hotel without staying, as many take place in beautiful, grand drawing rooms.
Where to stay in London
There is a hotel for every traveller – whether you're a boutique-loving trendsetter, a luxury aficionado, or a traveller on the hunt for a bargain, since you'll spend most of your time exploring the city. No matter your budget, we've sorted the perfect accommodation for you.Find a London hotel
Things to do in London
London weather can change quickly – one moment it's sunny, the next it's pouring with rain. However, thanks to plenty of museums and indoor attractions, there's fun to be had no matter the weather.Discover what to do in London
What to eat in London
The UK's capital is a culinary hotspot, and foodies love to visit London for the food markets alone. You'll find stalls with fresh produce and street food trucks dishing up fusion cuisine. This is the place to sample as many different foods as you can.London food
It's a huge city, but first-timers with only 48 hours in Londonneedn't venture far from the centre


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Caught in the cross-fire in the cash-for-votes scandal that rocked the trust motion in Parliament on July 22, Rajdeep Sardesai, editor-in-chief of CNN-IBN, has issued a statement on the channel's purported role. Below is the full text:
"In the last week, there has been speculation over an alleged 'sting' operation conducted by CNN-IBN to expose allegations of bribery in the run-up to the trust vote in Parliament. Since the speculation is based on hearsay, conjecture and mere guess-work, we at CNN-IBN feel that it is necessary to set the record straight.
"As a journalist-driven organization, we value our credibility and independence above all else. We have always striven to raise the bar of journalism, to ensure that the highest standards and procedures are followed at all times.
"The 'sting' operation conducted by our investigation team was part of this commitment to ensure that the public interest is enhanced. Our team had begun the investigations at least a week before the trust vote [on July 22] and the 'sting' was to be part of a wide-ranging investigation across the political spectrum into allegations of horse trading.
"Moreover, the 'sting' operation we conducted was unique in that neither were we participants, nor were we engaging in 'entrapment' by offering cash, nor were we under a false identity. We were, as is accepted in practices in the international press, 'flies on the wall', simply recording an alleged bribery operation, without interfering in it at any stage.
"Why have we not telecast the story so far?
"Quite simply, we have chosen not to telecast the story yet because we did not feel that the story was complete. Credible journalism is based on accuracy not speed, facts not sensationalism, reportage not allegations and assumptions.
"Our rigorous editorial protocol demands that even a hidden camera shoot is absolutely water-tight. In this particular story, there were many loose ends that needed to be cross-checked, corroborated and investigated further before the story could be aired.
"As it transpired, even before we could complete the process of investigation, three BJP MPs made allegations in Parliament of having been bribed and displayed cash in the House. In the politically surcharged circumstances, we felt that the more appropriate step would be to provide the recordings we had made till date to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as the appropriate constitutional authority.
"All the raw, unedited footage was placed before the Speaker within 24 hours of the parliament fracas. Not a single frame has been edited in any form. The Speaker has subsequently ordered an inquiry, which media reports suggest, is to be completed by the 11th of August.
"We will fully co-operate with the parliamentary panel and provide them all information available with us. At the same time, as we have informed the Speaker's office, we reserve the right to telecast the story as and when we believe we are in a position to do so.
"As part of the process of due diligence, we also consulted several constitutional experts, including the country's former solicitor-general and leading jurist Harish Salve. Mr Salve has strongly validated our editorial call in a written opinion.
"He writes, and I quote:
"'I have reviewed the tapes as also a transcript created from the tapes. I would not like to describe in detail what I have seen, since the matter is pending investigation, but in my considered view the investigation was incomplete and therefore airing the tapes at this stage would necessarily involve arriving at some 'inferences'. The investigation by the channel was not ready for telecast in the sense to be a cast iron story (which such stories should be), it did require some more enquiry into certain matters, which could have been done but was rendered impossible by the fact that on the afternoon of 22nd July itself, the three MPs raised this issue in parliament and then went on to make public the fact that this has been recorded by CNN-IBN. Obviously, after this fact became publicly known, all sources of information dried up'.
"Mr Salve adds:
"'The question to be considered is should the channel air the tapes as they are, without suggesting inferences, so that the unnecessary gossip as to its contents (as well as the innuendo as to the motives in not telecasting the tapes) is quelled, or should the channel await the completion of the enquiry under way by the parliamentary panel set up the Hon'ble Speaker in response to a complaint received by him. In my view, the channel should await the results of the enquiry, atleast until a period of a fortnight or so is over… I believe that the Speaker has requested the panel to conclude its enquiry within a fortnight or so. If the report is received within the expected time, the matter would again be in the public domain and the channel can then review the situation and decide whether to telecast the tapes'."
"We would like to reiterate that at CNN-IBN we remain committed to quality and independent journalism. Our commitment is to the truth. Truth that cannot be partial, inconclusive or sensational, but one that must adhere to exacting standards of fairness and accuracy."
Also read: Was CNN-IBN right in not airing Amar Singh sting?


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TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad further fueled the unprecedented drama in Iranian politics ahead of Friday's national elections, giving a fiery response Wednesday to harsh criticism from one of the country's top politicians and other critics.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who came to power in 2005, is seeking a second term in office.
"They created an atmosphere in this country to make people think as though nothing was done," Ahmadinejad said of his critics in a televised address. "I am going to say, 'You lie, you lie.'"
"Our work is in front of people's eyes," the president added, ticking off a lengthy list of accomplishments he says were made during his administration.
Ahmadinejad has publicly engaged in a heated back-and-forth with former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who accused the current president of "lies and distortions."
Responding to the president's verbal attacks during a presidential debate last week, Rafsanjani said Ahmadinejad's "baseless and irresponsible" statements brought back "bitter memories" of anti-revolutionary groups in the aftermath of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.
In the debate with his chief rival Mir Hossein Moussavi, Ahmadinejad accused Rafsanjani and another former president, Mohammad Khatami, of mismanagement, corruption and masterminding a plot against him.
The sparring continued as Rafsanjani drafted an open letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, stating that "millions of people were witness to [Ahmadinejad's] lies and distortions of the truth, which were against religion, law, ethics and fairness and were aimed at the achievements of our Islamic System."
Rafsanjani, a powerful cleric who heads the Expediency Council and Assembly of Experts, was president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. He ran again in 2005, positioning himself in the political center, but lost to Ahmadinejad, then the ultra-conservative mayor of Tehran.
In his letter Tuesday, published by the Iranian Labor News Agency, Rafsanjani urged Khamenei to take control and "put out this fire" in the interest of national strength and unity.
It is rare for Iran's political leaders to publicly attack each other.
But the elections this year have taken an energetic turn. Last week, Iranians watched a series of live televised presidential debates. Watch CNN review the unprecedented online presence of candidates »
This week, political rallies jammed the streets of Tehran, just days before the Islamic republic decides on its next president. CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports emotions on the street »
Moussavi, the reformist candidate, has rallied Iran's younger voters, many of whom want Ahmadinejad out of office. iReport.com: Human chain for election in Iran
Moussavi's supporters organized a human chain stretching north to south through the capital city. When one of Ahmadinejad's supporters strayed into an opposition stronghold, the mood was raucous but not violent as the two camps tried to drown each other out.
CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour contributed to this report from Tehran
All About Mahmoud Ahmadinejad • Iran


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BOSTON — Michael Pineda says he was just trying to get a better grip on the ball.
Now, he won't need one for a while.
A day after being caught using pine tar on the mound, the New York Yankees pitcher was suspended for 10 games by the commissioner's office on Thursday.
Pineda said he won't appeal, costing him two starts before he can return May 5 at the Los Angeles Angels.
"I accept it," Pineda said before Thursday night's game at Fenway Park. "I know I made a mistake."
Pineda was ejected in the second inning of New York's 5-1 loss to Boston after umpires found the pine tar on the right side of the right-hander's neck.
After the game, Pineda admitted that he used the pine tar to help him grip the ball on a cool, windy night.
"I feel so bad," he said Thursday.
Pineda said he had never used pine tar before this season. He spent his first season in the majors with the Seattle Mariners in 2011, then missed the last two with the Yankees following right shoulder surgery.
"I think he understood" the seriousness of his action, said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who expected a suspension of about 10 games, "but I think he got caught up in the moment of competing and it got the best of him."
Girardi indicated David Phelps would take Pineda's turn in the rotation. Phelps came into the game with two outs in the second after Pineda was ejected.
The ejection set off a debate in the baseball world about pitchers who try pine tar, and whether it should be allowed in certain circumstances. Many former aces said they had done it, albeit in a more discreet manner.
"I've seen a lot of things in my career, so I'm not blind to it" being viewed as part of baseball, said Girardi, a former catcher in his seventh year as Yankees manager.
Rule 8.02(b) prohibits pitchers from altering the ball to gain an unfair advantage, and forbids them from having a foreign substance on them or in their possession on the mound.
"I wouldn't be against coming up with an idea" to modify the rule so pitchers could get a better grip on the ball in cold weather, Girardi said. "It would be a great time for someone to start looking at" finding one substance pitchers would be allowed to use.
Pineda wasn't seen with the pine tar in the first inning, when the Red Sox roughed him up. Boston manager John Farrell asked plate umpire Gerry Davis to check Pineda after two fast outs the next inning.
"I felt like it was a necessity to say something," Farrell said. "You know, I fully respect on a cold night you're trying to get a little bit of a grip. But when it's that obvious, something has got to be said."
Davis went to the mound, touched Pineda's neck and ejected him. Pineda said no one told him to use it, that he did it "by myself."
Earlier this month, Pineda pitched well in a 4-1 win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Television cameras showed a substance on his hand in the fourth inning — Pineda said it was dirt, not pine tar. His hand was clean in the fifth and Farrell didn't ask for him to be checked.
Pineda said he didn't use pine tar in a start against the Chicago Cubs, in between his Red Sox outings.
Among other suspensions of pitchers for pine tar in the past decade, Tampa Bay's Joel Peralta was penalized eight games in 2012, the Angels' Brendan Donnelly 10 days in 2005 and St. Louis' Julian Tavarez 10 days in 2004. The suspensions of Donnelly and Tavarez were cut to eight days after they asked the players' association to appeal, and Peralta dropped his challenge with no reduction.
Pineda said Thursday he didn't feel the ball well in the first inning when he allowed two runs on four hits. And he said he wanted to be careful not to hit any batters.
"I know it's pine tar, but the pine tar did not help me" throw harder, he said. "It helped me for feel, (get) a better grip."
Red Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski understood why Pineda used the pine tar.
"I don't have a problem with guys that do it," he said. "I know as a hitter, I want to get in there and know the guy has a grip.
"Put it on your hat, put it on your pants, your belt, put it on your glove, whatever you have to do. You just can't do it that blatantly. That was what the biggest issue was. No one has an issue with him doing it. It's just more of the fact that it's so blatant."
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More DC character reveals...
For a great selection of superhero action figures and collectibles, check out fine sponsors BigBadToyStore.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, PastGenerationToys.com, ZoloWorld.com, SmallJoes.com, HobbyLinkJapan.com, and Sekaido.com.
For a great selection of pop culture t-shirts and apparel, check out TShirtGurus.com and 80sTees.com.
Yesterday we revealed to you that WizKids' next DC HeroClix game will be Brightest Day, the follow-up to their popular Blackest Night Starter Set in stores now. Slated for release this October, the Brightest Day Action Pack will boast a new double-sided HeroClix map and seven (7) HeroClix figures ripped directly from the pages of the Brightest Day comic. We showed you Aquaman and Osiris yesterday, and today we unveil two more characters from the game: Captain Boomerang (above) and Deadman (below). Stay tuned tomorrow as we wrap-up our Brighest Day reveal!