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Today's NBA news
Anonymous executive says Kyle Kuzma has improved his value as trade asset, but rest of young Lakers core has seen value drop
Once again, anonymous scouts are saying dumb things about the Lakers, this time regarding Kyle Kuzma and his other young teammates.
By AnthonyIrwinLA@AnthonyIrwinLA Jan 28, 2019, 12:37pm PST
Share All sharing options for: Anonymous executive says Kyle Kuzma has improved his value as trade asset, but rest of young Lakers core has seen value drop
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Few things are more volatile than the value of a young player in professional sports. By nature, youth is inconsistent. And yet, there are few things as intriguing in professional sports as youth. It gets to the crux of whatever might be going on in any trade talks the Lakers and other teams have regarding the newly available Anthony Davis.
When asked in an interesting column by Dan Woike of the L.A. Times about where the Lakers' young core currently stands as far as value around the league, one anonymous executive gave his thoughts only a couple days before Davis made his trade demands.
"The aggregate value of their assets was much higher six months ago than it is today," one Western Conference executive told the Los Angeles Times on the condition of anonymity. "And, for all of them, with the exception of Kyle Kuzma, that value is worse."
This executive then went on about the long-term prospects for any of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kuzma, Ivica Zubac or Josh Hart:
"Is there an All-Star in there?" one Western Conference executive asked. "Maybe. I just don't know."
Anonymous executives seem to enjoy few things more than sitting back and chiming in on players who aren't in their own employ. That same line (or something similar to it) was used back when D'Angelo Russell was a Laker. Russell is now well on his way to making a great case to be an All-Star this season, in year four of what will likely be a lengthy and promising career.
Based on their treatment of Julius Randle and Russell, it would seem the Lakers' own scouts and executives were probably too low on them, given the seasons they've had thus far.
Weird how guys just seem to look better when they aren't on the franchise that has dealt so many of these executives and scouts Ls over the years. It should also be noted that it serves these anonymous executives to anonymously crap on the Lakers' young core, because it might lower the perception of their value and make them more gettable. At the very least, they have little-if-any incentive to say complimentary things.
Now, maybe the Lakers are just not all that great at developing some of these young guys (altogether possible, if not likely), or some of these executives need to give a little more time before spewing off hard-lined takes on what young players might or might not be.
Could Ingram flourish for an organization that is not so hands-off in telling him what to focus on as he develops his games? Maybe! Could Kuzma make a couple minor tweaks to his shot or focus on being more consistent with his release, making him a more predictable shooter? Maybe! Could Lonzo stay healthy long enough to build on the streaks of positive momentum he shows from time to time? Hopefully!
Each one of those scenarios might once again take place after the guys mentioned are playing for a different city. New Orleans is (rightfully) asking for quite the haul in any negotiation with the Lakers. It's altogether likely we see some different opinions once the young core is playing elsewhere — much as we now do with Randle and Russell.
For now, though, the focus has to be on developing whoever is still around and figuring out how best to get a return on the investment the Lakers have already made on the young core, whether that's by using them in a trade or to bolster whatever the next iteration of this team is.


Renovation instills a new life in a house making it a functional dream home. Some older homes need maintenance, repair or a complete remodeling to transform them into perfect abodes. However, nothing comes free of cost. So, a lot of house-owners shy out from fixing run-down dwellings owing to insufficient funds. In this situation, a home renovation loan is what one needs to consider; thereby catering all the necessary expenses.
Here are few expert tips, which one can consider to upgrade and improve the aesthetics of your home.
Bring out the best of the outdoor living space by decking up it with a patio swing. Add a small fountain to uplift the moods of the family members during the lowest of times. Creating a small garden is also a good way to welcome nature into a home.
A master bedroom is undeniably a peaceful gateway after an all-day hectic day. Transform the conventional bedroom into an "en suite" with significant interior changes including a king size bed, special bath, and walk-in closets to name a few.
Avail a modular kitchen giving an uncluttered look to space. With a beautiful amalgamation of open shelves and closed cabinets, one can incorporate an aesthetic touch to a modern kitchen.
Additionally, one can add life in the chef's place by simply putting a pot plant around a hook or beside the kitchenette window.
Opting for a mini bar in the seating area is a perfect addition to the home renovation process. An in-house bar often becomes a center of attraction for the guests.
The space under the staircase can be a good candidate for making an in-house library. With a few additional bookshelves and vintage chairs, this place can be an open zone for all book lovers.
Lastly, lighting plays an essential part when it comes to home décor. However, it's better to have organic planning for both natural and electrical lighting.
One may add a skylight to a kid's room, or a staircase window for easy allowance of daylight. On the other hand, a person can jazz up the bedroom décor with led lights of nimbler hues and may adorn the living area with a chandelier.
Anyway, opting for a Home Renovation Loan can cater all the essential expenses required for this mending process. So, now it's time to learn about the significant features of this personal loan.
Quick approval: One can apply for Personal Loan and get a quick approval under 5 minutes for reviving your home.
High financing amount: Home renovation loan provides substantial financing amount up to Rs. 25 lakh.
Flexible tenor: Moreover, lending institutions of good repute allow the borrowers to select a tenure from 12 to 60 months to repay the loan amount.
Collateral free: This is an unsecured loan and doesn't require any collaterals or guarantors to the lenders.
Easy online account management: With a few clicks, one can get access to his account anytime, anywhere. He can also calculate all his EMIs with the EMI calculator.
Affordable interest rate: Additionally, one can enjoy attractive personal loan interest rates from the leading NBFCs while availing the loan.
Note: Moreover, one can check his Personal Loan Eligibility Criteria with an eligibility calculator.
Loan for home renovation not only gives your home an instant makeover but also add a resale value to it. So, consider this personal loan and provide enhance your happy place.
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Update Regarding the January 27th Executive Order on Immigration
By Patrick Taurel, Thomas K. Ragland, Michael P. Nowlan, James E. Morrison / Feb 06, 2017
In light of the January 27, 2017 Executive Order ("EO") titled "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States," which is summarized in prior Clark Hill Immigration Updates, we are providing this update regarding additional developments that have occurred this past week and weekend.
Visa Processing and Revocation
Late on Friday, February 3, 2017 the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington issued a temporary restraining order ("TRO" or "injunction") to allow ALL nationals traveling on passports from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, and Yemen (the "designated countries") to again be allowed to come to the U.S. if they have a valid visa. This includes immigrant visas, which are for "green card holders," as well as nonimmigrant visas (short term visas). This is the broadest court ruling to date regarding the EO. Additionally, airlines are again allowing persons from designated countries with a valid U.S. visa to board planes to the U.S.
On February 4, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an emergency request to immediately lift the injunction, which the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied. It is unclear how long the injunction will last or which party will ultimately be successful because this and many other cases around the United States remain pending.
The U.S. Department of State has confirmed on its website that as a result of the injunction, visas "provisionally revoked" by the EO are automatically reinstated, "and those visas are now valid for travel to the United States, if the holder is otherwise eligible." However, "[i]ndividuals whose visas are expired, or were physically cancelled, must apply for a new visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, absent a Customs and Border [Protection] ("CBP") decision to grant parole or waive the visa requirement at the port of entry."
The webpage further confirms that the National Visa Center or U.S. Embassy "will contact those affected to reschedule interview appointments" for all pending green card applications for persons from the designated countries, which had been put on hold.
USCIS Processing
Late last week, and before the injunction mentioned above was issued, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") confirmed in a memo that it WILL continue to process all applications for benefits. USCIS will issue specific guidance for Refugee or Asylee Relative Petitions for beneficiaries outside the United States.
Clark Hill continues to advise citizens or nationals of designated countries who hold temporary nonimmigrant visas, and who are not also citizens of a non-designated country, to avoid all international travel to the extent possible. We advise each individual to consider their travel plans based on the current U.S. diplomatic relationship with their country. We will provide additional information as soon as it becomes available.
For more information, please contact James E. Morrison at (202) 572-8670 | jmorrison@clarkhill.com, Michael P. Nowlan at (313) 965-8666 | mnowlan@clarkhill.com, Thomas K. Ragland at (202) 552-2360 | tragland@clarkhill.com, Patrick Taurel at (202) 772-0903 | ptaurel@clarkhill.com, or another member of Clark Hill's Immigration Practice.

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Sunday November 6, 2016 6:44 pm
Bleeding Edge TV 598: Xbox One S vs. Xbox One Comparison
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Home Entertainment, Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Podcasts, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos,
Microsoft has launched the Xbox One S, a newly updated version of the classic Xbox One that it released back in November of 2013. In this episode, I highlight all of the key differences between the first Xbox One and the new Xbox One Slim, giving you a look at what's changed and if those changes are worth your attention. I'll cover:
The Hardware Changes
4K Blu-ray Support
4K Video Streaming
4K Game Upscaling
Are you picking up an Xbox One S? Or are you waiting for Project Scorpio?
You can pick up the Xbox One S now.
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Video Transcript:
In my last video, I brought you my review of the Xbox One S, the newly released slimmed down flagship game console from Microsoft that packs in a bunch of 4K features. I got a lot of people asking about the main differences between the new Xbox One S and the original Xbox One, so I figured I'd do a follow-up video to address exactly that. So, let's kick it off starting with the most obvious difference - the way it looks.
Show someone the original Xbox One, and then the Xbox One S, and if they aren't a gamer, they'd likely not be able to tell that these are essentially the same console platform. When the Xbox One was released a few years ago, it was huge and clunky, and sported a larger power brick to boot. Compare that to the Xbox One S, and it's a night and day difference.
Gone is the bulky external power brick, replaced by a simple power cord. Not only was Microsoft able to reduce the size of the Xbox One S by 40%, they were also able to move the power supply into the Xbox One S console itself at the same time! Looking on back, all the ports are the same, with the exception of the omission of the Kinect port on the new model. It appears that Microsoft is phasing out the Kinect, and instead wants gamers to use a headset microphone for voice commands, and the new built-in IR blaster on the front of the Xbox One S for remote control of other home theater devices.
Another key hardware difference is that the Xbox One S can stand vertically with the optional vertical stand accessory. If you buy the 2TB model, you'll get the stand included in the box. If not, it'll cost you $19.99.
The included controller for the Xbox One S has some minor changes as well, the biggest of which is that it now supports Bluetooth connectivity to the console, as well as PCs and even mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. It also has a more tactile finish on the hand grips, making it less slippery, and the thumbsticks have been improved as well.
Next up, 4K Blu-ray. This is actually a big deal. The original Xbox One played standard Blu-rays and DVDs, while the new Xbox One S adds in support for 4K Blu-ray. Since the Xbox One S starts at $299, it's officially the cheapest 4K Blu-ray player that you can buy - and it does way more than just play 4K Blu-ray discs, unlike the standalone units. This means that people who own a 4K television and want to play 4K discs will likely be seriously considering the Xbox One S, even if they aren't necessarily gamers. That could be a huge win for Microsoft. The one caveat I've found so far is that if you have a high-end speaker system and receiver in your home that supports Dolby Atmos or DTS:X like I do, the Xbox One S doesn't send that untouched audio directly from the disc over to your receiver. In fact, for whatever reason, I've found that it struggled to even send uncompressed 7.1 audio. Microsoft has said that an update is forthcoming for the high definition audio options though, and if you don't have a crazy sound system in the first place, then this won't affect you at all.
The next feature that sets the Xbox One S apart from the original is 4K Video Streaming. Services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube support streaming 4K video, which the original Xbox One didn't support. With the new version, you get access to the higher resolution videos that these services have to offer. That means you can pull up my YouTube channel on your Xbox One S, and watch this video in glorious 4K.
Another new feature found on the Xbox One S is 4K game upscaling. You're probably sensing a pattern here - Microsoft spent a lot of time optimizing the Xbox One S for the new influx of 4K televisions. To be clear though, this is 4k *upscaling* - not true 4K gaming. You'll have to wait for next years much more powerful Xbox One release, Project Scorpio for true 4k gaming and virtual reality. Instead, the Xbox One S takes whatever the resolution is from the game you're playing, and upscales it to 4K before sending the signal to your television. That'll make the games look better if you're playing them on a 4K set, but it won't be using 4K textures.
Finally, the big change that I love the most, HDR capability. When most people think of HDR< they think of photography. With video, HDR means that the dynamic range between the darkest colors and the brightest colors that your television can display is much wider. It really is something you have to see for yourself, but the colors are amazing and more true to life, and the brightness is unlike anything you've seen on a television. The Xbox One S supports HDR for streaming, for 4K Blu-ray discs, and for gaming. You'll need a television capable of displaying the open HDR10 spec, as opposed to a TV that can only display Dolby Vision HDR to take advantage of it, and in my tests, HDR on both 4K Blu-ray and streaming from Netflix looked great. I couldn't test high dynamic range gaming though, because Microsoft won't be releasing any HDR-capable games until the fall. You'd think they would have launched SOMETHING alongside the new console to show it off…but, nope.
So there you have it guys, the 5 big changes Microsoft introduced to the Xbox One S that make it even better than the original Xbox One. Now I want to hear from you - is it enough to make you want to upgrade? Are you gonna wait for Project Scorpio instead? Sound off in the comments below, and I'll meet you there for further discussion. Be sure to hit the like button if you enjoyed this one, and when you see my face appear in the video, click on it and hit subscribe if you aren't already to stay up to date on my future videos, including the upcoming Xbox One S giveaway. Thanks a lot for watching as always, I appreciate the support - this is Andru Edwards, and I'll catch you in the next video.
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Praise for Down's Syndrome Charity Providing Gifts of Hope for Special Arrive Moms – Armagh I
By Ricardo L. Otero	 Last updated Dec 6, 2021
Aoife Cushenan (8) helps prepare some of the special delivery boxes
A mom whose baby was born with Down syndrome said that a gift box from a charity set up for new moms like her was "so adorable" and a real help when she needed it.
Nicola Massey, of Lurgan, received the surprise box from Special Delivery NI while in hospital with Eli, now eight months old.
The association was created by Ballymena's wife, Clare Cushenan, whose daughter Aoife was born with the disease in 2013.
Her goal is to celebrate special children like Aoife and Eli and to reassure new moms that life can be positive and full of hope and joy.
Clare, who formed the association in March 2020 to coincide with Down Syndrome Awareness Day, has launched an online Christmas fundraising appeal to allow her to continue providing the gift boxes.
Since its inception, the association has offered more than 100 gift baskets to mothers in all maternity hospitals in Northern Ireland.
They contain items such as handmade blankets, hats and cardigans, baby clothes and quilts as well as scented candles and toiletries for moms and a good photo.
They also contain the wouldn't change anything and #No one told me books, full of positive information about Down's syndrome and aimed at changing outdated perceptions.
Clare Cushenan delivering some of the gift boxes
Clare and her husband Owen have two older children, Michael and Maria, and were unaware that Aoife had the disease until she was born.
Thinking back to the first days of Aoife's life, Clare says she regrets the time she spent worrying about Down's diagnosis, rather than celebrating the birth of her beautiful baby.
"We rarely think about Down syndrome now – it's just something Aoife has. Rather than being negative, it's quite the opposite, "she said.
"Aoife has taught us more than we will ever teach him. She made us not only better parents, but also better people.
"I just want to make sure that every baby born in Northern Ireland is celebrated, that moms feel reassured and appreciate their wonderful, new child and don't waste those precious first days worrying."
Lurgan's little Eli Massey
Nicola knew from his 20-week scan that Eli had a rare health condition – long-range esophageal atresia – that made him unable to swallow and meant he had to be fed through a tube.
While she had prepared for it, she did not know until birth that Eli also had Down's syndrome.
"It was a little surprise and I didn't know much about Down syndrome until I had Eli," she said.
"There were lovely little things in the boxes, tons of little baby things you need, and some absolutely gorgeous books. I read the stories and they were so positive, "Nicola said.
"I thought 'it's a new world but it's not what people say it is."
"Clare had also sent a letter with her email address and I had emailed her thanking her. She sent me her cell number and told me she was there if I needed to talk to her.
"The boxes are just really, really thoughtful."
Anyone wishing to donate to The Special Delivery NI Christmas Appeal can do so through the GoFundMe link here.
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There's something special about holiday TV episodes. I like that you get to see some of your favorite characters doing holiday stuff. I love a good (and bad) Christmas movie, but there's just something cool about knowing the characters already & you only really get that with a TV show. Here are some of my favorite TV holiday specials.
All the office holiday episodes are such classics, but this is the one that makes my list. I love the rivalry holiday office parties, but can ya really beat margaritas & karaoke? Also Michael is excellent in this one, hilariously bad. And that tie? Fashion.
3. How I Met Your Mother – Symphony of Illumination (S7:E12) Ted has so much love for Robin & it's so cool that the lights in the apartment line up with the music. I love how close the friends are in this show. Lighting the apartment for Robin is such a typical grand gesture from Ted, but what are the holidays for other than showing your loved ones just how much they mean to you?
4. That 70s show – The Best Christmas Ever (S1:E12) This episode combines family & friend holiday parties, figuring out what to get that special someone & having one too many drinks. Funny & feel-good, definitely what the holidays are all about. What's a Christmas party if no one spikes the punch?
5. Arrested Development – Afternoon Delight (S2:E6) The actual epitome of a dysfunctional family holiday. The karaoke song choice is hilariously cringe (hint, check the show title). Sometimes the holidays are an absolute disaster, but at least you can laugh about it, right?
Do you have a favorite holiday TV episode? Let me know in da comments!
I'm actually on the Benihana Christmas episode funnily enough! The Symphony of Illumination is probably one of the best episodes ever.
British Tv compared to American I think!
"it's always sunny in Philadelphia" :), great list of shows.


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Does the public have a right to know how the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation rates the 54 bridges in the state built in the same design as the Interstate 35W steel truss bridge that suddenly collapsed during rush hour in Minneapolis last week?
More broadly, does the public have a right to know the condition of all of its bridges?
While the answer to the questions strikes us as obvious, Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler initially resisted a request from state Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Philadelphia, to come before her committee Aug. 7 and provide the information.
Biehler subsequently had second thoughts and found time in his busy schedule to go before the House Government Affairs Committee, which Josephs chairs. There he promised that he would make the information on the 25,000 state-owned bridges available to the public as soon as it can be put into understandable form. He promised to check on the availability of safety ratings on 7,000 other bridges in the state.
In the wake of PennDOT's refusal at first to provide the information, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had requested the information under the state's Right-to-Know law. The Beaver County Times had requested the bridge data back in April, but also was refused.
Governmental transparency won out in the end, as it should. Most people can draw their own conclusions about the numerical scores used to rate bridges, which consists of three separate scores for the deck surface, superstructure supporting the deck, and the pillars and columns holding up the superstructure. The rating scores run from 0, for very poor condition, to 9, for excellent condition. PennDOT say only three of the steel truss bridges in the state are rated as "structurally deficient."
One thing that the release of the bridge ratings will do is start a conversation. The publication of this information should make the traveling public more conscious of the condition of the bridges they cross.
Indeed, it wouldn't be a bad idea – given PennDOT's penchant for littering state highways with an ever-expanding number of meaningless signs – to post the rating of each bridge, perhaps replacing the repetitive "Bridge Freezes Before Highway" signs. The department might also want to include the estimated cost of fixing that bridge.
Government officials have a ways to go to convince the public that significant amounts of additional revenue are necessary to make needed bridge and highway improvements. Putting out the relevant information can only serve to help fix the problems.
– The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News


In addition to this blog, I own a small design bookstore. As a bookseller, I find it hard to find publishers that consistently produce quality titles. Italian publisher Edizioni Corraini is one of a few publishers that I look forward to their new releases each year. If you own or have seen any Bruno Munari books, you are most likely familiar with their work. They have reproduced dozens of Munari's books, many of which I own in my personal collection. In addition to the Munari collection, they have produced books on or by Martí Guixé, Enzo Mari, Aoi Huber-Kono (Max Huber's wife),Taro Miura, Albe Steiner and many others. With this in mind, I was delighted when I received an email from them mentioning that they had been reading Grain Edit and that they would like to send a package my way.
I will cover the contents of the package in several posts. The first being the Pino Tavaglia book seen above.
I was first introduced to the Pino Tovaglia book several years ago. It was the weirdest situation. I just sold a set of curtains (with a killer 50s pattern) I pulled out of an estate sale to a guy on craigslist. When he pulled up he gave me the cash and pulled out this totally rad design book he happened to bring along for the trip. It was the Tovaglia book. I was floored by what I saw. I was on the hunt for a copy but, I was unable to get my hands on one till I received this package from the publisher.
Forty two students from twenty different countries came together in workshop about PinoTovaglia directed by Massimo Pitis. The end result was an exhibition of Pino's work as well as this monograph. This book serves as a wonderful retrospective of his work. I find his designs playful and experimental but with a calculated restraint. Looking at the photos above you can get a sense of this and his versatility as a designer. Many of his designs would fit right in amongst the work being produced today.
You can purchase the Pino Tovagllia book here.
Next week we'll look at the rest of the package, which includes an exciting new project Edizioni Corraini has recently announced.
Check out all of Edizioni Corraini's book titles at their new website.


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Top 10 cars we've reviewed in 2020
Top 10 best car we've reviewed in 2020? Here are the most memorable models that we got to test.
Earl Lee on Dec 21, 2020
You are here: Home Latest Stories Feature Top 10 cars we've reviewed in 2020
As 2020 draws to a close and 2021 is dawning, we can't help but take a step back and have a look at some of the best cars that we were able to review and get our hands on. From small hatchbacks to big behemoths, there are a lot of cars of many different shapes and sizes assembled on this list. Among the most memorable, however, we were able to pick out 10 models that we found hard to forget. From Caco and the team, here are our picks for the top 10 cars we've reviewed in the year 2020.
By the way, there are quite a few cars that we haven't tested yet at the time of writing. Hopefully, in 2021, we'll be able to and include them in a list for another time.
10. Suzuki S-Presso
Let's kick off this list with the most affordable car of the bunch, the Suzuki S-Presso. Coming in at just P518,000, the S-Presso is the most bare-bones automobiles on this list today, however, while it doesn't have all the trimmings it is still one of the quirkiest cars that we've gotten on a review. It makes the list not because it has an overall great score, but it makes it because it was so memorable. Even if we had a limited time with it we found ourselves fondly reminiscing about the good times we had in it and how we got big folks to fit in the back. (Looking at you Jack.)
9. Kia Picanto
In the 3rd quarter of this year, we took three of the most popular small hatchbacks out on the road for a 3-way comparo to see which model will be the best buy of the bunch. Models like the Honda Brio, Toyota Wigo, and finally the Kia Picanto were all duking it out to see which would win. Funnily enough, the Toyota Wigo was edged out by the Picanto even if it was newer and had more space. What really won us over was the fit and finish that you don't normally find in small hatchbacks. It doesn't feel like its price point and to top it all off, you get a great set of standard features and a rather responsive and peppy 1.2-liter gasoline engine. It was the best of both worlds when we did our comparo, and it was one of the most behaved and most fuel-efficient on the highway, proving that small cars can indeed go far. While it was the most expensive among the three, it felt like you were getting your money's worth at P745,000 which is a feat in the category.
8. Suzuki XL7
Another comparo winner, the Suzuki XL7 makes it on our top 10. Simply put, Suzuki cars are a great value, and the XL7 is no exception to that. At just P1,068,000, you get something that we believe is a better value than some of the other offerings out in the market with an appearance that is a bit more unique compared to the other models that are kitted out or a bit bare. Suzuki has done enough to make it stand out, and in our comparo with the Mitsubishi Xpander Cross, it won us over with its more understated looks and its features, which include a massive 10-inch infotainment screen.
7. Mazda6
A more premium offering in the market, the Mazda6 gets a spot on the list simply because of its exciting drive and its unassuming exterior. You don't know it until it's left you behind and all you have to look at are the taillights. It's a pretty quick midsize sedan, which could make your granddad want to drive instead of being driven in it. It's got enough torque at 420 Nm which can even rival some diesel engines in the midsize SUV category. It'll pull you hard and put you in the back of your seat if you put the pedal to the metal, and it will also corner like it is on rails. You truly feel like you are one with the car, then it can also double as a midsize sedan with all that room at the back.
5. and 6. Geely Coolray and Ford Territory
We couldn't decide between these two crossovers for the 5th and 6th entry on our list, so we decided, why not both? Starting off with the subcompact, the Geely Coolray is one of the larger entries in its category. Loaded with features and with an interior that is very striking, this model from Geely won the hearts of thousands when it was first launched also thanks to it being one of the most bang-for-buck options in the market today. Starting at just under P1,000,000 and with a price that tops out at P1,195,000, the Coolray was one of the most popular cars on AutoDeal.com.ph throughout 2020. It has a 1.5-liter engine and a sharp drive that is tons of fun to wring out thanks to the generous amounts of torque. It even has great handling characteristics and a lot of tech that will make your head spin, as well as one of the best 360-degree cameras in the market today. Even after other manufacturers stepped up their game and unloaded model after model, the Coolray endured and kept its place among the top contenders in the Philippines, except for one.
Then the Ford Territory was launched after the Geely, but it held its own. Raking in inquiry after inquiry for the Blue Oval. There was no shortage of buyers looking for a Ford-branded crossover with the premium features and an attainable price tag. Though it is more expensive than the Coolray, it does have more space and is one full segment above the Geely in terms of size. You do get more for your money as well, and it essentially is a more sedate drive compared to the Coolray, and it is much smoother thanks to that CVT automatic, and 4-cylinder engine. The Territory is a bit of a bargain too, coming in at an affordable P1,179,000 for the Trend variant, and P1,299,000 for the Titanium, which is not bad considering you get a fully-loaded compact crossover from a name brand.
4. Nissan 370Z NISMO
Undoubtedly one of the hero cars for a generation of enthusiasts, the Nissan 370Z is one of the more iconic models on this list. Pretty much a living legend at this point due to how old it is, it still drives like what dreams are made of. Especially in its uber-special NISMO trim, the 370Z was likely your starter car in a racing game, or a car that you just kept during your entire virtual racing career because of how familiar it felt. Regardless, it was one of the most nostalgic experiences that we've had in 2020, which is odd considering the platform's age. It's really a "they don't make them like they used to," type of ride. There is something different about hydraulic power steering and the old-school engine tunes where you have to really wring it out and work hard to keep the car in the powerband. We only wish that it came in a manual transmission, but for the sake of lap times, we'll let the paddle shifters do all the work.
3. Kia Stinger
While we were able to test this car way back in 2019 when it was first launched, the whole team just got to experience the Kia Stinger this year and get it on video. The first time was great, but the second time was even better. With a torquey V6 engine with two turbochargers, the Stinger is definitely not all show. Stab the throttle hard and abruptly enough and you will get wheel spin. It's that lively of a car. Similar in scope to other hardcore performance cars from Europe, the Stinger is a great machine from a brand that has come into its own in terms of technological advancement and quality, Kia. Forget what they say about the South Korean brand because as it is, the Stinger is a very unique and exciting choice that's pretty underrated. Sure it's not the most premium out there, but you will be one of the few. You got a lot of other two-doors on the road like the Ford Mustang, or the Toyota 86, but the fact is, they're a pretty common sight on Philippine roads. The Stinger is exceedingly abnormal, and a unique experience, and one that stuck to our minds because it was so interesting.
2. Toyota Supra
Before you ask the question, "Is that a Supra?" it is, but not quite but it is and we still love it. Making it to number 2 on the list, the Toyota Supra is definitely a car that you will fawn over once you get to drive it. On paper, it doesn't seem like a lot of power, with 335 hp and 500 Nm of torque, you're pretty much trading blows with the Stinger, but don't believe the numbers, because the Supra is indeed a fast machine. It may only have what it has on paper, but on the road and in the driver's seat, it is a different beast. Though the beast doesn't even have fangs nor does it have claws. In the city, it is a very sedate experience, and surprisingly, we didn't have too many issues going over speed humps because the wheelbase is so short. Even the fuel economy of the Supra was a shock to the system because it was pretty frugal for a straight-6 cylinder.
1. Ford F-150
Is it really a surprise? Really? The Ford F-150 is a monster of a pickup for the Philippines. It's almost too big to fit on the roads or even go through a drive -hru in McDonald's. It barely fits, but that's the thing, it still does. We love it because it is so imposing, and we love it because it's a great decision by Ford to bring in this behemoth. The size alone is already so enticing, but the V6 EcoBoost engine is a marvel. This guy weighs a lot, but it gets up to speed and can even keep up with other sports cars. Heck, if you put this guy next to an EcoBoost Ford Mustang, you're going to see a very tight race. It's that quick and for a car of this size, it's nuts. On top of that, you get first-class seating thanks to massage chairs, peace of mind with a 360-degree camera, and a plethora of other goodies and bits and bobs that make the ride or drive even rival some midsize sedans. Plus, yes, this is the only pickup that any of us would be happy to ride in the back of, because it is surprisingly comfortable. Almost as surprising as Caco's golf swing. (Sorry Jack)
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How Covid cases have appeared over the weekend?
Cumbria sees Covid rate below national average after 127 cases appearing
By Alex Candlin @CandlinWG Community Content Editor
TESTED: 127 cases appear in Cumbria
CUMBRIA has seen an additional 127 cases of Covid 19 over the weekend, according to official sources.
Public Health England figures have confirmed that 10,231 people have tested positive for coronavirus as of 9am on this morning.
The number has gone up from 10,104 the same time on Friday.
The health body is now including Pillar 2 tests which will be carried out by commercial partners, alongside Pillar 1 tests.
These are to be analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.
Cumbria's rate of infection now stands at 2,046 cases per 100,000 people.
This is significantly lower than the national average across England of 2,490.
Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 40,356 over the period, to 1,629,657.
Cumbria's cases were among the 305,677 recorded across the North West, a figure which rose by 3,817 over the period.
Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.


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The Void is a hard wearing duffle bag with plenty of carrying capacity for climbing holidays and expeditions.
The hinged style Highball is an extremely popular pad with a great landing area.


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taszka – element broni białej chroniący wlot pochwy przed deszczem i zabrudzeniami
 taszka – element zbroi w postaci metalowych płyt ochraniających uda (doczepianych do fartucha)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Tokpa-Domè är ett arrondissement i kommunen Kpomassè i Benin. Den hade 8 930 invånare år 2002.

Referenser

Benins arrondissement


I've always thought of the 30 mph speed limit in London as having been imposed since the dawn of time.
The recent seemingly draconian measure by many local authorities to reduce this to a blanket 20 mph to many is a novel and unnecessary step.
Yet for many years 20 mph was the norm it being introduced 80 years ago.
Statically for every 1 mph reduced in the average speed there are 6 per cent fewer accidents according to the Department for Transport who say that the limit imposed should be seen by drivers as the maximum speed rather than as a target to achieve irrespective of road conditions. The limit seems to have been successful with 1 death on the roads for every 20,000 cars.
There was a blanket 20 mph speed limit for decades at the start of the last century presumably once the requirement for vehicles to be preceded by a man carrying a red flag.
In 1903 the Motor Car Act made 20 mph mandatory. Presumably at that time a vehicle's maximum speed was less than 50 mph, and had a stopping distance equivalent to a super tanker.
When in 1930 this Act was repealed carnage on Britain's roads ensued. By 1034 with only one-tenth of the cars on the road compared with today's traffic there was 4 times as many deaths.
A controversial Act was passed imposing a 30 mph speed limit, just how that figure was agreed has been lost in the mists of time and as with all British compromises chaos ensued.
Pieces of paper were plastered over existing signs, or tin discs used. Where authorities had managed to erect a regulatory sign these were often torn down, some ended up in lakes.
Now with greater traffic volumes and the huge increase in cyclists on London's roads the debate has been re-ignited.
The Lib-Dems considered a 10 mph maximum in some areas, while many more pragmatic types of council have opted for 20 mph in residential streets supplementing this with as many road obstacles as it's possible to imagine.
At 20 mph, if we adhere to Department of Transport guidelines, our average speed should be around 17–18 mph about the rate of travel for more sedate cyclists.
Unfortunately the modern car (or cab) hasn't been designed to be driven at a continuous 17 mph. The gear ratios are incorrect, fuel consumption higher and engines emit more particulates. In a world of electric cars this wouldn't be a problem.
Failing this utopian world the most effective way I've seen is the average speed camera. Only a fool and the thief would fail to comply with the speed limit under those watchful eyes.
Local authorities will just have to bite the bullet and invest if they want everyone traversing their land adhering to their diktats.
The new speed limit is unlikely to make much difference in town where weight on numbers in any case brings average speeds down to a crawl. In those areas, 20 mph would be seen as an improvement!
I think this is part of the problem: congestion causes frustration and frustration tempts drivers to put their food down whenever they encounter clear space, even if it's only a few yards long. This impatience causes such misdemeanors as running lights that have just turned red and thus running over pedestrian crossings when the green man is showing or blocking crossings when caught in tailbacks. Motor vehicles and pedestrians don't mix. As long as they share the same space, there will be accidents.
We now have the added complication of increasing numbers of cyclists. Many of these are people without any real understanding of the rules of the road or any intention of obeying them. Increasing numbers of cyclists will mean increasing numbers of dead and injured cyclists. Speed limits will do very little to limit cyclist casualties given the reckless behaviour of cyclists themselves.
I used to drive and I used to cycle. I am therefore not anti-motorist or anti-cyclist but I do often shake my head in disbelief at the behaviour of both those groups of road users.
Yes I'm often astounded just how inconsiderable the motorist is towards the cyclist. Likewise many cyclists seem to have a death wish, wither for themselves or for pedestrians.


Various laboratories in the CCPDD offer research experience and training opportunities to postdoctoral and clinical fellows, residents and students ranging from high school through graduate levels. Projects range from short-term summer research opportunities, to graduate student theses and dissertations, to postdoctoral fellow training.
Mentoring of research faculty in design of experiments and grant writing also is provided.
The research program offers various focus areas, such as precancerous biology, chemoprevention, and risk factors of tumor development; molecularly-targeted drug discovery and development; biomarker identification and validation, tumor vaccine development; and clinical translational research. The program allows students and fellows to experience a multidisciplinary translational cancer research environment. The ultimate goal is to prepare trainees for successful careers as independent and productive scholars in cancer research fields.


REVIEW: S18 EP38: The Tiny Caretaker!
Discuss the dub here. Please use spoiler tags when talking about future events.
Bonnie single handedly pulling Tyrunt that's almost the same height as her out of the water was great. Lol at Ash and Clemont sleeping and pushing on each other and their reactions to Tyrunt in their tent. I love how Tyrunt was attached to Bonnie due to her pajamas. OMG Bonnie playing with and comforting Tyrunt was the cutest thing ever. I thought Serena was spot on though. Bonnie seemed to be acting more like Tyrunt's mother than just his trainer. And geez Clemont, is a wild Pokemon enjoying getting its teeth brushed really so odd? Glad to see Bunnelby playing with Pikachu, Dedenne, Tyrunt, and Bonnie. Always nice for him to get some screen time. Lol, I loved Bunnelby and Dedenne dancing on Tyrunt's head as they were walking. That was cute.
Bonnie was pretty cool defending Tyrunt from TR's giant robot hand. Once again TR shows what huge assholes they are by dropping a child from several feet in the air. Tyrunt evolving into Tyrantrum to save Bonnie was awesome. Glad he put TR in their place. And why the hell is TR acting like they had Tyrunt for more than 1 minute before Bonnie found him? Anyway, I can't believe Clemont would have actually caught Tyrantrum for Bonnie if he could have. That's sweet, but at the same time...that's a pretty huge dinosaur to take around with you. I didn't really like how the fossil lab workers showed up literally 5 seconds after Ash's crew discovered Tyrantrum had a trainer. That just felt weird. I kinda wish they would have spaced that out a bit.
I was surprised to see Bonnie being all moody at having to leave Tyrantrum. I guess she did spend a lot of time with it, but at the same time, she went through the same thing with Flabebe already. Whatever, I love how she left her brush with it. That was very mature. Ok, on one hand I like how Bonnie went to Serena to cry to further display their bond, but on the other hand, I thought she would have gone to Clemont. I guess it doesn't matter. At least they were trying to cheer her up.
Uhhh, Bonnie? Don't you know you should boil river water before drinking it to kill whatever disease lurks in it? Pleased to see Tyrunt sounds animal-like. Speaking of, how did it not manage to eat the spoon Bonnie fed it with?? Also nice to hear the word "parent" be used in reference to what Bonnie is being toward Tyrunt. And finally, the ending of this episode was very nicely handled.
I really wish Tyrantrum could've sounded more like the T. rex from Jurassic Park.
The dub's music during Bonnie's Tyrantrum flashback was pretty fitting, actually.
But man, Be a Hero is being spammed almost as much as V (Volt) was TBH.
For a random filler it was a really good, cute, feels episode. Bonnie seemed real and the evolution wasn't forced.
I really wish they had gotten that Tyrantrum... for a COTD it had a lot of personality and in addition I really wanted someone on the cast to have one... Ash should've gotten one over his Noibat tbh, at least Rock would be a new type in his Kalos team, since he already has about 47 Flying types in there.
One of the best episodes in gen 6.
OK, let me be honest. You know that I'm not the biggest fan of Bonnie (to put it mildly) but I liked and I hated the episode at the same time.
I liked the episode because it was really heart-warming to see the close bond between Bonnie and Tyrunt/Tyrantrum and how they were able to master all the difficulties while getting away from TRio. And although brushing Tyrunt's teeth and its fur was a little bit childish, most of what Bonnie did was really, really mature and no matter how much I disliked her in the past, this time I was indeed impressed by her!
I also liked the episode because we finally got to see a Pokemon based on my favorite dinosaur (Tyrannosaurus Rex) and we had an exciting evolution. I think Tyrantrum looks epic and it's a shame that our group did get to catch it. At least Ash should definitely get one in the future!
I also said I "hated" the episode but that's not because it was bad but because there were two things in it that I didn't enjoy seeing at all.
A great and a very sad episode alike. So, it's really difficult for me to judge it this time.
Certainly a cute episode seeing Bonnie caring for Tyrunt like that, and the ending was really nice too. I felt really sad for Bonnie.
Although maybe I like this being dubbed more because I only ever watch the dub episodes once, which is generally about the amount of views it takes me to lose interest in these Bonnie focused episodes. It's not that I hate them, I just don't get the same emotions from it than I should which is the main point of them. This episode in particular was one episode I didn't watch subbed because of that.
It's about time Bonnie had an episode like this one. I think her actions at the end are entirely believable, and a sign of real character development on her part, because she understood that she couldn't take Tyrantrum with her and didn't even throw a tantrum about it (no pun intended) even though she was obviously upset.
Let's be honest here, Team Rocket would have killed Bonnie if Tyrunt hadn't evolved.


Dubai markets fell on the first trading day since the emirate's request to delay debt repayments. But U.S., Asia and Europe markets climbed after the UAE central bank announced it'll provide additional liquidity to commercial banks if needed. Dennis Gartman, founder of The Gartman Letter, shared his insight on what lies ahead.
"We shouldn't be surprised by oil [prices] coming down at all," Gartman told CNBC.
Going forward, Gartman told investors to expect some downward pressure on commodities.
As to currencies, Gartman "fears" the British pound may face the most pressure as it has the greatest exposure to Dubai.
No immediate information was available for Gartman or his firm.


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Redskins select offensive lineman Brandon Scherff with fifth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft
ASHBURN, Va- The Washington Redskins used their 2015 first round draft pick, and fifth overall pick in the draft picking 6'5 319 pound Offensive Tackle Brandon Scherff from Iowa.
Scherff, a unanimous All American selection was last years Outland Trophy Winner. The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America.
Notes from the Washington Redskins on tonights first round of the NFL Draft held in Chicago.
NOTES ON THE SELECTION OF BRANDON SCHERFF
Scherff is the first selection in the tenure of General Manager Scot McCloughan and the ninth selection of the Jay Gruden era.
Scherff is the 440th selection made by the Redskins in the Common Draft era (since 1967) and the 26th first-round selection in that time frame. He is the 57th first-round selection by the Redskins all-time since the institution of the draft in 1936.
Scherff is the third offensive lineman selected by the Redskins in the first round since 2000. The Redskins' last two first-round offensive linemen – Chris Samuels (No. 3 in 2000) and Trent Williams (No. 4 in 2010) – have combined for nine Pro Bowl selections.
Scherff's selection at No. 5 represents the highest the Redskins have selected an offensive lineman since drafting Williams with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Scherff is the fourth offensive lineman drafted by the Redskins in the first round in the Common Draft era, joining Williams, Samuels, Andre Johnson (1996) and Mark May (1981).
Scherff is the 15th University of Iowa product selected by the Redskins all-time, joining B Al Couppee (1942), B Jim Smith (1947), E Herb Shoener (1947), T Don Winslow (1950), T Hubert Johnston (1952), B Don Dobrino (1957), G Frank Bloomquist (1958), QB Mitch Ogiego (1959), E Bill Whisler (1962), B Paul Krause (1964), T Paul Laaveg (1970), RB Ladell Betts (2002), G Adam Gettis (2012) and CB Jordan Bernstine (2012).
The Redskins' 15 all-time selections from Iowa are tied for 14th-most from any school in team history. Scherff is the fifth Iowa Hawkeye selected by the Redskins in the Common Draft era (since 1967).
Scherff's selection at No. 5 marks the highest the Redskins have taken an Iowa Hawkeye, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Paul Krause's selection at No. 18 in the 1964 NFL Draft.
Scherff is the second player selected by the Redskins at No. 5 all-time, joining Redskins Ring of Fame S Sean Taylor (2004).
Scherff is the first Big Ten Conference product selected by the Redskins in the first round since LB Ryan Kerrigan in 2011. He is the sixth Big Ten product selected by the Redskins in the first round in the Common Draft era, joining DT Bobby Wilson (1991), WR Desmond Howard (1992), T Andre Johnson (1996), LB LaVar Arrington (2000) and LB Ryan Kerrigan (2011).
Labels: National Football League, NFL, Redskins Park, Redskins PR, Washington Redskins


Western Outdoor Wear created this Sherpa Lined Raw Denim Coat for Sears. Faux leather buttons at the front accent this traditionally western inspired design. Sherpa lining at body, pockets and collar with quilted lining at sleeves. In great condition with the lining being slightly shorter at the bottom of the right front panel, causing some buckling.
Photos from shoot for Zeus Beard Co. , a small business we love to support.


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Pop! comes to Rogue One! Someone is on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star. Choose your side with the Star Wars Rogue One Jyn Erso Pop! Vinyl Bobble Head! Jyn Erso stands approximately 3 3/4-inches tall and comes packaged in a window display box. Ages 3 and up.


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Garnet and Cocky
Gamecocks News
Jan 3, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Bryan Edwards (89) catches a touchdown pass against the Denver Broncos during the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Scouts Say "Stock Up" On This South Carolina Football Commit by Jacob Elsey
Former South Carolina Football Player Is Colin Cowherd's "Favorite Non QB" by Jacob Elsey
How To Watch South Carolina Football Players In The NFL Playoffs
by Jacob Elsey 1 year ago
A number of former South Carolina football players will be taking part in this weekend's Wildcard matchups, opening the first round of the NFL playoffs. In all, eight Gamecocks will represent their professional teams in postseason action.
Another five will have to watch from the sidelines as they're slowed by injury. Rico Dowdle, Javon Kinlaw, Donnell Stanley, Sadarius Hutcherson, and Ernest Jones are all on injured reserve.
The NFL action kicks off Saturday with the Bengals taking on the Raiders in Cincinnati. That game will see Bryan Edwards and Keisean Nixon battle it out for Las Vegas as they look to lead their team to a playoff win.
Edwards has hauled in 34 receptions for 571 yards and three scores this season. Nixon has appeared in 11 games, making 12 defensive stops.
That game is set to start at 4:30 PM on NBC.
Saturday's second game will not have any Gamecocks participating, but Sunday's contests are filled with former South Carolina players.
Philadelphia takes on Tampa Bay at 1 PM with the game being aired on FOX. Kicker Ryan Succop will attempt to get the Bucs to round two.
The 13-year veteran has converted 25-of-30 field goal attempts and leads the NFL with 56 made extra points.
Next up is San Francisco taking on Dallas. It will pit superstar Deebo Samuel against former teammate Israel Mukuamu.
Samuel has tallied 1,405 receiving yards, leading the NFL in yards per catch. He's also added 365 yards on the ground and recorded 15 total touchdowns (6 rec, 8 rush, 1 pass).
Mukuamu has appeared in four games this year.
The Cowboys and 49ers kick off at 4:30 PM on both CBS and Nickelodeon.
In the night game, Pittsburgh tries to knock off Kansas City. The Chiefs have three defenders that hail from South Carolina in Melvin Ingram, Chris Lammons, and Rashad Fenton.
Ingram, who began the year with the Steelers, will now try to take down his former team. The pass rusher has tallied 25 tackles and a pair of sacks this season.
Lammons has recorded six tackles and recovered a fumble. Fenton has racked up 49 takedowns and a pair of interceptions.
The matchup between the Steelers and Chiefs begins at 8:15 PM Sunday night.
Finally, Monday night brings us a battle between the Rams and Cardinals. With linebacker Ernest Jones on the mend, there will be no Gamecocks in action.
Former Gamecock Throws Shoe On MNF
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Bill King: Houston Gets Vote on Pension Bonds!
May 2, 2017 by Press Release
Bill King and Sylvester Turner
From the InBox:
As you may have heard, the Texas Senate passed a bill yesterday which makes sweeping changes to the City of Houston's pension systems. I am still reviewing the language of the final bill and will have a summary for you in a day or two, but one very important provision requires that future pension bonds be subject to voter approval.
There has been a long-standing tradition in Texas that bonds repayable from property taxes, referred to as general obligation bonds, must be approved by voters. In 1999, the Legislature formalized this tradition in Government Code §1251.
When the Legislature authorized pension bonds in 2003, the legislation was silent on whether voter approval was required. The Attorney General's office has previously ruled that this silence on the voter approval allowed municipalities to issue bonds without voter approval.* So, the roughly $1.5 billion in pension bonds that have been issued by Houston, Dallas and El Paso, have all been issued without voter approval.
Senator Huffman made an early commitment to include a vote on pension bonds in her bill. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Senator Bettencourt both backed her up on the commitment. Turner initially railed against the provision, insisting it was a poison pill, but in negotiations over the weekend, Turner folded and agreed to its inclusion. Apparently the "poison" was not so lethal after all.
It is, however, unclear whether Houston taxpayers will get to weigh in on the initial $1 billion of bonds Turner intends to issue as part of the deal with the police and municipal plans for reduced benefits. This is because unless the bill passes both houses of Legislature by a two-thirds majority it cannot become effective until September 1. If it passes by a two-thirds majority, it becomes effective immediately on the Governor's signature. The Senate easily passed the measure by a two-thirds majority, but if the House does not, Turner would have a three-month window to try and rush through the bonds before the effective date.
While issuing the bonds before the effective date would be an incredible slap in the face of Houston taxpayers, I am not particularly troubled by this possibility.
Many of you will recall that during the campaign I advocated using pension bonds to get benefit concessions from the pension plans, but always said any such deal should be submitted to voters for approval. Of course, during the campaign Turner was adamantly opposed to issuing pension bonds, but that is now the centerpiece of his pension plan.
The purpose of requiring voter approval for pension bonds, which are inherently risky financial instruments, is to ensure they are not misused. But the deal Turner struck, $1 billion of pension bonds for roughly $2.5 billion in benefit concessions, is a on balance a reasonable one. I would have preferred that they also be used to begin to phase out defined benefit plans, but there is some movement on that issue in the bill as well.
Polling shows that while voters strongly feel they should have the right to approve pension bonds, a majority would approve this particular deal, especially when it is explained that City employees made benefits concessions in exchange for the cash infusion which will be made from the bonds.
So, while I am philosophically opposed to issuing general obligation bonds without voter approval, I do not see any great harm if Turner issues the pension bonds before the effective date. And if the House ends up adopting the Senate bill by a two-thirds majority, this loophole will not be available and a vote will be required. Given the progress we have made on pensions generally in this new bill, if the bond proposition is submitted to voters, I will support it.
Unfortunately, it looks like Houstonians will be the only municipal residents in Texas with the right to approve pension bonds. A bill authored by Paul Bettencourt to requiring a vote on pension bonds statewide easily passed the Senate but appears to be going nowhere in the House.
* Some lawyers, including yours truly, think the AG's office got it wrong on not requiring a vote on pension bonds in their initial review. The AG concluded that Govt Code §1251 (requiring a vote on GO bonds) and Local Gov't Code §1.07 were in conflict and that therefore the savings clause in §1.07 controlled. However, a careful reading of the two sections suggests the two provisions are not in conflict. In that case, the voting requirement of §1251 should control. Hopefully, Gen. Paxton will take another look at this issue.
Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: Houston Pension, Houston Pension System
Letter to Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund Members
February 27, 2017 by Press Release
from David L. Keller, Jr., Chairman, HFRRF Board of Trustees
Dear Members:
In recent days, Mayor Sylvester Turner effectively has instructed city staff to end discussions with the Houston Firefighters Relief and Retirement Fund. After more than 30 formal meetings with the city, scores of emails and phone calls, countless legal and actuarial analyses, and dedicated nights, weekends and holidays working toward a solution, our Mayor, the former state legislator, has decided to use the insider's game of the legislative process to pursue his own one-sided plan.
In light of the mayor's disappointing decision and misleading public comments, I wanted to update you on where things stand and our own plan for protecting our pension system.
First you should know that we tried in earnest to achieve a reasonable deal for you, our members, with the city. We went into discussions fearing the Mayor would use our well-funded, well-managed system to pay for the other funds' shortfalls and his other priorities. Our fears now seem well-founded.
As the process wore on we sensed that the other pension systems were getting information, deal language, and negotiations ahead of us. We were not included in the first rounds of discussions. The city returned our drafts slowly or incorrectly using ambiguous language, often with new features and provisions favorable to the city and needing new discussions. On several occasions, when we thought an agreement had been reached, the Mayor's staff would introduce new items outside the original framework or other "non-negotiable" items. Every maneuver presented more evidence the city was not truly interested in reaching a reasonable deal with us. Looking back, we now believe the city purposefully dragged its feet to use the March 10 deadline for filing bills against us.
We mention all this background because the Mayor's recent statements blame us for the current impasse. We view this as a clever attempt to justify to his former legislative colleagues why they should accept his plan despite our serious reservations and objections on points the city insists upon and will not discuss. The Mayor declared, in this week's council meeting, that the plan he submitted for our fund is similar to one for the Houston Police Officer's Pension System (HPOPS) — we do not know what his plan is exactly because he has not shared it with us. Effectively introducing a parity in pensions while there has been no parity in pay for nearly two decades is fundamentally unfair. If the Mayor's plan for us is the version we last saw or worse, we will absolutely oppose it. It was punitive and failed to reflect the HFFRF's strong financial position relative to the other systems.
Since our inception 80 years ago, HFRRF has made sound financial decisions and earned solid returns to ensure your benefits are here now and throughout retirement. The money which the city owes the firefighters' pension is less than one-fifth its overall obligation to all Houston pension systems. The Mayor and city staff have ignored the inconvenient fact that firefighters have opted for more in deferred compensation of retirement benefits than current salary.
In coming weeks we will be addressing this situation and will advise you when events in Austin warrant further update. We have many options as to how we will inform legislators about our concerns and the unfolding situation. We refuse to sit idly by while attempts are made to bulldoze us. We will protect our pension system – the best funded among all Texas pension systems with more than $1 billion in assets – so that you do not suffer for the city's track record of fiscal mismanagement. We did not dig their holes. We should not be forced to fill them with our retirement funds. While we never expected nor advocated for the status quo and still do not, we are 100{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} committed to protecting the retirement security of our members. Unfortunately, the city's priorities do not align with ours. While we have been and remain willing to work with the Mayor to reach amicable language to present to the legislature jointly that would result in adjustments to the Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund's statute, it does not appear that the Mayor shares this willingness.
David L. Keller, Jr.
Chairman, HFRRF Board of Trustees
Filed Under: State Tagged With: Houston Pension System, press release
Dallas Today, Houston Tomorrow-Pension Collapse
December 13, 2016 by Don Hooper
The City of Dallas Pension Board voted to suspend withdrawals from the Deferred Option Retirement Plan (DROP) system on Thursday, December 8. There will be those Dallas firefighters and police officers who successfully exited the DROP system, and those that did not. There are allegations that some of the Dallas private equity investments had not been valued properly. Litigation has already erupted among the parties. There are signs of impropriety with the FBI raiding the offices of the fund administrator. Dallas is 240 miles away but a lot closer today because of the similarities with the pension systems. The classic Ponzi scheme narrative is a shoe that fits here.
It was quite a series of events that began when the Mayor of Dallas, Mike Rawlings, sought a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to prevent any city employees from withdrawing funds from the DROP. It was a classic run on a financial institution by definition. We generally think of runs on financial systems as bank runs. This run was on a pension fund. Dallas public safety employees, in a panic, sought to remove their retirement nest eggs before the DROP system ran out of funds.
The Mayor sought to end the run through court action in the form of a TRO. It was an extraordinary event because he did this as a private citizen, NOT as the Mayor of Dallas. There is always a high bar for a Judge to issue a TRO. The Judge in this case postponed the hearing until 3:30 Thursday afternoon until the pension board itself could meet to vote and prevent any further funds from being withdrawn. This, of course, accelerated the run and the employees chose to get while the getting was good.
Mayor Rawlings came under criticism following a pattern seen in many financial scandals. Whether you are talking about Bernie Madoff or Enron there are always whistleblowers who were early in ringing alarm bells to stop the train wreck. Rawlings appears to be one of the good guys and you can hear the frustration in his voice. Please stop and listen to this very short interview where Rawlings talks about why he filed the TRO and took the steps he did.
Listen to his exasperation in seeking transparency from the union in this interview from KERA News, Rick Holter.
The complaint Rawlings is expressing is not a new one involving Texas pension DROP funds and lack of transparency. Rawlings worked for years to get auditors into the DROP fund to mark assets correctly, stating their true value. The City of Houston has also litigated with the Houston Fire pension fund over transparency.
Many fund participants knew the interest rates they enjoyed in the DROP program were not sustainable. The employees saw how fast these accounts grew. "Officers went to the board. I'm one of them who went down there and said 'listen we can't sustain this kind of rate," Bailey said. Bailey is a retired Dallas Police officer. The same is true in Houston and at least one former officer has commented on this blog about the unsustainability of Houston's local pension DROP structure. The question now is does Houston have similar problems as Dallas? Let me suggest that they do.
Texas public pensions have chased yield in a low yield environment. Fund managers had to do this to get the returns promised employees by elected officials. Politics and investments never mix well. Then, when you add vendors selling high yield private equity investments, you are just throwing gas on a fire. The play is always "fourth and long with minutes left on the clock", as one seasoned fund manager told me yesterday. Remember Mike Rawlings and the lack of transparency he found in Dallas. The same problem exists here in Houston.
The Houston Fire pension system has litigated with the City of Houston over transparency. Houston officials had sought the number of firefighters retiring and the amounts owed each in their respective DROP accounts. The Fire Department litigated to keep that number secret. When the Dallas DROP system collapsed it was learned over 500 police and firefighters were owed over a million dollars and one firefighter had 4.1 million dollars in his DROP account. Obviously, the COH to be able to plan must know the benefits owed to those retiring. The City of Houston actually sued the actuary of the bogus report that led to the outrageous benefits now being paid out. The allegations were that the Towers report concluded that the city contribution would not exceed 15.4{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} of payroll – of course now it is closer to 30{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986}. I always like to read Federal Judge's opinions about people behaving badly. Judge Melinda Harmon ruled that the case can move forward against the actuary and gives her opinion in a seven page ruling. The opinion is an interesting discussion of the background and describes the legislative labyrinth set up by the unions in protecting this now discredited report. This is all very interesting, right? The question is who created the mess.
The answer is legislators of course taking large political contributions. Mayor Sylvester Turner, the late Mario Gallegos, and Senator John Whitmire were the architects of the disaster that has befallen the city pension system. Now that the Dallas system has crashed we now know private equity investments had a large part in that scheme and liquidity issues. Houstonians must ask themselves what is Sylvester Turner up to with his latest "kick the can down the road" scheme. The irony that Turner created the system that is currently whipsawing him financially is a problem he made for himself. However, the implications are much bigger.
Turner is asking for a billion dollars in pension obligation bonds (POBs) basically for a bogus actuarial report written years ago. This bogus report obligated the city to make millionaires out of police and firefighters. The obligation will be on the taxpayers, not crooked politicians who created this mess. There have been private equity losses related to the Houston pension funds involving Towers in the Westridge case. Questions remain concerning the private equity investments in Houston and their value. The legislature needs all of these funds to be audited and particularly the private equity investments. Turner needs to be using the formidable City of Houston lobby team to seek transparency and accountability in the Houston pension system, not another "kick the can down the road" scheme. Senator Huffman, a large beneficiary of union largess, is drafting legislation to bail out her friends again and I can't wait to read all the transparency provisions and auditing requirements she is about to impose. You want to bet there are none?
Dallas wins the Bankruptcy Contest
Pension debt and the Collapse of the City of Houston
A Greek Tragedy in Houston
A Special Council Meeting for a BIG Problem
Filed Under: Blog, State Tagged With: Bernie Madoff, Dallas Bankruptcy, Dallas Pension, Deferred Option Retirement Plan, DROP Accounts, Enron, Houston Pension System, Mayor Mike Rawlings, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Senator Joan Huffman, Senator John Whitmire, Temporary Restraining Order, TRO


text:
Q: 'texture' function call on sampler2D in glsl makes entire screen gray I am trying to use both samplerBuffer and sampler2D in fragment shader.
With samplerBuffer alone it works fine and code looks like this
#version 460
out vec4 FragColor;
in vec2 texcoord;

uniform sampler2D background;
uniform samplerBuffer OctreeData;

...

void main()
{
    Ray ray = initRay();
    /*this function does raytraycing in octree and retrieves data
    from samplerBuffer using texelFetch function.*/
    Contact res = iterativeHitNodes(ray);

    if(res.hit)
      FragColor = assignNodeColor(res); //sets color of the node
    else
      FragColor = getBackground(origin, ray);
}

Then if I add FragColor = texture(background, texcoord.xy); return; line at the beginning of main function, it successfully reads the image and displays it. (A)
But when texture is called in getBackground it shows gray screen. And turns out shader is not working at all — When I intentionally load heavy models framerate stays the same. But there are no shader compile errors.
And the biggest "what" is that screen remains gray even when texture is never called (B). For example when backgroundType is always 0 and  getBackground function is:
vec3 getBackground(vec3 from, vec3 direction)
{
    if(backgroundType == 0)
        return getSkyBackground(from, direction);
    else if(backgroundType == 1)
    {
        return texture(background, texcoord.xy).xyz;
    }

    return vec3(0);
}

Seems like a sheer presence of texture call discards fragments.

*

*this is how it looks in A case https://imgur.com/5d2WaUT

*in case of B https://imgur.com/LEDDNht

*this is how it should look and how it looks on CPU https://imgur.com/Gc2BUwa
P.S. In Debug it works as intended. For some reason, the problem appears in Release mode
P.P.S Most of the shader's code https://pastebin.com/SWCQ9HUw

A: See OpenGL Shading Language 4.60 Specification (HTML) - Texture Functions:

Some texture functions (non-"Lod" and non-"Grad" versions) may require implicit derivatives. Implicit derivatives are undefined within non-uniform control flow and for non-fragment shader texture fetches.

If you are using a texture and texture for texture lookup make sure that all invocations in the invocation group execute the same control-flow path:
vec3 getBackground(vec3 from, vec3 direction, vec3 backgroundColor)
{
    if (backgroundType == 0)
        return getSkyBackground(from, direction);
    else if (backgroundType == 1)
        return backgroundColor;

    return vec3(0);
}

void main()
{
    vec3 backgroundColor = texture(background, texcoord.xy).xyz;

    Ray ray = initRay();
    /*this function does raytraycing in octree and retrieves data
    from samplerBuffer using texelFetch function.*/
    Contact res = iterativeHitNodes(ray);

    if(res.hit)
      FragColor = assignNodeColor(res); //sets color of the node
    else
      FragColor = getBackground(origin, ray, backgroundColor);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I graduated from Mercer University in May 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. During that time I accrued almost $40k in student loan debt. This debt was strictly related to the cost of tuition and any fees associated with the nursing program. Mercer wasn't the cheapest university I could have chosen to attend, especially since it's a private school. However, it's one of the only two nursing schools that I was accepted into; the other was Emory University.
It would've been great to go to a state school and not have to pay so much more for a private school. Yet, it worked out since Mercer was the school of my dreams. The nice thing about Mercer's nursing program was that I only had to pay tuition for the School of Nursing, which was much cheaper than paying for Mercer University. That would've been almost $30,000 per year at the time, which would've equaled way more student loan debt.
My parents didn't save any money for my college education. I think it was mostly from a lack of knowledge on their part. I did have the HOPE scholarship and PELL grant to help pay for college. However, the biggest chunk of my financial aid package consisted of service cancelable loans, federal loans, and parent plus loans. I paid back all my student loans myself, including the parent plus loans. Once Omar and I were married, and with how we do our budget, his income did help to pay off my student loans.
So how did I pay off all this student loan debt?
There was no quick way or gimmick. It was just a simple plan that I followed. As I've mentioned before, I was introduced to Dave Ramsey and his book, The Total Money Makeover, via Omar. It happened just in time since I was ready to get out of debt. After I paid off my credit card debt I knew my student loans were next.
While reading The Total Money Makeover, I learned about the debt snowball method to pay off debt. With the debt snowball method, you pay off your debt in order from smallest amount to largest amount, while paying the minimum amounts on your larger debts. Some people recommend paying off debt starting with your highest interest rate; this is known as the debt avalanche method. I came to realize that the debt snowball method would be the best method for me to use to tackle my student loan debt. I preferred this method because I wanted to have a sense of gratification once I paid off my first small loan, which was going to be faster than going by interest rates. This would be my motivation to keep going.
The total amount of my student loan debt was $36,500. I had to ask my dad to take out 3 parent plus loans through CitiBank to help me pay for college. Although I had good credit, I was required to have a parent co-signor for the student loans. These were the first loans to be paid off because they were smaller amounts. I was glad that they were the smallest amounts because I promised my dad that I would pay them off. He wouldn't have to worry about it even though they were in his name. Each time I paid one off I was beyond proud to call and tell him.
** side note: The two-year gap in time was because I stopped paying extra towards my student loans so we could pay for our wedding debt free.
I liked my service cancelable loans simply because I didn't have to pay them back in the traditional sense. All I had to do was work as an RN (for a specified amount of time) in a required setting that provided full-time health care services directly to patients, and they would be paid in full. For me, this meant that I needed to work full-time in a hospital. This was fine because I wanted to do that anyways. I also had to provide yearly documentation from my employer that I was actually working.
I had 2 service cancelable loans.
One of them was through Georgia Student Finance Commission. Although it was more expensive than the other service cancelable loan, I only had to work for 3 years in order for them to cancel this loan.
The other service cancelable loan was a Perkins Loan through Mercer, which took 5 years of employment as an RN for it to be canceled.
** side note: This last service cancelable loan was paid off just in time for me to be able to consider going part-time after having our son.
If I only made the minimum payment of $164.30, then I would still be paying on this loan until 10/28/19. I can't even fathom that at this day and time! Not only that but with the interest accruing I would have ended up paying $19,550.36 instead.
I could have paid this loan off sooner, but since Omar and I decided to buy our house in June 2013 we had to save for our down payment. Just as we were planning to start paying The Big One off and estimating how long it would take, my dad passed away. The balance at the time was $8,155.43. I used some of the money I received from my dad to pay it off. Even without the money from my dad, we would have paid the loan off in 2015 but later in the year.
So again, there were no tricks or gimmicks to paying off my student loans. I didn't win the lottery either… Although that would've been great! All I did was make up my mind that I was going to pay them off, and that's exactly what I did using the debt snowball method. It took almost 4 years to make it happen since we had a wedding and bought a house during the same time, but I/we did it! It's definitely a great feeling to have paid my student loans off early.
Next week Omar will wrap this series up with Why You Should Save For Your Child's College Education.
Did you pay your student loans off early? Do you think it's a good idea to do so? Why or why not?
Wow, great breakdown! Your dad would be proud to hear you paid your loans off ???? I paid mine of in February of this year. I think it should be everyone's primary focus to do so, but we know that will never be the case.
Thank you. ♥ I think he would be too especially since he already knew that I had started paying them off.
Congrats on paying yours off! It's a great feeling isn't it?
You're right – It'll never be the case until people decide to make it a priority.
Great read… I liked the break down and the side notes that explain gaps or specific items. No short cuts, just patience and execution!
Yep… No short cuts at all although it would have been nice. Ha! But since there were no short cuts it makes me think twice about borrowing money again.
Thanks! Congratulations to you for paying off your student loan debt as well, and early at that! Having one less bill/debt is always a nice thing to have.
<3 Great read, as always. I know it s a wonderful feeling to have a zero balance for student loans…and to have paid them off while buying a home and wedding-ing is AMAZING! Lol!
It is a wonderful feeling. Sometimes I wonder about the amount spent on the wedding or getting the house before paying off my student loans, but always come back to the same conclusion of not regretting our decison!
Nice step by step description of how you paid off your student loan. I had about the same amount of student loan debt as well from getting my master's in business administration. It was supposed to be a 10-year payment plan but I paid it off around that sixth year. And like you said, it felt great to pay that off since I didn't have to worry about making that monthly payment and crossed off my last debt.
Thank you. And congratulations to you on paying your student loan debt off early as well. I'm convinced that if you can pay off your student loan debt early, then that's the way to go.
Wow great job. This is helpful. I think it is really important that students are money conscious and know their options when it comes to different student loans and their cost. Thanks for sharing, students need all the help they can get.
Students definitely need all of the help they can get. That's why we're trying to spread the word. Thank you!


During the Northern California wildfire emergency, the Sonoma-Marin Fair was one of dozens of evacuation centers housing displaced residents in the North Bay. Boardmember Jeff James discusses the importance of fairground facilities during the crisis. Interview recorded Nov. 28, 2017.