text:
The Incredibles (2004)
5 Nov 2004 (US)
Cartoons aren't just for kids. While Pixar has made its name with mostly sweet, sometimes edgy, always clever and eminently child-friendly animation. And yet, for all the humungous successes of the Toy Storys and Finding Nemo, it's hardly surprising that the Pixar team might want to move on, to do something else, too. And so they've taken a first step with The Incredibles.
Instead of dolls and fishies, the stars of the The Incredibles are angsty adults, specifically, superheroes whose flying-high heyday is over, who have been cowed into mundane invisibility by a population who fears their difference. The loss that such repression entails is illustrated early on, in a brief, gonzo sequence showing a regular day for Mr. Incredible (voiced by Craig T. Nelson): veritable king of Municiberg, he's got a gizmoed-out ride, leaps tall buildings, lifts cars and busts up robberies, rescues kitties from trees.
Yes, it's an exciting life. But that's not to say that saving the world day in and day out isn't hard work. As Mr. Incredible notes in an introductory interview, "Sometimes I just want it to stay saved. I feel like the maid: 'I just cleaned up this mess!'" Likewise, the utterly all-together Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) has her own gripe, wondering why people expect "to leave the saving of the world to the men. I don't think so!"
Such objections are minor, however, set against the bigger picture, the athletic adrenaline rush and the thrill of victory, and oh yes, saving the world. So the superheroes — as a bloc — are taken aback when faced by resistance from the very citizens they have made it their business to save. Their X-Men-like troubles come to a head when Mr. Incredible saves a would-be suicide who's just leaped from a window, and the guy decides to sue for damages. Suddenly, the tabloids are all over the case, and the superheroes are subjected to a relocation (a.k.a., "Superhero Protection") program, sent off to live ordinary lives in places like suburban Metroville and prohibited from saving anyone, anywhere.
And so, Mr. Incredible is turned into Bob Parr, insurance company schlub, dutiful husband to Helen (formerly Elastigirl), and increasingly frustrated father of three kids. Trying to be good conformist parents, Bob and Helen teach young Violet (Sarah Vowell) and Dash (Spencer Fox), to suppress their gifts (invisibility/force field powers and stunning speed, respectively), else they scare their classmates; at the same time, the Parrs hope against hope that their cute little infant has no powers at all, that he will conform to his ordained dullsville existence and never know the pain of feeling "different".
Bob sympathizes with little Dash's irritation with the illogic of such instruction: the kid wants to go out for track, but can't expose himself, and so he's stuck, trying to appear average. "You say, 'Do your best,'" he whines to his parents, "but you don't really mean it. The world just wants us to fit in." Helen tries to smooth over this bit of hypocrisy: "Everyone's special, Dash." The kid puts on his pouty face: "That's just another way of saying no one is."
While Helen has more or less assumed the role of suburban mom, Bob finds ways around his boredom. These range from revealing to much-defeated clients ways to get appropriate insurance coverage, or sneaking out late at night to perform superheroic feats. After white-lying to Helen (he's playing cards), Bob and with his old buddy Lucius, formerly Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) sit in a dark car with the police scanner turned on, responding to calls, then running off from the scene before they're recognized. When Helen inevitably busts him, Bob's both apologetic and angry. Now 15 years into his "normal" life, he confesses that he just hates everything about it: "They keep coming up with new ways to celebrate mediocrity!"
While Helen surely commiserates (she misses her own bendy-flexy days), she's also practical-minded. They have kids to protect, and so, they must toe lines. And this would be The Incredibles' most significant point. Given current U.S. culture's anti-exceptionalist, anti-intellectual inclinations, the film's general resistance to such thinking seems almost radical. The movie applauds Bob's ambition, his desire to be publicly exceptional, and exposes the lie of the American Dream, the myth that everyone has equal opportunity. Bob and his family are special. Mediocrity sucks.
Though Bob promises Helen — again — that he'll stop patrolling at night and just in, he goes on to more secret superheroism, inspired by a mysterious beauty named Mirage (Elizabeth Peña). Thrilled to be so desired, Bob takes his superhero costume out of the display case (he's got a room full of superhero paraphernalia, hidden away from alarmable neighbors) and heads off to a tropical island to battle a big scary robot called the Omnidroid.
His initial mission underlines just how out of shape he's become, and so Bob starts on a new regimen, exercising and eating right, engaging in regular sex with his pleasantly surprised wife, and sneaking off on "business trips" that really involve battling embodied evils. By the time Bob discovers that he's being stalked by a former associate, now transformed into big-time villain Syndrome (Jason Lee), he's also rediscovered his destiny, namely, to be a confident, aggressive, and altogether different superhero.
That Bob's personal and professional journey threatens disaster for his family (and his mostly un-depicted) community does give him pause, of course. Though he's rather charmingly insecure and occasionally fumbling, he's also a big-hearted superhero with a proper sense of obligation to his less-talented fellows. His resulting self-doubt, along with Helen's decisive action (helped along by her costume designer, the Edith-Head-inspired Edna Bird [Brad Bird]), leads to a Spy Kids-ish reunion and joint (ad)venture, a complicated, half-rousing and half-terrifying (the film includes violence and implied death scenes that might be troubling for some children).
It's in this complicated sequence (for which Frozone also comes back, his own unseen wifey warning him, loudly from another room, that any such action is forbidden), that The Incredibles reveals the extent of its smart-ass perversity. Yes, the villain is spectacularly vanquished, and yes, the heroes (must) win, be reinstated as publicly vaunted and very special heroes, and keep hold of secret-identities that grant something resembling suburban harmony. Less obvious and more interesting is the film's proposition that superheroism is not easy, that it involves sacrifice and compromise. The new American Way is less empathetic, more efficient. When no one's special, everyone starts navel-gazing and feeling arrogant, rejecting opposition, diversity, and responsibility. And this can be downright dangerous.
TAGS action adventure animation brad bird disney film review Pixar pmpick review The Incredibles
FROM THE POPMATTERS ARCHIVES
Art Transforms in Pop Americana Film, 'The Iron Giant' - PopMatters
RESOURCES AROUND THE WEB
Brad Bird - IMDb
Brad Bird - Wikipedia
West Indian Girl: self-titled
Bonk: Western Soul


Porsha Williams posted her latest pictures of Dish Nation and her fans and followers are anxiously awaiting when she gives birth to her baby girl.
Porsha Williams is doing great these days and really happy to meet her first baby with fiance Dennis McKinley.
She is sharing all her activities for baby PJ on her social media account.
Recently, Porsha Williams shared her video in which she was dancing in the car, but later she deleted the video after Shamea Morton commented on her video and her fans are little upset over this.
Her fans are so excited to see Porsha Williams as in the role of mother.
Everyone keeps asking her about the due date.
Porsha Williams and Dennis McKinley are enjoying their precious time together.
She believes Mckinley is the right man for him and she wants him to be the man of the house and trusts him blindly.


Twin Disc makes transmissions, shift controllers, propellers, water jets and other industrial power transmission products for marine and industrial vehicles. You can get an idea of what products they sell from the links below.
I wrote this in January because TWIN was a name that came up in the Forbes best small companies a couple of years back. My numbers may not be the latest, but it should be similar.
The stock dropped 18% on earnings announcement in January and is now down 27% YTD.
But, does it offer any value?
Michael E. Batten owns 22.7% of the company. Batten is chairman and CEO.
From the Def-14A: "The Corporation believes that its executive officers should hold a meaningful stake in Twin Disc in order to align their economic interests with those of the shareholders." – Ironic that 10 insiders hold 0.3% of shares each given this statement.
From 2008 – 2009, company hired an independent consultant to review salaries. In 2010, due to recession and to reduce cost, salaries were cut by 5-15% without independent review. In 2011, salaries were restored to previous levels without independent review. In 2012, independent consultant was rehired.
Funny thing is that the list of comparable companies in the compensation survey includes hundreds of non related companies like Coach, Heinz, Time Warner, 7-Eleven and health insurance companies.
Comparing 2009 to 2011 (since 2010 was a paycut), Batten increased his total compensation by 32%. Batten's son, the President and COO increased total compensation by 31%. CFO increased compensation 40%. The pay reduction in 2010 seems to have been more strategic than anything else.
Executive pay comes out to 2% of sales.
TWIN sells to the oil industry and at the moment with oil prices increasing, their 6 month backlog as of June 2011 was $146.9m vs $84.4m.
This is quite a big jump in the 6 month backlog. Shows that there is potential and demand for their products provided the economy helps.
However, TWIN is better than most small industrial companies because they design specially engineered products to meet and serve market demand. If they continue to research and develop products, they can grow but it is difficult to differentiate from competitors.
Add in the fact that the majority of company growth has to come from an improving economy. These types of companies are under heavy economic influences. Unless there is a total product in a truck or boat, customers are not inclined to purchase their products. Or if money is tight, it is easy to get a part serviced or fixed versus replaced.
I cannot think of or find any strategic advantages.
Even the goodwill section in the annual report does not show anything significant in terms of hidden assets or relationships which could be interpreted as a moat.
There are lots of competitors both domestically and internationally selling power transmission products. Up to this point, I don't find TWIN attractive enough to go through their competitors.
TWIN does 59% of sales outside USA. A majority of that comes from Canada and Europe. The Europe crisis wil damper sales. Currency exchange rates is also important with international sales. They have international manufacturing operations in Belgium, Italy and Switzerland.
Some products are sold to the oil industry. Dependent on oil prices.
Company sells to the government, which means that any budget cuts will hurt them.
Most of their products are made of steel. If steel prices go up, margins will compress.
Inventory of raw materials and works in progress has increased, which is expected based on the increase in backlog.
Capital intensive. TWIN needs to upgrade or maintain their equipment. They have to constantly invest in R&D for new and better products.
The 2011 sales and margin is misleading. 2011 gross margin is around 39%, but that should come down to 34%.
Capex has also returned to normal levels.
During recessions, CROIC is avg 3.7% and ROE is 3.8%. Will most likely lose money in a recession. Makes investing during a down cycle very tough.
Performing a reverse DCF with the owner earnings from 2011 (which is a good number), with a discount rate of 12% (TWIN calculates their cost of capital to be 9%), market implied growth rate is about 18%.
Even if I use 9% discount rate, the expected growth rate is 14%. Much too high for a cyclical company.
Performing a reverse Graham with EPS of $1.60, the implied growth rate is 9%. Achievable but difficult in my opinion given the risk and the environment in which it does business.
The reproduction value of the business comes out to around mid to high $20's so there is potential in terms of maximizing value out of its assets.
But overall, valuation wise, it looks fairly to slightly overvalued purely based on these numbers.
Increase in demand from emerging markets.
Involved in several product liability litigation. Not material.
There are hints here and there that management isn't the most shareholder friendly, but my opinion is arguable because they pay a very small dividend and bought back shares during the lows of 2008 for an average price of $7.25.
If the company announces a share buyback, it will be a clear indicator that management believes their stock price to be cheap. I would prefer to see other insiders other than the CEO to purchase shares.
Fundamentally, the company is average, but management has done a good job of maximizing the potential during the good years.
With that said, the upside does not outweigh the downside. Far too many things could go wrong before upside could materialize.
Think of it as probabilities. Even with the big drop YTD, the upside is maybe 30-40% max whereas the downside percentage is easily 40% and could be greater if the economy continues to slide.


text:
Weymouth police searching for hit-and-run driver
Rockland woman injured in Main Street crash
Updated: 10:10 AM EST Nov 5, 2013
Weymouth police are searching for a driver who struck a Rockland woman on Main Street on Monday night and then fled the scene, Wicked Local reported.Capt. Richard Fuller said the accident occurred at 7:10 p.m. near 953 Main St. (Route 18), three blocks from South Shore Hospital.The victim, who's 20, was hit in the northbound lane as she tried to cross the road. Fuller said police haven't determined if she was in a marked crosswalk when she was struck.Fuller said the vehicle -- a gray sedan, possibly a Ford -- fled north at a high rate of speed. The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.Fuller said anyone with information about the accident or the vehicle is urged to contact Weymouth detectives at 781-335-1212.
WEYMOUTH, Mass. —
Weymouth police are searching for a driver who struck a Rockland woman on Main Street on Monday night and then fled the scene, Wicked Local reported.
Capt. Richard Fuller said the accident occurred at 7:10 p.m. near 953 Main St. (Route 18), three blocks from South Shore Hospital.
The victim, who's 20, was hit in the northbound lane as she tried to cross the road. Fuller said police haven't determined if she was in a marked crosswalk when she was struck.
Fuller said the vehicle -- a gray sedan, possibly a Ford -- fled north at a high rate of speed. The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Fuller said anyone with information about the accident or the vehicle is urged to contact Weymouth detectives at 781-335-1212.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home World News Basque militants ETA to disarm
Basque militants ETA to disarm
Basque militant group ETA is to surrender its weapons to authorities on Saturday, drawing a line under more than four decades of armed struggle that gained it notoriety as one of Europe's most intractable separatist movements.
The orchestrated handover in the French city of Bayonne will not dissolve the group, which declared a ceasefire in 2011 after killing more than 850 people during a campaign for an independent state in northern Spain and southwest France.
But it will sever a link with an era of political violence in Western Europe, just as democratically-driven nationalism is stirring across the continent.
Scotland and the Spanish region of Catalonia are seeking referendums on independence, while Ireland's Sinn Fein has urged a vote on taking Northern Ireland out of Britain.
Anger among Basques at political and cultural repression under General Francisco Franco led to the founding of ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna – Basque Country and Freedom) in 1959.
Following Spain's return to democracy in the 1970s, the Basque region gained more autonomy and the group's continued bombings and assassinations caused public support to wane.
ETA said in a letter to the BBC it had handed over its weapons and explosives to civilian go-betweens who will deliver them to authorities on Saturday.
But it is not clear how the process will be carried out or if it will receive the backing of the Spanish and French governments.
The Basque parliamentary spokesman for Spain's ruling People's Party, which has refused to negotiate with ETA and called for its full dissolution, said the handover was a final surrender after six years of broken promises.
"The ETA we've known up to now has gone forever," said Borja Semper outside the legislature in Vitoria-Gasteiz. "What remains to be done is to wipe out the hatred that ETA embedded in a large part of Basque society."
The group's surrendered arms may yet come to embody that challenge.
A government source said Madrid did not believe the group would hand over all its arms, while Spain's state prosecutor has asked the High Court to examine those surrendered for murder weapons used in unresolved cases.
Popular revulsion at the scale of violent attacks carried out by Islamist militants like ISIS, and effective crackdowns by Spanish and French police have also helped make ETA's brand of activism untenable, says Paddy Woodworth, journalist and author of 'Dirty War, Clean Hands', a book about ETA.
"It had ceased to be an attractive organization to join," he told Reuters. "The whole left nationalist armed strategy that goes back to the 1960s … has been shown to be bankrupt."
ETA's first known victim was a secret police chief killed in San Sebastian in 1968. Its last was a French policemen the group shot in 2010.
A year later it chose not to disarm when it called its truce, but has been severely weakened in the past decade after hundreds of its members were arrested in joint Spanish and French operations and weapons were seized.
In a symbolic gesture in 2014, ETA released a video showing masked members giving up a limited weapons cache to verifiers. (Courtesy Reuters)


Paris Tip: My favorite time-saving tip is to mat multiple photos on a single piece of paper, rather than matting each one individually. For the page on the left-hand side, I placed three photos of Elise on a piece of plight blue paper, allowing a bit of space between them. I did the same for the two photos on the right-hand page. Its an easy shortcut that looks good too!
For the right-hand side: The snowflake collage paper is your background (its the last sheet in the book). Place a brad in the center of the large snowflake.
Cut out the snow tag and mat on light blue textured paper. Place a brad to the top of the tag and glue to the page. Loop fibers around the brad in the tag and the brad in the snowflake, tying a knot at the snowflake brad.
Cut out the alphabet tiles to spell skiing and add to page.
Cut the vellum to 8.5x11. Print your journaling onto the vellum by setting your printer to the landscape setting. Tear one long side of the vellum and attach to the right side of the page with three brads.
Mat the photos together on light blue texture paper and add to page.
For the left-hand side: Use the blue collage block paper (the second from the last sheet in the book) as your background. Add a piece of torn blue vellum to the top of the page using three brads.
Cut out the alphabet tiles for the title. Mat the photos on one piece of light blue texture paper. Wrap a group of silver fibers across the bottom of the page, securing the ends on the back with clear tape. Use foam mounting tape to attach the winter definition to the page.
Layout reprinted from 4 Seasons Papers.


On October 5, 2016, Bon Jovi announced the 20 stop This House Is Not For Sale Tour starting on February 8, 2017 in Greenville, South Carolina at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena and wrapping up on March 22, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. His album, This House Is Not For Sale, was released on November 4, 2016.
Now, Bon Jovi has announced a part 2 2018 version of the popular tour for fans to go and check out.
Check back here later once the openers for the tour are announced!
Click here to buy your Bon Jovi tickets through SeatGeek!
Check out Amazon.com for all your Bon Jovi merchandise!
Plan on attending the This House is Not For Sale Tour? Let us know by commenting below or by following us on Twitter and Facebook!


DRAFTER was established in 2008. Since the beginning, the company has been operating on the market of international road transport services and forwarding. Taking advantage of their location, the company fulfills the needs and connects customers of Western Europe with emerging markets of Eastern Europe and the Asian Union. According to our motto "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" we provide optimized and safe services compliant with the best distribution practices to our recipients.


Description: The first two aspects about what belief in God means, namely, belief in His existence and belief in His Supreme Lordship.
(I) Belief in God's existence.
(II) God is the Supreme Lord.
(III) God Alone is entitled to worship.
(IV) God is known by His Most Beautiful Names and Attributes.
God's existence does not require proof by scientific, mathematical, or philosophical arguments. His existence is not a 'discovery' to be made by the scientific method or a mathematical theorem to be proven. Simply said, mere common sense bears witness to God's existence. From a ship one learns of the ship-builder, from the cosmos one learns of its Creator. God's existence is also known by answers to prayers, miracles of prophets and the teaching in all revealed scriptures.
In this verse, the "they" refers to all human beings, male and female. The 'yes' confirms the affirmation of God's oneness by us in our precosmic state. Islamic doctrine holds that men and women still carry the echo of this 'yes' deep down within their souls. The call of Islam is directed to this primordial nature, which uttered 'yes' even before they inhabited the earth. Knowledge that this universe has a Creator is something instinctive in Islam and therefore it requires no proof. Scientists, such as Andrew Newberg and Eugene D'Aquili, both affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania and pioneers in the neurological research of religion, say "We are wired for God."
Often these veils are lifted when a human being is faced with a spiritual crisis and left helpless and vulnerable.
First, God is the sole Lord and Ruler of the physical world. Lord means He is the Creator, Controller, and Owner of the Kingdom of the heaven and the earth; they belong exclusively to Him. He alone brought existence out of non-existence, and all existence depends on Him for its conservation and continuance. He did not create the universe and leave it to pursue its own course according to fixed laws, thereafter ceasing to take any further interest in it. The power of the Living God is required at every moment to sustain all creatures. Creation has no Lord besides Him.
He is the ever-ruling King and the Savior, the Loving God, full of wisdom. No one can change His decisions. Angels, prophets, human beings, and the animal and plant kingdoms are under His control.
 "Why God Won't Go Away". Science and the Biology of Belief, p. 107.
 God's existence proven by the existence of a supreme Lawgiver is called the 'ethical' argument by Western theologians.


, Golfo Aranci guide and resort information. Book your room with ease.
Select from below Golfo Aranci Accommodation Guide and Online Accommodation Booking Service.
Golfo Aranci accommodation. Holiday rental booking in Golfo Aranci.


If there are no Slingshot models available, please check out our Showroom Models page to see what is available from the manufacturer. If you see a model you like, but we don't have in stock, let us know and we can order it for you!
EVEN MORE JOY TO THE RIDE. AND YOU WON'T GET LOST... UNLESS YOU WANT TOO!!!


More trademarks join the list of upcoming IP
Square Enix has registered four new trademarks in the US. The newest trademarks are "Code Age", "Code Age Commanders", "Code Age Brawls", "Code Age Archives". However, no trademarks in the Japanese Patent Office have been listed yet.
Square Enix has registered four new trademarks in the US. The newest trademarks are "Code Age", "Code Age Commanders", "Code Age Brawls", "Code Age Archives". However, no trademarks in the Japanese Patent Office have been listed yet.


Root cause analysis is an approach for identifying the underlying causes of why an incident occurred. The investigation of US Airways Flight 1549 will include both why the aircraft ditched in the river and why all onboard survived. Ordinarily root cause analysis investigations of plane crashes only address the causes of what went wrong, such as the bird strikes, the loss of the engines and ditching in the river. This root cause analysis for US Airways Flight 1549 will also show what went well regarding the smooth ditching, and the successful evacuation and rescue of all onboard. This root cause analysis, built as a Cause Map, captures all of the causes in a simple, intuitive format.
On January 15, 2009 US Airways Flight 1549 "ditched" (landed in water) in the Hudson River without losing a single passenger. The most important, and frankly amazing aspect of this incident, is that nobody died. None of the 150 passengers, 3 flight attendants and 2 pilots lost their life due to the crash. There were no fatalities from the crash itself, from hypothermia, or from drowning, which are all certainly possible outcomes for a water landing in New York City in January.
So, although the plane did crash, due to the loss of altitude caused by the loss of both engines (likely due to being simultaneously struck by geese, though this has also not been confirmed), the Captain landed in the river, rather than a populated area. His copilot has said that another consideration in choosing the river was to ensure that passengers would be rescued quickly thanks to the proximity of many ferry boats.
Passengers avoided hypothermia by being rescued quickly, thanks to the quick response of the ferry boats, whose Captains are trained in water rescue. Passengers were also aided by other passengers, thanks to clear instructions from the crew.
No passengers drowned. The plane was evacuated extremely quickly, thanks to passengers who used their last minutes of air time to review the safety card instructions and the performance of the flight attendants, who are trained to evacuate a plane in 90 seconds. The evacuation was ensured by the Captain and police divers, who checked and double-checked that everyone had made it out safely.
Some causes are linked with AND In between ANDs show where more than one cause is required. When an effect has more than one cause, both causes are placed on the Cause Map. Each cause is connected to the effect with an AND placed inbetween. These causes are independent of each other, but they are both required to produce that effect. An AND is needed when people provide different, yet valid, explanations of a cause. People think of cause-and-effect as a simple one-to-one relationship; an effect has a cause. In reality, every effect has causes.
Step 1 is the Definition of the Problem. It's written in an outline format so that it's easy to capture and easy to read. The problem is always defined by the specific impact to the organization's overall goals (the deviation from the ideal state). In the case of Flight 1549 the impact to safety was a positive. All 155 people onboard survived, but it could have been catastrophic. There was also the loss of a $70M aircraft.
Step 2 is the Analysis of the incident. The cause-and-effect relationships are identified by asking "Why?" questions starting with the Goals that were impacted. While the Cause Map may start linearly, it will expand to provide a detailed view of the entire incident as more information is collected.
Question: Why were there no fatalities in the city?
Because the pilot guided the aircraft clear of populated areas.
Because the Captain decided to ditch in the Hudson River.
Because the aircraft was at sufficient altitude (3200 feet).
It's not a matter of which one is "right." All of the responses above are accurate cause-and-effect relationships which fit on the Cause Map.
Question: Why did the captain decide to ditch in the Hudson River?
Because the aircraft was unable to maintain altitude. This causal path is related to the loss of both engines.
Because the plane was already aligned with the river. Air traffic control immediatley had the pilot turn to the left to return to LaGuardia. This happened to align the aircraft parallel and adjacent to the Hudson River.
Because the pilot avoided a landing attempt at an airport.
By asking the captain, he can explain the causes of why he decided to ditch in the Hudson. The causes are linked with an AND because they were all required to produce the captain's decision.
Question: Why was the plane able to land so smoothly in the water?
Because of the skills of the captain and first officer.
Because the nose of the aircraft was kept up.
Because the wings were kept level.
Because the Hudson River was relatively calm.
Question: Why were there no passenger fatalities on the aircraft?
Because of how smoothly the aircraft impacted the water.
Because no one died of hypothermia or drowning.
Because no one died from fire.
These causes (and more) can be combined onto a Cause Map to accommodate as much detail as needed.
This Cause Map organizes all of the cause-and-effect relationships from earlier on this page and adds some additional detail. Start with any one of the goals that have been impacted. Read the Cause Map from left to right using the phrase "was caused by" in place of the arrows.
Step 3 is the selection of specific action items to prevent the issue from occurring. The recommendations and action items from the actual Flight 1549 incident will be included once they are made available.
Following are some specific lessons from Flight 1549. Review them at your next staff or safety meeting. The concepts are applicable within any organization interested in improving their reliability.
This incident provides a valuable reminder that little tasks can have a big impact on reliability. When you hear flight attendants say "cross check and verify," they are double checking the exit doors and emergency slides. A girt bar, attached to the exit door, must be manually engaged before takeoff and then disengaged after landing. This ensures the slide will deploy when the door is opened "in the event of an emergency." Photos from Flight 1549 show passengers climbing onto the floating slides on either side of the forward exits to be picked up by boat. The forward slides on Flight 1549 had been armed and functioned properly when needed.
What are the girt bars in your organization?
Some tasks may seem insignificant, because "nothing ever happens," but in certain situations those minor tasks can mean the difference between life and death. The girt bar is moved into and out of position on every single commercial flight. In some organizations, tasks that appear unnecessary may eventually be skipped. In high risk operations it's important to maintain a disciplined approach. Within healthcare, checking the girt bar is analogous to verifying the medication that's about to be administered to a patient. Within industrial companies, its verifying energy sources in a lock-out, tag out procedure. When someone asks, "Do we really need to do this every time? Nothing has ever happened." The response in high reliability organizations is "Yes….every time." The proper position of the girt bar is a cause of zero passenger fatalities. Find it on the detailed Cause Map to review with your group.
One of the causes on the detailed Cause Map is "Aircraft lost both engines." The engines may have failed due to severe damage caused by the bird strikes. Or, the engines may have been directed to shutdown by the onboard computer when it received bogus information from damaged instruments. These are possible causes. They are designated on the Cause Map with a question mark (?) because there's no evidence…yet. Collecting evidence is a fundamental piece of the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation. Problem solving in your organization should also be driven by evidence; not opinion and speculation.
Interestingly, two days before ditching in the Hudson River, the number 2 engine, on this same aircraft, shutdown and had to be restarted in flight. The root cause analysis will reveal details about whether or not the two incidents are related.


text:
WilcoxM3 | Media, Marketing, Management
Clients and Testimonials
News + Blog Posts
Select Clients
GEORGIAN COURT University
The Council of INdependent Colleges
Academic Search, Inc.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
FLYNN RESEARCH
Mackey Strategies, Inc.
Phair Advantage, Inc.
The Voices Group
"Laura Wilcox knows the communications business from A to Z. She brings to her work more than 20 years of experience in higher education, and is particularly familiar with, literally, hundreds of independent colleges and universities. No communications task, large or small, is beyond her expertise."
— Richard Ekman, President, Council of Independent Colleges
"Laura's passion for her work shines through – and gets results. A consummate professional, she knows what's going on in higher education today, and what's trending for the future."
— Judy Phair, President, PhairAdvantage Communications
"I have always been impressed with Laura's high-energy, results-oriented approach. In her new venture with WilcoxM3: Media, Marketing, Management, Laura and her team bring a high degree of professionalism, experience, and expertise to media campaigns and other projects requiring sophisticated, high-visibility strategies."
— Scott D. Miller, President of Virginia Wesleyan University, and Former President of Bethany College, Wesley College, and Lincoln Memorial University
"I have worked with and known Laura for almost 20 years and she is everything you want in a communications professional – creative, smart, ethical, and a team-building colleague. From directing a national award-winning public information campaign to successful placements in the New York Times, Laura gets it done."
— Elizabeth Bishop Gemoets, Chief Operating Officer, Association of Academic Health Centers
"Laura's energetic, crisp style of communicating and her finesse with the pen have propelled her career advancements and will serve her well as a communications consultant. As a university professor, I often draw on the personalized media training Laura provided when I was preparing for media appearances."
— Patrice Flynn, Professor of Business and Economics, Mount St. Mary's University, MD
(202) 423-6499 | Laura@WilcoxM3.com
© 2017, WilcoxM3, LLC
WilcoxM3 helps campus and nonprofit communications officers improve strategic communications and media relations operations, implement complex marketing activities, and manage multifaceted public relations events and programs.


text:
CIWS WhiStle Community Radio
For people you know. By people you know.
News - Talk - Sports
CIWS-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts a community radio format on 102.7 FM in Whitchurch–Stouffville, Ontario. In November 2006, WhiStle Radio was granted a licence by the CRTC [1] to operate as a low power community radio station. The station formally launched on March 17, 2008.


text:
FictionSupernatural
By: Ronan-Carter
a short story of how a boy discovered his power, and why he had to run. alchemy meets one hell of a week. rating will change whenever i update due to possible passion unfinished however i intend to finish this, before reading please read Runik on profil
Rated: Fiction T - English - Supernatural/Adventure - Chapters: 2 - Words: 6,871 - Reviews: 1 - Updated: 1/26/2011 - Published: 1/10/2011 - id: 2880865
1. Alchemy 101 equivalent exchange2. Transmutation
Alchemy 101 equivalent exchange
Ronan Carter woke to the blaring of his alarm clock. The scruffy haired teenager dug himself from under his dishevelled quilt which was littered with pages and pages of scrawled nonsense from his ongoing personal research project. He slumped to his feet and began rooting around the room looking for the alarm when he came across his long-since missing ring, a simple silver band with a flat bed where a crest should sit, but the ring itself was blank. He finally found the alarm sat atop his college bag to remind him not to forget it this time.
Just as it clicked in his head, Ronan hurriedly pulled his clothes from the propped up wardrobe and climbed into them, he chose the only remaining clean black cargo-trousers and a faded t-shirt with the phrase 'I'm not a victim, I'm a survivor' repeatedly written calligraphically around the outside of a Celtic style pentagram (right way up) and grabbed his necklace as he ran into the bathroom. It was a dull pewter chain with a pewter pendant consisting of embossed runes ringed twice around a green crystal; he never went a day without it.
"Right, college, Monday morning, two hours psychology professor Halling; one hour psychology professor Stevens; hour lunch break; two hour philosophy professor Cadwyn; one hour philosophy professor Windsor; left over time for socialising" he listed under his breath as he checked himself over in the mirror and washed his face. He decided he would have to brush his teeth on the bus-stop as it was 07:10 and the bus arrived, rather unreliably, at approximately 07:15. He ran back to his room to grab his rocker-boots; basically army boots with a thicker metal-emblazoned sole and studs and large buckled down the outer sides, he added the studs to the toe himself. He ran downstairs, pulled on his fingerless gloves on and reaching for the keys on the hook he swore; Ronan then doubled back up the bare-wood stairs and picked up his bag, a worn n torn canvas backpack. Late for sure today, no way in hell am I catching this one.
As he ran to the bus stop he saw his friend Gwen Baker, she had long scarlet hair, and Ronan noticed the rather naughty looking pleated skirt she was wearing with fishnet tights and a white blouse and loose tie; Gwen was a rather flirty girl but she was very intelligent, plus she was well connected in the techy community, she was an internet wiz, if u wanted to know something, she could hack her way into it, no matter what the challenge she could do it.
"Run Ronan run!" she mocked with a giggle as the bus pulled up, but she held the bus for him and he flashed his pass and went to sit down next to her. Ronan then took a quick look at the other passengers, he always did, old habit. He then took a sneaky proper look at Gwen's blouse when she went to adjust herself, Ronan had a little mega-crush on her, and she probably knew it too.
"God I'm tired" she said, now Ronan had broken from his mental limbo he nodded.
"Same here, what time were you in bed?" he asked, relaxing now, the bus trundling along for another hour till they reached college, he thought about talking about his research, but decided against it.
"I went to sleep at around three in the morning? I'm not sure, I was up talking to a friend online, he's been on the run for six months now, keeps going on about some organisation that wants to freeze him, however he is quite good at this story thing, he's been on webcam in a cave somewhere, he asked me to write him a code to mask his location from tracers and hacks n stuff, I did it, but its all really weird" she said, Ronan knew about this kid, he and Gwen had been friends for a good couple of years now, she actually conned the kid into translating some ciphers for Ronan's research.
"So, I'm guessing you were up longer? How's the magic coming?" she asked, quite seriously as well. Ronan had been researching it after delving into his family history to find that he was descended from a famous alchemist. He's been researching ever since, but recently he had a lead about using circles and symbols in a ritualistic manor.
"going quite well actually, I've gotten a few leads from a spell book, I might try them out tomorrow night, full moon; plus I've decided to use transmutation circles in order to focus my intentions, to boil water I will need a triangle place on a circle, then with each corner, add lines to them to make the three required symbols, fire to boil, water as material, and air as the final results, each symbol is basically a triangle with certain modifications." He explained with lots of hand movements and gusto. Soon after that Gwen asked something that surprised him, seeing as she was studying physics and chemistry alongside physiology.
"Can I help you out?" she asked, eagerness written across her irresistibly cute face, you just couldn't say no. so he folded on his reservations.
"Alright, but be warned, I intend on doing this at midnight in the forest. My mum wont let me out past seven so I will have to stay at yours overnight to override her deadline, will that be alright?" he asked nicely, knowing he had deliberately twisted her arm into letting him stay at her flat. She was eighteen and already owned the flat. She bought it with money from an internet business in selling books, she sourced allot of Ronan's bookshelf.
"Alright, but your seventeen, so no booze or porn, those are my rules" she smirked, earning a most menacing glare from the elderly couple across the aisle of the bus.
Soon enough they had arrived at the college. Stopping the bus they departed into the now windy weather, Ronan insisted Gwen lead the way, just on the off chance of her skirt blowing up, and it did, sadly for Ronan she was wearing cycling shorts underneath to foil the plan.
"I saw that!" she jibed over her shoulder, but she was smiling so he had gotten away with it. As the two walked into the a-level building they headed past the café to the right and down the long glass corridor and into the seating area and computer room that served as the common room; they took up their usual spot among their other friends and began the day chatting.
"Ronan, we've got to go to lesson" Gwen warned as the time drove on toward 08:50, the lesson began at 9, but they liked to get there early.
As the two climbed the stairs at the sedate pace of the morning crowd in front of them, Gwen tripped and landed on Ronan, causing the two to fall backwards down the flight to the ground, unfortunately Gwen landed safely on top of something squishy, then it groaned.
"Not that I'm against you jumping on me, but I would prefer it wasn't from the top of the stairs" he moaned, just before loosing consciousness. Then someone screamed as there was blood soaking the carpet beneath him.
"SOMEBODY CALL AN AMBULANCE!" Gwen screamed at the top of her lungs, the staff members then took hold of the screaming crowd, it all happened so quickly that nobody had time to really panic. But as the staff started to clear everybody away and send them off to class, Gwen demanded that she stay with Ronan, and her request was granted without to much question, Ronan was well known and well liked among the faculty, and they all knew Gwen by association. Soon enough, the ambulance arrived, took one look and said he had broken ribs and a possibly fractured skull; they put him on a stretcher and carried him out to the car park behind the building.
"I'm sorry but we can only take one person in the back with him, preferably someone who knows his medical history" one of the paramedics said to the head of sixth form, the woman now in charge of Ronan's wellbeing.
"I'm responsible for him until his mother arrives, I will take charge till then" she explained, routine taking over, but Gwen was having none of it; this woman didn't know the first thing about Ronan's medical records, or what he would want.
"Thanks miss, but I know him better, and I know most of his medical record, at least what's relevant." Gwen interjected, annoyance written across the woman's face, confusion across the paramedics.
"Well make up your mind, he's bleeding internally and externally, there's only 4 pints left in him at best! You girl, get in for his sake, and don't screw up 'cause my jobs on the line now I've gone against protocol" the paramedic flustered. "Look madam, you're a teacher, you have a car, get in it and follow us there" he went on, signalling everyone to move.
"Thank you so much" Gwen said as she climbed in next to Ronan's unconscious form. There were already machines connected to him, making sure he was breathing, going over his heart beat; that was the paramedics first mistake, it was beating irregularly and he barked loudly.
"Paddles, stand clear miss I'm going to shock his heart into rhythm" the man reached for the machine and tore the paddles from the charging thing.
"No! Don't! His heart beat is always irregular, but it has a certain rhythm to it, I will know when it goes wrong" she explained, her hand reaching out for his chest, the paramedic looked confused, and decided to trust the girl covered in blood, if she remained this calm and told him not to shock, she wasn't lying.
"He's also allergic to paracetomol and anything that could mess with his heart, is a bad idea. He's a cautious person, he knows all my details, I know his, he thought it would be a good idea when we were kids" she went on, keeping her hand on his chest. The paramedic just sitting there checking the other vitals, and began to take a look at the ribs when he saw the t-shirt.
"I like his shirt, it's a good phrase actually, I hope its true; how long have you known him?" he asked, the ribs were fine where they were, one clean break and three looked fractured, but they were all holding up fine, they would be there in five minutes so he thought it would be good to calm the person in charge of his decisions, no need for a rash adrenaline fuelled teenager to call the shots.
"We met in secondary school, year seven we were both bullied but he put an end to it by fighting the kids back, ever since we've been thick-as-thieves; his dad died in a car crash two years ago and I helped him through it, he's only a few months younger than I am, but he still lives with his mum in a flat, I have my own flat on the other side of blaise forest from him, we never dated either, were almost brother and sister." She went on. Soon enough they arrived and they got him out from the back and onto a proper gurney. They took him into a ward and fixed him up on the spot, nothing they can do about ribs except feed him painkillers and tell him not to move too much, the clean break had been re-aligned when he gasped, nothing else to do but wait for him to wake up.
"I will leave you two alone, he just needs rest until the ribs can heal, we can't cast anything there but the x-rays didn't show anything dangerous, he will be fine; hit the nurse button when he wakes up" the doctor said, obviously needing to be elsewhere he jogged off to another patient and left the two alone.
Gwen realised that she had both her and Ronan's bags, Ronan had his note book with him, and it had all of his research that was useful in it. She thought of taking a peak when his mother arrived, she looked distraught with worry.
"Oh Gwen, what happened? Will he be ok? What's going on?" she went on. She was a short woman, she wore her work clothed from Asda, and she worked the tills.
"he will be fine Miriam; we both fell down the stairs at college, someone shoved me and I fell into him, he broke my fall at the bottom, he broke a rib and fractured another two and knocked himself out" she explained, the short woman simply nodding, trying to understand, then she got up and said she had to go back to work, she couldn't afford to miss the days work.
"don't worry, I trust you to look after him" she soothed as she left, Gwen thought as much, she and Ronan never got on well, she always appeared to care, but there was always something not quite adding up about it.
Gwen sat on the chair next to him and started reading about his recent research after she drew the curtain around the two of them.
"If I use a simple circle to represent the rule of equivalent exchange in modern science and ancient alchemy, then I should use the alchemic symbols used to represent the elements required for use in the process of the transmutation. I must start small in case of backfiring. So I shall attempt to use the symbol for fire and water in order to generate steam. The transmutation circle will be the generic one I found that is supposed to be for changing the shape for matter, hopefully I can use this to change the placement of the molecules of water to move them farther apart in order to generate a gas from a liquid. Water and focus should be the only ingredients needed. This should be what the circle looks like:
*there was a picture here, I swear! Just Google transmutation circle, I will come up under images, I got the idea from an anime to combine the circles and symbols of magic with the scientific laws of physics (or disobeying them)*
Hopefully if I place a bowl of water in the center of this transmutation circle in the middle of a full moon, I can focus just enough to agitate the molecules into a gas, I guess all I have to do is try now. But if this works, it will mean that provided I focus, I can re-arrange and re-shape objects at will."
"Wow, I think your getting a bit ahead of yourself there Ronan" Gwen said under her breath, just as she said it, Ronan snapped awake, and yelped.
"Gwen, three questions, where am I? What happened? And why am I here?" he asked as he tried to sit up, but failed miserably, he was way too sluggish, plus his ribs ached like he had stepped in front of a bus.
"your in hospital, I broke your ribs, and that's why your in hospital" she answered with a smile, she leaned over him, much to Ronan's delight as he got a rather nice glimpse of what was under her blouse, and she pressed the nurse button.
"I have broken ribs? And why take me to hospital? Are you trying to get me sick by putting me in a big building full of people with various diseases and ailments?" he went on complaining until the nurse arrived, he hated hospitals, he once had to be dragged in for an infected gash on his leg, he said he would rather wait to be measured for a prosthetic. Just as Gwen was about to tell him to stop nagging, the nurse arrived.
"Hello Mr. Carter, how are you feeling?" the young man asked.
"I feel like I just broke three ribs, lost consciousness, missed lunch, and want to get on with my day, how 'bout you?" Ronan snapped, he wanted out and fast.
"so I'm guessing your pretty lucid; ok, now you mustn't do anything involving straining your right side for the next 3 to 4 weeks, preferably nothing to elevate your blood pressure or breathing rate, so I'm afraid your girlfriend here will be out of luck for a while" the nurse smiled, however he regretted his joke as soon as he said it.
"I'm as much a virgin as you are, undergraduate, however my celibacy is of choice; and this young lady is not interested in funny nurses, so please unhook me from these tubes and machines and give me a prescription for some painkillers to combat this thing that don't involve paracetomol or playing with my heart or blood. Before I do it MYSELF!" Ronan barked like an army sergeant. He was in no mood for any of this nonsense, nor did he appreciate the joke. The nurse jumped as Ronan finished his orders and began unhooking him and removed the needles and things and handed Gwen Ronan's prescription before the two of them left. Once outside Gwen began to apologise.
"Ronan I am so sorry! I really didn't mean to, I mean it was a complete accident; please forgive me?" she babbled as they both sat on the bus stop. Faking a studious face, Ronan grimaced.
"Well… I will assume that you didn't intend for me to end my day with three broken ribs and stitches up my back, thus I shall forgive you" he smirked, he loved toying with her, but they both knew the limits. She then went to hug Ronan but he raised his hand just before contact.
"Are we forgetting why we are here instead of our lessons?" he said with another smile, barely holding of the laugh, god how much laughing was going to hurt.
"Sorry" she mumbled in such a child like way it was irresistibly cute. Then she did something Ronan had wanted for so long, yet it felt so sudden. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
"What happened to not raising my blood-pressure?" he smiled, he felt so much better about the day it was ridiculous. He almost felt happy about broken ribs.
The two of them headed back to the college and sat in the computer/common room; questioned on all sides Ronan got Gwen to tape a piece of paper to his back saying if you ask a question you shall receive one of two things, a kick between the knees, or a slap to the cheek, if you ask again you shall receive both simultaneously. This seemed to do the trick as people stopped asking once Ronan went along with the sign and kicked a boy in the crotch with his Goth-boots, luckily for the boy he aimed to hit the inner of his thigh as a slight mercy.
"What are we going to do about tomorrow night?" Gwen asked earnestly, she was really excited about trying to use a combination of alchemy/science and magic.
"We still go ahead with the plan, I will stay at your flat, and we will go into the forest at midnight we will try and use transmutation to boil water, if that works, I will try to freeze water, and from that I will try to change the shape of the ice, if that is successful, I don't know where we will go from there." He said, a slight gleam in his eye showed itself as he got into the swing of it. He really hoped it would work.
The two of them got on the bus together and went home there separate ways, Ronan taking some of his painkillers to take the edge of, he had served worse, and he walked in through his front door he decided to pack his bag for tomorrow and go straight to bed, he needed the sleep, plus getting comfortable tonight was going to be very difficult. Lucky for him, his mum wasn't going to be home as she was on the night shift, so Ronan would be out the door before she even got home, he would leave a note.
In his bag he put the usual Tuesday's college equipment, plus a porcelain bowl, a pen-knife, a candle, and some matches; as always he had his note book with all the information, and the water would come from the stream in the forest.
As he climbed the stairs and got into bed he thought for a minute, just before he drifted of, if he could change the shape of ice, maybe he could change the shape of his ribs and fix them himself?
The next morning Ronan woke up only to yell out in agony, his ribs were on fire, he had to reach over for the painkillers and take a double dose and lie there for half an hour before he could even move.
"shit, gonna miss the bus, gonna miss the bus!" he kept repeating as he went through the normal routine, albeit with allot less flexing and running, and got out of the house to see Gwen sat on the fence waiting for him. She wore army boots with black-jeans and a grey vest-top, Ronan was painfully aware that he wasn't able to remove his cloths from the previous day and still wore the blood stains under his coat, luckily it was a modernised trench-coat, grey cotton, but it fitted him well and he wore an open-zip blue hoody under it, it looked a bit surreal but he liked it; and apparently so did Gwen; she wolf whistled.
"Nice coat there mister magic, got everything for tonight?" she asked, a bit more of a spring in her step, Ronan knew she was really excited, in all honesty, so was Ronan.
"All in here, but I have lessons today, and so do you! Now; how do we get to college, as we just missed the bus" he said, just as the bus rolled past them.
"Well, as you know I'm a licensed driver… I borrowed my dad's car for the day!" she danced enthusiastically. Her dad only ever leant Gwen his car when he was one of two conditions; either drunk, or he was very drunk.
"AWSOME!" Ronan celebrated, Gwen's dad's car was an old army-style truck. Two seats up front, three in the center, and two rows sideways in the back. Plus it had a load of camping gear in the back, but best of all; it had been messed with by Gwen herself. In the back of the truck's sideways section, there was a full computer system with satellite internet connection and sky-TV anywhere in the world completely free!
As her dad loved his jeep he had the best gear equipped, winch, and roll-bar tough enough to stop a plane, bulletproof windows for the off-road shrapnel from crashing through trees, even the interior had been messed with so that in the winter you didn't sit in an ice-box, the car was flipping thermal!
"Come on then!" she dragged his good arm around the corner where she had parked it, Ronan noticed the exhaust pipe had been moved to point out of the roof so it didn't flood, and the new tires were positively monstrous. Ronan got in the passenger seat and Gwen in the driver-side, whenever she turned the key she had a certain glee in her eye that only ridiculously off-road-cars in the city can give a new driver. She hit the gears and road off to the college while Ronan decided to blast a song through the upgraded speaker system Gwen had installed, rise against's song prayer of a refuge. And the two rocked out all the way, Ronan took enough of his pain killers that he didn't really care about Gwen's rather enthusiastic driving.
"Okay" he said as he rushed out of the car upon arrival, "I have to go to Chemistry; I will meet you back here afterwards instead of in the common room, so much more fun in the truck!"
In chemistry, Ronan sat at the back of the room, only paying attention long enough to know what work we wasn't going to do and he began to look through his textbook, he was thinking of alchemy, and how he could use it for a weapon when he began mumbling to himself.
"By using the oxygen in the air I could liquefy it by changing its state, then project it by manipulating the air currents and using the nitrogen levels in the air as an explosive accelerant I can create explosives with just the air around me and a basic transmutation circle, the only thing required would be a spark to light the initial oxygen accelerant then to direct it unto a target to be soaked in a nitrogen/oxygen mixture." He mumbled, quite content, and he wrote it all down in his little book all I need to acquire now, is a flint-&-steel from somewhere he smiled to himself. Or maybe I could make one by finding a rock with enough flint in it to extract with alchemy?
"Lessons over Mr. Carter, what are you still doing here?" his teacher queried as Ronan jolted himself back to reality; he had drifted of into his own little dream world where he could use alchemy in public.
"Sorry sir, just day dreaming; anyway, see you tomorrow" he said as he gathered his stuff to leave. As he ran across the car park toward the truck, albeit in a hobbling fashion due to the ribs, he saw something worrying.
The back of Gwen's truck was open, but she wasn't inside, and there were bullet holes in the door; lots of 9mm wide bullet holes, certainly more than one magazine.


The storm that killed as many as six people in Haiti and forced the delay of the start of the Republican National Convention in Tampa is on track to hit the Gulf Coast and possibly New Orleans, forecasters said late Sunday.
Tropical Storm Isaac, with sustained winds of 60 mph, lashed the Florida Keys and is expected to intensify, gaining strength as it moves into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and make landfall on Tuesday as possibly a Category 2 hurricane.
The projected track and timing is eerily similar to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in late August 2005.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency and ordered voluntary evacuations of more than a dozen parishes. Governors in Alabama and Mississippi did, too.
"I know the anxiety level is high," New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu told CNN on Sunday. "The storm is somewhat uncertain. Out of an abundance of caution we will begin to take these precautions as quickly as we can."
Landrieu added: "We are much, much better prepared structurally than before."
Hurricane warnings have been issued along the northern Gulf Coast from Morgan City, La., to Destin, Fla., including New Orleans and coastal Mississippi. Tornado warnings were issued for southern Florida late Sunday as a result of the rotating storm.
According to the National Hurricane Center, a storm surge between six and 12 feet could threaten the northern Gulf Coast if the storm makes landfall during high tide. The storm surge in Tampa Bay--the site of the Republican Convention--could be as high as four feet, forecasters said.
In Haiti, at least six deaths were reported on Saturday as a result of Isaac. According to Florida Gov. Rick Scott, no deaths have been reported in the state thus far.
But on the eve of the seventh anniversary of Katrina, some weather experts are nonetheless growing weary. Brendan Loy, a blogger who predicted Katrina would be "an unprecedented cataclysm" in New Orleans, "breaching the Lake Pontchartrain levees" and causing thousands of deaths, says he had "a profound sense of déjà vu" on Saturday when computer models showed a "sudden westward" shift--and Isaac taking dead aim at New Orleans.
"It feels like August 26, 2005—a defining day of my decade—all over again," he wrote.


Did you know that a percentage of your Amazon purchases can be donated to The Missionary Diocese of All Saints?
2. Log in with your Amazon account.
3. Search for "Missionary Diocese of All Saints" and choose "select"
4. If you purchase an item from https://smile.amazon.com rather than the regular www.amazon.com site, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase will be donated to MDAS, at no extra cost to you!


text:
North Atlantic Travel
info@nat.fo +298 219141
HomeNewsFaroe IslandsToursHotelsBed & BreakfastConferencesAboutContact
Restaurant KOKS awarded second Michelin star
In 2017, KOKS was awarded its first – and the Faroe Islands' first – Michelin star.
In February, the gourmet restaurant known for its unique versions of traditional Faroese flavors was given a second Michelin star, establishing its position in the world's culinary elite. Less than 500 restaurants worldwide have two Michelin stars.
According to the Guide, one star signifies "a very good restaurant", two stars are "excellent cooking that is worth a detour", and three stars mean "exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey." The announcement that KOKS had won a second Michelin star immediately resulted in hundreds of bookings.
"Being awarded one Michelin star was unbelievable, but getting a second star has left us utterly speechless," says 28-year-old chef Poul Andrias Ziska, who was also awarded Nordic Young Chef of the Year 2019 at the awards ceremony in Århus, Denmark.
Last year, KOKS restaurant moved to an eighteen-century, grass-roofed farmhouse isolated in the valley of Leynavatn, about a 20-minute drive from Tórshavn, the capital.
"KOKS' location and physical surroundings play a big role in the overall experience that our guests have, and I can only imagine that it has also played a part being awarded a second Michelin star," says Poul Andrias.
Niels Steenstrup Zeeberg, CEO of White Guide, a guide to Nordic restaurants, believes KOKS has the potential to be the best restaurant in the world.
"Poul Andrias is young and curious," says Niels. "If he continues to develop as a chef, I believe that KOKS can become the best restaurant in the world in a few years."
The 18-course menu is a celebration of the myriad sights, flavours and aromas found in the Faroe Islands. The kitchen pays tribute to the islands' culinary traditions, while embracing a philosophy of cooking that relies on locally sourced ingredients. Dishes include a national favourite, skerpikjøt (wind-dried mutton), langoustine, rhubarb compote, sea tangle, wild thyme ice cream and mahogany clam, which has a unique lifespan of hundreds of years.
"The Faroe Islands are 99% ocean, so the majority of our menu comes from the sea, and almost all the rest is made from local ingredients," says Poul Andrias.
For more information or to make a reservation, visit KOKS' website.
Words: Levi Hanssen
Pics: Ingrid Hofstra
Article from www.faroeislands.fo
COVID TRAVEL GUIDELINES
G! Best Festivals in the World for 2019!
Number of Faroese horses continues to grow
History of the Faroe Islands
Atlantic Airways, voted best charter airline
Crown Prince of Dubai visits the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands Translate wins Lion at Cannes Festival
Best Airport Hotels in the World
Introducing Faroe Islands
Winter in the Faroe Islands
Gróvargøta 18
FO-513 Syðrugøta
Phone: +298 219141
Email: info@nat.fo
Copyright © 2021 North Atlantic Travel. All rights reserved.
HotelsToursAboutContactHome


text:
What You Need to Know About Legal Title in Retirement Villages
By Amanda Graham. Oct 10, 2017
In many ways, buying a retirement village unit is even more complicated than buying any other type of residential property.
There are different forms of legal title and occupancy rights available, there is the ongoing cost of services and maintenance of facilities in the village, and then what fees, charges or capital gain sharing may apply when the unit is sold again later on.
Different transaction costs may or may not apply to a purchase, such as stamp duty, lease registration fees and a village operator's legal costs.
While these legal and financial complexities should not detract from the benefits of village living, it is very important to obtain legal advice before you buy a retirement village unit. You need to be fully informed of all the costs and issues which may arise and ensure there are no surprises or unanticipated problems later on.
Seniors Housing Online has been fortunate to talk to Richard McCullagh BA LLB, a very experienced NSW solicitor who has specialized in retirement village law for the past 25 years, previously working for village operators and who now works for village residents (or prospective residents). He has seen huge consolidation in the industry in the last 5 years as well as keeping up with ever-changing government regulation.
We asked Richard to answer some common questions about buying a retirement village unit, including the pros and cons of the different types of legal title and occupancy arrangements. [Please note that these answers relate to the law in New South Wales; they are offered as general guidance only and do not constitute legal advice.]
1. What are the main types of legal title or right of residence available in retirement villages?
The legal basis of your right to occupy a unit in a retirement village is called a "residence right". The Retirement Villages Act 1999 (NSW) recognises a number of different types of residence rights:
(a) strata title
(b) community title
(c) company title
(d) leasehold title
(e) licence, and
(f) Residential Tenancy Agreement that does not expressly exclude the provisions of the Act.
For short-term arrangements to permit occupation before a permanent residence right is created, the Act allows for a Residential Tenancy Agreement that expressly excludes the provisions of the Act to be used. This may be appropriate, for example, if you are about to move into the village but there is a last-minute short-term delay with the settlement of the sale of your current home.
In my experience villages offering community title are very rare, company title very few, strata title slightly more common while leasehold title is the standard type of residence right offered by 'for profit' operators and licences are standard right offered by 'not for profit' operators such as churches and other registered charities.
2. Will I have to pay stamp duty when I buy a retirement village unit?
Normally you will have to pay substantial stamp duty on (a)-(c) above – the same as if you were buying a house. The same will apply under (d) if the lease is 'assignable', ie where you can sell the balance of the term of the lease to a new resident when you leave.
Otherwise, residence rights by way of lease or licence under (d)-(f) above are not generally liable for stamp duty.
3. Does the type of residence right determine the type of entry payment?
To some extent. Most entry payments represent the current market value of the premises and are paid by way of a lump sum upon moving into occupation. The amount is not regulated by the Act. An exception is under (f) above where a rental is paid without any lump sum under a Residential Tenancy Agreement, increasingly being offered in the 'not for profit' sector.
Under strata, community and company title (a)-(c) above, you will generally be paying a 'purchase price' for the legal title to your dwelling. You will be relying on the succeeding resident to pay you the re-sale price after you move out. The same applies in the case of leases under (d) above which are assignable by you, for which you will have paid and be entitled to receive a 'lease premium'.
Under other leases and licences, the entry price is commonly set up as an interest-free loan to the operator. Other types are prepaid rent, a licence fee or simply an 'ingoing contribution'. In these cases, the operator normally has a contractual obligation to pay you a refund after you permanently vacate.
4. Does my contribution to the operator's legal fees vary according to the type of residence right?
It may do. Your contribution to the operator's legal costs on preparation of contracts under (d) and (e) above (leases and licenses) is limited to $200 for the 'village contract', or each of the 'residence contract' and the 'service contract' in some cases.
For residence rights under (a)-(c) above (strata, community and company title) there is no regulation under Act, but in practice each party generally pays their own costs. The contract itself needs to be checked in these cases.
Some operators include other documents that may fall outside the definition of 'village contract' under the Act and attribute additional legal costs to those documents for you to pay. This is not necessarily related to the type of residence right involved but other structuring of the arrangement where the document does not in itself confer a residence right or an entitlement to receive general or optional services (eg a separate deed of loan where payment of the ingoing contribution is by way of a loan, or a caveat over the title to a strata unit to secure payment of fees).
In the case of leases under (d) above that are registered, you may be required to pay the registration costs ($99.50 as at 1 July 2011). You may also be asked to pay for the fee of an agent to physically lodge the lease for registration at LPI (around $30) and, if there is a mortgagee on title, the mortgagee's fee to consent to the registration of your lease (around $250).
5. Does the type of residence right determine my share of capital gain or loss?
No. In all cases, it is important that you ascertain at the outset your entitlement to any capital gain when you leave the village, or your liability to bear any capital loss. This is not regulated and it comes down to whatever the village contract states. If you 'own' your residence right under strata title, it does not follow that you get all the gain or bear all the loss. It may be that you get 50% of the gain but bear 100% of any loss. If you are a lessee, you may get all the capital gain, though 50% is more common. You have to check the contract for this.
6. Does the type of residence right determine the calculation of the departure fee?
No. The 'departure fee' is a usually substantial payment due by you to the operator after you permanently vacate based on the duration of your stay in the village. It typically takes the form of a stated percentage of your entry payment, or that of the resident moving into the dwelling after you, for a stated maximum number of years (eg 3% pa of your entry price for up to 10 years). If your contract commenced on or after 1 July 2000, that fee will cease to further accrue when you permanently vacate even if the maximum period has not expired.
The percentages may be different for different years (eg 5% pa for the first 2 years followed by 2.5% pa for the next 6 years). There may also be a lump sum (eg a 'donation' of $10,000) or an additional single fixed percentage (eg 3% of the re-sale price). It is questionable whether these are 'departure fees' under the Act strictly speaking as they are not time-based, but they are frequently described as such.
Any of the above features may apply regardless of the type of residence right, so the village contract needs to be checked.
7. Does the type of residence right determine whether or not I am a 'registered interest holder'?
Yes. Why is this important? Because it affects your rights and obligations once you permanently vacate your dwelling as to recurrent charge, setting the list price and, if you are entitled to a refund from the operator, when that is payable.
A 'registered interest holder' includes all residence rights under strata, community and company title (a)-(c) above.
A 'registered interest holder' also includes a residence right under leasehold title under (d) above (whether assignable or not), but only where all of the following apply:
(a) the lease is registered at LPI, and
(b) the lease is for a term of at least 50 years, or is for the term of your life, and
(c) the lease entitles you to at least 50% of the capital gain.
Other residence rights – under (d)-(f) above – do not qualify you as a registered interest holder. Examples are leases which are not registered, or are less than 50 years in duration or entitle you to less than 50% of any capital gain, as well as all licences and Residential Tenancy Agreements.
8. Does the type of residence right determine my liability for recurrent charges after I leave?
Yes. 'Recurrent charges' are your contribution to the day-to-day operating costs of the retirement village, usually payable monthly in advance.
If your residence right means you are not a registered interest holder, your liability to pay for recurrent charges for general services continues for 42 days after permanent vacation and then ceases. This would apply, for instance, to a licence even if you get all the capital gain or to a lease where you get less than 50% of the capital (even if the lease is registered and for a term of 50 years or more).
If your residence right means you are a registered interest holder, your liability to pay for recurrent charges continues for 42 days after permanent vacation and is then limited to your share of capital gain until a new resident moves in. If your stated share of the gain is 100%, there is no reduction. If your share is 50%, you pay 50% of recurrent charges as from 42 days after permanent vacation until a new resident moves. This sharing applies even if there is no actual gross capital gain when you leave (eg if the new resident pays the same or a lesser purchase price or ingoing contribution than you did).
Under strata and community title (a) & (b) above, you are in addition liable to pay levies which will continue to be owing in full until a new resident moves in, regardless of any sharing of capital gain.
9. Does the type of residence right determine my liability for reinstatement when I leave?
Yes, but indirectly. For village contracts commenced on or after 1 July 2000 your liability for reinstatement of your dwelling is limited to rectification of damage beyond fair wear and tear. This restriction applies regardless of the type of residence right.
Further, the Act was amended in 2010 to specifically prohibit an operator from 'selling', and passing responsibility for, fixtures to you under a lease or licence.
However, for residence rights under strata or community title (a) & (b) above, items disclosed in the contract for sale of land as 'inclusions' are your property and the operator has no ongoing obligations in relation to them. Examples are the stove, built-in wardrobes, air conditioners and fixed floor coverings. While you do not have a legal obligation to reinstate these items, neither does the operator. When you come to sell, you may have a commercial incentive to replace or reinstate those items, depending on your share of capital gain. The prohibition on a lessee or licensee Act 'owning' fixtures above does not apply under strata or community title.
10. Does the type of residence right determine whether I can set the sale price for my dwelling?
Yes. If your residence right means you are a registered interest holder, you can list your dwelling with any licensed agent of your choosing and set (and vary) the listing price. This may or may not be the operator, but if a fee or commission is charged the operator must be separately licensed as a real estate agent.
If you are not a registered interest holder, the operator controls the re-sale price and process but you will be due a refund on 6 months after permanent vacation if no new resident has moved in by then (see below).
11. Does the type of residence right determine whether or not the operator can make me move out?
Yes. The operator has certain limited rights under leases and licences (d)-(f) above to seek an order from the Consumer Trader and Tenancy Tribunal requiring you to leave. These rights apply, for example, if you persistently and seriously breach the terms of your village contract, if you cause serious damage or injury, or if your physical or mental condition deteriorates so that the services and facilities in the village are no longer satisfactory to your needs in the opinion of a medical practitioner.
The Tribunal, however, does not have jurisdiction to terminate a residence contract under strata, community or company title (a)-(c) above. In these cases, your security of tenure is greater.
12. Does the residence right determine when I get my refund after moving out?
Yes. Generally, where the operator has an obligation to pay a refund under (d) & (e) above, you are entitled to receive it within 14 days of a new resident moving in or paying an ingoing contribution.
However, if you are not a registered interest holder, the time limit for payment is 6 months from permanent vacation by you, even if no new resident has moved by then.
The operator does not usually have an obligation to pay a refund under strata, community or company title (a)-(c) above or where the lease is assignable and you are a registered interest holder (some cases of (d) above). Payment will normally be determined by the terms of the contract with the incoming resident.
13. Does the type of residence right determine how secure my right to a refund is?
To some extent, yes. As a generalisation, a registered interest holder will be in a potentially stronger position than a non-registered interest holder to the extent that the residence right is in the form of a saleable asset and that sale is not fettered by the operator. That, in turn, may be constrained by the terms of the particular village contract.
This question is directed to circumstances where the operator is experiencing solvency issues and may lack the ability to pay your refund on time. This is a complex issue that is very much dependent on the particular factual situation.
If your residence right does not qualify you to be a registered interest holder (eg licence or unregistered lease under (d) & (e) above then under the Act you will have the security of a 'charge' in your favour. This entitles you to apply to the Supreme Court for an order forcing the sale of the village, or so much of the village as is within in a registered parcel of land containing your dwelling.
However, that order can only be made if the Court is satisfied such an order is in the best interests of the majority of residents. So, while this does give you a higher priority amongst certain other creditors of the operator, there are significant costs and burdens involved in using that enhanced priority to achieve payment of your refund. If you are one of only a few residents seeking payment of an overdue refund, it seems highly unlikely that the Court will be disposed to make an order forcing the sale of (part of) the village.
If you are a registered interest holder, you also have enhanced security from the registration of your title over part of the land comprising the village. In the case of strata and community title (a) & (b) above, your dwelling will not generally be available to a secured creditor. Similarly, a registered long-term lease (d) above will not be available to a secured creditor until the expiry of the term. In all these cases, you can appoint an agent and set the listing price, so you can to an extent take control and dispose of your asset as outlined above. However, this may be subject to contrary terms in the contract and, if the operator is under administration, you may still have to seek leave of the court to enforce payment, under section 440D of the Corporations Act 2001.
As is apparent, it is difficult to make useful generalisations about the security of your right to a refund as it will often turn on the particular terms of the village contract and circumstances of an insolvency, rather than on the type of residence right.
Finally, the Act has been amended to allow you to apply to the Tribunal for a re-calculation of the refund under non-assignable leases and licenses (d) or (e) above if the village contract issued to the new resident is substantially different to yours and this has a negative financial impact on you and a benefit to the operator.
14. What is the best type of residence right?
In my view, the best residence right from your point of view as a resident will have the following features:
(a) a registered long term lease giving you at least 50% of any capital gain but nil liability for loss – if it is assignable you will have to pay duty (so you will be a registered interest holder with the right to set the sale price when you leave)
(b) registration being consented to by any mortgagee on the title – you may be asked to pay the consent fee (so that your interest takes priority over that of the mortgagee)
(c) an ingoing contribution in the form of a loan (which may give you rights to a refund supplementary to those in the Act)
(d) recurrent charges that are varied according to a fixed formula, eg a percentage of the single age pension (to give you protection against unforseeable increases in costs), and
(e) a departure fee based on your entry price (to give you certainty of the amount payable at any time).
Such a lease, compared to strata, community title and assignable leases – saves you stamp duty on entry. Also:
Compared to strata and community title it limits your exposure to recurrent charges when you leave, unless you retain 100% of the capital gain.
Compared to strata and community title it limits your exposure to reinstatement costs on departure in two ways: first, because you 'own' less, ie all fixtures in the dwelling remain the property and responsibility of the operator, other than for alterations or additions you have made to the dwelling; and second, because your liability is limited to rectification of damage beyond fair wear and tear.
Compared to a lease or licence where you are not a registered interest holder it gives you the right to appoint your own agent and set the sale price of your dwelling when you leave. Depending on the contract, you may potentially have a more saleable asset.
Would a Helpline Help Society's Lonely and Socially Isolated Elderly?
Amanda Graham
Amanda is a Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Australia's leading retirement property portal, www.SeniorsHousingOnline.com.au. She was named in the Top 50 Women In Tech 2016 for Australia and New Zealand by Start Up Daily.
By Marita McCabe Oct 10, 2017
How do we implement Consumer Directed Care in Residential Aged Care?
Australia is striving towards a residential aged care system that is both centred on and directed by the consumer. Consumer Directed Care (CDC) is designed to improve the quality of life of older people by supporting them to make decisions about their care and everyday routines and to have a care plan that is, where possible, directed by them. In their recent Aged Care Quality Standards (July 2019) the Australian Government has mandated the inclusion of a number of the...
By HelloCare Mail Oct 10, 2017
Best of 2019: The why for aged care worker
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLE7VYTbo4Y[/embed] There is a level of trust required when caring for an elderly person. This year we spoke with aged care workers to find out why they love working in aged care and how they continue to grow and improve their skills....
More funding is not the answer to fixing aged care quality
Minister for Aged Care, Richard Colbeck, opened his address to the Criterion 'Future of Aged Care: Beyond the Interim Report of the Royal Commission' conference in Melbourne today by saying that the royal commission interim report provided a forensic assessment of the aged care sector and had been a confronting read for himself, and many in the aged care sector. Asking for a raise of hands on who had read the full report, Richard Colbeck said, "Everyone in the industry...
Caroline Egan Oct 10, 2017
By Wayne Belcher Oct 10, 2017
Aged care in 2020 – leading with confidence
No matter where and how we are involved in our Australian aged care sector, 2019 was a tough year. The sector ended 2019 with one-word ringing in our ears – Neglect – being the title of the Interim Report from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. What a tough end to 2019! How do we emerge from 2019 into a brighter and stronger 2020 given that the Royal Commission continues to march on? How do we turn...


text:
Hulu Cuts Paid Maternity Leave 60% After Paying for Employee Abortion Travel
Sep 5, 2022 | News | 0 |
By Right to Life UK
Disney subsidiary, Hulu, has slashed maternity and paternity leave at the same time as it has offered to pay for employees to travel to other states to obtain abortions.
Since the overturning of the abortion law in the US, which gave states the power to make their own abortion law earlier this year, a number of major US corporations, including Disney, announced that they would cover the cost of an employee's travel across state lines for an abortion.
Now, however, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports that Hulu, a streaming service owned by Disney, is dramatically cutting back on maternity and paternity benefits. According to the WSJ report, Hulu cut its paid parental leave policy from 20 weeks down to just 8 weeks – a 60% reduction.
Furthermore, the WSJ reports a survey of 3,000 employers found that only 35% now offer paid maternity leave benefits beyond what is mandated by federal law, down from 53% in 2020.
"Companies are sending a not-so-subtle signal to women who want to start a family, and places on them a higher financial burden from the start".
The impact of the cuts to parental leave at Hulu are already being felt by one working family interviewed for the story: "If my job is cutting back on my parental leave, how am I going to afford child care if I don't get paid more?" asked Devon Richey, a Texas-based Hulu employee.
At the same time as reducing benefits for families, Disney announced in June that they "remain committed to providing comprehensive access to quality and affordable care for all of our employees, cast members and their families, including family planning and [abortion], no matter where they live".
Laura Nicole of Live Action News said: "By coming out so enthusiastically in support of abortion while cutting back on parental leave benefits, companies are sending a not-so-subtle signal to women who want to start a family, and places on them a higher financial burden from the start".
Paying for abortion travel
Earlier this year, Reuters reported that Amazon told its staff that it would reimburse travel expenses for any of its staff travelling more than a hundred miles for an abortion.
In a message to its staff, the company said it would pay up to $4,000 (£3,201) in travel expenses each year for medical interventions including abortion. Amazon's new scheme will apply retroactively from the beginning of this year.
The president of pro-life group Live Action, Lila Rose, called Amazon out for the new policy. She said it was a way for Amazon to avoid paying maternity fees and get more work out of its employees.
She tweeted: "The ultimate 'F U' any boss can give their female employees: I will literally pay 4k for you to kill your child so I don't need to pay for maternity leave & so you can work extra long hours for me. Extraordinarily gross, @JeffBezos. @amazon".
The bank, Citigroup, review company, Yelp, and dating app, Bumble, all announced similar policies this year.
Right To Life UK spokesperson Catherine Robinson said: "Disney is now actively creating incentives for its employees at Hulu to have abortions rather than pursue parenthood. Not only is it paying for travel to procure an abortion, it is also slashing benefits for parents. This is a gross form of utilitarian calculation where it appears that it is seen as cheaper to encourage an employee to have an abortion rather than provide benefits to assist with childrearing".
Previous12 Numbers That Show That We Are Getting Dangerously Close To An Economic Crash As The Fall Of 2022 Approaches
NextAfter destroying American society, the CDC admits natural immunity works better than COVID jabs


There are so many types of floss methods on the market today that there really is no good reason to skip this important part of a good oral hygiene routine. Flossing clears plaque-causing bacteria between your pearly whites, something your toothbrush is not designed to do. So besides finding a good toothbrush and toothpaste to tuck in your oral hygiene kit, find a flossing method you will like and use!
–Waxed floss is sturdy and comes in flavors and unflavored. It slides easily between teeth that are tightly spaced. It is popular with people who wear braces.
–Unwaxed floss squeaks when rubbed against teeth letting you know that plaque (sticky film) has been successfully rubbed off.
–Flossing sticks are for people who can't maneuver floss properly between their fingers–children, people with arthritis or other disability. Flossing sticks can be used with one hand. Besides flossing sticks, you can use small round brushes, pointed rubber tips and interdental cleaners which are wooden or plastic picks.
–Wide floss, also called dental tape, is helpful for patients with bridgework or who have wide spaces than is typical between teeth.
Flossing is a matter of finding a method that works best for you and then making time to do it. Whether you floss before or after brushing your teeth, before bed or when you wake up, doesn't matter. NOT flossing leads to bleeding gums. Any floss tool removes bacteria and food particles from your teeth, so find one that you like and stick to it and your pearly whites will thank you.
Since flossing is your #1 plaque-fighting weapon in the battle for optimal oral health (According to the Academy of General Dentistry, or AGD) you really don't want to skip this crucial step. For more information, see your dentist or give our team at Greenwood Dental a call at 323-215-1400 today!


Wells Fargo CityLIFT Program to Help Eligible Homebuyers With $15,000 in Down Payment Assistance Gra – Wells Fargo CityLIFT Program to Help Eligible Homebuyers. assistance $1 million of the down payment assistance funds will be available immediately for eligible homebuyers who complete a homebuyer.
VA, FHA & USDA Home Loan Programs | First. – FirstHomeBuyers offer VA, FHA & USDA Home Loan programs for first time home buyer. We make buying your 1st home simple, fun, exciting, & hassle-free. Apply Now!
HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – Home / What We Do / Rental Assistance / Local Renting Information Local Information In addition to the federal rental assistance, homeownership and home buying assistance programs, there may be programs sponsored by your state or local government or other organizations that can help you.
Down-Payment Assistance Program | Colorado Housing. – CHAC provides low interest, flexible loans to low and moderate (80% AMI in most areas, 100% AMI for Arvada program) income first time home buyers for down payment and closing cost assistance throughout Colorado.
Home Buyer Assistance | Ramsey County – The FirstHOME Program requires that all parties to the mortgage be owner-occupants and that the incomes of all, including co-signers, be included in the calculation of income eligibility for buyer assistance.
Homebuyer Assistance Program – Houston – Homebuyer Assistance Program Guidelines: An eligible homebuyer at or below 80% AMI may receive $30,000 in assistance. The selected home must be located within the property tax jurisdiction of the City of Houston.
SC Housing – SC Housing's Homebuyer Program can put you in a loan you can live with – one that's affordable and consistent over the long term. Our loans offer: Low, fixed interest rates; Down Payment Assistance – For many people considering a first home purchase, saving enough money for the down payment and other costs can be a challenge.


After catching a glimpse of something she wasn't supposed to see days before Christmas, Irene Martello is run off the road and barely survives. More shocking is the backseat whimper of an Amish toddler stowaway and the familiar sight of their rescuer—the man who'd let her down years earlier. Police chief Paul Kennedy fears Irene stumbled onto a kidnapping ring with two dangerous agendas: retrieving the girl and silencing the witness for good. Only Paul can keep them safe for the holidays. Guarding Irene means risking his heart—and his secret—but to save the child and the woman he never stopped loving, it's a risk he has to take.