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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A very funny first wedding dance by a couple from Portland Oregon. The Bride and Groom dances to several songs creating an entertaining first dance for their guests at their reception. Their dance starts off romantically with Allison Krause then switches into a surprise wedding dance featuring funny dances from TV shows, movies, and famous dance styles. Some of the dances are from and include Night at the Roxbury, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and The Macarena. The couple did a great job, it was very funny and their guests loved the dance.


text:
Vote for your favourite music group hero!
Now in their second year, the Making Music awards will feature a brand new category for 2021: Group Hero!
The Group Hero Award is for an individual, small team or committee who have gone above and beyond to keep their leisure-time music group together through the challenges of 2020. Now, we're asking you to vote for your favourite Group Hero. The winner will be announced at the Making Music AGM and awards ceremony on Wednesday 8 September.
The staff at Making Music had a really hard time whittling down all the submissions, as countless members have performed truly heroic feats through the pandemic. However, we have managed to create a shortlist of just five nominees - find out what this select few have been up to below!
2021 Group Hero Award shortlist
The Choir with No Name managers (nominated by The Choir with No Name)
The Choir with No Name has many homeless and marginalised members. Sally Debiage (in Birmingham), Ema Quinn (in Liverpool), Alex Procter (Brighton) and Ryan Burke, Asta Sabaskaite and Jessie Reeves (in London) acted quickly when the pandemic struck, contacting as many members as they could to find out if they were ok and whether they had access to food and a secure place to stay, and putting them in touch with local support services. They redeployed volunteers to check in regularly with members, organised food parcels (including a cake for a member on his 80th birthday!), Christmas gifts, uplifting doorstep serenades, and delivered tablet devices to members, making sure they could reconnect with friends, and continue to sing with the choir. The choir managers were key in creating a supportive choir family for their members, many of whom face serious isolation and social disadvantage.
Follow The Choir with No Name on Twitter / Facebook / Instagram
Ella Miskin (nominated by Vocal Dimension Chorus)
Covid-19 left Vocal Dimension Chorus with no option but to enter the world of Zoom and become a series of squares in a silent digital world. Then along came Ella Miskin, sound production student and daughter of a choir member. Ella worked tirelessly recording, editing and producing videos and audio tracks for many projects, including the group's Make Music Day 2020 collaboration with choirs from Australia, America and the UK! When the choir could briefly venture back inside in December 2020, Ella set up and ran the live feed for a Christmas Facebook Live Concert, which reached friends, family and fellow singers across the world. Receiving over 300 amazing comments, Ella enabled the group to spread some much-needed festive joy!
Follow Vocal Dimension Chorus on Twitter / Facebook / Instagram
John and Julie Bradbury-Sharp (nominated by Knot Another Choir)
In early 2020, Julie called an EGM to discuss contingencies for Knot Another Choir, becoming the contact for everything: Covid symptoms, concerns, questions, membership, you name it! By April, the choir was meeting on Zoom and Julie was constantly contacting members to encourage participation. She added a popular song each week, building camaraderie and appealing to members to find soloists to perform - whether they sang, played an instrument or recited poetry (which affectionately became known as 'quarantunes'). John co-ordinated the technical side of performance and introduced Slack so the committee could work through problems together. Last autumn, he and Julie found a suitable venue for in-person singing and sourced budget equipment, spending hours working out how to record and livestream sessions for members who were unable to attend - John even provided recordings for those unable to access technology. Zoom sessions also evolved, with John and Julie asking their MD to produce a recording for the local 'Feva Festival', where the group won first prize - another huge boost to the choir, which is still very much together!
Follow Knot Another Choir on Twitter / Facebook
Peter Steadman (nominated by Leatherhead Concert and Arts Society)
Leatherhead is a small Surrey town without regular live classical music provision, other than the series of free lunchtime concerts Peter Steadman co-founded ten years ago. In summer 2020, Peter proposed rebranding the annual 'Mole Valley Arts Alive' as 'e-Live'. He subsequently commissioned musicians to produce live concert recordings. Sourcing young students mainly from the Royal Academy of Music, the series provides invaluable performance opportunities for those seeking to embark on a professional music career, while giving untold pleasure to a loyal audience, the majority of whom are retirees. When lockdown struck, Peter had one thought: how to maintain the momentum of weekly concerts while we were all confined to our homes. The answer was obvious - continue weekly concerts, albeit now via the internet. Significantly, the virtual concerts were not just playlists. They were themed, closely researched and narrated, originally by Peter and assisted by various members of the charity.
Follow Leatherhead Concert and Arts Society on Facebook
St Neots Choral Society committee (nominated by St Neots Choral Society)
The winning image from St Neots' photography competition - Storm at Cefalu, Sicily by Melanie Pepper
Rather than start Zoom rehearsals, the St Neots Choral Society committee wanted to explore other ways in which to keep the membership engaged through the challenging months of lockdown.
In 2020, St Neots launched their own Desert Island Discs project, and members submitted music choices to take with them to their island paradise. The 345 musical requests formed an A4 booklet, which was presented to each choir member as their own personal memento of summer 2020. Members have also been involved in writing monthly newsletters, compiling quizzes on a range of subjects, and selecting their favourite music clips from previous concerts - providing a little insight into the person behind the score. As lockdown continued into 2021, the group decided to launch a photography competition for members and their families. 267 photographs were blindly judged by three independent judges, one of whom is a professional photographer. The winners were announced in June and will be receiving framed certificates at their first rehearsal back - hopefully in September! All entries can be viewed on the group's website.
Follow St Neots Choral Society on Facebook and meet the committee members
Voting is now closed
Find out the winner of our Group Hero Award, along with all the other Making Music Awards, at our online ceremony and AGM on 8 September. You don't have to be a member to attend - book your free place now and get the champagne in the fridge!
Voting is now closed.
Come to the Making Music awards ceremony and AGM on 8 September
Book for awards ceremony and AGM
group hero
Making Music Awards
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacted in March 2010, implemented three premium stabilization programs—the risk adjustment program, the transitional reinsurance program, and risk corridors, the so-called 3Rs—to mitigate risks to insurers during the transition to new health insurance rules in the individual and small group markets. While there is uncertainty around the receivables from the transitional reinsurance program for 2014, most is centered around whether or not the coinsurance percent will be increased and/or the attachment point lowered. For the purposes of this paper, we are assuming that the reinsurance claims are payable based on the assumptions shown in the Assumptions sections in this report. This paper will focus on the other two programs—specifically, the risk adjustment program and risk corridors. The risk adjustment program, which is a permanent premium stabilization program, applies to non-grandfathered ACA plans offered inside and outside each state's exchange. Risk corridors, a temporary premium stabilization program applicable from 2014 to 2016, apply to qualified health plans (QHPs) and to certain plans that are substantially similar to QHPs in the individual and small group markets.
The accounting guidance from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and regulators on admissibility of accruals for the risk adjustment and risk corridor receivables was uncertain until December 2014. The latest guidance from the NAIC11 shows receivables for risk adjusters and risk corridors as admissible for statutory reporting as long as the amounts are determined collectible. There has been uncertainty around whether states and auditors will allow carriers to record receivables for risk adjusters and risk corridors and, if these estimates are allowed, the extent of conservatism required and/or allowed. To add to this uncertainty, the "Cromnibus" spending bill signed by the president on December 16, 2014, suggests that only the funds from risk corridor collections (from insurers that had good experience) can be used to make risk corridor payments (to insurers that had bad experience). This act will come into play to the extent that there is a shortfall in the risk corridor funds collected relative to those that are owed to insurers. According to a Citi Report2 issued in December 2014, most insurers in the surveyed plans recorded a risk corridor receivable. Very few plans recorded a payable and all recorded payables were small. The accounting guidance and rules surrounding risk corridors are continually evolving. This report reflects our best understanding of the guidance and rules to date. To the extent that these rules change in the future, some of the conclusions in this report may no longer hold.
This paper has been prepared to assist actuaries in considering the combined impact of these programs on a company's balance sheet for year-end 2014, the first year these programs are applicable. There is significant uncertainty in the estimates of the 3Rs and their impact on the financial statement. The main focus of this paper will be on the offsetting interactions of the risk adjustment program and risk corridors (assuming an issuer's plans qualify for both risk adjustment and risk corridor programs). Specifically, how much does one program offset the other? By recognizing these offsetting impacts, the appointed actuary may be more confident with determining liabilities to be included in the annual statement and classification of the actuarial opinion. Based on the hypothetical scenarios we ran, the range of impact on balance sheets from potential variability of the combined effect of risk adjuster and risk corridor payments is substantially smaller compared to the variability of either the risk adjuster or risk corridors by themselves.
Insurance company statutory annual statements are due March 1. The exact risk adjustment program and risk corridor payables/receivables will not be known until several months later. When the annual statement is due, insurers will only have estimates of the 3Rs available.
The risk adjustment program was established to level the playing field with respect to the health status of enrollees because premiums in the ACA non-grandfathered market do not vary by health status. In theory, the risk adjustment program should be taking gains from covering the healthy enrollees to subsidize losses from covering the less healthy enrollees. As outlined in the article "When Adverse Selection Isn't,"3 there is significant variability in trying to estimate the risk of an issuer in relation to the market. Because the risk adjustment program is set up to be revenue-neutral, there is not much uncertainty regarding whether the payment will be made, but rather what the amount of the payment will be.
What is the impact on the gain from operations under different claims scenarios for various risk adjustment and risk corridor estimates?
ƒ	For a given range of risk adjustment variability as a percent of claims, what is the reduction in the variability of the range when the risk adjustment program is considered together with risk corridors?
What is the impact on the gain from operations?
$50 million in 2014 premium.
ƒ	20% of premium in profit and administrative expenses.
ƒ	15% of claims in reinsurance recoveries.
ƒ	Four scenarios of incurred claims (net of reinsurance) varying between 50% and 200% of premium.
ƒ	Risk adjustment program estimates as a percent of claims varying from a payable of 50% to a receivable of 50%. The payment/receivable from the risk adjustment program is based on a company's risk score relative to the market. Because a risk adjustment of 0% correlates with the market average, the extreme ends of the range are more likely to occur with small plans than large plans.
Risk corridor estimates are based on the risk corridor formula, but we included a dampening factor on receivables to account for scenarios where the payout received is not the full estimate from the formula. We considered four scenarios: 100% payout, 75%payout, 50% payout, or 0% payout.
ƒ	The scenarios do not include the impact of any medical loss ratio (MLR) rebates.
While a company's incurred claims and risk adjustment receivable/payable are not independent, in order to evaluate the range of impact from different risk adjustment and risk corridor estimates, we have treated them as independent in the hypothetical scenarios. For example, in the 50% incurred claims scenario we have included the full range of risk adjustment, even though a risk adjustment receivable of 50% of claims is very unlikely if claims are only 50% of premium.
The figures below show a graphical summary for the scenarios mentioned above. We have included a separate set of graphs for each of the four incurred claims scenarios. The top graph in each scenario compares the amount of the risk adjustment only with the risk adjustment plus risk corridor amount for each of the risk adjustment scenarios, accounting for a potentially reduced payout on risk corridor receivables. The bottom graph shows the adjusted loss ratio after considering the impact of claims, reinsurance, risk adjustment, and risk corridor estimates. The x-axis on both the top and bottom graphs shows the risk adjuster ranging from a payment of 50% of claims on the left to a receivable of 50% of claims to the right. The y-axis on the top graph shows the combined risk adjuster and risk corridor as a percentage of claims, with negatives indicating a net payable and positives indicating a net receivable. The y-axis on the bottom graph shows an adjusted loss ratio. The adjusted loss ratio is not the federal MLR and does not include any medical loss ratio rebates. See Figure 7 for a sample adjusted loss ratio calculation. For all risk corridor scenarios, the dampening was only applied to receivables. In other words, only the receivable payments are dampened—the payables are assumed to be paid out at 100%.
Under the target pricing loss ratio of 80%, the risk corridor will be a receivable in about half of the scenarios. When paid out at 100%, the net variability in the risk adjusters and risk corridors as a percent of claims ranges from -8% to 18% compared with the risk adjusters by themselves, which range from -50% to 50%. The variability in the risk corridor payout could also have a significant impact as almost half of the scenarios include a risk corridor receivable. Under the scenario of a 50% risk adjustment payout the adjusted loss ratio ranges between 87% and 127% depending on the portion of the risk corridor paid out.
If claims net of reinsurance come in at 150% of premium rather than at the target loss ratio of 80%, the risk corridor will be a receivable in almost all scenarios. When paid out at 100%, the net variability in the risk adjusters and risk corridors as a percent of claims ranges from 23% to 46% compared with the risk adjusters by themselves, which range from -50% to 50%. The variability in the risk corridor payout will have a significant impact, as almost all scenarios include a risk corridor receivable. In the scenarios with no risk adjustment the adjusted loss ratio ranges between 92% and 150% depending on the portion of the risk corridor paid out.
If claims net of reinsurance come in at 100% of premium rather than at the target loss ratio of 80%, the risk corridor will be a receivable in the majority of the scenarios. When paid out at 100%, the net variability in the risk adjusters and risk corridors as a percent of claims ranges from 5% to 30% compared with the risk adjusters by themselves, which range from -50% to 50%. The variability in the risk corridor payout will have a significant impact, as the majority of all scenarios include a risk corridor receivable. In the scenarios with no risk adjustment, the adjusted loss ratio ranges between 82% and 100% depending on the portion of the risk corridor paid out.
If claims net of reinsurance come in at 50% of premium rather than at the target loss ratio of 80%, the risk corridor will be a receivable in about one-third of the scenarios. When paid out at 100%, the net variability in the risk adjusters and risk corridors as a percent of claims ranges from -47% to -17% compared with the risk adjusters by themselves, which range from -50% to 50%. The variability in the risk corridor payout won't be as significant for this group of insurers because the majority of scenarios show the risk corridor as a payout, which will always be paid at 100%. Even under the scenario of a 50% risk adjustment payout, the adjusted loss ratio will only range between 78% and 79% depending on the portion of the risk corridor paid out.
From these graphs, it is apparent that the range of possibilities is smallest in the case where risk corridor is paid out in full. In the case that there is no risk corridor payout, there will be no offsetting impact.
For a given range of risk adjustment variability as a percent of claims, what is the reduction in the variability of the range when the risk adjustment program is considered together with risk corridors?
Taken alone, there is the potential for significant variability in both the risk adjustment program and the risk corridor estimates. However, as shown in Figures 1 to 4 above, when combined, the impact of the variability in the risk adjustment can be substantially offset by the risk corridor estimate, depending on full or partial payout.
In addition to the scenarios included in Figures 1 to 4, we also varied the premium, administrative claims, and reinsurance receivables to look at the maximum variability of the range of risk adjustment plus risk corridor as a percent of claims when compared with a range of risk adjustment only. The largest range is from -50% of claims to 50% of claims, and then we increment it down by 10% to each side of the range. The table in Figure 5 shows the maximum variability of risk adjustment plus risk corridor as a percent of claims for each of the risk corridor payout scenarios for several different risk adjustment ranges. This maximum variability shown incorporates all of the different scenarios, including a range of premiums, claims, administrative expenses, reinsurance, risk adjustment, and risk corridor estimates. The Assumptions section includes details on the scenarios included.
In the first row, we see that, although the total variation in the risk adjustment program when considered by itself is 100% of claims (-50% to 50%), when the risk adjustment is considered together with the risk corridor, the net difference is smaller—significantly smaller if risk corridors receivables are paid out in full. If risk corridor receivables are paid out in full the net difference is only 30%—less than a third of the risk adjustment considered alone. Similarly, in the second and third rows, we show the impact for going from the extreme to no risk adjustment estimate. As expected, the maximum variability decreases as the range of risk adjustment decreases.
The scenarios chosen were hypothetical. However, because of the formulaic nature of the risk corridor, the results shown should be applicable to actual market experience. The range of each aspect of the formula is shown in Figure 6.
The risk corridor ratio was calculated as the allowable costs divided by the target amount. The target amount is equal to premium less allowable administrative costs, including taxes and regulatory fees. The allowable costs are equal to the sum of the claims, risk adjustment payables and receivables, and reinsurance receivables. An example of how the fields were calculated is included in Figure 7.
Earlier this year, there was uncertainty about the admissibility of both the risk corridors and risk adjustment program. However, based on the NAIC guidance in Statement of Statutory Accounting Principles (SSAP) No. 107,6 both risk corridor assessments and risk adjustment payables meet the definition of liabilities as set forth in SSAP No. 5R, Liabilities, Contingencies, and Impairments of Assets. Risk corridor receivables and risk adjustment receivables meet the definition of an asset and are admissible to the extent that they meet all of the criteria of this statement.
The admissibility of the risk corridor and risk adjustment will have a significant impact on the actuarial opinion.
Based on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) report for fiscal-year 20157, risk adjustment payments to issuers will be subject to sequestration. Payments are expected to be made in late summer; as such, 92.7% would be made on time and the remainder would be paid out at the beginning of the federal fiscal year in October.
It is expected that the risk corridor payments would be made in late summer or early fall.
If, in the last year of the risk corridors program, we have excess cumulative risk corridors collections that exceed the cumulative risk corridors payments owed (that is, collections received over the course of the 3-year program exceed total payments requested over the 3 years), we propose to implement an adjustment to the profit floor and administrative cost ceiling to increase risk corridors payments for eligible issuers for benefit year 2016. This adjustment would only be available to issuers whose medical loss ratios (MLR) meet or exceed the 80 percent MLR threshold (and are generally eligible for risk corridors payments) for the 2016 benefit year. We reiterate our previous guidance that in the unlikely event that risk corridors collections, including any potential carryover from prior years, are insufficient to make risk corridors payments for the 2016 program year, HHS will use other sources of funding for the risk corridors payments, subject to the availability of appropriations.
The graphs in Figures 1 to 4 above consider four scenarios of how the risk corridor receivables will be paid out in a given year. For all scenarios, risk corridors payable are still payable at the full amount.
The government bill10 for funding the government through September 2015 specifically excludes funding the risk corridors with a substantial portion of the funds appropriated or transferred to CMS for program management funds. At this point, it is not clear how the funding bills will be written for future fiscal years, nor is it clear whether or not CMS will need the appropriated funds.
Because the November NAIC guidance suggests that amounts of 90 days due won't cause the receivables to be treated as non-admissible based solely on aging, a delay in payment should have minimal impact on the financial statement for the time being, although it could affect operations. A lack of risk corridor receivable payout could have a significant impact.
This report was prepared to illustrate the synergistic effect of risk corridors and risk adjusters compared with the effect of each element separately. The analyses and observations may not be appropriate and should not be used for any other purpose.
This report reflects our best understanding of the guidance and rules to date. To the extent that these rules change in the future, some of the conclusions in this report may no longer hold. The NAIC references are based on exposure drafts. As such, this guidance is not final and is subject to change. Additionally, the 2016 benefit payment parameters are also proposed and not yet final, and they are subject to change. Changes made by either the NAIC or CMS will affect the results of this study.
We have not included MLR rebates and their impact on the financial statements. Inasmuch as the MLR results in a rebate, the maximum variability could change.
The range of risk adjustment was limited to +/-50% of claims. Inasmuch as the risk adjustment exceeds this threshold, the maximum variability will increase. Similarly, if the other parameters fall outside the assumptions included, the maximum variability may change.
The maximum variability results shown in the report are for a single scenario of claims, reinsurance, premium, and administrative expense. Any change in claims, reinsurance, premium, or administrative expense estimates will impact the risk corridors estimate and the net result of risk corridor plus risk adjustment.
We are members of the American Academy of Actuaries and meet the qualification standards to render the actuarial opinion contained in the report.
We are actuaries and are not authorized to practice law, nor do we provide legal advice. The reader should not rely on this report with respect to any matter of interpretation of law, regulation, or legal compliance. Any information provided with respect to provisions of law or regulation is for informational use only and should not be relied upon without consultation with competent counsel.
Shyam Kolli, FSA, MAAA, is a consulting actuary with the Salt Lake City office of Milliman. Contact him at shyam.kolli@milliman.com.
Aaron S. Wright, FSA, CERA, MAAA, is an actuary with the Salt Lake City office of Milliman. Contact him at aaron.wright@milliman.com.
1National Association of Insurance Commissioners (December 16, 2014). NAIC Takes Action on Insurance Priorities. Retrieved January 21, 2015, from http://www.naic.org/Releases/2014_docs/naic_takes_action_on_insurance_priorities.htm.
2"Managed Care: What You See Depends On What You Are Looking For-Analyzing The Industry's Individual 3R Accruals Through 3Q 2014" (December 17, 2014).
3Siegel, J. & Petroske, J. (December 2013). When Adverse Selection Isn't: Which Members Are Likely to Be Profitable (or not) in Markets Regulated by the ACA. Retrieved January 14, 2015, from http://www.milliman.com/uploadedFiles/insight/2013/adverse-selection-aca.pdf.
4Norris, D., Perlman, D., & Leida, H. (December 2014). Risk Corridors Episode IV: No New Hope. Retrieved January 14, 2015, from http://www.milliman.com/uploadedFiles/insight/2014/risk-corridors-no-new-hope.pdf.
5Norris, D., Van der Heijde, M., & Leida, H. (October 2013). Risk Corridors Under the Affordable Care Act—A Bridge Over Troubled Waters, but the Devil's in the Details. Society of Actuaries, Health Watch, no. 73: 1, 5. Retrieved January 14, 2015, fromhttp://milliman.aiprx.com/uploadedFiles/insight/2013/Risk-corridors-under-the-ACA.pdf.
7Office of Management and Budget (March 20, 2014). OMB Report to the Congress on the Joint Committee Reductions for Fiscal Year 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2015, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/legislative_reports/sequestration_order_report_march2014.pdf.
8U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (November 20, 2014). Proposed HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2016 Fact Sheet. Retrieved January 15, 2015, from http://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Fact-Sheets-and-FAQs/Downloads/Fact-Sheet-11-20-14.pdf.
7Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (April 11, 2014). Risk Corridors and Budget Neutrality. Retrieved January 15, 2015, from http://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Fact-Sheets-and-FAQs/Downloads/faq-risk-corridors-04-11-2014.pdf.
7U.S. Senate (December 9, 2014). Rules Committee Print 113-59 Text of House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 83. Retrieved January 15, 2015, fromhttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CPRT-113HPRT91668/pdf/CPRT-113HPRT91668.pdf.


The Irish Museums Association would like to invite practitioners to submit papers for the Collections forum. An annual event, in 2017 the forum will focus on military heritage collections, presenting case studies with the aim of discussing and sharing curatorial best practice. The submission deadline is noon, Friday 20 October, 2017.
Convened by Lar Joye, National Museum of Ireland and Gina O'Kelly, Irish Museums Association.
The Collections Forum is held each Autumn/Winter and focuses on bringing together curators, collection management and technical staff and conservators to discuss and disseminate information on different collection materials held in our museums: Photographic (2012), Textile (2013), Industrial and Working Artefacts (2014); Natural History Collections (2015); Library Collections (2016).
The forum will consist of short papers - 15 minutes duration - with ample time for discussion. Speakers must be available to present in person on 14 November, 2017. The language of the forum is English. Papers are selected by a panel of museum professionals and educators. Detailed information on the members of the panel and selection criteria is available on request.
For more information on previous forums and activities of the Irish Museums Association, please click on the links in the side bar.


Have a client with pets they love?
I'd lay awake all night worrying about general "stuff" – business, personal, financial, you name it.
Sick to my stomach worry… crippling worry.
In my first "grown-up" job after college my boss pulled me aside and told me something pretty cool.
50% of the things you worry about never happen. Don't worry.
40% of the things you worry about happen, but you have control over them. Don't worry.
10% of the things you worry about will happen and you have NO control over them, but you CAN control how you ACT in response to them. Don't worry.
The bottom line is that 90% of what you worry about either won't happen or you can clean up the mess quickly.
AND… the 10% that doesn't fall into that category is what will make you STRONGER and BUILD CHARACTER (which is virtually always a good thing in hindsight).
When you worry, take a moment to just think about things in a rational, calm manner. Use your rational brain and you can often help worries evaporate.
3. Get some professional help with chronic, debilitating worries. There's no shame in getting help, especially if it's crippling you.
Instead, focus on the positive action you can take in the face of your worries to blast through them and realize they are just phantoms.
Will you choose empowerment or worry? The choice is yours no matter how intense or chronic the worries.


At CHI Memorial Metabolic and Bariatric Care, Dr. Ponce and his team have been working with patients to help them lose weight for decades. They understand the complexities involved in weight gain, weight loss, and weight loss maintenance. The often mentioned "lack of willpower" is not the answer to why so many people are overweight or obese. Substantial factors include the environment, social and biological influences, and medical conditions. One particularly important component is genetics. According to a work group created by the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, and other groups, "studies have identified 150 genetic variants tied to body mass index (BMI), waist circumferences or obesity risk." With scientists still working to understand all the factors of obesity, treating it is the goal of CHI Memorial Metabolic and Bariatric Care. Although there is no single answer to helping people lose a significant amount of weight, bariatric procedures are the safest and only proven-effective methods available for most people. The treatments Dr. Ponce offers include the gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, gastric band, and Orbera and Obalon weight loss balloon systems. While the sleeve, bypass and band are minimally invasive surgical procedures, the balloons offer a non-surgical option for those who prefer it.
According to the NIH work group, "researchers have made tremendous strides in our understanding of what drives eating behavior, how fat cells are formed and how metabolism is altered prior to and after the onset of obesity." With new research available every year, we will make the process of preventing and treating obesity even more successful.
If you would like to speak with us about losing weight in the new year, you can call us at (423) 899-1000.


NewVIc has developed several links and projects with schools across Europe. Two major projects that have now been run for many years: The Comenius project and the European Business Project. The college also regularly welcomes visitors and is keen to promote international partnerships across the college.
Our partnership with Germany is going strong: Part 2: Hildegard-Wegscheider-Schule from Berlin visits NewVIc in London!
Our partnership with Germany is going strong: Part 1: NewVIc visits the Kaufmännische Schulen in Rheine!
Four fab days in Berlin: Wir sind Berliner!
NewVIc German and history students went to Berlin not only to explore the sights but also to become friends with the students of our partner college Hildegard Wegscheider Gymnasium.
Students pitched marketing campaigns at a range of German manufacturers with students from the Berufliche Schule Korbach und Bad Arolsen (BSK) in Germany.
NewVIc recently had the pleasure of hosting 20 A Level students from Kaufmännische Schulen (one of NewVIc's partner schools) in Rheine, Germany.
SHAPE Europe – Sustainability, Health, Activity, Personality, Energy: Being Young in Europe. This is the focus of the Comenius Project – a cooperation financed by the European Union between New VIc in London, the Kaufmännische Schulen in Rheine, in Germany and Obchodna Academia Milana Hodžu in Trenčin, in Slovakia.
The "Active Youth Day" brings to a close this exiting project where students and teachers worked together for over two years: We visited each other in Trencin, Rheine and London, worked together in workshops and climbed the German Alps. We got to know each others' lifestyles and problems faced by young people in Western, Central and Eastern Europe. This three day finale with demonstrations of the sports we play, performances of dance, exhibitions of our work and a panel discussion shows us what we have found out about healthy lifestyles, sustainable energies, active lives and the future of Europe. But above all the SHAPE Europe project has brought us together in finding out what it means to be young in Europe.
This project between NewVic and the Berufliche Schulen Korbach und Bad Arolsen involves reciprocal trips to England and Germany, during which students work on common business projects with the help of German companies from the Korbach area and teachers from both Colleges. This project aims for students from both schools to give students experience of team work on a "real-life" business project, give students an opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge and provide experience of working within a European Business Organisation.
Frequent visits from European schools. In 2012-2013, NewVIc welcomed visitors from several schools coming from France but also from Germany and Denmark. These visits included tours of the College, lesson observations but also diverse projects during which NewVIc students worked together with other European students. This year such projects were conducted in Philosophy, French, German, Maths, Art and Music lessons.
London to Paris by bike will be run for the second time in 2013. A group of students from NewVIc and the Lycée Montesquieu (Le-Plessis) will travel from Paris to London… by bike!
Jules Verne Programme: French teachers teaching their own subjects in England. Since the start of that programme launched by the Education Nationale in September 2008, NewVIc has welcomed seven French teachers spending an academic year in our College, teaching their own subjects and developing further links with their schools in France.
NewVIc also welcomed students or teaching staff from abroad completing a work experience.
of Cumbria and has been teaching for six years.


The Huberalm Trail is best reached by turning onto it hundred metres below the Hacklberg Alm. It then leads further to the Polzalm and the Kegerlalm, and on to the Huber Hochalm on a wonderful open Alpine meadow. Just a little bit beneath, the fun Huberalm Trail branches off to the left from the forest track. The trail is a natural, in places rather technical single trail until shortly above the Huber Grundalm, and then you continue on forest tracks through to Hinterglemm.
no reports have been added for Huberalm Trail yet, add a trail report.
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Theatre Impressario
How one local theatre executive continues to make a difference in the arts world.
When Prima Theatre launched a fundraiser to support out-of-work artists in early April, Executive Artistic Producer Mitch Nugent decided to put a fun twist on the campaign: he promised to shave his head once the fundraiser reached its goal. Within a matter of minutes, the money was pledged. Mitch soon appeared in a promotional video, both revealing the promised haircut and expressing his excitement at seeing the Lancaster community come together to support local performers. But he didn't stop there. In another effort to raise spirits during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mitch visited quarantined members of the Prima community and, accompanied by a guitarist, personally sang for each person from a safe distance. (This effort earned him a One-In-A-Million Award from the Multiplying Good Foundation.)
These are just small examples of Mitch's approach to leading Prima. His goal for the theatre has always been twofold: first, to create fresh experiences that make people come alive, and second, to create an environment that feels like an artistic home to both artists and patrons.
From an early age, Mitch knew that the performing arts were a way to make life beautiful and bring people together. He recalls that as a child, he loved going out to his driveway with a boombox and performing for the neighbors.
"Early on, we lived next door to a restaurant drive-through, and so the cars would get backed up and I thought, well, I'll just entertain these people while they wait for their order," he recalls. "I loved to make them smile. It was always entertaining for me and, I imagine, probably embarrassing for my parents."
His parents may have been a little bewildered by Mitch's artistic tendencies, but they instilled in him a work ethic and perseverance that has served him well in the theatre industry. He recalls as a child going to work with his father, an electrician at the time, in the hundred-degree heat of other people's attics. Mitch soon fled and went outside to wait in the car with the equipment. Exasperated by his son's complete disinterest in the family business, his father told him "Well, whatever you do, you'd better be good at it."
"And I've never forgotten that sense of, if I'm going to do this art thing, I'm going to need to put everything into it," says Mitch. He would go on to start his own sort of family business (a non-profit organization) in Prima, which, at its heart, began as a partnership between Mitch and his wife Diana. The two of them first met during a regional production of the musical Cats. Always more of a singer and actor than a dancer, Mitch was sent to "cat camp" to get his choreography up to par, where he met Diana, a dancer and costumer.
"She was not impressed by this guy that they brought in to be the rock vocalist who couldn't do a pirouette," Mitch recalls, laughing. But eventually the two started dating, and when Diana had to return to Philadelphia for college, it wasn't long before Mitch left behind his job in arts administration and followed her. He found an acting job the closest he could get to Philadelphia, which happened to be in Lancaster, PA.
While the city already had a robust performing arts scene when they began to settle there, Mitch and Diana saw the space for something new as well. Through their work at various Lancaster theatres, they began to connect with others who shared their passion for off-Broadway style work, like rock musicals and pop-inspired cabarets-- the type of shows that otherwise might not make it to Lancaster.
"The intention at first wasn't necessarily to start a theatre," says Mitch. "We just wanted an outlet to do the work that we were passionate about."
His commitment to bold, fresh work is one of the reasons Prima has thrived, and one of the reasons it matters. Willonda McCloud, the President and CEO of Bright Side Opportunities Center, identifies Prima's commitment to diversity as something that sets it apart. "I've seen a lot of diversity in their cast, musicians included," she says, recalling Prima productions such as Motown Legends and Godspell, which featured Tayler Harris as a Black female Jesus. "I think it's been a great impact."
Unfortunately, putting on shows that contradict audience preconceptions always comes with risk, and staying true to that vision can sometimes result in financial strain. Particularly in their early years, amidst the previous recession, Prima had to walk that tightrope carefully, balancing their passion for fresh work with the need to make ends meet. It was his partnership with Diana, Mitch suggests, that helped get them through those rough patches.
"She was the brains and I was the passion and the drive," he says. "And she helped commit us to being frugal and authentic. We were going to be resourceful in order to do the work we felt this community deserved to experience." In those early days, Diana often acted as the one-person box office, stapling playbills and taking all the calls for the theatre on her cell phone.
Now, more than ten years later, Prima has grown into something far beyond what either of them imagined at the beginning: a fully-fledged theatre with its own permanent space and a community of loyal patrons. Prima's guest artists have included Tony and Grammy winners (Stephen Schwartz, Billy Porter, Jason Robert Brown, Adam Pascal, Shoshana Bean), and they've welcomed tens of thousands of patrons. But regardless of the growth Prima has experienced, the personal touches of those early days still linger in the organization. One small example: the phone number you now call to reach Prima's box office was once Diana's personal phone number, a holdover from the days when she single-handedly managed tickets and playbills.
Moreover, Mitch's vision for Prima has remained steadfast. "We continue to be focused on creating experiences to invigorate lives, and curating every detail we can," he says. "That's something we'd die on the stake of."
Mihika Miranda, a Franklin & Marshall alumnus who interned at Prima as a student, believes that Prima is an organization that truly values and prioritizes its mission-- to invigorate lives through fresh theatrical experiences-- with every action. "Mitch is constantly thinking outside the box and pushing others to do the same," she says, adding that one of the most valuable lessons she learned from Mitch is that "there are never just two options". As in many aspects of life, in theatre you often have to find that third option, an often unseen alternative path that serves a greater vision.
Moreover, though theatre work can be exhausting, with many long days and late nights, Mihika looks back on her time at Prima with great fondness. "One thing that really struck me is how much Mitch and everyone else at Prima care about people," she says. She recalls scheduling a meeting with Mitch, seeking advice on directing her own show. They were meant to meet for twenty minutes, but wound up talking for two hours. It was the sense of tightly-knit community, and the constant learning opportunities, that made her time with Prima so valuable, and so enjoyable. "I loved coming into the office," she says. "There was such joy to it every day."
Joyful is certainly the right word to describe the way Mitch talks about Prima. Though he's no longer a kid out in the driveway with a boombox, he approaches his work with that same passion and dedication. From a recession to a global pandemic to a show that didn't find its audience, no setback can shake his fundamental belief in the power of art.
"Whatever we do, whatever the programming looks like, whatever challenges come our way, it is worth it if we have created something beautiful," he says. If he can someday look back on his life and know that he did that much-- for the audiences, for Prima's interns, for the community, for his children-- that would be enough.
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202 Butler Avenue


All Products / Sterling Silver & Vermeil Wax Seal-Ca. 1900.
Sterling Silver & Vermeil Wax Seal-Ca. 1900. This is in beautiful condition with no dings or dents. The vermeil wash is still intact. It has a very nice turquoise stone set into the center of the seal. The seal has no yet been initialed. It measures 1 7/8" high and is 5/8" across.


The 2018, 38×12, 2 bedroom ABI Sunningdale is a holiday home that will meet all your needs. A classic design but with fresh and stylish touches throughout.
A much-loved classic that's perfect for the modern family. Spacious enough to accommodate all your guests, yet cosy enough to curl up on the sofa with a good book and while away the hours. Whether you're having family to stay for the week, entertaining friends with a weekend of al fresco dining or it's just the two of you enjoying some quality time, The Sunningdale has everything you could wish for.


I seem to have acquired a taste for salted peanuts the excess of which is definitely unhealthy, but the act of pouring the nuts into a cupped hand and raising that to fill my buccal cavity and masticating the nuts as I savour the taste before swallowing has become something of a regular snack.
So, I walked into a shop and after picking up a few drinks, I asked for peanuts, they were not that obvious looking through the shelves.
I was first presented with a bag of peanuts or groundnuts  (Arachis hypogaea), hard-labour peanuts, still in their shells that needed cracking and the skinning of their brown skins before I could eat them.
The rate at which the nuts get consumed would be slowed down considerably and I have never really seen anyone shell all the nuts from the bag first before settling down to consumption, it was cracking one peanut shell at a time, with an average of 2 peanuts, skinning them, then eating.
As anyone would know, groundnuts come out of the ground and cashew  nuts hang off the end of the fleshy succulent cashew fruit.
It reminded me of a backstory I ended up telling the shop-keeper as I said I wanted instant gratification not the drudgery of nut cracking.
In Nigeria we have a very delicious stew which is commonly known by its Yoruba name – Egusi  soup – it could be plain, with vegetables, garnished with dried fish pieces and contain fresh fish or meat, however, this is not a recipe; we are going to the genesis of it all.
There are many varieties of melon belonging to the cucurbitaceae  plant family which brings together cucumbers, loofas, pumpkins and, watermelons which in this context are fleshy, tasty and full of water, the seeds in the middle are spat out, never eaten.
Egusi comes from watermelons , only in this case, the fruity flesh is not considered edible but the seeds are what we are after. I sometimes wonder how they discovered the edibility of those seeds and the trouble that goes into getting at the seeds.
When the melons are mature, just before they are harvested, the melons are punctured with a pointed stake of wood and left to rot. This takes about a week, during which the flesh ferments, begins to decompose and turns watery.
This allows for the pulpy melon fruit to be opened up by hand, scraped unto a special sieve to separate the seeds from the pulp. Picking up these rotten, smelly and fermented melons can be fraught with dangers, though I have not heard of snakes hiding amongst the melons, it is a possibility but dangerous insects do with very painful bites.
More menacingly is a very hairy caterpillar, the hairs excite histamine causing very serious itching and a rash, sometimes it can be very painful too – it is not a job for the squeamish, the end result is however worthwhile.
When the seeds are separated from the pulp, they are left out to dry, firming up the seed casing and ready to be sold.
You can also get the shelled seeds but that costs extra and somehow one cannot vouch for their shelf-life, the lazier cook would go for the blended seeds, which looks very much like Moroccan couscous with an aroma quite close to aniseed, it is oily but I doubt if melon seed oils have any cosmetic value.
The shelling process is a bit of an art, the seed casing is slightly twisted, the top end and bottom end held between the thumb and index finger of each hand and then pulled apart to reveal the white teardrop shaped seed, round on one end and pointed on the other, just about a millimetre thick.
I have never counted the number of seeds that needed shelling for stew making, but it is usually a communal job or a few hands that goes on for a few hours.
Science and engineering have been involved with the Canadians sponsoring a project to help in shelling Egusi seeds and this interesting abstract of a study  of the force required to crack a melon seed shell without destroying the seed itself.
The seeds are never washed after this, in some cases, they are roasted before being blended and used in stews, and many people never get to experience the backstory.
As for the making of Egusi soup, you probably can get a recipe , but that is not my story.
Egusi is one of my favourite soups, that with crayfish and information.bitterfleaf and hot gari (cassava), washed down with ice cold water.
It never occurred to me how painstaking it is to extract and shell the seeds. Thanks for the information.
In fact, I would never have known either if I had not had the real experience myself.
That it has become a blog just shows how literally nothing is insignificant in our lives.
Finally a blogpost I can comment on. Have heard the yoruba phrase 'O f'i mi se egusi' (ignoring me while shelling melon seeds)? that is what came to my mind reading your post and I have been involved in the process of getting the seeds out and truly not a nice experience, but the end result (the soup) is enough reward for the hard work! How are you keeping? Found another job yet? Take care of yourself!
I never thought we would have shared that experience.
I am doing well, still on the job market, but all will be well.
Hope you are doing fine too.


Please call our office (972.252.4800) to ask your concert etiquette questions. Our voicemail works 24/7, so you may call anytime! However, if you want to speak to a person rather than a machine, call during regular business hours: Monday - Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM.
Invite a friend or another couple to go with you to the next concert; You'll enjoy it all the better.
You can attend an LCSO concert for about the same amount of money as it takes to grab a burger and see a movie. Subscribe today! And single tickets start at just $16.50.
Subscribers have priority seating at the Irving Arts Center. Your seats will be assigned ahead of any single ticket buyers, and you'll have the opportunity to keep those seats or request priority reseating next season. Subscribers can also order advance tickets to special events ensuring the best available seats at those performances.
An LCSO subscription offers you 100% flexibility. Can't make a concert? Enjoy no-hassle, unlimited ticket exchange, or donate your tickets back to the LCSO for tax credit. Exchanges and donations can be made up to 24 hours prior to the performance. Subscribers also get free replacements for lost tickets. Still can't commit? Try Flex-Tickets.
Clap whenever you feel moved. There are 93 superb musicians playing their hearts out for you, and your applause means everything to them. When in doubt, wait for others around you to clap and chime in!
MYTH #5: PEOPLE WEAR EVENING GOWNS AND TUXEDOS TO CONCERTS.
It's true you may see some people in their finery occasionally. But you'll also see blue jeans and suits and everything in between. As a general rule, "business casual" is always a safe bet. We invite you to dress comfortably, because, after all, we're all here for the music.
Do you have to be a gourmet chef to enjoy a fine meal? You don't need to know the music on the program to have a meaningful experience. Our Maestro Robert C. Austin will provide you with all of the need to know facts and interesting trivia about the music, composers and guest artist before each piece.
MYTH #7: LCSO CONCERTS CATER ONLY TO WEALTHY, OLDER ADULTS.
The Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra is a nonprofit organization that targets all segments of the population, including children through our youth concerts, education programs, and the Lone Star Youth Orchestra. All of our concerts appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds, from lifelong fans to young music students to casual listeners.
Yes, but not always. LCSO concerts sometimes sell out, with a portion of all seats going to subscribers. The vast majority of these happy season ticket holders renew their seats year after year, making it difficult to get good seats at the last minute. When you become an LCSO subscriber, you'll walk past the sold-out signs to your "own" seats. And best of all, you have something to look forward to! Subscribing is definitely the way to go.
MYTH #9: THE ORCHESTRA IS COMPRISED OF AMATEUR MUSICIANS.
The 93+ contracted musicians of the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra are all accomplished professionals. Most live and work in our community, teaching music and playing with other ensembles. Many of our musicians also play with the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and the Dallas Wind Symphony.
Come early or stay late and make an evening of it and have dinner with friends. The LCSO is a great excuse to have an uplifting experience with a friend or a romantic evening with that special someone.


The SOLUTION For Motorcycle Towing You've Been Looking For!
Sometimes, you just have to load your bike on the truck instead of riding it to your destination. Yes, it stinks, but from times to times we ought to do stuff we don`t like. On the other hand, we have seen a plethora of video clips all over the Internet of people simply ruining their vehicles during the, motorcycle towing, loading and offloading process.
Anyhow, today`s video features one invention that we hope will put an end to the loading and offloading shame. At least we can laugh till then. It seems pretty straightforward when you see it, but thank God someone had the brain to create it! It`s about a motorbike transporter that can be installed in the bed of your pick-up truck! This device holds your bike in place during the transportation process with no chance of dropping it. It is consisted of metal sheet that serves as a base where you can put your bike, and all elements that are supposed to hold your bike in place are mounted on it.
Next, this metal sheet is connected with a metal hand that does the motorcycle towing for you. Also, there are two wheels at the back of the metal sheet that make the whole process a lot smoother.
At last, click here to see the best new vans for motorcycle transport.


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Home / Opinion / Blatt column / Prosperity Policy: Nothing to celebrate
Prosperity Policy: Nothing to celebrate
By: David Blatt	December 6, 2017	0
President Trump and congressional Republicans were celebrating this week when their tax overhaul bill, built around major tax cuts for corporations, passed the Senate.
Unfortunately, for most Americans, the tax bill is nothing to celebrate.
It's nothing to celebrate for the middle class, who under this bill will see their tax cuts phased out over time and replaced with tax hikes. Most households making under $75,000 a year will see their taxes increase by 2027, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. The average Oklahoma family will be left paying $120 more that year.
It's nothing to celebrate for those who need health insurance. The Senate's bill is projected to increase the number of uninsured Americans by 13 million while increasing premiums for millions more by 10 percent, which itself would wipe out any potential benefits from the tax plan.
It's nothing to celebrate for those concerned about the national debt. For years, Republicans have claimed to care about deficit reduction. Yet all but one Republican senator voted for a bill that will add $1 trillion to the debt over 10 years, even after accounting for economic growth, according to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation.
Last month Sen. James Lankford told Meet the Press he would oppose a tax bill that significantly raised the debt, saying, "I'm actually not comfortable with increasing the debt." Early last week, Sen. Lankford said he could vote for the bill only if a deficit trigger – a provision repealing some of the tax cuts if revenue drops – was inserted. The trigger provision was abandoned, yet he voted for the deficit-exploding bill anyway.
It's nothing to celebrate for all who count on critical federal services, from student loans to food assistance to Medicare and Social Security that are now on the chopping block to pay for tax cuts. Congress recently adopted a budget resolution calling for $5.8 trillion in program cuts over the next decade, including big cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. These budget plans also undermine federal grants that bring billions of dollars to Oklahoma every year –nearly one-third of the state budget.
In Oklahoma, we've already seen the destructive impact of policies pairing regressive tax cuts with deep budget cuts to core public services. Repeating that mistake for the whole nation is nothing to celebrate.
David Blatt is executive director of Oklahoma Policy Institute, http://okplicy.org.
Congress David Blatt Prosperity Policy 9:51 pm Wed, December 6, 2017 The Journal Record
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In 1998, Lamont Moon founded Courageous Leadership to change the quality of leadership practiced by the senior leaders of America's top companies.
Courageous Leadership provides real solutions when and where they matter most. Since our inception, our clients have been the center point of our attention, our devotion, and our efforts. Experience has taught us that greatness is achieved when leaders join with others. The collaborative actions of talented people are the central focus of Courageous Leadership because we know an organization's best future is only achieved when the right people execute within effective systems.
Kyle G. Kyzer
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Kyle pursued the opportunity of business consulting after having proven successes in training and coaching within a multi-national corporation. Kyle's primary accomplishments have come as a leader in building high-performance teams, creating a learning platform that was built to link the global workforce, and leading the development and training of the leadership brand roll-out. He also worked directly with senior leaders to lead annual strategic planning initiatives as the organization sought to link the associates' daily work to preferred business outcomes. Since he began with Courageous Leadership in 2015, he has risen to the challenge of engaging and empowering others to have significant success in client organizations. Kyle's innovative approach to leadership and problem solving coupled with his solid pragmaticism has created an offering that brings critical solutions to a broad range of organizations he has had the opportunity of serving.
Kyle has a Master's degree from Columbia Theological Seminary and a BA in Religion and Business from Presbyterian College. As a lifelong learner, Kyle has continued to expand his training and certification for coaching and business consulting solutions.
Lamont Moon
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Lamont Moon began his career by helping struggling organizations identify and realize their full potential. His passion has always been in the categories of coaching and mentoring—finding and cultivating the substantive center of what makes leaders worthy. Recognizing the waste that exists in traditional training through the model of filling a room and teaching irrelevant and uncontextualized theories, Lamont founded Courageous Leadership in 1998 to help individual leaders be more effective with what they needed to achieve. Realizing this same approach needed to be accessible and affordable to all levels of associates within organizations, Lamont created PRAXIS, a mentoring and performance development resource that has been utilized by Fortune 100 companies since 2003. His history as a consultant has given him the opportunity to affect leaders within the Department of Defense, H&R Block, Vermeer Manufacturing, Boys and Girls club, Herman Miller, Centurion Medical, Merrill Lynch, and others.
Lamont continues to work with leaders from Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations to help catalyze results-centered leadership. He believes that each person has a capacity for an impact that needs to be identified, developed, and expressed for effectiveness in worthy leadership while also holding fast to the idea that any development activity not producing real results is not worth an investment.
Lamont has Master"s degrees in Human Ecology and Business, has developed his own "Transformation Model" of personal and organizational practices that dependably strengthen the performance of leaders at all levels, and is currently engaged in publishing his first book to complement his PRAXIS mentoring resource.
Tim Grant
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Tim Grant joined the Courageous Leadership team in 2022 with 25 years of operational management experience in manufacturing, product development, and sales. Tim gained this experience working with Lacks Enterprises, Inc. a global designer, manufacturer, and distributor in the automotive industry. Having held leadership roles in quality, engineering, plant management, and product development, Tim has coached and mentored manufacturing teams through plant turnarounds and new technology startups in multiple locations. In addition to manufacturing experience, Tim has also had responsibility for new product development and diversification initiatives. Before joining Lacks Enterprises, Inc. Tim worked with Evart Products Textron, a Tier One automotive supplier in both supervisory and leadership roles. In addition to his manufacturing experience, Tim has experience in retail and online sales environments.
As an advocate for change and growth, Tim also served as a school board president from 2009-2011 in his home district believing that if you develop the leadership team you can positively affect the lives of thousands of students. As a forward-thinking, innovative, hands-on leader, Tim has demonstrated the value of investing in operational teams and individuals. Having been a participant in a Courageous Leadership development program from 2006-2008, Tim brings the unique insight and experience of how our work can have a tremendous effect on individuals personally and professionally. The opportunity to focus on what matters most in a person's life and working within a collaborative environment is what pulled Tim to join the Courageous Leadership team.
Tim attended Aquinas College where he focused on Political Science and Religious Studies.
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Bergen Price has an undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University, and completed her MBA at Clemson University, which is what brought her to Upstate SC, and was previously the Operations Manager at a local accounting firm. She found Courageous Leadership in July of 2021 and has loved every minute of being a part of this positive, team-centered atmosphere!
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Austen Moon joined the Courageous Leadership team in March of 2022. His career path includes a wide range of entrepreneurial and small business development experiences. Austen is now leveraging his creative and technical skill sets to improve system operations for our clients.
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Emma Berry has a BA in Psychology from Furman University. She works primarily in talent acquisition with Courageous Leadership clients. Before joining the Courageous Team, Emma worked in real estate investing and small business startups.
Ashleigh Bratek
Ashleigh Bratek was born and raised in Jefferson, Georgia. Before transitioning to Courageous Leadership in January 2023, Ashleigh spent most of her career in the food/beverage industry. Most recently, she served as the executive director for a Chick-fil-A dual-store operator. Additionally, she founded the Christian Peach Co. in 2019 to fuel her entrepreneurial spirit. Ashleigh's previous experience as a client of Courageous Leadership makes her well-suited for her new role.
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Dr. Kim Ridgway has his Ph.D. in Organizational Development from Kent State University, his Masters Degree in Technical Education from The University of Akron, and his Bachelors from Malone University. Kim has more than three decades of human resources and consulting experience in Fortune 500 manufacturing companies and social service agencies. Prior to joining the Courageous Leadership team, his most recent experience was as a Strategic Business Partner of a multi-national Toyota-group company. He has also worked as an internal consultant within design and manufacturing plants both within the US and internationally.
Kim has performed a full range of human resources activities with his passion being in organizational culture analysis, including the design and implementation of leadership and management training at the corporate and plant level. Kim has both lived and worked internationally as an internal human resources consultant to international manufacturing plants. He has also had responsibilities for the training and staffing of two manufacturing plant start-ups in China, leading to a significant strengthening of the organizations' leadership capacity. In addition to his strengths and interests around leadership and training, Kim has successfully overseen union avoidance initiatives during active campaigns, ultimately preventing unionization through education and training.
Because of his experiences, Kim is extremely competent in his ability to merge theoretical truths and technical knowledge, resulting in actual benefits for his clients. Kim's service to clients is truly authentic because of his commitment to both the organizational needs and each individual's best interest.
Mark Shannon, Ph.D.
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Dr. Mark Shannon is a management and leadership professor that has deep and broad roots in Fortune 500 companies as well as entrepreneurial ventures. With 29 years of experience, Mark has developed the ability to create effective teams, increase employee retention, strengthen employee satisfaction, and develop organizational leaders. His experiences include Northwestern Mutual Life, Lifetime Fitness, and the owner of successful smaller ventures.
Mark recognizes the need and is deeply passionate about developing authentic leaders. He feels that to change the landscape of leadership, authenticity in leadership should be encouraged and developed at multiple levels. Through collaboration, he is committed to using robust and thorough methods to develop strategic plans that work effectively.
Mark has a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and an M.B.A. with a managerial finance concentration. Mark is a reviewer for the International Leadership Association and continues to participate in scholarly research in organizational leadership.
Rodger Eich
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Rodger is a leading innovator and people cultivator, having spent over 25 years driving transformative change in product development, interactive design and design management for organizations ranging from small, family run businesses to Fortune 100 companies.
As a leader, Rodger is passionate about cultivating talent and inspiring people. He has channeled his ability to capitalize on and celebrate the collective knowledge and diversity of team expertise to drive innovative solutions that married business drivers, technology and end user needs. As a proven global business leader, he is committed to using creativity to develop products and services that lead to revolutionary business opportunities.
In 2017, Rodger founded re/create studio LLC. Using the lenses of creative insight and design thinking, re/create is focused on helping clients make impactful growth shifts in their business to drive better results for their organization.
Rodger has an insatiable curiosity and a passion for wind and water. In his free time, Rodger is an avid kiteboarder. He, with his wife and two children, happily call West Michigan their home.
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Tim Justice is the former Chief Executive Officer of Rescom Construction, Greenville's 2011 Small Business of the year and leading specialty contractor for commercial renovations and tenant upfits. In this capacity, he employed a staff of 25 people and was responsible for the company's business development, asset management, financial analyses and strategic planning. Tim and co-owner Joe McLaughlin established the company in 1989.
Prior to that, Tim was Manager of Property Management Accounting for U.S. Shelter Corporation, as well as Corporate Controller for T. Walter Brashier & Associates, both of Greenville, SC. He is a native of North Carolina, where he graduated from Whiteville High School and is a 1982 Graduate of Garner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC, from which he received a B.S. in Accounting.
Since the mid 90's Tim has been heavily involved in the community and civic activities, locally, regionally and nationally. After years of service to the Greenville Chamber of Commerce as a Director he served as the 2009 Chairman of the Board. In addition, Tim has served on the National Board of the Homebuilders Association, on its State Board as District Vice President, and locally in all major posts. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors, The United Way, Greenville Area Development Corp., Junior Achievement, University of South Carolina Upstate Foundation, Clemson University's Small Business Development Center's Advisory Committee and the Board of the Better Business Bureau culminating with Chairman in 1998. By gubernatorial appointment he served on the Board of the Greenville Memorial Auditorium (Bi-Lo Center). Similarly, by Presidential appointment, Mr. Justice served on the Board of the Selective Service System.
Tim currently sits on the Board of Directors for CommunityWorks Carolina, Homes of Hope, VisitGreenville, and Phillis Wheatley Center. He has served as a mentor to young professionals through the Chamber's Pulse Pacesetter program since 2007 and has three times been selected by "Greenville Magazine" as one of the community's "50 Most Influential Citizens."
Mr. Justice is married to the former Kathy Lotz and has two sons.
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Shokri Kola (, also Romanized as Shokrī Kolā) is a village in Kheyrud Kenar Rural District, in the Central District of Nowshahr County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 530, in 127 families.

References

Populated places in Nowshahr County

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Global Modular Course Invites Wharton School Students to Learn Sustainability Practices in Riau
On May 18-21, 2018, 42 students and two professors from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Singapore Management University (SMU) visited companies of the Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) Group in Pangkalan Kerinci, Pelalawan District, Riau.
This visit is one of a series of activities of the Global Modular Courses, a program of cooperation between The Wharton School and Tanoto Foundation which has been going on since 2013. The Global Modular Courses aims to provide real experiences for students in understanding business opportunities and sustainability practices directly from the field.
Every year, The Wharton School students visit Indonesia and other ASEAN countries to learn firsthand about business opportunities and challenges being faced. Among other things, the participants learn about sustainability practices that have been applied by companies of the RGE Group in Riau.
Participants could see firsthand the sustainability practices in the paper industry starting from plant tissue culture researches at the RGE Technology Center and development of the acacia seeds in the Kerinci Central Nursery. After that, the participants also saw the paper making process at the factory of PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP) to produce PaperOne paper products ready for distribution to more than 85 countries.
Both the students and the accompanying professors were enthusiastic in attending each visit, including Professor Janice Bellace of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania who actively put forward questions at every location of the visit.
Participants were also invited to learn how Asian Agri company manages oil palm plantations and processes fresh fruit bunches into oil. An interesting point is the use of natural predators, namely the owls, to cope with oil palm pests.
In addition to industry visits, they also learned how to make batik at Rumah Batik Andalan, a fostered partner of RAPP's Community Development Program. This batik house has produced a number of batik motifs typical of Riau such as batik Bono, which is inspired by the Bono waves in Kampar River, Riau.
The next activity was a visit to Kuala Terusan Village, Pangkalan Kerinci Sub-district, Pelalawan, Riau to get to know how the local people live around RAPP's operational areas. In this visit, the participants handed over posyandu supporting equipment to the Village Head of Kuala Terusan, Abi Hurairah.
Aside from the Global Modular Course, another collaborative activity between Tanoto Foundation and The Wharton School is the Global Faculty Development Program. This activity involves the assigning of lecturers of Universitas Indonesia and Universitas Gadjah Mada to study with the professors of The Wharton School on how to undertake researches that can be published in major international journals.
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Page 549 - Gallery Design of Home Design And Ideas | Groundswellplayers Mid Century Modern Kitchen Tables. Really Cheap Floors. Concrete Outdoor Furniture.
collection of galleries from Home Design And Ideas like Mid Century Modern Kitchen Tables. Really Cheap Floors. Concrete Outdoor Furniture. and other designs you might like Front Porch Rocking Chairs. Monogrammed Bath Towels. Computer Hutch Desks. Black Counter Height Table. Velvet Tufted Chair. Dining Pool Table. White Linen Tower.


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Q: Calculating forward voltage for a string of fairy lights: multimeter shows "1" I'm trying to provide a USB power source to a string of fairy lights that look like these.
They all appear to run in parallel, connected horizontally along two wires until the last led.
I tried isolating a single led to calculate the forward voltage drop, but my multimeter shows "1" with the diode test, and successfully lights up the LED. Any other range fails to light the LED, and also shows "1".
Am I going about this the right way? I'm still confused about the difference in being able to supply current, and drawing current. I know a USB can provide 100mA, but there's no specification for a battery except for mAh?
How can I figure out an appropriate resistor, or at least calculate the forward voltage drop?
The waterfall analogy doesn't seem to be working for me...
Can I just assume it's 3 volts because it's in parallel?

A: The way these fairy lights work is how you described, all in parallel. They typically have a single resistor at the battery box if 3 batteries, or maybe no resistor if 2 batteries. Smarter ones with a timer circuit will still be fairly similar. While transistors answer is correct for finding the forward voltage of a single led, at an assumed 20mA forward current, it doesn't answer most of your questions.
To find the voltage and current of the string, you take part of what transistor said, but apply it differently. Use a set of new, good batteries. You will need to measure their voltage while the leds are on. And you would need to take the case apart to access the resistor inside. Measure the voltage across the resistor. This will give you a fairly accurate forward voltage of the parallel led string (Source Voltage - Resistor Voltage = load voltage)
Now remove the batteries and measure the value of the resistor, or read the color code or smd resistor code if available. With this, you have both the voltage across The resistor and the resistance, so you can find the current through it. Voltage / Resistance = Current in amps. Alternatively you can simply measure the current through the circuit with the batteries. Any timer IC is unlikely to consume enough to make the current you measure inaccurate.
Now that you have the total current, you can divide by the number of leds, for a fairly close forward current. You can then use those numbers to replace the resistor and battery box with a usb source and resistor for the usb 5V voltage.
As to your question on supplying or drawing current, USB by standard is supposed to limit to 100 ma without enumeration,  but it is rarely enforced by hardware. You can assume you can pull 500mA or more in 99% of supplies. Usb supplies like wall chargers are often 2.1 amp.  Your load, especially a simple led + resistor circuit, will only pull what it needs.
Your assumption of 3V is a pretty good assumption in practice, as that's less than the Vf of your typical blue or white leds at the recommended nominal 20mA If. They would draw less current and last longer that way. Red leds you should assume lower.
All that said, the easiest thing to get these on a usb supply is to use 1 or 2 diodes like the 1n4001 with a 0.7V average forward voltage drop to drop the 5V usb supply voltage to about the same as the batteries that the fairy light uses. Connect to the battery leads with the right polarity and you are done.

A: *

*The LEDs in the linked picture are white and probably have a forward voltage drop of about 3 to 3.6 V.

*Without any specifications we'll assume they can handle 20 mA.

*On a 5 V supply we need to drop 1.5 to 2 V across the resistor.

*From Ohm's law we can calculate a suitable resistance: \$ R = \frac {V}{I} = \frac {1.75}{0.02} = 87 \; \Omega \$ (choosing mid-range on the voltage). 80 Ω will be good enough for now.

*Connect four of your 20 Ω resistors in series with each other and the LED. You would need to disconnect one led from the string for this.

*Connect up to your 5 V supply and measure the voltage drop across the LED. You could also measure the current through the line. (Be careful not to measure voltage on current range.)

*Go back to step 1 and recalculate with the new values.

The image below may help.

Figure 1 shows that a green LED at 20 mA will have a forward voltage drop of about 2.2 V. If the supply voltage is 5 V then the resistor has to drop 5–2.2=2.8V. The required value is \$ R=\frac {V}{I}= \frac {2.80}{02}=140\;Ω\$. The nearest standard value of 150 Ω will do fine. Source: LEDnique.
In your case you will use the 'W' curve for white LEDs.

A: I got some fairy lights just like the ones you mentioned, and without thinking about it I bought a 3v power supply and just hooked them up. They originally ran on a pair of 2032 batteries. They are slightly brighter on the power supply than on the batteries. There was no resistor in the package.
Another set of fairy lights I have has a timer, and it runs off 3 AAs. (6 actually but the supply is 4.5 volts). I soldered directly into the box because I wanted the timer function. I connected a 5v supply (5.1 measured) right to where the battery hookups were, and it works just fine. Something I noticed is that the output of the timer box is a DC square wave that drives the lamps at the supply voltage but with a duty cycle that looks like about 70%. So if you drive the box just hook it up (if it is 3 cells), or maybe 3 diodes to drop it to around 3v if you want to drive the string directly.

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Browse & Shop our large selection of S And M Costume from most popular online stores as seen on April 25, 2019.
S And M Costume - The Best Selection Of Halloween Costumes, Accessories & Animatronics.
Don't satisfied with S And M Costume searching results or looking for more similar searches? Try to exlore these related searches: Halloween Puzzles For Preschoolers, Syracuse Orange Halloween Costume, Halloween Zombies Pics.


Hoshino Resorts KAI, a leading brand of boutique Japanese inns, offers a contemporary take on the usual ryokan. With location-specific experiences, exclusive activities and specialty suites, guests can enjoy the lavish world of Japanese regional craftsmanship. Let's take a look at five such incredible locations throughout Japan.
Located three hours by train from Tokyo, KAI Kaga is a hot spring ryokan built on top of Yamashiro Hot Spring in Kaga. Guests are offered a genuine Kaga experience, from the classic architectural elements that have been preserved from the four-century-old ryokan building to the traditional Kaga craft artworks that decorate each room.
KAI Kaga was awarded four Red Pavilions (marking excellency among the highest class of establishments) in the ryokan category of the Michelin Guide Toyama and Ishikawa (Kanazawa) 2016 Special Edition. Furthermore, the traditional architecture was retained and beautifully restored during renovations in 2015. The building, including the front entrance, is a registered national cultural property.
As for the fantastic food on offer, snow crab, available only during the winter, is one of the area's famous foods. The crabs are wrapped in rope, soaked in seawater, then steamed—20 at a time—to create a dynamic dining experience.
Located two hours by train from Fukuoka Airport, KAI Aso is a hot spring ryokan inside Aso Kuju National Park, a Global Geopark in southern Japan. Guests stay in one of 12 villas—each with their own outdoor hot spring bath—dotted throughout the ryokan's 27,000 square meters (290,625 sq ft) premises, surrounded by a stunning forest created by volcanic activity in the past.
An intimate place to relax, each of KAI Aso's guest rooms is a villa with its own outdoor bath. You can experience true luxury in the hot spring waters or gaze upon the gorgeous vistas of Mount Aso from the viewing terrace.
Furthermore, you can savor incredible meals incorporating the best ingredients from the heart of Kyushu. Particularly noteworthy among these blessings of the Aso region are the Wagyu beef and cheese. Only the freshest seasonal ingredients are served in the traditional Japanese-style course meals.
Located a 40-minute drive from Izumo Airport, KAI Izumo is a hot spring ryokan in southern Japan with rooms featuring private outdoor baths fed by the rejuvenating waters of Tamatsukuri hot spring. Meals and activities are designed to share with guests the mythical qualities of Izumo, a land inhabited— according to legend—by the gods of love.
KAI Izumo is just a 60-minute drive from the Izumo Taisha Shrine, as well as other shrines and spiritual power spots. After investigating the area, go on and enjoy one of the incredible course menus that changes every season. Spring and summer feature a rich shabu-shabu soup full of fresh basket clams. In the fall, savor the taste of the red snow crab; in the winter, enjoy the flavor of the queen snow crab.
And for those whose enjoy traditional entertainment, there are daily Kagura dance performances and tea ceremonies in the tea room facing the Japanese garden.