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Imagine how new retirees might respond if, in return for a lump-sum payment, a reputable insurance company promised to send them a sizable check every month for the rest of their lives.
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It would come with a yield that was better than prevailing market interest rates, and, as an option, retirees could guarantee that their initial payment was returned entirely, either to them or their heirs. Better yet, there would be no direct sales commission.
Well, the deal has been around for about a century. So far, it has been largely ignored.
What's being offered is an annuity - a term covering a vast array of products that together have become mired in popular perception as highly complex, expensive and, in the worst case, a good way to lose all your money (not to mention that you would be dead as well).
Much of the poor reputation, however, involves so-called deferred annuities - tax-advantaged vehicles intended for the gradual accumulation of assets, often involving mutual funds or stocks to be cashed in upon retirement many years in the future.
But there is another version, called an immediate annuity, that is not as well known and is designed to convert today's lump sum into a stream of payments that provides retirement income right away. Although this type was around long before today's hot product, the variable deferred annuity, became popular in the 1980's, it accounts for only about 2.5 percent of the annuity market."People aren't aware that these exist," said Eric Sondergeld, director of retirement research at Limra International, a trade group for insurance marketing, in Windsor, Conn. "We've all been totally focused on retirement savings and not as much on what do you do when you get there."
Insurance agents earn relatively little for selling immediate annuities, some experts noted, and it can be hard to persuade potential buyers to hand over a big chunk of their life savings for an insurance contract - not an investment - that represents a wager that they will live longer than a giant insurance company thinks they will.
There are some signs that immediate annuities are gaining popularity. One reason is the declining availability of traditional fixed corporate pensions; another is that baby boomers, the oldest of whom turn 60 next year, are approaching retirement.
Immediate annuities are straightforward. You shop among companies strong enough to make payments indefinitely and see which charges the least for a specified amount of income - say, $1,000 a month.
"There's only one sensible way to evaluate" offers, said Hersh L. Stern, a broker of immediate annuities who runs WebAnnuities.com in Monroe Township, N.J. "It's how much you pay for what you get each month."
As a rule of thumb, according to Ethan E. Kra, chief retirement actuary for Mercer Human Resource Consulting, the cost for a 65-year-old these days is about 13 times the annual benefit. A policy paying $1,000 a month - or $12,000 a year - would therefore cost someone of this age about $156,000. That works out to an annual interest rate of almost 8 percent - nearly double the current rate on 10-year Treasury bonds.
Not surprisingly, the older you are, the less you pay. Some experts advise waiting a few years after retiring to buy an immediate annuity to get a firmer grasp on financial needs as well as to minimize the cost.
You can also prevent the insurance company from reaping a windfall if you have an early death. For additional cash, you can buy a period-certain annuity, so that a beneficiary collects what you did not for, say, the balance of 5, 10, 15 or 20 years. Another option would return to your beneficiary the remainder of the money originally paid in.
Each monthly payment is partly returned capital and partly earnings. An annual statement provides all you need to know for income-tax purposes.
"They're not complex," Ron Gebhardtsbauer, senior pension fellow for the American Academy of Actuaries, said of immediate annuities. He said he talked his mother into getting one when she turned 70 and faced having to withdraw a monthly minimum from her I.R.A., a process that would make it eventually dwindle to nothing.
Women typically have greater need for annuities and must pay more for them than men - except in corporate groups, where unisex mortality tables are mandated by law. Sixty percent of women who reach 65 survive to 85, according to the actuarial academy, while only 47 percent of 65-year-old men reach that milestone.
"Women often have less money - and they live longer," said M. Cindy Hounsell, executive director of the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement. "We're big fans of the immediate annuities."
I contacted Immediate Annuities.com to buy one of my immediate annuities. They were prompt, very responsive, paid attention to detail, understood my objectives, and were superb when it came to staying on top of seeing the funds transfer and issue of new policy documents through to completion.
Dr. David Babbel Professor Wharton School
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Generally annuities are quoted not in percentages but in the number of dollars for specified terms, which can change weekly or even daily. That can make for some tricky comparison shopping.
One standardization effort is a calculation of "implied longevity yield" being devised by Cannex Financial Exchanges of Toronto. Cannex's calculations are meant to help an investor compare the return on an annuity to that of an alternate investment, like a portfolio of stocks and bonds. That might help in deciding whether to buy an annuity now or to delay. The longer you wait, the less an immediate, fixed annuity generally costs - because your life expectancy is shorter and the insurance company assumes that it will pay out less money.
While divergences in cost are not usually large, insurance companies are free to use established mortality tables or their own proprietary ones. Mr. Stern cautioned, for example, that TIAA-CREF, which in most investment areas is one of the lowest-cost financial groups, offers annuities that are priced higher than others because its mainly academic constituents tend to have longer-than-average life spans.
Sales agents do not charge a commission for immediate annuities, but they typically earn 2 or 3 percent of the initial amount from the insurance companies; this is factored into the price, specialists said.
Despite their appealing features, annuities of any type have yet to win over most financial planners.
"There's too many fingers in the pie to have it make sense," said Robert E. Hurley, a principal at the Stoddard Management Company in Rockland, Mass. He said he could do better for clients by investing money directly in government agency bonds.
ANOTHER skeptical financial planner is Carol A. Wilson of Wilson Financial Advisors in Salt Lake City. Like Mr. Hurley, she makes a living from hourly fees rather than commissions on sales.
The cost of an annuity is too high for Mrs. Wilson's taste. For less money, she said, you can have professionals manage a portfolio containing stocks that can perform much better.
Nevertheless, she acknowledged that such resistance was starting to melt a bit "because of people living longer." She said she recently sold an annuity to a woman who could no longer stand the stock market's gyrations.
Even proponents caution against committing all of one's assets to contracts from which it would be costly or impossible to withdraw. They also recommend that potential heirs be consulted.
"Because it's not liquid," Mr. Stern said, "you need to be wary of putting every last penny in."
Source: nytimes.com 01-23-2005
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Important Notice: The information published at this web site is not intended to be a recommendation to purchase an annuity. You are strongly urged to consult with financial planning, tax, and legal advisors to determine if an annuity is suitable in your financial situation. Annuities are not deposits of or guaranteed by any bank and are not insured by the FDIC or any other agency of the U.S. government. All annuity guarantees are subject to the financial strength of the insurance company.
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5:00 a.m. A New Carrollton-bound Orange Line train at Vienna was delayed 14 minutes due to maintenance activity.
6:01 a.m. A Largo Town Center-bound Blue Line train at L'Enfant Plaza was rerouted to New Carrollton for schedule adherence/improved train spacing. Passengers experienced a 6-minute delay.
6:12 a.m. A Shady Grove-bound Red Line train at Glenmont was delayed 5 minutes due to an operational problem.
6:29 a.m. A Mt. Vernon Square-bound Yellow Line train at Huntington was delayed 6 minutes due to an operational problem.
6:40 a.m. A Vienna-bound Orange Line train at New Carrollton was delayed 6 minutes due to a door problem.
6:45 a.m. A Glenmont-bound Red Line train at Union Station was delayed 5 minutes due to a door problem.
7:12 a.m. A Silver Spring-bound Red Line train at Rhode Island Avenue did not operate, resulting in a 5-minute gap in service.
7:13 a.m. A Shady Grove-bound Red Line train at Medical Center was expressed for schedule adherence/improved train spacing.
8:41 a.m. A Mt. Vernon Square-bound Yellow Line train at Crystal City was offloaded due to an equipment problem. Passengers experienced a 6-minute delay.
10:29 a.m. A Ft. Totten-bound Yellow Line train at Georgia Ave-Petworth was expressed for schedule adherence/improved train spacing.
12:46 p.m. A New Carrollton-bound Orange Line train at Metro Center was offloaded due to a medical emergency. Passengers experienced an 11-minute delay.
12:52 p.m. A Largo Town Center-bound Blue Line train at Farragut West was rerouted to New Carrollton for schedule adherence/improved train spacing. Passengers experienced a 6-minute delay.
3:40 p.m. A Branch Avenue-bound Green Line train at Mt Vernon Square was offloaded due to an equipment problem. Passengers experienced a 12-minute delay.
3:49 p.m. A Mt. Vernon Square-bound Yellow Line train at West Hyattsville was expressed for schedule adherence/improved train spacing.
4:49 p.m. A Glenmont-bound Red Line train at Friendship Heights was offloaded due to a brake problem. Passengers experienced a 4-minute delay.
6:13 p.m. A Vienna-bound Orange Line train at Deanwood was offloaded due to a brake problem. Passengers experienced a 6-minute delay.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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I-9 and E-Verify: Knowing the Difference Makes a Big Difference for Employers
October 8, 2014 | By Obermayer
At a recent presentation on Form I-9 compliance a participant asked: "Isn't E-Verify just an electronic replacement for the I-9 form?" This a great question and I am glad someone asked it because knowing the answer is critical to compliance with federal employment regulations. The answer is a resounding, "NO!" The E-Verify program does not replace the I-9 and participating in E-Verify does not remove an employer's obligations to comply with the I-9 process. There remains a fair amount of confusion about the I-9, which has been described by a colleague as "deceptively simple" and indeed it is. Simply recording an employee's name incorrectly or waiting until the fourth day of hire to complete the form constitute violations and if an employer isn't careful the potential fines in the event of an audit can be enormous.
This blog post will not go into all of the many areas an employer can err in complying with the requirements for I-9 completion, retention, and re-verification. Rather, this post is meant to educate our readers on the difference between the I-9 and E-Verify.
The I-9 came about as a result of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which had a two-fold mandate: to prevent the employment of undocumented immigrants or others not authorized to work in the United States, but also to prevent workplace discrimination based on citizenship or national origin. The solution to both of these problems was the Form I-9. To comply with the law, employers must verify the identity and employment authorization of each person they hire, complete and retain a Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, for each employee, and refrain from discriminating against individuals on the basis of national origin or citizenship. I-9 compliance is mandatory for all employers and significant fines can be incurred in the event of an audit by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the Department of Labor (DOL).
E-Verify is an internet-based system that allows any U.S. employer to electronically verify the employment eligibility of its newly hired employees. E-Verify is a voluntary program for most employers, but mandatory for some, such as employers with federal contracts or subcontracts that contain the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) E-Verify clause. Some states also require E-Verify for some employers. Employers remain fully responsible for complying with I-9 and employers who fail to do so may be subject to penalties. E-Verify works by electronically comparing the information from an employee's Form I-9 with records available to the Social Security Administration and/or Department of Homeland Security to verify the identity and employment eligibility of each newly hired employee and/or employee assigned to a covered federal contract.
There are some key differences between Form I-9 and the E-Verify program:
Most importantly, the I-9 is mandatory for all employers, while E-Verify is voluntary for most businesses, although it is required for federal contractors, and many states also require E-verify for some businesses. Here's a map to find out about your state: http://www.lawlogix.com/e-verify.
The I-9 does not require a social security number (indeed, requiring a potential employee to produce a social security card for I-9 purposes is a substantive violation and could result in significant fines). By contrast, E-Verify requires a social security number.
The I-9 does not require a photo on identity documents, whereas E-Verify does.
Lastly, the I-9 must be used to re-verify expired employment authorization, whereas E-Verify forbids doing so.
So the question remains: If the I-9 is mandatory and is intended to ensure that employers only hire employees who are authorized to work in the United States, then what is the purpose of E-Verify? Doesn't it just duplicate labor for already over-burdened HR staff?
E-Verify does not replace the I-9. Instead, it can be seen as an additional tool to help employers confirm that employees are authorized to work in the U.S. There are several reasons why an employer would participate in E-Verify:
First, it may be a requirement if the employer is a federal contractor or conducts business in a state that requires it.
Second, participation makes it possible to hire some foreign students doing extended Optional Practical Training in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) profession.
Third, E-Verify creates a presumption of an employer's good faith compliance in the event of an I-9 audit.
Lastly, many employers, especially those with large payrolls and multiple offices throughout the country, like the ease of using E-Verify and the security it provides in ensuring a legal workforce, especially when used in conjunction with an electronic I-9 system.
It is important to remember, however, that E-Verify is not 100% accurate. Participation, though free of charge, requires careful training and preparation, and not all businesses will find it either efficient or necessary depending on many factors.
The important take-away from this blog post is simple: I-9 is NOT the same as E-Verify. When in doubt about either program, remember this: I-9 is MANDATORY. For all new hires, the form must be accurately completed within three business days from the date of hire. The form itself and helpful instructions can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central. To learn more about E-Verify go to http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
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Q: Equivalence classes of mappings from $T^{2}$ to an arbitrary space $X$ I was reading the paper "Homotopy and quantization in condensed matter physics", by J.E Avron et al. ( http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.51.51). There they have classified the mappings from $T^{2}$ to an arbitrary space $X$. Their argument is the following: "Think about two maps of $T^{2}$ into an arbitrary space X. If we take the two basic loops in
$T^{2}$, we obtain from each map two elements of $\pi_{1}(X)$ and the two maps cannot be homotopic unless the corresponding pair of elements of $\pi_{1}(X)$ are the same. Even if they are the same, there is clearly a leftover map from $S^{2}$ into X." In this way, one can classify maps from $T^{2}$ into X by two elements of $\pi_{1}(X)$, and one element of $\pi_{2}(X)$.
Now I understand how the two elements of $\pi_{1}(X)$ come about. But I do not understand how the elements of $\pi_{2}(X)$ come into the picture. In other words what is meant by the "leftover map from $S^{2}$ into X" ?

A: Recall that homotopy groups $\pi_n(X)$ are given as homotopy classes of maps $S^n\to X$, and that every map $f : T^2\to X$ induces maps $f_* : \pi_n(T^2)\to\pi_n(X), [g]\mapsto [f\circ g]$.
Now $\pi_1(T^2) = \mathbb{Z}^2$, but $\pi_2(T^2)=0$. If two maps $f,h: T^2\to X$ are now homotopic, $f_*$ and $g_*$ must send the two generators of $\pi_1(T^2)$ to the same elements in $\pi_1(X)$. But, if $\pi_2(X)\neq 0$, this is not any condition on the map on the $\pi_2$, since they always send everything to $0$. Therefore, you could say there is a "leftover" element in $\pi_2(X)$, because the maps do not determine anything in $\pi_2(X)$, in particular, they do not give you an interesting subgroup.
If $\pi_2(X)\neq\mathbb{Z}$, then it is not clear why the authors speak of "one leftover map $S^2\to X$". I suspect the "arbitrary space" is not really arbitrary.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Many oil and gas companies are also "supporters" of the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). (Companies can become a "supporter" simply by declaring "their support publicly".) Unless a country decides to implement EITI, though, they are obliged to disclose nothing. For a company such as Chevron, this means disclosing tax and other payments in Nigeria (perhaps years after the fact), but nothing in next-door Equatorial Guinea, a classic petro-dictatorship. For the citizens of Equatorial Guinea—mala suerte (tough luck)!
In July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act was signed into law. Dodd-Frank contains an important provision ("Section 1504″) that requires each oil, gas, and mining company to disclose their tax, royalty and other payments to governments in every country of operation. (Oxfam and our allies in the Publish What You Pay campaign fought hard for the inclusion of this provision—alongside our support for EITI.)
Many of the same companies praising transparency have been actively lobbying since the law passed to gut implementation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The hypocrisy is out there in the open if you know where to look. Senate lobbying disclosure forms show that Chevron, Exxon, Shell, Conoco Phillips, Marathon, Occidental, the American Petroleum Institute (API), and others have been very active in Washington on this provision, targeting not only the SEC, but the House of Representatives, Senate, Department of State, Department of the Interior, and the National Security Council.
As I wrote last week, API (revenues of more than $198 million in 2009) has now threatened to sue the SEC unless the agency withdraws its proposed rule and starts from scratch to meet big oil's secrecy wishes rather than the law and Congressional mandate. (Five API member companies are also on the EITI board, Exxon, Chevron, Shell, BP, and Statoil.)
Wiston House where the EITI board meeting will be held next week. Wikimedia Commons
No one knows how much the oil and gas industry is spending specifically to undo the Dodd-Frank provision, but the oil and gas industry is one of the biggest lobbyists in the US, spending more than $145 million on lobbying activities in 2011. ConocoPhillips, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron and BP were the top five oil and gas spenders on lobbying in 2011, with ConocoPhillips spending a staggering $20.5 million. API spent more than $7 million in lobbying in 2011 and is spending a "significant amount" on its faux "grassroots" advertising campaign called "Vote 4 Energy". These are the same companies who complain that the cost to disclose information they already collect is too onerous.
The yawning gap between the transparency rhetoric of companies and the reality of their actions has never been more apparent than it is now. The SEC may shortly issue a final rule to implement the Dodd-Frank provision, while on February 14th the oil industry's designated transparency groupies, governments, and civil society groups will convene in the UK for the latest EITI board meeting. While the EITI board members enjoy the lovely and historic "Downton Abbey"-esque country manor setting of their board meeting, the industry's lawyers and lobbyists will be working hard in Washington to gut a new global corporate transparency standard.
It's time to blow the whistle on the industry's transparent hypocrisy. For the more than 1.5 billion people living on less than $2 a day in resource-rich countries, there's no time left to wait.
February 9th, 2012 | by Ian Gary
If you have been reading about this issue and wondering what you can do, the people at ONE have a petition out.
Here is information from that campaign:
Two years ago, ONE members helped win a hard fought battle to make sure that big oil companies – by law – must reveal what they pay. But now, oil company lobbyists are pressuring the Securities and Exchange Commission to secretly kill the best parts of the law and keep these deals hidden.
Will you join me and ask the SEC to put an end to these closed door deals once and for all?
http://act.one.org/sign/big_oil_dirty_secrets/
By the numbers: giving stories the attention they deserve
Thoughts on ExxonMobil from China
This entry was posted on Friday, February 10th, 2012 at 8:29 pm.


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How Facebook Became Your Mom's Playground...
...And How to Use Mom-booking To Your Advantage
What a tangled web Mark Zuckerberg has woven over the years. Controversy has certainly courted him, with Facemash - a site he started in which his college peers could rate each other's attractiveness - certainly did not please everyone. Shortly thereafter, "thefacebook" launched, but three people claimed that Zuck stole their ideas, so he ultimately settled with them. But when Facebook finally launched beyond universities, it took off like wildfire. Because it originally started with only college students, it was initially a very young site. I remember just having had my first baby, wondering about this site all the young "whippersnappers" were talking about. Okay, so I wasn't that old, but as a new mom at 35, I felt that way. I resisted at first but then I thought to myself, "It would be nice to share photos of the cutest baby ever," and the rest, as they say, is history.
The site has had quite the evolution and, with its tremendous growth has come tremendous responsibility for the Zuck … and more controversy. Facebook has been blamed for election woes, fake news, and favoring certain populations over others. Despite all of this, the popularity of the site only seemingly continues to grow. But a funny thing has happened in all of this. And it's called Your mom. As the younger set has jumped off Facebook in favor of Snapchat and The Gram, many middle aged folks have decided that it's too political or too much of a time-suck. The one person who has remained? That's right. Your mom.
How Your Mom is Ruining Your Social Media Reach
Oh, Mom. She loves you unconditionally and is so proud of everything you do, and that apparently extends to even your most mundane Facebook posts. In fact, she probably doesn't even need to read what you say before deciding to click that "like" button, as it's a knee-jerk mom reaction. If you're in social media or rely on social media for your success, this could be your imminent demise. Engineer and website writer Chris Aldrich learned this the hard way. He has been enlisting a process known as POSSE to share his content. What this means is he shares his content to his personal website first and then shares it on social media - in other words, Post on your Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere. The problem with this is Facebook's algorithm sees the mom likes and assumes this is a family post. It's then shown to other relatives and, before long, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and the damage is done. The post rarely goes beyond that circle which, if you're trying to get something to go viral, presents obvious issues. Thankfully, Aldrich has figured a workaround for this. When he's posting something he wants to go beyond his inner circle, he chooses the "Friends Except" option and puts in his mother. It might sound savage but it's effective.
The Case For Mom Using Facebook Correctly
Many of us cringe at the idea of our parents on social media, no matter how old we are, but Hootsuite Blog Specialist Evan LePage makes a fair point regarding Mom's motives for using the platform. Unlike others who are using the site as more of a numbers game or popularity contest, mothers typically keep their number of friends at a pretty low number. Whether it's because they don't know how to accept friend requests is up for debate but the end result is a feed filled with pure joy. As LePage notes, "Whatever the reasoning, many moms look through their home feeds and actually see things that matter to them. They see photos and posts from real friends, and this comfort actually makes them more prone to engagement (commenting, share and the like)."
What Does Mom-booking Mean for Marketing?
Of course, some of this is silly but, as with everything, there is something to learn from your mom on Facebook. When you launch a Facebook campaign, you obviously want to consider your target demographic. This also means taking into consideration who is going on Facebook. According to some recent statistics, only half of American teens use Facebook and only 35 percent of Facebook's ad audience is under 25. On the other hand, the number of American Facebook users over the age of 65 has doubled since 2012. The numbers kind of speak for themselves.
Moral of this story? Your mom might not be as uncool as you thought, at least in regards to Facebook. In fact, she may very well be in your target demo. Oh, and don't forget to call her on Mother's Day.
Want to learn more about how we can help you launch a Facebook campaign? Contact us! We also recently blogged about launching successful Facebook campaigns over on L7 Advertising.
By Marnie Brodersen
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With our strong Managed Service practice, our delivery doesn't stop at launch. Our end-to-end solutions include strategy, design, development, testing, deployment, as well as infrastructure hosting, support, maintenance, and optimization. When you engage Blue Spurs, you get a unique combination of custom solutions and managed services that ensures success.
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Liberty P23048-475-CP 3-Inch or 3-3/4-Inch Kitchen Cabinet Hardware Handle Pull, Bedford Nickel - For easy installation use alignright template an0251c-cl-u (sold separately). Hardware is included, and multiple finishes are available. Crafted from die cast zinc for long lasting quality and durability. 3″ (76mm) & 3-3/4″ (96mm) dual mount center-to-center hole spacing. Dual mounting allows you to retrofit existing cabinets using holes from your previous pulls.
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Liberty PBF656-BSP-C 35mm Turtle Kitchen Cabinet Hardware Knob, Brushed Satin Pewter - Multiple finishes available. This beautiful knob from the seaside cottage collection captures the beauty of a pisces fish. Perfect for adding the feeling of a beach-side retreat to your kitchen or bath. . Installs easily with included hardware and is a noticeable change for any cabinetry.
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A great experience which tells the story's of the Canterbury Tales. However Viator need to make it clear that you need to book a time directly with the tour guides!!!!!!!!! We were lucky we only had to wait 20 minutes.


text:
BattleTech Is Coming In April!
via Harebrained Schemes
The day has finally arrived.
Well, not the day– that day will arrive sometime in April. But the day that we know when BattleTech will release is today, and that's sometime in April.
On the latest Kickstarter Update, Harebrained Schemes has given us a launch window that we can all get excited about. They didn't give us a specific day, so I'd expect the actual launch date to be later in April rather than sooner. But it's coming, so it's time to fire up the hype train because we are all heading into a dark tunnel with BattleTech at the end of it.
Just in case you've been living under a rock, BattleTech is the upcoming turn-based game from Harebrained Schemes. If you've played any of their critically acclaimed Shadowrun games then you know the quality of game you're in for (or if you're a Kickstarter Backer and got in on the beta). This will be the closest the table-top has ever come to a video game port, so if you're not about the whole 'Mech-simulation thing that the MechWarrior series is all about, this just might be the game for you.
via BattleTech Kickstarter
But Harebrained didn't just leave us with a date. Oh no–there's also freebies. Those that pre-order the game on Steam get a free Shadowhawk skin and wallpaper, which also means there's going to be custom 'Mech skins. That's a bombshell right there. And if you're a Kickstarter Backer, don't worry: you get the skin so long as you're at Recruit level of support or higher (that's $25 or more).
The Steam page has also been updated with a lovely advertising video that features Weisman, Gitelman, and McCain talking about their digital baby. It's some high-quality pandering, but it's also some good info.
The Kickstarter page also has some great new wallpapers (of which we've linked at the top of the page and used as our header image), and the latest backer reward is out which features a short story from the one and only Michael Stackpole.
Did I mention you should get hyped? Because you should get hyped. And if you didn't get in on the Kickstarter you should definitely pre-order. Unlike most pre-orders, I can assure you this game will be quality.
And as always, MechWarriors: Stay Syrupy.
This entry was posted in BattleTech Game, News, Video Games on 2018/03/02 by Sean.
Hooked on BattleTech at an early age, Sean honestly can't remember whether it was the cartoon, the serial novels or the short-lived TCG that did him in. Whatever it was, his passion for giant shooty robots never died, so now he writes about the latest and greatest in 'Mech related news.
View all posts by Sean →
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2 thoughts on "BattleTech Is Coming In April!"
Flashpoint 2018/03/06 at 10:44 pm
Well, I'm several kinds of hyped. Shadowrun was a good bit of fun, and I made the slight error of not backing at a high enough tier for access to the demo, so I get to go into the campaign both intrigued and blind.
Val Cassotta 2018/04/08 at 7:21 pm
I can't say much, but the Beta has left me nothing short of thrilled :) Very good story, fun game play, reasonable difficulty curve. Lots of little touches that make it feel like the BattleTech universe. I can't wait to see how the final product looks!!


text:
"1st Look" at the Impact of COVID-19 on the Probate & Family Court
Panel discussion about how COVID-19 has affected the Probate and Family Court as well as its impact on domestic relations cases; how lawyers and parties can interface with the Court during this tumultuous time
Product Number: 2200340P01
In-Person Program Friday, 4/3/2020, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, MCLE Conference Center, Ten Winter Place, Boston
Live Webcast Friday, 4/3/2020, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Live Webcast, www.mcle.org, Live Webcast
Recorded Webcast Tuesday, 4/7/2020, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Recorded Webcast, www.mcle.org, Recorded Webcast
Recorded Webcast Monday, 4/13/2020, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Recorded Webcast, www.mcle.org, Recorded Webcast
Recorded Webcast Wednesday, 4/15/2020, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm, Recorded Webcast, www.mcle.org, Recorded Webcast
Includes downloadable supporting materials. $0.00; Sponsor Members $0.00; New Lawyers $0.00 Free for OnlinePass subscribers.
NOTE: The April 7 and 13 rebroadcasts of this program are full. Due to high demand, we have added another rebroadcast session on April 15. You will also be able to access the program on demand after April 7.
For the last two weeks, the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court has been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic which is sweeping the globe. This has created a multitude of questions for families struggling with custody, support, and other domestic relations issues, which range from how attorneys should interface with the Court during this time to how to advise clients on how COVID-19 related issues impact their family.
Our highly experienced panel discusses the state of the Court, how to navigate litigation cases while the Court is closed, what other options are available during closures, and an in-depth analysis of the substantive impact that COVID-19 has on important domestic relations issues (custody, support, asset division). Our panel includes two Probate and Family Court Judges, the Essex Register of Probate, and a domestic relations lawyer.
David M. Bilodeau, Esq., Goldstein & Bilodeau, PC , Newtonville
State of the Courts
Pamela Casey-O'Brien, Essex Probate and Family Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts , Salem
What is an Emergency?
Hon. Patricia A. Gorman, Norfolk Probate and Family Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts , Canton
Hon. Randy J. Kaplan, Nantucket Probate and Family Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Ret.)
Q&A Session and Key Takeaways
David M. Bilodeau, Esq., Goldstein & Bilodeau, PC, Newtonville
Pamela Casey-O'Brien, Essex Probate and Family Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Salem
Hon. Patricia A. Gorman, Norfolk Probate and Family Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Canton
Hon. Randy J. Kaplan, Nantucket Probate and Family Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Ret.),


text:
Raúl Albiol Tortajada (født 4. september 1985 i Vilamarxant, Spanien) er en spansk fodboldspiller, der spiller som midterforsvarer hos Serie A-klubben Napoli. Han kom til klubben i 2013 fra Real Madrid. Derudover har han spillet for Valencia, og en enkelt sæson på lejebasis hos Getafe CF.

Landshold
Albiol står (pr. 20. november 2013) noteret for 44 kampe for Spaniens landshold, som han debuterede for den 13. oktober 2007 i en EM-kvalifikationskamp mod Danmark i Århus. Efterfølgende blev han udtaget til truppen til EM i 2008, hvor han var med til at sikre holdet europamesterskabet. Han deltog også ved Confederations Cup 2009 og VM i 2010.

Titler
Copa del Rey
 2008 med Valencia CF

EM
 2008 og 2012 med Spanien

VM
 2010 med Spanien

Eksterne henvisninger

Fodboldspillere fra Spanien
Fodboldspillere fra Valencia CF
Fodboldspillere fra Getafe CF
Fodboldspillere fra Real Madrid CF
Verdensmestre i fodbold
Fodboldspillere fra S.S.C. Napoli
Deltagere ved det europæiske mesterskab i fodbold 2008
Deltagere ved verdensmesterskabet i fodbold 2010
Deltagere ved det europæiske mesterskab i fodbold 2012
Deltagere ved verdensmesterskabet i fodbold 2014

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This isn't the longest bull market in history.
Global economy will deteriorate a little in the next few months. A bearish sign for stocks in summer 2018.
Share buybacks are long term bullish for stocks.
Last week the financial media celebrated the 10th anniversary of the March 2009 stock market bottom. Bears were quick to point out that this is the "longest bull market in history". Their argument is silly.
The mainstream definition of a "bear market" is a 20% decline. This definition itself is silly. Why not 19%? Why not 18%? Why not 21%? Our Medium-Long Term Model doesn't define 20% declines as "bear markets".
More importantly, the "this bull market has lasted 10 years" argument is false.
The S&P 500 made a 21.5% correction in 2011 when you use the HIGH and LOW prices. By this criteria, the S&P 500 did make a "bear market" in 2011, which brings the current bull market to 6.5 years. Mainstream media thinks that the S&P didn't make a bear market in 2011 because it fell 19.3% when using daily CLOSE prices.
As you can see, a meager 0.7% is why mainstream media thinks that this is the longest bull market in history. It isn't. Why use CLOSE and not HIGH/LOW?
3 am. Global economy will deteriorate a little in the next few months. A bearish sign for stocks in summer 2018.
Leading indicators for foreign economies are slowing down. This suggests that foreign economic data will deteriorate this summer.
Citigroup's Economic Surprise Index will probably turn negative by this summer. This means that U.S. economic data will probably deteriorate a little this summer as well.
There is a weak-moderate correlation between the stock market and short term fluctuations in the economic data. This suggests that the stock market will face weakness this summer.
Smart money "commercial hedgers" are still very bearish on VIX despite VIX's massive recent decline.
Whenever commercial hedgers were this bearish on VIX, VIX fell and the stock market went up. This is a medium term bullish sign for stocks.
Bears argue that share buybacks are bearish for stocks because it artificially "inflates" earnings per share. The facts disagree. Historically, stocks with the highest buyback ratios outperform the S&P 500 by a wide margin.
This is not unique to the U.S.. We can see a similar pattern in European equities.
Buybacks will surge throughout 2018 thanks to Trump's tax cut. This is a medium term bullish factor for stocks.
What kind of impact do you expect in the summer if the global economy deteriorates? Another correction?
Possibly another 6%+ small correction. But not a significant correction.


text:
Q: RMagick Masking - different background different result I have 2 t-shirt images, the color are black and pink. i want to blend it with android logo. on the black t-shirt the result was great. but on the pink one, android image is to bright.
here's my code
    tshirt = Magick::Image.read("/Volumes/Work/rmagick/cacat.png").first

    canvas = Magick::Image.new(tshirt.rows, tshirt.columns) do |c|
        c.background_color = "none"
    end

    img = Magick::Image.read("/Volumes/Work/rmagick/android_logo2.png").first
    img = img.resize_to_fit(250)

    # # contour
    contour = img.composite!(canvas, Magick::CenterGravity, Magick::InCompositeOp)
    img = Magick::Image.read("/Volumes/Work/rmagick/android_logo2.png").first
    img = img.resize_to_fit(250)

    contour = contour.composite!(img, Magick::CenterGravity, Magick::AddCompositeOp)

    tshirt = tshirt.composite!(contour, 295,250, Magick::PlusCompositeOp)

    tshirt.write('/Volumes/Work/jadi.png')

and here's the result

so how can i make android image is like when it on the black t-shirt. which of my code that i should change ?

A: You can get a list of the blending modes with:
identify -list compose

So, you can do this and see which one suits your needs:
#!/bin/bash
for blend in $(identify -list compose|grep -v Blur ); do
  convert -gravity center -label "$blend" tshirt.png android.png -compose $blend -composite miff:-
done | montage - -tile 5x result.png


In contemporary debates on economics, the main contentions usually involve how much government intervention is necessary in the economy. On one side of the debate are the socialists, advocating complete government intervention in the economy, and on the other side are the proponents of free markets, advocating the opposite. Where we find ourselves on that spectrum should depend on an honest discussion about the basic nature of markets.
First, what is a market? Basically, it is a collection of exchanges between people. Markets are most commonly associated with exchanges of goods and services, but they can also exist within other frameworks (e.g., immigration as an exchange of cultures, and universities as exchanges of ideas). In particular, a free market is characterized by voluntary transactions between people. Conversely, when transactions between people are forced or hindered by outside actors, be they governments or other individuals, the market is not free.
Free markets and capitalism are not exactly synonymous.
While "capitalism" does traditionally denote a system in which the means of production are owned privately by individuals, that definition does not necessarily provide real insight into the nature of common market transactions. To capitalize merely means acting advantageously upon a situation or opportunity; it is an expression of the innate human desire to maximize personal success. This occurs as much within socialism as it does a free-market, but the differences lie in the particular mode of capitalization used: Maximizing personal success will look different in a socialist economy than in a free market. Nevertheless, it is false to assume that the differences between economic systems will cause differences in human nature.
A free market is also not the same as pure capitalism because pure capitalism involves individuals using any means necessary to advance themselves, including coercive acts, usually referred to as crimes, which abridge other peoples' natural rights. A free market is, by definition, devoid of coercion (transactions must be voluntary), and is therefore incompatible with pure capitalism. Socialism, on the other hand, has no appreciation for individual rights, so pure capitalism actually comports more nicely with socialism than with a free market!
The free market is not fascism.
I'm not exactly sure where this association comes from, so it's really hard for me to understand its rational. Fascism is a political philosophy on the left of the political spectrum. Proponents of fascism are hyper-nationalistic and seek to use a powerful government to promote their desires. Much like the other leftist philosophies, such as communism, feudalism, totalitarianism, or monarchism, fascism rejects individual natural rights, and therefore cannot allow the operation of a free market–of goods and services, cultures, or ideas.
The failure of a firm does not denote the failure of a market.
This is another common misconception about free markets. Contrary to popular belief, the failure of a firm is an example of when free markets works best. If a firm is unfit to compete in a market, it goes out of business and its assets are liquidated. This way, markets work out inefficiencies in the system, and the surviving, successful firms are those better equipped to serve the needs of society. Think of markets as an ecosystem, inherent to which is the natural selection for and against competing firms. By removing the weak from the market, the economy evolves and progresses. When government steps in to regulate or hinder this process is when the free market truly fails. The most prominent modern example of this is the recent Wall St. bank bailout. The massive economic bailout for these banks prevented their failure, allowing non-competitive banks to stay in business, insinuating major economic collapse down the road, and all at the taxpayers' expense.
Now that we've defined our terms, the issue resolves to whether or not free markets are beneficial. The propriety of an economic system in which people are able to voluntarily trade with others would seem self-evident, but there are a couple of pertinent criticisms of true free markets which should be addressed.
Externalities are a real problem for markets. Externalities are the costs which buyers and sellers within a private transaction unintentionally pass on to the rest of society (e.g, pollution, or traffic congestion). Most economists would concede that externalities are mitigated by institutionalizing these social costs—that is, reintroducing these costs into the immediate transaction and forcing the transaction's assenting parties to incur it themselves–not society.
Unfortunately, leftists then naïvely assume that government is the best agent, or is the only agent capable of performing this task. They believe that government should tax or regulate businesses and consumers. This will transform the social cost of producing or using a particular product into a direct economic cost incurred by the buyer or the seller, which will decrease either the supply or the demand for the product, and will in turn decrease the product's social cost.
There are other mechanisms, however, for institutionalizing social costs that don't require government intervention in the form of confiscatory taxes or regulations. The first mechanism that comes to mind is market self-regulation: If consumers become knowledgeable about the social costs imposed by their demand for a product, they may decide that the benefit derived from a low price is not worth the cost they impose upon the outside world. Firms which self-institutionalize social costs, such as coal power companies investing in scrubbers, or car companies investing in better crash safety technology, may have an easier time marketing their products to the public, as the public may enjoy moral gratification from supporting these companies. As Milton Friedman explains in the video below, tort law and social customs also counteract and guard against market failures.
This is probably the most common honest criticism of markets. The argument goes like this: Every once in a while a firm becomes so large and its operations become so efficient, that it is able to out-compete virtually every other firm in the market. Take Walmart as an example. Walmart is often cited as undercutting the prices of its competitors, taking a short term loss merely to drive its competitors out of business. As the evolutionary processes of the market remove the weak and inefficient firms from the economy, one could expect, in the long run, that only one firm would remain. Logically, it would follow that, in the absence of competition, it would be in the best interest of the one remaining firm to jack up its prices as much as possible, bleeding the consumers dry.
But looking empirically at the issue, this logic simply hasn't panned out. There is, again, a mechanism built into free markets that protects against this type of occurrence. If Walmart became a monopoly and decided to raise its prices over night, it would make the profitability of potential new firms wanting to enter the market near infinite. As a result, very few monopolies have ever arisen as a result of pure, market-driven forces, and endured for long periods of time. As Milton Friedman explains, most monopolies have endured only because government has intervened on their behalf.
The only two notable examples Friedman mentions of monopolies which have endured without government intervention–the New York Stock Exchange from Reconstruction to the Great Depression, and the De Beers diamond company from the early twentieth century until 2000–both lost their monopolistic status due to the introduction of international competitors. If we are to prevent the emergence and endurance of private monopolies, we must ensure that government policies do not make prohibitive the cost of market entry for competitors, which is exactly what did not happen in the television, steel, labor, railroad, and trucking markets.
Free markets are a fact of life–they are not implemented, but rather exist by default. Free markets are imperfect, though, because people are imperfect, and no private or public system comprised of people will ever be without flaw. However, a free market is the most efficient economic system ever known to mankind. Even with the presence of externalities and occasional monopolies, free markets succeed in producing the greatest amount of wealth for the greatest number of people. Most importantly, free markets reflect human nature, and the cause to better oneself. They are an expression of individual natural rights, and they yield a net benefit for society as a whole.
This entry was posted in Economics, Political Theory and Social Science and tagged bailout, business, capitalism, capitalist, capitalization, capitalize, communism, economics, economy, externalities, externality, faire, firm, free market, government, human, industry, intervention, laissez, laissez-faire, monopolies, monopoly, Politics, prices, regulation, social, socialism, state on October 31, 2008 by Jacob Fishbeck.


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detroit music
Detroit Music Station
TJ SLOAN – MAKING US DEVIATE
Every now and then you come across a good reason to bend the rules a bit. A reason to stretch the way you connect the dots. It's what happens when you are devoted to driving and promoting music made and produced in the Detroit area, but discover a pop singer so talented that you want to share his music no matter where he's from. Fortunately, with TJ Sloan, it was easy. Although he's from the Toledo area, he records with...
TOP 10 MUSIC SHOWS AROUND TOWN THIS WEEK
In no particular order, here are the TOP 10 MUSIC SHOWS AROUND TOWN THIS WEEK: DATE ARTIST VENUE TIME 9/28/19 /Mortal Soul /Cadiuex Café /8:00 pm 9/28/19 /JC & The Disciples /Cadieux Café /10:00 pm 9/28/19 /Avril Lavigne /Fox Theater /8:00 pm 9/27/19 /Eric Andre /The Fillmore /8:00 pm 9/29/19 /Post Malone /Little Caesars Arena /8:00 pm 9/26/19 /Bruce Campbell /Royal Oak Music Theater /7:00 pm 9/26/19 /The Waterboys /The Majestic Theater /7:00 pm 9/28/19 /Bill Cobham /Music Hall /8:00...
HALLELUJAH! JC & THE DISCIPLES RELEASE LONG-AWAITED NEW ALBUM
JC Whitelaw has played with some of the biggest names in the Detroit music scene and has written songs for even more. And in a career that has span over 2 decades, he has easily become regarded as one of the areas greatest rock guitarists of our time. But he's been on a bit of a hiatus the past few years dealing with personal issues – issues that are far too horrific to even imagine. Issues that involve the brutal...


"Finally": Alli and Son react to MOTM award vs Leicester – did it go to the right player?
Dele Alli was named man of the match as Tottenham beat Leicester City 2-0 at the King Power Stadium on Saturday night.
Heung-Min Son opened the scoring with a powerful curling effort just before half-time. It was his fifth goal of the season.
The Korean then set up Alli for the second with a pinpoint cross after the break. Alli headed past Kasper Schmeichel for a very similar goal to his first ever for Spurs, against the same team at the same end.
The England international was excellent throughout, controlling the midfield and making things happen in attack. That said, neither goal would have come about with Son's influence.
Both players were interviewed after the match, and Son handed the man of the match award to Alli.
"Wow, finally you give it to me!"
It was a difficult choice between Alli and Son for man of the match, but Alli's all-round contribution probably tipped the balance in the end.
Alli and Son will both be expecting to start in Tuesday's crucial Champions League trip to Barcelona.
Did Alli deserve the man of the match award over Son? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.


February 12st 27th 2010: 100 when you set up direct deposit OR make 5 or red mansion art prize more debit foreign gift tax limit card purchases within the first 60 days.
This Email Alert feature enables you to receive: - Warnings when your balance falls below a certain threshold; - Notice of deposits or withdrawals over a certain threshold; - Confirmation that bills have been paid; - An email to let you know there's a secure.Full review coming soon, application link, contents.Huntington Bank Sign Up Bonus History.November 26th 29th, 2011: 100 when you set up a direct deposit OR make 5 or more debit card purchases within the first 60 days.January 24th March 14th, 2014: 150 bonus when you receive a direct deposit of at least 500 within 60 days of account opening.From your own site.Set -force to force a scan.No fee for P2P payments made thru Huntington Bill Pay Service.Online Bill Pay Free, this institution supports: - A text messaging service to view account balances, view recent activity; - A mobile-browser website to view account balances, view recent activity, transfer funds, pay bills, and find nearby ATMs; - An iPhone, iPad, and Android application.Source(s ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 what Counts As A Direct Deposit?March 14th 31st, 2011: 100 when you set up a direct deposit OR make 5 or more debit card purchases within the first 60 days.
December 11th Unknown end date, likely the 27th, 2010: 100 when you set up direct deposit OR make 5 or more debit card purchases within the first 60 days.
F.A.Qs About Huntington Bank, does opening this account result in a hard pull?
April 13th April 30th, 2013: 150 bonus when you set up direct deposit (at least 200) AND have at least 20 debit card purchases within the first 60 days.
Ext - 1003 : Display Name - "test" : Secret - "ekwrbq2k3b4lk32b".April 2nd August 29th, 2009: Free Cleveland Browns Josh Cribbs Autographed Football when you set up a direct deposit within the first 90 days.February 22nd 27th, 2011: 100 when you set up a direct deposit OR make 5 or more debit card purchases within the first 60 days.This feature is available on the iPhone and Android Huntington mobile application.In addition to the standard online banking features, this service includes categorized spending reports for budgeting and planning.Ext - 1002 : Display Name - 1002 : Secret - 1002.ACH Transfers Source(s 1, 2, can You Fund The Initial Deposit With A Credit Card?March 3rd 19th, 2010: 100 when you set up direct deposit OR make 5 or more debit card purchases within the first 60 days.No, you cannot fund the initial deposit with a credit card.This checking account gives you great benefits with no strings attached.Apply online or visit a branch to open.
The financial institution did not provide the details.
If two wheels aren't enough, take a look at the inline skates and skateboards which still score high points on the coolness scale.Choose a lovely gift from our selection of earrings to fit any budget or a classic jewelry box..
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Brooklyn Irish Music Festival Scheduled for Floyd Bennett Field
by Press Release (), published online 06-16-2010
Rock Group Black 47 Will Headline
FLOYD BENNETT FIELD — The spacious grounds of Aviator Sports Center on Floyd Bennett Field will provide the perfect outdoor environment for rocking Irish music on Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27.
Under the sun and stars, songs will fill the open air from 2 to 11 p.m. on Saturday and again on Sunday from 2 to 10 p.m.. Tickets are $30 for the weekend or $20 for one day.
The festival crowd will hear Black 47, Girsa, Seanchai and the Unity Squad, Greg Trooper, The Fighting 86s, Three Pints Shy, Boston's Erin Og, Strayaway Saints, Mac Talla Mor and The Snakes.
Headlining the two-day event is one of New York's most popular bands, the legendary Black 47. Named for the worst year of the Irish Potato Famine in 1847, Black 47 is led by former Bay Ridge resident Larry Kirwan. Their latest album Bankers and Gangsters has been described as "...equal parts Boomtown Rats and Pogues with frequent tinges of ska, reggae, and of course traditional Irish tunes."
Girsa is an all-female, high school/college-age Irish-American band that is "...catching ears and turning heads in ever-increasing numbers" according to the Boston Irish Reporter. Renowned Irish fiddler Brian Conway says they are "simply exquisite."
Seanchai & the Unity Squad, led by Brooklyn native Chris Byrne, meshes the eclectic styles of hip-hop, rock, reggae, and traditional Irish music. The Village Voices reports they are "the only Celtic-influenced hip-hop band on either side of the Atlantic."
The Daily News calls Greg Trooper a "honey-voiced alt-country/folk guy" and Vintage Guitar says his songs "penetrate even the thickest skin and reach right down to your heart."
Aviator Sports and Events Center is a world-class, multi-use sporting and event complex, and home of Brooklyn's professional hockey team. Aviator Sports has refurbished four historic aircraft hangars and surrounding grounds, in partnership with the National Park Service. Aviator's 170,000 square-foot facility is comprised of an 18,000-square-foot indoor field house with two hardwood basketball courts, two indoor turf fields, two NHL regulation-size ice rinks, a 15,000-square-foot gymnastics and dance training center, a 2,200 square-foot fitness center, two outdoor turf fields and a 35-foot-tall rock climbing wall.
Questions? Comments? Sound off to the Editor
© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2010 All materials posted on BrooklynEagle.com are protected by United States copyright law. Just a reminder, though -- It's not considered polite to paste the entire story on your blog. Most blogs post a summary or the first paragraph,( 40 words) then post a link to the rest of the story. That helps increase click-throughs for everyone, and minimizes copyright issues. So please keep posting, but not the entire article. arturcatt at.gmail.com
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Setters have taken home the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association weekly honors, the league announced on Tuesday (Feb 12). Loyola's Garrett Zolg is the Offensive Player of the Week and Lewis' Matt Yoshimoto is the Defensive Player of the Week.
Zolg engineered a .316 team attack over the course of the Ramblers' 2-0 weekend. The setter compiled 90 assists in seven sets played to average 12.86 per set. His 54 in Loyola's win against Lindenwood was his fourth match this season of 50 or more, and the sixth of his career. Zolg also added a service ace and seven kills this past week. He had 36 in the sweep of Quincy on Friday. He also added three kills and an ace on the week.
Yoshimoto averaged 3.50 digs per set and 0.50 blocks in two league wins last week. He had a season-high 12 digs in Lewis' MIVA opening win at Lindenwood on Friday. He recorded six of those digs in the third set. Yoshimoto recorded a double-double against the Lions. He followed it up with a nine dig performance at Quincy on Saturday. Yoshimoto had four digs each in sets two and three helping Lewis move to 2-0 in MIVA play. The Flyer defense held their two opponents to a .146 attack percentage in the two wins. Yoshimoto is tied for third in MIVA in digs with 87 and is fourth in digs per set in the conference with 2.07 per set.


Yesterday's gem was this nice trellis.
It was gone by the time I got home from work. There's not too much to say about this one – it seems like it's in good shape, you don't have to bring it into your house to use it, and it doesn't even call out "crap" as much as the other deposits do. Mostly I was just relieved that the corner activity was heating up again, after last week's unwanted stuff stayed around for far too long.


The world is the way it is because of MTV. The world is pop. It all happened at some point in the 1960s, or the 1970s, or the 1980s. Plenty of magazines argue about when exactly this point was (these magazines are published because of MTV). But it was not until the revolution began to be televised in the early 1980s, as something called MTV, that everyone began to appreciate how much the world had gone pop.


Glass Lewis presents previews of the upcoming proxy season for key markets around the globe, including the United States, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Latin America, Asia (ex-Japan), Middle East & Africa, and Canada. Governance and compensation experts discuss the key themes facing companies and shareholders this year. Topics include increased emphasis on director skills and diversity, quantum compensation concerns, and board oversight of ESG issues.
You can also read a summary of what to look for in our Asia (ex-Japan) Season Preview Briefing here.
Note: our Japan season preview will be available in May.
You can also read a summary of what to look for in our Canada Season Preview Briefing here.
You can also read a summary of what to look for in our Continental Europe Season Preview Briefing here.
You can also read a summary of what to look for in our Latin America Season Preview Briefing here.
You can also read a summary of what to look for in our UK Season Preview Briefing here.
You can also read a summary of what to look for in our U.S. Season Preview Briefing here.
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