text:
Starting tomorrow: TRIAL AND TOWN!
The role of American values: Yesterday morning, on CNN's Reliable Sources, national correspondent Sara Sidner engaged in some unusual conduct.
Sidner was asked to describe what it's like to cover the Derek Chauvin trial. In the course of giving her answer, Sidner actually cited some basic principles of the American legal system—of "Americanism" itself.
Surprisingly, Sidney said this:
SIDNER (4/4/21): Inside of that courtroom, it is about the rule of law, and it is about the prosecution trying to prove their case. And we have to remember, they must prove their case.
Derek Chauvin doesn't have to prove anything. The prosecution has to prove its case and his defense attorney, Derek Chauvin's defense story, has to poke holes in it and that's what's been happening back and forth. This is our legal system. You inside that courtroom are innocent until proven guilty.
Say what? We're sure that Sidner is well-intentioned. But can any of that be true?
Sidner made her unusual claims early in yesterday's program. Here on our campus, the young analysts glanced about, befuddled, in startled surprise.
According to Sidner, Derek Chauvin—the defendant in this murder / manslaughter case—"doesn't have to prove anything."
Sidner claimed that it's the prosecution which has to prove its case. She seemed to be saying that Chauvin, as the defendant, is regarded as "innocent until proven guilty," at least "inside that courtroom."
"This is our legal system," she even surprisingly said.
For ourselves, we were surprised, yet not surprised, by the young analysts' reactions.
On the one hand, the analysts are young and inexperienced. It's entirely possible that they've never heard anyone make such claims.
Also, the youngsters have been exposed to a great deal of punditry about the Chauvin trial. To the extent that this punditry has emerged from the major news orgs within Our Town, it was likely to have betrayed little awareness of, or allegiance to, our basic American system.
Is someone accused of a crime "presumed innocent" within our legal system? Is it really up to the prosecution to prove the claims it's making?
Can it really be true that the prosecution has to prove its case "beyond a reasonable doubt?" Even more incredibly, do all twelve jurors have to agree on a guilty verdict?
Is it even possible that our system is based on the extremely weird precept known as Blackstone's ratio (but also as Blackstone's formulation)? According to the leading authority on that musty formulation, the precept goes like this:
It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent person suffer.
Who could ever think something like that? Surely none of us liberals!
At any rate, according to that leading authority, this formulation was published in the 1760s. Surely, the analysts said, the formulation no longer holds!
We can't blame the analysts for being surprised by Sidner's unusual statements.
They'd watched a lot of cable news pundits during the first full week of the trial. Beyond that, they'd read the work of the "hangin' columnists" who stand in line, at the Washington Post and the New York Times, to express the values of Our Town when it comes to this high-profile event.
Watching those pundits and reading those columnists, a youngster would rarely get the idea that our system is based on the values Sidner described. Watching those pundits and reading those columnists, a person would almost surely end up thinking something else.
We pause for this quick note:
It has long been known that we the people may not be amazingly well informed about the basic precepts of our (admittedly failing) American system.
Other surveys have sometimes shown that we the people may not always agree with some of those basic precepts. Also, of course, there's no requirement, within our system, that anybody has to agree.
That said, it may be a bit surprising to see the way our cable pundits treat the basic principles of Americanism when they go on TV and perform for us the cable subscribers—more generally, for those who live in Our Town.
This week, we'll take a quick look at the way our upper-end pundit class has been discussing this high-profile trial.
In our view, the work has tended to be poor. Every so often, up pops someone like Sidner, leaving our staffers confused.
We'll now confess to something we thought as we read this morning's newspapers. This is Our Town on Stupid, we thought on several occasions. More charitably, we also thought this:
This is Our Town on Traumatization.
(We've rarely thought, in the past week, that we were looking at Our Town on Adult Expertise.)
However a person might assess the charges against Chauvin, it seems to us that this trial has deeply challenged the pundit class in Our Town's finer locations. Anthropologists have told us this about the work we've observed:
This is the way our brains are wired, these top scholars and experts have told us. For the most part, all in all, this is the best we can do.
Tomorrow: Pundit reacts to last Monday's opening statement
Posted by bob somerby on Monday, April 05, 2021
Mao Cheng Ji April 5, 2021 at 10:07 AM
"Sidner actually cited some basic principles of the American legal system—of "Americanism" itself."
But of course, dear Bob.
Our young analysts say it's because with your zombie cult in power, liberal establishment doesn't need any more riots.
And riots seem likely if officer Chauvin is acquitted of most (or all!) charges. Tsk, how unfortunate. Alas, your zombie administration would not benefit from it, at all.
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skeptonomist April 5, 2021 at 10:12 AM
What is the actual ratio of police officers convicted to those who have been the subject of complaints or allegations? Is it more than 1:10?
AC/MA April 5, 2021 at 1:42 PM
Not a relevant comparison
mh April 5, 2021 at 1:50 PM
Why not, AC? If skeptonomist's ratio turns out to be correct, would that not suggest an issue of some sort, possibly pro-police bias? Wouldn't it be worth examining at least?
This abstract from an article only gives an indirect answer to your question, but it's relevant to race and policing:
"The perception of little officer accountability contributes to widespread distrust of law enforcement in communities of color. This project investigates how race and segregation shape the outcomes of allegations made against the Chicago Police Department (CPD) between 2011 and 2014. We find that complaints by black and Latino citizens and against white officers are less likely to be sustained. "
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cico.12388
O.J. Simpson is a kidnapper, not a murderer.
mh April 5, 2021 at 11:24 AM
'Is someone accused of a crime "presumed innocent" within our legal system?'
Who wants to argue against due process? Those '"hangin' columnists" of Our Town, apparently. But...
Was George Floyd presumed innocent by those cops and was he given his day in court?
There is or has been a built-in deference towards the police in our society, reflected by juries and latching onto what skeptonomist said: cops aren't often convicted and seldom even charged. There is a willingness to give very broad latitude to cops and what constitutes appropriate behavior in the line of duty.
Perhaps this case, with so much video evidence, will turn out differently.
At any rate, this willingness to be deferential to cops is perfectly summed up by something Somerby said:
"A lot of people get shot and killed by police officers in the U.S. We'll repeat the points we feel we should make every day:
As far as we know, no police misconduct is involved in the bulk of such cases."
http://dailyhowler.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-disappeared-and-dead-why-was.html
Floyd would get the same benefit.
Or should we drop that silly innocent until proven guilty stuff?
Floyd is dead. He didn't get to protest his innocence in court.
mh - are you saying that the normal rules of due process shouldn't apply to Chauvin? The discussion on most things in the press, and people in general is shallow - understandably in a way because of how complex everything is. But, the police are the agents of the State, the sovereign, and have special status as far as the use of force to enforce the law. Unfortunately, it doesn't work well all the time, and can be abused. You may not know it, but blacks as well as white defendants get the benefit of the various constitutional protections available, and generally get a fair trial. But that prosecutors might be reluctant to prosecute cops, or that juries are deferential to them, does not mean in every instance, or even in any substantial number of instances, that an injustice has been done. Chauvin has defenses - the crime seems more like manslaughter to me (but the jury will decide). One element of unfairness as far as Chauvin is concerned, is that there is an open threat that if Chauvin is found not guilty, or even if convicted of only a lesser charge than murder, there will be rioting, looting, buildings burned, property destroyed, and quite possible, more deaths. Almost a form of extortion - a defendant might be concerned that this type of thing could improperly influence a jury.
"it doesn't work well all the time, and can be abused."
AC, Isn't that the point that skeptonomist is making? That it can be abused, but that the agents engaged in those abuses are seldom convicted, let alone charged? Can you not believe in due process as well the idea that police abuses may be only rarely adjudicated because of the bias that exists precisely because they are powerful agents of the State?
Centrist April 5, 2021 at 6:30 PM
'Are you saying that the normal rules of due process shouldn't apply to Chauvin'
They absolutely should. But being the Trumptard that he is, Somerby claims that press comments are somehoe equivalent to the lack of due process. Somerby is always gravely concerned that the likes of DJT, Ron Johnson, Nunes, Gaetz, Brock Turner, Zimmerman are being criticized in the press, but his concern never stretches to those being attacked by Somerby's idol Carlson. Somerby is a malevolent Trumptard.
"Sanders: I Have 'No Problem' Going To WV To Push Manchin Toward Progressive Goals"
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/sanders-i-have-no-problem-going-to-wv-to-push-manchin-toward-progressive-goals
Will Somerby write a post railing at Sanders the way he did when Maddow spoke about Manchin?
"Is someone accused of a crime "presumed innocent" within our legal system? "
Somerby is being a buffoon. The press is not part of our "legal system" and they can say whatever they want about an ongoing trial.
Member of a jury have different obligations than the general public. We can talk with each other and form opinions all we want, and we are not restricted to only the information presented in court to a jury, nor are we restricted by judge's instructions. This provides a check and balance on our legal system. We verdicts are improper, the public can protest or recall judges.
We play a different role than the one Somerby wishes to foist upon us, in his buffoonery (and his desire to defend even the worst cops).
Sidner's a Murder Apologist!
And Somerby's defending Judge Roy Moore and Matthew Gaetz! And all other child molesters! And he's a Trump supporter too!!
Or something like that...
There, I got all the trollwork out of the way.
And a racist lesbian hater.
Somerby doesn't all pedophiles and killers. He only defends those who are Trumptards like himself.
I mean, Somerby doesn't defend all pedophiles . Only those like Moore and Gaetz, who are hard core Trumptards like himself.
From a legal standpoint, police officers are not "brave first responders" so no one should ever refer to them in that way.
Your blatant and obvious bigotry and racism are plain to see.
Your (make believe) analysts similarly.
And many of your commentators love you for those reasons.
You could be as nuts as Trump!
As the father of a daughter and two sons (all black) and three grandsons (all black);
If you or your acolytes hurt them I will try to find you and kill you.
Greg April 5, 2021 at 11:24 PM
Obviously, if the prosecution makes a pursvasive case, the defense better be ready to prove something.
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Ineducable is as ineducable does!
TRUTH AND TOWN: The standard parts of "Storyline p...
Could you hear it when we busted her arm?
TRUTH AND TOWN: What happened when Andrew Brown wa...
Unskilled at finding ways to win!
TRUTH AND TOWN: Are we being asked to handle the t...
Ongoing chronicles of illness, despair!
TRUTH AND TOWN: Why did Anthony Hopkins win?
You won't have to hear about Bijan Ghaisar!
Starting tomorrow: TRUTH AND TOWN!
BREAKING! The Crazy has finally come for us!
Georgetown professor culls the herd!
MOB AND TOWN: Methods of misinforming the public!
"Segregation forever," professor says!
MOB AND TOWN: The wages of segregation is death!
Segregation now, segregation tomorrow...
Is Merrick Garland allowed to do that?
MOB AND TOWN: We don't believe the poses they strike!
Brian Williams asks a "question!"
MOB AND TOWN: Our press corps pretends to discuss ...
Starting tomorrow: BREAKDOWNS AND TOWN!
The things we can't be told in Our Town!
Teen with toy gun shot and killed by police!
Professor Glaude has a better idea!
MADDOW AND TOWN: Ignorance, posturing, incomprehen...
Air fresheners shouldn't have caused that arrest!
MADDOW AND TOWN: The Morning Joe gang was playing ...
Do you agree with the press corps' values?
MADDOW AND TOWN: Jonathan Kozol spoke about Stephe...
What the heck—let's start today!
Today's Morning Joe was nearly insane!
MADDOW AND TOWN: As children drown and people get ...
The ruling no one can quote or explain!
Starting tomorrow: MADDOW AND TOWN!
You say "subdual," he says "subdural!"
These things can happen to you watching cable!
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text:
Echenais elpinice är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av Frederick DuCane Godman 1903. Echenais elpinice ingår i släktet Echenais och familjen Riodinidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
If only gender-based violence really was unAustralian
At the first major policy announcement of his tenure, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's rhetoric echoed that of John Howard: violence against women, he said, needs to be seen as 'unAustralian'.
But Australianess is a fluid concept that means different things to different people — for example, the republican Turnbull's conception of it is fundamentally different to the constitutional monarchist Howard's.
This suggests that one's sense of what it means to be Australian entails selecting only certain elements of our past. Often, it means taking the good and ignoring the bad.
Sentimental Education: How Literature Can Inform Human Rights
by admin | Sep 8, 2014
The American philosopher Richard Rorty believed that the best way to combat human rights violations was to engage people emotionally, rather that rationally. He believed that a global culture of human rights, which in essence is a universally shared sense of humanity, could unite people from different backgrounds.
Australia, a country against genocide – most of the time
by admin | Apr 3, 2014
Australia has a shameful history of carrying out and sponsoring genocide and the Abbott Government is continuing this tradition, writes Tim Robertson.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Holiday spirit returns to Liberty Street Y where Gatti lights became family tradition
Santa's sleigh and reindeer expected back on the rooftop of one of the Gatti buildings known for elaborate holiday display of lights and decorations
Holiday spirit returns to Liberty Street Y where Gatti lights became family tradition Santa's sleigh and reindeer expected back on the rooftop of one of the Gatti buildings known for elaborate holiday display of lights and decorations Check out this story on statesmanjournal.com: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2019/11/24/holiday-christmas-lights-liberty-street-y-gatti-law-firm-tradition/4238269002/
Capi Lynn, Salem Statesman Journal Published 9:00 a.m. PT Nov. 24, 2019 | Updated 4:10 p.m. PT Nov. 26, 2019
Todd Allen remembers having visions of Christmas in July when he agreed to lease one of the vacant Gatti Law Firm buildings.
Four months later, as his mortgage brokerage prepares to finally move in, it's time to decorate.
Allen will flip the switch back on the holiday lights at the Y intersection of Liberty and Commercial streets NE on the outskirts of downtown Salem.
It'll be a scaled-down production, not nearly as elaborate as what residents grew accustomed to, but passersby are sure to appreciate even just a twinkling.
"I'm real excited he's got that spirit and is going to carry that on," said Rich Gatti, who along with brother Dan Gatti considered the dazzling display their gift to the community.
Reindeer sit along with other reindeer, a sleigh and holiday decorations in a shed waiting to be cleaned up for the holiday season. Santa's sleigh and reindeer will be back on the rooftop of one of the Gatti buildings known for elaborate holiday display of lights and decorations. The 37-year Salem tradition will be on display at the Y intersection of Liberty and Commercial streets NE on the outskirts of downtown Salem. (Photo: KELLY JORDAN / STATESMAN JOURNAL)
The 37-year Salem tradition ended when the law firm relocated to a larger space downtown. That building has been vacant since and the other only more recently.
"I hated the idea of seeing it go away," Rich Gatti said. "I always hoped it could come back in some way."
A family tradition: As feared, Liberty-Commercial Y goes dark for the holidays
He kept all the lights and decorations in off-site storage sites and when Allen expressed interest in decorating the small building, he offered the tenant access to their collection.
In addition to lights, Allen will bring back the rooftop sleigh and reindeer, which never made it out of storage in 2017, the last year of the display.
"I always loved that thing," said Allen, president of Mortgage First Corporation. "It was so monstrous, and it was real."
He has fond memories of taking his children, then eventually his grandchildren, to see the warm, sparkly glow of the Gatti lights.
His children have fond memories, too.
"We have videos of me and (brother) Troy when we were little, seeing Santa and looking at the lights," said Claire Mahoney, Allen's daughter and co-owner of the company.
Fast forward to just a few years ago, and Mahoney continued the family tradition by taking her own daughters, ages 4 and 7, to the Gatti lights.
Theirs wasn't the only family saddened when the display went away.
Hundreds gather for the annual Christmas Holiday Lighting Kick Off at Gatti and Gatti Law in Salem on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. The display will stay lit every night through New Year's Day, with Santa visits every Thursday - Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. through Dec. 20. (Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal)
After leasing the building and plotting with Rich Gatti, Allen started doing some research and came across a YouTube video showing Interstate Crane Rental lifting Santa's sleigh onto the rooftop.
He made a phone call to Steve Ross, who co-owns the company with wife Cassie, and they offered to donate their services.
"That showed a little bit, too, what the display means to Salem," Rich Gatti said. "I thought that was very generous of them."
Interstate Crane wouldn't be back involved if not for Allen.
"I think it's a good cause that he's willing to take the time to do this," said Steve Ross, noting it's been several years since his company pitched in this time of year at the location.
The law firm didn't always include the sleigh and reindeer in the display — it was different from year to year — and another local crane company often was used.
But the sleigh, pulled by eight life-size reindeer, always added a little extra magic.
Light spelling out Seasons Greetings sit outside of a storage building in South Salem, Nov. 21, 2019. The lights, part of Santa's sleigh and reindeer, will be back on the rooftop of one of the Gatti buildings known for elaborate holiday display of lights and decorations. The 37-year Salem tradition will be on display at the Y intersection of Liberty and Commercial streets NE on the outskirts of downtown Salem. (Photo: KELLY JORDAN / STATESMAN JOURNAL)
The reindeer have harnesses etched with their names, although standing in the parking lot in front of the two-story building it's not easy to make out who's who.
Rudolph, of course, is recognizable.
From the tip of his shiny red nose to the back of the silver aluminum sleigh, the arrangement is about 50 feet long and covers the width of the building.
Heavy steel beams are needed to secure it to the roof.
From the archives:Read more about the history of the Gatti lights
The Gattis purchased Santa's sleigh from a Salem artist who originally designed it to decorate a wall near the Skidmore Fountain in Portland. It cost them $50,000.
They were known to spend freely on expanding the display every year to a collection that includes thousands of strands of lights and hundreds of other decorations, many of them one-of-a-kind.
Only a fraction of the lights will be used by Allen's office, but still he's enlisted the expertise of one of the Gattis' trusty elves.
Jordan Pearson, who was contracted by the law firm to help with installation for more than a decade, will oversee the reboot with help from one other person hired by Allen.
The infrastructure is on-site, including breaker boxes, timers and utility cords.
The lights will soon be back on at the Gatti buildings in Salem
Light spelling out Seasons Greetings sit outside of a storage building in South Salem, Nov. 21, 2019. The lights, part of Santa's sleigh and reindeer, will be back on the rooftop of one of the Gatti buildings known for elaborate holiday display of lights and decorations. The 37-year Salem tradition will be on display at the Y intersection of Liberty and Commercial streets NE on the outskirts of downtown Salem. KELLY JORDAN / STATESMAN JOURNAL
The reindeer Cupid sits along with the other reindeer, sleigh and other holiday decorations sit in a shed waiting to be cleaned up for the holiday season. Santa's sleigh and reindeer will be back on the rooftop of one of the Gatti buildings known for elaborate holiday display of lights and decorations. The 37-year Salem tradition will be on display at the Y intersection of Liberty and Commercial streets NE on the outskirts of downtown Salem. KELLY JORDAN / STATESMAN JOURNAL
A bell hangs on a reindeer, along with a sleigh and other holiday decorations as they sit in a shed waiting to be cleaned up for the holiday season. Santa's sleigh and reindeer will be back on the rooftop of one of the Gatti buildings known for elaborate holiday display of lights and decorations. The 37-year Salem tradition will be on display at the Y intersection of Liberty and Commercial streets NE on the outskirts of downtown Salem. KELLY JORDAN / STATESMAN JOURNAL
Reindeer hooves are visible as they sit along with the other reindeer, sleigh and holiday decorations as they sit in a shed waiting to be cleaned up for the holiday season.Santa's sleigh and reindeer will be back on the rooftop of one of the Gatti buildings known for elaborate holiday display of lights and decorations. The 37-year Salem tradition will be on display at the Y intersection of Liberty and Commercial streets NE on the outskirts of downtown Salem. KELLY JORDAN / STATESMAN JOURNAL
Reindeer sit along with other reindeer, a sleigh and holiday decorations in a shed waiting to be cleaned up for the holiday season. Santa's sleigh and reindeer will be back on the rooftop of one of the Gatti buildings known for elaborate holiday display of lights and decorations. The 37-year Salem tradition will be on display at the Y intersection of Liberty and Commercial streets NE on the outskirts of downtown Salem. KELLY JORDAN / STATESMAN JOURNAL
Pearson said it's difficult to estimate how many lights will be used, but he admits it will seem like a tease to those familiar with the site.
"It will at least be a little cheer and joy coming back to that corner," Pearson said. "Everyone will appreciate it, even if it isn't so grandiose.
"You've got to start somewhere. Even the Gattis started with just a couple of trees and shrubs."
Family hike: Mike Miller Trail features beautiful old-growth forest near Newport
For the record, they started with one tree in 1981.
Allen has signed a five-year lease, which means residents can hope for a little cheer and joy for at least that long. And who knows what might happen when he gets a neighbor.
"It would be cool if the next tenant in the big building wants to do it, too," Allen said.
"Forward This" taps into the heart of the Mid-Valley — its people, history, and issues. Contact Capi Lynn at clynn@StatesmanJournal.com or 503-399-6710, or follow her on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.
Read or Share this story: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2019/11/24/holiday-christmas-lights-liberty-street-y-gatti-law-firm-tradition/4238269002/
Semi driver cited after Marion County crash
Driver identified in McKay Road NE crash


text:
title: "home"
bg: white
color: black
style: center
---

## Scientific Computing Fundamentals for CAMH Researchers
{: .text-purple}

{: .text-purple}

A five-day, self-paced series of workshops on scientific computing fundamentals
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Ferne Carol Tandy
Name Ferne Carol Tandy
Born 1 Jun 1943 Athol, Worcester County, Massachusetts [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Residence 1976 Sandy Hook, Fairfield County, Connecticut [7]
6 Walker Hill Rd
Residence 1989 Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut [6]
6 Walker Hl
Died 16 Oct 1989 Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8]
+ 1. Ferne Carol Tandy , b. 1 Jun 1943, Athol, Worcester County, Massachusetts , d. 16 Oct 1989, Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut (Age 46 years)
+ 2. John Robert Tandy , b. 13 Feb 1948, Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts , d. 16 Jul 2002, Athol, Worcester County, Massachusetts (Age 54 years)
+ 3. Dana Myron Tandy
+ 4. Richard D. Tandy
Person ID I570 | Clan of Jonathan, Tribe of Peter
Father Huber Wilbert Tandy, b. 23 Oct 1914, Athol, Worcester County, Massachusetts , d. 3 Jun 1969, Orange, Franklin County, Massachusetts (Age 54 years)
Mother Margaret Doubleday, b. 9 Apr 1917, North Dana, Worcester County, Massachusetts , d. 14 Mar 1976, Athol, Worcester County, Massachusetts (Age 58 years)
Married 18 May 1941 New Salem, Franklin County, Massachusetts
Family Edward Joseph Nawrocki, b. 19 Oct 1930, d. 26 Oct 2005, Sandy Hook, Fairfield County, Connecticut (Age 75 years)
Married 28 Jun 1970 Orange, Franklin County, Massachusetts [2, 9]
Age at Marriage She was 27 years - He was 39 years
1. Michelle Eileen Nawrocki
2. Amy M. Nawrocki
+ 3. Michael E. Nawrocki
4. Kris A. Nawrocki
5. Erick Nawrocki
Born - 1 Jun 1943 - Athol, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Married - 28 Jun 1970 - Orange, Franklin County, Massachusetts
Residence - Address:
6 Walker Hill Rd - 1976 - Sandy Hook, Fairfield County, Connecticut
6 Walker Hl - 1989 - Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut
Died - 16 Oct 1989 - Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut
[S1456] Obituary of John R. Tandy, (Worcester, Massachusetts: The Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 18 July 2002), Primary Source.
[S87] Tandy, John R. Doubleday....Coolidge....Tandy Connection, (Petersham, Massachusetts: manuscript, 1996), Secondary Source.
[S88] Doubleday, Warren N. Doubleday Genealogical Chart, (Petersham, Massachusetts: manuscript, 1970), Secondary Source.
[S83] Social Security Death Benefit Records (SSDI), (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011), Primary Source.
[S911] Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc), Secondary Source.
[S120] Connecticut Death Index, 1949-2012, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2003), Secondary Source.
[S500] U.S. Public Records Index, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), Secondary Source.
[S550] Nawrocki, Amy M. email: 2007-10-08 "Changes and updates Frene Carol Tandy", (Email message to Robert Roy from nawrocki (at) bridgeport.edu, 8 October 2007).
[S388] Delvee Historian. Delvee Family Records 1887 - 1988, (Warwick, Massachusetts: manuscript, 1988), Primary Source.


NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National General Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq:NGHC) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement, pending regulatory and policyholder approval, to acquire Standard Mutual Insurance Company (SMIC), an Illinois based property and casualty underwriter, following the completion of the conversion of SMIC to a stock company from a mutual company. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2016, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
National General Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Karfunkel stated: "We are excited about the addition of Standard Mutual to our growing personal lines franchise. The SMIC acquisition provides us entry into the states of Illinois and Indiana for both the homeowners and package products, and adds to our expansion efforts of standard and preferred personal lines products. We believe this combination will enhance both companies, and we expect to realize substantial benefits from transitioning Standard Mutual to our state-of-the-art technology system, our comprehensive reinsurance structure, and our shared services platform. This transaction is National General's first demutualization, but we see this area as offering substantial opportunities to profitably grow our business in the future. We look forward to working with the Standard Mutual Insurance Company team and providing them with the broad resources and capabilities that National General has to offer. We expect the transaction will be immediately accretive to earnings".
Based in Springfield, Illinois, Standard Mutual Insurance Company began operations in 1921 and has a financial strength rating of "B+" (good) from A.M. Best. The company predominantly underwrites private passenger automobile and homeowners lines in Illinois and Indiana. SMIC wrote approximately $49 million of direct written premium in 2014, and approximately $37 million through the first nine months of 2015. The company distributes products through approximately 250 independent agents. SMIC policyholders' surplus as of September 30, 2015 was approximately $22 million.


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Aphyonus is a genus of blind cusk eels from the family Aphyonidae. It contains four species. A sampling of specimens of Aphyonus showed that the type species of Aphyonus, A. gelatinosus, was not closely related to the other known species in the genus, and a new genus Paraphyonus was named for these, including two newly identified species. The result of this classification is that Aphyonus would be a monotypic genus.

Species
The four species of Aphyonus are:

 Aphyonus bolini Nielsen, 1974
 Aphyonus brevidorsalis Nielsen, 1969
 Aphyonus gelatinosus Günther, 1878
 Aphyonus rassi Nielsen, 1975

References

Aphyonidae
Ray-finned fish genera
Taxa named by Albert Günther


On a sunny winter's day in the borough of Brent, a paramedic and myself set about our shift in one of the service's new Tiguan Fast Response Units (FRU). It was put through its paces as we responded to multiple general broadcasts (GB) throughout the day. One GB was to a drowning in progress at a reservoir where NPAS (National Police Aviation Service)were circling above, and LAS (London Ambulance Service) HART (Hazard Area Response Team) were in attendance alongside the Met Police marine unit. Thankfully the call wasn't as given: the male psychiatric patient had only been wading through the water and was not submerged. We had to trek 200m along a muddy forest trail to get to the patient, and with the Lifepack 15 and O2 bag it presented as tiring work!
The following two shifts, later in the week, brought me back to familiar territory working on a FRU out of Camden with an Australian paramedic. Since the cars are held back for Red 1's and Red 2's primarily we had a lot of green time; meaning we could drive around the West End, visit Big Ben and even be on standby in front of Buckingham Palace! Our car number plate was coincidently 'CVA', in which we attended three Cerebral Vascular Accident's (Strokes) just in one shift, alongside a patient with a Pulmonary Embolism (PE) and others that had fainted at work.
The last three shifts of placement were back with my regular crew on an ambulance out of Islington station for a set of lates (4pm-2am). Friday night proved to be very busy starting off with a young boy who fell off a trampoline at a friend's house. On arrival it was pitch-black darkness, so scene management was initially difficult until the family kindly held up their phone lights for us. The patient had a severely deformed left arm, which we suspected the injuries to be a dislocated elbow and fractured distal humorous. His pain was well managed with Paracetamol and Entonox and had good neurovascular state distal to the point of injury whilst on scene. However, once splinted and treated, he started complaining of numbness in his affected arm en route to hospital. We exposed the limb to inspect once more to find he was significantly cold to touch distal to the point of injury: a worrying sign of vascular compromise.
Following on from that job we greened up at hospital where we instantly got dispatched to a Red 1 just around the corner. Our MDT screen displayed: "29YOM, UNCONSCIOUS, RTC cyclist off bike, blood coming from mouth". A message popped down to us to say 'please advice for further assistance on arrival' which gave the impression we may be on our own here. We arrived to find multiple bystanders surrounding the patient who was wearing many layers of protective cycle clothing, a helmet and a big backpack. He was lying prone on the road, responding to voice and had lots of blood on his face. After conducting the primary survey I held his head whilst my crew prepared the orthopaedic scoop stretcher and trolley bed. He was in no pain but was very confused; constantly asking me what had happened every minute, scoring a GCS of 14 (4,4,6).
Once in the ambulance away from the bystanders we appropriately exposed the patient by cutting off his clothes to assess for any injuries we may have missed. He had bilateral chest rise, globally clear air entry and no pain on palpation of the pelvis and long bones. We decided to convey to the nearest Major Trauma Centre (MTC) that was only a few minutes away from the scene. Once in Resus, I gave the handover to a HEMS doctor, as my crew lifted the patient from our trolley bed to the hospital bed. The consultant had no questions after my handover, which is always a good sign that I included everything necessary and relevant! It was the first major trauma patient I had taken the lead on and I am so happy with how I managed the patient, especially with our on scene time being just 29 minutes!
So that ends placement block one for second year of the BSc Paramedic Science degree. When I am back after the Christmas break we will be studying pharmacology in lectures and have our placements on various hospital wards.
Thank you for reading my blogs up to this point and I hope you have a good new year!


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Be sure to check out the new OLC Conference Insider for inside tips on how to make the most out of your conference experience.
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Bilbies, bandicoots and bettongs to return to NSW
UNSW scientists will reintroduce seven locally extinct native mammals into large, predator-free exclosures in the state's north-west as part of a NSW government initiative to protect threatened species.
UNSW scientists will reintroduce bilbies, burrowing bettongs, and five other native mammals that are extinct in NSW into large, predator-free exclosures in the north west of the state, as part of the Wild Deserts project, a major NSW Government initiative to protect threatened species.
Dubbo's Taronga Western Plains Zoo has commenced development of a 110-hectare breeding sanctuary for the Greater Bilby, which has not been seen for more than a century in the wild in NSW.
Greater Bilbies raised at the Dubbo sanctuary will be released into the fenced exclosures in Sturt National Park near Tibooburra in late 2019 as part of the Wild Deserts project.
"The breeding sanctuary is an extraordinary development that will make a nationally significant contribution to wildlife and environmental conservation," Ms Upton said.
"This sanctuary shows why NSW is well on its way to becoming a global centre of excellence in wildlife conservation and education."
The Wild Deserts project is a partnership between the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, UNSW and Ecological Horizons, in collaboration with Taronga Conservation Society Australia.
It is part of the government's $41.3 million Re-Wilding NSW initiative, which will bring back locally extinct mammals to three NSW National Parks.
UNSW scientist and Wild Deserts project leader, Professor Richard Kingsford, said the project is a groundbreaking conservation opportunity.
"UNSW's Centre for Ecosystem Science, in collaboration with Ecological Horizons, is looking forward to the opportunity to restore degraded ecosystems in western NSW, using the animals that used to be there," he said.
"Introduced red foxes and feral cats have been an ecological disaster and have driven many species of native mammals to extinction in western NSW. Populations of many native mammals now exist only on offshore islands or in places on the mainland where introduced predators are rare or absent.
"The Greater Bilby is a delicate, but vital desert survivor. By digging for insects, seeds and plant roots, they help water and carbon infiltrate the soil, which in turn will trigger restoration of National Park's desert ecosystems," said Professor Kingsford, who is Director of the UNSW Centre for Ecosystem Science.
Western Quolls, Stick-nest Rats, Western Barred Bandicoots, Golden Bandicoots, and Crest-tailed Mulgara will also be among the species to be reintroduced into Sturt National Park.
UNSW Associate Professor Mike Letnic, a member of the Wild Deserts team, said that, in future, populations of native mammals would also be established in the wild, outside these protective enclosures.
"This will be possible because introduced predator populations are lower now than in the past, because their main prey species – rabbits – are much less common than they once were, due to biological control agents such as myxomatosis and calicivirus," he said.


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Extraperitoneal herniation of the ureter
By James C. Epps and Timothy P. Close, MD
A 73-year-old man presented to our outpatient radiology office for evaluation of abdominal bloating and distention for the past one year. He reported the discomfort was made worse with eating food. Pertinent medical history included prior cholecystectomy with evidence of healed midline abdominal incision, as well as a history of thyroid cancer. Due to his surgical history and presenting symptoms, there was concern for partial bowel obstruction secondary to incisional hernia. A computed tomography (CT) scan with oral and IV contrast, and delayed images at the kidneys and urinary bladder was ordered for further evaluation.
IMAGING FINDINGS
CT revealed an unusual enhancing structure in the left pelvis and left inguinal region. Further evaluation and tracking of the object revealed it to be the left ureter extending into the inguinal canal. The course of the ureter appeared to extend into the inguinal canal, make a sharp turn approximately mid canal, and then to travel rostrally, where it eventually entered the bladder. Additionally, there appeared to be no hernia sac extending into the inguinal canal. There appeared to be no evidence of hydronephrosis or proximal ureter dilation, indicating no signs of obstruction despite the winding path of the ureter (Figures 1-5). The patient denied urinary frequency, dysuria, hematuria, or any other genitourinary complaints. Imaging and history indicated this patient's extension of the ureter into the inguinal canal to be entirely asymptomatic.
Extraperitoneal inguinal herniation of the ureter
Inguinal herniation of the ureter is a rare complication of inguinal hernias, with only about 140 cases reported as of 2009. Ureteral herniation is more often due to an indirect inguinal hernia (80% of cases) rather than a direct inguinal hernia (20%). Additionally, ureteral herniation is classified into two variants, paraperitoneal (80% of cases) and extraperitoneal (20% of cases).1 Patients typically remain asymptomatic and evidence of ureteral herniation is often found incidentally.
The paraperitoneal classification is defined by a loop of ureter that descends with a peritoneal sac into the hernia. This is an acquired pathology, in that the ureter develops an adhesion to the peritoneal wall which allows it to be pulled into the herniated sac. Paraperitoneal ureteral herniation has been highly associated with kidney transplants, and intraoperative transplant risk factors such as excess length of grafted ureter and passing the ureter over (rather than under) the spermatic cord have been described in the literature.2
Extraperitoneal inguinal herniation of the ureter, as seen in our patient, is rarer than the paraperitoneal classification. It is believed to be a congenital malformation, caused by failure of the ureter to separate from the mesonephric duct during development. This results in the ureter being pulled along with the testis as it descends into the scrotum.3 Adhesions to the peritoneum do not develop, so extraperitoneal ureter hernias are not associated with a hernia sac (Figure 6). Since it originates from a congenital malformation, extraperitoneal ureter hernias have also been found to be associated with other genitourinary abnormalities such as crossed renal ectopia and nephroptosis.4 Evidence of either of these findings should prompt immediate investigation into the presence of ureteral herniation, due to their close association.
Complications associated with ureteral herniation are uncommon, and many cases go unnoticed for years. In cases of ureteral obstruction, symptoms will present as a unilateral obstructive uropathy. Higher degrees of ureteral obstruction can then progress to hydronephrosis and renal failure. A more common cause of complications is due to inadvertent damage to the ureter during inguinal hernia repair. Since diagnostic imaging is often not indicated prior to repair of reducible inguinal hernias, many ureteral herniations go unnoticed until direct visualization by the surgeon intraoperatively, or when symptoms arise postoperatively.3,5
Diagnosis via imaging has traditionally been by antegrade pyelography, and more recently clinicians have begun to utilize CT intravenous pyelography.1,6 Retrograde pyelography for unilateral obstructive nephropathy can also reveal this condition. Imaging will reveal a characteristic "curlicue" course of the ureter that extends into the inguinal canal and scrotum.7 This condition has also been diagnosed on ultrasound when evaluating inguinal and scrotal pathology and symptomatology. Sonography will show an anechoic structure that extends into the inguinal canal and scrotum that lacks vascular pulsatile flow on color Doppler.6,7
Surgical correction of ureteral herniation is indicated if the physician is fortunate enough to make the diagnosis prior to the intraoperative period. In cases of obstructive uropathy, physicians typically opt for percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement in order to normalize creatinine levels prior to surgical correction.6,8 Ureteral stent placement prior to surgical correction has also been recommended, in order to facilitate easy reduction and minimize damage to the ureter.1 Some cases require only simple hernia reduction with repair, taking extra care to not damage the incarcerated ureter.8 Some surgeons, due to the redundancy of the ureter or presence of strangulation, opted for resection of the ureter with anastomosis or reimplantation into the bladder.6,9,10 Patients typically show a good response to treatment when identification of ureteral involvement is made prior to surgical repair.
Inguinal herniation of the ureter is a rare, typically asymptomatic, urological finding that is often diagnosed incidentally via radiological evaluation of unrelated symptomatology, or intraoperatively during surgical inguinal hernia repair. With our case, extraperitoneal inguinal herniation of the ureter was diagnosed incidentally in a man presenting to our outpatient radiology office for evaluation of possible bowel obstruction. Inguinal herniation of the ureter is classified as either paraperitoneal or extraperitoneal, with extraperitoneal being slightly less common. Patients are typically asymptomatic and live with this condition for years, but can present with findings of unilateral obstructive uropathy in rare instances. Diagnosis is typically incidental via radiographic studies or direct observation intraoperatively during inguinal hernia repair. Treatment options range greatly from observation to surgical correction with resection and reattachment of the ureter. Better awareness of this uncommon condition is important to help prevent serious surgical complications during inguinal hernia repair.
Yahya Z, Al-Habbal Y, Hassen S. Ureteral inguinal hernia: An uncommon trap for general surgeons. BMJ Case Reports, [Epub ahead of print]; Aug. 2017, doi:10.1136/bcr-2017-219288.
Ghielmini E, Julita E, Cerantola Y, et al. Inguinal bladder hernia with acute ureteral obstruction 14 years after kidney transplantation: A case report. Transplantation Proceedings. 2017;49(7):1593-1595. doi:10.1016/j.transproceed.2017.04.003.
Falidas E, Gourgiotis S, Veloudis G, et al. Asymptomatic extraperitoneal inguinoscrotal hernia involving ureter: A case presentation and review of the literature. J Nat Sci, Biol, Med. 2015;6(3):153-155. doi:10.4103/0976-9668.166126.
Hwang C, Miller F, Dalton D, et al. Accidental ureteral ligation during an inguinal hernia repair of patient with crossed fused renal ectopia. Clin Imag. 2002;26(5):306–308
Berger D. Evidence-Based Hernia Treatment in Adults. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. 2016;113(9):150-158. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2016.0150.
Otani L, Jayanthi S, Chiarantano R, et al. Sonographic Diagnosis of a Ureteral Inguinal Hernia in a Renal Transplant. J Ultras Med. 2008;27(12):1759-1765. doi:10.7863/jum.2008.27.12.1759.
Nicolò P, Aleo D, Ricciolo E, et al. Case 230: Congenital Inguinal Herniation of the Left Ureter (Extraperitoneal Form). Radiology. 2016;279(3):972-977. doi:10.1148/radiol.16141805.
Ingber M, Girdler B, Moy J, et al. Inguinal herniation of a transplant ureter: rare cause of obstructive uropathy. Urology. 2007;70(6):1224 e1–3. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2007.09.054
Mckay J, Organ M, Bagnell S, et al. Inguinoscrotal hernias involving urologic organs: A case series. Can Urol Assoc J. 2014;8(5-6);429-432. doi:10.5489/cuaj.225.
Sanchez A, Trebar J, Martin M, et al. Obstructive Uropathy Secondary to Ureteral Herniation in a Pediatric En Bloc Renal Graft. Am J Transplan. 2005;5(8):2074-2077. doi:10.1111/j.1600-6143.2005.00973.x.
Epps JC, Close TP. Extraperitoneal herniation of the ureter. Appl Radiol. 2019;48(2):44-45.
By James C. Epps and Timothy P. Close, MD| March 28, 2019
Categories: Section|Clinical Departments|Digital Portals|Imaging Modalities
James C. Epps and Timothy P. Close, MD
Prepared by Mr. Epps while a third-year medical student at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, and Dr. Close while a Vascular and Interventional Radiologist, Image Care LLC, Columbia, SC.


FST in association NPF "SKT" has finished works on manufacture of the equipment for the procedural training device of the new perspective MS21 aircraft. This training device was exhibited at MAKS 2013 by the Irkut corporation. Work done by our company was highly appreciated by the customer and all specialists who visited this booth. The trainer was built according to the most advanced technologies in short terms and thus possesses a wide range of capabilities and does not require much time for installation and dismantle.


We had previously built our first condominium with Epcon and the selection process was not only limited in scope but we also did not have much time to really think about the selections we were making.
With our second condo, the Envision software that was provided to us made things so much easier. My wife and I had a considerable amount of time to look at all the selections room by room to get ideas on what was available before we went to the design center to finalize our choices. The design center provided us with the opportunity to look at the choices we had made on Envision and finalize our decisions. We were not looking at the selection choices for the first time and then trying to make all of our decisions on everything at once. The selection choices offered by Epcon on the second condominium were so much greater than on our first, we wanted time to make sure we looked at everything available. We were able to do that with Envision.
My wife, although not a designer, has a very good idea of what works in a home as far as color schemes, tiles and counter tops, and hardware so having the Envision software to look at everything multiple times before finalizing our choices was so helpful. I have to believe it was helpful to Meredith at the design center as well since she had some direction from us before we arrived.


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Tag Archives: Petrol
Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Petrol vapour recovery during refuelling of vehicles
Environment > Air pollution
Directive 2009/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 on Stage II petrol vapour recovery during refuelling of motor vehicles at service stations.
This Directive aims at ensuring that harmful petrol vapour displaced from the fuel tank of a motor vehicle during refuelling at a service station is recovered. The petrol pumps of many service stations in the European Union (EU) will have to be equipped to recover this vapour.
This Directive applies to new service stations or those having undergone major refurbishment, of which the annual throughput must be in excess of 500 m3 of petrol. It imposes upon operators of these service stations an obligation to install a Stage II Petrol Vapour Recovery system or "Stage II PVR". Furthermore, service stations with a throughput in excess of 100 m3 per year which are located under living accommodation must also install this equipment.
Larger existing service stations with a throughput in excess of 3 000 m3 per year must also apply Stage II PVR by 2018.
Stage II PVR equipment has already been installed in service stations in almost 50 % of the Member States. This Directive extends this practice to the whole European Union.
Minimum level of petrol vapour recovery
The Stage II PVR equipment installed on petrol pumps in service stations must capture 85 % of petrol vapour. The petrol vapour capture efficiency of such systems must be certified by the manufacturer in accordance with the relevant European technical standards or type approval procedures or, if there are no such standards or procedures, with any relevant national standard.
Stage II PVR equipment draws off petrol vapour. It is then transferred to a storage tank at the service station. The vapour/petrol ratio shall be equal to or greater than 0.95 but less than or equal to 1.05.
Periodic checks
The petrol vapour capture efficiency of Stage II petrol vapour recovery systems must be tested at least once a year. This test may be carried out either by checking the vapour/petrol ratio defined above under simulated petrol flow conditions, or by any other appropriate methodology.
If the service station has automatic monitoring equipment, capture efficiency shall be tested at least once every three years. If the tests detect anomalies, the service station operator must rectify the fault within seven days.
All service stations which have installed Stage II petrol vapour recovery systems must inform consumers thereof. In order to do this, the operator may place a sign, sticker or other notification on, or in the vicinity of, the petrol dispenser.
This Directive comes under the Sixth Environment Action Programme adopted in July 2002 which established the need to reduce air pollution to levels which minimise harmful effects on human health and the environment.
This Directive supplements the technical specifications for the storage of petrol. These technical specifications are harmonised at European level by Directive 94/63/EC which forms Stage I of petrol vapour recovery.
Directive 2009/126/EC
OJ L 285 of 31.10.2009
This entry was posted in Air pollution, Environment, P and tagged Atmospheric pollutant, Energy distribution, Motor vehicle, PE, Petrol, Reduction of gas emissions, Supply, Technical regulations on December 5, 2014 by Sigourney Rose.


Plummer director of Canada's National Microbiology Labo-ratory, added unintended credibility to panspermic theories by voicing hisdoubts concerning the coronavirus origin of SARS. In polymicrobialinfection where can i buy priligy in india its interpretation may be difficult.
In fact, in granulysin transgenic mice had anenhanced anti-tumor response that was not due to the presence of the 9kDa tumorcidal form,but directly related to the increased expression of the DC co-stimulatory molecules CD40 andCD86 (Clayberger 2012). "Worries Add to the Confusion of SARS." sacbee.com.
2005 ).These drugs are more commonly used in babieswith PPHN or dif?cult ventilation and asyn-chrony. This is nothing new; only the term we use to identify the condi-tion has changed over the years. In the wet form, abnormalnew blood vessels form deep in the sensory retina, whichcan leak or bleed and result in marked loss of central visionin one or both eyes.
cannulation, splitskin graft harvesting and other superficialprocedures. In AmericanPhysical Therapy Association, Physical therapy practice in educational environments: Policies and guidelines (p.
Peregrin-Alvarez I, Akl MN, Morrow CP, Magrina JF. [laughs] That was very where can i buy priligy in india very obvious sight you can see in the pub-lic. The short cells appear identical to those oftherest of the excurrent duct system. The latter status is vulnerable to threats of invok-ing the former. However, interestingly, studies have demon-strated that restaging of irradiated lymph nodes is more accu-rate than initial nodal staging using pre-CRT MRI. Management of a child with suspected acute septic arthritis.


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NewsSponsorship
Washington Spirit and C2SCG renew sponsorship for 2021 season
by Mason Cavalier November 18, 2020
Alejandra Martin
Washingtonspirit.com
Boyds, Md., (11/18/20) – The Washington Spirit and C2S Consulting Group (C2SCG) are proud to announce the renewal of their sponsorship agreement. C2SCG was the first-ever Loudoun County business to partner with the Spirit in 2020 following the Spirit's transition to Segra Field. The new deal will run through the 2021 NWSL season.
The C2SCG is a Women-Owned Small Business founded in 2015 by Brandee Daly, one of the key executives at Amazon Web Services that led the charge and helped the top-cloud provider achieve its unmatched growth and success.
Daly said this on the sponsorship renewal: "We are excited to continue our partnership with the Washington Spirit! This partnership supports cloud technology in women's sports and the technology innovation that Spirit continues to lead! At C2S Consulting Group we look to be a cloud enabler for AI/ML technologies to advance Washington Spirit's data and analytics on and off the pitch."
C2SCG is a leader in Cloud Consulting Services to the government, with a mission to change the government landscape by providing new and innovative cloud solutions. C2SCG has helped dozens of businesses and critical government agencies successfully migrate to the cloud. Utilizing their in-house, best-of-breed applications, C2SCG provides their clients unprecedented levels of optimization.
Spirit Chief Growth Officer Gretchen Hamm had this to say on the renewal: "Brandee and C2SCG were the first northern Virginia company to join us last year. We are beyond grateful to have their renewed commitment and faith in the Spirit as we head into 2021 and look to build a broader presence within Loudoun County. Having an award-winning, woman-owned business as a partner is a true win-win for our club."
The Washington Spirit is committed to engaging, connecting and partnering with the businesses that drive the DMV. By utilizing powerful local corporate partnerships, the Spirit is dedicated to bringing leadership opportunities, events and more to strengthen our connection to our communities.
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The Department of Homeland Security revealed the details of cyber incursions at two critical infrastructure providers to remind power, water and electricity companies that they need to pay closer attention to their control systems.
In its latest "ICS-CERT Monitor" report, the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team said that in the past few months, it had assessed the potential damage done by cyber intruders that had burrowed into control systems at two critical infrastructure providers.
Although the team typically does not provide much detail in its reporting of critical infrastructure attacks, it made an exception to provide a cautionary tale for those responsible for securing critical infrastructure networks.
The group noted that cyberattackers can identify and target ICS devices more easily now because of an increasing body of knowledge detailing ICS-specific terminology. Given the public availability of that information and the reach of powerful search tools such as Shodan and Google, the threshold for finding vulnerable systems is lower than ever, the report states.
The team did not name the two infrastructure providers but said one was a public utility that was compromised when "a sophisticated threat actor" accessed its control network via Internet-facing hosts that had been secured with only a simple password. The intruder used brute-force techniques to find that password.
After the intrusion was discovered, ICS-CERT was asked to analyze what had happened. The report states that the systems were exposed to numerous security threats and that intruders had used the unlocked door before. The team recommended redesigning the system.
In the second attack detailed in the report, an intruder used a cellular modem to access a control system server via supervisory control and data acquisition protocols. The unprotected system operated a mechanical device that at the time of the compromise was disconnected for scheduled maintenance. According to the report, the team determined that the "threat actor" likely had access to the system over an extended period of time, though the actor made no attempt to manipulate it.
ICS-CERT said both incidents point to the increasing need for critical infrastructure providers to keep up with perimeter security, remote access authentication and security monitoring capabilities to prevent adversaries from discovering and targeting vulnerable control systems and devices.
In addition to the detailed breach narratives, ICS-CERT reported that from January to March, it performed 20 security assessments for water, power and transportation providers, and nuclear facilities. Those assessments are typically performed at the request of providers after they have found evidence of a possible intrusion or experienced a cyberattack.


The WSSKP-1 keypad provides an alternative to card readers and may be connected to any Keyscan control unit or other manufacturer's control unit that supports a Wiegand standard 26-bit format as an input signal. The WSSKP-1 can also be used conjointly with a proximity reader. Generally, this applies to a retro-fit where a keypad or reader already exists. The WSSKP-1 has standalone capabilities storing up to 28 PIN codes. The stored PIN codes can be used to activate an alarm panel for arming and disarming, locking and unlocking a door, or triggering a video surveillance system. The WSSKP-1 keypad can be used for both Wiegand signal and digital output. The WSSKP-1 is a rugged, water-resistant, stainless steel unit and may be installed indoors or outdoors.
Fact sheet for the Keyscan WSSKP-1 wiegand keypad.


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Investing Specialists
Ultimate Stock-Pickers: Top Holdings of Top-Performing Managers
Our Ultimate Stock-Pickers Index continues to beat the market even as relatively few of our top managers are outperforming the S&P 500.
The Morningstar Ultimate Stock-Pickers Team
By Greggory Warren, CFA | Senior Stock Analyst
Outperforming the markets on a consistent basis continues to be a challenge for most active equity managers, and our Ultimate Stock-Pickers have certainly been more adherents than exceptions to this rule in the past couple of years. The lack of consistent outperformance on the part of active managers has been documented by S&P Dow Jones Indices in their quarterly and annual S&P Indices Versus Active Funds (SPIVA) U.S. Scorecard. In particular, the index group noted that at the end of last year just 41.3% of active large-cap fund managers on average had outperformed their benchmarks during the past 10 calendar years. Even in a good year for the markets like 2013, when a 32.4% gain in the S&P 500 TR Index should have lifted the performance of all fund managers, only 44.2% of U.S.-based large-cap funds outperformed their benchmarks. Data through the first two quarters of 2014 (the latest period for which we have information), was not much better with just 40.2% of large-cap managers beating the S&P 500 on a one-year basis. The results were even weaker when looking at large-cap funds on a three- and five-year basis, with 15.1% and 13.1%, respectively, outperforming the benchmark.
While the near-to-medium term investment performance of the 22 fund managers represented in our Investment Manager Roster has looked much like the industry averages this past year, we think a lot of this has related to where we are in the market cycle. With most stocks trading at or above our analysts' fair value estimates since the middle of 2013, our Ultimate Stock-Pickers have maintained a much more cautious approach to the markets, making it difficult for them to make moves that would lead to outsized returns. While we continue to believe that truly successful managers should be able to consistently generate above-average returns across multiple periods, we understand that some markets make it easier for managers to outperform while others can make it more difficult. That said, we've not swayed from our belief that a fund manager's ability to outperform the market over multiple time frames is the best way to differentiate luck from skill. It's just that in times like this, when near-to-medium term performance is clouding the outlook, that we rely even more heavily on the insight of Morningstar's fund analysts to separate truly successful stock-pickers from the rest of the pack.
Total Return (%) Track Record for Some of Our Better-Performing Managers
Fund Manager Ticker Total Return YTD 1-Year 3-Year 5-Year 10-Year Vanguard PRIMECAP VPMCX 17.8 22.2 24.2 16.5 10.3 Amana Growth Investor AMAGX 12.1 17.1 15.5 12.1 10 Parnassus Core Equity Investor PRBLX 10.6 14.9 20.4 14.3 10.1 Columbia Div Income LBSAX 9.4 13.7 17 13.5 8.3 FMI Large Cap FMIHX 9.2 14.6 18.3 13 9.1
Total Return and Morningstar Rating data as of 12-12-14.
When reviewing the performance of the 22 fund managers in our Investment Manager Roster at the end of last week, what stood out most to us was the fact that just three of our Ultimate Stock-Pickers-- Vanguard PRIMECAP (VPMCX), Amana Growth (AMAGX), and Parnassus Core Equity (PRBLX)--were beating the S&P 500 on a year-to-date basis. The outperformance ranged from 727 basis points for Vanguard PRIMECAP to 16 basis points for Parnassus Core Equity, with the next closest managers-- Columbia Dividend Income (LBSAX) and FMI Large Cap (FMIHX)--on our list a full 100 basis points below the market. This compares negatively with the eight managers we saw beating the market near the midpoint of the year. Much of the falloff in performance was due to the increased volatility seen in global credit and equity markets during September and October. Our top manager performance is tracking the results highlighted by SPIVA for large-cap funds overall in its report for second-quarter 2014, so we would be surprised if the industry data for the third quarter and full year varied much from what we are seeing with our Ultimate Stock-Pickers. The one exception, of course, is with regard to long-term performance, as close to three fourths of our top managers continue to outperform the market on a 10-year basis, well above the norm for large-cap fund managers overall.
It is important to once again stress that the Ultimate Stock-Pickers concept was designed as a stock-picking screen, and not as a guide for finding fund managers to add to an investment portfolio. Our primary goal has been to identify a sufficiently broad collection of stock-pickers that have shown an ability to beat the markets over multiple periods (with an emphasis on longer-term time frames). We then cross-reference the top holdings, purchases, and sales of these top managers against the recommendations of our own cadre of stock analysts on a regular basis, allowing us to uncover securities that investors might want to investigate further. There will always be limitations to our process, as we focus only on managers that our fund analysts cover, and on companies that our stock analysts cover, which reduces the universe of potential ideas that we can ultimately address in any given period. This is also the main reason why we focus so much attention on large-cap fund managers, as they tend to be covered more broadly on the fund side of our operations, and their stock holdings overlap more heavily with our active stock coverage.
Even with these limitations, our record of finding useful stock ideas has been stronger than one might have expected, especially during the last two years, when most of our top managers have struggled to generate above-average returns. Judging by the performance of the Morningstar Ultimate Stock-Pickers TR Index--originally constructed to reflect the highest-conviction holdings that our top managers are investing in on an ongoing basis--our ability to tap into the best ideas of our top managers has never been better. Through the first 11 months of 2014, the index was up 18.0%, compared with a 14.0% gain for the S&P 500 TR Index, and by the end of last week the Ultimate Stock-Pickers Index had widened its gap over the market to 488 basis points, even though its year-to-date gain declined to 15.4% during the first few weeks of December. Should the Ultimate Stock-Pickers Index close out 2014 on such a solid note, it would mark the second straight year that the index has beaten the market, and help improve its positioning on a three- and five-year basis (it was set back by poor investment performance during 2012). While we'll be discussing the index and its performance in more detail later in this article, we draw attention to these results as they highlight the fact that we're still finding good ideas despite a majority of our top managers currently underperforming.
Top 10 Holdings of the Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund (as of 09/30/14)
Company Name Star Rating Moat Rating Current Price (USD) Price/ FVE Fair Value Uncertainty Market Cap (USD Mil) % Stock Holdings Biogen BIIB 3 Wide 344.49 1.01 Medium 81,866 7.7 Amgen AMGN 4 Wide 164.53 0.92 Low 123,985 5.2 Eli Lilly LLY 2 Wide 69.55 1.18 Medium 75,211 4.4 FedEx FDX 2 Narrow 175.79 1.11 Medium 49,485 4.3 Microsoft MSFT 3 Wide 46.95 1.02 Medium 385,197 4.3 Roche RHHBY 2 Wide 36.86 1.05 Low 245,573 4.1 Texas Inst TXN 2 Wide 53.11 1.13 Medium 54,684 3.9 Adobe ADBE 2 Wide 76.02 1.17 Medium 41,328 3.8 Novartis NVS 3 Wide 93.52 0.98 Low 224,259 2.8 SW Air LUV 2 None 41.41 1.53 Very High 27,765 2.7
Stock Price and Morningstar Rating data as of 12-12-14.
Vanguard PRIMECAP is no stranger to our list of best-performing managers. This should come as no real surprise, as the fund has generated outsized returns in five of the last 10 calendar years, and was within 400 basis points of the market in those years when it underperformed. It is also the only manager in our Investment Manager Roster that is currently beating the market across all time frames. While it is typically listed as a Large Growth fund, the managers at Vanguard PRIMECAP--Theo Kolokotrones, Joel Fried, Al Mordecai, and M. Mohsin Ansari--have demonstrated some contrarian aspects in their stock-picking process over the years. The fund itself is divided into four main sleeves that are managed independently by each of the listed managers, with a few senior analysts getting smaller sleeves to run. This should lead to a more broadly diversified portfolio, but given that the different managers interact frequently and tend to look at the market in similar ways, the portfolio is often significantly tilted toward similar sectors and industries. The Health Care and Technology sectors currently account for eight of the top 10 holdings in the fund.
Vanguard PRIMECAP is more concentrated in its top 10 holdings (which accounted for 43.1% of its stock holdings at the end of September) than either Amana Growth or Parnassus Core Equity (at 34.3% and 36.5%, respectively, at the end of November), However, the concentration of its top 25 holdings is more on par with the two other outperforming funds (about 70% on average). The fund's turnover rate has increased some this year (to 11% in December from 5% in June), but its top 10 holdings remains populated with stocks that were first bought more than a decade ago. This fits with the description of the process that Morningstar fund analyst David Kathman has highlighted, noting that the managers of Vanguard PRIMECAP look for companies that have grown rapidly in the past, have good potential to continue that growth in the future, and have become temporarily cheap for some reason. They're also willing to wait for a company's stock to rebound, so long as nothing has changed fundamentally at the firm. When the managers trim or sell a holding it is generally for valuation reasons, but as we noted above they will eliminate a stock from the portfolio when something fundamental about the company or the economic environment has changed.
With the fund performing so strongly this year and last, and given the process followed by the managers, it should come as no surprise that Vanguard PRIMECAP made just one change to its top 10 holdings during the most recent period, selling 1.3 million shares of Novartis (NVS) during the third quarter. This did little to reduce its exposure to the Health Care sector, which continued to account for 31.5% of the fund's total stock holdings at the end of September (compared with a 13.9% weighting in the S&P 500). Vanguard PRIMECAP also maintains an overweight position in the Technology sector, accounting for 32.0% of the fund's total stock holdings at the end of last quarter (compared with a 17.5% weighting for the benchmark). These overweight positions have paid off handsomely, though, as the Health Care sector was up 25.6% on a year-to-date basis at the end of last week, while the Technology group reported a 16.1% gain. Even so, Vanguard PRIMECAP's best-performing stock this year has been an Industrials name, Southwest Airlines (LUV), which is up more than 120% on increased demand for air travel and lower fuel costs.
Top 10 Holdings of the Amana Growth Fund (as of 11/30/14)
Company Name Star Rating Moat Rating Current Price (USD) Price/ FVE Fair Value Uncertainty Market Cap (USD Mil) % Stock Holdings Amgen AMGN 4 Wide 164.53 0.92 Low 123,985 4.3 Adobe ADBE 2 Wide 76.02 1.17 Medium 41,328 4.3 Apple AAPL 3 Narrow 109.73 1.1 High 632,652 4.1 Intuit INTU 2 Wide 92.17 1.23 Medium 25,976 3.5 Akamai AKAM 2 None 60.8 1.45 High 10,616 3.2 UP UNP 3 Wide 112.55 1.07 Medium 98,493 3.2 Chrch&Dwght CHD 2 None 76 1.27 Medium 10,061 3 PepsiCo PEP 2 Wide 94.74 1.05 Low 139,506 3 TJX TJX 3 Narrow 65.61 0.96 Medium 45,206 2.9 J&J JNJ 2 Wide 104.43 1.05 Low 286,039 2.9
After failing to generate market-beating performance the last three calendar years, Amana Growth has picked up enough steam in the back half of 2014 to surge past the S&P 500. As we've noted in past articles, the two Amana funds--Amana Growth and Amana Income (AMANX)--managed by Nicholas Kaiser and Scott Klimo have a slightly higher hurdle to get over than most of the other managers on our Investment Manager Roster. The two funds were designed for Muslim investors and are managed in accordance with Islamic law, which prohibits it from owning stocks of companies that get more than 5% of their revenue from alcohol, tobacco, gambling, pornography, or pork products. It also prohibits the managers from owning many stocks in the Financial Services sector, given the Islamic prohibition on paying or receiving interest, and companies with a debt/market cap ratio greater than 30% are generally excluded as well.
Despite these constraints, Morningstar fund analyst David Kathman notes that the Amana Growth fund has put together an outstanding long-term record, with 10- and 15-year returns that rank in the Large Growth category's top 5% as of the end of last week. The fund has done this by following a very patient strategy that involves finding fundamentally strong stocks that are likely to grow faster than the market, and a willingness to hold on to them for a long time. The fund's turnover rate of less than 1% is indicative of this--since the end of June, the only change among its top 25 holdings has been a slight reduction of its stake in Amgen (AMGN). The downside to this approach is that the fund is prone to periods of underperformance when its style is out of favor. Kathman notes that that has mostly been the case in the past few calendar years, when a liquidity-driven bull market has boosted risky, leveraged stocks and left this fund badly trailing its peers.
Given the constraints on the portfolio, it is not surprising to see that the fund had 39.2% of holdings invested in Technology stocks and another 24.1% invested in Health Care stocks at the end of November. While these two sectors accounted for an almost identical weighting in the Vanguard PRIMECAP fund, the heavier weighting in Health Care stocks has allowed the Vanguard fund to outperform both the Amana Growth fund and the S&P 500 this year. The Amana Growth fund has also not benefited from a top 10 holding increasing more than 120% this year, like Vanguard did with Southwest Airlines. That said, it has seen a more than 35% gain from a handful of names, including Amgen, Apple (AAPL), Union Pacific (UNP), and Eli Lilly (LLY).
Top 10 Holdings of the Parnassus Core Equity Fund (as of 11/30/14)
Company Name Star Rating Moat Rating Current Price (USD) Price/ FVE Fair Value Uncertainty Market Cap (USD Mil) % Stock Holdings Allergan AGN 2 Wide 208.47 1.13 Medium 61,318 5.3 Appd Mats AMAT 2 Wide 23.66 1.18 Medium 28,670 4 Motorola MSI 2 Narrow 62.31 1.18 Medium 14,767 3.9 Pentair PNR 4 Narrow 60.02 0.81 Medium 10,967 3.7 P&G PG 3 Wide 89.55 0.95 Low 239,673 3.5 Iron Mtn IRM 2 Narrow 36.44 1.1 Medium 6,924 3.5 Qualcomm QCOM 4 Wide 70.59 0.88 Medium 115,064 3.4 Apple AAPL 3 Narrow 109.73 1.1 High 632,652 3.2 Mondelez MDLZ 3 Wide 37.23 1.06 Medium 61,067 3 CVS CVS 2 Wide 89.94 1.2 Medium 101,983 3
Unlike Vanguard PRIMECAP and Amana Growth, which are Large Growth funds, the managers at Parnassus Core Equity--Todd Ahlsten and Ben Allen--tend to follow a more income-oriented strategy. The two managers run the portfolio in separate sleeves, with each manager responsible for half of the fund's 40 or so holdings, but they both focus on companies with wide or increasing economic moats that sell increasingly relevant products or services, and which are guided by good management. Ahlsten, who took over as fund manager in 2002, maintains a senior role and has the final say on all stock picks. However, he and Allen (who joined Parnassus as a senior research analyst in 2005 and became co-manager in 2012) are generally of a like mind when it comes to buying and selling stocks. Both managers are hands on and regularly adjust their position sizes as valuations and risk profiles change.
Morningstar fund analyst Laura Lallos continues to be impressed by Parnassus Core Equity's ability to outperform, given the restrictions that the managers face. The fund must keep 75% of assets in dividend-paying stocks, and has placed more emphasis on environmental, social, and governance criteria in its stock selection process. That said, there is no particular emphasis on high-dividend payers or dividend growth, and the managers believe that companies that score well on corporate governance, employee benefits, stakeholder relations, products, environmental impact, and customer and supply chain relationships are more likely to outperform industry peers. While the managers do not make top-down sector calls, there can be sector biases in their portfolio (especially in periods when the market underappreciates a particular industry or sector). At the end of the most recent period, Parnassus Core Equity was overweight in Industrials (18.2% of the portfolio compared with an 11.9% weighting for the market), Health Care (20.4% of the portfolio compared with a 14.4% weighting for the S&P 500), and Technology (19.4% of the portfolio compared with a 17.6% weighting for the benchmark index).
Allergan , which has been the subject of a takeover battle, with Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) on one side with a $180 per share bid and Actavis on the other side with a $219 per share offer, has been Parnassus Core Equity's best-performing stock this year. The fund has also seen a more than 35% gain from a handful of names during the year, including Applied Materials (AMAT), Iron Mountain (IRM), Apple, and Gilead Sciences (GILD). Even so, its year-to-date performance is only marginally better than the performance of the S&P 500 TR Index, as top holdings like Motorola Solutions (MSI), Pentair (PNR), and Qualcomm (QCOM) have generated negative returns during 2014.
Top 10 Holdings of the Morningstar Ultimate Stock-Pickers TR Index (as of 11/30/14)
Company Name Star Rating Moat Rating Current Price (USD) Price/ FVE Fair Value Uncertainty Market Cap (USD Mil) % Stock Holdings Omnicom OMC 2 Narrow 76.01 1.12 Medium 18,499 5.2 TJX TJX 3 Narrow 65.61 0.96 Medium 45,206 5.1 BerkHath BRK.B 3 Wide 146.46 0.93 Medium 333,671 5 Cisco CSCO 3 Narrow 26.86 1.03 Medium 136,639 4.9 Eli Lilly LLY 2 Wide 69.55 1.18 Medium 75,211 4.6 Philip Morris PM 4 Wide 84.42 0.94 Low 128,800 4.5 Emerson EMR 4 Wide 58.43 0.85 Medium 38,619 4.5 IBM IBM 4 Wide 155.38 0.79 Medium 148,341 4.4 Accenture ACN 3 Wide 81.9 1.01 Medium 52,418 3.7 News Corp NWS 4 None 14.65 0.81 High 8,423 3.7
In the past, readers have been interested in the Morningstar Ultimate Stock-Pickers TR Index data points, as well as details on the construction and maintenance of the index. As of the end of last month, the index had 41 total stock holdings, with its top 10 positions accounting for 45.6% (and its top 25 holdings making up 83.7%) of the total invested portfolio. This level of concentration makes the index a bit more concentrated than the three managers we highlighted above as beating the market so far this year. The size and concentration of the portfolio does change over time, though, as this is an actively managed index that tries to tap into the movements of our top managers over time.
The Ultimate Stock-Pickers index was set up to reflect the highest conviction holdings that our 26 different managers are investing in on an ongoing basis. It is constructed by taking all of the stock holdings of our Ultimate Stock-Pickers that are not only covered by Morningstar stock analysts but have either a Low or Medium Uncertainty Rating, and then ranking them by their Morningstar Conviction Score, which measures the level of conviction a manager has in any given holding in their portfolio. The Morningstar Conviction Score is made up of three factors: 1) the overall conviction (number and weighting of a holdings), 2) the relative current optimism (holdings being purchased), and 3) the relative current pessimism (holdings being sold) of each stock that is being assessed.
The index itself is comprised of three sub-portfolios--each one containing 20 securities--which are reconstituted quarterly on a staggered schedule. As such, one third of the index is reset every month, with the 20 securities with the highest-conviction scores making up each sub-portfolio when they are reconstituted. This means that the index can hold anywhere between 20 and 60 stocks at any given time. In reality, though, it has tended to be comprised of 35 to 45 securities. In our view, these stocks represent the best investment opportunities that have been identified by our Ultimate Stock-Pickers in any given period. The performance of the index over the past couple of years highlights the fact that we're still finding good ideas even as a majority of our top managers are underperforming.
Morningstar Ultimate Stock-Pickers TR Index Performance Relative to the S&P 500 TR Index
Trailing Total Returns YTD 1-Year 2-Year 3-Year 4-Year 5-Year Morningstar Ult Stock-Pickers TR Index 18 20.5 26.5 19.2 17.8 15.8 S&P 500 TR Index 14 16.9 23.4 20.9 17.5 16
Source: Morningstar Direct. Performance Data as of 11/30/2014.
As of the end of November, the Morningstar Ultimate Stock-Pickers TR Index was outperforming the S&P 500 TR Index by 399 basis points on a year-to-date basis, and by 366 basis points on a year-over-year basis. In four of the last five calendar years, the Ultimate Stock-Pickers index has beaten the S&P 500, with 2012 being the only exception, when the index trailed the market by 742 basis points. This was due almost entirely to heavier (and ill-timed) bets on energy stock during the first part of 2012 that sank performance in the second and third quarters of that year. Since the fourth quarter of 2012, though, the Ultimate Stock-Pickers index has generated outsized performance, even as many of our top managers were struggling to beat the market.
The performance of the index continued to be strong through the end of last week, even as the market sold off during the first two weeks of December, with the index generating a 15.4% year-to-date return (compared with a 10.5% return for the S&P 500). This level of performance left the index outperforming all but one of our top managers since the start of 2014, and all but two of our Ultimate Stock-Pickers over the past year. The three- and five-year trailing performance of the index also leaves it in fairly decent company, with just a handful of our top fund managers beating the results of the benchmark. We think that much of this has to do with the fact that the index continues to hone in on names with economic moats and lower levels of uncertainty (which tends to protect results in more volatile markets), and is influenced by the collective conviction of a broad spectrum of investment managers.
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Disclosure: Greggory Warren has no ownership interests in any of the shares of the companies mentioned above. It should also be noted that Morningstar's Institutional Equity Research Service offers research and analyst access to institutional asset managers. Through this service, Morningstar may have a business relationship with fund companies discussed in this report. Our business relationships in no way influence the funds or stocks discussed here.
The Morningstar Ultimate Stock-Pickers Team does not own (actual or beneficial) shares in any of the securities mentioned above. Find out about Morningstar's editorial policies.
Securities Mentioned
Amana Growth Investor AMAGX $60.21 +1.26%
Amana Income Investor AMANX $56.22 +1.28%
Amgen Inc AMGN $252.40 +0.32%
Apple Inc AAPL $144.29 +0.90%
Applied Materials Inc AMAT $111.49 +3.04%
Bausch Health Companies Inc BHC $7.70 −1.53%
Columbia Dividend Income A LBSAX $29.40 +1.27%
Eli Lilly and Co LLY $344.15 +1.07%
FMI Large Cap Investor FMIHX $14.60 +1.11%
Gilead Sciences Inc GILD $83.94 +0.71%
Iron Mountain Inc IRM $54.58 +0.22%
Motorola Solutions Inc MSI $257.01 +1.89%
Novartis AG ADR NVS $90.62 +1.09%
Parnassus Core Equity Investor PRBLX $49.49 +1.35%
Pentair PLC PNR $55.38 +9.23%
Qualcomm Inc QCOM $133.21 +1.20%
Southwest Airlines Co LUV $35.77 +0.85%
Union Pacific Corp UNP $204.19 +1.99%
Vanguard PRIMECAP Inv VPMCX $135.05 +1.07%


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According to officials from the Tourism Department, Government of Kerala, a proposal has been submitted to the Indian Railways to announce Bekal Fort station as the first tourist railway station in the state, and the same has been agreed to in principle. "Once this is announced, the railway station here will be developed to international standards with modern amenities. The project is estimated to cost Rs 11.7 crore," an official was quoted as saying in a report by P Sudhakaran in The Times of India.
A cultural centre of global standards will also come up at Bekal in the near future, for which the government has sanctioned a fund of Rs 4.5 crore. Apart from a museum inside the Bekal Fort, a light and sound show is also under consideration. Both will showcase the cultural tradition of the town, said an official with the Department.
Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC) has also submitted several other projects costing the government around Rs 30 crore, aimed at comprehensive development of the place. Officials said more resorts will come up in Bekal in the next two years so as to accommodate more tourists. As of now, two resorts, Taj Vivanta and Lalit Resort and Spa, operate in the town. Four more will come up in 2014-15, according to BRDC officials. BRDC has acquired 236.17 acres of land in four panchayats near Bekal and 205 acres are being leased out to various firms to develop resorts.
Since the sprawling coastline is a prime attraction of Bekal, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) is launching a beach campaign and Pallikkara beach will be developed to attract more tourists, said officials, who added that twenty wooden huts will soon come up at Bekal beach.
Officials maintained the development will be eco-friendly and will abide by the rules of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ).


Hello Everyone, Laura here from Trash to Couture! I recently started exploring the Custom Stitch Feature on my Brother SE1800 Sewing and Embroidery Machine. It's another way as a designer to customize my projects and create my own decorative stitches. It takes a bit of practice and some testing but once you learn this feature you will be designing your own decorative stitches in no time. Below I show you how to use this feature and add it to a DIY D-Ring Belt.
Using the touch screen go to the image with the pencil and lines.
From here you will begin the creation process. It is set in stitch lengths so to do curves you will want to do small up and down motions. Every time you are ready to move to the next stitch or you have the line length you want you will want to press set. Then move onto the next set. It's easy to delete if you make a mistake and then it will go back to the previous portion to re-do any stitches you'd like.
I started with a star. I wanted it to appear like when you draw them so I did that with the arrows. I had to practice and you can adjust the lengths and widths as well. It reminded me of that magnet pad game in a way.
Once you have finished the design you will want to save it so you can use whenever you'd like.
Tip: Test the stitches on similar scrap fabric before the final project as it can appear differently from the screen.
To make the belt I cut a strip of vinyl fabric the size of my waist + 7″. The width was based on my D-Ring set I was using which was just shy of 1″.
Note: I chose vinyl because it's nice medium weight fabric that does well with decorative stitches. You can use trims, cotton webbing, ribbon, etc., for these as well. I also use a metallic embroidery thread for the stars.
Use the N foot and sew your decorative stitch down the middle of the belt (top side). It helps to slow down the stitch speed to keep everything even. Or let the decorative stitch appear like a wave of stars like I did.
Fold the strap over the D-Ring set so ¼" is hanging over and sew into place. Tip: Use the zipper foot to get close to the rings.
That's it! What a cute custom belt and great for simple projects when learning this new Custom Stitch feature.