The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) is collaborating with Huawei, a global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, to launch Huawei's fourth edition of the "Seeds for the Future" program.
This year the Seeds for the Future program is expected to attract numerous projects from a wide range of universities in Riyadh, each with the potential to be selected for incubation. The initiative aims to develop ICT talent among Saudi students who will become tomorrow's leaders. They will also receive focused mentoring from top Huawei executives and a chance to travel to Huawei's global headquarters in Shenzhen, China, to gain exposure to the ICT solutions provider.
The company recently held a special ceremony for students participating in the program at the CITC headquarters in the Saudi capital. The event was attended on behalf of the CITC governor by Ahmed Al-Jarboo, vice president of corporate communications; Zhou Xinglong, counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia; and Dennis Zhang, CEO of Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia Ltd.
CITC has been collaborating with Huawei since 2015 on Seeds for the Future. A total of 51 students have directly benefited as a result of the program, including through their visit to Huawei HQ in Shenzhen.
Al-Jarboo thanked Huawei for its efforts in "serving the community and its keenness on upgrading the Kingdom's ICT sector." He also urged students to benefit from the experience in expanding their knowledge.


The University, which has a global reputation for delivering some of the best business management education in the UK, was also shortlisted for the Entrepreneurial University of the Year award.
Newcastle Business School helps and enables individuals to achieve leadership, management and career potential through research-rich, business relevant and academic excellent education.
The award judges said a fundamental review of the purpose of a modern business education – which propelled Northumbria University's Newcastle Business School into an elite group made up of less than 1% of the world's institutions – is a significant reason why it has triumphed in this category.
The annual Times Higher Education awards are widely recognised as the most prestigious award ceremony of the higher education sector, attracting hundreds of entries every year that exemplify the talent, dedication and innovation of individuals and teams across all aspects of university life.
Newcastle Business School has recently been awarded the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) double accreditation in business and accounting, Northumbria is part of an elite group of less than 1% of business schools worldwide.


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Home page > Authors > Flavia d'Angeli
Flavia d'Angeli
Flavia D'Angeli is a leading member and national spokesperson of Sinistra Critica in Italy, and a member of the leadership of the Fourth International.
This author's articles (9)
11. Romano Prodi Challenged on the Left
5. Europe: a new phase
7. New turn for PRC
7. Change the PRC's orientation!
9. 13 million strike against Berlusconi
1. Millions rally against Berlusconi
We defeated Berlusconi politically through a radical mobilisation
Transforming popular anger into political change
9. A dangerous situation for Rifondazione
Madhu Ranath
Socialist Solidarity with Iranian Workers
Benjamin Opratko
Jean Batou and Nina Potarskaya
Joachim Becker
Kim D. Hunter
Mariana Carneiro
Mary N. Taylor
Peter Saxtrup Nielsen
Vinayak Chaturvedi
Yasemin Dildar
Abdessalem Hidouri
Aislinn Pulley
Alex de Jong
Alexandre Costa
Alfredo Saad Filho
Alok Deshpande
Ammar Jan
Ana Maria dos Santos Carvalho Carinhanha
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News from the FI, the militant left and the social movements
Daniel Bensaïd: 25 March 1946 - 12 January 2010
"Daniel was profoundly internationalist. (…) [He] ensured the historical continuity of open, non-dogmatic, revolutionary Marxism and adaptation to the changes of the new era, with the perspective of revolutionary transformation of society always in his sights."
- read article...
Pensions: "We choose to give priority to human beings and the right to a dignified life"
Joint statement
Emmanuel Macron repeated it in his New Year speech: he wants to push through his pension reform. Against all the arguments of common sense, he decides alone. The balance of forces is the only possible language with this government. Strikes and demonstrations will therefore be essential.
No war in Iran!
Statement by Solidarity (USA)
Trump's assassination of Iranian General Oassim Suleimani on Iraqi soil is an escalation of his desire to destroy the Iranian regime. Since he came to office Trump has plotted to pull the U.S. government out of the nuclear agreement signed by several European countries and Iran. Following that he has imposed sanctions that have made the average Iranian civilian's life much more difficult. Given that a quarter of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, on Iran's shore, U.S. military maneuvers there also inflamed tensions between Washington and Tehran.
No Christmas truce! No presents for Macron's government!
After French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe's announcement on Wednesday, 11 December – which only confirmed what we already knew about the attack on pensions, and despite the continuation of strikes and the success of the mobilization day on 17 December – the government is putting on the pressure to put a stop to the strike movement by the end of the week. Adopting belligerent and contemptuous postures – which only goes to show how they are vacillating after this week's resignation of national pension administrator Jean-Paul Delevoye– President Emmanuel Macron and Philippe do not know what to do. We must figure out how to take advantage of their indecision!
Why the MCC agreement should be opposed!
The Alliance for Economic Democracy (AED) is a concerned group of trade unionists, farmers, fishers, students, academics and activists who uphold the value of economic rights and justice in public policymaking. We wish to draw your attention to several key issues regarding the proposed Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact (MCC), which are not adequately represented in public discussion at this time, yet crucial to the wellbeing and security of people in Sri Lanka.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


There are various materials that a homeowner can choose to install on the exterior of their home. Many homeowners choose fiber cement siding because this material is durable and long-lasting, and they can save money. Homeowners can read the information below to learn why it's cost effective to contact a company to install exterior fiber cement Siding in Carmel.
Compared to other home exterior materials, such as brick and synthetic stucco, fiber cement siding is one of the least expensive choices. This type of siding is guaranteed by the manufacturer to last 50 years, and it's resistant to rotting and insect damage. Bad weather, such as hail and strong winds, can often cause damage to various siding materials on a house. Homeowners who choose fiber cement siding won't have to worry about weather damage and spending money to replace sections of the siding because this siding is extremely durable.
Once the siding is installed on the exterior of the house, homeowners will quickly discover the savings on their utility bills. This type of siding is energy efficient, so the house stays warmer during the winter and cooler when the air conditioner is running. This type of savings will be noticed by the homeowner every month throughout the year.
When homeowners choose fiber cement siding, they won't need to worry about spending money on continual maintenance of the siding. Some homeowners choose to paint their siding about every 10 to 15 years to keep it looking new. If necessary, homeowners can use a sprayer or garden hose to occasionally rinse the dirt and dust off the siding. Since this task is simple to do over a weekend, homeowners won't have to spend a large amount of money to hire a professional to clean the siding. Homeowners can learn more about the cost savings of fiber cement siding when they speak with a professional company that sells and installs fiber cement Siding in Carmel.
Homeowners who want to save money with the installation of fiber cement siding should contact the professionals at Amos Exteriors Inc. This company also provides additional services for the exterior of the home including roofs, gutters, and windows.


Here's a piece courtesy of Marotta Asset Management with some additional retirement thoughts.
Most employees have all their retirement eggs in one basket --their employer's retirement plan. The plans usually offer less than two dozen fund choices to cover all your hopes of maintaining your lifestyle, independence, and dignity in your later years. As discussed in the previous article, the more baskets (and eggs) you have, the better. If most of your retirement assets are with your employer, here's how to make the most of what you've got.
First, there are some mistakes to avoid. Probably the most common mistake made by employees is to allocate an equal amount of money to each of the fund choices. Studies have shown that given ten choices, employees tend to put 10% in each choice. Given five choices they put 20% in each choice. If four of the choices represent one type of asset and the fifth is unique the asset allocation is split 80/20. If the funds happen to be the other way round then the asset allocation is 20/80.
The equal proportions methodology builds very poor portfolios. You can't afford to make these types of mistakes with your future livelihood. The only thing worse than the equal proportions strategy is allocating all of your money to just one fund. You need an investment philosophy that integrates all of your asset holdings. Only then can you evaluate which of your company's fund options are right and determine what percentage to allocate to each.
Many employer sponsored retirement plans are just mediocre. Neither the fund company nor plan provider has much incentive to fill your selections with stellar choices. Plan sponsors have a fiduciary responsibility, but few take that responsibility seriously. Procedures may or may not be in place even to meet minimum guidelines. Still, you should be able to find a few funds worth selecting in order to gain your employer's match.
Your own company or plan provider usually isn't the best place to turn for advice. After all, they are the ones that picked the options in the first place. You should get the outside opinion of a professional financial planner on where to invest.
Another common mistake is to invest in whatever funds have done the best over the past 1, 3, or 5-year period. None of these measures is long enough to produce a balanced asset allocation. Every financial disclaimer states that "past performance is no indication of future returns," and yet, past performance remains the primary selection criteria for many investors. Too many employees pick the asset category that has done the best over the past three years. However, these higher-than-average returns often represent a peak. Going forward, they are the fund choices most likely to under-perform for the next three years.
While three year average returns is a poor way to select a fund, thirty year average returns is a good way to select an asset category for including in your asset allocation. If small cap value is a good asset category to include for the long term, see if your plan includes any small value funds. Then judge them against other outside funds within their asset class and not against other funds within your plan.
You should be looking for funds which are the best funds within their asset class regardless of how well the asset class has done over the short term of just the last few years. Funds that are the best in their category can often be found through index funds that have very low expense ratios.
Remember also that you are looking for a team of funds and not just a few hot shots. Your retirement portfolio consists of more than just your employer's plan. Even if your employer's plan only has a couple of good choices, you can use your other investments to create a balanced asset allocation. While the choices in your employer's plan may be limited, investments in your IRA or taxable account will have an unlimited number of choices from which to craft a balanced allocation.
It is important to start with an over all asset allocation plan and then see what asset classes your employer's plan offers that would integrate well with your investment philosophy. Since your employer's plan usually has the most limited number of choices, pick the best it has to offer that fits with in your over all plan.
The lesson "for me was, first, pay yourself," Dyer says.
I agree that you should save a good amount of your pay. I've done this for years. I fully fund my 401k and have savings to boot on top of that.
But to say "You'll be rich enough to be financially independent within a short period of time" is an over-statement for sure. I've been saving a ton for a couple decades now, and while I'm doing well, I'm not financially independent by any means.
What about you? What do you think of Dyer's advice?
Michele Hernandez boasts that 95% of her teenage clients are accepted by their first-choice school. Her price: As much as $40,000 a student.
Hernandez says she earned almost $1 million last year.
Hernandez received a $450,000 advance from Warner Books.
Today, Hernandez has 80 clients.
Hernandez and Mimi Doe announced their first application boot camp. It was a $7,800, four-day summer program for students about to enter their senior year. Doe and Hernandez promised they would leave with completed applications and a strategy for where to seek admission. All 15 spaces for the New York seminar, held at the luxury Kitano hotel, were snapped up in weeks. In the summers of 2006 and 2007, Hernandez and Doe raised the price, first to $8,200 and then to $9,500, and still filled one session in Manhattan and another at the Shutters Hotel in Santa Monica. Next year they may hire others to help edit the essays so they can open the program to more students. They will charge $12,500.
Hernandez and Doe have created a virtual boot camp ($2,999). They have put together a 60-page book, Set Yourself Apart: The Ultimate Guide to Top High School Summer Programs ($189). They have a partnership with two SAT tutors who on Hernandez' Web site offer five hours of help over the phone ($1,600). And Hernandez and Doe are hoping to link up with a travel consultant, someone who could plan family trips to visit colleges.
Holy cow -- this thing's a gold mine!!!
Ok, so she's clearly at the top of the heap here so in some respect comparing her to any of us and saying we can earn a bundle is like saying I should earn boatloads of money since I'm in business and many business executives earn millions. Plus, she has experience, connections, name-recognition, and a head start on the rest of us. So we shouldn't expect to make what she does.
That said, I think this field is just forming and there's plenty of room for a variety of advisors with different backgrounds filling different niches. For example, guidance counselors, business people, teachers/professors, and so on could all be good college advisors and probably earn a decent side income. In addition, people could specialize -- maybe having/developing an expertise in something like SEC schools, universities on the West Coast, engineering schools, or Christian colleges. These people wouldn't need to charge $40,000 to develop a nice, side business/income. Even if you "only" earn $100 an hour, you'd still be doing well. Even half that would be good. And it seems like there are more and more people willing to pay to get Junior into the right college.
What do you think -- is there a business here or am I off my rocker?
Be afraid when people are greedy, and greedy when people are afraid. It's basically, "Buy low and sell high." In general, I've been doing better than market averages when I've been handling my investments. I've basically done that by being conservative when the market is frothing and aggressive when the market is down.
I agree with him 100%. Moving against the flow is one of the great ways to make money in America.
1. I've recently bought MORE shares in index funds when the market has dropped and people are panicked. For details, see Going Against the Flow and Now's a GREAT Time to Invest.
2. While many are moving away from housing/struggling with it, we're looking at the downturn as an opportunity to buy. Of course, having no debt and a lot saved up for a great downpayment or outright property purchase puts us in a good position to take advantage of this opportunity.
What about you? What do you think of Gary's advice?
Just wanted to let you all know that I'm back to blogging after having visited my sick Grandmother last week. She's doing much better (though not out of the woods yet). Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.
American Express ranks highest in customer satisfaction among credit card issuers, according to a new nationwide study by J.D. Power and Associates. The study, which was released earlier today, ranked American Express highest in overall satisfaction among the 10 largest card issuers in the U.S.
American Express ranked highest in Benefits and Features with a factor score of 773, soaring 103 index points above the industry average.
American Express is a leader in the rewards marketplace because it strives to offer the richest rewards, providing depth and breadth of choice, flexibility and innovation. Rewards programs are the primary reason customers select American Express credit cards.
For American Express, the benefits and features of the Cards it provides comes down to...services like travel-related insurance, purchase protection, and fraud detection.
1. Congrats, Amex. I've used the American Express Blue Cash card for several years now and love it. And it's about to get even better as I combine it with the Chase Freedom Cash Visa Card to earn up to 2.6% cash back.
2. Personally, I don't really care about a card's benefits and features. I'd prefer them to not offer these options and increase their rewards programs instead.
3. I do care about maximizing my cash back, and that's why I've used the Blue Cash card for so long. It earned me almost $500 last year and I'm on my way to beating that (by a long ways) this year.
4. J.D. Power doesn't hand these awards out just for the asking, so I think this is fairly meaningful. Also, they have a reputation for conducting good studies where the accuracy of the data can be counted on, so I see this as very solid information.
FYI, I just named the latest winner of a copy of Quicken.
I'll be giving away another copy later this week.
That's at the beginning of the piece. Throughout the rest of the article, Newsweek argues that there is no relationship between money and happiness. I'll let you read through their various arguments yourself, but the title of the piece is "Why Money Doesn't Buy Happiness," so you can guess where they end up.
I'm with the former idea myself. I think money does make people happier up to a point and after that, it doesn't do much to make them any happier. What's your take on the issue?
You Can Win a Free Copy of Quicken Premier 2008!
This giveaway is now closed. See my comment below for the winner.
No post this time -- just a giveaway!
2. Sometime on Monday, I'll stop by the post, stop the submissions, and name the winner.
3. It will be that person's responsibility to check back to see if they are a winner and then email me their contact information. I'll try and post a new piece to remind you to check.
4. I'll send the winner a link to download a free copy of Quicken Premier 2008.
3. Legal disclaimer: I can not guarantee safe delivery of the items. I'll send the prizes via email and since they come from Quicken, they should be fine, but since I can't control the links I won't be held accountable if there's a mess up.
Blueprint for Financial Prosperity reminds you to check your asset allocation.
No Credit Needed got his van.
Get Rich Slowly lists the seven habits of wealth.
Consumerism Commentary lists the signs you may be about to lose your job.
AllFinancialMatters wonders what it means to be wealthy.
MightyBargainHunter talks about your home's value.
Five Cent Nickel suggests you guard your credit score.
Generation X Finance asks where you'd invest now.
Lazy Man and Money saves money by making beer.
Money Smart Life covers another sneaky sales tactic.
Money, Matter, and More Musings has the tale of two ETFs.
The Digerati Life is ready to retire.
The Sun's Financial Diary has good news for us all.
Money Crashers weighs investing in a child's college versus paying off a mortgage.
Consumerist lists five expenses you can't afford if you have credit card debt.
Every time you apply for credit, the application shows up on your credit report as a credit inquiry. These inquiries stay on your credit report for two years, but only factor into your credit score for one year. Inquiries not initiated by you, like account reviews by existing accounts, promotional inquiries and you requesting your credit report for review, don't factor into your credit score.
I was having lunch the other day with a mortgage broker friend of mine (he's new to the industry, only a few weeks, so rest assured that he didn't write and sub-prime deals over the past few years.) In addition to discussing the state of the mortgage/housing industry and my house hunting progress, he gave me some advice on how to shop for a mortgage. He said that a few inquiries on your credit reports in a short amount of time (like a month) was ok as lenders saw that as a savvy consumer looking to get a good mortgage rate by shopping with a few companies. But if you extend that out for a few months, it appears to lenders that you're requesting credit from one place, being rejected, going to another place, being rejected, and so on. As you might imagine, they don't like this.
I know it's not exactly the same situation they're discussing above, but it's similar. And the point is the same -- limit the number of inquiries into your credit and you'll help your credit score. And as we know, there are some very big advantages/savings associated with having a good credit score.
Your pieces are amazing! They have made me make $700 by reading these tasks and trying them. Thank you so much.
I LOVE hearing comments like this! That's why I have this site and keep writing -- to help people make extra money, save money, and the like. It's so gratifying when one of my readers finds success.
Extra income (above what I earned last year) on Free Money Finance. Yes, I give all my profits to charity here, but I could count some of the extra in 2007 towards my goal. But I'm not going to.
Income from dividends and capital gains. This is supposed to be EXTRA income and my investment income isn't really "extra" the way I see it.
I've implemented some money saving ideas I picked up this past year (ones that I've shared here previously) and have saved a good amount. But this isn't really income, so I'm not counting it.
I've written a few articles for national magazines this year (and have another one yet to do) which has netted me $1,200.
I will receive (with my first charge) $100 for using my new Chase Freedom Cash Visa Card. I missed out on the $250 rebate I've heard people talk about and now it appears that $50 is what they're giving.
Update: Just got a call asking me to do some consulting work!
One of the common concerns I hear from people approaching or in retirement is the fear of running out of money too soon. It's tough (okay, impossible) to know just how long a life expectancy you should plan for. When I run retirement projections for people, I'm now using age 97 as the default life expectancy. If I know that long lives run in a client's family, I may shift this even further out.
When you're planning for your retirement years, you'll want to err on the conservative side of life expectancy, meaning that you should plan as though you're going to live to a ripe old age. When you look at tables showing average life expectancies based on your current age, remember they are just averages.
Yep. I'd be really, really, really conservative on this one. It would be very bad to run out of money before you run out of life. In a bit, I'll detail how I'm handling this risk as well as the other one. My solution for each one goes hand-in-hand with the other.
There are protections you can put in place to guard against longevity risk. One is purchasing or electing an immediate annuity.
They then detail what sort of annuity, special circumstance you need to consider, what provisions you'll want as part of the annuity you buy, and so on.
People are living longer in general and spending more money in retirement than previous generations. In particular, people are spending more on gasoline, entertainment, travel, and health care. Most of my clients expect to spend about the same, or perhaps even more, in retirement than they do now. That's because they want to travel, play more golf, or spend more time on hobbies.
No discussion of the spending risks in retirement would be complete without touching on the cost of long-term care. According to the MetLife 2006 Survey of Nursing Home and Home Health-Care Costs, the average rate for a private room in a nursing home is about $200 a day or about $75,000 a year.
Run your retirement projections out to a reasonable life expectancy. Plan for a longer-than-average life.
Add up what you're spending now if you are about to retire or if you are in retirement. Remember to include less frequent expenses like travel, cars, and real estate taxes. Plug those expense numbers into your retirement projection to see how long your assets last.
Try to generate enough income from fixed sources (like TIPS or an immediate annuity) to cover fixed costs.
Make sure your retirement budget has adequately prepared for health-care costs in retirement, which may include long-term care.
This is basically what I'm doing. I'm estimating that I'll live a long life and that my living costs will be higher than I expect. If I then save according to these goals, I should be fine. But, boy, that sure makes for a very big retirement number! Yikes!
Choosing the card that best suits your borrowing habits can improve your credit card experience.
Not only that, choosing a credit card that best suits your borrowing (or charging) habits can help you maximize the rewards you earn from credit card. But more on that later, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Transactors. These are people who usually pay off their balance each month. These folks tend to be more satisfied with their credit cards than are card holders who carry a balance. Because transactors don't have to worry about interest rates, they tend to look for cards that provide the best rewards, Taylor says. That makes sense: If you don't pay interest on your credit card, any rewards you receive are gravy.
Revolvers. These are folks who typically carry a balance on their credit cards. If you fall into this category, forget about rewards programs. You can't afford them. Your best bet is to pay off your balance each month. But if that's not possible, look for a card with a low interest rate and no annual fee.
2. I am all over the "use credit cards to earn rewards" idea. I never carry a balance, but I do have a couple cash back credit cards that I'm working with to give me the most cash back I can possibly get. Last year I earned almost $500 on my cash back credit card, this year I'll earn more than that and next year I expect to blow the roof off my earnings with a hybrid charging plan.
3. The key to maximizing your credit card rewards is to match where you spend, how much you spend, etc. with a reward you like (cash in my case.) Then look at all the alternative credit card offerings to see how you can get the most rewards based on your situation.
Card holders who carry a balance should also consider cards issued by small banks and credit unions, Daugherty says. These lenders don't have big advertising budgets, so you have to do some research to find them. But the payoff is often lower fees and interest rates, he says.
I am single and 44 years old and have fully paid off my newly renovated house. (worth about $125k) What should I do now? I feel I paid off my house too quickly. My mutual funds have earned about 12% a year for the last 5 years. Is there a good way to pull money out of the house and invest it? Or are there other ideas on what I should do?
So, what would you tell him to do?
The following article is courtesy of Marotta Asset Management.
Putting all of your retirement eggs in one basket is easy to carry, but risky. Most workers are putting all their retirement assets in the basket of their employer's retirement plan. They are depending on one employer and two dozen eggs (funds) to hatch and maintain their lifestyle, independence and dignity in their later years. Don't trip.
An employee's retirement income is now contingent on four variables: how much the employee puts in, how much the employer matches, the performance of the underlying funds and of course, time.
In a typical defined contribution plan the employer will match dollar for dollar the first 3% of your salary, and fifty cents per dollar on the next 2% of your salary. That means if you contribute 5% of your salary, your employer will give you an additional 4% of your salary in retirement contributions.
Getting the maximum amount possible of this free money should be your first priority in saving for retirement. Even if your 401k or 403b defined contribution choices are not stellar, you still get an automatic 80% return on your money the very day you contribute. Strangely, many employees neglect to pick up this free money. The 80% automatic return is an offer you should not refuse.
After saving enough to get the full match from your employer, don't necessarily continue to use your employer's plan as your only retirement basket. After getting the full match, we recommend funding your Roth IRA, your spouse's Roth IRA and your taxable account. Only after adequately funding these individual account choices should you consider putting more money into your employer's plan than is necessary to get the full match.
Retirement plans through work are laden with fees and expenses that are not on individual investment accounts. The difference in fees is often 1% or more. The longer you leave your money in a defined contribution plan, the more the excessive fees will erode its value. There are plans so laden with fees that they are not even worth the match. Where the fee differential is 2%, after 30 years the fees will have eaten up the entire 80% match.
In other words, if you had the same amount of money in a traditional IRA account earning 2% more because of lower fees after 30 years you would have 81% more money in your account. For this reason alone, make sure that you don't leave money in an employer's retirement plan any longer than you have to. After terminating employment with one employer you should always roll that money into an individual IRA Rollover account where you can invest with lower fees and better choices.
It is a mistake to move money from a pervious employer's plan into your current employer's plan. This mistake, however, can often be undone. Money that has its source from another employer is usually allowed to be rolled out of an employer's plan and into an IRA Rollover account. If you are in this situation you should see if you can rescue some of your investments from the higher fees and limited choices of your current employer's plan.
There's another important tax reason not to put all of your retirement assets in your employer's plan. If you take a deduction while you are in a low tax bracket and in retirement when you are taking withdrawals you are in a higher tax bracket then your contributions work against you. You would have done better to have put your extra non-match retirement savings into a Roth or taxable account. Your tax rates are likely to be higher during your retirement. Currently, top marginal tax rates are only 35%. Before the Bush tax cuts the top marginal rate was 39.6%. Before the Regan tax cuts the top marginal rate was 70%. Before the Kennedy tax cuts the top marginal rate was 90%. Tax rates are at historic lows.
When you take the money out of an employer's plan or a traditional IRA account you will have to pay taxes at whatever tax rate is currently in effect. And after age 70 ½ you will have to start taking required minimum distributions in order for the government to ensure that they will get their tax. Historically speaking, the odds are your withdrawals during your retirement will be charged at a higher income tax rate than the deduction you received when you put the money in.
If may be better for you to pay your current tax rate and get your money into a Roth IRA where it won't be taxed again or a taxable investment account where the growth is only taxed at capital gains rates.
If you are just starting out in your career you are probably in the lowest tax bracket you will ever be in. Therefore it is more important to carry your retirement savings in more than one basket. Fund your employer's plan with no more than is necessary to get the match and then fund your Roth IRA and build your taxable savings.
Well I have a challenge for all of you experts: I will be spending $420,000/month until Dec 31, 2007 (after that $5000/month) on plastic goods for distribution (non-everyday spend). I can have any American Express personal card. (I don't have an SSN, and the only card that was willing to take me was Amex- trust me I've tried.) Which Amex personal card will offer me the best bang for the buck? My total spend until Dec. will be $840,000. I can use the blue cash and get 1.5%, or the SPG and get 840,000 Starwood points, or Delta etc? I don't mind whether it is cash or miles -- as long as the value is the highest.
I know that the Blue Cash from American Express card has been named the best credit card for high chargers, but this guy is over the top of what most people consider a high spender. Anyone have a suggestion for him?
Blueprint for Financial Prosperity reviews Negotiation Genius.
No Credit Needed lost his wallet.
Get Rich Slowly wonders which recurring monthly costs are worth it.
Consumerism Commentary pays off $52k of student loans.
AllFinancialMatters has an idea for how to deal with gas prices.
MightyBargainHunter gives seven ways to conquer Chuck E. Cheese.
The Sun's Financial Diary wonders if your job is making you depressed.
Generation X Finance tells how you know if your investments are doing well.
Lazy Man and Money gives ideas on how to save money and the environment.
Money Smart Life tells how to save money on a car purchase.
Money, Matter, and More Musings lists the times we don't keep track of our money.
The Digerati Life tells why we don't take vacations.
Money Crashers suggests watching out for new health care programs from your employer.
Consumerist says credit cards encourage us to spend more.
1. Make sure your card is part of the Chase Freedom Dynamics Cash Rewards program. If it isn't, request for it to be. Mine already was part of the program, so I was set to go here.
2. The card gives you 3% cash back on the three of fifteen categories where you spend the most (to see the 15 categories, see Actions to Take If You Get a Chase Freedom Card). My most likely top three are going to be grocery stores, gas stations, and drug stores. But since I'm already in the 5% cash back category with these with my Blue Cash from American Express card, I plan on using the Amex card for them and using the Chase card in other areas until January (my Amex anniversary date) when the Amex card resets.
3. But here's the rub on #2. How your charges are allocated (whether they are assigned as a grocery transaction, a gas station transaction, etc.) is based on the category the store uses in processing its card transactions. Hence what you may think is a grocery store is not classified that way and hence you'll not receive 3% cash back on charges there. And Chase can't tell you in advance how a store is classified. So your only solution is to run test charges and then look at your statement to see how various stores come out. Then you can plan your charges accordingly.
4. Most notably, mass merchant stores are NOT included in the list of 15. Whether or not any particular Wal-mart (for instance) is classified as a mass merchant or a grocery store can only be determined by doing a test charge as noted above. But it appears that a Wal-mart (or Target or Kmart) that doesn't have a good bit of space devoted to groceries will have no chance of being in the 15 categories.
6. We made a charge on the first day we had the card just to make sure the first statement will have something on it (we have three months to settle out the other issues, so I'm not sure when we'll charge again on it.) I wanted to get at least one charge in so we'd be able to collect our bonus (there's currently a $50 sign-up bonus on the Chase Freedom Cash Visa Card) asap.
7. I also do my banking with Chase and while on their site the other day I noticed that a Subaru credit card I have with them also showed up when I logged on. Cool. It's nice to have everything in one spot. I asked the phone rep and he said I should see my new card show up soon as well.
The winner of Tuesday's Quicken giveaway has been announced. See my comment at the end for who won.
Also, the winner of the first week's giveaway hasn't claimed her prize yet. You need to do so soon or I'll give it away to someone else.
Since I'm going out of town, I'll skip the giveaway next week, but it'll resume the week after that. Stay tuned as I have a couple more copies to give away.
In church recently my pastor was saying that who you hang out with will determine who you become (and hence you shouldn't hang with the wrong crowd.) To illustrate this point, he told the story of a man who went to a seminar. The leader told him to make a list of his 10 closest friends and beside each one list what he thought they made in salary each year. Then he was to add them up and divide by 10 to get an average. The leader said, "This is your income." And he was right. the man was making exactly the average of his 10 closest friends. The point: who you hang out with is who you become.
But the finances of those around you affect more than just the perceived value of your property. They also, like it or not, help shape how much you spend and save and color your perceptions of your own financial well-being.
1. Yep, the 10-person test noted above is a bit flawed since it's based on what people THINK others make. They don't know the correct numbers for sure, so maybe their estimates are off due to their perceptions.
2. It's certainly true that those around you do have at least some influence on your finances. You see what they buy, wear, drive, etc. and these influence what you do.
3. That said, it's not like they have total control over you. Just read The Millionaire Next Door. These people somehow live like the middle class but have accumulated much more. How? They've earned decent incomes and lived well below their means despite what their neighbors have done.
4. On our street, I'd say that appearances would put us at or slightly below the average. Why do I say this? Because there are two houses across the street that are about 50% bigger and much more expensive than our place. Almost all the rest are either slightly bigger or the same size. Only one I can think of is smaller. And yet, if you go by the average stats in our area, our net worth well exceeds what our neighbors own.
5. We see our neighbors drive their high-end SUVs, work on their antique cars (two neighbors do this), take expensive vacations, etc., but we're not really moved by these. We know what's important to us and spend accordingly. So they might influence us a bit, but in the grand scheme of things, we totally control our own destiny.
Here's a piece courtesy of ARA Content. It's obviously the combination of an article/sales pitch, but I thought this could be a worthwhile short-term business for some people out there to make a few extra bucks, so I'm running it.
The holidays are a wonderful time of year that brings much anticipation. But with all the fun also comes a pinched family budget. What if there was a way to earn extra holiday money while having a great time?
The Body Shop is a company that believes the holidays should be merry for everyone. Through The Body Shop At Home business, consultants hold home, office and other themed parties, which are a great way to boost your holiday earnings while spreading cheer. Consultants meet with a host and their group of friends, colleagues and neighbors to exchange makeup tips, help each other look great and to earn some extra cash for last-minute holiday gifts.
Luxurious bath and body treats in the nutty, indulgent scent of Sweet Chestnut - introduced this season exclusively for The Body Shop At Home customers. From body butter to hand wash, these products conjure memories of past holidays where it might be cold outside, but inside it's warm with the happy emotions of the season.
Gifts that give more for friends and family, from bath & body to home fragrance gifts like Totally Tropical Home Fragrance gift with Satsuma and Exotic Home Fragrance Oils.
Enchanting make-up with gleaming metallic shades delicately contrasted with multi-colored gems. The Gold Sparkle Collection offers tantalizing textures and stylish, pocket-friendly packaging.
It's a great opportunity to earn money and be your own boss, whether you want to build a long-term career or take on a second job or flexible part-time work.
Previous experience is not required. For $220, you get a start-up kit with more than $600 worth of products. Plus, you receive free training, where you can learn how to give facials, apply make-up and host themed parties.
Through the Community Trade Program, many products from The Body Shop contain ingredients bought from small-scale farmers at a fair price, giving them a stable income and hope for the future. This means that every time you sell a product, you know you are supporting communities where people would otherwise struggle to make a living wage.
Interested in becoming a consultant or hosting a party? Call (866) 775-8049 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. For more information, visit www.thebodyshopathome.com.
I hosted the Carnival of Money Stories.
You missed just one advantage of index funds - they are tax friendly. Index funds have not only lower fees, but also save you from taxes (due to the fact that index funds hold the stock longer than the other types of mutual funds) and thus generate higher returns by allowing you to invest those saved money.
Actually, I didn't miss that point -- it was part of the post. It just wasn't broken out individually, it was noted as part of how index funds save on costs (and thus deliver a good return.) It's a good point though, and one worth being clear on.
BTW, since I wrote the post noted above, I have updated it with Why I Like Index Funds, Part 3.
Ok, here's a piece that really has me steamed. It's about what Forbes calls "middle-class millionaires" (they use the word "mMillionaire" to refer to them) and how they have to dramatically cut their standard of living if they retire with only a few million dollars. Yep, you read that right. The article is about how tough it is for these people with only a few million dollars when they retire. They have to do unheard of, horrible things like "live in three- and four-bedroom homes and drive mid-priced four-door sedans and mini-vans." Oh no! Not that!
Just a generation ago, a person with $2 million or more in liquid assets would have had enough for a secure retirement. But not today. Combine longer life expectancies and the rising costs of health care, food, transportation and property, and you have financial challenges ahead for the mMillionaire.
The piece does have its facts straight. If someone is used to living off $400,000 a year, then $5,000,000 in retirement either isn't going to last long or they'll need to adjust their spending. But the point here is that these people have simply under-saved during their careers. Yeah, they made a bundle of money and saved a good chunk of it, but they didn't save enough. If they wanted to retire at the same level of income, they needed to spend less and save more while working.
And then the article simply goes overboard when it talks about how they'll now need to give up "mansions and yachts" and somehow try and get by with "three- and four-bedroom homes." Is anyone feeling sorry for these people? Not me.
If there's any value in this piece at all, it's in what's implied but not stated outright: funding retirement takes a load of money -- much more than what most people (even rich, smart people) estimate or imagine. That's why you need to calculate your retirement number now and take steps to start saving for it. Otherwise, you might have to cut your standard of living substantially in retirement as well.
Check my post from yesterday to see if you won a half gallon of Moose Tracks ice cream.


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Bishop celebrates Christmas Masses, hosts dinner for seminarians
Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M. celebrated with faithful of all ages as the Diocese of Trenton welcomed in the newborn Christ child during Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Bishop O'Connell served as the principal celebrant at Christmas Eve Mass in the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, Trenton, Christmas Midnight Mass in St. Paul's Parish, Princeton and Christmas morning Mass in the New Jersey State Prison, Trenton.
During his homily in St. Paul's Parish, Bishop O'Connell shared a message of hope with all in attendance: "My dear sisters and brothers, maybe the angels of old are speaking to us now in whatever the particular circumstances of our lives and our world may be – and you know what those circumstances are – listen to the angels as they whisper and sing and shout, "do not be afraid."
Read and Watch Bishop O'Connell's Christmas Homily
The Monitor has been hard at work over the holiday to capture all the beautiful liturgies with the Bishop during this special day. Check out the following photo galleries from the Cathedral in Trenton and St. Paul's Parish for a look into each Christmas Mass the Bishop celebrated:
Bishop celebrates Christmas Eve Mass in Trenton's Cathedral
Midnight Mass in Princeton with Bishop O'Connell
Check back with TrentonMonitor.com this weekend for continuing story coverage of Christmas celebrations from around the Diocese of Trenton.
A festive Simbang Gabi Mass in Lawrenceville and Midnight Mass in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, were among other Christmastime celebrations throughout the Diocese of Trenton.
Bishop O'Connell participated in the observance of Simbang Gabi when he joined with members of the Filipino community Dec. 23 in St. Ann Church, Lawrenceville, for the celebration of Mass.Simbang Gabi is a Filipino Advent tradition, a nine-day novena of spiritual preparation for the Birth of Christ. Similar observances of Simbang Gabi were held by other parishes throughout the four-county
Photo Gallery: Bishop celebrates Simbang Gabi in St. Ann Church, Lawrenceville
The Co-Cathedral was full with faithful and families of all ages as well at Midnight, Dec. 25 to welcome the Christ child into the world. Msgr. Sam Sirianni, Rector, served as principal celebrant and was joined on the altar by Father Arian Wharff, parochial vicar for the Co-Cathedral.
Photo Gallery: Midnight Mass in St. Robert Bellarmine, Co-Cathedral, Freehold
If you have photos from a Simbang Gabi or Christmas Mass celebrated in your parish, please send photos to The Monitor at Monitor-News@dioceseoftrenton.org to be considered for an online photo gallery.
Bishop O'Connell celebrated Mass and hosted the annual Christmas dinner for seminarians of the Diocese Dec. 21 in St. John the Baptist Parish, Allentown. Because the Trenton seminarians attend different seminaries – Mount St. Mary and St. Charles Borromeo, Wynnewood, Pa. – the annual event provides an opportunity for all of Trenton's seminarians to come together and share camaraderie.
During the Mass, seminarian Kevin Hrycenko participated in the Rite of Candidacy, which is a formal step in preparation for priesthood.
"This meant a lot to me," Hrycenko said of the rite in which he publicly declared his intention to complete his studies in Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., where he is a first theology seminarian. Through the Rite of Candidacy, the seminarian acknowledges he is making the petition of his own free will and the Bishop receives the seminarian on behalf of the Church.After Mass, the Bishop hosted a Christmas dinner in the parish hall for the seminarians and the other priests from the Diocese who concelebrated the Mass.
Photo Gallery: Seminarians gather for Advent Mass, Christmas dinner


Pairifín tionsclaíoch atá i gceirisín, a úsáidtear le haghaidh téamh baile agus próisis thionsclaíocha óna dteastaíonn breosla íseal i sulfar. Tá ceirisín á tháirgeadh go forleathan ó 1846. Tá saintréithe aige a dhónn go glan agus a choinníonn aschur teasa a agus an geilleagar is fearr. Le blianta fada, is é seo an breosla is geilleagraí don téamh lárnach. Mar ghnó teaghlaigh ar feadh os cionn 26 bliana, creideann muid ag Sweeney Oil go bhfuil baint lárnach ag seirbhís sármhaith le chomh maith is atá ag éirí linn. Mar gheall ar an leibhéal seirbhíse seo agus an eolas áitiúil den chéad scoth, tá muid ar cheann de na soláthraithe is mó d'ola téamh baile san iarthar.
Úsáidtear ola gáis in go leor tithe níos sine a bhfuil dóire taobh amuigh acu.
Cineál Díosail atá in Ola Gáis a úsáidtear go príomha i gcoirí Tionsclaíocha, Feidhmeanna Téamh Baile agus mar bhreosla d'fheithiclí easbhóthair.
Cuirtear dath glas ar an mbreosla agus tá marcóir ceimiceach ann chomh maith.
Dá mba mhaith leat praghas suas chun dáta a fháil ar ola téimh, úsáid ár n-áireamhán chun praghas a fháil láithreach, nó má tá comhairle ghairmiúil uait maidir le cén uair is ceart ola a cheannach, déan teagmháil linn.


FINLAND: INTERIOR MINISTER TO SET UP REPATRIATION CENTERS FOR FRAUDULENT ASYLUM SEEKERS…… – The Tundra Tabloids…….
Good move, which should include taking all their money before they get on the plane.
I wish I could get excited and behind this government, but it's highly inept and floundering all over the place. One solid piece of rational thinking is met with many more blatherings of idiocy.
"These would be more tightly controlled. They will be more effectively repatriated from the centres, either voluntarily or involuntarily, to their countries of origin. Of course this would require repatriation agreements, which we are currently negotiating with Iraq," Orpo said.
"In this way they would understand and commit to comply with Finnish laws and culture. We want to make sure that asylum seekers know the rules of the game," Orpo added.
"They can be processed expeditiously. This can significantly affect granting asylum," Orpo concluded.
NOTE: These Jew hating economic tourists of fighting age should never have been allowed into the country in the first place.
Previous Post Previous Post MUSLIM POPULATION EXPLOSION NOT CONVERSION REASON FOR ISLAM BEING TOUTED AS "FASTEST GROWING RELIGION"…….
Next Post Next Post ISRAEL HEBRON: TWO ISLAMONAZI TERRORISTS SHOT AFTER ATTEMPTED STABBING OF IDF SOLDIERS……..
So let me get this straight. If you want your asylum application processed promptly, the state encourages you to commit a crime? If that is now what you are saying, that is certainly what it sounds like.


Tokyo Fashion Week in Italy offered a party at Palazzo Capponi all'Anunziata with the attendance of the Pitti people. Special music set from Parisian DJ Jerry Bouthier from French Music Maison Kitsuné.
Special thanks to the staff from Tokyo for the invitation.
A very special style of Ramen noodles inspired by the Italian flag colours was served for the occasion. By the hands of Hideto Kawahara from Hide-chan Ramen, owner of Ramen shops in New York and Hong Kong, already listed in the Michelin Guide 2012. Check out the photos of the evening.
Chef Hideto Kawahara offered a soup with a Japanese base, bonito, burned soy sauce, a topping of white spring onions and slightly boiled seaweed pickled snappers. The ramen is completed with a special sauce made by shakers to power the taste.
The curator of Versus Tokyo, Yuichi Yoshii (right) with the chef and a member of the Tokyo staff.


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Q: Sorting date with array not working on IOS So i am getting data from my own server and i set the data to a variable called: items.
So whenever i do:
 if (this.items) {
                    this.items.sort(function (a, b) {
                        return +new Date(b.datum) - +new Date(a.datum);
                    });
                }

on windows and android it does sort my array but whenever i try this on a apple product like an iphone it doesn't sort on date so i seriously have no clue how?

A: I think it is the issue with the format of the date coming.
IE and Safari supports a certain formats of Dates.
Refer the link for details
http://biostall.com/javascript-new-date-returning-nan-in-ie-or-invalid-date-in-safari/
For me the format coming was as follows :-
"2015-11-07T15:04:46+0100"
This format works fine in Chrome browser. But for iOS I had to remove the last 5 characters i.e "2015-11-07T15:04:46" for it to work.

A: The way sort works is by subtracting the value of two consecutive elements (a,b) of the array. if the result (a - b) is negative then it means that b is bigger than a, so the order is flipped and so on..
It means that you need to make sure that you are subtracting numbers. Here is an example :
this.items.sort(function (a, b) {
    const dateA = new Date(a.datum);
    const dateB = new Date(b.datum);
    return dateB.getTime() - dateA.getTime();
});

This will sort your array in a descending way.
the getTime method returns a timestamp which is perfect to make calculations.
However, if your datum already is a timestamp, than you dont need to create Date objects, you can subtracting them directly

A: let items = [
    { datum: 100, other: "..." },
    { datum: 105, other: "..." },
    { datum: 120, other: "..." },
    { datum: 130, other: "..." },
    { datum: 102, other: "..." }
];
console.log(JSON.stringify(items));
items.sort(function (a,b) {
    return a.datum - b.datum;
});

console.log(JSON.stringify(items));

This works just fine for me.

A: I had the same issue and I solved it by using the method below:
Replace the space to "T" in your date value before sorting
    this.messages = this.messages.map(m=>{
      let datum = m.datum.toString().replace(" ","T");
      m.datum = datum;
      return m;
    })

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Ryan Giggs: Give Man United job to Solskjaer
Ryan Giggs has backed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to be appointed permanently by Manchester United.
18 February, 2019 11:25 IST
Manchester United interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be named permanent Manchester United manager according to former team-mate Ryan Giggs, who insists the Premier League club has "messed around far too long".
Solskjaer was appointed on a caretaker basis until the end of the season after Jose Mourinho was sacked in December and the Norwegian favourite has rejuvenated United.
United has only lost one of its 12 matches under Solskjaer in all competitions — winning 10 — to be fourth in the Premier League as it prepares to face Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Monday.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is believed to be in contention for the United job but ex-assistant Giggs backed Solskjaer for the permanent role following the previous sackings of Mourinho, Louis van Gaal and David Moyes since Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013.
"I do," Giggs told The Guardian when asked if Solskjaer should be appointed permanently. "We've messed around far too long.
Read: Mourinho open to Ligue 1 job
"When you've got someone who knows the club, who is tactically astute, clearly has the players and fans on board, that gives you lots of momentum. There will be bumps in the road but most fans imagine what he could do with the money that's been spent the last few years.
"Ole's done a fantastic job. I've obviously been in touch with him and he's given players freedom and also done well tactically. The confidence is huge. He's got smiles back on their faces."
Giggs added: "I wouldn't be in any rush because you don't want to derail the current situation. Planning is more important than the announcement. Look at [Pep] Guardiola. He got in Manchester City players he wanted the year before he took over.
"So, if it is Ole, keep it amongst the club and start planning. Our problem the past few years is that we were always playing catch-up. We should identify the two or three players we need if we're going to win the Premier League and Champions League."
Giggs played alongside Solskjaer at Old Trafford — the pair team-mates in 1998-99 as United claimed the treble after winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
"He's got that steely determination, because he's been through a lot," Giggs continued. "When he was young he went to a different country.
"He had huge success but he was not always picked. He studied the game while he had a bad injury and then he coached at the club. So I always thought he had that potential because he knows the game and has that inner steel."
Read more stories on Football.
WATCH: Messi tattoos a hit in Argentina after World Cup win
Ronaldo's Al-Nassr arrival in pictures
Pele no more: The Brazilian football legend's life immortalised in pictures
Copa America Final In Pictures: Messi wins first title with Argentina


text:
China: clamp down on violations of wildlife trade ban
Zhao-Min Zhou0,
Christina D. Buesching1,
David W. Macdonald2 &
Chris Newman3
Zhao-Min Zhou
China West Normal University, Nanchong, China.
Christina D. Buesching
University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
David W. Macdonald
In response to the deadly outbreak of coronavirus 2019-nCoV (see Nature http://doi.org/dk47; 2019), China has temporarily banned the sale of wildlife in markets, restaurants and online. Given that much of this trade is already illegal, stricter enforcement and prosecution measures are needed if the consumption of wild animals is to be brought under control.
At present, prosecutions are often obstructed because of inconsistencies in the naming of species (Z.-M. Zhou et al. Nature 525, 187; 2015). Online trading in low-profile illegal wildlife as pets is commonplace (Y.-C. Ye et al. Conserv. Sci. Pract. http://doi.org/dk49; 2020). And the public's desire for exotic wildlife products remains undiminished — particularly for use in traditional medicines. Dodging the law on such a scale is a disaster for global biodiversity and animal welfare, as well as for human health.
When, or if, wildlife trade is again permitted, it must be better scrutinized so that stringent hygiene and quarantine standards at markets can be enforced. Advertisements will need to include the scientific names of species as well as their provenance. Supplies from licensed captive breeders must be properly regulated and inspected — a step that would also help pin down violations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Nature 578, 217 (2020)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-00378-w
Latest news on the coronavirus
Nature Collection: Coronavirus
Coronavirus: why a permanent ban on wildlife trade might not work in China
New virus in China requires international control effort
See more letters to the editor
India's caste prejudice hinders egalitarian science
As elephant poaching falls in Africa, instate more ivory bans
Correspondence 17 NOV 22
Flu, MERS and Ebola — the disease outbreaks most frequently reported
Should COVID vaccines be given yearly? Proposal divides US scientists
Stricter US guidelines for 'gain-of-function' research are on the way — maybe
Don't wait for an Ebola outbreak to vaccinate people against it
World View 24 JAN 23


text:
Fire! Fire! Fetch The Engine(ers)
WCJ were called in when a grade 2 listed Victorian structure was ravaged by fire. When our engineers arrived at the scene there was little left of the building. The central core was gutted by the fire with only the main external walls surviving. Structural steel and timber lay in a tangled mess and the remaining structure stood precariously.
WCJ were the first people inside after the fire and after the initial assessment advised the Fire Brigade on the safest mode of operation and of the no go areas.
Asbestos surveys were undertaken and once complete, arrangements were made for the site to be cleared using specialist lifting equipment. Skips of rubble were hoisted out of the centre of the building via cranes to open top containers waiting in nearby roads.
The building was assessed by WCJ after the general clean-up of collapsed and fire damaged materials and had been completed. Much of the damage identified had resulted not only from the fire but from the impact of the water both during the fire-fighting action and the subsequent wet weather.
The structures subjected to fire were evaluated in a systematic manner to determine the extent of required structural repairs to restore the structural integrity of the building to its condition prior to the fire.
The preliminary structural assessment provided sufficient information to allow others to establish a realistic and objective estimate of cost of the structural works necessary to return the fire damaged structure to a structurally sound condition.
WCJ prepared temporary works designs for propping the building. Arrangements were made for temporary raking shores and props to be erected. Scaffolding was erected and a temporary protective roof put in place. A schedule of structural repairs was prepared by WCJ to preserve the buildings structural integrity until a decision has been made on the wholesale repairs and restoration of the building.


Highlands is a co-op preschool, which means that parents are involved and frankly, kids love this!
Having parents in the classroom helps make the classroom run more smoothly, keeps tuition low, strengthens the relationship between the home and school environments, and provides a window for parents into their child's life at school.
In addition to volunteering in the classroom, parents attend four parent meetings, held every other month, and participate in two cleaning days per year.
Families support the school by performing at least two classroom tasks per year (such as buying sand for the sandbox, cutting out shapes for a project, bringing a few pumpkins for Halloween, etc.), providing items (such as food) for school parties, and actively participating in the school's annual fundraising efforts. Highlands is operated by a parent Board, with parents leading the administrative jobs at the school.


Biometric technology isn't in its infancy. But adding biometric capability to your organization's working environment still offers very few out-of-the-box solutions that simply "plug in" to your databases, networks, or facilities. Most organizations need to build customized solutions that fit their exact needs.
To meet this demand, Fulcrum has developed solutions and fostered key partnerships that allow us to offer industry leading biometric integration systems and software development kits (SDK's) to meet any opportunity, scale, and budget.
Fulcrum Biometric Framework (FbF®) - Our rapid biometric application enablement tools are the closest thing to an out-of-the box system available. Elegantly built with unlimited applicability, FbF will save your team months of development time and expense. The FbF tools can support any biometric application development from mobile to desktop to client-server to cloud based systems. Our tools support best of breed biometric hardware and algorithms.
Neurotechnology SDKs - A suite of individual low level biometric software development kits for Fingerprint, Face, Iris, Palm Print, and Voice as well as a single comprehensive kit containing the API's for all the modalities bundled into one development tool. Neurotechnology SDK's can scale to any size population and support a wide variety of hardware options..
Embedded Biometrics - For those needing to get very small, portable and battery operated, we have a variety of options that will support your embedded development projects.
Futronic SDKs - Futronic provides a lightweight but efficient fingerprint-only software development solution that works with only Futronic Scanners.


Be, the first ISP to launch the next generation of broadband services in the UK, has been hauled up by the Advertising Standards Authority for misleading advertising.
Be claimed in newspaper advertisements that it offered 24Mbps broadband services to customers. But in a verdict published on Wednesday, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) — the government's advertising watchdog — found Be guilty of breaching industry codes on Truthfulness, and on Substantiation.
"We considered that some consumers would reasonably expect to achieve speeds in the range of the headline speed [24Mbps] and might feel misled if they could only achieve speeds of around 8Mbps," said the ASA in an adjudication published on its website. "We concluded that the ad was likely to mislead."
Be became the first ISP in the UK to launch 24Mbps services, known technically as ADSL2+, when it launched services in London in the summer of 2005. The connection speeds supported by ADSL2+ depend in part on the distance from the customer's location to the local telephone exchange, with maximum speeds only achievable over short distances.
Mobile operator O2, which bought Be in June 2006, will now be forced to include a disclaimer in the body copy of its broadband adverts, saying that 24Mbps will not be possible for many users. It previously only did so in the small print.
Be's own figures show that "a significant proportion of users achieved over 16Mbps, especially within 1km of their local exchange". The ISP argued in its defence that the advert only appeared in London newspapers, where readers were more likely to be located closer to their local exchange.
It also produced figures showing that the speed of its 24Mbps connections were far faster than the 8Mbps connections promised by its rivals. But Be's analysis, which benchmarked its services against two unnamed rivals, shows that its speeds were only 76 percent and 141 percent faster than the competition and not three times faster, as described by its headline figures.
O2 told ZDNet UK on Thursday that it accepted the ASA's judgement, and would comply with its instructions in future advertising.
The mobile operator is scheduled to start offering O2-branded broadband services across the UK this year. A spokeswoman for the mobile operator said on Thursday that it hadn't decided how it would market the services. O2's chief technical officer Dave Williams told ZDNet UK last November that the mobile operator would prefer to "underpromise and overdeliver" on broadband speeds once the Be business was fully integrated within O2.
NTL:Telewest, whose complaint led to the ASA's adjudication, appeared pleased with the outcome. A spokesman for the cable operator said: "The current broadband market is extremely complex with all the different speeds, caps and other factors for consumers to consider. While we welcome the competition, ISPs need to keep their services and advertising as transparent as possible and we believe some of our competitors' claims could mislead and confuse."
NTL:Telewest's network is based on a different physical infrastructure from Be's, and is less prone to signal degradation.


text:
Steve Perry is an American singer-songwriter and musician who gained prominence from the mid 70s to late 80s as the lead vocalist of rock band Journey. He also has had a successful solo career. Known for having a wide vocal range, Perry is often considered as one of the biggest icons of arena rock.
Born "Stephen Ray Perry" on January 22, 1949 in Hanford, California, his father was a singer who also co-owned radio station KNGS. Perry naturally developed an early interest in music and started singing and participating in musical activities while studying at College of the Sequoias, in Visalia, California. He cites Sam Cooke's song "Cupid" as the biggest inspiration in his life.
Steve Perry's family relocated to Sacramento, California after his graduation. He started his first band in his early 20s, Ice, with his friend, the then 16 year-old Scott Mathews. Ice soon broke up as the band had no management. Perry then formed his next band, Alien Project, which also disbanded after his bass guitarist Richard Michaels died after suffering a serious car accident.
Perry was devastated and vowed never to sing again, but on his mother's insistence, he joined the then-struggling San Francisco-based band Journey. He enjoyed widespread critical and commercial success throughout the world over the next decade. Some of their best-known work included Infinity (1978), Evolution (1979), Departure (1980), Escape (1981), Frontiers (1983) and Raised on Radio (1986).
Perry started his solo career with the release of a multi-Platinum album, Street Talk, in 1984. After releasing a series of successful solo albums, Steve Perry parted ways with Journey in 1998. Perry also collaborated with and produced music for other artists.
Steve Perry was ranked at number 76 on Rolling Stone's 2010 list of "The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time".
Download Steve Perry Songs:


VW golf electrical problem I've owned the car for two weeks, just sorting out issues. When you lock the driver's door with the key the horn does a quick beep.
Volkswagen Passat Parts Or you can choose to click on your car's model from the Volkswagen model list below.
the colour one roughly follows the car layout, don't use any tools to remove the padded batwing horn button. years and models of VWs at VW Wiring Diagrams.
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Timing Service Kits For Your VW B5 Passat 1.8T Feb 9, 2017 Did You Know? Don't wait for valves and pistons to bang heads in the dark.


Accenture is collaborating with SAP SE to develop an intelligent entitlement-management solution that helps high-tech companies create and scale new digital business models.
The new solution, SAP Entitlement Management, will help companies dynamically change individual customer access rights and other entitlement attributes, as well as install renewal-automation capabilities, so they can rapidly deploy new offerings and more-flexible pricing structures.
Its entitlement-management and embedded analytics capabilities integrate with the commerce and order-management capabilities of the SAP S/4HANA enterprise-resource-planning software suite.
The offering ultimately helps enable companies generate new revenue streams and deliver new products and services to market faster.
Entitlement-management solutions help enable companies grant, enforce and administer customer access entitlements – often referred to as "authorizations," "privileges," "access rights" and/or "permissions" – to data, devices and services, including embedded software applications, from a single platform.
For this initiative, Accenture is providing consulting, system development and integration, solution implementation and analytics capabilities, alongside its high-tech industry expertise.
This new solution builds on Accenture and SAP's ongoing collaboration to develop and bring to market new industry solutions on SAP S/4HANA.
For more information about this collaboration, visit www.accenture.com.


text:
Q: Multiple Array values (some value same) how to get only 2 values same Multiple values in a single array (some value similar)
how to get
One of them is to get the array that is similar values
minimum 1 and maximum 2 times repeat
for Example This array -
$array_value = array('ab','ab','cd','de','ab','cd','ab','de','xy');
foreach($array_value as $value){

}

I want output - ab, ab,cd, cd, de, xy

A: I think your output shuold have two de not one?
Anyway here is the code with explanations in comments:
<?php

$array_value = array('ab','ab','cd','de','ab','cd','ab','de','xy');

$arr_count = []; //we use this array to keep track of how many times we've added this
$new_arr = []; //we add elements to this array, or not.

foreach($array_value as $value){
    // we've added it before
    if (isset($arr_count[$value])) {
        // we only add it again one more time, no more.
        if ($arr_count[$value] < 2) {
            $arr_count[$value]++;
            $new_arr[] = $value;
        }
    }
    // we haven't added this before
    else {
        $arr_count[$value] = 1;
        $new_arr[] = $value;
    }
}

sort($new_arr);

print_r($new_arr);
/*
(
    [0] => ab
    [1] => ab
    [2] => cd
    [3] => cd
    [4] => de
    [5] => de
    [6] => xy
) */

PHP Demo

A: array_count_values return the repetition of specific value in array. So, you can use it to simplify the code and quickly implement it.
$array_value = array('ab','ab','cd','de','ab','cd','ab','de','xy');
// Get count of every value in array
$array_count_values = array_count_values($array_value);
$result_array = array();
foreach ($array_count_values as $key => $value) {
    // Get $value as number of repetition of value and $key as value
    if($value > 2) {
        $value = 2;
        array_push($result_array, $key);
        array_push($result_array, $key);
    } else {
        for ($i=0; $i < $value; $i++) {
            array_push($result_array, $key);
        }
    }
}
print_r($result_array);


text:
Belt Ranking System in the Martial Arts Means
What the Belt Ranking System in the Martial Arts Means
By Al Case
The first belt ranking system was created by Jigoro Kano. He apparently lifted the idea from a ranking system used in swimming, and applied it to judo.
In the beginning there were but two designations, white and black, and truth, they didn't even use belts. Students wore either white uniforms or black uniforms.
Eventually judo got its act together and started using actual belts, creating a higher elite of judo black belt ranks, and the practice spread to Karate.
The original concept behind belt rankings is found in the words kyu, which means 'boy,' and which was used to describe white belts, and dan, which means 'man,' and which was used to describe a shodan black belt.
Possibly because of the zen personality of Japan, the kyu and dan ranking a system came to indicate a 'statement of maturity,' which was manifest as a calmness of mind in the practitioner.
In the Karate belt order, possibly to better match the number of forms taught, and to make the teaching easier by separating the classes by rank, the brown belt rank was introduced. The Pinan forms could be taught up to Brown Belt, intermediate kata were taught to brown belts, and expert forms (black belt kata) were taught to Black Belts.
As the size of classes increased, more ranks were needed.
A white belt is a beginner, a green belt is intermediate, a brown belt is advanced, a black belt is expert, and a fourth degree black belt is a master.
This expansion of ranks made teaching easier, and with viral expansion of karate across the globe, other martial arts started using ranks, and more belts came into vogue. The colors were originally based on white, green, brown and black, and further defined by tips on the ends of belts, or stripes running the length of the belts. Eventually, Ed Parker, of Chinese Kenpo fame, introduced the spectrum of color scheme, which was used to goal motivate and as a selling gimmick.
Here is a breakdown of how the karate belt colors were arranged some forty years ago:
brown (three degrees)
black (eight degrees)
The kenpo ranking system ultimately became the standard for ranking systems, and though there have been more changes, this standard is fairly well adhered to.
Further changes include extra ranks for children (yellow belts), red belts for masters (though a red belt in some systems is sometimes used in place of or to augment brown belt ranking), different degrees of black belt, and so on.
That belt ranking is important is obvious, but there is an abuse built into the system.
Instead of goal motivation, some people become 'symbol collectors,' and a black belt is just a symbol, and thus the spiritual maturity aimed at in the original systems is put aside.
And, in the interests of selling martial arts, some systems have too many belts, and have become too 'material heavy.'
These problems aside, ranking systems do encourage students, they do make teaching easier and more efficient, and even if some people are only graded on technical skill, the matrix is in place for ranking students in a more spiritual realm, which would be described as increased depth of personality.
Over a dozen courses at Monster Martial Arts. Karate, Shaolin Kung Fu, Aikido, Monkey Boxing, weapons... a complete range of art, with all the forms and techniques. Pick up a free ebook while you're at http://www.MonsterMartialArts.com


2015 has been a great year. It's been my first full year on Instagram (@carolineanne92) which has given me some amazing opportunities. I first started yoga on Instagram towards the end of 2014, I'm not quite sure how I first came across the IG yoga community, I think I must of happened upon one of the yoga challenges hosted by @beachyogagirl and @kinoyoga (check them out for some awesome yoga inspiration and advice) and decided to give it a go as it appealed to my gymnastics background and soon I was hooked and a full blown 'Yogi'. When I first joined Instagram it wasn't for yoga at all, it was to enter a model search competition. During 2015 my modelling has definitely taken a turn towards yoga, where I feel I have found my niche, and I have had the opportunity to model for a whole range of companies from Instagram collaborations through to look book shoots, and have met some awesome people along the way. I want to give an extra thank you to Synergy Organic Clothing and GoYogi.dk who were the first people to choose to work with me and started off what's been the most amazing experience so far. I'm already looking forward to some more collaborations, modelling photo shoots and more to come in 2016 - watch this space!


On the most romantic night of the year, proposals are de rigueur at fancy restaurants.
About a dozen years ago my boyfriend, now my husband, took me to Valentino, a popular Italian restaurant in Santa Monica, for Valentine's Day.
The food was good. The show at the table next to us was even better.
Our neighboring couple was more Vegas than L.A. He wore a blinding turquoise sport coat, she a glitzy, extremely snug cocktail dress. They drank the most expensive wines, ordered a lot of appetizers and seemed to spare no expense on their entrees.
Then they got into a giant fight at the table. She fled to the bathroom in tears. He got up, we presumed to chase after her.
But it turned out that the entire scene may have just been a diversion to get a free meal: The couple left the restaurant without paying their bill.
Valentine's Day is one of the biggest money-making nights of the year for restaurants. But for many gourmets, it's amateur time, full of smarmy gimmicks and ho-hum food.
Then there are those of us who like it purely for the spectacle: the dramatic proposals - the ones where engagement rings are presented in the bottom of Champagne glasses - as well as the nasty squabbles.
Nick Peyton, maitre d' at Cyrus in Healdsburg, has served plenty of bling for dessert on Valentine's Day. He usually hides the ring under a silver dome and, with great flourish, removes the cover at just the right moment. Unfortunately, he says, everyone is too nervous to enjoy the meal.
"The girl just keeps waiting to be asked, and the guy is so anxious that by the time they get to dessert, no one can remember what they ate," he says. He recommends that couples get it out of the way first thing.
Kristine Keefer of Ad Hoc in Yountville recalls the time when two high school sweethearts who had gone their separate ways after graduation reunited at the restaurant on, of course, Valentine's Day. Unbeknownst to the pair, their children had created Facebook pages for their parents in hopes that they would start dating each other again. The two became reacquainted on the Internet and sealed the deal over a double-straw milkshake.
"They still eat here," says Keefer.
Robert Coffing's most memorable Valentine's Day came when he was working at the Fifth Floor in San Francisco. A man came in with his wife and parents, because nothing says romance like a night out with the in-laws. The four got into a loud argument and the husband walked out in a huff. The mother-in-law proceeded to get rip-roaringly drunk, slurring to the waiter that her husband was a "nonentity and should be ignored for the rest of the night."
When the bill came she said, "My husband will pay it," and walked out.
Some restaurateurs, despite the opportunity to make good money, could do without the drama. Lawrence Jossel of Nopa in San Francisco absolutely hates Valentine's Day. He thinks it's a contrived holiday and an excuse for restaurants to rip people off by charging exorbitant prices.
George Chen, owner of San Francisco's Shanghai 1930, says many restaurants serve fixed-price, multicourse menus so they can jack up their prices.
"People wouldn't usually order that much food," he says.
But diners don't have the kind of money they once had to splurge - even on the so-called most romantic night of the year. Chen says that typically by now he would be completely booked for the holiday. Last time he looked he was only 60 percent full. So he's kicking it up a notch. The first 20 couples with a reservation who buy the restaurant's signature Sexual Healing cocktail will receive a pair of gold and pearl earrings.
Chen says the $66 four-course meal, a choice of prawns, lobster, filet mignon or grilled lamb, is $10 cheaper than it was last year in hopes of luring customers. And if the restaurant doesn't get enough takers, he's considering opening up the lounge and serving appetizers.
A lot of restaurants, including San Francisco's Aqua and Pres a Vi Global Cuisine & Wine Bar, Bijou Restaurant & Bar in Hayward and Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto in Berkeley, are offering such complimentary items as chocolates, roses or Champagne.
Others, such as San Francisco's A16 and Boulevard, are serving special a la carte menus. For $150 a person La Folie is offering a four-course menu including rack of lamb and Savoy cabbage-stuffed lamb cheeks.
Public proposals, fighting couples and dine-and-ditch theatrics are free of charge.
Got a taste for more foodstuff? Check out the Inside Scoop, Dining Out and Dining Update in Datebook today on Page E6.


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