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Conn. college, others face more sex abuse lawsuits involving founder of Haiti school
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Fairfield University in Connecticut and others that supported a charity designed to help feed and educate boys in Haiti are facing additional lawsuits alleging children were sexually abused by a school founder.
The 21 new federal lawsuits, filed Thursday in Connecticut, allege the defendants, who also include the Society of Jesus of New England and others, were negligent in their hiring and supervision of Douglas Perlitz. The suits seek $20 million in damages for each victim.
The university and others reached a $12 million settlement in July with children sexually abused by Perlitz. He was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for sexually abusing boys who attended Project Pierre Toussaint School in Cap-Haitien.
Stanley Twardy Jr., an attorney for Fairfield University, declined to comment. A message left with a Jesuit spokeswoman was not immediately returned.
"These poverty-stricken sexual abuse victims are showing an enormous amount of courage by coming forward, reporting the sexual abuse and filing complaints," said Mitchell Garabedian, attorney for the alleged victims.
Garabedian said he's investigating another 30 claims of sexual abuse by Perlitz.
Twardy has said none of the defendants acknowledged any liability in the settlement.
"It is our hope that this money will help those who were harmed by Douglas Perlitz," Alice Poltorick, provincial assistant for communications for the New England Province of the Society of Jesus, said in July.
Perlitz founded the Haiti school in 1997 when he lived in Fairfield County, Conn.
Prosecutors said Perlitz abused at least 16 children, then gave them money, food, clothing and electronics and threatened to take everything away and expel them from the program if they told anyone.
The abuse scandal led to the collapse of the school and its fundraising arm, the Haiti Fund, forcing the children back onto the streets, prosecutors have said.


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Dierks Bentley
Dierks Bentley's new rowdy sing-a-long party single "Am I The Only One" is racing up the charts, as the lead single off his upcoming sixth Capitol Nashville studio project. Bentley's new album follows in the footsteps of his critically acclaimed UP ON THE RIDGE, which earned Album of the Year nominations at the ACM, CMA and GRAMMY Awards this year. His previous five albums have sold over five million copies, earned 10 GRAMMY nominations, have spawned seven No. one hits (What Was I Thinkin," "Come A Little Closer," "Settle For A Slowdown," "Every Mile A Memory," "Free and Easy (Down The Road I Go)," "Feel That Fire," "Sideways") and 12 Top 10 hits. Bentley is currently out on the road playing summer tour dates across the country.

subset: commoncrawl


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New! "TurtleBack" PacMate Accessory Pouch BX
The TurtleBack BX Accessory pouch is designed to hold the note taker recharger unit on the side of the case. It is manufactured of leather and is secured to the note taker case with Velcro and four snaps. The pouch is closed with snaps and Velcro. This Accessory Pouch fits all the Freedom Scientific BX cases designed by TurtleBack.
See �Other Accessories� for Straps/Handles and other items.
With further modifications by Electron Jungle LLC.


text:
Your Complete Security Toolkit
Infrastructure: Network security
Protecting sensitive information and mission-critical applications is an essential and ongoing effort requiring coordinated partnership and a proactive approach to reducing risk by all parties.
We employ a defensive, in-depth approach to security with safeguards that encompass all of our people, processes, and technologies. We assess our security monitoring, capabilities, and responses on an ongoing basis to ensure we are keeping up with the evolving cybersecurity landscape. We proactively turn away prospects who request resources consistent with spamming or other unethical activities and work with clients with sensitive data to make sure they are taking adequate security precautions. Our choice of architecture includes technologies such as default encryption in our cloud and offsite backup and recovery solutions. This is consistent with our culture of compliance to keep data safe, secure, and private.
Administrative Security
Equally important as ensuring the physical and technical security of your data environment, administrative security addresses the business-facing concerns of partnering with a third-party hosting provider. We can provide the administrative security you need in the form of contractual requirements, staff training and documented policies and procedures.Learn more
Physical Security
We undergo annual penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and independent auditing against the most current PCI DSS compliance standards to ensure cardholder data remains protected. Don't take our word for it; ask for the audit report or consult the VISA list to give you confidence that your PCI hosting partner can protect consumer information.Learn more
Technical Security
What originated as the AICPA's SAS 70 audit has now evolved to the SSAE 16 or SOC 1 audit report. This report allows an organization to specify the controls they wish to be audited against. We take it one step further with the SOC 2 audit and standardized expectations for protecting digital data to ensure sensitive data is appropriately controlled. If you are subject to financial reporting regulations, don't settle for anything less than business partners that will share evidence of an independent auditor's opinion of their SOC 2 controls to prove compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley requirements.Learn more


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GitHub Cofounder Resigns but Denies Harassment
Apr 22, 2014 7:16 PM PT
GitHub cofounder Tom Preston-Werner has resigned following an investigation into harassment charges made by developer Julie Ann Horvath, who departed the company last month.
"The investigation found no evidence to support the claims against Tom and his wife of sexual or gender-based harassment or retaliation, or of a sexist or hostile work environment," said Chris Wanstrath, GitHub cofounder and CEO, in an announcement on Monday.
"However, while there may have been no legal wrongdoing, the investigator did find evidence of mistakes and errors of judgment," Wanstrath added. "In light of these findings, Tom has submitted his resignation, which the company has accepted."
'There Was No Investigation'
Horvath, however, expressed a different perspective.
"Bullying someone into quitting: Illegal," she tweeted on Monday, followed by "Asking an employee to relay private conversations between her and her partner: Illegal" and "Justifying the harassment of an employee because of her personal relationships: Pathetic."
The tweets kept coming.
"Leaving GitHub was the best decision of my life," Horvath added, along with "There was no investigation."
Horvath said she experienced sexism and gender-based harassment at GitHub, the company behind the popular open source platform. She also spoke out about harassment by Preston-Werner and his wife and claimed that an engineer had repeatedly removed her code after she turned down his advances.
"Neither my wife, Theresa, nor I have ever engaged in gender-based harassment or discrimination," Preston-Werner wrote in a blog post on Monday. "The results of GitHub's independent investigation unequivocally confirm this and we are prepared to fight any further false claims on this matter to the full extent of the law. I believe in diversity and equality for all people in all professions, especially the tech sector."
GitHub spokesperson Kate Guarente declined to provide further details. Horvath did not respond to our request to comment for this story.
'I Am Appalled'
"I don't know what to make of it," Jake Bilbrey, a front-end engineer who works across the street from GitHub in San Francisco, told LinuxInsider. "Their blog reads like a lawyer piece but says they took the actions I was hoping to see."
The combination of a Monday tweet from a GitHub designer along with "the anonymous reports by women at GitHub who said they have not seen sexism in the workplace strikes me as their employees are scared to say 'women are equal' and, you know, 'just treat people nice,'" Bilbrey said.
"Ellen's blog post nails a lot of this pretty well," he added, referring to comments on the topic by Kickstarter Product Manager Ellen Chisa.
"I am appalled that in GitHub's official blog post they resort to 'we did nothing legally wrong,'" Bilbrey concluded. "'Legally' is not the same as 'morally.'"
'Brogrammer' Culture
Geek culture has been struggling with "systemic sexism and misogyny" over the past few years, suggested FOSS journalist Bruce Byfield, who has written extensively on the topic.
"This episode highlights just how complicated this struggle can become. On the one hand, GitHub has become central to large segments of the tech industry," Byfield told LinuxInsider.
"Last year, the company made the gesture of donating several hundred free accounts to women," he noted.
"On the other hand, in the last few months, stories of what was happening within the company have made some women in computing identify GitHub as a company with serious internal problems -- which means it also has serious external problems, because reputation is everything in geek culture," Byfield pointed out.
For GitHub, much will depend on its crisis management over the next few months.
"The fact that some people are already questioning the thoroughness of its investigation suggests that it will have to try harder to regain its reputation," Byfield said.
"Other companies, especially ones that encourage the so-called 'brogrammer' culture, should watch carefully," he concluded. "These issues are not going away, and the odds are that GitHub won't be the last company forced to face them in public."
'You Would Expect More'
Overall, "this matter highlights the fact that even though the IT industry and geek culture can be innovative and progressive, the reality is it is often antiquated and backward," Jay Lyman, a senior analyst with 451 Research, told LinuxInsider.
"This is particularly so when it comes to workplace discrimination and harassment based on gender, sexual orientation, race, age or other factors.
"You would expect more from good software developers and IT professionals, but there is no question that code and IRC conversations and debates frequently go beyond offensive and represent harassment," Lyman added.
"It is even more unfortunate when these types of things go unchecked or unchallenged," he said. "I commend efforts by individuals and by organizations that help to shed this disrespectful culture in favor of a truly collaborative, effective approach to technology and business."


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Terrible American Idol Auditions#25-Since Youve Been Gone
These are all the terrible singers from Dallas 2008 Season 7 stop singing Since Youve Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson. This is the same idea as my other video Dont Cha Compilation.Plus, added in are the Tobias Twins!Enjoy!&IP=18.104.22.168
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


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Korean Dramas
Ojakkyo Brothers
Secret garden
I live in Cheong Dam Dong
You from Another Star
Flower Boy Next Door
Queen In Hyun's Man
That Winter The Wind Blows
A Wife's Confidential
Answer me 1997
Coffee Prince
Can you hear my heart
Arang and the magistrate
Moon Embraces the Sun
I Hear Your Voice
Rooftop Prince
Master's Sun
My girlfriend is a gumiho
Smile You
Shut Up Flower Boy Band
Dream High
You're Beautiful
City Hunter
Gu Family Book
Scent of a woman
Gaksital (Bridal Mask)
Who are you (the one about the deceased father)
You've fallen for me
Protect the boss
Spring Waltz
Potato Star QR3
Best Love
49 days
Cinderella's sister
Coffee House
Bad Guy
To the beautiful you
Japanese Dramas
The flowershop that doesn't sell roses
Itazura Na Kiss
I used to think I could spot a great drama a mile away, but then A Wife's Credentials came along and taught me a surprising lesson. Sometimes you don't need all the eye candy for a drama to grab your attention. In a way, not having anyone to stare at really makes you focus on the dialogue and story better. When I first saw trailers for AWC, I said in my head very decisively: "never in a million years would I ever watch that." Then I ended up giving the first episode a try cuz my sister gave it a unique compliment. Since my sister praised it so highly, I didn't take AWC seriously at first. You can't blame me since Winter Sonata is her idea of a great drama so my hesitancy is justified. Next thing I knew, before E1 had finished, I began downloading the rest of them. This is not the kind of drama you wait on pins and needles for nor do you rush home to catch it live, but it is the kind of drama that lingers in your heart. No one has died or anything, but already I think I cried during every episode. There is something about the dialogue that just grips you and squeezes out every emotion you have. It goes beyond just empathy for the characters cuz you feel just as emotionally drained as them as they go through their tribulations. AWC managed to do the impossible and shattered every preconceived notion of what a great drama should be simply by demonstrating that words that ring true can have the power to enthrall and enrich our lives.
I saw "Spring Waltz" for the first time recently and this scene still haunts me. The way the passing countryside and light bathed his face and made it glow is just stunning. While he watched her sleep, just for those few minutes, I bet he was thinking this is what she would have looked like if she had lived. You could tell his heart was at peace after fifteen years of regret and longing. How romantic is it that even when he didn't know she was the love of his life, he was still drawn to her.
When I first watched QIHM, I wondered why no one bothered to mention that this drama had a righteous sageuk klepto from the past – that's sort of an important point to leave out when they were trying to sell this drama's premise from the start. I certainly would have watched it sooner. Forget his photographic memory – the man's got some serious skill for theft. It cracks me up that he always manages to steal the nicest backpacks and clothes. Did anyone else wonder what would happen if he couldnt steal any outfits and walked around like that – wouldnt he just get locked up. Another first is the drama title – sort of objectifies a guy for a change to call him so and so's man. How ironic is it that the man being objectified is from 300 yrs ago. Love it. 🙂
QIHM feels like we are watching two people fall in love for real. Every word, glance, or action seems like we are experiencing every step of their romance. Seeing these two people grow closer together and becoming more intimate as time goes on, it gets harder to look away cuz we are drawn into their plight. Next thing you know we are rooting for them to work out, as if they succeed in solidifying their relationship in their fictional world, it gives us hope in our real ones.
This drama wins hands down for being unprecedented in its originality and carried out an implausible tale and made every moment real. Part of that credit goes to the love these two shared. It didn't just transcend time and space on its own cuz their love was carried on the wings of hope. That flight was one of the most beautifully executed scenes of all time. The last 20 mins was a nail biter, but I will never forget how this perfect little drama went out with little fanfare on the screen, but fireworks were going off in our hearts.


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Stash.ly needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 113 designs submitted by 12 freelance designers.
A website that lets people share the items that they want with their friends. The goal of this project is to get users to Search for items they want, add them to their Wishlist, and share their Wishlist with their friends.
Our target audience is tech savvy 16 to 40 years old. They are familiar with the internet and use social media in their daily lives.
The overall message of the site is that it is simple and an extremely small time commitment to list and share your items.
We want to have an explanatory landing page with an overview of how to use the site, followed by a Search page and Wishlist page. The Search page lets users search for products by item name and add them to their Wishlist. The Wishlist page is where people can list the items that they want.
The requirements of our site are:
- No cartoons or child-centric imagery. We want our site to be accessible to everyone and not confine its target audience.
- A clean, simple layout. Our site is very simple and the design should emphasize that.
- Modern look & feel with accompanying fonts & colors
- Full licensed access to all fonts, images, and doodads used in the design (common use is fine of course).
- We would like to note that while Birthday lists are definitely a potential use case for this product, we do not want it to be limited to birthdays. Please use a general design theme rather than a birthday-specific theme.
The deliverable file should be a layered vector format such as Adobe Illustrator.
We are commissioning the Front page and Wishlist page for this project and have attached some mock-ups below for guidance, but *please* feel free to deviate from them. We are definitely open to new ideas for the layout of our site.
The front page will be our introductory landing page. On this page, we require:
- space for a tagline (such as "Getting started takes only a minute!")
- an overview of the Wishlist setup process (Search, Add, Share)
- a call-to-action button and/or field (most likely Search)
- a place to login or create an account
The Wishlist page is the central piece of our site, where users can share the things they want. The below requirements are assuming that the Wishlist page is being viewed from a visitor's perspective.
- tabs or menu across the top of the page, below the logo (see attachments for example) with two tabs, Search & Wishlist.
- space for a tagline (such as "This is Bob's wishlist!")
- Facebook & Twitter share buttons, placed in such a way that it's clear that they share the entire Wishlist
- a prompt for you to create your own Wishlist (if you want, you can combine with tagline)
- a list of items that are on the Wishlist. Each item should include:
- image, name, & price of the item
- call-to-action button for people to indicate that they have the item
We do not have an existing website.
We don't have a logo yet either, so please feel free to just use text.
Any color scheme is fine, though we would prefer bold colors rather than pastels.
We love the front page of http://www.Evernote.com because it explains the function of the site in a graphical way that is really easy to follow. The tag line at the top stands out and is the first thing you see.
For an example of tabbed design, we really liked http://www.zennaware.com/cornerstone/index.php because it fluidly switches tabs and seamlessly integrates them into the site.
Also, we really like these Quora topics on this subject: http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-…p-websites


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3rd Edge Know You Wanna
I can't wait for the day when DnD get to attack more American r&b remixes. The crew's Big Vocal mix of this fairly substandard Craig David knock-off vocal track still bumps, but its bubbling techno sounds and rich bass would sound really ace under some vintage R. Kelly or even Brandy. Check the dirty dub for less class, more sass.


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Westminster Bakers Co. Introduces Bite-Sized Seasoned Snack Crackers
Adults under 45 years old claim they have busier lifestyles than Baby Boomers and seniors, making snack foods far more common due to their portability and convenience. Snacking is so integral to the lifestyle of Millennials (adults under age 30), that market research firm Packaged Facts, Rockville, Md., considers them a driving force that will propel the U.S. snack market to sales of $77 billion by 2015.
Westminster Bakers Co., Rutland, Vt., is actively pursuing this demographic with its new line of Seasoned Snack Crackers in convenient 1.5-oz single-serve bags. Flavors are designed for more a sophisticated palate, and include Chipotle Ranch, Parmesan Peppercorn and White Cheddar Romano. Each pack contains about 14 crackers and provides 66 calories.
The crackers are available in many pack types to accommodate all food channels, including a 72-count vending pack, a 24-count pre-hung convenience-store clip strip, a nine-count retail tray, and even a 24-count assortment pack for club stores.


text: Roanoke River Striped Bass Season Opens 03/01 wfn Roanoke River Striped Bass Season Opens 03/01 The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will open the entire Roanoke River Management Area to striped bassharvest from March 1 through April 30. The Roanoke River Management Area includes the Roanoke River and tributaries from Roanoke Rapids Lake Dam downstream to Albemarle Sound, including the Cashie, Middle and Eastmost rivers. The daily creel limit within the Roanoke River Management Area is two striped bass per person. The minimum length limit is 18 inches, and no striped bass between 22 and 27 inches can be possessed at any time. Only one striped bass larger than 27 inches can be included in the daily creel limit.Anglers are required to use a single barbless hook or a lure with a single barbless hook when fishing in the upper Roanoke River from April 1 through June 30. The upper Roanoke River is defined as the main river channel and all tributaries, upstream from the U.S. Highway 258 Bridge near Scotland Neck to Roanoke Rapids Lake Dam.From early March until the end of May, the Commission will post online weekly fishing reports from the Roanoke River every Thursday afternoon. The fishing reports, along with other updated information on striped bass fishing and boating access areas, will be posted on the Commission's fishing page. For more information on fishing in public, inland waters, call the agency's Division of Inland Fisheries at (919) 707-0220.


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Emmy-Award winning comedian Don Rickles died Thursday. He was 90.
Rickles died at his home in Los Angeles as a result of kidney failure, his publicist Paul Shefrin confirmed to NBC Los Angeles.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara, as well as their daughter Mindy Mann and her husband Ed, and Rickles' two grandchildren, Ethan and Harrison Mann.
Funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, it is suggested that donations be made to the Larry Rickles Endowment Fund at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Rickles, whose career spanned more than seven decades and included roles in films like "Casino" and the "Toy Story" trilogy, was a fixture on the late-night talk show circuit.
For more than half a century, "Mr. Warmth" headlined casinos and nightclubs from Las Vegas to Atlantic City. N.J., and appeared often on late-night TV talk shows.
A New York native, Rickles went to Newtown High School in Queens, where, as he put it to WNBC's Jack Cafferty on "Live at Five" in a rollicking May 1985 interview, "I studied failure."
"It was a wonderful, wonderful experience," Rickles said. Then, he deadpanned, "I got a lucky break: World War II came."
"That got me out of high school, They sent me right over to the Philippines, and now those guys are all over in Hawaii, saying 'Wanna play golf?'" he said.
Speaking about his time in the Philippines, he said, "It's about 105, you walk around in a little loincloth, and you fire at anything that moves, you know."
Rickles added, in seriousness, "My service days taught me great deal."
Rickles said he then came home and wanted to be an actor, and that's when he went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
For more than half a century, Rickles headlined casinos and nightclubs from Las Vegas to Atlantic City, New Jersey, and livened up late-night talk shows. No one was exempt from Rickles' insults, not fans or presidents or such fellow celebrities as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Johnny Carson.
Despite jokes that from other comics might have inspired boycotts, he was one of the most beloved people in show business, idolized by everyone from Joan Rivers and Louis CK to Chris Rock and Sarah Silverman.
As news of his death spread, condolences started making their way across social media.


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Phil, thanks for the quick review. I think I'll pick it up from the library and give it a look.
Book review: Internet Riches
Internet Riches: The Simple Money-making Secrets of Online Millionaires by Scott Fox
If you've never considered starting an internet business--but now that I mention it, it seems like a good idea--this is the book for you. If you've considered starting an internet business--but you've done no serious thinking about how to approach actually doing it--this is an excellent book. If you've already got an internet business, or you're otherwise familiar with one's inner workings, I'm afraid you won't find a lot in this book that you don't already know.
For me, the book started off a bit slow. A good bit of the first part of the book was devoted to two ideas: that the end of the dotcom boom didn't mean the end of internet business, and that an internet business can be started on the cheap, compared to starting a bricks-and-morter business. The thing is, I already knew those things.
After that the book picks up a good bit. It looks in some detail at a series of internet businesses, talking about how they were structured and how they earned money. It provides a number of worked examples of how different internet businesses work.
Business goal
It's worth comparing this book with Tim Ferriss's book The 4-Hour Workweek. Both recommend creating small internet businesses. Ferriss, though, wraps his whole suggestion around a very specific pattern--creating a business (or a few businesses) that provide enough money to live on with an absolute minimum amount of work--to free the time up to do other things.
Fox's idea is different. He recommends that you create your internet business around something that you're interested in--a hobby, perhaps. Something that, if you spend a good bit of time doing it, you'll be happy to have done so.
Business analysis
Perhaps the best part of Fox's book is the section on brainstorming possible business ideas and then evaluating whether they might support an internet business--it's good stuff.
Because there's a steady stream of newer, better, easier tools and systems to build e-commerce sites with, Fox faced an impossible task in discussing the mechanics of actually building your site--anything specific enough to be useful would have been out of date before the book was printed. On the other hand, the target audience for this book--people who had barely begun to think that running an internet business might be a neat thing to do--need a considerable amount of handholding. Fox does a pretty good job of threading that needle. There's a lot you'd have to learn to actually create and run a web-based business beginning where Fox's book leaves off, but nothing that a bright person who was willing to put in some effort couldn't do.
Business expectations
If all you want to do is make a bit of money off your hobby, I think there's a pretty good chance you'd be successful following a program like the one that Fox lays out. If you pay particular attention to the sections on evaluating and testing your ideas, and follow his advice to start small and keep early costs to a minimum, your risk is very small, and your chance of at least some reward is pretty good.
Just about at that point, though, the book quietly slips from talking about creating small sites where your hobby brings in enough money to support itself (and maybe pay for beer and pizza), to sites that let you quit your job, and then to sites that bring in millions. If the book explained how to take your site from the first category and slide it into the second or third, though, I missed it.
If you've thought of setting up an internet business (even if you've just thought of it for the few minutes that it's taken you to read this review), Internet Riches will show you how to get started--and how to do so at minimal cost and minimal risk.
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Hello Philip,
Thank you for this thorough and considered review of my book, Internet Riches. It sounds like you really read it! (I always appreciate that in a reviewer.)
As you suggest, I wrote Internet Riches to help beginners learn about the many new, low-risk ways to start online businesses. The book's continued sales success worldwide seems to support that approach, as does the fan mail I've been getting from people inspired by the book.
I appreciate your critique and your help in spreading the word.
I invite you and everyone reading this to visit my web site, ScottFox.com, for more, including free updates to the book, a free email newsletter, blog, downloads, etc..
There really is a revolution happening online. I hope that together my book and your great blog (I am a regular reader myself) will help more readers on the path to getting their share of the e-business revolution.
Best regards,
Scott Fox
Author, Internet Riches
This sounds like an excellent book for a newbie (like me!) who has vague ideas and doesn't know how to proceed.
@ Terry: Yep--I think the book was written with people like you in mind.
@ Scott Fox: Thanks for stopping by the post!
Thank you for your review of Internet Riches: The Simple Money-making Secrets of Online Millionaires. We appreciate you sharing your opinion and doing the research needed to fairly evaluate the book. We have seen fit to link to this article in our independent Internet Riches Book Reviews section. Anyhow, keep up the good work spreading truth.


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Our comprehensive transportation network provides Expedite, Overnight, Second Day, Time-Definite Ground and International Freight Services. Superior Visibility, Communication, and Coordination, separates FSP from the competition.
Need Help? Get it Live!
Enter Up To 30 Airway Bill Numbers
Reference #
User ID
Don't have a login yet?
Click here to request one
Sign up for email updates with the latest news on Freight Solutions


text:
As part of the Warrior VIP program, I've had the opportunity to get a look at the new Covert QR1 stick ahead of its full release. It's a very cool opportunity and I have to say the stick has surpassed any of the expectations I had for it.
Out of the Box
The QR1's graphic package hearkens back to Warrior's earlier days with bright, aggressive colors that are very similar to what adorned the Dolomite in the mid 2000s. It just so happens that particular version of the Dolomite – with the orange and electric blue graphics – stands as the best stick I've ever used.
This is a very attractive stick and the feel prior to being cut down is just what you'd expect. It's feather-light and well balanced. I chose to go with an 85 flex with a Zetterberg curve and my stick has the grip option as well.
On the Ice
My first impression of the stick was the weight and balance and that didn't change once I cut it down and got it taped up. Thinking back to the last Warrior stick I had (Dynasty AX1), the blade has a more firm feel to it when stickhandling and passing.
The profile of the stick is great as the dagger tip is both visually appealing and effective in practice. Warrior's goal with the QR1 was to provide a stick with a quick release and they certainly succeeded in doing so.
Through a handful of icetimes, I've noticed an appreciable improvement in the crispness and velocity on my passes. I've been able to make hard cross-ice passes in the neutral zone and needle threading saucer passes from the corner when on the attack.
Interestingly, my slap shot is also heavier with the QR1, likely due to the well placed kick point on the stick. Since I've been playing on the blueline for the duration of my summer season, I haven't had too many chances to get a feel for the quick release on a wrist shot, but given the feel the stick has when making passes, I can't imagine I wouldn't have the same feel when shooting in a game situation.
Keep an eye out for the Covert QR1 to be hitting the shelves soon, you're not going to want to miss out on this stick.


text:
This section is testing how many directory entries in a URL the robot indexing spider will accept. Some systems put a limit on this because there are rogue servers which can snarl the robot in a never-ending loop of links that just get longer and longer. We have twenty levels of depth in this test, which should let us know which spiders can go very deep in the sites, and which draw back.
This page is at Level 13 (number of directories in the URL)
To tell if this page was indexed, search for the code below. This is the numbered directory: the depth of the page is noted in the directory name and thus the URL path. There is also a "depth" directory where the name is the same for each level. Searching for these codes should bring up two separate pages, as they are in two separate directory trees.
Search Code: RTest, RTest213, RTestGood, RTestGood213
For more information, see the Directory Depth Master List, and the Search Indexing Test List.
Search Tools Consulting's principal analyst, Avi Rappoport, may be available to help you with selection, indexing and search log analysis, as well as relevance evaluation, user experience testing, and functional search engine work. Please contact us for more information.
SearchTools.com - all work copyright © 1998-2009 by Search Tools Consulting.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.


text:
Don't want the hassle of opening a third-party merchant account? Try Shopify Payments.
Getting a merchant account should be easy. After all, they're going to make money every time you process a transaction. They should be happy to have your business, right? If only that was the case.
The payments business is highly competitive, and processors obviously want your business - but they still need to do their due diligence before approving your application. In this article we're going to tell you exactly how to ensure your merchant account application is approved, and what to do if you're declined.
Since the payment industry and the jargon used is fairly complicated, we're also going to define some commonly used terms, like merchant account, payment gateway, and payment processor. If you already know the basics, feel free to skip the definitions.
What is a Merchant Account?
A merchant account is a special kind of bank account that exists for the purpose of holding funds captured from credit and debit card sales. If you've ever used your card and actually wondered where the funds just disappeared to, they went into a merchant account. From there they are transferred out to a normal business bank account, normally on a daily or weekly basis.
If you want to accept credit card payments online, you need either a merchant account provider (Example: Merchant-Accounts.ca) that issues merchant accounts to businesses. Or, you can use the services of an aggregator (Example: PayPal) a company that processes transactions through their own merchant account on behalf of other companies.
It's also worth noting that a Merchant Account is a legal agreement between you and the provider. You'll be given terms and conditions and an contract to sign. Here are some things to look out for before signing a Merchant Account Agreement.
What is a Payment Gateway?
What is a Payment Processor?
What is the Difference Between a Payment Gateway and Processor?
Why do I Need to Apply to get a Merchant Account?Broken down to it's most basic core, the reason you must apply and be approved in order to get a merchant account is because they have the potential to lose money every time they process a credit card transaction on behalf of your business.
Visa and MasterCard have a very clear policy that is enforced when a cardholder pays for a good or a service:
The cardholder is entitled to receive the promised good or service. If such good or service is not delivered then the cardholder is entitled to getting their money back.
This is one of the basic consumer protection principles that apply to credit card transactions.
In order to mitigate this risk the credit card processor has a screening / application process. Note that most processors charge an application fee, and only some will refund the application fee in case of a decline. If you're concerned about being declined, ask if your setup fee is refundable. It's not an unreasonable request and if your chosen processor won't agree you can find another that will.
Watch Out for Unrealistic Promises
How to Get Approved for a Merchant Account
1. Gather Your Financial StatementsFinancial statements are the single best tool you can bring to the table in order to leverage the best terms of approval possible.
From time to time I work with clients that do not want to provide financial statements. It's usually because they are a mid-sized company that is privately owned and they value that privacy. Company financials are sensitive business information. However, from a payment processing perspective this is a significant mistake. More than anything else, most underwriters will want to see financial stability demonstrated so that they know the company will continue successfully operating well into the future.
On the flip side of this coin I work with startups that don't have solid a financial history. Being a startup is tough and being in that situation (especially if you have a risky product) makes it hard to get approval. The underwriter knows that if a pile of chargebacks come in the merchant may have difficulty returning the funds to the cardholders. Merchants in a startup position would give anything to have a strong balance sheet because it would make a huge difference in their approval. If a business has worked hard to earn success, it's a poor decision not to leverage this successful history to get the best possible terms of approval. Use your financial statements or be prepared to put up a security reserve. You will want to provide the most recent balance sheet, profit and loss statement, and any notes from the accountant.
A note on startups: if you have not yet completed a year end don't fret. If trading volumes are smaller, then approval should be relatively easy to achieve (less money trading through the account means less potential risk). If you operate a startup business that is likely to do strong trading volume out of the gate you will have to leverage the other tips found below to achieve approval. It may also be helpful to work with a processor or agent that specializes in consulting with startups to help through the approval process. Some processors are more startup friendly than others.
2. Consider Your Processing HistoryHaving a strong processing history is another extremely important tool to leverage your application. The more money you trade, and the fewer chargebacks, the stronger case you build. The logic is simple: if you've processed credit cards previously and been successful then why would that change? It wouldn't. Always supply at least 3 months processing statements whenever available. 6 months is going the extra distance. If you trade high volumes or have a high risk product or service dig up an entire years worth of statements. It may be a bit of extra work but it will be well worth the effort if it reduces or eliminates the need for a security reserve.
Processing statements should always show the following broken down by month:
- Number of transactions
- Total transaction volume
- Number of refunds
- Total refund volume
- Number of chargebacks
- Total chargeback volume
A Secret Weapon to Ensure ApprovalThere is no magic phrase or secret handshake that will get you through the door of any processor. However, the most obvious strategy is also the one that is most often overlooked: Explain what you're doing in plain English with an old fashioned cover letter.
Write the cover letter almost as if you were applying for a job, except it's being written on behalf of a company. Your goal is to address the hot button points that the underwriter will consider when reviewing your application. It's certainly true that the underwriter's job is to protect the processor's best interests. They will not approve applications fraught with chargeback risk. However, for the most part they want to help businesses succeed.
Some processors are more lenient than others in this department. For example, some processor encourage underwriters to reach out to merchants by phone to discuss any concerns, where other processors do not. You may not ever get the chance to speak to the underwriter and make your case, so your cover letter should work to proactively address any concerns that may come up as they review the file. For this reason, the cover letter is perhaps the ultimate weapon in your arsenal.
6 Tips on Writing a Merchant Account Cover LetterWriting a good cover letter is a question of balance. First, seek guidance in this department from your sales representative. This is important because each bank or payment processor has a different risk appetite for different industries. They may have valuable insight or advice.
Also remember that underwriters are people, and can be swayed and reassured like anyone else. Get your best foot forward. If you have a high risk or complicated service it's critical that you prepare a brief, carefully worded, and extremely clear cover letter that hammers home your points. Attempt to address any concerns that might come up, and answer any questions before they even have the chance to be raised. If you do this these questions can't foster doubts and will never grow into concerns. It's the classic "head it off at the pass" approach.
For suggestions, here are common criteria that should always be addressed on the cover letter.
1. Consider the Product Risk Specific to your Industry.
Guns and ammunition. Enriched uranium. Ivory tusks from endangered elephants. If you are selling any of the above your cover letter had better be written with magic ink. On the plus side some processors would refund your setup fee after being declined, which you could then put towards bail after you were arrested! In reality these would be on the prohibited list which is maintained by Visa and MasterCard. You simply won't get approval for some type of products. Let's focus on the sale of products and services that won't get you arrested.
The highest risk accounts usually require a specialist processor. In the high risk category, discount rates are extremely high and security reserves are large. It's best to summarize that in this sector you will need to find a specialist processor. Two examples of high risk accounts in the eyes of obtaining a merchant account are:
- Pornography / Adult material
- Online gambling
A step down the risk ladder takes us to businesses that are traditionally considered high risk, but approval is most often achievable with the proper effort. These businesses should leverage every one of the tips in this article to get approval.
Some examples of moderate risk businesses:
- Travel packages, airfare, and accommodations
- Telephone services (especially long distance telephone and calling cards)
- Multi level marketing
- Group buying websites
- Penny auction websites
- Discount memberships
- Gym memberships
Another rung down the risk ladder takes us to low risk applications that where you will find most B2B and B2C products and services. I would think that most Shopify ecommerce store owners would fit into the low risk category.
Talk to your sales agent at your prospective payment processor and ask if the type of product or service you provide is usually supported. Knowing what to expect ahead of time will give you a heads up in case you really need to give your cover letter polish.
2. Highlight What is GoodSing your praises and don't be shy to provide relevant information that is factual. Remember to stick to the facts though, and don't get carried away. You wouldn't want to tell the underwriter that you have an IQ of 160, can cook a pretty mean omelet, and can bench press 300 pounds. You have a short window of opportunity. Keep it brief because if it's long winded the underwriter may not read the whole thing, and if it's too fanciful it will lose credibility. Stay on target by talking about the directors, principals or people involved in the project that lend credibility. For example, if you were selling a book that you've written and your editor also works on books by Stephen King it would be very relevant. Industry relevance or insight that you have earned, gained or acquired should be highlighted.
If you know your product is affiliated with a higher risk industry then you should ask yourself if there is anything that separates your business from the crowd. Do you have proactive policies towards monitoring fraud? Do you offer a groundbreaking product that makes yours superior to that of your competitors? If there is anything of note put it in, while staying factual and concise.
3. How to Address High Trading VolumesTrading volumes directly impact the potential risk to the processor because more money is moving through the account. If you are going to be trading strong volumes you should highlight to the underwriter that you have a strong processing history. If you are a startup and don't have a strong processing history then tell the underwriter what is unique about your business that will cause strong volumes to happen out of the gate. You should be validating the application by providing logical reasons why your business is going to perform the way that it is, and make sure that you demonstrate an ability to keep up with orders to smoothly operate the business.
4. How to Address Long Fulfillment Duration TimelinesThere is something in the industry called "fulfillment duration" which refers to the amount of time that passes between when a payment is collected and when the product or service is delivered. For example, if you sold baseball mitts online the fulfillment duration would likely be about a week because if you ship the glove immediately the customer would receive the product within a week. If you sell vacation packages the fulfillment duration would be much longer (about 60-90 days) because most people book their vacation 2 to 3 months ahead of time. What you want to keep in mind is that the more time that passes between the date of the sale, and the date the order is complete, the higher the risk score goes.
Subscriptions are always impacted directly by fulfillment duration. Anytime you buy something with a future expiry date (like subscription access to a website) the risk score tends to be higher. You would ideally build your business in a way that controls or limits the risk from fulfillment duration. In some cases you will have no control over this point because external factors will dictate how this must operate.
This leads to a very important consideration: In some cases you may find that your business is higher risk and a decline is a very real possibility (especially if it's a young business without financials). If you find yourself in this situation it's sometimes best to tweak your business model to reduce the fulfillment duration or subscription timeframe because it will cause the risk score to go down. Addressing this in the cover letter can make a significant difference. It could be the difference between a flat decline and the underwriter reaching out to you to open a discussion about approval.
5. Are you Open to a Security Reserve?Some people think it's crazy to tell the underwriter that you are willing to put up a security reserve. This is flawed logic because it's not like the underwriter isn't going to go down that road anyways if the risk score is getting too high. It's best to be as proactive as possible.
When in doubt say: "I realize that our industry may historically be considered a bit higher risk. We realize this and are sincerely interested in working with you. If security is required we are willing to look at this if necessary." It conveys a sense of seriousness about the application. You aren't going to waste anyone's time and will work with the processor to find mutually agreeable terms of approval.
6. Dealing with Bad CreditIf you've had problems with chargebacks previously, or have bad credit you should be forthright about it. It conveys to the underwriter that you are an honest person and demonstrates that you are willing to step up to the plate and address any issues that may otherwise be a cause for concern for the underwriter.
What if My Merchant Account is Declined?
"Thank you for taking the time to look at our application. I have some knowledge of how merchant industry risk works and why our application may not be able to be supported. For the sake of being thorough I'd like to reiterate that we are sincerely interested in using your service and this is a serious project for us. If there is anything we can provide, including cash collateral or security we are happy to do explore this. We are committed to this business and are willing to provide significant security or anything else that may be required in order to achieve approval. If there is anything that we might be able to provide to help achieve approval please let me know, we do want to work with your organization."
Obviously, the above is a rough template and should be edited to be specific to your situation. What you are trying to do is convey a sense that you want to work with them. I've found that the more overtly willing a merchant is to come to the table and have a candid discussion around security, the less security ends up being needed. I expect this is because it demonstrates to the underwriter that you are serious about your business and are willing to "put your money where your mouth is", so to speak.
I've Tried Everything But Was Still Declined!Keep in mind that different banks and processors have different appetites for risk. For example, travel is historically considered a higher risk industry but some processors specialize in travel accounts and can provide them relatively easily. It might be the case that the processor you selected just wasn't the right fit for your business.
Another example: Right now, group deal (Groupon type) websites are very popular, but there aren't many banks that will underwrite these accounts. You may have to pound the pavement and research to find the right processor. It also sometimes helps if you can work with an Agent that represents a few banks, because they may be able to save you some effort and know which processor will have an appetite for your type of business.
What Happens if all Else Fails?In almost every situation "declined" really means "declined right now, but talk to me later once you have more history."
Some processors specialize in very high risk accounts. I encourage cautiousness when using this type of processor. Thoroughly do your due diligence before going down this road. High risk processors, which are often located offshore, will charge significantly higher fees than low risk processors. In some situations you may not have an alternative though. If you do use a high risk processor try to make sure you are not locked into a contract. After 6 months to a year of successful processing history you may be able to re-submit a stronger application into some of the processors that declined you previously.
I realize it's a catch 22 that you can't get a processing history if you can't get approved. Some businesses have to start with a high risk processor, with a long term goal of building a solid processing history and moving to a lower risk processor.
A last note regarding this strategy: Be fanatical about preventing chargebacks if you are going to go this route. You want to make sure your processing history is sterling when you try to revisit that application a year later.
ConclusionYour merchant account sales representative is the best tool you have access to ahead of submitting your application. Ask questions about approval and listen to the responses. If it's all roses be skeptical. Be honest with your expectations and if you have concerns highlight them upfront. The processor you are working with should want to help you get approval, which should ultimately lead to a mutually beneficial long term partnership.
This article was written by David Goodale who is the CEO at MerchantAccounts.ca. David has over 10 years of industry expertise in the international and multi-currency ecommerce payments sector.


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I am pleased to be with you today and I want to thank Containerization International for the invitation to speak. My remarks today reflect my own individual views and thoughts. They are not offered as the official positions of the United States or the Federal Maritime Commission.
Briefly for those who may not be familiar with the Federal Maritime Commission, it is an independent US agency with responsibility for the regulation of oceanborne transportation in foreign commerce between the US and our trading partners. The FMC's mission is to administer the laws assigned by the Congress, and to develop and administer regulations and policies that foster a fair, efficient and secure maritime transportation system.
Among the statutes within our purview is the Shipping Act of 1984 as it was amended by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998. The Shipping Act provides, on one hand, that liner carriers will have a limited antitrust immunity for certain discussions that occur within agreements that are filed with and monitored by the FMC. On the other hand, the Commission is charged with responsibility to ensure that such agreements do not result in unreasonable increases in transportation costs or decreases in transportation services. We also review and monitor service contracts between ocean common carriers and shippers with a view to guard against detrimental affects to shipping in the US foreign trade.
My background is not the traditional course to a seat on the Federal Maritime Commission. I spent 35 years in what in American is called the Brown Water trade. I started as a crewman on towboats moving barge flotillas on the Mississippi River, then a brief rotation through the engine room and then up to the bridge where I served as pilot and then captain. Along the way, I earned my sequence of licenses, ultimately receiving my US Merchant Marine Officer's License as Master & First Class Pilot, Steam and Motor Vessels. Then back to school, earning a law degree and joining American Commercial Lines' management team in 1979, first in the law section, then broader administrative assignments and last as chief of marine operations.
What happened in the US domestic marine industry during my years with ACL is a very close overlay of what has been happening and evolving in the US international trades since the 84 Shipping Act. Let me briefly outline those changes.
When I joined ACL, the domestic industry had tariffs and a freight bureau or conference with antitrust immunity that allowed carriers to jointly set rates and all other terms of carriage. I clearly remember my first freight bureau meeting and the business discussions. A deviation from the tariff structure required a process called independent action that was time and paper intensive.
Then, as a part of the deregulatory initiatives in the early 1980's that led to sweeping reforms in marine, rail, air and truck transportation - the Interstate Commerce Commission received permission to grant contract authority to domestic marine common carriers. These contracts were virtually identical to the service contract that emerged some 15 years later in 1998 OSRA legislation.
I wrote the first service agreement at American Commercial, incorporating the essential parts from the tariff and from our bulk affreightment contract, and, after a few test runs with some shippers, we were off and going. I commented to one of our sales executives that I thought we would be doing all regulated movements, even a single barge, by contract rather that tariff, within two years. I was way off – it only took one year.
So I have some understanding and appreciation for the changes that have occurred in the ocean liner trades, first with the 84 Shipping Act, which preserved many aspects of the tariff-based common carriage model while allowing and streamlining independent action and then the 1998 OSRA amendments which encouraged confidential one-on-one service contracts, but preserved the limited antitrust immunity for carriers.
I also have a growing understanding of the added layers of complexity surrounding the international trades as compared to US domestic trades – there are simply more moving parts and they are coming at us from more directions. With that acknowledgement, a blue water colleague recently said to me – but, at the end of the day, marine freight is marine freight, and basic fundamentals still apply. From that perspective, I offer these observations.
The US Congress, by the late 1980's ultimately deregulated the US domestic marine industry from economic oversight. Of course, that business remained subject to full US flag requirements and the US Justice Department can get its hands around that business from a geographic and jurisdictional perspective. Further, the potential market distortions that come into play are all domestic, such as tax credits, depreciation and incentives, government sponsored loan guarantees and similar matters are controlled by our own US Congress.
Congress decided to take a less far reaching approach to the international liner trades in the OSRA amendments to the Shipping Act. While Congress took into account the laws and regulations of our trading partners, it also was considering the market distortions that can exist, such as various nation's policies and agendas, various subsidies by way of direct involvement or by indirect tax incentives.
Following OSRA and then following the EU's elimination of its block exemption in October, 2008, there are currently no rate discussion agreements on file with the FMC that relate to US / EU liner trades. There are 43 efficiency enhancing operational agreements that involve one or more EU member states. Therefore, taken as a whole, the inverse question could be posed – ""what is left to talk about?""
Admittedly, the market share rules concerning consortia are different in the EU and the US. However; to propose that US antitrust immunity be removed from all of these types of non-rate and non-capacity agreements turns a cold eye to a fundamental of antitrust enforcement philosophy.
In the EU, the various countries and the EU, as a body, may initiate civil proceedings and ultimately obtain monetary fines. In the US, private citizens can bring actions for triple damages and the US Department of Justice can bring either civil actions or criminal actions against the companies and against the individual executives involved. An EU member state that has adopted the EU rule and provided for criminal sanction may also bring such action. Significant jail time has been imposed in cases.
Without antitrust immunity, literally all discussions between competitors concerning sharing or cooperating on vessel operations and efficiency matters would become problematic. I served many years as the General Counsel to American Commercial Lines, at a time when ACL had a 25 percent market share in the domestic inland market. All conversations with competitors were carefully monitored – if allowed at all. The removal of the carefully tailored and limited US antitrust immunity could well result in chilling the willingness and ability of carriers to explore and craft cost-saving efficiencies that benefit shippers and consumers. I have heard from some attending this conference that such effect is occurring in the EU.
Immunity or no – there will still be swings in the markets, in rates, and capacity. I can offer the following long term observations on antitrust immunity in the smaller and confined US market place. As I mentioned earlier, in the 1970's and early 80's, the US domestic trade enjoyed full antitrust immunity. During that period, they collectively overbuilt the dry bulk fleet. Then in the mid 90's, with antitrust immunity a thing of the past, they went through a second wave of overbuilding. Then in the mid naughts – or the preceding decade - the tanker segments saw record high freight rates and proceeded to over build their fleet, with a resulting collapse in rates. Again, no antitrust immunity and violent peaks and valleys in capacity and rates. Two different regulatory regimes – same business cycles.
That view of a smaller market is a reflection covering 20 to 30 years – more than one business cycle. We are only 18 months removed from the EU action repealing the block exemption. And, as publically announced some time ago, the FMC is conducting an economic study that looks at the US / EU trades over a five year period – that is two years prior to the change, plus one transition year and then the two subsequent years.
I do not want to preempt any part of that study; but allow me to look at a few of the original assumptions that were published in a study leading up to the elimination of the block exemption together with the current – if still raw – data.
Prior to the repeal of the block exemption, the EU commissioned a study which identified a number of anticipated benefits. I asked our staff economist to research a few of these issues and to provide a current view.
Clearly, as if there is anything that is clear from these examples - the jury is still deliberating. Obviously, the global recession that we are just now beginning to shake off has added an additional layer of complexity to the data and added uncertainty to the data's interpretation. With those caveats – our economists at the FMC hope to complete their study by the end of 2011.
So, to directly address while not answering the question of – should the rest of the world follow the EU action and ban liner conferences? I have these observations:
First, with very minor exception, the traditional old style conferences have been all but eliminated in the US following the OSRA amendments to the Shipping Act.
Second, discussion agreements concerning rates and terms of service have disappeared in the US / EU trades, while consortia agreements in this trade continue and are monitored.
Third, discussion agreements concerning rates and terms of service continue in the US / Pacific arena. And, I should hasten to note that those trades have seen capacity shortages, rolled cargo and the like. It may be coincidence that these capacity issues look quite similar, if not identical to the recent problems the EU has been experiencing.
Note that the FMC may make policy recommendations; however, we do not make ultimate decisions concerning the competition rules governing liner carriers that call on US ports. That is the exclusive province of the legislature.
Correctly stated, our Congress enacted two primary competition laws – the Sherman Act in 1890 and the Clayton Act in 1914. But then, Congress decided that international ocean shipping required somewhat different competition rules. So, Congress enacted the first Shipping Act in 1916 to serve as the rule book in lieu of the Sherman and Clayton Acts. Certain actions that would be automatic violations of Sherman are permitted under the Shipping Act – but only to a limited extent and the actions' impact on commerce must be moderate. The Shipping Act was reformed and updated in 1984 and again in 1998. The FMC's role is to regulate, monitor and administer these modified competition rules.
There are some in the US Congress that feel strongly, as a matter of principal, that the Sherman and Clayton Acts should apply to all industries without modification or exception. However, in the most recent consideration of this issue during the OSRA debates in 1998, Congress decided, first, to reform certain rules and carrier practices, but, second and overall, to retain the current system that balances the ability of vessel operators to cooperate under certain limited circumstances with the regulatory authority of the FMC to monitor carrier activity and bring sanctions if carriers engage in prohibited acts. In summary, our Congress has debated this issue on several occasions and it could come up again.
One issue that is currently under investigation at the Commission and could gain some audience in the halls of Congress is the capacity and equipment shortages that are being experienced in the US, especially in areas that are not in large metropolitan areas.
When juxtaposed with a sequence of rate increases, there are shipper representatives who believe that these issues – principally in the US / Pacific trades, are a result of carriers using their legal privilege to discuss rate guidelines while, at the same time, improperly discussing and agreeing upon route capacity issues. To my knowledge, there has not been any, any offer of evidence of such improper activity.
U.S. exporters of agricultural products are particularly exercised about the impact of capacity limitation, equipment unavailability and rate increases on their ability to compete internationally. The media is giving some attention to these concerns. The Wall Street Journal published a front page article about the issue on March 12th. Bloomberg News posted an article on March 29th that focused on the delays on Asian docks of containers bound for both US and EU markets. Congress has held a hearing on the matter and another is pending.
This Wall Street Journal article followed by one day the signing of an Executive Order by President Obama to launch a National Export Initiative to facilitate the creation of jobs in the United States through the promotion of exports. The objective of the initiative is to double U.S. exports in five years.
The capacity and equipment availability issue and its impact on U.S. shippers are of great concern to the FMC. On March 3rd, the Commissioners voted to initiate a Fact Finding Investigation into the current conditions concerning vessel and equipment availability in the U.S. export and import liner trades.
While the FMC's Fact Finding is not focused on the antitrust immunity - and the Commission has yet to see any evidence linking the current situation to the carriers' antitrust immunity – if there is indication that capacity issues and higher freight rates are credibly linked to improper use of antitrust immunity by foreign-flag or US flag liner carriers, we may see renewed attention by Congress and the Administration to the issue.
The Commission's Investigative Officer for the Fact Finding is Commissioner Rebecca Dye. She will issue an interim report of findings and recommendations on June 15th. The House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation intends to hold a hearing on July 2nd. The Commission's final report of findings and recommendations will be issued by July 31, 2010.
Interested parties are invited to contact Commissioner Dye should they wish to provide testimony, or evidence, or contribute in any other manner to the development of the factual record. As additional assistance, the FMC's Office of Consumer Affairs and Dispute Resolution Services provides a variety of dispute resolution processes designed to counsel and help shippers, carriers, and other industry participants resolve commercial disputes. Our dispute resolution program is available to help parties with any complications that arise related to U.S. import / export issues.
In addition, the FMC has set up a website to assist the public in locating information on the U.S. export issues which will be updated regularly with a variety of documents, including Commission press releases, Congressional testimony, and Commission actions.
Whether Congress turns its attention back to international ocean shipping or not, the regulatory landscape in the U.S. is not static. Section 16 of the Shipping Act gives the Commission the discretion to grant exemptions from the requirements of the law if doing so will not result in substantial reduction in competition or be detrimental to commerce. The Commission is judiciously but actively using this Section 16 authority.
As example, two months ago, the Commission voted to initiate a rulemaking that would relieve Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carriers (NVOCCs) from the costs and burdens of publishing in tariffs the rates they charge for cargo shipments. According to comments filed with the Commission, this action could save many of these businesses up to $200,000 per year per NVO.
This was my first vote at the FMC and I believe the Commission's action will foster competition, provide a benefit to the shipping public, and be good for the economy.
This concludes my prepared remarks. Again, it is a pleasure to be here today and I have thoroughly enjoyed to opportunity to hear from and meet so many industry leaders.
This site is an official U.S. Government Website


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- OakBridge timber frameA 150-year-old cabin resting by a placid lake near Danville, Ohio has been updated with a beautifully handcrafted timber-framed addition. The Jenkins Home stays true to the original character of the log cabin, and the homestead's traditional Amish timber-framed construction maintains a strong connection to its roots. All of the wooden beams were carefully cut by hands and joined without steel connectors by OakBridge Timber Framing.1
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Trying to think of the perfect gift can be a daunting idea. With so many options, it is difficult to know what would be the perfect gift for your girlfriend. It is important to remember that the most important part of buying a gift for someone is to make that person feel that you really know them. With a little consideration, you can be sure to see a happy face when she opens the box.
Method 01
Create an idea
Plan something in advance. Do not wait until the last minute. By planning in advance, you can decide between a romantic gesture or a gift that suits the occasion, for which you will have time to execute it. It will also give you time to order it online if necessary.
Brainstorm. Take some time to develop three lists: a list of things you like, a list of things you like, and a list of things you have in common, which may include jokes or memories. Use these lists as inspiration to have ideas on what to give.
- For example, if you know that she loves to cook, you can give her an apron that has some of her favorite photos printed together.
Consider a practical gift. Many people appreciate practical gifts. Be careful with this option, since you do not want to give something too boring or ordinary. Ask yourself "Is this something that finally she will end up buying if I do not?" If the answer is yes, do not buy it. A good gift should be something that she loves or can use, but would not buy on her own.
- For example, she may still want a luxurious kitchen utensil, but she has no additional money to buy it. That would be a perfect gift.
Use recent conversations It's possible that she intentionally gave you a clue about what she wants. In the same way, maybe the two have talked about something that is very fashionable, which can give you a guide for the gift. Using what she says as a source of inspiration for your gift will help you be sure to give her something that she really likes and show you that you listen to what she says.
- For example, maybe she says "Taylor Swift's music always makes me happy, I really want to have her new CD".
Check your account on Pinterest. If you have one, it is a fantastic resource to find out what you want without asking it directly. Another source could be your list of desired products on Amazon, if it is public. Just make sure you do not buy something you already have.
Take into consideration your language of love. The "language of love" is a term used by Gary Chapman to describe what people need to feel loved. If you can find out the language of your girlfriend's love, you can give her something she really wants and make her feel loved. One way to understand your girlfriend's love language is by asking her to take a test at 5lovelanguages.com. Do not worry, she will probably think it's romantic that you want to understand her language of love.
- The first language of love is the words of affirmation. That means that the person feels most loved when he hears words of appreciation or affection
- The second language of love is acts of service, which means that the person feels more loved when you do things for her, such as taking charge of some task.
- The third language of love is to receive gifts, just as it sounds. People feel loved when you show them with gifts.
- For people who value quality time, simply spending time with you is the most important thing.
- For people whose language of love is physical contact, being close to you is important, from holding hands to having moments of intimacy.
Ask him what he wants. Use common sense with this. Some girls will appreciate your consideration when asking, while for others it may be strange. If you do, ask for help. Avoid simply asking "What do you want?" Instead, ask him for a list of things or the types of things he likes. In this way, she will not know exactly what you are going to give her.
Method 02
Make a gift
Do something This option is very good if you do not have much money. Also, your girlfriend will appreciate more if you do it. Making a gift takes more time and effort than simply buying something online, but it does not necessarily have to take days. Also, you know it will be unique. Do not worry, you do not have to be Van Gogh to make a beautiful gift that she will love.
Make a scrapbook or frame a photo. Because, these days, most of the photos are on the computer or on cell phones, giving your photos in physical can be nice. You can put the photos in a simple album or frame many photos of the two of you together.
Prepare your favorite drink. Whether you love tea or hot chocolate, try making a small kit of your favorite beverage. For example, for hot chocolate, you can make a homemade chocolate mix with small packages of marshmallows and several small bottles of Baileys on one side. [11] If you like tea, try to make an arrangement of all your favorite teas, plus a little honey. Includes an elegant cup to finish.
Prepare some homemade bath bombs. If your girl loves to soak in the bathtub, it will be perfect to make bath bombs for her. Choose an essential oil whose aroma will enchant you and thus you will be happy.
- To make a bath bomb, just mix 2 cups of cornstarch (cornstarch) with 1 cup of citric acid and 1 3/4 of a cup of baking soda, stirring with a colander.
- Fill small atomizers with water. If you want color in your bath bubbles, add 6 drops of food coloring.
- Measure 1 cup of the powder mixture. Use the atomizer to add small amounts of water to the powder. Mix a little after each application. The mixture will be ready when it is held together when tightening.
- Add the essential oil. For an essential oil with a heavy fragrance (like mint), add 5 drops; place 6 for a lighter one (like lemon). Shake the fragrance. Put the mixture in small baking pans, preferably those that contain 1/4 cup, enough for a bath. If they are smaller, use two bath bombs per tub. Repeat this procedure for the rest of the dry mix.
Method 03
Do something nice for her as a gift
Clean the house. Maybe you do not want a clean house to be the whole gift, but if you live with your girlfriend, it's a good gesture to show her that you care about cleaning the house. Make sure you do all the regular tasks, from cleaning the bathroom to washing clothes.
Prepare some food. You can make brownies to him (the mixtures make that the preparation of the brownies is very easy) and personalize them adding chocolate sparks, sweets, sweets or conserves of raspberry, everything what would like. Do not forget to take your allergies, what you like and what you dislike in consideration. Alternatively, if you want to go further, try to prepare a full meal. Choose a simple recipe or play with your culinary skills.
Brighten up your car. If she is like most people, you will not always have time to clean her car. Find a way to "borrow" your car. Take it out and clean it inside and out. Just make sure you do not throw anything away, that could cause problems!
Method 4
Find a unique gift
Check webpages of crafts. Craft websites offer a variety of gifts that are unique. You can find something that suits what your girl likes or you can even get a personalized gift for her. Check out websites like Etsy, Custom Made and Shana Logic.
Try handicraft or art fairs. As in the websites of art and craft, in local art shops and artisanal fairs you can find unique gifts of its kind. Although sometimes the prices can be high, you will be paying for a truly special gift and supporting the economy of your locality at the same time.
Find something that you are passionate about on the Internet. For example, if your girlfriend loves to draw, art supplies are definitely an appropriate option. However, an art book or a painting by your favorite artist (if you can afford it) are also. Make the gift match the things you love.
Go one step further. For example, if you love books, giving her a book is an obvious choice. However, you can go a step further. Instead of simply buying a book, try to get a copy of your favorite book signed by the author. That will make it truly unique and special
Method 05
Give him an experience
Try to choose something you can do together. Instead of giving him something that he will leave on the shelf, try to give him something that allows him to go out and do it. If it is something that both love or something that you do not like much but she does, that will make it an unforgettable gift.
- For example, try to buy tickets for a musical or a play. As an alternative, you can buy tickets for a symphonic concert of your locality.
Consider the possibility of giving you a more long-term experience. For example, if you love to paint, try to enroll her in a painting class. Another option is to try a brewing class together if she loves beer, which could become a lifelong passion. Just make sure it's something you're passionate about, what you should know if you pay attention to what it says and does.
Deal with a small trip. Even a short trip to a nearby cabin can be romantic in the right conditions. It does not have to be too expensive, as long as you think about what your girlfriend likes. For example, if you do not like to do outdoor activities, take her on a trip to a nearby city or a picturesque town
- For a smaller walk, try to spend a night in a luxury hotel in the city.
- Another option is a "vacation at home". Basically it is that both take a day off from work and make fun plans in the city where they live. For example, they can have a picnic, and go to the park or a concert in the botanical gardens.


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text:
wheels of tragedy!!
I stumbled onto the site for the Highway Safety Films Project. Mechanized Death!
Ah, Driver's Ed. Gore films, scare tactics and thinking the care was in drive when it was really in reverse. But that's another story.
I'm using the finding of this site to repeat my driver's ed post from March of 2002, because I really need to get some work done right now. Enjoy.
I took driver's ed in 1979, the beginning of my senior year in high school. The class met two days a week after school, one day for driving and one day for classroom lecture.
The classroom lecture consisted mostly of us watching films while the instructor, Mr D. (who was also our history teacher) used his pointer to draw attention to the finer points of the film. He banged the screen with that wooden stick enough that he there were several holes in it by the end of the semester. He took his driving seriously. Mr. D was all about the dangers that lurked on the roadways. Apparently, death and mayhem were waiting to greet us at every turn.
The first film we saw that year would later be referred to as "The Box of Death." It was animated, as most of the gore-fest driver's ed films were, and starred a crudely drawn teenager driving a sports car. The teen is speeding down a residential street when he approaches a box in the middle of the road. Just a big, white cardboard box sitting in the middle of a side street. A bubble pops up above the teen's head, cartoon style, and in it we see the teen is thinking of his two choices in the situation: drive around the box (good choice) or drive over the box (bad choice). Cheesy music plays. Tension abounds. The teen guns the engine and goes for it.
At this point Mr. D. stops the film.
"What do you think is going to happen here, class?"
"Uhh...hes going to hit the box..."
"YES!" Pointer smacks screen. "He is going to hit the box! Because he has MADE THE WRONG CHOICE!" Each word brings a smack of the pointer. The flimsly screen sways. "Would you like to see what happens? Are you ready to see where a bad choice can lead you?" We begin to think he is reading from the same script as the police officer who came to warn us, a bit late, about drugs.
Those of us who aren't already asleep encourage him to play the rest of the film.
Our speeding teenager who made the wrong choice continues down the road, hell bent on running down that mysterious box. He hits it with a loud thud, and the box goes flying in the air. It lands on the sidewalk. The teen gets out of the car and stand there with a Home Alone look of surprise on his face. He walks to the box, where it rests upside down and battered, and carefully lifts it up. I don't know what we expected to see. Garbage or soda cans or even homeless kitties. But, no...we see an arm. A small child's cartoon arm sticking out of the box, looking somewhat bruised and bloody.
Instead of recoiling in horror and shame, we burst out laughing.
"Is there something funny about a dead child?" Mr. D is not happy with us.
We giggle uncontrollably. A kid was the last thing we expected to be in the box. Why? Because it's incredibly absurd. Someone comments that if a kid was hiding in a cardboard box in the middle of the road, he sort of deserves to be hit by a car. Mr. D. threatens us all with driver's ed failure. Then he lectures on The Box.
"That box could be filled with anything. Leaves, children, bricks!" We are rolling on the floor now. We have no idea what box he is talking about. For as long as all of us have lived on this earth, none of us have ever come across a cardboard box, empty or filled with small children, in the middle of the road. We make jokes about brick-filled boxes. We make bad puns revolving around kids named Jack (jack-in-the-box...get it?). Mr. D. realizes lecturing on The Box is useless. He warns us that the films we will see in the coming weeks will make The Box look like a comic book.
We spend the subsequent lecture days in a dark classroom, projector rolling and Mr. D. banging the pointer around. We see school buses imploding. Cars going off cliffs. Rag doll bodies being thrown through car windshields. Corpses, brains, body parts and crying teenagers, all ketchup and fake goo and Jamie Lee Curtis caliber screaming, set to a 70's soundtrack that sounds as if it were ripped from a porn film. They had titles like "Death Never Takes a Holiday" and "Mechanized Death" and "Blood on the Highway" and we began to look forward to these films the way we looked forward to watching horror movies at Mike's house on Friday nights.
These films became the Reefer Madness of driving culture. Instead of scaring us as they were intended to do, they served as pure entertainment. There were kids who weren't even taking driver's ed and would sneak into our classroom just to see "When Death Comes Driving."
We were sad when the semester ended and our car crash gorefest was over. We all passed Mr. D.'s class with flying colors, most likely because didn't want to see us in his classroom again the next semester. We were the kids who laughed at death.
I'm sure Mr. D. would be happy to know that all these years later, I still think of him every time I run down a box in the road.


text:
Dirty Pretty Things
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Bang Bang You're DeadWaterloo to Anywhere 2006
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AlbumsSee All
About Dirty Pretty Things
After the Libertines broke up in fall 2004, singer/songwriter and guitarist Carl Barat began work on his next musical project. Signing to the U.K. label Vertigo almost immediately after the band dissolved, Barat worked on songs on his own and eventually recruited his former bandmate Gary Powell as the drummer for his new group. He also brought in Anthony Rossomando -- who had been Pete Doherty's replacement in the Libertines when Doherty was arrested in summer 2004 -- as second guitarist. Bassist Didz Hammond left the Cooper Temple Clause to join Barat's project, which was christened Dirty Pretty Things after Barat's club night (which was later renamed Bright Young Things).
By fall 2005, Dirty Pretty Things' lineup was complete, and the band played its first gigs in Paris, France (where the Libertines also played their farewell show) and in Italy, crafting a sound that felt like a leaner, tighter version of the Libertines' freewheeling mod-punk. The band entered the studio that winter, collaborating with Dave Sardy in Los Angeles and with Tony Doogan in Glasgow. Dirty Pretty Things came on strong in spring 2006, releasing their first track, "You Fucking Love It," as a free CD packaged with NME magazine and appearing at the South by Southwest festival. Their first official single, Bang Bang You're Dead, arrived a couple of weeks ahead of their debut album, Waterloo to Anywhere, which reached number three on the U.K. album charts.
Dirty Pretty Things kept up their prodigious touring schedule throughout that summer and released Waterloo to Anywhere in the U.S. in August 2006; Romance at Short Notice followed two years later. In December 2008 the band played its final gig. In 2009 Barat and Powell reunited with Pete Doherty at a tribute show for promoter Johnny Sedassy at the London Rhythm Factory, and a year later, the full band reunited for gigs at the Leeds and Reading festivals. Barat released his self-titled solo debut in October 2010. ~ Heather Phares
- London, England
- Rock
- 2004
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text: "Lux, James P" <james.p.lux at jpl.nasa.gov> wrote: > The other, here at JPL, I have heard about this contract before - and in my opinion, it is a horrible deal. The taxpayers get reamed and the vendor makes out like a bandit. (SNIP) >At any given time, there's a dozen or so kinds of computers >(desktop/laptop/PC/Mac) available, but since the configurations are >changing, and they have a 3 year recycle time, the key point being the 3 year lease. (SNIP) >Interestingly, the monthly cost for both organizations is about the >same ( a few hundred bucks a month for hardware lease+service). Let "a few hundred" = $200, and of course there are 36 months in 3 years, so JPL pays the vendor $7200 for each machine, plus "support" for this term. At the end of the lease the vendor gets the computer back, and they probably sell it for a few hundred dollars, just to sweeten the already cushy deal. The office staff may need support once and a while, but one can assume that the average JPL engineer or scientist can more than handle all their own PC software issues, and at worst would just need to swap a machine if there was a major hardware issue. In other words, the average support cost to the vendor for the technical staff is but a tiny fraction of what JPL pays them. Who's the vendor, Halliburton? Regards David Mathog mathog at caltech.edu Manager, Sequence Analysis Facility, Biology Division, Caltech


text:
Winning Without Me
Drama Club Steals the Show from Lee and the Rangers
I want to kill my TV. It sucks. Seriously, I've had enough with it. It just doesn't work anymore. Maybe it's because I always throw my shoes at it….
Maybe, but I don't think that's the main reason. Our TV is a dinosaur. I'm not kidding, our TV is 24 year old Zenith. It's big and beautiful – the screen is embedded into the piece, and it's like a piece of furniture.
Exactly like this one! Only with mine, it's hard to watch baseball.
So last night, we put the YES Network on around 7:30 and listened to the pregame while we ate dinner. Then around 7:50, the picture and sound were gone. Oh great. And of course, it didn't come back. The clock said 8:07, and I was itching to see my Yankees. But no. tHe picture was gone.
The cable guy says it's not because the TV is old, it's because the cable lines are either filled with water, or get this: the SQUIRRELS are chewing them.
I think we just need a new TV.
Anyway, of course the YES Network was dead last night, but the stupid movie channels worked. And of course, my Dad found the perfect thing to watch on my favorite channel: Encore Westerns. God help me.
All of a sudden, I hear my older brother, who was downstairs on the computer, scream. My Dad asked him what was wrong, and he said, "THEY SUUUCK. Javier gave up a home run."
Yankees down a run….and facing Cliff Lee…then I wasn't so sure if I wanted to watch the game, even if the TV would let me.
Eventually, my parents went to bed, leaving me and my little brother with control over the TV. No more westerns!
We tried the YES Network again, and it worked…but I lost my desire to watch. The score was 6-1 Rangers.
So we switched it over to our favorite movie, Tropic Thunder. If you've never seen it, I suggest you do. Nonstop laughter, and there's actually a plot!
Through our intense laughter, we heard clapping from downstairs. After pulling ourselves together, Tommy and I yelled to Bobby, "Hey! What's going on down there?"
Turns out, the Yankees scored.
Okay, so they scored…but could they really come back from this huge deficit?
Every once in awhile, we would switch back to YES. In the 8th, we saw Marcus Thames rounding the bases. He hit a home run? And then we noticed the score: 6-5???
Are they seriously coming back?
When the game reached the 9th inning, we decided to watch. Luckily, we saw the good stuff: With 2 men on and the infield in, Derek Jeter hit a bouncing ball through for a base hit! That tied the game at 6.
After Nick Swisher struckout again, it was up to Marcus Thames. And again, Thames delivered a solid base hit through the left side, giving the Yankees their first lead of the night: 7-6.
Mariano made things too close for comfort in the bottom of the 9th, surrendering a leadoff triple. But there was no way Mo was going to lose the game 2 nights in a row. So the Great Mariano did his thing, and that runner didn't move. YANKEES WIN 7-6!
I never in a million years thought they would win it last night. I mean, the team has looked so dead for the past few days. But I guess last night was different. The heroes for this victory are the guys that I saw win it for the Yanks: Jeet, Mo, and Marcus Thames.
When the Yankees got Marcus Thames in the offseason, I didn't think much of it. I celebrated over getting Granderson and Vazquez. But in reality, little Mr. Marcus Thames has proved to be the best acquisition the Yankees added this year. He doesn't play much, but when he does, he contributes. I hope they keep him.
With an ever-so-slim 1.5 game lead in the AL East, I'm hoping the Yankees can sweep the Kansas City Royals and gain a little ground. And hopefully, I'll be able to actually watch them do it.


text:
Dear Debt Adviser,
Continue Reading Below
My elderly mother has no income except her Social Security. She lost her home to foreclosure a few years ago after my dad died, and she has no assets. She owes $15,000 on her credit card. She had been paying them the minimum balance faithfully every month until they found out about the foreclosure. Then, they doubled her minimum payments. All calls to them for leniency fell on deaf ears. She stopped paying because she could no longer afford the monthly payments. Now, a collection agency has issued her a court summons. The only money in her bank account is what gets automatically deposited by Social Security. Can the collection agency garnish her Social Security income? How do we inform the bank that this is her only income? How can I stop this madness? Please help! We are desperate and cannot afford to pay an attorney. Thank you very much.
-- Susan
Dear Susan, I am glad you wrote on behalf of your mother. The elderly often find this sort of conflict to be overwhelming. She is lucky to have you helping her sort out this mess. To relieve both her fears and your own, let's start with your question about garnishing Social Security income. Social Security income is exempt from garnishment except in cases where the debt is owed to the government or child support. In the past, a person receiving only Social Security benefits would have to prove to the bank that the income was exempt (often after it had already been garnished). But thankfully, that is no longer the case.
The U.S Department of Treasury now requires banks to proactively protect federal benefits including Social Security from garnishment. Under the Treasury regulation, should a garnishment order be issued to the bank, the account must be reviewed before the order could be executed. Any federal benefits that are directly deposited into the account are protected from garnishment up to a value of two months' payments or the value of the account, whichever is less. So your mother's deposits for the last two months are protected, but any excess amount in the account can be garnished.
Now that you both know the rules about Social Security funds, let's discuss how she might pay what she owes -- if she wants to. Many people, especially of your mother's generation, do not like owing money to anyone. That includes pushy, seemingly unreasonable creditors. If that is the case for your mother, she could consider contacting a nonprofit credit counseling agency. She can speak to a certified credit counselor over the phone, and her counselor will help determine if she has enough income to repay her credit card debt through a debt management plan. A plan may get her payments back to a level that she can afford.
Finally, a court summons must be answered, and I prefer that she have an attorney represent her. Try contacting your local legal aid society for free representation or advice.
Good luck!
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