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In personal injury litigation, the term "catastrophic" is used to describe injuries that are extremely serious and that permanently alter the lives of an injured person. The description of an injury as catastrophic reflects the particularly serious nature of the injuries and their effect on the injured person's ability to live a normal life.
Catastrophic injuries may be caused by a wide variety of accidents or wrongful acts. They often arise from motor vehicle collisions, construction accidents, injuries caused by falling, recreational injuries (such as injuries that occur while climbing or diving), aviation accidents, medical malpractice and from criminal acts.
With good medical attention and support, some people who are catastrophically injured may make a strong physical recovery. Unfortunately, many people who suffer catastrophic injury are never able to resume a normal life. Many are temporarily disabled. Many others become permanently disabled as a result of the injury, and some will require constant medical care and attention for the rest of their lives.
When speaking of catastrophic injuries I do not mean to diminish the seriousness or impact of other injuries. Any personal injury case may involve an injury that is life changing. Even after physical recovery any injured person may experience physical and emotional consequences of the injury, and may also suffer residual disability, scarring or disfigurement.
What is a Catastrophic Injury
Although there is no official definition of what does or does not constitute a catastrophic injury, the term is typically used to describe injuries that are severe and life-altering, and in some cases fatal. Broadly speaking, an injury will be regarded as catastrophic if the injury causes a long-term or permanent disability that prevents the injured person from holding gainful employment or from being able to live independently.
Injuries that may be catastrophic include brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, nerve damage, severe burns, severe fractures, injuries that cause damage to internal organs, and amputations.
Consequences of a Catastrophic Injury
The consequences of a catastrophic injury are both physical and psychological.
- The injured person will typically feel a significant loss of quality of life.
- The injury is likely to require significant medical intervention, and may require long-term medical support and care.
- Some catastrophic injuries are disfiguring, and the injured person may struggle to go out in public or even to look in a mirror.
Beyond the physical consequences, a catastrophic injury may shatter the injured person's sense of purpose. In our society, many people build their self-image on their ability to support themselves and their families, to earn a solid income, and to be active with their spouse and children.
Physical and cognitive disabilities that result from a catastrophic injury can force the injured person into a life that bears little resemblance to the life they led before the injury.
- The injured person may lose their ability to resume hobbies, exercise and activities that they previously enjoyed, and may not be able to work or may suffer a serious loss of earning capacity.
- The injured person may suffer from mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
- The injury may also result in physical pain and suffering that continues long after the point of maximum medical recovery.
- A neurological injury may result in personality changes, memory loss, learning disability, and emotional consequences.
Compensation for Catastrophic Injuries
When the injury is caused through the negligence or wrongful act of another person or business, or by a hazardous product, it is possible for the injury victim to bring a personal injury claim to seek compensation from the parties that caused the injury.
The damage caused by a catastrophic injury is physical, psychological and economic. Damages are often so severe that it is difficult to attach a dollar figure that meaningfully represents the extent of the injured person's suffering and loss. No matter how much money the victim of a catastrophic injury may recover, every victim would happily give back that money in order to again live a normal life.
To look at it another way, even if promised a full recovery, few people would agree to suffer a serious personal injury such as a broken bone, even for thousands of dollars of compensation. Catastrophic injuries are far more severe, recovery is often partial, and even what seems like a large financial settlement or verdict will be inadequate to make up for the injured person's losses.
Economic damages, or out-of-pocket damages, include compensation for lost wages, cost of medical care, physical therapy and rehabilitation, medications, residential care, retraining, home modification, an accessible vehicle, medical equipment,
Non-economic damages, also known as pain and suffering, may include compensation for pain and suffering caused by the injury and its treatment, for any disability that results from the injury, for any disfigurement, for psychological injury, and for the injured person's loss of the ability to lead and enjoy a normal life and enjoy normal family relationships.
Compensation for Family Members
Family members of a severely injured person may also be able to make a claim for damages.
- If the family member is a dependent of the injured person, a claim may be possible based upon the loss of expected financial support.
- Family members, and especially spouses, may be able to seek compensation based on the manner in which the injury, recovery and any continuing disability interfere with their normal family relationship with the injured family member.
Problems Obtaining Compensation
It may be difficult to obtain adequate compensation for a catastrophic injury.
- Lack of Insurance: Some people who cause injuries to others don't carry adequate insurance or are uninsured. For example, drunk drivers often carry the least amount of insurance required by state law and thus, even when they cause a serious injury, it may be difficult to recover adequate compensation.
- Damages Caps: States may limit the amount that a plaintiff may recover from a defendant, even when the plaintiff's actual damages are far greater than the amount of the cap. For example, most states cap recovery for people who are injured by acts of medical malpractice.
- Statutes of Repose: State law, and in some cases federal law, may cut off damages claims against the party responsible for the injury after a specified number of years through a statute of repose. For example, product defect claims against the manufacturers of aircraft are normally barred after ten years, even though an aircraft is likely to be in use for a much longer period of time. Claims for negligence in the design or construction of buildings are typically cut off after a statutory period that commences when construction of the building is substantially completed, even though the building will remain in use for many additional decades.
When it appears that it may be difficult to recover adequate compensation, it is important to investigate other possible sources of compensation. For example, although the driver of a vehicle who caused an accident may have little insurance, investigation may reveal that the driver was running a work-related errand at the time of the accident and that the driver's employer is also liable, or that the car was owned or co-owned by another person who may also be liable for the damages that resulted from the accident.
Hiring a Lawyer for a Catastrophic Injury Case
When a personal injury lawyer represents a person who has suffered a catastrophic injury, the lawyer's goal is to obtain compensation that is sufficient to make the injured person's life as normal as possible under the circumstances.
Due to the complexity of catastrophic injury cases and the amount of compensation that is typically involved, it is a good idea for the injured person to work with a personal injury lawyer who is experienced with catastrophic injury cases. The parties accused of wrongfully causing the injury may present a vigorous defense against liability or dispute the extent of the damages, and proving a case may require reliance on expert witnesses, financial professionals, and other consultants. Litigation may quickly become both complex and costly.
When possible, the injured person should seek out an attorney who is experienced with the type of injury involved, the type of accident that gives rise to the claim, or both. For example,
- Some lawyers specialize in medical malpractice litigation, and some of them further specialize in birth injury litigation.
- Some lawyers specialize in bringing lawsuits for injuries caused by defective products, and some of them further specialize by the type of product, such as a defective vehicle or swimming pool.
- Some lawyers specialize in representing clients with brain injuries, spinal cord injuries or burn injuries, and may be particularly attuned to the needs of persons who have experienced that type of injury.
A lawyer who understands the short- and long-term treatment process for an injury, and the long-term needs of an injured client, will typically be better positioned to negotiation with insurance companies and defense lawyers and, if necessary, to present a compelling case at trial for the recovery of damage.
A lawyer will also be able to evaluate the amount of damages that is likely to be recovered, the strength of the case against the defendants, and sources of compensation. Based upon that evaluation the lawyer can advise the injured person about settlement offers, the risks of trial, and when it makes sense to settle a case or to take the case to trial.


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Chapter 1
It has been an hour since the battle ended. One hour since one of the best moments of my life, and approximately one hour and a half since one of the worst.
It has been ninety minutes since Hagrid marched out in front of Hogwarts, with Harry lying limp in his arms. Ninety minutes since my heart stopped beating and my throat constricted and I thought that nothing else in the world mattered except for the fact that the only hope my world had--and the only boy I ever loved--was dead and there was nothing I could do about it. I have never experienced the kind of all-consuming rage and despair and fear that I felt ninety minutes ago and I hope to never experience it again.
Now I am sitting in the Great Hall with my mother as she sobs into my shoulder and I am feeling a different cocktail of emotions: relief, sadness, restlessness. I am overjoyed that this war is over and that we won, but my lips cannot form a smile because my brother is lying on the floor, his cooling body waiting to be moved to a different room. I refuse to look in that direction, because if I do, a sadness deeper than tears and more akin to hollowness will well up inside me and consume me. I cannot do that because my mother needs me to be the shoulder that she cries on. Right now it cannot be vice versa.
I look to my left and see Percy and Bill helping Professor Flitwick clean up shards of glass and restore the legs of broken tables. Charlie is tending to some students who have minor injuries; he's currently healing a burn on Michael Corner's arm. Fleur is fixing a pot of tea for a group of elderly looking witches and wizards who must have come from Hogsmeade to join the fighting. My father is talking to Kingsley Shacklebolt as they transfigure chairs into a few more hospital beds. I want to join them, any of them, even Fleur, because right now I need to be active. I need to do something instead of sitting here because I need to keep my mind off of the thing it really wants to keep drifting to.
I need to think about something other than finding Harry.
He walked through here a while ago and I don't think he realized I saw him, but I did. I had thought about going to him then, but we have too many things to discuss for what would probably have been the one minute I got him to myself before the crowds swarmed in again. Instead, I let him go, knowing that at that moment he needed space and I needed to be with my mother.
It's been over an hour now, though, and I think it's finally time to find him. To be honest, I have no idea what I'm going to say when I see him.
I'm happy he's alive, of course, but I'm so mad at him for those minutes when I thought he was dead. There's no question in my mind that I still love him, and I could see in his eyes that he still cares about me, but I need to understand a little bit more before I think about falling back into his arms.
Almost a year ago, when he told me we couldn't be together, I didn't question it or fight it; I understood why and though I didn't agree with it, I saw where he was coming from. A lot has happened in the past year, however, and I want to know about it. I want to know what he did for those months he disappeared, I want to know how he accomplished what he did an hour ago, and I want to know why Voldemort said he was dead--and why he was lying limp like it was true.
The flow of warm wet tears on my shoulder has stopped, my hand isn't being clenched so tightly and my mother's body has stopped violently shaking.
"Mum?" I say quietly.
My mother lifts her head up and gives me a watery smile.
"Yes sweetheart?" she says.
"If you're alright here, there's somewhere I need to go."
"Of course. Go find Harry, love. I'll be fine on my own."
"How did you know that's where I was—"
"I know my daughter," she replies. "Thank you for staying down here so long, but it's time for me to do something productive anyway."
"Thanks Mum," I say as we both stand. I pull her into a hug and we stay there for a minute or two longer.
Eventually she pulls back, tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, and says, "Now off you go. If you see Ron and Hermione, give them a big hug from me."
"I'll come back soon," I promise.
"Nonsense. Go be with them. I've enough to keep myself occupied down here.
With one last look at my mum, I begin to walk out of the destroyed Great Hall. As soon as I reach what is left of the doors, I break out into a run, not quite sure of where I'm going.
I turn down a corridor and nearly collide with Luna, who is standing in the middle of the hall, staring dreamily at some paintings as they celebrate.
"Oh hello," she says, as if I didn't almost just run over her. "I've just come down from the Hospital Wing. It's rather full, but I think it's quite impressive that there aren't even more of us in there."
"I agree," I say, not being entirely honest. How can she be so positive about everything when so many of our friends and acquaintances are lying dead in the Great Hall? At the moment, however, I have more pressing issues at hand than questioning Luna's life philosophies.
"Luna," I say, "would you happen to know where Harry is?"
Luna shakes her head. "I've no idea, but if I was him, I would go somewhere comfortable and quiet."
"Of course. Thanks." I start running again, but with a better idea of where I'm going, now.
I'm not sure why I didn't think of it immediately, but there's only one place in the castle that I know Harry would retreat to if he were looking for sanctuary from the crowds.
I climb the stairs to Gryffindor tower two at a time and breathe a sigh of relief when the Fat Lady lets me through without a password.
I enter the common room hoping I'm right and I am not disappointed.
There, sitting on the familiar old sofa facing the fire is the unmistakable head of messy black hair I have been looking for.
I stand there, unmoving for a second as I take in my surroundings. The Common Room looks exactly like it did before I left school at Easter. It is all red and gold with soft-looking chairs and a homey warmth; I imagine this must be the only place in Hogwarts untouched by the battle. It looks like the perfect safe haven from all of the destruction and pain that has touched the rest of the castle and Harry being here makes it all the better.
I must make some noise or perhaps Harry finally just senses that he's not alone, because all of a sudden his head jerks around and before I can blink, he's on his feet with his wand drawn.
Just as quickly as he reacted, he realizes that it's me and not an enemy and he puts his wand back into his pocket.
The second I see him, all of the emotions I have been feeling today flood back in, ten times stronger. I am angry and relieved, happy and despairing, confused and clarified, antsy and idle. I want to do something, but I still don't know what.
So instead, I stare at him, not knowing quite what to say, which is uncommon for me. I haven't been tongue-tied around Harry Potter since I was twelve years old.
This is the first chance I've gotten to really look at him--during the battle it was all yelling and running--so I take in every detail I can as I work out what I'm feeling.
Most of his left arm seems to be bruised and he's bleeding through a gash in his jeans, but it's not his injuries that concern me the most: it's his face. He has deep purple bags under his eyes, his glasses are broken, there's a light dusting of stubble over his chin, his lips are cracked and bleeding and his eyes--which usually sparkle like emeralds--are dull and deep. He looks completely exhausted, but there's something more than that: he looks nervous.
Just as I open my mouth, he opens his and, in little more than a whisper, says, "Ginny?"
It is hesitant, it is a question, and it is all I need. Suddenly I know exactly what I'm feeling and I know exactly what to do.
I run to him in what feels like a bizarre parallel of our first kiss one year ago, but this time as I fling my arms around his shoulders, there is no audience and the only sound is the crackling fire and I don't worry about what he'll do next.
I feel his arms wrap around my waist and as he squeezes me to him, I bury my head in his chest. It doesn't matter to me that we are both bleeding and dirty because when I inhale and when his grip on me tightens and when he sighs so faintly that I wouldn't hear it if I weren't pressed right against him, he still smells and feels and sounds like Harry and that is all I want right now. Everything else can wait.
Finally, we pull away from each other and I stare back into his eyes. Some of the light that was gone from them a minute ago has returned.
"You found me," he says.
"Of course I did."
"I was hoping you would." A faint smile is playing on his lips now as he looks down at me. "Just in time too; I'm only staying down here until Kreacher comes up with some sandwiches, which should be any minute now."
"Aren't you tired?" I ask.
"I've not slept in over twenty-four hours, so yes, but that's also how long I've gone without food."
"Putting a meal before sleep? It seems Ron's finally rubbed off on you."
Harry laughs at that. His throat must be dry because the laugh is scratchy and raw, but it's a nice sound to hear, regardless.
There's a loud crack and Kreacher appears holding a tray of delicious looking sandwiches. He doesn't stay to chat, explaining that there is lots of work to get back to repairing the castle, but Harry and I thank him profusely before he leaves.
After placing the sandwiches on the table, Harry motions for me to sit next to him on the sofa and I grab a turkey sandwich as I do so.
We eat in silence for a few minutes leaning on each other slightly, partly because we need the support to stay upright and partly because it feels nice.
"Where are Ron and Hermione?" I ask after we've finished our meals.
"Seventh-Year girl's dormitory," Harry replies. "The charm's been lifted off it so they went up to Hermione's old room to get a bit of sleep. They figured I'd want Ron's and my old dorm and they didn't want to disturb me. Of course I wouldn't have minded one bit if they were in there too."
"Of course."
"I wouldn't mind if you were in there either," he says, locking eyes with me again. "In fact, I'd rather prefer it. You're not going to leave me tonight, are you Ginny?"
"Well technically it's morning, but no, I wouldn't dream of it."
"Good," he sighs, "because I don't think I could have stood any more time away from you."
I smile at that, still barely able to believe that the war is over and Harry and I are actually having this conversation in the safe warmth of the Gryffindor Common Room. Considering the past day we've had, it seems surreal that anything could be this simple this quickly. But I suppose that's the way Harry and I have always been. When the time was right for us to be together, it happened with no drama and when we had to be apart, it happened pretty much the same way. Separate we are both so complicated, but together we are oh so simple.
"I'm sorry I didn't go to you in the Great Hall, but I just figured you'd probably want some time with your family considering...everything," he says, that sad look returning to his eyes.
"You judged that correctly, but Mum understood when I left."
"I should go down there and apologize."
"Not right now you shouldn't. Right now you should be resting. Everyone knows you've been through a lot today, even if we don't know all the details."
"I owe them at least that much after all that's happened tonight."
"Harry listen: nobody is demanding that you go downstairs and visit them right now, and nobody--and I mean nobody--is mad at you. Whatever you think you have to do right now can wait. Now let's go upstairs and get some sleep; I'm beyond tired as well."
"Okay," Harry grabs my hand and pulls me up with him. "And I swear tomorrow I'll tell you everything."
"I know you will," I reply as we make our way up the stairs.
When we reach his dormitory, I walk in confidently, though I'm starting to wonder a bit about how these sleeping arrangements are going to go.
Before I know it, we're both standing in front of his four-poster bed and I am grasping for something to say.
Somehow, we are facing each other and he gently brushes a lock of hair out of my face before grabbing both of my hands and saying, "Every night, all year, I looked for your name on the Marauder's Map."
"I listened for news about you every morning on the wireless," I respond.
In a flash, Harry bends down, closes the gap between us and kisses me hard on the lips. I respond with enthusiasm as one of his hands combs through my tangled hair and the other rests on my lower back. I throw my arms around him again and rub the nape of his neck lightly as his mouth opens and his tongue seeks entrance into mine. We stand there for a few minutes locked in something so familiar, yet so new, and so perfect, until our legs finally give out from under us and we fall onto his bed, with him half on top of me.
It is nothing like I imagined the first time we made out on his dormitory bed would be. I expected it would be heated and randy, with a strong likelihood of getting out of control quickly, but this not that. There is nothing suggestive in this, there are no sexual undertones. This is so much deeper. This is two people who have missed each other more than they've allowed themselves to acknowledge. This is a fulfillment of hopes and dreams we thought might never come true. This is coming home.
We are lying on our sides facing each other now, but our lips are still connected. Harry is shaking softly and I realize that I am crying. I break the kiss and Harry immediately buries his head in my neck.
"We really need some sleep," I say.
He chuckles weakly at that. "Ginny I love you," he says.
"I love you too," I reply.
It's the first time we've actually said it out loud to each other, but I think we've both known for so long, that neither one of us is concerned with making it into some grand announcement.
"We'll talk when we wake up," I say, getting sleepier by the second.
"We have so much to catch each other up on," Harry says.
I can tell that he's fallen asleep less than a minute later, with both of us still on top of the covers, in the ragged clothes we wore fighting Death Eaters.
I think about how Harry is both right and wrong. We do have a lot to catch up on, but at the same time, we really don't, because that's the beauty of Harry and I. We haven't seen each other in months, but we're still able to pick things up where we left off. We're not at the same place in life as we were before; we're even better now. The world might still be swirling around us in the aftermath of a war filled with insanity and chaos, but as I drift off, I can't help but think that the one thing that makes sense to me right now is Harry and I being together.
It's simple.
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subset: commoncrawl


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It appears that for the first time since the 1990s that Major League Baseball has the "e-word" on its mind.
No, no…not errors. Not extra bases. A more impactful "e" word.
Expansion. And quite possibly, Expos.
But, do not take my word for it. Take the word of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who spoke a few days ago in New York with the Associated Press Sports Editors.
"Baseball's a growth sport, a growth business, [and] sooner or later, growth businesses expand," he said. "I do see expansion as a longer-term proposition."
Manfred rationalized his position in the context of transitioning from three five-team divisions in each league to four four-team divisions.
"Fours work better than fives from a scheduling perspective—significantly better," Manfred said.
If, and according to Manfred, when such an expansion was to occur for Major League Baseball, it would be the first time the league expanded since 1998.
That was the year MLB blazed into Tampa Bay and Arizona with the additions of the (Devil) Rays and the Diamondbacks, respectively.
Prior to that, MLB expanded in the early 1990s with its first foray into the Sunshine State of Florida by way of the Marlins. The Colorado Rockies were also added and five years after MLB arrived in Denver, Coors Field hosted the MLB All-Star Game.
Manfred did say that before expansion were to become a reality, ballpark snafus in Tampa with the Rays and Oakland with the Athletics had to be straightened out.
Stuart Sternberg, has reiterated his commitment to finding a new stadium in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area for the Rays, but his team has also been cited as a candidate for relocation.
The A's, in the past, once talked about moving to Fremont—as well as building a new stadium in San Jose. They have been blocked on numerous occasions by their Bay Area compatriots, the San Francisco Giants, as well as by Major League Baseball since the Giants have rights to the San Jose media market.
@Terry @HommedePaix1 @theScore go all together for bring back nos Expos, nos amours ! pic.twitter.com/mu6BelBulk
— Stephane Rousseau (@rousseau1010) April 22, 2016
The primary city sure to get attention on any relocation front is Montreal—a city that has been without baseball since 2004 when the Expos relocated from Quebec to the Nation's Capital and became the Nationals.
Quebecois have made their presences known at exhibition games the past few years at Montreal's Olympic Stadium to let Park Avenue know it wants its Expos back. This year, an exhibition between the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays on April 1 at The Big O drew over 100,000 fans.
Other cities that could be potential candidates for expansion/relocation include Portland, Vancouver, Mexico City, and Charlotte.


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Callaway commissioner resigns
CALLAWAY — A Callaway city commissioner announced his resignation at Tuesday's City Commission meeting.
David Otano, commissioner of Ward 3, resigned effective immediately following his announcement at Callaway Board of Commissioners regular meeting.
At the beginning of the meeting, he said he was resigning. He left the meeting without saying why.
"Kudos to you guys," he told commissioners before stepping down from the dais, "But due to personal reasons …" He then shook hands with commissioners and audience members and then he left.
Later, city attorney Kevin Obos stated Otano moved to Southport, forfeiting his seat. Commissioners agreed to leave the seat open until April's election.
Otano was elected as commissioner of Ward 3 in 2012. The seat would have been occupied until 2016 elections had he not resigned.
The next person to win the seat will serve two years — until elections in 2016.
Also at the meeting, commissioners unanimously approved a revised interlocal agreement with the Bay County for Animal Control services.
The board had a lengthy discussion about the county's oversight over calls, runs and billing process. Some commissioners wanted more reporting and accountability on the county's part in order to accurately prove how many calls the service responds to. The city pays for the number of times the service responds to calls.
However, commissioners tasked the city manager and city attorney to find ways to penalize pet owners in Callaway for repeat pet offenses.
Mayor Thomas Abbott said to shift costs from the city to the pet owner would ultimately decrease the number of calls and runs to which the county responds because pet owners would not want to pay the fee and would make more measures to secure their pets.
Commissioners voted and approved unanimously changes to mobile home policies, requiring all existing and future mobile homes to have skirting.
Commissioner Dennis Delapp was absent from the meeting.


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Welcome to Kurulu Estate
This is the perfect place to get away from the everyday stress and enjoy a calm and reenergizing stay at our retreat.
Situated in the picturesque mountain ranges next to Sinharaja UNESCO protected rain forest, in between spice gardens and tea plantations in the authentic Sri Lankan rural country life, one finds an old tea and cinnamon estate turned into a beautiful and peaceful place to stay.
The main building is inspired by the ancient Buddhist temples and the architectural methods of Geoffrey Bawa and built entirely from the granite found on the property itself.
The air is cool and the views are breathtaking. This feels like being where the sky meets the earth, where every moment is a different experience. Tranquil, but never dull.
We serve vegetarian only food and non-alcoholic refreshments.
We offer a rain shower, king size beds, jungle walking tours on own vast property and excursions to Interesting places in the area.
Tea picking
Spend a day discovering the history, traditions and qualities of tea.
Experience a real tea tasting at the local tea factory. Discover the processes involved in making fine tea and try picking your own tea leaves to bring home with you.
Jungle walk
A big part of Kurulu Estate is jungle. Take walks on your own, or have a guided tour to discover more about the flora and fauna.
Sinharaja Rain Forest
Day tours can be arranged to visit this unique, untouched nature reserve with its exotic flora and fauna. After an early breakfast, leave for the beautiful Sinharaja rain forest.
A day in the rain forest is a real treat, whether you are specifically interested in birdwatching, meeting particular wildlife, or simply just want to experience one of the richest and most original rain forests in the region.
Godakawela Market
Spend the morning shopping at the local market in Godakawela.
Here is your chance to shop for anything – from Sri Lankan authentic clothing, to hand carved decorations, to vegetables, tea and spices.
A visit to the local Hindu and Buddhist temples and having a Lunch Buffet in town are also options, before going back to Kurulu Estate.
Udawalawe National Park
How about a safari trip to come up close and see the beautiful and interesting wildlife here?
The Udawalawe National Park is about an hours drive from Rakwana. We can arrange transport and Jeep safaris to this outstanding attraction.
The National Park is known mostly for the many elephants that live there, attracted by the enormous Udawalawe reservoir.
It is a great site for birdwatching too.
The Park is a cornucopia of birds, reptiles and other mammals indigenous to Sri Lanka.
Among other animals to see are the Sri Lankan leopards, sloth bears, lizards, crocodiles, monitors and many more.
- Private temple style house
- Panoramic views
- King size bed
- Sleeps 2
- Private stone house
- Panoramic views
- King size bed
- Sleeps 2
- Private traditional bungalow
- Jungle and mountain view
- King size bed
- Sleeps 2
Eat, Explore and Experience
Please contact us if there are any questions regarding our place or booking that you need answered.
- How do I get to Kurulu Estate?
The closest towns are Rakwana or Godakawela. Our guests are usually picked up in Rakwana, because the roads the final distance are a bit narrow and better fit for a tuc tuc than a bigger tourist bus.
We are happy to arrange a pick-up for you, just be sure to communicate with us about what time you will be arriving.
Mountain Views
Spectacular views of the mountain ranges.
Private Entrance
Each bungalow is privately situated on the property.
King Sized Bed
Fine quality mattresses.
Vegetarian food
We serve delicious vegetarian food in the form of authentic Sri Lankan buffets.
From $130 / night
We offer good deals for longer stays and during mid and low season.
Internet Access
Online Reservations Accepted
Please use the booking forms to make your reservation.
But you are also welcome to call or email.
Private Shower and Bath
Bathe in fresh water straight from the springs of the Kurulu Gala mountain.


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Millions of people will be tuning in this Sunday (8:30 PM ET, ABC) to see what the world's biggest movie stars have to say about the current state of affairs – and to see who takes home the hardware at the 89th Academy Awards. It's widely assumed that La La Land will win the Oscar for Best Picture; the Emma Stone-Ryan Gosling musical is a –700 chalk at press time.
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There's a chance that Moonlight (+550 at Bovada) will sneak away with Best Picture, but if not, the critically-acclaimed film is a near-lock at –700 to win the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. One of the movie's top stars, Mahershala Ali, is also a heavy –700 favorite to win Best Supporting Actor.
The race for Best Actor is much closer. It's a two-way battle between Manchester by the Sea leading man Casey Affleck (–160) and Fences actor/director Denzel Washington (EVEN). Affleck won the Critics' Choice and BAFTA awards in the same category, while Washington was the choice of the Screen Actors Guild. Emma Stone is a –700 favorite to win the Best Actress Oscar for her work in La La Land, well ahead of Jackie star Natalie Portman at +500.
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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/1/19
This was the week that DC Comics upended their entire comics line with a bunch of stuff! Doomsday Clock! The Last Knight on Earth! Leviathan Rising! And I read none of it. I wonder if that makes me a bad comic book fan…
I did read a bunch of other relatively enjoyable comics — though the latest and last issue of X-23 has made an enemy for life. Beyond that, the Comic Book of the Week was the new issue of Giant-Man! Leah Williams is doing everything right in my eyes in all of her comics.
Meanwhile, speaking of Leah Williams, X-Tremists had another strong issue as it starts to delve into the erasure of homosexual feelings in the Age of X-Man…Except that I guess the whole overall world starts to fall apart at the end of the issue, so this whole crossover is coming to an end before Leah Williams will get much of a chance to really play in the space. I know Jonathan Hickman is coming back to remake the X-Men from top to bottom, but surely Marvel can make room for a Leah Williams' solo Blob comic…
Comic Reviews: Giant-Man #2, Heroes in Crisis #9, Magnificent Ms. Marvel #3 and X-23 #12.
Giant-Man #2
Writer: Leah Williams
Artist: Marco Castiello
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: VC's Joe Sabino
The best War of the Realms subplot I'm reading continues to get better in Giant-Man!
Our giant heroes continue their trek into Frost Giant territory, with Scott filling everybody in about his side mission to rescue his daughter. Everybody is on board to help, but they haven't seen any female prisoners anywhere so far…Anyway, an attempt to cross a bridge without paying the toll leads to the gang joining a Frost Giant party full of drinking, songs, merriment and fighting. They head off in the morning and reach Miami, but a couple of heavy facts are starting to weigh on the crew: they're going to have to come up with a way on the fly to kill the immortal god Ymir…and this was always a suicide mission.
Comic Rating: 9/10 – Great.
The camaraderie that Williams has developed in these four characters already is so damn fun and so damn meaningful that I can't remember the last time a team book felt this cohesive. Team books wish they could express this level of team bonding. The characters all have their own tics, and Williams makes them work so well together. It helps that they're on such a dangerous mission, and the stakes are huge. But she's also able to find a lot of really strong quiet moments, like Scott appealing to the others to help him find his daughter, and how everyone is readily on board. Or at the end of the issue, when they all admit to themselves that they knew this was a suicide mission. It works so damn well!
Though if I could get a little meta for a second, Williams and the Giant-Men are getting way more serious about War of the Realms than anybody else seems to be. I'm reading the main series, and that seems to be going pretty smoothly. Some people have died in battle, sure, but the Avengers have been pretty chill as they regroup and get ready to fight back. Wolverine and Spider-Man are having a walk in the park on the front lines. But here, four men have been condemned to a suicide mission deep in the recesses of this war. Seems a little unfair to this lot.
Nevertheless, great use of characters, fun premise and wonderful execution.
TL;DR: Giant-Man is the best part of The War of the Realms so far! The writing and characters are superb.
Heroes in Crisis #9
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Clay Mann
Colorist: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Welp, this final issue didn't fix anything, so I'm ready to consider Heroes in Crisis a dud.
Booster Gold, Harley Quinn, Blue Beetle and Batgirl travel to the time when Wally West kills Wally Wast and stop him (Harley is also reunited with the new Poison Ivy). Everybody stands around and talks to Wally, convincing him that everybody makes mistakes and he can live with this one. Wally explains that he released all of the Sanctuary files to the public to show the world that superheroes need help too, and if they can get it, then ordinary people who are hurting can also get help. They all manage to convince Wally to keep living.
After a quick trip to the future to get a clone of Wally West made to close the time loop of the "dead" Wally West from earlier in the story, Wally turns himself in to the Justice League and winds up in a cell. Then Sanctuary reopens and all the superheroes get in to get analyzed.
Comic Rating: 6/10 – Pretty Good.
Man, I don't even know where to begin. So let's start by saying that this whole series is a dud and did not achieve whatever it set out to achieve, at least not in my eyes. I liked parts of Heroes in Crisis, but those parts had little to do with whatever Tom King was trying to write. Something about mental illness? I dunno. It doesn't come to together very strongly. Wally West is somehow convinced that it's OK to live with this mental illness, but gets locked up anyway rather than be given treatment. Though I suppose the point was to convince all these other heroes to also get help. I dunno. The whole mental illness angle was always overshadowed by the murder mystery and the overwhelming character slaughter.
I just don't think any of the story threads really come together. Why were Booster Gold, Harley Quinn, Blue Beetle and especially Batgirl integral to this story? Why were all the character deaths necessary? And this issue, specifically, is just a bunch of standing around and talking. Here's a random assortment of DC characters who are going to talk away mental illness. And then we'll throw in a random future clone solution to tie up loose ends. This final issue just doesn't make the overall story worth it.
That's not to say this isn't a quality made comic. King's writing is good, Mann's art is good; this is a well-constructed comic. And there's always a very strong chance that other people might feel and understand this comic differently than me. That's why I'm at least saying this overall comic is good instead of bad.
I just didn't think it was very good.
TL;DR: Heroes in Crisis ends with a whimper, not quite nailing the landing as it fails to really tie everything we've experienced together into one coherent story.
Magnificent Ms. Marvel #3
Writer: Saladin Ahmed
Artist: Minkyu Jung
Inker: Juan Vlasco
Colorist: Ian Herring
Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna
I'm on the verge of dropping this comic, but one special comedic bit is keeping me on board. It's not that this new relaunch is bad, it's just playing right into some of my least favorite comic book storytelling tropes.
The aliens explain that Kamala is the Destined One, destined to save their planet. She's quickly convinced and decides to go back with them, but her father forbids it. Kamala's mother then suggests they go with her, and the aliens readily agree, teleporting them all to a gaudy throne room. Kamala meets the planet's leader — Maliq Zeer — and they're given a more in-depth explanation for this whole 'Destined One' thing. Apparently, when their people lived as slaves to some grand machine, a figure wearing Ms. Marvel's upcoming new costume showed up out of nowhere and freed them all. Their former masters were prophesized to one day return, along with the Destined One. The aliens have settled on that being Ms. Marvel, because her costume and powers are similar.
Everyone heads to bed, and Kamala sneaks out to go exploring. No sooner is she out the door than she stumbles upon some of the aliens being suspicious. She follows them down into the dungeon, where they're torturing a handsome, shirtless rebel. Kamala breaks him free and he explains that Maliq Zeer is evil, and he needs help rejoining the other rebels. Kamala is quickly convinced, wakes up her parents and they steal a jet to get away. But Maliq Zeer orders the jet shot down.
Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.
The only saving grace of this comic is that Kamala's parents came along. Their incredulity at being on an alien planet and seeing all these prophecies about their daughter is good fun. The rest of the issue feels so painfully cliche that I wish Ahmed had done more to play it up as a joke. With the slight exception of the parents making off-hand comments, the basic story is so boring — especially since I hate both prophecy stories and stories where the street-level hero goes into outer space. Kamala immediately believes the aliens when they ask her to come back to their planet, with no hesitation. The prophecy about the Destined One is so basic it's like an ad for Ms. Marvel's new costume. Then we've got the big secret that the aliens are secretly evil and torture people, then there's the handsome, young rebel that Kamala also immediately believes. This is all so…not good.
Except for the parents, they're great!
I wish Ahmed had played it all as more of a joke. Play up the idea that Kamala is just naive enough to keep believing these different alien stories, or perhaps not naive, but just so enmeshed in the world of superheroics that all of this seems perfectly normal for her, and that's why she keeps going along with it. Then you really play up the parents on the sidelines lampshading everything. As it stands, cramming all of this alien stuff into a single issue and playing it perfectly straight makes Kamala seem really naive. Especially when none of it is particularly noteworthy. This is Basic Sci-Fi Aliens 101. There's nothing really unique or interesting about them. Heck, didn't Joss Whedon do this exact thing with the Breakworld back in his Astonishing X-Men? That some strange new alien race that we've never seen before has some ancient prophecy that just so happens to involve a modern day superhero? This Ms. Marvel comic is like that Breakworld storyline, only with far far less creativity and originality involved.
But then Joss Whedon didn't think to include Colossus' parents!
TL;DR: A fairly rote and unoriginal story is saved by the sheer comedic charm of Kamala's parents tagging along.
Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Diago Olortegui
Inker: Walden Wong
Colorist: Chris O'Halloran
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Nothing matters anymore. It's as if a great, bright light has been snuffed out.
Honey Badger stormed off to go stop a train full of X-23 clones, and Laura rushes out to help her — only for both of them to discover that the "clones" are genetically-modified turkeys carrying their DNA. Why? Dunno. It's not really explained, I don't think. Anyway, the train is set to self destruct and they get away, and the turkeys are able to heal and fly, so they don't blow up, and the girls drop them off at a mutant-run farm. Then they talk about their missions, and how Gabby wants to keep helping clones.
Then Gabby changes her name from Honey Badger to "Scout" because nothing matters anymore and God is dead.
In actuality, she names herself after that assassin clone from the previous storyline to dedicate herself to the cause of rescuing clones. But this series is over and the X-Men are being rebooted, so we're not going to see this journey and there was no reason to change her name at the very end.
Comic Rating: 1/10 – Terrible.
Look, I'm being extremely unfair to this comic by rating it so low. I know I am. But it's my choice and I stand by it. Ending this X-23 comic by changing Honey Badger's name is so despicable that I wrote an entire separate blog post about it.
Have you ever watched a thoroughly mediocre movie, only to have them do something so colossally stupid or repugnant right at the very end that it sears your soul? The movie Jeepers Creepers was like that for me. Remember that movie? Probably not, because it's nearly 20-years-old and was so thoroughly mediocre. But I will never forget the movie because I hated the ending so damn much that it is forever burned into my brain as a thing of pure hatred. This issue of X-23 is similar. Maybe I don't hate it with the heat of a thousand suns, but this Honey Badger name-change is a violation of all that is good in this world.
This is the sort of change and the sort of ending that overshadows anything else this issue was trying to accomplish. It's nice that Gabby has given herself a mission, and trying to help all of the X-23 clones is a noble mission, and it works well alongside Laura's mission to shut down all X-23 cloning operations. But why did she have to change her name? The X-Assassin was named Scout. And it's a dumb name! What a boring, generic word. Not like Honey Badger at all, which has personality and character to spare, and which was utterly perfect for Gabby!
Not even the turkey joke gets to be funny after the fact because of this bad decision. And I know I'm probably being hyperbolic for the purposes of comedy, but that's how I deal with something so painful.
Can we not have nice things?! They're cancelling Unstoppable Wasp, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is coming to an end, and now Honey Badger has changed her name right before fading into character limbo. It's like some dark spear of fate has specifically reached out to stab me in the heart, possibly for not loving this X-23 comic enough? I just don't know. I know only darkness now.
TL;DR: This rating is completely unfair and based solely on the monumentally bad decision to change Honey Badger's name. The issue itself is mostly mediocre.
The comics I review in my Hench-Sized reviews are just the usual comics I pick up from my local shop any given week, along with a few impulse buys I might try on a whim. So if there are any comics or series you'd like me to review each week, let me know in the comments!
Posted on June 1, 2019, in Comics, DC, Marvel, Reviews, X-Men and tagged Ant-Man, Atlas, Blob, Flash, Gabby, Giant-Man, Goliath, Heroes in Crisis, Honey Badger, Kamala Khan, Leah Williams, Magnificent Ms. Marvel, Ms. Marvel, Scott Lang, Wally West, War of the Realms, X-23, X-Tremists. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.


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PORTLAND, Maine — Some labor unions that helped U.S. Sen. Susan Collins win in 2014 say it's too early to decide whether they'll support her again in 2020 as her Democratic opponents courted workers over the Labor Day weekend.
Collins, a Republican, was supported by several labor unions in her last re-election race. Her campaign touted the endorsements heavily, and they were notable because unions typically support Democrats, though her race was uncompetitive and she won with two-thirds of votes.
Things could be different in 2020. Collins' seat is expected the subject of one of the most expensive Senate campaigns of the 2020 cycle after her key October vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Democrats have used that vote to try to tie Collins — a pro-abortion rights Republican who voted against her party in 2017 to preserve the Affordable Care Act — to her more conservative colleagues on health care policy. But unions also took issue with his nomination.
[Why Susan Collins is voting to confirm Kavanaugh, in her own words]
Last year, the liberal AFL-CIO said Kavanaugh has "a dangerous track record of protecting the privileges of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of working people." That sentiment and more competitive race could create an issue for Collins with groups that backed her in the past.
Collins' 2014 endorsements included all four Bath Iron Works unions, a construction workers union covering Massachusetts and northern New England, two statewide police unions and four local firefighter unions. The Maine AFL-CIO backed Shenna Bellows, her longshot Democratic challenger five years ago.
Three unions — the BIW Local S6, the LiUNA Local 327 and the Maine State Police Association — that previously endorsed Collins say factors like health care, job security, labor rights and Collins' support of Kavanaugh are weighing on their minds.
Several unions said ahead of the Labor Day weekend the process of deciding who — and if — to endorse will not start for at least a few more months. The state police union has put rules into effect barring endorsements since 2014.
"There are some great things she's done for us and other things we wish she'd gone the other way on," said Jay Wadleigh, a former president of the machinists' union who now works in the Lisbon office of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Wadleigh said the union has nearly as much work as it has had in 25 years largely because of Collins' work on the appropriations committee. He said she's always made sure "there's plenty of money there," despite BIW costing more than a rival shipyard in Mississippi.
But he said some — mainly women — may balk at supporting Collins due to her vote for Kavanaugh, whose nomination was wracked with controversy over whether California professor Christine Blasey Ford's allegation that he sexually assaulted her while they were in high school should disqualify him.
"I'm sure there's going to be a huge debate on this one," Wadleigh said.
[Susan Collins says she doesn't believe Kavanaugh assaulted Ford]
Other unions say they'll wait until after the June Democratic primary before making decisions on endorsements, as they have done in the past. Collins spokesperson Kevin Kelley said the senator wasn't concerned about a reticence to endorse yet, but thanked unions for past support and said Collins is "solely focused on doing the job that Mainers elected her to do," noting Collins' last labor endorsements didn't begin until April 2014.
Two of Collins' Democratic opponents, House Speaker Sara Gideon and lobbyist Betsy Sweet, were courting union voters over the holiday weekend. They attended a Southern Maine Labor Council breakfast in Portland on Monday and Central Maine Labor Council barbecue in Winslow on Sunday and planned to hit other events on Monday.
At the breakfast, Sweet talked to voters about her plans to introduce the Frances Perkins Act if elected, which would use federal dollars to support wages, benefits and overtime pay for direct care workers like hospital aides and day care workers funded by Medicaid and Medicare.
"We need to get back to jobs that actually pay a respectful, dignifying wage and then make sure the money and the profits that used to go to workers isn't being siphoned off," she said.
Gideon was also in attendance but said she didn't have time to talk to a reporter, saying that Maine "is stronger when working people stick together, and I look forward to sharing my vision with them as I travel the state talking to Mainers."
Bobby Marcroft, a member of the union representing Preble Street Resource Center workers, said making it easier for workers to unionize was a top priority for him. He said he would be looking for a candidate who would support and empower workers through public outreach.
"We need senators and we need legislators across the board to look at cooperatives as the solution that they are," Marcroft said.
Related: An interview with U.S. Sen. Susan Collins


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Security Credentials Recognized, Welcome to the Foundation's Internal Database systems
- Site 234
- Profile Dr. and Dr. Andrews
- Anomalies currently housed, contained, or associated with Site 234
- Narrative Documentation
- In progress documentation
- MTF Chi-7 "Plague Tamers"
- Fanart
Welcome to Site 234's Internal database. Credentials recognized, Access Approved.
Current Site Director: Co-Directors Dir. and Dir. Andrews
Head of Security: Agent ██████
Head of Research: Dr. Regina ██████
Resident MTF: Chi-7 "Plague Tamers"
Description Site 234 is one of the Foundations youngest facilities, having been constructed in the fall of 1983. Site 234 serves as a center for research and containment of Micro, Molecular, and Biochemical anomalies, and was constructed with 13 separate BSL-4 and 26 BSL-3 laboratories, as well as more than 200 BSL-2 facilities. Site 234 currently houses more than 200 contained anomalies, 1000 personnel that live on site, and another 8000 that commute to site 234 from the major city of Birmingham, Alabama.
Site 234 serves as a leading source of biomedical research for the Foundation, pioneering medicinal compounds in use by many Foundation medical personnel which have yet to be leaked to the public. Next to site 19, site 234 is one of the foundation's largest facilities, and is expected to grow larger in the near future as the number of small scale biological anomalies increases. For further information on wings, site layout, and topography please consult our secure facility dossier.
Character Profiles
Name: Sherry O'Keeffe Andrews
Age: 25
Height: 175.26 cm
Weight: 60 kg
Relationship Status: Married
Organization: The Foundation
Clearance Level: 4
Employee ID: ██████-████
Degree (if applicable): Bachelors of Science, Microbiology; PhD, Immunology.
Position(s): Co-Director Site-234, Oversight MTF-Chi-7 ("Plague Tamers"), deputy chair Foundation Department of Medical and Biological research.
Appearance: Slim but athletic build. Green almond shaped eyes, small pointed nose, thick bottom lip, prominent high set cheekbones, freckles across the face and shoulders. Hair is long, and ranges from a dark maroon to a fiery crimson in color depending on the amount of recent sunlight exposure. Is in peak mental and physical condition for her age.
Dr. Andrews prefers clothing/apparel that is both stylish and comfortable. She avoids overtly formal wear barring events that absolutely require it, and despises heels of any kind.
Work Attire: Boots, either knee high riding boots or standard issue combat boots, flats, and occasionally athletic/tennis shoes. Wears either slacks or jeans, skirts are reserved for more formal events. Tops consist of either a blouse or button up shirt, underneath a blazer, vest, or more formal cardigan.
Casual attire: Boots, knee high, Athletic shoes, primarily during runs or trips requiring lots of walking, and occasionally flip flops. Jeans, leggings, and sweatpants. Tops are usually less dressy blouses, T-shirts, sleeveless/strapless tops, cardigans, and occasionally just a sports bra.
Personality: Sherry Andrews is an ambitious, willful woman, with a no-nonsense attitude towards her subordinates. She's efficient, ambitious, and extraordinarily intelligent, calculating every move and word. Outwardly, she can be cold, emotionless, callous, and at times, sadistic. She appears to take pleasure from others discomfort, especially in subordinates, and either antagonize or harass them if they open themselves to it. Certain parties within Site-234 refer to her as "The Crimson Witch of the Southeast" due to this behavior.
Despite the rough exterior, Sherry Andrews is inwardly an empathetic and emotional person, and often displays this with subtle, even unconscious actions, such as saving Leep, her husband, from a potentially fatal mugging before they began dating. To friends and loved ones, Sherry Andrews is known for witty, groan inducing puns, and her addiction to adrenaline, specifically rollercoasters.
Background: Sherry O'Keeffe Andrews was left at an orphanage in ██████, Ohio on February 3rd 1992. No records of Dr. Andrews parents are known to exist, and Foundation genetic databases have not been able to identify any living relatives. Dr. Andrews grew up in the American Foster Care system, often bouncing between homes due to poor funding and/or abusive sponsors. During her time within the system, Dr. Andrews developed a cynical, and cold exterior to protect herself and others from the harsh realities of her day to day life.
Despite this rough childhood, Dr. Andrews excelled in academics, skipping 3 grades and launching straight into High School at the age of 11 years old. Her prowess with mathematics, and especially biology drew the attention of some within the Foundation, especially those at the relatively young Site-234. Dr. Andrews graduated Salutatorian, later claiming that she didn't receive valedictorian due to being disinterested in the rather non-rigorous nature of her inner city high school classes, preferring to pursue personal research into the hard sciences.
Dr. Andrews was accepted into a number of schools, but decided to attend a small private university in Memphis Tenessee. She secured her Bachelors degree within two and a half years, graduating summa cum laude. Dr. Andrews then applied and was accepted into The University of Alabama's Immunology Doctoral program. During the duration of her Doctoral program, Sherry Andrews became enamored with another PhD candidate in the competing Virology program, Dr. Leep Andrews. Initially only having a few classes together, and having a 4 year age difference between them, their relationship remained platonic for the duration of their first year within their respective programs.
By the second year, Sherry had begun developing serious romantic feelings for her new friend, and settled on pursuing those feelings in the most characteristic way possible: Harassing the shit out of him until he agreed to go on a date. Eventually, said actions lead to a joint PhD thesis involving the complex interaction of human immune cells in response to a variety of retroviruses, leading to a full published transcript and receival of their Doctorates after 3 years of work.
Following their graduation, Sherry and Leep Andrews were approached by Foundation representatives. Both parties jumped at he opportunity and soon found themselves working through the ranks, until they were named Co-directors of Site-234.


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If your small business has employees working in Colorado, you'll need to withhold and pay Colorado income tax on their salaries. This is in addition to having to withhold federal income tax for those same employees. Here are the basic rules on Colorado state income tax withholding for employees.
With rare exceptions, if your small business has employees working in the United States, you'll need a federal employer identification number (EIN). You should obtain your EIN as soon as possible and, in any case, before hiring your first employee. EINs are issued by the IRS and you'll need one first and foremost for federal taxes. In addition, some states use the federal EIN for state withholding tax purposes. Other states (like Colorado) issue separate state tax ID numbers. You'll need an EIN to register with the state (see below). You can apply for an EIN at the IRS website, IRS.gov. Generally, if you apply online, you will receive your EIN immediately.
Apart from your EIN, you also need to establish a Colorado withholding tax account with the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR). You set up your account by registering with the DOR either online or on paper. (Colorado also considers this as a registration to be a so-called withholding agent.) After registering, you'll receive a Colorado Account Number (CAN). To register online, use Colorado Business Express. If you file online you should receive a CAN immediately. To file on paper, use Form CR-0100, Colorado Sales Tax/Wage Withholding Application. Blank forms are available for download from the Colorado Business Express website. You can file the form by mail or by hand at a DOR walk-in service center. If you file on paper it can take 4-6 weeks to receive your account number. There is no fee to register your business with the DOR for withholding purposes (registering for other purposes can incur a fee).
All new employees for your business must complete a federal Form W-4. Unlike many other states, Colorado does not have a separate state equivalent to Form W-4, but instead relies on the federal form. You can download blank Form W-4s from irs.gov. Clearly label W-4s used for state tax withholding as your state withholding form. You should keep the completed forms on file at your business and update them as necessary. In addition, Colorado requires employers to file W-4s with the DOR for employees who earn more than $200 per week and list more than 10 withholding allowances or an exempt status.
In Colorado, there are three primary payment schedules (filing periods) for withholding taxes: weekly (also known as "frequent"), monthly, or quarterly. There is also a seasonal payment schedule not covered here. Your payment schedule ultimately will depend on the average amount you withhhold from employee wages over time. The more you withhold, the more frequently you'll need to make withholding tax payments.
The exact threshold dollar amounts for the different payment schedules, as well as other rules, may change over time so you should check with the DOR at least once a year for the latest information.
Due dates for payments are:
If the payment is due on a weekend or holiday, the due date is extended to the next business day.
Submit your payment with a withholding tax return. You can do this either electronically or on paper. To file and pay electronically, you can use the DOR's Revenue Online system or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). There is a fee to use Revenue Online. Employers with high amounts of withholding must use EFT. To file on paper, use Form DR 1094, Colorado W-2 Wage Withholding Tax Return. You can download blank forms from the withholding tax forms section of the DOR website. You must file a return for every filing period. If there is no wage withholding for a filing period, file a "zero" return.
The DOR provides several different methods for calculating how much tax to withhold. For more information, check the current version of Form 1098, Colorado Income Tax Withholding Tables for Employers. The form is updated every year. You can download a copy from the withholding tax forms section of the DOR website.
After the end of the year, you must file an annual information return—also known as an annual transmittal—with the DOR. The return summarizes the employee taxes you've withheld during the year and transmits state copies of federal Form W-2. The annual information return is in addition to providing each of your employees with a federal Form W-2 that summarizes the employee's withholding for the year.
You must include copies of the W-2s sent to all of your employees working in Colorado when filing the annual information return. Larger employers are required to file electronically. Smaller employers can file either electronically or on paper. To file electronically, use the DOR's Revenue Online system. For details on formatting W-2s for bulk electronic submission, check FYI Withholding 6, Methods of Filing Colorado Annual W-2 Tax Data. To file on paper, use Form DR 1093, Annual Transmittal of State W-2 Forms. If you file on paper, the annual information return and W-2s are due on or before the last day of February. If you file electronically, the due date is the last day of March. As with tax payments, if the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, it is extended to the next business day.
This article is only concerned with employees, not independent contractors. In general, different tax rules apply to independent contractors.
You may decide that it's easiest to hand over responsibility for payroll, including withholding taxes, to an outside payroll service. If so, keep in mind that your business, or even you personally, may still be held directly responsible for mistakes made by an outside payroll company.
This article touches on only the most basic elements of Colorado employee withholding taxes. Avoid possible penalties for making mistakes by checking both the IRS and DOR websites for the latest information. You also can get more information about small business tax issues in other articles here on Nolo.
Need a lawyer? Start here.


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Have you ever felt disappointed by someone you look up to in the faith? Whether it's something as big as a pastor falling into sexual sin or as small as having your feelings hurt by a friend you trust, Christians will let you down. Jesus knew that kind of disappointment when his disciples failed him in his hour of need. "The story of the gospel is a story of disciples who fail a Savior who never fails," Nancy Guthrie says. "When someone disappoints you, let it be an invitation to re-examine where your confidence lies."
- Loving the Church When It Hurts (Jackie Hill Perry)
- Must We Forgive Those Who Sin Against Us if They Don't Repent? (Vermon Pierre, Mike Bullmore, and Ryan Kelly)
- How I Process the Moral Failure of My Historical Heroes (John Piper)


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Foxes can easily camouflage themselves in the frost colored leaves of autumn.
Archive for October, 2013|Monthly archive page
little foxIn Art Watercolor Gallery, Wild Things on October 31, 2013 at 2:40 pm
nalaIn Art Watercolor Gallery, Wolves on October 28, 2013 at 2:23 pm
Nala…my newest wolf friend. I met her on Saturday walking at the lake. Nala is 8 months old with a high wolf content. It looked to me like there was no dog in her. Just a beauty. She has a long muzzle with that little bump at the end which I love. She is very white and light grey but I took artist's license here and added a lot of earth tones. She was very skittish as wolves tend to be but I was able to feed her some treats provided by her person. Her human is one of the greats….a knowledgable wolf lover and Nala is being properly socialized. She will probably always be wary but less things will frighten her because of this early childhood training. I have met some wonderful wolf people. I wish they were all like this.
lady phoenixIn Art Watercolor Gallery, Things with Feathers, Wild Things on October 24, 2013 at 2:57 pm
We are all constantly rising from the ashes of our own destruction. Vision and understanding accompany us on the journey.
shaman's eyeIn Art Watercolor Gallery, Wolves on October 22, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Grandfather wolf. Wisdom of the shaman.
booIn Art Watercolor Gallery, Zenkats on October 21, 2013 at 2:44 pm
It's almost halloween. Got your costume?
gypsyIn Uncategorized on October 17, 2013 at 3:00 pm
This is 'Gypsy' the wonderful cat of Jamie Dede's family. I did a triptych of her not too long ago. She seems to be somewhat of a character. As agreed the images of Gypsy lean toward mexican/Santa Fe. This is the progress one of the poses. You can see more of Gypsy as well as many other animal related photos, videos and stories on Jamie's web site The Cat's Meow.
hungry owlIn Art Watercolor Gallery, Owls, Things with Feathers, Wild Things on October 16, 2013 at 3:02 pm
I have painted this in tribute to the 'Hungry Owl Project.' Carmen Mandel posted this most informative article/video/images on her wonderful blog 'For a Better Earth.' Carmen takes great care in alerting us to what's going in the animal/bird world. I recommend visiting this link to 'The Hungry Owl Project' post by Carmen.
psychedelic cat napIn Art Watercolor Gallery, Zenkats on October 14, 2013 at 2:48 pm
I wonder where cats go when they dream.
sun worshiperIn Art Watercolor Gallery, Painted Ponies on October 11, 2013 at 1:45 pm
It turned very cold here in the mountains and we had a bit of snow. So I am worshiping the sun now. Just have to have the warmth on my face.
speaks the truthIn Art Watercolor Gallery, Ravens and Crows, Things with Feathers, Wild Things on October 8, 2013 at 2:59 pm
High orator of the raven clan. It sounds like a lot of squawking to us but ravens are very smart and who knows what instruction could be voiced.


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Vermont Life Magazine Youth Exodus? » Vermont Life Magazine.
For a long time the myth has been that young people are leaving the state, leading to economic, social, and cultural downfalls. Recently, Vermont Life Magazine has painted a different scene and with ample research found that, "Universally, the young people we spoke to said they prize Vermont's intimate scale and interconnectedness, its natural beauty and easy access to the outdoors, its down-to-earth priorities and its indefinable vibe. Vermont has a bright future. Vermont is also admired. People want to live here, and with the Web and telecommuting, more and more of them can." They do point out that indeed many young people are leaving, but they are also returning to the state with the wealth and knowledge gained from travel and life experience. They said, "The youth-flight narrative, with its aversion to nuance and context, overlooks the flow of people who return in mid career."
If more young people are going to stay in the state, they need to be able to thrive in their career and find a home to match their lifestyle. Vermont Life Magazine looked at the case of Dealer.com, "everybody's idea of what Vermont needs to stop young people from leaving the state." Dealer.com is, "a fast-growing business that provides digital marketing systems for the automotive industry, in a setting, with about 750 other employees, that has all the toys and perks of Silicon Valley culture: brightly colored warrens of open cubicles, organic café with espresso, on-site gym, rooftop solarium with putting green and a renovated building that, it almost goes without saying, is a model of green design." Sean Hurley, director of advertising and social products for Dealer.com said that, "It's a mistake for anyone to think that there aren't real businesses here making real money." In fact there are many examples of thriving local business in Vermont in order to keep young people in the state engaged and challenged within their careers. Luckily, there are also many opportunities to help first-time home buyers settle in the state.
With all of these opportunities at an arm's-length away, what young person wouldn't want to make a home in Vermont?
Please contact usfor more information on buying a home in Vermont or consult the following information meant to educate first-time home buyers.
Further information for first-time home buyers:
"First-timers now represent nearly 30 percent of all existing home purchasers," said Ray Brousseau, executive vice president of a nationwide lender. "That's a big percentage, but it could be a lot higher because there are many ways first-time purchasers can finance with little down and little hassle."
The big barrier for many first-time buyers is cash. It takes cash for a down payment, and it takes cash to close. Lenders are generally looking for buyers with 20 percent down, but given that the typical home sells for more than $200,000, there are a lot of first-time homebuyers who have not accumulated the $40,000 or more that lenders prefer. The good news: There are many ways around the 20 percent requirement with traditional loan options. "It doesn't take a lot of up-front cash to buy a home today," said Brousseau. "FHA and conventional financing are all available with little down, while VA borrowers can qualify for mortgages that require no down payment." The way such programs work is that they substitute insurance for the 20 percent down that lenders would otherwise want.
Mortgage Assistance Plans
According to DownPaymentResource.com, there are more than 1,500 assistance plans administered by more than 1,000 agencies nationwide for would-be buyers, many aimed specifically at first-time purchasers. In looking at these programs it's important to understand what the term "first-time buyer" means. It typically does not mean someone who has never owned a home; instead the usual definition for program qualification purposes is someone who has not had title to a home during the past three years. This definition is important because it provides a way for people to re-enter the housing marketplace.
"Another important point about mortgage assistance programs is that many are specifically designed to encourage local home purchases by public-sector employees such as teachers, police, firefighters, nurses, and corrections workers," said Brousseau. "There are millions of people who qualify for such assistance."
The benefits available through mortgage assistance plans vary. For instance, borrowers may be able to get financing at below-market interest rates. Down payment grants may be available, essentially meaning that little or nothing down will be required. Another approach includes programs that offer tax credits. Mortgage interest is generally deductible, but a "tax credit" is arguably more valuable. With what are called "mortgage credit certificates" or MCCs, borrowers can deduct directly from their actual tax bill. For instance, if you have $8,000 in mortgage interest you might be able to directly reduce your taxes by $1,600 while the remaining $6,400 can be treated as an itemized deduction.
"Given low interest rates and a firming housing sector, this is a terrific time to consider entering the real estate market," said Brousseau. "With today's financing choices, many buyers can own their own home a lot quicker than they might have thought."
Reprintedwith permission from RISMedia. ©2013. All rights reserved.{C} {C}


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In what Putzmeister described as one of the biggest deals in the so-called Mittelstand sector that makes up the backbone of the German economy, Sany
Heavy Industry and the Chinese private equity group Citic are to acquire 100
percent of Putzmeister, the German company said in a statement.
All parties had agreed not to disclose the terms of the sale, but a source close to the talks put the sale price at about €500 million ($660 million).
"The business activities of Putzmeister and Sany are highly complementary geographically" and will leader to "the creation of the global market leader for concrete pumps," Putzmeister said.
The German family-owned firm is headquartered in Aichtal in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg, it employs a workforce of 3,000 people and has annual revenues of around €570 million.
Putzmeister said Sany's financial strength would secure its future growth prospects, while the Chinese group would benefit from Putzmeister's "cutting-edge technology 'Made in Germany' and acquire a strong distribution and service network outside of China."
Putzmeister insisted it would continue to operate "with a high degree of independence in day-to-day management. Sany will focus on operations in China where Putzmeister will continue to be the premium brand."
The German company's chief executive Norbert Scheuch would remain in his position and join the Sany executive board.
In Germany, Mittelstand refers to the legion of small and medium-sized family groups, often key players in niche markets of the export-orientated engineering sector.


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The dream book for any author 🙂
Dear Mister Publisher,
I have written the best book. My book will be bigger than the bible. It will make cynics laugh, optimists cry, and toast. Before he died, David Bowie said he wished he had written it.
It is impossible to say what my book is about without revealing a shocking twist which has never ever been done before, so people will have to buy it to find out. Anyone who doesn't understand my legitimate reasons for secrecy is a potential terrorist.
Book jacket quotes will come from Ellen DeGeneres and the Dalai Lama. Bono, James Joyce and Donald Trump will offer quotes, but be politely refused. The New York Times will ask to syndicate it.
Genre doesn't matter because absolutely everyone will want to read my book. People who haven't read it will pretend they've read it, but get eviscerated at brunch parties for not understanding it properly. They will then pay someone else to go and buy it…
View original post 454 more words


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It is time to put everything together for the Cloud Adoption Policy Addendum. The addendum is designed to provide BallotOnline with a comprehensive IT policy that encompasses existing IT systems as well as their growth in the cloud infrastructure. The final document should be between eight and 10 pages.
At this point, you should have a better understanding of the cloud adoption strategy and how cloud adoption strategy differs from traditional IT adoption strategy. This knowledge differentiates you from a traditional IT professional and solidifies your standing in the ranks of cloud computing professionals. The accompanying Cloud Adoption Policy Addendum Template can serve as a guide to make sure you have included all the elements. Complete your Cloud Adoption Policy Addendum and submit it via the dropbox below.
The Cloud Adoption Policy Addendum will enable you to consolidate the work that you have completed in the steps along with some additional elements (scope, executive summary, etc.) to create a comprehensive policy addendum. Sophia will present your work for approval at the executive meeting.
BallotOnline's updated IT policy, which includes your cloud addendum, is important. You will reuse it in subsequent CCA courses, so save it where you can find it.
5.1: Evaluate the business IT needs of an organization.
- 5.2: Propose strategies the organization can employ using cloud solutions to enhance organizational effectiveness.
- 5.3: Evaluate cloud adoption as a viable solution based on cost benefits and desired outcomes.
- 5.4: Articulate insights to leadership on the appropriate course of direction on the identified IT business needs.
- 8.1: Assess liability issues associated with cloud adoption.
- 8.3: Assess management and operational risks associated with cloud.
- 9.1: Develop a plan for cloud implementation / migration.
- 9.3: Develop documentation (plans, policies, and procedures) to support cloud operation.
- 11.7: Develop disaster recovery/business continuity plans.
- 11.8: Prepare contingency plans when changing cloud providers or closing down a cloud architecture
- Incorporate the two attachments in the paper.


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January 24, 2010 Sermons & Hymns
Morning Service:
John 13:31-14:4 "Predictions, Instructions and a(n) (Un)certain Future" (Associate Pastor David Chilton)
Hymn #16 "Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord" (Ps. 98)
Hymn #520 "Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness"
Hymn #349 "O Thou Who the Shepherd of Israel Art" (Ps. 80)
Hymn #691 "It Is Well with My Soul"
Evening Service:
Acts 20:1-16 "Paul's Final (Free) Travels" (Pastor Stephen Oharek)
Hymn #12 "Exalt the Lord, His Praise Proclaim" (Ps. 135)
Hymn #692 "To You, O Lord, I Fly" (Ps. 16)
Hymn #642 "Be Thou My Vision"
Hymn #261 "What Wondrous Love Is This"


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Managing your risks as a professional is important for a few reasons and it's something all professionals should be doing. Of course, risk management looks different for every individual, profession and industry, but a few basics apply across the board. Here are our tips for basic risk management for any professional:
- Identify risks and solutions as a team
- Documentation is key
- Develop a basic emergency response plan
- Keep an eye on technology and data
- Protect yourself with the right insurance
We'll also break down the very basics of risk management so you can start protecting your business and livelihood.
What is risk management?
Risk management is evaluating risks that could impact your business' operation or profitability as well as taking action to minimize the impact or avoid these risks. In step form, this means:
- Identifying a risk.
- Determining the impact of a risk to your business.
- Finding the cause or source of the risk.
- Develop processes to prevent or minimize the risk.
- Develop a plan to recover from the risk.
Obviously, you can't plan for or prevent every risk. Focus on the ones most critical to your business.
What are the benefits of risk management?
The benefits of risk management include:
- Keeping long-term costs low
- Keeping your business operating smoothly
- Project completion and success
- Aids contract or project negotiations
- Improves communication
- Helps your business adapt to issues and change
Of course, there can be many more benefits, depending on your company's individual risks and how effectively you manage them.
Identify Risks and Solutions as a Team
Working with your team will help identify a wider range of risks and solutions to prevent or mitigate them. It also keeps everyone aware and involved, which furthers risk mitigation.
If you're the owner-operator or the only employee, that doesn't mean you're at a disadvantage. Network with professionals in your industry or seek out risk management professionals.
Documentation is Key
Developing processes for proper documentation is key for risk management. Why? It provides a paper trail – proof of what your company has done in the past. It's critical evidence if you're ever involved in a lawsuit and keeps you on task and organized. Here's what you should document:
- All internal processes and workflows
- All communications with clients, vendors, and employees
- All financial documents
- All reports
- All proposals and business plans (including risk management)
- All documentation you may provide to clients (blank copies)
- All contracts
Your individual profession, industry or government may require additional documentation. Ensure your documentation is backed up and protected.
Develop a Basic Emergency Response Plan
It can be overwhelming to start planning for all these risks and figuring out how to mitigate them. Your first step should be a simple emergency response plan. Common scenarios that can affect any business include:
- Natural disaster
- Fire
- Medical emergency
- Cyberattack or data breach
This is a basic, overall plan that will apply to most emergency scenarios with some tweaks. This guide from the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness will help.
Keep an Eye on Technology and Data
This is important for two reasons: one because technology and data can help inform you on your most critical risks and help you mitigate or prevent them, and two, because technology and data can be risks themselves. Cyberattacks are an ever-increasing problem for Canadian businesses. It's important to be aware about these cyber risks and to do what you can to mitigate them.
Protect Yourself with the Right Insurance
Having the right insurance can help you recover for risks you can't mitigate against. You can talk to one of our brokers for more details on how to protect your business with insurance and risk management or get a quote online today.
Finally, you can check professional liability insurance online quotes now with EasyCover.


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What is Continuous Accounting?
Continuous Accounting is a new-age method of Accounting wherein finance executives are empowered to work on real-time intelligence. The professionals are involved in the process of financial reporting throughout the accounting period on a real-time basis. The performance of the company can be reviewed more efficiently and on repeated basis.
Let's take a deeper look..
One of the most frenzied and stressful time in the life of a CFO of an organisation and his Finance team is the financial year close. The long hours of reconciliation, cumbersome process of accounting are too much to deal with.
But this end to end process of accounting which includes journal entries, reconciliation, and preparation of financial accounts is by far the most accurate and reliable method of financial reporting and ensuring compliance with the governing rules.
How to implement Continuous Accounting?
The foundation for continuous accounting lies in the cloud-based finance and ERP system. A fully integrated ERP system enables all teams of the organisation across geographies to access the same general ledger, a common chart of accounts and a single version of data on inventory, payroll and sales. The details can be accessed across geographies and time zone using any device over a web browser and internet.
However, the cloud-based ERP also has provisions for confidentiality and audit. No matter how automated and real-time the process is, there is a requirement of Human intervention at some point or the other.
In these situations, a cloud-based finance system can be configured to the designated team members on a regular basis throughout the month. The ERP system also provides managers with dashboard-based views which helps them to track the progress of the work, do real-time audits and plan well for the tasks remaining for the period close.
What are the advantages of Continuous Accounting?
- Increased employee engagement and reduced hiring costs
Continuous Accounting promotes equitable distribution of task and faster processing of workload as the task can be performed in smaller batches. Since, most of the work can be done in small batches, it is one of the biggest productivity boosters for the team. Moreover, because of the automated system, the manual work is less, hence lesser hiring of personnel and lesser incidence of errors.
- More improvement in process and analysis
Since the process is continuous, the audits can be performed on a daily basis, which saves too many error rectifications piling up for the last moment. As the records get cleaned on a daily basis, the data at hand for decision making becomes more reliable.
With clear indication of key performance risks, the management will become more proactive and take necessary steps to eliminate these risks.
- Integration of Finance Teams with Business Operations
Many a time businesses suffer because Finance teams and the Management do not work in sync with each other. However, good co-ordination between senior management and a department is a must for greater good of the organisation.
The cloud-based financial reporting allows the Finance Teams to see the larger picture and work as per the strategies laid out by the management. The real-time data analysis empowers the Finance & Accounting team to make better decisions.
- More focus on strategy and decision making
Due to faster processing of financial information, the CFO and his team can focus more on taking strategic decisions for the organisation at large. Business processes become agile and the management is able to make continuous improvement in the process to obtain optimal results.
For companies which operate on faster cash conversion cycle, cloud-based continuous accounting will be particularly useful.
Continuous Accounting is rewarding despite the initial challenges
Technology is transforming the way finance departments function globally and Continuous Accounting is one crucial step in this direction. This is one the best examples how disruptive technology paves way for timely, cost-effective and focussed ways of bringing improvement in business.
It is true that implementation of newer technologies like this is a challenge and involves cost, but the rewards are far more that the initial difficulties. In established organisations where executives have followed traditional record to report system for decades, shifting to a modern and automated mode is bound to be slow and difficult.
To address this, the management must conduct proper training and reskilling sessions for the personnel to get them accustomed to the new methods and ensure seamless transition.
Is there an alternative?
What if there was a smarter and quicker alternative to this record-to-report process of accounting? A faster process would enable accounts and finance executives to get timelier access to the data, thus allowing them more time to derive insights and close the financial period faster.
It is quite evident that when the CFO and his team will spend less time on the financial period close, they will have more scope in effectively utilizing this time for making strategic decisions about the company. These could include crucial factors like maintaining or scaling up cash flows, cost cutting on wasteful activities, planning more fruitful investments, launching a new product line, reallocation of resources and or tapping an emerging opportunity.
There is so much that can be done to improve the operations and performance of an organisation that it is essential to reduce the time spent on the mundane and time consuming financial reporting process.
To create a balance between accuracy, compliance and speed, Continuous Accounting comes to the rescue of the organisation. Most smart Finance teams across global companies are saying 'yes' to both speed and accuracy, and adopting Continuous Accounting.
Will it be wise to jeopardize a fool proof accounting process and accurate rule-based financial reporting for the sake of speed?