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Working papers
Working papers
Who has School Spirit? Explaining Voter Turnout in Canadian School Board Elections
Jack Lucas and Michael McGregor
Paper under review
In many Canadian provinces, school board elections are held at the same time as elections for municipal council. While we know little about Canadian municipal elections in general, we know even less about down-ballot elections, such as those to select school board trustees. To date, there have been no academic studies of school board turnout – and almost no research on school board elections more generally – in Canada.
This study thus represents the first scholarly examination of the correlates of voter turnout in Canadian school board elections. Using individual-level survey data from the Canadian Municipal Election Study, it considers two questions. First, what are the sociodemographic, attitudinal and contextual correlates of voter turnout in Calgary school board elections? Second, do these correlates vary according to school board (public versus separate/Catholic)? Catholic education is constitutionally protected in the province of Alberta (as it is in many other provinces), and we expect turnout patterns to vary by board. The results of this study will have implications for school board elections across Canada, and for the study of down-ballot elections more generally.
Party Cues, Ballot Order and Local Elections: The 2017 Elections in Montreal and Quebec City
Cameron Anderson and Michael McGregor
Paper presented at 2018 CMES conference
Low levels of information can pose a problem for the quality of collective electoral decisions. This problem can be even more significant in non-partisan and low visibility elections (such as down-ballot municipal contests). Existing research on Canadian local elections shows that, the absence of clear cues for voters, ballot ordering can result in serial position effects that bias the vote choices of electors towards (or against) certain candidates based on their order of appearance on the ballot (Tessier and Blanchet 2015).
This paper examines the intersecting effects of party cues and ballot ordering, and considers whether these effects vary by the profile of an election. We build upon existing work in several ways. First, in contrast to previous work on municipal ballot order effects in Canada, we use individual-, rather than aggregate-level data. Second, we take an experimental, rather than a purely observational approach. Using data from the Canadian Municipal Election Study, we employ a 2x2 experimental design in which we alter the presence of party cues and candidate positions on the ballot paper (alphabetical versus reverse-alphabetical). Finally, we account for the profile of electoral contests. Project data include longitudinal survey data from roughly 4,000 electors in Montreal and Quebec City, the two largest cities in the Canadian province of Quebec. These cities allow us to differentiate ballot effects for high profile mayoral races in contrast to less visible council races in both cities. Municipal elections in Montreal also hold a borough mayoral race that allows an additional test of the ordering and partisan cue tests. The results of this study will serve to highlight the importance of ballot construction in low-information elections.
Does the Left-Right Axis Matter to Understanding Municipal Elections?
Jérôme Couture, Sandra Breux, & Anne Mévellec
Paper presented at 2018 CMES conference
This paper will examine the relevance of the right-left axis in the last municipal election in Quebec City and Montreal. It locates itself within the literature on the role of ideological preferences at the municipal level. This literature generally shows that classic ideological cleavages are of little importance in municipal elections. Yet, in both Quebec City and Montreal, municipal political parties self-identify as either belonging on the right of the political spectrum (Quebec 21) or on the left (Montreal Project). And as for other parties, one can easily locate them at a particular place on the political spectrum. Our research question, therefore, is as follows: did left-right ideology have an impact on voting behavior in Quebec City and Montreal in 2017? To answer this question, we will use data from the Canadian Municipal Election Study. We will confront ideology with other explanatory factors of the vote such as partisan attachment, socio-demographic factors, satisfaction with the outgoing administration and gender.
Setting the Record Straight: Identifying the Correlates of Straight-Ticket Voting in Quebec Municipal Elections
Charles Tessier and Michael McGregor
Paper presented at 2018 CMES conference
The concept of party identification has been thoroughly studied in Canada. All of this work is focused, however, on the federal and provincial levels, where party systems are firmly established. Municipal elections present a completely different story. Elections in most Canadian cities are non-partisan, and in the province of Quebec (one of the few places where political parties are present) parties tend to be transitory in nature – they are often created by mayoral candidates and rarely survive the departure of their founders. Since such parties tend not to be based around an ideology, and are short-lived, it is difficult for voters to develop long-lasting party loyalties. At the same time, the local level is the only one in Canada where concurrent elections are held. In cities in Quebec, voters cast at least two ballots, and often more. In many instances, 'down-ballot' candidates carry a party label and are associated with a mayoral candidate.
The purpose of this study is to identify the correlates of straight ticket voting in the 2017 municipal elections in Montreal and Quebec City. Using survey data from the Canadian Municipal Election Study, we consider how sociodemographic and attitudinal characteristics affect whether voters support the same party in mayoral, council and borough mayoral races. Our results will provide insight into the decision making calculus of Canadian voters in low information contexts, as well as the understudied role of partisanship at the local level.
Language and (not) Voting: 2017 Municipal Elections in Montreal
Cameron Anderson and Laura Stephenson
Paper presented at 2018 CMES conference
In electoral contexts characterized by politicized sociodemographic difference, we know that the bases of such difference can have prominent effects on participation and vote choice. For instance, a range of comparative and cross-national work demonstrates that the presence of linguistic heterogeneity undermines turnout in elections (e.g. Anderson and Paskeviciute 2006; Kaniovski and Mueller 2006; Sandovici and Listhaug 2009). Similarly, past work finds evidence for ethnic affinity voting such that voters are more likely to vote for candidates from their own ethnic group (Goodyear-Grant and Tolley 2017; Bird et al. 2015). Both of these research trajectories demonstrate the importance of politicized sociodemographic differences on electoral participation and choice.
Building off of these insights, this paper will address both of these questions through looking at the 2017 municipal elections in Montreal, Canada. Using both subjective perceptions and objective conditions of linguistic heterogeneity, we will estimate the effects of linguistic heterogeneity on turnout in the mayoral and council elections in Montreal. Additionally, because Montreal is such a linguistically diverse city, we will consider the extent to which linguistic affinity voting serves to shape vote choice in both the mayoral and council races. The paper will utilize data from a multi-city study of Canadian municipal elections in 2017 and 2018 that includes campaign and post-election surveys of Montreal voters.
Madam Mayor: Gender, Montréal and the Election of Valérie Plante
Erin Tolley and Mireille Paquet
Paper presented at 2018 CMES conference
In the 2017 municipal elections, Valérie Plante surprised many when she defeated incumbent Denis Coderre and became Montréal's first female mayor. Although conventional wisdom suggests that municipal governments will be most open to female candidates, research suggests that election rates are roughly the same at all three levels of government (Tolley 2011), with the most recent data showing that women hold just 18% of all mayoral positions in Canada (FCM 2015). Plante's election thus provides a backdrop for interrogating questions about gender, political leadership, and municipal politics. The City of Montréal is an important case study given a history of feminist organizing in Québec and the province's distinct trajectory of female inclusion in electoral politics (Tremblay 2010). This chapter is organized in three parts. First, we situate Plante's election in a historical context, highlighting key moments in the city's politics, with a focus on women's political organizing and activism. Second, we present data from a survey of Montréal electors in the lead-up and close of the 2017 campaign that allows us to examine the correlates of support for Plante. Was gender a deciding factor in Plante's victory, or was this a disenchanted electorate turning against a known commodity and choosing the next best option? We look at which voters were most likely to support Plante, how they evaluated her in comparison to her competitors, and what role feminist orientation played in their decisions. Finally, we look at the implications of Plante's election for municipal politics in Montréal and gender politics more broadly. Is Plante a standard-bearer for a new wave of women leaders, or should we be more sanguine about her victory? We argue that while Plante's victory is significant, we should not be to quick to proclaim that we have arrived at a new frontier in gender politics.
Campaign Effects in Two Municipal Elections
Randy Besco and Scott Matthews
Do election campaigns shape electoral outcomes in important ways, or do elections simply register longstanding political tendencies that are (mostly) unaffected by parties' and candidates' efforts to persuade and mobilize voters? The question has been central to the modern study of voting behaviour, but has never been systematically examined in the context of municipal elections. This paper deploys the panel component of the CMES samples in Montréal and Québec City to characterize "campaign effects" in municipal elections. Does the progress of the campaign increase voters' political interest and attention? Does the campaign stimulate voter learning about candidates and the issues? Do campaigns shape the set of issues that is influential for voters on Election Day? Our analysis provides answers to these, and other, key questions and, in this way, speaks to the function and democratic significance of election campaigns at the municipal level.
Blurred Lines: Cross-Level Influences on Municipal Vote Choice in Montreal and Quebec City
Laura Stephenson and Michael McGregor
Paper presented at APSA conference 2018
In federal societies, research has shown that party loyalties at one level can affect partisan attitudes at another (Clarke and Stewart 1987; Stewart and Clarke 1998). This situation can undermine the accountability function of elections, creating a situation in which candidates are evaluated on the basis of factors outside of their control. This paper considers the extent to which cross-level partisan influences travel to the local level. In recent work on an ostensibly non-partisan municipal election in Toronto (McGregor et al. 2016; Stephenson et al. forthcoming), we found that voters were heavily influenced by their perceptions of the links between candidates and parties at other levels of government. Municipal vote choices are affected by federal-level partisanship of electors, and evaluations of the performance of incumbents are biased by the perceived partisan compatibility of individual electors and sitting politicians.
We extend this line of research by moving to different contexts, the 2017 municipal elections in Montréal and Québec. Both cities have local political parties that do not align with those at either the federal or provincial levels. In fact, in the province of Quebec, federal, provincial and municipal party systems all differ from one another. We consider how this partisan incongruity conditions the effects of federal and provincial partisan attitudes upon vote choice and attitudes towards mayoral candidates at the local level. We consider this question using data gathered through the Canadian Municipal Election Study, a large-N survey of roughly 2,000 respondents in each city. Our study speaks to how multi-level governance affects the decision-making of governments, and raises the question of whether politicians can ever really be judged on their own merits, free of the influence of elector attitudes towards other orders of government.
Retrospective Voting in the 2017 Montreal and Quebec Municipal Elections: The Roles of Sociotropic Economic Evaluations and Patrimony
Éric Bélanger and Charles Tessier
Paper presented at 2018 CMES conference
Economic voting has been extensively studied in Canada, both at the federal and at the provincial levels. It is much less the case, however, in the context of municipal elections, mainly because of a lack of appropriate individual-level survey data. Yet, given the importance this theory has in our understanding of provincial and federal elections, it could be argued that economic voting is essential to understanding municipal elections in Quebec. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to use the Canadian Municipal Election Study (CSES) data to investigate the role and impact of economic voting in the 2017 municipal elections in Montreal and Quebec City. More specifically, the analyses will explore two ways of modelling the relationship between vote choice and economic perceptions. First, using the respondent's sociotropic evaluations of the economy, and second, using their reported economic assets to verify if an individual's patrimony influences his or her voting decision.
Nationalism and Local Elections
Jean-François Daoust
Paper presented at 2018 CMES conference
Nationalism issues such as Quebec independence or linguistic rights have dominated modern Quebec politics at the provincial and the federal levels for decades. Although the relationship between nationalism and vote choice at these two level of governance is both strong and enduring, we do not know whether such a relationship exists at the local (municipal) level. To explore this possibility, I study the cases of the 2017 mayoral elections in Montreal and Quebec City. First, I consider whether citizens associate the candidates with political parties from the provincial and federal levels. If there is a congruence between the voter's position on the national question and the perceived affiliation of a candidate, she should be more likely to vote for this candidate. Second, I analyze whether attitudes toward Quebec independence and linguistic issue are significant determinants of vote calculus at the mayoral level.
Economic Evaluations, Attributions of Responsibility, and Voter Turnout in Local Elections
Cameron Anderson and Michael McGregor
Paper presented at 2019 MPSA conference
There is a large body of research on the relationship between economic evaluations and turnout. The literature features a debate between those who argue that economic adversity increases turnout and those who find that it decreases participation. At the same time, it has been argued (Arceneaux, 2003) that the relationship between economic evaluations and turnout is mediated by attributions of responsibility for economic conditions. The purpose of this study is to consider the relationship between economic evaluations, attributions of responsibility for those conditions, and voter turnout at the municipal level in Canada. This is a level of government where many would expect minimal economic impact of elected officials and where turnout is quite low. To do so, we draw upon Canadian Municipal Election Study (see cmes-eemc.ca) survey data from eight major Canadian cities, collected in 2017 and 2018. The paper considers a series of three questions. Is there a relationship between economic evaluations and turnout local elections? Is the relationship between economic considerations and turnout mediated by attributions of responsibility to the municipal government? Last, we consider whether the answers to first two questions apply to ballot roll-off, an indicator of turnout in city council elections. Early results suggest that the answers to these research questions may vary conditional on objective economic conditions.
Immigrants and Participation in Local Elections: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Turnout in the 2018 Ontario Municipal Elections
Rebecca Wallace, Michael McGregor, Erin Tolley, and Olivia Chow
Paper presented at 2019 CPSA conference
Understanding immigrants' participation in Canadian elections is critical to the representation of newcomers at all levels of government. While analyses of voter turnout rates in federal and provincial elections have produced mixed evidence of a turnout gap between immigrants and non-immigrants, there is evidence that new Canadians participate in municipal elections at markedly lower rates than do their Canadian-born counterparts. This raises the question: Why are immigrants less likely than non-immigrants to participate in local elections?
Employing a mixed methods approach, the goals of this project are to determine if immigrants did indeed have relatively low rates of participation in the 2018 Municipal Elections in Ontario and, if so, to determine why this is the case. Survey data from the Canadian Municipal Election Study are used to compare rates of participation between immigrants and Canadian-born electors, and to compare the groups with respect to a number of well-known attitudinal correlates of turnout. We also report on the findings of a series of focus groups with immigrant electors in Mississauga (a city in which over half of residents are born outside of Canada), exploring engagement in local politics. Preliminary findings suggest that immigrants' political priorities and interests largely lie outside the local realm, and point to concerns about the accessibility of information on local elections and challenges around finding the time to participate in immigrants' initial years in Canada. The results of this study suggest that there is room for improvement on the part of local governments to improve participation rates among immigrants.
Do Municipal Politicians Live in their own Political world?
Scott Pruysers
Paper presented at 2019 CPSA conference
Unlike many other federations (e.g., Germany), a role as a provincial politician in Canada is not considered to be less prestigious than an MP at the federal level. It is not surprising then, to find very little evidence of a multi-level career trajectory in Canada. That is, politicians do not tend to start their careers provincially, using this experience as a stepping stone to a later entry into federal politics. Empirical examinations of the career paths of Canadian legislators suggests that less than 10% of federal MPs have served provincially.
Left out of this discussion, however, is the question of whether the municipal level is a launching pad in this country. Using original survey data from the Canadian Municipal Election Study, this paper explores progressive political ambition among more than 800 individuals who ran for municipal office (city council, mayor, and regional council) in 2018. We consider whether municipal candidates/politicians live in their own political world, or if they do, in fact, aspire to a future in federal or provincial politics. We are interested not only in the extent to which candidates express progressive ambition but also in uncovering the kinds of individuals who are the most likely to be interested in higher office. Here we consider factors such as sex, age, ethnicity, past experience, and party membership. The findings of this paper will provide important insight into multi-level politics in Canada, and address an important oversight in the current literature.
Explaining Support for Separate School Funding in Ontario: An Experimental Study
Adrienne Davidson, Jack Lucas and Michael McGregor
Paper to be presented at 2019 CPSA conference
The purpose of this study is determine the correlates or support for (or opposition to) the merging of public and Catholic school systems in Ontario. The existence of publicly funded Catholic schools has been constitutionally guaranteed in the province since 1867. Polls suggest, however, that opinions on the maintenance of two parallel school systems, based upon religious grounds, are divided.
Drawing upon survey data from the Canadian Municipal Election Study, this piece proceeds in three stages. First, we use survey data from 6,000 electors in London, Mississauga and Toronto to develop a comprehensive understanding of the sociodemographic and attitudinal correlates of support for merging the province's school systems. Next, we present the results of a survey experiment, meant to examine the effect of being provided with information on school systems in other provinces. Prior to being asked their opinions on merging school systems, respondents in treatment groups were shown messages with information on provinces that have either maintained separate school systems or merged them with the public system. We conclude with a consideration of whether certain types of individuals are affected differently by experimental treatments. Our findings have implications for understanding the correlates of support for this important feature of Ontario politics, as well as the prospects (or lack thereof) of merging Ontario's school systems.


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States with course choice policies (part 3)
Two previous posts have explored course choice policies generally, and states with course choice programs. In particular, the second blog post discussed how Keeping Pace defines states' course choice programs as including one or more of state-supported online course websites, online course approval processes, or program-specific funding mechanisms. States in this category, such as Utah, Michigan, and Louisiana, are among those that are most often associated with course choice. In addition to those and other states that were discussed previously, four states have course choice policies in place. These states allow students to choose single online courses, but they do not have a program in place promoting course choice. Most of these states have had course choice policies in place for several years, and the number of students choosing individual online courses are fairly low (although Arizona appears to be an exception). In most cases, these states refer to students who choose an online course provider as part-time students of the provider.
- Arizona: Any public district or charter school may apply to become an online learning provider as part of Arizona Online Instruction (AOI), and by doing so is able to serve any K–12 student in the state with part-time or full-time online courses. There are 66 school districts and 21 charter schools authorized for SY 2014–15. AOI schools served 48,357 unique students in part- and full-time programs in SY 2012–13 (the most recent year for which data were available when we were first doing this research several months ago). The state requires receiving districts to accept credits earned at a charter or district, but allows the receiving district to determine how the credit will be assigned (whether the credit will count as elective or core credit). Students cannot exceed 1 FTE, and funding is prorated for providers based on the percentage of ADM from each provider. Online programs are funded at 85% of base funding for PT students. Arizona does not have performance-based or completion-based funding.
- Georgia: We classify Georgia as a course choice state although the state has only one provider from which students can choose an online course, which is different than other course choice states that have multiple providers. Students in grades 9–12 are allowed to take courses from Georgia Virtual School (GAVS), the state virtual school. They do not need approval from their home district, regardless of whether the school in which the student is enrolled offers the same course. GAVS receives $250 per student per course, as well as a $1.5 million appropriation for SY 2013–14. There is no performance-based or completion-based funding.
- Kansas: Students in grades K–12 may choose part- and full-time options from state-approved providers, including virtual schools, charter schools, districts, and service centers; 93 providers are approved for SY 2014–15. Districts must make inter-district agreements for students to take supplemental online courses. In SY 2013–14, 5,559 students took supplemental online classes.
Students are considered "enrolled" at the school where they take the most coursework—face-to-face or virtual; the part-time school considers the student enrolled for the remaining minutes (of 360) of that student's FTE.
- Minnesota: Minnesota was among the first states to allow students to choose a single online course from among multiple providers. As of June 2014, 27 approved online learning public school providers represented a mix of consortia, intermediate districts, charter school programs, and multidistrict programs serving students statewide. Only approved providers generate funding. These programs served 11,557 supplemental course enrollments in SY 2013–14, a 16% annual increase.
Three states (Colorado, Oregon, and New Mexico) are not included in the Keeping Pace count of course choice states even though they have policies that suggest course choice may be an option. In these states no course choice measures have been implemented, and few or no students are taking individual online courses that are funded via the public education funding formula.
The Keeping Pace 2014 annual report (starting on page 58) and website include a table and a map summarizing course choice programs and policies. The map below summarizes the states with course choice programs and policies. Click on the map to see a larger version, or if your device doesn't support the larger version you can find it on the website.

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My AmeriCorps Release 3 AmeriCorps National Programs User Roles and Management – Understanding & Planning Presentation developed for the Corporation for National and Community Service by the eGrants Coaching Unit JBS International, Aguirre Division (2008); 1-888-333-8272 1
Introduction eGrants Coaching Unit The following presentation is designed for AmeriCorps National Programs. This presentation will help users understand the user roles as well as the access levels within the My AmeriCorps system. You must have an eGrants account in order to access My AmeriCorps functions.* eGrants is the Corporation for National and Community Services grant application and management system and the gateway to the My AmeriCorps system. *For details on how to create an eGrants account, please watch the tutorial on Create and Manage an eGrants Account.Create and Manage an eGrants Account 2
Agenda Understanding: o Important Considerations o Grantee Administrator User Role Defined o My AmeriCorps User Roles and Access Flow Chart o My AmeriCorps User Roles Defined: Grantee Recruiter, Grantee Member Management o My AmeriCorps Access Levels Defined: Prime, Operating Site, and Service Location Planning: o User Roles Map o Grantee Member Management Role as it Relates to Access Levels Whats next? eGrants Coaching Unit 3
Important Considerations All of the My AmeriCorps tutorials and webinars focus on the functionality of the system rather than grant requirements or program policies. The My AmeriCorps system does not include comprehensive compliance checks. We recommend that programs set their own policies around system use and monitor usage for compliance. However, we suggest that programs give some thought to how they assign roles and access so that they are comfortable with the level of authority they are giving their users. If they have questions they should contact their Program Director or Program Officer. eGrants Coaching Unit 4
Grantee Administrator User Role Defined Grantee Administrator: o is an eGrants user role that gives full access to My AmeriCorps functionality. o applies only to the national legal applicant organization; unless an operating site has or has had a state sub-grant through another program type. Please contact your national program for guidance on how to get your operating site linked to the program. o has access to all grants, operating sites, and service locations at the national legal applicant organization. o can approve all requests (please contact your Program Officer for guidance on business practices). o manages organizational information and all users at the legal applicant organization. eGrants Coaching Unit 5
My AmeriCorps User Roles & Access Flow Chart eGrants Coaching Unit 6
My AmeriCorps User Roles Defined Grantee Recruiter: o manages most recruitment functions such as create service listings and processes applications, with the exception of enrollment, for the legal applicant organization and all of its associated grants. Grantee Member Management: o manages program(s) and members, including enrollment; requires an access level: Prime: refers to a grant for the national program. Operating Site: refers to a sub-site for the national program. Service Location: refers to the exact location where a member serves. eGrants Coaching Unit 7
Grantee Member Management User Role Tree Diagram 8 Prime Operating Site Service Location Service Location (new term): Refers to an exact location where a member serves. Operating Site: Refers to a sub-site for the national program. Prime: Refers to a grant to the national legal applicant organization. eGrants Coaching Unit
National Programs – Service Location Level Access Prime Operating Site Service Location Portal Page for Service Location User Service Location Level: Lists all available service locations to the national legal applicant organizations grants. A service location refers to the exact locations where a member serves. eGrants Coaching Unit 9
National Programs – Operating Site Level Access Prime Operating Site Service Location Workbasket for Operating Site User Operating Site Level: Lists all available sub-sites associated with the grants to the national legal applicant organization. eGrants Coaching Unit 10
National Programs – Prime Level Access Prime Operating Site Service Location Workbasket for Prime User Prime Level: Lists all available grants to the national legal applicant organization. eGrants Coaching Unit 11
Grantees User Roles Map eGrants Coaching Unit 12
eGrants Coaching Unit Grantee Member Management Role at the Service Location Level 13
Grantee Member Management Role at the Operating Site Level eGrants Coaching Unit 14
Grantee Member Management Role at the Prime Level eGrants Coaching Unit 15
Whats next? 16 The Resource Center o www.nationalserviceresources.org/ac-training-support o Includes other tutorials o Live training and registration schedule The eGrants Coaching Unit o 1-888-333-8272 o email@example.com o Training/Technical Assistance The eGrants Help Desk o 1-888-677-7849 o Technical Assistance o User name/Password reset assistance eGrants Coaching Unit 16
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USA TODAY NETWORK Announces Kate Gutman as Head of Content Ventures
Public Company Information:
MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The USA TODAY NETWORK, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), today named Kate Gutman head of content ventures, effective immediately. In her new role, Gutman is responsible for growing the company's content brands and experiences that extend the portfolio beyond USA TODAY and 109 local news brands. Gutman will oversee the portfolio of niche passion brands such as Grateful, Reviewed.com and HumanKind, and will report directly to Maribel Perez Wadsworth, president, USA TODAY NETWORK, and publisher, USA TODAY.
"With her deep passion for innovation, Kate embodies the culture and vision of the USA TODAY NETWORK," said Wadsworth. "She is a forward-thinker with a keen ability to recognize opportunities in today's media environment and we are excited about the future of our portfolio under her leadership."
Gutman previously served as vice president of strategy and digital media at A+E Networks International, where she was responsible for growing the company's digital revenue and leading A+E's transition from a linear television company to a successful multiplatform entertainment brand. During her tenure at A+E, she grew the company's content distribution business and built relationships with over 30 different digital platforms. She also launched new digital products and services leveraging the A&E, History and Lifetime channels and content libraries.
Prior to A+E Networks, Gutman led the digital business for Reader's Digest International, working with local market leaders to deliver revenue and profit goals for websites, digital marketing and e-commerce businesses. She also held senior digital and business strategy roles at Rodale, Bertelsmann and Lagardere Group.
Gutman is a graduate of Columbia University, where she earned an MBA in management and a Bachelor of Arts in economics. She resides in New York City with her husband and daughter.
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USA TODAY NETWORK, part of Gannett Co, Inc. (NYSE: GCI), is the largest local-to-national media organization in the country, powered by our award-winning newsrooms and marketing solutions business. With deep roots in local communities spanning the U.S. with more than 100 brands, plus USA TODAY, we engage more than 125 million people every month through a diverse portfolio of multi-platform content offerings and experiences. For more information, visit www.gannett.com.


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Matthew 22:37-40
37. And He said to him, " ' YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38. This is the great and foremost commandment. 39. The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." "
Ephesians 2
Made Alive in Christ
2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Psalm 118: 24
24. "This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it. "
Proverbs 16:24
"24. "Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." "
John 3:14-21
"14. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15. so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
16."For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19. This is the judgement, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." "


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On March 28, 2012, the 5th annual International Hernia Congress is set to meet in New York City. This event involves the American Hernia Society as well as the European Hernia Society.
This is a four-day event named, "The World Hernia Celebration." The members of the meeting will take turns discussing scientific improvements that can be applied to hernia repair operations to make them more beneficial to the patients. One of the main focuses will be hernias located on abdominal walls.
Surgical mesh will also be addressed at the conference and several researchers and experts on these products will give detailed analyses of conducted studies. The side effects of meshes will be noted and since there are 100 different types of meshes currently available, the pros and cons of several types will be made public.
If you have suffered a side effect due to the use of AlloDerm, a surgical mesh, please contact the AlloDerm lawsuit lawyers of Williams Hart by calling 800-761-3187 today.


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Category / Seminars
Swiss Society of Neuroscience Annual Meeting 2019
Tania gave a talk at the Swiss Society of Neuroscience meeting 2019 in the Wyss Center in Geneva. She was part of a session on Learn and neural plasticity in sensory systems,…
GRC 2018 – Optogenetic approaches to understanding neural circuits and behavior
Tania attended the Gordon Research Conference on Optogenetic approaches to understanding neural circuits and behavior in Maine. The program was very stimulating – the field is moving quickly and in exciting directions! It…
FENS Forum 2018
Magdalena and Gioia participated in the FENS forum in Berlin, from July 7 to 11 2018. Magdalena got lots of attention and great feedback on her poster entitled "Distinct roles of primary…
Henrik gives a talk at "Cutting EEG"
Henrik got invited to give a seminar at the conference Cutting EEG in Paris on July 4 2018. His talk was entitled "Forward modeling single neurons and local networks." Well done Henrik!
Giessbach 2018
This year's Giessbach meeting took place from May 24-26 2018, with Ilana Witten, Princeton University and Catherine Dulac, Havard University as guest speakers. Tania gave a talk entitled "Sound features and plasticity during…
Neurex Auditory System Dysfunction Workshop
Neurex organised a workshop titled: AUDITORY SYSTEM DYSFUNCTIONS: FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH AND CLINICS The program included a lot of auditory periphery research, and Tania, Patricia and Magdalena learned a lot about cochlear functions! Poster-Neurex-Meeting-Auditory-System
Computational Neuroscience of Prediction
The Brain FENS Spring conference 2018 was discussing Computational Neuroscience of Prediction. Tania attended to get new inspiration…
Cambridge Neuroscience Symposium
Rasmus attended the 6th Cambridge Neuroscience Symposium: Neural network in health and disease in his new hometown of Cambridge, UK. He presented a poster entitled "Cortical tuning curves dictate tone discrimination".
Giessbach 2017
This year's Giessbach metting took place from May 4 to 6, with Yang Dan (UC Berkeley) as the guest speaker. Tania gave a talk entitled "Linking the neural code to a behavioral…
"How does the brain work" workshop
Henrik has co-organised a workshop entitled "How does the brain work " at the Carlsberg Academi, Copenhagen, Denmark, from September 14 to 16 2016. The goal of the workshop was to bring together…
ENCODS 2016, a European Neuroscience Conference for Doctoral Students organised in relation to FENS, took place north of Copenhagen from June 29 to July 1. As a keynote speaker, Tania had the…
Controlling Neurons, Circuits and Behaviors
The first Brain Prize-FENS meeting was held in Rungstedgård, Denmark in April 20-24 2014. It was very exciting to discuss with our colleagues about the current concepts and challenges for future research…
Seminar at EPFL, Switzerland
On December 20th 2013 Tania will discuss the "Development and function of auditory circuits" at the Synapses and Circuits seminar series, from the Brain Mind Institute (EPFL, Lausanne). http://memento.epfl.ch/event
Danish Brain Research Laboratories Meeting
We will present our recent results and future directions at the Danish Brain Research Laboratories OAK meeting (Frederiksberg, June 14-15 2013).
- Auditory Experiences (3)
- BSL News (26)
- In the Media (11)
- Seminars (17)


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About Me
I have been taking photos since purchasing my first camera, a Canon SLR with money received at my high school graduation. Yes this is over 45 years and over the years I estimate taking more than 50,000 pictures.
My focus, pun intended, is on landscape photography with a special emphasis, as you will see, on lighthouse and sunrise/sunset photos. I also shoot portraits and still life however I live for the thrill of traveling and seeing a new site and then documenting these wonderful experiences. I have been fortunate to have traveled a great deal in my life with business and pleasure and love sharing what I have been so fortunate to see. My travel interests are primarily the United States, I believe there so much to see right here at home. I do have interest in Canada, the Caribbean, the British Isles, Australia and Europe in the future as time and resources permit.
I offer my photos for sale and I am available for photography services for those in desire of a very experienced amateur photographer with a great eye for color and composition.
Thank you for viewing my photos, I welcome your comments and feedback and look forward to hearing from everyone who has taken some time from their busy schedule to see a bit of what I see in life.
"Photography is a love affair with life" .... Burt Uzzle 1938


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This Article is Sponsored by Legendary Corals.Hello fellow reefers,
Darwin here with another blog like story time post! I've been talking about this subject with a couple of friends and it's very noticeable that the demand for these squishies has skyrocketed in the past couple of years. Some people even make it a mission to collect every new piece that comes out now (or even some people who make a vow to collect all the nicest jawbreakers out there *cough cough*). But it wasn't always like this, and I thought it would be interesting to dive a little deeper into what makes these shrooms so intriguing all of a sudden along with a couple of highlights on the hottest pieces going out.
A long time ago, in a reef tank far far away, mushroom corals have been passed down for generations as being the ultimate beginner's corals to the point where reefers would be telling each other to never keep one in their reef in fear of an invasion. That simple red or blue shroom that looked good in the local fish store quickly became more annoying than aptasia and was branded off as being a pest.
It all started with one harmless little blue shroom... That's now the size of a tang.
But oddly enough, lately it's been the opposite. There's been a surge of demand for all sorts of mushrooms from rhodactus, discosoma, ricordeas, st thomas, and the latest demand, bubbly sp. unknown. We've gone past the point where we see these corals as pests geared only towards beginners and started to scarf up any type of variety we can. Any unique kind of coloration demands top dollars now. Groups started to appear specifically made to appreciate these corals, and the amount of activity in these groups are growing everyday. These easy to care for softies are starting to get love from all over the country.
Over 2000 members and growing everyday! Who knew so many people would specifically love these squishies?
But it's not just the United States that's started to love these corals. People overseas are even creating groups just for shrooms! The trend and demand for mushrooms is definitely noticeable, and something that's only recently occurred in this scale.
People over in the UK are creating new groups to enjoy these squishies along with their cup of tea.
Where this latest craze came from is unknown. But thinking back on it, I believe what sparked this new found interest in mushrooms was the introduction of the WWC Bounce Shroom, which became the latest high end shroom since the Jawbreaker/ Tye Dye. Ever since the introduction of this unique shroom, the interest for all sorts of mushrooms started to appear. Simple shaggy looking mushrooms and rhodactus that just happened to get bubbly became top dollar pieces, sought after for the bubbly trait that makes the WWC Bounce so unique. Can we imagine what the demand for bubbly shrooms would be without the WWC Bounce??? I personally don't think it would be any where near what it is now.
A simple green and orange rhodactus. But now worth 10x as much because it's gained one bubble? The thirst for bubbles is real.
It's brown and grey in base coloration, but those sweet looking bubbles sure make up for it. IMO, the shroom that started the craze.
With the bounce setting a firey passion for mushrooms, hobbyist began to notice mushrooms again when new pieces came in. Let's view some of the unique pieces that have been hitting the scene, listed by species!
This was the first shroom species to start the craze with the infamous Jawbreaker/ Tye Dye. Now there are a couple of other heavy hitters that have joined the spotlight and are sought after by reefers all over (I believe this is the group that has the most famous pieces). These shrooms are characterized by their smooth shiny bodies. In my experience, these are the most finicky and most likely to float off when upset (all you disco collectors know this pain, especially those JB hunters).
The Jawbreaker:
This shroom is the first high end shroom to hit the hobby. Collected from Vietnam, this mushroom is infamous for gaining more colors as it matures. The colorations typically starts with orange/yellow, red, green, and (if you're lucky) purple. This is what I know of for how it got into the hobby (I'd love it if someone else who knew more about this shroom could shed light on it as well). The mushroom came into the Bay Area, California and went under the care of Dr. Lee of Aquatic Gallery. From there, pieces of the babies sold locally and the jawbreaker strain was spread. Now we'll go into the infamous The Tye Dye/ Jawbreaker debate. From what I've learned over the years, the Jawbreaker mother was purchased from Aquatic Gallery and sold through very few locals (1-2 people) until it got into the hands of TDF. When I was young, I do recall seeing a shroom that looked just like the infamous photo from TDF of the Tye Dye at Aquatic Gallery. So from what I can recall, it does support this story that the original Jawbreaker and Tye Dye are the same. This is just what I know of, so if someone else who has talked to these fine folks of the older reefing days please chime in! Based on the stories I've heard, I believe that Jawbreakers and Tye Dyes are the same, for I've seen Jawbreakers that get the infamous purple that people believe only Tye Dyes get (like the one we own in the photo :angel.
Excerpt from Kmaintl: SO TYE DYE AND JAWBREAKERS = SAME THING
"I am hardly ever on the forums nowadays... but someone (not RichieT) forwarded me this thread. BTW, Darwin, great writeup and looks like you and your partners are doing well with your new venture.
What you state is correct. I never disclosed Dr. Li's name nor the first hobbyist that purchased the original mother from Dr. Li because he asked me not to and I respected his wishes. The first hobbyist that owned the Mother Jawbreaker (assumed it was named by Dr. Li as he was first to receive this import around 9 years ago now) was one of my customers who purchase reef equipment and I purchased some corals from him for my other customers. He shall remain nameless until he changes his mind and would like to reveal his identity. He lived in San Jose area and I still remember the month he brought the Mother Jawbreaker home, my jaw dropped when I saw it. So, the name for the mushroom was appropriate.
My colony is shared ownership with my son-in-law's younger brothers and we still have our original 1st daughter that was produced by the original Mother Jawbreaker that now resides with Zack at TDF. Since we've owned the colony for 9 years now, we've kept at least 9 granddaughters with nice amount of green and one of them actually had purple before that tank crash and we lost her. 2 years ago, we split the mother colony among the 3 partners and each has several green polyps in their colony. We still keep a mother colony where we frag out for sales, so we do have frags throughout the year. The zoo location is SF is where our mother colony is located.
The 2nd daughter went to a hobbyist in Sacto area, who sold it 3 years ago when he was relocated to Hawaii. He sold everything before moving. The 3rd daughter is still in the San Jose area and I don't know much about the history behind the 3rd daughter. But as of 3 years ago, the hobbyist that owned the original Mother Jawbreaker said the 3rd owner never dropped a baby, just got very big and happily settled in one place in his tank.
Getting back to history, Rommel made the San Jose hobbyist an offer he couldn't refuse (to this day my San Jose customer regrets letting go of the Mother Jawbreaker) and Rommel flip it and sold to Zack at TDF. My only regret is seeing the original Mother Jawbreaker escape from the West Coast. Zack didn't know that the Jawbreaker already had a name and said that Rommel referred to it as a mystery mushroom, unknown and one of a kind. So, Zack named it Mystery TieDye as that's what the Mother looks like.
There is at least 3 lineages of mushrooms called Jawbreakers and that's what makes it confusing. Unless yours leads back to TDF's Mother, you don't have the one that grows to about 5"-6" across, comes in with green and purple as it matures. The other lineages that came in about 9 years ago only grows to about 2"-2.5" and only red and orange. The lineage that came in about 2 years ago is smooth and small, but has the 3 colors quickly. The newest lineage also faster grower. HTH so, yes, one of Jawbreaker lineage is the same as the Mystery TieDye, not the others. "
The Red Devil Shroom:
This shroom is one all hard core collectors know about. The red and blue version of a Jawbreaker... the Red Devil! This shroom starts off as all red and gains beautiful baby blue speckles on a maroon/ purple splotchy body as it matures. Very few reefers still have this unique mushroom.
The infamous Red Devil... This is the oldest photo I can find of this fine gem.
The Electus Mushroom:
The newest discosoma to make a hit in the reefing scene... The Eclectus Shroom! This one is very similar to the Jawbreaker but instead of red streaks it has unique looking spots. Whether or not it gets green or purple like the Jawbreaker does is unknown. It seems like the lucky few vendors that got their hands on one are growing them out.
The Vietnam Shrooms:
Vietnam is the origin of the Jawbreaker, so it's no surprise that there are lots of sweet shrooms coming in from Vietnam again. Most of these discosomas are a variation similar to the Jawbreaker (some even looking the same).
Let's talk about another shroom family now, this time it's going to get fuzzy!
These guys are characterized by their fuzzy bodies. It's argued that the Bounce is a type of rhodactus based on its body. I mean, if you think about it... Pop the bubbles off a Bounce and you're left with a grey rhodactus (who wants to volunteer and cut those bubbles off? :nerd. Rhodactus come in an assort of colors and patterns, even some with weird bodies.
This is one type of rhodactus, which is the smoother variety.
Yet this is also a rhodactus! This one is usually called a "hairy" rhodactus.
And this is also a rhodactus! This one is generally called a "carpet" rhodactus. They come in so many different body types.
And lastly... The debatable. Labeled as Rhodactus Sp. What reefers would do for such a rock now!
Ricordeas, Florida and Yuma
The last of the groups I'm going to be covering are the ricordeas. Sadly, this is the group that's been grouped altogether and uniqueness for these guys aren't as sought after anymore. They fall more so under a "grading scale" than desired traits. This is most likely because because the color variation from one piece to another is so different that it's hard for people to try to go after a specific strain of ricordea. These guys don't get any fancy names like the other shrooms but are still loved for their vibrant colors.
These guys are collected mostly from Florida, but some strains are collected from Puerto Rico or Haiti which get colors we don't see too often (such as red mouths). Both have similar care, with the Florida pieces coming in rubble the Puerto Rican/ Haitian pieces coming in rock. These guys are still a mystery to me, as some reefers can keep them without any issues while others have constant problems and can't keep them happy even with a full blown mixed reef.
So much color on a shroom. It's no wonder why they're so popular with reefers of all experience.
The infamous red mouths of Haitan Ricordeas
These guys are the risk takers of the shroom family. Known for being infamous melters, reefers still buy them in the attempt of being able to find one healthy yuma to oggle at home. It's almost a checklist of all established reefs to have a sweet happy yuma. These guys come in all sorts of colors and also follow a similar grading scale to Floridas, with green being the low end to pink and rainbows being the most sought after. Yumas are have a more hairy appearance and are also much larger than Floridas.
Finding a pink yuma that won't melt is on the list for many reefers!
I hope you enjoyed my little cap on mushrooms, would love to hear your thoughts on this new trend along with photos of your favorite shroomy!
Discuss this Article Here
This Article is Sponsored by Legendary Corals.


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Phoenix Fashion Week 2012: Saturday Night at Talking Stick Resort You know you're at Phoenix Fashion Week when two men ask you to snap a cellphone photo of them and they proceed to artistically direct the "shoot." True story. The final evening of Fashion Week 2012 brought together the best bunch of designers, including Dubai-based Furne One (pronounced fern oh-nay), of the three-day event. While that had us wondering why the entirety of the event wasn't equally elevated, we were glad to not sit through another evening of embarrassments mixed in with competent creations at Talking Stick Resort. Read more ...
The People of Tour de Fat at Tempe Beach Park, 10/5/12 A bonanza of bikes, beer, and bizarre costumes were on tap when New Belgium Brewing brought its annual Tour de Fat celebration to Tempe Beach Park on Saturday, October 6.
First Friday in Downtown Phoenix, 10/5/12 As temperatures begin to drop, art fans came out in masses to check out some of the best artist's in town on Friday, Oct. 5, 2012. Check out new artwork by Fred Tieken, Carolyn Lavender, Christy Puetz, and Robert Lott.
13th Annual Best of Phoenix A'fare 10/6/12 It was a sold out event at the 13th annual Best of Phoenix A'fare Saturday night at the Arizona Science Center. There were culinary delights from 30 different "Best of Phoenix" restaurants, over 300 hands on science exhibits and enough beer, wine and cocktails to make Bill Nye's head spin. If you didn't get your tickets in time here is what you missed.
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62 Series Strength Machine:
The pulldown or 'lat' pulldown is an exercise mainly for the back although the shoulders and arms get some workout as well. The equipment for the cable pulldown is usually a weighted cable pulley station with adjustable weights and seat.
High quality raw material and details:


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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A state court panel in Kansas ruled on Tuesday that public schools were being unconstitutionally underfunded, though it stopped short of ordering a specific increase in education dollars.
The ruling comes as the Republican-controlled Legislature, which championed deep tax cuts in recent years, now finds the state facing projected budget deficits of hundreds of millions of dollars. "K-12 school funding in Kansas is still proceeding by political choice to use otherwise available state financial resources elsewhere or not at all," the decision said.
The court also ruled that a provision allowing localities to provide funding to equalize the gap between rich and poor districts was insufficient because it did not guarantee that the playing field would be leveled.
But the decision of the court, in Shawnee County, is unlikely to have an immediate impact because the state is expected to appeal to the Kansas Supreme Court.
In previous years, the state's courts have consistently ruled that Kansas lawmakers were not spending enough on K-12 education to meet the constitutional requirement of making "suitable provision for finance of the educational interests of the state." That vague constitutional clause has been the foundation of raging political argument in the state.
Conservative lawmakers have balked at what they have seen as the judiciary intruding on the role of the Legislature. They have said that schools did not necessarily need more money, they just needed to spend it more wisely. Their opponents, meanwhile, have said that increased funding had a direct impact on better classroom performance.
Education funding represented one of the most controversial topics this year in Gov. Sam Brownback's tight race for a second term. The Republican governor has made the billions of dollars in income tax cuts a hallmark of his tenure, much to the chagrin of critics who say that tax cuts will bankrupt the state and prevent the funding of vital services, most notably education.
While the governor has increased the state's contribution to education funding since taking office in 2011, much of it has gone toward teacher pensions, not classroom instruction, and critics say he has failed to keep pace with inflation.
Much of the argument centers on what is known as base state aid per pupil, or the amount spent on each student. Lawsuits from previous years had ended with the Legislature agreeing to phase in increases that would get that figure to $4,492. But it peaked at $4,433 in 2008 and then slid because of the recession. It is now down to $3,852.
In its 119-page opinion, the court, perhaps sensitive to lawmakers' disdain for being told what to do, did not say that they had to increase K-12 funding to a particular amount. Instead, the judges suggested that the funding would be constitutional if base state aid per pupil was somewhere around $4,654 or $4,980.
This same three-judge panel ruled last year that lawmakers needed to inject an additional $440 million of annual school funding to meet the constitutionally acceptable base state aid. But the state's Supreme Court sent the issue back to the district court, saying that it needed to reconsider whether total funding was adequate using a different legal standard.
Just this week, Mr. Brownback had told local news media that he wanted to completely revamp the school funding formula to make it more sustainable.
"We will review today's decision carefully," said Eileen Hawley, the governor's spokeswoman. "The governor will work with legislative leaders to determine the best path forward."
He faces a difficult funding cycle with a nearly $280 million budget gap to fill this fiscal year and around $650 million in the next.
"The formula's fine," said John S. Robb, one of the lawyers representing the school districts and individuals suing the state in the lawsuit, Gannon v. Kansas. "But you got to fund it. You got to fund whatever you do. They did not find the formula was wrong. So Brownback's trying to fix something that's not broken."


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I remember last year, when Ben (my real estate partner and a co-organizer of this meetup) and I were looking for a bank to loan us money for our investment house, I had no idea what I was doing. I just started calling up banks in Florida and pretended to know what I was talking about. I wish I had read this article beforehand:
Seven questions to help you select a lender
It's a nice overview of questions that you can ask to choose the right bank. Also, articles like this are great because people will leave comments and sometimes I learn more from the comments than the article!
To ensure you are updated when new people comment, you'll have to enter a comment yourself. But it can be something as simple as, "Thanks for the info!"
Although this article was prepared for US banks, I'm sure a lot of the questions will also apply to Korean banks, if indeed you're looking to invest here.
Let me know if you found it helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to email.
A few banking terms
Amortization - This refers to the length of time it takes to fully pay back a loan. So, if you get a loan that's amortized over 30 years, that means, if you make all the payments, in 30 years, your loan will be paid off.
Term - This refers to how long the bank loan will be good for. For example, if you get a 10-year term, then your loan will be paid back over in 10 years.
Amortization vs Term - Keep in mind that your amortization schedule and term can be different. Here's an example.
- Case 1: A 30-year fully-amortized loan (i.e., a loan that will be paid off in 30 years if you make payments). In this case, the loan is amortized over 30 years and the term is also 30 years. After 30 years, you owe the bank nothing.
- Case 2: A 30-year amortized loan with a 10-year term. In this case, your payments will be the same as in Case 1. However, after 10 years, you will still owe whatever the remaining balance on the loan is (since you'll only have paid off about one-third of the loan because it was amortized over 30 years, not 10). Your balance will be due. At this time, most investors will attempt to get a "new loan" (also known as refinancing), to pay off whatever is still owed.
Why do banks offer an amortization schedule that is longer than the term?
The banks do this so that in 10 years, when you refinance your loan, they can charge you a higher interest rate.
However, since the amortization is longer, your monthly payments end up being less.
Think about in this way: If you had to pay back $30 in 30 days, you could pay back $1 a day and be done at the end of 30 days. But if you had to pay back $30 in 10 days, you'd owe $3 a day.
So, the banks are basically saying, "You can pay the $1 a day rate (amortization), but after 10 days (term), you'll still owe me $20," at which point, the bank might offer you another loan with a different interest rate.
As investors, we'll often be dealing with the "commercial" side of the bank, not the residential side. The commercial side of the bank will rarely give a 30-year fully-amortized loan to an investor. Most likely, the bank might offer a product like this:
20-year amortized loan with a 7-year term
So, the loans that most investors want to get are 30-year fully-amortized loans at low interest rates (about 4%).
If it's your primary residence, then those types of loans are easier to get, and in some cases, you might be able to put down less than 10% as a down payment.
If it's an investment property, you might be able to get a loan like that but likely you'd have to:
- Put the house in your own name (not under an LLC)
- Put down a 20% down payment
(Note: If you work with a home builder, a manufactured home provider, or a turnkey specialist, they might have their own in-house financial services, in which case you won't have to deal with an outside bank.)
Adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) vs Fixed rate - an ARM stands for adjustable rate mortgage and it means that the interest rate you pay can go up or down on a periodic basis (e.g., every 2 years, 5 years, or 7 years) based on the prime interest rate at the time (basically, it's related to the rate that the Federal Reserve charges other banks to borrow money).
Fixed rate mortgage - the rate stays constant throughout the term of the loan (doesn't change).
Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac - When a bank makes a loan to a home buyer, they don't keep the loan on their books. Instead, they sell the loan to a big institutional bank like Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are quasi-governmental agencies.
The reason this is done is to encourage banks to give loans by basically "guaranteeing the loans." Banks know that the home loan they made to the homebuyer will be the responsibility of Fannie / Freddie, and therefore, they feel more comfortable giving out the loans.
But to get a "conforming" loan (i.e., one that Fannie / Freddie will accept), you often have to follow some strict guidelines (e.g., a house appraisal, a "live-in" ready house, etc.).
I hope you find this helpful!


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"FROM CUSCO TO THE CHINCHAYSUYO"(2 Days / 1 Night)
1st day / Cusco - Quillarumiyoc - Tarawasi - Maucachaca - Cconoc
Travelers are picked up at their hotels and we start from Cusco at 7:00 am, by private bus. Leaving Cusco we pass through the "pampa" of Anta, where we will be able to observe ample cultivation fields and the prosperous cattle activity of the locals.
Our first stop will be the archaeological center of Quillarumiyoc, quechua voice meaning stone of the moon. It was an Inca ceremonial center dedicated to the moon and water.
We continue the trip arriving at the Abra Huillque, from where we will have a phenomenal view of the snowy Salcantay (20551 feet), main "Apu" of the South Andes of Peru.
Our next goal will be Tarawasi, an important "tambo" (hence the name of the Limatambo village) on the Inca route to Chinchaysuyo.
On route to Curahuasi we will have lunch in a restaurant and then the mobility will take us to walk on the Capaq Ñan, until the Maucachaca bridge site and then to the thermal site of Cconoc. There are pools of thermal water, some rooms and a small restaurant; reeds, huarango trees, cacti and carob trees are part of the vegetation that surrounds the center. Dinner and overnight
2nd day / Cconoc - Viewpoints of Curahuasi - Saywite - Cusco
After breakfast, we head to Curahuasi, where we take a small road that leads us to San Cristobal mountain and the esplanade of Captain Rumi.
Captain Rumi (Rumi in Quechua means stone) is a huge monolith that sits on the edge of the deep canyon of the Apurimac River.
From there, we will walk until the upper viewpoint of San Cristóbal, that dominates the abyss of the great canyon of Apurímac; we can see, by far, a part of the famous inca sanctuary of Choquequirao.
Returning to Curahuasi village, we will have lunch and then continue by bus until the archaeological site of Saywite, a ceremonial inca center dedicated to the water.
After the visit, we board the bus to reach Cusco, where we will arrive approximately at 19,00
Tourist mobility; Bilingual professional guide English / Spanish; Entrance tickets (Tarawasi, Cconoc, Saywite); Overnight in Cconoc; 2 lunches, 1 dinner and 1 breakfast.


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Framed Texas Map; 1866
Framed Texas Map; 1866
Elegantly framed post civil war map of Texas published by A. J. Johnson. The map is hand colored and richly detailed. An inset map of Galveston Bay is included. At the time, Galveston was the largest city in the state.
The map was originally folded and the crease still shows a little. Very little damage for a map of its age. Beautiful display piece.
Frame measures 28" x 22" / Map measures ~23" x 17"
sold out


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I need to buy e-mail list
Бюджет €8-30 EUR
Hi, I'm looking for someone
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Afrika Burn 24th - 30th April 2017
Music 4/5
Rave Level 5/5
Food 2/5
Atmostphere 5/5
Boutique 2/5
Family Friendly 1/5
Location: Tankwa Karoo, South Africa (300km from Cape Town)
Size: 11,700 in 2016 (grows every year)
Vibe: Dusty, Dreamy and exceptionally free. So many different vibes.
What to Wear: Anything and everything. Often the more ridiculous the better. Radical Self-Expression is encouraged in the dress up department.
Activities: Installation art, music, meditation, yoga, body painting, sky diving, bike riding, hugging, dancing, burning sculpture watching, making new friends, living and loving.
If you happen to be someone who enjoys the creature comforts in life, and your idea of a good festival is being in a gorgeous valley, your feet being caressed by perfectly manicured lawns, Rosé on tap at the VIP bar, popular mainstream bands tickling your eardrums, while you elegantly bop too and fro, knowing that there is a clean bed in close proximity to you at all times, then AfrikaBurn might not be your first choice of festivals.
Afrikaburn is not for the faint of heart, at times you will be unclear as to whether its real life, whether you are on the set of Mad Max, or if you have indeed just landed on Mars. It is a celebration of art, light, sound and culture that attacks all of your senses in the most weird and wonderful of ways. From the sandstorms, to the rough and rocky terrain (pretty much only suitable for 4 wheelers) the less than optimal and fairly public shower and toilet facilities, to the scorching hot days and bitterly cold nights, excessive walking and for the most part, self catering dinning, it can test your character in a million ways. Having said that, the event practices Radical Inclusion- anyone and everyone is invited to partake, there are no pre-requisites and you are bound to learn a number of things about yourself out in the desert.
Most of those that have been and experienced it in all its splendour, will no doubt tell you it is one of the most incredible experiences, completely different to anything else you know and have done, and certainly one to put on the bucket list.
Taking Place on the plains of the Karoo Desert in a place known to burners as Tankwa Town, that for 1 week of the year transforms from long stretches of baron land into an electric town and energetic community of free spirited wanderers, Afrikaburn is one of the older and bigger spin offs of Burning Man in the US, having just celebrated their 10th Burn.
Much like Burning Man, Afrikaburn too is is guided by some key principles, a set of ideals by which it is hoped that all participants and community members will live by and carry forward; Radical Inclusion, Gifting, Decommodification, Radical self-reliance, Radical Self-Expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leave no trace, participation, immediacy, each one teach one.
In other words, by all means loose yourself, dance your pants off, wake up in a random tent, but do so in a way that is conscious, clean and participative rather than destructive. Don't be throwing things on the ground, the MOOP (matter out of place) police will be after you, you are expected to leave the place as you found it, but definitely do hug a couple of strangers, burners love a free hug.
This is no Four Seasons experience, no-one is turning down your sheets and placing chocolates on you pillow, if you even have one. Camping completely depends on what you plan ahead and which camp you are in. There are a number of ways to go about this.
Some people opt for the plug and play camps or organized tour groups, where a set of people go ahead and setup your camp and your tents for you and often supply 2 cooked meals a day.
Many of the bigger themed camps that have been running for a number of years are normally run buy a few people who take charge in dealing with all the prep leading up to the burn, everything from the theme, setups, décor, cooking and bathroom facilities, what they are going to provide to the community, water tanks etc. They are normally given a pre-determined camping spot and accommodate a fair amount of people, so if you have an in through a friend, or any acquaintance, you can join these camps and are often just required to contribute something towards setup and general facilities as well as be delegated tasks throughout the week so that everyone in the camp is helping out in some way, pulling their weight and contributing to making it a functional camp and inclusive community.
In this instance you are still required to bring all your sleeping bags, pillows, tents, food etc yourself and set it up within the Camp and then share kitchen, bar, shower , and common areas.
The other option is to just wing it, arrive with no pre-determined camping spot and find somewhere to park your car and setup your tent and hope that you have awesome neighbors.
One big thing to consider is, if you are someone who likes their sleep and is planning to get as much of it that is humanly possible at an event that is on the go 24/7, avoid the designated loud zones close to the late night music and dance areas.
Lastly and most importantly, be a contributing member of the Afrikaburn society. Gifting is a huge part of Afrikaburn. Whether you are gifting people a tangible thing, gifting your time to help people build their tents or fix a bike puncture, gifting of your knowledge and friendship or simply giving out free hugs, immerse yourself in the community, make new friends, talk to people you don't know, dance with a stranger, appreciate the art and EXPRESS YOURSELF!
P.s. Clean up after yourself –leave no trace. ☺
By Day you will find yourself exploring the terrain laden in an array of different artwork that you can often climb, crawl through, balance on or just marvel at in wonder. Not to mention the huge amount of detail and creativity that goes into burner outfits that in themselves are a form of art and self-expression. From straight up nudity, to the most excessive heavily adorned costume made of every material you can think of. Pretty much anything goes. This event is your opportunity to wear the most ludicrous thing you could ever imagine and feel free of any form of judgement. Express yourself!
The mutant vehicles are another special and unique form of art. People spend months collaborating to create art cars of all forms and sizes, at some point you need to find yourself on one of these moving vehicles not knowing where you are headed and sharing stories with a bunch of complete randoms.
There are also so many different activities going on at any given time all around the camps. From meditation, yoga, to live piano playing, games and activities, a human car wash and a number of beautifully bizarre happenings. Explore!
By night the temperature drops quite severely and the best advice you can be given is LAYER LAYER LAYER! Faux Fur is your friend here, unless you like to freeze your tits off. More importantly though, by night, Tankwa Town transforms into a neon carnival, an explosion of multicoloured light, a spectacle that when seen for the first time, blows your mind in the most trippy of ways.
The night time also brings the pinnacle event, the Burn itself, While there are a number wooden art structures that burn throughout the course of the week, The main one is what is known as the San Clan, built to look like a group of people to further emphasis the sense of community. Before the burn there are fire dancers and flame throwers that prance around in front of the Clan displaying their talents, before the Clan itself is lit and thousands of people stand around in a trance like state watching the flames roar before it falls to the ground. Even for the people least inclined to be tree hugging hippies, it's a pretty special spiritual feeling and feeling of unity.
Don't expect setup stages with all your favourite artists on the Top 100 headlining, that is not the nature of this event. Afrikaburn is community based, so you are pretty much going to get whatever the different camps, art structures and cars are spinning. Explore enough and you are bound to find music to your liking. Everything from themed camps playing cheesy old school hits while their patrons dance flamboyantly with vigorous jazz hands, to more intense trance and house music. Late night, if you venture deep into the darkness you most likely to find the harder more electronic based sets. If you still haven't found something that makes you want to break into spontaneous dance, then play your own music, create your own vibe, pretty sure if your energy is high, you will find that people will trickle in to join in expressing themselves in motion, no doubt new friendships will be made.
When it comes to food, plan ahead! Know how many nights you are going to be there and try plan 2 meals ahead of time for each day. Whatever you need to survive on the nourishment front, you need to take yourself. There are no food stalls, glamorous banquets, communal food areas or anything really, other than what you bring yourself. Take A LOT of water, more than you probably think you need. Nothing at all except for ice is sold at Afrikaburn, in fact money is a completely irrelevant form of currency at Afrikaburn, no body cares how much money you may have, charm and genuine friendliness will get you a lot further and if you need something, bartering/trading is a suggested form of transaction. So if you run out of water, best you have something great to trade in return. Having said that, being the inclusive, gifting community that it is, you are more than likely to find people offering you a whole range of delicious things, from cold sliced watermelon to sharing their pasta dish around a bon-fire.
Many of the themed camps often offer something in the food or drink department too, as their form of gifting to the community. It may be anything from Tea and coffee at 10am, to Chocolate pancakes for any lucky passer byers.
Festibel Contributor and Photographer: Meg Laubscher
For Tickets: www.afrikaburn.com


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to Feb 12
TORTOUR Cyclocross - SWITZERLAND
View Event →
TORTOUR Cyclocross is the first multi-day cyclocross gravel stage race in the world and had its premiere in 2016.
Participants from currently 15 nations already registered for the new ultra-cycling race in 2017 and must overcome a 200 km route with approximately 3000 metres of ascent across demanding terrain – all in challenging winter conditions.
Watch the trailer of the event and look sharp for the yellow/white/red jerseys. http://tortour.com/cyclocross/


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The Best Serums for Dark Spots: 244K Reviews
Based on 243,805 Influenster Reviews
When did cute little freckles turn into age spots or dark spots? Now, these spots show up and it's like someone is pointing a finger saying "you're aging" or "you spent too much time in the sun." Hyperpigmentation should just leave us alone. Dermatologists can help you tell them goodbye for good, but Influensters told us there are some awesome serums that will help treat these adult freckles.
Check out this roundup of the best serums to treat dark spots, based on more than 200K Influenster reviews.
This treatment serum contains lactic acid which helps renew the skin and really get rid of the dull top layer to bring forward a brighter complexion. It also contains licorice, squalene, lemongrass, arnica, and yeast extract which help to plump fine lines, fight hyperpigmentation and repair the skin barrier.
I have only been using this for about two or three weeks, but so far I have noticed that my complexion is so much brighter and not as lackluster as it had been in the past. I have also noticed that my acne scars have started to fade quite a bit! I can't wait to see how what this will do to my skin in the long term, and I definitely want to try more products from this line! ...read more
1. No smell. I can't stand smelly products, so this was a god-send!
2. Disappears into your skin with no oily traces left behind!
3. Did I mention that IT WORKS! Dark spots from sun damage were erased from my forehead within a month! Nothing else has even come close to that!
1. I honestly have none at this time!
I will update my review if anything changes, but I really think this produce is THE ONE and I will be keeping it around forever!
...read more
Enter Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum. I have a small size, purchased in the Murad Vitamin C kit. And this stuff is MAGIC. I've used it for a week and the dark patches near both eyebrows are significantly lighter. The slight darkening on my chin is gone.
It goes on smoothly, no noticeable or lingering odor, doesn't sting or irritate my fairly normal to slightly sensitive skin. It's a bit sticky until it dries so I usually apply it when I have about 10 minutes to spare, prior to my nighttime routine. And, even though the size I have is small, more than half the bottle is still there.
To sum up, bang for your buck, really works. ...read more


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P057. Enhanced expression of CXCL10 in inflammatory bowel disease potential role of mucosal Toll-like receptor 3 stimulation
A.E. Østvik1, N. Nilsen2, A.v.B. Granlund2, S.H. Torp3, A. Flatberg2, H.L. Waldum1, T. Espevik2, J.K. Damås4, A.K. Sandvik3
1Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Gastroenterology, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway, Trondheim, Norway; 2Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway, Department of Pathology and Medical Genetics, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway, Trondheim, Norway; 4Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway, Trondheim, Norway
Background: We explored the gene expression of colonic biopsies of active and inactive inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in an extensive material of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). The chemokine CXCL10 and its receptor CXCR3 were among the most upregulated genes. CXCL10 is an important chemoattractant for activated T‑lymphocytes and T‑lymphocyte migration, and its regulation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of IBD. We therefore undertook this study to examine the roles of CXCL10 in UC and CD.
Methods: A microarray gene expression analysis was done on colonic biopsies (n = 133) from patients with IBD, using Illumina Bead Chip technology. A subset of colonic biopsies was examined by histology and immunohistochemistry. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from the same clinical material, as well as the colonic epithelial cell lines HT-29 and SW 620, were studied to explore their secretion of CXCL10 in response to pattern recognition receptor (PRR) ligands.
Results: Gene expression levels of CXCL10 and CXCR3 were significantly upregulated in biopsies from active UC and CD, compared to patients with inactive disease and healthy controls. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that CXCL10 was mainly localized to the mucosal epithelial cells, and we found significantly increased CXCL10 staining in active IBD vs controls. CXCR3 positive cells were scattered in the submucosa. In vitro, CXCL10 was secreted from HT-29 and SW 620 cells in response to the Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) ligand polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C). Poly I:C also markedly induced CXCL10 in PBMCs from both IBD patients and controls. However, the spontaneous release of CXCL10 in PBMCs was significantly attenuated in UC patients comparing cells from CD and healthy controls, and was inversely correlated to serum levels of CXCL10 in these patients.
Conclusions: Herein we identify CXCL10 and CXCR3 as profoundly upregulated genes in colonic mucosa of active IBD. We also show decreased spontaneous secretion of CXCL10 in PBMCs from UC patients, possibly reflecting cellular anergy after a marked in vivo activation in these patients. By exploring the effects of various PRR-ligands, we found that TLR3-ligand markedly increased secretion of CXCL10 in epithelial cells, suggesting a possible role for TLR3 in mediating enhanced CXCL10 secretion in mucosal epithelial cells from IBD patients.


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Keep the spark alive!
You're a newlywed, an empty nester, or part of a couple of any sort, I know cooking for two isn't always easy.
After cooking for a crowd for so many years there was a real learning curve for cooking for just the two of us. So much food went to waste, and learning shop was a whole new experience!
By signing up for my newsletter, you'll receive exclusive, VIP subscriber-only content including all the latest simple, delicious, healthy, romantic recipes for two.
A couple that cooks together, stays together.
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Has it been weeks or months since you first noticed pain in your heel? Although it's true that pain often goes away on its own, lingering pain is a sign you shouldn't ignore. Jackson, MS, podiatrists Dr. Stefanie Thomas and Dr. Ashley Blackwell can help find the cause of your heel pain and provide treatment options.
Plantar fasciitis
Your toes are connected to your heels by the plantar fascia, a long band of connective tissue that can be felt by pressing on the bottom of your foot. Inflammation of the plantar fascia can cause heel pain and stiffness. The condition often affects people who spend long periods on their feet, have flat feet or high arches, are obese or participate in certain athletic activities, such as running or dancing.
Heel spurs
Heel spurs, calcium deposits that form on the bottom of your heel, make each step you take painful. You may be more likely to get them if you run, jog, wear shoes that don't fit well, have an abnormal gait or are recovering from plantar fasciitis.
Retrocalcaneal bursitis and Achilles tendinitis
Inflammation, a common cause of pain, can affect your Achilles tendon or retrocalcaneal bursa. The Achilles tendon connects your calf muscles to your heel, while the bursa, a sac located at the back of your heel, makes it easier for your Achilles tendon to move over your bones. If you're a runner or walker, you may be more likely to develop the conditions, particularly if you push yourself too hard or long. You may also be at risk if you wear shoes that don't fit well, have arthritis, flat feet or tight calf muscles.
Plantar calluses
Plantar calluses develop on the bottom of your foot due to discrepancies in the length or position of the metatarsal bones in the middle of your foot. For example, if one of these bones is longer than the others, you may develop a painful callus on your heel that never seems to go away.
How can a podiatrist help me?
When heel pain lingers, it's a good idea to visit our Jackson office. We offer a variety of treatments that will treat the source of your pain. Depending on the cause of your condition, you may benefit from prescription medications, corticosteroid injections, orthotics, night splints, ultrasound treatments or even surgery.
Ignoring your heel pain can turn your foot problem into a chronic condition. Luckily, prompt treatment will help you avoid lingering pain. Call Jackson, MS, podiatrists Dr. Stefanie Thomas and Dr. Ashley Blackwell at (601) 926-1500 to schedule an appointment.