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Deals on products Heidi Brooks likes
My Lists
My Likes
$59.50 $24.99
Blowfish Harnett Ankle Boot
The cutest booties of the season!
Cordless Oregon Fir Pre-lit Garland
Our cordless pre-lit garland is a full 6, 9 or 12 feet of twinkling good cheer! Lush and full, Cordless Pre-lit Garland has multiple shades of green for a more realistic, lifelike look. It's pre-lit with standard-size, cool-to-the-touch lights in your choice of White or Multicolored. Safe for indoor and outdoor use—no plugs or cords needed. Built-in timer turns the lights on for 6 hours, then off for 18 hours; or use the manual on/off switch. Uses 3 D batteries (not included). Upon receipt and unboxing, we recommend taking a couple minutes to fluff the garland to achieve your desired fullness. Start a new holiday decorating tradition. Order your Cordless Pre-lit Garland from Brookstone today!
$49.99 $34.97
Cordless Hanging Cone & Berry LED Basket
The easy way to add Christmas cheer. Requiring no cords or plugs, our pretty holiday hanging basket is filled with weather-resistant, life-like greenery and studded with 25 pre-lit LED lights in your choice of Multi or Warm White. Hang multiple baskets on a porch for a welcoming outdoor display, or place indoors to brighten an entry or corner. Eco-friendly LED lights are virtually unbreakable and stay cool to the touch. The built-in timer controls 2 lighting modes. Requires 4 C batteries (not included). Just hang it up, turn it on—and enjoy! Hang the basket wherever you like and let its automatic timer light up its long-lasting LED lights every night. It turns them on for six hours and then off for 18—making it one less thing to worry about during your busy holiday season! Lights have an estimated 150-hour battery life in steady "on" mode. Features a sealed battery box with sealed dial controller to ensure reliable outdoor operation. Make holiday decorating beautifully easy this season with our cordless outdoor Christmas decorations. Order from Brookstone today!
$34.99 $19.99
Cocktail Chemistry Set
There are several rules for cocktails - 1. You must be twenty-one. 2. - A proper martini is made with gin and not vodka (sorry, but it's true). And 3. - Constitutional isomers of dimethyl ether, when blended with a combination of citric acids and disaccharides are damned tasty. If you can live by these rules, then you can be a certified scientific mixologist: one who is capable of using their immense intelligence to create astonishingly awesome alcoholic beverages. We've got your starter set of glassware right here. Beakers, vials and lab-stand right out of a mad-scientist's laboratory. Beware the pan-galactic-gargle-blasters, though. They are potent.
$10.99 $5.49
Eucalyptus And Mint Pillar Candles
Light and crisp. You'll love the calming appeal of these eucalyptus and mint pillar candles. In aqua.


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Those are encouraging words for pharmaceutical companies that have been hammered for pushing unsafe products on the market and hiding unfavorable safety information. Just as heartening is the call for more collaboration with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to "shorten the time from approval to reimbursement," particularly in the emerging area of personalized medicine.
Such risk calculations may lead to additional safety warnings on marketed drugs and restrictions on the use of new medications while sponsors and regulators gather data on long term safety and efficacy. The FDA Amendments Act of 2007 (FDAAA) gives FDA several new tools for ensuring drug safety through the product life cycle, such as Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) governing postmarket prescribing and surveillance. FDAAA also expands the agency's authority to require post-approval label changes when new safety issues arise, and to crack down on manufacturers that fail to conduct agreed-upon postmarketing studies. The law also mandates more extensive listing of clinical trials and study results on the ClinicalTrials.gov/ public Web site to ensure that safety issues arising during clinical research are fully disclosed to regulatory authorities and to the public.
How well these new authorities make drug use safer will be tested in a number of high-profile initiatives. The agency is currently weighing the risks and benefits of antipsychotics for children and adolescents. FDA advisors recently explored the viability of significant curbs on acetaminophen formulations and packaging to reduce incidences of liver toxicity with high doses. A REMS for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) is in the works, and possibly one for anti-wrinkle botulinum toxin products. Weight-loss treatments and the smoking cessation drug Chantix are on the agency's drug safety priority list. And there could be added risk management strategies for COX-2 inhibitors, antidepressants, and anti-epileptics.
The risk-control features of the REMS program face an important test in a new initiative to establish a broad REMS for the entire class of extended relief opioid medicines. This includes 24 brand-name and generic products, such as fentanyl patches, and oral drugs formulated with oxycodone, hydromorphone, methadone, morphine, and oxymorphone.
The aim is to ensure continued access to these medications, which are essential for patients suffering from chronic pain, while also curbing inappropriate prescribing, unintentional overdosing, and intentional abuse. Some 23 million prescriptions of these painkillers are dispensed annually to about 4 million patients in the US, even though long-acting opioids can cause respiratory distress when prescribed to the wrong patients or in too-high doses. These drugs also are open to abuse because they can be crushed or dissolved to permit a large dose to be taken at once; 12 million Americans over age 12 took pain relievers for nonmedical uses in 2007.
Setting Strategies
Instead of pulling these products off the market, FDA officials hope to improve prescribing through coordinated risk management. Under FDAAA, a REMS may consist of just a Medication Guide and a timetable for evaluation following approval. The next step is to devise a communication plan for conveying safety information to prescribers, pharmacists, and patients. The most high-risk drugs also have to establish Elements to Assure Safe Use, which can include special training or certification of health professionals; limited distribution to ensure that a drug is dispensed only to patients who meet certain criteria; patient surveillance to identify adverse reactions; and enrollment of patients in registries for long term oversight. Over the past 18 months, FDA has approved REMS for some 50 products, including drugs and medical products already on the market as well as new treatments.
FDA held an open meeting in May to discuss REMS strategies for opioids. More than 70 speakers presented opinions to a panel headed by Douglas Throckmorton, deputy director for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), and John Jenkins, director of CDER's Office of New Drugs. Parents of teens who died from OxyContin overdoses demanded that FDA remove such dangerous drugs from the market, while representatives of the pain community stressed the need for full access to these medicines, and warned that restricted distribution systems and complex oversight programs could be harmful to patients and costly to the healthcare system.
The opioid class REMS is unique in that it requires brand and generics manufacturers to jointly devise a single, shared system to monitor the safety and risks of dozens of products—a tricky task for fierce competitors. Pharmacists and providers want uniform education and certification programs that fit current work flows and the existing DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) registration system. Manufacturers don't want to run the whole program, and are seeking strong participation by prescribers and dispensers, as well as the DEA, state licensing boards, and other parties. But FDA can only regulate pharma companies, not physicians.
While FDA digests these proposals and develops an REMS proposal for advisory committee consideration later this year, agency officials say they won't hold up the review and approval of new opioid products in the pipeline. Purdue Pharma is seeking FDA approval of a new oxycodone product, but has run into trouble documenting whether the drug really will deter abuse. King Pharmaceuticals has filed applications for two new formulations with anti-abuse claims.
Establishing a final REMS plan could take more than a year, and FDA may propose some interim industry actions during this process, such as added label warnings. Once FDA issues a REMS proposal for these drugs, it will be up to each manufacturer to file an implementation plan and carry it out, or face new penalties in the regulator's compliance toolbox.
Jill Wechsler is Pharmaceutical Executive's Washington correspondent. She can be reached at [email protected]

subset: commoncrawl


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We all know the concept of Lucky Brand; to promote luck and peace around the world and one of their latest collection is still talking about those two significant moves. Through this gorgeous mini charmbracelet, you are invited to look stylish and at the same time feel peaceful because those iconic charms are definitely created for that purpose. Made of gold tone metal, wrap it up ladies!
Tagged at US$39.


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BOCA RATONDELRAY BEACH — An apartment in the 900 block of East Camino Real was reportedly broken into and $121 in cash stolen over the weekend.
Someone broke into the apartment through a sliding glass door which had been left open, and once inside, removed the cash from a table near the entrance to the room, according to the police report.
Jewelry in a bedroom of the apartment was left untouched in the incident, which reportedly occurred between 11:30 p.m. Saturday and 8:46 a.m. Sunday.
A l984 Toyota was reported stolen from the parking lot at Tequila Willies, 2006 NW Executive Center Court, over the weekend.
The car was taken sometime between 11 p.m. Friday and 10:05 a.m. Saturday, according to a police report.
Assorted jewelry and a piggy bank filled with silver coins were reported stolen from a home in the 1400 block of Northeast Second Court.
Someone broke into the home between 3 p.m. Friday and 6:30 a.m. Saturday by standing on a bucket and pushing in a window screen, according to a police report.
Three chains valued at $450, $500 and $250 respectively and a piggy bank with silver coins inside valued at $50 were reported stolen.An 18-year-old woman was robbed when she stopped her car at a traffic light late Saturday, police said.
The woman told police that four men approached her vehicle as she sat at the stop light at West Atlantic and Southwest Fifth avenues. One man reached through the driver`s side window and grabbed the woman`s face and took control of the car`s steering wheel, police said.


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Walter Pall's main blog about bonsai and his work with trees from day to day. Lots of good pictures of good trees and lots of valuable information about bonsai.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Mugo pine #55
Mugo pine, Pinus mugo, collected in Italy in 2011, training pot. After the mugo looked happy in the midle of summer I decided to do the main deadwood work right away. The styling of the crown will start in summer of 2015.This tree is possibly for sale or trade.
Posted by Walter Pall at 3:10 PM
1 comment:
- Anita Sabharwal said...
Hello Walter,
Another gem from your collection.The deadwood work has been done beautifully. Entirely different.I have some big trees with lots of deadwood but I was sure that I'll definitely spoil their shape.Now I can learn a lot from your blog.
Thanks and regards.
- July 21, 2014 at 10:45 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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== Current Work ==
Mapping the missing parts of the Publik Transport Network in Berlin as relation.
Mapping both, the lines and stops, as relation.
I used following relation structure (as found in parts of the Berlin tram network):
type: route
route: bus (or tram)
operator: BVG (up to now)
ref: 100 (or other bus/tram identifier)
I used this structure for lines AND stops. This is necessary as not every bus serves every stop (e.g. express buses in Berlin).
- Started with Alexanderplatz and surrounding streets (completed)
- Bus 100, 200 completed
- Bus TXL in progress
- Tram M2, M10 completed


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What happens when you take an old tyme Chicago Machine politician, and put him in peach rayon? Or how about sit him down at the ultra-trendy "Girl & the Goat" with Steve Dolinsky? Or try to give him a haircut?
Alderman Ed Bus realizes that his image needs a little shaping up, and, based on the suggestion from former Alderman and friend, Burt Natarus, Ed meets up with Deborah Matzo – the PR WIZARD.
Also, be sure to follow the whole story over at The 53rd Ward!


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Atlanta Falcons Gameday Mobile App for iPhone and Android
The Atlanta Falcons had a tremendous season last year before coming up short in the NFL Playoffs and falling to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers. The 2011 season promises to be another exciting year for the Falcons and you can stay on top of the action with the Falcons Gameday app for Android and iPhone.
We'll say upfront that the Falcons Gameday 2010 app (as it is still called in the App Store/Android Market), is as good as any NFL team app available, and it's free. On top of news articles (from atlantafalcons.com), you also get loads of video content, season and in-game stats, schedule, twitter updates, and more.
News items are provided in chronological order with the most recent on top, and each article is properly optimzed for mobile viewing.
The Statistics section gives you the full season stats (naturally) including defense and kicking stats. A really cool interactive depth chart lets you select a position, then scroll right & left below to see player profiles with recent stats. You can also access the latest injury report from here.
The Schedule includes games results. Select the results to game stats, drive play-by-play, and player stats.
The Videos are high quality and even include content from NFL Network and NFL.com in addition to atlantafalcons.com videos.
Falcons Gameday App Overview
Falcons Gameday is one of the better NFL team mobile apps and provides basically everything you could reasonably expect in a free app. We are reviewing the 2010 edition of this app and are fully expecting an update before the season, even if it is simply to change the name from 2010 to 2011. The content is still fresh and frequently so fans can't still keep up to date, even in the offseason.
iOS: Download Falcons Gameday 2010 from the App Store.
Android: Download Falcons Gameday from the Android Marketby


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Finished painting. Added a slight orange wash to tone down the blues. Shadows to people and landmasses. Scroll down, way down and see the 11 step process from start to finish of this painting. Any questions?
Beautiful! How long does one painting generally take you to complete?-Kailikaw-studios.blogspot.com
Thanks, about 2 to 3 hours.
That is a very beautiful painting!


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The Tomb of Ligeia1965
The Tomb of Ligeia (1965)
The Tomb of Ligeia Photos
Movie Info
Watch it now
as Verden Fell
as The Lady Rowena Trevanion/The Lady Ligeia
as Christopher Gough
as Kenrick
as Lord Trevanion
as Dr. Vivian
as Parson
as Peperel
as Livery Boy
as Lady Rowena's Maidservant
Critic Reviews for The Tomb of Ligeia
All Critics (9) | Fresh (7) | Rotten (2) | DVD (2)
Another film based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe and directed by Roger Corman. The least effective of the ten Poe films. It often drags and Price seems miscast.
An excellent conclusion to the [AIP Poe] cycle, and a fine achievement of penny-pinching filmmaking of the sort that Corman did better than anyone else.
To have one's pulse race when turning the pages of "Ligeia" - or, indeed, while watching Corman's film - isn't merely to fall into Poe's literary trap, it's to somehow be in communion with the dead author.
...visually sumptuous as the fetid ambience of English ruins such as Stonehenge and a 900-year-old abbey fills every widescreen inch.... Price [is] the romantic lead and the (admirably restrained) vessel of necrophilic madness.
Audience Reviews for The Tomb of Ligeia
Nice paring of legends Vincent Price and Roger Corman. Solid '60's Gothic horror.
Super Reviewer
This is one of my favourite Corman movies and favourite Price movies. Plus, it's got a cat, I love cats. I love the story too, it's very much like Poe's stories. And it has great atmosphere. I highly recommend it.
Super Reviewer
All things considered...a very polished looking film. Based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Vincent Price is delightfully morose as poor Verden Fell. A widower who (along with his new bride) is haunted by the memory(?) of his deceased(?) wife. One of the better Corman films in my opinion. Full of creepy fun, cheap scares and over the top acting. Oh and an omnipresent "FLYING" cat...can't forget the omnipresent flying cat!
Super Reviewer
The Tomb of Ligeia Quotes
There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.


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Nice job, Jimmy.
As host of Sunday's Emmy broadcast, Jimmy Fallon struck a clear contrast to last year's host, Neil Patrick Harris, who wowed viewers with his sleek versatility and cool.
Fallon is a versatile performer, too, but the Harris brand of show-biz smooth just isn't part of his skill set.
Nice job, Jimmy.
As host of Sunday's Emmy broadcast, Jimmy Fallon struck a clear contrast to last year's host, Neil Patrick Harris, who wowed viewers with his sleek versatility and cool.
Fallon is a versatile performer, too, but the Harris brand of show-biz smooth just isn't part of his skill set.
Instead, Fallon is puppy-dog eager, a nice guy who wants to accommodate his guests and his audience. He's a TV star who never pulls rank, a celebrity who seems to see himself as an equal to his fans. As he's demonstrated since taking over "Late Night" 18 months ago, that's not the worst thing for a TV personality to be.
He demonstrated it all again on the Emmycast, aired live by NBC from Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre.
The show started with a bang as Fallon bumped into the stars from "Glee," who complained that, in the spirit of the high school students they play, they couldn't afford the tickets to the Emmycast. Solution: Put on a show to raise money! "Glee" stars joined forces with Tina Fey ("30 Rock"), Jon Hamm ("Mad Men"), Jorge Garcia ("Lost"), Randy Jackson ("American Idol") and others in a song-and-dance rendition of "Born to Run," complete with Fallon in jeans and white T-shirt channeling Bruce Springsteen.
Then, in brief opening remarks, he scored a bulls-eye when he explained that "NBC asked me, the host of 'Late Night,' to come to Los Angeles to host a different show. What could possibly go wrong?"
Cut to Conan O'Brien, Fallon's "Late Night" predecessor and the short-lived host of "Tonight," seated in the hall giving the camera a world-weary nod.
The broadcast was neatly divided into genres (comedy, reality, drama, variety, and miniseries and movies), each of which Fallon introduced with a few riffs accompanied by guitar and a different star beside him. The reality category was introduced by "they don't have writers and they don't have plots, they're the only thing on TV that people still watch."
The show's brisk pace was assisted by the occasional brief but funny filmed bit, such as suggestions for how to improve the ABC comedy (and soon-to-be-Emmy-winner) "Modern Family": Have the show's gay couple adopt a second child, Stewie, the tyrannical baby from the cartoon series "Family Guy"; film the show in 3-D to highlight cast member Sofia Vergara's voluptuousness; and swap out one of the male regulars for George Clooney.
Fallon proved himself a quick-change artist as he performed a musical tribute to beloved drama series that ended their runs last season.
Glitzed up as Elton John at a pink piano, he marveled to the tune of "Candle in the Wind" that "24" hero Jack Bauer "never went to the men's room, how did he hold it in?" And as Green Day's Billie Jo Armstrong, he wailed a farewell to "Lost": "The island, it was mystical, and in the end they died. I didn't understand it, but I tried."
Presenter Ricky Gervais was predictably a hoot. He wondered aloud why the Golden Globes serves alcohol to those in attendance, but not the Emmys.
"Who wants a beer?" he trumpeted as waiters arrived, dispensing beer to the theater's first few rows.
Then he expressed sly delight that the winner of his designated category (directing for a variety, music or comedy special) was named Bucky Gunts.
"I didn't know you could say that on television," Gervais chortled.
The night's biggest letdown, at least for anyone who cared (and that probably included Fallon, a champion of social media): the much-touted intros solicited from the tweeting public. The few chosen for reading on-air ranged from stupid to nonsensical. (Sample: "Tina Fey — I'd hit that.") As a Twitter showcase for a mainstream TV audience, it was a missed opportunity.
But that was a minor shortcoming in a show that moved with slick efficiency, nicely energized by Fallon. "The fact that I get to work in TV is beyond belief," he told viewers at the start, and his delight in being there was infectious throughout.
EDITOR'S NOTE — Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Here's My Yamaha SR400 from 1982, it's a nice bike but it ain't our style to keep 'em untouched. This will be a cheap build, or I will try to make it a cheap build. But let's start with the Piston Cult mantra: Chop Shit Up!
Away with all the unnecessary crap 😉 Away with the long shocks. More updates will come when I got new tires so I can finish the frame and mounts for the rear fender.
/ Smeden


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As part of our Lottery fundraiser family, you not only earn a basic wage (ss7.83 - ss10 per hour) you can also earn uncapped commissions + bonuses. We also provide full training to make sure you are fully comfortable in the field with our amazing team of Lottery Fundraisers.
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In 2017 we made a massive impact on the charities we represent. As we continue to invest in people's development, we would love for you to be a part of our ongoing success! Since 2002 we have raised a phenomenal ss750 Million for the Charities we represent, and we don't plan on stopping anytime soon!
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When you have completed your online application, we will send you a return email with more information on HOME Fundraising.
You must be legally entitled to work in the UK and speak excellent English. HOMEs clients include: Cancer Research UK, Blue Cross Action Aid, Marie Curie, Children's Air Ambulance, Macmillan, British Heart Foundation, Barnardo's, St Mungo's, Guide Dogs and many more. Students and graduates and anyone seeking outdoor or evening work for charity may apply. We also offer Gap Year placements and holiday work with a minimum commitment of 3 months.
Other job opportunities


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A joint operation between local and federal investigators resulted in 13 arrests related to prostitution and ordinance violations over the weekend, according to the Savannah-Chatham police department.
Metro police spokeswoman Eunicia Baker said the sting took place Friday and Saturday, and resulted in the arrests of five women who were charged with prostitution for attempting to perform sex acts in exchange for cash at hotels along Ga. 204 near Interstate 95 and in midtown.
Additionally, two male and six female suspects were arrested and charged with escorting without a license at hotels throughout Chatham County, Baker said.
The operation targeted hotels listed in ads posted to a website, she said.
Baker said the police department, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security will continue collaborating on operations with the objective of locating minors and victims of human trafficking.


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Artisans in Ecuador, 1975–2015 [1]
Since the Spanish conquest of the Incas, the social and economic fortunes of artisans in Ecuador have been influenced by changing national and international circumstances. From the colonial period, through independence and the liberal revolution to the mid-twentieth century, when Ecuador became the world's largest banana exporter, artisans have been an important part of the country's political economy.
I first carried out a survey of the artisans in 1975, when oil was beginning to flow from the Ecuadorean Amazon region and artisans were seen as an integral part of a global phenomenon known as the 'informal sector' of the economy. I followed this up with similar surveys and further interviews in 1982, 1995, and 2005 – as the country experienced rapid industrialisation, failed structural adjustment policies, hyperinflation, the collapse of the banking system, and the adoption of the US dollar as the national currency. Since the 2005 survey, the Government of Rafael Correa has introduced populist-socialist policies aimed at reducing inequality, providing a new context for artisan development.
Throughout the period covered by the surveys, information was also gathered from newspaper articles on artisans. National census and survey information, including industrial and labour force data, has been analysed. Interviews have been carried out with key informants, including the presidents and other senior officers of artisan guilds.
Sr. Ricardo Orbea, master tailor at work in Quito.
The research shows that since the 1970s, artisanal activity in Ecuador has declined and been restructured, but many have adapted and survived. This project involves in-depth, life-history interviews with a sample of the survivors. The life histories of tailors and dressmakers, shoemakers, carpenters, mechanics, printers, jewellers and others will provide case studies and colourful examples of the personal experiences of artisans through a rapidly changing social and economic context over a period of 40 years.
In 1975, the research was carried out in the principal geographical areas of informal activity in Quito at the time and a map of all the workshops employing less than seven workers was created. This map represented a census of artisans at that time, street by street over a large area of the city. It provided the sampling framework for the interviews and, following re-mapping for subsequent surveys, it became the basis of future research.
The main 1975– 2005 questionnaires were carried out with workshop owners and were structured around seven issues: the relationship between the family and the firm; education, training and skills, including those of family members and workers; the nature of backwards and forward linkages to suppliers and customers; the impact of changing technology; social capital in relation to guilds and other organisations; changing business conditions and their impact on the artisans; and their relationship with the state and social security provision.
The new life-history interviews with will be structured around the main themes of the previous surveys, providing a qualitative thread through the quantitative data. This will involve fieldwork in Ecuador over a period of two months, mapping the latest geographical configuration of workshops and interviewing elderly artisans about their working histories.
Professor Alan Middleton
Birmingham City University


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Basic Search [?]
Guided Search [?]
- How to cite
- How to use
- History of the project
- Blog: systematics, progress, and the state of affairs
- Scientific Nomenclature
- Structure of the taxonomic records
- Contributors, 1985 edition
- Contributors, online edition
- Versions
- Museum abbreviations
- Useful links
- Running log of changes and additions, 2018
- Copyright and terms of use
Cornufer gilliardi (Zweifel, 1960)
Platymantis gilliardi Zweifel, 1960, Am. Mus. Novit., 2023: 10. Holotype: AMNH 64253, by original designation. Type locality: "Iambon, Gilliard Camp no. 6, elevation 1500 feet, Whiteman Mountains, New Britain".
Cornufer gilliardi — Brown, 1965, Breviora, 218: 2.
Platymantis gilliardi — Zweifel, 1967, Copeia, 1967: 120, by reference to Brown, 1965, Breviora, 218: 2-3; Brown and Tyler, 1968, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 81: 69-86.
Cornufer (Aenigmanura) gilliardi — Brown, Siler, Richards, Diesmos, and Cannatella, 2015, Zool. J. Linn. Soc., 174: 153.
English Names
Gilliard's Wrinkled Ground Frog (Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 104).
Whiteman Ranges of New Britain, 1500 m elevation, and Admiralty Islands.
Menzies, 2006, Frogs New Guinea & Solomon Is.: 92, provided a brief account.
External links:
Please note: these links will take you to external websites not affiliated with the American Museum of Natural History. We are not responsible for their content.
- For additional sources of information from other sites search Google
- For images search Arkive, CalPhoto Images and Google Images
- To search the NIH genetic sequence database, see GenBank
- For additional information see AmphibiaWeb report
- For information on conservation status and distribution see the IUCN Redlist
- For related information on conservation and images as well as observation see iNaturalist; for a quick link to their maps see iNaturalist KML
- For access to available specimen data for this species, from over 350 scientific collections, go to Vertnet.


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Rutgers University Libraries Staff Resources:
University Librarian:
Committees and Task Forces:
University Librarian's Cabinet: Minutes of the December 12, 2006 Meeting
Agnew, Boyle, Fultz, Gaunt, Golden (videoconference), Mullins, Puniello, Sewell, Tehrani, Zapcic
University Librarian's Report – Gaunt
Gaunt acknowledged the retirement of Lynn Mullins at the end of this fiscal year; there will be a celebratory event to celebrate her contributions to the Libraries and the University. Gaunt and Newark provost Steve Diner will have a conversation to discuss filling the position.
At the recent faculty meeting there was endorsement for including the faculty coordinator and the chair of the planning committee, who is vice chair of faculty, on Cabinet. As a result, Jane Sloan and Michael Joseph will be joining Cabinet as of January.
In addition to advocacy for the continuation of the New Jersey Knowledge Initiative there has been discussions of expanding its coverage to additional databases. Gaunt shared some ideas about potential sources. The marketing and advocacy committee has met with the governor's staff to discuss this possibility and is preparing a proposal for consideration.
At the request of Vice President Furmanski we have been asked to identify any agreements the Libraries have with international institutions.
One of the ARL directors has compiled information regarding the breakdown of library expenditures coming from tuition and state funds, student/library fees, fundraising/endowment income, ICR, and other funding sources; the preliminary report shows contrasts between public and private institutions and might be useful for comparisons.
Boyle, Cassel, Mullins and Gaunt met with Gerry Warshaver to discuss how the Libraries will be included in the Middle States review. The purpose of the discussion was to ensure that the full range of library support for undergraduate education was represented. It was determined that we should prepare a Libraries report that could be used as an appendix to supplement what will be included about the Libraries under particular headings in the overall report.
Balanced Scorecard - Boyle
Boyle gave an overview of the "ARL Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical Assessment" conference that she attended in Charlottesville, Virginia September 25-27, 2006. She distributed handouts of PowerPoint presentations from the meeting: "The Balanced Scorecard in Public Libraries (Joe Matthews)," "The People Side of Planning & Implementing a Large Scale Balanced Scorecard Initiative (Susanna Pathak)," and "Yours, Mine and Ours (Staff Involvement in the assessment process at the UVA Library)." Boyle also reviewed the Academic Excellence Quality Indicators that Cabinet had spent many hours developing. According to Matthews, the scorecard is a great communication tool for the staff so that everybody knows where the library is going. Some universities are developing scorecards and it becomes their strategic plan; you have a strategy mapping; the scorecard says how well you are doing; and you are able to measure the impact on your strategy. When identified targets are used, it was found that performance improved 16% on average. Typically, a scorecard is updated quarterly. Pathak, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, discussed the people side of planning and implementing. She referenced the University of Florida; said there needs to be an implementation workgroup; having the university librarian be a member of the workgroup is very important. Have six monitoring teams; roles are described for everyone; they have a chief data person who draws the information; reviewed the BSC Lifestyle Benefits. They had a detailed communications plan for rollout with about a dozen events and tables listing each event, location, time, persons presenting, purpose, and links to handouts, PowerPoint presentations, and web pages.
The last presentation discussed staff involvement at the University of Virginia in the assessment process; their balanced scorecard had four perspectives; had some difficulty getting the staff to adept the balanced scorecard; they were cautious and suspicious; took 1.5-2 years to implement; they review the metrics in the spring; spend the summer collecting data; in the fall analyze and report; in the winter they educate and improve.
In reviewing our own balanced scorecard, as it stands on our web site for the work that Cabinet did and the most recent work that Golden and Susan Beck did in eliciting comments, it doesn't totally capture everything; what we took as our perspectives is really only one - that of the user; we need a broader framework for assessment; the question is what are our next steps? Since we don't have an assessment committee anymore, need to focus on the faculty organizational changes and have a subgroup of planning and coordinating committee as the core group with Cabinet and staff representation. For this activity we need a group working with us to develop the overall questions for each of our strategic plan areas - what it is that will tell us if we are successful; has to be an iterative process. Will go back to the groups who had submitted reports to the strategic plan and ask what their priorities were; what role would they have in assessment to indicate that there are things we could do each year and ask them to indicate how they think they could determine whether we were successful. Various groups would be making recommendations on measuring particular projects; smaller groups would decide what projects to implement and whether they were successful. There will be a formal request for the group; Boyle has been asked to present to Collection Development and Public Services; will talk to Michael Joseph to get this going; Boyle will write up a proposal and charge herself; it will inform our thinking on how we want to support assessment.
Academic Excellence Fund Program - Gaunt
Gaunt reviewed with Cabinet the Academic Excellence Fund Program (
). The maximum that may be requested for any one project is $250,000. All proposals must be submitted through the appropriate dean; proposals are due in the Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (for New Brunswick/Piscataway proposals) or in the offices of the Newark or Camden Provosts, as appropriate, by 5:30 p.m. on Friday, January 19, 2007. The thrust has always been for academic initiatives that needed seed money to start a project that might attract a larger grant. Do we have ideas that would be appropriate for the Academic Excellence Fund Program; should we try to connect a proposal to the capital campaign goals. Gaunt will send out a message to the Libraries' faculty asking for ideas for proposals that fit within the guidelines sent by Furmanski. Anyone who has an idea for a proposal should send it to Gaunt (with a copy to the appropriate AUL or Director) by December 17, providing a brief concept statement. Once a proposal has been approved, it should be in Gaunt's office no later than 5 p.m. on January 12 to be considered in the proposals sent to Furmanski.
CNI Update - Agnew
Agnew discussed the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) Fall 2006 Task Force Meeting that she attended in Washington, DC on December 4-5, 2006. In the opening plenary, Clifford Lynch provided an overview of the 2006-2007 CNI Program Plan; he discussed trends and how everybody wants integrated information; talked about the importance of bringing data into the repository. Agnew attended the session on "LOCKSS/CLOCKSS and Portico: What Does that Archived Content Look Like" that was led by Geneva Henry, Carolyn Walters, Phyllis Davidson, and Kerry Keck. She attended the "Analog to Digital Audio Reformatting" session given by Eric Weig; during the session Agnew was asked to be on an ARL task force for audio formatting; Agnew attended the "Introduction to Zotero" by Daniel Cohen, Roy Rosenzweig, and Joshua Greenberg; Zotero is a next-generation scholarly research tool that runs in the Firefox web browser; would like to demo at a Public Services Council meeting. Attended the "Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Update" by Martha Crawley, Mary Chute, Stephanie Clark, Dan Lukash, and Barbara Smith. Agnew presented on "Incorporating Rights and Preservation Information into the RUcore Metadata Platform" and her session was well attended; the moving image community was heavily represented and gave her good advice. Ron Jantz is meeting with Princeton; they are eager to be the first user of this. Agnew attended the Closing Plenary: The NSF Cyberinfrastructure Movement and the CNI Community presented by Daniel Atkins, from the NSF Office of Cyberinfrastructure. Proceedings from the conference can be found at
The capital campaign package was delivered to Furmanski's office; notifications will come in April.
Suggested that Cabinet consider composing a statement or a report on how the Libraries should operate if there is a merger. This statement/paper would allow us to be prepared in the event a merger is proposed.
RefWorks now has direct export capability from IRIS; an announcement will be sent to rul_everyone.
Howard Dess has an exhibit on artificial gems in the Library of Science and Medicine.
FASIPs are due on Thursday.
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text:
U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Meeting of May 8, 2013 - Wellness Programs Under Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws
My name is Tamara M. Simon, and I am the Managing Director of the Knowledge Resource Center at Buck Consultants. I am testifying today on behalf of the American Benefits Council (the "Council"), of which Buck Consultants is a member. The Council is a public policy organization representing principally Fortune 500 companies and other organizations that assist employers of all sizes in providing benefits to employees. Collectively, the Council's members either sponsor directly or provide services to health and retirement plans that cover more than 100 million Americans.
The Council has asked me to testify on its behalf because of my experience in assisting employers, spanning a wide range of industries, to implement wellness programs. As a compliance consultant, my primary role is to help employers and their legal counsel understand their legal obligations regarding their group health plans and wellness programs. I also work closely with the health and productivity consultants that help our clients to design and operationalize these programs. I hope that my perspective, presented on behalf of the Council, is helpful to you as you consider how to address the treatment of wellness programs under federal equal employment opportunity laws.
At the outset, it is important to recognize that employer sponsors of wellness programs, other stakeholders, and regulators share a common goal - the desire to improve the health of employees and their families while providing important and necessary protections for individuals with disabilities. We believe that employer-sponsored wellness programs provide an effective vehicle for achieving this shared objective. We welcome the opportunity to work with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("Commission") as well as other stakeholders to develop a regulatory regime that will sufficiently address the concerns of all interested parties.
The primary focus of this testimony is to describe the current state of employer-sponsored wellness programs and how the current legislative and regulatory landscape impacts the design and implementation of those programs. Although we provide relevant details regarding statutory and regulatory provisions applicable to wellness programs, the discussion is not intended to be an exhaustive analysis. Rather, the discussion is intended to provide the necessary context regarding how the current legal landscape presents uncertainties for employers who are grappling with how to design effective wellness programs within the contours of the current regulatory arena.
As we look ahead to 2014, when many core provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Pub. L. No. 111-148 ("ACA") - the landmark health care reform law - become effective, we believe employer-sponsored wellness programs will become even more relevant as employers seek to engage employees in improving health and well-being, regardless of whether they ultimately decide to "pay or play" with respect to offering health insurance coverage.
If there is a single takeaway from this testimony today, it is to clearly articulate to the Commission that the health and wellness of the American workforce is not simply an employer issue. Rather, it is an issue for the entire nation. Creating a regulatory framework by which employers can create nondiscriminatory wellness programs that help support the shared vision of improving health for all citizens is the ultimate goal. We believe strongly that if all stakeholders work together, we can identify a framework that acknowledges the concerns of all parties.
Wellness programs are a significant part of the employer-sponsored health coverage landscape. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation's Employer Health Benefits 2012 Annual Survey, 94% of large companies (with 200 or more workers) and 63% of smaller companies in the United States offered at least one wellness program in 2012.1
Increased Prevalence and Motivating Factors of Wellness Programs. Employers sponsor wellness programs for a variety of reasons. One of the main objectives is to help control rising costs of health care for the American worker.2 According to a survey by Buck Consultants representing 1,356 employer respondents based in 45 countries and employing over 17 million people, 87% of employers in the United States identified health care cost reduction as an extremely important or very important objective of their wellness programs. Although reducing the cost trend of health care is a significant reason, it is by no means the only motivator for employers in adopting and maintaining wellness programs. Employers also sponsor wellness programs with the goal of improving worker productivity by reducing absenteeism due to sickness or disability, and also improving workforce morale and engagement.3 In fact, 77% of U.S. employers identified reducing employee absences due to sickness or disability as an extremely important or very important objective of wellness programs.4
Effectiveness of Employer-Sponsored Wellness Programs. Both employers and employees agree that wellness programs have been effective in helping to meet the motivating factors and objectives noted above. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey, 73% of employers that offer wellness programs think offering such programs is effective in improving their employees' health,5 and 52% of employers think offering wellness programs is effective in reducing their health care costs.6 The survey by Buck Consultants confirms that wellness programs are beneficial to both employers and employees. Although outcome measurement of wellness programs can be challenging for a variety of reasons (e.g., lack of resources and measurement know-how), among organizations with wellness programs in effect for five years or more, 84% reported a medium to high impact in reduction of population health risks, and 88% reported a medium to high impact on improved workforce morale and engagement.7 Wellness programs are popular with employees as well. One study found that over 90% of employees surveyed who have utilized any aspect of their company's wellness program say they are likely or very likely to continue to do so in the future. Approximately two-thirds of employees say that their company's wellness program has helped them to reach one or more of their personal fitness goals.8
While there is limited data on the extent to which wellness programs deliver reduced costs for employers, a recent RAND study found that historical data suggests a return on investment ranging from $6 for every $1 dollar spent, to, at a minimum, cost neutrality.9 Perhaps most significantly, the RAND study reported that most employers are not measuring return on investment with respect to their wellness programs.10 As noted above, based on discussions with Council members, it appears that employers are generally taking a more long-term and holistic view in measuring the potential benefits associated with the establishment and sponsorship of a wellness program, including in terms of increased employee productivity and morale, and reduced absenteeism and presenteeism.
Program Designs Vary. Employers have developed a variety of wellness program designs. The most common offerings generally include biometric screening programs (for blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, and body fat), immunizations/flu shots, health risk appraisals, and employee assistance programs ("EAPs").11 Many employers also reward participants for using certain tools that are designed to increase employees' awareness of their current health, such as health risk assessments ("HRAs") and various diagnostic tests or screenings, such as those regarding cholesterol levels and blood pressure.12
Participation Expansion and Global Prevalence. The success of wellness initiatives has led employers to expand these programs to the family members of their employees with increasing frequency, as well.13 The Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that 60% of firms offering wellness benefits to employees now also offer wellness benefits to spouses and/or dependents.14 Among participating employers, wellness programs are most widespread in North America, with 76% of employers offering a health promotion program of some kind. However, employer-sponsored wellness is not only a domestic trend. For instance, 47% of employers in Asia offer health promotion programs, 43% in Latin America, and 42% in Europe.15 Prevalence variations are likely due, in part, to the different health care systems found throughout the world.
Rewards and Incentives. Some wellness program designs include a reward or incentive element generally attempting to encourage participation in wellness programs, to increase overall participation, and to encourage employees to strive for healthy results. According to the Wall Street Journal, "Studies have shown that [wellness] program participation rates can be pushed from 40% without an incentive to more than 70% with a $200 incentive and to 90% when incentives are built into health-plan premiums or deductibles."16
Data indicates that positive reinforcement or "carrots" are more likely to be used than penalties or "sticks" in connection with wellness programs. For example, according to the Buck Consultants survey, 66% of employers in the United States offer rewards to encourage participation in wellness programs, 21% offer both rewards and penalties, and a mere 2% offer only penalties.17
While incentives can be tied to participation, wellness programs may also be designed to link receipt of the incentive to the achievement of a specific health outcome. For example, a recent survey by Aon Hewitt found that 58% of employers offer incentives for completion of a lifestyle modification program (e.g., participating in a smoking cessation or weight loss program), and approximately 25% offer incentives for progress toward or attainment of a specified health goal (e.g., improved blood pressure, BMI, blood sugar or cholesterol).18
Employer surveys indicate that incentives most frequently take the form of cash or merchandise awards.19 Alternatively, some employers offer group health plan premium rebates or surcharges or provide for additional employer contributions to medical savings accounts, such as employer flex credit contributions to health flexible spending arrangements or employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts or health reimbursement arrangements. In 2011, the percentage of employers using monetary incentives increased by 22% (from 37% in 2010 to 59% in 2011).20
Wellness programs are subject to the jurisdiction of the Department of Labor ("DOL"), the Department of the Treasury ("Treasury"), the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS"), and the Commission via a range of federal statutes and regulations. Many states have laws governing wellness programs, as well. The discussion below sets forth the basic federal legal framework applicable to the oversight of wellness programs. As noted above, this is not intended to be an exhaustive discussion of all federal legal issues related to wellness programs but rather to provide a basis for understanding compliance and other issues employers face with regard to wellness programs.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
For years, wellness programs have been subject to extensive regulation by the DOL, HHS, and Treasury by virtue of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-191 ("HIPAA"). HIPAA provides privacy and nondiscrimination protections to consumers in connection with group health plans.
Specifically, Titles I and IV of HIPAA added certain provisions to the Internal Revenue Code ("Code"), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA"), and the Public Health Service Act ("PHSA").21 These provisions are generally intended to prohibit group health plans and group health insurance issuers from discriminating against individuals in eligibility, benefits, or premiums based on a health factor, which includes, among other things, disability.22 An exception to the general rule allows premium discounts, rebates, and cost-sharing modifications (all forms of incentives or rewards) in return for adherence to certain programs of health promotion and disease prevention, such as a wellness program.23
Regulatory Provisions and History. Final regulations issued by the DOL, HHS, and Treasury that have been in effect since 2007 impose rules that certain wellness programs must satisfy in order to allow incentives to be provided to participants.24 Programs that either do not require an individual to meet a standard related to a health factor in order to obtain a reward or that do not offer a reward at all ("participatory wellness programs") are not subject to the additional rules if participation in the program is made available to all similarly situated individuals.25 Programs that require individuals to satisfy certain health factor standards in order to obtain a reward ("health-contingent wellness programs") must satisfy a host of requirements in order to satisfy the HIPAA nondiscrimination rules.26 Specifically, under current rules, health-contingent wellness programs must satisfy the following five factors:
The above requirements are all intended to prevent discrimination in the use of incentives in connection with wellness programs based on a health factor such as disability. In particular, the requirements that a wellness program (i) "not be a subterfuge for discriminating based on a health factor, and not be highly suspect in method," and (ii) the requirement that a "reasonable alternative standard (or waiver of the otherwise applicable standard)" be provided to individuals for whom it is unreasonably difficult due to a medical condition to satisfy the standard or for whom it is medically inadvisable to attempt to satisfy the standard each provide stringent protections to individuals with disabilities.
On November 26, 2012, the agencies published in the Federal Register new proposed rules that added new requirements to the existing HIPAA protections. It is our understanding that DOL, HHS, and Treasury are aiming to finalize the new rules in the near term. The final rules are likely to adopt some, and could perhaps include all, of the proposed new changes.
Recent Congressional Support for HIPAA-Compliant Wellness Programs. Congress signaled its strong support for the use of wellness program incentives and the protections provided in the current HIPAA nondiscrimination rules in a bipartisan provision of the ACA. Specifically, ACA section 1201 codifies the HIPAA regulations and increases the permitted incentive from 20% to 30% (and permits regulators to increase incentives up to 50% in their discretion). This is a rare bipartisan provision in the controversial health care reform law, and it reflects Congress's approval of the offering of incentives for health-contingent wellness programs.
Affordable Care Act
The ACA has helped to cement wellness programs as one of the cornerstones of health reform. In addition to the express codification of the HIPAA wellness program regulations in ACA section 1201 discussed above, there are numerous other provisions relating to wellness initiatives in the ACA, including:
These provisions are inextricably linked to the fundamental fabric of the ACA and indicate the clear intent of Congress and the Obama Administration that wellness programs should be analyzed, studied, and incorporated into the new reformed health care system, and that the employer role in sponsoring wellness plans should be supported.
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008
Wellness program design and implementation is also shaped by the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, Pub. L. No. 110-233 ("GINA"). Title I of GINA, which is under the jurisdiction of DOL, HHS, and Treasury, addresses whether, and to what extent, group health plans may collect or use genetic information, including family medical history. Title II of GINA, under the jurisdiction of the Commission, restricts how employers and certain other "covered entities" (collectively referenced herein as employers for purposes of clarity) may collect and disclose genetic information and prohibits employers from using genetic information in employment decisions.
Title I. Title I of GINA amended the Code, ERISA, and the PHSA to prohibit discrimination in health coverage based on genetic information. Interim final rules were published in the Federal Register on October 7, 2009.32 Title I of GINA, in relevant part, prohibits group health plans and health insurance issuers in the group and individual markets from discriminating against covered individuals based on genetic information. Title I applies to a wide variety of group health plans, including wellness programs that constitute or are related to group health plans. Title I generally prohibits a group health plan and a health insurance issuer in the group market from:
The prohibition on requesting, requiring or purchasing genetic information at any time for underwriting purposes affects wellness programs. The term "underwriting purposes" is defined broadly to include rules for eligibility for benefits and the computation of premium or contribution amounts, and it does not merely encompass activities relating to rating and pricing a group policy.34 The regulations clarify that the term "underwriting purposes" includes changing deductibles or other cost-sharing mechanisms, or providing discounts, rebates, payments in kind, or other premium differential mechanisms in return for activities such as completing an HRA or participating in a wellness program.35 "Genetic information" is defined for purposes of GINA Title I to include family medical history.36
Wellness programs cannot provide rewards for completing HRAs that request genetic information (including family medical history), because providing rewards would violate the prohibition against requesting, requiring or purchasing genetic information prior to or in connection with enrollment, or at any time for underwriting purposes. A plan or issuer can collect genetic information through HRAs under Title I of GINA as long as no rewards are provided for such genetic information (and if the request is not made prior to or in connection with enrollment).37 A plan or issuer can provide rewards for completing an HRA as long as the HRA does not collect genetic information.
Title II. Title II of GINA, which is under the Commission's jurisdiction, restricts how employers may collect and disclose genetic information and prohibits employers from using genetic information in employment decisions. Final regulations under Title II were published in the Federal Register on November 9, 2010.38
The final Title II regulations provide that it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an individual based on his or her genetic information with regard to, among other things, privileges of employment.39 Where a wellness program is considered to be a privilege of employment, the sponsoring employer may be subject to regulation under Title II with respect to the wellness program.
Title II generally prohibits employers from requesting, requiring or purchasing genetic information of an individual or a family member of the individual. An exception is provided where health or genetic services are offered by the employer, including where they are offered as part of a wellness program, if the employer meets certain requirements:
Incentives may not be offered for individuals to provide genetic information.41 Thus, an employer may offer an incentive for completing an HRA (a common component of wellness programs) that includes questions about family medical history or other genetic information, provided that the employer specifically identifies those questions and makes clear, in language reasonably likely to be understood by those completing the HRA, that an individual need not answer the questions that request genetic information in order to receive the incentive.
In addition, the final regulations provide that an employer may offer an incentive to encourage individuals who have voluntarily provided genetic information that indicates they are at increased risk of acquiring a health condition in the future to participate in disease management programs or other programs that promote healthy lifestyles, and/or to meet particular health goals as part of a health or genetic service. However, to comply with Title II of GINA, these programs must also be offered to individuals with current health conditions and/or to individuals whose lifestyle choices put them at increased risk of developing a condition but who have not volunteered genetic information.42
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Commission also regulates wellness programs pursuant to Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"). Title I of the ADA prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities.43 The Act prohibits employers from conducting medical examinations or making inquiries regarding disabilities at any point during the hiring process or during employment, with certain limited exceptions.44
Title I of the ADA allows employers to conduct voluntary medical examinations, including voluntary medical histories, which are part of an employee health program available to employees at a work site. Any medical information acquired as part of the program is kept confidential and separate from personnel records. There is little guidance regarding what the term "voluntary" means in this context.
The Commission has issued numerous informal discussion letters that generally provide that a wellness program is considered voluntary as long as an employer neither requires participation nor penalizes employees who do not participate.45 The Commission has stated in certain of these informal discussion letters that it has not taken a position on whether, and to what extent, Title I of the ADA permits an employer to offer financial incentives for employees to participate in wellness programs that include disability-related inquiries (such as questions about current health status asked as part of an HRA) or medical examinations (such as blood pressure and cholesterol screening to determine whether an employee has achieved certain health outcomes). The Commission has also issued Enforcement Guidelines providing, among other things, that a wellness program is voluntary as long as an employer neither requires participation nor penalizes employees who do not participate.46
The Commission has, on at least two occasions, come close to providing clarifying guidance. In 1998, the Commission stated in an informal discussion letter that "[i]t could be argued that providing a monetary incentive to successfully fulfill the requirements of a wellness program renders the program involuntary" and that "where an employer decreases its share of the premium and increases the employee's share, resulting in a significantly higher health insurance premium for employees who do not participate or are unable to meet the criteria of the wellness program, the program may arguably not be voluntary."47
In addition, on March 6, 2009, the Commission rescinded part of a January 6, 2009, informal discussion letter which provided, in part, that:
[A] wellness program would be considered voluntary and any disability-related inquiries or medical examinations conducted in connection with it would not violate the ADA, as long as the inducement to participate in the program did not exceed twenty percent of the cost of employee only or employee and dependent coverage under the plan, consistent with regulations promulgated pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.48
Although rescinded, the above language indicates that the Commission has at least contemplated allowing a certain level of incentives to be offered in connection with disability-related inquiries or medical examinations conducted in connection with a wellness program. It further indicates that the Commission has, on at least this one occasion, looked to HIPAA guidance to shape the contours of the ADA.
At least partly as a result of Commission's silence, the Eleventh Circuit recently weighed in on the treatment of wellness programs for purposes of the ADA. The particular concern has to do with a common design that conditions receipt of an incentive upon mere participation rather than outcomes-based wellness programs. In Seff v. Broward County,49 the Eleventh Circuit upheld the district court's decision as to whether a participatory wellness program satisfied the ADA where it imposed a $20 charge on each biweekly paycheck issued to employees who enrolled in the group health insurance plan but refused to participate in the County's wellness program, which required in part that employees complete online HRAs and take blood tests to measure their glucose and cholesterol levels. Employees diagnosed with asthma, hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure or kidney disease were given the opportunity to receive disease management coaching and certain free medications related to those conditions. Instead of looking at whether the wellness program is "voluntary" within the meaning of Title I of the ADA, the court relied on other provisions in the ADA (a provision creating a safe harbor for "bona fide benefit plans") to find that the wellness program complied with the ADA. We note that, despite the decision in Seff, the Commission's regional offices continue to undertake enforcement actions based on the "voluntary" standard and employers do not have the guidance from the Commission necessary to comply with the ADA.
As the statistics cited at the start of this testimony demonstrate, an increasing number of employers are offering wellness programs. Their sponsorship of these programs is motivated not only by a desire to control rising health care costs, but also by a desire to help promote worker health, increase worker morale, engagement and productivity, and to reduce absenteeism and presenteeism.
Notwithstanding employers' interest in wellness programs, a great deal of legal uncertainty exists with respect to the application of both GINA and the ADA to these programs. As noted above, existing guidance from the Commission is not clear regarding what constitutes a voluntary wellness program for purposes of the ADA. Moreover, questions remain regarding how GINA applies to various aspects of some common wellness program designs, including the use of wellness incentives in connection with spousal and dependent HRAs.
This legal uncertainty has only been exacerbated by certain enforcement actions that we understand have been initiated by various regional offices of the Commission with respect to employers' HIPAA-compliant wellness programs. These enforcement actions are troubling for employers because they fear that they will find themselves subject to similar litigation or enforcement actions notwithstanding their good faith efforts to comply with all clearly defined applicable laws and their programs' compliance with HIPAA.
The continued legal uncertainty with respect to GINA and the ADA has left many employers confused as to how to proceed, and, left unaddressed, will have a chilling effect on the ability of employers to design and implement the wellness plans, even though these would be fully compliant with the comprehensive rules issued to implement the wellness provision of the ACA. Although the decision in Seff v. Broward County offers some comfort under the "bona fide benefit plan" exception, concerns remain in part because Seff is only binding in the Eleventh Circuit. In addition, the Commission's regional offices continue to undertake enforcement actions based on the "voluntary" standard rather than the "bona fide benefit plan" exception, and employers do not have the guidance necessary to comply with the "voluntary" standard.
The unfortunate result of continued legal uncertainty would be that many American workers who could benefit from access to meaningful wellness programs (including those programs providing for disease management programs, smoking cessation programs, and/or expanded health education) would be left without.
Recommendation: Building on HIPAA's Framework. We encourage the Commission to work within the existing HIPAA and ACA legislative and regulatory framework. As discussed above, HIPAA imposes a robust set of nondiscrimination rules on issuers and employers with respect to a very broad class of persons - effectively any group health plan participant that has a health status or condition, even where such status or condition falls short of constituting a disability for purposes of the ADA. In other words, HIPAA already casts a broad protective net - one that not only protects individuals with disabilities, but also the American worker or health plan participant more generally.
The Council fully respects the Commission's existing and long-standing authority to implement and enforce the ADA, as well as other federal statutes. As the Commission now considers possible further wellness program standards, we urge you to recognize the comprehensive regulatory framework that already exists, including its protections for individuals with disabilities and beyond. This was recognized by Congress when it enacted the ACA, and we respectfully request that the Commission give effect to both the broad and protective reach of HIPAA as well as Congress's express endorsement for HIPAA-compliant wellness programs as part of its enactment of the ACA.
We believe that the HIPAA regulatory framework is both comprehensive and workable, and if the Commission concludes that improvements are needed, all interested parties should come together in a meaningful and measured fashion to carefully consider the effects of changes to this existing framework. We are confident that the rights of all individuals can be adequately protected while preserving the ability of, and interests of employers in, sponsoring comprehensive wellness programs to the benefit of their employees and American society as a whole.
Thank you for your time. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
1 KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION, EMPLOYER HEALTH BENEFITS 2012 ANNUAL SURVEY - WELLNESS PROGRAMS AND HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENTS 178 (2012) [hereinafter KFF SURVEY].
2 BUCK CONSULTANTS, WORKING WELL : A GLOBAL SURVEY OF HEALTH PROMOTION AND WORKPLACE WELLNESS STRATEGIES, SURVEY REPORT 12 (2012) [ hereinafter BUCK CONSULTANTS SURVEY].
4 BUCK CONSULTANTS SURVEY, supra note 2, at 16.
5 KFF SURVEY, supra note 1, at 179.
7 BUCK CONSULTANTS SURVEY, supra note 2, at 51-52.
11 BUCK CONSULTANTS SURVEY, supra note 2, at 21-30.
13 BUCK CONSULTANTS SURVEY, supra note 2, at 33.
14 KFF SURVEY, supra note 1, at 178.
15 BUCK CONSULTANTS SURVEY, supra note 2, at 8.
16 Michael P. O'Donnell, Should Employees Get Insurance Discounts for Completing Wellness Programs?, WALL ST. J., Feb. 18, 2013, at R5.
17 BUCK CONSULTANTS SURVEY, supra note 2, at 35.
19 BUCK CONSULTANTS SURVEY, supra note 2, at 38.
21 See Code § 9802, ERISA § 702, PHSA § 2705.
22 See Code § 9802(a)(1) (". . . a group health plan may not establish rules for eligibility (including continued eligibility) of any individual to enroll under the terms of the plan based on . . . [d]isability." Other health factors are (i) health status, (ii) medical condition (including both physical and mental illnesses), (iii) claims experience, (iv) receipt of health care, (v) medical history, (vi) genetic information, and (vii) evidence of insurability (including conditions arising out of acts of domestic violence).
24 Nondiscrimination and Wellness Programs in Health Coverage in the Group Market, 71 Fed. Reg. 75,014 (Dec. 13, 2006).
25 See 26 C.F.R. § 54.9802-1(f)(1). Examples of participatory wellness programs include reimbursement of gym memberships, diagnostic testing that does not condition receipt of reward on attainment of certain outcomes, and a program that reimburses employees for the costs of smoking cessation programs regardless of whether an employee stops smoking.
26 See 26 C.F.R. § 54.9802-1(f)(2). Examples include not smoking, attainment of certain biometric screening results, and achieving exercise targets.
27 See 26 C.F.R. § 54.9802-1(f)(2).
32 Interim Final Rules Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Genetic Information in Health Insurance Coverage and Group Health Plans, 74 Fed. Reg. 51,664 (Oct. 7, 2009).
33 Interim Final Rules Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Genetic Information in Health Insurance Coverage and Group Health Plans, 74 Fed. Reg. at 51,665.
35 26 C.F.R. § 54.9802-3T(d)(1)(ii); 29 C.F.R. § 2590.702-1(d)(1)(ii); 45 C.F.R. § 146.122(d)(1)(ii).
36 26 C.F.R. § 54.9802-3T(a)(3); 29 C.F.R. § 2590.702-1(a)(3); 45 C.F.R. § 146.122(a)(3).
37 Interim Final Rules Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Genetic Information in Health Insurance Coverage and Group Health Plans, 74 Fed. Reg. at 51,669.
38 Regulations Under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, 75 Fed. Reg. 68,912 (Nov. 9, 2010).
40 29 C.F.R. §1635.8(b)(i). See also Commission Informal Discussion Letter (June 24, 2011), http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/foia/letters/2011/ada_gina_incentives.html.
41 See 29 C.F.R. § 1635.8(b)(2)(ii).
42 29 C.F.R. §1635.8(b)(2)(iii).
45 See Commission Informal Discussion Letter (Jan. 18, 2013), http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/foia/letters/2013/ada_wellness_programs.html; Commission Informal Discussion Letter (June 24, 2011), http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/foia/letters/2011/ada_gina_incentives.html; Commission Informal Discussion Letter (May 6, 2009), http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/foia/letters/2009/ada_disability_medexam_healthrisk.html. See also AMERICAN BAR ASS'N, QUESTIONS FOR THE EEOC STAFF FOR THE 2009 JOINT COMMITTEE OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS TECHNICAL SESSION (2009), http://www.abanet.org/jceb/2009/EEOC2009.pdf.
46 See EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMM'N, ENFORCEMENT GUIDANCE: DISABILITY-RELATED INQUIRIES AND MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS OF EMPLOYEES UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA), Q&A 22 (2000), http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/guidance-inquiries.html.
47 See Commission Informal Discussion Letter (Jan. 23, 1998) (on file with Council).
48 See Commission Informal Discussion Letter (Mar. 6, 2009), http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/foia/letters/2009/ada_disability_medexam_healthrisk.html.


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Latest Album - danieljkhill.com/the-third-war.html
D.J. Hill is a music composer, producer, audio engineer and production library songwriter for television, film and video games. As an audio engineer, he provides mixing and mastering for musicians, as well as sound editing and dubbing mixing for indie visual projects. After earning a diploma in Music Technology, he continued to complete his studies at university level earning a Foundation Degree in Popular Music Technology.
Music Composer, Mix Engineer and Producer - danieljkhill.com
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Early Childhood
Welcome to the Little LAMBS Learning Program, a Texas Rising Star Preschool & Pre-Kindergarten
First Baptist School
Early Childhood Department, Ages 2-4 Years
I am Jesus' Little Lamb;
He knows just who I am.
Open your Bible and you will see
How God loves you and me.
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want. Psalm 23:1


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Status: Closed
Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
Located in the heart of Springfield's "Golden Mile", we are directly across the street from Block Jewelers. Just a few miles North of the Blue Route, we are easily accessible from all parts of the Delaware Valley. Stop by today to see THOUSANDS of samples and Remnants in our Showroom !
Carpet Fair is a family owned business since 1976.That's over 26yrs of experience. We specialize in wall to wall carpeting,kitchen floors,hardwoods and many more.Most importantly we care about your flooring needs.So go on, stop on in and see us or feel free to call for a free estimate..All you do is "Call today and Install tomorrow.Why?.because "WE Bring Carpet Prices Down To Earth"
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We have worked with Mark and his staff to re-floor our entire home this past year! Everyone was professional, courteous, and patient in the process from start to finish! Cannot say enough how happy we are...carpet, hardwood, and laminate finishes....they did it all! All that, AND, the best prices around!Steve and Donna ComptonWest Chester, Pa
Service and prices were great. Installation was quick too. Highly recommend!
Carpet Fair is a family-owned business servicing the Springfield area. The company offers several flooring options, such as carpeting, vinyl, wood flooring, ceramic, fibers/treatments, cushion, padding, specialty floors, and floor accessories. Carpet Fair has options for consumers to "go green" with their flooring options as well.
Carpet Fair is a family owned business since 1978. That's over 26 years of experience. We specialize in wall to wall carpeting, kitchen floors, hardwoods and many more. Most importantly we care about your flooring needs. So go on, stop on in and see us or feel free to call for a free estimate. All you do is call us today and we will install tomorrow. Why? Because "We Bring Carpet Prices Down To...


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Your shopping cart is empty!
Soft, elastic and durable Alpha fleece bandage with functional anti-pilling fabric, excellent quality .
Free shipping to UK postal addresses on overs over £50.
Take a look at our sale room, here your find end of line, one off items , all with huge savings !
Tags: Rose Pink Bandages


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Bravery and courage
But then Jonathan said it was something he must do, even if it was dangerous.
"Why?" I wondered.
"Otherwise you're not a human being but just a piece of dirt" said Jonathan.
From The Brothers Lionheart (1973)
Astrid Lindgren was not only one of Sweden's most prominent authors. She also became one of the most significant individuals to have influenced public opinion in her country.
Throughout her life she was constant in her reactions against injustice and oppression. Her commitment in standing up for children's rights was established early. As far as politics was concerned, she was convinced as early as the thirties that she belonged with the social democrats.
In the United States
During the Second World War, she privately took a very strong stand against Nazism and Adolf Hitler. A few years after the War she travels to the US and in the book, Kati in America (1950), she passionately depicts the racially prejudiced politics which existed there. She uses the novel to take a definite stand for the blacks and allows Kati to mumble "hot little curses over my own race" after a visit to the black slums.
Astrid Lindgren and Expressen
During the 1970s, Astrid became a close friend of the author, Margareta Strömstedt, whose husband Bo was the cultural editor at Expressen(a daily newspaper). In 1976, Astrid wrote a big spread article for debate in the form of a fairytale to which she gave the name, Pomperipossa in Monismania. The article was a blistering attack on the Social Democratic government and its taxation policies. In the ensuing debate Astrid also articulated her criticism against the dictatorial power which in many people's opinion was being wielded by the governing party.
"Astrid Lindgren enjoyed the controversy. She was spurred on by the positive reactions she received and realised that she could make a big difference even by writing thought-provoking articles", says Bo Strömstedt, Expressen's Chief Editor from 1977-1991.
For those in power, Astrid Lindgren became the superior opponent in that debate. It had not been her intention, but her articles contributed – together with the film director Ingmar Bergman's farewell letter to Sweden, which was also published in the evening paper Expressen – to the downfall of the Social Democratic government in the elections that same year. The articles also led to a long-term working relationship between Astrid Lindgren and Expressen.
One debate after another
In 1980, the next big politically controversial issue arose in Sweden: the referendum concerning nuclear power. Astrid Lindgren became one of the most prominent supporters of the 'No' side.
In the autumn of 1985, she entered into a new debate – this time the subject was Swedish animal-treatment policies. She wrote quite a number of articles in Expressen, which raised people's awareness of how badly pigs, cattle, chickens and other domestic animals were treated in Sweden. The subject was understandably close to Astrid's heart, being a country lass, and all. Her articles have been assembled into the book, Min ko vill ha roligt (1990).
When Astrid turned 80 she was presented with a new animal protection law by Ingvar Carlsson who, at that time, was Prime Minister and leader of the Social Democrats. The law was called Lex Lindgren, but by the time it came into force it had been watered down in several important areas. "Am I supposed to be flattered to have had this law, which in its present state is toothless, named after me?", Astrid asked in one of her articles in March 1988.
Unbeatable trendsetter
Many individuals and organisations have over the years sought Astrid Lindgren's support in campaigning to change public opinion on a range of issues. This was a reflection of the type of power which emanated from her during her lifetime. As a public trendsetter she was unbeatable, but there are also numerous examples of how she supported individuals behind the scenes and helped them get fair treatment in an unfair world.
In Astrid Lindgren's life and work, one thing stands out more than anything else: her battle for every child's right to love and security. This line of thought permeates just about her entire production.
When Astrid received the German Book Traders' Peace Prize in 1978, her acceptance speech was more of an urgent message: "Never violence!"
In that speech, which is relevant to a number of today's burning issues, she passionately confronts violence, corporal punishment and oppressive methods used in raising children. In Germany the speech was considered very controversial and it was not until Astrid threatened to refuse the prize, that she got permission to give the speech at the prize-giving ceremony. The following year a law was passed in Sweden forbidding corporal punishment of children.


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Selected audio journalists get to experience a live concert from inside the new Volvo 90 Series, and then in the hall itself.
A very special event in Gothenburg saw some of the world's most respected audio journalists treated to a unique performance by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra courtesy of Bowers & Wilkins and Volvo Cars.
The new Volvo XC90, S90, V90 and V90 Cross Country with Premium Sound by Bowers & Wilkins use key technologies such as Tweeter-on-Top and Kevlar® midrange drive units to deliver realistic, pristine sound to all passengers in the car. They also come with three selectable audio modes, including a unique Gothenburg Concert Hall option. This mode recreates the acoustics inside this world-class concert hall and was developed with the aid of some 800 acoustics measurements made within the hall, plus powerful high-end processing in order to replicate it in the car cabin.
To experience the live performance through the Premium Sound by Bowers & Wilkins, a selection of the new 90 series cars was parked outside the Gothenburg Concert Hall itself. Then with iPhones connected via the system's Apple CarPlay functionality, the press fired up the new GSOplay app. This new app allows simultaneous live and recorded concerts from the hall to be streamed to subscribers anywhere in the world.
The press, who were from countries as far afield as the UK, USA, Japan and China, had earlier been given a behind-the-scenes tour of Volvo's Audio Lab, before being treated to an exclusive broadcast of the first act taking place inside the concert hall – a performance that included Tchaikovsky's epic Romeo and Juliet. In order to attest to the realistic sound of the system, they then went inside the hall itself for the second act of the concert.
Summing up the experience, Bowers and Wilkins Senior Product Manager Andy Kerr said: "This was a really novel listening experience and a great success. I think everyone was genuinely amazed at just how effective it was!"


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Two new albums soon to be released. In March we finalise 'Colors' my Jazz album. As usual this has all orginals (and arrangement of 'Summertime'). The Colors album tracks, each track label is a different color as I saw it in my head.
The recordings as usual come from all over the place, from Studio 52 in Melbourne, Red Planet Studios in Tasmania, Maestro Studio in St Kilda and at my mates silo house in the middle of nowhere in Grafton. I will be mastering the record in March at Studio 52. All of March is put aside for this and it will be ready on sale in April.
Players include Phil Emmanuel on electric, yours truly on all acoustic guitar and slide, and a wealth of talent from Australia. It features Cameron, one of the best flugelhorn players around and a couple of new fiddle players. The Jazz covers all types, cool, latin, acid, and as usual my acoustic is the bed rock behind the arrangements. All compositions and arrangements by me. The other album is Russian music which is half finished. This is a reflection of my time I spent in St Petersburg where I stayed for several months and played with the gypsies and Jazz musicans there.
Lots of touring at the moment, check out the gig guide! Phil and I are confirmed for the Bridgetown Blues Festival in WA, so that should be a blast.
No news from LA yet about some possible film scores, still waiting but a new video will be out soon and I'll be on Good Morning Australia sometime in May.
All albums are now available on itunes worldwide so don't forget to have a look
Bye for now, love and peace


text: Fido Solutions, short-noted as Fido, is a Canadian cellular telephone service provider. It is a subsidiary company of the larger telephone services provider, Rogers Communications. Fido pioneered the wireless industry for Canadian cellphone users, being one of the first companies to offer unlimited services as well as a money back guarantee. They continue to innovate exciting new plans for cellphone and internet customers, such as their most recent partnering with Spotify Canada.


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This pill is light blue, and used to be round. It has been broken in half. If it was broken along a no-longer-visible cleft, then the pill was originally divisible into four doses. If it was broken incorrectly (no way to tell), then it was originally divisible into two doses (i.e., one cleft is visible on one side, but the fracture of the pill does not follow it). On the side with the cleft are visible the letter N (above the cleft) and the number 20 (below it). These are probably the remaining right-hand portions of a word (ending in N) and a four-digit number (ending in 20). On the reverse side of the pill is an indistinguishable maker's mark of some kind, nothing else. Thoughts? The pill identifier was stumped.
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Dusting off the mic. Wiping away the cobwebs. Trying to find where I put everything.
I have not posted a blog post since May of 2016. As soon as we got back from Disney, I started my Christmas crafting projects. Christmas Crafting may not sound like much, but I had two double-knit scarves to knit.
Double knitting is a knitting technique that allows you to produce a double layer of Stockinette stitch fabric with mirror-image colorwork while knitting both layers at the same time.
Here is an example of Pink's Star Wars Double-knit scarf. The hyperlink with bring you to my Ravelry project page which has more pictures.
As you can see, one side is Black for the Dark Side and the other is a self-striping rainbow yarn for the Light Side. It is almost 6ft long.
My husband also got a double knit scarf. The difficult with his is that I used lace weight yarn(really thin) on size 0 needles(really tiny). There were 10 charts. Each chart had 8 rows. Each row is 100 stitches. That is 80,000 stitches.
Here is his The Name of the Doctor. The hyperlink with bring you to my Ravelry project page which has more pictures.
Then there were the 4 pairs of gloves/mittens, one lace shawl with beads, two baby sweaters, two Denver Broncos Halfling Commandos, one toddler quilt and one full-size quilt for Tessa.
Oh, then there is work. My company decided to sell us to a vendor company like we were chattel. After working for this unnamed insurance company since 1999. Very uncool. Plus I have had three different supervisors in the meantime. Three different people to bring into dealing with me.
Our DDO gaming dropped a bit as well. Listening to people complain in my ear for 8+ hours a day made putting on my headphones and trying to keep people alive seem like torture. Clericing had gotten VERY stale. I was getting to the point of wanting to let people die just for the fun of it. Woah…..backaway!!! So we aimed to play Gnome Gnight, Halfling Commando night, and Halfling Commando raid night. Gnome Gnight is hard as I work a 9 hour day until 7:00pm. Getting on for 8:00pm can be torture depending on my days. So, some nights we do not play.
Someone, who may or may not have a blog and may or may not have a Gamer Girl, mentioned another game to relieve some of my stress playing cleric. We met those folks, who shall remain nameless to protect their identities, over on Elder Scrolls Online.
ESO is a lot easier for me to play by myself. I love DDO and have no intention of leaving, but I get lost very easily inside quests. Plus, I do not solo well in DDO with the healing-based clerics that I build to help the guild and Pink. I love being able to just run through destroying things in ESO. It gives me a better outlook so that I can come back and play cleric on DDO.
I let it slip to Pink on New Year's Eve that I had let my blogging fall behind this year. She was most displeased. I told her that I would start up again. And my husband already reminded me twice. It does not help that I am like a squirrel with ADD on coffee.
So here we go again…..starting off in the New Year. Still Geekmom. Still will blog about Geeky things, family, crafting, and gaming. May add in some ESO for the fun of it. I have two geeky knitting project planned that I hope to enter into competition. So it shall be a fun year.
Hope all is well with you!


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BEP Bestobell concentrates on the distribution of advanced engineering and technological products. Our mission is to provide cost-effective solutions to our customers' problems, giving them the competitive edge. BEP Bestobell services the sub-Saharan market from a well-structured product base in the fields of fluid engineering, energy systems, instrumentation, and environmental systems.
12-15 Fortune Road
City Deep
+27 011 610 5600 +27 011 6105699 email@example.com www.bestobell.co.za


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As IT vendors wrestle with unpredictable markets, their strategies have swayed between promoting vertical solutions to solve business issues and offering horizontal solutions to address end-to-end organizational needs. IDC's United States Black Book: State IT Spending by Vertical service is a quarterly analysis of the status and projected growth of the IT industry in 50 states (plus Washington, D.C.) and across 16 vertical markets. The information is crafted to arm U.S. sales and marketing organizations with the specifics they need to allocate resources and target opportunities by state and by industry.
United States Black Book: State IT Spending by Vertical
Markets and Subjects Analyzed
- Economic health of each state
- Size and growth of IT spending by state and vertical
- Key industry trends in each state
- Events impacting IT spending by state and vertical
- Drivers of growth by state and vertical
Core Research
- IT Spending Forecast by State and Vertical Market
- IT Spending Segmented by 15 Technologies
- IT Spending Forecasts Delivered Quarterly
In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct research on specific topics or emerging market segments via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.
Key Questions Answered
- Which states and regions offer the most opportunity for increased IT spending?
- Which industries are most prevalent in each state, and how is their status changing?
- Which states are the largest spenders on IT?
- Which IT markets show the most promise by state and by industry?


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Posts By Lucy Szemetova
We've all been through it, so we all know there is no cure for a broken heart. Movies concerned with heartache often prove unsatisfying since the real causes for the breakup are somewhat neglected and swept away with a generic mantra about someone or something better coming along. So you don't die of a broken heart. Usually you don't. In… Read more »


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Skyline Cycle's Blog
Couple of cool things happening this week. Starting Thursday morning at opening we will have 9 Kona mountain bikes here at the store to be taken out for demo. The Kona demo guy has asked that we get a copy of a drivers license, and hold a credit card and then you can go out and try one of these sweet bikes. He will have Hei Hei Trails, Hei Hei Dl, Process 134's and 153's and a carbon Honzo. We want rides to last at most an hour and half and then we would like the bike back so other people can ride them as well.


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Halloweenies: The 10 people you meet at Halloween parties
It's that time of year again! You've probably been one of these types before or know someone who is. Check out 10 folks you'll be seeing at a party very soon.Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page.
Ernest Wilkins
Copyright © 2018, RedEye Chicago


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Artist's description:
I use an unique technique — a surface full of small stipples of paint from the painting knife. This decadent surface of texture brings my abstraction to life. In addition, the color, shapes, and the subtle allusions in my title, lead you through the emotional subject of this work. There is a sense of radiance as the light moves through the painting.
Materials used:
Acrylic Paint, Canvas stretched, Painting knife
Window on the World (2016)
Acrylic painting by Wietzie Gerber
- Acrylic painting on Canvas
- One of a kind artwork
- Size: 48 x 30 x 0.8 in (unframed)
- Signed on the front
- Style: Geometric
- Subject: Abstract and non-figurative


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Contact National General Insurance Marketing
To contact the National General Insurance Marketing division please fill out the form below.
Or use the following direct contacts.
Marketing Contact
Kevin Fuschich
Media Inquiries
Nicole Pemberton
Driving can be a real pain in the neck. Literally. Learn more.
Turning on headlights during the day reduces the risk of an accident. Learn more.
Driving with a hand-held cell phone is risky business. Learn why.
Multi-Vehicle Discount
Multiple vehicles? Then we can multiply your savings!Learn More
Drive less? Save More!
Save on auto insurance with National General Insurance's Low Mileage Discount offered exclusively to OnStar Subscribers.Learn More


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Log In needed $23,900 · 2016 Chrysler 200 SReport Ad
ColourVelvet Red Pearloat
Price: $23,900
Stock Number: 107695
Engine: Flexible V-6 3.6 L/220
Cylinders: 6
Fuel: Flex Fuel
IIHS Top Safety Pick+. This Chrysler 200 delivers a Flexible V-6 3.6 L/220 engine powering this Automatic transmission. heated front seats, WHEELS: 18 X 8 SATIN CARBON ALUMINUM (STD), VELVET RED PEARL.* This Chrysler 200 Features the Following Options *QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 26L -inc: Engine: 3.6L Pentastar VVT V6, Transmission: 9-Speed Automatic , TRANSMISSION: 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC (STD), TIRES: 235/45R18 BSW AS (STD), ENGINE: 3.6L PENTASTAR VVT V6 (STD), BLACK, LEATHER-FACED W/MESH CLOTH INSERTS, Window Grid Antenna, Trunk Rear Cargo Access, Trip computer, Transmission w/Driver Selectable Mode and Sequential Shift Control w/Steering Wheel Controls, Tire Specific Low Tire Pressure Warning.* This Chrysler 200 is a Superstar! *IIHS Top Safety Pick+, KBB.com Brand Image Awards.* Visit Us Today *Come in for a quick visit at Laird Wheaton, 2590 Bowen Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 3L3 to claim your Chrysler 200!
Ad #32448967
PostedOctober 11, 2018
ExpiryNovember 10, 2018
StatusNOT SOLD
DetailsCommercial Seller
CategoryAutos › Cars › Passenger
EditMy ad
Phone1-888-657-5516 Email User
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