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Photo gallery
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Toronto Downtown
Get an overview of this hotelToronto hotel 1 block from city hall
Downtown lodgings
This contemporary Toronto hotel is 1 block from the Art Gallery of Ontario, 3 blocks from both Eaton Centre and the Royal Ontario Museum, and 5 blocks from the harborfront.
Authentic dim sum
A health club with indoor pool and sauna complements the hotel's 2 fine-dining establishments, the eclectic Hemispheres and Lai Wah Heen, serving contemporary Cantonese fare.
Towering city views
Set in the center of Toronto's financial, research and shopping districts, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Toronto Downtown offers 486 guest rooms and suites. A quiet retreat in the heart of a vibrant, urban location
Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new windowDoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Toronto Downtown
Hotel Amenities
In addition to its location close to Bay Street—the country's main financial district— the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Toronto Downtown offers 12,917 square feet (1,200 square meters) of meeting facilities, business services such as complimentary wireless Internet access in all restaurants and public spaces.
- Indoor pool
- Sauna
- Fitness facilities
- Restaurant
- Bar/lounge
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Total number of rooms - 486
- Porter/bellhop
- Express check-out
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Multilingual staff
- 24-hour front desk
- ATM/banking
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Free WiFi
- Elevator/lift
- Business center
- Luggage storage
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Long-term parking (surcharge)
- Conference space size (feet) - 12917
- Conference space size (meters) - 1200
- Self parking (surcharge)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Long-term parking (surcharge), Self parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- Pay movies
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Premium bedding
- Room service (limited hours)
- Air conditioning
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Free newspaper
- Phone
- Coffee/tea maker
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Shower only
- Iron/ironing board
- In-room safe
- Desk
- Television
- Free WiFi
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
Where to Eat
Hemispheres Restaurant & Bistro - Buffet breakfast (surcharge) is served in the bistro area, which opens early, and the main dining room and restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. The main dining room's modern design has gently curving walls, an extensive wine collection on display, and contemporary decor, from abstract artwork to custom-designed Rosenthal china. Cuisine focuses on local ingredients and international influences.
Lai Wah Heen - Fine Hong Kong-style, contemporary Cantonese cuisine with international influences from the Pacific Rim. Dim sum is a specialty, graciously served by attentive staff in a calming room. The restaurant is set on two levels and enclosed by a solarium-style glass wall, displaying an original collection of Chinese calligraphy by Southeast Asian artist Cheung Ming.
Nearby Things to Do
- Golfing nearby
- Cross-country skiing nearby
- Sailing nearby
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time ends at midnight
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
No rollaway/extra beds available
No cribs (infant beds) available
- Deposit: CAD 250.00
Optional extras
- Breakfast fee: CAD 22 per person (approximately)
- Self parking fee: CAD 35 per night (in/out privileges)
Hotel Name
- DoubleTree Hilton Hotel Toronto Downtown
- DoubleTree Hilton Toronto Downtown
- DoubleTree Toronto Downtown
We should mention
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


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BHI Hemorrhoid For the temporary relief of:
DOSAGE: Adults and Children above 6 years: 1 tablet sublingually or dissolved completely in mouth 3 times daily or as directed by a physician. Infants and children to 6 years: 1/2 the adult dosage.
Warnings: If symptoms persist or worsen, a physician should be consulted. As with any drug, if you are pregnant or nursing a baby, seek the advice of a health care professional before using this product. In case of bleeding, a physician should be consulted.
Ingredients: Each 300 mg tablet contains as active ingredients: Aesculus hippocastanum 4X, Aloe socotrina 4X, Collinsonia canadensis 4X, Nux vomica 5X, Leptandra virginica 6X, Muriaticum acidum 6X, Paeonia officinalis 6X, Sulphur 10X 37.5 mg each in a lactose base.
Disclaimer: The product descriptions and the statements on this page are from manufacturers and/or distributors and have not been evaluated by VitaSprings or the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. VitaSprings does not imply any medical claims from the customer reviews on this BHI Hemorrhoid Formula product on this website.

subset: commoncrawl


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What does IWN mean in Unions?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand IWN in the Community field in general and in the Unions terminology in particular.
Find a translation for IWN in other languages:
Select another language:
Discuss this IWN abbreviation with the community:
Use the citation below to add this abbreviation to your bibliography:
"IWN." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2017. Web. 26 Mar. 2017. <http://www.abbreviations.com/term/140035>.


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The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation has looked and looked, and just does not see America's broadband problems aptly described by industry critics including Susan Crawford, David Cay Johnston and Tim Wu. As far as the ITIF is concerned Americans have little to complain about with respect to broadband availability, speeds or pricing.
That finding is part of a new research paper, "The Whole Picture: Where America's Broadband Networks Really Stand," authored by Richard Bennett, Luke Stewart, and Robert Atkinson.
The report sniffs at critics complaining about uncompetitive, high-priced service, dismissing them as misguided "holders of a particular ideology or economic doctrine, which is Neo-Keynesian, populist economic thinking in this instance."
Bennett, Stewart, and Atkinson, who have all penned pro-industry reports for years, prove another economic doctrine: the free market for industry bought-and-paid-for-"research" is alive and well.
The summary finding of the report:
Taking the whole picture into account, this report finds that the United States has made rapid progress in broadband deployment, performance, and price, as well as adoption when measured as computer-owning households who subscribe to broadband. Considering the high cost of operating and upgrading broadband networks in a largely suburban nation, the prices Americans pay for broadband services are reasonable and the performance of our networks is better than in all but a handful of nations that have densely populated urban areas and have used government subsidies to leap-frog several generations of technology ahead of where the market would go on its own in response to changing consumer demands.
Although the report is extensively footnoted to bestow credibility, once a reader begins to check out those footnotes, trouble looms:
- Some footnotes lead the reader to business or Wall Street media reports, which can favor an industry point of view or extensively quote from executives and insiders;
- Several certain critical assertions include footnotes that link only to the home page of the source, making it impossible to find the exact source material used;
- Many footnotes come from earlier articles, position papers, and statements from the authors or others affiliated with the ITIF — hardly independent sources of information.
ITIF's report is riddled with customized benchmarks the ITIF appears to have invented itself. Ars Technica caught one in the executive summary and questioned the relevance of measuring broadband adoption among "computer-owning households" at a time when an increasing number of Americans use broadband for video streaming on televisions, use smartphones, or rely on tablets for access.
We also noted the authors making several assertions without facts in evidence to support them. Among them is the unsupported notion that "the high cost of operating and upgrading broadband networks in a largely suburban nation" makes today's broadband pricing understandable and fair.
In fact, the most significant costs borne by cable operators came during the early years of their initial construction — one, even two decades before broadband over cable was envisioned. When cable Internet service was introduced, it was praised for its relatively inexpensive start-up costs and its ability to deliver ancillary, unregulated revenue for cable operators. Those cable networks over which broadband is delivered have been paid off for years.
The authors avoid the actual financial reports of the largest phone and cable companies in their study, because as public shareholder-owned companies, they are obligated to disclose reality. Those financial reports show a consistent drop in capital expenses and infrastructure investment and a major increase in revenue and profits from broadband service. Cable industry executives have repeatedly asserted the reason they raise broadband prices is not because the costs to run their networks are very high, but rather because "they can."
From there, Bennett, Stewart, and Atkinson play endless rounds of Statistics Scrabble.
Claim: America enjoys robust competition for broadband.
Fact: The cable industry has declared itself the victor for delivering high-speed broadband in the United States. DSL has long since given up competing on speed, and even AT&T's hybrid fiber-copper U-verse platform is rapidly losing ground in the broadband speed race. Wireless and satellite plans are almost all slower and routinely cap usage, often to levels of just a few gigabytes per month.
The cable industry also won the right to keep its network to itself, not allowing third-party wholesalers on-demand access to resell broadband over those networks. Phone companies have been able to charge discriminatory wholesale pricing to access their networks, and only for certain types of connections.
Abroad, most networks are open to third parties on non-discriminatory terms. In places like the United Kingdom, customers have their choice of ISPs available over a traditional BT DSL line. In Asia, public subsidies and incentives helped push providers to construct fiber to the premises networks, but those networks are open access, helping spur competition and lower prices.
Domestically Time Warner Cable permits competitors like Earthlink on its network on a voluntary basis, but unsurprisingly Earthlink charges the same or higher prices for service that Time Warner charges once a six month promotion ends. That represents "competition" in name-only.
Claim: Most speed-test-based research rankings on broadband speeds around the world are wrong.
Fact: ITIF at one point makes the unfounded assertion that since many people only test their broadband speed when something seems wrong with their connection, most speed-test-sourced "actual speed" data is not very useful because there often is something wrong with a broadband connection when testing it, resulting in flawed data. This 'picked out of the sky' claim is one of the primary arguments ITIF makes about why broadband rankings (produced by those other than themselves) are irrelevant.
ITIF's press release about its report makes the completely unsubstantiated assertion that "the average network rate of all broadband connections in the United States was 29.6Mbps in the third quarter of 2012; in the same period, we ranked seventh in the world and sixth in the OECD in the percentage of users with performance faster than 10Mbps."
DSL customers may find a statistic rating America's broadband speeds as better than one might expect to be less than useful when it only counts broadband connections faster than the average DSL user can buy themselves.
This cherry-picking may help the ITIF's arguments look more credible, but it does nothing to improve your broadband speeds at home or at work.
Claim: Broadband provider profits average less than 2% annually.
Fact: Another clever statistic (poorly sourced as 'from the home page of Bloomberg.com' — check back with us when you find the original article yourself) that fails to tell the whole story.
First, ITIF defines net profits specifically as "simply the difference between revenue and expenses." But that definition may not account for a range of corporate accounting activities which can diminish net profits but still let the company walk away with high fives from Wall Street. Share buybacks or dividend payouts, acquisitions, costs and expenses from other divisions not related to broadband, etc., can all affect the bottom line and mask the enormous earnings and profit potential of American broadband.
Take Time Warner Cable, which has a 95 percent gross margin selling broadband. Broadband service is just one of three primary services sold by the cable operator. Broadband does not suffer from landline losses in the phone business or from escalating TV programming expenses. Broadband is clearly the most profitable service in Time Warner's product arsenal because it occupies only a small part of the company's wired infrastructure. Supplying broadband service also costs Time Warner relatively little money as a percentage of their earnings and has helped offset revenue loss from the television side of the business. Bandwidth costs have also declined year after year. Infrastructure upgrades are more than covered by pricing that has begun to creep up over the last few years. In effect, broadband earnings are covering for other products that are not selling as well.
ITIF's claim that supplying broadband is costly and that current rates are justified just isn't true.
Claim: Europe is behind the United States in broadband.
Fact: The one legacy network that both Europeans and Americans share in common is the copper wire basic telephone service. From there, telecommunications service diverged.
North Americans embraced cable television while much of western Europe (especially the UK) preferred direct-to-home satellite service. That difference set the stage for some significant broadband disparity. Cable broadband technology has proved more robust and reliable than DSL service. Phone companies that rely on basic DSL are falling behind in broadband speeds. Investment to bring fiber online is the only way these phone companies can stay competitive with cable broadband. Some countries with particularly decrepit telephone networks, especially those left over from the Communist era in eastern Europe, are being scrapped in favor of fiber to the home service. Many western European countries are incrementally introducing fiber to the cabinet or neighborhood service, which leaves the last mile copper phone wire connection in place.
This is why speeds in many eastern European countries and the Baltic states with full fiber networks are so high. Advanced forms of DSL are more common further west, using technologies like VDSL2+. But DOCSIS 3 cable upgrades (and those to follow) continue to leapfrog over telephone company DSL advancements. Speed disparity is often the result of fewer cable systems in Europe as well as the amount of fiber optics replacing basic telephone service infrastructure.
Despite that, many Europeans pay less, particularly for faster service, than we do. Plus, fiber optic upgrades are within the foreseeable future in many European countries. In the United States, fiber deployments are now crawling or stalled in areas served by AT&T and Verizon. Neither company shows much interest in spending money on further wired upgrades and no competitive pressure is forcing them to, especially as both phone companies increasingly turn attention to their wireless divisions for most of their earnings.
The kind of research produced by the ITIF is tainted as long as they don't reveal who is paying for these research reports. As Stop the Cap! readers have learned well, following corporate money usually helps expose the real agenda of these so-called "think tanks," which are created to distort reality and quietly echo the agenda of their paymasters with a veneer of independence and credibility.


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Acunetix Ltd.
Level 10
Portomaso Business Tower
STJ4011 St. Julians
Phone: +44(0)330.2020190
Fax: +44(0)330.2020191
Acunetix – Combating the Web Security Threat
Securing the web applications of today's businesses is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of securing the enterprise. Web application hacking is on the rise with as many as 75% of cyber attacks done at web application level or via the web. Most corporations have secured their data at the network level, but have overlooked the crucial step of checking whether their web applications are vulnerable to attack. Web applications which often have a direct line into the company's most valuable data assets are online 24/7, completely unprotected by a firewall and therefore easy prey for attackers.
Acunetix was founded with this threat in mind. It was understood that the only way to combat website hacking was to develop an automated tool that could help companies scan their web applications to identify and resolve exploitable vulnerabilities. In July 2005, Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner was released: a heuristic tool designed to replicate a hacker's methodology to find dangerous vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross site scripting before hackers do. A decade later and Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner has become the tool of choice for many customers in the Government, Military, Educational, Telecommunications, Banking, Finance, and E-Commerce sectors, including many Fortune 500 companies.
Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner is available both as an online and on premise solution. It detects and reports a wide array of vulnerabilities in applications built on architectures such as WordPress, PHP, ASP.NET, Java Frameworks, Ruby on Rails and many others. Acunetix Vulnerability Scanner brings an extensive feature-set of both automated and manual penetration testing tools, enabling security analysts to perform a complete vulnerability assessment, and repair detected threats, with just the one product. Results can be used to generate reports aimed towards developers and management alike.
The Acunetix development team consists of highly experienced security developers, all with extensive development experience in network security scanning software prior to working on Acunetix WVS. The management team is backed by years of experience in marketing and selling security software.
Acunetix is a privately held company with its offices in Malta and the UK. It is a Microsoft Certified Partner. It also has a sister company 3CX, a developer of IP PBX software for Windows.
Press Infos
The author is solely responsible for the content of press releases. NürnbergMesse reserves the right not to publish or to remove individual press releases after legal examination.
Acunetix Ltd. offers you products from these product groups:
- Web application security (104)
- Cloud (computing) security (149)
- Compliance/GRC (products and services) (112)
- Computer emergency response team (CERT) (28)
- Data leakage/loss prevention (86)
- Forensics (64)
- Risk analysis and management (76)
- Intrusion detection/prevention (92)
- Penetration tests (83)
- PCI-DSS (products and services) (57)
- Auditing (22)
- Secure software development (35)
- Vulnerabitlity and patch management (60)
- Security management (88)
- Threat analyses (88)


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Velvet Underground
When I think back to my childhood holidays, I often reminisce on the fabulous dresses my mother put me in. So often these fab little holiday numbers included velvet fabric or bows, so naturally, I'm hankering for some of the soft, sensuous, jewel toned velvet clothing that re-emerged this fall.
If you are only going to invest in one item of velvet clothing, make it a velvet blazer. It's a holiday season staple and can take you everywhere from weekend errands to a cocktail party with co-workers. Personally, I love the look and feel of a velvet maxi skirt and am thinking of snagging this on sale T by Alexander Wang. I'd pair it with a white t-shirt, my favorite vintage jean jacket and some moto boots. Have a look at some of the awesome velvet clothing below, which makes a perfect addition to winter wardrobes.
Left Column: Haute Hippie Velvet Gown Middle Column: Elizabeth and James 'Rex' Velvet Blazer, Olympia Le-Tan Velvet Skirt, Stuart Weitzman Velvet Ballet Flats Right Column: Faith Velvet Bootie, Current/Elliot Velvet Jeans
17 comments:
Those velvet shoes and blazer amazing !
Breakfast at Cindi'sI totally love velvet for the holidays, too! I did a similar post with a navy dress I'm in love with, but a velvet blazer is an equally glam option!
The Glossy Lifethe velvet tee at jcrew is on sale right now and i'm going back and forth about it. i want it! but jcrew has been assaulting my wallet lately. i have a long black backless velvet dress i wore to a winter formal in HIGH SCHOOL still in my closet b/c it is so timeless. i need to drag that thing back out and at least wear it around the house for fun :)
Thanks so much for your comments! I always enjoy reading them and look forward to visiting your blogs as well:)
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I'm recently bought some bones and skeletons of a Watt deck to build a Watt Lockdown, and I'm wondering how I can increase the speed of the Hoppers. I added in a Messenger of the Peace in order to protect them better.
This is my build in real life, and if I get a good draw, it's almost a gauranteed victory, but if I can't get a hopper lockdown, I can't win at all.
44 Cards Total
Monsters: 21
Shining Angel x3
Watthopper x3
Wattlemur x2
Wattdragonfly x2
Rai-Mei x1
Wattfox x2
Wattpheasant x2
Marshmallon x1
Blast Sphere x1
Wattcobra x2
Battle Fader x1
Honest x1
Traps: 9
Starlight Road x2
Ultimate Offeringx1
Mirror Force x1
Judgment of Thunder x3
Wattcancel x1
Remote Revenge x1
Spells: 14
Messenger of Peace x1
Monster Reborn x1
Wattcastle x1
Recycling Batteries x2
Hammer Shot x1
Wattcine x1
Inferno reckless summon x2
Dark Hole x1
Mystical Space Typhoon x1
Wattkey x1
Heavy Storm x1
Electromagnetic Shield x1
Extra Deck: 7
Wattchimera x3
Watthydra x1
Stardust Dragon x2
Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier x1
I want to focus on getting 2 Watthoppers down, while having 1 or 2 Wattchimeras, which can basically take away all of his draw power.
The Wattchimeras force the same card to be drawn over and over, so it's almost a gauranteed victory.
Watthopper + Wattchimera Lockdown
Started By cykrns, Jun 10 2012 03:29 PM
1 reply to this topic
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New Rick Ross feat. Pharrell Track Leaked
A new Rick Ross/Pharrell collabo, "Get Down," has just leaked all over the Internet. With production by the Neptunes, the beat is more of their usual quirky, club-ready stuff, but definitely a lot faster and more trebly than anything the Boss usually rocks. Forced to rap at that speed and stay precisely on beat, he kind of sounds out of breath. At the same time, the change-up is attracting listeners who usually hate on his flow. All in all, it's fun but doesn't involve too much brain power, making it a pretty good candidate for a summer jam.
This seems to just be floating in Internet space without much context; so far, no info on when or in what format this will be officially released.
You can also just listen to the MP3 over at Nah Right. -- Arielle Castillo
In Case You Missed It
Upcoming Events
Linda Lavin
TicketsWed., Mar. 29, 8:00pm
Concierto de Primavera
TicketsSat., Apr. 1, 6:00pm
Il Volo: Notte Magica - A Tribute To The Three Tenors
TicketsSat., Apr. 1, 8:00pm
"The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber"
TicketsThu., Mar. 30, 7:30pmpowered by goldstar
Sponsor Content


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Were these goodies simply the result of taking off the Deutschmark strait- jacket? Not entirely, but I think the release from the ERM constraints was perhaps the most important cause of the sustained recovery since 1992.
As an old opponent of the ERM and similar systems, I had published an article in this newspaper, in July 1988, in which I likened the ERM to a roller-coaster. I argued that the ERM, in which we had participated informally from February 1987, was largely responsible for the inflation that had then just appeared on the horizon but was all set to explode. This inflation would be followed inevitably by a massive squeeze, in 1989, to wring inflation out of the system, and so we would have a long recession. This view was condemned by the vast majority of the chattering classes, including professional economists. Indeed, the next day Sarah Hogg, then economics editor of this newspaper, roundly condemned my position and gave her unstinting support to the ERM as the linchpin of stability.
On the whole, however, my predictions of the effects of the ERM and, by implication, the benefits of getting out, have not been discredited by our recent history. But what of the future? Is it likely that we shall re-enter the ERM and have another go on the roller-coaster?
The Government's formal position is equivocal. The mainstream Maastricht conditions call for all those who wish to qualify for the monetary union bus to have been within the narrow (2.25 per cent) bands of the central rate of the ERM for two years (with effect from next July). With his admirable Gaullist-style insouciance, Mr Major negotiated an opt-out clause for Britain. So if the Government intends to invoke the opt-out there is no need for us to join the queue for another ride on the roller-coaster.
No need, perhaps, but will the Government really opt out? Will it stand firm against the emotional claptrap - the "fog-bound island, isolated from expanding Europe", "missing the bus of destiny", "odd man out", "monetary maverick", "little Englander", "subject to temptations in the absence of the discipline of Euro-institutions such as the European Central Bank", etc - that replaces reason and evidence?
A year or so ago I would have suggested that, notwithstanding the opt- out, Mr Major would effectively rejoin the ERM. This would not flow from any point of principle, but because he believed that the majority of the media and, perhaps, most businessmen, were solidly behind the idea of a single currency. Recently, however, opinion is turning against a single currency. From the oldest member, France, with its disastrous franc fort, to the new boy on the Euro-block, Sweden, the strictures and hardships of the strait-jacket are being questioned, increasingly by governments but above all by the people.
Opinion has, I believe, gone through a remarkable change. People have learnt that monetary union is not merely a matter of different banknotes and coin. It involves a massive shift of power out of the hands of the people into the bureaucracies of Brussels and Frankfurt. Even in its embryonic form in the ERM, monetary integration caused a great deal of pain. All over Europe people are beginning to realise that the actual birth of monetary union involves creating a political and fiscal union of immense dimensions.
Of course the Germans have always said that a monetary union must be in parallel with political union - with a concentration of power in the centralised federal parliament and government. Other governments in Europe, notably our own, have never squarely faced these implications. And Mr Major, unlike his predecessor, is not known for grasping nettles.
But this issue of Europe is central to the Government's economic policy and our participation in the Maastricht treaty. As I observe the signs, it seems to me that economic policy will be dominated by the Europhiles' anxiety to qualify for monetary union as a foundation member in 1999.
But, you may say, this cannot be, since one of the main conditions for joining the union is that the exchange rate has been in the narrow bands (2.25 per cent) for two years. And Britain is not in the ERM, so strictly speaking it cannot be a member. But Euro-rules are not made to be obeyed strictly. If Britain could demonstrate that for those years, and perhaps for some years previously, the exchange rate of sterling had been within a whisker of 2.2 marks, how could Britain conceivably be excluded merely on the formality of not being in the ERM? Any red- (or blue-) blooded Chancellor would simply point to this performance, rest his case and patiently await the invitation to the top table in Frankfurt.
I choose this example partly because one observes that sterling has been extraordinarily stable at around 2.2 to 2.3 marks for the past nine months. Of course, it may be just an accident - or perhaps even a reflection of those wonderful conversation-stoppers, "fundamentals" - that is to say deficits, debt, productivity growth, etc. But one's suspicions that sterling is de facto pegged to the German mark at 2.25 are surely aroused by the high interest-rate policy that has been pursued in spite of the evidence of low inflation, declining activity, high unemployment and so on.
Indeed the Governor of the Bank of England was arguing for increased interest rates during the summer - and such a policy would be quite consistent with the need to support sterling in the face of political uncertainty and the increasing probability of a high-spending Labour government. The Chancellor, on that occasion, demurred, partly because he knew that this would spell disaster at the polling booths. And no doubt in the upcoming Budget we shall see at least pounds 3bn of sweeteners scattered around to hold the waning loyalties of Tory constituents. But the British Budget is a minor matter compared with the underlying issue of the aggrandisement of Europe.
If, however, I am right in my conjecture, electoral high jinks aside, we are all much nearer to joining a monetary and political union than most people think. I do not know whether the people of Europe would want such a union. But I strongly believe that this momentous question should not be decided solely by politicians and bureaucrats, or even by prominent persons of one sort or another.
If ever there was a case for a referendum it is the issue of Europe. The people should decide.
Sir Alan Walters was economic adviser to Margaret Thatcher, 1981-89. He intends to stand as a Referendum Party candidate against the Chancellor, Kenneth Clarke, at the next general election.
- More about:
- Euro
- Germany
- Productivity
- Unemployment


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I sell health plans, but when my auto insurance agent suggested that the Med Pay benefit of an auto insurance policy was the most affordable 'medical plan' that she could find, I had to rethink my idea of affordable health insurance.
Med Pay vs. Health Insurance Plans
My auto insurance agent reasoned that since a car accident is one of the most likely reasons that people end up in a hospital, she was comfortable taking a chance that med pay coverage would suffice, especially since that was the best she could afford. That option may be the best for some people. My biggest concern about it was this: Since med pay benefits apply only when you've been in a car accident, that means you would be uninsured for medical services that are not related to a car accident. Not many people are comfortable with that, or the relatively small coverage limit. In the long run, it could be the more expensive route.
When does having a traditional health plan make better sense?
Consider a medical insurance policy when the following fits your situation:
• You prefer the peace of mind of having a policy with broader coverage and an unlimited coverage limit. This gives you a bigger safety net and helps protect your house and other assets that could potentially be jeopardized if a major medical situation was to happen.
• You have ongoing treatments
• You have young children. Since kids tend to need doctor visits and prescriptions more regularly, it's ideal to cover them for more than just car accidents.
• If your family has a history of health conditions
• If you want benefits for prescriptions
To help reduce your premium, consider a health plan that has a high deductible option. Get as high a deductible as you are comfortable with to achieve the monthly premium that fits your budget.
What does med pay cover, and is it right for you?
Basically, it is limited bodily injury protection that is available if you add the benefit to your auto insurance policy. If you get injured as a result of a car accident, the medical expenses that you incur will be reimbursed to you up to the coverage limit that you select for med pay coverage. The amount ranges from $1,000 to a maximum of $100,000, depending on the limit that you select. Coverage will include incidental expenses, like crutches and a wheelchair. It will also pay for funeral costs, if applicable. Med pay is a supplemental benefit. In some states, it's mandatory coverage. In CA where I live, it's optional.
For my agent who struggled to afford the high cost of healthcare, purchasing an auto insurance policy and adding med pay coverage at the highest available limit was the best choice. True, it wouldn't pay for much if something catastrophic was to happen, but since that was the most that her budget would allow, it had to do; it was better than the alternative of not carrying any health insurance.
There are numerous limitations, so be sure to consult with a licensed auto insurance agent or a lawyer, to determine if this alternative is the best route for your situation.
What's not covered under med pay car insurance?
The benefit under your auto policy will not cover a health condition, per se. Also, it is not designed to reimburse you for sizeable medical expenses, like in the case of a catastrophic event. Below are some common health services that will not be insured under Med Pay:
• Services related to a health disease or condition
• Preventive care
• Immunizations
• X-rays and lab work services that are not related to the car accident
• Experimental treatments
• Medical expenses that exceed the policy limit
Additionally, once you settle your auto accident claim, med pay coverage stops paying for your medical services.
Would med pay apply to my family?
Coverage would extend to the policyholder, their spouse, a family member (by blood, marriage, or adoption) who lives with you, as well as anyone who uses your insured vehicle.
Working for a health insurance agent, the most common reason for someone to call me is for help finding an affordable medical plan. Although there are many people I am able to help, there are others I cannot help because the price of health insurance is still too much for some. Med pay coverage may be a good alternative, just be sure you are informed on the restrictions so you can decide what's best for you. To do pricing and benefit comparisons, contact your insurance agent for med pay rates and your health coverage carrier or broker for standard medical insurance policy premiums. To speak with a Kaiser Permanente Benefits Specialist, call 1-800-514-0958.
Posted: July 29th, 2011 under Emergency Care, Health Insurance.
Comments: 2
Comment from Greg
Time: August 12, 2011, 11:50 pm
Med-pay is fine if you need it, but I would not be comfortable enough to skip a health insurance policy completely, unless I had a crystal ball. Life is so unpredictable. It seems like it would be better to at least buy a high deductible plan at a low premium or at least a short term medical plan. This way there is security for anything that comes my way.
Comment from Free Health Way
Time: February 6, 2012, 2:25 pm
Getting Health Insurance is a very wise planning. Anyone can be a victim of critical illness or disease, and it can happen at the most unexpected time. You may not know what to do or whether something can be done about it, so it is better to have health insurance in case of an emergency.


text:
Having a masseur massage it all
Another easy one for this cute fair-haired chubby plaything. Do a masseur, that's kinda easy, right? Watch her invite a guy over and surprising him right away by revealing her mind-blowing bosom. She convinced him she needed those melons massaged, and so he did. Would you keep your fingers off her moist love hole if you were him? No way. He have her tight plump pussy some good massaging and then rubbed his meaty hose all over those sexy jugs as he was cumming all over them. Probably she will feel like a massage soon again!
What is FattyGame.com?
We at Fatty Game think BBW girls are just too much fun. Watch as we send them on crazy missions with lots of hardcore BBW sex involved and film the results! Doing their shrink, fucking a totally random guy, getting a massage and seducing the masseur, we make sure the options never end. Gett thrilled and hard as our handpicked BBW hotties are paid to get down and dirty exactly the way we want it!
Experience BBW sex as never before! Fatty Game is fun and hardcore sex in HD! Imagine giving orders and cash to those BBW whores, or being their sex mission target! It's cool either way!
Latest FattyGame.com Updates:
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Doing that sexy dishwasher guy 24:55min
Showing him the real sights 33:15min
Taking cock, not taking... 20:31min
Some things are better than... 22:55min
Servicing a lucky customer 34:06min
Get lost, bitch, give way to... 31:55min
Geography teacher gets... 19:50min
Happy ending for a car... 25:54min
Will you teach me dancing,... 31:16min
Business guy gets double fun 24:21min
A great ride for two 34:53min


text:
commandlinefu.com is the place to record those command-line gems that you return to again and again.
Delete that bloated snippets file you've been using and share your personal repository with the world. That way others can gain from your CLI wisdom and you from theirs too. All commands can be commented on, discussed and voted up or down.
You can sign-in using OpenID credentials, or register a traditional username and password.
First-time OpenID users will be automatically assigned a username which can be changed after signing in.
Every new command is wrapped in a tweet and posted to Twitter. Following the stream is a great way of staying abreast of the latest commands. For the more discerning, there are Twitter accounts for commands that get a minimum of 3 and 10 votes - that way only the great commands get tweeted.
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu3
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu10
Use your favourite RSS aggregator to stay in touch with the latest commands. There are feeds mirroring the 3 Twitter streams as well as for virtually every other subset (users, tags, functions,…):
Subscribe to the feed for:
Wow, didn't really expect you to read this far down. The latest iteration of the site is in open beta. It's a gentle open beta-- not in prime-time just yet. It's being hosted over at UpGuard (link) and you are more than welcome to give it a shot. Couple things:
for when find . -print | grep -v .svn | xargs doesnt cut it.
can also be invoked as 'exipick -zi | exim -dM' if you do not need/want the delay between flushes.
for when a program is hogging the sound output. finds, and kills. add -9 to the end for wedged processes. add in 'grep ^program' after lsof to filter.
lists all files that are opened by processess named $processname
egrep 'w.+REG' is to filter out non file listings in lsof, awk to get the filenames, and sort | uniq to remove duplciation


text:
Fan of 2 Teams
Fan of 0 Channels
0 Top Friends
3 Friends
0 Rivals
0 Photo Albums
Full Name
Marie Williams
» 14786th
Last Logged In
6 Years Ago
Member Since
17th August, 2010
Vital Stats
33 year old Female
Recent Activity
TohNahCan wrote in Manchester United Chat
Its definitely Evra he has the skills to beat defenders one-on-one, by give and goes, by crossing and by passing. Cole beats them by crosses and give and goes b...
Has Rooney's latest performance for England changed your mind? He was very effective!
I was just reading Manchester United chat and was surprised to see all the comments on Rooney's position now that he has had a great game for England. Seems lik...
I think Barca have a succesful transfer policy as it includes developing their own youngsters unlike Chelsea, Manchester City or Real Madrid.
Manchester United of course! They bought Cantona for 2 million or less, paid little or nothing for Scholes, Beckham, Giggs, Neville G and Neville P. They paid s...
Gee thanks for the invite, Marie. Just wondering what TohNahCan means? Let's go for some friendly rivalry (no disrespect in any way) over this season's BPL. Als...
That profile pic is so cool although its a bit near the edge Lol
On Kt66nfs wall
Cool pic LoL


text:
Route Grade Votings
Total votes cast 1
Adjacent Routes
10m. Climb a short crack then balance up to the thin overlap. Move out left to gain the shallow scoop right of the arete. Finish up this. USER COMMENTS
E2 for the bold and precarious lower section shared with KOTC!! |


text:
I want to buy a smartwatch and i don't know what to choose? SAMSUNG GALAXY GEAR o SAMSUNG GEAR LIVE?
Have a Gear Fit, ordered Gear Live. Android Wear, is the future I think now devices are soon here Tizen based Gear 2/Neo will fail.
Yes...but without english, android wear is dead...


text:
Hypopi of Hypodectes propus (Acari: Hypoderatidae) in
two southern crowned pigeons (Goura scheepmakeri).
Article Type: | Report |
Subject: |
Ectoparasitic infestations
(Diagnosis) Ectoparasitic infestations (Care and treatment) |
Authors: |
Da Silva, Mari-Ann O. Pence, Danny B. Bertelsen, Mads F. |
Pub Date: | 06/01/2012 |
Publication: | Name: Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery Publisher: Association of Avian Veterinarians Audience: Academic Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Health Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 Association of Avian Veterinarians ISSN: 1082-6742 |
Issue: | Date: June, 2012 Source Volume: 26 Source Issue: 2 |
Geographic: | Geographic Scope: Denmark Geographic Code: 4EUDE Denmark |
Accession Number: | 298292705 |
Full Text: |
Abstract: Necropsy of 2 4-year-old southern crowned pigeons (Goura
scheepmakeri) that died from a presumed case of botulism revealed
hundreds of small, cyst-like structures in the pectoral subcutaneous
tissues. The structures were identified as heteromorphic deutonymphs of
Hypodectes propus (Order Astigmata) of the family Hypoderatidae. The
immobile, immature hypopi were individually encapsulated, mostly in
adipose tissue, and evoked only a mild inflammatory infiltration of
predominately macrophages with some heterophilic granulocytes. The
infection was not considered a serious health problem and was
interpreted as an incidental finding. To our knowledge, this is a new
host record for H propus. Key words: Hypodectes propus, hypopi, subcutaneous, avian, southern crowned pigeon, Goura scheepmakeri Clinical Report A pair of 4-year-old southern crowned pigeons (Goura scheepmakeri) kept at the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark died from a presumed case of botulism. Both birds were born in captivity. The male was hatched and raised at the Copenhagen Zoo, whereas the female was hatched in the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens and was imported to Denmark via the Rotterdam Zoo approximately 6 months before its death. The pair were brooding their first egg when they died; the likely source of toxins was contaminated feed. In both cases, the birds were lethargic and demonstrated paralysis of the neck and partial paralysis of the wings. Supportive treatment with fluids, nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics was unsuccessful, and the birds died the next day after exhibiting clinical signs. At necropsy, the carcasses of both pigeons appeared grossly normal. White, ovoid-cylindrical, cyst-like structures approximately 1 mm long were found in the subcutaneous adipose tissue covering the pectoral musculature and extending caudally along the sides of the body (Fig 1a). The female bird displayed hundreds of these structures, whereas the male had substantially more. On microscopic examination, the structures were classified as sack-like mites. The skin covering the affected areas appeared slightly swollen. The underlying subcutaneous connective tissue was swollen and hyperemic. No other significant macroscopic findings were found. Selected tissue samples of heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and brain were collected in 10% formalin and processed routinely for histopathologic examination. Mites were collected and stored in 70% ethanol, and a subsample of mites was prepared for electron microscopy (Fig 2). Mites were subsequently mounted in Hoyer's media under Glyptal epoxy enamel--ringed OO-thickness cover glasses. They were identified as heteromorphic deutonymphs (hypopi) of Hypodectes propus (Nitzch, 1861). (1,2) Microscopically, cross-sections of hypoderatid deutonymphs were present in the subcutaneous pectoral tissues throughout the affected areas (Fig lb). Mites were present predominantly in the subcutaneous adipose layer, but some were found in the dermis and underlying musculature. The cross-sectioned hypopi were individually encapsulated and had no contact with each other. Surrounding the deutonymphs were varying numbers of primarily macrophages and fewer heterophilic granulocytes. This inflammatory response was most pronounced in the more heavily infected male individual. Histopathologic abnormalities were not detected in any of the other sampled tissues. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] [FIGURE 2 OMITTED] Discussion Due to their small size, astigmatic mites (Subclass Acari) are able to survive in habitats and ecological niches unavailable to larger arthropods, including a multitude of microhabitats on and in the bodies of the host animals. (3) Hypodectes propus is generally associated with pigeons, herons, and egrets. (3-6) This species has developed a complex symbiotic relationship with its hosts by exploiting resources of their subcutaneous adipose tissues? (1-3) During their sojourn within the host, the hypopi increase 10-fold in size (4,5) and become widely dispersed as a result of the migratory behavior of their hosts. (4,7) This phoretic relationship compensates for the disadvantages of small size in longdistance migration and the lack of morphologic adaptation (eg, wings) for independent migration. (6) To our knowledge, this is the first description of hypopi of H propus in the southern crowned pigeon (Order Columbiformes). Considering the behavior and life cycle of H propus, these southern crowned pigeons were most likely infected as chicks in their original environments. However, it is notable that none of the zoological gardens involved with this pair have previously seen cases of acariasis caused by H propus in any bird species. The exact source of infection is therefore unknown. Hypopi are resting deutonymphs and because they are hormonally activated, presumably may exist in a bird for long periods. This would explain their persistence for 3 years in the birds that had not previously nested. Acknowledgments: We acknowledge the assistance of the late Mr Jose Bresciani of the University of Copenhagen for producing the electron microscopic images. We also thank Mr Rob Belterman of Rotterdam Zoo and Mr Leonard Ting of Hong Kong SAR Government. References (1.) Fain A. Les hypopes parasites des tissues cellulaires des oiseaux (Hypodectidae: Sarcoptiformes). Bull Inst Roy Sci Nat Belgique. 1967;43:1-139. (2.) Fain A, Bafort J. Cycle evolutif et morphologie de Hypodectes (Hypodectoides) propus (Nitzsch) acarlen nidicole a deutonymphe parasite tissulaire des pigeons. Bull Acad Roy Sci Belgique. 1967;53: 501-533. (3.) OConnor BM. Evolutionary ecology of astigmatic mites. Annu Rev Entomol. 1982;27:385-409. (4.) Evans GO. Principles of Acarology. Cambridge, UK: CAB International; 1992. (5.) Mullen GR, OConnor BM. Mites (Acari). In: Mullen GR, Durden LA, eds. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. San Diego, CA: Academic Press; 2002:449-516. (6.) Philips JR. A review and checklist of the parasitic mites (Acarina) of the Falconiformes and Strigiformes. J Raptor Res. 2000;34(3):210-231. (7.) Houck MA, OConnor BM. Ecological and evolutionary significance of phoresy in the Astigmata. Annu Rev Entomol. 1991;36:611-636. (8.) Mironov SV, Kivganov DA. Descriptions of adult stages of new and little known mite species of the family Hypoderatidae (Acari: Astigmata) from nests of aquatic birds. Acarina. 2010;18(1):37-59. (9.) Hendrix CM, Kwapien RP, Porch JR. Visceral and subcutaneous acariasis caused by hypopi of Hypodectes propus bulbuci in the cattle egret. J Wildl Dis. 1987;23(4):693-697. (10.) Pence DB. Acariasis. In: Atkinson CT, Thomas N J, Hunter DB, eds. Parasitic Diseases of Wild Birds. Ames, IA: Wiley-Blackwell; 2008:527-536. Mari-Ann O. Da Silva, DVM, Danny B. Pence, PhD, and Mads F. Bertelsen, DVM, DVSc, Dipl ACZM From the Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Roskildevej 38, DK-2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark (Da Silva, Bertelsen); and 1616 Blackburn Fork Rd, Cookeville, TN 38501, USA (Pence). |
Gale Copyright: | Copyright 2012 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. |


text:
The Anti-Hasselbeck, now at 10 AM weekdays to save your ever lovin' soul
This, boys and girls is your salvation. Your are being saved from the evil Hasselbeck by the exact opposite of her. Smart, funny, cool, and much more attractive Carrie Keagan brings her VH1 morning show Big Morning Buzz Live to the 10 o'clock hour with cohost Jason Dundas (below).
You know this is exactly what you've needed at 10. I know in my market I need something between the Today Show and Access Hollywood Live that doesn't include the Republican automaton who's opinions are pumped into her head each day by the conservative media and the various whining whiners from the pitchfork and torch crowd.
("Yeah, what he said!!!")
Most important, Big Morning Buzz Live is the place to be for live in studio music performances from hot bands like Hot Chelle Rae (right after their American Music Awards for best new artist), Scars on 45, and Willie Nile (who happens to be Carrie's uncle).
There's also plenty of news and features about a whole host of other pop culture topics and
Big Morning Buzz Live returns tomorrow at 10. Some of you are at work. Use your DVR.
4 comments:
- AnonymousMay 30, 2013 at 8:56 PM
Student Loans video marketing is placing your video strategically so that it can help them help themselves.
ReplyDelete - AnonymousJune 6, 2013 at 3:26 AM
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My page :: what to eat for breakfast with a fatty liver - AnonymousJune 11, 2013 at 9:29 PM
I am afraid that, what are some of the screen
scripts though. This type of acne killer treatment.
What causes acne killer redness? Dave Windley Jefferies & CompanyHear me?
Cleaning the skin nightly not just takes away beauty products but also gets rid of oil.
I wrote this article myself, and it is under the cabbage juice / salt solution. nice written buddy, i just liked your post, am a blogger and i write on mobile games. recently i wrote on simcity buildit and you may like this information about the game that there are some tricks in game which we can use easily. thanks.


text:
Floor Plans
Apply Now
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Luxury Apartments in Chandler, AZ
Come see our beautiful community today!
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The lifestyle solution you've been looking for all along awaits you at Reflections at Gila Springs Apartments in Chandler, AZ. Our beautiful community is just minutes away from Chandler Fashion Square Mall, Lone Butte Casino, I-10, Loop 101, and the Santan Freeway. Our neighborhood location even makes us ideal for commuting to Intel and otherwise. Our spacious one, two, and three bedroom floor plans feature private balconies and patios, and fully equipped kitchens and washer/dryer in homes. As a resident, you'll also be able to take advantage of community amenities such as our resort-inspired pool and spa, a 24-hour fitness center, and a resident clubhouse. Plus, we proudly feature detached garages for our residents. Don't miss out on living here—stop by today to set up a tour of your future home!


text:
The Obama administration has declared an event of national significance as oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico. The "black tide" is expected to hit Louisiana's coasts especially hard. All the while, critics say the government's response was too slow.
■Class discussion: Whenever disaster strikes, there's a need to blame someone. And help never comes fast enough for those affected by a disaster. Does the news coverage you're reading, seeing and hearing indicate that the president is at fault for his reaction to the crisis? Is it fair to blame the government for the fallout when disaster strikes?
Lessons & Classroom Activities
Resources by grade level


text:
Ribbon Initial Charm Coin Purse, White
Available for Pre-Order. Items will ship 3/15-3/30
Materials Include:
- Outside: 100% Genuine Leather (Cowhide). Finished in the USA
- Lining: bengaline fabric
- Charms: Gold plate, Acrylic
- Care: Blot with dry cloth for most spills. Use baby powder to lift set in stains. For more aggressive cleaning, saddle soap can be used (always test before doing entire surface). Since this is a natural and porous surface, not all marks and/or stains can be removed.
- Measures: Purse measures 3 1/2 - 5" overall, pouch opening 4 1/2". Charms drop 5-9"


text:
or contact them as to how. But, it's probably a hidden partition which you can remove with 3rd party applications or just use something like ptedit32 to make it visible and then delete it through Windows.
I am trying to remove a recovery partition i created using Norton Ghost 15. It is called LightsOutRestore. I have looked in Disk Management and cannot find it. I need to remove it because I am going to be dual-booting my PC with Ubuntu.


text:
ocr british depth study
some notes on women's suffrage and britain during the war. sorry it doesn't cover much as my other notes i hand wrote, but it covers the ways women campaigned for the vote, how the war affected women's suffrage and recruitment in the first world war, hope it is helpful.
- Created by: rosie
- Created on: 08-06-13 20:54
First 579 words of the document:
Different ways of winning the vote:
Peaceful methods:
Propaganda both the suffragists and suffragettes made effective use of propaganda. The WSPU
had a newspaper called `votes for women'. By 1914 it had a circulation of 40,000. Suffragettes used
their slogan `votes for women' and their colours (purple, white and green) to sell many items. New
fashions were produced featuring the suffragette colours.
Meetings and demonstrations both the NUWSS and the WSPU held many public meetings. Some
were huge and held in buildings like Royal albert hall in London, others were held in open air places
like Trafalgar square and on village greens. Demonstrations grew larger and larger and it was not
unusual for numbers to reach over 20,000. The NUWSS women's pilgrimage in 1913 was a great
success, with thousands of women taking part and newspapers reporting the event favourably due
to the peaceful way it was carried out.
Putting pressure on government petitions were drawn up and sent to Parliament. WSPU and
NUWSS worked with the government towards the conciliation bill. The petition in support of the
conciliation bill contained over 250,000 signatures. Women met with MPs to try and persuade them
to support votes for women. MPs who did support votes for women were helped in election
campaigns by women who canvassed for them.
Civil disobedience another argument was that as you could only vote if you paid taxes , those who
couldn't vote shouldn't have to pay taxes so many women refused to pay. Some also boycotted the
1911 census
Hunger strikes they started in 1909 as a way of forcing the authorities to recognise suffragette
prisoners as political prisoners rather than just ordinary criminals. Won sympathy for the suffragettes.
Violent or illegal methods:
Window smashing first types of violence used by the suffragettes. It was a spontaneous reaction
to the repeated failure of suffrage bills in parliament, but used later as a deliberate tactic. Windows
of government offices were favourite targets.
Arson started in a big way in 1913 when Emily Davison planted a bomb at Lloyd George's newly
built house in Surrey.
Also targeted post, pouring chemicals into letter boxes destroying all the letters. Attacked works of
art in art galleries. Cut telegraph wires. Burnt messages into golf courses using acid.
Attacking people individuals such as doctors who refused to denounce force-feeding were
attacked. An axe was thrown at Asquith and only narrowly missed him. Suffragettes also heckled
politicians and were often thrown out of meetings.
The reaction of the authorities:
Policing even before they used violence the government dealt with protesters harshly. Women
were banned from liberal meetings. In November 1910 the conciliation bill was stalled and the WSPU
protests and this turns into `Black Friday' a fight with the police officers resulting in many women
being physically and sexually assaulted by police officers.
Force-feeding government's response to hunger strikes. This was hugely unpopular and `votes
for women' published stories of force-feeding to gain support and sympathy.
The cat and mouse act this was passed in 1913 as a solution to the unpopularity of
force-feeding. Hunger-strikers were released in order to recover their health. Once recovered they
could be re-arrested and sent back to prison to serve the rest of their sentence. It was criticised


text:
WASHINGTON — Mother Lindsay Barnes already knows what the National Retail Federation is reporting in a recent study — it costs a lot to send kids back to school.
The federation said this month that families will spend an average of $101.18 per student for school supplies alone, a 12 percent increase from last year. When clothes, shoes and electronics are included, the tab runs to $669.28 per family with kids in kindergarten through high school, its data showed.
Barnes said she is "beyond dreading" back-to-school shopping for her second-grader. She is particularly concerned by the amount of classroom supplies she expects she will have to buy, after getting a list last summer requesting "a ridiculous amount of supplies."
"They wanted something like 72 No. 2 pencils," Barnes said. "I don't see why a first-grader would need that many pencils. I don't even think I've used 72 pencils in my entire life."
The retail federation report speculated that one reason for the increase in school-supply spending could be "school districts' growing requests for classroom supply contributions."
"I honestly feel like we're footing the bill for the entire school," Barnes said. "It didn't seem fair."
Mandy Taylor, who teaches sixth grade in the Phoenix area, said she understands parents' frustrations because she is in the same boat. Taylor said she sends about $500 of her own money each year on classroom basics such as pens, paper and "inspirational posters."
"I am very appreciative to parents that are willing to spend the extra dollar and help out," said Taylor, who said parents are never required to buy supplies, let alone specific brands. She asks parents to look at the supply lists as suggestions.
"I know it may seem ludicrous and a bit ridiculous" to ask for specific products, she said. "But we go through a lot, mainly pencils, and the name brands, like Crayola, hold up better. We know they will last all year."
Nancy Dudenhoefer, spokeswoman for an Arizona school district, said teachers have to ask because there's only so much in the budget for supplies. The state only provides "a certain number of funds and that doesn't go to pencils," she said.
Ashley Dammen, an Arizona Department of Education spokeswoman, said the state provides funds to each district for classroom resources but it has "no requirement for schools to provide teachers with supplies." The state leaves it to the districts to decide "how they spend those funds," she said.
In the schools, that money goes to things like textbooks and computers, Dudenhoefer said.
Alyssa Martin, a first-grade teacher, said she got a $150 Target gift card from the district as a first-time teacher last year, but still spent about $600 of her own money getting her classroom together.
"The district gives what they can. But things get dirty and little kids go through things fast," said Martin, who said she relies on parents for help.
She said most parents are willing to help fulfill her "wish lists," which include traditional supplies, like markers and crayons, as well as cleaning products like Lysol Wipes and paper towels.
"I don't require anything, but I can't do it all myself," Martin said. "I am very grateful for the parents who help me out."
It's not just elementary schools parents who feel the pinch.
Carly Tatroe said she was not surprised by having to spend $125 on school supplies last year for her then-eighth-grade daughter, Brielle. But she was "shocked" to see the same school district that asked for the supplies turn around and give every student in her Brielle's class an iPad for classroom use.
"I found it ironic that they had iPads, but no copy paper," said Tatroe, who said last year's list included a request for 200 staples from every student.
With Brielle starting high school Monday, Tatroe is gearing up for a back-to-school shopping trip – but expects to have "less incentive" if the new school offers iPads to students.
Jill Hildwine has seen the issue from both side, as mother of four children and as a former teacher who now substitutes.
Hildwine "grumbles about school-supply shopping" but said she does it because she knows that the teachers need help – even though, like the other parents, she feels she is over-spending.
"I want to be a good parent and help out, but to look at a list like that and I don't have a bazillon dollars to spend on that," she said. "It puts a bad taste in my mouth."
But Hildwine, who will have a fifth- and a seventh-grader this fall, said she expects the spending to rise as her two toddlers reach school age.
"I'm going to have to get, like, a part-time job," she said. "I'm not opposed to that. I'm sure the older the boys get, the more I will have to spend."
Families shopping for back-to-school supplies can expect to see increases across the board this year, according to estimates from the National Retail Federation.
—Experts estimate that more than $26.5 billion will be spent on clothing, shoes, supplies and electronics in the 2014 back-to-school shopping season.
—Spending per household is expected to rise by 5 percent compared to last year, even though total spending will fall slightly because of a smaller number of students.
—More than $8.4 billon will be spent on electronics, according to the estimates.
—Electronics sales are expected to increase by 7 percent from last year.
Comment on this story—The average family is expected to spend about $212.35 on electronics, compared to last year's $199.05.
—For K-12 grades, high school students are expected to spend the most on electronics, estimated total spending at $229.
—Spending on school supplies is expected to grow 12 percent this year, to an average of $101.18 per family compared with last year's $90.49.
—68 percent of shoppers plan to buy from discount stores while 54.4 percent will shop at department and brand-name stores.
Distributed by MCT Information Services


text:
The Horse Forum
- Horse Training
- - Coming two year old with ear pinning issues.
Coming two year old with ear pinning issues. Hi everyone! I have had this question for a while now been wondering, so I thought what the heck, just ask lol!! It's about my colt, Vegas. I have had him since he was only 1 month old. I bought him and his dam together and then sold the mom after he was weaned. This colt from day one has been very curious, laid back and brave. His mom would try to nicker and run away with him and he would just walk right up to us ignoring mom. He knows to be respectful most times on the ground. He will test every once in a while, but he gets corrected. He leads well, backs, moves front and hind quarters. He even is learning sideways. I do have a few questions though. The main one is ear pinning. He almost always walks up to me in the pasture with his ears pinned. He has never acted aggressive as in, not done anything besides pinning his ears. Is he doing it to me or to my other horses? He is one of the first to come up to me. The others usually follow. I also have a mini donkey that I know gets on his nerves lol. They(my other two horses and the mini donk) are always pinning ears at him and each other especially at feeding time. They get after him and he doesn't fight back(sometimes with the donkey he will) , he still does the little, "I'm a baby don't hurt me" mouthing. So I guess my question there is should I be doing anything about the ear pinning. I have ignored him, got after him and sent him away which seems to make him a little nervous around me. I have recently started giving him the opposite reaction and scratched on him and loved on him, acting all happy to see him anyway, which he loves and he seems to be surprised like oh I wasn't expecting that! But then I walk away and he follows me with his ears pinned again lol. Could he be doing it to the others like saying, this is my human go away! ??? He seems to do it mostly in the pasture, sometimes when I lead him, but not very often. We have nicknamed him Grumpy Gus instead of Vegas haha! So what do ya think?? What would you do? He is respectful with everything else except lunging, which I have not done very much of or for very long because he is still young. When asked to go any faster then a trot, he has a few times blew up by squealing and bucking a couple times kicked out towards me. I have gotten after him and continued until he settles and is ready to listen and then I end the session when he is loping off with manners. He has done everything so far that I have asked of him on the ground, he also loves attention. So I thought maybe he has been grouchy because I haven't got him out much here lately because of the weather and I have been working with my new horse more instead of him. I don't know??Oh and I guess I should say he is a quarter horse, foundation bred, he is gelded and he will be officially 2 yrs old May 10th. I do mostly Clinton Anderson's method with him. Here is a few pics just because he is so handsome :) Walking in the woods, he loves! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...0Vegas/115.jpg His ears are up here!!! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ndace10712.jpg He let me decorate him for Christmas and seemed to enjoy it haha! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...egas/044-1.jpg |
Some horses just do that. As long as he's respectful, its not a problem. Posted via Mobile Device |
Could be he is listening behind him if the others are coming too.....if he isn't being disrespectful I would ignore it for now but if he starts being disrespectful chase him off like you have.....very pretty boy! |
Thanks guys! I will just ignore it for now. He is very respectful. He could be listening to the others, I thought of that too. |
He's got some big 'ol ears too...Maybe it's hard for him to hold them up ;) |
This is something I don't ignore ever. He is expressing dominance, just in early stages. |
I have a question. Are his ears truly pinned or are they just pointed back? Pointed back http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/DSCN1265.jpg Vs actually pinned http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/i...be/Dobe159.jpg I've noticed that many people have difficulty distinguishing one from the other. |
Ok I thought about what you asked smrobs. And I thought I'm pretty sure thy are pinned. So I went out with my camera and took a picture. Here is what I got: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...pse42e3514.jpg Looks pretty grumpy to me so, I chased him away from me and around the pasture until he had a little bit better attitude. I don't know what his problem is :/ ???? |
It sounds like a territorial thing. I would do alot of ground work in the pasture with him. He needs to know that you are the boss all the time no matter what. |
It does look serious but even so I have a horse that will do that and still mean nothing by it - as soon as I face her down she puts on her 'happy smiley' face like butter wouldnt melt in her mouth The problem comes when you start to let them intimidate you - you show fear and they soon pick up on that Some of the CA stuff is OK and useful but it can also be a bit confrontational and bullying to some horses and he might even be resenting it and this is his way of retaliating. Maybe try a different approach, something new to challenge him mentally but dont take any s**t from him either!! |
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Made for under $20,000 and based on the lead couple's own romantic shenanigans, "Breaking Upwards" may sound like it's too indie for its own good. But writer-director-star Daryl Wein and his co-writer/leading lady Zoe Lister-Jones more often than not deliver charming, original and very, very authentic insights into young adult longings and New York Jewish family life.
When, after four relatively contented years together, Daryl and Zoe get bored and decide to take a few days per week off from each other, the resulting breath of fresh air becomes increasingly toxic with promiscuity, jealousy and parental interference. This all may sound like old news, but great character work and a general avoidance of behavioral cliches really make this likably scruffy, smart film fresh and involving.
It's worth trucking down to the Sunset 5 to check it out. Especially tonight and tomorrow, when the even-more-engaging-live Wein and Lister-Jones will be in attendance.


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In Memory of Cats Catch
Active within 2806 Days
I am from Mercersburg, PA and I've been a Club Horse member for 9 years, 6 months and 28 days
Nicknames: Brat, Beast, Kitten, Kitty
Age: 28 years old
Gender: Mare
Breed: Thoroughbred
Height: 16'2 barefoot. She is one whole foot taller then my pony
Color: Smutty Rabicano blood bay with both back fetlocks. She has lovely stripes on her sides and white hair in her beautiful tail. She is not going gray or graying out.
Type of Riding: She is a dressage horse but hasn't been worked for years. I just mess around with her now.
My Horse's Achievements: She trust me more then anything. No one can give her a shot, she rears up and strikes out. I just put her halter on throw the lead over my shoulder and give it to her. She barely flinches. I have even done it in an open field.
My Horse's Favorite Treat: She is very picky. She prefers carrots and anything carrot flavored.
My Horse's Favorite Things To Do: EAT. She and a few other mares have cleaned up a 750 lb round bale in two days, twice. She can also clean up her her feed in only a few minutes.
Pet Peeves: My pony. She will go after him any chance she gets. She was also terrified of the miniture horses being kept at the farm
My Horse's motto: Don't gotta, ain't gonna
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I used to work at a stud farm. She was one of the brood mares. She wasn't getting pregnant and the owner was mad. She treated Cat like it was her fault. She neglected her and barely fed her unless she thought she was pregnant. Cat was dangerous. She would lunge at other horses and people. She would run you down and kick at you. The owner wanted to just get rid of her. My friend told me to ask how much she wanted. I had always wanted a dressage horse. When I walked in the stall and started to use body language to talk to Cat, she gave into me. She was just misunderstood. The owner said if I could get her out of there now I could have her. The rest is history. UPDATE: Cat's papers just came in the mail. She is now OFFICIALLY mine! YEAH! UPDATE: I have recently traded Cat for a young Appaloosa filly. She has gone to be a pasture buddy..
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2015 Roussanne
Tasting Notes
Full bloom aromas of orchard fruit, honeyed melon and baked apple underscore nuances of almond extract and crushed chamomile. A round yet refreshing palate offers broad flavors of wildflowers, spiced nectarine, nutmeg, and a sweet citrus reminiscent of lemon meringue pie. The fruit remains pure through a polished and persistent finish.
Aiming to preserve the intense fruit and aromatics of the variety, this Roussanne was fermented and aged in 100% stainless steel. Hand-picked in the early morning, the cold grapes were pressed within moments after coming off the vine. Following juice settling, a long, cold fermentation commenced. Malolactic fermentation was inhibited to preserve acidity, keeping the wine fresh and crisp
Vineyard Notes
WARNING: Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to the State of California to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to: www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/BPA
Wine Specs


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anonymous asked:
How long have you and Nick been together? Where and how did you two meet? :D
Nick and I have been together for almost 6 years! We meet each other in high school, marching band to be specific… he played baritone and I played flute. I would always catch him looking across the field at me and thought it was really cute because at the time he had really really long hair and would hide behind it and think I didn't notice. :P
I had to make the first move because he was a nervous dork and our first conversation was about what I thought was a REALLY COOL Inuyasha shirt I was wearing at the time because we were an will continue to be two of the biggest dweebs ever.


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Best of 2010
blowfish: Best of 2010
blowfish: Best of 2010
Brilliant single player campaign, the inspirational use of barrels and dynamic characters with top notch voice acting make this one of the all time best single player experences EVER. If you disagree with this then you hate kittens.
Long live the king.
Side boob.
Has more crashes than a chauffeur in france driving royalty through tunnels.
I thought i'd seen it all in the Halo universe, but then i saw a Spartan drive a forklift truck into the heart of the enemy line....if only i could of heard the thoughts of those grunts as it all unfolded in front of them.
If i was the creator of Lost i'd be p*ssed at how many ideas Alan Wake 'borrowed'.
One shall stand and one shall fall... I brought this game expecting a solid single player and a throw away multiplayer experence, what i got was a below average single player game and one of the best multi player experences i've had this generation....Transformers: War For Cybertron truely has more than meets the eye *comedy drum roll* Thanks i'm here all week.
Dear EA Canada, once you've finished swimming in your giant vault full of money could you please fix your broken game. K Thanks
The best game to pick up tips on how to harvest little girls.


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Maurice Kay QC, appearing for Wayne Darvell, 30, who was convicted with his brother Paul, 31, of the murder in June 1985 of a Swansea woman told the court: 'The police investigation succumbed to the temptation to put forward false evidence to strengthen a weak case.'
South Wales Police had produced 'thoroughly dishonest evidence, constructed upon fraudulently created documents', Mr Kay told Lord Taylor, Mr Justice Swinton Thomas and Mr Justice Judge.
The Darvells were arrested the day after Sandra Phillips, 38, the manageress of a sex shop, was raped and battered to death and were convicted largely on the basis of Wayne Darvell's confession to police implicating his brother. Paul Darvell was sentenced to 20 years, his brother to 15 years.
Mr Kay said the confession was unreliable because Darvell was suggestible and of limited intelligence. Scientific tests had established that interview notes which detectives had sworn as contemporaneous had been made at a later date; the originals had disappeared.
A 153-page statement by a Det Con Jones, said to have been based on the interviews, was written beforehand and was the 'blueprint' for the notes; the statement itself had been 'doctored' and was the result of a process of 'refinement and redrafting.'
Further tests showed that a pocketbook of a Det Con Collins, which he said had been used on the day after the murder, had not in fact been issued until the following August.
Det Chief Supt Don Carsley, then head of South Wales CID had also, alleged Mr Kay, ordered fingerprint officers to stop work on a palmprint in blood found at the murder scene, which they were about to submit for enhancement tests, possibly leading to another suspect. The defence at the trial had only been told that tests had been insufficient for positive identification and not that eight experts had agreed it could not have come from either the defendants or the victim.
He said those in charge were doing their 'utmost to ensure there was no further line of inquiry which would produce evidence inconsistent with their prized confession'. This took on a 'sinister nature' when it became known that, contrary to normal procedure, the photographs and negatives of the palmprint were destroyed before the trial.
Mr Kay also alleged that a Det Con Green planted an earring - similar to that possibly worn by the murder victim - which he said he had discovered in the police car used to take Wayne Darvell to the police station.
The case was referred to the court after an inquiry by Devon and Cornwall police. The Crown Prosecution Service has indicated that the alleged irregularities discovered by the inquiry mean that it will not contest the appeal. The hearing continues today.
- More about:
- Northumbria Police
- Police
- Punishment
- South Wales


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Position: Long Sweden (EWD); Short Italy (EWI); Short Euro (FXE)
Conclusion: Despite the real risks for the Swedish economy to decelerate from 2010 levels (comp pressure, inflation risks, and headwinds for exporters from a stronger Kronor), we think we bought EWD at an attractive price for another quarter of favorable comps and due to the country's relatively robust outlook versus most of its European peers. While talk from the Riksbank Governor to increase Tier 1 capital ratios of Swedish banks above their peers is alarming, we don't think it is any more than talk.
We've been waiting for the right price to buy Sweden (via the etf EWD) for months, and today we got that price as Electrolux, Sandvik, Scania, and Nordea Bank dragged down the overall OMX 30 equity market (-1.4%) and the etf (-2.8%) on in-line to slightly negative earnings expectations and company concerns over a rising Kronor for exports.
Under the hood we've liked the fundamentals of Sweden and the Kronor for many months, especially given the volatility on continental Europe associated with its sovereign debt issues. However, and as part of our hesitation to buy Sweden, it's important to look at the upside and downside risks governing the country's macro landscape, especially following the estimated (and monster) annual GDP growth of +5.5% last year!
Hawkish Monetary Policy:
The Riksbank has proactively raised the benchmark repo four times since July 2010, most recently hiking 25bps in mid-December to 1.25%, in an effort to head off inflation (see chart). While CPI stands at 2.1% in DEC Y/Y, just above the Bank's 2% target, there's a real threat due to home price inflation.
- Swedish house prices rose for a 20th month in the quarter through December
- The average house price rose an annual 4% in the three months through December, following a 5% gain in the November quarter as reported last month according to Statistics Sweden
Given, this adds to the likelihood the Riksbank will raise again when it meets next month.
Consumer Spending Slips:
The follow-through of rate increases has equated to a squeeze on household credit and retail sales in recent months:
- Borrowing rose an annual +7.8% in December, after increasing +8.4% the previous month
- Retail sales fell -0.8% from November, when they dropped a revised -0.2%. From a year earlier, shop purchases increased +3.1%, versus a +4.6% median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists
Currency Risk/Reward:
The Kronor vs the Euro (SEK-EUR) has seen steady gains (up 13.6% since Feb. 2, 2010) alongside healthy growth over the last 4 quarters (see chart above) and as a flight to safety given the volatility in the EUR due to continental Europe's sovereign debt issues. As the probability increases that the Riksbank will raise rates again, this an additional bullish catalyst for the currency.
That said, and as we saw in the commentary from Electrolux, Sandvik, and Scania today, a strong Kronor erodes export margins. With exports making up more than half of GDP this is a significant concern, and as the table below present, exporting companies contribute heavily to the holdings in the etf:
Banking Rebound vs Regulatory Drag:
Statements yesterday from Riksbank Governor Stefan Ingves in which he said that Swedish lenders should "mull imposing tighter standards than those set out by the Basel Committee and enforce the rules faster", also weighed on the Swedish market today. Nordea Bank CEO Christian Clausen was quick to criticize the remarks due to competitiveness issues vis-à-vis European banks, and rightfully so in our opinion.
You'll remember that the Swedish banking system is just getting back on its feet. Grave concerns arose in late 2008 and into 2009 due to its bank leverage to the Baltic states. In July 2010 the major lenders -- Nordea Bank, Svenska Handelsbanken, SEB, and Swedbank-- passed the EU stress tests with a "comfortable margin" according to the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, showing a core Tier 1 ratio (a measure of financial strength) in the range of 8.9% to 10.3%.
Since then, Swedbank, which return to profit in 3Q10, had a core Tier 1 capital ratio of 13.4% at the end of the 3Q, above the so-called Basel III rules for banks which mandate a 13% level, and compared with the 7% minimum set by regulators. (Basel III rules are scheduled for full implementation by 2019).
In short, Swedish lenders look to be well capitalized and cognizant that banks can't take on the risks they did pre-Lehman, emphasizing the importance of raising tier 1 capital ratios, however not above their European peers as to make Swedish banks less competitive.
Matthew Hedrick
The following is a monthly look at restaurant trends, valuations, and key macroeconomic factors. For a complete look at my overview of the restaurant space for January, please click here for a pdf, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://docs.hedgeye.com/Restaurant%20Perspectives.pdf
- Consumer stocks are underperforming in January and Restaurant stocks underperformed the S&P 500 by 180bps in January.
- Heading into what I believe will be a turbulent year for restaurant stocks from a commodity cost perspective, there is a divergence between companies that have simplified their focus and operations and those that are less focused and, therefore, more exposed.
- EAT, SBUX, COSI, and – most recently- WEN, are a few of the management teams that I think are focusing their energy in the right areas and best positioning their companies to navigate 2011.
- I still like where SBUX is going with is business model and that is good for PEET and bad for GMCR.
- I continue to believe that MCD faces serious challenges in 2011, as detailed in my Black Book released mid-January. The company has been less and less focused on its core business over the past couple of years. While that worked in the short term, boosting comps through frappes and smoothies, in 2011 I believe MCD will face serious issues with slowing sales and soft margins.
- DRI's inflation outlook for FY 2012 is sobering and the company will likely experience margin compression in FY 2012.
- CMG continues to maintain its premium valuation, as it has been for some time. While its food with integrity resonates with consumers, concerns are emerging about the company's commodity exposure. Longer term its new focus on an Asian-style chain will likely be a negative, not a positive, for the stock.
- I expect GMCR's multiple to contract as SBUX paves its own way through different channels of the coffee category.
- WEN is cheap and set to improve returns with a more focused approach now that Arby's is on the block.
- EAT remains one of the cheaper names in this category from a valuation perspective and the potential upside remains significant. I expect a continued improvement in the relative fundamentals of the company on the top line as well as marked progress towards the net 400 bps of margin expansion management is targeting.
- Like it or not, weather is an issue for the group.
- Inflation – it's not just in Egypt that people are fed up with high food costs.
- Unemployment – the jobs picture has been improving but at a crawl.
- Consumer sentiment – points 1 and 2 are keeping sentiment down. There is a disconnect between sentiment surveys and the SPX.
- The Government continues to support consumer spending trends, but the impact will wane as we move through 2011.
Howard Penney
Managing Director
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POSITION: no position in SPY
The SP500 scaled all the way up to its new perch yesterday of 1307. That was a new closing high for this intermediate-term cycle. From here, the view gets a lot steeper. There are no immediate-term TRADE lines of downside support until 1292.
Steeper doesn't mean this bullish bid can't be scaled higher. As everyone knows, higher-highs are bullish, until they become lower-highs. Then again, if you use a long-term TAIL duration, we've been making lower-highs for 3 years. This entire debate about how much higher from here smells Japanese.
What's fascinating to me is that if this market scales all the way up to 1340, that it will only be -14% from its all-time highs. That's not to say it's going there, but it definitely could. And the more expedited its ascent, the higher the probability that it comes crashing down on everyone who chases it.
For now, we have no position.
Keith R. McCullough
Chief Executive Officer
In preparation for HOT's Q4 earnings release tomorrow, we've put together the pertinent forward looking commentary from HOT's Q3 earnings release/call and subsequent conferences.
- "Both business and leisure travel continue to show strength in the quarter."
- "Trends in group business remain robust, particularly in-the-quarter, for-the-quarter bookings. In September, for example, bookings for 2010 were up 19%. As we have entered the back half of 2010, 2011 bookings are picking up nicely. Again, looking at September bookings, revenues for 2011 jumped almost 30%, driven by room-night volumes up 22% and rates up 7%."
- "2011 group pace has improved by almost 15 points over the last six months, and is now flat."
- "We're also keeping a tight lid on corporate costs. Headcount is flat over 2009 and will remain flat through 2011. So despite adding new hotels, we expect SG&A spend in 2011 to be similar to 2010 levels."
- "We expect to see strong pricing power in the industry, particularly in the gateway cities"
- 2011 commentary:
- "We expect corporate rates to be up high single-digits"
- "Group business in 2011 is also trending well, with strong volumes and steadily improving rate, and the overall trajectory of business appears to have stabilized at current levels"
- "If the current trends continue, we would expect to deliver worldwide RevPAR growth of 7% to 9% in 2011. With our demonstrated ability to control costs, we expect that this RevPAR growth will result in an EBITDA within the range of 950 to 980 million."
- RevPAR composition: "Rate two-thirds, occupancy one-third"
- "Most of our emerging markets will be lapping some hefty growth from 2010, and we will not have events like the World Expo in Shanghai that helped China. As such, it would be reasonable to expect that the rate of growth will slow down sequentially year over year, and the growth delta between emerging and developed markets will narrow."
- "EPS range of $1.44 to $1.55"
- "Owned margins to improve 150 to 200 basis points with a focus on revenue management and continued cost control."
- "Our vacation ownership business will be flattish, with a continued focus on cash generation."
- "Overhead will only grow 1% to 2%"
- "I feel very comfortable that we will end the year with EBITDA of 840 to 845 million, which is at the high end of our prior guidance range of 815 to 845 million. We expect 2010 global RevPAR growth at company-operated hotels of 8% to 9% in constant dollars, also at the high end of our prior range… This implies a Q4 EBITDA range of 230 to 235 million."
- "I want to point out that our year-over-year comparisons are muddied by a variety of factors in Q4. In our vacation ownership business, we had a large gain from securitization last year, as well as the accounting change. In the owned hotel business, we had some asset sales as you know, and some one-time items that helped our Latin American business last year… we had a termination fee last year. In SG&A, we had higher incentive compensation this year. Also we had some items moving between Q3 and Q4 this year, helping Q3 to some extent and reducing Q4."
- "We expect global RevPAR growth at company-operated hotels in Q4 of 7% to 9% in constant dollars."
- "We still expect to receive a 200 million-plus tax refund before the end of the year. With the refund, we expect our excess cash balance to climb to 500 million by year-end, and our net debt to be under 2.3 billion."
In preparation for the LVS Q4 earnings release tomorrow, we've put together the pertinent forward looking commentary from LVS's Q3 earnings release/call, subsequent conferences, and media interviews.
Post Earnings Commentary
- [Sites 5 & 6] "The bottom line is that we're satisfied that we're going to have enough people."
- [Galaxy Macau] "It has about 3,300 Macanese workers they're going to let go between January and February. We have come to an agreement with them that we are going to pick up those workers."
- "Our competitor, Genting, believes that junket reps will be approved. I don't know whether or not they are going to be approved. I personally do not have a confidence level high enough that says it will be approved."
- "We are now up to about 260, 270, I believe U.S. in ADR and we are at about 85% occupancy. So I think we ought to be able to do pushing 225 to 250 million in fully ramped up room income. Now we're getting 600, 700 tour operated rooms a day. We are getting about 600, 700 FIT rooms a day and it's going very well. I think that the rooms by the conventions are coming in strongly and steadily."
- "We have 650,000 room nights booked for 2011."
- "We're seeing, particularly on the weekends, a pick up over the last several months and we're seeing an increase in the ADRs on the weekends. And the group business, the conventions and the trade shows will be a catalyst for the midweek occupancy and the midweek ADR to rise."
- "The attrition rate is still something that comes in, but right on the books, it's very, very vibrant. The rate has moved up a little bit, not a lot, in groups because it is still pulled down by the competition for the group market. But I think the group business is back."
- "On the table games side, honestly it's driven primarily by the Asian business anyway. Our high-end business gets more important every day to us, as a percentage mix on the table games side. On the slot side, we're going to reduce our offer somewhat and be more judicious and hope to fill more from the cash side."
- "We expect that they are going to submit a draft of a gaming law to the Diet, the Japanese parliament, sometime this session, which is from I think January or February through June. And then they are supposed to have a vote on that before June."
- Diet will convoke Jan 24 and will last 150 days
Q3 Conference Call
- [The month of October] "Adjusted EBITDA on pace to grow an additional 31%....Net revenue is projected to increase 12%."
- "The capitalized interest number is around 32 million for this quarter. It will go up probably right through the 4Q of 2011."
- "The airport is expanding with an additional runway, but it doesn't really do us much good because unless you get more lift into Las Vegas, U.S. Air and Southwest and whatever have cut back some of their lift into Vegas, which has caused, I believe it's something like 800,000 less passengers this year coming into the airport….McCarran can handle more traffic. It's just a question of getting more planes in."
- "LV ADR is lagging. We're probably in the 180/190 range, so we're not getting the 200 bucks back."
- "I think our market share will be at least equal. We are focusing on the high-end of the market, I believe more so than what Genting is. Genting is doing a very good job at the mass end, by the way, but they're just not experienced in granting credit, and they really want junket reps, and they're sponsoring a number of them."
- "Gross gaming revenue (tables) reached 8.4 million per day in October."
- "Rolling volumes have increased 182% since May to reach 116.3 million per day in October. At that rate, we will roll 42 billion annually approximately."
- "Gross gaming revenue from our mass tables and slots increased 49% since May to reach 3.2 million per day in October."
- "Non-rolling drop increased 21% since May to 9.6 million per day in October."
- "Slot handle increased 165% to reach 18.3 million per day in October."
- "The slot win per unit per day increased 43% since May to reach $517 per unit per day so far in October."
- "Our strong belief is that the appropriate measure of our financial performance is EBITDA."
- "I can't see margins going much more than 60%. We'd have to have a very consistent high end of the market return every single day to get beyond 60%."
- "EBITDA up 40% from September to October."
- "We expect the occupancies to go significantly higher towards the end of the year. On the retail, we're still not completely open. All the retail with a possible exception of Louis Vuitton will be open by the end of the year, and it's starting to ramp not as well as we would have thought in the early going because the construction is going on, but it'll basically be finished so that will be a contributor in 2011 that we think significantly."
- "VIP is pushing 60% of total gaming income….we're going to make sure we have enough private gaming rooms."
- "We've got about a couple hundred million dollars of receivables outstanding, and we've got about a 12% reserve against that and no significant issues to really report."
- "Singapores at casino stands about 38%."
- "Our expectation is that we should be building up to roughly 300,000 room nights a year on MICE business as we get ramped up. Probably '12 we'll get that. Probably we'll be lower than that in '11."
- "'12 will be a very interesting year because I think '12 is where the retail business will really start to move dramatically because the subway system will open that runs right into the retail area. We're working on some other transportation mechanisms now to get people in there to drive that up as well. So I think by the time '12 we should be in a situation where we're getting the maximum out of the total facility, not counting the casino, of course, which will continue to grow."
- "I see the Plaza at the Four Seasons not equaling but starting to approach within a striking range the numbers we're experiencing at Sands Macao."
- [Sites 5 & 6] "We're still looking at the end of the last quarter of '11 to open Phase 1."
- "We've got a reserve or allowance for collection of about 42% against the gross casino accounts receivable in total. And if you take a look at that after kind of the immediate collections that come right after the end of the quarter, it's almost 48%."
- "We're hoping to keep the direct business where it is. I think it's somewhere between 25% to 30%."
Hedgeye Statistics
The total percentage of successful long and short trading signals since the inception of Real-Time Alerts in August of 2008.