text:
New Health Care Legislation Benefits Small Business Owners in Mississippi
To purchase a group health insurance policy for their employees, small businesses in Mississippi will continue to be defined as a business with 50 employees or less thanks to the passage of the Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees or PACE Act.
The PACE act, a bipartisan health care bill passed by unanimous consent in both houses of Congress and signed by President Obama, gives states the authority to define "small group" in a manner consistent with their state's needs. It also rolls back a provision in the Affordable Care Act that would have expanded the definition of small employers from groups of up to 50 employees to include groups of up to 100 employees.
Such an expansion would have prevented mid-size employers from keeping the plans they currently have and instead forced them to select a new plan offered in the small group market, putting severe financial stress on their business. Mid-size employers would have been subjected to the modified community rating rules, meaning that rating would be determined by age, geography, tobacco use and family size. These same employers would have no longer been able to receive discounts based on their actual claims experience and would instead have had to comply with the actuarial value, cost-sharing and essential health benefit requirements. An analysis by the Oliver Wyman group found that under the expansion, two-thirds of groups in the 51-100 market would have received premium increases of an average of 18 percent in 2016.
"This is a huge victory for small businesses in Mississippi, who will ultimately save thousands of dollars in insurance premiums," Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney said.
"I want to publicly thank the members of the Mississippi Congressional delegation, in particular Senators Cochran and Wicker, co-sponsors of the Senate bill, who were outspoken supporters of this legislation."
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the PACE Act will reduce the deficit by $400 million over ten years because it would reduce premiums in the mid-size employer market, thus increasing taxable income of employees.
Chaney added again, that while he may not agree with everything in the Affordable Care Act, it remains the law of the land and that he and the Mississippi Insurance Department will continue to work within the framework of the law to regulate health insurance for the benefit of all Mississippians.
Tags: Health Care Reform, Small Business, Commissioner
Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney –
"Today the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling in the King v. Burwell case, in favor of the defendant, Department of Health and
Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, which means federal tax credit subsidies can legally continue to be applied in states where the
Individual Health Insurance Marketplace, commonly called the Exchange, is operated by the federal government. Since Mississippi's
Marketplace is operated by the federal government, this ruling means that over 100,000 Mississippians who purchased individual health
insurance through the Marketplace will continue to receive health insurance coverage.
"Although I may not agree with everything in the Affordable Care Act, it remains the law of the land and I will continue to work within the
framework of the law to regulate health insurance for the benefit of all Mississippians."
Tags: ACA, Health Care Reform
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that every State have a health insurance exchange (also called a "Marketplace") in operation in 2014. A State may operate a Marketplace for individual consumers, small businesses or both. The Mississippi Insurance Department has decided to establish and operate a Health Insurance Marketplace for small businesses called One, Mississippi™. The Marketplace is an easy-to-use, easy-to-understand online tool that assists Mississippi's small business owners interested in providing quality health insurance to their employees.
One, Mississippi is a one-stop shop where businesses with 2 to 50 full-time equivalent employees may choose from multiple, affordable health insurance options. An employer chooses one of four tiers and the employee chooses a plan in that tier. Employers also designate a contribution percentage toward the employee's premium cost. Employees can use that contribution toward a health insurance plan that best fits their needs and budgets within the employer-selected tier.
Employers that meet certain qualifications may be eligible for a Small Business Health Insurance Tax Credit. The amount of the tax credit and what qualifications the employer must meet depend on which taxable year a small employer claims the credit. Some of the qualifications remain the same regardless of when the tax credit is claimed.
The eligibility requirements that small employers must meet are:
· Employ no more than twenty-five (25) full-time equivalent employees;
· Pay average annual wages below $50,000; and
· Pay a uniform percentage for all employees that is equal to at least fifty percent (50% of the premium cost of the individual health insurance for each employee.
One, Mississippi first opened for enrollment in May 2014 and after a short amount of time the Marketplace has already helped many small business owners in Mississippi acquire health coverage for their employees. Employers can enroll in the Marketplace online at www.onemississippi.com or through a licensed and certified insurance agent or broker. For more information, please call 1-855-9MS-SHOP or 1-855-967-7467.
Tags: ACA, SHOP, Health Reform
"I have said all along that this is a commercial dispute between BCBS and HMA. Sometimes it is painful and takes time to resolve differences like these. We know from experience that when you give private markets time to work out their differences and grievances, these issues can be resolved without government interference. That has proven to be the case here and I am pleased.
Although the network matter has been resolved between the parties, the Insurance Department will issue our examination report addressing network adequacy in the very near future."
Tags: ACA, Commissioner, Blue Cross Blue Shield
The President announced today that the federal government would delay enforcement of the Affordable Care Act's market reforms in 2014 for plans that are currently in effect.
In Mississippi we took steps several months ago to ensure that these reforms would have initial minimal impact on policyholders in our state. We allowed and encouraged the carriers to extend their plan years and coverage periods until December, 2014, allowing our citizens to keep their existing coverage with minimum rate increases and with more choices.
We do not expect that the President's actions announced today will have any major impact on our state. However, it is quite possible that in the long run these reforms will have a major impact on the solvency of companies and might be a major cost to the industry, thus driving up prices over time. We will continue to closely follow any further developments to ensure we protect the interests of Mississippians.
Tags: ACA, Commissioner
Jackson – Mississippi senior citizens and Medicare recipients are today urged by Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney to carefully review the coverage and benefits of their policies during this year's Medicare open enrollment period. Open enrollment for Medicare prescription drug coverage and Medicare Advantage runs from October 15-December 7, 2013.
During the Medicare annual enrollment period, all Medicare beneficiaries may change their Medicare coverage for the coming year. Beneficiaries should carefully investigate plan benefits and choices. New benefit choices will take effect January 1, 2014. Seniors seeking additional coverage through a Medicare supplement plan can get information in the 2013 Medicare Supplement Shoppers Guide now available on the MID website or by calling the Consumer Services division at 1-800-562-2957.
"It is also important for seniors to understand Medicare is NOT a part of the federal Health Insurance Marketplace and those who are receiving their health insurance benefits through Medicare will continue to do so rather than switch to the Health Insurance Marketplace," Chaney said.
He added that if a senior purchases a plan through the Marketplace, they lose their Medicare coverage and are not eligible for the Marketplace subsidy. Also, depending on their situation, when the senior decides to leave the Marketplace, a late enrollment penalty for Medicare may apply. Regardless of whether a senior has Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan, the federal Marketplace will not affect coverage.
"During difficult economic times, making sure which plan is best for your budget and needs becomes extremely important," Chaney said.
Chaney also reminds seniors that anyone using questionable or abusive sale practices when talking to you regarding your Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan should be reported to the Mississippi Insurance Department.
State and federal rules are in place to protect consumers against sales and marketing abuses. Individuals who contact you about any type of private Medicare coverage:
• Must be licensed by the state. Check with the Mississippi Insurance Department to make sure the salesperson is a licensed agent.
• May not make unsolicited contact, such as door-to-door sales, cold calls or approaching you in a parking lot.
• Must make an appointment before coming to your home.
• Must arrange in advance the type of products that will be discussed during a scheduled sales appointment. At the appointment, the salesperson may not try to sell you other types of insurance coverage other than the type(s) agreed upon in advance.
• May not try to sell you non-health care related products (like a life insurance policy or an annuity) during a sales or marketing presentation of a Medicare prescription drug or Medicare Advantage plan.
• May not attempt to sell you a plan in certain health care settings, such as a doctor's office or a pharmacy.
• May not attempt to sell you a plan at an educational event.
• May not offer you free meals at promotional or sales events.
To protect Mississippians from becoming victims of Medicare fraud, the MID reminds consumers of these safety tips.
• Beware of door-to-door sales people. Remember, agents cannot solicit business at your home without an appointment. Do not allow uninvited agents into your home.
• Do not give out personal information, such as Social Security numbers, bank account numbers or credit card numbers to anyone you have not verified as a licensed agent. People are not allowed to request such personal information in their marketing activities and cannot ask for payment over the Internet. They must send you a bill. Once you decide to purchase a plan and have verified that the agent is licensed, you may give the agent personal information to assist in enrollment and billing.
• Verify that the plan you have chosen is an approved Medicare plan. All of the approved plans are available at www.medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Federal assistance is available to Medicare beneficiaries who meet certain income requirements. If you think you may qualify, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-SSA-1213 (1-800-772-1213). For more information about your Medicare prescription drug options including an online Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder, go to www.medicare.gov.
Tags: Commissioner, Enrollment, Medicare
Jackson, MS—Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney and Attorney General Jim Hood are warning Mississippians to be aware of the con-artists that may emerge as federal and state agencies prepare for the Federal Facilitated Health Insurance Marketplace (FFM) rollout under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
"We see scammers try to take advantage of such transitions, in this case hoping to take advantage of people who are not familiar with the nation's new health care law," said Attorney General Hood.
Starting today, if you are uninsured or buy your own coverage you can enroll for health insurance through the Federal Facilitated Health Insurance Marketplace for coverage beginning as soon as January 1, 2014.
"The Marketplace will allow you to compare and select plans," said Commissioner Chaney. "Although enrollment opens on October 1, there is no need to rush out to purchase a plan, take your time, get as much information as you can before making a decision as to the plan that best suits you and your family's needs. The federal government regulates and approves the plans for this marketplace. I would caution consumers purchasing through the FFM that they may be limited in their choice of medical providers based on the insurance company networks."
Scammers Taking Advantage.
Unfortunately, scammers will undoubtedly attempt to take advantage of consumers once the Marketplace takes effect. In some cases, criminals will try to collect personal or financial information. In other cases, unscrupulous sales people will try to sell "discount medical plans." Those so-called discount plans may be insurance plans that really don't save you money, or they may not be legitimate health insurance plans at all.
Medicare is not part of Federal Facilitated Health Insurance Marketplace.
If you are a Medicare beneficiary, you don't need to do anything—you are considered covered. The Marketplace won't affect your Medicare choices, and your benefits will not change.
Tips to Avoid Scams.
1. The government will not call or email you to solicit enrollment plans. Your Marketplace options and additional information are available at www.HealthCare.gov or the Help Center at 1-800-318-2596.
2. Anyone who claims they're enrolling you for coverage through the Marketplace should be verified by contacting www.HealthCare.gov or the Help Center at 1-800-318-2596.
3. Guard your personal information! If a caller claims they are with the government verifying personal information for a new government health insurance or Medicare card, hang up. (Medicare isn't part of the Marketplace established by ACA, so you don't have to replace your Medicare coverage with Marketplace coverage.) The information they may seek could include Social Security numbers or bank account information for "direct deposits."
4. Be wary of sound-alike government or company names, especially if they list a toll-free number other than the Help Center's number (1-800-318-2596).
Legitimate Sources for Information & Coverage Enrollment.
You can learn more about qualified health plans offer in Mississippi through the FFM through several sources:
Website: www.HealthCare.gov: This is the federal government's official FFM website. Here you can now get information, compare plans and coverage options, and you can enroll starting October 1.
Help Center: 1-800-318-2596: The Help Center is now open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can talk with a customer service representative, obtain the same information you'll find on the website, and you can enroll for coverage starting October 1.
Navigators: Navigators, who are government trained and certified, will help answer Marketplace questions, discuss eligibility and options, and prepare electronic and paper applications to establish eligibility and enroll in coverage through the Marketplace. On October 1, you'll find Mississippi Navigators through the federal government's website or Help Center (see above). In Mississippi, there are only two approved Navigators: Universtiy of Mississippi Medical Center (Jackson, MS) and Oak Hill Missionary Baptist Church Ministries, Inc. (Hernando, MS).
Certified Application Counselors: These counselors will perform many of the same functions as navigators, including educating consumers and helping people complete applications for coverage. Counselors might come from community health centers or other health care providers, hospitals or social service agencies. On October 1, you'll find Certified Application Counselors through the federal government's website or Help Center.
Agents and Brokers: State-licensed health insurance agents and brokers who meet Health Insurance Marketplace requirements may enroll individuals in coverage through the Marketplace. Contact your local agent.
For more information on this topic, go to www.HealthCare.gov or the Federal Help Center at 1-800-318-2596. Additional information may also be obtained at the Mississippi Insurance Department's website: www.mid.ms.gov. To file a complaint regarding a possible scam, contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Mississippi Attorney General's Office by calling 601-359-4230 or 1-800-281-4418.
Tags: Press Release, ACA, Commissioner
Through the efforts of many individuals, we are pleased to announce that Humana has stepped forward to cover the 36 counties in Mississippi that did not have health plans available under the Federally facilitated Health Insurance Marketplace. As many people know, we have had real concerns about being able to have full coverage for the entire state. Humana's decision to extend their coverage in Mississippi demonstrates their good corporate citizenship. We appreciate both Humana and Magnolia Health Plan's work to cover all counties in the state on behalf of our citizens. Humana has released the following statement: "Humana filed to amend our qualified health plans offered on the individual exchange in Mississippi to include an additional 36 counties (for a total of 40 counties). The additional counties represent those that we recently learned would otherwise have had no individual exchange offerings – thus, no subsidy-eligible coverage options for qualifying residents. This builds on Humana's current presence in the state of Mississippi, where Humana already covers well over 200,000 Mississippians, including individuals, employer groups, military retirees and their families, as well as Medicare beneficiaries. By working together with local health care providers, we believe we can enhance quality of care and improve health outcomes in the state. Humana's goal is to help people achieve lifelong well-being."
Tags: Humana, Health Care Reform, Exchange
I am very pleased to announce that I have been informed that University Medical Center and Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Mississippi have agreed to continue their relationship by signing a new Network Provider agreement today. I commend Blue Cross and UMC for their diligent efforts in reaching this agreement.
This new agreement will allow Blue Cross to continue to partner with UMC in managing healthcare costs for Mississippians. It will also ensure that consumers in Mississippi and throughout the United States have continued affordable access to some of the finest medical care available from a premier medical research facility.
Tags: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Commissioner
Welcome to Mississippi's Rate Review Website. I am very excited about the launch of this site and hope that you will find it to be a useful tool for learning about health insurance rates and researching rate information regarding your insurance plans. On this site you will find rate information for major medical policies, specified disease policies, long term care policies, disability insurance policies and Medicare Supplement policies.
One question that I am constantly asked is "why do my insurance rates continue to rise?" As both a regulator and a consumer I am sensitive to and frustrated by the continued need for rate increases that seem to get larger and larger. Unfortunately, the truth is that I have little more control over rate increases than the average consumer does. These increases are typically based on factors beyond which any of us have any direct control. These factors include the rising costs of medical care, inflation and changes in state and federal law. Up until now there have been few resources for consumers to use that allow them direct access to the information used to determine rates.
The purpose of this site is to provide consumers with a transparent and comprehensive educational resource regarding health insurance premiums. My hope is that consumers will use this site to help understand how premium rates are set and what factors contribute to rate changes. Once consumers are armed with this information, they can use it to make efforts that will hopefully one day stabilize the escalating costs of healthcare in this country and lower the rates we all pay for health insurance.
I invite you to please explore our site and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any comments or questions. This site is a resource for you and is a work in progress so I invite any suggestions that you may have.
Tags: Welcome, Commissioner


text:
Melissa McCarthy is hosting "Saturday Night Live" again!
The "Identity Thief" and "Mike & Molly" star will return as the late-night sketch show's host for its April 6 episode. This will be McCarthy's second time hosting the show.
McCarthy's return to "SNL" is just the latest triumph for the "Bridesmaids" star; her latest flick "Identity Thief," which costars Jason Bateman, has earned over $100 million mark at the box office.
Watch Justin Timberlake's "SNL" promos
McCarthy hosted the long-running NBC show for the first time back in October 2011 and earned rave reviews in her debut.
The musical guest for McCarthy's episode has yet to be announced.
Justin Timberlake is set to host and perform on "Saturday Night Live" on March 9, and NBC recently released promos featuring the "Suit and Tie" singer.
US Weekly first reported the news.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
In the 1950s, Canada continued contributing new musicians to the world stage in the genres of country (Tommy Hunter), jazz (Moe Koffman, trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, and guitarist Lenny Breau), and classical (Pierrette Alarie, Lois Marshall, Louis Quilico, Léopold Simoneau, and contralto Maureen Forrester). Following in La Bolduc's footsteps were Quebec artists who enriched the landscape of Canadian music by singing folk music in fabulous French. It wasn't until Beatlemania swept Canada in the 1960s that Quebec artists began to perform pop and rock; for now, folk was the genre of choice. An important word on this is best summed up by the Canadian Music Encyclopedia:
In Québec, the history of popular music unfolded quite differently. Instead of copying Americans, French Canadians created their own style of pretty and simple poetry inspired by traditional folk songs and played on the guitar by chansonniers ("songmakers" or singer-songwriters).
First and foremost among these chansonniers was the inspired genius of Félix Leclerc, who deservedly became Canada's first international folk superstar. Second in rank to him was Jean-Pierre Ferland who started out as a folk musician in the 50s, but in the 70s switched to pop/rock releasing some critically-acclaimed albums. Other chansonniers included Yves Albert and Jacques Labrecque. In 1956, Raymond Lévesque scored a big hit with his "Quand les hommes vivront d'amour". Its message of brotherhood and search for justice, its folky guitar and jazzy piano made it, amongst changing pop styles, a timeless classic of chanson québécoise. The song has been performed by many French singers.
Percy Faith became Canada's second easy listening star (after Guy Lombardo). In the following decade he scored a massive hit with his "Theme from a Summer Place", the number one single of the year on 1960′s Billboard chart.
Nearly-forgotten Winnipeg songstress Gisele MacKenzie (no relation to Bob and Doug, eh), after getting her own CBC radio show, recorded some songs of her own which became hits in 1955.
Prior to American Bill Haley's revolutionary comet-clocking chart-topper, Canada had already set itself up to usher in the rock 'n roll era with its hit R&B group The Four Lads. Following suit were The Crew Cuts and The Diamonds. These three Toronto-based quartets launched the rock era in Canada by converting some American R&B tunes into rock and by creating some original selections of their own.
With all this activity in the 1950s, Canadians would never have believed what was to happen in 1957. Their first anglophone international pop superstar arrived from within the nation's capital. And he was of neither European nor African descent, but Asian. He released a single that rocketed up to Number One on both sides of the Atlantic and became the second best-selling single of all-time (after Bing Crosby's "White Christmas"). He was Canada's first real teen-idol, scored several more chart-toppers in the late 50s, became a millionaire while still a minor, switched from rock to adult contemporary in the 60s, wrote the theme for the Tonight Show, composed Tom Jones' biggest hit, foiled Frank Sinatra's plans of an early retirement by writing his signature song, and rekindled his own singing career with several chart-toppers in the 70s. To date, he has written some 400 songs. He should be regarded as the godfather of Canadian pop. And his name is Paul Anka.


text:
Come by each and every Monday for free bar bingo with us and DC Fray. There's almost zero skill required. Most of the prizes involve beer, and, like we said, it's free to play. We start the games at 8:00 and they usually go until around 10 or so.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: September 19Trivia Tuesdays
Later Event: October 3Trivia Tuesdays


text:
- Preventing Identity Theft
- ATM Security
- Online Privacy Policy
- Social Engineering Schemes
- Online Banking Tips
Peoples State BankLivingston
2700 Hwy 190 West
PO Box 1800
Livingston, TX 77351
Email the Bank Shepherd
5850 Hwy 59 South
PO Box 1287
Shepherd, TX 77371
Email the Bank Coldspring
15001 Hwy 150 W
Coldspring, TX 77331
Email the Bank
Preventing ID Theft
Computer Safety
The number of Americans who have experienced identity theft has surpassed 27 million, with the incidence rate increasing every year. Substantial measures are in place at Peoples State Bank to protect your identity and your accounts against theft and fraud.
For example, stringent bank privacy policies protect your personal and financial information. Password protection for online transactions help assure online security. When using our online services, you develop a secret password that only you know. Encryption of online transactions with your bank converts your information into secure code, protecting you against hackers.
Maximum security is possible only with your help. Here's what you can do to stop these crimes before they happen:
- Do not give out financial information such as checking and credit card numbers, or your Social Security number, unless you know the person or organization.
- Report lost or stolen checks immediately. Your bank will block payment on them.
- Notify your banker of suspicious phone inquiries such as those asking for account information to "verify a statement" or "award a prize."
- Closely guard your ATM personal identification number and ATM receipts.
- Shred any financial solicitations and bank statements before disposing of them.
- Put outgoing mail into a secure, official Postal Service collection box.
- If regular bills fail to reach you, call the company to find out why.
- If your bills include questionable items, don't ignore them. Instead, investigate immediately to head off any possible fraud.
- Periodically contact the major credit reporting companies to review your file and make certain the information is correct.
If you're worried that you might have inadvertently compromised your PSB account, it's important that you speak with us immediately. The sooner we know what's happened, the sooner we can begin helping you. Please call us now.
This includes:
- Credit or Debit MasterCard Number
- PII (Personal Identifiable Information—such as Social Security or Tax ID #)
- PSBtexas.com logon information—User ID's or passwords
The bottom line: If you have any questions or concerns about protecting your financial identity, come in and visit your banker.
Credit Reporting Bureaus
To place a fraud alerd:……..1-888-766-0008
To order a credit report:……..1-800-685-1111
To place a fraud alerd:……..1-888-397-3742
To order a credit report:……..1-888-397-3742
To place a fraud alerd:……..1-800-680-7289
To order a credit report:……..1-800-888-4213
How to obtain a free credit report
Peoples State Bank is not Responsible for and has no control over the content or subject matter of the following links.
Contact www.annualcreditreport.com or call (877) 322-8228
* Annual Credit report.com only allows for one Free Credit report per Calendar Year.
You may also contact the following sources for further information concerning identity theft and fraud prevention.
Onguardonline.gov —this site was created by the federal government to help people be safe, secure and responsible online. The website is part of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education.
FTC.gov –Information from the Federal Trade Commission to help you avoid identity theft and learn what to do if your identity is stolen.
FDIC.gov –Tips from the FDIC about how to protect yourself from identity theft and fraud.


text:
October 2013 Parts RackPosted in Product Reviews on August 28, 2013
Work Cap
A.R.E.'s WorkCover LS is a fiberglass tonneau cover available for the '05-current Toyota Tacoma. The WorkCover LS provides three extra inches of storage room above the bedrails and has two top covers that can be opened independently. Additionally, the entire cover opens from the rear of the truck using a hinge system at the front of the cover. A.R.E. offers remote keyless entry and LED-strip lighting technology to illuminate the bed. The WorkCover LS is also painted to match.
Info: A.R.E.
330/232-1757, www.4are.com/fleet
Forged Control
BDS Suspension's 1- and 1¼-inch forged steel control-arm endlinks utilize a steel ball and polyurethane races to allow up to 15 degrees of misalignment. Each endlink is assembled with a single snap ring, fitted with a black E-coat, and includes grease fittings and jam nuts. The joints come loaded with "Jeep sized" flex balls, making them usable in many OE Jeep mounting locations. Weld-in bungs, black E-coated jam nuts, and endlink rebuild kits are available.
Info: BDS Suspension
517/279-2135, www.bds-suspension.com
Delta Bright
Delta Tech's Silo-4 is a 40-watt LED searchlight that is said to produce 6,400 lumens. The 6,000 Kelvin light temperature is designed to project in a 20-degree long-range pattern. Silo-4 has a die-cast aluminum body with an acrylic lens and an IP68 waterproof rating. Other features included Deutsch waterproof connectors and a 3.3-amp draw, which doesn't require any additional wiring harness or relays.
Info: Delta Tech
909/673-1900, www.deltalights.com
Cooler Brackets
Earl's oil cooler bracket system from Holley Performance Products is crafted to fit all of Earl's oil cooler heights. The black anodized aluminum mounting system is made with E-coated steel hardware and rubber isolators to rigidly mount Earl's coolers. Each bracket system is said to be installer friendly and reduce cooler vibration.
Info: Holley Performance Products
Super Pan
Mag-Hytec's transmission pan is new for the F6R140 TorqueShift six-speed automatic. The F6R140 is commonly fitted behind the 6.7L diesel engine in the '11-to-present Ford Super Duty. The Mag-Hytec pan is claimed to increase fluid capacity by 5.5 quarts and is fitted with an O-ring seal, drilled-and-tapped temperature-sending unit port, zinc-plated bolts and washers, Allen wrenches, and a magnetic drain plug.
Info: Mag-Hytec
818/786-8325, www.mag-hytec.com
Jeep Cams
Lunati's performance camshafts are crafted for Jeep vehicles equipped with factory inline-six engines ranging from 1964 to 1997 and AMC V-8 engines ranging from 1966 to 1991. The camshafts are said to increase bottom-end power thanks to Lunati's proprietary computer designed cam lobe. Several lobe profiles are available for each engine design, and each is said to be engineered to produce gains in bottom-end torque output.
Info: Lunati
662/892-1500, www.lunatipower.com
Emergency Stick
Metal Mender from Anza Products is crafted as an emergency off-road welding system. The Metal Mender is intended to provide an experienced stick welder with the means to make on-trail metal repairs. The system requires the use of two 12-volt batteries (not included) and includes welding leads, gloves, chipping hammer, safety breaker, gear bag, and a 15-inch Safetube for the welding rods.
Info: Anza Products
858/522-9353, www.anzaproducts.com
Narrow Flares
A Narrow version of Poison Spyder Customs' Front Crusher Flares is now available for the '07-'13 Jeep Wrangler JK. The Narrow series flare is two inches narrower that the company's Standard series flare. Each flare is comprised of CNC laser-cut plate and NC-bent DOM tubing. Steel and aluminum versions are available and each includes a complete set of inner braces said to add rigidity and support to the front of the Wrangler.
Info: Poison Spyder Customs
951/849-5911, www.poisonspyder.com
Rear 3-Link
Trail-Gear's 3-Link suspension kit is designed for the rear of the '95-'04 Toyota Tacoma. The weld-on kit uses three control arms, plus a Panhard bar to locate the rear axle and is crafted to allow the use of the stock fuel tank. Each kit includes 2-inch, 0.250-wall DOM links, 1.25-inch Creeper Joints, jam nuts, link mounts, frame gussets, Panhard mounts, frame support tubes, as well as rear frame box plates and additional items. Shocks are sold separately.
Info: Trail-Gear
877/4X4-TOYS, www.trail-gear.com
Sleek Flaps
Sleekster Mud Flaps from Randy Ellis Design are intended for lifted trucks and SUVs. Flaps are fitted with a laminated-modular chassis, which is said to allow them to be adjusted to accommodate a variety of vehicles. Each mud flap chassis is powdercoated with a satin-black finish and assembled with zinc hardware. The Sleekster Mud Flaps are frame-mounted and available with a stainless ball-pin quick-release kit. All kits are made in the USA.
Info: Randy Ellis Design, Inc.
602/803-1122, www.randyellisdesign.com


text:
MILPITAS, CA, Sep. 19, 2006 - SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK), the world's largest supplier of flash storage card products, announced the appointment of Juha Raisanen as senior vice president. Raisanen, who brings more than 20 years of industry experience in demand management and supply chain operations, will be responsible for the company's worldwide operations and supply chain and will report to Dr. Randhir Thakur, executive vice president of technology and worldwide operations.
To manage SanDisk's global manufacturing that includes locations throughout Asia, Raisanen will be stationed in Shanghai, where he will be responsible for managing end-to-end supply chain and overseeing the worldwide manufacturing operations organization. In addition, he will continue to drive operational efficiency and effectiveness to further strengthen SanDisk's leadership in the areas of product cost, quality and customer satisfaction. The strategic transformation of the supply chain is an important step for the next phase of growth for the company.
Dr. Thakur said, "Juha's extensive experience and management skills will be of tremendous value to manage our growth and leverage our extensive manufacturing operations to meet the increasing worldwide demand for our products. His understanding of our customer base is vital in scaling our operations and infrastructure for our growing retail and OEM businesses."
Most recently, Raisanen was vice president at Nokia Corporation, where he was in charge of the supply chain and operations process as well as systems solutions development for the entire corporation. Previously, he was in charge of various operations, logistics and sourcing organizations on a regional or business division level in both Asia and Europe. Prior to Nokia, he worked in various executive roles including operations management at ICL Fujitsu. In addition, he served as editor and co-editor for a variety of industry publications.
Raisanen holds a M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering, Information Technology and Mechanical Engineering from Helsinki University of Technology.
SanDisk is the original inventor of flash storage cards and is the world's largest supplier of flash data storage card products using its patented, high-density flash memory and controller technology. SanDisk is headquartered in Milpitas, CA and has operations worldwide, with more than half its sales outside the U.S.
SanDisk's web site/home page address: http://www.sandisk.com
Photo available at http://www.sandisk.com/corporate/mediakit
SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the U.S. and other countries.
SanDisk Corporation
Mike Wong
408-801-1240 firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Sony is one of the most popular Japan Base Electronics manufacturing company and very famous in the production of High-quality Products like Smartphone, Tablets and Laptop etc, After the getting back their all shares from Ericsson Sony developing their Smartphone business almost in every reign of the World including Angola Luanda, Ndalatando, Huambo.
Sony Mobile is a popular brand in the Angola, Sony continuous Smartphone manufacturing with the Brand name of Xperia with Latest Android Operating System, Xperia z is the premium Smartphone series from Sony like Xperia Z, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z4, and recently released Xperia Z5 as well as Compact, Premium and some other version of these Smartphones.
Sony Xperia C, Xperia T, and Xperia M are midrange Smartphone series also available in all major markets of Angola. If you searching for a low price Sony Xperia Smartphone, then You can choose from the Xperia E series smartphones.
The mostly Sony Mobile Phone devices are fully loaded with all latest and Smart features Like high speed 3G, 4G LTE network, best quality Camera, premium display, larger screen resolution, combination of high speed CPU, GPU and Chipset, good amount of RAM for faster browsing and playing heavy games and internal storage and full metal body.


text:
We offer absolutely FREE delivery worldwide.
Shipping Times
US orders ship by e-packet, which is a US postal service product. US orders usually take between 7 and 14 days to arrive at their destination, but can take longer from time to time.
Worldwide orders ship by EMS. International orders most often take between 15 and 25 days to arrive at their destination, but sometimes take up to 40 days depending on where you are in the World. Occasionally, depending on various factors like customs, Worldwide orders can take in excess of 40 days to arrive.


text:
Apple, Samsung: Wedge Sees Weakening Smartphone Sales
- Order Reprints
- Print Article
Shares of Apple (AAPL) are down $6.95, or 1.6%, at $438.10, amidst some mixed messages regarding sales of the iPhone this morning from the Street.
On the plus side, Cowen & Co.'s Matt Hoffman, who has an Outperform rating on Apple shares, and a $550 price target, writes that European smartphone sales overall are improving, perhaps helping Apple this quarter:
European smartphone demand continues to improve in our checks; that should help to offset the normal C2Q seasonal decline in Asia-Pacific and the lack of a dedicated iPhone for China Mobile this quarter. We see an upside bias to June iPhone estimates if end-market demand holds through the end of June. F3Q13 iPhone unit shipment consensus of less than 30MM may prove too low if Apple continues to hold share in NAM and EUR and the C2Q13 global smartphone market grows in-line with our +4% q/q estimate.
However, Brian Blair of Wedge Partners today shares some findings from his Beijing-based colleague, Jun Zhang, who warns that Apple sales into China are running much lower than last quarter's level:
We believe iPhone5/4S sales in China have dropped much faster in Q2 from Q1 than expected. We think iPhone 5/4S sales in the nation were around 35K per day and the volume has dropped to 10-12K per day, a 70% QoQ decline. Retail channels and operators have cut prices on iPhone 5 and 4S by 10% recently, and reduced subsidies on iPhone 5 from 47 - 50% to 37%. We believe the focus of Chinese operators' subsidies have largely switched to Samsung Galaxy S4.
Zhang also notes in the same report that data suggest a slowdown in sales of Samsung Electronics's (005930KS) recently introduced Galaxy S4 smartphone, echoing comments yesterday from Susquehanna's Chris Caso:
Although Samsung smartphone sales are very strong in many markets around the globe, we believe overall S4 sales are slightly weaker than Samsung had forecasted. For example, in China we think Samsung high-end smartphone sales (S3 + Note 2 + S3 mini) were around 10K per day. With the S4 launching in April, Samsung high-end smartphone sales (S3 + S4 + Note 2+ S3 mini) increased to 35-36K per day. This is significantly higher in per day units, however, we think S4 sales were less than their own 35-36K per day targets. Overall, we think S4 sales have been roughly 20% short of Samsung's target. As a result, we think Samsung might have adjusted their S4 production plans downward recently, from a former expectation of 30 million units in June-July to 20 million units. We believe Samsung's own target had been to ship 80 mln units of the S4 this year, but we feel current sell-through is slightly behind schedule. Additionally, we think many retail channels are cutting Samsung S4 prices.
Update: Topeka Capital's Brian White, who rates Apple shares a Buy, with an $888 price target, also weighs in on the China smartphone market today, which he writes is "on fire," citing his meeting with an unnamed consumer electronics component supplier. "
Our meeting with a consumer electronics component supplier highlighted very strong demand in the June quarter and above historical seasonality. This June quarter strength is being led by the smartphone market and driven by China-based vendors [...] In the second-half of the year, strong seasonal demand is expected and the ramp of many new mobile devices will help drive this sales growth. As part of this ramp, there are a plethora of 5-inch or larger smartphones coming to market, including six-inch or larger phablet devices from Sony (SNE) and Samsung.


text:
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania - A world away from America's political battles and the house they've both inhabited, President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush are preparing to join together in Tanzania to honor Americans killed in an embassy bombing nearly 15 years ago.
Obama arrived Monday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the last stop on a weeklong tour of sub-Saharan Africa that wraps up Tuesday. Obama, his wife and two daughters stepped off of Air Force One and onto the tarmac where a marching band was playing and dancing as dozens waved U.S. and Tanzanian flags. A canon at the airport prepared to salute Obama's arrival.
Bush, Obama's Republican predecessor and campaign-trail foil, also plans to be in Tanzania for a conference on African women organized by the George W. Bush Institute.
Although no meeting between the two men had initially been planned, the White House announced as Obama flew to Tanzania that they would come together Tuesday for a wreath-laying ceremony at the site of the 1998 bombings at the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam. Eleven Americans were killed in that Osama bin Laden-masterminded attack, which mirrored a near-simultaneous bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Kenya, the birthplace of Obama's father.
First lady Michelle Obama and former first lady Laura Bush also planned to team up at the conference Tuesday for a joint discussion on promoting women's education, health and economic empowerment. President Bush plans to be in attendance, before delivering his own speech there the following day, after the Obamas will have left.
Having both presidents in town "sends a very positive message that both political parties in the United States share a commitment to this continent," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser.
During his African visit, Obama has credited Bush with helping save millions of lives by creating the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
"The United States has really done wonderful work through the PEPFAR program, started under my predecessor, President Bush, and continued through our administration," Obama said Sunday during a visit to the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation Youth Center in Cape Town.
Bush's accomplishment in fighting AIDS was one of his signature foreign policy successes, while Obama has not been so focused on Africa despite his roots there and only now is making a major presidential trip to sub-Saharan Africa. Obama's only previous visit as president was a brief visit to Ghana his first summer in office, although he traveled to Africa several times previously and has vowed to come back.
Obama told reporters earlier in the trip that finances and politics play a role in preventing him from doing more.
"Given the budget constraints, for us to try to get the kind of money that President Bush was able to get out of the Republican House for massively scaled new foreign aid programs is very difficult," Obama said. "We could do even more with more resources. But if we're working smarter, the amount of good that we can bring about over the next decade is tremendous."
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Bush and Obama weren't likely to speak at Tuesday's ceremony. The visit fits into a busy schedule for Obama at the tail end of his Africa tour.
After arriving in Tanzania on Monday afternoon, Obama was preparing to meet with President Jakaya Kikwete. He'll visit later with business leaders from the U.S. and Africa to talk about increasing trade in east Africa, before ending the evening with a dinner hosted by Kikwete.
On Tuesday, Obama plans a private greeting at the U.S. embassy, which has been relocated since the 1998 attack. The president then delivers a final speech focused on bringing more electric power to Africa and heads back toward Washington by noon.
AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace contributed to this report.


text:
Email has been sent to you , please check your spam/junk emails if you are unable to find the email.
Due to some internal error, the mail has not been sent.
High footprint productivity
Increased energy efficiency
R134a, R404A
With Mendos, high footprint utilization and optimized energy efficiency are on display.
It is often said that time is money, but in retailing, space is the key to maximizing sales.
With the launch of Mendos™, the new supermarket multideck, Carrier Commercial Refrigeration has once again set a new standard for space utilization. The ratio of shelf depth to total cabinet depth (footprint utilization) has been improved by up to 22% compared with current equivalent models. This means that retailers can present a larger quantity and variety of refrigerated produce without having to use up more precious retail space.
The low front height, however, means that the display opening is also optimized while the overall design delivers an energy saving of up to 15% when compared with current equivalent models.
So all in all, Mendos has created space without compromise.


text:
Mark Willis, one of the 10 national delegates from Maine who were stripped of their credentials by the Credentials Committee at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, has announced he is running for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee. Willis, who is Maine's national committeeman, told The New American he currently has the backing of two state delegations and needs one more state delegation to have his name placed in nomination at the RNC's 2013 Winter Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, January 23 to 26.
Willis believes the grassroots of the Republican Party have been damaged by too much centralization of power. He wants the 2012 rules change that was adopted by a controversial voice vote declared null and void. He believes the chair of the convention was wrong in not conducting a roll call vote as requested by a number of delegates.
When interviewed by The New American, Willis was asked his opinion of the different means of coercion that were used by party leaders to force delegates to the 2012 Republican National Convention to vote for presidential candidates of the party leaders' choosing. Willis said: "Under my chairmanship, I'd never ask anyone to sign a loyalty oath to any particular candidate. I believe that is absurd."
Willis acknowledges the primary responsibilities of RNC chairman have typically been managing costs and soliciting donations, but he believes the Republican Party's current problems go deeper. Willis believes he can unite the party by working with the strong advocates of adherence to the U.S. Constitution, many of whom were alienated by establishment Republicans during the 2012 presidential caucuses.
Many of Willis' positions can be found at the website: http://stepdownnow.com/


text:
Mike Casey | October 3, 2011
By Mike Casey • Monday, October 3, 2011 - 17:00
Originally posted at ScalingGreen.com.
Merriam-Webster: Irish Confetti - "A rock or brick used as a missile."
We recently wrote about professional clean energy critic Andrew Morriss being schooled by Center for American Progress's Kate Gordon before a friendly crowd at the fossil industry-funded CATO Institute. Back in April, Mr. Morriss couldn't answer Ms. Gordon's inconvenient points about the huge government welfare checks received by the dirty energy industries that fund him while he rails against pro-clean energy policies.
Morriss, you see, is a front man for the front group, the Koch-funded Mercatus Center at George Mason University; the Koch-funded Property & Environment Research Center (PERC); and the ExxonMobil and Koch-funded Institute for Energy Research. I'm guessing that he, like others in the cottage industry of anti-clean industry front groups, has been trying to raise more dirty energy money by showing he can put an equals sign between the Solyndra bankruptcy and broad pro-clean energy policies.
In fact, that's the only explanation I can come up with for why Mr. Morriss would volunteer for another embarrassment. The latest one took place on the Dylan Ratigan Show. Morriss once again blundered right into the core question for which people of his kind have no answer: Why small government advocates ignore $52 billion or more in taxpayer welfare to dirty energy interests – but have the time to waste blathering about how pro-clean energy policies aren't a good use of our money.
Mr. Ratigan was having none of it, starting off the interview with a round of Irish Confetti: "…we do not have a free market for energy, because the actual cost of fossil fuel in our economy is not reflected at the pump; the military's not in there, the environment's not in there, and there's a wide variety of differing fuel subsidies and tax treatments for all sorts of different fuel sources depending on their relation with our government. So, how can a marketplace decide the fuel source, when one fuel, particularly being gasoline and fossil fuels, have such a substantial comparative subsidy?"
Morriss, stumbling: "Right, right, well, you know, that's a good point, but the answer to one bad subsidy is not to have two bad subsidies…"
Ratigan (cutting off Morriss): "But I didn't say that, I didn't bring you on to indict the president. I'm with you, the president that's crazy, what they're doing is crazy, let's not waste our time on it. But let's talk about the actual problem, which is that the marketplace cannot function if the actual cost of what is in it is rigged. And in this case, we are not paying the actual cost of the fossil fuels, and as a result, no one wants to see $8 a gallon for anything, when I can get $4 a gallon and pass the military costs and all the rest of it off. I guess my question to you is, what would the marketplace do if it was faced with paying the real cost of fossil fuel at the pump?"
Morriss, again stumbling: "Well, people would use a lot less of it, and that's what we want…and so if you price them accurately, people will conserve…so, we have a mechanism to get conservation, it's worked for 100 years, we've been conserving energy in a variety of things…people conserve when prices go up, it's a simple thing it's not popular with politicians, but it's a simple way to fix the problem."
Morriss's Palin-esque wanderings only invited more, this time from co-host Sam Seder: "Hey, Andrew, I've got a question for you. If it's the case that we subsidize oil, and we've been doing carbon-based subsidies since we built the highways, since we promoted cars, since we subsidized these oil companies directly, $50 billion worth of nuclear subsidies, why write an entire book about the tiny subsidies? I mean, you can shrug off the notion of one subsidy isn't as good as the other but we have the chance to incentivize and to build an industry that will have benefits across the spectrum of society. Why are you focused on that one?"
Morriss, once again stumbling: "Well, I'm currently writing a book attacking gasoline… "Why Gasoline Costs So Much"…You're right that there is a great opportunity for innovation…and we know how to do innovation…what we don't want to do is…turn to politicized decision making, and that's what we're seeing…"
The questions kept coming, hard, fast and painful – much as the Irish Confetti Mr. Ratigan's (and my) fellow Irishmen threw in big-city riots during the 19thcentury. This treatment wasn't only just desserts, it was a proof point to a wide array of clean energy advocates that they can and should start throwing some Irish Confetti themselves.
That's because the Solyndra bankruptcy has drawn the predictable fly swarm of people on a mission to hurt one of the few parts of the economy that is actually growing and creating jobs across the country. Michele Malkin, former fossil fuel fundraiser Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal, Darrell Issa, Rush Limbaugh, and Inhofe acolyte Marc Morano. All of them are actively trying to and hurt solar company valuations, popularity and job-creating momentum.
From here on in, getting lucky with on-air hosts who won't let nonsense pass for answers isn't a sufficient strategy. Clean energy success will require us to demand the media press guys like Morriss to answer the hard, obvious questions about where the fat really is in government – welfare checks to mature, highly profitable fossil interests such as ExxonMobil, Chesapeake Energy and Peabody Energy.
Left to themselves, Morriss and crew will gladly hurt the industries of America's future, and make no apologies for it in the process.
If that doesn't deserve some Irish Confetti, I don't know what does.
RickJames replied on Permalink
losing strategy
If you price in military expenses and highways and all that and make the price of gas jump - guess what - the people will throw you out of office.
If you even slightly adjust policy that directly increases the gasoline price, you'll get dumped quickly.
That is what happened to the PC Joe Clark government a generation ago. They ran an election on a promise to increase tax on gasoline - guess what - they lost big time.
Politicians prefer winning over losing.
"That is what happened to
That is what happened to the PC Joe Clark government a generation ago. They ran an election on a promise to increase tax on gasoline - guess what - they lost big time.
Politicians prefer winning over losing."
I'm very surprised by that Rick. It's got a mention here too come federal election time, but I don't believe it's the main motivation behind voters reason for dumping a political party. You guys in the USA just have insanely cheap fuel. I remember living in the UK about 6 years ago & my little 4 cyl car would cost me 40 Pound to fill. With exchange rates at the time, that equated to about $100 Au/ $80 USD at the time………for a 4 cyl car! My 4 cyl car in Australia would cost around $40 Au to fill. I was there for an election & I don't remember fuel prices being top of the agenda.
Going by international comparisons, you guys in the USA have it damn good!
So, I'm surprised that people in the US believe they have it so tough or are so close to the edge. Because even a doubling of your fuel price would still make it far cheaper than many other places on the planet.
Sure, simple inflation will guarantee that the price will incrementally go up, but no one it seems can decipher the cryptic fuel industry & why prices fluctuate so much & especially on holidays & weekends. It seems to be a black art.
So, bring on the alternate fuel cars I say. Obviously the logistics side is screwed for the time being, but there is hope for car owners at least in the immediate future.
RickJames replied on Permalink
Yeah I like the idea of a run
Yeah I like the idea of a run around town electric car. I might get one if and when they get into my price range. For mass conversion you have infrastructure issues but in 50 years I can imagine that most city cars would be electric.
"I might get one if and when
"I might get one if and when they get into my price range."
That's the issue for most at present I suspect. Many would like to go down that road of full electric or even hybrid, but for the time being, there is either not enough fueling stations or options for full electric & the hybrids are out of the price range of most consumers. Economies of scale should dictate that like any other consumer item ( the first car, the first fridge, the TV, the first DVD player etc ) that arrives on the market, volume & competition will drive the price down. Few can afford them at first & then suddenly everyone has them. Then there is the psychological & economical barrier that car makers must overcome in regards to engineered obsolescence.
As shown with the EV1 of the early 90's in "who killed the electric car?", GM discovered that revenue from their service side & parts replacement would be severely reduced due to the fact that electric cars needed less servicing & less parts replaced. Conversely, fossil fuel powered (via fuel in the tank) need many parts replaced periodically. E.g. Oil filter, fuel filter, ai filter, spark lugs, gaskets etc.
"For mass conversion you have infrastructure issues"
Too true. Although we had the same issues when the first car arrived on the scene. At least there is hope for the car market. For trucks, shipping, air, there is not much relief on the horizon & fuel prices will only keep going up.
"but in 50 years I can imagine that most city cars would be electric."
I think you're right. Probably even for rural areas in countries with smaller land mass & dense population. E.g. The U.K, Japan, Indonesia, Western Europe etc.
For countries with vast land masses like Australia, USA, Canada, Russia etc. It will take a long time to penetrate rural areas completely.
David B. Benson replied on Permalink
Koch brothers
Yes, Koch brothers. See Bloomberg News.
Yes, these Koch
Yes, these Koch Brothers
Bloomberg's Bombshell Report on "The Koch Brothers Method" How to Steal Cheat and Lie Your Way to the Top"
thefts of oil, illegal trading with Iran, illicit payments to win contracts, breaking safety and environmental regs. dumping toxins


text:
I purchased nuc that came on Deep frames. I only have medium boxes and medium frames, I'm wondering what's the best way to transition them into medium boxes/frames?
I was thinking of:
Top Cover
Medium Box - with empty Medium Frames
Medium Box - The 5 deep nuc frames would hang in the middle of this box (no frames would be added on the sides)
Medium Box
Bottom Board
The new nuc would start in a hive with 3 mediums, is this too much space? or should I purchase a deep box to replace the 2 bottom mediums instead?
Is it correct to assume the bees will build upwards and I can eventually remove the deep frames on the bottom?
Thank you and any advice or techniques would be appreciated.


text:
A bipartisan group of senators was close to reaching an agreement Thursday on how to set federal student loan interest rates, but then they learned that their plan could cost the government $22 billion over the next decade. That restarted negotiations yet again.
Senate Democrats have pushed for interest rates that benefit students over the long term, especially as market rates soar, without profiting the government. Republicans have sought rates that move with the market and don't cost the government.
That plan would have tied interest rates to the market. It also would have capped rates at 8.25 percent for undergraduates and 9.25 percent for all other loans, according to two aides with knowledge of the negotiations.
For the coming school year, that would have meant undergraduates who take out new federal loans would see interest rates of about 3.6 percent, while rates for graduate students would be about 5.2 percent and for parents would be about 6.3 percent, according to the aides. That would have been a decrease for everyone, as rates now are 6.8 percent for undergraduates and 7.9 percent for graduate students and parents.
The tentative agreement was the result of discussions between Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the education committee, Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and six senators who had previously sponsored a similar bill.
Senators involved with the plan hope that they can tweak these numbers and find a plan that both parties can agree upon, according to the aides. They were confident that this development would not derail the negotiations.
On Tuesday, a bill that would have extended a 3.4 percent interest rate on one type of federal loan mostly taken out by low- and middle-income students failed to advance in the Senate. That rate expired July 1 and is now 6.8 percent.
The House passed a bill in May that would set these rates according to the market, up to 8.5 percent. Those rates could change over the life of a loan.
Lawmakers have been trying to reach a decision before the August recess, at which point many students will lock in on loans for the coming school year. White House and Education Department officials have had lengthy meetings with Senate leaders this week.


text:
Increase your final results using this product sales education suggestion that will show you a fast and entertaining method to understand the advantages featuring of your products and services that you just offer.This is a simple approach to learn and remember more features and benefits of your respective items and recall them instantaneously as you discuss withc ustomers. With this education it is possible to complement any need a consumer offers having a characteristic, and let you know that the key benefits of which include fulfils their requirements.No matter what marketing style you use the great things about learning much more benefits and features of what you offer, and having the ability to recall them, will likely be of fantastic benefit for you. Sales Training
- Let's start with a need the customer could possibly have. We'll get this one simple.
- You are able to correct the feature and see how many distinct positive aspects.
Let's start out with a necessity the customer could possibly have. We'll turn this into one simple so visualize a very general require that many of your own clients or leads would like goods and services to satisfy. Now remember the most effective attribute of the you target fulfill that want. Then offer a extremely brief explanation from the rewards the attribute supplies that will match up the needs of the customer.Now try yet another of these linking chains. You can use a new customer will need or put using the same need and website link a whole new attribute into it that provides an advantage that can meet the need. You could also use the exact same require, retain the identical attribute of your merchandise, but utilize a different gain that this function can supply.This concept of blending and matching the functions inside you sequence of relationships from need to function to profit is area of the increased learning internal to the sales training technique. As you employ the approach in additional times during the day you may correct the hyperlinks all around one particular will need and find out just how many diverse capabilities you can find for just that a person need to have.
The day you
You may repair the function and find out the amount of different advantages which feature will give. Or, you could start together with the benefit and work in reverse to see the amount of diverse features provides usually the one benefit.Whenever you train your self in this way generally complete the chain, When you get started with a benefit and operate straight back to a characteristic always put the requirement it satisfies on the stop of your sequence. Doing this builds up psychological connections inside your storage and will work towards offering you automated recall of your total sequence no matter what weblink you begin from. Sales Training
Psychological connections inside your
By frequently practising the chains you arrange your knowledge of features and benefits into memorable chunks of knowledge associated with a buyer need to have. Once you practise the stores in the opposite direction, or get started with an attribute, you are yet again conditioning the connecting links and producing the relationships unforgettable from more starting up points.So whether or not a customer features a necessity and you need to immediately recall the feature and related advantages of which need. Or you would like to present the features and benefits of your products and the requires that they can meet up with. Practising the chains will assist you to feel on your toes. Sales Training
So whether or not
Select a need to have and exhaust your knowledge from the features and benefits that can meet that require. Then proceed trying to find ways that your services and products can satisfy the need.If you contemplate a subject your mind will come up with the best solutions it can. Some of these answers will teach you features and benefits, which will satisfy the customer's will need, which you hadn't considered in the past. You will start exploring the backlinks between requirements - capabilities - benefits through a new frame which will cause you to new hyperlinks and connections.
Need If you contemplate a
As an example, a client features a need to have to spend less. When you have tired full functionalities that pop into your head, supplying the advantages of reducing costs, you might improve your viewpoint to search for much more. You might move on to capabilities that instead of saving money will improve productivity or improve effectiveness and for that reason spend less in another way.This results in new back links and new stores and new possibilities for presenting your product or service, reaching client needs, and overcoming product sales objections. The stores sales instruction technique may also be used for an exercise in events and exercise sessions, as well as an ice-cubes circuit breaker activity, It's also a smart way of discovering a fresh product from the revenue angle, and a way to check the skills of your product sales staff. Additionally there is another link you could enhance the chain that may increase your conversion price as you shut much more revenue. Sales Training
Your viewpoint to search
- By repeatedly practising the stores you arrange.
- Pick a need to have and exhaust your knowledge of the features.


text:
Balin's Tomb
The site of Balin the Dwarf's burial in Moria.
The Books
History and Geography
Balin was killed at the hands of Moria orcs in T.A. 2994. He was promptly buried in a tomb in the center of the Chamber of Mazarbul. The Fellowship of the Ring, journeying through Moria in T.A. 3019, found his tomb. The tomb was the site of a battle between the Fellowship and a group of attacking orcs. The tomb was located inside the Mazarbul chamber, Balin's former seat, which itself was located off the north end of the Twenty-first Hall. A shaft of light from outside of the mountain fell directly onto Balin's Tomb, though it is not known what the shaft originally lit, if it was even in existence prior to Balin's fall.
The tomb was made of a single oblong block, about two feet high, underneath a large slab of white stone. Runes were deeply into the slab. Included in The Fellowship of the Ring: Book II: Chapter 4: A Journey in the Dark are these runes, which read:
- "BALIN FUNDINUL UZBADKHAZADDUMU BALINSONOVFUNDINLORDOVMORIA", or: "Balin Fundinul Uzbad Khazaddumu, Balin Son of Fundin Lord of Moria" (ov=of phonetically).
The Runes
The runes carved into Balin's Tomb were Daeron's Runes. These runic values were older than those of Angerthas Erebor and were used in Moria before the flight of the Dwarves, appearing on such inscriptions. Balin's Dwarves would have followed this example in such a circumstance. The top, larger runes (the first three lines) are written in Khuzdul, while the smaller ones below (the final line) were in the Common Speech.
The Dwarves never used their "true" Khuzdul names, not even in inscriptions, but rather their names in the Common Speech. Tolkien, having translated all uses of the Common Speech into modern English, rendered these names as "Balin" and "Fundin", as he did the other words in the last line of the inscription (see note on English below). The name "Moria" was used, for by the time of the inscription, it had become the accepted name for Khazad-dûm in the Common Speech.
The use of English to represent the Common Speech in primary sources such as the inscription on Balin's Tomb was a result of Tolkien's vision of completely translating all Westron into modern English, even in authentic documentation, although upon reflection Tolkien said that this translation was "an erroneous extension of the general linguistic treatment" (The_Peoples_of_Middle-earth, pp. 298-9: "Of Dwarves and Men").
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Book II: Chapter 4: A Journey in the Dark and Chapter 5: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm.
- The Treason of Isengard: Appendix on Runes
- The Peoples of Middle-earth: "Of Dwarves and Men"
The Films
Portrayal & Behind the Scenes
Balin's Tomb is portrayed on film exactly as described in the book. The runes on the tomb are copied verbatim. Alan Lee was likely the conceptualizer of the tomb, maintaining the rigid, blocky style characteristic of the Dwarves (see Dwarven design), and fitting Tolkien's original description. Grant Major specifically tried to retain the evocative image of the shaft of light landing directly on Balin's Tomb in the film sequence. In the film, Balin's Tomb is destroyed by the Cave-troll during the Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul.
- Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition DVD Audio Commentaries (Scene 35)
- Alan Lee's The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook: "Moria"
Related Links
Location: Khazad-dûm | Seventh Level | Twenty-first Hall | Chamber of Mazarbul


text:
Master Brice's ATA Martial Arts
Our Mission Statement
"Making America Strong One Black Belt At A Time"
Brice's ATA Martila Arts is dedicated to providing the best quality Martial Arts Programs available,
with state-of-the-art facilities,
a nationally certified instructional staff who will provide for the needs of our membership
with exceptional customer service and a comprehensive Martial Arts Curriculum.
Our goal is to inspire each and every member to achieve Black Belt Leadership Excellence through goal setting,
life skills and positive role models.
We will provide a safe, fun and positive learning environment for students of all ages
while fostering growth in our students' personal development both physically and mentally.
We are committed to providing quality martial arts instruction to each and every student.
To begin your Black Belt Leadership Training Call Now!
FREE VIP Trial Lessons!
3 Locations to Serve You:


text:
At Stackmeup.com™, we are committed to maintaining your privacy and your trust. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, protect, use and share information about you that you decide to share when you use the Stackmeup.com website (the "Site"). We hope this information increases your confidence in Stackmeup and enhances your experience on our Site. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and subject to the Terms of Use. Each time that you use the Site, you signify that you agree to be bound by the Terms of Use and this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy, you must discontinue using the Service and/or terminate your membership.
Stackmeup.com™ has been designed to enable you to interact with our site while providing you with privacy settings that restrict other users from accessing your information. We allow you to choose the information you provide to Stackmeup.com™ and our community. Our network architecture and your privacy settings allow you to make informed choices about who has access to your information. We do not provide contact information to third party marketers without your permission. We share your information with third parties only in limited circumstances where we believe such sharing is 1) reasonably necessary to offer the service, 2) legally required or, 3) permitted by you. You can change profile information at any time and how other members and affiliates interact with you.
When you visit Stackmeup.com™ and opt-in, you provide us with two types of information: basic personal information you knowingly choose to disclose to us (your name, your email address, your zip code, your gender, level of education, etc.) and Web Site use information collected by us as you interact with our Web Site.
When you use Stackmeup.com™, you may choose to join and interact with members of our community, learn from the information you input, set up your private personal profile, agree to be showcased as a top performer, be listed as a local expert, form relationships, send messages, ask questions, and transmit information through various channels. Right about now you should feel pretty empowered. And perhaps somewhat grateful (not in a bow down kind of way of course, more in the "hey cool, thanks" camp.) We collect this information for you so that we can provide you with accurate information, the service overall and offer personalized features. The more information users enter, the more knowledge they receive in return. Our data is always updating itself, and in many sections, it becomes more detailed with every entry. There is an overwhelming amount of information available out there, and we want to help you easily filter that information to become more educated about everything and anything that pertains to your personal success and potential happiness. But again, you can be selective on the site. If you don't want to be featured in the "Top 100 Stackers", then you don't have to. If you wish to share some of your personal accomplishments from your personal profile within our community you can, but can choose which you can keep private. When you update information, we usually keep a backup copy of the prior version for a reasonable period of time to enable reversion to the prior version of that information to save you time an enhance your experience.
When you join our community, you create your own profile and privacy settings. Your profile information, as well as your screen name and photo are displayed to people in the network to allow you to connect with other members. Your real name is never displayed on the Site (unless you use it as your screen name).
Your privacy is important and we are committed to protecting information that identifies you personally, where you have chosen to keep it private. We will only share personal information that you provide outside the public areas of our services in the following circumstances:
Advertisements that appear on Stackmeup.com™ are sometimes delivered (or "served") directly to users by third
party advertisers. They automatically receive your IP address when this happens. These third party advertisers may
also download cookies to your computer, or use other technologies such as JavaScript and "web beacons" (also known as "1x1 gifs") to measure the effectiveness of their ads and to personalize advertising content. Doing this allows the advertising network to recognize your computer each time they send you an advertisement in order to measure the
effectiveness of their ads and to personalize advertising content. In this way, they may compile information about where individuals using your computer or browser saw their advertisements and determine which advertisements are clicked. Stackmeup.com™ does not have access to or control of the cookies that may be placed by the third party
advertisers. Third party advertisers have no access to your private information stored on Stackmeup.com™
This privacy policy covers the use of cookies by Stackmeup.com™ and does not cover the use of cookies or other tracking technologies by any of its advertisers.
E-mail Management
We hate SPAM. Our site is designed for you to minimize any unwanted messages. We will make it a point to not
email you unless you want to be kept up to date on top performers, your own performance, community news, updated information, etc. We respect your desire to manage and limit e-mail correspondence. Generally, you may opt out of such emails from the profile page, though Stackmeup.com™ reserves the right to occasionally send you important
notices about your account even if you opt out of all voluntary email notifications.
Opting Out of Collection of Information
To receive cash and prizes or join our community to exchange information and gain access to local experts you must opt-in for the best possible user experience and access to information. You have the option of opting-out, but will not receive the benefits offered above.
Children Under Age 16
Stackmeup.com™ does not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from anyone under the age of 16 or knowingly allow such persons to register. If you are under 16, please do not attempt to register for Stackmeup.com™. No one under age 13 may provide any personal information to or on Stackmeup.com™. In the event that we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us at email@example.com.
Children Between the Ages of 13 and 18
We recommend that minors over the age of 13 ask their parents for permission before sending any information about themselves over the Internet.
Storage and Security of Information
By using Stackmeup.com™ you are consenting to have your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States and all privacy laws therein. Stackmeup.com™ has taken reasonable steps to protect the information users share with us, including, but not limited to, setup of processes, equipment and software to avoid unauthorized access or disclosure of this information. We have implemented software and hardware security, including firewalls, data encryption, and private networks intended to protect your personally identifiable information from unauthorized access. We use firewalls and intrusion-detection devices that are designed to defend against hackers and notify us if any attempts are made to compromise our network. We regularly review additional software upgrades to enhance our security measures. However, despite our efforts, no system can completely guarantee that there will never be unauthorized access to your personally identifiable information, and your use of the Site
indicates that you are willing to assume this risk. Because email and instant messaging are not recognized as secure communications, we request that you not send private information to us by email or instant messaging services.
If you are using the Site from outside the United States, by providing your information to this Site, you are consenting to the transfer of your information to the United States for processing and maintaining in accordance with this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. You are also consenting to the application of United States law in all matters concerning this Site.
Please note that this policy and our terms of use may be amended from time to time. We will inform you if we substantially modify the way we handle your personally identifiable information by posting a notice on the Site, and we will give you the opportunity to opt-out of such differing uses. We encourage you to refer to this policy on an ongoing basis so that you understand our current privacy policy. Unless stated otherwise, our current privacy policy applies to all information that we have about you and your account. You should check back for the most current version before relying on any of the provisions in this privacy policy. Your use of Stackmeup.com™, and any disputes arising from it, is subject to this Privacy Policy as well as our Terms of Use and all of its dispute resolution provisions including arbitration, limitation on damages and choice of law.
Date of Last Revision: October, 2008.
All rights reserved ©Stackmeup.com, 2008


text:
Date: Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (CT)
Cost: $60
Program Level: Basic CPE Credits: 1 Hour
Delivery: Group-Internet Based Prerequisites: None
Advance Prep: None Field of Study: Accounting
Instructor: Phil Fischer
This course is designed for those individuals who wish to gain a broad understanding of introductory Joint Interest Accounting. It will discuss how accounting procedures have evolved and changes to provisions impacting JI Accounting.
Learning Objectives: By the end of this class you will be able to
Register at the bottom of this page.
Click here to read the COPAS Complaint Policy
Click here to read the COPAS Refund Policy
Council of Petroleum Accountants Societies (COPAS), Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.


text:
Worldprofit Home Business & Affiliate Marketing
329 members541 Comments 16 Likes
344 members1532 Comments 29 Likes
Denise . . . are You and Your Friends Getting
Your Gasoline for Half Price?
($500 Cash Signing Bonus
to First Ten From Each State)
Half-Price-Gas = GAS.PRWW.org
Join Free so You Can Check It Out Now
Only in US and Canada for Now
Half-Price-Gas and Extra Income
© 2019 Created by Worldprofit Inc.. Powered by
Badges | Report an Issue | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service


text:
If you're interested in booking a maternity session. A babywearing, lifestyle, or family session. In Plant City, Tampa, Lakeland, or surrounding areas such as... St Petersburg, Clearwater. Winter Haven, Auburndale, Celebration. Orlando, Winter Park, and more, please take a moment to contact Petal & Vine Photography.
If you're looking for more photos of babies and families, or if you want to stay up to date with the happenings here at Petal & Vine, be sure to follow our Facebook Page to keep up. :)


text:
Winter 1999
Surface wreckage
Three books showing accidental collages of torn posters an other random marks revive interest in a style of image-making drawn from the city streets
Jonathan Miller has an international reputation as one Britain's most versatile figures in the arts. He qualified as a doctor, came to fame as a satirist and performer, directed a television film of Alice in Wonderland, and wrote a study debunking Marshall McLuhan. His thirteen-part TV series on the history of medicine, The Body in Question, is a milestone. In his spare moments, he has directed more than 50 opera productions in London, New York, Paris, Florence and Berlin.
What we didn't know, until the publication of a new book, is that for nearly 30 years Miller has used a cheap automatic camera to take photographs of details – "pictures of bits" – in the street. Nowhere in Particular shows dozens of images of torn, scuffed, battered, rusted, cracked and peeling surfaces. Miller describes them as "negligible things to which one would normally pay no attention at all. Nevertheless," he continues, "these fragments and details attracted my eye and I felt the irresistible urge to record them."
In his introduction, he draws comparisons with the scenic details painted around the year 1800 by artists who felt them worthy to be pictures in their own right. This is interesting, but gives no hint of the contemporary context for an activity that Miller seems half inclined to play down as "random scavenging". What he doesn't mention is the degree to which such "bits" have seduced many artists, photographers and designers in the twentieth century. The torn posters on the cover of his book – one face appears almost to be dreaming the other – belong to an established, though admittedly off-beat, genre of image-making. Part of the fascination of Nowhere in Particular lies in observing this way of seeing being pursued for many years, almost obsessively, by a casual, non-professional photographer with no immediate artistic use for the images in mind.
The American photographer Walker Evans was one of the first to focus on street posters and signs as sources of insight into the society that created them. In Torn Movie Poster, taken in 1930, the movie stars' glamorous heads are divided by a gash that begins in the top right corner and narrows to a fissure across the starlet's face. Evans's tight close-up excludes most of the poster because it is the fault-line destabilising the image that he wants us to see. In Minstrel Showbill, Alabama, taken in 1936, he shows the entire poster, with some of the surrounding wall. This time, a much greater proportion has been torn away and the bricks are re-emerging from behind a patronising scene of "comical" black folk running round a yard. The abrasions of the elements, assisted perhaps by the hands of passers-by, strip away a dubious message.
The idea that mangled street posters might be physically appropriated for artistic purposes is attributed to Léo Malet, a French poet, who was briefly a member of André Breton's Surrealist group. In the mid-1930s, observing the processes by which pristine printed images were transformed, Malet proposed a new form of Surrealist street poetry shaped by chance. "Soon," he wrote, "collage will be executed without scissors, without a razor, without paste . . . Abandoning the artist's table and his pasteboard, it will take its place on the walls of the city, the unlimited field of poetic realisations." Commercial artists would supply the raw materials and passing pedestrians, aided by wind and rain, would intervene to unlock new meanings never intended by the designers, as fragments of earlier images, hidden below the top poster, were once again exposed to view.
Malet's idea of décollage remained a theory until the 1950s when two French artists, Jacques de La Villeglé and Raymond Hains, began, unknowingly, to put it into practice. Hains was unhappy with the black and white photographs he had been taking of torn posters and decided to pull down these ready-made collages and take them home. He later moved on to other forms of artistic practice, but Villeglé – a mixture of artist, collector and documentarist – stayed loyal to this way of working for his entire career. Each piece would be titled with the place of discovery, the month and year – "Windsor-Cinéma, February 1959", "Boulevard Richard Lenoir, 22 September 1964", and so on. Cut loose from their original poster sites, mounted on canvas and displayed in the quiet of the art gallery, they have enormous gestural energy and an aesthetic power that comes from endless, unpredictable collisions of colour, ragged line, word-shape and image.
To describe the random forces that brought these images into being, Villeglé coined the term Lacéré Anonyme. He saw this "anonymous lacerator" as the mythic embodiment of the crowd's anarchy and dissent as it defaced every attempt at persuasion by commercial and bureaucratic authorities. His own modest role was to act as curator and select singular specimens from the lacerator's vast oeuvre.
For designers, the public fate of their efforts offered a spectacle both peculiar and fascinating, as dreams of abundance were reduced to images of transience and decay. In the early 1960s, while Hains, Villeglé, Mimmo Rotella, Asger Jorn and other affichistes wrenched posters from the hoardings, Herbert Spencer was documenting these chance depredations with his camera. In his pictures of "strange juxtapositions revealed through the sad ribbons of torn posters", he seems almost to delight in recording the dissolution of an order he spent his days as a designer attempting to impose. His photographs of broken shop-front lettering, scarified posters and graffiti-pocked walls disclose an urban panorama in which signs of official communication have frayed into an impromptu poetry of tattered logos, shattered copylines and stuttering letterforms. In a picture of a St. Pancras street, the one-way sign is sucked in and nullified by a churning backdrop that, if it weren't for a Heinz label, would feel closer in mood to an Abstract Expressionist daub by Robert Motherwell than an ad.
Designers were quick to see that the street's haphazard visual fabric could be used as inspiration for new kinds of design. In 1961, the most concentrated analysis of these possibilities came from Robert Brownjohn, an American designer then resident in London. Brownjohn's photo-essay "Street Level", for Herbert Spencer's Typographica magazine (see Eye no. 31 vol. 8), has 31 pages of his pictures taken on a single trip around the city. They catalogue irregular word spacing; missing, misaligned, eroded and overlapping letters; handwritten signs; type distorted by glass. "The things they show have very little to do with Design, apart from achieving its object," Brownjohn notes (my italics). "They show what weather, wit, accident, lack of judgement, bad taste, bad spelling, necessity, and good loud repetition can do to put a sort of music into the streets where we walk."
By displaying professional design projects next to samples of primitive and accidental street typography, Brownjohn transformed an ad hoc way of seeing common to many designers into a manifesto for purposeful scanning of the street. In the years that followed, a "street level" sensibility and fascination with vernacular design became one of the cornerstones of experimental graphics. From the late Swiss typographer Hans-Rudolf Lutz (see Eye no. 23 vol. 6) to David Carson, designers embraced the street's disorder as an alternative ordering principle in their work. The camera continues to be an essential tool for gathering these treasures, especially when travelling abroad. In 1991, Lutz published a photo-essay, "Graphic Design as a Live Art", based on photographs of South American streets. In some of his most arresting examples, the same found poster image of a grimacing woman in glasses is shown six times, each example subject to a different type or degree of environmental attrition.
Carson has sometimes noted his aesthetic debt to Lutz, and in his lectures in the 1990s he showed slides of peeling posters seen on walls in Mexico and elsewhere that inspired his own typographic method. He didn't necessarily import these images directly into his designs any more than Brownjohn and his colleagues had done 30 years earlier. Usually, it was a matter of allowing the shapes and colours to percolate in his mind, and then devising combinations of type and image with similar qualities of randomness, unpredictability and ambiguity. As Brownjohn expressed it, with laconic precision: "Bad word spacing can happen. Or it can be designed."
Why do images of torn posters and damaged signs exert such a powerful hold? And what is it that distinguishes one specimen of "chance art" – as Herbert Spencer called it – from the next? "The fact is, most of the torn posters or hand-lettered signs that I come across are not interesting," Carson told an interviewer. "But every now and then, the elements come together in a way that I find pleasing . . . and that's totally subjective and intuitive or my part. I'm not sure I understand myself what makes one thing visually interesting to me, while another strikes me as being just ordinary."
What is so striking about Jonathan Miller's "negligible" images is how aesthetically resolved, how right to the eye, they seem. They are compelling as a collection, but many stand up in their own right. Miller and his designers have taken a number of decisions that intensify their impact. The majority are shown same size as the original prints and, except for a few full-bleed pages, most are surrounded by white space. There are no page numbers or captions and Miller makes no attempt to give their origins in time and location (hence the title: Nowhere in Particular) although there are sometimes internal clues. The unanticipated colour changes produced by a cheap developing process – Miller, like Carson in his new book Fotografiks*, used an ordinary snapshot service – introduce a further element of chance and level of disassociation from the original scene. "In the final outcome," says Miller, "I preferred what I got to the picture I thought I was taking."
For Miller, these images are "abstract designs" drawn from the wreckage of real surfaces, but even at their most abstract they are still artificial constructions readable as traces of the people who made them and viewed them, an unseen but persistent presence. That they offer documentary evidence of things no longer working or wanted, of demolition and undoing, of entropy at large in the world, only adds to their poignancy (Spencer's "sad ribbons"). Where fragments of people are glimpsed – an arm, an eye, a pair of lips – this sensation is even more acute. In one picture, a man's face has been neatly excised, leaving only an immaculately combed head of hair. Among the torn edges of his new face is the sharp form of an uppercase "A", a visual rhyme with the triangular shape of his hairline and brow. Whoever he was, whatever he was trying to tell us, he has become "Exhibit A" in a case that will never be solved.
"Every photographed object," writes Jean Baudrillard, "is merely the trace left behind by the disappearance of all the rest. It is an almost perfect crime, an almost total resolution of the world, which merely leaves the illusion of a particular object shining forth, the image of which becomes an impenetrable enigma."
In characteristically ecstatic language, Baudrillard comes closest, perhaps, to capturing the magnetic lure of the torn poster image. In an essay prompted by his own activities as a photographer, he reflects on the "dizzying impact" and "magical eccentricity" of the perpetual photographic detail, and on the world's refusal to yield up its meaning in photographs. Discontinuity and fragmentation are inescapable conditions of photography, and if this is always a factor drawing us to a photograph – any photograph – then the torn poster photograph carries a double charge. In its ravaged paper surface, an inherently discontinuous medium finds a perfect, enigmatic match.
* Jonathan Miller. Nowhere in Particular. Mitchell Beazley, 1999
* David Carson. Fotografiks. Text by Philip B. Meggs. Laurence King, 1999
* Jean Baudrillard. Photographies Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz, 1999
First published in Eye no. 34 vol. 9, 1999