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Quebec hotel sues former guest over online review
QUEBEC CITY — In what is believed to be a legal first in Canada — and a potential landmark case that could help to define the limits of free speech in cyberspace — a hotel is suing a former guest for $95,000 in damages over a review he wrote on the travel site TripAdvisor.
It also wants the negative review, which is still online, taken down.
But the lawyer for the Montreal man who wrote the review says the "frivolous" defamation lawsuit will be quashed in court like the bedbugs her client claims he found in his room.
That's not how the hotel sees it.
"Cleanliness is the name of the game in the hotel business," said Quebec City lawyer William Noonan, who filed the motion in Quebec Superior Court here last month on behalf of l'Hôtel Québec.
"Hotel owners can't be upset with someone who doesn't like their service. But when people start yelling 'Bedbugs!' they'd better have proof."
According to the motion, Montreal building contractor Laurent Azoulay checked into l'Hôtel Québec in the Quebec City suburb of Sainte-Foy on April 26 for a two-night stay with his son, who was playing in an atom hockey tournament.
The 204-room, four-star property is one of seven in the local Hôtels Jaro chain, which is owned by area businessman Jacques Robitaille.
"During the (first) night," reads the motion, "the defendant claims to have discovered in his room a scourge for hotels around the world — bedbugs."
The hotel, it adds, was unable to give Azoulay another room because it was fully booked that night.
It says Azoulay also refused to go to another of the chain's hotels nearby (wanting to remain in the same hotel as his son's hockey team) and returned to his room for the night.
The next morning, a Saturday, Azoulay allegedly insisted on meeting Robitaille to discuss the situation.
When that didn't happen, he checked out of the hotel and threatened to write a bad review about the property on TripAdvisor.
Later that day, Azoulay posted a review on TripAdvisor about what he termed his "nightmare" stay at l'Hôtel Québec.
"At first this hotel looks okay," it reads, "until you wake at 3AM (sic) because you've been scratching all over and realize your bed is infested with BED BUGS!"
Azoulay goes on to recount his version of events before issuing this warning:
"Beware of BED BUGS! If you are looking for a scratch-free night sleep, stay elsewhere, you will be doing you and your loved ones a favour! Trust me … and that's why the Internet is a great tool!"
The review has received 176 votes from readers as being "helpful."
It is also one of 16 "Terrible" reviews of l'Hôtel Québec on TripAdvisor, which ranks the hotel 62nd among 99 area hotels.
Azoulay's review, however, is the only one that mentions bedbugs.
According to Noonan, the hotel decided to sue when Azoulay refused repeated requests for him to return to Quebec City and meet with Robitaille to resolve the issue.
"He made this big fuss and then he thinks he can just walk away," Noonan told The Gazette. "But his actions have hurt the hotel a lot. We've had numerous people call and tell us they weren't staying because of it, and cancel reservations."
Noonan notably questioned Azoulay's claim about bedbugs.
"There are 204 rooms in that hotel and it had never had a single complaint about bedbugs before that night," he said. "If there were some there — and in his room only — how did they get there and where did they go?"
Noonan said he hasn't heard of similar cases in Quebec or Canada.
However, a hotel in Illinois sued a Massachusetts couple for what it said was a false bedbug claim on TripAdvisor.com.
That case is still before the courts.
Though she refused to discuss details, Azoulay's lawyer, Muriel Librati, said her client intends to fight the case, which is expected to be heard here in early December.
"The way he's been treated is deplorable," the Westmount lawyer said. "They are insisting my client put bedbugs in his room and that he is just trying to get money from them."
Azoulay, she added, has pictures of bedbug bites on him and his son, as well as a video showing several bedbugs they caught and put in a glass before killing them.
"This case is frivolous," Librati said. "TripAdvisor is an open forum for people to post reviews. Suing over a negative one is a perfect example of libel chill."
Philippe Viel agrees.
"The court system is too complex, long and expensive as a recourse for an individual consumer who has suffered an injustice," said Viel, director of communications for the Union des Consommateurs, a Montreal-based federation of 11 Quebec consumer protection groups.
Sites like TripAdvisor, he added, help to level the playing field.
"They give consumers more power by providing them with a fast, easy and free way to express their frustration and to get a company's attention (and) hopefully get satisfaction," Viel said.
The problem with online discussion groups and forums like TripAdvisor, he added, is the lack of control over the veracity of reviews.
"Like political parties do with blogs and opinion pieces, many businesses are now hiring people to write glowing reviews about them — or bad ones about their competitors," Viel said.
He urged travellers to be cautious in regards to online reviews, and rely instead on travel professionals and travel guides for more accurate information.
Danielle Lefrançois, the communications manager in the Montreal office of Advertising Standards Canada, echoed that warning.
"The use of supposedly neutral blogs and forums on the Internet to promote goods and services is a big problem," Lefrançois said.
She added that her group, a self-regulatory body run by the advertising industry that investigates complaints about the veracity of claims and testimonials on corporate websites, has never received any complaints about online review sites like TripAdvisor.
But she advises consumers to be wary when consulting them.
"Even honest reviews reflect individual opinion," she said. "And people sometimes have unrealistic expectations and are easily disappointed."


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5 Years Since The Diagnosis
This blog post will find you a couple days before World AIDS Day which is on December 1st, 2017. Although we deal with HIV/AIDS awareness and education and what not on this day, the work does not stop and start on one day. It is an on going thing.
I chose this time to write this blog post, because today marks 5 years since, I found out that I had contracted HIV. I will never forget that day for as long as I shall live. It was in 2012.
I had went in for my routine testing which was every 3-6 months. I acknowledged that I was doing some risky sexual behaviors. Mind you I was a former sex worker, amateur porn star, and just living dangerously. I did hard drugs which is a constant struggle, but I'm yet holding on.
I had already had a dream months prior that I would end up positive, but the next day I had taken a test that came back negative, meaning that at that time I was not termed positive or the test was non reactive. However, a few months later I decided to get tested again just for a follow up.
The test came back positive. I was strangely at peace, but I knew that I would be okay. I began my medical regimine and I have been undetectable. Undetectable means that the medicine or antiretroviral treatment is working and that the viral load levels is at a point to where it reduces transmission. According to Tyler Curry on Huffington Post "Once a person achieves an undetectable status, it is possible to remain at this level provided that the person is compliant with their ART medication."
I advise that if you are sexually active and not sexually active that you do get educated concerning HIV. Please also get tested if you are sexually active. Knowing and education is key. Although there is prep, unfortunately not everyone has access to prep. Some areas in the US and throughout the world do not have the funding or resources to care for those affected by HIV and not many have access to prep due to issues with insurance and miseducation.
Yes, prep is helpful for HIV, but it does not protect against other STIs. Please use protection. Use a condom. Know your partner's status. Limit your sexual partners and know your status. If you are positive get in treatment and stay in treatment.
Love ya,
Yannick, The Priestess

subset: commoncrawl


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Yesterday my roommate and I ventured up to York University to attend the Rogers Cup WTA tennis tournament. The tennis was amazing, but we couldn't help but question not only why York University is home to this tournament (being so far away from downtown), but also why York is where it is at all. It took us over an hour to get there via public transportation including 3 transfers and a long walk. We watched the quarter final matches and the Rexall Centre was largely empty – surely more people would attend if it was more accessible. Why didn't they build the National Tennis Centre somewhere that's at least on the subway line?
Here's an article from Sports Venue Technology (a website devoted to the sports venue industry) that discusses the inception of the Rexall Centre and Canada's National Tennis Centre.


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Meet the experts: Terry Purcell on coding predicates in outer joins
Advanced outer join constructs
Part 2 of 2
Content series:
This content is part # of # in the series: Meet the experts: Terry Purcell on coding predicates in outer joins
This content is part of the series:Meet the experts: Terry Purcell on coding predicates in outer joins
Stay tuned for additional content in this series.
© 2002 International Business Machines Corporation. All rights reserved.
This is part two of my column in which I attempt to make it easier for you to understand and use the powerful outer join feature of the SQL language.
Part one provided a simple comparison of inner and outer joins, and also introduced new terminology for explaining the tables in the outer join operations. Finally, I discussed the different predicate types and at what stages DB2 ® is able to apply them.
In this part, I will provide background on coding predicates on the NULL-supplying table, how DB2 may simplify your query to improve performance, and what steps you can take to ensure that you get the results you expect.
Left and right outer join NULL-supplying table predicates
Outer join simplification
To recap some terminology that I introduced in Part 1:
- The preserved row table is the table for which rows are preserved for an unmatched row in the join operation.
- The NULL-supplying table is the table for which rows are supplied with NULLs for an unmatched row in the join.
Whereas the most overwhelming attribute of a WHERE clause predicate applied to the preserved-row table is that DB2 can apply the predicate before or after the join; a WHERE clause predicate applied to the NULL-supplying table has a very different impact, in that it causes DB2 to simplify the join if the predicate negates NULLs introduced by the outer join.
To explain what I mean by this, see Figure 13 , which shows an example of a WHERE clause predicate that references the NULL-supplying table.
Left Outer Join -- join simplification
A WHERE clause predicate must evaluate to TRUE for a row to qualify. If
there is an unmatched row in the join, the columns from the NULL-supplying
table are NULL. When DB2 compares the WHERE clause predicate
D.DEPTNAME NOT LIKE '%CENTER%' to a NULL, the result is
neither TRUE nor FALSE, but UNKNOWN. This row is not returned because it
does not evaluate to TRUE. Thus, NULLs that are supplied by the left outer
join are negated by the WHERE clause predicate. This causes DB2 to
determine that a left outer join is unnecessary, and it causes the query
to be rewritten as an inner join, which may or may not be what you
intended when you coded the query.
The advantage to having DB2 rewrite the left outer as an inner join is that performance might improve. The predicate that is applied to table D can now be applied before the join, rather than after, since it now references a non-NULL-supplying table. Preserved-row and NULL-supplying are unrelated terms for inner joins; given that there will never be an unmatched row that is returned in the join, that is, both tables are non-NULL-supplying.
Preserving NULLs
If this outer join simplification does not give you the results you wanted
-- that is, you require that the NULL (or optional) rows be returned --
then use
OR D.DEPTNAME IS NULL to preserve the NULLs in the
answer set.
An example of this is shown in Figure 14.
Left Outer Join: NULL preservation
DB2 must apply the WHERE clause predicate after the join, because it is
not known until after the join whether the row has been matched (and thus
the first part of the predicate --
D.DEPTNAME NOT LIKE '%CENTER%' -- applies) or unmatched (and
thus the second part of the predicate --
OR D.DEPTNAME IS NULL -- applies).
Before-join predicates
What happens if you choose to code the WHERE clause predicate to be applied by DB2 upon the NULL-supplying table before the join?
If you do this, there is no WHERE clause predicate to limit rows on the preserved-row table or in the final result. You are only limiting rows from the NULL-supplying table. Figure 15 shows the result of this.
Predicates on NULL-supplying table
Figure 16 shows that if you recode the before-join predicate to an ON clause predicate, the same results are returned.
Predicates on NULL-supplying table: simplified
Whether the rows from the NULL-supplying table are filtered before or during the join is a matter for performance only, and DB2 decides this based on the join method used. For producing the correct result, either method is valid. Because the row does not match in the join, removing the row before the join does not affect the output.
DB2 is able (from Version 6 on) to merge any unnecessary nested table expressions such as those on the NULL-supplying table ( Figure 15 ) to be rewritten as a single query block and applied as a during-join or before-join predicate ( Figure 16 ).
Full outer join NULL-supplying table predicates
Outer join simplification
The rule for outer join simplification that is applicable to left and right outer joins is also valid for full joins. A WHERE clause predicate applied to the NULL-supplying table that causes the NULLs to be negated causes DB2 to simplify the join. Because both tables supply NULLs, this clause negates NULLs regardless of which table it is applied to.
Figure 17 shows an example of a WHERE clause predicate applied to a full outer join, which causes DB2 to simplify the join.
Full Outer Join: join simplification
Without join simplification, the predicate is applied as a totally-after-join predicate. Given that the optimizer can determine that the predicate negates NULLs, it can rewrite the query as a left outer join. A full outer join can be rewritten as either a left or right outer join, depending on the table join sequence chosen.
Rewriting the query as a left outer join means that the WHERE predicate can now be applied as a before-join predicate, resulting in fewer rows being joined. If the WHERE clause predicates negate the NULLs from both tables, then simplification causes the query to be rewritten as an inner join. Executing the query as an inner join allows predicates on both tables to be applied before the join.
Join simplification can be identified by the JOIN_TYPE column of the explain (plan table) output. A value of 'L' indicates that the join has been simplified to a left outer join (as there is no runtime right outer join), and a 'blank' indicates an inner join.
Preserving NULLs
If you require that the NULLs from both tables be returned in the result set, alter the WHERE clause predicate to ensure that they are not removed.
Figure 18 shows an example of a WHERE clause predicate that does preserves NULLs. COALESCE returns the first value in the list that is not NULL. Thus, the WHERE comparison is always against an actual value (unless the column is defined to allow NULLs).
Full Outer Join: NULL preservation
In the example shown in Figure 18 , the WHERE clause predicate is applied totally after the join, because the WHERE predicate depends on columns from both tables.
Is there a better alternative?
Before-join predicates
You can get better performance by coding the query to apply these predicates before the join (as shown in Figure 19 ).
Full Outer Join: NULL preservation alternative
Be careful when coding multiple outer joins
Missing rows
In Part one , I mentioned that obtaining the correct result is the major focus when writing any SQL statement. And with multiple joins involving outer joins, it is very easy to accidentally lose rows based upon the source of the join predicates.
Of course, I have already explained that columns from a NULL-supplied table will be NULL for an unmatched row. If a column from a NULL-supplied table is referenced as a join predicate in a subsequent join, then NULL will never equate, and thus a further match will not be made. Without interrogating the data, there may be no indication that these rows are missing, because it is possible that outer join simplification was not necessary by DB2. Outer join simplification is at least identifiable in the plan table (based on JOIN_TYPE column).
Figure 20 shows an example of a NULL-supplied column that is used in a subsequent join.
Multiple Outer Joins: Missing Rows
Step 1 applies the before-join predicate. Step 2 performs the left outer join. The left outer join from the department and employee tables (step 2) does not produce a matching row in this example. Thus, when step 3 is performed (subsequent left outer join to the project table), the value of the join predicate from the previous join is NULL, because it was from the NULL-supplied table. The row is still preserved, however, because it is a left outer join. For an inner join, the row would not have been preserved.
Finding missing rows
If you ensure that subsequent join predicates always refer to columns from preserved-row tables, the true value will be available for the later join. This is an extremely important point to ensure that the correct rows are returned in the join.
Figure 21 shows an example whereby the second join refers to a join predicate from the preserved-row table.
Multiple Outer Joins: Finding Missing Rows
In this example, I have corrected the error from the previous example ( Figure 20 ). The resultant data from step 2 (first left outer join) contains the actual value 'D01' from the preserved row table. This value is used in step 3 (subsequent left outer join) to match against the project table, rather than against NULL.
The dependence on join sequence for this query requires that the department table be accessed first. The DB2 for z/OS TM optimizer (from Version 6 on) is able to determine the remaining join sequences based on the lowest cost, rather than the coding sequence. Each of the joins highlighted as step 2 and 3 depend on the department table only, and not on each other.
For full outer joins, it is more difficult to specify a join column from the preserved-row (or non-NULL-supplying) table, because both tables can supply NULLs. You must always specify the COALESCE clause to ensure that a preserved value is always specified by the join. For example:
Nesting outer joins
Outer join simplification
I have described the situation in which a WHERE clause causes DB2 to simplify the outer join. But there is also a situation in which the ON clause can cause this simplification to occur, and that is when an outer join is nested within another outer join. This type of simplification performed by DB2 is only briefly explained in the DB2 Application Programming and SQL Guide .
Nesting joins appear to defy the following rule for coding an ON clause: the ON clause must immediately succeed the join for which it relates. This is shown in Figure 22 .
Outer Join Nesting -- join simplification
In Figure 22 , table D is"left joined" to the result of the full outer join of table P and E. Thus, the ON clause dictates that the join between P and E occurs first. This becomes more logical if you strategically place parentheses and indent the query for readability, such as:
The parentheses more easily show that the full outer join is performed first, and that the resultant table is the right table of a left outer join.
After the full outer join (step 1), the result contains NULLs that are supplied from either the left or right table for any unmatched rows. Next, the Department table is left joined to that result set (step 2). For step 2, there are no rows in D that can equal the supplied NULLs, so these rows are not joined. The consequence is that the NULLs are negated by the final ON clause. Therefore, DB2 realizes that there is no requirement for a full join to be coded initially.
The full outer join from the previous example can be rewritten by the DB2 optimizer as a left outer join (as in Figure 23 ).
Outer Join Nesting: query rewrite
Now there are no NULL-supplied rows negated by the ON clause.
Preserving NULLs
To avoid DB2 performing this simplification, or more importantly, to maintain all rows introduced by the full outer join from Figure 22 , use COALESCE to ensure that the resultant join column is not NULL.
Outer Join Nesting: NULL preservation
The presence of COALESCE ensures that the subsequent join column cannot be NULL. COALESCE dictates that when the column is NULL-supplied take the value from the preserved row table. For example, when the left table is preserved, the right is NULL-supplied, and vice versa.
Now, because of COALESCE, there aren't any NULLs introduced on the subsequent join column, and thus no rows are inadvertently negated by the ON clause.
Important: As I mentioned earlier, any subsequent table join after a full join must contain the COALESCE in the ON clause to ensure that NULL-supplied rows are not negated by the join.
Recapping what we've learned about predicates
From the examples shown in Part 1 and 2 of this article, we can draw the following conclusions about how DB2 evaluates predicates:
WHERE clause predicates:
- Applied to a preserved-row table:
- Filter rows as either:
- Before-join predicates
- After-join-step predicates
- Totally-after-join predicates.
- Explicitly coded in a nested table expression can be written in the WHERE clause.
- Filter rows as either:
- Applied to a NULL-supplying table:
- Optimizer simplifies the join, unless the predicate includes either OR colx IS NULL or COALESCE to preserve NULLs.
- Explicitly coded in a nested table expression can be written in ON clause.
ON clause predicates:
- Only filter rows on the NULL-supplying table as with during-join predicates.
- Do not filter rows on the preserved-row table.
In this part of my discussion about outer joins I specifically focused coding predicates on the NULL-supplied table.
On the top of the list was outer join simplification, whereby a SQL coder inadvertently writes a WHERE or ON clause predicate that negates NULL-supplied rows. If a user explicitly codes the outer join, then it is unlikely that it was intentional to negate these rows. Of course, producing the correct result is the objective when coding any SQL statement.
With this newfound knowledge I hope that you are able to write your outer join queries to produce the result you expect, with the performance you desire. If nothing else I hope to have opened your eyes to the power of DB2's implementation of outer joins and given you something to think about when you code your queries.


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Maintain a Vibrant Smile By Visiting Our Plano General Dentist
To keep your smile attractive and healthy, you should visit My Dentist in Plano every six months for a dental cleaning and exam. But there's much more to general dentistry than just regular checkups. Dr. Darren Dickson and our Plano dental team offer care and treatments that will:
- Shield your teeth from cavity-causing bacteria.
- Protect your teeth against injury.
- Stop gum disease and get your mouth healthy again.
- Screen you for oral cancer and sleep apnea.
- Help you make better nutrition choices.
- Provide relief from chronic dry mouth and bad breath.
Make your appointment today for general dentistry care. Call 972-737-7039 to speak with a friendly team member. Our Preston Road location is convenient for residents in and around the 75024 Plano ZIP code.
Visit a Patient-Centered Dentist For Your Smile Care
When you turn to Dr. Dickson for your dental needs, you're enlisting the aid of an expert dentist. He was selected as one of "America's Top Dentists" by the Consumers' Research Council of America, has been voted "Texas Super Dentist" by Texas Monthly magazine, and was voted Plano's "Best Aesthetic Dentist" by Star Local Media Readers' Choice awards. He also is a faculty member at the CARD Institute (the Center for Aesthetic Restorative Dentistry) and involved in many other professional dental organizations.
One reason our patients love his care is that he provides personalized treatment to help them enjoy lifelong smiles. Here are a few of our general dentistry treatments that can help you smile confidently, too:
- Dental Cleanings and Exams – Your comprehensive checkup will include a complete dental exam, screening for oral cancer and sleep apnea, a thorough teeth cleaning, and an inspection for cavities using laser cavity detection.
- Tooth Sealants – Sealants are like raincoats for your teeth, forming a barrier between your tooth enamel and harmful bacteria.
- Fluoride Treatments and Varnishes – Fluoride helps prevent cavities and can even reverse tooth decay in the early stages.
- Gum Disease Treatment – Depending on the condition of your gums, we offer a trio of treatments to remove bacteria below the gumline – an antibiotic rinse, deep cleaning treatment, and laser treatment.
- Nutritional Counseling – We'll help you understand how your food choices affect your oral health and total body health.
- Athletic Mouthguards – Wear a custom mouthguard to help prevent dental damage during sports. You can even get special colors and prints on your mouthguard.
- Bruxism Mouthguards – Prevent damage to your tooth enamel caused by bruxism (teeth grinding).
- Treatment For Dry Mouth and Halitosis (Bad Breath) – We can help you manage these conditions through education and recommendations for specialty products.
Understand the Long-Term Goals of Our Preventive General Dentistry Care
Dr. Dickson's goal is to provide excellent preventive general dentistry care for all of his patients. He gives everyone the opportunity to choose ideal oral health, allowing them to create a plan that makes their teeth look amazing, feel great, and last for decades. Getting regular preventive dentistry will allow you to keep all your natural teeth healthy for a lifetime, prevent unwanted emergencies from toothaches and broken teeth, and even save money down the road by preventing more costly root canals and dental implants.
Keep a happy, healthy smile for life with general dentistry. Call 972-737-7039 today to schedule your appointment, or contact us online.


text: For all of you bridezillas in the making, you can now steal recent bride Kim Kardashian's Vera Wang wedding gowns for your walk down the aisle. Vera Wang is partnering with David's Bridal to release affordable versions of Kim K's fabulous bridal gowns. The dresses hit stores in Feb. 2012 & they're sure to sell out! Each gown will retail for a very small fraction of Kim's originals at $1,600 a pop. Hey, since you can't be a Kardashian why not dress like one?


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Ahead of a recent trip abroad I decided it was time to update my music collection; JLS' lp is over a week old and Frankie Cocozza won't be releasing anything until 2012 at the earliest (and I suspect even then it'll be a dubplate-only release).
With this in mind, I plumped for Rush Hour's second Virgo Four release in as many years, 'Resurrection'. The CD boasts 15 unreleased Chicago house hits from '80s tunesters Eric Lewis and Merwyn Sanders. If you get the vinyl, you're treated to twice as many tracks in a limited edition box set. Bonus.
Whilst some of the beats feel like filler – this was after all a compilation of unreleased material rather than an lp by conception, unlike their fantastic self-titled 1989 album – a handful of the tracks are Chicago gold. Sex, for example, deals with the intricacies of 'naughty times' with a base-heavy drum lick that would have made J Dilla proud (RIP). Moskaw's locomotive-inspired beats and synth baseline feel icy fresh, as if you're sat atop the Glacier Express in your birthday suit, hurtling through the Swiss Alps with a smile on your face and a chilly willy. The standout track for me, however, has to be it's a crime. Co-written by Greg Gary (great name), the soul-drenched vocals, thoughtful message and instantly hummable baseline make this track a special find.
Better still is Caribou's remix. Caribou's take on its a crime preserves the best elements; the bouncy bass remains the backbone and the rueful vocal riffs are now ably performed by Daniel Victor Snaith (Mr Caribou himself, previously known as Manitoba). As with many of the tracks on his 2010 lp Swim, this remix passes through a series of phases which grow and grow until the 3m 50s mark when a soaring baseline preludes a monster drop.
With this track on heavy rotation, I decided to check out some of the Caribou back catalogue and I've not been underwhelmed. 'The Milk of Human Kindness' has a delicate sound while last year's 'Swim' is made for the dancefloor. Both are exercises in effective songwriting.
Dave – I definitely came late to the Caribou party. The good news is it's not too late for others to learn from my mistake. The Caribou Vibration Ensemble are playing at Scala in London on 6 December for those lucky enough to have bought tickets in time. If not, check out Nightmare Before Christmas in Minehead between 9-11 December which is co-curated by Caribou. And if you can't make that, Snaith has put a delightful, download-friendly mix together ahead of the festival here.


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When people are meeting for the first time, the first thing that they notice about the other person is their eyes. Next to that, their eyes are drawn to the teeth and lastly, to the hair. More and more people today are getting cosmetic dental work to improve the appearance of their smile. It may not seem like it, but dental cleanings are just as, if not more, important. Dental cleanings may not have much of a cosmetic affect, but they are critical in avoiding diseases related to poor dental care. Here are three key reasons why regular dental teeth cleanings are important.
Brushing Does Not Guarantee Prevention of Diseases
Regular tooth brushing is limited for the reason that it cannot get to hard-to-reach areas around teeth. Thus, dentists recommend the use of electric toothbrushes instead of non-electric ones. Apart from the hard-to-reach areas such as fissures and pits, plaque buildup can occur on the chewing surfaces of teeth. This can happen even with regular brushings.
For areas between teeth, dentists recommend the use of dental floss, and a special toothbrush called an interdental brush. In some cases, a dentist may suggest the use of oral irrigators and special toothpicks.
Inevitable Need for Tartar Removal
Even with the use of special cleaning tools, your Columbia MD dentist still wants you to make dental visits on a regular basis. This is because tartar buildup is inevitable. It is going to happen no matter what, and your dentist is the best person who can properly manage the buildup of tartar. Your dentist may recommend on one of your visits, that you need to undergo a treatment called prophylaxis, which involves the removal of tartar. Most dentists require clients visit the office once every six months for tartar removal. This procedure is known to be the very best approach to preventing gum disease and cavities.
Bad Breath
Being negligent in dental care can lead to bad breath. When people you are talking to, suddenly feel the urge to cover their mouth and nose, or they try to get a little distance from you as you talk to them, you should smell your breath. If your breath smells fowl, you could be suffering from halitosis.
Although the source of the fowl smell could be in your stomach, you should visit your dentist first. They will examine your oral cavity to determine if the fowl odor is coming from a tooth that is decaying, or an unusual accumulation of plaque, or from some other dental problem. Your dentist can then conduct a dental cleaning, and see if the halitosis continues.
Provided you do not smoke, drink alcohol, or eat foul-smelling foods, and you are religious with your daily brushings, a medical treatment will not be recommended. Just let the dentist deal with the problem. After the procedure, your mouth will feel fresh, and you will feel more confident talking up close to another person.


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Post EU Referendum Analysis
How the UK Voted
Out of four home nations, two voted to remain within the EU on 23 June (Scotland and Northern Ireland), while two voted to leave (England and Wales). Much has been made of the EU Referendum result in Scotland, however, little has been said about the voting patterns in each of the other three home nations as opposed to the UK result overall. Only Nicola Sturgeon adopted the position that reflected the view of her home nation. The Prime Minister and the First Ministers of Wales and Northern Ireland were out of step with the majority view in each of their nations.
The outcome of the referendum in Wales is significant when you consider that the First Minister supported the remain campaign. Indeed, Carwyn Jones, like Jeremy Corbyn, could now see his authority challenged due to the fact that a significant portion of the core Labour vote in Wales chose to leave the EU. However, this result is not surprising given the rise in UKIP support across Wales, with voters electing seven UKIP regional Assembly Members back in May. In turn, this prevented Welsh Labour from securing a majority and reduced the Conservative group in the Assembly, despite the gains it made in Wales in the 2015 General Election.
Just as Carwyn Jones went against the majority of Welsh voters by supporting remain, so to Arlene Foster, First Minister of Northern Ireland, went against voters by supporting leave. While Arlene Foster and the DUP supported Brexit, the majority voters in Northern Ireland chose to remain within the EU. However, Foster has the benefit of having backed the side that won the referendum and, as such, her authority is unlikely to be challenged.
Who Swung the Result?
A key demographic for both the Yes campaign in the Scottish independence referendum and the leave campaign in the EU referendum was the working class, which voted against the status quo in both cases. In contrast, the elderly voted differently across the two referendums. While a majority of elderly people voted for the status quo in the Scottish referendum, that is to remain part of the UK, a majority of elderly people voted against the status quo and to leave the EU on 23 June.
This is what tipped the result in favour of the leave campaign, as it was also demonstrated that turnout was much higher in areas where there is a larger elderly population. Indeed, the elderly are typically much more likely to vote in an election or referendum than younger generations. Taken with the minority of nationalists of all hues in each of the home nations, and you have a toxic mix that can deliver an unprecedented result.
Two Possible Outcomes
Although the Conservatives were the only major political party to offer a referendum on EU membership within their manifesto in the run up to the General Election in 2015, it was not the Conservatives who lost the vote. Rather, it was Labour that failed to secure working class voters who, in recent years, have become disillusioned from party and moved towards the Conservatives or, in a lot cases, towards UKIP.
It has become apparent throughout the EU referendum that Corbyn was, and still is, unable to unify the Labour vote, while the fallout post-referendum has shown that he is also unable to manage his parliamentary party. This scenario was also reflected in the Scottish independence referendum, which saw a significant portion of Labour's core vote swing in favour of independence. The poor management of the Scottish Labour vote then continued into the 2015 General Election, when the party was almost completely wiped out in Scotland.
As such, the UK is now in a situation where the possibility of two leadership contests could result in the outcome of the referendum being challenged. Indeed, if the ensuing leaders of both the Conservative Party and, possibly, the Labour Party are challenged by their MPs over the result, they could find themselves in a position where neither has enough support to form a national Government capable of negotiating Brexit on behalf of the UK as a whole.
If there is no Government to take forward Brexit and, more importantly, if there is no Conservative Government, which the people chose to elect last year, then the UK could find itself in a position where another General Election has to be called. In this scenario a newly elected Government could call for another referendum, on the basis that the premise of the last referendum result has changed. This could lead to another EU referendum later this year.
However, this scenario is unlikely. It is in fact more likely that a newly elected Conservative leader will garner enough support from MPs in order to proceed with Brexit, and enact Article 50 sometime in the Autumn or Winter of this year. Like it or not we appear to be heading for the exit door in Europe.
Devolution Post-Referendum
With regards to how devolution will proceed post-referendum, Scotland has already come to an agreement with the UK Government over more powers prior to 23 June. On the other hand, the Welsh Government is in the process of agreeing control over more powers and, as such, could be affected by the result. Indeed, the pace of devolution for both Wales and Northern Ireland will most likely significantly slow down as the UK Government initiates the EU exit procedure.
In contrast, the call for a second referendum in Scotland will be high on the political agenda for both the UK and Scottish Governments moving forward. It is a distinct possibility that the Scottish Parliament will vote in favour of a second independence referendum if it is offered. Indeed, between the SNP and the Green Party, there is majority support for independence, while many Scottish Labour MSPs will now reconsider their position in light of the result on 23 June.
If the SNP Government do decide to pursue another independence referendum, it will need to do so within the two year exit period from the EU. This would allow Scotland to negotiate the best possible deal with both the EU and the UK Government before Brexit, in order to protect the benefits it receives from the UK's rebate and currency. Indeed, it is likely that the Scottish Government will want to negotiate a currency union with the UK. However, the logistics and consequences of an independent Scotland sharing a currency with a non-member state are unknown.


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Hello! It's Laurie from Retro Reporter back with another post about vintage clothing.
Today's post is all about dating clothing, so you can get a better idea of how old it is, and will mostly deal with women's clothing from the 1930s to 1960s. Charlotte at Tuppence Ha'Penny has done a fabulous article about dating vintage clothing here. I won't recreate it, so I recommend you check it out for yourself!
Firstly, a glossary of sorts, so you know what I'm talking about when I refer to something.
Vintage – Lots of people have a different idea of when vintage starts! For the purpose of this article, I am going to call anything from the 60s or older vintage.
Retro – Anything that is from the 1970s or newer.
Vintage-inspired or vintage-appropriate – anything that has a vintage flair to it, but would be considered modern (late 90s – now)
Reproduction – anything that takes direct inspiration from a certain era.
70s-does-30s, 80s-does-50s – fashion is cyclical. This is a term to describe something from the 70s that has a definite 30s vibe to it.
Before I get any further, I want to mention that just because something it's vintage doesn't mean it's not great! I honestly only have a handful of vintage clothing from the 1940s. The rest is made up of stuff from the 70s and 80s, modern vintage-inspired clothing and reproduction pieces. If you love something, love it, regardless of its age.
1930s: dresses/skirts were longer, somewhere between the ankle and knee, depending on your height.
1940s: Due to rationing and changing styles, these dresses and skirts were just longer than knee-length and A-lined. Blouses and dresses had small (non-football player) shoulder pads. Clothing was very structured. 1970s & 80s copies will likely have elastic waists.
1950s: War is over and hemlines dropped. Look for full, long circle skirts (full short skirts are likely to be square-dancing skirts), high-waisted tight pants with a side zipper.
1960s: Dresses had pencil skirts, and were back to the knee area or higher.
|A modern dress found at Goodwill Beverly
that could be styled to look 1940s.
|An example of a 1940s dress with a "lady tie", found here
|1940s shoulder pads
|Modern shoulder pads
Seams and Hems
French seams: raw edges are encased in fabric. This is the neatest of seams, and doesn't allow for fraying.
Pinked seams: from the 1950s on, which is when pinking shears were invented. However, I have a 1940s dress with pinked seams, but these may have been snipped by hand or with a pinked rotary cutter – it's hard to tell.
Raw seams: possible vintage hand-made garment, or made of something that won't fray.
Overlocked seams: many people go by the hard-and-fast rule that anything with overlocking is from the 1960s or newer, but I actually have a 1940s suit with overlocked seams, so it's really hard to tell. It's best to go with the majority rule: overlocked is 1960s or newer, otherwise it's vintage (or handmade).
Another way to date by seams is how generous they seams were, as garments were meant to last longer and be tailored to fit the body. The more narrow the seams are, the more modern the garment.
|Modern overlocked seams
|Overlocked seams in 1940s suit jacket
Narrow Hem: A narrow, visible hem. Mostly found in garments from the 1970s to today.
Blind Hem (with hem tape): A wider hem (to allow for future alterations) that is mostly invisible.
|Blind hem on the wrong side
|What a blind hem looks like on the right side. Can you see it?
Look for union labels in the garment, and match against this resource from the Vintage Fashion Guild.
CC41 Labels denote clothing that conformed to ration standards during WWII.
In the 1970s, care labels are introduced and used.
Be sure to check out the company's label too, and judge the style of the label (script or deco font is likely older than modern fonts) to date the garment.
If you are curious about a label in particular, check the Label Resource at the Vintage Fashion Guild, which may help.
It can also help to search Etsy or eBay for the brand, as some sellers will upload a photo of the label.
Also, look to see where it was made, if it says (origin labels became mandatory in the 1980s). If it's made in China, it's probably not true vintage (unless it's a traditional Chinese piece, of course!).
Rayon: popular during the 1920s until now, rayon was very commonly found during the 1940s. There are two types of rayon – filament, which looks like silk, and spun, which resembles cotton or linen. This 1940s dress is spun rayon.
Polyester: invented in the 1950s under names like Dacron until the 60s. It became labelled as polyester in the 70s.
Acrylic: synthetic wool-like/knitted fibre, brought into popularity in the 1950s.
Don't forget about other classic fabrics, like wool and cotton!
Metal hardware on slips, lingerie etc denote an older item.
1930s: Zippers aren't as common, but if present they are in the side-seam.
1940s: There were limitations on the number buttons that can be used due to rationing. Zippers (still metal) are more common, and found in the side seam.
1950s: Zippers are migrating to the center back of dresses, and mostly metal.
1960s – 1970s: Plastic zippers are becoming more common.
Invisible zippers were invented in the 1950s, but didn't come into use until later. If you think something is vintage but the zipper is plastic or invisible, it might be a very good copy OR a replacement zipper.
|Metal zipper in the back of a 1970s garment from Beverley Goodwill.
When in doubt, date based on the most modern construction feature. For example, if something has a blind hem, pinked seams but a plastic zipper, it's likely on the modern or homemade side of things.


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Argyll And Bute Care And Repair Ltd
Do you have Self-directed support funding?
Find out how and contact your council
We offer
- Housing support
- Other Services
Argyll And Bute Care And Repair are an independent registered charity, jointly funded by Argyll and Bute Council and the NHS to provide practical assistance, financial and technical services and information and advice to the elderly and/or disabled to enable them to remain in their own homes in comfort and safety. This includes assistance with major adaptations and grant funding, Telehealthcare installations and supporting Occupational Therapist referrals with the installation of aids and minor adaptions such as grab rails and bannisters. We also provide a 'small repairs' service for clients including Health and Safety related activities such as light bulb changes and smoke and fire alarm checks & battery changes which are free of charge. There is a small charge for other activities such as fitting blinds, flat pack assembly, small paint jobs and minor joinery, plumbing and electrical work
For People With
- Physical Impairment/Disability
- Other Support Needs
We support elderly clients (over 60 yrs) and those with disability.
For people aged...
- Other Client Groups
- Older People (aged 65+)
We support Elderly (over 60yrs) and/or disabled clients.


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Helps you submit the correct bank payment details saving you time and money.
A simple fast interface for developers to integrate any of Validates features into existing in-house applications.
Check , enrich and fix payments with an intuitive and comprehensive browser
A comprehensive set of tools to help you manage the API deployment, Browser user and Tech user configurations, error messages, real-time volumes by user, currency and country and to keep control of your payment validation in real-time
Upload all your customer account numbers & payment codes/IBAN & BIC details & check them to confirm that they are up to date.
This service will allow you to regularly check the details you have for peace of mind and to minimise charge backs for failed payments.
Submit the correct bank payment details saving you time and money.
Apply Financial set up 2010 has validated over £100bn of payments for its clients
Our clients range covers tier 1 banks, the worlds top FX companies, Major non bank FI's, tech start-ups and corporates of all sizes from SME's to global giants
We have Tech, Banking and Consultancy Partners. Find out more
We have created the best global payments reference data and manage this on a daily basis so that you don't have to . find out more
Up to the minute news and articles
The Founders and Directors
We have made the deployment, use and management of VALIDATE as simple to do as possible.
using our tools and security you will be up and running with validations to quickly get an ROI and happy customers
some of the functions you can deploy
get all the support you need to deploying, supporting and configuring your deployment
December 6 to 7, 2016
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November 19, 2013
Apply joins this showcase of innovators who are disrupting the payments industry. Our team have been involved in the evolution of payments over the last ten years with the widespread adoption of online, contactless, mobile and app-based payments changing the way that consumers and businesses spend in the developed world, while changing the fabric of societies in some emerging markets.
We are happy to share our experience how banks, FX companies, payment start-ups and corporates can work together, we are also keen to talk to new partners. We will share our ideas around the future of multi-channel bank to bank transfers, micropayments and cross border remittances.
Our products
Are available, pushing new standards of automated validation that results in remarkable savings and happy clients.
Mark BradburyCEO
55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU, England
As a fully paid up member of the Gadgets for Addicts society it's easy to convince me that any new technology is brilliant. But in reality I don't believe in technology for technology's sake, and feel their is an element of this in the current range of startups in fintech. Building something to create a market just because you can is extremely difficult and in most cases fails, but building something that the market is crying out for makes good sense. So all the talk about Artificial Intelligence, Crypto-Currencies, Blockchain, Disruption, and so on, is good but does the end user really understand or even care?
Fintech has been around since the 70's and we sometimes forget that the worlds biggest fintech players are some of the world's biggest companies - Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP and IBM just to mention a few. These companies along with many others have provided the engines to help clever technologists deliver ATM's, payment cards, POS and move us closer to a cashless realtime society. In many ways the future has already arrived with biometric payments, realtime bank transfers, marketplace loans, robo advisors, peer to peer insurance and cheaper cross border transfers. But in most cases these are solutions that are still running off existing rails provided by the very institutions we seem to think need disrupting.
The new solutions shaking up the industry are merely an appetiser to the big change that will come if the unseen infrastructures that drive our financial world are replaced for the right reasons. In many cases, this requires large infrastructure changes for incumbents such as the banks and huge investment plays for the new players. The reality is that it will take many years and won't be a smooth ride, a case of two steps forward and one step back, but I do believe it will happen.
So is blockchain the future? If so, how long will it take to deliver real value, 10 years? Is it fast, is it expensive, is it secure, is it capable of providing deep and detailed solutions, whilst providing a sophisticated audit capability? Will AI transform the client interaction, and will they notice? Will we trust it for advice? Will it become regulated beyond human advice? Will real-time payments become global, and what are the implications? Will the issues around market place loans and securitisation play into the hands of the banks and turn the darlings of fintech into lame ducks? Will global institutions such as SWIFT and VISA/Mastercard be squeezed out of existence over the next 10 years unless they radically change their delivery and charging strategies? Will regulation and compliance issues create a level playing field between banks and new players?
My conclusion as a consumer of these products is that a great deal of them are looking for rapid growth as well as eventually achieving a level of sustainable profit, and this concerns me. As a provider of fintech I would also say that investment patience is running out, and consolidation is taking place as I type, but if fintech can provide a seamless, easy to use and informative range of solutions to its clients, and a low delivery cost, then investment will continue to grow and the future will continue to look bright for fintech.
But what about Brexit the elephant in the room? As somebody who voted to remain I find it hard to be objective about this but here goes. The scare mongers are saying that there will be a sustained exodus out of London and investment will dry up, but I believe the reality is far less dire. London has been the home to world class finance expertise since even before my birth date, not least because it sits in a perfect time zone for the globe to be able to trade with us or use us as global brokers. So once we have seen this through, and the politicians have sorted themselves out, then I believe that common sense will prevail and London will still be a pre-eminent place for finance and fintech.
Anyway, look on the bright side, Article 50 has not yet been invoked, and with a new leader of the Conservative Party coming from the Remain camp we are not there yet.
In the meantime we will continue to innovate. Long live Fintech!
Mark BradburyCEO
55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU, England
Investment has continued to pour into the FinTech sector let's look back at 2015. With over $8 billion of VC money invested in Fintech Start-ups according to Forbes the market is bursting with innovation and 2016 looks set to be a year when banks roll out some of their Start-up partnerships.
Looking back on our year our CEO Mark Bradbury attended the Innovate Finance Global Summit where he discussed our Validate technology and how this innovative financial services technology is positively impacting payment processes. The biggest influencers in finance and government came together with the greatest social visionaries, educators and innovators to discuss the ways to create a more substantial financial services sector. There were initial rumblings around a Fintech Bubble.
The conversation around Fintech Bubble continued into the middle of the year and predictions of consolidation have proved correct with the likes of Square down valuing for an IPO. Business Insider has written of a potential 34 Fintech Unicorns and investment in Bitcoin whilst it has decreased each quarter the base technology is still being used in various sectors.
December saw Fintech Connect Live come to Wembley and the auditorium was filled with Fintech movers and shakers, we are working with many of the firms including Currency Transfer, Kwanji and Kantox at the show helping them bring down the costs and barriers to cross border payments and transfers.
The world is recognising that successful financial services are driven by the software and technology that is used to enable and deliver services to the end customer. Software is seen as the key differentiator, and for banks and financial services to retain their client bases and their brand loyalty. At the end of 2015 and we saw banks begin to invest in the customer experience and planning to place software at the centre of their digital banking strategies and invest more service technologies.
More enthusiasm than ever before has accompanied a swathe of Fintech predictions for 2016. There is probably no single figure for how much money is being pumped into financial start-ups now, but it amounts to many billions of pounds (although it's still just a fraction of bank's legacy IT expenditure we are told). Financial technology is expected to account for a relatively large share of capital spend in 2016, which has the potential to be highly disruptive.
2016 may be the year we really see collaboration in the payments arena between established institutions and the new disruptors!
Mark BradburyCEO
55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU, England
There has been widespread adoption of standards set by the European Payments Council in 2014 for Euro payments across the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). The next major stage of the SEPA regulations comes into effect in 2016 when banks may no longer compel their originating customers to provide a Bank Identification Code (BIC). That is, customers only need to provide an IBAN. the 'IBAN only' rule fits very well into a world where the use of online payment systems is becoming more prevalent, and online payment system product offerings are proving to be a differentiator in the market for financial institutions.
In October 2016 the next major change in SEPA regulation will come into effect with the 'IBAN Only' rule, meaning that payment service users can simply provide an IBAN only in a payment instruction without having to provide a BIC.
The payment service provider will become responsible for determining how to route that payment. The 'IBAN Only' rule will shift greater burdens upon the sending bank to ensure proper routing. The 'IBAN Only' rule will have a great influence on how banks make payments.
We understand that processing payments in Europe can be a daunting task so we deliver a range of solutions that help efficiently process IBAN payment transactions and reduce the amount of time and money spent on errors and repairs, whether they be single payments or bulk payment files.
Our Validate and Validate Data Manager solutions are designed to provide complete information for SEPA- and IBAN-compliant payments. With both solutions you can:
Automatically convert legacy account information to IBANs.
Obtain valid BICs for all IBAN-compliant countries.
Enable compliance with the SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT) and SEPA Direct Debit (SDD) Schemes.
In other words we provide the IBAN and the BIC's and the surrounding information to ensure SEPA compliant payments, so you don't have to.
Apply Financial exists to make payments simpler.
For banks, nonbanking financial institutions and corporates who depend heavily on automated payment process, Apply provides validation solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing payment systems. Unlike any other vendor of validation solutions Apply has made a no-compromise commitment to reducing the cost, speeding up and simplifying the integration of these solutions.
Mark BradburyCEO
55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU, England
Ok so, I have to declare that as CEO of a 4 year old fast growth L39 Fintech company I have a vested interest in the growth of Fintech and rising valuations. Bus pass days are closing in so all funds greatly received! Let me just add a disclaimer some of my dates and numbers might be a bit inaccurate in the following paragraphs so don't sue me for it!
Before we talk about the Fintech bubble that maybe now and its future let's think back to the turn of the century and the latter part of the dotcom boom. The problem was most of the companies attracting funds had great marketing strategies but no revenue models, worst of all most had no product and the word 'stealth' became a code for 'got the money and haven't a clue what to develop!' . The death knell was sounded by an analyst who posed the question 'will Amazon ever make a profit?' we know what happened next, the dotcom bust.
Let's go back further to the emergence of Financial Technology around trading, middle office and back office. Moving into wholesale banks and ATM's, cards and electronic payments for retail banks. Nothing's changed except it's now trending as Fintech.
Fintech has successfully navigated its way through the last 50 years (invoking the disclaimer rule here) including the dotcom bust and despite periods when technology stocks were not fashionable (many were perceived as high risk). We still have highly valued players that have stood the test of time - Misys, Sage, Sungard, FIS, Bankers Almanac - some former bus pass seeking colleagues now run those organisations and good luck to them. The smaller companies are getting bigger and add to that major USA tech companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle and HP who attribute a large percentage of their revenues to Fintech I could argue that the foundations are strong and getting stronger.
Now in 2015, investment in Fintech in UK alone has grown by some 140% (disclaimer as I haven't read every blog on the gazillions being invested and where) in the last 12 months, first quarter deals are creating a buzz of excitement (42% of all European Fintech investment is in UK) with billion dollar valuations on the increase and the trend seems only upwards. More and more cities around the world add Level 39 style hubs and young planet sized brains are a buzz with cunning ways to disrupt or partner with the legacy of banks and older Fintech players. We are even creating new sectors such as peer to peer or market place solutions that the internet and improving tech are allowing us to indulge in.
The foundations, the big so called legacy companies are still here (and growing) the newer players from the 'after dotcom bust' are no longer disrupters but the new establishment such as PayPal, Square, Stripe, iZettle, Zopa, Pingit, Wonga etc etc its a long list. It seems every area of Finance is being disrupted by the new players Transferwise, Kantox, Azimo, WorldRemit, Market Invoice, Funding Circle, Nutmeg, Crowdcube (apologies if your company is not mentioned here) and many more in areas that the man/woman in the street doesn't even know exist or struggle to understand you try explaining payment validation, big data or crypto currencies at a dinner party.
More complex financial instruments are also getting the new tech. Back in the late 80's I was a board member of one of the first companies to provide software tools for managing 'off balance sheet' instruments (Vanilla Swaps in those days), we were the early quants. Now there are far more complex instruments and trading at the speed of light, the hedge fund quants and many more business' of this ilk that are breeding new tech providers.
Connectivity and spreading IP are now very much part of the scene. 8 years ago I was involved in a prototype cloud solution with an API and financial institutions struggled to get their collective heads around the risk reward. Now if you are not in the cloud and don't use the word API or RESTful you ain't in the game. Even some banks are providing API's for their internal IP.
Oh and I have forgot to mention Mobile applications for banking, transferring money overseas, POS payments and paying friends for last night's drinks. The internet and mobile collide in emerging economies for the unbanked, charities because people are unbanked they don't have access to a landline or broadband (12 times more mobiles registered than broadband registrations in many African countries). Mpesa as one example has changed all that for the better for citizens of these countries.
Because Fintech is inherently a huge global revenue generating business, it's scalable, there is room for a range of players in each and every sector. It's not a here today gone tomorrow need, people will always need access to money, want to spend, invest, borrow and gamble it. The Fintech world is set to continue to push the boundaries, disrupt, dis-intermediate and democratise to provide slicker, faster, accessible and usable solutions to the personal and business world out there that save time and money.
In conclusion we haven't even scratched the surface, Fintech is a massive sector and growing rapidly. The investment world and user community are really grasping the mettle and driving innovation. Consolidation will occur in Fintech, the banks and so on but it will be a breathing space for the next growth spurt and who else will get involved? More telcos, banks partnering with new Fintech to avoid compliance issues and conversely new Fintech companies having to be more compliant as they grow to avoid the wrath of the authorities, Crypto Currencies, the blockchain and faster 5G networks for mobiles.
So, the smart pot of money to invest in Fintech is getting bigger, the banks are creating Strategic Funds of £100m and more and even Richard Branson is getting in on the scene. Not to mention that Facebook and Alipay are getting in on the act.
Mark BradburyCEO
55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU, England
I don't want to seem bahumbug but what is it with the epidemic of Hackathons!!!...the definition has morphed from trying to break into something into creating something.
An event, typically lasting several days, in which a large number of people meet to engage in collaborative computer programming.
Google shows that the use of the word has skyrocketed over the last few years. As a result of the rise in popularity and penetration into the mainstream, everyone is talking about Hackathons. There is a passionate debate around what a hackathon is and isn't. This debate is healthy and necessary, because such discussions keep us honest. The recent trend deviates from our historically accepted definition? do we need a different word (or words) to describe these other, hackathon-like events?
Maybe we should consider a different label ? co-creationathon, agile fest or codathon. Surely we can conjure up a more appropriate term to describe these new events which no longer major on breaking into systems.
Hackathons apart, there is no doubt that Fintech is an exciting space and we are seeing real innovation, we can't afford to forget what makes it all work in the back office. It is a challenging time for banks to serve their clients. The financial crisis changed the financial markets and other industries, and provided a catalyst for radical reforms to regulation, technology, approaches to risk, internal operating models and internal client demands.
Apply is a Fintech company that understands and satisfies the product, service and self-service needs for validation in payments processes globally. We are providing the financial world best Payment Validation solution as API's, branded browsers and payment file management tools ? delivered from our Cloud. We are the oil in the machine and we are proud to be nurturing a winning network of partners and building mutual loyalty.
"Apply aims to be the best and most widely used payments validation Company in the world "
Mark BradburyCEO
55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU, England
Apple Pay's announcement has been trending in payment news. PayPal announced that it would separate from eBay and its core auction business, both companies will be able to better focus and compete as stand-alone businesses. Rumours abound about the future of Paypal as loud as they are nothing has materialised.
As we come to the end of conference season leading events from Sibos and EFMA to Money2020. There is no doubt that the discussion of mobile payments has been front and centre at all these meetings. The coverage has been fuelled by a number of developments that could reshape the mobile payments landscape, including: Apple Pay, MCX, ISIS and In-App alternatives.
Are these developments enough to be the catalyst for people to finally start paying with their phones? What we do know is that a real focus is on speeding up payment processes and delivering best of breed validation solutions is our mission.
At the end of October True Ventures our backers invited Mark Bradbury our founder to attend their 2015 Founders Camp which is an inspirational summit bringing together a group of over 170 founders of startups they have funded to share best practices and knowledge, to discuss the future of technology in a private, in Carmel in Monterey. Mark was able to share ideas and issues with the likes of Om Malik (GigaOM), Matt Mullenweg (Automattic/Wordpress), James Park (Fitbit), Danny Shader (PayNearMe) and Jeff Hendren (Kurtosys) and lots of other creative minds.
We are working with innovative banks and financial firms who have recognized software is the differentiator, to retain their client bases, and their brand loyalty, they are investing and placing software at the centre of their digital banking strategies. Expectations are growing based on personal experiences and customers now expect a consistent, omni-channel experience, with 24/7 availability, and capabilities more attuned to the world of consumer and retail. Integrating best of breed APIs allow them to meet these challenges, taking advantage of technology enable the delivery of a customer experience more aligned to that delivered by consumer organizations.
Our innovative secure payment validations solutions are designed to evolve with business to suit every situation.
Mark BradburyCEO
55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU, England
6 Months Data Coverage
Mark BradburyCEO
55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU, England
6 Months Data Coverage
Mark BradburyCEO
55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU, England
Sources: Experian, Bottomline, IDC, SWIFT, World Factbook(CIA).
Incorrect payments data has the potential to cost your business hundreds of thousands of pounds. Correcting failed transactions takes time, energy and money, to say nothing of the negative impact on customer loyalty. In this white paper, Apply Financial, the cloud payments provider, shares its best practice tips to help reduce errors and deliver the outstanding service your customers deserve.
Mark BradburyCEO
55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU, England
"You wouldn't post an important business communication without validating the address and postcode so why risk sending an important credit or D/D without validating the payment instruction first."
Payments data, the lines of information that enable you to send and receive the funds that drive revenue and profit for your business is one of the most frequently under-valued business assets.
Fail to effectively manage, store and cleanse your payments data and you will quickly face escalating costs, interruptions to cash flow and damaging customer service disasters.
Yet the ease with which payments data can fade into a haze of back-office processes means that few businesses apply sufficient scrutiny.
Now, with bank transaction margins under pressure and compliance costs increasing, poor data quality is a risk your business cannot afford to take because the banks will charge you to put it right.
When the SEPA migration deadline arrives on 1st February 2014, anyone wishing to send or receive euro payments within the SEPA zone must be compliant and able to send payment instructions in the SEPA IBAN + BIC format. For most, the end date will close a chapter of frenetic migration activity.
The reality, though, is that it's only the start of a long-term need to maintain payments integrity.
Let me turn your attention to recent research exploring the data quality of firms who've already made the jump to a SEPA compliant format. The results revealed that businesses who are already using the new IBAN format account numbers typically see a reduced error rate of 4.6%, compared to a 12.7% error rate amongst those continuing to rely on domestic account numbers.
The most common errors thrown up by the survey were:
Missing BICs are most likely to occur as a result of acquisitions, mergers and closures within the banking sector that create wholesale changes in BICs.
Sadly, success today does not guarantee success tomorrow. Over 5,000 changes to critical bank information are made every single day and keeping data accurate in light of those changes requires constant work to regularly cleanse data.
Poor payments data quality can send shockwaves throughout a business:
As Deloitte conclude in their recent paper on strategic data management, the cost of poor data quality is not measured upfront but appears at the end of the process chain where lack of automation and the reliance on manual intervention adds substantial cost.
The lack of automation used to validate payments data can easily become a barrier to growth. Relying on manual intervention is not only costly and time consuming, but it restricts a firm's ability to grow. Deloitte's analysis found that firms are "constrained by their data management teams' capacity to process ever-increasing volumes of transactions in a timely manner. As headcount increases, so does the risk of inconsistencies and duplicates," which only demands more expense to resolve.
So, whether a business is seeking to embed a lean, agile operating model or create a scalable platform for growth, graduating to the next stage of success will rely on exchanging cumbersome manual payments validation processes for swift, automated solutions.
Data should ideally be refreshed weekly or, at the very least, monthly to ensure that it remains up to date. Check that you will be able to use the validation tool as frequently as you need and that you understand the costs involved.
It's easy to cross-reference data and identify discrepancies but make sure that any vendor you instruct has the ability to check data against the official sources such as banks, code issuers, local communities and regulatory bodies.
The need to validate payments data doesn't change however big your firm is, but the way you're treated by vendors might. If you're a small business look out for a solution that allows flexible purchase and will only charge based on actual usage.
If, on the other hand, you are a large corporate, beware the temptation to inflate prices for buyers with deep pockets. If possible, choose transparent pricing structures that apply a fair calculation of costs right across the board, whoever you are.
Finally, consider how easily the validation tool can connect to your existing data systems. How will you upload records for validation? How can you tap into existing workflows to correct errors?
Finding a solution that doesn't rely on internal IT development will be faster to deploy and significantly cheaper than one that relies on a new systems build.
By giving serious attention to payments data validation now and using the questions above to develop a rigorous process to cleanse data, your firm has the chance to mitigate future risks and create a leaner, more profitable operating model for today.
So don't be tempted to see SEPA as the end. It's merely the end of the beginning.
Mark BradburyCEO
55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU, England
The European Parliament has confirmed that the 1st of February 2014 will be the deadline for the euro zone countries to change to the new SEPA Credit Transfers (SCT) and SEPA Direct Debits (SDD) schemes. The deadline for non-euro zone countries is the 31st of October 2016.
The sweeping changes to the European payments landscape under SEPA and in particular the implementation of SDD will present companies and banks with a complex set of challenges, however this also presents a huge opportunity for companies to overhaul their cash management and collection processes and to leverage their banking and payment relationships.
SEPA Services
Our SEPA tools fully take into account the requirements put forward by the European Payments Council.
Our services include:
Apply is uniquely placed to support companies and institutions to meet the challenges and opportunities of SEPA. We have a complete range of SEPA migration services and solutions to enable you to manage the change process and realize the benefits.
SEPA stands for the Single Euro Payments Area. This is the area where citizens, companies and other economic actors will be able to make and receive payments in euro whether between or within national boundaries under the same basic conditions, rights and obligations regardless of their location within Europe.
To put it simply it means that you can make fast and secure transfers between bank accounts anywhere in the euro area as if you were making a transfer within your own country. This means you will have transparent pricing, guarantees ensuring that your payments are received promptly and in full (i.e. no charges removed from the amount that you are sending to the receiver of the payment), and banks taking responsibility if something goes wrong with your payment.
Currently if you want to pay for goods or services electronically (debit card, bank transfer or direct debit) in another euro area country, using a card or transferring money from one bank account to another in another euro area country, you may not know how long the payment will take, and sometimes charges are taken from the amount you are sending meaning that the receiver does not get the full amount.
SEPA impacts all bank, companies and people in 31 countries the 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland when making payments in Euros.
Use your debit card instead of cash within the Euro area
If you're travelling with business, away on holiday or visiting another euro area country, you will be able to pay with your debit card as you would at home. This will allow you to use your debit card anywhere at any time within the SEPA area when paying in euro, and to make withdrawals from cash machines, just as if you were at home.
Easier payments between Euro countries
Your bank already allows you to make transfer money within the euro area, but often this takes an uncertain amount of time and costs more than it would to send money to someone within your own country. SEPA will guarantees that your euro payments are made promptly and in full and within a guaranteed time. Additionally banks will not be allowed to make any deductions of the amount transferred. Banks also will give you simple and clear information on any charges or fees applicable.
Direct debits from anywhere in the euro area
Maybe you have regular bills to pay for a business or for a holiday home in another euro area country, you will be able to pay these bills from your home country by direct debit as easily as if you were paying a bill within your own country by direct debit.
For businesses this will help then to expand their business by being able to offer subscription services to people in other euro countries easily, such as a website subscription, a service they pay for on a monthly basis or maybe magazine subscription.
You'll only need one bank for the whole euro area
As SEPA will make things much easier to transfer money and to setup and manage direct debits, you will be able to uses your existing euro account where you are. This will mean you don't have to open a new account in every euro country. This will enable you to have your salary paid into your home account and you can also use your home account to pay any bills you have in the new country.
If you are using mobile or internet banking you will be able to manage your account as if you were at home.
Transparent pricing and no hidden charges:
Prior to SEPA bank charges were often applied to payment after the payment was made. However with SEPA in place banks will have to tell you exactly what they are charging you for. Additionally you should get the money into your account the next (working) day. This will stop the long dealys between the money leaving your account and the receiver seeing it credited to theirs and you seeing your balance change but not being able to access the funds.
To ensure that everybody understood what the receiver of the funds payment details are, the IBAN and BIC was adopted. This ensured that banks could check that they had the correct payment details before sending the money. This has allowed the banks to reduce payment times and bank charges when making euro payments within the SEPA region, however charges can still apply if payment details are incorrect.
The IBAN and BIC are mandatory for credit transfers and direct debits, within the Euro area and if these are not given correctly they can lead to additional charges. Charges for payments can be for payments that have either not managed to get to their destination without intervention by the bank these are typically between 20-30 and rejection of payments as they have been sent to the incorrect coordinates (incorrect BIC or maybe a bank code within the IBAN that no longer exists) which have similar charges.
These can rapidly mount up and with the increasing number of banking changes in the European banks make it a necessity rather than an option to check the details of the receiver of the payment. Regularly checking that all the payment details you have are still correct to reduce these unexpected charges either directly with each beneficiary or via a third party service which will reduce the time and cost of these checks.
SEPA will still bring you benefits if you live in an EU country that does not use the euro. The benefits of improved services, speed of payment and rules information that apply to all euro account to euro account payments. These will be maybe slightly diluted by the currency conversion from your currency to euro (or visa versa) but the changes should still be noticeable.
© 2020 Apply Financial. All Rights Reserved.


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I've spent the first 3 weeks of my summer in Europe. 3 friends and I traveled to: Paris, Barcelona, Cinque Terra, Florence, Salzburg, Munich, Berlin, and Amsterdam over the course of 21 days, knocking off everything a city had to offer in 3 days or less. Backpacking and living in hostels was a crazy experience and I would certainly do it again. I wore my elastics too like a good boy.
A view on top of the Arc de Triomphe
I'm taking summer school from mondays to wednesdays and on thursdays I am studying for the Dental Admissions Test in a Kaplan prep course. Time with braces has certainly been an afterthought to life.
A day with my jaw surgeon
I had the opportunity to shadow my oral surgeon last friday, and it was a lot of fun. I did not get to see surgeries, but I did manage to be present for 5-6 wisdom teeth removals and 2 patient's teeth extractions. Dr. Tocchio and his staff are very friendly and they made it very comfortable. It was nice to see what goes on from another point of view other than the chair!
I went into the ortho on June 12. As he told me, I'm getting my braces off in July! The office is going to call me to fit a date in during the week of the 9th-13th, and I will get them removed! 2 days after it is required to come in and get molds, and fitted for a retainer. I was given a small wire that's placed on my bottom 5 teeth in preparation. Here's the current state of my teeth:
As you can see everything is lined up. On the right side there is a small gap, but when braces come off, this may be difficult to imagine, but your teeth tend to slowly cave in, as the bottom and top rows of teeth angle inwards.
Once my braces are off I'll take a few pictures, create a video on youtube and that would be the completion of my jaw journey! 2 years flies by fast.


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Our Patient Reviews....
For those who are curious about the excellent service we provide in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we invite you to browse our reviews. Learn why our loyal patients choose Dr. Karey for all of their dental needs. We encourage you to contact our office today to learn more about us and to schedule your next visit with our dentists.
Dear Dr. Karey and staff,
Wishing you all a merry and blessed holiday season and the best for 2015. Thank you for taking good care of our dental needs during the year.
Gerd and Anita
Dr. Karey & Team,
Thank you for generously giving your valuable time and services to help change the life of Mr. Stewart. He felt so well taken care of by your team and his sister hasn't seen him this happy in years! Thank you for your continued support of the DDS program- together we make a positive impact on the elderly, disabled and medically at risk communities.
Kindest Regards,
Donated Dental Services
Dear Dr. Karey,
How pleased the Waterman Alumnae Group is for your willingness to support its University of Michigan scholarship students by advertising in its town hall program….
As stated earlier our advertisers are very important to Waterman, because they keep to defray Waterman's printing costs and frees up money for financial aid to need-based scholarship students.
Again thank you for your support from the Waterman Board and our scholarship students– eight $4,000 scholarships this year!
With best wishes,
S. Kennedy
Dear Dr. Karey and her fabulous staff,
Thank you for all your help the other day when I broke my molar. I really appreciate your help patching me up quickly so that I can go off to my interview next week with more confidence that I won't be shedding the other half of my tooth mid-sentence!
Thank you for being the most wonderful dental professionals anywhere.
Dr. Emerick & Staff-
Thank you so much for the free teeth polishing you did for my husband and I before our wedding. It was incredibly sweet and kind of you and was a great help come pictures on the big day. We'll definitely continue to recommend ya'll to friends.
My wife and I have been going here for cleanings for several years. We always have a great experience. The hygienists and dentists are pleasant, capable and thorough and we never have to wait when we get there. All we could really ask for in a dental office.
I just had a front tooth filled. Dr. Karey is a MASTER with novocaine administration! I couldn't believe how relatively pain free the injection was, even in that location!
-Barb Lahr
I have gone here for more than five years and I've never had a bad experience. They are all super nice and helpful and make me feel better when I have questions. They're very proactive with advice and do a great job with my teeth.
Dr. Karey and her staff really make me feel comfortable when I walk into the office. I have always been apprehensive when I've been told I need dental work done. It seems so silly now. I really look forward to going to the dentist.
If you want a dental office where it is fun, the staff is great and as a bonus, you get your teeth taken care of. This is the place to come!
Dr. Karey has been my dentist for the last 14 years. She is courteous and professional. I highly reccomend her and her staff to anyone.
Friendly and top notch. Excellent care. I see Dr. Samara now. She has been great.


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A Simple Plan: Deliveries
May 7, 2018
Hints of Finding a Good florist
You need to hire a professional florist so that to have your occasion such as wedding decorated well.The florists who are available in the market are many.In order to have a good florist you ought to do research.Since those who have the ability to offer quality services are not many, you should have research.the importance of a good florist is that he will offer quality services, despite him being expensive.Below are tips to use so that to have a florist who will offer quality services.
Through recommendations for referrals, you will get a good florist.Relatives and friends with experience will serve to be good referrals to use.With them you will use less time to have a good florist. Using referrals will also offer you tips to picking a florist that will make your event appealing. Before you choose a florist, you should seek to have photos of events that a florist has decorated for them.You need to have both negative and positive feedback so that to determine whether a florist is good or not.You should avoid using florists who only have shops.This is because there are those who can offer good services without shops.You should instead consider quality of services they offer in events.
Before choosing a florist, ensure that he has experience of services.With experience, you will have an assurance that flowers will be organized well.By the fact flowers for an event are not similar, you need to choose a florist who is experienced.Because flowers that are unique need experience, selection of florist without experience will make the arrangement not be good.This will make your event to be given a bad look.You will have good care of your flowers in case a florist that you consider has experience .Therefore with good care, you will have your event made good.Time a florist started his flower services will be known by reviews done by customers.With long duration of flower services, you will have an assurance that a florist is experienced.
Through prices, you will get to select a florist who is good.You need to pay more focus on prices in the course of choosing a florist.You ought to check prices of services, despite that you will prices of services in increase at the time of events.You ought to choose that florist that will offer services at good price.What affects prices of a florist is the type of flowers that you are considering for yiur event.In order to have price comparisons of different florist, you need to search through the internet.A florist that you ought to hire is that who will offer serves within the budget you have.
Learning The Secrets About Florists


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Often overlooked compared to other parts of your Paradise Valley home, the reality is that countertops play a crucial role in adding a sense of purpose and clarity to your residential property. Countertops act as a great centerpiece for your home's kitchen or bathroom and, when designed and constructed correctly, can elongate the lifespan of your home while also enhancing its re-sale value immediately. If you are in the Paradise Valley area and looking for a professional team to take care of your home's countertop needs, then you need to call us at XLT Construction Inc. today.
Being passionate about countertops, and tile countertops in particular, means that we can deliver immediate results for your home. So, regardless of the shape of your home or the size and depth of your budget, XLT Construction Inc. can ensure that your kitchen or bathroom will be fitted with a countertop like no other. Don't take chances with inferior construction teams when the number one countertop specialist in the Paradise Valley is right here and ready for you to use!
The Renaissance of Tile Countertops
In Paradise Valley, we are starting to see a real renaissance in tile countertops. For far too long they were regarded as being too luxurious and unsuitable for the average kitchen or bathroom, but thankfully this point of view is no longer held by most people. And, as a result, we are beginning to see the popularity of tile countertops grow from strength to strength. There was a time when tile countertops were all the rage in homes across the United States. For instance, during the late 1970s and early 1980s tiles became so popular that they were almost always the first option in kitchens and bathrooms. However, like most trends in interior design and construction, a shift occurred and in the subsequent two decades most people seemed to have forgotten all about tile countertops until recent years where they have become popular again.
The return to fashion of tile countertops is long overdue and we are very glad to see that this change has occurred. At XLT Construction Inc. we have adapted and complemented modern and contemporary interior designs to make sure that our tile countertops are as attractive as possible.
Three Benefits of Tile Countertops
At XLT Construction Inc., we are firm believers in accentuating the positive rather than focusing on the negatives. With that in mind, here are three of the biggest pros of tile countertops:
- First of all, tile countertops come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes which makes them extremely customizable.
- On top of that, tile countertops are heat-resistant, which means that you can put hot pots and pans on them without fear of damaging them.
- Finally, tile countertops are also extremely cost-effective and will not break the bank to install or maintain.


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Two articles on Politico.com should wake liberals up to the disaster that's headed their way. Unfortunately, not only will the liberals ignore the implications, at this point, even if they did hone in on the theme of the two pieces there simply isn't anything to be done about it. At least not until Independents get the funk out of their system and start paying attention to reality. Until then, there really isn't any hope for substantial progress in the next decade or so.
The Fox primary: complicated, contractual
Angle: "We needed to have the press be our friend."
Cameron: "Wait a minute. Hold on a second. To be your friend…?"
Angle: "Well, truly–"
Cameron: "That sounds naive."
Angle: "Well, no. We wanted them to ask the questions we want to answer so that they report the news the way we want it to be reported."
These candidates want a friendly media that only asks questions they want to be asked and report the news the way the candidate wants it reported.
I should stop here. Liberals, you're smart enough to see what's going on. Independent, you're jaded and pissed and I get that, but don't you see it? Non-tea party Republicans? You're who I am addressing right now. Is this the environment you wish to cultivate in this country? A News channel employee, elected to President, who will run a State-run media where the candidate/elected officials gives the news they want you to know and that is what is reported, unquestioned? Where only friendly, candidate/elected official hand-picked questions are asked and then disseminated to the public how the candidate/elected officials wants? This is your revenge for outing the people who compromised a CIA spy working undercover on WMD's for their political gain? This is your retribution because someone dared to bring up that torture is against the law? This is your pay back for holding a president and his administration accountable when they said we needed to start a war with a country who had done nothing to us? While that reason never actually panned out? A state-run media is your answer as to how you take over this country?
Well, it seems like you've found the right path. Which brings me to the second story.
As if 42% of the population saying they get the most of their news from Fox isn't enough, the other numbers should cause fainting among liberals and independent on a massive scale… but it won't.
Please, liberals,independents, sane conservative folk… lose your apathy, lose the crater on your shoulder, remove your blinders, set aside your hate and read that again. 42% of the country uses Fox News as their primary news source. 49% of them say Bill O'reilly has the greatest positive impact and Glenn Beck, with 38%, is the second greatest positive impact on politics. Even Rush Limbaugh has 36% of the people saying he's a positive voice when it comes to their political news.
Fox news, has all but one of the prospective Republican presidential candidates for 2012 on their payroll and owns the exclusive right to their TV appearances. 42% of the country gets their news from Fox News and trusts it over any other source. Glenn Beck and Bill O'reilly are overwhelmingly their source for positive political information.
Fox News is going to run for and win the office of President of the United States of America. Fox news hosts are a "friendly media" to those candidates and they will only go on Fox News because they will ask only the questions the candidate wants asked, and report the news the way the candidate wants it reported.Fox news will ensure the election of it's own employees… and the 42% of the population will not only allow it, but feel better about their country because Glenn Beck told them that Fox News employee he's promoting is the only person who will give them their country back. And by 'giving it back' I mean handing it over completely and totally to a media mogul hell-bent on ruling the world the same way Richard Dawson ran the world in Running Man. Welcome to the Democratic People's Republic of the once United States of America, where you only get our news, our candidates and our political impact 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Jesus, is there anything the conservative extremists won't take over and destroy solely for their wealth and power?
Is there anything we won't let them take?
It seems not.
As if the Fox circle jerk wasn't enough.. today the Tucker Carlson, ultra-right leaning website "The Daily Caller" is reporting that aides of House Minority Whip Eric Cantor,Republican, pulled strings at the National Review Online, to get them to give an overwhelmingly positive review and endorsement of the Republicans "Pledge to America" manifesto.
Isn't that special. Not only is Fox News sweet on the GOP, but now Republican leaders are calling in favors from other right-wing media organizations to give them friendly positive reviews.
Are there any scrupulous and non-nefarious Republican leaders out there anymore? What am I saying, are there real independent journalists out there anymore?Are there any viewers who want independent journalism? Can't these Republicans get elected on their own merit? Their real merit not the padded ones they get their media to falsify? Is this the new leadership this country is begging for? This is the country you want to get back to?
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- Christine O'Donnell Takes Sarah Palin's Advice, Will Go On Hannity To 'Speak Through Fox News' (huffingtonpost.com)
- How Fox News Helps Its Own Employees Run for Political Office (alternet.org)
- Palin: Glenn Beck website the antidote to 'lamestream media' (thehill.com)
- Olbermann: Fox News 'The Fundraising Arm Of The GOP' (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
- Sarah Palin Calls On Fox News To Help Republicans Campaign For November (huffingtonpost.com)
- NYT: 'Fox News All But Handed Out Lanterns And Pitchforks' To The Tea Party (mediaite.com)
- Chris Weigant: New Tea Party Media Strategy: No Media (huffingtonpost.com)
- Sarah Palin Wins Right Nation 2010 Presidential Straw Poll (chicagonow.com)
- Sarah Palin For President In 2012? Newt Gingrich Says Yes (huffingtonpost.com)
- "Huckabee Leads 2012 Iowa Caucus Poll – Palin Finishes Fourth behind Newt" and related posts (theiowarepublican.com)
- Palin: GOP Front-Runner (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)


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The Queen, Camilla and Kate are off for some royal retail therapy and a spot of lunch together.
The three generations will spend the day at posh London department store Fortnum & Mason next month as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
It is the first time the Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall and Duchess of Cambridge have carried out official duties together.
A source said: "The Queen and two duchesses are all very much looking forward to it.
"The invitation would have come from the Queen to the other two and I'm sure we will see lots more joint engagements like this in future.
"Kate has a lot to learn from the more experienced royals and what better way to see how it's done than to watch the expert, the Queen, at work up close?"
With their men safely out of the way, the Queen, 85, Camilla, 64, and Kate, 30, will tour the store on March 1 and the monarch will unveil a plaque to mark Piccadilly's regeneration.
The outing is just one of several royal visits Kate is carrying out while husband William is in the Falklands with the RAF for six weeks.
And in a further vote of confidence, the Queen has asked her to join her and Prince Philip at the launch of their jubilee tour in Leicester on March 8.