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One of the downsides to running a personal service business is that friends and relatives often expect a discount. In the worst cases, they suggest you should provide advice for free. Often they do not have something of equivalent value to trade in return—so what could have been barter becomes a burden.
Perhaps it's the economy or a frustration with low returns, but advisors report that increasingly they are getting the squeeze from people they know. These "friends" expect them to lead the way to many happy returns—without giving anything in return. They imply, "We're blood, brother. I'd do this for you."
On the other side of this dilemma are the enablers, advisors who believe that it is their obligation to discount their fees to close friends and relatives lest they be perceived poorly. Guilt or shame or the desire to be loved all contribute to the concession. Rarely do I hear advisors say the decision to give a break in fees was worth the pain.
So when an advisor recently asked me if he should give friends or relatives a discount, I casually surveyed other advisors to get their take. While not the most urgent of issues confronting advisory firms, each advisor said it was something they have struggled with. The topic was a familiar source of frustration, resentment and angst.
Not only did many advisors reveal that they do offer discounts for special clients, they also described a two-tier scheme for their regular clients: those who have been with them for a while and those who are new to the firm. While the friends and family quandary occasionally occurs, firms continuously struggle with the challenge of reconciling pricing with legacy clients. The solution requires discipline and courage.
Setting Boundaries
Advisors who had learned from experience provided me with some good ideas for engaging with close friends and relatives:
- If you are inclined to discount, be clear as to whom this might apply: centers of influence, best friends and immediate family members, for example.
- If you are not inclined to discount, or wish to limit this practice to a select group of people, develop a response to those who might have the cheek to ask for a break based on their relationship with you.
- Limit the number of discounted relationships so that it doesn't hurt you economically.
- Treat these relatives and friends as you would any other client, with the same level of accountability on both sides, the same access to you and your staff for professional purposes, and the same discipline to terminate those who put you at risk or are abusive to your staff.
Be Clear
Creating a specific framework for giving a discount makes it easier for you to say no to those who do not fit into the special pool. Your parents or children obviously may qualify for some type of break, but beyond those situations, define parameters to avoid a policy of exceptions.
For example, centers of influence such as attorneys and CPAs may not have the accumulated wealth to qualify as clients, but because they refer valuable relationships it may make good business sense to give them a break.
Best friends and relatives, on the other hand, present a unique and awkward dilemma. You are exposed to some of their most intimate secrets, and this makes them vulnerable if not somewhat beholden to you. At the same time, your recommendations may push them out of their comfort zones—and sometimes may result in disappointment in the results. Are you confident enough in your process and these relationships to risk entering into professional agreements at any price, let alone a discount?
Just Say No
Generally speaking, advisors do not seek confrontation or conflict (though I've met some individuals who seem to enjoy getting in one's face). So when a close friend or relative asks for a favor or some special help or a price break, many advisors find it easier to give in than to say no.
As with most things, preparing for this inevitable scenario works better than shooting from the hip. Experienced advisors suggest a matter-of-fact presentation of your charges. Avoid being defensive about how and why you price. When pressed for a discount be able to explain what you deliver for what you charge, acknowledging that your fees may be too high for some. In those cases, offering to refer them to somebody less expensive may be the best approach.
Haggling devalues what you do and undermines what you have determined to be fair and reasonable. For those who pull the "friend card," just bear in mind that unless they have demonstrated equal generosity or kindness in some form, they are not behaving as true friends.
If the nature of the service to a friend or relative is short-term, such as helping them with their initial 401(k) asset allocation or a college funding analysis, be careful not to be sucked into an ongoing advisory relationship without first setting down the ground rules including the agreed-upon fees, the term of the relationship and how it would be renewed, and any other conditions you might have with "normal" clients.
Understand the Economics
For too long, financial advisors have lived by the 80/20 rule, a loose perception that 80% of their revenue comes from 20% of their clients. Put another way, 20% of their clients subsidize the 80% who don't pay their way.
If you choose to have a pro bono or discount strategy for people to whom you are close—let alone for those who are in need—make sure your largesse does not dominate your income statement.
Forgetting the economic consequences for a minute, the real impact is felt in the way your firm delivers on its promise to all clients. When you and your staff are consumed by the needs of sub-optimal relationships, those that are most important to you begin to suffer.
Even if you can deliver a quality experience to your most important relationships, there is a tendency to grow resentful of clients who don't pay you sufficiently for your wisdom, knowledge and insight. This is especially true if they do not show appreciation for what you are doing or how you are doing it. It becomes particularly galling if they fail to heed your advice.
The pricing of advisory services combines art and science. The science revolves around knowing your costs (all in) to deliver your services, and understanding what the market for comparable services is charging. The art involves articulating your value to clients without apology, rationalization or overselling your proposition. When friends and relatives ask you to compromise on this, they are intruding on your relationship and taking money out of your pocket. When you voluntarily discount your fees, do so with full awareness of why you are doing it and for whom. If you find yourself resenting any client—especially one close to you—you are not doing yourself or your staff any favors.


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The latest research indicates that independent advisors are much more satisfied than their traditional employee counterparts, a continuing trend that both broker-dealers and recruiters are likely to pay close attention to in the coming year, experts say.
J.D. Power and Associates released its 2013 U.S. Financial Advisor Satisfaction Study on Thursday. It showed that—of 2,500 advisors surveyed—most work for or are affiliated with broker-dealers that top the industry average. The average, as rated on a 1-to-1,000 scale, is 695 for employee reps and 794 for independents—a nearly 100-point spread.
(The general industry figure for the total number of advisors in the United States is roughly 300,000.)
"The survey points to high levels of satisfaction amongst independent advisors," said Mark Elzweig (left), a New York-based executive search consultant, in an interview. "As more wirehouse advisors know other advisors who have taken the plunge to independence and are happy, this will encourage more wirehouse advisors to seriously consider that option."
Top Ratings
For the third time in a row, Commonwealth Financial Network had the highest rating among independent broker-dealers and overal, with an overall satisfaction score of 945—up from 917 last year and 50 points ahead of the second-place independent, Cambridge Investment Research.
"It is truly humbling to be the highest-ranked firm in the independent channel three times in a row," said Commonwealth CEO Wayne Bloom, in a press release. "We take great pride in this award and attribute our strong performance to our respected advisors—who share our client-forward philosophy—and to our dedicated team who has helped shape the culture of Commonwealth into what it is today."
On the employee-advisor side of the business, Edward Jones came out on top for the fifth time (since 2007) with a score of 907—just 38 points behind Commonwealth and 212 points ahead of the traditional channel's average satisfaction level.
"We believe this reflects our firm's total alignment around serving our clients and supporting our branch teams," said Edward Jones Managing Partner Jim Weddle, in a statement. "In our business model, branch teams focus on each client, while in the home office we offer support and expertise on investment guidance."
Coming out second in the employee channel (with a score of 891) and third in the independent channel (at 879) is Raymond James (RJF).
"Raymond James is pleased to score so well on the Advisor Satisfaction surveys released by J.D. Power and Associates, in both the employee and independent channels," said Chet Helck, CEO of Raymond James' global private client group, in a statement.
"We know advisors can be tough critics, and so to increase our scores, particularly in the areas of technology and firm performance, was especially satisfying," Helck said. "We continue to work hard on earning our advisors' satisfaction, each and every day."
(Raymond James Financial Services, the independent broker-dealer, is hosting its national conference next week in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.)
Next page: Room for Improvement
Room for Improvement
Tthe satisfaction levels of advisors working for three out of the four wirehouse BDs (Merrill Lynch, UBS and Wells Fargo) rose from the 2012 levels. UBS (UBS), however, was the only wirehouse with a score that topped the industry average (at 751 vs. 695).
For its part, Morgan Stanley (MS) said in a statement that it did not believe the survey results reflected the true satisfaction level of its advisors.
First, a Morgan Stanley spokesperson says, fewer than 150 out of its more than 16,000 advisors responded to the survey.
Second, J.D. Power did not ascertain whether or not these respondents were "representative of the FA population at large; given the tiny percentage who completed the survey, it is highly unlikely that they were," the spokesperson said.
But, notes Elzweig, broker-dealers ignore the J.D. Power survey results at their own peril.
"The fact the such a hefty percentage of advisors in both the wirehouse and independent channel are indifferent toward their firms underscores their vulnerability to advisor defections," he said. "Somehow, they've got to figure out how to make their advisors more deeply committed to the home team."
Still, at least one firm—Morgan Stanley—says it doesn't give much credence to the survey's implications. "In fact, FA turnover has remained fairly constant across the industry for a number of years," a spokesperson shared.
Check out Best Advisor Firms Ranked by Advisors: J.D. Power 2013 Satisfaction Survey on AdvisorOne.

subset: commoncrawl


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If unhappy with our service we abide by the Motor Industry New and Used Car Code of Practice which can be found on The Motor Ombudsman Website at www.TheMotorOmbudsman.org.
The Motor Ombudsman will offer free impartial information and if appropriate an alternative dispute resolution process in the event that you are not satisfied with the outcome of a concern.
For further information you can visit The Motor Ombudsman website at www.TheMotorOmbudsman.org or call their Information Line on 0843 910 9000. Calls are charged at 7p per minute plus your phone operator's connection charge.
Barnstaple Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
The modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA 2015) focuses specifically on the issue of modern slavery to ensure offenders are suitably reprimanded with severe sentences. Modern slavery encompasses the offences of: 'slavery' where ownership is exercised over a person; 'servitude' which involves the obligation to provide service imposed by coercion; 'forced or compulsory labour' involves work or service exacted from any person under the menace of a penalty and for which the person has not offered themselves voluntarily; and 'human trafficking' concerns arranging or facilitating the travel of another with a view to exploiting them.
The MSA 2015 requires large business, with sales of over £36 million, to be transparent about their efforts to eradicate Slavery and Human Trafficking. This statement therefore explains the steps we have taken during the financial year to ensure that slavery and human trafficking us not taking place in any of our supply chains of any part of our business.
As part of our organisation's induction process and throughout workers' employment with us, we train all staff to treat others with respect and courtesy as well as ensuring they adhere to all relevant laws, regulations and standards. This is an ongoing due diligence process. We offer a training and development program for all staff from the ground floor through to management. We focus on ensuring our management team is not only aware of the requirements to be alert to modern slavery but can also address concerns raised by their team or any suppliers. If any worker is found in breach of our policies, we ensure suitable disciplinary action is taken which can include termination.
In relation to our supply chains, we use our reasonable endeavours to conduct risk assessments of the third parties we work with. However, as the majority of our purchases by value come from multi-national motor manufacturers, it is not feasibly for our organisation to investigate their own practices and supply chain, therefore we would refer any interested parties to view the Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement of the relevant supplier(s) that we represent.
As part of our risk assessments, we have procedures in place to identify whether there is a possible risk of slavery and human trafficking either in the business or our supply chain. Our sources of supply are predominantly from the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. As such, we do not view this as a significant and as a result we have taken no further steps to assess and mange that risk. However, should a risk be identified, we aim to work with our colleagues and suppliers to ensure collaboration to remedy or mitigate such risks.
We allow all individuals who work to provides services to us the right to freely choose employment and, the right to associate freely with other individuals. Workers are free to choose whether to join a trade union or not and as a result of our training, we offer an environment which is free from harassment and unlawful discrimination. We ensure our working practices are in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and all employment legalisation. We do not engage in forced or involuntary labour and have a zero tolerance approach to the same, meaning we not tolerate any of our suppliers engaging in such conduct.
As a result of our risk assessments, we have introduced new performance indicators, being training about modern slavery issues, which we have introduced to reduce such risk occurring.


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November 2020
November 2020 :
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November 2020
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Coffered Ceiling from Zhihuasi (Temple of Transforming Wisdom)
Artist/maker unknown, Chinese
Made in Beijing, China, Asia
Zhengtong Period (1436-1449)Date:
c. 1444Medium:
Wood, linden, pine with lacquer and gilded decorationDimensions:
Caisson Ceiling: 16 feet 8 inches × 16 feet 8 inches (508 × 508 cm) Small Buddha (with lotus base): 6 inches (15.2 cm)Curatorial Department:
East Asian Art
* Gallery 339, Asian Art, third floor (Hollis Baldeck Gallery)Accession Number:
1930-38-1a--nCredit Line:
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wasserman, 1930
Social Tagscoffered ceiling [x] dragons [x] lantsha characters [x]
[Add Your Own Tags]
The Zhihua monastery is one of the great Buddhist temple compounds in the Chinese capital of Beijing. Conceived on a grand scale, the compound was built in the early 1400s by the eunuch Wang Zhen. This ceiling comes from the second of five main halls on the monastery's central axis—the Hall of Great Wisdom.
To give visitors a sense of the original context, the Museum installed the ceiling with architectural elements reconstructed from measured drawings made at the original site. In the center is a writhing imperial dragon surrounded by clouds, bracketing, and eight canted panels, each bearing a smaller dragon among clouds. Lotuses, apsaras (Buddhist flying musicians), and other Buddhist religious symbols are carved in the surrounding panels. The Chinese name for this central part of the ceiling is tianjing, or "well of heaven." While most of the original red lacquer is well preserved, much of the rich overlay of gold leaf has been lost.
A series of model temples supported by cloud-decorated brackets encompass the central element; within these miniature structures are delicately carved sculptures of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. The remainder of the ceiling consists of square panels painted with stylized lotus flowers that show the influence of Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism). Each bears a character from a North Indian script (called Lantsha by the Tibetans) that symbolically recreates the universe. The model temples and panels may have been added during repairs made in the Kangxi period (1662–1722).
Explore the Collections
* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit.


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Actors Ed Helms, Megan Fox and Jessica Alba will join the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Thursday morning to announce its Golden Globe nominations, and this year's likely list of movie winners is rich with historical dramas.
"Zero Dark Thirty," the new film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, has been dominating the early awards season, having racked up a few Best Picture nods, as well as honors for director Kathryn Bigelow, screenwriter Mark Boal and star Jessica Chastain. "The Hurt Locker," Bigelow's and Boal's previous collaboration, earned them Globe nominations—this new film should improve on that success, with an additional nod for Chastain, and possibly co-star Jason Clarke.
Other dramas expected to be in the mix will be Ben Affleck's "Argo," about the rescue of six Americans during the Iran Hostage Crisis; Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," with a typically brilliant turn by Daniel Day-Lewis; "Skyfall," among the best 007 films ever made; writer-director Quentin Tarantino's slave-revenge epic "Django Unchained"; and director Ang Lee's "Life of Pi," the lushest, most visually ambitious film of the year.
"Les Mis," "Lincoln," "Silver Linings Playbook" lead 2013 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations
The Globes also recognize film comedies, too, and this year had lots of inventive ones likely to be included when the nominations happen at 8 a.m. ET Thursday on NBC.
Writer-director Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom" is a sweet and sentimental look at young love, and featured a great cast. "21 Jump Street" and "Ted" caught everyone by surprise and are good candidates.
U.S. & World
"Pitch Perfect," starring Anna Kendrick as a reluctant a capella singer, has already made one top 10 list; the silver-haired rom-com "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" is right in the Globes' wheelhouse with its British pedigree and aging stars; and "Silver Linings Playbook," starring Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro is the thinking person's feel-good comedy of 2012.
Unfortunately, much of the Golden Globe success they enjoy will be mostly limited to the nominations, as there's an 800-pound gorilla looming: "Les Miserables." Comedy films are lumped together with Musicals, and the Hollywood Foreign Press is a sucker for a musical, naming one best picture five times in the last 11 years.
And "Les Mis" has it all, with a director (Tom Hooper) and five cast members (Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Helena Bonham-Carter and Sacha Baron-Cohen) who've previously been nominated for Globes, as well as a new song from Claude-Michel Schonberg, the film will likely be nominated in at least six categories, and possibly seven if they decide to put Anne Hathaway up as a lead actress.
The frontrunners among the TV dramas are mostly seasoned veterans—"Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," "Game of Thrones"—or reigning champions, like "Homeland," but there's one noticeable, and controversial, newcomer.
Aaron Sorkin's "The Newsroom," made a splash last season. Its rapid-fire dialog, strident lefty politics and dubious portrayal of women had people talking from the first episode to the last. The HFPA has nominated Sorkin's film work five times in the past, and "The West Wing," which he created, was nominated 20 times. For all the show's problems, star Jeff Daniels has been excellent, making even the weakest episodes somewhat compelling, and should find his name called.
There also is a new wrinkle in the TV categories: "Downton Abbey." The PBS drama had previously run as a miniseries, but now confesses it is a full-fledged series. With "Downton" out of the miniseries field, it clears the way for the A&E western "The Hatfield & McCoys" and HBO's "Game Change," about John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin for his running mate in the 2008 presidential election.
On the comedy side of the aisle, two other shows from HBO's Sunday night lineup are the most likely to get some love Thursday morning. "Girls" and its creator, Lena Dunham, were among the most controversial figures on the television landscape, with legions of people watching the show just to hate it and others watching it to love it. "Girls" and its creator have ridden a roller coaster of backlash and backlash against the backlash, but it's a great show and is sure to be nominated.
And then there's "Veep," starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the ceaselessly put-upon vice president. JLD has already won the Emmy for this role, and the HFPA has nominated her three times in the past, so she's apt to get another nod.
If you're looking for the HFPA to recognize a dark horse or sentimental favorite, Larry Hagman, who passed away Nov. 23, could get the nod for reprising his role as oil tycoon J.R. Ewing in TNT's reboot of "Dallas." The HFPA nominated Hagman for the role four times when the show originally aired in the '80s.
The Golden Globes nominations will air at 8 a.m. ET Thursday on NBC. The awards, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, will be broadcast on NBC Jan. 13.


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Alternative investments provider Altegris has found an alternative way to deliver its message to advisors and their clients.
Altegris this month launched a series of animated videos addressing key questions that investors frequently ask about alternative investments. The La Jolla, Calif.-based firm's educational programs recently won the firm a CAIA award for corporate excellence and leadership in alternative education.
Six Altegris videos are currently available in the series. The initial release provides an animated introduction to myths and misconceptions about alternatives, another gives an animated overview on the importance of diversification and another explains why performance dispersion matters when constructing a portfolio. The remaining videos cover the Altegris research and investment process, how to use a multimanager open architecture approach to investing and the fees associated with hedge funds or other alternatives.
"As a pioneer and leader in providing access to what are believed to be best-of-breed alternative managers, Altegris has a longstanding commitment to advisor and client education on alternatives," said Jon Sundt, president and chief executive of Altegris, in a statement. "These storytelling animated videos are yet another step on the path we've paved to better inform and help investors in the construction of diversified portfolios."
Advisors and their clients can find the videos, each of which run approximately three minutes, in the Altegris Academy Library, which includes a collection of white papers, commentaries and educational guides. The Academy's interactive tools also offer an alternatives allocator and portfolio builder, demonstrating how incorporating different alternative strategies may affect a portfolio's investment performance over time.
The Altegris Cos., which are wholly owned subsidiaries of Genworth Financial, are comprised of Altegris Investments, Altegris Advisors, Altegris Funds and Altegris Clearing Solutions. Altegris has approximately $3.32 billion in client assets and provides clearing services to $878 million in institutional client assets.
Read On a Tear: How Altegris Made Alternatives Pay Off at AdvisorOne.


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In recent blog posts, several pundits have wondered whether Google's programming language Dart might be the future of the Web. I will pause here to allow time for the guffaws and coffee-spitting.
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Many folks might argue that Dart is presently very far from being the future of anything. Some people might doubt that Dart has any significant future itself. I think they're wrong and that the pundits might well be right, or partly right. If you're not following Dart development, you're not getting the whole story. Dart definitely has its supporters: Many developers, within and outside Google, are enthusiastic about the language. I edited a book on the language myself, and I follow several blogs on Dart development. Dart recently crept up into the TIOBE Programming Community Index top 50 for language popularity, although now it's back down in the 50 to 100 pile, along with Dylan, Occam, Simula, and another Google language, Go. Yes, I know. You'd think that languages developed by Google could attract a few more users.
I have to think that Dart's lack of popularity is at least in part due to the fact that it's just not a very exciting language. And it has grown less exciting over time. Programmers who really wanted to love Dart tell me that its developers have made a number of boring and disappointing compromises. Nevertheless, as I say, I think Dart could be the future of the Web for at least one significant group of Web app developers.
Let's backtrack a bit. The stated goal of Dart, according to its developers, is "ultimately to replace JavaScript as the lingua franca of Web development on the open Web platform." JavaScript has some limitations for large-scale Web applications, they claim, and Dart's purpose is to remedy those shortcomings.
Well, yes. It's hard to argue with the Dart team's contention that JavaScript is imperfect. And it's hard to fault them for attempting to overcome JavaScript's shortcomings. And it's not a totally crazy position that the JavaScript ecosystem is so overgrown with weeds that the best plan is to plow it under and plant anew.
So, what's the Dart plan? Dart's developers decided to provide two scenarios for Dart use. These scenarios are not equally exciting or equally likely. In one scenario, browser creators support the Dart virtual machine, allowing you to write native Dart code both server side and browser side. This lets you create large-scale, full-stack Web applications that run lightning fast.
That's a pretty cool idea. But, that's not going to happen.
OK, I can't predict the future, but if it is, then some major attitude changing is going to have to take place. If you listen to the developers of any major browser not developed by Google, they are all, without any exception that I'm aware of, adamant that they will never support Google's proprietary language in their browsers. Not gonna happen.
But really, that doesn't sound like an "open Web platform" vision anyway. In the other scenario, you write your Web applications in Dart and compile them to JavaScript, and they swim in the familiar waters of Web application development today. Sort of like working in CoffeeScript.
Let's reflect on this second, more modest, scenario for a moment. Dart is not an exciting language in itself; the VM implementation is going nowhere; and in its compile-to-JavaScript incarnation, it effectively does what Coffeescript does, but with a steeper learning curve. This can't possibly be the future of the Web, right?
Well, it could be. The promise of Dart, according to its developers, is reliable, high-performance, full-stack Web applications. Reliability and performance are the Achilles' heels of JavaScript (and if you have two Achilles' heels, you're pretty vulnerable). The reliability part comes from constraints: Dart's generated JavaScript is going to be safer than the average JavaScript out there because the Dart team designed Dart that way.
Dart still could be a winner if it turns out to be the best way to move beyond JavaScript for large, complex, performance-focused Web apps. For that, it needs to deliver on both those goals: reliability and performance. Especially performance. So, this news from a recent edition of the Dart newsletter is promising:
"Dart has recently received two bumps in performance, and now both the Dart VM and generated dart2js code is faster than hand-written JavaScript in the DeltaBlue benchmark."
What this is saying is that Dart is generating JavaScript code that runs faster than JavaScript code. Not "any possible JavaScript code" obviously, but real-world JavaScript code.
That's what Dart needs for the compiled JavaScript to be more reliable and faster than JavaScript you'd write yourself.
If it can do that, browser makers don't need to drink the Dart Kool-Aid and Dart can go right on being a boring language. Its future as a high-end Web application language will be bright.
For many years, Michael Swaine wrote the "Swaine's Flames" column in Dr. Dobb's Journal.
Related Content
See our feature article on Dart, which discusses its rationale, goals, and the technologies that make up the language.


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I ran into the same problem of an array of objects inside of an object that I wanted to clone all pointing to the same objects. However, I agreed that serializing the data was not the answer. It was relatively simple, really:
public function __clone() {
foreach ($this->varName as &$a) {
foreach ($a as &$b) {
$b = clone $b;
Note, that I was working with a multi-dimensional array and I was not using the Key=>Value pair system, but basically, the point is that if you use foreach, you need to specify that the copied data is to be accessed by reference.


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Dear Readers:
Some of you may have noticed the coupon feature on the upper right hand column called "Current Daily Coupons" AND at the bottom of the page. These features are ALWAYS current - constantly updating. Hope you enjoy using these features on Tri-Cities On A Dime.
NOTE: To be sure my web page is FTC compliant, and also compliant for the different advertising agencies I use...YES, I get a small commission on the ADS you see on my page...but you knew that already.
PS: Amazon wanted me to use these words: "As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." (Which I can tell you it isn't very often.)
Gee...I hope everyone is happy now!
Due to web security reasons, Tri-Cities on a Dime is no longer http://www.tricitiesonadime.
The web address is now:
If you go to the old address it should, in most cases, redirect you to the secure web site.
Helping Busy People Save Time & Money.
Good times or bad times, I thought we all needed to have a place where we can get help to stretch our dollars.
In November 2015, the Department of Biological Sciences at East Tennessee State University set up live streaming cameras focused on two active nests of Bald Eagles, our national bird. Two separate mated pairs of Bald Eagles have been selected, one nest is located in Bluff City, and the other is in Johnson City. These cameras provide a novel perspective into the lives and habits of these beautiful birds. Bald Eagles are long-lived birds of prey that have high nest site fidelity and will reuse the same structure for years. As part of the courtship behavior, mated pairs of Bald Eagles will bring new twigs and branches to the pre-existing nest each breeding season which results in a massive structure that can be well over one ton in weight! The Bluff City eagles laid eggs on Feb 3 and Feb 6. The Johnson City eagles laid eggs on Feb 10 and Feb 13. Eggs of Bald Eagles are laid 3 days apart (so ours read the maternity guides and laid their eggs on schedule) and the eggs hatch in 35 days. Using these guidelines, we have calculated the Bluff City eggs should hatch on March 9 and 12 and the Johnson City eggs should hatch on March 16 and 19. S o keep your eyes out everyone, we may have eaglets soon!! This is a prime opportunity to observe these iconic birds in their natural habitat, undisturbed.
Here is information about an organization that trains Shelter Dogs to help our Vets with PTSD. The organization is called "Paws and Stripes". They were recently on Fox News morning show ( CLICK HERE )
Paws and Stripes is a nonprofit organization providing service dogs for wounded military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury through integrating service dog training and education with mental health support.
We help veterans so they can live the full and rich lives they deserve.
Our dogs come only from local rescues. Our service dog trainers teach the dogs and the veterans as a team.
These dogs are not pets, they are service dogs with the complete protection and rights granted by the American with Disabilities Act.
Our program is funded through generous grants and donations from people like you. Our veterans are never obligated to pay a penny of the program's costs to enroll. (Here is the link to their web page - CLICK HERE
Dear Readers:
There is a Memorial Wall for those who have fallen during the Middle East Conflicts in Marseilles, Illinois. Apparently, it has been there a couple of years, built by a private business, and without government funds. The business maintains it and updates it. To see and hear about it CLICK HERE
"A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. For the traitor appears not as a traitor, but speaks in accents familiar to his citizens and wears their face and their arguments. He appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation and works secretly to undermine the pillars of the city, infecting the body politic so that it can no longer resist." Cicero 106-43 BC


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"Do you want a GPS Tracker such as a Micro Tracker or Hard Wired Vehicle GPS Tracker for personal or business reasons?"
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However, should the tracking device be located in a building, parking structure or perhaps under metal where it does not "see the sky", it may be unable to determine its current location.
At GPS TRACKING TRACKER, we don't stop with just GPS. Our GPS Tracking System provides a total of three methods for determining and reporting tracking location data.
Our GPS Tracking System provides location data using both GPS along with cellular technology, which we have programmed to provide for cell tower triangulation or Advanced Forward Link Triangulation (AFLT). While it is usually necessary to connect with three cell towers for the most accurate cellular location data, should this not be possible, location data at that moment will be provided from the nearest cell, which we have programmed as our third method of reporting location data.
With GPS TRACKING TRACKER, you know that you're getting the most accurate tracking location data available because we provide three methods for determining "the location of whatever you're tracking!"
GPS TRACKING TRACKER is an innovative company with deep roots in the security, surveillance and investigation fields. The company is staffed with both former military and ex-law enforcement officers as well as trained investigators. We are proud of the fact that we provide the highest quality tracking devices in addition to our state-of-the-art online web-based tracking system. But equally important, our real world experience provides unique perspectives on how you, our customer, can best use the trackers to accomplish your goals. All you need to do is ask!
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Kids | Cars | vehicle | Pets | Person | Truck | Personal | Device | Fleet |GPS Tracker Locator | Portable GPS Tracker | Real Time GPS Tracker | Live View GPS Tracker | Google Map GPS Tracker | Google Earth GPS Tracker | Covert GPS Tracker | Spy GPS Tracker | Asset GPS Tracker | Reliable GPS Tracker | Worldwide GPS Tracker | Live GPS Tracker .TK102 | GL 200 | Enduro Pro | MicroTracker II | GL200 | Mini Tracker | TK 102 |
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) | Miniature GPS Tracker |Portable GPS Tracking Device , GPS Locator


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Act III, Scene 4
The Queen's closet.
[Polonius hides behind the arras.]
[Makes a pass through the arras and] kills Polonius.
Enter the Ghost in his nightgown.
[Exit the Queen. Then] Exit Hamlet, tugging in
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Plays Sonnets Poems Concordance Character Search Advanced Search About OSS


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PIMCO chief Mohamed El-Erian points to three hypotheses that, week in and week out, "invigorate and sustain the stock market rally." The three are valid, he notes, yet their longer-term implications may be far more complex than most investors fully appreciate.
"Equity markets believe in the 'Fed put,' or the view that the Federal Reserve will increase its monetary policy stimulus in response to any (and all) meaningful decline in risk assets," he writes in a blog post on Yahoo! Finance.
Second, market participants also "have reason to believe that the steadfast focus of the Fed forces other central banks around the world into more accommodating monetary policy."
Lastly, then there is the "kick the can" hypothesis, seen lately, which is the view that even unusually dysfunctional political systems, be they European or in America, repeatedly find ways to avoid outcomes that would be really disruptive to markets. El-Erian predicts that, as with the fiscal cliff, the sequester deadline will pass, followed by what he calls a "clumsy" compromise and a continuing resolution.
He then considers each of the three.
The longer the Fed maintains its "unusual policy activism," the higher the costs and risks. This reality was "vividly illustrated" in the minutes of the last Fed policy meetings released last week, he notes, with several officials referring to the rising probability of both direct and indirect damage.
"As I argued last week, this does not mean that the Fed will abandon any time soon its current policy stance. It won't. But it does mean that the overall impact on the economy – and, consequentially, companies' top line revenue growth and their ability to contain non-wage costs – is indeed uncertain."
Politics adds to sustainability concerns, he continues.
"Citizens are increasingly frustrated with the behavior of bickering and dithering politicians. The result is a growing wave of popular dissatisfaction that undermines the traditional political system, but without offering a durable alternative. This is apparent in a growing number of European countries, including last week's shock government resignation in Bulgaria."
For the rally in equity markets to continue, he concludes somewhat obviously, the current phase of "'assisted growth,' as anemic as the outcome is, needs to give way to genuine growth. And the latter depends on the engagement of healthy balance sheets around the world."


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The Dharma of George Carlin
The other day this video popped up on my Facebook page:
Those of you who aren't seeing that link, click here or type http://youtu.be/R37zkizucPU into your browsers. The clip came courtesy of Waylon Lewis who posted it as part of this article in his online journal Elephant.
Lewis drew the connection between what Louis C.K. says in this clip and the idea of having a teacher in Buddhism. I thought it was a brilliant and very apt connection. What Louis C.K. says he learned from George Carlin reminds me a lot of what I learned from my teachers Tim McCarthy and Gudo Nishijima. Louis C.K. did not set out to remake himself in the image of George Carlin. He didn't copy Carlin's offstage behavior. He didn't tell jokes that Carlin made up. He didn't set himself up as the new George Carlin.
And yet he learned the deeper truth embedded in Carlin's work and he learned how to make that truth his own. He learned how to express George Carlin's approach to comedy in his own way. If Carlin had had a lineage to pass on, he would have been right in passing it on to Louis C.K.
As Shunryu Suzuki said in 1962:
"If you want to meditate you must have (the) instruction of (the) right teacher, especially when you want to meditate at home. It will take at least six months before you get your own right posture. Everyone has their own right posture but without instructions you cannot find it. For it to be your true posture, there must be (the) spirit which is called (the) Essence of Mind. Without spirit it cannot be your own. So we say, 'When you become yourself then Zen becomes Zen.'"


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With the Tuning Box Classic CR-AUD-2.7-3S power box, you get a power boost of +38 hp and an improved torque of +74 Nm. Your diesel 2.7 TDI 163 hp engine has a total power of 201 hp* and a torque of 454 Nm*. Moreover, your fuel consumption will decrease by around -1L./100km*. Tuning Box offers a 1 year engine warranty with this diesel chip.
The Tuning Box Evolution EVO X3073 S - 2.7 is more efficient because it acts on several parameters. You gain even more power (+56 hp) and more torque (+111 Nm). With this high-end ECU tuning box connected , your diesel 2.7 TDI 163 hp engine gets a total power of 219 hp* and a torque of 491 Nm*. Moreover, your fuel consumption will decrease by around -1L./100km*.
Tuning Box offers a 2-year engine warranty with this powerchip.
Your engine with our Tune Pedal P13712 responds more spontaneously and more directly. This pedal box optimizes the response time of your engine by eliminating the latency . The result is that the power of your engine is released sooner. This way your acceleration is much more direct.
The Tuning Box Fusion is the combination of the Tuning Box Evolution powerbox and the Tune Pedal - the throttle response controller. This wonderful product provides an amazing driving experience and great performance. You will not recognize your Audi A4 anymore!
These plug-and-play chiptuning units especially developed for this diesel 2.7 TDI 163 hp engine work as a custom engine remapping. Thanks to the supplied AMP plugs, these performance chips can be easily connected and they scrupulously respect the power reserves and motor protection systems of the german manufacturer.
Delivery speed is slow. More than week and nothing happens. If your process is slow you should give clear indication about that fact in confirmation. Setting expectation level is good idea.
Received the package in 5 days. Installed in less then 5 min on a Skoda Octavia 2019 and it`s a clear difference in acceleration and power. Good customer support! I recommend this guys!!!
I am very satisfied with the TuningBox Fusion, this optimization pack is really prodigious! Serious and very professional company.
Everything is working fine.
Good Product. I find hard to attached controller somewhere near the dashboard due to lack of double side sticker.
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Why is it that so many people have not read Charles Darwin's Origin of Species? This seminal work of scientific literature has been one of the most influential and hotly debated works of the modern age, but many people have never even read it. In this episode of the Ars Technicast, Editor in Chief Ken Fisher and Senior Science Editor John Timmer join Senior Apple Editor Jacqui Cheng and Social Editor Cesar Torres in a discussion about Darwin's book. In this episode we talk about how the book has been incorporated into academia and the merits of Darwin's writing style, as well as possible ways in which it could be discussed as a piece of literature.
- Ars Technicast, Episode 15 : Read any Darwin lately?
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The Shield Resist-a-Flame Slimline Corridor Showcase Aluminium Frame Noticeboard is a top hinged lockable deluxe noticeboard with door supports. Recommended for use in corridor applications in any public building or busy company site. The door opens upwards and is kept in place with support stays. Offering increased safety whilst changing notices. Available in a choice of eight sizes, complimented by eleven flame resistant woven cloth colours. Made in the UK
Meets the latest building regulations and fire safety guidance. Independently tested and fully classified as B-s1, d0 according to BS-EN 13501-1.
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|90 x 60cm
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|90 x 90cm
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