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I am looking for the novel Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. This book was made into a movie.
The seller "Loot" has 2 listed, both new.
Thanks Meeks I shall browse Loot and tell my son .


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April 2018 Astrology Forecast: Uranus & Pluto Get Wild So Buckle Up!
March 2018 & The Spring Equinox – Happy New Astrological Year!
Your Late May 2017 Astrology Forecast: It’s Party Time!
Hello Everyone. We’re heading into the time of Gemini, the social butterfly of the zodiac. Gatherings, parties, socializing, reconnecting are all part of the theme of the next 30 days….
Your Early April 2017 Astrology Forecast: Taking Care of the Past!

industry_corpus2: Others


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Are You Missing Out By Shopping A Retailer's Mobile Site Instead Of Desktop?
Last year’s holiday season was a hands-down winner for mobile shopping. Traffic and sales both hit all-time highs during Holiday 2017. In my own company’s examination of retailers’ eCommerce strategies (to be released August 25th), we found that 90% of surveyed retailers reported that more traffic now comes from mobile than from desktop.
For consumers, it’s easy to think that because it’s “digital” they are getting the same experience on mobile that they’re getting from the desktop site.
Are they? The simple answer is no. But it’s actually not that simple.
Mobile commerce in retail started out much like eCommerce did in general. In most retailers, a few people saw the importance of the channel as it began to emerge and insisted their company do something about it. As a result, the first mobile site efforts were separate from eCommerce (both because it was a bit experimental and to make it easy to kill). They offered much less capability than the desktop site, in part because some of the technologies that made desktop sites work just weren’t supported by early mobile browsers.
Even today, mobile is often treated as the neglected step-child. At RSR, we still find retailers who offer digital gift cards on their desktop site that are obviously a broken process on mobile. Even if retailers with that issue can’t actually support the mobile purchase of digital gift cards (which they should be able to do), it’s clear they’re not even paying attention to what the experience looks like on mobile – better to just turn it off completely than to continue to offer something that errors out every time a shopper tries to use it. I wonder every time I evaluate retailers with this issue if anyone is paying attention to mobile at all – does no one notice they are getting 0% conversion rate on mobile digital gift card purchases?
Today’s mobile commerce is much more sophisticated than those early efforts. For a lot of retailers, responsive design is a priority, where a single website can be designed to offer an experience that works for desktop, tablet, mobile – whatever screen size you want. And most retailers’ online strategies include a “mobile first” priority, where they design for the smallest, most challenging screen first and then scale up to richer experiences as the screen size grows. And while there is always a debate around whether to create unique mobile experiences that take advantage of unique mobile capabilities (like accessing the address book or camera, for example) vs. having one experience that works equally well across devices, the technology to support either decision is increasingly available – one code base, multiple unique experiences.
In other words, no matter the retailer’s strategy for mobile, it’s getting easier to implement it without resorting to multiple instances or code bases or support. There should be no excuse for having a sub-par mobile experience compared to desktop, other than a retailer is not making it a priority.
Which leads to a somewhat counter-intuitive answer to the question – yes, there can be substantial differences between a retailer’s desktop and mobile experiences, but mobile may not always come out worse. And for shoppers who are annoyed by personalization or pop-ups, that “lesser” mobile experience may actually be preferred. Here’s a round-up of some recent data that RSR has collected.
Mobile is not always slower than desktop. In an evaluation we completed this year, we found that mobile can actually be faster than desktop, depending on how you measure it. We utilized webpagetest.org for gathering our performance data, and we found that desktop sites’ time to first byte was faster than mobile (783 milliseconds vs. 1,049 ms) – not surprising since we were comparing cable speeds for the desktop vs. LTE speeds for mobile. But we also found that time to document complete, basically the time it took for the web page to load, was faster for mobile: 9.50 seconds for mobile vs. 15.57 seconds for desktop.
In the same evaluation, we found that 8% of the retailers we evaluated offered mobile experiences that were not optimized for mobile or were a drastically stripped-down version of desktop sites. However, 34% of evaluated retailers offered a mobile experience that was designed to uniquely take advantage of mobile web. Additionally, 48% of evaluated retailers offered responsive design – however, 11% had responsive design experiences that had errors in the mobile format, for example images that didn’t resize or text that didn’t wrap properly. And we were evaluating home pages as the starting point, which really means whoever designed that responsive experience didn’t bother to make sure the mobile version of that experience has been maintained over time.
We also found that many retailers were achieving mobile speed in downloading by limiting “richer” web experiences on mobile. Thirty-eight percent of evaluated retailers offered a mobile web experience that lacked four or more major features of their desktop experience, where “major” was defined to include live chat, recommendations, personalization, reviews, social embeds (“like this product on Facebook”, for example), or localization.
Some shoppers are happy enough to avoid these major features, preferring more anonymous and less interrupted experiences. But honestly, some features, especially around personalization, are actually more useful on mobile than they are on desktop, like search that auto-completes with common suggested search terms. On a cramped mobile keyboard, auto-complete suggestions really can be helpful. But in an evaluation we completed around personalization (to be fair, this one is older), we found that 3% of the evaluated retailers offered mobile auto-complete vs. 30% who offered desktop auto-complete. Only 17% of mobile sites we evaluated remembered past purchase history vs. 25% of the same retailers’ desktop sites. Only 26% of mobile sites offered both similar and adjacent product recommendations on product detail pages vs. 42% of desktop sites, and 31% of mobile sites offered no product recommendations on product detail pages at all vs. only 10% of desktop sites.
As a shopper, if you want fast and simple and you know what you’re looking for, mobile is definitely the place to start more often than not. But if you’re looking for a rich experience, especially one centered around product discovery, then you should be aware that mobile may be offering you a stripped-down experience that leaves a lot of those capabilities out. Speed definitely still seems to come at the expense of functionality when it comes to mobile.
The real bottom line is, for consumers – make sure you’re really getting the experience you expect. Don’t assume that you’re getting all the features and functionality of a desktop site on mobile. Too many retailers are offering less capability on their mobile site compared to desktop to make that assumption, and you may be missing out by relying on mobile for online shopping.
For retailers, with so many now reporting that the majority of their online traffic comes from mobile, it is time to make sure that the mobile site truly is no longer the step-child of eCommerce. Mobile conversion rates still tend to be lower than desktop, but there may be a very practical reason for that, especially if you’re offering less on mobile than on desktop. And don’t just rely on analytics to identify where mobile shopping experiences go awry – actually shop mobile side by side with the desktop experience and make sure you’re not missing something that’s driving shoppers away.

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


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Dr. Bergantin received his academic education at EPM-UNIFESP (Brazil) and UAM (Spain): biomedicine (2008), MSc (2010) and PhD (2014). His research work solved the enigma of the paradoxical effects produced by L-type Ca2+ channel blockers (ScienceDirect TOP 25 Hottest Articles - Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology - Cell Calcium). Since 1975, several clinical and experimental studies have reported that acute and chronic administration of L-type Ca2+ channel blockers (CCB), such as nifedipine, produces reduction in arterial pressure associated with a paradoxical increase of sympathetic activity. In 2013, Dr. Bergantin and collaborators discovered that this paradoxical increase in sympathetic activity produced by L-type CCB is due to interaction of the Ca2+/cAMP signaling pathways. Then, the pharmacological manipulation of this interaction could be a new therapeutic strategy for increasing neurotransmission in psychiatric disorders, and producing neuroprotection in the neurodegenerative diseases (Bergantin and Caricati-Neto, 2016 Eur J Pharmacol; Caricati-Neto et al., 2015 Pharm Res Perspect). In addition, the pharmacological handling of the Ca2+/cAMP signaling interaction could be a more efficient therapeutic approach to inhibit cancer tumor progression (Errante PR et al., 2017 Adv Cancer Prev). Dr. Bergantin has published several articles in international journals, book chapters and an international book. He is member of several editorial boards of international journals (>50, including editor-in-chief of 3 international journals). Dr. Bergantin has been frequently invited (every week) to be honorable guest (speaker) in international conferences.
His research involves cell signaling mediated by Ca2+ and cAMP, including its role in neuropsychophamacology, autonomic and cardiovascular pharmacology, and cancer.

industry_corpus2: Biopharmaceuticals


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An interesting issue has come to light. A pre-reg student has twice failed the exam. They found a pharmacy to provide them with 6 months work prior to the 3rd attempt. They moved pharmacy after 2 months and approached my PCT to authorise payment to the new pharmacy which is in our area.
The pre-reg funding only covers the 1 year placement, and consequently only covers the 1st and 2nd attempts at the exam.
The GPhC guidance on pre-reg training/exams states that if the student fails the 2nd exam then they should gain additional experience in a pharmacy for a further 6 months prior to attempting the exam for the 3rd and final time. The pharmacy doesn't have to pay them. The NHS doesn't fund them. It's up to the student to find their own placement.
If you work in a PCT, it would be worth checking whether you have paid any contractors in such circumstances. It would also be worth reminding your contractor payment organisations that contractors are not eligible for NHS funding in these circumstances.

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


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Photorefraction (PR) methods have beenwidely used for pediatric vision screening since the 1980’s. While PR is easy to implement, the accuracy of refractive error measurements in humans has been unsatisfactory, largely due to the variations of intraocular scattering, the retinal reflectance, and pupil size. The objective of our studies was to clinically evaluate the accuracy of refraction measurements of an improved PR-based device, the Dynamic Ocular Evaluation System (DOES), and to investigate whether the accuracy is affected by the patient’s age, race, and pupil size, which are relevant to individual intraocular scattering and retinal reflectance. We performed DOES measurements in 99 volunteers (198 eyes) under two environmental light conditions and using four fixation targets. These results were compared to the standard clinical refraction testing performed the same day. The correlation and standard deviation were determined by Bland-Altman analysis. The influence of intraocular scattering, retinal reflectance, and pupil size was evaluated by comparing results from different age groups, races, and lighting conditions. In the region between -4 diopter (D) and +4D, the device showed a binocular refraction measurement accuracy of 0.45 D, 0.3 D, and 0.18 D root-mean-square (RMS) error (n=1337) for spherical equivalent and cross cylinders Jo and J45, respectively. Inaccuracy increased at high refraction (>4D). Age, race, and pupil size did not appear to significantly affect DOES PR measurement. This suggests that enhancements in the PR system and analysis may satisfactorily correct intersubject variability that currently limits the clinical use of PR devices and measurements.
Lei Shi, Ying-Ling Chen, J. W. L. Lewis (2017) The Influence of Race, Age, and Pupil Size on the Measurement of a Photorefraction Device . Journal of Ophthalmic Science - 1(3):14-21.
Photoscreening (PS) has been a popular objective method for pediatric vision screening because of its simplicity of use 1. A PS measurement involves taking photographs of the eyes at a distance, typically one meter. It does not require careful positioning of the eyes or patient cooperation. In addition to the ease of use, PS is capable of simultaneously detecting multiple amblyogenic conditions including strabismus, optical media opacities, and binocular refractive errors. The evaluation of PS devices in vision screening typically uses pass-fail criteria. The result is therefore strongly influenced by the selected cohort and the pass-fail criteria defined for each abnormality. A less ambiguous means of evaluating a PS device is to determine the accuracy in detecting individual vision abnormalities separately.
The name photorefraction (PR) refers to the refraction measurement made from PS images. PR was introduced in the early 1980s 2, 3, 4 and has since evolved to include different optical systems incorporating infrared video cameras and multiple light sources 5 with improved analytic methods (for review, see Howland, 2009 6). Although PR has been used successfully for accommodation studies 7, 8, 9, it requires careful individual calibration on the tested animals or humans. PR measurement is not sufficiently precise for public screening and is generally considered as means to quickly estimate refraction 1, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
PR analysis is based on the double-pass reflex image pattern that is reflected from retina. Factors that can contribute to the uncertainty of the analysis can include the individual’s retinal reflectance, the level of intraocular scattering, and the pupil size, which may vary with age and environment lighting conditions. In addition, many users point out that the PR systems were affected by the subject’s race 13, 14, 15, 16, which could be from differences in retinal pigmentation, and therefore, the reflectance. To reduce the influence from retinal reflectance and the intraocular scattering, improvements were made into a multi-eccentric-meridian PR device, the Dynamic Ocular Evaluation System (DOES). An additional co-axial PS image was acquired in each measurement as a calibration reference. Also an analysis algorithm was applied for an attempt to reduce the scattering noise. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the accuracy (mean error) and precision (error deviation from mean) of refraction measurement of DOES. Measurements were acquired from volunteers in a clinical setting, and DOES measurements were compared to the standard clinical measurements made in the same visit. We further investigated the influence of pupil size, age, and race to identify variables that may interfere with DOES PR measurement accuracy.
The PR optical theory is described previously 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 17, 18. Figure 1 briefly summarizes the difference of DOES and other PR systems in the optics (upper figure) and the refraction analysis algorithm (lower figure). The DOES system uses a near-infrared (810 nm) source, multi-eccentricity-meridian video PR method 17, 18 to acquire a sequence of retinal reflex PS images. Using a beam splitter, the camera and light-source array were collimated (as illustrated at the middle right). This allowed a co-axial PS image to be captured and used as a calibration baseline for individual’s retinal reflectance. Each PS image included both eyes. Each pupil was identified from the photograph using a customized image analysis code, and the background (offset) intensity was removed mathematically to reduce the scattering variation. The remaining signal intensities render a two-dimensional Point Spread Function (PSF) of the eye (illustrated at lower right of Figure 1). Without the beam splitter and the resulting co-axial PR intensity, this double-pass PSF would not be accessible. Finally, the astigmatism amplitude and angle were derived using the 2-Dimensional elliptical fitting and the principle axes of the PSF.
Figure 1. Optical arrangement and refraction analysis process. Upper portion shows the optical arrangement of the PR detection. The related light source and camera position are illustrated at the middle right. The lower left-image shows an example of pupil images corresponding to the illumination sources. The lower right-plot shows the double-pass point-spread function (PSF) that is calculated from the relative intensities of the pupil images. The waist of PSF increases with refractive error and is proportional to the pupil size. The fitted principle axes indicate astigmatic axes.
155 patients with an age range 4 to 81 years were recruited during their visits for comprehensive eye examinations for eye glasses or contact lens in Walmart Vision Center in Tullahoma, Tennessee. After obtaining informed consent, the volunteers were brought to a testing room to view through a binocular eye-piece a 3D cartoon that is located on a screen at 75 cm. Four refraction measurements were acquired using infrared DOES while the subjects viewed a fixation cartoon figure at 4 different stereo distances that ranged from 75-cm to infinity. To investigate the influences of environment lighting and the consequent pupil-size on the PR measurement, the test was performed twice under the conditions of normal room-light and lights-off. After the cartoon viewing, the patients were returned to their original eye exam schedule. Each eye would generate 8 sets of PR refraction data points under the two environment lighting and four visual stimuli conditions. For comparison, the clinical refraction data were collected. These include data from an autorefractor, which was an average result of three measurements, from the phoropter and trial lenses performed by the optometrist, and from cycloplegic retinoscopy for young children from whom subjective refraction were not feasible.
To prevent error from accommodation, eye data from 56 hyperopic or mildly myopic (Spherical Equivalent > -1 diopter) subjects who were younger than 50 years old were omitted in this refraction evaluation, leaving 99 subjects included in the refraction analysis.
In the PR measurements, 18.7% of tests were identified to contain images with poor quality due to eye movements or obstruction from the eyelids or eyelashes. Images were filtered with a quality control code based on the circularity, edge sharpness, and significant location-shifting. Since four detections were attempted in each measurement, the rejection rate of refraction measurements is 0.12% = (18.7%)4. In fact, all 198 eyes from the included 99 subject yielded qualified refraction results. In summary, the comparison was able to be made from the 99 subjects, 198 eyes, 1791 data points (OD= 888, OS=903; total n=1791) measured under 4 visual stimuli distances and 2 environment lighting conditions.
Age range: 7-81 years old.
Pupil range: 2.48 to 8.05 mm.
We used both the correlation and the Bland-Altman statistical methods to evaluate agreement between DOES and the clinical gold-standard measurements that were obtained from the optometrist.
The correlation plots of spherical equivalent (SE) and crossed cylinders (J0 and J45) between the clinical gold standard (x-axis) and the DOES data (y-axis) are shown in the upper three panels of Figure 2. The dashed lines mark the perfect correlation (1:1) and the deviations of ±1 diopter in SE plot and ±0.5 diopter in J0 and J45 plots. The standard deviation of SE and (J0 and J45) within the +4 to-4 diopters region (shaded area in the plots) for vision screening are 0.45, 0.3 and 0.18 diopter, respectively (n=1337). The inaccuracy increases at large refractive error over 4D, which is limited by the eccentricity coverage of this PR system.
The Bland-Altman analysis is shown in the three lower panels of Figure 2. The biases (mean differences) between the binocular DOES and the subjective clinical refraction testing were minimal at 0.00, 0.06, and 0.02 diopter in SE, J0, and J45, respectively.
The monocular autorefractor is currently the most reliable objective refraction tool in the clinical setting. We also compared monocular autorefractor measurements to the clinical subjective refraction results in the same group of 99 patients (198 eyes). The standard errors of the SE were 0.36 diopter and crossed cylinders J0 and J45 were 0.14 and 0.18 diopters, respectively. The mean differences were also minimal (-0.09, 0.03, and -0.04, respectively). The 0.36 D error with 0.09 D mean error is a decent reference. It should be mentioned that each autorefractor data is an average of 3 consequent measurements, which automatically reduces the measurement inaccuracy in each individual. The DOES analysis in this section, however, includes every applicable measurement without taking the average.
Figure 2. Overall binocular DOES refraction test analysis in comparison to clinical gold standard eye exam result.
3. 33 older adults from 41 to 81years old with total of 65 eyes, 525 tests. Distribution of refractive error is SE= +0.3 ± 1.8 D. Pupil size distribution is 4.7 ± 1.0 mm (range from 2.5 to 7.2 mm).
The result in SE, J0, J45, and the total focus errors from the standard exam were shown in Figure 3. The total focus error of a single measurement is defined as the root-mean-square of the three errors (SE, J0 and J45). Judging from the total focus error, the group of young adults was measured by DOES with the greatest accuracy of 0.42 D. The measurements in the group of older adults, had an increased inaccuracy amount of 0.09 D. This result seems to support intraocular scattering influence in older subjects. However, group of children also yielded similar amount of errors at 0.52 D. The result indicates that the small amount of error increased (0.09D) does not provide sufficient evidence to conclude contribution from intraocular scattering to DOES measurement.
Pupil size variation has been one of the major difficulties in traditional PR or PS devices. We acquired DOES data in bright and dark environment settings to study the effect of pupil size in measurement accuracy. The older adults’ pupils did not undergo a large enough size change in response to room light conditions and could not be included in the analysis. Therefore, only children and young adult groups were considered in pupil size analyses. The subjects’ distributions in different pupil groups and the results are shown in Figure 4.
Total focus error was 0.47D in small pupils and 0.57D in large pupils in children. In adults, total focus error was 0.45D in small pupils and 0.40D in large pupils. There was no discernable effect of pupil size on accuracy in either age group. The difference of focus error was 0.1D or less between pupil sizes and the tendency was toward opposite directions. Thus, pupil size does not appear to be a significant factor in the DOES refraction measurement.
Figure 4. Comparison of DOES accuracy in smaller and larger pupil groups.
We compared measurement accuracy across races to investigate the influence of retinal reflectance on the double-pass PR technique. The group of 13 non-white subjects included 3 Asians, 3 Hispanics, and 7 blacks. The 42 white subjects were selected for the equivalent age, pupil size, and refraction distribution. The sample conditions of each group and the error analysis results are shown in Figure 5. The result shows that the difference of accuracy between the two groups was merely 0.04D. This investigation of race dependence also showed no significant change in the two groups’ measurement accuracies.
Figure 5. Comparison of DOES accuracy between white and non-white groups.
Pediatric refraction exam is very important, but is very restricted by the poor collaboration in this population. Photorefraction method provides an optional and objective approach for vision assessment. However, the PR measurement is not sufficiently precise and is generally considered as means to quickly estimate refraction. Enhancement of the technology and well understanding of the results could ease the diagnosis and treatment in clinical practice. This study describes the three major sources of the inaccuracy in PR measurement. Two modifications of a PR device, DOES, are made: a coaxial illumination to balance the individual’s retinal reflectance and a mathematic method to reduce the offset noise signal, which is assumed to be relevant to intraocular scattering. We evaluate the quantitative accuracy of DOES and examines the influence of age, race, and pupil size on measurement accuracy. We found that in the pediatric vision screening region between -4D and +4D, the device shows a binocular-refraction measurement accuracy that is indicated by standard errors 0.45D, 0.3 D, and 0.18 D (n=1337) for spherical equivalent and cross cylinders Jo and J45, respectively.
The accuracy of the modified PR device did not indicate significant influence by the race, age, pupil-size, or type of refraction. The measurement total focus error in the distinguished subject groups were fundamentally the same, around 0.48 +/- 0.06D. This suggests that the enhancements in the PR system and analysis may correct for intersubject variability that limits current PR devices and measurements.
The authors would like to acknowledge the UTRF maturation funding support, the support and consultation from Dr. Palmer and Walmart Vision Center at Tullahoma, Tennessee, and the support of Center for Laser Applications of the University of Tennessee Space Institute.
1.Sanchez I, Ortiz-Toquero S, Martin R, V de Juan. (2016) . , Clin Ophthalmol 10, 1365-1373.
2.Howland H C, Howland B. (1974) . , J Opt Soc Am 64, 240-249.
3.Howland H C, Braddick O, Atkinson J, Howland B. (1983) . , J Opt Soc Am 73, 1701-1708.
4.W R Bobier, O J Braddick. (1985) . , Am J Optom Physiol Opt 62, 614-620.
5.Schaeffel F, Farkas L, Howland H C. (1987) . , Appl Optics 26, 1505-1509.
6.Howland H C. (2009) . , Opt. Vis. Sci 86, 603-606.
7.A M Horwood, P M Riddell. (2009) . , Optom Vis Sci 86, 1276-1286.
8.C J Murphy, R W Bellhorn, Williams T, M S Burns, Schaeffel F et al. (1990) Vision Res. 30, 23-32.
9.He L, Wendt M, Glasser A. (2012) . , Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 53, 215-223.
10.A M Thompson, Li T, L B Peck, H C, Counts R et al. (1996) . Optom Vis Sci,73: 644-652.
11.Rajavi Z, Sabbaghi H, A S Baghini, Yaseri M, Sheibani K. (2015) . , J Ophthalmic Vis Res 10, 221-228.
12.Ayse Y K, Onder U, Suheyla K. (2011) . , Can J Ophthalmol 46, 153-157.
13.Sravani N G, Nilagiri V K, Bharadwaj S R. (2015) . , Sci Rep 23, 7976.
15.Y L Chen, Tan B, Lewis J. (2003) . , Opt Express 11, 1628-1642.
16.S R Bharadwaj, N G Sravani, Little J-A, Narasaiah A, Wong V. (2014) . , J. Opt. Soc. Am A Opt Image Sci. Vis 30, 923-931.
17.Chen Y L, Shi L, Lewis J, Wang M. (2014) . , Photonics 1, 303-322.


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Entrusting your child under a daycare’s supervision comes with expectations that your child will be safe and sound while in their care. We expect that the daycare will have our child’s best interests in mind, minimizing any risks that they may be exposed to and treating the situation as if our children were the daycare worker’s own. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Daycare injuries do happen. Daycare workers make mistakes and act negligently, and sometimes the result is a daycare injury.
If you have experienced this type of situation, do not feel helpless. If your child has suffered an injury under the supervision of a daycare provider, an experienced daycare injury lawyer can help you receive compensation for your child’s injuries and ensure that a similar daycare injury is not repeated by the at-fault party.
Even if you have signed a waiver of liability, that does not mean that your child’s daycare facility cannot be held accountable for a daycare injury that occurs on their premises.
An Indemnity clause — the section of a liability waiver releasing you of your right to sue a daycare provider for any injuries that occur to your child under the provider’s care — does not bar you from taking legal action to receive compensation for a daycare injury.
Under almost all circumstances, courts will find that liability waivers hold no validity because they essentially grant the daycare an “out” to act negligently without any threat of legal repercussion.
In general, daycare providers are aware that liability waivers are obsolete in the eye of the court. They simply use them as a deterrent from parents knowing that they can file a suit in the case that a daycare injury does occur.
The first step to taking legal action against your child’s daycare provider is showing that the provider is liable for the injuries that your child sustained.
Duty: the daycare provider violated a legal or understood obligation that they had to you and your child.
Causation: this breach resulted in the daycare injury to occur. Your child sustained injuries the daycare accident. No outlying actor was to blame.
Foreseeable: the daycare injury could have been foreseen by the provider. It was not an anomaly.
Proof: there must be evidence of how the daycare injury occurred and supportive evidence to show that the daycare provider was at fault for any injuries the child sustained from the daycare accident.
The duty of care, or duty as explained in the previous section, are the legal or understood expectations that the childcare provider must meet while taking care of a child.
The courts use a “prudent daycare center” principle to help determine the duty of care. The “prudent daycare center” principle brings into question “What would a prudent daycare provider do in the same situation?” If the court determines that another provider would have done more to ensure the safety of the child, then they would likely rule that the daycare provider acted negligently.
Furthermore, the court may determine that even though the child was under the supervision of the daycare center, a third-party actor was liable and the accident did not occur under the duty of care.
In Illinois, the Department of Children & Family Services regulates all childcare. In Missouri, the duty falls upon the Department of Social Services. But state regulations in both states require that daycares are frequently inspected by state agencies who write reports and citations. These reports are easily accessible and can be beneficial to you. Your daycare injury lawyer can access these reports to determine whether similar incidents have happened at the daycare facility in the past. If there have been previous incidents, this will likely strengthen your argument against the daycare facility.
If the state inspector determines that a daycare provider is not meeting the expectations set by state law or requirements, the inspector will issue a citation to the daycare. In the case that your child was injured in some manner related to a previous citation then you can make a Prima Facie claim. A prima facie claim surmises that negligence occurred based on previous negligence. Though it does not guarantee a ruling in your favor, it can greatly strengthen your case, especially if you show that the violation was not properly addressed. You can easily access daycare reports from the state to check for citations that the daycare provider may have been issued in the past.
How Do I Build Case Against the Daycare?
As soon as the incident occurs, it is very important that you begin to gather evidence. Collect copies of any paperwork that you had previously filled out with the provider. Request security footage if it is available. Keep an organized folder of all medical records involved with the daycare injury.
Photographs can be the most crucial type of evidence in daycare cases. Keep digital copies of all the photos that you take. Make sure to label and date each photo, preferably digitally.
Photographs of the scene of the accident as soon as it occurs.
Follow-up photographs of the scene afterward.
Photographs of any visible injuries to your child.
Follow-up photographs of your child’s healing process.
For more information on evidence, follow our evidence guideline.
Besides evidence, you will also need to calculate the amount of damages that you believe the daycare provider is liable for. Depending on the situation, you may choose to include punitive damages as well as normal damages.
For more information on damages, follow our damages guideline.
The process of taking legal action against a daycare provider can be a long and difficult one. Hiring a daycare injury lawyer can likely greatly increase the success of your case.
The daycare provider will make it difficult for you to gather evidence and documents. With daycare laws and regulations differing state-to-state, it is also difficult to fully grasp the factors that play into the incident that occurred. A daycare injury lawyer can use their knowledge of the law to circumnavigate these obstacles and formulate the strongest case possible against the daycare provider.
Finally, the cost of going to trial often outweighs the payout. A trial is a last-case scenario and should be avoided as much as possible. The best-case scenario is arbitrating the dispute out of court with the daycare’s insurance adjuster and legal advisor. These arbitrations can be complex and an unaware parent may be misled to believe that their compensation is worth much less than its true value. Your attorney will make sure that you receive the full amount of compensation that you deserve.
Because our firm works on contingency, we only get paid if our clients do first. Therefore, we are dedicated to making sure that our clients receive the highest level of compensation for the injuries they or their loved ones have suffered.
It is important that you do not feel dissuaded from taking legal action. The daycare provider should be held responsible for their negligence. Your actions may be the only thing protecting other children from suffering from the same injuries in the future.

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


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Going to an outdoor concert in the middle of the summer is equivalent to sitting on the surface of the sun, especially in Texas. I always get excited to do my makeup for concerts, but I struggle because I already have oily skin and the heat on top of that just makes it even worse.
BUT, I have figured out which products hold up against sweat and heat rather than just melting off of my face. These products stayed in place the WHOLE NIGHT and when I got home after the concert, my makeup still looked perfect and not shiny at all! I am not going to list every product that I used, just the ones that are typically the first to go. I will say, I did use a few different base/ priming products to really ensure that my makeup would last all night and stand up against the heat and sweat. It might seem like a lot, but it worked extremely well and did not feel heavy and thick on the skin at all.
First, I applied the Murad Oil Control Mattifier SPF 15 all over my face and neck. I rubbed it in a little, then focused on really pressing this into my skin. Side note: it is extremely important to wear an SPF, especially if you are going to be out in the sun.
Then I sprayed my face with my DIY Primer Water (I have a whole post and ingredient list for this DIY in a previous post- check it out!). This stuff works extremely well, I definitely recommend making your own!
Next, I applied the Nivea Mens Post Shave Balm all over my face.
Then, last for the primers, I applied the Makeup Forever Step 1 mattifying primer to the areas of my face that I get really oily. This stuff is key to achieving this sweat-proof makeup. I cannot say enough good things about it! If you’re oily- buy this stuff, you need it in your life. When using it though, you want to make sure to only apply it to oily areas because it is pretty intense.
For foundation, I used my L’Oreal Infallible Pro- Matte liquid foundation and set it with the Pro- Matte powder. This combo is sweat-proof and feels lightweight on the skin while being full coverage.
The last product that is great for hot, sweaty days is the MAC Pro Longwear concealer. I used this under my eyes and as my eyeshadow primer. IT WILL NOT CREASE. The consistency is on the thicker side, but it will not budge and sets nicely.
These are all the products I used for my summer concert makeup! I cannot stress enough how well this combo worked for me, but if I could recommend one product that really made a difference, it would be the Makeup Forever primer. It is the best mattifying primer I have ever used and I was amazed by how well it held up. Hope this was helpful!
Absolutely! I’ll check it out right now!
Definitely not! I love supporting other beauty bloggers!
Thanks for this! I love love love your necklace!
Thanks so much! It’s the Carli Bybel palette from BH cosmetics!
so helpful! my makeup is always terrible after concerts end!


text:
Many herbs bear subtly beautiful flowers that lend a loose, unstudied air to arrangements. With flavorful leaves and gorgeous flowers, these plants provide a feast for the eyes.
This exotic variety, with a strong licorice scent, boasts reddish-purple flower spikes in late summer. Note: The leaves may start to lose some flavor once blooming begins.
By midsummer, vivid chartreuse-yellow blossoms appear atop tall stems with feathery foliage. To ensure a steady supply, sow new seeds each month.
Grow this drought-tolerant shrub, which blooms in early summer, as an annual in regions cooler than Zone 8. For best results, start with a plant, not seeds.
With a low mounding habit, this fuzzy-leaved herb makes for a good-looking ground cover. Expect clusters of pale, pinkish buds midsummer.
This refreshing member of the mint family flaunts cones of lilac-pink bells by midsummer. Since mint's invasive, be sure to contain it in a pot or raised bed.
True to its name, this tender perennial emits a sweet pineapple fragrance and, as summer begins to wane, sends up stalks of vibrant scarlet blooms.

industry_corpus2: Agriculture & Fisheries


text:
Directed writing. Every step laid out for students and teachers. Complete and thorough editing checklist in which grammar skills are actually applied to writing (with clear check boxes and assignments). Essays. Reports. Stories. Twice Told Tales. Dialogues. Description. Persuasion.
Just a few phrases that describe the Meaningful Composition series. And I’m more excited about this series than ever!
(1) I have been writing the series and testing each book three to six times with real students for nearly ten years.
It is only when you sit across from a twelve year old boy and look into his eyes that you know if a curriculum works. MC has been tested in small groups totaling over one hundred students a year for ten years.
Then guess what? I went back in and changed the lessons, projects, assignments, etc., as needed according to the facial expressions of real students in all grades.
It’s been expensive and time consuming. But I can’t release books that have not been tested and rewritten. Period.
(2) As of August 1st, we will have twenty-one books in the MC series ready to go! Wowsie, wow, wow…that was a long process.
I. Video—below is a full video series describing all aspects of the MC series.
II. Try samples—we are putting two week samples of each book up at the Character Ink store for EACH BOOK. This gives you an opportunity to “try before you buy”! Keep in mind that you are trying two weeks out of the middle of a book, and there are a lot of skills taught earlier in that book leading up to that lesson. You can find the samples here.
III. Shorter lessons that are found in MC can be found as downloadable e books at all of our stores. We are putting these up regularly too, so check out the links at the end of this post.
Thank-you for your support of Character Ink Press as we work to bring you more and more outstanding homeschooling and parenting products!


text: Abstract: We investigate a networked control architecture for LTI plant models with a scalar input. Communication from controller to actuator is over an unreliable network which introduces packet dropouts. To achieve robustness against dropouts, we adopt a packetized predictive control paradigm wherein each control packet transmitted contains tentative future plant input values. The novelty of our approach is that we seek that the control packets transmitted be sparse. For that purpose, we adapt tools from the area of compressed sensing and propose to design the control packets via on-line minimization of a suitable L1/L2 cost function. We then show how to choose parameters of the cost function to ensure that the resultant closed loop system be practically stable, provided the maximum number of consecutive packet dropouts is bounded. A numerical example illustrates that sparsity reduces bit-rates, thereby making our proposal suited to control over unreliable and bit-rate limited networks.

industry_corpus2: Power & Energy


text:
FOXBORO, Mass. — Wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez has crossed enemy lines, moving from one side of the NFL's rivalry of the decade to the other. And he's learned the sun does indeed rise over Gillette Stadium.
"I've never seen the stadium from this vantage point, but it's a great facility," Gonzalez said Tuesday. "I will say everybody has been super nice and very welcoming. Despite what they told me in Indianapolis, everybody is really nice here. It's a great place, and I'm happy to be here."
The first-round pick out of Ohio State in 2007 spent his first five seasons with the Colts. He caught 94 passes for 1,240 yards and seven touchdowns in his first two years in Indy, but a myriad of injuries limited him to just five catches for 67 yards and no scores over the last three seasons.
Gonzalez, who turns 28 in September, signed a one-year deal with the Patriots. It was a low-risk move for the franchise that will reap valuable rewards if Gonzalez can stay healthy, though that will be the great uncertainty.
"[The past three seasons] certainly weren't how I would have hoped for them to go," Gonzalez said. "I've learned a lot of things, and going forward, that's kind of in my past, I would say. It's a basic rule. I look forward, as opposed to back, and that's the focus I'm putting on it right now.
"I'm leaving all of that kind of behind. Right now, I'm here. I'm happy to be here, and I feel pretty good."
Gonzalez signed with the Patriots on March 17, but as one of the Colts' player reps, he had to tend to his NFLPA duties until the end of the month. He reported to Gillette on April 1 and has been working out with his new teammates and coaches for a little more than a week.
Due to Gonzalez's success in the Colts' complicated system, he seems like a natural fit to get with the program in New England. Gonzalez's greatest contributions have been in the slot, but he's also got value on the outside, which should give him plenty of opportunities on the field.
Gonzalez hasn't spoken with quarterback Tom Brady yet, but the receiver played high school football with Pats backup quarterback Brian Hoyer. Gonzalez's sister has also been lifelong friends with Hoyer's wife, so there's plenty of history between the two, who have reconnected well in New England. And by showing up early, Gonzalez can work to learn the offense immediately.
"That's really my focus, whether it's with Tom or with Brian or with anybody, is just to learn this offense as quickly as humanly possible," Gonzalez said. "I know just from watching that it's pretty complex, a pretty involved offense, and the one in Indy was, too. So that part of it doesn't worry me. But I do want to make sure when it's time to get on the field and go through things that there's no hesitancy mentally. Because I know if I don't know exactly what I'm doing, there's going to be problems for me. It's a lot harder to play when you don't know what you're doing."
That's all part of what drew Gonzalez to the Patriots. He admired them from afar, even when the rivalry was at its peak. Gonzalez, who was rooting for the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, said he'll enjoy the competition to make the team due to the talent at the position. And when he realized the interest was mutual, he was happy to change allegiances.
"I'm excited to be here," Gonzalez said. "It's probably the best professional football environment there is, so I'm excited for the opportunity. I love the east coast. I love this part of the country, so I'm excited. I'm happy and just glad for the opportunity.
"To me, it's the perfect fit in a lot of ways."

industry_corpus2: Sports


text:
obligated to keep your workers safe, including their eyes. Providing compliant and effective personal protective equipment (PPE) can dramatically reduce the chance of eye injury and even vision loss. Whether your workplace is a construction site, a laboratory, or a manufacturing warehouse, there are a number of hazards the eye faces. Fortunately, the ANSI z87.1 standard was developed with protecting a worker’s eyes in mind as well as simpler purchasing for the employer.
Blunt impact: Impact from either running into an object or a projectile hitting the eye resulting in impact.
Radiation: There are many common sources of radiation including the sun, and over time can cause severe damage to the eye.
Splashes and Droplets: The eyes are often exposed to liquid chemicals, and the result of chemicals splashing or getting into the eye can range from mild irritation to even blindness.
Dust: In many industrial and construction sites, dust blown up from saws, fans, and other machines can impact eye sight and cause eye damage.
As an employer, you will need to perform a hazard assessment, so you can accurately identify the present hazards. Some may be obvious, but some hazards may be industry specific or specific to your individual facility.
+ sign after z87.1: The plus sign means the glasses or goggles are rated for a high-velocity impact.
D3: This indicates the eye protection will protect from splashes or droplets.
D4/D5: The D4 signifies protection from dust, while D5 protects from fine dust.
U: Indication the glasses or goggles includes UV protection.
R: Signifies infrared light protection.
L: Indicates the eye protection has a visible light filter.
Z87-2: This is used for lenses that are also prescription lenses.
W: For eye protection used in welding.
H: This indicates the safety eyewear is designed for smaller head sizes.
S: Used for lenses with a special tint.
As an employer it is essential, and required, to provide employees with proper PPE to keep them safe on the job. A large part of this will be to assess the present hazards in the workplace and choose the appropriate types of eye protection to effectively keep your worker’s eyes safe. Be sure to follow the ANSI z87.1 standard to ensure compliancy and that your workers will be properly protected.

industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


text:
Since I was a kid, my mom has been taking me to the L’Oréal warehouse sale. Admittedly, I really didn’t enjoy it when I was young but now I definitely appreciate the beauty discounts. For those of you who aren’t aware, this is an bi-annual sale that has discounted makeup/skincare/hair products from all the brands that are part of the L’Oréal family. Here is the list of what I picked up at the sale on Sunday.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat and Effaclar K sets: These are always great to pick up at the warehouse sale; the sets are usually the leftovers from the holidays and very good value for money. Both collections have the same Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel and Anthelios Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF 60, both of which I use regularly. The cleanser is a gel formula that’s meant for oily sensitive skin. I find it a bit drying but it is the product I go back to when my skin is particularly spotty, I’ve been using this since I was a teenager and I don’t think I’ll ever totally abandon it. The Anthelios SPF also does a good job, it doesn’t irritate my skin at all and isn’t an issue under makeup. The Mat set ($18) has the Effaclar Mat moisturizer, which is meant to mattify the completion. This is my go-to moisturizer for the summer; it’s a light gel-like formula and really does leave a matte finish to the skin, which is essential for me during the hot and sweaty months. The Effaclar K set ($16.75) contains the Effaclar K fluid, a new product for me. This is an LHA micro-exfoliating flid that’s meant to treat and hydrate blemish prone skin, and improve skin texture. I haven’t been using this long enough to give it a thorough review but I will follow up if it turns out to be a total winner!
Essie Nail Polishes in Style Hunter and Lapiz of Luxury: I love Essie nail polish and at the warehouse sale each polish was $4.50, with a buy 5 get 1 free promotion (the other four polishes were for my mom). Style Hunter is a great bright pink/red, which is perfect for spring. Lapiz of Luxury is certainly outside of my regular nail colours (very dark colours, greys or reds) but it really caught my eye. This is a fab purpley blue that I am totally obsessed with!
Maybelline Volum’ Express The Rocket Mascara: If you saw my Maybelline mascaras post, you know that I’ve tried a number of mascaras from the brand recently. After trying three (The Rocket, Pumped Up! Colossal and The Falsies) I have found my favourite. I love The Rocket mascara, I find that it does a great job separating my lashes and provides a good amount of volume; I also found that it had the least amount of fall down throughout the day. At $2 a mascara, I definitely didn’t hesitate picking up a few extras.
I think I fared pretty well at the warehouse sale and it certainly doesn’t hurt to save a few bucks!


text:
Industry groups have warned oil and gas companies could pull their money out of New Orleans, including major corporate sponsorships, because the city has filed a lawsuit seeking damages for coastal wetlands losses.
Two major events, the French Quarter Festival and Jazz Fest, have energy companies as their main sponsors. So far, the companies have not announced changes to those arrangements.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s legal team filed suit Friday (March 30) seeking damages from Entergy and 10 oil and gas companies for coastal wetlands loss. Chevron, which is one of the defendants, has been title sponsor the French Quarter Festival since 2013.
“Unnecessary legal tactics threaten the community investment and cultural support the industry has provided for over a century, which they can now potentially lose …” Tyler Gray, president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, said in a statement Friday.
A spokeswoman for Chevron said the company has not made its funding decisions for 2020 but did not give any indication that it may end its relationship with the French Quarter Festival. Details on the current sponsorship agreement were not available from event representatives.
“Chevron’s charitable budget is reviewed on an annual basis, and numerous factors are considered prior to investing in local partnerships and programs,” said Veronica Flores-Paniagua, external affairs director for Chevron North America.
Chevron is one of the companies named as defendants in New Orleans’ suit. In addition to the French Quarter Festival and Satchmo Summerfest, the company also provides financial support to the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, Boys & Girls Club and Youthforce NOLA among other local organizations.
Orleans becomes seventh parish to sue oil and gas firms over environmental damage.
Warnings of industry disinvestment have followed other lawsuits similar to the one New Orleans has filed. Six other parishes are seeking damages from the oil and gas industry, which continues to put money into major infrastructure.
Despite those warnings, however, many energy companies have expanded investments in the region. In Cameron and Plaquemines parishes, both of which have cases pending in federal court, oil and gas firms have committed to spend or already have spent several billion dollars on midstream infrastructure. They include liquefied natural gas terminals and several major pipelines to serve those facilities.
Shell, which is not named in New Orleans’ lawsuit, became the first-ever presenting sponsor for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2006. Last year, the company agreed to continue in that role through 2024.
In a statement, Curtis Thomas, an external relations adviser for Shell, touted the company’s participation in “hundreds” of coastal restoration and protection efforts.
In its lawsuit, the city of New Orleans attributes wetlands loss to energy companies that did not restore damage, such as canals and spoil banks, or clean up hazardous and radioactive waste from drilling operations. Their inaction is a violation of the state’s Coastal Zone Management Act of 1978, according to the complaint filed Friday in Orleans Civil District Court.
“We are filing this lawsuit to ensure that the residents of Orleans Parish are safe, our economy is protected, and to help restore our coast,” City Attorney Sunni LeBeouf said Friday.
Defendants in the lawsuit include Apache Louisiana Minerals, Aspect Energy, Chaparral Energy, Chevron USA Inc., Collins Pipeline Co., Entergy New Orleans (and its predecessor companies), EOG Resources Inc., ExxonMobil Pipeline Co., Gulf South Pipeline Co. Southern Natural Gas Co., and Whiting Oil and Gas Corp.
Mark Schleifstein contributed to this report.

industry_corpus2: Petrochemicals


text:
This is ridiculously late notice on my part, but if you're in NY (or taking the train up tomorrow morning with me) it's not too late to see three talented Irish writers read from their work at NYU's Glucksman Ireland House, tomorrow night (December 2) at 7 p.m. I've raved often about Claire Kilroy's books, including her latest, All Names Have Been Changed, about a group studying creative writing at Trinity College in the '80s. I absolutely loved Paul Murray's quirky and hilarious first novel, An Evening of Long Goodbyes, and I'm looking forward to three hours of uninterrupted Amtrak time to find out what happens at the Hallowe'en Hop at Seabrook College in his new novel, Skippy Dies, which has been long listed for the Man Booker Prize. Kevin Barry's debut book of short stories, There Are Little Kingdoms, received the 2007 Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. I haven't read Barry's book yet, but that makes the event more fun. It's like tapas.
You can reserve a spot by calling 212-998-3950 (option 3) or emailing ireland.house@nyu.edu. Those who aren't members of Ireland House can give a $10 donation at the door.
Some time after my friend Jabber's baby was born, she (Jabber, that is, not the baby) took to the web and started sharing her experience raising a baby in Manhattan. Eight months ago, to my great delight, Jabber and her family moved back down to Washington, where they belong, in my humble, self-interested opinion. Now Jabber's focus is on life with her toddler in DC, as her blog, Jabberjaw, puts it. But if you're a new mom you don't have to live in DC to benefit from Jabber's now DC-centric blog, any more than you had to live in New York to benefit from it before, because she also chronicles the place-transcendent experience of life with a youngster, and provides exhaustive reviews of baby products (for want of a better term). And even if you don't have children, she's an entertaining writer who's always fun to read (and those baby product reviews come in mighty handy for baby showers).
It's Bloomsday again, and whether you're in New York or anywhere with an Internet connection, here are a few ways to mark the event: attend a reading at Symphony Space in New York (95th and Broadway) at 7 pm, listen to its live webcast, tune in to WBAI (99.5 FM) in New York for its offering of Joyce readings, or listen to its live webcast, from 7 pm to 4 am. This program will also be heard on many Pacifica-affiliated radio stations. The New York Times describes the events as follows (read the full article for why the theater and radio productions are going their separate ways this year).
In the Symphony Space production Stephen Colbert and Frank and Malachy McCourt will read from the novel’s Ithaca episode. Then after a musical interlude by the soprano Judith Kellock, the event will conclude with a reading by Fionnula Flanagan of the book’s ending episode, Molly Bloom’s drifting nighttime thoughts.
My favorite brunch spot in New York has changed spots. Danal, formerly on E. 10th Street, has moved to Fifth Ave. between 12th and 13th Streets. From the outside it's less charming than before, and in fact barely noticeable, tucked in next to a building undergoing a face lift. Inside it still has a French country vibe, but is a bit more upscale than it used to be. Part of me misses the hectic bustle of the old place, where the kitchen was basically in the dining room, but some will appreciate the more genteel atmosphere. The brunch menu is the same mix of breakfasty and lunchy options that I described before. Hectic bustle or not, the cafe au lait is still creamy, mysterywriter reports the hot chocolate is still delightful, and the tart I had on Saturday was just the ticket to fuel a shopping binge at Darryl's.
Ten years ago or so on a wet November afternoon mysterywriter, Dubliner, and I ducked into the Union Square Barnes & Noble to get out of the rain and ended up frittering away a good three hours browsing books. (That was a record even for us.) Afterward we wandered up Broadway and came upon a film shoot across from the Flatiron Building. We waited an inordinately long time in the cold drizzle for what ended up being a disappointing payoff: watching Vince Vaughn get into a limo and drive off (a scene, evidently, in "Return to Paradise"). Never linger at a film shoot with high hopes.
Fortunately, our dejected, aimless wandering afterward took us eastward to Third Avenue, where we happened upon Molly's Shebeen. We couldn't see in and were dubious, but were so cold and wet that we figured we'd go in for a pint while we warmed up and figured out our dinner plans. Once in, we never wanted to leave (and didn't, for hours). We found ourselves in a cozy, authentic, neighborhood Irish pub, with a fireplace, perfectly drawn Guinness, good Shepherd's pie, and an assortment of locals both behind and in front of the bar (including one patron with a little dog on his lap). We've gone back many times. One evening mysterywriter had to get up early for work the next day. Every time the server came by and asked if we wanted another round mysterywriter would say "none for me, thanks," and the server would say, in her lovely, lilting accent, "how about a half pint?" I don't remember how many half pints mw had that night.
It is a place to have a pint by the fire or, even better, to have a meal in the back under the glow of warm orange lighting from chandelierlike fixtures, and walls with dusty memorabilia that the warm orange lighting doesn’t quite allow you to make out. Shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, chicken pot pie, lamb stew are all served in a homey style that even the most non-Irish person in the world (say, a Bangladeshi farmer) would recognize as comfort food.
If I'm being honest, I have to admit that Rufus Sewell's name on the marquee caught my attention before Tom Stoppard's. But Stoppard's brilliant writing, Rufus's swarthy good looks, a talented cast all around (including Brian Cox and Sinead Cusack), and classic rock and roll music could only add up to a great time at the theater. And it was. There's only a few days left to see Stoppard's Rock n Roll on Broadway -- it closes March 9. You can still find discounted tickets at broadwaybox.com. If you don't know much about the Prague Spring, Pink Floyd, or the Plastic People of the Universe, you might want to do a little homework first. Even if you don't, just go with the flow -- so what if you don't get half of it? Isn't that what Stoppard's all about?
Thinking about seeing a show in New York this holiday season? Here's a way to get discount tickets in advance and without standing in line in the cold in Times Square. Broadwaybox.com offers discount codes for dozens of shows on Broadway and off. They don't sell the tickets themselves -- in fact, they are just a clearinghouse for codes provided by members of the public. But you can click through to the ticket agency to get the discount. Or if you live in New York and want to avoid the service charge, do like my neighbor, a former New Yorker who told me about the site, used to do: bring the code to the the theater and buy the tickets there.
The site doesn't just offer discounts to long-running tourist attractions. For example, the site says the codes will get you 40% or more off tickets to Conor McPherson's "The Seafarer" (which I highly recommend) or Aaron Sorkin's "The Farnsworth Invention," and up to 45% off Tom Stoppard's "Rock 'n' Roll."
The Seafarer is a chilling new play about the sea, Ireland, and the power of myth. It's Christmas Eve and Sharky has returned to Dublin to look after his irascible, aging brother who's recently gone blind. Old drinking buddies Ivan and Nicky are holed up at the house too, hoping to play some cards. But with the arrival of a stranger from the distant past, the stakes are raised ever higher. In fact, Sharky may be playing for his very soul.
That sounds so dour. But it isn't. After seeing McPherson's intense "Shining City" last month at the Studio Theatre in Washington, I wouldn't have imagined laughing myself silly to another of his plays a few weeks later. When curmudgeonly, older brother Richard comes home drunk from getting some "bits" for Christmas dinner, he stumbles into the house singing his own Christmas medley (including "O come let us redore him" and "Oh the weather outside is frightening"); it's silly, but you can't help but laugh at the joy he takes in singing in the face of his miserable condition. Or at the way Ivan nimbly picks his way around the house in a drink-induced and half-blinded stupor (he's lost his glasses). Like "Shining City," "The Seafarer" deals with serious themes -- guilt, loneliness, faith -- and you're constantly bracing yourself for a tragic turn. But the play is ultimately, and unexpectedly, uplifting.
Ciarán Hinds plays the dapper, mysterious stranger, Mr. Lockhart, who shows up Christmas Eve for a card game, and eventually reveals himself to be the devil himself. Although this sounds hokey, it doesn't play hokey. The devil hasn't appeared so tragic, or so human, since Milton's Paradise Lost. As Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune said, "to understand hell, we're told, you just have to recall when 'you see all the people who seem to live in another world all snuggled up together in the warmth of a tavern or a cozy little house, and you just walk and walk and walk and you're on your own and nobody knows who you are.'"
in a season when many of the best new movies, like “No Country for Old Men” and “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” are bare of any sense of salvation, Mr. McPherson’s allowance of a provisional, redeeming grace has its warming charm. You don’t have to believe in it to be moved by it. Besides, transporting acting like this has an amazing grace all its own.
Nine or so years ago I complimented a colleague on her suit, which paired a jacket with a skirt in an unorthodox but attractive combination. She said she got it at a store on the Upper West Side of New York where the owner knows how to put outfits together. Nine or so years and a decent condo down payment later, I don't know what I'd have been wearing all this time had I not learned about Darryl's.
Located between 83rd and 84th Streets on Amsterdam, Darryl's is a small shop packed with simple, beautiful clothing for women. The merchandise ranges from casual sweaters and slacks, to stylish suits, to cocktail dresses. It's not inexpensive (my mother says when I walk in the door Darryl hears "cha-ching!"), but it's not one of those stores where they sell only size 0 pants for $300 and up (how can 19 year olds who wear size 0 afford $300 pants -- by saving money on food?). When I first started going to Darryl's he carried French and Italian designers I couldn't find elsewhere. Sadly, given the poor value of the dollar against the Euro, those days are over. Darryl's now carries such makes as Cyrus, Teenflo, & Trousers, and BCBG. Though the selection doesn't seem as unusual as it once was, it's still worth piggybacking off Darryl's good taste. Not to mention his judgment as to what will work for you -- by the time I've gone through the whole store and picked out what I want to try on, he'll have filled the fitting room with additional items he's picked out ("your assignment," as he puts it).
If you need a nosh before shopping, there's a Le Pain Quotidien next door. If you want to forget how much you spent after shopping, have a chocolate malt at Homer's across the street or a drink at any number of local bars. Or if you need to buy some goodwill from children in tow during your shopping spree, check out West Side Kids in the next block north. If you're shopping for a gift, they'll ship for you; good news when mysterywriter bought a gigantic dog for our niece in Charlotte. (I managed to convince my Charlotte sister (the mother of the aforementioned niece) and her family to make the trek to Darryl's from the Natural History Museum a few months ago based on the promise of a nearby toy store and malt shop. There's something for everyone in this neighborhood.) Check out the west side block by block here.
I can think of no better way to start a weekend morning in New York than with brunch at Danal. The first time I went, many years ago, I had the tart, which, that morning, was made with roasted tomato and goat cheese. It was possibly the best tart I've had there, or was it just that I was so taken with the place that it still sticks in my mind? We were seated in the back of this slightly below-ground level French-country style restaurant in the east village, next to a woman loudly proclaiming to her dining companion that no great thinkers believe in God.
The menu changes, but includes some standards, with variations. As I mentioned, there's always a tart, with seasonal toppings. There's usually an Eggs Benedict-like dish with chicken apple sausage -- even if I'm not in the mood for eggs this dish is tempting, the sausage is that good. You can expect to find an omelet, a frittata, pancakes -- sometimes, decadently, with chocolate chips -- a couple of salads and sandwiches, and more substantial entrees. And wonderful, creamy cafe au lait, served in large bowls, not to mention the unsweetened bowl of hot chocolate MysteryWriter is fond of and I always envy. Coffee is served via French press.
The atmosphere is haphazard and cozy. Potatoes and other produce are stored in baskets and servers retrieve the mismatched plates from rustic china cabinets. When we first starting brunching there we often encountered a wait, at least once in cold rain on the sidewalk. In recent years -- after they opened a second floor -- we haven't had a problem getting a table on Saturday or Sunday morning.
After brunching at Danal's, you can satisfy your sweet tooth across the street at the newish location of Sundaes & Cones, an Asian-themed ice cream place (think lychee and ginger, as well as more common flavors) with benches out front that make you think you could be in Fairmont, West Virginia rather than the east village.
Before or after, be sure to stop in the Jillery (see the purplish sign behind Danal's in the above photo) to shop for jewelry, retro handbags, housewares (including Judaica), and assorted tchotchkes. The pill box in my purse is from the Jillery, as are the decorative magnetic clips that I use for appending mail and other important outgoing stuff to my (metal) door. Pudding Man has been known to sport cufflinks from the Jillery -- though we're both Washingtonians, we independently found not only Danal's but the Jillery. That's as random as running into David Duchovny on our way to Balthazar.

industry_corpus2: Literature & Emotions


text:
The Cisco CCNA exam (latest edition as of Might 2009 is 640-802) is among the most used Engineering certifications. Obtaining a Cisco CCNA is a wonderful stage towards a fruitful job in the Networking field. CCNA is generally the prerequisite of more advanced Cisco certifications such as CCNP and CCIE. In this economic situation, professionals obtaining a high quality ccna weekend training london accreditation come in greater position in the employment market.
1000s of individuals are looking the internet each day to find teaching assets to examine because of their Cisco CCNA exam. The majority are searching about exercise examination questions, home study manuals, books, training videos etc. There are numerous free online resources available for the CCNA examination but a lot of them are possibly dated (they don't protect the most recent 640-802 CCNA exam) or they're not comprehensive. For a serious CCNA candidate, the free methods should be properly used and then supplement a specialist CCNA training package. My assistance is not to make use of free on line teaching sources as most of your supply of study.
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My guidance for you personally is to buy your professional career, and the first step would be to invest some money in a reliable professional instruction, as opposed to wanting to obtain pirated copies. Specifically for the CCNA examination, which will be the foundation of Cisco Network, you need to invest in a established training that will offer you the required stable base understanding for the more Cisco qualification and job development. Trainsignal is the best choice in Cisco CCNA Video Training, giving a great CCNA Pc Based Teaching (CCNA CBT) deal that will help you to pass your examination guaranteed. Instead of running the risk to obtain free pirated copies of CCNA teaching, only get the official Trainsignal CCNA Video Package. Their value is numerous situations larger than the cost you'll buy it. Following obtaining your CCNA, you'll repay the purchase price for Traisignal in a couple of days!! Obtain your CCNA Video Teaching with 90-days Complete Experience Guarantee.


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We are very delighted that you have shown interest in our association. Data protection is of a particularly high priority for the management of the SoWiBeFo e.V.. The use of the Internet pages of the SoWiBeFo e.V. is possible without any indication of personal data; however, if a data subject wants to use special association services via our website, processing of personal data could become necessary. If the processing of personal data is necessary and there is no statutory basis for such processing, we generally obtain consent from the data subject.
The processing of personal data, such as the name, address, e-mail address, or telephone number of a data subject shall always be in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and in accordance with the country-specific data protection regulations applicable to the SoWiBeFo e.V.. By means of this data protection declaration, our association would like to inform the general public of the nature, scope, and purpose of the personal data we collect, use and process. Furthermore, data subjects are informed, by means of this data protection declaration, of the rights to which they are entitled.
As the controller, the SoWiBeFo e.V. has implemented numerous technical and organizational measures to ensure the most complete protection of personal data processed through this website. However, Internet-based data transmissions may in principle have security gaps, so absolute protection may not be guaranteed. For this reason, every data subject is free to transfer personal data to us via alternative means, e.g. by telephone.
The data protection declaration of the SoWiBeFo e.V. is based on the terms used by the European legislator for the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our data protection declaration should be legible and understandable for the general public, as well as our customers and partners. To ensure this, we would like to first explain the terminology used.
The website of the SoWiBeFo e.V. collects a series of general data and information when a data subject or automated system calls up the website. This general data and information are stored in the server log files. Collected may be (1) the browser types and versions used, (2) the operating system used by the accessing system, (3) the website from which an accessing system reaches our website (so-called referrers), (4) the sub-websites, (5) the date and time of access to the Internet site, (6) an Internet protocol address (IP address), (7) the Internet service provider of the accessing system, and (8) any other similar data and information that may be used in the event of attacks on our information technology systems.
When using these general data and information, the SoWiBeFo e.V. does not draw any conclusions about the data subject. Rather, this information is needed to (1) deliver the content of our website correctly, (2) optimize the content of our website as well as its advertisement, (3) ensure the long-term viability of our information technology systems and website technology, and (4) provide law enforcement authorities with the information necessary for criminal prosecution in case of a cyber-attack. Therefore, the SoWiBeFo e.V. analyzes anonymously collected data and information statistically, with the aim of increasing the data protection and data security of our association, and to ensure an optimal level of protection for the personal data we process. The anonymous data of the server log files are stored separately from all personal data provided by a data subject.
If one of the aforementioned reasons applies, and a data subject wishes to request the erasure of personal data stored by the SoWiBeFo e.V., he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the controller. An employee of SoWiBeFo e.V. shall promptly ensure that the erasure request is complied with immediately.
Where the controller has made personal data public and is obliged pursuant to Article 17(1) to erase the personal data, the controller, taking account of available technology and the cost of implementation, shall take reasonable steps, including technical measures, to inform other controllers processing the personal data that the data subject has requested erasure by such controllers of any links to, or copy or replication of, those personal data, as far as processing is not required. An employees of the SoWiBeFo e.V. will arrange the necessary measures in individual cases.
If one of the aforementioned conditions is met, and a data subject wishes to request the restriction of the processing of personal data stored by the SoWiBeFo e.V., he or she may at any time contact any employee of the controller. The employee of the SoWiBeFo e.V. will arrange the restriction of the processing.
In order to assert the right to data portability, the data subject may at any time contact any employee of the SoWiBeFo e.V..
The SoWiBeFo e.V. shall no longer process the personal data in the event of the objection, unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override the interests, rights and freedoms of the data subject, or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
If the SoWiBeFo e.V. processes personal data for direct marketing purposes, the data subject shall have the right to object at any time to processing of personal data concerning him or her for such marketing. This applies to profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing. If the data subject objects to the SoWiBeFo e.V. to the processing for direct marketing purposes, the SoWiBeFo e.V. will no longer process the personal data for these purposes.
In addition, the data subject has the right, on grounds relating to his or her particular situation, to object to processing of personal data concerning him or her by the SoWiBeFo e.V. for scientific or historical research purposes, or for statistical purposes pursuant to Article 89(1) of the GDPR, unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out for reasons of public interest.
In order to exercise the right to object, the data subject may contact any employee of the SoWiBeFo e.V.. In addition, the data subject is free in the context of the use of information society services, and notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC, to use his or her right to object by automated means using technical specifications.
If the decision (1) is necessary for entering into, or the performance of, a contract between the data subject and a data controller, or (2) it is based on the data subject’s explicit consent, the SoWiBeFo e.V. shall implement suitable measures to safeguard the data subject’s rights and freedoms and legitimate interests, at least the right to obtain human intervention on the part of the controller, to express his or her point of view and contest the decision.
If the data subject wishes to exercise the rights concerning automated individual decision-making, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the SoWiBeFo e.V..
If the data subject wishes to exercise the right to withdraw the consent, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the SoWiBeFo e.V..
Google Analytics places a cookie on the information technology system of the data subject. The definition of cookies is explained above. With the setting of the cookie, Google is enabled to analyze the use of our website. With each call-up to one of the individual pages of this Internet site, which is operated by the controller and into which a Google Analytics component was integrated, the Internet browser on the information technology system of the data subject will automatically submit data through the Google Analytics component for the purpose of online advertising and the settlement of commissions to Google. During the course of this technical procedure, the association Google gains knowledge of personal information, such as the IP address of the data subject, which serves Google, inter alia, to understand the origin of visitors and clicks, and subsequently create commission settlements.
Where the processing of personal data is based on Article 6(1) lit. f GDPR our legitimate interest is to carry out our activities in favor of the well-being of all our employees and the members.


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GDPR – in simple terms!
There are only 48 days to go until General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect on May 25.
GDPR will replace the current Data Protection Act 1988.
If your business is compliant with the act, you probably already fulfil many of the requirements of GDPR.
However, there are some key changes you need to know.
I’ve summarised the key differences below to help you consider what action you may need to take to update your existing information systems, there is still time to take action – and there’s no time like now.
What are the differences and how will GDPR affect the way I run my business?
Current: The Data Protection Act applies only to organisations the UK.
New: GDPR regulations extends its reach to encompass all European states.
It will apply even though Britain is leaving the European Union. It also applies to any global company holding data on EU citizens (Facebook is one example).
Current: Personal data and sensitive personal data which could identify someone directly or indirectly.
New: Definition is extended to include online information which could identify a person, for example, IP addresses, mobile device IDs and encrypted data.
There are also new responsibilities to protect children’s personal data.
New: GDPR also makes the data processor responsible. Companies require a DPO if you are a public authority (except for courts acting in their judicial capacity); your core activities require large-scale, regular and systematic monitoring of individuals (for example, online behaviour tracking); or your core activities consist of large-scale processing of special categories of data or data relating to criminal convictions and offences. Consumers could hold both the data processor and the data controller responsible for data breaches.
Curr ent: Data collection does not necessarily require an opt-in.
New: There must be clear privacy notices, which must be concise and transparent and consent must be able to be withdrawn at any time. Note that consent is just one of six legal bases to process data - it is worth exploring these to see which legal basis is best for the processing of each group of data you keep.
Those notices must be concise and transparent and consent must be able to be withdrawn at any time.
Current: People have the right to request to see what information you hold about them.
These requests carry a £10 charge and there is a requirement to respond to the applicant within 40 days.
New: Under GDPR subject access requests will be free of charge and must be responded to within one month.
Current: Companies are not obliged to report data breaches, though it is considered best practice under the current act.
New: GDPR carries a mandatory requirement for all data breaches to be reported to the regulator within 72 hours.
Current: There is no requirement for an organisation to remove all data they hold on an individual.
New: An individual will have the right to erasure, which includes all data including web records with all information being permanently deleted.
Current: Enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK. It can issue fines of up to £500,000 or one percent of annual turnover to any UK organisation that "serious breaches" the DPA.
New: Each European country will have its own supervisory authority to monitor GDPR compliance.
The ICO will be the supervisory authority in the UK.
From May 25, organisations that fail to comply with GDPR could be fined up to €20 million or four percent of their annual global turnover, whichever is higher.
Current: Protection impact assessments (PIAs or DPIAs) are not a legal requirement under the act.
New: DPIAs will be mandatory and must be carried out when there may be a high risk to the freedoms of the individual.
A DPIA helps an organisation to ensure they meet an individual’s expectation of privacy.
How do I check my company’s compliance?
GDPR differs to DPA with increased mandatory regulations and more accountability.
Every business needs to consider how the GDPR will affect them and to start planning for it now, as this is not a process that can be achieved overnight.
“There are various routes to GDPR compliance,” says Kate Armstrong, GDPR Fundamentals practitioner for Blue Shadow Growth Agency .
“There is plenty of training available if you’re planning to use in-house resources to implement the changes.
"However, be sure that the training is delivered by a reputable and accredited provider and offers a full and detailed overview of how to bring your organisation up to speed.
"There are plenty of providers that are offering GDPR training that only covers the issue of consent in marketing, for example; such training isn’t going to be of much value if you still need to fathom out compliance implications with regards to your staff, systems and procedures.
"Expect to pay good money for quality training that you can take back to the office and turn theory into practice.
“Another good option for SMEs is to ask an external consultant to audit your organisation, resulting in a list of recommendations that you need to meet to reach the standards required by GDPR.
"Depending on the size of your organisation and level of internal resources, this could be an economical alternative to training, as a good auditor will talk you through his or her findings, which will ensure that you (and key staff in your organisation) understand GDPR in direct relation to the organisation.
"Depending on the outcome of the audit, you can then decide whether you’re going to implement the recommendations in-house or outsource them to a reliable GDPR practitioner, while you continue to focus on your core business.
Blue Shadow Growth Agency is GDPR Fundamentals accredited and Kate Armstrong is registered as a GDPR Fundamentals practitioner, which means that she is recognised as a specialist in helping SMEs become GDPR compliant.
Business Doctors will be delivering a mix of half and full day workshops and two-hour GDPR seminars across the county over the next few months in association with our partners.
Please keep an eye on Business Doctors events website for an event near you.
Disclaimer: www.ico.org.uk is the original and best source to download the regulations in full, regular information updates and a plain English summary of what GDPR really means.
This information is aimed at giving you a summary of current and emerging data protection and privacy regulations and guidance.
It is not intended as legal advice and is not represented as such by the author or publisher.
It is advised that legal counsel is sought to ensure compliance with legislation.

industry_corpus2: Information Services


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War of the Rebellion: Serial 038 Page 0570 Chapter XXXVI. Mississippi, WEST TENNESSEE, ETC.
GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE TENNESSEE, Number 50. Vicksburg, MISS., August 1, 1863.
I. All regularly organized bodies of the enemy having been driven from those parts of Kentucky and Tennessee WEST of the Tennessee River, and from all of Mississippi WEST of the Mississippi Central Railroad, and it being to the interest of those districts not to invite the presence of armed bodies of men among them, it is announced that the most rigorous penalties will hereafter be inflicted upon the following classes of prisoners, to wit: All irregular bodies of cavalry not mustered and paid by the Confederate authorities; all persons engaged in conscripting, enforcing the conscription, or in apprehending deserters, whether regular or irregular; all citizens encouraging or aiding the same; and all persons detected in firing upon unarmed transports.
It is not contemplated that this order shall affect the treatment due to prisoners of war, captured within the districts named, when they are members of legally organized companies, and when their acts are in accordance with the usages of civilized warfare.
II. The citizens of Mississippi within the limits above described are called upon to pursue their peaceful avocations, in obedience to the laws of the United States. Whilst doing so in good faith, all United States forces are prohibited from molesting them in any way. It is earnestly recommended that the freedom of negroes be acknowledged, and that, instead of compulsory labor, contracts upon fair terms be entered into between the former master and servants, or between the latter and such other persons as may be willing to give them employment. Such a system as this, honestly followed, will result in substantial advantages to all parties.
All private property will be respected except when the use of it is necessary for the Government, in which case it must be taken under the direction of a corps commander, and by a proper detail under charge of a commissioned officer, with specific instructions to seize certain property and no other. A staff officer of the quartermaster's or subsisteill in each instance be designated to receipt for such property as may be seized, the property to be paid for at the end of the war, on proof of loyalty, or on proper adjustment of the claim, under such regulations or laws as may hereafter be established. All property seized under this order must be taken up on returns by the officer giving receipts, and disposed of in accordance with existing regulations.
III. Persons having cotton or other produce not required by the army, will be allowed to bring the same to any military post within the State of Mississippi, and abandon it to the agent of the Treasury Department at said post, to be disposed of in accordance with such regulations as the secretary of the Treasury may establish. At posts where there is no such agent the post quartermaster will receive all such property, and, at the option of the owner, hold it till the arrival of the agent, or send it to Memphis, directed to Captain A. R. Eddy, assistant quartermaster, who will turn it over to the properly authorized agent at that place.

industry_corpus2: Politics & Administration


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Investing is a tough subject for me to tackle. Especially in one post.
Stocks, Bonds, Mutual funds. These are the words that come to mind when the word “investing” is uttered. Unfortunately, that is not the first thing that should pop into your head. Investing, literally is putting something into something else with a hope of a future return. For example, we invest in our children with our time, money, knowledge and a wealth of other attributes in hopes that they will becom well adjusted, decent adults. In order to become intelligent with money, investment is necessary. Whether you are investing your time- to manage money or your energy and ideas- to earn money, you are investing. Not one financially successful person in the world has done it without some sort of investment.
Investing our money is a touchy subject these days. In the wake of the recent recession and financial “collapse”, many people who have invested a lot of money have also lost much of that money. Almost nobody has escaped unscathed, and the result has been people becoming much more aware of their finances and assuming more conservative approaches toward money as a whole.
*The rankings that I am assigning these types of investments are not set in stone, just a historical “rule of thumb”, if you will.
Maybe your Grandmother bought you some Savings Bonds when you were young. Coming in two series, E/EE, or I bonds, these are basically a small loan to your Government. Series E/EE bonds are bought for half of face value and mature in 30 years. These bonds are redeemable before maturity, but do not usually reach face value until the 15-20 year mark. Series I bonds are sold at face value and have a fixed minimum return rate accompanied with a variable return rate that adjusts with inflation twice per year.
Treasury Bills, (T-Bills) are short term government securities. With a maturity range from a few days to a year, bills are bought at a discount and paid in full at maturity. Treasury Notes are similar to T-Bills, but maturities come in 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 years, yielding interest every six months. TIPS are marketable securities that are adjusted with the Consumer Price Index. Interest is paid every six months and maturities come in 5, 10, and 20 years. Treasury Bonds mature in 30 years and pay a fixed interest rate every six months. All of the above investments can be further researched and purchased from Treasury Direct.
I have explained CD’s before. CD’s come in fixed terms for fixed returns. They are federally insured, leaving you piece of mind when it comes to return on investment, but yield on CD’s will not make you rich quickly.
Another of the safest investments are Savings or Money Market accounts. Both of these, like CD’s are federally insured (unless your money market account is with a brokerage firm that is not FDIC insured) but investment return is usually lower than with CD’s. Most “plain” savings accounts have a percentage yield of less than 1%, which is typically less than the rate of inflation. This investment, while safe, will likely not make much money, with inflation figured, it may even lose some.
Most metals will never lose their value altogether, making them among the safest investments. Market and currency fluctuations have their effect on metals, but they generally gain value over time. Note the recent prices of Gold, as people have seen it as a “safe” investment in tumultuous markets. Collectibles also qualify as a safe investment, but do risk loss of value due to re-creation or re-issuance of said items. A general knowledge of collectibles is recommended for a decent return, making it generally safe, but not easy.
If done properly, purchasing real estate can become your primary income source. It can also break the bank. While not extremely risky, real estate investment deals must be carefully monitored to get the best returns. Maintenance and other expenses can deter investors from real estate. Another option is to invest in a Real Estate Investment Trust, a company that owns, and in some cases operates income-producing real estate.
There are hundreds of thousands of mutual funds to choose from, offered by nearly any broker. Mutual funds are a collection of stocks, bonds, and cash instruments. Fund managers trade within the fund itself, making decisions for the holders. While most funds are set up to get modest and dependable gains, making them a pretty safe investment, there are hundreds of choices of funds offering multiple risk levels.
Over the past year, stocks have taken a pounding. That is no secret, but for decent returns without too much risk, there are still hundreds of thousands of companies worth purchasing a stake in. Selectivity and education are the keys to sound and profitable stock choices, but risk is always there. As the old adage goes, “there’s no such thing as a sure thing”. Most stock investors have experienced this first hand at some time during their market activities.
Corporate bonds are an attractive investment to perspective buyers. These bonds can pay off big, but unpaid bonds or company bankruptcy can ruin investors. Depending on the size and income of the corporation, bonds offer varying returns. Like stock selection, education is key when selecting bonds. You can try to go for the big return, but keep in mind that the reason the company is paying higher interest is because they are a higher risk borrower. (Just like people with poorer credit scores). Overall market activity also dictates how these bonds perform.
Most retirement accounts, such as IRA’s and 401k’s are structured to allow investment flexibility. This allows younger investors to be more aggressive (if they so choose) and lessen the risk closer to retirement age. For most retirement accounts that are self-managed, risk is relative to the investor’s preferences. Of all of the “moderate risk” investments, retirement accounts are by far the most user friendly by allowing the adjustment of risk to be conducted when the account holder sees fit.
*There are many other “moderate risk” investment choices, such as ETF’s and Index Funds that involve the stock market. If you are unfamiliar with these vehicles, research first and act later.
unlike Mutual Funds in structure. Their biggest differences are lack of regulation in the Hedge Fund, and fund managers who have different objectives for their customers. Hedge fund managers tend to make knee-jerk decisions that sometimes earn quick and lucrative profits, and sometimes lose tremendous value. Late last year, many Hedge Funds became nearly worthless due to overzealous managers holding volatile stocks and commodities.
Sure, penny stocks can get some of the best gains in the entire market. They can also drop your entire investment faster than you can make a cup of coffee. With so many traders involved with markets every day, penny stocks can often see huge swings up or down in the same day of trading. I always look at penny stocks like lottery tickets. Sure, they are cheap and you could “win it big”, but spend enough money on them over time, and it just becomes a disappointment.
Like penny stocks, trading foreign currencies is a popular trend as of late. More unreliable currencies can (like penny stocks) make huge swings during the course of a business day, making Forex attractive to those who want to gobble up the big returns. The problem with currency trading is that you never know what is around the corner. Who knows? There could be a crazy swine flu right around the corner that is going to make one currency nearly worthless. My advice on currency trading: Leave it to the experts. The novice investor has no business trading on speculation (most likely read on the internet).
Great post, i think people who want detailed information on different types of investing option will get good knowledge from this post and according to me all safe investment are the perfect one.
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industry_corpus2: Finance & Economics