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See and Learn Numbers See and Learn Numbers teaches and early mathematical concepts. See and Learn Numbers is designed to teach young children to learn to count, to link numbers to quantity, to understand important concepts about the number system and to calculate with numbers up to 10. It also teaches early mathematical concepts important for understanding space, time and measurement - including colour, size, shape, ordering, sorting and patterns. It is designed for children with Down syndrome and children with similar learning needs, building on visual processing strengths and taking account of short term memory, speech and hearing difficulties. How See and Learn Numbers helps See and Learn Numbers teaches number skills in small steps with lots of repetition to consolidate learning. Number concepts are presented with clear, visual representations. Teaching activities are designed to minimise distraction and reduce working memory and language demands to make it easier to focus on the learning tasks. See and Learn Numbers is designed to: - teach the number words 1-10 - saying the number words in order using numerals as a visual prompt - teach the numerals 1-10 - identifying each numeral and which number word it represents - teach linking quantities to numbers - that numbers represent quantities, and the links between spoken number words, numerals and specific quantities - teach counting 1-10 - counting using one-to-one correspondence, and that the last number word we say as we count items tells us how many items we have - introduce the concepts of cardinality and equivalence for the numbers 1 to 10 - giving a specific number of items from a larger set and sharing items equally Future steps are being developed to: - teach children to about shapes, colours, sizes, ordering, comparing, sorting and sequences - teach children to add, subtract, multiply and divide with numbers and quantities from 1 to 10, and to understand the relative sizes of these numbers, ordinality and inversion Ready to get started? Step through our guidance on how and when to get started with See and Learn.
By Daren McDaniel Los Angeles City Traffic Officer I’m a traffic officer. I’ve been doing this job for the City of Los Angeles for over eleven years. When I started, I saw this job as a way to help people, interact with the public and provide security for my family. But the Los Angeles Department of Transportation is making it hard for me and my fellow officers to do our jobs. Lately people in the department talk a lot about budget deficits and they seem to care more about revenue than quality and professionalism. The DOT plans to hire 100 part-time traffic officers to write tickets. They think that will raise revenues. But I think it’s a bad idea. The part-timers’ core duty is to write tickets and nothing more. That will only add to the stereotype of how the public views traffic officers as “glorified ticket writers, meter maids and ticket Nazis.” But my job is more than just writing tickets. I keep the city of Los Angeles moving. I direct traffic when the streets are congested due to a special event like the Los Angeles Marathon or Carmageddon. I make sure people can get around the city when police activity blocks streets. I direct traffic when the street lights go out. And I make sure people can get out of their driveways when other drivers block the entrances. In fact, I’ve helped people whose driveways were blocked get out so they could get to the hospital. As you can guess, it’s not an easy job. I’ve been spit on, cussed at and even had angry drivers lunge their cars at me after discovering parking tickets on their windshields. But after more than eleven years on the job, I know how to diffuse these situations by showing people respect. But respect is not something me and my fellow officers are getting right now from our management. As a rule, traffic officers are not supposed to bring drama into the office. The office is supposed to be a safe place away from the drama we see out on the streets. But by trying to give our jobs to a bunch of part-timers, DOT management is adding drama to our workplace and hurting morale. I and my fellow officers understand the DOT wants to increase revenues. So in May, I and my fellow officers presented a proposal for generating more money to our managers, but it was disregarded. Now we’re making another proposal: make the 47 part-timers who have already been hired full-time professional employees of the city. Because in the end, being a traffic officer is about being on the front lines. I am a first responder. I make sure that the streets are clear so Police and Fire officers can get where they need to go quickly. And when it comes to public safety, the people of Los Angeles shouldn’t have to rely on temporary workers.
FlySafair is officially flying again between Joburg, Cape Town and Durban and they couldn’t be more excited to be back in the sky again! The world is a different place since lockdown began, but while on-time arrivals, friendly flight service and their love of flying will always be a constant, the safety of everyone onboard their aircraft is of primary importance. The FlySafair Safety Pledge is a promise that they have implemented to abide by the most stringent measures and protocols to keep both their passengers and staff safe while flying. The following mandatory safety measures and protocols have been implemented on all FlySafair Flights. Here’s what you can expect.
A lot of people who have issues around mobility are looking for a form of support. If you or a loved one needs this extra level of help when it comes to getting around, you should understand the debate on walker vs rollator, and which is the most appropriate solution. Though at a glance they both appear to do a very similar job, there are some vital differences to be aware of when you are looking to buy one of these products. If you know someone who needs a rollator or a walker to support their walking and movement then you won’t want to take any chances of getting the wrong product. If someone doesn’t get the right level of support, they are at a much higher risk of a fall or injury. A little bit of research can keep you and your loved ones safe and mobile. A walker is a frame, usually with a four-legged design. The frame is held by the person who needs support and it then comes into contact with the ground to provide them with a level of stability. By holding the frame with your arms, you reduce the chance that you will fall while trying to get around. Walkers are regularly used by elderly people who are looking for a narrow frame that can help them to get around their house simply. It can allow people to gain a level of independence they might not otherwise have. If an elderly person spends a lot of their time in a wheelchair, but still has enough leg movement and upper body strength to use the walker, they may consider a walker. Walkers require upper body strength due to the fact that they need to be lifted to move forward. A standard walker will have a four-legged frame and a space for both the left and right side. There is also a hemi walker that is a sort of cross between a walking cane and a walker. It allows you to hold it in just one place, so if you have a weakness in one hand then you can still use this to good effect. A good walker, like the Carex Sturdy Uplift Adjustable Walker, will also be adjustable to suit your height. Naturally, when you are considering rollator vs walker safety and effectiveness, it’s vital that you think about the pros and cons of each type. For a frame-style walker, the following pros and cons should be considered. The rollator is an advanced product that has taken over from the walker for a lot of people. It was invented by Aina Wifalk in the 1970s. Wifalk was herself a scientist and a polio sufferer. Rollators are similar products in that they are designed, like walkers, to give support. They are also made to have some key differences, too. A rollator has wheels, and this means that they allow you to get around much quicker. If you value speed and aren’t using your mobility scooter then a rollator might be the next best thing! This comes with its pros and cons, as we will explore below. People who use rollators need to be confident that they have enough strength to support them, and that the rollator is not going to get away from them. Because of the wheels, there is an extra risk of the rollators slipping forward and causing a fall. However, most rollators have handbrakes which helps to mitigate this risk. People who still want to retain a level of speed can use rollators. Also, people who don’t have a lot of remaining upper body strength may wish to use the products due to the fact they don’t have to be lifted like a walker in order to move around. You can buy both three and four wheeled models of rollator, and some that have a triangular, almost trike-shape, and others that just appear the same as a frame, with a four-cornered design, but have wheels attached. A two-wheel model is an option, which gives a very good balance between stability and mobility. The other two legs will usually make it easy to stop the rollator if needed and to stand still. These aren’t really full rollators, so they’re often referred to as hybrid products. You can also buy something called a heavy-duty rollator. This is basically a model that has been made with a higher capacity than many of the others, meaning that larger people who have mobility issues can make use of a rollator. Some of these products can support up to 700lbs in weight. Of course, there are pros and cons of rollators, too. One of the standout things to mention is that rollators often come with inbuilt seats. The NOVA Medical Products GetGo Classic Rollator Walker is a great example of a fantastic rollator with a seat attached to allow you to take five or to stay seated while you are in line waiting for something. There is no simple answer to which is better between a walker and a rollator. It is a case of understanding the needs of the user and matching up the best rollator or walker for this. If you are buying for someone who has mobility issues, and who doesn’t have a lot of upper body strength to lift a walker and move it forward, you might want a rollator. Also, if you are looking for a product that can retain some speed and allow you to take corners with ease, then a rollator could be a good solution for you. The wheels mean you can move surprisingly quickly with the extra support given by being able to lean your body weight on the rollator. So, when is a walker better? If someone still has the upper body strength to move a walker, and also needs the extra level of stability that is offered by the sturdy design, then it is a good idea to buy a walker rather than a rollator and keep the strength of the frame out in front. As you can see, this isn’t necessarily a decision to take lightly. Rollators and walkers both give a new level of independence to people who would otherwise suffer. Whether you need something to support the elderly or for rehabilitation from an injury or illness, a walker or a rollator might be the appropriate choice. Deciding on walker vs rollator depends on the person in question. Do you need something that can corner or move quickly, or is the focus purely on retaining a good level of stability? There is more choice on the market than ever before, and plenty of options for both rollators and walkers, so it all comes down to making a suitable choice for the unique scenario you find yourself in.
Dibrugarh: Renowned businessman Rabindra Nath Dutta of Ambikagiri Nagar, Guwahati, passed away on Wednesday after a brief illness. He was 88. Dutta is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. Managing Director of BCPL, Dibrugarh, Reep Hazarika is one of his sons-in-law. Born in an illustrious family of Sibsagar in 1931, he obtained his Electrical Engineering degree from Glasgow University, Scotland. Rabindra started his career with ASEB and later worked with India Carbon and Assam Carbon before initiating his own business. His death was widely mourned by a number of organizations and family members.
SEP achieves successful exit from Solarcentury - Date Published Statkraft, Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy, has signed an agreement to acquire solar power pioneer Solarcentury ,which is backed by Scottish Equity Partners (SEP), for a purchase price of £117.7 million. Together the companies are well positioned to become one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies. Solarcentury is internationally renowned for developing and building some of the largest utility-scale solar power projects in the UK, Europe and Latin America including the world’s first solar bridge at Blackfriars Station in Central London and Talayuela, one of the biggest and most powerful subsidy-free solar developments in Spain. Since SEP invested, the London based company has grown substantially and now employs over 180 people across 12 countries. Gary Le Sueur, who has led SEP’s investment in Solarcentury and has been a member of the company’s board of directors, said: “Solarcentury has played a significant role in making solar power mainstream and we are delighted to have worked with the company’s management team in expanding the business internationally. We wish them continued success as they embark on their partnership with Statkraft and further accelerate the global deployment of solar energy.” The transaction is conditional upon regulatory and local competition approvals and is expected to complete by the end of 2020.
Alternating edits/rewrites on book 3 with some loosely planned writing on book ?4? (actually takes place before book 1, so we’re going to have to come up with some better numbering). Couple of thoughts. It starts with cringe comedy. I don’t like all cringe comedy, but I like a bit of it. I’ve gotten some disdain from friends about it, because how could anyone possibly witness those horrible people doing and saying the Wrong Things? Doesn’t it hurt to see someone so imperfect? Thing is… I’m a full garbage human who has never said a Right Thing in my life, and almost-impossibly-flawed characters are some of the types that I find most relatable. I think one of the reasons I’ve found book 3 so hard to write is that the narrators have worked on themselves to the point where they are not horrible people anymore. They have flaws and shortsighted spots, but their bond continues, they are not actively self-sabotaging, and they’ve Learned some Stuff. At the start of the new story, one of the narrators is an inept people-pleaser who is neck deep in well-deserved self-loathing; the other is a likeable extrovert who is a) silently cataloguing everything wrong with everyone around her, in order to use it against them if they ever cross her; and b) perpetuating a very long lie about what she did at the Academy. This is finger-steepling cartoon villain level fun to write. They are awful at this point, and as with book 1, I know where I want them to go; it’s just a matter of figuring out how to get them there and make it feel deserved. It’s a breath of fresh air. That said, I’m realizing that there is even less magic in this story than the Healers trilogy. It follows two more Academy graduates, but they’re a priest (skills: talking) and a swordmaster (skills: hitting things with swords). I really, truly do not know what genre we’re doing anymore. I should care about that? It’s hard to care. As long as I’m writing something, that feels better than writing nothing. Maybe I’ll figure out a way to shoehorn some magic into the plot. I don’t know, man. They’re words. Read them if you want to. In conclusion: January is nearly over, February is short, and then our hemisphere will be nearly done with winter. Can’t wait. As a reader(tm): T. Kingfisher’s Paladin books, Paladin’s Grace and Paladin’s Strength so far, have me wanting to run around in circles yelling about how awesome they are. I’m only about halfway through Strength, and it is something I have never seen before, in ways that I have a lot of Feelings about. But I’ll leave that to people who can speak coherently about books. I can’t right now. I can just run around in circles yelling. I am so happy these books exist. [EDIT: There’s a third one, Paladin’s Hope. Bought, read, enjoyed. Absolute corker of a final line. Wow.] As a whatever(tm): Realizing that I asked both beta readers to read a draft that ended up not being final, and then made a bunch of changes. Now I have no beta readers left. I’m slightly fucked at this point. I could afford to have one book edited if I tapped out my savings, but this is book 3 of a trilogy. An editor would probably suggest well-deserved changes that would drastically affect the continuity/world/etc., so I’d have to pull and rewrite the first two to match. Which I don’t really want to do, even if I should. I’d rather move forward onto new projects when this one is done.() I mean, even if I have to shove it in a drawer and let it die there, I’d rather do so with a finished book. So I’ll keep going. But I don’t know what to do after that. ( aside from maybe some extras for an omnibus or something) [EDIT: To defend my beta readers, they are great and have not gone anywhere. But I have already bothered them, and I don’t want to take any more from them than I already have. If dumping a book that took decades to write and refuses to come together allows me to write another one someday, I will take that bargain. We’ll see; I’m still trying to come up with another way out.] Is it yet another procrastination tactic? Yes. Is it something I’ve been meaning to get around to for ages? Also yes. For now we’ve got places, groups, belief systems, and a summary of the magic in the series. Eventually, I’d like to add character profiles, especially since it’s been several lifetimes between the book releases, and I don’t expect anyone to remember who the hell any of these people are. You’ll notice none of these statements say “maps”, and while maps are fun and a classic addition to any worldbuilding, I am not good at drawing them (or anything else, really). I’m also a bit wrapped around the axle over all the mistakes I’ve made in placing mountains, rivers, biomes, etc. etc. etc. even in the vague geography mentioned in the story so far. But who knows what the future brings! Maybe I’ll finally learn to use one of those fine mapping softwares out there (some of which I’ve already bought). And figure out how to fix the rain shadows / tectonic plates / etc. It could happen. Anything could happen. For now, we have lore. Goodnight.
This is your forum post. Forums are a great way to engage your audience in all types of discussions. Post relevant information to encourage engagement and collaboration. With full freedom to edit posts and add stunning media, managing your forum has never been easier. Make sure you’re on preview mode or on your live published site to modify your forum. You can edit and add new posts, and use categories to organize them by topic. Manage categories from preview mode, and add as many as you like to get the conversation started.
Another Peranakan tiles inspired quilt? YES please! Includes free FPP templates and cut files. This time, the inspiration comes from these floor tiles found in a local restaurant near where I live. These floor tiles can also be found on the sidewalks in Georgetown, Penang. As with my last three Peranakan tiles inspired quilts (click here, here, and here), I started by tracing a flat image of the Peranakan tiles, converting them into cut files (I used Brother's Canvas Workspace for the ScanNCut), and use the Brother ScanNCut to cut out the applique shapes. The applique pieces are made with the fabric line Pura Vida by Shayla Wolf for Anthology Fabrics. As usual, I lined my applique pieces with fusible web before ironing them onto the background fabrics. The light green, light blue, and light pink batik backgrounds are fabrics from my local Spotlight, while the light purple batik background is from Fat Quarter Shop. The light grey background is also from Spotlight. The batting is a cotton polyblend. DESIGN & DIMENSIONS All seam allowance is quarter inch. The finished quilt measures about 75" x 75". CONSTRUCTION OF CENTER PANEL The center panel of the quilt is made up of 64 of the following 7.5" x 7.5" (finished) unit: I made the units using raw edge applique technique. Click the link below to download the SVG cut files of the elements in this unit. The SVG cut files already includes a quarter inch seam allowance (the inner and outer squares in the SVG file indicates this seam allowance). Four of this unit make the following 15"x15" (finished) block: Sixteen of this block makes the center panel of the quilt. Some cut outs of the applique pieces. These are already lined with fusible web prior to cutting. Applique pieces fused to the background fabric, ready for applique stitching. Ready for blanket applique stitching. A closer look at the blanket applique stitches. CONSTRUCTION OF BORDERS The borders are made of the following units and strips: Click below to download the FPP and strips templates. Note: the FPP templates are to size, but the strips templates are only templates to cut the correct width. Cut each strip to at least 92 inches long and you will have enough to make the mitered corner using Y-seams. Units A, B and C: Print 4 sheets to get 4 sets of Units A, B and C templates. Unit D: Print 8 sheets to get 8 Unit D templates. Unit E: Print 88 sheets to get 88 Unit E templates. Strips F1 and F2: Print 1 sheet (because you only use these as cutting templates). As shown in the illustration below, the border is made up of: 4 x Unit A 4x Unit B 4 x Unit C 8 x Unit D 88 x Unit E 8 x Strip F1 in light colour (Template Width x to 92") 8 x Strip F2 in dark colour (Template Width x to 92") This quilt can be made using the conventional piecing-the-quilt-top-then-quilt method. However, I actually used the quilt-as-you-go method, where I pieced all the units to make the sixteen blocks, then I quilted each of the sixteen blocks with my applique (blanket) stitches onto battings. Then I pieced the pre-quilted sixteen blocks (with battings) together to form the center panel. Because of this method, my construction of the borders is much more complicated than as you can imagine from the above diagram, so I don't actually recommend it. So, stick with the conventional piecing and quilting method unless you really know what you're doing. Regardless of the method of piecing, the quilting should not distract from the patchwork and applique. I used stitch-in-the-ditch and stitch around motifs in blending threads.
JOIN SHAHEEN LEADERS ACADEMY RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN TO BE SELECTED AS A MEDICAL CADET IN PAKISTAN ARMY ADMINISTERED MEDICAL COLLEGES AS A COMMISSIONED OFFICER THROUGH MBBS & BDS ENTRY-2023 LATTEST JOBS Criteria, Tests, and Selection Procedure for Medical Cadets in Pakistan Army-Administered Medical Colleges as Commissioned Officers through MBBS & BDS Entry-2023 Joining the Pakistan Army as a medical professional through the MBBS & BDS Entry-2023 program offers a rewarding career path. To ensure the selection of highly competent individuals, the Pakistan Army administers a rigorous selection process for medical cadets aspiring to become commissioned officers in its esteemed medical colleges. This article outlines the criteria, tests, intelligence assessments, psychological evaluations, interviews, and final selection procedure involved in this esteemed selection process. Criteria for Medical Cadet Selection To be eligible for the Medical Cadet program, candidates must meet the following criteria: - Nationality: Pakistani citizens. - Gender: Male and female candidates are welcome to apply. - Marital Status: Unmarried candidates. - Age: Between 17 and 21 years as of 1st November of the admission year. - Educational Qualifications: - For MBBS: Minimum 70% marks in F.Sc (Pre-Medical) or equivalent. - For BDS: Minimum 70% marks in F.Sc (Pre-Medical) or equivalent. - Physical Standards: Candidates must meet the prescribed physical standards set by the Pakistan Army. Written Test and Intelligence Assessment The initial phase of the selection process involves a comprehensive written test and intelligence assessment. The test evaluates candidates’ knowledge in subjects such as English, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Additionally, an intelligence assessment measures their cognitive abilities, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking. Candidates who successfully clear the written test proceed to the psychological evaluation stage. The psychological evaluation aims to assess the mental aptitude, emotional stability, and personality traits of the candidates. Psychological tests are conducted by qualified psychologists who utilize various techniques and tools to evaluate the candidates’ suitability for the challenging and demanding role of a medical cadet. Candidates shortlisted based on the written test and psychological evaluation undergo a thorough academic assessment. This assessment analyzes their academic performance, including their grades, extracurricular activities, and any additional achievements relevant to their field of study. The academic assessment plays a crucial role in determining the overall merit of the candidates. The interview is a critical component of the selection process, where candidates have the opportunity to showcase their communication skills, confidence, and motivation to serve as medical professionals in the Pakistan Army. A panel of experienced professionals conducts the interview and evaluates the candidates based on their knowledge, passion for the field, leadership potential, and decision-making abilities. After successfully completing the above stages, candidates are ranked based on their performance in all aspects of the selection process. The final selection is made based on the available vacancies and the merit list. The candidates who make it to the final selection are offered admission to the Pakistan Army-administered medical colleges as commissioned officers. These medical cadets receive extensive training, both academic and military, to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge required to serve in the Pakistan Army’s medical corps. Becoming a medical cadet in Pakistan Army-administered medical colleges as a commissioned officer through the MBBS & BDS Entry-2023 program is a prestigious opportunity. The selection process is rigorous, encompassing written tests, intelligence assessments, psychological evaluations, interviews, and a final selection based on merit. Successful candidates undergo comprehensive training to become proficient medical professionals and serve their nation with honor and dedication. This rigorous selection process ensures that the Pakistan Army recruits highly competent individuals who possess the necessary qualities to excel in the medical field while upholding the values and principles of the armed forces. It is informed to all that Shaheen Leaders Academy Rawalpindi (Pakistan) has arranged 01 month & 10 days free Face-to-Face & Online coaching classes at SLA Rawalpindi for preparation of all Intelligence, academic, written, online tests & interviews for selection as a JOIN PAKISTAN ARMY AS A MEDICAL CADET It’s a golden opportunity for all aspirants / candidates who want to join Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy or Pakistan Air Force as a Commissioned Officer or in other ranks must get admission in Shaheen Leaders Academy, Rawalpindi without any further delay. We assure your 100 % success if you follow us. You may pass your all tests by getting educational training & coaching at our academy which will surely make you a brilliant career Officer in the brave Armed Forces of Pakistan. Female Training Officers, Lecturers, Coaches, Instructors are also on-duty faculty members to conduct the coaching classes of female students separately. Regular classes have also been continued well in time to cover the whole syllabi / course of studies. It is pertinent to mention that a free of cost English Language Proficiency Course will be conducted for all under training students for various courses to improve their English Grammar, vocabulary, written expression & speaking skills. You may call us at WhatsApp Number 0333-2225389 for admissions. Moreover, this academy has highly dedicated and qualified training / coaching Instructors / officers & ex-selectors for all students (Males or Females who want to join Pakistan Armed Forces in any cadre, commissioning or in other ranks, for more details, please click / visit the following links:- - You can prepare all intelligence, written, academic & online tests / interviews for 100 percent selection by using the Official Website of Shaheen Leaders Academy, Rawalpindi Pakistan. 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Developer pulls plug on Helena green space reduction proposal Published 12:00 am Tuesday, October 24, 2006 A local developer has stopped his request to decrease the size of a green space beside Shelby County 52 and Falliston subdivision. Steve Mobley, of Mobley Development, changed his mind about a proposal that would decrease the amount of space between Falliston homes and a new Walgreens drug store he is looking to build after hearing a large number of complaints from local residents. The plan would have reduced a 20-foot buffer by 6 to 12 feet, Mobley said. Mobley said the reduction was necessary to plan for the widening of Shelby County 52 in the future. Shelby County officials, despite having completed an environmental study for widening the county road, said there is still no funding for the lengthy project &045; leaving the possibility for any expansion a long way off. Resident opposed the proposal, however, citing the fact that with the decreased buffer the Walgreen&8217;s parking lot would run within eight feet of a number of home lots. Mobley said he plans to go forward with construction of the new drug store, and is awaiting approval under city regulations. The developer&8217;s next step would be to present its preliminary plan to the Helena planning and zoning board at a future meeting
Smith named AISA Coach of the Year Published 8:14 am Wednesday, January 30, 2013 By MICKEL PONTHIEUX / Sports Reporter COLUMBIANA — The 2012 baseball season was a special one for Cornerstone Christian head coach Tim Smith. He won his first ever baseball state championship, and on Jan. 18 was named the Alabama Independent School Association Class 1A Coach of the Year by the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association. Smith was humble about receiving the honor and said that the credit goes all toward his 2012 championship team. “It was a big honor,” Smith said. “I appreciate what it’s about, but to me, it’s about the kids. Kids make the coach. I had some good baseball players last year, and it wasn’t real hard to coach them to be honest.” Most of Smith’s 2012 baseball team had just came off winning a basketball state championship, but had put in the work on both the court and baseball field to excel. “Every day they were doing both sports,” he said. “You have to have some dedicated kids that want to play in both sports. It’s not easy. “They were so dedicated and loved baseball so much it didn’t matter,” Smith added. Smith and his wife, Angie, attended the Jan. 18 AlaBCA awards night that included awards from the high school level to the college ranks. “It was a bigger even than I thought it was,” Smith said. “It was special because I am a baseball guy and you are in a room with nothing but baseball guys.” Smith credits his success to the support he receives from his family. Along with his wife, his two children Heath and Aubri have been there for him through the ups and downs of his 15-year coaching career at Cornerstone. “Any coach can tell you that you have to have a good wife, “ he said. “She’s a special lady cause she lets me go do what I love to do.” As the 2013 baseball season quickly approaches, Smith looks to defend his state championship after losing seven players to graduation. “We are just going to start over and that’s the only way I know how to do it,” he said. “We will go back to work and put the pieces back together and see what happens.”
ISS senior named state student activist coordinator for Amnesty International Published 4:06 pm Thursday, October 2, 2014 FROM STAFF REPORTS INDIAN SPRINGS – Amnesty International, a nongovernmental organization that seeks to protect human rights worldwide, has appointed ISS senior Min Gu Kim ’15 Student Activist Coordinator for the state of Alabama. In this role, he will serve as the student contact for all student groups in the state and help other high schools form Amnesty International Chapters, according to a press release from the school. Amnesty International Southern Field Organizer Ebony Brickhouse calls Kim and other Student Activist Coordinators—most of whom are undergraduate and graduate students—“the eyes and ears for our organization” in each state. “Over the years I have had the pleasure of working with Min Gu and watching his leadership abilities strengthen as he has led the student group at Indian Springs School,” Brickhouse said. “I am honored to work with him as he utilizes his skills in other schools across Alabama. I look forward to all that is ahead and hope that more of our youth leaders come from Indian Springs, following the lead of Min Gu.” To prepare for the position, Kim completed an intensive, three-day student leadership training in early August in Philadelphia, Pa. “Even though I was elected to serve as Student Activist Coordinator (SAC), I believe that all members of the Indian Springs School Amnesty Chapter are SACs,” Kim said. “We are the only high school in Alabama that has an Amnesty International Club, so we will be the forerunners and help students start new groups at their high schools by visiting them and providing them with fruitful information.” Kim says the ISS Club, which has been featured in Amnesty International conference materials and on the Amnesty International Facebook page, also plans to mobilize Alabamians around campaign opportunities and raise awareness of policy-related issues. “The fight for justice is a commitment that starts with building the human rights movement on our campus,” he said. “Our role is to bring out the best in other students, teachers, and community members so that they can be strong leaders too. By building a strong team and constantly finding ways to get people involved, we will mobilize our community to be a powerful force for dignity and justice.” “We are proud that Min Gu has taken on this important responsibility for a cause about which he is extremely passionate,” ISS Director Gareth Vaughan said. “His commitment to working with others to effect change is evident at Indian Springs and will serve as an inspiring model for students across the state—and beyond.”
Communicating Effectively Part 1 Published 3:10 pm Wednesday, January 25, 2017 By JOHNNY CARCIOPPOLO / Community Columnist Did you know that communicating the same way to every person could be costing you as much as 75 percent of the opportunities you could have had? The bottom line is that we can’t communicate to everyone the same way, especially in business. No matter how experienced you are, you will probably forget that people do things for their reasons, not yours, and that their agenda is often quite different from yours. Let’s examine two different models of communication. Model A: Habit -We watch or observe other people. We watch their body language (sometimes) and listen to their verbal responses to our presentation and approach. -We then draw conclusions about that person based upon our previous experiences, what we’ve conditioned ourselves to expect, using our past history to see how we have been dealing with similar situations. -We then react to the behavior out of habit. In this model we are interacting with all of our contacts in the very same way, however, each of these people has different personalities, egos, jobs and responsibilities. Model B: Versatility -We observe others’ behavior based on their personality profile or style. -We then draw conclusions about needs and expectations based on what is known about these social styles. -We consider needs; what they expect; how they want to be dealt with and then know how to adapt to them, no matter how different the expectations are from their own. Using this model, we find the key to versatility. To accommodate different styles, people need to consider how others prefer to work and then approach them in the most appropriate ways. Don’t let 75 percent of your opportunities pass you by. Remember “Communication is everything.” Next week’s article will be Part 2.
Severe weather sales tax holiday is Feb. 22-24 Published 11:21 am Thursday, February 7, 2019 By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor Locals looking to stock up on emergency supplies ahead of the upcoming tornado and hurricane seasons will have a chance to do so while saving some money, as the state and several area cities are holding the eighth-annual severe weather preparedness sales tax holiday. The tax-free weekend will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 22, and will end at midnight on Feb. 24. During the holiday, the state will waive its 4-percent sales tax, Shelby County will waive its sales tax and many municipalities will also waive their local sales taxes on certain emergency preparedness items. Tax-exempt items include the following items priced at $60 or less: -Battery-powered or hand-crank radio -Cell phone charger -Manual can openers -Tarps and plastic sheeting -Tie-down kits, bungee cords or rope -Smoke, fire and carbon monoxide detectors -Portable generators and power cords costing $1,000 and less For a full list of items included in the tax-free weekend, visit alabamaretail.org/alabamasalestaxholidays. The following Shelby County municipalities are waiving their local sales taxes during the tax-free weekend:
Mexico’s Riviera Maya region is famous for its clear-blue waters, powdery white sands, ancient ruins, and sprawling beachfront resorts. While the destination is home to dozens of big-name all-inclusive resorts, they’re not the only option. In fact, those craving a more boutique stay should book a room at the Hotel Esencia, a lavish property that was once the vacation villa of an Italian duchess, and is especially beloved by celebrities and fashion insiders. The Look of Hotel Esencia Ideally situated between the jungle and the beach, Hotel Esencia is spread across 50 acres, which includes an unspoiled stretch of sand (a rarity in this often crowded vacation destination). The hacienda-style Main House is flanked by palm trees and manicured gardens where colorful peacocks roam free. Thanks to incredible contemporary artwork and sleek, modern furnishings, the interior is equally stunning. Common areas feature bright white walls, sleek, dark-hued seating, and pops of color in the form of fresh flowers and greenery. Overlooking the ocean is a sparkling swimming pool that’s surrounded by plush chaises topped with cheery yellow throw pillows — setting the scene for an escape that’s as scenic as it is relaxing. The property comprises a collection of suites and villas, along with an extravagant 10,000-square-foot mansion (complete with a private cinema and its own speakeasy!). Select units have bonus features like postcard-worthy ocean views, double bathtubs, private pools, and private terraces; a handful are also within steps of the beach. All accommodations boast a beachy-chic aesthetic and tropical flora accents that bring the outdoors in. The Vibe at Hotel Esencia Swanky but not stuffy. Due to its small size, this boutique hotel has an intimate vibe, and the staff is warm and welcoming, always going out of their way to cater to visitors’ every need. The three open-air eateries and three bars (one for drinks, one for coffee, and one for juice) are popular spots to see and be seen. Who Will Love Hotel Esencia Couples and adult travelers seeking an idyllic oceanfront escape that feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Tulum and Playa del Carmen will love it here. Anyone with an affinity for design-forward, non-cookie-cutter hotels will be happy here, too. Who Might Not Love Hotel Esencia The tranquil vibe may be a turn-off for travelers searching for nightlife and entertainment. Here, the main attractions are the sun, sand, and spa. Also, while the property offers an abundance of activities and amenities, there is no kids club or children's programming. With all this in mind, families may choose to stay elsewhere. Lastly, it's worth noting that the property is not all-inclusive, so it’s not for those seeking a resort that folds meals, activities, and lodging into one single rate. Best Amenity at Hotel Esencia Picking the best amenity here is nearly impossible, but if narrowed down to just one, we’d say the enchanting spa. Housed under a thatched palapa, the open-air space features plenty of lush greenery plus hot tubs for soaking in style. Services such as temazcal ceremonies (a traditional healing practice that involves a sweat lodge) and cocoa and coffee treatments use locally grown ingredients and are inspired by ancient Mayan culture. Other honorable mentions include the on-site cenote and complimentary non-motorized water sports. What’s Included at Hotel Esencia Your stay includes all of the following: Fees & Extra Costs You Should Know About at Hotel Esencia A 15% service charge is added to your stay’s total. How to Get a Deal at Hotel Esencia Your best bet is booking a stay during Riviera Maya’s off-season or shoulder season — more on that below! The Sweet Season Riviera Maya’s shoulder seasons (April, May, November, and December, excluding Christmas week) offer great weather, fewer crowds, and lower rates on lodging. Keep in mind that hurricane season lasts from June through November, peaking in September or October. In the Neighborhood of Hotel Esencia The property is located in the scenic albeit sleepy town of Xpu Ha, which is best known for its unspoiled stretches of sand. It’s also considered the halfway point between Tulum and Playa del Carmen. Nearest Airport to Hotel Esencia Cancun International Airport is about 48 miles from the property. Nearest Public Transportation to Hotel Esencia While there’s no public transportation, the hotel can arrange luxury car transfers to and from the airport for an additional cost. A private helicopter service can also be arranged if that’s more your speed. With its super stylish accommodations, trendy restaurants, holistic spa, and stunning natural landscapes (from the manicured gardens to the private cenote!), Hotel Esencia is one of the most unique — and extraordinary — places to stay in Mexico’s Riviera Maya.
River cruising is a growing trend in the travel industry, offering a unique and relaxing way to explore some of the world's most beautiful and historic destinations. With small and intimate vessels, river cruises are the perfect way to immerse oneself in the culture of destinations and experience a journey unlike any other. River cruising offers an all-inclusive experience with luxurious accommodations, fine dining, onboard entertainment, and exciting shore excursions. With highly personalized service, guests feel pampered as they explore the stunning scenery, picturesque towns, and vibrant cities along some of the world's great rivers, such as Europe's Danube or Seine, Asia's Mekong, or the Amazon. One of the most significant advantages of river cruising is that it allows travelers to experience the destinations they visit entirely. Unlike large cruise ships, river cruise ships can sail right into the heart of cities and towns, allowing passengers to step off the boat and into the bustling streets of the destination. From cozy European wineries to bustling Asian marketplaces, river cruises provide guests with a front-row view of some of the world's most diverse and charming experiences. River cruises offer flexibility in their schedules and itineraries, allowing travelers to choose the best trip. Whether it's an adventure in the jungles of Southeast Asia or a relaxing journey through the French countryside, there's a river cruise itinerary and ship for every type of traveler. Each river cruise brand's values differ in design, cuisine, lifestyle, and destination focus. Travel advisors can help select what's most appealing to their client's preferences. For example, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises offers an extensive list of choices that are all-inclusive without any options and features the decor styles found in luxury boutique hotels for a more intimate onboard experience. AmaWaterways provides spacious staterooms with balconies, multiple dining venues, a variety of activities, and carry-on wine tastings on board. Crystal River Cruises offers a sophisticated, high-end experience with top-notch dining venues and accommodations. In conclusion, river cruising provides an exceptional, culturally immersive, relaxing, and luxurious vacation. It is the perfect opportunity for travelers to explore the world in style while enjoying world-class amenities and impeccable service onboard. Partnering with a travel advisor with expertise in river cruising, like myself, ensures the selection of a river cruise and itinerary that fits the traveler's preference and budget and provides personalized support throughout the booking process. A river cruise is an experience everyone should have, and I'm committed to making sure that it is a unique, unforgettable experience that will create lifelong memories. Should you be interested in experiencing the luxury and unique journey a river cruise offers, please contact me as your travel advisor. I'm here to help you choose the perfect river cruise itinerary and vessel that suits your preferences, budget, and style. I'll also secure exclusive amenities and cover all the details to ensure a stress-free vacation. Let's work together to create the trip of a lifetime and discover the beauty of the world's great rivers. Contact me today to start planning your river cruise adventure! Sheyla was born and raised in Cuba and has been in the United States since 2000. She is a Journalist, Actress, Producer, and Photographer with a passion for travel. Sheyla launched the travel agency out of her desire to share her culture, music, dance, and the architecture of her homeland with others. Her agency provides travel arrangements to Latin countries, the Caribbean islands, and Europe. She is an award-winning short film producer and was recognized as a leading media personality in the Latino community in Tennessee with the award “Beacon of Light” in 2019. Sheyla was one of the few Cuban-American journalists who traveled to Cuba with President Barack Obama in 2016 as part of the White House Press Corps. She is an ASTA Verified travel advisor, Signature Travel Network Luxury Certified Travel advisor, and several destination specialists in the Caribbean and Latin America. She is also certified in Luxury River and Ocean cruises. Share the knowledge Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.
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a yard is a parcel that has been covered with soil and also grown with yards or other sturdy plants. These plants are kept at a short elevation with a lawnmower and are made use of for both visual and leisure objectives. Besides providing a natural aesthetic aim to a house, a well-kept lawn can additionally be a possession to the property. Right here are some tips for keeping an attractive yard. Whether you’re seeking an easy upkeep service or a much more customized one, you’ll wish to ensure the company you hire is licensed as well as insured. Several companies will certainly bill an additional travel charge if they run out their service location, so be sure to examine if they have actually included that to their rates. If you’re uncertain whether a grass solution is certified, you can ask your county county agent for referrals. Yard care experts are educated to deal with your backyard while it’s still expanding, so they aren’t interested in look. The most typical methods of lawn care consist of oygenation, feeding, pest control, as well as extra. Oygenation is an exceptional means to promote healthy and balanced yard and also minimize dirt compaction, so water and air can get to the roots. If you’re trying to find a cost effective and also practical grass solution, take into consideration searching for one near you. When it concerns sprinkling your yard, the most effective means to keep your lawn healthy is to water it regularly. It requires concerning one to two inches of water per day, but a bare yard can run out swiftly. If you don’t sprinkle your grass routinely, it will certainly die. A bare patch of grass will certainly not look great. Having the right amount of water will certainly help prevent this from happening. You should additionally know the sort of climate in your area. Some states call for businesses to have workers’ settlement insurance. If you’re searching for a lawn solution, it is necessary to do research study. Some business hire undocumented employees to do a small-scale job for a lower cost. These workers are not most likely to be able to pay taxes or insurance. For that reason, it is very important to check reviews and also review the small print before working with a yard care solution. If you’re uncertain of which company is appropriate for you, simply Google words “grass care” and “lawncare” right into your search engine. In addition to standard lawn care, a grass company can offer various other solutions too. Some will certainly do a comprehensive job of mowing your grass, while others will do more detailed work in your yard. Commonly, a grass treatment service will certainly include mowing, cutting, and also fertilizing. These services will certainly take care of weeds, dead branches, as well as other landscape design products. These companies are often based in your area, so you can pick the very best choice for your demands. 3 mins read
Bootstrapping a business can be scary. You're playing with your own money after all. But many successful businesses are born this way without any help from external capital. Take Hunter Molzen for example, the founder of Barbell Apparel, a store that sells premium denim, chinos, and shorts engineered for performance with a tailored athletic fit. On this episode of Shopify Masters, you’ll learn how he completely bootstrapped a business that has now sold 40,000 pairs of pants. - Why you should manufacture locally first and then outsource overseas. - The foundations companies should build when you’re just starting out. - How to keep in contact with your customers after your Kickstarter campaign ends. Listen to Shopify Masters below… Like this podcast? Leave a review on iTunes! Felix: Today I’m joined by Hunter Molzen from BarbellApparel.com as B-A-R-B-E-L-L A-P-P-A-R-E-L.com. Barbell Apparel sells premium denim chinos and shorts engineered for performers with a tailored athletic fit and their redefining clothing for athletic body types. It was started in 2014 and based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Welcome Hunter. Hunter: Thanks for having us on Felix. Felix: Yeah, excited to have you on. Tell us a little bit more about your business, and I know you sell a bunch of different products, but give us an idea of some of the more popular lines that you carry. Hunter: We launched with our flagship denim and that’s still our most popular skew. After that we branched out into some chinos, shorts, performance tee’s and some other stuff. It all revolves around the same basic idea of premium casual wear built to fit athletic body types and perform to the standard people who have outdoor hobbies or workout a lot, the standard they’ve come to expect from athletic gear. Felix: Cool, did you have a background in apparel? What were you doing before starting this business? Hunter: I actually didn’t have a background in apparel. It was just an idea we had working out in the gym one day. We all do a lot of weight lifting and cycling and other stuff that’s made our legs pretty big. We could never find anything that fit so we decided, “Hey, I bet you there’s a lot of people that have this problem.” We decided just to start with the biggest offender which is denim and make a product that was tailored to fit athletically built legs. It just went from there. Through several rounds of prototyping we figured out the ropes of apparel design and just continued the learning process since then. Felix: Very cool. What were you doing at that time? Did you have a job at the time? What was your life like while you were launching this business? Hunter: Yeah, this isn’t my first venture into e-commerce. Before Barbell Apparel we sold weight lifting equipment via e-commerce. It was a really interesting thing to cut our teeth on because it’s one of the heaviest and most difficult things to ship around the country. It was a great learning experience. Felix: Very cool. What happened to that business? Were you still running it at the time that you were launching Barbell Apparel or did you close it down in between? Hunter: Yeah, we were still running that full time as we launched Barbell Apparel. Originally we didn’t know exactly how big the Barbell Apparel idea would be, so we launched it on the side just to see what market reception and stuff would be. During the first Kickstarter we made the decision to shut down the former company because demand was so high for the new products we were releasing through Barbell Apparel. Felix: Interesting yeah. This is a common theme with entrepreneurs where it’s always idea, idea, idea, and always being dragged or being, I guess, taunted into a specific direction to try new businesses, try and launch new businesses. Were you ever worried about spreading yourself too thin by launching this other business? Why not double down on a business that was already running rather than starting something brand new? Hunter: That’s definitely a great point. I think with a measured approach there’s always enough time to try something new and ours is probably a rare case because our launch was so massively successful. In 40 days on Kickstarter we made money than our previous business had done in the last year and a half. We decided to just run with it. I think for other people it never hurts to launch something small on the side and then as it either gains traction or your previous business slows down or whatever, readjust your priorities and take it from there. Felix: Yeah, I think this is a similar approach that you can take too if you don’t have a separate business but you have a day job for example, is to start something on the side and see what happens, see what takes off. I guess to a point where it makes sense for you to close down company or quit your day job then definitely it’s a much safer, I guess, route to starting a business. This process though of shutting down a business, I think it’s a really hard decision for a lot of people. I’m sure it was a hard decision for you too even though you had a much bigger opportunity ahead of you. Something that you spent, it sounded like a year and a half on and it was … I’m not sure the actual numbers behind all of it but it sounded like it was an actual business that was humming, what was that process like to shut down a business? Hunter: To be fair the landscape in that business was becoming increasingly competitive and exercise equipment’s pretty much a straight commodity. With the chance to do something branded and unique, we were all a lot more excited about that. We just continued to sell off our existing inventory and just not replenish it. That’s how we phased out of the previous business. Felix: Okay, makes sense. You said before that you had no apparel experience previously and I think this is another common, not necessarily a issue but a fear that other entrepreneurs have, which is that they want to get into a specific industry but they have zero experience in it. What was your experience like to learn and I guess to understand an industry that you had no prior experience in? Hunter: Yeah, definitely. With anything, if you have a great idea there’s experts out there that are already vastly versed in the industry you’re trying to break into. Quite often connecting with them is as simple as Googling or searching expert in X industry. For us we looked for an expert in fashion, an expert in patterning, or clothing manufacturing. Through that we were able to connect with quite a few people that really took us under their wing and showed us the ropes in those early days. I like to think since then we’ve become pretty well versed in our own right. We still have experts that we outsource more technical things to that help us develop new and exciting stuff. Felix: Yeah, I think when you do take this approach of hiring someone that’s essentially smarter than you in a specific area because they have that industry experience, it can certainly cut down the learning curve. The issue I think early on is that because you don’t know what you don’t know, you don’t know who’s actually an expert and who’s not. How do you work through that? How do you figure out that this person’s legit versus someone that’s just trying to take my money and not give me enough, same value in return? Hunter: Yeah, definitely. I think there’s no harm in asking for references and viewing their previous body of work within the industry you’re going after and seeing if it’s stuff you resonate with or stuff of high quality. Then it’s always good to go with your instincts, meet with a person, talk with them. If you can meet face to face that’s a great way to do it but a phone call is suffice if you can’t, and just see what their all about and if it’s someone you’d enjoy working with. Quite honestly anyone that’s really knowledgeable or even kind of deep into an industry isn’t going to try to grab your money and run. We started off manufacturing locally. That gave us a great opportunity to make sure who we were working with was legit. Even if you were going to go overseas, there’s third party firms you can hire to audit a manufacturer or any sort of thing like that to where you can really do your homework and make sure you’re not going to get yourself into a bad situation with your manufacturer. Felix: Was the goal to start locally just so that you can get a feel for, I guess take a safer route in even though the margins were not going to be as good? To start locally so you can learn and actually be able to be face to face, maybe walk into the factories and then eventually go overseas or find places with better margins? Hunter: Yeah I think for us it was really important. We hadn’t done anything as hands on and technical as denim and chinos and selecting these premium fabrics. For us it was a really cool exciting time to be able to go to the factory and touch the fabrics and figure out new ways to do things and really make a product that was a bar above the rest. Through those experiences I think we’ve been able to take a lot of that and just amplify it into our new products. Felix: What was the design process like when you were going through this? What kind of experts did you have to hire? I know you said that you went through several rounds of prototypes, tell us a little bit about the process of designing apparel? Hunter: The proper way to do it is to have a pattern maker who’ll make you a pattern and tech packs and all sorts of things that she’ll send off to your manufacturer and they’ll make things exactly to specification. We definitely didn’t start that glamorously. I think we all spend a lot of time in various [inaudible 00:10:04] gyms, crossfit, normal gyms, and be cycling all sorts of things like that. We would just take our friends and the guys that had the problem, they were like the case study for our customer. We just measured them ourselves, wrote them down on paper, threw it into a spreadsheet, and then sent it off to our original manufacturer. He was willing to work the magic on his end and make it work for however his guys needed it to. I think you’ll find a lot of grace with manufacturers and sorts of thing and being willing to work with someone new and being able to step outside their normal process to give you a hand in getting involved. Felix: How many iterations did you have to go through during this process? Hunter: Quite a few. I think we started iterating in summer of 2013. We iterated all the way up until our launch in March of 2014. We probably did a couple dozen iterations. We kept it all to a few sizes so we didn’t have huge sample fees or anything like that. We were not starting this company with large amounts of investment or anything. I think we bootstrapped it all out of our own paychecks and then let Kickstarter do the rest. I think you could definitely get it down with a dozen or less samples as long as your diligent and noting what’s wrong and what you need to change and making sure the next sample you get is significantly closer to your vision. Felix: Yeah, I think it’s sometimes when we look at these [assestors 00:11:38] we don’t look at all of the … I want to call these failures but we don’t look at all of the rejections along the way when you get back a sample from the manufacturer. You get it out to your beta testers and it’s not exactly what you’re looking for. You go through all these iterations, what was that like to you? Did you ever in some way feel after then tenth iteration, you’re like, “This is not getting us any closer, we’ve done ten of these already.” Did you ever feel discourage along the way? Hunter: Oh man, definitely yeah. We knew we had a great base product but certain things were just not right. I think at a certain point you just have to make sure it is good enough to get started and make sure that you have a plan for taking care of the customers that put faith in you while you’re starting out. Even up to the Kickstarter, the samples we used in our videos and materials ended up being quite a bit different from the samples we delivered. There’s always time to make adjustments and change things. Even with Kickstarter, your backers will tend to be very understanding if you’re like, “Hey, there’s a delay. We’re tweaking something, we want to make sure it’s just right for you guys.” As long as you stay all [inaudible 00:12:52] and true to the original idea, there’s no need to let fear of the actual end product paralyze you. Felix: Yeah. This thing you said about how it just needs to be good enough to get started, can you say a little bit more about that? How did you know when … Obviously after six, ten, I think you said about a dozen iterations you hit something where you’re like, “Okay, this is good enough to go with,” what were you looking for to make that determination that the twelfth iteration is better than the sixth or eighth? Hunter: For us it was pretty easy. We’re making jeans for guys and girls that could never wear them, myself included. When I got a sample that I was like, “I’m going to wear this everyday because it’s working so well for me,” that’s when I knew we had a product that would resonate with a lot of people. Felix: Makes sense. When you got the products back during all of these iterations, were you just getting them out to your friends, how did you test this other than just on yourself that the product was in a good state, again like you were saying, good enough to get started? Hunter: Yeah, our customers are pretty demanding on our products. They’re doing a lot of crazy stuff. We have guys that rock climb in them and do tight rope walking and gymnastics and all sorts of crazy stuff. We really just give them to people like that and said, “Wear these everyday, put them through the ringer so we can make sure they stand up to your demands and that they last.” Once we had our product that was fitting those criteria we felt confident in moving forward. I will say it’s tempting to get caught up on the minute details like, “Oh, this label isn’t right or the stitching color’s a little off,” but those things can all be iterated moving forward. What you really want is a core product that stands up to your customer’s demand and meets their quality expectations. Little things like the small details like the rivets and buttons or whatever it is in your specific product can get changed all the time but you just want to make sure you’re delivering something that your customer’s going to use and love. Felix: Yeah, sounds like what you’re getting at is that you have to at least nail the core value of your product. In your case it sounded like just jeans that could fit these athletic people. All the other minute details that you’re saying were not part of, I guess, the initial core value so those could be, not necessarily ignored, but you shouldn’t focused on getting those perfect right off the bat. Did you have a formal feedback process while you’re doing this? When you’re bootstrapping, like when you guys were bootstrapping, the last thing you want to do is give out a bunch of products for people to try out and then you’re not getting any feedback from them, it’s just [inaudible 00:15:35] silence from them and you have to hunt them down and get feedback. It slows things down and also obviously cost you money because you’re producing all of this, all these samples. How were you able to get the feedback that you needed in order to continue iterating the product to a state where it was good enough to go out? Hunter: Luckily for us a lot of the people we were able to give our stuff out to were friends and family and people we knew really well. They were never much farther than a phone call away. I just made sure to check with them every one or two weeks while we were sampling and see if they had any feedback or ideas or things they wanted to do to make it better. Even if you had to go a little further out to find your target customer, you’re giving something for free and people love to be a part of something. Getting a phone number and following up with texts or call, I don’t think anyone’s going to have a problem with that. I think that that’s a great way to get feedback and validate a product early on. Felix: Do you remember how many beta testers or initial friends and family that you had your product out to? How many did you work with? Hunter: Between ten and twenty. Some crazy athletes as far away as the east coast that were trying stuff out. No one had any issues leaving me feedback and letting me know how it was living up to their standards and the way they want it to be. At the end of the day if you’re filling a void and creating something for people that are under served and don’t have what they want, people are going to be really hiked about it and going to be stoked about being part of something that’s built for them. Felix: Did you feel that that ten and twenty number was good, did you feel like you wanted more users initially? Also, how do you find the correct users at first? It sounds like you were going … You at least had some extreme, almost edge case users, people that were rock climbing which I’m assuming is not going to be the majority of your market. How do you get that right balance of types of users of your product to test it at initial phases? Hunter: Our philosophy was if it works for the fringes it’ll definitely work for the average guys. If I can get a guy that’s scaling hundreds of feet of cliff or a guy that’s squatting 600 pounds and it’s working out for him, the guy that’s just your average gym goer and just wants jeans that fit him, make his body look good, and keep him comfortable throughout the day is going to be more than satisfied. If it’s working for the extremes it’s going to last that much longer for the average guy. That was the crux of our design philosophy. It worked out really well for us. Felix: I think that makes sense. I’m assuming it will probably carry over well to a lot of the industries too that as long as the most extreme cases can beat it up and still get the value out of it and it’s still durable enough, then it should work for the average person. To the other question, did you feel like ten and twenty was good enough? Did you feel like you could’ve done with less? You feel like you could’ve done with more? Hunter: I definitely think more would have been better. At a certain point you’re limited by time and capital and things like that. I think it was a good spot for us. You don’t need to validate your product physically with every one of your customers. I think this is a crucial part of founding a new company or a new idea that a lot of people put off or don’t even think about. Social media these days is a great way to meet your customers where their at. For us, we’re like, “Who’s are customers?” People that work out, people that stay active, they run, they’re into action sports, they do crossfit. We went onto Facebook and Instagram, set up just a launch page website that had a basic mission statement and a picture and started meeting the people where they were at and saying, “Hey, this is what we’re doing. Is this something you’re into? Is this something you need?” People really responded well to that. A lot of that early social media traction is what allowed us to have a successful Kickstarter launch and feel confident in putting our idea forward. Felix: Yeah, I like that idea of meeting people where they’re at, so you don’t have to meet people in person to validate. I think one of the concerns is that what people say isn’t always exactly what they’ll do. They might say they like something but when it comes down to putting their hard earned dollars down for, it’s a big jump still, right? Did you ever experience that? Maybe not necessarily with that but where you hearing things from people on social media that then doesn’t translate to them actually putting their dollars down for a particular feature or for particular product line? Hunter: Definitely. You’re always going to have price resistance, especially as a niche company. Our products are priced in the mid to high tier [had 00:20:43] it’s just a reflection of the higher level of quality and engineering that goes into the fabrics. The fabrics and the construction and all of that. There’s a certain amount of people that just shop price based. The truth is you’re never going to be able to steal those customers away from the giants in the industry that have just insane pricing because of tons of volume and tons of market penetration. For us it’s not something we worry about. There’s a lot of people out there that need what we’re serving. For us the important thing is connecting with those people and not just building a product that they resonate with but building a team and a message that connects with them. I think if you do that you’ll find a large amount of carry over from your social media efforts to the actual results on your store or your Kickstarter campaign or whatever venue it is you are selling your products through. Felix: Makes sense. Let’s talk about the Kickstarter campaign. You’ve had two campaigns, we’ll start with the first one which was for the functional denim Kickstarter campaign. You only had a goal of 15,000 dollars, ended up raising almost three quarters of a million. 735,794 dollars from 5,288. Obviously blew your goal out. Maybe we’ll start with the goal, the 15,000 dollars, what were your plans with that money? i seaHunter: We honestly just wanted to get enough money to meet our factory minimums and have enough money left over to fulfill it. That’s where the goal amount came from. We felt pretty dang confident that with that goal and the footwork we had done prior to launching the campaign on social media then we would hit that goal. We had no idea that the campaign would be such a big success. To see all that happen in real time was awesome, it blew us away. Felix: Yeah, obviously you exceeded that goal but if you were to just hit that goal of 15,000 dollars just for the factory minimums, moving forward obviously you did launch a second campaign but when you look back on it, did you feel like that’s a good way to set a goal? Would you feel like you should have gone for more? Is just meeting the factory minimum, and this is for anyone out there that’s thinking about starting a Kickstarter campaign, is just raising enough to reach the minimum order quantity for the factory. Is that a good goal to set? Hunter: You’re going to have to trust your instincts a little bit. You want enough to buy the inventory you need to fulfill the Kickstarter, ship it to the customer, and then buy enough more to keep running the business and hopefully bootstrap it from there. I do think a pitfall a lot of people can fall into is pricing just enough to send the product that the Kickstarter backers have ordered, ship it to them and boom you’re out of cash. Now how do run a business? You need to make sure that you’re [price 00:23:52] enough leftover to order what you need and have more to continue to run operations. After that it’s just your tolerance for what you want to do. For us, we were happy to sell a few hundred pairs of jeans to people that were stoked on the idea, get it to them, buy a few more, throw it in the warehouse, and continue to run the business. If only want to do something bigger then you can set your goal higher but I think for a lot of entrepreneurs and inventors that this is the way they’re going to start a company, they really just want to get it off the ground and deliver the product to the customers and start a business and then bootstrap it from there. Felix: You’re basically saying that you don’t want to use Kickstarter just as a sales channel, just as a store. You really do want to use it as a way to build start up capital to kick off a business, you can’t just raise enough just to ship out products, like you’re saying run out of cash and then you have go back and raise money again, which is going to slow things down a ton. Hunter: Yeah, definitely. That’ll slow things down a lot. This really only applies if you’re founding your company through Kickstarter. If you’re launching a secondary product line and you already have an established business, you can obviously be quite a bit more flexible. Felix: Makes sense. Obviously we want to know how you’re able to do this so quickly, raise this kind of money. What kind of preparation did you do before launching the Kickstarter campaign? Hunter: We started probably in November of 2013, as soon as we had a sample we were moderately happy with. Taking photos, spreading the word, and just, like I said earlier, meeting the customers, where they were at on social media, and drumming up some excitement and some reach to launch our campaign in March. It was several months of legwork beforehand to be able to build that foundation. I think it was probably the biggest reason we were able to have such a successful campaign. There was a few components that went into making the campaign such a huge success but we launched the Kickstarter on March 21st. Our goal was 15,000 dollars. We hit that goal in 45 minutes and I think it as within the first two days we had surpassed 80,000 dollars all on our own. This was before we had any press coverage. This was back when Kickstarter was quite a bit smaller and it’s notoriety too. You didn’t have Kickstarters doing millions and millions of dollars back then. I think a lot of that just early market validation and building that early community around it was the big crux of getting the campaign successfully funded. A Kickstarter also needs to reach this point of critical mass where people can look at it and say, “I feel comfortable putting my money into this because other people are believing what these guys are doing. It looks like it’s something that’s actually going to be successful.” Felix: Yeah, that makes sense. That kind of social proof goes a long way that a lot of people will be happy to be early adopters and put in money when the campaign isn’t backed yet. There are a lot of people, I think me included, are hesitant to put money on Kickstarter or any kind of crowd funding until it’s hit it’s goal and we know that this is much more of a guaranteed thing. I think that that’s important that you say that there’s different stages of a Kickstarter campaign that attracts different types of backers. People that are much more, I guess, risky and people that are less risk adverse and want to wait until there’s a little more social proof. Once the ball got rolling with this traction, how did you bolster it from 80,000 to three quarters of a million? Still a big jump, what helped you go from 80,000 to three quarters of a million? What kind of promotion did you guys do? Hunter: It was all our own honestly. A lot of people think you need a marketing expert of a PR firm or something like that. I just found journalists in publications I thought would be into what we were doing that covered either crowd funding or fashion, just something at least related to what we were doing. I tracked down an email and I wrote them. I’d wrote hundreds of them. I stayed up all day and all night just writing journalist after journalist after journalist. Out of those hundreds I probably got one or two that actually replied to me. One decided to pick us up and write about us in Fast Company. That was the beginning of all of it. Once that article got published it was a lot easier to get other journalists to get in touch with me. It just snowballed from there. Felix: Yeah, this whole thing about social proof again. Once someone sticks their neck out there and is ready to [inaudible 00:28:58] what you guys are doing but at least cover then it’s going to be easier for a lot of other press outlets to do the same. How did you pitch these PR publications? Did you just come to them and say, “Hey, this is my Kickstarter campaign,” what really worked for you to get them to pay attention and eventually cover your campaign? Hunter: Yeah, with any expert or someone of influence you’re trying to get in touch with, you have to keep in mind these guys are getting slammed all day by people saying, “Look at me, cover what I’m doing.” You don’t want to be that guy, whether you’re trying to reach out to someone in manufacturing or journalism or whatever. They’re so often just bombarded with requests that I think just acting like a real person and taking some time to get to know them before you email them and look at what they do, look at what they cover, look at what they’re into. Then relate to them on a level that they understand and sympathize with will give you a lot higher success rate. For us, I just spent time finding journalists that actually covered what we were about, whether it was fitness or fashion or crowd funding. Then I read articles they had written and said, “What does this guy like? How can I relate to him? What do we have in common?” Then when I reached out to him, I tailored the email around that and tried to establish some common ground and present myself as someone they’d want to talk to. Felix: That makes sense. The second campaign that you launch which was called, “The Greatest Pants And Shorts Ever Made,” love that title, had a goal of 40,000 dollars and this one raised 179,000 dollars from about 1,000 backers. What was different about this campaign? What was the goal of this particular campaign compared to the first one, where the first one was to launch your entire business but the second one looks like it came about a year or so afterwards? I’m assuming that business was humming along already at that point, why return to Kickstarter? Hunter: I think a lot of people might not return to Kickstarter for a second time and we didn’t need the capital but we really enjoyed the Kickstarter process the first time of using it as a medium to introducing your product line. It’s something that’s really difficult to replicate on a website where you have a store and a video and people feel comfortable sinking in ten, fifteen minutes to get to know this new product and get to know this new idea. No one is spending that much time on a clothing page on a retail website. We just really were into the process of creating a story behind the new product launch and that’s why it went back to Kickstarter. With that campaign most of the backers were previous customers of ours. We didn’t get a lot of media coverage or anything that time. For us it was just a way to create a cool and new exciting story to the customers we did have. Then bringing a few new customers [inaudible 00:32:03] second hand. Felix: Yeah, I never thought about that, what you’re saying about how people are much more willing to spend the time, give you their attention on Kickstarter rather than just a storefront. I think it has a lot to do with the, almost the state of mind that people come into a website and there their intentions. You come to Kickstarter not because you’re necessarily shopping around but you’re almost looking for entertainment, something to create. You’re trying to find these new products and it’s interesting when there’s a new product that you haven’t heard of before. When it comes to a store, I don’t know, what you’re saying makes a lot of sense. I’m not sure what the magic it is about Kickstarter but now that you mention it, it does make a lot of sense that it’s a lot easier to introduce a product, a lot easier to hold someone’s attention for a long time on Kickstarter versus just a product page like you’re saying. I think that that definitely an interesting angle for using Kickstarter. Not just to fund raise but to introduce a new product. Now that you’ve had two Kickstarter campaigns under your belt, what did you change between those two campaigns? What did you learn from the first campaign that you said, I guess two part question, that you said, “We definitely have to do this next time,” and what would you say we should remove for the next campaign? Hunter: Most of the things we decided to change with the campaign happen on the production side so that fulfillment and production stuff was a lot quicker and a lot smoother. As far as the nuts and bolts of the campaign and the [creatives 00:33:30] and the videos, we kept a lot of that the same. When we were really happy with how it worked both times. There’s definitely a big learning experience in actually fulfilling 9,000 pairs of pants that we did on the first Kickstarter that we were able to carry over to the second one and make the whole delivery and manufacturing process a lot smoother. Felix: Yeah, when you guys did raise that initial 736,000 dollars, were you guys looking at each other excited or freaking out because now there’s much much bigger business than you guys had probably imagined when you were starting this out? Hunter: Yeah, definitely. It’s impossible not to be excited when people are that excited about an idea you’re putting forth. We were also pretty terrified. We expected to make a few hundred, maybe 1,000 pairs of jeans. I think by the time it was all said and done between all the different back room levels and stuff we ended up selling somewhere over 9,000. We had no idea how we were going to make all of those jeans and fulfill them within the time frame we had estimated. We didn’t, we missed our time frame by quite a few months. We just made it a point to stay honest with the backers during the time and just say, “Look, we had no idea that we were going to raise 4,000 more time than our goal or whatever it was. Please excuse the time it takes us to get all this worked out. We’re working on it, because of the funding level you’re going to get a better product that’s more refined and has more detail going into it. When you do get it we know you’re going to love it. Just thank you for your support and thank you for your patience. We’re doing everything we can to get this to you as quickly as possible.” Felix: Yeah that kind of transparency communication is definitely something I’ve heard time and time again from successful Kickstarter campaigns that have had to deal with delays. Which I think is pretty common with Kickstarter campaigns. You mentioned earlier on the podcast that the end product was a bit different than what was initially on the Kickstarter campaign. I’m assuming this was for the first product. What was different and how did you know that it would be okay to provide a product that was different than what was advertised? Hunter: We got samples during production to make sure that they looked up to our previous standard and everything. From all the testing we did before, we already had the materials and the metals and the stitching and everything we knew needed to be the nuts and bolts of it. From there with the success of the Kickstarter, it just allowed us to go and really brush up on the finer details, like the stuff I said wasn’t critical before but is nice to have. Like the labels and the details on the rivets and things like that. Just the nice finishing touches that take it from, “Hey, I got this proof of concept on Kickstarter,” to, “I got this finished, polished product on Kickstarter.” We were really excited to be able to do that. Felix: Yeah, sounds like all kind of enhancements not things that you guys are taking away. I think that helps your cause. With such a big order, you said 9,000, I guess backers essentially and 9,000 customers, I’m assuming you had to learn fulfillment and manufacturing at scale very fast and get it all set up very fast. What was that process like? How did you guys learn? How did you guys get all set up and going? You said you missed the goal day, delivery day by a couple months but I think that’s still very reasonable. I’m assuming you still had to rush and figure out everything very quickly. Tell us about that process, the time right after the Kickstarter campaign? Hunter: Again, it goes back to what I was saying earlier about finding experts and things that you are not an expert in. We knew we were going to have 5,000 plus packages to send out. We found a third party ware house that was experienced in dealing with volume and could get 9,000 pairs of jeans and pack them into 5,000 packages and send them out within a reasonable time frame. If we had attempted to do that ourselves, it would have been a mess and it would of taken forever. I think it was definitely one of the smarter things we decided to do in getting the help of someone else who was an expert in doing that so that we could, once we got the product, fulfill it within a reasonable time frame. Felix: We saw that there’s 5,288 backers for that first campaign but you said when it was all said and done with there was 9,000 pairs shipped. Were people ordering this product or pre-ordering it outside of Kickstarter? How was that set up? Hunter: They were. That wasn’t part of that figure though. A lot of that was just package tiers that were from multiple pairs. To add on what I was saying, after the Kickstarter I think a lot of people will just go dark with their projects and just say, “Okay, we’re working on making everything now,” and they’ll lose all of that momentum that they worked on building through Kickstarter. We decided we didn’t want to do that. As soon as the Kickstarter went down, these days it’s pretty popular to just move over to Indigogo and keep going. For us, we just launched the store front on Shopify. I signed up for a Shopify account, built a quick storefront and it was nothing super impressive or pretty back then. As soon as the Kickstarter went down we threw up our website and started pushing all the traffic that was still coming in even though the Kickstarter deadline had ended to the website. We continued to take pre-orders on there. Felix: Very cool. I think that’s an important point about not going dark. It’s also almost trying to catch lightening in a bottle, once you have it don’t just let it go when you have all this buzz and have all this attention on you. Especially through coming to the Kickstarter page and they’re finding out about it, you don’t want them to just hit a dead end and find out that it’s too late for them to order. You want to give them the opportunity to do so. It sounded like you guys did just that. One thing that you mentioned during some of the pre-interview questions was about your experience in foundation building, especially with founding a company, about finding company early on. Tell us a little bit more about that. What does it mean when you say foundation building? Hunter: I think there’s a few components to that. One of the most important things with turning something like a Kickstarter into a business is at some point you’re going to have to sit down and say, “We launched a product on Kickstarter and it was something people liked. It was something people wanted but very few businesses are just one product.” We sat down and we decided people are resonating with something about this, what is the core value or the essence of what they like about us and how can we turn that into something that’s not just jeans but is a company that serves this need? Building that early foundation and mission statement allowed us to turn in what was a product into a business and is now a line of things for customers to buy and really helped us focus our efforts and our goals on achieving that mission. Felix: I think there’s an important point to definitely think, like you’re saying, don’t put yourself in a corner and actually be able to set up a runway for you to expand your brand to be able to grow in and get into different markets, different product lines. I think maybe an issue though is that some entrepreneurs will spend too much time thinking about that early on and think about this grand scheme even before initial launch. For your case, did you guys have all this laid out before your first product, before that Kickstarter campaign or is this something that you started to figure out after a successful launch of just one product? Hunter: Yeah because it wasn’t our first venture as entrepreneurs, we already knew that things never work out in real life as they do in your head. We learned a long time ago that you just got to throw it out there and then roll with the punches and change as your customers demand or as the market demand or whatever. We didn’t have a grand scheme of how this company was going to take shape. We just knew that we had an idea we liked and that people around us liked. We decided to start with that and as it built momentum, we went from there. I think a lot of people would benefit from taking the same approach. You don’t have to have this giant plan for how you’re going to conquer the world and get huge amounts of market share with this idea and build an empire. All it takes is a spark and something you’re willing to invest in and something that people resonate with. Out of that, a ton of opportunity will com. You’ll find out a lot of things your customers need that you didn’t know and that you can make and that people will love. For us, it was just being able to get in front of those people and being able to talk with them and being able to be in a position where we could get their feedback and get their demands and make something that they were really excited about. Felix: Yeah I think that’s a really good point, that you have to have a product out there. You have to have customers before you’re actually in the game. Once you’re in the game then you can actually adapt, like you’re saying, and roll with the punches and as you figure out. When you don’t have any customers, you have no one that you are able to contact or that you’re able to get feedback from, you’re still running around blind. It’s not a good idea, I don’t think, to plan too far ahead when you don’t have this kind of feedback system set up that you would have set up when you have customers and have a product out there already. Are there any early foundational things, foundational elements to the companies that you’ve built that you think back and say, “I wish I spent more time on this,” because now it’s biting you in the butt because you didn’t spend more time on it? Hunter: There’s a laundry list of things I could go over that I wish I had done differently back when we first started the company and I’m sure that’s going to be the same for almost anyone. A few key things, get ways to stay in touch with your customers from right off the bat. We didn’t start collecting … We collected emails through social media before we launched our Kickstarter campaign by hand and all sorts of crazy ways, just anyway we could do to get them in a data base. After we launched the website, we didn’t invest heavily into technology or software to automate that. We probably missed out on, I don’t even want to think about it, thousands of emails that customers would have happily given us to stay in touch. We just weren’t aggressive enough about giving them a way to provide that to us. Just little things like that. Things that are easy to automate, email, staying in touch with your customers, setting up emails that say, “Thank you for your order,” and things like that. Just being able to touch base and show your customers you care about them and stuff like that that’s easy and scalable. I definitely recommend everyone do that right away. Felix: Makes sense. Email marketing, like you’re saying, is something that you wish you had spent more time on. Is that the marketing channel that works best for you today? What kind of marketing channels do you focus on these days? Hunter: I think our core customer is the athletic guy or girl that’s into whatever their hobby is, being outdoors, lifting weights, and being active. Those kind of people are everywhere. I think it’s reflected in our traffic sources. Direct traffic for us, social media, and search traffic are all pretty close. There’s no stand out magic bullet that’s where we get all our traffic from. We get it from everywhere. We invest a lot of time into all those channels and just being where people are searching for. Especially for us as the inventors of a new niche, athletic casual wear or whatever you’d call it, there’s not keywords we’re optimizing for. All the keywords that bring us traffic are keywords we invented, athletic fit chinos, athletic fit jeans, barbell jeans, things like that. I think just making sure you take the time to put your company and your idea in the places where people are already spending time and they’re already looking is the best thing you can do to make sure that you’re generating the traffic and the interest you need to create a sustainable business. Felix: Can you give us an idea of how successful the business is today? Hunter: We’ve sold over 40,000 pairs of pants at this point. We’re pretty excited about that. We plan on keeping with that trend with a launch of quite a few new exciting products through this holiday season. We’re more than doubling in size every year. We’ve done it all on our own, bootstrapped and we’re really proud of that. I think it shows that with an idea and hard work and a willingness to listen to your customers that you can pretty much do anything which is pretty cool. Felix: Awesome. What do you spend your day to day on today when you walk into the office, how do you spend your time? Hunter: I do everything really. I think that a lot of business founders find themselves in this role where you’re just doing a ton of stuff. I do everything from the marketing to a lot of the management and business development and I even do inventory projections and some customer support. The way we built out our team is that when I found something was taking too much of my time or I was really just not that great at it, we would hire someone to fill that role that was really good at it or that could do it a lot quicker or a lot more efficiently than I could. Felix: What do you wish you could spend all your time doing at the company? Hunter: If I could focus on one thing, it would definitely be the business development and just making sure we were staying on the cutting edge of creating new products and creating new content that resonated with our customers and get them excited about what we’re doing. Luckily I have a team of some awesome people that help me with all of that. We’re able to stay on top of it. If I could focus on one thing, it would definitely be that. Felix: Cool. Earlier you were talking about how you had wished you would spend more time investing in technologies that automate things, that are easy to set up, make your life easier once you have set up. What other apps or tools do you heavily rely on today to keep the business running? Hunter: Inside of Shopify we don’t run a ton of apps but we definitely run pop ups to make sure that we give people an opportunity to give us their email. We have email direct campaigns that make sure that they stay in touch with the customers and maybe shore up some questions they may have about what our company does or give them new products to look at that they may not have seen. We have a lot of our advertising automated. I think re-marketing, there’s several companies that offer it, we use AdRoll and I love what they do over there. It’s a great component that’s very automated and can do a lot of work that would take you a long time to do on your own. Getting a referral program in place is awesome because it gives your customers something to share with their friends that they’re quite often excited about. It’s a great way to build a loyalty program around that because they can get incentivized to share, which is something they’d be doing anyways quite often. It’s a win win for everyone. Felix: Which app do you use for that? Hunter: We use Referral Candy on the Shopify platform. Getting an affiliate program up and running is a great way to do things. For us, we like to use a lot of social media influencers. We find a lot of real people that actually already own our product and like what we do and happen to have a big Instagram following or Facebook following or whatever it is because they’re an athlete or they excel in a specific domain. Then we just say, “Hey, we see you’re already into what we’re about, how would you feel about getting on our affiliate program,” and just incentivizing them to continue doing what they’re doing and giving them a reason to share with their following. We use Refersion for that. We use Zen Desk to help automate a lot of our support. One of the things we pride ourselves in is that we do free shipping, free exchanges, free returns. If you ever have an issue with your order, when you write in you’re going to talk to a real person. Zen Desk helps us keep all of that really organized so that our customer support dudes can come in and keep track of their conversations and provide people with the service they need. That’s a really helpful one. Outside of that I think the Shopify platform itself is just super awesome. I’ve been involved in e-commerce for quite a while now before Shopify was really what it is today. Back then there was so much to worry about with just making sure your website stayed up and it wasn’t going to crash and staying on top of all your certificates and all these different things that Shopify itself just streamlines and makes it so you don’t even have to think about, so you can focus on the core aspect of running your business well and doing what it is you excel at. What the Shopify platform at it’s core does is invaluable in that regard. Felix: Awesome. What do you have planned for the next year? What are some goals that you have for Barbell Apparel? Hunter: We have a ton of new product launches coming through the holiday season that I think people are really going to be excited about. We have a new technical slack type pant that you could dress up and wear to work or wear out or you could go mountain biking in it. It’ll do whatever you throw at it which is awesome. We have some new fits in jeans for guys that even have bigger legs than our typical customer. Some new colors coming out and we’re really exciting with getting that stuff in front of our customers. Outside of that we’re just going to continue doing the things that have made us successful so far. I think it’s tempting to feel like there’s some magic trick or giant hit that’ll make business successful or an overnight sensation but what I found through more than just this business and even the previous stuff we did is that those things will happen and they’ll come along every once in a while and it’s awesome. Some sort of big hit, like we got shouted out on Joe Rogan’s podcast completely to our surprise. He just happened upon our stuff and really liked it. That was awesome and we saw a big traffic spike and it was cool. It only lasts for a little while. The truth is a successful business is just coming in everyday and working hard and amplifying the things you do that have brought you to the point you’re at. For us that’s providing the right product, providing great customer service, and building a brand and a product that’s real to the people that we identify with. Even my customer support guys are working out everyday and we have … Their workout time is programmed into their workday so they can make sure to get that done. As a team we go out mountain biking on the weekends and stuff so that when a customer writes in to get athletic gear, we’re our own customer too. I haven’t bought clothes in years. All I wear is our stuff. Just making sure you stay rooted in where you came from, rooted in what you’re about, and doing that everyday just builds up over time and exponentially grows from there. Felix: Awesome. Great way to end the podcast. I think that’s important note that there is really no magic, no secret like you’re saying, to just coming in and putting in the work everyday. Thanks so much for your time Hunter. BarbellApparel.com is the website. Anywhere else you recommend our listeners check out to follow along with what you guys are up to? Hunter: Yeah. The best way to stay in touch with what we’re doing is through your email in on BarbellApparel.com and you’ll get a ten dollar gift card which is a cool way to order something from us for the first time. Other than that we’re also really active at Facebook.com/BarbellApparel. Again that’s B-A-R-B-E-L-L A-P-P-A-R-E-L or Instagram.com/BarbellApparel. Felix: Cool. We’ll link all that on show notes. Again, thanks so much for your time Hunter. Hunter: Yeah, thanks for having me on Felix. Felix: Thanks for listening to Shopify Masters, the e-commerce marketing podcast for ambitious entrepreneurs. To start your store today visit Shopify.com/Masters to claim your extended 30 day free trial.
The shipping cost may vary depending on the shipment location and the store's policy, such as the number of products purchased. You may get your exact shipping expenses by adding products to your cart, proceeding to checkout, and inputting your mailing address. The shipping cost will be updated immediately and displayed in your final cost. We provide worldwide shipping. We do not accept shipping to multiple addresses for a single order. Please place separate orders if you want products delivered to different addresses. We accept shipping to PO Boxes, however, we are unable to ship to Military APO/FPO addresses. You can find tracking information in your order confirmation or shipping confirmation sent to your email. If an order includes multiple items, each may have separate delivery dates and tracking information. It may take 3-5 business days for tracking numbers to appear in the system of the shipping company. 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We don't currently provide phone assistance or buy on behalf of customer services. Please place the order and complete the transaction on your end. If you have any issues with your order, please contact us via our Contact Form within 14 days of order delivery to explain your grievance. Our customer service department will then help provide a replacement or refund if deemed appropriate. There is no need to return your item under any circumstances. Please note that if you return your item without our prior request, we will not be responsible for any loss or additional costs resulting from your unapproved return. Our items do not currently provide an exchange option. Please get in touch with our customer service within 14 days of order delivery if you have any complaints about your purchase. Then, if deemed necessary, our customer service division will assist in offering a replacement or refund. After we confirm through email that you are qualified for a refund or replacement, we will process your refund/replacement within 07 business days of confirmation. You should receive the tracking number for your replacement product(s) within 7-10 business days after confirmation. You should receive your refund within 3-5 business days of confirmation. Kindly note that your payment provider determines when your refund will be credited to your payment account. You might not identify a charge for some reason. Please adhere to the guidelines below. 1. For complete details about your order, please refer to your Order Confirmation. 2. Inquire if anyone of your family or friends have ordered from us using your information. 3. To find out more, get in touch with your bank. 4. Contact our customer service for prompt assistance. To protect your security and privacy, your bank can't provide us with information about why your payment was declined. Contact your bank directly to solve these payment issues. You might want to try again with a different payment method. In case the issue persists, kindly contact our customer support team for further support. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and PayPal only. As soon as your order has been successfully placed. We take efforts at fraud, scamming, phishing, and spoofing seriously. Please get in touch with our customer support team right away if you receive any correspondence that you suspect may not be from our store. We adhere to the highest security standards to protect your personal information when you enter the checkout page and purchase from our online store. When purchasing online using your credit card, all of your information is entered into an SSL-secure web page. Your information is then SSL-encrypted and sent directly to our credit card provider's network, where your card and transaction are authorized and approved. Your credit card information is not stored on our servers. We collaborate with leading manufacturers who can ensure the superior quality of each package by taking everything into account and doing a last check before sending the entire order to you. Our QA specialists follow specific criteria for each type of product based on the recognized problems and characteristics of each product. After that, we will fill out the testing form with these criteria, rate each component on a scale of 1 to 5 (poor quality to great quality), and make notes. Every single product must pass this testing process and have a minimum score of 80 to be packaged and sent to you.
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FREE SHIPPING on orders of $75 or more. Use code "freeship" at checkout Email me when this is available -Textured knit with bell sleeve -Loose mock neck -Intentional loose fit -True to size Free stuff and general goodness *By completing this form you're signing up to receive our emails and can unsubscribe at any time.
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A withered man, nine-decades-old and held-up in part by a wooden cane, reclines beside a stack of self-published scientific books. The walls of his home are barren, the counters scattered with copious vitamins and supplements. “When people say they don’t want to extend their lives,” he says, “they’re talking without thinking.” This is Robert Ettinger, aka “The Iceman”. Nearing the final chapter of his life, he doesn’t buy into the notion of death – at least, not in the traditional sense – and he doesn’t believe you have to, either. As founder of the Cryonics Institute, Ettinger has devoted a giant portion of his life to cryogenics, the process by which human beings are stripped of their blood, filled with antifreeze, and frozen (by way of liquid nitrogen), where they are then stored in a sustained kind of limbo until more-advanced technology can “awaken” them. Sound like science fiction? That’s because it is…for the time being. “I’m not talking about living forever; I’m talking about waking up tomorrow.” Premiering at the 2013 Tribeca Film Fesitval, We Will Live Again follows Ben Best (the current CEO of the Cryonics Institute) and Andy Zawacki (the operations manager, who lives on the premises five days out of the week) as they prepare for a milestone: the Institute’s 100th patient. Inside a nondescript warehouse just outside of Detroit – a set ripped from the backlot of a major Hollywood studio – the Cryonics Institute houses giant containers (resembling the sleeping quarters from Alien), stacked with cryogenically-frozen men, women, children – and yes, even some pets. After learning about the Institute through a story published in The New Yorker, directors Josh Koury and Myles Kane decided to come along for the monumental ride. With a blend of traditional hand-held documentary-style camera work and some truly mesmerizing close-ups of liquid nitrogen passing over human flesh, Koury and Kane provide intimate (albeit, slightly macabre) access to a world only dreamed about in high-concept science fiction. Making use of down-time during the filming of their feature documentary, Journey to Planet X, Koury and Kane shot nearly thirty hours of footage during two separate trips to the Cryonics Institute, whittling it down into the twelve absorbing minutes on display here. Brimming with both philosophical and ethical dilemmas, We Will Live Again constantly fascinates. This is Dr. Frankenstein territory, after all. Calling themselves a “hospital for the metabolically challenged”, Best believes that in a hundred years’ time, technology will be advanced enough to wake the cryogenically-frozen patients from their “sleep,” though he acknowledges that many people are outraged at the Institute’s attempt to play God: “There is a great deal of contempt for what we do…It’s like there’s some 11th commandment in the Bible that says, ‘Thou shalt not freeze.'” Ettinger, who spent his younger life as a mathematics professor, admits that, in the end, the process may only amount to a pipe dream, but that hasn’t stopped him from trying; his mother was the Institute’s first patient, and both his first and second wives can be found frozen on the premises. These are subjects that would be right at home in an Errol Morris documentary, but the filmmakers treat them with complete respect; where other documentarians would have taken the cheap shot to show how ludicrous this all sounds (perhaps hanging on the awkward pauses in-between answers to undermine the speakers), Koury and Kane keep things honest, highlighting the humanity of men who want nothing more than to “wake up tomorrow” with their loved ones. Koury and Kane are currently working on a feature documentary about the life of famed author, Gay Talese. Detail are nix, but you can keep tabs on that project and all of their other work through their production company’s website or Facebook page.
Forgot your password? Or sign in with one of these services 23 July 2021, 13:10 Event created by All Levels are welcome to join this event Please conduct yourself appropriately and treat everyone how you wish to be treated. Event will start from 2:10pm - 3:10pm Sorry if I sound bone-chilling, haha! Don't worry too much, the video chat will be a casual, informal thing. you don't have to have your mic or video on, See you all there! You need to be a member in order to leave a review Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy! Already have an account? Sign in here. There are no reviews to display.
Life insurance companies use a system of classification to determine an individual’s state of health, based on a series of factors pertaining to that person. Your classification can affect how much life insurance coverage you can get at each price point. Healthy people get more favorable classifications and lower rates. If you have health issues, that will be reflected in your life insurance premiums. The simple reason behind this is that insurers want to determine which policyholders are more likely to die while the policy is still in force. When that occurs, the insurance company has to pay out. What Are The Basic Life Insurance Health Classifications? All life insurance companies use roughly the same classification system to determine how much you have to pay for life insurance. The following are the four main classifications used in determining premiums. - Preferred Plus: This is the highest classification, assigned to individuals in excellent health. To qualify for Preferred Plus, your lifestyle must be healthy, your BMI must be ideal, and your family history must be clean. - Preferred: This is for people who may have a few minor issues but are still in very good health. Individuals in the Preferred classification pay more for life insurance than those in Preferred Plus, but are still getting some of the best available rates. - Standard Plus: People classified as Standard Plus are in good health, but may not be in an ideal height/weight range and may have a few health indicators to keep an eye on. These individuals have good family histories, so no surprises are expected. - Standard: In the Standard classification, individuals have an average life expectancy, a less than ideal height/weight ratio, and a few doctors’ notes from their medical exams. Family history plays a role, with instances of family members having health issue before the age of 60. You will still be able to get life insurance in this classification, but your premiums will be high. What Steps Can You Take To Improve Your Life Insurance Classification? Having life insurance can bring peace of mind to you and your family. Too often people forego this protection because of perceived costs. Our experienced agent can help you find the lowest available rates for life insurance. The best way to lower your life insurance premiums is to improve your health classification. The following steps can help you accomplish that: - Maintain a healthy weight: Most insurance companies use standard height/weight tables to determine what is healthy. Maintaining a healthy weight consistently over time can help you qualify for a higher classification and lower your premiums. - Do not smoke or use nicotine products: If you are a smoker, quit. If you are not a smoker, do not start. The longer it has been since you quit smoking, the lower your life insurance rates are likely to be. - Control any existing medical conditions: If you have asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or other health issues, you can still qualify for a higher life insurance classification. The key is to have regular visits with your doctor, take your medications as directed, and follow your doctor’s advice for controlling the condition.
Mum guilt is not a new phenomenon. Mums have been feeling guilty since the dawn of time. For doing it all wrong. For being too attached. Not attached enough. For working when they should be parenting, parenting when they should be working. For single mums this is intensified. Welcome to single parent guilt. There is nobody to allay the guilt, and nobody to share the load with. Of course, you’re working too hard, you’re supporting a household on your own. Of course, you’re too attached, your kids are your world. And there’s something else… Single Parent Guilt Single parent guilt goes deeper than the average mum guilt. It is entrenched in the belief that we’ve done something ‘wrong’. We’ve gone against the grain, deviated from the path, broken the rules. Guilty because society has taught us that it takes two parents to raise a child. Guilty because we’re constantly reminded that we’re doing it wrong. That our homes are ‘broken’. It is not just ‘not being enough’ it is ‘never being enough’. It is choosing the wrong partner or choosing no partner. It is choosing yourself, or choosing your child. It is making impossible choices and being sure in one thing: they will be the wrong choices. But what if they aren’t? What if you’ve ended up in this place because you made the right choice? What if you’re exactly where you need to be? Are you happier than you were before? Does your child have everything that they need? (Not what they want, but what they need.) Then maybe it’s time to start separating yourself from that guilt. Will you ever be completely free from guilt? Possibly not. Mine last flared up when my son missed a classmate’s birthday party which I felt was because I had dropped a ball. But I bounced back quicker than usual from the guilt-trip, because I have realised that when you’re juggling two people’s ahem, balls, alone, then occasionally one will drop. You’ll apologise, make good, and pick it back up. If you are living a life motivated by guilt, it will seep into the cracks and make everything rotten. You’ll stop choosing the path of joy and start choosing the ‘least bad’ option instead. What will make you feel not the most joy, but the least guilt. These days of single parenting are intense and magical and hard. And they’re even harder when you’re carrying the burden of guilt on top of everything else. When you release this burden, you’ll be free. Free to find the joy in your situation. Free to live a life motivated by joy. Free to relish in these magical single motherhood moments. Free to fall in love. (And then get ghosted, and fall in love again.) When people see me out and about and enjoying my life, or relishing moments of solitude and ask: ‘don’t you feel guilty?’, I wish the answer was ‘no’. ‘No’ is my goal, but for now, it’s ‘sometimes’. Guilty that I’m enjoying my messy, unconventional family life? No. Guilty that I enjoy my time off from motherhood? No. Guilty that I’m not the perfect mother? Sometimes. Guilty that I let guilt guide me, when I should always choose the path of joy? Yes. Of this I am guilty. Guilty, but on the path to redemption.
By Robin Gomes-Rome Reports The first basic challenge of consecrated persons is to experience of God together so that they can show God to this world in a clear and courageous manner without any compromise or hesitation. “This is a great responsibility,” Pope Francis told some 150 members of the General Chapter of the Order of Saint Augustine, generally called Augustinians. Search for God Recalling the words of Pope Saint Paul VI in his 1971 Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelica Tetificatio”, on religious life, Pope Francis said that the tradition of the Church offers us this privileged witness of the constant search for God, in a unique and undivided love for Christ and in an absolute dedication to the growth of his kingdom. Without this concrete sign, St. Paul VI warned, the charity of the Church would risk cooling down, the salvific paradox of the Gospel would be toned down and the "salt" of faith would be diluted in a secularized world. Charity in community life The Pope appreciated the way Augustinians live their charity in community life, clearly manifesting the presence of the Risen One and His Spirit, or “unity in charity”, which is a central point of the spirituality of Saint Augustine and a foundation of Augustinian life. The Pope explained that that community life, made of many small details of love in caring for one another, creating an “open and evangelizing space", is the place of the presence of the Risen One. This flame of fraternal charity of “one heart and mind”, as in the Acts of the Apostles, the Pope said, cannot be possible without that reaching out for God, which is the deep dynamism of Augustinian communities and the wellspring of all their service to the Church and to humanity. This search for God, the Holy Father said, should be holy, allowing oneself to be sought by God, without being obscured by other purposes, however generous and apostolic. According to the Rule of St. Augustine, charity is not only the end and the means of religious life but also its centre. In this regard, the Pope recalled St. Augustine’s letter to St. Jerome, where he admits that he abandons himself entirely to the affection of his community when oppressed by the scandals of the world. No love without cross There can be no love without the Spirit of God, Pope Francis said, citing St. Paul He recalled the Augustinian Constitution which regards fraternal charity as "a prophetic sign", which cannot be accomplished without taking up one’s daily cross for Christ's sake, with humility and gentleness. The path of charity, in Augustinian meditation, means also loving our enemies, as Jesus commanded and did, Pope Francis said. He concluded leaving them a challenge and a responsibility. “Live in your communities in such a way as to experience God together and be able to show Him alive to the world!”
Animal Kingdoms: Why China’s Zoos Are Getting a Facelift This is the first piece in a series on China’s zoos. Yang Yi has been a zookeeper for 21 years. Currently, he’s responsible for the Americas section of the Beijing Zoo, where, for the past seven years, he’s cared for a rich menagerie: everything from two-toed sloths to giant anteaters and capybaras. But it’s the sloths that made him famous. For years, domestic zoos struggled to breed sloths. Fussy on the best of days, when pregnant, females of the species require highly specialized attention. Most Chinese zookeepers in the past were generalists and lacked critical information about pregnant sloths’ dietary needs. Yang was the first person in China to successfully figure it out. His secret isn’t much of a secret, however. He gave the sloths in his care what any animal would want: meticulous tending and a comfortable home. Unfortunately, not all of the Beijing Zoo’s exhibits are as cozy as the sloth habitat. Some of the zoo’s animals are still housed in iron and cement cages that are more prison-like than picturesque. This split is a microcosm of the state of China’s zoos: In some fields, they’re improving rapidly and introducing new equipment and ideas, while in others, old practices persist. Roughly speaking, Chinese zoos can be divided into two types: city zoos and suburban wildlife parks. The Beijing Zoo, where Yang works, is a classic example of a city zoo. As the name implies, these attractions are located in urban areas, not far from city centers, and are generally run publicly. Many of them face size constraints — a consequence of their cramped urban environs and age — and have seen better days. It wasn’t always this way. Although it traces its roots back to over 100 years ago, the Beijing Zoo’s most recent golden age spanned from the opening-up of China in the late 1970s to the 1990s. For two decades, the country’s zoos were in a mad dash to collect exotic animals from all over to satisfy the demands of curious Chinese, who saw wildlife as another way to understand the outside world. Since the 1990s, however, many city zoos have been beset by poor attendance and declining ticket revenue as they’ve fallen behind their more market-oriented peers. In particular, they’ve struggled to keep up with the growth of large, crowd-pleasing wildlife parks in the suburbs. If you were to ask someone to explain the history and vision of China’s wildlife parks, they’d be hard-pressed to give a coherent answer. Some parks expanded out of former zoos that were relocated to the suburbs; others were founded independently — but almost all of them were characterized by a strange mishmash of big ideas and little oversight. Especially in the early years, park designers and managers seemed to have free rein to do whatever they wanted — sometimes to the detriment of their animal charges. It’s only been in the past few years that the industry seems to have finally settled down. The Shenyang Forest Zoo, in the northeastern province of Liaoning, has seen both the highs and lows of this model. In the 1990s, in order to make way for urban development, the Shenyang Zoo was moved from the city to the suburbs a 30-minute drive away. Turned into a private enterprise after the move, its new overseers quickly dug the park deep into debt. The result was tragedy. By 2010 — the Year of the Tiger — it became so dire, 11 of the park’s tigers starved over a period of months. When news of these deaths broke, it sparked a public outcry, and accusations of managerial misconduct quickly spread online. The incident became a turning point. Months after the tigers’ deaths, the city government took over the zoo, functionally deprivatizing it. A new park head was appointed to clean up the mess the previous mangers had left behind, and they embarked on a reform and renovation spree, updating equipment and procedures park-wide. Eight years later, the wildlife park in Shenyang is, in my opinion, one of the best-run and most enjoyable in northern China, and is one of several new-style zoos changing the way the public interacts with wild animals. The biggest change the park’s new head made was conceptual. Traditionally, China’s zoos could best be described as a kind of art gallery: The animals would be framed and displayed, not allowed to wander freely. In those days, the typical Chinese zoo exhibit consisted of a cage with an animal inside, and perhaps a sign denoting which cat was a tiger and which was a leopard. And locked up, the animals themselves could only loll about in anticipation of their next meal — not exactly a thrilling spectator experience. New-style wildlife parks, such as the revamped Shenyang Forest Zoo and the Chimelong Safari Park in the southern province of Guangdong, have changed things by placing a greater emphasis on imitating species’ natural habitats. In the former’s newly built “Dense Forest and Deep Valley” section, elk are given marshy grounds on which to roam, and Himalayan blue sheep steep cliffs to climb. It’s a far more enjoyable — and less guilt-inspiring — experience than the sight of a despondent tiger in a cage. The evolution of wildlife parks from a largely unregulated and occasionally exploitative industry into a popular weekend destination has pushed city zoos to try and keep up. Over the last five years, many formerly outdated zoos have undertaken modernization projects or built new exhibits. The Beijing Zoo, for example, has renovated a number of its exhibits in recent years, though progress remains slow. One of its more successful new projects is a giant salamander habitat that seeks to mimic the cold-water streams found in the salamander’s native mountains. The Beijing Zoo and the Shenyang Forest Zoo are representative of the two sides of the industry in China. But their differences are not what matters: You can build an excellent zoo anywhere, whether downtown or in the suburbs. More important is a shared commitment to rethinking the way China’s zoos look and work. As experience attests, it’s vital that zoos remain on this path, not just for their own long-term financial viability, but also for the well-being of the animals in their care. Translator: Matt Turner; editors Wu Haiyun and Kilian O’Donnell. (Header image: A tiger basks in the sun in Shenyang Forest Zoo in Shenyang, Liaoning province, April 15, 2017. Liu Bocheng/IC)
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These days, it seems like every celebrity has a side business whether it’s a makeup line, skincare line, or alcoholic beverage. While celebrities are able to get a lot of hype for the products that they release, we can’t help but wonder if these are actually worth the price tag. Sometimes they are, and sometimes they’re not. When it comes to wine, here are some celebrity brands that are actually pretty good and some that left us wanting more. Snoop Dogg’s 19 Crimes Red Blend Snoop Dogg’s 19 Crimes line has a lot of wines to choose from, but one that was not so wonderful was the cabernet sauvignon. It is a bit too sweet and has strangely bitter notes. Some described it as raspberry soda, which is not really what you want your wine to taste like. This is a good option if you enjoy sweeter wines. It costs $13 on the 19 Crimes website. Chrissy Metz’s Joyful Heart Reserve Chrissy Metz, the actress best known for her role in This Is Us, released this line of wine in order to spread goodwill, as a portion of each bottle purchased goes to World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization. The 2019 Limited Edition Reserve is a vintage that costs double the usual line, at $40 per bottle, but some people have felt that it’s not really worth it. Delish tasters shared that it was “the most astringent out of all the other wines.” However, according to Joyful Heart, the wine will age over time. Dwyane Wade’s Three Cabernet Sauvignon Dwyane Wade released several kinds of wine under different labels, but the Cabernet Sauvignon released in 2020 is nothing to write home about. There’s nothing particularly wrong with it, but it doesn’t stand out either. A Delish taster said that “you’d be mildly disappointed if you ordered this at a bar.” A bottle goes for $28 a pop on Wade’s wine website. Lisa Vanderpump’s Vanderpump Cabernet Sauvignon Reality show fans will be familiar with Lisa Vanderpump’s wine line. While her best known wine is the rosé, her Cabernet Sauvignon is actually pretty tasty. Delish tasters said that it is “light-bodied and refreshing,” with a fruity flavor and is pleasantly dry. You can get it online for $27 per bottle. Chrissy Met’z Joyful Heart Red Blend Although the Joyful Heart Limited Edition Reserve left more to be desired, the Red Blend is actually great. A Delish tester shared: “This tastes like heaven and I’m shocked!” Although the wine tastes very fruity, it is not too sweet. You can get a bottle for $16 on the Joyful Heart website.
IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver, announced today that it released its new The Past and Future of State Court Civil Filings report. This report provides important new insights into long-term filing trends and areas where courts may need resource shifts, like declining tort and small claims cases and increasing debt-collection cases. Building off a review of historical events, IAALS also developed a framework around the numerous factors that may influence filings, which can further guide analysis. In 2022, the World Justice Index ranked the United States 115 out of 140 countries as to whether people can access and afford civil justice. With 66 percent of the population experiencing at least one legal issue over a four-year period, according to IAALS’ US Justice Needs study, there is significant work to do to improve access to justice. Court systems are among those sources of help that improve the chances of resolution. By focusing on state court filings over time, The Past and Future of State Court Civil Filings aims to provide additional insights into the specific role that courts have played in resolving cases, how that role might be changing, and the factors that are expected to continue to influence the filing of cases in our courts going forward. “Historically, it’s been accepted that state court case filings climb over time in step with population growth, which has informed court planning for buildings, staff, judges, and other resources. More recently, however, courts saw a decline in filings, now followed by fluctuation stemming from the pandemic,” says IAALS CEO Brittany Kauffman. “Courts need a better understanding of what types of cases are being brought before them—and in what numbers—so that planning and policymaking can respond accordingly.” To bring more clarity and guidance, this report presents a multifaceted study that explores civil case filings over a long timeframe—16 to 41 years—in four states: California, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas. While it is critical to look at filings in the short term given the current recent challenges of the pandemic, this longer view of filings challenges us to think more deeply about changes over time, influencing factors, and takeaways for planning, policymaking, and reform efforts.
There now exists a shortlist of 100 who have signed up for a one way trip to Mars … yes really. So the 100 who have signed up truly believe they are going, and the Mars One folks claim they are serious about really doing this. If curious about what happens when, then here is their proposed roadmap … So what has caught my eye today is that one of the five British candidates on that shortlist, Hannah Earnshaw 23, has an article in the Guardian where she writes all about her hopes, dreams and aspirations for it all. Now this makes sense … As a PhD student carrying out astronomical scientific research, I’m naturally drawn to the research possibilities on Mars. We’re already able to achieve amazing things with the rovers we’ve landed there. But there’s only so much that a robotic rover can do compared to what a human on the surface would be capable of, what with the ability to physically apply a range of techniques and make immediate decisions instead of having to wait for commands from mission control on Earth. … and she is going into it with the full knowledge that she is never coming back … When I applied for Mars One, I applied to dedicate my life to the creation of a colony that will have enormous implications for the future of the human race. It’s in many ways a monumental responsibility, a life’s work much bigger than myself, and one for which I feel no qualms about the fact that it’s a journey from which there’s no coming back. But what about all those she will leave behind, she even has a boyfriend. Over in a different article in the Telegraph she answers that as follows … Earnshaw has a boyfriend, but says the relationship operates within “the understanding that for me the Mars Mission is what I want to do and if I do end up getting through to the final groups, then we’re going to go our separate ways and that’s something we’re both okay with”. She adds: “I’m comfortable with the idea of not actually having a life partner as such because I’ll have these life partners in my crew. I compare it a little bit to a marriage because we’ll be spending the rest of our life together if we do get in, but it’s certainly quite different to your idealised picture of a family home”. Well yes, nothing like a trip to Mars as an ever so subtle hint to your boyfriend that its over. What is clear is that she has a truly total and complete dedication to the idea, it comes first and everything else comes second. Now for the skeptical bit You knew this was coming … right? My position on all this is that I don’t believe any of it is actually real. There is simply no solution on the table for some of the practical problems … - Radiation in space is a real problem, so how will they shield their victimsvolunteers from it on the journey there? - Once there how can they possibly survive? Getting them oxygen to breath is of course a rather obvious issue, but it is not that simple, Mars does not just lack oxygen, it also lacks pressure and is only about 0.6% of what we find at sea level here. Imagine flying at 30,000 ft and the windows blowing out – there is oxygen, but you still die because the air is too thin. Oh but wait the pressure on Mars is not equivalent to 30,000 ft, but rather 100,000 ft, it really is that thin. The day may indeed by only 40 mins longer than ours, and so that sounds like no big deal, but we know what actually happens when you switch. The folks working at NASA on the MSL switch to Mars time and that involves starting your day 40 minutes later each and every day 9:00, then 9:40 then 10:20 and so on, it soon adds up … they find that they can only sustain this pattern for about 3 months maximum and then have to stop. Dealing with the temperature is also a really big deal, the average temperature on the surface is -55 C (that’s -67F), and trust me, that is a big deal, so when they build their habitat simulator they need to be building it in the Antarctic in winter. Apart from the practical challenges there is also the observation that the sponsors for the Mars One venture into the unknown includes… - A Dutch ISP - A Finish electronics retailer - A Dutch law firm - An Australian SEO firm - A Dutch market research firm - A Hungarian language translation firm - A space-related software and games company - A British publishing company Inspired yet? Oh but wait, it also has the backing of Paul Römer, the co-creator of Big Brother a reality TV show. I’ve spoken to Nagin Cox from the mission operations team for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) – NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover – about Mars One, and she advised me that officially in public, the folks at NASA will simply wish them the best of luck and say nothing further, but in private they are as equally skeptical about it all as I am. So what is going on, what will actually happen? I speculate that it will all pan out in one of the following ways … - Either the final volunteers get duped, are stuck in a simulator that goes nowhere and we all get to watch as they bounce off each other … reality TV style. - The final selection of volunteers will be actors, or real people let in on the secret, and we all get duped into thinking it is real and get to watch them progress … when in fact nobody goes anywhere, it is just a TV show. They can of course string this variation out for years, not just the trip, but also the landing and their lives on Mars. - Some mixture of the above, perhaps they will indeed dupe not just volunteers by popping them in a simulator, but also all of us, and nobody actually ever goes anywhere. They do have funding that is just flowing in, and I note that so far the donations that have received includes these generous amounts … - Jamaica $ 5 - Morocco $ 2 - Armenia $ 1 - Bosnia and Herzegovina $ 1 Yes, that is just $1, not $1 million, and so for the launch of a Mission to put humans on Mars their entire funding as of January 2015 so far adds up to $ 759,816 … yep, totally credible, they are definitely going.
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Remarks on Skycoin's Distribution Quote from: dr blowfin on August 08, 2017, 09:43:24 PM I don’t get this ICO. Only just a little over 5% of this coin is circulating - the rest of the premine is held by skycoin. This is creating an artificially high price. 1 skycoin = 0.0012 on cryptopia right now. Yet the ICO price is 0.002!!! Good luck with that. There is no credibility here. The whole point of this distribution was for the tech VC, whale cartel, and Korean/Japanese whales. Its not for public. Everyone is messaging and asking for a different price and wants large blocks OTC at discount to market and we do not have a uniform process for handling this. So we are testing policy of doing the larger OTC blocks above market, then using the bitcoin as automatic price support. The starting ICO valuation was very high, making distribution difficult and we have several options. - For instance, we may do ninja announcement of a coin burn of 80% of the coins (reducing total supply permanently to 20 million) - We may hard cap coin distribution to 5% per year - We many do network incentives at the maximum rate that will only half the coin price regression line, while targeting 20% or 30% distribution, before a hard-cap of 5% distributed coins per year We are going to do series of OTC sales and distribution events up to 10% (from 5.8% currently). Once we are at 10%, then getting to 20% is only a 2x dilution. Then from 20% to 30% is only 50% dilution in price per coin. And we will see what effect distribution through incentives for network participation has (bbs, skywire, etc). Then cap of 5% max per year. The Critical Period The critical and trying period for Skycoin is where we are now, going from 5.8% dilution and low volume to 10% distribution. We are doing OTC sales with the whales, to build up a Bitcoin fund for price support to reach the 10% distribution milestone. At the same time, we are going to build liquidity by listing on larger exchanges. And also launch the first applications for public: - mobile wallet - skycoin hardware for skywire network (skywire miner) - bbs application - viscript (orchestration and control for multiple skycoin/skywire/cxo nodes) - CXO daemon (used by BBS) So this distribution event is for people with too much money, who have researched the project, to buy 300 BTC blocks of Skycoin. Whales and VC, institutional investors, etc. Also, for infrastructure testing. The existing ICO infrastructure will work for an OTC bot, so there will be a uniform process for handling OTC sales at spot price. We did regression line and the price should have been at 0.002 weeks ago by now. However, someone (we presume who bought a few dozen BTC of skycoin early on) keeps selling at the $4.00 price point and it is taking weeks to eat through however many Skycoin he has. And we have been watching this for weeks. The demand is pretty constant and I assume he will run out of Skycoin eventually. The problem right now with the skycoin markets is: - no one who has coins want to sell (vast majority are buy and hold, long term and just keep buying at constant rate or when they can get a deal) - the people buying are acquiring long term positions are doing so, without driving up the prices (they are buying over long term and consolidating positions, not doing panic/frenzy buying) - the spreads are still massive We tried injecting coins into the market at discount (30%) and then some of the people immediately sold the coins and so it drove down the price. Then we tried small OTC sales at spot price. Which worked very well and the price per coin seemed to rise in the weeks after OTC sales and market cap increased a large multiple of amount of coins sold. I think from network effects and people promoting or tweeting. This also indicates that distribution for network activities will be very successful (like Steemmit did). Now we are trying OTC above spot price. The theory was that if we set the distribution event price at 0.002 BTC/SKY (500 SKY/BTC), that if it only took 50 BTC to move the market to 0.002 BTC that people would buy out the order book until the price rose to 0.002 BTC. Then this would produce a new price floor. However, 20 hours in that has not happened yet and the price is still at 0.0012. So we will see what happens. What did happen is that the liquidity/trading volume dropped. I think because people are not sure what will happen. Then on the 15th, we will try a second distribution strategy. Over the long term, the OTC distribution bot price will be reduced to be closer to the market spot price, but the number of coins available per day will be extremely limited. Where as the current distribution is significantly above market price but a very large number of coins are available relative to the existing market cap. The total capital raise going from 5.8% to 20% distribution will be able 15 million or about 3000 Bitcoins. So I do not think the market cap is too high and there is still room for significant increase even during the distribution. So the primary goals are: - raise money for development - raise money for price support and market making - increase liquidity - test and determine systematically what kind of distribution policy and rate is best for reaching the distribution targets, without driving down the coin price Just like Bitcoin, we expect most of the price appreciation is going to be as the distribution rate tapers and during periods of maximum user base growth. So we are trying to do this systematically and with a bunch of small experiments. Once the applications are done, the Skycoin market cap might be at 50 million dollars. - We will be able to calculate the cost per user acquisition and required user incentives for userbase growth - We be going from 15% to 20% distribution to 30% distribution (probably through the network incentives) and therefore will have about ~25 million or 50% of the market cap for user acquisition/behavior incentives (like Steemit did). - $25/user, 25 million, 1 million users, plus organic, etc… - then ideally the skywire incentives are tweaked so the mean revenue per user (capital inflows), exceeds the cost per user over lifetime That is the point where, the network is operating in a closed, internal economic cycle. Achieveing this closed economic cycle is one of the one to two year, higher order goals that development is directed towards. If we can achieve the goals of a closed or self contained economic system, that would be a major milestone for crypto. We need to have producers and consumers and they need to be balanced out in a closed cycle. The Steemit, Bitcoin and Ethereum model is not viable in the long term, because the mining rewards and incentive costs are being subsidized by a transitory capital inflow bubble into a new asset class (cryptos). Bitcoin would not be viable if the hundreds of millions of dollar a year of operating costs for the network, were being taken out of the pocket of the Bitcoin users directly as transaction fees. It is only viable with hundreds of millions of dollars of new external money, to buy out the new bitcoin being dumped to pay for the network operating costs. This is why the Skycoin project focused the first four years on research into new mining algorithms to reduce or eliminate network operating costs. Then, we know know that there will be thousands upon thousands of new coins over the next ten years, so we choose a protocol heavy niche, that we wont be displaced from and where it does not make sense for anyone to complete with us. While individual products and features can be copied or clone trivially (and will be), ecosystems and protocol standards cannot be copied and have the longest lock in and most sustainable advantage for this type of product. You can see this clearly with Ethereum, where the primary usage of Ethereum has become launching ERC20 tokens. So while any coin is able to clone the Ethereum Virtual Machine and add turing complete smart contracts to Ethereum, it becomes much harder to clone the ethereum user community, the application ecosystem and the ERC20 ecosystem. So we are building out the Skycoin ecosystem systematically and strategically along what we think will be best for the long term.
Tickets for our upcoming game against Shamrock Rovers at The Showgrounds on Saturday February 18th (7.45pm) will go on sale once again this weekend. Ticket sales will be done as follows: Friday, February 3rd: 1pm-6.30pm – Outside The Showgrounds main entrance at the front office window Saturday, February 4th: 10am-4pm – Outside The Showgrounds main entrance at the front office window Tickets are priced at €20 for Adults, €15 for Seniors, Students and Children over 12 and €5 for Children aged 12 and under. After this date, remaining tickets may become available online. An update will follow next Sunday.
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SMART DECORATING TIPS • Pile on the pillows. One pair of pillows looks skimpy. Use two pairs, in contrasting patterns, colors, and textures. • Leave armoires open. An open armoire is more interesting than a closed one. Let people into your secret world. • Use a real rug in the bathroom instead of a bath mat. It was made to withstand a lot more wear than the occasional wet foot. Plus it is more luxurious. • Say bye-bye to your traditional coffee table. The most versatile coffee table you’ll ever own is an ottoman topped with an oversized tray. • Mix up the seating at your dining table. You wouldn’t have eight identical chairs in your living area. • Love your closets. Paint them, paper them and hang pictures in them to inspire you. Be sure to have good lighting too. • Don’t think about “matching” colors, think “blend”. Good decorating is not paint by numbers. • Tall with tall, small with small, large with large. It’s about scale and balance. Pay attention to this rule as it will guide you throughout the decorating process. It holds true on walls, table tops and shelves.
Just over six months ago Thom and I added a new family member to our household—a puppy we named Kloe. To be sure, a puppy ads havoc, lots more work and a great deal of responsibility to anyone who cares for them. However, the increased value and joy Kloe brings to our lives more than compensates for any inconvenience. Not only does Kloe make us laugh on a daily basis, there is plenty of proof that she is also good for our health. “Research has shown that people with a greater sense of vitality don’t just have more energy for things they want to do, they are also more resilient to physical illnesses. One of the pathways to health may be to spend more time in natural settings,” Richard Ryan. As some of our friends and family know, Thom and I have been renting a house for a month every summer up in Idyllwild for around 17 years. Idyllwild is a very small mountain town, (less than 2,000 permanent residents) about an hour from our home in the desert. Back in 1993 we did it for the first time because, quite frankly, we couldn’t afford any other type of vacation. It seemed like a good way to escape the desert heat and was a great bargain as well. Little did we know back then that the experience would be so rewarding, that we would still be doing it 17 years later. Now, not only do we consider it still an amazing vacation value, we are living examples of the restorative power of spending time in nature. [Read more…] “There’s more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mohandas Gandhi It’s summertime here in the Coachella Valley where I live, and because it is the desert southwest, it is expectedly hot outside. While we locals have certain tricks and techniques to stay cool, most of the time the heat of the season makes me lethargic and under-motivated. While none of us like to think of ourselves as lazy, me included, maybe the season is both an invitation and permission to slow down, relax and enjoy life. After all, pushing yourself when it’s extremely warm (or cold) outside isn’t SMART no matter how you look at it. [Read more…] “It took some good calm thinking in order to get myself to calm down and stop throwing myself against the boulder.” –Aron Ralston, mountain climber and author Yesterday Thom came across an interesting article on Huffington Post about the lack of common sense in the world today. The article by Dr. Jim Taylor said, “common sense is neither common, nor sense. There’s not a whole lot of sound judgment going on these days… so it’s not common.” We both agreed with his suggestions on how to bring more open and rigorous thinking to our decisions, but there was something else missing. Maybe that final ingredient to all common sense should be some “calmNsense.” [Read more…] This week Thom and I experienced a dramatic reminder of this truth—don’t take anyone for granted and share your love with those you love every single day. While most all of us would agree that this is an important part of SMART Living, everyone—me included, can use a reminder Our “lesson” in this regard came this past Monday evening. There was nothing special about the day—nothing bad, but nothing amazingly wonderful either. We’d finished dinner and Thom was in the kitchen doing dishes. I could see that the sun had finally set so I knew it would be getting cooler outside. Our small mixed-terrier dog Kloe was watching me closely to see if it was time to go to the dog park before dark. But right before we did, Thom decided to take the garbage out to the trash bins with Kloe trailing behind. [Read more…] Do you have any idea how powerful a simple smile is? I sure didn’t. Last night I watched the attached TED Talk where Ron Gutman, the CEO of HealthTap, explained the benefits of something we can do every single day—smile. Gutman said he got his start from a study done at Berkley that tracked graduates over a 30-year period. What they did is first examine and then measure the smiles from students found in their graduation yearbook. From the smiles they measured they were able to predict how fulfilling and long-lasting the individuals married relationships would be, how well they would score on a standardized test for well-being, and finally how inspiring they would be to others. Wow—makes you wish you could go back and take that photo again right? [Read more…] Several years ago Thom and I attended a workshop where the speaker asked us the question, “How open-minded are you about closed- minded people?” It was asked in the context that here we all were, thinking we had the right and perfect solution to the world’s problems, and yet this simple question asked us, “so what makes you think you are so smart/spiritual/aware that you have the right/ true/correct answer to whatever is going on?” Huh? SMART living requires that we are to take full responsibility for our lives if we want to live happy, and rewarding lives. But in order to be fully responsible for what’s going on, then we have to first be aware, and then second, realize that even when we think we know, there can always be a different or bigger perspective that we are clueless about. Even when we try to be as opened-minded as possible, we always have a blind spot here and there. And often, the more we fight something the more it “backfires.” [Read more…] Let’s face it. We live in an amazing world filled with all sorts of incredible things. Yet, because humans tend to adjust to just about anything very quickly, we usually forget how great our lives are. SMART Living asks us to slow down, look around and pay attention—and then be thankful. I found this great short comedy video on FaceBook today and I think it says something very important in a short, funny and irreverent way. What do you think? Happy SMART Day Everyone! The most important practice to living SMART 365 is to feel thankful and grateful on a daily basis. Luckily, it is also one of the easiest. Once you begin to put gratitude at the top of your daily to-do list, you will immediately begin to see positive changes in the way you look at your life. My own experience shows it is impossible to be truly grateful and unhappy at the same time. But I’m not alone in my thinking; these days there are books and studies that prove that the science of gratitude can profoundly increase the quality of your life. [Read more…]
The crowd cheers, rising from the seats of the marble colosseum in a blinding wave of white robes, whiter hairdos, and a flurry of white wings, as another challenger bites the dust. Yeah, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Pigeons have their own version of the Arena. They call it “The Dueling Grounds”, and the list of rules is so damn long I got dizzy just watching the scroll unfold. The first one, of course, is that only angels are allowed to fight. Pfft. And he asks me why I feel more at home in Hell despite the heat. There is no place in all of Creation more inclusive than the pits of the Arena. Everyone is welcome to bleed and perish there, bird and bat alike. Here, you’re not even allowed to die.Continue reading Dueling Grounds Once more, I managed to reach my reading goal of 30 books in a year. I’m glad and I’m proud, but it still feels like far too few. I don’t know if it’s possible for me to read faster without sacrificing comprehension, but I might well devote more time to this. So, for 2022, I upped the goal to 36 books. That’s 3 a month and I’m already lagging behind, lol. Another “new year resolution” regarding this is that I’ll try to write shorter but more frequent reviews. Leaving it all for one post, with up to a year since the actual reading, doesn’t work. I won’t even try this time. I’ll only leave a couple notes on things I liked (or disliked) more than the rest.Continue reading My 2021 in Books Look at this. Just sit a while and look at it. It’s so good, it’s hypnotic! I cannot give it enough praise. Look at that phenomenal shade of blue on Strife, and the details on War’s decorations, his magnificent fur cloak and Strife’s smooth, gunslinger’s outfit. Look at how big and fuzzy and warm War is, and how sharp, detailed and cool Strife is. I love War’s fingerless glove and his sturdy hand with well-shaped nails. I love it that Strife has a third eye, a trait of his Riot form. Note the Horsemen symbol on War’s medallion and Strife’s belt, the frickin’ runes on the barrels of Strife’s pistols, and the sting-shaped ends of his scarf. Take a bit to appreciate how all War’s jewelry is round, and all Strife’s, angular. And the subtle inversion in the golden glow of Strife’s eyes and the chilly blue of War’s. It’s a masterpiece. A thousand words would not suffice.Continue reading The Sun and the Moon
Three AMP directors have resigned from the company following an outcry from investors ahead of the company's annual meeting this week. The resignations include two of the AMP directors who were up for re-election - Holly Kramer and Vanessa Wallace. They will step down ahead of the meeting on Thursday. A third director who was not up for re-election, Patty Akopiantz, will also step down but will serve until the end of the year. Another AMP director due to stand for re-election, Andrew Harmos, will still run for a spot on the AMP board. Ms Kramer defended her performance as an AMP director in a statement to Fairfax Media on Tuesday morning. "While on the AMP board, I have at all times acted with integrity and professionalism," Ms Kramer said. "However, to enable the organisation to move forward I have decided my resignation is in the best interests of all those concerned and will allow the new chairman to begin the process of board renewal. "As a director, I share accountability for the current situation and while I would have liked to continue to push for change, I realise that would require significant shareholder support for my position." Ms Kramer said she was confident that under AMP's incoming chairman, David Murray, the right leadership would be put in place to rebuild trust and restore confidence. The resignations come after a horror few weeks for the wealth manager at the royal commission, where it was revealed it had misled the corporate regulator and changed an independent report into the company's fees-for-no-service scandal. AMP was recommended for criminal charges following the shocking revelations, which sparked the departures of chief executive Craig Meller, chairman Catherine Brenner and group counsel Brian Salter. The company has strenuously denied that its misconduct rose to the level of criminal offending. AMP director Mike Wilkins stepped up as interim executive chairman before AMP announced veteran banker Mr Murray would start as its new chairman in July. Mr Wilkins will remain acting chief executive while the group searches for a new CEO. Following Tuesday's director resignations, Mr Wilkins said: "Our shareholders are demanding board accountability and need to know that meaningful change is underway." Mr Wilkins had been lobbying major shareholder groups to vote in favour of retaining the three directors up for re-election. “I’d like to thank Patty, Vanessa and Holly for their service to AMP,” Mr Wilkins said. “They are extremely capable directors who have all made valuable contributions and brought great diversity of thought and experience to the board. They have listened to, and acted on, the feedback from our investors.” Mr Harmos is relatively new to the AMP board, joining in July last year, while Ms Akopiantz has been one of AMP’s longest-serving directors, joining the board in 2011. Ms Kramer, also a director of Woolworths and Australia Post, joined the AMP board in October 2015. 'Principled and dignified' Woolworths chairman Gordon Cairns threw his weight behind Ms Kramer, saying she was hardworking and diligent and a strong performer on the Woolworths board. "Holly has a great relationship with Woolworths management and her fellow board members. Her decision at AMP was both principled and dignified," he said. "She brings extensive retail expertise to our discussions and is a vigorous chair of our People Performance committee and a strong advocate on behalf of our shareholders.” Government quiet on AusPost role Meanwhile, the Turnbull government was refusing to comment on whether Ms Kramer still has its support for the $100,000 a year government-backed role deputy chair of Australian Post. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann appointed the former Best & Less CEO to the permanent deputy chair position in June last year. They have listened to, and acted on, the feedback from our investors.Acting executive chairman Mike Wilkins A spokesman for Senator Fifield said the government was aware of the statement given by AMP to the ASX. "The minister was advised by his portfolio chairs that their boards are working well," he said. "The government continues to monitor the work of the royal commission.” Labor called for the government to state whether Ms Kramer continued to have its support. “The AMP governance failures exposed by the banking royal commission are deeply troubling," Labor communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland said. "In light of today’s resignations, the Turnbull government needs to clarify whether it retains confidence in its appointment of Ms Kramer as deputy chair of the Australia Post board.” Wesfarmers and Seek director Ms Wallace joined the AMP board in March 2016. Wesfarmers and Seek have been contacted for comment. AMP was expected to face a vote of up to 30 per cent against the re-election of Ms Kramer, Ms Wallace and Mr Harmos. However, a tally of the votes cast ahead of the meeting is believed to have put the vote against Ms Kramer and Ms Wallace at 60 per cent - more than the 50 per cent required to remove them. Mr Harmos is also expected to receive a large vote against his re-election, though not over the 50 per cent mark. AMP is also expected to cop a big protest vote against its remuneration report. Several major institutional investors and proxy advisers, including the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI), Australian Super, and CGI Glass Lewis, were planning to vote against the re-election of the directors. The Australian Shareholders Association had recommended retail shareholders vote against both the re-elections and the company's remuneration report. Sources said an unknown swing factor for AMP was how its large retail shareholder base might vote. A key concern for investors is that the royal commission has heard that the AMP directors knew in December 2017 that the company had misled the regulator. However, the company did not tell the market. Instead, shareholders found out about the scandal when an AMP executive was questioned as a witness at the banking royal commission. Fairfax Media understands the vast majority of proxy votes were sent through to the company last Thursday, giving AMP little chance of influencing investors to change their votes. ACSI pushes for more detail ACSI chief executive Louise Davidson was pushing for further details on the board resignations. “The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors welcomes AMP’s belated acknowledgment that greater board accountability and renewal is necessary in response to revelations about poor governance practices at the banking royal commission," Ms Davidson said. "We look forward to hearing more from the company about why these particular directors and not others have resigned." Ms Davidson said ACSI "categorically" rejected the link some in the market had tried to make between governance failures at AMP and gender. The three directors to resign on Tuesday are all women. Following the departure of Ms Akopiantz in late 2018, AMP will have no female directors. "We strongly encourage AMP to make sure they don’t end up with no women on their board as a result of this development," Ms Davidson said. "There is no shortage of appropriately skilled, experienced and talented women for directorships in Australia.” A spokeswoman for AMP said: “We are committed to gender diversity and diversity more generally on the board of AMP. This will be a key consideration as we renew the board.” with Eryk Bagshaw
LET'S GROW YOUR BUSINESS Smyle combines the strategy and expertise of an experienced marketing agency with a range of budget-friendly options specifically designed to help brick & mortar businesses compete online. The backbone of every successful marketing strategy are the tools used to implement it. We've taken the time to build some industry-leading software and trainings so that your marketing (whether done by us or by you) can be as effective as possible! SMYLE SOCIAL DASHBOARD Simplified Social Media Scheduling Save time and schedule months' worth of content in minutes with easy-to-use content recommendations (yes, even Instagram Reels & Stories). Work smarter just took on a whole new meaning. Content Creation & Community Management in One Place Our platform gives content recommendations, uses powerful AI software to generate the best hashtags for your posts, and allows you to respond to message...all from one screen. Easy, Actionable Social Media Analytics & Reports We automatically generate interactive, easily-digestible social media reports that won't put you to sleep, along with performance insights to inform your whip-smart decision-making. TEMPLATES & TRAININGS Ecommerce Store Design Guides to help you choose the right platform for your website, build your online store, and ensure it connects smoothly to your inventory & digital marketing channels. One of the most powerful tools in a business owner's toolkit is (yes, even in 2023) an email marketing strategy. Our trainings break down the best software to Create a seamless customer experience across your online, in-store, and social media channels so your customers know & love you everywhere they shop ... And More Want to learn more about using local SEO to drive traffic to your store? How about implementing ChatGPT to help with your marketing. Our trainings will set you up for success across all digital platforms. Clients are saying:
Notifications can be turned off anytime from settings. Item(s) Added To cart If you are a new user Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and try again. Exchange offer not applicable. New product price is lower than exchange product price Please check the updated No Cost EMI details on the payment page Exchange offer is not applicable with this product Exchange Offer cannot be clubbed with Bajaj Finserv for this product Product price & seller has been updated as per Bajaj Finserv EMI option Please apply exchange offer again Your item has been added to Shortlist. Your Item has been added to Shopping List Homspurts 5 Meters Windproof Anti-Slip Clothes Washing Line Drying Nylon Rope with Hooks 100% Secure Payments All major credit & debit 100% Payment Protection. Easy Got a question? Look no further. Browse our FAQs or submit your query here. Shop on the Go Download the app and get exciting app only offers at your fingertips Register now to get updates on promotions and coupons. Or Download App
Summer's experience comes from photo + video production with ad agencies and production studios over the last 10 years in cities all over the U.S. She has photographed for brands (corporate + local), people/artists/musicians, restaurants/food, traveling/outdoors, and products for ecommerce/social. She is a people-person and really enjoys making others laugh/feel comfortable and hearing their stories as well. I love hearing other peoples' stories and getting to meet new people, learn their perspectives and experiences as well as share my own. I love the diversity that photo and video production bring with different industries, and types of work. I love to create content, to create art and be immersed in it. What types of shoots have you done and how did you make them special? I've done so many portraits, events, food, products, lifestyle, nature and travel photography and the way I make them special is by never directing too much and letting life play out the way that it's meant to. I also really enjoy creating environments where I can make the person or talent extremely comfortable and we can all have fun through the process. A fun fact about this photographer I have a full gorilla suit/costume that I sometimes enjoy cooking in. I also have a bright yellow leotard that I used to go to college football games to and be a symbol of spirit and fun.
We offer multiple ways of shipping at checkout USPS with signature confirmation UPS with Signature confirmation By declining the signature confirmation on an offer, you (the buyer) are waiving your right to file an INR (item not received) claim and would not be eligible for a refund. If we feel an order will require direct signature confirmation, we may add it to your order at no additional charge. This is usually the case on high-ticket or large quantity orders. We take the shipping process very seriously. We feel that while costly, effective packaging materials are a necessity. Your order is guaranteed to be double boxed and packed securely with bubble wrap, paper, etc. to avoid any damage to your items or their box (if applicable). Orders placed after 7:00PM PST will be shipped after one business day unless noted otherwise. Tracking information will be emailed to you within 24-48 hours of your order being shipped. Any orders placed on Fridays after 5:00PM EST will not be shipped until the following business day (Mondays/Tuesdays if there is a holiday).
100-Point WinesThere is a huge difference between a good (or even great) wine and a heavenly blend of perfected fruit nectar concoctions. Only the finest wines can even get close to receiving the coveted 100-point score, a mark of quality that propels the producers into an elite club of world-class artisans. A single taste of one of these masterpieces can turn a normal person into a passionate wine aficionado, as these bottles each provide a unique, soul-enriching experience. Everything has to be perfect to justify a 100-point score; the texture, elegance, and complexity of the design, the carefully crafted flavor combination, and many other qualities. Every blend from this glorious court can singlehandedly serve as the centerpiece of your collection – a sentiment amplified by how difficult and expensive most of them can be to acquire. That’s where we come in. As a top-class wine retailer, we aim to guide you through the enchanting world of excellent wines, as your childlike wonder awakens anew in the face of these mouth-watering works of art. Our goal is to help you understand what makes these wines so desirable among passionate enthusiasts and eventually get your hands on them. There is a perfect blend for everyone in the world, and finding yours can be a life-changing moment. Let’s explore this
With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world’s most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region’s produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it. While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California’s most talented. Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover worth their salt would die to visit. California’s quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine, making it feel like a unique, standalone piece, rather than a derivative. A New World region rises to join its viticultural forebears. Its meteoric rise to fame has been nothing short of stunning, and today California can compete with the world’s most prominent wine regions.
1. Freezers & Under Counter Ice Machines may take up to 12-24 hours to reach its normal operating temperature of 0°degrees Fahrenheit, in order for the unit to produce ice. 2. ALWAYS discard the 1st batch of ice produced. The residue from the water lines and the filter are cleaned out during the 1st batch of ice production. 3. Most icemakers will take about 4 days to fill your ice bucket. 4. Keep the freezer door closed as much as possible. Opening/closing the door will raise the temperature and slow the production of ice. 5. Occasionally, Ice will stick in the chute. This is normal and should be removed.
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 22 million people. It is related to such languages as Indonesian, Malay, Fijian, Maori (of New Zealand), Hawaiian, Malagasy (of Madagascar), Samoan, Tahitian, Chamorro (of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands), Tetum (of East Timor), and Paiwan (of Taiwan). It is the lingua franca of the Philippines' Region IV (CALABARZON and MIMAROPA) and is the basis for the national and the official language of the Philippines, Filipino. The word Tagalog derived from tagailog, from tagá- meaning 'native of' and ílog meaning 'river.' Thus, it means 'river dweller.' Very little is known about the history of the language. However, according to linguists such as Dr. David Zorc and Dr. Robert Blust, the Tagalogs originated, along with their Central Philippine cousins, from Northeastern Mindanao or Eastern Visayas. The first written record of Tagalog is in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, written in the year 900 and uses fragments of the language along with Sanskrit, Malay, and Javanese. Meanwhile, the first known book to be written in Tagalog is the Doctrina Cristiana (Christian Doctrine) of 1593. It was written in Spanish and two versions of Tagalog; one written in the Baybayin script and the other in the Latin alphabet. Throughout the 333 years of Spanish occupation, there were grammar and dictionaries written by Spanish clergymen such as Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by Pedro de San Buenaventura (Pila, Laguna, 1613), Vocabulario de la lengua tagala (1835) and Arte de la lengua tagala y manual tagalog para la administración de los Santos Sacramentos (1850). Poet Francisco Baltazar (1788–1862) is regarded as the foremost Tagalog writer. His most famous work is the early 19th-century Florante at Laura. Tagalog and Filipino In 1937, Tagalog was selected as the basis of the national language of the Philippines by the National Language Institute. In 1939, Manuel L. Quezon named the national language 'Wikang Pambansâ' ('National Language'). Twenty years later, in 1959, it was renamed by the Secretary of Education, Jose Romero, as Pilipino to give it a national rather than ethnic label and connotation. The changing of the name did not, however, result in acceptance at the conscious level among non-Tagalogs, especially Cebuanos who had not accepted the selection. In 1971, the language issue was revived once more, and a compromise solution was worked out a 'universalist' approach to the national language, to be called Filipino rather than Pilipino. When a new constitution was drawn up in 1987, it named Filipino as the national language. The constitution specified that as the Filipino language evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages. Tagalog is a Central Philippine language within the Austronesian language family. Being Malayo-Polynesian, it is related to other Austronesian languages such as Javanese, Indonesian, Malay, Fijian, Maori (of New Zealand), Hawaiian, Malagasy (of Madagascar), Samoan, Tahitian, Chamorro (of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands), Tetum (of East Timor), and Paiwan (of Taiwan). It is closely related to the languages spoken in the Bicol and Visayas regions such as Bikol and the Visayan group including Hiligaynon, Waray-Waray, and Cebuano. Languages that have made significant contributions to Tagalog are Spanish, English, Hindi, Arabic, Sanskrit, Old Malay, Chinese, Javanese, Japanese, and Tamil. At present, no comprehensive dialectology has been done in the Tagalog-speaking regions, though there have been descriptions in the form of dictionaries and grammars on various Tagalog dialects. Ethnologue lists Lubang, Manila, Marinduque, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Tanay-Paete, and Tayabas as dialects of Tagalog. However, there appear to be four main dialects of which the aforementioned are a part; Northern (exemplified by the Bulacan dialect), Central (including Manila), Southern (exemplified by Batangas), and Marinduque. Some example of dialectal differences are: * Many Tagalog dialects, particularly those in the south, preserve the glottal stop found after consonants and before vowels. This has been lost in standard Tagalog. For example standard Tagalog ngayon (now, today), sinigang (broth stew), gabi (night), matamis (sweet), are pronounced and written ngay-on, sinig-ang, gab-i, and matam-is in other dialects. * In Teresian-Morong Tagalog, [r] is usually preferred over [d]. For example, bundók, dagat, dingdíng, and isdâ become bunrok, ragat, ringring, and isra, as well as their expression seen in some signages like 'sandok sa dingding' was changed to 'sanrok sa ringring'. * In many southern dialects, the progressive aspect prefix of -um- verbs is na-. For example, standard Tagalog kumakain (eating) is nákáin in Quezon and Batangas Tagalog. This is the butt of some jokes by other Tagalog speakers since a phrase such as nakain ka ba ng pating is interpreted as 'did a shark eat you?' by those from Manila but in reality means 'do you eat shark?' to those in the south. * Some dialects have interjections which are a considered a trademark of their region. For example, the interjection ala e! usually identifies someone from Batangas as does hane?! in Rizal and Quezon provinces. Perhaps the most divergent Tagalog dialects are those spoken in Marinduque. Linguist Rosa Soberano identifies two dialects, western and eastern with the former being closer to the Tagalog dialects spoken in the provinces of Batangas and Quezon. One example are the verb conjugation paradigms. While some of the affixes are different, Marinduque also preserves the imperative affixes, also found in Visayan and Bikol languages, that have mostly disappeared from most Tagalog dialects by the early 20th century; they have since merged with the infinitive. The Tagalog homeland, or Katagalugan, covers roughly much of the central to southern parts of the island of Luzon - particularly in Aurora, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Camarines Norte, Cavite, Laguna, Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Quezon, Rizal, and large parts of Zambales. Tagalog is also spoken natively by inhabitants living on the islands, Marinduque, Mindoro, and large areas of Palawan. It is spoken by approximately 64.3 million Filipinos, 96.4% of the household population. 21.5 million, or 28.15% of the total Philippine population, of which speak it as a native language. Tagalog speakers are found in other parts of the Philippines as well as throughout the world, though its use is usually limited to communication between Filipino ethnic groups. It is the fifth most-spoken language in the United States with over a 1.4 million speakers (2005 census). In Canada it is spoken by 235,615. Tagalog was declared the official language by the first constitution in the Philippines, the Constitution of Biak-na-Bato in 1897. In 1935, the Philippine constitution designated English and Spanish as official languages, but mandated the development and adoption of a common national language based on one of the existing native languages. After study and deliberation, the National Language Institute, a committee composed of seven members who represented various regions in the Philippines, chose Tagalog as the basis for the evolution and adoption of the national language of the Philippines. President Manuel L. Quezon then, on December 30, 1937, proclaimed the selection of the Tagalog language to be used as the basis for the evolution and adoption of the national language of the Philippines. In 1939 President Quezon renamed the proposed Tagalog-based national language as wikang pambansâ (national language). In 1939, the language was further renamed as 'Pilipino'. The 1973 constitution designated the Tagalog-based 'Pilipino', along with English, as an official language and mandated the development and formal adoption of a common national language to be known as Filipino. The 1987 constitution designated Filipino as the national language, mandating that as it evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages. As Filipino, Tagalog has been taught in schools throughout the Philippines. It is the only one out of over 170 Philippine languages that is officially used in schools and businesses, (info from culturegrams) though Article XIV, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines does specify, in part: Subject to provisions of law and as the Congress may deem appropriate, the Government shall take steps to initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system. The regional languages are the auxiliary official languages in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein. Other Philippine languages have influenced Filipino, primarily through migration from the provinces to Metro Manila of speakers of those other languages. Besides the Philippines, the language enjoys relative minority status in Canada], the United Kingdom, and also Hong Kong, where street signs commonly display the language. In the United States, the language is used in censuses and elections. It also enjoys official status in Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia. Taglish and Englog are names given to a mix of English and Tagalog. The amount of English vs.Tagalog varies from the occasional use of English loan words to outright code-switching where the language changes in mid-sentence. Such code-switching is prevalent throughout the Philippines and in various of the languages of the Philippines other than Tagalog. Nasirà ang computer ko yesterday! 'My computer broke yesterday!' Huwág kang maninigarilyo, because it is harmful to your health. 'Don't smoke cigarettes, ...' Code switching also entails the use of foreign words that are Filipinized by reforming them using Filipino rules, such as verb conjugations. Users typically use Filipino or English words, whichever comes to mind first or whichever is easier to use. Magshoshopping kami sa mall. Sino ba ang magdadrive sa shoppingan? 'We will go shopping at the mall. Who will drive to the shopping center anyway?' Although it is generally looked down upon, code-switching is prevalent in all levels of society; however, city-dwellers, the highly educated, and people born around and after World War II are more likely to do it. Politicians as highly placed as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo have code-switched in interviews. The practice is common in television, radio, and print media as well. Advertisements from companies like Wells Fargo, Wal-Mart, Albertsons, McDonald's, and Western Union have contained Taglish. The Chinese and the non-Tagalog communities in the Philippines also frequently code-switch their language, be it Cebuano or Min Nan Chinese, with Taglish. This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. Tagalog has 21 phonemes; 16 consonants and five vowels. Syllable structure is relatively simple. Each syllable contains at least a consonant and a vowel, and begins in at most one consonant, except for borrowed words such as trak which means 'truck', or tsokolate meaning 'chocolate'. Before appearing in the coastal region of Manila, Tagalog had three vowel phonemes: /a/, /i/, and /u/. This was later expanded to five vowels with the introduction of Kapampangan and Spanish words. * /a/ an open central unrounded vowel similar to English 'father'; in the middle of a word, a mid central unrounded vowel similar to English 'cup' * /ɛ/ an open-mid front unrounded vowel similar to English 'bed' * /i/ a close front unrounded vowel similar to English 'machine' * /o/ a close-mid back rounded vowel similar to English 'forty' * /u/ a close back unrounded vowel similar to English 'flute' There are four main diphthongs; /ai/, /oi/, /au/, and /iu/. Below is a chart of Tagalog consonants. All the stops are unaspirated. The velar nasal occurs in all positions including at the beginning of a word. Web Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagalog_language
Some of B.C.’s beetles are shrinking as their habitats get warmer, according to new UBC research. The study provides evidence that climate change is affecting the size of organisms. “In nature, there is so much going on that can affect body size so we weren’t sure we were going to see anything,” said Michelle Tseng, assistant professor of botany and zoology at UBC who oversaw the research. “This research provides evidence that climate change is affecting even the smallest organisms out there.” Scientists expect living organisms to respond to climate change in three ways – by moving to new regions, changing the timing of their life stages or shrinking. To date, most of the evidence for organisms shrinking has come from laboratory work where the environment and living conditions can be tightly controlled. Tseng asked students in her fourth-year class to look into whether this is happening by examining beetle specimens in UBC’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum collection, as well as historical weather data. Assisted by curators at the Beaty, students selected eight species of beetles from the Lower Mainland and Okanagan for their data set. They photographed more than 6,500 beetles and inputted information about each insect, when it was collected and where it was found into a database. “We got data from 100 years of caught specimens,” said Sina Soleimani, one of the students who co-authored the paper and is now pursuing a doctor of pharmacy at UBC. “It’s cool that people have been collecting these insects since 1910 and noting all of their collection information. That’s probably what makes our paper stand out.” The students measured whether the beetles had changed in size in the last 40 or 100 years. The students then used a climate database from the faculty of forestry to gather data about changes in the environment for the two regions where the beetles lived. They found that the Lower Mainland has seen a 1.6 C increase in autumn temperatures and the Okanagan has seen a 2.25 C increase in autumn temperatures over the last 45 years. At first, the data didn’t indicate a clear trend – some beetles were shrinking, some were not. But by taking a closer look, they found that it was the larger beetles that were shrinking, while the smaller ones were not. The four largest species of beetles shrunk 20 per cent in the last 45 years. “When these organisms were collected, I don’t think anyone ever thought that they were collecting them so we could monitor how they are changing,” said Tseng. “Museum collections contain more biodiversity now than will ever be collected again. It’s incredible that the diversity of collections in museums can help us understand and predict how organisms might change in the future.” The students collected the data as part of their class assignment but to assemble all the information into one research paper took some extra work. Nine students continued to work on the project well after the class was over and they had graduated from UBC. “This is my first paper that I’m publishing and it’s one-and-a-half years after the class ended,” said Katrina Kaur, who is now completing a master’s degree at the University of Toronto and returning to UBC in the new year to start a PhD. “It was a valuable experience as an undergraduate student. It was tough but I’m glad I stayed involved and saw it through.” - The study was published today in the Journal of Animal Ecology: “Decreases in beetle body size linked to climate change and warming temperatures” DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12789
As announced by Microsoft on June 1, Windows 10 - their latest operating system - is scheduled to launch on July 29. Please refer to Microsoft website for details. WARNING: There is a risk of software/driver corruption. We therefore strongly recommend that you do not upgrade to Windows 10 when it becomes available on July 29. Sony is now testing Windows 10 and will be providing compatibility information after July 2015. The release schedule will vary according to the different products. Please wait until the upgrade information is released by Sony. Visit our support website regularly for the latest information and update about this topic.
Dear valued Customers, Microsoft Corporation has announced that they will end their support of the Windows 8.1 operating system on January 10, 2023, at which point, security updates, fixes and technical support will no longer be provided by Microsoft. Accordingly, Sony will no longer be able to assist with any new technical, quality or security issues with our products if they relate to Windows 8.1, and we will not be able to provide security updates or implement modifications and validations on our products running on Windows 8.1. As such, please be aware that these products may not work properly or securely if you continue using them with Windows 8.1. Certain products are compatible with newer versions of the Windows operating system. Please check your model specific pages for information about Windows operating system compatibility and updates. Note: Sony cannot support new technical, quality or security issues with our products caused by use with earlier versions of Windows operating system, such as Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, etc., for which Microsoft has already ended support.
Emerging from COVID It seems we are certainly coming out of our COVID restrictions as things are moving with the City of Melbourne. Much is happening in Southbank and the next few months are going to be busy. Firstly, I would like to extend a big Welcome to Ash Lee who is the new City of Melbourne Southbank Community Partner. Southbank Residents’ Association (SRA) has already spent quite some time with Ash and we can certainly say she has hit the ground running. Ash has some great plans for the Southbank community and she will be reaching out to engage with as many of us as possible. We will certainly let you know. We look forward to working with Ash. And, how exciting that Southbank has finally got a dedicated off-leash dog park. If you are not aware, the dog park is located opposite the tram stop at the start of the Kings Way undercroft on Moray St. This has been years in the making, and behind schedule, but it’s finally here. SRA is so grateful that the lobbying we commenced some five-plus years ago has finally come to fruition. However, I wonder if now that we have an official dog park if it will discourage residents from letting their dogs off the leash in Boyd and Melbourne Square lawned areas. Now there is a dedicated park, I suspect the council will be less tolerant of those who choose not to comply with the off-leash rules for those public spaces. If you have a furry friend, then I would love to hear from you about your experiences with the new dog park. SRA has a busy couple of months ahead and we would love to meet you at one of our events. On Wednesday, March 16 we are re-establishing our bi-annual “New to Southbank” event, which COVID had unfortunately put a stop to during the past few years. If you are new to Southbank and would like to learn more about your neighbourhood, then we encourage you to come along. Even if you are not new, we are confident there is something you might learn from our event. If not, meet some new neighbours! The event is held in the Assembly Hall at Boyd Community Hub, 207 City Rd, at 6.30pm. It should only go for about an hour. As we are all aware, a federal election is looming. Since SRA’s inception more than 20 years ago, we have been holding “Meet the Candidates” events for all elections affecting our neighbourhood (federal, state and council). This year will be no exception. We anticipate the election will held in May. Once the election is called, we will contact our local candidates and lock them in for a date and time. We anticipate sometime at the end of April. Certainly watch this space in the April edition for the details. As usual we will make our best effort to source a great moderator. Finally, it would be remiss of me not to ask that if you are not a member of our not-for-profit, volunteer-driven, community group you might like to consider joining. Without membership our lobbying voice is diminished. You can join up via our website, southbankresidents.org.au. If you want to reach out to us, you can do so at [email protected]. I am looking forward to meeting some of you at our New to Southbank event on March 16 at 6.30pm •
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This story was updated at 10:13 a.m. EDT. Two new crewmembers and a space tourist arrived at theInternational Space Station Friday. NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams, Russian cosmonaut MaximSuraev, and Canadian space tourist GuyLaliberte docked at the orbital outpost at 4:35 a.m. EDT (0835 GMT). Williams and Suraev are beginning a six-month tour of duty onthestation as Expedition 21 and Expedition 22 crewmembers. Laliberte, abillionaire acrobat who founded the world-famous Cirque du Soleil circustroupe, paid about $35 million to the Russian Federal Space Agency for his 12-dayspace jaunt. The trio liftedoff on the Russian-built Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft Wednesday from theBaikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Upon arrival at the International Space Station (ISS), crewsaboard both the Soyuz and the station began working to seal the link betweentheir vehicles, and opened the hatches at 6:57 a.m. EDT (1057 GMT). The newarrivals join current station commander Gennady Padalka, a cosmonaut, alongwith Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne, Canadian Space Agency astronaut RobertThirsk, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, and NASA astronauts Nicole Stott andMichael Barratt. "Everything was wonderful, we made it here allright," Suraev, the Soyuz commander radioed down upon entering thestation. "The crew has pretty much adapted already. I can't even reportany issues at all." Get the Space.com Newsletter Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! The three new arrivals greeted the station crew with hugsand smiles, and then got to say hello to family and officials gathered on theground at Russia?s Mission Control Center near Moscow. "We had a great trip up here and we're happy to beonboard in good company," Williams said. Laliberte said he felt "pretty good" for his firsttime in space, and Suraev gave him a glowing review, saying, "He didgreat. His tolerance for weightlessness was absolutely perfect. Five on a scalefrom one to five." The Soyuz-TMA-16's arrival also marks a first: "This is the first time in history when we have threeSoyuzes docked to the station at one time," Padalka said. Mission for water Laliberte is devoting his space journey to campaigning forwater conservation issues. He founded the non-profit ONE DROP foundation toadvocate for the cause, and plans a massive spaceperformance for Oct. 9 to spread the word about the importance of globalaccess to clean water. "When I founded ONE DROP, it was (or rather, it stillis) desperately urgent to do something to protect water," Laliberte wrotebefore launch on his blog at OneDrop.org. "ONE DROP is already acting inpractical terms, but in the project of going into space, I saw an innovativeopportunity, reflecting the image of Cirque du Soleil and my own image,too." The performance will feature Laliberte reading a poem fromspace, while artists and personalities in 14 cities around the world will contributethrough a simultaneous webcast. People including Al Gore, Shakira, U2 and PeterGabriel will participate in the event, the first artistic performance fromspace. In addition to activism, Laliberte plans to have some funclowning around in space as well - he has threatened to tickle his crewmatesand play practical jokes while on the space station. "Of course, it is thanks to my own financial situationthat I have been able to experience such an adventure," he wrote."And yes, I am also making a personal dream come true through thismission." He is the seventh paying tourist to fly to space on tripsbooked by the U.S. firm Space Adventures. "I'm very excited about this journey I'm undertakingand everyone I'm meeting through it," he wrote. "This is both apersonal challenge, as everything I'm experiencing here is new to me, and agrand project that will benefit my ONE DROP Foundation as well as Cirque duSoleil." The new space station Expedition21 mission is set to begin Oct. 9 during a change-of-command ceremony thatwill install DeWinne as the new station commander. The mission is only thesecond station increment with a six-person crew, doubled from the previous crewcomplement of three. The more crowded station is also an increasingly-large one:The orbiting laboratory is almost completely assembled and is about twice thesize it was when Williams last visited in 2006 as an Expedition 13 flightengineer. But simply building the station does not end its mission, he said. "When we complete it, we need to utilize it,"Williams said in a preflight interview. "My hope is that we get the fullutilization out of this magnificent technical accomplishment." Williams is set to serve as a flight engineer on Expedition21. Then in December he will take over as commander of the new Expedition 22.His crewmate Suraev is a rookie spaceflyer and will take up the post of flightengineer for both Expedition 21 and Expedition 22. The new crewmembers are in for a busy mission full ofscientific research and station maintenance. During their stay they will host twovisiting space shuttle missions, one more Soyuz flight, and a handful ofunmanned cargo craft arrivals. Among the new supplies and equipment to bedelivered on these flights is a new node module named Tranquility, which willinclude a panoramic window called the Cupola. The expedition will also include a spacewalk, orextravehicular activity (EVA) in NASA parlance, in which Suraev will take part. "I do have just one EVA during my mission," hesaid in a preflight interview. "On the personal side, I'm really lookingforward to the EVA. And as a professional, I really want to not make mistakesduring my flight." Guy Laliberte is chronicling his Poetic Social Mission usingTwitter ("ONEDROPdotorg"), Facebook and the Web site: OneDrop.org. SPACE.com is providing full coverage of the launch ofLaliberte and the Expedition 21 crew with Staff Writer Clara Moskowitz in NewYork. Click here for mission updatesand live mission coverage. - Video - Acrobat Space Tourist Trains for Launch - Video - Challenging Command: Belgian Astronaut Leads Crew of Six - SPACE.com Video Show - Inside the International Space Station Clara Moskowitz is a science and space writer who joined the Space.com team in 2008 and served as Assistant Managing Editor from 2011 to 2013. Clara has a bachelor's degree in astronomy and physics from Wesleyan University, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She covers everything from astronomy to human spaceflight and once aced a NASTAR suborbital spaceflight training program for space missions. Clara is currently Associate Editor of Scientific American. To see her latest project is, follow Clara on Twitter.
Spacent team · Jun 5th 2023 A’Pelago joins Spacent with remote work locations in the Finnish archipelago and Åland Islands We are thrilled to announce our latest partnership with a space provider A’Pelago Experience! A’Pelago offers 10 coworking spaces in the unique Finnish archipelago and Åland islands, and these spaces are now available for Spacent members. The collaboration makes spectacular remote work experiences in the archipelago more accessible and supports the year-round activities of local businesses in the area. Think about a place, where just by glancing up from your laptop you could see the beautiful nature of the archipelago, and where you could live sustainably and work productively at the same time. That is what A’Pelago Experience provides with their 10 remote work locations in the Archipelago Sea Region and Åland Islands. They also provide accommodation, tailored events for companies, and conferences like the A’Pelago Initiative 10.-11.8.2023. The aim of the collaboration between A’Pelago and Spacent is to create better opportunities for remote work in all kinds of companies. Working in an environment that supports the overall well-being of the employee can also enhance productivity, creativity and innovation during working hours. Spacent’s customers, such as EY, Relex and Gubbe, are the forerunners when it comes to embracing the benefits of hybrid work – and now their employees may work with a spectacular view of the Finnish Archipelago. The following remote work locations from A’Pelago will become available for Spacent members in the beginning of June: - Airisto Lumous - Airisto Marina - Archipelago Center Korpoström - Björkboda Bruksgård - Hotel Brudhäll - Hotel Kasnäs - Hotel Stallbacken - Villa Kajuutta
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Due to the limited motion in the thoracic spine caused by the bony barrier of the ribs, thoracic disc herniations are relatively rare. However, when they do occur, they can create much pain and dysfunction. The surgical access to the thoracic disc is more complicated than other parts of the spine and may involve the removal of a rib to access an injured disc. This is a complicated surgery that can lead to other unintended consequences. Whenever practical and safe, conservative (nonsurgical) care, such as chiropractic, is advisable prior to the use of more invasive procedures, such as spinal injections or surgery. In This Article: - Chiropractic Care of the Upper Back - Chiropractic Treatment for Myofascial Pain Syndrome - Chiropractic Treatment for a Thoracic Disc Herniation - More Chiropractic Treatments for Upper Back Problems - Chiropractic Adjustment of the Thoracic Spine (Upper Back) Video Chiropractic treatment options The goals of the chiropractic treatment of a thoracic disc herniation are to reduce pain and dysfunction while the body heals itself. Since most disc extrusions naturally regress in a few months, chiropractors will attempt to reduce the pain and pressure caused by the disc herniation. Chiropractic treatment of a thoracic disc herniation may include one or a combination of the following: - Distraction or traction - Ergonomic training - Physical modalities (cold laser, heat, ice, electrical stimulation) - Specific exercises Some chiropractors will recommend nutritional support, such as proteolytic enzymes, to reduce the pain and swelling associated with a disc herniation.
Being the silicon valley of India, Bangalore is a city that has been attracting many individuals from the IT sector to itself. While mass migration to the city is underway, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the migrants to find a house for lease in Bangalore. There are many needs and factors that have to be considered before finalizing on a house. Here are some of the things that you might want to take into account while looking for a house in Bangalore. Where is the House? This is by far the most important factor to consider while choosing a home in the Garden City. The city is vast and travel is not simple anymore. If you live 20 kilometers away from your workplace and a little bit towards the city, you might have to travel a little over two hours a day. If you think you can manage that, then you are welcome to ignore this factor. When you do find a home, make sure that you research enough on the location and the safety that it provides to the inhabitants. It would be best if you stay in a place which is not in the middle of the grind but is not isolated either. How much to Pay for it? Money is difficult to part with. When you are looking at leasing houses in Bangalore, you might come across places in the best of localities that will lure you towards themselves. But make sure that you do not over pay for a house for lease in Bangalore simply to live in a locality that you have fallen in love with. Yes, it is a status symbol to live in the posh localities, but wait until you can afford it. Considering there is never a scarcity of people looking for houses, owners also tend to over-price the rents and lease amounts. Ensure that you are verifying and checking with the general prices around the area. Also, be sure to know about any possibility of increase in rent and expiry of lease before signing the agreement. Is it going to be Convenient to Live There? You might love to live in an isolated location as it will keep you away from all the noise the city makes all the time, but make sure that there are basic amenities around the house for a convenient and better way of life. The city has developed rapidly, but sadly there are stretches of land that has residential complexes but no amenities like hospitals, supermarkets and many more of the niche. You want to avoid these localities. When you are considering a home, do explore the area around it and check of everything you need is available at a convenient distance. Never think you can live without a supermarket or laundry or hospital in the area. You cannot. What is the Landlord Like? It is not difficult to be polite and cordial while making the deal. Once done, he might turn out to be the exact opposite of what he seemed like in the past. Run a background check on the landlord before signing the document. All you will have to do is to ask the neighbors or the past tenants who have used the house before and see what feedback they have about him. If all looks good, then go ahead and sign the agreement. You do not want to be homeless at an odd day simply because you had an argument with your landlord. Is the House Perfect or what I am looking for? You can be easily deceived by the looks of the house. It might have shining bathroom fittings but might not have water supply at all hours. The place may be well lit and airy, but electricity problems are never welcome. You might love the greenery around the house, but you never know if it encourages rats and bee-hives. We know that you can do without all that drama in your already busy lives. To avoid these problems, ask. Ask as many questions you need to and check every nook and corner of the house to be sure of what you are getting into. Do not ignore these things as they might turn out to be a hassle in the future. This is a checklist that you need to carry around in your head if you are looking for a house for lease in Bangalore. If all the items are checked off in a particular house, then make that house your home.
Kyle Walker could miss the World Cup as the England and Manchester City defender faces a spell on the sidelines, as confirmed by manager Pep Guardiola. Walker missed Wednesday night's routine Champions League win over FC Copenhagen with a reported abdominal injury. However, it's been reported that the right-back had undergone surgery earlier this week and is now a major doubt for the World Cup in Qatar this winter. City manager Guardiola had revealed last night 'It's something abdominal and he will be a while out,' Guardiola said. 'I don't know (how long). I cannot say anything else.' He had limped off in the 41st minute against Manchester United during the 6-3 thrashing of their city rivals at the weekend with what was a suspected abdominal issue. Guardiola also said 'Kyle will be out for a bit. We have to speak to the doctors. Hopefully he can get (back for the World Cup) like Kalvin (Phillips). I know how important the World Cup is for the players but honestly I don't know right now.' Reports claim that the surgery was a success but now the attention turns to his recovery and whether he can regain full match fitness before the World Cup begins next month. Walker has become a key part of the England set-up and has been utilised as a right centre-back in Gareth Southgate's favoured 3-4-3 formation. For Southgate, luckily he can call on England's incredible strength in depth in the right-back position with the likes of Reece James, Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold all ready to step in. The England manager had recently claimed that Liverpool's star right-back was the fourth choice option behind Trippier as he claimed the Newcastle man's 'all-round game' is currently better. However, the 23-year-old responded in fine fashion on Tuesday night in the Champions League with a clean sheet and a stunning free-kick as the Reds triumphed 2-0 over Rangers. James also produced a top class performance in Chelsea's 3-0 dominant over AC Milan last night as he produced a goal and an assist which he hopes will catch the eye of Southgate.Featured Image Credit: Alamy, Instagram
Programming for Women – Are You Tracking? By Stephanie Humphrey, Run Coach at InnerFight-Endurance. Something that has recently piqued my interest is how the world has become more open, honest and data driven around female athletes and the menstrual cycle. Previously a relatively taboo topic has now started to become a phenomena in new analysis, research and tracking, helping female athletes attain marginal gains on competitors. Admittedly, this is also an area I have somewhat neglected over the years, I don’t think that I am alone there. Simply just passing through the motions each month, and managing the best I could day to day. However, I recently discovered Dr. Stacy Sims who started her book, Roar, with the sentence “You are not a small man, stop eating and training like one.” A mind-blowing statement really, and something that so many women in sport likely do. Women and men are built differently, there is so much more than the obvious physical differences, but perhaps more importantly we differ so greatly in our hormones. Whilst male hormones are relatively consistent day in, day out, female hormones fluctuate greatly depending on the phase of their cycle. Whilst school science lessons might seem like a distance memory, we actually learnt some important facts back then, and we should continue to build on this knowledge throughout our adulthood. Naturally, all women differ (or suffer) throughout their cycles, but getting to know your own symptoms and how best to manage them can be a game changer in your sport performance. There is very little evidence that suggests or recommends that we should tamper with our cycles to plan around events/races, as this can have negative side effects, and potentially cause more harm than good; instead we can look at how best to perform and train at any given point throughout our cycle. The menstrual cycles typically lasts 28 days (but can be 21-35 days), with day 1 being the start of your period. The first half is called the follicular phase, and the second half the luteal phase, with ovulation occurring right in the middle (approx. day 14). During these times we see rises and falls of progesterone and oestrogen hormones, where progesterone is at its highest during the 2nd half of your cycle, and oestrogen is at its highest just before ovulation. Interestingly, this technically means that your performance ability is at its highest once your period starts, this is because you are in a low hormone phase. A nice positive if you happen to get your period on race day! So, how does all this impact your performance? I won’t go into every single day and symptom, like Stacy Sims has in Roar, but there are certainly some interesting and key takeouts. The good news for endurance athletes is that research shows VO2 max and lactate threshold remain constant throughout your cycle. However, reaction times and neuromuscular coordination are reduced during the premenstrual and menstrual time, and blood sugar levels, breathing rates, and thermoregulations are also negatively impacted. On the flip side, strength performance is considered to be greater during this low hormone phase, and you are likely to recover from training faster. When progesterone is higher (during luteal phase) you are likely to feel hotter, as you core temperate has been elevated, and the lower blood volume during high-hormone days means that you will find it harder to sweat, and thus it’s harder to lose heat/cool yourself. With aspects like this, its super important that you hydrate before exercising, especially if you are out in the Dubai heat. It’s all very well knowing the science, but I truly believe that the best thing you can do for yourself is track your cycle and record your symptoms. If this is not something you are already doing, it will likely become hugely beneficial for you; allowing you to plan for each given circumstance. Whether you suffer from bloating, mood swings, cramping, headaches, hot flushes etc. you will start to notice that these land at difference points within your cycle. Once identified, it will be easier to plan your nutrition and training around what is best for you. We track so many things already in our lives, sleep, nutrition, steps, distances, but the menstrual cycle is seemingly something that has been forgotten over the years, and is something that has the power to be so vital. Unfortunately, and perhaps frustratingly, the most common answer we tend to hear in the fitness industry is “it depends”. From “what shoes should I buy?” to “what should I eat during a race?” to “what GPS device is best for me?”, the answer is different for every single person. That’s the beauty right, no two individuals are the same. We might have similarities, preferences, and opinions, but the fact is, what works for one individual does not necessarily work for the next. At InnerFight, we pretty much pride ourselves on this ethos, providing personalised training programs for clients, to best equip them to hit their goals, whilst following a plan that fits their lifestyle. Naturally, the majority of my clients are female, after all, I lead the IFE Ladies Running Club, and like most coaches, I often find myself talking to clients about all things life, in order to best analyse their performance, strength, fatigue and stress. Needless to say, performance in running is not just about the actual running. Having grown up as a sporty kid, I saw first hand the drop-off rate in young females playing sports as I moved through my teens. To be honest, back then, I didn’t think too much of it, I was happy playing tennis, netball, rounders, or going for a run, so it didn’t really bother me if that was not what all my friends wanted to do. Perhaps if as a generation we were given the tools on how best to equip the female body throughout the 4 stages of our cycle, there might not have been so many dropouts, and the overall topic might not be as taboo. Either way, it’s the present day, so if this is all new to you now, you are not alone, start tracking so that you can manage and optimise your performance. If you want to discuss further, I am more than happy to chat:@Steph.running, [email protected] I also recommend: Book: ROAR by Stacy T. Sims, PHD Podcast: Female Athlete Pod Stephanie Humphrey is a run coach at InnerFight-Endurance and ‘runs’ their ladies running club. You can find Stephanie’s and other Innerfight Endurance coaches profiles on Sported’s Coaches Listing: https://www.sported.ae/coaches/innerfight-endurance/
Train your eyes, change your posture! by Immie Adshead Long hours spent working over a desk? Back to back zoom meetings spending hours staring at screens? A busy schedule making it challenging to get to the gym? As many know none of these factors in our day to day life set us up for success to change our posture. Most of us know the importance of good posture with the way to achieve it through strengthening and stretching specific muscle groups as part of a workout program. I’m not here to tell you that this doesn’t work – it does! What I am here to tell you is that there is a way to accelerate results – through the incorporation of vision training. Think of it as choosing the long winding path or the more direct path that gets you there in half the time … both get you to your posture goals, but one is much more time efficient. Why do the eyes have so much power and influence? It’s simple. They collect a majority of the information that is fed into the brain – think of the brain like a newsroom with new reporters. The eyes are the most dominant and influential reporter. The brain then makes decisions based upon the information feed it is given. Much like newsrooms around the globe, if you have quality reporters sending in quality information then you get quality decisions based upon that data. We have the power through how we choose to train to have our eyes feeding quality information that will set us up for success or not. But posture and the eyes? How is that linked? Simply put the body follows your eyes. When you look down we tend to hunch over. When we look up we bend backwards slightly. When we look to the left or right we tend to turn that way. Try it now and see what you find! Another example is driving. If you look towards a certain point in the road then you tend to drive towards it. If you’re serious about wanting to change your posture then changing how you move your eyes is essential! Training your eyes may sound like a strange concept, but really it’s like training any other muscle group in your body. The eyes are controlled by 6 muscles that move the eyes up, down, side to side and rotate. To train a muscle for better movement, efficient endurance or stronger, more powerful movements it takes consistent practice within your workouts with exercises specific to the muscle group.The more we practice a movement, the more the pathway from body to brain is reinforced increasing the likelihood that we will follow that path again. After all, the human brain likes to follow the easiest path with least resistance! This can work for us or against us – a movement habit can either serve us or disadvantage us, so choose which ones you reinforce wisely … So here’s a simple way that you can get started today: simply look straight ahead as you walk (whilst obviously checking by looking around that there are no hazards in your way!) If you habitually look down as you walk this could be a game changer for your posture. A lot of the time we can be unaware of how we move our eyes, so my second suggestion is become more aware of how you move your eyes. Remember awareness is power! When we’re aware of something then we can make a change. The third way to get started is by incorporating vision training into your daily routine. I’ve got some ideas in my recently launched ebook, but it can be as simple as a few reps as you wait for the kettle to boil or incorporated into your warm up sequence of your gym workouts. There’s no right or wrong wary, you’ve just got to put in the work! There are many other benefits to vision training which are key in competitive sports. These include optimizing eye tracking, improving balance and better proprioception. In all honesty EVERYONE would benefit whether into competitive sports or not because it helps us maintain good posture. Vision training is incredibly dynamic and a fantastic addition to any workout program. It can be applied in a more sedentary manner or more dynamic integration into programmed exercises. How to apply it really depends on the ultimate goal that you’re moving towards! Wherever you are on your fitness journey, right now vision training can help you reach your goals … elite athlete or just starting out and every point in between! My mission is to empower and educate athletes of all levels to harness the power of vision training, so I put together a FREE ebook, launched last month, available at www.thebodybraincoach.com The ebook shows you the vision training drills I use with my clients as well as how you can simply apply it to your fitness program. Immie Adshead @the.body.brain.coach
Michigan alum Stephen Master (third from left) is surrounded last year by Brandon Rhodes, David Herman and Dustin Cairo, who founded the Michigan Sport Business Conference as students.courtesy of university of michigan When a trio of Michigan undergraduates approached him a dozen years ago for advice about starting their own sports business conference while attending one at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Stephen Master had a mixed reaction. A Michigan alum who headed Nielsen’s global sports practice, Master was confident that the school had enough loyal, engaged grads working in sports to fill their panels. But the seniors in the group wanted to get rolling in time for it to benefit them when they hit the job market. It was already November, which only gave them a few months. Master warned against it. “You have one of the greatest assets there is — a Michigan football season,” he told them when they suggested a January date. “If you don’t take advantage of that, you’re setting yourself up to fail.” When the students eventually agreed, Master offered to put together a small advisory board to help them. Three other Michigan grads joined him: Seth Ader, VP of brand marketing at ESPN; Ira Stahlberger, then of IMG, now SVP of talent representation at WME; and John Shea, then of Gatorade, now CMO at Mark Anthony Brands. Their first call on behalf of the students was an obvious one. Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins, is a prominent Michigan donor whose name adorns the business school. Ross immediately embraced the idea of bringing a sports business conference to campus and was doubly happy to hear that it could be on a weekend when he planned to attend a football game. Not only did Ross offer to keynote the inaugural event, he said he’d invite Bob Bowman, the longtime head of MLB Advanced Media, whose daughter was a freshman at Michigan. The eventual roster for the debut event in November 2012 also included CBS Sports president David Berson and Shark Tank regular Rohan Oza, both Michigan alums. In the years since, keynoters have included John Collins, Ari Emmanuel, Don Garber, Dan Gilbert, Steve Greenberg, David Levy, Sean McManus, John Skipper, DeMaurice Smith, Arn Tellem and Jeff Wilpon. Last year featured then-Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren, NFL Chief Media Officer Brian Rolapp and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. courtesy of university of michigan Often, the connections are familial. All three original advisory board members not only graduated from Michigan, but also sent children there. Emmanuel, who has appeared twice, also is a Michigan parent. Rolapp’s son was a Michigan football walk-on. Last year, Pitaro brought his daughter, a high school junior, who tacked on an admissions tour. An event born of an out-of-the-maize-and-blue conversation at a Northwestern B-school conference is now planning its 12th annual event in November. About 800 attended last year. “We like to say that ESPN and NBC and the other networks are all great,” said Master, who left Nielsen in 2018 and co-founded Amaze Media Labs in 2020, “but the best network in sports is Michigan.” While the depth and heft of industry-connected alums unquestionably fueled the conference’s rapid ascent, it remains student run. An industry advisory board participates in a monthly call and helps open doors to speakers, but a cadre of 30 undergrads organizes a weekend of activities that begins with a Thursday night dinner at Michigan Stadium, includes a full Friday slate of speakers and panels, and wraps up with a tailgate party on Saturday. Michigan may lay claim to being the largest student-run conference of its kind, but it is far from alone. Sports business clubs and sports administration and law programs at universities across the country have hosted events of varying size and scope for decades, with the larger events attracting 200 to 300 attendees. Some have a decidedly academic bent. But many incorporate speakers and panelists from across the sports industry, often featuring alumni who come back to network with colleagues and connect with job and internship candidates. “The idea is to get our students together with industry leaders and also faculty researchers to focus on issues,” said Matt Brown, chair of South Carolina’s sport and entertainment management program, which has hosted a venue-focused conference annually since 2001. “Our students will be the ones solving those issues very soon. So what are those? What are trends? It’s all meant to kind of prepare them for their future journey.” ■ ■ ■ ■ The University of Massachusetts conference, now known as the McCormack Sports Leaders Forum, was run entirely by students from its inception eight years ago until 2019. That’s when the school’s sports management program formally took ownership of the event as part of a sponsorship agreement with sports marketing agency Scout Sports & Entertainment. UMass planned to relocate the annual event to Scout’s New York City offices, taking advantage of the location to make it easier to land top-flight speakers and create networking opportunities for students and alumni. “From an awareness and reputational standpoint, we thought we could take it to the next level if we used more department resources,” Steve McKelvey, chair of the school’s sports management department, said. “It’s one thing for a student club to put together a conference on campus. It’s another thing to take it to New York.” Miami’s entertainment, arts and sports law program held its annual global industry conference in late March.courtesy of university of miami The first year of the arrangement went swimmingly, with a capacity crowd that included about 130 students from UMass and other sports management programs and representatives from about 30 sports organizations. Burke Magnus, ESPN president of content; and New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky keynoted. Unfortunately, plans to return to New York the following year were scuttled by COVID. The conference was canceled in 2020 and moved online in 2021. Last year’s event was held on campus, as was this year’s in April, which featured ESPN analyst and 33rd Team founder Mike Tannenbaum, a UMass alum. Programming also included panels on diversity, equity and inclusion, startup leagues and sports betting, along with one titled “First Year Out” that featured four recent graduates from the program. The school hopes to return to the road next year, rotating between Boston, New York and Amherst, McKelvey said. The event is largely run by undergraduate students, who identify topics and approach potential panelists, many recommended by faculty and staff. Students also handle sales and moderate panels. Typically, about half of the panelists are UMass alums. “It provides a great opportunity for us to engage our alums and for our alums to give back, but also for us to expose UMass and our students to non-alums,” McKelvey said. “What that does is open up new avenues to internships and jobs for our students. And [the event] provides our students with a professional development and networking opportunity.” The Miami Heat’s Eric Woolworth (right) is joined on a panel by Orange Bowl CEO Eric Poms.courtesy of university of miami South Carolina has taken advantage of that interaction between industry and its sports management program by pairing its annual Sports Entertainment and Venues Tomorrow conference with a career fair for the past 20 years. The conference, held in various iterations since 1987, mixes industry speakers and panels with academic research presentations. Last year featured SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey as a keynote. Charlotte Hornets CEO Fred Whitfield is scheduled to headline in November. “It’s getting industry leaders down to talk to our students and learn about what we do,” said Brown, the director of the South Carolina program. “It benefits our students greatly to hear from these industry leaders, but it also benefits our program because people get to know us and what we’re doing here and meet our students and hear our story as well.” ■ ■ ■ ■ When the director of the University of Miami’s entertainment, arts and sports law program invited Eric Woolworth, Miami Heat president of business operations, to sit on the opening panel of the school’s Global Entertainment and Sports Law + Industry conference held in March, Woolworth reminded him that he had not practiced in 15 years. Gregg Levy told him that was one of the reasons they wanted him. “There are enough lawyers at these conferences,” said Levy, who has managed the conference since UM Law launched its sports and entertainment focused degree program in 2015. “Law schools too often separate the practice of law from the industry. To us, you can’t pull those apart. You can’t be an effective lawyer if you don’t understand your client’s business. So we combine those in a very deliberate way in the conference.” Matt Brown, the director of the South Carolina program, is joined by Lynn Oliver-Cline, founder of River House Artists; the PGA Tour’s Jared Rice; and Matt Homan, president and GM of Dickies Arena. courtesy of university of south carolina The UM Law conference has roots as a student-run event launched nearly 40 years ago, with entertainment law as its focus. When UM brought entertainment, sports and arts law together under a single umbrella, it saw the opportunity to expand the event to serve all three. This year’s two-day event in March had an NIL panel featuring NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and OneTeam Partners licensing head Eric Winston; a player safety panel with WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson and LPGA lawyer Liz Moore; a general counsels panel with GCs from the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans and NYCFC; and a funding-focused conversation with Angel City FC co-founder Julie Uhrman. Other panels focused on entertainment and art, with one bridging all three. Though panels typically are moderated by faculty and industry adjuncts, students serve on a conference planning committee with Levy and executive board members from the program, coordinating topics and panels, prepping panelists and handling logistics. This year, Levy had 67 students apply for 16 volunteer slots. “We’re still very big on the student involvement piece because we think this is a big learning opportunity for them,” Levy said. “The networking piece of this industry, we emphasize at every turn we get.” The University of South Carolina holds an annual college sports research conference.courtesy of university of south carolina One of the larger campus gatherings that includes panels and connects alumni from a sports management program straddles the definition of a conference. Next week, Ohio University will host its 51st Sports Administration Symposium, an annual gathering open only to masters’ students, alumni and the occasional invited guest with ties to the program. With nearly 2,000 graduates from what was the nation’s first sports-focused master’s degree program, Ohio typically attracts 150 to 200 alumni for a two-day event that includes panels, student presentations, awards ceremonies and social events. The event begins on Friday morning, with a women in sports breakfast that includes a panel moderated by a student. That’s followed by panels featuring alumni who graduated 10 years ago and five years ago, who share career stories and discuss industry trends. The afternoon has current students presenting abridged versions of several capstone consulting projects, which last year included explorations of NIL, cryptocurrency and digital media. That’s followed by student and alumni awards, and then a dinner that honors a distinguished alum. Saturday is social with golf and, beginning this year, pickleball. “There are always some [job] interviews going on,” said Matt Cacciato, director of Ohio’s MSA program and executive director of its AECOM Center for Sports Administration. “There are conversations that start and, all of a sudden, an alum of 10 or 20 years has made a move based on a conversation that started here. There is some hiring of the free agents [students from the current graduating class]. We generally are able to place a handful of those coming out of the symposium.” Students join a lunch-and-learn event at this year’s UMass sports business conference on campus. courtesy of umass The high profile that rapidly developed around Michigan’s conference, which followed the massive growth of MIT Sloan’s, has led Ohio to contemplate opening its event to a broader audience, Cacciato said. But the program worried that doing so would water down what has been its strength for decades: The power of its alumni network to help launch and develop careers in sports. “Sometimes we look kind of aspirationally at some of these other conferences out there,” Cacciato said. “But I think it’s most important for us to stay true to the legacy and serve those immediate stakeholders and partners and friends that have been with us for a number of years. If all we do is keep the network strong and keep improving each other, that is the main focus of our quote-unquote conference — connecting and energizing the alumni base.”
Springer Nature supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the researchers and practitioners in policy and business tirelessly working towards them. For International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination we spoke to Kay Formanek, CEO & founder of ‘Diversity & Performance’ and author of Beyond D&I - Leading Diversity with Purpose and Inclusiveness (Palgrave Macmillan). For the last 30 years I have worked to advance equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) through my advisory work and also in my role of leadership coach. During my 25 years in Accenture, as Partner and Managing Director, I was the lead of our D&I work in The Netherlands and also sponsoring partner for our global talent potential program. I retired from Accenture with the objective of committing the next chapter of my career to supporting leaders of diversity within their organization. I felt compelled to create a strategic narrative for diversity that is underpinned by science and a shared vocabulary for diversity, equity and inclusion. I founded the organization – now global – called Diversity and Performance that works with more than 50 clients around the world on their diversity journey for delivering results. I am passionate about the diversity work in not-for-profit organizations such as global NGO’s. This is the work that I am progressing with these committed organizations and now captured on the book “Beyond D&I: Leading Diversity with Inclusiveness and Purpose”. A large part of my work is making leaders and organizations aware of bias, why it occurs, how to mitigate it and create equity within the organization. In addition, there are many policies and practices that an organization can put in place to stamp out racism on the work floor. This is not only about having a zero tolerance policy for discrimination, racism and sexism on the work floor, but the safe environment to report such incidents and the capability to deal with it at source. In response to the killing of George Floyd and the BLM movement around the world, most organizations are taking action to educate their members on the history of slavery and colonialism and how this has translated to the systemic and personal bias that occurs daily. These organizations have created a diversity development journey where their members explore what it means to be inclusive, to understand the history of racism and to develop the skills to create a more inclusive environment through supporting dialogue and sharing. My long term goal is to move diversity from being a check-box, window-dressing, side issue, to being a strategic pillar in the board room and leadership team. Research has been clear: diversity will be fundamental to the very survival of each organization. Given our complex environment, that becomes more complex and diverse each day, it will be those organizations that have diversity of perspectives and specialization and backgrounds that will be better placed to navigate this change. I often say that diversity is not easy, but diversity is essential to the longevity of organizations. The short term goals are connected to the long term goals: I wish to bring diversity to the board room by having the diversity discussions in the board room (goal is 100 more organizations in the next year); I wish to equip leaders with the awareness, the skills and the methodology to liberate the benefits of diversity through the certification program and the handbook for diversity, Beyond D&I (2000 certifications in the next 2 years); I wish to support inclusive leadership through coaching the top leaders to be inclusive leaders (50 new leaders coached in the next 2 years); and I wish to support bias and racism being stamped out by educating organizations how history and daily practices support the institution of racism (workshops implemented across 100 of the Fortune 500). This is an extract from Chapter 1, that answers the question nicely. In this new era of stakeholder value, maximizing shareholder profit is no longer considered a corporation’s primary duty. Instead, creating value for all stakeholders is the new organizational mandate. Stakeholders—customers, consumers, employees, citizens— expect institutions to step up and do their part to address the daunting global social and environmental challenges we face, not least growing inequity. And as #MeToo and #BLM show, they are making their voices heard loud and clear. This rallying cry for change is loudest among Generation Z (Gen Z), who will soon eclipse Millennials as the most populous generation on earth—more than one-third of the world’s population. Gen Zers are the most connected and ethnically and racially diverse generation and they are calling for a more equitable and sustainable world. This matters to the strategic leader, because it is Gen Z who will soon make up the majority of voters, citizens, consumers and the future global talent pool. The priorities embraced by Gen Z are also being advanced on the global stage through the United Nations 2030 Agenda. This ambitious global roadmap sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a cross-cutting commitment to “leave no one behind” and target support towards vulnerable populations first. Equity is a central theme throughout Agenda 2030, and it includes a standalone goal to achieve ‘Reduced Inequalities’ both within and between countries. In spite of pockets of ‘progress,’ SDG10 is considered to be one of the goals most unlikely to be met and inequalities are actually growing in most countries, not shrinking. Tackling complex challenges like inequality cannot be done by any single institution and all organizations have a role to play in driving progress on the SDGs. To ensure they are aligned with stakeholder expectations, leaders can use the blueprint of the 2030 Agenda as a roadmap not only for how they run their organizations, but how they create value for society going forward. I subscribe and support the goals that have been established for “Reduced Inequality”, #10 of the Sustainable Development Goals. From my own work, goals 10.2 and 10.3 are aligned to my work. Goal 10.2: “by 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status”. And Goal: 10.3 “Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard”. I would have liked to see the SDG’s, targets and global indicators to have been more explicit about the eradication of systemic racism and racial and ethnic discrimination. Clearly racism constitutes a global barrier to human development and it becomes critical to be able to track whether progress is being made in reducing the scourge of racism or not. I have created a list of 7 initiatives that each and every organizations should put in place to shut out racism in the workplace and ensure the mitigation of unconscious racial bias: Kay Formanek is a global speaker on Diversity and Inclusion, visiting lecturer at leading business schools and Founder of Diversity and Performance BV, which is committed to unleashing the power of Diversity Performance within profit and not-for-profit organizations. Within this role, Kay offers advisory and research services, including coaching for inclusive and strategic diversity leaders. Her proven approach to leading diversity strategically draws on extensive research and advisory work with over 50 organizations. She is the author of Beyond D&I: Leading Diversity with Purpose and Inclusiveness.
A – Izeth Of Hussein’s Haram Politics One should be rather wary of taking on Mr. because he claims to be one the five great diplomats of the world. With such self-proclaimed credentials – he has yet to name the other four greats which will indicate the true measure of his greatness! – one expects his justification for Siri-Wicky regime’s co-sponsorship of the latest UNHRC Resolution, (see ), to be a solid counterweight to silence the rising opposition to it. But all what he has done is to add the concept of “sovereignty” to his list of harams. Earlier he said haram to President Mahinda Rajapaksa kissing the tarmac when he alighted from his plane at Katunayake airport, celebrating the victory over the Tamil Tiger terrorists. He said kissing the tarmac (an imported product) was haram. Instead he wanted Rajapaksa do what the Caliph who conquered Constantinople did : bathe in sand.
Review Summary: “Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand…” -- Robert E. Howard Conan the Barbarian, the most famous character in the works of Robert E. Howard, has inspired numerous art pieces and even found his way into the realm of metal as well in the works of several bands. Among them, the French outfit, Nemedian Chronicles, stands out, commemorating the Cimmerian's adventures in their debut, a masterfully crafted cinematic heavy/power metal album. The album kicks off with the incredibly epic intro, "Nemedian Chronicles," which leads into Conan's story with a narration reminiscent of classic sword and sorcery film scores (using Howard's own words ). At this point, one can already feel the tremendous amount of work poured into this album, making it an ideal introduction to the album: an instantly immersing experience. The album's “second intro” seamlessly shepperds the audience into the "realm of guitars", as "Born on a Battlefield" functions as a clever shift from orchestral music to cinematic heavy metal. Personally, these two tracks were my favorites throughout the album, as they captivated me with their epic atmosphere and melodic richness. The true metal journey begins with the song "Venarium," stylistically reminiscent of bands like Blind Guardian and Hammerfall (with a touch of Manowar-esque “barbarism”). The songwriting is praiseworthy, each song has its own character, skillfully exploring different aspects of Conan's adventures - this is a particularly enjoyable experience for those familiar with the novels. Altogether The Savage Sword contains excellent compositions, plenty of great riffs, solos, and, notably, beautiful vocals throughout the album. Speaking of singing, Alexandre Duffau's performance really stands out, as he’s confidently singing in both lower and higher registers. Additionally, the choirs in certain tracks (such as "Tower of the Elephant" or "The Song of Red Sonja") are also fantastic, and these had an important role in maintaining an epic atmosphere. I would especially commend the aforementioned two tracks, as they demonstrate that the guys in Nemedian Chronicles have no difficulty crafting longer songs (nearly nine minutes each). It's also worth highlighting the album's sole instrumental piece, "Black Lotus / The Curse of Thog," which incorporates Eastern/Egyptian melodies, adding a unique flavor to the album. This kind of creativity was exactly what’s necessary to prevent an album from becoming monotonous, despite having a quite lengthy duration (more than seventy minutes). In my opinion, the only downside here is that there could have been more interludes on the album, such as one or two pieces evoking cinematic sensations similar to the intro, “Nemedian Chronicles”. In my opinion, The Savage Sword is an exceptionally strong heavy/power metal album. Its thematic choice is particularly compelling, as it irresistibly draws listeners into this epic realm - not to mention the great riffs! I wholeheartedly recommend this album to those who enjoy Blind Guardian or the Conan novels.
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Christmas Videos from St. Luke's to You. This Christmas has so far been like no other and we knowthat the festivities will be very different this year. We have missed the usual busy times of Discos, Christmas Fair, Carol Services, Concerts etc.... We have had our virtual visit by Santa and virtual pantomime too. So to round off the term, enjoy two pieces of film. Class 2C have been learning to play the recorder this term. Take a look at a performance during this week. And finally - enjoy the motage of Christmas Songs from our staff team here at St. Luke's We wish you all a safe and happy Christmas.
Multilingualism of Frisian children: Evelyn Bosma wins Keetje Hodshon Prize Postdoc and linguist Evelyn Bosma receives the Keetje Hodshon Prize for her dissertation. For her research on the multilingualism of Frisian children, Bosma previously won the Klokhuis Science Prize and the Campus Fryslân Science Prize. For her dissertation Bosma studied the multilingualism of Frisian children: they grow up while speaking Frisian at home and Dutch in school. Does this have advantages or disadvantages? And where do these differences come from? Bosma continued this research in her postdoc and took several language and cognitive tests from pupils between five and eight years old to map out the different aspects of this multilingualism. For this purpose she used, among other things, eye-tracking techniques. With this new technique she could follow the eye movement of children while they were reading sentences in Frisian and Dutch, and was able to measure how quickly they registered words in a certain language. Because in her research, Bosma looked at two languages that are closely related to each other, she contributed to a better general understanding of how children, and therefore people, store words in their memory. ‘An energetic and versatile researcher’ Bosma's dissertation, Bilingualism and cognition: the acquisition of Frisian and Dutch, is described as ‘very well organised’ and ‘analysed in great detail’. The choice to investigate Dutch and Frisian is unique, because usually studies on multilingualism deal with situations of two standard languages, instead of a national language and a regional language. Bosma’s research results, however, extend far beyond the Frisian context, as more and more children have a multilingual upbringing. The Royal Holland Society of Sciences (KHMW), that awards the prize, expresses appreciation for Bosma’s research but also for her energy and versatility. Her publications on the subject also stood out: all the core chapters of her dissertation appeared in leading international scientific journals, many of those even before her PhD defence. For one of the follow-up studies, which was mentioned earlier in this article, Bosma collaborated with Linguistics alumna Naomi Nota. This led not only to an international publication, but also to much attention in the Dutch media and them winning the Klokhuis Science Prize: 4000 young Klokhuis viewers chose this research as their favourite. Bosma previously won Campus Fryslân Science Prize for her research, which is awarded to young scientists in the Friesland region. Last week she was also nominated for . the Gratama Science Prize of the Leiden University Fund, which will be awarded this summer to one of the nominees. The Keetje Hodshonprijs is awarded by the Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (KHMW). The incentive prize is intended for researchers who have completed their PhD no more than five years ago and who make a contribution in the field of the humanities. The prize also includes a cash prize of €12,500.
Separating AI fact from fiction at the AI & Society Conference Researchers and policymakers are welcome to attend the AI & Society Conference in The Hague on Friday 23 June. The SAILS interdisciplinary research programme will be taking a nuanced look at the state of the art of AI technology. And offering fresh perspectives. Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides inspiration galore for dreamers and doomsayers alike. The free AI & Society conference aims to separate AI fact from fiction amid all the fierce debate. The SAILS (Society, Artificial Intelligence & Life Sciences) research programme is interdisciplinary, which means Leiden’s researchers will be able to consider the impact of AI technology from every possible perspective. ‘We think it’s important to share this knowledge, particularly now there is so much commotion about AI’, says co-organiser and researcher Anne Meuwese. She gives the familiar example of ChatGPT: useful tool or language model that will make masses of jobs obsolete? ‘We have to see ChatGPT for what it is: a tool that writes texts based on existing online sources. And yes, the tool will become much better in the future at finding sources and making links. But it can’t create original new data. Experts think there is a limit to the extent to which ChatGPT can be improved.’ ChatGPT and other large language models will be covered extensively at the conference. And Meuwese stresses that it is important to focus on the positive ways AI can be put to use in society. ‘Promoting diversity in society, for instance. We’re devoting a separate panel to that at the conference.’ These are the kinds of nuances and new perspectives that will emerge during the conference. The event is primarily intended for policymakers, academics and people who work in the world of AI in the wider sense. ‘But everyone is welcome. A broad societal discussion about AI is what is needed’, Meuwese adds. What can visitors expect? ‘A fresh perspective – what exactly is going on in all the subfields of AI? And specific options for the balance that many professionals in this sector are struggling with: the balance between using innovations and being aware of developments in society.’ Meuwese, a professor and, among others, a researcher into EU legislation on AI, sees policy makers in the Netherlands struggling with the timing of AI legislation. ‘Many of them are finding it difficult to know what they themselves can do right now while negotiations are taking place on the AI Act in Brussels and the AI Treaty in Strasbourg. You need a good idea of the state of the art of AI to make these decisions. And that is what we will be offering at this conference.’ The same state of the art is obviously also important for academics within and outside Leiden University. They can be sure of discussions at the cutting edge of science, with plenty of time for more in-depth discussions during panels and networking opportunities. Meuwese is looking forward to the different perspectives on AI that will emerge during the conference. ‘AI is seeping into more and more organisations. Kathleen Ferrier from UNESCO will be speaking too. I can’t wait to hear her perspective. I hope to have a better picture of all the views on AI by the end of the day.’ AI & Society conference When: Friday 23 June, 13:00-17:00 Where: Wijnhaven, The Hague More information and registration: https://aiandsociety.nl/
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How we provide support Requests from other Departments at the University of Oxford usually fall within one of the following categories: Ad-hoc advisory services We provide advice on design, analysis, or interpretation. We will ask you for a description and documentation of the study and problem, which we review before scheduling a consultation meeting. We charge a minimum of 1 hour and usually no more than 4 hours, unless the question or study is complex and additional hours are agreed. Unfortunately, we generally do not have capacity to support MSc students. We also cannot conduct analysis or extensive syntax review for a DPhil thesis, but can provide guidance to DPhil students. The ad-hoc turnaround time is around one week from request to the consultancy meeting. Read about some of the ad-hoc support we have recently provided. We conduct statistical work for your project according to an agreed scope of work. The level of effort depends on what is requested, but may start from 2 days for a simple power calculation or analysis and would be considerably higher for large pieces of analysis. This type of work usually starts with a meeting to discuss the objectives, data etc and we would agree on the scope of work and timelines. Some of our work in this area might be statistical troubleshooting, but we always appreciate being involved early on, ideally at the time of writing your statistical analysis plan. Read more about some of the statistical work we have done. You have done an absolutely splendid job. Thank you so very much. Everything has been explained very clearly and the graphs are excellent. If you are in the process of applying for a grant, you may decide to include us as statisticians on a grant proposal. This will be particularly relevant if you require longer-term support throughout your project. Ideally, you would involve us early on to support the development of the statistical sections in your grant proposal, but we are also very happy to support projects at later stages. Read more about how we have collaborated in research projects. There is generally a fee charged for our services. In exceptional cases, we provide statistical support pro bono. This may apply to requests from central University functions or when the context of the project warrants a pro bono contribution. Thank you both again, not only for the incredibly comprehensive analysis you have undertaken for us, but for taking the time for our call with you this morning. It was really helpful, and I personally feel I have a much clearer understanding now. Researchers, staff and DPhil students can schedule a one-on-one appointment with one of our consultants to discuss their specific questions. Contact us with a short description of your statistical question: [email protected] or use our contact form.
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HOW TO MEASURE: Take a shirt that fits comfortably. Lay it flat on the ground and grab a measuring tape. Width (A): Take measure from the stitching under one armpit across the chest to the stitching on the other side. Length (B): Take measure from the highest shoulder point down to the hem. Compare your measurements to the table above. If you are between sizes or prefer a loose fit, take the bigger size. Wash inside out at 30°C with similar colors. Do not tumble dry and do not iron the print! If you are unsure, just ask your mom!
The annual running costs of St. Mary’s is around £95,000, all of which has to be raised through the local church in the following ways... As well as offering our time and talents in the service of God, members of the Church family are called to support the work of St. Mary’s financially — around a third of the annual budget is raised in this way! This generous giving of money can be done in a planned and regular way through using an envelope or, best of all, by setting-up a standing-order with the bank. If you would like more information, please contact our Stewardship Co-ordinator through the church office. It is also possible for the Church to receive extra money through Gift Aid on all appropriately recorded donations from current tax-payers. Collections and Donations The systematic financial support of St. Mary’s through our Stewardship Scheme is supplemented by congregational collections at our various acts of worship, as well as one-off donations that are always welcome. Fees are also received for any weddings or funerals (but not baptisms) and for various churchyard services (e.g. grave reservations and the interment of ashes) - a table of fees can be found inside the Church porch and is also available from the Parish Office. St. Mary’s has a regular round of social and fundraising events organised by the Fundraising Committee (Harvest Supper, Safari Supper, Art Exhibition, Summer Fair and Raffle, Open gardens, Tower Tours and the annual Christmas Fayre), as well as hosting stalls at local events. From time to time, money is generously left to St. Mary’s in people’s wills, for which we are always thankful. A PCC Legacy policy will be available later in the year. Please contact Revd David if you have any questions on legacies.
Welcome to St Mary's Primary School Crookwell Crookwell is a small, picturesque rural town located in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales. The town is at a relatively high altitude at 980m and there are occasional snowfalls during the winter months. The nearest major centres to Crookwell include the city of Goulburn, a scenic 30 minute drive and Australia's Capital Territory, just over 1 hour away. We would love for you to visit us to see learning in action at St Mary's. Book a tour today.
"The whole world opened up to me when I learned to read." Mary Mcleod Bethune At St Mary’s, we recognise the fundamental importance of reading for a child’s academic achievement, access to the curriculum, wellbeing and success later in life. We prioritise reading, the importance of language and vocabulary and the love of stories and books in our school. It is our mission to ensure that every child at St Mary’s becomes a fluent and successful reader. We recognise reading as being the key to all learning so, it is our mission to ensure that all children succeed in this area. We have high expectations of our learners and encourage children to read regularly and widely, for the purpose of both education and enjoyment. Children are exposed to high quality texts by a range of authors through both guided reading sessions and through pre-planned cross-curricular topic links. We aim to inspire children through author visits, reading challenges, themed days and supported use of our library. Above all, we want children in our school to become enthusiastic, independent and reflective readers who love and enjoy reading. We believe that fluent readers are able to read words accurately and effortlessly. They recognise words and phrases instantly on sight. A minimal amount of cognitive energy is expended in decoding the words. This means, then, that the maximum amount of a reader’s cognitive energy can be directed to the all-important task of making sense of the text. Wow! What a brilliant Book Week we have had! The Book at Bedtime event was a real success and it was lovely to see so many children choosing to come back to school to enjoy a story. The hot chocolates went down well and the teachers much preferred it to their usual staff meetings! We were blown away by the fabulous costumes which were created for World Book Day on Friday. We have some very creative families and it was wonderful to see such a wide variety of characters - we’re very well-read in Timsbury! The children took part in a range of activities and competitions across the course of the week. We designed book sleeves for mystery books, completed book reviews, made our own bookmarks, read with different classes and took part in online events. To recognise all of the winners in the Book Week Competitions as well as our Extreme Readers, our Celebration Assembly had to be far longer than usual. Thank you so much for your support this week with costumes, entering competitions and making our first Book at Bedtimea success. We look forward to many more events like this one and hope it has inspired the children to pick up a book! What a fabulous day we had last Friday at our first Young Readers Event. There was a real buzz around the school and it was even labelled ‘the best school day ever’ by Aidan in Year 3! The day was filled with lots of story-telling and reading and ended with the children choosing their very own book to take home and keep. This is the first of three Young Readers Events, we hope the day sparked excitement and has the children eager for the next one. Our day had a Teddy Bear’s Picnic theme and involved us making book-themed bunting for our classrooms, decorating cupcakes to look like teddy bears, and going on a Bear Hunt on the school grounds. We then tucked into the yummy cupcakes whilst sharing our new books. It was lovely to see the children in Lions, Badgers, and Foxes working together, helping one another and having lots of fun. The single most important thing you can do to help your child progress in their word reading and comprehension skills, and develop a life-long love of reading, is to read stories and books to them as often as possible. A bedtime story routine isn’t just a nightly calming technique for your little one; it also gives them an excellent opportunity to look at possibly new words and sentences with your support, develop their questioning and comprehension skills and spark their imaginations. Any spare moments you find to read to your children is time well spent investing in their academic achievement. Make sure you know what the reading home learning expectations are for your child’s year group. In Reception it is essential that your child practises their reading daily to secure their phonics knowledge. In Key Stage 1, to support children’s journey to being fluent, there are high expectations for daily reading to be completed with an adult at home. Ask your child’s class teacher what the expectations are and how you can help them develop their word reading and comprehension skills at your earliest opportunity. Ensure you know what your child’s reading strengths and weaknesses are by staying in contact with your child’s class teacher and hearing your child read daily. Is there a particular phonics sound they find difficult to remember? Do they find it tricky to remember certain words and have to keep sounding them out each time? Do they find it difficult to retell a story in order, or predict what might happen next in a book? Give your child a little bit of extra help to develop these areas.
We are Stoke Gifford’s number one independent news source, covering Stoke Gifford ‘village’, Little Stoke and Harry Stoke. Our website is included in the prestigious Google News index and our social media channels have over 5,000 followers. The Stoke Gifford Journal Magazine UPDATE: We’re saddened to announce that the May 2022 issue (no. 29) of our magazine will be the last. Scroll down the page to find out about advertising opportunities on our website. The Stoke Gifford Journal magazine (first published in October 2018) is delivered NEAR-MONTHLY* to 5,000 homes in Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke and Harry Stoke. A further 200 copies of the magazine are placed at public locations across the area, including community centres, schools, doctors’ surgeries, dental surgeries, pubs and takeaways. Total monthly distribution: 5,200 copies * Nine issues per year; no magazine published in April, August or December. Read the latest issue Click the image below to read he May 2022 issue of our magazine online. To read all previous issues of our magazine, visit https://issuu.com/stokegiffordjournal Advertising in our magazine We offer spaces ranging from twelfth-page (58mm W x 50mm H) to full-page (180mm W x 250mm H). Prices for magazine advertising start from just £13 per month. Find out more about advertising in our magazine: Stoke Gifford Journal Magazine We can insert your A5 (or similar size) leaflet in or magazine. Find out more about our leaflet insertion service: Leaflet Distribution Our website has run over 600 news stories and published more than 100 pages of community information since it was launched in early 2012. The website is fully responsive, meaning that its layout adapts automatically to suit the type device on which it is being viewed (e.g. desktop, laptop, iPad or other tablet, smartphone). In May 2020, Google Analytics shows our readership having a device mix of 60 percent smartphone, 30 percent desktop or laptop and 10 percent tablet. Advertising on our website Banner advertising slots are available as follows: - On the front page (wide banner at top of the page, deeper banner further down the page) - In the sidebar* (top, middle and bottom positions) - Within the text flow of recent news stories - On specific business directory and other information pages * Note that the sidebar appears as shown in the image above on desktop, laptop and iPad (in landscape orientation). On smaller devices, the sidebar drops down below the main content, meaning that it is less prominent (although the adverts it contains do appear larger in this mode). Prices for website banner advertising range from £5 to £30 per month. We can run a sponsored post (a.k.a. advertorial) on our website for a charge of £50. Posts are accepted at our discretion. In accordance with ASA rules, such posts will be prominently marked as SPONSORED or ADVERTORIAL. Interested? Please Contact Us for further details. Local companies are entitled to a free basic listing in the A-Z Business Directory on our website. An entry can include: - Name of business - One line (approx 60 characters) description of services offered - Address (if applicable) - Telephone number - Website address (if applicable) - Facebook page (if applicable) Free entries are provided at the editor’s discretion and we may ask you to reciprocate the favour, e.g. by including a link to the Stoke Gifford Journal on your website or Facebook page. Send us your details now via our Contact Us page! Enhanced directory listing Your business appears top of the listings in a section of the Town Guide (A-Z Business Directory) on our website, and includes a promotional image. Costs just £30 per half-year (equivalent to £5 per month).
Coorparoo Flower Delivery When you are looking for a floral gift for a loved one or work colleague the friendly staff at Stones Corner Flower Shop can design something amazing! Order before 12 noon Monday - Friday for your same day Coorparoo flower delivery. Or you can organise a free pickup from our Stones Corner pickup location. Flowers Delivered Coorparoo Choosing Stones Corner Flower Shop means you have chosen a florist that has made a considered decision to provide you with the freshest flowers while causing the least possible harm to our environment. Where ever possible we source locally and Australian grown flowers, so sending a flower gift to Coorparoo will be an environmentally friendly gift. Coorparoo Gifts Delivered Stones Corner Flower Shop stocks a wide variety of floral gifts for all occasions whether you need to send Thank You Flowers or Anniversary Flowers we’ve got you covered. We also stock a beautiful range of hanpers and other non floral gifts! Coorparoo is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is about 4 kilometres south-east of the Central Business District. The suburb is on the eastern side of Norman Creek, a southern tributary of the Brisbane River. It bounds Camp Hill, Holland Park, Stones Corner, Greenslopes, East Brisbane and Norman Park. History of Coorparoo The suburb was formerly known as Four Mile Camp and was renamed at a public meeting on 22 March 1875. Coorparoo was probably derived from an Aboriginal word that describes Norman Creek and its tributaries. It refers to mosquitoes, or possibly the sound made by a dove. Tourist Attractions in Coorparoo Coorparoo has several places to visit. There are cool cafes, wetland, funky bars, boutique cinemas and delicious global eateries just within the suburb. Tiny Tree Café, a charming café, antique store and garden nursery specialising in bonsai trees. Dendy Cinema, one of Australia’s leading independent cinema chains that offers a broad and varied range of movies and performing arts content. Bowie’s Flat Wetland which is an artificial wetland with deck shelters and a couple of picnic tables. Schools and Sports in Coorparoo Coorparoo State School and Coorparoo Secondary College are the state schools in the suburb. There are also Catholic schools including St James Primary School, Loreto College Coorparoo, Mt Carmel Primary school, and Villanova College. Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club, a rugby league club based at Langlands Park. Brisbane Lions, a professional Australian rules football club, train at Giffin Park. Also, Peter Burge Oval is the home ground of Coorparoo Cricket Club.
The Ashley Reeves Story is an inspiring of strength and courage based on the extraordinary true story of a typical teenage girl. Ashley Reeve was living an ordinary life in Wisconsin when she became ill with a rare disorder that threatened her very existence. For three years, she battled for her life, first against the disorder in the hospital, then against disbelieving doctors and finally against time as she struggled to find a cure. Every day during her journey brought new challenges, from painful medical procedures to financial strains caused by costly treatments. Despite being faced with unimaginable odds, Ashley refused to give up hope and continued to fight for her health and happiness. As she navigated the trials of her illness, she found solace in sharing her story with others who had similar experiences and through it gained incredible resilience. Ashley Reeves: The Real Story Behind the Lifetime Movie 17-year-old Ashley Reeves was a high school junior who was residing in Millstadt, a village in Illinois, with her parents and younger sister Casey. She was doing well in school, had many friends and even a boyfriend named Jeremy, who was adored by her parents. Ashley was eagerly awaiting graduation. Little did she know that just a year before she was set to walk across the stage, Ashley would experience the unbelievable and live to tell her story. Rise & Fall of Ashley Reeves’ Life On Thursday, April 27, 2006, Ashley instructed her dad and mom she become going to a activity interview in Fairview Heights, a metropolis approximately 20 minutes faraway from Millstadt. Ashley instructed her dad and mom she might play basketball after the interview and could be domestic by way of her 10 pm curfew. Ashley Reeves carried a alternate of garments and left for the interview at three:30 pm in Jeremy’s vehicle, which she had borrowed for the day. By 10:30 pm, curfew had come and long gone, yet there has been no signal of Ashley. Her mom, Michelle, asked her youngest daughter Casey if she had spoken to Ashley, however Casey said she hadn’t heard from her sister all day. Michelle and Casey called Ashley several instances and left more than one text messages, however she never answered, in contrast to her. Following her intestine feel that something had long gone wrong, Michelle referred to as St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office. At first, officers had been sure Ashley turned into out along with her friends and had misplaced music of time, but 8 hours into the investigation, they found Jeremy’s car deserted in Laderman Park, Belleville, 15 mins faraway from Ashley’s domestic. Investigators determined Ashley’s bag in the car, which contained the clothes she would have worn had she long past to play basketball. Detectives quick found out this wasn’t a normal case of a rebellious teenager resisting her dad and mom’ strict curfew; this become a lacking individual research, and time become of the essence. Detectives added Jeremy in for thinking due to the fact that he changed into Ashley’s boyfriend and it become his car she were using, but they fast understood he was no longer concerned in her disappearance. Jeremy advised detectives he had permit Ashley borrow his car to go to a activity interview followed by means of a basketball sport. Detectives questioned why Ashley would play basketball at a park up to now faraway from her domestic while there has been one right in her neighborhood. Unless she changed into assembly a person. While detectives inched closer inside the search for Ashley, Michelle called the cellphone employer; considering Ashley become most effective 17, her phone become in her mom’s name. She become capable of get access to her phone information detailing all of her incoming and outgoing calls. Michelle went thru the information and found out there have been several calls from one particular wide variety. Michelle known as the variety and connected with 26-12 months-vintage Samson Shelton. Michelle asked Samson if he had visible or heard from Ashley. He said no, and before she ought to question why he changed into speaking together with her teenage daughter, he hung up the phone. Fortunately, Ashley kept her pals up to date on her private life and what they told detectives sent chills down Michelle’s backbone. According to Ashley’s friends, she become romantically worried with an older man. The two might often acquire to play basketball collectively, and Ashley had plans to meet him the day she went missing. That man turned into Samson Shelton. Samson become a motive force’s ed instructor and gymnasium educate at a nearby excessive school. He turned into additionally a seasoned wrestler on the facet. Unsurprisingly, his nickname changed into “The teacher.” Some of Samson’s lady college students cited him as the “lovable” teacher; others notion he turned into odd and a bit full of himself. Detectives located that Samson turned into Ashley’s trainer in 2001 when she became within the seventh grade. They had reconnected in February 2006, two months earlier than she went lacking. They regularly met in Belleville, in which Samson lived with his mother and grandmother, near Laderman Park, wherein detectives located Jeremy’s deserted car. It changed into now Friday, April 28, and Ashley have been lacking for a whole night time. Michelle became conquer with ache as worrying thoughts crossed her thoughts: Was Ashley bloodless? Was she harm? Was she suffering? Detectives went to the high faculty wherein Samson labored and took him in for questioning. Almost quickly, they knew he became worried in Ashley’s disappearance. At first, Samson saved a fab and calm attitude; he changed into pleasant, polite or even cooperative with the investigation. However, as detectives uncovered increasingly more of his deceptions, the fact started out to spill out of his mouth. When puzzled about his dating with Ashley, Samson said the 2 have been sincerely friends who hardly ever met to play basketball. Samson maintained his dating with Ashley became strictly platonic, however whilst faced with statements from Ashley’s pals that their courting became romantic and sexual, he modified his tale in a desperate try to victimize himself. Samson informed detectives Ashley had emerge as curious about him. He painted the image of an obsessed teenager with a crush who called him in any respect hours of the day and night. Samson stated he have been heading off Ashley for days, hoping she would leave him by myself. Several hours into the interrogation, Samson showed that not only did he have sex together with his former student, however he became with Ashley on April 27, the day she went lacking. According to Samson, he turned into using while he were given into an argument with Ashley. He wanted to end the relationship, however Ashley were given upset and commenced screaming at him. He pulled over, free Ashley’s seatbelt and instructed her to get out of the automobile. When she resisted, he pulled her out and left her on the side of the street. Samson insisted Ashley turned into nonetheless alive while he closing noticed her, that there was no way he might have harm her due to the fact he had a ‘very susceptible belly.‘ Samson said he cared for Ashley and become simply as involved for her well-being as her circle of relatives, however could someone who cared for another drop them stranded on the side of the street within the darkish? Phone facts showed Samson in no way even attempted to name Ashley later on to see if she turned into safe. Instead, he went to a local us of a bar and danced the night away. Samson’s tale had modified so commonly. Detectives did no longer agree with a phrase he said. They pleaded for him to inform the truth; Ashley had now been lacking for nearly thirty hours, and time became strolling out. It changed into most effective while detectives mentioned the frustration Samson’s grandmother would sense toward his movements that he commenced to cry. 12 hours into the interrogation, Samson defined in bloodless and annoying detail exactly what he had completed to Ashley and wherein he had left her to die. According to Samson’s videotaped confession, he didn’t simply pull Ashley out of his car and leave her at the facet of the street. The part-time seasoned wrestler placed the teenager in a chokehold and dragged her out of his vehicle. He then heard a loud pop, and Ashley went limp. Realizing he had snapped her neck, Samson panicked and pulled her into the woods, in which he strangled her with his naked fingers. When he found out Ashley become nevertheless breathing, he strangled her again together with his belt. Using his foot for leverage, Samson positioned the belt around Ashley’s neck and pulled as difficult as he may want to until the belt snapped. After the belt broke, Samson choked Ashley a third and very last time along with his hands earlier than starting up and leaving her to die at the bloodless hard floor deep inside the woods. Following his confession, Samson agreed to lead detectives to Ashley’s body in Citizens Park, a 45-acre park in Belleville placed best 12 minutes faraway from Ashley’s domestic. However, it had rained for the duration of the night, and after they arrived at the park, Samson could not remember precisely wherein he had left Ashley. Armed with flashlights, detectives frantically searched during the woods for thirty mins. As they commenced to question whether or not it became all a trick by means of Samson, they eventually saw Ashley. She turned into lying on her back; her palms had been as much as her chest. Her tongue become protruding of her mouth, and loads of insect bites protected her body. As the frustration of being unable to save Ashley in time washed over detectives, her palms all at once moved. Then, her chest started out to rise. Ashley was alive. Miraculously, after being tried 3 instances to strangle nearly to demise and left within the bloodless for over thirty hours, Ashley had survived. EMTs rushed to the scene and transported her to the local medical institution, where she became put into an induced coma. Detectives knew the significance of the primary 48 hours and wasted no time inside the search for the lacking youngster. Had they no longer been able to convince Samson to steer them to her, it’s far fantastically not likely Ashley could have been located in time. Samson changed into arrested and charged with first-degree tried homicide. As he become taken into custody, Samson asked for a private lavatory. He said he suffered from a urinary stress disorder and would be ‘miserable’ if he was pressured to urinate in the front of others. His request become right away denied. Samson proved to be a true narcissist who confirmed no empathy and no guilt for his actions. Despite his specific confession and the fact that he led detectives to Ashley, he pleaded not responsible and in no way apologized to her. What Happened to Narcissists Samson Shelton Then? Shockingly, Samson was launched on bail and placed on house arrest; a man who had snapped a teen’s neck, strangled her 3 times and left her for lifeless deep inside the woods became allowed to live inside the comfort of his own home for a whole 12 months as he predicted trial. Just earlier than Samson faced expenses of attempted homicide in court, his mom Susan phoned the police stating he had tried to devote suicide by way of eating a concoction of various prescription pills and alcohol. When deputies and emergency responders arrived at Samson’s home, they located him seemingly subconscious with the phrases, ‘do no longer resuscitate‘ written on his chest. As EMTs tried to revive Samson, he all of sudden became alert and began attacking them with punches. He changed into then transported to the local sanatorium, wherein he allegedly made racial slurs towards a nurse and kicked her inside the face. The judge presiding over Ashley’s case questioned Samson’s mental country, but prosecutors believed his suicide attempt become only a manner for him to gain empathy from capacity jurors. A month later, a psychiatrist decided Samson was mentally in a position to face trial. Still, Ashley’s circle of relatives determined they did not need her to go through thru a retelling of the horrifying attack she had suffered on April 27 and signed off on a plea deal. Samson widespread the plea deal and was sentenced to twenty years in prison. According to the Illinois Department of Corrections, his projected parole date is April 22, 2024. Where is Ashley Reeves Now? Ashley made an impossible recovery. Although she couldn’t remember the day Samson attempted to take her existence, Ashley refused to allow his offensive actions prevent her from pleasurable her dreams. A few months after the assault, the distinctly robust and brave youngster had relearned how to talk, eat and drink. A 12 months later, she graduated from excessive school and began volunteering at a violence prevention middle.
The Strata Florida Trust (SFT) is a charitable company whose objectives are to preserve the historical and architectural heritage of the Great Abbey Farm buildings at Strata Florida and advance the education of the public with regards Strata Florida and its surrounding landscape and heritage. This Policy sets out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us will be handled by us. Please read this policy carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it. If you have any questions about our data protection policy and practices please contact us: [email protected] SFT and your personal data Our legal basis for collecting and using your personal data The law requires us to have one or more of the 6 lawful grounds to collect and use your personal information. The following are relevant to the purposes set out above: - Where you have given your consent. This consent can be withdrawn. - Where there is a contract and the use is necessary for the performance of the contract or to take steps at your request prior to entering into it. - Where there is a legal obligation. For example, to share your personal information with staff. - Where SFT has a “legitimate interest” in the collection and use. The law allows personal information to be collected and used if it is necessary for a legitimate interest – ours are set out here in general terms. Sometimes it is not practical to ask for consent and we will rely on this legal basis. Where these situations relate to marketing and fundraising, please note that you can change your preferences by contacting us (see details below). 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When do we collect personal data from you? - When you speak to, write to or email a member of staff - When you sign up for our newsletter - When you fill in our contact submission form on the ‘Contact’ page of our website - When you voluntarily provide us with your contact details e.g. registering for our Archaeology School How SFT manages your personal data SFT will ensure that any personal data you provide is collected and handled responsibly and securely within our system. - We do not sell or rent your personal information to any third parties. - We will not share your personal information with any third parties, except under compulsion of law or where it is necessary to share it with HMRC. - We do not process your personal data for marketing purposes. - We will always inform you (before collecting personal data) of the purpose for collecting this. - We will retain the personal data you provide securely within our records unless you request that we remove it. 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Use of 'cookies' The SFT website www.strataflorida.org.uk places cookies, which are small data files, on your computer or handheld device. This is standard practice for all websites. Cookies are essential for helping our website hosts deliver a high quality website and online experience for visitors to our site, and some collect information about browsing and buying behavior. By using and browsing the SFT website, you consent to cookies being used in accordance with our policy. If you do not consent, you must disable cookies or refrain from using the site. Links from our website to other websites Our website contains links to other websites that are not controlled by SFT. This privacy statement applies to our website only‚ so we encourage you to read the privacy statements on the other websites you visit. We cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other sites even if you access them using links from our website. If you linked to our website from a third-party site, we cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of the owners and operators of that third-party site and recommend that you check the policy of that third-party site. Your email address is transmitted normally over the Internet, and this can never be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, we cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk. Once we receive your information, we will strive to ensure its security within our systems. Or by post to Strata Florida Trust, Postal Address: Mynachlog Fawr, Abbey Road, Pontrhydfendigaid, Ceredigion, SY25 6ES This policy has been approved and adopted in January 2019
Make. Create. The New! Teamwork makes the dream work! The next level for the newly aligned premium brand and for one of the largest and most innovative German kitchen manufacturers. What’s next? The future begins with questions. They lead to the heart and the character of the product. They provide insights about customers and their use of the product. The new brand experience is being created together with the management and with the marketing, product design and sales teams – with free thinking, from various perspectives, in intensive workshops, with an agile approach and in close collaboration. From the start, we are designing next125 from a 360-degree perspective, working simultaneously on positioning, branding, communication and interaction. This makes us fast, and it also allows us to trial new ideas directly and develop strong, promising solutions. next125 – an iconic brand design like no other: Unconventional. Authentic. Clear. Essential. A new, powerful and present logo. Black. White. Sharp contrasts: cool yellow, warm red, vibrant blue. Striking illustrations and distinctive typography. A small number of consistently and sensitively designed elements. A flexible design system as a basis for cross-media brand management. Atmospheric imagery that places the kitchen, furniture and individual design pieces at the centre: Style. Space. The quality of form and function. The inspiration of the material and the colour. An inspiring narrative for cross-media storytelling and international campaigns: CREATIVE MAKERS are people who engage with the meaning, nature and shape of things. This allies them with the creative makers at next125. Inspiring stories and perspectives; themes that reflect the character of the kitchen and give the next125 brand a strong, individualistic presence on the market. To start, photo artist Claus Friedrich Rudolph and botanical set designer Valentina Teinitzer have designed the multifaceted online and offline campaign communication. In parallel to the development of the new brand, a broad spectrum of creative communication formats and media are already being created – the visible results for a holistic 360-degree brand experience: The international campaign. Magazine, catalogue and accompanying print media. A new look, cross-media storytelling and content for the digital channels. Brand-defining spatial design and communication for concept stores and at point of sale. A strong presence at leading international trade fairs such as EuroCucina/Salone del Mobile.
Machu Picchu Travertine Tile features a warm beige background marked with beautiful streams of salmon, cream, cinnamon and coffee. Imported from Peru. WARNING: READ PRIOR TO INSTALLATION: Natural stones are products of nature and are prone to variations in color, texture, shading and veining that may differ from displays. Variations are not considered flaws as no two pieces of stone are alike, Prior to installation, ensure enough material, including waste is purchased for the entire project. Mix product from various cartons, and lay out all tiles and coordinating pieces to ensure optimal blending prior to installation. Natural stone products should be sealed prior to grouting. NO CLAIMS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE MATERIAL HAS BEEN INSTALLED
Making a website has never been easier. "Within an hour, we had probably our best landing page yet and for a fraction of the price. It's amazing. Since then, I've built about 15 sites on Strikingly – it's currently my favorite startup tech tool." Owner, Red Paper Plane "We chose Strikingly from the very beginning of our project aiming at simplicity and style. Now as our project is growing, we are very happy to see that our favorite platform is enriching its functionalities and will meet our needs." Painter & Illustrator "There is no formula for what 'cool' is. It's a gut reaction. You just know it the moment you see it." Click anything to edit, and publish instantly. Absolutely no code or design experience needed. We keep it simple and focused. Build a beautiful website in under 30 minutes. Just add our Simple Store and connect to PayPal or Stripe. Start making sales and getting paid, immediately. Strikingly is perfectly optimized for selling. Add shipping, coupons, membership log-ins, and more. Whether you're selling a single product or a hundred, we make it easy. Powerful tools to cultivate your audience. Create & manage signups, forms, live chat, and newsletters all in one place. You can even register memberships to keep your audience engaged! This isn’t just a static page — Strikingly brings your site to life. Register a new domain name or use one you already own. (Available after upgrading.) Sell products on your site with full e-commerce functionality! Coupons, shipping, digital goods, and much more are all fully built-in. Keep your visitors updated with our super easy blogging. Each blog post gets its own page. All sites come with analytics built-in. See who's been visiting with easy-to-read charts. Starting a new service or want to get feedback? Just add a sign up form or a contact form! Show your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feed directly on your site. All wesbites get HTTPS automatically, for free! Enhanced security, SEO boost, and gain visitors' trust. Galleries, video backgrounds, media sliders, custom colors, password protection. It's all integrated into our slick, modern designs and our intuitive editor. Message us anytime by email or live chat. Our Happiness Team is always here to help you succeed.
There is absolutely nothing comfortable about flaky, chapped, dry lips… which is why we keep our pockets, purses, and nightstands stocked with an arsenal of positively conditioning lip treatments. And you can trust we’ve tried every product under the sun: medicated balms, do-it-all salves, the original Chapstick, SPF-spiked formulas, all-natural scrubs — we’ve even slapped on sleeping masks made just for the mouth. Below, we’re sharing the 23 best balm picks our lips can’t live without, including a $40 luxury indulgence that beauty editors simply can’t get enough of and a bevy of drugstore scores that ring in at under two bucks. This list contains no shortage of balms for every budget. Heck, we’re even willing to bet your new go-to lip product (you know — that ride-or-die you carry around in your pocket) is sitting pretty somewhere in this list. All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Do you need to scrape some data off the internet, but not sure what to do about proxies? In our proxies APIs for scraping, we will cover several options for that as well as the pros and cons compared to using regular proxies At a certain point in time, all companies or individuals came across the need to do some scraping. Regardless of how small scale or big scale, the scraping was supposed to be, one thing all had in common was the need for proxies. Over the years, as the usage of proxies and scrapers increased, so did their sophistication and improvement of features. Today there are multiple ways to implement proxies, and using scraping proxy APIs is a popular choice. Considering how sophisticated today’s services and applications are, it is understandable why some would be hesitant to add an additional service that can complicate things even more. When it comes to scraping, users have two choices – regular proxy servers or proxy APIs. Both work entirely different, and in this article, we are going to outline the details of proxy APIs as well a compare them to using regular proxies for your scraping projects. What is a Scraping Proxy API? API or Application Programming Interface is a protocol that provides some kind of service upon your requests. In the case of the proxy APIs, your scraper will be the one that is sending out the requests to the proxy API and gets some kind of service, in this case, a proxy service. For this scenario, your scraper would be sending requests to the proxy API, and the service would be in charge of handling the proxies, managing them, providing you with the full service. Just to be clear, the API will only be in charge of taking care of the proxy side of the scraping, while you will be in charge of working with the scraper. Pros and Cons of Using Proxy API Compared to Regular Proxies As with most things, you will have some advantages and disadvantages to using some kind of service, and proxy APIs are not an exception. Starting off with the positive sides, there are a few that we should cover. When utilizing the service of a proxy API, you have zero contact with the proxies the service uses, so you are eliminating the need to managing the proxies. When we say management, we mean following how the proxies perform. From time to time, some of the proxies may start putting out errors, or have reduced performance, get banned, etc. in these cases, the service will be in charge of handling that to ensure that you are getting the most. This also includes the option for throttling or adding delays to prevent the server you are scraping from figuring out that someone is grabbing data off it. Another advantage is the fact that most proxy APIs have some kind of an artificial intelligence system working in the background and making minor tweaks to the proxies. Compared toa human, this is much faster, so you will be able to scrape as much as possible as fast as possible. There are some negative sides to using proxy APIs. The lack of control over the proxies may be a good thing from a time-consuming point of view, but it can be a negative side because you will be relying on someone else choosing and working with the proxies. Next, we need to talk about the price. Getting the proxies yourself will be a lot cheaper than paying for a proxy API service. The reason for that is the service will be providing and managing the proxies, and the company will charge you for that. Someone else managing your proxies is also a downside, mostly because you do not have the flexibility that you would have if you would be doing that yourself. The last drawback that you should be aware of is data privacy. This does not apply for all proxy API services, but it should be mentioned. The data that you scrape may sometimes be shared with third parties, so if privacy is your biggest concern, avoid proxy API or at least verify if they would share the data. Best Proxy API Services You will not find too much proxy API services on the internet, at least not as much as proxy providers, but there are more than enough to get your scraping project on track. In this section, we are going to cover a few of our recommendations. One of the most popular proxy API services is ScraperAPI and with good reason. This service will give you access to over 40 million proxies in 12 locations. The proxies come from several providers in multiple countries with the option to request additional access to 50 more locations ensuring that you get more accurate geo-dependant results. Regarding the proxies, you get a mix of residential, mobile, and datacenter proxies for optimal performance, which also depends on the pricing package you choose. Speaking of, when it comes to plans, Scraper API enables you to pay by the number of API calls instead of bandwidth. You are also limited by the geo-location of the proxies, type of support, type of proxies, and JS rendering. Apart from that, you get unlimited bandwidth, so planning your budget should be more comfortable. If you want to try before you buy, you can get a free trial with only 1000 API calls to see how the proxies perform. In many instances, Crawlera is considered to be a competitor to Scraping API. Brought to you by the guys from ScrapingHub, Crawlera is a proxy API with a proven record of its success. The details regarding the proxies and their locations are not available on their website, but they claim to offer the smartest proxy network on the internet. Regarding the features, it provides just about anything that you might need from a proxy API – managing proxies, rotating them, adding delays, etc. One thing it does not have is a CAPTCHA solver, which is why you might run into a problem if the site you are scraping has them. The pricings are a bit limiting and seem like it is a bit more expensive than Scraper API. The features are also dependant on the features you want to be included in your subscription. Unlike Scraper API, Crawlera’s trial period is better. You get a 14-day free trial period with 10000 requests, meaning that you can test the service more thoroughly. Those of you that are already deep in the scraping business must have heard of ScapingNinja. They rebranded the company into ScrapingBee, and we decided it is a good idea to have this service on our list. Similar to most proxy API providers on the internet, you will not be able to find any details on the number of proxies or their exact locations. What you do get is the info that they have a large pool of IP addresses. On top of that, you also get the standard proxy management solution with the ability to target specific locations, based on your scraping requirements. At first glance, it might seem like this is a cheaper option, but when you look at the fine print, you will notice that it is not. If you are going for regular scraping without the need for geo-targeting or premium proxies, then it is cheap. If you need to use some of the advanced features that we mentioned, you will be spending more than one credit for a request. The good news is that you only pay for successful requests. Nimble web scraping API is one of the newest on the list. However, it is one of the best and the solution I will even recommend to enterprises. This web scraping API will handle all forms of blocks and hitch you will face while web scraping. It uses residential proxies that are undetectable with millions of IP addresses. One thing you will come to like about this service is the speed at which it scrapes — it is one of the fastest on the list and its success rate is one of the highest in the market. However, being an enterprise-level web scraping API, its pricing can be expensive as you need to pay $600 for 600 credits to get started with this provider. Last, but certainly not least on this list is ProxyCrawl. The list of proxies is not something spectacular, like with Scraper API. The list of locations is unknown, but they claim to offer over a million proxies worldwide. In addition to that, the pool of proxies consists of residential and datacenter proxies. The API management service will be taking care of the proxies regarding the throttling, delaying, removing banned proxies, and so on, while you will have the option to choose how long you want to keep your proxy sticky for your scraping project. Also, you have the opportunity to mix and match the duration of the sessions with the locations of the proxies. The prices, considering what they offer is decent, and the included features vary depending on the package you go for. There is also a difference in how many proxies you can have access to, depending on the pricing plan. In addition to that, you have the flexibility to create your own custom plan based on your exact needs. Unlike some of the other companies on this list, Scraping Robot is a company that has partnered up with a popular proxy providing company, Blazing SEO. The point of this partnership is to have a bigger pool of proxies, making sure that you are getting the best possible performance. The details regarding the proxies and their location is unknown, but this is nothing new, and we keep seeing it in a lot of proxy API services. Scraping Robot claims that their partnership with Blazing SEO enables them to provide you with a cheaper service without sacrificing the performance. That is not entirely true. If you compared the prices with other proxy API services, you would notice that it is relatively expensive, but the addition of the proxies from Blazing SEO might make it worth it. You also have the chance to test them via their free trial option, which offers 5000 scrapes per month. NetNut Mobile Proxies are designed to power you through the most intensive web scraping tasks. Get ready to gather web data faster using NetNut’s high-speed mobile proxies. You’ll have access to a big collection of over 1 million mobile IPs from all around the world. This makes it easy to collect web data from every website, geo-restricted or not. With NetNut’s proxy tool, you’re not just picking any proxies – you’re choosing one of the premium ones out on the market. This means no more worrying about things like IP blocks or CAPTCHAs – NetNut’s smart unblockable system bypasses them for you. They work with multiple ISPs globally to make sure your data is safe and accessible. Their well-arranged servers can handle lots of traffic, providing strong reliability and security with a failure rate of less than 1%. This flexibility makes NetNut great for all kinds of web data-gathering tasks. NetNut cares about your online safety. They work with multiple ISPs globally to make sure your data is accessible, and personal information safe. Their well-designed servers can handle lots of traffic and requests simultaneously. The less than 1 percent failure rates make them super reliable to use for data and web scraping activities. To make it complete for web scraping tasks, the proxy must integrate well with browsers and other data-extracting tools you already work with. The easy-to-use dashboard lets you keep a real-time watch on your usage. Whether you’re part of a team or a manager, you’ll find it super simple to keep track of and control your mobile proxies on different devices. Frequently Asked Questions How to calculate how many requests I will need? This will depend entirely on your scraping project. Before going out to buy some of the proxy API services, sit back and see your scraping project. Calculate how much you will need, and based on that, you will have a rough idea of how much requests you will need. Also, a lot of the providers out there will offer you a chance to pay extra to get more requests, so you should have no problem with that. One thing to keep in mind is the bandwidth. Some proxy API services will offer a limited amount of bandwidth, something that you should take into consideration. Is it better to use proxies or proxy APIs? It is a tough question to answer. Going for one solution or the other will depend on you, your needs, and your expectations. If you have the time to fiddle with regular proxies and you are on a tight budget, then regular proxies should do just fine. If you have a looser budget and do not have the time to mess with the proxies, then APIs would work just fine. Check out our pros and cons section in this article, and you should get an idea of which one would work best for you. Is scraping legal? It is, but do not get too excited. Even though there is no law against scraping, websites are very much against that. That is the reason why most of them have some kind of protection against scrapers and proxies. Is it legal to use proxy API? Yes, as long as you do not purchase the service from a shady company. Doing so may also lead you down a scam, meaning that you will pay, but will not get your service. Are there free proxy API solutions? No, there are not. Since these types of services rely on someone developing the software that manages the proxies, it is very unlikely that you will find one that will offer the service for free. Even if you do manage to find it, you might find that there will be some conditions that you may not be too happy about. Do proxy APIs guarantee success? In a manner of speaking, yes. The service will do all in its power to make sure you are getting the most performance, but in some rare cases, you may not have much success with scraping the data. That is why it is a good idea to utilize a free trial option before you decide to pay for the service. If you are in the process of setting up a scraping project, proxies are something that you must think about; otherwise, you will have very little success. In our article, we mentioned an alternative with less hassle than using regular proxies – proxy API. We also outlined the pros and cons and provided a few recommendations. With all of that, you should be able to decide on which road to take and how to proceed regarding the proxies.
Styling Your Industrial Living Room Old buildings can often offer us the opportunity of high ceilings and long bright, airy windows, and possibly a balcony leading off. This gives us ample opportunity to design an industrial-style lounge. If you are lucky enough to be able to buy an old house with architecture that includes authentic wooden beams, brick walls, concrete or wooden floors, exposed metal ductwork pipes, and original windows, it gives you a wonderful starting point if you are looking for an industrial living room. What colors go well with industrial interior design? Before starting any design, it is important to measure, measure, measure. Before embarking on the fun task of picking out your paints, here are a few tips to remember. Pinterest or Google are good starting points if you have no idea where to begin. Choose a few images that appeal to you with a paint color that you like. Check out a few rooms that may have something similar, and think of the space and architecture that you have to work with and draw inspiration from that. If you would like to find out about other design styles, visit our blog – Home Decor Styles Explained. Draw inspiration from a piece of art A piece of art that you like is also a good starting point as you can work your scheme around it. Pull colors from the art and incorporate them into your industrial living room design. The piece may feature golds, whites, and blacks or even a mixture of greys and browns; inspire yourself and develop your ideas and create a mood board. Abstract paintings on canvas can create a great focal point – take a look at this one, or alternatively, if you are feeling brave, create your own. This particular piece measures 36″ W x 60″ H x 1 1/2″ D If the room is very dark, a really good choice is neutral paint. The addition of darker pieces in the form of rustic furniture will work well to make the room warmer. Tester Paint Pots If you can purchase small pots of ‘testers,’ then these are ideal. You can paint test patches near the window in your living space or on a wall that is more shaded as the color may not be to your liking in certain areas where it can change in natural light or shaded areas. Many paint manufacturers offer an app where you can upload a photograph of your living space, bathroom, etc., and then you select the walls you want to paint and apply the appropriate color to help you with your industrial interior inspiration. It is kind of a cool thing to do as once you have decided upon a certain color, they recommend contrasting colors to guide you, which can be used for other walls, trim or doors, and different industrial elements in the room. The photograph above is a perfect example of an old room with wooden beams, concrete floors, and brick walls that have been painted white with the added bonus of nice long high windows. Bare bricks are perfect when looking for the industrial feel, with paint or without; it is your room, so you decide. How do you decorate an industrial-style home? As I mentioned previously, you need to think about construction materials, for example, metal furniture, exposed ductwork (if you have any, don’t cover it up), concrete floors or walls, dark colors, and sleek glass elements. Paint for your living room design The facing wall in our particular photo above is a perfect starting point for a feature color. Just a touch of contrasting paint will prevent the room from looking too clinical and add a little warmth to the area. Shades of brown are always a good choice for industrial interiors, not only when it comes to warmth but also aiming for that living room design that works for you. A more up-to-date modern industrial space can be achieved with a selection of silvers, greys, and mid-tones. The joy of painting a room is that it changes the whole concept with just one color. At the end of the day, it is all down to personal taste. An experienced interior designer may have a totally different idea of an industrial living room to what you do; it is your room, so work with it. What materials are used in industrial design? The answer to this question is concrete, brick, wood, metal, and glass. If exposed brick walls do not feature in your property, you can pick out a wallpaper that resembles brick or concrete. Another very popular alternative that is currently trending is faux timber panels; these are also available with acoustic properties as well. There are many different materials available, so do a little research but keep your ideas focussed on industrial inspiration. Teak wood paneling The particular industrial living room I have designed uses teak wood paneling. Again focussing on the use of raw materials and retaining an element of warmth in the room. You don’t have to cover the whole of the wall with your desired texture; it could be half the wall, one wall, or the bottom part of the wall. Experiment before you commit and go from there. Be mindful of ceiling heights and smaller spaces. You can pick up different styles of wood paneling and wallpaper from your local hardware store, or alternatively, there are plenty of choices online for delivery. Make your own paneling. If you don’t mind using power tools, purchase furring pieces of wood and stain them to your desired color and pin them to the wall. There are many DIY tutorials online which also promote other styles that can be adapted to suit your industrial living room designs. And then there was light. Lighting is a very important element to consider when planning your industrial design. Some living room areas have no overhead lighting, so you will need to compensate for this with accent lighting. If you do have overhead lighting, then also consider adding some accent lighting as well, as it can make the room cozier during the evenings, especially if you are watching the television and don’t want to create an overhead glare on your TV screen. The accent lighting could be in the form of a couple of metal table lamps, a floor standing lamp, or even just some subtle lighting in a display cabinet. In the mood board, I have selected a rust-colored overhead industrial-type pendant light with exposed light bulbs for the room, another common feature in industrial interior design. Not only does it give the room an interesting feature, but it also shows the use of raw materials incorporating metal in the construction. The Sapphire ceiling light is designed in the style of a space probe and is sold in an aged patina look. This is the perfect ceiling centerpiece and is available in two different sizes; you just need to purchase the bulbs. Accent lights may depend on space, but I have featured a floor-standing lamp in brass. This is perfect in an industrial living room and can focus on just lighting up one area of the room. This gold metal floor standing lamp is on a white marble base measuring 61″ H x 27″ W x 10″ L. It could be set in a corner where you have a chair and want to read a book. It could be near your sofa or next to a plant. The bulbs that you put into the lights are also important. Softer bulbs are perfect for your accent lighting, whereas you may need something a little stronger and whiter in your overhead lighting. Stronger bulbs are often used in areas like the kitchen or bathroom. The Furniture and Decorations – The Fun Part So we need to keep to an industrial living room design, and we need to bear this in mind when choosing our furniture, like a coffee table, decor, and accessories. A sofa is obviously a necessity and will soften the room. The shape, size, and color are something that you will have to determine. Comfort is probably at the top of the agenda, though. Try out some of the display models in your local shops that you like. Take photographs, see what colors they have available, and again, don’t forget to measure to make sure that they will fit. Sticking with the industrial theme, try a leather sofa. Hard-wearing, comfy, and easy to clean. I have chosen a black leather sofa for our industrial lounge but added my own cushions. The Burbank Sofa – Yes, a place in Los Angeles. This sofa was inspired by the 1950s Los Angeles modernist design culture. It is stylish and contemporary and has angled hardwood legs and clean lines. Sexy, don’t you think? You can never have enough cushions. Adding a cushion with a different pattern and a different color will create a feeling of warmth and interest. Select carefully, and you will reap the benefits. Our choice is a top-grain leather panel pillow with a feather insert. There is also zipper detailing. It adds a nice touch and texture to your sofa and helps to soften the look of the industrial design. Other soft items to include are throws which can be placed over the side of the sofa, and if it gets a little chilly, or you need to have a quick nap, then there is nothing better to cozy under, as well as making the sofa look more appealing. Our choice for our industrial living room mood board features a faux fur throw made from acrylic and polyester, which adds a little luxury to your room. Drape over the corner of a sofa and snuggle in for the night. If you have bare floorboards or laminate/hardwood flooring, you may need to soften the floor a little with a rug. Rugs can pull a whole room together and still add texture and color and feel a lot nicer on the feet in the winter evenings. This exceptionally soft Kayla Shag rug features a voluminous pile that will add instant comfort to any space, including industrial-style living rooms. The rug is power-loomed in Turkey and made of 100% polyester. Again try to keep within your color scheme; think of how thick you want the rug if you have a carpet select a thinner rug. Furniture ideas with an industrial touch In our industrial living room mood board, we have also included a wooden topped coffee table – handy for drinks, books, and snacks when you are sitting in front of the television or chilling on the sofa. These accessories all depend on how much space you have. The table is constructed with a solid wood walnut table top which is beautifully mounted on brass x-shaped legs. The measurements are 51″ Wide / 27″ deep / 13″ Tall. This slick, modern accessory totally complements the industrial living room design. Extra furniture for your industrial living room design You might have room for a credenza, even a few wooden shelves to go on the wall or a large display cabinet. Again, gather ideas from the internet and put together a mood board and see where it leads you. Draw out your space Draw out a rough plan of your industrial-style living room on graph paper and see if the items that you like are going to fit in the area. To soften the industrial living room theme a little more, pick out some greenery, real or fake, fresh flowers in a vase or a nice floor-standing plant in a pot. Whatever you can cope with and fits within your scheme. The industrial living room design In our mock-up below, you can see how the industrial living room scheme has come together. Gone are the clinical walls. We have plenty of light, some interesting art on the wall alongside the warmth of the wood paneling, and texture and pattern in the accessories. So there you have it, our industrial living room design. Please feel free to check out our other mood boards and designs for other rooms in the house, including the Basement, Nursery, and Dining Rooms. Best of luck with your industrial space.
Editorial – Buckle up this weekend Published 3:52 pm Tuesday, May 23, 2023 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Memorial Day has morphed over the years from a solemn day of reflection on those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country to a long weekend of revelry and the unofficial kickoff of summer. As long as Americans take at least a few minutes to remember and be grateful for those who died in war, we won’t judge anyone for enjoying an extra day off work and having fun in the process. We do hope they’ll be safe in the process. Statistics show Memorial Day weekend to be one of the busiest and deadliest periods on America’s roads and highways. Email newsletter signup The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, AAA Mid-Atlantic local law enforcement and Virginia State Police are again focused on saving lives through increased seat belt use by participating in the national Click It or Ticket campaign, which runs through June 4. AAA predicts that more than 42 million Americans will travel for the long holiday Day weekend. That’s just 1% shy of the holiday travel numbers from the pre-COVID days of 2019. Nearly 90% of all travelers, or about 37 million people, will be on the roads. Here at home, 1.16 million Virginians will be traveling, with more than one million of them predicted to be hitting the roads. “The roads of Virginia will be very busy this weekend with holiday travelers, and that means there’s a greater potential for crashes,” says Morgan Dean, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson. “We want everyone to be safe. We encourage drivers to limit distractions, obey the speed limit, and make sure they buckle up everyone in the vehicle before they set out on that Great American Road Trip.” More than 18% of Virginians still don’t wear their seat belt, according to the state’s most recent seat belt survey. In Virginia during 2022, there were 5,427 unrestrained people involved in crashes, 3,702 unrestrained injuries and 375 deaths involving unrestrained people. Last year, roughly half of all crash fatalities in Virginia involved occupants who did not wear a seat belt. People ages 21 to 30 made up 68% of unrestrained fatalities, and the highest number (70%) of unrestrained fatalities happened between midnight and 3 a.m. These statistics can improve with just a little cooperation from motorists. Law enforcement will support DMV’s seat belt awareness messaging by conducting high-visibility enforcement along busy roads and highways to prevent avoidable crashes and save lives. “Buckling up is not merely a legal obligation,” said Col. Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police superintendent. “Wearing a seat belt is an act of self-preservation. Moreover, the impact of wearing seat belts extends beyond our own lives. It sets an example for others, especially our young people who are observing our behaviors and learning from our actions. Simply click it and avoid the ticket.”
France’s biggest electronic music festival Electrobeach is set to have worldwide fans gravitating to it’s latest edition, as it prepares to return to the stunning Port-Barcarès for its fourth official anniversary this July. In a line-up packing enough weight to make galactic waves, a celestial cast of David Guetta, Tiësto, Martin Garrix, Eric Prydz, Axwell / Ingrosso, Hardwell, Martin Solveig and many more are amongst confirmed names for 2016 – with the festival announcing the addition of a brand new techno-focused stage for the very first time. Constituting a solar system of acts big enough to have orbits of their own,Electrobeach eclipses all for this year’s three-day spectacular. French supernova David Guetta acts as captain, with a whole array of groundbreaking and ground-shaking artists set to join him. ‘Opus’ hitmaker Eric Prydz will make an appearance alongside Dutch superstar Martin Garrix, with the Tiësto returning in triumph as do Martin Solveig and Axwell / Ingrosso. The festival even welcomes red carpet rebel Ruby Rose to it’s A-list clique, as well as Moombahton master Dillon Francis, Nile Rodger’s and Rihanna collaboratorNicky Romero and IDMA’s number 1 Global DJ Hardwell. Upholding the French Tricolour and all the passion of its dance community, the ‘Treasured Soul’ of Michael Calfan is confirmed, as well as one of Forbes’ ’30 Under 30’s DJ Snake. This year’s Beach Stage will be purely focused on the countries most exciting exports – welcoming the likes of Norman Doray andGregory Klosman – and sees Electrobeach putting French DJ’s and nightclub residents at its front and centre throughout the weekend. Paris’ Fun Radio are also on the scene with their specialist selectors, set to air a ‘le son dancefloor’ out of studio and under the sun; likewise, Flaix FM crash the party from Catalan to flex their own respected residents. In a festival first, Electrobeach’s patriotism will be pushed even further with a prized demonstration from thePatrouille de France – a flyover of famous flair that will fill cloudless skies in what’s set to be a stunning weekend highlight. Proving themselves attuned to the meteoric rise of techno, Electrobeach’s next and last trick for 2016 is to call on the cut of crews in Cocoon, Luciano & Friends, and a yet to be announced third force. With Cocoon’s very own SvenVäth on board, the festival packs no punches with the addition of dance legendLuciano. Label residents Marcus Fix and Cesar Merveille will represent each brand respectively, making Electrobeach’s latest expansion both equally authentic as it is exciting. With Electrobeach 2016 continuing to captivate crowds as it celebrates every eccentricity of the electronic music scene, its position in the festival calendar shines brightly. For those looking for a picture perfect setting and pitch perfect sound, its three-day offering is an unmissable one.
A House Divided The latest research suggests that divorce rates in the U.S. have been falling in recent decades. Still, many people face the difficult crossroads that comes when their marriage ends.1 Getting a divorce is often a painful, emotional process. Don’t be in such a hurry to reach a settlement that you make poor decisions that can have life-long consequences. If divorce is a possibility, here are a few financial ideas that may help you prepare. The most important task you can do is get your finances organized. Identify all your assets and make copies of important financial papers, such as deeds, tax returns, and investment records. When it comes to dividing up your assets, consider mediation as a low-cost alternative to litigation. Most states have equitable-distribution laws that require shared assets to be divided 50/50 anyway. When a divorce becomes contentious, attorney’s fees can accumulate. From a financial perspective, divorce means taking all the income previously used to run one household and stretching it out over two residences, two utility bills, two grocery lists, etc. There are other hidden costs as well, such as counseling for you or your children. Divorces also may require incurring one-time fees, such as a security deposit on a rental property, moving costs, or increased child care. Finally, dividing assets may sound simple, but it can be quite complex. The forced sale of a home or investment portfolio may have tax consequences. Potential tax liability also can make two seemingly equal assets have varying net values. Additionally, when pulling apart a portfolio, it makes sense to consider how each asset will suit the prospective recipient in terms of risk tolerance and liquidity. Remember, the information in this article is not intended as tax or legal advice. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. During a divorce, many factors compete for attention. By understanding a few key concepts, you may be able to avoid making costly financial mistakes. 1. CDC.gov, 2022 The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. This material was developed and produced by FMG Suite to provide information on a topic that may be of interest. FMG Suite is not affiliated with the named broker-dealer, state- or SEC-registered investment advisory firm. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information, and should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Copyright FMG Suite.
Angel Number 8032 Meaning: The Field of Perseverance and Work Have you recently seen angel number 8032 at different spots? It may be an upcoming change in life. Therefore, check out 8032 meaning and apply its interpretation in your life. It may be the beginning of something good in life. The meaning of angel number 8032 twin flame 8032 spiritually relates to the field of perseverance and work. Understand that life isn’t easy and straightforward as it looks. Thus, develop endurance when things are not working your way. It will give you the drive to pursue your goals with the hope things will eventually get better. Perseverance also encourages you to take one step at a time. You should look for work when the right time comes. Hence, look for a field and specialize in it. Get the necessary training and experience in preparation for the job market. Afterward, you will be in a better position to compete with other people. Besides, the specialization will give you something to focus on. 8032 significance in our life Numerous people around the globe face different problems and challenges. Hence, don’t think you are alone to the point of giving up on life. On the contrary, live each day at a time with the hope things will get better. 8032 twin flame is the sign that constantly tells you perseverance is the key to success in life. There are various job descriptions individuals can choose from. However, no one can venture into all the fields in the job market. Therefore, look for something you are good at and focus on it. It will make it easy for you to know the kinds of jobs to look for when the right time comes. Digit Values in 8032 angelic number 80, 32, 803, 320, and 230 are the digit values in 8032 angel number. Number 80 highlights you can achieve anything when you believe in yourself and work towards your goals. Thus, set goals you can accomplish and slowly climb the ladder. Number 80 pops up as 802, 280, and 308. 8032 meaning on perseverance Understand that nothing comes easy in life. As a result, you should endure hardship that may come your way without giving up on your goals. Perseverance is the only way you will reach the top. Thus, hang in there. #8032 interpretation of work You will join the workforce and be a productive person in society when the right time comes. Hence, have a clue about the career you intend on pursuing. It will guide you on the job descriptions to apply. Additionally, you will have a rough idea of what you want in life. Numerology meaning in repeating number 8032 The combination of number 8 and 3, talks about learning from mistakes. Thus, don’t give up when you fail on your first trial. On the contrary, learn from your mistakes and try again until you succeed. 803 angel number, number 320, number 80, and number 230 contribute to the meaning of the lucky number 8032. What if you keep seeing 8032 everywhere? Seeing 8032 everywhere is goodwill from supernatural beings. The meaning of phone number 8032 encourages you to be wise and hear what they have to say. Rest assured, their message will improve your life one way or the other.
Alan Alda Biography, Life, Interesting Facts Birth Place : Birth Element : Alan Alda’s talent came from his father, Robert Alda. He grew up in a sitcom environment with the likes of Vaudeville and Burlesque theme. Robert Alda wanted his son to become an avid doctor but the young man’s urge to perform grew stronger. Alda’s acting career started when he played at Cleveland Playhouse. He then made his first debut with Gone Are the Days film in 1963.Besides, Alan is an eminent director, author, and screenwriter. He has showcased his thespian skill for over four decades. He mostly rose to fame as Hawkeye Pierce under MASH television series. Throughout his career, Alan has garnered over five awards. Childhood And Early Life On January 28, 1936, Alphonso Joseph D’Abruzzo was born in New York in the United States to Joan and Robert Alda. His father was a passionate dancer, singer, and actor while his mother was once queened as a beauty pageant winner. Antony Alda is Alan’s half-brother who is also an actor. Throughout his childhood life, Alan’s father traveled with him from one place to the next, especially in the US. It was here that he came to know about solid performances such as stage shows and theater roles. At seven years old, Alan underwent several treatments to fight polio. His mother took extra time with him just to make sure that her child will grow to be a robust and healthy man. Alan joined Archbishop Stepinac High School for his early education. He then entered Fordham College in the Bronx where he graduated in 1956.In the same year; he joined Reserve Officer Training Corps where he served as a gunnery officer or the general charge in Korea. It was early in 1964 that Alan played a role of Felix in the Owl and The Pussycat stage version. He then appeared in a musical Broadway the Apple Tree which later came to revive a Tony Award for Best Actor recognition. From 1965 to 1968 Alan saw himself on TV game shows such as The Match Game. He followed it up with Paper Lion, The Extraordinary Seaman and finally The Mephisto Waltz in 1971.During the 1980s he took a protagonist role as Hawkeye in MASH sitcom. He went ahead where he became a writer and director of the said show. After a short pause, Alda started to appear on big screens where he played Same Time, Next Year, The Four Seasons and the Crime and Misdemeanors in 1989.For the first two movies, Alda garnered Golden Globe nomination. He then appeared in films like Flirting with Disaster, What Women Want where he closed it up with The West Wing in the new millennium. In 2004 Alan played in The Aviator film in collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2015 he starred in 'Bridge of Spies' drama. Personal Life And Legacy In 1956 Alan married Arlene Weiss with whom he met while still in college. The couple got married after Alan’s graduation. They were blessed with three daughters: Eve, Beatrice and Elizabeth. Although his father and mother were staunch Catholics, he turned into a non-believer. As a side note, Alan hates to be called as an agnostic or an atheist.
Maximizing Brand Identity: Leveraging AI Headshot Generators for Corporate ProfilesIn the competitive landscape of modern business, establishing a strong brand identity is paramount. In the competitive landscape of modern business, establishing a strong brand identity is paramount. 04:20 23 February 2024 In the competitive landscape of modern business, establishing a strong brand identity is paramount. Every aspect of a company's image, from its logo to its website design, contributes to how it is perceived by clients, partners, and the public. One often-overlooked element of brand identity is the corporate headshot. These professional portraits serve as the human face of a company, providing a glimpse into its culture, values, and professionalism. With advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, businesses can now leverage AI headshot generators to create polished and consistent corporate profiles. In this comprehensive guide, we explore the significance of headshots using AI and how they can help businesses maximize their brand identity. Understanding Headshots Using AI Headshots using AI refer to the process of generating professional portraits through artificial intelligence algorithms. These algorithms analyze facial features, expressions, and other visual cues to produce lifelike images that closely resemble traditional photographs. By harnessing the power of machine learning, AI headshot generators can create high-quality portraits with remarkable accuracy and detail. The primary goal of headshots using AI is to provide businesses with a convenient and cost-effective solution for creating professional profiles. Instead of relying on expensive photo shoots or hiring photographers, companies can utilize AI headshot generators to streamline the process of capturing and editing corporate portraits. The Importance of Professional Headshots for Corporate Profiles Professional headshots are pivotal in crafting a company's brand identity and shaping its perception. They serve as a visual embodiment of the organization, conveying professionalism, trustworthiness, and approachability. Whether showcased on company websites, social media profiles, or marketing materials, professional headshots humanize the brand and foster a personal connection with stakeholders. These images encapsulate the essence of the company, offering a glimpse into its values and culture. With each professional headshot, a company communicates its commitment to excellence and reliability. As the face of the organization, professional headshots leave a lasting impression on clients, investors, and potential partners. They embody the professionalism and integrity of the company, instilling confidence and building trust among stakeholders. In an increasingly digital world, professional headshots serve as a cornerstone of effective branding, establishing a strong visual identity that resonates with audiences. In today's digital world, where first impressions are often formed online, the quality and consistency of corporate headshots are more important than ever. A well-executed headshot can leave a lasting impression on clients, investors, and potential hires, instilling confidence in the company's values and capabilities. Leveraging AI Headshot Generators for Brand Identity - Consistency and Cohesion One of the key advantages of using AI headshot generators for corporate profiles is the ability to maintain consistency and cohesion across all visual assets. By standardizing the look and feel of corporate headshots, businesses can ensure that their brand identity remains unified and recognizable. Whether showcasing team members on the company website or in marketing materials, AI technology enables companies to present a cohesive image to the world. - Scalability and Accessibility Traditional methods of capturing corporate headshots often involve logistical challenges, particularly for large organizations with distributed teams. Coordinating photo shoots, scheduling appointments, and editing images can be time-consuming and costly. AI headshot generators offer a scalable and accessible alternative, allowing employees to create professional portraits remotely and on-demand. With just a few clicks, individuals can generate high-quality headshots that align with the company's branding guidelines, regardless of location or time constraints. - Time and Cost Efficiency In addition to scalability and accessibility, AI headshot generators offer significant time and cost savings compared to traditional photography. By eliminating the need for professional photographers and expensive photo shoots, businesses can allocate resources more efficiently and focus on strategic initiatives. Whether updating employee profiles, refreshing marketing materials, or onboarding new hires, AI technology streamlines the process of creating and distributing corporate headshots, enabling companies to maximize their brand identity with minimal effort. Integrating AI Headshot Generators into Corporate Workflows To fully leverage the benefits of AI headshot generators for corporate profiles, businesses should consider integrating these tools into their existing workflows. Here are some practical strategies for incorporating AI technology into corporate branding initiatives: - Establishing Brand Guidelines Define clear brand guidelines for corporate headshots, including standards for composition, lighting, and attire. By providing employees with clear instructions and expectations, companies can ensure that all headshots align with the organization's brand identity and messaging. - Providing Training and Support Offer comprehensive training and support to employees on how to use AI headshot generators effectively. Provide tutorials, resources, and troubleshooting assistance to help individuals navigate the process of creating professional portraits with confidence and ease. - Soliciting Feedback and Iteration Encourage feedback and iteration to refine and optimize the quality of corporate headshots over time. Gather input from employees, stakeholders, and external partners to identify areas for improvement and implement enhancements accordingly. In today's competitive business landscape, maximizing brand identity is essential for success. Corporate headshots serve as a powerful tool for humanizing the brand and establishing a personal connection with stakeholders. With the advent of AI headshot generators, businesses can streamline the process of creating professional profiles, ensuring consistency, scalability, and cost efficiency. By leveraging AI technology, companies can elevate their brand identity and perception, positioning themselves as leaders in their respective industries. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the importance of headshots using AI will only grow, offering businesses new opportunities to showcase their professionalism, authenticity, and commitment to excellence. Embrace the future of corporate branding with AI headshot generators and unlock the full potential of your brand identity.
If there's one thing that Final Fantasy is known and respected for across its 35-year history, it absolutely has to be the music. Final Fantasy as a franchise is home to some of the most iconic soundtracks in video game history. So it seems almost too obvious that Square-Enix would want to capitalize on this and make a rhythm game from their musical ensemble, yet that is what they've done. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is the newest in a series of Final Fantasy rhythm games that brings together characters and music from across the entire series into one huge compilation where you can tap, slide and swipe to the beat. Featuring 385 songs in the base game alone, spanning over 30 different Final Fantasy entries, this game is a delightful tour of Final Fantasy history in a different form. This is the first home console entry of the series since the 3DS' Theatrhythm Curtain Call in 2014. In that time, there's been a lot of Final Fantasy going unrepresented. Final Bar Line brings up games as recent as 2022, with music from Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin and retired mobile games like Final Fantasy: Record Keeper in its repertoire. The result is a game that I genuinely struggle to put down once I start; the sentiment of "just one more song!" is absolutely strong with this game. With an intuitive control scheme that has masterfully jumped from handheld to a more standardized controller and a massively replayable and fun loop, this is a game I love to just pick up and play whenever I feel like I need to occupy myself. With how broad the titles in the game are, you might find a new favourite in the mix. I'm not massively familiar with the sequels of Final Fantasy 13, but I was pleasantly surprised by some of the music I discovered. I also discovered a range of new remixes and arrangements in Final Fantasy: Record Keeper. So as fun as the game might be for a Final Fantasy superfan to relive some of their favourite journeys, there's something to be said about newer Final Fantasy fans discovering games from years ago and their soundtracks. To that extent, Final Bar Line is nothing short of a marvel. While I did feel the lack of music from Final Fantasy 14 Endwalker was a sorely missed opportunity, it's tough to be too critical of a tracklist that is so long and extensive. With a mix of iconic battle tracks that take the form of the traditional 4 lane gameplay that we're all familiar with, alongside sweeping and atmospheric field music from some of the series' most iconic environments to some of the most iconic moments faithfully recreated in Event Music Stages - each flavour of Final Fantasy music is represented neatly here. It's also good then that the game comes with a treasure trove of difficulty and accessibility options that means absolutely anyone can feel like they're conducting their own RPG battle symphony. Ranging from single-button layouts all the way to the most extreme difficulties you can imagine, the game offers something for everyone, while giving you the toolset to reach even greater heights. Featuring not only an ensemble tracklist Final Bar Line also features a catalogue of some of the most iconic heroes and villains from the Final Fantasy pantheon. From the original Warrior of Light, to the series' most iconic villain in Sephiroth; the light RPG mechanics add a small but lovely wrinkle to the rhythm gameplay that will either add a nice layer of depth for some or can be totally ignored if you're just here for the rhythm game itself. Final Bar Line wants you to play your way more than anything else. This RPG mechanic comes into its own in the "Series Quests" mode, where you can journey through every mainline Final Fantasy game, alongside noteworthy spin-offs, on a musical quest that takes you through each story without dialogue. This is a relatively barebones story in the grand scheme and will certainly do more for existing fans of the franchise, but the addition of quests for each track is a big addition for replayability and pushing yourself to optimise not only your rhythm but your strategy as well. If you feel particularly confident in your skills, Final Bar Line also offers Multi-Battle, an online mode where you and up to three other players can duke it out to see who has the best rhythm. There are options for distractions to be sent to your foes, but for those who want a pure experience, you can disable these options too. Just be sure to turn Moogle down, because as cute as the little floating... thing is, their incessant commentary might be more distracting than the distractions themselves. Theatrythm Final Bar Line is a phenomenal rhythm game and a testament to how far the Final Fantasy franchise has come in its 35-year history. With a slew of celebratory artwork and pieces from the series' history as rewards for doing well, its obvious that the developers have a deep respect for where the series has come from and how varied it is. The DLC for the game only adds to this, as we receive tracks from other RPGs of legend like LIVE A LIVE, NEO: The World Ends With You and Octopath Traveller. It's obvious that Square Enix has a love for its legacy, and I wish other developers could do the same for their own. Here's to just one more track, and then one more, then perhaps another... Sign in or become a SUPERJUMP member to join the conversation.
Chichester Harbour: Urgent action needed to avoid environmental catastrophe, says charity dedicated to protecting it and live on Freeview channel 276 The trust is concerned not enough is being done to improve water quality in the Harbour, but is reassured that, after ten years of wastewater treatment issues, Chichester MP Gillian Keegan is now working on a collaborative approach between regulators and stakeholders towards a resolution. John Nelson, chairman, said: “We all need to force the regulators to take immediate action before we have an environmental and public health catastrophe. “Over the Christmas period, there were uninterrupted discharges into Chichester Harbour for six days. Given Southern Water’s record, the time has come to implement radical change. “Nothing short of radical and accelerated action will avoid an environmental catastrophe.” The trust is highlighting the issue as part of its campaign for a moratorium on any significant new development in the area and for the Chichester Local Plan timetable to be put on hold. Mr Nelson explained: “Water quality and the lack of water treatment capacity provided by Southern Water is one of the Harbour’s key concerns in relation to the local plan. “This concern has been there for a number of years. Despite sanctions taken by the regulators, water quality has continued to deteriorate and therefore threats to public health are increasing. “The good news is that, after much pressure from us and others, and as reported in the Observer last week, Chichester District Council at last now appear to be taking this more seriously.” The trust believes urgent steps need to be taken to substantially increase the water treatment capacity, or in the short term to provide emergency diversion for raw sewage. Last year, Southern Water was pumping raw sewage into the Harbour on 100 days in the 12 months. Mr Nelson said; “A combination of new developments and increased rainfall from climate change means this rate is likely to increase. Southern Water say they will continue to connect up new developments to the current infrastructure and they will continue to pump raw sewage into the harbour because they have a licence to do so. “These issues have been outstanding since 2010. Despite all Ofwat’s efforts and the measures it has taken over the past decade, the situation has continued to deteriorate – and in recent months at an increasing rate. “The measures that need to be taken to rectify the current situation and to increase the capacity for new housing developments will take some years to build. “This issue on its own renders the implementation of the local plan in its current form impossible. All the other issues of infrastructure, environment, wildlife, biodiversity and landscape remain. A moratorium on additional development is becoming more important and more urgent.” In a letter to Jonson Cox, chairman of Ofwat, and Sir James Bevan, chief executive at the Environment Agency, in November, Mr Nelson said major discharges into the neighbouring, and interconnected, Langstone Harbour had been very concerning. He said: “In recent heavy rainfall we have seen raw sewage coming up through manhole covers in villages around the Harbour. “This kind of ongoing pollution is not compatible with a developed nation with established operational and consenting structures in place. “We have now reached a point where the Harbour is becoming environmentally unsustainable. The impact on wildlife, botany, recreation (including fishing, swimming and sailing) is there for all to see.” Ofwat chief executive Rachel Fletcher met with Gillian Keegan MP on December 18 to discuss Southern Water’s wastewater infrastructure performance, including in relation to Chichester Harbour. A follow-up meeting with environment minister Rebecca Pow is also planned. Until the situation is resolved, the trust continues to call on the council to put the Chichester Local Plan timetable on hold, although it agrees work on the plan must and should continue. The trust remains committed to working closely with the council on developing a new plan that will minimise the impact on Chichester Harbour. The Environment Agency has an ongoing investigation looking at contraventions of environmental permits by Southern Water at a number of its wastewater treatment works. This includes offences from 2010 to 2015 at Apuldram, Bosham Creek and Thornham wastewater treatment works, which discharge into Chichester Harbour. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for early February 2021. Ofwat took action against Southern Water in 2019 due to operational failures of its wastewater treatment sites and misreporting. As well as paying £123 million back to customers and a £3million fine, Southern Water has introduced new governance arrangements to support accurate monitoring and reporting. In addition, it will introduce new measures to change the company’s culture, which enabled these failings and behaviours. Ofwat is part of a recently-established storm overflows taskforce, which will develop proposals to significantly reduce the frequency and impact of sewage discharges from storm overflows, with a range of ambitions from reducing spills to phasing out overflows. Ofwat has allowed Southern Water £3.4billion over the next five years, of which £1.6 billion is allocated to its wastewater operations. The company’s investment plans in the Chichester catchment include multi-million pound works to reduce groundwater infiltration into its network, which is a key contributing factor to the discharges into Chichester Harbour. In his response, Mr Cox said: “It is now up to Southern Water to deliver this planned investment. We will monitor Southern Water closely to make sure they deliver the improvements that their customers want and deserve.”
Business, Finance, and Marketing students earn 1st and 3rd places Nick Pegelow, Sussex Technical High School’s new Business, Finance, and Marketing instructor prepared his students for the Delaware DECA state competitions held in February. It was a successful day for the BFM students as 6 of the 7 students who competed earned first and third places at the state level in their respective competitions. Here is a list of the winners: Ariella Murphy and Ariana Zavala-Oliveros (1st Place) – Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making (pictured) Anthony Baker-Espejo (3rd Place) – Marketing Communication Series Ana Ramirez-Santas and Brad Sontay-Tzun (3rd Place) – Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making Ariella and Ariana also placed second overall in Team Decision Making events for the state and both have qualified for the National DECA Competition in Atlanta in April.

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