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I know I know, long time no blog. But thanks to everyone who said, "when's the next post?" I have more ideas than time these days, but that's an excuse. My computer got stolen, but that's an excuse too. It's been hot, the fires in California, the film festival, a thousand reasons for what amounts to writer's block.
But I've been running across things in magazines I want to share, and in the New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, and in the daily New York Times. Where to begin?
If you are a Mad Men fan--and who isn't who has even seen one episode--you must immerse yourself in the NYTimes Magazine think piece published a few weeks ago. It's a great look at what makes the series the best thing on TV, how realistic it is or isn't, what's the real social comment that the writers are trying to make (this will surprise you--it's not what you think), but mostly it's a juicy portrait of the neurotic Matthew Weiner, the creator and show-runner of Mad Men. And the best news of all: the DVD of the first season is out, so you can catch up on it, before the second season starts on July 27th.
One more from the New Yorker. If you didn't read the elevator article (sorry, Ed!) a few months ago, you will be a total loser at the office water cooler. Everyone is talking about it and the accompanying video. Now here's the thing that's most interesting about the article. This guy's life was ruined by the event. Things happen to us that become bends in our life trajectory--it changes everything, but compare and contrast what happened to the guy in the elevator what happened to Laura Bush.
"I Smoke. I read. I admire."
Did anyone read the Maureen Dowd op-ed in the New York Times about Laura Bush yesterday? Someone has written a fictional account of her life. Fair enough, but the editorial by Dowd about the book, had these really provocative paragraphs:
Wow. Did you know that about Laura Bush? I knew she was a big reader, a closet smoker, but I didn't know about that tragic accident. And she made a pretty good life for herself, except she married the most public idiot of her generation. Still, reading this: I love her. And I love Dowd.
Once in a while, you'll read about something she's said, like that legendary line she uttered to her future in-laws — "I read, I smoke, and I admire" — that makes you realize how intriguing it would be to see the real Laura. One with her guard down and outside of the Kabuki-like job of first lady.
But there's only one vessel that can ferry you past Laura's moat, and that's fiction. Ms. Sittenfeld has creatively applied her crayons to all the ambiguous blanks in the coloring book. It isn't an invasion of privacy. Art has always been made out of the stories of kings and queens. Fictionalizing historical figures is fine. Fantasies about public figures are inevitable. The question of an ostensibly ordinary girl who lives through extraordinary things will always be gripping. For "Madame Bovary," Flaubert partly drew on the real-life story of Delphine Delamare, a village doctor's unhappy wife who had lots of lovers and a premature and humiliating death.
And the story of the quiet, pretty librarian who could suffer the fate of being an old maid if not rescued by the dashing hero is a favorite American narrative — from "The Music Man" to "It's a Wonderful Life."
During her husband's presidential runs, many reporters shied away from asking Laura Bush about the freakishly horrible accident she had when she was 17. Hurrying to a party, she ran a stop sign in Midland, Tex., one night on Farm Road 868 and ran into a car that turned out to be driven by the golden boy of her high school, a cute star athlete she was believed to have had a crush on. He died instantly of a broken neck.
As Ann Gerhart wrote in "The Perfect Wife": "Killing another person was a tragic, shattering error for a girl to make at 17. It was one of those hinges in a life, a moment when destiny shuddered, then lurched in a new direction. In its aftermath, Laura became more cautious and less spontaneous, more inclined to be compassionate."
Laura has rarely spoken publicly about it, except to say in 2000 that "it was crushing ... for the family involved and for me as well."
How could a novelist not be drawn to such a tragedy? It's easy to imagine all that guilt, shame, conscience, fear, sex and nightmares in the hands of Eudora Welty or Larry McMurtry.
And I love New York, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. I have nothing to say about New York really except see Sex and the City. Even though the NYT review called it shallow. Duh! (And not just shallow, but "the pits, vulgar, shrill, and deeply shallow." Thank god movies can be all of those things and deeply enjoyable at the same time, thank god Laura Bush made it, and thank god for Mad Men.


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Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang
Published by Pocket on May 25, 2010
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Format: Audiobook from Purchased
Find the book: Amazon, Goodreads
Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon.
I'm Gin Blanco.
You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I'm retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren't aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coalmining tycoon, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I'm a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn't made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man . . . dead or alive.
When the first book ended with Gin determined to retire from the killing business, you knew it wouldn't last. After all, it wouldn't be much of a series if all Gin did was make barbeque, no matter how good it sounds. In this book, Gin's slightly softer side is revealed as her case revolves around helping an old friend of Fletcher's with a currently and deadly problem.
I enjoyed Gin's character and her antics. She's sassy and straight forward and knows her mind. She's a fun UF heroine who is a pleasant to watch work.
One thing I did notice about this book that I didn't enjoy was the amount of repetition in it. There seemed like a lot of things were repeated over and over until I just wanted to scream. I'm not stupid, I don't need the same details spelled out for me repeatedly.
As a series book, I was surprised that there wasn't more that happened. The book felt very focused on the current story, with only a few events happening that will carry over into the next book.
As an audiobook, this was very satisfying. With the same narrator as the first book, my thoughts are the same. This is a great voice for Gin, and is very easy to listen to.
Overall, I liked seeing a nice-girl side to Gin, and this story was quite fun. There some intriguing developments near the end of the story on the romance side, and I can't wait to continue the series.

subset: commoncrawl


text: AUSTRALIAN women could be qualified for frontline combat roles by the end of next year, raising the prospect of them fighting against insurgents in Afghanistan. In response to questions from The Age, Defence said that during the next 18 months it would implement physical tests - including tests for combat troops - based on ''capability, not age or gender''. The new physical tests will include a forced march, lifting boxes to demonstrate muscular strength, a ''fire and movement'' test to measure capacity for short bursts of intense activity and a lift and carry exercise to measure endurance. ''Physical employment standards will identify the essential tasks of a trade and the physical standards required to achieve them, regardless of age or gender,'' a spokesman said. ''The aim is that in future, career choices will only be restricted by an individual's physical and intellectual competence. This also includes combat related trades.'' The issue of women fighting in combat roles burst into the public view in the wake of the Australian Defence Force Academy Skype sex scandal earlier this year. Chief of the Defence Force Angus Houston said publicly for the first time that he wanted women to have combat opportunities. His call came at the same time Defence Minister Stephen Smith ordered inquiries into the treatment of women in the Defence Force. There has also been speculation that Mr Smith pushed for the promotion of women within the senior ranks of the Defence Force, and rumours in the Defence community that he was even considering a quota system for female officers. Women already serve in some frontline roles, including Navy boarding parties, aircrew and ground crew in the Air Force when on the ground in contested areas, and in Army combat-support units. The main roles closed to women are combat infantry, tank crews, artillery battery gunners, cavalry troopers (in armoured personnel carriers) and field engineers. Arguments against opening up all roles to women include a perceived lesser ability to cope emotionally and physically with violence, the risk of sexual assault by enemy troops and the potential for fellow serviceman to focus on protecting them rather than killing the enemy. The issue of female military casualties was highlighted in April when a British bomb disposal expert, Captain Lisa Head, was killed trying to defuse an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. In the latest issue of the Australian Army newspaper, Army, a number of soldiers were asked for their opinions on the new physical testing. All of the soldiers, male and female, approved of the changes to the testing on the grounds they would weed out unfit soldiers, but their views on women in combat roles varied. ''No matter how physically and intellectually capable a woman is to be an infantry soldier, you cannot put a woman into an infantry call-sign,'' Corporal Stuart Heeney said. ''It will change the dynamics due to human nature. Blokes will be more interested in impressing women than focusing on the job.'' However, female soldiers and other male soldiers said they believed all roles should be open to women if they proved themselves physically. ''I feel women should be able to work in all Army jobs, but even now the physical standards for a woman to enter and stay in the Army are lower than what a man's are,'' Gunner Sarah Hodgson said. ''I think this is wrong and believe men and women should have the same physical requirements if they are in the same job.'' Women face final hurdle in bid for frontline combat roles


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Learn how to screen print at one of our classes. We offer an Introduction to Screen Printing class once a month, along with a few other classes & workshops.


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Today is my Birthday!!! In celebration of my birthday, I will be taking part in Strawberry Singh's #secondlifechallenge-my zodiac sign, make sure you check it out and join in the fun also!
As Berry instructed, you need to copy and paste the questions and then complete it with your own answers. If you are unsure of your zodiac, you can find it at astrology-zodiac-signs.com
So here goes:
- What is your Zodiac Sign? My RL birthday is the 6th Jan. Which makes me the stubborn goat.. aka Capricorn ha!
- Do you believe in Astrology and read your horoscope often? I used to read it religiously everyday when I was younger and I even used to read my crush's horoscope too! Now, I don't read it as much but I do believe in it lol.
- What are some of the traits of your zodiac sign and do you feel they reflect who you are? Here are the traits for Capricorn which I will compare and see if there are any similarities!
- Strengths: Responsible, disciplined, self-control, good managers – I like to think that I am quite responsible. If anyone is not disciplined or has no self-control, it kind of keeps me on edge.
- Weaknesses: Know-it-all, unforgiving, condescending, expecting the worst – Gosh this makes me sound terrible. I am quite unforgiving. It takes long for me to not hold a grunge on someone who has done me wrong. Im working on it guys!!!!
- Capricorn likes: Family, tradition, music, understated status, quality craftsmanship – Family is really important to me and I'm often surrounded by family a lot. Really looking forward to going away with my fam in March!
- Capricorn dislikes: Almost everything at some point – This is so negative! I can be a Debbie Downer sometimes and I always think the worst. but as I said… im working on it guys!!
I also filmed my challenge and have it posted up on my youtube. Make sure you check it out!
Today I will be celebrating with family and friends at home. Getting old!
Hair: Truth (VIP December Gift) – Tinsley
Choker: NOIR – Felicia Choker
Rings: Yummy – Nightmare Ring Set
Dress: ISON/ Uber – Moto Jacket Dress (Black)
Shoes: Fri. / Uber – Courtney Platforms (Coal)


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WooCommerce is one of the most popular e-commerce plugins around. Many folks are relying on it to sell products online. You need to have a solid e-commerce strategy if you want your store to stay successful. Rewarding your customers is one way to encourage them to come back for more. Here are 5 WooCommerce rewards plugin you shouldn't miss:
WooCommerce Points and Rewards: lets you reward customers for purchases and other actions with points which can be redeemed for discounts. You can customize its settings easily.
WooCommerce Loyalty Rewards: allows you to add a loyalty program to your WooCommerce site. You can create all types of rewards programs. You can limit reward coupons to specific products.
SUMO Reward Points: lets you reward your customers for purchasing, writing reviews, referrals, and social promotion.
WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing & Discounts: enables you to offer dynamic prices on your site. Use it to create pricing strategies to reward loyal customers and keep them coming back for more.
Loyalty Rewards: adds a loyalty points system to your website. You can reward your customers when they review products and more. You can change your rewards on the Rewards Options page.
Have you found better WooCommerce rewards plugins? Please share them here.
- Reward Your Customers: 4 WooCommerce Plugins
- 7 Plugins for WooCommerce Discount Rules
- 5 WordPress Plugins for Wholesale Pricing
- 5 Dynamic Pricing WooCommerce Plugins
- WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing & Discounts Plugin
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AOL (NYSE: AOL) CEO Tim Armstrong began his fireside chat at day two of Techcrunch's Disrupt conference by talking about the extensive review of the company's operations. All operations, whether it was how long the legal department would strike agreements or how long it would take to bill customers would have to "beat the internet." In other words, sluggishness wouldn't be tolerated. When it comes to beating the internet in content, things are a lot more tricky, but Armstrong, in a conversation with Techcrunch head Michael Arrington, said that they were getting close to ironing out some of those issues, such as Bebo. He also sought to explain why, unlike AOL's competitors, Armstrong is not pursuing a "content farm" model.
Following Armstrong's overview of AOL's business, Arrington got to the point: is AOL a content company? Or is it a dial-up provider with some content? Armstrong conceded that the dial-up service still provides much of the cash — about $100 million annually, even as it declines 30 percent a year. "The access business through off a lot of cash and gave the company the chance to do a a lot of things over the past few years," Armstrong said. "We've been trying to separate that out and get the other parts to be self-sustaining."
Then, when the question turned to social net Bebo, which Arrington helpfully reminded the audience that AOL had paid $850 million for it. That was before Armstrong's tenure and that was a point he was quick to make. "I wasn't at the company when we bought Bebo and I don't know if I would have supported that decision," Armstrong said. "With the benefit of hindsight, no, of course not. But maybe at the time, you could see how the company thought they had good reasons for buying it. When I got here, Bebo was a major distraction. The execution was poor. But after looking at the due diligence, it would have been very hard to make it work. For the past year, we've had engineers only working on it."
Arrington and Armstrong then had a playful exchange over the subject of Bebo, as he prodded the AOL head to admit the decision has been made to shut the social net down. "I've heard you're shutting it down, but you can't say anything because of weird tax reasons," Arrington said. Armstrong answered, with a smile, "We're not through the process yet. But if you know, I certainly don't."
The conversation then returned to the subject of content production. Although Yahoo's acquisition of freelance aggregator Associated Content wasn't cited specifically, Arrington asked Armstrong if he's in the content farm business.
"First off, we see content as a way to fund our properties and others who we partner with," Armstrong answered. "To do that, we're focusing on quality. I don't believe what we're doing is negative and I think 'content farm' is a negative term. A lot of the content we're creating fits in a lot of different buckets. Some of it does have commercial viability, some doesn't. I hear our competitors only talking about commercial content. We have 500 full-time journalists and 3,500 part-timers. I think our model will work. Content isn't a zero sum game: it can be great for us and for our partners. The content engines we're building should enhance our properties' qualities, as well as others."
Asked about Carol Bartz's comment that AOL was a "mini-Yahoo," Armstrong said he doesn't know what she was referring to, but if she meant the company has a tighter, more concise strategy, then he'll take the compliment.


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Online Certificate in Fitness Business Management
The program was developed to establish an industry standard in fitness management education for allied health and fitness professionals, personal trainers, fitness managers, and entrepreneurs that wish to establish a successful business model and fitness operation. Specific learning topics include fitness management, marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, personnel management, customer service, and business administration concepts.
The certificate prepares students to implement successful business systems in the following settings: private and commercial health clubs, medically-based fitness facilities, community wellness centers, personal training studios, physical therapy clinics, YMCA's, JCC's, college/university centers, recreational settings, and corporate fitness centers. A competitive advantage offered in the program is the optional field internship which enables students to practice fitness management concepts in a health and fitness setting.
This program is offered in partnership with IDEA Health & Fitness Association, Health Club Managers, Inc., and Personal Fitness Professional. IDEA has provided content/curriculum in the program; in addition, students receive a complimentary 6-month membership to the digital edition of IDEA Fitness Journal.Health Club Managers, a Health Club Staff/Management Training company, is providing graduating certificate students a preferred discount on their services, and Personal Fitness Professional is providing students with students a 3 year free subscription which includes 8 print issues per year, a bi-monthly e-newsletter, and access to their digital magazine.
"As a business owner, trainer and manager, I have found that the most important skills missing among Fitness Managers are their core-business knowledge, their ability to manage employees, and their ability to manage a Club's customers. From conference to conference, I hear a distinct disconnect between managers and the real needs of the Club business. This certificate program will prepare current personal trainers and health/wellness professionals who want to become Fitness-Business Professionals," according to Ken Baldwin, M.ED, program coordinator for the certificate program and past winner of IDEA's Personal Trainer of the Year Award."This is the first educational certificate program in the country that prepares students to learn to incorporate the business and administrative systems to make a company successful on all levels. In essence, this program is an "MBA in Fitness Management" that will prepare students to take their fitness careers to the next level by incorporating the business skill sets that will establish the business systems and practice standards to set their health and fitness facility apart from their competition. This program has been established to set the "Gold Standard" in the training, education, and development of Fitness Managers and Personal Training Directors for the health and fitness industry", said Baldwin.
This Certificate Program will include the following courses: Business Development and Entrepreneurship in Fitness; Financial Principles and Business Concepts; Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service Management (CSM); and Fitness Management and Business Administration; and an Optional Field Internship in Fitness Management Course. The certificate and the optional internship course are offered three times per year in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. To register or to learn more about the Online Certificate in Fitness Business Management, visit the following website to locate a school in your area that offers this program: www.efslibrary.net. The second module of classes starts October 27th. Register now before it's too late.


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TGI Fridays recently concluded another run of its buzzy "Endless Apps" promotion. But don't despair, mozzarella stick hoarders: you can still score a ton of cheap food -- and booze -- with the chain's newest special.
Happy Every Hour offers a slate of appetizers (sliders, wings, bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapeños, and spinach flatbread) for $5, along with the requisite drink deals. Bud Light, Miller Lite, and Coors Light will all start at $3. Leinenkugel Summer Shandy and the house Long Island iced tea are $4. And if you're looking for a cocktail with a louder color scheme, they've got Blood Orange Coolers for $5 and a blueberry-pomegranate Long Island for $6.
Happy Every Hour is going on now, so if you're hungry for some discounted wings and shandies, get moving.
Kristin Hunt is a Food/Drink staff writer for Thrillist, and wants some sliders please. Follow her to apps at @kristin_hunt.


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Driving with a learner's permit means you need L-plates on the vehicle so drivers know you are an inexperienced driver.
L-plates must meet the following requirements;
- The minimum size is shown here. L-plates must have the letter L printed in black on a yellow background.
- L-plates must be clearly visible from the front and rear of the vehicle.
- No L-plates should be displayed on the vehicle when the driver is not a learner driver (except when a licensed driving instructor is driving).


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For some reason, I'm feeling extra sentimental this Easter/Passover season. My typical M.O. would be to post some goofy random story, like this rabbi saying marijuana is kosher for passover. Oy! That ought to be some seder!
As for my family, my father identified as Jewish, while my mother was raised Baptist, so we didn't participate in the religious aspects of either faith, remaining religiously 'nuetral'. However, food was always front and center of combining my parents different upbringings. It would not be at all unusual in our house to have pastrami with pecan pie for dessert. Or pork chops with a side
of kugel. Definitely not kosher! This is how we got to be such big fans of Katella Deli.
It truly is a place where jews and gentiles can find a seat at the table. Katella Deli gets it's Jewish deli authenticity from it's original owners Sam and Shirley Ratman, who survived the holocaust and immigrated to America to begin a new life together. Since both of them have passed away, their son Allan is now the owner, and continues to make the traditional favorites that I crave. I was especially craving their matzo ball soup when I was pregnant! Funny my daughter still hasn't acquired a taste for it.
Every once in a while, I will still get my cravings and need a 'fix', so this past Sunday, my husband and I went there to enjoy some bagel with smoked salmon and a monte cristo.
This is also the time of year when they promote their Passover dinner.
No ham or pork roast here! But, fear not gentiles. There's still plenty of Easter celebrating in the bakery.
I confess, I probably enjoy the bakery more than the restaurant. Their chocolate eclairs and chocolate cover macaroons are the best! And when you go in the morning while the bread and bagels are coming out of the oven…I'm convinced heaven must have a similar smell.
Now that I got my 'fix', I can move on to my family Easter traditions of decorating, buying candy, egg dying and going to church. However you choose to celebrate this holiday weekend, have fun! And if you have ever visited Katella Deli, leave a comment. I'd love to hear your story.


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UCF opens spring practice after historic 2013 run
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The whirlwind that was UCF's 2013 football season has officially turned to a new page.
The Knights opened spring practice on Wednesday with the effects of their historic 12-1 run and Fiesta Bowl win barely two months old.
The spoils of success have brought in a solid recruiting class to develop. But while the Knights didn't take a huge graduation hit — returning nine starters and defense and six on offense —there are some big holes to fill.
Last season's starting quarterback Blake Bortles and running back Storm Johnson both opted to enter the NFL draft. Sophomore Will Stanback shared time with Johnson in the backfield last season and is expected to be a capable replacement in the backfield. But the three-man battle at quarterback between sophomore Justin Holman, and freshmen Pete DiNovo and Tyler Harris is clearly the one that will be the talk of the spring.
Knights coach George O'Leary said he plans to leave the April 12 spring game having name a starter.
"I'd rather have somebody ready (to replace Bortles). But it will be interesting," O'Leary said. "I think everybody will have an opinion. But I'm going to name the guy that can basically move the chains and make sure on fourth down if we're not making a first, we're punting. We have enough other players that can carry the load, so it's not like he has to do everything. He just has to maintain the game."
Senior receiver J.J. Worton said he thought all three of the quarterback candidates rushed throws at times and were a little uneasy in their first workout Monday, but he said it was nothing he didn't expect.
He also acknowledged that it was a little strange seeing a new face running the offensive huddle after spending the past three seasons working with Bortles.
"A little bit," Worton said. "You just have to adjust. Being a veteran now, it's definitely something where you can come in and try to help out the younger guys now. It's not easy to replace Blake, but we're going to do our best. We've got a lot of athletes on our team that are weapons that our quarterbacks can use."
UCF's offense will also be looking to break in two new faces on the line over the next month, following the graduation of twin brothers Justin and Jordan McCray.
It has meant some adjustments, with senior Torrian Wilson moving from tackle to guard and junior Tarik Cook projected to start at the other guard spot. Sophomores Chester Brown and Michael Campbell are the early candidates to start at tackle.
Pivotal to those transitions will be the leadership provided by Bortles' former roommate and junior Joey Grant, a second-year starter at center.
"I asked for it. I told the coaches during the offseason. I said I want this responsibility," he said. "As center that's what I need to be doing. I really got in the film room with (offensive line) Coach (Brent) Key and all of the coaches and took initiative to take that role. Because I'm going to have to do that if this offense is going to be at the same level."
O'Leary expects to get a better picture of what he has to work with at the end of the week when the Knights put on pads for first time, but for now he said he likes what he sees.
The only thing that he wants his players to know for sure is that he doesn't want to hear any more talk about the 2013 team.
"I made it very clear. I gave out (award) plaques yesterday for the conference (teams) and I said 'This ends last season. It's over,'" O'Leary said. "This is a new team. New chemistry. New leadership. There are a couple of key positions that have to come through for us. But we'll be a solid football team from what I can see. A lot of young, good athletes that just gotta learn how to practice and learn how to finish."
Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower


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Crucially, the Court did not locate that STCL intentionally sought to infringe and build market confusion. Independent surveys discover that most law students would enroll even if they knew that only a tiny quantity of them would wind up with six-figure salaries. This gets to what may well be the ultimate ugly truth about law college: a lot of those who borrow, study and glad-hand their way into the gated community of Massive Law are miserable soon immediately after they move in. The billable-hour company model pins them to their desks and devours their no cost time.
Excellent ideas, but there also requires to be a limit on law school spots so it is some function of jobs – like 115{d8c3132193b80f48fbeaaf94eadc4a2c15e031417cbb59220c992631314a9922} of the initially year FT JD needed placement. Or maybe this is a lot more like a game of three-card monte, with law schools flipping the aces and a lengthy line of eager players, most wagering borrowed money, in a contest that handful of of them can win. A school that does not aggressively manage its ranking will founder, and due to the fact there are no cops on this beat, there is no downside to inventive accounting. Law schools have operated for years as a moneymaking scam for the benefit of the administrators and professors.
Based on the seething and regret you hear from some law college grads, additional than a handful of wish that an individual had been patronizing enough to say, Oh no you don't." But it's typically hard to convince students about the potential downside of law school, says Kimber A. Russell, a 37-year-old graduate of DePaul, who writes the Shilling Me Softly weblog.
Critics of the rankings typically cast the problem in moral terms, but the dilemma, as quite a few professors have noted, is structural. LSAT and GPA of incoming students indicate the high-quality of the student body, which usually translates to the excellent of the law school. What is in contrast to the tenure track for professors- you have 10 or 12 hires in law for every single partnership that is awarded. Law schools had been also running other schemes, like conditional scholarships with section stacking. The law deans would inform potential students not to be concerned about paying back the $100k+ student loans to attend, mainly because each student got a job and private practice salaries averaged close to $100k.
Otherwise, we will be left to wonder no matter whether a school's employment survey results are genuinely just lies in extremely granular kind, a whole bunch of numbers that represent not actual jobs for current grads so a great deal as a school's accomplishment in hoodwinking the ABA and its prospective students. These organizations carry a lot of weight in their rankings and appear at their personal distinctive factors when determining rankings. Finding into the ideal law school is paramount for the aspiring lawyer, so the rankings and statistics for law programs are considerable for these searching for this type of post-graduate education.
The ABA's protocol for reviewing law graduate employment data really should be straight away amended to call for a random audit of far extra than ten schools per year, and to need verification of reported data at the initial assessment stage. In 1997, when U.S. News initially published a statistic referred to as graduates recognized to be employed nine months soon after graduation," law schools reported an typical employment rate of 84 {d8c3132193b80f48fbeaaf94eadc4a2c15e031417cbb59220c992631314a9922}. It's an argument complicated by the reality that a compact fraction of graduates are still winning the Large Law sweepstakes. What is worse about the law college complicated is placement statistics based on jobs that are not profession-track jobs.


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I documented how I started a small makeover of my living room by changing some pillows and a lamp last week. It's amazing to me how such a small change made me happy whenever I saw it and spurred me on to continue making changes.
So last weekend I tackled the bookshelves on either side of the fireplace. A couple of months ago I decided I wanted to declutter these shelves, as it seemed like things had accumulated mysteriously on their own over the last few years.
Luckily, this urge to declutter coincided with Finer Things Clutter Challenge, so I got to check off numbers .36 to .72 on my way to loosing 365 things in my house this year. Actually, there were more things I got rid of, but since it was an embarrassingly large stack of magazines (old Do It Yourself's– whoa late 1980s decor was really different), I just counted some of them. It seemed to go against the intent of challenge to have half of the clutter be magazines.
Here's the right shelf (pictured above before) after painting the back a light green and decluttering:
I think I like this, though I'm not done, as you might notice – I'm looking for a basket to fit in the open spot on the bottom shelf.
Here is the left shelf before:
Again, books out of control, though I had moved all our photo albums before the picture was taken (hence the empty spot), so you're missing the view of the huge books overhanging the shelf by a good two inches. Really, I don't know what I was thinking.
Here it is after:
What is it about decluttering that seems to make you breath easier? It's seems more soothing to look at, to me. I'm still working on this, and I'm not really sure what I'm doing on the bottom shelf, but I know I want to add some more black elements. Maybe some cool bookends?
What do you think- better before or after?
This is linked to DIY at A Soft Place to Land
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Pros and Cons of Using Mac Pro as a Lion Server
Mac Pro is well suited for running Lion Server because it has up to 12 processing cores, expansion slots, multiple internal drives, and two built-in Ethernet connections. Even older models make great servers. The Mac Pro doesn't come with a monitor, but the base configuration does include an adequate graphics card.
Best uses
A Mac Pro can support file serving for hundreds of active users. For example, Mac Pro works as the file server for an entire school and also runs third-party server software and NetBoot at the same time. The Mac Pro also works for running directory services and connecting a network of Macs to a Microsoft Active Directory network.
If you're using a server only for web, e-mail, DNS, and light file-sharing tasks, the Mac Pro may be more than you need.
The Mac Pro is a better choice than the Xserve in situations when the server is to be located in a workspace. The Mac Pro is quieter than the Xserve and has a form factor that fits better in a workspace.
The Mac Pro leaves the Mac mini and the iMac in the dust as far as performance goes, and it's just about as fast as Xserve. The high points:
Eight processing cores minimum and a fast system architecture: You have an optional 12 processing cores.
Four internal hard drive bays, one more than Xserve: With the optional RAID card, you can use these in a RAID system.
Easily accessible drives that can be replaced without futzing with cables. Just open the side door and slide them in or out.
Room for lots of memory: Eight RAM slots are available.
Two Gigabit Ethernet ports: This feature is designed for using the Mac Pro as a server. You can use one port to connect to the local network, and another port to connect to the Internet. This enables you to use the Mac server as a gateway, running the firewall, virtual private network server, or other gateway services. You can also use the two ports together, for twice the bandwidth.
Three extra expansion slots: For more Ethernet ports, add Ethernet cards.
The Mac Pro as a server also has its low points:
Processors aren't easily upgradeable. Apple doesn't support upgrading the processor and doesn't provide directions. You have to pull apart the computer. The processors do sit in sockets that you can pull out. They aren't easy to get to, and you really need some hardware hacking skills.
Other World Computing offers an upgrade by mail service. Ship the tray that contains the Mac Pro processor, and the company upgrades it and ships it back to you.
Cost is more than the Mac mini or iMac. But you also get more server power.
Apple offers a server version of the Mac Pro. It's similar to the entry-level Mac Pro configuration but with an extra hard drive, more memory, and Lion Server preinstalled.


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"We Do A Disservice By Using A Moshul Like That"
Chabakuk Elisha commenting on Understanding Lech Lecha:
Do you not think that it's kind of forced illustration?
Personally, I understand Lech Lecha more like this: Imagine a man who has a close relationship with G-d for many decades – he was tested and rose to the occasion on many occasions – G-d even publicly saved him from certain death (according to most opinions). He has devoted his life to teaching belief in G-d.
He's no youngster, and suddenly G-d tells him:
Ok, change in plans; it's time to go. Don't ask where – it will be fine, and this way less people will want to come with you.
The man says, it's all about You, G-d. I'm ready willing and able to go… and he does. He packs up and heads out of town.
"Where are you going" they ask. "Wherever G-d wants," he answers.
He has been telling people about G-d forever, I don't know if they were all that shocked now. The time had come for change, and for change to happen he needs to make a physical change as well… he needs to change location, cultures, food, water, mazal, everything. In this case change is good, and so he goes – but he doesn't go for any reason beside one: He really believes. G-d is real and live, the reasons don't matter, only G-d's will matters.
You see, that's who Avrohom is. But I think we often misunderstand what was unique about the first Jew. What makes Avrohom so special anyway?
G-d was a not new concept, and this very same G-d wasn't M.I.A. - There was this huge mabul not all that long ago, and the great dispersion was during Avrohom's life. Noach, Shem & Ever were busy teaching about G-d & Torah for hundreds of years – and I imagine that they had many students as well. So what was the groundbreaking discovery or significant element that made Avrohom so special? The difference was what is called "Daas."
Avrohom took his religion seriously – unlike ever before. When he considered the sun as G-d, he served it with devotion – but at night it left him empty and alone. How could he go on without G-d? The same problem with the moon, or any other possible G-d that he crossed off his list. Others were unable to understand his problem: "So? Pray to multiple gods" they said. They had no problem: so what if each god wasn't all powerful? But Avrohom did. He was looking for the real thing and he meant it – he couldn't be satisfied unless he could experience G-d on the level of daas – he had to know Him, have a relationship with Him and devote himself to Him.
The word daas (commonly translated as knowledge) reflects true knowing. For example, the verse uses the term daas to connote intimacy, as in "Adam knew Chava." Avrohom took belief in G-d to a new level; to him it was far more real, it was the level of daas. So can we compare this to R' Parkoff's example? Can we relate to Avrohom's "Lech Lecha?"
I dunno, but in my opinion we do a disservice by using a moshul like that...
Smashed Hat comments:
The mashul sounds like one of those famous Novhardiker "tests" that the baalei mussar used to put themselves through in order to develop their midas ha'bitochon or to improve their midos, etc. Surely Avraham Avinu was a shining example to us of emunah u'bitochon.
To respond to CE, though, another great midah of Avraham Avinu was his kiruv efforts. I'm not so sure that Shem v'Ever lacked the midas ha'da'as that you zero in on (which certainly Avraham Avinu also possessed to a high degree). Yet Shem v'Ever, as great as they were, had their quiet little yeshivah, while Avraham Avinu went out of his way to bring people back to Hashem, even ovdei avodah zora (whom we, too, might be required to work with if not for the spiritual risks involved).
So I would submit that this was the outstanding trait of the first of the Avos: "l'man da'as KOL 'AMEI HA'ARETZ ki Hashem hu ha-Elokim, ein ode!"


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If there was any doubt about whether it is better financially to be a big bank or a small housing counseling nonprofit, consider how both are faring in terms of government handouts more than four years into the housing crisis. The federal government has paid financial institutions, mostly big banks, $615 million in incentives to modify troubled home loans to lower costs for borrowers.
Meanwhile, 500 housing counseling agencies that rely on a comparatively meager federal grant program in order to help homeowners navigate the modification process are laying off staff and reducing services after Congress cut their funding in half.
"It's not like we are seeing less of a demand for our services," said Kathy Germain, director of housing at The Rural Ulster Preservation Company, a nonprofit in the Catskill region of New York, which recently laid off three counselors.
Indeed, about 1 million homeowners are expected to be eligible for loan principal write-downs and other relief under a broad settlement reached last week between five of the biggest banks and the states, and President Obama also recently announced new initiatives to expand the Home Affordable Refinance Program to help more underwater borrowers who owe more on their loans than their homes are worth. These efforts are likely to further increase the already strained workloads of housing counselors, even as they try to make do with less.
Still, there is potentially some good news for counseling agencies on the horizon. The banks agreed to pay $3.5 billion to the states as part of last week's settlement. Officials have signaled that states may use some portion of their cut to support housing counseling. As of Tuesday, decisions about how that money would be spent were still up in the air.
Housing counselors are the front-line shock troops in the foreclosure wars. They help homeowners navigate the thicket of government loan modification programs, filling out forms and ensuring they are received. They often know who to call at the the institutions that service the loans in order to assure a successful modification. They also know when to involve a foreclosure lawyer. Difficult cases may require dozens of hours of their time.
A housing counselor helped save Rosemary Lane's two-family home in Queens, New York. A home health aide, Lane saw her hours unexpectedly cut in 2010. She also had a tenant, she said, who refused to pay rent. Her monthly mortgage payments of nearly $3,000 were suddenly out of reach.
She applied for a loan modification with JPMorgan Chase, but like many other homeowners, Lane said she was frustrated by the process. She claims she would fax income verification and other documents to the bank, only to learn later they had never been received. When she called the bank for help, she could never reach the same person twice.
Housing counselors and lawyers at CAMBA Legal Services, a New York nonprofit, worked with her for more than a year, eventually securing a refinancing that lowered her monthly payment to $1,143.
"At every step they were working with me, telling me not to give up," Lane said.
An unpublished study by the Furman Center for Real Estate Policy from April 2011 found that borrowers who had received counseling in New York City were about 30 percent more likely to receive a modification than homeowners who had not consulted a counselor.
Homeowners who got loan modifications after talking to a housing counselor paid an average of $267 a month less than they would have otherwise, according to a separate study recently cited by the Government Accountability Office.
The trouble started for housing counselors started last year, when Congress eliminated agencies' main source of federal funding, an $88 million grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Congress later restored about $45 million for 2012.
Steven Xanthopolous, the executive director of Western Tennessee Legal Services, said that four counselors at his organization could lose their jobs. The nonprofit has relied on a $1.2 million HUD grant to pay its staff and also to support 25 other rural legal aid groups throughout Appalachia and the Mississippi River delta. For now, the agency has frozen salaries -- counselors average 11 years of experience and earn $33,000 a year -- and passed along more health care cost to employees, Xanthopolous said.
Likewise, BothHands, a housing agency in Flagstaff, Arizona, used HUD money to pay for one counselor full-time, plus another part-time, said Devonna McLaughlin, the executive director. Those jobs haven't gone away, in part because the agency has received money from another government initiative, the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling program.
That program got a budget bump in 2012 to $85 million, up from $65 million, which has helped alleviate some of the financial pressure, McLaughlin said. But that money comes with more strings attached, she said.
"It doesn't matter if you spend two hours with a client or 40 hours with a client, you get funded at the same level," McLaughlin said. Most foreclosure cases require far more than two hours, she said. The money also doesn't pay for a whole range of other services provided by housing counselors, such as helping elderly homeowners secure a reverse mortgage.
Hardest hit are counseling agencies in New York, which had benefited from the Foreclosure Prevention Services Program, a state initiative that funneled $25 million in federal stimulus dollars over the past three years to housing counselors and legal services lawyers. Previously, the state had funded the program out of its own coffers.
The budget that Gov. Andrew Cuomo submitted to the state legislature in January eliminated that funding. Last week, housing advocates rallied in Albany to try to convince lawmakers to restore the money.
The program saved the state "an immense amount of money" in avoided defaults and foreclosures, said Kristin Brown Lilley, policy director at Empire Justice Center in New York. The state is in the top five nationally in achieving loan modifications under the Home Affordable Modification Program in large part because of the program, she said. "It just makes no sense" to eliminate the funding, she said.
Cuomo's office did not return a call for comment. In lieu of housing counseling and legal services funding, the governor has proposed creation of a foreclosure relief unit in the Department of Financial Services, but the details of how that would work haven't been revealed. Lilley said that such a unit would be helpful, but can't replace direct homeowner assistance.
New York is scheduled to receive $136 million as part of the 49-state mortgage settlement agreed to last week. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has said he plans to use some of that money to support housing counseling and legal services, though details have not been released.
Lilley said she is excited about a potential new stream of funding, but that housing counselors do not anticipate seeing any of the money this year.
Other housing counselors in the state are drafting diet-restricted budgets as a result of the uncertainty.
Rural Ulster's housing counseling budget was $260,000 in 2011, Germain said. So far this year, the nonprofit has secured just $92,000 in dedicated counseling money, and that is assuming an expected $50,000 grant pans out, Germain said.
The organization has not yet had to turn any homeowners away, but caseloads for the five employees who remain after layoffs have nearly doubled to more than 100 each, and foreclosure prevention counseling has been severely curtailed, Germain said.
"Six months ago our foreclosure counselors would follow the homeowner to the end of the process, which could take two years," Germain said. "Now homeowners get one face-to-face meeting and then are on their own."
HUD fell a full year behind in distributing its grant money to housing groups, a point on which Congress zeroed in when deciding to cut funding, said Candace Mason, senior director of housing and national grants at the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, in an interview last year.
HUD has said it will move much faster to distribute grant money. Grants to subsidize counselors for 2012 will go out in mid-March, an agency spokesman said, 120 days after the allocation.
Since 2007, nearly 9 million homes have been lost to foreclosure, according to data from RealtyTrac. About 4 million are currently in default or in some stage of foreclosure.
More than one in five homeowners is underwater on their mortgage.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly said that HUD had not received $45 million from Congress to set up a new Office of Housing Counseling. In fact, the office is being funded as part of HUD's general budget and also from the $45 million grant program.


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Coupling Grease| Product Sheet
Synthetic coupling grease, with Synslide®. A lithium complex grease for industrial use that delivers a high film strength and is excellent at resisting oil separation that happens under substantial centrifugal force. Synslide® provides a tenacious heavy load protective barrier that also offers oxidation and temperature stability.more information
Endurosyn™ Grease| Product Sheet
High Performance, multi-service, calcium sulfonate complex, synthetic grease for bearings and general purpose use.more information
Paper Mill Grease| Product Sheet
Synthetic industrial grease specifically formulated for paper/pulp processing. It is made with Synslide® and is an aluminum-complex grease designed to meet a wide range of needs. On the wet end, apply on suction press rolls, wire return rolls and wet felt rolls. On the dry end, Paper Mill Grease is suitable for application on coater and calendar rolls, super calendar rolls and winder rolls.more information
Thermasil™ T-100| Product Sheet
Thermasil T-100 is an open gear protectant formulated with Synslide® additive technology. A viscous, tacky water repellant, it protects gears, bearings and other surfaces exposed to hot and wet environments. Offers leading corrosion protection and a longer life.more information
Thermax® Semi Fluid Grease| Product Sheet
An industrial grease for worm drive gearboxes and various other industrial applications. Contains Royal Purple's Synslide® formula. A superior rust and oxidation inhibitor that performs in high temperature and heavily loaded situations.more information
Thermax™ 680| Product Sheet
Thermax 680 is recommended for situations that call for a heavy base oil grease. A proprietary chemical film carries loads greater than those carried by other extreme-pressure (EP) greases. Marine service and paper and steel mills are common applications.more information
Ultra-Performance® Clear FDA Grease| Product Sheet
Clear synthetic food service grease. A colorless, nonstaining, nondrying, biodegradable, aluminum complex H-1 grease. Authorized by the USDA for use in federally inspected meat and poultry plants.more information
Ultra-Performance® Grease| Product Sheet
Synslide®-backed multi-purpose synthetic grease for industrial use. A general purpose aluminum-complex product designed for bearings and other typical use. Offers thermal stability, low temperature pumpability and extended relubrication intervals. Aids bearings in working with increased efficiency and less friction.more information
Ultra-Performance® White FDA Grease| Product Sheet
White synthetic food service grease. An aluminum complex, white H-1 grease authorized by USDA for use in federally inspected meat and poultry plants. Specifically designed for use in the food processing industry where it may have incidental contact with food.more information


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Welcome to the Compass Rose PWD website. Please feel free to browse the entire site as you will find a lot of useful information on the Portuguese Water Dog breed in general and our foundation breeding program. Whether you are just beginning your research on the breed , or already know that a PWD is the perfect dog , by surfing the information here you are sure to learn something new about this intelligent, spirited and willful breed.
Compass Rose PWD is located in Southeastern Massachusetts on the largest recreational lake in the state and will only breed on occasion. We are active and participate as members in specialty and all breed clubs and their events including Mayflower and Nutmeg PWD specialty clubs and the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America (PWDCA) and participate in the PWDCA Breeder Referral Program. Bill is currently the president and chief steward of the Providence County Kennel Club and Vicki works on their annual show committee. All Compass Rose PWD puppies will be registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) under full or limited registration.
Our journey with Portuguese Water Dogs began in 2009. We wanted a loyal, affectionate, athletic and adventurous dog that would hopefully love the water as much as we do and be a great sailing companion. We got that and so much more and our love affair with the breed began!
Maxwell, aka Max, PGCH Dandelion's Maxwell's Silver Hammer, AOM, RN, CGC was our first PWD who came to our home as a very energetic and loveable puppy. He quickly stole our hearts and our universe revolved around providing him the best home possible. At 6 months we were asked to "consider" showing him in conformation and we were hooked. Max completed his grand championship, a Rally Novice, Canine Good Citizen and Pet Partner Therapy titles with Bill behind the leash. We knew he was a once in a lifetime first dog so we continued his show career where he has won multiple breeds, group placements, Award of Merit at Westminster and the PWDCA National, numerous supported entries and is only the second PWD in the history of the breed to achieve Platinum Grand Champion status. Max is also a certified Pet Partner Therapy Dog and spends many a day "seeing" patients at Bill's office
Fast forward two years later and we adopted yet another energetic puppy, Stella, SGCH Tagalong's Stella Maris' Compass Rose, AOM. Stella has won breeds and an Award of Merit at the PWDCA National and is a Silver Grand Champion. She is our foundation for our breeding program.
Our dogs are first and foremost our companions and we travel with them to shows and participate in their care and grooming. We compete in conformation and obedience venues and will be expanding to water in the coming year.
Responsible breeders will ask many questions to make sure your home is the right fit for their puppy. Compass Rose PWD has all puppies Temperament tested with the primary goal of making sure they are right for their new owner family's lifestyle and their desire for a family pet, a versatile performance companion in obedience, agility and water work or perhaps a future star in the show ring like their parents! Please take the time to visit the American Kennel Club site which is a great source of information. It is important that you are up to the task of daily living with this spirited Working breed.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions.


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Meiji Japanese Studio Plate Shofu w Silver
browse these categories for related items...
Directory: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Porcelain: Pre 1900: Item # 260942
Directory: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Porcelain: Pre 1900: Item # 260942
Please refer to our stock # tiger274 when inquiring.
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Meiji (1868-1912) Japanese Studio Plate with Relief Flower by Shofu Katei with Silver
The plate is 1.25 inches tall, and 8.25 inches in diameter.
It has hairline cracks at the center (as seen in the photos).
Our Guarantee: We stand behind all of the items that we sell. That is to say, if you purchase an item from us and are unhappy with it for any reason, return it for a 100% refund of the amount you originally paid. All you need to do is return the item to us within 10 days of receipt and in the same condition that we sent it to you. It is that simple. Buyer has to pay shipping, and insurance costs for both the purchase and the return.


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Opioid Series
The UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences has brought together healthcare experts from across the state to produce a seven-part series on opioid issues:
- An Introduction to Series on Opioid Issues, Andrew J. McLean, M.D., M.P.H. (0.5 )
- Opioid Pharmacology, James L. Roerig, PharmD, BCPP (1.0)
- Preventing Abuse and Misuse of Controlled Substances, Mark J. Hardy, PharmD (0.75)
- Non-Medication Treatment of Chronic Pain, Julie Lewis Rickert, PsyD (1.0)
- Issues of Addition, Kurt A. Snyder, MMGT, LSW, LAC (1.0)
- Medication Assisted Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder, Melissa J. Henke, M.D. (1.0)
- Opiate Prescribing in the USA, Manuel Dejesus Colon, M.D. (1.0)


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What is the Park Mark award and why is it a good thing?
If you are thinking of parking your car at the airport, instead of forking out for taxis or having to rely on friends or family, how do you know the car park is safe?
We have all seen horror stories on TV about travellers returning from their trips and discovering that their vehicles have been damaged or that there are hundreds of extra miles on the clocks. What guarantee is there that you are not going to fall prey to the cowboy element when you leave your car at the airport?
The answer to the thorny question of car park security lies with the Park Mark award scheme, a nationally recognised benchmark for a secure parking environment for both vehicles and drivers.
What is Park Mark?
Nowadays, 20% of all crime is vehicle related. The Park Mark scheme is a joint initiative between police and car park operators, meaning that members of the public can make an informed decision on where to park safely.
The Park Mark is awarded to car parks that have been extensively risk-assessed and vetted by the police who look at factors such as the standard of management, the adequacy of lighting, the cleanliness of the environment and the effectiveness of surveillance (both electronic and security patrols). Car parks are re-assessed every two years by an accredited assessor, so complacency is not an option for operators seeking to retain the prestigious award.
If this all sounds good, the next question is how to find one of these gold standard car parks. If you are wondering how easy it is to find out whether a car park has the accreditation, you will be pleased to know that when using the Airport Parking Shop website the results page will indicate which car parks have the Park Mark.
Benefits of the Park Mark initiative
The Park Mark scheme benefits both its users and operators. Users have peace of mind, knowing that they can leave their car in a well managed, secure and clean environment where it is unlikely to be vandalised or stolen. Park Mark car parks are well lit and the customer has nothing to fear on a personal security level, even if returning to their car in the small hours of the morning. Car park operators benefit from increased and repeat custom.
One airport that has been reaping the benefits of the scheme is London Southend. The Essex airport retained its Park Mark this summer for each and every one of its car parks: Long Stay car parks 1, 2 and 3, its hotel car park and staff car park. Passengers using the airport have 1500 spaces available and, in addition to the usual criteria required of all Park Mark facilities, London Southend also have ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition), and all entrances and exits are controlled by barriers.
If you are planning to leave your car at the airport and want complete peace of mind on your trip, make sure you look out for the Park Mark when booking your space.
Does my car park have the Park Mark award?
When comparing airport parking prices and facilities on Airport Parking Shop website, the search results page will highlight which car parks have the Park Mark award.
Alternatively, if you go directly to the list of all car parks for the specific airport, the car park security description will usually mention whether the facility has received the Park Mark award.


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Blogs | Ethan Shorey
Thursday, June 23
Question answered.
Back in March, after our story on Pawtucket Sen. Jamie Doyle failing to pay Scituate businesswoman Melissa Bruno, we reached out to Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed to ask her about Doyle's status on the Senate Finance Committee. Either way, whether Paiva Weed thought he should stay or go, we felt she should say something on...more
Thursday, June 16
The new Donald Trump parody account, @CTownDonald, is pretty funny. The fake Donald doesn't have a ton of followers yet, but he/she is pretty clever in striving to "make Cumberland great again."
The following is a brief assortment of some of Cumberland Trump's tweets:
• Have heard bad things about next year's freshmen -- I suggest we hold them back! Make the Class of 2020 Gr. 8 Again!
• Parents concerned about...more
Saturday, June 4
There's been some confusion about why Pawtucket Sen. Jamie Doyle won't be held personally responsible for his debt to Scituate business owner Melissa Bruno, despite initial claims otherwise. (read my most recent story here). Bruno originally agreed to a new payment plan from Doyle in part because she would be able to sue him personally, and not...more
Saturday, June 4
Congratulations to Pawtucket's own Foolproof Brewing Company for making Paste Monthly's 50 Most Underrated Craft Breweries in the U.S.A. list.
The publication is making it clear that this isn't a list of unknown breweries.
"When we say 'underrated' here, we're talking about breweries that are largely known commodities, but ones that perhaps don't...more
Tuesday, May 24
Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien will hold a campaign kickoff event at Slater Mill Tuesday night to announce he'll seek his fourth term as mayor. For now it looks like he doesn't have to worry much about someone unseating him.
One of the people most often connected to a possible run at Grebien is former City Council President Henry Kinch Jr., his opponent in the 2010 election and someone who has been highly critical of the mayor on many fronts. Kinch tells me he won't be running for...more
Wednesday, May 11
In March I wrote about how Pawtucket dancer Raul Soto had won a chance to dance with Justin Bieber on the star's "Purpose" tour in Boston. On Tuesday night, Soto's dream came true. I believe that's him doing all the crazy flips around the two-minute mark.
Soto, a Central Falls youth who dances at Dancin Spirit Performing Arts in Pawtucket, won a #...more
Thursday, May 5
Students at Shea High School are taking exception to my blog post about Principal Don Miller. A letter sent by senior Patience Adegboyega and signed by the "Shea Raiders" defends Miller as a leader who cares about students. It reads as follows:
Dear Mr. Shorey,
On behalf of the student body at Shea High School, I would like to express our outrage at...more
Saturday, April 30
What a shame for the students of Shea High School.
On Friday night, I was scrolling through Twitter and saw some mediocre photos of the annual Shea Fashion Show popping up from an account run by outgoing Principal Don Miller. The Breeze has given the front-page treatment to the show in the past and it's one of our favorite events to cover.
But as has been his practice for the entire 2015-2016 school year, Miller didn't invite us to take pictures of the show, and...more
Friday, April 15
Fridays for me are pretty busy days of rushing around gathering stories to write over the weekend. One little hiccup in the schedule, like someone being late to an interview or an unexpected meeting, can really put a crimp on the productivity.
So when I scrambled out of an interview today in North Providence only to find that I'd locked my keys in my car, I was pretty frustrated, thinking it could set me back by hours. The roadside assistance hotline sent two guys to help, and I was...more
Friday, April 1
IndieWhip, the Providence-based company at least partly responsible for the "Rhode Iceland" debacle, has released a new video making light of a situation that's caused headaches for state leaders all week.
Here it is:


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Today's inspiration comes from the pages of Kitchen & Bath Design News featuring a Chicago Big City kitchen with a rustic, suburban feel. It features a Viking range and ventilation hood, 30' Viking refrigerator and a separate 30' Viking freezer giving this family plenty of food storage but maintaining a sophisticated look.
It also features a large kitchen island which is as functional as it is fabulous, with plenty of seating, a built-in wine refrigerator and a second sink. The designer mentioned something that caught our attention and we feel it's worth passing on to our readers and clients; it can be tricky to find the perfect countertop slab that can accommodate an island of this magnitude, so it's often practical to pick out your countertop prior to finalizing your cabinetry order so you won't find yourself in a fix down the road.
Do you love this design? Pin it and bring your inspiration(s) with you for your first appointment with one of our talented kitchen designers at our cabinet and appliance showroom in Mobile, Alabama. We love combining your inspirations, creativity and vision with proven, functional design elements to create a kitchen that's right for YOU.
We're also proud to offer the very best in appliance brands, including the Viking range, fridge and freezer featured above.
Photo credit: Jim Tschetter featured in Kitchen and Bath Design News April 2014.
Today's kitchen inspiration comes from Trisha Troutz' blog. We love this Atlanta kitchen for SO many reasons! It encompasses almost every element of style that is popular (read: requested!) in Southern kitchen design at the moment. From the bright white cabinetry and counter tops to the lucite pulls and open shelving, this kitchen is a dream. The pin lighting, beadboard ceiling, and over-the-top hood are some of the details that make this kitchen pop. The wall of windows casting gorgeous light throughout the room doesn't hurt either! The homeowners' personal style shines through in the decor, backsplash, and lighting accessories.
Do you love this kitchen? It can be yours and we can help.
Stop by our showroom at:
5253 Hwy 90 W in Mobile, Alabama
or call for an appointment
We apologize if we did not locate the original link for these photos. We would love to give the photographer credit!
Today we are inspired by this off-the-charts awesome kitchen. This image proves that you can bring ultimate luxury to even a small space (although it sure helps having those high ceilings)! The china and glassware are proudly displayed with glass front cabinets in bright white. The dark counter tops provide a striking contrast and the Viking appliances ensure that you're cooking (or cooling, or warming, or grilling) with quality and power. We're also loving the industrial-feel light fixtures and hardware.
Inspired to transform your small space? See?! It can be done! Stop by our Coast Design showroom in Mobile, Alabama or make an appointment to meet with a designer and let's get started. We've got great cabinet door styles and stains to choose from, a wide array of hardware options and door pulls, the perfect stone counter top, as well as access to the full line of Viking appliances.
Have a question?
© Coast Design Kitchen and Bath, Inc. A division of Mobile Lumber. All rights reserved.


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Money transfer services – closure of accounts
We have acted for Money Transfer Services ("MTS") who have had difficulties arising from the closure of their bank account.
Over the last few years, an increasing number of MTS have had their bank accounts closed. Although the banks concerned have not provided reasons, it seems that they are withdrawing generally from this sector because of the high regulatory obligations required relating to anti-money laundering protections. In at least one case, the MTS has successfully challenged the bank and obtained a stay on the closure of their account using the competition law argument that the bank was abusing its dominant position in the market (Dahabshiil Transfer Services Ltd v Barclays Bank plc).
The closure of accounts has been brought to the attention of the FCA and they have issued guidance to banks saying that they should not close MTS accounts without considering the individual circumstances of each case. The concern of the FCA is partly due to the fact that the relevance of MTS's continue to trade notwithstanding the fact that they have no bank account. This lack of transparency is completely contrary to the objectives of the anti-money laundering regulations.


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Set 1
Set 1 View Booklet
Flying Dutchman, 3 Y
The Netherlands
The Dutch distillery Zuidam purchases sugar cane molasses in the Caribbean and has been distilling a Rum in the Netherlands since 2011. After an exceptionally long fermentation period of 2 weeks, with yeast from the Caribbean, triple distillation takes place in copper pot stills. The Rum matures for over 3 years on American new barrels of 200 litres. The rum is very soft and beautifully dark in colour. This is the first Rum really made in the Netherlands.
40% Vol.
Appleton Estate - Signature Blend
The Appleton plantation already existed in 1655, when the English conquered Jamaica on the Spaniards. Rum has also been produced since 1749. The Appleton is an English style Rum, Jamaica rum is a very hard Rum with fruits and hints of rubber. The Rum is Pot Still distilled and matured in Jack Daniel's barrels. This Signature is a blend of up to 15 Rums, after blending the Rum is matured a few months extra on new oak barrels.
40% Vol.
Angostura - 1919
Trinidad & Tobago
A Trinidad and Tobago Rum, from the distillery where the Angostura bitters also come from. Founded in 1824, Angostura is a traditional distillery where they produce a soft rum. Because Trinidad has been ruled by England for a long time, their Rum is part of the English style. The story of the 1919 dates back to 1932, when they discovered some old barrels of rum from 1919, which they mixed with their 8 year old Rum. A soft rum with clear vanilla tones.
40% Vol.
Clément - Canne Bleue
The island of Martinique has a long reputation of having great terroir for sugarcane cultivation, the most important ingredient of Rhum Agricole. Clément Canne Bleue is an exceptional white rum produced from only blue sugarcane, and rests for just over 6 months in a stainless steel vat. It is slowly reduced over time with distilled volcanic spring water. This process creates a well-integrated and full-bodied white Rhum Agricole. Clément Canne Bleue indeed has loads of character and is unlike most commercially available rums.
50% Vol.
Mulata, 7 Y
This rum is one of the best-selling alcoholic beverages in Cuba. The distillers behind Ron Mulata use only Cuban sugar cane syrup to produce their rum. Also only 180 liter oak barrels are being used for maturation. This rum spent 7 years in these casks to develop a light, accessible flavor profile and a beautiful golden brown color.
38% Vol.
Centenario, 12 Y - Gran Legado
Costa Rica
Centenario 12 Y has a unique taste and aroma that embodies Costa Rica in a bottle. This rum has won many awards worldwide, and is a blend of mature rums that have spent a lifetime in casks made from American White Oak. This Centenario 12 Y is made from sugar cane, and has a lovely amber hue, that just invites for a night of sipping, transporting you to the tranquil and natural beauty of Costa Rica. Ron Centenario 12 Y also works perfectly in many classic rum cocktails.
40% Vol.
Plantation - Original Dark
Caribbean Islands
Plantation Rum is an artisanal range of rums from the great terroirs of the tropics, founded by Alexandre Gabriel. Plantation Original Dark is a rum sourced from Barbados and Jamaica, distilled in both continuous stills and large copper pot stills. While the rum from Barbados has aged for 1 to 3 years, the Jamaican rum has spent 10 to 15 years in wooden casks. After a final period of aging in a wooden vat in France, Plantation Original Dark is born – a rich and intense style representative of the best Jamaica and Barbados have to offer.
40% Vol.
Mount Gay - Eclipse
In 1703, the production of Rum by the Mount Gay distillery on the island of Barbados was already a fact. This probably makes them the oldest working Rum distillery in the world. Traditionally, they still work in the English style with copper pot stills, in which they distil twice. Eclipse is named after the total solar eclipse and the appearance of the comet Halley in 1910. The roasted ex-bourbon casks also have light smoke notes.
40% Vol.
Brugal - Anejo
Dominican Republic
Brugal Anejo is an experience, and to sip it will make any day a little more special. Don Andres Brugal Montaner had one dream: to perfect the art of rum-making. That's how he came to move to the Dominican Republic in 1888. Currently the 5th generation of the Brugal family ensures that the high standards set by their forefather are being met. Brugal Anejo matures in ex-bourbon American oak casks for up to 5 years. The result is a clean, smooth and not-so-sweet spirit that you won't soon forget.
38% Vol.
Pampero - Aniversario
The Pampero Distillery was founded in 1938 in Caracas, Venezuela. The rum is distilled from local sugar cane molasses in Column Stills, in the tradition of Spanish style. The Pampero Aniversario was first made in 1963 in honour of the 25th anniversary of the Pampero distillery. The rum has matured in ex-Bourbon barrels. The difference in temperature between the day and the night is big in Venezuela, which gives an optimal ripening.
40% Vol.
Flor de Cana, 7 Y
Flor de Cana (flower of sugar cane) is the most famous rum of Nicaragua. The distillery was opened in 1890 and is located at the foot of the San Cristobal volcano in the northwest. The distillery was set up by the Pellas family. The fifth generation is now in power. Their Rums are made of sugar cane molasses in the Spanish style. The 7-year-old Rum is a Gran Reserva and has matured on ex-Jack Daniels barrels.
40% Vol.
Abuelo, 12 Y - Gran Reserva
After the establishment of the republic of Panama, José Varela started a cane mill in Pesé in 1908. In 1935 he started making Rum. Abuelo is a recognizable Panamanian Rum in the Spanish style; soft with beautiful sweet influences. The Rum has matured for 12 years according to the Solera principle (the barrels are filled with new Rum every year). The Gran Reserva is fruity with herbs and nuts; a wonderful example of a Panama Rum.
40% Vol.
Opthimus, 18 Y
Dominican Republic
Oliver & Oliver is a Cuban company that originates in Cuba and buys Rums from 5 Caribbean countries. Located in the Dominican Republic, they release several Rums including the Opthimus. All rum for the Opthimus comes from the Dominican Republic. They leave this traditional Spanish-style Rum to mature long before they release it. The 18 year old is a wonderful example of this. They are limited editions; each bottle is numbered by hand.
38% Vol.
Admiral Rodney - Extra Old
St. Lucia
This St Lucian rum is aged in ex-bourbon barrels. Named after Georges Brydges Rodney, a British naval official, famous for his tactics in the battle against the French in the 18th century. This blend matured on average 12 years and won 3 times gold in 2009; At the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London, the World Spirits Competition in Germany and the Rum Trophy during the International Spirits Challenge.
40% Vol.
Havana Club - Seleccion Maestro
Havana Club is the most famous Rum of Cuba, founded in 1878. Havana Club has asked a team of highly experienced Rum Maestro's to select their favourite Rum under the leadership of Don José Navarro. These Rums first mature separately in American oak barrels and together they get a finish on specially selected barrels. The Seleccion Maestro is an aromatic rich Spanish style Rum with tones of tobacco, leather and coffee.
45% Vol.
Ron de Jeremy - XO
The Spanish word for rum is RON. There are many Rons, but only one is larger than life – the legendary Ron Jeremy. Fun is they key word when it comes to Ron de Jeremy Rum. If there's one thing this rum will make you do, is put a smile on your face. Firstly because of the cheeky name, but mostly because it is seriously good liquid. Ron de Jeremy – XO is the best-selling rum of the brand and is a blend of rum from Barbados (Foursquare), Guyana (DDL), Jamaica (various distilleries), and Trinidad (Angostura). That's as good a rum base as you can expect!
40% Vol.
El Dorado, 15 Y
The Diamond distillery in Guyana has existed since 1670 and is perhaps the oldest working distillery in the Caraiben. They produce Demarara Rum, named after the nearby river. Diamond's special feature is that they have 2 working wooden Pot Stills still and a wooden column Still, a unique feature in the world! This El Dorado is a blend of the various Diamond boilers and is a powerful English-style rum.
43% Vol.
Zacapa - 23
In 1944 Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala was created from a amalgamation of 4 distilleries and produced Rums of high quality. Rum from Guatemala belongs to the Spanish style, but is characterized by a complex, rich taste. Zacapa is a Rum blender who buys the Rum from the distillery. This 23 matures according to the Solera system. The average age is therefore between 6 and 23 years. This Rum rightly won many prizes.
40% Vol.
Clement - L'Elixir
Clement was founded in 1887 and is considered to be the founder of the Rhum Agricole of Martinique, France. They produce the Rhum from pure sugarcane juice (Rhum Agricole). The Rhum matures on French oak and is distilled in traditional French copper pot stills of French origin. The Clement - Elixir is a blend of beautiful Rhums and matures for at least 6 years in oak barrels.
42% Vol.
Ron Zacapa Centenario - XO
Published in honour of the 100th anniversary of the town of Zacapa, located in eastern Guatamala. Unlike most rums, virgin sugar cane honey is used instead of molasses. Zacapa XO is a blend of 6 to 25 year old rums. The blend is extra matured in old French oak Cognac casks. The low temperatures cause slow maturation, while the low air pressure increases the wood contact. For the Solera system, Bourbon, Sherry and Pedro Ximenez barrels are used.
40% Vol.
Dictador XO - Perpetual
In 1913, Julio Arango y Parra founded the Destilería Colombiana in Cartagene. His intention was to make the best Rum of Colombia. Dictador is the exception to the rule that Spanish style Rum is made from molasses. Dictador makes Rum with pure sugar cane juice. They distil in copper pot stills and use American oak barrels for maturing. The XO Perpetual is a blend of older barrels from different seasons.
40% Vol.
Clement, 15 Y
Martinique is a French island on the eastern side of the Caribbean Sea and is famous for its Rhum Agricole; the main export of the island and since 1996 protected by its own AOC Martinique appellation. This rum is distilled from freshly squeezed cane juice and aged for a minimum of 15 years in a combination of new and charred oak barrels, resulting in this exceptionally ripe Agricole Rhum. A limited release of barrels selected by the Clément cellar master.
42% Vol.
Abuelo Centuria
A rum in honour of the 100th anniversary of the Varela Hermanos SA distillery in Panama. The 1908 sugar factory also started distilling Rum in 1935. Meanwhile, Abuelo is a well-known Spanish style Panama Rum who releases various varieties. Centuria is a blend of various barrels, the oldest of which have matured for 30 years. The use of toasted barrels of American oak leaves the Rum with a hint of smoke, vanilla and dried fruit.
40% Vol.
Flor de Cana, 25 Y
In 1890, the Pellas de Flor de Caña family started a distillery in Nicaragua. The fifth generation is now in power. After the political revolution in Nicaragua in 1979, the family decided that they should save Rum for uncertain times; to this decision we owe this Ultra Premium Rum. After more than 25 years of maturing in former Jack Daniel's barrels, this is a beautifully complex Spanish style Rum.
40% Vol.


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Monaco Monte-Carlo August 2012
Perigord (Château) - 2 bedrooms
SOLE AGENT - Near the center and the Larvotto beaches (direct access by public elevator) set on a very high floor of a nice building with concierge,this four-room apartment has been renovated and converted into a spacious three-room apartment and benefits from beautiful panoramic views. The apartment is sold entirely furnished.
Entry hall Living room with dining area opening onto a terrace Fully fitted kitchen with loggia 2 bedroooms 2 shower rooms Numerous closets Terrace and loggia DOUBLE PARKING LOT
Price : 5 900 000
Product details


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A few years ago, I was part of a collaboration doing research on communities of soil microbes. In the research, I was taking sequence data from soil samples, building phylogenetic trees, and trying to find interesting hints of the universe within the exotic soils from mountain tops, glacial fields, and Antarctic deserts. I remember one day meeting with one of my committee members to try and learn some things about an interesting phylogeny I was looking at. I remember asking, So, what do Verrucomicrobia normally do in the soil? My phylogeny had a huge branch sticking out the side of it, full of this microbe I'd never heard of before. He answered, It's hard to tell, they are diverse and we haven't had much luck growing them in the lab to study. To which I exclaimed, But the soil is all Verrucomicrobia!
About a year ago, I saw a paper published about an almost accidental discovery (some of the best are) that the entire setup process before growing cultures in the lab created an environment in the petri dishes that inhibited the growth of some microbes – Verrucomicrobia among them. Growing cultures in the lab petri dish is considered a necessary step to describing microbial species and studying their role in the environment. So when I saw the paper I chuckled thinking of all the grad students that would be racing to better understand all those Verrucs for the coming year.
The processes inside startups can be a lot like those lab petri dishes – sometimes you set the perfect conditions and grow the exact thing you wanted. While other times it takes a lot more perseverance, experimentation, or even a mistake to make it work the way you want. Until you have success in your petri dish, many aspects of the startup environment can remain mysterious and unexplained. And just like science, the times you get it right (and wrong) are worth sharing.
The startup experiment
The experiments you run in a startup petri dish are diverse and often have pretty big impacts. You find yourself running experiments to answer complex questions like, What type of measurable characteristics separate normal job candidates from future leaders? Or, How should teams be managed when they are small versus when they are large? And huge questions like, What is our market? How do we remain innovative? How do we attract the best hires?
In some of the more interesting experiments, you realize that the startup environment isn't static. Your startup grows and changes the environment around it. When this happens, you need to get good at scrapping bad ideas, recognizing ideas that work, and changing your experiment regularly. Recognizing inflection points becomes a core competency.
One set of environmental conditions within the startup that fascinates me deeply, are the ones the control how communication happens. Now, I don't mean blogging and Tweeting, nor do I necessarily mean Slack and Gmail, although I do mean them all a little. I mean the type of communication that enables idea creation to become idea execution efficiently. To understand how it changed over time, it helps to start at the beginning.
Communication in the early startup environment
Early stage startups aren't very much like full-fledged companies. In fact, they are so different that you really have to experience it to understand what makes them work. In our company, we had a level of informality and fluidity that you can't find in many corporate adventures. Some days you're an engineer, some days you're salesman. Together, we were just a collaboration of smart and hard working individuals wanting to get something done and realizing that it could be done bigger, faster, and prettier if we all worked together.
The informality of these early days also created an informal flow of information. You didn't need meetings to learn from your team. Another team member's ideas seemed to enter your brain through a process osmosis. Any person on the team could have an idea in the morning and by lunchtime everyone else in the company would be familiar enough with the idea to understand how they could contribute or provide feedback.
That informality effects the way that good and bad ideas are evaluated. In those early days, if you thought an idea was good enough, you just put your head down and worked hard until you could say, "Look, I can prove how good this is!".
This process of company ideation is exciting but probably pretty dangerous. It is only possible with the right environment. We fortunately had a team of smart individuals that cared for each other and respected one-another's ideas enough to build space and support through those times of ideation. I'm not sure what happens when startups don't have the right environment at this stage, but my guess is that to succeed, they work a lot harder and move a bit slower early on.
Communicating as a company
As a company grows the edges on its internal social network necessarily grow exponentially. There is an important inflection point hidden in that growth and related to the idea flow within the company. Ideas will begin to move a little bit slower or worse, get lost completely. Osmosis no longer works.
This is a risky moment. The obvious risk is that some good ideas may become lost in your organization before they reach the right individuals that can execute on them. The less obvious but potentially more dangerous risk is that some members of your team may miss information and not be able to contribute effectively. We definitely experienced this frustrating moment in our growth.
Side note: how singular organisms come together to form collective individuals with shared motivations and livelihood has been a fascination of mine since reading Leo Buss's work many years ago. I borrowed the images in this blog post from those essays.
My feeling is that a lot of people probably get to this stage and throw Slack (or another communication platform) at the problem. While I think Slack can be great, I don't think Slack alone solves the problem of moving ideas efficiently at this stage in a startup.
Team members need to know who to talk to about each area of the company. Who's working on what and what's their role. Team members need to know where we are all going, what is our short and long term goals, and what are the key milestones to know we are getting there. And finally, team members need to know and celebrate when we reach those milestones.
With the right new environment in place, team members are more capable of self-evaluating ideas and then pushing their best ideas directly to the other team-members that can help make them reality. Knowing full well that if they succeed they will all celebrate. At this point, Slack can then be very helpful to reduce the distance across the startup petri dish and to allow ideas to move quickly.
We are still working at building that environment. Processes such as company wide meetings, team level virtual stand-ups, and various other tactics are all being tested. I've started a couple of mini-experiments myself that I'll write about here in the future.
Come this far? Congratulations, you have something like a full-fledged startup in your petri dish. So what's next?
Building an idea machine
For a while I thought that the transition from osmosis style ideation into a new environment that facilitated better parallel ideation was the final big move within an organization. Then I dug deeper.
What you find when you dig deeper is that there is something more profound out there related to startups and the flow of ideas. I've read a lot lately on the concepts, many of which are caught up in Holacracy and new (non)management practices but not inherently dependent on them. To understand what it is, we probably need to go back to the beginning.
In those early days of a start-up, you are a cult of individuals. To prove an idea was good, you just did it. That cult has long lasting effects, both good and bad. The good is that many of those individuals are probably some of the most talented people you will ever collaborate with. The bad, is that people not from the cult of individuals will find it harder to build ideas into company strategies.
The mathematics of an organization (a startup in our case) hint to me that you will reach a point where the entire organization will always be smarter than any single individual… every time. What this means in practice is complex, but it means reducing the dominance of the cult of personalities.
I'm not sure I know how to setup the right petri dish for such an experiment, but I'm watching the startup world closely to see who does.
If you liked this post help me out by sharing it on Twitter
Thanks to Aaron Steele for reading my drafts.


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Damilano 2014
Damilano 2014
Decanter average score: 17/20pts
Individual judges' scores: IDA 17 MG 16.75 EOH 17.25
Cool, fresh and elegant nose with beautiful floral notes. A highly tactile Dolcetto with tight tannins and lots of rich, brambly, dark fruit brooding below. Impressive.
Price: POA Mondial Wine
Drink 2015-2017
Alc 12.5%