text:
T-Mobile executive: Get rid of subsidies on new phones
posted by Alan F. / Mar 08, 2012, 7:58 PM
Brodman was asked if the nation's fourth largest carrier could compete without offering the Apple iPhone. The exec responded by saying that T-Mobile offers a great lineup of Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone devices and that many of them do things that rival the iPhone whether it is the "app experiences, network experiences or the devices themselves. In many cases, he says, some of the phones on T-Mobile's lineup do things better than Apple's smartphone. The CMO did add that he didn't believe it was healthy for the industry to have one OS dominating. He said it would behoove everyone to watch Windows Phone to see if the developers will start writing for the platform. A strong Windows Phone presence would help the balance in the industry according to Brodman.
Check out the CMO's comments by clicking on the video below.
source: GeekWire via TmoNews
42 Comments
1. Sniggly
Posts: 7305; Member since: Dec 05, 2009
Carrier subsidies are the only reason why the mobile phone industry exists as we know it today.
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 8:03 PM 16
26. JunitoNH
Posts: 1946; Member since: Feb 15, 2012
Correct, I don't see too many people paying $500 - $800 out of pocket for a "phone" - it's just a phone. Let them try it, you will see the return of flip phones.
posted on Mar 09, 2012, 7:53 AM 5
42. jfuente11
Posts: 38; Member since: Nov 06, 2012
Subsidized/FREE phones are actually NOT subsidized/FREE phones. You actually have to sign up to a 2 year contract service and the actual price of the phone is divided into 20 to 24 months and add it to the cost of the rate plan that you are paying for. (The rate plans are overpriced to allow the service carrier to recover the cost of offering the phone at a discounted price or for free.) What if you stayed with them for 30 months? Then you are overpaying for the phone by paying a rate plan that was overpriced. I love T-Mobile because they have the Value Plan for customers who wish to purchase the phone for full price with an option to pay it in installment.
posted on Mar 03, 2013, 6:01 PM 0
2. protozeloz
Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010
this is a retarded idea, and will reduce the amount of people willing to get a phone, plan cost is on of the things that keep people at at margin of getting a better device for themselves so I have to make a new contract and i get no advantage of being forced to stay with you for two years? what a load of *****
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 8:07 PM 8
8. frazier2127
Posts: 3; Member since: Mar 08, 2012
if they got rid of subsidies i highly doubt they'd have contracts still. i know companies love money but they dont think we are stupid enough to pay 700+ for a phone and sign a contract??
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 8:26 PM 0
9. protozeloz
Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010
plus with all the fuzz, you buy an ATT phone what only get service in ATT or you have to pay more money to use it elsewhere, special Tmobile phones.... those will get 2G only outside Tmobile. the way is currently planted that model wont fit US
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 8:30 PM 1
16. remixfa
Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008
that is absolutely not a retarded idea proto. A subsidy is a lie. The cost of that phone is buried into your service. And its an average cost buried into that service, so if you get an iphone (650 full retail) or a Hawuai comet (120 full retail), you are paying the same amortized cost buried into the plans. Many non-american companies do not have big subsidies. T-Mobile has been doing the "Value" plan which is exactly that, subsidy free. It shows you the full retail of the phone, and if you like, you can bill it to your account. But the bill is much much cheaper that way because there is no inherent amortized phone cost built into the plan before u even pick out the phone. Its a much more honest and fair way of doing it. Why should the guy with the cheap phone have to pay the averaged subsidy for the guy with the expensive phone? That is exactly what happens now. Thats why ATT upped their upgrade fee and termination fee, thats why they are pushing tiered data, and thats why VZW LTE phones are 300 bux.. to pay for the iphone subsidy.
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 9:43 PM 5
19. protozeloz
Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010
I know the user gets charged an X amount of money for their phones in their plans and that amount is charged "equally" to everyone, yet still is a bad idea, I think transparenting the bill may sound better, but removing the "subsidy" will make more people hesitant, people truly see the present and not the future, people will see that today a 200 bux att phone cost 500 at t mobile even when they pay 20 less for the plan, and those 20 x 24 months = 480 bux. with all of the current limits given by the carriers and all the rules they play like grabbing money to put apps on my phone, making my updates slow, or unusable outside their "wing" will be the things will have to deal with anyways a better idea would be to make subsidy a clear part of your bill, just like they give you details of phone calls and other things depending on the price point of your device you get a different fee. so the guy with a cheap phone pays less for his phone and the guy with the expensive iPhone pays more on his bill and everyone is happy, companies can make offers and customers can decide how to pay their "subsidy" but simply killing it is a horrible idea let me put you an example if I bough the Galaxy S2 outside US and had it on att on the 10th I'll be getting ICS, att release date is yet to be knows, my Galaxy S2 will not have bloat apps or features removed, nor ATT branding. so when I I get A device from tmobile and I pay full price for it this are the questions I ask -will the phone have bloat? -will get updates with an unlocked version or do i have to wait for tmobile to "feel like it" -will the device be fixed to only operate with tmobile so if tmobile is selling me the same device I can buy with no restrictions elsewhere.... why should i buy it there?
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 10:15 PM 1
21. ngo2dd
Posts: 896; Member since: Jul 08, 2011
No it is not much much cheaper for T-Mobile. With unlimited talk and text and 2 gb of full speed it is still 60 dollar. Unless you are running some special deal. T-Mobile is no where close to to virgin, boost or metro. T-MOBILE is in 4th place for a reason, if you don't live in a big city there network suck. I live in a college town with 22k students and no services, that is just dumb.
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 10:20 PM 0
23. JacobSmile
Posts: 2; Member since: Mar 09, 2012
I completely agree with you on this one, t-mobile has been doing this for awhile. They have been selling "Value" plans which is a cheaper phone bill but you pay full price for the phone. If you want to pay a low initial amount they set it up so you could pay a deposit then work the rest of the cost into a no interest monthly payment over the course of 20 months. The benefits actually also go past the price too. It allows you to purchase phones not from t-mobile that support its bandwidths. It also helps people who don't upgrade their phone every 2 years. As the prices incorporate the price of the phones. To me this is the fairest way to go about it. The plans are usually always less or equal to the "Classic" plans (The plans with a subsidized phone) when you crunch the numbers together.
posted on Mar 09, 2012, 12:56 AM 0
29. iami67
Posts: 334; Member since: Oct 18, 2011
These value plans are a joke. I used to work for t mobile and these plans are one of the many reasons I quit. Besides the 50 percent return rate on new line cause lack of service anywhere people would always come in for the advertised price that says with new two yr contract. Id pull up there plan and see because there only saving ten dollars a month I can not give them this price. Then they would sit there and yell at me in the store and nto understand why and then swear that when they got the plan for 10 bucks less it was because they were long time customers and tmobile over the phone promised them a discount and no one told them they wouldnt be able to get a phone at sale price. So this doesnt work in America its to late everyone is used to getting free phone or top tier phones at only three hundred.. now im with vzw and if a customer comes in with no upgrade they flip when i tell them the free phone is 200. There like that is crazy ive nev er paid for a phone and im not gonna start now. gl with this tmobile youll be out fo bussiness soon
posted on Mar 09, 2012, 9:25 AM 0
38. remixfa
Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008
your lying out your ying-yang. If your return rate was that high, you were a horrible sales rep. I had 10 returns for all of 2011. We have people foaming at the mouth to get on the value plan once its PROPERLY EXPLAINED.. because yes, it does take a hot minute to explain to the customer what it is. Its actually much easier and more honest but people are programmed to the 2 year contract mess. Proto, I work in the business, its obvious you dont. The last thing I want is to have another charge on the bill. Every time Obama adds a new tax or raises a current one, we have swaths of customers come in screaming about it. "whats this new charge.. why are u ripping me off!!", even though we have nothing to do with it. The bills are over explained as it is as most people get confused by seeing everything broken down. Its very sad but also very true. The value plans are the most honest plans of the big 4 carriers. Once you wrap your head around it and dive in, you would never go back to a normal plan. I have customers thanking me all the time for putting them on it , because for once they have control over how much they are actually paying for a phone. I also tell them all the time to save money by going to ebay/craigslist and buying a phone for cheap. What do I care? With reps no longer getting paid by selling them a new phone, it leaves more wiggle room for better options.
posted on Mar 10, 2012, 4:17 AM 0
3. darktranquillity
Posts: 285; Member since: Feb 28, 2012
May be this is why there's no carrier subsidy in india
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 8:08 PM 1
4. protozeloz
Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010
are you forced to stay on contract? when you get a plan?
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 8:10 PM 1
5. LoneShaolin
Posts: 307; Member since: Jan 14, 2012
No subsidies In Europe. You buy the phone you want, and go to whatever carrier you choose. That way the phone isn't limiting you to one carrier, and it all falls on carrier price/customer service which is the way it should be.
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 8:11 PM 5
7. protozeloz
Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010
as far as I know there are both, you can get a phone with no subsidy and the plan you want with no contract or break up fee, but you can also get on a contract and get a free phone or a low price http://goo.gl/pFqOS
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 8:25 PM 1
10. torr310
Posts: 1692; Member since: Oct 27, 2011
ok, no susidies, no contracts. And plans need to be cheaper. also, iPhones get the most subsidy from carriers. they will become less attractive as they are more expensive.
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 8:47 PM 5
12. LoneShaolin
Posts: 307; Member since: Jan 14, 2012
iLemmings would s**t if they had to pay $700+ for a phone!
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 8:57 PM 5
15. squallz506
Posts: 1075; Member since: Oct 19, 2011
lucky for me i have monthly4g. "no susidies, no contracts. and plans need to be cheaper" check, check, and check. no SUBSIDIES, no contract, i pay $30/mo. i had to drop $300 for my g2x unlocked, but i can upgrade or drop service at the drop of a dime. no hidden fees, no TOS alterations, no data plan hikes, no iphone subsidies.
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 9:42 PM 6
11. fonefan
Posts: 3; Member since: Apr 27, 2011
Great idea. It will never happen with postpaid because then the carriers would have to separate out what they would charge just for voice and/or data without hiding subsidies in the price. That would start too much price competition.
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 8:55 PM 1
13. darktranquillity
Posts: 285; Member since: Feb 28, 2012
I think in a contract, the carrier knows you'r not going anywhere for two years and that you'r gonna pay them nicely for that period. That restrict them giving you offers and call rate reductions. In india there's no carrier subsidy, so the network have to keep giving attractive offers to retain the customers unless they want to see their customers being lured away by other networks. This is why india got the lowest call rates in the world as low as .30paise/minute. I remember sending a mnp(mobile number portability) sms and within an hour my call rate is down to 30p/minute from .60p/minute and their agent calling me to tell "don leave our network":-P.
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 9:02 PM 1
14. Stuntman
Posts: 843; Member since: Aug 01, 2011
I would love to be able to pay full price for a phone and be able to go to any carrier. In Canada, the mobile market is similar to the US. Subsidised phones are the norm with 3-year contracts. If you want to unlock a phone and go to another carrier, it's a convoluted process. You have to still buy the phone, sign up for a monthly plan, then cancel the monthly plan and then pay the carrier to unlock in. Then you can go to another carrier. That's the official way. The industry here pretty much forces the average consumer to change carriers if they want a phone that is not offered by the existing carrier.
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 9:20 PM 0
22. gwuhua1984
Posts: 1237; Member since: Mar 06, 2012
With the way frequency bands are distributed in the States, his idea will never work...
posted on Mar 08, 2012, 10:39 PM 0
24. Bluesky02
Posts: 1439; Member since: Dec 05, 2011
I say if all carriers stop paying those subsidies. You won't see $700 phone. Because companies knows not all people are going to pay high price. So they'll have to rethink their strategies by bringing phones below $500. Afterward you won't see any high advanced phone like Samsung Galaxy 2 or stuff like dual core, quad core. Companies will have to find cost effective measures leading to a slowdown in mobile technology. Hence those carriers subsidies are important and helps to drive innovation through sales.
posted on Mar 09, 2012, 1:12 AM 0
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Contact information
201 Life Science Center
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University of Missouri
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Email: email@example.com
Lab Phone No.: (573) 884 4799
2013 – present: Ph.D. Student, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri
2007-2011: BS Biotechnology, University of Sciences, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM).
Professional presentations
2012: "Application of MLPA (multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification) technique for detecting the micro-deletion causing Williams-Beuren syndrome"; The first youth science conference Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City in 2012
2011: "The identification of the localization of AtTPK1, AtTPK3, AtTPK4 in the protoplasts from the Arabidopsis thaliana by expression vector with fluorescent gene PEG-medicated transformation"; The 2nd National Biotechnology Conference in Southern Vietnam 2011.
Awards and honors
2012: Vietnam Education Foundation fellowship nominee, USA government.
"Student leader award-City level" ("Sinh viên 5 tốt") *, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam Union of Students.
2011: "Student leader award-National University level", National University – Ho Chi Minh City.
Certificate for successfully completion of 2011 POSTECH, internship program,
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2009: "Student leader award-National University level"**, Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Filthy, In The Not Fun Way
Weekend Recap:
1. Friday night Hoop and I blew off plans to go drinking so we could stay home and clean up dog puke, dog diarrhea, and dog puke that looked like diarrhea.
2. No matter how much you drink while doing it, it's just not the same.
3. Later on, once we'd sobered, we went to get some grub:
Hoop: Whatcha hungry for?
Tink: Anything but chocolate pudding.
4. We settled for soup and salads. There's something about cleaning up vile substances that makes you want to eat something healthy.
5. Saturday morning I got up early and went to visit Hoop at work.
6. But I got lost in the process and ended up screaming "Fuck!" in his ear instead.
7. To be fair, I got lost using HIS directions, which always seem to rely heavily on the driver's ability to mind read.
8. While mid-panic, I text Hoop the question, "First right or left?"
9. He replied, "Yesterday."
10. *Blink*
11. That evening we watched "A Clock Work Orange," a movie I'd always wanted to see but hadn't.
12. Fun Trivia:
Malcolm McDowell chose to sing "Singin' In The Rain" during the rape scene, because it was the only song he knew all the lyrics to.
Anthony Burgess originally sold the movie to Mick Jagger for $500 when he needed quick cash. Jagger intended to make it with The Rolling Stones as the droogs.
SPOILER: Despite its violent reputation, there is only one death in this film. Two, if you count Frank's wife, who died of Pneumonia.
13. Sunday, Hoop and I spent the day ordering kitchen appliances and putting together furniture.
14. Which probably sounds rather dull to you. But to someone who has been living out of boxes and bins for the last six months, it was Christmas.
15. I spent an hour shining our dining room table, simply because I could.
16. Later that day, after Duff had puked for what felt like the gazillionth time, I found the reason for his illness.
17. Sometime over the past four days the dog had decided it would be fun to gobble up a plastic flag.
18. At first I thought it was a tape worm, which really grossed me out since my method of searching involved using my bare hands.
20. "Oh God. Oh God. Oh God." I chanted while pulling the strand from the pile.
21. The good news is, he hasn't puked since. So cross your fingers he's on the road to recovery.
Daily Hoop Conversation:
Hoop: What was that?
Tink: What?
Hoop: That look you just shared with the waitress.
Tink: I was trying to be friendly!
Hoop: Uh huh.
Tink: You got me Hoop. I was signaling for her to call me after she gets off work so we can get together and molest you.
Hoop: Alright!
Daily Hoop Conversation 2:
(After reading THIS this article)
Tink: I understand why she was upset. I just don't understand why she won't accept their explanation and apology.
Hoop: She said why. She wants to be compensated with MONEY.
Tink: It would be one thing if the company that printed the labels was English speaking. But they're not, and it doesn't seem like they meant to be derogatory.
Hoop: Such is the world, babe.
Tink: You know what's funny?
Hoop: What?
Tink: If I bought a couch with the label "Cracker White" on it, I would not be offended.
Hoop: *Burst out laughing*
Tink: I'd probably tear it off and frame it.
Tomorrow: Prom Stories.
Wednesday: WWC Pictures!
Labels: Daily Hoop Conversations, Weekend Recap


text:
Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'
smoke bush
This shrub is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.
- Position: full sun
- Soil: moderately-fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: July to August
- Hardiness: fully hardy
This deciduous shrub has magnificent, dark red-purple oval leaves, that turn scarlet in autumn. In July and August, it is festooned with fluffy plumes of purplish-pink flowers that look like a haze of smoke. This is an eye-catching specimen plant for a sunny shrub or mixed border. The foliage, which appears almost translucent when backlit by the sun, is at its best when the plant has been pruned hard in March.
- Garden care: In late winter or early spring remove any misplaced, diseased or crossing branches. Alternatively, to produce larger leaves, cut the stems back hard to within two or three buds of the base in early spring. After pruning apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant.
Delivery options
- Standard £4.99
- Next / named day £6.99
- Click & collect FREE
Eventual height & spread
Notes on Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'
"Burgundy-red lollipop leaves held late into the year and, when the temperature drops, the leaves develop a bright-pink margin"
Goes well with
- Hello, Can this plant be planted outside in January? Thanks
Hello there As a general rule plants that are grown in containers can be planted at any time of year as long as the soil isn't frozen solid. The best times are in the autumn when the soil is still warm enough to encourage root growth but the plant isn't in active growth, or the spring before the temperatures start to rise. This plant is fully hardy so would be fine to plant now while it is still quite mild, as long as the ground isn't waterlogged. Hope this helps
- Specimen Ceanothus or another large bushy shrub.... Good afternoon, When I was first looking for a Ceanothus to replace the one we have in our front garden, I looked on your website, but you only had small ones. Our once lovely Ceanothus has been pruned out of all recognition again this year, as I planted it a bit too near our boundary when it was a baby. I know it may come back, but it is getting ridiculous as every time it grows back it has to be cut back again severely and then ooks a mess for most of the year. Have you got a nice, tall, bushy Ceanothus to replace it? I love my Ceanothus but perhaps if you don't have a big one, do you have another large, flowering shrub as an alternative? Hope you can help Regards Margaret
Hello Margaret, it is rare to find larger sized Ceanothus as they are usually quite short-lived and don't normally live longer than 6 - 8 years. We do have a selection of larger shrubs on our site like Hamamelis, Hydrangeas, Magnolias, Acer, Cornus, Cotinus, Philadelphus, Syringa and Viburnum, so you may find something of interest. They will be listed in this section. http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/ I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor
Crocus Helpdesk
- Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' hedge? Hi, Having seen a stunning display of the Cotinus planted with a band of Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' in front of it, at the National Garden of Wales recently, I would like to try and reproduce the effect of the silver against the purple background. My problem however is space. I am in the process of providing a new bed which is approximately 6 feet long by 3 feet wide. Although you quote the Cotinus as growing to about 5m x 5m, you also suggest pruning it hard back to the base each year. If I prune annually as suggested, would it be possible to retain it to say a 1 - 1.5 m high bush, allowing the Miscanthus to be planted in front, thus forming a contrasting foil when viewed from both patio and lawn. If this is not considered viable, can you suggest another purple / dark red or similar bush that would provide a similar effect. Many thanks, Brian.
Brian Boon
Hello Brian, Cotinus is a pretty big shrub, but if you cut it back to within 2 or 3 buds from the base each year in early spring, then it shouldnt get too muchh higher than 1.5m. Alternatively you could opt for one of the purple leaved Berberis - just click on the following link to go straight to them. http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.berberis/ I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor
Crocus Helpdesk
- Cotinus 'Grace' not flowering Hello Crocus, I am having a problem with my Cotinus 'Grace'. It has the most enormous leaves but has not had many flowers this season. Could you shed any light as to why? I would be most grateful as it is a favorite of mine.Regards Louise
louise barton - warner
Hello Louise, Cotinus can be cut back hard each year and this will encourage the plant to produce really large leaves, but this is usually at the expense of the flowers. If you want flowers, then you should resist cutting it back each year.
Crocus Helpdesk
- I'm afraid you have been given bad advice as 'Smoke bushes' are fully hardy and don't need to be moved inside during cold nights. It is however a deciduous shrub so it will lose all its leaves in winter, so it is normal for it to look like a bare twig until the new leaves are produced in spring. Therefore I suspect it is still alive, and would recommend waiting until spring to see if it re-shoots.
I think my 'Smoke bush' has died! I planted it the day I received it and have watered it regularly. Since we have had a number of frosts I have moved it into the garage on cold nights to prevent frost damage. I have done this on the advice of a professional gardener as it was a young plant and needed protection. Please can you let me know if you think it has died?
Maxine Mulrooney
How to control diseases
Prevention is better than cure with diseases in the garden so keep your plants growing as strongly as possible – allowing them to fight off infections naturally. A weak plant is much more likely to fall prey than a good, sturdy one. Also be vigilant! TryRead full article
Double interest flowers
Why is it that the majority of gardens look their best during spring only to turn dull and lifeless for the rest of the year? It's partly because spring is when most gardeners buy new plants and partly because too few people consider what the plants willRead full article
Honey fungus
There are different symptoms which point to honey fungus, some or all of them may be present at one time. Also, death can take years or be virtually instantaneous with plants being suddenly stopped in their tracks, half-opened leaves just frozen in time.Read full article
March pruning of trees, shrubs and climbers
The following notes can be used as a guide when pruning trees, shrubs and climbers in your garden during the month of March. It's timely advice if you have any of the following in your garden. Abeliophyllum, Artemesia, Brachyglottis, Brunfelsia, BuddlejaRead full article
Cotinus - puffs of smoke or lollipop leaves?
Smoke bushes (forms of Cotinus-coggygria) can be cut back hard in late-spring to produce much larger lollipop-shaped leaves, with fewer or even no flowers. Prune them lightly, or leave them alone, and they will make big shrubs (as wide as they are tall) tRead full article
Tall grasses and partners to gaze through in the autumn garden
As the days shorten, the autumn sun sinks a little lower every day and begins to backlight the borders, picking up detail and silhouette. There's plenty to enjoy and seed heads, in suitably autumnal shades of brown and silver take centre stage, often lastRead full article
The autumn lipstick reds and pinks
Come autumn the flowers may be fading away, eclipsed by shorter and cooler days, but there's still plenty of foliage whether on the ground, or held aloft against a sinking sun. Touches of lipstick-red, sombre-burgundy, orange-peel and mustard-seed glow inRead full article


text:
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text:
Google will maintain its dominance and account for 40.7% of US digital ad revenues in 2017—more than double Facebook's share. And we're talking near 41% of the total US digital ad spending of US$83 billion in 2017 – a whopping increase of 15.9%, according to eMarketer's latest forecast.
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So eMarketer expects Google's share of the search market to grow 16.1% to $28.55 billion in 2017.
As Google dominates search, Facebook rules display. The social network's US display business will jump 32.1% to $16.33 billion, capturing 39.1% of the US display market, taking share away from Google, Yahoo, and Twitter.
Facebook's revenue growth can be attributed to growth in both usage and time spent, which continues to draw advertisers in greater numbers. Instagram is also helping to drive Facebook's revenue growth. In fact, Instagram will make up 20% of Facebook's US mobile revenue this year, up from 15% last year.
However, the balance is tipping, indicates the eMarketer forecast. While Google's display business will rise to $5.24 billion, its share of the display market will drop to 12.5%.
Video a key drive on Facebook, Instagram
"Facebook's users are increasingly captivated by videos on the platform—not just on Facebook, but on Instagram as well. Video, both live and recorded, is a key driver of growing user engagement and advertiser enthusiasm," said Peart.
Snapchat set for explosive growth
With its IPO now behind it, Snapchat is poised for explosive growth this year. In 2017, Snapchat's ad revenue will grow 157.8% to $770 million in the US. That's slightly lower than the $800 million previously projected, due to higher-than-estimated revenue sharing with partners.
Snapchat's ad business, which is made up entirely of mobile display, is still small. Snapchat will account for 1.3% of the US mobile ad market this year. By 2019, that will grow to 2.7%.


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From The Jam
I had a feeling that the From The Jam gig at the Exeter Phoenix was going to be a good one. All the signs were there. It was a sold out event and when I arrived at the venue last Saturday night I had squeeze my way up the steps to get in past the crowds. A great band and a busy crowd always make for more interesting shots!
Of course, with great headline acts normally come great support bands, and The Real Me did not disappoint. Here they are in action:
By the time From The Jam came on my shutter finger was well and truly warmed up and here are some of the images of the band in full swing:
My job as photographer is always more fun when you get a night of loud and energetic bands. Last Saturday was one of those nights.
I hoped you enjoyed my images and if you want to see more then keep an eye out for regular posts on The Unplugged Blog and for images live from the gigs follow me over on Twitter. If you want to read a quality review of the From The Jam gig then my friends over on MusicMuso will be posting one up really soon!
On A Technical Note
As I mentioned in my last blog post I had just taken delivery of a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24–70mm f/2.8E ED VR lens. Saturday night proved a great first proper test of my latest bit of kit. Initial signs are really good with noticeable improvements in focusing speed and accuracy. The often dark conditions that I have to work in can often play havoc with autofocus but this new lens seems to be coping very well. The Vibration Reduction technology is also a welcome addition. I've got another big action gig coming up so we'll see how it copes with that but the initial signs are looking good!


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If you love barbecues but you're watching your weight or nutritional intake, here is how to eat healthy at a barbecue. Get started at step number one below.
1Eliminate bread. By eliminating bread from your burgers and hot dogs, you can cut the calories by about a quarter and you'll have more room for other foods. You can also cut up your hot dog into pieces and dip it in mustard or ketchup (whatever you prefer) like nuggets. For burger, you can also try eating it with just one bun on the bottom. Alternatively, choose whole grain bread.
2Take advantage of fruit. No barbecue is complete without fruit. By piling half your plate with assorted fruit like watermelon, pineapple, grapes, strawberries, etc., you'll feel fuller longer and won't be craving those salty chips.
3Avoid chips or choose baked or no-salt chips. No chips are good for you, but some are worse than others.
4Choose salad without dressing. Instead of eating potato salad, slathered in mayonnaise, choose a green salad.
5Replace soda, fizzy pop and alcohol with water. This is one of the most efficient ways to reduce your calorie intake at a barbecue. It can be hard though when everyone around you is drinking what they like. A lot of people like soda and would hate to trade it in for water, but drinking soda (yes, even diet soda) could ruin your whole healthy barbecue lunch. If you think water is too boring, try adding a lemon or lime slice to it to give it some zest.Advertisement
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Forget everything you know about the separation of Church and State!
How's that for a welcome back line?
I haven't been posting much over the last little while for a lot of different reasons. One of those points involves giving over more time to my family and helping to raise my little girl.
With that in mind, my wife and I have been exploring the world of Traditional Catholicism during the past few months. The funny thing is (in an ironic way) the more you immerse yourself into history, the more you see the value and beauty of the Catholic Church... and the more you want to reject modernism in all its forms.
In that vein, I've had a lot of fun learning about where Catholics come from and how we've arrived at the mess we're in today. One writer in particular has stood out in my journey and that man is Michael Davies.
I first came across his work back in July when I was learning more about how bad the French Revolution actually was. Then boom... here's this talk on the Rising of the Vendee.
Here's my plea of ignorance. It's not like this information was never available or unknown. If you're like me, though, you probably never heard of these guys.
For me, this information was an awakening for me to Catholic culture and how valuable the teachings of the Church can be for our lives.
As Catholics, we're called to carry our faith outside our parishes. We're not supposed to check it at the Church door after Mass and forget about it for the rest of the week. The Vendee prove how living out the faith can work for your community if everyone is embracing it.


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I can't believe I'm actually posting this but for anyone shooting with the Pocket/Micro I feel obligated.
We picked up a used Pocket as a crash cam for a project recently and I wanted to grab some small MFT crash lenses for the project - specifically to cover 12, 25, 35mm.
I did the google and ebay thing and found I could cover the 35mm with a cheap Meike and the 25mm with a new thing called 7 Artisans. We're talking about $70 dollar lenses here.
Anyway, long and short of it is I was so blown away with how good they looked in post and cut with our main lenses (all Sigma Art) that I shot a test the other day with the Sigma 18-35.
So we all know that the Sig is praised, fairly, for it's detail and contrast wide open.
The 7 Artisans actually out-performed the Sig open and stopped down at 25mm.
More amazingly, the colors and bokeh/OOF are pretty identical to the Sig - with the 7 Artisans showing better micro contrast.
Oh and 7 Artisans is about 1/3 stop faster.
So this thing is all metal, well damped with 12 rounded blades and cost me $69.99
Oh and the Meike 35mm - also all metal and well damped with 9 rounded blades has a bit better bokeh/OOF than the Sig at 35mm, not as sharp open (but close) but actually better stopped down to f/2.8.
And I'm just blown away that the 3D/micro contrast quality that I'm always looking for when testing glass is there with both of these cheap little things.
Regarding the sharpness, I'm sure it's because I'm shooting at 2.88 crop utiliizing the sweet spot of the glass, but I'm still pretty shocked .


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Watch the 'How it Works' video!
Zoospi is a web portal that allows you to take advantage of today's powerful internet mapping technology and put it to work for you when you have a job to do. Zoospi is a community of service providers who have posted their schedules on our site, along with their locations. This allows us to show you where you can find one at any given time. For example: You can search for a landscaper, or any other home service provider, who will be in your neighborhood next Tuesday, or look for the closest plumber if you have an emergency. Maybe you need a tow truck? Simply check to see which business has one close by, and get the job done faster!
We provide a tool for our service providers to enter Distance Discounts so they can pass on their increased efficiency savings directly to you. When you search for a service provider, we show you how far each one is from you during the time you specify, what discounts they offer that you might be eligible for, and provide a tool to request a booking with that service provider. When you use Zoospi to make a request, the service provider is notified by email and text message and usually will get back to you within a short period. In fact, our service providers tell you how long a wait to expect.
Let us show you how Zoospi can help you get the job done quickly, efficiently, and inexpensively.
- Create an account. Account creation is free and allows us to calculate your distance from each service provider.
- Search for a service crew working in your vicinity in the next few weeks.
- Book the service crew that you prefer, and agree on a distance discount price with the service quote dispatcher.
- When the job is done, transmit payment and rate your service provider.
Some advantages of Zoospi over the Yellow Pages.
- Zoospi allows you to see which businesses are close by, and which ones are available when you need them!
- Zoospi's Distance Discount can result in big savings on your project.
- Zoospi's feedback system lets you see how others have rated the prospective service provider.
Zoospi is a community of hardworking professionals and we would like our customers to help us manage our business by following a few Courtesy Rules.
View an explanatory video:


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Brown University Dining Services is ahead its goal of purchasing food that meets at least one of four "real food" criteria derived from the goals of the Real Food Challenge, a national initiative designed to encourage sustainable food practices, reports the Brown Daily Herald. Purchases meeting the criteria—local, fair, ecologically sound and humane—have hit 36% of the total. The goal was to hit 35
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This is the story of an old friend and new convert to social media marketing, a lawyer in Northern California named Mark D. Poniatowski who runs a small practice with just a handful of partners.
They suffer from the traditional business development issue most small professional services firms have:
This cycle drives them crazy, but they have always considered it a cost of keeping the firm small (which they like quite a bit.)
Good marketing pal that I am, I begged to differ, and pressed them to make better use of social media tools to keep their referral sources warm while they worked long hours on cases.
With the advent of his latest "break" from a heavy work load, he agreed to dedicate the time to test a plan he felt he could manage within the demands of his day:
The Definitive Careers Guide From Forbes encompasses every aspect of the job hunt, from interview to promotion. Written by some of Forbes' best careers and leadership writers, it is available now for download.
Results came within a couple of weeks:
The pace has calmed since he harvested that low-hanging fruit, but he reaped one other big benefit:
Connecting with distant clients – An international manufacturer and a national food distributor both use Mark for their commercial lease work in California. He can only justify one trip a year to each of their Midwestern headquarters. But, using LinkedIn to follow the people who manage his part of their legal affairs has made the trips much more powerful.
Here is how Mark sums up his experience:
"I immediately recognized that I was able to connect with attorneys and clients that I worked with over the years and had lost touch with, so it was actually a fun exercise. Some of them were good friends as well and we've since gone to lunch. I think that the business generation aspect has been a natural fallout of reconnecting and will increase. I did find that the best LinkedIn for me is during the commercials while watching sports!"
LinkedIn does nothing for you but set up the channel of communication. You have to reach through that channel to electrify your network. It isn't Rocket Science, but it does take commitment. Here are some of the tried and true steps to take to get into a rhythm. (I am sure commenters can adjust and add to this list!)
This vignette about how useful networking is for a professional services firm it isn't new, and "networking" hasn't changed strategically since professions were invented millennia ago. All the tools have improved, though, and can put your efforts on steroids with just a few hours a week, right from your desk. Indeed, one dedicated hour at home with LinkedIn may outperform two hours (plus travel time) at an industry cocktail party. Both have their benefits, neither should be neglected.


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Social Media Marketing is the usage of social platforms as the channels for brand promotion and target audience growth. Social platforms are in the centre of SMM.
SMM Benefits
- Cheap. SMM is very cheap in comparison with other types of marketing, for example, PPC. To succeed in SMM, you need to be active in social networks — create regularly new groups, find friends, chat, write comments. All you need is much time and creativity.
- Has a viral effect. People always share and forward useful, interesting and entertaining information with their friends in social networks. It often moves beyond one network and its members. It facilitates the growth of your target audience.
- Increases brand awareness. Social Media Marketing is another way to increase your brand awareness. Why should one miss it?
- Provides with feedback. Customers' feedback and communication with the audience is an essential part of any type of marketing. It's impossible to increase sales without communicating with your customers. It's easy to do in social networks — feedback, comments, reviews. People appreciate when businesses find the time to answer all their questions.
- Increases traffic to the website. When people doubt to buy a product or not, they always look for the page in social networks, because there are more chances to discover feedback, to communicate with the owners or even other people who bought. Then, they will go to your website.
Social Media Marketing goals
- new leads generation
- customers' retention
- growth of traffic to the website
- work with negative feedback
- brand awareness increase
- quick growth of sales
- consumer demand research
- keeping the audience informed
Social networks will help you achieve your goals and succeed in SMM. To do this, you should know the purpose and features of each of them. You are certainly familiar with the most popular platforms.
Social Media Marketing channels
Facebook belongs to the top-5 of the most visited websites in the world. The audience made 2 billions of users in June 2017. Every day users "leave" 6 billions of likes and comments and post 300 millions of photos. Facebook is a great platform for your business. Don't miss a chance to enlarge your audience!
Using this platform you can provide your business with the viral effect. Here people share and retweet your pieces of information. It's great for posting news, updates. Make use of hashtags to promote your website, attract new customers, increase brand awareness.
LinkedIn is aimed at building professional relationships. You can find people by occupation, industry, place of work, etc. In LinkedIn, you can create a group for your particular industry and invite other professionals to join. For example, you want to hold an SEO-conference and you need to find SEO speakers from other companies. With the groups, it is an easy task.
This is a great platform to share photos and videos using hashtags when you want to tempt the audience. For example, an account in Instagram is a must if you own a store, a cafe, any entertaining center.
YouTube belongs to Google, so videos from YouTube have more chances to appear in the Search Engine Results Page. Mind this when optimizing!
This channel is perfect for businesses that have beautiful images to share. It perfectly fits ecommerce. If your images are on Pinterest, they are likely to appear in the Images Search Engine Results in Google.
The next challenge marketers face is generating leads on those platforms. Each channel has different methods of promotion that should be taken into account. Get inspired by 10 tips on how to find your target audience on social media in this article.
The achievement of your goals across the platforms used should be somehow tracked. The situation with KPIs in SMM is difficult as there are many metrics to monitor but they can't be called relevant and accurate due to traffic cheats. Still, these metrics should be considered while analyzing the effectiveness of your work.
Social Media Marketing KPIs
- Likes, shares, comments. The growth of followers. Has your community stable positive dynamics? It's important to see not the growth itself, but STABLE growth. If there are sharp turnarounds in the graph with no further growth, you've possibly made a mistake when choosing a Social Media Marketing strategy.
- Followers' quality. Mind your target audience! Are there many bots? Does your audience fit the request? If you sell cosmetics and a big part of the followers make men — something is wrong.
- Followers going from a social network to your website. It may not be your goal but it indicates a certain problem if a few people go to the website.
- A net increase in the number of followers. It indicates how actively your community grows at the given period. This is the balance between the number of followers who joined and those who left. If 500 people joined your community and 400 left — the net increase makes only 100 subscribers.
- Active followers. Active followers are unique subscribers who performed more than 1 action during a specified period. Those who performed more than 3 and 10 actions make your loyal audience.
- Those who discuss. It is measurable in Facebook only and it indicates a viral effect of your marketing. These are the followers who shared your posts in their feed. For example, your friend made a check-in in a new cafe or commented a post. All these actions facilitate the growth of your community.
- Outreach. The number of followers who viewed your posts. This indicator is organic as the views in the feed and in the community are taken into account.
- Engagement. This metric allows to discover the real engagement of your followers.
Use these 2 formulae:
- Negative feedback. The loss of subscribers happens when they hide the post from the feed, mark/report as spam, hide all posts from the community, leave the community. It's extremely important to regularly monitor and analyze your subscribers' activities to avoid the churn rate.
- Response rate and response time. These indicators are important as they help to avoid poor user experience. Even the users who had bad experience while using your product are to get the answers to their questions. NEVER hide, remove and ban. Removing the information will encourage its distribution.
Now, when you know what SMM is and its benefits, the goals it helps to achieve, most popular platforms and KPIs to measure, we'll give you some most important pieces of advice to follow when starting SMM.
Social Media Marketing tips for beginners
Choose the platforms
The number of platforms depends on the size of your business. If you just start, keep away from creating the accounts on all the platforms you know. Each network takes much time to work with. Remember that quality beats quantity. Besides, the choice of the platforms depends on the type of your business. If you deal with software — Pinterest won't be a relevant channel.
Create SMM plan for every platform
You should always make a plan and for every type of marketing! If you don't have it, you just do SMM because your competitors do, because it's trendy, because it MAY bring income.These are not the reasons to start.
Answer the questions:
- Why do we start SMM?
- What goals do we pursue?
- What is our target audience?
If you stumble upon the answers, think more if you really need SMM.
Now, when you are sure it's needed — create a plan for each platform. It can't be the same as each network helps to achieve different goals by different means.
Post regularly and consistently
This issue should be outlined in your plan. There's no one perfect answer. If you post too rarely, your risk to be forgotten, if too often — annoying. Besides, if you often post much content, it means that it is of low quality, as good content requires much time to create.
Measure KPIs
KPIs show the effectivity of your work. Analyze every post to get a detailed and accurate statistics. Improve your further work basing on this stat.
Interact with the audience
It seems to be the primary role of SMM. Regularly monitor the comments and discussions, always answer your followers' questions and never delete negative feedback and reviews. If your client is not satisfied — do your best to change the impression.
Monitor your competitors
Discover successful competitors from your industry and analyze their work, try to understand what makes them prosperous. Pay attention to the content posted by them, it's frequency, titles and headlines, topics they choose, their followers and who they follow. Try to implement the best practices in your work.
Incorporate hashtags
Correctly chosen hashtags will help your content occur in search engine results. Monitor popular hashtags in your industry, create your own and check if they haven't been used before. It should be easy to remember. Analyze how they perform within your audience.
Make use of contests and giveaways
When you just start and nobody knows you, contests and giveaways will encourage the audience and promote your brand. Mind that they should be brand specific.
Follow these tips and start SMM right now!
Last Updated: 2019-08-23


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Red Wing Beckman Collection Heritage Boots – Model 9014
Made with the finest cuts of leather, the Beckman collection takes the classic style and quality of a heritage boot and produces an amazing boot with a timeless style worthy of Red Wing's founder's name (C.E. Beckman).
- Red Wing Beckman Collection Heritage Boots
- Style # 9014
- Black Featherstone Leather
- Red Wing's Featherstone Leather – Red Wing's most premium leather, used only in the Beckman collection. Produced, tanned and waxed in Red Wing, Minnesota the leather is beautiful and abrasion resistant
- Roccia Sole that is welted, allowing the sole to be repaired and replaced when worn out
- Union Made in USA
- This model does not come with a lining or insole and tends to run big
- We carry this item in Medium Width (D)
- We carry this Red Wing and other Red Wing models in our store. Special Order is available in-store on certain Red Wing models that we do not carry. For more information please contact us at email@example.com or at 1-800-543-8558


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Fiasco Playset: Occult Strangeness
For a long time, I've talked about how I'd like to make an Unknown Armies-inspired Fiasco playset. A few months back, I got started on one I didn't finish. Leonard Balsera gave me some good notes on it, and a couple friends have contributed elements to it, but I stalled out in March and haven't look at this since.
I figure that means I should crowdsource elements from you fine folks.
Occult Strangeness (the working title) is a mix of Unknown Armies, Hellblazer, and similar inspirations. It'll have two modes: street-level and cosmic-level, which will mean two different Needs tables and two different Aftermath tables (and likely nothing else, other than a paragraph or two of text about that).
You can see the work-in-progress document by clicking on this Google Drive link.
(Because Google Drive was being crappy this morning, I couldn't edit the file to say that the Needs list is currently a mix of street and cosmic, as I haven't added to that part since Lenny told me to separate the two scales.)
Put your ideas in this post's comments. If I get enough to roll on (including ideas that y'all spark from me as I read your comments), I'll put up a playtest file.
- If you aren't conversant in the source material listed above, but have a sense of "spooky occult folks," drop ideas down. It's on my to curate the playset, not on you to tell yourself no.
- If you have an idea but I don't have a category for it, don't stop yourself from suggesting it. Maybe as the categories shift around, that idea suddenly fits into a hole.
- Did you read this far? Can you contribute even one idea? If not, why do you hate freedom?
– Ryan
17 Responses to Fiasco Playset: Occult Strangeness
damnit, ryan, I don't have time for this and but I want to make time for this because Hellblazer and Fiasco go together like smokes and whiskey
I'll contribute if I wrangle more time soon, but definitely also let meknow when it's done so I can add it to FiascoMobile.
I have a few ideas. When I get a chance on my lunchbreak, I'll brainstorm and send them to you.
Relationship/Pawns: Cursed and curse caster.
Object/Forbidden Knowledge: A weaving made from the tongues of skilled liars.
Object/Forbidden Knowledge: A Hand of Glory.
Object/Forbidden Knowledge: Ritual to bind a demon into a human.
Object: Feral ghoul in a self-storage container.
Object/Suspiciously Mundane: Bus terminal locker key.
Location: Graveyard
Location: Fairy ring in the forest
Location: Faerie. (More Books of Magic than Hellblazer, but similar. Seemed like they were popping in and out of Faerie all the time.)
Location/Place of Power: the abandoned warehouse that will house the Faerie Court in 3 nights time.
Location: Trashed slum apartment.
Object/Suspiciously Mundane–an abandoned infant
Location/Unexpected Places of Power–the "haunted" house on the edge of town
Need/"To feel again…"–by embracing chaos magick
Object/Suspiciously Mundane–the script for the X-Files pilot
First round of ideas:
Relationship>Family: prodigal child and parent
Relationship>Friends: We got into this mess together
Relationship>Colleagues: Detective partners
Relationship>Rivals: Detective and criminal
Relationship>Family (or maybe even love): The same soul literally split into two bodies
Relationship>Love: "They will love me whether they want to or not"
"Suspiciously Mundane" (or something similar) might also be a good location category.
Location: The film set where the moon landing was faked
Also, there is no whisky on the list. This needs whisky.
Postmodern relics: Tommy and Pam's video camera
To redeem myself: On behalf of all of humanity
Suspiciously mundane: Baby (always a good one!)
A Large Chunk of Trinitite (Desert Glass created by the detonation of the Trinity Device)
Elvis's DEA Badge given to him by Richard Nixon
Last Two Survivors of a Doomsday Cult.
A No Shit, Honest to God Hand of Glory.
An 8mm snuff film of an occult Sacrifice
Okay, here's my first batch:
Friends: I'll always owe you for that thing you did.
Pawns: Of destiny! One prophesied for greatness, one for disaster.
Rivals: A follower of the righteous path and one who has turned from it.
Love: A love battered by situation, faded and fraying, struggling to survive.
To ascend…
…because the whole world deserves to burn.
To steal power…
…from a death cult of fire-eyed zealots and madmen.
…from a Lord of Hell.
…from everyone around me.
To feel again…
…because ever since I got home, everything seems pointless.
…because they took that away from me.
To redeem myself…
…to my family.
…to my master.
…so I can retake my rightful position.
To escape… (Rather than "To escape that compact")
…that compact and bind the one who tricked me into it.
…the destiny foretold for me.
…that nagging harridan and her soul-sucking kin.
…the mystical bonds upon my soul.
…this hellhole town and everyone in it.
To break this curse…
…and rise up to rule with fear and blood!
To stop…
…sabotaging myself, again and again.
…a raging engine of chaos, set upon ravaging this city.
…using this power, since it's tearing me apart.
…them before they kill again.
…for some smokes and a fifth of whiskey.
Forbidden Knowledge
– What Evil Lurks In The Hearts Of Men
– The True Origin Of Species
Ancient Relic (man, do I have a lot of these)
– Clay tablet from the First City, inscribed by Inanna herself
– A splinter of the True Cross
– A sickle forged of meteoric iron
– The Golem
– Coyote's tooth
– The Apple of Discord (Hail Eris!)
– Pandora's box (mostly empty)
– Wayland's hammer
– The first breath of a newborn, caught in a bottle
– An angel feather
– Hope, ever fleeting
– A pure soul, stopped from its natural path
– Salvation
– The dying breath of Thomas Edison, saved in a jar
– Slaughterhouse hammer
Postmodern Relic
– Guitar autographed by Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, & The Big Bopper
– 18″ piece of rebar from the World Trade Center, South Tower, 78th floor
– George Reeve's Superman costume
– James Dean's driving gloves
Suspiciously Mundane
– Set of cheap steak knives
– Dime bag of weed
– 1987 Ford Mustang, fair condition
– Barbecue grill, never used
Unexpected Place of Power
– The MegaBall Lottery claims office waiting room
– The corner at the bottom of Breakneck Hill
Den of Vice
– The Morning Star Casino
Antique Hand Painted Tarot Deck
For street level needs (which is the level of Unknown Armies I'm familiar with), I feel like a lot of the standard categories would work well, e.g.:
To get out…
To make it big…
Object/Suspiciously mundane/box of loosing lottery tickets
Also, I'm not sure if this would be an object or location, but schoolbus converted into a residence


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THE CENSUS, OBAMACARE AND THE UNINSUREDTuesday, September 27th, 2011
Health insurance remains closely tied to employment. Don't expect a turnaround until the jobs picture improves.
- By SALLY C. PIPESMs. Pipes is president and CEO of the Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco. Her latest book is "The Truth About Obamacare" (Regnery 2010).
As one might expect, the number of Americans without health insurance also rose—to 49.9 million, an increase of 919,000 since 2009.
But that large number hides more than it reveals. And diving into it shows that the uninsured rate won't fall unless the economy starts humming again. Unfortunately, ObamaCare's billions of dollars in new taxes and regulations won't allow that to happen.
Let's take a closer look at the 49.9 million uninsured. The Census reports that 9.5 million of them, about 19%, have household incomes over $75,000. In other words, a fifth of the uninsured make at least 50% more than the median American. They can afford to purchase a plan but have chosen not to.
Another 8.8 million uninsured make between $50,000 and $75,000. Paying for coverage might be more of a stretch for these folks, but they still have incomes higher than the majority of Americans. (more…)


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Villa Los Poyatos, Comares. Costa Del Sol.
Villa with 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and private pool in Comares, Spain
From £515 per week
Villa to rent in Comares, Spain
Lovely villa for 17 persons with private, heated swimming pool, wifi, BBQ, close to village and 30 minutes to beautiful beaches. Visit, Granada, Seville, Ronda and Cordoba!
Share this holiday home
Villa overview - owner's description
Pool heating available! Spectacular location just 30 minutes drive from beautiful beaches. The villa has a beautiful pool and large terraces, some with shade, to enjoy dining in the open air. There are barbecues. The views are fantastic to the sea. The House is well furnished and well equipped. There is only a short track to the villa. The village of Comares has shops, bars, banks and restaurants. Come and discover beautiful Comares and the lovely cities of Seville, Cordoba, Ronda and Granada!
One pet is allowed, with an additional cleaning fee, but only with pre.approval from the owner.
This small village stands on a cliff overlooking to the North, the Periana valley and the mountains of the Axarquia, and to the South a vast area that includes the Velez Valley, the Sierra de Tejeda mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. The main wealth of Comares is oil and wine production, and harvesting almonds.Of Arab origin, the situation shows that this was a fortress. The village narrow streets and white houses. The windows are decorated with potted geraniums. The rocks of the Mountain have become part of the village. You can discover the remains of the old Arab settlement during a random walk in the maze of streets. Also explore Mazmúllar mountain which was declared a historic-artistic monument in 1931 and the Church of our Lady of the Incarnation (XVI century), built in the Mudéjar style.
Comares is a picturesque 'blanco' village uniquely nestling 739 metres above sea level, with amazing views from the sea to sierras.The village is reachable within 1 hour from Malaga and 1hour 20 mins from Granada.
Within the hour the amount of attractions available are numerous and diverse ranging from walks to go-carting , pony trekking to water parks ,beaches to historic cities , Spanish bars to English cinema , Air -condition shopping centres to cobbled street villages and golf courses to sandy beaches.
Nerja with it's quaint beaches and famous caves is also only 1 hour away and you can be parked and skiing at Sierra Nevada within 2 hours.
If you simply want to relax then the Andalucian countryside lends itself wonderfully to picnics, birdwatching , star gazing , painting and dramatic photography .
Many people are amazed as to the flexibility of this region of Spain which allows such a 'varied vacation' to be easily achievable within its boundaries .
'Med to Mountains' !!!
Other Activities: Yoga
Golf: The nearest golf course is approx a 40 minute drive away.The 18 hole Baveria Golf Course is between Velez Malaga and Torre Del Mar and membership is not required.Details on request.
Ski: The nearest ski resort is in Sierra Nevada approx a 1hour 45 min drive away .
Please note that monthly prices which are subject to a 50% discount do not include electricity or pellets for the pellet burner. Electricity is charged at 0.30 euros per kW. Pellets can be bought from your caretaker.
Rental licence or registration number: VTAR/MA/02423
This villa has 1 verified review.
1 out of 1 people recommend staying here
House needs few finishing touches, there is no air-conditioning but the view compensates everything. Comares is beautiful village. Sky at night is something you need to see there. We really enjoy our stay in Los Poyatos.
10 other reviews
Villa idéalement situee au calme. Villa Complètement équipée, nous étions un groupe d amis de 7 adultes et 5 enfants. Séjour fabuleux au calme avec aucuns voisins. La piscine que nous avons fait chauffée a été un régal car nous avons eu un soleil magnifique pendant 7 jours. Merci au gardien qui est gentil et disponible. Le village est a 5 minutes et la petite supérette et très bien et pas chère, on a tout trouvé même une pharmacie!!! Vacances à refaire sans hésiter
Det er et dejligt, smukt og lækkert hus med alle moderne bekvemmeligheder. Det ligger næsten på toppen af et bjerg med udsigt ned over det nordlige Malaga og med indkøbsmuligheder ca 2 km fra huset i Comares på toppen af bjerget. En venlig befolkning.
Maison très agréable. Très calme. La maison est bien équipée. Il manque seulement la climatisation. La piscine est très bien. Pas d\'entretien à faire. Une personne vient de temps en temps. Pas de ménage en fin de semaine. Prévoir des crèmes pour les moustiques.
Equipment: kitchen with living room also the bath- and bedrooms are good Location: A great (calm) place with a very good view, a big pool and a really big terrace. The condition is very good also the cleanness and of course the price
Grande villa au calme avec vue magnifique sur les montagnes. La piscine est très bien. C'est vraiment idéal pour les grandes familles avec enfants. Il faut absolument avoir une voiture pour bouger et trouver de l'animation car tout est à 20 km au minimum mais on s'y habitue. Les propriétaires sont à votre service et très réactifs en cas de besoin
Mooi huis, erg ruim, luxe keukens. Groot zwembad en 2 mooie barbeques. Niet schrikken van de vogelnetjes bij het huis. Deze zijn al enkele jaren leeg en erg mooi, maar lijken wel op wespennesten.
Nous avons passés de tres bonnes vacances votre maison est magnifique, je ne manquerais pas de la conseiller. merci
très belle villa bien conçue et spacieuse avec tout le confort nécessaire. piscine très agréable . nous l'avions faite chauffer et nous ne l'avons pas regretté c'était parfait avec une température extérieure idéale .Linda et Rafael sont charmants et vous donnent de bons conseils de visites, balades. A Comares petit village au dessus très bons restos , supérette où vous trouvez tout ce qu'il vous faut avec de la bonne viande et des bons légumes et fruits. en conclusion excellent séjour nous étions 9 adultes et nous garderons un très bon souvenir . A recommander
Lovely home, lots of space, great pool and amenities. Lovely area next to Comares, high in the hills of Andalucia. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Was central enough so that we could coordinate day trips to Granada, Cordoba, Gibraltar, coastal towns, etc. Comares is a lovely town. Shannon
La casa esta muy bien, se nota que es nueva y el agua de la piscina esta caliente fenomenal para esta fecha. Esta muy limpia y confortable y la atención tanto de reserva, como de llega y salida por parte de los dueños, Estupenda . La verdad es que antes de llegar le hice un monton de preguntas y contestaron con rapidez y eficacia. El entorno es espectacular y el Pueblo de Comares que esta a 3 Km tiene un encanto muy bonito. Recomiendo esta casa para pasar unos días con amigos o con familia. Gracias a todos por el trato , nos veremos pronto. Salvador. This villa is in a spectacular location which provided a source of wonderment each day. We found the local communities in Los Ventorros and Comares to be very friendly and helpful and the sevice we received was first class. At first the journney from the coast seemed daunting but this quickly became second nature. The villa had everything we wanted and extra bed covers were quickly provided when we requested them. Atogether we enjoyed a wonderful holiday and would certainly return if circumstances allowed. Robin Doy We enjoyed our stay at Villa Los Poyatos. The information and directions from the owner were very clear the house was as shown at the site en the pool was wonderful. Every day (even at the rainy days) our children went for a dive in the pool. Comares, a village in the immediate neighborhood is beautiful with great views. Harry M.
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Outside this villa in Comares, SpainThis villa is in the countryside and in a quiet area near the mountains. It has a pool, a barbecue, outside lighting, a garden and a sea view. Car hire is necessary as the renter will need a car to get about for shopping, eating out and the beach; however parking is available if required.
Prices and availability
Updated 15 November 2019
- Unavailable
- Your booking
- Available start/end date
Select your travel dates on the calendar
Changeover days and minimum stays
- 22 November 2019 - 29 May 2020: the minimum stay is 7 nights.
- 30 May - 25 September 2020: changeover day is Saturday, bookings must be for whole weeks only and the minimum stay is 7 nights.
- 26 September 2020 - 29 May 2021: the minimum stay is 7 nights.
- 30 May - 25 September 2021: changeover day is Saturday, bookings must be for whole weeks only and the minimum stay is 7 nights.
- 26 September 2021 - 29 May 2022: the minimum stay is 7 nights.
- 30 May - 25 September 2022: changeover day is Saturday, bookings must be for whole weeks only and the minimum stay is 7 nights.
- 26 September - 31 October 2022: the minimum stay is 7 nights.
Late booking discounts
- Arrive between 12 May - 31 May and receive 12% off if the booking is made within 30 days of the arrival date.
Long stay discounts
- Arrive between 1 November - 31 March and receive 50% off if the booking is for 28 days or more.
If more than one discount matches your arrival date, please be aware that only one discount of the highest amount will be applied to your booking.
Fully refundable security deposit
£257.21 per booking, paid locally
Heating for swimming pool. Pool heating is not available from November - mid March
20 March - 16 November: £128.61 per week, paid locally
Pet fee
£42.87 per booking, paid locally
late arrival after midnight €50
£42.87 per booking, paid locally
5 bedrooms, Sleeps 17:
- 1 double bed
- 1 double bed, 1 single bed
- 1 double bed
- 1 double bed, 1 single bed
- 1 double bed, 1 single bed
There is also 2 double sofa beds
3 bathrooms
Swimming pool
Private pool with solar heating, Size 11m x 4m, Depth 1.2m to 1.8m
CD player, DVD/Blu-ray player, Internet / WiFi, Radio, TV Languages in Spanish, Local
Living area seats 14, Dining area seats 14, Central heating, Open fire, Hair dryer, Iron / board, Towels / linen, Washing machine, Car hire essential
Cooker, Crockery, Cutlery, Dishwasher, Fridge, Freezer, Glassware, Kettle, Microwave, Oven, Pots / pans, Toaster
Barbecue, Outside lighting, Parking, Private garden, Sea view
Suitable for
Children, Infants, Restricted mobility , Pets
Extra information
There are 2 barbecues. There are amazing views of the sea, the village of Comares and the Mountains.
Agency From Malaga, Spain Member since Jun 2010
Past bookings: 35 bookings
Response rate: 100%
Response time: within 1 hour
Last seen: a day ago
Number of properties: 13


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To Learn More Contact
Tim Devaney
Clean and meticulously maintained, kept in the brackish waters (low salt) of the Chesapeake Bay since 2012
Ready to sail: complete with tools, spares, bedding, linens, cookware, plates and silverware - Everything needed to start cruising
Robertson & Caine
leopard 38
Cruise Speed:
Max Speed:
Range NMI:
21' 3"
Engine Details:
Engine 1:
Engine 2:
Engine Fuel:
Fuel Capacity:
Water Capacity:
The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors to investigate such details as the buyer desired validated. Photos may not properly reflect the current condition of the actual vessel offered for sale. In some cases stock photographs may have been used.
2 Full size double berths with head with electric toilet, shower, basin to Port
1 Full size double berth with head with manual toilet, sink and a stand alone walk in shower with wash basin to Starboard
Large dinette table converts with cushions to another double berth
2 burner Force Ten propane stove W/oven and broiler and 2 ea 10 lb aluminum fuel tanks with cylinoid shutoff
Double stainless sinks, large chest size refrigerator/freezer, Sea Frost with 2 large holding plates
700 watt Micro-wave
Flourescent light over sink
Galley comes complete with pots/pans dishes, linens etc
Lofrans Tigress 1200 watt windlass with 200' 5/16 HT chain.
45 lb Delta anchor on a swivel.
Mantus Mooring Bridle system (new 2017)
35 lb Bruce on chain and 3 strand nylon 300' 70 lb Luke storm anchor.
Bumpers and mooring lines.
6 ea 5 gl diesel jugs and 4 ea 6 gl water jugs.
Fresh water tanks are 2 Vetus 105 gl plastic tanks that are easily removed for replacement, custom sun shades for windowa and cockpit
Standard Horizon GX2100 w/helm mounted RAM mike, this VHF provides AIS information to a Garmin 3206 GPS/Chartplotter, with chip for US East Coast (2014)
Garmin GMD 18 depth sounder/fishfinder input to chartplotter
ICOM IC-735 SSB transciever, Marine and Ham bands and a SG 230 Smart tuner
ACR 406 epirb with GPS input
Link 2000 battery moniter and Blue Sea digital amp/volt meter
12 Volt flat screen TV in the salon, integrated with GPS/Chart Plotter AM/FM/Bluetooth stereo with 6 speakers (bow, salon, and cockpit)
Portable air conditioner – runs off shore power
All recessed lights in the main salon replaced with LEDs
8 each 6 volt house bank with 2 ea dedicated starting batteries. 40 amp 110/240 volt battery charger, Xantrex 1800 watt inverter
Air X wind generater, 2 ea 130 watt and 1 ea 85 watt Kyocera solar panels adjustable thru 280 degrees
Xantrex C-40 solar regulator. 1 electric and 1 manual toilet with 2 ea 10 gl holding tanks with meters
1 500gpm 1 2000gpm and 1 manual bilge pump w/alarms per hull
50 ft 30 amp power cord
40HP Westerbeke diesels, straight shaft, drip-less stuffing boxes
65 Gallon fuel tank with sump drain, 10 gallon hot water heater
Full batten main sail replaced in 2012
Genoa on a Pro Furl furler was replaced in 2013
Asymmetrical Gennaker
2005 10' Caribe RIB with 15 HP 2 stroke Yamaha outboard
This listing is presented to you courtesy of a member of the International Yacht Brokers Association and may be centrally listed with another broker. It is offered as a convenience by this broker/dealer to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a particular vessel.
The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.


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Thanks for stopping by!
Did you know if you Register you receive free kittens delivered right to your door? Well, that actually isn't true. But that would be nice, wouldn't it? What you will have by signing up is a) VIP access to free search tools including the ability to save listings and property searches and b) The latest listings sent directly to your email address! Check out our how-to page for more info.
- Price$858,000
- Beds4
- Baths3
- Sq. Ft.2,198
- Acres0.19
- Built2015
1239 Adamson Drive, Edmonton
Brand new walkout bungalow with 4200 sq ft. if living space. Large kicthen with built in appliances, exceptional family room with white natural stone and upgraded fireplace unit. Large master bedroom to accommodate king sized bed and bedroom furniture. Formal dinning room, crown moldings, hardwood & porcelain tiles. Upgraded lights fixtures, fully finished walkout basement with 3 bedrooms & media room. Beautiful electric fireplace in basement, large family room and beautiful wet bar. In floor heating, large deck pad & upper balcony, stucco & stone exterior, landscaping completed, over-sized garage and stamped concrete driveway. This home was a 2016 finalist Edmonton Region and National Excellence in housing. House comes with 1 year builders warranty & 10 years progressive warranty programs.
Essential Information
- Price$858,000
- Bedrooms4
- Bathrooms3.00
- Full Baths3
- Square Footage2,198
- Acres0.19
- Year Built2015
- TypeSingle Family
- Sub-TypeResidential Detached Single Family
- StyleBungalow
- StatusACTIVE
- FeaturesCarbon Monoxide Detectors, Ceiling 9 ft., Closet Organizers, Exterior Walls- 2x6', Patio, Vinyl Windows, Walkout Basement, Insulation-Upgraded, Wet Bar
- Parking Spaces2
- ParkingDouble Garage Attached
- # of Garages2
- ExteriorStone, Stucco
- Exterior FeaturesCul-De-Sac, Fenced, Landscaped, Park/Reserve, Public Transportation, Sloping Lot, See Remarks
- RoofAsphalt Shingles
- ConstructionWood Frame
- FoundationConcrete
Community Information
- Address1239 Adamson Drive
- AreaEdmonton
- SubdivisionAllard
- CityEdmonton
- CountyALBERTA
- ProvinceAB
- Postal CodeT6W 0V5
- InteriorCeramic Tile, Hardwood, Laminate Flooring
- Interior FeaturesDishwasher-Built-In, Fan-Ceiling, Hood Fan, Oven-Microwave, Refrigerator, Oven-Built-In, Stove-Countertop Electric
- HeatingForced Air-1
- Has BasementYes
- BasementFull, Fully Finished, Walkout
- FireplaceYes
- FireplacesElectric, Stone Facing
- # of Stories2
Additional Information
- ZoningRSL
Listing information last updated on November 14th, 2019 at 5:16pm MST.


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July 16th Update - The North Barn was demolished this morning. It only took 2 hours to destroy a part of Novi's history. Almost all of the barn was dumped into dumpsters and taken to a landfill.
At the July 7th Council Meeting, Mayor David Landry and Council members Kim Capello, Robert Gatt, Terry Margolis and David Staudt approved the destruction of the entire Fuerst Farmstead including the farmhouse and all three barns. Twenty-two residents spoke in opposition to the demolition during the audience participation portion of the meeting. A number of residents asked for the Council to put the issue to a public vote.
The Friends of the Fuerst Farm presented a petition with over 1,300 signatures from Novi residents in opposition to the demolition and in support of preservation and re-use of the farmstead. Despite the public opposition to the demolition, the 5 Council members voted to destroy Novi's only site on the National Register of Historic Places. Council members Kathy Crawford and Andrew Mutch voted against demolition.
Send a message to the City Council! Your e-mail will be forwarded to all Council members by the City Clerk
Speak Out! Send a letter to the editor of the Novi News to say why you oppose this decision.
Mail this article! Send an e-mail from this site to let your family, friends, and neighbors know about this decision!
Thank you to all of our supporters who signed petitions, contacted Council members and helped out in our effort to save the Farm.


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FUCKIN HELL YE !!!! Over 100'000 Views, thank you a lot people !!!!!!!!!!
And the present for you people ?? Haha, Well won't be for everyone, just for my good friends , wanna know what is??? Haha it's this Sick BNR34 JDM Style ;o, Yesh Keisuke is going over to JDM style Volks :D, Still the BNR34 is not finished, I'm still finishing it when I have time ;)
Monday, May 17, 2010
YES WE PASSED THE 100'000 VIEWS Thank you !
Posted by KEISUKE at 8:37 PM 2 comments
Labels: My cars, News Of my blog, Special Dates
Eclipse Sypder SSD Style for Mawi/SeanieC
Ok this is a gift for my Friend Mawi aka SeanieC, the Eclipse Spyder, inspired by his old RC Car :p Enjoy pics, and no download ofc
Posted by KEISUKE at 12:15 AM 0 comments
Labels: Mitsubishi, My cars, News Of my blog
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Wow! Merry Christmas you all! Are you needing a super FAST and pretty centerpiece for your festivities tomorrow or, for New Year's? No problem! I whipped up four centerpieces in just 20 minutes this past weekend. Each year, we welcome a few dear friends into our home to celebrate this BLESSED time of year and, these floral designs really helped add some Christmas cheer. Simply go to your local grocery store and buy 3 oranges, 2 packages of cranberries, 2-3 hydrangeas and, 2 dozen white roses. I picked the fresh spruce from our yard. The white vases are from my local craft store or, easily found at your local big box discount chain. Simply slice the oranges, add cranberries, greenery and cut flowers. Use your creative side and, WAH LAH … FRESH AND PRETTY centerpieces. For New Years parties….simply eliminate the greenery and the cranberries.
One EASY touch I added to a couple of these arrangements: I spray painted sticks and twigs from my yard with silver spray paint. Talk about NO COST! Simply collect branches from around your yard ( a fun activity for your children to help with!). Spray the branches well with silver spray paint and, allow to dry for several hours. Add the branches to the middle of the floral arrangements for an extra "POP" of something interesting.
These centerpieces will last 5-6 days….so, make them and ENJOY!
Fa La La La La Ya'll!
Our Savior is BORN!


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Complementary And Alternative Drugs (CAM)
SEVEN STAR COMMUNICATIONS — Books/movies on various health care, Taoist philosophy and non secular practices including chi gung, t'ai chi, meditation, inside alchemy, Taoism, acupuncture and Conventional Chinese Drugs. The Cochrane Collaboration (a worldwide community of scientists co-ordinated from Oxford) has concluded that acupuncture may be effective for treating again and pelvic ache throughout pregnancy, low back ache, headaches, publish-operative nausea, neck problems and mattress wetting. There are conventional paradigms that many of us use daily in treating sufferers, after which there are views which are knowledgeable by those topics we studied in medical college.
Prior to now few years, trials have used an improved sham developed by emeritus professor Edzard Ernst , who researches complementary medication at Exeter College. Unfortunately, although it begins well, the information here is covered at a little bit of a gallop, and I ended up being uncertain if this is a chapter on acupuncture in the pain clinic or a hurried overview of the huge space of acupuncture as a therapy for pain.
NCCAM has additionally gotten round no-better-than-placebo findings essentially by fluffing up the importance of the placebo impact and claiming that it's inherently interesting. The apparently real, however small, advantages from acupuncture in pain management led to Nice approving acupuncture for headaches and back pain – amid a chorus of grumbles from the sceptics.


text: Some search engine optimization (SEO) experts advice to link keywords or phrases within your posts to related pages or articles found in your site. For instance, if you write about WordPress tutorials, you can create links that point to your other published articles that talk about tutorials. Linking to your internal pages promotes your other articles to your readers and encourages visits. This will make your patrons aware that you have Read more


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I am a Creative Director / Art Director / Stylist / Designer in Nashville, TN, creating work that has heart, soul, and style.
I'm passionate about leading and motivating teams, mentoring young creatives, and maintaining awesome client relationships. I'm seasoned at concepting and art directing photo & video shoots, passionate about styling, adept at directing studio artists, retouchers and photographers, directors and crews. I have extensive experience in campaigns, broadcast/video, branding, interactive, print, mobile, social, and packaging. I have a thorough knowledge of print process and techniques, and I'm experienced at presenting work and selling through great creative.
I can be contacted in the following manners:
Electronic: email@example.com
Cellular: 917.569.4891
Cyber: Linkedin
Visual Research: Pinterest
Look At Pictures I Took: My Instagram
American Express, Coca-Cola, Verizon, Cracker Barrel, Apple, Virgin Mobile, Turner Classic Movies, AIGA, Levis Strauss, TNT, Singer Sewing Machines, Artiphon, Heineken, Universal Records, Marriott, Island Records UK, Complex Magazine
Print Magazine (Regional Design Annual)
Creativity Magazine
CMYK Magazine
Seed Awards
Graphic Noise (Exhibition)
Synth Eastwood (Show #5)
email email@example.com
phone 917.569.4891


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It is hard to believe that our students have finished their finals, completing their first semester, and are now packing their bags to head home. So much has happened over the last 3 ½ months; we've already traveled 1,957 miles, with our last trip for the semester taking place in Chicago and Milwaukee.
From November 4-13, we packed our bags for Chicago and Milwaukee. This trip was filled with "firsts" for many of us. The first time being in an inner city, or being in a city over 100,000 people, the first time seeing so many in poverty and homelessness, the first time working in a soup kitchen, and so on. Each city, each experience was different and we made a lot of friends on the way. What was so special was while we were working with and for people of various backgrounds, very different from any of our own, we were able to see just how big the Kingdom of God is. We experienced ministry in a predominantly Latin neighborhood in Hermosa, and a contextualized Hindu service in "Little India" while in Chicago. From there we served alongside an organization called City on a Hill that works with youth and families that are in poverty in Milwaukee. It was such a blessing to see so many different people, of different culture, background, and even race work together to bring people closer to the Kingdom, and to our King.
Here are some of the team's personal experiences...
While helping with Grace and Peace Community Church in the community of Hermosa in Chicago, we were able to go out and minister on the streets. "In the period of walking just a couple blocks, we came into contact with many people. I noticed my mindset changed when I saw someone walking within the general vicinity. I wanted to run up to every individual and have a conversation with them. My eyes were opened to more of the world, and my heart was burning inside to know how so many people were living without purpose. A few people refused prayer, but as I came to learn throughout the week, I can't let that get me down, but try to focus on the good soil." - Arianna
"While in Chicago, we were given the opportunity to pass out our blessing bags and pray for those on the streets. It was an awesome experience that gave each of us boldness and allowed us to pray blessings over those struggling in hard times. Walking the "Magnificent Mile" was beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed talking to people and getting a little bit of their backstory. Many of them poured a lot into my life and had some really wise words, so I enjoyed learning a little something from every person we talked to." - Olivia
We had the amazing opportunity to visit "Little India" and experience a Hindu contextualized service. "I never knew that Hindus had so many different rituals for worship and learning about God. Learning about their culture really confirmed in my life that I am supposed to work specifically within that culture of people. I have never felt God's confirmation more in my spirit than I did during that time at the South Asian Friendship Center. What the South Asian Friendship Center did was take a Hindu worship service and use it for worshipping God, rather than the Hindu gods. They put Christ in the context of a Hindu service. I believe that contextualization is biblical if there is a lot of thought put into how it is developed and accomplished. Western Christianity is not "right" Christianity. I think that the South Asian Friendship Center did a great job of staying within biblical context and boundaries and they made it very clear that these people were worshipping God and serving Jesus." - Michelle
"I learned so many things about poverty while I was at City on a Hill. A common phrase was that "a statistic can't be felt". But for me, that wasn't true, I absolutely felt the statistics and I didn't realize I had so many misconceptions about poverty. Had no idea how many people actually lived in poverty, how many people were unemployed and how many children's realities existed in this. I also had no idea how many times poverty and justice issues were mentioned in the Bible. This is always something that my heart has really gone after and I honestly had no idea that it was something that was so Biblically based. Though I definitely felt the statistics very strongly, the poverty simulation absolutely helped me to feel this in a way I could have never felt before." - Lyvia
"Our last full day in Milwaukee was spent helping with the Health Clinic. I was in the group that helped the eye doctors. We spent our time helping find paper work and helping others fill out paper work. The eye doctors were able to give out around seventy five pairs of glasses during the hours the clinic was open. I felt like the City on a Hill group was really doing what they can to improve their community. This health clinic was something that they would do every month. They were not only focused on fixing short term problems but they were more focused on fixing the long term problems." - Marcus
"Overall the trip was an amazing experience to be a part of and one that I will remember for the rest of my life. The team grew closer together through our trials in the poverty simulation, working together to pull down tents, and many other experiences we had. The trip challenged me spiritually by forcing me to trust in God when I stepped out of my comfort zone and trusting that he provides freedom everywhere and in every situation." - Colten
"Our inner-city experience was great and I am very glad I chose to be a part of Pack Your Bags this year. All the people I have met and memories I have made are just the beginning. God has grown me so much even in my own personal life and my life outside of Ellendale, and I know He only wants to do more. After Christmas break, we still have another semester with two weeks in Israel and six weeks in South Africa. Pack Your Bags is not over — in fact we are just getting started." - Becca


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We just finished up a custom mini scrapbook for Sandy. We loved the way it turned out so much, we had to share it!
Sandy wanted a book to use for Janel's I will Fall for You class over at Run With Scissors. She thought one of our Vintage Book Journals would be the perfect fit. She added on a custom cover and added in extra pages to make it fit for the class. we're so excited to see what she does with it!
Want your own? Check out our Vintage Book Journals and our Custom Add-On Options. We can also build you a custom book from scratch! Just send us a convo.
I'm planning on finishing up our Summer Mini this week. Doing this project for Sandy made me realize that I need to get on the ball and make our Autumn book!


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One of DD's friends had a baby yesterday. DD went to her baby shower weekend before last and had forgotten to tell me about it in time to buy (or sew) a nice gift. An hour and a half before the shower I was digging through my fabric stash and helped DD whip up half a dozen burp cloths using pre-folded cloth diapers, Winnie the Pooh fabric, and ribbon trim. It wasn't much but her friend loved them and has called DD several times asking about how we made them. Her grandmother gave her money and told her to buy something only for herself, and now she wants a sewing machine.
Her baby came 3 weeks early and has multiple abnormalities. She called DD today and said the baby was diagnosed with Trisomy 13. From what I've looked up, the poor little guy doesn't have much of a chance. His intestines are outside of his body. He has several other severe deformities plus a heart defect. They had no idea anything was wrong with him while she was pregnant. I don't understand it. You would think some of it would have shown up on a sonogram. I know she had at least one.
DD is very upset and wants to go to the hospital Saturday. She has several tests this week and can't make the trip home before then. She asked me to buy a gift for her friend for her before Saturday, but I have no idea what to get. She said no flowers. I'm wondering if DD should take anything at all, but rather just go to see her friend. Suggestions?