text:
The European Project – What Future? (part 2 of 2)
>> Part 1 of this article
What Future?
Giving the Whole Thing Up: the Solution?
To deal with the challenges the European Project currently faces, the latest trend seems to be to give up (on the project as a whole or on some parts). I personally prefer fixing and adjusting over giving up in general, but I believe it's not necessarily a bad way of solving problems IF done in a constructive way: you no longer feel connected to the vision? Give it up and pick another one. You feel the methods aren't going anywhere? Drop them, go back to the vision and come up with new ones more in line with what you're trying to achieve. In short know where the problem lies, know what you want to replace the broken elements with and be aware of both what will be gained AND lost by giving up in favor of something else.
However the current trend seems to be a very nihilistic one, born from fear, lack of understanding, frustration, lack of long-term vision and so on. What is it that makes me say that? Well, I believe most people have no idea where the problems lie, they have no suggestion to replace what they want to give up and they have no idea what they truly lose by giving up.
- What exactly do people want to give up? Do they know it? Given how confused the whole topic is (as explained before) it seems unlikely, and so for example for issues related to how things are done (not democratic enough, not equal enough between all members, etc.) the solution becomes to give the whole thing up, including the vision! Since when do we give up on a goal because the methods employed to reach it don't work or aren't perfect?
What I'm trying to highlight here is how, at the moment, "giving up" as a solution doesn't come as a well-thought conclusion for a very specific issue. Instead it's a shortcut to just "be done with this mess" (nihilistic). And that's how it is when the source of a problem isn't clearly identified.
- What should replace the things we want to give up? So far I haven't really seen any concrete suggestions… Is the vision the problem? What should we target then? Are the methods implemented the problem? How should we do it instead? Right now the trend is mostly about going back to how things were which, again, doesn't demonstrate a well-thought conclusion but rather a fear-based decision and the need to go back to the comfort-zone (nihilistic), however messed up it may be (and messed up it is as two world wars and centuries of conflicts bear witness). And that's how it is when there are no suggestions to replace what must disappear.
- Among those who would like to give things up, how many are truly looking at both what works and what doesn't work? How many are making their decision with the full knowledge of the consequences? Very few if we are to believe that the 2nd most googled terms in the UK after they voted out of the EU was "what is the EU?"… Suddenly "giving up" isn't so appealing anymore when you look at what's truly at stake instead of simply what doesn't work. I mean, do you give up on your spouse when things go wrong? If you do it won't be before having carefully reviewed everything you'd gain AND everything you'd lose…
And so this proves that "giving up" as a solution isn't a well-thought conclusion based on an objective assessment of the situation but rather a way to express one's frustration or anger (nihilistic). And that's how it is when people only look at what doesn't work.
This whole situation actually reminds me a lot of the French giving up on the republic in favor of Napoleon's empire. Historians out there do correct me if I'm wrong, but the French lost sight of the vision behind the republic, they got frustrated by methods that weren't working (by the way if democracy got 200 years to get better, not even counting Ancient Greece, we can probably grant the EU an extra 50 years to find its pace and working methods), they only saw the bad sides of the whole project and how giving up would solve everything (forgetting in the process what they'd lose), and they didn't have any suggestions for improvement other than "let's go back to how it was" (king/emperor). The result was several years of wars and conquest and in the end the return of the republic.
The nihilistic approach described above and consisting in giving up on things indiscriminately as soon as problems come up without replacement and without knowing what's at stake is born from negative emotions, and letting such emotions drive our decisions will only lead to bigger problems, as history and even our daily lives have taught us over and over again.
An Alternative?
If we consider that giving up (at least in the way it is done today) or staying where we currently are both aren't an option for all the reasons explained above, then what alternative do we have? The answer is actually quite simple: moving on to the next level of cooperation.
It seems the European Project has reached a standstill: much has been done, especially in its early life when the purpose of maintaining peace was very clear, but it looks as if we're now beating about the bush. New legislations are made about points of details and this is taking the whole project from a great vision to some heavy administrative agency, weighting on other administrative systems that really don't need this. In short it looks as if the EU leaders keep themselves busy by adding new rules here and there but without ever dealing with the real question: to bring (or not) cooperation to a whole new level. The result is a system caught between two stools: it was built with the idea of close cooperation but isn't there yet and thus doesn't work. Here are a couple of examples:
- The most obvious is the Euro Zone. I'm not a professional in this field and would love to hear more competent people talk about it, but from what I studied in Korea we have two schools of thoughts: one is about giving the whole thing up, the other is about unifying the financial systems (identical tax system for example) so that a monetary union can work. When looking at the project with this perspective it becomes obvious that the Euro Zone is far from a failure: it is incomplete.
- Another example is the ability to live and work in any country (concept behind the Schengen space): in practice until everyone speaks at least one common language it will be difficult to make this work. So what are we waiting for to consider an EU language along with a local language (the country's language)? Beyond mobility and the cultural richness this would bring (imagine every kid speaking at least two languages!) it would also contribute to fulfilling the single market idea: one language would make the EU even more attractive internationally and simplify import/export between member countries.
- One last example, about handling immigration: one solution is to put back the national borders and give up on the Schengen Space… Or we could consider EU borders instead and cooperate on how to manage them.
However bringing cooperation to a new level can only happen if it is shared as a common vision by the whole EU, leading to a willingness from the EU citizens to make that vision come true. For this is where it all starts in a democracy. From there national leaders should follow the movement.
Right now though, most leaders "protect national interests" instead of aiming higher and the project suffers from a general lack of support from the citizens. Basically the European Project has so far been built by a few visionaries on their own and this cannot (should not?) hold in a democracy (it is actually quite impressive that we could go so far with so little communication and popular support) and will definitely not lead to the next level.
Remember for example the European Constitution where the French voted "no" via a referendum (mostly to express their anger at the government. It seems by the way that the EU is often a way for people to express their frustration…). A little while later the same constitution was approved by a vote within the government. Not very democratic, is it? Although I believe the constitution was necessary to move on, this example is symptomatic of how the EU has been built (at least those last couple of years): a few people make the decisions because they see the potential while the rest is left to follow. This will never lead to the next level.
So how do we create commitment and a general willingness to move forward?
- EU and national leaders: clarify your vision of the European Project. Where should it lead and why? In short sell it. Spend less time exposing methods and more time explaining where to go: the ability to show people a distant destination and to get them excited about it is leadership. Discussing methods and hows is administrative work. We'll probably find out that many political parties out there are actually aiming at the same thing.
- EU Citizens: democracy is a responsibility, just like any time you're given the power to choose. Inform yourself on the vision behind the EU and other agreements and also on the agreements themselves: see both the negative sides AND the positive sides. You have the duty to forge for yourself your own opinion based on facts instead of following someone else's views (may it be an opinion leader such as a political party or the media) or picking what you "feel like picking today" (to express your discontentment about some other issues for example).
Then we can bring these two groups together via elections of parties. In short the citizens pick a vision via the party they elect and the people elected, who should be competent, pick the methods they believe are adapted to reach the vision. If necessary they should educate on why this or that is adapted and necessary.
Why not using a referendum? That's only a personal opinion but referendums are democracy in its purest form (i.e. everyone gets to give their opinion and we follow the majority) with everything negative it entails, especially the fact people without the knowledge and skills to decide something get as much decision power as those with the skills. Think about a financial manager and a programmer: they each have their skills and knowledge, and decisions they should and shouldn't make. The programmer should trust the financial manager to make the right investments while the financial manager should let the programmer create a great software. If I don't have the skills I let someone who has them decide but I make sure I understand what's at stake and that we follow the same vision.
On top of this, during the last couple of years referendum have mostly been a way to express discontentment or reflected a general feeling of fear (often enhanced by the medias) rather than well-thought opinions.
However the representatives elected should do their job: it is time to drop corruption and self-interest. The person elected has a responsibility toward those who elected him/her and must be worthy of this trust.
Now will such a method necessarily lead to tighter cooperation within Europe? No because we cannot tell what people will choose. The things is that closer collaboration cannot be achieved otherwise: it must be the choice of the majority of the EU citizens for that is the only way to get the necessary level of support and commitment.
Conclusion on the Alternatives for the Future
The current trend that consists in giving up on the European Project in its different forms is a destructive attitude where we dump everything because some specific elements don't work and many others are unclear. This, in my opinion, can only lead to more troubles (quite the opposite of a constructive decision of giving certain things up).
However since staying where we are now obviously isn't an option either, then what's left? Well, to cooperate even more, to "cross over the threshold" in every field (judicial, military, financial…). As long as we don't take that step, things won't work. But crossing this limit can only be achieved with the full support of the EU citizens, and we are unfortunately not there yet.
The European Project – What Future?
European Union, Schengen Space, Euro Zone, single market… They are all but methods created to reach a vision. But what is this vision? What are we actually trying to build? Lasting peace in a region plagued by centuries of war was the initial goal. We reached it, now what? Go back to what once was, however unsatisfying, and prove that history repeats itself and that we never learn? Or go somewhere else, try something new?
The European Project, on top of being a key project for Europe, has the potential to become one of the greatest achievements of mankind, a beacon of hope and inspiration, the proof that humans are made to live together and help each other. It has already brought some successes though it's far from perfect and it faces the same challenges as any great project: fear, misunderstandings, cowardice, lack of faith in its success… But these limitations can be overcome to let the Project reach its full potential: we need a clear and well-communicated vision that seeks to bring European cooperation to a whole new level, that receives the support of European citizens via democratic means and that is used as a point of reference when choosing, implementing and adjusting the methods.
To those who'd give it all up for whatever reason: look around you at people and the planet craving for unity, look at all that has been achieved and how the life of European citizens has changed for the better between the end of World War II (and before that) and today, look at what we could build, and then ask yourself: "isn't this worth fighting for?"
Any decision born from negative feelings WILL have dramatic consequences, as history (and our everyday life) has taught us over and over again. So turn fear into courage, doubt into willpower and dare to carry through what has never been done before.
If you choose to leave a comment but it doesn't become visible within a day then it probably means it has been tagged as spam. E-mail me to let me know and I'll approve its release!
>> Part 1 of this article
Subscribe to the Blog's RSS feed so you don't miss the next post!


text:
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
I Can't Believe It's Fifty......
29 comments:
How wonderful! Congrats! This is quite a milestone in life!ReplyDelete
Lovely photos, Trout! Happy Anniversary to you! :)ReplyDelete
Happy 50th Anniversary to you both! What a wonderful milestone to celebrate.ReplyDelete
Congrats on that wonderful milestone. Wishing you two happiness forever!ReplyDelete
Well congratulations to you both. Your 50th is very close to our anniversary on the 16th.ReplyDelete
Warmfelt CONGRATULATIONS all around. It's all about picking the right partner. And you did.ReplyDelete
Congratulations Ray, a match obviously made in heavenReplyDelete
Congratulations on your 50th wedding anniversary. We had ours on May 21.ReplyDelete
What a lovely couple you make with that special cake. I think growing older is a a wonderful experience and I feel that you two are really enjoying it. -- barbaraReplyDelete
What a lovely couple you make with that special cake. I think growing older is a a wonderful experience and I feel that you two are really enjoying it. -- barbaraReplyDelete
Happy Anniversary!ReplyDelete
How lovely and how marvellous that the people who attended your wedding are still there to help you celebrate your 50th anniversary. Hearty congratulations to you both. Did your DIL make that delightful cake?ReplyDelete
Congrats on reaching the milestone. We're just a few years behind. Hope we make it too.ReplyDelete
Happy Anniversary and Congratulations to you both!! Very special DIL you have.ReplyDelete
Congratulations to the two of you, and best wishes for another fifty! :-)ReplyDelete
Happy Anniversary!! I spied Mrs T's wedding gown in the one photo. How wonderful for your daughter in law to have a party for you! :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousThu Jun 16, 04:26:00 PM
Congratulations you two!!!!!!ReplyDelete
Oh my GOSH! Congratulations on celebrating your 50th! What an accomplishment. :) Here's to many, many more years of happiness and good health.ReplyDelete
Many congrats! Here's to another 50!ReplyDelete
Congratulations to you both!ReplyDelete
Congratulations to both of you! I hope you have many, many more.ReplyDelete
How excellent! Congratulations!ReplyDelete
Many congratulations to you both. Still beautiful and vibrant after all these years!ReplyDelete
congratulations to you both!!! 50 years, it can be done, it's not that hard, i hope they have been wonderful!!!!ReplyDelete
Aw ... I'll bet it seems just like yesterday that you got "hitched". Here's to 50 more !ReplyDelete
:-) Working our way to 50 ... it will be 20 next year for us.
Congratulations on 50 years! And clearly just as happy as ever. How nice to use this special anniversary as a wedding reunion. I'd love to do that too in 24 years.ReplyDelete
Hi Troutbirder! Congrats on 50!!! Wow, I'm not there yet, but gettin' there. (46) We have someone in common here ... mine is Barb too! :-) Now, can I start calling you Ray? :-) Great post!ReplyDelete

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Coyote Design and Rehab Systems, a Boise company that makes parts for prosthetics, is expanding and moving into larger space on Curtis Road.
Coyote researches and designs components at its 6,000-square-foot plant on Cole Road. It ships the parts around the U.S., and has distributors in 12 countries, said its president and CEO, Matt Perkins. Through its Rehab Systems division, the company also operates patient care offices in Twin Falls and in Boise where customers are fitted for prosthetics.
The company, which was founded in 1999 and employs 19 people, is moving June 1 to a 10,000-square-foot building at 427 N. Curtis Road and putting the building it occupies now up for sale or lease. The architect on the new site is Rob Thornton, and the contractor is Andy Peterson with Level Construction.
Perkins is a former ski racer and triathlete who competed in the 1998 Paralympic Games in Nagano, Japan.
Coyote Design carries out design work, testing, and prototyping of components, and assembles the prosthetic devices to be delivered to the patient.It's one of a few prosthetic companies in the Treasure Valley. It contracts out most of its manufacturing to local injection molders, machinists, and others. Much of its work is done at Boise State's Tech Help, Perkins said.
"About 90 percent of what we create is manufactured within about 20 miles of this office," he said.
Coyote Design has grown every year for 15 years on its manufacturing side, Perkins said. He expects the company to continue growing through new product development, and has recently started bringing in more of its engineering and design work in-house from Tech Help. Coyote Design has also added equipment for manufacturing components in small quantities, and Perkins said he thinks 3-D printing will eventually be key to the manufacturer of prosthetics.
"We're increasing our design capabilities," he said. "We can essentially fail faster when we're trying new devices, new products, so that we can get to the successful ones more affordably."
Perkins' father, Dale, is also in the prosthetics business. He helped create a prosthetic foot that climber Tom Whittaker used as the first amputee to summit Mount Everest in 1998, and he started Rehab Systems.
Mostly, Perkins said, the company sticks to helping regular people, not championship athletes.
"Our interest is actually more the other direction, in making sure everybody can do what they want to do," Perkins said. "For the person who wasn't able to go to the store on their own for six months or a year, or more, when they can finally get back to independence, that's as big a deal as someone running a marathon."
Coyote Designs is small compared to its counterparts in other states, and Perkins said he said he expects it to stay that way.
"We're going to have a lot more fun being a very small, nimble, closely-knit company than a giant building full of strangers," he said.


text:
Job Description
Southern Thunder Harley-Davidson is your leading motorsports dealer in the Mid-South. As part of the YAM Powersports family of dealerships, we offer a great benefits package, opportunities for professional growth, employee discounts, and more!
Job Title: Porter/Driver/lot tech
Department: Service Department
Reports to: Service Manager
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Job Summary:
To deliver such a memorable experience to every customer, that they refer at least one person to our dealership. Provides assistance to all employees of the service department and Department Heads as needed. Help Service Department employees to run an efficient and customer oriented department. Help Department Heads with event set-up/break down, supply inventory and orders. Keep storage areas secure, organized, clean and up to code.
Job Responsibilities:
Service Department Operations
- Provide prompt, dependable, high quality, vehicle service to (internal & external) customers.
- Complete tasks and repair work within the scheduled or allotted time period whenever possible.
- Wash Motorcycles. Ensure they are cleaner than when customer dropped them off.
- Detail all new and used motorcycles.
- Assist Technicians with keeping the service department clean and organized.
- Move vehicles to maximize space as needed.
- Ensure all bikes in storage are clean and organized by models.
- Ensure all bikes are properly tagged, have correct dealership plates and license plate frames.
- Keep wash bay clean and organized.
- Assist with break down and clean up of events including restock during event and organization of all items after.
- Set up tables, chairs, supplies and organize area for events.
- Assist sales in pulling in vehicles at the beginning and end of the day.
- After job is finished ensure proper completion and filing of paperwork.
- Keep work areas as clean as possible and assist others with maintaining shop cleanliness.
- Maintain technical (PHD and other) qualification by completing any necessary training programs assigned to you by the Service Manager.
- Perform other duties as assigned
Customer Service
- Minimize come-backs and deal with them promptly and satisfactorily when they do occur.
- Greet external customers immediately, in a courteous and friendly manner.
- Handle requests quickly, and courteously
- Be honest and ethical in all business practices.
- Always work in compliance of legal guidelines.
- Model superior customer service behavior for all dealership personnel by maintaining positive relationships with customers, employees, GM and owner(s).
- Continually learn more about the products and services available. Attend training sessions to keep current with sales techniques and other sales department issues.
- Be prompt and available for flexible scheduling.
- Meet or exceed sales quotas on a regular basis.
- Demonstrate an interest in growing the business.
- Focus on quality.
- Always think before we speak and never lose our composure.
- Complete Training Requirements within first 90 Days of Employment.
Job Requirements:
- Strong work ethic
- Driver's license with proper motorcycle endorsements
- Must have the ability to get along with a broad customer base
- Knowledge and experience with motorcycles, and other products sold by a motorcycle dealership, or the demonstrated ability to quickly learn them.
Physical Demands:
- The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.
- Ability to stand on feet for lengthy periods of time, up to 8 consecutive hours
- Frequently required to bend, stoop, crouch, reach, handle tools and lift 50 lb. of material.
- Occasionally requires the ability to balance and push a 700 lb. motorcycle.
Working Conditions:
- Frequently works near moving mechanical parts.
- Is potentially exposed to battery acid, gasoline, chemical cleaning materials or other toxic materials commonly found in a motor vehicle service department.
- Occasionally, exposed to exhaust fumes or other airborne particles.
- Hot outdoor conditions
Posted: 7/14/2020
Job Status: Full Time


text:
Well hey Internet! It's me. Micah… I think. As you may remember from yesterday I have a concussion which I promise is just as much fun as it sounds. For those of you who have never had a concussion pretend that a monkey is bouncing around in your head wearing boots made out of depleted uranium and Taylor Swift lyrics. Then put your stomach on a roller coaster and leave it there for roughly… four days. Once your done with that, take your IQ and have it be run over by a bus carrying 10-13 year old Justin Bieber fans. I mean I'm exhausting Word's spellchecker just typing this paragraph. It's already had to correct the fact that I spelled "well" with semi-colons three times. Per "well." All that to say that we're going to do another book excerpt today just because my cranium already has enough going on in it thank you very much, what with the wanton destruction and things. For those of you who are curious though here is what happened as best I remember:
Mark Hamill (the actor who played Luke Skywalker) took a shot with a soccer ball that I blocked with my head. I don't know whether it was the fact that it was about twenty degrees out, the fact that the ball hit me at Mach 12 or so, or the fact that I slammed my head on the ground seconds later but I am absolutely convinced inside my concussed head that the ball was kicked by Mark Hamill. So thanks Mark, I never liked you in those movies anyway.
And now it's time for an excerpt:
From the Book:
Mad Jack Tennant: Origins
When you're a detective boredom is never a good thing. Boredom means that nothing is going on. When nothing is going on than no one has hired you, and when no one has hired you no one is paying you. And when no is paying you it means you are generally not eating, or at least not eating much. And not eating much is bad for a detective.
Because when you are not eating much you tend to be even surlier and more sarcastic than you generally are, and being more surly and sarcastic than you generally are generally means that any people who might be coming to your office to hire you, so they can pay you, so you can eat more, so you can be less surly and sarcastic are more likely to be offended by your surly sarcasticness and thus not pay you. Thus leaving you bored, underfed, surly, sarcastic, and frustrated. And yes I am giving myself a headache. Thanks for asking.
I'm Jack Tennant. Mad Jack some folks call me though honestly I prefer to think of my madness as a private matter between me and my brain. Madness is as madness does though, I suppose. And hey putting the "Office of Mad Jack Tennant" on the door certainly looks better than putting "Office of the Perfectly Sane and Normal Jack" so who am I to complain right?
Anyway though all that to say that on this particular rainy Friday night I was sitting in my office staring at the ceiling and pondering the deep intricacies of the space time continuum's relation to the faded blue paint and then, thereby, whether said blue paint might be edible when someone knocked on my door.
I tried to look like someone you'd want to hire for a case, and not like someone who hadn't eaten a decent meal in three days and had just been pondering the fine dining arena that is the world of blue paint, as I said in what I hoped was a manly trustworthy sort of way, "Come in."
In most detective stories when someone comes to an office late on a rainy Friday night it turns out to be some gorgeous damsel in distress with eyes the color of the ocean on a stormy summer day and hair like bundles of barley… or something.
Oh to be that lucky.
Cause my life apparently runs on a totally different wavelength than those detectives. When my door opened on this particular rainy night I was greeted not by the figure of a gorgeous damsel in distress framed in the moonlight but by a rather large cat. A black cat, to be precise.
A black cat on a rainy Friday night. That wasn't a bad sign at all.
The cat walked into my office like it owned the place. Which all cats do. They seem to operate on the basic principle that everything you own is, in fact, theirs and they are only letting you borrow it. Cats were worshipped as gods in ancient Egypt you know, and I don't think they've ever gotten over it. Then again though the ancient Egyptians also worshipped cows, frogs, and anything that wasn't physically nailed to the floor so I feel a bigger deal is made out of their cat worship then is entirely necessary.


text:
The CEO and Sales Director of a pay day loan company pictured in the olden days
In what is being seen as a controversial move, the British government have announced plans to give classroom instruction to primary school children on how best to be taken in by unscrupulous pay day loan companies when they reach adulthood.
Lessons will be given on being naively suckered in to signing away your fiscal future and condemning yourself to years of destitution and worry by being fooled by ads featuring puppets of old people dancing around, or cute little talking animals singing along to catchy jingles.
Weeping at night, sick with worry about how you're going to pay back the extortionate interest payments will also be covered as will how best to dispose of threatening letters and county court summonses without your partner seeing them first.
Advanced students will also be instructed on various suicide methods, including, hanging, overdosing on prescription drugs and jumping in front of trains.
Instruction on county courtroom etiquette, baliff-dodging and how to jump out of your skin and dive under a table whenever there's a knock at the door will also be given.
A spokesperson for the Exploitative Loansharking Advisory Board said last night. "We welcome any measures that will teach our youngsters how best to fall victim to our heartless, manipulative ploys, and how to deal with the years of misery, depression and destitution that will surely follow. That will be £250.00 + Annual Percentage Rate of 800,000,000% payable by easy weekly instalments of £2000 or the surrender of your home and contents, whichever we think will line our pockets best"


text:
As we age, the upper lip flattens and elongates creating an illusion of an aging face. With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Steven Dominguez expertly lifts and accentuates the central portion of the upper lip resulting in a youthful, kissable lip.
The upper lip lift is an in-office procedure by which Dr. Steven Dominguez shortens the upper lip and partially uncovers the upper teeth. An upper lip lift procedure can also help to increase the show (or that red portion of the upper lip) by decreasing the distance between the nose and the upper lip. This type of aesthetic plastic surgery facial enhancement does not necessarily augment the lip, but helps to elevate the upper lip area to make it appear larger, fuller and youthful. The incision is easily hidden at the base of the nose.
Dr. Steven Dominguez performs the Upper Lip Lift as an in-office procedure.
Serving Ventura, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and the Inland Empire.
Airports: LAX, John Wayne, Ontario, San Diego.
Hotel info available.
Copyright 2010-2016 Bella Milagros Institute. All rights reserved.


text:
May 12–14, 2016
Committee chair Jack Steinberg '88 introduced Justin Anderson, vice president for communications, for his presentation. Justin discussed his recent work with Trustee Laurel Richie on creating a framework to use as a guide when talking about Dartmouth. This exercise in defining Dartmouth's identity and distinctiveness is a work in progress that will inform all communications from the College. This new framework highlights what sets Dartmouth apart from its peers, whether it is about Dartmouth's history and timeless values or its innovating and global spirit.
Olivier Gilloux, assistant director for alumni leadership and secretary of this committee, and Judy Doherty, executive director of information management services and new media, presented an overview of the iModules communication tools available to alumni volunteers. The committee will explore this topic more in a conference call between the spring and fall meetings.
Sean Plottner, editor of Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, gave an update on his editorial role at the magazine. Drawing on examples from recent issues of the magazine, including the "Why does Dartmouth cost so much?" from the May/June 2015 issue, Sean talked about the importance of the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine keeping a journalistic and independent approach. Sean also shared some very positive metrics on a recent survey about the magazine.
The committee elected Alec Casey '88 to serve as vice chair for 2016-2017. Cheryl Abbott '96 will be chairing the committee.


text:
Leaderless resistance
Leaderless resistance, or phantom cell structure, is a social resistance strategy in which small, independent groups (covert cells), or individuals (a solo cell is called a "lone wolf"), challenge an established institution such as a law, economic system, social order, or government. Leaderless resistance can encompass anything from non-violent protest and civil disobedience to vandalism, terrorism, and other violent activity.
Leaderless cells lack vertical command links and so operate without hierarchical command,[1] but they have a common goal that links them to the social movement from which their ideology was learned.[2]
Leaderless resistance has been employed by a wide range of movements, including animal-liberation, radical environmentalist, anti-abortion, military invasion resistance, colonialism resistance, terrorist, and hate groups.[2]
The non-hierarchical, decentralized organization is simple and difficult to stamp out. However, with the absence of a formal hierarchy and formal criteria for membership and affiliation, they are vulnerable to appropriation, false flagging or hostile takeover from the outside, since anyone can declare oneself a member of and affiliate with the group.
General characteristicsEdit
A covert cell may be a lone individual or a small group. The basic characteristic of the structure is that there is no explicit communication between cells that are acting toward shared goals. Members of one cell usually have little or no information about who else is agitating on behalf of their cause.
Leaderless movements may have a symbolic figurehead. This can be a public figure, a multiple-use name, or an inspirational author, who picks generic targets and objectives, but does not actually manage or execute plans. Media, in this case, often create a positive feedback loop: by publishing declarations of a movement's role model, this instills motivation, ideas, and assumed sympathy in the minds of potential agitators who in turn lend further authority to the figurehead.[citation needed] While this may loosely resemble a vertical command structure, it is notably unidirectional: a titular leader makes pronouncements, and activists may respond, but there is no formal contact between the two levels of organization.[2]
As a result, leaderless resistance cells are resistant to informants and traitors. As there is neither a center that may be destroyed, nor links between the cells that may be infiltrated, it is more difficult for established authorities to arrest the development of a leaderless resistance movement than it is with movements that adopt more conventional hierarchies.[citation needed]
Given the asymmetrical character[clarification needed] of leaderless resistance, and the fact that it is often strategically adopted in the face of a power imbalance, it has much in common with guerrilla warfare. The latter strategy, however, usually retains some form of organized, bidirectional leadership and is often more broad-based[clarification needed] than the individualized actions of leaderless cells. In some cases, a largely leaderless movement may evolve into a coherent insurgency or guerrilla movement, as with the Yugoslav partisans of World War II.
Leaderless resistance often involves resistance by violent means, but it is not limited to them. Non-violent groups can use the same structure to author, print, and distribute samizdat literature, to create self-propagating boycotts against political opponents via the internet, to maintain an alternative electronic currency outside of the reach of taxing governments and transaction-logging banks, and so forth.[3]
This section does not cite any sources. (May 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The concept of leaderless resistance was developed by Col. Ulius Louis Amoss, a former U.S. intelligence officer, in the early 1960s. An anti-communist, Amoss saw leaderless resistance as a way to prevent the penetration and destruction of CIA-supported resistance cells in Eastern European countries under Soviet control.[4]
The concept was revived and popularized in an essay published by the anti-government Ku Klux Klan member Louis Beam in 1983 and again in 1992. Beam advocated leaderless resistance as a technique for white nationalists to continue the struggle against the U.S. government, despite an overwhelming imbalance in power and resources.
Beam argued that conventional hierarchical pyramidal organizations are extremely dangerous for their participants, when employed in a resistance movement against government, because of the ease of disclosing the chain of command. A less dangerous approach would be to convince like-minded individuals to form independent cells without close communication between each other but generally operating in the same direction.
In practiceEdit
Animal liberationEdit
- Further information: Animal liberation movement, Abolitionism (animal rights), Veganarchism, and Anarchism and animal rights
The first recorded direct action for animal liberation which progressed (after a considerable delay) into a movement of leaderless resistance was by the original "Band of Mercy" in 1824 whose goal was to thwart fox hunters.[5] Inspired by this group and after seeing a pregnant deer driven into the village by fox hunters to be killed, John Prestige decided to actively oppose this sport and formed the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) in 1964. Within a year, a leaderless model of hunt-sabotage groups was formed across the country.[5]
A new Band of Mercy was then formed in 1972. It used direct action to liberate animals and cause economic sabotage against those thought to be abusing animals. Ronnie Lee and others changed the name of the movement to the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) in 1976 and adopted a leaderless resistance model focusing broadly on animal liberation.[6]
Earth First! and the environmental movement in the 1980s also adopted the leaderless resistance model.[7] An animal liberation movement advocating violence emerged with the name Animal Rights Militia (ARM) in 1982. Letter bombs were sent[by whom?] to the then British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Two years later the name Hunt Retribution Squad (HRS) was also used.[8][9]
The Earth Liberation Front (ELF) formed in 1992, breaking from Earth First! when that organization decided to focus on public direct action, instead of the ecotage that the ELF participated in,[10]. A violent group called the Justice Department was established in 1993, and in 1994 sent razor blades[clarification needed] to hunters such as Prince Charles and to animal researchers.[11][12]
In 1999 the leaderless resistance strategy was employed by animal liberation organisations like Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), which was formed from the Consort beagles campaign and Save the Hill Grove Cats to close down Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). Despite claiming successes[13] leaderless animal liberation and environmental movements generally lack the broad popular support that often occurs in strictly political or military conflicts.[citation needed] The Revolutionary Cells--Animal Liberation Brigade (RCALB) appeared in 2003 and sent pipe bombs to Chiron Corporation and used incendiary devices against other targets, whilst a year later on the south coast of Dorset, the Lobster Liberation Front (LLF) was founded[clarification needed].[14]
Within a few years of the victories claimed by the SHAC, other campaigns against animal testing laboratories emerged. At the same time, SPEAK Campaigns and the more radical ALF militants, Oxford Arson Squad began their campaigns towards the same goal: to end Oxford University's animal research.
In April 2009, the Militant Forces Against Huntingdon Life Sciences (MFAH) became active. With the ALF, they began targeting HLS customer and financial Directors, as well as company property. Since then, groups[who?] have reported over a dozen actions in Europe, including painting homes, burning cars, and grave desecration. Militants[who?], however, oppose ALF ideology[clarification needed], instead believing in any necessary action to prevent suffering at HLS's laboratories.[15]
This section does not cite any sources. (May 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Leaderless resistance is also often well-suited to terrorist objectives. The Islamist organization Al-Qaeda uses a typical figurehead/leaderless cell structure. The organization itself may be pyramidal, but sympathizers who act on its pronouncements often do so spontaneously and independently.
Given the small, clandestine character of terrorist cells, it is easy to assume they necessarily constitute leaderless resistance models. When there is bidirectional communication with external leadership, however, the label is inappropriate. The men who executed the bombings of the London Underground on July 7, 2005 constituted a leaderless resistance cell in that they purportedly acted out of sympathy for Islamic fundamentalism but under their own auspices. The hijackers involved in the September 11 attacks, by contrast, allegedly received training, direction, and funding from Al-Qaeda, and are not properly designated a leaderless cell.
Neo-Nazis and White nationalistsEdit
The concept of leaderless resistance remains important to much far right thinking in the United States,[16] as a proposed response to perceived federal government over-reach at the expense of individual rights. Simson Garfinkel, however, found in his research that for the most part the far right seldom used this tactic,[citation needed]. Timothy McVeigh is one example in the United States. McVeigh worked in a small cell which based its attack on motivations widespread among far-right anti-government groups and the militia movement.[citation needed]
Leaderless resistance has been advocated by white supremacist groups such as White Aryan Resistance (WAR) and the British neo-Nazi Combat 18 (C18). The modern Ku Klux Klan is also credited with having developed a leaderless resistance model.[17] Troy Southgate also advocated forms of leaderless resistance during his time as a leading activist in the National Revolutionary Faction and a pioneer of National-Anarchism. James Mason a former American Nazi Party member and neo-Nazi was a proponent of the idea of "leaderless resistance" as detailed in SIEGE a collection of writings from the defunct National Socialist Liberation Front (NSLF) which advocated violence against political opponents, Jews and non-whites of which he deemed to be the supposedly Jewish controlled entity he referred to as "The System" which has since been embraced by the terrorist group Atomwaffen Division (AWD) in the modern day.
Stormfront, Aryan Nations, and Hammerskin Nation (HSN) link to Beam's Leaderless Resistance. These groups promote lone wolf actions. While nominally decrying violence, the sites praise the man who "practices what he preaches, and who backs up his words with his deeds."[clarification needed][18] Stormfront, while regretting the loss of life, explains how Benjamin Nathaniel Smith's 1998 killing spree was compelled by circumstances.[citation needed] The World Church of the Creator (WCOTC) gave a mixed message, calling Smith "a selfless man who gave his life in the resistance to Jewish/mud tyranny," but noting "the Church does not condone his acts."[18]
Modern-day leaderless resistance/lone-wolf terrorism has manifested itself in numerous violent mass shootings/terrorist attacks committed by the far-right. These include:
- 1999 Los Angeles Jewish Community Center shooting at North Valley Jewish Community Center and Chatsworth in Los Angeles, California by Aryan Nations member Buford O. Furrow.
- The 1999 murders of gay couple Gary Matson and Winfield Mowder and the burnings of three synagogues and the Country Club Medical Center in Sacramento, California by brothers Benjamin Matthew Williams and James Tyler Williams.
- The 2008 Knoxville Unitarian Universalist church shooting at Tennessee Valley Universalist Unitarian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee by Jim David Adkisson.
- The 2009 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum shooting at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. by Holocaust denier James Von Brunn.
- The 2011 Norway attacks at Regjeringskvartalet (Government Quarter) and Utoya Island in Oslo/Utoya, Norway by Knights Templar' member Anders Behring Breivik.
- The 2012 Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, Wisconsin by Hammerskin Nation member Wade Michael Page.
- The 2014 Overland Park Jewish Community Center shooting at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and Village Shalom in Overland Park, Kansas by former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard/White Patriot Party leader Frazier Glenn Miller.
- The 2015 Charleston church shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina by Dylann Roof.
- The 2015 Lafayette theatre shooting at Grand 16 movie theatre in Lafayette, Louisiana by John Russell Houser.
- The 2016 murder of Labour MP Jo Cox at Market Street in Birstall, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom by neo-Nazi apartheid supporter Thomas Mair.
- The 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada by Marine Le Pen/Donald Trump supporter Alexandre Bissonnette.
- The 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting at Tree of Life - Or L'Simcha Congregation by Gab user Robert Bowers.
- The 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand by Australia-born Brenton Harrison Tarrant.
- The Escondido mosque fire and Poway synagogue shooting by Brenton Harrsion Tarrant/Robert Bowers copycat John T. Earnest in 2019.
- The 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting at Walmart in El Paso, Texas by Patrick Crusius.
Radical environmentalismEdit
- Further information: Ecotage, Eco-terrorism, and Earth liberation
Leaderless resistance emerged in the environmental movement in 1976 when John Hanna and others as the Environmental Life Force (ELF) (also known now as the original ELF) used explosive and incendiary devices. The group conducted armed actions in northern California and Oregon, later disbanding in 1978 following Hanna's arrest for placing incendiary devices on seven crop-dusters at the Salinas, California airport on May Day, 1977.[19] A decade and a half later this form of guerrilla warfare resurfaced using the same acronym.
In 1980 Earth First! was founded by Dave Foreman and others to confront environmental destruction, primarily of the American West. Inspired by the Edward Abbey novel The Monkey Wrench Gang, Earth First! made use of such techniques as treesitting[20] and treespiking[21] to stop logging companies, as well as other activities targeted towards mining, road construction,[22] suburban development, and energy companies.
The organization was committed to nonviolent ecotage techniques from the group's inception. Others split from the movement in the 1990s, including the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) in 1992, which named itself after the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) which had formed in the 1970s.[23] Three years later in Canada, inspired by the ELF in Europe, the first Earth Liberation direct action occurred, but this time as the Earth Liberation Army (ELA), a similar movement who use ecotage and monkeywrenching as a tool.
A series of actions earned ELF the label of eco-terrorists,[24][25] including the burning of a ski resort in Vail, Colorado in 1998, and the burning of an SUV dealership in Oregon in 1999. In the same year the ELA made headlines by setting fire to the Vail Resorts in Washington, D.C., causing $12 million in damages.[26] The defendants in that case were later charged in the FBI's "Operation Backfire" with other crimes; this was later named by environmentalists as the Green Scare, alluding to the Red Scare periods of fear over communist infiltration of U.S.[27][28]
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks several laws were passed[by whom?] increasing the penalty for ecoterrorism, and the U.S. Congress held hearings on the activity of groups such as the ELF. To date no one has been killed as a result of an ELF or ALF action, and both groups forbid harming human or non-human life.[29] It was announced[by whom?] in 2003 that "eco-terrorist" attacks, known as "ecotage", had increased from the ELF, ELA, and the "Environmental Rangers", another name used by activists when engaging in similar activity.[30]
In 2005 the FBI announced that the ELF was America's greatest domestic terrorist threat, responsible for over 1,200 "criminal incidents" amounting to tens of millions of dollars in damage to property.[31] The United States Department of Homeland Security confirmed this with regards to both the ALF and ELF.[32]
Plane Stupid launched in 2005, an attempt to combat the growing airport expansions in the UK by using direct action. A year later the first Camp for Climate Action was held, with 600 people attending a protest called Reclaim Power and then converging on Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire in an attempt to shut it down. There were thirty-eight arrests, with four breaching the fence and the railway line being blocked.[33][34][clarification needed]
- Camp for Climate Action
- Earth First!
- Earth Liberation Army (ELA)
- Earth Liberation Front (ELF)
- Environmental Life Force
- Plane Stupid
- Antifa
Anti-abortion militancyEdit
Anti-abortion militants The Army of God use leaderless resistance as their organizing principle. As of 2009, The Army of God's webpage hosts a reprint of an article entitled "Leaderless Resistance" from a publication called The Seditionist.[35][36][37]
This section does not cite any sources. (May 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Network analysis in classical settingEdit
Leaderless resistance social networks are potentially vulnerable to social network analysis and its derivative, link analysis. Link analysis of social networks is the fundamental reason for the ongoing legislative push in the U.S. and the European Union for mandatory retention of telecommunication traffic data and for limiting access to anonymous prepaid cellphones, as the stored data contain important network analysis clues.[citation needed]
Network analysis was successfully used by French Colonel Yves Godard to break the Algerian resistance between 1955 and 1957 and force them to cease their bombing campaigns. The Algerian conflict may be better described as guerrilla in nature rather than leaderless resistance (see Modern Warfare by Col. Roger Trinquier), and this illustrates the weakness of cell-structured insurgents when compared to leaderless ones. The mapping data[clarification needed] were obtained[by whom?] by the use of informants and torture and were used[by whom?] to obtain the identities of important individuals in the resistance; these individuals were then assassinated[by whom?], which disrupted the Algerian resistance networks. The more irreplaceable the individual is in the adversary's network, the greater the damage is done to the network by removing them.
Advantages of leaderless resistanceEdit
Traditional organizations leave behind much evidence of their activities, such as money trails, and training and recruitment material. Leaderless resistances, supported more by ideologies than organizations, generally lack such traces. The effects of their operations, as reported by the mass media, act as a sort of messaging and recruitment advertising.
Paul Joosse[clarification needed] argues that leaderless resistance movements can avoid the ideological disputes and infighting that plague radical groups. They do this by limiting interaction to the virtual realm[clarification needed].[38]
The internet provides counterinsurgents with further challenges. Individual cells (and even a single person can be a cell) can communicate over the internet, anonymously or semi-anonymously sharing information online, to be found by others through well-known websites. Even when it is legally and technically possible to ascertain who accessed what, it is often practically impossible to discern in a reasonable timeframe who is a real threat and who is just curious, a journalist, or a web crawler.
Despite these advantages, leaderless resistance is often unstable.[citation needed] If the actions are not frequent enough or not successful, the stream of publicity, which serves as the recruiting, motivation, and coordination drives for other cells, diminishes. On the other hand, if the actions are too successful, support groups and other social structures will form that are vulnerable to network analysis.
In fictionEdit
- The 1970 novel A Piece of Resistance, re-published in the US in 2004 under the title Never Surrender by Clive Egleton depicts resistance to a Soviet occupation of England.
- The 1996 novel Unintended Consequences by John Ross portrays a successful rebellion by the American heartland after decades of bullying by faraway Washington.
See alsoEdit
- ^ Simson Garfinkel (3 March 2003). "Leaderless resistance today". First Monday. 8 (3). doi:10.5210/fm.v8i3.1040. Retrieved May 7, 2006.
- ^ a b c Joosse, Paul. 2007. "Leaderless Resistance and Ideological Inclusion: the Case of the Earth Liberation Front. Terrorism and Political Violence 19(3): 351-368. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09546550701424042?journalCode=ftpv20
- ^ Joosse, Paul. 2012. "Elves, Environmentalism, and 'Eco-terror'" Crime Media Culture 8(1): 75-93. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1741659011433366
- ^ [1] Amoss as cited in Defending Dissent Foundation Study Guide]
- ^ a b Best & Nocella (eds), Terrorists or Freedom Fighters, Lantern Books, 2004.
- ^ Webb, Robin. "Animal Liberation — By 'Whatever Means Necessary'," in Best & Nocella (eds), Terrorists or Freedom Fighters, Lantern Books, 2004, p. 77.
- ^ Southern Poverty Law Center. "From Push to Shove". Retrieved May 7, 2006.
- ^ Singer, Peter. The Animal Liberation Movement: Its philosophy, its achievements and its future. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
- ^ "Focus: Desecrated", Times Online.
- ^ Alleyne, Richard. "Terror tactics that brought a company to its knees", The Daily Telegraph, January 19, 2001
- ^ "Animal rights, terror tactics", BBC News, 30 August 2000.
- ^ "From push to shove", Southern Poverty Law Group Intelligence Report, Fall 2002, p. 3
- ^ Quantum Analytics: Drop HLS, SHAC.
- ^ "Activists' 'war' to save lobsters", BBC News, July 30, 2004.
- ^ MFAH Communique: April 7th 2009, Bite Back Magazine, 7th April 2009
- ^ Paul de Armond. "Putting the Far Right into Perspective". Retrieved May 7, 2006.
- ^ University of Michigan. "Right-Wing Domestic Terrorism" (PDF). Retrieved May 7, 2006.
- ^ a b Ray, Beverly; George E. Marsh II (February 2001). "Recruitment by Extremist Groups on the Internet". First Monday. 6 (2). doi:10.5210/fm.v6i2.834. Archived from the original on September 12, 2006. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
- ^ "Original ELF". Archived from the original on 2012-04-15. Retrieved 2018-12-01.
- ^ Earth First's first treesitting civil disobedience action Archived 2005-10-16 at the Wayback Machine, Earth First! 1985, Oregon, June 1985.
- ^ Tree Spiking Memo Archived 2008-04-24 at the Wayback Machine, Earth First!, April 1990.
- ^ Wall, Derek (1999). Earth First! and the Anti-Roads Movement: Radical Environmentalism and Comparative Social Movements. Routledge.
- ^ ELF Burns Down Vail Archived 2006-02-11 at the Wayback Machine, FIRE, December 1999.
- ^ Earth Liberation Front is now FBI's No. 1 Domestic Terrorist Threat, Property Rights of America Foundation Inc, March 2001.
- ^ ELF News Archived 2009-02-11 at the Wayback Machine, Earth Liberation Front
- ^ Paige, Sean. "waste & abuse" Archived 2008-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, BNet, September 27th 1999.
- ^ Eco-Terror Indictments: "Operation Backfire" Nets 11 Archived 2010-08-17 at the Wayback Machine, FBI, January 20th 2006.
- ^ Resentencing date set for Jeff Luers, Freedom4um, 29 December 2007.
- ^ Bron Taylor, 1998. Religion, Violence and Radical Environmentalism: From Earth First! to the Unabomber to the Earth Liberation Front, Terrorism and Political Violence 10(4):1-42
- ^ The eco-terrorist anthrax connection, ESR, October 21st 2001.
- ^ Best, Steven and Best & Nocella. Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth, Lantern Books, 2006, p. 47.
- ^ FBI, ATF address domestic terrorism, CNN, May 19th 2005.
- ^ Brown, Jonathan (2006-09-01). "The Battle of Drax: 38 held as protest fails to close plant". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 1, 2007. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
- ^ Wainwright, Martin (2006-09-01). "In the shadow of Drax, not so much a fight as a festival". The Guardian. London. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
- ^ Louis Beam (1962-04-17). "Leaderless Resistance". Armyofgod.com. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
- ^ "A Most Dangerous Profile: The Loner". The Washington Post. August 18, 1998. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
- ^ Jennifer Gonnerman (1998-11-10). "The Terrorist Campaign Against Abortion". Village Voice. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
- ^ Joosse, Paul. 2007. "Leaderless Resistance and Ideological Inclusion" Terrorism and Political Violence 19(3): 351-368. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09546550701424042?journalCode=ftpv20
Further readingEdit
External linksEdit
- An Introduction To Terrorist Organisational Structures
- Networks and Netwars - PDF book by RAND Corporation.
- Leaderless Resistance - the original essay
- Simson Garfinkel - "Leaderless resistance today"
- The History, Definition, & Use of the Term "Leaderless Resistance"


text:
CloudView Partners is an organization of industry-leading Cloud Architects that provide premier Cloud professional services. CloudView Partners empowers their clients by reinstating the ironclad truth that 'Today, Cloud is the new normal'. As a trusted partner of end-to-end IT infrastructure transformation and Cloud adoption, their key solutions encompass a secure and low-risk 5-stage methodology.
Rapid business growth as explosive as the need for Cloud infrastructures was the name of the game for CloudView Partners when they secured our help. The sudden expansion urged a speedy revamp of the company website to elevate the brand's image. Discouraged from a previous experience with another designer, our client challenged us to redeem their faith in a well-planned creative and execution process. Top priorities included crafting a delightful user experience and drawing attention directly to the main course of the website. Relevant keywords that convey the essence of the brand include Agility, Elasticity, Software, Security, and Creativity.
When we set out to redesign the UX/UI of the company website, the following are some considerations that remained at the forefront of our execution:
- Does the website page organization prevent user confusion?
- Is the hierarchy of data supporting the most engaging and important content?
- Are all the pages successfully communicating the respective purpose/message?
- Are the visual components serving our client's goals and intentions for tone?
- Are images, colors, and patterns consistent and indicative of a company in the industry?
- Will the website resonate with the target audience?
- Is the site memorable and engaging?
Information Architecture/User Experience Phase:
First we learned more about the industry's marketplace and the target audience's preferences. To create a sitemap we identified the most important pages and content for the website. The collection of the 5 Solutions to a single landing page was not delivering the impact it deserved. We resolved this structural issue by dividing each solution on to its own dedicated page to improve poor bounce rates.
We recognized a need for more engaging content since the original website offered few opportunities to grab the user's attention. Our initial sketches revealed that the Home page should easily reveal: who CloudView is, the solutions offerings available, the industries served, and how to get in touch.
User Interface Design Phase:
Sleek font combinations, captivating graphics/imagery, and high-contrast color palettes marked a common theme amongst competition. Early versions of the proposed design included vibrant accent colors and graphics to cue innovation and a certain 'Cloud-tech whimsy'. Ample white space cued dramatic tech professionalism and seriousness that spoke 'Agility, Elasticity, Software, Security, and Creativity'. Our unveiled concepts challenged our client to consider the core of the brand and how it related to longevity in his new website design.
We then agreed to button up aspects of the design to better represent the essence of CloudView Partners. Obstacles such as determining the perfect color palette and hero image provided inspiration for elements carried throughout the website's entirety. CloudView's step-by-step methodology was coined the 'Tech Stack' and presented in a 5-stage graphic on the home page. This idea was carried into the individual solutions page to promote familiarity and an enjoyable user experience. We also increased call-to-action buttons throughout the site for better engagement.
For the first time ever CloudView Partners website now features a collection of captivating Case Studies, an inspirational backstory to the company's existence, and a home for brilliantly written blogs. These pages elevate brand awareness and enhance engagement opportunities.
Development Phase:
With visions of the new website clearer than ever, the development team worked their magic to efficiently bring the designs to life. Speed and flexibility were key throughout site development. Our team cross-examined how the website would display on screens of all shapes and sizes. In the end, the team built a foundation for a long-lasting product equipped with tools for easy maintenance. This advanced group of Cloud Architects, CloudView Partners, decided that regularly producing blog posts was a commitment they were excited to take on with their new WordPress CMS. Following numerous internal and client assessments of the development website, the day had arrived – Launch Day!
Fun times definitely ensued in collaboration with CloudView Partners and our client has redeemed faith in the power of creative teams! From exploring the creative limits of competition to spit-balling abstract ideas the client happily received our expertise. In the end, we produced the new and improved face of CloudView partners with users as the first priority. The brand is finally represented in a way that matches the level of premier service the company provides.
Visit Website
"We worked with Costello Creative Group to upgrade our website. Through each step of the process, George and his team worked diligently to ensure our website represented the message that we wanted to convey, taking our website to the next level. We could not have asked for a better experience or result!"
My team and I at Costello Creative Group have been helping businesses solve communication challenges since 2012. Prior to starting my firm, I spent eight years gaining powerful insights as an Art Director supporting global Marketing & Account teams for one of the largest Flavor & Fragrance organizations in the world. CCG's focus in the F&F sector came naturally, but we continue to work cross-industry to maintain our diversity in both our thinking and creative approach. We partner long-term with clients to support them with everything from ad campaigns, digital marketing, branding and visual identity initiatives, to sales collateral, packaging, sales kits, and trade show materials.
To learn more about working with us, please visit Our Firm.


text:
Scottish book publisher and charity Floris Books is looking for an organised and pro-active bookkeeper and office manager to join our team of eighteen people.
The job is 30 hours per week and is based in our office in Edinburgh. It is a key role, reporting directly to the Chief Executive: it anchors everything we do in the office. The successful candidate will be reliable and motivated, with a can-do attitude. The heart of the job is bookkeeping and office management, but you should enjoy working in a small team with the added responsibilities and flexibility that are needed when every day is different. You will need excellent computer skills and communication skills, written and spoken.
Key elements of the job
About Floris Books
We produce award-winning children's fiction and beautiful picture books alongside adult non-fiction on alternative and holistic living. Knowledge of publishing is not required but an interest in books and reading may be an advantage.
Please note that this is not an entry-level position for publishing. Please only apply if you have the relevant bookkeeping and administrative experience.
For more information about the role, pleasevisit our website.
Please email your CV and a covering email stating current salary, your relevant skills and experience and why you are the right person for the job (max 300 words), to firstname.lastname@example.com, subject line 'Bookkeeper and Office Manager Application'.
Closing date: Friday 17 January 2020 at 5pm.
Interviews will be in late January/early February.
Start date: early March 2020 at the latest.


text:
The color of your promotional products matter more than one might think. This is due to something called color psychology. Check out our post here for more information.
Each color has a unique set of emotions and feelings associated with them. You want to select colors for your promotional products that are associated with the emotions you want your consumers to associate with your brand.
In this blog post, we will highlight the effects of using the color YELLOW.
Here is a graphic our team made to give an overview of the main associations with the color yellow:
As you can see above, yellow is a color of optimism and clarity. Yellow is the color of intellect, communication, and logic. It is also the color of happiness, cheerfulness, and enthusiasm. Yellow can also be used to help with focus and making decisions, as it is a color of clarity.
This is a color of choice if you want to brighten people's moods and uplift them. If you are a company that wants to promote fun or entertainment, then this is a great color to use. It stimulates creativity and playfulness in individuals. However, it is important to keep in mind that too much yellow can lead to anxiety or nervousness. Therefore, it might be best to use it sparingly. Another point for consideration is the shade of the yellow, as a dirty mustard yellow will not have the same positive effect that a sunshine yellow will have.
Yellow is a great color to use for point of sale purchases because our eyes are drawn to the color yellow. This makes yellow a great choice at tradeshow events where you might want to capture potential customers' attention.
Here are some examples of previously made promotional products using the color yellow to give you a taste of what MRL can create for your company.
Want more in depth knowledge of any color? Check out our color glossary to navigate through our color-specific blog posts like this one.
If you have any questions, or if you are feeling inspired, then contact our team so we can bring your colorful vision to life. At MRL… we aren't afraid to think outside of the box and color outside of the lines.


text:
New slang, who dis?
Your essential guide to internet slang 2018
A still from CW's 'Riverdale'
You've been living under a rock if you aren't keeping up with social media-- the only way through which everyone and anyone communicates now. With that come emojis, gifs and abbreviated phrases that probably didn't exist on the internet ten years ago. Imagine saying "snatched" in 2008. You'd get more stares and less high-fives.
However, the internet has evolved since then and has given us the gift of a new language that you might not understand at first, but then becomes the only tongue you can speak in. Because of the fact that you can't even. So we put together a list of all the new slang words and phrases you can educate yourself in faster than someone can call you grandma.
JOMOShort for "Joy of Missing Out". Remember all those times when you cancelled on your friends to stay home and watch Mean Girls instead of a night out on town and enjoyed every single minute of it? Well, then you have mastered the art of JOMO.
Used in a sentence:
A – You totally missed out on an amazing party last night.
B – I was in bed with a glass of wine and a Ryan Gosling movie. Absolute #JOMO.
SnatchedIf you are still stuck using the term "on fleek", then it's time to level up because "snatched" is the new on point.
Used in a sentence: Omg! Deepika's wedding outfit is snatched!
SisA form of endearment, much like "bro".
Used in a sentence: Sis, lose that guy right now. He's not worth it.
StanBeing an ultimate fangirl/boy or to idolize someone.
Used in a sentence: Totally sytan Priyanka and Nick. They look so good together!
ExtraBeing super excessive and over the top.
Used in a sentence: The dress code is casual but she had to come in full glam. Ugh, she's so extra.
SusSus is short for suspect. Generally used when someone is being very shady.
Used in a sentence: Raj is being a little sus lately. Do you think he is cheating on me?
ClapbackA come back with some serious amount of sass. Best used around nosy aunties trying to get into your business.
Used in a sentence: Rihanna always has the best clapbacks to haters!
GucciFrom the luxury fashion house to the streets, Being Gucci means being great or awesome.
Used in a sentence: Damn, that car looks Gucci!
Hundo PJust another way of saying that you are hundred percent sure about something.
Usage in a sentence:
A – Are you sure there's going to be an open bar at the party tomorrow?
B – Hundo P, dude.
WokeThe state of being socially and intellectually aware.
Usage in a sentence: In the kind of world we live in, one's got to stay woke.
Spill the teaSharing some really juicy gossip.
Usage in a sentence:
A – So, guys, guess what happened?
B – Omg girl, spill the tea!
Wig getting snatched/flyingBeing shook or being really shocked.
Usage in a sentence: She told him she's pregnant and my wig just flew off!


text:
Pour Some Sugar on Me......
The abovesaid Def Leppard/Bryan Adams concert was at a Minor League baseball field. Weird, I know.
I usually feel like an outsider here in the Chicago Suburbs. I am originally from Oklahoma, but when I go back to Oklahoma to visit I feel like an outsider there also. I am like Little Girl Lost, or Man Without a Country. There are a couple of places I feel I fit in, but I cannot afford to live in New York City or Paris ...so alas I will stay here in the burbs and complain constantly about it.
Now, I am a child of the 80's and 90's --so Def Leppard and Bryan Adams are right up my alley. Of course I knew all the words and rocked with the best of them! The people who go to Old School Rock Concerts in Schaumburg, Illinois are a VERY scary lot. Let me explain:
First off --Men of the Midwest ( I am not limiting this to only Chicago Suburbanites, and I am speaking mainly to straight men -- as the gay boys in Chicago do know how to dress)
I am talking the WHOLE MIDWEST--Please listen to the following public service announcement:
Mandals with the socks au gratin, denim shorts and Urlacher jerseys IS NOT A GOOD LOOK! And for the record--BLACK JEANS HAVE NOT MADE A COMEBACK.
The mandals =man sandal with the velcro straps that are usually brown -- are horrid with the socks au gratin, but last night I came to realize socks au gratin are much better than most of their bare feet. When a man would walk by in the mandals (minus the socks au gratin) I willed myself not to look..but like a bad wreck on the highway I HAD to look. Oh the carnage of mangled yellow toenails! It was awful! Do these men not SEE their feet? Their ginger root looking feet? Dirty feet?
Having said all that, I must admit I like the mandals better than the FREAKING DOC MARTINS--when will those ugly freakin shoes GO AWAY?
As I am an equal oppurtunity insulter I will also address the ladies of the Midwest. Now, the gals of the Midwest are an interesting crowd. I am not like any of them. Well--a few of them, but a VERY few.
The ladies in the Midwest (especially the Chicago Suburbs and Northern Indiana Suburbs) have a style that I like to call Suburb Chic. It is a triple play of pathetic. The 3 main ingredients are: A pair of Skechers (the tennis shoes), a scrunchie (for their hair) and a cigarette. Mom jeans, and tank top with no bra optional. And ladies of the midwest--just because you have your bellybutton pierced DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO SHOW US YOUR DOUGH LIKE WHITE BELLIES with the fake diamomd heart through your big stretched out navel.
As for the concert itself--it was really good. Def Leppard rocked and they were very energetic and very involved with the crowd. As far as I know it was all the original band members. The guitar players played with no shirts on --and they looked pretty good actually. The drummer with only one arm came out for a special hello. Bless his heart. I have a lot of memories with Def Leppard as the backgroudn music -especially the Hysteria CD (waves to Kelly). Bryan Adams looked hot, and from where I stood, I could not even see his pock marks. But I will say some men can pull off pock marks. Ray Liotta--case in point. Bryan rocked "Summer of 69" and "Cuts Like a Knife" I felt like I was back at Lake Hefner in a car NOT making out with a boy. HA!
A singer named Ryan Coleman -ryancoleman.net ( I hope I have that right) opened for them and he was very cool. I will check out his stuff soon.
I will leave you with the funniest things I saw last night--One particularly drunk mandal clad man had on a shirt that said "Grabberbootie and Pinch" It was set up like an Abercrombie and Fitch shirt. I was cracking up. I still have not figured out if it is really that funny, or if the beer was just really good! The other funny thing I saw was a Harley riding mullet man wearing a shirt that said "If my motorcycle could blow me, I would never go home". How romantic.
Midwesterners are WEIRD.
*** no offense to anyone who lives in the Midwest. My blog is for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. But ya'll still need a little lip gloss and some cute shoes!


text:
Learning how to do everything on the Arduino can get a little tricky when you're working with a lot of parts. Arduino forum member Romano d'Ezzelino has put together a series of handy reference cards that show the basics of a number of common connections.
Much like his pinout programs we talked about previously, these charts show off the basics of how to make a number of different connections without blowing anything up. Each card includes information such as voltage and pin diagrams. They're incredibly easy to read and a great reference guide when you're first getting started with Arduino.
ABC – Arduino Basic Connections [Arduino Forum via Make]


text: 10 Incredible Benefits of Massage for Health BLISSONBLISS March 24, 2019 Beauty, Beauty How to, Health, Infographics Massage is one of the oldest techniques for promoting health and well being. It makes up a combination of repetitive movements applied to various parts of the body. Currently there are several massage methods with differentiated functions that provide a simple relaxation or cure of a disease. BLISS ON BLISS helps you with various massage techniques and it is the best place to experience the perfect massage. Its great benefits range from improving sleep and humor until there is treating constipation and assisting in the treatment of cancer, which makes it part of alternative medicine. On the other hand, some people practice it as a way to prevent injury, aging and stress. Due to its numerous advantages it is easily offered in cosmetic clinics, companies, hotels, hospitals and airports. Increases immunity Did you know that massages can boost your immune system? This happens due to the increase of white blood cells, responsible for the protection of diseases. By increasing blood circulation, it promotes the proper functioning of the organs in general. We can still say that the relaxation experienced after a session fights stress, one of the main villains of health. Treat depression Known as the evil of the century, depression is recognized as a physical disease, a result of the lack of neurotransmitters and the hormones of happiness. So healing is based on meeting that need. In this case, massage is indicated as a form of therapy or complementary treatment. Help in the treatment of cancer It seems a lie but it is proven that massage helps in the treatment of the symptoms generated by the cancer. Relief of anxiety and stress Who never wanted a massage after a tiring day ?! The main explanation lies in the fact that relaxing and repetitive movements remove tension from the nerves, making the whole body more flexible. There is also a sense of well-being as the brain releases more endorphins and lessens the hormones of bad mood. What makes massage so different is that it can be done daily on people of any age, including children. Treats insomnia Taking a massage after a long day of work not only decreases tiredness, but causes a deep mental and physical relaxation, which promotes a good night's sleep. Reduction of pain Massage to decrease pain is extremely effective in cases of chronic pain, being indicated by the doctors themselves. During the session, the masseur focuses on releasing pain points, lengthens muscles and decreases tensions. This increases circulation on the spot by reducing pain and eliminating toxins. Post surgery, migraine, lumbar and post workout pains have had excellent results with the use of daily or weekly massage. Strengthens the urinary and digestive system Abdominal massage improves the body externally and internally promoting the proper functioning of the body as a whole. In particular, organs of the urinary and digestive systems function properly when they are stimulated. It improves the functioning of the heart Massage carries blood throughout the body faster, improving circulation. In addition, the body's immunity increases and protects it against free radicals. Another benefit is the regularization of blood pressure and heart rate, ideal for those who suffer some kind of dysfunction. Promotes beauty More than a health issue massage also promotes beauty. There are massages that use specific techniques for the treatment of posture and aesthetic defects. On the other hand, they confer brightness or tonicity, by increasing the circulation in the place, also prevented the premature aging by stimulating the regeneration of the cells and increases the flexibility. Help in childbirth Future moms find in massage, along with breathing techniques, a way to lessen back pain during childbirth. Massage also helps in the postpartum period as mothers get a faster recovery and spend less time in the hospital. Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


text: I am a Valparaiso resident looking for a student to care for my three children. The job would be for 3 days a week and would entail watching a 9 year old boy, a 6 year old girl, and a 2 year old boy. The kids are in different activities so the student would have to have a car and be able to drive them to their activities. Please contact Catherine at 219-246-7058.


text:
Tahoma Veterinary Hospital will be participating in Shaggy Shack's Easter EGGstravaganza! FREE Fun for the whole family including your dog! Kids easter egg hunt, dog easter egg hunt, bounce house, face painting, DJ, doggie fashion show, raffle, vendors, hot dogs! Please bring a pet food or supply for donation.
March 29th 1-4pm For more info. visit Shaggy Shacks website http://www.shaggyshackpetresort.com/ or call 253-847-2786 (Shaggy Shack) or 253-847-3500 (Tahoma Veterinary Hospital)


text:
How Reese Witherspoon Stays Fearless in the Face of Challenges
Rachel Lapidos・February 15, 2018
It's hard to imagine an award-winning actress like Reese Witherspoon—especially someone who nearly always plays such a cheery character—dealing with insecurities. But, like you and me, she admits to having to face her fears on the reg.
"I see [fear] as this little creature that lives in my life all the time," Witherspoon recently said in an interview with Marie Claire. "I can either pay it attention and not get anything done or I can march ahead and ignore it."
It's certainly all-too-easy to let hesitation consume you and prevent you from being productive—you know, like when you get caught up thinking about your endless to-do list and wind up procrastinating it all. (Just me?) But rather going down an anxiety rabbit hole, Witherspoon immerses herself in what she's trying to accomplish.
"Sometimes I just have to jump two feet into a cold pool and go, OK, I believe in myself enough."
"Sometimes that's not a good thing, and sometimes it is," she says. "But sometimes I just have to jump two feet into a cold pool and go, OK, I believe in myself enough. I know I work hard. I know I can always bet on myself." Her secret? Trust in your badass self. Now that's a big little tip I can get behind.
These are two easy ways to boost your in-office confidence, and 9 career confidence rules that super-successful people follow in case you're craving more #bossbabe inspo.
Loading More Posts...


text:
I started my day off with a run. Here in Essex, I run along their nature trail, and it didn't disappoint today!!
During my 5km I saw a weasel, some wild turkeys, sheep, bunnies, butterflies and grasshoppers!!
It was an overcast and dreary morning, but I really enjoyed my run. And my time wasn't too bad!!
After my run, I started working on my one year nomadiversary post!! I actually made two, one for my personal Instagram and one for our Little Trailer Big Adventures Instagram.
I'm so proud that we've made it a whole year in our tiny home. We did a lot of reminiscing today, and I'm so glad I've kept online memories to look back on!!
It was really hard to pick just a few of our amazing adventures to showcase. We did so many amazing things!!
We drove route 66.
We met Aaron Kaufman at the Cadillac Ranch.
We did some pretty epic hikes.
We went alien hunting at Area 51.
We walked across the original London Bridge.
We witnessed some amazing sunsets.
We went all out in Vegas.
I was on Jimmy Kimmel.
We went to Disney with my mom.
Dipped our toes in both oceans, and the gulf of Mexico.
Visited places we didn't even know about.
Saw our first alligator.
Met new nomadic friends.
Spent time with friends and family.
Renovated our whole trailer.
I got some new ink.
We rode a pink flamingo down the St. Clair River.
We got a drone.
And a new niece!!
All in all, it has been a pretty wild ride.
We have done so much, and crossed so many things off our bucket lists. But, we've also added more items onto our bucket lists in the process, which is what makes this lifestyle so awesome.
We learned as we went, and are still learning as we go, but I have a good feeling about this year. It's going to be bigger and better!!


text:
An educated electorate is
feared more than oligarchs
Re: "Bigger outrage felt over 'free' college-for-all plan" (Letter to the editor, March 19):
I am appalled that some people think cheating to gain admission to a university is not as bad as offering an education to all who desire one.
There is no room in our country anymore for this kind of thinking. It is baffling and disturbing. No wonder we are in the state we are in this country, where we have a lying and cheating person in the White House who's bought his way everywhere, mostly using someone else's money.
I think the fear of an educated electorate outweighs the fear of a few people with too much money running this country. What does that tell us?
Sue Kensill
San Jose
Submit your letter to the editor via this form
Read more Letters to the Editor


text:
Things are getting dark on Riverdale.
In all of the season previews leading up to the Season 2 premiere, it's been Archie (KJ Apa) hunting down the masked man that shot his father Fred (Luke Perry). In a new clip, Archie is the one being held at gunpoint as Jughead (Cole Sprouse) ominously muses, "What if robbery wasn't the motive?" That implies that someone is out for the Andrews personally, and that's a chilling notion to say the least.
Riverdale Mega Buzz: How Long Will FP Be Stuck in Prison?
Meanwhile, Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) is skulking around the hospital, tending to her severely burned mother. Veronica (Camila Mendes) is also taking a trip down the aisle, but it looks like she's playing bridesmaid instead of bride. Does that mean that Hiram (Mark Consuelos) and Hermione (Marisol Nichols) are renewing their vows? There's less than a month left until we find out!
Riverdale Season 2 premieres Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 8/7c on The CW.
(Full disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS, one of The CW's parent companies)


text:
Website: http://parantabio.com/
Member Contact: Ross Barrow
Position: Chief Executive Officer
Industry: Biotech & Pharmaceuticals
Company Profile:
Paranta Biosciences is an early stage drug development company committed to developing and commercializing novel biotherapeutics based on recombinant human follistatin to treat conditions involving inflammation and fibrosis.
A key therapeutic focus for the company is the treatment of respiratory diseases. However we are keen to explore partnering opportunities to assist with development of follistatin to treat other inflammatory and fibrotic conditions.


text:
Text size
There is bad news if you are concerned about the cost of insuring your vehicle because new figures show that the average premium has risen to around £500 a year and it is only going to get worse. In some cases a lot worse.
However, there are ways to protect yourself and those who are the biggest risk have the potential to get the biggest savings.
Here we explain what is going on, why premiums cost more and show you how to shield yourself from the worst of the increases.
What is happening to force up car insurance costs?
There are three main factors behind the rise in premiums. One has been a growing issue for a while, one is new and one is set to hit us later this year.
The growing issue is that modern cars cost a lot more to repair thanks mainly to a `replace, not repair' approach. In fact, new trade data shows the average repair bill after a crash has rocketed by 25 per cent in just three years.
It is no longer a simple matter of beating out a dented wing or bonnet after a bump. A modern car is essentially one big crash-detection and protection device all linked into one by sensors and structures working in sequence.
A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers said:
Cars are becoming a lot more complex and integrated so it is not just a simple matter of replacing one item.
Let's take a really simple example such as breaking a headlamp. Years ago you could nip down to Halfords and get a replacement for a few pounds but not now.
Say your car has Daylight Running Lights, which a lot do, and a new unit has to come from the original car manufacturer because it is integrated into other safety systems; these things are more expensive but it is just a consequence of drivers wanting more technology in their cars.
The new issue is the amounts courts award as lump sums to people who have suffered life changing injuries in a crash and which are designed to help them cope and adapt.
The money is there to support them but if it is invested wisely the recipient could actually `make' more and get a bigger sum so the initial sum is reduced, or discounted. Since 2001 that rate has been 2.5 per cent but with returns on government bonds now showing negative figures once you factor in inflation the Ministry of Justice says it has to cut the discount rate to negative levels in response. It's going to cost insurers around £3 billion and that will be passed onto us.
By how much remains to be seen – and it must be said that a consultation period between the government and insurance industry is due to deliver a final decision on this in May – but the worst case scenario could see an extra £50-£75 on an average comprehensive policy.
However, take a deep breath if you are in a high risk category such as the under-22s or 65-plus age groups where possible rises of up to £1,000 and £300 respectively being talked about by the industry.
The one yet to come is the rise in Insurance Premium Tax due from June 1 when the tax on every policy will go from 10 to 12 per cent. This means it has doubled from six per cent in just a few years.
What can you do to avoid the worst of the car insurance increases?
Before you have to accept that your insurance will cost more check out our Top 10 Premium cutting tips.
There are lots of ways to minimise the impact of this but many drivers either don't know about them or don't bother to pursue them and here we explain the potential savings they are missing.
Shop around at renewal time and don't leave it to the last minute. The insurance industry is fiercely competitive and they want your business so look around instead of just agreeing to another year, or auto-renew as the trade calls it, when your current insurer contacts you with a quote.
Loyalty is probably costing you money and according to market researchers at Consumer Intelligence, more than half of us could probably save up to £275 a year.
Ideally you should log onto a comparison website or contact your broker to begin the searches about three or four weeks before renewal, not in the last few days where you are getting into a `distress purchase' position and have less room to negotiate.
The easiest way to get a lower premium is to prove you are less of a risk so each year you drive without a claim dramatically lowers your cost. The biggest savings come in the early years and three or four years bump-free could halve your cost.
You can opt to protect that NCB (No Claims Bonus) too in your next policy. It will add very little to the cost but means you still get the discount if you are in a crash and is definitely worth looking at.
Excess. The more you agree to pay towards the cost of repairs the lower the premium. If say, you agree to pay £500 or £1,000 excess, you should get cheaper cover. As with protecting your NCB the question you need to ask yourself is, how good a driver do you reckon you are?
TPFT or Comprehensive? Third Party, Fire and Theft covers you for just that. The third party element means your insurer will pay another driver if you are at fault in a collision. Comprehensive means your repair costs are covered too but don't assume comp costs more than TPFT and do a comparison before choosing. Some insurers prefer someone keen to cover everything as it could indicate a more careful driver.
If you can't pay it all at once, use a credit card rather than monthly instalments where the interest rate can be exorbitant.
Car Technology can work for you
In simple terms car insurance reflects the risk you pose to yourself and others so if you can prove you are a safe bet it should be to your advantage.
There are two cheap and effective developments that a growing number of drivers – and some employees – are turning to, the dash cam and the black box.
How can Dash Cams affect your car insurance?
Dash cams do what they say on the tin and record your journey from start to finish so will show what happened before an incident. The data of cameras fitted with GPS includes your vehicle's speed and position.
They can be mounted to cover the front or back view, their footage is admissible in court and can prove that a collision was not your fault.
They cost from around £50 to £175, can run on a small battery or be plugged into the car, and insurers are starting to reward drivers with them.
How can Black boxes affect your car insurance?
Telematics, or black boxes. These little recorders are wired into the car and measure speed and how aggressively you brake, accelerate, corner and turn the steering wheel and at what time of day or night you are driving.
The data is available to the insurer and they are extremely effective for younger drivers who are statistically the greatest risk relative to their numbers and who are particularly hard hit by insurers as a result.
Having a black box demonstrates you can prove you are a safe bet and you should expect a discount of at least 25 per cent if you have one, possibly more for a younger driver.


text:
The Scout career is one of the career tracks from The Sims 4: Seasons. It is classified as an afterschool activity, making it only available to teens and children.
Career LevelsEdit
"Hey whippersnapper, do you have what it takes to be a Scout? Whip out that compass and volunteer today! As a virtuous Scout, you'll do fun activities with your troop and learn what it takes to be an upright member of your community."
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


text:
|Most Wanted List
|Standard MWL 3.4b
|Standard MWL 3.4
|Standard MWL 3.3
|Standard MWL 3.1
|Pre-rotation decklist
|Core Set
|What Lies Ahead
|Future Proof
|Data and Destiny
|Terminal Directive
|Sovereign Sight
|Down the White Nile
|Council of the Crest
|The Devil and the Dragon
|Kampala Ascendent
|Reign and Reverie
|Magnum Opus
This is the decklist I took into the finals match against @webster, who was on Liza. This deck started the tournament as a Punitive list but, after my second match of the tournament, I thought it better to switch. Nothing too interesting here--get money, install a bunch of taxing ice, drain the runner's credit pool, and score out.
Ideally (and especially against Leela), Echo Chamber is the first or fourth point, with fourth probably being the best. Ash and Bio Vault did a lot of work throughout the tournament, but the Red Herrings ended up being only so-so. If the goal was to tax the runner out, I guess they helped do that. And I often pre-rezzed them after a Falsified hit to prevent the runner from getting more money with a follow-up one. Once rezzed, they acted as good deterrents to challenging the remote. The 1x DtM was to get those ECs back if they got trashed, shuffle back in some decoys like NGO or defensive upgrades, or play through the rare agenda flood.
Hydra was surprisingly good in this format and ended up winning me multiple games, including the ones in the final.
Big thanks to @sanjay for organizing such a great tournament!
published by AlwaysBeRunning.net
|2 comments
24 Jun 2019 x3r0h0ur
hail hydra
24 Jun 2019 Janktivist
I mean, yeah.


text:
Saint Agnes School's Fall Lecture is proud to present Dr. Ray Guarendi (nationally-recognized speaker, author, and psychologist from Ave Maria Radio's "The Dr. Is In" and EWTN's "Living Right with Dr. Ray.") His reflection on the vocation of parenthood was delivered at Saint Agnes School on Monday, October 21.
It's never been more difficult to raise young people of faith, reason, and virtue than it is today. We're on a mission to support parents as the primary educators of their children through high-quality, Catholic education in the liberal arts/classical tradition.
Follow our school podcast and stay tuned for more messages throughout the year from our administration, faculty, and community members! Please contact Mr. Michael Adkins with questions, comments, or ideas as we launch this endeavor.