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What is Weekend Circle for Hope?
This year we have made fundraising easier and more fun than ever. After 8 years of coaching more than 100,000 participants to reach and exceed their goals, we have compiled the most effective practices into one, simple to follow guide to ensure your success. All you have to do is focus on one thing….building your Weekend Circle For Hope.
A successful Weekend experience is built upon a strong network of support - your Circle for Hope. Getting friends and family involved in your Weekend journey not only helps to expand your giving circle and recruit new crusaders for our cause, but also spreads the word about our unforgettable endeavour and makes the whole experience a lot more fun! Plus, earn Hope Fundraising Credits as your circle grows.
So, who's included in my Circle for Hope?
Everyone! Friends and family, co-workers, Facebook contacts, fellow Walkers—even your Weekend Coaches! Never underestimate the scope of this cause and give all the people in your life the opportunity to become part of the journey—as a donor, a teammate, a supporter, or a messenger to share your story with others!
How do I recruit my Circle for Hope?
It's all about getting your Weekend message out to as many people as possible, and encouraging them to get their own social networks involved! Host a Circle for Hope party at your home, upload the Weekend email badge to your signature line, download the Facebook application to your account—or utilize one of the many other fundraising, team building, or social networking tools available to you! For other ideas about ways to expand your Weekend Circle for Hope, please click here.
I'm a returning Walker. How is Circle for Hope different from what I've done to prepare for past Weekends?
It's not! Circle for Hope is about growing the synergy between your fundraising, team building, and social networking to have the maximum impact possible. Our returning Walkers have shown us that the combined momentum of these key factors yields the highest fundraising totals, the largest Walker teams, and ultimately provide the best outcomes to help the greatest number of those in need. It's time to share your successful practices with all our participants!
Get in the Loop: Your Circle for Hope Guide
Follow the tips below to maximize your social networking, team building, and fundraising efforts! Utilize tried and true Weekend standbys with new tools like the Facebook Application to amplify your impact and have the most successful Weekend experience possible! Working together, we will eliminate the threat of all women's cancers!
First Things First
Did you know that participants who personalize their Personal Page and send emails through their Participant Centre raise an average of 22% more than those who don't? Share your story and upload an inspirational photo! Compel donors to contribute by explaining how women's cancers have touched your life and the commitment of time and energy that you're putting into preparing for your Weekend journey.
Use Your Participant Centre and Send Your First Email
Take advantage of the amazing tools your Participant Centre offers! Import your email contacts, send customized sample letters, track your responses and thank your donors! Returning Walkers—remember to thank your 2010 donors and ask them to support you again!
Fundraise Your First $500 in 30 Days
Jumpstart your fundraising by taking on our $500 in 30 Days Challenge! Follow our simple steps to reach mini-milestones, and watch the donation dollars come pouring in. Once the momentum gets going, there will be no stopping you! Download the 30-Day Challenge Guide.
Start Earning Hope Fundraising Credits
Recruit new Walkers and reach key fundraising thresholds to earn $100 Hope Credits towards your fundraising goal!
Activate Your Social Network
Upload the Weekend Email Badge from your Participant Centre to the signature line of your personal and professional accounts. Not only will your contacts be able to track your fundraising progress, but they'll be able to donate to you online with one easy click. Invite friends and family to attach your badge to their signatures as well with a simple prompt to "Support my daughter's/sister's/friend's journey!"
Facebooking Forward
If you're not a member of Facebook yet, join! It's proven to be an amazing Weekend tool—both for fundraising and team recruitment! Meet other Walkers in your area and check-out upcoming Weekend events by joining The Weekend Page on Facebook. Download the 2011 Facebook Application and start fundraising with your Facebook profile today! Use Status Updates to let others know about your Weekend goal and drive a whole new audience of potential donors to contribute.
Download the iPhone Application
Enjoy the amenities of your Participant Centre in the palm of your hand! Use our new Weekend iPhone App to email donors, update your Personal Page, and track your fundraising. Download it for free from the App Store by searching "The Weekend" or clicking here.
Expand Your Circle
Forming a team is a great way to multiply your impact! Send a quick email alerting friends, family, and co-workers that you've registered for The Weekend and invite them to join in your journey! So many people have been affected by women's cancers and are just looking for an opportunity to support this cause. Together you'll push each other further in your fundraising and training goals, and have a great time doing it. And don't forget, you'll earn $100 for each Walker you refer!**
Host a Weekend Circle for Hope Party
A Circle for Hope Party is a great way to bring The Weekend to life for potential donors and teammates while at the same time showing how dedicated you are to the cause. First decide on the type, location, and date of your party--ideas might include a barbecue, casino night, dessert swap, or even afternoon coffee. At your party--inspire! Talk about your personal reasons for walking and about the incredible impact The Weekend will have for those battling women's cancers. Show the Orientation Video (you can request to borrow a copy from your Weekend Coach or find it on our Weekend YouTube page). It shows the spirit of the event and provides important information about how contributions will be used to support those in need. After the presentation, invite friends to give from their heart or join your team! Encourage guests to enter their donation online using your personal computer.
Bring The Weekend to Work
Get your workplace involved in your Weekend journey! Hang a graph charting your training and fundraising progress as well as donation and registration forms to encourage co-workers to contribute or join your team. Ask your company for a large corporate contribution or to match everything you raise. Will they sponsor a fundraising event? Will they publicize The Weekend in the company newsletter? If there are four other Walkers from work, will they donate to the corporate team? Use email or interoffice memos (get permission) to recruit new Walkers and donors.
Become a Weekend Pacesetter
Weekend Pacesetters are extraordinary teams who go above and beyond to support the efforts of The Weekend in recruitment and fundraising and their hard work certainly does not go unnoticed. As a special thank you, The Weekend highlights the amazing efforts of these teams, both online and on-event! Learn more about Pacesetters.
Hometown Press
Sharing your story with the media is a great way to bolster your fundraising campaign and raise awareness about the cause in your community. By participating in The Weekend, you're making a bold statement that your community will want to know about. Visit the Hometown Press tab to learn more.
Company Donation Matching Programs
Does your company or employer match your donation fundraising efforts? Visit your Human Resources representative to find out if this is a possible fundraising opportunity for you. Many companies are eager to support their employees, as well as the community.
Reach Out to Your Coaches
If you want to connect with other Walkers in your area or just need a few fundraising tips to get through a lull, the Weekend Coaches are just a quick call away! We'd also be happy to walk you through any of our new tech tools with simple instructions even the most novice of computer users can understand. These new tools have already proven to be extremely effective in recruiting and fundraising, so don't be afraid!
Download the printer-friendly list of the above Circle For Hope Guide.
If you need more help or have any questions, call our Weekend Coaches at .
Weekend Circle for Hope Party Planner
Build your social network, fundraise, earn $100 Hope credits, and fast-track your way to success in 2011. Hosting a Circle for Hope Party will get people excited and motivated to support you in your fight to end all women's cancers. Just follow these step-by-step instructions to get the party started!
Party Preparations
Will you host a wine and cheese party at 6pm on a weeknight? A Saturday afternoon potluck? A Sunday brunch? Will it be at your home, or the home of a friend, or a private room donated by a local eating establishment? The possibilities are endless. Be creative and host a gathering that fits your lifestyle and will be enticing to your invitees.
Create the Invitation
Have fun with this! Let your passion and personality shine through with artistic designs or "pink-ified" prose. Design invitations that can be sent regular mail and/or as Evites. Encourage guests to bring friends of their own! Ask everyone to RSVP and don't forget to give people the option of donating to you by providing a link to your Personal Page if they can't come.
Be Ready!
*5 person referral limit for Toronto participants.
Party Day Plan
As people begin arriving, serve food and beverages and give people the opportunity to socialize for a little while.
Gather Everyone Together and Make Your Presentation
Ask Your Guests to Join You—as a Donor or a Teammate!
Reiterate your commitment to The Weekend and let your guests know the fundraising goal you've set for yourself. Will they support you in your journey by making a tax-deductible donation? By joining your team? Let everyone know that, however they choose to help, they'll be paving the way towards a future free of women's cancers. Ask them to do it for their own mothers, daughters, sisters, and girlfriends.
Multiply Your Impact
Ask your guests if they would they be willing to send their own social network an email about your upcoming Weekend journey with a link to your Personal Page. Would they post a link to your story and link to your personal page on their Facebook page? Explain that even just by sharing your story with their own friends and family they are helping the cause by spreading awareness!
Post Party
Thank them for their time and thank them for donating or registering to walk. Let them know how much their support means to you and to in the fight to end all women's cancers.
Don't Forget to Share your Weekend Circle for Hope Party story!
We want to hear all about it. Email your party photos and success stories to firstname.lastname@example.com. We'll feature some of our favorites in upcoming e-newsletters!
Please Note: If you are interested in holding a fundraising event outside of your home and are planning to either serve or sell liquor, you may be required to obtain a liquor license. Please contact your liquor licensing board to ensure you comply with their policies and receive appropriate approval. If a license is required we are unable to assist with the process. Please talk to the licensing bureau directly for all information on the availability of such a license. Please note that The Weekend to End Women's Cancers nor the can be named on the license.
Likewise, if you wish to hold a raffle or 50/50 draw, you must apply for a license from the Gaming Commission. Similar to the above, we are unable to assist with this process. Please speak with the Gaming Commission directly.
Key Concepts
Some important things to remember when fundraising:
Social Media Tools
Utilize all The Weekend Social Media Tools to help you in your fundraising...
Hometown Press
Sharing your story with the media is a great way to bolster your fundraising campaign and raise awareness about the cause in your community. By participating in The Weekend, you're making a bold statement that your community will want to know about.
Hometown Press Release
"Hometown Press Release 1" is for those who are walking to support continued breast cancer research and care. "Hometown Press Release 2" specifies that funding will benefit both breast and gynecologic cancers. Please click the appropriate link and describe your motivation for participating and your dedication to ending cancer. Personalize the release of your choice and send it to your local newspaper.
Fundraising Advisory
Do you want to invite your community to attend your own fundraising event for The Weekend? Click the "Fundraising Advisory" document above, to open a media advisory template that will alert those in your area about your fundraiser. Personalize the advisory and send it to your local newspaper's community calendar section. If the newspaper does not have a community calendar section, send the advisory to the general news or news tips email address.
For Returning Walkers


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Developed around 1920, this neighborhood on Charlotte's northwest side is a designated historic district in the shadow of the city's skyline. It's one of the few places in town to get a Dilworth-style bungalow for less than $200,000, but some renovated homes are selling for more than $300,000. New home developments, and restoration projects of older homes are also sprouting up throughout the area.
Don't miss: The George Wadsworth house at 400 South Summit Avenue, dating to 1910. The original owner, George Pierce Wadsworth, was a local businessman who assumed presidency of the family business, Wadsworth Sons Company, in 1902. He diversified the family's livery and livestock business to include Smith-Wadsworth Hardware Company, Carolina Baking Company, Wadsworth Land Company and Wadsworth Seborn Company, a sales operation for Reo cars throughout the Carolinas. He also served as a director for Charlotte National Bank
The Wadsworth House offers the perfect setting for indoor or outdoor weddings with intimacy and ample space for large gatherings. A new feature coming soon is a wedding chapel to be located in the old carriage house.

subset: commoncrawl


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The west coast and northern Rockies have a monopoly on the deepest snow and freshest powder, but that will change next week. The central Rockies and New England will be back in business as a storm brings snow to areas that haven't seen much in the last 7 to 10 days.
Joel Gratz is a Meteorologist and the creator of OpenSnow.com.


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All the boys from One Direction are taking a couple...
- by Zaynprincess
- Rating:
- Published: 27 Jun 2014
- Updated: 12 Jul 2015
- Status: In Progress
Alexandria or Alex is moving away from family into her own world of what awaits for her she's only 16 and is going to college way earlier than she planned but she's smart and curious will curiosity take over what it's like being touched or more by the reality of the world??
Join MovellasFind out what all the buzz is about. Join now to start sharing your creativity and passion
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With exposure comes familiarity. If a kid is familiar with a sport, he or she will also likely feel more confident participating. I started playing t-ball when I was around six years old. I went on to enjoy athletics in school and played on many different team sports throughout my school career. While I don't participate in any organized sports now, I do enjoy watching and sharing my love of sports with my family.
Sleeping Bear Press has published a series of board books that focus on the basics of several different types of sports. The Little Sports Series books turn learning about the various sports into a guessing game for young kids. All the books feature the same design. Each book consists of ten rhyming riddles with picture teasers, one per page. After listening to a rhyming riddle and viewing the corresponding picture teaser, kids use the clues to guess each fundamental of the game.
Little Baseball (Little Sports) by Brad Herzog, illustrated by Doug Bowles. Sleeping Bear Press (February 2011); ISBN 9781585365470; board book
Sample riddle: "Hit the ball? / You surely could / with a mighty swing / of this piece of wood."
Baseball terms covered: Bat, Pitcher, Home Plate, Baseball, Umpire, Baseball Glove, Scoreboard, Hot Dog, Baseball Cap, Bench
Little Football (Little Sports) by Brad Herzog, illustrated by Doug Bowles. Sleeping Bear Press (February 2011); ISBN 9781585365463; board book
Sample riddle: "It's full of air / and mostly brown, but in this sport / it isn't round."
Football terms covered: Football, Helmet, Goalpost, Shoulder Pads, Referee, Jersey, Cheerleaders, Whistle, Scoreboard, Quarterback
Little Basketball (Little Sports) by Brad Herzog, illustrated by Doug Bowles. Sleeping Bear Press (September 2011); ISBN 9781585361816; board book
Sample riddle: "This is what / you pass and shoot. / It's round and orange / but not a fruit."
Basketball terms covered: Basketball, Jersey, Net, Court, Whistle, Shorts, Shoes, Backboard, Bench, Mascot
Little Soccer (Little Sports) by Brad Herzog, illustrated by Doug Bowles. Sleeping Bear Press (September 2011); ISBN 9781585361977; board book
Sample riddle: "It rolls and bounces, / flies through the air. / Players chase it / from here to there."
Soccer terms covered: Soccer Ball, Whistle, Net, Cleats, Goaltender, Teammates, Foot, Shin Guards, Jersey, Coach
The Little Series board books probably are not the best choice for babies but are most suitable for toddlers, preschoolers and quite possibly early elementary students. In fact, answering the riddles requires problem solving and logical thinking skills. All kids will enjoy the challenge.
The bright, zoomed-in, partial illustrations that accompany each riddle offer essential clues for helping the youngest readers solve the riddles. When you turn the page for the answer, the illustration shows the element of the game in its entirety. Some of the riddles, like the one introducing a soccer ball aren't specific enough to be solved without the help of the illustration or knowledge of the book title. Additionally, both my kids pointed out that some of the elements featured like the whistle, bench and jersey, are not sport specific and appear in multiple books. Of course, this is not something you would notice if you were reading only one of the books alone.
Even with the picture clues, my 3yo son has a hard time solving some of the riddles because he just doesn't have the vocabulary and background knowledge necessary to correctly identify, for example, an umpire or referee. My daughter likes to help him solve the riddles and sometimes even she stumbles. But, as in sports, practice makes perfect. After a few rereads, the books have enlarged both my kids' sports vocabulary. Now, when we sit down to watch a football or baseball game together they both can point out the scoreboard as well as home plate or a goalpost, as well as many other aspects of the game!
Other titles in the Little Series from Sleeping Bear Press (publication date in parenthesis):
Little America (July 2011) ---------------- Little Arizona (January 2012)
Little California (March 2011) ----------- Little Canada (March 2012)
Little Colorado (April 2011) -------------- Little Florida (May 2010)
Little Illinois (May 2011) ----------------- Little Louisiana (July 2011)
Little Maine (February 2010) ------------ Little Michigan (February 2010)
Little Minnesota (December 2011) ------ Little New Jersey (August 2012)
Little New York (February 2010) -------- Little North Carolina (July 2011)
Little Ohio (January 2011) --------------- Little Pennsylvania (April 2010)
Little South Carolina (January 2011) --- Little Texas (July 2010)
Little Wyoming (June 2010)
This week my son and I worked on making our own sports pennant flags. I posted a homemade sports pennant tutorial yesterday. Instead of using paints, my son used markers to decorate his flag.
Want to solve a few riddles? Sleeping Bear Press has kindly offered to give away a choice of a Little Sports series book to two (2) different Brimful Curiosities readers.
For a chance to win, leave a comment relative to this post or answer the following question: Which Little Sports book would you choose if you won?
• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section.Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4; please leave a separate comment for each entry):
• Contest is open to US only
• Contest ends on Monday, November 14th, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST.
• Winner will be chosen at random and sent an email notification.
1st extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.
2nd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.
3rd extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader
I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)


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Each year in our Partner Programs Guide, we bring you a detailed look at all the leading hardware and software vendor partner programs. Of those, a few get our 5-star award, based on their commitment to the channel, breadth of program offerings and services offered to their partners.
Here you'll find information on our 5-star partner programs in the networking space, including VoIP, unified communications, videoconferencing and more.


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What's New
Minuet Font Family by Canada Type
About: Minuet, an informal script with crossover deco elements giving it an unmistakable 1940s flavor, is a revival and expansion of the Rondo family, the last typeface drawn by Stefan Schlesinger before his death. This digital version of Rondo greatly expands on the metal fonts. Both weights include a complete set of lowercase alternates - based on Schlesinger's own drawings, as well as alternative variations for some of the capitals, a few ligatures, and extended language support.
Tags: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, Art Deco, Font, Formal Script, Retro


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OAKLAND — A federal judge has chosen a powerful overseer for the Oakland Police Department, but refused to reveal his pick Friday, citing the city's failure to release data to set the official's salary.
U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson gave Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker until noon Monday to file current salary information for both City Administrator Deanna Santana and police Chief Howard Jordan.
The figures will be used to determine compensation for a compliance director who will have sweeping powers to make Oakland police fully satisfy court-sanctioned reforms that were supposed to be completed five years ago.
The compliance director, whose salary will be paid by the city, will have authority to spend city funds and overrule top commanders. He can seek Jordan's ouster if reforms continue to lag.
City leaders agreed to cede those powers in December as part of an agreement with attorneys who represented 119 plaintiffs in a civil suit connected with the 1999 Riders scandal.
Had the city not settled, it risked Henderson ordering a total federal takeover of the department.
Henderson did not disclose when he planned to make his selection public or when the director would begin work. Officials close to the matter said they didn't know whom Henderson had picked.
In his one-page order Friday, Henderson wrote that he asked the department's court-appointed monitor to request the salary information earlier this week,but added that "the city has been uncooperative."
This was the second time in six months that Henderson scolded the city for not complying with a request from the monitor, Robert Warshaw.
In October, he ordered the city to "investigate the integrity" of its email system after Jordan didn't respond to Warshaw's emails regarding disciplinary actions connected to Occupy Oakland.
It turned out that Jordan had a filter on his email that sent Occupy-related emails to a separate folder that he hadn't checked.
As for the salary request, the city issued a statement Friday that Warshaw had asked for the figures verbally on Wednesday, but was told to put the request in writing to ensure a paper trail.
John Burris, who represented plaintiffs in the Riders case, said he was surprised the city didn't immediately comply with the judge's request. "Salary is a very important issue, and we need to get this done," he said.
According to figures released by the city, Santana makes $282,000, including a $9,000 auto allowance, and Jordan makes $257,973, which includes additional payments for longevity, extra course work and a uniform allowance.
It has taken longer than anticipated for Henderson to fill the compliance director post. The city and opposing attorneys had failed to agree on a consensus candidate, leaving Henderson to choose between competing nominees or come up with his own candidate.
The director will have 30 days from his start date to submit a plan for completing the reforms, which are geared toward helping the department better police itself. Monthly status reports will be required to be issued beginning May 15.
Contact Matthew Artz at 510-208-6435.


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Friday 25 January
|Afropavo (1)
This large ground bird from the Congo is the only true pheasant native to Africa (3) and, showing characteristics of both peafowl and guineafowl (4), has fascinated and perplexed ornithologists since its discovery in 1936 (5). Males are adorned with an elaborate array of colours, having dark bronze-green upperparts, black underparts, violet-blue breast and end tail feathers, and a vivid red naked throat (4) (6). These vibrant males also boast a conspicuous crest of long, dense white bristles on the crown, with a few darker feathers behind (2). The tail opens up into an impressive fan during displays, and a large spur on the inside of each leg may be used in male battles (3). Females are slightly smaller than males, and are rusty brown with metallic emerald-green upperparts and only a short russet crest (3) (6).
Due to the scarcity and inaccessibility of its habitat, this shy and secretive bird has been little studied in the wild. Individuals are thought to live in pairs and small family groups that defend a shared territory, and captive studies have shown the pair-bond to be very strong. Mating and nesting behaviour have not yet been observed in the wild, but much has been learnt from observations in captivity. The most notable and striking feature of mating is the beautiful courtship display of the male, his tail and wing feathers fanned out while he struts, bows and offers food items to the female. A clutch of one to four eggs is laid in a scrape or hollow in the ground, and incubated for approximately 28 days by the female. During this time, the male stays close to guard the nest, and the female leaves only rarely to feed. After the chicks hatch, both parents help rear them by brooding, protecting and feeding them, although the well-developed young are soon able to forage for themselves (3).
The Congo peafowl appears to have a fairly diverse, generalist diet, having been observed eating a variety of vegetation, fruit and seeds from common trees throughout its range, and also on invertebrates such as aquatic insects and termites (3) (6).
Confined to the deep, inaccessible rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (formerly Zaire) (3).
Many different forest types are used, but this ground-dwelling species has most commonly been observed in dry forest with a relatively open floor, mainly on watersheds, which are patchy in distribution (6) (7).
Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List 2006 (1).
Hunting and habitat loss, exacerbated by the demands of war and refugees, are rampant in Congo, and seriously threaten the survival of this endemic bird. Habitat is being destroyed by mining, subsistence agriculture and logging operations at several locations (6). Some reserves exist, but miner settlements are encroaching here and elsewhere, opening up remote areas to increased subsistence and commercial hunting (6) (7). Although the snares set may be intended for small mammals and antelope, Congo peafowl are thought to be a frequent victim. Guerrilla fighters and huge numbers of Rwandan refugees have occupied the eastern DRC since 1994, increasing the already mounting pressures of hunting and habitat loss (6).
There are around 150 Congo peafowl kept in captivity worldwide, and an international studbook is maintained to ensure that the captive population stays genetically diverse and healthy by coordinating selective breeding between individuals at different zoos. This captive population not only ensures the species' survival should it go extinct in the wild, but also enables important research to take place into the bird's ecological needs, which may help guide appropriate conservation measures to protect it in the wild (3).
With habitat loss and hunting continuing unabated, it seems that the conservation of this species in the wild may depend on populations in protected areas, where there is some possibility that hunting can be limited or banned. Important populations currently exist in the Maiko and probably also Salonga National Parks, and the species can also be found in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve and the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. In order to safeguard this bird's future, however, protection of these nature reserves and national parks will need to be improved, and education campaigns to reduce bushmeat hunting and promote alternative livelihoods will be critical (6). The success of such conservation measures, however, is likely to depend upon the political situation of the country, which currently remains highly unstable (7). As such, Africa's only native pheasant faces an uncertain future.
For more information on the Congo peafowl see:
This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
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Ellen van Yperen
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Friday 25 January
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BikepakUSA's Cycling World
BikepanUSA is a online bike shop which enhance your cycling experience with BV and Ibera bike accessories. Our products are designed and built to help you enjoy a smooth and safe ride with some extra style. Top-quality and great selection that will help you explore new places. We offer a great selection of cycling gear: bike lights, bottle cages, pumps, bags, racks, cleats, locks and more. Please follow us on to find special events and discount offers
Bike Handlebar Grips for MTB, BMX, Mountain, Downhill and Folding Bikes
The Maya inspired pattern not only makes you look stylish but also provides stable and tacky grips. TPR material absorbs shock and relieves your hand's pressure for long rides. We ensure the grips will match your bike's color scheme by offering four shiny metallic colors: Red, Gold, Green and Blue.
Floor Pump with Gauge and Smart Valve Head for Presta and Schrader
BV Pump is the perfect bicycle floor pump for anyone. Designed Valve Head switches between Presta and Schrader valves easily and without any air leaks. The long steel barrel allows more air to be pushed through with each pump making it easier and faster to pump. The large gauge is easy to read and will help to set your desired pressure.
Perfect Solution for Protecting Your Bike with 4 Digit Combination Bike Cable Lock
The compact flexible coils can extend 4 feet to wrap around benches, trees, fences and more. The thick 12mm steel cable discourages theft and resists cuts while staying light in weight.


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Stay Inspired with Pixave
There is a whole world that we get from images. A single picture can fill us with inspiration which, in turn, brings us joy. Such impressions grow to create wonder and amazement for the world. That growth and creation is made possible by you. And Pixave is here to store and organize those inspired moments – to enable you to bring them to mind whenever, wherever you are.
- A Convenient workspace – The basic purpose of Pixave is to provide the optimum environment to manage your images. But to judge its usefulness and convenience solely on its environment would be far from doing it justice. With the user-definable 'Collection' feature you manage your images, using folders to categorize to suit your needs. In addition, you can organize numerous images using the highly intelligent 'Smart Collection' feature and search for them instantly.
- Colors and Tags – There are many ways to search for images. However, Pixave presents an innovative, never-before-seen search function: welcome to the age of finding images according to color. The impressions left by the hues of an image play an important part in how one remembers it. Forget about groping to remember an image, just follow the color you are feeling and find yourself with the image that you wanted! The world of accessing images through colors is thus opened up by Pixave. Furthermore, the Tag feature still functions exactly as you would expect.
- The Tiny Giant: Pixave Mini – Gathering images should be no labor. One should be able to collect any image, whether it is a file or from the web, easily and quickly. As the name suggests, Pixave Mini is a mini version of Pixave. It stays visible on the screen at all times and only requires you to drag a desired image to it, where it will collect the image without disturbing your workspace in the slightest.
- Capture anything! – Capturing an area of the screen, a window, or the full screen could not be made easier. With the fully customizable hot-keys you can assign any key to capture whatever image, whenever you want – even from a stylish web page.
- Exciting Export! – When working with images, one often finds that they need to be converted in order to send to somebody else. If it's not only the image format that needs converting but other various options as well, then , processing many images will requires a great deal of time and effort, making the work tedious.
- All-around viewer – Pixave's image displaying feature is not limited to only viewing images. Not only can you edit the metadata but you can also use the powerful, integrated OS X Yosemite's Action Extension to edit images, animate GIFs and create multiple framed TIFFs, as well as view in detail specialized image files such as the ICNS. Plus, the built in PDF reader lets you easily view PDFs and save any page as a separate image. All these features are intuitively integrated into the interface, and are likely to make you say to yourself: "Wow, that's amazing!"
Key features:
- Easy import your images
- Organize images by using Collections and Smart Collection, Folder
- Browse image by Colors and Tags
- Popular image formats supported: JPEG, JPEG 2000, GIF (included Animated GIF), PNG, TIFF, ICNS, BMP, ICO, PSD, AI, EPS (included PDF info only), SVG, TGA, RAW image
- Auto detect and organize animated GIFs, phone, tablet, Icon, Wallpaper images.
- Customizable export settings and export ePub too
- Capture all the screen, window, selected area, full web page with customizable hot keys
- Support multiple libraries
- Integrated with OS X Yosemite Action extensions to edit image
- OS X Yosemite built exclusively for Mac: Retina ready, Sharing, Notifications, fullscreen, multi-touch gestures, core image
OS X 10.10 or later, 64-bit processor
Download Now


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That individual investors react more to their financial market losses than to their financial market gains is one of the more well-established behavioral finance theories put forth by Nobel Prize laureate Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, and one that more and more financial advisors are taking into account these days as they seek to apply behavioral finance principles to their practices.
In order to fully comprehend the process behind loss aversion and the impact it has on an individual's investment portfolios and investment goals, Enrico De Giorgi, professor in the School of Economics and Political Science at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and founding partner at Zurich-based firm Behavioural Finance Solutions, believes that financial advisors also need to take into account the fact that all individuals have different "reference points" for their losses and their gains. These subjective mental markers, he says in a recent paper, "A Behavioral Explanation of the Asset Allocation Puzzle," are the points at which individuals determine where their losses end and their gains begin. Trying to figure them out can go a long way toward understanding loss aversion and coming up with the optimal asset allocation for an individual.
"People care about losses more than they care about gains, and so they penalize losses more than they reward gain," De Giorgi says. "But where the utility of losses is overweighted compared to gains, the reference point is very important because people don't only look at the payoff from a particular investment, they have a reference point in mind. They consider an investment a good one if they can fulfill the reference point in mind, and they consider it to be bad if they don't fulfill the reference point."
Each person's reference point is subjective, and most people have multiple reference points. It's also not obvious how people reach their individual reference points, but regardless, all individuals penalize themselves for not reaching their particular reference points much more than they reward themselves when they do actually reach them, De Giorgi says, because "while you may like reaching your reference point, you don't like reaching it as much as you dislike not reaching it."
Further to reference points, individual investors also have so-called "mental accounts," which essentially is the means by which they "organize a complex problem like investing in their mind," De Giorgi says. Mental accounting means, for example, "splitting up investments into different sub-problems according to specific investment goals," which, again, is a subjective process, he says.
For important investment goals, investors tend to prefer conservative investment strategies, and they favor bonds over stocks, (the amount by which they do so would, of course, depend on the extent of their loss aversion), while for very ambitious goals, investors are willing to take more risk.
It is not important, De Giorgi says, for investors to be able to understand the ins and outs of every asset class. However, both advisors and investors do need to understand the links between peoples' reference points or investment goals, their loss aversion and risk profiles, because this confluence is what determines why "for investor A it is optimal to choose asset allocation A and for investor B to choose asset allocation B," De Giorgi says.
"An investor does not have to be very sophisticated, but he has to understand why, given his understanding of risk, his investment goals and attitude to risk, he gets a particular allocation and not another," he says. Unfortunately "often it is not the risk attitude that generates the choice of once asset over another, it is misperception," and this must be avoided.


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Researchers - Living quarters & research facilities with access to thousands of hectares of protected habitat. Accomodating rates for principle investigators, graduate students, and research assistants.More Info
Student Groups - Plenty of room to stay and explore with university groups of up to 35 people. Good access to habitats both along roads and on forest trails. Indoor and outdoor space for presentations and discussions.More Info
Volunteers - Get involved in research projects, help with conservation & education activities, or simply lend a logistical hand. Come and share your passions while you learn about the passions of others.More Info
Please bear with us, we are in the process of updating and re-designing our web page.
© Yanayacu Biological Station. All rights reserved. | Photos by H. F. Greeney | Page based on original design by TEMPLATED.


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Escorting Cats on Flights
Cats can travel in the hold as 'cargo' or with passengers in the cabin as 'hand luggage'. We try to send them as hand luggage where possible but either way is possible. Taking a cat as hand luggage is not as difficult or inconvenient as it might seem. We use small carrying boxes or soft carriers (similar to a holdall). This is carried with the passenger and the airline will usually find a suitable place for it in the cabin – sometimes a spare seat is provided. Cats sleep or remain quiet for the duration of the journey and it is highly unlikely that they will soil the cat carrier. Different airlines have different policies, but some airlines accept cats for both cargo and hand luggage for the same passenger.
When we are notified of your interest to escort one or more cats we will obtain details of your flight and apply to the airline for permission. Where we have contact details for you, either mobile phone or at your holiday residence, you will be kept informed of progress.
On the day of departure, a representative from the welfare organisation will meet you with the cat/s at the airport, at your appointed check-in time. All the paperwork to allow the cat/s to travel will be in place.
The representative will attend check-in with you and the cat/s and pay all travel costs for the animals.
After check-in you proceed as normal to the Departure Lounge. If you are taking the cat as hand luggage, you take it with you. If the cat is travelling cargo, the representative takes it to the special waiting area. You will not see the 'cargo' cat again until you arrive at your destination airport.
At destination airport you will collect 'cargo cat' with your suitcases and someone will be waiting at Arrivals to take the cat from you. Your role is finished!
Read more here about the Aegean Airline Policy for travelling with pets.
For the Greek version click here.
To learn about restricted animals, click here.


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Individual, Family and Business Members who join the Main Street Program will receive a Membership Discount Card. This annual membership card is accepted at participating merchant locations.
Participation from merchants and offers are subject to change at any time. The card cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. The card may not be used with any other discount, coupon, previous purchase or promotional offers. Only one card may be allowed per party, per visit or purchase. All sales are subject to the terms or participating merchant.
Refer to website for updated promotions, deals and discounts.
Participating Main Street Businesses


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LAUGHATHON/CRYATHON: The Saga of Now; by Linda Mary Montano and Jim Barbaro
LAUGHATHON/CRYATHON: The Saga of Now; by Linda Mary Montano and Jim BarbaroPlease send us 30 seconds to 3 minutes of laughing, crying or both from your iphone. Musician and sound engineer Jim Barbaro and I will edit all of your laughs, cries and …Read More
STEVE JOBS LAST WORDSThe last words of Steve Jobs – I have come to the pinnacle of success in business. In the eyes of others, my life has been the symbol of success. However, apart… from work, I have little joy. Finally, my wealth is simply a …Read More
LINDA MARY MONTANO: 5 DEATH TAPES: VIDEO DATA BANKhttp://www.vdb.org/titles/linda-montano-videoworks-volume-1Linda Montano Videoworks: Volume 1 | Video Data Bankwww.vdb.orgVDB is proud to present Linda Montano Videoworks: Volume 1. Originally trained a…Read More
From: Katy Deepwell
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2017 4:41 AM
To: 'linda montano'
Subject: RE: Invitation to authors, n.paradoxa: 3 July 2017, London conferenceDear Linda,Thank you so much for this – it is wonderful. Encouraging and really pertinent to what I am trying to achieve.I will see what can be put together – and thank you again for the opportunity potentially to screen the U-tube video.There was another contribution by you – which was the interview with Hilary Robinson – that you did.I've attached it – just to ensure you have it for your own records. No need to add further comments.Lots of love and best wishes,Katy Deepwell,Editor of n.paradoxan.paradoxa is published by:KT press38 Bellot StLondonLINDA MARY MONTANO STATEMENT RESPONSE: FOR KATY DEEPWELL/NPARADOXA
How did the article/interview/artist project that you published in n.paradoxa represent a moment in your own intellectual history?MY article MONEY IS GREEN TOO MANIFESTO was born when I attended OCCUPY WALLSTREET NYC and saw/felt/smelled the result of focusing on $$$$$$$$$$ only to the detriment of inner peace, especially when I read one of the signs: COMPASSION IS THE NEW CURRENCY.Being at this demonstration was like being in a war. It was trerrifying and big and momentous. I felt I might get killed.
Money had already killed me because I grew up in daily reminders of it's importance. My parents were depression-30's survivors and second generation immigrants–Ireland and Italy…They worked themselves to soul death, almost, and I feared eating because they had to work sooo hard to feed us.
BY escaping the stink of money I entered a convent at 19 and didn't last, leaving 2 yeas later going from 135-80 pounds, food and emotional traumas still issues.
Because my art is my life, and money was/is still a big life-brain toxicity, I wrote about it, made a video about money and still go to therapy about it!!! And I'm 75! You would think, wouldn't you?Was it the start of an area of work for you or the end of something?My relationship to money will only get better with intense meditation and time and maybe loss of ability to count?Was it a continuation of long-term interests or a one-off?Not a one-off. Am grateful to n.paradoxa for listening to my money "share."Maybe you have a story or anecdote about reactions to the journal from colleagues? Or something that happened as a result of publication?n.paradoxa and England aer always held with HIGH ESTEEM In America and with our current leader DT in "charge" we wonder why we ever left your shores!!!!
I Slept with Linda Montano
Paul Couillard [1]
PC: Given your history in performance, I wanted to start by asking whether you see a distinction between performance or art and life?
Linda Montano: Until I wrote a recipe that indicated that every minute was performance, there was a distinction. In 1984 I appropriated all time as performance time or art, meaning every minute of my life was an opportunity for that kind of higher–not higher–but that kind of consciousness, a kind of awareness or–sacredness is a word that is laden–but that kind of sacredness. Before 1984 I made attempts, but they were for a week or a month or for shorter periods of time. In '84 I designed it so that the rest of my life will be in a work of art.
PC: So, everything you do is art because you've consciously identified it as that?
LM: Yes.
PC: Are there other things wrapped up in that, like a sense of discipline or a certain kind of awareness you try to bring to things?
LM: It's almost like… There's a massage form called Reiki, and in Reiki, there's a little bit of study, maybe a weekend workshop and three levels. Then there's this so-called initiation, and it's really an initiation into nothingness. It's so simple; it's just a laying on of hands. It's not as if it's a complicated massage form. And for me it was just a matter of consciously setting up the parameters that allowed me to incorporate, appropriate, grab all time as art.
PC: I was wondering about discipline.
LM: In the beginning it was about discipline. I had to do this, this, this and this for numbers of hours and days and weeks and months. Then I found that the overall intentionality worked to incorporate my needs, and the disciplines were really my own ego struggling, pushing. So when I lightened up and stopped pushing so much and creating boundaries and formulas, the permission to live in the state of art loosened me up. I started making more things that looked like traditional art because I was free. Before, it was always this sort of guilt of not being in the studio, not producing enough, not working — which comes out of an art school training or a western model of abundance and consumerism. How can you say you're something if there's no product? When I took that away, I actually started producing, which is always an interesting kind of contrast. But given my philosophy, there's no need for production, because I am in the state of art, so to speak, at all times.
PC: Why was it important for you to identify what you were doing as art?
LM: Art gave me the same kinds of pleasures and aesthetic ecstasy as the Church used to give me. And because a woman is denied priesthood in Roman Catholicism, I knew instinctively that I would never be able to be a ritual-maker.
PC: Do you make distinctions? For example, when I contacted you about TIME TIME TIME,[1] I told you I was looking at durational performance and I wanted to present a series of pieces that were at least 12 hours long. You could have said, "well, I'm doing that right now" or "I'll come to Toronto and just be Linda Montano", but instead you organized a specific event with an audience component to it that could be published or announced. Is there a distinction to be made between performing a piece called Appreciating the Chakras and being in your kitchen making dinner?
LM: Sometimes you eat chocolate cake with raspberries on it, and sometimes you have a rice cake. Doing a performance like Appreciating the Chakras is the chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. It's a luxury, not necessary, but certainly something fun that I am still interested in. I see it as a night out.
PC: In calling everything you do art, and thinking of what you do as being an artist, do you think an artist necessarily has an audience? Is there a relationship between artist and audience?
LM: I think it's changing with computers and websites and so on. It's becoming a virtual audience — a non-visible, non-visual, non-physical audience. Then there's the audience of rumor, the audience of legend and gossip–"oh isn't that the person that, you know…" being known for one piece. There is a hunger now for community, for bodily closeness, for performance. But there's also a plethora of taste. Things have gotten so specific to the person, that the people who will come to see a particular piece are drawn chemically by the taste of that person. The flavor of the piece coincides with the flavor of the audience members. I think there are a lot of different levels of audience, unless it's a person or a piece that has such a following or such a need to be seen. Other than that, I think that as performance artists we draw the audience with the taste that corresponds with ours.
PC: In an interview you did before the Toronto show, you mentioned that one of the aspects of maturing as artists — I wasn't sure whether you meant specifically in performance art or just for yourself as an individual — was accepting or recognizing that not all audiences are going to love what you do, or have to like what you do.
LM: I think that's an important lesson to learn, not getting attached to numbers of people in the audience, not getting attached to being loved, so that you can really do the work for the right motivation. Hopefully the timing of the work is right. I really think a lot of it is about the presenter. If the presenter is coming from the right place and is well loved in the community and does a good job of making the artist comfortable, the audience can feel that and they respond. I think it's a real collaboration, because you can do something in the right place with the wrong kind of treatment or atmosphere, and it's not a good time for anyone. Sometimes it's not the artist so much that's drawing the crowd, but the presenter.
PC: When you do a piece, what are you hoping the audience will get? Or does that matter?
LM: Community — that they'll have a place where they can wash their subconscious of ideas or fears or taboos, and a place where they can touch a kind of magical sacredness, have a spiritual high. Moving through matter and the dirt and detritus of matter as a jumping-off place to this ecstasy.
PC: Do you have any thoughts about the element of time in your work? I chose you for TIME TIME TIME because I was familiar with the fact that you had done a seven-year project of exploring the chakras, where every moment of every day for quite a substantial length of time was devoted to or charged with the intent of the particular project you were working on.
LM: Working with time allows for a timelessness. You almost have to grab time to go out of time. Focus and concentration and discipline and spaciousness all happen at the same time when you work with endurance and time. It inhibits scatteredness. It inhibits shallowness. It helps us to go to places that change brain waves, literally. If something's done for a long period of time, then brain chemistry changes. All of those things interest me.
PC: I was very intrigued by the way you chose to structure what we called the 'piece' Appreciating the Chakras. Essentially, there were two parts. The first part of 3 1/2 hours was a soundscape that people could enter or leave as they wished, just soaking in the energy of it. The second part required a different level of commitment on the part of the people who were involved. They were no longer participating spectators; they were being what they were being. You asked us, in a sense, to sleep together.
LM: "I've slept with Linda Montano."
PC: (Laughing) I'll bet you have! In the morning, when we were ending the performance, one of the things you spoke about was that there was a sense of community created in our being together, just in doing a simple action together like sleeping. But people had to commit to be there for that 7-hour period and not leave in the middle, whereas the first part was set up so that anyone could come and go.
LM: A lot of that was just practical safety, in terms of doors opening and closing, people coming in, and protecting the space. Because people were sleeping, the space had to be different, so the parameters were different. But time is energy. We are energy. And energy needs a lot of attention. If we're busy, if there's a divorce from energy, then it's like not being nurtured, not getting enough food. All of these actions are vehicles. They're designed to produce the effect of feeling aliveness and energy — and maybe, if there is such a thing, a chemical shift in the brain where it's touching bliss or sacredness.
PC: Is it fair to say that what's involved is a commitment to acknowledging and working with the particular energy of time?
LM: When you translate time, the next word you get after time is death — because time is so mysterious and it's all about the race against time, or time out, or time is over, or time is up, etc. Time is a real piece of the puzzle that nature holds and has control of. When artists play with time, they're playing with God's toy, nature's toy. It wasn't designed for us to play with, but artists never play with anything that isn't sacred. Or, it's the artist's prerogative to go into that playground. Time brings up issues of dying and of death. And of impermanence and of change and of flux and of loss. "Time marches on." "I don't have enough time for that." It seems to dog us and nip at our heels and run after us. We don't have enough of it, but when the focus changes, when the artist uses time as a material — a clay to mold — the artist can use that material to reach timelessness — no-time. And no-time is bliss or ecstasy or energy, pure energy.
[1] Paul Couillard is the director of FADO, an alternative space in Toronto, Canada. This interview took place in conjunction with a festival entitled TIME TIME TIME, a twelve month series of durational performances by artists from the US, UK, and Canada curated by Couillard. Montano's contribution Appreciating the Chakras took place from January 30-31 in the Canadia dell'Arte Theater Troupe Studio Space. The title, I Slept With Linda Montano, refers to the 7- hour endurance, Chakra Sleepover/Workshop, Montano offered as part of the event. The unedited interview can be found at http://www.performanceart.ca/.Read More
BIO/MOTHER TERESA I was raised orthodox Catholic and this informed my mind, my art and my life. As a result of this early spiritual training I lived two years in a convent, years in an ashram, years in a Zen monastery and years mak…Read More
LIST OF PEOPLE NOT IN THE BOOK: PERFORMANCE ARTISTS TALKING IN THE 80'S: NOW IN FLAES LIBRARY, ARCHIVE OF LINDA MARY MONTANOFOOD (MAYBE)FRANK SCHIFREENELIZABETH CROSSYUSHINCYNTHIA SINCLAIRBILL GORDHJACQUES HALBERTTAKAHESHI KOSUGILINDA MONTANOMIL…Read More


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Floor Care and Cleaning
What to Do with Furniture When Getting New FloorsFeb 19, 2019
You've finally decided to take the plunge and treat yourself (and your home) to a brand new floor. Maybe you've gone for the hardwood you've always dreamed of in the dining room, or maybe you're refreshing up the carpet in your much-loved family room. Perhaps you're giving your home a total flooring makeover. It's an exciting time, but how are you supposed to put a new floor in without moving your whole family out?
What to Do with Furniture When Getting New Flooring
Furniture and belongings must be out of the way in order for your new flooring to be installed. Exactly what you choose to do with your furniture will depend on several factors. You can start to formulate a plan by asking yourself a few questions:
How big is your new flooring project?
Do you plan to get new flooring in just one room or the whole house? If you just need to temporarily shift a small kitchenette table and two chairs to a balcony, that's one thing. However, if you need to think about all the furniture in every room in your home, that's another.
How long will installation take?
You'll also need to consider the time frame for the installation. If you're on a tight schedule and need your furniture out fast that might change your game plan.
How big is your home?
If you have several spare rooms and a two car garage, you have more options to shift your furniture than if you live in a studio apartment in midtown.
What's your budget?
When it comes to moving (and storing) furniture, it's generally a choice between money and muscle. Can you carry a couch by yourself or with a buddy? Can you afford to pay someone else to do it? Or do you have funds to temporarily move it to a storage unit?
Will flooring installers move furniture?
Some companies may include furniture moving in their quote, although it's not a standard. If you do have this option, it can save you time (and maybe a sore back!). However, it may increase the total cost of your installation. Even with furniture removal included, you'll still need to take some time to remove personal items. Don't forget to empty your closets, cabinets and drawers before moving furniture.
Dealing with Furniture During Installation
Once you have the answers to those questions, you will probably have enough information to choose between these three main strategies for dealing with your furniture while your new flooring is installed:
Musical Chairs
Simply, move your furniture to another room while your new flooring is being installed. If you're having multiple rooms refloored, it may mean a lot of moving and carrying from room to room. It's hard work, but it doesn't cost a dime -- and your beloved armchair never has to leave the house.
Garage or Shed Storage
This option only works if you have
Short-Term Storage
Renting a storage unit for a full month may be overkill for a small flooring project, but it can make life a lot easier. This rings especially true if you live in tight quarters or if you're flooring more than one space in your house. Rented storage is convenient, safe, and secure. No constant shuffling of chairs and tables or tripping over furniture awkwardly crammed into the wrong room. If you really want to give yourself a break, you can also hire someone to move it there.
Preparing Your Floor for Hardwood Installation
Once your furniture is out of the way, there are a few steps you can take to ensure a smooth and seamless installation:
- Before you get started, remove baseboards and door frames. This will make it much easier for your installation team to get a perfect fit. No matter what kind of flooring you currently have, a thorough vacuuming will make the rest of the job even easier.
- Ask your installers ahead of time whether they'll be the ones removing your old flooring or if the job falls to you. If not, you may have a big job ahead of you: there can be some interesting surprises lurking under your old flooring. Multiple layers of carpet or vinyl can be difficult to move and are generally a lot heavier than they look!
- Once the old flooring has been taken out, you'll need to ensure that the subfloor is level and in good condition before installation begins. Again, an experienced hardwood flooring installation specialist can take care of this for you to ensure a perfectly smooth and level finish on your new floor.
For more handy tips, check out our hardwood flooring installation guide.
How to Prepare for Carpet Installation
The prep work for a new carpet is quite similar to the process for installing hardwood; however, there are a few differences.
- Once you've moved your furniture out, you generally need to get rid of the old flooring before your beautiful new carpet can be installed. For some helpful tips on getting rid of your existing carpeting for a fresh start, visit our wall-to-wall carpeting installation guide.
- If you currently have wood or vinyl flooring, you may be able to lay the carpet over your existing flooring instead of tearing it out. However, it's best to consult with your installation company about what options are available to you and what's best for you and your new carpet.
Tips to Prep Your Home Before Your Floor Installation
Here are a few more tips to keep in mind before you put down your new flooring:
- Finish any home remodeling tasks. One of the best things you can do before you install a new floor is to complete any other remodeling jobs in the room first. Whether it's a fresh coat of paint, new wallpaper, or general repairs, wrapping up these projects in advance will help protect your beautiful new floor from damage.
- Large appliance maintenance. If new flooring is going into a room with large appliances that may need to be rewired before moving, be sure to contact an electrician well in advance of your floor installation appointment. In case your appliances need to be moved, there's less worry about a heavy piece of machinery scuffing up old floors before you install your new ones.
- Stock up on tarps and masking tape. If you anticipate a lot of sanding, you can minimize the spread of dust throughout the house by closing doors and covering them with sheets of plastic, tarps, and masking tape. Hardwood floors often require some sanding during the installation process. Similarly, if your subfloor needs a lot of work before carpet installation, your installation team may need to even out your floor so that it's level. Having these simple items on-hand can make cleanup less intensive after your install.
- Be mindful of your pets. You'll also want to consider finding your furry friends some alternate accommodation during installation. The disruption of strangers carrying large objects in and out of rooms, strange smells and sounds can be upsetting to cats or dogs. Worse yet, open doors can be an invitation to go AWOL. If you own birds or small animals such as rodents, be aware that they can have very sensitive respiratory systems. Check with your vet before installation whether they could be at risk from installation-related dust or fumes and make a plan to have a trusted friend or relative care for them for a few days until the (literal) dust settles.
After Your Flooring Installation
Can you put furniture on newly installed hardwood floors?
When your new engineered hardwood floors are installed, you'll be excited to add your furniture and decorate, but it's best to wait a day or two to put furniture on newly installed hardwood floors. When you do place furniture on your floors, you'll want to make sure that you place protective pads on all wooden and metal furniture legs. Remember to lift furniture and place lightly on your floors instead of dragging or pushing furniture into place to avoid scratches on your new floors.
How long before you can put furniture on new hardwood floors?
We recommend waiting at least 24 hours before stepping on the floor and even then, only wearing socks on the hardwood. Wait a total of four days before moving your furniture back to give the flooring enough time to set.
Furniture Tips When Getting New Floors
We hope these tips help make it easier to plan ahead for installing new flooring. If you're thinking about sprucing up your home and adding a fresh flooring element, request a free room measurement! Get an expert estimate by contacting your local Flooring America location to find out just how much flooring you'll need to better pin down your project's budget.
Spring Cleaning Tips for Your FloorsNov 12, 2018
The birds are chirping, grass is growing, and winter is making its final farewell, it's finally spring! It's time to store away those winter boots, the same winter boots that have been walking all over your beautiful floors all season long through the long, dirty, cold, and unforgiving months of winter. Winter not only pummels the outdoors, but mud, snow, and salt is tracked all over your home, leaving a mess on your floors. With spring comes everyone's favorite spring time activity, spring cleaning. Here are some spring cleanings tips to get your floors back in tip-top shape.
Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Flooring
Tile Flooring
When it comes to tile flooring, the first step to cleaning them is to sweep or vacuum loose dirt, dust, pet hair, and other debris. Ceramic tiles only need warm water to properly clean them, but you can also seek out a manufacturer recommended cleaner. It's sometimes best to avoid using a sponge mop as a mop can push dirt into the grout tracks of the flow.
Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring can be cleaned by sweeping or vacuuming. It's important to never use abrasive cleaning products on your hardwood floor to avoid scratching and gouging. Check with the manufacturer of your hardwood floor for recommended cleaners. For more general hardwood flooring care, check out our Flooring Guide.
Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring can be cleaned by occasional mopping. It is recommended to find a manufacturer's recommended cleaner to remove dirt built up. A few capfuls of clear, non-sudsy ammonia and water is a safe cleaning solution that you can use when spring cleaning vinyl flooring.
Laminate Flooring
When cleaning laminate floors, it's best to vacuum the floor using the wand attachment. Use a dust mop or damp cloth for general cleaning. It's important to wipe up wet areas an allow them to properly dry, as laminate flooring can be extra slippery when being cleaned. If winter has left traces of salt on your floor, use a damp cloth to wipe the stain off.
Spring is often the best time to shampoo your carpets. It's important to hire a professional service if you're unsure of proper carpet cleaning techniques. Vacuuming is also extremely important to help remove dirt and grime that may have become trapped in your carpet's fibers.
When you're ready to spring clean your floors, don't forget you can reach out to Flooring America for any questions regarding recommended cleaning products.
How to Clean After Your Home RenovationJun 21, 2018
There's nothing better than when your home renovation project is complete. The noise is gone, the workers have left, and you can finally use your space again. Unfortunately the construction dust is not gone, leaving you with the task of cleaning up your space. Lucky for you we are here to help you through the process of how to clean after renovation so you can enjoy your remodel.
How to Clean After A Remodel Project
Whether big or small, any type of home renovation project is going to require you to do a bit of cleaning before you dive back into your normal daily routine. Construction dust will fall anywhere and everywhere, and since it can be harmful to your family and pets, it's incredibly important to deep clean your home as soon as possible.
What Post Remodel Tools Will You Need?
Depending on the area of your home that you renovated, you may or may not need all of these tools, but you'll want to have on hand:
- Rubber gloves
- Protective eyewear
- Face mask
- Vacuum
- Mop and/or broom
- Mop Buckets
- Trash bags
- Cleaning solution
- Cloths
- Dust pans
- Ladder/Step-Ladder
What Steps Should You Follow For Post-Remodel Cleaning?
No matter what room you remodeled, you should always start with wiping down your walls, molding, and hard surfaces. The safest way to clean your walls will be by dry dusting. Dust collects everywhere, so you will want to make sure that you don't forget to clean the molding and baseboards.
Once your walls have been cleaned, the next step is to clean your hard surfaces from the top down. Clean your countertops, the interiors and exteriors of cabinetry, handles, knobs, doors, and hardware. Don't forget to tackle any lighting fixtures, fan blades, blinds, curtains, vents, and ducts. Nothing is off limits for cleaning after a home renovation. A good rule of thumb is if it's in your home, clean it.
At this point all surfaces should be clean, and ultimately, more dust and debris will have collected on your floors, which is why your floors should be cleaned last.
For hard surface flooring:
- To help eliminate fine particles of dirt and grit that can act like sandpaper and will scratch any floor, vacuum or sweep.
- Do not vacuum with a beater bar unless the beater bar is switched off.
- Use a dust mop to remove any remaining particles.
For carpet:
- Vacuum regularly to avoid any dust and dirt particles from wearing on your carpet.
- Call a professional carpet cleaner to ensure all fine dust and dirt particles are removed.
How to Remain Safe during Your Remodel Cleanup
Always make sure that you are wearing a face mask, as the dust particles can be dangerous. If you are standing on a ladder or platform to reach high areas, make sure to have someone nearby to keep you steady. Lastly, be sure that large pieces of debris, nails, and tools are removed and properly stored away.
Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy your beautiful new space.
For more information on flooring, visit our different flooring options and browse luxury vinyl, hardwood, and more for your next flooring project
How to Fix Gaps in Your Hardwood FloorsApr 16, 2018
If you're in the market for new hardwood floors, you might face the decision of solid hardwood vs. engineered hardwood. Like any flooring product, both have their pros and cons, but when it comes to matters of the home, these will be specific to each individual household as you take into account budget, lifestyle, and needs.
How to Assess Those Gaps in Your Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood floors are a big investment, so it's important to factor in the possibility that over time, your hardwood might experience gaps in between the planks.
Why Does Your Hardwood Floor Have Gaps?
Gaps in hardwood floors are a common occurrence over the course of a wood's life. As the weather and seasons change, hardwood is susceptible to expanding and contracting from heat, causing gaps. If your floors have been exposed to water-damage, boards are more likely to form gaps in between the planks as the wood shrinks when it has dried out.
The Solution for Preventing Hardwood Floor Gaps: Engineered Hardwood
Hardwood floors in the home are sought out by many homeowners, but to combat the possibility of gaps developing in the floor, engineered hardwood is a great alternative. This type of flooring can reduce gaps between planks, allowing the layers of plywood to shift and move more easily when adjusting to humidity changes.
How to Find the Right Hardwood Floor for Your Home
If you decide to have hardwood floors installed, it is important to have your installer perform a humidity level test and to acclimate the hardwood to your home. This will be incredibly important if you live in a humid area, as it can cause warping, bowing, splitting, and gaps. By measuring your home's humidity levels, your installer will be able to recommend the best floor for your home. Your hardwood will also have to acclimate to your home's humidity and temperature, which means that your new flooring has to rest inside your home for up to a week and a half before it can be installed.
For more information on our beautiful and reliable hardwood selection, visit our hardwood flooring page!
What Should You Consider for Kitchen Floors?Feb 09, 2018
When it comes time to choose flooring for your kitchen, one of the most important first steps to take is to consider the function of the room and how you use it.
- Do you enjoy cooking?
- Do you host a lot of parties?
- Do you have kids or pets running around your house?
If you can answer yes to any of these, it will be important that your kitchen floors be able to withstand spills, heavy foot traffic, and dropped dishes.
With that in mind, luxury vinyl, laminate, and tile are all great options, but it will be your lifestyle needs and personal preferences which will help in your decision.
What is the Best Material for Your Kitchen Floor?
Make sure that you keep function and durability a top priority in the decision making process.
Luxury vinyl is ideal for those prone to making a mess in the kitchen. It's durable, holds up to scratches, and it is waterproof, making it one of the best flooring options. Vinyl flooring's protective top layer allows for ease of maintenance and makes clean-up a breeze.
Laminate is a great option for a kitchen that gets a lot of love, as it has 4 layers that will absorb heavy foot traffic and protects against stains, burns, and spills. It is affordable, easy to install, and comes in a variety of styles, making it a great option too.
Lastly, tile is another solid choice for your kitchen. It's scratch resistant and incredibly easy to clean, but it is also very cold and does not have the softest cushioning to allow for comfort when standing for long periods of time.
Which Kitchen Flooring is the Most Durable?
Tile will be the most durable flooring choice due to its long wearing durability, ease of maintenance, and resistance to moisture. It's resistant to scratches, so it's great in those moments when pots are dropped.
If new kitchen floors are in your future, be sure to stop by your local Flooring America store and let our flooring experts show you the best flooring options and discuss the installation process.
How to Keep Your Laminate Floors Looking Brand NewFeb 01, 2018
With its ability to look just like hardwood, ceramic, or stone, laminate is a great flooring option for those high traffic areas in your home. Laminate is incredibly durable and easy to maintain, however just like any type of flooring, it does require regular cleaning.
Can You Really Clean Your Laminate Floors with Vinegar?
Vinegar can be used to clean laminate flooring and is great for bringing the shine back to your floors. To create your cleaning solution, use 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar. Spray the solution in small areas at a time, and clean with a damp cloth or mop. Once finished, dry the laminate and your floors will shine like new!
Tips for Washing Laminate Floors
For general laminate cleaning, we recommend using a dust mop or a damp mop. To prevent dirt and grit from scratching the laminate, vacuuming and sweeping daily is encouraged.
How to Prevent Damage to your Laminate Floors
To prevent damage, it's encouraged to not walk on the floor in spiked shoes or heels. Place doormats at every entrance to keep sand, dirt, and grit from scratching your floor. And lastly, do not use soap, detergent based cleaners, wax-based products, any type of polish, or a steam cleaner.
Check out our hard surface floor care guide for more floor cleaning tips!


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Retrofit for the most modern botteling plant in Switzerland (Dynamic Storage)
Limited spatial conditions, high CO2 reduction targets, and not least the utmost performance and continued function of the system proved to be hugely demanding. Pearlwater now dispatches up to 2,000 pallets each day.Video
"Just 52 hours" – a sorter retrofit during ongoing operation
A retrofit project as race against time in the deep freeze logistics center TK-Center Birrfeld, Switzerland - a success story of a sorter retrofit in 52 hours, during ongoing operation. As responsible system integrator for this project, Siemens Postal, Parcel & Airport Logistics AG relies on the Interroll Crossbelt Sorter.Video
Warehouse Logistics
High performance and quality at low running costs are essential keys to success in internal warehouse logistics. Intelligent flow storage systems for pallets (also known as "Dynamic Storage") offer a multitude of advantages in the area of internal warehouse logistics with high turnover levels.
Interroll is one of the world's leading specialists for dynamic storage systems. Interroll's Pallet Flow and Carton Flow solutions are deployed in warehouses and distribution centers all around the globe. Among our customers are leading companies such as:
- Procter & Gamble
- Red Bull
- Coca Cola
- Coop
Dynamic Storage: Saving space and energy
Interroll Dynamic Storage helps you save up to 50% space and energy. A diverse product range can be handled faster and with lower personnel costs with dynamic storage systems. In addition, the use of gravity avoids power costs for electric motors that move pallets in the racking with radio shuttle systems. These are just some of the factors that significantly reduce ongoing operating costs.
Customers that apply the Interroll Dynamic Storage System tell us that they have:
- up to 50% less space requirements in their warehouses
- 55% increase performance in distribution centers
- up to 50% less energy consumption in the area of internal logistics
"We can process orders much more efficiently, with significantly reduced transit channels and much faster with our flow storage solution."
(Matthias Schmitt, Head of the Procter & Gamble distribution center in Crailsheim, Germany)